#adopted hopper reader

[marrowfrog00]

You Stir My Natural Emotions

A/N: Hi, this is a post I made a while back on my Ao3 and since I'm dragging ass on writing anything new...I thought I'd rest on my barely-there, crusty, dusty ass laurels until inspiration strikes or I put my back into actualizing my idea-rs.

CW: MDNI, Smut (characters are 18+), Mentions of Trauma, Broken Bones, Misunderstandings, Idiots in Love, Quarreling, Canon Typical Violence, Flashbacks, Descriptions of female anatomy, Oral (f receiving), P in V, Protected Sex, Adaptive Sex, Mentions of deceased grandmother, Not formatted b/c fuck that r.n., lmk if I missed anything

wc: 13.9k

Steve’s polo was pasted to his back with the sweat of high Midwestern summer. He glanced back at his Bimmer, parked behind Nancy’s station wagon, more than a little uneasy at the prospect of leaving it on the narrow shoulder of the county road. 

His destination, an unauthorized swimming hole with a somewhat rickety, decommissioned dock, didn’t have a proper parking space. Not like the well kept county-owned lakeside park on the other side of the water. That spot had designated parking but would no doubt be littered with desperate, unadventurous families trying to beat the heat. 

People unlike his friends, who frequented the busted but perfectly functional East shore of the lake. 

He bushwhacked through noxious weeds and nettles, feet seeking out the half-worn path that would take him to the meeting spot. He reached the little bluff, where he had to cut little switchbacks to make it down the hill without breaking his ankle. When he reached the last tree stand he heard the rowdy voices of his friends carry across the shallows of the lake. 

And just in time, too - the polyester and mesh of his swim trunks were chafing him under his Jordache jeans. 

He could see the backs of Robin’s and Eddie’s heads in low seat beach chairs. They were clandestinely passing a flask between them while Nancy and Jon sat on a blanket beside them, Nancy rubbing sunblock on her boyfriend’s shoulders, pausing to push her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. 

She noticed Steve’s approach, head shooting up with a bright smile. “Hey! You made it!”

Eddie, Robin and Jon’s heads shot up in reaction, each of them shooting him a half-enthused greeting.

“What took you so long, dingus?” Robin crowed, clearly half-tipsy.

Steve scoffed, pulling his polo over his head and tossing it by the cooler. 

“Well, someone called out today and I had to stay on an extra hour and a half at the store waiting for coverage,” he sniped back with no heat. Robin blew a raspberry at him.

“Strip down, Big Boy, you’re wasting daylight,” Eddie shot lazily. He stretched out on his beach chair, limbs quaking at full extension like those of a freshly-awakened cat. His chest was on full display, the white cast of badly-applied sunblock streaked across his tummy.

Steve rolled his eyes - there was nothing if not daylight to waste, the sun smiling at them all meanly from high in the sky.

 He shuffled his jeans down his legs before kicking them in Eddie’s face, who expertly dodged the attack with a guffaw.

Over on the dock, Max and El lay shoulder-to-shoulder on their stomachs, giggling over a glossy magazine while Mike and Lucas hollered off the edge, filling their super soakers from the dock’s edge. Will was buried in a sketch pad, toes dipped in the water.

Steve’s hands were planted on his hips as he did a quick headcount. A force of habit these days. He narrowed his eyes in search of the missing two. 

“Where are Dustin and Teenie?” he asked, noting suspicion in his own voice. The very two people he always had eyes on (if he could help it) were missing from this idyllic tableau. Nancy craned her neck to look toward the lake. 

“They’re in the water,” she said as if it were obvious. “They’ve been in there forever.” 

Steve felt his stomach clench uneasily but tried to school his expression into something nonplussed as he started toward the dock. 

“Why is she in the water?” he muttered to no one in particular, noting the worried pitch in his own voice. 

He saw the four heads of his nearly-adult friends turn toward him in unison as he walked past them. 

Robin chimed in then, through a hiccup “Psh, she’s fine Steven. We reinforced her.”

 Steve ignored her.

Max and El glanced up at him, muttering uninterested twin-greetings to him as he stepped gingerly between them. Will let him scooch past.

“Hey!” came your voice. “Do not shoot water in each other's mouths, this water is stagnant,” you barked. “That’s guaranteed dysentery.” 

“Sorry,” Lucas and Mike responded in unison.

Finally, yours and Dustin’s forms bobbing in the water came into view. Dustin was sputtering and rubbing his face with the hand not holding his own super soaker, clearly having been on the receiving end of Lucas and Mike’s attack. 

You were a few feet away from him, straddling a neon orange pool noodle. 

You were wearing that infernal bikini…the spring green one with ditsy white flowers and an underwire that smooshed your bust into a juicy-looking sculpture shaped by the hands of an unfair, horny god.

 Your hair was damp around your face. Even behind your red cat eye sunglasses, you appeared unimpressed until you caught sight of Steve and beamed at him. 

“Stevie!” you squealed. 

He didn’t waste another moment taking in the sight of you before he shoved off the dock and waded the short distance over to you and Dustin. 

“Hey, Steve!” he heard Dustin greet sweetly. Steve ignored it, leveling his gaze at you. 

“Teenie, what the hell are you doing in the lake?”

Your pretty smile fell at his words. You hesitated a moment before you fixed your face into a sardonic expression. 

“You’re looking at it, Stevie.”

“Your arm, Teenie! Your cast!” 

Steve didn’t notice how every head had turned toward the two of you at his little outburst. At that, you pulled your left arm out of the water, where it had been obscured. It looked like Swamp Thing, dark and soggy, water running off of it in rivulets. Steve saw that it was covered in a black rubbish bag, secured with silver duct tape (plus a derelict shoe lace) at your elbow. 

“It’s sorted, Stevie.” Steve heard conciliation in your voice. “The plaster’s bone dry underneath, ya happy?” 

No, he wasn’t happy.

Frankly, Steve didn’t care who had rigged the dry bag around the cast securing your fractured ulna. If he had, his money would have been on the braintrust that was Eddie and Robin, but who knew with this ragtag group? It wasn't as though the lot of them hadn’t crafted a bevy of improvised weapons and structures and clothing in the past.

Steve’s blood was boiling. He shouldn’t have had to tell you to stay out of the water, you should have just known.

 Yeah, lake day had been your idea, but he’d had a very different design for this day in his head when you’d proposed it.

 He thought the kids would splash around in the shallows while you and him (plus the other four sort-of grown ups) lounged at the water’s edge. 

The two of you would lather each other in sunblock (you with your good arm) and share a beer or two, and he would stare discreetly and shamelessly at your half-naked, prone body behind the safety of his Ray-Bans while some sappy love song played over the boombox and he pretended you were his and he wasn’t tap dancing around his feelings that he'd only sort of started realizing were feelings and-

“Steve,” you uttered sharply, snapping him out of his daydream.

Right. He had been busy giving you the business about reckless swimming. 

“You’re a terrible swimmer on a good day,” he scolded. “You really think you can hold your own with one arm?” he reasoned, gesturing at your form.

You pushed your sunglasses to the top of your head and glared at him, unimpressed. 

Dustin chose then to speak up, mildly. Steve almost forgot he was there. 

“We’re touching the bottom, Steve. We’re being safe, we’re touching the bottom,” he tried with a chord of desperation.

Steve looked between the two of you. A nasty little smirk on your face threatened to emerge. 

“Yeah, we’re touching the bottom.” You demonstrated your point by bouncing up and down on your toes a few times. Steve had to ignore how your boobs bounced with the motion. “And I have this, for buoyancy,” you added, smacking the end of your pool noodle into the water and sending a spray of water into Steve’s face.

Dustin cackled suddenly at Steve’s sputtering. Lucas, Mike, El and Max joined the hysterics shortly thereafter. Will hid a snicker behind his sketch pad.

 It should have broken the tension. It should have been the hard reset on the fun that Steve had almost ruined with his poop-pantsery.

“What about Dustin?” Steve tried then. He was feeling outnumbered here. And a little stupid, frankly. But righteous. Like, how the hell was he supposed to feel when he leaves the lot of you alone for one afternoon and the two (arguably) most vulnerable people are just hanging out with no one to stop you drowning?

Dustin’s blue eyes grew big and confused at the mention of his name. You looked at the young curly-haired boy reflexively.

“What about ‘im?” you shot back.

“He doesn’t have collar bones!” Steve barked, gesturing at the boy. 

Dustin looked a little hurt by the observation, true though it may be. Steve winced a little at his own insensitivity and immediately wished he could walk it back. “Sorry, bud,” he offered. 

Dustin seemed immediately appeased at his correction and shrugged as if to say “no problem.”

You weren’t ready to let it go, however. A mean guffaw escaped from the back of your throat before you replied “Dustin is fine. He’s a very capable swimmer,” you spat. Unlike me, Steve heard you mutter snarkily under your breath.

 You flicked Dustin’s nose lightly and winked at him, and he preened under your attention. All the kids did. You had that way about you, is all. 

Sensing the tension on the water, Eddie, Rob, Nance and Jon were stood up on the shore, looking on with mild concern. 

Steve noticed you noticing them and then you shook your head and declared “Know what? I packed sandwiches and nobody has touched them, so…andiamo.” 

With that, you abandoned your pool noodle and lifted yourself out of the water and onto the dock by your good arm. 

I would have helped her, Steve thought to himself bitterly, watching you drop hard on your knees before getting to your feet. 

He sated his need to help by pushing Dustin onto the dock by his butt, much to Dustin’s annoyance.

A bit later, everyone was seated on the shore, the last of the sandwiches having been polished off. 

The tension had waned for everyone else and the ambient murmur of jovial conversation had returned. 

Eddie was seated at Steve’s side, yammering in his ear about a road trip he wanted to take with you all sometime next Spring.

 But Steve’s gaze was trained on you, across the circle, engaged in quiet conversation with Nancy and Robin. 

You had pulled your shorts on, leaving them unbuttoned over your bikini bottoms. Your oxford shirt with the sleeves cut off was unbuttoned, billowing open down to your navel. The trash bag had been removed from your arm carefully with the help of the tiny scissors on Dustin’s swiss army knife. 

You smiled wryly at some joke that Robin had made. Your face was free of makeup, eyes a little tired, but sanguine. 

“Ya listening to me, Stevie boy?” Eddie asked, cutting through Steve’s haze. 

“Sorry dude,” Steve shot back mindlessly, willing himself to pry his gaze away.

Eddie merely sniggered at his friend’s lack of manners. “That was quite a spectacle the two of you put on earlier.”

Steve scowled at him, knowing damn well what he was talking about, but choosing to feign ignorance.

“Dunno what you’re talking about.”

Eddie was unbothered by Steve’s pretend-game, continuing, “Like, you two guys pitch each other a lot of shit and it's usually good natured, but lately it's been…” Eddie sucked on his teeth as he pondered the right adjective. “Sticky.”

“Ed, man, shut up.”

“Nah,” Eddie said on a deep inhale. “Figure your shit out, Harrington. It’s embarrassing.” Eddie sunk back down into his chair. 

“Teenie Ween’s always been a sweetheart as long as I've known her but lately, you've been bringing out the worst in each other and it's exhausting.”

Steve’s face scrunched up in confusion, pondering Eddie’s cryptic words.

 “I’m sorry,” Steve said absently, though he didn’t know what he was sorry for.

 Eddie just smiled back at him from behind a pair of aviators.

Soon, the sun started to dip and everyone was a little sun drunk and over the day. Belongings were packed and the troupe of you made it up the bluff and through the thicket of overgrown weeds, back to the road. 

(⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

It was the transportation arrangement that really clinched the awkwardness of the outing. 

Nancy had hauled everyone to the beach earlier that day, sans you. You had been dropped off by a boy called Allen Miles and the mention of his name grated on Steve’s very spine.

Before you and Steve could devolve into another bitching match, Nancy pursed her lips and made a sound declaration that Steve would drive you, Dustin and Robin home.

 Nevermind that her station wagon would still be stuffed to the gills clown-style. And you wouldn’t even have the buffer of El at the ready since she was staying at Max’s house. You fought her on it, too.

“Does dad know you’re staying over with Max?” you asked her, almost pleading with her to give you a reason to pull elder sibling rank on you.

“Yes,” she hissed back at you haughtily. You deflated, knowing that you would be dropped off last. 

Maybe you could pretend to fall asleep during the ride so you didn’t have to deal with Steve alone. 

Looks were exchanged and car doors were slammed before you all set off into the twilight. Robin, who typically called shotty, practically shoved you into the front seat of Steve’s car. You didn’t want to make a scene in light of the day’s events, so you went without quarrel. 

Dustin and Robin droned on in the backseat about…something. You couldn’t have recounted even a smidgen of their conversation with a gun to your head. 

You were focused on Steve next to you, seething. You could feel it coming off of him. 

Your jaw clenched as Robin fixed you and Steve with an exasperated look that you could see in the side view mirror before leaving you with a cheeky adios! 

Dustin took up the mantle of filling the silence but soon enough, you were parked in front of the Henderson residence. 

The boy parried a moment before seemingly deciding he couldn't say or do anything to pop yours and Steve's acidic little bubble. The pair of you watched his mom greet him at the door before pulling away.

The thing was, today hadn’t happened in a vacuum. You and Steve had always gotten along pretty famously as far as your friends and built family were concerned. Certainly enough to make it through a world of unconscionable shit alongside the rest of them. 

But when reality as you all knew it was falling to pieces, nobody had the presence of mind to tune into the frequency that the two of you were on. They didn’t notice the intricacies of the geological formation of your relationship. 

You had materialized - yes! materialized - out of nowhere back in the fall of ‘83. You’d been sucked into the Upside Down from another time and place entirely. The unwitting and unlikely victim of a quantum hiccup twenty years in the future near your home on Nellis Airforce Base in North Las Vegas. 

Your slime-covered, barely animate fifteen-year-old body was discovered and carried out of the Upside Down by Hop. He, in a hazmat suit, you in your ripped, bloodied Catholic school uniform while Joyce stumbled alongside him with Will in her clutches. 

For weeks, you’d been near-catatonic, held in the custody of Dr. Owens while a cadre of shady G-men (plus Hop and Joyce) had tried to piece together your journey.

 You barely registered that you had leapt back in time and ended up somewhere you didn’t know a soul, half a decade before you were even born. 

For you were traumatized and plagued with guilt over the death of another teenage girl. A girl that had desperately wanted to get back to where you found yourself by accident. 

You'd tried pulling Barb off that sticky wall, even though part of you knew she was already dead. Soon, you surrendered to your exhaustion and found yourself glued to the same wall, a grotty vine prodding at your lips, trying to make a home in your esophagus right as Hop and Joyce happened upon you.

Eventually, your body healed and you came out of your stupor. You went to live with Hop. You didn’t have anywhere else to go, and besides which way, the best conclusion that the scientists from the DoE could come up with was that if you were going to go back “home”, it would be the way you came. So you had to stay close by.

 They paid a stipend to keep you fed and kept - you were an investment, afterall. Moreover, you were a liability and a paradox, and this was the best arrangement Owens could come up with. 

Hop got used to having you around, never trying to force the matter of you returning home. In the weeks when you’d lost track of El, you would sometimes stand timidly in front of the towering man until he promised you that you would find her. 

Neither of you could stand the guilt of her being out there on her own. Eventually El showed up and he decided that you would all carry on as though you had both been there the whole time. 

Nobody wanted you to go back home. How would you get there? How would you survive a second time?

You started school in January of ‘84, sticking close to the walls. 

Nancy and Jon felt responsible for you and kept you close. By default, that meant Steve, too. But Steve was suspicious of you. 

You were freaky to him and despite what he’d seen in the Byers house, he couldn’t really comprehend your being there. 

Sometimes, when you were all hanging out, a brand new song would come on the radio - like the DJ would make a big production of stressing the just released single - and then you’d absentmindedly mouth all the words perfectly. 

Other times, you’d say non-sequitur things that would turn out to be quotes from movies that hadn’t been released when you’d uttered them. 

The most unnerving was when Nancy’s father was hemming and hawing at the breakfast table one morning you were all over at the Wheeler house. 

He was pouring over a newspaper article about some sick murderer on the loose, reciting the most sordid details while Karen Wheeler stood at the stove flipping pancakes, scolding her husband for discussing it in front of the kids. 

Suddenly, you paused with your glass of orange juice poised at your lips and muttered the name Alton Coleman with a vacant look in your eyes. Days later, Alton Coleman was apprehended. 

Karen and Ted Wheeler had missed it, luckily. But when Nancy had pressed you on the issue, wondering if you were tapped into some latent psychic ability that you and her could use to fight crime, you'd disappointed the girl by informing her that one of the last things you'd seen on TV before you “leapt” was a documentary about Alton Coleman. And it had only stuck with you because you'd gone over your actions in your last days at Nellis with Owens until you were blue in the face.

Then there was the style stuff. You seemed totally confused about what you referred to as “big, crispy hair,” not to mention your general aversion to spandex and high-waisted jeans. 

You wore your hair with minimal volume, kept your clothes and makeup neutral, toned down, boring. 

Nancy thought it was because you’d been to Catholic school and you were “demure” as she put it.

But Steve had quickly clocked that you thought everything around you was cheesy and dated but you didn’t want to stand out or accidentally make a statement by dressing from your own time. So you dressed like a bland schoolmistress and let Jonathan make you mixtapes because a constant rotation of Top 40 artists eventually set your teeth on edge. 

You stopped telling Steve who the one-hit-wonders were because he was really rooting for Dexy’s Midnight Runners and he got all salty when you told him. 

Nobody tried to meet you where you were at culturally, because all of you were a little worried that if you divulged secrets from the future, it would create some kind of extra rip in the universe. So you kept your trap shut except to say that you didn’t really like your time either and that, really, the ‘80s weren’t so bad in some ways. 

Plus, you practically drooled at the sight of Eddie Van Halen and Mickey Rourke whenever you got the opportunity. They were so hot, you'd lament in a pained wail at the TV, as if you weren't living in the very time in which they were dropping your panties. 

Steve rolled his eyes every time you did this. Little Miss Catholic School swooning over rock stars and greasers. How original. Your crush on Spock from Star Trek…Well that broke up the cliché a little.

Steve slowly started to feel more at ease around you, distracting himself with his romance with Nancy. 

And you started to branch out, making friends outside of the people that knew too much for their own good.

You started wearing acid-washed denim over bolder colors, teasing your hair a bit, adopting high-waisted jeans (which made your ass look delectable, Steve grudgingly noticed - as did Allen Miles, apparently). 

You were still on the shy, mild side, but you weren't such a wallflower. People knew you by face and name now. 

Steve thought being from the future made you naturally more magnetic or something. Like you were always two moves ahead of everyone. That made him kind of nervous, though, so he still watched you in his periphery.

He told himself it was to make sure you didn’t slip up and involve anyone else in your freakish situation. He’d watch you in the cafeteria, the courtyard, laughing with your small circle of casual pals, looking for any indication that you were spilling your guts and making yourself look like a headcase in the process. 

Best case scenario, you’d wind up in an asylum or something. Worst case, you’d end up in a gulag with electrodes inserted in every square inch of visible flesh. Months of his low-key recon suddenly became moot the night of the Halloween party in ‘84. 

Steve had just had his heart crushed by Nancy in a spectacular fashion, when he pulled over on his way home.

He was trying to stave off waves of fresh pain in his chest, sat at the wheel of his car, gulping air, willing the sting of rejection to sink to the depths of his loafers. Toto’s Africa provided the soundtrack to his misery.

He startled at a gentle rapping at his window. He looked up to see you, haloed in the streetlight, wearing a copper lamé dress with a high split in the leg and a dip at the shoulder. Your eyes were smoked out, making your confused glare even more intense. 

Possessed Dana Barrett, you’d explained, offering him a bite of your candy apple. He refused it, so you chucked it out the window into a storm drain, licking your sticky fingers. 

You'd taken Nancy's little brother and his friends trick-or-treating and they'd cajoled you into being Possessed Dana Barrett to round out the Ghostbusters cast. You wanted to be Slimer but you didn't know how to pull it off on such short notice, and Joyce Byers had loaned you this gown from the days of disco, and why was he so long in the face, anyway?

Steve was just desperate enough to ask you to hang out at his, which turned into a request for you to stay over at his. He'd never had his heart broken by someone he’d chosen, and part of him wanted to hide. 

But he knew going home to his empty house and the silence would taunt him. You went along with it easily. You almost didn't even seem confused as to why he was asking you. 

You washed your face and used a spare toothbrush he had. The sleeves of the pajama top he'd long since outgrown still reached past your fingertips. He'd stared at you as you rolled them up your forearms, one leg crossed over the other, hanging off the edge of his bed.

It felt strange but comforting and he allowed himself to wonder if he'd ever get to see a lover or even his wife do those same dainty motions in a bigger bed. In a shared bed, one day. He wondered if he'd remember the sight of you, right now.

You and him were laying in his bed, top and tail - platonic 69’ing, you'd joked, immediately clearing your throat when Steve didn't laugh -, when you broke the silence telling him, “Talk to her. In a couple days. She was drunk, Steve, she didn't know what she was saying.” 

He had to remind himself that you were talking about him and Nance.

“She was hurtfully clear about it,” he retorted. A beat passed before you offered an anecdote about your first time getting drunk at a Christmas party on base. 

You'd snuck a bunch of drinks with some other Air Force brats throughout the night before loudly declaring to a room full of military families that you were going to invent the hoverboard from Back to the Future. 

Steve didn't know what Back to the Future was and you quickly corrected course, telling him to get some sleep. 

That was the night the two of you became something like friends. 

The next day he woke up with the red painted toe nails of one of your feet lodged in the crook of his arm. He didn’t hate it. 

Mere days later, after you'd blocked Lucas Sinclair’s body with your own and gotten Billy Hargrove’s backhand for your trouble, after he'd watched you clutch the Mother Mary medallion around your neck and recite whispered, rushed prayers to a god you scarcely believed in in the back of an abandoned school bus before fighting otherworldly monsters alongside him, and going back into that hell mouth because you'd been down there before and couldn't let the rest go in without knowing what they were up against…

Steve felt ready to let Nancy go. 

He still cared for her, he still didn't like how it ended, but his world felt bigger and less stifling now. And he didn't need to hold onto the last dregs of something that would stay just that…dregs. There were possibilities all around him. He didn't want to cling to someone that didn't want him back.

Yours and Steve's friendship was quietly strengthened over two more reality-rocking apocalypses. One of those included his initiation to the Back to the Future franchise. “Ooooh,” he'd loudly declared in the theater, finally understanding your reference while off his face on Russian truth serum. You’d looked over at him with bleary eyes, shooting him finger guns, grateful for the vindication.

In between, and after the mall fire, there were lots of jokes, cookouts, Midwest adventures and plenty of heretofore platonic 69ing in his bed. Top and tail sleepovers followed by rote, cozy breakfasts at the county’s diners. 

You would mewl a miserable sleep song on those mornings until he reminded you of the very existence of French toast.

 Sometimes it was just the two of you, sometimes your friends joined. But it was almost agonizing in its closeness and familiarity. And it grew out of the impossible.

A shrink could have told Steve that the bitching between the two of you that occasionally oozed to the surface like liquid rock was a trauma response. The shrink would have gone on to explain that Steve was projecting his fears onto you because you were an easy target. You'd experienced it together and he had access to you. And Steve would need to find another shrink because he'd know they were only half-right. 

Yes, you'd become fixtures in each other's lives and had shared experiences out of the ordinary. But the same could be said of Robin or Dustin or Eddie, etc. and yes, he mother-henned them all, but when it came to you, he couldn't be talked out of it. Because as important as Robin or Dustin or Eddie, etc. were to him, it was your ass that he couldn't seem to crawl out of, and it annoyed you as much as anyone else.

You'd been very sweet and mellow about it up to this point, but things were getting confusing between you two. Hence the pool noodle incident and passive aggressive defiance.

You started buttoning your shirt up just for something to do with your good hand and after a prolonged and uncomfortable silence, Steve spoke. “Allen Miles,” he said simply.

You stopped at the top button of your blouse. “Allen Miles,” you parroted back.

You saw the tip of his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. “Allen…Miles,” he tried again, testing the name on his tongue.

You picked at your cast, tracing the well-wishes in Robin's loopy chicken scratch with your thumb. “Is a person that exists,” you said flaty, as if to staunch whatever shit was about to come out of his mouth next.

“Allen Miles is a douche-dick,” he sing-songed quietly enough that you could have pretended not to hear.

Unbelievable. You sniffed at the insult. “What'd Allen Miles ever do to you?”

“Why'd he give you a ride today?” he asked, dodging the question. “You could have piled in with everyone else.” Ugh. He sounded like Hop.

The simplicity and faux-calmness of the statement took you aback. Was he for real right now? “He works at the rec center on Saturday mornings and I had physio-therapy there today. He offered,” you countered, trying not to sound as defensive as you felt - though the words came out in a rapid stream almost as if they’d been rehearsed (they weren’t). You bit the inside of your cheek. An argument was a-brewin.’

Steve turned off the narrow highway onto the skinny, heavily-wooded trail to the cabin. He was seething and neither of you knew why. “So he waited for you to get done with PT?” 

“No,” you shot back, not fully understanding the anger under his line of questioning. “His shift ended a half hour after I was done. I waited for him.”

A scoff. “He made you wait for him?” He posed the question as if it was the most distasteful thing he could imagine.

“He didn’t make me do anything! He didn't have to drive me in the first place!”

“Well then why didn’t you come to the store! If you were waiting for a ride, you could have waited for me!”

“That would have taken hours! What is your problem?”

“Just-” Steve took a deep breath, flicking his gaze to you briefly as the Bimmer trundled down the beaten path to the cabin. “I just wonder about Miles, ya know? He’s a little sleazy around you, what if he just wants to get in your pants? What if he’d-”

Steve was the Larry Bird of cutting himself off, apparently.

“What if he’d made a move?” you offered.

“Exactly,” Steve said, pointing at you.

“What if he had?” you questioned honestly.

The cabin came into view, mercifully, only a moment later. Your head was swimming. Steve had been acting so short with you the last few weeks. It had ramped up when you’d broken the arm.

It was a stupid accident, really. Max had begged you to take a run on the skateboard, something you’d never done. She’d egged you on and you’d done it and you’d gone flying over a stop skid in the church parking lot. 

She had to run into the church and have the secretary call you an ambulance. In hindsight, you were lucky you hadn’t broken your face open. You knew when to take a W, so you didn’t dwell on the possibilities too much.

Steve had heard you were in the hospital and had a conniption. Granted, he hadn’t stayed on the phone with Max long enough to hear It’s just her arm, she’s fine. 

You’d been hopped up on morphine and called him a fruit loop for getting his panties in such a twist. 

And ever since then, you two had been walking a razor’s edge. Where it had once been easy to diffuse your little tiffs, you seemed to be perpetually living under one another’s skin. 

Steve threw the car in park and whipped over to face you. “What do you mean what if he had?” You did not appreciate the falsetto that his voice had taken on to impersonate you. 

“I mean what I said, Steve! What is your deal?”

“He could be a total dirt bag, Teenie!”

You sighed to yourself and pinched the bridge of your nose. You were suddenly so tired. “He didn’t make a pass at me, Steve. He was very sweet and cordial and I got there in one piece and I really need you to back off right now, please.”

This was it. This was your limit. You wanted to crawl out of your skin. You huffed quietly to yourself before telling Steve “I need you to not talk to me for a while, okay?” And at that, you grabbed your bag from between your feet and got out of the car.

You heard Steve government-name you before you closed the door and skulked toward the cabin. The tears came fast and you were grateful that Steve didn’t follow you. Instead he gripped his steering wheel and internally scolded himself for everything that had just transpired. 

Steve knew he wasn’t always the brightest, but how? How did he always end up shooting himself in the foot? He chanced a look at the cabin and lingered for a moment after he saw the light in the mudroom off the side that served as your sleeping quarters had turned on. 

He gave more than a passing thought to going in after you, but he wasn’t going to fuck it further by pushing you when you’d explicitly asked for space. Plus, he was chastised, but he was still fussy, and he didn’t fully trust himself to not keep digging this hole deeper. 

After a moment, he gathered himself and left the property, turning up the radio and letting Talk to Me by Stevie Nicks rub the salt in as he made his way back to his empty house. 

Inside the cabin, you watched Steve’s headlights disappear as you wrestled your Detroit Red Wings jersey over your cast. It was the only sleep shirt that you could get over your cast at the moment. 

Your tears had subsided, slurped back up into your tear ducts for the sheer fact that you didn’t want to waste anymore tears on Steve Harrington. 

He probably didn’t know it, the beautiful dolt, but over the years that you’d known him, he’d kept pushing on the same bruise, and it had gotten even more difficult for you to cope. 

He'd gone for the throat harping on Allen Miles, whom you were not interested in like that. Steve's over-the-top paternalistic revulsion at the thought of you getting some hurt your feelings and made you feel like he'd only ever see you as a fragile little sister figure that he needed to coddle. Like your having sex was some kind of aberration. 

Having him treat you that way with the way you felt about him twisted your heart.

You were tired of having a big and important part of you ignored. A part that you’d never talked with anyone, especially Steve, in great detail. The sexual part. The (gag) sensual part. You were eighteen going on forty-eight, already whinging internally about how you were a woman™ dammit and you had needs™. 

You weren’t seasoned, by any means. You’d had a handful of secret fumbles with secret partners and you’d made discoveries about yourself. 

A of all- and this one you’d suspected since puberty hit - you got turned on easily. Like sloppy, soppy, pushing down on your vulva like you were hiding a boner turned on. And for no reason.

Sometimes it happened when you saw Eddie Van Halen on MTV or Mickey Rourke in Rumble Fish or LeVar Burton on the cover of TV Guide. 

Sometimes it happened when you had to go to a stupid school spirit assembly and had to look at boys in their stupid, short basketball shorts and/or girls in their cheerleading regalia. 

Sometimes it happened when you watched Eddie’s band practice in Gareth’s garage and saw the young Munson trash around all sweaty, handling his guitar expertly.

Once, it had happened when you saw Robin throw a balled up Dixie Cup into a bin at a considerable distance and she’d celebrated excessively and it was cute. 

You knew you didn't want to fuck Eddie or Robin -it would be weird beyond weird. It's just that you could appreciate them.

The same way you appreciated the nasty smacking noises Nancy and Jon made when they were making out in what they thought was a private moment and you knew they were gonna bang later. 

Your friends did sexy things, and sometimes it turned you on.

Mostly, though, it happened with Steve. At least once a day (usually more), he did something that accidentally got you going. A hand on his hip, and hand through his hair, a smirk, a wink, a smile, a whisper in your ear, a casual touch on the small of your back. 

This was to say nothing of how he made you feel emotionally. How unguarded and at peace you felt when he was around. How physical closeness felt as natural as breathing, and you were not hugged enough as a child, so that was saying something. 

Sometimes you'd give each other long lingering hugs and it made you wish you could fuse your flesh to his. You wanted to be his Kuato, always melded to his tummy. And you knew it was weird but so what? Nobody needed to know.

B of all - you liked being touched. And snogged. And railed. And held tight. Which you discovered on your own and in secret, no thanks to Steve. Because Steve usually had a squeeze waiting in the wings somewhere. 

And even when he didn’t, he was preoccupied either with healing from his first great heartbreak or pondering how to rebound from said great heartbreak. Despite your raging hormones, you knew you wanted nothing to do with either of those. So you outsourced your sexual energy.

As soon as you'd gotten over your hangups about the cheesy, neon, teased to high-hell vomit pile that was the 1980s in America, and you'd leaned into it just a little bit, you started getting noticed. And you discovered, thanks to Francis and David and Chelsea (separately), that you did not just enjoy sex in theory, but also in practice. 

The kicker, though, was that while you physically enjoyed the sex that you’d had, you realized when you were coming down from the high that something might be missing. You could have an orgasm that you felt in your very boots, but you wouldn’t ever ask the person that had just rocked your world to drive you to the airport or buy you French toast, much less trust them with your heart. 

Your stupid, stupid heart. It beat for a boy that seemed to think you had the sex life of a castrato.

You flopped down on your bed and stared at your ceiling. You felt kind of bad brushing Steve off like that, even demanding that he not talk to you. 

You hadn't chanced a look back at his face when you'd left his car, but you knew you would have seen that hardened, confused look that he got when he was hurt. That look that always crushed you and made you want to kiss his face and whisper sweet words until he broke out into that cocky grin of his.

You rolled over and closed your eyes, wishing he was next to you, that you could feel his weight and body heat, that you were holding him by the crook of his elbow and pressing your face into his bicep. That you could somehow transmit your thoughts without speaking them out loud and that he would at least be gentler with you and not infer that you were sexless anymore. Even if he didn’t want you like that.

You settled into that lukewarm fantasy, of the memory of him, and let yourself drift to sleep.

(⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

Steve was sitting on his floor leaned against his bed, holding one of his most prized worldly possessions. It was a candid Polaroid of the two of you.

It was taken at the fair last year. It was a little overexposed with the lights from the rides surrounding you, but the figures of you two were clear as day.

In the photo, Steve was holding your wrist to his chest with a crooked grin, mouth poised near your ear. It looked like he'd just whispered something to you. Your head was crooked to the side and down, like you were trying to worm away from his grasp, your eyes closed with the intensity of your laugh. Your face was glowing with the fair lights and there was a streak of white on your cheek. You both looked sublimely happy.

Steve smiled at the memory. You'd made a game of forcing bits of funnel cake into his mouth when he wasn't paying attention when finally, he'd caught you before your next “attack” and smeared powdered sugar from the pastry onto your cheek as revenge.

His first thought when Jonathan had presented him with the memento at the end of that night was that he was looking at you like a boy in love and he wondered how many times he'd been caught looking at you like that, without photographic evidence.

The bitter memory of you telling him I need you to not talk to me for a while roared back into his consciousness and slapped him in the face. You'd sounded hurt, on top of being pissed. 

Did you really want to date Allen Miles? You said he hadn't made a pass at you. Did it hurt your feelings because he didn't make a pass at you and Steve had just dug the knife in more? He'd throttle Miles if he'd hurt your feelings. Fuck that guy.

Or were you worried about Steve's opinion of your choice in boyfriends? Was Allen your type? What was your type? He knew Eddie Van Halen and Mickey Rourke and LeVar Burton were your type but that weird trinity did not clarify things for him.

Steve tried to recall what, besides his shortness with you, could have triggered you to react the way that you did. By now, he knew that whatever it was, it was his fault. He would love to pawn the blame off on you but you were usually blameless, especially to him. You were sweet and gentle and always seemed to anticipate and prioritize other people’s needs at your own peril. 

He'd given you space like you asked but it had been a couple days now. He was starting to feel like he was jonesing. 

He was hoping you would have come to visit him at the video store by now, jumping on his back and hugging him like a koala, whispering in his ear that all was forgiven and things could go back to normal, like how they were before you'd broken your arm.

But when Steve thought about things going back the way they were, it made his brain itch. He felt like something was totally different and the two of you couldn't go back if you wanted to. Moreover, he didn't know if he did want to. He wanted…

Steve's thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. He slid the Polaroid of you two back into his bedside drawer and hastily picked up the receiver. Please be her, please be her, please be her. 

“Hello?”

“Steve?” 

Nance. “Nance?” Fuck it all. Steve bit back his disappointment. “What's up?”

“Is Teenie over at yours? I tried to call her but El said she's not home but she's not working today, either. I know Robin was scheduled at the store today. I thought she might be with you.”

Steve's jaw clenched involuntarily. Were you with Allen Miles? 

“Um,” Steve said with a little choke. “No, no. She's not here. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything's good. It's just that I was emptying the cooler and I found that Mother Mary medallion she always wears? It must have slipped off her neck. It was her grandmother's and I thought she might be bugging out thinking it was lost forever and-”

“I'll come get it,” Steve interrupted. He was already pulling his sneakers on. “You gonna be home for a minute?”

“Oh.” A pause. “It's no big deal, Steve, I'm running Mike to the cabin tomorrow, I can just drop it off then.”

Steve was pacing now, thinking he might be losing his line back to you. You did love that necklace even though you'd abandoned the Church forever ago. Your grandmother was the only person from back “home” that you were sentimental about - and she'd died not long before you'd ended up here. 

That necklace was the only tangible piece of your former life that you really cared about. Maybe you'd be more inclined to listen or even share oxygen with him if he brought it back to you.

“Uh, it's cool. She actually left her uh,” Steve began, looking around the room then down at his feet, “uh, her shoes, yeah. She left them in my car when I dropped her off the other night.” Lie.

He heard Nancy laugh, a little disbelievingly. “She left her shoes in your car.” It came out as a statement.

“Psh, yeah. They were all sandy from the beach and she hates the feeling of leftover sand in between her toes.” Half lie. You had told him that, once. “Anyway, I'll be by in like ten.” 

“Ste-”

Steve dropped the receiver back in the cradle and made a mad dash for Nancy’s. Nancy was waiting for him on the front step when he arrived. When she dropped the necklace in his waiting palm, he held it gingerly and stared at it like a holy relic.

Nancy cleared her throat. Steve met her eyes and he could see something like suspicion dancing behind them, along with a little smirk. “You better go find Teenie. Poor girl’s walking around without shoes, afterall.”

Nancy was always too smart for her own good - or anyone else’s for that matter. He thanked her as if she’d given him the world and went on his merry way. 

(⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

Steve decided to make a pitstop back at his house instead of going right over to yours. He’d been planning on going to the cabin and waiting for you if you hadn’t gotten home yet. 

But after he left Nancy’s, he thought that this might not be the move. You were really mad at him and he wanted to show you that he could listen and respect your wishes.

He spent a good twenty minutes pacing around his living room trying to come up with a gameplan on how to return your necklace without ruffling your feathers further. 

Maybe he should buy you an obnoxiously large teddy bear? 

No, if you hated it, he would be stuck with an over-large, cutesy reminder of his failure. 

Or maybe he could hire one of those dorky barbershop quartets to show up at work and sing you a song about how he knew he was a dipshit, but you meant so much to him, please take him back?

 No, no. You would die of embarrassment and probably haunt him for the rest of his days. 

He was still holding your necklace, gripping his hair by the roots when he heard the doorbell. 

Maybe it was Dustin or Eddie. Maybe he could bounce some ideas off them, he thought as he jogged toward the door. 

He opened it and felt the air leave his lungs when he saw you standing there. You were staring up at him, eyes wide, swaying your shoulders a little bit the way you did when you were nervous. 

You were wearing his favorite dress of yours. This beige thing with tie straps and red flowers on it. The first time he’d seen you wear it, you’d been all dolled up in a way that was almost salacious. Now you wore your hair down with barely a stitch of makeup on and Steve thought you looked…

“Hi,” you said shyly. 

“Hi,” he said back, his voice sounding small in his ears. He cleared his throat, hoping that if he found his voice again, he wouldn’t sound so broken. “Come in?”

You didn’t hesitate, thankfully. You walked past him, minding your cast and stopped in the foyer before you turned to him. You shrugged one shoulder bashfully. 

“Nancy said you had my necklace.” Your face scrunched up in confusion. “Also, something about shoes?”

Steve pushed the door shut and walked over to you. 

“Uh, yeah, I might have lied to her and said you left your shoes in my car so I’d have an excuse to take custody of your necklace.” 

The confusion on your face deepened. 

Steve held your necklace out to you and you let him drop it into your good hand.

You both stood there for an awkward moment. “I missed you,” you said.

Steve felt his heart soar and opened his mouth to respond but you cut him off. 

“Will you help me?” you asked, holding up the necklace and then your cast to make your point. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve said, rushing to your back. You handed him the necklace and bunched your hair up in a fist, holding it out of the way. 

Steve took a moment to appreciate the back of your neck, the downy hairs at your hairline, the little birthmark at the junction of your shoulder. He looped the necklace around you and clasped it, checking that the spring in the clasp was still sound.

“All set,” he said. 

You spun around to meet him and he saw you touch the pendant at your decolletage with a little smile. “Thank you.”

“I missed you too,” Steve rushed out, hands shoved in his back pockets.

The look you gave him back was soft and dazed and he felt his heart kick in his chest. You cocked your head at him. “Why were you so upset about Allen, Stevie?”

Steve didn’t detect even a hint of anger in your question. You just kept staring at him softly. Steve walked over to the couch and perched himself against the backrest. His thumbs rubbed dual patterns on the suede upholstery while he thought up a response. The best he could come up with was “Do you like him? Allen, I mean? Like…romantic-wise?”

He glanced up at you bashfully, dreading the answer he was sure would come.

Your eyes narrowed, but not meanly. You walked over to him and planted your hip against the couch next to him. 

“No,” you said, simply.

Steve released a relieved exhale from deep in his chest. You weren’t done, though. “But Stevie, why…I mean why did you get so mad at the thought of Allen and I together?”

Steve felt his eyes bug out but tried to school his expression into something less obvious. He shrugged when he finally met your eyes again. “Teenie, I just.” He wet his bottom lip. You wore the same soft, contemplative expression but he thought he could see your breathing kick up as you waited for him to finish. 

Steve was right. You were trying to stop yourself from hyperventilating. You hadn’t come over here to confront Steve, not really. You really just wanted to see him again and figure out what he was playing at, purloining your necklace from Nancy in an obvious attempt to get back in your good graces. It would have been a cute gesture if you weren’t so worried about what was coming next. 

But two days of feeling like your brain was leaking for its singular fixation on your Stevie and how much you missed him had finally gotten the best of you. You came round the moment you could. You knew it was time to face the music, come what may. 

“I just want…whoever you hang out with or end up being with…I just want them to treat you with respect. And I want you to have fun and feel safe and…”

God, he was beautiful. Didn’t he know? How could he not know?

Steve seemed to be at a loss for words now, so you offered some.

 “I could have those things with you,” you breathed out almost dreamily.

Steve's eyes went wide again and you felt like your heart was going to break because that look could have meant…so many things. Not all of them good.

You backed away from his side slowly, ready to make a break for it, but Steve caught you gently by the upper arms and stood at his full height. He stared at you like you were a brand new lifeform.

“Teenie?” he said in a too-tiny voice.

You were looking right into the void, free-falling into the hinterworld of your own heart.

“Stevie, do you think of me like a little sister?”

Steve's eyebrows shot up with something like horror before he cleared his throat and shook away some thought known only to him. 

“Ew, no, Teen.”

You bit your lip and stamped your foot just a little bit, feeling a little unmoored. You worried suddenly that you wouldn't get the answers you wanted. 

Steve had loosened his grip on you just a smidge. He was absently stroking your arms with his thumbs.

“One of the kids then. Dustin or Max or-”

“No,” he answered immediately, shaking his head decisively. “No.” 

And you knew. You knew he meant it.

You backed away, feeling singed by his sincerity. You paced the length of the runner behind the couch and slid a nail along your cast making little zipzipzip noises to fill the quiet. You turned to him after a moment.

“So what's happening with us. Why are we being so weird with each other?” 

Steve put his hands on his hips. “You broke your ass, Teenie,” he said sternly. “It could have been your head!”

“It wasn't though, it wasn't my head!” Your voice had a desperate edge. “Way crazier stuff has happened to me, to both of us! All our friends…”

He looked at you like you were speaking a different language. He shut his eyes tight like he was willing the memories away. He gathered himself quickly.

“Right, and if things had gone differently, we don't know what could have happened!”

Both of you were breathing hard, tears stinging your eyeballs. It's like you had awoken a sleeping beast by merely mentioning its existence.

Steve gestured into the air and stared into the distance as he continued. He was so fuckin’ pretty, you thought then. Even when he had big fuckin’ feelings that his pretty fuckin’ self couldn't contain in his pretty fuckin' meat prison.

“Every time something happens to you, it's like I can't stop thinking about it.” Steve's tented his fingers at his temples to demonstrate his point, eyes wide and unblinking like there was a movie playing behind his eyes that he couldn't look away from.

You started taking slow, tiny steps toward him, like he was a wounded rabbit and you didn't want to frighten him off. You wanted to hold him. 

“I spin out and I can't stop thinking about you dying.” 

Two more tiny, furtive steps toward him.

“Or being born.”

“Oh, Stevie-” Wait. “Wait, being born? What?”

Steve had pulled at his hair and it was messy in that perfect way. 

“Your birthday, Teenie.” He said it both frantically and like you were dumb for not following. “It's 1986, your birthday is less than two years away and we don't know.” He practically whimpered your name, willing you to understand.

It hit you then. You'd forgotten yourself for a minute, how absurd your life was. The very thing that was whispered among your friends and found family - spoken in a hushed manner for fear of speaking it into reality (or causing you an existential crisis.) You always heard them, though. 

You had almost…almost found it funny how nobody seemed to think that the thought didn't cross your mind at three in the morning most nights.

The question of what would happen when the day of your birth - the one on your original, undoctored birth certificate that you'd left in a banker box back on Nellis AFB - finally rolled around. The day you would find out to what extent you were an actual paradox. If having been evicted from your mother's womb on that day would cause you to be slurped back into the Upside Down…Or if you would blink out of existence.

But the question hadn't woken you up since Spring Break. Because the positive to having a psionic demon vampire picking apart your psyche is that sometimes you got good intel.

You felt so warm all of a sudden, watching Steve watch you with his eyes wide and desperate and his scrumptious lips pushed into a sad pout, looking so young. You'd never been so touched in all your life.

You strode over to him and pulled his collar to encourage him down, closer to your height.

His arms looped around your middle. It was automatic. The half-crazed look on his face dropped away, replaced by an expression that told you he was taken aback but that he didn't hate this.

“I love you,” you declared, firm and resolute, yet quaky with emotion. You hoped he knew that this wasn't like the other times you said it. And that you could table the birthday discussion until after…

You squeezed his face and pushed your mouth into his as you looped your broken arm around his neck.

Steve gathered your hair away from your face and returned the kiss without a moment’s hesitation.

His mouth was warm and soft and a little tacky from how he'd been licking his lips nervously moments before. Your lip balm provided just the right amount of slide for your lips to tangle together perfectly.

Steve stumbled with you in his arms against the nearest wall. You took great care not to accidentally dicknail him in the side of the head with your cast as he hoisted you up, cradling your thighs in his hands.

Through his panting, he managed, “Do you mean it?”

Both of you knew what he meant. Did you mean I love you? Did you mean the kiss? The answer to both was a resounding fucking yes.

“Yes, Stevie. I want this. I want you so bad-”

Steve dive-bombed your mouth with his own, caressing your tongue with his. You opened your mouth wider to let him riff on it. 

You shuddered when you felt his crotch press into yours. The feeling of his hardening cock pressed into the space that was rapidly becoming drenched with your horniness and love for this boy combined with the slipperiness of your tongues moving together was beyond your wildest dreams.

Steve couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe that the only thing standing between you two and your mutual desire to jam yourselves together like you were trying to fuse into a superbeing was that you thought he didn't think you were sexy or mature or whatever the fuck. 

If his blood supply wasn't rushing to his crotchal region right now, he might have done some psychological forensics to figure out how you'd arrived at that conclusion.

And fuck him if you didn't know what you were doing. This clearly wasn't your first heavy make out. Normally, that thought would make him jealous as all hell. But he could feel it. The rightness of this and he knew it didn't matter.

He pulled back from your mouth and let himself stare at you shamelessly. Your mouth was kiss-bitten and -oh - you already had this sexy, flushed glow painted from your cleavage to your cheeks. 

You wore a beautifully profane expression, half-helpless and half-threatening as in I'm going to eat you if you don't eat me first. Your irises looked almost feline.

He stole one more kiss from you before he hoisted you over his shoulder like a sack of flour. He expected you to protest but you just grunted slightly at the impact and braced yourself as much as you could for what turned out to be a short commute to Steve's room. You were too turned on to question his method.

Steve deposited you on the bed and you scrambled up to your knees to pull him forcefully into another kiss where he stood. You started nipping and biting sucking at his earlobes, his jaw, his neck, his chest.

Steve felt almost overwhelmed. This the hottest thing that had ever happened to him. You two were feral for each other and probably would have looked completely insane if you’d had an audience. Unlike his previous encounters, nothing about this felt stilted or transactional or lopsided.

In spite of how erotic it was, though, it also felt tender. Like this thread between you had been pulling taut for god knew how long before it had almost snapped. And as soon as you'd stopped resisting it, it pulled you into one another. He needed to be sure that you felt the same, though. He wouldn't risk another communication breakdown.

He pulled your face away from his neck by your hair and you looked startled but not displeased. Your lips curled into a dozy smile at the show of force. Steve was all business, though.

“How far do you want this to go?” You both chose to ignore the way his voice gave a little.

You swallowed as you stroked his chest. “Um, well, I really want you to make love to me but, like…I'll take whatever you give me.”

Steve closed his eyes in quiet supplication to whatever force was allowing this.

He smiled at you with his tongue poking at the back of his teeth. You returned it with a goofy giggle. God, you two were idiots.

“Game on then, baby,” Steve said.

Steve insisted on going down on you. You didn't strictly need it. You were so turned on that you could already feel that ache inside where you'd opened up to receive him.

You were almost worried that you might end up accidentally waterboarding him with your cunt for how wet you were already, but you needn’t have worried.

After he'd fluffed the pillows behind your shoulders and pulled your soaked panties off of you, he didn't waste a minute exploring down there with little kisses and bites to your thighs before he finally dove in and got to work. 

Within minutes he had you shivering and moaning, letting nonsense fuck language spill from your lips as you scratched his scalp in little circles. 

Steve was painfully hard in his shorts but he would have stayed down here for millenia if you'd let him.

Soon, you were gripping his wrist and writhing. Your legs were bent and rigid like a Barbie doll's but quaking with the intensity of your orgasm.

You let a sharp cry escape from your chest. It was high-pitched and wild and unguarded and it was the most beautiful sound Steve had ever heard.

He looked up at you. Your head was resting at an angle like it was too heavy for you to hold up. He let himself enjoy the sight. 

With your eyes still closed, as though you were in a deep trance, you started groping with your good hand, uncoordinated at your shoulders until you found the tie straps on your dress and undid them.

Without communicating it out loud, Steve pinched the fabric of your dress's bodice while you lifted up on your elbows so he could pull it down.

God, you were beautiful. Not just your tits. Yes, your tits were insane, but it was just you. Every inch of you, every plane on your body and, outside of your physical form, your gravity and orbit. He would never escape them and he didn't want to.

Steve crawled up your body, leaving smooches up your tummy and along your breasts and neck until he got to your mouth. You pulled him into you, kissing him stupid.

“Off,” you said bossily, breaking the kiss. Tugging at his collar. “These, too,” you insisted, pinching the cuff of his jeans between your toes.

Steve chuckled and pulled the shirt over his head. He got to work on his belt, kissing the tip of your nose.

“You want it like this?” he asked, indicating the missionary position you were in.

He got his belt free and shimmied his jeans away and down the bed, not wanting to leave you.

You bit your lip, eyes cast down lustfully, and Steve noticed you were checking out the tent in his boxers. 

He snickered. “My eyes are up here.”

You giggled at him, flicking his nose.

You two settled into a cozy silence and just stared at each other. You cleared your throat. “My favorite is being on top, usually,” you began. “But it might be hard with this.” You lifted your casted arm.

Steve deliberated for a moment. You could have told him you liked it upside down on a hammock and he would have found a way to make it so. But the thought of you riding him was making his dick weep. He would make that so, no problem.

“Teenie-on-top it is.” He gave your naked thigh a couple of light slaps. “Up,” he instructed.

You pushed up onto your knees as he leaned over to his nightstand, extracting a loose condom packet. He stood up and pulled his boxers down. 

When he looked at you, you were sitting on your haunches, knees splayed wide. Your arms were limp at your sides, hair a fucked out mess. You stared at his cock with what looked to him like reverence, mouth agape. 

“Oh, Marone,” you whispered to yourself with a gulp, fisting your hair at the scalp.

Steve snorted. You were so cute it made his chest hurt. He explained his plan as he ripped the condom foil open and rolled it over his cock.

“I'm going to hold you up so you don't put weight on the arm. I've got you, just trust me, ‘kay?”

He didn't know if you'd been paying attention to what he said. You sprung up on your knees and collapsed into him and gave him a searing kiss on the mouth. “‘Kay.”

Steve slid into bed and guided you by your hips to straddle him. You held your casted arm off to the side, balancing like you were getting into a rowboat as you braced your good hand on his forearm.

“Good?” he asked.

You hummed as you began moving yourself over his cock. Steve's breath hitched, but he kept his grip on your hips firm as you acquainted your bits with his. 

Your slickness and his spit had cooled a little but soon he could feel a pool of warmth. He was at your entrance. Your skirt was ruched around your waist, the straps of it hanging limply. His favorite dress.

You locked eyes with him as you reached between you and guided him inside. You sheathed him in inside you completely, pretty much immediately. No adjustment period needed. Your body had waited long enough. 

Both of you had done so much waiting.

You rocked your pelvis against him, getting used to the sensations. It felt like coming home, it felt so right.

Steve’s cock was like a pleasure-seeking missile. It found enclaves in your body that you'd never have discovered on your own. 

Your cunt hugged him, letting you and him both know how rich the landscape of your body was. You could feel everything and everything felt so good. 

Steve was still holding onto your hips but he was squeezing his eyes shut and writhing and moaning. You really fucking knew what you were doing. Or maybe this was just a long time coming. Maybe it was destined.

The sounds of his moans were like a cool drink of water on the hottest day of the year. You wanted the sound bottled. You wanted to bathe in it.

You braced your good hand on his chest and gripped his elbow with the other as you changed up the angle and pace. He was caressing your g-spot now and when you moaned loudly at the sensation, he gripped you tighter, encouraging you to devour that feeling. Your clit found his mons and pretty soon, playtime was over.

You were both panting and moaning and before you knew it, you were right there. Your pussy was fluttering. Steve's stomach was taut, his upper body having gone rigid. His face was red and the veins in his forehead were prominent with his exertion. He was trying to delay his own orgasm until you were ready.

You folded over then, collapsing forward and cradling his head between your upper arms. Electric bubbles of happiness fizzed in every part of your cunt, sending effervescent kisses up your spine and down to your toes. You thought your broken arm might have healed, even.

“FuckStevieBaby,” you whined, pressing your forehead into the dip of his shoulder.

Steve was a goner. He moaned your name pathetically as he pistoned his hips up into you, helped by the wetness of your cum. Heat lightning overtook his body as he felt himself spill inside the condom and he saw sparkles.

Your skin was pasted to his with sweat.

You shakily made yourself up to a seated position and looked down at him like you were getting to see the Northern Lights for the first time. 

He returned the gaze. Except to him, you were the Northern Lights and the Milky Way and a lofty angel with wings of purple fire. Jesus, when did he get so poetic?

He sat up and wrapped you in his arms, kissing you and pulling you into a hug. It wasn't unlike the ones you'd shared before, nudity notwithstanding. 

It was a hug that said hi, I'm here, I've got you, always. 

You let your heart rates ramp down before he lifted you off his softening member, but keeping you in his lap. He drew circles on your sweaty back.

“I love you,” he said into your collarbone.

Your heart did a little dance in your naked chest.

“I love you, too. More than anything.”

Steve pulled you both down and situated it so you were both laying on your sides, facing the other. He clasped your hand in his.

“No, I mean I love you.” It was emphatic despite the sleepiness in his voice. “I'm in love with you and I want to keep you. I want us to do this. I want people to know we belong to each other.” 

If anyone else on planet earth had said those words to you after you'd just fucked, it would have sounded like cro magnon-freshly-emptied-balls possessiveness.

But not with him. It's like you could see tomorrow in his beautiful brown eyes. You two were finally, blessedly on the same page.

“I've belonged to you since…” you rolled your eyes upward like you were thinking, when really you actually knew… “Halloween ‘84.”

Steve smiled at your confirmation. But also in bemusement.

“The night me and Nancy-”

“It was when I was on your bed,” you interrupted. “Right here in this spot. I was rolling up the sleeves of that stripey old man PJ shirt you loaned me.”

“I remember,” he whispered, swallowing the emotions bubbling up.

“I saw you looking at me and for just a second, I let myself think…”

You had let yourself think, this feels so easy. I'm about to spend the night in a boy's bed for the first time and it feels so easy. What if he wasn't heartbroken? What if he didn't think you were a freak? What if you'd done this a before in a thousand and one lifetimes? That's how easy it felt.

“I never stopped being yours, Stevie.”

He scooched closer, ran his index finger down the bridge of your nose, kissing you one more time.

“I hope you never do.”

“I never will.”

Steve got a faraway look in his eye as he looked past your shoulder. 

He didn't want to burst this bubble, but if he felt this way now, what would it be like less than two years from now. Less than two years away.

You clocked it immediately, you little mind-reader. 

You couldn't let him stew in his fear anymore. You hadn't meant to drop the subject before, but you had the pressing matter of showing him how much you loved him to attend to.

“I'm not going back, you know.” 

His eyes shot to you, suddenly way more alert.

“How-”

“Creel.”

Steve propped himself up on his elbow and studied you. You never brought this up. In fact, if any of your family's little misadventures ever came up in conversation, even briefly, you would excuse yourself from the room. Everyone learned to keep that talk to a minimum around you.

Besides that, Steve didn't like talking about when you'd been Vecna’d. It had been in the same manner as Nancy had been. Not meant to destroy you but to show you things. When the group had asked you what you saw, you simply told them “me.”

At the time, you had made the executive decision that what you had been shown wasn't valuable to any fact-finding that would help you defeat your foe. And when you were pressed for more, when Dustin had accused you of a party infraction by withholding, you'd leveled him with a deadly glare and stated “Not this, Dustin. Not now.” You had been so uncharacteristically severe that everyone silently agreed to leave it.

You turned over on your back and stared at the ceiling. 

“Before Spring Break, I was having a really hard time.”

Steve remembered. The recesses of his memory held images of you looking off into the distance, refrains of sorry, what? whenever you got caught out. 

You'd buried yourself in schoolwork, picking up extra shifts at the bowling alley, packing your calendar with babysitting gigs. Like you were trying to erase every moment of idle time, pulling away from everyone.

Steve had worried but when he talked about it with Robin, she'd dismissed it as paranoia. Think about it, Steve, what's she's been through. It catches up. 

He figured Robin might know something he didn't, hurtful though it was. He'd dropped it.

“You were dating around and Nancy was missing Jon. El was gone, Hop was gone. Max was totally checked out. And I started wondering, like..”

Your eyes were wet, now, voice a little choked. Steve brushed your cheek and that seemed to give you the resolve to keep going.

“I started to worry that I would never find someone that could really know me. That I couldn't ever really move on and grow up because the people that did know me were all…” 

You gestured vaguely into the air.

“I felt so out of place all of a sudden. And for the first time since I got here I just wanted to go back. I wanted to go back to where I made sense. Even though I didn't like my life before…”

Steve's heart broke at the thought that you'd felt so abandoned. He could kick himself for being so flip about it back then.

Your story took you over then. It was so cemented in your mind, it might have been inscribed on tablets.

You'd blinked. One minute you were at the mouth of the gate. The next minute you were in some sort of cathedral. But it was in ruins. The exposed sky was red. The air was stale..lightning flashed a deeper crimson across the sky.

There were pews made of shaley stone. What would have once served as a wall was crumbled around the arrangement.

He stood at the pulpit, a stone monument, cracked with angry looking clefts glowing with smoldering fire. He clutched each side of it, staring you down.  

He breathed your name in a dulcet huff. 

“You don't belong. You belong nowhere. You're a reprobate. Abominable. An orphan in time.”

He was hideous. And massive. You hadn't seen him until now. You'd only heard conjecture on what his visage might look like.

He was slimy and twisted and hairless. The sinews of his skin were a swampy gray, eyes ringed with red. For his florid yet cruel indictment of you, he was foul. You could taste him just by looking at him.

You were paralyzed with revulsion and fear. You were worried that you might actually pee your pants.

“You have nowhere to return to. You absconded from your problems, as you've always done. But I have nothing but good news for you.” 

You glanced around, not daring to move your head. You only saw more waste, more nothingness, more anger and despair scratched into the landscape that surrounded you. You wanted to go home.

Suddenly you knew where home was. It had never been so clear. It was with the people that had held and kept you since you'd been sucked through a leak in space-time.

“You can make a home here. You can join my menagerie. You'll never suf-”

“Don't listen to him, Ladybug,” came a sharp, familiar voice behind you, coated in the accent of her mother country.

You spun to meet her eyes...Your grandmother was sitting on one of the rock pews. She looked as elegant and warm as ever. She was wearing the satin wrap dress she wore to Easter mass the last year she was alive.

You stumbled over to her. She stood and opened her arms as you fell into her.

Suddenly you forgot that you were in a red-tinged hell scape with a slimy vampire at your back. Wherever this was, wherever she was, was a sort of paradise.

You held her tight. You could smell her familiar shalimar perfume over the fetid ozone stink of this place. The wings of her upper arms were soft in the crooks of your elbows. She shushed your crying and stroked your hair.

It was her. You knew, beyond what it was to know, that it was her.

You heard Creel growl behind you, startling you out of your grandmother's arms. She held fast to you and tilted your chin to look at her. You heard the air around you twist like warped steel, Creel’s voice laced through it, muddled and distorted to something imperceptible.

“He is a liar. He will lie to deceive you.” Her accent made it sound like “day-seef.” 

You missed her. You missed the way she talked. You missed how severe she was when she wanted to make a point.

She'd found you. Outside of time and space and a living vessel, she'd found you in this hopeless place.

Her eyes burned into yours. “Your father is fine. He knows you are fine. He doesn't know how he knows, but I've seen to it.”

You could hear that desperate argumentative groaning trying to pierce through. Your head was hurting. You had pressure in your ears.

“Your place is with your friends. Never stop thinking of them and you will never lose.”

The world around you started to crumble and fall away. You saw those big spires of rock around you crash into the ground.

You gripped her hands that held your face. “I love you,” you sobbed.

She smiled at you as everything caved in. You closed your eyes and felt her kiss your forehead. 

When you opened them again, you saw Steve. He was cradling you and hyperventilating. He seemed to register that you were back. Relief washed over his face and his breathing returned to normal.

“Did I pee my pants?” 

Steve had the courtesy to glance down to your upper-thigh region.

“If you did, it must not have been a lot.”

You broke into a sob and let him hug you while your friends rallied to get you away from the gate.

From then on out, you heeded your grandmother’s advice. You never stopped thinking of your friends and you didn't fail…You got Hop and El back. 

You had your friends.

You had Steve.

You had shut your eyes while telling Steve the story but you opened them now. You turned your head to face him.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” you told him through tears. “I didn't know how.”

Steve didn't know what to say. He stared at you with gentle eyes. He didn't want you to cry anymore. 

He kissed you lightly and stroked your side. “It's okay. I get it.”

He did get it. He understood all at once why you couldn't tell them back then. You didn't want to make it about you. 

Max was still in danger. The world was still in danger. You'd been gifted a secret weapon that you had to wield and you didn't want anyone to hear what you'd seen and tell you that you'd been bamboozled by Creel and blunt your weapon with doubt. 

You'd known in your heart that it was real. Steve knew now because you knew. 

You were tired then. Well and truly sleepy. Steve accepted you into his arms.

You two fell into silence, breathing in tandem, stroking each other.

You felt Steve's chin wag on the top of your head when he asked “What do you think will happen on your 20th birthday?”

You smiled into his chest. You loved that Steve-flavored curiosity whenever it showed itself.

“I dunno, Stevie. Maybe nothing. But if anything does, you'll be there to find out with me, right?”

He scratched lines up your back as he answered.

“Can’t wait.”

(⁠/⁠^⁠-⁠^⁠(⁠^⁠ ⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠/

[cheriladycl01]

Third-Wheeling - Lance Stroll x MexicanOlympicGolfer! Reader

Plot: Your best friends with Lily Muni He, as your fellow Golfer. She tries to set you up with all of Alex’s friends, first it was Carlos, then it was Charles, then it was Lando and then it was Yuki, finally Lance comes along suddenly interested in his new hobby!

You participated in golf and met Lily at a young age. You’d been friends and rivals ever since.

Once Lily met Alex, and you got your first Olympic medal, going to the races was very very exciting for you as it was a chance to see Lily away from the golf course and meet lots of other athletes.

Eventually you, Alex and Lily became a sort of meme on the internet, Alex and Liky were funny enough on their own, joking around and making funny TikTok’s that the fans loved, but once you were added to the equation fans saw you three as a family.

You never really considered yourself to be third-wheeling however it did feel slightly like you were their adopted child.

You were a very anxious soul and weren’t a confident person when it came to speaking out or anything, unless it was on a course when you were competing. As a result you didn’t go out much, and when you did you stuck to Alex and Lily like Glue and Lily could see the pondering looks you gave some of Alex’s friends so that’s when the operation started.

SET Y/N UP

You didn’t know it was going on at first as Alex and Lily were incredibly subtle about it, not ever giving away that they could possibly be the ones behind the increase in boys messaging you. Particularly F1 drivers.

The first boy to reach out was Carlos Sainz, he had sent you a really sweet text, in Spanish which you were very thankful for as your English still wasn’t as good.

You guys went out on a lovely date, walking along the Spanish beach you were smitten. But there was issues that came with it. You were 22 and he was 29 and there’s was clear differences in maturity, and both of you were not looking for that. It was an easy conversation really, both agreeing that it wasn’t in the best intentions to move forward.

Months later and he had a picture up with Scottish Model Rebecca Donaldson and you couldn’t be happier for him.

But you were still single and Alex and Lily wouldn’t give up.

When they tried to set you up with Charles you were immediately shut down, he was in a relationship with new partner Alexandra Saint Mluex and once you met her you both got on so well. Being similar ages and now you could say you had another friend within the wags on the grid.

Charles and you also became good friends and you got a lot of hate at first because Alex wasn’t in the eye of the media unlike you were and not many people knew that her and Charles were dating and they thought it was you, calling you a homie hopper or a grid hopper.

You guys addressed it immediately, and that was that.

The next person was Lando, and this was half your own flirtatious self working and half Alex and Lily whispering about you in Lando’s ear.

You guys had fun, like lots of fun. You were spotted golfing with him. You were spotted in clubs with him, and then spotted going home with him where you guys … well.

But when you thought it was about time you had a conversation with Lando about becoming serious he was ready to tell you he was happy to keep things strictly as friends with benefits and he just wanted to fuck about.

Lots of fans were confused when you had stopped being sighted with Lando as they actually thought you guys would be the perfect pair after his last good relationship.

But when he was spotted out with Magui, it was clear you’d been fucked over. You’d posted a lot of self-help and self-improvement quotes on your twitter feed furthering the fans thoughts that Lando hadn’t been as loyal or something.

Thankfully Lily was there for the backlash when you cried to her about not knowing what you did and if there was anything you should have done differently.

After Lando, they tried to set you up with Yuki, but you were so so different. Communication was pretty difficult, the common language being English with you both, meaning you did struggle.

Yuki was also very shy around you, and it just … didn’t work which was really unfortunate as you absolutely adored Yuki.

Alex and Lily were on the verge of giving up, not many of the other drivers being age appropriate in their eyes or they weren’t single.

Lance had of course noticed you. How couldn’t he, you were incredibly beautiful and so smart and accomplished in life.

So he picked up golfing, he tried to find local courses whenever there was a race on that you’d be going to attend with Alex and Lily.

You hadn’t noticed Lance and his new golf obsession.

That was until you were golfing alone at a range just practicing your swing and Lance Stroll was there with Fernando and his father.

They immediately recognised you, as a pretty notable golfer, having two gold medals under your belt now and many LPGA championships.

And after that you got Lance’s number. Without the help of Alex and Lily who had not even considered that you and Lance would get alone as friends let’s alone date.

“Golfing today?” He asked as you were polishing and cleaning up your clubs.

“Mmmmm, would you like to come with me?” You asked, Lance loved coming with you, even after you’d noticed him and got together.

“You know I’d love to mi amor” he smiles pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

Lance’s favourite days with you were going out to the local golf club, spending the morning golfing having a nice fancy club lunch before you both trained in the gym. It meant that you were both doing stuff you needed to do for training but you were able to do it together as a couple.

You would never trade these days in either. You loved paralleling with him and feeling like you were working together as a couple to reach both your goals.

You also loved going to family dinners with him and Chloe. They came to your family home where your mum made them typical Mexican cuisine and then you’d go to the Stroll family home for your favourite breakfasts with Canadian Maple Syrup.

Life couldn’t get any better and Lily and Alex when they found out, couldn’t be happier for you.

y/user

Liked by alex_albon, lilymhe and lance_stroll

y/user: life lately with my fave duo 📸

Tagged 2 people

View all 298 comments

williamsracing: when will you next be in the paddock :(

-> lilymhe: she’s been cheating on us I fear admin

-> williamsracing: WHAT DO YOU KNOW

-> user1: admin panicking fr

->astonmartinf1: 👈🏼👀

-> user2: TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW ASTON

alex_albon: why do you never get candid pics of me, but always get candid pic of Lily…

-> y/user: she’s always camera ready … unlike Mr. EyesShut

-> lilymhe: I slay always 💕

lilymhe: you are so beautiful 🤩

-> y/user: says the literal princess 🌸

lance_stroll: Woah hermosa 🥰

Instagram Story Caption:

Lily ditched me, so I had to find a new golfing buddy @ LanceStroll 👋🏼👀

Taglist:

@littlebitchsposts @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[silent-stories]

𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝟑 𝐀.𝐌

Pairing: Eddie x F!Hopper!Reader (adopted or not)

Summary: Your dad would never approve of your relationship with Eddie, so you sneak out for a night walk in the woods with him.

00.13 a.m

"Where are you going?" Eleven's voice reached your ears as you got out of your bed trying not to make the slightest noise that could disturb the silent night.

You turned around as your bare feet touched the wooden floor, and you found your little sister sitting on her bed looking at you quizzically and half asleep, her wavy hair falling over her eyes.

You sighed, staring at the window you'd intended to jump down that night, the moonlight was filtering through the glass and reflecting off the floor as you walked over to El's bed. "Can you keep a secret like a good sister?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Am I not a good sister?"

"What? No, of course you are, it's just that... Dad doesn't have to know, okay?" You explained, whispering and hoping that Hopper in the room next to yours was snoring loud enough to drown out your voices.

El nodded.

"I'm seeing a boy."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Is he the boy with pretty eyes you were talking about last week?"

You froze, either El was a very smart kid or you weren't paying attention at all when you were talking about Eddie with her. "Yeah...yeah he is."

"Why Hopper doesn't have to know?"

"Because when your dad is a cop and your boyfriend has already been arrested three times, family dinners might get a little awkward."

El nodded, thinking silently. "Why was he arrested?"

"The first time because he caught him selling dr..." You stopped, thinking that these weren't things El should have known, cursing the thousand questions he could every time in your mind. "It's not really important."

"He's not a bad guy, is he? Hopper says he only arrests bad guys."

A corner of your lips lifted at the thought of El worrying about you. "No. Absolutely not. A lot of people think he is but...he's not. He's sweet and...he cares about me."

A smile appeared on the girl's lips. "He's like Mike!"

"Like Mike?" You scoffed. "He's way better than Mike."

She laughed, shaking her head.

"But it's very important that you don't tell dad, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. Good luck with the boy with pretty eyes."

You giggled, bringing a hand to ruffle her hair. "You are the best sister ever."

You pulled on the boots you'd left in the corner of the room and grabbed a jacket off a chair.

El waved to you as you slowly opened the window and sat on the edge, breathing in the fresh but not too cold air of the night.

You waved back to her and smiled before jumping out the window, your boots making a soft thud as they hit the wood of the porch.

You looked around for a moment, enjoying the silence of the night which wasn't really a silence, after all.

You could hear an owl in the distance, the croaking of frogs and the squealing of some of the small animals that lived in the woods. Two bats flew over you one after the other almost as if they were playing and you instinctively ducked so as not to collide with them.

You looked around, searching for the spot among the trees and bushes where the path that would take you to where Eddie told you you would meet started.

You breathed in the air that smelled of moss and wet grass. Then, after taking one last look at your house, you went into the woods.

00.39 a.m

When you saw him, his back was leaning against a big old looking tree, he was wearing a black shirt with a red flannel over it. As soon as he saw you a big smile appeared on his face as he walked towards you.

You'd always loved the way his face lit up whenever he saw you, as if just your presence made him happier.

It was night and probably someone would have been frightened to see a figure in the woods walking towards them, in the dark of the night illuminated only by the light of the moon, but not you, you would have recognized him even without the slightest light.

"Hey, princess. I almost thought your dad caught you." He said as he reached up to you and his lips met yours in a quick but soft kiss.

"Baby, you know I love you-"

"But?" His expression suddenly turned concerned.

"But you could have chosen a more recognizable place, I walked around this fucking wood for half an hour before I found you." You chuckled before pushing him back towards you, placing a hand behind his neck as your fingers tangled with his hair. "But you're worth it."

When your lips parted, Eddie looked at the tree he was leaning against some moments bofore. "But I described this tree to you perfectly!"

You rolled your eyes. "No, you told me it looked like Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings. And trust me, even though I've read it dozens of times it wasn't that easy to find."

He chuckled as he put his arm around your shoulders and started your night walk.

"Did you just say you've read The Lord of the Rings dozens of times?"

You huffed but raised an arm to intertwine your fingers with his. "That wasn't the point."

When you felt his fingers brushing your face, you turned your head towards his hand to leave a kiss on his knuckles.

A smirk was on his lips now. "I knew my girlfriend was a nerd."

1.26 a.m

"She has hair like yours, but her ears are pointed, because, you know, she's an elf. She's kind and always willing to help her companions but it's best not to make her mad because she's also a ruthless killer who won't hesitate to cut your insides to pieces if you do hurt her family." Eddie continued to tell you about his latest DnD campaign, describing the new characters in great detail, his arm still around your shoulders as you continued walking through the woods, following the path.

When you went out at night to meet him in the woods like that, sometimes you were afraid that you would get lost and that you would never be able to get out again, but then you always remembered that you had Eddie by your side and that if something like that happened he would turn him into a another one of your adventures.

"Her eyes the exact same shade as yours and-"

"Wait…did you base one of your characters on me?" You asked with a smirk.

"Maybe?" His uncertain tone let you know that the sincere answer would be yes.

"Well, what an honor, I wonder if-"

A sudden rustle coming from the bushes in front of you made you stop, your last words echoing in the silence of the woods.

"Did you hear that?" You asked, your voice reduced to a whisper.

"Yeah." Eddie's arm was softly pushing you behind him, as if to protect you from some possible danger but you stopped him and stayed beside him even after his glare.

"What if it's a wolf?" You asked as you continued to stare at the bushes moving.

"There are no wolves in Indiana."

"How do you know?"

"I've never seen one."

"Yes, because they usually hide behind bushes like that one."

When the snout of a weird animal popped up in the branches, your grip on Eddie's arm loosened.

"Oh, it doesn't look like a wolf."

A raccoon scrurred towards you, sniffing the ground probably looking for something to eat.

"Hey Buddy!" Eddie exclaimed as if he was saying hi to an old friend.

You brought your arms to your sides. "What? Do you know the raccoon?"

"I think it's the same one who's always hanging around the trailer area. Sometimes I leave him food." He explained with a smile on his lips as he knelt down and the raccoon approached him curiously.

"Eddie, it could carry some disease."

"Oh, shut up. Look how cute he is."

"All right, Snow White, go ahed. Don't come complaining to me when you have rabies." You commented as Eddie patted the raccoon's head like it was a puppy.

Eddie Munson.

The boy that people thought was a cult leader who worshiped the devil.

The boy who tried to hide his true feelings and his soft side to protect himself, creating an armor around himself, through which only those who really knew him could see.

Eddie Munson, who was called a "freak" by almost every single Hawkings resident, was kneeling in the mud to pet a raccoon, claiming he was "cute".

When he stood up, you instinctively pushed him towards you for a kiss, his lips were warm even if the night was cool.

He smiled. "What was this for?"

"Because you are so fucking pretty."

He scoffed. "Pretty? I'm not pr-"

He didn't have time to reply that your lips were on his again."Don't argue with me."

A kind of squeak, after a few minutes, made you separate.

Between your feet, walked four little raccoons, their black and white muzzles pointed at you, as if asking what the hell you were doing in the woods in the middle of the night.

"I think your raccoon is a mom."

Eddie chuckled when one of them tried to climb up your leg, falling after a few seconds.

"Who is Snow White now?"

"Oh, shut up."

2.00 a.m

"I don't wanna do that anymore." You said as you sat next to Eddie at the foot of one of the trees around Lover's Lake.

The moonlight reflected off the water surface creating an atmosphere of complete calm and the croaking of the frogs was all around you.

Eddie turned to you with a worried expression, you could almost see his anxiety suddenly rise and you cursed your choice of words.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No!" You exclaimed, perhaps a little too quickly. "No, absolutely not. I meant hiding."

"Hiding?"

"Going out at night, you know. I want to tell my father about us." You explained.

A gust of wind rustled the leaves and nearly drowned out Eddie's only word. "Oh."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not for me. It sure will be for him though. I don't think he likes me very much." He added the last part with a not-quite-genuine chuckle, probably thinking back to all the times he'd been arrested before.

"Eddie, I love you. So he'll get over it."

He pulled you closer to him, until you sat between his legs, and planted a kiss on your head as you rested your back against his chest. "I love you too" He murmured. "But I'm not sure your family would approve."

"Oh, my sister already knows about us." You commented, saying it like it was nothing important, but waiting for his reaction.

"What?"

You raised your head slightly towards him, your nose brushed his cheek.

"She caught me sneaking out." You explained. "But she said she's happy for us."

Eddie let out what felt like a sigh of relief.

"Good, because I don't want the little girl with superpowers against me." He chuckled.

"I would protect you with my life." You were joking, even though what you were saying wasn't too far from reality.

He giggled when you dropped a few kisses on his neck, since you couldn't reach his face from your position.

"And what about your father?" he asked after a few moments.

"He's never even given you a fine. And trust me, he usually gives a lot of them. I think he kinda likes you already."

"But he put handcuffs on me once."

"And you ran away and kept them."

His laughter echoed through the trees as his chest vibrated against your back. "I did."

"No, but seriously." You added. "I wanna tell him. And if he doesn't approve, fuck him. I'm happy when I'm with you."

Eddie held you tighter, but, as always, careful not to hurt you, enjoying the last few moments together before you both have to go home.

"He's really gonna put me in jail, this time."

You chuckled, shaking your head.

"I'll post bail."

3.14 am

You knew something was wrong when you saw that the light in your room was on.

Getting in from the window, you found yourself in front of Hopper, sitting on your bed with his arms crossed over his chest and the most pissed expression ever.

"I swear I didn't say anything!" El exclaimed, sitting cross-legged on her bed. You knew from her almost desperate tone that she meant it.

"You are up early this morning, aren't you?" You asked with a half laugh, trying to defuse.

"There are two options." He said curtly pointing an accusing finger at you. "You're either a werewolf or you owe me an explanation."

You thought about it for a moment.

"I am a werewolf?"

Not even El could hold back a laugh.

Tags: @jacklesdeanvessel @morning-sky7 @pipsqueakkitten @navs-bhat @michaelfuckinglangdon

[eddiemunsons-missingnipple]

Smut ❤️ angst 💔 fluff 🖤 hurt/comfort ❤️‍🩹 dark themes 🩶

This masterlist will be for more mostly recent works of mine consisting of oneshots, blurbs, headcanons, edits, etc.

Oneshots

♡ Virgin!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️🖤

Eddie desperately wants to make you feel good.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader❤️🖤

You and Eddie just moved into your very first trailer together, and he discovers a little secret you've been keeping.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader❤️

You and Eddie are guests at Joyce and Hoppers' wedding. When Eddie sees you in your dress, he can't seem to keep his hands off of you.

♡Rockstar!Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️❤️‍🩹

You just broke up with your boyfriend. Making your way down town upset and hurt, you bump into a certain Rockstar.

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 💔❤️‍🩹

You and Eddie have your first very big fight.

♡ Steddie x fem!reader ❤️

There's really no plot, just something smutty with our favorite boys. You've been a brat, and now your boyfriends have to punish you.

♡ Monster!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️🩶

After a long day of work, all you wanted to do was rest. Someone in your home has other plans, more specifically, something under your bed.

♡ College!Eddie Munson x shyfem!reader ❤️

Eddie hosts a late night radio show for his college campus, where he discusses various different topics. He's mostly known for his DnD and sex talk segments. You've been a long-time listener who works up the courage to finally call in for some help.

♡ College!Eddie Munson x shyfem!reader(Part 2)❤️🖤

After your call with Eddie, you can't get him off your mind. You promised yourself to let your fears go and finally speak with him in person. Some things don't go as originally planned because Eddie just so happens to walk into your coffee shop.

♡ College!Eddie Munson x shyfem!reader (part 3)❤️🖤

After your successful first date, you and Eddie continue seeing each other. Things start getting more serious between the two of you.

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

a little something for the people who suffer from insomnia or just have a hard time sleeping.

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

Eddie takes you shopping for Christmas trees.

♡ VirginRockstar!Eddiemunson x Groupiefem!reader ❤️

Eddie finally had it all, success, money, and fame. There was still one tiny problem he had.

Older work

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️💔

porn no plot. reader really wants to kiss Eddie, but he doesn't like that.

♡Older!Eddie Munson x younger fem!reader ❤️

You made a new friend at work, and she invites you over to spend the weekend with her. Her father takes a liking to you, and you find yourself giving him a helping hand late one night.

♡ Older!Eddie Munson x younger fem!reader ❤️

Eddie moved away right after graduation and cut contact with all of his old friends. What happens when he returns to Hawkins in 2013 and meets a younger girl. Who also just so happens to be Steve Harrington's adopted daughter.

♡Construction worker!Eddie munson x fem!reader ❤️

your husband hires a new man to come and fix up your home while he's away on business. What could possibly go wrong?

♡Ghostface!Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️🩶

Eddie takes you on a mini vacation to a cabin in the middle of the woods. Where the two of you can enjoy your time alone together and try something new.

♡Ghostface!Eddie Munson x fem!reader x Ghostface!Steve Harrington part 2 ❤️🩶

During your last few days of your vacation. Eddie brings an extra guest to stay with you.

♡Dad!Eddie Munson x Mom!reader 🖤

it's your daughter's first day of school and Eddie isn't taking it too well.

♡Dad!Eddie Munson x Mom!reader 🖤

You and Eddie take an evening drive with your little ones.

♡ Older Rockstar!Eddie Munson x fem!reader 🖤

Your husband has no idea how modern phones work and accidentally posts a lewd image.

Blurbs

♡ Rockstar!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️

eddie buys you a sex toy before he leaves on tour, and he likes to call you at night, making you put the phone by your p***y so he can hear all the pretty wet sounds you're making.

♡ Rockstar!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️

rockstar!eddie taking you to an award show and f**king you with the sex you he bought you because he got jealous other men were flirting with you infront of him.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Riding Eddie's happy trail as punishment

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

You and Eddie run out of condoms

♡ Gamer!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️

gamer eddie putting his controller to your clit and making it vibrate until you cum

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Eddie's roommate walks in on you both.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

after your last bet with Eddie you decide its his turn now

♡ Sub!Eddie x reader ❤️🖤

Just a little something about giving Eddie some aftercare

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

Eddie isn't a morning person

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

eddie mocking that he's too big for you to take.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️ 🩶

late at night, eddie can't resist having you even when you're sleeping.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Watching porn with Eddie

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

Eddies reaction to you stubbing your toe

♡ Perv!Eddie ❤️

Eddie has naughty thoughts about his older neighbor.

♡ Eddie Munson x shy!fem!reader ❤️

You're too shy to ask Eddie for a special request.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Best friend Eddie finds your sex toy.

♡ OlderSub!Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

you're with older eddie, and everyone just assumes he's very rough and dominant, but really, he likes it When you slap his face and spit on him, he practically begs for it while you ride him.

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

You make Eddie take you to a haunted house.

♡ Monster!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️

Moot request

♡ SoftishDom!Eddie x fem!reader ❤️

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Eddie really loves to give you compliments

♡ Eddie Munson x reader 🖤

Watching a movie with Eddie.

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

eddie teaching you how to play DBD but you keep dying so you get angry and quit so he tries to make you feel better by…

♡ Eddie Munson x fem!reader ❤️

Eddie can't seem to sleep

Headcanons / Concepts

♡ Eddie going down on you while you read ❤️

♡ Eddie being a human furnace 🖤

♡ Eddie and his crystal collector 🖤

♡ Eddie is a biter 🖤

♡ Givin Eddie your ring 🖤

♡ Eddie giving you his coat 🖤

♡ Eddie blasting his music 🖤

♡ cooking with Eddie 🖤

♡ Dad!Eddie 🖤

♡ Rockstar!Eddie using his moans on a song ❤️

♡ sitting on Eddie's amp ❤️

♡ Lazy mornings with Eddie 🖤❤️

Updated 9/12/23

Divider by me

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

Billy asks you out but you have no idea its because Jason paid him to and it's for revenge against Hellfire.

Eddie, is pissed about your date but his protective side comes out when he finds out what happened.

Reader is Hoppers niece in this story. She can be adopted or through family, it's up to you. 💕

Jealousy, protective Eddie, fluff. Minors dni, 18+ don't copy, translate or repost my work.

Season four Au, Billy is alive.

❤️

Tonight should have been a good night. It was your first date in a while and you were hoping it went well. You should have realised it was doomed from the start, especially as it had caused you and Eddie to have a really bad fight.

He wasn't happy about your date with Billy and an argument between the two of you erupted during lunch two days ago, you hadn't spoke to each other since then.

It made sitting at the Hellfire table very awkward and poor Dustin had given up trying to get the two of you to talk to each other.

According to Eddie there was no way that Billy had changed, he'd only hurt you, etc. You were a believer in second chances, though maybe you should have been more wary just like Eddie said.

Billy had taken you to see some new horror movie and invited you to hang out with a friend of his after.

The minute that Jason showed up at the end of your date alarm bells rang in your head. He walked right up to Billy and handed him a hundred bucks, sneering at you and then turning back to Billy.

"Wow. Well done dude, this went better than I thought" Jason laughed and Billy had this stupid smirk on his face.

It was a bet Billy explained. A hundred bucks to date you, cause some friction with Eddie and then let you find out, humiliating you. It was Jason's idea for revenge on Hellfire, it left you feeling sick to your stomach and Jason's laughter followed you along the way, as you raced out of the movie theatre.

Now you were back at home. Tears running down your cheeks and your heart aching, you can't believe you were so stupid to give Billy a chance. Not only were you humiliated but Eddie wasn't speaking to you either.

The thought of facing Jason tomorrow at school made you toss and turn all night, however you were determined to get back at the asshole one way or another.

...

Jason's smug smirk at seeing you first thing soon disappeared when in art class your paint supplies accidentally went over his lucky letterman jacket.

You adopted your most innocent expression when the teacher asked you if it was an accident, acted flustered and said you were sorry to Jason.

When the teachers back was turned the apologetic expression vanished from your face and you smirked at an enraged Jason.

"Paybacks a bitch huh?"

That felt really good. However your good mood vanished as soon as it was lunchtime. Eddie was still grumpy and the tension between the two of you was awful.

Between this and the disappointment that your first date in ages was just a stupid bet, you were feeling close to tears. All it took was Gareth turning to you, giving a nervous glance to Eddie then asking how the date went for you to almost crumble.

"I don't want to talk about it" you mumble and Eddie looks at you for the first time in days, folds his arms across his chest and huffs annoyed.

"Jesus h christ, so you ignore my advice and it turns out exactly how I thought it would?" his tone chips away at your bruised heart and you meet Eddie's gaze.

You try to act nonchalant but the facade quickly fades and your lip wobbles, the ache in your chest hurting again. The anger leaves Eddie's eyes immediately.

"It was a bet okay! So you were right Eddie. Billy is still an asshole and he got paid by Jason to humiliate me" you snap and gather your stuff not wanting to hear Eddie say I told you so.

If you were being honest some part of you deep down only went on this date to see how Eddie would react. For a while you suspected he might have feelings for you.

Obviously you were wrong. He didn't want you that way. Maybe he was wondering why Billy even wanted to date you in the first place.

Whatever. You didn't need this shit from him and promptly walked away from the Hellfire table.

❤️

Eddie couldn't remember the last time he had been this mad. The very feeling coursing through his veins, had propelled him to seek out Jason and he found the asshole laughing with one of his douchebag friends.

"Hey Munson, you ask your friend how her date went last night? Jason throws the jibe at him, smirks and fist bumps his friend.

His amusement only lasts for a few seconds because he soon sees the look in Eddie's eyes, the one that sends him scampering back and turning paler by the minute.

"You stay away from me freak. I mean it" Eddie ignores him, moves closer to Jason and glares at him.

"Let's get one thing straight Carver. You wanna mess with me then fine, you don't use my friends to do it. Especially not her, understand?" Carver isn't so cocky now, merely nods as his friend hightails it in the other direction.

"Why do you think I went after her freak. She's like your weakness or something" Eddie stills as Jason's words hit him. The thing is the douchebag wasn't wrong.

"I mean it man. You hurt even the tiniest hair on her head I swear you'll regret it" he pushes him away and then stalks off making plans to deal with Billy next.

❤️

The opportunity presents itself the next day when Billy as per usual came to the trailer for his weeks supply of weed, "a little something to deal with living in this shithole town" Billy would say and in all honesty Eddie agreed with him.

Well until he decided to fuck with you. Now as far as Eddie was concerned, Billy Hargrove could go and fuck himself.

Just the sight of him coming into the trailer with his signature smirk and an expectant look, set Eddie's teeth on edge and then Billy makes it worse, subtly rubs in what he's done.

"Got a windfall this week Munson so hit me with the good stuff" Eddie has to dig his nails into his hands to stop himself from doing something stupid, like lunging at this smug asshole. He can't believe Billy would have the fucking audacity to be so boastful about what he done.

Not that he expected that Billy would give a fuck about hurting you but he figured there might be guilt or some shit. His jaw tightens and he shoots Billy a dark look.

"Yeah there's nothing here for you dude, you're cut off" he stares coldly at Billy, who looks offended that Eddie is refusing to give him anything.

"You can't do that Munson, I'm a paying customer so give me my fucking weed" the harshness in Billy's tone barely effects Eddie, he's too pissed at what Billy has done to give a fuck about how angry this douchebag is.

"I don't want it man. You think you can hurt my girl and I'd still sell you shit? You're lucky I don't beat your ass, might land me a broken arm or some shit but it would be worth it"

Billy snorts "All of this for her" he points to you and Eddie swears, he didn't realise you had arrived and had heard everything, standing at the trailer door looking stunned.

"All of it. Now fuck off dude" he gestures to the door and Billy scoffs and marches up to him.

"You know I could tell the chief all about your dealing and shit. He'd fast track you to jail and you'd be exactly like daddy" Eddie's fist tightens at Billy's threat but he ignores it, the asshole is talking shit.

"Go ahead. Sure Hop would love to know that you messed with his niece and humiliated her. Bet you'll be right at the top of his Christmas card list dude" Billy's eyes widen, then he swears and storms out of the trailer.

Heat gathers in Eddie's cheeks as you walk over to him. The look on your face has him feeling out of sorts, with a desperate need to take you in his arms and kiss you senseless.

But you only saw him as a friend didn't you? That's why he was such a douchebag this week, yeah because of Billy's reputation and he was scared you'd get hurt but also because he was so fucking jealous.

Not that he'd ever tell you how he felt. There was no way he was having that conversation with you. Fuck, now that would be mortifying.

So imagine his shock when you kiss his cheek, so very near his lips that it makes his brain short circuit for a few seconds and he's genuinely stunned.

"Maybe next time we could try a real kiss" you suggest and Eddie comes to with the biggest beaming smile on his face.

"I'd like that princess. That's why I was such a dick this week. I'm sorry, I was jealous that you went a date with Hargrove when I've been wanting to ask you out for months"

He feels like he might explode when you trail your hand up his chest, he's eager to kiss you, touch you and make you his.

"How about you take me on a date right now Eddie? See I figured out that there's no one I'd rather be with than you. Took me some time to realise that but I don't plan on wasting anymore time"

Your words are like music to his ears and the grin doesn't leave his face when you move closer to him and exchange your first kiss.

And just like that you and Eddie were exactly where you were supposed to be.

❤️

[bettyfrommars]

Death Becomes Us

Part 8: Warm Hands, Frozen Hearts

vampire!eddie x supernatural!reader

masterlist playlist

18+Only, werewolf!steve, allusions to smut, allusions to devious deeds, mention of addiction, mention of drinking blood, angst, waitress!erica, Bob Newby lives, Chief Hopper sighting, as well as another glimpse of vampire!max.

summary: you go on your "just friends" date with werewolf!steve, but meanwhile, Eddie makes a bold decision and things heat up between the two of you. Jareth's interest in you grows stronger, as does his determination to find out exactly who/what you are as everything begins to come to a head.

word count: 4.8k

author's note: for the sake of this story, Jareth is meant to be a cross between Jamie Campbell Bower and Eric Northman from True Blood. As a little reminder, The Upside Down exists in this story, but not the same way it does in ST. All of the ST characters in this do not know each other in the same way they do in the show. But, Steve and Robin are friends, because, well, always.

Fanger: derogatory slang for Vampire

Previous Chapter here

One week earlier

Steve was summoned to visit Sacrament in the Upside Down, and he should have gone with a few of his brothers in the pack but decided he didn't want company.  He snuck out there through the portal in the woods in his hulking wolf form at first, to sniff the place out, noting the high number of vampires and demobats circling overhead.  

He came back the next night in his truck, through the bridge, and was told to ask for Craven at the bar.

Craven sniffed the air and snarled when Steve walked up, and Steve returned the gesture, curling his top lip to show that he had sharp teeth too.  Werewolves were very strong—supernaturally so—but they were not immortal like vampires, and so it was always wise to operate around bloodsuckers with a measure of caution.

“I’m here to see Jareth,” Steve shouted over the synth music, squeezing in between two scantily clad human women.  

Steve was dressed like he’d just come from chopping wood in the mountains in a plaid button-down and jeans, and a wholesome curl of dark hair that bounced over his forehead.  Craven, on the other hand, was tattooed from neck to hands, wearing a wife beater that fit tight around his muscles and slicked back hair that was a bit greasy, but in a sexual way.  

“No one sees Jareth without an invitation,” Craven said smugly, throwing a rag over his shoulder to brace his hands in front of him.

Steve gave a wry smile.  “You think I’d come here just to shoot the breeze with you Fangers? He knows I’m coming.”

Craven clicked his tongue disapprovingly and went to grab the phone on the wall above the cash register, but in the blink of an eye, Jareth was already standing there, right next to Steve. He must have watched him come in on one of the cameras mounted on the ceiling. Steve moved back, out of surprise, but then he stepped forward again, meeting blonde, vampire Jareth eye to eye, letting him know he wasn’t afraid.

Steve really wasn’t afraid; his alpha ego was too big for that. Sure, he knew there was a chance that an older vampire might best him in the end, but he’d get the fight of his life.  

“Whatever he wants, it’s on the house,” Jareth told Craven, all while never taking his eyes off his guest.  

Steve declined a beverage and followed in Jareth’s wake through the sea of people moving to the music under the blue lighting.

Back in the simple black and cream decor of his office, Jareth found his firey assistant Maxine sitting behind his desk and he waved her out.  

“Oh? You didn’t tell me we were adopting a pound puppy,” she teased with a deadpan delivery, keeping a bored expression on her face.  

Steve knew they’d be taking cheap shots at him, he’d prepared himself for it.

“Get out, Maxine,” Jareth said impatiently.  “I need to have a word with our lycanthrope friend here.”

She obeyed, slinking out the door in her skin tight latex dress and platform heels, smacking her glossy lips in Steve’s face as she went.  

Jareth was in all black with a slim leather jacket on that looked like it had been tailored just for him.  He perched at the front of the desk, crossing his booted feet at the ankles, and folded his arms over his chest.

“Take a seat,” he told Steve.

Steve glanced down at the chair in front of Jareth.  “I’ll stand, thanks. What is this about?”

“You really don’t know why I’ve asked you here?” Jareth’s face looked like it was carved out of stone. “Do you need a hint?” 

For the first time, Steve broke eye contact.  “I don’t have any news about the girl.”

Jareth tilted his head back, so that he was looking down his nose at the visitor.  “You’ve been keeping an eye on her, like I asked?”

Steve gave a tight nod. 

The truth was that Steve hadn’t accidentally bumped into you at the bookstore that day two months ago; he knew where you would be and he’d sought you out.  His pack were in league with what some would consider “vampire royalty” and they made a lot of money doing jobs for them. 

At first, he started looking out for you because Jareth told him too.  But after around the third week, he realized he was protecting you because he cared about you.  He didn’t trust anyone from the pack to watch your trailer after dark, so he did it himself.  There were a few nights when he swore you’d looked out from your kitchen window and saw him: two red eyes glowing in his honey brown fur.  

“What’s your interest in her?” Steve chanced, knowing full well that Jareth would not answer it if he didn’t want to.  

“She says she’s human, but I don’t believe her,” Jareth raised an eyebrow.  “There’s something else going on with that one, and until I find out, I don’t want any harm to come to her.”

You weren’t human, Steve knew that from the first smell.  You were part human, part something else, as if your blood were filled with static from a television.  

“I asked you here because I need you to get closer to her, to see if you can find out anything more about her…condition.”

Steve didn’t like this anymore, he felt like he was being dishonest to you, and that one day you’d find out he was hired to watch you instead of being the avid science fiction lover he’d claimed to be.  Every time he interacted with you lately, he wanted to mention it, but he couldn’t figure a casual way to say, “hey, I’m being paid to watch you, I sleep in the woods outside your trailer a few nights a week, but I’m starting to have feelings, and was wondering if you were free for dinner?”

Steve pulled his shoulder’s back, puffing his chest out a bit.  “If you want to know more about what she is, why don’t you just ask her, man? What’s with all the cloak and dagger?”

Jareth pushed off the desk and walked over to look at a piece of abstract splatter art on the wall while he spoke, clasping his hands behind his back.  “My presence at her trailer park would certainly ring some alarms, I’m sure you are not so dense,” his tone was condescending but proper.  “I don’t want anyone, especially Munson, to know that I have any interest in her. Not yet, anyway.”

Since Steve had been watching you, he was also well aware of Eddie’s comings and goings. “Eddie hasn’t interacted with her in weeks, not that I’ve seen,” Steve told him.  “Appears like the two are avoiding each other.”

Jareth scoffed.  “I’m not particularly a fan of his, but when Edward has a job to do, he does it well,” he turned from the painting and went around the desk.  “My gut tells me that he has something up his sleeve, and my gut is never wrong.”

Steve let the information sink in.  “You don’t think Eddie would hurt her? He’s a car thief and a drug dealer, but not a killer.”

Jareth bent down to pretend to look at some paperwork, but then his eyes lifted to Steve and he smirked. “Is that what he told you?”

“We’ve never really talked but—”

“I’ve been doing my own investigating, but until I get some answers, just get close to her however you can, I want to accelerate this end game.”

“And what endgame is that?” Steve’s voice was low and commanding as he pushed the sleeves of his flannel up to reveal the generous muscles in his forearms.  He rested his back against the wall, not sure he wanted to know the answer. 

“The official endgame, Sir Harrington,” Jareth’s striking, ancient blue eyes gleamed.  “Is none of your business.”

—---

“Sorry about that,” you told Steve as you climbed into the cab of his truck. “I had no idea he was coming over.”  

You were apologizing for Eddie, of course, and the way he’d been giving Steve the death stare when he’d come to pick you up.  The snow was coming down harder now, in huge wet flakes the size of quarters, plopping like dissolving puffs of cotton onto the windshield of the truck.

“Was he bothering you?” Steve asked protectively, glaring at the door to Eddie’s trailer while you fumbled with your seatbelt.  

“No, he’s…he’s just a friend,” you said, trying to blink away the flashes of all of the sex dreams you had of him that were ricocheting through your head. 

After Eddie had stepped out of your trailer and shut the door, he’d stood on your porch for a minute, taking his time to light a cigarette before slowly making his way over to his place.  He made eye contact with Steve a few times through the windsheild, wondering if he should kill him.

The inside of Steve’s big old truck was warm, it smelled like winter wool and the yellow vanilla car freshener he had hanging from the radio knob.  The song Working Man by Rush played low from the speakers.  

You’d heard about the Werewolves of Hawkins from Bob and Argyle when a few of them came into the bar one night.  Apparently, they were very reclusive and only ventured to town in human form every so often.  

“Have you never seen a werewolf before?” Bob Newby, the owner of the bar you worked at, asked you with a tilt of his head and a curious smile.  “They’re all over the woods.  Beautiful creatures.”

He’d said it so casually, as if a man turning into a wolf and roaming around at night was the most normal thing in the world.  

“Are there no werewolves where you come from?” Argyle asked while he wiped down a bottle of tequila.  

You moved your eyes as if to think.  “Uh, nope, not that I know of anyway.  Hawkins is the only place I’ve ever heard of them ever existing before.  What’s next? Are you going to tell me that Faeries and Shapeshifters are real too?”

Bob and Argyle exchanged a knowing look.  Bob gave you a consolation pat on the back, “one day at a time there, missy.  Let’s give you a chance to get used to werewolves first, and then we can move on to the next.”

That night in the darkness of the movie theater with Steve, you turned to whisper in his ear.  “Can you change into a werewolf whenever you want, or only during a full moon?”

He chuckled, leaning in so that his cheek was on your head. He was so warm, you wondered if he had a fever.  “When you’re a pup, in the early days, the transformation happens at the most awkward times.  Once we get older and learn how to control our emotions, we can go through the change whenever we need to.”

“Like right now?” Your lips were close to his neck, breath tickling his skin, giving him goosebumps.  

The side of his mouth moved against your forehead. “Just say the word, darlin’.”

Your hands fumbled together a few times while reaching for popcorn at the same time, and a voice in your head said:

This is nice

Steve is nice

Steve was a good guy who probably thought you were a normal woman who’d led a fairly typical life, and you worried you were misleading him.  

There were a few times though, after the movie and on the ride back, when you felt like he wanted to tell you something, but then he would stop short.  He’d rub the back of his neck and start out with, “yeah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” but then he’d shake his head and jump to another topic.  

Steve cursed to himself at how bad he was fumbling the night, he felt like he was a goddamn teenager again. 

The only thing he knew for sure after that night was that he liked you a lot, and more than ever he needed to cut ties with Jareth. He’d been meaning to break free from the politics of the pack to become a Lone Wolf, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.  He was next in line to be Alpha, but it was a role that he had no interest in playing.  

Parked next to the hearse in front of your trailer again, the snow had stopped, but it was up to your ankles now, and you couldn’t help but notice the light in Eddie’s living room was on.  

“Here, wait, let me walk you,” Steve insisted.

“No, I’m good,” you were already on the ground, looking up at him across the seat.  “If Bela hears your voice too close to the house, she’ll just go nuts again.”

You'd told him about your new companion earlier, and he looked at you like you'd decided to take in a pet dragon.

“I’ll wait here until I know you got in okay.” Steve said softly, giving you a nod.  “Hey, are you doing anything tomorrow night?”

“I’m, well, I think–” you stammered.  Was Steve about to ask you on an actual date? “I might pick up a shift at Main Vein tomorrow night.”

“There’s going to be a reading at the bookstore, and I promised Robin I’d help string some lights and set up some chairs.  So, I’ll be in the neighborhood if you want to get something to eat or, whatever.  I’d really like to see you again.”

He said the last part in a rush, partially hoping you wouldn’t catch it.

The admission made your cheeks hot under his steady gaze.

You told him you’d stop by if you weren’t waitressing, and at your front door with the key in the lock, you turned to wave at him one more time over your shoulder before slipping inside to flip the deadlock behind you.  You closed your eyes and leaned against the door until you heard the rumble of his truck growl onto the main road, and then you flipped the lights on.  

“Mr. Wonderful couldn’t walk you to the door?” 

The voice made you jump and a scream caught in your throat.

Eddie was sitting on your couch, arms stretched out over the back of it, as if it were his trailer and he’d been expecting you.  

You let the shock of it subside, taking a long breath to slow your heart rate. 

You hung your bag on the hook by the door and started to shrug out of your coat.  “You know, when I invited you in, I didn’t mean break in whenever you felt like it.”

“I didn’t break in,” he lowered one arm and rested that hand between his legs. “I know where you hide your spare key.”

“It’s not funny, Eddie,” you threw your jacket on the recliner.  “I’d like you to leave now, please.”

“How was your date?” He bit out the last part.

“I’m not answering any of your questions,” you stopped in your tracks and looked around, suddenly alert.  “Where is Bela? I don’t hear her.  Eddie, if you did anything to her, I will —-”

“I would never hurt her,” he moved to stand up, and under his breath he added, “or you.”

“So?” You flapped your arms out, impatiently, blood pressure spiking.  “Where is she?”

Eddie came forward and put a finger to his lips, motioning for you to lower your voice.  He guided you down the hallway, ignoring your protests, until he arrived at your bedroom door and turned the knob, opening it slowly.

Bela was curled up on your bed in a blanket, breathing heavy like she’d just been dosed with a tranquilizer.  

“She broke out again while you were gone,” he whispered.  “Blew the bathroom door right off its hinges and came scratching at my door like maybe I had you.”

Your eyes went to the window across the room, seeing that there were boards hammered over it now, which was more of Eddie’s handiwork.

Feeling you softening at his side, Eddie pulled the door closed with a click.  You were having a hard time meeting his eyes.  You’d been so mad at him, so ready to scream and kick him out into the snow.

“She let you hold her?” You asked, noticing that you no longer had a bathroom door, Eddie must’ve taken it out to fix it.

“I'm charming, what can I say?” he shrugged.  “And I gave her some of my blood from a little eyedropper.”

“You what?” You spun on him, appalled.

“Don’t sound so horrified,” He put his hands on his hips once you reached the kitchen.  “They need vampire blood to calm their nervous system.  She’ll sleep like a baby now.”

In the book you were reading, the author did say that demobats who drank regular doses of vampire blood seemed to fare better than the others, but you’d decided to disregard that information as speculation.  

“In that case, I guess I should say thank you,” you opened the fridge and took out the Brita water filter and a glass from the cupboard.  

Eddie crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his thigh against the counter.  “Did that Steve guy try to make a move on you or what?”

You frowned at him.  “Listen, you don’t get to invade my space and bombard me with personal questions.  Why does it matter so much to you what we did?”

“I don’t trust him,” Eddie had his eyes trained on one spot in front of him, studying a patch of air while he worked his jaw.  

“If it’s any comfort, I don’t think he cares much for you, either.”

Eddie’s head spun to look at you.  “What did he say about me?”

“Nothing!” You clarified, raising the tone of your voice to match his. “He didn’t mention you at all, actually.  It’s just a feeling I got.”

You took a drink, and when you put the glass back down, Eddie moved in, bracketing your hips with his hands on the countertop, caging you there while he searched your eyes.  “Did he kiss you?”

You didn’t answer right away, and so he asked it again.

“Did he kiss you?”

The way his lips hovered there so close to yours made you swallow hard. The air between the    two of you crackled with electricity.  You waited for his eyes to go black, for his fangs to eject, for him to take your blood into his mouth like he had that night in the alley.  

“Would it bother you if he had?” There was an air of pleading in your tone that you had not intended to be there.

Please let it bother you.

Eddie slid his bottom lip through his teeth and leaned back, stepping away from you.  “I just think you should keep your distance from him, that’s all.  Werewolves are notoriously…” he trailed off as if searching for the right word. “...undisciplined.”

You wondered about Eddie’s discipline, how hard it was for him not to go the rest of the way and claim you just then.  To sink his teeth in and suck on that nectar of yours that he craved so deeply.  You could see the desire in his eyes, the way the brown irises melted into umber and his pupils expanded.  

You would not have stopped him, that was the final truth of it.

In that moment, you knew that if Eddie Munson wanted to kiss you, you would not put up a fight. 

You would not pull back and ask, “what are you doing?”

You would just know. 

“I changed the bulb in your porch light, by the way,” he added on his way to the door.  “Noticed it was out.”

You did not turn to watch him go, you kept your back to him.  “Thank you again for Bela and for boarding up the window.”

He mumbled something under his breath that made you look over your shoulder.  “What was that?”

He stopped in his tracks with his hand on the doorknob, hair long around the shoulder of his leather jacket.  “I said, you know where I am, if you ever need anything.”

Eddie stepped out onto your front porch and exhaled a shuddering, long-held breath.  He shut his eyes and rubbed the heels of his palms into them.  “Holy shit, Munson, you are such an idiot,” he scolded himself, feeling a sprinkle of snow again on his flesh.  

He took a step down and then paused, thinking he should go back in.

Thinking he should tell you…everything.

Maybe you would understand.

Maybe you’d lean into his kiss and pull him closer.

Maybe…

But then the shadow of uncertainty shrouded him and he kept going.

—-------

You ended up covering for Argyle behind the bar the next night while he went to California for a week, and thankfully it was a slow shift because you were still figuring out what alcohol went in which drink.  But then a crowd of people on their way to the poetry reading at Robin’s came through, and two of them were vampires, so you had to get out the manual to remember which synthetic blood type to use in the various mixtures.

“Another whiskey with a beer back for the Chief,” Erica scooted up next to you and tapped your arm to get you to lean in closer to her.  “Do you think he’s waiting for someone?”

Jim Hopper was in a booth by himself in the dimly lit room, facing the door, and you had noticed that he seemed very interested in getting a good look at everyone who came in that evening. He still had his uniform on, since he was only recently off the clock, and he was tapping his knee and chewing on the side of his fingernail with some type of anticipation.

You knew that if you got closer, you’d be able to get a better read on his emotional state.

“I’ll take it to him,” you said to Erica, and then the two of you talked about the movie you went to with Steve because she hated it and said she was angry those were two hours of her life she could never get back.  “I can’t believe you let a werewolf take you on a date,” she squinted.  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were looking for trouble.”

You moved around her with both of Jim’s drinks and winked.  “I’m the one who’s trouble.  They come looking for me.”

“Oh I believe that,” she quipped in your wake.

The closer you got to Jim, the more you could sense the yearning inside of him.  There was desperation with sadness around the edges, and the hint of a familiar sinister urge, much like you’d felt with the Klemps all those weeks ago.  

His eyes met yours only briefly when you set his drinks down, and then you asked if he wanted one menu or two.  

“Not tonight, thanks.  I’m waiting for someone, and then I need to split,” he nodded as he warmed the whiskey in his big hands and wiped a sheen of perspiration from his forehead.

Well, there was your answer.

You and Hopper both looked up when the door opened that time, and you were pleasantly surprised to see Steve standing there.  Shoulders broad in his plaid shirt and his luscious head of hair looking wild from the wind outside.  His face lit up when he saw you. 

“Hey stranger,” you walked over to him, beaming.  

Steve had been pacing out on the sidewalk between the bookstore and the bar for the past 15 minutes trying to decide if he should go in or not.  By the way you were smiling at him, he could tell he'd made the right decision.  

“Hey, you,” he gave a smirk and raked his big hand through his unruly hair a few times.  He glanced around at the 8 or 9 customers.  “Do you have a break soon?  Or can I bring you anything?”

“My shift is over in an hour,” you talked as you returned to your station, waving at Bob through the serving hatch.  Steve rested his elbow on the bar.  “I was thinking I’d make my way over to the bookstore if you’re still around.”

“Oh I think I’ll be around,” he assured, tapping his knuckles on the wood, not wanting to sound too eager.  Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Erica glaring at him.  She was not much of a fan of the supernatural.  

Right behind Steve, a strikingly beautiful woman with short black hair and red lips strolled in. She had a long leather coat that she pulled tightly around her as she walked, and she appeared to know exactly where she was going, strolling over with ancient grace  to Jim’s table.  He stood up to greet her, and then they hunched across the table toward each other as if they were telling secrets.  

You realized you were staring as you spotted a tiny vial of dark liquid in her palm just before she slid it across the way to him under a cupped hand.  

“I’ll come back when you’re finished,” Steve said a few other things, but your mind had not retained them.  “We can walk over together.”

“Sure,” you said absently.  The mysterious woman with Jim got up and left after only a minute or two. Jim downed the rest of his drink, left a tip, and exited out the back, putting his hat on as he went.  

A bit later, as you were changing out of your apron in the back room and counting your bills, you wondered where Eddie was and what he was doing.

It made you curse out loud, the persistent way your mind clung to him.

It was irrational and wholly unfair.  

You wanted him to pull up in the GTO and tell you to get in without any explanation of why or where you were going. 

The customers continued to wane, and Bob told you to skedaddle 20 minutes earlier than you’d expected, so you figured you’d get a head start and meet Steve half way. Erica flipped you off, playfully mocking the fact that you could go home before her.  You snuggled down into your winter coat and pushed through the employee door that led to the parking lot at the greeting of a gust of bitingly cold wind.  You stopped to pull your gloves out of your pockets and the door that could only be opened from the inside locked shut behind you.  

When you looked up, Jareth stepped out of the shadows and loomed there, blocking your path.  

“I’m afraid you'll have to come with me, love.”  

----

hugs and kisses, thank you so much for reading! Your comments, asks, and reblogs mean the world xoxo

----

Taglist: @trixyvixx @sllooney @writinginthetwilight @sidthedollface2 @atomickaratel8dy @probablyin-bed @kiyastrf94@briamunson92 @joannamuns9n @jasminelafleur @@bellalillyrose @dashingdeb16 @alba8688 @corrodeddeadlydoll @brassreign @likedovesinthewnd @ilovetaquitosmmm @skrzydlak @onegirlmanytales @angietherose @probablyin-bed @reidsbtch @moonbeamsandmayhem @eddiesxangel @hideoutside @secretdryrose @nailbatanddungeon @thorfemmes @corkadymu @kellsck @mrsjellymunson @poofyloofy

[sailorwritesstuff]

California girl. Jane Hopper x Fem!reader

Summary: El mets someone new in California and doesn't understand how her actions affect other people.

Warning: period typical homophobia, internalized homophobia, bullying, reader being called lesbo, cheating, lying, angst, slightly stalkerish behavior (but not in a bad way reader is just observate about El/Jane and nervous to talk to her.)

'Jane...' you watch closely as the girl passed you in the hall, her tranquil presence invading your personal space but you couldn't seem to make yourself unsettled by it. If anything the smell of Fresh linens, Maple Syrup, and slight undertones of smoke made you want her to come closer. It was peaceful. An aroma that had began growing more familiar by the day after sitting behind her in class for so long.

"Jane."

She stopped walking and her head turned around quickly to see who could possibly be calling for her. You stood completely frozen hand slammed over your own mouth. 'That wasn't supposed to happen' holding in a groan at your own idiocy you watch as her eyebrows knead together in confusion, her head tilts to the side, and her wide eyes wonder a little longer around the hall. Her Brother, Will, seemed to noticed she'd stopped walking and back tracked to check up on her. Placing his hand on her arm and pulling her over to the side of the hallway out of on coming traffic.

"El. Are you ok?" He mumbles gently, not quite a whisper but just loud enough that you could hear from the short distance between you. El. Learning something new about her made your stomach twirl. Maybe it was her middle name. Jane Elle Hopper? Perhaps it was short for something though...Jane Eleanor? Eleanor Jane? Your mind couldn't help but wonder off completely.

Unfortunately, The Warning bell sounded pulling you back to reality.

The rest of the day was blandly normal until your third period English. Your favorite class of the day where you got to sit behind Jane sometimes hearing her talk to her brother about their history class next . Or small things about home. Over the months you'd slowly been soaking in small details not completely on purpose you weren't necessarily spying on her you just happen to be right there. You had learn that they had an older brother named Jonathan, she really REALLY liked waffles but her favorite dinner was cheeseburgers so she got excited on days when her brother got fast food for dinner. They never outright said it but you learned that Jane was adopted by the numerous times she mentioned never having tried something and Will furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her as if she was crazy or the few times she referred to her mom as Joyce by accident. You learned that she loved the colors yellow and purple (much to teachers annoyance because she only did her homework in purple pen) but she hated the color red. All of it, every shade, but especially the dark ones. just small things you picked up were your favorite part about her.

But today was different, Will was gone from class which wasn't uncommon. He often went home due to bad headaches but Jane never stayed alone. The image of her sitting all alone at her desk was enough to throw you off when you came into the room. You pause In the doorway and stared at her for a moment but Jane always seemed to have some kind of sense. She always knew you were staring. she turned and met your eyes and flash you a smile. You felt relief, at least just a bit, she was so pretty. Your admiration for her had been cut off very quickly as you were pushed through the door by another rowdy teen and you quickly stumble to your seat apologizing to the person behind you class started normally nothing seemed wrong other than will not being present there was no talk between the two siblings but the chatter around you was enough to distract from the silent Jane. He wasn't until a few moments before the bell rang that everything went to shit. There was a tack on your shoulder and turned around to be met with a pretty girl with curly hair and a pair of glasses purse on her bulb shaped nose.

"Can you pass this to Jane?"

You took the note cautiously it wasn't a secret that Jane had been bullied often but the girl gave you a smile and winked, "it's good I promise."

You sigh and feel the strange inkling that you might regret this but you pass the note forward anyway and just a few seconds later there's cluttering and there's the sound of backpacks zipping and feet shuffling as most kids rush out of the classroom but Jane remains and her face turns bright red as she turns back to look at you packing your things.

"You think I'm pretty?" She whispers meekly staring at you with her big doe eyes.

You did think she was pretty but how did she know that? had you been obvious in your staring? No, that didn't make sense Jane was a pretty oblivious girl, naive in nature, she was very blunt and didn't understand things unless you said them to her directly. So how did she know? you fumble through a few phrases before you managed to get out

"I um...I...what?"

"The note? You said I'm...pretty."

"The note is-..." You felt your face get warm as you become overwhelmed you had gone from contently being in the background of her life to suddenly feeling like the center point of an episode in her show. You glance at the note hanging loosely Jane's hand. 'i think you're so pretty,Jane. I'm a huge lesbo for you." And in a handwriting not like your own at all was signed your name A couple of snickers could be heard from the door returned and see the girl from before the one with the glasses standing next to the asshole and mythic bitch that was Angela.

"aw look. They'll be on a date in no time." She smiled and it was wicked and sinister one of those looks that made you just want to wipe it off someone's face. filled with both embarrassment and rage you quickly collected your things, spilling a few empty papers for being too upset to go back as you roughly push past Angela and her posse and make it halfway to your locker before you could feel the tears in your eyes.

They'll be on a date in no time... The phrase rattled around in your head. You couldn't date Jane it didn't work that way. You'd gone quickly into the bathroom hiding away from the world... from Angela... from her.

You tuck your way into a stall and let the tears fall down your face with hush breaths and chest hiccups why did they have to say that why did you have to be involved? Jane probably thinks that you sent it to fuck with her. Your brain begins convincing you she probably thinks you're gay and in love with her. The realization makes your body shake. Were you in love with her?

"Y/n?" A voice called out from the door. "Are you in here? It's...Jane."

You hold your breath and wait hoping she'd leave. "Ok I guess not..."

"wait." Your voice is wet with tears and doesn't sound quite like you but you slide your body closer to the stall door and lean your back against it "Don't go."

Jane clammers down in front of the door and you can feel the heat of her back pressed against yours at the small opening at the bottom. "Are you...ok?"

"no."

"why not?"

"the Note." You grumbled. She really didn't understand.

"I think your note was very nice. I think you're pretty too." She beams.

"I...I didn't write the note."

The bathroom grew silent and then Jane let out a small "oh."

"not that I don't think you're pretty. I think you're gorgeous. Just... That word they called me."

"Lesbo?" She sounds innocent about it and you get a feeling that she doesn't know what it means but her tone seems displeased about it. Likes she's upset that it's upsetting you.

"is a mean word. For girls who like girls." You say and did silent for a while your brain starts to wander 'great now she thinks I'm weird'

"that's stupid." She finally decided

"what?"

"why can't girls like girls?"

"because..." You start. Why COULDN'T they? Because they couldn't have kids? Good you didn't want any anyway. "I don't know."

"I'd like to go on a date with you."

"huh?"

"Angela she said we'd be on a date soon" she stopped as if to let the information sink in "I'd like to go on a date. With you."

You push yourself away from the door quickly and unlock it forgetting that she was leaning on the other side. She falls inward and her head falls into your lap. She gives you a cheeky smile. "Hello."

"did you mean it?" You don't smile back and instead wipe away at your wet face in an attempted to look pretty for her.

"yes, a date! For cheese burgers."

"I...i think I...I'd like that." You manage slowly

"We are very late to class." Jane hums thoughtfully

"Yeah..."

"Maybe we can...skip?" She looks at you nervous as if not sure that that was the right word. But you just look at the "good girl" Jane in disbelief. "Hello?"

"y-yeah! We can go get freezy drinks from the corner store and be back before your ride is here to get you."

"freezy...drink?"

"you're going to love them!" The two of you pick up your things off the floor and scary to the entrance to the bathroom, you stick your head out and look both ways before pushing the door open grabbing Jane's soft hands and pulling her towards the school exit. Running past lockers and classrooms to make it out the door without being spotted. To your left you could hear Jane laughing once you made it outside of the building and you glace to see her head thrown back in genuine happiness she looked beautiful. The rest of the Walk was filled with banter. Jane trying to get to know you through her limited understanding of social norms asking things like your favorite color and what you liked to eat until you made the short walk from school to the nearest 7-Eleven just a few blocks away.

"ta-da" you wave your hands as if you cast it some sort of magic spell in front of you I should showcase the slushy machine filled with four flavors, the mandatory blue and red accompanied by Cherry Coke and green apple. "Freezy drink machine."

She seemed almost captivated by the way that the liquid swirled in the little containers. "Green is very pretty." She muttered. Tapping the plastic with her finger. You grab a cup from the sleeve on the wall and press it into her hand.

"here you just pull this down like this" you demonstrate carefully watching her face light up at the task. It was wonderful how she found joy in the mundane. You pick your own flavor and find the lid and straw before helping her do the same. "there. Perfect. Want a snack?"

Jane looked thoughtfully around the store until her eyes will be under rotating hot dog station. "Hotdog."

"one hot dog for the lady coming right up." You smile venturing up front to talk to the cashier a polite older lady who found the two of you cute. It wasn't often that she seen a kid at your age that hadn't tried a slushie before. She was a bit chatty but not nearly enough to stop you from smiling. You were on a sorta date.

The weekend that passed in anticipation of seeing Jane the following Monday was excruciatingly slow.

Weeks pass and new partnership became almost routine. Jane met you enthusiastically everyday at the front entrance of the school the two of you ate lunch together in the corner of the cafeteria just the two of you and her brother, Will. Sometimes in the morning you brought her a slushie. Blue or green but never red, Jane didn't like red. Sometimes in the morning she brought you a toasted waffle stored in a ziplock bag 'to keep the warm' she'd said. But everyday now you chatted in class instead of listening to her chatter with her brother. Everyday you walked her to her ride home.

And on the weekend you went to 7-Eleven. You had been planning to make time for a real cheeseburger date just like she had requested. But it seemed between the two of you something was always coming out if you were free Jane was busy hanging out with her brother if she was free you were busy with your extracurriculars it just never seemed to be a good time but this weekend you knew it it had to be perfect Jane hadn't expressed having any plans begin and you hadn't either

That's how you found yourself fidgeting on the Byer's front door anxiously holding three nearly perfect daisy's. It wasn't chained that opened the door what her older brother Jonathan met a couple of times when you walked her to his car. He looks high.

"Uh..." He glanced over his shoulder, you wince, he was definitely high. "Hey man."

"is Jane home?" You decide to play along talking to him as if you didn't know he was absolutely blitzed.

"Yeah...yeah she's got um....guests from back home though..." He explains with an empathetic frown. She hadn't said anything was happening this weekend a friend coming from home seemed like something you tell your girlfriend.

"Oh that's okay." you lie through your teeth. "Tell her I dropped by?"

"Yeah, yeah...I will."

"Jonathan, Will says who's at the door? Is it pizza..." A boy says he's tall, with long hair, and a face like he's hiding a frog in his mouth. He's holding hands with a girl. He's holding hands with Jane. Your brain swirls.

Jane comes around the corner holding hands with a boy you've never met before. He must be their...guest.

"Jane." You smile. Despite everything, upset she hadn't told you she had plans and being sad you hadn't been spending a lot of time together recently, you smile. She smiles back and gives a meek wave.

"y/n!" She rushes to hug you and the smell of maple syrup and markers is comforting.

"oh oh!" She pulled back excitedly once again grabbing the boys arm and pulling him towards you. "You have to meet Mike."

"This is Mike, my boyfriend. Mike this is Y/n, my Girlfriend." And your world shattered around you. Suddenly there was only Mike and El and how close they stood together. Your finger twitched in anger but your eyes felt heavy. It bugged you that you could tell Mike didn't feel angry, but maybe he just didn't understand. Maybe he thought girlfriend like friend who's a girl. they hang out they must be the best of friends. But you knew that wasn't right. There had been no way Jane only saw you as a friend. She had kissed you. You were meant to go on a date...for cheese burgers.

"hi, Mike." You extend your hand. "I'm sorry I must have gotten the wrong day I didn't know Jane had friends over. I thought we were supposed to hang out today...my mistake."

[we-out-here-simping]

Promise. (masterlist)

(s.h. x gn!reader)

A/n: no u haven't seen this before, this is brand new, i've never made this masterlist before, i'm not deleting old stuff, I'm not rewriting old stuff, everything is fine.... the older versions sucked major balls kthnxbye

also i wont be doing taglists this time around, they take years off my lil life

every chapter will have their own warnings listed

⇰ PART 1 (season 3)

Summary: You escaped the lab in 1980 at the age of fourteen and after getting sort of adopted and then fully adopted by Hopper along with Eleven. and now it's the year of our lord, 1985, the lab still haunts you but you live a somewhat peaceful life with your newly acquired boyfriend. But things get a little strange.

↪ Ch:1 Three inches minimum.

↪ Ch:2 The teenage hobby of making out.

↪ Ch:3 Expanding horizons.

↪ Ch:4 Sleeping over.

↪ Ch:5 Mr. Arnold and his superpowers.

↪ Ch:6 Operation child endangerment.

↪ Ch:7 The past catches up.

↪ Ch:8 Have you ever been in love?

↪ Ch:9 Back in no time.

[tastefulstars]

-----MASTERLIST-----

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT 18+ ONLY

updated July 2023 // primarily writing for stranger things

Please heed all content warnings on each individual story before reading. I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere.

writing tag

blog nav

dividers by @firefly-graphics

The Boys Next Door - 1 / 2 / 3 / boys pov

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Your cat decides to adopt the boys that live next door, which would be fine if they weren’t so damn pretty.

Of Wolf and Man - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | You have a secret, one that’s a little more wolfish in nature.

Get In Line - 1 / 2 /

Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Your words come back to haunt you and now Billy, Eddie and Steve are making it their personal mission in life to ruin you.

All That And More - 1 / 2 /

M!Werewolf x GN!Human!Reader | Everything changed with a buzz of your intercom, a lawyer and a dead relative.

Sea of Flames - 1 / 2 /

Demon x F!Human!Reader | “if anyone here knows a group of evil insane cultists looking for a cute girl to give as a slave to a huge scary insatiable sexual demon in sacrifice during their ritual in exchange for riches and eternal life please let me know, you can give them my number"

Higher and Higher

Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Steve and Eddie want Billy’s girl, it’s a good thing Billy knows how to share.

It's Better with Three

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | You get high with Eddie and Steve, only, your plan for a relaxing night doesn’t quiet go to plan.

Love Me Deep

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | smut

Steve has a Bad Day

Eddie Munson x GN!Reader x Steve Harrington | Steve has had the worst day, you and Eddie help him relax.

Fever

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Eddie and Steve are out late, you decide to entertain yourself while you wait for them to come home.

Wanted U

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | A night out on the town ended in the arms of two handsome strangers.

Pretty Girl

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | An encounter at a bar leads to a one night stand, that leads to a spending the weekend, which just may lead to more.

Kiss the Stars/Kiss my Scars

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | angst

And I fell, I fell

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | You interview Eddie and fall in love.

First Class

Steve Harrington x F!Reader | Steve fucks you in his car.

He's with the Band

Steve Harrington x F!Reader | You intimidate Steve a little but that doesn’t stop him from wanting you.

Keep me Close

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | You get to see a side of Billy that no one else has.

You and Me

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | request fill soft!billy following around r wherever she goes.

(If this ain't love) Why Does it Feel so Good?

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | You get fed up and put Billy in his place.

Gimme Love

Jim Hopper x F!Reader | You’re fed up with being ignored so you decide to make Hopper notice you.

The Hunt

M!Werewolf x F!Reader | Running barefoot through the forest was probably a bad idea, but the adrenaline coursing through your body didn’t give you time to regret your choice. 

The Summoning

M!Demon x M!Reader | A scholar attempts to change history by summoning a demon, only it doesn’t go as planned. 

Bite

F!Vampire x F!Reader | A moment between a Vampire and her human lover.

Captured

Hellhound + Captured

Billy Hargrove

sub!billy being loved on

Eddie Munson | gen

playing with Eddie's hair Eddie's habit of poking his tongue out defending Eddie against bullies playing d&d with Eddie rockstar with fanboy Eddie Eddie falling in love with a badass waking up with Eddie eddie taking care of you massaging eddie nervous eddie talking about your plans

Steve Harrington | gen

waking up with Steve Steve not wanting you to get involved

Billy + Eddie + Steve | gen

confessing to wanting all of them your asshole parents confront you

Eddie + Steve | gen

being sandwiched between them they take care of you when sick doing Eddie's makeup Eddie and Reader choosing chaos realizing they all love each other reader decking someone in front of them labyrinth au

[wheelsvoid]

HOME ; STRANGER THINGS

⇢ you don’t have a place to call home, or a family, and you keep it a secret from your friends. however, they find out and find a way to help you without your knowing

masterlist

genre: platonic, angst with a happy ending

word count: 1,674

warnings: one curse word, and the reader doesn’t have a good life outside of school so keep that in mind ofc

request: “Heyyyyyy for a platonic stranger things imagine could be like an orphan and friends with the gang and no one knows about Rs's situation but El looks for r one time and finds out about Rs's bad living situation (maybe homeless?) and the crew rally around their friend and hopper adopts r?”

tried my best, here you go!

Jealousy was something I was very familiar with. I knew it well enough to call it a friend, but I hated it enough to wish it would leave me forever.

I never knew myself to be such a jealous person until I made all the friends I did. I was typically quite kind, and forgiving, and I only got angry when justified. Still, my jealousy never left me.

All my friends had homes, and at least someone to go home to. I had nothing and no one. Their lives weren’t perfect, but the little voice in my head always told me that mine was worse, even if it wasn’t fair to compare.

I found ways to hide my lack of a real life. I often stayed at Lucas’ house, or Mike’s. I had sleepovers, and their parents didn’t mind. I stayed long enough to look as though I was hanging out, but I left before they could think to call my mother or father.

It was embarrassing to depend on others for a bathroom, or a bed, or food, or anything necessary to live a normal life, but I had nothing else.

They never had to know, anyway.

I was the first one at Starcourt Mall today, seeing as I had taken the early bus. I watched as all my close friends left the large vehicle with smiles on their faces, smiling back at me when they saw me leaning up against the wall.

“Y/N!” El ran up to me in excitement. She gave me a hug, and I laughed as I hugged her back. When the boys got closer, with Max by their sides, Lucas, Will and Dustin each gave me a high five, and Mike gave me a fist bump with a grin.

“What took you guys so long?” I raised a brow, sending a teasing grin as we made our way in the mall. “I’ve been here a whole hour longer, waiting.”

“Oh, we’re so sorry that you had to wait.” Lucas sympathized, dramatically holding a hand over his heart.

“It was Mike’s fault, anyway.” Max said. “He got into an argument with Nancy over who got the last pancake.”

I laughed loudly. “Typical.”

And the energy was up the entire day, too. We went to the movies, sneaking through the back thanks to Steve (who grew more regretful for letting us do so the first time every time we saw him). Afterwards, we went back to Scoops Ahoy to each grab an ice cream.

I was glad for my job, from Tuesday to Saturday every week, so I could pay for my own ice cream. I worked after school each day, not having to worry about a curfew or anything of the sort. I only had myself, and the longer I worked the better. I liked feeling as though I was in a normal environment for a teenager, even if it was just a café.

On the way out of Scarcourt Mall, Max turned to me. “Hey, Y/N, wanna go to your house this time?” We typically went to one of our houses after our meet ups, and hung out the rest of the day. However, the thought of doing so this time scared me. I had no place to call home. “I just realized, we’ve never been.”

For a moment, my eyes were wide and I went pale, but I relaxed a second later. I played it cool. “No, thanks. I’d rather go to Mike’s, I wanna see Nancy anyway. And my house is a mess today. Maybe another time.”

At this point, I was digging my own hole. Another time? I couldn’t keep denying them. They’d figure it out eventually.

Max, Lucas, Will and El frowned in confusion, but Dustin and Mike were blissfully unaware of my slip up. “Sounds fun.” Dustin cheered.

And it was fun. I spent as long as I could at their house without seeming lost, or alone. I tried my best to fit in. And I was hopeful that I did.

How could I have known that I’d worried the others, leaving them to talk as I left to go fill in for my coworker on a Sunday?

———

“I’m worried about Y/N.” Will admitted. “They were acting… weird.”

“I noticed too.” Lucas sighed, leaning forward from his spot on the couch downstairs.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Mike frowned in confusion.

Max turned to him, raising a brow. “You didn’t notice?”

Mike stared, “no…?”

“They looked…” Max had to think about it for a second. She had to think of the right word. Then it hit her. It was fear that she’d seen. “Scared.”

“Why would they be scared?” Dustin asked. “We go to each other’s houses all the time, right?”

“Not Y/N’s.” El said. “We’ve never been.”

For a moment, everyone was silent. They were either lost in their thoughts, or unsure of what to say.

Will spoke next, sounding hesitant. “Are they okay?” His voice was so soft, it could only be heard due to the quietness of the room.

———

After school the next day, Mike had come up to me and told me that El wanted to hang out at her house, but since I hadn’t given them my phone number, she asked him to tell me. I was glad that El wanted to hang out, and I was glad that she wasn’t scared to ask.

I told him I’d love to, and he grinned, telling me he’d call her and let her know I’d be over after school.

Since I had nowhere to go, I began my walk from school, all the way to Hopper’s cabin in the woods. It was a long, exhausting walk. But I was glad to make it before it’d gone dark (and lucky it wasn’t that long of a walk).

When I saw the small cabin, I felt relief. Despite my aching legs, I began jogging to the front door. I was more than excited to see El after not seeing her all day. It would be nice if it was safe enough for her to join us at school.

I knocked on the door, waiting patiently for it to open. Hopper opened it, and it wasn’t a surprise for me that it was him. He had to, to keep El safe from any unwanted visitors. He could play it off as the only resident in the cabin if he wanted to.

“Hello, Hopper.” I grinned. “Can I come in.”

Hopper smiled like he was expecting me, but there was something else shining in his eyes that worried me. “Sure, kid.”

I had always liked Hopper. He was kind to me, and grew kinder over the years, too. He was special.

As I walked in, putting my bag down that held all of my belongings, I looked around in search of El. I saw her door, which was opened only a couple inches, quickly guessing for her to be in there. As I took of my shoes, Hopper stood a few feet away.

“Before you hang out with El, would you mind if we talked?”

I looked up at him, somewhat surprised but mostly confused. As I finished untying my laces, I nodded, kicking off my shoes and getting to my feet. “Yeah.” I said, but it sounded like more of a question.

Hopper led me to the living room, and I glanced at El’s door which did not open any more. He sighed as we both sat down on the couch that fit perfectly in the room.

He was silent for a while, like he was thinking of what to say, before his voice broke through the silent space. “The kids told me that you seemed… off yesterday.” He said.

I held my breath. Had they figured it out? Did I mess up? How much did they know? How did they—

“They just want to make sure you’re okay.”

I stared at him, unsure if I looked as calm as I wanted myself to. I was sure I was showing some of my fear. Still, I nodded. “I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?”

Terrible answer. Now he’ll never let me leave. Shit.

He looked at me, frowning. “Well, they told me that you’ve never given them your number, and that you never let them stay over.” He said softly, “and that you never talk about your family, and that you get nervous whenever they bring anything up.” He sighed. “We’re just worried, kid.”

I held my hands together, unable to look away from them now. I didn’t know what to say. Why had I gone silent? I’d never be able to play it off now.

But what if I needed some help?

“What’s going on at home?”

I chipped away at my blue nail polish, which Max had lended me. “I have no home.” I said.

I could feel Hopper’s eyes on me. “None at all?”

I let out a shaky breath. “None.”

He was quiet for a second. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I… didn’t know how.” My voice was quiet now. Gentle. “I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

Hopper put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look at him. He looked sad, and sympathetic, but mostly heartbroken. “How would it ruin anything?”

“I didn’t want them to have anything else to worry about.” I said. The weight on my chest felt a little bit lighter. “I didn’t want to… make things worse, I guess.”

They already had so much to deal with.

“I promise you,” he made a point to look me in the eyes. “That nothing you could ever say or do would ruin anything. They would always help you. I would.” I couldn’t control the way my lip quivered, and as Hopper squeezed my shoulder, he asked me a question that made me feel like I could breathe again. “You want to stay with me?”

A tear slipped from my eye and I nodded, “yeah.”

He smiled softly, pulling me in for a hug. “Okay.”

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Misc HCs Masterlist

Reader and your Puppy

Reader and your Puppies

Succubus Reader

Tot Musica

Tot Musica Part 2

Demi-Goddess Queen

4 Ancient Mystic Weapon User Reader

4 Ancient Mystic Weapon User: Reactions

Mayari

Berserker Reader

Best Friends Zerofuku and Y/N

Minotaur Reader

Wolf Grandchildren

Singing Homura

MHA Kiss HCs

Arachne Reader

Elemental Reader

Fafnir

High Pain Tolerance Reader

High Pain Tolerance Reader 2

Wolf Tattoos

Male Pregnancy

Male Pregnancy Part 2

Amaterasu’s Miko Reader

Miko Reader Part 2

Farmer Reader AU

Health Class Baby Practice

Phonk Music

Twins

Leap Year Goddess

Leap Year Goddess 2

Older Looking Teen Reader

Goblin Child Reader

Bakugo and Goll

Bakugo and Goll First Date

High School HCs

Centaur Reader

Lady of Wolves

Spring Heeled Jack

Human Pantheon

Mermaid Reader

OP Reader

Eyes like the Night Sky

Centaur Switch

Dog Switch

High School AU Jack

Chinese Dance Fighter

Titan Child Reader

Valhalla Daycare

Wendigo Reader

Vampire-ish Reader

Vampire-ish Reader 2: Hugs

Valkyrie Reader

Hera HCs

Zoo

Cu Chulainn Reader

Joan of Arc Reader

Hitman Reader

Jirai Kei

Nyx’s Sleepy Wish Granting Daughter

Sweet but Dark (Jack the Ripper x Reader)

Element User Reader

Best Father-in-Law

RoR x Pokemon Hcs

Just Dance

Athena vs. Joan of Arc

Prometheus

Chainsaw Bride

Return of the Night

Doll Like Reader

Adopting Zerofuku

Powerful Emotions

Nyx Reader- New Duties

A Kind Soul (Platonic Odin)

Similarity Worries

Pranks of Time

Dangers of a Braid

Long Forgotten Awakening

The Price to be Paid

Kaguya Reader

Scariest Woman in the World

Sweet but Scary

Genius Friends

Ignored Wise Child

Emperor Dad

Giant Mermaid Reader

Alternate Universe Fears

Watching Bluey

Dimension Hopper Reader

Doll Like Fertility Goddess

Past Regrets

Amusing Marriage Announcement

Weapon Master

[kaedeharakaori]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 || 𝘍. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 (Masterlist)

SEASON ONE: THE OPENING ACT

On the first day of October, 1984, forty-three women around the world simultaneously gave birth. None of the women showed any prior signs of pregnancy.

Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire, and playboy adventurer, made it his personal mission to find and adopt as many of these children as possible.

"How much do you want for it?"

He got eight of them.

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑫𝑼𝑪𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑺𝑻

You as Mikayla 'Mika' Hargreeves

Number Eight: The Siren

"You know what? I never should've stayed by your side. You wound me, Five."

Aidan Gallagher as Five Hargreeves

Number Five: The boy who cheated time

"We didn't choose this life, we're just living in it."

Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves

Number One: The man in space

"No. He must have known something was going to happen."

David Castañeda as Diego Hargreeves

Number Two: The man who never misses

"Hope it turns out better than your marriage, huh?"

Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves

Number Three: The girl who whispers

"When something seems too perfect, it's usually anything but."

Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves

Number Four: The man who barely cheats death

"Dad, could you stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment?"

Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves

Number Six: The man who was loved

"You know what the worst part of being dead is? You're stuck. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to change."

Elliot Page as Vanya/Viktor Hargreeves

Number Seven: The extra-ordinary one

"If you believe in yourself, just once, great things are gonna happen for you."

Colm Feore as Sir Reginald Hargreeves

The Founder of The Umbrella Academy

"The ties that bind you together make you stronger than you are alone."

OTHER CAST MEMBERS

Adam Godley as Pogo

Jordan Claire Robbins as Grace

Kate Walsh as The Handler

Cameron Britton as Hazel

Mary J. Blige as Cha-Cha

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

Mikayla 'Mika' Hargreeves formerly known as 'Number Eight' was one of the lucky forty-three children to be taken in by eccentric billionaire, Sir Reginald Hargreeves.

Growing up, Mika wasn't so different from her 'siblings' as she also possesed power quite like no other. She was the embodiment of beauty, one that could easily match Aphrodite. Her captivating eyes draw you in, while her voice, as melodic as the sea, enchants all who hear it. She was a dangerous allure, a perilous water to dive into.

Mikayla Hargreeves was a Siren.

"Come on Ben! We wouldn't want to be late for the mission!" Mika called, hurriedly putting her socks on.

As she was rushing out her bedroom door to the lobby, something inside her was screaming 'Do not go, little one. For this mission is a dangerous game.'

Pushing the taunting voices in the back of her head, she brushed off the uneasiness, and focused on the excitement of what's about to come.

End.

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

Hello, my future readers

I will be the master of ceremony

for this one

Welcome to Resonance of Shadows

[isimpfortoomanypeople]

Hellooo a billy Hargrove x reader where your Jonathan and wills sister and your dating billy, your mom want to meet this new boyfriend and everyone is coming over for dinner and tells the reader to bring her new mystery boyfriend

Meeting the Byers x Billy Hargrove x Fem Byers reader

Yours and Billy’s relationship was kept a secret for a while, till one day Will finds some love letters in your room and Joyce desperately wants to meet your new boyfriend

Warnings: mentions of Billy’s abuse and Neil. Soft boy Billy (Billy may seem out of character, but this fic is massively inspired by Dacre saying that he played Billy as a sensitive character). So much fluff

A/N: hi of course, I love that the reader is Joyce’s daughter as Joyce is the best mom in stranger things. I want to be adopted by her. I really hope that you enjoy this, it’s just pure fluff. Sorry if this sounds overly British as I’m from the U.K. apologises for all spelling and grammatical mistakes as I’m super dyslexic, enjoy

“YN is dating someone- ow!” Will howled in pain as his sentence was cut short by your foot kicking his leg from underneath the table.

You narrowed your eyes glaring daggers at your younger brother, tilting your head to the side staring him dead in the eyes. You saw him slightly cower from your icy glare that sent a chill down his spine. He shakily reached for the glass of water in front of him, gulping down the water to stop himself from speaking.

“Who are you dating honey?” Joyce asked

“There’s no one” you mumbled pushing the pile of mash potatoes around your plate, you diverted your eyes not wanting to look at the warm eyes of your mother as you knew that you’d crack.

All throughout your upbringing Joyce had taught you how to openly communicate with her, she built the bases of trust within your relationship so you felt like you could tell her anything. This was extremely helpful for all members of the household when Joyce divorced your dad, teaching you not to hold in your emotions till they reach boiling point and burst out in rage. You could gladly say, that even though your family wasn’t this stereotypical nuclear family that movies love to push for people to achieve, it was definitely had the most healthy family dynamic in all of Hawkins.

You loved your family with all your heart even when Will was being annoying and running his mouth.

Will doesn’t know exactly who you’re dating but he knows that there’s someone in the picture. He didn’t mean to snoop but he saw some love letters on your desk, he stopped reading the papers before his eyes reached the signed name, he felt gross seeing someone be so infatuated with his sister. Maybe it’s the protective brother thing? Believing that no one could ever be good enough to date you, if Will or even Jonathan found out who this boy was, you were sure that they’d both have an aneurism from the stress inflicted

Joyce slightly frowned over your refusal to tell her, she was your mother after all and knew that you avoided eye contact when you were hiding something, it was a habit you picked up as a kid. But Joyce didn’t want to force you to say anything you didn’t want to share, but she hated being in the dark about things especially involving her kids, so she turned to face Will who was still holding his empty glass in his hands.

“ Will why did you think that Y/N was dating someone?”

It took Will 5 seconds, he could feel the sweat pool at the top of his forehead. His eyes switching rapidly from Joyce’s eyes to yours, he was dead if he said anything but he knew it was only going to be a matter of days before Joyce found out herself. His breathing started to hitch as the two females held their breath in anticipation awaiting his response.

“I accidentally saw some love letters on her desk when I was looking for my calculator-“

“Will!-“

“Y/N, you should invite him over”

You snorted in response, biting your lip thinking about all the ways that this could end in disaster. Your siblings weren’t his biggest fans, and Joyce was dating hopper who would probably tell her about his reckless driving. you loved Billy and he loved you back but the thought of your family potentially hating him and rejecting your relationship was too much to think about. Especially as right now the room was starting to spin with this anxious feeling that was making your chest tighten with each breath.

“I’ll cook a meal, and Jonathan can invite Nancy too” you turned to finally look your mom in the face, her smile was beaming at you with big pleading eyes.

You sighed, you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you invited Billy there was a high chance that the people who mean the most to you would highly disapprove of your relationship, but if you don’t you would feel an immense guilt about saying no to your mom. Joyce never made you feel guilty about anything, but saying no to a person as warm and as caring as her, felt like kicking a puppy.

You nodded your head, Joyce squealed in delight clasping her hands together, asking questions about his dietary restrictions and if he liked x y and z.

Jonathan looked at you, his brows furrowed perplexingly. He was trying to recall if he had ever seen you in high school with anyone, but the more he thought about it the more confused he got. His mind was drawing a blank as there was never a single romantic encounter you had with a single person in that school, Jonathan was seriously questioning if this mystery boy was real.

——————————————————————————

Yours and Billy’s relationship was kept strictly behind closed doors, reserved only to late night drives and him leaving letters in your locker for you to read in between classes. It was his way of being close to you when he couldn’t be.

Billy respected your decision to keep the relationship a secret, even though it was killing him slowly not to be able to walk down the halls with his arm around your shoulders, showing off to everyone that you were his girl. Which is why his heart skips a beat every time he watches your face light up in a loving smile, pressing the papers close to your chest. he loves that he has that affect on you, he may not be able to be close to you but this was close enough.

Billy knew that you were super close to your family, that family meant everything to you. He’s aware that the other Byers siblings despised him with a passion, and Billy not having the best relationship with his own family, he wanted to do whatever he could to help to protect the one relationship he wasn’t able to achieve in his own life. Even if it became more and more increasingly difficult to bite his tongue as each malicious rumour was created about him following him around as if his life wasn’t hard enough.

“What’s wrong princess?” Billy asked rubbing small circles on your thigh, you shivered over the contact that you’ve been craving all week.

Billy noticed your silence and it made him feel uneasy, he even cranked up the stereo to blast his music to an obnoxious volume, just so you could complain that the music was too loud. But you sat deathly still while Led Zeppelin roared at an ungodly volume, to the point that Billy was uncomfortable from the ringing in his own ears. But you didn’t even utter a single word, just staring outside the window while Billy drove to lover’s lake.

He parked his car and turned off the stereo, he glanced over to you still in the same position as if you were frozen in time. A crafty smirk appeared across his face as an idea popped in his head. He knew exactly how to make you talk.

Billy’s lips latched their way on to your neck, his lips roamed the skin till he found that sweet spot just above your collar bone. He gently sucked on the soft delicate skin.

“Billy” you moaned arching your neck so he could get further access to that sweet spot not caring if it resulted in a purple bruise.

“She speaks” he snickered, you rolled your eyes at him smacking his arm in a playful manner.

“Not funny”

“I’m sorry princess” he pouted, tucking a stray hair behind your ear before resting his head in the crevice of your shoulder. He nuzzled in to your shoulder breathing in your perfume, relaxing further into you. He really did miss you for you were the only source of comfort his miserable life had, you felt like home to him and in this moment he knew that he wanted to spend forever this way, just you and him.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“My mom wants to invite you for dinner” you sighed resting your head upon his, running your fingers through his sandy curls.

“Does she know about us?”

“No but she knows that I’m dating someone, Will found your letters in my room and now she wants to invite you for dinner tomorrow evening”

“Oh” was all that Billy could say at that moment in time, all sentences he tried to form disappeared into thin air upon exiting his lips.

Truth be told he was scared, in fact he was terrified of meeting your family. Billy was made to believe that he was the problem in all of his failed relationships, he blamed himself for his mom leaving him at such a young age. Well at least that’s what Neil made him believe, Neil corrupted a young child so innocent and trusting to believe that if he wasn’t weak, if he was a better son, she wouldn’t have left them. Neil made Billy believe that he deserved each punch, each blow to the jaw, each kick to the chest when Billy curled into a ball to block out his farther’s attacks, it was all his fault.

Billy was made to believe that he was the issue why his family was so disruptive. He feared that he may have the same effect on your family and he will never forgive himself if that ever happened.

“What do you think about it?”

“Maybe it’s better to rip the band aid off now and get this over and done with? They know that I’m currently dating someone and my mom will not leave this alone. She’s like a detective, it’s only a matter of time before she finds out about us, I want them to find out about us on our own accords” you kissed the top of his head, breathing in his calming familiar scent of cigarettes mixed with his cologne. You could feel the anxiety starting to rise in your chest again, the uncertainty of their reactions was eating you alive.

“Are you sure princess? I’m not exactly family friendly” he murmured against your shoulder, he lowered his voice till the ending of his sentence came out into a whisper. Blinking away the tear that was forming

“I love you Billy more than ever, I don’t care what everyone thinks about you for I know that it’s all bullshit. Billy you aren’t the person you believe yourself to be” you softly smiled, lifting your head off his. You tucked two fingers underneath his chin, lifting his head forcing him to look you in the eyes.

“I mean that Billy, you aren’t the person he makes you believe that you are. I’m not going to let my anxiety rule me or rule us anymore. I’m not ashamed to be seen with you, I love you Billy and I know that they will love you too”

The corners of his lips twitched into a smile, the corners of his glassy eyes crinkled as the smile reached his ocean eyes. You brushed away a tear that fell from his cheeks and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

Billy still wasn’t use to hearing compliments thrown towards his direction, he was so use to having insults hurled towards him that he didn’t know how to respond to such genuine kindness. You had to keep on reminding him during the start of your relationship that it was okay for him to cry, it was okay to let down the concrete walls that had guarded his heart for years, it’s okay to let people in.

There was a small part of the inner wounded child of Billy that still fears that one day you may yell at him for being so soft, that somedays he didn’t believe that you were real, as he believe that he didn’t deserve you. But your kind warm eyes reminded him how grateful he was to have found someone like you.

“I love you princess”

“I love you too Billy”

——————————————————————————

“You look beautiful Y/N” Joyce beamed at you as you walked down the stairs. You decided to use the time you would have used to overthink the whole evening, biting on your nails till they became nubs, to focus on your make up. Not even getting stressed that you had to reapply your eyeliner as you couldn’t get the two eyes to look even, in fact you were grateful for the mistake as it distracted your racing mind.

“Thanks” you nervously replied, bunching the sides of your dress in your fists as you saw the clock ticking away. There was exactly 5 minutes till Billy finally meets your family.

“Don’t worry I was nervous too when Jonathan met my mom” Nancy whispered in your ear, she gave you a warm sympathetic smile. “Joyce has such a big heart it’s practically impossible for her to hate anyone”

You weakly smiled back at Nancy, hoping her words to be true. You knew that the rumours and what everyone believed to be true about Billy was bullshit, trying to remind yourself that as long as you love him that’s all that matters. You swallowed down your nerves, telling yourself ‘I’m done hiding anymore, everyone else be damned”

The door bell rang, your breath hitched. The moment has come, you were going to finally introduce the boy you love to your family.

“Hey Princess, you look beautiful” Billy grinned as you opened the door, he placed a gentle kiss to your cheek.

Billy showed up in his signature leather jacket with a red silky shirt with a few buttons undone, exposing the gold necklace he always wore like a good luck charm. He took your breath away every time you saw him in that shirt, Billy is definitely the most handsome person you had ever met.

“Like something you see” he whispered into your ear, smirking as he saw your cheeks blush as red as his shirt.

“Let’s go inside” you stuttered from his remark about your wondering eyes, but when he looks this good you couldn’t help but stare. You definitely were the most luckiest girl in the whole of Hawkins.

“Mom, Will, Jonathan, Nancy. This is my boyfriend Billy”

You looked at the table, the whole room drew to a pause.

Will spluttered on his drink, Jonathan looked at you in a utter state of shock and Nancy rapidly blinking not quite believing what she was seeing.

Y/N Byers is dating Billy Hargrove?!

“Billy it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Joyce” Joyce brightly smiled at him as she enclosed him in a tight hug. Billy was slightly taken aback by her kind gesture, he momentarily paused having to remind himself that this is something families are supposed to do.

“And you too Mrs Byers. It smells amazing in here”

“Oh please call me Joyce, now I hope that you’re hungry”

“Always”

——————————————————————————

“So Billy how long have you been dating my sister?” Jonathan questioned, scratch that Jonathan interrogated. Jonathan was being anything but subtle, sure he would have interrogated anyone who is dating his younger sister. But the fact it was Billy Hargrove made Jonathan hostility even more apparent.

“Jonathan!” Nancy hissed, sharply elbowing Jonathan in his ribs. He whimpered slightly in pain from his girlfriend’s reminder to be polite or at least civil.

“ I’ve been dating Y/N for 4 months now” Billy forcefully smiled at Jonathan’s direction. It was taking a lot in Billy not to shoot a snarky response towards Jonathan, but he was biting his tongue for your sake.

You cringed at your brother for creating a hostile environment, not even daring to give Billy a chance, this is exactly what you had dreaded. Maybe tonight was a mistake?

“So Billy I heard that you’ve been writing Y/N letters?” Joyce tried to lift the atmosphere that was falling cold with each second that ticked by.

“Yes mam, Your daughter is so beautiful and is the best thing that had ever happened to me, so I have to remind her that. even when I don’t share the same classes with her” Billy’s jaw unclench as his smile relaxed into a genuine one. Billy didn’t reveal the true reason why he had to write the letters in the first place, not wanting the atmosphere to return icy once more.

“I saw some poetry on one” Will piped up, he quick screwed up his face in embarrassment upon seeing Billy divert his gaze as his cheeks burnt red. Will you really should of kept that to yourself.

“I’m sorry Billy Hargrove writes poetry?” Jonathan asked, pressing his lips together into a thin line, trying to keep his laughter contained. This was the furthest thing he would ever expect Billy to do.

Nancy looked over at Billy with intrigue, awaiting his response. This was definitely the last thing she expected to hear tonight. But the so called bad boy having a soft spot, did make her heart melt slightly. She was starting to see Billy in a new light this evening, could it possibly be that she was wrong about Billy all along?

“Yeah” he muttered, lifting his fork to his mouth. He slightly regretted coming here tonight, not that he regretted writing those heartfelt words for you, but his hard outer layer that he wore as a protective cloak was being ripped away.

“I think that’s sweet” Nancy smiled

“Me too” add Will, who was also questioning his quick judgement he made about the Hargrove boy. He could see the way that Billy looks at you, he looks at you like someone so in love that it was nauseatingly cute. The way that he spoke about you so dotingly made Will smile, finally seeing his sister so happily in love with someone.

“I suppose I lucked out with this one” you gently laughed, threading your fingers through his.

Billy lifted his head to look at you, returning your loving smile. He truly was so lucky to have found you. It’s true what they say, the greatest thing in life is to love and to be loved in return, he never believed that he could find truth in those words till the moment he first laid eyes on you.

“I suppose I did too”

——————————————————————————

“They all seemed to love you”

“Apart from Jonathan”

“He’ll come around especially after seeing the look in Nancy’s eyes when she heard that you wrote me poetry, she’s definitely going to ask Jonathan to write her a poem or two” you smirked

“I love you princess”

“I love you more Billy” he cupped your cheeks placing his lips upon yours. You both melted into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck bringing him closer towards you.

“I’ll pick you up at 7 tomorrow. now I can finally take you on our first official date” He breathlessly spoke against your lips.

“Don’t you dare be late”

“Wouldn’t dream of it princess”, he sealed the distance between your lips with a quick kiss goodbye.

Billy watched you as you turned the handle walking into your house. He started the engine of his Camaro when he heard someone calling his name

“Billy wait”

He wound down his window, looking at Jonathan with bewilderment. Confused to why the hell Jonathan would chase after him?

“I wanted to say I’m sorry for being a dick back there, it’s just that Y/N is my sister and I want to protect her. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot but I’ve seen how much happier she is when she’s with you. But I swear to god Hargrove if you dare do anything to break her heart you’re dead, do you understand?”

Billy chuckled at Jonathan’s threat. He would never do anything to break your heart, he loves you, deeply and wholeheartedly loves you. He would rather die than ever be stupid enough to let that happen.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, I love her she’s my everything”

A/N: soft Billy owns my heart, in this fic he writes poetry may that be super out of character? I don’t care. I hope that you enjoyed this fic and requests are still open

[dee-writes-smut]

CALLING OUT YOUR NAME

FEATURING Steve Harrington x adopted!hopper!reader

CONTENT WARNING description of injuries, mentions of trauma, hurt steeb :(, angst, fluff, childhood friends to lovers, Steve being an asshole in high school

SUMMARY just when you thought he had forgotten you, he called out your name

AUTHORS NOTE ahhhhh! I don't know where this went but enjoy :)

You suffered a crushing defeat. Eleven, despite her best efforts, couldn’t reach Vecna in time, resulting in catastrophic consequences. Max, Lucas, Robin, Dustin, and Steve were all severely injured and ended up in the hospital. The extent of their injuries varied, but the grim reality was undeniable: you had all been defeated. During the chaos, you found yourself with Lucas, engulfed in a tumult of screaming, crying, and pleading as you cradled a weak Max in your arms. Her labored breathing shattered your heart into countless pieces.

In your desperation, you called out to any force that might listen, begging for Max's life, because it wasn’t her time to go—none of you were ready to say goodbye. After a frantic rush to the hospital, the overwhelming stress and exhaustion took their toll, causing you to faint in the hospital lobby, alarming both Lucas and Erika. Concerned for your well-being, the medical staff admitted you overnight for observation, attributing your collapse to acute stress reaction. Fortunately, you were stable and discharged the following morning, though Erika insisted on vigilantly watching over you throughout the night.

Being confined to the hospital bed initially kept you out of the loop about the full scope of the incident. Once discharged, you were quickly surrounded by your friends, eager to fill you in. Eleven, whom you had come to consider almost like a daughter ever since you helped Hopper raise her, threw herself into your arms, her tears soaking your shoulder. Mike had to gently pull her away so that Jonathan could have his turn to embrace you, his sobs muffled against your neck. You and Jonathan had shared a brief romantic chapter during high school, but had amicably parted ways when he began growing closer to Nancy. Despite the end of your romance, your bond remained strong, evolving into a deep, platonic love. Will, Mike, and Nancy joined in, their group hug was brief yet filled with immense warmth and concern.

After the emotional reunions, Eleven and Nancy guided you to sit on your bed to explain the sequence of events in detail. Eddie and Dustin had valiantly attempted to divert the bats, a move that tragically cost Eddie his life and left Dustin seriously injured. Vecna had anticipated their distraction and used it to his advantage, trapping and nearly killing Steve, Robin, and Nancy. However, Eleven managed to intervene just in time to save Max, pulling Vecna's focus away from her at a critical moment. This distraction allowed her to barely fend off Vecna, ensuring Max's survival by a narrow margin. While Eleven’s intervention bought them some time, the group had nearly executed their final plan to eradicate Vecna. But, before they could deliver the final blow, Vecna vanished, leaving behind a wide-open gateway that threatened all of Hawkins.

"Holy shit," you gasped, your mind struggling to grasp the enormity of the events they were describing. The words seemed to hang in the air, dense with gravity and horror.

"I know," Nancy replied with a heavy sigh, her voice tinged with fatigue. She gently rubbed your arm, offering a semblance of warmth in the cold aftermath of the battle.

"But how? How was he weakened? And how did you manage to escape from all that… that entanglement of roots?" you pressed, your thoughts scrambling to piece together the chaos they had endured.

"About that…" Eleven began, her voice trailing off uncertainly. She exchanged a meaningful glance with Will, who promptly exited the room. The tension thickened in his brief absence, leaving everyone in a state of anxious anticipation. Moments later, he returned, bringing with him a wave of relief in the form of Joyce and Hopper.

"Oh my god," you froze, your heart leaping into your throat as your eyes brimmed with tears. The sight of Hopper, alive and well, was overwhelming—a beacon of hope in the shadow of despair.

"Hey, cupcake," Hopper greeted you with his familiar, gruff affection, stretching his arms out wide. The old nickname, a tender relic from countless memories of your youth, acted like a spell, breaking the paralysis that had gripped you. You dashed into his embrace, burying your face in his chest, the familiar scent of his jacket enveloping you in safety.

"Pops," you sobbed, the relief of seeing him alive making your knees weak. "How? How are you here?"

"You two kids weren't the only ones who didn't give up on me," he responded, his voice rich with emotion. He glanced over at Joyce with a look of deep affection and gratitude. You smiled through your tears, your heart warming as you witnessed the palpable bond between your adopted father and Joyce. It was clear he had found a kindred spirit to share his turbulent life.

Glancing over at Joyce, you playfully wiggled your eyebrows. Throughout your time as one of Jonathan’s girlfriends, Joyce had always shown you a particular fondness, treating you more like a daughter than a mere acquaintance. This special connection meant that the two of you shared many intimate conversations and inside jokes. Joyce rolled her eyes at your antics but couldn’t suppress a knowing wink, causing a burst of laughter to escape you, lightening the heavy atmosphere.

The room momentarily filled with the sound of your laughter, a much-needed reprieve from the dire narrative. As everyone gathered closer, the comforting presence of friends and family intertwined with a renewed sense of purpose. Hopper and Joyce sat down next to you, ready to dive into the story of their unexpected return and the pivotal role it played in weakening Vecna. They began to recount their side of the ordeal, weaving a tale of resilience and unlikely alliances that had momentarily turned the tide against the dark forces at play, laying bare the depth of their struggle and the flickers of hope that persisted against all odds.

"Where is everyone else?" you wondered aloud, your voice tinged with concern as you scanned the room, searching for familiar faces.

"Dustin broke his leg, so they've got him holed up in the room to the left of you," Nancy explained, her words carrying a weight that seemed to settle heavily in the air. Despite the warmth of her smile, there was an underlying sense of burden that spoke volumes.

"And Robin… Robin broke her windpipe," Jonathan continued, his tone somber. "It was touch-and-go for a while. They had to rush her into surgery and put her on a respirator. She's in the room next to Dustin, still unconscious. The doctors are cautiously optimistic, but it's going to be a long road to recovery."

As the reality of their injuries sank in, you felt a knot form in your stomach, a mix of fear and helplessness tightening its grip on your heart. Hopper's comforting embrace offered a momentary respite, his strong presence a steady anchor in the midst of turmoil.

"Lucas is with Max in the room next to Robin," Nancy continued, her voice trembling slightly. "Max… she's in a coma. Her injuries are… severe." Her gaze flickered to Jonathan, a silent plea for support, and he responded with a reassuring squeeze of her hand. "The doctors… they're not sure if she'll wake up. It's… it's hard to say."

The heaviness of the room seemed to weigh down upon you, pressing in from all sides with an oppressive force. You struggled to find words, your mind reeling with the magnitude of what they were telling you.

"Oh! Also… uh," Mike interjected, his voice hesitant as he shifted uncomfortably.

"Also what?" you prompted, your heart racing with anticipation, a sense of foreboding creeping into the corners of your mind.

"Steve… Steve has been asking for you," Eleven chimed in, her innocence a stark contrast to the gravity of the situation. She had joined your makeshift family after 'the Steve incident,' unaware of the painful memories it dredged up for you. The mention of it sent a shiver down your spine, a reminder of wounds that had never fully healed.

"Why? What does he want?" you asked, your irritation bubbling to the surface. The audacity of Steve to seek you out in the midst of such chaos left you reeling, a surge of anger rising within you.

"He won't say, kid," Hopper interjected, his voice low and gruff. He remembered 'the Steve incident' all too well, the scars it had left behind still raw and tender. "But if you want him out of your hair, I'll handle it."

"Wait, Hop. She needs to, it's been long enough since-" Joyce began, her voice filled with concern and a hint of motherly affection.

The tension in the room thickened as Joyce and Hopper engaged in a silent battle of wills, each one advocating for a different course of action.

"No," Hopper cut her off sharply, his expression resolute as he shook his head.

"Pops," you interjected, breaking the tension with a warm smile as you wrapped your arms around him. "I'm an adult now. I got this." Despite the façade of confidence you projected, a knot of dread coiled in the pit of your stomach at the prospect of facing Steve once again.

"Whatever you say, kid, but I don't know if I trust his intentions after the-" Hopper's words trailed off, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Please don't finish that sentence," you pleaded, a grimace tugging at the corners of your mouth. Hopper heaved a weary sigh, his resolve wavering in the face of your insistence. He leaned down to press a fatherly kiss to your forehead before reluctantly releasing you.

You smiled up at him, a surge of joy flooding your heart at the sight of him alive and well before you. "I've got this, pops. I'm your daughter, and if you can come back from the dead, I can take care of a kid I used to be friends with," you reassured him, though the words felt more like a mantra to bolster your own courage than a genuine assurance to him.

After bidding a reluctant farewell to your father, you followed Joyce out of the room and toward the door at the far end of the hall, adjacent to Max's. Joyce filled you in on Steve's condition as you walked, her voice tinged with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"He's in here with a few broken ribs, chunks of skin missing, dehydration, and a concussion," she explained, her words painting a grim picture of Steve's injuries. "When he came to, he immediately asked how everyone was doing. After we told him you had fainted, he was adamant on leaving to go see you. Jonathan and Hopper had to step in to hold him down."

As Joyce's words washed over you, a wave of confusion washed over you. You hadn't exchanged so much as a word with Steve since he broke your heart all those years ago. His sudden desire to speak with you now left you feeling disoriented and apprehensive.

"Thanks," you managed a strained smile, attempting to steady your nerves with a deep, centering breath before stepping through the doorway. The room felt stifling, the weight of Steve's presence suffocating as you prepared yourself for the confrontation ahead.

Steve's voice cut through the air, calling out your name, drawing you further into the room. His relief was palpable, evident in the way his tense shoulders sagged as he sank onto the bed. "Oh, thank god. Are you alright?"

His words grated against your raw emotions, reigniting the seething anger that simmered just beneath the surface. "Why do you care?" you snapped, your arms crossing defensively over your chest as you glared daggers at him, the venom in your tone thick and acrid.

"Listen," he began, his voice tinged with desperation, his face drained of color as he braced himself for your response. "I messed up, okay?"

"Messed up?" you scoffed, your scowl darkening into a murderous glare. "I don't think spreading rumors around high school about me being 'a whore who puts out for anyone' qualifies as a mistake. That sounds pretty damn intentional to me," you growled, your voice dripping with contempt as you confronted him head-on. Steve recoiled at the ferocity of your words, his features contorting with guilt and shame under your piercing gaze. "Seriously, how dare you have the audacity to ask for me, to care about me, after the stunt you pulled. You used to be my best friend, the person I trusted most in the world, and you knew damn well I was a virgin!"

"I know! I fucked up, and I am so, so sorry," Steve pleaded, his voice thick with remorse as he struggled to find the right words to express the depth of his regret.

"No! You don't get to apologize. Not anymore. Not after you ripped my heart out," you spat, your anger boiling over as you unleashed years of pent-up frustration and hurt. "You know what? I can't do this. I hope you have a shit life, Steve," you seethed, your voice trembling with emotion as you turned on your heel and stormed toward the door, your heart pounding in your chest with each step. Every fiber of your being screamed for escape, for relief from the crushing weight of betrayal that threatened to consume you whole.

"I was scared!" Steve's voice echoed through the room, halting you in your tracks. "I was scared," he repeated softly, his vulnerability breaking through the barrier of anger that surrounded you. You stayed quiet, guarded, but turned back around to see that he had gotten out of bed and was right behind you. Too close. You took a step back, instinctively creating space between you, as he continued to speak.

"I loved you so much that I thought I was going to die," he confessed, his voice trembling with emotion. "You were gorgeous and everything that I ever dreamed of, but things with my parents were starting to get really bad. It went from casually throwing comments my way to yelling and throwing things and threats of kicking me out, and I just…" he trailed off, his breath hitching as he struggled to articulate his thoughts. Finally, he mustered the courage to meet your gaze. "I couldn't put you through that, not after you had lost your mom and little sister."

"That doesn't excuse the rumor spreading, you dick," you retorted, your voice quieter now, the malice drained from your words. Steve reached over, his hands grazing your arms, but you quickly recoiled, pulling away from his touch. The physical contact felt like an intrusion, a violation of the boundaries you had erected to protect yourself from further pain.

"Please," Steve pleaded, his voice trembling with emotion. "I almost died. You almost—" he sighed heavily, running a hand through his tousled hair in frustration. "When I was stuck in those things, fighting for air, the only thing that came to my mind was you. It was you, baby. I was about to die, and all I could think about was how I lost someone so special, someone I wanted—no, someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. And me being scared is a stupid excuse. I should have never done that to you, but I can't take it back. The only thing I can do is ask for a second chance."

His words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity and vulnerability, as he bared his heart to you, laying his emotions bare in the hope of redemption. "I love you," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the sound of your racing heartbeat. "I love you, and I just want to take you out on a date. Just one, and then you can decide for yourself whether or not you ever want to see me again. If you don't, then I'll leave you alone. But… but if you do, then I think we could really be something special together, and I swear to try my best to fight for us."

The room fell into a cold, tense silence, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air as you grappled with your emotions. You were hesitant, scared of letting him back in after what he had done, but his words struck a chord within you. It could have been the end for both of you, it still could be at any moment. So why not seize the time you have left? If you got hurt, you got hurt, but at least you could say that you tried. Right?

As you stood there, grappling with your thoughts, Steve's hopeful gaze bore into yours, his heart laid bare before you, awaiting your decision with bated breath. The air crackled with tension, uncertainty hanging thick between you, as you contemplated whether to open your heart to him once more, or to shut him out for good.

"Okay," you breathed, the word hanging in the air like a fragile promise, waiting to see if he would shatter it with a cruel twist of fate. But he didn't. Instead, he took a step forward, his hand finding its way to your waist as he pulled you close, the warmth of his touch seeping into your skin. He stopped just before kissing you, a silent plea in his eyes as he waited for your permission.

You found yourself lost in his deep brown eyes, the same eyes that had witnessed your tears, your pain, and your heartache. But this time, as you stared into them, you saw something different—sincerity, vulnerability, and a flicker of hope reflected in the small golden flecks. It was in that moment that you knew. He wasn't going down without a fight.

With a silent nod, you closed the distance between you, your lips meeting in a heated kiss that sent sparks flying. It was a kiss filled with passion, longing, and a silent promise of what could be. When you finally pulled away, both of you were left breathless and wanting, the electricity lingering in the air like a tangible force.

"Just don't go and fuck it up this time, okay?" you murmured, your voice tinged with a mixture of caution and longing, your heart laid bare before him.

"Okay," Steve replied, his smile tender and genuine as he pulled you back in for another kiss, sealing the unspoken pact between you with a promise of redemption and a chance at love renewed.

[sleeeeping]

　　　　　　　✿　、𝗺asterlist　　﹗

　　　　warnings !

english its not my firts language, lazy, request whatever you want, im still editing my profile

　　　　　　─────────̸ ♡ ─̸────────

　　　　𔖱　　𔓕　fand𝗼m̲s i writ𝗲 𓏲　٬

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday Addams, Enid Sinclair, Xavier Thorpe, Bianca Barclay, Ajax Petropolus, Tyler Galphin

AVATAR

Jake Sully, Neytiri, Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri, Ao'nung, Tsireya, Roxto, Tonowari, Ronal

STRANGE THINGS

Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Jane Hopper, Will Byers, Max Mayfield, Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Chrissy Cunnigham, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buclay

　　　⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝

　　　　　　　𝇄　꩜　　　𝗶 write 　　〟

☆ smut, fluff, angst, lgbtq, male reader, fem reader, non binary reader, anime/ character! Reader, tall diferents, kinks , ect.

　　　⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝︶︶⏝

　　　　　　𝇄　꩜　　　𝗶 dont write 　　〟

☆ family x reader (just platonic stuff, or if my dignity decides to write adoptive family x reader), pedophilia, zoophilia, extreme gore scenes, no exact name for reader

[sereinpetrichor]

weaving on our ends | Mature | 37.6K

Author: @sara-smiling | @sereinpetrichor | serein95 on Twitter/X

Artists: @strawberrysh0rk & @hawkinsleather | hawkinsleather on Twitter/X

Beta/Sensitivity Reader: @upallnightogetloki

Summary

In the era after Vecna and (hopefully) the end of Upside Down-related chaos, Steve Harrington picks up a hobby passed to him with love and care, honoring a found family tradition.

He finds peace in the art of crocheting: making things with his hands and sharing them with those he loves. From the adults who became the parental figures he never really had, to the kids who thrust themselves into his life and will likely never leave, along with the gang of misfits he calls his friends. Especially the one who is unexpectedly stealing his heart.

With each new crocheting project, Steve shows his love for them in all the ways he knows how and slowly learns how to receive it in return.

Or, the 5 crochet projects Steve gives to everyone + the 1 project he makes just for Eddie.

Project 287 | Fic on AO3

Digital Art & Photography/Crochet:

🖼 Prologue Comic: Learning to Crochet by @strawberrysh0rk

📷🧶 Steve's First Crochet, Eddie & Sue's Dishcloths, and Erica's Scarf by @hawkinsleather

📷🧶 Eddie's Dragonscale Gauntlets and Eddie's DM Dice Bag by @hawkinsleather

🖼 The Duality of Crochet by @hawkinsleather

📷🧶 Eddie's Sweater and Eddie's Bat & Blanket-in-progress by @hawkinsleather

🖼 The Steddie Blanket by @hawkinsleather

Bonus 🖼: Buckingham in Crochet by @hawkinsleather

Fic Information

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Side Pairings: Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Wayne Munson/Claudia Henderson

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Sue Sinclair, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Nancy Wheeler, Wayne Munson, Erica Sinclair, Jane "El" Hopper, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Dustin Henderson, Jonathan Byers, Argyle, The Party, Hellfire Club, Barbara Holland

Trigger Warnings: none

Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Post-Canon Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Crochet, Steve Harrington Crochets, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Chronic Pain, Idiots in Love, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson Are Best Friends, Steve Harrington Has Absent Parents, so the Sinclairs unofficially adopt him, Steve Harrington Deserves Love, Steve Harrington's Love Language is Gift Giving, and Gift Making, 5+1 Things, Eddie Munson Lives, Unintentional Hand Kink, Eddie Munson Has a Hand Kink, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Single Nancy Wheeler, Moving In Together, Sharing a Room, Sharing a Bed, Coming Out