#slight karen/joyce

[lonesome-witching]

The Mole Men and the Diamond Ring

Another prompt from @rabbitofdeath-atcastleaarrggh, I know you still have a lot pending. I am working on them. This one is a special take on Robin proposing to Nancy, featuring Nancy being about as sleep deprived as I am. Any spelling errors can be explained due to that. As always I hope you enjoy. (For context this is part of the I Think We're Alone Now universe but due to the length this is taking I will not tag the previous parts any longer. It can be read as a stand alone)

You can read my previous prompts or send me some new ones.

The first day Nancy pulled an all-nighter to work on her mother’s wedding stuff, no one said anything. It was Nancy after all, and all-nighters were a given. The second night, Robin asked her girlfriend to turn in for the night but didn’t make a fuss when the girl refused.

But the third night was where Nancy’s loved ones drew the line. Joyce sat down next to her future daughter in law and asked the girl to just go to bed. She even assured Nancy that they had it covered. Nancy pulled the papers with the planning into her bed and staid up till morning.

The fourth night, Karen approached her daughter. She had put her hands on her hips and told her daughter that she had to go to bed, or she’d be grounded for a month. Nancy went to her room with the intent of going to sleep, only to grab her notebook and before she fully realized it, the sunlight was shining into her bedroom.

The fifth night, Jonathan offered her 20 dollars if she would just go to sleep. Nancy didn’t even bother to pretend.

It was after that, that it became obvious only one person could get Nancy to go to sleep. The problem was that Robin was working overtime at the video store. She hadn’t been over at all that week. She did call. And those appeared to be the only moments that Nancy wasn’t working herself to the bone. But eventually Robin would fall asleep and Nancy would dive back into her work, despite how hard Robin tried to get her girlfriend to go to sleep. Nancy refused. The closest anyone got was when Robin tried to seduce her into bed. But even that didn’t end up working.

Nancy fully realized she wasn’t the only one working herself to the bone. Robin herself was doing the exact same thing. And it didn’t make sense. Robin always made time for her. Except for now. And that could only mean one thing.

Robin was planning something.

So, whenever Nancy took a break from wedding planning, she tried to figure out what Robin was up to. She had written her ideas down in one of her many nearly filled notebooks. The list started with a surprise party and ended with her most recent addition: Robin was planning a surprise dance routine that she would perform with a group of mole men that were hiding under Hawkins.

It seemed plausible enough. The problem was that she didn’t like mole men, and Robin knew that.

Nancy vaguely registered that the doorbell rang. But she couldn’t be bothered to go and open it. Not that it really mattered. She heard her mother’s voice greeting whoever was visiting. Probably one of Mike’s friends.

But then she heard Robin’s voice reply and laugh softly and her head shot up.

“She’s in the kitchen, working as always,” her mom said.

Robin didn’t reply, at least not that Nancy could hear. But a few moments later Robin walked into the kitchen. “Hey, how are you doing?”

“I’m alright,” Nancy replied. She turned the page of her notebook, back to wedding stuff.

“Not tired?” Robin asked, her hands landing on Nancy’s arms. Nancy simply shook her head. “Too bad, your mom said I can sleep over if I can get you to bed. I thought we could take advantage of it.” Robin moved her hands up and down.

Nancy exhaled. She could feel her eyes falling shut at the comforting movement. “Robin, I have work to do.”

“That work will still be there tomorrow.”

Nancy sighed. But she reopened her eyes. She had to get back to work.

“Nancy, come to bed with me.” Robin had bend down, whispering into Nancy’s ear.

And maybe it was Robin’s raspy voice. Or the way Nancy could feel her breathing. But for the first time in a week, she gave in. She allowed Robin to pull her from the chair and to drag her upstairs.

It was halfway up the stairs that Nancy started babbling. “I know what you’ve been up to.”

“Oh,” Robin whispered. She faltered in her step, before regaining her footing and continuing up, pulling Nancy along.

“Yeah, you are in cahoots with the mole men to perform a dance. And you know I don’t like mole men. They make me uncomfortable.”

She could feel Robin’s body shake more than she could hear her laugh. They finally reached the top of the stairs.

“It’s not funny. I think it’s a little rude, actually.”

“I’m sorry, Nance. I’m not laughing, I promise. But you have to get to bed, right now.”

“No, not until you promise me to abandon your mole men plan.” Nancy slapped Robin’s arm for emphasis as they walked into her room.

“If you go to bed right now, I will cancel the mole men instantly.”

“Okay, good.” Nancy fell on the bed. She didn’t even bother to get changed. She didn’t even get to see Robin’s lovesick eyes staring at her.

-

She could hear a soft tapping noise. A soft groan escaped her before she could open her eyes. But when she did, she saw Robin sitting in her desk chair, still holding on to a pen.

“Good morning,” Nancy yawned, stretching her body. She had to admit she felt refreshed.

“Nance,” Robin said.

“Yeah?”

“You know I love you, right?”

Nancy could feel a sense of dread pushing its way up her throat. She was worried she was about to throw up. But she could feel her own head nodding.

“I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you. I still can’t believe you love me back, that you want to be with me.” Robin got up from the chair and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Nancy. “This time with you has been the best time of my life. And I know that we’re young. But I also know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Loving you and making sure you get some sleep after long nights. So, what I wanted to ask you was— I just— Nancy, will you marry me?”

Nancy watched as Robin pulled a small box out of her pocket, only to reveal a diamond ring.

“Yes,” she said quickly. “Yes, I will marry you.”

It was odd how quickly she was able to decide. She didn’t even need to think about it. She had never thought about marriage once, had never seen it as something for her, but with Robin it just made sense. Because she did want to spend the rest of her life with Robin.

“Yes?” Robin asked. As if she couldn’t believe she had heard it correctly.

“Yes, of course. Of course, I will marry you.” Nancy pulled her girlfriend closer, locking their lips together. “I love you,” she whispered against Robin’s lips.

“I love you too. That’s why I cancelled the mole men.” Robin was smiling brightly.

“Oh no, I can’t believe I said that. I call temporary insanity.” Nancy was hiding her blushing cheeks behind her hands.

“I think it was mostly sleep deprivation. But it was kind of cute.”

“You have to say that because you love me.”

“And yet I mean it too.” Robin pecked Nancy’s lips before sliding the diamond ring on Nancy’s finger.

“How did I get so luck?” Nancy asked, diving in for another kiss. A longer one, one she could drown in.

The door swung open. “Nancy, I know you mean well and me and your mother appreciate it. But you can’t keep staying up every single— Oh.” Joyce stood in the doorway. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“It’s alright, Joyce. You’re not interrupting anything. And I will assure you, Robin made sure I got the full eight hours of sleep.”

“Oh, that’s wonder— What is that?” Joyce stared at the diamond ring with wide eyes.

[bowiebond]

AU where right after Billy crashes, he’s about to have a good old angry cry over his baby, he’s about to touch the goop on his cracked window and be lured away by his own curiosity, when he’s blinded by headlights.

“Oh my god, sir, are you alright? I thought I heard a crash…” Joyce “Psycho” Byers is rushing out of the car to check on him, some kid she doesn’t really know, because she’s on her way back from work and heard the whole thing and has never been able to ignore a situation where someone might need help.

“Oh god, you poor thing, you’re bleeding, um, I think I have some bandaids in the car - wait no, we should probably get you checked out all together, what if you have a concussion, do you have a concussion? Tell me if this hurts.” She’s talking too fast in her panic, and he’s kind of bewildered as she reached out to feel under his curls for more wounds, but he snaps out of it quickly when she does poke at the growing lump from where he hit his head on the door more than once. The spilt on his forehead hurts enough.

“Watch it, lady.” He doesn’t have enough will power to yell at an older woman, a mother, but he’s running pretty high on emotions right now.

“Let me check your eyes - Jesus, it’s dark out here.” Joyce mutters, Billy dodging her attempts as pulling his pinched brows apart and up.

“Hands off, will you? I just fucking crashed.”

“Don’t use that tone with me.” It’s an instinctive response and it leaves Billy flushing with shame, which only makes him want to throw something, kick something, and it ends up being his car because he’s not gonna kick a woman.

“Sorry, I have two boys, the oldest used to have a bit of a smart mouth.” Joyce flusters. “Is this your car? It was just you?”

“Yeah. Something hit my fu- my windshield. I swerved. Hit the pole.” He felt ridiculous. It was a silent road, he could have just stepped on the break and he would still have a car, his only fucking freedom and possession.

“It happens to the best of us. I’m just glad you’re not dead. Do you need a ride home?”

“I had a date.” He muttered, but his sour mood would not be fixed by seeing Karen Wheeler. Even he knew that.

“Oh, well, I’m sure they’ll understand if you give them a call. The hospital can be a pretty penny, but I can take you home and your parents can keep an eye on you, I’m sure you have a first aid kit, right?”

Yeah, his parents would not give a solitary shit about his condition. Neil would add to it if he was feeling particularly mean.

“My dads gonna kill me.”

“A car is just a thing, honey, it can be replaced. You can’t be. He’ll understand.” Joyce placed a hand on his shoulder and Billy shook her off with a glare at the hunk of junk. All his best memories, down the drain with one crash. His baby was gone so quickly. Like all good things.

“He really won’t.” He muttered, huffing to him. He’d have to find a pay phone. Get someone to tow her back to his place. She’d take a while to fix up, but he prayed he could do it.

Joyce was quiet a while.

“Why don’t you come home with me? Our couch is a pull out, I have a fully stocked first aid kit, I even did a little nursing in the past, volunteer work, so you can relax for a bit until I’m certain you’re good to go.”

Billy sighed. He had two options. Stay here, sort this shit out himself and walk home, or go with the lady everyone calls crazy but seems relatively nice, who has a pull out that’s somewhere other than his own house.

Billy wasn’t stupid, even if he was stubborn.

“Okay. Thank you. Ma’am.”

“Oh please, Ms Byers or Joyce, whichever is most comfortable for you.” She waved off his attempt at manners and put a hand on his back. “Come on, it’s muggy out here, even this late, and I’d like to go home too.” She joked.

“My car…”

“I have a friend at the station.” She patted his chest. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to tow your car home, or to the nearest shop, whichever is best for you.”

She really was doing too much. Billy was gonna start feeling guilt above the slight humiliation he already felt. He rounded her car, a sense of ease filling him as he opened the door. He felt like he had just escaped something really bad, for some reason. Maybe his fathers wrath for the evening.

“Oh, what’s your name again, honey? I forgot to ask.” Joyce asked from over the roof of the car, a little pinch between her brows.

“…William. Most people just call me Billy though.”

“William, that’s my son name.” She broke into a bright smile. “Well, now I’ll have two Williams in my house. I do hope I don’t mix you two up.” She joked as she slipped into the car. He cracked a small smile as he followed.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be calling you Mom like he does.”

“Oh, Jim says I’m everyone’s mother.” She chuckled as she started the engine. “I won’t hold it against you if you slip up.”

“I won’t.” As nice as she was, she wasn’t his mother.

As she drove them away from the scene, Billy felt the anxiety ease in his chest. She was playing pop hits from the previous decade, but they’re nice, nostalgic, and he finds himself almost drifting off.

“Don’t go falling asleep, Will, you might be concussed, sweetie.” Her hand reaches out and brushes his curls back from his face.

“It’s Billy.” He mumbled, and everything kind of goes hazy as his eyes unfocused. Her car is equally muggy as outside, with the smell of artificial lavender, and the music has trilled to something softer. It’s just perfect for a nap.

“Right. Sorry, honey.” He likes that she’s still patting him as she drives, just his hair where it doesn’t ache or sting. “Just stay awake, okay?”

“Okay…” He would. Or at least, he really did try. He’s pretty sure he’s not concussed, just…sleepy.

It feels nice to fall asleep with a hand on his head like the old days.

[strangerquinns]

Deadly Reunion| Chapter 11

Eddie Munson x female!reader // a stranger things apocalypse au

summary: You and Eddie have been best friends since childhood. But when the outbreak happened five years ago, you were torn from one another in the chaos. but now you’re left alone, after your group was killed by another radical crew, leaving you to seek out what was once home. // zombie apocalypse Hawkins set in 1993

warnings: angst + adult themes w/ descriptions of violence, blood, torture + other zombie apocalypse related issues

word count: 2.7k+

⪻ previous chapter | next chapter ⪼ | stranger things masterlist

The sun beat down on your warm skin as you walked along the side of the road of the one prominent highway that ran lead out of Hawkins. It had roughly been half a day since you, Robin, Eddie, Steve, and a couple others from camp headed out to continue the run for the supplies. Not before making sure Jonathan and one of the other guys, Josh, were set up well on getting Mike back to camp.

“Do you think he’ll be ok?” Robin spoke softly from beside you, the two of you more in the middle of the group.

It had been entirely since leaving the tiny home, the bodies of flayed littered across the forest floor, but all of you had your weapons out and on alert. Your eyes scanned the road slowly as a deep sigh passed through your lips, your gaze moving to her. You could see the clear worry in her brown eyes as she stared at you.

“I think Mike will be ok. He seemed like he was already coming out on the other side with the infected bite gone.” You spoke, before looking back ahead, “But time is only going to really tell. He’s gonna have to make a new normal with only having one arm.”

“Suck, he was so excited to finally be able to go on raids,” Robin shook her head, “Can only imagine how Mrs. Wheeler is going to freak when they get back.”

“Nancy and Mike still have their parents?” You asked out of curiosity.

“Mr. Wheeler died during the outbreak, he was at work in the city and never made it back. But Karen is still around, working with Joyce in the medical wing. Their little sister Holly helps in the daycare.”

“Daycare.” You let out a soft laugh, “Can’t believe how you guys were able to create the town all over again in a matter of years.”

“I mean…didn’t really have much of a choice. It was that or die.” Robin shrugged.

You nodded your head, “And you? Do you still have a family?”

“Uh…no…no, it’s just me.” Robin frowned slightly, “I have Steve. He’s practically family, and everyone at the Camp has been amazing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” You spoke softly, a saddened look casting over your features. “I lost everyone too, so…I understand.”

Looking over his shoulder at the sound of voices, Eddie couldn’t help the flare-up of jealousy once again as he watched you and Robin talk together. He was far enough ahead that he couldn’t hear what you were talking about with Buckley. But it didn’t matter. Eddie hated that you were willing to speak to another, not him. Though he had a minor breakthrough for a small moment, Eddie knew he had a long way to go in getting your forgiveness.

“Not really able to keep an eye out of your looking back behind you, Munson,” Steve spoke, causing Eddie to quickly move his head forward. Giving Steve a slight glare. “Don’t get mad at me, just cause she didn’t want to pair up with you.”

Eddie shook his head, moving his rifle to be strapped across his back as he adjusted the bandana on his head, using it to hold his curls back from his face.

“Robin isn’t gonna steal your girl,” Steve spoke up after a moment of silence.

“And I don’t think she will,” Eddie rolled his eyes, moving his gun back into his hands once he was more comfortable. “Buckley isn’t really her type…and she’s not my girl.”

Eddie muttered the last part with a hint of sadness in his tone.

“Well there is obviously something there,” Steve spoke, “I don’t think I’ve seen you look at a girl since Sarah.”

Eddie winced slightly at the mention of her name, “She’s nothing like Sarah.”

Steve looked toward him with his brows pulled tightly together in confusion. What Steve didn’t understand with that statement was that, as much as he cared for Sarah, how he felt for you was much larger than anything he had with Sarah. You were his everything, and Sarah was the last bit he had of you when he thought you were gone.

“Sarah was her best friend,” Eddie spoke, giving that bit of information to Steve, before continuing. From the corner of his eye, Eddie could see the shock that washed over Steve’s face. “We all sort of…grew up together.”

“Ah,” Steve nodded, “So what she learned Sarah was gone? Pissed off you didn’t protect her or something?” Steve’s voice became tense as anger started to build within himself, his mind thinking of a scenario that wasn’t the truth. Trying to pull it out of Eddie. “You couldn’t have saved her even if you’d sacrificed yourself, Eddie. No one blames you; it was those fucking intruders that caused her death.

Eddie pressed his lips together tightly and nodded his head, “I know that. And…she doesn’t blame me either. It’s…deeper than that, Harrington.”

Steve nodded his head slowly, “Well, I’ve seen the way she looks at you, bro. Whatever had the two of you being tense with each other will be able to work itself out.”

Eddie swallowed thickly, “Yeah, maybe.”

But Eddie also knew that if the roles were reversed he wouldn’t forgive himself at all.

“Let's set camp,” Steve spoke, coming upon a small gas station off the road slightly, “Night is falling, and we should get some rest.”

Everyone followed one another toward the entrance of the station that was left slightly propped open. The station wasn’t big, a quick sweep of the front saw there wasn’t any monster hidden within, and the back office and break room also cleared. Steve and Mark collaborated to slide an old shelf in front of the front door, barricading anyone from entering. The moment the fresh air was cut off from the building, the dusty, mildew smell of the station quickly invaded your senses. You couldn’t help the twisted look of disgust on your face for a moment. But honestly, you’d stayed in worse.

“Think there is anything worthy in here?” Robin asked, slowly moving through the aisle that was mostly barren.

“If there is, it's most likely gonna be in someplace tucked away,” Steve sighed softly, taking off his pack and digging through it. Most likely for something to eat.

You watched as Eddie moved and took a seat at the counter, you hesitated for a moment, wanting to go to him, but instead, you held yourself back. You bit down on your lower lip before turning and finding an empty spot near the back where the empty beverage coolers stood.

“How much longer till we reach Redding?” a voice asked, “You looked up to see the other girl, Caroline.

“Another day, maybe two depending on if we have any more delays.” Steve sighed heavily, taking a bite of the jerky in his hand. “Pray we don’t hit another pack,”

“I don’t know, think we could’ve come out the other side worse than we did,” Robin spoke, now laid out with her pack as a pillow. "Mike was saved in the end, and now has a chance."

“Agree with Buckley,” Eddie’s voice sounded from the other side.

“Well, not taking chances,” Steve spoke looking around the station slowly, his eyes landing on you for a moment. There was a long pause before Steve spoke your name, along with Eddies. “Why don’t the two of you take the first watch? Have someone come and replace you in a couple of hours.”

You missed the look that Eddie shot toward Steve as you looked at Robin with wide eyes. She shrugged her shoulders slightly with a sympathetic look. You groaned slightly before grabbing a few things from your bag and moving to stand from your spot.

“There was an entrance at the back that lead up to the roof,” Steve spoke as he moved to lay back against his pack.

You followed close behind Eddie as he pushed through the backroom door, another door placed at the back wall. Opening the two of you were welcomed by a back staircase, leading up toward the roof. Eddie pushed on the maintenance door, gun drawn, and sweeping across the top of the small building. And just like inside, it was clear.  

The sky was filled with reds, oranges, and yellows as the sun started to set. Eddie walked over to sit on top of a unit, looking out toward the vacant road as the cooler wind moved around the two of you. Once again, you hesitated for a moment before walking over to sit with him. From the corner of your eye, you noticed his body stiffen.

Wasn’t long till you both were sitting in awkward silence.

It wasn’t till the sky was mostly purple and blue that either of you spoke.

“So…” Eddie cleared his throat, “Want to have that conversation now?”

You side-eyed him for a moment before shrugging your shoulders slightly, “Don’t really think we have much else to do.”

Eddie nodded, his lips pressed together tightly, as he scooped slowly over the horizon. “How much did Gareth tell you?”

“Not much,” Your voice was tight as you spoke, anxiety brewing within you. “Just mentioned that you two were together, didn’t take much to place the pieces together.”

“I didn’t tell you about us because I didn’t know how…I-I wasn’t ashamed of it. But what Sarah and I…what we had was nothing but comfort.”

You couldn’t help but scoff slightly, suddenly standing from where you sat beside him. Eddie’s eyes moved to follow you as you paced.

“What? You don’t believe that?” Eddie asked, defensive as he spoke. “She’d lost Jeff and I had come home to find that nothing else of our old was here. We both were seeking out something and found it with one another.”

“So what? She was your girlfriend?” You couldn’t stop the way your voice sneered as you said, girlfriend.

“What?” Eddie’s face screwed up slightly, “No. It was physical. We both cared for one another as friends.” Eddie paused for a moment. “What I can’t seem to understand is why you care so much? I told you Sarah had passed, and I thought that was a little more important than knowing that we had slept together.”

You couldn’t help the physical reaction to his words. Eddie hated himself as he saw the pain flash through your eyes. He moved to stand and move directly into your path, causing you to shuffle back from him. Eddie looked down at you with an intense stare that made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“We weren’t together,” Eddie spoke. “So please…tell me why you’re so pissed off that I kept something that was really only between Sarah and me.”

Eddie knew the reason, but he wanted you to say. Wanted you to admit it. Finally, bring a conclusion to what had been haunting his mind all these years. That your drunken confession was the truth.

You opened your mouth a few times as you looked up toward him, a deer in headlights kind of look on your face.

“Sweetheart, come on,” Eddie spoke again, “Tell me? Cause I’ve been trying to think over and over again about what could possibly have caused you to be this mad at me? I didn’t break a bond or something, so tell me.”

“I can’t be mad at her,” You spoke, rubbing your hand over your face for a moment, before turning away from him and walking to the other end, “Because it wasn’t you that broke something, it was her. But Sarah isn’t here for me to be pissed off at.”

“So, I’m paying the price?” Eddie chuckled in disbelief, “Now how is that fucking fair?”

“You don’t get it, and you’re not going to.” You shook your head, feeling the burn of a headache behind your eyes.

“What did Sarah break,” Eddie pushed, walking closer to you.

You turned your eyes down and shook your head, hearing his footsteps grow closer and closer. Eddie could tell from your body language alone that you were fighting with yourself.

“Sweetheart,” Eddie reached and gently grabbed your shoulder, turning you to face him. “Talk to me, please.”

“You wouldn’t get it, Eddie,” You sighed, closing your eyes tightly.

“Try me,”

“Eddie, please…”

Eddie spoke your name firmly, “Tell me.”

You shook your head stubbornly.

“We aren’t going to be able to fix this if you don’t tell me,” Eddie spoke firmly, his voice rising slightly at the end. “Just speak!”

“Because I was in love with you! Fuck!” You snapped and stepped back away from him further, your eyes wide as you stared toward him, “Because I was in love with you, and she fucking knew that.”

Eddie looked as shocked as he stared at you, listening to the words he dreamt of hearing once again for years.

“Do you have any fucking idea how much it hurts…to know that she got to have you? She knew, Eddie, she knew how I felt and that wasn’t a thought in her mind.” Your throat itched with the burn of tears behind your eyes. Eddie started to become a blur as tears slowly moved down your cheeks. “So, I can’t be mad at her, I can’t scream at her for fucking breaking the number one rule in friendship. I don’t care if you guys thought I was dead,” Anger moved back into your words. “I would have never done that to her.”

Eddie stood there and watched you as the silence started to fall between the two of you once again. He felt frozen for only a moment before his body reacted to your words. Eddie took a few steps across to you, before grabbing your face gently with his hands.

You didn’t have a moment to think, let alone speak, as he pulled you toward him. Eddie’s lips pressed firmly against yours. You stood stiff in his arms before your hands moved to caress his forearms and melted into his touch. One of Eddie’s hands moved down along your body before wrapping his arm around you. Your body was flush against his as his lips moved against yours.

Eddie reveled in the feel of your lush lips against his, the taste of you, the feel of you pressed into him.

Nothing else mattered in the world to him at that moment.

Just you, and him.

The soft whimper you made as his tongue ran against your bottom lip shot straight through his body. The two of you stood there lost in the other before the need for air won and caused the two of you to pull away. But not far from the other. Both of you panted slightly as you stayed close, Eddie’s hand caressing your cheek.

“You have no idea how much I prayed to hear you say those words to me,” Eddie spoke, pressing his forehead against yours. “I thought I had dreamt it all this time,”

You looked up toward him with your brows pinching slightly in confusion, “Dreamt it?”

Eddie nodded and ran his tongue along his bottom lip, “You remember your 21st birthday? The same day the scout came and saw Corroded?” You nodded your head slowly, “I took you back home, do you remember anything else happening that night?”

“Uh, outside of passing out and waking up with the worst hangover of my life the new morning? No.” You chuckled slightly.

“You told me that you loved me,” Eddie spoke, causing your laughing to die slowly. “I was washing your face for you, and you muttered it under your breath. I waited…hoped, that you’d remember it in the morning. But you never did.”

“I did?” Eddie nodded his head slowly, taking a small step back from you, but not too far. “I never said anything, scared that I’d heard you wrong. Or it was a mistake. But then it came time for us to leave for LA a year later, and you didn’t come…and I thought…I thought if you had loved me you would’ve come.”

You closed your eyes tightly, “Oh, Eddie.”

“You still only mad at Sarah?” He whispered softly, terrified of the answer.

He pulled out of your arms, before grabbing the pack from his pocket. You felt frozen as you stood there, still with the taste of Eddie on your lips, unsure now of how to feel. He lit a cigarette before bringing it to his lips and taking a long drag. The smoke moved through the air before him.

Not gonna lie, struggled a little with this one. I didn't wanna drag that impending "conversation" much longer. Love a good angry love confession. So please let me know your thoughts on this. Eddie and Reader aren't 100% out of the woods, but we're making progress. But hey, they kissed, that's something....right?

thank you for the support, it's deeply appreciated!

taglist:

@mopeymopeymouse / @aris-house / @brxkenartt /@akiratoro420 /@stylesxmunson / @aactuaaltraash / @fandomgirl17 / @ches-86/ @chaoticcancer / @munsonology / @bellamy-barnes / @theonlyh3artbreaker / @idkidknemore / @familyvideowithsteve / @eddiesdingus / @thefemininemystiquee / @the-world-is-a-mess-and-so-am-i / @xdarkcreaturex / @lunr-flwr / @cherry-omi/ @im-emma22@munson-enthusiast / @munsonmecrazy / @jupitar-jul / @katiemrty/ @maddie-luvs-eddie /@eddiemusworld/ @ih3artdanielle / @eddiesguitarskills / @hargrovesswifee /@chaoticcancer / @rh1nestonecowg1rl / @atombombbibunny /@munson-enthusiast / @hellf-1-re / @fangirling-4-ever / @corrcdedcoffin /@sidthedollface2 / @emma77645 / @eddiiiieeee

[just-a-torn-up-masterpiece]

okay, i can’t stop thinking about the idea of reader nearly dying in the upside down, causing joyce to absolutely rail the shit out of her when they’re finally home and safe. like, she just has to take the opportunity to show the reader how overjoyed she is that she’s alright. any chance you could write something like that? your joyce pieces are wonderfully done!

masterlist

safe and sound

Pairing - Joyce Byers x Reader

18+ :injury and blood mention, implied age gap/secret relationship (r is 19+) smut; slight dom/sub vibes, fingering (r!receiving), oral (r!receiving), fingersucking ig

Word count - 2262

A/N - i really hope this is okay, i'm not completely happy with how it turned out but i think i like it enough

Joyce hurried over to the Wheeler’s front door from her car, not even bothering to lock it behind her in her rush. Her knuckles rapped against the wood as soon as she neared it, hearing heels approaching straight away before it swung open to reveal Karen Wheeler herself.

“Where are they?” She rushed out, panicked, as Karen stepped aside to let her in.

“They’re just through there.” She responded, pointing towards the living room where you and the others were gathered after the more than eventful evening in the upside down. Joyce was quick to pull both Will and Jonathan into a hug once she’d checked them over for injuries though she couldn’t see you within the crowded room. 

Karen had called her saying you were all there and that you were hurt, she didn’t have time to say much else before the line had clicked and Joyce was racing to her car. She was assured that her sons were fine but it didn’t stop the anxious nausea rising in her throat at the thought of you being hurt - how bad was it? Were you going to die? Were you in the hospital? 

There’d been enough death, enough pain caused by the upside down, she couldn’t bear anymore.

She glanced over to where she could now see you when she pulled away from the embrace, Steve, Robin and Nancy all hovering near you; she could only see a peek of your shoe from where you were perched on the dining table. 

“Mom, we’re good, we’re fine. Y/N was the only one hurt.” Will spoke, nodding over to where you were, leading her over to check how you were.

Robin was sitting next to you, rambling on about something Joyce couldn’t understand though it made her smile when you huffed a laugh at something she’d said. Nancy looked on in concern while Steve wiped over your face with a cloth, standing much too close to you for her liking, his face too close to yours for what he was doing. One of your hands was holding you up, the other was pressing a bag of frozen peas to the side of your head.

“Y/N, are you okay?” She questioned, gasping slightly when she could finally see your face when Steve pulled away. “God, what the hell happened?”

“She saved our asses is what happened.” Robin grinned, nudging you with her elbow.

“Mhm, our total hero.” Steve added, squeezing your knee which did not go unnoticed by Joyce. 

“Upside down monsters and whatnot - the usual - anyway, they were gonna win for sure. Like these big things.” Robin rushed out, gesturing wildly with her hands. “Slimy looking creepy things, right? And they just kept coming and Y/N, she just like whacked ‘em. Like, pow pow.” She continued, miming your actions of using a random plank of wood you’d found as a makeshift weapon. “And we were all running and they were just coming after us - I was sure it was gonna be the end - just a bunch of gross bones and Steve’s quiff just left behind on the ground-“

“Hey.” He interrupted whilst everyone else laughed at her explanation.

“And then we were almost fine but obviously Steve spoke too soon, he was all like ‘guys we made it’ and then Y/N was like knocked down. It was crazy, and we all were shouting and panicking like - what the fuck do you do when your friend is pinned down and about to be eaten by some kind of ugly alien thing? Well, anyway, it was like watching a wrestling match but somehow she grabbed some kind of branch thing and just stabbed it - which was gross by the way. And now, here we are.”

“Wow, you could’ve made me sound more like a hero Robin.” You huffed with a roll of your eyes.

“Sounds pretty heroic to me.” Joyce smiled, nudging Steve out of the way to take a look at your face herself. Her hand brushed yours as she moved the frozen peas from your grasp to see a bruise forming on your cheekbone, dried blood from a cut. Your other cheek had a cut across it that would only need a bandage and she carefully wiped dried blood from your skin, her touch was so gentle and you could feel your cheeks heat up at her closeness; what the two of you wouldn’t give to be able to share a kiss right there. You’d both been terrified, you just wanted some comfort. 

“Ow.” You murmured with a wince when she cleaned the wound beside your bruise.

“Sorry.” She whispered, her breath warm against your skin from how close she was as she concentrated. “Are you boys staying here?” She asked, multitasking as she placed a small bandage over your cheek.

“Yeah, after tonight we thought we’d crash here and just stay together.”

“Okay. I can take Y/N home, I’m sure her parents must be worried.” 

—

“Y’know when I say ‘stay safe’ that’s a command and not just something you can decide not to listen to right?” Joyce spoke as soon as you shut the passenger side door behind you.

“It wasn’t so much of a choice, more like I was tackled by a slimer wannabe.” You returned with a laugh, she smiled at the sound, poking you with a shake of her head whilst she started the car. As soon as she drove in the opposite direction your house was in, you got an idea of the kind of night you were in for.

“I’m serious though. You need to be more careful. I thought you were seriously hurt - that maybe you were dead.” Her voice cracked while her hand rested on your thigh, fingers linking with yours when you held onto her. “Ugh and that Steve.” She groaned.

“What about him?” You giggled.

“He has a crush on you, he was standing so close to you - way too close. And his hand was on your leg, where only my hand should be.”

“Uh oh, is someone jealous?” You teased but fuck did jealousy look so good on her.

“No.” She answered, sliding her hand further up your thigh with a squeeze. “To be jealous of him there’d have to be some kind of fear that he could have you and, trust me, I’m not worried about that. You’d never give me up for him.”

“Oh, I dunno. Maybe that’s what I’m into these days, maybe his boyish charm has swept me off my feet.” You teased, knowing he’d described himself as having ‘boyish charm’ to you at least twice. 

“Sweetheart, I think we know that’s far from true. You’re mine and I know you like being mine.” She responded, not taking her eyes off the road as her fingertips pushed against your clothed centre and the way you yelped at the action just confirmed what she’d said.

As soon as she’d shut it behind you both with a click, Joyce had your back flush against the front door, desperate kisses to your lips; careful kisses over your cheeks and jaw, soft and soothing over your injured skin. 

Your hands pulled her hips into yours and the smell of her spiced perfume was just the comfort you’d needed, you shivered at the way her fingers stroked over the bare skin of your waist beneath your shirt before she pulled away to look at you. Her dark eyes locked with yours as she cupped your cheek in her palm. 

“I was so scared when I found out you were hurt.” She spoke, moving into you, her nose grazing the skin of your neck when she placed a kiss beneath your ear before whispering with a rasp. “Let me show you how happy I am that you’re okay.” 

She linked her hands with yours, walking backwards as she guided you both to her bedroom, both of you clumsily kicking your shoes off on the way. 

She pulled your shirt over your head and watched intently as you unbuttoned your jeans, licking her lips in anticipation at the sight of your underwear clad form. She nudged you onto the bed and you watched propped up on your elbows as she undressed before you; teasingly making a show of it. Unbuttoning her shirt painfully slowly and removing her jeans at the same pace, smirking at your growing impatience as you admired her body. 

She crawled towards you with a predatory stare, she was so desperate to taste you, to make you feel just how much she cares for you - how terrified she’d been of losing you. She couldn’t wait much longer, reaching behind you to unclasp your bra and throwing it behind her haphazardly, immediately biting into the pillowy flesh of your breast with a kiss.

You pulled her face back to yours and she was quick to control the kiss, bruising and lustful, her tongue swiped at your bottom lip, licking into your mouth with the taste of old peppermint gum still lingering. 

She pinched your nipple between her finger and thumb and clasped her other hand around yours, slotting her fingers between yours and pushing the joined hands into the mattress beside you. You sighed at the sensation of her teeth biting into your neck with a suck, torso twitching slightly when her fingernails dragged over your skin and only stopped at the waistband of your underwear.

You bucked your hips upwards into her lingering hand and she mockingly laughed against your skin, lifting her face above yours to watch your face when she suddenly pushed two fingers inside you. She revelled in the parting of your lips and the breath that passed them, the sound of the small whimper at the back of your throat when her thumb began to rub over your clit was music to her ears. 

“Oh sweetheart, you look so pretty.” She cooed, keeping her eyes trained on yours in a way that let you know you were to keep them open, even when she was fucking her fingers into you in such a magnificent way. 

“Fuck, Joyce.” You breathed out, she always knows how to get what she wants and right now she wants to hear you, any sound she can pull from you that lets her know you're falling apart at her touch. She can’t control all the bad things that could happen but she could control this, if she wanted a reaction she knew how to get it. So she quickened her movements and curled her fingers, smirking at the perfect whine you let out as you bit your lip.

From your shuddering breaths and the way your body twitched with each thrust of her fingers, she knew you were close; she sucked your nipple into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the hardened bud. Your hand got lost in her hair, pulling at her scalp when it closed into a fist as you came with a choked moan onto her fingers. 

She felt you clench around her, your heartbeat in your chest could be felt from where she kissed you as you panted for breath. She sat up on her knees straddled over you, observing the blissed glaze over your eyes and the obedient way you instantly parted your lips when her wet fingers poked at them. Your tongue licked at them, tasting yourself with a hum of fascination, a strand of saliva glistening in the light when she pulled them out. 

She looked up at you through her lashes when she kissed over your stomach, pulling your underwear down your legs without missing a beat, dancing her lips over the sensitive skin of your thighs. 

The kiss she landed on your still sensitive clit sent a shiver through your spine and the hum of pleasure she let out against it only made it stronger. 

“I love the way you taste.” She muttered against you, tentatively licking her tongue over your aching bud, dragging it through your wet slit with the taste of you just making her more eager. An unrivalled suck to your clit had your back beginning to arch off the bed with a moan of her name, the urgency of her lapping at you was heating your skin up, a layer of sweat surely building. 

When your thighs threatened to clamp around her head she wrapped her arms around them to keep them firmly in place, her nails digging into your flesh with a sublime blend of pleasure and pain. 

Your hand slapped over your mouth, biting into it with the stream of moans falling from your lips, the other aimlessly grabbed at the sheets, bunching them up in your grasp. Your hips mindlessly rocked against Joyce’s face, fucking yourself on her flattened tongue until you couldn’t hold back any longer. Your orgasm flooded over you with an astonishing wave of pleasure, seeing stars, mind fuzzy and blank in awe at Joyce’s talents. 

She pulled away with her lips dripping wet with your arousal, a proud smirk tugging at them when she spied your chest rising and falling in search of oxygen, staring at the ceiling to ground yourself. She licked your juices from her lips, swearing to herself that she could never get tired of your taste. 

She claimed your lips with hers again, soft and gentle pecks whilst her thumb swiped over your cheek, making sure to cause you no pain. You smiled at one another with dreamy expressions, basking in the closeness.

“Don’t get hurt again, I won’t go so easy on you next time.”

[r0b1ns]

The ST adults (Jim, Joyce, Antonio, Murray and Karen) having an s/o that’s a bush/rural/wildfire firefighter [idk what you call em in the states. Specifically someone that deals with natural fires not structural/house fires]????

Hii it's ok! I'm gonna do your other request tomorrow as I'm done for today

STRANGER THINGS ADULTS X FIRE RANGER! TRANSMASC! READER

CHARACTERS: Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Dmitri 'Enzo' Antonov, Murray Bauman, Karen Wheeler

GENDER: masc (trans)

CW: mention of fire, slight mention of sexual content, I'll change the color of it so you can just skip it, it's not detailed

WORD COUNT: 720+

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

JIM HOPPER

-he absolutely admires you

-he knows it's a dangerous job

-he always tells you to be careful

-how hypocritical of him

-considering you both have unstable schedules it's very rare that you have time for yourselves

-but when you do, you cherish every moment of it

-wether it's just cuddles, cooking something together, or bedroom stuff ;)

-he was surprised that you have such a physical job being so young and female bodied

-males usually have more muscles and body mass

-but you told him how hard you work

-he admires you even more after that

-you both have scars

-so you like telling each other how you got them

-he's very proud of you

-tells everyone his partner is a fire ranger

-if he burns something in the kitchen he always calls you for help

-El makes fun of him for that

JOYCE BYERS

-she's so excited and worried at the same time

-she worries you'll get hurt or something worse

-but with all that's been happening those past few years she still worries, but not so much

-she thinks you're so brave

-putting out large fires

-in such a dangerous environment

-the fact that you're trans doesn't change anything for her

-most people would be scared to do this job, no matter their gander

-on that note

-she sometimes gets turned on by your bravery

-but in the middle of you making out she starts thinking about the dangerous scenarios and gets anxious

-so this doesn't lead to anything

-Will likes to listen to your stories

-about how you were almost trapped in the forest

-or how you saved a family who lived at the end of town near a forest

-Joyce thinks it's cool in theory

-but she can't listen to it when she knows you're involved

DMITRI 'ENZO' ANTONOV

-he secretly thinks you're a badass

-he'll never tell you this tho

-he just shrugs and says "I've delt with worse"

-you roll your eyes to this

-doesn't care that you're trans

-this type of things don't matter to him

-he likes to call you 'firefighter' instead of referring to you by your name

-"nu firefighter, what heroic stuff did you do today?"

-when you tell him stories, especially the cooler (dangerous) ones he loses focus halfway he starts kissing you

-he says he doesn't care about your work, but it really turns him on

-secretly jerks off to imagining you in your uniform

-if you reunite with his kid he tells him to go ask you about your 'adventures' when he's tired or annoyed

-when asked what his partner does, he says it so casually

-but he's really proud

MURRAY BAUMAN

- oh he's REALLY interested in your work

-when you tell him you're a fire ranger he asks you all about it

-but like complicated questions

-cause he knows a lot about this

-occasionally likes to discuss conspiracy theories about the fire department and just fires

-everytime there's something related to fire he says "you should know, you're a fire ranger" or something along this line

-when you tell him you're trans he just just looks at you confused and says "okay?"

-like it's not relevant

-cause it's really not

-after his Karate lessons he likes to demonstrate new moves he learned

-asks you "can you do that ranger? I bet you can't"

-you like to sit in the bath together and discuss your days

-also to gossip

-he think you're the perfect partner for him

-cause he's so cool and you're so cool and that's how it should be

KAREN WHEELER

-as soon as you told her you're a fire ranger she was sold

-she thinks you're the coolest and hottest person alive

-tells all her friends about you

-and retells all the stories you tell her

-always asks if you a new one to tell

-tells Holly you're a hero

-asks if you work with women

-and if they're hotter than her

-likes to use fire terminology in bed

-"you're so hot" "I'm burning you better come help me firefighter"

-she literally thinks it's so hot

-tells you you're 100% hotter than all the guys she's been with

-and so far you're the best in bed she had

-she hopes you're the last

-she really fell for you

-nancy is happy for her

-she finally found someone she loves who also loves her

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

!gifs are not mine!

[heavencasteel420]

Tomorrow’s a Long Way Off kind of stems from a Jonathan-gets-taken-to-the-UD AU I thought up early on in my fandom involvement, oddly enough. It was chiefly going to be a story about Will (who, due to greater psychic sensitivity and a strong belief that Jonathan would not abandon him, plays the “Joyce” role but has the Party/El as his allies) and Joyce (who, due to her lack of involvement in Jonathan’s life and accompanying guilt, is convinced for longer of the lab’s runaway/suicide cover story and understandably thinks that Will is a heartbroken little kid, but still teams up with Hopper and maybe Karen), but there was going to be a teen plot as well even though Jonathan does not have friends, involving:

Nancy, who is on Yearbook with him and becomes aware of his disappearance when the faculty advisor is like, look, Mrs. Byers is scrambling for photos so we gotta find his Yearbook photo for a missing poster. And everyone at school is talking about why he’s gone missing based on outlandish rumors and she’s like. Okay. I don’t know him know him but I know him enough to get that this is sketchy and also I’m bummed about the missing poster thing. Then the police are super-rude and slut-shaming to her when she gets near the investigation, and that pisses her off so much that she resolves to figure out the situation and drags Barb into it. I’m not sure whether Steve is more befuddled helper or unpleasant obstacle in this one.

Robin, his coworker at the Hawk, who’s the last person to see him alive. They know each other a little bit and they have a sympathetic exchange about Tommy/Carol being gross and spilling popcorn on the cinema floor on purpose.

Chrissy, who isn’t particularly popular at this point in her high school career (she’s no outcast, but she’s a very shy and slightly chubby wallflower). She’s his lab partner and has a slight crush on him because he was nice and did all the dissections for her. Laura picks up on this when Chrissy voluntarily talks to the police, and she is super-mean about it, saying that not even a very unpopular boy would be interested in her.

Eddie, who sold him weed once but more important is so amused by the Satanic Panic rumors that develop around his disappearance that he ostentatiously plays into them (before his supposed death—Eddie is a loudmouth, not a ghoul). This results in his being implicated in the disappearance/death for a time, about which Nancy/Robin/Chrissy are all like. Wow. The police are so stupid. (Nancy is already mad at them, Robin is grossed out by the hegemony of it all, and Chrissy picks up on Eddie’s better qualities.)

Lonnie also plays an important role. He’s a suspect at first. He’s cleared pretty quickly, but it also becomes clear to the adults that he was an even shittier father than suspected. He’s genuinely upset at Jonathan’s “death,” but he reacts by viciously blaming Joyce and showing a sudden, manipulative interest in Will (because favoring Jonathan over Will was never really about who they actually were).

[sennqu]

Revisit chapter 2 here and chapter 1 here.

Temporary title: "Mike IS Going to Live With His Boyfriend, Dammit"

Chapter 3(?): Karen

When Karen's son returned home in the late afternoon, she initially thought nothing of it. In all honesty, she was grateful Mike was sticking to his temporary curfew, a rule she enforced after... well, everything that had gone down in their little town. Mike even went to the kitchen to tell her he was back. How uncharacteristically thoughtful.

She knew he had gone to the Byers' cabin to spend the day with his best friend-and-now-boyfriend. He'd been going there quite often recently. And after his visits he would usually arrive home donning a small smile -- if a bit out of breath -- and a little while later, Karen soon learned that he'd go directly to his room to use the walkie-talkie and immediately call for Will just to tell him he made it home. Karen thought it sweet.

Today though, he detoured to the kitchen and it didn't seem to be for a drink or a snack. Karen couldn't help her curiosity, so she made conversation, "Welcome home, sweetie. Are you ok?"

"Geez, mom. Can't a guy just say hello to his mom without being fussed over?," her son answered. Always a smart reply.

If it had been even a year ago, she'd hear a slight bitter bite in his voice. But today, and like all the other days since Mike started visiting the Byers, his tone with her was more open, maybe even laidback and playful. Like he was my baby boy again. Though this time around, Karen felt like she could actually sense some... shyness? What was going on?

"Actually, mom... um," her son surprisingly stammered. "Tomorrow actually... Joyce asked if she could visit you. Tomorrow. To talk about...stuff."

Oh. Well, Karen supposed it was time for her and Joyce to have a little chat. They hadn't had the chance for one ever since their two boys got together. They were always pretty busy with one thing or another. And with the way things were going, if Mike wasn't outside with his friends, he hung out at the Byers' cabin. It seemed like he spent more time there than he did his own house recently. Maybe Karen could offer her home again as a playdate venue for a change of pace. Get a semblance of the way things used to be.

"Mom?," Mike said, breaking Karen's train of thought. She had begun to plan what snacks she would serve.

"Oh, yes! That's great, honey. I'd be happy to see her."

"Ok, great. I'll be going to their house again tomorrow, and then meandJoyce will come by around 2:30. Oh, and, I'll still be sleeping over there tomorrow too, like I told you the other day? So after you guys talk, I'll be going back there," Mike said in one quick breath.

Karen simply hmmed in acknowledgement and didn't think to wonder why Mike would be coming with Joyce for their mom talk. She had an afternoon to plan. Maybe some old photo albums to bring out too.

--

The next day was a little cloudy but thankfully no rain; just the usual overcast Hawkins sky.

It was nearing 2:30 in the afternoon and Karen had just finished setting up the plates of snacks next to the two photo albums on the coffee table when she heard the knocking on her front door.

"Hello, Joyce! Come in, come in," Karen said with a smile as she ushered into the living room her house guest and...her son, looking almost sheepish. What was Mike doing back? "Mike, did you forget your sleepover gear?"

Curiously, Karen noticed Joyce lock eyes with her son in apparent surprise. So she didn't know what Mike was doing here either? Or she did and...

"Michael, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Mike, you didn't tell her?," Joyce said almost right after.

"Tell me what?," Karen stoically asked, preparing herself for something terrible. But her face immediately gave way to concern as she saw her son's face visibly tense up and his chest breathe in deep.

"Let's...sit down first," Mike said as he made his way to one of the armchairs and sat down. Karen and Joyce followed his lead on the larger couch. "I...Mom. the Byers. They're moving in a few months. And I want to go with them."

Karen had begun to worry something from the Upside Down -- or whatever her son and his friends called it -- had unexpectedly stirred again. But what Mike was telling her, Karen couldn't help but feel that it was worse.

"You want to leave with them? Leave home?," Karen tried her best at a level voice. She was relieved she succeeded. She turned to Joyce and asked, "And you, Joyce? You think this is a good idea?"

Why else would she come here?

"I.. uh, well it's not that I think it's an especially good idea," Joyce was quick to say. Taking in a breath, she paced her next words carefully, "but the boys seem to think so. And... it might just be what they need to do."

"What they need to do?" How could leaving home so soon be any good for Michael? He couldn't even launder his own clothes. He was just a child.

"Mom..," Michael started to say.

"How is moving away anything you need to do this soon? I know you love him Michael but you've only been with Will for a month," Karen couldn't help but cut him off. It was just too soon.

"It isn't a matter of how long we've been together, mom," Michael firmly responded in a tone taking her by surprise. Then in a much softer voice he continued, "you should know that."

The three of them sat in the silence that followed.

Because Karen did. Karen did know. She was around for the kindergarten playdates, the birthdays and holidays, the countless basement sleepovers. Then she was around for the tears and the acting out, the sullen moods and shutting off, the seemingly endless months Mike closed himself off to the world. And now... Karen had just gotten her son back and now he was thinking of leaving home?

"But what about school, Michael? I know you think you'll be leaving for college soon, but this is high school. You can't just leave in the middle of a school year," Karen understood she was dodging the heart of their conversation, but seeing her son's slight wince, she at least knew she hit upon one of his planned arguments.

"I'll deal with it. Will is going to do the same thing and I'm sure he's going to do fine," Michael retorted. She could see the fire return in his eyes.

"You're not Will though, Michael," Karen swiftly responded before turning her attention back to Joyce. "I know it's been hard for you and your family, Joyce. And I know Will is going to do fine... but Michael, he's just not ready. He doesn't even do chores around the house."

A low blow, but it diffused a little of the tension. Joyce couldn't help but lightly snort at the accusation.

"I can learn!," Mike was indignant now. Both Karen and Joyce turned to look at him. "We don't have to leave for a few more months. I can learn how to do chores. I'm not going to burden Joyce and her family."

"I'm sure you won't, Mike," Joyce assuaged him. In comforting tones, Joyce turned to her, "Karen, I know you're worried how Mike is going to fare so far from home, but I swear my family and I will do our best to take care of him if he lives with us. He's our family too.

We won't be moving until three months from now, so you can take as much time as you need to think about it. And we'll respect whatever your decision will be. Won't we, Mike?"

Mike quickly nodded, "Yeah! ....yeah. I'm sorry I surprised you with this, mom... But, please think it over. Please?"

Karen looked at her teenage son and saw a lifetime of pleading and hope reflected in his face that felt so much older than she could fathom. Karen understood that while she was scared of losing him, her son was scared of losing someone else too. But still... it didn't mean the decision was coming to her easily.

"I'll think about it, Mike. I know how much this means to you," Karen simply promised.

Mike was looking at her with wet eyes. Getting up from his seat, he gave her an awkward -- but not any less welcome -- hug that lasted the duration of three "thank you"s before sitting back down again.

Mentally shaking the tension out of herself, Karen realized with a start that they had all forgotten about the afternoon snacks she had prepared, "All this food in front of us and we forgot to eat, haha.

Mike, I still have some concerns -- and a couple photo albums -- I'd like to go over with with Joyce. And of course I'd have to talk to your father about this too," Mike audibly groaned, "but unless you want to stay around for some sandwiches and cookies, you're free to go back to your sweetheart."

"My-- ok..," with a frown, Mike let the comment slide. Karen could see the hesitancy in his features.

"I promise I'm thinking it over, Mike. I just want the best for you," Karen affirmed. She smiled at her son and she was sure it comforted them both when Mike smiled right back at her.

"Now go on and get, Mike. We have some motherly talks to attend to," Joyce gently joked. She was already reaching for one of the photo albums.

Mike slowly stood up and took one of the cookies (some of which Karen already gave him to bring to the Byers that morning) before departing from the living room. As he opened the front door, he shouted, "You're the best mom in the world!" before taking off.

"My cookies are really that good, huh," Karen joked. Now, onto the photo albums. Maybe looking at them will remind her just how much her son really had grown. And how much he'd grown -- and could continue to -- with the one he loved.

(It took Karen three full days to make her decision. Although she was sure there was really just one she could make in the end. She did say she only wanted the best for her son.

Karen only brought up the issue with Ted once she made up her mind. And as she'd come to expect, he only had one thing to say, "better he live with them than rack us thousands of dollars in phone bills calling his sweetie pie every day.")

Karen broke the news at the end of the dinner she had invited Will to. The boy had been filled to the brim with a nervous anticipation she didn't think Mike could reach the half of even after their afternoon negotiation. Immediately after she gave her solid and warm permission, both of the boys hugged her so tightly and so gratefully she almost felt like she'd been hugged enough for a lifetime.

Their smiles were so dazzling all throughout the evening that Karen now fully understood what Joyce meant when she said that leaving was what they needed to do. Her son was going to do just fine.

(chapter 4 can be found here!)

[findyourrp]

Ahoy, Strangers!

Join our Novella Stranger Things roleplay server where we're crafting our own canon version of S5 - The Fall of Hawkins, the apocalypse. --------

🌆 Hawkins: The Fall of Hawkins 🌆

Current:

Two days have passed since the 'final' battle with Vecna. As ash gently descends from the sky, our characters await with bated breath, wondering what fate has in store. With homes destroyed or too close to the ominous portal, some are in need of shelter. Not to worry, few of the characters offer a safe haven (More details on individual situations will be shared in the server).

Upcoming event(s): Phase 1

The day after, the ash ceases, and the sky takes on an eerie blueish hue with crimson tints, signaling colder days ahead. The town's heating systems are slowly failing, causing the temperature to drop. Although the townsfolk notice the chill, they remain unaware of the looming danger. Light sources start flickering sporadically, an issue that will only worsen with time.

📜 Explore Our Wiki For an overview of our storyline, please visit our wiki page (It's still a work in progress): Stranger Things: The Fall of Hawkins Wiki.

----------------------------------------------------------------

🎭 Characters We're Seeking

Dustin Henderson: Join us in enhancing Dustin's role, and fostering interactions with Steve and Eddie. Dive into his involvement with the party as he stands by Will's side during these trying times.

Lucas Sinclair (Lumax): If you like Lucas's character and the Lumax ship, we'd love to have you. Lucas's storyline follows S4, with slight interaction tweaks, and the presence of Billy, Kali, and Chrissy.

Vickie: (Possible love interest for Robin) We'd love to develop her character into something more than what we've seen in the show. We already have a way to get her involved, but simply need the right person for her role.

Eden Bingham: A possible love interest for Kali, Eden's character invites creativity. She's a college student, new to Illinois, intrigued by the enigmatic events in Hawkins. Help us shape her story.

Murray Bauman: Murray plays a pivotal role in our narrative. Visit our Wiki for insights into his character and the story's progression: Murray Bauman Wiki

Other Open Characters: A variety of key roles await, including Erica Sinclair, Suzie Bingham, Argyle, Heather (with a unique twist), Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Karen Wheeler, and Enzo Dmitri Antonov.

📝 OC's

Bring your creativity to the table with original characters who seamlessly fit within the Stranger Things universe. We value depth and contributions to the storyline. Let's discuss how to integrate them organically. In terms of relationships, OC's can connect with both canon and original characters. (NO Mary Sue's/Gary Stu's please)

!! Urgent: We are looking for a Vickie or an interesting OC character to ship with Robin.

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[oldfashionedmorphine]

1, 4, 6, 11, 12

hope it helps 💕, I'm in a similar situation with my wip and it's frustrating

Hi!!! Thank you, lovely <3

And I’m so sorry you’re in a similar situation. It’s super frustrating indeed 💔

Anyway, here you go! It’s a lot ;)

1. What is a piece of symbolism in your fic?

Hmm. I think with chapter 15 I would say the garden being full of decayed/dead flowers kinda did represent inner feelings, even though it’s just a reflection of the change in weather lol.

And I guess, but not sure it counts, choosing to reference the Norman Rockwell painting Freedom from Want in the very beginning. Mike emphasizes all the care and effort his mom and sister went through to make the day perfect just like that painting—there was an overabundance of food and the fancy dinnerware and all decorations and then eventually Will even carves the turkey at the table while everyone exchanges various conversations, so the painting isn’t visually different from what he can see, because he is surrounded by the same classic timeless feeling of a thanksgiving dinner, however, the family in the painting is depicted as emotionally nourished—happy and free of outside burdens, yet Mike spends the entire dinner grappling with the fact he can’t stop feelings of wanting someone and suffering from the consequences of harboring those feelings—instead of sharing in a happy dinner and reunion with his family (who he has kept at a distance for years), he snaps at Nancy’s question (which she asked in a lighthearted way, but his POV taints the question with ulterior motive, of course she makes a slight joke of it which further upsets him and doesn’t help her question to seem innocent), and he feels sour about hiding his sexuality from his family, and battles with his continuing feelings for Will that refuse to go away even after all these years of not being friends (and then the extreme jealousy that results from seeing Will in love with someone else), and then he picks at his food and further poisons himself with excessive amounts of alcohol. In the end, things were ruined and he was the main reason for it… because his repression and alcoholism acted like a poison that tainted his interactions with the people around him (mainly his interactions with Sam, Karen, and Nancy the most). And I feel like the painting represents “what could have been” if events had gone differently.

Answered #4 here 🩷

6. What's a subtle quirk your protag has? How do you convey it in your writing?

Idk why this one is hard to answer… or not sure what is considered a subtle quirk. I think he’s an overthinker, so I convey that with his inner dialogue—like my Mike will have internal debates with himself to rationalize/justify his behavior, usually about alcohol. He doesn’t like to be wrong, so he will get defensive. He cracks his knuckles or rambles when he’s nervous and unfortunately he also slaps himself at times when he becomes too emotional, and it’s usually as a form of self punishment :(

11. Is there anything important in your fic you think readers have missed/overlooked?

Possibly. I was so sure people missed the subtle coming out joke in chapter 9 because no one has mentioned it in any comments, but at least one person suspected that’s what it was… and it was. So I prefer to have faith my readers picked up on important things if they can catch something as silly and insignificant as that. And if they didn’t, well then maybe they will catch it upon a reread ;)

12. What character has the most lines in your fic? Which character has the least lines?

Not sure how accurate my answer for this will be since it’s a lot of words to go back through to determine for real, so I’m just going to go with top 4 characters in general that have the most/least lines;

Most: Mike, Will, Holly, Nancy (I do believe they get the most focus overall)

Least: Steve, Argyle, Hopper, Joyce (if someone had less than them, then they weren’t significant enough to even remember their minimal lines/oops 😭)

(I think)

[runninguplenorahills]

oooooh what are your top 3 st scenes?

Ohhhhhhhh, such a good question!!!

Number 3 is the scene in which Max drives Steve’s car

Steve slowly waking up, his face full with blood, bandaids barely covering his cuts. He’s looking up at Mike in his delirium and goes: “Nancy?” which has Mike staring right back at him with confusion and disgust. Dustin starts shushing Steve like a baby when Steve realizes that Max is the one behind the steering wheel. He’s completely freaking out while the boys fight over Max’s driving skills who is fed up and speeds up the car, taking a sharp turn she almost missed which has Lucas screaming like a little girl - *sigh* comedy. It’s genuinely such a funny scene and it definitely gets bonus points for Steve calling Mike Nancy lmao.

Number 2 is Max’s Vecna trance in “Dear Billy”

It had me sobbing and screaming and digging my fingernails into my own skin because the premonition that Max was gonna die already would not leave me for the whole episode, and then this scene started and I just knew that that’s it. I was so certain that Max was gonna die but I was I so not ready to let go of her so watching this was cruel. But then Running Up that Hill started playing and Max got her little memory flashbacks which made me cry in a good way, and then she broke free and ran and the whole thing is just So Epic, I love it! I love that she made it back to Lucas, Dustin and Steve and I do actually think that the parts of the scene that are in Hawkins at the graveyard have a slight s1/s2 feel to them.

Number 1 is Will’s body getting dragged out of the quarry

This scene is so deeply devastating and I hate it so so so much but it’s So good. I love how it goes from no music to Hopper expressing that he hopes it’s not Will to it being clearly shown that it’s Will to music faintly starting to play to Mike saying that it’s not Will when the audience already knows that it is to Lucas stating that it is to Mike finally realizing that it is to him lashing out to him biking away to the others calling after him to the music reaching such a volume that it almost drowns out every other sound to Joyce and Jonathan to Mike and Karen - I cannot handle it! It’s such a depressing but beautiful scene and it truly is The saddest death scene in the whole show which is kind of ironic as it’s not actually Will. Will didn’t actually die but in that moment? He did. And just thinking about that scene makes me wanna cry. I hate and love this scene with all my heart and it truly is my favorite out of the whole show.

thank you so much for this ask 🩷

[lonesome-witching]

Can I Have Your Blessing?

This one is heavy on the Karen/Joyce despite them not interacting once. But no worries there is definitely some ronance in this too. I hope you enjoy this piece of work. And of course a thank you to the prompter, the lovely @rabbitofdeath-atcastleaarrggh who keeps coming back for more. It is appreciated.

You can read my previous prompts or send me some new ones.

Robin was beginning to believe she had the worst timing ever. First, she and Nancy had gotten caught by Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Byers. Then she had ended up at the chaos dinner party. And now Joyce Byers was pulling her and Nancy into the living room. Robin wasn’t sure what it was going to be about, but with her track record it wasn’t going to be good.

Holly was already sitting on the couch. She stared at Nancy and Robin with a smile and waved. Robin waved back with her free hand, the one that wasn’t locked in Nancy’s.

She kind of wanted to pull Holly on her lap and hide behind the little girl’s body. Not that it would make much of a difference.

They sat down next to Holly, Robin crawled into the corner while Nancy put an arm around her sister.

“What’s up?” Nancy asked, the question clearly directed at Joyce who was pacing the floor in front of them.

“I’d rather wait until your brother gets here,” Joyce answered, biting on her fingernails.

“Mike? What do we need Mike for?”

“There is just something I want to discuss—”

Joyce was interrupted by Mike waltzing into the room with a scowl on his face. He fell down in Ted Wheeler’s old recliner and sighed. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Now that we’re all here, there is something I need to ask you.” Joyce finally stopped pacing and sat down on the coffee table. “So, as you all know, me and your mother have been together for a while now.”

Mike groaned, which only earned him a glare from his older sister.

“It’s been over a year now and I can safely say that it has been the happiest year of my life. Your mom makes me happy. And I truly believe I make her happy too. Which is why I want to ask her to marry me. And I would love to have your permission to do so.” Joyce’s eyes were scanning the reactions of the Wheeler kids.

Robin felt a smile grow on her own face at the idea. They were cute together, Karen and Joyce. They deserved to be happy together. Just like she and Nancy did.

The thought popped into her head. The idea that really shouldn’t be there yet. That maybe should never be there, but definitely not before she could talk to Nancy about it. She thought about dropping down on one knee with a ring in her hands this time. She thought about popping the question. She thought about Nancy’s smile as she said yes.

It could be nice.

It would be nice.

She thought passed that too. Thought about Nancy walking toward her in a white dress. Thought about vowing to love each other forever.

She thought about waking up next to Nancy every single day. Thought about sharing an apartment and occasionally a wardrobe. Nancy would borrow her sweaters when she was cold and Robin would grab one of Nancy’s scarfs or hats by accident, and it would be alright.

She thought about late nights and early mornings. Thought about dragging Nancy away from her typewriter and dragging her to bed.

She thought about traveling together. About seeing Paris and Rome and Madrid and Barcelona.

She liked that future. She liked the idea of sharing her future with Nancy. She liked the idea of sharing everything with Nancy.

“You really didn’t need to ask. I mean, of course you have my blessing to marry my mother. But it’s really not up to me to decide what the two of you do,” Nancy’s voice broke through the images in Robin’s head.

“Mike? What about you? Do I have your blessing?”

All eyes turned to the teenage boy. He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on, Mike. Don’t you want mom to be happy?” Nancy responded with a roll of her eyes.

“Of course, I do, but what about me and Will?”

“Those are things we can figure out.” Joyce was biting her nails again.

“Well, alright then. You have my permission to marry my mom.” Mike sounded somewhat sulky as he spoke. But Joyce jumped up to pull him into a hug. And then she turned to Holly and lastly, she engulfed Nancy in a bone crushing hug.

“This is great. Thank you for being so understanding. The situation isn’t particularly easy for any one of you.”

Joyce was already walking out of the room when Nancy turned to her girlfriend. “You seemed a bit out of it just now. Are you alright?”

“Why don’t we go have dinner? To celebrate?” Joyce asked, popping her head back into the room. Holly was already jumping up and down in delight.

“I’m alright, I was just thinking,” Robin whispered in Nancy’s ear.

“What were you thinking about?” One of Nancy’s hands fell on Robin’s knee and squeezed softly, reassuringly. A small reminder that Nancy was saying you can talk to me.

“Are you guys coming?” Mike asked as he kicked at his sister’s feet.

“I’ll tell you later,” Robin kissed Nancy’s cheek and got up.

Joyce drove them to the nearest diner. Holly ordered her weight in fries, while Nancy, Robin and Mike stuck to a burger each. The dinner was nice, slow conversation flowing between the people around the table.

Robin’s eyes shot up every time the bell above the door rang. That was how she caught Jonathan walking into the diner.

“Jonathan?” Robin called out before thinking better of it.

The boy turned toward them and waved.

“Oh, Jonathan, come join us?” Joyce yelled through the diner.

Jonathan walked over, but he remained standing. “I can’t, mom. I’m just here for a pick up. But I’ll see you tonight.”

“Wheeler?” a waitress called out causing Nancy, Mike and Holly to turn their heads.

“That’s me!” Jonathan replied quickly. Before he could leave the diner, Nancy slid out of her seat and followed him.

“Can I assume you are picking up dinner for my mom?” she asked. Jonathan nodded. “You’re not trying to steal her from your mom, are you?”

“Not at all. She actually came over tonight to ask Will and me for our blessing to propose.”

“No?” Nancy asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” Jonathan responded with a frown.

“That is exactly what your mom was doing,” Nancy laughed.

[dxncingwithastrxnger]

when you and i were forever wild (Mileven)

A/N: Hey guys!!!! I have officially started my Mileven week stories!!! I am SO excited for the stuff I’m gonna be putting out for y’all this week, tbh. This is the story for today’s prompt!!! Super late in the day, but I’m still getting it out before midnight which is all that really matters by this point 😅 But I really hope you guys like this one, I’m so proud of it!!!! I hope you enjoy it!!!!

Pairing: Mike Wheeler x El Hopper

Summary: Have you ever been in a connection that was so profoundly complicated that even your souls just know that it’s important? That to even the deepest parts of your subconscious, the true depth of the connection is completely indescribable in known words? Do you know what it’s like to have a home in someone else and be completely confident that it will never be lost?

Prompt: Day 1 - Color

Tags: Fluff, slight angst, lots and lots of love, uuuhhhh, I’m sorry guys but there’s literally no outloud dialogue at all. It was done on purpose, actually, and it’s something I’ve never done before, so I find it very interesting. I think that’s it for this one, tbh

Song Inspiration: Young and Beautiful By Lana Del Ray

Word Count: 2,572

Not beta’d, all mistakes are my own.

[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] || [Series Masterlist]

[Read on Quotev]

[Read on AO3]

[Read on Wattpad]

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Everyone is slowly gathering around them, getting up from their seats and making their way towards the couple at the center of attention. A table sits beside them, ribbons in a whole rainbow array of colors laying across it. The priestess officiating the ceremony smiles fondly at the people in front of her. She walks a few steps forward as the last of the crowd comes forward and she gently reaches for the bride and groom. She takes the left hand of the long, black-haired man and the right hand of the brunette woman and connects them, guiding them to latch onto each other's wrists gently. As she did so, she saw them grab each other's free hand, intertwining their fingers together and staying that way. The older woman's smile turned nostalgic. This is why she did this job.

Mike and El look at each other with matching expressions of joy, excitement, and love, their mouths turned up in the biggest of smiles. Their priestess then announces that it's time to start, and Karen Wheeler, Joyce Hopper, and Jim Hopper step towards the table. The parents get first pick, then whoever claims the spot first gets to go next and so on. The ribbons are all meant to be gifts. The colors are symbols and representations of what exactly that gift is. Everyone gets to choose up to three colors each and they will then tie it around the bride and groom's hands and wrists, binding them together for the entire rest of the night.

The parents pick their ribbon colors and present them to their children, and then the rest of their guests make their way through the same exact process. Each color being placed around their hands, some repeating, but different people made each one mean something more, and that was most important. The people themselves. Especially Mike and El. They stared deep into each other's eyes and knew they were thinking the same things. Knew that they were reliving the same moments. Every single moment together that led them to exactly this moment. The most important one of all. As everyone else returns to their seats, the young couple looks down again at the array of colors that was taken from the table and placed around their hands instead. They looked and admired and took a moment to appreciate every single color. Each and every one.

White - Peace, sterility, purity.

A kiss on the cheek. The brush of a hand. Tight embraces. Lingering glances. That first kiss directly on the lips, only confirming what they already knew deep down. They were so young, but not so young that they couldn't see how clearly they were meant to be connected in this way.

There was that first day, that first time they had snuggled up together. They hadn't really thought much of it at the time. They had hugged. They were 13 years old and El had just given Mike a friendship bracelet and he was thanking her. As soon as they wrapped their arms around each other, there was something of an instant calm and relaxation between them. Suddenly, they clung to each other, wanting nothing more than to just stay exactly where they were, in each other's arms.

In complete silence, without a single outloud communication from either one of them, they move over to the basement couch and snuggle up together, Mike all the way in the right corner against the arm and El snuggled into his side, her head on his shoulder as Mike keep his arm wrapped around her. He turns on the tv and finds a movie for them to watch, and they stay that way for the rest of the afternoon, perfectly content to just be with each other and nothing else.

Maybe it was then they should have realized that something more was between them than just friendship, but it never really crossed their minds back then and it still took them awhile to get exactly where they were meant to be. But that time they spent together just led them one step closer to their future union and it's always been such a special moment to look back on, even now. They'll remember that feeling for many years to come.

Gray - Stability, boredom, death, standstill.

It took them another year after that. But it wasn't without struggle. Not quite having their feelings for each other figured out just yet, there were other people that caught their interest on occasion. It was all very fleeting, but it definitely didn't go unnoticed by the other one. The feeling of envy, so strong when they saw each other with someone else. And yet still, they didn't really understand it. See, it wasn't exactly that they were completely clueless to their feelings for the other person. They knew without a doubt that their connection was something much more than that of the connections they held with their other friends. But what was their connection really?

A strange sort of wisdom for 2 barely teenagers. But it was something inside of them. Something telling them that they must figure this out before progressing any further. But it was difficult. It was like needing to figure out the components of a brick wall, down to the very compounds of the chemicals used in the creation of it, with only the brick wall itself as your tools and clues. And they had reached a stalemate. One that neither was very sure how to get out of. But eventually they made it out of there. Eventually they made it to the other side of their difficult time, and things soon enough became much, much clearer after that.

Brown - Comfort, safety, nature.

At age 15, Mike's entire world shattered. Karen Wheeler and Ted Wheeler were getting a divorce. Suddenly, without his father around, his mother had to work. With his mother working, he had to spend more time at home with his sister Holly. He had to put together meals and run errands and pick Holly up from school on some days. He had so much more responsibility than he did before. His mom always apologized and offered to hire a babysitter instead, but he always insisted that it was okay. He wanted to do it. He could handle it. The first part was true. He did want to do it all. But his brand new workload had started to weigh him down. He needed help, but he didn't know how to ask for it, or who to ask. New responsibilities, plus all of his old ones, plus coping with everything. Managing his school life, his home life, his social life, his personal life. It was all so heavy and he was on the verge of breaking.

But apparently he wasn't the only one who had realized he could no longer do it all alone anymore. He arrived home one day along with Holly, planning on dropping her things off and then taking her with him on a trip to the store. But when they got into the house, someone else was already there, and it wasn't his mother. Instead, it was El. El who was in the middle of putting away a bunch of groceries that looked strangely like a lot of the things on the list his mother had given him that morning before she'd left for work.

El wasn't stupid, she knew her boyfriend well, and she knew he was wearing thin. She'd seen him looking at the list at school, going through it and trying to make sure he would remember anything. El had taken it from his pocket when he wasn't paying attention and took it upon herself to take care of that little errand and take some of the load off of Mike's back, even if just for a day. Mike was so incredibly thankful for what El had done, though he didn't say much about it outloud. But after that day, it had become a more frequent thing. Mike would share his busy days with El and El would help out in all the ways she could, taking on each and every responsibility with him without hesitation or a second thought. It was never a question for her. It was always just a solid answer. Mike was her solid answer.

Black - Danger, power, protection, fear.

El wasn't sure what to do. Two years together now and suddenly she felt as if things were falling apart when it was supposed to be the opposite. Mike had been avoiding her, coming up with excuses for them not to spend time together, he was keeping secrets and lying. And he wouldn't talk to her about it, no matter how hard she tried to get him to. They always talked about everything, no matter what the subject was or the emotion attached to it. But whenever he did spend time with her, he always managed to evade the subject of what the hell was going on with him. Why was he doing this? What was El missing?

There was no way that Mike's feelings for her had diminished. El would feel it if he had. She'd know. So she knows it had to be something else, some other reason for all of this. There had to be a reason why Mike would tell her he was sick and then Max would tell her later on that he was at the mall with Lucas and Dustin. A reason why he would tell her he had to take an extra shift at work and then she'd spot him there later on with Will at the arcade or even with Max at the diner. But what was the reason?

El finally got her answer after months of her feeling like she was losing her goddamn mind. On her birthday, Mike was by her side all day, both during school and after. For him, it seemed as if nothing had ever been wrong, like everything was perfectly right in the world now. There was a certain excitement around him, but El just brushed it off, assuming it was just because of her birthday being that day. She wasn't sure what had exactly changed, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was going to enjoy her special day with her boyfriend happily by her side and she wasn't going to let anyone or anything ruin it. And that night at her small gathering of friends for the celebration of her existence, Mike gave her, her birthday present.

It was a promise ring. It was a beautiful gold band with three little crystals in the top center of it. One yellow, one blue, and one purple. Citrine, Azurite, and Amethyst, Mike had told her. And then, engraved along the inside of the ring band, were the words, "A promise is something you can never break. Ever." It was a reference to a conversation they'd had years before. And yet both of them still remembered it clear as day. Mike had worked his ass off for months to save up the money to get the ring exactly how he wanted it. Worked with all of their friends to pick out exactly the right band, crystals, colors, engraving. This ring became Mike's entire life for those months. But El had it now, and his attention could now go back to revolving around her. And that's the only thing that mattered.

Blue - Sadness, calm, despair, serenity.

That next year was like a breath of fresh air. It was completely refreshing, calming. They didn't really move forward much, but they didn't move backwards either. They stayed at a plateau in their relationship, but in a good way. They were filled with the most wonderful contentment. They were fine to stay exactly as they were. There was no rush. They just stayed and enjoyed being with each other. That's all they needed. When it was time to move forward, they would know.

Yellow - Joy, hope, cowardice.

And now it was one of the big years. Age 18. And it was also time for the next step. In both life and their relationship. Mike and El were moving in together. Into their own place that they chose and put the hard work into. Neither of them had any worries for how things would be. They'd spent so much time together over the years, they doubted there was anything they didn't know about the other's habits or quirks. They were filled with nothing but excitement. This was something that they were absolutely read for. And it was everything they'd hoped it would be and more. They'd never been happier up to this point, and they knew it would only get better from here on out.

Purple - Transformation, royalty, mystery, wisdom.

A little pink stick. Digital lines. Anticipation. New feelings stirred up. Happy surprises. This year would be filled with new life. A new life created by Mike and El themselves. The two were completely amazed by it. They had created a whole new person together. A physical representation of their love for each other. It would be hard at times, they weren't naive to that fact. But they were taking on the world together and nothing would slow them down now. They would never stop leaving their mark. And their beautiful baby would now become a part of their wonderful plans.

Orange - Warmth, energy, vibrancy.

The night El gave birth to a beautiful, healthy babygirl was the night that Mike dropped down onto one knee, adding another beautiful ring alongside that promise ring. He couldn't wait any longer. They lived together, they had a child together, and now they would finally take this final step in order to be bound together in every single way possible, both physical and metaphorical. In that moment, holding her babygirl and being held by her future husband, the three of them cuddled up on that tiny hospital bed, all of their family and friends gathered around them, there was no where else that El would rather be.

Pink - Romance, sexuality, femininity.

And now here they are. Back in the present moment. El is Mike's Wife. Mike is El's Husband. The two of them are now married. And here they are, standing before each other, about to take their first dance within their brand new titles. As Mike places his hand on El's waist and pulls her closer and El places her hand on his shoulder, their ribbon-bound hands being held out to the side, this moment is absolutely perfect. The music starts and they take off across the dance floor, everyone around them looking on with love and admiration for the newlywed couple. They drift along gracefully. Mike twirls El around and she feels like she's floating and then he's pulling her back towards him and their foreheads connect and she's grounded again, feeling like her entire body is filled with this brilliant, bright light full of love and warmth and happiness and home. Because they are each other's home. And they always will be.

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A/N: Sooo, what do you guys think??? Did you like it??? Please let me know!!!! I hope you loved it as much as I did it!!! Another story will be out tomorrow for the next prompt!!!! Thank you so much for reading and I really hope that you’re having an amazing day/night!!!!!! 💜💜💜

[kiaramori]

In honor of Barbenheimer coming out, here are my headcanons for how the Stranger Things main cast would fall in the Barbie vs Oppenheimer split.

—

Robin: Would watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer, and be excited to see both equally. She is a bit of a film nerd at heart and so she’s thrilled about movies that tell complex stories and have her favorite actors/writers/directors.

Nancy: would only want to watch Oppenheimer (she’s a little bit obsessed with being taken seriously and this would be part of it. If someone asks if she wants to watch the Barbie movie, she’d be like “What? Because I’m a girl?”) But would eventually cave and watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer with Robin.

Steve: Would absolutely refuse to watch Oppenheimer. (No double VHS energy). He doesn’t like watching “boring” movies. He’s excited about Barbie because it looks fun and Margot Robbie is hot.

Eddie: Would only watch Barbie as well, but more because of his political stance (doesn’t want to watch a movie about the creator of the atomic bomb) and wants to do the opposite of what people expect of him.

—

Hopper and Joyce would not really understand the extreme excitement over either movie…Hopper would not really want to watch either, and Joyce would have a slight preference for Barbie, but they will end up watching whatever their kids want to watch.

Murray has refused to enter a movie theater for decades, now. He will watch a pirated version of Barbie online if he watches either of them.

Karen Wheeler would want to see Barbie as a mother/daughter bonding thing with Nancy and would end up getting ripped a new one, to her disappointment.

—

Max: Is ultimately a girl’s girl and will want to watch Barbie. At first she is open to watching Oppenheimer, but then she finds out Mike really wants to watch Oppenheimer and becomes extremely anti-Oppenheimer just to mess with him.

Mike: Really wants to watch Oppenheimer. He’s always kind of into things that have an intense atmosphere, historical fiction, important scientific discovery. His favorite movie is the Imitation Game, and he has a hunch Oppenheimer will have a similar vibe.

Dustin: Ultimately would prefer to watch Oppenheimer more (because of the science aspects) but when he watches a movie, the most important thing for him is to do it with his friends. So he’ll just go along with what everyone else wants. Ie. When he finds out Eddie and Steve are both seeing Barbie, he really wants to go with them.

Will: is slightly more interested in Oppenheimer (the imitation game is also his favorite movie, and Mike says it’s going to be similar), but is worried about El being triggered by the contents of the movie. So he wants to do Oppenheimer with just him and Mike and see Barbie as a big group. But he is scared that if he says it outright then it’ll sound like he’s asking Mike out on a date. So he just hints at it. (His hints are not picked up)

Lucas: really doesn’t care. For him, his favorite movies are action movies, but he is a people-pleaser at heart. He’ll end up seeing both movies probably, to appease Mike and Max. If he’s forced to choose, he would see Barbie with Max because he loves her and wants to support her.

El: Would end up seeing both Barbie and Oppenheimer as well, mainly to appease both Max and Mike. She LOVES Barbie and hates Oppenehimer. I honestly thing Oppenheimer might trigger her and so everyone (or at the very least her and Mike) would leave early to comfort her.

Erica: Would want to see Barbie as a Statement. She would be so pro-Barbie she makes people scared to admit they watched Oppenheimer. She would go to Barbie dressed up in all pink and fight anyone who thinks Oppenheimer is better.

[jancys-blue-bayou]

Jancy fic request: i really want a tender moment between jancy once things settle and they can actually go to bed (lol dont know when that’d be considering the UD is swallowing them). i can imagine jonathan staying with the wheeler’s (in the basement of course) and either sneaking up to nancy’s room or vice versa and them just sharing sweet moments and loving each other with no one else around them

A/N: Thanks for the prompt! This somehow turned into a standalone sequel to my previous fic Together, picking up right where that one left off (ie where the s4 epilogue) ends and covers Jancy + the others talking and planning, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve talking shit out, Nancy and Karen having a moment... and I promise the tender Jancy moments comes at the end.

Preview:

“We should talk to the others. Lucas and Erica, Steve, Robin and Dustin. Let them know that uh, you’re alive. And that we need to make plans. We’re all in this together,” she notes. Hopper and the others nod. “And we still need to go home and tell mom and dad… something,” she reiterates to Mike. “Even if they shut us in we need to have some sort of exit strategy or something for them. For Holly. Somewhere to hide them if nothing else.”

Mike nods.

“I’ll come with you,” Jonathan tells her.

“You will?” She looks up at him a little bit surprised. She assumed he wouldn’t want to leave his family’s side now, considering everything.

“Yeah,” he looks her in the eye and confirms. Then he looks over his family, Joyce and Will both give slight nods in understanding while El doesn’t react much at all, like there’s nothing much to it. Jonathan’s gaze then lingers on Hopper who meets it.

Read on Ao3 or FFNet!

[meredithdoesfandoms]

byler tell the party and fam hcs

I THINK ABOUT THIS SO OFTEN I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START THESE MAY SUCK xxx

WILL-

• i imagine him coming out to joyce and jonathan being very standard, he tells them he’s in love with mike and theyre all accepting and love is love and blah blah blah (note that i hc will as already being out to his family and the party)

• but then when will leaves the room joyce is like ??? i knew about will being gay, but mike?? and jonathan is like yeah?? it’s obvious?? mike is like obsessed with him?? and then they agree as long as will is happy thats what matters

• SUCH A POPULAR HC BUT HOPPER DEFINITELY WALKS IN ON WILL AND MIKE

•and he’s all annoyed and pissy and whatever, so mike and will freak out because “omg he’s homophobic”

•mike leaves and the byers-hopper family is eating dinner. it is silent. and then hopper just kind of “im ok with the gay thing, kiss all the boys you want. but MICHAEL FUCKING WHEELER???” (this is all very lighthearted btw)

• joyce ofc being all “we talked about this!! as long as he’s happy, right??”

• and simp hopper is like “yes joyce is right, will as long as ur happy thats what matters😐”

• hop is a byler enthusiast, but soley for the sake of will’s happiness. that being said, he will always have a slight vendetta against michael wheeler

• any homophobia towards either of them tho?? it is on SIGHT dont mess with jim

MIKE

• mike doesnt come out to karen until he and will are official. its once again a very standard “mom im gay” thing

• and karen gets all soft and says “it was always will, wasnt it”

•and everyones all soft and weepy because karen has always kind of known, and just wants the best for her boy

• i imagine the exact same thing happens with nancy, but this conversation occurs after the one with karen

mike: wait you knew??? thats what mom said!!

nancy: yeah cuz its fucking obvious dipshit

BYLER COMING OUT TO THE PARTY

dustin- i think hes a fucking genius dont get me wrong, but if he doesnt know robin is gay, hes not gonna guess mike is gay. byler sits him down and tells him, and then all we get is “ohhhhhhh” and then there are no follow up questions once the dots have been connected

lucas- gets sat down, “we’re dating” and blah blah blah. he’s all accepting and sweet and normal. but im a sucker for platonic byclair, so lucas and will talk alone afterwards. they talk about how wills and mikes feelings developed for each other, and how lucas has seen will struggle for so long, and is just glad to see him happy. “did you have to pick mike tho? i mean you could do better” “LUCAS.”

max- after lucas and will go back inside after their talk. max is there and notices they clearly had some type of heart-to heart. let me just write this out rq

will and lucas: *walk in, tear marks on their cheeks*

max (to will and mike): so did u nitwits finally tell lucas and dustin that yall are dating

mike: who the fuck told you?? *mike is pissed, because this was his time to come out, and he wanted control of the narrative, and someone snitched to max*

max: nobody?? it was just fucking obvious??

mike: oh.

el- yall i have no idea. i dont want her to get hurt because im a byler first, but an el stan as a close second. i think she either sees them in the void, or witnesses a romantic moment and just kinda knows. and mike and will know that she knows, but it all stays an unspoken mutual understanding for a while. eventually once the party knows she mentions it more, but shes sweet and i love her and if ANYONE hc’s her as homophobic or jealous we’re officially beefing

THANKS FOR THE ASK!! PLEASE SEND MORE!! HERE’S UR FOREHEAD KISS 💋💋

[rainystrangerthingsimagines]

Because I Said So: Part 2

You barely slept on the couch, jumping at the sound of the door opening. You leaned up, hoping your prayers were answers to see Will. Liam walked in however, you frowning slightly. "Hey you." He said softly. You sniffled. "Hey" You whispered, him dropping his bag before walking over to you. He sat next to you. "Did you sleep?" He asked. "Not well." you admitted. He nodded, looking at your face. He moved strands of hair out of your eyes, looking at you. Your bottom lip trembled as you hugged his neck, him holding you. 

Jonathan walked over, kneeling to you. "I'm going to make us some breakfast, do you want to help?" He asked. You nodded through the tears, letting go of Liam. "Let-let me get dressed," You breathed. He nodded as you disappeared into your room. "How long has she been like that?" Liam asked, helping Jonathan clear off the table. "All night, I think" Jonathan admitted. "oh no- leave that," Jonathan halted him from picking up the "Missing" Poster of Will. "Sorry" Liam apologized. "You're good" Jonathan assured. You came out of your room, fully dressed now.

"Lee I'm-I'm really cold can I borrow your jacket?" You asked. Liam nodded, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around you. You smiled halfheartedly at him as you walked over to the kitchen. You didn't say much while cooking, you knowing damn well Jonathan asked you to do this to distract you. Joyce woke up, her not having changed from her clothes last night. "Morning Liam." She said hoarsely. "Morning Mrs. J." Liam greeted. She lit her cigarette, your mouth watering for one. Joyce never knew about your little stress habit. You never wanted her to know about it either. 

"All right, Mom. Breakfast is ready" Jonathan said as you put it on a plate. "Sit Liam, I made extra for you." You nodded to the empty chair. "What? No, be careful of the poster." Joyce waved off Jonathan. "You have to eat mom." You said softly. "I can't eat." She mumbled. "I just need you to eat, Mom." Jonathan said softly. "Listen, listen. The Xerox place opens in, like, 30 minutes..." Joyce said, you nodding, "No, I know. I told you, I got it." Jonathan said softly. "So I'm gonna have Karen take you, 'cause I should be here." She said. "Okay." Jonathan nodded. "We need to make, what, 200, 300 copies?" She rambled. "mom" "How much is a copy?" "Mom- Mom." "Ten cents?" She asked, Liam looking at you then Joyce as he ate quietly. 

"If we- ten cents" She grabbed the money on the table "Mom, Mom! Y-You can't get like this, okay?" Jonathan asked, grabbing her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she apologized, wiping her eyes. "No, it's okay." You said softly before knocking on the door rung out through the house. You all went to the living room as Joyce answered the door, Liam staying at the table.

"We've been waiting six hours." Joyce said, looking at Hopper. "I know, I came as soon as I could." Hopper said quietly. "Six hours." Joyce reminded. "A little bit of trust here, all right? We've been searching all night, went all the way to Cartersville." Hopper said, you looking at a tired Liam. Realization hit you as you slipped back into the kitchen with him. "did you seriously stay there all night?" You asked, slightly concerned. "I-I... I wanted to help and... I don't know, it wasn't intentional it just happened." He muttered as Hopper walked in, picking up the phone.

Liam rose a brow at the charred speakers. "What the hell?" he muttered. "Storm barbequed this pretty good." Hopper muttered. "The storm?" Your mom asked. "What else?" Hopper asked. "You're saying that that's not weird?" Joyce asked. "No, it's weird." Hopper admitted. "Especially because that doesn't make sense. That's external frying, for it to be an electric fry from a storm, it has to be internal." Liam said, motioning to the phone. "And you know this how?" Hopper asked. "I'm a tech nerd." Liam sighed, you looking at him with a slight smile. "Can we, like, trace who made the call? Contact the-" "No, it doesn't work like that." Hopper said, irking you. You hated how dismissive he was being. 

"Now, uh, you're sure it was Will? Because Flo said you just heard some breathing." Hopper asked. "No. It was him, it was Will... and he was scared. And then something-" "It was probably just a prank call. It was somebody trying to scare you." Hopper said. "Who would do that?" You asked. "Well, this thing's been on TV. It brings out all the crazies, you know. False leads, prank calls, uh-" "No, Hopper, it was not a prank. It was him." Joyce insisted. "Joyce." Hopper sighed, Liam yawning tiredly. You looked over at him, putting your sleeve covered hand on his shoulder. "You need sleep, go lie down in my room." You whispered. He nodded drowsily, kissing your forehead before going to your room and closing the door.

"I'm not saying that you're making it up. All I'm saying is it's an emotional time for you." Hopper said. "And you think I don't know my own son's breathing? Wouldn't you know your own daughter's?" She asked, giving the air a new tension. Hopper walked further into the kitchen. "You hear from, uh, Lonnie yet?" He asked. "No." You answered. "It's been long enough. I'm having him checked out." Hopper said, walking towards the door. "Oh, come on! You're wasting your time." Joyce yelled as he left, Jonathan trailing after him. 

You inhaled sharply. "Mom... Do I have to go to school today?" you asked. She looked at the door and then you. "No sweetie. No. Get some sleep." she said softly. "Do you care if I sleep with-" "Keep the door cracked." She said. You nodded, hugging your mom before walking into your room. You cracked the door, laying down. Liam leaned up slightly, you rolling into his grasp. He held you close, Jonathan seeing you through the crack. He was silently thankful that you were finally asleep.

"So, not to sound weird but what's going on with you and Liam?" Will asked. "What- Nothing- nothing's going on." you said, coughing out smoke. "Liar" Will snorted. "Am not! We're in a band together, he's a good bassist and singer but that's it!" You said. "Uh-huh." Will said. You sighed and flopped down on your bed. "And he has nice black hair. It's soft. Or it least looks it anyway." You muttered. Will smiled. "And he writes good music- my god he's a lyrical genius." You said, Will chuckling silently. "He does this thing where he puts his pick in his mouth when he's writing and it's weirdly cute." You added, unaware that Liam was walking by, stopping at Jonathan's door with a smile as he heard you speak. "Uh Y/n" "He smells nice too. Like cinnamon." You added "Y/n." Will tried to stop you. "What? you wanted to hear the details, is it too gross for you-" "No he's right there." Will hushed. Liam smiled, turning around. 

Your face went a hot red, Will snorting. "I'm gonna go..." Will slipped out, Liam walking in. "I'm cute?" He asked. "ahhaaa kill me" you breathed out making him chuckle. "No no, do tell me more on how I smell like cinnamon" Liam teased. "Oh my god let me die now" You whined. "Why haven't you said anything?" He asked. "because we've known each other our whole lives Liam. I mean, I don't know if you like me sometimes or just treat me like a younger sibling or what." you sighed. "We have practice soon so let's just-" 

"You twirl your drumsticks when your thinking." Liam said. "What?" You asked. "You love your brothers more than anything else in this world." He said. "Okay but-" "you do this thing when you're focused where you bite the end of your pencil and tap it to your nose afterwards- you get that from Joyce from what I've seen." He said. You blinked. "You typically work closing shifts because you're a night owl and tend to be more active." He said. You swallowed hard as Liam moved closer to you. "You smell like coffee and that daisy perfume you wear to mask the smell of cigarettes." He said softly, your back against your dresser. "You are beautiful and incredibly smart but don't realize it most of the time." He whispered. Your eyes lingered on his lips. 

"When is the next time you're off?" Liam asked. "day after tomorrow" You muttered. "Great... great... I'm taking you on a date, see you at six." He said pulling away. He walked like he was about to leave but stopped in the doorway as if he was debating something. He turned around as you reached for your bag, kissing you before finally leaving. You stood in place shocked as Will snorted, him seeing you as he walked to the kitchen.

You and Liam had been together now for three years. Not one fight or argument between the two of you. You felt safe with him and it helped that he seemed to fit right in with your family. He had a shitty homelife but a good uncle who took him in when his parents died. You remember that dreaded day too, being at his house with Jonathan as Liam's uncle called his brother trying to figure out why he wasn't home yet.

Your mom had come to pick you both up when the police came, flashes of red and blue filling the house. Liam was oblivious to everything going on as his Uncle ran outside. The funeral was hard for Liam, understandably so. Liam was only six.

He was forced to grow up despite the fact he was still a child. Liam lazily opened his eyes looking over at you. You were still sound asleep. He was thankful for that, he could see you beat yourself up internally over all of this. He slipped out of bed, careful to not wake you. Joyce was out from the looks of it and it was about 12:00 so Jonathan wasn't quite home yet.

Liam felt bad that he wasn't out there still searching. Liam liked Will, he was a good kid. He watched him grow up, he watched you with him. Liam lit a cigarette, looking out the window.

Liam sat on the floor playing with Jonathan as you colored. Raphael, his uncle was trying to call his brother to no avail, they still weren't home. Liam was unaware to the oddity of the situation. He liked Uncle Ralph's. He liked home too of course, but his uncle's house was more fun.

You colored quietly when Jonathan tapped your shoulder. "Wanna play with us?" He asked. "Daddy said-" "Daddy's not here and Uncle Ralph isn't a snitch." Jonathan reminded. You looked at Liam who handed you a lego and you put down the crayons, smiling as you played with them. "So is this like godzilla or-" "Oh my god, your sister is a genius!" Liam said making you giggle.

Red and blue lights began flashing, you looking over your shoulder as Raphael ran out the door. Joyce soon arrived, the front door wide open to the view of Raphael sobbing on the ground. Joyce walked in, tears in her eyes as you stood up. Lonnie, thankfully wasn't with her. Joyce wiped her eyes, kneeling to Liam. "Hey sweetie, you're spending the night with us tonight." She said. "Really? That's cool!" Liam said. "One second, baby... Liam something happened... when your parents on the way home" "they can tell me about it later, I have to pack-" "Liam, your parents-" Liam was already rushing off to pack up his backpack.

Joyce's bottom lip trembled, you and Jonathan already putting together the severity of the situation. "Liam" you called, him poking his head out. "What's up?" He asked. "... I think you should listen to mommy." You muttered. He looked at Joyce confused as she explained everything to him. His parents were gone.

He dropped his backpack and began to cry, you looking at him with a sad look. Jonathan didn't know what to do. But you stood up, hugging him. Liam, from that moment on formed an attachment to you. Something in him had just attached himself to you. He loved you, he cared about you. 

At the funeral, he sat with you, him asking his uncle if it was alright for you to sit with the family. He looked over at you a few times. Lonnie had something to say about that friendship, calling Liam odd for his bestfriend being a girl. Jonathan hated hearing that, as did Raphael. Multiple arguments broke out multiple times with Lonnie and Raphael. Neither you or Liam cared. The only thing the two of you cared about was each other. 

Liam felt a pair of arms hug him from behind, him holding his hands over yours. "I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked softly. "No." You answered. "Where's mom?" You asked. "I'm not completely sure, she never woke me or you and I know Jonathan left with Karen this morning." Liam answered. "She mentioned a new phone last night." You muttered. Liam looked over. "Right. Right I wanted to look at that." He said, slipping out of your grasp.

 He picked up the phone, looking at it. "Yeah this is just flat out confusing." He said, looking at it. "I mean it doesn't work so you can take it apart if you want." You said. He looked over. "My tool box still here?" Liam asked. "Yeah, under the sink." You nodded. "Get it for me, please." he said. You nodded, opening the cabinet and pulling out his tool box. 

He unplugged the phone, sitting at the kitchen table as he took it apart. "Yeah- yeah I was right! This fried itself externally- look at this!" He said, holding out the exposed phone. None of the internal wiring was fried. "What the hell?" You muttered. "Exactly, what the hell is going on- even the cord is fine!" He said, holding up the telephone cord. 

The front door opened and Joyce threw down her bag, unboxing something. "Mom?" You called. "He-hey sweetie." She said, walking over to the phone jack. She plugged in a new phone, pulling the recliner to the kitchen, and sitting down. "Mom, what are you doing?" You asked. "Waiting for another call." She said, looking over. "What are you guys doing?" She asked. "Figuring out what happened to the last phone." You said. "And?" She asked. "It fried externally." Liam said. "What?" Joyce asked, setting the phone down and walking over. You handed her the exposed phone, her staring at it. "The wires look-" "Fine, yeah no- it's weird. I've never seen anything do this before." Liam said. 

She nodded before sitting back in her chair. "Anyways... I was thinking about grocery shopping for you guys. I mean I got a couple of things yesterday but-" "Well it's just- we-we don't have any money right now-" "Mom, I got it." You assured. "Baby no-" "We need to eat mom. It'll be fine." You said. She sighed but nodded. "We'll be back okay?" You asked. She nodded, looking at the phone. "Try not to go anywhere without each other." She said. "I will go everywhere I can with her, I promise." Liam said. "Thank you sweetie." Joyce said. "Any time Mrs. J." Liam said before the two of you walked outside. 

You sat in the car, Liam handing you a cigarette. "You look like you've needed one all day." He said. "Thank you." You said relieved, pulling out the lighter in the center console. You lit the cigarette as Liam drove, you inhaling. 

"You know that's bad for you, right?" Will asked as you drove. "So is playing D&D for eight hours." You said, Will smiling slightly. "How was the campaign?" You asked. "So cool. We had two new bosses." Will said. "Really? Two? Damn, I have got to play more with you guys." You said, Will nodding. "Mike still has your character sheet." He said. "Okay, how about I try to make it this Friday?" You asked. "Totally! We need a bard anyway." he said making you chuckle. "I don't think you're quite ready for my chaotic greatness." You said. "Last time you flirted your way out of a confrontation with a dragon. A dragon. Who decides 'hmm, I'm gonna flirt with a fire breathing lizard that flies' as a means to avoid danger?" Will asked. "Uh, me , that's who." You said, making him laugh.

Liam pulled into the store, Jonathan looking over. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked. "We need groceries." You said. "Oh. How's mom?" He asked. "She bought a new phone and is camped out in the kitchen waiting for it to go off." you said. "That phone call has driven her crazy." Jonathan said. "What are you doing?" Liam asked. 

Jonathan held up a poster and you nodded. "Need any help?" you asked. "Actually, can you handle the rest? I'm going to Lonnie's." He said. "Oh. Yeah, sure. I need to call mom and let her know we'll be late then." You said, Jonathan nodding. "Drive safe Jonny" you told him as he passed the posters over to Liam. "I will." he said.

You called from a payphone, letting Joyce know you would be home later than expected. Liam had to get a change of clothes from his uncle anyway.  He pulled into the high school's parking lot. "Want me to go with?" he asked. "No, no. I've got it." you muttered, getting out of the car. You got out of the car, walking in. 

"Y/n, it's good to see you. How's your mother?" The receptionist asked. "She's... Doing the best she can right now." You said. "Did you need something sweetie?" She asked. "Can I put this on the bulletin board?" you asked, holding up the poster. "Yeah, here-" She pulled out some thumb tacks. "Thank you." You said, taking the small tray and walking into the hall. 

You walked over to the bulletin board. "Look at that. Freakazoid." Carol said to Steve as you put up the poster silently. "Maybe she killed her-" "Stop it." Nancy halted. "What? You don't actually like that freak, do you?" Tommy asked. "She's going through a bad time right now." Nancy muttered. "God that's depressing." Steve muttered, looking over at you. "Shut up Harrington." Eddie said. "Or what Munson?" "Or I'm going to-" "Eddie" you called. Eddie looked over before walking over to you. "Do you think you can put a few of these up on your route home?" you asked. "Yeah, absolutely." Eddie nodded. "Hell, give one to Rick, that bastard meets everyone." you said making him chuckle. "I gotcha. And hey- we're going back out there tonight with the search parties." He said. You nodded, hugging him. "Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm out." You said before leaving. 

You went with Liam's to his Uncle's. "Why don't you come inside? Ralph wants to see you, he's been worried sick about you." He said. You nodded, walking with him. "Ralph?" Liam called. "Hey, kid, how's-" Raphael saw you. "Y/n." he said softly. "I'm probably going to be with the search parties again tonight, are you going with us again?" Liam asked, walking into his room. "Yeah, most likely. Everyone at work is going again tonight." Raphael said. "Alright. Can you pick us up from the Byers?" Liam asked. "absolutely." Ralph nodded. You sat on a chair in the living room as Liam packed a bag. 

"How are you feeling?" Raphael asked. "Scared." You admitted. Raphael looked at you sympathetically and you sighed. "I just wish I knew if he was okay? Y'know?" you asked. "I know." Raphael nodded. "He's my little brother I-... I just want him to come home." you muttered. "We will find him. All of us have been scouring the town and nearby counties looking for Will, we will bring him home." Raphael assured. "I know, I know it's just-" You sighed and Liam listened from his room as he packed. 

"Between my brother running around all the time to look for him and my mom literally camping out by our phone and- and Liam searching day and night for him... I-I get this feeling, this horrible feeling that something bad happened to Will and when we find him...." You drew a shaking breath. "I don't know if anyone's going to find him alive." You whispered. 

Liam swallowed hard and Raphael put a hand over yours. "You can't give up hope Y/n. Not now. Will needs you." he said, you sniffling but nodding. "Yeah-yeah you're right." You nodded. "Have you kids eaten anything at all today?" he asked. "uhm- we- we had breakfast but nothing else." You muttered. "It's getting late, why don't I call your mom and tell her you guys are eating here. I'll even send you off with some extra so that Joyce has something to eat, okay?" He asked. You nodded "Yeah?" "Yeah, okay." You nodded. 

So that's what you did. Raphael sent Liam out to get the groceries and sending you home with pizza. When you came home, Jonathan was sitting on the couch. You noticed the recliner in its original spot. "Where's mom?" You asked, Liam setting his bag down on next to the door. "She's in her room." Jonathan said. "Sleeping?" "Yeah." You looked relieved by that answer. "We brought home pizza." Liam said, holding up the box. "Set it on the kitchen table." Jonathan said. "Mind helping me with the groceries in the car?" Liam asked. Jonathan stood up, the two walking out to the car.

You cracked open your mother's door, looking at her laying image. "Mom?" You called softly. She rolled over, her face stained with tears. "We brought home dinner." You said softly. She didn't move. You stepped into her room. "Raphael is picking up Liam in a few to go out searching again." you said softly. She still didn't move, that numb expression just looking at the sheets. "Do you want anything? Water? Food?" "Lay with me." She whispered. You nodded, taking off your sneakers before laying down. 

"Mommy, mommy, Look what I drew!"  You said excitedly. She looked over with a smile, you jumping up on the bed to see her as she was laying there reading. It was a drawing of stick figures, each labeled with names. She chuckled, pointing at one. "Who's Chester?" she asked. "Our doggy." You answered. "We don't have a dog" She reminded. "But we will!" you insisted. "Oh, we will?" She asked, putting the drawing down. "Uh-huh. I will get one! Y'know, Stacy Hadleston's doggy just had puppies!" You said. She chuckled, looking at you. "Alright, ask your brothers if they want a dog. If they say yes, then maybe, maybe I will consider it. Okay?" She asked. You perked up excitedly. "Okay! Okay!" You nodded before climbing off the bed, running. "Will! Jonathan!"

Joyce slowly lulled herself to sleep, you looking over. You slowly slipped out of bed, closing the door as quietly as possible. Jonathan and Liam were sitting in the kitchen as you walked in. You walked over to the cabinet, pulling out a thermos. You made coffee, filling it up, confusing both of the boys. "You need fuel if you're going to be out like you were last night." You muttered, Liam realizing what you were doing. "Do you know if Ralph left yet?" You asked. "No." Liam admitted.

You walked over to the phone and picked it up before noticing the same charred look. "What the hell?" You asked. Both boys turned to you. You held out the phone, Liam squinting at it. "What the fuck?" He asked, getting up. "It's fried, just like the other one." you said. Jonathan walked over, Liam looking at it. "The cord isn't even messed up on it, just like the other one- what's with your electronics here?" He asked. "It hasn't happened to anything else. Just the phone." Jonathan said.

You heard a car pull up, Liam leaning back so he could see who's car it was. "Ralph's here." he said. "Thermos." you reminded. He took the thermos off the table, kissing you before hugging Jonathan. He walked out of the house, Eddie, Jeff and Gareth all sitting in the backseat. They soon drove off and you were in the kitchen with Jonathan. "I keep telling myself... this is the night, y'know? This is when they're gonna find him." Jonathan muttered. You nodded, pouring yourself a cup of coffee. 

"How did Lonnie's go?" You asked. "Not good. Mom wasn't joking about him dating someone young." He muttered, you chuckling slightly. "Leave it to our dad to be as skeezy as humanly possible." You said. Jonathan let out a small laugh as the lights flickered. "Has the lights always done that?" You asked. "No." Jonathan muttered. "Weird."