#Hopper: like hell I can’t

[morganbritton132]

Steve’s like, “Why is everyone saying I had a weird childhood. I had a normal childhood.”

Dustin: Because your childhood was weird. Hope this helps.

Erica: Didn’t your dad hit you with a car?

Steve: That was one time

Robin, while Steve is making the stop talking gesture: You told me it happened twice

Hopper: Twice?

Steve:

Hopper: Twice?!

[richhietozier]

very vaguely working on a buffy the vampire slayer au fic rn (that i think will be centered around steddie) where nancy is the slayer, eddie is a vampire, and steve, robin, and jonathan are nancy’s scooby gang

[allsteddie]

Steve joining Hopper as a police officer and being perfect for the job.

That is, until Hopper sends Steve and Jameson, his partner, to deal with a call regarding a bar fight.

Because the bar is the same one Eddie and Corroded Coffin play every other night, the one he was actually playing that night, and when Steve finally gets there he finds his boyfriend with a bloodied nose and a split lip, black shirt torn on one shoulder. The rest of the band is in similar state and on the other side of the bar the owner is glaring and yelling at a bunch of guys; they too look pretty beaten up.

“What the hell happened to you?” Steve asks, alarmed, but his boyfriend just shrugs.

“Guys were being assholes, so I shut them up. No biggie.”

“Eddie! You can’t assault people like-”

“They called Eddie a fag and one of them slapped Josy’s ass when she passed by their table,” Gareth interrupts.

And, like flipping a switch, Steves stops. His gaze falls over Gareth, laser focused.

“They did what?”

“Called Eddie a fag.”

Two hours later, Steve sits quietly on the chair in Hopper’s office, as the older man yaps at him about being stupid and doing things without thinking first. He gets his first written warning for bad conduct that night because, apparently, beating up the guys you were supposed to get statements from is not allowed, even if you beat them up to protect the honor of your loved ones.

[uss-butterscotch]

Eddie almost becomes a 4th of July finger loss statistic and runs into a pair of sailors in the ER

cw: medical terminology, references to canon-typical gore

-

Eddie can feel his uncle’s glare from the seat next to him. He’s resolutely ignoring it and also attempting to ignore the pulsing pain in his hand, which he’s currently pressing a damp kitchen towel to.

Wayne, apparently, isn’t having it. “You know how many people blow their fingers off on this day every year, boy?” He says slowly.

Eddie presses his lips together. When he can’t hold his thoughts back anymore he half-whispers, “Last time I checked, all my fingers were still attached to my body.”

“They better continue to be that way by tomorrow morning.” Wayne huffs and leans back in his chair. Arms crossed tight over his chest.

They sit in silence for about 5 minutes before the doors to the emergency room practically fly open. The sudden movement draws Eddie’s eye.

He’s met with possibly the last thing he expects. The first thing he registers is that two of the people who just entered appear to be dressed like cartoon sailors, and that one of the sailors also appears to have been recently hit by a car, then the car reversed, and ran him over again.

The second thing he realizes is that the roadkill sailor is the one and only Steve Harrington. Not only is he Steve Harrington, he’s Steve Harrington, clearly on drugs.

“Hopper, we told you,” Harrington attempts to sound convincing while teetering precariously with every step, “we feel fine. I don’t even think this is as bad as last time. Nobody even… smashed anything into my head.”

The other sailor, whom Eddie has just identified as Robin Buckley, band kid and on Eddie’s short list of suspected fellow freaks.

“Nope!” Robin giggles, “just ripped a few fingernails out.” She wiggles her own fingers in front of Hopper’s face, which at the moment is locked in a simultaneously horrified and exasperated expression.

Now that attention has been called to it, and all of Robin’s fingers seem intact, Eddie sneaks a glance at Harrington’s hands, the left one of which appears to have bandages that are becoming soaked through with blood on the index and middle fingers.

“Maybe nothing got smashed into you, but Wheeler mentioned something about you smashing a certain commandeered vehicle into a certain Camaro.” Hopper leans in and speaks in a growl Eddie assumes he thinks passes for whispering, while directing Harrington and Buckley into matching plastic chairs to the one Eddie is currently occupying.

He gapes at them and blinks a few times before turning to see what his uncle thinks of this whole scene. He finds Wayne watching the newcomers with a slight squint to his eyes and a slight raise to his right eyebrow. A clear sign that he is equal parts concerned, Eddie would assume for the obvious poor condition of at least one of the teens, and intrigued, but not intrigued enough to risk intervening and complicating his already very mentally taxing evening.

Before he can do anything about any part of this scenario, a nurse calls Eddie’s name and in a blink he’s being led into the next stage of the hell of his own making. At first it’s several minutes of answering questions, nurses looking very intently at the half burn/half gash in his hand, and antiseptic. Finally he’s left alone for a few moments while they let the topical numbing cream set in.

There are two other beds in the section he’s been taken to. One of them is currently occupied by an older man, accompanied by a younger woman in a plastic chair next to him. Both of them appear to be fast asleep. The other bed is empty. Or at least, it is until there’s a commotion from the hallway, and the sailors are being ushered in Eddies direction, toward the bed next to his. Eddie catches bits of the conversation that leads to the two-high-teenagers-for-one deal he’s about to get.

Robin’s almost frantic voice, “No! They can’t separate us! Last time we got split up-“

“It’ll be fine, Rob, these guys are probably American.” Steve cuts her off nonsensically. Eddie kind of wishes he was on whatever stuff Steve was right now.

“Considering what you’ve tried to explain so far, I don’t know how much better that is.” Robin says, giggling again.

Steve clumsily grabs her hand with his right one, reaching across is own body awkwardly to get to her, and missing on the first attempt. “You also need to get looked at, little miss ‘ask me tomorrow’.”

Robin cringes at him, “Ok now I will leave you alone so you don’t call me ‘little miss’ again.”

Eddie watches the nurses lead Robin further down the hallway, and Steve to the bed next to his own. They’re left alone briefly after Steve gets settled and the nurse has rushed off to find a doctor.

The other teen stares almost blankly at him for a long moment before he exclaims suddenly, startling Eddie, “Munson! From Biology! That’s why you seem familiar.”

“Harrington,” Eddie replies, “you are aware we shared more classes than the one Biology period, right?”

Harrington blinks slowly with the eye that isn’t swollen shut. “No, actually, I dunno if you noticed, but I was sort of an asshole in high school, so…” he wobbles his head back and forth, “I kind of only remember that time you passed out when we dissected that cow eye.”

“Ah,” Eddie rolls his eyes and nods, “so you were an asshole in high school, but you’re not anymore. Got it.” He’s really going over the top with the sarcasm, but Harrington doesn’t seem to catch on.

“Yup. Earlier Robin said that I really was, but I’m not anymore, and she’s usually right about most things, even though it’s super annoying when she is right, because she won’t shut up about it, and she remembers stuff, like how many times I’m wrong and what I’m wrong about and what I ate for breakfast in Mrs. Click’s class and-“

He’s cut off by the nurse from before returning. “Sorry for making you wait, hon, it’s a real circus here tonight. While we wait for the doctor, I’m gonna get you set up with some fluids. The EMTs said you were pretty dehydrated.”

When she brandishes the needle in preparation for placing the IV, Eddie notices all the color that isn’t bruising drain from Harrington’s face. He tries to subtly scoot away from her, but the movement is a little too rushed to come from anywhere but a sense of panic.

“O-oh, no that’s, I’m okay, no-no thanks.” He stutters out, his breath coming in quick and shallow now.

“Oh, hon, it’s okay to be afraid of needles,” the nurse says sweetly, “just look away and take deep breaths, and it’ll be over in a pinch.”

Harrington winces at that. “I-I’m really- it’s- I’m fine, you don’t-“

He stops abruptly when what sounds like a screamed “No!”echoes from down the hallway. It takes half a second longer for Eddie to place the voice as Robin Buckley’s than it apparently takes Steve, because Eddie blinks and Harrington’s off the bed and rushing toward the voice with a half-shouted “Robin!”

The nurse, it seems, is just as stunned as Eddie, and it’s a few seconds before she’s racing after him down the hallway.

It isn’t until his stitches are almost halfway done that Harrington returns, now closely followed by Chief Hopper, and lead gingerly by the elbow by the nurse. The IV situation appears to have been solved, as he is now rolling a drip bag on a stand with his free hand.

Once Harrington is returned to his bed, Hopper leans over him slightly in what Eddie recognizes as his attempt to be intimidating. “Now listen closely, Harrington. You are going to stay right there in this bed, and do whatever Annette here asks you to do until I get back. Do I make myself clear?”

Steve stares at him open mouthed for a moment, before he starts giggling. “Huh, Mike’s right, you do have a little vein that pops out right…” he reaches up to try and poke Hopper in the forehead.

Before Hopper smacks his hand away, Eddie notices a thick band of bruising around Harrington’s wrist, adding to the already massive pile of questions he has about whatever series of events led to those two landing themselves here.

Steve is still giggling when Hopper stands back up, dragging a hand down his face. “Look. Just stay put for 20 minutes. Someone still has to call your damn parents.”

“Good luck with that,” Harrington says wearily to Hopper’s back as he retreats back toward the waiting room.

With all the commotion, Eddie almost forgets he’s currently getting his hand sewn back together. A distraction he’s secretly grateful for, since he was starting to get a little light headed thinking about it.

“Well, Eddie, that should be it,” the doctor says, patting the fresh bandage gently, “I’ll get someone to take care of your discharge papers and you’ll be on your way.”

Eddie gives a thumbs up with the hand that did not get nearly exploded several hours ago. As the doctor leaves, Eddie realizes he is once again left alone with Harrington. He can only handle about two minutes of the silence before he blurts out. “Ok, man, I’m dying to know. What the hell happened to you? You look like you rolled down a rocky cliffside for like a day straight.”

Harrington chuckles, “I feel like that.” He doesn’t say anything for a long moment before he apparently realizes Eddie asked him a question. “Oh, uh, the mall burned down.”

“Starcourt? The brand new mall?”

Harrington nods. “Yup.” He pops the p.

“Wh-” Eddie blinks at him in disbelief, “and you and Buckley..?”

“We were there, yeah.” He says it so nonchalantly Eddie almost thinks he’s messing with him.

“Right…” Eddie starts, not sure where he’s going before one of the questions swirling around his brain tumbles out of his mouth “so the mall was burning down and someone ripped your finger nails off?”

Harrington sits up straight, “How did you-?”

“I was in the waiting room when you came in,” Eddie answers in a rush, “overheard you and Buckley.”

“Oh.” Harrington says, then blinks slowly a few times and Eddie can almost hear him thinking. “Umm, no that happened… before the fire.” He finally says, frustratingly vague.

“Right, and the…” Eddie gestures vaguely to his own face in leu of actually asking.

Harrington hums. “Uhh, I think… falling debris…” he nods to himself, “yeah, you know, chunks of burning mall.” He mimes something falling from the sky and makes a cartoon explosion sound. Eddie’s not totally inclined to believe him, especially since he just noticed the finger shaped bruising on Harringtons arms.

“You think?” He presses.

Harrington huffs, almost like a kid throwing a tantrum. “Look man, I’m like super ultra concussed and on some kind of mystery drugs so my memory is like…” he flaps a hand around for a second, then lands on a thumbs down, “at the moment.”

Eddie nods. “Right, yeah, sorry.” Eddie puts his uninjured hand up in surrender, “Just, my curious nature, man.”

Steve shrugs, then winces. “Okay, my turn.” He points to Eddie’s bandaged hand, “What happened there?”

“Awesome firework experiment gone wrong.” Eddie says, deliberately not elaborating. It’s apparently enough for Steve who nods knowingly.

Another silence settles over the room, this time less awkward, but Eddie still feels the need to break it. “Okay this is my last question for real.” Harrington sighs, but motions for him to go on. “The outfit?”

He squints at Eddie for a moment. “Did you ever like, actually go to the mall?”

“Once. And it confirmed my suspicions that the whole thing was a capitalist nightmare that I in no way belonged within a thousand foot radius of.” Eddie proclaiming proudly.

Steve looked at him like he was speaking Spanish. “Um, sure. Yeah. That’s probably true.” He picks at some of the blood that has dried on the collar of his shirt. “Robin and I work, or, I guess worked, now that it doesn’t exist anymore, but, anyway it’s this ice cream place, and it’s like, ocean themed for some reason, so… sailors.”

The mood seems to have shifted slightly. Harrington’s no longer looking at him, instead focusing on his shoes, which also appear to be smudged with blood. No trace of the half smile that had been lingering from his random fits of giggles. With the way he’s fidgeting, it almost seems like he’s nervous.

Eddie decides the best way out of this is to pretend like he doesn’t notice and hope he can get the vibe back on track. “That sounds like the most ridiculous business I’ve ever heard of.”

Steve lets out a halfhearted chuckle. “Yeah, it was pretty stupid.”

They are both saved from trying to come up with a new direction for the conversation to go by the entrance of Robin Buckley, who is toting her own rolling stand of IV fluid with her.

“Dingus!” She calls, and Eddie notes the way Harrington relaxes slightly at seeing her. “I’m completely healthy!”

Steve mimes clapping and Robin bows dramatically. “I… am not.”

Robin taps his knee. “I could have probably told you that.” Her gaze scans the room, then catches on him. “Hey, you’re the guy that runs the D&D group, right?”

“In the flesh,” Eddie says, spreading his arms wide.

Robin cringes again. “Ew, don’t say flesh. I’ve had too much flesh for one day.”

Steve nods next to her. “He blew up his hand with fireworks.”

Robin gasps, “Really?” She turns to Steve, “I totally thought we were gonna do that, but” she holds out her hands, and while they themselves seem fine, Eddie notices the bruising on her wrists that match Harrington’s, “all my fingers. Intact.”

“That makes one of us,” he smirks and makes eye contact with Eddie.

“Did you know that on the Fourth of July, over 30% of hospital visits are related to injuries from fireworks” Robin says unprompted.

“Why would I know that.” Steve says flatly, “Why do you know that?”

Robin shrugs, “I read.”

It’s then that a nurse comes back to get Eddie out of there. As he goes, Steve waves a goodbye to him that he awkwardly returns. As he leaves them behind he hears Robin ask, “Did Johnathan Byers cut open a girl’s leg, or was that the drugs?”

He shakes his head as he returns to the waiting room, resigned to never have answers to his mountain of questions.

[catherinnn]

Guilty as Sin

Eddie Munson x fem!reader

a blurb where Hopper catches you two in the middle of a cozy night at Lover's lake.

warnings: very smutty but (unfortunately) they can't get to anything.

masterlist

It was the middle of the night. Lover’s lake was practically empty since it was a Thursday night. But Wayne had interrupted your plans with your boyfriend when he announced that he had the day off and planned on watching a marathon of those really old movies he loves so much until he fell asleep on the couch. So the idea of watching some slasher with Eddie until getting bored and started making out was out of the question. Hence, plan B: parking at Lover’s lake to smoke, star-gaze and then a make-out session. 

You were currently in the back of the van, sat on Eddie’s lap, french-kissing him. 

His hands grab onto your waist like a dog to a bone. Your hands tangle in his hair and pull on it every so often like you know he loves. 

It isn’t until he starts to move your hips ever so lightly back and forth that it gets messy. 

You remove the leather jacket off of him, his hands get out of the sleeves to now grab your hips as if he wanted to leave marks. Tongues dance together as if it was a tango. 

Eddie was very talkative during sex usually. But there are times, like this one, where he just got lost in the moment, in your touch, in your body, and stayed quiet. Paying so closely attention to every single detail of you, that form sentences would just interrupt him.

He moves your skirt upwards to slide his hands under it and grab two handfuls of your cheeks. Moving you easier now to grind your clothed sexes together. The kiss gets even messier somehow. You lift his shirt and suddenly decide it’s getting in the way too much, so you take it off of him and throw it beside you two. 

He stops kissing your lips to move lower. One thing about Eddie is that he loves to mark you up. So his lips cling to your neck like ivy and you whisper your moans and whimpers in his ear. He keeps moving your hips to his liking. Back and forth and pushing them down harder to feel more friction. 

You can feel how your underwear gets wetter and wetter, just like he can feel his pants getting tighter and tighter. 

He nips and sucks and licks and kisses your neck with no mercy, like a lion to its haunt. 

Both of you so lost in each other that you don’t even hear the footsteps around the van. That is until a bright light is directed at both of you, scaring you and blinding you in a matter of seconds. 

“What the fuck?!” Eddie shouts, startled. And when your eyes get –kind of– used to the light, you are able to see Hopper standing there. 

“What the hell are you two doing here so late?” He asks tiredly and you get off of your boyfriend to sit next to him now, he still grabs you as if this was just a momentary interruption.

Eddie sighs. “If I said we were just talking, would you believe me?”

Hopper just looks at him unimpressed.

“Well, we were! just… quite a few minutes ago” Eddie adds.

“Kids, this is a public place, I can’t allow you to stay here and do this with no mind” 

“Oh come on, Chief! it’s called Lover’s Lake for a reason. Just give me 30 minutes and we’ll be out of here” Eddie tries to negotiate. 

“30 minutes?” Hopper bursts out laughing. “What will you do with 25 minutes of spare time after you’re done?” 

“What-?” Eddie rolls his eyes at the teasing and you have to bite down your giggle.

“You running some kind of scam, Munson? Cause I don’t see how else you landed a girl like her with this van and that hair of yours” he teases. 

That actually does make you chuckle. 

“Hop, buddy, be honest with me, we know each other well enough. Are you just jealous? When was the last time you got frisky in a van? Huh? I should lend you the keys sometime” Eddie mocks him too. 

“Alright, kid. You’re starting to piss me off. Put your shirt back on and get going. Go climb her window while her parents sleep or something, i don’t care” 

You try to get up to leave but Eddie’s hands on you tighten to stop you before you can even move forward. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re kicking us out or whatever, but can we just take a second to appreciate the romance here? I mean, I parked the van under the stars with a perfect view of the lake. It’s practically poetic, man” 

You don’t even know why he keeps trying to fight with Hopper. 

“I’m tearing up, kid. Now get the hell out” 

“Let’s just go, Eds” you tell him. 

“Damn it, I get it! Public indecency and all that. But shouldn’t the police be more concerned with, I dunno, actual crimes? Rather than two –hot– consenting adults getting cozy?” he keeps rambling.

“Alright, what do you think? Should I be concerned about drugs being dealt in school instead?” Hopper throws at him.

“Alright! we’ll get out of here, officer” Eddie quickly catches the hint and gets up.

[munsonsmixtapes]

I Have You Strung, Strung in My Web

Billy Hargrove x Hopper!reader

You and Billy try to make it clear that you want more, but you keep missing each other.

This series is being discontinued but you are still more than welcome to keep reading!

part one part three

The bed shakes and squeaks as Billy pounds into this girl-what what her name? Jamie? Jackie? Definitely something with a J, but that doesn’t matter. Her usually just calls her “bitch” and she responds to that quite well.

She’s responding exactly the way he wants her too, so close to coming, but he doesn’t care. He actually couldn’t give less of a fuck. He’s only going this to get over you. He knows the only way to get over someone is to get under-well in this case, on top of-someone else.

But it’s not working. In fact, all he can think about is you and the way you made him feel so good. He wants that again. He wants it so bad but he’s not going to ask you not matter how much he wants to.

You have to initiate it because if Billy does, he’s gonna look like a goddamn pussy. He wouldn’t even know how to initiate it. He’s always the one being approached, and he certainly doesn’t fuck the same girl twice. That’s not who he is.

Then what makes you so different? Why are you the one he wants to break all his rules for? He doesn’t know but he wishes he did, wishes he could make sense of his feelings. Because being around you makes him feel like he can be himself. He doesn’t have to put on that persona he does with everyone else.

He zones back in as the girl finishes and he’s never been so eager to pull out, so he does. He didn’t even come and for the first time, he doesn’t care. He just wants her out so he can be left alone.

Thankfully, she knows her place and is quick to leave without even so much as a goodbye. Billy just stands there, facing his closet, now feeling like he needs a shower. He really needs to wash off this girl’s perfume along with the entire experience because now he feels dirty.

He heads to the bathroom and as soon as the faucet is turned on, he immediately feels a lot better. He stands there as the steam fogs up the mirror and as he wipes it away and looks at his reflection, he can’t help but think that he doesn’t recognize himself. Is that a smile he sees? Who hell is that staring back at him? He has no idea but he kind of likes it.

He gets into the shower and feels himself relax. In here, no one can bother him. Not his dad, not Susan or Max, and especially not you. Then why are there flashes of the two of you showering together in his mind?

He wants to have you pinned against the wall as he fucks you senseless, showing you who’s really in control. He let you take over that one time, but if he were to fuck you again, he’d be the one in charge. That’s how he operates, how he likes it. How he needs it. He has say about anything else in his life so sex is what he relies on in order to have some control.

After he’s out of the shower, he’s thinking about calling you. You told him not to be a stranger, but he’s nervous to actually give you a call. He also doesn’t want to go ask Max for your number because he’s sure that she’ll tease him about it.

He wonders if you’ll be home if he just shows up. Or maybe Chief Hopper will be there and grill him about his intentions with you. Yeah, he doesn’t want that. He knows your dad doesn’t approve of him, that much is clear. He’s been arrested for so many fights that he’s seen Jim Hopper more than his own father.

What would Jim say if he knew what Billy and his daughter had gotten up to the other night? He definitely wouldn’t make it out of the cabin alive if he ever found out. Because you’re Jim’s little girl and he’ll always think of you as such no matter how old you get.

He decides against contacting you altogether as he gets dressed. He wouldn’t know what to do or say and figures that you’ll reach out eventually. At least, he really hopes so.

“So you really went and did it?” Steve sighs as he looks at you from where he’s sitting on his couch. He’s there for your Friday night movie you do every week and the two of you are just waiting for the others to show up.

“Yep,” you nod, knowing that he has no interest in hearing anything about it and you respect that.

“Gross,” he grimaces. “Did you…enjoy it?” He honestly just wants to make sure you’re safe and that’s it. He feels like your older brother sometimes even though you’re the same age. He just wants to protect you.

“I did, actually,” you nod, trying really hard to keep the smile off your face. “ And he did too. I sense that he’ll be calling me any minute now.” You glance at the watch on your wrist. Billy hasn’t called you all weekend which doesn’t surprise you. Calling isn’t really his thing and you don’t care anyway. You guess it was only meant to be a one time thing.

“Yeah, good luck with that pipe dream,” Steve scoffs.

“It could happen.” You’ve now crossed your arms over your chest and Steve can’t help but laugh at your optimism.

“Need I remind you that we’re talking about Billy Hargrove. He’s not me.”

“And thank god for that,” You reply as a knock sounds at the door. You head over and open it to see Robin on the other side. You usher her inside and take the six pack of beer she’s carrying as she follows you inside.

Steve takes the beer from you and takes them to the kitchen, leaving you alone with Robin. The two of you take a seat on the couch as you wait for the others to arrive. Robin is someone you feel like you can tell absolutely anything to. There are things you can discuss with her that you just can’t talk about with Steve.

You want to tell her the truth about Billy. That you’re convinced he’s the best you’ve ever had and you’re desperately waiting for him to call you. But you don’t. You can’t. You know how much she dislikes Billy and you supposed she has a right to because it’s for the same reasons why you hated him.

But now that you’ve slept with him, you’ve seen a different side of him. It was softer and gentler and you wonder why he’s not like that all the time. You’re sure that he could get more women into bed if he behaved just a little bit more like Steve. But the day that happens is the day Hell freezes over.

“So what’s new with you?” She asks, scooting closer just in case there’s something you want to say that you don’t want Steve to hear.

“Just been reading,” you reply, which is partially true. You have been reading a lot. So much so that you’ve already finished all the books you own and had to buy a couple more to hold you the last couple weeks of summer.

She eyes you suspiciously and you know that she can tell that there’s something you’re not telling her. She always can. But your lips stay zipped. She’s not getting anything out of you. And you can’t imagine how she would react when you told her that you slept with Billy Hargrove.

“What have you been up to?” You ask, giving her a little nudge. “How has it been with Vicky?”

“Really good,” she replies and you can see a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

“Good,” you nod. “I’m really happy for you, Rob.”

“And I’m happy for you,” she nudges you back. “With whatever you’ve got going on.” She winks then stands from the couch. “I’m gonna go get a drink.”

“Robin-“ you’re about to chase after her, but there’s another knock at the door before you can. Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle, and Eddie are on the other side, all holding what you asked them to bring except for Eddie who always conveniently forgets every time. You’re not even sure why you even ask anymore.

You usher them all inside and once all of the snacks are on the coffee table, they all take their favorite spots in Steve’s living room. You’re on the couch next to Steve and he starts up the movie which just so happens to be a horror movie that he’s actually terrified to watch.

As you look around at your friends, you hate that you’re wishing that Billy would call, even worse, that you want him right next to you as you cuddle into his chest. You want to cuddle into his chest at the particularly scary parts as he comforts you, telling you that he;s going to be okay as he rubs your back sympathetically. What is wrong with you? Why are you even thinking about him in that way? You slept with him once and automatically think he’d want to be your boyfriend? This is Billy Hargove and Billy most certainly doesn’t have girlfriends.

-

Billy keeps to himself the rest of the day. He doesn’t even go to work because he’s afraid of running into you. He doesn’t want to do something he’ll regret like telling you that he likes you or something. He just holes up in his room and thinks about nothing but you, wondering what you’re up to, if you’re thinking about him like he is about you.

You’ve fucked with his head, used some sort of sorcery on him because he’s never felt this way about anyone before. He wants to see you so badly, even just a glimpse will help. So before he can stop himself, he’s throwing on his shoes and hurrying out the door so fast that Susan isn’t even able to ask him where he’s going. To be honest, he doesn’t even know.

But when he pulls up to your house, he realizes just how crazy he is. Why is he showing up unannounced? He could have at least had the decency to call first. But that’s not him. It’s just like Billy to randomly show up without even so much as a phone call. He doesn’t know why, but he just feels like you deserve better.

He nervously knocks on the door and is taken aback when Jim Hopper answers the door. He looks like he really doesn’t want to be bothered and Billy is so close to just making a run for it. Jim is standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, surely wondering what the hell Billy Hargrove is doing at his house.

“Hargrove,” Jim greets and Billy nods, putting on his most charming smile even though he knows it won’t work here.

“Jim, hi.”

“That’s Chief Hopper to you,” he crosses his arms over his chest. “Now what do you want?” Billy really is considering leaving because he actually doesn’t know what he’s doing. But then he sees a tiny glimpse of his sister and for once, he’s actually grateful for her existence.

“I’m actually here to pick up my sister. Dinner is soon and Susan wanted to make sure that she was home for it.” He’s smiling even weirder now, so proud of himself coming up with that on the fly.

“Max,” Hopper calls out to the girl and she’s quick to head over to him, her eyes widening at seeing her brother at the Hopper residence twice in one week. “Your brother is here to pick you up.” He says the words like he doesn’t believe Billy and he doesn’t. But he’s going to let him off the hook. This time, at least.

Max heads out the door and as soon as it’s closed, leaving her alone on the porch with her brother. She glares at him, one of the few people who can see through Billy’s bullshit. He’s up to something and she knows exactly what it is. It’s no secret that there’s something going on between the two of you and she’s going to do everything in her power to get the two of you together. Why you would willingly want to spend time with Billy, though, she has no idea.

But if she’s going to help him, he’s going to do something for her. That’s the deal, the only way any of this is going to work. It’s going to take a lot of work to make Billy boyfriend material, a chore in itself, for sure. She wonders how much she can get from him if he offers to help. Because at this rate, he’s going to need all the help he can get.

“What the hell was that?” She finally asks as she follows him down the steps. He’s walking so fast that she can barely keep up.

“Nothing,” he replies as he throws the driver’s side door open, Max heading over to the passenger seat.

“Nothing, right,” she winks as she gets into the car and for once, Billy actually makes sure that she’s fully in the car before he speeds down the road.

-

You and Steve finish cleaning up his very messy living room after the movie. You’re the only ones left. Steve’s going on and on about how unrealistic the movie was. But you’re not listening. You’re wondering why Billy hasn’t called and you don’t know why you care. Clearly it was only meant to be a one-time thing and you were just reading too much into it.

You can get his pretty moans out of your head. Images of his head leaning backwards, those sounds falling from his lips flash across your mind. You need to just get over him. Life’s too short to be anxious about getting a call from a boy who wouldn’t have even given you the time of day of sex hadn’t been on the table. Isn’t that the only reason why he agreed to meet you?

After everything is cleaned up, you say goodbye to Steve and make your way home. Only, you’re not turning onto the right street. You turn left when you’re supposed to go right and now you’ve ended up on the road that you’ve driven down so many times. You recognize every house since you bring El here almost every day before you go to the pool.

You honestly don’t know what you’re doing. You’re not thinking straight and are clearly blinded by your anger. And why wouldn’t you be? You’re so mad at Billy and you feel like he deserves to know how you feel.

You stop in front of the house you could draw from memory then quickly get out of your car. You’re stomping up the driveway and towards the front door, knocking furiously before waiting for someone to answer it.

Just your luck, it’s Max who’s on the other side. She gives you a suspicious look but then it quickly turns almost into pity. You can do so much better than her brother and she has no idea why you’re settling.

“He’s not here,” she tells you and actually feels bad when your face falls. “You just missed him, actually. But don’t worry, I’ll tell him to give you a call.”

“Thanks Max,” you smile lamely and she mimics it before closing the door.

You make the drive home and lock yourself in your room for the rest of the night, trying your best to not stare at your phone that sits on your desk. You’re silently begging it to ring, but when it reaches midnight and there’s no call, you eventually just decide to forget about the whole thing and go to bed. From now on, in your mind, Billy Hargrove doesn’t even exist.

[steddieas-shegoes]

i don’t know why i can’t take my eyes off of you

for @steddielovemonth day one using You and Me by Lifehouse

rated t | 1186 words | no cw | tags: future fic, second chances, mutual pining, idiots in love, songwriter Eddie, teacher Steve

🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒

Steve’s walking down the frozen section of Melvald’s when time stops.

Not literally. The watch on his wrist is still ticking. The clock on the wall at the front of the store is still moving. People around him are still grabbing their groceries.

But Eddie Munson is standing in front of the ice cream section like he belongs there.

Eddie left Hawkins five years ago.

He kissed Steve on the lips, then the forehead, and left.

Steve’s thought about it, about him, every day since.

Eddie hasn’t noticed him yet. Maybe Steve should leave before he does. Last he’d heard, Eddie was working at a recording studio as a songwriter, halfway making his dreams come true.

He’s happy, or at least that’s what all the kids have said when he’s brought up. They don’t know about the kiss, at least Steve doesn’t think they do. He’s never told them.

It’s busy enough in the store that Steve’s pretty sure he can sneak away before Eddie sees him. He starts to back away, but immediately bumps into an old woman.

“I’m so sorry, are you okay?” He’s asking, and she’s brushing him off and saying she’s fine. He feels terrible.

“Steve?” Eddie’s voice is like music, always has been a melody made specifically for Steve.

“Eddie,” Steve says as the old woman walks away. “Hey.”

Steve forgets he’s in public as the world around him fades and all he sees, smells, wants, is Eddie.

“I didn’t know you were still in Hawkins,” Eddie says quietly, leaning forward on his toes. He’s got a new battle vest, though it looks well-worn. Steve wonders if he knows that his old vest is hanging in his closet, if he knows that Steve pulls it out every once in a while so he can put it on and feel a little less alone.

“Yeah. Never left.” It sounds worse than it is. Steve always said he’d leave when all the kids left, but once they did, he didn’t know where to go. It’s not like he could follow them around, couch-surfing across the country a month or two at a time, burdening them with his self-imposed loneliness.

“You look good,” Eddie says, changing the subject.

Leaving Hawkins was a touchy subject for Steve the last time he’d seen Eddie. It still is. Eddie must sense that.

“So do you,” Steve breathes out. He does. He looks healthy and happy, something Hawkins had completely drained from him before. “What are you doing back?”

“Just visiting Wayne. Usually he comes to see me, but he insisted he didn’t wanna deal with the ‘big city’ this time. And I’m the best nephew, so I said ‘sure, old man, I’ll go back to the town that hates my guts!’ And here I am trying to find my favorite ice cream at the store. They don’t have it,” Eddie shrugs. He rambles when he’s nervous, still. “He hasn’t mentioned seeing you around or anything, though.”

“Yeah, I guess we don’t cross paths much,” Steve laughs awkwardly. He can’t remember the last time he saw Wayne. Must’ve been around Christmas, when Steve was helping Joyce with her decorations while Hopper worked overtime and Wayne stopped by to drop off some lights. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s good. Stubborn as hell. Won’t retire even though he could,” Eddie shakes his head. “Think he’s scared of being bored.”

“Or lonely.”

The words escape Steve before he can hold them back.

Eddie’s face softens, but it’s not full of pity. Everyone always gives Steve this look, like they know he’s putting on a brave face. Not Eddie.

“Wayne’s always been content alone. He’s got friends, and he calls me when he has something new to argue about,” Eddie leans in closer. “I don’t really worry about Wayne. Other people, sure.”

“Like who?” Steve swallows.

“You settle down yet?” Eddie asks in response.

Steve’s so shocked by the question, he doesn’t answer.

“I figured the kids were just being nice by not telling me if you did, but you’re not wearing a ring and you’re grocery shopping alone, so…” Eddie rambles again. Steve feels his heart flutter in his chest.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Are you dating someone?”

Steve shakes his head. “Haven’t really found anyone interesting.”

“Interesting? Since when does Steve Harrington want someone interesting?”

Since the most interesting person he knows kissed him and then left. Since everyone else is boring in comparison to you. Since he realized he was dumb to let you go.

“I guess what I thought I wanted is different now. Has been for a while,” Steve shrugs.

It’s strange how easily Steve becomes wrapped up in Eddie’s orbit, how quickly everything else didn’t matter the moment Eddie started talking to him. It’s just the two of them.

“Excuse me,” a man says to their left. Steve jumps back and apologizes for blocking where he needed to be. Eddie’s eyes never leave Steve.

When the man walks away, Steve clears his throat.

“How long are you in town?”

“How long will it take me to convince you to come back with me?”

Steve chokes on his next breath. “What? Come back with you? To…”

“New York or Chicago. I’m getting a promotion and they’ll let me pick where I wanna go. I’ve been leaning towards Chicago because more of the music I enjoy is making a mark there,” Eddie explains. “And there’s plenty of options for you there, too. Dustin said you just finished your teaching degree.”

“Dustin talks about me?”

“Only when unprovoked,” Eddie grins. “Have you been waiting for me?”

It’s blunt, but Eddie always has been. Steve can hide a lot of emotions from people; It’s been a survival tactic for most of his life.

He’s never been able to hide shit from Eddie.

“Not on purpose.”

Eddie looks at his basket of items. He was really only here for a few things, but he saw his favorite cookies were on sale and he couldn’t resist stocking up. He looks between the basket and Eddie’s eyes.

“You wanna come to mine for dinner?”

“Is dinner cookies?” Eddie laughs, poking at the package closest to the top.

“That’s dessert,” Steve laughs, too. He finds it easy. He never thought it could be this easy after the time that’s passed, the distance they had between them.

“First dessert.”

“What are we, hobbits?” Steve asks.

Eddie’s jaw drops open. “Steve, please. Not in public.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know you read it!” Eddie groans, but he’s smiling, so Steve’s not actually worried.

“I’ve read a lot of things! I’ve been waiting for you, remember?”

An announcement starts in the store— someone’s car is blocking a delivery truck entrance— and they both take a step away from each other. They were much closer than they should be in the grocery store.

This is still Hawkins, and people already don’t like Eddie. Looking cozier than two dudes normally would might be dangerous for both of them.

“So. Dinner?” Steve asks again. It’s easier to remember there are other people around with some distance between them.

“Sure. Dinner.”

Time starts again.

[eternal-sunflowers]

Enlighten Me

AO3 | written for @steddieholidaydrabbles pop-up event - prompt school's out for summer | rating: g | wc: 997 | cw: none | tags: post-s4, everyone lives, steve pov, pre-steddie, platonic stobin, besties eddie and robin and steve, eddie munson is a flirt, just mostly fluff and banter

“You know, I kind of wish it had fallen into the void like most of the town did.” Eddie grumbles, sitting on the trunk of the bimmer, crutches leaned against the side of the car.

“Oh, absolutely. That would’ve saved me from Mr. Denson’s bullshit chem final.” Robin sighs, legs crossed beneath her where she’s sat beside Eddie.

“Hey, at least you passed Dickhead Denson’s final, Buckley.”

“You did too!” 

“I didn’t pass shit and we all know it.” Eddie falls onto his back with a thump that makes Steve wince, but Eddie waves him off. “They just took pity on me after three tries and, oh, I don’t know, forming a witch hunt after me.”

Robin throws her head back and groans loud enough that several people milling about the lot turn toward them. Steve glares at the gawkers where he’s leaned against the side of the car until they all turn away.

“There was no pity involved, you piece of shit. You had the grades before the spring break from hell. All Hopper did was,” Robin wrings her hands in her lap, cocks her head, “kindly tell them that you had clearly shown your intellectual prowess enough to get your diploma.”

Eddie chuckles. “Hopper? Kindly? Yeah, next time you wanna lie to my face, Buckley, choose better adjectives.”

“Munson, I swear–”

“I just can’t believe they still forced finals on everyone after everything.” Steve squints against the setting sun, arms crossed across his chest. “You’d think the town, I don’t know, splitting open and, like, a quarter of the student body just,” he throws his hands up, makes a poof gesture, “disappearing would make them waive the rest of the year, or whatever, for everyone.”

“You have far too much faith in the American education system, my dear Stevie.” Eddie laments. 

They fall into silence, staring at the school that they’d spent far too many years, and, for Steve, far too much Upside Down related bullshit, in. People are slowly drifting out to their cars, laughing, hugging, talking about summer plans, which Steve finds kind of laughable himself considering summer in Hawkins has never been anything to celebrate, and even less so now with the state of everything. He watches as the cars pull away one by one, until all that’s left are the three of them and a few displaced graduation caps and tassels across the lot.

Steve turns to look at Eddie, the setting sun casting him in a beautiful shade of orange. “You did earn your diploma, by the way, Eddie.”

“Oh, don’t you go lyin’ to me too, now, sweetheart.”

Robin laughs. “Oh, yeah, he’s not. I think he’s basically incapable. He’s like, so bad, it’s honestly hilarious. There was one time, Jessica Randal came in asking him on a date and–”

Steve slams his hand across her mouth. “Robin!”

Eddie perks up, props up on his elbows. “Oh? Do tell, Buckley. What did our dear Stevie do when faced with the visage of Jessica Randal?” 

“I will buy you both your celebration dinners if you shut up right now and never bring this up again.” Steve spits out, glaring at both of them in the process. 

“Is my, what was it, ‘intellectual prowess,’ only worth a singular dinner, sweetheart?” Eddie hums. “I don’t know, this Jessica Randal story seems to be worth a bit more than that.”

Steve sighs. “What do you want, Eddie?”

“From you? Oh, Stevie, you have no idea.” Eddie chuckles, his tongue slipping out to wet his lips. Steve tracks the movement almost subconsciously, watches as the oranges and yellows of the sunset glisten across Eddie’s lips, making them, like, goddamn sparkle, or some shit. Eddie chuckles, catches his eye.

Steve swallows thickly, tries to will back some of his former confidence in his response. “Ye–yeah? Care to enlighten me?” Yep, super confident there, Steve. Good job.

Eddie’s eyes glint as he pulls himself up to sitting. He leans forward, snakes a finger through Steve’s belt loop, and tugs slightly. “Oh, I’ll enlighten you any night of the week, big boy.”

Just then, Steve feels something hot and wet on his hand, followed by teeth sharp enough to make him jump back with a yelp. “What the hell?”

Robin wipes her mouth off on her gown. “Can you two not obnoxiously flirt in front of me? At least let me rack in that free post-grad dinner first.” She jumps down, walks over and opens the passenger door, chucks her graduation cap and gown into the floorboard.

“Uh, wh– flirting?” Steve stammers, looking between them. Robin stares back unimpressed. Eddie smirks.

“Yes, Steve, flirting, which you two can do over dinner, because if you don’t put food in me right now, I think I might explode. Why is graduation so long?” Robin slumps into the car, slamming the door behind her.

“Don’t slam the fucking door just because you’re mad at graduation!” Steve yells. Robin flips him off through the window. 

Eddie laughs, grabs his crutches, and drops down to the ground. Steve helps him to the back door, moves to open it, but Eddie stops him. Steve lifts his brow in question. 

Eddie leans forward and hesitantly kisses Steve on the cheek. “In case it wasn’t clear, I am 100% flirting with you, sweetheart. Have been, in fact. You gonna do somethin’ about it?” Eddie pulls back, a shaky grin to his face as he opens the door and slides into the backseat, crutches tossed into the floorboard with his cap and gown. Robin and Eddie immediately launch into a debate over where Steve should take them to celebrate.

Steve shuts the back door, a dazed look to his eye as he moves to the driver’s door and slides into the car. As he leaves the lot, Hawkins High nothing more than a memory, he catches Eddie’s eye in the rearview mirror and smiles. 

Maybe there’s some things worth getting excited for this summer, after all.

tags: @sunshine-daydreams0809 @saramelaniemoon

divider credit: @saradika-graphics

thanks for reading :))

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Right off to horny jail

Written for the @steddiebingo Prompts: Roleplay (Kissing Booth bonus card) and Jim Hopper (main card) Words: 1,059 [also on AO3] Rated: T Tags: Post-Vecna; Everybody lives; Established relationship; Halloween parties; Steve in a cop costume; Crack and humor; Eddie Munson is a horny shit; So is Steve Harrington

Steve should’ve stuck with the slutty fireman costume. 

He had it all ready to go (not that there was a lot of it to get ready). Had already been picturing Eddie’s dumbstruck face when he’d walk into the Halloween party. The way he’d squirm in his pants all night long, the way he’d tear it off Steve later that night, when they were finally alone. 

And then he learned that Vickie would also be at the party.

Robin hasn’t explicitly said anything, and Steve knows that she’s happy for Eddie and him, but … He just thought it wouldn’t be especially fair of him, enjoying his happy, horny, honeymoon phase with his new boyfriend while Robin spent another night pining over her crush. 

So, with a heavy heart, he stashed the fireman costume into the back of his closet. It wasn’t easy, coming up with a new outfit in the course of one afternoon, but some quick thinking and a phone call later, he was all set, and pretty damn proud of himself for this brilliant idea. 

*

When he arrives, Eddie is crammed into a corner of the kitchen with Robin and Vickie, gesturing animatedly and laughing about something or other. He spots Steve at the door, turns to wave at him … and then he freezes. 

For a moment, he just stands there like a marble statue in a cheap vampire costume, face going paler by the second while his eyes rake over Steve’s outfit. The chunky boots. The khaki shorts that he last wore two summers ago and that are just shy of too tight now. The old uniform shirt that Hopper reluctantly borrowed him, and the pair of dark shades and hat that complete the whole ensemble.

Then he runs. 

Just turns on his heel and books it through the porch door, red-and-black polyester cape fluttering behind him as he disappears into the night. Steve trades one confused look with Robin and wastes no time going after him.

The backyard is still mercifully empty of party guests, so he spots Eddie almost immediately. He’s standing a little way off, with one hand bracketed against the wooden fence, fighting for breath like he just ran a marathon. 

“Eddie?” he calls as he creaks down the porch steps. “What’s wrong?”

Eddie whips his head up, abject horror flashing over his face, and starts scaling the fence. 

“Oh no, you don’t,” Steve grumbles, bridging the rest of the distance with three large steps and hauling him back down by the scruff of his cape. Eddie screws his eyes shut and lets out a little whimper as he whirls him around and brackets him between his arms and the fence. “Why are you running from me? What the hell is going-” 

“It’s your costume, man,” Eddie squeaks. It comes out with a heavy lisp because he’s still wearing the goddamn plastic vampire teeth. “I’m sorry, I- … It’s too much, I can’t.” 

“My costume?” Steve repeats dumbly. “What’s wrong with my-” 

Then it clicks. 

Oh no. Oh no, oh fuck, he’s such an idiot. His boyfriend was hunted down like an animal for a crime he didn’t commit only months ago, and here he goes dressing up as a fucking cop.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” he mutters. Eddie whimpers as he shifts their positions to cup his face in both hands, and his eyes stay closed, but he doesn’t resist the soft kiss that Steve presses to his lips. “Eddie. Hey, baby. It’s me, okay? Look at me? Please?”

Eddie blinks his eyes open. He’s wearing black eyeliner to go with his costume and it brings out the different shades of brown in them. They flit over Steve’s face, and a hesitant smile tugs at those pretty lips of his. He has just opened his mouth to speak when his gaze strays to the name tag on Steve’s shirt and his words turn into a weak groan. 

“Oh my fucking God. You’re not just any cop, you’re Jim fucking Hopper? Why are you doing this to me?”

“He lent me his shirt and hat,” Steve says, a little dumbfounded. Eddie looks like he might start to hyperventilate any second and it’s freaking him out. “But Eddie … Hop is one of the good guys, there’s no need for you to be scared-”

“I’m not scared of him,” Eddie claims. The white vampire makeup is starting to look weirdly splotchy and pink, and is he blushing? “It’s just that- … He kind of was my …”

He trails off, mumbling something unintelligible into his plastic teeth. Steve cocks his head. 

“Your what? Sorry, I didn’t-” 

“My gay awakening, okay?” Eddie blurts. The blush has reached his neck now. 

Steve gawks at him. For a few moments, the only sound is the bass of the music playing inside.

“Your gay-” Steve stammers. “Ew. I mean- … Hopper? I mean- … Ew, what the hell?”

Eddie shrugs. There’s a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “I was sixteen and confused, and a gruff, hairy bear of a man put me in handcuffs and manhandled me into the back of his car, how was I supposed to react? It was sort of really hot.” 

“Oh my God,” Steve groans, and now it’s his time to blush. “Don’t call him hot, that man is practically my dad. I’ll never be able to look him in the eye again.” 

He tries to recoil, but Eddie grabs him by the belt to pull him back in. His smile has gone feral. 

“Your dad, huh? You’re not making this any less hot right now, honey.”

“You’re such an asshole,” Steve grumbles, but he doesn’t fight back as Eddie crashes their lips together. 

“Oh yeah?” Eddie purrs into the kiss. “What are you gonna do about it? Arrest me?”

Steve pulls the handcuffs from his pants pockets. They’re flimsy plastic - a leftover from an old costume he found in the garage - but Eddie’s pupils still grow huge.

“Can you believe this was a last-minute idea?” Steve asks as they hurry towards his car. “I almost went as a slutty fireman, but-” 

Eddie silences him with another kiss, giggling as Steve opens the back door of the Beemer to push him inside. 

“Hold the slutty fireman thoughts for another time, Chief,” he winks. “Right now, I think I could really do with some disciplinary measures.” 

Me: I need inspiration. Look at my main card and tell me what to combine with the role-playing prompt. And for the love of God, don't say "Hopper"! @wynnyfryd: Erm aaactually ... 😏 Me: I hate it here...

More Steddie Bingo

[strangererotica]

EXPLICIT CONTENT | MINORS DNI

perv!mean!Hopper, dom!Steve, soft!dom!Eddie x sub!Reader

Includes: MFM relationship, Hopper is a dirty cop/really sleazy human, oral sex, anal sex, guilt/shame/angst, blood mention, surgery mention, abuse of power, vomit, fingering, praise kink, piss, deepthroating, cockwarming, masturbation, swallowing, unprotected vaginal sex, pregnancy, shame, lies, secrets, squirting, and bubble bath sex… 🫨

PART ONE

@wordynerdygurl @eddiesguitarskills

• Our story begins in Chief Hopper’s Blazer, parked somewhere secluded in the woods of Hawkins •

“You got somethin’ to say kid-,” Hopper sighed, irritated. “Just fuckin’ say it.”

He was in a bad mood today…impatient. And honestly, it was the last thing you needed. “Why’re you so quiet anyway?” he asked, his hand sliding between your thighs. “Usually by now, you’d have this sweet little cunt in my fa-.” Hopper stopped speaking when he realized you were wearing underwear.

“The hell is this?” he asked. “You know my rules. No fuckin’ panties when you’re with me.” Hopper cursed, stamping out his burned-down cigarette. “You on the rag or somethin?” he asked, adding “I told you, it doesn’t fuckin’ bother me. There’s towels in the back, and besides-.” Hopper squeezed your thigh, a wry grin on his lips. “-I like it when you make a mess…”

You met his eyes, his deep blue gaze almost sinister with hunger. It would be difficult to say no to Hopper, even with the information you’d been wrestling with since morning.

“Jim,” you began, and he looked at you strangely, since you rarely ever addressed him by anything other than ‘Chief.’

“Yeah?” he asked flatly.

Your heart was racing a mile a minute, as you recalled the way your morning had started…nausea roiling in your stomach on the way to the bathroom from bed, vomit spraying the toilet bowl, and the piece of plastic you’d held between trembling hands, watching as two bold lines of color bloomed in the result area of the test…

“I’m pregnant,” you murmured softly. Hopper stared at you for a moment, before bursting out laughing. “Christ!” he exclaimed, his eyes crinkled in amusement. “How about that?” You watched Hopper light his cigarette, stunned silent by his reaction. “You told him yet?”

“Have I told who?” you asked. Hopper frowned back at you, confused but still smirking. “Your loser boyfriend,” he clarified, snapping his lighter closed. “You told The Freak he’s about to be somebody’s daddy?” Hopper chuckled again at his own words, finding the idea of Eddie being a father hilarious.

The shock you were feeling began to morph into anger. “What if it’s yours?” you asked, a bitter lump rising in your throat. Hopper’s laughter died quickly, his eyes going dark. “It’s not,” he retorted coldly, shifting in his seat to face the road, and not you.

“How do you know?” you asked, and he quickly (almost defensively) replied “because it’s not.” Hopper blew a cloud of smoke at the dashboard, resting his elbow against the driver’s side door. “Can’t be. I had the surgery-.” Hopper made a snipping motion with his fingers. “-Vasectomy. The kid’s not mine…”

You had no reason to believe him. Hopper could see the doubt in your eyes, so he chose to elaborate. “Had it done years ago. After my daughter, uh…” Hopper paused, his voice wavering. “…after my kid died. I decided I never wanted to go through that kind of…” He sniffed, clearing his throat. “…loss, again. So-.” Hopper shook his head slightly, as if shaking away a bad memory. “-I got fixed. Can’t lose a kid I can’t have in the first place, y’know?”

You wanted to believe Hopper. It would relieve at least some of your anxiety, but not all of it. You still wouldn’t be sure whether the baby was Eddie or Steve’s; but at least the affair you were having with Hopper could remain hidden, if the baby couldn’t be his…

“Besides,” Hopper said, interrupting your thoughts. “Can’t risk knocking up a girl like you, right?”

His question caught you off guard. “Like me?” you asked.

“Yeah,” Hopper replied. “One of my girls.”

Your lips parted, a weight sinking in your chest. Hopper’s smile took on a cruel affect.

“Oh?” he teased. “You thought you were the only girl I screw around with out here?” He waved his hand to the window, indicating the forest around you. “Trust me sweetheart,” Hopper continued, taking another drag of his cigarette. “You aren’t the only pretty girl in Hawkins with a boyfriend she wants to keep out of jail...”

His callous attitude was breaking your heart. You felt like a complete idiot for giving so much of yourself to Hopper, far more than your body alone. You’d felt safe with him, for some ungodly reason you couldn’t identify now. Regardless of how good Hopper was at fucking you, the reality of his monstrous character was finally, truly sinking in.

Hopper noticed the look of sorrow that had washed over you, and it annoyed him. “Now let’s get one thing straight,” he told you, leaning closer. “I still own this-.” Hopper slid his hand further between your thighs till he was cupping your pussy, squeezing it so hard you winced. “I still own you,” he added, his tone harsh. “And unless you want Eddie to miss the birth of his kid ‘cause he’s rotting in a jail cell-.” Hopper ripped the crotch of your panties aside and forced two fingers inside you. “-Nothin’ about our little arrangement changes. Understand?”

You nodded resignedly, a tear trickling down your cheek. Hopper rested his cigarette between his lips, using the fingers that had been holding it to pull down your shirt, and your bra along with it. He rolled your nipple between his thumb and index finger, pinching till you yelped.

In some sense, he felt that you were at fault in all of this…that you’d fucked up by getting pregnant. And the main reason Hopper wanted to punish you, was out of fear. Because he knew there was a very real possibility that you were pregnant with his baby. The vasectomy story was a lie, a well-rehearsed one he’d told many girls before you. Hopper really was just a selfish asshole who came in multiple women every week, and didn’t care about the consequences his reckless behavior might cause.

But this time, Hopper was afraid. He’d managed to escape the consequences of his actions for too long now; the truth would eventually come out. Hopper felt like this time, he might have really fucked things up. His bad mood from earlier was now a simmering rage. And he was going to take out all of his frustration on you.

Hopper pulled his fingers out of you with a loud squelch. “Get your ass in the back,” he ordered.

You obeyed.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Eddie and Steve weren’t stupid. They’d seen you rush to the bathroom that morning, obviously feeling unwell. They’d found it suspicious when you stayed in there for over an hour, blowing them off each time they asked through the door if you were alright.

You’d locked yourself in the bathroom as if guarding a terrible secret inside it. As soon as you’d left to go meet a friend for lunch Hopper for sex, Steve and Eddie had done a bit of investigating. And it didn’t take them long to figure out the reason you’d been hiding in the bathroom, and why you’d looked so upset when you left it.

The positive pregnancy test was thrown into the back of the cabinet under the sink, but Steve managed to find it. Eddie covered his mouth in shock when he saw it, a big smile on his face. Steve was less enthusiastic, but not because he didn’t want you to be pregnant. Steve was uncomfortable with the possibility that Eddie, and not him, could be the baby’s father. If Steve was going to have kids with anyone, he’d want it to be you. The idea of Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson beating him to it…pissed Steve off.

For his part, Eddie was just happy. He was babbling excitedly to Steve about baby names, what the three of you would need to change around the apartment before the baby arrived, etc. He was buzzing with energy, while Steve was taking the news of your pregnancy in stride. He was happy for you, but he wanted to be happy for the two of you...excited for your baby and his. Not your baby and Eddie’s…

While Steve sat on the couch in silent contemplation, Eddie paced back and forth restlessly, chatting away at Steve about all his plans for the baby. “(Y/N)’ll be home soon,” Eddie told Steve. “When she walks in, we should both jump out and be like, hey mama!”

Steve rolled his eyes at Eddie. “Nobody’s jumping out at anybody, okay?” he retorted. “She hid the test, Ed. She didn’t want us to know.”

Eddie’s look of joy faded. He knew Steve was right.

“If she wanted to tell us, she would’ve this morning,” Steve continued. “We have to respect her privacy. God only knows what’s going through her mind right now.” Eddie flopped down on the couch beside Steve, his leg bouncing nervously.

“Why wouldn’t she tell us?” Eddie asked, even though he knew the man beside him didn’t have an answer. Steve shrugged his shoulders in an attempt at indifference. “I’m sure she has her reasons,” he replied. “And she will tell us, when she’s ready...”

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Hopper dropped you off a few streets over from the apartment complex, just as he always did after driving you out into the woods and fucking you. This time was different from the others. You were sore. Hopper had fucked you in the ass today, and not gently. It would take some time to recover, and the most appealing thing in the world to you right now was a warm bath you could lay back and relax in.

Standing outside the door to your apartment, you could hear Steve and Eddie talking inside. Part of you was happy they seemed to be bonding in your absence. Another part of you worried that they somehow knew about the pregnancy…or worse, about your affair with Hopper.

Your worries disappeared as soon as you opened the door. Steve and Eddie were busy in the kitchen making dinner, politely arguing about whether or not the pasta they were boiling was truly al dente. Your keys jingling got their attention. “Hey babe,” Steve called out. “Hope you’re hungry; Eddie and I boiled a shit ton of pasta by accident.”

Eddie held up the empty box the pasta had come from, idly inspecting it. “Yeah,” he commented as his eyes scanned the label. “Turns out one box yields, um…” Eddie pursed his lips, trying to do the math in his head. “…Waaaay more than we need,” he finished with a lighthearted grin in Steve’s direction. “Math was never my strong suit, okay?”

Steve left the stove and approached you, resting his big hands on your shoulders like protective mitts. The gesture was tender, warm, very unlike the affection you were used to getting from Steve. “Thought we’d eat in tonight,” he said, massaging your shoulders softly. “Maybe watch a movie together.” Steve was being so gentle, it took you completely by surprise, in the best way.

Eddie leaned in to your neck, nuzzling you with a soft kiss. “Dinner can wait,” he said, turning your chin to face him. “I think I’m in the mood to have dessert first…”

Steve nodded in agreement- “I second that,” -and let his hands glide down your arms, lingering around your wrists. “What d’you say, (y/n)?”

You realized how lucky you were, in that moment. These two beautiful men were standing there, wanting only to please you. A part of you wanted to reveal your pregnancy, but the possibility of ruining such a tender moment gave you pause. Guilt washed over your heart as you remembered your other secret, the one you were most afraid of confessing: Hopper.

“I think I’d like to have a bath first,” you told them. “And afterwards, I’ll absolutely be ready for dessert…”

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The bath Steve ran for you was perfect. Big, fluffy piles of cotton candy-scented bubbles floated on top of the water, swallowing you in a warm hug as you sank beneath them. You let your hair fan out on the water’s surface, your eyes drifting closed as you tried to relax. A cassette player on the sink played a tape of ambient music that Eddie had chosen for you. The lights were dimmed, with a few candles flickering beside you on the edge of the tub.

It should have been the perfect atmosphere to relax in, but your mind was running circles. Additionally, the work Hopper had done on your ass earlier that day made sitting uncomfortable, even in a warm tub of bubbles. You tried to avoid thinking of the pregnancy, but it was impossible. Over the course of one day, you’d gone from worrying you were falling in love with Hopper to bitterly resenting the power he held over you. Could you really trust him, that there was no way the baby could be his? As much as you wanted it to be true, based on what you knew of Hopper’s character, you had plenty of reason to doubt him.

How could you have been so naive, to think that Hopper didn’t have similar arrangements with other girls? He’d taken such good care of you sexually, fucking you slowly, unselfishly. Maybe it really had been for him all this time; but Hopper made it seem like he was fucking you for your pleasure more than his own. Like he genuinely cared about you. The way he ate you out for hours on end, licking you till the pleasure turned to pain. Why would a man who had so many girls dedicate that much time to your satisfaction? To making sure you came at least six times in one afternoon? Was there something about you that Hopper couldn’t get from all his other girls?

You hated feeling jealous, especially over someone like him. Here you were, sitting in a beautiful bath prepared by Steve and Eddie, about to be fucked by both of them as soon as you were finished. And yet, you were jealous over a filthy son of a bitch that was twice your age and fucking who knows how many other girls?? You shook your head, bubbles fizzing at your ears. A quiet little sob escaped your lips, but not quiet enough for Eddie’s perceptive ears to miss.

He peeked around the doorframe, a concerned look on his face. “You good, (y/n)?” he asked. With a heavy sigh, you managed a smile, and rested your chin on the side of the tub. “I’d be better if you and Steve joined me,” you said.

Eddie’s lips quirked into a grin. He stuck his head around the corner and called for Steve, “get in here Harrington, she wants us in the tub with her.”

When Steve entered the bathroom, he was met with a view of you sucking Eddie off at the side of the tub. The image made Steve’s brain go a little hazy, and all he wanted was to be naked, too. Your eyes left Eddie’s and locked with Steve’s as you sucked. The look on Steve’s face made you grin around Eddie’s cock, the corners of your lips stinging at the stretch. “Fucking look at her,” Eddie marveled, running his fingers through your damp hair. “Look at how good she sucks it…”

Steve removed his shirt and began to work his belt undone. His cock was hard and leaking by this point, wet and ready for the moist heat of your mouth. He removed his pants and his boxers, kicking them aside as he made his way to the tub.

Eddie’s legs quivered as he stood beside the bath, with you on your knees in the tub taking his cock down your throat. Steve watched while masturbating to the view in front of him, massaging his cock in slow, patient pumps from base to tip. He knew he’d get the same treatment from your lips as Eddie, that all he had to do was enjoy the show till his turn came.

The soft gurgling sounds you made around Eddie’s cock had both men groaning. “Good fuckin’ girl,” Steve praised. “Takin’ such good care of Eddie’s cock…gonna take care of mine too, yeah?”

You nodded, your head bobbing on Eddie’s dick. Pulling your lips off his tip with a loud pop, you shifted in the water and reached for Steve. “Uh-uh,” he scolded, swatting away your touch. “No hands. You want my cock? Then find it with your mouth like a good little girl…”

Greedy, hungry to taste the sweet pearly liquid oozing from Steve’s tip, you did as he instructed. Clasping your hands behind your back, you leaned forward till Steve’s cock was bumping your mouth, smearing precum over your lips and chin. “Open up,” Eddie murmured down at you, patting his hand against your cheek. “Take care of Steve’s cock the way you took care of mine, pretty thing.”

As Steve pressed himself between your lips, his girth caused an even sharper sting than Eddie’s. Usually, this was the order you sucked them in; Eddie was a little longer than Steve but not as thick, so he generally went first and got your throat warmed up for Steve.

A hum of pleasure rolled deep in Steve’s chest as he fucked your mouth, watching his cock disappear between your lips again and again with every thrust. Eddie climbed into the tub, reaching for your hips and tugging them to meet his.

As Steve continued to use your mouth, Eddie pulled you onto his lap beneath the water. He splashed away a hill of bubbles to watch your pussy swallowing his cock under the water. Steve lifted his leg and braced his foot against the edge of the tub. This position gave him even deeper access to your throat, his balls slapping full and heavy against your chin as he took you. Gripping your hair in his fist, Steve used it as leverage to fuck your face as rough as possible, till your gag reflex activated and you smacked his thigh, telling him to pull back. Vomit spilled onto the ceramic bathroom tile. Steve wiped your lips clean with a towel and cradled your face in his hands. “You wanna stop, baby?” he asked, and you shook your head ‘no,’ in response.

Steve complied, burying his cock down your throat again without pause. Eddie’s dick was nestled balls-deep inside your cunt as he let you cockwarm him. The urge to buck up into you was deliriously tempting, but Eddie forced himself still, knowing he’d come too soon if he moved even slightly. The sounds you were making on Steve’s cock were beyond pornographic. Gulping, choking, gagging around the thick outline of his shaft, you forced every inch down your throat till you’d swallowed him completely.

Steve exhaled a flurry of curses, his hands in your hair gripping for dear life as his knees went weak. “Oh my-oh my god baby-how d’you-how d’you do that?” he gasped. “I’m gonna-fuck fuck fuck I’m gonna come honey, shit!”

Steve ejaculated so far down your throat, his cum slid straight to your stomach. Eddie completely lost it, watching Steve’s face contort in pleasure as he relieved himself inside your mouth. Unable to hold back any longer, Eddie bucked his hips upward, punching into you with a few hard, breathless thrusts. As Steve staggered back to lean against the bathroom sink, Eddie groaned into your shoulder and painted your pussy with cum. “Oh my god!” he exhaled, falling against the back of the tub, a big smile on his face. “That was…I’ve never come that hard in my life, (y/n)-.”

“Neither have I,” Steve chuckled, finding his breath again. He returned to the edge of the tub and caressed your cheek, smiling warmly down at you. “Good girl,” he said, and then left for the bedroom, ready to pass out in bed.

Eddie lifted you off of him, resting your ass on the side of the tub, and parted your legs over his shoulders. You held onto his hair as Eddie buried his face against your cunt, his tongue searching out and swallowing every drop of his orgasm. Your thighs were shaking, clamped around Eddie’s face as he ate you, licking your cunt clean, hoping to get you all dirty again.

His wish came true less than a minute later. Biting your bottom lip to keep from screaming, you came all over Eddie’s tongue. A mix of cum and piss squirted inside his mouth and ran down his chin in slippery streams, dripping into the tub. Eddie growled into your cunt, his hand furiously working his dick under the water, a second climax overtaking him as he swallowed your release. Thick ropes of semen expelled under the water, clinging to the hair on Eddie’s legs. He pulled you into the tub with him, soaking your bodies in both your cum and his, kissing you so deeply you’d swear Eddie’s tongue touched your soul.

Eddie gently rocked you in his arms, in the mix of bubbles, water and cum. His body stretched across yours and covered you like a protective shield. You felt safer than you ever had before, looking into the eyes of the man you loved more than anything, the man you would do anything for…

…even if that meant doing Jim Hopper, to keep Eddie safe. There he was, that horrible, cruel bastard, forcing his way into your mind again, even as you lay in Eddie’s arms. The urge to tell, at least one of your secrets, became overwhelming.

You held Eddie’s cheek and gently stroked his hair, your words barely above a whisper as you told him: “I’m pregnant.”

His eyes lit happily, the corners of his lips turning up into a grin. “I love you, (y/n),” Eddie said.

And that, you realized, was all the assurance you needed that no matter what happened from here on, things were going to be alright… 🖤

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Love Actually, 2003

Pairing: Jim Hopper x Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Notes: Ya gorl is goin THROUGH IT right neyow but at least I’ve got littlest pet shops to cheer me up

There was no way in hell Jim was gonna wear a tie. Actually, there was no way in hell he was going to wear anything but jeans, but for you, he puts on one of his more relaxed shirts, the one you really like with the green and pink, the one you always say turns you on because it fits him so perfectly. Yeah, that one’s perfect. 

He knows you’re in the bathroom stressing, trying to get your hair just right, and your makeup perfect. It’s not every day you introduce your boyfriend to your family, your older boyfriend, your older boyfriend who’s the Chief of Police…. This is gonna be fun. 

He comes to lean in the doorway. You’re dressed appropriately—sorta. You’ve got on a pretty red dress. It hugs your body tightly. It was soft and silky, and he’d never seen it before now. You wanted it to be a surprise. The straps are working double time to keep you in place, and his mind wanders to the thoughts of you possibly not wearing a bra.

“You’re staring” You smirk as you finish your mascara and stand up straight to look at him, even in the matching red heels you’re nowhere near as tall as he is. 

“You look beautiful” 

You blush and walk over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He slides his hands over your curves and holds you close to him, his hands settling home on your hips.

“You have to change,” You tell him as he bends down, and nuzzles his nose against yours. “Please, you- you have to put on something different” 

“This is the best you’re getting out of me” He kisses you softly, avoiding messing up your makeup because he knows you’ll kill him. You melt into his arms, enjoying his large hands on your body, and look up at him.

“Bet I can convince you to wear the shirt I bought you” 

“Bet you fuckin’ can’t” He smirks and you give him a sneaky little look before turning back to grab your phone from the counter. You look at the time and grin wickedly at him 

“You really wanna bet? Because you will be in that shirt” 

“Do your worst baby girl, I bet I won’t be. There’s no way in hell you’re getting me into a button up”

You step out of your heels and come over to him, holding the front of his shirt in your small hands, if there’s one thing you know about your boyfriend, he’s got one hell of a size kink. 

“Please will you…w-will you-“ You hesitate, biting your lip nervously and he cups your face, rubbing his thumbs over your cheeks 

“Use your words baby girl” He coaxes you, leaning forward and kissing your forehead softly. You squirm a little, wringing your hands, and look back up at him.

“I- I need you inside me so badly Daddy, I can’t stop thinking about you filling me over and over again. We’ve been so busy getting ready and I’ve been so nervous about all of this” 

Jim's heart races at your pleading, his cock twitching in his jeans. He loves seeing you like this, so desperate and needy for him.

"Fuck, you're good at this," he groans irritably, his hands moving to grip your hips, and you giggle a little, before straightening your face again, your lip wobbling. 

He pulls you flush against him, grinding his hardening bulge against you. "You want Daddy's cum inside you, filling you up? Gonna make you walk around all day with my cum in your panties” 

He reaches down, lifting you up and you wrap your legs around his waist. You hold his face, kissing him as he walks you over to the bed and lays you back gently. His hands slide down your thighs as he pulls away from the kiss and he reaches for your zipper, pulling it down and helping you out of your dress, he lays it aside nicely, making sure to keep it wrinkle-free free and you smile. 

“Good boy” 

“I try” 

He growls as he pulls your hips down to the end of the bed, grinding his clothed cock into you. He can see the little wet patch on the front of your panties and it just serves to drive him wild. He unzips his pants, letting them fall to the floor with his boxers as he pulls his cock out, stroking it slowly before tapping your wet panties. He pulls them back and slides his cock over your folds, grinding into you. 

Your breath hitches and you let your head fall back as you spread your legs. 

“P-please” You beg and he looks at you, watching your flushed body panting 

“You’re so pretty when you’re desperate” 

You squeak as he grabs your panties, unnecessarily ripping them off your body, he knows you’re not mad by the way your eyes glaze over. He nods to the ceiling and you look upwards at the mirrors above your shared bed, he’d installed those months ago after the first time he’d fucked you at the counter in the bathroom in front of that mirror. 

"Keep those pretty eyes on the mirror, baby. Want you to see how gorgeous you look when I’m tasting you” 

He sinks to his knees, settling between your thighs. His hands spread you open and he leans in, his tongue darting out to lick a long, slow stripe up your slit before burying his face between your legs like a man starving. 

“Tastes so fucking good” 

He looks up at you, watching you staring at the mirror in awe. Your hands are on your body, kneading your breasts and running your fingers over your nipples in time with his tongue on your clit. 

“So proud of you baby girl, look at you turned on by your gorgeous body” His hips grind into the bed as he speaks, groaning deeply against your clit before diving back in. He sucks on it, and you push his face in closer, using him to get off, your breath coming out in short little pants.

“Cum for me, baby, I wanna feel you come all over my face." He sucks hard on your clit, biting down gently, and you lose it, your body arching off the bed as you grind into his face, your thighs shake around his head as he greedily laps up your juices, not wasting a single drop. He grips your hips tighter as you try to push him away, keeping his mouth over your spasming pussy. 

He gives your pussy one last kiss before finally pulling away and nuzzling his face into your thigh. 

“You ready for the main event?” He stands up, stroking his cock a few times before tapping your clit with it. You whine and try to shut your legs but he holds them open, rubbing his dick between your puffy folds.

“I-I’m ready, please Daddy I need you”

Jim’s heart races at your desperate plea, and his cock twitches in anticipation. He can't hold back any longer, he needs to be inside you, claiming you and marking you for everyone to see

"Fuck, baby, I need you too," he groans just as desperately as you had, sinking into your heat, inch by delicious inch. "Need to feel this tight little pussy squeezing my cock."

He bottoms out, his hips flush against yours, his cock buried deep inside you. 

"Shit, you feel so good. So fucking perfect."

He starts to move, slow and deep at first, savoring the feel of you, the way you clench around him. He keeps his pace steady, pulling out all the way and then slamming back into you, it’s slow and lazy compared to the way he was eating you out. His head falls forward, rolling his hips a little with each thrust as he thoroughly enjoys the way you wrap around him. 

He grips your hips, lifting them a little as he starts to speed up, that primal urge to fuck you senselessly taking over. The way he starts to pound in you is downright animalistic, he moans with you, the bed creaking underneath you with each rough snap of his hips. 

“Jesus fuck that’s it Daddy, deeper, please fuck deeper” 

You reach out for him, pulling him tight against your chest so he can thrust deeper into you, you cry out his name, your legs wrapping tightly around his waist just trying to hold onto him as he fucks you into the mattress.

He kisses you messily, all tongue and teeth as he growls into your mouth, and grabs your legs from around his waist, shoving your legs all the way up to your chest. He makes you hold them as he pounds into you, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing around the room. 

“You ready for my cum baby girl? You ready to be overflowing with Daddy’s seed? Gonna make you wear it to the party too, want my fucking scent all over you, my perfect little breeding bitch” 

The hot coil in your belly snaps again before you even know what’s happening and you cum harder than you’d already had, you let out a strangled moan, laughing deliriously as you cum around him, squirting all over his cock, he pulls out, letting it splash on his legs before slamming right back in. 

He pushes himself deep with a loud moan, his cock pulsing, his seed shooting deep inside you, painting your walls, claiming you, marking you as his. He growls as he holds his hips flush against yours.

"Fuck, fuck. Take it, baby. Take Daddy's cum like a good slut”  

He lets your legs go and collapses back on top of you, his body shaking with the force of his orgasm, his cock still twitching inside you, pumping every last drop into your poor pussy.

You gingerly wrap your arms around his neck and he rolls onto his side, pulling you with him so you can cuddle into him, and that’s what you do immediately. 

“Jesus I love you” he pants. 

“That was sinfully good” You giggle, and he chuckles breathlessly, kissing your neck as you mumble that you love him too. 

“Personally? Feel like it was one of our best.” 

You nod sleepily agreeing with him as you settle into his arms and he pats your bare butt. 

“Ah-ah-ah no naps now baby girl, we have a party to get to… and I have a shirt to iron.” 

[morganbritton132]

An unfortunate byproduct of Steve’s neighbors always calling the cops on him is that Steve is like six years old and hasn’t really learned what’s appropriate to tell people. So now Hopper knows way too much about too many people.

Steve may not understanding the implication of his words, but Hopper does. Dick Harrington is cheating on his wife. Again. And he’s using his son as a cover. Nice.

Hopper predicting a noise complaint call in his future.

He knows that Angela Harrington has ‘special pills’ she takes for headaches and they make her sleepy. That’s why Hopper can’t call her when her son wrecks his bike being an idiot at the quarry.

He also knows that, despite what Steve thinks, Dave and Maria’s oldest boy doesn’t keep a skunk in his bedroom and is definitely getting high when his parents aren’t home.

He knows that their second oldest keeps porn under his bed. Steve told him that one giggling so hard his eyes were watering.

When Carol’s older sister babysits them, she bribes them with candy not to tell their parents that she left them alone.

There’s a newspaper thief in Loch Nora and Steve knows who it is. Tommy Hagan sometimes wets the bed. Benny Hammond will give you free fries if you clean off some of the tables. The teenager that teaches Steve’s swim class at the community pool accidentally burnt a kid with a cigarette last week.

Otis Harrington fought in World War 2, lives in Florida, and is apparently a ninja. Hopper is told this while being karate chopped in the knee.

Joyce Byers has a crush on him. Hopper knows this because Steve tells him that he heard her call him handsome and, “Nicole said I was handsome during recess once and then she kissed me. That means that girls like like you so Mrs Byers’ like likes you.”

Steve informs him, “You should marry her.”

“I’m already married.”

“Oh…” Steve frowns down at his hands where he scrapped the hell out of them on this sidewalk ten minutes ago. “You should get divorced.”

[dayasfilms]

Chapter Eight - The Gate

Summary: All of you separate into groups to work together to close the gate for good. At least, you hope that it is gone forever.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: 18+ content, mentions of Y/N, violence, blood, mentions of death, use of weapons, a little bit of fluff, there is smut but not too graphic

Word Count: 8.6k

Note: This is the last chapter of season two! This is a lot longer than the rest so far. I can’t wait to write season three and have you all read it. It’s definitely one of my favorite seasons!

Series Masterlist

ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡

Eleven.

She was back.

Your mouth parted in shock as you stared at the girl standing in front of you, the one everyone thought was gone. Eleven.

Across the room, Mike rushed forward, wrapping her in a hug. The two held each other tightly, as if afraid the other might disappear again.

“I never gave up on you,” Mike said, his voice trembling. “I called you. Every night. For–”

“Three-hundred and fifty three days,” Eleven finished softly. “I heard.”

Mike pulled back, stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me you were there? That you were okay?”

“Because I wouldn’t let her,” Hopper said, stepping forward.

You turned sharply toward him, eyes wide, and caught your mom doing the same.

Hopper crossed the room and embraced Eleven. “The hell is this? Where have you been?”

“Where have you been?” Eleven asked quietly, hugging him back.

Mike’s expression darkened. “You were hiding her,” he muttered, then shoved Hopper. “You’ve been hiding her this whole time!”

“Hey!” Hopper barked, grabbing Mike by the shoulders. “Let’s talk. Alone.”

He pulled Mike into another room, shutting the door behind them. You could still hear Mike yelling, feeling hurt, betrayed, and furious.

Your mom walked over to Eleven and gently pulled her into a warm hug. “Hey, sweetie. How are you?”

You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned to see Steve. “So…that’s Eleven? The girl with powers?”

You nodded, watching Eleven speak softly to your mom. “Yeah. That’s El.”

Then her eyes met yours. She walked up and wrapped her arms around you tightly, her small frame pressing into yours.

“Hey, how’ve you been, El?” You asked, hugging her back.

“Good,” she said quietly, a shy smile forming on her face.

You let her go and watched as she drifted toward the other kids. They swarmed her instantly, joy and awe in their voices. But when Max stepped forward to introduce herself, Eleven didn’t respond. You caught the flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Maybe she was just being cautious since Max was new.

Soon, Eleven moved over to Joyce.

“Can I see him?” She asked gently, and you knew ‘him’ meant Will.

You blinked, realizing that, somehow, they’d never met in person. Only through her powers. Joyce led her to Will’s room, where he still lay unconscious. The rest of you remained in the living room, waiting. Minutes later, Joyce returned with Eleven and brought her over to the dining table, pointing at the code that said ‘Close Gate.’

Everyone gathered behind them.

Joyce looked at Eleven. “You opened the gate before, right?”

“Yes,” Eleven said, eyes scanning the message again.

Joyce hesitated, her voice tight with hope. “If we got you back there…do you think you could close it?”

Eleven looked at her, thinking about what she said.

Once again, everyone gathered around the dining room table. You could feel the tension in the air, however, this time, there was hope.

Eleven stood at the head of the table. The fact that she was here now, with them, changed everything. They could now close the gate for good.

Hopper leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed, eyes dark and grim. “It’s not like it was before. It’s grown,” he said. “A lot. And, I mean, that’s considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs–”

“Demo-dogs,” Dustin interjected quickly, lifting his head with a strange sort of pride.

Hopper blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, uh, Demo-dogs,” Dustin repeated, clearly trying to mask his nervousness behind enthusiasm. “Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass–”

“Dustin!” You snapped, getting irritated. “Seriously?”

He shrunk slightly under your glare. “It’s not important, I’m sorry.”

The room quieted again. Then, Eleven’s voice cut through. “I can do it.”

All heads turned toward her. Her voice was small, but firm. Her eyes didn’t waver.

“You’re not hearing me,” Hopper said, his tone softening as he addressed her.

“I’m hearing you. I can do it,” Eleven said again, more insistent this time.

You could feel the emotion behind her words. The way her fists clenched at her sides, the way her chin tilted just slightly upward. She believed in herself, and you wanted so badly to believe in her too.

Yasmin stepped closer and rested a hand gently on Eleven’s shoulder. “Listen, even if El can close it, there’s still another problem.” Everyone turned toward her, the group’s attention now on what she had to say. “Like the kids said, the brain dies, the body dies.”

“I thought that was the whole point,” Max chimed in, puzzled.

“It is, but if we’re really right about this…” Mike began, his voice laced with unease. “I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer’s army–”

“Will’s a part of that army,” Lucas finished, his voice almost a whisper as the realization dawned on him.

“Closing the gate will kill him,” Mike said, the final blow landing.

Silence followed.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Joyce. She stood motionless, her arms crossed tightly, eyes locked on something in the distance. You could see the fear behind her eyes. Losing Will wasn’t an option, not after everything. There had to be another way.

And then, something shifted in her expression, an idea forming.

Without a word, she turned and walked quickly out of the room. Everyone followed her, hope flickering again in their hearts.

In Will’s room, the light was dim and the air cold. The curtains fluttered slightly from the wind slipping through the open window. Joyce paused by the sill, staring at the boy who lay unconscious on the bed, pale and still.

“He likes it cold,” she murmured.

“What?” Hopper asked, frowning.

“It’s what Will kept saying to me,” Joyce explained, her voice steadier now as her motherly instinct took over. “He likes it cold.” She moved forward and shut the window with a sharp click, getting rid of the chill from outside. She turned back to the group. “We keep giving it what it wants.”

You glanced at Will, lying so peacefully it hurt to look at him. “If this is a virus, and Will’s the host, then…”

“Then we need to make the host uninhabitable,” Jonathan said, picking up on your thought.

“So if he likes it cold…” Nancy began.

“We need to burn it out of him,” Joyce finished, her voice like steel.

The room tensed. The implication was terrifying, but it made sense.

“We have to do it somewhere he doesn’t know this time,” Mike added, thinking fast now.

“Yeah, somewhere far away,” said Dustin.

Everyone had their parts set. The plan was clear, even if the air was thick with nerves. Joyce, Jonathan, and Will would head out to Hopper’s cabin, tucked away in the woods, where they could try to force the Mind Flayer out of Will. Meanwhile, Yasmin, Hopper, and Eleven were preparing to return to the lab, that cold and broken facility now overrun by monsters, to close the gate. The rest of you, including Steve, the kids, Nancy, and yourself, would stay behind at the Byers house.

You walked down the path, the gravel crunching under your shoes as you caught up to Jonathan. He was already by the car, placing a blanket over Will in the back seat. You hugged him tightly, your arms locking around him, feeling the tension in his muscles.

“Everything will be okay,” you told him quietly. He held on a second longer than you expected, his breathing uneven as he pulled away. “Be careful.”

“You too,” he said, his eyes locking onto yours before he climbed into the driver’s seat. He gave you a final glance, then shut the door with a solid thud.

As the car rumbled to life, you noticed Nancy nearby, still standing, her eyes following the vehicle. You made your way over, tapping her shoulder. She turned, startled out of her thoughts.

“You should go with them, Nance,” you said softly.

She stared at you in confusion. “What?” She asked. “No, no, I–I can’t just leave Mike–”

“Nancy,” you interrupted. “I’ve been taking care of these kids for years now, don’t worry. Plus, I have Steve, and believe it or not…” You turned your head. Steve was a few feet away, talking with Dustin. A small smile crept onto your face. “He’s a pretty good babysitter.”

Nancy followed your gaze, her expression softening. “I don’t know what happened between you two,” she said thoughtfully, drawing your attention back to her. “But you guys are good for each other. Genuinely.”

You smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. “Be careful, Nance,” you whispered as you let go.

She nodded once, then turned and jogged over to the car, climbing in just as it started to pull away. You raised a hand in farewell, crossing your arms again once they disappeared down the road.

From behind you, the soft patter of footsteps came closer. Your mom came over, her arms wrapping around you tightly in an instant. She kissed your forehead, rocking you back and forth quickly. “Be careful, sweetheart.”

“You too,” you muttered against her jacket, eyes briefly shutting.

When you stepped back, she tucked your hair behind your ears. “If you’re planning something, I want you to think about it first before doing anything.”

You raised an eyebrow, smirking. “What do you mean? I’m not going to do anything.”

Yasmin chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “I can see it in your eyes. There’s something going on in that head of yours, so just be safe.”

“I can handle myself.” You shrugged with confidence, giving her a reassuring look.

She gave you a final kiss on the top of your head, brushing your shoulder as she stepped away. “I know you can.”

With that, she headed toward Hopper’s truck. Hopper walked towards you, stopping in front of you and rested a hand on your shoulder. “Don’t do anything stupid, kid,” he said, eyeing you knowingly.

You scoffed, the edge of a grin tugging at your lips. “What is it with you and my mom thinking I’m going to do something crazy? I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He grunted, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, and shook his head. “If you’re going to do something,” he warned. “I’d hold back on it.”

You crossed your arms, giving him a raised eyebrow. “I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing.” Your eyes flicked toward the truck where Yasmin and Eleven were waiting, then back to Hopper. “But you guys, please be safe.”

“We will,” Hopper said with a nod, then pulled you into a brief hug. You returned it, then stepped back.

Eleven peeked out from the backseat and gave a small wave. You waved back, watching as the engine started up. Dust swirled around the tires as Hopper drove off, following the same road Jonathan had just taken.

Behind you, the Byers house sat quiet. The porch creaked slightly under the group’s weight, all of you watching the departing truck fade into the trees.

This was it. Now they wait.

Mike paced furiously in the living room, his footsteps sharp against the floor as he muttered under his breath. His arms folded and unfolded repeatedly as he turned on his heel every few seconds, eyes darting to the curtained window like he was expecting something to burst through it. Lucas and Max were crouched near the broken window, picking up shards of glass. A cold breeze slipped through the crack.

From the kitchen, a loud thump echoed out. You followed the noise, stepping through the doorway, and froze when you saw Dustin and Steve struggling to shove the limp demodog into the refrigerator.

“Oh my God!” You shrieked, taking a step back as the fridge door finally slammed shut. “You are not putting a dead demogorgon in there!”

“Y/N, please!” Dustin exclaimed, throwing his arms up in defense as he wiped sweat off his forehead. “This is important!”

Your eyes snapped to Steve, who stood beside the fridge looking like he wanted to disappear into the floor. He offered a sheepish smile and pointed toward Dustin. “He made me…”

“Steve!” You crossed your arms in disbelief, before throwing a glare at Dustin. “You’re explaining this to Joyce, birdbrain.”

You turned on your heel and strode out of the kitchen. From the living room, Lucas’s voice rang out in frustration. “Mike, would you just stop already?”

You walked back in just in time to see Mike spin on Lucas, his voice tense. “You weren’t in there, okay, Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs.”

From the kitchen, Dustin’s head popped around the corner. “Demo-dogs!”

“The chief and Yasmin will take care of her,” Lucas said, clearly trying to calm Mike down.

“Like she needs protection,” Max chimed in, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she picked up another piece of glass.

Steve strolled into the living room, brushing his hands off a towel as he decided to chime in. “Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?”

Mike shot him a look, raising a brow. “Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game. And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

Steve faltered, his mouth opening and closing before he settled on his point. “So my point is…” He trailed off as the kids waited for him to continue. “Right, yeah, we’re on the bench, so, uh, there’s nothing we can do.”

While their argument carried on, you slipped quietly down the hallway toward Jonathan’s room. The door creaked as you pushed it open. In the far corner rested your rifle, propped against the wall beside the dresser. You crossed the room and grabbed it, pulling open a nearby drawer for extra bullets. One by one, you loaded them into a bag.

The idea came to you in an instant. Go to the tunnels, light everything on fire. Sitting back and waiting felt wrong and useless. You couldn’t just stay here while the others were fighting to get the creature out of Will or in that cursed lab. Not when you could do something.

From the other room, voices rose again. “Wait,” Lucas said. “Where’s Y/N?”

You stepped back into the living room, your loaded bag slung over one shoulder, a gas canister in one hand, and the rifle hanging from the other. All heads turned at once, the sight of you armed drawing immediate attention.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Steve asked, his expression going from confused to alarmed as he stepped forward to stop you.

You stopped, staring at the group. “You guys stay here, while I go back to the tunnels and…” you held up the lighter in your free hand as you put the gas canister down, the flame flicking to life with a soft click. “Help the others out.”

Mike’s reaction was immediate. “You can’t go there by yourself!” His voice rose, panic slipping in.

“Yeah! You’re going to die if you think you can manage it all by yourself!” Dustin added, practically shouting. “We have to come with you!”

You narrowed your eyes, irritation rising. “Okay, first of all, I’m more than capable of handling this alone.” You jabbed a finger toward the boys. “Second of all, you guys are not going anywhere. You are staying here, with Steve, and waiting for this to be all over.”

Mike spoke up again. “This is crazy. You don’t even know what’s down there now, let alone know where the tunnels even are!”

You snapped the lighter shut with a sharp click and stuffed it into the bag. “No, but I know what’s up here. A group of kids, and one babysitter with a nail bat. So unless any of you have suddenly turned into Rambo, you’re not coming with me.”

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and stepped closer, dropping his voice as he said your name. “I get it. I do. You want to help. But doing this alone?”

You gave him a look, softer this time, but firm. “What’s not going to help is sitting around hoping someone else handles it. I’m not walking in there blind, Steve. I have gear, I have ammo, and I have a plan.”

Max stood, folding her arms. “You’re seriously not gonna let us help?”

“How are you even going to get there?” Lucas questioned.

You tilted your head. “I’ll take Joyce’s car, obviously.”

Steve stepped in front of you, his hand gently wrapping around your bicep. “You can’t do this,” he said, his voice softer now, more cautious. “What if something happens? Then what?”

“Listen, I’ve gotten out of wo–,” you said, but the words caught in your throat before you could finish. Your jaw tensed as the room fell silent, the others watching you with furrowed brows. You winced slightly, shook your head, and forced your voice steady. “I can handle it.”

Suddenly, a low, aggressive rev of an engine echoed near the Byers house.

Max’s head snapped toward the window, her face draining of color. “It’s my brother,” she said, backing away. “He can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.” Her gaze flicked to Lucas, panic setting in.

You and Steve exchanged a tense glance before he moved toward the door. “Stay here,” he said firmly.

“Steve–” you reached out instinctively, but he was already outside.

You huffed, muttering something under your breath, and set your gear down in the far corner, stepping in front of the kids.

“Back up. Stay away from the windows,” you warned, eyeing them sharply.

Of course, they didn’t listen.

You looked through the peephole, your fingers twitching slightly. A few moments passed before Billy’s head snapped toward the window. You whirled around, eyes narrowing.

“I told you to get away from the damn windows!”

You turned back just in time to see Billy slam Steve to the ground. You tensed as Billy approached the house, shoulders rolling, that smug strut of his even more obnoxious than usual.

The door burst open, with him standing there. His lip curled into a smirk the second he saw you.

“Well, well, well,” he began. “Didn’t expect you, princess.”

You gave him a dry smile. “Didn’t expect you here, Hargrove. This isn’t exactly the place for douchebags.”

Billy chuckled. “Still got that mouth on you.”

You stepped between him and the kids, eyes flat. “Why don’t you do everyone a favor and turn that car of yours around before you embarrass yourself.”

He stepped closer. You didn’t budge.

“No can do, princess,” he sneered. “You wanna explain why my sister’s holed up with you and Harrington in a stranger’s house?”

His eyes slid over to Lucas. And just like that, the smile dropped.

“Lucas Sinclair,” Billy said coldly. “Of course. What a surprise.”

He moved toward Lucas, but you were faster, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him back with enough force to make him stumble.

“Try again,” you said coolly.

He barked a short laugh. “What are you gonna do, princess? Scratch me?”

“Oh, I can do a lot more than that,” you muttered.

Billy shoved you. You stumbled back a step but caught yourself instantly.

“Stay out of this,” he warned. “When people disobey me, I break things.”

His hand lifted, and just as it reached you, you caught it. His smirk faltered.

Your voice was low, lethal. “Touch any of them, and I’ll show you exactly how breakable you are.”

His other hand swung, but you were faster, driving a solid punch into his face that sent him staggering into the wall. The kids gasped. Billy wiped the blood from his mouth, fury in his eyes.

“You’re dead, Kaul.” Just as he was about to lunge at you, Steve grabbed him from behind, spinning him around.

“No,” Steve growled. “You are.”

Steve threw a punch. Billy laughed, the sound echoing in the room.

“Looks like you got some fire in you after all!” Billy exclaimed. “I’ve been wanting to meet this King Steve everybody’s been telling me so much about!”

Steve pushed him. “Get out.”

It was silent for a few seconds, until Billy swung back and hit Steve hard, knocking him sideways.

You lunged again, slamming your knee into Billy’s ribs and sending him to the floor. He barely caught his breath before you dragged him up by the collar and hurled him across the living room, crashing into a table.

You followed up with a spinning kick that had him coughing, crumpled on the floor. He tried to grab your ankle, but you twisted out of reach, slipped behind him, and hooked your arm around his neck. A quick toss and he hit the wall hard.

Billy groaned, rising slowly. Steve struggled upright, blood dripping from his nose, blinking through the dizziness. Steve attempted to punch Billy again, but the latter beat him to it, knocking him to the ground.

“Steve!” You called, fear in your voice. He punched Steve, once, twice, and then knocked him flat again.

You rushed to Billy, slammed him against the wall, and this time, you didn’t hold back. Two hard strikes to the gut and one to the side of the head. He fell to the ground.

You ran over to Steve, holding his face. You checked for a pulse, letting out a sigh of relief when you felt it beating under your finger.

Billy slowly started to get up once again. He stalked towards you, his eyes glaring at the back of your head. You could feel his presence as he got closer, and just as you were about to turn around to throw another blow, Max pressed a syringe into his neck.

“What the hell is this?” He gasped, swaying.

You watched as he hit the floor.

Max grabbed the nail bat, her eyes blazing. “From now on, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?”

Billy laughed through the haze. “Screw you.”

She slammed the bat between his legs, making him jolt. “Say you understand!” She screamed. “Say it! Say it!”

“I…I understand,” Billy said quietly.

“What?”

“I understand,” he said a little louder, then he fell unconscious.

The boys stared in awe.

Max’s eyes met yours. You blinked, then nodded once, impressed.

The redhead snagged his car keys. “Let’s get out of here,” she said, like it was nothing.

You exhaled, cracking your knuckles. “Okay, then.”

You helped Steve into the backseat, checking his face for signs of a concussion, when the engine suddenly roared to life.

“What the–” You looked up in alarm. “MAX!?”

“I’m driving,” Max called from the driver’s seat, already reversing out of the driveway with terrifying confidence.

“NO!” You lunged forward but it was too late. The car jolted forward and took off down the road, making you fly back into the backseat.

“I’m a zoomer!” She grinned in the rearview mirror.

“You’re twelve!” You shouted back, gripping the grab handle as she took a hard left.

“I’m actually thirteen!”

“That doesn’t make it any better!”

Knowing you had no other choice, you took the ice pack Dustin had grabbed from the freezer and gently pressed it to Steve’s bruised face. Mike was on your left, Lucas rode shotgun, and Dustin sat to your right, with Steve sprawled halfway across your lap.

You groaned, clutching the grab handle above your head as Max took another turn. “Stop the damn car and let me drive!”

“I can’t just stop,” Max replied casually, eyes fixed on the road. “It’s gonna waste time.”

You threw your head back with an exasperated grunt. “You’re gonna kill us before we even get there.”

Beneath your hands, Steve shifted with a groan. His eyelids fluttered open.

“Hey, it’s okay, you put up a good fight,” Dustin said quickly, trying to ease him in. “He kicked your ass, but you tried to kick back. If Y/N hadn’t been there, you’d definitely be dead.”

Mike snorted. “She totally saved your ass.”

You rolled your eyes. “Okay, that’s enough.”

Lucas pointed out the windshield. “Okay, Max, you’re gonna keep straight for half a mile and then take a left on Mount Sinai.”

Steve blinked at Max, then at you, then back at Max. Confusion gave way to alarm.

“Wait. WAIT! Why is Max driving?!” He yelled. “Y/N, WHAT THE HELL?!”

“I tried!” You snapped, glaring at him. “She jumped in and started the car before I could even get your unconscious body buckled in!”

“Just relax,” Dustin said quickly. “She’s driven before.”

Mike gave him a look. “Yeah, in a parking lot.”

Steve immediately started struggling in your lap like he was being held hostage. Dustin shoved him back down gently. “Nope. Nope. Stay down. You’ve got a concussion or something, man.”

You kept quiet, pressing the ice pack a little harder to distract him as Max took another sharp turn, sending everyone lurching.

“MAX! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” You shouted, bracing yourself as the car veered dangerously.

“Oh my GOD!” Steve yelled, gripping you like it would save him from death.

“EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” Max screamed.

“Make a left, make a left–NOW!” Lucas shouted.

Max jerked the wheel. The car crashed through a wooden fence with a crack, and it miraculously kept going.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” You screeched, your grip tight on the grab handle.

The car exploded into chaotic screaming, everyone yelling over each other as Max floored it.

“Jesus Christ, we’re gonna die!” Mike screamed.

“I’m never letting you drive anything ever again!” You growled at Max.

“Can everyone just CALM DOWN?” Max hollered.

Finally, she swerved the car off-road and slammed on the brakes, parking on a patch of grass.

You slapped a hand to your chest, trying to calm your racing heart. “Okay,” you muttered. “I’m alive. Somehow.”

Steve groaned from your lap, voice weak. “Tell me I’m hallucinating all this.”

You all piled out of the car, yanking open the trunk and grabbing the gear you’d stuffed in there earlier. Steve stumbled out after you, already yelling at the kids to stop what they were doing. You ignored him.

While strapping on your gear, you called out to the kids. “Start suiting up. Now.”

Steve stormed toward you, frustration clear in his movements. Before you could walk away, he grabbed your wrist, pulling you toward him until your faces were inches apart. His voice dropped low. “What are you doing?”

His breath ghosted across your skin. Your eyes flicked from his to his lips and back. His did the same.

“Steve,” you said sternly. “Do you trust me?”

“What? Yes, of course I trust you,” he answered instantly, like it wasn’t even a question.

“Then trust that we can do this.” You gestured toward the kids. “As long as I’m alive, nothing’s going to happen to them. Got it?”

He held your gaze for what felt like forever, then finally exhaled and nodded.

“Wait,” he said, still gripping your wrist. “Did your mom teach you how to fight?”

Your brows furrowed. “What?”

“At the house,” he said. “Where’d you learn moves like that?”

Realization dawned. Your lips parted. “Oh…uh, yeah. My mom taught me.” You grabbed some safety gear from the trunk and shoved it into his chest. “Now get moving.”

Together, you followed the kids to the edge of the gaping hole in the ground. One by one, you began going down the rope, Mike leading the way toward the main source. But when the kids started walking ahead, you stepped in front of them.

“Hey, wait. Behind me, alright?” You told them. “If anything happens to you kids, Steve and I are getting the blame.”

They all nodded.

Steve moved to your side, but you stopped him with a hand on his chest. “No. You’re in the back.”

Steve threw his arms up. “What? Why?”

“In case something comes from behind and grabs one of them, Steve.” You shoved him gently back. “Go.”

With a grumble, he complied.

Mike helped you lead the way through the tunnel, flashlight bouncing off the slick walls. Then, Dustin screamed.

You spun around and bolted back, crouching next to him. “What happened?!”

“It’s in my mouth! Shit!” Dustin spat something onto the ground. Everyone stared in horror, until he looked up and grinned. “I’m okay.”

Steve groaned. “Very funny, man.”

You gave Steve a pointed look. “I thought I told you to stay in the back?”

“He was right next to me!” Steve said defensively, gesturing at Dustin.

Soon after, you all reached the location. Flashlights lit up the area.

“Alright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub,” Steve muttered.

You turned to the kids. “Ready?”

“Let’s drench it,” Mike said.

Gasoline splashed over the ground, the walls, soaking everything. Steve flicked open his lighter, the flame casting a soft glow. He nodded, then dropped it.

The tunnel exploded into fire.

“Go, go, go!” You yelled, grabbing the kids as the fire roared behind you.

Steve grabbed your hand and didn’t let go, holding tight like he was afraid you’d vanish if he did.

You kept running, until Mike fell. “Help!” He cried out, something grabbing his leg.

You and Steve turned back. Steve swung his bat hard, slamming it into the creature. It shrieked and let go. Mike scrambled up.

Before you could leave, something blocked your path. A small demogorgon.

“Dart?” Dustin whispered, stepping forward.

“Dustin, no!” You shouted, but he raised a hand to silence you.

“Trust me.” He pulled down his mask and goggles and crouched low. “It’s me. Dustin. You remember me?”

You all watched, frozen, as Dustin slowly held out a nougat. Dart sniffed, then started eating it.

Dustin stepped back. “Go,” he whispered.

You moved past, one by one, Dustin rejoining the group after a soft goodbye to the creature.

You saw the exit just up ahead. But then came the roar.

Demogorgons.

You heard them before you saw them. They were too fast, too close. Steve started helping the kids up, hoisting them through the exit. You helped too, pushing them up one by one.

Only you and Steve were left. But it was too late. They were here.

Steve grabbed his bat in one hand and wrapped the other around your waist, pulling you close. You raised your gun. The kids screamed for you to climb, but you didn’t move. There were too many.

You and Steve locked eyes, both realizing it at the same time.

You clutched each other tightly and shut your eyes.

But nothing happened.

You opened your eyes to see the demogorgons racing past you, ignoring you completely. Your head turned to follow them, and that’s when you realized it. “Eleven,” you breathed.

You and Steve stared at each other, hearts pounding.

The kids reached down to pull you both out. You climbed up using the rope, collapsing on the grass above.

Max threw her arms around you. “That scared the shit out of me.”

You laughed shakily, hugging her back. “Yeah…me too.”

Everyone backed away from the tunnel as it began to glow, bright light spilling upward until you had to shield your eyes. Then, just as quickly, the light faded into darkness.

The group looked around in silence.

You knew what had happened.

Eleven had closed the gate.

You rang the doorbell, shifting on your feet as you waited on the front porch. Your eyes drifted to the quiet, dimly lit street, the night air brushing against your skin.

The door creaked open.

Max stood there, a nervous but excited smile on her face. She stepped outside, gently shutting the door behind her. “Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey, Max,” you replied, pulling her into a warm hug. “You look beautiful.”

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she ducked her head with a sheepish grin. “Thanks.”

You nodded toward your car parked by the curb. “Come on. Let’s go.”

You both climbed in, and you drove to Hawkins Middle School.

“Are you excited about the dance?” You asked, eyes flicking from the road to her and back again.

Max shrugged, playing with the hem of her dress. “I guess. Dances aren’t really my thing, but…Lucas asked me, so I figured, why not.”

You hummed knowingly, a smile tugging at your lips. “So, do you like Lucas?”

Max coughed on air, eyes going wide. “I–uh–what?”

“Relax,” you laughed, throwing her a teasing glance. “I’m kidding.”

“Oh,” she muttered, still flustered. You smirked wider, shaking your head.

You’d agreed to take Max to the Snowball Dance the second she asked. It was an easy yes. You had a soft spot for the kid, even if her driving gave you whiplash. You were originally planning to take Eleven, but when Hopper asked Yasmin for help getting her ready, your mom jumped at the chance. Watching her fuss over dresses and lip gloss made you smile more than you’d expected.

When you pulled up in front of the school, the building was glowing with warm lights, faint music leaking through the doors.

“I hope you have fun,” you told Max, shifting to face her.

“Me too,” she said quietly. “Thanks…for driving me.”

“Anytime,” you said softly. “I’m here if you need more than just a ride.”

She nodded and reached for the door. As she stepped out, something small fell on the seat, a hair clip. You spotted it just in time and grabbed it, jumping out of the car.

“Max!” You called. She turned back. You jogged over, gently sliding the clip back into her hair. “There. Better.”

“Thanks,” she said again.

You stepped back and walked back over to the driver’s side as she walked toward the school entrance. You leaned against the side of your car, arms crossed, watching her check in at the doors, your lips curled in a proud grin.

“You look stunning,” a voice said behind you. You turned to see Steve standing there, hands in his pockets. His car was parked just behind yours. He looked clean, like he was trying not to try too hard.

You raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He laughed softly, eyes skimming your face before flicking to your lips, then back up again. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

You feigned a sad nod. “Sorry. I’m busy.”

His smile faltered, just for a second. “Oh. Uh… that’s fine–”

“I’m kidding,” you said with a giggle, cutting him off. “I’m free tonight.”

He exhaled a laugh of relief, shaking his head. “God, you’re such a pain.”

“You like it.”

“I love it.”

You both stood there for a second, quiet settling between you, but it wasn’t awkward.

“So,” Steve said, nudging your shoulder with his. “You wanna get out of here?”

You gave him a sideways glance, your voice dropping playfully. “Careful, Harrington. Say stuff like that and I’ll start thinking you’ve got other intentions.”

His eyes widened, hands raising defensively. “What? No–I didn’t mean it like that!”

You rolled your eyes with a smirk. “Relax, Steve. I’m messing with you.” You turned your gaze toward the building, then back at him. “Although…I am seriously craving burgers. At that place we used to go all the time, remember? Want to come?”

“Yeah!” He said, too fast. He cleared his throat. “I mean, uh, yeah. Sure. That sounds great.”

You grinned. Stepping closer, you reached for the collar of his shirt, straightening it with slow, deliberate fingers. The gap between your bodies disappeared, and Steve’s hands instinctively found your waist. His breath hitched.

You bit your lip, as you locked eyes. “Last one there is a rotten egg!”

With a sudden push, you backed him off just enough to dart away, laughing as you jumped inside your car, driving away.

Steve blinked, momentarily stunned. “Hey! That’s cheating!”

He threw his hands up, then let out a laugh, the kind that stayed stuck on his lips. Shaking his head, he bolted to his car, sliding into the driver’s seat and driving out after you, grinning like an idiot the whole way.

You couldn’t stop the butterflies fluttering in your stomach, or the way your face warmed with every compliment. Your heart always seemed to beat a little faster whenever your eyes met Steve’s.

The two of you sat inside the restaurant, long after you had finished your food, tucked into the quiet comfort of each other’s presence.

It felt just like it used to, back when Steve would take you out on casual dates or late-night drives, always finding new excuses to spend time together. You were younger then, and though you were still a few months away from adulthood now, so much had changed between you.

Steve paid for the both of you, and as you stepped out of the restaurant, his hand found the small of your back, guiding you gently outside. The simple touch sent a shiver down your spine.

He noticed. Brow furrowed, Steve stepped in front of you, his hands resting lightly on your arms. “You cold?”

You smiled softly, shaking your head. “No, I’m not cold.”

His hands lingered for a beat longer before he slowly let go. You hadn’t realized how warm his touch had been until it was gone.

“Steve…” you whispered, looking up at him.

“Yeah?” His voice was just as soft.

You searched his eyes, unsure of what to say. His hands twitched at his sides, aching to touch you again, but he kept them where they were.

“I had a great time,” Steve finally said, breaking the silence.

You smiled, nodding. “Yeah…me too.”

He hesitated, not ready to let the moment end. “So, uh…do you need to pick up Max soon, or…?”

You shook your head. “No, her mom’s getting her. What about Dustin?”

“He’s good. His mom’s picking him up, too.”

You hummed. “Okay…”

Steve shifted, not being able to hold back any longer. “I–I know we’re not together anymore, but…God, I really want to kiss you.”

Your eyes widened, lips parting in surprise. You opened your mouth, but no words came out fast enough.

Steve took your silence as a no. His shoulders slumped as he began to turn away, cheeks flushed. “God, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just said th–”

“Steve…”

“Just forget I said anything, seriously. We can go back to how it was, like, thirty seconds ago–”

“Steve.”

“This is so–”

You cupped his face, making him stop. His eyes snapped to yours. “Kiss me.”

He froze. “What–?”

You didn’t let him finish. Your lips crashed against his, and his hands immediately flew to your waist, pulling you in. The kiss deepened, your fingers threading into his hair, tugging gently.

A soft sound escaped him, half whimper, half sigh, straight into your mouth. Your body pressed into his, craving his touch like it was oxygen.

“I love you so much,” Steve whispered against your lips, gripping your waist tighter. “I need you so badly.”

Your arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him even closer. The night was quiet, the parking lot nearly empty, thankfully, or the two of you would’ve had an audience for the intense makeout session happening outside a burger joint.

You gasped when Steve nipped at your bottom lip, taking the chance to slip his tongue into your mouth. “I love you too,” you mumbled, the words swallowed between kisses.

He pressed you gently against the side of his car, grinding his hips into yours just enough to make your breath hitch. The action finally made you come to your senses. You pulled back, gently pushing at his chest.

“Steve, wait…” you said breathlessly, glancing around the lot.

He stepped back, chest heaving, hands still on your waist. “Shit, I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

You giggled, and the sound made his eyes soften. “I know,” you said. “But, um…we can’t exactly go at it in public.”

The way you said it made Steve groan, face turning a deeper red as he shifted uncomfortably. “Jesus, don’t say stuff like that…”

Your gaze dropped briefly to his problem, and you stifled a laugh when you saw just how red he got. “Wow…do I really have that effect on you?”

He rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.” Then he pinched your sides, making you squeal. “You already know I’ve been obsessed with you since day one.”

You tilted your head. “Do I?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Oh? Do I need to remind you?”

You bit your bottom lip and nodded, fluttering your lashes at him. “My house or yours?”

His expression flickered with shock. “Wait. Seriously?”

You placed your hands on either side of his face again, this time tenderly. “Steve, yes. I want to do this with you. I’ve had time to think, and I’m sure. I want you.”

He looked at you, stunned, before pulling you into a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around you like he never wanted to let go. Then, one by one, he kissed every part of your face, your forehead, your cheeks, your nose, and finally, your lips.

You barely made it through the front door of his house before his lips found yours again. You kicked your shoes off blindly while Steve backed you into the hallway, the thick knit of his sweater soft beneath your fingertips as you gripped the fabric tightly.

He kissed you like he’d been starving for it, like he’d spent every night since your breakup imagining this exact moment.

His hands slid beneath your shirt, fingers pressed against your bare skin. You gasped into his mouth, your own hands tugging at the hem of his sweater as you walked backward toward his bedroom.

By the time your legs hit the edge of the bed, you’d managed to pull his sweater off completely. You reached for him, pulling him back down with you onto the bed.

Steve’s fingers traced gently along your waist as he tugged your top over your head, letting it fall somewhere behind you. His hands slowed when they brushed the edge of the scar along your side, the same scar he’d seen before, but still seemed to draw his attention like it was the first time.

His eyes flicked up to yours, the intimacy between you softening just for a moment. “You never told me how you got this,” he said quietly, thumb brushing along the faded line.

You swallowed, trying to keep your face neutral. “I told you before, remember?” You said lightly, reaching for him. “Car accident when I was younger.”

He nodded, not pushing, not questioning.

But his fingers lingered.

And then, just like all the times before, he bent down and pressed a kiss to the scar. Slow and deliberate.

You turned your head, staring at the ceiling as your chest rose and fell a little too quickly. Steve kissed it again, a whisper of his breath warm against your skin. “You always try to hide it from me.”

“I hate looking at it.”

“Then I’ll help you stop hating it.” Steve’s lips lingered against your skin. “You’re so beautiful.”

Your hands slipped around his neck, pulling him back up to meet your eyes. Your foreheads touched, and his fingers traced your skin.

“You’re sure?” He murmured.

You nodded. “Yes.”

His hands slid down to your hips, fingers curling under the waistband of your skirt. He tugged gently, slowly guiding it down your legs, your tights following in one smooth motion. He threw the clothes somewhere in the room, leaving you laying in just your underwear and bra, your skin prickling under his gaze.

You didn’t hesitate, your hands found the button of his jeans, popping it open easily. You pushed them down his hips, watching them fall to the floor, leaving him in his boxers. His breath caught as your fingers brushed against him, and he stepped closer, hands coming to rest at either side of your body.

His breath hitched as he hovered over you, his eyes scanning your face like he was trying to take a mental picture. Not just of your body, but of the way you looked at him right then.

Steve leaned down, capturing your lips again, this time slower, deeper. His kiss wasn’t rushed, it was full of love, like he was trying to show you everything he hadn’t said out loud in the weeks you’d spent apart. His hand traced up the side of your thigh, thumb pressing gently into your skin as he gripped it.

You arched into him, feeling the tension coil low in your stomach. His lips left yours and traveled along your jaw, down the column of your throat, pausing every now and then to press lingering kisses to your skin.

“God, I missed you,” he whispered against your collarbone. His voice was hoarse, thick with desire.

You threaded your fingers through his hair, gently pulling at the roots. “Then show me.”

That seemed to break something in him. His hands roamed your body like he was rediscovering you, the curve of your waist, the dip of your hip, the softness of your stomach. He dipped his head again, kissing just above your bra, his fingers brushing under the band as though silently asking for permission.

You nodded, breathless.

He slid the straps down your shoulders, his lips following the trail. When he pulled the fabric away, he paused again. He took a shaky breath like he had to remind himself that this was real, that you were really here, wanting him back.

“You’re perfect,” he said softly, almost in disbelief.

You didn’t speak. You just pulled him down to you again, feeling the heat of his chest pressed to yours. Skin to skin. The sensation sent warmth shooting through your whole body.

He took off his boxers, the fabric pooling against his ankles as he kicked it away. Steve shifted, settling between your legs as he held himself over you, careful, still gentle. You could feel the weight of him, the way his muscles tensed under your touch, how his body responded to yours with every move.

Your hands explored the line of his back, fingertips memorizing every ridge, every mark. You kissed his shoulder, his neck, felt the way his breath stuttered when your lips brushed just below his ear.

When his forehead met yours, you both stilled for a moment. Just breathing. Sharing the same space, the same air. “I love you,” he murmured.

You smiled softly, your hand resting against his cheek. “I love you too.”

And then his lips were back on yours.

Your bodies moved in sync, like you’d never been apart. Every kiss, every touch made your skin light on fire.

Steve’s hands were everywhere. He kissed your shoulder, then down your arm, pausing to intertwine your fingers with his, grounding himself as he thrusted into you. You squeezed gently, and he looked at you like you hung the moon and stars.

Your desperation increased, the way your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, the way he breathed your name like a prayer against your skin. His lips brushed over your lips, locking eyes with you as soft moans slipped out of your mouth.

“I love every part of you,” Steve whispered, his lips brushing against your skin with each word.

You pulled him back to your lips, kissing him like you couldn’t quite believe this was real, like you needed to feel him closer. His hand slipped behind your back, lifting you slightly so your bodies pressed together without space.

With every movement, every breath, Steve made sure you felt it, how much he adored you, how much he wanted you, how much he missed you. And when the two of you finally stilled again, coming out of your highs, hearts racing, chests rising and falling in sync, he held you like nothing else in the world mattered besides you two.

You buried your face in his neck, your voice muffled. “That was good.”

His arms tightened around you, his lips pressing to the top of your head. “Yeah?”

You nodded, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.

Steve wrapped his arms around you, moving slowly, like he was afraid to break the moment. With careful hands, he picked you up and laid you down more comfortably against the pillows, the mattress dipping slightly beneath his weight as he joined you. He pulled the comforter up over your bare bodies, tucking it gently around your shoulders like he wanted to keep you warm and safe from everything.

The room was quiet, dim except for the soft glow spilling in from the streetlight outside. Steve’s fingers found yours beneath the blanket, lacing them together. His thumb brushed over your knuckles in slow circles.

“You okay?” He murmured, voice hoarse but gentle.

You turned your head to look at him, your heart softening at the look in his eyes. “Yeah,” you whispered. “More than okay.”

A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Good.”

You reached up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “You’re so pretty.”

Steve’s cheeks flushed instantly, the pink spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. He ducked his head a little and pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Honey…”

“I mean it, Steve,” you said, your voice gentle.

He let out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck like he didn’t know what to do with the compliment. “You can’t just say things like that and expect me not to combust.”

You giggled softly, tracing your finger down the bridge of his nose. “What, you can call me beautiful a hundred times a day, but I call you pretty once and you lose it?”

“That’s different,” he mumbled. “You are beautiful. Me? I’m just–”

“You’re everything,” you cut in firmly, your tone leaving no room for argument. “I love your stupid hair and your stupid perfect face and those stupid pretty moles on your skin.”

He blinked, caught off guard, lips twitching up into a smile he couldn’t hide. “Okay, that was a lot of stupid.”

“I know,” you teased, grinning as you leaned in to kiss the moles on his face. “I’m obsessed.”

He exhaled a breathy laugh, burying his face in your neck to hide how red he was. “You’re gonna kill me.”

You curled closer into him, tugging the comforter up again as his arms instinctively wrapped around you. “Would you rather die any other way?”

Steve laughed. “No, of course not.”

He pulled you in, pressing a lingering kiss to your collarbone like he never wanted to let go. You shifted closer, tucking yourself into his chest. He held you tighter without hesitation, pressing a kiss to your hair.

The silence that followed was the kind you only got with someone who made you feel safe. You stayed like that for a while, two hearts beating in sync. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep, feeling safe in his arms.

Steve didn’t sleep for a while. He just lay there, watching you, memorizing every line of your face as if he could hold on to the moment forever. You were breathtaking in your quiet, peaceful stillness, and he was helplessly in love with you.

So much time has been lost from being apart from you. Time spent in pain, time tangled in things neither of you could control. And though he couldn’t change the past, he could promise himself this, that now that he had you back, he wouldn’t let go. Not again.

Eventually, sleep claimed him too, his arms wrapped securely around you, his heart full in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. Your lives have changed, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better, but neither of you would trade any of it, not when it led to this moment.

If only the two of you knew what danger waited just around the corner, and what the future had in store for you.

[allsteddie]

Aftermath [Steddie]

Eddie has lost so much blood his skin is ashen, and Steve stomach is in knots after he notices the apprehension on the doctor’s face when she sees Eddie’s limp body.

“I’ll do whatever I can, but I can’t promise you anything,” she whispers to Nancy, Steve and Robin, taking care not to alarm the kids gathered around Dustin on the waiting room.

“Just try to help him, please,” Nancy, ever so strong and reliable, says. Her hands are shaking though.

The doctor nods. “Of course.”

It’s a close call, but they do manage to save Eddie’s life. The doctor doesn’t know how long it will take for him to wake up, he took some serious internal damage. They did their best to help him, now it's up to Eddie. All they can do now is wait and let Eddie heal, the doctor says.

Easier said than done, Steve’s never been good at waiting.

He spends the first night staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, exhausted after the hell they went through that day, but unable to sleep. He wanted to stay with Eddie, but he’s not family and he can’t just say he needs to be there because a couple of hours ago Steve had to drag Eddie, unconscious and still bleeding heavily, all the way through an interdimensional gate and Steve is still afraid that all this effort is going to be for nothing; that they’re going to lose Eddie anyway if Steve’s not there to make sure he’s okay.

They’d probably give him a one-way ticket to Penhurst if Steve said something like that, so it’s smarter if he doesn't.

When morning comes, he finally gets out of bed and goes to the hospital. Eddie’s uncle is still there, eyes hollow and tired. He nods at Steve when Steve enters the room and sits on the chair beside him.

Steve does the same thing the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

Eddie doesn’t wake up. Oddly enough, seeing his chest rise and fall with each breath is the only thing keeping Steve’s anxiety in check.

He spends every second of free time in that hospital room. He knows most of the Party is gathering in Nancy’s house, or Hopper’s place, making plans on how to deal with the aftermath of defeating Vecna, but Steve can’t bring himself to join them, doesn’t see a reason to. Steve’s done his part, he helped Nancy, fought whatever monster he had to, brought Eddie back and now he’s done.

Whatever’s gonna happen now that it’s over is nothing Steve can really help with. He doesn’t have superpowers like El, he’s not a genius like Dustin and he’s not a trained cop with knowledge of military secrets like Hopper. He’s a Family Video employee and a babysitter when needed and, right now, Eddie is the one who needs him the most.

With Vecna defeated or not, Hawkins is still in chaos and there are still people who believe Eddie Munson is a satanic leader who should be dealt with. So Steve leaves the planning and whatever else to the Party and Nancy and Hopper and does what he does best; he babysits.

Wayne’s got the night shift covered, but even with Hawkins deep in madness the man still gotta work. Steve stays with Eddie when Wayne can’t, sometimes he stays even when the older man is still there. They don’t talk much, just some pleasantries and a little bit of small talk here and there when the silence becomes stifling.

Because, really, what can Steve say to Eddie’s uncle? Until a couple of weeks ago Steve Harrington had no ties to Eddie Munson whatsoever. All he knew about the guy was what people around town loved to gossip about.

He’s a drug dealer.

He worships Satan.

He’s dangerous.

Bullshit, all of it. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

Okay, maybe not the drug dealer part, but that’s not the point. The point is that Eddie Munson almost died to save Hawkins. He almost got eaten alive by a bunch of demon-bats and Steve had to carry his broken, bleeding body all the way back from that hellhole and most of the time Steve can still feel the ghost warmth from Eddie’s blood against his skin. Sometimes he still looks down at his hands and expects them to be red and dripping.

He’s spiraling, he’s almost sure. He can’t sleep at home, where the silence is too much, and he can’t sleep here because he needs to watch over Eddie. He’s bound to break at some point, no one can go on for long when they’re barely getting any sleep and surviving on bland cafeteria food and vending machine snacks, but Steve’s gonna deal with that when the time comes.

Until then, the doctor said he had to wait and wait he does.

For two whole weeks, Steve sits on that uncomfortable chair beside Eddie’s bed and waits. From morning to night, he sits there and watches Eddie breathe quietly, hears the machines attached to him beep loud and clear, and waits.

It’s early afternoon, on the fourteenth day, when Eddie finally opens his eyes. Steve is there, distractedly flipping through a magazine and not realizing what is fucking happening, when Eddie wakes up.

“Hey there, big boy,” Eddie says, hoarse and low, but conscious, and Steve almost chokes on his own spit.

He wants to cry, he wants to laugh, he wants to run down the hallway and yell for the nurse to come here right the fuck now and check if Eddie is alright. He does nothing of the sort.

“You look like shit, Munson,” Steve says instead, voice tight, hands trembling as he folds the magazine and takes the few steps towards the bed.

Eddie smiles up at him, his lips chapped and face so, so pale, but his eyes are glittering and with that hint of amusement Steve became familiar with during their little adventure against interdimensional monsters.

“You’re not any better,” he replies.

“Fair enough.”

Careful not to disturb all the stuff attached to Eddie, Steve sits on the edge of the bed and, for the first time since Eddie was admitted there, takes his hand. It’s warm, clean, nothing like it had been before.

Steve really wants to cry right now.

“You’re gonna make me swoon,” Eddie teases.

“Shut up,” Steve chides, but doesn’t let go of the other man’s hand.

He’ll call the nurse to check on Eddie, of course. Eventually. But right now he just wants to bask in the relief of having Eddie there, alive and talking and looking at him with those bright eyes Steve sometimes thought he’d never seen again.

After all the waiting he did, Steve earned this.

[stevie-petey]

episode eight: the gate

“Drop me and die.” Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs.  Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. “Like I’d ever dream of letting you go.” This time, you know it’s his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain.

Summary: you encourage nancy to take your place (everyone is shocked), you and steve are the newest babysitters in town, billy ruins things as always, tunnels are weird when youre concussed, you remind jonathan of an old promise, and when the snowball comes you make your own promise with steve that you know you can keep.

Rating: general, although very violent

Warnings: use of y/n, fem!reader, intense violence and blood, weapons, monsters, probably more im forgetting

Words: 20.1k (no one speak to me)

Before you swing in: this is it ,,, the final episode of season two <3 this chapter was both the easiest and hardest one ive ever written. there are scenes in here that i put so much into, and im so proud of where everything landed. handling so many relationships and dynamics was so incredibly difficult, but i adore where they ended up. i hope you guys do, too :)

-

“Eleven,”

“Mike.”

The two kids embrace, Mike holding desperately onto El as if he’s afraid she’ll disappear again any second, and she’s holding onto him just as tightly as their tears mix together. 

You watch them with a hand over your heart, your own tears spilling over. You can’t believe this is real, that El is standing in Mike’s arms alive and real.

The way they cling to each other brings more tears to your eyes. It’s obvious to everyone how much they love one another. You think about the endless batches of brownies you baked for Mike, how many nights you spent in his basement standing watch, looking for any sign of grief, in case he needed you there to remind him that it’s okay to cry. 

“Is that…?” Max asks Lucas, and he nods. 

“She’s back.” You exhale, feeling Dustin’s fingers slip between yours. He knows how much you missed El, he’s spent just as many nights keeping watch over you, reminding you to cry as well. 

Mike pulls away, his eyes shining with tears. “I never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night for–”

“353 days.” El finishes for him, you’ve never heard so much emotion in her voice. “I heard.”

You think about the nights you found Mike huddled underneath the fort he once built for El in his basement, clutching the radio to his chest, passed out from exhaustion. You never mentioned it to the boy, knowing he’d simply deny and tell you it was nothing, but hearing El confirm what you already knew still hurts. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were there?” 

You look around the room now, wondering the same as Mike, and then your eyes land on Hopper. While everyone looks surprised or confused at El’s reappearance, Hopper’s face is one of resignation. 

Everything clicks. 

He knew.

Hopper sees that you’ve pieced it together and steps forward. “Because I wouldn’t let her.”

You step forward as well so that you’re next to Mike, knowing that this will only upset him more. “You knew.”

“What the hell is this?” The chief ignores you, now speaking only to El. “Where’ve you been?”

“Where have you been?” El’s eyes darken, but she immediately melts when Hopper pulls her into a hug. By watching their body language, you can tell that they love each other dearly, and distantly you remember hearing about the daughter Hopper once had. 

Though you’re angry he hid El from you, you’re thankful they found one another in the end. You’ve never seen Hopper so tender with someone, and El seems to feel safe within his embrace, far from the skittish girl you found in the woods last year. 

“You’ve been hiding her!” Lost in your thoughts, you momentarily forget about Mike, who launches himself at Hopper and punches the man’s chest. “You’ve been hiding her this whole time!”

Hopper flinches away. “Hey–”

“Mike,” you grab his shoulders, knowing his anger will only do more harm than good, but he struggles against you as he tries to continue hitting the man. “We can all talk about this–”

“Let’s talk,” Hopper grabs at Mike’s shirt, finally forcing the kid to stop. Then, looking directly at you, he adds. “Alone.”

You look at Mike, silently asking him what he needs from you. You know the two of them need to settle their differences, that he feels Hopper’s betrayal the deepest and you trust him to make his own choices. However, with one headshake from him, you would prevent Mike from being alone with Hopper in a heartbeat. 

Mike knows this, he doesn’t have to even have to ask what you mean when you gently nod your chin at him. Taking a deep breath, the boy sighs and nods at you, indicating that he’ll talk with the cop. 

You let go of Mike and gently push him towards Hopper. “He’s all yours, but try not to kill him, please? I unfortunately like the kid.”

Hopper doesn’t play into your words and promptly grabs the back of Mike’s hoodie and marches him towards Will’s room. The door closes behind them, leaving you to deal with El.

Her nose is bleeding and she looks upset having Mike taken from her, there’s an exhaustion behind her eyes that you’re all too familiar with. You wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into you. “C’mere, sweetheart.”

El leans into the kiss you press upon her cheek and closes her eyes, relishing in the tenderness after the night she’s had. “Missed you.”

“And I missed you.” You place another kiss on her head. “The hairstyle suits you, by the way.”

This seems to lighten the girl up a bit, who giggles and quietly thanks you as she wraps her arms fully around you now, securing you into a hug. You allow her all the time she needs to collect herself. 

When you hear Mike’s heartbroken screams at Hopper, calling him a liar, you squeeze your arms tighter around El. “They’ll be fine,” you promise her, feeling the need to reassure her of this, though hearing Mike’s screams breaks your heart.

You understand why Hopper hid El, it wasn’t safe for anyone to know about her being alive, but Mike spent the entire year grieving for her. He lost a year of his childhood mourning the loss of a close friend, of someone he loves, and it isn’t fair to expect him to accept this. 

El nods at your reassurance before you’re suddenly shoved away from her. 

“You’re hogging the former dead girl, Y/N!” Dustin exclaims as he engulfs El into a hug. 

Lucas flashes you an apologetic smile before hugging the girl as well, focusing his attention on her. “We missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She responds, squeezing both boys tight. 

“We talked about you pretty much every day.” Dustin pulls away before pointing at you. “Y/N usually just cried.”

You elbow your brother, causing him to wince. “You say that like I don’t normally cry over things.”

Dustin opens his mouth to argue, but suddenly El’s fingers are pinching at his lips as she pries his jaw open. Your brother looks at you in alarm, and you’re too stunned to do anything besides watch in bewilderment. 

“Teeth.” El finally says,

You giggle, while Dustin simply stares at her as if she’s insane. “What?”

“You have teeth.”

Dustin breaks into a smile. “Oh, you like these pearls?”

When he makes an obscure purring sound with his mouth, you scoff at your brother and roll your eyes alongside Lucas. “Please, never do that ever again.”

“Eleven?” Max now approaches with a warm smile on her face, the most open you’ve ever seen the girl, and extends her hand for El to shake. “Hey, um. I’m Max. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

El looks at you and tilts her head, which you assume means she’s unsure what to do, so you step in. “Max is a friend, sweetheart.”

She eyes Max’s hand, looks up at her again, before bypassing the girl completely and going straight into Joyce’s arms.

You frown, confused by El’s unusual dismissiveness, and look over at Max. Her head is ducked down, embarrassed, and you make a mental note to remind yourself later to ask El what happened. Max is a good girl, they deserve to be friends and you know they’d get along if given the chance.

Joyce cradles El’s head and greets her with tears, and the girl responds the same. After they’ve hugged, El pulls away, her tears now ones of worry. “Can I see him?”

Joyce’s eyes flash to you, and the two of you seem to realize the same thing: it’s no coincidence that El arrived when she did. You think about what Dustin and the kids deciphered in morse code, Will’s hidden message. 

Close the gate. 

El is the only person you know can do it. 

“Go take her to him,” you tell Joyce. “I’ll catch everyone else up.”

The woman nods, her eyes appreciative, before gently guiding El towards Will’s room. 

“I’m assuming I’m ‘everyone’.” Steve says as soon as Joyce and El have left. 

You laugh, finally rejoining his side. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Alright, catch me up then. Who was the girl and why does she have a bloody nose problem?”

“Her name is Eleven, or El. Besides the Demogorgon, and Demodogs, did we ever discuss El?”

Nancy speaks up from the corner, timid. “I, uh… Didn’t tell Steve a lot. We kinda just, we–we didn’t ever really–”

“I never let Nancy explain, and I was too afraid to ask.” Steve kindly saves Nancy, and something both you and Jonathan take note of. 

“Well,” you clap your hands, dispelling away any remaining tension for both your sake and the kids’ sakes. “El has these powers, she can make things move with her mind, and when she uses them she gets nose bleeds.”

Steve stares at you. “Okay…”

“Mhm. It’s just as insane as it sounds. Remember the whole Upside Down story Dustin and I told you about yesterday? Well, she can travel there and has a connection to it. With her mind. Somehow. I don’t actually know the logistics of it.”

“You’re doing great, bug.” Jonathan’s voice drips with sarcasm, but Dustin hits his chest to shut him up. 

“Thanks, Dustin. Anyways, El has these insane powers and she’s the sweetest, softest person I’ve ever met. We…” your voice trails off now, still getting used to the fact that she’s alive. “We thought we lost her last year, when she killed the Demogorgon and helped bring Will back.”

“But she’s alive.” Steve concludes. 

You nod, a natural smile spreading across your face. “She is.”

“If you say she’s the sweetest person you’ve ever met, then I definitely believe you.”

Steve’s words make you blush, the pure and honest way he says them, and both Dustin and Jonathan cringe. The two boys share a look, both for once on the same page in a long time, and make gagging motions. 

You see this and flick both of their heads. “I know where you both sleep.”

Both boys stick their tongue out at you, and for a moment everything feels normal. Jonathan and Dustin are teasing you, Jonathan’s eyes are lit up, and your brother is carefree again. 

Then Joyce returns to the living room with El and the mood becomes somber again. 

They stand over the kitchen table, El stares down at the piece of paper with the “close gate” on it, and Joyce asks the question you’ve all been wondering. “You opened this gate before, right?”

“Yes,” the girl responds as you and everyone else now join her and Joyce. 

“Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?”

El looks between you and Joyce, her gaze stony and resigned. You wonder what else she’s gone through to put such a void within her; like all the other kids, she no longer has a sweet naivety to her.

Then, slowly, El nods. 

– 

“It’s not like it was before. It’s grown. A lot.” Everyone stands in the kitchen, circling around Hopper as he explains exactly what the gate now is. “I mean, that’s considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs.”

You grab Dustin’s shirt and yank harshly at it. “Don’t you dare–”

“Demodogs.”

Hopper looks at him, sighing. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Please just ignore him.” You plead with the officer, knowing he’s already in a bitchy mood. 

Dustin doesn’t pick up on the anger, though. “I said, uh… Demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs.”

“Oh my god,” you groan, rubbing at your temples. You’ve heard this explanation of the word play a million times within the last twenty-four hours. If you have to hear Dustin explain what Demodog means one more time, you think you may murder the kid.

Dustin, unfortunately, continues. “You put them together… it sounds pretty badass–”

“How is this important right now?” Hopper snaps at the boy, which only makes you more annoyed. 

You put your hand up at the old man, closing your fingers together to mimic a mouth being shut. “One more aggressive comment to the thirteen year old and I will show you that Nancy isn’t the only one who can shoot a gun.”

“Uh, Y/N…” Jonathan nervously mumbles, unsure what Hopper’s reaction may be. 

However, the chief simply raises an eyebrow at you, stares you down for a few seconds, before finally seeming to decide that he’s impressed with your bold comment. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“I can do it.” El suddenly voices from the other end of the table.

“You’re not hearing me.” Hopper’s shoulders slump. You can tell by his now defeated stance that he has yet to win an argument against El, something that you’re incredibly proud of her for. 

“I’m hearing you. I can do it.”

“Even if El can, there’s still another problem.” Mike speaks up, looking around the table to ensure everyone is listening. “If the brain dies, the body dies.”

Max frowns. “I thought that was the whole point.”

“It is, but if we’re really right about this…”

“Will,” you breathe out quietly with dread, understanding where Mike is going with this.

Mike continues explaining. “I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer’s army–”

“Will’s a part of that army.” Lucas finishes as he looks over at you, now knowing why you’ve just exhaled the boy’s name with grief. 

“Closing the gate will kill him.” 

Jonathan tenses at Mike’s words, and you place your hand against the back of his neck in a grounding manner. You can feel his rapid heartbeat against your hand, even from this position, and you play with his hair to try and soothe him. 

He’s terrified of what may happen to his little brother, once again struck with pure terror that he could lose him. You’re not sure how many more times Jonathan can grieve his brother without losing a piece of himself.

Steve, standing on your other side, sees the way your fingers intertwine in Jonathan’s hair. The same way they did earlier with his own hair as you hugged him.

He frowns, looking away. 

Everyone else falls silent as well, Mike’s words hang in the air. Your gaze shifts to Joyce, who has a deep frown on her face, and before you ask her what she’s thinking, she stands up from the table. “Follow me.”

No one says anything as you all follow the woman to Jonathan’s room, where Will lays motionless on top of the bed you’ve slept in for years. His body is stiff, the hospital gown swallows him, and the sight disturbs you. 

You walk over to the boy and kneel next to the bed. It’s in your nature to take care of Will, you do this without even thinking about it. Stroking his forehead, you place a kiss against it as you watch his mom in the doorway.

“He likes it cold.” Joyce mumbles, eying the open window in the room. 

“What?” Asks Hopper, standing behind the woman. 

Joyce looks over at her son now. “It’s what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold.” Then, as her voice grows stronger, she walks over to the window and slams it shut. “We keep giving it what it wants.”

Nancy and Jonathan walk over to you now, the girl remains standing while Jonathan kneels down next to you. The two of you take turns caressing Will’s forehead as Nancy starts to speak. “If this thing is a virus, and Will’s the host, then…”

“Then we need to make the host uninhabitable.” 

You turn to Jonathan, not at all liking what he’s saying. “What does that even mean? He’s a kid, how do you make a child’s body uninhabitable?”

“He likes it cold.” Nancy says, as if that explains everything. 

“But–”

Joyce clenches her jaw and spits out, “We need to burn it out of him.”

Everything about what Joyce has said makes your stomach twist. You look down at Will’s body, at how small he still is despite a year of trying to get him to recover, and his pale skin is almost translucent in the bedroom’s lighting. 

You hate everything about what’s happening, but you hate the way Will looks lifeless even more. 

If making his body uninhabitable can save him, then you have to try; you’ll simply be there to pick up the pieces when it’s done, as you always are. 

The kids begin planning now.

“We have to do it somewhere he doesn’t know this time.” Mike says. 

“Yeah, somewhere far away.” Dustin adds on. 

“Last I checked, none of us have a hidden hut in the woods.” You say, at a loss for where else to possibly take Will. Then, Hopper clears his throat and shifts his weight. “Oh, no fucking way. You would have a hidden hut in the woods.”

“It’s a cabin.” Hopper corrects with annoyance, though there’s a slight glint in his eye as he looks at you. “Joyce and Jonathan will take Will there.”

“Well, go show them the cabin, then.”

Jonathan grabs your hand. “You’re not coming with?”

As if there’s a string tugging at the back of your head, you turn around and catch Steve’s eye. He’s standing in the doorway, eyes alert yet sad, and you know with everything within you that you can’t leave him behind. 

Not when he was shaking in your arms only twenty minutes prior. 

Steve doesn’t want to be alone, especially not when you’d be leaving him behind with Nancy after it’s become clear that she’s with Jonathan now. 

Now, as Jonathan’s open and expecting eyes stare into yours, you do something you’ve never done before. Something you’ve needed to do ever since you were twelve and grabbed the boy’s hand on the Wheeler’s porch that fateful night.

You let go of Jonathan. 

“I can’t,” you tell him, the words of denial feeling foreign on your tongue. You’ve never told him no before, never left him behind, but saying the words isn’t as difficult as you once feared. “I’ll stay with the kids, I’m better with them anyways.”

Jonathan watches you, his eyes trace over your face again and again as if drinking it in for the very last time. When he seems to find what he’s looking for, he takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah, okay.”

His understanding of everything you don’t say almost makes you take it all back, but you don’t. Instead, you squeeze his hand and nod towards Nancy. “Why don’t you take Nance?”

Something shifts when you say this, you know Jonathan feels it as well. There’s an ease within the shift, almost akin to a soft exhale in December’s cold. It parts you with a gentle farewell, strokes your cheek as it departs, and you can faintly see its outline as it floats away. 

A thread, one that has tugged within your chest in a painful ache since last year, finally loosens. 

Nancy looks at you, her eyes wide. “Me?”

“Mhm,” you nod at the girl, a kind smile on your face. 

It’s a monumental shift, you’re willingly encouraging Nancy to be next to Jonathan’s side rather than you. It’s an exchange of powers, trusting her to take care of the boy you love so dearly. 

For once, it doesn’t feel like you’re tearing off a piece of yourself. Instead, you’re simply sharing the weight of it, of this trust, rather than losing it.

“I… I think I’ll stay here.” Nancy finally says, looking away in shame.

You don’t blame her, you know she carries a weight of guilt within her for things she couldn’t control. There’s a lot you want to say to her, a lot you have to say to her, but for now you simply nod at her, understanding. “Then I’m happy you’re here.”

And you mean it.

Steve, still quietly standing in the doorway, sees everything. He felt the shift, too.

– 

“You should go with him.” Steve picks up a spare heater, he and Nancy have been sent outside to retrieve whatever they could find from the Byers’ yard. 

The shift weighs heavily upon him. Your words ring in his ears. 

Nancy spares Steve a glance. “What?”

“With Jonathan.” He bends down to dig through some old Christmas lights, and seeing them reminds him of you. Everything reminds him of you. “Y/N’s right. You should go with him.”

“No, I–” Nancy scoffs, uncomfortable. “I’m not just gonna leave Mike.”

Steve thinks about you, about how you’re always the one who stays. “No one’s leaving anyone.” He walks over to Nancy and helps her with a radiator she’s struggling with. “I may be a shitty boyfriend, but… I realized I’m actually a pretty damn good friend and babysitter.”

Though he never says your name, Nancy can feel it hang over the two of them. The unspoken confession that it’s because of you that Steve now accepts what has happened between them. It strikes her then, how different he is now. How differently you and the girl came to know Steve.

Nancy stares at him, her eyes are filled with more remorse than he’s ever seen from the girl. It hurts, seeing her so upset, and he wishes that things could’ve been different. He recognizes now that they didn’t stand a chance, though he’s happy they tried anyways. It was always going to end like this between them.

Steve doesn’t hold any anger towards her, he doesn’t hate her, because he still loves her. 

How could you possibly fault the person you love for finding their own love?

“Steve…” His name comes through as an apology.

“It’s okay, Nance.” Steve means it, he gives her the same blessing that you did. She’s allowed to be happy, you both want her to be happy, and you have each other to lean on now. “Y/N and I will be okay.”

He leaves Nancy standing there.

– 

You’re waiting to say goodbye to El, standing patiently behind Mike as the two of them make promises about coming back. It’s sweet, watching them, until they slowly start to lean in for what you fear is a kiss, so you intervene. 

“Hate to ruin the moment, but I’d like to say goodbye to El, too.”

Mike glares at you. “Couldn’t wait five seconds?”

“A five second kiss is shameful, Wheeler.”

El giggles softly and pulls you into a hug. “I will be careful.”

You kiss her cheek. “Come back this time, okay?”

“I will.” 

Hopper calls the girl over to get in the car so they can leave, and you quickly run over to Jonathan’s car before he can get in. 

When he sees you approaching, he extends his arms out and pulls you in as he always does. No words are needed, he simply holds you so that you’re chest to chest and he can feel every breath you take. “I’ll come home to you.”

You bury your face in his neck, inhale the scent you’ve come to associate with your childhood and warm, sunny days. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

The words ease between the two of you, finally warm after months of being cold. 

Nancy then appears, and when you notice her you break away from Jonathan. “I see you’re joining?”

“I am.” She nods. “Seems I have you to thank.”

You smile and grab her hand. Your grip is firm, but sincere. “Don’t make me regret it, okay?”

Your words are teasing, but Nancy senses the undertones of a warning. Jonathan is your best friend, she has always known this, and she knows how much weight has gone into your trust for her. Nancy understands that you’re giving her something precious to you, and she will forever be indebted for it. 

“I won’t.” She promises. “And good luck with Steve and the kids.”

“Oh, I’ll need it.” You laugh, and any remaining tension that has hung over you and Nancy finally disappears. 

Once Jonathan and Nancy get into the car, you stand on the porch with Steve and everyone else as you watch the cars drive away. 

– 

 You poke around the Byers’ kitchen for some food; your stomach has been rumbling for hours and you’re sure the kids are hungry, too. However, like usual, you come up with nothing. As you dig through a cabinet, Dustin walks into the kitchen and starts clearing out the fridge. 

“What are you doing?” You ask, knowing that this can’t be for anything good. 

Dustin doesn’t answer, continuing to carelessly throw racks of food onto the floor.

“Hey, stop!” As you walk over, Steve suddenly comes rushing in, holding a very dead, and very disgusting, Demodog. 

“Is this really necessary?”

“Absolutely not.” 

Dustin groans at you. “C’mon, Y/N! This is absolutely necessary, it’s a groundbreaking scientific discovery.”

“It is a dead creature, from an alternate universe–” 

“We can’t just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog–”

“Oh, so now it’s not a dog after you’ve stated a million times that it’s a Demodog–”

Steve steps in between you and Dustin. “Alright, alright, enough!” He begins to shove the Demodog into the fridge before you can stop him. “But Dustin, you’re explaining this to Mrs. Byers, alright?”

“You both are idiots,” you mumble, watching as Steve and Dustin pathetically try to make the giant Demodog fit into the fridge. “I’m leaving.”

You’re seriously starting to regret their friendship. 

However, you know when to pick your battles, and as you watch the two boys try to maneuver the body into the fridge, you know that this is not a cause worth fighting for. 

Instead, you exit the kitchen and instruct the rest of the kids to start cleaning the house. It’s a mess, glass shattered everywhere from the dead Demodog and papers thrown haphazardly around during the morse decoding. 

The mess will only add more unneeded stress to Joyce’s life, so as Lucas and Max groan at you for making them do work, you stand your ground and shove a broom into their hands. 

“You suck, you know.” Lucas grumbles, but Max hits his shoulder and holds the dust pan as he sweeps.

As they get to work on the shattered glass, you figure it’s best that you call your mom before you forget again. You know she’s probably worried sick about you and Dustin for disappearing so suddenly without a word. 

However, when you walk over to the wall where the phone normally is, it’s gone. 

“Hey, uh. Where did the phone go?” You ask Dustin, who has finally left the kitchen. “I need to call mom.”

“Oh, Nancy threw it when it rang. She went kinda berserk.”

You look towards where Dustin is pointing and see the phone, in fact disconnected, on the ground across the room. The sight makes you snort. “Guess she really likes throwing phones, huh?”

Your brother doesn’t understand the joke. “What?”

“Nevermind,” you shake your head. There’s no use explaining to the boy about a quick, five second moment from last year. Nancy had done the exact same thing when Steve had tried to call the cops when the Demogorgon originally attacked you. 

Dustin mumbles something about your blood loss making you delusional, but you ignore him and begin sweeping the hallway. You order him to help, and soon the two of you are cleaning the Byers’ home. 

You’ve just finished sweeping when you notice Mike pacing around the room. He’s anxious, that much is obvious, and whenever he begins to pace: trouble soon follows. He’s brewing up a plan, you can feel it. 

After the fifth time the boy has paced the room, Lucas has finally had enough. “Mike, would you just stop already?”

“You weren’t in there, okay Lucas?” Mike stops pacing. “That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs.”

“Demodogs–oomph!” Dustin corrects, only to be cut off by your hand clamping over his mouth. 

“Say it again, I dare you.” You warn him before turning towards Mike. “Look, I know it’s nerve wracking, but all we can do right now is trust El’s abilities and wait.”

Lucas nods. “Yeah, the chief will also take care of her.”

“Like she needs protection.” Max quips from the floor, dustpan still in hand.

You feel a hand place itself on the small of your back. The weight of the palm is starting to become familiar to you, the length of the fingers and the way they splay across the span of your back are slowly becoming recognizable. 

Without turning, you know that Steve has joined you. 

“Listen, dude,” he says in a placating voice to Mike. “A coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?”

You wince. While you’re impressed that Steve is trying to intervene and reason with Mike, you know immediately that his approach will fail. Trying to reason with the kid using a sport analogy is like trying to explain magic to a mathematician. 

“Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game.” Mike rolls his eyes, which you expected. “And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

“Right! So–so my point… My point is…” Steve stumbles over his words and Mike’s unwavering insistence. When he can’t think of a better response, he lets out a defeated sigh. “Yeah, we’re on the bench, so–uh, there’s nothing we can do.”

You pity Steve, honestly. It takes years of careful analyzing and strategic planning in order to prepare yourself for an argument against Mike Wheeler. 

Patting his shoulder, step in to help. “What I’m sure Steve means is that while we may be benched, that doesn’t mean we can’t keep the homefront secure.”

“That’s not how sports work, Y/N.” Steve whispers obscenely loud, but quickly shuts up when you glare at him.

“Stupid sports analogy aside, there’s nothing we can do besides keep watch here and wait for everyone to return.” Even though you know you’re saying the right thing, that it’s best you follow Hopper’s order of staying put, even you don’t believe the words you’re saying. “We may not be able to help right now, but later, I promise we will be the best damn homefront ever.”

Dustin clears his throat. “That’s not entirely true.”

You turn to him and a sigh escapes you when you see the plan already forming behind his eyes. “I can’t argue with you, can I?”

“Nope.”

“Great, go on then. Share with the class what you’re thinking.”

“I mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind.” Dustin begins. “When they ran away from the bus, they were called away.”

Lucas thinks about this. “So if we get their attention…”  

“Maybe we can draw them away from the lab.” Max concludes, and you take a second to marvel at how seamlessly she’s integrated herself into the party.

However, you then remember what Lucas said. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘get their attention’? Why do those words scare me so much?”

Mike talks over you. “We can clear a path to the gate.”

You have a multitude of questions and Steve seems to be thinking exactly what you are when he loudly exclaims, “Yeah, and then we all die!”

“That’s one point of view.”

“Dustin, that’s quite literally the only way to look at it.” You flick his hat and he swats your hand away.

Steve points at you, nodding in agreement. “That’s a fact.”

“Thanks, Steve–” Mike’s body slams into yours as he runs past you. “Christ, Wheeler!”

“I got it!” The boy shrieks, running out of the room as he wordlessly instructs everyone to follow. He kneels in front of the fridge and points wildly at one of the pictures Will has drawn. “This is where the chief dug his hole, this is our way into the tunnel.”

“Into? What do you mean into?”

Mike shoves past you again and runs into the living room. “Here, right here.” He stands in the middle, where all the pictures have interlocked together to form a center. “This is like a hub. So, you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire…”

“Fire?” You shriek as Steve quickly follows with, “Oh, yeah that’s a no!”

Dustin, however, is on board with what Mike is planning. “The mind flayer would call away his army.”

“They’d all come to stop us!” Lucas waves his arms madly at you, as if saying this will get you to agree to the plan that’s forming.

You throw your hands up in surrender. “Look, I recognize that we could maybe do something–”

“Hey!” Steve looks astonished that you’re even considering this. 

“I mean, if we can help then I don’t see why we can’t just–”

Mike shakes your arm now, deciding that your hesitation is an agreement. “We then can circle back to the exit! By the time they realize we’re gone–”

“El would be at the gate!” Max now also is looking at you. “C’mon, Y/N. You have to admit that it’s a solid plan.”

You bite your lip. It is. That’s the problem with the Wheelers. They come up with these insanely dangerous and insane plans, yet they’re also always brilliant. You know it’s risky, Hopper could barely even explain the tunnels to you without shaking in fear, but… Who’s to say that the Demodogs won’t simply go after Will and Jonathan at the cabin? Or kill Hopper and El before they even reach the lab.

It’s obvious you can’t just sit here and wait. 

El has to close the gate, that much is certain, and because of this: you have to help her. You have to help everyone, keep them safe. 

“It’s a solid plan,” you finally breathe out, and all the kids start to cheer.

“I knew you were my favorite sister!”

“Dustin, I’m your only sister–”

“Hey! Hey–” Steve pushes himself in between you and the kids, clapping his hands to break up any further conversations. “Hey! This is not happening.”

Mike tries to argue, “But–”

“No, no, no!” Steve places his hands on his hips like a disgruntled father. “No buts. I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

You don’t like the way Steve is speaking to the kids, commanding them as if he’s their parent. “Hey, no. We aren’t doing that.”

“Doing what?” He looks at you, eyes wide as he quickly gathers that he’s upset you. The fight in his voice is gone, replaced with quiet guilt.

“We don’t ever command the kids, not like that, anyways.” You step away from them and pull Steve aside with you to give the two of you some privacy. “Look, I know you promised Nance you’d take care of them, but I also promised Jonathan. We have to help, Steve.”

His face twists with confliction, and the two of you are caught between what Nancy wants and what Jonathan wants. They both want the kids to be safe, but they have different viewpoints of how they expect you and Steve to do so.

Nancy wants to keep her brother out of it, Jonathan wants to save his brother’s life. 

“Y/N…” Steve breathes out, begging you to change your mind. 

The confliction on his face hurts to look at, you hate that you’ve made him feel this way, but you can only shake your head at him. “I’m sorry, but we’re doing this.”

“Yes!” Mike rushes over to you and surprises you with a hug. “This is why I keep you around!”

“Okay, no.” You push the kid away and hold him by the shoulders to ensure he listens to you. “That doesn’t mean I think we should all go down into the tunnels. I’ll go, and Steve will stay here with you guys–”

“What? No! You’re not going down there by yourself, Y/N.” Steve doesn’t understand how you would expect him to ever let you do that. “We’re all on the bench, okay? We’re waiting for the starting team to do their job.”

“This isn’t a stupid sports game.” Mike groans in annoyance before focusing his attention back to you. “And no one in the party gets left behind. If you go, we all go.”

The sincerity in Mike’s voice warms you. He’s defending you, protecting you how you’ve always protected him, and you’ve never been more impressed with his bravery; it’s because of this, his bravery and admiration for you, that you know you have to go into the tunnels alone. 

It would kill you if Mike got hurt, if any of the kids got hurt. 

Steve sees the way your eyes shine at Mike’s words and his stomach twists. He knows he can’t change your mind about going alone, he knows you’d never, ever let anyone get hurt. That you’d lay down your life for these kids and those you love. 

The bloodied cloth wrapped around your rib cage reminds Steve that he’s a part of it all now. You have laid down your life for him.

And he’s never, ever going to let you get hurt because of him again. 

Steve steps forward and gently grabs your arm, he needs you to understand how much your selflessness terrifies him in this moment. “Y/N–”

The revving of an engine cuts him off. 

It’s a familiar sound. You’ve heard this car before. The sound of it has seared itself into your memories. The hair on your arms stands up, and within seconds Max is at the window, looking out in fear. 

“It’s my brother.” Max’s voice is terrified. Not even in the junkyard, when Demodogs had been raining down on you and the kids, had you heard such terror in the girl’s voice. “He can’t know I’m here.”

You’re at her side in a heartbeat, tugging her away from the window. You’ve seen the way Billy acts around Max, you remember the harshness he displayed in the parking lot. The same harshness that left bruises on your waist when he had you pinned against the wall on Halloween. “I won’t let him touch you.”

Your words have a bite to them. Max hears the oath within them, she has never believed anyone when they’ve told her this. “He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.”

“He won’t.” You promise her, trying to control the pure rage you feel because of her brother. He can do whatever the fuck he wants with you, but he’s hurt Max for the last time. 

Steve watches your exchange with Max and feels his hands clench into fists. Anger fizzes through his body. As you console the girl, your eyes meet his and he nods. With one simple head movement, the two of you have silently agreed to do whatever it takes to ensure that Billy never hurts Max ever again. 

–

“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?”

You’re standing behind Steve. 

Billy hasn’t seen you yet. 

“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.” Steve’s hand tightens around your arm as he guides you further behind him. He doesn’t like that you’re here with him. He hates the way Billy’s eyes roam over your body without any shame. 

But you insisted on coming outside, and Steve has never been able to tell you no. 

You step out from behind Steve and force your hands to rest by your side in nonchalance. “God, I was hoping you’d be allergic to milk.”

Billy raises his eyebrows when he sees you; you’ve surprised him. “Why, it’s always a pleasure seeing you, sweetheart.”

Steve’s clenched fists only tighten when he hears Billy’s nickname for you. He hates the implications behind it, the way he says it with such sickly sweetness that leaves Steve’s stomach feeling raw. 

He can’t imagine how you feel whenever you hear it, and it only makes Steve hate Billy more. 

“It’s never a pleasure for me.” You cross your arms as Billy now stands in front of you and Steve.

The teen laughs darkly and eyes Steve up and down. “What are you doing here, amigo?”

“I could ask you the same thing… Amigo.” His voice carries an air of indifference, but you know that tomorrow there will be indentations in Steve’s palms from his fingernails. 

“Looking for my stepsister.” Billy lights a cigarette and smirks at you. “A little birdie told me she was here.”

“Huh, that’s weird. I don’t know her.”

Billy smirks at Steve’s words and motions over to you. “Yeah, but this little lady does.”

“Max isn’t here.” You say, forcing your anger down to play along with Steve’s indifference. “Have you checked the quarry? A lot of kids like to hang out there.”

Smoke surrounds you as Billy responds, “Don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Henderson.”

With every dodged question, you’re only angering the teen more. If you and Steve keep this up, you’ll only make everything harder to manage. You try to think of something to distract Billy, but all you know about him is that he’s a sleazy pig with a cigarette addiction. 

Then, it hits you. 

His weird fascination with you. 

If you use it against him, maybe you can get him away from the Byers’ house long enough for Steve and the kids to leave. 

You step closer to Billy, ignoring every part of you that screams in rejection. You’re covered in blood and your hair is probably a mess, but you bat your eyelashes anyways and quirk your head up at Billy with an innocent smile. “I could show you, if you want.”

Just as you hoped, your sudden interest in him catches Billy’s attention. He presses his chest against yours and looks down at you, a pleased smile on his face. “And what would you be showing me, sweetheart?”

“The quarry, silly.” You giggle, trying not to gag at the reek of cigarette smoke. “It’s secluded… No one really goes down there. It’s, well–this is embarrassing.”

You duck your head down and act as if you’re blushing. Billy takes the bait and uses his fingers to lift your head up to look at him again. “Go on, tell me.”

You make a show of biting your lip. “Well, it’s where every teen in Hawkins goes to… Be alone.”

Billy’s eyes darken again, even more interested in what you have to say. He leans down, his lips inches from yours, and you know you have him right where you want him. 

Please, you think. I just want to protect the kids.

His breath fans across your face and he’s about to agree, to have you lead him away and forget all about his bitch of a sister, when Steve roughly pushes him away from you. 

“Max isn’t here, man.” He spits out, his once controlled anger now spilling over the edge. 

You want to scream at him, you almost had Billy. He was seconds away from agreeing, and the stupid idiot pushes him away from you? 

Billy looks between you and Steve and lets out a low chuckle. “Sorry, Harrington. Forgot that she’s yours.”

Steve moves as if to hit him but you quickly grab at his jacket, stopping him. Billy sees this and laughs again. 

“You know, I don’t know… This whole situation, Harrington.” He shrugs, exhales more smoke. “I don’t know. It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” 

You’re silent, hand still clutching Steve’s jacket. 

Billy exhales more smoke. “My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you in a stranger’s house, alongside Y/N Henderson, the town’s darling, all bloodied and bruised. And you lie to me about it.”

From an outsider’s perspective, you hate how much Billy makes sense. 

To anyone else, this would look incredibly incriminating against Steve.

Yet, Steve still tries to deny it all. “Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?”

“I’m assuming he was.” You voice, looking nervously at Billy as he seems to grow more and more volatile. 

“I don’t know what you don’t understand about what Y/N and I have told you. Max isn’t here.”

Billy leans in close to Steve and points with his cigarette towards the house. “Then who is that?”

You and Steve turn, and your heart drops when you see Max and the boys all quickly duck their heads out of the window.

“Shit,” you breathe out, knowing it’s over.

You really hate those kids sometimes.

“Listen,” Steve tries to make up some excuse, but Billy roughly shoves him to the ground.

“I told you to plant your feet.” Bully sneers as he looms over him. You try to help Steve up, but you’re pushed aside as Billy then stomps on Steve’s ankle with a sickening crunch that makes your own wounded ankle sting.

As he storms towards the house, you quickly help Steve up, He pushes you away. “I’ll be fine, go help the kids!”

“But–”

You can’t just leave Steve while he’s hurt, but every time you try to help him up, he bats your hand away.

“Go!”

From inside the house, you hear the kids start to scream, and you reluctantly leave Steve behind and run inside. When you enter, Billy already has Lucas pinned against the wall as all the kids scream at him to let the boy go. Lucas is hitting at the teen’s chest desperately, but nothing is working. 

“Stay away from her.” Billy spits in the boy’s face, who is paralyzed with fear.

“Lucas!” You all but throw yourself onto Billy’s back as you begin hitting and pulling his hair. Anything you can think of, you try, but it’s no use. With Billy’s size and build, you’re nothing but a fucking bug to him. 

“I said get off of me!” Lucas kneels Billy in the groin, sending you and the teen flying back, but at least he’s let go of Lucas. 

You let go of Billy and place yourself between him and the boy, your breath comes out ragged. You don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing. All your mind can think of right now is protecting the kids, but in the midst of screaming and exhaustion and blood loss, you can’t think of anything. 

Billy tries to get to Lucas again, his teeth bared with fury. “You’re so dead, Sinclair. So dead!” 

In your exhaustion and fear, you call out for the only person you can think of. “Steve!”

He’s at your side in a heartbeat, quickly looking at you to make sure you’re okay, before he flings Billy away from you and Lucas. “No, you are!”

Steve’s punch lands perfectly, with a precision far from his pathetic punches thrown last year against Jonathan. It’s incredibly hot.

Billy begins to laugh in a manic manner that frightens you, but all of his attention is now on Steve, so you use this opportunity to drag Lucas over to the rest of the kids and make sure everyone is okay. 

You trust that Steve has everything else handled, but you make sure to keep an eye on him anyways while you take care of the kids. 

“Are you okay?” You check Lucas over for any injuries, who numbly nods as he’s still in shock, while Billy screams something about always wanting to meet King Steve. 

“Get out.” Despite Steve’s leveled voice, his tone is vicious. 

Billy swings again, but Steve manages to duck just in time before he lands yet another punch to the boy’s face. 

“Yes!” Dustin shouts with glee, but you remember the fight from last year. How Steve had lost miserably against Jonathan. A boy half of Billy’s size. 

While you’re impressed with Steve’s fighting improvement, you’re not sure how longer he’ll be able to keep this up. When more punches land on Billy and all he does is laugh menacingly, you know you don’t have a lot of time left.

You’re fucking terrified. 

The kids are still cheering Steve on when you turn to them, panicked. “You guys need to leave. Now.”

“What? But Steve’s winning!” Dustin says as Steve’s fist connects with Billy’s jaw. 

The sound makes you feel sick. 

You’re pleading now, terror clawing at your throat as you do so; your words slur together. “Leave, sneak out, and–and go through the front door and hide. Get help, okay? Just, go and find someone while Steve and I handle this–”

The sound of glass breaking against Steve’s head alerts you that your time is up. 

Billy hadn't been fighting back before. But now? He’s angrier than you’ve ever seen him. 

As Steve stumbles back in pain, you try pleading with the kids again. You don’t want them to see any more of this, of what might be about to happen. This isn’t just some fight between two teen boys. You know Billy better than that. 

He’s out for fucking blood. 

“Dustin, take everyone outside now!”

“We can’t just leave you!” Mike shouts and the others all nod. 

You want to cry. “We don’t have time for this, just–”

“Shit!” Dustin knocks against you as he dodges a punch meant for Steve. 

Steve crashes into the Byers’ bookshelf and you’re practically shoving the kids out of the door so that you can go and help, but they refuse to leave you and Steve behind. 

Billy has Steve by his jacket. “No one tells me what to do.”

With a sickening thud, he bashes his head into Steve’s and sends him flying to the ground. 

“Steve!” There’s blood pooling from his head and you’re gripped by fear so intense that you’re afraid you’ll pass out any second. 

Billy is relentless, now standing over Steve as he lands punch after punch. Every time his fists slam against Steve’s face, you feel them land against yours as well. Billy’s screaming like a fucking maniac and none of the kids are listening to you and Steve is getting bloodier by the second.

You’re torn. 

Dustin and the kids are staring at you, eyes wide with fear, and the front door is open; you could take the kids and run, but Steve is lying motionless on the ground.

It’s either him or the kids.

And yet it’s the easiest decision you’ve made all night.

“Get off of him!” You throw yourself onto Billy’s back for the second time tonight. 

You yank at his hair and try to scratch his face, but within seconds Billy throws you over his shoulder. “You demented bitch.”

Your head catches on the edge of a coffee table and you land with a thud on the ground. Almost immediately you feel blood drip from your eyebrow and you groan. Fuck. Definitely another concussion, but when you look over at Steve, he looks worse than you feel, and you force yourself to get up. 

Billy watches as you pathetically try to stand, and he laughs with cruelty. “What, want some more, sweetheart?”

More blood drips down your face and you feel the scratches on your rib cage re-open. Every bone in your body aches, but you pull out your switchblade and extend its knives. Your fingers skim over the engraving on its handle, reminding you to use the weapon with love. 

“This is your last chance.” You clutch at your side, hoping you look more intimidating than you feel. “Leave my family alone.”

Billy sees your knives and laughs at you. “Am I expected to believe that you’d actually hurt me?”

Your grip tightens around your switchblade. No one ever believes that you could be so cruel, so vicious. Billy is looking at you as if you’re some pathetic little girl, as if you haven’t killed Demodogs and Demogorgons. He’s looking at you as if you aren’t the sole reason everyone you know and love is alive.

You were once told to use the switchblade with love, that there was never any room for love when it came to violence. 

Now, as the kids are screaming at you to run and the pool of blood around Steve continues to grow, the onslaught of love that is always within you overtakes the fear. 

“I warned you.” With one quick movement, you swat at Billy and cut deeply into his shoulder.

He lets out an enraged scream and instinctively his fist goes flying. Pain erupts in your left eye and you know that you’ll have the worst time ever trying to explain to your mom later how you got a black eye. 

“Fuck!” You groan, dodging every other punch that Billy throws your way as he starts to approach you. With one eye quickly swelling up and the other blinded by blood, you do your best to stumble away from Billy, but it’s no use. 

Your foot catches on the carpet and almost as quickly as you fall, Billy is right there to wrap his hands around your throat and squeeze. You inhale sharply and panic overtakes you as you claw at his hands, drawing blood from him as well, but his fingers only tighten. 

“Y/N!” Dustin’s vocal chords strain from how loud he screams your name.

Billy seems to get a kick out of hearing your brother plead for your life, and he squeezes even tighter as you flail. “Not so tough now, are you?”

You struggle to free yourself, to do anything, but you can’t. 

For the first time since Will went missing, you truly believe that you’re about to die.

Steve is practically dead on the ground below you, he’s bleeding so much from his head that you’re terrified he’ll never wake up, and the kids are defenseless as they scream with tears in their eyes. 

Your baby brother is about to watch you die. 

Spots begin to form in your vision and it’s getting harder and harder to move your limbs. To make them do as you command. 

You know it’s your brain shutting down from the lack of oxygen. 

I hope Jonathan doesn’t blame himself.

Your world fades to black. 

Billy screams.

And you feel your body drop to the ground.

– 

The first time you wake up, it’s to Dustin huffing as he tugs at your arm. “God, you’re heavier than you look.”

You promptly pass back out. 

The second time, it’s dark outside and you register that you’re cold, but your eyes sting and you’re out again.

You wake up a few more times, always in a daze, and never more for a few seconds at a time, before the feeling that you’re moving wakes you up for good. 

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the dark, your left eye barely even opens, and the pounding in your head is blinding in itself. Blinking a few times, you look down and finally notice that Steve is sprawled on your lap. You’re in the backseat of someone’s car. 

Your head is resting against someone’s shoulder. When you try to lift it to see who it is, you feel someone gently guide your head back down. “Shh, it’s okay. Don’t move too fast, alright? Don’t want you yacking on us.”

“Dustin?” You immediately regret trying to speak. Your voice comes out hoarse and raw and the pain is so intense that it only makes your head pound more.

“Right here, sis. Try not to speak, you sound like a frog.”

You try to sit up again, forgetting that Steve is sprawled on top of you, and your movements cause him to wake up. When his eyes manage to blink open, he tilts his head at you and mumbles, “Nancy?”

“Wha–” Again your voice cracks and you feel so delirious. Are you Nancy?

Steve attempts to wipe away the blood on his face but Dustin stops him with a gentle chiding. “No, don’t touch it.”

Steve brings a shaky hand up to your face and carefully rests it against your cheek. “You’re… You’re bleeding.”

Dustin puts the hand down. “Hey, buddy. Y/N is bleeding, good job. You’re bleeding, too. It’s okay though, you put up a good fight. I mean, he kicked your ass but you put up a good fight.”

Your brother’s words ring in your ears. He’s saying so much and you’re trying to swallow down the vomit that threatens to spill out. 

“Okay, you’re gonna keep straight for half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.” A voice rings out, one different from Dustin’s. 

Was that Lucas?

“What’s going on?” Steve slurs, trying to process everything happening. He blearily looks back up at you. “Who’s driving?”

“Not me,” you manage to croak out.

A beat of silence passes. 

Then, at the same time, you and Steve realize: Max is the one driving. 

You’re more awake now and you try to say more, but your throat has swollen shut from speaking and it feels like it’s on fire. 

Thankfully, Steve is here to say everything you can’t. “Oh my god!”

“Just relax, she’s driven before.” Dustin reassures, slapping your hand away when you try to reach over to the driver’s side. 

“Yeah, in a parking lot.” Mike says, and you notice he’s also here now. 

“That counts.”

You want to scream at Max to pull over and demand the keys from her, but your bruised throat prevents you while your bleeding rib cage traps you in. While you can’t say anything, all Steve can say is, “Oh my god.”

“They were gonna leave you guys behind–”

“Oh my god.”

“But I promised that you’d be cool, okay?” Again Dustin slaps your hand away and all but shoves his leg over you so that you remain seated. 

Max then presses down on the gas pedal and the car increases its speed, which only makes the entire situation worse. 

Steve, rightfully, freaks out. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s going on? Stop the car, slow down!”

You twist in your seat and blindly grab at Steve’s hand, both thanking him for voicing all that you can’t and also to try and prevent the poor boy from passing out again. 

“I told you he’d freak out! At least Y/N shut up!” Mike shouts over at Dustin. 

While you’re flattered that you’re officially cooler than Steve in Mike’s eyes, if you had a functioning throat right now, you’d be letting out some very choice words. 

“Stop the car!” Steve screams again, but the little rainbow bandaids on his cheek take away from his commanding nature. 

You hope that Dustin at least chose some pretty bandaids for your face. 

“Everybody shut up! I’m trying to focus!” Again, Max doesn’t at all help the situation at hand. 

“Wait, that’s Mount Sinai. Make a left!” Lucas points to where Max needs to go and you wonder why they trusted the girl, who just moved to Hawkins a week ago, to know where to go. 

“What?”

“Make a left!” Lucas screams, and Max quickly yanks the car to the left.

You, Steve, and the kids all scream as she hits what you hope is a mailbox. As the car jerks, you topple onto Steve and let out a painful, weird mix of a croak and shriek as the car continues to turn. Dustin tries to steady himself against you as he screams and Steve fully grabs your waist and uses you to shield himself from danger.

What a hero. 

Then, you almost go flying out of the windshield as Max suddenly stops the car. 

“Hello!” Steve exclaims, gripping you tightly still. 

Dustin giggles. “Whoa!”

“Incredible,” Mike breathes out. 

Meanwhile, you think your heart fell out of your ass about five blocks ago. 

“I told you. Zoomer.” Max smirks with pride. 

“She terrifies me,” you whisper, and Steve nods in agreement. 

The kids begin getting out of the car and seem to have some unspoken plan being set into motion. Dustin pats your shoulder before leaving you behind with Steve as the others go towards the trunk. 

Not knowing what the fuck is happening, you kick Steve so that he falls off of you and onto the grass so that you can follow after your brother. When you get out the car, you march over towards where all the kids are standing and silently demand an explanation. 

Mike notices you first. “What? Cat got your tongue?”

You refrain from shoving his face in the mud and point towards the goggles he’s holding. He sighs and hands it to you while Dustin ties a bandana around your neck and Max grabs a gallon of gasoline. 

Seems like they’re sticking to the plan from earlier, then.

When Steve realizes this, as he is gripping onto the car for dear life, he whines. “Oh, no. Guys.”

Everyone ignores him and he continues to try to stop what’s happening. You hobble over to him, a new wave of nausea and pain washing over you, and lean against him helplessly. There’s no use trying to explain to him that the party won’t listen. For now, you simply relish in his presence and enjoy how he feels against you. 

“We are not going down there right now!” Steve, though gentle to not jostle you around too much, waves his hands in the air as he screams at Max. “I made myself clear. There is no chance we’re going to that hole, alright?”

Similar to last year, Steve begins to spiral in his fear. He wraps his arms around you and places you against the car before he runs over to Dustin and throws that backpack that’s in the kid’s hands. “This is not happening!”

You slowly walk over and grab the thrown backpack, hoping that Dustin can reason with the teen. 

“Steve, you’re upset. I get it, but the bottom line is that a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance.” When you join Dustin’s side, he helps you put the goggles on and brings your bandana up over your mouth. “Now, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe. So keep us safe.”

He hands Steve the backpack you retrieved. 

Steve looks between you and your brother. You both look absolutely ridiculous in your get up, and he knows he has no other choice but to agree. His eyes meet yours and he silently asks if you’re sure about this, he will always look to you for the answers. 

You nod, hoping that the small head shift is conveying what you physically cannot say.

I’m here, the kids need us, and I need you with me.

Steve hears it, sighs, and grabs the backpack from your hands. 

“Well, let’s get going.” He motions for you and Dustin to lead the way. 

– 

“I got you,” Steve’s voice is soft as his hands graze your waist. He’s standing below you, already having jumped into the tunnels so that he can help you climb down the rope safely. You’re not sure if it’s his touch, or the way his voice drips with promises to protect you, or the simple fact that you’re bleeding and bruised that makes your body weak. 

“Drop me and die.” Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs. 

Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. “Like I’d ever dream of letting you go.”

This time, you know it’s his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain. 

“Ahem.”

Turning around, you see Dustin glaring at you and Steve while Lucas is stifling laughs. You roll your eyes at them and step away so that you aren’t standing so close to Steve, and he seems to think the same and distances himself as well. 

“Holy shit,” Steve breathes out, now finally examining the tunnels. 

It takes your breath away as well. The tunnels are terrifying, but oddly kind of cool. There’s a dim light within them, almost ghostly, and yet it’s beautiful in a way that you can’t quite describe. Small particles float through the air, and you reach your hand out to feel them against your skin. It tickles, akin to snowflakes, and the reminder makes you yearn for winter again. 

Mike’s flashlight distracts you as he shines it towards a random section of the tunnel. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s this way.”

“You’re pretty sure, or you’re certain?” Dustin asks, doubtful. 

“I’m 100% sure, just follow me and you’ll know.”

As soon as Mike’s declaration of leading leaves his lips, you and Steve share and look and immediately stumble towards the boy. 

Like hell you’re letting him lead. He’s a child, and he’s also incredibly horrible at navigating. Last time you let him guide the way, you ended up finding El in the middle of the woods. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Steve flashes his light at Mike. “I don’t think so.”

“What?”

“Any of you little shits die down here, I’m getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?” Steve takes the map from Mike’s hands and then looks over at you. “I guide, you take the rear?”

You nod. “Good luck.”

Steve smiles, his sarcastic bravado now gone, before he suddenly clears his throat once more and shouts. “From here on out, I’m leading the way while Y/N makes sure none of you idiots get lost. Come on.”

The kids groan and roll their eyes at him, but they fall into line and do as they’re told. 

Dustin walks in front of you and offers you his hand. He knows the uneven terrain will only increase the chances of your ankle acting up. “How’s the ankle?”

“Hurts,” you rasp, accepting his hand as you hobble along. He hums and helps you navigate, the goggles covering his nose makes him sound nasally. “Did I put up a good fight at least?”

Your throat strains to get all the words out, but Dustin seems to understand what you’ve said and laughs. “Yeah, you did a much better job than Steve–What the hell?”

Dustin stops walking and suddenly looks up. Unsure what he’s seen, you look up as well and gasp. Above you rests a giant flower-bud looking thing, except it’s pulsing in a very concerning and gross way and is the size of a car. When it starts to expand even larger, you realize before your brother does what it’s about to do; you tug at his hand and try to run away, but Dustin doesn’t move.

Then, in one grand blow, the bud explodes and releases what you can only imagine are pollen spores, and they spray all over Dustin. “Shit!” He falls to the ground, screaming and rolling around as if he’s just been shot, and all you can do is stand there and silently wait for him to calm down enough for you to talk to him. “Help! Y/N, help!”

You motion to your throat, but Dustin gags and scrambles to stand up before promptly falling back down again in his haste. 

Steve and the others have now joined and everyone is crowding over your brother with worry. “Dustin? What happened?”

“Pollen.” You croak, and Steve looks even more confused now. 

“It’s in my mouth!” Dustin spits onto the ground and coughs, wheezing every few breaths. “Some of it got on my mouth. Shit!”

Mike points his flashlight at you. “Any more useful insight from Kermit the frog?”

You glare at him, although the nickname is funny and you hate that it’s clever. You clear your throat, cringe at the sting it sends down your body, and respond, “Rose-bud thing. Exploded. He’s fine.”

Everyone tilts their head at you, not at all understanding what you’re trying to say, and you groan. It’s incredibly frustrating that Billy left you unable to say a goddamn thing without immeasurable pain. You honestly would’ve preferred that he stab you or something, because your intelligence and wit are so crucial to who you are as a person. 

Plus the whole Kermit the frog thing kind of sucks, regardless of how funny it will be later. 

“I’m fine.” Dustin gasps out. “As Y/N said, a rose-bud thing sprayed me.”

“You guys serious?” Max shakes her head, at a loss for why she’s even here. 

“Very funny, man.” Steve looks at you and teases, “And Y/N, I expected more from you.”

You give him the finger. “Dustin, not me.”

“Mhm,” he’s starting to walk away again, resuming his leader position through the tunnels, but he sends you a wink. “C’mon, Hendersons.”

The rest of the kids follow after him while you help Dustin up and wipe him off. He’s a mess, and he’s clearly still frightened, but he seems reassured by your presence and begins to calm down. When he’s ready, you and Dustin follow.

The tunnels are long, windy, and incredibly disturbing to be in. You can’t believe that something this intricate and vast has been laying underneath Hawkins for god knows how long. The ground beneath your feet is squishy and it takes both Dustin’s hand and immense concentration to not trip. 

Steve leads, his flashlight serving as a beacon to focus on despite the pounding in your head. The bandana tied over your nose only makes the ringing in your ears worse, but you’ll leave inhaling mysterious Upside Down particles to your brother. 

After a few minutes of walking, you’re starting to fear that the poorly drawn map from Mike really is just a poorly drawn map. Then, Steve stops. “Alright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub.”

You flick your flashlight around and your eyes widen. It’s huge. In the center lies a mound of what you hope is just mud, but you see a bone or two stick out from it and look away. To your left, there’s easily five or six more tunnels, each varying in width and height, and to your right is the same. 

Seeing how vast the tunnel system is, you’re thankful for Mike’s genius little brain. 

“Let’s drench it!” Except the vigor in his voice frightens you and you consider that he may be the world’s next mad scientist. 

However, a plan is a plan and you’ve already made it this far, so you set to work on spraying the area with gasoline. Between you, Steve, and the kids, within minutes you’ve created the world’s most flammable labyrinth. 

When you’re done, Steve guides the kids back towards the exit and you make sure everyone’s behind the two of you. He kneels, flicks out his lighter, and turns to everyone. “Alright, you guys ready?”

“Ready,” Max and Lucas say.

Dustin tightens his hand around yours, preparing to help you run as fast as you can with your ankle. “Light her up.”

Steve flicks his lighter open. “I am in such deep shit.”

“Together.” You nudge him with your shoe, and even though his face is hidden, you know he smiles. 

He takes a deep breath, winds his arm back, and flings the lighter into the center of the hub. 

Immediately everything bursts into flames. In the blaze, the strange roots that had been lying dormant on the ground now come to life as they flail against the heat. They twist and whip around, writhing in pain. The tunnels themselves almost seem to come to life as it writhes in pain. 

“Go, go, go!” Steve yells, pushing everyone back to start running. 

You stay behind with him, making sure all the kids have started to run before you finally let Dustin tug you along as well. The boy is screaming, hopping and dodging roots as best as he can while squealing, “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!”

Steve takes the lead now, having somehow memorized the way out. “Let’s go!”

You’re disoriented. Dustin’s hand is gripping yours so harshly and it’s taking everything within you to keep up, but your ankle throbs and your left eye has only continued to swell from the punch earlier. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to follow along, and in your disorientation you lose track of Mike. 

When he falls, everything within you snaps back into focus. You tear your hand from Dustin’s and you’re at Mike’s side in a heartbeat, but already the roots have started to wrap around his leg; he screams. “Help! Y/N, help me!”

Your hands shake as you reach for your switchblade, adrenaline runs through you so violently that you feel lightheaded. Mike’s screams are the only thing keeping you grounded right now. As he panics, you roughly grab his shirt and force him back before you start to hack at the root with your knives. 

“Pull him back!” Steve instructs the kids, who have now joined. “Y/N, watch out!”

You have just enough time to cut through one root before dodging Steve’s bat as he hits at the other. It takes a few swings, but with one final blow, you and the kids are able to pull Mike free and help him stand back up. 

“You good?” Lucas pants, patting Mike’s shoulders for any injuries while Dustin asks, “You okay?”

You pull Mike into you and quickly hug him, damning whatever time constraint you currently have against you. Your hands are still shaking, which Mike feels, and he gives you a quick pat before pulling away. “Glad you care, but–”

“We gotta go!” Steve steps between you two, bat still in hand, when a growl erupts from behind him. 

Dustin shoves everyone behind him before you can stop him. He’s recognized the growl before you have. “Dart.”

The Demodog growls again. He’s bigger than ever before, now practically fully grown. His growth distracts you long enough to miss Dustin slowly starting to approach him. When you do, you immediately try to stop him. 

“Dustin–” Fear overtakes you.

“Steve, hold her back.” He orders. “Just trust me, okay?”

Steve’s arms wrap around you and you try to fight back. “No–”

“Y/N,” he whispers into your ear, keeping an eye on your brother as well. “If you freak out now, Dustin will get hurt.”

He’s right, you know he’s right, but your brother is only a foot away from Dart now and he’s now smaller than the creature. One wrong move, and he’s dead.

Dustin kneels in front of Dart and you feel your heart drop. You don’t dare breathe as he takes off his goggles and mask and leans in closer to the creature. “Hey, it’s me. It’s just your friend, it’s Dustin.”

Dart slowly inches forward as Dustin continues to talk. “You remember me? Will you let us pass?”

This time, Dart’s entire mouth opens as he snarls at Dustin.

Again you struggle in Steve’s arms, but he only tightens his hold on you as you watch your baby brother, terrified, face off against the Demodog. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” Dustin lowers his voice, unwavering against Dart’s malice. “I’m sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchy thing to do. I blame Y/N, she’s always the one who makes me do the right thing.”

The little shit has you scared out of your fucking mind, and yet he has the nerve to somehow make this your fault.

If he gets out of this alive, you’re never, ever letting him go again. 

Dustin reaches into his backpack, eyes never leaving Dart. “You hungry?

“He’s insane,” Lucas whispers in awe. Both you and Steve tell him to shut up, scared that any noise will cause Dart to attack.

“I’ve got our favorite.” Dustin waves the candy in front of Dart’s face. “See? Nougat.”

As soon as the Demodog sees the candy bar, his demeanor shifts and he happily approaches Dustin. Within seconds, your brother has managed to re-tame his weird Upside Down pet, and for a brief second you feel bad that Dustin can’t keep him. 

“Look at that. Yummy!” He places the candy on the ground as a peace offering and he starts to motion behind him, waving for you and everyone else to start moving. “Eat up, buddy.”

Steve guides Lucas, Max, and Mike past Dart and through the tunnel that was previously blocked by him, but you stay behind. Your knives are drawn; you’re not leaving your brother’s side. 

“There’s plenty,” Dustin coos to the creature, placing down one last candy bar before standing up. When he sees that you’re still there, he grabs your hand and starts to walk away with you. Feeling his hand, warm and alive against yours, is enough to calm you down enough to follow. Before the two of you leave, however, Dustin turns around one last time to look at Dart, a sad smile on his face. “Goodbye, buddy.”

Dart doesn’t show any reaction, too busy devouring the candy he’s been given, and you gently tug Dustin along to safety, albeit with some guilt. He really loved that little lizard thing. 

As soon as the two of you are out of danger, you pull Dustin into a bone crushing hug. “You’re stupid.”

“Stupid brave,” he mumbles against you, though his arms are tight against your waist. He had been scared, too. 

You snort and pull your bandana down so you can kiss the top of Dustin’s head. “Just stupid.” 

“Guys, we gotta go.” Steve whispers, feeling bad for interrupting your moment with the kid. He can still feel the way your body shook in his arms, how he could hear your terrified heartbeat as he held you back. He felt horrible for doing it, but he promised Nancy he’d keep the kids safe, and Steve knows that she also wanted him to protect you, too.

At Steve’s urgent whisper, you reluctantly nod and pull away from Dustin. With one last shoulder squeeze, you pat his back and tug at his hand to start running. As you run, the ground trembles beneath your feet. You’re the first one to fall, Max and Lucas not far behind. “Fuck!” 

Steve has your hand within his in seconds and he gently pulls you up. His face is obscured from the goggles and banana, yet you can see the concern when he looks at you. When he stands you back up, he pulls you close and whispers, “You okay?”

You nod, about to tell him to keep running, when you hear the first screech of the Demodogs. 

“What was that?” Max inches towards your side, now long familiar with what the screeches mean. 

As if almost in response to the girl, more screeches follow as they echo through the tunnels. Only this time, there’s more of them; more than you’d even want to imagine. The hair on your arms stands up as the screeching continues. You know that if you don’t run now, none of you will stand a chance. 

“They’re coming.” Mike realizes. “Run! Run, let’s go!”

You snatch Dustin’s hand and practically throw the kid forward with how harshly you begin running. Lucas and Max run past, while Mike follows after Steve. Your footsteps fall harshly against the tunnel’s earthy ground and it takes everything within you to keep going. When you round the corner and see the rope, you almost sob with relief. 

“Kids first!” You shout, damning whatever further damage it’ll do to your vocal chords.

Steve understands immediately and kneels beneath the rope to give the kids a boost up while you hold the rope taught and help lift them. Max is the first up, both you and Steve more so throwing her rather than helping her.

“C’mon!” Steve encourages her, and with one final shove from you, she makes it over the edge and is safe. 

Everything happens so fast, it’s a blur as you help Lucas start to climb out, then Mike, and as you’re hauling Dustin up next, you hear the Demodogs drawing near. 

“Oh, shit!” Steve hears them as soon as you do and he grabs for his bat and starts to place himself in front of you and Dustin, but you stop him. 

“No!” You yank him back and then grab your brother, shoving him underneath the rope. The shadows of the Demodogs cast against the wall, you know you only have seconds before they’re here. “Throw him up!”

Dustin realizes what you’re about to do. “Y/N, no–”

But Steve already has a grip on him. “You’re going home.”

“No!” Dustin screams and tries to stay behind, wriggling and thrashing, but with Steve’s help, you’re able to lift him to safety before the first Demodog appears. Dustin, now safely above ground, sees this too. His heart stops. “Y/N!”

“Steve! Y/N! Climb up!” The kids begin to shout now, urging you and the teen to get out of the tunnels, fear alive in their voices. 

You look up at them, see their faces alive with youth, and then turn to Steve. He seems to be thinking the same thing as you. You’ve both run out of time. He nods, you do as well, and together you’ve accepted your fate. Steve draws his bat as you raise your knives. 

“Y/N!” Dustin’s voice rings through clearer than the other’s, the despair evident. You close your eyes for a second, wishing that there was more you could’ve done, but at least he’s safe.

Jonathan will take care of him, Nancy will, too. 

He won’t be alone, and you have Steve with you, who is holding your hand as if it contains all the secrets of the world.

It’ll be okay. 

You open your eyes. 

The Demodogs, miraculously, start to run right past you and Steve. They weave between you two, not at all paying any attention. You stand as still as possible, not wanting to wake them from whatever trance they seem to be in. 

However, one particularly large Demodog crashes against your leg and sends you into Steve’s side, who wraps his arms around you with a fierce protectiveness. You duck your head down, unaware just how desperately you’d been craving his presence, and he buries you further against him as the monsters continue to run. 

The two of you cower, curling into one another, steadying the other, waiting for something to happen. Steve has his feet firmly planted and stands his ground as more monsters run past, and without him you would’ve fallen minutes ago, trampled by the creatures. 

When you can’t hear any more Demodogs, you slowly lift your head from Steve’s chest and look around. 

They’re gone. Each and every one of them has left. 

You’re still in Steve’s arms, your chests are pressed tightly together and you’ve never been this close to him before. When you look up at him, you can feel his breath against your skin. There’s an odd look in his eyes, he’s studying your face as if seeing it for the first time, and his gaze makes something deep within you stir. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, needing to say something. He’s once again saved your life, and your eyes can’t seem to leave his. 

His fingers dig into your side, it’s the only way he can respond. The sensation causes you to shiver and your eyes slowly drift down to his lips. They’re a lovely shade of pink, flush and full. You wonder what they’d taste like, if he’s wondered the same about you. 

Steve stares down at you and feels every breath you take, the rise and fall of your chest matching his. The two of you stand like this for a moment, hearts beating together as you cling to one another, until Dustin clears his throat. 

“Ahem,” he draws your attention. “There are kids here, ya know.”

Lucas, Max, and Mike all snicker when you frantically pull away from Steve in embarrassment. Both of your faces are red, the air between you still hangs with something you’re not quite sure how to name. 

“We’re coming.” Steve mumbles to your brother before turning to you. “Ready?”

You take a deep breath and nod, your nerves still shaky from being so close to him prior. When you’re ready, you grab onto the rope and feel Steve’s always gentle hands grip your waist. You’re slow climbing up, being the most injured out of everyone, but he’s patient with you and murmurs encouragement as you climb. 

Once you’re safely up, you help the kids with Steve. The moment his feet touch solid land, he lets out a low whistle and claps his hands. “Well, I’d say that went well–”

Suddenly, Billy’s headlights begin to shine obnoxiously bright. The light increases in its intensity, glowing brighter and brighter, so much so that you and everyone else have to shield your eyes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the lights shut off. 

It’s quiet. No one says anything, unsure of what’s just happened, but you know.

“El,” you whisper, somehow knowing it’s her. Mike nods, understanding as well. 

She did it. 

She closed the gate. 

You pull the kids into you, dragging them all in your arms in a giant hug. All you feel right now is disbelief. The plan worked. You’re all somehow still alive. 

Steve stands behind you, his chest firm against your back, and you allow yourself to gently lean against him. To accept all that he’s silently providing you; there’s no point in fighting it any more. He’s here, offering you anything you need from him, and you’re exhausted from pretending that you don’t see it. 

After a few moments of silence, you finally release the kids and nudge them towards the car. 

It’s time to go home. 

– 

“So what exactly did you guys do with Billy?” Steve’s driving and you’re in the passenger seat, waves of exhaustion crashing upon you. From the rearview mirror, Steve sees Lucas, Dustin, and Mike all turn to Max slowly. He frowns. “Why are you all looking at her?”

Max shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I handled it.”

“She sedated him and we left him on the floor at Will’s.” Dustin fills in the information that Max opted to omit, which she elbows him for. 

Steve blinks, turns to you, and asks, “You heard that too, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Cool.”

When you get to Jonathan’s, Billy is sitting hunched over on the porch, waiting. He looks rough, his eyes bleary and his hair matted. When you see him, you feel your throat constrict in pain and a sense of panic builds within you. You look towards Steve, see his bruised cheek, then notice the way Max squirms in the backseat being near Billy, and the panic is replaced with anger. 

He’s caused enough pain and turmoil to those you love. 

Steve parks the car and turns in his seat so that he’s facing everyone. “Alright, we all see that Billy is awake, so you guys stay here while I go and–”

“We.” You correct, swallowing down the pain you feel. 

Steve inhales and looks as if he wants to argue, but he just shakes his head and continues. “Okay, we go and talk to the guy.”

“I want to come.” Max says, though she still refuses to look in Billy’s direction. 

You rest a hand on her leg. You understand what she’s asking for, to handle her brother herself, take her life into her own hands. Max is a brave kid, she’s shown you that much tonight, and while you trust her to make the right decision, you’re still hesitant. “Are you sure?”

She thinks for a second before nodding. Her eyes harden and she juts her jaw out. She’s made up her mind, and you get a kick out of seeing the fire within her. Max Mayfield is an incredible young girl, and you’re honored to know that she trusts you. “I’m sure.”

“Then let’s go.”

You, Steve, and Max walk side by side towards Billy, though you make sure to place the girl slightly behind you in case her brother tries anything. 

When Billy notices you approach, he lifts his head up and waves lazily at the three of you. “Back already?” His words slur together and his eyes are glossy; the sedative must still be wearing off. 

Max steps forward. “Take me home.” 

Billy eyes her, looks between you and Steve, and then sighs. “Fine. Any other demands?”

The girl shakes her head. “I’ll wait in the car.”

And then she’s gone, leaving you and Steve alone with Billy. 

He eyes you, sees the bruises on your neck, and a languid smile drawls across his face. “Seems I left a mark, sweetheart.”

Steve steps forward, but you put your hand out and stop him. You appreciate him, you do, but this is something you have to do yourself. You swallow again, feeling the tender flesh within your throat constrict, and try to make your words come out as neutral as possible. “Seems I did, too.”

Billy looks down at his shoulder, the wound from your knife is still bleeding. “So you did.”

Lucas and the other boys stand off to the side now, having left the car alone for Max. When Billy notices them staring, he sighs and wipes his hands off on his jeans and slowly gets up. “Well, my bitch of a sister awaits.”

As Billy leaves, Mike runs up the steps and unlocks the front door. “Y/N, think you could make those cookies again? I’m starving.”

You glare at him and Steve laughs. “I’m not sure she can even walk up the steps, dude.”

“Yeah, look at her.” Dustin waves his hands in front of you. “She looks like a zombie.”

Lucas makes zombie sounds and pretends to eat Dustin’s brains before Mike joins in. The three of them chase each other into the house, screaming “brains” and “die” as they mess around, leaving you and Steve alone outside. 

He steps in front of you, his back towards you and he crouches down. “Care for a ride?”

You want to argue, but it’s becoming harder and harder to keep your eyes open. It’d be a miracle if you even manage up the first step on the porch. Hesitantly, you place your hands on Steve’s shoulders and jump onto his back.

“Atta girl,” he laughs, standing back up so that he can carry you inside and join the boys. You wrap your arms around his neck and nuzzle your face as you close your eyes. You’re seconds away from falling asleep. Steve seems to sense this and slows down his footsteps so as to not disturb you. 

He navigates the home, remembering where to go from his time here last year. You’re warm against him and Steve’s fingers draw lazy circles onto your ankles. The boys are in the kitchen, scurrying around for any food, and Steve relishes in this small moment with you.

You’re placed down into a soft bed and the smell of Jonathan overwhelms you; you open your eyes and realize that Steve has taken you to the boy’s room. The bed is warm beneath you, the scent soothes your wounds. 

“Jonathan’s?” You ask, confused as to why Steve would take you here.

“Figured it’s where you sleep when you’re here.” He shrugs, as if it’s no big deal, before grabbing the blankets and tucking you in. His movements are careful and he makes sure your head is resting on a pillow and that he takes off your shoes. 

The gentleness of his touch soothes you. You’ve never let anyone take care of you like this before. You let him play with your hair, wrap the blanket around you so that you won’t get cold, and when he finally seems pleased with his work, he flicks your nose and smiles. “Get some sleep, dork.”

“Everyone is safe?”

His eyes melt. “They are. They’ll be home soon. In the meantime, I’ll rustle up some grub for those heathens outside while you sleep. Doctor’s orders.”

You giggle and grab his hand to bring to your lips. They linger against his knuckles, you inhale and breathe in his scent, and Steve’s breath hitches at the touch. “Thank you,” you whisper against his skin before placing another kiss. 

There’s such a lovely buzz within your chest, holding Steve’s hand fills you with this syrupy warmth like honey, and you’ve never felt it before. It drips down your skin and into your bones, healing wounds both old and new with its kisses. 

Steve squeezes your hand with his. He feels it, too. You both do. 

–

A body slides in next to yours, rousing you from your sleep. A hand wraps around your waist and the fingers, long and lithe and familiar, skim your skin lazily. The sensation almost lulls you back to sleep, you know whose touch this is, whose body lays next to yours. 

You open your arms and engulf Jonathan into a hug. His body lays atop of yours, reminiscent of the night a few days ago when he snuck into your room before he left with Nancy. Your body has long since come to anticipate his weight against yours, it’s become accustomed to how he lands upon you. 

“What time is it?” You rasp, stroking Jonathan’s hair with your fingers as he breathes steadily against you. You’re not sure how long you’ve been asleep, but the pain in your throat has lessened, your voice is slowly returning to normal.

“Early morning,” he mumbles, pressing a kiss against your shoulder. “Steve took Dustin home, no one wanted to wake you. Apparently you had a rough night.”

You laugh, then wince at the pain it draws from your throat and ribs. “You could say that.”

Jonathan places another kiss upon your skin, this time against the base of your throat. He litters kisses up and down your neck, his breath tickling as he does so. “I’m sorry,” he says in between each kiss, as if his words will make the bruises fade faster. 

Rather than respond, knowing nothing you can say will make him believe that none of this is Jonathan’s fault, you simply hum at his kisses and lean into them. “Will?”

“He’s okay, he’s safe. Mom is with him now.”

You hum again, relishing in the knowledge that Will is okay and that Jonathan is once again here with you. The house is quiet, everyone else asleep, and the two of you lay like this for a while. No more words are said, Jonathan presses kisses against your skin as your fingers interlock through his hair and you run your hand up and down his back. 

Somehow, you know this will be the last time you ever have him like this. 

Just the two of you, uncrossed in any boundaries. Skin against skin, kisses to wounds and fingers intertwined. You hope that your body never forgets the weight of his. You hope that it will always anticipate his impact, welcoming it after a long day. Jonathan’s touch will soon become ghosts lingering on your skin, and selfishly you never want this moment to end. 

Uncrossed boundaries, threads and strings and lines. 

They’re here. You can see them now, they almost glow faintly within Jonathan’s room, the same room in which you grew up in. 

“Bee?” You whisper, nudging him gently to get his attention. He lifts his head from your neck and looks at you, eyes open and listening. “We have to talk about it.”

The early morning light streams through the curtain and illuminates Jonathan’s face. His eyes are a mixture of browns and reds and ambers and you try to remember what they look like now, before the words are said and nothing will ever be the same again. 

“I’m scared,” he admits. You’ve made him into who he is today, with all of his quirks and humor and love. Jonathan doesn’t know who he would be without you, and he’s terrified that he’ll say the wrong thing and lose you forever.

“I know,” you stroke his cheek. “I am, too.”

“I don’t want to–I can’t lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me, Jonathan Byers.” You’re firm in your words, now grasping at his face with your hands. “We’re connected, remember? String theory, you and me.”

Jonathan has tears in his eyes. “But I slept with Nancy.”

His confession only makes you sigh. “I know, bee.”

“I–I think… I think this time it’ll turn into something more. I… I think I love her, bug.” His voice cracks, terrified of his own words. He recognizes now, far too late, all that he’s missed. “But bug… I know there’s–that there’s some things we should’ve talked about. A long time ago… but I just…”

“I know,” you know everything he’s trying to tell you. There’s no hurt in your voice, only resignation, but you knew this would happen eventually. “We missed our chance a while ago.”

“Did we ever really have a chance?” He asks, thinking back to the day the two of you met. How easily you accepted him into your life, the role you unknowingly assigned to him as your best friend. How, for years, he’d been so in love with you but terrified it’d scare you away. 

You play with his fingers, thinking for a moment. “I’d like to think that we did. I think we just… We missed each other, along the way.”

He smiles, bittersweet and somber. “We would’ve been something great, huh?”

“You’re my person,” you tell him, a certain sadness creeping into your voice. It’s the truth. No one will ever know you like he does, no one can unravel you the way he can. The love you have for Jonathan is unyielding, it transcends everything else you’ve ever felt. “Of course we would’ve been something great.”

“And now?”

You bite your lip, unsure. “Now we just… We let go.”

Jonathan tightens his arms and presses himself further against you. “I’m never letting you go, Y/N Henderson.”

You feel tears beginning to form in your eyes, both from grief and acceptance. “You don’t have to, but we have to let go of our claim to one another. You’re Nancy’s, now. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. To anyone.”

“And you’re Steve’s?” He asks, hesitant to bring the boy up. While you watched Jonathan fall in love with Nancy, he’s watched you fall for Steve. 

“I think I could really love him,” you admit, breathless. “I think I’ve already started to fall for him.”

Jonathan’s heart twists at the breathlessness in your voice, though he knows he’ll have to get used to this. To no longer being the reason for your bashfulness. It’ll take time, but he knows in the end that it’s for the better. “You deserve to go for it, bug.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he playfully pokes your side. “Nancy fucked up with him, and I fucked up with you. The two of you deserve better than us, and I… I want you to be happy, you know that.”

“I know, but…” you turn to him now, needing him to understand all that you still don’t know how to voice yourself. “Remember our pinky promise from last year?”

Jonathan wiggles his pinky at you, unsure where you’re going with this. “I do.”

“We’ll always stay like this, right? You and me?” You know it’s selfish to ask, to expect everything to stay the same between you, but losing Jonathan would be the one thing you’d never recover from. He’s in your bones, now. He’s grown up alongside you, patched up your wounds as a child and now holds your hands through the nightmares you face together. 

It doesn’t matter how you and Jonathan end, whether you’re lovers in this universe or simply the best of friends. Regardless of what’s happened, he’s the most important person in your life. He always will be.

Jonathan presses a kiss upon your forehead, his lips warm. “Always, and I’ll always love you the most, bug.”

“I’ll always love you the most, bee.” The words come easily to you, an exhale after being inhaled so long ago. 

The world stills. Then, as slow as the sun rises after a harsh winter’s night, the strings and lines finally settle between you two.

“Let’s go to bed.” Jonathan whispers, wanting to hold onto you for at least a few more hours. 

In the late morning hours the two of you will wake up, and it will be the last time you do so in each other’s arms. 

– 

When Jonathan drops you off at home the next day, your mom freaks when she sees you. Dustin had tried to prepare her, making up some lie about how you’d fallen down at the Byers’ house and that’s why you couldn’t come home for a few days. However, your mom still had a heart attack when you walked through the front door with a split head, black eye, bruised neck, and a bloodied side. 

“My baby!” She took you into her arms and immediately set her eyes on Jonathan. “What, did you have a bear in the house or something?”

Jonathan looked over at Dustin with a helpless look on his face and your brother had sighed. He figured he’d have to be the one to take over. “Like I said, mom. Y/N just got really into our campaign and fell. She’s fine, I mean, look at her!”

You did your best to appear very fine and healthy, despite your concussion forming a horrendous headache. You forced a smile on your face, all teeth. “All fine and dandy, mom.”

Claudia Henderson hadn’t bought it.

You were placed under house arrest for two weeks. 

During these two weeks, you were only allowed to leave the house to either go to work (somehow Mrs. Waters still hasn’t fired you despite missing three days of work), and go to school. It wasn’t so bad, though. You had needed the rest, and Nancy visited you a few days into your house arrest.

You’re not sure when she officially began her relationship with Jonathan, but the first time she came to see you, she had brought a giant basket full of baked goods and comics she had asked Jonathan about. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Nance.” You had informed the girl when you saw her struggling to carry the basket. 

“I stole your boyfriend, it’s the least I could do.” You stared at her, eyes so wide that your black eye almost fully opened, and Nancy had let out a loud laugh. You’d never heard her laugh so openly before, and it was a beautiful sight. “It was a joke, Y/N. It’s okay to laugh.”

“Ha, ha, Wheeler.” You took the basket from her and inspected its contents. There were more comics than you could count and the muffins smelled delicious. “This is a good haul.”

Nancy had smiled, relieved that she’d done something right. She had bugged Jonathan all day yesterday, anxious to do something nice for you because she felt this crippling need to make you like her. He had reassured her a million times that you did already like her, but Nancy has never been the best at making friends, and she knows the history between you and her is tense. 

“You really like it?”

“I love it, dude.” You saw the way Nancy’s body relaxed, as if she had been terrified you’d burn the basket in front of her face. It’s only then that you realized why she was there. “You and Jonathan finally seal the deal?”

Nancy blushed, still unused to how well you perceive others. “We did.”

“Took you guys long enough!” You squealed and threw your arms around her, elated for your friends. Sure, it still stung a bit, but Nancy was trying, so you were too. “But can I say just one thing, and then we’ll bury the hatchet for good?”

“Of course, Y/N.” Nancy said, though you felt her body tense underneath your hold. She had been bracing for impact, and it broke your heart to imagine how she was feeling in that moment. 

You grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. “I’m happy for you two, I really am, okay? You know my history with Jonathan, and I’m sure he’s told you everything, but I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“I’m listening,” she whispered, gripping your hand tightly. 

“If anything, and I mean anything, bothers you about my relationship with him, I need you to tell me. Don’t let anything simmer, don’t swallow down any hurt. I need you to know that I will always respect your guys’ relationship, and if you ever feel that I don’t, please tell me.”

Nancy, to your surprise, had laughed. “That’s it? Geesh, Y/N. I was expecting you to threaten me with your knives or something. I understand your connection with Jonathan, I know what I agreed to.” She paused, and then added with a sly smirk, “Besides, I know you wouldn’t cross any boundaries because you’ve spent practically all year pining after Steve.”

“I did not!” You gaped at her, shocked that she would say such a thing, and Nancy laughed so hard that it took both you and her another ten minutes to say anything else. It was lovely, laughing alongside the girl you once held so much resentment over. Now there you were, rib cage aching with glee.

And that’s how Nancy Wheeler became your best friend.  

After that, things seemed to settle down during the month that followed the events of Hawkins Lab. 

While you healed your wounds at home, Jonathan and Nancy came to visit you whenever they could. It was weird, at first, being in the same room as them now that they were together, but within minutes the three of you formed your own dynamic. You and Nancy teased Jonathan while he simply shook his head at the two of you and did whatever you asked. 

It was a good dynamic, really. 

A week into house arrest, your mom let you finally return to work.

Of course, on your first day back, Steve was standing inside of Bookstrordinary, waiting for you. 

Seeing him there, hair messy and smile warm, felt like coming home. 

“Back so soon?” You had teased, walking slowly up to him. 

His smile widened and he grabbed your hand and tugged you closer, impatient with how long it was taking you to come to him. “Like I could wait any longer.”

“I stack and you sort?”

“Let’s get to work, Henderson.” He winked and spun you around, causing you to giggle, a sound he’d come to adore, and the two of you set off to work. 

Steve becomes a regular at Bookstrorindary again, and one day you come home from school to find him sitting at your kitchen table with Dustin and your mom. They were eating an after school snack together, chatting as if they were old friends. Your mom was even blushing as Steve charmed her. It was a disorienting sight, to say the least. 

“Is this going to be a thing now?” You’d asked, setting your backpack down to grab your own snack and join. 

“I invited him.” Dustin said with a mouth full of apples. “He’s cool, and mom likes him, so. Yeah.”

Your mom pinched Steve’s cheek and giggled. “He’s just so charming!”

Steve sent you a wink, basking in your mother’s praise, and in that moment, seeing him with the two people you loved most in this world, you knew.

It hit you like a warm, soft summer breeze. It swirled around you, kissed your skin the way only the sun can do, and you could almost smell the fresh summer honey that your dad used to buy for your birthday. The feeling was serene, it felt as easy as exhaling.

You were in love with Steve Harrington. 

Only this time, the realization made you smile; you accepted it with open arms. You walked over to him and ruffled his hair before sitting next to him at the table. Biting your own apple, you winked at your mom, agreeing with what she had said. “He is indeed very charming.”

Dustin gagged while Steve draped an arm across your chair and stole your apple. “That I am, Y/N.”

Maybe love wasn’t so bad after all.

The following week, both Steve and Nancy asked you to attend Barb’s funeral, and of course you went. 

It was a small service, and Jonathan held Nancy’s hand throughout all of it. While it hurt to see her cry, you can’t help but think about how incredible Nancy is. She’s the reason that Barb is even getting a funeral in the first place, having brilliantly exposed Hawkin’s Lab and giving her friend the justice she deserves. 

Steve stood next to you, stoic and guilty, and after the service ended you had to pull him aside and remind him that none of it had been his fault. He listened, but you know he hadn’t necessarily heard you.

It’s similar to how you feel with Will, and how Jonathan feels with you, and Nancy with Barb. 

You all hold a heavy weight within you, of guilt and shame and despair. There’s nothing that specifically can be done to lessen it. All you can do is allow the ones you love to carry the weight with you, to share it and accept the help that they offer. 

Time can’t heal all wounds, you recognize this now, so you do things for those you love and see the good that’s still there, even if it’s hard sometimes. 

And that’s what you do.

You start stopping by Hopper’s cabin to see El.

He hated it at first, but when you showed up one day with a box of nail polish and comics, El had been so overjoyed that he simply sighed and let you in. 

You teach the girl how to read, having her say words out loud as you paint her nails, and it’s lovely. It’s rare to get the girl all to yourself, so spending time with her is always the favorite part of your day. Plus, she starts to get really into Spider-Man, so you’ve done your job as an avid fan. 

As for Will and the boys, you start to make it a point to partake in their DnD campaigns whenever possible. While it’s hard balancing work, school, El, and the party, you don’t regret it for a single second. It’s exhausting, but a good kind of exhaustion. One that leaves your bones aching in a rewarding way at the end of the day.

You’ll never tell Jonathan this, but he had been right a few months ago. You’d been burning yourself out, running away from everything you didn’t want to confront, from your feelings to your crippling worry for the kids. You’re not sure how much you had left in you, looking back now.

You had been drowning for a long, long time. 

But as you pick up Dustin and Will from Mike’s, Jonathan by your side as always, your nails painted a messy shade of blue thanks to El, and Steve waiting for you back at your house, you’re finally able to breathe. 

– 

It somehow takes you the entire day to get Dustin ready for the Snowball. 

He’s running around the house, frantically trying to find his bowtie that he’s misplaced, and you’re currently digging through the endless supply of hairspray that Steve dropped off yesterday. There’s so much hair products within the bag that he delivered, and it actually scares you a little. 

No way this much chemicals can be good for a kid. 

“Did you find the bowtie?” You yell from the bathroom, finally managing to open the bottle of hairspray that Steve specifically told you to use first. 

“Yes!” Dustin runs back into the bathroom and throws the piece of fabric at you. “Quick, put it on while I spray my hair!” 

You roll your eyes at him but do as he asks, securing his bowtie to his baby blue button shirt. However, as he sprays his hair, he almost blinds you in the process. “Christ, Dustin! That’s practically a weapon.”

He continues to spray. “You’re the one who insisted on helping me get ready.”

“I wanted you to look handsome,” you coo at him, straightening his bowtie one final time before stepping back and admiring your handiwork. “All done, and look at you!”

Dustin sprays even more product into his hair and tries to shove you out of the bathroom, but he secretly preens. “Am I really handsome?”

You admire him and you can’t believe how grown up he is now. He’s grown another three inches since last month and with the way he’s styled his hair, he looks like a teenager. Your heart stings a bit, seeing him no longer look like the little brother you know and love. He’s changing, growing up. “The handsomest.”

He smiles at you. “Thanks, Y/N. Now go get dressed while I finish my hair. Steve will be here any minute!”

You salute him and run to your room. Nancy had asked you to chaperon alongside her at the dance, and you figured it’d be fun watching Dustin and the party failing miserably with prepubescent girls, so you agreed. However, because it somehow took five hours helping your brother get ready, you run around your room in a hurry.

You’ve just finished applying some mascara when the doorbell rings, and your heart skips a beat.

“Y/N, Steve is here!” Your mother calls, a slight glee in her voice. She’s quickly come to adore the boy, something that Steve milks whenever he can. He’s incredibly proud of it, honestly. 

You run to the door and open it, Dustin is still spraying his hair to death in the bathroom. 

When Steve sees you, he forgets how to speak. You’re dressed in a soft white dress and you’ve pinned the front two pieces of your hair back. You’ve dotted your lips with a berry-red lipstick and your cheeks look more flushed than usual. 

You see the blush that immediately forms on Steve’s cheeks and you giggle, suddenly shy. It’s awkward, but a nice awkward between you two. “Hey.”

“H–hi.” His voice squeaks and he clears his throat. “I–I mean, hey. You, uh… You look. Wow. I mean, not wow, but also wow–”

“Dude,” Dustin now joins and looks disappointedly at Steve. “Get it together, man.”

He pats his chest and starts heading towards the car, and you can’t help but snort. “He’s so lovely, isn’t he?”

Steve holds out his arm for you to take, the momentary awkwardness now gone. “The Henderson charm is a fascinating thing.”

During the car ride, the closer Steve gets to the school, the more you see Dustin fidget in the back seat. He had been so excited earlier, but now you notice the doubt in his eyes and the way he keeps patting his hair, unsure. 

You tap Steve’s hand to get his attention. When he looks over, you motion towards the backseat and he realizes what you’re trying to tell him. He nods, and the two of you silently agree to give the kid a pep talk once you get to the school. 

“Alright, buddy. Here we are.” Steve parks the car and tries to give Dustin a reassuring smile, but your brother looks out the window and exhales nervously. “Remember, once you get in there…”

“Pretend like I don’t care.”

You interrupt. “Okay, no. I thought we abandoned that idea last month.”

“Technically you abandoned it, I didn’t.” Dustin responds, and Steve shrugs his shoulders at you. 

“Dustin, I really want you to be yourself, okay?” You turn to face the kid. “What did I tell you last month, huh?”

“That we Hendersons are charming people.” He grumbles. 

“Exactly, and I meant that. Use your charm, buddy.”

Dustin isn’t listening, instead he tries to look at himself in the rearview mirror to once again fix his hair. Steve sees this and stops him. “Hey, listen to your sister, alright? You look great, okay?”

“Such a handsome lad.”

Steve puts his hand up to stop you. “Okay, ignore her and listen to me. Now, you’re gonna go in there…”

Dustin nods. “Yeah.”

“Look like a million bucks.”

“Yeah!”

“And you’re gonna slay ‘em dead.”

“Like a lion.”

You cringe. “I’m not at all liking this language use in relation to women.”

Dustin purrs, just to spite you, but now Steve cringes and shakes his head, “Yeah, don’t do that, okay?”

“Okay.” Dustin deflates, but when Steve offers him his hand to shake, his face lights back up and he accepts it. 

Steve winks at the kid. “Good luck.”

“You got this!” You shout as Dustin exits the car. He gives you a thumbs up and starts to walk towards the school, leaving just you and Steve alone in the car. 

With Dustin gone, a tension creeps within the car. You look over at Steve and he catches your eye, and your stomach flutters. You can’t deny that there’s nothing there, and it’s… it’s nice, honestly. 

You don’t feel the same fear you did with Jonathan. You can look at Steve and admire his beauty and all you feel is warmth. His smile doesn’t hurt you, and the way he’s looking at you so unabashedly no longer scares you. 

“You look beautiful, Y/N.” Steve says, his voice honest and dripping with honey. 

You blush, and he wants to kiss the pretty red until it colors his own lips as well. “Thank you.”

There’s more you both want to say, but for now you simply enjoy each other’s presence. It’s too soon, you know this. He’s still in love with Nancy, and you don’t blame him. Instead, you bask in his gaze and he admires how lovely you are. How lovely you always are.

He feels it, too. He knows what you’re thinking, and for once he feels comfortable with where he is. You’re here, next to him, expecting nothing but what you know he’s ready to give you. 

You press a kiss to his cheek, and Steve’s heart aches. “Drive home safe, okay?”

As you pull away, he catches your arm and stops you. You look up, confused, and Steve’s gaze softens. He doesn’t know how else to say it, how else to ask you to stay. “Be patient with me, okay?”

You don’t have to ask what he means; you know. 

Whatever he needs, you’ll give it to him. You place a hand on his face and stroke his cheek, he leans against the touch and closes his eyes. This is the easiest promise you’ve ever made. “Take all the time you need, I’ll be here.”

The words cause Steve to sigh, you’re too good for him. You’re everything lovely and beautiful and kind, and Steve can’t believe how lucky he is to know you, to have you in his life the way no one else does. That you’ll wait for him, trusting him with your heart, and he can’t believe that you’re real.

“You’re an angel.” He breathes out, feeling everything constrict within his chest when you smile. 

“And you’re sweet honey.” You press one last kiss to Steve’s face and get out of the car. No other words are needed. 

Steve watches you as you leave, your kiss still burning his face, the same burning warmth he’s come to love about you. He watches as you walk up to Nancy inside the school and she hands you a drink, the two of you laughing. You both look so different standing side by side. 

A girl Steve loves and the girl he knows that in time he’ll come to love more than anything else. 

He’s already falling for you, he thinks he has been ever since he first saw you all those years ago when you were twelve and he was thirteen. He’s falling for you, but he won’t rush it. It wouldn’t be fair to you, not after everything you’ve been through. 

So Steve admires you, he watches the way your hair dances as you laugh and the way the kids around you smile in admiration. He forgets that Nancy is even there, his eyes only on you, and for the first time in a long time, Steve smiles a real smile. 

Your kiss on his cheek lingers, and he presses his fingers to it and feels his body warm. You’ll be waiting for him, and that’s more than enough for now.

Take your time, I’ll be here.

And Steve believes you.

[END OF SEASON TWO]

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Spellbound Part 7

Boom, baby! We are back!! This is my new schedule for fics here! Be sure to check it out so you don't miss your favorites!

Since it's been awhile I recommend re-reading part 6 here or from the beginning here.

MAJOR CLIFFHANGER WARNING IN AFFECT! PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

In this we Max's familiar and we meet a new magic user. He's fun!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

~

Robin blinked up at the house when she returned from her errands. Bav had a second storey when she was pretty sure it hadn’t before when she left the house this morning.

Bav swung open the door and Robin walked right in. She instantly spotted the reason for change and she sighed.

“I was wondering if he was going to get around his rule that way,” she muttered darkly to Max who was sitting there eating clotted cream and bread with Steve, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Hello, roommate!” Max said cheerily. “We both have rooms upstairs now. Steve said it was because Bav likes you best and wanted to give you the best room.”

Robin blinked at Max for a moment and then wandered up the stairs. Steve started to countdown from five.

Then suddenly the walls of the house turned bright pink.

“Wow,” Max said blinking from the sudden change. “I don’t think I’ve seen Bav turn that color before.”

“I have,” Steve said shaking his head fondly. “Bav has a crush on Robin.”

“How does a house have a crush?” Max asked, tilting her head to the side.

The walls suddenly turned a dark grey and seemed to slump.

Suddenly Max was waving her hands. “It wasn’t a criticism! I promise! I just don’t know how that works!”

Bav turned a warm yellow and Steve burst out laughing. “You’re forgiven. She’s sentient in the way a dog or cat might be. Limited intelligence and understanding, but with her own personality and moods.”

“Oh, I understand now!” Max said. “Well, I like my room too. Thank you, Bav.”

The yellow walls took on a soft pink to them. Max smiled and shook her. “That’s definitely going to take getting use to. Not accidentally offending the house.”

“Just wait until you learn to talk to her,” Steve replied with a grin. “I’ve been teaching Robin, but she’s having trouble guessing her moods.”

Robin come thundering down the stairs. “That’s because I understand French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. She speaks some form of archaic German. It’s trickier.”

Max’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “She speaks what now?”

“Of course she speaks German,” Steve said tilting his head to the side in confusion. “She’s made from white fir trees from the Black Forest.” He looked at them like this was common knowledge.

“Did you know that?” Robin asked Max, who shook her head.

“What are you asking me for?” Max huffed. “Aren’t you the apprentice witch? I’ve only known this stuff for about an hour.”

Steve frowned. “That’s not witchy knowledge. That’s just common sense. When I apprenticed with my mother in the nearby city, everyone knew that a witch’s house was made of white fir from Germany.”

Max and Robin shared a confused glance. “We’ve never heard any of this stuff before.”

“First the Hendersons with the brownie, then Head Watchman Hopper not knowing what a red cap is,” Steve said putting his hands on his hips, “and now you two not knowing about witches’ houses. What in the nine hells is wrong with this town?!”

Robin furrowed her brows as she got a very serious expression on her face. “I can’t be absolutely certain, but the Carvers aren’t originally from this town. Mayor Carver’s father came to town when he was a young man about thirty years ago.”

Steve’s aura took on a darkness to it. It whirled around him like storms gathering over the marsh. The energy in the room cackled with lightning.

Max tilted her head to the side. “Have I always been able to see clouds around people or is that new?”

Steve’s aura suddenly went from black to shocked baby pink. “You can see auras?” he asked blinking at her. “Every person is born with an innate ability. A little magic of their own. It’s like someone making the best cup of tea you’ve every had, but when someone else does it the exact same way, it doesn’t taste the same. Train them as a witch and you get a potion master.”

Robin raised her hand excitedly. “Like me! My nana always preferred it when I made her soothing tea because she always felt better afterwards. Then when I came here, Steve told me I would be a great potion and medicine maker.”

“So what’s your ability?” Max asked leaning forward, eyes wide with interest.

Steve shrugged. “Don’t know. My mom said I was decent at a lot of things, so she figured I was just a hedgewitch, good at everything.”

“That’s boring.”

Robin laughed. “It is a bit,” she said holding her finger and thumb close together.

“It’s probably because of the centennial sorcerer thing,” Steve said, putting his hands on his hips. “I’m good at everything because I’m supposed to be the ultimate witch or whatever.”

Both girls opened their mouths to form an “O” and then nodded.

“That make sense,” Max said, “plus it’s not boring that way, too.”

Steve bowed dramatically and said haughtily, “I live to serve.” The he said in all seriousness, “No really, that’s the life of a witch. Serving the community of the town you chose to set up shop in.”

Max lip trembled. “Does that mean that Robin is going to leave us?”

Steve pulled her to her feet and gave her a big hug. Robin came over and wrapped her arms around them both.

“Of course it doesn’t,” Robin murmured. “Me and Stevie are a team. Platonic soulmates and we won’t be separated at any price. Plus, I’d have to get my own house and I love Bav.”

The house turned the walls a deep plum as she beamed in pride. Max turned her head to the side. “Wait, Bav’s moods match the auras!”

Steve pushed her back at arms length and looked at her in surprise. “Do you know how long it took full blown witches to figure that out? And have had Bav and auras for less than a half hour and you got it.”

Max grinned up at him ferally. “I just need to know what all the colors mean and I won’t have to speak with her in German. I mean I’ll still learn it because having two ways of communicating with her is better than one, but point me in the right direction.”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “That I can do.”

He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out two books for her. “This is all about witches’ houses and this is all about auras.”

Max clutched the book to her chest. “But I don’t know how to read...”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Robin said brightly. “I’m going to teach you how to read using the auras book so that you’re learning both things at the same time.”

Max brightened considerably and followed Robin back over to the table, where Robin started showing her the different letters and the sounds they made.

Steve walked over to the front door and patted the frame. “You did good today, Bav.” He kissed the frame and the house turned pink.

~

Eddie picked up the letter from his dad and sighed. It was the second letter after he didn’t answer the first. It spoke of enterprise and adventure, of ships and booze, of sex and opium. It spoke of freedom, of throwing caution to the wind and living life.

He closed his eyes and tried to list all the reasons for staying.

Uncle Wayne. With his arthritis he needed help and as he got older, the less the medicine he used would be effective. Even the witch confirmed that. He could up the dosage in a year or so, but once that stopped easing Wayne’s pain, all that could be done was make him comfortable.

Chrissy. He really shouldn’t be friends with her after what happened with Jason and the witch’s house. But he found her funny and bright. She always brought with her gossip and laughter. She was worth sticking around for.

The kids that the witch used as runners. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will. They always stopped by his house on purpose, chatting with him about the people on their routes. They were almost better than Chrissy with gossip. All of them bright and willing to help.

The girls. They were separate from the boys, though they all ran around together. But they were a special class. A witch apprentice, a changeling, and Erica Sinclair, who was a class all her own. Max and Elinor would come over in the evenings and listen to him play. They always said his stories came to life when he played.

And yes, fine. Steve. The witch. As grumpy as Eddie was about people assuming he was the witch, Steve never tried to make him change or degrade his choices. He spent time out of his day to talk to Wayne. Something Eddie knew full well he didn’t have to do.

There was a lot keeping him here, but was it really worth the pain of never meeting his soulmate? Because he doubted that in this uptight town there would be a man who, according to his childish wish, love Eddie for all his messy parts.

Suddenly there was a strange scratching noise at the window and Eddie brightened.

Oh yeah!

He opened the window and in skittered a black and tan little masked bandit. Eddie dove under his bed and pulled out a little bowl of chicken hearts and gullets. He set it down next to the ferret who instantly went to town.

“How could I forget you, Gawain?” he murmured, petting the long soft body of the animal. “You are definitely a reason to stay. I might not be able to talk to you the way that witch can talk to his birds, but you and I have something special, don’t we?”

Gawain nuzzled Eddie’s hand, careful to not get his snack all over it. Once he was done and Eddie had cleaned him up, the ferret had gone the way he came.

He would pass on the whole adventure thing. He had enough to keep him occupied here.

~

“The first thing you learn after learning what your magical skill is,” Steve said proudly, “is your familiar.”

“Like Circe and Merlin,” Max said with a nod. “Make sense. But what do familiars do? I mean besides argue with their witches?”

Robin giggle snorted. “They help harness your powers and act as messengers to other witches.”

“They do a lot more than that,” Steve said, putting his hands on his hips. “Familiars carry with them a part of your magic so that you can’t burn yourself up. I’ve had Circe for ten years and she has helped me many a time with my spells or potions by letting me borrow some of her magic. They act as companions, too. Most witches tend to live in the woods away from other people and need the company or they’ll go mad.”

“So what I’m hearing is that familiars are awesome,” Max said wide-eyed, “got it.”

Steve chuckled. “They are indeed.”

“And how do I get one?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Like is there a spell or something I need to know?”

“No,” Steve murmured. “They come to you when your power starts to awaken. I’m honestly surprised that yours hasn’t turned up yet. Which is why I wanted to bring it up.”

Then there was a scratching on the front door.

He frowned. It was unusual for Bav to not just let the person in if she knew them. So it must have been someone new. He went to the door and there was the most beautiful kit fox he’d ever seen. Its fur was a soft blend of red, grey and tan. Its ears were pert and twitching. Its eyes were glossy, but intelligent.

“Oh, hello.” Steve stared down at the fox in confusion.

“Oh my god!” Robin said, jumping up and down with excitement. “A fox! Of course you have a fox as your familiar! He’s gorgeous!”

The fox slipped past Steve to be welcomed by Max and Robin. They both squealed in delight as they gave him pets and scritches. Steve put his hands on his hips and tilted his head, glaring at the fox. The fox yipped happily.

“So what are you going to name him?” Robin asked, getting her hands under the scruff on the back of his neck.

“His name is Argyle,” Steve growled and the fox yipped again, this time disapprovingly.

Robin tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t know familiars could name themselves. I got to name Merlin and you told me about naming Circe.”

The fox yipped at Steve and he wagged his finger back. “You can talk in that form, don’t play cute. Jonathan might think you’re adorable when you yip instead of talk, but you’re about to make Max sad, and that is unforgivable.”

The fox’s ears flattened. “Sorry, man. You know I just love a good ear scratching in this form, especially having come such a long way.”

“What the hell?” Robin said as Max cried, “Cool!”

“Meet Argyle Foxspirit,” Steve said waving his hand at the fox. “He’s a shapeshifter from out West. His people have magic, but not in the way witches do.”

Argyle raised his paw to wave it at the girls. “You’ll pardon me if I don’t change back. One, it’s exhausting, and two, my clothes don’t shift with me.”

Max tilted her head for a moment.

Steve pinched his the bridge of his nose. “It means I’ll have a completely naked Native in my sitting room if he shifts back.”

“Oh!”

Just then Circe came through the window and cawed at Steve. He shook his head.

“Of course he did,” he said with a sigh. “Anything to make this more complicated. Can you bring her familiar here?”

Circe cawed and then another bird fluttered to land on the windowsill next to her. It was a beautiful bird of prey, with a bronze head and cream chest, speckled with more bronze. The bird cried out and Steve laughed.

“Oh!” Max said again. “I can understand him!”

“That is the indication of a familiar, my lady,” Argyle said, cocking his head to the side. “When Jonathan said this place was anti-magic, I didn’t realize how deep the rot went.”

Robin and Max shared a glance at each other.

“Jonathan as in Will’s older brother?” Robin asked. “I didn’t know he was a witch.”

Steve went to the cupboard and got out a bowl of water and set down for Argyle to drink. “My first apprentice, actually. He can talk to animals and not just familiars, like his Jadis.”

“I love Jadis!” Argyle said brightly. “The first lizard familiar I’d ever seen. She’s very pretty. She’s a blue crested lizard and is a sea green color.”

The hawk cried again.

“My apologies, dear sir!” Argyle said airily. “I did not mean to steal your thunder, but you did go to the wrong house, so...”

The hawk cried out again.

“I’m going to call him Zoomer,” Max said wistfully. “Because hawks are wicked fast.”

The hawk tilted his head in consideration. He cried again.

“It appears he likes it,” Steve said. “Huzzah.”

Then Robin and Max were properly cooing over the right familiar and how Merlin was going to be upset that there was another bird in the house that he couldn’t eat.

“Argyle,” Steve said after a moment or two, “I don’t mind you coming to visit but is there a reason you trekked all the way out here from Jonathan’s?”

“Oh yeah!” Argyle said and then buried his head in his paw, to show his shame. “Will never made it to Jonathan’s. He’s missing.”

~

Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

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