#Steve's not even mad or upset. He was running a bit late and asked Robin to make Eddie's sandwich for him while he finished getting ready.

[strangersteddierthings]

Made With Love

It takes one bite for Eddie to suspect he's done something wrong. A second bite confirms it. He's fucked up somehow and cannot for the life of him remember what it was.

Did he miss an important date of some sort? It couldn't have been their anniversary because that's August 13th (Eddie's new favorite day of the year, for obvious reasons). He absolutely didn't miss Steve's birthday. Not with how long he and Robin had spent planning the damn thing. (Eddie is never throwing another surprise party in his life; the stress of secret keeping was too much to bear.)

... Did he miss Robin's birthday?

No. That can't be. Steve would never let him miss that.

It could be one of the Party's birthdays, but Eddie doesn't think that's a transgression that would warrant this.

This, of course, being his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"What, your peanut butter's gone bad?"

Eddie lifts his eyes from the proof of Steve's anger at him to his coworker, Charlie, sitting across the table from him in the closet that Thatcher claims is the break room. "No. It's much worse than that, I'm afraid."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Charlie deadpans.

"This sandwich wasn't made with love," Eddie whines, looking back at the sandwich with as much sorrow as he can muster. He sets the sandwich down on the baggy he had pulled it out of so that he can frown down at it without having to touch the offending creation.

"Ah shit," Charlie says, voice filled with empathy. This is why he's Eddie's favorite coworker. He gets it. Possibly because he's the only person who's tasted the difference for himself, back when Eddie'd just started at Thatcher Tires. "What'd'ya do?"

"I don't know!" Eddie wails. "Everything was fine when I left this morning, or I thought it was anyway."

"Ain't your misses pretty good at lettin' you know you done fucked up?" Charlie, like the best coworker that he is, looks surprised that Eddie doesn't know what he's done. He's right, too. Steve is the goddamn king of petty, and Eddie has never struggled to know when Steve's mad at him. The struggle usually comes from Eddie refusing to be in the wrong.

(That's not to say that Eddie is always in the wrong. He's not. Sure, a good percent of their arguments Eddie is the one at fault and he's mature enough to admit so once the argument is over, but it's not always his fault.)

Anyway, the point is, regardless of who's at fault, Steve is angry at him about something and for the first time in months Eddie doesn't know what for. They'd promised each other, after their first very big fight that almost ended in a breakup and was over a misunderstanding, that they would tell each other why they're mad or upset or feeling some type of way. So for Eddie to not know...

He thinks he might have fucked up big time.

"I know!" Eddie cries, shoving the sandwich away from him to make room to drop his forehead onto the table, then turns to smoosh his cheek against the table so he can look at Charlie. "Charlie. Charlie what do I do?"

Charlie blows out a long breath, thinking, before he gives a decisive nod and says, "you gotta beg forgiveness."

Eddie knows Charlie's right. He doesn't know what he did but he's going to beg forgiveness anyway.

Which is how he now finds himself in the small floral section of the grocery store looking over the sad, wilted bouquets after work. His arms are already full with Steve's favorite ice cream, candies, an over-priced little blue teddy bear that's holding an 'It's A Boy!' card that Eddie plans to rip off, and a blank card with a painting of sunflowers on it that he plans to wax poetry about Steve inside.

The final part of his groveling is, of course, the flowers. It's the wrong season for sunflowers, so Eddie was going to settle for roses. It's just that these roses are all sad looking. They don't really scream 'I Love You More Than Anything Else In The World, Please Forgive Me For What I've Done' though.

Let it never be said that Eddie doesn't know how to beg forgiveness.

He ends up picking the least wilted looking bouquet, one with white and yellow flowers he can't name.

The cashier is an older lady who takes quick catalogue of his items and asks, "is it your anniversary, darling? Or, oh!" She picks up the blue bear and Eddie feels his ear heating with embarrassment as she coos, "are you expecting? How exciting!"

"Err, no, not, uh, no. It's just blue is hi-her favorite color, so I was planning to just cut off the little card," Eddie stutters out the lie. Blue isn't Steve's favorite color but Eddie's used to making up many little lies when talking to strangers. Being hate-crimed is not a passion of Eddie's. "I, uh, messed up. And I don't know what I did, but I'm going to make it right."

The lady smiles at him and gives him a firm nod as she scans the items. "Smart boy. I'm sure she'll forgive you."

Eddie gives her a smile he hopes isn't as tight-lipped as it feels on his face.

Back in the safety of his van, Eddie roots around until he finds a pen and gets to writing all the things he loves about Steve in the card and all the things he hopes they'll get to have in the future. Nothing they haven't spoken about before, but it still makes Eddie a little emotional writing it all down.

Once he's done writing, he pulls his pocket knife out and cuts off the 'It's A Boy' card from the bear, crumpling it up and tossing it in the back of the van to be forgotten. He shoves the sunflower card in it's place. His card is a bit wider than the previous one here so it stays in place, albeit precariously. He'll be careful handing it over to Steve.

He knows that Steve is at home already. Steve's always home first because he's off work at four compared to Eddie getting off work around five.

Well. Closer to five-thirty today with his stop at the grocery store. He really hopes that whatever has Steve mad at him isn't time related. Being late home without calling might earn him no favors if it's a time-based blunder.

Steve is in the kitchen, back to the door since he's facing the stove, as Eddie expected he might be. Which means that Eddie doesn't get to lay out all his Items of Forgiveness across the counter like he had hoped but that's okay. If the love of his life has chosen to forgive him, he knows Steve will be just as overjoyed to rifling through a bag of goodies as he would to pick them off the counter.

"Hi sweetheart," Eddie says, words oozing with adoration and sweetness.

"Hi baby," Steve's tone matches Eddie's, like an instinct to match Eddie's energy has written itself into Steve's DNA. And it might have. Eddie knows the reverse is true.

Steve turns from the stove, then, and his face lights up with delight and surprise. "What's all this?"

"Your favorite things, because I love you," Eddie says, raising his arms a bit. The grocery bag is looped over his wrist with flowers in one hand and the bear in the other.

Steve looks positively smitten.

Eddie is nailing this apology that isn't an apology. And let it be known; he cannot say he's sorry. It'll ruin everything. Because Steve, his wonderful, beautiful, kind and loving Stevie, will cock one perfect little caterpillar eyebrow and ask if Eddie knows what he's apologizing for, and Eddie will have to say he doesn't know and that isn't something he's willing to do. Especially not when it's looking like whatever Steve was mad about has completely slipped Steve's mind, too.

"I got your favorite ice cream, too, so we might want to get that into the freezer," Eddie says, passing the bear and card to Steve and shimmying around him to get to the freezer.

He lays the flowers on the counter and sets to emptying the bag. Ice cream in the freezer and goodies on the counter, while Steve reads the card silently behind him.

He knows he's successfully made up for whatever it was he had done, because Steve crowds him against the fridge shortly after setting the card down and turning the stove burner off, kissing him breathless.

Eddie even gets desert before dinner, with Steve all but dragging him to their bedroom.

-

The reddit post that inspired this -

[steddieas-shegoes]

For the requests: werewolf steve and his pack. (I don't want them to call Steve 'mom')

My love, ask and you shall receive! This is still super different from my usual, so hopefully it’s okay. I didn’t edit this, but I know you’ll be kind of there’s mistakes ❤️❤️😘😘 Accidental wolf Eddie? Is that a trope? I’m making it one. Welcome to the party accidental wolf Eddie! - Mickala ❤️

———————————-

Steve was running late. He was never late.

Robin was pacing back and forth, staying in her human form so she could yell at him before shifting.

The kids had all shifted, nervous about doing so without their leader here, but feeling the itch. Robin sent them to Skull Rock already, not wanting them to be around when she tore Steve apart.

Deep down, she knew it was a good reason. Steve wouldn’t have been late if it wasn’t for an emergency.

But she was still mad at him for not trying to call them if he knew he was going to be late. He knew how the kids panicked if he wasn’t exactly where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be.

Especially since Billy.

Six months wasn’t enough time for them to move on, and even though Steve was going better, his wolf form still showed every scar from the interaction. It was tough for all of them to see, but they dealt with it.

Robin’s head perked up when she heard tires in the distance.

That better be Steve.

The hardest part of having “wolf tendencies” as they all jokingly called it, was the ridiculously good hearing they had in both forms. Robin could hear a pin drop from half a mile away. It proved to be pretty fucking distracting at school.

She could hear Steve’s footsteps coming through the woods, not running, but walking at a brisk pace, like he knew he was in trouble.

He wasn’t hurt then, at least.

Now she wouldn’t feel so bad yelling at him.

When Steve appeared though, he had someone with him. How had she missed the other footsteps?

She recognized him immediately as the school “freak”, Eddie Munson.

She never called him that, didn’t even know the guy really, but he was definitely odd.

She wouldn’t judge though. In fact, she needed to hear this explanation before she started in on Steve.

“Nice of you to show up.”

Okay, so she couldn’t help letting him know she was upset immediately.

“You weren’t kidding she’d be pissed,” Eddie mumbled.

“Yeah, she’s pissed,” Robin said as she crossed her arms. “Why is he here?”

Steve sighed.

“Sorry, where’s everyone?”

“I sent them out already. They’re worried. I’ve been worried.”

Steve looked to Eddie and gestured for him to speak.

“Okay, so this is kinda my fault. I was having a bit of a…uh…wolf problem? And Steve was there.”

A wolf problem. Eddie Munson had a wolf problem.

“What wolf problem could you have possibly had?”

Steve and Eddie shared a look. What the hell was happening?

“Uh. I turned into one?”

“Right. We do that? Like, often?”

“Well, I didn’t before today.”

Robin froze.

Normally, the first shift happened by your tenth birthday, sometimes earlier. It was almost unheard of for anyone’s first shift to happen after 13. So the fact that Eddie was 20 years old and just shifting made Robin concerned.

“Wait, never?”

“Never.”

“You’re sure?”

“Am I sure I’ve never become a werewolf before? Yeah, pretty fuckin’ sure.”

Steve snorted, but Robin sent him a glare.

“So, how did Steve get involved?”

“I was on my way here and saw him stumbling on the side of the road. I kind of panicked because he looked hurt. Pulled over, he was whimpering, I calmed him down so he could shift back.”

“Were you hurt?”

“Hurt my leg when I shifted. But it’s better now. Steve got me ice on the way here.”

Robin looked at the blush on Steve’s face, at the way Eddie was nervously playing with his rings.

“Oh my god.”

They both looked at her with those stupid Bambi eyes.

“You can’t be serious, Steve.”

“What?”

Eddie was inching closer to Steve, watching Robin and Steve talk.

“We don’t even know him! You welcomed him to the pack? He didn’t even know what a pack was an hour ago!”

“He can learn! Plus, he knows Dustin and Mike. He can’t be alone, you know how bad that is for us.”

“But now he’s your responsibility! Don’t you have enough kids to take care of?”

“He’s not a kid! He just needs someone to help him a little at first and then he’ll be just as valuable as all of us.”

“Jesus, Steve. You can’t let a stupid crush join the pack just because you feel bad. What happens when he doesn’t feel the same way? Think about what happened with Nancy.”

Steve felt his heart stop. Eddie let out a growl as he wrapped a hand around Steve’s waist.

Robin backed up immediately.

“Shit. He imprinted on you, didn’t he?”

“Robs.”

“Steve, this is dangerous. No offense to Eddie, I’m sure he’s nice and could maybe be pack someday, but this isn’t good. The kids won’t want to share you like this.”

“The kids or you?”

Robin looked down.

“Both.”

Steve wrapped his arm around Eddie, whispered something to him, then pulled away.

He walked up to Robin, pulling her into a hug.

“Robs, he’s not replacing any of you. That’s the point of a pack, we all have different roles but they’re all just as important. Don’t you think the kids were worried about the same thing when you joined?”

“I just don’t want you to forget that we all need you.”

“I won’t. We all have to help Eddie, okay? Not just me.”

“But he imprinted on you, Steve. That’s really serious. That never happens.”

“I know. It’ll be okay, though. We should go to the kids so they don’t come looking,” Steve said with a kiss against the top of her head.

Robin pulled away and walked over to Eddie, who looked like he wanted to cry.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?”

Eddie nodded.

“You don’t have to be. We’re a family and now you’re part of it, okay?” Robin smiled at him, pulling him into a hug.

Steve nodded towards the direction they needed to walk, smiling at both of them.

It didn’t take long to get to where the kids were, all of them pacing in their wolf forms.

Robin went behind the rock to shift, still nervous to do so in front of everyone. Steve turned to Eddie before he did anything else.

“You don’t have to shift again if you don’t want to. But I need to, and we’ll probably all go for a run. If you wanna stay here, we don’t go far and we don’t go for long.”

“I wanna go.”

Steve smiled.

“Then let’s go.” He kissed Eddie’s forehead and smirked when his pack all let out huffs of air. “Ignore them, they’ll be fine.”

—————-

Shifting back to human was always a shock, but never as much as when they all did it together.

“Why the hell is Eddie here?” Dustin yelled as he threw his clothes on quickly.

“Language!” Steve yelled as he touched Eddie’s face, took a quick inventory of his breathing and overall mood. “Eds? Doing okay?”

“Yeah. Stomach hurts.”

“That’s normal the first few times. Just take a deep breath and let it out slow.”

“Steve! Why is Eddie here?” Mike asked.

All the kids surrounded them, Robin standing to the side with Max, helping her braid her hair again.

“Guys, he needs a minute.” Steve ignored them all, pulling Eddie close to him so he could relax against his shoulder. “Today was his first shift and he imprinted.”

“On you?!” Mike yelled.

“Mike, if you can’t chill out, then you need to leave.”

“Oh my god. You made him pack already, didn’t you?”

Steve ignored them still, his focus entirely on Eddie, busy helping him get his clothes on.

Steve kissed his forehead and turned to the group of kids with their mouths open.

“Holy shit.” They all said at once.

“I’ll answer your questions later. Eddie’s had a rough day, and he needs to get to a place where he can rest safely. You all remember how exhausted you were after your first shift. And you expected it. Eddie didn’t. Give him space.”

“But.”

“No buts. Robin’s gonna get you all home and we’ll talk tomorrow. But yes, Eddie’s pack, which means we all take care of him. This isn’t up for discussion.”

Luckily, the kids didn’t argue, and Robin was quick to follow Steve’s instructions.

Eddie was shaking in his arms, but he was still focusing on breathing, and letting Steve help him through it.

“You’re doing amazing, Eds.”

“This gets better?”

“It gets easier. It helps being part of a pack like ours, too.”

“They don’t want me here,” Eddie sounded sad, his body slumping completely into Steve’s side.

“Honey, that’s not it. They’re just used to it being us. They did the same with Robin.”

“I want them to like me.”

“You already know Dustin and Mike do. They’re just surprised is all. Everyone will love you.”

———————

Steve was right.

The next day, Eddie was woken up by all of the kids jumping on him and Steve in Steve’s bed, but he didn’t mind.

They all cuddled around them, Dustin claiming the small space between them.

Steve explained how he found Eddie, Eddie explained what he was feeling.

He explained how he felt with the imprint on Steve, how he felt slight panic the moment Steve started to separate from him. How it helped to be invited into the pack, but he still felt a pull to him.

That he didn’t realize this was even possible for him and as far as he knew, no one in his family were werewolves.

But much to Steve’s delight, the kids welcomed him with open arms. Literally. They all pulled him into a group hug and told him they were happy he was here.

Robin sat at the end of the bed, smiling at Steve.

She thought about how he’d been telling her only a week ago that he felt like their pack wasn’t complete, that it felt like a piece was missing.

But it looks like he found the piece. They all did.

[okaybutlikeimagine]

(tumblr won’t let me respond to asks directly so we’re screenshotting them till further notice  🤷)(i had the WHOLE THING typed out w/ the italics fixed into the ask and i copied it so i wouldn’t have to go through and put the italics again and then my DUMBASS SELF went to copy a fucking SHRUG EMOJI and now i have to put the italics in again. good thing i do all this stuff on a separate google doc bc i’m a moron and would have lost the whole thing just now. anyway)

Hi!!! I’m crying bc you fucking KNOW that Billy would get so fucking embarrassed!!

Bc Billy is prideful!! I’m telling you, that boy has some Leo in his chart or something bc if anyone so much as smiles at a joke at his expense, he gets defensive. And that’s not to say that he doesn’t banter back and forth with Robin, and that’s not to say that he and Steve don’t give insults that sound like endearments, and that’s not to say that he and Jonathan don’t rib each other amicably… but it’s different. Pride is a very different thing.

Bc Billy is legit like a little lion cub. (AKA every Leo i know, therefore Billy has Leo in his chart, don’t @ me) it’s an almost juvenile kind of attachment to pride. Like a baby lion cub who’s just getting their mane in but holds their head like they’ve got the biggest one in the pride, it’s a little childish (as much as he may not want to admit it).

And it’s really not Billy’s fault. That’s what he’ll tell you. That’s what he’ll tell anyone. It’s not his fault he’s a brat and he’ll shrug his shoulders and he’ll continue to be rude/bratty and for some people (Steve) it’s charming and for others (almost everyone else) it’s tolerable but for Jim…. It’s…. It’s upsetting. Jim doesn’t like to be seen as “controlling” or a “hardass” or whatever but he’s not sure how he can just ignore when Billy is being disrespectful. Even if it’s only slightly. bc like…. He feels like he needs to be a good dad and good dads make sure their kids grow up to be good people, right??? Which isn’t to say he thinks Billy is a bad person but he worries because, like every parent, his biggest fear is fucking up. He didn’t get a whole lot of practice with Sara. and after her death he couldn’t help but think of every time he slipped up. Every time his wife soothed his hair and said: “We have time to get it right.” every day that passed with Sara in the hospital where he realized she was wrong.

And i’m SO sorry for getting into that but I think that really influences how Hop parents now! The man was broken and then just…. Acquired a 12 year old. And then a 17 YEAR OLD?? Like… the man would be Confused as to how to proceed. And then THIS happens…

Bc Billy has mood swings. Billy is a teenager and also the human version of a bratty little cat that puffs his chest out and ruffles his own fur and may leave a few scratches but is ultimately harmless (esp now that he has a nice, loving family!!) and so they’re at the dinner table and the boys are talking about their grades and whatnot and Billy may be a little pouty. Because maybe Billy didn’t study as hard as he should have for his last history test. He just thinks history is so stupid. He’d rather read a book or do 100 math problems. What’s history gonna teach him?? He doesn’t need to know any more about plagues.

So he says that.

Jonathan’s talking about how well he did on his essay and Will is talking about how he did on his math test and Billy’s pushing carrots around when Joyce asks: “How’s school for you, Billy?”

“Just peachy keen.” he sneers down at his plate. Hop tuts harshly.

“Hey.” Hop chastises, only serving to make Billy’s blood boil more.

“What?”

“Calm down.”

“I’m plenty calm.” Billy snaps back, but it’s quiet. He shoves a sliced carrot in his mouth.

“Have you had any tests or anything lately?” Joyce asks calmly, in that motherly voice she always gives that makes Billy’s mind swirl a bit.

“Yup.”

“Billy-” Hop warns and it makes Billy sit straight up, but give a challenging look in Hop’s direction as he says, loudly:

“Yes, ma’am.”

Joyce stops asking, but she sends a look to Hop, who’s still caught in a staredown with Billy. Billy can’t see her look, but he wouldn’t understand it if he could, because it says: Hop, cut it out.

And the conversation shifts to significant others and then Joyce is smiling kindly at El and asking about her and Mike and maybe Hop is pouting but he’s not gonna draw attention to himself bc Joyce will just hit him like she always does when he’s pouting over their kids dating (specifically El). And Jonathan is smirking a bit into his dinner but Will is visibly uncomfortable as El gushes about Mike before complaining that he doesn’t come over enough and that she doesn’t go out enough and Billy gets irritated. Why should he and Will have to listen to this when they don’t want to??

And he mutters something, darkly. Something about Mike and El and “ungrateful little brats”.

And everyone hears. He only half means it, but they don’t really think that far.

And Hop shoots a look his way before chewing on a carrot rather aggressively.

“Somethin’ to say?”

Billy gives Hop a challenging stare, but he backs down as soon as he starts it.

“No sir.” He mutters harshly.

“Then behave.”

“How about you and Steve, sweetie?” It’s Joyce. Being sweet.

“Happy as can be.” It sounds bitter the way he says it because it is. They got in a fight today. A little one, but enough to make Billy taste something sour in his mouth when he thinks about it. He figures they’re gonna make up just fine tomorrow, no flowers or empty promises needed, just another heated conversation followed by a heated make out in the front seat of Billy’s Camaro. Maybe followed by a serious talk that’ll make Billy’s face heat up because he still can’t believe this boy has Billy wrapped around his finger so fucking tight.

“Yeah, well Officer Callahan says you and Harrington have-”

“You know his name.” Billy growls, resting his fork on the plate.

“Steve. You and Steve have been running around empty fields a lot lately.”

“And?” Billy’s vision is turning red. It’s tunneling a bit.

“And what’s that all about?”

“Don’t really wanna give you all the dirty details.” Billy shoves some meatloaf in his mouth. Hop’s looking at him like he’s a hassle and Billy’s proud of it.

“You guys shouldn’t be doing that. Someone’s gonna say something.”

“And?” Billy’s getting madder. He puts his fork down with a loud clang.

“And you’re gonna cause problems-”

“For you?” Billy seethes, leaning forward a bit, just willing Hop to say it.

“For yourselves.”

“Oh yeah?” Billy asks, leaning back in his chair, blood boiling hot. “Well what about the little twerps?”

Billy nods over to El, who makes a whining noise.

“Hey!” She calls, face pouting.

“What about them?”

"I just don't think it's very fair that it's safe for them and not us." Billy growls, gritting his teeth, eyebrows low.

"That's not true."

"It's safe for everyone else but us!" He’s mad. He’s mad bc him and Steve have argued about this before. Argued about how there’s no real point in being together if they have to hide all the time. That one time when they saw Cindy and Jason being grossly affectionate in public and Billy grabbed Steve’s ass and Steve got mad. They fought for a few days and it ended with them laying in Hansen’s big empty field, on the outskirts of town, talking in dreamy, far away voices about how one day they’d move to California bc “It’s not like this there… trust me, babe. It’ll be so much better.”

Billy’s vision tunnels more. All he sees is Hop in different shades of red. He forgets where he is. He’s livid, thinking about El and Mike and Cindy and Jason and Tommy and Carol and Nancy and Jonathan and he’s going to scream. His heart is racing with disdain.

"You know it's still dangerous for El to go out." Hop warns.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Look... kid-"

"I'm not a fucking kid." Billy growls, leaning forward even more.

"Language!" Hop’s voice is booming and Billy’s had about enough of this. He resents being told off like a kid.

"Sorry! Excuse the fuck out of me!" He’s snarling and Hop seems about as livid as Billy feels.

"Go to your room!"

"Fine!" Billy yells, shoving his chair back and standing up, turning to Joyce for the first time all dinner and seeing her eyes full of… concern. He doesn’t know how to feel about it. Something in his chest heaves at the sight. His eyes flick over to Jonathan and then to El and then to Will…. And then his chest tightens. He looks away just as quickly.

He thanks Joyce quietly for dinner, mumbling it a bit but he thinks the sentiment is clear enough. He drops his plate off next to the sink and storms off to his room, slamming the door with probably too much force but everything’s on his mind and he has the right to be a brat if he wants.

It’s just that he hates just sitting here with nothing to do but think about everything. He doesn’t even have his stereo to listen to music with bc he gave his to El until she can get a new one bc hers broke and her nightmares have been bad recently. Listening to music before bed calms her down. Billy didn’t say anything about his own nightmares or his own need for music before bed. He wishes he had now that he’s laying in bed, about ready to rip his sheets to shreds bc he’s boiling. He feels like a storm but, to any outsider, he looks like a toddler- red-faced from a tantrum and fidgeting and bubbling like a shaken up soda bottle.

He’s so mad he can’t even do anything. The minutes pass in sticky but frantic moments of anger and thoughts and memories and the only thing his body will let him do is just sit there. Lay in his bed and pull at his covers and fall into thoughts and think about Hop reprimanding him like that and how awful it was and how red and angry he looked and how he sent him to his room like a kid and… and how Joyce looked so worried…. And how that same look was in Jonathan’s eyes…. And Will’s…. That same worried, concerned look. They all three have the same eyes- Lonnie be damned. Those boys share their mother’s eyes and all of the emotion that goes within them and it makes… it makes Billy mad he’s mad about it he knows he’s mad and-

And…

And he calms down a bit. Calms down enough to do what Steve told him to do when he gets angry and stressed and doesn’t know what to do with himself. Because Steve’s family is “well-traveled” and Steve knows all these weird little things from all these cool different countries.

So Billy takes out his notebook and rips a couple pieces of paper out (bc he saves the fancy paper Steve gave him for when he’s actually trying) and does some origami. Bc Steve said it’d help him to do something with his hands and this is something he can do quietly, in his room, without being destructive. ”It’ll help, I promise!”

The hardest part is making a perfect square, bc it takes too much patience and usually Billy doesn’t have that. But he’s just doing this to calm down so he eyeballs it as he cuts the paper and starts to fold what he knows, which is either a heart or a crane. Those are the only 2 things Steve has taught him that he knows off hand w/o the instructions or Steve guiding him through it.

There’s more crumpled paper on the ground than folded paper on his desk but Steve had assured him that was more than okay. It’s kind of the point, he figures. Crumpling and ripping up the paper is almost as nice as folding it to make something, and it makes actually making something feel even better when it happens.

He’s sitting there, on his 3rd heart, when there’s a small knock on the door.

“Go away.” He calls, realizing that the paper he cut isn’t a perfect square bc the corners won’t match.

“It’s Will.”

Billy pauses a bit. He goes back to folding his paper, not caring about the corners bc it’s not bad enough to start over. He doesn’t say anything.

He hears the door open.

“Do you think ‘go away’ doesn’t mean you?”

“Does it?” Will asks, voice earnest. Billy looks up to see his face matches.

Billy sighs, the harsh feeling in his chest softens a bit at the boy in his doorway. He turns back to his folding.

“What do you want? And close the door.”

“I wanted to ask if you wanna come listen to records with me.” Will says, closing the door behind him.

“I don’t think they want me out there.” Billy folds his paper with his fingernail to make it sharp. It burns his thumb a bit.

“That’s not true.” Will says, taking a few steps closer. “Mom told Hop… Dad he shouldn’t have done that.”

And that makes Billy mad. He’s not even sure why. It’s a heat in his chest and his face that feels like anger and he messes up his fold and he’s just… he’s confused and he’s red and all he can think about is Will saying “mom”. Not “my mom” just “mom” and also “dad” like he’s theirs and Billy can’t understand it still and he smashes the paper into a ball in his hand-

“I don’t need your mom defending me.” Billy says harshly, spitting the words out like he hates them, chucking the paper on the ground. He’s too aware of the way Will flinches a bit at his harshness. He takes a deep breath.

“Uh... “ Will’s fidgeting. Billy feels bad. He sighs.

“I don’t have my stereo.” Billy leans back, running a tired hand down his face. “Ask Jonathan.”

“But I wanna listen to your music.” Will says quietly and Billy believes him. Will’s been getting interested in Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin and all of the fun bands that actually perform. Steve gifted Billy a VHS performance of Led Zeppelin and Will seemed to like the lead singer quite a bit.

“Well I don’t wanna go out there, pipsqueak.” Billy rips out another piece of paper. It’s quiet for a second, Billy eyeballing another square to cut. It’s so quiet, Billy thinks Will has left.

He thinks wrong.

“Can I still hang out with you?”

Billy puts the scissors down, exhausted, and looks up at Will.

“Alright, what’s wrong?”

Will shrugs. “Nothing. I just…. Like it in here.”

Billy’s confused, but he almost believes him for a minute.

“I don’t have music for you.”

“I can grab a book to read.” The boy’s so earnest, Billy knows he’s not gonna shake him.

So he waves him away with a nod and Will’s out and back quicker than Billy can think about how weird it is that this boy would rather sit in his room in silence than do something fun. Will’s closing the door carefully, latching it quietly and moving over to sit on the bed.

Billy has crumpled up 2 more pieces of paper before Will begins to pry.

“Are you folding things again?”

“Uh huh.”

“What’s it called, again?”

“Origami.”

“Cool.” Will scoots on his knees to the edge of the bed so he can see what Billy’s doing. “Do you need any help?”

“I’m good.” Billy mutters, unconvincingly.

“I can cut the paper for you. I’m good at making squares.”

And so Will is sitting criss cross on the bed, cutting perfect square after perfect square, while Billy sits backwards on his desk chair with his arms folding on the back rest and mind racing a mile a minute. Will’s so quiet and calm, willingly coming in here just to spend time with Billy, helping him now and… and something sick fills Billy’s chest. The only thing he can hear are his words at the dinner table.

‘Hey-uh…” His voice sounds weird to his ears and his tongue feels thick but he’s got Will’s attention now so he needs to get it out. “Sorry.”

Will’s eyebrows scrunch up. “Sorry for what?”

For being a dick? For ruining your dinner? For ruining your family?

Billy shrugs.

“I dunno. Just… not being a good example.”

“Whaddya mean?” Will asks, handing over a handful of squares before working on some more.

Billy shrugs again. “I dunno kid I just… I’m not like Jonathan. I’m not… I’m not a good example for you. It’s embarrassing.”

“What’s embarrassing?”

“Getting told off like that in front of you guys.” Billy turns back around so he can start folding again. He needs to do something w/ his hands.

“I told you, mom told him he shouldn’t have done that.”

“But he was right-”

“No, you can be upset if you’re upset. It’s fine.”

Billy falters a bit. He wonders if Will is quoting Joyce. The small boy keeps speaking.

“You’re a good example,” Will’s voice says, and he sounds so sure that Billy believes him. “You’re just a different one. You show me to stand up for what I believe and… and that it’s okay to be… to like boys…”

Billy stops folding altogether. Will’s voice gets quieter.

“You’re a good example. It’s good to let things out when you feel them.”

Billy’s mind is racing. He’s folding without thinking about it. Because the only thing he can think about is how he got accepted into this family so quickly. How Hop took him in and Joyce accepted that like she was accepting a package at the door. She took him in like he was her own son and not some bratty problem child being dumped on her. And now Hop reprimands him without his fists and Joyce chastises Hop for being too harsh even though he’s… doing his job, whatever that entails and it’s… it’s too much sometimes. It’s too much to think about but Billy knows he wouldn’t give it away for the world bc every moment like this reminds him that every passing day is a day further away from the pain he grew up surrounded by. The pain now doesn’t even compare to the pain then. This is so different bc this pain is laced with care and love.

He’s made a crane before he realizes.

“I’m glad you’re my brother.” Will’s voice sounds so far away but it crashes over Billy like a wave.

Billy nearly crushes the crane in his hand from the words. He’s so shocked at them.

He turns and gives Will the crane, not looking the boy in the eye as he gathers up the paper and the scissors from the bed.

“I don’t need any more paper. Thanks.” Billy mumbles, dumping everything on his desk.

“You’re welcome. Is this for me?”

“Yup.” Billy shoves the paper in a drawer and tosses the scissors into his pencil cup.

“Thanks!” Will’s so excited about it. Billy’s heart is fluttering.

“Wanna listen to those records now?” Billy asks, hands on his hips, fingers fidgeting bc this is a lot and he just…. He needs music now. Whatever. He realizes he shouldn’t be so scared. There’s nothing to be scared about. Will beams up at him.

“Sure!” Will gets up and rushes to the door as Billy grabs a folded heart and follows the boy out, aiming to give it to Joyce by means of apology. He thinks briefly about giving one to Hop as well, but he figures a spoken apology and a light punch on the shoulder and a promise to listen should do just fine to get the man smiling again. Bc somehow- somewhat miraculously -it always does.

[strangerthingsharrington]

Can’t Fight This Feeling

-12-

Once everyone came down from the shock of everything we started talking. Trying to think of something, anything, to get us out of the position we were in.

But..it was almost midnight and Dustin and Erica started showing their exhaustion. Erica fell asleep first with Dustin going about ten minutes later. Robin pushed through a little longer but she fell asleep leaning against one of the walls.

I was past the point of exhaustion and had new energy. I sighed and leaned against some of the boxes, trying in vain to relax.

A few feet away sat Steve, running a hand through his hair.

"Well?" I asked him.

He looked back at me questioningly, "Well?" he echoed.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

He sighed, "I have no idea, I mean, none of the buttons work and we can't climb out...I have no idea."

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, "The walkie talkie?" I wondered.

He hummed, "Maybe, but there's no point now since it's so late. Doubtful anyone would even hear it."

I bit my lip, "So we're just...stuck."

I heard him shuffling so I looked over to him and sat that he moved to sit right in front of me, our legs just a few inches away from each other.

"For now," he stated, "we're gonna get out of here...it just won't be through the elevator right now. When the doors open-"

"We'll have to fight," I finished simply.

He grinned at me, "Or be sneaky and get out," he raised his brows.

"Or be sneaky," I agreed, "how would we do that though?"

He sighed, "I'm not sure," he admitted, "that's the problem...it might have to be an on the move kinda plan that we can't plan for."

I knew he was right. We didn't know what was behind the doors. We didn't know what we were going to have to do. We wouldn't know what to do until the last possible second.

"Shit," I whispered.

"Hey," Steve softly said, causing my eyes to flash to him, "I was serious when I said I wouldn't let anything happen to Dustin, you know?"

I smiled back cautiously, "I know."

He cleared his throat, "That extends to you too, okay? I won't let anything happen to either of you...Robin and Erica too, obviously," he added, "I swear it."

"Thanks Steve," I told him.

Steve stretched his legs out in front of him, which put them next to my legs, "You happy to be almost done with school?" he questioned.

I sighed straightening my legs out too. It clicked in my head in an instant. Could this be the moment where I got all my feelings about King Steve off my chest? So that maybe every time I looked at Steve I wouldn't have this subconscious fear of whatever he was thinking about? Could this be the moment I, finally, stand up for myself the way I should've against them for years?

I cleared my throat and looked away from him, "Yeah, this is finally gonna be a good year I think, so I'm more looking forward to that."

"Finally?" he asked, puzzled.

I let my eyes ghost over him for a second before looking down at my lap, "Yeah...now that some certain kids are gone, I might actually have a pleasant school year."

I took a peak up at him and say his eyes watching me intently, "Who?"

Just as quickly as my semi bravery came, it was gone. I realized I didn't want to hurt his feelings or anything. 

I looked down once again, "Tommy and Carole mostly...but um," I bit my lip, wishing I could backtrack and not say anything else, but I was too far gone, "you were there for one big one."

"What?" he blurted, shocked.

I took a breath and looked up at him, seeing the sadness already evident on his face, "When Tommy told me you had a crush on me? Then you laughed and told him how messed up that was. You also called me Lisa so..."

He sighed deeply and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, "Shit," he whispered quietly, "I honestly don't remember that...but yeah that sounds like something douchy Steve would be involved in," Steve lamented, as I watched his body semi deflate as this realization.

I shrugged my shoulders gently, "You definitely were."

He ran a hand through his hair before bringing his knees up to his chest, "That's not...me anymore, Lou," he expressed, wrapping his arms around his knees.

I shot him a small smile, "So I've been told," I told him before sighing heavily, "Steve I don't-I dont necessarily think thats you anymore either...but that was just such a shitty thing, and I really wanted to get it off my chest."

He let his legs stretch out once more and his mouth fell open, "Is that...is that why you hadn't really talked to me when I started hanging around with Dustin? Or why you seemed a bit standoff-ish at the beginning of all this?" he wondered watching for my reaction.

I looked away from him as I nodded slowly.

"Lou," he breathed, I looked back to him and saw the regret in his eyes, he looked so sad, "I'm really sorry...about all of that," he told me earnestly, fidgeting with the hem of his scoops ahoy shirt.

I smiled a little and looked away from him, "Thanks."

"Please don't...accept the apology unless you...really accept it. I was a true asshole in school, and I just-shit," he said, looking up to the ceiling, "I know how much of a jerk I was to a lot of people, Lou. You included, same with Jonathan and probably Robin too."

"Steve," I began, "Steve, please look at me," I pleaded.

He took a second but he finally lowered his head and made eye contact with me.

"I know that...that was all high school shit and maybe it was to save face with Tommy H and Carole...regardless, yeah you kinda sucked in high school," I rambled, trying to get to my point, "but that doesn't seem like you now. And I wasn't bringing this up to make you feel bad or to upset or hurt you...it's just been something that's been weighing on me for so long, then we're thrown into this madness together. I just wanted to get this off of me so that I coukd start dealing with it instead of bottling it up."

"Trust me, I'm happy you brought it up," he told me, "I don't want you to have this version of me in your head anymore. The shit I did to a lot of people was-it was really messed up. I can't change it, but I can try and change the way you think of me going forward."

"I appreciate that a lot, Steve, really I do," I admitted, "we really don't have to keep talking about this...it's been said so we can just...continue onwards."

"Just before we move forward or whatever, I just...shit," he sighed running both hands through his hair before looking back to me with an intensity I hadnt seen before from him, "I will never intentionally hurt you, Louise. Seriously, I-I was a jerk back then, not that that's an excuse, but that's the truth. And I'm so sorry you've carried that around with you all this time, it should have never happened. I'm just...so sorry. Really, really from the bottom of my heart, I'm so sorry."

I was taken aback a bit because of his response to this. I never once thought he would react to this the way he did. With absolute sincerity and honesty and admitting how much of a jerk he was. I couldnt believe it.

"Thank-you, Steve," I said, breathlessly, "that means a lot to me."

He grinned sadly at me briefly before his eyes looked downcast. I looked away from him to give him his space after all of that. He finally spoke up after a few minutes.

"So I mean...have you started looking at colleges yet?" he asked quietly.

I smiled over at him, "A few...I think im gonna stay local though, be close to mom and Dust...especially knowing all this now, I'll wanna be as close as I can be," I chuckled.

"What about you? Where are you headed this year?" I asked him.

"To Scoops Ahoy," he answered automatically.

I squinted, "Oh...so no college?"

He cleared his throat, "No...I figured that I'd take a year off and work, you know, learn the value of earning and all that shit. Then figure out what I wanna do."

"That's smart, Steve," I smiled.

He shook his head with a small smile, "Honestly I just wanted to see if my story was as believable to people as I wanted it to be. Truthfully, I didn't get into any school that I wanted and my dad said I needed to get a job...and that's the scoops ahoy story."

I immediately felt bad for him, "I'm really sorry, Steve."

He shrugged, "Hey...that's life I guess. I proved my dad right that I wouldn't amount to anything other than working for him so...I mean, you heard what he said...I'm his biggest disappointment," he mumbled.

"What do you want to do?"

"What?"

"What do you want to be when you're older?"

He scratched his head, "Oh...I dont know, I guess. I've never really thought of it too much.  What about you?"

"I want to be an accountant, I've done my moms taxes for the last few years just for fun before she gave them to the actual accountant and I've always been right. I like numbers and stuff," I explained, feeling self conscious that he would think I'm a nerd or something.

"That's a good one," he nodded with a smile, "you're really smart, Lou. You could literally do anything, I think."

My face flushed at his words, "Thanks," I said softly.

He hesitated with a thoughtful expression, "Maybe a teacher," he finally said, "I like hanging out with your brother and the other kids in the party for the most part...I like imparting my wisdom on them and helping them out...yeah...a teacher sounds good," he said with a very faint smile, but the smile was gone in an instant.

"But no school will take me for that...my grades were shit, no one would want me teaching their kids," he declared with an eye roll before looking to the wall.

I put my hand on his knee and shook it to get him to look at me, "Go and talk to the principle or something...maybe they can help out somehow? Taking night classes or something so you can bring your grades up?"

"Yeah that'd look good, Steve Harrington returns to Hawkins High because he got rejected from every school he applied to," he said sarcastically.

I scoffed, "No, it would look like, Steve Harrington returns to school to work towards a better life for himself."

"I'd probably flunk those classes too," he said dejected.

I scooted up so we were closer to each other, and took his hand in mine, looking right in his eyes, "Steve...you've gotta have faith in yourself. If you don't wanna work for your dad then don't work for him. If you don't want to turn out like him, then don't. Nothing is stopping you. You're young, Steve, you can make something of yourself. And you're smart-"

"Not really-"

"Yes you are! You can acknowledge things that you did wrong in the past, you helped with the plan for getting in here, and you're gonna help get us out! I dont know who's been telling you that you're not smart, but they're wrong. Just put your mind to something, Steve, and you'll get whatever it is that you want," I squeezed his hand as I spoke.

He sent me a small smile, "You should re think your career choice and become a motivational speaker."

I laughed quietly, "I'll think about it."

"But seriously, thank you for that...that huh...yeah that means a lot to have someone say that," he explained, putting his other hand over ours.

"No problem," I smiled, "and I'll help you too, Steve. Picking classes, with homework, studying, I'd be happy to help."

"Thank-you," he murmured.

I smiled at him before sliding myself back against the wall, letting his hand go gently in the process.

"So...when the door opens..."

"I'm telling you, I can take them on," he told me, "whoever is on the other side, I'll take them out!" he joked.

I laughed quietly, "I'm sure you will," I said through a yawn.

"Get some sleep, Lou," he told me gently, patting my knee.

I hummed and leaned my head against the wall, "You have too, to."

"I will," he promised.

I sighed, "Close your eyes too, Steve," I said as my eyelids closed by themselves.

"I will, Lou, I swear," he reassured me, with his hand still on my knee.

"Night, Steve," I whispered wearily.

"Night, Louise," he whispered soothingly back to me.

——

Title credit to REO Speedwagon and gif credit to owner

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

Right-Side Up AU, Part Three: It’s the End of the World {AO3} {tumblr} {Part One} {Part Two}

Chapter Nine → When Blue Meets Yellow

Joyce hugged herself as they got out of the squad car, the rain pouring down on them. “Is there a reason you brought me here instead of one of your deputies?” 

Hopper shut the car door, sighing as they walked up to the front porch. “This isn’t an ‘official’ police investigation, Joyce.” 

“So you bring a civilian into it?” 

Hopper gave her a careful look, as they stepped onto the porch. “You weren’t this upset last visit.” 

“We’re going to be late home, the kids’ll be worried.” 

Hopper sighed. “They were fine yesterday.” 

“Every day’s different.” Joyce hugged herself. “The smallest thing can change a day from good to bad. We could get back there and they’re all fine, or we could get back there and Will’s locked himself up in his room again. I just… don’t like being away for long.” 

Hopper paused outside Ms Driscoll’s door, and gave a small nod. “Honestly… I know the girls don’t want me to worry, but everytime Max decides to walk somewhere alone, or El is home alone…” 

“And with this… magnets and rats thing…” Joyce sighed, as they reached the door. She knocked, and waited a moment. “It’s just… it’s like this’ll keep happening in Hawkins over and over.” 

Hopper opened his mouth to ask something, but just as he brought up the courage, Joyce knocked again and said, “She’s taking a while.” She knocked once more, narrowing her eyes in concern. “Ms Driscoll?” she called. “It��s us again, we have some… questions?” No answer. “Do you think she’s out?” 

“She’s an eighty year old woman, and it’s pouring.” Hopper said. “Where else would she be?” 

Joyce paused, and then she tried the door. It swung open, unlocked. 

“Well, shit.” she said. 

Hopper carefully pushed her a little behind him, and stepped inside. “Joyce, stay behind me.” 

“Well…” Joyce sighed, as they stepped inside. “This isn’t the scariest thing that’s happened, is it?” 

Hopper shot her a glare, and she shot him an I’m trying to lighten the mood because, due to our streak of luck, we’re likely about to die look. 

A roar of thunder sounded and Joyce called, “Ms Driscoll?” 

“Ms Driscoll, it’s Chief Jim Hopper!” 

They turned a bend into another room, and the two heard her clock ticking, almost as if it was getting louder and louder. Joyce was the one who spotted the cellar door swinging open, and she stepped forward, glancing down the stairs. “Ms Driscoll?” 

“Joyce! Joyce, don’t just go down there!” 

“Then come down with m-” 

Joyce reached the bottom of the stairs, and instantly shut up, because she felt like the wind was knocked out of her. 

Ms Driscoll was there, eating fertilizer. 

The first thing Joyce was able to say, as Hopper rushed down after her, was “Fuck.” 

“What do we do about Max?” 

El and Mike were leaning on each other, one distraught and the other exhausted and distraught, so Lucas felt like that meant he was in charge for the moment. He stood in front of them, bouncing his leg and trying not to panic. They’d heard muffled yelling, and then El just said Max ran off before collapsing beside Mike. It wasn’t much to go on, and considering what had happened the last time she ran off on her own… 

“I…” El shuddered. “I… I know she doesn’t want to see me- see us- right now, so we- and we need to find Heather- but- what happens if she’s alone? Maybe we should split up.” 

“No.” Lucas shook his head, before sitting beside El and reaching out to put a hand on her knee. “No, no splitting up. If… if we do something, we do it together.” 

“But Max is alone.” 

Lucas shut his eyes, remembering the arcade day. He hadn’t let her go alone… and then he’d messed up, he’d made her mad at him, because they were dealing with this ‘Billy’ thing… 

“Where would she go?” 

“I- the arcade?” El guessed, trying to think. “The park? Her…” her eyes widened and she shivered. “The Cabin.” 

“Where she got exorcized?” 

“She… she might…” El bit her lip. 

Lucas turned towards Mike, moving his hand to his knee instead. “Mike? Where was Heather?” 

Mike shut his eyes, still crying, but he said, “There was a house. Red door. 1438.” 

Lucas turned to El. “Do you know where that is? You know Hawkins.” 

El considered. “I think that sounds like this one house we used to avoid trick-or-treating, cause the whole street was full of stuck-up…” she shut her eyes and shivered. 

“Is it close? To the Cabin?” 

“Uh, close enough to the woods-” 

“Then we can do both.” Lucas said. “Give Max some time to herself, and then go get her.” 

“I don’t…” 

“We need to know what’s wrong with Heather,” Lucas said, moving his hand back to her, “But we need to help Max. We can do both, right? And we don’t even have to split up.” El finally nodded, and Lucas smiled a little, trying to encourage them. “See? We can figure it out. Like we always do.” 

“Like… like we always do.” El nodded. She squeezed Mike’s hand, and then reluctantly let it go, glancing at the ground. “Like we always do. If we bike over now, we should make it in a few minutes.” 

“Mom will kill us.” Will signed to Dustin. 

Dustin glanced at him and signed back, “We’ll make an excuse. Think of one.” 

They’d learned sign language only a little after the Gate’s closure; Max had become worried about what would happen if she couldn’t make noise and thus couldn’t use morse code, but still needed to communicate, and Dustin had dug into the library to find sign language books. It wasn’t ideal, considering they had nobody fluent in sign language to practice with and so they weren’t entirely sure they had it right, but at least they had some basics down to shoot at each other- simple conversation, some names, and useful words like gate, monster, control and run. It was very useful when they couldn’t use morse, or when they were, for instance, on a roof in the pouring rain trying to spy on Russians. 

Honestly, Will and Dustin had expected that they’d never have to spy on Russian agents again, once they’d escaped the Lab. But here they were, and Robin had only brought two raincoats, so Dustin gave one to Will as he and Steve tried to look through the rain, soaking them wet. Dustin peered through his binoculars- a Christmas gift from El and Max- and Robin called, “Look for Imperial Panda and Koffman’s Shoes!” 

Dustin finally managed to focus his vision, and he said, “With whistling guy! On the wheels!” 

“Stroller?” Will guessed. 

“Cart.” Steve said. “What do you think’s in there?” 

“Chemical weapons?” Robin shrugged. 

Dustin and Will shared an uneasy glance, and then Dustin looked through the binoculars again, and said, “Oh, Steve, they have a shitton of guns.” 

“So we bring in Mike?” Will asked. 

“No, no, we’re not bringing in Mike to fight guys with guns.” Steve said. “Way too much of a stressor.” 

“That’s your main problem with that plan?” Robin gaped. 

“Hold on.” Dustin looked closer. “The guard just used a keycard to unlock a big door.” 

“What’s in that?” Robin asked. 

“More boxes.” 

“Let me see it.” Steve grabbed the binoculars, but Dustin pulled back. 

“No! No, I’m good-” 

“Don’t fight!” Will said. 

“Let me see!” 

“Steve, just let me-” 

Will threw his hands over his ears, just as Steve and Dustin dropped the binoculars, and they clanged against the roof. 

“Shit!” Steve shouted, and he, Robin and Dustin whipped around, ducking under the wall. Dustin noticed Will hadn’t yet moved- perhaps due to his hands blocking the sound, and he grabbed his hand, dragging him down with them as they heard shouts from beneath. Terrified for a moment that they’d been spotted, Dustin gripped onto Will’s arm, burying his head in his shoulder. 

Will, for his part, shut his eyes and tried to think. If the guards made it to the roof and cornered them… Mike and Lucas had the offensive powers, and they were probably still at home with El and Max. Steve and Robin didn’t have weapons, and none of them were very good at fighting- well, maybe Robin could be, but Will really had no idea what she could and couldn’t do. 

If worse came to worst… 

Will usually didn’t try to remember that time in Chicago, when they were in the apartment. He loved Kali, and Wilder, and all the gang, and he missed the hell out of them, but… but… 

“Papa is gone! Papa is gone! No! No! No! No!” 

He’d screamed, and thrown out his hand, and the aura around that man, that man that had hurt Kali and Mike and was telling him he wasn’t safe anymore, that the other experiments weren’t safe anymore, and had never been, that everything was crumbling… that man had screamed. His aura had shrunk, collapsing in on itself, and Will had done it, Will had done something to his… his life, his spirit, his soul. He was hurting him, killing him, all with a flick of the wrist. 

It was horrifying. He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t even think of doing it. 

But if those people came up, with their guns, and tried to hurt Robin, and Steve, and Dustin… his Dustin… his friends… 

He remembered when Mike had been willing to kill Ray, for hurting Kali, for scaring Will, and only barely stopped. That had terrified him. It still did. But it sunk in right there, that if that yelling got closer, if push came to shove… 

“We gotta run.” Will felt a hand on his shoulder- Steve’s hand, as the older boy shook him. “Hurry, go.” 

Will opened his eyes, glancing over, just in time to see Dustin’s face go a bit red as he released his friend’s arm. Steve and Robin pulled them up and pushed them to the door that led to the staircase, rushing them down. As they ran, still sopping wet, Robin said, “Well, we found our Russians!” 

“We have to get those packages. See what’s in them.” Dustin said, glancing back at Steve. 

“How about we figure that out when there aren’t angry spies trying to find the source of that noise?” Robin said, and pushed them all ahead a bit faster.

 Joyce bounced her leg as she stood at the phone, nerves flaring inside her. 

Answer. Answer, answer, answer… 

Finally, she heard a click, and then her oldest son’s voice. “Hello?” 

“Jonathan!” 

“Mom? Mom, we-” 

“Jonathan, there’s an emergency, I can’t be home. We’re- we’re at the hospital-” 

“The hospital?” 

“Neither of us are hurt! Me and Hopper are fine! But we’re- listen, we’re investigating something-” 

“Mom!” 

“We’ll be home late, tell Will-” 

“Mom, Nancy’s hurt!” 

Joyce froze. “What?” 

There was a bit of a pause, and then Jonathan sighed and said, “Considering our history, this is probably connected but, well, we almost got murdered today. When can you get back?” 

Joyce shut her eyes, and then said, “Hold on a minute.” She covered part of the phone, turned towards Hopper, who was talking to someone at the desk, and called, “Hop!” When he turned, she said, “Yeah, it’s happening again.” 

“Goddamnit.”

[wordsdrippinginink]

(3 of 4) OPVengers. Meeting Luffy. Again and for the 1st time. (because we all know that this is gonna be a mess of the highest caliber)

“Why do they call you Gol D Ace,” Steve asks curiously as Ace frowns at the newspaper that a bird had delivered. “I thought your name was Portgas D Ace, was,” he pauses. “Were you just too polite to correct us?”

Ace blinks slowly at him, the same way that Steve has seen Kotatsu do, before sighing, “About twenty, fuck I’m suppose to be twenty two? Twenty four years ago, there was a man who became the Pirate King, before his execution, he said that the person who made it to this island that he had left his treasure on would take his place. His name was Gol D Roger, he’s-” he gestures hopelessly. “-my male genetic provider.”

“But you’re suppose to be twenty two?”

“My mom, Portgas D Rouge, lived on a small island called Batterilla. That man stayed with her for a time before turning himself into the marines and the marines heard rumor that Gol was going to be a father. They killed a number of women and young children to prevent his bloodline from continuing.”

Steve feels sick because this is starting to make the Marines sound more like the Nazis in his memories, the men who would kill off another group of humans because they didn’t approve of them. For a government to willingly, publicly, approve of murdering children and pregnant women-

“My mother extended her pregnancy. I think it was Conquer’s haki, which forces your will over someone else but Gramps said it was will power, for almost two years. It killed her, she lived long enough to name me.”

“She sounds like an amazing woman,” Steve says instead, because he knows amazing women. Portgas D Rouge sounds as strong as Peggy and his mother, the number of other women that he’s met over the years. “I’m sorry you never got to meet her.”

“Thanks,” Ace says smiling softly before glancing back at his paper. “This says that Luffy’s been up to his usual shit, the little brat, and gives us an idea where he’s going to be heading, since Marco’s heard rumors about Luffy working with Trafalgar.”

“What a Traflga?” Tony mumbles into his cup, eyes narrowed at a speck of nothing on the table. “Is that a food?”

“Trafalgar Law, he’s a member of the Marine’s pet pirates,” Ace says shrugging. “He’s got a devil’s fruit that,” Ace shrugs. “It’s a little hard to explain, I think. But let’s say if you run into a blue circle, you’re fucked because he’ll dismember you. You’ll live and get everything reattached easily enough, but it’s annoying.”

Pepper hums looking at the map that Ace had taken from Marco, “Where is Fishman Island on this?”

“Under this,” Ace answers tapping on a landmass. “It’s underwater, you have to get the ship coated so that it can go under and this island is Saboady, best place in the world to find someone to coat your ship,” his finger trails to another island. “This is Dressrosa. If Luffy keeps on track then he’ll be here about the same time that we will.”

“Any plans for when we arrive?” Pepper asks finally, probably mentally calculating the days until they arrived. Steve has found that she plans as well her as she does for Stark Industries. She also looks more relaxed than Steve has ever seen her. “We’ve got several choices.”

“Undercover,” Ace answers simply. “The island has been taken over by one of the other pet pirates the Marines have running around. His name is Doflamingo and I would burn him alive if I got the chance.”

“What,” Clint asks raising an eyebrow. “is a pet pirate?”

“The marines have a group of seven pirates that they Warlords, whom work for them. They offered me a spot before I was revealed to be,” he taps his name in the paper. “It also offers protection, which is why some people take it. I wouldn’t but I know that Boa Hancock worked with my brother to try and help me escape execution, which means she’s playing her own game.”

The politics of this world are just as complicated as Ace and Marco had tried to explain to them in the beginning and Steve doesn’t know what to think. Sometimes he thinks that maybe pirates are right, maybe they’re the ones that are doing the right thing, but then, then. He doesn’t know what to think and it’s driving him mad.

“You said undercover,” Pepper says because she’s focused. “Undercover how?”

Ace smirks and Steve shivers because the last time that they saw that face, they had taken out a marine ship that had been chasing them and left the survivors for dead, “What do you know about disguises?”

“You don’t want to get involved with that,” Clint whispers as Luffy clings to the man that he thinks is Ace’s other brother, the one that Marco had mentioned, sobbing his heart out. “They’re already having emotional break downs.”

“I died in Luffy’s arms,” Ace says softly, leaning back against the statue that they’ve taken to hiding behind, not looking around it to catch sight of them. “And he’s got a big fight coming. I don’t think it’s fair to throw him off balance just yet.”

“And Sabo’s not doing the same thing?”

Ace hums, “your older brother dies when you’re not even in the double digits, but he comes back years later to tell you he’s alive before a big battle. Emotional, but not compromising. Your brother who died in your arms to save your life two years ago shows up alive?”

“Point,” Clint says softly. “What is your plan then? I know you made us all memorize what Luffy’s crew and this Trafalgar guy’s crew look like, but if Sabo’s running around too, who we don’t have a picture for just your description, he’s got to have allies.”

“That’s Sabo’s fault for being a member of the Revolutionary army,” Ace shrugs and Clint can see the tension in his shoulders.

“Would it be that bad? For Luffy to see you now?”

“Marco says Luffy was catatonic after my death. If you were that bad after someone dies on you, what would you do if they came back?”

Clint sucks in a breath through his teeth, “Jesus fuck. So we’re good to be spotted as we like, but you’ve gotta keep yourself out of sight. Do you have a plan to meet up with Luffy again?”

“After. There’s always time after fights like this and I think it’ll be better. Just,” Ace shrugs and he pushes himself upright, pulling the baseball cap that Pepper had shoved onto his head down to shade his face. “We can’t avoid to distract him now. I can’t afford to ruin this for him.”

“But after?”

Ace grins, halfhearted, “After this, I think Luffy would love to have both of his older brothers back in his life, don’t you?”

Doflamingo stops short at the swirling inferno that separates him from where Law has dragged Straw Hat, flames too hot and bright for him to risk a step further.

“You know, I think that you’re a little creepy about Trafalgar,” that’s a voice he’s heard before. The entire world had heard it. “But that’s my baby brother down there and no offense, you fucking nut job, but I don’t think you’re going to get a step closer to him.”

“I see the rumors about your death were exaggerated, Gol D Ace.”

Gol hisses and his eyes narrow, “Portgas, Noble.”

“Oh, you know about that, do you?”

“I know a lot of people and for those that I don’t Marco does. A little rumor about how the Donquixote family was disgraced? Marco is going to hunt down everything about that,” Gol smirks and the baseball cap looks foolish on his head. “He’s going to beat you.”

“A brother’s belief, I heard Straw Hat thought you would live.”

“I did, didn’t I? I’m standing here and,” Gol shifts and his shirt falls open revealing his chest and not a single sign of the wound that Doflamingo had expected to be there. “I certainly hope you don’t think I would be stupid enough to come that close to death again.”

They both stop at the sharp rise in Haki, Gol smirking viciously and with all his teeth, “I hope your death is ignoble and erased from history.”

He vanishes, the flames gone as fast as they appeared, Straw Hat once more on his feet and moving forward.

Doflamingo laughs, shoulders shaking, what an interesting day. He would be sure to sting Gol up after he had murdered Straw Hat, he would get his answers then, after all, how many escaped death?

Luffy smiles, exhaustion pulling at him as he’s watches Sabo, alive and well, talking with his crew. It’s nice, he thinks he should probably be more upset, but Sabo’s been dead to him for twelve years since he was seven.

“You expecting someone?” Zoro asks as someone knocks on the door. “Because we aren’t.”

“I’m not,” Sabo agrees. “Unless Koala thinks that I’ve taken too much time and wants me to hurry up, would one of you mind opening the door? I’m a bit far.”

“I have it,” Robin says, an arm sprouting from the door and opening it, her voice wavers part way through her greeting. “I do not believe that is Koala.”

Luffy tilts his head to look at the door and feels his heart sink in his chest at the silhouette in the doorway before they step inside.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ace, because it looks like Ace, says smiling softly. “I got a little lost, would you believe it? Took me ages to get home-” he turns into flames as one of Zoro’s swords slash at him. “That’s just rude.”

“Ace?” Luffy hates how his voice chokes up and breaks.

Ace’s smile goes impossibly softer, like when he was dying in Luffy’s arm, “Hey Luffy. I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would happen like this. Are you okay?” He takes a step forward and stops as Luffy’s crew steps between them. “Oh, right. Gotta prove I’m Ace, don’t I?”

Luffy wants to tell his crew to move, to let him see his big brother, but Ace, not Ace, is right. He needs to prove he’s Ace or Luffy will kill him. If, Luffy can feel the tears returning, if it’s Ace-

“Remember where you spent all your time after Sabo died?” Ace says after a moment, keeping his hands up and Luffy’s eyes shift away from him to where there’s a too big cat in the doorway, because either this will be right or wrong and he can’t look at him. “I promised you that I would never die before you. Punched you first, said you should worry more about dying before me, since you’re so much weaker than I am.”

“Luffy, is that?”

“Ace,” Luffy sobs holding out his arms because he’s too tired to move but this is Ace. “Ace, it’s-”

“Luffy, you crybaby.”

“-you’re alive!”

Ace moves forward slowly, dropping down beside Luffy on the bed, “I promised, didn’t I? That I wouldn’t die before you. I’m sorry it took me so long to get home, I’ve missed you so much. But look at you.”

“Ace!” Luffy sobs, wrapping his arms tight around Ace.

“I’m sorry,” Ace whispers leaning closer and hugging him back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was two years, I was only gone a week. I’m sorry.”

Luffy squeezes tighter, feeling his exhaustion creeping up on him, “Don’t leave.”

“Of course not.”

“Another world,” Sabo says slowly looking at the people who had burst in when Ace hadn’t returned. “You went to another world?”

“I don’t wanna hear it from you, you got amnesia that only went away after my death. Marco was gonna beat you up if you didn’t know so much,” Ace shoots back, brushing Luffy’s hair from his face. “Kotatsu, come here.”

The big cat that’s been sitting in the doorway, jumps onto the bed with grace and curls up against Ace’s side, purring loudly. Sabo remembers this cat, it had been at the house with Marco the Phoenix when he had arrived to see Ace’s grave.

“Why does Marco the Phoenix know so much about your childhood anyway?” Sabo asks. “You told him a hell of a lot for a crew-mate.”

“Serious boyfriend,” Ace corrects, smirking. Sabo’s head aches and he knows he looks shocked, he is. “We were pretty serious when I died and Marco,” he tilts his head. “Marco asked to, if we could pick up where we left off and I’m weak.”

Sabo shakes and takes half a step forward, “may I?”

“I’m not gonna vanish if you touch me, Sabo.”

“Fuck,” Sabo hisses tripping over his own feet to hug Ace, biting back a sob when Ace doesn’t vanish and remains solid. “Ace.”

“I’m glad you aren’t dead too, you idiot.”

Sabo hides his face against Ace’s shoulder, “That’s my line, you idiot.”

Luffy is warm, he’s warm and he doesn’t want to open his eyes because he had the best dream in the world. Sabo had been alive and he had kept his promise to Traffy, and then Ace had shown up. He had dreamed up Ace, alive and smiling and coming back to apologize for being gone for so long, which wasn’t even fair.

“Tatsu,” Luffy hears a whisper, too soft to do more than just hear the voice. “Let him sleep, he’s tired.”

“He doesn’t look like he’s going to let go of you anytime soon,” Luffy doesn’t know that voice but he can hear Robin laughing, so it means that it’s safe. He feels safe. “Are we going to be here until he wants to let go, Captain?”

“I think I owe him that much.”

Luffy burrows close and pretends that his dream is real for one long moment before opening his eyes.

“We’re going to travel with him for a bit, aren’t we?”

“I am, you’re going to be leave to go home at some point and I wouldn’t dare keep you,” Ace says grinning. “Besides, Tony says that he’s making me one of those things you use and if I don’t talk to him once a day, he’s going to come back and kick my ass.”

The woman he’s talking to laughs, her head thrown back, “That sounds like Tony.”

“Ace?”

“Oh,” Ace is looking at him, smiling softly. “Did we wake you up, Luffy? I’m sorry, do you want to go back to sleep?”

Luffy shakes his head, feeling like he’s about to start crying again, “Ace’s real.”

“I’m real,” Ace promises.