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aristrocrat · 2 years

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Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 7: The Bite

summary:

word count:

JUST A HEADS UP: THIS CHAPTER HAS NOT BEEN EDITED OR PROOFREAD!!

“Jesus, slow down, Robin!” Steve slurred.

“Yeah, what is this, like, the Indy 500?” You agreed.

“It’s the Indy 300,” Steve corrected.

“No, dumbass! It’s 500!”

“It’s 300!”

“Let’s say a million,” You smiled before you both burst into laughter.

“What is wrong with them?” Erica asked Robin.

“I don’t know.”

“Why are they acting so weird?” Dustin looked at her. “You think they were poisoned?!”

“I don’t know!” She shouted. “Stop asking me questions, I’m trying to focus-“

The small red car slammed into something, sending you flying against the metal grate that separated you from the kids up front. You both yelped and groaned in pain, rubbing the back of your heads.

“You alright back there?” Robin asked.

“You’re never driving the Bronco again,” You mumbled, making Steve giggle.

“They’re fine,” Dustin rolled his eyes, hopping out and running to the back to open the doors for you. “Come on. Get out.. LET’S GO!!”

You both began to move before all three of them yanked at your limbs, earning annoyed, slurred grumbles as they shoved you into the elevator again.

“Stay there,” Robin ordered before pressing the buttons.

“It’s not gonna work!” Steve shouted.

“Yeah! It’s not gonna- Woah!”

You both stumbled back as the elevator shot you back up towards the mall with speed.

“I have an idea!” Steve looked at you, hopping onto the red cart beside you. You held it in place as he appeared to surf, whooping and giggling together as he tried to hold his balance.

“They seem drunk,” Erica told Dustin.

“No, I’ve seen them drunk before. And this was not what they acted like,” Robin shook her head. “They’re high.”

“High?!”

“Like on drugs?!”

“ON LIFE, BABY!” You shouted, earning a cheer from Steve before he lost his footing and slammed into the ground. “WIPEOUT!”

You both giggled again. Dustin placed his palm on Steve’s forehead.

“He’s burning up.”

“You’re burning up!”

“One sec- One sec- Steve, hold still!” Dustin parted his eyelids to get a closer look at his eyes, earning whimpers of pain. “His pupils are super dilated.”

“Yeah, because they obviously got drugged!” Robin rolled her eyes, walking over to you. “Look at me. Are you drugged?”

You gasped.

“I would never!” You frowned. “Okay, fine! You caught me. But only because Eddie said it was fun.”

“You got high with Eddie?!” She widened her eyes. You giggled. “I knew you were lying to me when I asked you!”

“Of course I got high with Eddie! He sells weed, Robin. Obviously we smoked the weed,” You rolled your eyes.

“Y/N, look at me! Did the Soviets drug you?” You grabbed her cheeks.

“You are the prettiest girl in the whole world, Robin. No Russian will ever take that away from you. Your beauty is patriotic.”

“What does that even.. Yeah, she’s definitely high,” She brushed you off. “Dustin? How’s it going over there?”

“Steve, are you drugged?” Dustin ignored you both.

“How many times, Dad? I don’t do drugs. It’s only marijuana,” He booped Dustin’s nose.

“This isn’t funny, okay? I need to know what they did to you! Are you gonna die on us?”

“Boop!” He gently slapped his nose. “You both have the cutest noses.”

“Dustin had the cutest little button nose when he was a baby,” You grinned. “Hey, remember when I bet you five bucks you couldn’t fit that lego up your nose? We had to take you to the ER. Speaking of noses, I can’t breathe through mine. Is it still on my face?”

“They’re going to be looking for us up there so I need you to tell me where you parked your car,” Dustin continued to ignore you.

“Oh, can we make a pit stop at the food court?” Steve looked at you.

“I would kill for a hot dog on a stick,” You smiled.

“Ooh!! If these guys didn’t know we made out already, I would kiss you right now!”

“YOU MADE OUT?!” Dustin shouted.

“Dustin! Focus!” Robin shook her head. “Yes, you can eat or make out as much as you want after this but you have to tell us where you parked your car-“

“Uh-oh,” Steve blinked. “The car’s off the board.”

“What?”

“They took the keys!” Steve emptied his pockets. “The Russians, they took the keys! Like forever ago!”

You giggled as Robin searched your pockets, finding them to be just as empty.

“Stop it! That tickles!”

“That’s a bummer, right?” Steve grinned up at Dustin. “Boop!”

The sober kids all stood up, looking at each other with anxious frowns. They all ignored you and Steve’s intoxicated banter, propping you up once the elevator halted and opened. You followed the pack outside, sticking your tongues out to taste the air.

“STOP!” The gates burst open, revealing armed Russian guards.

“SHIT! COME ON! COME ON!”

“GO! GO!”

“RUN, YOU IDIOTS! RUN!”

“WHY ARE WE RUNNING?!” Steve asked as you all sprinted back into the building. You both got herded through the hallways, only pausing when your guides were unsure if the coast was clear. Robin led the way through the familiar path until you all somehow ended up in the movie theater.

“You two! Sit!” She hissed.

“No, no, no! These seats are too close!“

“Dude, these seats blow!”

“Then don’t watch the movie,” Dustin whispered.

“We wanna watch it!” You frowned.

“THEN WATCH IT!”

A round of shushing erupted through the packed room.

“Sorry..” Robin whispered. “Whatever you do, don’t go anywhere.”

“Fine, Mom!” Steve rolled his eyes, making you laugh again. The group all scoffed and wandered off to find their own seats.

“Does this count as a date?” Steve whispered to you.

“Totally,” You nodded. “You even bought us popcorn and everything! Best date ever!”

You reached into the bag and grabbed a fistful of popcorn. You both watched the movie for a few minutes before he looked over at you.

“You’re so pretty,” Steve sighed, completely mesmerized.

“You think I’m pretty?” You giggled.

“Uh, duh! Like, the prettiest ever,” He snorted.

“You’re really pretty too. But God, you can be such a dick sometimes.”

“I really can be. I’m trying not to be one anymore but it’s such a hard habit to break,” He nodded. “If I’m ever too much of a dick, just kiss me. That’s like the red button at the gas station that stops all the gas from flowing if there’s an accident.”

“Your lips are buttons?”

“My lips are dry buttons.”

“Ew! Dry, bloody buttons.”

You both giggled, earning around round of shushing.

“I have a solution for your dry buttons,” You whispered. “Two words. Water. Fountain.”

His eyes lit up, grabbing your hand and leading the way out of the theater. You both stumbled into the lobby, taking turns drinking from the water fountain.

“This water tastes like heaven,” He gulped.

“So, like, I wasn’t totally focused in there or anything but.. I’m pretty sure that mom was trying to bang her son,” You said.

“Wait, wait, the hot chick was Alex P. Keratin’s mom?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

“But they’re the same age.”

“No, but he went back in time.”

“Then why is it called Back to the Future?” He snickered.

“‘Cuz he has to go back to the future because he’s stuck in the past. So the future is actually the present which is his time.”

“… Wh-.. What?”

“‘S a good thing you’re handsome, Harrington,” You sighed. “My mouth’s dry.”

“Here,” He moved aside, presenting you with the fountain. “Drink.”

You grinned, stumbling over before allowing the sweet, cold liquid to flow into your mouth and making its way into your stomach. You couldn’t help but hum with happiness, downing the nectar of the gods.

“See! I can share,” He crossed his arms. “I’m like so good at sharing.”

“You are good at sharing,” You looked up at him. “You always share your slushee with me when you come back from your breaks!”

“Like I’m good at being a part of something.. A couple. I’m good at being in a relationship.”

“What are you even talking about right now?” You giggled.

“I’m telling you that I’d be a good boyfriend,” He scoffed, annoyed that you didn’t get the memo the first time. “I’m like an awesome boyfriend.”

“Steve, The Hair, Harrington? A good boyfriend? How many girls have you slept with since October?” You snorted.

“None that I really liked!” He defended his honor. “It’s not that I didn’t try to like them. They just didn’t really compare to this girl I’m crushing on. The downside of liking her is that she always steals my slushees after my break.”

You giggled, wiping your mouth with your wrist before speaking up again. “I have no clue how you’re so good at relationships. I’m horrible at them.”

“Nah,” He stepped away, looking up at the ceiling as he continued. “You were just with the wrong…” His voice faded as his jaw dropped. “Woah… Hey, Y/N. You gotta check this out.”

You swallowed another mouthful of water before standing up and waltzing over to him. You followed his gaze and were greeted with a light show. The lights danced around, melting into one another and reaching down to kiss your noses. Utterly mesmerized by the show, you didn’t dare look away even as you felt as if the world around you was spinning.

It wasn’t until you both grunted, trying to swallow down the water that attempted to force its way back up, that you both took off running into the bathroom. You coughed and gagged, barely making it to the toilets on time to release the contents in your stomachs. You both retched for about fifteen minutes, only gaining back a semi-sober consciousness after the second to last flush.

“The ceiling stopped spinning for me,” You sighed, laying down on the tile below you. “Is it still spinning for you?”

You heard him shuffle in the stall next to you. “Holy shit. No. You think we puked it all up?”

“Maybe,” You responded. “Ask me something. Interrogate me.”

“Okay,” He chuckled. “Interrogate you, sure, um.. When was the last time you, uh, peed your pants?”

“Today.”

“What?”

“When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw!”

“Oh, my God!” He cackled.

“It was just a little bit, though,” You giggled.

“Yeah, it’s definitely still in her system,” He muttered to himself. You continued to laugh as you sat up, leaning on the wall behind you and crossing your legs.

“Alright, my turn!”

“Okay,” You could tell me was smiling by the way he spoke. “Hit me.”

“Were you actually in love with Nancy?” You asked.

“Kinda. I thought so. It felt like it in the moment,” He sighed. “Were you in love with Eddie?”

“Nah,” You chuckled. “I never thought so.. I think he was right to break up with me. I loved him, I just wasn’t IN love with him, you know? He deserves better than that.”

“Oh.”

“You still kinda in love with Nance?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I think it’s because I found someone who’s a little better for me.”

“Robin?” You teased. He laughed.

“No, not Robin. Hasn’t she told you?”

“Told me what?”

“.. I- no, it’s not really my place to-“

“Oh, that she’s into girls?” You laughed. “Yeah, I’ve known since sophomore year. I’m surprised she told you!”

“Yeah, me too,” He chuckled. “It’s crazy though. Dustin thought she was the one I liked. He kept saying, you know, you gotta find your Suzie. You gotta find your Suzie..”

“Big talk for someone with a fake girlfriend,” You added, making him snort.

“To be honest with you, I’m not 100% sure she’s real either.. But that’s not-that’s not really the point. That doesn’t matter. The point is this girl, you know, the one that I actually like..” He swallowed down the nervous knot in his throat as he continued. “I think Dustin might actually want us to get together more than I do, if that’s possible. And, I don’t even know how exactly I got into the same exact situation I was in as a fourteen year old, but the girl who broke my heart once totally has the power to do it again. She was my biggest and baddest heartbreak, and I’m not entirely sure I ever got over her..

“Especially after Halloween when she held me until I stopped crying and took my back to her place. That night, she was having this nightmare and wouldn’t stop gasping and whimpering until I put my arm around her. Then she just fell right asleep on my chest and it all felt so… right.

“I convinced myself I could put my feelings aside so we could be friends, because I didn’t wanna lose her again but then.. she kissed me and, as if she wasn’t all I thought about before, now it’s like she’s the only thing that is able to dance around my mind. Even when I was getting beat to a pulp, my mind couldn’t wondering if she was okay.

“And she’s funny- I mean so fucking funny. Ever since I became her friend again, it’s like I’ve laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a really long time. And she’s smart. Way smarter than me, like first in her class type of smart. She can crack, like, top secret russian codes and.. She’s honestly unlike anyone I’ve ever met before…” He finally paused, feeling his heart drop at your silence. His knuckles knocked on your stall. “Y/N? … Y/N, did you just OD in there?”

“No..” You drew in a shaky breath. “I am still alive..”

A brief silence ensued before you watched his legs slide under the stall, the rest of his body following along, before he propped himself on the wall opposite you.

“The floor’s disgusting,” You scrunched your nose, wincing a bit at the pain that erupted throughout it.

“Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so..” He smiled softly as you let out a breathy chuckle. Your face fell as you got a better look at his battered up features. You reached forward, gently lifting his chin to examine the damage.

“Jesus, they got you good..” You breathed. He shrugged.

“At least my nose isn’t broken,” He teased.

“Does it look broken?” Your eyes widened, making him chuckle again.

“Little bit, yeah. It could just be swollen though,” He nodded, looking down at it sympathetically. You sighed, letting your head hit the wall behind you at you both sat in silence once more. “So, what do you think?”

“About?”

“This girl.”

“I think..” You drew in a breath before looking into his eyes. “She’s scared.”

“Of.. losing the friendship?” He blinked, trying to fill in the blank. “Of telling him she doesn’t feel the same way?”

“No, it’s definitely not that,” You shook your head. “She’s scared because she does want this boy in the same way but she doesn’t know if she can offer him what he wants.. What he deserves… She’s scared because you.. You have this way of tearing down the walls that I’ve strategically placed for relationships. Steve, I’m scared because I don’t know if I could fight it with you.”

“Fight what?” He blinked. You looked down. “The urge to leave again?”

“The urge fall in love again,” You shook your head, briefly looking into his eyes before fixing your gaze on your fingers.

“I wouldn’t..” He leaned forward with a serious look, adjusting his body so that his arms rested on your knees. “I wouldn’t hurt you, you know. I actually don’t think I have it in me to hurt you. Look, I know it’s scary to put your heart in someone else’s hands but we can take things slow, you know? As slow as you want. We don’t even have to say the L word. Maybe not for like the first year or two-“

“Years!?” You couldn’t help but giggle at his future plans. Part of you was shocked at how natural it sounded falling from his lips and how badly you wanted that. You couldn’t put your finger on what exactly made it so different with him. For the first time ever, the thought of spending years with someone didn’t scare you. It didn’t send you running for the hills. Nor did it make you shut down emotionally.

It excited you.

“I mean, yeah. Is that too soon? We could wait for year five or ten if it makes you feel better,” He shrugged, making you laugh. “Look, my point is, I know how you feel about relationships. But this one would be on your terms. We’ll take it as slow as you need to. Every milestone, every kiss, everything- I promise I won’t do any of it without your consent. I just.. I want this. I want you.. so bad.”

“I want you, too,” You smiled, feeling him happily squeeze your thighs. “So bad.”

“Okay, but just making sure, this is like official, right?” He blinked. “Like officially exclusive?”

“Yes, Steve, it’s officially exclusive,” You laughed.

“Like, how exclusive?” He clarified. “Like when people ask me if I’m single, do I say I’m seeing someone or do I tell them I have a girlfriend?”

You threw your head back in laughter.

“What?! It’s a serious question!”

“Is this seriously your way of asking me to be your girlfriend?”

“What? Is one drugged up movie date and a couple makeout sessions too quick to ask?” He chuckled.

“No, but that’s the least romantic way I’ve ever been asked to go steady with someone!”

“What?! The whole first part was super romantic!” He laughed. “That was like the most romantic thing that’s ever come out of my mouth! Come on, Henderson- I have to get some points for that speech.”

“That was a very romantic speech,” You admitted.

“Thank you!” He playfully shouted, causing you both to giggle for a moment before your eyes locked once more. You felt him gently rub your skin with his thumb, looking at your lips with those dreamy eyes of his. “I wanna kiss you so bad but your nose really does look wonky. It’s like tilting to the side.”

“Shut up!” You giggled, holding your side as the pain began to sink in again. “Stop making me laugh- it hurts!”

“Plus we just puked so that would be the worst tasting kiss ever,” He added, dropping his forehead on your shoulder as you both erupted into a cackling fit. The door beside you burst open to reveal Robin, your brother, and Erica looking at you both with annoyance.

“Okay, what the hell?!” Dustin shouted. You both froze for a moment before looking at one another. It only took a single snort from your mouth for you both to burst into laughter again. He slapped your leg, falling back as you both wheezed and held your stomachs, hoping to ease the pain stabbing at your bruised ribs.

“Get them off the floor. The movie’s almost over. We need to move,” Robin huffed. The children helped you both up before you all wandered into the back hallways again.

You reached the lobby just in time to catch the crowd as they exited the movie theater. The kids led you into the mass, allowing you to blend in as you all walked out.

“That actually worked,” You smiled.

“Of course it worked. It was my plan,” Robin scoffed.

“Now all we have to do is get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come!” Dustin smirked.

“Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house,” Steve spoke hesitantly.

“Why?”

“Well, I might’ve told them your full name.”

“And address,” You nodded.

Dustin’s eyes widened. “What is wrong with you?”

“Dude, I was drugged!” Steve blinked.

“So?”

“So?!”

“So you resist! You tough it out! You tough it out like a man!”

“That’s easy for you to say!” You stepped in. “You weren’t-“

“Guys..?” Robin muttered. You all looked up to see the same Russian soldiers checking ticket stubs at the exit. You paused just as they looked over at you.

“Abort. Abort! Abort!”

You twirled around again, taking off towards the food court. Once you reached the escalators, you chose to slide between them to speed you all up. The group followed you as you led them towards the pizza place. You all crouched down behind the counter, hugging your knees and breathing quietly as you heard several footsteps descend from the escalator.

Men spoke quietly, moving even quieter as they searched the place for any sign of you. Steve took your hand in his, squeezing it tightly as those footsteps collectively close closer. You clenched your eyes shut, preparing yourself for the worst, when a car horn began to blare loudly through the vast space.

You all jumped, freezing in place before the men screamed and a series of ear piercing sounds echoed through the room until something finally crashed loudly behind you.

You all looked at one another with confusion before peaking your heads out from behind the counter to see what that was about.

Your eyes took in the view: bloodied men scattered about and a car crashed into the mall to your right.

To your left, stood Eleven. Dustin’s friends ran up from behind her, along with Nancy and Jonathan. You all let out sighs of relief before running to go meet with them.

“THAT’S MY GIRL!” You shouted, following your brother to the escalators.

“You flung that think like a Hot Wheel!” Dustin giggled, running into Mike and Eleven’s arms.

“Lucas?!” Erica cried.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Ask them. It’s their fault,” She pointed at you.

“True, yeah. Totally true. It’s absolutely our fault,” Steve nodded.

“I don’t understand what happened to that car,” Robin looked at you.

“El has superpowers,” Dustin spoke up as you opened your mouth to explain.

“I’m sorry?”

“She threw that thing with her mind,” You agreed.

“Come on. Catch up,” Steve rolled his eyes.

“That’s El??” Erica asked.

“Who’s El?!”

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Nancy asked you.

“Cracking a top secret code,” You frowned. “Why do you think we were hiding from those Russians?”

“Russians?!” Jonathan asked you. “Wait, what Russians? And why are you both all bloody?”

“The Russians!” Steve pointed at the bodies behind you.

“Those were Russians?!” Max questioned.

“Some of them,” Erica added.

“And we’re fine, thank you for asking,” You rolled your eyes.

“What are you talking about?!” Lucas waved his arms.

“Didn’t you hear our code red?” Dustin asked.

“Yeah, but I couldn’t understand half of what you were saying!” Mike explained.

“Goddamn low battery!”

“How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?!” You and Steve shouted simultaneously.

“Well, everything worked out, didn’t it?!”

“Worked out! We almost died!” Erica scoffed.

“Yeah, but we didn’t, did we?” Dustin snapped.

“It was pretty damn close.”

“Can we please go back to the whole Russian thing?! They’re working for the Russian government?”

“What are you not comprehending?!” Dustin rolled his eyes. “Am I not speaking English? We have a full-blown Red Dawn situation!”

“So this has nothing to do with the gate?” Max looked up at you.

“It has everything to do with they gate,” You shook your head. “They built this machine that’s opening-“

A thud and yelp behind you interrupted you mid sentence. You all turned to see Eleven lying on the ground with bloody actively running from her nose. You quickly ran over to her, crowding around her as she whimpered in pain.

“My leg!” She responded to the questions. “My leg!”

“Move! Let me through,” You pushed aside the kids before unwrapping her bandage to reveal a very infected, oozing wound with something white bulging from the middle. You all exclaimed in disgust, gagging and groaning at the sight before whatever sat inside the wound began to violently thrash around. El groaned before letting out a pained scream. You felt Steve pull you back as you all watched helplessly for a moment as the young girl screamed and sobbed.

“What do we do?!” He asked you. All eyes landed on you.

“I don’t know!” You shouted, looking back at the wound that moved around, making painful, gushing sounds. “I don’t know! I don’t know!”

“Think!”

“I DON’T KNOW!” You screamed, heaving as you looked up. The kids fell silent for a moment before your eyes lit up and your heart sunk at the idea that popped into your head. “Someone get me a clean, sanitized knife.”

——-

#steve harrington #joe keery #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things imagine #steve harrington slowburn #steve harrington fic #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fluff

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 6: E Pluribus Unum

summary: steve and y/n get caught and drugged by the commies (and indirectly continue to explore the idea of being together)

word count: girl, i stopped keeping track but it’s a lot shorter than the previous chapter

“The gate?” Robin asked you all walked back down the stairs. “I don’t understand, you’ve seen this before?”

“Robs, remember when you asked when I’d tell you the rest of the story? If we get out of here alive, I will tell you every detail. But all you need to know is that this is bad,” You explained as you guided the group away from the door.

“It’s really bad,” Steve echoed. “Bad enough that Y/N let her relationship go to shit just to keep this a secret kind of bad.”

“Like end of the human race as we know it kind of bad,” Dustin shouted.

“This is the secret?” Robin’s eyes widened. “Jesus! I thought it was something normal like a weird sexual experience or cancer!”

“You thought I had cancer?!” You frowned. “Why the hell would I keep that a secret?!”

“I thought you were embarrassed or something!”

“OF HAVING CANCER?!”

“Hey!” Steve shouted over you. “Where’s the Russian guy?”

You all looked around to see an otherwise empty room only to have an alarm begin to blare as red and blue lights began to blink along with it.

“Shit,” Steve muttered before running over to the door. He looked out of it before slamming it shut. “Shit. Go, go, go, GO! GO! LET’S MOVE!”

You all took off running up the stairs again, bursting into the glass room, earning the gazes of all eight scientists. You didn’t stick around long enough to look back, whipping a left and taking off into another set of stairs.

Guards were now gaining on you as you ran beside the nuclear machine.

“Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy SHIT!”

“This way!” You shouted, grabbing Dustin’s arm and pulling him behind you. Steve stepped in front of you, shoving a guard off of the stairs before leading the way once again. You both shoved barrels against the guards before taking off towards another door.

“Go! Go!”

“I’M GOING!”

“Close the door!!”

“Y/N!” Steve called as he attempted to press the door shut as it continued to receive a series of. You stopped in your tracks, turning around to help him keep it shut. “Help! Help me!”

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” You shouted, slamming your body weight into the metal door.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Erica screamed.

“Come on!” Dustin echoed.

“Go! Just get out of here!” Steve shouted.

“No! Come on! Now!” Robin waved you both towards the air vent.

“No! Just go get them out!”

“What?! Without you?!”

“Robin, go with them!” You grunted.

“No way!”

“Please!” You grunted as another series of bangs ensued. “Keep him safe, Robin. Please!”

She looked at your with wide, teary eyes before nodding and ushering the kids out of the room. Dustin stopped and looked back.

“What are you doing?!” Steve shouted.

“Dustin, GO!”

“I won’t forget you!” He sobbed.

“GO!” You both shouted before he closed the small hatchet and disappeared.

As if on cue, enough pressure was placed on the other side of the door to send you and Steve sliding to the other side of the room. The guards rushed in, pointing guns and shouting at the two of you.

You could only hold your hands in the air, hoping it would be enough to prove that you were not a threat.

———

“Who do you work for?” A Russian woman asked before giving you a harsh slap to the face.

“Scoops Ahoy,” You gasped. “I swear! I swear it! If you let me out, I can show you my birth certificate. Passport. Family pictures-“

The woman stepped back and nodded to the big guard, signaling him to continue on with the torture.

“WAIT! Wait, wait! Please! I’m a student at Hawkins High-“

The man approached before curling his fingers into a fat fist, winding back and punching you in the stomach, knocking the wind straight out of you. You wheezed, leaning forward in the chair before you felt a hand grab your shoulder and push your chair back on its hind legs.

“I can make this very simple for you,” The beautiful Russian woman dressed in a lab coat purred. “You tell me secrets. I make death less painful.”

“Death?! Look, look, at me! Does it look like I am physically fit enough to be an American spy? I can’t even climb up those ropes in gym class!” You breathed as she set you down. “Look at my outfit! Why would I-“

Another blow to the stomach, this time from her and in the same spot that was still throbbing with pain from the man’s meaty wrist.

“How did you get in?”

“The loading dock,” You breathed. “I followed my friends there. We just wanted to smoke some weed and then the room was falling!”

“Anyone ever tell you that you are shit liar, American?”

“Yeah, I get told that fairly often,” You nodded, preparing for another punch. “Not the face, please. Not the.. Is that a knife? OKAY! Okay! I’ll tell you!”

“Who do you work for?”

“I really do work for Scoops Ahoy. The children that were with us built some stupid radio tower and accidentally intercepted your communication.”

“Another lie.”

“No! It’s the truth! I-“

A blow landed to your nose, causing you to let out a pained scream. You swore you heard it crunch under the sudden and immense pressure. Your hands shot up to your face as the blood began to trickle down your upper lip and into your mouth

“If you lie again, the next thing to touch your nose will be my knife,” She purred.

“I’m not lying!” You choked out. “I put it on my life. I really didn’t think we would find anything! I only joined because I was tired of having to serve ice cream to my ex-boyfriend. I kept having to serve him the Jelly Explosion because Steve told me to and- and if you let us go, I will never, ever utter another word! I’ll even quit my job!”

“Jelly Explosion?” She asked. “Is that some code?”

“No. It’s just a play on words. It sounds like jealous ex-boyfriend.”

She looked over at the man beside her. You clenched your eyes shut, expecting another blow when they burst into a fit of laughter without so much as a notice.

“You Americans are funny!”

“Jelly Explosion!”

“Like Jealous Ex-Boyfriend!”

You simply stared in confusion. It had never been that funny to you. And it came from the boy you had on a crush on. They wiped their tears of laughter away before looking at you one more time.

“Take her away.”

“Take me away?! Where’s away??”

“One more word and we cut tongue out.”

Guards untied you from your chair before picking you up by the arms and yanking you towards another room. You walked in silence for a few minutes before you were thrown into a surgical room. You groaned, feeling your bruised ribs explode in pain as you landed on the floor next to an unconscious Steve.

“Steve! .. Steve?” You breathed, crawling towards him to realize that he was twice as battered up as you were. “Oh, my God. What did you do to him? What did you do?!”

You received another slap to the face by the sturdy man who led the pack. His finger had caught a bit of your nose, making you scream again before falling to the ground as you curled up into a ball. Your ears rang and your vision turned white with pain.

They’d only given you a moment before taping you back to back in a couple of chairs.

“Steve? Steve, wake up. Talk to me. Let me know you’re alive, Harrington,” You spoke.

“I think your friend need a doctor,” The man smiled down at you. “Good thing we have the very best.“

“Don’t worry, girl,” The woman smiled before grabbing your broken nose between her fingers. You let out a choked whimper. “He’ll take good care of this nose. Maybe even prettier.”

She spoke in his language before the group walked away. You allowed your head to fall back onto Steve’s neck, groaning in pain.

“Those bastards,” He slurred, voice weak. “Promised me they wouldn’t touch you.”

“Steve,” You breathed with relief at the sound of his voice. “Oh, my God. Are you okay?”

“Ears are ringing and I can’t really breathe and my eye feels like it’s about to pop out of my skull but, you know, apart from that..” He wheezed taking in a shallow breath. “I’m doing pretty good. You?”

“I can’t breathe out of my nose and I think they broke a rib or two but hey.. I’ve got 24 of them. I think I can spare two,” You responded. He let out a breathy chuckle before groaning from the pain it caused. “They’re calling you a doctor, whatever that means.”

“Is this his place of work?” He asked, making you laugh. “I love the vibe. Charming.”

“Ow-ow. Don’t make me laugh,” You breathed. He gently pressed the back of his head to yours. You leaned back on him, feeling the anxiety in your stomach ease up at his touch.

“Sorry I got you into this mess, Henderson,” He muttered.

“Nothing to apologize for, Harrington,” You smiled softly. “It’s all Dustin’s fault if you think about it.”

“Yeah, what a dick,” He joked.

“Such a dick.”

“.. I am glad you’re here with me, though.”

“I’m glad you’re here with me, too,” You smiled. “But I wish we were, like, anywhere else.”

“Got any idea how we can get out of this one, Einstein?” He teased. You looked over to your left to see a table with sharp medical supplies.

“I might have one,” You blinked. “See that table to your right?”

“Uh, huh.”

“See those scissors? Yeah, well, I think that if we move at the same time, we can get over there. And then maybe I can kick the table over and knock them into your lap.”

“And I could cut the binds.”

“Yeah, and we could get the hell out of here!”

“Gotcha. Okay, yeah, we can do that. We could totally do that. Those morons! They left scissors in here?”

“Such morons!” You laughed, ignoring the pain in your side.

“Total morons!” He chuckled.

“Okay. On the count of three, we hop.”

You hopped only twice before the chair slipped out from under you, causing you both to fall to on your sides and hit the ground hard. You both groaned.

“You okay back there? Hey, are you crying? It’s okay, Y/N. I’ll-..” He asked when he heard your shaky breaths. He swore you were sobbing before he heard the familiar snort that was reserved only for the utmost hilarious situations. “Are you laughing?”

“How do we always get into these life or death situations together?” You giggled, thanking the adrenaline for the pain relief.

“We’ve only actually survived these situations because we’ve stuck together,” He laughed.

“Guess we make a pretty good team, huh?”

“We could be a much safer team if we just cut ties with Dustin,” He joked. You laughed again.

“Can you believe he said ‘I’ll always remember you’ before he left?” You shook your head.

“As if that would make anything better,” He snorted. “Gotta love him though. No matter how pushy or nosy he is.“

“So nosy!”

“Has he been pestering you too?”

“About asking you out? Oh, you have no idea. He hasn’t shut up about it since he saw us slow dancing at the Snow Ball,” You chuckled. “He says you’re the only guy besides Eddie that he wouldn’t mind having as a brother.”

“Ah,” Steve nodded. “Of course he’s a fan of Eddie.”

“The kid adores him,” You rolled your eyes. “Consider yourself lucky for being an only child, Harrington. There’s nothing more offensive than having a sibling that likes your ex more than they like you.”

“Well, in his defense, he didn’t see the aftermath of the breakup. I’m sure he’d hate him for life if he saw how broken you were after the Snow Ball,” Steve sighed. “.. Do you mind me asking what happened that night?”

“I guess I never did tell you, did I?” You blinked, taking in a small breath of courage. “Eddie was convinced that I was in love with you. Keeping all of those secrets from him didn’t help my case. Combine being secretive, showing up to his house in your car a few times, and slow dancing together with the fact that I couldn’t say the three words that would make him stay, and you have yourself a recipe for a breakup.”

“He thought you were in love with me?” Steve raised his brows, anxious to hear more.

“Yup.. I remember him saying that if I could just tell him that I was in love with him, then he’d take everything back, fall on his knees for forgiveness. But..”

“You couldn’t say it,” He remembered hearing Nancy talk about that. How she’d never truly understand your stance on love. Your avoidance of even saying to word.

But Steve understood. You’d come over on a rainy summer night in 1981, the night before your stepfather’s funeral. You spoke to him about how broken your mother was, about how you never wanted to feel that or cause anyone else to cry the way your mother did. It was the inception of the avoidance.

Steve understood that you were able to love. You were probably the most loving and caring person he knew. You just struggled to say it, feeling as though it was still in your control if it was left unsaid.

The night he picked up the broken pieces from the school’s parking lot proved that theory. You were in love. Nothing you said or didn’t say changed just how heartbroken you were.

“But you did love him,” Steve said softly.

“I did,” You agreed. “I still do. But I was never in love with him, you know what I mean?”

“That’s such bullshit. Who cries like that over someone they aren’t in love with?”

“I grieved the loss of a friend, not a boyfriend,” You argued. “Trust me, I cried a hell of a lot harder over you.”

“Did you really?” He laughed.

“Oh, yeah! I cried for months!” You giggled. “My thirteen-year-old self was fully convinced we were going to get married and have kids. I definitely never felt the same way with Eddie. He always felt so..”

“Temporary?” He offered. You hummed hesitantly is response. “Yeah, I felt the same way about Nance. Cried a hell of a lot harder for you, too. Weird how we had a better grasp of love in middle school and we do as young adults. I always thought it’d be the other way around.”

“.. Maybe we’ve just been with the wrong people,” You sighed.

“You think so?” He turned to look at you to meet your gaze, a smile creeping onto his features when he saw the coy one that decorated yours.

“I’m starting to-“

The buzzer interrupted your sweet moment, followed by the heavy footsteps of the guard and their doctor.

“Ha! Where were you two going?” The decorated officer tsked before helping his accomplice lift you both back up. “Try telling the truth this time, yes? It will make your visit with Dr. Zharkov less painful.”

You heard Steve wince behind you before the doctor approached you both with a large syringe and even larger needle.

“Wait a second. Wait. Hold on. Okay! Wait, wait, wait! What is that thing?!” Steve yelped.

“It will help you talk,” The bald doctor spoke.

“Did you even clean that thing?-”

You’d never heard Steve scream like that in your life. You tried to turn to see what was going on but the guard held your jaw tightly in his hand.

“Hold. Still.”

“What are- Wait! You’re hurting him! Please, stop!”

“Your turn.”

“WAIT!”

———

“… Honestly, I don’t really feel anything,” Steve leaned his head on yours again. “Do you?”

“I mean, I.. I feel fine,” You said. “I feel normal.”

“Yeah, I feel- I feel fine,” His voice faded before he spoke in a lisp. “I kinda feel good.”

You both laughed.

“Wanna know a secret?”

“What?”

“I like it, too,” You giggled.

“Morons! They messed up the drug!” He laughed.

“They messed it up!” Your heads began feeling heavy and kept falling every which way. “Morons!”

“Morons!”

“Hey, morons!”

“There’s definitely something wrong with us,” You told him.

“Something’s totally wrong!”

The same group walked in following the buzzer again.

“Steve, those are bad tools,” You whispered. “Shiny tools. Pretty tools.”

“Let’s try this again, yes?” The man asked. “Who do you work for?”

“Scoops,” Steve said before you both giggled again. “Scoops Ahoy.”

“How did you find us?”

“Totally by accident.” You both giggled again.

The man growled a sentence in Russian to the doctor.

“What is that shiny little toy?” Steve asked.

“Where are you going with that, doc?” You smiled.

“Woah, woah, hey, hey- WAIT! NO- WAIT! WOAH! WOAH! WOAH!” Steve scrambled for words as the sharp tool was angled beneath his nail, ready to impale.

“THERE WAS A CODE!” You shouted. “We heard a code!”

“Code,” The man said. “What code?”

“The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. Blah, blah, blah,” You laughed. “You broadcast that stupid spy shit all over town, and we picked it up on our Cerebro, and we cracked it in a day. A day!! You think you’re so smart, but a couple of kids who scoop ice cream for a living cracked your code in a DAY, and now, people know you’re here!”

“Who knows we are here, little bitch?!”

“Uh, well, Dustin knows,” Steve mumbled.

“Hey, Steve?” You blinked, not feeling comfortable with the fact that he was bringing Dustin’s name into this.

“Yeah, Dustin Henderson, he knows! That’s our little brother!”

“Steve!”

“Dustin Henderson. Is this your small, curly-haired friend?”

“No, no, no-“

“Oh, curly-haired. Great hair. Small. Kind of like a ‘fro. Yeah,” Steve grinned at the thought of his friend.

“Where is he?”

“He’s long gone, you big asshole,” He snorted. “Probably calling Hopper, and Hopper’s calling the US cavalry. They’re gonna come in here, commando-style, guns a-blazin’, and kick your sorry asses back to Russia. You’re gonna be two pieces of toast.”

You both erupted into snickers. The man got very quiet, leaning down and whispering, “Is that so?”

“Uh, yeah.” More giggles. The doctor and soldier began laughing with you before the alarm began to blare once more. The guards left, leaving you with the doctor. You both giggled, trying to tell him jokes until you saw a familiar curly haired boy run in and a sudden blue light appear from the other side of the metal rod Robin was holding.

“Hey! Henderson!”

“It’s my best friends!”

“That’s crazy. We were just talking about you!”

“Yeah, like literally two minutes ago.”

“Or was it twenty?”

“Shut up! Dustin, cut them loose!” Robin ordered before looking at you two. “Get ready to run!”

———

As always, please feel free to DM me or leave a comment on my stories! I love to hear your feedback and interact with all of you!! Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

Next chapter will come out Monday, Oct 24th at 9:00 AM CDT

A/N: almost done with the third season, bitches 😏💅🏽 just two more weeks! and one more season until the end of the series?! brb, i’m not okay :,)

@reallysparklychaos @katsukiswrld @yashirawr @001andeddiearetodiefor @thatmarvelchick19 @fixtionlover @b3rrysoda @tpwksummer @dawnyboy @rexorangecouny @kimmchijjajang @efvyqrs @lou-la-lou @nycbaby21 @satsuri3su @agustdeeyaa @boisteroussquirrel l @fangeekkk @persephonesnebula nebula @starstruckspring @bbyharlow @edithsvoice @harrycanyonmoonn @sharkswithsocks @xm00nl1ght @lqveharrington @earthtostory @boobabietch @captainmarvelindisguise @astrumark @scoopsr0bin @hannahdoesstuff @homeofthepeculiar @potatoflavoured @binxy y @ultrunning @azgucci @blogginjh @burdenedbliss @chervbs @lentil-s0up @ameliabs-world @mess-is-my-aesthetic @hopefulgardenerfun @munsonharringtonhargrovemadness @sometimesamysometimesjo

#steve harrington #steve harrington slowburn #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington fic #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things imagine #stranger things

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Note

Are you planning to continue the story once season 5 comes out?

I would be open to continuing the series when season 5 drops, yes! But here’s the thing, although Stranger Things’s plot in season 4 ends in a cliffhanger, I plan on ending UDF 4 in a way that closes the MC’s coming of age story.

This is the story of a girl who believed she wasn’t capable of love, and refused to explore the idea due to the risk of heartbreak, putting aside her traumas and allowing herself to fall completely and utterly in love. And my ending of season 4 accomplishes that.

Depending on how season 5 goes and where I am in life, I might continue to write for this series. However, I plan on leaving my version of season 4 in a way that provides proper closure.

Fret not, my friend. No matter what I end up deciding, Upside Down Feelings will have the ending it deserves. The ending Steve and Y/N (and their loved ones) deserve.

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 5: The Flayed

summary: the scoops troop gets caught inside the russian lab

word count: suuuuper fucken long i’m so sorry (no i’m not)

tw: borderline fluff and angst???

“WE’RE GOING DOWN! WE’RE GOING DOWN!”

“NO SHIT, HARRINGTON!” You and Robin shouted.

“STEVE, LET GO!” You shouted as you continued to free fall even faster by the second. He still had you pressed against his chest, refusing to let go and insisting that-

“NO! I’M PROTECTING YOU-“

Dustin and Erica ran towards the buttons, clicking away amongst the chaos before the room finally came to violent stop. You both tumbled toward, resulting in your face on the floor and Steve sprawled out heavily on top of you, his backside to yours.

“My groin,” He whimpered.

“Get off!” You grunted.

“Give me a second! A titanium box just went directly into my dick.. Jesus,” He hissed. “Dustin! Get this off of me!”

Your brother stumbled over and lifted the box, allowing you both to get up.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, I’m great now that Russians can’t design elevators!” Steve shouted, shoving the kids out of the way to mess with the buttons again.

“I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work,” You rolled your eyes.

“They’re buttons! They have to do something!” He argued before twirling around and pressing them individually.

“Yeah, if we had a keycard!” Robin shrugged.

“What?”

“It’s an electronic lock,” You pointed out, walking over to the silver pad on the door to show him. “Same as the loading dock door. If we don’t have a keycard, it won’t operate. Meaning-“

“We’re stuck in here,” Dustin finished.

“Yeah,” You softened your voice as you looked at your brother. Steve ran another hand through his hair before hopelessly closing the button door.

“Just so you nerds know are aware,” Erica spoke up with confidence. “I’m supposed to be spending the night at Tina’s. And Tina always covers for me. But if I’m not home for Uncle Jack’s party tomorrow, and my mom finds out you four are responsible, she’s gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throats.”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT TINA OR UNCLE JACK’S PARTY!” Steve snapped, slamming his hands on a box. “Your mom’s not gonna be able to find us if we’re dead in a Russian elevator.”

Erica hummed thoughtfully in response, as if to say ‘I hadn’t thought of that’.

“What if we climbed out?” Dustin pointed up towards the escape hatch. You looked at Steve with raised eyebrows. He only nodded.

“Alright, you guys stay down here. We’ll check it out,” He said.

You hopped onto the table, opening the hatch before pulling yourself up. Steve was only three seconds behind you. You stabilized your footing before looking up. The older boy beside you let out a hopeless breath. The elevator shaft went on for what appeared to be ever.

“What’s taking so long?“ Dustin asked as he climbed up. “Oh..”

“What was that you were saying about climbing out?” Steve muttered.

“Oh! I still have my walkie! Maybe I can-“

“We’re hundreds of feet underground and surrounded my metal and cement,” You rolled your eyes. “I doubt that signal would even reach the mall.”

“I have to try.”

“Let him. There’s no harm in trying,” Steve placed his hands on his hips. “I mean, what other option do we have?”

“Fine,” You sighed. “But at least save the battery for when the mall opens. You’d have a better shot at someone being in range then. Try and get some rest until then, alright?”

“You expect me to just rest?” Dustin challenged. “Really? After-“

“Dude, just listen to your sister. Try again in the morning and get some sleep. There’s not much else to do right now,” Steve interrupted. Dustin huffed out a breath before climbing back down into the elevator. Steve extended his arm towards the hatch. “After you.”

Once you all were together again, you all began talking about ways you could open the door. You tried various methods to no avail. Hours went by before you eventually gave up, watching as the children and Robin fell asleep.

“Jesus, that girl can sleep through a tornado,” You finally muttered in the silence, making Steve chuckle.

“Remember that one time she fell asleep while eating ice cream during a shift,” Steve admitted.

“Yeah,” You snorted. “She had fudge on her face for like an hour and kept asking us why people were looking at her like this.”

You tilted your head, furrowing your eyebrows and scrunching your nose. Steve shook his head, letting out a breathy chuckle. You both fell back into silence. It differed from the comfortable silence you sat in only a moment earlier, seeing as you both knew the other was wide awake.

“..Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?” He finally asked.

“I’d rather not,” You muttered.

“Why not?”

“Because it was an accident.”

“An accident?” He deadpanned.

“A mistake. An accident. Call it what you will but-“

“I just wasn’t aware that you could accidentally make out with someone for half an hour,” He smirked.

“Okay, so we’re talking about it,” You sighed, standing up and dusting yourself off.

“What are you doing?” He frowned.

“I’d rather not talk about this with my brother in the room,” You nodded at the sleeping boy and hopped on the table before looking back at Steve. “You coming?”

You waited for him to climb up to the elevator shaft before you began speaking again.

“Okay, look- that kiss..” As phenomenal as it was. “It shouldn’t have happened. We’re still just friends, okay? I don’t want anything to change just because of-“

“Is that how you kiss all of your friends?” He challenged. “I don’t buy it. I mean you’re the one who started it.”

“I started it?!”

“Yeah, you started it!”

“I did not,” You scoffed.

“Oh, Steve!” He mocked, batting his lashes. “Please don’t die! I don’t what I would do with myself if you got hurt!”

“I don’t sound like that,” You punched his arm.

“You’re right,” He laughed. “It’s a little more nasally. It sounds more like this-“

“Why are you such a dick to me sometimes?” You laughed.

“Because I’m constantly fighting the urge to kiss you,” He admitted casually and without hesitation as he ran a hand through his sun kissed locks. “I guess it’s just easier to do when we’re arguing.”

Your lips parted as your eyes danced around between his own, scanning for any hint of a joking glint or smirk. But he was dead serious, with only the familiar faint smile that decorated his lips when he was in your presence ever so slightly decorating his pink lips.

“Look, if it genuinely was a mistake, then I won’t ever bring it up again. We can go back to the way things were, no matter how badly I wanna kiss you again,” His eyes darted down to your own lips for a moment, giving you a moment to object before he took a step closer.

“-But if it wasn’t.. If, by chance,” He let his hands trace down your arms, a shiver following behind them as they slid from your shoulders to your elbows. His touch was electric. “.. You can’t stop thinking about me either..” His voice was now nothing but a whisper as he inched in, eyes locked on your lips as if he just couldn’t pull them away. His silky tongue nervously glided over his own before he let the final words spill from them.

“-Then please don’t ever let me stop kissing you.”

He was so close now that you could feel his breath dance across your upper lip. You wanted to fight it. But it was so hard to think when he caressed your cheek like that. You wanted to stop it- to allow your friendship to return to what it was.

But who were you kidding?

This friendship was built off of nothing but passion. And now that you knew what his lips tasted like, what they felt like.. He was more addictive than nicotine, and boy did you want a hit. His plump lips ever so lightly grazed over your own, but he dared not properly touch you until you gave him your consent.

He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew from the moment you didn’t step away from him. That kiss was no mistake.

You felt the exact same way.

“Fuck it,” You whispered hopelessly before pulling him in and closing the distance between you. Your hands trailed into his hair and under his shirt. His own did the same, hungry to touch every part of you. Desperately trying to close any distance left between your bodies.

His kiss was intoxicating. It was like nothing you’d ever experienced before. Every movement, every breath was made in synchronized harmony. His soft lips massaged your own, allowing every pent up emotion from the past few years out in the form of passion. His tongue slid across your lower lip. You allowed him access without second thought as he walked you into the wall behind you.

He parted from the kiss only to lay a trail of sloppy kisses down your jaw and neck, basking in the glory of those soft, almost inaudible noises that fell from your mouth when he kissed behind your ear.

Your hand cupped his jaw, eagerly bringing his lips back to your own. You continued to kiss, slowing your pace a bit, for a few more minutes until you heard rustling under you.

“Y/N?” You heard your brother’s sleepy voice call. “Steve?”

“We’re up here, Dustin,” You responded, sighing as you pulled away. Steve groaned with frustration before stepping away from you, keeping a respectable distance as Dustin poked his head up from the hatch.

“What are you guys doing up here?” He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“Just checking for any way to get out,” Steve shrugged. “What time is it?”

“8:00,” Dustin grunted as he pulled himself up. “Mall just opened. I’m gonna try the walkie.”

“Good luck with that,” You patted your brother’s back as you walked towards the hatch.

———

“Code red. Code red. Does anyone copy? This is a code red, I repeat, a code red.”

“God, he’s still at it?” Robin huffed.

“We are innocent children and we are trapped under Starcourt Mall.”

“You wanna handle that or should I?” Steve asked you.

“The Red Army had infiltrated Hawkins, and if we are found, they will torture and kill us.”

“All yours.”

“Hey!” Steve shouted before poking his head out to speak with your brother. “Gotta it easy on that thing. You’re gonna drain the battery.”

“Someone could be in range.”

“What do you think, Petey the Mall Cop is gonna rappel down here and save the day?” Steve grunted as he pulled himself up for what felt like the millionth time that night.

“Alright, why are you such a cranky pants after getting to spend the night with Y/N-“

“Shh! Jesus Christ,” Steve hushed. “I’ve never met anyone that is so invested in their sibling’s love life. It’s kinda creepy. Just give it up already.”

“I heard you guys talking all night.”

“Yeah, we were trying to figure out a way to get out of here while you children were sleeping,” Steve said.

“Oh? And how exactly did making out with my sister help with that?” Dustin raised his brows. Steve paused, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He debated denying it, but he knew by the boy’s look that he wasn’t bluffing.

“.. By clearing our heads? Relieving some stress?” He offered. Your brother scoffed.

“Where’d that get you?”

“Nowhere, Dustin. We’re exactly nowhere and you know, that’s probably just a little bit of the reason why I’m feeling just.. a tad cranky,” Steve walked over to the other wall and unzipped his pants.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking a leak. Look away,” Steve ordered. “Look away!”

“Can you redirect your stream, please?” He heard you call with disgust before a series of banging ensued. They listened as Robin scolded Erica before you all fell silent. He finished up, zipping his pants up again and turning around to continue to conversation before you poked your head through the hatch.

“We’ve got company,” You breathed to the boys, helping Erica up. You and Robin climbed up hastily before you all watched Russian guards open the door and carry off the boxes below you.

You pressed your finger to your lips, urging the children to keep still and quiet and Steve got a closer look through the elevator’s grate.

Only then did you realize that Erica had held into the green liquid. You didn’t dare react, not wanting to risk her saying or doing something that would give you away as the men below you cleared out the elevator.

Once the coast was clear, Steve grabbed the container from young girl, jumping down and shoving it between the door and the floor to keep it from shutting.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!”

You pushed the children out before crawling under it yourselves. Steve paused to look at the glass that began to crack before feeling you yank him out only two seconds before the door slammed shut, shattering the container.

The green liquid began to burn through the metal and concrete. You watched in awe at the acid continue to sizzle away before your brother spoke up.

“Holy mother of God.”

You all followed his gaze, seeing a hallway that seemed almost as long as the elevator shaft.

“Well.. Hope you guys are in good shape,” Steve sighed before patting Dustin’s chest and leading the way. “Lookin’ at you, roast beef.”

“… Why me?”

———

“I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive,” Your brother said as you all walked through the hallway.

“What are you talking about? It’s a total fire hazard,” Steve argued. “There’s no stairs, there’s no exit, there’s just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell.”

“They’re Commies,” Erica scoffed. “You don’t pay people, they cut corners.”

“To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don’t think this tunnel was designed for walking,” Robin began. “Think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo.”

“It all comes into the mall like any old delivery,” You continued.

“Then they load it up into those trucks, and nobody’s the wiser.”

“You think they built this whole mall just so they could transport that green poison?” Steve questioned.

“I very seriously doubt it’s something as boring as poison. It’s gotta be something much more valuable, like promethium or something,” Dustin responded.

“What the hell is promethium?”

“It’s what Victor Stone’s dad used to make Cyborg’s bionic and cybernetic components,” You chimed in.

“You’re all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill.”

“No, no, no. No, don’t lump me in with them. I’m not a nerdy, alright?” Steve corrected.

“Ah, I was wondering when King Steve makes an appearance,” You rolled your eyes.

“King Steve?”

“Yeah, that’s his popular, jock alter ego. The one that’s afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child,” You told the girl.

“Not true. I’m just saying I don’t know jack shit about Prometheus.”

“Promethium,” You corrected. “Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure.”

“Must you always be such an insufferable smart ass?” He grumbled.

“Only when you’re being an intolerable dumb ass,” You scoffed.

“Children, please!” Dustin interjected. “Back to the main topic at hand. It’s probably being used to make something.”

“Or power something,” Robin nodded.

“Like a nuclear weapon.”

“Totally.”

“Walkin’ towards a nuclear weapon. That’s great,” Steve continued to whine. “That’d be great.”

“But if they’re building something, why here?” Robin asked. “I mean, Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places. At the very best, we’re a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland, but maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s our very..”

You and the boys’ steps stuttered to a stop. Steve looked over at you with wide eyes.

“You think the Russians know?” Dustin questioned.

“They could,” You whispered, feeling your heart sink further into your chest.

“So it’s connected?” Steve blinked.

“Maybe,” You looked up at the girls in thought as they continued to wander off without you.

“How?”

“I.. I don’t know but it’s..” Your gaze caught that of the boys’ again.

“Possible,” You all finished.

“I’m sorry, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” Robin called. You all looked at one another with unease before the walkie rang through with Russian code again. You all ran to Erica’s backpack as Robin grabbed the walkie.

“It’s the code,” You recognized.

“Wherever that broadcast is coming from-“

“It’s close,” You nodded.

“And if there’s one thing we know about that signal, it can reach the surface,” Robin smiled. “Let’s go.”

———

“Okay, clear,” Steve whispered, waving you to follow behind him as he led you out of hiding. You’d barely made it out of the Russians’ like of vision as they turned around the corner. You waited until they were out of sight before you began to move again. “Clear, come on. Let’s go.”

“Okay, that was close,” You swallowed.

“Too close.”

“Relax,” Steve brushed off. “Alright? Relax. Nobody saw…”

You all turned another corner to reveal about a dozen Russian soldiers and scientists walking around or talking with colleagues in a large, two story room. White coats, decorated military uniforms, red hazmat suits, guns, and papers all before your very eyes.

You all quickly scrambled behind the box beside you.

“Jesus.”

“Red Dawn,” Dustin breathed.

“I saw it!” Erica told Steve. “First floor, northwest.”

“Saw what?”

“The comms room.”

“You saw the comms room?”

“Correct!”

“Are you sure?” You asked.

“Positive. the door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there.”

“That could be a hundred different things,” Dustin deadpanned.

“I’ll take those odds,” You told Steve. He looked at you and sighed, shaking his head at the situation before poking it back out to check out the environment.

“Alright,” He nodded. “We’re gonna move fast. We’re gonna stay low. Okay?”

“Okay.”

You all followed behind him, crouching down as you quickly moved behind objects until you eventually made your way to the outside of the comms room. You waited until someone walked out, catching the door before you all crowded in.

Just as you were about to celebrate, you turned and noticed a Russian soldier sitting in the middle of the room. His eyes were already on you. He took off his headset, standing to look at the five kids frozen in front of him. You stepped forward.

“Tread lightly,” You spoke the familiar Russian phrase, stopping him from reaching for his gun.

He asked a question, using words you’d never heard before.

“Silver cat,” You pointed at yourself and at the crowd behind you. “Silver cat.”

The guard shook his head and spoke again. He was just as nervous as you were.

“China?” You offered. He scoffed, reaching for his gun.

Steve erupted into screams before running and tackling the man into the large computer in front of him. The guard whipped him off, attempting to punch the boy and missing. Steve fought hard, pushing him back and getting back up when he himself was knocked backwards.

You grabbed a heavy, metal microphone as Steve elbowed the guard and sent him stumbling into you. You pushed him forward just enough to get enough room to swing your arm, punching the microphone hard into the his temple, sending him flying to the ground.

Steve breathed heavily, brushing his hair out of his eyes and looking at the unconscious man before his gaze landed on you. “What the hell was that?!”

“Wh- I just saved your life! What do you mean-“

“Like hell you did! I had him!” He frowned.

“Are you delusional?!” You scoffed

“You couldn’t just let him have this one, could you?” Dustin scoffed. “Don’t worry, Steve. You totally had him! You would’ve totally won had she not stole your thunder-“

“STOLE HIS THUNDER?!” Robin interjected. “He was totally about to get his second ass whooping of the night-“

“Thank you, Dustin!” Steve shouted over her.

“I- You- Oh, my God. Whatever,” You shushed the lot of them. “Fine, Steve. You won the fight. Can we please go back to trying to find a way out of here?”

Steve smirked with pride as Robin scoffed, walking up to the guard and stealing his keycard. “This is our ticket out of here. Follow me.”

At the top of the stairs, you were greeted by two doors with large windows, radiating a blue light. Once you got a closer look, you saw a room filled with scientists and made of walls of sturdy glass overlooking a larger room about the half the size of the school gymnasium.

Men with hazmat suits walked around, catering and tending to the machine in the middle of the room. This whole place was obviously meant to house that one machine.

The scientists placed the same green acid you’d found in the elevators into it, fueling the propellor and providing the machine with nuclear energy. The light it emitted was almost blinding as it aimed and slowly cut away at the large, orange, sealed gate in the wall, slowly tearing it open. The same gate Eleven had fought hard to close only six months prior.

A familiar shrill echoed through it.

You looked up at Steve. He stared back with widening, questioning eyes. You only nodded.

“The gate..”

Chapter 6 ->

———

As always, please feel free to DM me or comment on my stories! I love to hear your feedback and interact with all of you!! Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

Next chapter will come out Monday, October 17th at 9:00 AM CDT

a/n: HAPPY LIBRA SEASON, BITCHES!! I’m turning 22 on Thursday and I have absolutely no fucken clue what I wanna do to celebrate besides listen to Taylor Swift. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME..

HOW DID YOU GUYS LIKE THE CHAPTER?? WE LOVE PROTECTIVE SIMP STEVE, RIGHT?? i’m honestly having the time of my life in my Stranger Things Hyperfixation Era 2.0 TM

cant wait for you to read next week’s chapter :3

@reallysparklychaos @katsukiswrld @yashirawr @001andeddiearetodiefor @thatmarvelchick19 @fixtionlover @b3rrysoda @tpwksummer @dawnyboy @rexorangecouny @kimmchijjajang @efvyqrs @lou-la-lou @nycbaby21 @satsuri3su @agustdeeyaa @boisteroussquirrel @fangeekkk @persephonesnebula @starstruckspring @bbyharlow @edithsvoice @harrycanyonmoonn @sharkswithsocks @xm00nl1ght @lqveharrington @earthtostory @boobabietch @captainmarvelindisguise @astrumark @scoopsr0bin @hannahdoesstuff @homeofthepeculiar @potatoflavoured @binxy @ultrunning @azgucci @blogginjh @burdenedbliss @chervbs @lentil-s0up @ameliabs-world @mess-is-my-aesthetic @hopefulgardenerfun

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 4: The Sauna Test

summary: I’M NOT EVEN GONNA BOTHER WITH A SUMMARY BC I’M TOO BUSY SCREAMING RN

word count: IDK BUT ITS KINDA LONG

“-That keycard opens the door,” Dustin continued explaining to the three sleepy teenagers sitting in front of him. You lazily plopped your head on your palm as Steve played with his sailor hat and Robin clicked away at the ice cream scooper. The sleepiness didn’t stop you from listening intently. “But unfortunately the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever’s in this room, whatever’s in those boxes, they really don’t want anybody finding it.”

“But there’s gotta be a way in,” You shook your head in thought. Steve blew into his hat, putting it down as he leaned forward in a serious manner.

“I can just take him out,” He said.

“Take who out?” You raised your brows.

“The Russian guard.”

You snorted.

“What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It’s easy.”

“Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?” You deadpanned.

“Yes, Y/N, I did. And that’s why I would be sneaking,” He rolled his eyes as if you were the one misunderstanding the situation. You felt the familiar feeling of anger bubble in your chest at his tone.

“Well, riddle me this, Einstein: what gives you the idea that you can win a fight against a trained soldier when you couldn’t even take Jonathan down?” You leaned forward with a smirk, leaving only mere inches between your faces.

“That was one time,” He scoffed.

“Twice. Billy beat the living shit out of you in November,” You corrected.

“That? That doesn’t count-“

“Oh, that doesn’t count?” You chuckled. He narrowed his eyes at your arrogance. “And pray tell, why doesn’t it count, Steve?”

“Because, Y/N-“

“Here they go again,” Dustin muttered. Robin rolled her eyes before her face dropped in thought.

“No, no, no! If I remember correctly, and I do-“ You continued.

“That’s debatable! You slammed your head pretty hard-“ Steve interrupted.

“What are you thinking?” Dustin asked the freckled girl gone silent, allowing you and Steve to hash it out as he listened to her response.

“If we want to find a safe way into that room, we’ll need a map,” Robin responded, watching as you and Steve continued with your daily argument. “They’ll be at it for a while. Wanna come with?”

“Where to?” Dustin perked up.

“County Recorder’s Office. Grab the money from the tip jar. I’ll meet you outside,” She stood up and walked toward your purse, digging around for your keys. Dustin nodded, taking off.

“Woah, hey, what are you doing?” You turned around, hearing the familiar jingle from your keys.

“I’m borrowing the Bronco. We’ll be back in jiffy,” She was already walking out of the door. You both followed after her.

“You don’t even have your license!”

“It’s just around the corner! Live a little!” She smirked.

“Hey, dipshit! Where are you going with our tips?” Steve called after Dustin.

“We need it! Trust us! We’ll be back!”

And just like that, the two disappeared into the crowd of people outside of the parlor.

“That sounds like a bad idea,” Steve muttered. “You should probably go with them.”

“Why me?” You frowned. “You go with them.”

“Oh, my God! Would it kill you to agree with me for once in your life?” He sighed, walking into the back again. “You are so unreasonable sometimes.”

“Says the man that wants to take down an armed guard by sneaking up to him,” You rolled your eyes, following close behind and leaning on the counter as you watched him pace.

“We’ve taken down far scarier things than armed guards, Y/N,” He lowered his voice, taking a step closer to you to continue. “Surely, we could-“

“We?” You laughed. “Oh, no. No, no, no-“

“Just hear me out,” Another step.

“No, you hear me out, Harrington,” You drove your pointer finger into his chest, tired of hearing his naive plan. He looked down at you with wide eyes. “You think everything is so simple! You know why we took down those things?”

“Strategy and tactic!” He shouted.

“No, Steve! Luck. Sheer luck. We were only mere seconds away from meeting a different fate!” You shouted back. “Had we not had El in our corner- Had she not shown up when she did, we would’ve been dead. Hell, we should be dead. But we aren’t.”

“Well, we will be dead eventually if we let those fucking Russians go on with whatever they’re doing!”

“No. It’s too dangerous,” You shook your head.

“Then let me do it alone-“

“And let you die?! Do you have any idea what that would do to me?!”

Silence. Ear piercing silence ensued as those final words processed in his mind.

“I..” You took a deep breath, realizing exactly what just spilled out of your mouth. His eyes danced across your face in a way they haven’t since that night you’d shared a dance at the Winter Ball. “I meant Dustin. Do you have any idea what that.. would do to Dustin..”

The ends of his lips curled up ever so slightly with amusement as he placed his hands on either side of you, resting his weight on the counter behind you. His smug smile not even a foot away from your own lips. “You’re a shit liar, you know that?”

“I’m not.. I’m not lying,” You breathed, cursing yourself for stuttering. But you couldn’t help to feel nervous with those half-lidded eyes staring deeply into your own. He didn’t even bother to hide it anymore. It was written plainly on his face.

He wanted you.

“Then look me in my eyes and tell me you didn’t mean what you said,” He tested the waters by getting closer. He licked his lips, making you realize they were only six inches away from your own.

“I didn’t mean it,” You said without hesitation. It didn’t matter how firmly you said it, it was your own eyes that you away this time as flickered down to those soft lips. You couldn’t resist to take a glimpse. You tried to hide it. But it was clear as day.

You wanted him, too.

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slowly. His brown eyes danced around your face, taking you in with enough focus to memorize every feature.

He lifted his left hand, setting it on your jaw as his thumb brushed against your lower lip before dragging it down to your chin.

“This is a bad idea, isn’t it?” He whispered, inching closer until his nose tickled your own.

“A really bad idea,” You agreed softly, feeling his mouth graze ever so gently against your own. Your eyes shut as you breathed each other in for a moment before he gave you a small nod and forced himself to take a step back stepped back.

You both blinked, taking in what almost just happened. He cleared his throat as you shifted uncomfortably at the tension. Another deafening silence shot through your chest, greeting the violent butterflies that fluttered away beneath the surface.

“I, uh..” He scratched at the back of his neck, searching for something- anything to say. “I should get back up there.”

You only nodded, watching as he took long strides to the door and disappeared behind it. You turned around, letting out the breath you didn’t know you’d been holding as you leaned against the counter; your palms on the cold metal was your only source of stability. You allowed yourself to let out a few deep breaths, brushing your lips with your fingers and remembering the way his warm breath danced on them only a few moments before.

The door burst open, making you jump as you looked up to see Steve making a beeline towards you. “Fuck it.”

You didn’t know who kissed the other first, but before you knew it, his lips collided onto your own, hands pressed firmly against your waist and cheek as your own clawed at his shirt, pulling him in even closer. Your fingers found his hair and gently pulled at the brunette locks, earning a groan that rumbled into your core.

He backed you into the same counter you were just leaning on, helping you onto it as you jumped. Your legs wrapped around him, pulling him into you.

He kissed you with fervor. You kissed him back just as hungrily. It was as if all of the tension that had built up in the previous months exploded into this.

He chuckled against your lips.

“You have no idea.. how long I’ve been.. wanting to do this,” He mumbled between kisses before pulling away. “You’re way better at this than I remember.”

“You are, too,” You smiled, following his lips. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

He hummed in response into the kiss, allowing his mouth to fall back into the same, hungry rhythm from the moment before.

Your hands played with the hem of his work shirt before your cold fingers left a trail of goosebumps on the tops of his hips, refusing to trail up until he did the same.

You have no idea how long you’d been making out for or how many times you’d both ignored the front bell ring. It wasn’t until you heard the familiar boyish giggle followed by the words “Turns out kissing is actually better without teeth!” that you both jumped away from one another, hastily adjusting your uniforms and finger combing through your hair just in time to look semi-presentable for your best friend and brother.

“Check this out,” Dustin grinned, pointing at the map Robin was now unfolding into the table. Both of them were too preoccupied looking at the map to catch your flushed faces and swollen lips.

“Starcourt Mall,” Robin smiled proudly. “The complete blueprints.”

“So, this is us, Scoops,” Dustin dragged his finger around the map. “And this is where we want to get.”

“I mean,” Steve cleared his throat, trying to keep his cool. He looked over at you to see that your wide eyes looked intently at the map presented to you. You were avoiding his gaze. “I, uh.. I don’t really see a way in.”

“There’s not,” Robin peeled off the top layer of papers. “If you’re talking exclusively about doors.”

“Air ducts..” You muttered, feeling your heart pound away nervously, but thankful for a topic you could throw yourself into. “That’s fucking brilliant.”

“I know,” She shrugged, walking to the wall on the opposite side of the room to grab a marker. “Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. And these air ducts lead all the way..” She began to draw. “Here.”

The Russians’ secret room.

“I’ll grab the ladder.”

———

“Flashlight,” Steve ordered with the screwdriver in his mouth. “Y/N?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Sorry,” You blinked, realizing you’d been staring blankly at his thighs. You handed him the flashlight.

“Thank you,” He chuckled, exchanging the wet screwdriver for the light before looking into the air vent. “Yeah, I don’t know, Dustin. I don’t know if you can fit in here. It’s, like… super tight.”

Did he have to say it like that?

“He’ll fit,” You patted your brother’s back. “You wanted to be an American hero, right? Well, here’s your chance, Mr. No-Collarbones.”

Dustin took the flashlight from Steve and climbed up the ladder.

“Uh, excuse me?” Robin asked as Steve climbed down.

“He’s got some disease. Chry, uh.. Chrydo, um.. something,” Steve looked at you for help.

“Cleidocranial Dysplasia,” You grunted as you tried to push your brother into the vent.

“Right. Cleidocran.. I don’t know. He’s missing bones and stuff. He can bend like gumbo.”

“You mean Gumby?” Robin offered

“I’m pretty sure it’s Gumbo.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah?” He quickly turned to you at the sound of your voice calling his name.

“A little help?”

“Oh, right, yeah.”

You both grabbed his feet again.

“Not my feet, dumbasses. Push my ass.”

“I’m out,” You dropped his foot. “I’m not touching your ass.”

“TOUCH MY BUTT! I DONT CARE!”

“I DO!” You shouted back. “I’ve washed your laundry, Dustin. I’ve seen those occasional skid marks-“

“Y/N! SHUT UP!”

“All I’m saying is that wet wipes go a long way-“

“FUCK OFF, Y/N!! STEVE?! PUSH MY ASS!”

“Well, I don’t wanna push your ass if there are skid marks-“

“I DON’T HAVE SKID MARKS! PUSH MY ASS OR I’M TELLING YOU-KNOW-WHO ABOUT YOUR LITTLE CRUSH-“

“OKAY, I’M PUSHING! .. Jesus..”

Robin looked over at you slowly, annoyed at the sight in front of her. You stared with wide eyes at the boy in front of you, following every order your brother gave him and using his entire body to try to push the boy in.

“Oh, my god,” She smiled. “You enjoying the view over there?”

You tilted your head at Steve readjusting his feet on the ladder, subtle muscles rippling through his calves and thighs. “Oddly enough? Kinda.”

“Come on! Harder! Push harder!” Dustin shouted.

“I am!!” Steve grunted.

“You’re playing with my legs!”

“I’m not playing! I have terrible footing-“

“COME ON!”

“I’m gonna just shove you! Ready?!”

“SHOVE ME?!” Dustin screamed.

“Ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck! Ahoy?!” An annoying voice shouted from behind you.

You and Robin turned around, a smile creeping on both of your faces as you watched the small girl continuously ring the bell on the counter.

“Get over here and serve me some samples!”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” You looked at your best friend.

“Hey, kid!” Robin shouted. “How would you like a chance to earn free ice cream?”

———

“Erica, do you copy?” You’d all taken your positions on the top of the roof looking down at the Russian’s secret door.

“Mm-hmm. I copy,” The walkie in Robin’s hand responded. “You nerds in position or what?”

“Yeah, we’re in position,” You responded. “It’s all quiet here, so you’ve got the green light.”

“Green light, roger that. Commence Operation Child Endangerment.”

“Can we maybe not call it that?” You felt Steve lean up against you, scoffing at the girl’s words.

“See you on the other side, nerds.”

“This is such a bad idea,” Dustin muttered.

“What?” You and Steve both blinked, wondering if the duo had caught you earlier.

“… Bringing a child into our schemes,” He said slowly.

“You are a child, dingus,” Robin frowned. “But yeah, not the best plan we’ve had.”

“Hey! It was my plan,” You laughed.

“Explains why it’s such a bad one,” Steve teased, leaning further into you. “Then again, some bad ideas only seem bad until you do them. Then they turn out to be really good ideas. Like, really good ideas.”

You smiled softly up at him, feeling those same molten hot butterflies that have haunted your chest for the past few month. You’d barely been allowed to let the words register before your brother snorted.

“How profound, Steve,” Dustin muttered sarcastically before handing you his binoculars. “Truly beautiful. Have you ever looked into writing poems? You’d really give Edgar Allen Poe a run for his money.”

You let out a genuine chuckle before handing off the walkie and looking at the door.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve let out a scoff. “You have one toothless kiss and all of the sudden you’re a dick? Not cool, man.”

The boys continued with their annoyed conversation, only interrupted by the occasionally check in on Project Child Endangerment.

“All I’m saying is that you need to get your ego in check,” Steve continued.

“Oh, my ego needs to be checked?” Dustin snorted before the walkie went off.

“I’m in.”

———

“Hand me the box cutter,” Steve held out his hand before you gently placed it in his hand. He whipped out the knife before skillfully sliding it down the taped entrances of the cart board box, only to reveal a metal container within it.

He looked up briefly before he turned the notch at the top and lifted the lid. Four other knobs decorated the top of the box, smoke leaking out of the circular cracks.

“That’s definitely not Chinese food,” Steve muttered, setting down the titanium lid. “Uh, maybe you guys should, you know, stand back.”

“No,” You and Dustin both shook your heads.

“Just step back, okay?” Steve gently pushed at Dustin’s chest.

“No,” He protested. You simply stood your ground.

“Step back, Henderson. Seriously,” He looked up at both of you.

“No! No!” Dustin shouted. “If you die, I die.”

He stared blankly at the boy before looking up at you. “What’s your excuse?”

“What? You think you’re the only one around here who wants to be an American hero?” You smirked, earning a chuckle. You pressed into him, moving him aside as you twisted the knob and pulled it out of the metal box yourself. Compressed air wheezed out as you pulled out a container filled with neon green liquid.

He knew he shouldn’t be shocked at your bravery at this point, already having seen you put your own life in danger without so much as a second thought various times, but he couldn’t help but look at you in awe as you examined the liquid.

This was same the girl who only closed her eyes, preparing for death as a Demogorgon hovered above her.

The same girl who wandered out of the bus to lure in the Demo-Dogs, and later fight them off alongside Steve.

The same one that led the group straight into the heart of those monsters’ layer in hopes of sparing the lives of the town, not even hesitating to lift all of the kids out of the dangerous tunnels before you even thought about getting out yourself.

“What the hell is this?” You whispered, deep in thought.

Both of your thoughts were interrupted by the floor under you rumbling.

“Was that just me, or did the room move?” Dustin looked up.

“Booby traps..” Erica whispered.

The ground shook once more, erupting through the silence with a mechanical whirring.

“You know what? Let’s just grab that and go,” Robin took the container from your hands. Dustin ran over to the same buttons Erica had used to open the door.

“Which one do I press, Erica?” He called anxiously.

“Just press the damn button, nerd.”

“Which one? I’m pressing the button, okay? I-“

“Press ‘Open Door’!”

“I’m pressing ‘Open Door’!”

“Just open the- Press the other button!” Steve shouted, pushing him out of the way.

“Wait! Wait! I don’t think-“ You began. “Stop! It’s gotta be like a password or something!”

“Out of the way so she can push the button!” Robin tried to speak over the shouting. All five of you began shouting, offering suggestions and trying to make your way to the buttons before the door clanged firmly shut.

You all froze before the lights went out and the room began moving violently, sending your stomachs into your throats with a familiar falling sensation. Screams erupted through all of you before you felt Steve wrap an arm around your waist and pull you into him, stabilizing you both with his other arm.

“Look!” You shouted, pointing at the top of the room. He followed your gaze to see that the open space revealed that the falling feeling you’d all felt wasn’t feigned, the room was in fact moving downwards.

“Oh, shit.”

Chapter 5 ->

———

As always, please feel free to DM me or leave a comment on my stories! I love to hear your feedback and interact with all of you!! Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

Next chapter coming on MONDAY, October 10th at 9:00 AM CTD

a/n: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY FUCKING GODDDDD IT FINALLY HAPPENED!! ITS ABOUT TIME THESE TWO IDIOTS SHARED A FUCKING KISS 😭😭 THIS SLOW ASS BURN HAS BEEN KILLING MEEEEE

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

THIS LOOKS SO REAL I-

steve keeps his favourite pictures safe together in his car. it’s nice to be reminded of happier times

the manip is my own but the polaroid is by @fefemunson !! they are incredibly talented please go check out their other work

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 3: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

summary: Dustin, being his usual nosy self, decides to encourage one oblivious idiot to pursue the other. Y/N cracks the code and the Scoops Troop spy on the Russians in the rain.

word count: idk but it’s short

“See anything?” Dustin looked up at Steve briefly before looking back at the food court in front of him.

“Uh, I guess I don’t totally know what I’m looking for,” His older friend responded. “What time did you say your sister was coming?”

“Evil Russians, Steve! Focus on the evil Russians!”

“I am! I just don’t know what an evil Russian looks like!” He grumbled. “Excuse me for making small talk.”

“Small talk my ass,” Dustin muttered under his breath.

“What?” Steve asked obliviously, not hearing the muffled speach.

“Uh.. I was talking about the Russians. Tall, blond, not smiling,” The boy rolled his eyes. “Also look for earpieces, camo, duffel bags, that sort of thing.”

“Right, okay, duffel bags,” Steve nodded before his face dropped. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” He whispered.

“What?” Dustin gasped.

“Anna Jacobi’s talking with that meathead Mark Lewinsky!”

“If you’re not gonna focus, just give me the binoculars.”

“Aw, Jesus Christ, whatever happened to standards?” Steve continued to whine. “I mean, Lewinsky never even came off the bench!”

“Dude, you are the worst spy in history, you know that?” Dustin grabbed at the binoculars, yanking them away from the older boy’s face, earning another round of whining. “Besides, I don’t get why you’re looking at girls. You have the perfect one right in front of you.”

“Seriously, if you say your sister again-“

“My sister.”

“No, don’t- No!”

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N-“

“Stop! No, no, no-“

“Y/N, Y/N-“

“No!”

“My sister, you idiot!”

“No, man, she’s.. She’s not my type,” Steve argued weakly. At this point, he didn’t know who he was trying to convince. “She’s not even.. in the ballpark of what my type is, alright?”

“What’s your type again?” Dustin took a moment to look away from the binoculars. “Not awesome?”

“Thank you,” Steve rolled his eyes, earning a sarcastic smile. “Besides, dude, Y/N’s still in school. And she’s a know-it-all. She gets under my skin in ways that no one else can. And she’s argumentative. I don’t like that she’s so eager to argue. She’s never willing to see anyone else’s side on anything-“

“Not true.“

“And she dated the school’s biggest freak-slash-druggie. That’s a bad look,” Steve continued, earning your brother’s annoyed glare. “And she’s first in her class?! No. That’s, like.. so nerdy.”

“First of all, that freak-slash-druggie is actually a really good guy who happens to be the best DnD dungeon master I’ve ever come across,” Dustin scoffed, earning an eye roll and a hum of disapproval. “Second of all, now that you’re out of high school, which means you’re technically an adult, don’t you think it’s time you move on from primitive constructs such as popularity?”

“Oh, primitive constructs? That some stupid shit you learned at Camp Know-It-All? Or is that just something you got from your sister?” Steve scoffed.

“Camp Know Where, actually,” Dustin corrected. “And no, it’s shit I learned from life.”

It was now Steve’s turn to smile sarcastically.

“Instead of dating somebody you think’s gonna make you cooler, why not date somebody you actually enjoy being around?”

“As a matter of fact, I’ve already tried that, alright? It wasn’t worth the heartbreak-“

“God, I mean you sound just like her!” Dustin’s eyes widened at the remembrance of those exact words falling from your own mouth. “Just because Nancy broke your heart doesn’t mean my sister will, too-“

“Your sister was the one who broke it in the first place, dumb ass,” Steve grabbed the binoculars back, looking at the entrance as you walked in from your lunch break.

Dustin blinked, feeling the wave of realization wash over him.

All those times Steve told him about his first kiss- first heartbreak. Dustin never considered the fact that it might’ve been you. It all made sense now. He’d always wondered why it was Steve that stood by your side during your stepfather’s funeral. Why is was Steve who spent most that summer riding his bike to your house to pick you up. Dustin never knew why you stopped speaking to him after being so close.

“So that story you told me that day on the train tracks..” The boy muttered. Steve only nodded. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Steve drew in a deep breath. “Oh.”

“Well, you’ve both changed. You both obviously have a thing for each other. Why not give it a shot?” Dustin shrugged, earning Steve’s full attention. “It could be for the best! Like me and Suzie-“

“Hold on, what?” Steve blinked in disbelief. He wasn’t sure if he heart that correctly. “Say that again.”

“Like me and Suzie-

“No, not that part, peabrain! The first part.”

“.. You’re both into each other?”

“..She’s into me?” Steve’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Y/N’s got a thing for me?”

“Duh,” Dustin grabbed for the binoculars again, only to be met by nothing but air as Steve pulled them out of reach. “Hey!”

“How do you know? Has she told you?”

“Why does it matter? I thought she wasn’t your type,” Dustin smirked. His lips quickly melted back into a frown when he was met with nothing but an annoyed glare. “I just know my sister, alright? She’s into you. Trust me. So stop being such a pussy and, for the love of all things holy, just ask her out already!”

“It’s not that simple-“

“I was a little scared when I asked Suzie out, too. But it turned out to be the best decision of my life.”

“Oh, Suzie. Yeah, you mean ‘hotter than Phoebe Cates’. Yeah, that Suzie. And, uh, let’s think about how exactly did you score that beautiful girlfriend?” Steve scratched as his temple pretending to wrack his brain for an answer. “Oh, yeah. With my advice. Because that’s how this works, Henderson. I give you the advice, you follow through. Not the other way around, alright, shithead?”

“Advice about what?” You asked, making Steve jump. They both turned around, heart dropping to find that it was you who stood before them. How much had you heard? “… You just gonna stare or are you gonna say something?”

Judging from the innocent curiosity playing on your features, it was evident that you hadn’t caught the vast majority of their conversation. Steve let out a small breath of relief.

“Do I have something on my face?” You blinked, feeling a wave of insecurity wash over you. You quickly dug around in your purse for your compact mirror.

“No, no, you look fine,” Steve quickly interjected. “Just caught us off guard. We were talking about guy stuff. Weird stuff.”

“Right,” You responded slowly, feeling the odd tension in the air. You shifted your weight uncomfortably, wondering why they were acting to odd. “Do I wanna know?”

“No! No, you don’t. Just go back to the parlor and we’ll fetch you if we need you, okay?” Steve pursed his lips. You narrowed your eyes before looking over at Dustin. He only shrugged.

“Alright, assholes,” You sighed, handing your brother the Coke you bought him from the gas station. “Have fun.”

Dustin giggled as he opened the bottle. “You look fine?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Steve blinked.

“I can’t believe I took relationship advice from a guy who doesn’t even know how to flirt!”

“I wasn’t trying to-.. You know what? Give me these,” Steve snagged the binoculars.

“Fine,” He giggled.

———

“Hey, you,” Robin greeted as you walked into the back room. You smiled, handing her the slushee she’d asked you for. “Thanks!”

“The boys are acting weird,” You told her as you hopped onto the counter next to her.

“What else is new?” She snorted. You chuckled and nodded as you peaked over her shoulder. “Does any of this sound off to you? I’m trying to find some sort of clue.”

“The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sound nice if you tread lightly..” Your voice faded out as you looked at the paper. “Tread lightly?”

“I found that weird, too,” Robin began to ruffle through her English to Russian book as the back door erupted in a series of soft knocks.

“I got it,” You said, hopping off the counter and walking towards the door. You swung it open to reveal a man with a mustache wearing his usual dark uniform.

“Got a delivery for ya.”

“Thank you,” You smiled politely, taking the box from his hands and signing for it. You looked back up at him as you finished and something caught your eye. His shirt read LYNX TRANSPORTATION and as did his hat.

It was only when you saw the brows below the hat raise that you’d realized that you’ve been staring for far too long.

“That’s a good color on you,” You quickly bounced back, thanking the fates for allowing the lie to come off so smoothly. The man chuckled.

“Well, thank you. Have a nice day, kid.”

“Yeah, you too..”

You watched as he turned around, noticing the silver cat logo on the back of his shirt. Your eyes widened with excitement before you closed the door and ran back towards Robin, yanking the notepad from her hands.

“What the hell?” She frowned before recognizing the look in your eyes. “Wait, what’s going on? Did you find something?”

You were so far down the rabbit hole in your mind that you didn’t even realize she was speaking.

“Lynx. Cat. The silver cat feeds when.. Silver cat..”

“What are you mumbling? Hello?! Earth to Y/N!” She waved at you as you walked out of the back room.

“Oh, my God,” You muttered before taking off into a sprint, slipping between the boys as you made your way to the food court.

“What is her problem?” Steve asked Robin.

“No time to talk! I think she’s on to something,” She hastily explained before following behind you. She watched as you hopped into the center seating space in the mall, not hesitating to jump up beside you.

“The delivery guy was wearing a silver cat logo,” You mindlessly told her, making her eyes light up with realization as she watched yours dart around the mall. “Dude, look! A trip to China sounds nice! What’s the next line?”

Your finger pointed at the Imperial Panda. She let out a happy squeal before taking the notepad back.

“If you tread lightly.. If you tread..” She gasped, pointing at Kaufman Shoes. You clapped your hands together with excitement. “When blue meets yellow in the west-“

“The clock!” You breathed, turning her shoulders towards the west. You both looked at its neon colored arms; blue and yellow.

“We just did that!” She grinned grabbing your shoulders with glee and shaking you lightly.

“Yeah, we did! That was all us, baby!” You laughed.

“What the hell are you guys doing?” Steve asked as he approached with your brother.

“We cracked it!” You smiled.

“Cracked what?”

“The code,” Robin stated before grabbing your face in her hands and placing a sloppy kiss on your cheek. “You cracked the code, you brilliant Einstein, you!”

“What are you guys doing at midnight?” You smiled, turning to the boys. They looked at each other with confusion. Robin rolled her eyes.

“Grab your raincoats, boys,” She smirked. “We’re going on a mission.”

———

“Look for Imperial Panda and Kaufman Shoes!” Robin shouted at your brother over the heavy downpour.

“You know, you two made this sound a whole lot more pleasant than it is,” Steve turned to you, wiping the water out of his eyes. You let a chuckle escape your lips, allowing the conversation to his right to continue as you slipped into your own.

“In my defense, the weatherman said to expect light rain,” You shrugged. He playfully rolled his eyes the best he could with the rain. “We’re so gonna get sick.”

“Oh, yeah. We are totally going to be regretting this tomorrow,” He agreed. His eyes looked around your face, seeing all of your wet hair sticking to your forehead and cheeks. “Jesus, Henderson. Can you even see with all this hair in your face?”

He mindlessly reached forward, brushing his fingers across your cheeks as he tucked the wet strands behind your ears.

“You’re one to talk, Harrington,” You giggled, using your free hand to reach over and move some of the hair out of his eyes.

He smiled, allowing his warm hand to linger in your cheek as he watched you set his hair into place. It was almost as if the rain ceased to bother him as his eyes fixated on the beauty that was you.

He was fully convinced that no one could ever look as good as you do in the pouring rain. Then again, he was yet to be proven than anyone could compare to you in any shape or form. He hated admitting to himself just how attracted he was to you: physically, mentally, spiritually. The chemistry between you, as annoying as it could be at times, was unavoidable. Especially when you looked at him like that.

Your eyes had landed back on his own as soon as you felt his thumb begin to rub ever so lightly against your cheek that now heated under his hand.

“Let me check it out,” Robin attempted to grab the binoculars from your brother’s hands. The two of you paid no mind.

“No, I’m still looking.”

“Let me see it!”

“Hang on!”

CLANG.

They fumbled the object, resulting in it hitting the metal under it with a loud crash.

Just like that, whatever moment you’d shared with Steve disintegrated into one of fear and silence. You all ducked down without hesitation just as the armed men looked over. You panted heavily, making sure to keep quiet as you all held hands.

You looked down to see that it was only you and Steve holding hands. You both noticed at the same time, looking over at one another with hesitation. You attempted to pull your hand away before you felt his own squeeze tightly. A silent plea to stay.

“We need to get the hell out of here,” You told them. They nodded and although your hands inevitably parted, it wasn’t long before the familiar warmth was placed protectively on the small of your back as you all made a run towards the hallways.

Chapter 4 ->

———

As always, please feel free to DM me or leave a comment on my stories! I love to hear your feedback and interact with all of you!! Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

a/n: surpriseeee!! i had a week off and decided to write a few chapters for this series!

Check in next Monday at 9:00 CTD for the next installment

reminder: TAGLIST IS CLOSED!!

my friend wrote a steve harrington fic!! go check it out and leave her some love ->

@werewolfbanshee-love @reallysparklychaos @katsukiswrld @yashirawr @grfields @001andeddiearetodiefor @thatmarvelchick19 @fixtionlover r @idkwhyimhere013 @b3rrysoda @tpwksummer @dawnyboy @rexorangecouny @kimmchijjajang g @efvyqrs s @lou-la-lou @nycbaby21 @satsuri3su u @agustdeeyaa a @boisteroussquirrel @fangeekkk @persephonesnebula @starstruckspring @bbyharlow @edithsvoice @harrycanyonmoonn @sharkswithsocks @xm00nl1ght @okei888 @lqveharrington @earthtostory @boobabietch @captainmarvelindisguise @astrumark @scoopsr0bin @hannahdoesstuff @homeofthepeculiar @potatoflavoured @binxy @ultrunning @azgucci @blogginjh @burdenedbliss @chervbs @lentil-s0up @ameliabs-world @mess-is-my-aesthetic @hopefulgardenerfun

#stranger things #steve harrington #joe keery #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things imagines #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #stranger things imagine #steve harrington x henderson!reader

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Note

Is the stiles stilinkski series coming back this fall? I miss it so so much

I miss it too but probably not 😭🤚🏽 I’m gonna be focused on finishing Upside Down Feelings 3 this fall. Hopefully I’ll be able to crank out all of UDF 4 in December.

I will definitely look into revisiting TFFAF in the beginning of 2023!! It just depends on what my schedule looks like though :(

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings III

Chapter 2: The Mall Rats

summary: Dustin and Steve drag the girls into helping them uncover the secret Russians’ code.

word count: 4304

“Y/N,” You heard your brother speak over you as his hand grabbed your shoulder, gently shaking you. “Y/N, wake up! Y/N! HEY-“

“Fuck off,” You grumbled, flipping on your side to face away from him.

“I just intercepted some top secret Russian communications with my radio tower! I need you to come check it out-“

You sat up, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes before looking down at your arm and pinching it. “Damn it.”

“What are you doing?”

“I was hoping this was a fever dream,” You mumbled before throwing yourself back into your bed. “Go away. I don’t care about a Russian radio tower-“

“No, the radio tower is mine. I built it at-“

“I don’t care. Tell me in the morning,” You threw yourself back into your original position, pulling the pillow above your head.

“This can’t wait til the morning!” He pouted, yanking the same pillow away. You held up your fist and flipped him the bird as you got comfortable again. He sighed before crawling into your bed and laying on top of you. “I’m not getting off until you wake up.”

“What the fuck?!” You groaned as his full weight crushed you into your mattress. “Dustin! Get off!”

“No, not until you wake up and drive me to my radio tower so I can show you-“

“What time is it?”

“Irrelevant. Get up, lazy ass! Up! Up!”

“Off! Off!”

“NO! GET UP!”

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME, DUSTIN-“

“What is going on in here?” You heard your door slam open to reveal your very sleepy mother. “If you two don’t keep it down, I’m taking away the Bronco and I’ll ground you both from your friends.”

“What friends?” Dustin teased. You gave him a dirty glarebefore pushing him with your full force, sending him flying to the floor. “WHAT THE HELL, Y/N?!” He shouted at you.

“Language!”

“Welcome back, ass wipe! Now get out of my room. I have an early shift!” You grumbled, pulling your blanket up to your face and flipping over.

“Mom!”

“Dustin, let your sister sleep,” Your mother rolled her eyes. “Go back to your room.”

“But-“

“NOW.”

“Fine!” He shouted, dusting himself off before grumbling something you didn’t care enough to pay attention to.

———

“Hey, stranger,” Robin smiled as she spotted your brother walk into the ice cream parlor.

“Robin? You work here too?” Dustin asked.

“Unfortunately,” She breathed, leaning on the counter in front of her. “What can I get for you?”

“Oh,” He chuckled. “I’m not here for ice cream.”

She nodded before turning around and shouting, “Y/N! Your brother’s here-“

“No! No, no, I’m not here for her. I’m not talking to her.”

“.. What are you here for then?” She blinked before hearing the door to her right slam open.

“HENDERSON!” Steve held his hands up with glee and Dustin pointed to him in a fit of excited giggles. “Henderson! He’s back! He’s back!”

“I’m back!” Dustin grinned. “You got the job!”

“I got the job!” Steve played a fake, celebratory trumpet.

You stepped around the corner in time to watch them perform their oh-so-familiar handshake. You couldn’t help but chuckle at their relationship.

“How many children are you friends with?” Robin interrupted, making Steve’s smile fade as he sighed with embarrassment.

“You don’t wanna know,” You chimed in with a smirk, making Robin laugh.

“Ah,” Dustin scrunched his nose. “I see you’ve had to deal with the demonic duo while I’ve been gone. I’ve had to deal with their wrath for years. I can only imagine having to work with the both of them. Come on, buddy. Let’s allow these rude ladies to cover for you as I tell you all about my summer.”

“Hands down my favorite Henderson,” Steve smiled at you as he pointed at your brother.

“Is that so?” You raised your brows and crossed your arms. “I give it about an hour before I’m your favorite again.”

“Oh yeah?” He raised his brows.

“Come back and tell me that when he tells you about the commies-“

“Y/N!” Dustin shushed. “Jesus, woman! Do the words ‘top secret’ mean nothing to you? We’ll get to that later, Steve. First, let me tell you about my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?!” Steve looked at you with wide eyes.

“Oh, my God,” You muttered under your breath. “Not this shit again. If I have to hear about your made up girlfriend one more time-“

“For the millionth time, Suzie is a real person! At least I’m not still caught up on my ex!” He frowned. You only laughed at his sorry attempt of a comeback.

“What? Do you have an imaginary ex now, too?” You smirked.

“Woah, woah, woah! Children, simmer down!” Steve wrapped a reassuring arm around your brother. “So you have a girlfriend? I think that’s awesome, man! And, like..” He looked at you, shooting you a playful frown. “-Totally believable! Tell me, uh.. Tell me more about this mystery girl.”

“Totally believable,” Robin mocked in Steve’s voice, making you snort as the two of you got back to work.

———

“Hey, dingus!” Robin shouted at Steve. “Are we going to cover for you all day?”

He waved her off as he continued to listen intently to the boy seated beside him in the corner booth. You continued to sweep nearby, pretending not to eavesdrop as Robin cleaned off the table beside you, doing the same.

“No, no. No way! Hotter than Phoebe Cates?!” Steve scoffed. You brother hummed in response as he finished his bite of ice cream. You looked up at Robin, chuckling as she gave you an unconvinced eye roll.

“Brilliant, too! And she doesn’t even care that my real pearls are still coming in!” Dustin confirmed. “She says kissing is better without teeth.”

Steve looked over at you, jaw agape, as he tried to recollect himself after that atrocious confession. You crinkled your nose in disgust as you continued to sweep. You motioned him to keep talking, not missing the way your brother looked up at him expectedly.

“… Wow. Yeah, that’s great! Proud of you, man. That’s ro-.. That’s kinda romantic!” Steve quickly bounced back into the conversation, not wanting to make the boy feel bad. “That’s like.. wow!”

“It’s almost scary,” Robin leaned in and whispered.

“That visualization? Yeah, tell me about it,” You laughed as you took a sip of water.

“No, I mean just how much chemistry you and Steve have, even when you’re across the room from one another,” She whispered nonchalantly, making you spew the water back into the cup. “What? You guys even have the exact same responses to stuff. It’s like.. just fuck already, you know?”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” You replied. “I’m not having this conversation with you again.”

“Oh, come on!” She followed behind you. “You can’t tell me that Eddie didn’t have a point when he said that you and Steve-“

“Robin!” You exclaimed, not missing the way his eyes snapped up at the sound of his name. His brows furrowed with curiosity. You chuckled nervously before walking her behind the counter and lowering your voice as you continued to speak to her. “Say it a little louder next time. Jesus.. I told you that in confidence. And no, actually, as a matter of fact, he did not have a point. I do not have a thing for..”

You looked over at him to catch his gaze. You hated the way his stupid, beautiful eyes sparkled when he looked at you. You hated the way his lips inevitably tugged into a soft smile when your eyes met his own, and the subtle blush that decorated his cheeks when you smiled back. You hated the way his stupid, sun bleached hair fell so perfectly into loose waves around his face. Or the whiff of the familiar, sexy cologne you inhaled when he walked past you.

And the thing you hated most of all was the fact that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t hide from or deny the feelings for him anymore.

“It’s not like that,” You sighed, looking back at your best friend. She only raised her brows.

“No? Because from an outside perspective, it seems like he teases you relentlessly as a way to fight the urge to spontaneously kiss you, and you, my friend, are in denial about the fact that you want him to spontaneously kiss you-“

“Okay!” You snapped. “Fine. Yes, Robin, I think I do like him.”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“But it’s probably just temporary, you know? Something.. changed between us when he found me crying in the parking lot at the Snow Ball. I think I’m just confusing our shift from enemies to friends as something more because he’s just been there for me through so much,” Your mind wandered for a split second to everything the two of you have gone through in the past couple of years. The Demogorgon, Demo-Dogs, breakups, make-ups. “But one thing stays the same, Robs. We can barely stand the sight of each other before bursting into a heated argument. We just wouldn’t be good together.”

She gave you an unconvinced look.

“What’s that look for?!”

“Y/N, I’m a lesbian than lives in the most close minded town in America. I happen to know a thing or two about deflecting my romantic feelings for someone,” She deadpanned, making you let out a breathy chuckle. “If I don’t get a happy ending, I’d at least like to see my best friends get one!”

“You’ll get your happy ending, Robs,” You sighed, earning a glare. “But in the meantime, do me a favor: stop meddling. I doubt he feels the same way.”

“Bullshit! Besides, it’s not meddling. I’m simply motivating you to-“

“Robin!”

“Fine!” She held her hands up to prove her innocence. “But don’t think for one second that boy isn’t head over heels for you. He is constantly looking at you or searching for any reason to be around you-“

“I INTERCEPTED A SECRET RUSSIAN COMMUNICATION!” Your brother’s voice echoed throughout the lobby, earning everyone’s glares.

“Jesus, shh!” Steve hushed, catching your gaze and nodding you over. You looked over at Robin who looked at you with a knowing smirk.

“My point exactly,” She hummed. You rolled your eyes before inevitably walking over to boys’ table, leaning on your palms as you looked at Steve.

“Wanna be an American hero?” He raised his brows.

“I’m not translating for you,” You deadpanned, making him sigh with disappointment. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to take my fifteen. You want me to bring you back a corn dog?”

“Yeah,” He said absentmindedly as he reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, taking out a five and handing it to you. “Grab one for Dustin, too. And keep the change. Buy yourself something nice.”

“I’ll be back with your change, doofus,” You laughed before ruffling his hair. He chuckled, swatting your hand away before you walked off.

Dustin watched as Steve fixed his hair with pink cheeks and a soft smile. A sudden wave of realization washed over him as his friend looked over at him.

Steve never let anyone touch his hair.

Not even when it had been in a hat all day. Not even Nancy got the privilege to playfully mess his hair up like that. Not when he was in public.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Did she really mess it up that bad?” Steve frowned, pawing at his hair with more urgency.

“No, no, it’s just.. uh..” Dustin cleared his throat. “Nothing. You, uh, wanna go to the back to decode this message?”

“Sure,” Steve nodded, that dreamy smile still lingering on his lips from the sensation of your fingers in his hair. “Follow me.”

———

“Where are the boys?” You frowned as you walked up to Robin, handing her a corn dog.

“In the back trying to decode some Russian message,” She sighed. “I was waiting for you to come back so I could help them.”

“Give them these, while you’re back there,” You smiled, giving her the bag of food.

“Give it to them yourself,” She smiled, grabbing your arm and dragging you to the back room. “We’ve been working all day. It’s Steve’s turn to sling ice cream.”

“Why are you listening to the music, Steve?! Listen to the Russian! We’re translating Russian!”

“I’m trying to listen to the Russian, but there’s music-“

“Alright, babysitting time is over! You need to get in there!” Robin snapped, making the boys jump. You tossed the bag to Steve. He caught it, not hesitating to grab his corn dog. You turned around to see the whiteboard you’d been using that summer had been erased and replaced with the boys’ scribbles.

“What the hell?” You muttered, getting her attention.

“Hey, our board! That was important data, shitbirds!” Robin twirled around fiercely.

“I guarantee you, what we’re doing is way more important than your data,” Dustin waved her off.

“Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?”

“How does she know about the Russians?” Dustin whispered to Steve.

“I don’t know!” He spoke with his mouthful, shrugging innocently.

“You told her about the Russians?”

“It wasn’t me.”

“Y/N!” Dustin whined. “I told you it was a secret!”

“Dustin! You’ve been shouting about it all day,” You said in the same whiny tone before grabbing a clean ice cream scooper. “I could hear you from the food court. Everything she knows came from your mouth, dumbass.”

“W-What do you know?” He asked your friend.

“I know that you think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you’re trying to translate, but haven’t figured out a word because you didn’t realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet than we do,” She said nonchalantly as the boys exchanged wide eyed looks. “Sound about right?”

She made a move towards the Walkman. Steve snatched it before she could grab it.

“Woah! Woah! What do you think you’re doing?”

“I wanna hear it.”

“Why?” They both asked.

“She’s fluent in four languages, dumbasses,” You added. “Spanish and French and Italian. Not to mention she’s been in band for twelve years. Her ears are little geniuses. If you want any chance of cracking that code, it’d be with Robin’s help.”

You tossed the spare ice cream scoop to Steve as he finished the last bite of his corn dog.

“You’re up front with me, Harrington. Let the master work.”

“What? No way!” He scoffed.

“Come on! I don’t even want credit! I’m just bored!” Robin begged. Steve sighed before handing her the Walkman. “I’ll let you know when we make some progress.”

———

“Y/N!” You heard a familiar voice call as you waved off your last customer. A flash of color caught your eye before you realized you were looking at Max and El waltzing into your shop. “Would you please tell El that there’s more to life than stupid boys?”

“Are you even allowed to be out?” You ignored the redhead as your eyes landed on those of El’s. They widened. “Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t wanna know. What can I get you ladies?”

“Strawberry for me and vanilla with sprinkles and extra whipped cream for El,” Max responded. You went to pick up the scoop before Steve beat you to it.

“I got it,” He muttered as he began scooping the pink ice cream into a cone. You smiled up at him and he playfully rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, Henderson. You covered me when I was talking to Dustin. Just repaying the favor.”

“Right, well,” You laughed before turning back to the girls. “Max is right. Boys are like dessert. Sweet, desirable, but not necessary.”

“Not necessary,” El smiled. “Like dessert.”

“I told you she’d know exactly what to say!” Max grinned at her friend. “Boys are like dessert! And boyfriends aren’t like friends. They lie!”

“Oh, all the time,” You laughed.

“Did Eddie lie?” El asked. Steve glanced over at you, curious to hear your response.

“I, uh.. No, I guess he didn’t,” You responded. “The good ones don’t lie. Not without a good reason.”

“Then why did you dump his ass?” El asked genuinely, making you laugh.

“He dumped her ass,” Max corrected. “And it was because she was lying.”

“Thank you for that, Max,” You rolled your eyes, hearing Steve chuckle from behind you. “Look, all I gotta say is that if Mike is anything like the rest of the Wheelers, then he probably sucks at relationships, and ‘dumping his ass’ probably wouldn’t be the worst idea.”

“Amen,” Steve muttered as he appeared beside you. “Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream.”

“Thanks!” The girls smiled.

“Wait..” He narrowed his eyes at the short haired girl. “Are you even allowed to be here? I thought Hopper had you in house arrest.”

The girls both giggled before Max grabbed El’s arm and took off running with her friend.

“Was I that weird at their age?” You looked at Steve.

“Weirder,” He smirked.

“Oh, shut up,” You laughed, hitting his arm as you heard the window behind you slide open.

“We‘ve got our first sentence!” Robin said before speaking up in a Russian accent. “The week is long.”

“Well, that’s thrilling,” Steve muttered.

“I know. But, progress!” Robin smiled. “I could use your help back here.”

———

“The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west,” You muttered to yourself, trying to figure out the riddle as Steve closed up the store’s entrance.

“I mean, it just can’t be right!” He said before joining the three of you in walking out of the mall.

“It’s right!” You and Robin called.

“Honestly, I think it’s great news,” Dustin shrugged.

“How is this great news?” Steve laughed. “I mean, so much for being American heroes! It’s total nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. It’s too specific. It’s obviously a code,” Dustin argued.

“What do you mean, a code?”

“Like a super secret spy code.”

“That’s a total stretch.”

“I don’t know, is it?” You questioned.

“You’re buying into this?”

“Listen, just for kicks, let’s entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What’d you think they were gonna say? Fire the warhead at noon?” You fell into step beside him.

“Exactly!” Dustin nodded.

“And my translation is correct. I know that for sure. Plus, Y/N helped me out. We’ve got ivy league brains. It can’t be wrong,” Robin chimed in.

“She’s right. I mean- the silver car feeds? Why would anyone talk like that unless they’re trying to mask the true meaning of their message?”

“Exactly!”

“And why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive?” Robin added.

“Exactly!”

“So I guess that confirms your suspicion,” She looked over at your brother.

“Evil Russians!” He nodded.

“I can’t believe I’m about to agree with him about this, but yeah, totally evil Russians,” You laughed.

“So how do we crack it?” Your brother asked.

“Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges,” Robin shrugged.

“A pattern. Right, like maybe silver car is a meeting place?” Dustin offered.

“Or a person,” Robin shrugged.

“Or a weapon..” You trailed off as you turned around to see Steve standing in front of horse ride for kids. “What the hell..”

“It’s probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but.. Where’s Y/N?” Robin turned to see you walking up to Steve who crouched by the ride.

“What are you doing?” You laughed as you approached him.

“Uh, it’s a quarter. I need- Do you have a quarter?” He asked you.

“You sure you’re tall enough for that ride?” You teased as you reached in your purse.

“QUARTER!”

You tossed him one before he threw it into the machine. Your jaw dropped at the familiar sound.

“Need help getting up, little Stevie?” Robin snorted as she walked up to the two of you.

“Would you shut up and just listen?”

You all tuned into the music before your face dropped. “Dustin, play the recording.”

“What?”

“PLAY THE RECORDING!“ You shouted.

“Jesus, a please and thank you would be appreciated every once and a while,” He muttered before doing as told. Sure enough, the same Daisy Bell music echoed through the Walkman’s speakers.

“Maybe they have horses like this in Russia?” Robin offered.

“Indiana Flyer? I don’t think so,” Steve pointed out. “This code, it.. didn’t come from Russia.” He looked up at you. “It came from here.”

“Shit,” You whispered, looking around as an eerie mood settled onto the four of you. You all looked at one another, jumping as Robin’s electric wristwatch went off.

“We should probably get out of here.”

You all agreed, hastily walking towards the exit and only taking a breath as soon as you saw the night sky. The boys trailed ahead, leading the way towards you and Steve’s cars.

You mindlessly came to a stop to grab your keys from your purse when you noticed Robin had plopped down onto the curb. Your legs ceased to move as your brain tried to conjure up a reason for her to sit down after your discovery.

“What are you doing?” You blinked. She looked up with wide eyes.

“Waiting on my mom to come pick me up,” She shrugged before lazily waving her hand, motioning you off. “You can go ahead and go. She’ll only be a couple minutes.”

“Y/N! Robin! You coming?” Steve asked only a few steps ahead.

“I’m gonna wait with Robin. Her mom’s on the way,” You responded as your ass met the cement beside your best friend. Steve let out a sigh, and against your brother’s protests, decided to walk back towards the two of you, taking a seat to your right. Dustin only a few steps behind.

“Why don’t you guys ever leave me alone?” Robin questioned.

“Is she being sarcastic?” Steve looked at you with wide eyes.

“I actually can’t tell this time,” You furrowed your brows, making her scoff.

“Ever since Barb died, things have been different,” Robin’s gaze locked on you. “You never let me bike home, or sit outside alone. You tell me to steer clear of the woods. I mean, what’s up with that?”

You felt your heart sink into your stomach. Robin had a tendency of asking the same questions Eddie once asked, touching on same prohibited subject that resulted in the loss of a relationship. A friendship. And yet, you still had no idea how or what to tell her.

“I, uh..” You took a breath before meeting the soft brown eyes to your right. Without hesitation, Steve shot in with a response.

“Can you blame her?” He shrugged casually. “This place hasn’t exactly been winning any awards for Safest Town in the past few years.”

“But still, I-“

“I guess I’d rather play it safe, you know?” You finished, looking down for a moment before her voice caught your attention again.

“Right,” There was something behind her eyes- a look you grew to recognize. Doubt. She knew you entirely to well to know that what you just told her was the entirety of the story. “You ever going to tell me the real reason?”

You shrugged, a smile playing on your lips. “Maybe. But then I’d have to kill you.”

She snorted.

“I’ll gladly accept the sweet embrace of Death in exchange for whatever secrets have been haunting you since sophomore year. I mean even Steve knows!”

“It’s not my fault Y/N tells me everything,” Steve smirked as a car entered the parking lot.

“Not everything,” Robin muttered as she got up to dust off her pants. Steve’s face fell with confusion as he turned to look at you. You thanked the darkness of the night from preventing him to see the blush that creeped its way to your cheeks. “My ride’s here. I’ll see you later.”

She left before you got the chance to tackle her to the ground for that comment. She simply blew you a kiss and giggled at the scowl she got in return as she hopped into the car.

“What was that about?” Steve chuckled.

“No clue,” You shrugged before hopping to your feet. “Ready, Dustin?”

“You’re a shit liar. You know that, don’t you?” He grinned, following close behind you as you marched off to the Bronco. “Say the word and I won’t ask about it again.”

“Please,” You grumbled without hesitation, tossing the keys to your brother. “Dustin, I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Like you mean it,” Steve continued as your brother walked off.

“Steve?” You stopped in your tracks.

“Yeah?” He raised his brows.

“Drop it,” You warned. His eyes narrowed with a playful curiosity.

“In your dreams, Henderson,” He let out a low chuckle. “What was she talking about?”

“It is none of your business,” You sighed.

“Obviously it is or else you wouldn’t be trying so hard to hide this from me,” He argued. “Tell me. You got a crush? Don’t be ashamed to admit it. Most girls I befriend develop one on me eventually.”

“That’s a mighty roar from the lion that hasn’t caught a single gazelle all summer.”

“Holding off for you, baby,” He shot you his best smile, his playful tone masking the truth behind that sentence.

“Yeah, okay. Well, goodnight, honey,” You patted his shoulder before walking off. He grinned.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart!” He called. You could tell he was grinning from the tone.

“Looking forward to it, sugar!” You shouted without turning around, hearing his chuckles fade as you both approached your vehicles. You didn’t even realize you were smiling until you looked over at your brother, who wore an amused smile of his own. “Oh, shut up.”

CHAPTER THREE ->

———

SCHEDULE UPDATE:

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Note

Can I join the discord server ? I won’t bug anyone I promise

of course! everyone is welcome :) it’s currently a little dead considering i haven’t posted much but yes yes please feel free to join!

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

is the sun bothering you my king?

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings 3

Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

summary: Robin and Steve cheer Y/N up after her little run in with Eddie

word count: 3070

“Jesus..” You grumbled, looking past Steve’s train wreck of an attempt to pick up a girl and seeing your ex walking around with yet another girl in Star Court.

“I know. It’s just embarrassing at this point,” Robin pursed her lips with second hand embarrassment, grabbing the tally board and preparing her insult. The girl at the counter looked at Steve with a look of disgust as he handed back her change. “Pathetic, really.”

“No, not that. Eddie’s back in the mall,” You rolled your eyes. Her eyes widened before they followed your gaze. She opened her mouth to say something before you heard Steve’s girl of the hour walk away in a fit of mocking giggles.

Steve sighed and let his head drop in disappointment as the girls walked away giggling.

“Hold that thought for just one second. Hit it, Y/N,” Robin held out the marker about an inch from your lips. You looked up at her with annoyance. Her eyebrows shot up expectedly before you reluctantly sang the bass line to Queen’s song. “And another one bites the dust! You are oh-for-six, Popeye.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can count,” Steve crossed his arms, not missing the way your eyes focused on someone behind him. He frowned, ignoring Robin’s next line to check out what- or who had you in such a trance.

“You know that means you suck!”

“Yeah, I can read, too.”

“Since when?”

“What’s her problem?” He asks Robin, not catching sight of anything out of the ordinary.

“The E-word walked in with girl number three of the week,” She whispered, scrunching her nose.

“Ah,” Steve said quietly.

“I’m literally standing right here,” You scoffed as your attention reverted back to your friends. “I have ears that work, you know. And you don’t have to call him The E-word. I’m over it.”

Steve and Robin gave each other a look before chuckling. “Yeah, alright.”

“What?! I am!” You held out your arms, not understanding why they thought anything else.

“Please,” Steve smirked, leaning his left hip against the counter and lowering his head to make sure he had your undivided attention. “You wanna know how many times I’ve heard you blasting Careless Whisper in the parking lot before you walked into your shift?”

“Steve!” Your cheeks flushed as you watched Robin perk up. She was not going to let that one slide.

“Four. And that’s this week alone.”

“Dude-“

“Careless Whisper?” Robin asked before erupting into uncontrollable laughter. “By Wham?!”

“First of all, it’s a good song-“

“No, it’s not!” They both chimed in.

“Second of all, it’s just George Michael singing. Not Wham-“

“SHE EVEN KNOWS THE DETAILS!” Robin crumbled into the counter below her. She tried to breathe to spew out a half hearted apology. “I’m sorry- I’m so sorry! But that’s so funny-“

“You should’ve seen her!” Steve added on. You couldn’t help but laugh along. To their credit, it was incredibly out of character for you to listen to the music that you’ve constantly criticized. Pop Trash was the term you coined for it. “She was all I should’ve know better than to cheat a friend!”

“Steve!” You laughed, reaching over to try to cover his mouth. “Shut up! People are looking!”

He only grabbed your wrists, before singing into them passionately while looking deeply into your eyes. It was the most comical scene you’ve laid eyes on in days; you couldn’t help but giggle.

“And waste a chance that I’ve been given,” He continued as his eyes furrowed upwards as he sang his heart out to the store. “So I’m never gonna dance again!”

“Cut it out!” Your eyes widened as you caught a glimpse of the couple walking towards the store. “SHH! I think they’re walking in!”

“The way I danced with youuu-MMH!” His eyes snapped open as you pulled your hand free and covered his mouth with it. “Mkay! M’ done!”

“Ahoy-“ You began to mutter before a much louder voice boomed over your own.

“Ahoy, mateys! Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?” Steve shouted over you, making Eddie’s date jump before she giggled nervously. “I’ll be your captain, Steve Harrington! Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee or, my personal favorite, the Jealous Ex-Boyfriend-“

He cleared his throat before continuing.

“Sorry, I meant the Jelly Explosion,” He corrected himself, making Robin snort from behind you. You rubbed your hand across your lips to keep from laughing as you turned on your heels to go to the back. “No? Anybody? Banana Boat? Strawberry Shortcake?”

“The Jelly Explosion pretty sounds good,” The girl looked up at Eddie who managed to squeeze out a tight lipped smile, not wanting to blow his cool demeanor in front of his date.

“Mhm,” He managed to get out.

“I mean, it’s a little sour,” Steve shrugged. “But if that’s what you’re into, I’ll have it out in a jiffy! That’d be three bucks.”

Eddie quickly paid for their ice cream before taking a seat in a nearby booth. Steve scooped a flavor into an ice cream boat and handed it to them before they got up and left to eat it anywhere else.

“I’ll erase a You Suck point for that. That was good!” Robin laughed before you both clapped. Steve took off his hat to take a bow, thanking you as if he’d just won a reward.

“Do we even have a flavor called Jelly Explosion?” You asked with a smile.

“Pft- No,” He replied. “Those motherfuckers got Jelly Bean.”

“ANOTHER POINT FOR GIVING THEM OUR WORST FLAVOR!” Robin shouted as she used her finger to erase another point.

“If only he could be that quick witted when it came to girls,” You pouted sarcastically as you grabbed your purse and keys.

“You see how she treats me?” His jaw dropped as he looked at your best friend. “Not even a thank you!”

“Thank you, Stevie. I owe you one,” You ruffled his hair with a grin. He grumbled something about his hairstyle as you waved goodbye. “I’m clocking out for the day. I have an early morning. Gonna go pick up Steve’s best friend from summer camp.”

“I thought we were having a movie night tonight,” Robin followed behind you. You shrugged. “Not up for it anymore?”

“Not after girl number three,” You smiled sadly, making her face fall. She nodded nonetheless, giving you a hug before you walked out of the store. “See you tomorrow?”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” She confirmed. You saluted with two fingers before making your exit. Steve walked out of the back just in time to wave goodbye. “I have a feeling we’re going to hear her play Careless Whisper for the rest of the summer… We need to get her a rebound.”

“A rebou- Wha- Hold on. Why does she need a rebound?” Steve stammered quickly. “She doesn’t need a rebound!“

“Maybe Billy Hargrove? What happened to Billy anyway?“

“Yeah, no. He’s an abusive and racist piece of shit,” Steve scoffed, leaning against the counter once again. “Look, she doesn’t need a rebound. What she needs is a pick-me-up. What do girls normally do to get over a guy?”

“Get under another,” She shrugged.

“Besides that!” Steve’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“I don’t know! I’ve never had to do that before!” Robin shouted. “According to the movies, ice cream, alcohol, and hanging out with friends.”

“Alcohol, huh?” Steve looked off in thought for a moment. “Now that I can get behind.”

———

“I don’t know, Mom,” You spoke as you finished drying the last dish, putting it back in the cabinet. “It’s not that I miss him romantically, you know? I just miss having him around. God, I wish I never would’ve dated him.. This sucks.”

“I’m sure he’ll come around, sweetie,” Your mother smiled as she placed another trash bag in the bin. “If he goes out of his way to visit you at the mall, I’m sure a simple explanation would go a long way. An a damn good apology.”

“That explanation would be anything but simple,” You muttered under your breath.

“What was that?”

“I doubt an explanation and apology would ever make him want to be my friend again,” You offered as you took a seat on the couch, allowing your cat to settle on your lap. You mindlessly stroked its fur as you continued to speak. “He was in love with me. And I broke his heart. You can’t just bounce back from something like that.. Especially after six months.”

“Who knows?” She shrugged. “He’s a very sweet boy. A forgiving one. If he really loved you, I think he could find it in his heart to forgive you. There are times in life where we find soulmates in platonic relationships. It's easy to get them confused with romantic ones. You aren’t the first to apologize for breaking a friend’s heart. And you wouldn’t be the first to be forgiven for it.”

“What if he wasn’t just platonic?” You asked, turning your body to face her as you gave her your full attention. “How do you know?”

“You just do,” She smiled, likely remembering the love she shared with her late husband. “There will be this feeling in your stomach, like a swarm of molten hot butterflies fluttering around. He’ll make your chest squeeze just by doing small things like fixing his hair or trying to cheer you up. It’ll be an unavoidable chemistry that you can't fight against. And you’ll fit together perfectly. When you meet the guy that is willing to do anything for you – the one that you’re sure you can’t live without, that’s how you’ll know you found the one. That’s your twin flame-“

Her words were disrupted by the harsh sound of knocking paired with the chime of your doorbell. You both gave each other a look of confusion. You weren’t expecting anyone, and you haven’t had many visitors come by since Dustin left for summer camp and you got a job. You got up and made your way to the door, swinging it open to reveal no other than your two coworkers holding a pizza, a case of cheap beer, and a rented movie. They were in the middle of bickering before you cleared your throat.

“Henderson!“

“Y/N, we brought you pizza!” Robin grinned, holding up the box.

“And beer,” Steve smiled, holding up the case.

“I see that,” You chuckled, leaning against your doorframe. “Why?”

“To help you get over your broken heart,” Robin blinked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Duh. It was Steve’s idea.”

She pushed past you, waving at your mother and setting down the pizza on the coffee table.

“Your idea, huh?” You smiled softly, feeling those oh-so familiar molten butterflies your mother was talking about. “I thought you had a date tonight, Harrington.”

“I canceled,” He shrugged. “Priorities.”

“I’m a priority?”

“Woah, woah, woah. Hey, don’t get a fat head, Henderson,” He smirked, brushed past you as he walked into your house. He kept his eyes on you at all times, not noticing your mother on the couch. “My priorities, in order, are pizza, beer, and Blade Runner-“

“I’m not watching Blade Runner.”

“You have no taste. Lucky for you, we also got The Breakfast Club,” He held up the VHS in his hand. “So let’s eat and get tipsy while we watch a movie! It’s the best way to cure a broken heart. Tried and approved by millions!”

“I have to pick Dustin up in the morning.”

“I’ll take care of that, sweetie,” Your mother finally chimed in. Steve’s eyes widened as he quickly tried to hide the beers behind his back. She simply laughed. “Don’t get too drunk and don’t do anything stupid. I’ll let you drink this one time if you give me one of those beers.”

“Deal!” Steve smiled, handing your mom the unopened one in his hand. “Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. We’ll be responsible.”

She smiled and nodded before mouthing ‘He’s cute!’ with wide eyes and a smile. You blushed when you heard Steve chuckle.

“Okay, Mom! Goodnight!” You said quickly.

“Goodnight, kiddos!”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Henderson!” Your friends called.

“Who says Steve Harrington can’t pull chicks?” Robin smirked. “He’s got your mom wrapped around his finger.”

“Okay! Ew!”

“I do, don’t I?” Steve chuckled. “Lookin’ for a new daddy, Henderson?”

“Lookin’ for another beating, Harrington?” You frowned, making them laugh. “What movies did you guys end up renting anyway?”

“You’ve heard of Jessie’s Girl, wait til you hear about Henderson’s Mom,” Robin chuckled, earning a high five from Steve as they took residence on your couch.

“I will shake every single can in this case if you make another comment about my mom,” You warned, making them laugh again. You flipped through the four movies they brought and plopped The Breakfast Club in your VHS player before taking the middle spot on the couch.

You all chatted and giggled and chugged several beers during the first thirty minutes of the movie. As interested as you all were in the movie, your tired bodies eventually gave out. Robin fell asleep in your lap and your very sleepy head fell upon Steve’s shoulder. He felt himself smile at the sight.

He used his free hand to move the hair out of your face and chuckled softly at the way you scrunched your nose. You struggled to find a good position until he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and you settled comfortably into him.

He couldn’t help but fixate on the lightened scar on your brow that you acquired during the fight with Billy only six months prior. His thumb softly rubbed over the slit of hairless skin that split your eyebrow, feeling a pang of guilt for not being able to protect you that night.

“Mm’ tickles,” You frowned as you buried your face deeper into his shoulder. He chuckled.

“Okay, sorry,” He smiled before he rested his head on your own and allowed himself to drift off as the soft sounds of the movie continued to coax you all into a deep sleep.

———

You all awoke the the harsh sound of banging. You three jumped up, groaning as you stretched out your stiff limbs.

“Who the hell is knocking at..” Steve rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before looking at your clock. “Jesus, nine in the morning.”

“My brother’s friends,” You sighed, pushing Robin off of you before you walked over to the door, opening it to reveal five excited kids. “Oh, great. You’re all here. Keep it down while we drink our coffee, would you?”

They all frowned in confusion as Steve walked up behind you to see who was at the door.

“Jesus, you guys sure do knock loudly for having such small hands,” He grumbled before looking down at you. “Coffee’s been made. Want some?”

“Oh. Did we interrupt something, Y/N?” Max smirked. You narrowed your eyes at her.

“Just our weekly Kid-Haters-Anonymous meeting,” Robin shouted from the kitchen before she peaked her head around the corner. “You’re just in time for the sacrificial ritual. Any volunteers?”

“I vote Red,” Steve smiled, making her face drop.

“Come in,” You giggled, moving aside as the weary kids took their spots on the couch. “Don’t worry. We’ll be out of your hair soon. We have a shift at 11:00.”

“You are not joining our Welcome Back party?” Eleven voiced her concern.

“Nope,” Steve asked as he helped you quickly cleaned up the small mess you left in the living room. “You guys want some beer?”

They all stared at him blankly.

“That was a joke,” You chuckled along with Steve as you cleared out the last of the empty beer cans into the trash bag in his hands.

“Oh,” They breathed.

“Right, well, uh,” Steve turned to face you, feeling a bit awkward as the kids all stared at the both of you without shame. “I’m gonna head out so I can get ready. Are you taking Robin today or am I?”

“I got her,” You muttered as you took the trash out of his hands. “See you at 11:00?”

“Yup,” He nodded, shooting you a soft smile as he grabbed his keys and walked towards the front door.

You watched as he stopped at the mirror next to your door. His longer fingers skillfully brushed through his hair as he attempted to tame his mane, making your stomach do more flips than an Olympic gymnast. His lips were still a little swollen from his slumber, eyes droopy from the lack of sleep. That’s when you remembered the night before.

There will be this feeling in your stomach, like a swarm of molten hot butterflies fluttering around. He’ll make your chest squeeze just by doing small things like fixing his hair or trying to cheer you up.

You blinked at the realization as he continued to work through his locks. You’d fallen asleep in his arms the night before and it felt so.. natural. You were honestly a bit surprised that your neck or back didn’t hurt from the position, but it was almost as if you fit perfectly into one another like a puzzle.

It’ll be an unavoidable chemistry that you can't fight against. And you’ll fit together perfectly.

“No fucking way..” You muttered under your breath.

“Huh?” Steve turned around to face you.

“What?” Your eyes widened. “Nothing! I didn’t say anything.”

A small smile crept up on his lips as the expression you wore, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he debating asking about it before he finally decided to open the door and take his leave. “I’ll see you later, Henderson.”

“You are blushing,” Eleven stated as the door closed, making her friends giggle.

“And you guys are getting on my last nerve,” You huffed before marching to your room to get ready for your shift. As you tossed on your uniform, you convinced yourself it was simply the sleep deprivation talking earlier.

When you meet the guy that is willing to do anything for you – the one that you’re sure you can’t live without, that’s how you’ll know you found the one. That’s your twin flame.

That was ridiculous. Nothing more than the words of a hopeless romantic.

Steve Harrington was not the one. And most definitely was not your twin flame… He couldn’t be.

Right?

———

PLEASE CHECK IN EVERY MONDAY AND FRIDAY AT 9:00 PM CTD FOR NEW CHAPTERS! (unless otherwise stated)

As always, please feel free to DM me or leave a comment on my stories! I love to hear your feedback and interact with all of you!! Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

a/n: and we’re back with season THREE!! i honestly can’t believe we’re here! thank you all for following along! CANT WAIT TO SHOW YOU WHAT IVE GOT PLANNED FOR THIS SEASON!!

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aristrocrat · 2 years

Text

Upside Down Feelings 2

Chapter Ten: The End of the Eddie Era

summary: the aftermath of Eddie seeing Y/N and Steve dancing together at the Winter Ball

word count: 1650 :,(

TW: THIS IS SO FUCKING SAD I’M SO SORRY!! MY DAY IS RUINED..

“Oh shit,” You muttered, pulling away from Steve as you watched Eddie spin on his heels and leave. Steve followed your eyes, catching sight of the familiar curly haired mane making its exit. His lips part with guilt as he saw you run towards the now closing doors. “Eddie! Eddie! Jesus, could you just wait up?”

The boy continued to quicken his pace to his van, ignoring your calls and pleas. You managed to catch up just in time to put your hand on the driver’s door, preventing him from opening it.

“Can you just listen to me for a moment?” You breathed, feeling your heart break more with every second that he avoided looking into your eyes. “It was just a slow dance, alright? I need you to trust-“

“Trust?” He chuckled bitterly as his tongue slid across his teeth. “You expect me to trust you? You skipped my concert last month and showed up with Harrington, covered in scratches and slices a-and bruises. You told me to trust you then, and I did. That there wasn’t anything going on between you and The King,” He spat out the nickname, poison dripping from his words as he continued. “Yet he’s the only one who knows what really happened that week. And then I fucking dress up in this stupid tux to surprise you and you’re dancing in his arms?!”

“It wasn’t like th-

“Oh, don’t give me that fucking bullshit!” He rolled his eyes. “He’s the one who you look at with these-these fucking eyes of adoration- and you expect me to trust you?! You don’t even trust me enough to tell me where the fuck those scars came from, Y/N!”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Eddie!” You shook your head quickly, taking a step towards him only watch him step back. “There’s a lot I’m not telling you but it’s for your safety-“

“My safety?!” His eyebrows shot up. “My fucking safety?! Jesus, wh- are you part of the FBI? You can’t honestly expect me to believe you when-“

“Eddie, I wish I could tell you more! I want to-“

“When you can’t even tell me you love me, sweetheart!” He shouted over you, ignoring the glares of the people walking to and from their cars.

There it was. There it fucking was. He knew your stance on love, and your inability to allow yourself to fall in love. You made it perfectly clear from the beginning that you couldn’t offer him that. It was never a matter of exclusivity, you stayed loyal through it all.

It had absolutely nothing to do with him; he was a phenomenal man and boyfriend. And you made sure to vocalize that. Often. Your appreciation, your adoration, your affection- those were the words that constantly fell from your lips. During dates, concerts, lazy nights on his couch, late nights in his arms- during kisses and love making. You always let him know how you felt about him.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you processed the words that shot through you like daggers. He watched as your face shifted from one of desperation to one of betrayal. He knew he was wrong to hold it against you, to bring it up as a topic of an argument. But couldn’t help it anymore. He couldn’t only have half of you. Not if he was meant to trust you.

“You know why I can’t fall in love,” You lowered your voice to an unrecognizable tone. “I saw what it did to my mom. I felt what it was like to lose the people I love. Eddie- I…” You took a deep breath to collect your anger and speak levelheadedly, empathetically. “It’s not you, Eds. It’s me. It’s my problem. And I was fully open about it before we-“

“Wanna know the craziest part of all of this?” He blinked away his tears as he finally looked deep into your eyes, showing you the raw, unadulterated emotions behind them. You couldn’t help but feel the knot in your throat build to the point where you had to hold your breath to hold in the sob that teased under the surface. “If you could just tell me those three little words, I’d let this all go. I’d drop to my knees and beg for your forgiveness.”

He sniffled, his tears now pouring down his face like the water of a river flows: desperately falling down, tracing the high and low points of his cheeks, and dropping by the dozen off of his chin. “I’d give up every good thing in my life just for the honor of calling you mine. And not just half of you, Y/N. That’s just not enough for me anymore. I mean-.. How can I trust you to be careful with my heart if you can’t even grant me the same?”

Your breath quivered as you drew in a breath, only for it to be interrupted with a sob.

“It’s not you,” You pressed your hand to your stomach, hoping to relieve some of the overwhelming tension that built up there. “Eddie, I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to. But I can’t.”

He let out another scoff, wiping his tears aggressively before he spoke up in a different tone. No longer was it the soft, anguished pleading tone. It was now empty and emotionless.

“You say you can’t love but I’m not blind. I see the way you look at him. The way you smile when you’re around him,” He looked up as he shook his head, somehow damming the waterfall that previously occupied his red and puffy face. “I hear the way you talk to and about him-“

“Eddie, you’re wrong-“ You frowned

“The hell I am!” He shouted before lowering his voice again. “It’s not a matter of whether or not you can love. You obviously can! You just surround yourself with people you can’t bring yourself to fall in love with so that you can keep your heart guarded! But what about mine? Huh?!”

“Eddie, please don’t do this,” You sobbed, letting your face fall into your hands as he continued to shout.

“No, you don’t get to do that. Look at me, Y/N!” He placed his hands gently but firmly on your cheeks. “You dragged me along a fucking year, telling me you weren’t able to fall in love and completely disregarding the fact that I am head over heels for you, Y/N! I was perfectly fine having you as you were. But then you started to hide things from me and sneak around with Steve. You can love. Hell, you ARE in love. It’s just not with me.”

“Can we just talk this through?” You stepped forward, grabbing his arms as you looked up at him. Your heart shattered on the spot when he looked at you. It was like he was looking at a stranger. All of the love that was previously there was gone. “Please. P-Please, I don’t wanna lose this. Lose you! Just-“

“Don’t touch me,” He stepped back from your embrace, not being able to look into your hopeless eyes. You both stood in silence, nothing but your soft sobs and his sniffles filled the air around you. Somehow, even the music from the gymnasium seemed to be a million miles away.

“You have it all wrong, you know,” He finally said, fishing his keys out of his pocket. You looked up at him with confusion, the wet mascara still running fresh down your cheeks. His voice broke as he said his final words to you, “Because no matter how much I hate you right now and how much my heart hurts.. I wouldn’t take back a single moment I had with you… Do yourself a favor, Y/N. Tell him how you feel.”

“Eds-“

“But I never want to see you again,” He said firmly as he stepped past you. He opened his door. “Have a nice life, sweetheart.”

And with that, you watched the boy drive off into the night. Your knees gave out from under you, allowing them to hit the concrete below you as your head fell into your hands. You sobbed into them, not being able to lessen the tight feeling in your chest.

It felt like the air around you suddenly lost all traces of oxygen. Your ears rang from the sheer force of the crying. It was the first time you’d felt like this since..

“Y/N? Oh, my God! Y/N!” You heard the familiar voice call before it’s owner’s footsteps picked up to a run. “Hey, hey, hey. Woah! What happened? Are you alright?”

You simply shook your head as you felt those warm arms pull you into a tight embrace. It was your turn to crumble into Steve’s arms as his hands gently rubbed your back.

“It’s alright, let it out.” He muttered into your hair as you weeped into the crook of his neck. He shrugged off his jacket before wrapping it around you, seeing as it was freezing and you were in a strapless dress. “I got you.. It’s alright, I got you.”

You didn’t know how long he held you for. Easily for much longer than you held him on Halloween. But he just let you cry into him, rubbing your back and whispering reassuring words into your ear as your sobs slowly came to a halt. He didn’t dare pull away until he felt you sit up.

“Want me to take you home?” Steve smiled softly, wiping the black tears from your puffy cheeks. He wanted so badly to ask what happened. He wanted to grab those bats from his trunk and show up at Eddie’s house to show him a lesson for breaking your heart.

But he didn’t.

He simply helped you up, wrapping a supportive arm around you as he walked you back to his car. He started it, blasting the heater to warm your shivering body, before he jogged over to Joyce and Hopper.

They asked what happened to you, having heard your sobs from the distance, and Steve explained that you got your heart broken by a freak with curtain bangs. They nodded and agreed to take the kids home, telling him to take good care of you.

And he did just that.

Season Three ->

———

PLEASE CHECK IN EVERY MONDAY AND FRIDAY AT 9:00 PM CTD FOR NEW CHAPTERS! (unless otherwise stated)

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a/n: IM LITERALLY SOBBING TOO! DONT COME FOR MY THROAT!! (or do hehe i love to hear it) IM SO FUCKING SAD RN BRO IM SORRYYYY EDDIE

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