#Joe Keery AU | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

joekeeryswife · 11 months

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joe keery has such strong dad energy, especially in recent photos from italy. can you write about joe traveling in italy with you and your baby daughter? i just know he’d be the type to wear his kid around and splash in the water with her, and fall asleep in the sun with her on his chest, and feed her little bites of pasta. with you, he’d make sure that your vacation was relaxing and that you felt treated like a goddess. insecure about wearing a bikini? joe can’t stop blushing when he looks at you in it even if you’ve been married for years. while the baby is napping, he massages your feet and cuddles with you. in turn, you set up reservations at his favorite restaurants and plan manageable but gorgeous walks around the city. idk man just dad!joe on vacation

Italy - j.k

a/n: hello angels. how have you all been? i’m so sorry i’ve been MIA lately but i’m back and better than ever! this request is adorable! let’s get into the imagine. it’s not proof read so please bare with me if this is shit lmfao, im still trying to get back into the swing of writing, i also can never seem to figure out how to end my imagines so if anyone has any tips please LMK!! for the ending the outfits are in the little collage🫧

taglist🫧

@johnricharddeacy @theshireisonfire @ssababe @phantomxoxo @livsters @hellfire1986baby @ladyapplejackdnd @alexxavicry @m-rae23 @sheisjoeschateau @kaverichauhan @missabsey @chxrrysprxut @thefrontofmymind @nightmonkeyparker @carinacassiopeiae @cherrymedicine13 @waratah-moon @minsugafour @k-k0129 @limelight23 @alwaysteveswife @krazykatkay456 @lma1986 (it’s been a while so lmk if you want to be removed 🫧)

“baby come on we wanna get to the pool, what’s taking you so long-” Joe barged into the bathroom without knocking making you jump out of your skin. after having your daughter Florence a year and a half ago you had been insecure about your new body.

you were curvier then before, had a few stretch marks scattered all over your body which had faded but in your eyes they were so visible. you just didn’t feel like yourself and with this being your first holiday since having her, you were nervous.

nervous that you didn’t look as good as you did before, nervous that you were gonna get papped and people online would say awful things about you, nervous people were gonna stare.

but to Joe, the sweetest man ever thought you’d never looked better. you had carried a whole human for 9 months and you looked incredible. “Joe, you scared me” you placed a hand on your chest and turned to look at him.

Joe looked at you, eyes darting across your body, seeing you in a bikini for the first time in over a year made him feel tingly. his face heated up “you look beautiful baby, jesus christ you’re gorgeous” he saw your eyes light up slightly.

Florence was in her playpen which you had brought along to keep her occupied, Joe had made sure she was safe before coming to look for you. even after five years of being together and three years of marriage, just looking at you made Joe feel giddy. he was so lucky to have you in his life.

you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he couldn’t ever get over your beauty. Joe knew what you were doing in the bathroom, he had caught you one too many times and he hated that you felt insecure.

he walked toward you and pulled you into him “my pretty girl” he kissed your head as he hugged you closer. “you’ve never looked so beautiful” you smiled shyly. there was something about Joe, he always knew how to make you feel beautiful. he had a special way with words.

“come on, don’t want to keep you and flo waiting any longer” you said as you pulled yourself away from the hug. he ran back to Florence who squealed when she saw her dad, the two of them were best friends and although it made you jealous their relationship was your favourite thing ever.

seeing the two of them bonding was the most adorable thing in the entire world. even when she was in the womb he would spend hours and hours speaking to your bump with her kicking you in response. “my angel, let’s go. mama is almost ready” you heard him say as he picked Florence up out of the playpen, she squealed in delight as he did.

-♡-

the three of you were lounging around the pool, Italy was boiling hot and luckily the hotel you were staying at had a kids pool and an adult pool. Florence was a baby who loved the water, she never cried when having a bath, if anything she enjoyed it.

splashing around with her toys was her favourite thing to do. she loved your pool that you had back home, every time it was hot Joe would take her into the pool. your friends kids were a bit older than Florence and she loved watching them play in the pool too.

as soon as you and Joe got situated on your sun loungers he grabbed Florence and walked straight to the kid section which was thankfully right in front of you. you watched Florence splash the pool water with her toys, the biggest smile on her face.

Joe was sat opposite her with the exact same expression on his face. it was honestly scary how much Florence looked like him. they had practically all the same features except she had your eyes, she was a carbon copy of him.

aside from the fact that Florence and Joe where best friends and looked exactly like each other the worst of it all was when Florence said her first word which was of course ‘dada’. you had prayed that she said ‘mama’ first but nope. it wasn’t like it actually hurt your feelings, your daughter had days where you were the favourite parent and it made you tear up when she finally did say ‘mama’ for the first time.

Joe and Florence had only been sat in the kid pool for thirty minutes before his back started hurting but the look on his daughters face made it all worth it. other than you, Florence was the best thing to ever happen to him. before her, he didn’t really care about being a dad. it wasn’t something he had ever thought about. but that sunny Friday afternoon, the day you told him, showed him the positive test, he never thought he could love someone as much as he loved her.

“dada” Florence said as she looked up at him and lifted up a purple octopus for him to take. “oh thank you angel” he took the toy from her small hand. Joe watched Florence with the softest smile, she was the most adorable thing ever and he couldn’t get over the fact that you guys had made something so beautiful. Florence paused playing with her toys and yawned. Joe knew exactly what that meant, she only yawned when she needed a nap, it sounded odd because everyone yawns but the little eye rub after her yawn made it obvious. she was tired.

after waking up early (6:37am to be exact but who was checking? definitely not Joe) eating breakfast and all this playing in the pool, the girl had worn herself out. “come on sweetheart, you look like you’re about to fall asleep” Joe said as he stood up, picking up her few toys and shoving them in her pockets and then bending down to pick her up. she had her small arms lifted in the air, her eyes squinting as she looked up at Joe.

he picked her up and made his way back over to you. you where laying on the sun lounger now reading a book with your airpods in. you noticed Joe walking back with Florence hugging him tightly. you took one airpod out and smiled at the two of them. “you okay?” you asked, sitting up. Joe picked up the towel that was on his sun lounger and wrapped it around both him and Florence. “yeah, she just got tired. i mean, it’s around the time she usually has a nap isn’t it?” you looked at the time in your phone and nodded. “yeah, she’s actually stayed awake a lot longer then i thought she would”

Joe sat laid down on the sun lounger, making sure Florence was comfortable before he started running his hand up and down her back and through her hair. it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, her breathing slowed and she was completely relaxed against him so you went back to your book, letting the two of them have their moment.

it was about 10 minutes after Joe and Florence had sat down and the soft snores was the only thing you could hear from the two of them, it didn’t take long for Joe to fall asleep. he was just as tired as Florence was. you turned your attention to the two of them and felt your heart melt. your two favourite people in your company were the moments you treasured the most.

-♡-

“come on Joe i know it takes ten hours to do your hair but we are gonna be late” you said jokingly as you picked up Florence who was dressed in a white dress with the cutest sandals you’d ever seen, it was the last night in Italy before you went home tomorrow night and you wanted to do something special for Joe. he had planned this whole trip for you, knowing you needed a break from your town and the paparazzi (it’s not like you hit a break from that because they followed you everywhere!).

he needed to be appreciated just as much as he appreciated you and sometimes you struggled to do that with Florence. you weren’t saying that you didn’t love being a mum because you did, however sometimes you and Joe hardly spoke to each other because you were so focused on her.

“i’m coming honey, sorry” he came out of the bathroom with his hair perfectly styled, per usual, and he was wearing a comfortable but smart outfit. black jeans, blue t-shirt, let’s just say he looked perfect. he sat on the bed and put on his trainers and started doing the laces up, he stood up and kissed you on the cheek “you look beautiful baby” you smiled and thanked him with a a passionate kiss.

“and look at my angel” he took Florence out of your arms gently “you look perfect my sweet girl” he kissed her cheek a few times which made her squeal and hide her face in his neck. “right, let’s go, we can’t be late for whatever your mama’s planned can we?” you had seen a a popular restaurant all over social media which about fifteen minute walk from the hotel you were staying at which you also remembered was Joe’s favourite. he had been to Italy a few times and had always gone there with his friends and you had told him a few months ago when planning this trip that you couldn’t get a reservation which he was actually a little upset about. you and him hadn’t ever been there together and he wanted to take you there because he knew you’d love it. it was a surprise for him that you actually did get one. it wasn’t the best surprise out there but you knew it would mean something to him.

as the two of you walked hand in hand, Joe had Florence on his shoulders laughing as her dad played around with her. after about twenty minutes (due to Joe messing about) you guys approached the small town where the restaurant was and Joe’s eyes lit up, he could see the restaurant sign and turned his head to look at you.

“are we going in there?” he squeezed your hand slightly as his body filled with excitement. “yeah, i got us a reservation and wanted to surprise you. it’s not a huge thing but i knew you would like it” his heart melted, that’s one thing he loved most about you. always remembering the little things he had said and trying your best to get those things sorted. he had said about going here ages ago and honestly he had forgotten about it but you, you didn’t and you made sure you got one.

“aww honey, that’s so sweet of you” he let go of your hand and pulled you into his side and wrapped his arm around your waist. he kissed your cheek softly as the two of you continued walking towards the busy looking restaurant.

once sat inside the restaurant you sat opposite Joe with Florence in a high chair at the end next to both of you. she was babbling away in her own little language. Joe replied to everything she said as if he knew what she was saying but it made her happy, she had a smile on her face showing her four small teeth. “last night in Italy. is it bad that i want to live here forever?” Joe said as he turned his attention back to you.

you shook your head “no, it’s beautiful here” you smiled, if you could move to Italy you would, the houses were beautiful, the people were lovely, the views were gorgeous, so what was stopping you?. “maybe we could move here. i mean, not now obviously but sometime in the future we could” Joe said as he ran a hand through his hair.

“also just changing the subject, i really appreciate you doing this for us” he started but you rolled your eyes jokingly “Joe, all i did was make a reservation it’s not that big of a deal” you laughed but he took ahold of your hand and looked at you “it is to me. you went out if your way to get us in here and that’s just a small piece of what you do for us. you take care of flo when i’m away working which fucking kills me but you keep it together, make sure she’s okay and even make sure i’m okay and i’m not even there before you make sure you’re alright yourself. when we are at home together the only time we see each other is when we are in bed and at that point one of us is usually asleep. i know you miss up our date nights and even just being together in general” he was stroking your hand gently as he spoke.

“this vacation has been the best thing for us because we’ve actually spent time together which we rarely do. we have completely different schedules so i know it’s hard but after this movie is over i’m taking a break and i’m going to focus on you and flo. you’re my main priority and i need to spend time with you.” he kissed your hand and smiled.

“we do need to spend more time together and i do miss our dates, they were my favourite” his smile softened and his grip on your hand tightened ever so slightly. “i know, so that’s what we are doing. i’ll get someone to look after Florence and we will do something together” with happy your heart melting you leaned over the table enough to kiss him. you could feel him smile into the kiss which you always loved him doing, you didn’t know why, you just did.

“i love you” you said as you pulled away to sit back down “i love you more” you felt your cheeks heat up. you heard a small whine from the little lady who was sat next to you which made you both turn to look at her. she had the smallest frown on her face which made both you a Joe laugh “and we couldn’t forget our favourite girl” he said pulling her out of her high chair and placing her on his lap, smothering her with small kisses which made her giggle, making your heart melt at the sight. your favourite people in the world.

#fanfiction #imagines #joe #joe keery one shot #joe keery fanfiction #joe keery au #joe keery stranger things #joe keery fanfic #joe keery imagines #joe keery blurb #joe keery #joe keery x reader #joe keery imagine #steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader

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allfandomxreader · 2 years

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Back to You | 4

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Summary: Eight months ago, you swore you would never step foot in Hawkins again. When Robin begs for you to come home for spring break, you find yourself agreeing despite better judgment. You’ve missed everyone, you could endure one more week in Hawkins if that means you can see your friends again.

Words: 12.9k

Part: 4/9

Warnings: Language, alluded depression and anxiety, Billy, pls let me know if I missed any

A/N: ALMOST 30 PAGES LATER AND SHE’S FINALLY DONE. Thank you for bearing with me as I write this, I know I take forever to post. Feedback is always appreciated and adored <3

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

By the end of summer 1985, everything had fallen into place. The grass was greener, the birds sang louder, and even the sun seemed to shine brighter. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself as you drove through the winding backroads toward the Harrington residence. You were happy. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt so at ease, giddy even. You thought that feeling had been lost forever.

You felt guilty, of course. The constant reminder of the Mind Flayer’s destruction was everywhere. It was in the morning news, articles in the paper, and the fresh mounds in the graveyard. Your wounds from Starcourt had only just started to heal and the hole in your chest from the loss of Hopper and Heather hadn’t disappeared, not that it ever would. It felt wrong to be so happy as you watched your small town begin to rebuild. You started avoiding the main roads entirely, still unable to face the aftermath fully. The memories of Starcourt were still fresh in your mind.

You wanted to make the most of your last summer before adulthood. You worked at the community pool for extra cash and would visit Steve on break or after your shift ended. You bonded with Robin over scoops of ice cream and teasing Steve, making your own subcategories on her whiteboard. And once Dustin returned from camp you had to make sure he got home and was fed on the nights Claudia worked late. You had been there to help decipher the Russian code with your group of misfit friends, laughing and joking, blissfully unaware of what would transpire in the following days. You didn’t think it’d lead to getting trapped in an elevator and tortured beneath the floorboards of Steve’s summer job. You thought that your future and dreams would die along with you in the underground fortress. Selfishly, you didn’t want to die a hero, you didn’t want to die at all.

Unwillingly, you made peace with death between four concrete walls, back pressed against the love of your life. You didn’t think you’d get the chance to see him one last time or give a proper goodbye. The universe always seemed to put you and Steve together when the world was falling apart, and for that, you’d forever be grateful.

Life had a different plan for you that night. You escaped in a drug-induced daze and told Robin the truth about everything, starting with Will’s disappearance, on cold bathroom tile. You and Steve both knew that the night’s events were tied to the Upside Down, you just weren’t sure how. You should’ve known sooner, the mall was built entirely too fast and there was no way Hawkins, a town of barely ten thousand people, could afford a three-story shopping center. It was the perfect headquarters after the lab had been shut down and it would have gone undetected if your group of five hadn’t screwed up their agenda. Even so, you weren’t prepared to see the Mind Flayer in the flesh, mere yards ahead of you. The screams, the horror in Robin’s eyes, and Steve, beaten and bloody, still haunted your dreams. That night, you swore off fireworks for the rest of your life.

You turned the radio up louder to drown out your thoughts. You had come so far and had gotten so close to where you wanted to be. You only had two weeks left in your hometown, then you’d be miles away settling into your new apartment while starting fall classes. The taste of freedom was hot on your tongue. You couldn’t risk dwelling in the past any longer. You survived. You had something to live for again, a childhood dream you could finally make into reality. You were going to move so far away that the monsters and Russians couldn’t find you. There, you’d be able to create a life full of love and meaning. You planned to reinvent yourself, to become a person you were proud to be. You were so ready to finally be at peace, to leave the years of torment and pain behind you and trade it for normalcy.

Steve’s car was the only one parked in his family’s driveway. His parents extended their vacation in Hawaii for another two weeks. They promised to be there to send the two of you off with a housewarming gift, but you weren’t holding your breath. It pained your heart for Steve’s sake, they had a knack for putting anything they could before their son. When he relayed the news, he said it’d be better for them to not be there at all. You knew he’d be disappointed if they weren’t, even if he’d never admit that out loud. He reminded you repeatedly that it didn’t faze him, that he’d become accustomed to their absence since he was twelve. You never pushed the topic, but you saw how sadness consumed him whenever he spoke of his parents.

You practically skipped to the front steps once your car was in park. You let yourself in with the spare key and threw your purse to the ground, not bothering to hang it on your designated hook. “Steve?” You called, but there was no answer. You heard the faintest sound of music from upstairs and your footsteps followed. “Steve?” You said and knocked on his bedroom door before you let yourself in. “Hey, I was calling for you.” You said softly as you entered. He sat hunched over his desk, head in his hands.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t even hear.” He shook his head as if he was in a daze. He didn’t stand from his seat to greet you the way he normally did, he didn’t smile, he didn’t even look at you. You took steps toward him and wrapped your arms around his bare shoulders. You could smell his shampoo and aftershave as you buried your head into the crook of his neck. He leaned into your touch and pressed his lips to your arm. Your skin was still warm and kissed by the sun despite quitting your job three weeks back.

“I have good news,” you whispered. You pulled away momentarily and let a crisp envelope fall into his view. “I got a letter from our apartment complex. We finally got our placement. We’re on the fourth floor, hopefully we have a decent view.” You chuckled. You felt his muscles tense at your words. You stand fully and take back the envelope, shoving it into the back pocket of your denim shorts. “I could write them back and see if there’s another one available or we could try to switch when we get there if it doesn’t get there before move-in day.” You scrambled to find a solution to an unknown problem. You knew how stressful moving could be on top of having no support from his family. You would do anything to make him happy, to make sure he knew that you were in his corner.

He reached toward the radio and powered it off with a sigh. “It’s not that, I’m sure it’s great.” He finally stood and raked a hand through his hair.

“Then what is it?” You asked, eyes following his movement as he paced the room. Only then did you notice the cleanliness of it all. His basketball trophies were still displayed proudly on his shelf, his clothes hung neatly in his closet, and his were knickknacks in their rightful spot on his dresser. Everything was untouched. “Why haven’t you started packing yet?” He ignored your question, frozen in the middle of his room, eyes trained ahead on his plaid wallpaper. A knot formed in your stomach at his silence. “Steve?”

“I’m not going.” He said finally. It felt as though time ceased to exist altogether. Your body wilted at his words. You grabbed ahold of his chair just to keep yourself from collapsing.

“What?” You sputtered. All the air in your body seemed to escape at once, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. It was like the walls were closing in and getting closer by the moment until you were suffocating.

“I said I’m not—”

“I heard you the first time.” You screwed your eyes shut and threw a hand into the air to halt his sentence. “What do you mean you’re not going?” You asked and finally willed yourself to look him in the eye.

“I just—I can’t go,” he shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t get that,” you snapped, “you can’t just stand there and give me some vague, bullshit answer. We’ve been talking about this for months and now two weeks before we’re supposed to leave, you’re suddenly not going? Your name’s on the goddamn lease, Steve!” Your heart and thoughts raced; anger quickly pulsed through your veins.

“After everything that’s happened, I can’t just leave my friends—our friends. Or my parents, which I know you don’t understand because they’re a piece of shit but—”

“No, stop talking.” You shook your head unable to let him continue. “You asked to come, Steve. I knew it was unfair to expect you to drop and leave everything behind for me. I said that from the very beginning, so don’t make this my fault.” Your lip started to tremble, and tears burned at the brim of your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. “I gave so many outs, so many opportunities to change your mind or walk away and each time you said no. That you loved me, that you wanted to follow me anywhere.”

“That’s what I thought I wanted.” He sighed. He looked defeated, like he didn’t have the energy to even put up a fight.

“So, what, this entire time you just thought you wanted to be with me?”

“No, that’s not what I meant at all.” He shook his head. “Everything just started getting real and you were so excited I didn’t want to ruin anything for you.”

“Yeah, well,” you scoffed rolling your eyes, “mission accomplished.”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and—listen. I mean we signed a lease a few days after graduation, and then the whole world went to shit so maybe we just need to take a second and figure some shit out before we move thousands of miles away.” He rambled. You could only laugh.

“What is there to figure out, Steve? I’ve talked about leaving since I was ten years old, ten!” You barked. “This has always been my plan, you knew for years that I wasn’t staying after high school, stop acting like you were blindsided and didn’t have a choice!” Your chest heaved as you screamed. “Was I supposed to just give up my scholarship too because the Upside Down came back? Because we had to be heroes again? Our lives can’t just be put on hold because of this fucking town.”

“I don’t know,” he said softly. The two of you stood in silence taking each other in. You crossed your arms over your chest as if they could hold you together. You could feel pieces of your heart breaking as you looked at him.

“How long have you known?” You asked but you didn’t know if you wanted the answer.

“What?”

“You said you’ve been thinking about it for a while,” you said softly, “how long have you known you weren’t coming?”

“Jesus, I don’t know,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “a few weeks maybe.”

“I few weeks,” you repeated, shaking your head. You looked out the window trying to look anywhere but at him. “Is that why I paid your portion of the deposit? Because you didn’t know if you’d be going?” You look back at him again, pleading for him to give a different answer than what you already knew. He opened his mouth to speak but no words could come. “You fucking asshole.” You seethed.

“Maybe it’s not too late to get a roommate or find another place.” He offered as an attempt to clean up the mess he created.

“Yeah, I’ll post flyers all over the city. Roommate wanted but we have to share a bed!” You press your palms to your forehead. You were spiraling into panic. You couldn’t share a one-bedroom apartment with a stranger, not anyone besides Steve. The likelihood of breaking your lease was non-existent. You only had enough money saved for two months' rent, with Steve out of the picture, that was down to one. You couldn’t afford to pay for twelve months upfront.

“Y/N, I—” He took a step forward and reached out a hand.

“Don’t.” You warned, stopping him in his tracks. “How could you do this to me?” Your tears fell then, you didn’t try to stop them, you had no energy left. When he said nothing, you stepped past him and out of his room. He didn’t try to stop you.

You drove through the town in a rage. You screamed and cried as you navigated the turns and stop signs by muscle memory and blurry vision. You spotted a familiar car as you neared the school’s parking lot. Without thinking, you pulled beside it, threw open the entrance doors, and marched through halls you never thought you’d be in again.

“Can we talk?” You choked out. Ms. Kelley looked up from her desk in surprise, the papers she was holding fluttered out of her hands as she took you in. She rushed to greet you and gently guided you to take a seat without uttering a word.

You had been dodging her since junior year. Your teachers had notified her of your poor grades and attitude change before Christmas break. You couldn’t be honest about your life outside of the school grounds, that you and three other students had to protect a group of middle schoolers from a Demogorgon, or how you knew a girl with superpowers. So, you lied and promised to be better the following semester. You often wondered if Nancy, Johnathon, and Steve were ever pulled into her office, but you never had the chance to figure that out.

Even then, you couldn’t be honest, not about everything. But you could talk to her about Steve, and you did. You told her about his sudden abandonment and how you were stuck with an apartment you couldn’t afford on your own. She listened for well over an hour and spoke only when necessary. Then, she wrote a letter of recommendation and printed them out by the dozens. She told you where to look for jobs and how to find them in newspaper ads. She even scribbled down a list of publishing companies that could review your stories to print.

Only after your tears had dried and you could speak without gasping for air did she let you leave her office. She stood from her chair and walked with you toward the school’s exit. She hugged you by the door and wished you good luck before she sent you on your way. She watched you walk back to your car and only disappeared when you started the engine.

As you drove home the world lost all its color. The grass was no longer greener, the birds stopped singing, and the sun dimmed before your eyes. Everything that was in place was laid scattered around you. You didn’t think you’d be able to pick up the pieces. Steve Harrington, your best friend, ruined everything in a matter of moments, in less than five words.

The memories of eight months ago come rushing back as you sit in Ms. Kelley’s office. It looks the same as it did the day you left it. Her desk is still tidy, the plants are healthy and watered, and the books on her shelf remain untouched. A heavy silence fills the air, one none of you know how to break.

Dustin leans against Ms. Kelley’s desk unable to look anywhere but the floor. Steve looks out the window tapping his foot as he scours for any sign of Nancy and Robin. You and Max sit beside each other, she hasn’t let go of your hand. She’s barely said a word since you pulled her from the floor.

You watch the clock tick slowly, something you did every time you were forced into the room. If you tried hard enough, you’re sure you could hear Ms. Kelley’s voice nagging at you to look at her, to talk. Back then, this was your escape. The seconds would turn into minutes, minutes into an hour, and your time with her was up. You used the time to come up with a lie believable enough for her to not question.

Now, you use it to focus on your breathing. You think back to eight months ago, sitting in the same chair, pouring your heart out to someone forced to listen about Steve Harrington. It causes bile to rise in your throat. You can’t even look at him, convinced that if you do, you’ll vomit all over the rug.

Suddenly, the doors of the school are thrown open. You can hear the heels of Nancy’s shoes clicking against the tile and the squeaks of Robin’s sneakers as they run toward you. “Finally,” Steve mumbles. Max stands and you follow her lead before everyone crowds by the door.

“We came as fast as we could,” Nancy says gasping for air as she reaches you. “What happened?” All eyes turn to Max.

“I saw a grandfather clock,” she whispers, eyes trained on her shoes. “It was coming out of the wall down there.” She explains vaguely gesturing outside of the room. The five of you share a glance, not quite understanding her confession.

“Do you think you can show us?” You ask softly. She nods and pushes her way through the doorway. Everyone walks in silence behind Max, your footsteps echoing throughout the halls. Each of you directs flashlights toward the wall and down the corridor. A chill runs down your spine as you approach the spot. You aren’t sure what you’ll see, you don’t know if what Max saw was real or imaginary, or what will be waiting there for you when you get there.

Five beams of light are pointed at the end of the hallway, there’s nothing there, a dead end. All of you look at Max, not daring to say a word as she takes in the scene. “It was here, right here.” She says, unable to look away from the cement wall.

“A grandfather clock?” Nancy is the first to break the silence. Max nods at her question, an answer she couldn’t form with words.

“It was so real. And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just…” She trails off, “I woke up.” You gulp, remembering the way she jerked back to reality only minutes ago as if she was waking from a nightmare. The way her eyes were full of terror, how she clung to you as if she were to let go, she too would disappear.

“It was like she was in a trance or something.” Dustin describes, filling in the holes for Nancy and Robin. “Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy.” Everyone’s silent for a beat, taking in the new information. Of course, you heard what Eddie had said yesterday, that’s the kind of information someone would remember forever. You hadn’t connected it to what Max experienced. You aren’t sure if that’s because there have been too many things fighting for your attention or if you just didn’t want to believe that Max is somehow connected to Vecna.

Max spins to the group, squinting through the light. She takes a shaky breath before speaking. “That’s not even the bad part.” When her eyes meet yours, your heart shatters, you don’t know how much worse any of this could get. Max nods her head back toward Ms. Kelley’s office and beckons the group to follow.

“What do you think it is?” Steve whispers to you once Max is out of earshot.

“At this point, it could be anything.” You shrug. You aren’t allowing your thoughts to run wild, to think the worst. It could be something with a simple solution, something solvable. “Let’s just not worry until we have to.” when you look at him, you already see the panic spreading through his eyes. You try your hardest to look calm for Steve’s sake. Even though he doesn’t deserve it after everything he’s done, for some unknown reason you’re still trying to protect him, to be the one to hold the both of you together. You especially couldn’t afford to fall apart, not in front of him or the two kids that look up to you.

“Okay, not until we have to.” He nods in agreement. He holds the door open for you as you return to the office. You don’t bother thanking him as you step through and follow Dustin to stand in front of Max. She waits patiently as everyone enters, silently scanning the two files that lay before her.

“Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Ms. Kelley for help.” She slides the papers toward the five of you. You glance at the words still unable to find a connection, so you wait for Max to continue. “Uh, they were both having headaches, bad headaches that just wouldn't go away. And then,” she takes a breath, “then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They’d wake up in a cold sweat. And then they started seeing things.” Your stomach dropped then. You know the time to worry is quickly approaching. “Bad things, from their past. And these visions they just—they kept on getting worse and worse until eventually—” She sucks in a breath, quickly blinking away tears. “Everything ended.”

“Vecna’s curse,” Robin says, finally looking away from the pages and to Max.

“Chrissy’s headaches started a week ago. Fred, six days ago. I’ve been having them for five days.” Steve’s hand wipes his chin, covering his lips in thought at her revelation. You have to tear your eyes away from her to keep yourself together. “I don’t know how long I have. All I know is that for Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock, so.” She lets her tears fall freely now. “Looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.” She finishes.

Nobody has the chance to get a word in before the school doors are wrenched open. Your body jolts as goosebumps spread across your arms. Everyone’s heads whip toward the sound frozen in their spots. Steve glances behind him, eyes lingering on yours as he begins to move.

“Stay here.” He walks back toward the door and yanks a lamp from its socket. He moves his hands around the metal getting familiar with the object in case it needs to be used as a weapon. He passes through the door on quiet feet, careful not to give away your hiding place to the intruder.

“Come on,” you say, nodding after Steve. Four pairs of shoes shuffle behind you and back into the hallway. You half expected Steve to turn around and roll his eyes, annoyed that none of you listened to his command, but he never does. His shoulders are tense as he moves down the hall. He clutches the lamp so tight you can see the whites of his knuckles. Your eyes flutter closed for a split second, a silent plea for there not to be a fight coming your way. You squeeze your flashlight tighter just in case. Steve winds the lamp as if it were a baseball bat as you hear footsteps come closer.

The corridor turns into chaos as everyone begins to yell once Lucas rounds the corner. Steve shakes the lamp ready to swing as he screams at Lucas. Lucas screams, startled by the sight of you, and holds his arms out in defense.

“It’s me!” He yells, gasping for air.

“Lucas?” Nancy pipes, stepping closer to the two boys.

“It’s me.” He says again. His hands fall to his knees as he doubles over trying to catch his breath.

“Jesus, what is wrong with you, Sinclair?” Steve’s panic is evident by the way he screams at the young boy.

“I’m sorry,” Lucas says.

“I could’ve taken you out with this lamp!” Steve yells. He shakes the lamp again sending the sound of clanking metal throughout the hall.

“Sorry guys,” Lucas sighs clutching his stomach. “I was,” he breathes, “I was biking for eight miles.” He holds a finger in the air to your group. “Give me one second, shit.” The six of you share a glance at Lucas’ urgency. “We’ve got a code red.” He says to no one in particular.

“What?” Steve snaps. Lucas ignores Steve and hobbles past him, directing his attention to Dustin. “Dustin, I’ve been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they’ve gone totally off the rails. They’re trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is.” Dustin’s face scrunches in confusion the faster Lucas speaks. “You’re in terrible danger.”

“Alright,” Dustin sighs, “yeah, that definitely sucks, but we’ve got bigger problems than Jason right now.” Dustin turns to look at Max and Lucas’ eyes are quick to follow. She can’t bring herself to look at him, at anyone.

“Look, as much as you need to get caught up, we should probably get going.” Nancy begins. “You all can just stay at my house, and we’ll come up with a plan. Sound good?” Nancy looks at each of you as everyone nods in agreement, nobody puts up a fight against her suggestion.

Your group, which now consists of seven, trails back to Nancy and Steve’s parked cars. You take a step toward Nancy’s before Max pulls on your arm. “Please don’t leave me.” She begs, just loud enough for you to hear. You nod at her request and pull open Steve’s door for her to slide in.

“Yeah no, not a chance, Henderson.” Steve barks as Dustin reaches for the passenger-side handle. “Back seat.” Steve orders as Dustin rolls his eyes.

“You’re serious right now?” Dustin asks, refusing to move.

“Deadly,” Steve says with his jaw set firm. With an eye roll, Dustin obliges and gets into the back muttering swearwords to himself.

“Do you mind?” Lucas asks shyly glancing between you and Steve and then at Max.

“You okay with that?” You ask Max, waiting for her approval.

“Yeah, whatever.” She grumbles before Lucas makes his way in. Before you even shut the door you can hear Dustin’s voice filling in Lucas on everything he’s missed. You almost ram into Steve when you turn, not realizing he hasn’t gotten into his own car yet. Your heart quickens at his proximity. You can smell his shampoo and aftershave, the scent that was once comforting now makes you nauseous. He smells the same as he did the last time you spoke.

“Is it time to worry yet?” He questions. His eyes scan your features, worry already taking hold of him.

“Yeah, I’d say so.” Is all you can say.

Nancy’s house is just as warm and inviting as you remember it to be. You walk in behind her making sure to wipe your feet as you enter. Faint sounds from the living room tv can be heard where you stand, waiting for the others to pile inside. The aromas from their leftover dinner waft toward you as you move further away from the doorway to make room. Everything about this feels like home, the warmth, the late-night show, the smells. You once had this, a place that felt like a home rather than a building. You don’t remember when that changed, it happened so suddenly. Standing here, amid hushed voices and bright light, you’re envious of Nancy, a feeling that’s been foreign to you since her and Steve’s breakup.

“Nancy?” Mrs. Wheeler calls from the kitchen before she appears. She looks startled when her eyes land on the seven of you, which you can’t blame her for. “Oh, hi, welcome!” She cheers, the look of surprise vanishing just as fast as it came.

“Hi, Mrs. Wheeler.” You all say quietly.

“They’re all staying here tonight,” Nancy says, earning her mother’s full attention. “Feels safer to all be together with everything that’s going on.” She explains. Karen’s lips stretch into a grin.

“I think that’s a lovely idea. Are any of you hungry? I’m sure we have enough leftovers for everyone.” She looks over everyone’s faces as you shake your heads, her eyes lingering on you and Steve for a moment too long.

“We’ve had a long day. I think we’re just ready to crash.” Nancy says, taking her mother’s attention off you. Karen nods before walking toward a coat closet, pulling out blankets to hand to everyone.

“There’s extra downstairs in case you get too cold.” She says as she passes one to you.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wheeler.” You say, with a shyness creeping into your voice. You feel exposed when she looks at you. You’ve never slept over at Nancy’s house, the interactions within her home were strictly for The Party. You can only imagine what Karen’s thinking as she looks between Nancy, Steve, and you. Anyone would say it’s a strange trio to see.

Downstairs, you step away from the group that’s seated on the couch and chairs and to the phone. You punch in your mother’s number and twirl the cord between your fingertips waiting for her to answer.

“Hello?” Her voice sounds groggy through the line.

“Hi, mom, sorry it’s late.” You say, preparing to hear her complaints about the time.

“It’s okay, where are you?” You can hear her yawn despite her trying to hide it.

“The Wheelers, everyone’s staying here tonight.”

“Who’s everyone?” She asks trying to pry. You look at Steve. You know the real question she’s asking.

“Everyone I always hang out with, I don’t know.”

“Is Steve there?” She practically sings.

“Like I said, everyone’s here.” Steve catches your eye from where he sits and offers a small smile. You look away, ignoring him completely. “Anyway, I was just calling to tell you where I was. We just feel safer being together after the murders.”

“Better chance of survival,” she agrees making you chuckle. “Well, be safe. And don’t forget about your mom, I miss you. I want to see you at least one day while I have you back.” She sighs. “And say hi to Steve for me!”

“Yeah, I won’t be doing that. But I will promise to be safe, and I’ll see you soon.” After the two of you bid your farewells, you hang the phone back onto its rightful place on the wall. You walk back to the seating area. There isn’t much room with Dustin and Robin seated in the two chairs and Steve, Lucas, and Max together on the couch. Steve scoots toward the center, giving you just enough room to squeeze in. You ignore the gesture, finding a spot on the floor next to Robin’s feet instead.

“We’ve come up with nothing.” Nancy sighs. “For now, at least. I really think our best option is to go to Pennhurst tomorrow and talk to Victor.”

“And do what in the meantime? We can’t just sit here. Max is in real danger and we’re already running out of time.” Lucas’ voice grows louder with every word he speaks.

“Then we do our research,” Nancy concludes, “Robin and I brought back every article we could find about Victor and his family. There has to be something in there that’s a lead.” She gestures toward the papers laid out on the coffee table. Lucas rubs his hands over his face in frustration. “We’re going to figure this out, I promise.” Nancy looks at Max with sincerity in her eyes. “But for now, we need rest. Try to get some sleep, all of you.” She demands as she spins on her heel and disappears up the stairs.

The rest of you disperse to find your respective blanket pallets and pillows on the floor. Max stretches out on the couch, eyes finding the ceiling. She’s biting her lip and messing with her fingers anxiously as you approach. “Brought you an extra blanket.” You offer, holding it out for her to take.

“Thanks,” she whispers, taking the fabric from your grasp. “Will you sleep next to me tonight?” Her voice is so quiet you almost didn’t catch the phrase.

“Of course, whatever you need.” You say with a soft smile. You retrieve your belongings and settle between the couch and coffee table, pulling the blanket to your chin. You bury your head deep into the pillow, wishing for sleep to come.

After a few minutes, you can hear snores escaping from Dustin and Lucas. Robin’s come shortly after. You sigh, unable to join them in their slumber. You don’t feel the slightest bit tired, your mind drowning in thoughts about the curse and Max, Eddie who probably needs food by now, and Steve, whom you can’t get away from. Finally, you think of yourself.

You didn’t tell anyone that you talked to Ms. Kelly all those months ago. Now, part of you wished you told Max, maybe it would've helped. To know that at one point you needed help and sought after the school counselor. Even so, you’re relieved she didn’t see your file, you don’t want to explain the reasoning behind your visit, to admit that Steve Harrington was more detrimental than the Upside Down.

Your therapist back home knew all about Steve and the alternate dimension. Owens flew out a psychiatrist as soon as he heard about your departure, he even covered the bills. He knew you wouldn’t be able to afford it on your own. He knew that trauma would follow you anywhere, that it wouldn’t be contained within the city limits of Hawkins. Dr. Abrams kept you sane while you were away. She taught you how to cope and talk yourself through panic attacks, the meds she prescribed helped with that too. You wish you listened to her last week when she advised you not to come home. You know he set up doctors here too, everyone was assigned to one. You wonder if Steve ever went and if he spoke about you the way you did him.

You sat up only when Max’s breathing started to slow. Darkness smothers you as you look around the room. It’s almost peaceful looking at your group of friends, all of them lost in dreams. You wish everyone was together under different circumstances.

“Can’t sleep either?” Steve asks from across the room. Even though he’s whispering, it still sounds too loud. You shake your head when you look at him. A small smile tugs at his lips as he jerks his head. “Come on.” Both of you quietly stand, stepping over bodies as you make your way to the stairwell.

Neither of you speaks after you sit, you’re not sure how to even start a conversation with him anymore. It feels comfortable though, there’s no awkwardness or tension. You don’t yank your legs away when your knees touch. It feels almost like it used to. You’d be lying if you said you don’t miss this.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” He asks softly, bumping his shoulder against yours.

“This whole thing is just so scary,” you say, “I mean headaches, past trauma, nightmares? We all have that. Any one of us could be next. And how do we know if that’s just what we’re used to or this Vecna guy?” Steve listens intently as you ramble. “If something happens to any of those kids or Nancy and Robin, or—” you stop yourself before his name tumbles into the air. “We’ve just lost so many people. I can’t bear to lose any more.”

“I know, but we’ll figure it out. We always do.” He tries his best to smile but it’s not convincing. “Are you still having nightmares?” he asks softly like he doesn’t want to know the answer.

“They come and go. None recently, I guess that’s comforting.” you shrug. You don’t tell him that he dies in every single one. “And you? Do you still get them?”

“Sometimes, they’re not nearly as bad as they used to be.” You remember those nights. Occasionally, you’d get a call in the early hours of the morning from him, begging you to come over so he wouldn’t be alone. On the evenings you stayed, he’d wake up screaming, thrashing the air. He would sweat, tremble, yell, and cry. And you would hold him until the monsters of his nightmares were at bay.

“That’s good,” you whisper, looking away.

“Is there something else bothering you? I mean besides like, everything happening and…” He trails off, “and me?”

“It’s not just all of that.” You sigh, shaking your head. “The only connection that Fred and Chrissy have to one another is Ms. Kelley.” Steve nods his head urging you to continue. “My file’s in there too.” His face crumbles when you look at him, he flinches as if he’s about to reach out for you, to wrap you in his arms like he would’ve done eight months ago. He doesn’t move any further, his hands are pressed firmly on his thighs. You’re not sure if you’re disappointed or not. “So, I could be next, or I don’t know,” your words trail off, unable to let yourself continue, you don’t know what else is left to say. “Anyways, can we talk about something else, please?” You both look away from one another, allowing an awkward silence to settle.

“I’ve read all your writings.” He admits with a bashful smile.

“You read my stories?” You couldn’t hide your surprise. Part of you is embarrassed. You had never expected Steve to read anything you got published, he doesn’t even read. You poured your heart out into each page. You wrote things you never wanted him to see. You told your emotions, telling the raw and honest version of what happened.

“Yeah, of course, I have them all cut out in a little scrapbook thingy.” You can’t help but laugh. “I thought you wrote my character a little pretentious though.” He shrugs with a goofy grin.

“I did not write about you Steve, get over yourself.”

“Uh, yes you did,” he scoffs, “Sam Hemmington?”

“Okay, so maybe I might have embellished a little bit.” You giggle.

“Seriously though, I liked how you wrote the characters. I could tell who everyone was even if their names were changed. You captured everyone’s personality so spot on.”

“Thanks,” you smile.

“And your stories about us? You wrote them like we were magic.” His eyes twinkle when he looks at you like he’s still in awe.

“We were, to me at least.” You shrug. “All fairytales must have an end though.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sighs.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve called and asked if it was okay before it got published. It was your life too.”

“It’s okay, I would’ve said yes.” He says with a smile. “It would’ve been nice to hear from you though.” You stay silent, unable to think of a response. “I’ve really missed you. I know that’s probably the last thing you wanna hear from me, but it feels good to have you back.” His words cause heat to spread throughout your body in anger. As if it were your fault for not keeping in touch.

“I’m not staying so don’t get used to it.” You snap.

“I know, I know.” He raises his hands in defense. “I’m really proud of you, I’m glad it’s all worked out.” There’s a beat of awkward silence, one you don’t know how to fill. You’re afraid that if you do, it’ll start another fight. “How’s the apartment? Does it have a nice view?” you scoff at his question. “What?”

“You are unbelievable,” you say rolling your eyes.

“Y/N, I know I hurt you—”

“You didn’t just hurt me, Steve. You ruined me. And then you never called or sent me letters after everything happened. Don’t tell me that you missed me and you’re happy I’m here because it’s bullshit.” Steve gulps, you almost feel guilty for using the word but you’re too angry to care. “And you definitely don’t get to ask about the view of my home that you trapped me in.” You stand from the step, ready to abandon him without another word. “You fucked me over and never said sorry. You know, I had to work three jobs just to be able to survive. My mom took a different job so she could send me money, so I’d be able to eat. I almost lost my scholarship and could’ve been put on academic probation because I never had time to study because I worked so much. So don’t sit there and say that you’re proud of me and you’re happy it all worked out because it’s your fault it almost didn’t.”

Hot tears pool in your eyes as you turn away and vanish into the darkness before Steve can see. You retrace your steps back to your corner of solitude and quietly lay down, careful not to wake Max. You’re exhausted, from more than just the long day. You’re tired of saving the world, of being sad, of the limbo that is you and Steve Harrington. You feel like an acrobat, teetering between remembrance and forgiveness while everyone else watches you suffer along the tightrope from below. You wonder if he feels the same, if he hurts just as much as you do.

The following morning you sit in the chair across from Lucas and Dustin, flipping through magazines and newspaper clippings. You stifle a yawn as you toss an article back onto the coffee table, only to replace it with another. Nancy and Robin left a few hours ago, mumbling something about going to the school’s newspaper room. It sounded like the beginning of a plan, which is better than what the four of you have come up with so far.

Steve groans from across the room. “Okay, be honest, uh,” he squints as if that’d help him understand the page. “You guys understand any of this?”

“No,” Lucas sighs, mimicking Steve’s expression.

“Pretty straightforward.” Dustin quips, gaining your attention.

“Oh, straightforward, really?” Steve’s voice drips with sarcasm and he blankly stares at the young boy.

“Well, what’s confusing to you?” Dustin asks, leaning forward. “So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He’s the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it’s him.”

“Yeah, that’s assuming he was cursed, Henderson, which we don’t even know,” Steve says looking back down at the papers in his hands. “How can Vecna have existed in the ‘50s? It doesn’t make sense.”

“As far as we know, Eleven didn’t create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it. The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years –millions. I wouldn’t be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs.”

“I don’t know about that,” you mumble.

“Dinosaurs? What are we—” Steve shakes his head, brows furrowed.

“Okay, okay, but if a gate didn’t exist in the ‘50s, how did Vecna get through?” Lucas asks no one in particular.

“Oh, and how’s he getting through now.” Steve points at Dustin who rolls his eyes.

“And why now?” Lucas continues.

“And why then? Just pops out in the ‘50s, kills one family, and then he’s like, ‘eh, I’m good.’ And poof, he just disappears. Just gone? Only to return 30 years later and start killing some random teens? No, I don’t buy it.” Steve rambles. “Straightforward my ass. You know, honestly, Henderson, a little humility every now and then, it wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Sorry.” Dustin sighs. Steve plops into the chair beside you, the annoyance hasn’t left his features. Dustin’s eyes go distant, trained somewhere behind you and you follow his gaze. Max still sits hunched over the desk. She’s been scribbling since you awoke this morning. You decided it was best not to bother her.

“Any idea what she’s writing?” Dustin asks. Steve turns his head at the question. “Did she sleep?”

“I mean, would you?” Lucas asks.

The door opens from the top of the stairs. You stand, listening to Nancy’s boots click all the way to the bottom step until she comes into view. “Okay so,” she pants, waiting for Robin to stand beside her. “We have a plan.” They both smirk as they join the rest of you in the seating area. Nancy hands Steve two brown files and he passes one to you.

“Thanks to Nancy’s newspaper minions we are now rockstar psychology students at the University of Notre Dame,” Robin explains as you flip through the paperwork.

“I’m now Ruth,” Nancy says.

“And I’m Rose.” Robin finishes.

“Ruth?” Steve raises his eyebrows toward Nancy, she only smiles in response.

“Rose?” You look at Robin who shrugs as you pass the file on. Nancy must’ve been in charge of the name picking, you know that wouldn’t be Robin’s first choice.

“Nice GPA,” Dustin nods in approval when he looks up of from the faux documents.

“Thanks,” Nancy grins. “So, we called the Pennhurst Asylum, told them we’d like to speak with Victor Creel for a thesis we’re co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics—”

“To which they said no.” Robin interrupts.

“But we landed a three o’clock with the director.” Nancy continues.

“Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor,” Robin explains.

“And then maybe we can rid Max of this curse.” Nancy finds Max in the back corner of the basement, her back still turned, hands still scribbling. Sadness ghosts her face as she takes in the scene.

“Yeah, uh, about that.” Steve begins. “We’ve been doing our Victor Creel homework, and uh, we got some questions.”

“Lots of questions.” Lucas agrees.

“So do we. Hopefully, Victor has the answers.” Nancy says.

“Wait, wait, wait a second,” Steve looks at you then. The two of you haven’t spoken since last night. He looks away quickly, directing his attention back to Robin and Nancy. “Uh, where’s ours?” Nancy cringes slightly at Steve’s question, you already know he won’t like the answer.

“You guys are staying with the kids.” She says coming to a stand and moving toward the stairs.

“No, absolutely not.” Steve raises his voice, quick to follow her lead. You glance at Robin momentarily before the two of you trail behind them.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Steve, there isn’t a file for you. You have to stay here.” Nancy says in the foyer, starting to climb the second set of steps.

“This is unbelievable,” Steve complains, “Nancy, you’re outta your mind if you think I’m babysitting again.” He says following her into her room.

“Okay, first of all, they’re not babies anymore. And Max is in real danger, she needs people around her.” Nancy snaps.

“I know. But why does it always have to be me?” Steve says. You roll your eyes as you follow Robin into the room. Typical Steve, only thinking about himself, the world is only ever against him. “I mean us.” He tries to correct but it’s already too late.

“Oh my god, you have a Tom Cruise poster,” Robin exclaims, racing toward the wall. “You have a Tom Cruise poster.” She taunts, smirking at Nancy.

“That’s old –it’s just,” Nancy defends shuffling through clothes hangers. “Can you please not touch anything?” Robin only smirks.

“I just can’t do anything here, Nance.” Your skin crawls hearing her nickname on his tongue. “Maybe I can be helpful with this asylum director dude. I don’t know. I could turn on my—my charm.” He snaps his fingers together.

“Please,” you scoff, rolling your eyes. You kick Robin’s shoe, warning her not to keep rummaging through Nancy’s things.

“Not the kind of charm we need,” Nancy responds, trying her hardest to soften the blow.

“Ouch.” Steve says, pointing at the two of you.

“No, I just,” Nancy begins, struggling to find her words. “Look, I did a little digging last night, and it turns out this Dr. Hatch is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Harvard visiting scholar, okay? This is a lifelong student of the world. And if we’re gonna win him over, we’re gonna have to convince him that we are too. That like him, we are true academic scholars.” She finishes, reaching back for hangers.

“Holy shit there’s a little ballerina in here.” Robin giggles showing the jewelry box to the room.

“Academic scholar,” Steve purses his lips as he looks at his best friend, face riddled with judgment. “She’s giving you an academic scholar vibe? Yeah.” Robin rolls her eyes at his words, flipping the box shut.

“No, but,” Nancy begins, pulling a pink blouse from her wardrobe. “She will.”

“Jesus Christ,” you chuckle, taking in the frills and pearl buttons. “Yeah, I’m good staying here.”

“Oh, please, tell me you’re joking.” Robin groans, dread creeping into her features as she looks at the attire. Nancy forces a smile as she holds out the hanger which Robin reluctantly takes.

You and Steve turn to excuse yourself from the room and return to the basement. The tension between the two of you is thick as you descend the steps. “Look, about last night,” Steve begins, pausing on the staircase.

“We don’t need to talk about it.” You cut him off, attempting to smile but he sees right through forced niceties. You aren’t ready to have another heart-to-heart with him, not after how your last conversation ended, not in Nancy Wheeler’s house, not with other pressing matters.

“Y/N?” You hear your name from behind. Both you and Steve turn to Nancy. “Could I steal you for a sec?” She asks cautiously. You nod, pushing yourself against the rail for Steve to pass, ignoring his gaze as he disappears to the basement.

“What happened last night?” She whispers, taking steps towards you.

“Nothing,” you shake your head. “What’s up?”

“Right,” she smiles, regaining her composure. “I just wanted to say that I wanted you to come with me today. But as soon as I even said the idea, Robin was adamant that she went with.”

“Sounds like her,” you smile.

“And the more I thought about it the more it made sense for you to stay with Max because she clearly feels safest around you and—”

“Hey, it’s okay. I really don’t mind. I’m happy to babysit.” You laugh, mocking Steve from moments ago.

“One more thing,” she whispers, suddenly serious, grabbing ahold of your wrist and pulling you close. “If anything goes south, I keep guns in my closet. They’re in the white shoe box. A Makarov and a revolver.”

“Okay, yeah, got it.” You give a curt nod as she lets you go. “A Makarov?” You raise your brows. You knew about the revolver. A few months after Will returned, Mike told you she still slept with it under her pillow.

“Stole it from the Russians,” she shrugs with a smirk.

“Of course, you did.” You laugh.

“Nancy, I can’t breathe in this thing!” Robin screams from Nancy’s room. Nancy’s eyelids flutter closed as she sucks in a breath.

“Good luck with that.” You offer a salute before making it back to the basement.

An hour has passed, and you still haven’t found a solid lead. Your mind had become scrambled thirty minutes ago with the same repetitive information. The entirety of Hawkins has been convinced for decades that Victor’s guilty. The town was in an uproar that he was sent to a mental hospital rather than the state prison, claiming he fabricated his story as an easy way out.

You flick through the photos from the day they brought him to Pennhurst. Mobs of people swarmed the police car, holding signs protesting his sentencing. “Victor Creel: The real demon” and the names of his family were painted on the crowd’s posters. You could see his fear, frozen in time as he was swarmed by strangers and taken inside in handcuffs.

“I can’t look at these anymore.” You whisper, throwing the pictures back to the table and wiping your eyes to rid the memory.

“You okay?” Dustin whispers beside you, placing his own article down.

“Yeah, fine.” You nod but you don’t think he’s convinced. Guilt festers in your stomach when your eyes reach Max. It doesn’t feel right for anyone to be checking on you, you aren’t sure if anyone’s even checked on her yet. Nobody knows what to say or how to act around her. Everyone’s been walking on eggshells.

“I know you guys are staring at me.” She says finally. It’s the first time she’s spoken since yesterday.

“What, sorry?” Steve says, throwing the ball you gave him earlier when you grew tired of his pacing. “Just hanging out.”

“You said you needed something?” Lucas’ voice changes pitch, something that always happened when he needed to lie. He reaches for a magazine and holds it centered between the two of you.

“How you guys think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don’t know.” She huffs. You hear shuffling as she collects the pages she’s been working on before making her way to the group.

“Look,” you nudge Lucas. You point to an ad, pretending to be fixated. Lucas nods as if it’s interesting. The four of you refuse to look up when she comes to a stop. You can practically feel her eyes roll. She sees right through your acting.

“You can look at me now.”

“Thank you,” Dustin says.

“Sorry.” You all mumble in unison.

“For you,” she sighs, holding out an envelope for Dustin to take, shaking it harder when he doesn’t reach for it. “For you,” Steve takes his with a sad smile, “and uh, for you two.” She can’t bring herself to look at either you or Lucas. “Oh, and um, give this to Mike, El, and Will. If you can ever get ahold of them.” She says handing three more letters to Lucas. You trace your fingertips over her penmanship as Steve and Dustin begin to open theirs. “What are you doing? No, don’t. That’s not for now. Don’t open it now.”

“Oh, okay.” Dustin shrugs. “I’m sorry, what is this?”

“It’s um,” she says, finding her shoes more interesting that the four pairs of eyes on her. “It’s a fail-safe. For after. You know, if things –if they don’t work out.” The envelope nearly slips from your hands at her words. Over the past eight months, you’ve received countless letters from Max. Most of them were all filled with nonsense and old stories you remembered while writing, but they were your favorite. They’d come like clockwork every Tuesday. You don’t want this to be the last one, you won’t let it be.

“Wait, whoa, Max,” Lucas begins. Everyone shifts uncomfortably on the couch. “Things are gonna work out—”

“No! No, I don’t need you to reassure me right now and tell me that it’s all gonna work out because people have been telling me that my entire life and it’s almost never true.” She pauses. “It’s never true. I mean, of course this asshole curses me. I should’ve seen that one coming.” She takes a breath, leaving the four of you to look at each other as she reaches for Dustin’s walkie. “If we go to East Hawkins, will this still reach Pennhurst?”

“Of course,” Dustin nods.

“Wait, why are we talking about East Hawkins?” Steve asks. Max looks at you as if asking permission to leave. You nod, already moving to stand as the boys look at Steve to answer. “No. No. No!” The two of you ignore Steve, already making your way to his car. “Y/N, Ma—wait!” He calls after the two of you, racing up the stairs. “Max, Max. Seriously, I’m not joking, okay? We’re not driving you anywhere.” He says following the two of you out of the garage.

“Speak for yourself, Steve. I’ll take her.” You bite back.

“Steve, if you think that I’m going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement, then you’re out of your mind. So, either take me where I need to go, or you’re going to have to tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a minor. And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute.” She snaps trying to yank the car door open. “Open the door.” She demands.

“Uh, no,” he rolls his eyes.

“I know a good lawyer.”

“Just give me the keys and stay here.” You hold out your hand towards him.

“I’ve about had it with you, Y/N!” He yells, directing his attention toward you. “All you have done is argue and go against everything I’ve said. I know you hate me and want to do anything you can to defy me, but all I have ever done is try to keep these kids safe, you can’t deny that. So let me do what I do best and keep them safe.” He seethes.

“Oh, for fucks sake Steve,” you roll your eyes. “Cut the bullshit, all you have done the last two days is try to get away from them. Don’t act like their hero now.” You gesture to the three young kids. Dustin’s face falls as he looks between you and Steve. “I know this may come as a shock, but not everything is about you or us. This is about Max, who is no safer here than in East Hawkins. I want to believe like everyone else that we’ll figure this out, I really, really do, but we might not be that lucky this time.” Your voice catches in your throat as you look at her. “We have nothing right now, we have no leads, no idea how to break this curse so this might be it. This could be her very last day so God forbid I will bend over backwards to make sure she gets what she wants.” The three of them stand in silence, sadness in their eyes when they look at you. Everyone was thinking it, you just had to be the one to say it out loud. “If you want to stay, then stay. Just let us go.” You beg softly, offering a reassuring smile to Max.

“Okay,” Steve sighs, “Okay, come on get in the car.”

“Thank you,” you mouth, reluctantly walking to the passenger side.

“Henderson, that super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst,” Steve says, slamming the door shut and starting the engine.

The entire drive is silent as he navigates the turns to her home. Dustin sits between Max and Lucas picking at his thumbs, a frown tugging on his lips. You regret what you said about Steve and the kids, especially in front of Dustin. You know how much Dustin idolizes him, you never wanted to taint the image of Steve for his sake. You wish Steve recognized that more, you wish he didn’t take that for granted.

Lucas turns his letter over in his hands, sighing as he glances her way. You know how much he has to say, what he wants to say, but can’t bring himself to. Max stares at the trees as they pass with distant eyes, you wish you could do more to help.

“Alright this better be fast, Mayfield.” Steve says putting the car in park.

“Twenty seconds,” she assures, before jogging inside. Steve turns to Dustin, nodding toward the walkie in his hands.

“That thing’s got batteries in it, right?” he asks.

“I’m not even answering that question.” Dustin says, shaking his head. The two stare at each other for a moment before Steve rolls his eyes and faces forward. “Yes, it has batteries.”

“Yeah, I got it.” Steve raises his hand slightly to silence the teen. You groan at their bickering, pushing your door open and slamming it shut. You lean against the metal taking in your surroundings. The trailer park is quiet, too quiet for your liking even though you haven’t spent much time here. Max always preferred your house to her own. You left shortly after she moved, you only picked her up here a handful of times here, but there had always been noise. Children played on the small playground, neighbors would have barbeques, and people would walk their dogs. Now, it’s deserted. The news of the murders has made everyone shut themselves behind locked doors.

You look at Eddie’s trailer. You know it’s only a matter of time before his name is released to the public, you’re relieved the neighbors haven’t made assumptions. His van has been missing and the tire tracks that rip through the earth don’t paint the prettiest of pictures for him. Eddie’s the kid parents warn their children about, he’s the troublemaker, the druggie who doesn’t have a future. Even so, nobody believes he’s capable of murder, not yet at least.

You shudder thinking how different this place will look if the news breaks. You can picture it now, swarms of people, smashed windows, broken caution tape blowing in the wind, and “MURDERER” spraypainted across the side of his home in red. You’re determined to clear his name before it gets to that point.

“She’s been in there awhile,” Dustin murmurs, pulling you away from your thoughts.

“She’s fine, just give her a second,” Lucas warns, squinting his eyes to see through the curtains. He drums his fingers against Steve’s car, anxiously waiting for her return.

Max rounds the side of her trailer, yanking her backpack strap tighter on her shoulder. She crosses the yard with hast, panting by the time she reaches the rest of you.

“Hey, that was longer than twenty seconds.” Steve gripes. “Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. You alright?” Steve asks as she opens the car door.

“I’m fine, just drive.” She snaps.

“Max?” You ask, but she’s too busy throwing herself inside.

“Did something happen?” Dustin tries.

“Can we please just go?” She begs. Your door isn’t even fully shut before Steve peels out of her driveway and back onto the main road.

Max points out directions taking you further and further away from the heart of Hawkins. You and Steve glance at the kids every few seconds. There still hasn’t been any news from Robin and Nancy. Over the years, the squawking and the static from the kids’ radios slowly drove you insane. Now, you’d give anything to hear it cut through the silence. You bounce your leg, unable to contain your nerves any longer.

Steve’s head turns slightly, your movement gaining his attention before his eyes go back to the road. He lifts his hand from the steering wheel, moving towards you out of habit. He’d always reach for you the moment you got antsy. His touch calmed you, it gave you a sense of safety when the world was falling apart. You watch him carefully, holding your breath as his hand moves closer. He halts, abruptly shifting his hand away from you and to the rearview, fiddling with it until he seems satisfied. You look away, pretending not to notice.

“Turn here.” Max instructs.

“Here?” Dustin asks, to which she only nods. Steve doesn’t ask questions as he turns into the cemetery.

Billy Hargrove’s funeral was one week after Starcourt. You were planning on skipping it entirely. You hated Billy from the moment he stepped into town. You didn’t understand the obsession everyone had with him. Every guy wanted to be him, and every girl wanted to sleep with him. He was the town’s shiny new toy. He made your skin crawl any time he looked your way.

You never had a real conversation with Billy, which you were thankful for. His taunting Steve on the basketball court extended to you by association, he only ever referred to you as “Steve’s Girl” in the hallways despite everyone reminding him that you and Steve were only friends. You weren’t sure if he even knew your name. You think he only did it to get under Steve’s skin more.

The night at the Byers made Billy keep his distance. Even last summer, when you were forced to work shifts together at the pool, he couldn’t look you in the eye. When you’d pass each other by the lifeguard tower or at the concession stand, he’d keep his head down. After what he said to Lucas and after what he did to Steve, Billy knew better than to speak to you.

The day of his memorial was a blur, much like everything else was during those two weeks. You remember bringing flowers for Susan and Max to show your condolences the morning of the service. Max had called you to come, her mother was too deep in mourning to get herself ready, let alone her daughter.

It was the only time you’ve ever stepped foot into the Hargrove-Mayfield residence. The house was heavy as Max led you down the hall and to her bedroom. You braided her hair and pinned a broach your mother lent you to the top of her dress. It was the worst you had ever seen her. Max’s eyes were void of any emotion and she talked robotically only when spoken to. She shrunk into a shell and all you could do was watch and hold her hand as Billy was lowered beneath the ground.

Lucas scrambles to let himself out of the car to run after her. You can vaguely hear their voices over the rumbling of Steve’s engine. Lucas pleads with Max as she tries to push him away. You look out the window and to the trees, it felt like an intimate moment none of you should witness.

“What are we even doing here?” Dustin asks from the back, looking at the graveyard.

“She’s saying goodbye.” You say quietly.

“Why? She didn’t even like him.” Dustin scrunches his nose in disgust.

“He was her brother,” Steve shrugs.

“Stepbrother,” you correct.

“Right, I’m just saying he did sacrifice himself to save her, maybe she feels like she owes him.”

“That’s the funny thing about grief. No matter how much you hate someone, it doesn’t mean that a little part of you doesn’t love them.” You say with a sigh. You ignore Steve when he looks at you.

Dustin joins Lucas outside once he makes it back to the vehicle. Steve reaches for the keys and shoves them into his pocket but never opens his door to leave. “How do we know when to call it?” You ask.

“I don’t know,” he admits, looking at his watch. “Get her in ten minutes and go back to Nancy’s?”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.” You nod, rubbing your hands on your jeans. “Talk about something,” you blurt, “To pass the time.” You want to avoid silence, you can’t take any more quiet.

“If it was your last day on Earth, what would you do?”

“Seriously?” you glance from him to Max who sits on her knees in the distance.

“Sorry, I panicked.” He cringes at his own words. You think about your apartment across state lines, your school, the library you always study in, and the bar where you meet your friends.

“It’s funny,” you chuckle, gaining his attention. “I’ve spent my entire life wanting to leave this place, and I’m so, so happy I did.” You look at Dustin, he wears a goofy grin as he talks to Lucas, no doubt trying to distract his best friend. Even though he’s becoming a man, he’s still the same little boy you’ve looked after your entire life. You look at Lucas, whose eyes are stern as he stares ahead at the girl he still loves. His face holds the same intensity you’ve seen time and time again while he’s protecting his friends. You look at Max, remembering the days when her smile lit up the room she was in. You think of Robin and the way she can talk until your ears bleed, but her voice still sounds like music. You think of Nance and the new friendship blooming between you.

You think of Will, the boy you went to hell and back for, and you’d do it again without a second thought. You think of El and how when she laughs for too long all she can do is snort. And Mike, who hugged you every time you entered a room until he was thirteen years old. You think about your mom, the woman who at the very least, was there when it mattered. You think about Hawkins, you think about your home.

“If it were truly my last day, I’d want to spend it here.” You admit finally. “I’d hug my mom. I’d hang out with everyone one last time,” you gesture vaguely to the kids outside Steve’s window. “All my favorite people.”

“Everyone?” he repeats, “Does that mean I’d be invited?”

Steve Harrington. The little boy who walked you home from the bus stop on your first day of kindergarten. The boy who held your hand all the way to the nurse’s office when you fell off the monkey bars in the first grade. The kid you spent your summers catching fireflies and making mudpies with. Your best friend who stole your Goldfish and told you the tooth fairy wasn’t real. The one who ditched you at a Halloween party and you still loved him anyway. Steve, who for some reason the universe always seemed to pair you with with the world was falling apart, maybe that’s why he made you believe soulmates were real and that he was made for you. The boy who you kissed so often you remember the taste of his lips eight months later. You think of the man in front of you, the one you didn’t think you could live life without.

“Yeah, Steve. You’d be invited. I wouldn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. Not again.” You whisper. You tear your eyes away from him and back to Max. “How long’s it been?” you ask, clearing your throat.

“Uh,” he shakes his head as if he were coming back to reality. “Seven minutes.” You nod. Dustin taps on the glass ushering Steve to roll his window down.

“You two okay in there?” He asks, a mischievous grin stretching across his face.

“Yeah, how are you two holding up out there?” You lean over the console to get a better look at Lucas.

“She’s just sitting there,” Lucas mumbles.

“Give her a few more minutes, she’ll come back when she’s ready.” You try to sound reassuring. You share a look with Steve when another minute passes.

“So, are you guys like, friends again?” Dustin looks between the two of you.

“No,” you shake your head quickly. Dustin tries to hide his disappointment, but he’s never had a good poker face.

“Well, you guys are giving me whiplash.” He grumbles.

“I know, I’m sorry. I know this isn’t fair to you, we’re not trying to put you guys in the middle.” You say.

“God, it’s like my parents are getting divorced all over again.” He teases.

“Shut up, Henderson,” you roll your eyes, watching Steve’s fingers tap the side of his car.

“Alright, it’s been long enough.” Steve grumbles looking at his watch.

“How long now?” You ask, already unbuckling your seatbelt.

“Twelve minutes.”

“Yeah, call it.” You and Steve both throw open your doors and hop out of the car.

“Guys, just give her some time.” Lucas pleads.

“We have, alright Sinclair?” Steve snaps, marching through the grass. “We’re calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can.” You walk ahead of Steve quickly, avoiding tombstones with ease. “Max!” Steve calls for her from behind you.

“Time to head out kiddo,” you say coming to a pause beside her.

“Time to giddy up, yeah?” You look back at Steve, brows furrowed at his choice of words. He only shrugs in response.

“Oh my God, Steve.” You say in a panic, dropping to your knees.

“Max?” She sits frozen, eyes rolled to the back of her head. “Max,” Steve shakes her shoulder. She twitches her head but doesn’t wake up. “Max!”

“Oh my God, Max!” You scream. Dustin and Lucas come running, kneeling down beside Max.

“Holy shit,” Dustin’s eyes are wide as he takes her in.

“Max, you gotta get outta there! Can you hear me?” Lucas yells.

“Call Nancy and Robin!” Steve screams, grabbing ahold of Dustin’s jacket. “Go get ‘em! Call Nancy and Robin! Go!” Steve points toward the car, begging Dustin to move. Dustin scoots back kicking mud up with his shoes. He falls to the ground with a thud before racing back down the hill.

“Please, Max!” Lucas screams.

“Nancy? Robin? Do you copy? This is a code red. Do you copy?” you can hear Dustin’s screams from over your own.

“Max, honey, please you gotta wake up. Please, wake up.” You shake her shoulders harder. Your heart races, you can hear it drumming in your ears. This is it, you think. After all the years of torture, the years of suffering, and loss, this is finally it. The monsters, Vecna, the Upside Down, they’ve won. You thought it’d be like last summer and the winter before that, you all would win like you always did. You should’ve learned a long time ago that there’s no such thing as winning, not in this life at least.

“Guys!” Dustin screams, sliding back to his spot and spilling cassette tapes onto the ground.

“What is this?” Lucas yells.

“What’s her favorite song?” Dustin asks.

“Why?” Lucas demands.

“Robin said if she listens –it’s too much to explain right now. What’s her favorite song?”

“I-I-I don’t know!” Lucas screams.

“Kate! Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill’!” You shout, sifting through the tapes through blurry vision. She played that song on repeat any time she was in your car. For her birthday, you burned her a mixtape with nothing else on it. She said it was the best gift she’d ever received.

“Which one?” Steve groans, throwing around the music.

“It’s right here! Got it!” Lucas fumbles with the plastic in his hand, pulling open the case and handing the cassette to Dustin.

“Give it to me.” Dustin shoves it into the player and places the headphones over her ears. “Now!” Lucas presses play and waits for something to happen. She remains still, twitching slightly when the music begins to play.

Slowly, she lifts from the ground. Her legs are limp as she floats upwards. All of you fall back, jaws dropping as your eyes follow her into the air. “Max!” You scream until your throat grows hoarse. The three of you stand in a circle beneath your friend.

You sob as you look at her dangling. Max Mayfield, the bravest girl you know. The girl who doesn’t need anyone and demands her independence be respected. The girl who has more skateboarding scars than skin on her body, the girl you took under your wing, who writes you letters every week and apologizes if she misses even one. The girl who likes peanut butter ice cream with chocolate syrup. The girl who you love like a sister, the girl you should’ve protected. The girl you never got to tell that you look up to her.

All at once, she begins to fall. “Steve, catch her!” you scream, but she’s coming down too fast.

“Max!” You all shout, rushing to her aid when she hits the ground. She screams, kicking up grass and mud as she moves across the hill. Lucas wraps his arms around her shoulders pulling her close. She balls his jacket into her fist as she holds onto him, gasping for hair.

“It’s okay,” he coos. “I thought we lost you.” He sobs. Steve puts his hands on Lucas’ shoulders, offering support in any way he could.

“I’m still, I’m still here.” She gasps. You aren’t sure if she’s comforting herself or everyone else. You wipe away your tears before she can see them, grabbing onto her ankle gently just to be sure she’s still here, that it isn’t a dream. “I’m still here,” she repeats, nodding to you when you meet her eyes.

The five of you huddle close as the sun goes down, crying, panting, and clinging to one another as if your life depends on it. You hold Dustin close to you, you can feel where his tears land on your shoulder through your sweater. When you look up, Steve’s already watching you.

“Are you okay?” he mouths. With tears in your eyes, you nod, reaching across the circle to hold his hand. He squeezes yours the moment they touch.

You don’t know why the universe always puts you and Steve together when the world is falling apart. You aren’t sure if that’s a sign from something above or if the two of you just have shit luck. Whatever the reason may be, you’ll be forever grateful. There’s no one else you’d rather be paired with.

Forever tags: @superfrankie111 // @rueinn // @lemonadeorange73 // @simplechicwithacrazedheart // @youshutthefuckupville // @captainpeggy40 // @alexdamereysmith // @llatpdnmm // @dummiesshort // @quaksonhehe

Steve Tags: @empathetic-vibrations // @loulouloueh // @soulmatecashton

Back to You Tags: @p-rspective // @gloryekaterina // @boomitsallie1 // @sundarksposts // @themyththelegendthenerd // @gengen64 // @frostandflamesfanfic // @m-rae23

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