yousuzeyoulose - Tumblr blog

[yousuzeyoulose]

susan danielle bingham & dustin robert henderson

can i go where you go? can we always be this close forever and ever? and take me out, and take me home. you’re my, my, my, my lover. we could let our friends crash in the living room. this is our place, we make the call. and i’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you. i’ve loved you three summers now, honey, but i want ‘em all. can i go where you go? can we always be this close forever and ever? and take me out, and take me home, forever and ever. you’re my, my, my, my lover. ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? with every guitar string scar on my hand, i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover. my heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue. all’s well that ends well to end up with you. swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover! and you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me. and at every table, i’ll save you a seat, lover….

- taylor swift, lover

[yousuzeyoulose]

Amrit Kaur as Bela Malhotra The Sex Lives of College Girls 1.08 | The Surprise Party

[yousuzeyoulose]

stevehharringtcns​:

“well, even if mrs. henderson cooked it, you were still the one who brought it to me, so… thank you. it’s very nice of you, suzie.” he said with a small smile, nodding his head at the other, looking over at the foil container and everything that suzie had brought to him. steve thought that it was cute - the only other person who had brought him food had been eddie’s uncle, wayne. not that he complained with everyone who didn’t bring him food, but he thought it was a nice gesture as he watched the other slide the plate towards his direction, smiling as he grabbed the fork.

he stick the fork on one of the potatoes and lead it to his mouth, taking a bite of it and chewing on it, nodding his head. it was definitely better than anything he had eaten in that hospital ever since he was there, and he was thankful for suzie and mrs. henderson doing this for him. at the mention of the veggie burger, steve made a bit of a disgusted face and shook his head slowly. “i took a bite and i felt sick to my stomach… but i kept the jello cup, those are always the best part. plus, i didn’t feel like starving tonight.” he said with a small shrug, looking at suzie as she explained on how she was doing. steve hadn’t known suzie for long, but he immediately had liked her and she was dustin’s girlfriend. that was important. “it was… pretty crazy.” he said, letting out a sigh. he had wished that suzie hadn’t been dragged into this. “but i’m fine… well, as fine as i can be. and i don’t know, i’ll be here for a few more days, i think” he said with a shrug. “i’m sorry…” he said, clearing his throat. “that i yelled at you… when you were diffusing the bomb. i just didn’t want anything to happen to you or to… anyone.” he said, nodding his head. “but no more diffusing bombs, okay?” he said with a smile.

xx.

At Steve’s insistence, Suzie smiled and nodded, accepting his thanks. “You’re welcome, I was happy to.” It was strange how comfortable Suzie felt around Steve. Obviously, a big part of that was how much she’d heard about him from Dustin. But there was something welcoming about him, and protective. Like it was natural for him to care about her.

As he ate the plate she’d made, Suzie cut another piece and placed it on his plate. He seemed hungry, and his comment about the hospital food seemed to confirm it. She chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t blame you. No wonder people come back from the hospital so skinny.” It was surreal, now, to think back on the carnival. Everything had happened so fast that she barely even remembered Steve yelling at her and Dustin. She couldn’t figure out what his sigh was-- it seemed almost sad?-- but she supposed he’d explain if he wanted to. She shook her head at his apology, giving him a soft smile to show she hadn’t been offended. “No, it’s okay. I understand.” It was insane to try to disarm the bomb, she knew that. But it’s not like she had much of a choice, either. “Better to diffuse it than...,” she shrugged, and changed the topic to avoid lingering on the what if hanging in the air. “I’ll come back, and bring some real clothes too. Mrs. Henderson is already planning on making lasagna or something. I’ll smuggle you some,” she smiled.

END.

[yousuzeyoulose]

sinclairss​:

he hadn’t lingered long at the hospital. will had his brother there. mike had his sister. and max, dustin, and robin had been there for steve. lucas had sweet talked a unit secretary by saying he was family (extended), so he’d poked his head in quickly, leaving the comforting and visiting to the others. “they’re alive.” which was better than the alternative. there was a lump in his throat as he thought about stepping over the bodies of hawkins alumni and his own science teacher on the way out of the carnival. 

lifting his chin from his knees to shoot her a sidelong glance, lucas shook his head. “post-exposure prophylaxis is a thing.” he was just trying to decide whether or not doppeganger drool was the type of think you should get a tetanus booster for. he pressed his fingertips to a spot just beneath his left eye where it’d gotten him. he had another burn mark on the opposite forearm. it burned, still. he hadn’t noticed until right now, as the adrenaline began to wane. “did it get you?” he asked quietly, eyes scanning suzie as if he’d be able to see any damage right away.

“well,” lucas said as he kicked his legs out in front of him and leaned forward to re-tie his shoelaces, just for something to do with his hands. they were trembling a little bit and he forced himself to stop. “if you can disarm a bomb, you can do anything, superstar.”

xx.

Suzie nodded grimly at his update-- the bar was low, a far cry from being okay, but she was glad all the same. Especially because that hadn’t been the case for everyone present at the carnival. She reached a hand out and squeezed Lucas’ knee, in an attempt to be comforting. “I’m sorry about... everyone else.” She remembered clearly Dustin’s face, and the Lucas’ and Will’s and Mike’s, when they’d discovered who hadn’t survived the explosion. She heard later from Mrs. Henderson that among the dead was their science teacher, Mr. Clarke. She couldn’t imagine how they felt, and didn’t have anything of substance to say. 

Pressing her palms together, she looked up and down her arms and legs. Suzie hadn’t really taken inventory of herself yet, looked to find any physical damage. There were a few spots that had burned in the shower earlier, and her fingers quickly found them, on her right shoulder, her left thigh, along her jaw. “Nothing major,” she reported. “What would we even tell a doctor, anyway?” she smiled slightly at the thought, how ridiculous they would sound.

A rush of feeling tightened her chest. Suzie was proud of herself for dismantling the bomb, of course. But her hands hadn’t stopped shaking since she’d held Lucas’ pliers, since the consequences of one wrong move had flashed through her mind in front of the bomb. “Well, couldn’t have done it without you, boy scout,” she smiled. Then, as an after thought, she leaned her head on his shoulder. It was a tiny act of comfort after everything they’d survived, but it made her feel better, knowing she had a friend. Knowing that they were okay. 

END.

[yousuzeyoulose]

LOVER

who? @dvstybuns​ & @yousuzeyoulose​

where? the henderson house

when? night of the bonfire

what? a sweet little check-in! who knows what could come of it?

DUSTIN: By the time he and Suzie made their way back to the Henderson house, Claudia was already asleep. Dustin unlocked the front door quietly, tugging Suzie inside with him once he'd opened it. As he put his keys in the dish on the counter, he turned to her and smiled. "You were right," He said, just because he knew she liked to hear it. "I'm glad we went tonight. Did you have fun?" Dustin asked, mischievous smile on his face at the memory of Suzie's kisses with Max and Erica. It had been a good time, knowing his girlfriend was enjoying herself and him getting to as well with Lucas. Some people might find their arrangement odd, but they hadn't had much experience kissing anyone but each other before this summer; it felt fun and exciting to get to try it out more with their friends, especially because at the end of the night, it was always Suzie and Dustin who left together. He couldn't ask for a better girlfriend, honestly. Grabbing two Cokes from the fridge, Dustin crept quietly back to his room, free hand intertwined with Suzie's. "Wanna sleep in here tonight?" He asked, trying not to seem too eager. They certainly didn't have to do anything besides talk; even that was exciting to him. "You can wear my Camp Know Where t-shirt if you want."

SUZIE: Suzie grinned at Dustin's words, jutting her chin out in his direction smugly. "Don't forget it," she teased. Her face flushed at the way Dustin looked at her; sure, they'd been together for years, but Suzie wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the effect he had on her. "I did," she said, squeezing his hand. "I always have fun with you." It was cheesy and over-the-top maybe, but it was true. Before this summer, Suzie thought she knew everything there was to know about herself. She never could've imagined she'd be kissing girls and enjoying it, and especially never could've imagined that Dustin would encourage it. But they loved each other and wanted to explore all of these things together. The thought brought warmth to Suzie's chest, as thoughts of Dustin often did. She smiled at him, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, and nodded instantly. "I'd love that," she smiled. "But only if I get the shirt, obviously." Suzie followed him into his room and carefully clicked the door closed behind them. Taking advantage of the fact that they were fully alone--finally-- Suzie wrapped her arms around Dustin's neck and smiled up at him; she could stay like this all night, and she'd be content. "Thanks for letting me tag along... sharing your friends, and everything. I love-- spending time with you," Suzie corrected. She wanted to say it, but she wanted it to be special. Not when they were high out of their minds at the Hawk or with his friends at the bonfire or when the last person she'd kissed was Max. Instead, she bit her lip and crossed the room to his dresser, digging out the shirt he'd promised her.

DUSTIN: Dustin laughed at her response, holding up his free hand. "I won't! I promise," He reassured her, knowing that there would never be an disagreement between them that she wasn't right on. Dustin had never doubted for a second that Suzie was the smartest person he'd ever met, far smarter than himself. At her next words, his teasing grin softened into a genuine smile. "I always have fun with you too, Suzie-Poo," Dustin said, bringing their intertwined hands up to his mouth to place a kiss on her knuckle. He hadn't even dreamed back in May that he'd get to spend the whole summer with Suzie, but now he was so glad he did. While he wasn't happy that she'd gotten stuck in Hawkins behind the border, he loved getting to spend time with her and felt lucky to be so close to her for the first time since camp. "Obviously," Dustin nodded, agreeing sarcastically. "You're only with me for my clothes," He quipped, rolling his eyes at the implication. No, he knew she liked him for more than that - for his wit and his sense of humor too. Once Suzie shut his door, Dustin stepped closer to her, momentarily putting her between himself and the door as he reached around her to lock it. "Just in case Mom wakes up and hears us talking. Wouldn't want to scandalize her too much," Dustin joked, taking to moment to enjoy how close they were to one another. Once her arms wrapped around his neck, Dustin's found their way to her waist again. "They're your friends now too," He reassured her, knowing Lucas and Max would agree wholeheartedly. "And I love spending time with you too." He told her as she left their embrace to go get the shirt. Following her to the dresser, he grabbed a t-shirt for himself too. He moved back towards his bed, changing into the new shirt and taking off his jeans to sleep in his boxers.

SUZIE: Suzie swallowed her giggle to avoid waking up Claudia and grabbed Dustin's hand out of the air. Pulling both of his hands to her sides, she met his eyes and for a moment, held her breath. Sometimes it didn't feel real that she was here, and it especially didn't feel real that things were so easy and natural with Dustin. She could see her whole future with him and it wasn't even scary. Suzie leaned into him as he kissed her knuckles, studying his expression afterward. "What are you thinking?" she asked, quietly. Suzie laughed at the idea, recalling someone mentioning the closet purge Dustin did after she got into town. "You caught me," she played along as he locked the door. "Not the fact that you're handsome or kind or funny or a genius," Suzie remarked, her tone tender. "Just the one t-shirt." She laughed, nodding along with his logic. She did not want Claudia to appear unannounced, especially if they were in a more compromising position-- which she was sure would happen at some point in the night. "Yeah, they are," Suzie grinned. She loved that they'd become a little foursome-- her and Dustin and Max and Lucas. Suzie followed suit, slipping out of her jeans and trading her shirt for Dustin's. She turned to him, lifting her arms in a voila motion. "Well? It's a good t-shirt. Worth it, right?" she teased, taking a seat on his bed and waiting for him to follow. Suzie picked up one of the pillows, holding it squarely in her lap and squeezing it in contemplation. "Can I ask you something?"

DUSTIN: Dustin grinned, following her easily as she pulled him closer to her. Although she'd been the one to come to Hawkins, Dustin thought he'd follow her anywhere she wanted him to go. He couldn't afford MIT, but he'd still go to Cambridge if she wanted. After some time working and saving up, maybe he could take out loans and go to Boston College or something. The idea of not being with her was far scarier than the idea of them being together forever, in Dustin's opinion. At her question, Dustin studied her for a moment. "How lucky I am to be with you," He admitted, voice quiet. Not embarrassed or teasing - honest and genuine, a real reflection of how he was feeling in this moment. At her words about the reasons why she was with him, Dustin froze for a second, grimace slipping on his face and then back off again quickly enough that most people would miss it. Suzie was making a joke, and being sarcastic - not mean when she mentioned that he was handsome. Dustin knew that. She wasn't trying to hurt his feelings, but he couldn't help but take a small step back, clearing his through as he got ready for bed. Bringing it up was too difficult for him, so instead he offered her a small smile and nodded at her asking if the shirt was worth it. "Gorgeous as always," He told her, relaxing for a moment until she asked if she could ask him something. "...uh, sure?" Dustin shrugged, sitting down on the bed beside her and looking at her curiously. "What's up?"

SUZIE: Suzie's eyes gleamed at his response. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't that. She felt like she could melt into him right there in the kitchen, her heart was heavy with how much she cared about him and how special he was to her. Suzie pressed her lips gently to his cheek and countered gently, "I'm the lucky one." When Dustin's expression changed, Suzie raised her hands to his face, holding him gently so she could meet his eyes. Worry apparent on her face, Suzie watched him. "What? What happened, Dusty-bun?" She was scared she'd come on too strong, scared him, or something. Maybe she was moving too fast. When he stepped away, she wrapped her arms around her torso in a hug, mouth pulling into a confused frown. A flash of a smile at his compliment, Suzie angled towards Dustin as he sat next to her. "At the bonfire, earlier... what happened with you?" She didn't mean to be so blunt, but she'd noticed his demeanor change, and she'd made a mental note to bring it up later. In the moment, Suzie had tried to prove a point: that Dustin was hot and an incredible kisser and everyone should get to experience it! But the flash of hurt in his eyes hadn't left her mind, and the thought of him feeling bad or being insecure made Suzie want to cry.

DUSTIN: Dustin softened as Suzie kissed his cheek lightly, so sweetly and gently. So full of love. It didn't matter than Suzie hadn't said it back yet - Dustin knew that was how she felt. He felt it with every inch of his body, with every breath that he took. Dustin Robert Henderson loved Susan Danielle Bingham, and she loved him back just as much. Nothing had ever felt more true to him, and the thought made his cheeks flush a bit. After her comment about his looks, she seemed to clock his expression, which made him nervous. Dustin had some pretty deep insecurities about his physical appearance, and that felt weird to admit. After all, he was a guy. Guys weren't supposed to care about that stuff. Dustin tried to laugh it off when she grabbed his face, staring into his eyes and asked him what had happened. "Nothing, Suzie-Poo," He shook his head, breaking her hold on him briefly. Of course she'd noticed - Suzie always seemed to notice things about him eventually, just like he did her. "Nothing to worry about, Suzie," Dustin tried to brush her off again, not wanting to talk about it. It wasn't like he thought she'd agree that the thought of kissing him was gross, but just because she was dating him didn't mean it was for his looks. It was for his sense of humor, his kindness, and his intelligence, Dustin knew. "I'm fine, I promise. I'm past it."

SUZIE: When Dustin shook his head out of her grip, Suzie dropped her hands and clasped them in front of her stomach. There had been a softness in his eyes just moments ago, but now it was clouded by... something she couldn't place. She tried not to worry, but it was so obvious that he was trying to avoid telling her, and the thought made her stomach sink. She thought they were done with secrets after the Upside Down thing, but maybe this was different, and she trusted him. She trusted Dustin Henderson with her life and her heart, and trusted that whatever this was, he would tell her when it was right. But when he avoided her second question, she couldn't help the way her face fell. Still, Suzie nodded bravely and clasped the pillow she held in her lap a little tighter. "Are you sure?" she asked, then continued. "We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to. But... you can tell me anything, you know?" Suzie gave him a small smile, meeting his eyes. Truly, she didn't want to pressure him into sharing anything he wasn't ready to.

DUSTIN: If Dustin hadn't been looking elsewhere, he would have noticed Suzie's expression when he pulled away. As it was, though, he did notice her voice when she asked him again if he was okay. She loved him, he knew. And she would always support him, even on something stupid like this. Dustin trusted her to be nice about it all, because Suzie was always sweet with him. Besides her intellect and her beauty, her kindness was one of the first real things he'd noticed about her. She had always seen him for exactly who he was, and had never made him felt inadequate or ugly or loud or annoying or any of the other negative adjectives bullies had thrown at him over the years. Dustin needed to express how he was feeling because he'd said there wouldn't be any more secrets between them, and while that wasn't true when it came to MIT, he needed it to be true about this. "No, you're right," He said quietly, turning to face her. He crossed his legs and took one of her hands in his. "It's just... embarrassing, I guess." Dustin admitted. "Like, I know no one was trying to be mean, but being rejected kind of hurts?" He shrugged, looking down at their hands. Dustin wasn't sure he could make eye contact right now, it felt a little too vulnerable. "And this is stupid, because obviously I don't want to force anyone to kiss me. I know I'm not the most attractive guy in Hawkins, and I wouldn't want to gross anyone out or whatever." Dustin laughed awkwardly, trying to make it into a joke to relieve some of the tension.

SUZIE: When Dustin took her hand, Suzie wrapped both hands around his one, squeezing his hand comfortingly. She watched him carefully, trying to detect any change in his face. She was relieved when he confirmed her suspicions, not because she wanted him to be upset, but because she was afraid she'd misread him, or that she'd caused him to be upset in the first place. Plus, Suzie was relieved he trusted her with this. They were a team, and whatever it was they could figure it out, surely. Suzie nodded encouragingly as he spoke, frown tugging the corners of her mouth down. She wanted to protest-- to tell him how wrong he was-- but bit her lip and let him finish. Her heart physically ached at the thought of Dustin carrying this around, thinking he wasn't attractive or that he could ever gross someone out. "Your feelings embarrassing or stupid, Dusty-bun. But you're wrong," she remarked, lifting his chin gently so she could meet his eyes. "No one could ever be grossed out by you. I can't even believe you think that. You're hot, Henderson." She felt her cheeks flush, which was funny; she'd certainly been in more compromising positions than this with him. "I'm not saying that as your girlfriend. It's objectively true." Suzie lifted a hand to his neck, gently tracing over the mark she'd left the night before. Maybe it was her turn to get vulnerable. Suzie met his eyes, then lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "I... think about you all the time. Not because you're funny and kind and smart-- you are, but... because I'm so attracted to you." Suzie warranted a glance at his face, her throat suddenly feeling dry. She so wanted to kiss his insecurities away, but this felt like a more important conversation to have. The rest could come later. "Do you believe me when I say that?"

DUSTIN: Dustin struggled with vulnerability most of the time. He preferred to hide his feelings behind jokes or sarcastic comments, rarely showing all of his cards at once. But Max had seen him breakdown a few weeks ago and the world hadn't ended, so why was he so scared of Suzie seeing the same thing? Maybe because it could come with some sort of confirmation that he was ugly? She wouldn't say that. Dustin knew she wouldn't. And as if she were able to hear his thoughts, she immediately made sure he knew that he wasn't invalid for feeling like this, but that it wasn't true. Sucking in a sharp breath as she held his face and met his eyes, Dustin hesitantly met her gaze. "...what?" He laughed awkwardly, blinking in surprise. Suzie wasn't lying to him - he would have been able to tell. So she must really think that he's hot, which was a pleasant surprise? "Oh," He said quietly as her thumb grazed the hickey she had given him earlier. Objectively, he knew she couldn't find him gross - no one as smart as Suzie would date someone they felt nothing for physically. But, Dustin just always assumed she'd liked him mostly for his sense of humor or because of how well they got along, and that his appearance was a very tiny part. It made him feel amazing to know that she was attracted to him, and his cheeks flushed at her words. "No, I... I mean, yes, I believe you, Suze," Dustin said after a moment, smiling at her shyly. "I'm so attracted to you too, for the record," Dustin told her, wanting her to know that the feelings went both ways. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever met."

SUZIE: Suzie bit back her smile as she watched Dustin process what she'd said. He was cute when he was embarrassed-- she could tell by the pink tint of his cheeks and the way he struggled to meet her eyes. It was funny, really, that they had the same effect on each other and yet were both so surprised to see it play out. "Mhmm," Suzie confirmed, leaning forward to press her smile into his lips. "Good," she smiled as she pulled away. "I'll say it as many times as it takes. You're hot," she reiterated, for effect. It was her turn, again, to blush and glance away from Dustin in response to his words. She'd never doubted how he felt, not since they'd started officially dating. But it wasn't lost on her how people felt about her back home, how she was certainly different than most girls. Meeting his eyes, Suzie gave him a brave smile: "I'm glad you think so."  Then, unable to resist, she pressed her lips to his again for a brief second, his words echoing in her mind. He was so good to her, she almost couldn't believe he was real. Faces inches apart, Suzie sighed into his gaze instinctively and before she could think about it, the words were tumbling out of her mouth. "I love you."  When Suzie realized what she'd just said, her heartbeat quickened, but her gaze didn't waver. She'd almost said it a dozen times at this point-- at the Hawk, at the bonfire, over breakfast, in the car. She loved Dustin, she'd known that for a while now, and Suzie was relieved to finally be able to say it.

DUSTIN: Dustin knew Suzie meant what she said because he trusted her. He trusted her to always be honest with him, even when it was difficult, because that's just who she was. Kind, caring, intelligent, and honest. Those were the things he loved the most about her. He kissed her back immediately, eager to show her just how much he appreciated her telling him all of that. As she pulled away, Dustin opened his eyes slowly, pale skin turning an even rosier hue as she called him hot again. God, the things she did to him... He didn't think it was possible to feel as strongly about someone as he did Suzie. Obviously, Dustin didn't have much experience with relationships prior to theirs. His own parents had been in love, but Dustin didn't remember a lot about it these days. In terms of seeing love stories play out in front of him up close, most had ended in disaster, so he didn't have much to base his own relationship off of. All he knew was that loving Suzie Bingham was as easy as breathing for him - effortless. "Hey," He said, leaning in to hold her face this time. It was his turn to reassure her, and he was absolutely up for the challenge. Dustin had no idea how Suzie could possibly see herself as anything less than perfect, but he knew insecurities could be illogical sometimes. They burrowed under your skin, embedding themselves so deeply in you that you couldn't uproot them without work and effort. "Suzie Bingham, you're beautiful," Dustin told her softly, eyes staring directly into hers. He wanted to be sure she heard him. "Every single thing about you is beautiful." Dustin kissed her back briefly, pulling away just enough to catch his breath when he was hit with the full force of her words. I love you. The three words he'd been waiting weeks to hear, and she finally said it. With a sigh of relief, Dustin beamed at her. "I love you too." He said, leaning back in to pull her into another kiss. "So fucking much, Suzie Poo."

SUZIE: For a few beautiful seconds, Suzie allowed herself to get lost in Dustin's eyes, against his lips. They fit together, better than she'd ever dreamed possible. Since she met him, Suzie had hoped Dustin Henderson would be it, and before her eyes she got to watch as the sweet, smart, passionate kid at summer camp grew into the kindest, bravest, most beautiful man she'd ever met. And he loved her. Suzie studied the effect she had on him, the blush on his cheeks, satisfied smile making her own cheeks ache. Despite everything else going on, the threat of danger like she'd never seen before, Suzie was so deeply thankful she was here. The tenderness in Dustin's voice and the gentleness with which he held her face, made Suzie want to cry. She had never been so loved before, had never felt so at home and safe in another person before. She met his eyes, despite the moisture pooling in her own. Her insecurities had nothing to do with Dustin, in the same way she suspected his had nothing to do with her. It was just that, after years of teasing and jokes about the color of her skin and the thickness of her arm hair and the way that none of the pretty girls even remotely looked like her, it was easy to think that she was just too different. It was silly, and in that moment, the way Dustin looked at her banished all of those thoughts. "Thank you. I believe you, too, for the record," she whispered. Rubbing her thumb against his cheek, she eagerly kissed him once more. Suzie immediately noted the relief on Dustin's face after she said it, which caused an apologetic smile to cross her lips. "I'm sorry that it took so long for me to say it back--" she began, but suddenly she was being pulled back into him. Suzie shut her eyes and lingered on Dustin's bottom lip, melting into his embrace. God, she really could stay here all day. When they pulled apart, she'd scooted closer to him and their legs were pressed together. "I love you so much too, Dusty-bun," she said, eyes gleaming.

THE END.

[yousuzeyoulose]

ericasinclairss​:

.

erica knew how things had been weird with everyone ever since the events at the carnival. she had been more tolerant with her brother, knowing that he had lost someone who was important to him and she was thankful that it hadn’t been him. while she seemed to be rough on the outside, it wasn’t like she didn’t care about her brother and her nerd friends, she sort of did. but the thought of saying that out loud didn’t seem right to her and she would probably never say anything. it was probably better this way either way.

suzie had been the latest addition to the bunch of nerds that this town already had, but there was something different about her. erica wasn’t sure what it was, but she wasn’t insufferable like the rest of them. and she was smarter than any of them, which ultimately was better than the rest of them. erica still didn’t think that she was smarter than her though, and she would tell her if she asked. erica let out a sigh as she placed her hand on her own hip and watched suzie for a couple of moments as she asked if she was busy.

“lucas is out, probably at the hospital.” she said, shrugging her shoulders as she considered. she pondered her options and then she moved out of the way so suzie could walk in her house. “i’m not busy, come on in. but take off your shoes or my mom will kill you.” she said, waiting for the other to come inside and then closing the door behind her. this probably wasn’t a bad idea, right? suzie was smart and that reminded her of herself, so this had to be alright. “my mom baked some cookies, do you want anything?” she asked, looking over at the other.

As Erica invited her in, Suzie bit back a smile. They hadn’t talked much, but Suzie felt the same way around Erica that she had around Max when they’d first met-- slightly intimidated, but also comfortable. It was weird, there was a sort of understanding between them; with Max, it was the feeling of being the only girl in a room full of boys that they shared, the feeling that they had to prove themselves over and over again. She wondered if Erica had experienced that too, being on her way to Yale in the fall made Suzie suspect she had. 

Suzie slipped off her shoes next to the door as she was told, and followed Erica inside. She immediately smelled the cookies, which made her stomach pang with hunger. She hadn’t had a huge appetite lately, but maybe Mrs. Sinclair’s cookies were the fix she needed. “That sounds good, thank you,” she offered a smile.

Trailing Erica into the kitchen, Suzie chewed on her bottom lip. She knew Lucas had been effected by the carnival--obviously-- but she wondered if Erica had, too. She didn’t remember seeing her there, but Suzie had admittedly been a little distracted. “Are you doing okay? Since... everything.” She offered a friendly smile. “I know it’s probably kind of normal to you at this point,” she added. Dustin had told her about the Russians and the mall, and while it was unbelievable, somehow she knew it was true. 

[yousuzeyoulose]

stevehharringtcns​:

the visits at the hospital had been constant for steve. while he did love the company and everything about it, it was a little overwhelming to say the least. but of course he wouldn’t complain about it. he did like it, and most people would end up bringing him food, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but he was wondering if he was going to leave the hospital with a few extra pounds, but that was the least of his concerns right now. at least he thought so.

he was almost drifting off to sleep, dustin had fallen asleep right next to him and was snoring, which made it kind of hard for him to sleep. eddie had gone home after steve had made him get some rest and made sure that he would be okay. and then he heard suzie walking in his room, which made him open his eyes as he heard her talk. a smile formed on his lips as she spoke, nodding his head. “hey suzie…” he said lowly, a smile on his face as he noticed the container with meatloaf. “that’s sweet of you, you shouldn’t have.” he said, although he had been quite hungry. the hospital food hadn’t been necessarily the greatest today, and he was starting to change his mind about liking hospital food. “but i could eat.” he said with a small nod. “so… how are you doing? you know, after diffusing a bomb and stuff? that was pretty badass.” he said with a small nod. he had some thoughts about it, but he would save them for later.

xx.

Suzie was relieved when Steve smiled, and took that as an invitation to pull up the one chair Dustin wasn’t lounging on (he was sprawled across the other three). “It was mostly Claudia,” she admitted, though it was sweet of Steve to thank her. “I’ll pass the message on.” It was sweet, being in a normal family’s house, seeing the ways Claudia worried about Dustin even now that he was eighteen, and how that worry extended to Steve especially now. 

When Steve said he could eat, Suzie pulled out the foil container, a couple plates, and silverware. She cut a piece for Steve and slid it towards him with a fork. With a wry smile, she nodded, “Yeah, I saw a nurse taking away a tray when I walked in. Did you really eat that veggie burger?” she asked, lowering her voice so as not to offend the hospital staff. Suzie picked up a fork and took a bite herself while Steve got situated. “Me? I’m totally fine, I mean... that was crazy.” For a second, the fear she felt in that moment flashed across Suzie’s face, but she quickly put on a smile. She wasn’t the one in the hospital. “How are you? I mean, do you need anything? Are you going to be staying long? I can run by your house and bring clothes, or whatever.” 

[yousuzeyoulose]

sinclairss​:

.

he hadn’t realized how much he needed the hug until she was giving it. lucas’ limbs felt heavy, but he did his best to return the gesture, relieved to see her and that she was mostly in one piece. he held on perhaps a second or two too long before stepping back and clearing his throat, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck while he shook his head. it seemed like it took a lot more effort than usual to get his mouth to form words and when he did speak, it was with the tone of someone who smoked two packs a day. “no. thanks. i just…” didn’t want to be alone right now.

and, normally, lucas would be with the party. but both mike and will’s siblings were in the hospital and steve was just as good as a brother to dustin, so here he was, at his best friend’s house with his best friend’s girlfriend. because that seemed like the most logical place for him to be, all things considered. suzie had gotten toppled after he had. he needed to check on her, too. his gaze drifted over her shoulder towards the monster manual as he walked into the room and promptly took a seat on the floor, his limbs curling up in on themselves as he propped his chin on his knees. “so…” he didn’t know what to say. this was all stuff dustin was going to have to explain to her. he didn’t feel right talking about it when it was clear dustin was trying so hard to protect suzie from all of this. but it was also weird not to acknowledge their shared experience. “i hope you’re up to date on your tetanus shot.” there. a joke was good. a joke was normal, even if lucas felt everything but. “…did you have that much fun playing with us the other day?” 

xx.

Suzie was so glad Lucas was here, even if she didn’t get why at first. She was so glad to be with someone who was there, and the way Lucas lingered in her hug confirmed that he was just as shaken up as her. Even if he didn’t say it outright. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said as they sat down. “Me too,” Suzie said to his unspoken confession.  

Crossing her legs underneath her, Suzie picked at the beige carpet. “So,” she echoed, then met his eyes. “Is there any news from the hospital?” She had decided not to go, figuring it was a madhouse right now and her presence wouldn’t exactly be helpful, and now Suzie wondered if that was why Lucas was here. To support from the sidelines, until things calmed down. Lucas’ joke was welcome, and Suzie allowed a laugh to spill out from the tension in her chest. “I should get on that. Unless it’s too late,” she teased back. Her dad had never been a big proponent of science in general, preferring prayers over doctor visits, which was ironic now. What could a prayer do compared to a bomb, a ‘Doppelganger’? 

She glanced back at the open monster manual and leaned against the bed. Honestly? She’d rather hear it from Dustin, and she knew he’d be angry with himself if she’d gone to someone else for answers-- even if that someone else was his best friend. Plus, she wasn’t sure she could stomach any new information right now. “Dustin didn’t tell you? I’m planning the next campaign,” she said with a tight smile. The heaviness in her stomach had returned with a vengeance. “I’ll wait for Dustin,” she said, voice soft. “You’re off the hook this time.” 

[yousuzeyoulose]

quinnbauman​:

🗞

quinn had been released from the hospital after a few days. her injuries were more cosmetic than anything—massive bruises, cuts and scrapes here and there. of course there was also the broken arm and the fractured rib, but given the fate of some other carnival goers, it could’ve been way worse. she was truly just grateful to be alive. when she was discharged, the doctors prescribed quinn some pain medication and ordered her not to lay in bed all day, despite that being exactly what she wanted to do. 

she typically wasn’t above disobeying her doctors, but given the gravity of the situation and the fact that she didn’t want to end up with a collapsed lung or infection, she listened. she did her breathing exercises and went on her daily walks. on this particular day, her walk led her to the library. it was possible that she was exerting herself a bit too much, but the pain was manageable and quite frankly, she couldn’t handle being around her dad all the time when what she craved was the comfort of her mom. 

quinn wandered through the aisles of the library somewhat aimlessly. despite her best efforts to focus on what was in front of her, all she could do was think about the explosions and the toxic bile and the animalistic behavior of all the “tree cult” people. her dad had been right. he’d been right about everything and her nosiness had landed her in the thick of it all. fuck. she was staring blankly at a book shelf, eyeing a book she knew she wouldn’t be able to reach given her injured, when the squeaky wheels of a cart came to a halt beside her. “hi, no thanks. just browsing…” quinn answered quickly, glancing at the girl once and then doing a double take. were you at the carnival? quinn stared at her in silence for a moment before nodding to confirm her suspicion. “were you?” she asked back, trying to scratch the itch on her brain that said she knew this librarian. “you were,” quinn stated, answering the question herself, “you disarmed the bomb.” a sigh escaped her lips as she shrugged and cleared her throat, “thank you.” 

turning her attention back to the book shelf, quinn chuckled bitterly and began shaking her head. “you guys got anything on cults or weird border equations or…?” her voice trailed off. did she sound as crazy as she felt? “i guess i’m just trying to make sense of what happened.” she turned to the girl again and quickly glanced at her name tag. “can you help, suzie?” 

xx.

Suzie didn’t know what she’d expected when she asked if the girl was at the carnival, but it certainly wasn’t for the girl to recognize her. Everything had happened so fast that, other than Dustin and Lucas and Max and Steve, all other faces from that day were a blur. She felt bad for not knowing this girl, and was going to apologize when the girl thanked her. For disarming the bomb.

All of the anxiety and fear that Suzie had been suppressing about the circumstances that led to her dismantling a bomb rose to the surface again. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear-- nervous tick-- and offered a weak smile. “Yeah, that was me. No problem. Not like I had another option,” she tried to joke. Eyes falling back to the girl’s arm, Suzie frowned. “Sorry it didn’t stop... the other explosion. Looks like you were pretty close? Are you okay?”

Suzie quirked an eyebrow at the girl’s questioning. Someone had obviously told her the same things Dustin had told Suzie; that the ‘tree commune’ people were suspicious at best and that there was some sort of impenetrable border around the city. “So you’re researching too, huh?” Her thoughts were confirmed with the girl’s next statement. Trying to make sense of what happened. She could certainly relate. 

Without a second thought, Suzie stashed the returns cart in between the true crime and current affairs aisles-- they weren’t too popular and it probably wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. “Yeah, I can help. Come with me,” she instructed, leading the girl down the musty library stairs. “Anything Hawkins-specific will be down here, in the archives. It’s been pretty popular lately, for obvious reasons,” she mused. “What’s your name, anyway?”

[yousuzeyoulose]

dvstybuns​:

Processing the last thirty hours seemed impossible, honestly. So much had happened and Dustin was still reeling. What did the black goo mean? How were the people from the tree commune involved? What the fuck was going on with the Doppelganger? Suzie had disarmed a fucking bomb, Steve had been badly hurt, and Mr. Clarke was dead. His chest hurt at the thought, but he pushed past that. Dustin could cry over that later, once he’d been there for Suzie. 

Sleep deprivation had to be setting in by now, considering how little he’d slept in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. Rubbing his eyes, Dustin was caught off guard by Suzie’s sudden appearance. He steeled himself for her to be angry, for her to insist that he drive her to the nearest airport ( something he couldn’t do ). But instead, she hugged him. He pulled her closer, wrapping her up in his arms as a few more stray tears escaped his eyes. Every time he thought he had finished crying, it seemed like his body disagreed. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” Dustin assured her. He’d been by her when the explosion went off, not too close to the blast, thankfully. A few minor bruises and scrapes - nothing he couldn’t handle. Plus some that he couldn’t really explain, but they were probably just from the showdown, right? “Steve is…awake,” Dustin said evenly, knowing the other had been banged up pretty bad with the fight but not wanting to stress Suzie out any more. “He’ll be fine,” He told her after a beat, staring into her eyes. 

“But what about you, Suzie? How are you? Do you need to go to a doctor? I should have made sure before we left. I can call Lucas, see if he can drive us, if you need to,” Dustin offered, terrified that maybe Tommy H’s attack had done more damage that he hadn’t seen. The second the older boy had begun running towards her on all fours, Dustin swore his heart stopped. After every fucking thing they’d been through, he still thought that was probably the most scared he’d been. 

Once he was in her room, his face fell as he took in the tears on her face. “Oh, Suzie-Poo,” He reached up, gently wiping her cheek with his thumb. “Can we sit?” Dustin asked, grabbing her hand and leading her to the bed. “I just think you should be sitting to hear this. Because there’s so much shit I should have already said. I’m so, so sorry. I keep dragging you in to this shit, and it seemed okay because you were safe and in Utah, but now…I’m just so sorry you got caught up in everything.” He apologized, squeezing her hand that he was still holding. 

“You know Will?” Dustin asked, knowing that the other had broken in to her house once. “When we were kids, he…he went missing. We ended up finding El around the same time, in the woods. She can move things, with her mind. Like she has a superpower. Will went missing in this other dimension that El accidentally opened a gate to; we named it the Upside Down because it’s below ours.” Dustin knew this was all so much to take in. He just hoped Suzie would believe him and want to stick around. “I know this sounds crazy, but you have to believe me, Suzie-Poo. I wouldn’t lie to you about something this fucked up.” 

“Remember the summer we met at Camp Know Where? When we got home, and we sang Never Ending Story together because I needed to know Planck’s Constant? That was to literally save the world, Suzie-Poo. So, disarming that fucking bomb yesterday? Not your first time saving everyone. Not by a long shot. You’re incredible,” Dustin breathed, free hand reaching up to cup her cheek again, thumb swiping across her skin to catch any stray tears. 

xx.

Gently, Suzie reached a hand up to Dustin’s face. She ran her thumb over the beginnings of a bruise with a concerned frown. “You should ice this tonight.” At the mention of Steve, Suzie noted Dustin’s even tone. She couldn’t imagine how he felt, and she hated the idea of him holding it in, trying to be strong. “When things calm down, I’d like to go see Steve. Thank him, and stuff,” she smiled weakly. Suzie hadn’t been able to forget about the way Steve had tried to protect them--everyone, really-- at his own expense. It was one of the few things from that day that was comforting.

Suzie pulled Dustin into another hug in response to his many questions about her wellbeing. The last thing she wanted was to become a cause of worry or guilt for him. Not now, with everything else going on. “I’m okay, I promise,” she pulled back to meet his eyes. “Like you, bumps and bruises. A headache from... that guy banging me around, but I’ll be okay.” She didn’t know why she had been a target, what she’d done, but Suzie couldn’t dwell on it if she wanted to sleep ever again. 

The knots of fear that had been forming in Suzie’s gut relaxed when Dustin called her ‘Suzie-poo’ and wiped her tears. He was so gentle and kind, and she knew that no matter what he was about to say, it would be okay. She squeezed his hand back, brows coming together in confusion at his apology. Of course, Suzie had gathered that something strange was going on in Hawkins... but she never could’ve imagined what Dustin was about to tell her.

She was following Dustin’s words until he mentioned another dimension. She’d read about the possibility of parallel universes, she’d even dipped her toe into quantum mechanics, so that wasn’t completely off the deep end. But the idea of Dustin and his friends discovering it? And Will being taken into it-- and coming back? And all of this having something to do with what happened on the Fourth? Suzie put her head in her hands, processing what he was telling her. “El opened a gate... to a parallel universe. And that’s connected to the carnival,” she repeated, flashing uncertain eyes at Dustin. “What was the gate? What’s the Upside Down like? How did El get a superpower?” Suzie breathed deeply, dozens of questions circling around her mind, and settled herself. She knew he would tell her, in due time. 

Suzie couldn’t help, it: she laughed. This was why there were so many people on the walkie channel when she forced Dustin to sing to her? Because she was the only kid who paid enough attention in class to remember Planck’s constant and somehow that was key in saving the world? It was a ridiculous notion, but suddenly Dustin’s disappearing act that summer made sense. “This is insane. I believe you, but this is insane,” she shook her head. The fear from before was expanding into dread and guilt-- dread with the knowledge that it would get worse before it got better, and the guilt that Dustin had been carrying this for so long, without saying anything or even letting on that something was off.

Though the answers weren’t great news, knowing was always more comfortable than not knowing, at least to Suzie. She wanted to jump immediately into problem-solving, to make Dustin tell her everything so they could avoid the fear and grief for a while. But more than she wanted to fix this, she wanted to be there for Dustin, and that didn’t look like a million questions. Not right now, at least. “Thank you for telling me,” she took his hand again and squeezed it. “I can’t believe you’ve... been dealing with this for so long,” Suzie fixed her eyes on Dustin’s face. “What do you need?”

[yousuzeyoulose]

Suzie was glad that, after their long and insane talk, Dustin was finally getting some sleep. Or, she hoped he was, but all things considered she couldn’t be sure. It’s not like she was sleeping either, instead staring at the popcorn ceiling and replaying the events of the carnival. Trying desperately to make sense of them in light of what Dustin had told her. 

The most insane thing to her was that all of his friends knew, and they were still all so... normal. Normal-adjacent, anyways. Suzie worried that she was fundamentally changed now; that what she’d seen, what she’d done at the carnival, would be too much. She was intellectually tough, but mentally? Emotionally? She’d never been tested like this before.

She was filled with a rush of gratitude for the knock on the door-- whoever it was, talking would be so much better than sitting in the dark and spiraling. “Robin? Hi,” Suzie peeped, opening the door and inviting the other inside. Of course, she knew who Robin was, but they hadn’t run into each other yet. Immediately, she felt at ease with the way Robin’s words spilled out; Suzie had a tendency to gush, too. “I know who you are, Dustin’s told me about you,” she said, weak smile tugging at her lips. “I would really like that.” Suzie led her inside and took a seat on the bed. Without waiting for Robin to begin, Suzie cut her off. “Are you doing okay? I mean, all things considered...”

𝐖𝐇𝐎: robin buckley + @yousuzeyoulose​ ! 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: henderson residence

a knock on the door to the henderson household has robin feeling a little anxious. she doesn’t know why, maybe something to do with the reason why she was here. “hi mrs henderson.” she greeted politely when dustin’s mother opened the door and motioned for robin to come inside. claudia shut the front door behind her and mentioned that dustin was in his room, but that he might be catching up on some sleep.

of course she would know that both her son and robin would have banded together to support steve in his hour of need. “oh no, that’s fine. actually… i’m here to see suzie.” she’d hoped that the rumours were true, and that dustin’s girlfriend was camping out at the henderson house for the summer. thankfully mrs henderson showed her where suzie’s room was and robin thanked her.

giving herself a moment, she then knocked on the bedroom door, waited for yet another moment before calling out to the girl on the other side. “suzie? hi, it’s uh. robin! dustin’s friend. actually, i’m steve’s friend and dustin was also steve’s friend so we kind of bonded through that but-“ her mouth moved way too fast sometimes. “i was hoping we could… talk?”

[yousuzeyoulose]

who: Suzie & @stevehharringtcns​​

where: the ‘h’ word

It was late, well past visiting hours, but neither Suzie nor Claudia had been sleeping well and had decided to put their heads together in the kitchen. Mrs. Henderson was worried that Dustin wasn’t eating, and Suzie didn’t have the heart to tell her that she wasn’t sure he had much of an appetite. But, she welcomed the distraction and welcomed any reason to check in on Dustin.

So she found herself walking past the visitor desk with a foil container of meatloaf and mashed potatoes and a family pass (so, she lied one time! Surely God would forgive her given the circumstances). Suzie slipped into Steve’s room and smiled at the sight of Dustin sprawled and snoring in a position that didn’t look even remotely comfortable. She noticed Steve stirring, so Suzie sat down next to him. “Hi, Steve. It’s just me-- Suzie,” she kept her voice low to let her boyfriend sleep. “Mrs. Henderson sent some meatloaf. It’s probably better than what they have here. Are you hungry?” she asked, offering him a comforting smile. He didn’t look terrible for someone who’d been through a literal explosion, and she hoped that meant his recovery would be easy and quick. 

[yousuzeyoulose]

who: Suzie & @quinnbauman​

where: Hawkins Public Library

It’d been a few days since the carnival disaster, and in an effort to return to normalcy... or as close to normalcy she could get again with what she knew now, Suzie had decided to come back to work. It was strange to sit down at her computer and write code, as if her boyfriend’s friends weren’t hospitalized. As if she hadn’t dismantled a bomb. As if that guy hadn’t rushed her on all fours. But it was better than laying around her borrowed bedroom all day thinking about it.

After a few hours of staring at the screen, Suzie got up to stretch and give her eyes a break. She liked to work on the stack of returns when she needed to step away, something to keep her mind busy and her body moving. So she pushed the cart of books through the aisles, stopping to slip them into their rightful places every few steps. 

Pausing at the True Crime aisle, Suzie noticed a patron who looked... upset. “Hi, can I help you find anything?” she asked. Her eyes fell to the girl’s arm, hanging in a sling, and she frowned. Suzie was unable to stop herself from asking: “Were you at the carnival?” 

[yousuzeyoulose]

Suzie had been on her own for a few hours now, after Dustin went back to the hospital. Things were still crazy, and he’d said the hospital was still pretty packed with visitors, but she could go with him if she wanted. She decided not to-- to give him and his friends time with Steve and the others. Suzie wanted to check in with him, of course, but not when it was still so fresh. That didn’t feel like her place.

But, she also didn’t want to be at the Henderson’s house alone any longer than she already had been. Lucas had been by to check on her the other day, but she wondered if he’d be home now. With only a vague memory to go off of, Suzie found herself at the Sinclair residence. She didn’t expect Erica Sinclair to be the one answering the door, though.

Her response was enough to elicit a laugh from Suzie. “No girl scout cookies. Not this time, anyways,” she promised. Suzie chewed on her lip, unsure how to say ‘I don’t want to be alone right now’ in a way that wasn’t so... pathetic sounding. “No, he’s at the hospital seeing Steve. I guess I... just wondered if Lucas was home? Or if you’re busy?” She knew Erica was a bit... how had Dustin said it, rough around the edges. But, their interactions had been pleasant so far. If anything, Suzie thought the boys needed people like Erica and Max to keep them in line.

who: erica sinclair & @yousuzeyoulose​

where: the sinclair residence

erica had been sitting in her room putting some of the laundry away after her mom had pretty much forced her to do so, but after yelling at her mom that this was forced child labour and whatnot, she eventually gave in and started putting her clothes in the drawers, sighing as she did. she heard the bell ring downstairs and after that she had heard her mom yelling at her to go open it. did she have to do anything? “LUCAS! go open the door!” she ordered her brother, but after a while of not answering, she just assumed that the other wasn’t home. or at least she hoped he wasn’t, because if she found out he was and he wasn’t listening to him, she’d get mad at him.

she rolled her eyes when she heard her mother complain again, she was lucky that she wasn’t there upstairs. “unbelievable…” she groaned as she made her way downstairs and walked towards the door, swinging it open. “if it’s girl scout cookies, i’m not interested.” she said, ready to close the door on the other’s face until she realized it was just suzie. she had met her through max after being forced to hang out with the two of them, and their interaction hadn’t been bad at all. suzie seemed to be a smart girl, who knew what she wanted and erica did like that. she looked at the other and narrowed her eyes. “can i help you? this isn’t dustin’s house, clearly.” she said, placing one of her hands on her hip.

[yousuzeyoulose]

Suzie had driven home-- rather, to Claudia Henderson’s home-- with shaky hands and a pit in her stomach. She was worried she would throw up all over the dashboard of her like-new Volkswagen Beetle, so she’d rolled down the windows in an attempt to soothe her motion sickness. Or... whatever it’s called. Sickness induced by seeing five dead bodies, sickness induced by disarming a literal bomb, sickness induced by knowing her sweet boyfriend had experienced irreparable trauma. 

After checking in with Claudia, Suzie had made a beeline to her guest room. Showering didn’t help calm her down at all. She’d made a valiant attempt at sleep, but couldn’t stop the questions and worries whirling around her mind, so she’d decided to get down to business. She’d just managed to loot through Dustin’s room and dig out his Dungeons and Dragons manuals, following the hunch that his accidental walkie talkie announcement had something to do with whatever happened, when she heard a knock on the door.

It’s Lucas. Sinclair. Suzie padded to the door and opened it, offering up a weak smile. “I know who you are, Lucas Sinclair.” Suzie hesitated, then pulled him into a hug. She knew he’d be just as affected as Dustin by everything, and she owed him one-- for having the pliers, for believing in her. She pulled away and motioned to the room, inviting him in. “Are you... how are you doing?” she asked. She knew he’d gotten tackled by the same person... or thing... as she, and Suzie’s own head was still pounding. “Do you need anything? Water? Ice?”

who: lucas & @yousuzeyoulose​ what: little trauma bonding that’s all where: the henderson household

after dropping will off at the hospital to visit jonathan (and stopping inside to call his parents on the lobby pay phone so they wouldn’t send out a search party for him), lucas had gotten back behind the wheel of his car. it didn’t seem…right for him to be at the hospital right then. not with the brothers and sisters and partners of the people who’d been seriously hurt. steve had dustin and robin and that was enough. he didn’t want to overcrowd them. but the thought of going home after everything that had happened that night didn’t sit well with him, either.

he’d driven there without really thinking about it. by the time lucas’ brain flicked on, he was parking in front of dustin’s house. dustin might have been at the hospital with the others, but suzie was probably home. he climbed out of the car and headed to the door, pausing to knock because it was the hendersons’ and not the wheelers’. when claudia answered the door, lucas gave her an encouraging if tired sort of smile and assured her he was fine (even if he wasn’t so sure about that). “i was actually wondering if…is suzie home?” it wasn’t weird to lucas that suzie essentially lived here for the summer. it wasn’t unlike max sneaking into his bedroom window most nights.

with the confirmation that suzie was, in fact, home, lucas thanked claudia and made his way upstairs, past dustin’s room, and knocked softly on the guest bedroom’s shut door. “suzie?” he called softly. “can i come in?” and then, after a moment. “it’s lucas. sinclair?”

[yousuzeyoulose]

Suzie was typically smart and well-adjusted, capable of processing and sorting incredible amounts of information at a time. But in the roughly twenty-four hours since the explosion at the carnival, she’d been feeling like she was drinking water out of a firehose. There was the acidic goo those people vomited, the bomb, the dismantling of the bomb, the fight, and the explosion. 

And with the explosion, Steve was badly injured and Mr. Clarke, Dustin’s beloved science teacher, died. Suzie didn’t once question him jumping into the ambulance and going with Steve to the hospital-- of course he should. But she definitely wasn’t doing okay.

Suzie had gone immediately home to tell Claudia that Dustin was okay, and they’d shared a sweet but awkward hug. Since then, she’d been hiding out in her borrowed room. She tried to sleep, but every time Suzie shut her eyes, she saw that guy running at her on all fours. Why was he on all fours? And why was he running at her? 

When she accepted that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep and physically couldn’t cry anymore, Suzie pulled on one of Dustin’s old camp t-shirts and went to work doing what she does best: figuring this out. Before they’d gone to the carnival, Suzie had overheard Dustin on the walkie talkie, talking about a Doppelgänger. He’d claimed it was DnD thing, but he wasn’t working on any new campaign that she knew of, and based on everyone else’s responses? It had to be something more. 

So, Suzie pulled out Dustin’s DnD manuals and spread them across the floor of her room. She must’ve finally worked her brain hard enough that she fell asleep without the image of Tommy H on all fours burned behind her eyes, because she woke up to the sound of knocking and Dustin’s voice. 

Without hesitation, she crossed the room and threw open the door. Dustin looked exhausted and his eyes held a sadness she’d never seen before. It was enough to cause her own eyes to well up. Suzie wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a hug before he could react. “It’s okay,” she promised, burying her face in his shoulder. She stayed like that for a few minutes, needing the comfort of closeness to him, before she pulled away enough to look at his face. “Are you okay? Is Steve okay?” her eyes were trained on his, attempting to analyze every ripple of emotion. 

Suzie allowed him into the room and shut the door behind them, for once not caring what Claudia would think. They clearly had a lot to talk about. “I’m really confused, Dusty-bun. And... I’m scared,” she admitted, swiping at her tear-streaked face. 

WHO: Dusty-Bun & @yousuzeyoulose​​​​​

WHAT: Dustin has some explaining to do.

WHERE: Suzie’s Bedroom

He hadn’t left the hospital until he knew Steve was okay, which was roughly twenty-four hours after the explosion. Dustin was exhausted, not processing much that had happened, and ready to curl up in his bed and cry, but he had to make sure Suzie was okay. If only he’d told her about the Upside Down - if she had known more - maybe then she could have been more prepared. Instead, she had to be feeling so confused and traumatized by all the shit she’d experienced. And then he had had to go be with Steve, so he hadn’t even been able to explain everything. 

God, he was such a bad boyfriend, wasn’t he?

Dustin trudged to his bedroom after stopping to talk to his mom - he’d already called her from the hospital to tell her he was fine, but Steve wasn’t. He updated her on Steve’s condition and told her goodnight as she headed to bed. After taking a shower, Dustin threw on some sweatpants and his Hellfire shirt and walked across the hall, knocking softly on Suzie’s door. 

“Suzie-Poo?” He called out quietly, not opening her door. “I’m so sorry. Please, please let me explain. If you want to leave, then… well, I mean, you sort of can’t, but I’ll get it if you want to go stay with someone else or something. But please, give me a chance, okay? I’m so sorry I just left you. Can I open the door?” 

[yousuzeyoulose]

backtowheeler​:

— ✎ —

Wow, this girl was a hoot. For years, Nancy had heard stories of the Mormon-hotter-than-Phoebe-Cates girlfriend whenever she’d eavesdrop in the basement or be fortunate enough to tag along with any of her brother’s friends. Suzie had already exceeded Nancy’s expectations just by being real. “That sounds… a little unsafe,” she chuckled, but what did she know? Salt Lake City, Utah was probably more inviting than Hawkins, Indiana. 

I… had an internship in Chicago but things sort of… didn’t work out. Now that made Nancy’s ears perk up. If anything, it was something she and Suzie could relate to. “Yeah? Well, I’m sure it’s their loss,” no, Nancy didn’t know Suzie and couldn’t vouch for her intelligence like she could for Dustin or anyone else in the party, but she did know that if Dustin said Suzie was a genius then she had to be. Or at least, smarter than the average bird. “Trust me, girls like us? We’ll always have to work ten times harder just to get a foot in the door, so don’t beat yourself up, okay? It’s just the curse of the real world,” the real world meaning that the world isn’t so open to girls being more than homemakers, yet. “I would know.”

xx.

Suzie laughed at that. Prior to this summer, she’d assumed that all towns were like home-- unlocked doors, open invitation, polite conversation at the grocery store. Chicago had been a rude awakening-- literally. She remembered being shocked when strangers jostled her on the street, and even more shocked when they didn’t apologize. “Well, you know, makes the whole door to door thing easier,” she joked. 

Something about the infamous Nancy Wheeler saying that it was their loss made Suzie want to cry. She’d heard stories about the spunky, too-smart-for-her-own-good journalist, and Suzie had to admit that she’d grown to idolize her, from afar. “The curse of the real world, yeah, that’s actually... really true,” she repeated. Nancy’s addendum was intriguing, but Suzie knew she had to meet Dustin and his mom for dinner in exactly thirteen minutes. Mustering up her courage, Suzie offered Nancy a smile. “Do you think we could talk sometime? About, like... being a girl who doesn’t want to just be a housewife?” Growing up in Utah, Suzie hadn’t met many women who had careers, much less many women who’d attempted both. And after her experience this summer, Suzie was filled with a heavy dread that maybe it was impossible. But, she wasn’t ready to give up just yet, and she felt that if anyone would be helpful, it would be Nancy Wheeler.

END.