eunoiiaff

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 12: You go in shadows. |

Pairing: Joel Miller x Fem!Reader WC: 3.2k Warnings: Mentions of death, angst, some fluff, insinuated SA, no use of Y/N. A/N: Actual moments of romance? Whats happening to me REQUESTS OPEN

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Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter (coming soon) ______________________________________________

DESPITE BEING SQUEEZED INTO THE UNCOMFORTABLE BACKSEAT, NOTHING COULD WIPE THE WIDE SMILE OFF ELLIE'S FACE. You watched on with a slight smirk as she leaned forward to play with the buttons on the truck's console, head whipping around at the sight of every little feature anyone else would turn a blind eye to. "It's your first time in a car?" Joel questioned.

"It's like a spaceship."

"No, it's like a piece of shit Chevy S10, but it'll get us there... I think." He breathed out. You pushed your body back so that Ellie could reach forward more easily, the girl still fiddling around.

"Can I sit in the front?" Ellie asked you. Joel responded before you got the chance.

"No." He said as he shook his head, reaching back for his seatbelt. "She'll get motion sick. Seatbelt." He ordered, his words more so directed at Ellie than you. You couldn't help but stare at him, his words shocking you momentarily. The fact was true, but that wasn't what confused you. Instead, it was the fact that he remembered. What felt to you to be an obscure fact you'd forget yourself occasionally was remembered by a man you hadn't seen for two decades.

You shook your head as you broke out of your trance-like state, watching as Joel reached over to the back seat to show Ellie the seatbelt. "So cool." She muttered beneath her breath as she clicked it in. Ellie kept her body leaned forward as she watched Joel get the car started, the girl soon enough leaning back again to explore the backseat, pulling out an old mixtape from the pocket behind your seat. 

"Would ya leave it?" Joel asked dull-ly as you simply watched Ellie lean forward to put the tape into the radio. Joel gave you a slight look as you simply put your hands up in surrender, as the man was too busy pulling out of the garage to do anything. "Put it back... Ellie." Once the song started playing, Ellie furrowed her brows, the music sounding dull to her ears. The girl reached to take the mixtape out before she was stopped by Joel. "Oh, no, wait. No, leave it. Leave it. Oh, this is good. This is Linda Ronstadt. Do you know who Linda Ronstadt is?"

"You know I don't know who Linda Ronstadt is." Ellie sassed.

You gave him a look, one brow raised. "She's never seen a car, but you think she knows who Linda Ronstadt is?" You chuckled softly. Joel couldn't help but let a slight smile escape, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, shaking his head softly. 

"Oh, man." He continued.

"Eh. It's better than nothing." 

'Wait for the day. You'll go away.' The radio sang, the remote in Joel's hand beeping as he opened the outermost gate of Bill's compound. 'Knowin' that you warned me of the price I'd have to pay. And life's full of loss. Who knows the cost.' You watched in the side mirrors as Bill and Frank's house grew further and further away. Despite how the house had grown run down, it reminded you of what once was. What could have been. Many years ago.

The three sat in silence until a light hum sounded from Ellie. "Here." She grunted as she reached forward yet again. "Found another." She said, pulling out the 'Silk Purse' tape and pushing in a new one. It took a few moments for the song to start up, but once it did, both you and Joel tensed; Ellie instead groaned, slightly disappointed at the song.

'I look to you to see the truth.' The tape played. You slowly reached forward to turn the volume higher as Mazzy Star's voice sang out. The two adults shared a look, their eyes dancing around one another as their mouths were kept shut. 'You live your life, you go in shadows.' Just for a moment, they were thirty-something years old again. Standing in the middle of nowhere, darkness surrounding them as they found comfort in one another.

Ellie's brows furrowed as she watched both of you, the girl trying to gauge what the notable reactions were for. "What, did you two screw to this or somethin'?" She questioned somewhat rhetorically.

You tsk'd the girl, letting out a sigh as you turned to look out the window, Joel watching you for a moment longer before looking back ahead, clearing his throat. "You're a sick kid." You said.

"Mhm," Ellie responded almost happily, looking around the backseat for more to mess around with.

__________

"I WANNA SEE A TANK," Ellie exclaimed, looking at the cars pushed to the side of the road through the back window. You sat - rather uncomfortably - in the front seat, letting out a long sigh as you stared at the long road ahead. You zoned out the larger majority of Ellie and Joel's conversations of which mostly consisted of Ellie asking a long string of questions and Joel answering with his dull tone. You'd hardly even noted the presence of music, Hank Williams' voice only just ringing through your ears. 

Your head shook at the sound of Joel's almost desperate voice, taking a moment to centre yourself before noticing what was happening. "Oh. No, no, no. Put that back. That's not for kids. Ellie." Joel rushed out. Your eyes widened at the sight of the... interesting magazine, quickly turning around in your seat to try to take it from the young girl.

"How would he even walk around with that thing?" Ellie exclaimed with her mouth wide open. 

"Please get rid of it." Joel practically begged.

"Ellie, give me that," You complained.

"Hold on now, you'll get your turn," Ellie said to you, hardly looking away from the pages. 

You sat back in your seat with an annoyed sigh as your face grew slightly warm. "Why are all these pages stuck together?" She questioned. You and Joel shared a look. Joel stammered as he tried to come up with a response, whilst you simply rubbed your temple with wide eyes. "I'm just fuckin' with ya. Bye-bye, dude!" She called as she threw the magazine out the window. 

"You're a little shit sometimes, you know that?" You said whilst turning to look at Ellie, the girl sticking her tongue out at you. 

__________

THE TREES AROUND THE THREE TOWERED OVER THEM; THE WOODS A SAFE ENOUGH SPOT TO CAMP FOR THE NIGHT, IN HOPES THEY COULD REGAIN AS MUCH ENERGY AS THEY COULD. You watched with an eyebrow raised as Ellie stuffed as much food in her mouth at once as she could.It wasn't the nicest meal you'd ever had, that's for sure, but it was better than cold beans from the can. "So, can we start a fire? I'm freezing." Ellie complained, Joel's harshness almost surprising her. 

"Now, why am I gonna tell you no?"

"Because Infected will see the smoke."

"No. Fungus isn't that smart. This is too remote for Infected, anyway." Joel noted.

"People?" Ellie was almost surprised. Her eyes were wide as she looked between you and Joel, who sat just a couple feet apart from one another. "So what are they gonna do? Rob us?"

You tensed, the fork in your hand freezing just before reaching your mouth, your throat growing tight. "Oh, they'll have way more in mind than that." 

"Okay." Ellie dragged out, unsure of what to say. You placed your plate down quietly, your once-heaving appetite quickly disappearing. The already cold woods grew colder around you, swallowing you whole as your eyes darted around, mind playing tricks on you that you could see silhouettes through the rows of trees. 

It had gotten darker a lot faster than you had expected, your movements quiet as you tried to get comfortable in your sleeping bag, grateful that Bill and Frank had had a spare. You lay on your back between Joel and Ellie, hands resting on your stomach as you looked up at the dark sky. You saw your breath in front of you, your nose freezing to the touch. You could hear Joel and Ellie talking from either side of you, what exactly they were discussing, you couldn't exactly figure out through your absent-mindedness; that is, until one sentence from Ellie caught your attention. "Those people you said... there's no way anyone knows we're here, right?" She questioned. "No one's gonna find us." It was unclear whether the latter was a statement, a question, or an attempt to reassure herself. 

"No one's gonna find us." Joel repeated, though you couldn't stop the pit from forming in your stomach.

"Okay."

The three had gone silent. Ellie turned around to get some sleep whilst you and Joel looked around cautiously. Your steps were light as you stood up, grasping onto your rifle as you stepped further into the woods to keep watch, unaware of Joel's eyes locked onto you. You knew you wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway, the gut-wrenching feeling in your stomach too overwhelming to even allow you to close your eyes, let alone fall asleep. 

The cold air nipped at your skin, the overwhelming emptiness of the night making your ears ring just slightly. You jumped out of your skin when Joel appeared beside you suddenly. You looked back with wide eyes to see his sleeping bag empty before turning back to him, your eyes scanning over the gun in his hands, then his face. "Didn't even hear you." You muttered.

"Go get some sleep. I'll stay watch." He offered despite knowing the long drive he'd have to wake up to. You shook your head, muttering something about being unable to sleep; Joel looked over at you for a moment before looking back at the trees surrounding them.

They were silent for a while, standing so close their shoulders would have touched with even the smallest movement. "So you've run into people before then," Joel said lowly; he could feel you turn to look at him, your grasp on your rifle tightening before you responded.

"Something like that." You said monotone. He wasn't blind. He'd seen the way you'd reacted earlier in the day when the topic had come up. The way you tensed, your attitude switching up instantly. Despite trying his best not to imagine what you must have gone through, it was hard not to. If he had known, he would have told Ellie differently, or even better, he would have avoided the topic entirely, but how could he have?

The silence around them was almost comfortable. Almost. The two were trying their hardest not to lean closer to one another; the fact hard when they could already feel the heat radiating off the other in the cold nighttime air. "I'm sorry." You started. "About Sarah, I mean." Joel had almost forgotten the fact that you didn't know. "I tried looking. Went to your house." You started, Joel quickly understanding how you knew, what you had seen. The man thought back to that night. To his birthday. Trying desperately to get to you, all while keeping Sarah and Tommy safe. Though it didn't matter how hard he tried, considering his efforts ended in futility. "I thought you were dead." Joel turned to you, noting the way your voice cracked, your eyes softly welling with tears as you ran through it in your head. "For twenty years I thought you were dead." You looked at him.

It was almost funny. Thinking you're alone in the world, only to find yourself standing in front of the one man you'd begged to see for two decades. Their eyes were locked onto one another, Joel absentmindedly playing with the ring on his finger. "We tried getting to you, but-" Joel couldn't finish. You took a breath as you listened to his words. 

"I'm so sorry." Your voice broke more than you had hoped, breaking eye contact as you looked down, trying to stop the tears from falling. "I spent twenty years believing you were dead. Believing that you died, thinking I hated you. That I..."

"That you what?" Joel said after a few beats of silence.

"That I don't love you." Your words hung in the air, your heart pounding in your chest as you waited for Joel to say something, anything; you yourself unsure of exactly what it was you wanted to hear him say. Just for a moment, you felt like throwing up, certain that the man was moments away from telling you to leave and go back to your cabin. 

"I'm different." He grumbled. His voice low and uncertain. "I'm not him."

Your throat felt tight. "I know." Was all you could come up with. Then again, you were different, too. The two were quiet, their breaths echoing out into the night as you continuously clenched your hand at your side. Then, you felt the warmth.

His fingers enveloped yours, his tough, calloused palm connecting with yours. He wasn't fast; instead, his movements were slow, as though, if he moved too fast, you'd run away. He didn't speak. Didn't move his large form. Even then, you didn't expect any more. Already, you felt his words through his hand, through his touch. 

"Go to sleep." He practically ordered after a gap of silence. "No one's gonna find us." His eyes dove into yours. It was different. He swore it, from the bottom of his soul. You took a moment before turning away, giving Joel's hand one squeeze before pulling away, the air feeling even colder around it than before. 

__________

YOU AND JOEL PACKED THE TRUCK BACK UP AS ELLIE TOOK HER TIME WAKING UP. They didn't act differently. Not that much anyway. Not that you could see. But their looks told stories of their own. Joel's eyes found your's more often - if that were even possible. His stature was less tense, his shoulders less hunched than they had been the day before. Reluctantly, you had allowed the man to start off driving for the day. You knew how tired he must have been; you having had woken up several times throughout the night, each time finding him standing watch, making sure no one would find them, just as he said. 

"Ugh! What the fuck is that?" Ellie groaned from behind the two adults, still wrapped up in her sleeping bag.

"You don't like coffee?" You chuckled at Ellie's expression, the girl looking at the bubbling kettle with a look of disgust.

Though Joel had assured you that Ellie would be fine sitting in the back, you insisted, knowing how desperate Ellie had been to explore the car some more. "Is that seriously what those Starbucks in the QZ used to sell?"

"Well, theirs was a lot fresher than what Bill saved up, but, yeah, this is what they sold," Joel said between his sips of coffee, offering some to you in the back now and again.

"Smells like burnt shit," Ellie complained.

"You smell like burnt shit." You sassed, looking at Ellie with a smug smile before turning to watch the landscape pass by out the window. 

"Eyes on the map."

Ellie sighed slightly, watching Joel take another sip of the 'disgusting' coffee before turning back to the stained paper. "Seventy-six west and then... seventy west for, like, ever. Where in Wyoming did you say your brother was?"

"Last contact came through a radio tower close to Cody."

"Cody," Ellie repeated as her eyes scanned.

You leaned forward between the two, your eyes squinting as you tried to read the map for yourself. "Want me to have a look?" You offered.

"No, you'll get-"

"You'll get travel sick." Ellie cut the man off with a bad attempt at his voice. Joel turned his head towards the girl slowly, giving her a slightly unimpressed look before grunting and looking back ahead. 

"I tried," You muttered before falling back into the seat.

"Cody, Cody. Ah, man. That is deep up in there." Ellie exclaimed, Joel muttering a 'yeah', stealing a few glances at the map between looking at the road, and at you through the rearview mirror.

"And if he's not there?"

"Then odds are he'll be near a settlement, probably close to another city out there. Ain't too many of 'em in Wyoming."

"Chee-Yen"

"Cheyenne."

"Che- really? Hm. Cheyenne, Laramie. Casper? What's his name?"

"Whose name?"

"Your brother." Your ears perked up, straightening your back as you listened in on the conversation. You had found yourself thinking of the man from time to time. Back then, in the moment, you'd taken him for granted. He'd cared for you, been there for you, especially in your hard times, specifically, those with Michael. When you first saw Joel alone, without his brother in tow, you'd naturally assumed the worst.

"Tommy."

"Younger or older?"

"Younger."

"Why isn't he with you?" 

"A long story."

"Is it longer than twenty-five hours? 'Cause I think that's what we got." You kept silent as you listened to Joel explaining, picturing in you mind a younger Tommy in a military uniform far too big for his skinny arms, a sly smile slapped onto his face. Though as he went on, you found yourself quietly cringing as he - in your mind - dug himself into a deeper and deeper hole.

"Cut to twelve years later, outbreak happens. He convinces me to join a group makin' their way up to Boston, which I did... mostly to keep an eye on him, keep him alive. It's where we met Tess. And that whole crew, we, uh- well, for what it was, it worked. And then Tommy meets Marlene. She talks. him into joinin' the Fireflies. Same mistake he made when he was eighteen." The way the man spoke made it sound as though the Fireflies were mythical; nothing but an urban legend mothers would tell their children so that they'd sleep at night with no fuss. 

"Wants to save the world. Pipe dream. Him, Fireflies, all of 'em... delusional."

"Joel." You scolded from the back. You could see the look of uncertainty on the young girl's face. Not uncertainty that she was making the wrong decision, but of what else there was to look for.

"'Course, last I heard, he quit the Fireflies, too." Joel continued anyway. "So now he's on his own out there, and... I gotta go get him."

Ellie was quiet for a while as you scratched your head from the back, sighing softly, slightly irritated at the man's inability to consider the young girl's opinions and experiences as he shared his own. "If you don't think there's hope for the world, why bother going on? I mean, you gotta try, right?"

"You haven't seen the world, so you don't know." It was difficult. To be fully on one side. You understood what the man was saying; you yourself had seen plenty, certain that anyone else would take it as a sign to give up and hope for the best as to what's on the other side. "You keep goin' for family. That's about it."

"I'm not family," Ellie noted.

"No... you're cargo. And I made a promise to Tess. And she was like family." Joel looked at you through the rearview mirror, uncertain of how to continue without dumping every thought he'd ever had about you in the past twenty years. 

"What if you don't find him?"

"I will."

"How do you know?"

"I'm persistent." Ellie too went silent alongside you, the girl's tone softer than it had been when the conversation first began. "Ya got up pretty early. If you wanna grab more sleep-"

"Pfft. I'm not even tired."

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 11: Old habits die hard. |

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader WC: 2.6k Warnings: Mentions of death, violence, blood, angst, fluff if you squint, no use of Y/N. A/N: Im pissing myself off at this point JUST LET THEM KISS REQUESTS OPEN

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Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ______________________________________________

"YOU GOT ANY IDEA WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE HER FROM 'ERE?" Joel questioned, his tone directed to you. You shook your head, your lips pursing for a moment.

"No. Hardly fucken' knew where we were supposed to drop her off originally." You said honestly, your eyes looking down at the dirt beneath your shoes as though it were the most interesting thing in the world. And then, that was it. Practically the only words the two had spoken to one another since Tess, well...outside of that, other than Joel and Ellie's soft chatter, the hike had been rather quiet. In your mind, however, it was the complete opposite.

Your mind couldn't stop racing with thoughts of how to talk to Joel - in a way that wasn't an awkward ten-second interaction with no real emotion behind it. How to catch up on twenty years missed. Whether he even wanted to go back to what they were - whatever that was. As dark as it may be, you couldn't help but feel that with the absence of Tess, the confrontation only neared closer. It didn't matter how dull Joel was to Ellie, how cold his eyes were at times; all you could see was the man you knew, and that fact scared you. 

Against Joel's wishes, Ellie continued down the road leading directly to Bill and Frank's despite the man claiming he didn't want her to see whatever was down there. You would have agreed with the man if you had known what exactly it was he was trying to shield the girl from; God, you would have gone off the road alone if you'd known. Your heart pounded in your chest as you stared down at the remains, skulls and ribcages decorating the patch of dirt, your hands shaking at your sides before you balled them into fists. 

"About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers... went through the countryside, evacuated the small towns. Told you you were goin' to a QZ, and you were... if there was room. If there wasn't..."

"These people weren't sick?" Ellie questioned solemnly as she looked down at the skulls, some larger, some smaller; some still covered in fabric, and others with bags surrounding them showing the story of their lives that had ended too soon. That ended unfairly. Unjust. 

"No, probably not." Your ears rang, covering up any words coming from Joel and Ellie's mouths; all you knew was you had to step away before you threw up. Joel and Ellie watched on in confusion as you stormed away, your steps certain and heavy, but they could see the way your hands shook despite being balled up so tightly your knuckles turned white. "What's her problem?" Ellie murmured as she and Joel slowly followed along close behind.

"I dunno." Was all the man could muster up, his eyes trained on the woman ahead. You could feel the silence as it ate away at you. Despite knowing you wouldn't have been paying attention anyway even if the two had spoken amongst themselves, the unsettling silence made you almost sick. 

"My Dad," You began, slowing down so that the other two could catch up before matching their pace. "When everything first happened, we went down to his place; figured we'd be safer there. Quieter town, fewer people, less risk." Joel felt sick. "Eventually, soldiers came to take us away. We were supposed to be on the same truck, but there wasn't enough room. I told him I'd take the later one. That he should go first, but..." Despite not being all that close with your father, Joel knew him well enough to understand. The man would have done anything for his daughter. He always had a way of seeing things; of understanding things before they even happened. Joel knew that he'd probably guessed he wasn't gonna make it, but he also knew that the man likely didn't care as long as his girl was safe. 

You cleared your throat softly as you tried to hide the break in your voice. "A few hours went by, and they still weren't at the QZ. I kept asking, and they just said that they'd get there eventually. It took me about a week to get out of there; retraced my steps back the way we came and-" You took a beat before finishing. "Found him like those people back there. The government wasn't trying to protect the people; they were just covering their own asses." 

Joel's brows furrowed as he listened. He knew twenty years was a long time but, in a way, it only just hit him how long it really was. How many other losses had he missed? How many fights had he not been there to help you? Somehow, in some way, seeing you only made Joel miss you more. 

__________

"STAY THERE," Joel said as he opened the gate. From what you'd heard about Bill and Frank - which, albeit, wasn't all that much - you were expecting... more. More security, more protection. If anything, it looked like the fence could have been broken through pretty easily with all the rust eating through it, that is, if it weren't for the 'high voltage' sign adorning it. 

You could see that something was wrong. The way Joel moved, the way he looked around, something wasn't right. It looked as though he was grieving something long lost. "What the fuck?" Ellie breathed out as they stepped inside. 

"Bill?" Joel called out, gun drawn but pointed to the floor. "Frank? Stay there." He ordered as he turned to look at the two, his eyes landing on Ellie as he continued. "Ya hear anything, you see anything... yell."

"What if they're gone?" Ellie spoke softly, innocently, almost. You clicked your tongue, your eyes harsh and almost scolding. Whether or not you agreed or disagreed, you'd never say it aloud. Joel ignored the question, instead leaving in silence to look for the two who had yet to reveal themselves. 

"Ellie," You muttered softly after some moments, the girl having seemingly teleported into the other room within the few seconds you were looking away. The house had almost seemed abandoned, rotted food looking out of place upon the fancy plates and silverware, the wine glasses still stained red. You kept a vague eye on Ellie as she explored the room, fingers dancing on the piano keys. 

Despite having never met the owners of the home, you were able to paint a vague picture of what they'd looked like thanks to the artworks hanging on the walls; you assumed they'd been done by one of the two men. After having almost forgotten about Ellie, you were almost startled by the young girl sitting on one of the dining chairs ahead of you, way at the other end of the table. Your brows furrowed as you watched Ellie, your mind racing, trying to figure out what she was reading. "Ellie?" You heard Joel's voice ring out before you got the chance to speak, the man stalking out from around the corner to face the same sight as you - Ellie slouched against the chair, gritty paper in hand. 

"It's from Bill." She said softly. You turned to look at Joel, attempting to gauge his reaction, though you gained little to no intel. Joel put his gun back into the waistband of his jeans, already knowing in the back of his mind what the letter meant, part of him not wanting to believe it. "'To whomever... but probably Joel.' I figured I fell under 'whomever'. Came with this." Ellie said as she slid the key across the table towards the man. 

The backpack slid off his shoulders as he moved forward, his eyes cold and sombre; though not all that different from what they normally looked like, there was still something that had changed. He scanned the key in his palm, his tone dull. "So they're dead?"

"Mm-hmm. You, you wanna?"

"Go ahead. You do it."

"'August 29, 2023. If you find this... please do not come into the bedroom. We left a window open so the house wouldn't smell, but it will probably be a sight. I'm guessing you found this, Joel, because anyone else would've been electrocuted or blown up by one of my traps. Hehehehehehehehe. Take anything you need. The bunker code is the same as the gate code but in reverse. Anyway... I never liked you, but still, it's like we're friends... almost. And I respect you. So, I'm gonna tell you something because you're probably the only person who will understand. I used to hate the world and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong because there was one person worth saving. That's what I did. I saved him. Then I protected him. That's why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do. And God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way. I leave you all of my weapons and equipment. Use them to keep-'" Ellie cut herself off, her eyes zoned in on one spot on the page. You could only assume what it said, your heart racing in your chest as you comprehended everything in the letter. 

"Stay here," Joel said, his voice almost breaking as he stormed outside. You and Ellie were silent, Ellie staring at the floor as you sucked your bottom lip between your teeth.

"Should I not have read it?" Ellie questioned softly, her tone gentle as though she were in trouble.

"No, no. He just- ...you're fine." You replied, unsure of what exactly to say. What was there to say? Your mind thought back to the letter, the words inside telling you how much Joel had changed since you'd last known him. Sure, back then he wasn't the most sociable guy, but 'used to hate the world' and 'happy when everyone died'? All you could ponder was that, if Bill were right in Joel understanding how he felt, then the man had changed much more than you thought he had.

The two waited in silence for Joel, you leaning against the table, hands grasping the wood tightly. You were zoned out, unsure of how long you'd been doing so until Joel walked back in, eyes staring at Ellie. "Show me your arm." He ordered. The girl stood up to show him the scar trailing up her forearm, along with the fresher bite. "I just finished makin' a truck battery. It's charging right now."

"Okay." Ellie nodded slowly as you watched on silently.

"And I have a brother out in Wyoming. He's in some kinda trouble, and I'm heading out there to find him. He used to be a Firefly. And my guess is he knows where some of them are out there. Maybe they can get you to wherever this lab is." Joel briefly explained, his eyes jumping over to you every now and again.

"All right.  Uh, listen, about Tess, uh-" Joel put his hand up, silencing the girl almost instantly.

"If I'm takin' you with me, there's some rules you gotta follow. Rule one,  you don't bring up Tess. Ever. Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Rule two, you don't tell anyone about your... condition. They see that bite mark, they won't think it through. They'll just shoot you. Rule three, you do what I say when I say it. We clear?"

"Yes."

"Repeat it."

"What you say goes." Joel went quiet, looking down at the girl as if he was still weighing out the options in his head.

"Okay." He sighed. 

"So, what now?"

"We grab what we can."

__________

YOUR EYES WANDERED AROUND THE GARAGE AS YOU STEPPED INSIDE. It wasn't like you hadn't been in a garage for twenty years, but it'd been a long time since you'd seen one so stocked up. Your head snapped to Ellie at the sound of her excited tone. "They have hot water!" She sang out. "I'm takin' a shower. And then you're showering, because seriously. Pfff..." She said to Joel as she walked out.

The room was silent once Ellie had left, both you and Joel unsure of exactly what to say or where to begin. "So... Tommy's alive?" You questioned, Joel grunting out a quiet 'yes'. You weren't sure of what to think. Just a couple days ago, you'd believed everyone in your old life was dead, now all of a sudden they were popping up like flies on rotting meat. "Well shit..." You puffed out under your breath.

"You don't have to come." Joel started after a few beats. "I mean, I don't expect you to." He murmured. Despite what he said, he couldn't help but hope you'd stay. Not that he'd ever really admit it. 

"I'm coming with you," You replied almost too quickly. The two adults stared at one another, their eyes locked together for longer than they'd been since they first reunited. Joel nodded, part of him relieved at your decision. 

"You should, uh, shower once Ellie's done. Use the hot water while we can." He murmured as he looked back down at the truck bed. 

"What, 'cause I stink?" You sassed, Joel's head snapping up at you for a moment, mouth open, catching flies. "I'm just kidding." You chuckled softly before walking away. "I'll, uh, call you when I'm done." You muttered as you walked out.

Joel was silent, eyes still staring at the doorway you had left through as though you'd reappear any moment. It almost scared him how easily they began to fall back into routine. Twenty years apart, and their habits still went on unchanged. 

__________

YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU'D BATHED IN HOT WATER THAT WASN'T JUST WARMED UP BY THE SUN. You felt every knot in your back loosen, the dirt and grime caked onto your skin lifting off in a way you hadn't managed to do in a long while. The handle squeaked as you shut the water off, wrapping a towel around your torso as your hair fell wet against your neck. 

The tiles were cool beneath your feet as you slowly creaked the door open, your body jumping out of your skin as another appeared in front of you. "Shit." You breathed out, one hand coming up to rest on your heart as the other held the towel securely.

"Sorry," Joel muttered. "Wasn't sure if you had a towel." He said as his brain tried to figure out where to look. Realistically, he knew damn well you had a towel, even if you couldn't find one by yourself, Ellie would have shown you. He was just finding reasons to talk to you. One short conversation, just the two of them, and he was already addicted. You muttered a quick thanks before they fell into a silence, one much less awkward than the ones they'd found themselves in previously. 

It didn't matter how much time had passed. Not really. Because when Joel looked at you, all he could see was the woman you were. The woman he once yearned for. The one he'd die for. Your chest heaved as you stared up at the man, the predicament reminding you a little too closely of the night of Joel's last birthday before the world went to shit. The two hadn't even noticed their bodies floating towards one another, the heat emitting off your body radiating onto Joel's as he contemplated his next actions, though he'd thought the warmth was all in his head. 

Joel froze, his body tensing as he grunted slightly and pushed past you into the bathroom. You hadn't even had time to utter a word when the door slammed shut behind you, the sound of the shower starting up sounding out almost instantly. Could you really blame him for running away? No. Not really. With everything that had happened within the last forty-eight hours, if anything, you'd expected it. But that didn't stop you from feeling a slight sense of disappointment in your gut. Disappointed that you didn't grasp onto the chance you'd lost once before, twenty years ago. Old habits really do die hard.

[eunoiiaff]

IDKWHATTODO

im planning on uploading my 'The Last of Us' fic onto ao3 (and any other fic/imagine i do for other series') but idk if i should keep it an OC fic or change it to a /reader. 😭

i can change the names easily enough but i feel like there are so many smaller details that i need to use the OC's name for and idk if i should work around it, remove it completely, or keep it an OC..

[eunoiiaff]

| 7 minutes - J.M |

Pairing: Joel Miller x Wife!Reader WC: 2.2k

Summary: You were there with him on that day as he faced Abby. In another universe maybe that would have helped, maybe you could have saved him. But life doesn't always work that way.

Warnings: Major character death, blood, violence, heavy angst, 2x02 spoilers, no use of y/n. A/N: Angsty imagines take my heart REQUESTS OPEN

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Masterlist ______________________________________________

YOU COULD HEAR THE WIND HOWLING ANGRILY, WHISTLING AS IT WEAVED THROUGH THE TREES UP IN THE MOUNTAIN. The cold nipped at you ferociously even from inside, your nose cold to the touch, lips chapped and dull. Despite where you lay on the floor you could still see Jackson; see the fire as it roared, smoke enveloping the town you had been sleeping safely in only hours ago. But yet in that moment, none of that mattered, all that mattered was the gun set on your husband. You couldn't care less for the one trained on you, digging into the side of your head, your eyes instead jumping from Joel who stood with his arms up in surrender and Dina lying unconscious on the floor next to you.

"I'm gonna give you one chance to tell the truth, Joel. If you do... let's face it. We'll all know. I'll let 'em live." Your body shook from the cold, your head turning as far as it could to look at Abby. You'd just saved her; Joel risked his life to help her and this is what you get in return. You'd felt uneasy about her from the get-go, the looks she kept giving your husband irking something inside you. And God you should have fucking listened.

"Wait, Abby, I thought-"

"Shut up!' You tried to think, tried to come up with a plan. But you couldn't. You were outnumbered; even more so with Dina drugged unconscious. You knew that if you really wanted to you could get out of the man's hold, Owen if you remembered correctly. His knee pressed harshly onto the centre of your back, his free hand pulling your left arm back until it stung leaving your right on the floor next to you trying desperately to ground yourself. Despite his tall stature, if you waited for an opportunity you knew you could break free. But then what? Get shot down leaving your husband to deal alone? Some part of you didn't want to believe it, but deep down you knew you were fucked. "Where was the last place you saw the Fireflies?"

At that, your blood ran cold, and you knew Joel's did too from the way his eyes jumped to yours. You kept silent. "Salt Lake," Joel said shakily.

"At least you're honest." She said as she turned her back to him.

He looked back at Jackson for a moment, at his home. "I saved your life."

"What life." Your ears rang as the shotgun sounded, a scream escaping your lips as you watched your husband's knee get blasted in. His scream echoed in your brain, your eyes wide with tears as you watched him grunt and wheeze in pain. "Tourniquet him."

"Mel, let's just do what we came to do," Owen said from above you, his knee pressing you further into the cold floor.

"Please, please, stop. Please, don't." You cried impulsively through trembling lips as your husband screamed once again. A sob escaped your lips as Abby ignored you, moving to kneel in front of Joel.

"You're tough. I guess you probably have to be, killing all those people. Do you know how many you killed that day? How many your - what, your wife? -, how many she killed that day?" She questioned, turning to face your scared face for a moment before turning back to Joel. "Did you count as you went, or... I guess maybe it just didn't matter? Eighteen soldiers. And one doctor. You remember that one. An unarmed doctor you shot in the head. Yeah. That was my Dad. Guess you probably already figured. The nurses said you barely even looked at him when you pulled the trigger. And then, you two just walked right past his body and out the door. But I looked at him. I saw him. I was nineteen."

You saw Joel's lips flutter, trying to think of what to say that could make it all better. But you both knew there was nothing. "I-I killed him. I killed your Dad." You lied through your teeth, willing to do anything. Abby's jaw clenched before she stood up to face you, taking a few steps closer. Your eyes glared into hers, your breaths shaky.

"You know, they told me about you too. How you shot my Dad in the leg right before he killed him." She said gesturing behind her to your husband. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, Abby towering over you, looking down as though you were nothing but dog shit on the bottom of her shoe. Then, a crunch sounded out, a scream of pain scratching your throat as it left your mouth; Abby's snowboot slowly lifted from your right hand. You saw Joel's mouth moving but you couldn't focus on what he was saying, your eyes too focused on the mutilation of your hand. She'd put her full weight into it when she trampled. Your hand was red and purple with spots of blood, at least two of your fingers broken and your thumb seemingly dislocated.

Shaky breaths escaped your lips as you tried to calm yourself, the pain overwhelming as Abby turned back to Joel. "I've been in a militia for five years now. Seattle. I'd warn you not to go there, but little chance of that. Anyway, our commander trained us to follow a code. We don't kill people that can't defend themselves. And right now... that's you. But I am going to kill you. Because it doesn't matter if you have a code like me, or you're a lawless piece of shit like you. There are just some things... everyone agrees are just fucking wrong." Tears fell from her cheeks, Joel watching her cautiously, his eyes jumping to you every few seconds. Abby slowly stood up before walking away. "You know, it's funny. I have waited so long-"

"Oh, just shut the fuck up and do it already."

"No, listen, we can figure something out. Okay? Please- just, just let me think." You heard Abby mutter something from where she stood, the man above you tensing for a moment. Then, pain scorched through your body yet again. He pulled your left arm further back, grunts of pain escaping you as you tried to lean back with him in attempts to ease the ache. Your legs kicked desperately, your shoes squeaking against the glossy floor.

You were sure your arm was moments away from popping out of its socket, tears welling in your eyes as you watched Joel, your husband looking back at you. You could see it in his eyes, the way he tried to comfort you, silently trying to reassure you that it would all be okay. But you knew it wouldn't. When his eyes traveled back to Abby they darkened, his brows furrowed with anger instead of concern.

"You... stupid... old man." You panted through clenched teeth as you watched Abby near closer to Joel, the golf club secure in her grasp as her knuckles turned white. "You don't get to rush this."

It was like a car wreck, you just couldn't look away; screams and cries escaped your lips and tears fell from your cheeks soaking the floor as you watched her torture your husband. You jumped at every hit of the golf club, your sobs, screams, and pleas eventually falling upon deaf ears.

You watched your husband get beat to death, tortured, hit so hard with the damn golf club it snapped in two leaving Abby to repeatedly punch his head into the wooden floor. With your ear pressed against the floor, the sounds were only amplified, each hit rattling your bones until Joel was left silent, his face caked in blood as he quietly watched you scream and cry for her to kill you instead.

"Abby. Abby." You heard the man above you call out, the girl only ignoring him as she continued to punch. Your face was covered in tears, your head pounding from the tension and stress. Owen had moved the gun from your temple a while ago as he watched Abby, though you were too preoccupied to notice. You felt as though your teeth were shaking, each breath only rattling them more as you began hyperventilating. "That's enough!"

A gunshot sounded out, your cries falling quiet, only soft sniffles and light sobs escaping your lips, your breathing still heavy. It took you a moment to realise what was happening, who had just arrived. "Ellie, no please." You sobbed quietly; though, everyone was too preoccupied with unarming her to listen.

You felt the man on top of you move - likely to subdue Ellie you'd assumed -, your left arm falling harshly onto the floor. Despite the pain that continued to shoot through it along with the throbbing of your broken and mutilated right hand you tried to get up. You heard yelling, some from Ellie and others swears from Abby's people, though it was difficult to decipher with the loud ringing in your ears. Grunts escaped your lips, your body shaking as you tried to get up, that is until you were kicked down again, your jaw aching as it hit the floor harshly.

You sobbed, your eyes just managing to spot Manny on top of you, a bloody cut adorning his forehead. He was rougher than Owen, his boot pushing onto your back rougher as he tugged your arm back further. "Joel!" You heard Ellie yell, your eyes watching your husband as he lifted his fingers whilst Ellie begged for him to get up. "Joel, get up! Joel fucking get up!"

Your throat was raw, whimpers escaping your lips despite your attempts to calm them. "Please- please don't hurt them. Please, I'm sorry. Please." You were almost incoherent.

"End it."

You screamed out, your chest heaving, the pain that echoed throughout your body falling to the back of your mind. You were running out of time. "P-Please. If, if you're trying to get him back for- for your Dad then kill me. Make him, make him feel how you felt. Kill me." You stuttered out through trembling lips. As you sobbed, you saw Abby's head turn to you slightly, your heart lifting for just a moment, and then, she walked to your husband.

It was as though everything went silent, Ellie's cries and pleas along with your own, all you could see was the broken golf club stabbing through Joel's neck. You saw his body flinch as it pierced his skin, his eyes dulling as the life drained from them. Despite the tears covering most of your vision, you could still see it sticking out of his neck. All you wanted to do was comfort him, hold him, clean the blood from his face; but all he got was the cold floor as he met his demise.

Things almost felt like they were moving in slow motion as Abby turned to you, Manny still putting all the weight he could into your back. He continued to pull your left arm back until it finally happened, though, not in the way you had expected. You screamed when Abby kicked, her foot hitting your left arm so hard the bone snapped; Manny let it go as it fell to the floor.

You could hear Ellie's screams. As much as you wanted Abby to end it, all you could think about was how she'd be left alone; again. You felt Abby's boot as she pushed at your torso, flipping you onto your back. Your teeth chattered as you faced death, your body aching. You felt as Abby hit you, again, and again, her fists hitting your face punch after punch.

Part of you thought about how her fists had been covered in Joel's blood, the idea that, in a way, you were able to feel him one last time almost comforting you. "Please stop!" You heard Ellie scream out, your heart aching. Your face felt sticky from the blood, your nose sore and likely broken.

You watched as Abby pulled out her handgun. Before you even had a chance to prepare yourself you heard the bang, heat emitting from your abdomen. You were almost so numb you didn't feel it. Almost. You felt the warmth of blood as it slipped past your lips, your coughs wet and sticky as you groaned and cried in pain. Abby's aim lifted until it was aimed directly between your eyes.

You remembered hearing that the human brain lived on for seven minutes after death replaying its best memories. At that moment, you could only hope it was true. Maybe then you could see Joel again, see his smile, feel his warmth envelop you, wake up beside him again, feel Ellie's arms wrap around you on horseback, have dinner with your family one last time.

Your world went silent. No pain, no emotions, just darkness, silence. But not Ellie's. No. She watched as Abby pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing your forehead and killing you instantly. She felt the pain, she felt the grief, she saw the light shining in from the windows casting shadows past you and Joel's bodies, but she also heard the silence. She heard the lack of cries escaping your lips, the lack of pleas. Before she had wanted you to be silent, for there to be no reason for your cries. But now, all she wanted was to hear your pain again. Because at least that meant you were alive.

[eunoiiaff]

| Smalls - J.M & T.M |

Pairing: Joel Miller x Tommy Miller x Sister!Reader, Ellie x AuntFigure!Reader WC: 2.2k

Summary: Of all days to be out of town it had to be then. For twenty years you thought your big-brothers were dead just as they thought you were. You sat in the cage, cold, scared, alone, certain that with each breath you were one step closer to death itself. What you hadn't expected was for a young girl to be thrown in with you; and who would have thought that she'd be the one to bring you home.

Warnings: David, blood, violence, death, sexual assault, mentions of Sarah, angst, fluff, use of y/n, reader is insinuated to be shorter than Joel and Tommy and to have "deep" eyes, reader is described to have a slight Texan accent, reader is somewhat close in age to Tommy and Joel (early to mid-40s), nickname refers to reader being younger. A/N: PLEASE give me some miller-sister fics im starving omg REQUESTS OPEN

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YOU PUSHED ELLIE FURTHER BEHIND YOU AS DAVID AND JAMES STORMED INSIDE, TRYING YOUR BEST TO HIDE HER AS YOU BACK FURTHER INTO THE CORNER. Ellie screamed from behind you as the gate swung open. "Get the fuck away from her." You yelled out, your fists clenched as you swung at James. From the moment Ellie had been thrown in the cage with you, from the moment she reluctantly told you her name, you knew you were going to help her. She wouldn't be another one of David's victims. She couldn't be. She was just a kid.

There was something about you that had lured Ellie in, the depth of your eyes and the soft accent bringing her a sense of warmth and familiarity that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Your protective nature helped, your tone as you spoke of how you swore you'd get her out safely made her want to believe you.

You'd tried your best to fight, truly, but the exhaustion mixed with dehydration and the cold made it difficult. Your head ricocheted off the tiles as he threw you down, a low groan escaping your lips as your head pounded.

You watched with tears as they dragged Ellie out of the cage, the girl kicking as she tried to get away, her teeth sinking into David's hand before he kneed her in the stomach. You grabbed David's leg and tried to pull him away, your teeth clenched so tight they could have fallen out. "Bitch!" He yelled as he kicked you across the face, your body falling back as pain radiated through your face; you knew you were bleeding, warmth covering your jaw along with a big bruise beginning to form, your lip busted and swollen already.

David slammed the gate shut behind him and locked it leaving you to watch on as they threw Ellie onto the table. "Get off her! Stop!" You pleaded through tears as you tried to reach through the bars.

"I'm infected!" Your voice fell silent. What the fuck. "I'm infected." She repeated. You watched with furrowed brows, silently begging for David to drop the cleaver. It didn't matter to you. It didn't matter that you'd been stuck in the cage with an infected girl; all that mattered was her not dying at the hands of David. "And now so are you. Roll up my sleeve. Look at it. Look at it!"

A whimper escaped your lips as David slammed the cleaver into the table right by Ellie's head, your eyes falling shut in relief before opening yet again, watching on intently. Despite not being able to see, you knew it was true. The look on David and James' faces told all. "What did you say? Everything happens for a reason, right?"

"David," James whispered.

"No. No, she would've turned by now. This isn't real."

"It looks pretty fuckin' real to me." Then, blood; it was all you saw, the blood spurting out of James' neck after Ellie had slammed the meat cleaver into him before jumping off the table and running. Good. You began desperately pulling at the cage wiring, the metal ripping at your palms and the insides of your fingers. You watched anxiously as David aimed his handgun and shot at her before tossing it aside and grabbing the clever from James' neck.

Then, you were left in silence. Sickening silence. All you heard the faint grunts and yells from the dining room. Your arms ached as you tugged at the wire, blood beginning to seep from between your fingers as you desperately tried to escape. Not for your own sake but for Ellie's. It felt as though forever had passed, for who knows maybe forever did pass and now Ellie was dead, but nonetheless, you had to get out, you had to be sure.

You fell back as the wiring was ripped from the poles, swiftly scrambling up to crawl through, careless of the open metal scratching at your skin, or the warmth of your hands as blood covered them. You coughed at the smoke, the black substance enveloping your lungs from the inside. You had to get to Ellie.

Your stomach fell once you walked through those kitchen doors, the sight of David on top of Ellie, his sick eyes boring into hers and the grin on his face made you want to throw up. But you couldn't. Not yet. Your head spun as you ran, ramming into his side and knocking him off of her. Your hands wrapped around his neck, nails digging into the skin as you grunted. You felt him grabbing at you, felt him try to rip you off of him, but it didn't matter, at least not until he succeeded that is.

Pain shot through your back as it hit the ground, David swiftly getting up and kneeling over you. You felt his fists pummel into your face, the pain overwhelming as your face swung side to side with each hit. And yet, you didn't care. All you could do was silently plead that Ellie got his keys and ran, then, you saw her swing the bloodied cleaver at David's head.

You watched on as she struck him. Again and again, over and over, blood splashing onto her face and clothes. You didn't stop her, instead you watched. A glint in your eyes that hadn't been there for a long time. David got what was coming to him. Finally. You felt numb.

Eventually, you told Ellie to go ahead, promising that you'd follow after her in a minute. You coughed through the smoke as you stumbled into the back room, picking up David's disposed gun from the ground.

The gun shook within your hold as you checked for bullets, shit, empty. It didn't matter. You could still use it, you tried to convince yourself. Your eyes burned, the atmosphere thick, making it difficult to get a full breath of air. Despite that, despite the pain that came with breathing, you stopped. David's body lay motionless on the floor, blood still pouring from his almost unrecognisable face.

You kicked him. Then again, and again, and again, and again. Over and over. Screams escaped your cracked lips. Finally, he was fucking dead. Your body ached as you limped outside, the pain finally getting to you. The snow froze at your feet, hisses escaping your lips as you stepped out into the cold with nothing but socks. The torn sweater you wore did little to keep the cold out, the once-warm blood soaking your body turning cold in an instant.

Your lips felt freezing, your nose flushed and cold. Your body shivered, your arms closed around your torso trying to preserve any warmth left. Then you saw them, Ellie and a man you didn't know, your brain unable to register the fact that Ellie wasn't fighting. You raised the gun against the back of his head, you'd just have to make do. "Get away from her." You said weakly, your voice shaky from the cold and likely imminent hypothermia. "Turn around."

Despite the weakness of your voice, you were stern, your eyes glaring into the back of the man's head as he slowly turned around with his arms up. "Y/N, no-" Ellie spoke up as she stepped towards you, her eyes red and rimmed with tears.

"Joel?" Your ears rang, your heart beating wildly in your chest. Maybe you were dying, hallucinating. Yeah, that must've been it. But then you felt it. His hand. First, it was just on your jaw as he gently cradled your face in his hands. Then it was all over. His arms wrapped around your shoulders, one hand coming up to hold the back of your head.

"Smalls?"

You felt like a little girl again, the moment reminding you of when you'd fallen and scraped your knee only for your big brother to come and tend to you. Tears cascaded down your cheeks like tidal waves. Your body shook, this time from your cries rather than the cold. Ellie watched on confused, her brows furrowed, blood still sprayed across her face.

"This isn't real." You said through sobs as you shook your head, hands sitting idly at your sides. "You're dead." You cried; Joel pulled back, his hands moving to cradle your face once again careful of the injuries adorning it. For twenty years you were certain he was dead just as he had thought you were dead.

His mouth moved but nothing came out, unsure of what he could say to make things better. If there was even anything to say to make things better. "I'm right here." Your chest hurt as you sobbed, your fingers clawing at his shirt; for the first time in a long time, you felt safe. The pain in your body had dissipated, your mind uncaring of the blood still dripping from your palms. You had your brother back.

The chill of your body irked him, you were freezing. The bag dropped from his shoulders as he ripped out whatever clothes he could to cover you up, his jacket already layered over Ellie. Along with, he pulled out some boots; they weren't your size by any means but they were better than the ripped socks you'd started with.

He didn't care. Joel that is; he didn't care about the pain in his abdomen or the cold that nipped at his face, all that mattered was that he had his girl's back.

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THE TRAVEL HAD BEEN EXHAUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST. With your body already weak it was difficult, especially in the beginning; you had to stop more frequently to rest, though, whatever rest you did get wasn't the most fulfilling. Your dreams were plagued with David, with the memories of what he'd done to you, what he'd done to Ellie. Joel eventually told you about Sarah, the news - despite being twenty years old - hurt, guilt filling you all over again for not being there.

It didn't take Ellie long to grow on you and vice versa. She'd learnt quickly who you were, though it didn't exactly surprise her. Your protective nature and attitude reminded her of Joel, with the similar attitudes - your mannerisms reminding her of Tommy from what she'd seen of him -, though you were a lot more open with her off the bat than Joel was. And so, when Joel decided to save Ellie, to kill the Fireflies and keep the fact from her, you followed. She was his family - even if he didn't say it himself - and so she was yours.

Your body groaned in pain as you neared Jackson. Ellie and Joel had told you enough to know that it was safe, that they'd have a place for you there. But you couldn't help the suspicion you held, the belief that they were hiding something.

The gate creaked open, your eyes darting around suspiciously. You still found it hard to trust. Part of you unwilling to believe that you were truly safe, that you ever would be. But then, you heard his name. "Tommy!" As the words fell from Joel's mouth, you froze, your eyes still locked onto the ground, your hand grasping the handle of your backpack tighter.

It must have been a different Tommy, it had to be. You were already lucky enough with Joel, it couldn't be. "Smalls?" The nickname hit you hard - Joel slipping a slight smile at the sound reminding his own reaction - as you looked up and locked eyes with him. Holy shit.

Your legs pumped, your feet hitting the ground harshly as you ran to him, tears already cascading. A soft grunt escaped your lips as you collided with him, arms wrapping tightly around his torso, his around yours as simultaneously cradled the back of your neck. "Holy fuck." He muttered into your hair, repeating it once, two more times, his body shaking as he cried silently, still looking at Joel in shock. He didn't let go of you for a while as neither did you, honestly, you weren't sure you could. He smelled the same. Yes, a little smellier - though that came with living in an apocalypse -, but just like Joel, he smelt the same as before. He smelt like home.

You remembered driving back into town a few days after it happened, bodies still filling the streets as you pleaded for your family to be safe. When you showed up to an empty house, you sobbed; for hours you couldn't stop crying, you wouldn't. You were the last, you were all that was left. Alone and scared. But now, somehow, you had found them. Despite the fucked up world, despite the pain you had suffered, you found your big brothers, a family. A broken one, maybe, but a family nonetheless.

As you felt Joel's hand on your back, Tommy's arms still encircling you, you knew that none of it mattered anymore. The years spent alone, memories of David, the scars that adorned the inside of your fingers and face from saving Ellie, it didn't matter anymore. Now, you had something to fight for, people to fight for. Now, you had people to fight for you, to protect you, to calm you after another panic attack, to remind you that you're free. You had a family.

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 10: Turn back the time. |

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader WC: 2k Warnings: Major character death, blood, violence, angst, no use of Y/N. A/N: A bit of a filler chapter but the next one will really start getting into it REQUESTS OPEN

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THE OLD STATE HOUSE WAS QUIET; CONCERNINGLY SO. "Where the fuck are they?" Tess whispered as the four hid behind an old, well-overgrown car. You felt uneasy, your heart heavy in your chest; something was wrong, they could all feel it. Joel stood up and took slow steps towards the old government building, the grass too loud for his liking as he stepped through. 

He kept his gun drawn, his head scanning around cautiously as he stepped towards a truck and pulled the passenger door open only to find it empty; old blood sprayed throughout the interior. There should have been soldiers. There was supposed to be. Dozens, patrolling every nook and cranny of the damn building. Why the fuck was it so damn quiet? 

You watched as he wandered further, mouthing back to the three behind the car to stay where they were. You almost felt restless letting him leave your line of sight; sure, he had when they were dealing with the clickers in the museum and when you and Tess had gone crawling through rubble, but that was different. You couldn't help but feel as though you were letting him go, that fact sitting uncomfortably in your stomach, seeing as how long it took for you to find him again the last time you'd done it.

Joel looked over the bodies scattered along the concrete, flies buzzing about as they fed on the corpses, reproducing and thriving. The more they thought about it, the more they realised how much the area smelt of death; that deep scent that was difficult to forget, sticking to your clothes and hair no matter how hard you scrub. "Joel? What the fuck is going on?" Tess snapped as the three rounded the corner of the truck towards the man. 

"I don't know."

"Did you know about this?" Tess questioned, her head whipping to you. 

Despite the harshness in her tone, you spoke calmly, you knew. The desperation behind her eyes was clear. You understood. "No; I didn't even know Marlene wanted her here until you guys picked me up."

"They went inside," Ellie said, her voice rather monotone. The adults looked over to where Ellie had been looking, deep red blood droplets staining the stairs and leading up into the building. Tess looked on with a silent plea, grabbing Ellie's hand to lead her inside.

"Come on." She said through gritted teeth, her busted ankle aching with each step.

"Tess."

"Come on!"

"Tess!" The woman continued on uncaringly, you and Joel rushing after the two - not before sharing a look of concern, brows furrowing as they readied their guns. Tess' pistol was drawn as she stepped in, her strides long, only slowing once she'd reached the nightmare that was the massacre of Fireflies. It was clear something big had happened. The bodies were scattered, some more bloodied than others, some so mutilated it was hard to look at.

"Holy shit," Ellie muttered.

"Fuck," You whispered beneath your breath, your rifle dropping slightly. Tess continued to look around desperately, looking for someone, anything. 

"I mean, there's gotta be a, a fuckin' radio or somethin', right?" She said hopefully, though it was more intended for herself than for the others.

She looked through the boxes throughout the room, her steps echoing whilst you, Joel, and Ellie studied the bodies. "Who killed them? FEDRA?"

"No. One of them got bit." He used his boot to flip one of the bodies; the very-much-dead man flopping to the side, the side of his face pale with red streaks highlighting the yellowish veins. His brain painted the floor, the deep red hue so dark it almost looked like a void. "The healthy ones fought the sick ones. Everyone lost. Tess? What're you doin'?" He questioned, though his tone wasn't that of concern but rather exhaustion, annoyance almost. 

You decided to help Tess look, though, if you were honest, you were unsure what you were even looking for; nonetheless, you searched, poking around in different boxes to see if there was anything to lead them in the right direction. Even if they managed to find a map, God fucking knows if they'd even be able to get her there anyway. "Where did Marlene say that she was taking you?" Tess called out to Ellie, her movements were fast and erratic, eager, even. "Ellie!"

"Uh, I don't know. Just west." 

"Just west." She repeated in a low mutter. "Fuck. Okay. Well, I mean one of them's gotta have a map on them, right? Can one of you fuckin' help me?" She practically pleaded as she tried opening up a large box; you moved to help before Joel grabbed your arm, stopping you.

"No! Tess... it's over. We are going home." His voice was low and demanding as he walked over to the woman.

"That's not my fucking home!" She snapped, the room falling silent as the three watched the woman, Joel and Ellie with confusion and you more so with a sense of empathy. Tess scoffed, turning for a moment to calm herself before she stood in front of Joel. "I'm stayin'. I mean... our luck had to run out sooner or later."

Joel was confused, his brows furrowed as he tried to piece together what she was saying. "Fuck." Ellie whispered to herself, Joel turning to look. "She's infected." You watched as Joel and Tess stared at one another, your heart aching for both of them. Even if he didn't say it, even if he didn't fully show it on his face, he was devastated.

"Show me." He said lowly.

"Joel." Tess' stomach dropped when she tried to take a step forward, only for Joel to quickly move back as his eyes hardened, his hand landing on the handle of his handgun. Whether he meant for his movement to come across as rushed or not, it didn't matter as Tess looked on in pain.

She pulled back the collar of her shirt to reveal the mangled bite mark, the veins around it already protruding. You tried to swallow away the ball in your throat; even if you had only known Tess for a short amount of time, you could see she was a good one, that she was caring. Even if she appeared tough, it was only so that she could keep the people around her safe. "Oops, right? Take your bandage off." She told Ellie, the girl sighing as she did so, pulling up her sleeve. "Look." She almost whispered as she walked over. "Joel? This is real." She said desperately, showing him Ellie's bite. "Joel, she's fucking real."

Her hand trembled harshly before she quickly hid it behind her back. "I need you to get her to Bill and Frank's," Joel muttered a no, his hand resting on the gun in his holster. "They'll take her off your hands. They'll handle it from here."

"No, no, no, I can't. They won't take her." Joel said. Tess turned away from Joel, needing a break from his unwavering stare, only to find your eyes. The woman muttered a small 'please', the words almost silent as she quietly begged you. "They're not going to take her."

"They will. They will." She reassured turning back to him. "'Cause you'll convince them. Yes, you will. You both will. I, I never ask you for anything, not to take the chances we had."

"No."

"Not to- shut the fuck up 'cause I don't have time," Tess spoke, a tear softly rolling down her cheek. "This is your chance." Her voice broke. "You get her there... you keep her alive... and you set everything right." She tried her best to keep a steady tone, emotions overwhelming her as she understood she was living in what were going to be her last moments. "Everything." She repeated looking between you and Joel. "All the shit we did. Please say yes, Joel, please." She said, staring at him.

A loud groan startled the four as one of the men whom they'd presumed to be dead began crawling towards Ellie who'd had her back to him. "Oh fuck!" Ellie yelled out.

Without hesitation, Joel pulled out his revolver and shot it in the head, the sound deafening as it fell motionless onto the floor. Joel watched as small cordyceps wrapped around its limp fingers, his brows furrowing in concern. He ran towards the door and opened it just enough to hear the rampage of Infected running towards the state house. You muttered a string of curses beneath your breath. "How many?" Tess questioned.

"All of them. Maybe a minute." Joel breathed out as he walked back to the middle of the room. His breathing was shaky, his eyes darting around as he tried to think of a plan. 

Tess's moves were panicked as she toppled the barrels of gasoline, tossing the small grenades across the floor in an act of desperation. "What are you doing?" Ellie asked. It was as though time had sped up. Before, it felt like everything was frozen, everyone was at a standstill, hope still in your mind that they had time. Had a chance. But now, now it was different.

"Making sure that they don't follow you." She grunted, the golden liquid flowing across the marble floor, her mind partially focused on the lighter sitting heavily in her pocket. "Joel... save who you can save." The two stared at one another for a moment, Joel's dark eyes welling up slightly before he dashed, grabbing Ellie and dragging her towards the back door. 

His hand grazed your arm before you pulled away, staring at Tess for a moment longer with sullen eyes. "Just..." You muttered, looking at Joel for a second before turning back to the woman. "Just one second." Joel's mind was frazzled, freezing for a moment before continuing to drag Ellie, his breathing harsh. 

"No! We're not leaving her!" Ellie yelled out as she tried pulling away from the man, hitting his arm. "Get off me, you fucker! I'm not going with you!" It was clear that Ellie didn't truly understand. In her eyes, Joel showed no hesitation in leaving Tess, but Tess knew.

The two women watched each other for a few beats. "He'll do it. I won't let him not." You both held a sense of understanding for each other, both holding a level of respect seen in your eyes. You turned around and walked away, your fists clenching as you furthered from Tess before leaving the building completely, breaking into a sprint to catch up with Joel and Ellie.

You had thought you were finally done. Finally finished with the losses that came with the world they were in. You thought that, by living outside the QZ, away from people, from populations, that you would be safe. Not just from Infected but from the gut-wrenching sadness and grief that came with losing people. The endless nights of questioning what you could have done differently, where it went wrong. And yet there you were, walking away from a woman you barely knew with a twisted stomach filled with regret that you couldn't do more, not only for Tess but for Joel, for Ellie.

You had almost caught up with Joel and Ellie when the explosion sounded out from behind them, glass shattering as smoke billowed from the building, screams echoing from inside. It was almost human, the three questioning for a moment if it was Tess; but then again, it was the screams of hundreds, echoing over top of one another to form some sort of symphony. Your hand landed on Joel's back as you tried to catch yourself from falling, the man quickly balancing you before pointing his rifle at the flames, waiting, his heart beating in his ears. You and Ellie stared at the blaze, the young girl's breaths shaky as tears welled in her eyes, looking at the building in which Tess had been standing moments ago.

It was silent. Despite the roaring flames ringing out harshly, somehow it was still silent. Eerily so. Joel was the first to walk away, you soon after gently grabbing at Ellie's arm to pull her along after a few moments. No words were shared despite none of them liking the quietness; what could they say?

[eunoiiaff]

| Arcane |

TAKING REQUESTS

Vander

Always (Western!AU) You were content; living on a ranch with your husband and four kids. Even with the threat of danger, you knew your husband would protect your family, just as he knew you would protect him.

[eunoiiaff]

!SPOILERS!

"give sarah my love" (@eunoiiaedits on tiktok)

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 21: Silences. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.6k Words Warnings: Mentions of death, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Book 2 ______________________________________________

THE GROUP STOOD, FINALLY ABOVE GROUND AND OUT OF THE LABYRINTH-LIKE TUNNELS WHEN THEY FELT AS IF THEY WERE BEING BLINDED. The car lights shined brighter than any of them thought possible, all of them quickly covering their eyes to block out the blinding lights before they dimmed back down. They looked at the lights in confusion, taking off their masks and goggles, taking deep breaths of the fresh, clean air that surrounded them. 

They all piled into the car, Steve and Jennifer in the front with Steve driving whilst the kids sat in the back, Jennifer telling one of them to just sit on the ground. At that, the kids muttered stating that it was illegal, slightly irritating Jennifer. "And what we've been doing all night is legal?" She countered, the group shutting up immediately with Mike sitting against the floor. Luckily with the drive only being short, they got back to the Byers' house rather quickly, arriving before the other two groups.

They sat waiting anxiously, Jennifer's feet tapping against the floor when the door swung open, Will stepping inside first. The boy's friends immediately welcomed him with hugs and praises, excited for the return of their friend. Jennifer watched on with a slight smile, happy to wait for the kids to reunite before she could greet the boy. When Will's eyes locked onto Jennifer, a wide smile stretched out onto his face as he rushed over to her. 

The two embraced, Jennifer's face also presenting a smile. It had felt wrong when he looked at her, not recognising who she was or the memories she was talking about in the slightest, it felt good to have him back, finally. Outside, Hopper and Eleven pulled up, their hearts heavy, not ready to have to witness Jennifers reaction to the news. No, El hadn't known Nicole long, however, in the time she did know her, she knew that she was a good person. Much better than the people in the lab, and someone who most definitely deserved more than the brutal death she had. 

The two stepped inside, their heads hung low, immediately signalling that something had happened at the lab. Everyone was silent, waiting for someone to say something, though, Jennifer looked at them, waiting. "Where's Nicole?" She said, not even wanting to consider something had happened to her. Hopper kept silent, trying to build up the courage to break the news. "Hopper. Where is Nicole?" She asked once again, her voice becoming softer. 

"I'm sorry, Jennifer." The man said after clearing his throat. He looked at the girl, sadness and guilt in his eyes. Jennifers eyes began to water, tears welling, her breaths becoming softer yet more uneven and harsh. 

She softly shook her head. "What do you mean you're sorry? Where's my sister?" Her voice was scratchy, as if it was hard for her to speak, which it was. The girl's bottom lip trembled, tears beginning to cascade down her cheeks. "No." She mumbled, barely audible. "Please, Hopper, I need my sister," Jennifer said, sniffling, Hopper walked up to her, embracing her in a hug as her body shook. 

"I know. I know... I'm so sorry." He muttered, his voice also scratchy, tears welling in his eyes as well. Jennifer sobbed, tears falling down her face as the rest of the group had to hear her cries of grief, their heads now hanging low.

Using whatever strength she could muster up, she pushed herself away from the man, stepping back as her eyes jumped around the room. "No, no, we need to go back." Jennifer began stuttering. "Please we have to help her, maybe- maybe she's okay. Please, she has to be okay." She said before breaking into sobs once again. "No. I can't do this again..." She cried, not wanting to believe that her sister was gone. Her body shook as she heaved with every breath, almost unable to get any air in. The older man wrapped his arms around her once again, knowing that she wouldn't want the others to see her like this; though, in that moment, she couldn't care. 

"She... she promised." She mumbled, remembering the last interaction she had with her sister. Jennifer had already missed out on all the opportunities she would have had with her Mother, but Nicole was her big sister. She was supposed to look out for her, teach her how to do makeup, get her ready for her first dates, have her first drink together. She didn't want to believe that all those experiences were now gone, she couldn't. 

Joyce found herself walking to the girl, tears cascading down her cheeks. Gently, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, startled but not surprised when she jumped into her arms, crying into her shoulder as Hopper rubbed her back softly. "I know. I know, baby." She muttered, trying to do anything she could to console the girl. "But she loved you so much, honey. Alright? I promise." She said, running her fingers through her hair as she had done when the girl was younger. 

__________

LATER, JENNIFER SAT ON THE COUCH, STEVE ON ONE SIDE AND NANCY ON THE OTHER, WHILST JONATHAN WAS CROUCHED DOWN IN FRONT OF HER. The girl had stopped wailing, however, tears still streamed down her face. The three other teenagers hadn't said too much, Nancy and Steve caressing her shoulders whilst Jonathan held onto her hands. "Jennifer," Hopper called out softly. "Come on, let me get you home." It took Jennifer a moment to comprehend what the man was saying. Her body felt heavy, she felt as if she wasn't to sink into the couch and never leave, just fall asleep and wake up to how things used to be. 

Slowly, she stood up, Steve following after her as they made their way to the front door and out to Hopper's car. Steve looked at her worried, watching as the two got into the car, slowly driving off after some of the others had said soft goodbyes to the girl. 

The drive was silent, neither Hopper nor Jennifer able to say a word. Jennifer wasn't ready for her Father to find out. He had already lost his wife, the Mother of his children, and now his eldest daughter? The girl knew the type of man he was; he wouldn't react strongly in front of her, but at night, she knew she'd hear his wails of grievance as the family shrunk from three to two. When they pulled up to the Lawson's home, Jennifer paused for a moment before getting out, preparing herself for was what to come.

Her feet dragged along the concrete pavement, heavy, as if she was attached to a ball and chain, trying to sink her into the ground. When they entered the house, Robert immediately began asking the girl where she had been, what was wrong, why she was so quiet and sullen; so much so that Hopper had to calm him, bringing him and Jennifer to the living room so they could sit and talk. 

As Hopper broke the news, Jennifer's ears were ringing. She hadn't heard anything other than the last statement of, 'she's gone', which made her break down in sobs once again. Robert was silent, his heart pumping in his chest, his eyebrows furrowed. He questioned whether it was his fault. If there was something he could have done to prevent it. The same questions he had asked himself when his wife passed. 

He quickly embraced Jennifer, rocking her back and forth and Hopper looked on sadly, his eyes still welling with tears. "It's okay, sweetheart." He said softly, though, he knew it wasn't. Silent tears fell down the man's face as he quickly kissed his daughter's head, holding his face there to hide the tears from her. How had their family gone from being a full, happy family, to one that was chipped and cracked? 

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IT HAD BEEN JUST OVER A MONTH SINCE NICOLE'S DEATH, AND IT WAS NOW DECEMBER, THE AIR BECOMING COLDER AND MORE CRISP. Months ago, Jennifer had agreed to help at the Hawkins Middle School Snow Ball, however, with everything that had happened between then and now, Jennifer wasn't sure if she could do it. She stood just outside the door, she knew the news had spread and that any teachers or adults she was with would give their condolences which would only upset the girl further. Jennifer hadn't tried to dress up, deciding to wear something she found in her closet knowing that there was a chance that she would even go inside, and that happened to be the case. 

Jennifer leaned against the side of the building, pulling a cigarette from her jacket pocket and lighting it, taking a few puffs before pulling it away from her mouth. Tears still stung her eyes at even the thought of her sister, though, the cold didn't help either. The night was cold, the sound of crickets chirping filling the otherwise silent air; though, that was until Steve made himself known. "Hey." He muttered, giving her a small smile, one which she returned. 

"You want one?" Jennifer mumbled, holding up the packet of cigarettes.

"No, I'm alright." The boy leant against the wall next to her, the two sharing a comfortable silence. His body tensed slightly when Jennifer rested her head against the boy's arms, though, he quickly welcomed the warmth, moving to wrap one arm around the girl's body. 

Music from inside the building was heard faintly, though, muffled they could just make out the song playing. 'If you're lost, you can look and you will find me. Time after time.' It sang. The two teens found themselves slightly swaying their bodies to the music, taking comfort in the warmth they felt in one another. 

'If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting.'

'Time after time.'

'If you're lost, you can look and you will find me.'

'Time after time.'

'If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting.'

'Time after time.'

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 20: Win or lose. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.5k Words Warnings: Blood, violence, death, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ______________________________________________

"I AM IN SUCH DEEP SHIT," Steve said panting before lighting the lighter and throwing it to the gasoline-soaked ground. The fire in front of them roared, shining onto their faces in a deep orange tint. They could already feel the heat, heavily contrasting the cold air they had just come from. The group jumped back, covering their faces so that the flames didn't singe their skin. An almost screeching sound was heard echoing throughout the caves as tentacle-shaped vines lifted from the ground, seemingly flailing around in pain. "Go, go, go!" Steve called out, pushing the group ahead of him. 

They rushed away from the flames, leaving the squealing sounds behind them as they made their way back to the entrance into the tunnels, wanting to leave as soon as they physically could. As they kept moving, they heard Mike calling for help just ahead of them. "Hold on!" Steve called out, seeing that the boy had gotten his leg grabbed by one of the vines. 

"Steve, pull him out," Dustin called out. Whilst Dustin and Lucas tried to pull on his arms, Steve rushed forward, grabbing onto his nailed bat. 

"Everybody back! Everybody back!" Steve called out, swinging the bat onto the vines that held the young boy down. He brought the bat down and back up again a couple of times, grunts escaping his lips until it let go of Mike's leg. The group crowded around the boy for a moment, ensuring he was okay.

__________

BEFORE HOPPER COULD FIRE HIS GUN, THE DEMO-DOGS SUDDENLY BEGAN WRITHING IN PAIN. Their bodies folded and squirmed before rushing away, one by one, until they had all jumped down into the deep hole set in the ground. After getting the all-clear, El and Nicole walked into the room, taken aback by the large, glowing portal that sat on the wall, seemingly pulsing with life. "Chief, are you there? Chief, do you copy?" Jonathan was heard over the radio.

"Yeah, I copy." 

"Close it." The boy said, the three sharing a look before looking back at the gate. The three found themselves lowering into the ground using a mechanical elevator, closer to the portal so that Eleven could finally close it. Though, as they got closer and closer, they felt their hearts pumping in their chests. The only light the elevator provided was a small beam on the roof that did practically nothing, leaving the gate to be their only other light source, creating a red tinge that covered their bodies. Hopper stopped the elevator, the creaky contraption shaking for a moment before slowing down. 

Nicole looked around anxiously, her shotgun held tight in her hands. She had only found out about all this shit earlier that night and yet, here she was, fighting it head-on without a clue as to what it could possibly bring on. Eleven raised her arm, eyes locked on the gate when it appeared to let out a bright spark of light, shadows inside coming closer threateningly. Nicole let in a deep breath, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, though, to some extent, she was content with being there to help Hopper and Eleven, god knows they'd need it. The gate began to seemingly close, the sides of the portal coming closer and closer as snarls were heard from inside.

__________

THE GROUP SPRINTED THROUGH THE TUNNELS, URGING ONE ANOTHER TO HURRY UP. The only trip along the way had been coming across a Demo-dog blocking their way which just so happened to be Dart; the creature luckily remembered its friendship with Dustin, the boy giving it nougat so that the group could move past without trouble. The ground rumbled beneath them, causing the kids and teens to trip onto the ground, monsters roaring heard in the distance. "What was that?" Max questioned. 

"They're coming," Mike stated, the growls becoming louder and louder; there was no way the group planned on being there when the monsters came across them. "Run! Run!" They continued rushing through the tunnels, finally finding the rope to climb out, Steve and Jennifer giving the kids boosts so that they could quickly get out. Just as Dustin had climbed up, Steve began giving Jennifer a leg up, though, before she could make a move, the growling was heard eerily close, causing the two teens to freeze momentarily. 

Jennifer tightened her hold on her crowbar, Steve doing the same with his bat. They saw shadows on the walls moving, signalling they were moments away from coming head-on with however many Demo-dogs there were. Steve slyly pushed Jennifer slightly behind him, still keeping her close to him. 

What appeared to be a herd of Demo-dogs rushed towards them, however, rather than attacking them, they rushed right past the few teens, making them have to hold on tightly to one another so that they didn't trip. The two looked at the creatures running past them in awe, not even realising how close they were to one another, Steve's arms wrapped around the girl's waist whilst Jennifer's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. 

__________

ELEVEN HELD HER ARM OUT, CLOSING THE GATE THAT STOOD MENACINGLY IN FRONT OF HER, HER NOSE ALREADY LEAKING WITH BLOOD. Nicole and Hopper looked on in awe until they heard monsters growling around them. The two looked around, using their weak flashlights to try and spot anything they could. The elevator shook as a Demo-dog jumped onto it, Hopper crying out, startled, quickly firing at the creature, it falling to the floor. 

The two immediately began firing at the, what felt like, hundreds of Demo-dogs that quickly surrounded them. The sound of gunfire filled the air, deafening any other sounds that could have been heard. Nicole's ears rang, not thinking about anything other than killing the damn things that almost got her sister. Her eyes were locked on one of the Demo-dogs, carefully aiming the shotgun to ensure it was a fatal hit. Her breathing was heavy, her chest heaving up and down when she felt something solid ram into her. 

The girl felt herself fall, flipping over the side of the elevator, luckily catching onto the bottom of the rails before she plummeted. She heard Hopper cry out for her, though she couldn't react, too busy trying to kick off the Demo-dog that had held onto her leg. She felt it ripping her pants, drawing blood from the deep, long wound it had created down her calves. 

She cried on in pain, her voice shaky as she finally kicked it off, though, she could already feel the blood dripping down her legs, the wound stinging and throbbing as it squirted blood. Hopper shot at a few more of the Demo-dogs that were dangerously close before rushing over to where Nicole hung, reaching his arm out to try to pull the girl up. 

Nicole would have loved to grab onto the man's hand so that he could pull her up and she could continue on with her life, however, with the deep wounds on her calves and what she now realised to be an equally deep cut along her torso, she couldn't find the strength. She knew that Hopper wouldn't be able to pull her up on his own, he was rightfully exhausted, and she didn't blame him in the slightest. She knew that if she grabbed onto his hand, he wouldn't be able to protect Eleven and she would just be selfish even if, in reality, she wouldn't. 

Somehow, Hopper saw the look in her eyes, firmly shaking his head and reaching his arm further to try and grab onto the girl's hand. Nicole felt tears streaming down her face. Despite her body burning in pain and wanting to scream out in agony, all she could truly feel was guilt. Guilt that she was leaving her sister and Father after their Mother had already passed. Guilt that she could no longer be there for Jennifer, that she would be leaving her alone again. Guilt that she would be breaking a promise she made to Jennifer, one she knew that her sister would be holding onto. 

Her breathing was heavy and uneven, her arms already tired from holding herself up. If she had been able to pull herself up again anyway, she had dropped her gun, she wouldn't be of any help, just another body for the Demo-dogs to attack. The girl softly shook her head to Hopper, sadness and guilt laced in her eyes with a slight tinge of determination. 

Though, before she even had the opportunity to let go, another firm body pummelled into hers, causing for her to let go of the elevator, plummeting to the ground as the Demo-dog scratched at her as they both fell. Hopper stared at the girl until she was out of view, even then, he still stared. He felt tears forming in his eyes. How would he explain this to Jennifer? How would he explain this to Robert? Being friends with her Father, he had known the girl since she was only a baby, he had watched her grow, and now, he had watched her die, unable to do anything to help. 

The man was broken out of his thoughts by the cry of another one of the deadly creatures. With a look of determination in his eye, he lifted his gun, shooting at any monster he saw with no hesitation, with no thought, a deep, almost silent cry leaving his mouth at the thought of the girl that he had just watched fall to her death. 

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 19: The labyrinth. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.5k Words Warnings: Blood, slight violence, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ______________________________________________

SOMEHOW, JENNIFER HAD AGREED TO ALLOW MAX TO DRIVE, HOWEVER, SHE WAS NOW STRONGLY RECONSIDERING THAT DECISION. Though Jennifer hadn't gotten her license yet let alone even learned how to actually follow the road rules, she was sure that she could've done at least a slightly better job than Max. "Max, I swear to god," Jennifer muttered as the girl increased their speed yet again. Steve's head lay in the girl's lap as she pressed a, now melted, ice pack to his bloody face. 

"Nancy?" Steve muttered looking at Mike, alerting the group that he had gained consciousness. Steve groaned, going to rub his face before Jennifer stopped him.

"Don't touch it." She said, stopping him from causing himself more pain.

"Hey, buddy..." Dustin said, shushing him as the older boy looked over to him. "It's okay. You put up a good fight. He kicked your ass, but you put up a fight. You're okay."

In what felt like less than a minute, the car had turned into chaos as Steve called for the girl to stop the car as she almost drove off the road, the rest of the group letting out screams. Eventually, Max drove into the farmlands, stopping just short of the deep hole in the ground. The group stepped out of the car - other than Steve who took a moment and stumbled out of the car -, Jennifer immediately taking the keys from Max. "What? I did a good job." 

"I wouldn't go so far as to say you did a good job, let's just say you didn't crash which is great." She muttered, patting the girl's shoulder once before helping pull stuff from the trunk of the car. After securing a thick cloth around her neck and putting a pair of goggles in her jacket pocket, she walked up to Steve, another thick cloth and pair of goggles in her hands. Without saying a word, she began tying the cloth around the boy's head, thankful for the dark night sky for hiding her flushed face as her face got closer to Steve's than she had planned.

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on? There's no way we're going not there right now, I made myself clear." He said, moving his head to look at the younger kids too. Jennifer grabbed onto his jaw gently, pulling his face back so that she could finish putting the goggles on his head.

"Just relax. I wouldn't have been able to stop them without knocking them out so just go with it. At least we're here to look after them rather than them running off on their own; and if something happens, just blame it on me." She said as she finished up with his gear, patting him on the cheek teasingly before moving towards the hole, her crowbar in hand. 

Steve paused for a moment, pressing his tongue against his bloody lip. His face was slightly flushed though he tried to shake it off as he made his way down the rope and into the maze-like tunnels. "Holy shit." He muttered looking around. The flashlight in Jennifer's hand flickered slightly, stopping after a few rough hits to its side. 

"Alright, now where is it so we can hurry up and get out of here," Jennifer muttered, walking to Mike who held a roughly drawn-out map in his hands. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way." He said, looking ahead of him. 

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustins comment earned a snappy reply from the dark-haired boy. 

"I'm one hundred per cent sure. Just follow me and you'll know." Before Mike could start walking, Steve called out to him in an almost parenting-like tone. 

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I don't think so." Jennifer found herself with one hand on her hip and her eyes rolling, just wanting to get the hell out of this labyrinth already. 

"What?"

"Any of you little shits die down here, Jennifer and I are getting the blame. Got it, dipshit? From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go." Before Steve moved, he looked down at the map he had snatched from Mike, muttering to himself for a few moments. Eventually, Jennifer moved forward, snatching the map and starting to walk ahead, causing Steve to flare his arms out at his sides. 

"Let's go." She simply said.

"Alright, Jennifer's leading the way," Steve muttered, following after the girl. "Hey, a little hustle." He rushed the kids. 

__________

ALARMS WERE HEARD BLARING SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE LAB, HOPPER AND NICOLE TAKING THE LEAD WHILST EL KEPT JUST BEHIND THEM. Most of the lights were out, the only ones that weren't flickered every now and then, resulting in Hopper and Nicole having to use mediocre flashlights to see ahead of them. They moved quickly, not wanting to be in there any longer than they had to, preferring to get this over with. 

As they began walking down a flight of stairs, blood was seen smeared on the handrails and the floor just ahead of them. "Stay here," Hopper spoke up for the first time since entering the building. He moved forward, Nicole staying behind him, ensuring that El also stayed behind her. "Oh, shit." The man muttered, her eyes locking onto Dr. Owens who sat against the wall, blood now staining his once white button-up. "Hey, Doc. Those suckers got you pretty good, huh?" He commented, looking at the deep wound on the older man's thighs. "It's okay, don't talk. Don't talk. I got you. I got you. I got you."Hopper said as took off his belt. 

When he saw his eyes drift behind him, Hopper turned to see El and Nicole now standing behind him, Nicole standing behind the young girl to keep watch of anything following after them. "Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to tell you. This is Eleven. Eleven, Doc Owens. Doc Owens, Eleven. She's been staying with me for about a year, and she's about to save our asses. Maybe when this is all said and done, maybe you could help her out, too, you know? Maybe you could help her lead, like, a normal life. One where she's not poked and prodded and... treated like some kind of lab rat, you know? I don't know, just a thought." The man had a hint of a smile on his face as he tightly tied the belt around the older man's thigh, causing for him to groan in pain. "But, uh... think about it."

He took a radio that had been clipped to his pants, handing it to Dr. Owens. "Don't go anywhere." He said jokingly, earning a weak chuckle from the man as the three continued their way down the stairwell. Hearing what Hopper had to say to Dr Owens, Nicole couldn't help but give the man a slight side-eye as she walked past him, already having a sense of distaste for him after learning just part of what he had participated in in El's life. 

__________

THE SIX CONTINUED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE TUNNELS, STEVE AND JENNIFER MOVING TO WALK SIDE BY SIDE, LEADING THE GROUP THROUGH THE CONFUSING MAZE. "What is this place?" Max asked.

"Guys, come on. Keep moving." Steve called out. The two teenagers snapped their heads to the sound of Dustin screaming, both of them rushing to the boy. "What happened?" Steve asked loudly in concern. 

"It's in my mouth! Some got in my mouth! Shit!" Was all the young boy said, letting out harsh coughs, lowering the cloth from his mouth. The group looked on silently, waiting for him to stop. "I'm okay." He said calmly after a few moments. Dustin earned a few snide comments from the group as he stood back up from the group, lifting the mask back up to cover his mouth.

"Don't be stupid," Jennifer said before she and Steve continued leading the way. They walked for another few minutes, Jennifer looking back down at the map every time they had to make a turn until they appeared to finally make it to the so-called, 'hub'. 

"All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub." Steve announced. The space was rather large, the roof higher than it had been throughout the smaller tunnels they travelled through. They saw several other entrances to go through, almost looking like windows into other dimensions. 

"Let's drench it," Mike said, holding up the canister of gasoline. The group began pouring the gasoline all throughout the space, anywhere they could, ensuring to cover every surface they came across. 

__________

COMING ACROSS THE CORRIDOR THEY WERE MOMENTS AWAY FROM ENTERING, THE THREE HEARD A LOW GROWL FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, CAUSING FOR THEM ALL THE FREEZE. "Stay here," Hopper said, moving forward. Luckily, so far, they hadn't yet had to use their guns, so far not coming across any of the Demo-gorgons. 

The man moved forward, entering the hallway and turning to see one of the rooms they had to enter, the sound of a Demo-gorgon snarling heard inside. Hopper lifted his gun, moving forward cautiously whilst Nicole and El waited in the larger hallway anxiously for the man. Still hearing the Demo-dogs from where they were, the two girls didn't even want to consider what it must have sounded like for the man who stood just outside the room they were in. 

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 18: Ideas. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.9k Words Warnings: Violence, blood, insinuations of abuse, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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DUSTIN TOSSED EVERYTHING OUT OF THE FRIDGE, JENNIFER WINCING EVERY TIME SOMETHING HIT THE FLOOR. "All right. It should fit now." He said sighing as he turned to Steve who stood waiting with a dead Demo-dog wrapped in a blanket in his arms. 

"Is this really necessary?" He questioned.

"Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can't just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It's not a dog." The boy complained.

"All right, all right, all right." He muttered, beginning to shove the dead creature into the fridge.

"This is gross," Jennifer mumbled. Dustin snapped his head to the girl.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"I'm just saying I hope you have a good explanation to Mrs. Byers as to why this things shoved into her fridge and why her food's thrown all over the place." She said defending herself. As the two struggled to get it into the fridge, Jennifer groaned in disgust, moving aside to at least try to clean up everything Dustin had carelessly thrown around. 

Hearing Mike starting to argue, the three moved to the living room. "Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?" Steve said in response to the three kids trying to figure out a way they could help Hopper, El, and Nicole. 

"Okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game. And second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench." Mike's statement got a breathy laugh from Jennifer which earned a look from Steve. 

"So my point is..." Steve stammered. "Right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do." As the group began arguing as to why and how they should or shouldn't help those going to the hospital, Jennifer rubbed her temples in annoyance, trying to settle the headache that was building up. She couldn't help but favour Max in that moment, despite her still arguing, she was at least quieter than the others in the room. 

"I got it!" Mike called out, moving to the kitchen. "This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So... here, right here. This is like the hub." He continued, moving once again. "So you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire..." 

Jennifer widened her eyes, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "You're funny."

"The mind flayer would call his army."

"They'd all come to stop us." Dustin and Mike spoke up.

The younger kids continued whilst Steve tried to catch their attention. "Hey. Hey! Hey!" He yelled out, clapping his hands. "This is not happening."

"But-"

"No, no, no, no, no. No buts. I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here. On the bench. And we're waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?" He lectures. 

"This isn't a stupid sports game." Mike retaliated. 

"I said does everybody understand that? I need a yes." The group went silent. Jennifer saw their eyes move to her, though she simply put her hands up, mostly agreeing with Steve. Before anyone could reply to Steve, they heard an engine revving just outside.

"Who the hell is it now..." Jennifer muttered as they moved to the living room. Max and Lucas looked out the window to see a blue Chevrolet Camaro pulling up in front of the house, rock music blaring out its windows.

"It's my brother." The young girl said. "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us." Steve was first to step out to confront Billy, making sure to close the door behind him. 

"Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?" He said, smoke blowing from his mouth. 

"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants." Billy's eyes drifted to the front door as Jennifer made her way outside, careful to make sure the boy couldn't see past the door as it opened. 

"Well hey, gorgeous." Jennifer rolled her eyes at the nickname. "What happened to our date last night, huh?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows. 

"You know damn well I wasn't going on that date, Hargrove." Billy chuckled. 

"What are you two doing here, huh?" He questioned, slamming the car door as his eyes drifted back to Steve who walked closer to him.

"I could ask you the same thing." The two stood across from one another, almost staring each other down whilst Jennifer stayed on the porch. 

"Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." He said, a lit cigarette sitting between his lips.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know her." 

"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch." 

"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, buddy." 

Billy began to grow increasingly annoyed, grabbing the cigarette from his lips and holding it between his two fingers. "You know, I don't know, this... this whole situation, I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

"My thirteen-year-old sister goes missing all day. And then I fend her with you two in a stranger's house." He said, pointing to Steve and Jennifer. "And you lie to me about it."

Jennifer chuckled out of annoyance. "Were you dropped as a child or something?" She spoke up, stepping closer, though still staying on the porch. "We don't know where she is. All right? She's not here."

"Then who is that?" He spoke lowly, looking to the window. Jennifer and Steve quickly turned their heads to see the kids very obviously peeking their heads through the window.

"Oh, shit. Listen-" Before Steve could continue, Billy shoved him, causing him to fall flat on the ground. 

"I told you to plant your feet." He said, kicking him in the gut. As the boy made his way onto the porch Jennifer stood in front of the door.

"Billy, back off." She said sternly, though Billy simply shoved her aside, swinging the door open harshly. 

"Well, well, well. Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise. I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max." He said threateningly. 

"Billy, go away."

"You disobeyed me. And you know what happens when you disobey me. I break things." In less than a second, the boy had Lucas pressed roughly against the wall as the other kids yelled for him to stop. 

"Get off of me, you-"

"Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will. You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?" He yelled into his face. 

"I said get off me!" Lucas yelled out, kneeing billy 'downstairs'. 

"So dead, Sinclair! You're so dead." Before Billy could do anything, a plate was smashed over his head, causing him to become disoriented for a moment. When he could, Billy turned his head to see Jennifer glaring at him. His jaw tensed as he stepped towards the girl, though, Steve quickly stepped in front of her. 

Billy stared at the two for a moment before chuckling. "I see. You were too busy with Harrington last night. Guess you're just a slut then, hm?" Steve quickly punched the boy in the face, only making Billy let out yet another laugh. "Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me so much about." 

"Get out." Was all Steve said, pushing the boy away. The two almost immediately broke out into a fistfight, throwing punches towards one another, their faces becoming battered and bloodied. Part of the group was cheering Steve on, whilst another part was calling for the two to stop, in all honesty, Jennifer didn't know which side she was on. It was when Steve got hit over the head by a plate that the group went silent, worried for his safety.

Billy grew increasingly aggressive, muttering threats to the teen. "No one tells me what to do!" He said before head-butting Steve to the ground. The group continued to call for Billy to stop, stating that he could kill Steve if he didn't; however, Billy stayed where he was, hovering over Steve as he threw continuous punches at the boy's now heavily bruised face. Jennifer looked on anxiously, pausing for a moment before angrily stepping towards Billy. The girl yanked onto his shirt, forcing him to face her direction, and before he could react, she threw a punch to his face. 

The boy was stunned, his hand rubbing his jaw whilst Jennifer looked at him, subtly shaking her hand to brush off the pain that throbbed in her knuckles. "So the slut has an arm." He muttered before grabbing her collar and pulling her towards him. He wasn't going to hit her. He knew it. He had his reasons to, though, it wasn't like he even had the opportunity to when Max stabbed a needle into his neck, causing him to let go of Jennifer. 

He turned to look at Max, his vision becoming blurred whilst he pulled the needle from his neck. "The hell is this? You little shit, what did you do?" He staggered towards Max, unsure of whether he was actually stepping her way or not as the effects of the drugs went to work. His voice echoed in his head. "What did you do." Was all he could mutter once more before he fell back onto the ground, laughing like a maniac. 

Max grabbed Steve's nailed bat, holding it up above the boy. "From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?" Jennifer quietly grabbed onto her crowbar just in case, by some chance, Billy managed to get up again. 

"Screw you." The words that fell from Billy's mouth earned him a nailed bat between the begs, damaging the floorboards he lay on. 

"Say you understand! Say it! Say it!" Max yelled out.

"I understand."

"What?"

"I understand." He said before passing out. Max dropped the bat, the weapon clattering on the ground before she pulled the boy's keys from his pocket. 

"Let's get out of here."

__________

HOPPER, EL, AND NICOLE PULLED UP IN FRONT OF THE LAB, STEPPING OUT AND LOOKING UP AT THE BUILDING THAT STOOD OVER THEM MENACINGLY. Growling was heard, echoing throughout the building, some of the windows glowing with flashing lights. "You alright, kid?" Nicole asked as she pulled the shotgun from the car.

In the short ride to the lab, El had already managed to grow a liking to the woman. She hadn't pressured El into saying anything, just made conversation so that the drive wasn't awkward. If anything, El had already somewhat looked up to Nicole. She seemed cool, someone that El would want to be like when she was older; not scared to say what she was thinking and to have her own opinions on things no matter what others around her thought. 

El nodded her head softly, Nicole smiling at her lightly before putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "All right. You let us do the heavy lifting upfront, all right? You save your strength till we're below." Hopper said to El as he stood next to the two. Providing no response, the girl walked towards the lab, shaking off any nerves she had. Nicole was about to follow until Hopper stopped her. "You stay near me, alright? You're getting back to Jennifer and your father. Don't do anything stupid."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." Nicole said with a slight smirk, holding up her pinkie finger jokingly before following after El. Hopper looked at her worried, reconsidering his decision of allowing her to come, though, there was nothing he could do about it now.

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 17: Can't hide it. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.6k Words Warnings: Slight violence, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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WHILST HOPPER, JOYCE, JONATHAN, AND MIKE STOOD IN THE DISGUISED SHED TALKING TO WILL, THE REST OF THE GROUP SAT AROUND THE DINING TABLE INSIDE THE HOUSE. Hopper had come up with the idea of using one of the radios to communicate with the group inside, sending across the messages Will was trying to tell them in Morse code; the plan worked so far. Beeps came through the device, Dustin and Lucas working out what letters they were with Nancy writing them down on a piece of paper, the rest of the group looking on curiously.

Occasionally, Steve and Jennifer shared looks to one another, though hadn't said much since what had happened in the bedroom. "Close gate." They all said unanimously, looking at the message written in red crayon. Suddenly, the phone started ringing, the kids and teens all rushing over.

"Shit. Shit." Dustin said aloud, quickly picking up the phone just to put it back again, stopping the ringing only momentarily. When it started again, however, Nancy was the one to rip the phone off the wall, throwing it across the room with a grunt. 

"Do you think he heard that?" Max asked aloud. 

"It's just a phone. It could be anywhere. Right?" Steve questioned in hopefulness. Monsters were heard screeching in the distance, those inside moving to the living room.

"That's not good," Dustin said to no one in particular. 

"Shit," Jennifer muttered in annoyance. Hopper walked into the house grabbing a rifle he had brought from the hospital earlier that night, rushing to the group in the living room. 

"Hey. Hey, get away from the windows!" He called out to the young kids who looked through the living room curtains curiously. Jennifer picked up the rifle she had found herself in the shed while it was getting cleared out. The girl looked up to Nancy, calling her name before passing the weapon to her, knowing that she had more experience with firearms. Nancy provided the girl a curt nod before turning to the front door anxiously. 

Jennifer grabbed the crowbar she had found herself using frequently in the past few days and held it tightly, her knuckles turning white. The room was silent other than heavy breathing and screeching in the distance. "Where are they?" Joyce spoke up. The sound of monsters screaming and growling grew louder, fear pumping through the veins of those who stood inside, waiting for something to happen.

The sounds moved to the side of the house, the eyes of the group following. "What are they doing?" Nancy questioned aloud, bushes seen shaking through the windows right in front of the house. A loud screech was heard from the front of the home, everyone crying out, surprised as they turned back to the front door. They stood waiting anxiously, listening to the horrifying sounds from just outside the window when suddenly, the sounds stopped abruptly.

It was silent for a few moments until the window smashed open, a Demo-dog flying into the house making everyone scream out and rush away from the thing. It lay motionless, Hopper cautiously moving closer with his gun aimed at the creature. "Holy shit," Dustin muttered. 

"Is it dead?" Hopper was silent as he pushed it a few times with his foot, the creature not moving an inch. The sound of a door creaking alerted the group, all of them swinging their heads back to the front door only to see the lock turn, the chain lock unlocking itself. Guns were raised, everyone looking on anxiously as the door creaked open.

As Eleven stepped inside, Hopper and Nancy lowered their guns, everyone's bodies relaxing at the sight of the girl who had seemingly been dead for almost a year. Mike stepped forward, tears in his eyes as he stared sadly at El; the two were quick to embrace one another. Jennifer looked on with a slight smile, though didn't say anything. "Is that..." Max muttered, earning a slight nod from Dustin and Lucas.

"Because I wouldn't let her," Hopper spoke up, butting in on Mike and El's conversation. "The hell is this? Where have you been?" He asked the girl, confusing those who watched on. 

"Where have you been?" She retaliated, though, neither gave answers, instead, they simply embraced one another.

"You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time!" Mike yelled out, shoving Hopper which earned a yank on the shirt from the man. 

"Let's talk. Alone." The two moved into another room, leaving the others in the living room with the girl. Jennifer gave her a small, soft smile. Though she hadn't gotten to know her well, she remembered the girl from when Barb had gone missing, and how hard she tried to help find her; El reciprocated the soft smile. 

"I don't! I don't understand!" Muffled yells were heard from the other room, the group shifting awkwardly. Later, whilst El and Joyce had gone to see Will, the remaining of the group stood in the living room, waiting to find out what they were going to do. 

Jennifers head turned slightly, her ears picking up the faint sound of a car engine purring; the sound increasing as the seconds passed. Eventually, they all turned to the front door, looking on anxiously to see if the car were to pull up or keep going. Everyone's stomachs twisted as they saw the deep red, Chevy Silverado pull up in front of the house, everyone except for Jennifer. Her eyebrows furrowed, the girl moved quickly to the door to see her sister stepping out of the car. 

Before she could stop her, Nicole stepped foot into the house, her face immediately contorting. "What the hell happened here? What the hell is that?!" She said looking around at the messy house, her eyes zoning in on the dead Demo-dog lying on the floor.

"Nicole, what the hell are you doing here?" Jennifer said concerned, wanting nothing more than for her sister to leave for her own safety. 

"What am I doing here? Where the hell have you been!" She yelled out, looking at her sister with concern-laced eyes. Jennifers mouth opened like a goldfish gasping for air, though nothing came out. How could she even begin to explain where she had been? With everything going on, she hadn't even realised how long it had been since she'd been home. 

"I'm sorry." Was all she could make out. 

Nicole softly sighed. "You never told me everything. Did you?" She asked. Ever since the first encounter with the Demogorgon, Jennifer had gotten nightmares, As they continued, they got harder and harder to cover up. Jennifer had managed to talk to Nicole about her experiences, covering up parts of the trust as to what had happened without giving her a complete lie. Though, she knew now that all that work had gone down the drain.

Jennifer shook her hair softly. "I couldn't." The girl said in all honesty. "I didn't want to you at risk." Nicole stared at her younger sister for a moment before quickly wrapping her arms around her. 

"Well, whatever it is, I'm part of it now." Jennifer knew there was no way she could convince her to back down, so she resorted to a simple nod of her head. "Even Billy came looking for your dumbass." She said with a chuckle. "Why didn't you tell me you had a date with the guy?" In all honesty, Jennifer had completely forgotten about the date she was supposed to go on with him - not like she would have actually gone anyway. 

__________

JENNIFER AND STEVE STOOD IN THE KITCHEN WHILST THE OTHERS WANDERED AROUND MINDLESSLY, STILL WAITING FOR ANY NEWS ON A PLAN. "You had a date with Billy?" Steve teased the girl, and a slight smirk played on his face. The action earned a light shove from Jennifer.

"Shut up. It was the only way to get him off my ass." She said chuckling. Initially, she was worried that Steve would get the wrong idea, though hearing him joke about it made the girl's eyebrows relax, her body no longer tense. 

"This thing is gnarly." Nicole laughed aloud, nudging the dead Demo-dog with her foot. 

"Yeah, not so gnarly when the thing's coming at you with bared teeth," Jennifer said jokingly as she walked towards her sister. Nicole looked to her with a raised brow of concern before turning back to the creature with now, a look of disgust.  Soon enough, Jennifer had managed to briefly explain to Nicole everything she needed to know, though, she knew that a large majority of it must have surely flown over her head.

Eventually, the group managed to conjure up a plan. Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy were about to leave with Will to get the 'mind flayer' out of him, whilst Hopper and El planned to go back to the hospital to close the gate with the rest of the group staying put at the Byers' house. The two were about to leave, Mike simply saying goodbye to El, when Nicole rushed up to them, a shotgun she had found in the house sitting in her hands. "I can help." 

Jennifer's eyes widened. "The hell are you doing?" She called out.

"Jennifer, I'll be fine." She reassured, though, she wasn't sure herself. The only reason she put herself on the line was for Jennifer, in any other circumstance, she would have been happy to stay back to guard the house. "I promise." She said softly, hugging the girl once again.

The two embraced one another for a moment before pulling away, Nicole stepping closer to Hopper's car. The man looked at her, unsure for a moment before reluctantly opening the door for her. As much as he wanted to turn her away and force her back into the house where she would be safe, he knew that he could use the help seeing as the hospital was overrun. 

Jennifer softly waved as both cars pulled away from the house, her body shifting nervously from where she stood. All she could do now was silently reassure herself that her sister would be fine. She had to be.

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 16: Moments. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 2k Words Warning: Old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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THE GROUP STOOD AROUND THE DINING TABLE BESIDES JOYCE WHO KEPT TO HERSELF IN HER ROOM, MOURNING THE LOSS OF BOB. "What the hell is that?" Hopper muttered, looking down at the picture in the book Dustin had slammed onto the table. 

"It's a monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home. Okay, it enslaves races of other dimensions by taking over their brains using its highly-developed psionic powers." If Jennifer were honest, she would have to say that practically every word spewed from Dustin's mouth went in one ear and out the other. 

"Oh, my God, none of this is real. This is a kids' game." The older man complained.

"No, it's a manual. And it's not for kids. And unless you know something that we don't this is the best metaphor-"

"Analogy." Lucas cut the boy off, earning a glare from Dustin.

"Analogy? That's what you're worried about? Fine. An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is." 

Nancy moved forward in hopes of getting a better look at the drawing in the book. "Okay, so this mind flamer thing-"

"Flayer. Mind flayer."

Nancy sighed. "What does it want?"

"To conquer us, basically. It believes it's the master race."

"Like the Germans?" Steve spoke up stammering. Jennifer looked at the boy with furrowed brows.

"Uh, the Nazis?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Nazis." Steve looked at Jennifer, shrugging his shoulders in response to the look on her face. "What." He muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, earning a silent snicker from the girl.

"If the Nazis were from another dimension, totally. Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself."

Across the table, Hopper rubbed his face in annoyance. "It wants to spread, take over other dimensions."

"We are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it." 

Jennifer let out a sigh. "That sounds fun." She said sarcastically, as Steve stepped away from the table for a moment to get some air. 

"Okay, so if this thing is like brain that's controlling everything, then if we kill it..." Nancy continued.

"We kill everything it controls." Jennifers jaw tightened at Mike's statement. 

"We win."

"Theoretically." 

"Great. So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?" Hopper spoke up, annoyed at how immature he believed the group was being. 

Dustin chuckled. "No. No, no fire- no fireballs. Uh, you summon an undead army, uh, because... because zombies, you know, they don't have brains, and the mind flayer, it... it... it likes brains." The boy stammered more and more as he continued. "It's just a game. It's a game." Their voices turned muffled to Jennifer, something she had noticed happening frequently whenever anxiety wracked her body. Her body swayed as she took a few steps back, away from the table. 

A voice the girl had known to be comforting brought Jennifer back. "They're right," Joyce said, her voice uneven and shaky. The distraught look on the woman's face made Jennifer's heart ache, wanting nothing more than for her family to be okay. "We have to kill it. I want to kill it." 

Hopper made his way over to Joyce. "Me, too. Me, too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that? We don't exactly know what we're dealing with here."

"No," Mike spoke up, catching the adult's attention. "But he does." He said, stepping closer to Will who was still passed out on the couch. "If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it. He'll know its weakness."

"I thought we couldn't trust him anymore," Max questioned confused. "That he's a spy for the mind flayer now."

"Yeah, but he can't spy if he doesn't know where he is."

__________

AS THE OTHERS PREPARED THE SHED TO PUT WILL IN, JENNIFER SAT BESIDE JOYCE. "Will's gonna be okay," Jennifer said, honestly unsure of whether she was trying to reassure Joyce or herself. The older woman didn't speak, opting to simply grab onto the girl's hand and squeezing it, giving her a soft, appreciative smile; one which Jennifer reciprocated. "I'm going to go help the others." She muttered, gently letting go of Joyce's hand and standing up. 

In all honesty, Jennifer didn't want to leave the safety of the Byers' house in fear of the Demo-dogs coming back - as Dustin had named them. Though, being Jennifer, it wasn't hard for her to put Will before herself, and soon enough building up the courage to step outside. Whilst clearing out the shed, Jennifer spotted a rifle lying on a benchtop, seemingly in good condition. She gripped it in her hands, looking it over momentarily before putting it aside, the girl was more than happy to have a firearm to use in case anything were to show up. 

The group taped and stapled up cardboard, old sheets, anything they could find to the walls inside the shed, covering anything Will may have been able to recognise. The last thing they wanted was for the boy to realise where they were only to send an army of flesh-eating creatures their way. 

Soon enough, Jonathan carried the young boy into the shed, sitting him down onto a roughly made, cardboard chair that sat in the middle of the space. His arms were tied behind his back around a pole that stood right behind him, as others turned on bright lights, beaming down onto the boy. Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, Jennifer, and Mike stood in the shed, looking at Will anxiously.

"All right, you ready?" Hopper questioned quietly.

"Yeah." At Joyce's response, Hopper moved forward using a cloth soaked in ammonia to lure the boy awake; Will gasped, his head shooting up and his eyes opening wide. He looked around confused as he came to his senses. "What? What? What is this?" He muttered, trying to pull his arms away from the pole they were tied around. "What? What is this? Why am I tied up?" He called out frantically.

Joyce crouched in front of him, speaking softly to her son. "Will, we just wanna talk to you. We're not gonna hurt you."

"Where am I?" He repeated, not caring for the woman's comfort. 

"You recognise this?" Hopper asked as he crouched beside Joyce, showing Will a drawing he had drawn previously. "Do you recognise this?" Will simply shook his head. 

"Hey," Joyce spoke up. "We wanna help you. But to do that, we have to understand how to kill it."

"Why am I tied up?" Will yelled out, shocking the woman in front of him as well as the others in the room. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up?" They tried to get the boy calm, though he simply shook himself harder, his voice becoming more harsh and frantic. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up?" 

The lights began flickering similar to how they would when the Demogorgon was close; Jennifer sharply inhaled, her hand moving up to cover her mouth as she watched the boy thrash in his seat. Will continued screaming, his voice becoming more and more distorted only further concerning those with him.

Eventually, out of exhaustion, he stopped, the room becoming silent. Joyce moved to sit on the chair across from him, beginning to reminisce memories with the boy. After Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike went, Jennifer moved forward. She was unsure of what to say at first, simply staring at the Will from the chair she sat in. 

Jennifer softly sighed. "Do you remember when I'd come over to your house and bring my guitar because you wouldn't stop begging me to play a song for you?" A soft smile found its way onto her face. "You'd keep coming up with more and more songs for me to play. And even if I hardly knew them or was absolutely horrible at playing them...-" She said chuckling. "-you'd still praise me, telling me I was awesome even if I knew it sounded horrendous." 

She looked to Will, her smile slightly faltering when she saw him looking at her coldly, confusion evident in his eyes. Will used to look up to her, always saying that he wanted to be just like her when he grew up, though, the eyes he looked at her with now showed nothing but harshness, and hints of resentment - likely for the fact that he was tied up in a strange room with someone he couldn't even remember. 

Jennifer cleared her throat, standing up to allow someone else to talk to him. Hopper put his hand on her shoulder, bringing her some type of comfort. 

A few more moments went by when Hopper quickly pulled the four out of the shed. The others followed behind him confused as they walked into the house, stressed after still having received no positive signs from Will. "What happened?" Dustin asked the five.

"I think he's talking, just not with words." He explained, writing something down on the back of an envelope. 

"What is that?" Steve questioned. 

"Morse code." The young boys said together. 

"H-E-R-E. Will's still in there. He's talking to us." Immediately, the group felt sparks of hope. Eventually, Mike, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper went back to Will whilst Jennifer stayed with the others in the house. Joyce had asked the girl to come back with them, however, she felt that Will may feel less overwhelmed with fewer people crowding him, making it easier to get answers out of the boy.

__________

IN ONE OF THE BEDROOMS, JENNIFER SAT AT THE END OF THE BED PLAYING WITH HER FINGERS WHILST ZONING OUT. She was snapped out of it by the door opening, Steve walked in and closed the door behind him; he gave her a small smile before sitting next to her. The girl was obviously tense, her shoulders still, slightly brushing up against Steve's. Jennifer continued picking at the skin of her fingers, the boy noticing almost immediately and grabbing her hand, gently holding it in his. 

He tried to provide her comfort, something he had found himself doing a lot in the recent days they had spent together. Though, he wasn't complaining. "We're gonna be okay." He said softly, slightly nodding his head. Jennifer looked up at him, giving him a light smile. Her eyes stared into his, moving between the two before drifting down to his lips, though, she quickly caught herself, looking back down to her other lone hand that lay in her lap.

Despite how quickly she looked away, Steve noticed it, a flash of something sparking in his chest. Ever since his talk with Dustin, he had realised what it was that he felt whenever he was with Jennifer, and now that he knew it, it wouldn't leave head. 

"Uhm, thanks for saving me. In the junkyard, from that... Demo-dog..." She said, looking back up to Steve's. 

"You already said that." The boy softly chuckled, staring down at her. 

"I know." Was all Jennifer muttered, a breathy laugh also leaving her throat. The two found themselves leaning towards each other, Jennifer's breaths becoming uneven as her heart pounded in her chest; she was sure Steve could hear it. 

"Can I...?" Steve asked quietly. Jennifer softly smiled yet again before pushing her lips against Steve's. It was stiff momentarily, though the two quickly melted into one another, Steve's hand coming up to gently hold the nape of her neck, slightly playing with her hair to try to shake off the nerves. 

They pulled apart after a few seconds, though quickly found themselves leaning back into one another, Jennifers hand now moving through the boy's hair, causing him to smile against her lips. Jennifer felt her cheeks heating up, never had she thought she would be kissing Steve, the boy she had not that long ago had a dislike for, and yet, she couldn't help but feel all the emotions running through her. She had been so stressed for so long, she forgot what it had been like to feel at ease; and, in all honesty, Steve was the last person she would have thought could make her feel like that. 

Heat flowed through the pair's bodies, contrasting the cold winds they could just feel from outside the window that sat next to them. Both of their cheeks flushed red as their lips melted together, their hearts pounding in their chests.

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 15: Realisations. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.8k Words Warnings: Blood, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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THE GROUP OF FIVE WALKED CAUTIOUSLY THROUGH THE FOREST, STUPIDLY, TOWARDS THE ORIGIN OF THE HORRIFYING SCREECHING SOUND. "No, no, no. Hey, guys, why are you headed towards the sound?" Max called out in confusion. Jennifer agreed, also unsure as to why she suddenly felt the courage to walk towards the sound of what was likely to be deadly creatures, though, she had a feeling it had something to do with the boy who still had his fingers woven through hers. "Hello? Hello?" Max yelled out to the group, grunting out of annoyance before chasing after them. 

Flashlights shined through the trees creating unnerving shadows. Jennifer squeezed her hand subconsciously, Steve reciprocating the action to try to comfort the obviously scared girl. The screeching continued as they tried to find the origin of the sound.

"I don't see him," Dustin said, looking out at the view ahead of them. Using his binoculars, Lucas looked around.

"It's the lab. They were going back home." Lucas said aloud, realising why the creatures had left so suddenly. Jennifer let out a shaky breath, realising that she wouldn't exactly be able to just go home like she had hoped to do earlier. The group moved forward, making their way towards the lab through the thick shrub.

"Hello." They heard a voice call out. "Who's there? Who's there?" Cautiously, they continued forward, moving out of the trees only to find Jonathan and Nancy staring back at them in shock. "Jennifer?" Jonathan said confused, Nancy doing the same just with Steve's name. 

"Nancy?" Steve said confused, walking towards the girl and letting go of Jennifers hand. It felt wrong. Part of him didn't want to let go, the loss of warmth in his hand making chills run through his body.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jennifer asked Jonathan annoyed, quickly wrapping her arms around the boy whom she had known for years.

"What are you doing here?" The short-haired girl said confused, breaking Jennifer and Jonathan out of the start of their conversation.

"What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for Mike and Will."

"They're not in there, are they?" Dustin said, gesturing to the lab that towered over them menacingly. 

"We're not sure."

"Why?" Before anyone could reply to Jonathan, monsters screeching cut them off, making their heads snap to the lab, lighting glowing on and off through a select few windows. The group continued to talk, all of them talking over one another trying to figure out what they were all doing there together and what was happening.

Jennifer kept quiet, though lights turning on in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head to see the windows of the lab lighting up, gently pulling on Nancy's arm to get her attention. "The power's back," Nancy spoke up once she turned to see what Jennifer was looking at. 

The group rushed to the booth that sat just outside of the fence, Jonathan desperately pressing the button, trying to open the gate; though, nothing worked. Jennifer looked on anxiously as, now, both Jonathan and Dustin tried opening the gate. Her foot tapped against the road, the cold nipping at any exposed skin found on her body. "Hey! I got it!" Dustin called out suddenly as the gate slid open. 

They looked on curiously, unsure of what to do once they'd gotten the gate open. Eventually, Jonathan and Nancy jumped in the boy's car, rushing to the front doors of the lab to find his Mother, Jim Hopper, Mike Wheeler, and a passed-out Will. "Come on!" He called out, rushing them to get in the car as more of the monsters banged on the glass doors from the inside.

Meanwhile, the original group from the junkyard waited anxiously at the booth for Jonathan and Nancy to return, preferably, with the others. "Guys?" Max said. Two cars, tyres screeching, sped out of the gate, the five rushing out of the way as Jonathan's car sped past them. The second car stopped next to them, Jim Hopper calling for them to get in quickly.

"Let's go." The man ordered, Dustin, Lucas, and Max jumping in and moving to the back seats. Steve urged Jennifer ahead, the girl getting into the front next to Hopper with Steve getting in behind her. The two teens had to partially share a seat, though at that moment, they didn't really care what they had to do as long as they got away from the damn lab. 

The car was silent initially, only heavy breathing being heard as the group tried to catch their breaths. "What happened?" Hopper asked, his tone stern. Jennifer furrowed her brows before realising where the man was looking. The girl rubbed her hands that were still stained red from blood, though it didn't do much; and before she could reply, Dustin spoke up from the back.

"She killed one of them." He said, his tone of voice showing that he must have had a smile on his face. Hopper looked sternly at the girl who avoided eye contact like the Black Plague. Eventually, he let out a sigh.

"You alright?" He asked he asked, his voice deep, almost gruffly. 

Jennifer nodded. "I'm fine." Was all she said, preferring not to go into detail about what had happened earlier that night that led them to the lab in the first place. 

__________

WILL LAY PASSED OUT ON THE COUCH, STILL IN HIS HOSPITAL GOWN AS JONATHAN STROKED HIS HAIR. "I'm sorry, bud." He muttered. "Sorry I wasn't there. I should have been here." Nancy put her hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to bring him any type of comfort he could. 

In the bathroom, Jennifer stood over the sink, her shaky hands trying to wash off the red blood. All she could think about was her last experience with a Demogorgon, and how close she came to death yet again. One might think she was overreacting, but considering she had never truly talked to anyone about it, all she could do was allow all her thoughts and fears to build up inside her, making it harder for her to cope. 

Steve stood in the doorway, watching the girl failing to clean the blood before moving closer to her. Gently, he pulled her hands over to him, using the soap that sat on the sink to create some lather before helping wash the blood away. The water that ran red into the sink soon turned clear, a sense of relief rushing through Jennifers body. The boy's movements were soft, and gentle, not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable. 

After drying her hands, the two moved out to the dining room where the younger kids were waiting as Hopper finished his phone call. "They didn't believe you, did they?" Dustin spoke up. 

"We'll see." Was all Hopper responded with, his words only annoying Mike.

"'We'll see'? We can't just sit here while those things are loose!" The boy complained.

Hopper responded sternly. "We stay here, and we wait for help." He finished before walking off to find Joyce who sat in her bedroom crying. On the way to the Byers' house, Jennifer had learnt of Bob's passing. She didn't know the man well, only seeing him a couple of times when she went to see Joyce at the general store and the few times he had been at the Byers's house at the same time Jennifer had; despite this, the girl knew that the man-made Joyce happy. 

Jennifer was broken out of the trance she found herself falling into by Mike. "Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of the Hawkins AV?" The statement didn't mean much to Jennifer, but seeing Dustin and Lucas' reactions, she assumed it meant something to them. "He petitioned the school to start it and everything." The words falling from Mike's mouth began to turn muffled, moving to the back of Jennifers mind as she stared out the kitchen window in front of her. Her arms were crossed, her fingers tightly gripping her jacket sleeves. She looked for anything moving, even if they were shadows, anxious about the monsters returning.

Steve moved closer, gently placing his hand on the girl's shoulder to bring her a sense of comfort, Jennifer's muscles beginning to relax. "What do you want to do, Mike?" Dustin snapped, catching the older girl's attention and making Jennifer whip her head to face the boy. "The Chief's right on this. We can't stop those Demo-dogs on our own." The group furrowed their brows.

"Demo-dogs?" Max questioned. 

"Demogorgon dogs. Demo-dogs. It's like a compound." The boy explained as if it should have been obvious. Jennifer lightly shook her head at Dustin. "It's like a play on words-" 

"Okay," Max said, cutting Dustin off, just wanting to finish the conversation she regrettably started. 

"I mean, when it was just Dart, maybe..."

"But there's an army now," Lucas commented.

"Precisely."

"His army."

"What do you mean?" Steve spoke up, curiously by what the boy meant.

"His army," Mike repeated, only louder. "Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army, too." The boy rushed to Will's room, picking up a drawing he had created of what he had seen in his 'visions'. 

Dustin took the paper from Mike's hands, inspecting it carefully. It looked almost like a spider, towering over Hawkins, as it if were watching their every move. "The shadow monster."

"It got Will that day on the field." Jennifer tried her best to keep up with everything the kids were saying, though it got hard when they talked about situations she had no idea happened in the first place. Her heart ached for the boy she had known since he was only young; he didn't deserve any of this. "The doctor said it was like a virus, it infected him." Mike clarified. 

"And so this virus, it's connecting him to the tunnels?" 

"To the tunnels, monsters, the Upside Down, everything."

"Whoa. Slow down. Slow down." Steve complained, just as confused as Jennifer. He took he paper from Dustin, holding it between him and Jennifer so that they could both look at the drawing.

"Okay, so, the shadow monster's inside everything. And if the vines feel something like pain, then so does Will."

"And so does Dart." Lucas realised.

"Yeah. Like what Mr. Clarke taught us. The hive mind."

"Hive mind?" Steve questioned. Jennifer had a vague idea, though she knew the young boys standing in front of her would understand it much more than she could. 

"It's like a shared consciousness." The girl summarised, not wanting to stuff any more information than necessary in the boy's head. Steve softly nodded his head, appreciative of the simplified explanation.

"And this is the thing that controls everything. It's the brain."

"Like the mind flayer." Lucas suddenly snapped his hands at Dustin, as if he had come up with an entire solution in one sentence. 

"What?" Steve, Jennifer, and Max asked collectively. 

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 14: Saved. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.7k Words Warnings: Blood, violence, old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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A GROWL ECHOED THROUGH THE JUNKYARD, QUICKLY CATCHING THE GROUPS ATTENTION. Steve and Jennifer jumped up, peeking through the mesh that covered the windows to try and spot the origin of the sound. "See him?" Dustin asked the two.

"No." Steve shook his head.

"Lucas, what's going on?" The young boy called out to his friend.

"Hold on!" Lucas, using his binoculars, looked around the yard before he spotted a silhouette. "I've got eyes! Ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" He stuttered. 

"There." Steve pointed out. Jennifer began to hear a ringing in her ears, the sound blocking out everything the others were saying. Her body began to feel fuzzy, anxiety rushing through her system. All she wanted to do was run away, go back to her bedroom and never come out, though, as she remembered the young kids in and on the bus with her, she realised that she had to look after them. She shook her head, her mouth becoming dry as the ringing went away. "Maybe he's sick of cow." Jennifer heard Steve say.

Despite not hearing the rest of the conversation, the girl was quick to understand what Steve had meant, a cold chill rushing through her body. Steve backed up, thinking for a moment before walking towards the door. "Steve? Steve, what are you doing?" Dustin asked. "Steve."

"Steve, where the hell are you going?" The girl joined in.

The older boy tossed his lighter to Dustin. "Just get ready." The door creaked open, Steve stepping out cautiously with his bat in hand. He swung the weapon around, slowly stepping further and further away from the bus. Steve whistled, trying to call the creature towards him. "Come on, buddy." He said, continuing to whistle. The others looked on anxiously, Jennifer's knuckles turning white as she clenched the crowbar in her hand. 

"What's he doing?" Max asked, climbing back down the ladder.

"Expanding the menu." The junkyard was eerily quiet, nothing was heard other than Steve calling for the creature, light chittering, and heavy breathing from the four inside the bus. 

"He's insane.

Dustin looked on in awe. "He's awesome." The silhouette of the creature in the fog became clearer to Steve, the boy getting more anxious as he stared at it. He tightened his hold on the bat, ready to swing at it before Lucas called out to him.

"Steve, watch out!" 

"A little busy here!"

"Three o'clock! Three o'clock!" Steve swiftly turned to see another one staring at him from on top of an old car, his body turning frigid. Before anyone could do anything, Jennifer opened the door, rushing out with the crowbar secured tightly between her two hands. 

Without even considering the consequences, the girl rushed up to the creature which Lucas had only just spotted, swinging her arms to hit it off the car. It screeched back at her, ready to attack, Steve ready to rush over, though Jennifer was quick to run back towards it. Her arms stretched over her head as she continuously swung the crowbar at the creature, the weapon pummelling it into the ground. Its screams became softer and softer until the monster lay motionless on the ground, Jennifer breathing heavily as she stood over it. She couldn't believe what she had just done, her body not even registering the warm sensation the splattered blood left on her hands. 

"She's cool," Max muttered, earning an odd look from Dustin and Lucas.

"Jennifer!" Steve called out, catching her attention. She looked around quickly to see another staring at her, moments away from pouncing. Though, before it could, Steve had his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her away, just in time as the monster stood where she had only moments prior. 

Steve rushed up, his arm still around Jennifer's waist whilst he hurried the two of them to the now opened door where the three children stood anxiously waiting.

The two teens sat on the bus floor with their legs out, Steve using a metal plate to push against the door, stopping the creatures from getting in, whilst Jennifer breathed heavily, coming to terms with what she had just done. "Are they rabid or something?" Max called out. 

"They can't get in! They can't!" Lucas tried to reassure Steve who still had his legs pushed flush against the door. The monsters growled outside, the bus roughly shaking distracting the group; though, it didn't last long as one of the creatures pushed its way into the bus. Steve, using his bat, pummelled the monster whilst the others rushed to the back of the bus, Dustin using his walkie-talkie to desperately call for his other friends. 

Jennifer looked through the mesh wire covering the windows of the bus, looking for any other of the creatures when she heard Max screaming bloody murder behind her. She snapped her head to the girl to find her looking up at the hole in the roof. "Out of the way! Out of the way!" Steve said, pushing the young girl away from the opening. "You want some? Come get this!" 

The monstrous screaming coming from the creature suddenly came to a stop as it turned to look off in the distance, letting out a group before rushing away, leaving the group in the bus anxious and scared. 

Steve was first to step out of the bus, looking around cautiously to ensure all the creatures had left before the others followed behind him. "What happened?" Lucas asked no one in particular.

"I don't know," Max muttered.

"Steve scared 'em off?"

"No. No way." The older boy said, looking back at the group. "They're going somewhere." Jennifer moved past Steve, walking over towards the creature she had killed only minutes earlier. Cautiously, she pushed it with her foot, ensuring it was dead before nervously taking a closer look.

She used the crowbar to poke at it, and, regrettably, lifted a part of its lip to reveal the familiar flower-shaped mouth. She stumbled back, her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing becoming heavy. Jennifer felt the hairs on her arms stand up, unsure if it was because of the cold or because of how scared she was. 

A hand hovering over the small of her back made her jump, though, when she spotted Steve, she almost instantly calmed down. "You alright?" The boy asked looking into her eyes. Jennifer simply nodded, her body too shaky to give him a verbal response. 

__________

THE GROUP WALKED BACK DOWN THE TRAIN TRACK, TRACING THEIR STEPS BACK WHERE THEY HAD WALKED SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER. "You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked.

"Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt." Dustin said in complete confidence. 

The younger kids walked further ahead whilst Steve and Jennifer trailed slightly behind, one, so that they could keep an eye on them, and two, so that they could get some space. Jennifer's hands were still shaking, the girl was honestly surprised that she hadn't dropped the crowbar that was still secure in her hand yet. 

She felt Steve looking at her every now and again, his eyes burning holes in the side of her face. Her face was flush, though she just put it to everything that had happened earlier that night, not exactly wanting to consider any other possibilities that would give her more thoughts to rummage through. Jennifer pointed the flashlight in her other hand around anxiously, scared that another one of the creatures would be sneaking up on them. 

Though she had killed one earlier, she had done it without thinking; her body had just pushed her towards it. If she were to encounter one again, she wasn't so sure that her body would repeat itself. "You're alright," Steve said softly, catching the girl's attention. Though her muscles somewhat relaxed at the boy's statement, she still kept aware of her surroundings. "Thanks. For helping me back there." He said. 

Jennifer simply nodded. "It's fine. Thanks for saving me, too." She said, remembering how the boy had saved her life, pulling her out of the way before the other creature pounced on her, most likely killing her. Steve was unsure of what to do. His body urged him to do something, though he didn't know what it was, and he could really consider his actions, his body subconsciously moved for him.

His hand grasped onto Jennifer's, squeezing it softly to, hopefully, give the girl a sense of security; it worked. Jennifer looked up to him, giving him a slight smile as she squeezed his hand back before looking back ahead at the young group in front of them. Steve, however, kept his eyes on the girl next to him, unable to tear away his stare. 

Steve only managed to break away from his stare when he almost walked into Max who had stopped ahead of them. "Dart ate a cat?" Lucas asked. Dustin didn't mean to say it, it had just slipped out. 

"No, what? No." The boy denied.

"What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Steve said, oblivious to the fact that Dustin had wanted to keep it a secret. 

"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked.

"It's Dustin's cat." 

"Steve!" Dustin called out, annoyed with the older boy standing to the side of him.

"I knew it! You kept him!" 

"No! No. No, I... No, I..." He stuttered, trying to form some type of excuse. "He missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Hold on, so you were supposed to get rid of him way before he even grew?" Jennifer said aloud, her eyebrows raised at the new information. 

"Bullshit!" Lucas called out.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin yelled in response to both Jennifer and Lucas. The two continued to argue, Max trying to get the two to move on whilst Jennifer and Steve just rolled their eyes at the arguing youth. Screeching in the distance caught the two teens' attention, Steve and Jennifer taking cautious steps towards the sound. The two shared a look, wondering if the other had also heard it, their eyes locking giving them the answers they were looking for. 

"Hey, guys?" Steve called out to the others. "Guys!" The three kids looked over to Jennifer and Steve in confusion until another screech was heard in the distance. Chills ran through their bodies, unsure of what they had just begun walking towards. 

[eunoiiaff]

| Chapter 13: Secrets. |

Steve Harrington x FemOC 1.3k Words Warnings: Old fic. A/N: Please turn a blind eye to any mistakes </3 REQUESTS OPEN.

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"OW!" DUSTIN EXCLAIMED, RUBBING THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. Jennifer quickly looked back after hearing Dustin, though shook it off just as quickly.

"The hell's wrong with you?" Steve asked.

"What? You said you make a move after feeling the electricity?"

"Yeah, and?"

"But you still haven't made a move." Steve slightly glared at the boy. 

"Yeah, because there's no electricity." He said, making it sound as if it should have been obvious. Dustin scoffed, making Steve look at him confused once again. "There is no electricity." Steve reiterated. 

"You don't need to lie about it," Dustin muttered. Seeing Steve send him another glare, the boy quickly put his hands up in defence. "I'm just saying!" 

The two were silent for a moment as they continued to follow the train tracks. "So when are you gonna kiss her?"

"Dude!"

"I'm just saying that you're not very subtle around her!" Steve furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "It's obvious you like her."

"I don't... I don't like her." He said. Though, saying it out loud felt wrong. He had said it to himself in his head trying to convince himself, but saying it out in the open, his stomach churned. "Now hurry up. Otherwise, I'll leave you to deal with this yourself."

"Alright..." Dustin mumbled. "So you'd leave with Jennifer, huh?" He asked, unable to help himself.

"Dude! What did I just say." Steve complained.

"I'm sorry!" The two continued to argue loudly, Steve becoming annoyed with Dustin whilst the boy continued to defend himself. The sound of both their voices becoming more and more high-pitched began to annoy the girl walking ahead.

"Are we gonna kill this thing or are you two too busy fighting like an old married couple." She snapped, stopping in the middle of the train tracks to stare at the two. Both boys looked at her with wide eyes, frozen where they stood. They looked to one another for a moment before mumbling and continuing to walk.

Steve looked down at Dustin, seeing the slight look of disappointment on his face. "Fabregé." He spoke up.

"What?"

"It's Fabregé Organics. Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair's damp... it's not wet, okay? When it's damp..."

"Damp," Dustin muttered.

"You can do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray."

"Farrah Fawcett spray?"

"Yeah, Farrah Fawcett spray. You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass." Steve threatened. "You're dead, Henderson. Do you understand?"

"Yup." He agreed, nodding his head. 

"Okay," Steve murmured, already rethinking his decision of telling Dustin.

"Farrah Fawcett, really?"

"I mean, she's hot."

"Yeah." Jennifer cut off the two from their conversation once again, stopping where she stood.

"Is this it?" She called out. Dustin and Steve rushed up to her, coming to a stop on either side of the girl. 

Steve sighed. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, this will do." He said looking around, taking off his glasses and walking ahead. "This will do just fine." Jennifer couldn't help but snicker at the boy's attempt to look cool. "Good call, dude." Dustin smiled at that, happy that the older boy was happy with his idea.

They continued to toss the raw meat around the junkyard, the soft wind creating a nice breeze. "I said medium-well!" A voice called out. The three looked up to see Lucas Sinclair waving at them along with a pale girl with bright orange hair. Jennifer felt she had seen the girl somewhere before, though she couldn't figure out where. 

"Who's that?" Steve asked, referring to the girl Lucas was walking with, and in all honesty, Jennifer was curious too. Dustin's silence answered both their questions, the two realising she was the girl Dustin was talking about. Though Jennifer hadn't walked with them the entire way, after she told the two off for bickering, she had slowed down her walking just enough so that she could hear the two. 

Steve and Jennifer wandered around the junkyard, getting the rusted old bus prepared for the five to bunker into. Jennifer struggled, trying to pry a sheet of metal from between two piles of junk before Steve appeared next to her. The boy grabbed onto the sheet with her, the two managing to successfully pry it away from the other junk metal. 

Jennifer let out a sigh of relief, a small smile evident on her face. "Hey, where the hell is Dustin and Lucas?" She asked, breaking Steve out of the stare he had locked onto the girl without noticing. He looked around for a moment before spotting the two crouched behind a car; whilst he walked up to them, Jennifer continued to help the younger, orange-haired girl prepare the bus. "So what's your name then, kid?" Jennifer asked.

The girl looked up to her, startled by the sudden conversation she was sparking. She thought for a moment before responding, slight confusion found in her tone. "Max." Seeing the girl closer up, Jennifer realised where she had seen her before. 

"You're Billy's sister, aren't you?" She asked. Max looked up at her, her heart rate slightly increasing.

"Step-sister," Max muttered. The two were silent for a few moments.

"I'm Jennifer." She asked, giving her a slight smile. After hearing her name, she recognised her from the times she had heard Billy talking about her with his friend. The girl felt confused; she was surprised that she hadn't automatically disliked her because she was technically related to Billy like she assumed she would have. Instead, she decided not to question it, deciding to happily just appreciate the fact that she hadn't judged her based on her relationship with Billy.

More time had passed and the sun began to set, the group making their way into the now armoured bus. When the sky was black, Lucas decided to climb up to the top of the bus, using his binoculars to look around for any of the creatures hiding within the fog that had covered the junkyard. It was eerily silent, the others waiting inside the bus for anything to happen. "So you really fought one of these things before?" Max asked, catching Steve and Jennifers attention. Steve nodded his head whilst Jennifer remained still. "And you're like, totally, one-hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?"

"Shit. Don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear." Dustin snapped, surprising the three sitting inside the bus. "Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home." 

It was silent for a few more moments before Jennifer spoke up. "It definitely wasn't a bear." She said. Max nodded her head before standing up and climbing up the ladder towards Lucas, not exactly wanting to be around Dustin who was obviously pissed for some unknown reason.

"That's good. Just show her you don't care." Steve said, earning a smack on the arm from Jennifer who sat beside him, a crowbar in hand. 

"I don't." He responded. Steve simply winked at the boy. "Why are you winking, Steve? Stop." The bus went back into silence, Dustin continuing to pace whilst Steve and Jennifer fiddled with whatever they could to distract themselves. 

"Who knew you could be tolerable," Jennifer spoke up, breaking the sullen silence; Steve looked over to her, confirming that the girl was talking to him. "I used to have to refrain from ripping my arm off to hit you with it, now, I guess you're not so bad." She said, keeping her eyes on her feet that were anxiously tapping.

Steve scoffed softly. "I guess you're not horrible either." He said, Jennifer lightly chuckling in response.

"I've never been horrible." She said confidently. Steve looked at her subtly, a small smile on his face. He knew that the girl was just trying to distract herself from what was yet to come, he couldn't blame her really. He had seen her last experience with a Demogorgon, he saved her from the thing; he understood why she was so anxious to be there, it honestly surprised him she was even there at all.