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munsster · 10 months ago

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fixer upper

A/N: IM ACTUALLY SO EMBARASSED TO ADMIT THIS IS BASED ON ‘FIXER UPPER’ FROM FROZEN 💀💀💀 does that mean it counts as a song fic…….. (gif creds: @buckysbarnes)

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader (Season 3)

Summary: The kids aren’t saying you can change him, per se. They’re only saying that love’s a force that’s powerful and strange. 2.8k words

Warnings: fluff, babygirl steve, cursing, mentions of toxic (?) relationship, hopeless pining, pet names (sweetheart), shameless flirting

Steve can barely see through his rose-tinted daydream, but he's sure he recognizes your smile as soon as you enter the food court. And you lead a trail of whiny teenagers right to his register. This is the fourth time this week you've heard about Steve's lusturous hair and dazzling eyes. You have to hand it to them, they're not bad salesmen, just a tad young to elicit ethos. What the hell do they know about love anyway.

That's what happens when you're licensed and free on a Friday afternoon: babysitting duty. Now, in the event that Steve had been the one saddled with the party on his day off, he would've argued that they're not really babies and they should be self-sufficient. Knowing Dustin, however, this argument proves to be false almost every time.

But it wasn't Steve, it was you. Steve doesn't think he's heard you complain about one thing in your life.

Not even your deadbeat boyfriend called Brad. Who, as Dustin and Max and Robin love to remind him, is utterly replaceable and on thin ice every other week. Steve knows better than to get his hopes up after three months of having them crushed, though. He's learned to live with the strong sense of yearning he feels whenever you're within thirty feet of him.

Take now, for example: you're coralling half a dozen brats into a somewhat single-file line without even having to raise your voice. He should think it's impressive, but he's too distracted by your lip gloss and your voice and the way you did your hair today.

"I hope you give discounts to distressed young women," you tease, brows knitting when you look up at him. This is the part where he's supposed to respond with something charming. Sexy and charismatic, maybe.

"Oh, uh," he chuckles, "No, I mean, yeah. Sure"—Oh, but you smile at him and all that pent up charisma flies out the neon-framed sliding doors. They chatter out their orders at lightning speed, and he can barely catch half of what they're saying when you look at him like that. You finally make it to the register and pay half price. And your cone is always on the house, of course.

"Isn't he such a gentleman?" Max says unenthusiastically. Lucas elbows her side before retreating with Dustin.

"He's also a great driver!" Will chirps, shuffling away to one of the booths with Mike and El who giggle the whole way there. You turn back to Steve who stares off at them incredulously.

"You see what I have to deal with?" you say with some degree of affection for the chaos.

"Aw, come on," Steve says, tilting his head with a shrug, "you love it."

"I think they keep forgetting I already have a boyfriend."

Not much of a boyfriend if you ask me, he thinks.

But what he says: "Ah, yes. The elusive Brad."

You roll your eyes and grin at him. You know Steve has a crush on you. Or else the kids and Robin wouldn't be so adamant on marketing him to you. It's sweet, really. And honestly, you don't think Steve's unfit to play boyfriend or anything, but you're also not disloyal.

Your scoop melts down the side of the cone between your fingers. Steve nearly hurls himself across the counter handing you a thick stack of napkins.

"Shit, thanks," you huff, lapping at the stream of sticky ice cream. His stomach churns as his face screws into a sickly smile.

"Yeah. No problem."

"No, really"—you wrap a napkin around the cone, shoving the rest into your pocket—"I don't know what I'd do if I had to pay the entire bill everytime one of them had a craving."

"Really, it's not a problem," he shrugs it off like it doesn't come out of his paycheck. "I like helping out pretty girls when I can."

You giggle and tilt your head. "Steve Harrington, you're my hero."

He's almost embarassed at how fast his face flushes red hot and frantic. He reaches for the back of his neck on impulse, and any attempt he makes at seeming suave is foiled by Robin patting him on the shoulder.

"If you think that's heroic, there was this one time he singlehandedly saved Hawkins with this sick baseball bat with nails—"

He huffs, "Robin—"

"No, seriously! Don't be so modest, Steve, you're selling yourself short!"

"I'm not trying to sell myself at all!" he says, turning her around and guiding her towards the door to the back room.

"Great seeing you!" she hollers over her shoulder just before disappearing behind the swinging door. You wave with a chuckle. Steve tuts, fixing his sailor hat and shaking his head.

"Did you really do all that? Save Hawkins, I mean?" you ask. And you seem genuinely interested which is why it guts him. The one girl who actually gives a shit is coincidentally unavailable.

"Yeah," he says, shrugging, "but only to clear my conscience. It's like penance, or whatever."

You giggle, not sure if he's being truthful or playing it off. He meets your eyes and he's sure his heart stops dead in his chest for a beat. Nobody pulls off mall lighting like you.

The kids come skipping back to the counter, declaring they've all got different wants and needs around the mall for the next few hours.

"Okay, hold on, I promised I'd have you guys back before my date," you say, Steve overseeing the conversation from over your shoulder.

"Well," he interjects, "when's your date?" All the attention shifts to Steve, and he suddenly wishes he could swallow up the words and take them back for good.

"Two hours from now. Across town," you say, looking a little guilty knowing he's about to make the kindest offer of the year.

"I'm off at five, so I can just"—stop talking—"take them home after my shift."

"Steve, really, you don't have to—"

El grins, eyes wide as she whispers in Max's ear.

Steve shakes his head, "Sweetheart, believe me, I want to. Besides, you've already been through enough with the rascals. Go have fun."

You turn to the kids, almost pleading with them to accept Steve's generosity.

"Is that okay with you guys? I don't wanna leave you stranded," you admit.

They nod in agreement, throwing out a couple yes's and sure's. They're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, but you still feel bad dumping them on Steve like this.

Dustin interrupts: "This really just goes to show how Steve is a great candidate for marriage and other domestic relations. He can be odd at times and he might care too much about his hair, but you can tell by his actions that he would be a very reliable husband, a generous life partner, and—"

"And a great friend," you giggle, trying not to let Dustin get too carried away. You have sat through enough of his speeches for one day. "Now, quit trying to set us up!"

Steve rolls his eyes at the boy. "Seriously, at least wait 'til she's single. Then she can reject me for me."

You whip back to face him with a sour look on your face.

"Steven! That's not—that's rude to yourself," you huff, "Say three nice things."

He chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest and squinting at you.

"You're pretty, I like your shoes, and you smell nice."

"About you!"

"Ohh," he feigns surprise, "No." But you reach across the counter to whack him on the arm with a shocking amount of force. The kids chuckle from behind you. Steve can't help but smile when you raise your brows proudly. "Fine! I am deserving of love, I am great company, and my hair looks particularly shiny today."

"Good," you nod, "I agree. And I have to go, see ya!"

"With which one?" he says, watching you jog out of the store waving. "Wait! Sweetheart? Agree with which one??"

Steve sighs sharply, hands perched decidedly on his hips as his gaze falls flat on the militia of pre teens staring him down.

"What do you want?" he says.

"You're hopeless," Max says, mouth pressed in a hard line before she wanders off, arm-in-arm with El.

"Yeah, dude. And kinda desperate," Mike shrugs.

"Hey," he grumbles. Who knew such harsh words could come from such little humans. You'd think they'd be harmless at this age. You'd be wrong.

"You're a total virgin," Dustin says, very matter-of-factly.

Steve cocks a brow, honestly trying not to laugh at the severity of Dustin's demeanor when he says it. "I don't even think you know what that means."

Dustin blinks. "Well, I think you haven't had sex in long enough that you qualify as one."

"Shit."

...

Much to Steve’s surprise, it only takes butthead Brad two more weeks to absolutely shatter your heart. No one knows the complete details other than it happened at a frat party and you had to walk back to the dorms alone. But Steve doesn’t need complete details to know he wants to shatter Brad’s jaw with his fist.

But he also vowed to use means other than violence to get his point across. He should be awarded for the amount of restraint it took to see your bloodshot eyes and not speed immediately off towards Asshole University like a Brad-seeking atomic missile.

Of course, he’s thankful you felt comfortable enough to call him. In fact, he was the first one you rang. And he knows this fact because you told him while you were sniffling away tears a week and a half after the break up.

Now, you’re sitting in the passenger seat of his beemer, curled into your sweater, and listening to late night soft rock radio while he focuses on the dark highway ahead of him. You hadn’t wanted to do anything else but sit in his car and think. His heart clenches everytime you wipe away a tear with your soggy sleeve.

He pulls off the highway during an ad break, finding a secluded diner surrounded by nothing but trees and gas stations. He pulls into a parking spot near the back of the lot where the overhead lights aren’t blinding, but you aren’t completely in the dark. He leaves the car on so the cold doesn’t seep in, engine still purring softly from under the hood.

“Who needs ‘em,” he says in attempt to lighten the mood. “Being single is way cooler. Take it from me. You get a bed all to yourself and you can fart whenever you want.”

You’re frowning, but you know he means well. You just can’t help the fat tears rolling down your cheeks.

“Oh, come here,” he whispers, leaning over the center console and dipping his hands over your shoulder and around your waist. His arms feel so strong and so warm where they envelop you entirely. Steve always was the best hug you ever receieved.

You can’t help but chuckle wetly into his collar after a moment.

“God, he was such an asshole, wasn’t he?”

“Uh, duh! Doesn’t take a genius to…” Steve laughs, pausing and brushing the hair away from your damp cheeks. “I know, sweetheart, and you deserve heaps better. You were always way too cool for that loser.”

You blink up at him in the low light. There’s a kind of twinkle in your eye that makes the tips of his ears hot. This time, you reach for him, weaving your arms beneath his jacket with a deep sigh. Your breathing slows against his neck, and he rubs your back while your arms tighten a little around his waist.

He can’t help but wonder what you’re thinking whenever you look at him with your doe eyes, seemingly sweet and far too inquisitive. He knows you’re probably just looking, maybe thinking of something else. But the hopeless romantic in him rattles his rib cage and shouts you might actually consider him this time.

“Wanna go get shakes? On me,” he whispers. You sniffle, wiping your aching nose on the cuff of your sleeve.

“I can pay for myself,” you tease, popping open the car door when he cuts the engine.

“Nope! Sorry, I don’t let girls pay, remember? Super sexist, I know. Plus the whole pretty privilege thing. Honestly, I should just be paying you at this point,” he says, hooking his arm around your back and feeling yours reach for his shoulder as you march towards the diner.

“I agree, rich boy,” you chuckle, “Reparations are in order for wrongdoings on behalf of your sex.”

He chuckles. He’s absolutely head over heels.

The waitress seats you at a cozy booth in the corner and makes a casual comment about the cute couple, asking how long you two have been together. Steve flounders at the question, flustered and pink in the face.

“Oh, we’re actually… not together,” you say, laughing awkwardly when she pouts and, again, remarks on how cute you’d be together. You order shakes for the both of you before perching your chin in your hand. Steve’s still reeling when the waitress walks away.

“Funny. We can’t even escape the third-degree from complete strangers,” you tease, winking at him from just a few feet away. Jesus, he’d think you were trying to kill him if you didn’t seem so lighthearted and playful.

“Yeah, pretty funny,” he sighs. And he’s probably being so obvious. Or maybe that’s how he is all of the time, so his heart eyes seem subtle. Or it’s obvious all of the time.

The waitress slides the shakes in front of you, and the bright red cherries sink further into the whipped cream.

“You know,” you murmur between sips, “I always thought you were pretty cute.”

He nearly chokes on his mouthful of chocolate malt, clearing his throat and trying not to crumble in on himself.

“Oh. Yeah, I get that a lot,” he huffs, “Mostly from little old ladies, but—Hey!”

You flick him and say, “Really! I know it’s not couth considering… Brad and all, but…”

“You’re being facetious,” Steve accuses.

“No—”

“Sarcastic!”

“Steve—”

“Ironic?”

“Try serious!” you hum, “I’m just saying, you’re very handsome. I was shocked to learn you were single when we first met.”

Steve’s blushing and puffing trying to maintain eye contact.

“What can I say? I’m just,” he huffs, “I’m not really worried about it.”

You tilt your head. “You’re not?”

“Nah. I know the right girl will find me in the end. Even if it takes a while. I don’t mind waiting for the right one.”

You settle back in the padded seat, wincing when it squeals beneath you. It makes you feel a little dejected, but you suppose he’s right. Especially because he seems so confident. So sure. It’s admirable. You want to be that sure of soulmates and love and the future.

“I feel the same way,” you whisper. He finishes off the rest of his glass with a smile.

“Though, it doesn’t exactly help having a bunch of little shitheads telling you to go get laid all the time,” he laughs.

“Oh, yeah, tell me about it” you lean in, “Just break up with him, steve is so much nicer. Dump that loser. Steve has a big crush on you.”

“They said that?” Steve’s not dumb, he’s sure you know by now, but he thought it was all conjecture. They will be hearing about this next time they want free ice cream.

“Yeah, that was like their main point. But I know with all the love in my heart they’re all full of shit.”

You shrug, and he chuckles dryly. He can’t decide whether you knowing is for better or for worse.

“Yeah,” he sighs.

Steve drives you home. You fall asleep in the car, and he keeps the radio low so as not to wake you. By the time he pulls into your driveway, he doesn’t care about the time or the fact that he lives far. He does, however, care about the way you smile lazily and peck his cheek in thanks.

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

He says it but he wants to tell you what he’s feeling. He wants to ask if you’re over Brad. He knows you’re not and that’s okay, but he wants to ask if he can hold your hand to keep it warm. He wants to ask what kind of flowers you like and if it would be okay for him to drop them off on your doorstep tomorrow. He has so much he wants to say and do, but he doesn’t want to suffocate you.

He doesn’t know that you wouldn’t mind him asking.

more like this

masterlist

#the babygirlification of steve harrington #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things #x reader #fluff #stranger things x reader #x fem!reader #friends to lovers #stranger things season three #scoops ahoy

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willbyersabyss · 7 months ago

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So what are Will's flaws?

Is Will totally perfect in every way? Is he a jealous saboteur? Or a secret third option... neither. Let's discuss Will's flaws and nuances!

1. Emotional suppression

Will avoids his problems. He hates talking about both his emotional and physical danger because he doesn't want to be treated differently. From a young age, he was taught by Lonnie that he shouldn't express his emotions because that makes him "sensitive" and "weak." So now he likes to hide.

This emotional suppression causes his feelings to worsen over time. Once he finally lets it out, he explodes. Instead of healthy conversations, he says and does things that he'll probably regret later. He blows up at Mike, he yells at Jonathan, he destroys Castle Byers, he shows his hand (what about us?)

Will's avoidance doesn't only have consequences on him, but others. If he had told someone he was feeling the Mind Flayer earlier, they might've been able to save some of the Flayed. But he couldn't tell someone because that puts him in a place of emotional vulnerability. That's exactly why he waited until after he fought with the boys to mention the supernatural. He traded one vulnerable situation for another, allowing him to avoid opening up about his true feelings. It was a distraction.

This also doesn't let others to heal from their altercations. Both Lucas and Mike try to apologize to Will, but he brushes them off. Will thinks he doesn't deserve consideration. The walls he puts up forces others to hold onto their own guilt, leaving a sore spot in their relationship. We can see this soreness in Will and Mike's relationship in s4. They never healed from the rain fight. Well... not that Mike tried to apologize after the Mind Flayer debacle. Again, distraction on Will's part.

Will’s inability to handle change is also due to him bottling up his feelings. His trauma and suppression makes him stuck in the past. He doesn’t let himself move through each day where these emotions would be felt.

It's interesting how Will is deemed the emotional one when his sensitivity is actually a result of him keeping his emotions in. Once that dam is opened, it's hard for him to stop. He breaks, just as he fears.

2. Self-hatred

And all that emotional suppression leads to Will internalizing other people's view of him. Will's self-hatred stems from bullying and his father's abuse. He thinks he's to blame, that he's a mistake. As more people distance themselves from Will, he believes there's something wrong with him.

When he thinks he deserves mistreatment, his relationships crumble more. They're unable to reconcile. True forgiveness can't be achieved if he doesn't think he should be apologized to in the first place.

Will's hatred is the reason why he tried to sacrifice himself in s2 to save his friends. He doesn't think he deserves to be saved. This makes him an easy target for Vecna. It's very likely that Will's self-hatred will factor into his upcoming supernatural plot.

The more Will hates himself, the more he hides, the more he suppresses his emotions.

3. People pleaser

If Will is anything, he's a people pleaser. He's selfless. So much so that this is the first thing we find out about him. While admirable, it actually leads to more bad than good. His people pleasing tendency goes hand in hand with his emotional suppression. Will doesn't like to take up space and inconvenience other people.

Will's never ending effort to please others leads to him making assumptions. Wrong assumptions. Whether it be letting Max join them on Halloween or pushing Mike to give a love confession, Will tries his best to use his mediator role to give people what they want.

But he doesn't know what they want, does he? Will wanted to make Dustin and Lucas happy, but this created a rift with Mike. He thought Mike was itching to profess his love for El, but that wasn’t what either of them needed. In an attempt to help, he's making it worse.

He must be successful sometimes, though, because there's an expectation from his friends that he'll fulfill their needs at the flick of a wand. This vacancy from Will makes him a pushover. They think they can make fun of him and he'll just take it because that's what he does. When Will finally stands up for himself, they're shocked. That's out of character for him. It's like they want to say: “Why isn't he letting us be mean to him? :(”

Mike even expected Will to tell him that his own girlfriend was being bullied. Will's people pleasing explodes in his face. So now when he's unable to read their needs and fix it for them, he's to blame. Will takes on the weight of their problems too much. While it's good that they rely on him, there shouldn't be pressure for him to judge their every whim. But it's not exactly their fault because Will set the stage for this behavior.

Weirdly, Will's need to please others is the reason why he didn't call Mike. He thought Mike wanted nothing to do with him, so he didn't reach out. There he goes assuming things again! But Will was there, waiting for the rare occasion where Mike did want him. He went so far right that he ended up left.

Will's behavior towards El is also an instance of wrong assumptions. Will didn't like being treated differently in s2, so he assumed El would feel the same way. He used his own experiences to inform how he should treat others. Babying El would make her feel more ostracized. Instead, he offered emotional comfort, similar to the comfort he received, after the bullying. This doesn't really help her because she doesn't have the same emotional mechanics as Will.

So Will assumes things, pushes his own wants down, and lets people walk all over him all in the name of being pleasant.

4. Freeze, fly, fight. In that order!

When Will is scared, he freezes. This flaw is so significant that they talked about it textually multiple times. I'm not sure I would consider it a flaw since it has saved him more than it's harmed him, though.

The few times Will has decided to fight instead of freeze, he was kidnapped and possessed. Confrontation isn't an option for him. His body believes he'll be put directly in danger if he does anything but freeze/fly. Fight is only used as a last resort.

It only really enters flaw territory when it's an inconvenience. He froze during the sauna test, when El was being bullied, and when he should've shot the creature in the shed. Will is unable to help himself and others when he's scared.

When he snaps out of it, he cries and feels guilty for being so hesitant. He wishes he could do more but he can't. This wraps back around to his self-hatred.

5. Jealousy

When his best friend of 10 years that he's in love with starts to ditch him for some random girl, it's not shocking that there would be some jealousy! Will is the silent jealous type. His jealousy doesn't really manifest into resentment or outward action against the other person. Unlike a certain someone...

Will only shows it through rolling eyes, a snarky comment here or there, or an outburst at his most emotionally vulnerable. I mean, if Will really wanted to see El crash and burn, he could've kept his mouth shut the entire Rink-O-Mania day. Or he could've ignored her in the courtyard as she picks up the pieces of her project. But he didn't.

The worst we've seen Will's jealousy was during the rain fight. He called El stupid. There's no beating around the bush, he was in the wrong for that. But this came out of Will because his emotions were at an all time high. Why? Emotional suppression!

A lot of Will's snarky comments towards El are out of genuine confusion. He doesn't understand how El can have exactly what he wants, but she's willing to ruin it by lying. Unfortunately, he later learns that exact lesson. He's envious that she can do what Mike hates without major repercussions, while he's somehow blamed for her lies. And why does he get blamed? People pleaser expectations!

Will waited until a quiet moment to inform El of her mistakes. Will's goal isn't to humiliate El. He doesn't let his jealousy lead to resentment. Instead, he tried to (snarkily) lead her to make better decisions because it's not fair! It's not fair that she can have it all without working for it!

And now we're back at self-hatred. Some of his jealous moments make it bubble back up. He bends his painting, something he put his blood, sweat, and tears into, because he isn't enough for them. Their ideal day is without him. Will's art is an extension of himself. He's aiming his anger back at himself by hurting his art.

All of his flaws connect back to his low self-esteem in some way. This is why it's important for Will to receive and accept love in his life. A big part of his arc is self acceptance.

So there it is in all its glory! All of Will's main flaws in one post. What did we learn? Will suppresses his emotions, hates himself, pleases others to a fault, freezes, and is green with envy. And he wouldn't be Will without 'em!

#will byers #byler #stranger things analysis

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stevie-petey · 7 months ago

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episode six: the dive

“You do realize Skull Rock is a super popular make out spot? It wasn’t popular until I made it popular, alright? I practically invented it.” The words slip from Steve’s mouth before he can really understand the consequences behind them. He stops dead in his tracks and stares at you, eyes wide in fear. “Nice one, Steve.” You pat his chest sarcastically, sharing a disgusted look with Dustin.

Summary: dustin rejects the pity pringles you offer, eddie is straight up not having a good time, nancy does some investigative journalism about you and steve (gossips with robin), and steve suddenly decides he wants to take up scuba diving. for some reason. but hey ! title drop time !

Rating: general, some swearing

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, cursing, mentions of death and violence

Words: 7.4k

Before you swing in: HI !!!! HAPPY ONE YEAR OF COME HOME !!! weve reached the scene everyone has so patiently waited for ;) can yall believe it took a full year before we finally reached the fated title drop ??? i can ! anyways, pls enjoy. i love this chapter and you guys so so so much :')))

–

“Want some?”

Dustin smacks the pringle that Steve dangles away from his face. “Get that away from me.”

“But you love Pringles,” your hand waves in front of his face, holding yet another chip. You’re sitting in Nancy’s trunk with Steve, eating leftover pringles from the supply run from this morning for Eddie. Dustin sits in the middle, squished between Max and Lucas. “Here, take one as a peace offering.”

“I’d rather be stuck between Lucas and Max than you and Steve, Y/N.” Dustin huffs, though he does eventually take the chip that you offer him.

Steve chews another chip. “Totally harsh, dude.”

The car turns and you’re suddenly pressed against your boyfriend, knee bending at an uncomfortable angle. “Cozy car, Nance.” You quip, repositioning yourself so your ribcage is no longer in your lungs.

“Sorry, guys.” She glances back at you. “I know this isn’t ideal, but Eddie is almost definitely low on food and he’ll want to hear what we found.”

“Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car for this visit?” Robin asks from the passenger seat. “‘Cause this is gonna totally and royally suck.”

You toss a chip into your mouth. “I agree. Especially after his weird broadcast yesterday.”

Dustin whips his head to look at you. “Eddie contacted Cerebro?”

“Did I not tell you?”

“No!”

“Shit, sorry.” Yesterday was a blur. After the lights exploded in Victor Creel’s attic, you’d all driven silently back to Nancy’s. Hardly anyone spoke afterwards. You all had gone to bed quiet, reeling from the implications of what you’d found. “It was weird. I couldn’t really understand him, the signal was weak.”

Dustin gestures wildly at you. “Okay, but what did he say?”

“Something about Jason? And holes in a boat?” You’d been recovering from your panic attack when Eddie’s voice came through the radio. The details were fuzzy.

“A boat? Why the hell would Eddie need a boat?”

You shrug. “No clue, but I feel bad for the guy.”

The entire situation is grim. Eddie has been accused of murdering at least two Hawkins students, he apparently runs a cult, and now the only way of clearing his name involves El and the Upside Down. Both of which are currently out of reach.

While you can barely tolerate the guy, it’s a shame that he doesn’t stand a chance.

“It’ll be fine.” Nancy insists, but Robin shakes her head.

“I can’t stand to see those doe eyes of Eddie’s break again. I really, really can’t.”

“‘Doe eyes’ is a little much.” You scrunch your nose in displeasure. Steve snorts and Dustin glares at you. “Just saying.”

“At least he can drink himself into feeling better.” Steve offers, picking up the six-pack of beer and waving it around.

Max looks out the window. “That’s what my mom does.”

Lucas catches your eye. No one catches what Max has said besides you two. He looks upset, but you shake your head at him. Now isn’t the time. If he says anything to her, Max will close back in on herself.

Robin and Nancy return to their conversation while you sit quietly in the back. Steve notices your change in demeanor and frowns. Unsure what’s caused it, he holds up a pringle and winks at you. “Bet you can’t catch this with your mouth.”

It’s a welcomed distraction. You sit up, eyes alight. “You’re on, Harrington.”

And the game is on. Steve tosses a chip into the air and you duck your head, angling your mouth so that you catch it just before it lands. Eyes wide, you throw your arms in the air and cheer. “I did it!”

Steve claps, whooping. “That’s my girl!”

Reaching for the bag of pringles, you grab one and don’t even give Steve a warning before you’re throwing it at him. He yelps, surprised, but with ease he catches it. He cheers again and chews triumphantly. “And you tried to cheat!”

You roll your eyes. “Technically it wasn’t cheating, I just didn’t warn you.”

Steve pokes you side, eliciting a giggle from you. “I’ll get you for that, Henderson.”

“I’d like to see you try–” The sight of a police car stops you.

Nancy sees it, too. “Oh, shit.”

You’re just outside of the boathouse Eddie is hiding out in. There are cars everywhere, cops walking along the perimeter, controlling a crowd that has formed. A news station van blocks your vision, but you get a sickening sense of deja-vu anyways.

This is exactly how it’d been when Fred’s body was found.

Nancy ushers everyone to the side of the van, ducking down so you aren’t seen. Officer Powell is giving a speech to the press. He stands before the frightened audience, voice stern, but also tired. You can’t imagine what it must be like, being chief of police without having any idea of the horrors that Hawkins hides.

“The Roane County line received a call a little after midnight, reporting a homicide here on the lake.”

Everyone freezes. Another body has been found.

“That’s three deaths in three days.” You can’t breathe. This is all happening too fast. Faster than anything you’ve ever had to deal with before.

Chief Powell continues. “It was here that we found the body of the victim, an eighteen year old senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney.”

Lucas stiffens next to you. Patrick had been his teammate. His friend. Numb, you rub his back, offering whatever ounce of comfort you can give him.

“We have also identified a person of interest.” The chief holds up a photo of Eddie, showing it to the broadcasters before him. “Eddie Munson.”

You suck in a breath. The only thing Eddie had going for him was that no one knew he was the main person of interest. His identity had still been concealed, buying him a little more time while you tried to find answers for him.

But now it’s too late.

“This is not good,” Steve mumbles as officer Powell encourages the town to come forward with any information they may have about Eddie. “This is really not good.”

“He’s fucked.” You whisper. The crowd standing before Powell is large. Nearly half the town leans into his every word. They’re angry. All of them. Another one of their own has been taken. Another child.

And they’d do anything to save Hawkins’ children.

The manhunt has begun.

“Dustin, can you hear me? Hendersons?” Eddie’s voice cackles through the walkie.

Everyone scurries around your brother while he fumbles with his bag, anxious to respond. When he finally finds his walkie, he breathes out a sigh of relief. “Eddie. Holy shit. Are you okay?”

“Nah, man.” He sounds exhausted, seconds away from completely breaking down. Something within your chest tightens. No one deserves this. “I’m pretty goddamn far from okay.”

Robin prods Dustin to ask where Eddie is. No one wants him to be alone right now. Not when he’s become Hawkins’ most wanted.

“I’m at Skull Rock. Do you know it?”

Dustin nods eagerly. “Uh, yeah. That’s near Cornwallis and–”

“Garrett, yeah.” Steve is already running towards Nancy’s car. “I know where that is.”

You grab Dustin’s shirt. “Tell Eddie we’ll be there soon, alright?”

“Yeah-yeah I will.” The urgence in your voice scares him a little. He knows you’d do whatever to protect someone, but he never thought you’d extend this protectiveness to Eddie. Bringing the walkie to his lips, Dustin delivers your message. “Hold tight. We’re coming.”

The walkie clicks off.

All you can do is hope that you make it to Skull Rock in time.

–

The last time you trekked through Hawkins woods, you had to endure Steve and Dustin constantly arguing as you all threw down chunks of meat onto the train tracks.

Now, over a year later, they’re still arguing.

At least this time there isn’t the stench of raw meat.

“I’m telling you, we’re going the wrong way.” Dustin nags Steve, holding his compass in one hand and a map of Hawkins in the other. “Skull Rock is in the other direction. You’re totally wrong.”

Steve shoves him, causing the teen to trip over a tree root. “What’s up with you always thinking I’m wrong these days?”

“Because you’re always wrong.”

You flick the brim of Dustin’s hat. “Steve has had a few good ideas from time to time. He’s taking us the right way.”

“No, he’s not. It’s north.” Dustin points behind him. Steve rolls his eyes in disbelief. “I’m positive. I checked the map.”

“Nice one, Steve.” You pat his chest sarcastically, sharing a disgusted look with Dustin.

“Okay, I didn’t mean it like that.” Steve trips over his words, nearly falling flat on his face as he struggles to keep up with you. “I mean, I did kiss a lot of girls there, but-but that was before I enjoyed kissing you!”

Your brother gags. “Real catch there, Y/N.”

“I’m ignoring you both,” you tell the boys, continuing down the path Steve pointed out earlier. The gaps in the trees start to become familiar. The rugged terrain smooths over from excessive use, creating an unmarked trail that you’ve walked before. “More importantly, I think we’re getting close to Skull Rock.”

“See? I told you, little Henderson–” Steve starts to cheer, happy to be right. Then the joy on his face quickly dissipates. He’s realized something. “Wait, how… how do you know where Skull Rock is, Y/N?”

A twig snaps beneath your shoe. “Used to go there all the time with Jonathan.”

“What?” Steve and Dustin balk at you, nearly toppling over the other in shock.

Quickly you realize the horrific implications of your words. “Jesus, not like that! We would only go there to read together and listen to music!”

It was your way of escaping life together. Just the two of you, early mornings before the rest of Hawkins woke up. The dew would still be on the grass. Everything was easier, then.

You miss those days more than anything.

Dustin’s suspicious eyes linger on you, though he seems content enough with your explanation. Steve, however, still looks uncertain and utterly mortified. His distrust makes you sigh in annoyance.

“I have never once kissed Jonathan.”

“Right!” Steve snaps back to himself, coughing and wiping his hands on his pants. “Yeah. Totally already knew that. For sure.”

Dustin hits his shoulder. “Dude. Learn when to shut up.”

“Working on it.” Steve mumbles bitterly, trying to catch your eye, but you ignore him.

Behind you, Nancy and Robin walk silently together. They’d been the odd ones out in the group. You had paired off with Dustin and Steve to try and quell their arguing while Max and Lucas wandered off alone.

Neither girl speaks. There’s not a lot to say between them. When you come across a fallen log, they watch silently as Steve extends his arm to you, helping you jump over it. His grip is delicate on your arm, though firm enough to guide you. After you’ve jumped, his eyes instinctively go to your ankle, the same one you sprained years ago, to make sure you aren’t limping.

It’s a subtle, easy to overlook action. But Nancy and Robin see it, and they both understand how painstakingly sincere it is. Your ankle never quite healed right. Some days it bothers you, particularly after walking long distances or jumping too much on it.

And Steve knows your body well enough to understand this.

“Ugh,” Robin’s scoff breaks the silence, happy to voice what she knows Nancy is thinking. “They’re so adorable. I just wanna squeeze ‘em, ya know?”

Nancy smiles at her, although it’s strained. “Steve is very… sweet. With Y/N.”

“‘Sweet’? More like tooth-rotting, Nance.”

And Robin’s right. The way Steve is around you, there almost isn’t a word for it. Nancy has never really seen the two of you together. By the time Steve finally asked you out, it’d been only a week before Joyce told Jonathan they were moving.

Steve had stepped back after that. He allowed you and Nancy to spend as much time as physically possible with Jonathan before he moved. He recognized the strained history between him and Jonathan; he hadn’t wanted to spoil the little time you had left together.

When summer ended and senior year began, Steve had already graduated and Nancy had thrown herself into the school paper by then.

Now, after spending the last few days around you and Steve nonstop, Nancy can’t help but notice all the nuanced ways the two of you are together. She’s picked up the small cues between you, the quirks in your relationship. And she feels a strange sense of curiosity about it.

“Steve and Y/N,” Nancy pauses, unsure how to phrase her question. She doesn’t want to sound intrusive or rude. “How, um. Serious are they?”

Robin is slightly surprised by her question, but the flush of Nancy’s cheeks tells her that it’d been hard for her to even ask it. “Oh, they’re very serious. Like starting a life together serious.”

“A life together?” Nancy doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t understand how the two of you could already be at the point in your relationship. You’ve been together less than a year.

A lot less longer than Nancy has been with Jonathan.

“Yeah, Steve has this crazy idea of following Y/N to NYU.” Robin almost doesn’t think she should be telling her this, but Nancy seems to be hurting and she feels bad for her. Nancy wouldn’t be asking about this if there wasn’t a reason to. “His heart is like, totally set on it. It’s crazy and all, but it’s sweet in his own Steve-ish way.”

“It is sweet.” Nancy affirms, a far off look in her eyes. The same far off look in her eyes from the other day in the library. Robin had asked about Jonathan and suddenly Nancy’s entire demeanor shifted.

Robin clears her throat. “I’m guessing you and Jonathan haven’t figured out the whole life thing yet?”

“That isn’t any of your business.” Nancy responds coldly.

“Well, you did start this entire conversation asking about Steve and Y/N’s relationship.” Robin points out, though not unkindly. “All I’m saying is that someone in a happy relationship wouldn’t ask about another person’s relationship and look totally depressed while doing so.”

Nancy shakes her head incredulously. “Jonathan and I are fine.”

“Okay.” Robin says, but it’s obvious to them both that she doesn’t believe her.

“We’re good.” Nancy tries again, but not even she believes her own words. Defeated, she turns away from Robin and sighs heavily. “It’s just, he was supposed to be here for the break and then he backed out at the last minute for some vague, mumbly Jonathan reason.”

She doesn’t know why she’s confiding in Robin about this. They’re barely friends, Nancy has never spoken to her outside of party related stuff. But Robin remains quiet, listening, Her attention is all it takes before the dam in Nancy’s chest collapses.

“And, to be honest, I’m not that surprised because I’ve been feeling him pulling away lately.” All the hurt and anxiety and insecurity Nancy has pent away finally unravels as she speaks. She can’t stop. “And I don’t know if it’s because we’re 2,000 miles away or if he met someone new or-or if Y/N–”

Nancy stops herself, aware that Robin is your friend. Not hers. Looking away, she hopes Robin didn’t hear her slip. “And now I can’t find out why because apparently he’s blown up his family’s house phone or something, so yeah. If the mention of his name caused a slight muscle spasm or curiosity over another person’s relationship, that’s probably why.”

She swallows down tears. Her chest feels lighter, emptier. The frustration is gone, though the bitterness remains.

Robin is quiet for a moment. The resentment Nancy has been exhibiting makes sense now. While Steve would follow you anywhere, Jonathan doesn’t seem to want to follow Nancy. “Feels like a perfectly reasonable reason to flinch or be nosey.”

Nancy smiles at her, eternally grateful. “Does you accepting my nosiness officially make us friends?”

Robin immediately agrees, albeit in her own shy way, and Nancy laughs alongside her. It’s a nice moment, one Nancy hadn’t known that she needed. Your friendship with the girl doesn’t seem so strange now.

Steve’s distant cheer alerts the others that he’s found Skull Rock.

“Oh, boom!” He crouches beneath a shrub and swats away a spider web. He’s too excited to gloat that he doesn’t even care that there could be spiders in his hair yet again. “In your face, little Henderson. In your stupid, cocky little face!”

“Who’s the fifteen year old here?” You ask your boyfriend, looking at him pointedly.

Dustin looks down at his compass and frowns. “Doesn’t make sense.”

“You hearing him, Y/N?” Steve waves his hands in front of the giant boulder. “Even with it staring him right in the face, the kid can’t even admit that he’s wrong! And you’re saying I’m the immature one? He’s such a little butthead.”

“Sure, because every nineteen year old says butthead as an insult-fuck!” A body lands next to you with petrifying force. You fall back in panic, heart pounding in your chest.

“I concur,” Eddie smiles at you wickedly. “Your brother, Dustin Henderson, is a total butthead.”

Dustin is hugging Eddie before you’ve even caught your breath. The relief on his face is evident. “Jesus, we thought you were a goner.”

“Yeah, me too.” Eddie clutches your brother tightly, the weight of the last few days bearing their toll on him. Still, the glint in his eyes hasn’t left yet. Winking at you, Eddie’s mischievous smile is back. “Never thought I’d see precious Hawkins’ sweetheart at Skull Rock. Sorry for the fright, by the way.”

You glare at him. “I hate you.”

Eddie pulls away from Dustin and nudges you with his shoulder. “To be fair, you were kinda useless when I needed you yesterday. Isn’t your whole shtick helping people?”

Sheepish, you duck your head. “In my defense, the signal was shitty. You kept breaking up, I couldn’t really do anything about holes in boats.”

“It’s okay, you’ll just donate your liver to me the next time I need one.” Eddie nudges your shoulder again, eliciting a begrudging laugh, breaking any remaining tension between you two.

Steve stands next to you, his arm wrapped around your waist in a protective manner. His eyes never leave Eddie, distrustful. “You’re not taking Y/N’s liver.”

“No one’s taking my liver,” you roll your eyes at him fondly before turning to Eddie. “But I can bake you something as compensation.”

Eddie clicks his teeth. “Even better.”

Nancy hands the bag of food over to him and he takes it eagerly. He rifts through its contents while everyone else gathers around him. You all allow him time to adjust, to breathe for a moment.

But eventually the overwhelming need to know outweighs the guilt. Nancy, always the one to get straight to the point, finally breaks the silence. “What happened yesterday?”

Eddie’s face darkens. “Jason and his goddamn goons. They were at the lake house and I was cornered. Didn’t know what to do. The fuckers were angry.”

Your eyes wander his face, noting the lack of bruises and cuts on it. A fight hadn’t broken out, which means Eddie escaped somehow. “And when they found you?”

Eddie takes a swig from his flask. He winces at the taste, but it seems to settle his nerves. “Turns out, the boat didn’t have holes.”

“So Patrick’s body, was it…?” Nancy can’t bring herself to finish the question.

“Found in the lake? Sure was.” Eddie smiles venomously. “He tried swimming after me, so did Jason. Only one of them made it back to shore.”

Lucas looks away, grief clouding his expression. You mumble an apology to him. You hate that there isn’t anything else you can do to help him. He’s lost so much already.

“It was the exact same thing that happened to Chrissy. Patrick’s body shot out of the water like a fucking rocketlauncher.” Eddie says bitterly. His teeth are clenched, the memories from last night are gruesome to recount. “Then his bones started snapping and Jason lost his mind. He thought I was the one doing it.”

Dustin paces next to you. He’s mumbling to himself, every detail Eddie reveals only worries him more. Vecna has made his third kill. You and Max are next. There’s something that he’s missing. He just doesn’t know what.

“I ended up falling into the water and swimming to shore. I tried calling, but my walkie was busted, man. Drenched.” Eddie drinks again. He shakes his head curtly, scoffs to himself. “So I, uh. Did the thing that I now, apparently. I ran.”

The condescension in his voice, the cold laugh, upsets you. He’s disappointed in himself, he hates what he’s done, but no one blames him. There was no saving Patrick. Anyone who witnessed such a cruel death also would’ve run away. “You had no choice, Eddie.”

He ignores your comfort and instead answers Nancy’s question of what time the attack took place. “Yeah, I know exactly what time it was.” Eddie unclasps his watch and holds it up. “My walkie wasn’t the only thing that got soaked.”

Nancy catches the watch he throws her at and quickly reads the time on it. “9:27.”

You and Robin look at each other in surprise. She raises her eyebrows, thinking what you are. “That’s the same time our flashlights went kablooey.”

“That’s one hell of a coincidence.” You mutter to yourself, but Steve hears you anyways and squeezes your side.

“That surge of energy had to be Vecna attacking Patrick.” Nancy pieces together, tossing Eddie his watch back.

It isn’t a comforting realization, but at least it’s information you can use. You now know where, how, and when he Vecna attacks. The only piece missing is what to do with the information you have.

Dustin continues to pace back and forth. He’s hunched over, and when you look closer, you realize he’s scowling at his compass as if it personally offended him.

“So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart.” Max says, as if it’s the most casual sentence in the world.

You look at her like she’s crazy. “We’re not going to the Upside Down!”

But no one is listening to you. Instead Steve, Robin, and Max begin a philosophical debate about whether or not Vecna has a heart or if he’s a vampire.

“It was a metaphor.” Max informs Steve, slight disappointment in her voice.

“A bullet should work on him, right?” Eddie asks the group.

You shake your head at him. “Bullets never work.”

He stares at you, somewhat terrified. “How… how do you already know that?”

“We’ve had a lot of practice.”

“That’s actually even more upsetting to hear.”

Lucas and the others start spewing creative ways to kill Vecna. They’re graphic and violent, but you already know that none of it will work. You’ve fought creatures from the Upside Down before; they’re notoriously difficult to kill, oftentimes requiring fire, bullets, knives, and bear traps.

None of which you currently have.

Nancy knows this, too. “We can’t do any of that until we find a way into the Upside Down.”

“Why are we all suddenly okay with going there?” You ask incredulously. They’re all suggesting the Upside Down as if it’s fucking Disneyland. “I mean, haven’t we been trying to cut any connection to that goddamn place for the last four years?”

“What other option do we have, Y/N?” Nancy pushes. “You know there’s no other way to stop this.”

Max sighs in exasperation. “What we need is for El to get her powers back.”

“I miss her.” You sigh as well. You’re worried that there’s something wrong. You’ve called the Byers’ home a million times now, but no one is answering. Despite the weirdness between you and Jonathan, you still want him to be okay. He’s never gone this long without talking to you.

And with Jonathan’s silence comes silence from El and Will, too. You hope they’re okay as well, especially knowing that Mike is supposed to be with them this week. You figured by now that Will would’ve called you to complain about Mike’s obsession with El.

Instead all there’s been is silence, and their silence unnerves you.

Steve voices that he also misses El, turning to Eddie to explain how she has powers, but Eddie isn’t paying attention to him.

“Hey, Henderson’s not cursed, is he?” His eyes follow Dustin’s pacing figure, nervous.

“No, but I am.”

Eddie chokes on his spit and Steve snaps his finger at you. “That’s so not funny, Y/N. You’re in danger.”

“My point exactly. I feel that I’ve earned the right to joke about my demise.” You say, though you do grab his hand and squeeze it softly to voice your unsaid apology. As much as his concern warms you, you wish he didn’t have any at all for you. Worry has never been kind to Steve. Trying to brighten the mood, you turn to Eddie. “Don’t you agree?”

Eddie raises his hands. “I’m not a part of this.”

“Boom!” Dustin’s loud screech causes everyone to jump. He points his finger at you, a manic glint in his eyes. “Bada… bada… boom!”

You shove his finger out of your face. “Are you done yet?”

“I was right.” Dustin is smug, the mania in his eyes has yet to settle. “Skull Rock was north.”

You want to strangle your brother. You love him, you really do, but he can be very egotistical sometimes. He’s spent the entire conversation obsessively searching for a way to be right, rather than figure out what to do next about Vecna.

He’s insane.

Steve throws his head back in annoyance, equally as fed up with Dustin as you are. “You’re serious? This is Skull Rock!” He points at the giant boulder behind him. “You’re totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now!”

“There’s literally nowhere else Skull Rock could be, Dustin.” You back Steve up.

Dustin smiles. “Yes… and no.”

Steve has to step away, and you can’t blame him. You’re also seconds away from bashing your head against a tree. You’re in a forest. There are plenty to choose from.

“This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers’.” Dustin holds up his compass. “It was correct when we got in the car on Kerley, but it started to slip the further east we went. Now it’s way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn’t wrong. The compass was.”

Steve insists that the compass is merely faulty equipment and that it still makes Dustin wrong, but you start to remember another time a compass started acting up. How it almost caused the party to split apart.

El had been the one controlling the compass, leading them in circles because she hadn’t wanted them near Hawkins Lab.

Which would mean…

“It isn’t a faulty compass.” You look up at Dustin, now understanding.

His face splits into a proud grin. “Correct. Lucas, do you remember what can affect a compass?”

The teen is startled by the question. Lucas’ face is masked with confusion, but suddenly everything clicks. “An electromagnetic field.”

Robin questions what any of this means, prompting Dustin to explain what Mr. Clark told you at Will’s funeral. He explains the electromagnetic theory and how the presence of a stronger field can make a compass stop working. “So either there’s a super big magnet around here, or…”

“There’s a gate.” You finish, ice washing over you. The idea terrifies you, but somehow it makes perfect sense. “Maybe even multiple gates.”

Everyone looks uncomfortable with this new information, but Dustin cuts through the tension. “It’d have to be smaller, way less powerful.”

“A snack-sized gate.” Robin adds, and you appreciate that she’s trying to make you laugh.

Steve asks how multiple gates can even be possible, and all Dustin can do is shrug. He doesn’t know, but it’s the furthest you’ve gotten to any semblance of an explanation. “The last time we’ve seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is, because then we’d have a way to Vecna. And a shot at freeing Y/N and Max from this curse.”

It’s the most hopeful you’ve seen Dustin all week. He’s optimistic, endlessly proud of himself for figuring out the missing piece of the equation.

“Okay, but there’s still the Eddie problem. What do we do about him?” You remind your brother.

Steve nods. “Yeah, he’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go hike the woods.”

Dustin is already several feet away, eager to start following the compass. He’s so close to finally lifting the curse. He’s going to save you. He will. “This little capsule might be the key to saving all three of them! Max, Y/N, and Eddie.”

You don’t have the heart to tell him that even if you do find a way to kill Vecna, it’d be almost impossible to clear Eddie’s name. No one else knows about the Upside Down. Legally speaking, you aren’t even allowed to know about the Upside Down.

But Dustin bows to Eddie and pretends to tip his hat. “What say you, Eddie the Banished?”

Everyone turns to the older teen. It’s a lot to ask of him. This entire time he’s been hiding, fearful of shadows and people. You wouldn’t think any less of him if he declined. And yet, Eddie surprises you. “I say you’re asking me to follow you into Mordor, which if I’m totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea, but the Shire… the Shire is burning.”

Dustin bounces up and down in anticipation. You cross your arms, rolling your eyes at him, but his childish glee makes you smile anyways. It’s cute, as much as it pains you to admit.

Eddie stands up. “So Mordor it is.”

He marches towards Dustin, no ounce of hesitation within his movements. He has complete and total trust in your brother. He’s following him into what could very well be Hell, and yet Eddie does so with a brave face. They really are close.

And Eddie has chosen to join, not run away.

“No more running?” You catch his arm.

Eddie smiles at you. “No more running.”

“What the hell is Mordor?” Steve cuts in, lost.

You giggle at him and grab his hand. “C’mon, Harrington. To Mordor we go.”

–

Dustin’s compass leads you back to Lover’s Lake.

You and Steve walk quietly behind the others. Your fondest memories together are at the lake. It’s where Steve finally asked you to be his. That night, underneath the stars, you kissed for hours and felt as if you were the only two people in the world.

As if reading your mind, Steve brings your hand to his lips and kisses it softly.

The small moment between you is ruined when Dustin suddenly starts to speed up, practically running away from the group. Eddie shouts at him to slow down and the thought of your brother alone in the woods frightens you. Pulling away from Steve, you run after him.

“I think we’re getting close!” Dustin calls over his shoulder, not seeing the water in front of him.

Eddie grabs the back of his hoodie and saves him before he can fall in. “Watch your step, big guy.”

“This is confounding,” Dustin is breathless, utterly in awe.

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max is skeptical.

You hum, thinking. “Unless there’s somehow another reason for Dustin’s compass going haywire, I’d say there’s a gate here.”

“Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening.” Nancy slowly says, her eyes scanning the water as she studies it. “Maybe Vecna’s the same way.”

Dipping the tip of your muddied mary janes into the water, you look down at it thoughtfully. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

You hate the Upside Down and all that it’s taken from you. Hopper, Will’s childhood, Max’s brother, El’s life. You hate all the violence and pain it brought into your life. The scars that litter your skin and the nightmares that will never leave.

But Max comes first. You have to save her. It doesn’t matter what it’ll cost you as long as she’s safe.

Eddie guides everyone to the boat he used to escape from Jason. Though its engine doesn’t work, he reassures the group that it’ll be fine. At the very least, it’ll get you deep into the water. Steve helps him push it to the shore’s edge.

Robin steps onto the boat first, using Steve and Eddie’s heads for balance as they hold the boat steady. They scoff at her, but she doesn’t care. Eddie goes next, then Nancy. When you go to step inside, Dustin pulls you back.

“Have you lost your mind?” His hand doesn’t leave your arm. “In case you’ve somehow forgotten, you’re also marked. You’re not going anywhere near a goddamn gate.”

His voice shakes with fear for you. Your heart twists. “Dustin, I haven’t had any visions yet. Just the headaches. I even have my walkman on me. I promise I’ll be fine.”

“I’m coming with you.” Dustin juts his chin out, trying to appear brave before you.

But you see through him anyways. “You’re not. I need you to stay with Max and Lucas for me, okay?” Before he can argue with you some more, you kiss the top of his head. “I love you.”

Just as Dustin can’t stand the idea of losing you, you can’t stand the idea of losing him, either.

Dustin snatches your walkman from your pocket. You lunge at him, but he’s fast. In a heartbeat he’s at his backpack, grabbing an old plastic bag, before he starts frantically wrapping your walkman within it. He ties the plastic tight around it, making it airtight.

“I hate what you’re doing,” Dustin gives the walkman back to you with contempt in his voice. “But I’m not losing you to a waterlogged walkman.”

The pressure of tears builds behind your eyelids. You love your brother endlessly. Kissing his head again, you pull him into a bone crushing hug. “You’re never losing me.”

“I better not.” He mumbles, sinking into your embrace. “And I love you too, by the way.”

You laugh wetly, and Eddie takes it as his cue to finally speak. “Not to ruin this tender sibling moment, but this boat only holds like three people tops. Dustin wouldn’t be able to come anyways.”

Dustin sticks his tongue out at him and Nancy extends her arm. “Compass?”

Reluctantly, your brother hands her his compass. After he’s given it to her, Steve finally turns to Dustin. He lowers his voice, trying to give him some privacy. “Listen, I’ll keep Y/N safe, alright?”

Though he doesn’t want to, Dustin nods. Steve is the only person that he trusts your life with. If it were anyone else, Dustin would’ve thrown himself onto the boat and demanded he be next to you. But you’re with Steve and your walkman is safe. That’s all he can ask for now.

“You better.” Dustin warns, but his heart isn’t really in it.

Steve claps his shoulder and kicks off the shore’s edge, sending the boat into the water. It’s a small boat, Steve has to wrap his arms around you to fit. You’re pressed tight against his chest while Eddie, Nancy, and Robin are squished on the other side of the boat.

“Bedtime at nine, kiddos!” Robin shouts as the boat floats away, giggling.

You hit her shoulder. “Be nice, they’re worried about us.”

She shrugs, indifferent, and starts helping Eddie steer the boat. Nancy guides them with the compass while you and Steve hold up the flashlights. It’s eerily quiet on the lake. The only sound that infiltrates the night is the soft crash of the waves against the shore.

About halfway into the lake, Nancy orders Eddie and Robin to stop rowing. “Woah, woah, woah. Slow down.”

The boat comes to a stop. You shine your flashlight over the compass and watch as it spins wildly. It can’t seem to decide on a direction to point in. “Definitely not just faulty equipment.”

Nancy nods, her face grim.

“Guys, what’s going on? Talk to me.” Dustin’s voice crackles through the walkie. He must’ve seen the boat stop.

“Your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital ‘aah!’” Robin tells him, eyes narrowed at the instrument.

You take the walkie from her. “I think we found the gate.”

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy’s concerned voice causes you to turn.

Steve has taken his shoes off and he’s already stripping his socks by the time you process what the hell he’s doing. “Steve Harrington I will drown you before I let you close to any goddamn gate.”

“Somebody’s gotta go down and check this out, angel.” He says hastily, taking his other sock off. “Unless one of you can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years.”

“What, did the swim team train you in dimension hunting?” You grab his arms, struggling against his strength to stop him. He fights back, overpowering you easily. You’re starting to panic now. “I-I’m not letting you down there!”

“It’s gotta be me.” He’s speaking to you in a hushed, understanding tone. Steve’s eyes find yours, and he pleads with you to listen. “Let it be me.”

Let me save you.

“I…” You don’t want Steve to go; you’re scared you’ll lose him if you do.

“Y/N, please.”

Don’t make me beg for your life again.

Last summer Steve had been torn away from you by Russians. You watched as they took him from you, pried him from your grasp. The fear, the overwhelming sense of despair you’d felt back then had almost strangled you.

You’ve already almost lost him once.

It would kill you if it happened again. You know it would. He’s your lifeline. Steve is the air you breathe and the flesh on your skin. He’s your constant, your home.

“Come home to me, okay?”

They’re the same words you screamed to him the last time he was taken from you. It’d been the only thing you could think of, the only way to encompass all that he is to you. But Steve hadn’t been able to swear his oath to you. Time had run out.

But not tonight.

“Always,” Steve promises.

Then, ignoring everyone around you, Steve pulls you into a bruising kiss. His kiss, his promise, they breathe life back into you. The assurance that he’ll come back to you fills honey into your bloodstream. The taste of his lips coats your tongue in dandelion oil.

Someone clears their throat aggressively, not so subtly reminding you and Steve that you’re still on a boat surrounded by three other people.

Breaking apart, your cheeks burn when you see Eddie’s kissy face. “Romantic.”

“Shut up.”

You help Steve undress. It’s intimate, tender. You would do anything for him. Pulling his sweater gently over his head, you kiss him again. “Good luck, honey. I love you.”

Steve rests his forehead against yours, breathing you in for the final time. His hands cup your face, warm and rough. “I love you too, angel.”

Eddie hands him a flashlight wrapped in a plastic bag. “Hey. What Y/N said. I mean, without the love confession. Um. Good luck.”

Taking the flashlight, Steve thanks him. Robin grabs your hand, both of you needing the other for comfort. She’s terrified, Steve is her best friend. Nancy looks at him with a look in her eyes that you can’t quite decipher.

“Be careful.” She finally tells him.

Steve nods, looking back at you one last time, before taking a deep breath and diving into the dark water.

The seconds drag on like hours. The moment Steve dives in, you feel every second he’s under the water like a knife cutting into your lungs. Your legs shake, Robin’s grip on you is so tight that it threatens to cut off circulation, but you don’t let go of her.

“Where we at, Wheeler?” Robin asks after what feels like a decade.

“Closing in on a minute.” She sees your shaking body and rests a kind hand against your shoulder. “Steve can handle it. I know he can. He’s strong.”

You bite your nails anxiously. Blood fills your mouth. You know Nancy is trying to comfort you, but her words only make you feel worse. Steve is strong, but he’s still only human.

A horrifying thought crosses your mind: you’ve dreamt of this before, only it’d been Billy drowning you in the pool. Your body goes numb. Tonight can’t end that way.

Almost another minute drags on before Steve’s head miraculously resurfaces. He inhales sharply, splashing water all over you, but you don’t care. You’re leaning over the boat’s edge the second his hands reach the surface.

You can finally breathe again.

“Steve!” You kiss his soaked hair, grateful to feel his skin against your lips again.

“I found it,” he gasps out, spitting water out of his mouth. He reaches for your hand, anxious as well to feel your touch. “I-I found it.”

Robin cheers, quickly alerting Dustin that he’d been right about the gates. You go to help Steve back into the boat, but he waves you away and goes back to holding your hand. He doesn’t want you getting wet, it’s cold out and you could get sick.

“It was wild.” Steve rubs his finger over the back of your hand. He’s smiling, adrenaline coursing through him. “It’s more a snack-sized gate than the mama gate, but still, it’s pretty damn big–”

Suddenly he’s back underneath the water, pulled so deep below that he almost drags you down with him. You scream, shrill and terrified. Nancy and Robin rush to your side, holding you back so that you don’t fall into the water as well.

Steve resurfaces again, but he must sense that this isn’t the end, because he rips your hand from his. He does it to save you, to ensure you don’t get taken with him. But you fight against it, you don’t understand why he wants you to let go of him.

Steve pries your hand away. “Y/N–”

And then he’s gone.

Everyone screams as Steve’s body disappears into the water.

“Steve!” You’re dizzy with blind fear. He had protected you. He had spent his final seconds making sure that you wouldn’t get hurt, and now he’s gone.

Robin’s arms are around you, holding you back as you scream. She knows what you’re about to do. “Y/N, you can’t–”

“Let go!” You throw your shoulder back, prying your arm away. She screams at you, Nancy and Eddie do as well, but you’re already tearing your sweater off.

You’re going in. You don’t care. Steve needs you.

He needs you.

The water is cold. It shocks your system. Eyes burning, you struggle to make out where Steve is. Faintly, in the dark water, you see his body being dragged down. There’s something twisted around his ankle, pulling him towards a red light. You can hear his muffled screams. His arms flail, bubbles escape his mouth as he struggles against it, as he’s pulled through the red haze.

Lungs burning, you will your legs to kick as hard as they can. You’re both running out of time.

The closer you get to the red haze, the colder the water becomes. Your ears pop at the depth. As the murky water settles, you realize that the red that illuminates is a crack in the earth’s surface. Vines encase its edges.

Breaking through it, air hits your body as you fall to the ground. Your back scrapes against the rough ground beneath you, leaving you gasping for breath. You barely have time to gather your bearings before you hear Steve’s pained screams.

You stumble onto your feet, desperately searching for him.

What you find is Steve’s body on the ground, vines choking him as he writhes in agony, demonic bats gorging on his stomach.

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if youd like to buy me a coffee ☕︎

⌑ thank you for reading ! feel free to like, comment, reblog, or send in an ask so we can chat <3

#steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #stranger things #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things rewrite #slowburn #angst #bdyr #m's writing #HAPPY ONE YEAR !!!!#WHAT A WILD JOURNEY LMAO

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lovebugism · 11 months ago

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Hiii can i request shy reader whos anxious about different things? I have weird anxiety lol that makes it hard for me to eat in front of people until im comfortable around them. Can i request reader x Steve who have been dating for a while and she tries to avoid eating around him, but she finally gets comfortable and Steve is just so happy, thank you!!

hope you like it angel :D — steve takes care of his anxious gf at a family barbecue (established relationship, hurt/comfort ish, cw for mentions of anxiety and unexplained issues with food | 1.1k)

bug's summer fic fest (⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

The picnic table in Steve’s backyard is hardly big enough for all of you. Even when Max and El agree to lay out on a blanket together some feet away — and when Lucas and Erica spontaneously decide to race each other to the pool — it’s still an achingly tight fit.

You, in particular, are sandwiched between two bodies much larger than yours. Eddie sits to your right, lacking any real concept of personal space, and Steve is off to your left. The latter keeps a strong arm around your back, hugging you closer to his chest every time the wild-haired boy accidentally knocks into you.

“Okay, me and Nance are getting something to eat,” Robin announces, standing suddenly from the table, visibly overstimulated from the constant conversation. Her eyes flit to your cowering form and then to Steve’s protective one. “You guys have fun with… this.”

It takes all of ten seconds for the others to follow behind them. Dustin and Eddie file through the Harrington family barbecue together, filling their decorative paper plates like they’re at an actual buffet. Mike and Will walk on pale, lanky legs around the yard — stopping once to talk to Max and El, then again by the pool with Lucas and Erica.

You and Steve are the only ones still sitting, but he hugs you to him like you aren’t.

You can feel the early summer breeze on your skin now, without the crowd of teenagers suffocating you. You can hear the whispering wind, and the gentle humming of his pool, and the sounds of quieter conversation in the distance. You can breathe again. Almost. Still slightly strangled by a distant worry that Steve can read from here.

“Are you hungry?” he wonders cautiously, ‘cause he knows how you are about food. You haven’t let him in on the extent of it yet, but he knows it’s there, so he’s obscenely patient with you accordingly.

You glance once over your shoulder — at the tables of grilled meat and food cooked with love. Your stomach rolls with a distant ache, an empty one. You turn back to Steve and shrink under the weight of his honey-eyed stare. “Um… Kinda,” you confess in a mousy voice, shifting on the wooden bench.

His eyes widen in a soft look of surprise. You usually take a little more coaxing than that.

“Want me to make you a plate?” he offers, squeezing your shoulder with a gentle hand. His pink lips quirk in a sympathetic smile. “We can take it up to my room if you want— get away from all these freaks.”

Your chest warms at his efforts to accommodate you. The way he loves you makes you brave.

“That’s okay,” you shrug, trying to be cool even though your voice trembles. “We can... We can stay down here.”

Steve’s chest swells with pride. It bubbles up like sunshine until he’s beaming with it.

It took you months to feel comfortable enough to eat in front of just him. And here you are now, utterly adored and finally brave enough to eat with all the rest of his shithead friends around.

“Yeah?” he hums, still smiling.

“Yeah,” you nod, gaze averted to your hands, which are wringing something fierce in your lap. You force a small laugh. “But it wouldn’t be, like, totally lame if I asked you to come with me, would it?”

Steve scoffs. “Like you even have to. I’m not let you get to the corndogs before me,” he jokes and rises from the creaking bench. “We’ll be lucky if Robin and Henderson don’t eat ‘em all first.”

He gets you laughing so you don’t think twice about meandering across the yard with him — about the eyes that are or are not watching you, or the weird way you are or are not walking.

And because he keeps you laughing (and largely unthinking), you end up stacking your plate with more food than Steve’s ever seen you eat in public before. He almost mentions it. Almost. But he opts to keep his pride to himself, instead, lest he ruin the moment.

You return to the picnic table with all his friends, noticeably less anxious about being so squished together than before.

And maybe it’s because Dustin and Eddie can’t eat anything without being sloppy — or maybe it’s because Will’s keeping you distracted with talks of his newest D&D campaign — but you down your food with more ease than Steve’s ever seen from you. Unworried about the crumbs sticking to your fingers and the very corner of your mouth. Completely and utterly comfortable here with him, and with everyone else around you.

The sight makes his heart swell.

It’s like he’s falling in love with you all over again.

He catches you alone for the first time when you’re tossing empty plates. It’s not exactly the most ideal spot to steal a kiss from you — by the deck, next to the garbage bins — but it’s the first either of you have been out of sight from prying eyes all day.

So, Steve takes the opportunity and grabs it. Literally. He cradles your wrist in a gentle hand and ushers you closer towards him. Your feet stumble in the tall grass. The tip of his nose brushes the bridge of yours, and you flinch.

“I taste like cheeseburger,” you laugh.

“I don’t care,” Steve shrugs, face screwed, visibly mourning your mouth. “I taste like barbecue. Who gives a shit?”

He ducks down to kiss you again. And this time, you let him.

He kisses you harder than you anticipated — a long and languid peck that takes your breath away. He tastes faintly of all the food he’d eaten before, something savory and strawberry sweet. It leaves you dizzy when he pulls away, lips smacking softly as they part.

“What was that for?” you wonder breathlessly a moment later.

Steve bounces his shoulder in a lazy shrug. His kissed lips quirk in a lopsided smile. “Nothin’. I’m just… I’m just proud of you, I guess.”

He doesn’t elaborate any further. He doesn’t have to. You cower at the notion of being perceived and scrunch your nose in disdain. “For being a normal person?” you joke with a cynical scoff. “For once?”

“No. For doing something that was hard for you,” Steve argues, still smiling. His hands rest warm and wide on the outside of your elbows. His thumbs rub softly along the skin there. “And for lookin’ real cute while you were doing it, too.”

You squint, trying hard not to smile at his smiling.

“Stop flirting with me,” you grouse.

The boy’s pink lips jut in a playful pout. “But why?” he whines. “That’s, like, my favorite pastime.”

#published by bug #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things x reader #steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington imagine #stranger things imagine #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfiction #st drabbles #stevie drabble #event: summer fic fest '24

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bylerpining · 3 months ago

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tbh I will cheer at the mention of p much any character being the one to clock byler bc any option would be so good. Jonathan? lowkey already has. Nancy? would parallel s1 when she asked mike about el. Robin? witty and gay solidarity. Dustin? he saw the electricity. Lucas? would make a lot of sense, he's closest to them and gave them that look in the hospital. Joyce? heartfelt and sweet. Murray? it would be their right of passage to get Murray'd tbh. Max? she'd clock them so hard with 10/10 sarcasm.

#I'll take literally anything #byler nation #byler #byler s5 #byler endgame

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hellfirenacht · 7 months ago

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You wanna know what I think is funny? Eddie runs this club filled with (assumed) virgin losers, and so how fucking funny is it that Dustin, Mike, and Lucas all show up as freshmen already with girlfriends? Lucas is dating Max, and Eddie would call BS on Mike and Dustin having long distance girlfriends if there wasn't so much proof. Dustin has recordings of Suzie and postcards and scientific notes of their time together, Mike had endless letters from El/Jane. They all vouch for each other, hell even Nancy has mentioned Mike's girlfriend in passing.

Idk, that's just so funny that the freshmen are all paired off and the older kids couldn't get a date if their lives depended on it.

#nacht post #eddie munson #Hellfire Club

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gotigersiguess · 3 months ago

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I want to talk about how Duffers write romantic subplots, because it's such a simple, but at the same time effective way to make people invested. TL;DR: it's usually a love triangle.

Every potential couple in the show obviously starts with the typical will-they-won't-they dynamic. Most of the time, will-they-won't-they is actually what the audience enjoys in a story, it builds the anticipation until we finally hit crescendo - after all that juicy build-up, the couple finally gets together. Now, it's important not to lose the momentum and keep the audience invested. Budding or established relationships could get boring pretty quickly so it's important to throw in some internal (emotional) or external conflicts (supernatural and/or a third party) into the mix. Duffers love their love triangles. It's usually clear who the narrative favors in that dynamic - that couple gets all the heart-to-hearts and is shown to have a mutual understanding / similar values. Let's see some examples:

(I won't mention Dustin and Suzie, that relationship is not explored at all)

Lucas / Max / Dustin

We get a bit of the will-they-won't-they with some internal and external conflicts mixed in (the latter one involves Dustin as a third party only briefly), Lucas is favored by the narrative, Lucas and Max get together at the end of season 2. Season 3 doesn't really explore that relationship further, we see some hints of it (like them breaking up and getting back together constantly). Their romantic subplot takes a backseat in that season. Season 4 starts with them being broken up. Now, things are becoming more interesting. We get the will-they-won't-they once again, we get internal (emotional) and external (supernatural) conflicts to develop both the characters and their romance. A third party is not needed here, they have enough going on for them. We get a possible resolution of them getting together, followed by another obstacle (Max almost dies). The audience is invested, the relationship is at it's peak. We're all rooting for them to be together and live happily ever after.

Steve / Nancy / Jonathan

We get the will-they-won't they, we get conflicts and a third party (first Jonathan, then Steve). Jonathan and Nancy's relationship gets established, but to keep things going we get some new conflicts in season 4 - long-distance, fears for their future, supernatural threat and a third party once again (Steve). Their romantic subplot is engaging and unresolved. The narrative at this point in time favors Jonathan, because he is shown to have the same wants and values as Nancy.

Hopper / Joyce / Bob

The will-they-won't they - check, conflicts - check, a third party (Bob) - check. The narrative favors Hopper so much that Bob dies. Still, the will-they-won't they and external conflicts persist to keep the audience engaged and further the plot. We finally get a resolution in season 4, because season 5 will have enough relationship drama in our love triangles to feed the audience.

El / Mike / Will

This dynamic has the will they won't they of all the will they won't they's (sorry for that monstrosity of a sentence). First, we get the intrigue of Mike and El's potential relationship - they are kept apart by the external conflict. Once they get together, the audience doesn't get a room to breath - season 3 introduces another conflict (Hopper and Mike's lie) in the first episode. This couple's internal and external conflicts continue to haunt the narrative, but this time they're used to further the characters individual arcs. They almost seem to be out of sync: season 3 ends in El reviving the romantic part of their relationship while Mike is confused, season 4 ends in Mike doing the same while El is in pain. Both times, we don't get a mutual happy resolution for their subplot. A third party (Will) is always present in that triangle, even before the eventual confirmation of his feelings for Mike. Time and time again, we are shown that Mike can't manage both El and Will at the same time. The narrative favors Will in both season 3 and 4 - we get the heart to hearts, we get invested in Will's feelings, we once again get the internal and external conflicts that further only El's emotional arc and Mike's emotional arc respectfully, but never resolve their romantic subplot in a satisfying way. We're going into season 5 with the knowledge that El and Mike are still out of sync in their romantic subplot. The narrative continues to favor Will.

Let me know if I missed anything.

#stranger things #byler #byler analysis

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clericsandpaladins · 6 months ago

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I find Season Four to be quite interesting in that the Duffers have confirmed that originally it was meant to be the last season, but they had to split it for the sake of pacing. Season Four is less of it's own season and more of the set-up for Season Five and that tells us a lot about the plots in Season Four.

I've seen a lot of people argue about the purpose of the California and Russia plotlines considering that they are so disconnected from what we could call the main plot, which is Vecna. But the Duffers are NOT bad writers. They had an extra six months to work on and revisit their scripts. Everything in Season Four was very intentional, which is why I choose to give the California and Russia plotlines the benefit of the doubt. Do they seem pretty pointless? Yeah, right now they do. But when you think about it, we are only seeing half of the story here. Season Four and Five were meant to be ONE season. Hopper's prison break is only half of the story, we don't yet know the true purpose for reviving him and spending so much time getting him out. We needed to get Hopper away so that El could spend this season continuing her ongoing arc of self-discovery and independence. What we don't know is why we need Hopper back and that's the question I think will be answered in Season Five. You don't kill and revive characters for no reason because it takes away the stakes in your story. By doing that, you're making your audience less invested in the safety of these characters because they KNOW there are no consequences. So then why did the Duffers spend a quarter of Season Four getting Hopper back, despite it's irrelevance to the plot until the very end where they help to defeat Vecna? That's the question that Season Five will answer. The California group go on a big road trip trying to find El. Seemingly the only purpose for this is to be able to find El so she can get to the pizza freezer and help Max, making the rest of the stuff they do pretty irrelevant. Right? Wrong. Because, once again, this is set-up. We are only seeing half of the story the Duffers wanted to tell. So then what is actually happening in this plotline? Certainly nothing much with Jonathan. But what we do spend most of this plotline doing is showing the development of Mike and Will's relationship. They start off awkward, they argue, they have heart-to-hearts. The majority of this plotline is dedicated to showing us how Will and Mike interact and behave around each other. You know how it all ends? With a chekhov's gun in the form of Will's painting and his veiled love confession. If the Duffers are indeed good writers, then they have to address this is Season Five, once again showing us we are only seeing half of the story. Because of the chekhov's gun, we know that Will's feelings for Mike have to be addressed in Season Five. If they aren't, then what was the point of the painting in the first place? We didn't need it for Mike to confess his love to El. El dying should've been enough for Mike, but it wasn't. Will reminding Mike of what happened in the van is what lead to his love confession. The painting has a purpose, it just hasn't been addressed yet. Similarly, if this emotional arc with Mike and Will ends with no change in their relationship, then what was the point? There was no need for Will to be in love with Mike to show his queerness. They could've introduced a new love interest for Will like they did with Dustin and Robin. But they didn't. Will's inevitable confession to Mike needs to result in a change for the California plotline to have a purpose, otherwise the narrative wasted all that time building up to nothing. Not to mention the fact that Will is the key to tying up Mike's arc. Mike feels like he isn't needed by El and this is a major insecurity for him. He spends most of Season Four worrying about this and so in order for his ending to be satisfying, we need to resolve this insecurity and prove him wrong. Yet, Season Four ended with El realizing she had value as a person outside of her super powers and that she doesn't need another person to feel whole. She is her own superhero. But you know who does need Mike? Will. In conclusion, these plotlines aren't useless. They are set-up. EDIT: I wrote this at 2am lol. Wish I would've waited and edited the post a bit but alas 2am thoughts are never edited.

#this erased my byler doubt #i didn't edit this so hopefully it actually makes sense #stranger things #stranger things 5 #st5 #stranger things theory #stranger things analysis #jim hopper #mike wheeler #will byers #byler #byler endgame #byler theory #byler analysis #anti milkvan

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bylertruth3r · 2 months ago

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one of my favorite Byler proofs is the fact that in s4 they introduced Robin's future girlfriend Vickie and they made Byler parallel Rovickie in the same episode and it's the same season where they confirmed Will is gay and in love with Mike and Noah said that Will has been in love with Mike since s1 and instead of introducing another pissible boyfriend for Will at the end of s4 they made Will stand with Mike next to Jopper and Jancy, Gaten said that they gave up on Dustin and Max as a couple because of Lumax and Caleb said that Lumax is forever, they didn't give up on Byler and they've been building them up since s1 and Finn said that El was Mike's first love instead of saying "first and only", which includes Will also being Mike's love interest which explains Finn going "romantically?" at the mention of Will and El, Finn also said that Mike and El are still a couple going into s5, he didn't say they're a couple the whole season, and Finn also confirmed Mike lied during the monologue

#stranger things #gay #byler #mike wheeler #mike wheeler is gay #will byers #stranger things 4 #stranger things 5 #wiseheart #lumax #jancy #rovickie #jopper

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dayasfilms · 14 days ago

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Chapter Eight - The Gate

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

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

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

Word Count: 8.6k

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

Series Masterlist

ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡

Eleven.

She was back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Soon, Eleven moved over to Joyce.

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

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

Everyone gathered behind them.

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

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

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

Eleven looked at her, thinking about what she said.

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

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

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

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

Hopper blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silence followed.

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

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

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

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

“He likes it cold,” she murmured.

“What?” Hopper asked, frowning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yeah, somewhere far away,” said Dustin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was it. Now they wait.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Of course, they didn’t listen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He stepped closer. You didn’t budge.

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

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

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

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

“Try again,” you said coolly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No,” Steve growled. “You are.”

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

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

Steve pushed him. “Get out.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You watched as he hit the floor.

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

Billy laughed through the haze. “Screw you.”

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

“I…I understand,” Billy said quietly.

“What?”

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

The boys stared in awe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m actually thirteen!”

“That doesn’t make it any better!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike snorted. “She totally saved your ass.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” Max screamed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Can everyone just CALM DOWN?” Max hollered.

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

Silence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your brows furrowed. “What?”

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

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

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

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

They all nodded.

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

Steve threw his arms up. “What? Why?”

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

With a grumble, he complied.

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

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

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

Steve groaned. “Very funny, man.”

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

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

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

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

You turned to the kids. “Ready?”

“Let’s drench it,” Mike said.

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

The tunnel exploded into fire.

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

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

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

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

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

“Dart?” Dustin whispered, stepping forward.

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

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

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

Dustin stepped back. “Go,” he whispered.

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

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

Demogorgons.

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

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

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

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

You clutched each other tightly and shut your eyes.

But nothing happened.

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

You and Steve stared at each other, hearts pounding.

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

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

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

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

The group looked around in silence.

You knew what had happened.

Eleven had closed the gate.

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

The door creaked open.

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

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

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

You nodded toward your car parked by the curb. “Come on. Let’s go.” You both climbed in, and you drove to Hawkins Middle School.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thanks,” she said again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You like it.”

“I love it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yeah?” His voice was just as soft.

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

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

You smiled, nodding. “Yeah…me too.”

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

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

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

You hummed. “Okay…”

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

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

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

“Steve…”

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

“Steve.”

“This is so–”

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

He froze. “What–?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You tilted your head. “Do I?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He nodded, not pushing, not questioning.

But his fingers lingered.

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

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

“I hate looking at it.”

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

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

“You’re sure?” He murmured.

You nodded. “Yes.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You nodded, breathless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then his lips were back on yours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You nodded, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve laughed. “No, of course not.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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