#Sometimes Robin and Steve just need to scream and music is a very good way to do that. + physical contact? Yes.

[nightlight-stardust-and-rain]

Fanfic idea :

After Starcourt, Steve and Robin sometimes go to the quarry and dance* together while screaming songs at each other. Gotta let the feelings out somehow, and there are worse coping methods.

From the POV of Eddie Munson, who accidentally finds himself there and is utterly fascinated by these two weirdos.

*the term dancing is used loosely. They mimic a waltz because they both have no idea how to waltz so this is mostly them violently twirling in circles while holding hands.

[scoops-aboy86]

Just Keeping Life & Soul Together (Secret Admirer pt 4)

Steddie Week 2024, July 4: Trade / body swap / Wouldn't It Be Good by Nik Kershaw

wc: 1812 / rated: T / set between seasons 2 and 3 / also on ao3

By the time Steve recovers enough to drive home, it’s time to clock out anyway. Robin hangs back, not taking off on her bike until she sees him get in the car, and he’s had more time to think about it now. 

Robin’s outfit that she’d changed into in the employee bathroom after clocking out is an eclectic mishmash of different colors and patterns; Secret Admirer said they wear mostly dark colors. That’s not the only reason it isn’t her, but Steve can’t quite put a finger on anything else. It’s just… she has a very different vibe. 

He’s exhausted and still not feeling great, so that’s as far as he thinks about it. 

But the next morning he wakes up, still with some of that post-headache grogginess but better, and realizes that if she was telling the truth about someone in the ice cream parlor sending him that cone, Secret Admirer was there. Probably saw how out of it he was and felt bad, but not bad enough to overcome their reservations about revealing themselves. 

God, Steve wishes he could remember who had been in Scoops when his efforts to ‘man up’ and push through the pain had crumbled. He doesn’t, but that’s okay. Robin knows. 

~

Dear Secret Admirer,

Yes keep writing. Please keep writing. My head’s been killing me these past couple days and wanting to write back to you is the only thing that’s kept me going. I’m sorry I got Bilbo’s name wrong. 

So I guess you already knew I had a headache the other day since you sent me that ice cream. That was you, right? Strawberry with rainbow sprinkles? I wish you would’ve stayed. I know you’re shy or scared of me not wanting you once I know who you are, but it really kind of sucked that you didn’t. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything but I missed you so much even though I don’t know you. But I feel like I do know you, because you keep telling me things about yourself, like bread crumbs in that fairy tale from the book my mom used to read to me when I was a little kid but she stopped a long time ago because my dad didn’t want me to be a sissy momma’s boy. But fuck that, sometimes everyone needs to be read a story so they have something good in their head while they go to sleep, okay? I have nightmares a lot. I can’t tell you about them because I signed an NDA, but they’re horrible. I wake up screaming sometimes, only I can’t when my parents are home because my dad gets pissed and my mom gets disappointed, just like they did about how hurt I got last year. And the year before. It’s all connected and it’s all bullshit and none of it was my fault, I just happened to be there and I got sucked in and I keep getting sucked in and some nights I can’t even sleep anymore. 

You said you smoke, right? Cigarettes and other stuff. Cigarettes don’t help, drinking makes me feel like shit, so maybe I should try the other stuff. Does it help with sleeping? Do you think it would help my headaches or make me not dream so much? I’m so tired and I keep thinking that if I got some the smell would be like you’re there, since you smoke it too. I want to feel like you’re here with me so I’m not alone. Maybe if you were here the nightmares wouldn’t be as bad and I could get some sleep and then the headaches wouldn’t happen as often because you were right, they get worse if I don’t get enough sleep or if I’m stressed out. 

What if you called me sometime? 555-5555. You wouldn’t have to say anything, maybe just play some of the music that you think I’d hate and I can tell you if I do or not? Just let me talk to you? The hard thing about writing is I have to fill a whole page without any way to know what you think about any of it for at least a few days, and I guess a one-sided phone conversation isn’t that different but it would be something, right? I might like your music after all and then we’ll have something in common. Or maybe I can listen and then you can write to me about why you like it and if it’s something I didn’t think of (there are a lot of things I don’t think about on the first try, perspectives and stuff) maybe it’ll grow on me. Sorry if I’m pushing too hard but you said you wanted to give me something with all this and it was just an idea I had. You could give me new things to find out about, like with the Hobbit in his hole eating his hobbit breakfast. (I really liked the part with the glowing sword, that was awesome, I wish my bat would glow when )

Anyway. Robin knows about my headaches now too I guess, which is embarrassing. She was nice about it though and let me hide in the back until I could go home, but she probably still hates me for being King Steve. I’d write about something else but there’s not a lot going on in my life besides you.

— Steve

PS My parents are gone all this week, so if you do call it’s just me here. And you can call whenever, but maybe Friday at 10:30? You don’t have to though. Just keep writing.

~

The next time Steve goes to work, head no longer in danger of splitting open, Robin still calls him a dingus. It doesn’t feel as mean as it used to though. So that’s something. 

It’s easier now to take her jabs in stride. Before he’d just tried to let it roll off him like water off a duck, but he cautiously tries out responding in kind. 

“Your hat’s on backwards,” she calls across the parlor, smirking when it makes him reach up to check. “Made you look!”

Five minutes later, he gets her back with, “Your shoe’s untied.” When she glances down, he grins and adds, “Yeah that’s right, Buckley, two can play at this game.”

“Oh, it is on, Harrington.”

They start racing during the slow times when there are only a couple of people in line at a time, one sticking to scooping and the other ringing up while the former tries to move the second customer along before the latter finishes the first transaction. It’s a much better use of the You Rule / You Suck board, though she does still add tallies for whatever she considers Steve’s failed flirting attempts. (He’s not even trying anymore, not with Secret Admirer always on his mind these days.) Makes the ache of pining a little easier to bear; makes the day almost fun. 

“Hey, so,” Steve ventures while they’re cleaning up after close. “I have a question.”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Robin tense up. “What?”

He feels wrong-footed already, if just that was enough to put her on edge, but he can’t stop now that he’s pulled the trigger. “Who, uh. Who sent me the ice cream the other day?”

She blinks, and once she’s processed the question the stiffness in her posture goes away as quickly as it had come. “Oooh. You think someone’s sweet on you, is that it? Admit it.”

“No,” Steve sputters back. Even he had to admit, though, that the way his face heats up immediately really undercuts the claim. 

“Tell you what.” She crosses her arms and leans back against the counter, eyeing him smugly. “I’ll trade you for it.”

“You’ll.” Now it’s his turn to blink. “Trade me?”

“Yeah. I have information that’s valuable to you, apparently, so you give me something that’s valuable to me in exchange.”

Steve scratches the back of his neck, trying to think. “I could… give you dating advice?”

Robin snorts. “Absolutely not.”

Flustered, he throws up his hands. “Well what do you want, then?”

She’s full on grinning at him now, and while it’s not necessarily malicious (which he appreciates) it’s still at his expense (which he does not). “Uh-uh, you’ve got to put your thinking cap on and come up with something on your own, Mr. Hair. It’s more genuine that way.”

“What? Nooo,” Steve groans, but he supposes he’s grateful that she didn’t whip out the ol’ it builds character that his dad threw at him when ordering him to get a menial summer job. “And I don’t have a thinking cap.”

That makes her actually laugh. “Well duh, who’s dorky enough to own an actual thinking cap?”

Dustin does, Steve thinks fondly. The little squirt is only off at camp for another week, and he really has missed the little shithead. It’ll be nice to get along with his coworker and have a friend around… as pathetic as that does make him feel. 

But whatever, first he has to figure out what Robin might want in exchange for what could very likely turn out to be his Secret Admirer’s identity.

~

Every time Eddie has seen Steve since that Tuesday at Scoops, he’s with his coworker Robin. Apparently he’s started giving her rides so she doesn’t have to bike everywhere all the time. They talk animatedly, like little kids racing from thought to thought as they gleefully mock and annoy each other. 

And it’s probably his fault somehow. Maybe knowing that Steve was actually suffering instead of suffering his own consequences had softened her up, allowed her to pause and notice the soft and genuine person underneath what remained of the King Steve veneer. Maybe it’s impossible not to fall in love with Steve Harrington. 

Whatever it was, the results make Eddie yearn to swap lives with some girl he doesn’t even know. Someone who gets to touch Steve on the arm without reproach—even if it’s more of a punch than a touch, jeez. The only relief he gets from the green monster of jealousy twisting around his heart is Steve’s letter asking him to call, so even if Robin is interested now then it seems she’s out of luck. 

Call. And not even talk, but just listen to Steve’s voice and maybe play selections from a few of his favorite albums, then spend his next letter talking about why they’re his favorites. This perfect man has managed to pluck three of his favorite things to do out of thin air and present the offer as a favor to Steve rather than, uh, only the closest Eddie has ever been to going on an actual date in his entire life. 

… If only he felt in any way prepared.

Tag list: @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @tangerinesteve @steviewashere

@cryingglightningg @theresebelivett @sleepy-steve @rozzieroos @lunaraindrop

@just-my-latest-hyperfixation @wheneverfeasible @swimmingbirdrunningrock @yesdangerpls

@matchingbatbites @ihavekidneys @p0lybl4nkk @grtwdsmwhr @cheesedoctor

@whalesharksart @thetinymm @envyadams-vs-me @practicallybegging @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme

@dauntlessdiva @nerdyglassescheeseychick @fuzzyduxk @chaosgremlinmunson @greatwerewolfbeliever

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Last Steve Harrington Part 18

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 17

Steve loved the tape. He loved it almost as much as he loved taking his car out for long drives. He didn’t go anywhere; he just rolled the windows down and turned the volume up. Sometimes he parked on the side of the road and laid down on the hood, smoking and looking at the sky, enjoying the quiet and the wind playing with his hair. Other times, he drove as fast as he could on old highway roads, when there were no other cars for miles and only Eddie’s tape for company.

The songs he chose were equal parts expected and unexpected. Steve could tell that Eddie had toned down his own tastes to pick songs that he thought Steve would enjoy. There were a few that he recognized and some that were new. He liked the first song because the lyrics reminded him of Will and Eleven.

Evil power disappears Demons worry when the wizard is near He turns tears into joy Everyone's happy when the wizard walks by

The middle of the tape got much wilder and louder and were all songs that Steve could imagine Eddie screaming and banging his head along to. One of the last songs was probably his favourite, the beat was great and he loved the vocals and lyrics. It was one that he recognized though he didn’t know if it was because Eds showed it to him or if he heard it on the radio on his own.

I've been too long, I'm glad to be back Yes, I'm let loose From the noose That's kept me hanging about I've been looking at the sky 'Cause it's gettin' me high Forget the hearse 'cause I never die

And the last song, of course, was Like a Virgin by Madonna. Steve burst out laughing when he finished the tape for the first time. He loved it. He didn’t know how Eddie managed to create a playlist that suited both of their tastes so well. As curious as he was to listen to the B side – he held off for now. When he got home, he ran for the phone, dialing Eddie’s number quickly from memory.

“Hello!”

“Like a Virgin, Munson? Really?”

Eddie’s laughter crackled through the phone and Steve’s clutched the receiver closer to his ear, as if he could prevent the sound from escaping into the air, could keep it all for himself.

“Courtesy of one Robin Buckley, my friend! Had to be included, she said.”

“I’m surprised she was able to strong arm you, especially with music. Madonna on a tape you made?” Steve tsked into the phone with fake disappointment.

“Steve, that woman is truly frightening when she sets her mind on something.”

“So, it was collaborative? And here I was giving you all the credit.”

“Oh, big word for you, Harrington. I asked for her input, she vetoed one or two of my songs… and then made me put on Madonna. Never asking her for help again,” Eddie mumbled, causing Steve to laugh.

“So,” Eddie drawled out slowly, drawing out the syllables. “You liked it?”

“I loved it! Haven’t listened to the other side yet… I’m saving it, I guess? For when I need it.”

Eddie hummed in understanding.

“Which song did you like the best?”

“It’s near the end, I’ve heard it before but don’t know the name. Back in Black?”

“No need to try and be cool, Steve. I already know your favourite is Like a Virgin.”

“Asshole,” Steve said trying to hold back more laughter, a smile very clear in his voice. “You made the tape, maybe it’s your favourite.”

Eddie gasped in outrage. “How dare you?” he asked in a scandalized tone.  “It is called Back in Black, by the way. By AC/DC.”

“Hey, why didn’t you put any –” Steve began but was cut off by Joyce.

“Steve? Is that you?” she yelled.

He held his hand over the bottom of the phone and shouted, “yeah.”

Putting the phone back up to his ear he told Eddie, “sorry, gotta go. Thanks again for the tape, I’ll see you this weekend?”

“Yup, see ya then. Next time I’ll put Madonna on the tape first so you don’t have to skip so many good songs to get to –”

Steve laughed and hung up before he could finish. He was still smiling softly to himself when Joyce walked into the kitchen.

“Who were you talking to?” she asked.

“Eddie.”

“Oh? Making more plans for the trailer?”

“Yup. And talking about music. I finally finished the tape he made me. Well, the first side anyway.”

She nodded and moved around him, going to the fridge and pulling out ingredients. She was smiling a little and Steve wondered what had put her in a good mood.

“I was thinking spaghetti tonight?” she asked. “You have to show me how to make that sauce you did last time. It was delicious.”

“Sure,” Steve said. “The secret is Heinz 57.”

Joyce popped her head out of the fridge. “The steak sauce?”

“Yup, about three tablespoons.”

“Huh, I never would have guessed,” she said and grabbed the bottle out of the fridge door, adding it to the growing pile of ingredients on the counter.

Steve went over to the sink to wash his hands before grabbing the peppers and onions. He started chopping them and didn’t notice when he started humming happily to himself.

But Joyce did.

Wednesday was a slow day at Family Video. It was just Steve running the store and he had already done all his work for the day unless someone actually came in to rent a movie. Which he highly doubted would happen at –

He glanced at the clock and groaned when he saw it was only noon. He morosely flipped through a magazine that Robin had left, feeling time drag on…

And on…

And on...

He thought about putting on a movie but couldn’t really be bothered to do it.

After what felt like an eternity later (but was probably only thirty minutes) the bell chimed over the door. Steve looked up excitedly when he saw Dustin coming in. The excitement quickly dried up however, when he saw the steely determined look on his face. He stomped over to where Steve was leaning against the counter, eyes angry and hands bawled into fists.  

“Henderson, what’s wrong?”

“You!” Dustin shouted and Steve flinched back.

“What –”

“You won’t talk to me! You avoid me, Steve! I know you do.”

He opened his mouth to deny it but stopped himself from saying the words. Dustin deserved the truth. When he had decided to talk to him at Eddie’s a few nights ago, he thought he would have more time to get his thoughts together. He should have known that Dustin would get tired of his avoidance and do something about it. He had never been the type of person to shy away from uncomfortable situations.

“You’re right,” Steve said. “I have been avoiding you.”

“Why?” Dustin asked in the heart-breaking way of a child trying to understand a fundamental law of the universe. Why would you do that? Why would you hurt me that way? Why why why?

“When you look at me, I can tell sometimes that you’re not really seeing me…” Steve said, holding Dustin’s gaze. “You’re seeing him. You all do, to some extent. Robin does a good job of hiding it but I see it when she thinks I’m not looking. I can take it with the others, I get it. But with you – it hurts more when it’s you because –” Steve cut himself off and looked away, unsure of how to continue without causing more pain. “I needed to know that you saw me, that you wanted to know me,” he finished.

“How was I supposed to get to know you? I tried to talk to you, to include you but all you did was ignore me, even when I was right beside you! I wanted to know you, Steve… but you didn’t let me.”

Steve winced, knowing that Dustin was right. He had unilaterally decided that it was impossible, that Dustin would always miss Other Steve – would always rather have Other Steve – than him. He had stayed away, kept his distance, because he was afraid that he would never measure up to the brother he had lost.

“I was the one who wouldn’t let Eleven give up, you know. She wanted to stop but I begged her to keep looking. I knew you were out there. Then we found you and you’re here… but you’re not – at least not for me,” he said dejectedly, his shoulders hunched and his face defeated.

Of course Dustin would be upset, seeing how Steve had slowly been getting closer to everyone… except him. He hadn’t meant to hurt him, but he saw that he had – deeply. He needed to fix it. He needed to fix it now. The look on his face was one that Steve never wanted to see again. That he had put it there made his chest feel tight with self-loathing.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I didn’t let you. I kept you at arm’s length because – because I was afraid that even if you did get to know me you still wouldn’t be able to see me as separate from your Steve. Or if you did, that you’d be disappointed…that I’m not –” Steve trailed off. His inadequacies compared to Other Steve were something that he didn’t think would ever go away. The fact that he was in this universe at all was a testament to how much they loved him. How much they couldn’t let him go.

“Disappointed?” Dustin repeated, shaking his head. “I like the things that make you different. You play D&D, you loved Eddie… you fucking lived. I do keep looking for my Steve but it’s not for the reasons you think. Jesus, Steve – you have no idea. I see him sometimes, just like Robin probably does – but it’s because it’s rare that we look so hard. You really are a different person and I don’t think it’s only because of the year you survived alone. So yes, I look for him sometimes but that doesn’t mean I don’t see you. I like you for the things that remind me of him and for the things that make you different.”

That was… unexpected. Had he been misinterpreting the looks everyone had been giving him this whole time? No, he couldn’t have been that wrong. At least not in the beginning. Had it changed and he hadn’t noticed?

His whole worldview was being upended and he didn’t know how to handle it. The uncertainty must have shown on his face because Dustin came around to the other side of the counter. Steve turned and waited until he was standing in front of him – but he still didn’t know what to say. His mind was spinning, hopeful yet confused.

“Do you see me, Steve?” Dustin asked, turning the question back on him. “Or do you see the Dustin you lost?”

The question hurt; the pain cutting because that was the problem, wasn’t it? He wanted Dustin to be able to do something that he wasn’t able to do himself. But how unfair had he been to deny them both a relationship they wanted because of his failure?

“Both,” he whispered the agonizing truth. “Always both.”

He thought this truth would hurt Dustin in the same way that it always hurt himself, but the younger boy smiled at him instead. Small and with so much understanding and Steve was thrown by the maturity he saw in it.

“You haven’t given us enough credit, Steve. We knew when we went looking that you weren’t going to be the same as the Steve that we lost – but we went looking anyway. You think it wasn’t something we talked about? That we might find a version of you that didn’t even know us? That we might find a Steve who was so different from who we knew as to be unrecognizable? It didn’t matter, we needed to know – I needed to know that a version of you was alive somewhere. Then we found your universe. A universe that looked so irreparably different from ours that we didn’t expect you to be like our Steve at all.” Tears welled in Dustin’s eyes and his voice turned raspy as he said with quiet weight, “but you were still his brother.”

“I was,” Steve said around the emotion tightening his throat.

“So, why can’t you be mine?” Dustin asked, voice breaking.  

The question was soft, quiet – brave. Innocently simple. Why can’t you be my mine? And the answer, of course, was that he could be. So why were the words so hard to say? He nodded quickly and the hope burning in Dustin’s eyes cut right through him. He had told himself to fix it; so that’s what he did.

“I can be,” Steve said with determination and sincerity. “I want to be.”

It didn’t matter, in the end, whose memories belonged to whom. Dustin was Dustin and Steve was Steve and everything they had gone through was still theirs. It didn’t matter that Dustin had lost Steve and Steve had lost Dustin – because right now, they were standing in front of each other, alive. With all the shared history of family between them, and how could Steve deny the miracle of that?

Dustin smiled, widely and toothily and rushed into his arms.

“Thanks for not giving up on me,” Steve said into his hair, holding him closer.

“Never,” Dustin said, clutching him back just as tightly.

Steve couldn’t explain it – but the universe felt right all of a sudden. A missing piece of the puzzle had been found and the whole picture finally made sense. His wrong-footed shoes felt right, comfortable even. They released each other after a moment, surreptitiously wiping their eyes.

“Does this mean you’ll play D&D with us?” Dustin asked sheepishly.

Steve barked out a laugh and reached out to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah,” he said around a wide smile. “I’ll play.”

@just-a-tiny-void @mx-jinxous @child-of-cthulhu @awholedamnmesstbh @phoenix0bird @bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @a-gae-af-racoon @novelnovella @meela86 @lenathegay @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries @espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @seths-rogens @fruity-nerd @sani-86 @n0-1-important @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect @viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina @whole-moods @queenie-ofthe-void @nailbatanddungeon

-Hello everyone, I apologize deeply for how long this has taken. No piece of writing has challenged me more than this… I struggled so deeply to have these characters express their emotions in a realistic way. Every word was painstakingly chosen, rewritten, changed, changed back, deleted, and agonized over. That whole scene changed so so many times and I really love certain moments and I am completely unhappy with others. I would love any and all feedback! -If you'd like the full playlist for Eddie's tape please check out my note on this chapter on AO3 :)

[lesbianrobin]

hi bestie can u rank the st characters most to least likely to commit vehicular manslaughter

hey bestie i love u <3 here u go!!

1. nancy. i feel this needs no explanation. nancy’s hit the same exact pole in the hawkins high parking lot three times and still doesn’t understand why steve wouldn’t let her drive his car while they were dating. jonathan doesn’t let her drive his car either and she’s like what the fuck it’s already a piece of shit what am i gonna do to it and he’s like nancy if you wreck it i Literally can’t afford to fix it and she’s like well i’m NOT GONNA WRECK IT and then the next day she borrows her mom’s car to go to barnes and noble and she hits a weird speed bump while going 70 in a 45 and later when she sees a story about a hit and run on the news she’s like wow that’s so terrible!!! can’t believe people these days smh 🙄

2. hopper. he drives drunk and we all think we’re doing him a favor by turning a blind eye but actually we’re just enabling him and one day he’s gonna do something he can’t take back and we’ll all be personally responsible for the tragedy because we didn’t have the balls to say something. we’ll face our judgment in hell.

3. joyce. she can barely even see over the wheel. she also regularly applies mascara while drinking coffee and eating a burrito and adjusting the radio all at once. she does this while going like 80 mph. hopper would cover it up for her though <3

4. erica. she Definitely can’t see over the wheel and she would still try to drive anyway. steve would take the fall for her but his daddy’s money would keep him out of jail so she wouldn’t even feel too guilty about it.

5. dustin. prone to panic. probably closes his eyes whenever he makes a risky turn. definitely turned onto an offramp one time and just screamed about it before pulling an insane u-turn that nearly caused a ten-car pileup. once again steve would take the fall except dustin would feel INCREDIBLY guilty about it and probably blow the whole thing by telling the truth and then steve would get tried for perjury rather than vehicular manslaughter.

6. will. we all know gay people can’t drive. i think will specifically is too confident in his driving for his actual degree of ability like he wholeheartedly thinks he’s a good driver even though he tailgates people all the time and gets like five speeding tickets within a year of getting his license and has to go to a safe driving course at the community college so his license won’t get confiscated. however i think he’s probably more likely to rear-end people and get into small fender benders that drive up his insurance payments than he is to commit vehicular manslaughter.

7. mike. he seems like he’d be a pretty average driver tbh and i don’t think he’d ever drive drunk or anything so he’s pretty unlikely to commit vehicular manslaughter. shit happens though!! i also think he’d be one of those bitches who gets a little Too into his music while he’s driving and he prioritizes acting out the music video in his head over checking his mirrors. unlikely to commit vehicular manslaughter though he just sometimes Almost kills himself and everyone in the car but he catches it just in time and then for the next ten minutes he drives with both hands on the wheel and his jaw clenched in silence while his music continues to blare so loud that he can barely even hear the engine.

8.  steve. he’s the designated chauffeur for all of his friends and i think he’s probably been driving since he was like twelve. i just get that vibe like he has an uncle or something who owns a lot of empty land so he grew up driving around way before he was legally allowed to do so. he’s a pretty good driver. however he DID hit somebody with a car on purpose because the situation called for it and while i don’t think he’d drive under the influence he might drive with a head injury which leaves a narrow possibility for vehicular manslaughter.

9.  lucas. pretty low odds on vehicular manslaughter. he seems like he’d be a responsible driver although he might sometimes speed or fuck around with the wheel and swerve a bit on purpose to mess with whoever’s riding with him. he only does this on empty country roads. he might hit somebody with a car on purpose if the situation called for it though because that’s what heroes do.

10. jonathan. he’ll be damned if he has to stop his car to be polite to a cop and then pay them money afterward. he’d rather go 30 in a 45 than get a ticket and beyond that he drives will around all the time and it’s very important to him that he’s a good influence so he tries not to play chicken with yellow lights even though he wants to. extremely low odds of vehicular manslaughter.

11. max. this is going to be controversial but i think that despite being a speed demon and probably being one of those bitches who slides across four lanes at once she’s genuinely a good driver once she’s like tall enough to reach the pedals. like she’s VERY confident and cocky in her driving ability but it’s earned. she can parallel park in one smooth movement and not even break a sweat. everyone who ever rides with her is afraid for their life at Some point but she never actually gets close to getting into an accident.

12. robin. okay i KNOW she’d be a godawful driver but hear me out: you can’t commit vehicular manslaughter if you never drive. if she can’t make steve drive her somewhere, she just bikes instead. one time he tries to help her get over her driving anxiety by practicing in a parking lot and driving through downtown hawkins but she gets scared once they go over 30mph and slams on the breaks and steve hits his head on the dash and he says it’s fine and they can try again but she refuses. 

13. el. i will not take any criticism on this. when she kills it’s on purpose. el would never be caught dead committing vehicular manslaughter.

[growup-thatbeautiful]

drive is out now!! It’s a Post Season Harringrove Hurt/Comfort and I’m pretty proud of it. Read it on ao3 here or below the cut. Likes and comments are very very much appreciated :))

Billy doesn’t drive after starcourt. Something about being behind the wheel makes him sick with memories that he can’t understand. They’re abstract and totally unreliable.

But it’s kind of always been like that for him. He's used to having gaps in his memories, except most of the time it’s because of trauma. Or that’s what Joyce tells him and the rest of them whenever they have nightmares about things they don’t remember happening.

He's been living with the Byers and El. He tries to be useful around the house, doing whatever he can because he really doesn’t have anywhere else to go. It’s hard, though. It seems like everything he does, he does wrong. He never had to learn how to fold sheets or clean dishes. Not only was neil hargrove terribly homophobic, but also misogynistic, which is a word joyce taught him because she teaches all her kids that stuff. And he’s one of her kids now. So, yeah. Neil never had Billy do the chores because “he’s not a true man, but he sure as shit isn’t a woman.”

It's alarming how quickly this odd family replaces his old one. Neil seems miles away. Neil doesn’t try to look for Billy, and that’s fine as far as Billy's concerned. He's got scars to cover up the ones Neil made. no need to dwell on that when he has so much other trauma to process., right? Kind of.

He does check up on max. Asks her if neils pulling any of the shit he used to get from his dad. double checks for bruises hidden under makeup or long sleeves, and never finds any. Good.

Joyce is good. great, even. She doesn’t blame him when he breaks a dish because he heard a noise. She listens when he says he needs some alone time, and she knows when he’s just saying that. She gives good hugs and has no problem giving him Jonathan's old room to stay in while he’s off at college. leaving Hawkins behind him, calling every night anxiously awaiting the return of It. Nothing happens, and eventually they relax. Or they try to. That part of billy’s been broken for a long time, though.

So Joyce starts fading into memories of his mom, and he tries not to blame her.

Again. He's never had a great memory anyway. He does remember his mom telling him that boys don’t marry other boys when he was five and told her he wanted to marry his best friend. Then she told him never to tell his dad. It's strange, because he can’t remember her saying that she loved him, even though he’s sure she did. Did she? Huh.

At least the painful memories he gets to keep. Neil beating’s. Beating up on Harrington that night he didn’t know what was going on. The car crash before his mind was taken from him. Max’s terrible scream of “Billy” mixed in with the ear-ringing pain. Waking up in a hospital with starburst scars across his body. Skin that isn’t his. They remind him not to get to comfortable, remind him that the kindness he’s being shown isn’t well earned.

Because Billy knows he wasn’t worth those hospital bills and sleepless nights. All he’s done to the people here is hurt and scar and he’s seen them with the deepest kind of fear in their eyes. Fear because of him.

Everytime he goes down a path like this, he tries to stay clear of everyone. Because. They all tried to hide how much hurt he’s caused. They don’t blame him like they should.

He didn’t know any of them well before. But he knows El didn’t always carry around that police badge or look up at every siren, praying for a familiar face only to be disappointed and try not to show it. Because if Billy survived, couldn’t the more-deserving Hopper? Apparently not.

He knows Joyce didn’t always search for Will in every setting and have those folded up pictures of the two men that died because of all the shitty things that happened. Because she can’t stand to forget their faces or not carry that burden for just a second.

Will didn’t always get quiet every time a draft went through the room or refuse to go out that front door first. Because so many things have been ruined for him.

The rest of the kids didn’t always jump at every noise or bunch together for every corner, carrying lucky momentous and items. Because God forbid they have a break.

He doesn’t see them a lot, but Nancy and Jonathan definitely didn’t carry around an emergency kit everywhere they went, packed with medical supplies and Nancy’s choice gun. Because they’re going to be there to help if anything tries to take another person they loves away.

Some part of Billy reasons that it’s not all his fault. He wasn’t one of those scientists or government agents that started the whole thing.

But he did enough. Enough to warrant all the shit that he’s going through. It’s not the healthiest way of thinking, he’s aware of that, but it helps him get by.

No matter how hard he tries, though, there’s always someone at the house that finds him. Curled up into a ball, dry hitching sobs and no tears because “Hargrove men don’t cry.” Billy gets damn close sometimes, but the fear that Neil’s going to come out from the cracks in the wall and kick him where he lays is too real.

There are usually soft words.

“We don’t blame your here, honey. That wasn’t you, that did all that stuff. And I’m not going to let anything else bad happen to the people under this roof.” Joyce’s strong and sure voice, only breaking at the edges.

“I know what it’s like to have him control you like that. I know better than anyone else, and I know how scary it is. Mom says it’s over now, though, and I can’t feel It anymore. I would tell you first if It came back.” Will never says anything more than that, which is comforting in itself. It’s nice to have someone else.

“They lost. You’re here. I’m here. Will’s here. It is safe.” El’s statement is simple, but she makes it easy to believe.

He believes them until he gets another new memory of what he did. The Mayors blood on the floor. Heather’s petrified screams. Standing before that thing and feeling nothing but a perverse sense of but awe and, buried beneath that, a screaming sense of horror and the constant feeling of slipping in the sand.

There are times, like right now, when he doesn’t want someone to make him feel better. He wants someone who can drive him away from here and sit in an empty parking lot and smoke away the thoughts. Someone like Steve.

He would do it himself. He would. But he can’t. Can’t get over that fucking gas pedal. So he calls Steve.

They’ve done this enough times for it to make sense for Billy to have Steve’s number memorized. And his work schedule. And to know when he with Dustin or Robin or any of the others on one of those group outings Billy can’t bring himself to go to. There are too many sad faces, too many broken homes.

It doesn’t matter what he wears. It’s just Steve, and they’ve gotten past the point of caring about things like that.

Which. Is obvious to anyone who looks at Billy, not that he sees anyone. He’s lost a lot of weight. Muscles that used to be defined are gone, replaced by scars. He can’t get them back yet, because he’s not strong enough to lift any of them. And because muscles like that can hurt and hit. His eyes are surrounded by heavy bags, bloodshot and tired. The new callouses on his hands are mostly scars from anxiety ridden breakages, and the pained nails are because El wanted to try the new dark blue out. His hair is greasy and flat, nowhere near what it used to be. It hangs around his shoulders in curled waves, so far from where he used to be.

He doesn’t even try to smile to the sad reflection in the mirror.

Steve doesn’t honk when he arrives. The first time he did that and the noise sent Billy spiraling, and Steve had felt terrible, cussing up a storm that actually helped Billy out of it. Luckily, it was just Billy home and no one else was there to witness they’re collective train wreck.

Before he leaves, Billy grabs something from the bathroom and stuffs it in with the rest of the random shit he brings.

Billy slides into the passenger seat, leans his head back against the headrest, and says, “So, Harrington, how you been?”

Steve, mercifully, looks the same as always. He looks good, the asshole. It’s a relief that he’s still able to feel that fire Steve lights up. Different than all the other King’s from California. A few more scars, but they all have that. His shades are pushed through his hair, brown strands flopping over lazily.

“Same as usual, so fairly shitty and on the brink of breakdown. You?” It would be a normal conversation if Steve wasn’t completely serious, corners of his mouth only ticking up when Billy reaches over and bats at the band-aid charm hanging from the mirror. A joke from Billy to say sorry for, you know, almost beating him to death for no real reason.

“Oh, you know.” He doesn’t need to say more for Steve to get the idea. It’s the same way they’ve been feeling for months now.

“Yeah.” The car ride over isn’t far from the Byers’ house, and they spend it in almost silence. Some pop station is playing low on the radio.

“This the shit you listen to, pretty boy? I expected more than this.” It’s an attempt at normalcy, something that they’ve slowly been working up to.

“At least I don’t blast out my eardrums every time I want to listen to music,” replies Steve quickly, smile evident in his tone.

And it’s normal. It’s them. The way they were before it all got so messy. For that brief moment, there’s no winter night or july 4th. For a brief moment Billy can entertain a reality where he went to the find Steve instead of a fight. A world where Steve, with those pretty eyes and snap remarks, could hold his hand and stop him from doing all the bad things in the future.

But the moment passes. Steve clears his throat and looks forward at the road.

They arrive to the quarry, water at the bottom glinting, tossing, teasing. The car doors slam shut, and they slide up on to the front of the car. Billy pulls his last minute grab out of the bag and hands it to Steve.

“I want you to cut my hair.” Steve takes the scissors and towel in his hand, looking at Billy.

He doesn’t ask if Billy’s sure. Billy figures that Steve knows at this point he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t real. If Billy wasn’t sure. Steve cards a hand through Billy’s hair. It feels. Good. Real good.

Steve starts cutting, and Billy winces at the sound of the scissors closing around his hair. His past.

“I like to think it isn’t just part of me.” The comment comes out of nowhere, surprising Billy more than it surprises Steve.

“What?” Steve’s voice is calm, the sniping of the scissors is methodical.

“The anger. The aggression. The tendency to hurt. I like to think it’s not in my nature, but my nurture.”

“I don’t think you’re violent.” It’s a laughable statement.

“You’re joking. Did you forget most of last year? I’m the one with the bad memory here, Harrington.” Billy can practically hear Steve’s disapproving mother’s frown behind him.

“That wasn’t you.”

“Right, sure, whatever, bullshit. But what about…you know. Last winter.”

“What happened before that?” asks Steve patiently.

“Jesus, you’re worse than Joyce. My dad sent me after Max. Found her at Byers’ place with you. Hurt you a whole fucking lot.”

“Is that all he did? He just told you to go after her?” Billy ignores the way his stomach does flips when Steve runs a hand through Billy’s hair, straightening it out.

“So you’re my fuckin’ therapist now? What do you want me to say? He kissed my head and sent my on my merry way? That’s now how he works. I’ll admit, I was saved by his new wifey. He can’t use me as a punching bag when she’s standing right there, not like he did with mom. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Nothing worse than what you’ve done to me. And the insults weren’t too bad either. He forgot to call me a fag.”

“Oh. Shit, Billy, I-“

“It’s fine,” cuts in Billy, hating the pity in Steve’s voice. He’s not the one who should have it.

“You didn’t deserve that.” This time it does make Billy laugh. It’s a hollow and haunting sound, an echo of his charming boyish laugh.

“Sure I did, dipshit. You’re probably one of the people who knows best why I did, in fact, deserve it.”

“So then I’m the best person. to tell you that you aren’t that person. You haven’t been that person since you left him and all of that shit. Let me ask you something. Do you want to hurt people now?”

“No!” Billy startles himself with his sudden enthusiasm, and Steve jumps a little behind him. Steve is quicker to recover, though, and he runs a hand through the hair he hasn’t cut yet. It’s soothing. Billy barely resists the urge to lean into it. Ask for more.

“Did you ever want to hurt people? Like really, truly want to see them hurt?” Billy has to think about the question. Steve deserves an real answer.

Flashes fly through his mind, bringing on too familiar emotions. Anger, a need to make someone, anyone, feel the way that he’s feeling. Fear that not having this power over people would make him weak. Horror at what he’s about to do. Detachment, painful as he grinned and laughed.

“I just wanted to have control. Take some of the hurt I was feeling and give it to other people. It was a rush that I was addicted to. The thrill of the fight, the feel of flesh against my fist, the look of blood on my knuckles. I liked fighting, still do. I didn’t like hurting people.” Steve puts the scissors down on the car hood, fluffing Billy’s hair and sliding down next to him.

“I’ve been on the wrong side of the fists of two people I’m now okay with,” admits Steve. “Believe me, I know now to take a beating. I’ve been heartbroken by two other people I’m close friends with. I forgive too easily.”

“So you’re a compulsive truster and I’m a compulsive fighter. What a pair we make, huh Harrington?”

“Yeah.” agrees Steve, bumping his shoulder against Billy. “What a pair.”

Maybe it’s the haircut. Maybe it’s the sunlight confessions. Maybe it’s how carefree and happy Steve looks. But Billy feels lighter. Like there was this unspoken weight he had been carrying around that no one knew about. Or everyone knew about, but couldn’t help.

The thing is, Steve didn’t even say anything. He didn’t promise a better future, he didn’t say that he was safe. He shared some of the personal pain they all carry around.

“I don’t think I ever said sorry. I am sorry, you know. I. I didn’t-“

<i>Mean to hurt you. Want to hurt you. Mean to let you see how much I hurt. Want to need you.</i>

“I know. I’m sorry too. Someone should’ve known. About you.” Steve leans closer, and Billy chalks it up to the night chill as the sun settles below the glistening rocks.

“I was good at hiding things I didn’t want people to see.”

“Yeah, well you’re not alone there either.”

“You good at hiding, pretty boy?” Billy’s eyes flick down to Steve’s lips, and, is Billy imagining it or is Steve looking at him the same way?

“Apparently not good enough,” jokes Steve. His smile falls off of his lips, and he leans minutely closer. If Billy wasn’t paying attention to all of Steve…

The way his hair glows white and gold in the sunset. That wrinkle between his brows. The way one of his eyes is a little darker than the other. How he smells like cigarette smoke and that fancy hairspray, even when his hair is blown from the wind.

The way he looked that night. Cool and collected, then terrified and fighting for his life. So beautiful in the harsh starlight and then so abstract in the broken kitchen light.

Before he knows what’s happening, Steve is filling that gap. Kissing Billy like he’s trying to sooth the pain from their past. Maybe he is. Billy wouldn’t put it past him.

His hand finds a way to Steve’s hair, the same way Steve’s been running his through Billy’s now shorter hair. He curls it into the strands, holding on tightly. Soft.

The way Steve sighs his name takes Billy away from it all. The pain. The memories. The lack of memories.

They lay out under the stars for a few minutes, but Billy knows Joyce will freak out if she can’t find him. Not because she doesn’t trust him, he has to remind himself, but because she doesn’t trust others.

On the drive home Steve plays that pop stuff again, and Billy gives him the appropriate shit for it, a smile on his face the whole time. His fingers laced through Steve’s.

They arrive at the house, and Steve declines to come in. Gives the excuse that his parents will be waiting up when they both know it’s not true. Billy can’t blame him. Billy understands needing to be alone, needing to get away.

Billy leans through Steve’s window and wished that he could kiss him goodbye. Well. The teasing will have to do.

“Night, King Steve.”

“Goodnight, Asshole.”

If Joyce gives him a knowing smile at the door, Billy doesn’t smile back. Probably.

He definitely does. Maybe he deserves the smile. If Steve thinks he does.

[skullrock]

the (secret) santa - Jonathan x Steve

12 days of fics day 2 - the (secret) santa

pairing: stonathan

summary: Steve is psyched to get Jonathan for Secret Santa, but has a hard time figuring out what to get him.

word count: 4.2k

warnings: simply none

a/n: Jonathan is Jewish here bc I love that headcanon <3 I used the Internet to tell me when Hanukkah was in 1986, and it said it was December 26th-January 3rd, so that's what I used! hope u enjoy <3 also I literally cannot find a good video to make a stonathan gif w sorry

30 days before Christmas; 31 days before Hanukkah

Steve knew Jonathan, but Steve didn’t know Jonathan. Not the way he’d like to, at least.

When he got Jonathan for Secret Santa, he was ecstatic. It seemed like the perfect way to get closer to him - to make things right, to see him in personal and intimate ways. Ways he has always wanted to. He was excited, until he realized that he didn’t know much about Jonathan, save that he made the bat Steve currently had in his trunk, liked to cook, was cute, and was a photographer. And Steve had already gotten Jonathan a camera, so that wasn’t a viable gift. Plus, the budget was twenty dollars.

Twenty dollars did not seem like enough money to spoil Jonathan Byers like he deserved.

So Steve did the only thing he knew how, which was talk, and try to be sneaky about it.

===

28 days before Christmas; 29 days before Hanukkah

“Jonathan!”

Jonathan and Will both turned on their heels to face the voice that had rung out. Will rolls his eyes when he sees Steve jogging towards them - of course it was Steve. And of course he wanted to talk to Jonathan. How neither of them saw it, he doesn’t know, but he climbs into the passenger seat to give them some space. They’ll get it soon enough.

“Hey,” Jonathan says, shoving his hands hastily into his pockets, as if he had something to hide. “What’s up?”

“Hey, man,” Steve pants, leaning forward just slightly and gripping his side. “Do you like music?”

“What?”

“You know?” Steve licks his lips. “Do you listen to music?”

Jonathan’s brows twitch together. “Yeah, I - I listen to music.”

“Me too.”

Jonathan stares, which is all he really knows how to do around Steve. Stare and observe. Take in the brunette and blonde locks, how they curl a bit on the end, how they all fall perfectly into place when Steve runs a tired hand through them. How his sweater is the color of red maple leaves in the fall, and how it clings to his shoulders. How that sweater rides up when Steve straightens, showing Jonathan the pale and smooth skin of his hips.

“What kind of music?”

Jonathan blinks and shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. He glances back to Will, smiling knowingly from the passenger seat, then back to Steve. “I kinda - I gotta take Will home.”

“Shit,” Steve mumbles, then bends forward to wave at Will. Jonathan’s still watching the way the sweater rides up. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

“‘s okay,” Jonathan says with a bit of a laugh.

It’s at this point Jonathan realizes what’s going on. Steve was not very subtle about being his Secret Santa. And if that’s not it, then Steve is making an enormous effort to be Jonathan’s friend, and who is he to deprive him of that?

“The Smiths.”

“Who?”

“The Smiths,” he repeats. “And The Cure. Stuff like that.”

It takes Steve a moment to realize these are bands and not families in Hawkins. “Oh. Oh. Awesome. That’s so cool.”

There’s an awkward pause before Jonathan asks, “You?”

“Queen,” Steve says, almost immediately. “Yeah. Queen. And, like, other stuff, too.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“Yeah.”

Will knocks on the window and raises his eyebrows at Jonathan, because the sight was honestly a bit painful. Jonathan looks, then back to Steve. “I should -”

“Yeah,” Steve says again. “Yeah, go ‘head, don’t let me keep you.”

Jonathan doesn’t know why he feels so damn giddy, why a smile tugs at the corners of his thin lips, but it’s happening. He tucks his face towards the collar of his shirt as he rounds the car. “See you, Steve.”

“See you,” Steve calls back.

He wonders why Will is looking at him like that.

===

25 days before Christmas; 26 days until Hanukkah

There’s something about Jonathan Byers under the glow of Christmas lights.

Maybe it’s the mustard colored sweater he’s wearing, casting a warm glow on his face and illuminating the blonde in his hair. Maybe it’s just the holidays. Either way, Jonathan Byers looked beautiful, and it was just the two of them in Mike’s basement while the kids ran upstairs for snacks.

“Are you ready for Christmas?” Steve asks, his knee against Jonathan’s.

Jonathan bristles. “Oh, we celebrate Hanukkah.”

“Oh,” Steve whispers. “I - do you still do presents and stuff?”

“We do.” Jonathan shifts, bumping his knee against Steve’s again. “But we light the menorah and everything, too.”

“Oh.”

Steve mulls over the logistics of getting someone who is Jewish a Christmas present, but Jonathan luckily says, “So I could do the Secret Santa, because we still exchange presents. My family does, anyway.”

Steve hopes his sigh of relief isn’t too noticeable.

“What other things do you like?” Steve asks. “I - I just realized that we never really got to know each other.”

Jonathan feels himself about to smile again. “Music-wise?”

“Anything-wise.”

Jonathan doesn’t like talking about materialistic things, so he mumbles. Steve has to lean close to hear, and it makes his hair stand on end. “I like photography. And… peace.”

“Peace?” Steve smiles. “Past few years must have been real hell for you.”

Jonathan laughs mirthlessly. “Yeah, they were.” He takes a deep breath. “And I like drawing, sometimes. But Will’s better than me.”

Steve scoffs. “Doubt it.”

“What?”

“I - no. Shit. That’s not what I meant - I mean, like, I’m sure you’re good, too.”

Jonathan lets out a confused laugh. “Thanks.” He relaxes, and his knee is firm against Steve’s now, and both of their breaths hitch. “I really like seeing my friends happy. And I like seeing Will happy. And mom.” And you, he wants to say, but it’s caught half in his chest and half in his throat.

“How is your mom?”

Jonathan wasn’t expecting that. “She’s doing okay.”

“Good. Good.” There’s a sincerity behind Steve’s voice that Jonathan also wasn’t expecting, but that sends his heart soaring in his chest. “If you guys ever need anything….” Steve uses his thumb to point to himself as he turns to Jonathan to show how serious he was. “I’m not that far away.”

“I know,” Jonathan says, and before either of them can say anything else, the kids hustle down the stairs screaming about a movie.

Steve and Jonathan scoot apart.

===

23 days before Christmas; 24 days before Hanukkah

Steve has never been to the Hawkins Library, but Dustin practically holds his hand through the process of finding and selecting a book to read. Steve wants to learn more about Hanukkah, and a children’s book seemed like the best way to understand it all. It takes him only half an hour to read it - a personal record, Steve thinks - and while he’s not still completely sure what Jonathan does to celebrate, he’s at least got a better idea.

Steve thinks of maybe buying Jonathan a hand-made menorah, but the price is well over twenty dollars. Then he considers getting them candles for the menorah, but figures they probably already have that covered. Robin seconds this.

“Just get him a vinyl or a walkman or something,” she says, laying on the floor of Family Video.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” she starts, sitting up slowly, “I would say you’re trying to… impress him.”

Steve stutters. “What? No. No. No way. I - I - I just like getting good presents. I think - I know I’m really, really good at it.”

Robin narrows her eyes at him before sighing. “Steve. I see how you stare at him.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” Robin says, sighing again. “It means nothing, Steve.”

About an hour later, a miracle happens - Jonathan comes to the store.

Jonathan Byers has never set foot into Family Video, and he treads lightly as he enters. Steve almost trips over himself when he sees Jonathan walk in, another pretty sweater on his slim frame.

“Can I help you?” he asks, approaching Jonathan, who stays relatively close to the door.

“I need to get Will something?” It’s more of a question than a statement. “He wants to watch a movie tonight.”

“Oh, I know the perfect thing!”

Jonathan watches Steve jog the short distance to the register and jog back. Jonathan wonders if he always runs around him to impress him, but he pushes that thought out of his head. Steve presents him with a VHS box with David Bowie on it - Labyrinth.

“Bowie?” Jonathan asks.

“Apparently,” Steve answers. “Will said he wanted to watch it, and Keith finally ordered it. You like Bowie, too, right?”

Jonathan’s brows twitch and he smiles a bit, that swelling feeling once again apparent in his chest. “You remembered what Will wanted to see?”

“‘Course.” Steve puts his hands in his back pockets. “I was holding it for him.”

Will was the most important person to Jonathan Byers. He would very easily trade his life with his brother if he could. He would do anything to make him safe and comfortable and happy. And Jonathan never really saw Steve as someone who would care about his little brother in such a way that he saved a tape for him. Which, yeah, maybe the bar is low, but Jonathan’s known for a while now that Steve Harrington has a knack for defying all expectations.

“It’s free,” Steve says, Jonathan shocked into silence. “Just take it. Let me know how it is.”

“Do you want to watch it?”

Steve’s eyes widen before he blinks. “I mean, maybe -”

“Do you want to watch it with us?” Jonathan almost tags on an “as friends”, but Steve’s almost certainly not thinking it’s a date. Steve’s a boy. Jonathan’s a boy. Just friends.

Steve blinks again, his brain short circuiting - like, yeah, of course he wanted to watch a movie with Jonathan Byers, and yeah, Bowie did look hot in that outfit, and yeah, they’re two men that hardly know each other except on a very deeply personal level that Steve can’t think about without making his head spin. It makes Steve’s head hurt when he thinks about the bond he shares with Jonathan, even though they’d only had approximately seven conversations over four years. He thinks Jonathan looks at him like he has him figured out, and it makes Steve’s stomach turn in excitement and anxiety.

“Tonight?” he finally manages.

“Yeah.”

Steve licks his lips. “Yeah, man. Yeah! Yeah. I like movies. Yeah, man, I can come over. What time? Want me to bring something?”

“No,” Jonathan says quickly. “Just yourself. Eight?”

“I can do that,” Steve says, not a hint of a joke in his voice. “Eight sounds perfect.”

“Do you remember where I live?”

Although Steve had only ever been at the Byers residence to thwart evil from overtaking the  universe, he does remember. He could make the drive with his eyes closed. “I do.”

“Okay. Eight.”

Robin smirks behind the counter.

===

Later, 9 pm

Jonathan cannot believe how obvious Steve is about being his Secret Santa.

“Do you listen to Bowie?” he whispers in the middle of the movie. Their knees are touching again.

“Yeah,” Jonathan whispers back.

“Do you, like, have all of his albums?”

Jonathan glances at Steve, then back at the TV. “I do.”

Steve lets out a defeated sigh and Jonathan has to stifle his laugh behind his hand. Will can’t believe how obvious they’re being, either, but he tries to focus on the movie and not the scene happening beside him.

“Do you - like… um. Is there an artist you don’t have… an album… for?”

Steve cringes at himself.

“I’m set,” Jonathan says, trying to wrack his brain for anything he could give Steve. He feels pity for Steve, who’s just trying his best, but Jonathan isn’t exactly materialistic. He doesn’t even know why he let Will convince him to be part of the exchange.

Steve lets his eyes wander around, trying to think of anything he could get Jonathan. Maybe a nice blanket, or a sweater. Maybe a David Bowie poster. His eyes wander towards the kitchen window, where he can see a golden candlestick holder.

“Menorah?” he asks Jonathan, gesturing towards it.

“Yeah.” Jonathan looks towards it, too.

“It’s the twenty-sixth this year, right?”

“What?”

“Hanukkah,” Steve clarifies. “‘Til the third?”

“H- how’d you know that?”

“I looked it up,” he says, matter-of-factly.

“You looked it up?” Jonathan asks quietly.

“Yeah.” Steve frowns a bit. “Was I not supposed to?”

“Why’d you look it up?”

“So I could know more about what you celebrate.”

“Oh.” Jonathan looks back at the TV. “That. That’s nice of you.” And then he looks back at  Steve and with a small smirk says, “We don’t need candles for it.”

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Steve says with a smile, bumping his knee against Jonathan’s.

They both smile the rest of the movie.

===

16 days before Christmas; 17 days before Hanukkah

Steve takes his headphones off. “I don’t know if I like them.”

Jonathan scoffs and bristles. “What - what don’t you like about Joy Division?”

Jonathan’s bed dips under Steve as he adjusts, his knee and elbow hitting Jonathan’s. “They’re, like, sad.”

“That’s the point!”

Steve rolls his eyes slightly, but smiles. “Why do you always want to be sad?”

“I - I don’t - they’re just good.”

“I believe you,” Steve says, and he means it. “I mean, what do I know about music?”

“Here,” Jonathan says, leaning forward to grab a Bowie album. “Have you ever listened to Bowie?”

“On the radio.”

Jonathan smiles and puts the tape into the walkman, and Steve puts the headphones back on. He gives Jonathan an apprehensive look as the younger boy clicks through songs, and is pleasantly surprised by the music that comes through. It’s not as sad as Joy Division - not at all. Not whiney, either - it’s victorious and upbeat and Steve can’t help but to move, shimmying in place, leaning sideways to hit Jonathan’s arm with his as he dances. Jonathan smiles and says something, but the headphones block him out. “What?!”

Jonathan chuckles and pauses the music. “I said, do you like it?”

“It’s happy!” Steve asserts. “You should listen to this stuff more often.”

“I do listen to it.”

“More. Often,” Steve enunciates, and then presses play on the walkman, his hand brushing against Jonathan’s.

Jonathan realizes how much he likes Steve being happy. He always knew it, but he didn’t know how much he liked it. Steve moves like he owns the world, like he’s not ashamed or afraid of anything. And Jonathan knows how bullshitthat is, that Steve, at heart, is a scared and insecure person who needs to love and be loved every moment of the day. Jonathan wishes he could give that to him, but if David Bowie gets Steve close to as happy as Jonathan would like to make him, he’ll take it.

“Put it in your stereo,” Steve says suddenly, pausing the music. “We should both listen to it, shouldn’t we?”

Jonathan shrugs a shoulder and takes the tape from the walkman, slipping it into the stereo and playing it. They both jump at the volume before Jonathan turns it down, and then they sit together, listening to Heroes until it fades out.

“Like us,” Steve says. “Heroes.”

“Yeah,” Jonathan says. “I guess.” Jonathan chews his lip for a moment before pausing the tape. “You saved my life.”

“What?”

“When the….” Jonathan can’t say it. “With the bat.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Steve looks at his hands and then smiles. “After you saved mine by beating the shit out of me.” Jonathan stiffens, and Steve sighs. “I know I said it before, but I’m sorry, Jonathan. I’m… God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Jonathan says, voice a bit cooler. “It’s in the past.”

“You did save my life, though,” Steve says after a pause. “Seriously. If you didn’t beat sense into my brain….”

“You mean a concussion?”

“Sense,” Steve repeats. “If it wasn’t for you….”

“I know.”

It’s all that needs said.

“Another?” Steve asks.

“Really?”

“I like listening,” Steve says.

Jonathan suppresses another smile as he leans forward and turns the tape on again. Their arms are touching.

===

10 days before Christmas; 11 days before Hanukkah

“Just get him a new walkman,” Dustin says, tone bored, as Steve drags him through the biggest mall within an hour from Hawkins.

“It’s not good enough!”

Steve is exasperated, and desperate. He’d been spending way more time with Jonathan, and kept asking questions - he’s 90% sure Jonathan is on to him at this point - and he was still unsure of what to get him. Each day that passed made Steve more desperate to give Jonathan something that would make him happy, and a twenty dollar budget was just not enough for Steve. And though he feels like he knows Jonathan more than most people, he doesn’t quite understand Jonathan. And he wants to. He wants to so badly.

“Jesus, o-kay,” Dustin says, throwing his arms out.

“I’m not - I’m not mad at you.” Steve sighs and runs his hand through his hair as he stares at  a sweater displayed in a window. “I just - I don’t know what to get him.”

Dustin knows why, but he still asks, “Why do you care so much?”

“I don’t! I don’t. I don’t care that much.”

Dustin sees through the bullshit, but he doesn’t think a mall is the best place to talk to Steve about his feelings. “I just got Mike a new dice set. It’s not the best gift, but he’ll like it.”

“Well, I’m not lazy.”

Dustin pouts. “I’m not lazy -”

“And you’re not supposed to tell me who your person is -”

“You told me yours!” Dustin already knew Steve’s, but the point still stood.

Steve’s brows twitch in agitation. “Well, yeah, because I need help!”

“And I am helping you. Get him a damn walkman.”

As Steve contemplates the idea, a new one pops into his head.

“Perfect!” he shouts, making everyone stop to look at him. Dustin inclines his head, trying to get Steve to elaborate.

“We have to go to the music store. Now.”

===

3 days before Christmas, 4 days before Hanukkah

It’s official - Steve hates Joy Division. Not as much as he hates the Smiths, but he definitely hates it.

His ears hurt after listening to Jonathan’s favorite music, hand selecting the songs with the lyrics that Steve thought best exemplified Jonathan. In a way, the music helped Steve understand Jonathan, which was a happy surprise. And, quite honestly, Steve doesn’t mind listening to the music, because he knows it would make Jonathan happy, and that’s mainly what he cares about.

But something seems missing. Maybe it’s because no gift on Earth would be good enough for Steve to give to Jonathan. Jonathan deserved the world, deserved much better than what he was dealt. So did the rest of his family. Steve knows if he gave Jonathan anything worth anything, though, he wouldn’t take it. And if he did take it, he would share it - and Steve wanted to get him something that was purely for Jonathan. Maybe a mixtape was the perfect gift, but it didn’t feel like it. Something was missing.

Not that Steve had much time to contemplate another gift, because the exchange was happening tonight, and Steve couldn’t even write a two page paper in six hours, let alone find a better gift.

There’s always next year, he thinks as he’s wrapping it. Or his birthday. Or….

The wrapping paper his mom had purchased was patterned with bright green mistletoe, plum colored berries hanging from the leaves. Steve’s eyes focus on it for a while - intimacy was something that he missed. The closest he’d gotten in a year was his skin pushed up against Jonathan’s, knees and biceps touching. It made him yearn, and not for just anyone, but for him. For Jonathan.

But Steve doesn’t know how Jonathan feels. Yeah, they touch each other a lot, but maybe that’s just what friends do. Steve wouldn’t know. Jonathan’s eyes had lingered on Steve’s face before, and when they were smoking Jonathan didn’t even wince when Steve passed the joint to him. Isn’t that kind of like kissing? Steve doesn’t know. He just knows he wants to kiss Jonathan. He’s known for a while, and Robin told him after Steve cried to her one night that maybe he’s bisexual, and Steve had adopted that term because he wants to kiss Jonathan Byers so bad. And a kiss would be a personal, for-Jonathan-Byers-only gift.

A kiss, though, seems very straightforward. It doesn’t seem like a great idea. Maybe back in high school when Steve would kiss just about anyone, but not now. Not when he doesn’t even know if Jonathan swings that way.

So Steve finishes wrapping the tape, and he prints Jonathan on it in the best handwriting he can muster, and he hopes Jonathan understands through the lyrics.

===

“It’s got, like, you know.” Steve clears his throat. He’s too aware of the mistletoe above them. “The bands we listened to on it.”

“Steve,” Jonathan says, turning the tape over in his hands. His brows are furrowed together as he studies it, wondering what’s on the tape, wondering what Steve thought was intrinsically Jonathan Byers. It was such a personal gift that Jonathan didn’t even know what to do or say. “I…. Thanks. Thank you, Steve.”

Max grabs another gift from under the tree. “This one’s for Mike.” She chucks it at him and everyone’s eyes seem to turn to Mike, except for Will and Steve.

Their eyes meet, and Will gives Steve a look he doesn’t understand.

What? He mouths.

Will’s eyes flit up to the mistletoe, then back down to Steve and Jonathan. He repeats this a few times until Steve almost gasps at the suggestion. Does Will know something Steve doesn’t?

Steve nods his head as subtly as he can towards Jonathan. Him?

Will nods furiously, then looks back to Mike, who seems quite pleased with the dice Dustin had bought him. But Steve doesn’t get it, and when the presents are done, he pulls Will aside.

“What the hell?” he hisses. “What - what does that -” he mimics Will’s eye movements - “mean?”

Will rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “C’mon.”

“What?”

“Come on,” he repeats. He gets quiet, and Steve can see Joyce in Will. “He likes you.”

“What? Did he say something to you?

“Steve. You touch each other, like, all the time.”

Steve deflates. “So he didn’t say something?”

“He doesn’t need to. Why do you think I convinced him to do this?”

Steve knows he’s saying “what?” too many times, but he says it again. “What?”

“We all planned this. We paired you two together on purpose.” And then he walks away because he’s tired of hearing about everyone’s love lives. This isn’t his problem. He just wants to play with Mike’s new dice.

When Steve looks towards the kids, they’re all staring. They quickly start talking to each other again, and Steve lets himself sit with the realization that these bunch of punks just pulled the most amazing Christmas hijink of perhaps all time.

Shitheads, Steve thinks, and while he’s definitely going to confront (and thank) them later, he’s got to talk to Jonathan first.

Later, 9 pm

“I knew it was you, you know.”

It’s cold outside, but it’s the best privacy they could get.

“How?” Steve asks, though he already knows.

“You’re not very conniving,” Jonathan says, once again suppressing a smile. “It was pretty obvious.”

“I just wanted to get you something you’d like,” Steve says. He breathes out and watches his breath disappear into the cold air. “You’re impossible to shop for, you know.”

Jonathan has the audacity to seem offended. “What?”

“Impossible,” Steve says, stepping forward. “You’re not a materialistic person.”

“So?”

“So,” Steve says. “So.” He can feel his heart in his throat, beating loud and fast - he hopes Jonathan can’t hear it. “So….”

And then they’re kissing under the mistletoe that Mrs. Wheeler hung on the porch.

Steve pulls back first, quick, surprised with himself. “Shit.”

Jonathan says nothing - he just stares.

“Can I kiss you?” Steve asks, throat dry.

“Didn’t you just kiss me?”

“Um. Yeah.”

Jonathan blinks. “Then do it again.”

And this time Steve really steps forward, really takes Jonathan’s cold cheeks in his cold hands, and he really kisses him. Jonathan finally lets that smile come through for the first time in a month as he melts into Steve, like a snowflake into a snowbank. Steve’s warm - well, warmer than the air - and he tastes a lot like vanilla birthday cake. Jonathan’s never really liked cake, but he likes Steve’s lips. Weird.

Jonathan pulls back first this time, because it was getting increasingly harder to kiss as his smile grew. He even tries to hide it behind his hand again, but Steve stops him, taking his cold fingers and wrapping his own through them.

“Impossible to shop for,” Steve repeats, his own smile hurting his cheeks. “Good thing kisses are free and personal.”

A laugh bubbles up from Jonathan’s chest and to his lips. “Yeah.” He squeezes Steve’s hand. Their chests are touching. “Good thing.”

===

tags: @pterawaters​ @mpmarypoppins​

[stevenismyboy]

I like me better when I’m with you ~Part 5.

a/n: three parts to go, yay! I'm super proud of this piece, I hope you like it too! My masterlist is finally working properly, I solved the problem so you can find the previous parts there!

summary: based on ‘To All The Boys I Loved Before’. Y/N Henderson used to be in love a couple of times. This time she’s sure it’s something bigger, something serious. Her love for Jonathan Byers is unlimited, untamed and endless. At least she thought so.

warnings: mentions of alcohol, lightly drunk reader

-

Something's changed that night. You weren't exactly sure what, you didn't know what to call it, but that feeling was with you all the way to Steve's friend's house. You had the feeling that the electricity was flowing through your body, just like on those nights when a storm is about to come. And today the sky was completely cloudless.

Steve was driving a totally different way from Jonathan. He was driving with one hand, clenching his ankles loosely. The other hand was hanging lazy on the door from his side, the wind blew his hair when he opened the window. And although he looked more like he was lying on a couch than he was driving, he was completely focused, reacting to walkers and changing lights.

He was so focused that he didn't see you looking at him. Or he didn't want to see. He was sure that if he looked at you for a moment, he might not look away. He didn't have a 13-year-old girl sitting next to him anymore, but a lovely teenager. He'd rather focus on the road than on you, because, my God, he could swear he'd drown in your eyes.

“I don't know, Steve...” you said not so sure when the boy stopped in front of a house full of people. It's weird that he found a parking space when the street was completely covered in drunken kids' cars. You leaned forward, resting your hands on the dashboard, trying to see anyone you knew through the big windows of the residence. The music tried to break through the walls so you could hear it already in the driveway. “Are you sure you don't want to go with someone else? I don't know your friends...”

“Do I really need to remind you of our rules, Miss Henderson? You committed to something with your signature” Steve bent his head and looked at you insightfully. You nervously bit your lower lip. School was a necessity. You had to be there every day anyway. But a party? People really think there's something serious between you two. And what's worse... what if you feel something serious between you two? “I promise if you feel bad or don't like it, we'll go home”.

“I don't want to ruin your night” you moved your arm. Steve opened the door slightly. “Conversely. I'm sure I'm gonna have even better fun with you” he smiled. Your hand went to the handle, but before you opened the door, Steve circled the car to help you and did it for you. You were shocked when he gave you his hand. “My lady” he bowed slightly and you could see he was trying not to laugh. With his help, you got out of the car. You went up the stairs shoulder to shoulder, but before Steve opened the door, you stopped in front of them, taking some deep breaths to calm down. The boy turned to you and put his hand on your shoulders. Where his fingertips came into contact with your skin, goose bumps immediately appeared on it.

“I won't even leave you for a moment unless you want to, okay? They'll like you. If any of the boys... says or do something that makes you upset, tell me right away. I'll take care of it. And... have some fun” Steve smiled and pinched you gently on the cheek like your disliked Aunt Ruth, who visited you and Dustin on Christmas. But Steve's gesture was different, not annoying, not unnerving, more... adorable.

“I trust you.  And that's the only reason I know I'm gonna have a good time” you said and you were the first to open the door. Surprised Steve let himself be dragged inside right behind you, into a whirl of bodies, music and alcohol. He greeted everyone with a broad smile, holding your hand. Everybody knew who you were, they sent you friendly smiles or jealous glances, but that doesn't matter. As long as Steve's hand held your hand, nothing could happen to you.

“Harrington! You made it!” Evan, the tall blonde boy who apparently owned the house and was the host, patted Steve on the back, almost pouring out his drink from red cup. His eyes were glowing at your sight, the corner of his mouth was up. “And you brought your fiancée! Nice to meet you. Harrington has been bothering us with stories about you after every training. Believe me, sometimes it was hard to believe you were real”.

“Really?” you asked surprised and you looked at Steve, who got nervous and his eyesight went somewhere above you. You did know that Steve had to tell the boys on the team something, but did he really talk about you as often as Evan said?

“Don't embarrass her, Y/N can be very shy” he finally said something got his arm around you. “It wasn't me who started blushing” you said, looking at his red cheeks. Evan laughed, and Steve looked at you. A small creature that clung to his side and smiled innocently, even though it was annoying him on purpose. He couldn't help but smiled, even though his cheeks were burning from the inside. Until then, only Nancy was able to embarrass him. He didn't expect anyone else to succeed.

“It's beautiful here. This is your new place?” he changed the subject quickly. Get yourself together, man. “Parents. But I take the credit” Evan touched his shoulder. “I guess I'd like a drink. You want something? A drink, coke, water?” Steve asked. His hand went down your back, stroking you along your spine. “Drink, please. But I'm begging you, don't be like Robin. I'd rather have more juice in the cup than vodka, or let the proportions be equal” you ask, and made puppy eyes. 

“I'm feeling a little offended. I can not only consume but also prepare alcohol perfectly. Stay here, Henderson, and wait for me to bring you something, and then you'll feel like you're in paradise!” Steve started screaming as he was getting further and further into the crowd. You laughed quietly, standing on your toes to see his hand still waving at you.

It turned out there was nothing to be afraid of. The boys on the team turned out to be quite nice, at least those around Evan. Their girls sent you friendly looks, one complimented your outfit. Steve made you feel safe, but his friends didn't give you any cause for concern.

“Well, well. Nice to see you, Y/N. Outside the school” somebody's been talking to you, standing behind your back. You turned around seeing Becky, in fancy makeup and hair tied up in a tight ponytail. Becky had P.E with you and Robin. She was pretty fit, and you guys... well, let's just say running wasn't your strength. She's the one who threw a nasty commentary at your friend the day the letters suddenly disappeared from your room. And ... is it possible that that's who Steve was talking about when he said he liked her?

“I heard... and I saw that you and Harrington are a thing now” she added, shaking her arm. “Becky, pushing people was probably always your strong point. Give her a break” Evan asked. “You're right” you moved your arm towards her. “Me and Steve... we're dating”

“Since when? How did this happen? I didn't expect that... you might be friends” Becky wrinkled her nose as if talking to you was completely below her dignity. Once again, something that should be obvious has become a problem for you. Sooner or later, one of the girls had to ask. Nancy is different. Nancy is your friend, she's not pressing, she's not mean or sarcastic. But Becky? This conversation could end badly. 

“How far has it gotten? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Steve... Honey, I don't think he's looking for a permanent person. He's looking for someone with whom... who he could have a nice time with. I don't think you're willing to make that deal, do you?”

You swallowed your saliva, praying that Steve feels something's wrong. So that something would touch him in the kitchen, so he'd put down a bottle of vodka and come back here as soon as he could. “You're right, Becky. Y/N wouldn't be willing, but apparently you are, if you're trying to upset her and make her doubt” Evan said angrily. 

“I'm only saying this because I know her. I don't want her to get hurt” the girl pouted out her lower lip. It's obvious that none of what she said was honest. “And I know Steve” you said quickly, even though Evan already gently pulled you away from the girl. “And I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me or anyone else. So if you're only doing this because you're angry that he didn't come here with you... I'm sorry for you, Becky”.

The girl clenched her fingers so tightly on the cup that her ankles whitened and drops of alcohol splashed on the floor. She walked away mad as a wasp, without saying a word more. “Everything okay?” Steve spoke suddenly behind you. Evan left you alone, pointing his finger at Becky leaving, and then he made a disgusting face. Steve served you your drink. His dark eyes were full of worry. He didn't understand what was happening or what happened. He was starting to get angry at himself. For promising not to leave you, then he disappeared in the kitchen just to get a drink.

I know Steve. You smiled at yourself. Would you have been able to say that a couple of weeks ago? Of course not. But it took a few days in his company, really in his company, to see what he really is. Warm, tender, caring. It's not the Steve that Becky described. That's your Steve. The one you once knew.

“Nothing to worry about. Evan and I handled it ourselves” you said a smile and put your hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Steve relaxed by your touch, waiting for you to dip your mouth in a drink. The liquid flowed down your throat, smoking it from the bitter and spicy taste of vodka, which softened the sweetness of coke. Your eyes went wide, you licked your lips. “This is actually really good! What did you add here?”

“You don't want to know” Steve twisted his head, laughed and drunk himself. “I hope... it's not a beer” you said quickly. The boy twisted his head again. “I'm driving. It's just orange juice. Only your drink took me so long, so you'll have to forgive me” he shrugged his shoulder innocently. You laughed and drank the drink to the end. The cup landed on the coffee table, and your shoulders went into Steve's hand. You took his drink, dragged him into the crowd.

“I suddenly felt like dancing” you laughed, clenching your fingers on his shirt.

-

Steve swore to God, he didn't want you to get drunk.

He didn't drink a drop, knowing he had to get in the car and take you both home safely. When you asked him for another two drinks, he agreed without hesitation, but he didn't know you had such a weak head. You were on your feet, but everything started to be funny for you, your giggle mixed with the music, the words sometimes resembled gibberish in combination with the music played by Cutting Crew.

“Steve. Suddenly. Incredibly. I got hungry” you said suddenly, with a serious expression on your face, stopping to dance. So Steve didn't even wait a moment longer. He went into the kitchen, took so much food out of it that a few packs of crisps slipped out of his hands and went out with you before you could do it yourself.

You walked next to each other, laughing loudly at Evan, who was taking off his shirt in the living room. You held Steve's arm like a lifebelt, afraid that your legs would let you down and you were not wrong. As soon as you were both on the dewy lawn, your sneakers slipped on the grass, and you fell on your ass painfully, pulling Steve behind you. He landed on his back, looking up at the sky full of stars, and then he looked at you, writhing with laughter, in a dirty green shirt.

“Oops” you just managed to say, when tears flowed out of your eyes. “Oops? This situation doesn't qualify for 'oops'! That shirt was new!”. “I'm sorry” you said, desperately trying to stop laughing. You must've looked hilarious, holding on to your sore stomach, gagging in the wet grass in the driveway. “Whatever. You'll just wash it. I didn't expect you to be so strong”. “Hey!” you wrinkled your eyebrows and looked offended at him. Your face made him laugh again. “I'm small, but strong”.

“You don't even know what the top shelf looks like”. “Listen-” you tried to say something, but he quickly put a cake in your mouth to keep you quiet.  You lay back on the grass, but Steve was too afraid you'd choke, so he helped you sit down. 

“Dustin can't find out about this. He would laugh at me for the rest of his life”. “Because your ass is drunk or because you fell down with me in front of all the guests?” “Both. You can't tell him that. Otherwise... I'll be very, very angry at you”. “I will think about it. You ruined my shirt, I can ruin your life”. “You're really like that?” you asked, reaching over him for another cookie, but the he raised his hand so much that you couldn't reach the box. “I hope you trip into a puddle”. 

“Well, I hope you fall of a ladder” he showed you his tongue, though it wasn't very mature. “Yeah?. Well, I hope you step on Lego” you added, and he opened his mouth. “Okay, that went way too far!” he said and threw the cakes on the ground when his fingers went to your sides. He couldn't remember where you were ticklish, but as soon as you laughed, he remembered where you were most sensitive. His fingers went up to your belly and then up to your neck. It all hurt from laughing. You got winded trying to free yourself from his hands, but he wouldn't stop until your pants were completely wet from rolling in the dew.

“I guess that's enough. Because you're gonna die right here” Steve took a deep breath, moving away from you. “Thank God” you said, trying to get up and rest your head on your knees. You laughed for a while until suddenly there was silence. Except for the music, laughter and conversations coming from the house, none of you made any sound. Your cheeks were red from laughter, warmed up from emotions. Steve fixed his hair and looked at you, laughing and amused like a child.

“You did good over there. Becky was furious” he confessed, when you both calmed down so much that you could actually tell each other full sentences instead of uncontrollable laughter. “I hope this was the first and last time you” you said, opening a pack of jellies. “I like the fact that you weren't afraid of her. You didn't even need Evan to help”. “She's scaring me. By the way, she's not the only one. Carol was always scaring me too”. “Carol?” Steve snorted in disbelief. “She was only strong in talk. She's such a coward when it comes to real confrontation”.

“But her presence is intimidating. Because of the way she treats other people. That's why everyone prefers to stay away from her” you said it quietly, raising your shoulders. The stars were shining so bright that you even squinted your eyes to get used to them. I'm only being honest with you.

“So be honest with me” Steve said suddenly, turning his head away from the sky to look at you. “Why... of all the people at school... you told Jonath that you love me?”

“I can't answer that question” you admited. Although the alcohol was still flowing in your veins, you could have sworn you were absolutely sober at that moment. “You were the first person that came to my mind. I didn't even have to work harder than that. I just... I thought of you. Maybe because you were the first boy in my life... the first boy I ever had feelings for. Before Ralph or Stanley showed up. Maybe you never really came out of my head and you're still sitting there, just... just not in the same way you used to”.

He sat there quietly for a while. He had to digest it, rethink what you said. In some way, he never forgot about you either. Maybe he just thought he did, because he preferred spending time with someone else, but somewhere in the back of his head he still remembered the smile of the girl you used to be. He remembered riding on bikes together, swimming in his pool, although his parents forbade you to do so. The memories that he had hidden deep in his heart came out and took over him completely, not wanting to be hidden again.

“You think that... when this is all over and we stop pretending... We're gonna let this whole show go... we can still be friends?” he asked, full of worries. Fear of your answer paralyzed him. He even stopped feeling the cold. He'll understand if you disagree, but will he be able to stop talking to you? Stop saying hello in the hallway, drive up to your house every morning? Will he be able to give it all up?

“I don't think it'll be easy to forget about you now, Steven Harrington” you said quietly. He turned around carefully to look you in the eye. His hand went to your cheek. He gently pulled the hair off your face to get a better look at you. “Yeah?” he asked. Your breathing mixed together. You smelled his hairspray, perfume and washing powder. If he does what he's definitely going to do now, he'll break the rules. You made it clear in the contract that you didn't want it. And as partners, you have to stick to the rules.

“Yeah” you felt like his lips are touching the corner of your mouth first, like he's waiting for an invitation, confirming that what he's doing won't make you angry. And you gave it to him. You opened your lips a little, deepening his kiss, digging your fingers into his long hair. Do friends do that too? You didn't know. But you knew that every day, Jonathan's place as a fairy tale prince in your head was replaced by Steve.

Taglist: @mochminnie​ @sydzygy​ @krazykatkay456​ @ghostineleven​ @the-almond-dinger​ @l0ve-0f-my-life​ @jxnehxpper​

[ahoyfandoms]

The Knee In Your Back

Prompt: First night together @risenfrommyimagination

Pairing: Robin Buckley x fem! Reader

Summary: You've been Robin’s girlfriend for a while now but you’ve yet to spend your first night together.

Word Count: 3782

Warnings: swearing

A/N: Robin has me soft, girlfriend Robin has me even softer. My rl hoe and me exchanged prompts and that is what happenend kids.

Feedback or constructive criticism is very welcomed!

More Robin: Drabbles

It wasn’t the fact, that you hadn’t had a sleepover in your life. You’ve had sleepovers with plenty of people. 

Ok, maybe not plenty, but…

A simple sleepover was not a reason to be this nervous at all.

You had tried to not pay so much attention to what was coming or rather who was coming over tonight. Even with your headphones on and Our House by Madness fueling you on, you could not shake your anxious feeling.

While putting your stuff away you muttered some words along to the song.

 You took a step back, trying to calm down by wiping your sweaty palms on your jeans and looked around for any knick-knacks that still weren’t in their place.

Since you’d spent your free afternoon cleaning your room to make it look presentable there wasn’t much clutter left that needed fixing.

Sure, your laundry basket was still overflowing a little bit, the towers of undone homework and unread books were still silently judging you from your desk but overall it looked clean and cozy.

“Ok, I’ll do some laundry and then I think I can relax.”, you spoke into the silence of your room.

You took off your headphones, slung them around your neck and grabbed a pile of laundry. 

Hearing the music change to ABBA, a smile crept across your face. Robin had mocked you once for being obsessed with them. You knew she secretly loved them, too.

After loading up the washing machine and pausing ABBA, you decided you were done and could begin anxiously waiting for Robin to arrive.

“Just gotta put the Walkman away,”, you instructed yourself while following along, „and now I am free.”.

Just a second later, you heard the telephone ring downstairs.

“Oh, Shit!”

You dashed down the stairs, wanting to spare Robin the experience of having to small talk with your mother when she picked up.

 In your rush, you forgot about how slippery your carpeted stairs could be and slid down the last couple of stairs.

“Oh, Jesus fuck!”, you exclaimed while the edge of the stairs dug into your bum and back. That would give you two nice bruises probably.

“Hello, Sanders household. How may I help you?”, your mother had already answered the phone while you lay defeated on the stairs.

“Excuse me for just one second.”, she said.

“Honey, no need to bring Jesus into this! Are you ok? It’s for you.”, she called into the hallway, having the speaker covered with her body so that the person on the other side wouldn’t hear your misery.

Angry at your own impatience and still hurt you got up and rubbed your now aching back and bottom. 

Goddamnit…

Upon entering the kitchen, your mother shot you a look and held the phone out to you.

“It is for you”, she mouthed at you.

It was her. Please let it be her, you pleaded in your thoughts while taking the speaker and looking at the clock to checking if it could really be Robin.

“This is Y/N.”, you answered.

“So do tell, why did you have to bring Jesus into this?”

The thing was: you could feel her smirk, even though you couldn’t see it.

“Might’ve slipped on the stairs, but also just might be a good catholic girl.”, you almost whispered, not trusting your voice right now.

You anxiously started playing with the telephone cord. Twisting it around your fingers until they were covered.

It was around eight now. Shouldn’t she be off now? Your mother was preparing lunch for your father to take to work tomorrow. She was already in her nightgown and would retire for the night in about half an hour probably.

She worked early shifts at the library on weekends, so she always made sure to get her beauty sleep.

Your father, on the other hand, was working a night shift down at the police station. After the Chief had gone missing, he had to take a lot of his workload.

Robin chuckled.

This made you feel relaxed. It was like she could just wash all the anxiety away with one simple gesture.

“You are a lot of things, but you are not a good catholic girl.”, she said.

You snorted. What was that supposed to mean?

“But anyways. I am calling to tell you to -”, you heard someone complaining in the background, “ – Steve, I am trying to have a conversation here…!”

Then you heard bits and pieces of arguing between Steve and Robin.

“I am sorry, Steve is being his dingus self and wants to close up. Just wanted to let you know I am on my way, babe.”, Robin finished her sentence.

 And with that, all your anxiety came back to you. You couldn’t even calm down by playing with the phone cord anymore.

“Alright.”, you managed to get out.

“Breathe, babe. Bye.”

And with that, the phone was silent.

“Who was that, honey?” Your mother asked as you hung up the speaker.

“Robin, she’ll be here in twenty, I think.”, you shot another glance at the clock.

“Alright, you two have fun. There is still a little leftover dinner in the fridge if she wants some.”

Your parents didn’t know the extent of Robin and your relationship. They knew you had Spanish and chemistry together. They thought you were just two girls, being best friends.

You were way past of being best friends though. That had stopped when she kissed you that one night.

The memory of her soft but chapped lips brushing against yours made your heart flutter and your cheeks heat up.

You decided against waiting for Robin in your room and watched some TV to get your mind off her.

 It was a soft sound, her hands knocking on your front door. She knew your mother was in bed and probably trying to fall asleep right now.

She had been over at your house plenty of times. But you had yet to spend a night together with each other. As a couple. It felt daring to even think of that word.

It was a constant hiding game, your relationship. No kisses and hand holding out in public. Hugs were ok, but they needed to be quick and unsuspicious.

Sometimes it made you furious that other people could just show their affection out in the open and you two could maybe sneak a kiss in the break room when Steve was feeling nice and you two were feeling adventurous.

Trying to compose yourself, not looking too desperate to see her, you opened the door.

As soon as you saw her hair up in that wild ponytail, she put it in when Keith was being a pain in her ass and asking why he gave Steve that job and where all the hot ladies were.

You smiled at the thought. 

One-time poor, shy Keith tried flirting with you. You had politely declined his offer to show you some better movies than what you were planning to rent.

Robin was angry but also so insecure after that.

“Well, what am I going to do? I can’t just kiss you and tell him to back the fuck off.”, she had said almost desperate.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”, you whispered. Robin talking getting you out of your thoughts.

You stood aside, telling her to come in. Robin saved all displays of affection for your bedroom now. You always did that when you visited each other at home.

She quickly got out of her shoes and followed you into your bedroom. It was still weird for you to have a girlfriend. After all that anxiety, you always needed an adjustment period for your body and brain to process that you could share anything with her and just touch her.

Robin didn’t seem to need that adjustment period because as soon as you reached your room upstairs and closed the door, she hugged you from behind. Leaning her head on your shoulder, you could feel her breath against your ear. 

You leaned into her a little bit and put your hands on top of hers, feeling the tension slowly fading away.

Softly she spoke: “You know what? Steve might be earning a ‘You Rule’ tally soon.”.

You turned around in her embrace, now facing her, hands clasped behind her neck. 

Her hands were on your waist gently caressing you with her thumbs.

Your gaze wandered upon her face. You didn’t dare to look her in the eyes just yet.

You could, however, count her freckles, if you wanted to.

“Really? How did he manage that?”, you asked with a smile.

While you were waiting for an answer you threw all your precautions and anxious feelings out of the window and looked up into Robin's eyes.

She was looking at you the whole time like you had laid down the very ground she was standing on.

You noticed her eyes switching from yours to your mouth. A tentative ask if you were ok if she’d kiss you now.

It was weird for you, kissing her at first. It felt good, yes. But the fact that Robin was kissing you and really wanted to do it still had you feel giddy.

“Robin? What did he do?”, you pressed on, being too scared to initiate the kiss yourself.

You somehow wanted this moment to just last a little bit longer.

 Robin’s hands wandered up to cup your face. She was caressing your cheeks.

You felt loved, closing your eyes, exhaling – almost sighing. Robin smelled like fresh linen, citrus and that new shampoo Harrington had recommended her when she complained to you about her hair.

While being in your thoughts you hadn’t really noticed that Robin was about to kiss you.

“Just shut up for a moment.”, she said.

Gently, her lips brushed against your own before she hovered over them again. You could feel her gaze switching between your eyes and lips. She knew you were screaming internally.

She took it slow, for you and your heart's sake.

But you were adjusting pretty well tonight, you were slowly transcending into the stage, where you needed and craved her touch and affection.

Robin had that tell-tale smirk on her face again. It lit up your whole heart.

She closed the distance between you two again, connecting your lips in a now more pressing kiss. Her lips still moved gently against yours, as to not scare you off.

Feeling the heat rise to your cheeks, the butterflies in your stomach set free you started to return the kiss.

Your lips moving softly against hers made it worth all the times you were frustrated that you couldn’t do any of this in public.

Robin’s hands were still holding your face close to her when she ended the kiss. You were both catching your breath.

She looked at you with so much adoration, you weren’t sure how your knees were still holding up.

All those feelings always hit you like a hurricane. It was all so new, being in love and being loved back. Sometimes you felt ashamed of how much you really loved her.

You leaned your head on her shoulder, seeing the pulse steadily on her neck, peppering little kisses around that area.

Her skin was incredibly soft, and that welcoming smell hit you again.

“Mhm, babe. Stop, please.”, she murmured.

You looked at her, her face was flushed.

“What’s up? Care to tell me now what Harrington did?”

“Maybe if you’ll kiss me again.”, she suggested while starting to play with the hem of your shirt.

You rolled your eyes at that, giving her a little shove.

“Excuse you, why do you reject me my love?”, she dramatically let herself fall onto your bed.

“Because you’re being a dingus right now.”, you explained holding out your hands to help her up.

She grabbed your hands and pulled so suddenly that you landed with a small yelp on top of her. Robin reacted quickly though and covered your mouth with her hand.

“Shh, you don’t want to wake up your mum.”, she whispered.

You felt your flush creeping up again, trying to roll off Robin but she wrapped her legs around you. Always one step ahead of you.

“Why don’t you tell me again, who the dingus is here?”, she dared.

“Harrington of course.”, you replied.

“Right answer, good girl.”

“Don’t say that Robin.”, rolling your eyes you finally managed to roll off her.

“Why not? You said it yourself, you’re a good Christian girl.”, she was teasing you. She probably wouldn’t let go of that comment for a while.

“But, back to the problem on hand: there is this girl and she was being all cute and shy around Harrington. Luckily, he choked on his spit today while talking to her. So, I don’t think I’ll be making that tally too soon.”, she explained.

“Well, you know.”, you made a gesture with your hands, “I think he definitely has earned a ‘You rule’ tally for all the times he has been so supportive of us.”

“Come on, you’re being no fun.”, she complained,” Steve deserves to be teased. He is a dingus.”, she went on.

“He is, but he is also your friend. And I appreciate him as such.”, you concluded.

“You’re too sweet.”, she yawned. She must be pretty tired.

“Do you mind if we go straight to bed?”, she asked while starting to play with your hair, lightly combing through it and scratching your scalp in the process.

“My mum has leftovers in the fridge for you, if you want to eat first?”

“That’s very sweet of her. I had a packed lunch and now I just want to get to bed.”

She yawned again as if to prove her statement.

“You just want to cuddle with me, be honest.”, you joked around, propping yourself up on your elbows.

“You know me too well.”, she spoke softly, her gaze never leaving you.

She got up from the bed, grabbed her overnight bag and plopped that down on your bed.

And with the thump of her bag, all your anxiety came back to you once again. 

Are you going to get into pajamas in front of each other? Would it be weird? Would it be even weirder if you did this in the bathroom? By yourself?

You stood up, standing awkwardly next to Robin, fumbling with your hands, not sure what to do.

Robin was throwing her pajamas on a side of the bed carelessly; they weren’t even folded neatly. Her overnight bag looked like she just stuffed a bunch of stuff in it this morning.

“I can hear you thinking from over there.”, she called you out, while you chewed on your bottom lip.

 She reached out for your fumbling hands, taking them into hers, her thumb lightly grazing over the back of your hand.

“We’ve never done this.”, you whispered, not looking at her but at a little dust bunny, you found on the floor.

“Hey, it’s not like we are going to fuck the whole night. Relax.”, she tried to ease you up with a joke.

You took your hands out of hers. “Jeez Robin, you’re such a romantic.”.

“I know. Why don’t you go change in the bathroom and I’ll change here and then we brush our teeth and I’ll start snoring the second I hit those sheets?”

“I will kick you if you snore!”, you threatened her, wagging a finger at her and walking into your ensuite.

You slid off your clothes, feeling relieved to finally get into your pajamas. 

You felt more at ease when she had seen you struggling. Robin always seemed to know what you needed, she was always there to get you out of your head and back into reality.

When you got to your shirt you stopped for a moment. Was Robin going to keep her bra on? You’d never seen each other naked yet, not even while making out.

But sleeping with a bra was the most uncomfortable thing ever…

A soft knock on the door interrupted your train of thoughts.

“Are you ready yet? I’ll fall asleep, take over the whole bed and get cavities if you don’t let me in right now.”, she whined dramatically.

You decided to take off your bra, slip on your shirt and just put an arm around your body, supporting your boobs.

While slipping on your shirt, you could see the purple bruise on the lower end of your back. Those stairs really did a number on you. More like my impatience…

Opening the door, Robin slipped in, toothbrush in hand, wearing the shortest shorts in existence. Scratch that, they weren’t even worth it to be called shorts, she could’ve just been wearing her underwear.

“See something you like, pretty girl?”, she whispered as she stepped into your personal space.

You huffed. Shaking your head and wetting your toothbrush with the toothpaste.

She was beginning to brush her teeth now, smirking and looking at you being flustered. She seemed really pleased with herself.

Your grumbled something. 

“What was that?”, she spit out the toothpaste, finishing up. She stepped behind you, embracing you in a hug again.

Her lips trailed soft kisses along where your shirt fell off your shoulder and up your neck.

“Nothin’.”, you lied. You felt yourself getting goosebumps when she kissed the spot behind your ear.

Robin hummed against your skin, your eyes meeting in the mirror when you finished up brushing your teeth too.

Slowly, as if to test the waters, she let go of you. It felt oddly cold not having her wrapped around you.

She walked back into your bedroom, slipping into your bed with such ease as if you did this regularly. Sometimes you asked yourself how she did that: being so careless.

Turning on the lava lamp on your nightstand, you switched the light in your room off. You felt like a stranger in your own bedroom.

It felt good and relaxing to have your girlfriend around, but it also made your anxiety skyrocket into a whole new universe.

“You know, your bed smells really nice.”, Robin hummed as she got comfortable in your bed.

“Hm, that does not sound creepy at all Miss Buckley.”, you said as you slid into your bed, a sigh escaping your mouth.

“Not going to lie, the Harrington’s know their mattresses.”, you told her.

“What? Why do you have to bring the dingus into our pillow talk?”, the soft pink hue of your lava lamp, illuminated her disgusted looking face.

“Ugh, Robin it’s not like that.”

“Enlighten me then, babe.”, her soft voice was barely above a whisper.

“You know I’ve known Steve since I was a baby. Our Parents went to high school together. And when we moved my bedroom, I got a bigger bed and I’ve had a sleepover at Steve’s multiple times you know. So, I just asked him, what kind of mattress he has.”, you explained.

“You had sleepovers with him? In his bed?”, Robin's eyebrows were raised high.

“Yes, our parents always try and make us end up together.”, you shivered at the thought.

Steve wasn’t such a douchebag anymore, that was great, but you’d never thought about him in that way…

Robin swallowed, looking worried. She always licked her lips when she was nervous.

“Guess, I’ll have to disappoint my parents right there…”, you whispered.

This didn’t seem to make her worries go away. She knew you had a relatively good relationship with your parents, yet they didn’t know you preferred women over men.

Robin wasn’t one to talk though, you knew she only ever told Steve and one of her high school friends.

It was one of the rare times where Robin was caught up in her thoughts, spiraling down the route of self-doubt.

She had this worrying wrinkle in between her eyebrows, eyes fixating on a point behind you as if she was able to look right through you.

“Robin?”, you touched her cheek, feeling her eyes now really focusing on you.

“You know, that I’m not going to abandon you? I’ve waited too long to finally call you my girlfriend to let you go…”.

Robin huffed, slightly shaking her head.

“The only thing is,”, she trailed her fingers over your arm now, “you can’t even call me your girlfriend.”

She sounded so defeated; you could feel your chest tightening. It hurt, to see her like that.

“The only thing important to me is, that we know it, you know. And maybe Keith, he is still trying to hit on me.”, you made a disgusted face.

Robin chuckled at that.

“He is relentless. Asking me about you. At one point I will strangle him with some tape.”, she joked.

Robin seemed pleased with her idea, smiling at you and looking so very beautiful.

Shyly you leaned in for another soft kiss. Longing for the touch now, needing reassurance, that this was, in fact, your girlfriend ready to kill a poor clueless man.

Robin broke off the kiss to yawn again.

“Wow, what did Keith do to you?”, you wondered.

“Had me stacking boxes and doing some inventory stuff. It was really boring.”, Robin explained.

“Come here.”, she held her arms out, so that you could cuddle in even closer with her.

Her body felt warm and soft against yours. She still smelled intoxicating, when you nuzzled your head into the crook of her neck.

Robin had slung a leg around your hip, and you thought you could never feel more at ease than this.

The only sounds were some cars passing by, the wind howling softly.

Your lava lamp still illuminated you in the soft pink light. You always left it on, after all, that had happened.

“Goodnight, babe.”, Robin pressed a kiss on top of your hair.

“Mhm, G’night Robin.”, you answered pressing your lips lazily against her pulse point.

She pulled you in closer.

After a while, you could hear her soft, steady breath. Robin always fell asleep like it was nothing. One time she even fell asleep standing up.

You’d never been able to do that. Always struggling to shut up your head and find peace and quiet.

 A knee in your back let you wake up rather harshly, groaning you turned around to see who was so rudely waking you up this Saturday.

Robin lay there, her mouth softly opened, a little wet spot of drool on her pillowcase, her right leg pulled up high (the one that just woke you up) and hands tucked under her pillow. She looked so relaxed.

And at this moment, you decided you never wanted to wake up without her anymore.

I am tagging you because you’re either one of my hoes or I thought you’d like this. Please tell me if it wasn’t ok to tag you!

tags: @marvelscoops @badass-robin @sinfulsweetpea @silver-winter-wolf @losermultifandomidiot @robinbuckleyfanfics @robinlikeswomen @bitchinrobin @bullymehargrove @minigranger @upsidedownfics @harringtown @parker-potter

[daddystevee]

Crashing Down

(steve harrington x hopper!reader / billy hargrove x hopper!reader)

BLEHHHHHH I’m having a REALLY hard time writing this rn, just because I feel like the story isn’t really progressing that much. And like i'm just going over parts of the show that has actually happened.. But i'm gonna keep truckin through i guess. I think this chapter is gonna be pretty long because im gonna try to get through a lot. There’s not a whole lot of Billy or Steve in this chapter but more like sister bonding with the girls <3 I dunno feedback would be greatly appreciated!!! <3 Thanks to everyone that's been reading it and thanks to @harringtown​ whose been supporting me through this whole thing. I honestly don't think I would be able to do this without her. <3 so go check her stuff out shes my main source of inspiration- also she's just the BEST writer like ever! She’s totally tubular. ;)

catch up here

Warnings: Curse words? Angst? I dunno anymore man.

Part 4/?

Word count: 2.1k (a big boy)

Summery: Sometimes things just don’t go as planned and your world just come crashing down, but it’s a good thing that you have people in your life to be there to catch you when you fall.

So there you were sitting on the counter in the back room of Scoops watching Steve pace back and forth, trying to understand Russian and eating a banana. 

Dustin cut off the recorder and asks Steve what he thinks about it. 

“Sounds familiar.” Steve says finishing off his banana. 

“What?” both you and Dustin say at the same time

“The music, that music right there at the end.”

You sigh heavily and put your head in your hands,

“Steve, you’re such an idiot.”

The two boys start arguing about the fact that Steve should be paying attention to the words not the music when you butt in again.

“I can’t take this shit anymore,” you said looking back and forth between the two fighting boys, “I’m going home.”

You push yourself up and off of the counter and start to walk out the door when Robin burst through the door clearly fed up and aggravated.

“Alright, babysitting time is over. You need to get in there.”

She notices that her ‘You Suck’ board has been erased and looks at you as if you were the one to erase the board. You stick your hands up in surrender with wide eyes and looked back at Steve and Dustin.

“I guarantee you what we’re doing is way more important than your data.” Dustin said, looking to you for reassurance.

You just shrug your shoulders at him.

“Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyway?” Robin says.

You slowly start to back up towards the door with that question, “Yeah, I think I’m gonna go now..”

Once you make it out the door you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. You hear Robin tell the guys that she’s fluent in 4 languages.

Dustin seems very impressed, “Russian?”

“Ou-yay are-yay umb-day” she says.

Both Steve and Dustin are extremely impressed by her fancy words, you pop your head back in the door before officially leaving to add a few words.

“It’s pig latin, for ‘you are dumb’, you dingus’ ”

They all turned their heads to look at you, Robin had a smirk on her face and sent you a wink while the boys had dumbfounded looks on their faces. And with your last few words, you left.

><

You walked out of the ice cream parlor and took a look around to see what you could do to pass some time.

After walking around, looking at a few stores you heard your name being called.

“Y/N!” Max screamed pulling El right behind her.

“Max! El? El, what are you doing here? You know you’re not supposed to be here right?” you asked Eleven, but looking at Max.

“SHE JUST- needed some girl time!” Max was quick to say, “The boys- they’re being real douchebags.”

You knew that all too well, especially with everything that’s been happening with Billy as of lately. 

“Yeah. We- wanted to go..” El turned her head to look at Max for reassurance. When max nodded her head, a smile creeped onto her face and she continued confidently, “shopping.”

You stood there with arms crossed looking at both of the younger girls. You remembered what it was like being their age, and you knew that the girls wanted to just have some harmless fun. So you smiled while rolling your eyes.

“Fine, BUT- only on one condition,” you started “you guys have to hang out with me.” 

The two girls both had giant smiles plastered on their faces. They looked at each other then looked back at you. They each took one of your hands and dragged you off to The Gap.

You and max both followed El around as she was looking around when she walked up to a display with a blue shirt with yellow, red and white lines on it. 

“Do you like that?” Max asks

“How do I know, what I like?” El responds

“You just try things on, until you find something that feels like you. Not Hopper, not Mike, Not Y/N,” she says as she points to you. You do a little spin showcasing your style, “you”

>cue shopping spree montage<

At the end of trying on lots, and lots of clothes El finally decides on two new outfits and a new romper. Max ends up with a new pair of sunglasses and you leave with a new hat and a few new shirts. 

You walk out of The Gap arm in arm with the two girls, giggling and smiling at each other like there is no one else in the world. The next thing you know, you’re being pulled into the Flash Studio.

You watch them dress up and take tons of pictures. Striking different poses and pretending to be someone else for the day. The even convinced you to take a couple of pictures with them. You truly were having the time of your life.

“How about some ice cream?” Max asks at the end of a fun filled day.

El looked at you with pleading puppy eyes begging you to say yes. She knew you wouldn’t say no to the puppy eyes.

You sighed and shook your head with a small smile on your face, “I don’t see why not.”

The three of you walk in to none other than Scoops Ahoy. You make your way up to the counter for the two girls to place an order. Right when Steve finishes making their cones and some other random cone Robin pulls open the divider,

“We’ve got our first sentence!”

“Really? Makin’ more progress than Harrington, huh?” you ask

“Can it Hopper” Steve says with a serious look on his face.

“The week is long” Robin says with a Russian accent.

“Well that’s thrilling.” Steve says sarcastically

“It’s progress!” she says before shutting the divider once again to continue her work.

Steve turns around holding three ice cream cones,

“Alright here ya go, you got a strawberry, and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream and a double scoop of peppermint stick.” he says handing the last cone to you.

The girls thank Steve but you just kind of look at him with a confused look.

“I didn’t ask for any ice cream Steve.” you say slightly confused

“It’s whatever, I know it’s like your favorite. On the house.” he says with a wink. He then turns to El, “Wait a second, are you even allowed to be here?”

Max and El start giggling and run away leaving you standing at the counter.

“Well, okay then.” he turns his attention to you.

“Guys, I think I’m just gonna hang out here until close! I’ll see you guys at home for dinner?” you half yell at the girls who are already out the door.

You walk around the counter and into the back room where Dustin and Robin were still sitting. They seemed to be discussing what they had found out and were trying to figure out what their next move would be. They just seemed to be all around struggling with the next few phrases. 

The week is long, The silver cat feeds, When blue meets yellow in the west. 

You weren’t sure if you should mention the fact that your mom, who knew Russian, taught you at a young age how to speak Russian, or if you should just wait to see if Steve remembers.

You choose to sit there and taunt them, making little side comments every now and then throwing them off track. The translation ended up taking well over 8 hours, seeing how they finished after the mall had already closed.

You all read out the whole phrase together for the first and final time for that day, the phrase didn’t really make any since, but you felt like this would be a good time to tell them what you had been hiding from them all day.

“You know we totally could’ve been done with this like 8 hours ago.” you say super casually.

“What?” the three of them as in unison looking at you like you were crazy.

“I mean you guys asked Robin if she knew how to speak Russian..” 

“But we never asked you- dammit!” Steve yelled.

“Steve, what’s she talking about.” Robin asks already kind of knowing where this is going.

“I’ll catch you guys tomorrow!” You say with a smirk grabbing your bag and heading for the doors.

“Holy shit.” Dustin says finally connecting the dots

“She knows Russian, (Y/N) fucking knows Russian! Her mom taught her when she was in like, the first grade or something.” Steve sighs as he puts his head in his hands.

With the biggest smirk on your face you were out the door and in your truck headed back to the cabin.

><

You walk into the cabin to music playing loudly, but coming from El’s room. You knock on the door a few times and you open the door to see Max dancing around and El looking through on of your older magazines.

“Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I’m here and was wondering if you guys wanted anything to eat.” you asked the two girls.

They both looked at you and shook their heads and then returned back to what they were doing before you walked in.

You closed the door and headed to your room leaving the door open in case they needed anything.

Suddenly you heard the music cut off but it was soon replaced with static, that could only mean one thing.

The next thing you heard was them giggling over whatever El had seen, putting a small smile on your lips.

There was a loud engine that sounded like it was pulling into the driveway meaning that your dad had finally come home for the night after his date with Joyce.

You emerged from your room to talk to your dad about how his night went. He was so excited to finally get to take her out on a date. But when he walked in the house, he obviously looked extremely drunk and would most likely be hungover in the morning.

He looked at you and then looked at El’s closed door, he suddenly became filled with anger.

“Hey- HEY! When I say 3 inches,” 

“Dad, wait it’s not what you-” you started to say as he marched furiously over to the door where he thought he would find Mike and El behind closed doors, “think.”

The door slams open and he finds not the couple, but only two innocent teenage girls lying on the floor looking at magazines and comic books.

 You stand there awkwardly with your arms crossed, watching as the mess of your father tries to hold a small conversation with the girls. He turns shuts the door and turns around to face you with a blank look on his face.

“You’re so annoying, you know that?” You ask rolling your eyes slightly annoyed but mostly playful.

Hopper just has this smug look on his face, he goes to the fridge crack open a beer and gets on his recliner knowing that the little stunt he had pulled with Mike had worked.

You were finally ready to retreat to your room when Max pops her head out the door and asks you if you want to play a game with them and you happily oblige.

><

You sit down on the floor next to the bed where El and Max have a poster with names written on papers and a glass bottle, it almost looked like they were playing spin the bottle, except they would be using Eleven’s powers to spy on people.

They spin the bottle once and it lands on Mr.Wheeler and they decide that he’s too boring to spy on so they spin again and it lands on Billy.

“I don’t know, this might not be a good idea” Max says

“No!” you say almost a little too forcefully, “No, I want to know what he’s been up to. I really haven’t seen him in a few days.”

El nods her head, and puts the blindfold on as you grab the radio from her dresser and put it on a channel with nothing but static.

The two of you wait in silence for a few minutes before El says that she’s found him.

“What’s he doing?” Max asks

“I don’t know, he’s on the floor?” El says kind of confused, ‘Talking to someone.”

There’s a long pause before she rips off her blindfold, breathing very heavily.

“What? What happened?” you ask.

She just stares at you with a distraught look on her face, like she had seen something, something she wasn’t supposed to see.

[peachbibi]

Mr. Perfect // slow burn

Part V

Summary: Steve Harrington was the coolest guy at school and now he’s working with you at the rental store. Very complicated story about complicated feelings.

Pairing: Steve Harrington/ You

Warning: language

A/N: IM ALIVE! Yeah..This chapter is big so make some tea and prepare yourself. Btw, if you guys have any suggestions about the plot you can write them in the comments.

Sunday 1 am. You were sitting on the ground with your back placed to a cold wall of an old building. Your knees were covered with scratches and blood and the hem of your dress was torn. It was a cold night. The light of the sign ‘Family video’ painted your face red. You were barely crying and you didn’t even know why. Was it because of knee pain or because of Steve? You shivered because of wind and pulled your knees to chest. You felt betrayed. Betrayed and lonely. You picked up a bottle of tequila and took a big swallow. You’d been drinking the whole way here and now the bottle was half empty. Or half full. You giggled. Hot tears went down your cheek.

Let’s get back to the start.

Saturday evening; 7pm.

You were helping a very annoying man who didn’t know what he wanted. You had been standing in front of shelves with movies for thirty minutes. He touched his unshaved chin and looked at your exhausted face one more time.

“So, will you help me or not?” He asked you with that disdainful and haughty expression. His enormous belly was falling over the edge of his pants, he had a greasy spot on his t-shirt and yellow teeth. Jesus. He smelled like shit.

“Sure. Let’s repeat. What kind of film do you want?” You said with your teeth clenched.

“Jesus Christ. It’s very simple! I need a horror movie with a complicated romantic relationship and sprinkles of comedy”

“And?”

“Right! It’s very important - NUNS!” Like he forgot about that long discussion.

“Sir” You took a deep breath. “I’m telling you one more time: we don’t have movies like that. We either have horrors with shitty love story or comedies with shitty love story AND none of them have NUNS” You didn’t know what was wrong with that man but he pissed you out. You look at his red face that matched his t-shirt and suddenly caught Steve’s eyes behind him. Harrington was standing five feet away from you.

“Listen to me-“ Red face made a step to you and almost grabbed your hand. He was furious about a fucking movie. Man, get a life! You were getting not just exhausted but mad as hell. Before any word came out of your mouth, Steve placed his hand on mans’s shoulder.

“What about ‘Sister Gertrude’? It’s a horror with a nun and it is hilarious sometimes. I mean have you ever seen a possessed nun?” Steve gave him a tape and winked at you. You smiled unconsciously.

“But what about love line?” The man kept looking at the tape, he wasn’t that red anymore.

“It’s hard not to fall in love with Gertrude, isn’t it?” Steve’s gaze was still fixed on you and you rolled your eyes. The man thanked Steve for his help and went to the counter. Right. Thanks, Steve.

“Asshole.” Said Steve and came closer.

“Did you see his huge hairy wart on his neck?” He laughed.

“No...but I can see it from here. God” He brushed his hair with a hand, looking at Robin. “Do you- I mean... If you want... of course..”

“What? Did you forget how to use words?” That was a bit harsh. Sometimes you say something but you don’t really mean it. You made a small cough and looked away.

“I’m having a party this Sunday which is tomorrow. So, I’m asking you if you wanna come.” He rubbed his neck awkwardly. Sun went down behind him and the sunlight turned his hair gold. He is a tall and well built guy. Like a statue in a museum. Steve was looking at his hands waiting for an answer. “Robin will be there too”

“Yeah...um. Okay” that’s all you could say.

“Really?” He smiled widely. Such a child.

“Of course. Why not?”

“Okay. Cool...ugh. See you tomorrow then” He started to back up still looking in your eyes. He accidentally hit a rack with films and it fell down covering the floor with romcoms. You heard Robin laughing hard and you joined her.

“Dingus!” She said to him. “Clean everything up and come to me. I need to tell you something”

You came to the poor boy and sit next to him grabbing a pale of movies. You were so close you almost hear him breathing. His hair brushed your cheek and your shoulders touched. You quickly stood up and went to the storage room. You just needed to hide your rose face. You are too overeating. Like, it’s just Steve Harrington. Calm down.

Next day you spent with your mom watching movies and doing nothing. You were relaxing after a hard day at work. You couldn’t stop thinking about the party though. You were too concerned about it. At eight pm you took a shower and waited for Robin to come. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been preparing for the party with a friend. All those dresses and shoes and rock music and talks about getting drunk tonight.

Robin came to you fully prepared. She looked stunning and bitchin at the same time. She helped you to choose a dress and did you a makeover. You felt so great spending that time with Robin. She was so funny and supportive and cool. Like you have a real friend. Maybe she is your friend.

You were standing in front of wooden doors of Harrington house. It was a large two-storey building with a brown roof. You felt exited standing next to the blue-eyed girl who knocked on the door. Five minutes later the party boy opened to you. He was standing right in front of you holding a red cup with liquid. Just like the last time you’d visited his house. There was a difference though. Now he was looking at you. He noticed you. He knew you are here. And he smiled.

“Hello, ladies. I’m glad you’re here” he grabbed both of you and pulled in. House was full of teens and booze. You saw some people from high school but they weren’t there at the first party. They were ghost at school just like you. Then you realised that most of them was Robin’s friends. The crowd of people tugged you into the living room. Right to the dance floor. You couldn’t find Steve or Robin in that mess so you just danced. You had a chat with some classmates, moved your body a little and as party went by you realised you didn’t drink yet.

You went to the kitchen to grab something . Nobody was there. Just a table with snacks and a bowl with cherry punch. You didn’t bother about finding Robin anymore. You lost her as you came in. The wave of people devoured her. You were wondering was she having fun out there or looking for you? Guess she just forgot about you. Standing there drinking sweet-n-sour drink you listened to the sounds of music from the next room. You just needed a second to relax when Steve came. There was a bottle in his hand and he was rather tipsy.

“Here’s Y/N! How ar ya?” He sat on the couch in front of the table.

“I’m good. Yeah, it’s a pretty nice party” you came to him with a cup of punch, taking a bottle from him and adding some alcohol there. It wasn’t a nice party. You felt forgotten. Again. But now he’s here right?

“Jesus, I’m so happy you’re here. C’mon. Sit next to me” he pulled you closer on the sofa and placed his head on your shoulder. He’s not just tipsy. He’s drunk. You can smell it now.

“I can’t find Robin out there. She’s just disappeared” you looked in your cup and then at Steve. He was so close now. His eyes was fixed on you, his soft hair tickled your cheek and god... You liked it. You made a sip and burning liquid went down your throat.

“What?” You finally asked that dork who kept looking at you.

“What ‘what’?”

“You are an idiot, Steve Harrington” You smiled softly taking another drink.

“And you are beautiful, Y/N Y/L/N” your cheeks turned red and you turned your head away.

Robin with a couple of people interrupted your moment of awkwardness. There she is. She seemed busy talking and laughing and drinking. You stood up and went to the bathroom to fresh up as fast as you could. Your face were burning when you washed it with cold water. No, no, no. Not Harrington. Anyway, he didn’t mean it. He is drunk. You sat down on the corner of the bathtub and took a deep breath. This party sucks. Steve and Robin...That’s so messed up. You fixed your makeup a little bit and looked at yourself in the mirror. You never considered yourself as ‘beautiful’. Pretty, funny, smart but not...beautiful. To be logical, you didn’t have the perfect body from magazines and your hair and face. It just didn’t make any sense.

Sound of breaking glass pulled you out of your thoughts. Your opened the door and heard screaming. It was scary. The loud and angry voice cut the air. Sounded like a fight. Probably a serious one. The only thing you could think about now was to find a weapon. Yeah..weird. But it wasn’t your first party-fight. You came out of the bathroom and went into the closest room you saw. Presumably Steve’s room. You hadn’t got enough time to examine it so you just grabbed the barbed bat near his bed. By the time you went downstairs right into the living room, Steve was already fighting with...Um, you couldn’t see through the crowd. You jumped but still nothing. BAM! The crowd dispersed and you saw Harrington on the ground. His back was placed to the coffee table. Blood was dripping down from the corner of his mouth and from the scratch on the cheek. Tommy H. stood in front of him. He wanted to attack again.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” You screamed and hit the floor with the bat. Tommy turned around and looked at you. Actually, everyone was looking at you. The girl who nobody knew was standing in a small dress and a big bat in front of the king of assholes.

“Hey, look who’s here. Sorry, I don’t remember your name. Steve, do you- No, I don’t think you remember her” Tommy smiled at you and you almost threw up. He took a step closer. This jerk knows who are you.

“One more step and I’ll beat the shit out of you” he didn’t listen. He just came closer when you hit the floor with the bat again. It was very close to his feet. He jumped back.

“Bitch” Tommy slowly turned around and went away. You dropped the bat and came to Steve.

“Jesus, Harrington. Why did you invite him?” Robin brought up a wet towel and placed it to his cheek.

“He didn’t” she looked at you. Where was she by the way? “I..um. I’ve invited his sister” Robin looked sad and disappointed. Steve couldn’t think or do anything cause he was drunk and beaten. His head was lying on her lap.

“And why did you do that?” You asked her as calm as you could. You actually wanted to shout at her.

“I didn’t know she’ll bring her brother and...boyfriend” It didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t even an answer to your question.

“Robin, what the hell? I came here because of you and I thought we could have some good time. And you just left me for an asshole’s sister. You left me all alone in the house full of strangers” She looked away.

“Sorry, but you won’t understand” she whispered.

“Clearly, I don’t understand anything” you stood up. “What’s wrong with you?” Robin looked scared and ashamed. You suddenly felt bad for your words. There was something you didn’t know. Something very bad.

Steve opened his eyes...well an eye actually. He looked at Robin who was barely crying and you. Furious.

“Out” he whispered.

“What?” You finally noticed him.

“I said get the hell out of my house” he said it so simple. Like he wasn’t throwing you out. Like it was a small talk about weather. But it hit you hard.

You left. With no words. You just grabbed a bottle from the ground near the exit and left. While you were coming down the stairs, you tripped and fell, tearing your tights. It was painful but you stood up, took down your shoes and leaded down the street.

And now we are here.

You wiped your tears and pressed your head to the wall. Your eyes were closed. Silence. Sounds of footsteps.

“Hey” said very familiar voice.

Taglist:

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[ashfountainfanfics]

It’s weird to be squatting in the Byers’ empty house. It feels too big and hollow. Steve hadn’t been in it often enough to remember the layout but there’s the ghosts of furniture past etched into the carpet. It’s weird to think that a family lived here; that they had normal Christmases and birthdays. That they ate breakfasts and played music. Now there’s nothing but indents and faded spots.

 Steve and Billy mostly stay in the living room camped out in a nest of stray blankets and a couple pillows. It feels the least invasive of their options. A cooler sits nearby but Steve already knows that the sodas and snacks in it are probably lukewarm by now.

Steve rolls over to his left to look at Billy. The poor guy has a sheen of sweat across his whole body and his hair is flat. Still, Steve fights the urge to curl up with him. It’s impossible to keep physical contact up in this heat and Hawkins won’t really cool down until mid October. Not that they can stay here much longer.

Steve hears movements in the other room. He quickly scrambles to put some distance between himself and Billy. The rug scratches at his knees and he briefly says a prayer that Billy isn’t naked under that sheet he’s wrapped himself in.

Dustin appears in the living room through one of the bedroom doors. The sound from earlier had been him climbing into the window and hauling snacks and other provisions with him. Steve mentally berates himself again for breaking Joyce’s window a few days ago but he wasn’t entirely sure of where else to go.

“Henderson,” Steve attempts a greeting but his throat is dry.

Dustin picks up on this and pulls out a large thermos. Steve tries not to guzzle down all of the cold water in one go but half ends up sacrificed to his thirst.

“It’s okay,” Dustin lets him know quietly, “I brought another one for... him.”

Dustin doesn’t seem too pleased about bringing anything for Billy if the avoidance of his name is any indication. Billy snores a little and flips onto his back. Steve doesn’t realize that he’s smiling until he notices that Dustin’s caught him.

“You don’t have to do that,” Dustin says, irritated, as he turns to pack food and drinks into the cooler.

Steve feels a flush come up to his cheeks and it’s not just the morning heat. It’s not possible that Dustin knows right? El swore to secrecy and Steve hadn’t even hinted at anything. It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell Dustin or maybe it is. It’s not reassuring to come out to anyone about this when Steve’s own parents gave him the boot over it.

“Do what?” Steve asks, immediately regretting it.

Dustin closes the lid on the cooler and looks Steve square in the eye. His lip line is tight, still irritated. Steve feels like he’s about to lose a friend, a sibling even. Dustin’s the little brother he never had and to have that family reject him too somehow hurts more. He chose Dustin and Steve’s praying that Dustin chooses him back right now.

“You two sleep together. In summer. You’re staying together and he’s not hurt anymore. You look at him like you looked at Nancy and even Robin sometimes. I’m not dumb! Stop treating me like I’m dumb!”

Billy stirs a bit at the outburst but manages to quickly fall back asleep. Dustin’s not really yelling so much as raising his voice a bit. Steve feels like Dustin is yelling, feels like he’s screaming.

“You’re not dumb,” Steve is talking in a panic, no filter, “you are the smartest kid- smartest person I’ve ever known.”

“Then why are you trying to hide it?”

“Because- because people might-“

“From me! Why are you trying to hide it from me?!”

Billy does wake up this time. He peers sleepily at Steve and Dustin. He groans and sits up on the floor.

“I’m guessing curly top figured us out?” Billy asks Steve while Steve still sits five feet away and dumbstruck.

“Days ago,” Dustin says through gritted teeth, “and my name is Dustin.”

Billy’s eyebrow ticks up in consideration of this child and how he’s holding his ground. Steve feels like he should intervene but there aren’t any words in his mouth. He’s just sitting on the floor completely stupid and silent.

“You got a problem then?” Billy challenges.

“Yeah I do.”

Steve braces himself for the worst. He can hear Dustin’s voice in his head saying terrible things; calling him a faggot and a queer. He tries to shield himself against the thought of cutting ties, of never seeing little mop top Henderson again. Briefly he debates saying this is all a joke and he’s not gay or anything but Dustin’s not stupid. Lying would make it worse. He’s going to make his choice and Steve is going to have to deal with losing someone important.

“Why you?” Dustin asks, “You tried to hurt us way before The Mind Flayer got to you. Your sister had to beat the snot out of you just to get you away from us! You’re a jerk and an asshole and you’re one of the bad guys!”

Dustin directs himself to Steve not allowing Billy the opportunity to defend himself.

“You’re one of the good guys!” Dustin says, his voice cracking, “You’re my friend and you save people. This guy beat you up, remember? He tried to kill us! Good guys don’t date assholes!”

Steve tries to process to the best of his ability but given the expectations he had it isn’t easy. He notices that Billy looks amused at all this but that doesn’t help. Steve stands to his feet.

“Wait… wait so-“ Steve’s brain posits his conclusion, “your problem is that Billy’s an asshole?”

“Yeah!”

“Not because he’s...a guy?”

“No!”

Dustin looks like he wants to throw something at Steve because he’s being stupid but he doesn’t. Steve starts to laugh and mutters the word ‘unbelievable’ to himself. The laughter suddenly turns into crying and Steve can’t stop it.

Billy’s at Steve’s side now and he notices that he’s not naked as he had feared earlier and thank God for that. Steve hides his face behind his hands because crying is embarrassing. He didn’t realize how mortifying it is to cry like this.

“Hey, hey no,” Billy says firmly and pulls his hands down.

Billy cradles Steve’s face and wipes away the tears with his thumbs. He rests his head against Steve’s. His attempts to speak soothingly come out as more of a gruff, hushed tone. It’s still works for Steve though and he leans into being comforted.

“It’s my turn, okay?” Billy reassures him as best as he can, “Don’t hold back. Fuck it.”

“Steve?” Dustin asks quietly.

“Hey you did enough you little-“ Billy turns, teeth bared and ready to fight a child.

“No,” Steve stops Billy from turning his fury on Dustin, “it’s happy crying. It’s good. I’m fine. I didn’t know happy crying exists but I’m- I’m good.”

Steve takes a deep breath and gives Billy’s hand a squeeze before stepping back. He smiles at Dustin cautiously.

“So the being a queer part,” he clarified, “it doesn't bother you?”

Dustin smiles.

“Do you know how many times me and my friends have been called queer? Or toothless or fat or dorky? If I thought any of those things were bad those assholes would have gotten to me. I told you; high school shit is stupid.”

“You really are the smartest person I know.” 

Steve crosses the room and gives Dustin a hug. He pats his back and Dustin pats in return. Steve’s can’t believe how brilliant and caring this kid is. He pulls back and chuckles.

“We’re family,” Dustin says before glancing quickly at Billy, “I still think he’s an asshole though.”

“He’s working on it. I used to be the asshole boyfriend remember? Now look at me.”

“You look like you need a tissue.”

Steve laughs and wipes his nose with the collar of his shirt. He then ruffles Dustin’s hair and Dustin grimaces.

“You smell like you need a shower,” Dustin points out, backing away.

“We’re, uh, kind of camping so,” Steve shrugs.

“We’re squatting,” Billy corrects him.

“Either way,” Steve sends minor eye daggers to Billy, “it doesn’t come with showers. Think you could help us find one?”

—-

Steve quietly thanks God for the cool air blasting in the video store. He’s also thankful that Mrs Henderson attends Bible study on Tuesday mornings because her convenient absence allowed for Steve and Billy some much needed hygiene at her home.

Steve’s also grateful his parents let him take one of the cars. Of course they wanted him off the property as quickly as possible so it made sense to gift him a getaway vehicle. That night was tough and Steve doesn’t like to think about it too much. He can still remember when his dad came too and his mother sobbing that they smelled like sex. It’s a good thing Billy had knocked out Steve’s father already because the man looked like he was ready to kill Steve right then and there if Billy wasn’t there to stop him.

“Hey dingus,” Robin calls out affectionately, “you feel like having a scary movie night sometime soon? I’m sure my dad would be thrilled to see me bring a boy home.”

She’s been caught up already. Steve had called her that night before heading out. The last thing he wanted was for her to show up for a pre work swim and have to confront the very irate Mr and Mrs Harrington. Steve knows that the movie offer is more a means to give him temporary refuge than a social call but he appreciates the effort.

“How would your dad feel about bringing home two boys?” Steve asks flatly.

Robin’s shelving tapes while Steve mans the front but other than the two of them there isn’t a soul in sight.

“Right,” she says, “can’t forget about your grumpy other half.”

It puts Steve on edge to talk about it in public spaces despite knowing they’re in the clear. He checks the store over just in case and then rests his gaze on the door. There’s a bell on it so really the staring isn’t necessary but Steve’s not taking any chances.

“He’s not grumpy he’s-“

“Stoic? Reserved?” Robin offers as she audibly rummages through her box of tapes, “Butch?”

Steve rolls his eyes and doesn’t give her the satisfaction of an answer. She comes around the counter and hops up to take a seat.

“Relax,” Robin stretches her arms up high, “I like your boy toy. I swear.”

“Shouldn’t you finish off that box?”

“You know the manager and I are cool. Besides I can always blame you.”

She lays backwards and dangles her torso off the counter. Her back pops and Steve shudders.

“Okay, enough,” he leaves the counter and heads for the box of tapes, “I’ll do it. And stop dicking around on the counter, you’ll get hurt.”

“Sure thing, dad,” Robin hops down and follows Steve, “Are you okay? Seriously. You seem like you’re having a bad day.”

It shouldn’t be a bad day. Steve got a shower and a Snickers for breakfast. Dustin accepts him in his newfound gay identity. Billy has an interview down at the garage. This is a good day, isn’t it?

“I’m sorry,” Steve sighs, “I guess I’m not looking forward to going back to that sweat box I’m squatting at. No power, no water. It’s awful.”

Robin gets unnaturally quiet but Steve doesn’t stop going through the second half of the box. He comes across a copy of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It’s a movie he’s never actually seen and he doubts Billy has either. It looks like it would be right up Dustin’s alley and it’s probably something Robin’s seen. He rummages for any other titles starting with an ‘s’.

“What are you and Billy going to do?” Robin asks solemnly as Steve makes his way to the right shelf with a stack of video tapes.

“I… I don’t know.”

There’s a greater context to that and Steve is horrified as he slowly sinks into it. This is what they’re doing now but where will they go next? For how long? It’s not common to see two guys living together and really what would be their excuse? They couldn’t pass for brothers and the mere thought of posing as such makes Steve feel a bit grossed out. They’re boyfriends not relatives but they can’t get caught.

“I think I know why I’m having a bad day,” Steve shoves the rest of the tapes on the shelf, damning any sense of alphabetical order.

Steve walks past the box, past the counter and Robin, and right up to the door. He doesn’t understand what he’s doing but can’t stop. Robin looks bewildered as Steve holds open the door to the afternoon heat. He pauses there and lets the warm air graze his cheeks. He breathes it in and it’s almost suffocating.

“Steve?”

“I’m sorry. I have to- I’m sorry,” Steve manages to apologize before taking off down the street at a brisk pace. The heat immediately clings to his body and it makes him move faster. He’s headed toward the center of town but his mind has no true destination. It’s as if his body thinks that if he keeps moving then eventually everything will feel lighter.

“Wait! Steve! Steve!”

Robin sidles up to Steve’s pace after a minute or two. The keys to the video rental store are jingling her hand. He glances at her in utter confusion but doesn’t stop. He isn’t exactly expecting a copilot on this miniature breakdown.

“I am a band nerd, you ass, we don’t run!” She berates him with a light slap on the shoulder.

This doesn’t phase him and he continues his walk at the same speed. They’ve gone about a block and a half away from the store. Out in the day to day of Hawkins only the elderly, a few housewives, and a pack of kids ditching are running about. None of them have the slightest idea of what’s going on in Steve’s head and he supposes that means he’s in good company. They move quickly and quietly out of his way.

“Where are we going?” Robin demands fiercely.

“I don’t know!” Steve shouts back at her and breaks his stride, “I don’t know where I’m going and where we are going or where anything is going! I don’t know!”

Steve’s breathing is rapid and heavy. He looks down at his hands and sees that they’re shaking. It’s not fear or anger that’s fueling him. He can’t name what it is but it feels a lot like when you’re squaring off against a monster or running for your life. Robin looks him over with a sense of unease plainly on her face. She takes one of his shaking hands and laces her fingers into it.

“Whaaa-”

But Steve doesn’t get to finish his question because Robin starts walking again. She pulls him behind her but Steve quickly adjusts and starts moving with her. His hands aren’t shaking now and his heartbeat starts to even out. He tries to question Robin again. 

“Where are we-“

“You’ll find out.”

“What about the store?”

“I’ve abandoned a job before, haven’t you?” Robin is teasing but her voice stays serious and she keeps moving.

It occurs to Steve that they’ve got a perfectly good car waiting for them back at their job but it’s too late now. Robin’s in charge of this break down and she leads him to Hawkins high and then past Hawkins high to where the trees start up again. Steve still can’t tell where this journey is going but he respectfully follows in silence. Robin takes very determined steps through the grass and small patches of fallen leaves until they come upon a massive tree and she stops. She lets go of Steve’s hand and looks at the tree with a sense of reverence.

“Climb,” she instructs Steve.

“What? Climb? Seriously?”

Robin doesn’t offer any further explanation as she’s already pulling herself up on the branches. She moves in a way that can only be described as precise. Steve mimicks her movements as best as he can but tree climbing doesn’t come naturally to him. He lags behind by a minute and pulls himself onto a large branch adjacent to the one Robin’s selected as her perch.

“Okay, I climbed, now what the fuck are we doing?”

Steve tries not to awkwardly straddle the branch. He attempts to bring both legs to one side almost like riding side saddle but decides there’s more dignity in straddling. He presses his back to the trunk of the tree. The bark is itchy but the shade keeps everything cool.

“All settled?” Robin asks sarcastically.

“As I’ll ever be,” Steve laments.

“Good, now just shut up and listen, okay?”

Robin takes a deep breath to prepare herself. Steve feels like maybe he shouldn’t be looking at her. The mood seems rather intimate and it isn’t like when she came out about herself before. There were drugs and blood then. The situation deemed a sense of vulnerability but here things feel more personal, more deliberate. Steve looks out over the town of Hawkins and really takes in the view he’s been gifted. Robin stares out as well and speaks softly, just barely loud enough to be heard by Steve.

“Tammy never loved me and she was never going to love me no matter how in love with her I was but that didn’t stop me from dreaming. I used to come up here and think about how beautiful things looked if you could just manage to put yourself above all the bull shit.

I liked to pretend that someday I’d bring her up here and then she’d understand almost like it was magic and she’d kiss me and I’d kiss her. It could all fall in place if I could just have a sign, if I could only be that brave.

But it didn’t.

And the more time I spent here the more I realized that even if Tammy felt the same way as I did, what the fuck would that mean for us? I could never take her to the movies or go to dinner. I couldn’t take her to prom. Do you know how beautiful she was at junior prom? I saw her in passing; she was getting into Kevin Laney’s car and- God, I never thought I’d ever want to be my neighbor Kevin Laney but I would have sold my soul to switch places with him for just that night, even just for a minute, so I could tell her that she’s beautiful.

I don’t have anywhere to go either whether I ever have someone or not-”

“You will,” Steve interrupts, “Robin, you are the most amazing girl in the world. If we weren’t- you know I’d-”

“I know. It’s not about that though. You’re lucky in a way; you found someone who’s like you and, sure, he’s kind of emotionally stunted and prickly but he loves you. That doesn’t make the logistics of being this way any easier. You’re actually way more likely to get found out but at least… at least you’re not alone.”

Steve doesn’t have anything to say to that. His experience in being interested in the same sex is so different from Robin’s to the point that there isn’t much to relate to. Steve’s realization was sudden and surprising whereas Robin’s was a secret she’s been sitting on for God knows how long. Steve’s in a relationship and has been in other relationships and Robin’s never been in one at all, gay or otherwise. Even the sexuality itself is different; Robin only likes women and Steve likes, well, Steve likes women and Billy and that’s all he knows right now.

“I’d give anything not to feel alone,” Robin swipes her the back of her hand across her nose to stifle a sniffle.

“You’re not alone,” Steve replies quietly, “I know I’m not- I know I can’t change how things are but we’re friends and I won’t leave you. Okay? Does that help?”

“Sure, dingus.”

She smiles at him and tosses a leaf. It floats down to the ground slowly and when Robin looks back up the light through the trees hits her features just right. Steve knows that he’d die for her because she’s beautiful and smart and brave. More than that, he’ll find a way to help her be happy because if anyone deserves to be happy it’s her.

“Y’know, there has to be other girls who like girls,” Steve says.

“Well they’re not in Hawkins that’s for sure.”

“So then let’s leave Hawkins.”

Robin rolls her eyes.

“Oh yeah, sure, let’s just leave!”

Steve listens to his own throw away comment and he lights up. His body seems to jolt with new energy, good energy.

“Why not? Yeah. Let’s leave! There has got to be somewhere out there where Billy and I can be ourselves and where you can find a girlfriend! I mean what’s the gayest place you can think of?”

“Steve, I don’t think that’s advertised in a travel brochure.”

“Okay but there has to be somewhere where it’s easier. We just have to think! And you, you’re good at research and stuff! We’ll just leave! You and me and Billy! You pick a place and Billy and I will save the money and we’ll go!”

Robin turns to face her whole body toward Steve. Her hand on the trunk keeps her steady. Steve is smiling and so satisfied with his idea. It’s so simple he wonders why he hadn’t thought of it earlier.

“You really mean it.”

“Hell yeah! Who says we have to stay in Hawkins? Let’s go.”

Robin is quiet while she thinks it over. A short distance away, Steve can hear the sound of his former high school. Technically Robin has another year there but she’s so far ahead in her classes that her senior year mostly consists of like three classes and band if Steve remembers right. He could save loads of money in a single school year and with Billy saving too they could probably buy a house in this idealized version of Gay, USA. Granted there’s still the matter of where to stay in the meantime but that’s small potatoes as far as Steve’s concerned. He has a plan and it’ll work. It has to work.

“Okay,” Robin says, “After I graduate, I’ll go. We’ll all go.”

“Yes!” Steve throws a fist in the air and loses his balance.

It isn’t until Steve hits the ground that he realizes that the same hand he’d just gestured with is now broken.

[hunnywrites]

Arcade Dreams: Chapter Twelve

Summary: There’s a new girl working at the Palace Arcade and Hawkins’ Family Video. Billy can’t stand her, and the feeling is mutual. No matter what everyone else seems to think.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC

A/N: Don’t worry everyone, no one’s gonna be getting flayed at the steel mill. Well, not yet anyways.

 Sneaking out of the house had at one point been Teddi’s specialty. Back in New York she had snuck out to go to parties, go on dates or just to get out of the house so often that climbing out of her bedroom window had basically become a muscle memory. It was different now that she was in Hawkins. Her parents were more miserable and focused in on whatever it was that she was up to. But tonight would be different. Tonight would be like the old days. The Harringtons had invited her parents to their New Year’s Eve party, and Teddi knew that her mom and dad would be the last ones to leave sometime around dawn if the party really ended up to be as wild as Steve had described. “Last year Carol’s mom got so wasted she threw up in the pool and then locked herself in my parent’s bathroom for like...three hours.” he had said. 

Steve Harrington had the same knack for sneaking out (and technically in when it came to sneaking into Nancy Wheeler’s bedroom while they had been together) that Teddi had. When Teddi had called the next morning to tell him the very cleaned up version of what had happened between her and her parents the night before he had gone into super sneak mode. Technically speaking it hadn’t been their best plan. After her shift was over for the night Teddi would drive home, Steve would follow her and park across the street until her parents left for their party and they would be off. They had decided that they would ditch their bonfire at one in order to get Teddi home well before her parents and they would be none the wiser to what she had been up to. 

Teddi had put on an entire act. She came home, mumbled a hello to her parents, and headed to her room to remove her makeup and change into pjs to help with the illusion that she’d be staying in for the night. When her parents left completely dressed to the nines, Teddi was planted on the couch with a can of Coke and a bowl of popcorn. “We’ll be home late.” was all her father said before shutting the front door loudly behind him. Teddi sprung into action. She ran back to her bedroom, quickly changing out of her pjs and into her outfit for the night. The cold had finally caught up to her. Instead of the usual mini skirt or pair of cut off shorts, Teddi pulled on a pair of high waisted, black jeans and a bright, yellow chenille sweater. She kicked on her boots and grabbed her puffy jacket and was out the front door and rushing over to Steve’s car. 

“Come on, come on, come on,” Steve said, hitting his hand against the steering wheel. Teddi slid into the passenger’s seat and the pair shared a high five. “That was like record time, Larsson!” he said as he took off down the street. The way that Steve called Teddi by her last time was much more...soft than the way Billy did. 

“Not my first rodeo,” she laughed out as she tried to catch her breath. She was a little rusty, but she had still been impressed with how quickly she’d gotten ready. “So this isn’t gonna be a problem with the party? ‘Cause my parents are hoping for a rager.” 

“Oh, totally. My mom looks forward to it every year. It’s the biggest party in Hawkins...according to her at least.” Teddi had never met Steve’s parents, but from the way Steve spoke about them she was sure that they would be great friends with her parents. And if that meant they’d be out of the house more often then Teddi was more than fine with it. 

“So, where’s this steel mill at?” 

“It’s like maybe twenty minutes out of town. It’s been abandoned for a few years. Tommy usually has parties there when nobody has folks that are out of town.” and by twenty minutes out of Hawkins, Steve may as well have said the steel mill was in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing around. He mentioned there was a sort of shitty motel that had been turned into apartments a few miles up the road, but that was about it until you got to the next town over. Teddi was sure that Hawkins was quite possibly the most boring town in America. 

When they arrived at the steel mill, Teddi noticed that there weren’t nearly as many cars as there had been at David’s Christmas party. The steel mill was also pretty creepy. Scratch that; very creepy. It definitely looked abandoned. The “Brimborn Steel Works” sign was so old and faded that Teddi could barely read it in the dark. She could hear the party and see a faint glow from the bonfire coming from inside, but the way that the music and voices echoed off of the old building gave Teddi a bad feeling. At least there was a payphone nearby in case some Jason Voorhees character tried to kill them all. 

“Is this safe?” she asked, carefully following Steve across the gravel. 

“Uhhh...sure. I mean no one’s died yet.” she wasn’t really sure if he was teasing her or not. Once they made their way inside, Teddi was immediately met with the smell of the bonfire and beer. There were a few empty and broken bottles strewn around, as well as a group of three kegs all sitting in a frothy pile of spilled beer next to a cooler. The music was coming from a boombox that was sitting up safely on an abandoned machine.

She recognized more people at this party. Heather, Freddy and Katie were all there and waved at Teddi when they saw her. Robin Buckley, a girl that Teddi was sort of friendly with and shared three classes with, was with a group of her friends. Tommy H and Carol were being the loud, obnoxious hosts of the party. They were entertaining a large group of people closest to the fire with some sort of drinking game. 

And then there was Billy. He was by Tommy and Carol’s group, but somehow still off on his own. He was leaning up against a railing with a beer bottle hanging between his fingers and a cigarette between his lips. The cold must have finally gotten to him like it had Teddi; he had traded in his usual button up shirt and leather jacket for a very tight white henley and a denim shirt layered under his jean jacket. He also looked very, very bored. 

As if he knew that Teddi was watching him, Billy’s eyes met hers. He watched her cooly for a moment as she moved across the large room and over to the coolers, taking a swig of his beer before his eyes drifted over to Steve who was beside her. If he felt any sort of way about the two arriving together he didn’t show it. 

“Want a beer?” Steve asked, holding up two bottles. Teddi nodded enthusiastically before grabbing the beer and taking a large swig. Why had she come to this party? Of course Billy was going to show up. And while the last couple of weeks had been filled with nothing but trying to avoid Billy, that almost felt wrong now. There was this big, screaming secret between the both of them that was impossible for her to ignore. But it seemed like Billy was going to try his damndest to pretend it wasn’t there. 

“Well, well!” Teddi nearly groaned at the sound of Tommy’s voice. “Look what we have here!” Tommy and Carol had turned towards Teddi and Steve, the pair looking at them with nearly identical evil grins. “Billy wasn’t enough for ya, huh, Teddi? Moving on to Harrington? You’ve been a busy girl!” 

Teddi wasn’t scared of Tommy or Carol. It was obvious to her that they were both extremely insecure with the way that they both dropped Steve for Billy the moment he showed up in Hawkins. At one point back in New York Teddi had been Tommy and Carol. The big bad popular girl at school that looked down her nose at people. But now she pitied the both of them if anything. “Gee Tommy, if you were this worried about your own sex life as you are mine then Carol wouldn’t always be hitting on your friends.” she said with a slight nod to Billy. It was no secret how badly Carol wanted Billy. As soon as Tommy was out of sight, without fail, she would shamelessly flirt with Billy even though he’d never shown even the slightest interest. 

Carol shifted uncomfortably beside Tommy, who was watching Teddi with narrowed eyes. Finally he smirked. “Oh yeah? And what’s after Steve then, Teddi? You gonna want a round with me too?”

Teddi rolled her eyes. “No thanks. I have enough disappointment in my life.” Tommy glared at her as a few of their friends tried to hide their laughter. 

Steve held a hand up. “Alright, Tommy. I think that’s enough, huh? We’re all just trying to have a good time.”

Tommy quickly turned his attention from Teddi to Steve. “No one’s stopping you, Harrington. How’s it feel to settle for someone else’s scraps? Is she the best you can do after that prude Nancy left you for Byers? God, I hope you’re putting out, Teddi. Stevie boy’s gotta be real hard up after putting up with that priss-”

“Tommy, how about you shut the fuck up for once, huh?” heads turned at the sound of Billy’s voice. He didn’t say anything else, only flicked the butt of his cigarette away and took another drink. Tommy looked like Billy had slapped him. 

Tommy looked between Billy and Teddi a few times. “Are you going soft, Hargrove? Over some lousy lay? What, are you and Steve double teaming her?” he laughed.

“Pretty sure Carol’s the one that’s into that sorta thing.” Billy said evenly.

“You piece of shit-“ Tommy spat, moving quickly towards Billy. But of course Billy didn’t back down. He matched Tommy’s strides, but Teddi stepped in before anything more could happen.

“Billy, stop. I don’t need your help.” her tone was a little pleading. She really didn’t want to see Billy do the same thing to Tommy that he had done to Steve a few months back. Especially with so many people around to witness it. That wasn’t something Billy would ever be able to come back from. Teddi could practically hear Billy’s ego shatter at her words.

“C’mon, Tommy,” Carol said with an over dramatic eye roll. She grabbed Tommy by the arm and gave him a tug.  “It’s your turn on the keg. Let them have their little lovers quarrel.” she said with a pointed look towards Steve and Teddi. This was enough to appease an already drunk Tommy much to Teddi’s relief. 

“What the fuck was that?” Billy spat. 

“Hey, hey. Back off, dude.” Steve took a step in front of Teddi, holding a hand out to stop Billy from coming any further. 

“Get your hand off me, Harrington. Unless you want a replay of that beating I already gave you.” Billy took a step towards Steve, his shoulders held high.

Teddi wiggled her way around Steve and placed herself between the two. “What are you, cavemen? Steve, it’s fine okay? Just give me five minutes,” Steve eyed Teddi for a moment before shooting Billy a warning look and walking off. “What was what, Billy?” she asked with a tired sigh.

“I don’t get you, Larsson. You’re always telling me what an asshole I am, and I try and stick up for you and you embarrass me.” 

“Because I don’t need you to stick up for me!” Teddi threw her hands up. “And frankly I’m a little surprised you give a shit after how you acted at the arcade.” she crossed her arms. 

“How I acted?” Billy asked with a dry laugh. “Teddi, you’re such a goddamn pain in the ass sometimes-”

“Likewise!” she snapped. Teddi couldn’t believe how stupid she felt to think she could go out for the night and have fun. “You’re just so...ugh.” she spun around and stomped off. She had had more than enough of Billy Hargrove for the night. 

Steve caught up to her as she continued to put distance between herself and Billy. “Teddi, are you okay? If you wanna get out of here-”

Teddi shook her head. “I’m fine, Steve. I’m just gonna step outside for a sec, okay?” she lied, sidestepping Steve and heading outside into the cold night air. She wanted to go home. It of course occurred to her that walking home was possibly the dumbest thing that she could do, but she’d had more than enough testosterone for the night. She had been walking for about ten minutes before she heard the rumble of the Camaro’s engine. 

Billy pulled up beside her, leaning forward to get a better look at her. “The hell are you doing, Larsson?” he asked.

“I’m walking home.” she said, wrapping her arms around her in an attempt to keep warm. Billy coasted along beside her as she continued on down the road.

“You’re gonna freeze to death!” he argued. Teddi ignored him. “Teddi, get in the car.” 

“No.” 

“Larsson, I will pull over and put you in the car,” and Teddi definitely believed that. He’d picked her up like a ragdoll enough times for her to know better than to keep arguing. With a loud huff Teddi yanked the door open and got into the Camaro. They were both silent for a few very long and awkward moments. “Does Harrington know you ran off?” he finally asked.

Teddi crossed her arms. “...He thinks I’m getting some fresh air.” she muttered. She felt bad now for lying to Steve, but she was sure that if she called him the next morning and explained he wouldn’t be too upset with her. 

Billy let out a short chuckle before going silent for another few moments. “...So, what, are you pissed at me for last night?” while Teddi was known to give him the cold shoulder after one of his outbursts, she usually got over it pretty quickly. Billy figured that he must have hit a nerve. It didn’t make him feel good to know he had upset her so much by confronting Teddi with the truth. At least it was all out in the open now. He wouldn’t need to dance around the subject anymore. It made things awkward in a different way than it had been before, but somehow this was better.

“No...I don’t know,” Teddi sighed. Her steely exterior was now gone and replaced with a glimpse of her usual bubbly self. “I think I’m more embarrassed now that you know about it if anything. I’ve been keeping it a secret for so long I didn’t expect anyone to ever know…”

Billy shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, I guess it’s hard to keep a secret from someone who’s dealing with the same shit.” more silence followed. 

Teddi was chewing on her bottom lip as she looked over at Billy carefully. “...Does he hurt Max?”

“No. There’s been a few times where it’s come close…” those times were starting to become more frequent. Billy wasn’t entirely sure what happened that night at the Byers’ place. After Max jammed that needle in his neck he had blacked out and had somehow managed to make it back into his own room a few hours later. Max didn’t talk about it, but Billy knew that she and her friends had run into something that made her see Neil as an insignificant threat. “She doesn’t get it. You know, one day I’m not gonna be there....Susan’s too afraid of him to do anything.” Billy was gripping onto the steering wheel tightly. 

Teddi supposed she could understand how Billy could rationalize the way he was with Max. “Tough Love”. But it was much heavier on the tough part than the love. And things needed to change. Fast. “You can’t keep treating her like this, Billy,” Teddi said shaking her head. “This whole scared straight thing you have going on. It’s not any better than what our dads do to us, even if the intention is different. You have to show her that you actually give a shit about her.”

She expected him to flip out on her. To start screaming at her and telling her that she didn’t know anything about him or what went on at home. Instead he just looked over at her cooly. “And why’s that?” he asked. 

“Because otherwise she’ll end up like you.” Billy knew that Teddi wasn’t trying to insult him. He wouldn’t admit that she was right though either. But she was. Neil had ruled over their household with an iron fist, and it had done nothing but turn Billy into an angry and violent guy that no one wanted to be around. And yeah, Billy’s intentions with Max were different. He didn’t want her to grow up afraid like he had. He wanted her to grow a thick skin. But his approach was the same as Neil’s. He guessed it was a good thing that Max seemed to be a hell of a lot more brave than he had ever been. 

“...I’m sorry about Tommy.” he said instead. 

Teddi raised her eyebrows at the comment. “I’m sorry” was a phrase she didn’t think was in his vocabulary. “Tommy’s an insecure idiot with a tiny dick. I don’t really care about what he has to say,” she cracked a smile when Billy laughed. “Besides, it’s not anything I didn’t hear back home in school or from my dad.” she shrugged.

Billy quirked an eyebrow. “Your dad?”

“He used to call me the town bicycle,” Teddi rolled her eyes. “I used to be a lot...friendlier, and we lived in this snobby, tiny neighborhood where everyone gossiped.”

Billy nearly slammed down on the breaks. “You?” he asked with a laugh. “No way, Larsson.”

Teddi sunk in her seat a little and scrunched her nose. “Oooh yeah. I was like...the worst. I was always out partying, getting in trouble, sleeping with like...anyone that was interested. I’m pretty sure that’s why I keep putting up with your shit so often. I used to be like you.” she teased.

This wasn’t the first time Teddi had given Billy a glimpse into her wild past. Even still, he had a hard time imagining it. Teddi was this bubbly, talkative, nice girl. She wasn’t anything like him. “I’m not so sure I can picture something like that, Weird Girl.”

“And why not? Even Max says that I’m super cool.” she joked. 

Billy grinned and shrugged. “You’re...you know. A nice person or whatever.”

Teddi’s jaw dropped as she turned to face Billy. “Was that a genuine compliment I just heard from you, Billy Hargrove?”

He groaned. “Don’t make such a big deal out of it. I can have my moments.”

Teddi smiled, tilting her head as she watched him squirm uncomfortably in his seat. “...Do you think you’re not a nice person?” she asked.

“I don’t exactly hear it very often.”

“True...but you could be. Anything’s possible. You could try like...taking a nap or something.” she joked. But she meant what she said. If Billy was willing to put in the work he could be a guy that everyone liked. Max had said that she’d seen a change in her brother. Teddi even saw a change every once and awhile when Billy would let his guard down. Especially after tonight when he stood up for her. 

Billy let out a soft snort. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” the Camaro turned onto Teddi’s street. “Jesus, Larsson, you could walk to my place from here.” 

“Does that mean you’re gonna want to hang out more? You wanna finally play Dungeons and Dragons?” she asked, perking up.

“I’d rather be locked in a closet with Carol.” he deadpanned. Teddi rolled her eyes. Billy pulled into Teddi’s driveway and put the Camaro in park. “Well, there you go Cinderella. Back home before midnight.”

Teddi let out a small laugh and groan. “God, Hawkins is lame...thanks for the ride, Billy.” 

Billy grinned widely. “Oh, you know I’m always down to give you a ride, Larsson.” he definitely didn’t miss the way she blushed at the comment before she let out a loud scoff.

“Oh my god. Goodnight, Billy.” she muttered quickly before sliding out of the car and rushing to the front door. Billy watched as she fished her keys out of one of her jacket’s pockets and slipping inside before he started to slowly pulled out of the driveway. He could probably go back to the party. He had about an hour left before he had to pick up Max from the Wheeler’s place. And he definitely didn’t want to sit out in the driveway like some kind of lame asshole. 

But the door swung open and Teddi poked her head out. “Yo, Hargrove! You wanna come watch some New Year’s Rockin’ Eve?” 

Billy drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for a few moments while he thought it over. His curfew was at one (thanks to Susan convincing Neil to go to the Harrington’s party) and he had nowhere else to be. So he pulled back into the driveway, shut the Camaro off and got out. He shoved his hands into his pockets and awkwardly made his way up to Teddi. “Don’t try and get fresh with me, Larsson.” he said, cracking a grin. Teddi laughed and rolled her eyes before stepping aside to let him in. 

“In your dreams, Hargrove.” 

[stevenismyboy]

The Haunted Arcade.

a/n: Maybe I shouldn't start another au when I haven't finished the first one... but the temptation was too strong! I am very happy with how it turned out and that I managed to move my favorite cartoon to the  Stranger Things world. I’ve also made teenagers here not too fond of each other, but without exaggeration, just for the sake of history. Feel free to write me if you liked it and who do you think is a specific member of the Mystery Inc.!

summary: Scooby-Doo au!- When an arcade in Hawkins is attacked by a ghost in a mask, nobody believes and wants to help the terrified Y/N. No one except Steve 'The Hair' Harrington, smart Robin, photographer Jonathan and beautiful Nancy. They definitely know something about monsters. You can find my Masterlist here.

-

Fridays were crazy. No matter how much time was left to close the arcade-it could be twenty, ten or even five minutes-and people still wouldn't want to go home. They pressed the buttons on the slot machines with incredible speed, unable to stop until they had a score that would satisfy them.

So yes, Fridays have been crazy. The gaming room was so overcrowded that the kids waited in line to play their favorite game. Working there was pretty funny. Looking at kids who were running through the room like puppies always made you happy. On Fridays, children were not so happy though because big, rude and older teenagers occupied their favourite play area.

On that cool, spooky evening, when the wind outside made terrible sounds, the room was full of people until the very end. Steve Harrington came as every week with Robin Buckley. They were standing by the Dig Dug, which Dustin Henderson was looking forward to. Nancy Wheeler came in with her boyfriend, Jonathan Byers. She was completely unable to handle Pac Man. She had been coming here for a while and Jonathan patiently tried to teach her. Their brothers, Will and Mike were trying to hide their laughter.

You looked at the watch over your head, watching as the blue hand was dangerously close to 11:00 p.m. Five... four... three... two... one... game over.

“I'm very sorry, but we're closing for today!” you shouted, clapping your hands. The music stopped playing. Keith turned on the regular lights instead of the colored ones, which kept the room in dark glow. Everyone moaned loudly, not wanting to leave yet. “I'm really sorry, but you're all welcome tomorrow! Let's give our hands and eyes a rest for today and be ready to play next time, am I right?”

“Son of a bitch. I didn't get to play the Dig Dug” Claudia Henderson's kid walked out without saying goodbye. You laughed quietly, holding the glass door for outgoing customers. “She beat me again. I feel like loser” Lucas Sinclair pointed out his red-haired, proud girlfriend.

“It'll be better next time. If you're gonna practice!” you yelled after him. “We both know he'll never be able to beat my record” Max snapped. “I wanted to be nice” you said so quietly that only she would hear you. She laughed and gived you a high five. The crowd was going out, talking to each other. Steve tried to squeeze ahead to catch up with Dustin, but he stayed to finally accompany Robin.

“Good night, Y/N. I'll see you tomorrow, I hope?” Steve asked, going to the exit. His dark eyes were shining in a sharp light. He was always nice when he came and paid for the tickets for himself and his friend. They've been coming here regularly since Dustin brought them here. Always in his company.

“Could you make sure that Henderson gets to Dig Dug first tomorrow? That big boy didn't even let him play once” Robin stabbed Steve hard in the back with her index finger. “I'll do my best. But you know the rule, Buckley. A favor for the tip”. “How could I forget. See you tomorrow!” the girl smiled. Will Byers sneaked under your shoulder, running out with Mike so fast that the door almost slammed in your face. “Sorry. Sometimes they can be too excited” Jonathan smiled shyly. Nancy was trying to put a coat next to the door, then they both went outside, where it was completely dark. The lights of the lanterns highlighted the wet asphalt. It rained for a good two hours, the air was crisp and fresh.

“You're sure you can handle it yourself? I can wait until you close the place” Keith crushed a pack of cheese crisps in his hands. The crumbs fell on the carpet you're about to clean. That's what working with Keith was like. He wanted to help when he was just making things worse. You sent him a forced smile, shaking your head. “I'll be fine. I'm gonna do some cleaning and I'll walk home. I'm a big girl”.

“Brave enough of you. I'd be scared if I were you. Hawkins is not safe... especially at night” Keith muttered, closing the glass door behind him. His words made you shiver. He didn't say anything unusual, but... but maybe if it was a little brighter outside, you wouldn't have to be afraid that coming home alone might not end well. Just in case you turned the key in the lock to make yourself feel safer.

You grabbed a broom to clean the floor from crips, popcorn and cookies. In normal light you could see the dried spots of spilled coke in some places. Keith unnecessarily scared you. You're alone, but you're safe. Just turn the key on the door so no one gets in and-

Something sneaked in between the slot machines. Someone's shadow, too fast to look at it or recognize the shape. You stopped sweeping so that the broomstick wouldn't drown out anything... or anyone else in the room.

“Hello? Is there someone here?” you asked loudly, swallowing your saliva too loud. The wind outside was trying to get in, it was bumping into the glass panes, shrieking too loud. There's no way anyone could stay inside. The kids repeatedly wanted to hide here to spend the night in their dream place, but they never succeeded. And again. Something went behind your back and you turned around so fast that your neck started hurting. Whoever was inside hit a row of vending machines with their shoulder now, and they started knocking terribly at each other. “Who's here? Come on... this is not funny at all!”

The lights went out. Well, actually, they only went out for a while to light up again. Someone was trying to change their color, so the whole rainbow was flickering before your eyes. “Keith, I swear to God, if this is just some stupid joke...” you let go of the broom, running to the counter to call somebody, anybody when the music started playing in the room. But not one you had on the tapes. A terrible rasp of the violin combined with a scream. You stumbled on the carpet and leaned your back against the counter, covering your ears with your hands. You clenched your eyelids tightly, trying not to scream. Your heart was pounding on your chest, and there was no one around to help you. The lights kept changing their colour, someone's loud steps were breaking through the music. For a moment... for one short moment you could swear that you felt someone's hot breath, heavy sigh on your neck. Your eyes started tearing.

And all of a sudden, everything went quiet. The lights stopped flickering, the music went off. It seemed like there was no one inside again, and the only sound you could hear was a whistle of wind. You put your hands on your knees, looking around for a few more minutes. And then you called the police.

-

“I don't know which way he came in. I was alone, and... I can swear I shut myself in to finish cleaning up. All the customers had already left and my coworker did it too like... half an hour ago”.

“I see” it was the only thing Hopper said after your statement. The notebook was trembling in his hand, he was holding a lit cigarette in the other. He dragged a lot of smoke inside his lungs, nodding his head at two officers coming out of the arcade. “You got anything, guys?”

“It looks like nothing's gone. There's no shortage of money in the cash register" said the first one. “Nothing's broken. No machine, the windows are all right too” said the other. “Some signs of a burglary? Footprints, broken lock on the door?Anything?” Hopper asked. They both turned their heads. Sheriff turned to you with a sigh. He rested his hands on his knees and leaned over to be about your height. 

“Listen. It's really late. I understand you might be tired. It happens. Sometimes I see my own grandmother when I'm sitting at the police station until two o'clock in the morning and I don't drink coffee, and it's just Flo who insists on watching over me and the boys all night. We'll take you home and forget about the case, okay?” “Forget it?” you asked in disbelief. The policeman blinked. A cigarette trembled in his mouth. “Someone was there! I didn't make it up! I know what the threat is to call the police for no reason. I wouldn't call if nothing had happened. And something definitely happened. Maybe it wasn't a burglary, maybe...”

“Maybe your coworker forgot his car keys, went back to the arcade, came through the back, took them and left. Could that be?” Hopper raised one eyebrow. The annoyance took in you like a wild wave. One more minute, and it'll flood you completely.

“I was scared. What if that someone comes back here again? Aren't you going to do anything about it?” “I would if I had the evidence. But I don't see them. I'm sorry, kid”. “Don't call me that” you clenched your teeth. “You won't even call my boss?” “I don't see a reason. We'll just scare him off. You need sleep and rest. Take the day off tomorrow. You'll sleep everything off and you'll see that you'll stop seeing ghosts”. “What about the lights?” you asked. Hopper stopped on the way to his van. He threw out a cigarette and trampled it with his shoe. His mind was definitely somewhere else. 

“I'll take care of it myself. I'm an electrician-slutter specialist" he opened the door to his police car. His two officers were already waiting in their own. “So what's it gonna be? Are you coming with us?”

“I still don't understand why you don't believe me, Hopper” you muttered, looking at the road. “For you, it's Chief Hopper, kid. Are you coming or not?” he opened the door wide. The inside smelled like coffee and cigarettes, but it looked a lot better than the prospect of walking all the way home alone. You got in without a word more, pressing your forehead against the glass. Day off. Sounds wonderful.

-

The boss didn't find out about anything. Nobody at home noticed that the sheriff of Hawkins Police picked you up after work and you had no one to tell about the adventure of yesterday. It was a necessity to go to work. Your heart was beating like crazy when you crossed the arcade. You were sick just of thinking you had to sit in the same place as yesterday, look at the same room... where you weren't alone last night.

Steve noticed immediately that something was wrong. When he saw you the other day, you were smiling at every customer, helping to start a game, or cleaning screens of unused machines. Today, you didn't even move. It's like you're glued to your chair. He looked at you with curiosity, waiting for any sign that there was nothing to worry about. For a smile, a head up, a joke aimed at the kids. Nothing.

“You'd come to work if you were sick?” he asked suddenly, biting a straw from his drink. “Of course not. I'm not suicidal” Robin snorted. She put her tongue out, in the corner of her mouth, as if it would improve her dexterity. She squinted her eyes at Donkey Kong's character. “Why?” “Y/N seems to be some kind of... absent” he shrugged his shoulder. “I don't like it.”

“I don't want to be mean, dingus, but you weren't optimistic when you came to work either”. “I know, but... I don't think that's the point. Something must have happened-” “Why don't you come up and ask her? I see you want to” his friend touched his arm. Steve put his hand on his hip and twisted his head after a moment of silence. “I doubt she likes to confide in random customers”. “You're unbelievable. You want to ask how she feels, you don't invite her on a date. Unless that's what you mean and that's why you're so nervous about it-” Robin wanted to say something more, but she didn't have a chance. Nancy and Jonathan were passing by and Steve's ex-girlfriend ran into his friend. A little bit of her orange juice landed on Robin's shirt. Steve took in the air with a swish.

“Oh, my God, I'm so sorry” Nancy put her hand in her mouth. She tried to look for the tissues in her purse to help. “Sometimes it can be so crowded here...”

“No worries. It was just my favorite shirt” Robin shrugged her shoulders. “She said she's sorry. You can wash it” Jonathan said. He probably didn't mean anything by it, but Steve involuntarily clenched his jaw. It's in the same way for a while now. Steve hold a grudge for Jonathan, so he's rude to him. Robin doesn't really like Nancy, so even if she's trying, sometimes her reluctance comes out. And they start arguing. He couldn't explain why it's happening every time when they bump into each other. Why he still can't leave his past behind and argue with someone who used to be the most important person in the world to him? He couldn't explain why it's happening. But it happened. More than once.

“You don't have to be nervous, man. Nobody wanted to say something bad” Steve replied calmly. “I doubt it. I don't know what else to do to stop Miss Buckley getting angry” Nancy tangled her hands up on her chest. Max and El turned to them for a moment, but they stopped eavesdropping when they saw the fight was going on between the same people as usual. 

“I'm just going to start” Robin smiled at her, wanting to take a step towards her. Steve held her hand, seeing you rise up and he whined. He didn't want to cause you any trouble. Not today, for sure. Even though he stopped Robin, you've already gotta get to them.

“I don't want to intrude, but... kids are looking at you, guys. You can't yell at each other inside. If you have something to explain to each other, please do it in the parking lot” Steve nodded his head, feeling like he was about to apologize to a teacher in grade school. Jonathan clenched his mouth in a narrow line.

“I'm calm. But someone's nervous” Nancy said, pulling Jonathan away. “You heard that?” Robin squealed outraged, trying to get back in the game. “Damn it...” “You're gonna fight again?” Dustin asked, raising his eyes from over his game. “Dustin!” you all shouted at once to silence him. You breathed deeply.

“I'm sorry, but if you can't calm down, you really-” you stopped when the light was flashing over you. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal. But not after last night. The lights started to change color, somebody was scrolling through the tape on the equipment, so the speakers were still scrolling through the same song. And suddenly the kids started screaming.

A tall figure jumped on two slot machines, miraculously maintaining balance on them. The guy's face- because it certainly wasn't the figure of a woman- was behind a ghostly mask, made of glued together cables and electric wires that shone in the glow of colored lights in the game room. Steve experienced too much in his life to believe that anything that now was on slot machines could be a monster, but when he looked at the man in the mask the only word that came to his mind was: a ghost.

Frightened children ran to the back of the arcade where they felt safe, that is, with you. Together with Nancy, Robin, Steve and Jonathan, you tried to take as many of them as you could so that no one would get hurt. The Phantom standing above you was dressed in a cape that shone in all the colors of Pac Man's evil ghosts. The figure turned to all the gathered, looking at you with empty, dark eyes.

“If you don't leave this place within a week... I will make sure that every person present in this room meets a terrible fate” he said with a rough, unpleasant voice. Your pulse accelerated to such an extent that you were afraid your heart would jump out of your chest when a light bulb broke just above your head.

“Watch your heads!” Steve yelled and the kids covered themselves with their hands when all the light bulbs in the room started to crack, plunging you all into total darkness. One of the kids started to cry. You heard another crack and dared to open your eyes. The windshield of the place splashed into a tiny poppy. Three gaming machines were lying on the ground, the cables they were plugged into were cut. All of this was done just in a few seconds. You looked at Steve, who was breathing deeply, not knowing what to say, what to do to calm down after what had just happened.

“Jinkies” Robin muttered quietly, being the only one who dared to speak.

Taglist: @mochminnie​ @queen1054​ @krazykatkay456​ @ghostineleven​ @sydzygy​ @the-almond-dinger​ @l0ve-0f-my-life​

[daddystevee]

Crashing down

(steve harrington x hopper!reader / billy hargrove x hopper!reader)

Welcome back ladies and gents. I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am. But buckle up and get ready for this chapter because it is rough. Anyways, feedback is welcome! Enjoy my lovebugs :)

Catch up here

Warnings: angst and mild language (mention of sex?? I dunno)

Part 2/?

Word count: 1399 and then some I added a few words oops

Summery: Sometimes things just don’t go as planned and your world just come crashing down, but it’s a good thing that you have people in your life to be there to catch you when you fall.

><

You woke up the next morning with swollen eyelids and a massive headache from crying the night prior. Looking at the clock you saw that it was 11:50am and that you were supposed to be to work in 10 minutes!

Frantically jumping out of bed you put on your work uniform, not bothering to shower. You ran to your bathroom and attempted to make yourself look decent by brushing your hair and applying a little bit of mascara. Rushing to the kitchen you grabbed a frozen waffle and a plate, grabbed your keys and ran out the door.

Once you got in your car you threw the waffle on the plate and stuck it in the dashboard, in hopes that it would thaw out on the way to work. You cranked up your truck and almost instantly drove away from your house.

You grabbed the waffle off the plate as soon as you put your truck into park. Shoving the still half frozen waffle into your mouth, you ran through the entrance to the Starcourt mall. Weaving in between people as Scoops Ahoy finally came into your eyesight.

You slowed your pace to a walk as you finally made it to work, being 30 minutes late.

“Look who finally decided to show up” Robin yelled from behind the counter.

Steve came trotting out of the door that lead to the back room with a giant smile plastered on his face. His face fell once he saw how exhausted and distraught you looked. You looked like you had gotten little to no sleep and your eyes were still swollen from crying all night.

He brought you into a hug in hopes to make whatever was causing you to feel this way go away. The hug helped a little but it was then that you let all of your remaining tears fall from your eyes.

Steve looked to Robin who was staring at the pair with a confused look on her face.

“It was Billy” you managed to squeak out.

“Billy? What happened? What did he do” Steve asked calmly trying to control the anger building up inside of him.

You let out a few more sniffles before continuing,

“We got into a fight, OVER NOTHING” you said louder than Steve expected, earning a few glares from the customers who were trying to enjoy their ice cream.

He pulled you into the back room to see if he could get you to tell him more about what happened. Once you two were in the back room, you told him every detail of what happened and how you thought that he didn’t care anymore and didn’t want you anymore.

“Maybe you should just go talk to him after you get off work?” Steve said not really sure what to say to you at that point. He stood up and left you to think about it.

He hated that you had to go through this, Steve would never put you through this, he knows how much the kids mean to you. For God's sake, sometimes you put the kids before yours and Steve’s friendship, that’s how much they mean to you.

The thing he hated most about Billy was the fact that you were his. You loved Billy, while Billy had fallen out of love with you. You were too blind to see it, so wrapped up in Billy to notice. You looked at Billy the way Steve wanted you to look at him and Billy looked at you the way Nancy looked at him the night she told him that everything is bullshit.

It broke Steve’s heart to see this go down but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t confess his feelings for you because that would mess everything up between you two. Years of friendship down the drain all because Steve wanted you to himself.

Since your boss was never around, and you didn’t want anyone to see how awful you thought you looked, you stayed in the back room after Steve had gone back to the front to work. You spent this time restocking the back shelves and receiving all of the deliveries for the day all while thinking about what you were going to say to Billy when you saw him.

What were you going to say to him? You thought to yourself. You couldn’t just forgive him, he yelled at you for nothing. And you couldn’t just act like none of this ever happened, because what if it happens again. And you couldn’t dare apologize, you weren’t even in the wrong here.

You went over different scenarios in your head of how things would play out when you would say different things and you had decided to just see what he has to say. Then if he decided to apologize you would forgive him.

After a long day of contemplation and work your shift has officially ended and it was time to put your words to action. Steve have you a super tight hug,

“My door is always open if you needed it.” he mumbled into your hair as he pulled away from the hug

“I know Harrington.” you said back quietly with a small smile on your face before you two parted ways for the night.

As you walked to your car, you couldn’t help but wonder how billy was holding up on his end, how his day had gone. You could say you were almost excited to see him after a long day full of emotion.

What felt like forever went by before you pulled up to the Hargrove/Mayfield household. You noticed that Neil’s car wasn’t in the driveway, meaning that it would just be Billy and Max in the house.

You knocked on the door three times and waited a few short seconds before a very annoyed Max answered the door. Her facial expression changed at the sight of you and brought you into a nice tight hug. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and hugged her back.

“He’s in his room” she said as she let go of you.

You nodded your head and followed the sound of loud music that was coming from none other than Billy’s room.

You knocked on the door once and let yourself in. You saw him standing in front of his mirror basically checking himself out with a smirk on his face. The smirk on his face fell slightly when he noticed you in his mirror.

He turned to face you,

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked abruptly

You opened your mouth to begin talking but quickly noticed how he was dressed. Leather jacket, nice jeans, nice shoes, he was going somewhere.

“Well I was gonna come talk to you about what happened last night, but it looks like you have other plans.” You said slightly annoyed.

“Yeah, I do” he said bluntly as he pushed past you.

When he walked by you, you got a whiff of his cologne. But it wasn’t just any cologne, that was his ‘I’m gonna get laid’ cologne.

“Oh you do? Where you goin’, to get off with Mrs. Wheeler?” you asked in a half-joking, half-serious manner. But when you looked at his face you could see his cheeks turn a deep shade of red and he had nothing to say.

“Oh my god! You’re actually going to fuck Mrs.Wheeler!” you scoffed in disgust.

“Yeah? Well, what’s it to ya?” He asked

Those 6 words would be the words to set you off.

“What's it to ya?” You chuckled, “WHAT'S IT TO YA? BILLY, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” You screamed.

Billy didn’t know what to say to you so he turned around and walked out of his room, so you followed him. Once you two had made it out of the house he headed straight for his car.

“Billy please don’t go” you begged. “I love you.”

He looked you in the eyes one last time before climbing into the car and driving away, leaving you heartbroken and confused. He loves me, you thought to yourself. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me.

You get in your car, ready to drive home and remember what Steve said to you at work earlier today,

“My door is always open if you needed it."