#also dustin is the only one who even cares that he died which is just kind of....

[wroteclassicaly]

A/N: I’ve missed this man. I hope you like? Next part will have some saucy little smut. Just trying this out first, also for self-indulgence.

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, language, mentions of injuries, self-esteem issues, mentions depression and body image.

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Plus size!Reader

Eddie Munson loves his new band of misfit friends, an extended family that has welcomed him and Wayne in with open arms. Hell, he’s even getting along with Harrington, Wheeler is tutoring him, and everyone else just understands. And then, well… Then there is you. He’s never seen someone so in tune with the needs of others without ever considering herself. Someone who purposely pushes herself on the world’s hottest back burner to avoid opening up and letting anyone truly see what’s going on… Behind incredibly beautiful eyes, if Eddie does say so himself.

It’s been over a year since shit unfolded with Vecna. They lost, he died for a little while, the apocalypse reigned down on the town and then he wasn’t dead anymore. Memories are vague, but most things he does remember. And when he wakes up tangled in his bedsheets, scars aching with prickles of phantom pains - you are the only person that he calls. A lot of times he ends up singing you to sleep, but it’s not without you always making sure he’s calmed and okay first.

It was a bond that grew since you began caring for him when he came back with memories. He’s lost track of days spent together, lunches shared, a graduation a long time coming, complete with a party he never expected to have. He isn’t sure when it became a deeper feeling than he’s ever known, one that scared him so damn bad he avoided you for days and began physically ill because of it. If Eddie Munson has to pick one moment, it was probably that day you walked into his Uncle’s living room, (a cookout happening in his yard with Steve and Wayne at the grill outside) your beautiful curves on display, a cherry sundress hitting you in all the right places, and some strappy red sandals adorning your feet. You wore a glowing smile beneath your bright red lipstick, energy matching with Henderson’s as you entertained his enthusiasm for Hellfire’s next campaign.

You didn’t have a clue of what you were talking about, but it didn’t deter you in the slightest. You were passionate about writing, you enjoyed Sci-Fi and fantasy, which meant you had to be the one who helped Dustin create new characters. He knew the game, you had some extra creativity to lend. You’d high fived Dustin, stealing his pen to jot down your scribbled suggestions on his spiral sheet. Eddie was a goner.

And now… Here you are, at his house, on a Friday night. You didn’t have plans, you didn’t make a date - nothing. You did what you normally do and called him up, accepting his invite to hang out all evening. He’d made sure to be off work by a steady time, picking up your favorite bakery cookies at the store on the way home, lingering over flowers that he was sure he should get, but knew it would probably cross a line if he did so. Eddie doesn’t want you to feel spooked, or even anything remotely close to uncomfortable around him.

You’re sitting above him, cross-legged on his bed as he rests with bent knees at the foot, your overalls bagging out at the sides to show your crop top with little lemons and daisies printed all over it, and the most delicious, overflowing curves Edward Munson has ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. He’s got a pair of your maroon sweats tied down, extremely loose on his narrow hips, and one of your decorative character shirts with a picture of Eeyore plastered front and center, hanging across his torso. You might not be able to wear his clothes, but he can wear yours, and Eddie would be stupid to say he doesn’t notice your eyes crossing a little whenever he steps into some of your ensembles. You’ve been chattering away at the TV, giving your input on Friday the 13th part 2, whilst being blissfully unaware of sending Eddie to heaven with your pink brush running through his freshly washed curls, your neon yellow painted nails scratching at his scalp. He’s like a mother fucking purring cat in your grasp.

“So, anyways… I can’t figure out if Muffin survived or if that was her in the woods. And did Paul really make it out too, or was Jenny imagining shit?”

Eddie smirks, tilting his head back to look at the curvature of your physique, the contours of your face - upside down (no pun intended). “Haven’t you seen this movie, like, a thousand times before?”

You have a mock look of offense. “Hmph.” He doesn’t like what it brings, because you can tease, but please - for the love of all things unholy - don’t stop brushing his hair.

“Hey, hey. Why’d you quit?” He’s pouting, it’s rather cute. One tattooed arm, decorated with scars - elongates, ring clad hand seeking out your wrist. Anything to get you into motion again.

“You know that you can brush your own hair, Eddie.” You’re melting at those fluttering lashes draped over an enriching, smooth chocolate pair of irises. And his mouth… Fuck.

“But it’s so much better when you do it, sweetheart. Pleaseeeee? Forgive me for questioning your brilliant questions!?”

You make a good show of it, tossing the brush out of your hand, it landing a pile of Eddie’s clothes in an unpacked hamper. They’re clean, but he’d rather wear yours. He gasps, shifting positions so quick that you think Steve must’ve Ninja-fied him. He’s got you by your wrists, the cool of his rings tracking across your arms as they follow warm palms, and dip under your pits to gain leverage - easing you forward into a heap onto the carpeting with him. “Freak attack!” He’s gleeful, tickling your denim clad sides (well, at least where he pretends he can’t see the overspilling flesh more closely now).

He smells good, like that familiar Old Spice wash and whatever shampoo he’s lathered his curls with. He’s hovering, he’s incredibly warm, he’s safe, he’s Eddie. Someone you didn’t know you needed until he appeared and retrieved his piece of your heart, snapping it into the place where all the people you love have their own shards. Hmm, not entirely though. If you could describe it, it’s as if they make up the outside lining, keeping the inside of your heart reserved for a more… Different, private type of love, that only Eddie Munson seems to have found.

“Should spank your ass with that thing for stoppin’,” he starts, interrupting your reverie, moving to shut his mouth when he realizes he crossed a line. Maybe? It’s there, your eyes flicker over his lips, your hidden reaction dancing behind your pretty little temple - he sees, giving him a fraction of hope. He isn’t used to this…

You jolt, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind, “Like that would be a punishment,” you finish, effectively crossing that line for him.

Both of you remain silent, your sweet perfume making him lose focus. What he thinks he should do and what he wants to do, those are two very different battles raging inside.

// Eat me paragraph //

[xoxoavenger]

Make It Out

pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader, bestfriend!Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

summary: They’re gonna take down Vecna this time. But before they do, Y/N has to chose between going with her best friend Eddie or her boyfriend Steve, and she has to live with the fact that not all of them will make it out alive.

word count: 7956

warnings: follows the events of ST4 finale so major character death and canon typical injuries, gun shot wound, lotsa blood, lotsa angst with some fluff

masterlist

"I'll understand if you want to go with Eddie." Steve said, keeping his gaze on the road in a way that meant he 100% wanted her to stay with him.

"How're your bites?" Y/N asked, casually deflecting the conversation. He had finally been able to put on a shirt and get some shoes, but Y/N knew that there was still a lot of blood underneath. Blood she had wanted to clean, to take care of his wounds, but there just hadn't been time.

Also, Steve hadn't allowed her to even look at them.

"Oh, just great. Ya know, I wanted to lose weight anyway." Steve joked, but Y/N didn't think it was funny that the demobats had literally ate at his flesh.

"We should go to the hospital." She said for the billionth time. She'd been trying to get Steve to go to the hospital ever since they got back.

"Y/N," Steve sighed and didn't finish his sentence, lifting one of his hands off the wheel to rub his forehead. He didn't have time to go to the hospital. Max was going to die, and if Max died then a lot of other people were also going to die and Steve wasn't going to waste precious time sitting in the ER for a couple stitches.

"I'm serious, Steve!" She lowered her voice as Eddie and Dustin looked up, realizing the couple was fighting. "I know you want to be the hero, but for once, can you please look after yourself?" She begged, sadness lacing her words as her throat constricted at all the memories of Steve being beat up. The newest one, the image of Steve being feasted on by bats, made her heart hurt every time she closed her eyes - it was as if the scene were painted onto her eyelids.

"Is that why you won't go with Eddie?" Steve asked, and Y/N let the silence draw out as her answer.

She would never admit that she wanted to go with Steve to stop him from sacrificing himself, but in that moment he knew that's exactly what she was thinking. Robin and Nancy were good friends, but Y/N was the only one who could stop him from giving his life on a whim - which scared him, because Steve, if he was honest, was the hero type. He took the beatings to keep his friends safe. From the moment that he was thrown into this mess, he knew that he would do anything to protect his friends from these creatures that just would not stop.

Unless, of course, Y/N was there with him. That may make him hesitate - or it may make him more reckless. It would throw off his game, make him second guess moves just to keep her extra safe, because if she died and he didn't he would never forgive himself.

However, he knew of one other person who felt the same way about Y/N - just without the romantic part. Steve knew that her idiot best friend, Eddie Munson, would protect her and Dustin, no matter what the 'freak' claimed. And when it came to Y/N, Steve was selfish. He needed her safe.

"You're going with Eddie." Steve repeated, but this time, it wasn't a suggestion or a question. It was final. And although just a minute ago he wanted her to go with him, they had both realized that she would see right through him if he was going to sacrifice himself.

"Uh, no." Y/N scoffed, not realizing she was getting louder. "I will go with whoever I chose." She crossed her arms, fire filling her head. How dare Steve think he could make that choice for her.

"You're going with Eddie or you're babysitting Erica. Those are your two options." Steve said as he pulled over in a field.

"Hey!" Erica yelled from the back, only hearing the last part of their conversation. At this point, everyone was shamelessly listening.

"You are not my keeper, Steve." Y/N was practically seething at this point. She was angry that Steve didn't want her to tag along, especially if it was the end of the world. She stood up, knowing that if she stayed in the van any longer she would probably begin to cry tears of frustration, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Y/N!" Steve called as she opened the door and walked out, glad that she was able to make it a couple steps before the tears started really falling. They weren't all the way up the hill, so she trudged the rest of the way to sit at the top with her back facing the van. They could leave and she would only be able to turn and watch.

She sat there for awhile, letting her tears flow. Part of her liked this, being alone, but part of her wanted to be with Steve. Chances were, someone is gonna die, and even in the unlikely event no one does, they could still fail and the world could end. She heard footsteps, and she wiped her tears, not knowing who was coming up on her.

"Y/N," At Max's voice, Y/N instantly felt regret creep up her spine. Here she was, crying on a hill, when Max had one foot in the grave. "Can I sit here?" Max stood next to her, and she nodded, watching the younger girl take a seat.

"How're you holding up?" Y/N asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"As good as you can expect when an evil demon is trying to take over your brain and kill you." Max shrugged with a light smile, and Y/N's heart tugged. Max was so young, she didn't deserve this.

"So, great, I'd imagine." Y/N joked, smiling when Max let out a small chuckle.

"Listen, I-I didn't want to say anything in the van, but," Max began picking the grass, not looking at Y/N. "I want you to come with Lucas and I to the house." Max finally looked up, and Y/N's heart completely broke. She looked scared out of her mind, and Y/N swore that if she somehow ever found Vecna herself, he wouldn't be making it much longer than a couple minutes.

"Max," Y/N wanted to reach out, but with Max's arms around her knees it was hard to figure out a good place.

"Steve didn't send me to ask, if that's what you're thinking." Max quickly rushed out, and Y/N gave a sad smile. Steve wouldn't send anyone to talk to her for him, he'd do it himself. "I just, I want someone there, who knows what they're doing." Max looked up at Y/N, who had furrowed brows. Why did Max think Y/N knew what she was doing?

"I'm not sure I follow," Y/N led off, voicing her thoughts.

"Well, you can drive us to the house, which will help. And Lucas is great, and I want him there still. But I need someone else there, someone to comfort me when I come out, someone who will stay calm." Max looked away before taking a deep breath. "And if I don't make it, I want someone there to comfort Lucas - not just his sister."

"Max," This time, Y/N felt dread as well as sadness flood through her. She remembered what it was like to be Max's age - she had a huge crush on Steve, but she obviously couldn't tell her best friend Eddie, who would have never approved at the time. Eddie wouldn't find out about her crush until three years later, when she let it slip that she had made out with Steve at Melissa's party. And even though Eddie didn't approve and he wasn't pleased, he let Y/N and Steve have their fun, ready to pick up the pieces if it ever failed.

There were some nights when Eddie was sure they were over, some nights when he thought about going to Steve's house and smashing a glass over his head to try and make him understand that Y/N wasn't the kind of girl you played with. But nevertheless, Y/N and Steve were still together, her and Eddie were still best friends, and Eddie had never hurt Steve (even if he had thought about it multiple times).

But that was the biggest thing she had to deal with. And now - now the biggest thing should have been college. She should be across the country right now at a nice university. But she couldn't leave Steve and Eddie, especially after they found out what was going on in Hawkins.

"Of course I will be there for you." Y/N scooted closer and put a comforting hand on Max's shoulder. "I will be there for you every time you ask me, whether it's something like this or if it's because you can't find a tampon and you don't want to bike to the store." She smiled when Max grinned, looking up and leaning closer. "Hell, after all this, you can move in with Steve and I." Y/N felt her hurt burst at Max's face.

"Really?" Max asked, half joking and half being serious.

"Yeah, totally." Y/N turned, finally looking at the group. Most of them were behind the van, obscured from view, but Steve was on the edge of everything, arms crossed and body faced so that he could keep an eye on Y/N and Max as well as the rest of the group. Y/N felt her heart float as she looked at the man, letting her hand drop as Max turned.

"What do you think Steve will say?" Max asked, a small smile on her face as she thought about living with the people who had filled in for her in the way her family never had.

"Oh, he'll agree." Y/N nodded, watching Steve turn and look at them even if he couldn't hear them. "We just need to convince him."

~

"I'm a little mad you're not coming with me." Eddie said, all geared up. They were about to leave, just saying their final goodbyes.

"If I went into the Upside Down, how could Steve be the hero?" Y/N joked, trying to take the edge off of their somber goodbye.

"Yeah," Eddie chuckled, looking around as Lucas and Max said their goodbyes. "I guess I'll just have to play the hero. For Dustin, of course." He smiled, and Y/N tried to smile too. It was watery, and tears were quickly spilling out of her eyes, even though she wasn't blinking.

"Please don't try and be a hero, Eddie." Y/N whispered, looking up at her best friend. He sighed as he met her gaze, tears in his eyes that he would never shed. She knew she was being selfish, but she didn't care in that moment. If Eddie or Steve died while she was sitting around, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Come on, Y/N. I've been running from things since 1966. Do you really think I'm gonna stop now?" He put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug, where she cried into his shoulder. "Besides, someone's gotta keep your boyfriend safe while he's doing the heroic shit." Y/N let out a little laugh, mostly just to make Eddie feel better. Her stomach was torn with sadness and dread, and she wanted to go back to a couple days ago when her, Eddie, and Steve had all gotten high. They weren't worrying about crazy demons then, and she didn't want to worry about crazy demons now. She wanted to go home.

"Promise me you'll come back." Y/N whispered, pulling away from the hug to look at him.

"Of course," Eddie squeezed her once more before looking over at Steve, who was staring at Y/N. "I think you should probably say goodbye to your boyfriend now." Y/N let go of Eddie and turned to see Steve, who gave her a small smile. Just the thought of losing Steve, of having to say goodbye to him, made Y/N cry even harder.

Steve must've seen when she thought about it, about the fact that they were really saying goodbye, and instantly rushed over to her, pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, squeezing his own eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears.

"It's not really a goodbye," He whispered to her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head so that he didn't have to remove her from his arms at all. "I'll see you in a couple hours." He sounded so sure, so calm, that it made Y/N breathe better.

"You better." She muttered out, pulling back only enough to be able to look at him.

"I'll even be able to hear you, in the Upside Down. I'll be keeping an eye out for you." He moved one hand to cup her face, the other staying put around her waist. She moved both of her hands to the sides of his neck, eyes welling with tears once more.

"But who's going to look out for you?" She whispered this part, speaking softly so that Nancy and Robin didn't hear. It's not like she didn't trust them to take care of Steve, but she knew that Steve would sneak himself to be in harms way before either of them even knew he was in danger. And by the time they figured it out, Steve could already be dead.

"I'm going to be fine, sweetheart." Steve was starting to choke up, so his voice was soft and high pitched as he moved the hand on her face to push her hair back. "Do you hear me? I'm going to come back to you." He didn't let her respond, instead kissing her like he would never see her again.

Because maybe it was the last kiss he would have, the last one he would share with her.

"I'm coming back." He whispered as he pulled apart. He knew his face was wet from her tears, because his tears were trapped. He wouldn't let her see him cry.

So, he gave her one more kiss, one last squeeze, one last 'I love you,' and then watched her turn around. She was taking his car to drive Lucas, Erica and Max to the mansion, and as she pulled out Steve wanted to tell her to stop, to go home so that she was safe.

She would never listen anyway.

~

Out of all the bad ideas they'd ever had, this was probably the worst. But, it was the only way to stop Vecna, the only way to save Hawkins - because apparently that fell on them now.

Y/N had heard the car pull up, and she immediately looked out the window. Erica was no longer at the lookout, and she realized quickly that it was Jason Carver's car.

Fuck.

"Lucas, you stay here, okay?" Y/N said, rushing to the door. It was too late, however, because Jason was walking in anyway.

"Jason?" Lucas asked, obviously confused as to why his teammate was stalking him.

"Leave. Right now." Y/N stood in front of Lucas, making it so that if Jason wanted to get past her he would have to physically harm her.

"Well, if it isn't King Steve's little pet." Jason spat out, trying to get into Y/N's head. She simply crossed her arms, still staring at the blonde man. "Or has the freak possessed you now?" That made Y/N pissed. The fact that Eddie was risking his life for a town that would never respect him made her blood boil.

"Jason, I would rather be actually possessed than spend another second in your presence." Y/N tilted her head, taking a deep breath and knowing this wouldn't end well. "So, you can either leave, or you can feel what it's like to be punched by a girl." Her smile was deadly, but as Jason glanced over her shoulder at Max, he had made up his mind.

"I'm not letting you freaks kill someone else." Jason began to move past her, so Y/N swung the best she could at his face, catching him off guard.

Not too off guard, however, because it only took a second for him to recover and pull out a gun.

"Hey!" Lucas yelled as Y/N lifted her hands, backing up. She looked over at Max, who was still in a trance, and then back at Jason, who was unwavering.

"Jason," Y/N muttered, her legs feeling numb from shock. Her heart was pounding.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lucas whispered under his breath before getting louder. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to do this, man." They were now side by side, hands up and keeping an eye on the gun.

"Yeah, I hope you're right." Jason told them.

"Wait," Y/N spoke out of breath, heart racing. She thought about if Steve could hear what was going on, if he was in the house. She hoped he wasn't, that he wouldn't hear if she was shot.

"Is there anyone else in the house?" Jason asked, stepping forward.

"No, no." Lucas shook his head in tandem with Y/N, who was afraid she was going to pass out from stress at this point.

"Turn around." Jason motioned with the gun, and Y/N shut her eyes tightly.

"What?" Lucas muttered, setting Jason off.

"Turn around!" He yelled, and Y/N quickly did as he said, eyes still closed.

"Okay, okay. Relax, relax." It was obvious that Lucas was just as stressed as Y/N was, and he turned around slowly.

"And put down your flashlight." Jason ordered loudly. Y/N did as she was told, tears beginning to fall out of her eyes.

"Steve, I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're here," Y/N started off. She had never been this afraid for her life - of all the things going on in Hawkins, all the messed up supernatural shit, she was going to be killed by a teenager with a gun. "But, if you are, I want you to know I love you." She was whispering, hoping Jason couldn't hear her.

"Stop muttering and empty your pockets!" Jason yelled, and Y/N reached into her empty ones, turning them inside out to show they weren't full. Random shit fell out of Lucas', and when Y/N spared a glance at him she saw he was shaking. "Now, here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna back away to the top of the stairs there. Then I'll watch as you wake her up from whatever the hell this is." Jason ordered, and Y/N just shook her head.

"We can't." She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking or breaking. Lucas turned around to face Jason, and Y/N risked the same.

"Jason, if we wake her too soon, we all die." Lucas was speaking as if Jason was a child, but the blonde still wasn't understanding. The gun was still pointed toward them, and they were still without a plan.

"No. If you don't wake her up right now, you die, Sinclair." Jason threatened, his gun solely on Lucas now. Jason pulled the safety off, and Y/N felt her heart leap to her throat.

That's when the stupid idea popped into her head. And boy, was it stupid.

"I'm sorry, Steve." She whispered, just in case he was there. Because if she made it through this, if Steve heard what she was about to do, she would be waking up with his nightmares for awhile.

And then she dove at Jason.

She had crouched down a bit, so his first shot went over her head. However, she wasn't as close as she needed to be, and his second shot skimmed the far side of her left leg. She groaned, but still went to hit him, able to knock the gun out of his hand. Jason took the time to hit her, not holding back. His punch hit right on her cheekbone and temple, and she felt herself already begin to be dizzy. One hit wasn't enough, however, because he hit her again, in the same spot, and that knocked her out cold.

~

When she woke up, there was extreme pain in her leg and Lucas was screaming. She was still pretty out of it, but in a couple seconds she could also see Erica in front of her face.

"Y/N?" Her voice was swimming around her head, as if they were all emerged under water. "Steve is coming, he knows you're hurt." Erica was holding Y/N's head gently, since the left side was a giant bruise. She could feel her eye almost swollen shut, and her skull ached immediately.

"Steve?" Y/N asked, hearing an ambulance in the background. If Steve was on his way, and Erica was in here with them, that meant that it was over. "Did we win?" She asked hopefully. She couldn't see Erica's face very well, but she knew the silence and the small sniffles weren't a good sign.

Suddenly, it made sense that Lucas was crying.

"Shit," Y/N tried to sit up, but it felt like her body was light and her head was heavy. Her wrist was aching, but not as much as her leg. She had to look down to remember that she had been shot, and she couldn't get up. All she could see was the fuzzy outline of Lucas holding Max's body.

"Do you hear that?" Erica muttered, looking around. Y/N tried to focus on staying alert, listening as best she could. She heard the ambulance outside, but nothing else. It didn't take long before she heard the ground split, however - well , felt it at least. She turned to see Lucas moving Max away and watched the ground fall beneath them. She watched as it split Jason in half, and it made her heart race. They had officially lost.

She felt her heart fall all the way to the Upside Down when she realized that Steve and Eddie weren't back.

"We have to go," Y/N grunted as she looked out the opening the wall, watching the crack continue to grow and destroy everything in it's path. She looked down to see the ambulance, broken apart, so it would be of no help to them.

"We can't go!" Lucas yelled, voice breaking. "Max, she's alive!" He begged, and Y/N felt tears come to her eyes.

"Lucas," She started quietly, pausing to wince as pain throbbed once more through her leg. She needed to get pressure on it now, or she wasn't going to make it. "If Max was alive, there wouldn't be a giant tear in the ground." Y/N wanted to curl up in Steve's arms and get high with Eddie and never ever thing about this again.

"She's not! You can feel her pulse!" Lucas argued, and Y/N sighed, eyes closing tightly. It hurt slightly due to the fact that her left eye was already swelling, but it took away from the pain in her leg just a little.

"We need to go, Lucas!" Erica said, and Y/N could hear the pain Erica was trying to hide.

"Erica, you have to help me." Y/N muttered, shedding her long sleeve shirt and leaving her in a camisole. She felt her wet skin, sweat, but she was cold - she knew this was a bad sign. "I need you to tie this as tight as you can around my leg." She fastened the shirt so that the thick part was around her wound. The pain of the fabric bruising against the open wound made her almost pass out, and she fell backwards slightly.

"Why?" Erica asked with a shaky breath, hands going to grab the sleeves of the discarded shirt.

"I can't do it," Y/N whispered as if that would explain everything, leaning back and taking a deep breath. "We don't have anything to gag me with, so I'm gonna scream. But you have to keep going, alright? We have to stop the bleeding." Erica looked scared out of her mind, and Y/N would have felt bad if she wasn't bleeding out.

God, she hoped she wasn't going to bleed out.

~

Meanwhile, Steve was biking as quickly as he could to Eddie's trailer, tears in his eyes. Erica had told him that Max was dead and Y/N had been shot before Jason knocked her out. Their plan didn't work, and now the only thing left to do was hold Y/N while the world ended.

"Steve!" Dustin's voice made Steve's heart drop, because why wasn't the kid in the trailer? What the hell was wrong with him and why didn't he listen? The group pulled off to where Dustin was yelling from, realizing too late why Dustin was on the ground.

"Oh God." Robin said softly behind him. For a moment, Steve wasn't sure what to do. It was obvious that Eddie was dead, that they couldn't help him. Eddie, the guy he thought was a freak in high school but had since become close friends with. His girlfriend's best friend. Dead.

Steve didn't think before he began biking again, feeling tears sting his eyes and his lungs practically collapsing. If he stopped, he was going to throw up, and he needed to get to Y/N, make sure she was okay.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Nancy asked, voice cracking as she dropped her bike. Steve dropped his bike, running up stairs, opening the gate and going into the trailer.

"Steve, we have to go back and help Dustin." Robin said as the girls followed him into trailer. Steve looked at the spot where the sheets used to be; their ticket out of there, gone.

"Where the hell are the sheets?" He asked, looking around. He found half of the sheets thrown on the ground and grabbed them, hoping they'd be long enough.

"Are you listening? We have to go help Dustin." Nancy went to grab his arm, and he just pushed her away.

"Help him what, Nance? We can't do anything for Eddie. My girlfriend is dying on the other side, and I need to help her." Steve's voice was cracking, his throat hurting on the inside and out. He quickly threw the short rope up, and realized it would only stick out a bit on the other side. He would have to jump down and somehow avoid the chair that was also sitting in the landing area.

"Help him bring back Eddie's body." Robin argued as Steve jumped up, beginning to climb.

"How?" Steve grunted as he pulled himself up, trying to ignore the aching throughout his whole body. His shoulders still stung every time he moved his arms, but his adrenaline was high. He had one mission. "How are we gonna get his body out of the Upside Down and then explain to everyone how he died?" Steve flipped over to the other side, trying to avoid the chair. He let out a grunt as he hit it against his knee before moving it out of the way and replacing it with a mattress for the girls.

"Steve! Seriously?" They yelled up to him. Part of Steve knew that they were right, that they shouldn't leave Eddie and Dustin and they had already lost, so there was no need to return to the real world any time soon. However, his rational thought was being taken over by the fact that his girlfriend was dying and if she survived, he would have to tell her that her best friend is dead.

"I have to check on Y/N." He said before taking off.

"Why did he leave?" Dustin cried out as he ran into the trailer.

"Y/N was shot. Erica said she was knocked out, that she got into a fight with Jason and he clocked her after he shot her leg." Robin said, her voice high and tight as she filled Dustin in.

"Shit," Dustin put his hands over his eyes, and the older girls could tell he was crying.

"I know you want to bring Eddie back, but Y/N really needs our help." Nancy said, also feeling torn. She knew that Eddie deserved to be taken out of the Upside Down, but Y/N was alone with Lucas and Erica and neither of them could take her to the hospital.

"We can't let her die too," The way Robin said it made Dustin let out a sob, and the girls felt their hearts break for him.

Nancy and Robin helped Dustin up the rope, then followed him so that they were all together.

"What is he doing?" Nancy asked as they walked out of the trailer, watching Steve run around.

"Steve!" Robin yelled out, going to help her best friend. Steve acted like he didn't hear Robin - maybe he didn't - and continued to look around. "Steve, what are you doing?" Their escape plan had been the bikes leaning against Eddie's trailer, but Steve seemed to be looking around.

"We need a car," His voice was so low that Robin could barely hear him, and she just shook her head.

"We don't have a car." She reminded him gently, but he sighed and finally stopped, looking at her. She realized in the dim light that he was crying, his face red and eyes puffy. "We have the bikes. We need to go try and meet them at the mansion. Then we'll have your car." Robin was trying not to cry, because she had to be strong for her best friend. She was sure as he stared at her that he was going to have a meltdown.

"Yes. The bikes." Steve nodded, going to the bikes where Dustin and Nancy were already picking up theirs.

"We're gonna get there. She's gonna make it." Nancy tried to soothe Steve, but he wasn't listening. He just grabbed his bike and began to go quickly, leaving the rest of them to catch up.

~

"Okay," Erica grabbed the sleeves of Y/N's thing sweater she had taken off, pulling tight as she crossed them to tie it around the older girl's thigh. Y/N let out a whimper, gritting her teeth in pain. Tears were falling down her cheeks as Erica tied the sleeves as tight as she could, and Y/N finally let out a scream, fingers scratching the wood floor as she tried to grab onto something.

"Fuck!" Y/N yelled out, head tossed back and eyes closed in pain.

"I'm so sorry," Erica was crying now too, trying not to pay attention to the fact that Y/N was screaming in pain and Lucas holding Max's body, still crying.

"It's okay," Y/N whimpered as Erica had finally finished. Her leg felt like it was on fire, her thigh under the wound was practically numb. She could feel the blood everywhere, and even if she couldn't the black spots and floaty feeling gave her an idea of how much blood she had lost and how much pain she was in. "We need to go," She finally said, opening her eyes and looking at everyone.

"How? Where are you gonna go?" Lucas asked, and when Y/N turned she realized he was right, Max was breathing even if her eyes were bleeding and her limbs were broken. Holy shit.

"You and Erica are going to carry Max down to Steve's car. Then we'll drive to the hospital." She said it as simply as if she were going to take them to the movies. The only difference was the breaking in her voice from the pain and screams.

"Who's gonna drive us?" Erica asked, confused about how this plan was going to work.

"Luckily," Y/N took a deep breath before getting up on her own, letting out a few whimpers as she did so. She made sure to keep her weight off her leg as she stood, but now that she was up the pain seemed to be radiating all the way up her leg. She grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut, fingers clenching so hard that her nails were causing divots. "You don't need two feet to drive," She tried to smile at the kids, because this was traumatizing and she was not going to pass out and potentially die in front of these kids.

And thus, her adrenaline kicked in.

There was no other way to describe it, the way she was able to walk down the stairs and make it all the way to Steve's car, only using the railing and a couple walls for help. She limped heavily, tears falling down her cheeks because even though she was hopped up on her adrenaline, the pain was still almost too much to bear. She was surprised to make it to the car, unlocking the doors quickly to let Lucas and Erica into the back with Max. She lowered herself into the drivers seat as quickly as possible, which was slow. Once she was sitting down, her leg seemed to kick up in pain, and she hit her head against the the seat header, biting her lip to try and keep from screaming. The pain in her face was minuscule compared to the way her entire leg was practically on fire now. The only reason she hadn't given up was that she had to get the kids to safety, and then she would see Eddie and Steve. Hopefully.

"Okay," She muttered to herself, trying to keep her eyes open as wide as she could. She put the car in drive and quickly pulled out and onto the road, trying not to move her affected leg much. She was glad it was her left leg, the one she didn't drive with, because then she wasn't sure what would happen.

"Y/N," Erica was right next to her, and when Y/N jolted she realized that she was falling out of consciousness while driving. Shit.

"I'm not gonna make it to the hospital," She muttered, braking and putting the car back into park. Her head felt so heavy, heavier than it had ever been, and she realized she was swaying as the pain was seeping out. She wasn't sure if her eyelids were closing or if black dots were enveloping her, but she knew she wasn't gonna last long. She had started shivering at some point, even though the heater was on in Steve's car.

Oh God, she was going to die in Steve's car.

"No, please, Y/N, just stay with us." Erica grabbed Y/N's shoulder, shaking when Y/N's eyes slipped close. They opened slowly, her head rolling against the seat and facing Erica.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, because she was. She just wanted to get the kids to safety. She hadn't been able to protect Max like she promised, but she wanted to at least get the younger girl to a hospital, give her a chance. She was just so exhausted, and her body was so heavy, and she had been trying to be alright for too long. She was fading fast, and unless somehow Erica and Lucas could get her to the hospital soon she knew she was a goner.

"They'll be here soon, Y/N, I promise, just, please don't go to sleep." Erica was begging, something she never did, which was how Y/N knew it was bad. She looked down to see her makeshift bandage almost soaked completely with blood, a terrible sign.

"You have to tell Steve I love him," Y/N's voice was weak, and it scared Lucas and Erica.

"Y/N, you have to get us to hospital!" Lucas pleaded, tears still in his eyes. He felt like he had been crying for years at this point, his throat hurting and his chest feeling tight.

"I'm sorry," Y/N whispered, eyes closing again. She was sure she was never going to open them again when Erica yelled out.

"They're here!" And then she put her hand on the horn, letting out a loud honk. Y/N didn't startle as much as open her eyes slightly once more. She was able to make out her friends across the street, running toward her and ditching the bikes they had stolen.

"Steve," Y/N muttered out, a smile on her face. At least she would see Steve before she died.

"Oh, fuck," Steve said as soon as he opened the driver door to see his girlfriend, sweat coating her body and bleeding out in his front seat. She was pale and shivering, and Steve wasn't even sure what to do. She had a large bruise on her face, and he could tell that her left eye would be almost swollen shut even if she was able to open it all the way now.

"Shit," Robin said from behind him, seeing the blood soaked shirt and the state Y/N was in.

"We have to get to the hospital!" Lucas yelled from the backseat, everyone turning to him.

"Okay, princess," Steve said softly as he assessed her. Her wound was on his side, and picking her up was going to cause her pain. He didn't know how else to get her to the very back however. "Robin, open the back. Nance, you'll drive." The girls both nodded, Robin rushing back to open the trunk.

"I got blood on your seat." Y/N muttered as Steve pushed her hair back, sweat making it stick to her forehead.

"I could not give less of a fuck," Steve told her, kissing her burning forehead before taking a deep breath. "This is gonna hurt, babe, alright? But we have to get you into the back." Y/N nodded at his words, not really hearing them anyway. He carefully put his arms around her before picking her up, and she let out a scream as he put more pressure on her wound. Steve felt more tears leave his eyes at the scream, and he quickly got her into the back of his car, letting Nancy take the drivers seat. Dustin sat in the front seat, having not said a word the whole time, and Robin got in the back after Steve. Robin closed the back as Nancy stepped on the gas, clearly sensing the urgency. Steve maneuvered him and Y/N so that she was laying on him, her back to his chest, and he was able to hold her close.

"Steve," Robin muttered, eyes wide even though they were swollen with tears from the whole of the last hour. "She's not awake." She motioned her head toward Y/N, and when Steve leaned around her, he noticed her eyes were completely closed. His heart dropped and he felt sick to his stomach as he tried to shake her awake, watching her chest rise and fall slowly.

"Y/N, please," He whispered to her, a couple tears falling and landing on her skin, dampening it even more. The relief he felt when Y/N grumbled and moved slightly was immeasurable, and he brought her even closer. "Please stay awake. I just need you to keep your eyes open," He begged, heart seizing as she moved a little bit more.

"Steve," She whispered, her head leaning back so she could look at him. "I don't wanna die," She begged, tears falling down her cheeks. Steve felt violently ill at her confession. His eyes were burning with unshed tears and his throat, where he had been choked twice in the past day, was also burning with the weight of keeping himself together.

"You're not going to die," He didn't know how far away they were from the hospital, but he knew they had to be getting close. "I won't let you die." He moved one hand to push her hair back on the side where she wasn't all beat up, kissing her damp skin.

"Where's Eddie?" She muttered, and Steve felt his body go cold.

He couldn't tell her that her best friend was dead, not while she as dying herself. He was afraid that telling her would make her give up, that he wasn't good enough on his own. Eddie and her had been friends for longer than Steve can remember, and if he had a friend like that he wouldn't feel great either. She was barely conscious, and Steve could only hope she wouldn't remember asking.

"We're here!" Nancy yelled as she stopped the car abruptly. Steve thanked every God he knew of that they had made it just in time, and hoped that Max and Y/N would be okay.

"Eddie," Y/N muttered, and that's when Steve knew that she had figured out.

Erica ran around the car to open the back, and Robin jumped out quickly to help Steve with Y/N, who was whimpering and crying out even though she hadn't moved yet.

"Come on, Princess," Steve grabbed her, helping her out of the car. When he pulled her close she screamed out, and that's when the sobbing started. Her cries were loud, so loud that Robin had to run to the bushes and throw up. She couldn't handle the cries and the pain and the fact that it seemed like everyone was falling apart.

Steve held himself together, his sole mission getting Y/N into the building. He held her close, trying to ignore her sobs. She was grabbing his shirt in her hands, and he was struggling to bring her in since she was withering in his grip. He held on tightly, however, trying to ignore the scream she let out as he pressed her wound closer to his body, putting more pressure on it.

"I'm so sorry," He told her, taking deep breaths until he finally got to the front door, where Erica and Dustin were already holding the doors open.

"Help us!" Lucas screamed, and that's when Steve realized he had been holding Max the whole time as well. Steve's arms were aching, but there was no way he was letting go of Y/N until she was in a bed. He looked around, seeing a couple people already coming in from what Vecna had done. Steve wasn't sure what the full extent was, but he knew that the Earth had cracked apart and people were hurt. He just hoped they would be open enough to help her.

"She was shot. She's lost a lot of blood." Steve said as evenly as he could, watching a couple people running around. It wasn't long before two stretchers were being rolled out, one for Max and one for Y/N.

"She doesn't have any allergies that I know of," Steve set Y/N down on the bed, but she was still holding onto his shirt lightly with a shaking hand.

"Do you know what type of blood she has?" A doctor asked, Steve following as the whole crew started moving.

"No, I-I don't know, I can call her house but I-" Steve was rambling and he knew he wasn't helping but he didn't know what to do. He was walking with Y/N, watching her eyes closing as she shook. Her hand was loosening on his shirt, and he felt his heart break as he grabbed her hand instead, shattering as he realized it was cold.

"It's okay. We'll take care of her." With a smile the doctor walked behind doors, doors Steve knew he couldn't go behind. In a daze and without thinking, he squeezed Y/N's hand and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," He finally said, and then she was taken away, and he watched until the doors closed. He watched as her head fell to the side, and he wished she could have said it back.

And then everything went black in his mind.

In reality, Robin was there, leading him to the waiting room. She was talking to him, saying his name, but he was staring straight forward eyes glassy.

Y/N. Max. Eddie.

He was supposed to be the babysitter. He was supposed to keep everyone safe. He wanted to be the hero this time. He didn't want to stay with everyone again, the way he had almost every time something like this has happened. And the one time he didn't stay with the kids, the time he left everyone, people died.

If he had been there, he would have been able to take out Jason. Max would still be alive. Y/N wouldn't have been shot and knocked out.

"Steve," It felt like the world came back all at once, and he turned to see Robin looking at him, eyes wide and tear tracks running down her face. She was gripping his arm, looking at him worriedly. He stood up, and she followed. "Where are you going?" She followed quickly as he began walking away. He couldn't just sit while his girlfriend was fighting for her life.

"Steve!" Dustin yelled, but Steve just walked over to Nancy who was sitting next to Lucas.

"Keys," He held his hand out. He felt empty, as if he were walking in a daze, and he didn't even register why Nancy looked up at him weirdly.

"Why don't you stay here? Wait for news on Max and Y/N." Nancy suggested, concerned. Steve wasn't crying anymore, and his face showed no emotions.

"Give me the keys." He would wrestle them from Nancy if he had to, determination filling his body.

"Where are you gonna go?" Dustin asked. The kid hadn't stopped crying all night, and if Steve were thinking clearly he would have told him to drink some water.

"To kill Jason," Clearly he wasn't thinking in any capacity. The gasps that everyone let out didn't deter him at all. Maybe he wouldn't kill Jason, but he was going to beat the kid to a pulp.

"Jason is dead," Lucas muttered, and for some reason that broke Steve.

"I need to get out of here." He said, walking toward the door, but then he was on the floor and everyone was screaming and he realized that maybe he should have been checked into the hospital awhile ago because the blood on his jacket was not all Y/N's.

"Steve!" He heard Robin scream, but he couldn't move. The pain was consuming him, both mental and physical, and he wanted to yell, to get up and find Y/N but he was glued to the floor.

Steve was sure he was not waking up.

~

He doesn't know how he got up. He doesn't know how he got to where he is now, sitting in a hospital bed. He doesn't remember anything, even as the doctor is telling him that he had a severe panic attack, that the wounds on his torso weren't infected and would heal fine but what animal was it again? Steve just blinked as Robin lied, said it wasn't an animal but a couple of bear traps, that they were being dumbasses and they knew better now and did they have any updates on Y/N?

"She'll be okay. She should be able to walk very soon-" The doctor cut herself off when there was a commotion down the hall. People were yelling, and there was screaming. Familiar screaming.

"Shit," Steve muttered as he sat up, watching Y/N come through the door, teeth gritted. She was favoring her right leg, but she was quick to get in the room. By the time the nurses got to the room, Y/N had already made it to his bed.

"They told me your room number." Y/N smirked as she climbed over Steve, wincing to be able to lay on her right leg on the other side of him. He smirked as he put an arm around her, looking at the outraged faces of the nurses and doctor.

"How did a GSW outsmart and outrun you?" The doctor asked the two nurses.

"She's very sneaky." One of the nurses said, and the three simply walked out, the doctor rolling his eyes and looking like he was seriously considering leaving and never coming back to this hospital.

"We're gonna make it out of here." Steve told her, kissing her forehead. She smiled as she moved slightly to look up at him.

"We already have."

//

tags:  @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @roxaya @sadbitchfangirl @gloryekaterina  @oblivion-void @alexshaff2002 @m-rae23 @mads-weasley

[steveharrington]

Have we seen Steve interacting with authority figures? I feel like we must have at some point but I can't think of any... which is maybe why I struggle to imagine what Steve and Hopper/Joyce sharing a scene might look like. I guess there's that scene with Barb's parents?

we HAVENT ‼️ hardly anyways! off the top of my head i’m fairly sure that the only adults we’ve seen steve interact with (and i define interacting by him talking to them directly or vice versa) are barb’s parents like you said, the guys he walked up to cleaning the theater marquee, and the russian general. genuinely cannot think of anyone else. isn’t that so upsetting

i wouldn’t call barb’s parents or the movie marquee guys authority figures per se, but i do think you could kinda categorize ozerov that way. at the very least, he has massive power over steve (literally has him tied up and drugged). i think it’s notable that of these instances where steve is sharing a scene with an adult, he is consistently doing some sort of repentance. cleaning up the marquee, visiting barb’s parents after she died in his backyard, and being beaten for finding the operation (which served as a larger message to steve that once again reminds him he was an Evil Little Boy). we’ve never seen steve interact with an adult to receive comfort or protection—it’s always the opposite, actually. uncomfortable at the very least, literally being tortured at the most.

i think a very underrated moment is steve threatening ozerov by saying that hopper is going to save them. i think it’s sooooo genuinely deeply sad, actually! he so confidently thought hopper (and other adults ie the us calvary) were going to come save him and robin, when actually no one even knew they were down there. if dustin and erica hadn’t saved them, literally no one would have!!!! the same protection that hopper and joyce provide the other kids/teens don’t really extend to steve and robin, which makes sense logically since they’re kinda on the outskirts. they are not their children or close friends of their children. but i think that line is so meaningful and sad because it kinda implies that steve thinks of himself as falling under that umbrella of protection, but he doesn’t :(

that’s not to say that i think hopper is canonically like “fuck steve harrington i don’t care about that kid”, but the writing in st thus far hasn’t really been dynamic enough to give us glimpses into the various ways that All these kids/teens/adults are inherently tied together after going through category 5 monster moments every half a year together. i really hope season 5 remedies that (it sounds and looks like they might?) by giving us these rare interactions between characters who have almost been killed by the exact same Creature several times but have somehow never talked. i also want so badly for someone to acknowledge that steve becomes the de facto adult when joyce and hopper aren’t around (i know mom steve jokes got annoying but they stemmed from his behavior clearly modeling that of a Parent with the kids) and maybe give us insight into how steve views himself….does he feel like an adult? would he view hopper as an authority figure, or would he almost see him as a peer and equal considering they both end up being the meat shields when it comes to fighting people and monsters? i need to know…..

i do think we’ll get at least a crumb of steve and hopper in s5, at least because david harbour and joe keery have both talked about wanting to share scenes and it would be so mean of the writers to just be like no sorry we don’t have time for a 2 second interaction in this 10 hour season LOL but we shall see <3

[gay-episode]

How Eddie could possibly tie into Mike's story in season 5.

I'm gonna say it right away, it would make the most sense for Mike to be a target of Vecna in season 5. It would be a natural way to explain why he does certain things (such as why he was a jerk in s3 onwards) why he feels the need to pretend to love El and his feelings towards Will, it would just make sense.

I think the bts photos of s5 but Mike and Dustin specifically are really important here. Before Eddie died, Mike had his hair grown out in the same style as Eddie's hair and Dustin seemed in the process of growing his hair. In season 5, Dustin let his hair grow out and he styled it like Eddie, probably as a way to honor him or as a way to cope with the loss. Mike on the other hand, cut his hair, which could signify him trying to repress his grief, it could be a nod towards the fact that he just wants to forget Eddie because of how painful the loss is.

One thing you have to understand about Mike and Eddie's friendship is that it's extremely likely that Eddie came into Mike's life when Mike really needed it, I think a lot of people don't stop and think about what Mike must've felt between season 3 and season 4. Think about this, his best friend (and presumably the person he's in love with and likely still feels guilty about hurting) left for the first time in almost 10 years. They've never had to live without each other. His girlfriend left too which I don't think it matters if Mike's feeling for El are platonic or not (even though they are) but having a person who you do care about leave is hard nonetheless. Max started becoming distant which in turn made Lucas more distant, until finally it was just Mike and Dustin. Can you imagine how horrible that would be? He lost almost everyone he cares about in just a few months. Eddie, I imagine, was his escape from all that, Eddie was a massive influence on Mike, everything from his hairstyle to his hobbies (the guitar in Mike's room, also Eddie bringing back his passion for DND) Eddie was his escape from reality, Eddie was one of the only people he had left.

Now imagine you had a person like that in your life, a person who came to you when you most needed them, a person you felt like yourself again when you were around, and imagine you left for a week and when you returned that person was dead. Mike has nothing left to escape, he can't go to Eddie to handle his grief anymore so now he just tries to strip himself of anything that makes him think about Eddie, he doesn't know how to process his grief so he just simply doesn't, he bottles it up.

That's exactly what vecna wants, like Max for example tried to bury her grief when Billy died and it made her a target.

Vecna is going to use Eddie against Mike, I just know it.

[scoops-aboy86]

We see a lot of chubby Steve/weight gain post-high school but I think it would be interesting to see some fics where he’s still in school. Maybe he has to give up sports due to the concussions or something?

You're right and you should say it!! I have a bit of that in my love spell no go AU, before Starcourt happens and Steve goes full trauma-fueled must be able to protect everyone I know mode. 

So... might not be what you were hoping for but I wrote an almost 3k addition to that fic, during the part where Steve is still at Hawkins High. Swim is over for the year (and Steve avoids his pool now), and while he's still on the basketball team he's also smoking weed (helps with the nightmares, getting enough sleep, better mood, etc.) and snacking more. He's in the starter belly stage but has no complaints.

Part 1, (YOU ARE HERE), part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11 of the love spell no go au

The weed he bought from Munson is a godsend, and Steve wonders why he hadn’t thought of it before… only to remember that Nancy wouldn’t have approved. (Although she’s not a priss, exactly, she had barely even touched alcohol since the night Barb died. Until Halloween.) But he can sleep through the lonely nights now, which is worth even that hurtful pang of realization—that maybe, Nancy hadn’t been very good for him. 

(Sure, she had helped him study. And his grades had improved. But sometimes, too, she would smile and say, “You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington.” It had been cute at first, before Barb, when the smile had still been real.)

Whenever he thinks about that, or feels particularly lonely, he digs into his stash for a quick smoke out his bedroom window—never by the pool, not anymore. He gets into the habit of snacking after, even if it’s while doing his homework, because even when he’s a little bit stoned it’s somehow easier to focus on shit when he’s doing something else at the same time, and chewing works. 

(Nancy hadn’t liked it when he’d fiddled with his pencil or a rubber band or a Rubix cube or anything while she’d quizzed him with flashcards, even though he’d tried to tell her it helped. She’d fussed at him about it until he’d just… stopped.)

Other times, he zones out in front of the tv while working his way through a sandwich or a bag of chips or a sleeve of Oreos. Or takeout, a lot of the time, because his culinary skills pretty much stop at sandwiches, up to and including scrambling an egg for a breakfast sandwich. But a man cannot live on scrambled eggs alone, he’s learned that the hard way, so pizza or burgers or pasta in cardboard containers it is. 

It’s not just the munchies. After a while Steve gets into the habit of just… eating. It's not like his parents are around to notice, and Dustin and the other kids he babysits sometimes (for all that Mike protests that they aren’t babies and don’t need a sitter; what they do consistently need, however, is rides) don't care as long as he springs for enough that they can have some too. No one at school would dare say it to his face, and somehow it still doesn't manage to fully tank his slightly flagging reputation, but Steve is definitely starting to put on weight. He doesn’t care. 

He starts going to parties again half for a change of scenery, half for a change of food options. Pizza still makes a frequent appearance, but there’s popcorn and flavors of chips that he doesn’t usually buy and various kinds of snack mixes. (His favorites are anything that include M&Ms.) Sometimes, there are even cupcakes or cookies. He doesn’t dance, doesn’t even drink all that much and sticks to just beer when he does, never the punch. Most of the kids who come to these parties are there for the booze and the makeout opportunities, but he turns up to people-watch, bopping his head in time with the music if it's a song he likes, and park himself by whatever food the party has to offer. Sometimes Steve buys from Eddie if he's there, offers to share joints with him that Eddie, still wary, turns down. When the food runs out, Steve leaves.

Tonight, though, Tammy Thompson just will not leave him alone and he’s at a loss for what to do about it. She’s been talking his ear off about wanting to move to Nashville and become a country singer the entire time he’s been working on this extra large pepperoni and sausage with black olives—not his first choice, but it’s still hot enough for the cheese to stretch whenever he picks up the next slice, warm tomato sauce and grease dripping down the front of his polo more often than he can always catch with a napkin. 

“Did you want some?” he asks at some point, to be polite and hopefully indicate that he doesn’t care that she’s trying to tell him something. 

He can tell immediately that it doesn’t work, because Tammy lights up from simply being addressed, even though her answer is, “Oh, no thank you, I’m a vegetarian.”

“Right,” Steve mumbles, and crams nearly half of his next slice of meat-laden pizza in his mouth. Maybe if he talks with his mouth full. “More for me, then.”

The words come out muffled, but she still beams and offers to grab him something to drink, jumping up and scampering off before Steve even has a chance to respond. He sighs, downs the rest of the beer he’s been nursing, and takes the new one she brings him without saying thank you. Between the next pieces of pizza he pops it open, chugs it, and belches; she puts a hand on his arm. 

For a moment, at that, Steve feels a faint stirring of interest. He likes his food, did even before dropping swimming and picking up weed, and well before it started to show. Now that it has, he feels comfortable in his softer body. Good. And maybe… maybe he could handle dating someone who doesn’t mind how much he likes it. He imagines Tammy running her immaculately painted nails over his skin, places he’s noticed have been getting more sensitive lately, and suppresses a shiver. 

“Could you pass me that bowl of M&Ms over there?” he asks, testing the waters. Yeah, he could probably reach it if he stretched, but he’s starting to fill up and doesn’t feel like putting the extra pressure on his stomach. He sits back a little in his chair instead, shifting to get comfortable and laying a hand on his belly where it bows out over the waistband of his jeans. “Sorry, just, you know. Big appetite lately.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I don’t mind,” Tammy says with a giggle as she fetches the bowl for him. “Besides, you’re an athlete! I’m sure you’ll work it off in no time on the court.”

And yeah, no, that vague interest curdles immediately. As far as Steve is concerned, the only parts of himself he wants to get rid of are all in his head—the heartbroken parts, the nightmare and trauma parts, the desperately lonely and needy parts. But he’s not so lonely that he’ll hook up with a girl who’s willing in spite of how he looks, because what else could she possibly be interested in? His personality?

He barely even has one. King Steve has always been bullshit, Nancy was right about that much. 

Through the crowd, he spots curly hair and a flash of dark leather—Eddie. Good, he’d been hoping to buy more tonight, and this is as good an excuse to exit this conversation as any. 

Steve grabs a handful of M&Ms to shove in his mouth and flips the lid of the pizza box closed, handing the bowl back to Tammy and taking the box with him when he stands. “Well, enjoy the rest of the party,” he blurts. “I’ve gotta go see a guy about some drugs. Bye!”

As he makes his escape, some girl that he thinks he might have class with or something just about shoulder-checks him, but he’s solid enough that she ends up stumbling from the impact instead. The glare she gives him could peel paint… which is actually kind of refreshing, after enduring Tammy’s simpering for the better part of an hour. 

To Eddie’s perpetual frustration, now that Steve Harrington has started buying weed from him he can never seem to be free of the guy. Case in point: the “Hey, Munson, wait up!” that follows him to the backyard of tonight’s house party slash business venture. 

He waits until he’s down the patio steps before whipping around, prepared to glare and snap an impatient what do you want, Harrington, but ends up staring at a pizza box that’s being shoved in his face. 

“Pizza?” Steve says. 

Eddie blinks at the box, then at the boy holding it. “This isn’t your party. Doesn’t that mean it’s not your pizza to offer?”

“It might as well be, I’ve eaten most of it,” Steve replies. “No one seemed to notice, that makes it fair game.” 

Once, Eddie had been selling at a party and been bitched out for touching a single cookie, because those were for guests. He wants to scowl, but then his gaze flicks down to the partly open box and sees that there aren’t many slices left, eyes fixing on the evidence dripped down the front of Steve’s shirt and the way it’s… tight, across his middle. “You ate all but three slices of an entire extra large?”

He’s not sure what answer he expects to get. Maybe something like Of course not, dickhead, or maybe just, What, like it’s hard? But all Steve says is, “Yep.” And keeps looking at him with those sweet hazel eyes that seem bight and not too clouded by alcohol. 

Still, Eddie is wary. “Okay… You first.” 

Steve just shrugs and pulls out a slice, taking a bite before Eddie snatches it out of his hand. “Hey!”

“Just making sure it wasn’t poisoned first, sweetheart,” Eddie retorts, sneering for the excuse to call a pretty boy sweetheart in semi-public, butterflies stirring in his stomach at getting away with it. “Don’t worry, the rest is all yours.”

“Who’s tried to poison you?” Steve asks in a perplexed tone, folding the last two slices together to make a pizza sandwich and tossing the empty box onto the deck. Still following Eddie, because of course this is Eddie’s life. Love spell was a spectacular failure, but he’s still got the boy of his dreams following him around like a lost duckling because he’s got drugs. Fucking fantastic. 

And Eddie doesn’t want to get into the whole thing—those rumors from when Eddie had been in seventh grade and Steve had been in sixth, for all that they’re both in the same grade now, about some kid who’d been sent to the ER from a bad reaction to itching powder. There were variations where it had gotten in his eyes and nearly blinded him, or on his food and made his throat swell shut, or in his underwear and turned his dick so red his balls fell off. In reality, he had only gone to the nurse with a bad rash and hadn’t even been allowed to go home, but it left a goddamn impression. 

He doesn’t want to get into it, not if Steve either doesn’t remember the rumors or hasn’t connected them to his present day self, so he just rolls his eyes and says, “Are you looking to buy or what?”

Steve immediately brightens a bit, like a golden retriever spotting someone holding a tennis ball. “Yeah, I smoked the last I had before coming here but it’s already worn off I think.” And takes a big bite of his two pizza slices. 

So Eddie leads him to a darker nook around the side of the house for the deal, trying not to stare at the way Steve’s cheeks bow out while he chews, like a damn chipmunk. It’s cute. He’s kind of angry that it’s cute, that there’s still a part of him that lights up when Steve looks happy, satisfied, content—and right now all of those boxes are checked. 

“Want to smoke a little now?” Steve offers, once he’s paid and taken the baggie one handed, popped the rest of the food in his mouth, licked his fingers clean, and pulled out a pack of rolling papers. And Eddie pauses too long before answering, long enough that Steve takes the lack of refusal as a yes. 

Which Eddie should correct, because he usually says no to that sort of thing, especially when he’s at parties specifically to sell. He’s turned Steve down before, even; it’s like the guy has a whole thing about offering whenever he plans on lighting up asap. Eddie knows better to fall into that trap. 

But it’s a nice night. The weather is mild for spring, business has been good, and Steve licks his lips to get the last traces of pizza sauce before his tongue darts out to wet the paper and finish rolling the joint. Nice and tight, like the denim hugging Steve’s ass and thighs tighter recently. So Eddie sticks around, breaks his rule and tries to keep his face clear of any evidence that he is fixated on the few degrees of separation between smoking and kissing, heart hammering the entire time. He tells himself it’s a one time only thing, but knows he might be lying. Recognizes how addictive this could be. 

“Thanks for being here,” Steve says after passing the joint back and forth a few times, his eyes glazed and drooping. “Really needed this tonight.”

“That’s what I’m here for, man,” Eddie replies. He’s leaning against the side of the house practically shoulder to shoulder with his crush, and the high washing over him is really taking the edge off the jagged yearning in his chest. Like, he still wants, but he’s happy just floating in the present moment, content with the indirect sharing of spit. And this is… This is okay. 

Surprisingly okay. 

It throws Eddie for a loop because it’s at odds with the whole King Steve image. The whole puppet master persona that isn’t a bully, but can with a few words cut someone down socially to where the bullies could reach them, if they so wish. Popular kids at Hawkins High walk around with their noses in the air like they’ve never smelled a fart and refuse to start now, but this is the guy they turn around and start brown-nosing. King Steve isn’t nice, he’s used to being waited on. Kings do not say thank you to the court jester for simply carrying out his profession. 

Just Steve, though, is different. Just Steve is chill and finished most of an entire huge pizza while mostly sober, is filling out his clothes even better these days in Eddie’s opinion, and currently looks the most at peace he’s ever seen a person. No walls, no guard… Just Steve. 

Okay, that one split joint had gone straight to his head, god damn. 

“Well, I’m gonna take off,” Eddie announces, and can’t tell if he’s said it too loud or not. He pushes off the wall with a shake of his head. “You snagged pretty much the last of my inventory, so I’ll just get out of here before someone starts handing out the torches and pitchforks.”

Steve chuckles. “Like any of those guys in there know how to make a torch,” he scoffs. He manages to say it in a way that almost makes Eddie lean in. Makes him feel like he’s been let in on some sort of inside joke, like they could but those losers couldn’t. 

Which is—Okay, so Eddie does in theory know how to make a torch, he’d looked into it for one of his earliest homebrew campaigns, but Steve Harringnton? The very idea of Steve whipping off his shirt, tying it to a branch, soaking the end in something flammable, and lighting it up is something out of fantasy. Out of specific fantasies that he has had. It snaps Eddie out of the hazy bubble of they that Steve had somehow created with just a few words, and holy shit. Was that one of the side effects of his wonky spell, or was that Just Steve?

“Yeah, sure,” Eddie scoffs back, putting more distance between them even though he does want to lean in, dammit, but he wants Steve to want it too. Even though it’s on the tip of his tongue to ask the guy if he has a ride home, or if he wants to swing by the mom and pop ice cream place on Main for desert or something; Eddie has been practicing swallowing down urges like that since he’d hit adolescence. “Find me next time you need to top up your stash, Harrington.”

He walks away fast enough that if Steve responds he doesn’t hear it, heading for the back gate that he’d left the house for in the first place. His van is parked strategically nearby for a quick getaway, just in case the party got out of hand and a neighbor called the cops. 

And if his dreams that night feature a completely relaxed Steve Harrington chewing on never ending slices of pizza and that blissful look of peace on his face, his lips shiny with spit and grease, it’s not like Eddie is ever going to tell anyone.

Tag list (comment to be added): @hotluncheddie @8em-em-em8 @anaibis @connected-dots @lawrencebshoggoth

[ashwhowrites]

A small blurb based on "bad omens" by 5 seconds of summer. Because every time I hear Luke ain't about brown eyes my mind goes straight to Eddie. There isn't much actual communication between Eddie and the reader, just a heads up!

I also want to say thank you to everyone who read my other angst blurb! I really didn't expect people to like it, and now people are asking for a part 2! Which feels really good. And that helped me gain some confidence to maybe post some ideas I always was too scared to write. So if you are interested here's more! And I'd be glad to share more, if you guys would like :)

I'd love to know what you guys think about this also 💕

If you can't tell by the puppy eyes in the gif, this is angst :)

I cried in your dark brown eyes for the thousandth time

'Cause you love somebody

I died when you left that night for the thousandth time

'Cause you love somebody else

I tried to stop the door as it was closing

It was closing

Can't help the way I keep ignoring every omen

Every omen

Heaven knows I should let go

It's nothing that I don't already know

She knew it was her own fault. When you fall in love, it can only end in two ways: happily or completely shattered.

And every time she looked into his dark brown eyes, she saw her ending. She hoped that one day his eyes would look different. That they would offer her a different ending, one she felt like she deserved. Yet, it never changed. All she saw in his eyes was that he loved someone. She cried in his dark brown eyes for what felt like the thousandth time, all because he loved someone else. And that feeling alone made her feel like death would be her only escape from never feeling a thing again.

She tried everything to make him see her in a new way. She got a new haircut, makeup, clothes, and even joined Hellfire, watching closely to see if those dark brown eyes ever changed.

She refused to let hope leave her too, and she would be damned if she let the door shut on a small chance he'd change his mind. So, she stopped the door every time from closing when he walked out of it. She'll leave it open, just in case he needs to wonder in. An open door to show him he's always welcome and accepted here. This door would never close on him.

Robin tried to make it easier. "You need to stop ignoring every omen. You need to let go" Robin told her every time Eddie walked out the door. But she couldn't. It's nothing that she didn't already know. She would rather deal with the pain she was used to than be destroyed by something she knew she couldn't recover from.

 

 I kiss you on your neck

You were staring at the ceiling

I should've known right then and there you were a runaway

 

 Those dark brown eyes always looked up at the ceiling when she placed soft kisses on his neck. Even smashed up against each other, in their own little world, his eyes weren't on her. She used to lie and say he was lost in bliss. His eyes were just closed, and his head was back in pleasure.

Now she had to accept he was just a runaway , and he wasn't meant to find a home in her.

I'm still making sense of having nothing left to save

 

She watches his dark brown eyes follow her across the cafeteria once again. Her ideas for the next campaign fall on deaf ears. She sighs in defeat. Maybe it's time she listened to Robin and let him go. There was nothing between them left to save.

 

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes and ears are trained on her. "Continue telling us the idea. It sounds like it's coming together well." Garath says it with a smile. And for the first time in weeks, she felt a real smile stretch across her face. She dives back in with full details. That smile never left.

These bad omens, I look right through them

That's what you do when you love somebody

Else (when you love somebody)

Dustin gives Garath a look he's seen for the last few weeks on repeat. A look that screams "let her go. Don't ignore the bad omens." Garath refuses to glance back at Dustin. He doesn't care if she was in love with Eddie. She was a door he would always keep from closing. Those bad omens—he'll look right through them. Because that's what you do when you love somebody.

[hyperfixationgoddess]

Ok @chocoarts , I'm ready to go on a ramble! Thanks so much for answering my request! I hope my ramble does your art justice!

So! Steve and Robin are destined to work together, no matter how they meet or what they do. I know that most folks on the internet think that Robin wouldn't be great with little kids, while Steve would be the master. However! I personally like the idea that they're /both/ great with kids! I'm not usually one for no-Upside-down aus, but I can't really think of another way that this would work, so.

I'll bet that Steve and Robin met while volunteering at the Hawkins Daycare center. They bond over a love of kids and hatred for the people in charge. Y'see, Hawkins kinda reminds me of the area I grew up in a little bit, and something that's happened, both in my community and the town where my mom works, is that daycares and pre-schools start out as genuine nonprofits, existing for the sake of the community. But over time, they become super exclusive, expensive, and mildly corrupt. I imagine that if Hawkins had a daycare center, that's what would happen.

*oh, by the way, I have nothing against day care centers or all you folks who run them in a general sense. I know how difficult it is to take care of little kids to an extent, and I respect you all for what you do. It's just the ones in my community that I know of that are like that.*

Anyway...

So Steve and Robin see this and decide, hey, Steve's parents may be assholes, but they haven't cut him off yet, so why don't they use that money to open their own daycare center? They would call it Bat-man and Robin's Junior Bat-cave, because Steve plays baseball in this au. Also because of this meme:

By the way, they decided to add hyphens to the DC related parts of the name to escape a potential lawsuit. That's my logic, and I'm sticking to it. Cool? Cool.

So Steve and Robin open their daycare, and they keep their fees as inexpensive as they possibly can without it being detrimental to the business. One of their first customers is a single mom by the name of Claudia Henderson.

It takes a minute for Dustin to warm up to Steve and Robin, because even as a 3-year-old, people give him a hard time about his disease, cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), which he worked really hard to learn how to pronounce.

Steve and Robin don't treat him any differently. The only acknowledgement they make of his CCD is when they have to follow his daily medical needs, which I assume exist, but I have no idea what they'd be. When this sinks in, he warms right up to them. His favorite thing to do is play spies with the toy walkie-talkie set that Steve got especially for him. He gets bad dreams sometimes about his dad leaving, but Steve is always right there when he wakes up with a sci-fi picture book or Star Wars stuffies to help him feel better.

The next kid to show up is Max Mayfield. She's a sassy little thing. And in this au, N*il dies in a car crash or something, and Billy's mom gets custody of Billy, because he deserves good things, dammit, but Susan doesn't have the money to move her and Max back to Cali. The Junior Batcave is affordable for her. It takes Max a hot second to warm up to Steve, because of N*il, but Robin helps her feel safe, and Steve never pushes her boundaries. That is what gets her to warm up to him. Max likes playing spies with Dustin, but her favorite thing to do is use cardboard as ramps and play with those tiny skateboard toys.

Jane Eleanor "El" Hopper shows up after Hopper adopts her and gets her out of the foster system. She's pretty quiet and timid, but she's got good judgement for a 3-year-old. She warms up to Steve and Robin pretty quick. She calls them Auntie Robin and Mom-Steve. She likes any kind of game, as long as she's with her best friend Max. But her favorite thing to do at daycare is play with Steve's hair. One day, she brings all sorts of clips and ribbons from home. El gets a little sad, because Robin gently tells her, "if it touches your hair, you don't share." Steve immediately goes out to the store to get some new hair supplies, and then El just goes ham on his hair. When she's done, she says that "Mom-Steve is the prettiest ever!" Hearts melt, and there are tears.

When Will shows up, his family is fresh out of a divorce, so he's really quiet and sensitive. He knows that he's welcome to play with Dustin, Max, and El, but he's just too shy. Luckily for him, Mike starts attending at around the same time. They bond over Star Wars with Dustin. And Will just has the best ideas for games if make-believe! When Will leads, Max and El get to be the knights, and Mike is the one who needs saving. Will gets attached to Steve and Robin when they agree to play the dragon and the queen respectively, and help him practice reading when he's not up to playing. Eventually, Will spends so much time reading with Steve that Mike gets jealous, which I think would explain the ankle-biter moment in chocoarts's picture.

Mike is a bit of a jealous kiddo, because baby Holly gets all of Mom and Nancy's attention, and Dad isn't home too often cause of work. That's why, if any of his friends start spending more time with Steve than him, his ankle-biting tendencies surface. Oh, Will would rather read a story with Steve than play knights and castles with Mike? CHOMP! Even so, Steve and Robin both give Mike plenty of attention, so he warms up to them. He copies El, calling Steve Mom-Steve. He also starts calling Robin Auntie Birdie.

Last, but certainly not least, the Sinclair siblings. In this au, I think Lucas and Erica would either be twins, or the age gap would just be a year instead of 4, as it seems to be in canon (Lucas seeming to be a 15-year-old freshman when Erica is 11). Lucas likes playing catch a little more than the other boys, and Steve is always happy to play with him. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Y'see, I just had the thought that when the Sinclairs tried sending Lucas and Erica to Hawkins Daycare, the two were surrounded by white children who didn't know anything other than the racist bullshit their parents said around them. The employees weren't much better. When the Sinclairs reached out to the Junior Bat-cave, on the other hand, Steve and Robin were perfectly respectful, and made sure the other kids knew to be respectful to Lucas and Erica, too. Anywho, as the two adjust, Steve loves to see how Lucas is just the best big brother. He knows that Erica is still a bit too small for catch, so he rolls his favorite ball around with her, instead. Also, Erica likes dogs in this au, so Steve helps Lucas draw and/or color in pictures of dogs and puppies. Robin is always happy to play with Erica, too. In fact, all the girls love finding all the dog stuffies in the daycare to play dog school, Erica's favorite game.

Alright! That's all I've got for this ramble. If anyone wants to take these ideas and just roll with them, feel free to do so. I hope my ramble did chocoarts's drawing justice!

[escapism-from-the-real-world]

Part 6

Cam Watanabe

Background/story

His mom died when he was little from Lothor attacking earth

His dad doesn’t talk about her much, especially since he took over the school, but Cam knows she was smart, beautiful, kind, and a badass

He does not know she used to be a samurai

Going back in time was some well needed closure for him because now he has an actual memory of his mom aside from glimpses

His dad is usually pretty good, but he has his moments of iffyness (he did lose his wife to his brother so… trauma)

He also has other students to take care of on top of his own son

Is very proud of Cam but forgets to say it

Cam thinks the reason his dad won’t let him be a ninja/ranger is because he thinks he’s weak/not good enough

So he trains everyday despite his dad not exactly allowing it

He is one of the best ninjas in the academy which is why he is unimpressed with the OG trio at the beginning of the show

Also held a bit of resentment because he was better at it than them but he was stuck behind a computer

When he finds out it was because his dad made a promise to his mom he kind of shuts down and pulls away 

He and his dad make up and have a long talk about boundaries and promises and ninjas/rangers

Cam thinks Shane is too full of himself and overprotective

(He feels safe with him in a way he isn’t anywhere else. He knows he can tell Shane he’s overwhelmed somewhere, and he’ll take him somewhere quiet. He trusts him as a leader and respects how far he’s come. He really is his big brother. Even if he could lay off the hair ruffles)

Cam thinks Dustin is airheaded and impulsive

(And caring and compassionate and passionate and brave and intelligent and the first real friend he’d ever really had. He loves talking to him about random shit. He’ll sometimes see how off topic he can get before Dustin refocuses on their conversation. Dustin is his little brother no matter what the other’s say about him being the littlest. He will protect him with his life)

Tori, while the smartest and usually the voice of reason, is quick to anger and just as impulsive, if not more impulsive, than the others

(She’s also devoted and kind. She’s always sticking up for him and not letting him fade into the background. She’s also brave and intelligent and loyal and confident in all the ways Cam wishes he could be. While he is older, he does, begrudgingly, see her as an older sister archetype)

Hunter is brooding and stubborn

(He’s also protective and a big fucking softie at heart. He trusts in Cam and doesn’t hesitate to let him take the reigns during a mission. They have a talk after they find out Hunter had part of the crystal about their parents and missing people. Hunter and Cam are equals in a way Cam hasn’t felt before)

Blake is way too smart for is own good and could not be any more obvious about his feelings about Tori

(Or how he feels about his brother, or Shane, or Dustin, or Cam. He wears his heart on his sleeve, very unintentionally. Cam was surprised when he asked him for ninja tips. But he was glad to show his expertise on the subject. Blake was the first to say out loud how Cam should be a ranger, Hunter saying he would be the best of them, and everyone else agreed)

(He will tell them this in his own way, through advancing tech and silent sitting periods and showing up to the overcrowded and loud events that he secretly enjoys but only because his friends are there)

(Kelly is his outlet for when they do impressively stupid shit) (She thinks it’s amusing) (Also, who is this kid in the glasses?)

Personality/headcanons/arcs

The sassiest boi ever (Hunter is second)

Made a snide comment about Dustin’s inability to focus and Dustin gives him a whole rant on how he can’t and Cam feels bad and gives him the Adhd pamphlet before making him a sick ass weapon to make it up to him

Is a bit resentful of the rangers because he wants to do more than be the ‘guy in the chair’

When he makes Cyber Cam, he adds in what he thinks the rangers would prefer him to act

Is pleasantly surprised when they like him better than Cyber Cam (CC is chill after a personality shift)

Actually the best ninja at the whole academy even though he was never formally trained

Technically doesn’t have an element and his suit is a lot of tech and magic as well as his pure samurai badassness

The smart one and the only one with a consistent brain cell

Thought he liked Tori because of ~compulsory heterosexuality~

When under the love spell, he realizes that no, he does not like her and she’s just a really good friend

Learned guitar, bass, uke, and basically every stringed instrument under the sun when he wasn’t doing tech stuff

Yes, he plays violin, stop asking, that is not the most interesting thing he can play

Is the biggest introvert ever and is not a fan of crowds

But can deal with it for a time

Goes to college and ends up with a mechanical engineering and technological science degree before getting his PHD (he’s a bit of an overachiever)

Helps Shane out with the academy and Tori with college stuff

Encourages Dustin to get into mechanical engineering because he thinks he’d like it (he is correct)

Main post

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen Review

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my reviews for other Stranger Things tie-ins. Like, reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Synopsis: It's January 1985, two months after the group's battle with the Mind Flayer. Still reeling from the death of Bob Newby, Will becomes intrigued one day when he and Mr. Clarke discover a map containing clues from Bob to an ancient Viking treasure buried in Hawkins. Against the wishes of his friends, Will ventures into Mirkwood to look for the treasure just as a blizzard hits. Fearing for his safety, Will's friends go after him as they also begin to wonder if the treasure is real..........

Observations:

I said this before in my Halloween Special Review, but this is a personal favorite. Comics and tie-ins that focus on the Party hanging out, being friends, and having adventures (even if said adventures aren't tied to the Upside Down) are fun to read. This comic in particular takes heavily after The Goonies, a 1985 movie (which is exactly the same year this comic takes place in) written by Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus, centering around a group of misfits who discover a map leading to a 17th century pirate treasure. It also stars a younger Sean Astin 30+ years before he played the role of Bob Newby on Stranger Things. Even the artwork for this comic pays homage to that movie:

The big differences between the movie and this comic are:

1.) The Party isn't getting chased around by a greedy family who wants the treasure for themselves. The only threat the group encounters is a nasty blizzard that leaves them trapped in the cold, forcing Mr. Clarke to come looking for them midway through.

2.) Unlike the movie, the treasure isn't given as much as importance as the reason for why Will wants to find it.

One of the things I've appreciated about the comics and tie-in materials is how they've given more focus to Will and enhanced aspects of his character that the show briefly touched upon. The Other Side did a great job demonstrating what Will's time was like in the Upside Down and what he had to do to survive. Zombie Boys helped illustrate the trauma and PTSD Will went through following the events of season 1, as well as his friends attempts to help him recover from it. This comic by comparison puts more focus on how Will reacted to Bob's death in season 2 and how he's coming to terms with that.

Will didn't just see Bob as a friend, but as a father-figure. Someone he could look up to and get advice from. Someone who could have been a part of his family had he not died. Now that Bob's gone, there's a mix of both grief and anger in Will, as well as the idea that locating this treasure could give him closure.

I don't want to spoil what the treasure is, but if you remember what Bob was like on the show, with his love of puzzles and mysteries, then you can probably guess that the treasure hunt he left clues for was more about the journey for him than about the destination.

And I would argue that's what Will learns by the end of it. He's initially bitter about the reveal regarding the treasure, but deep down, it was never really about the treasure. It was about him getting to know Bob better and connecting with him one last time through the treasure hunt Bob set up 20 years ago. It was about Will getting to say a final goodbye to someone he cared about.

It's nice seeing the other characters in this comic supporting Will through this. Mr. Clarke introduces Will to the history of how Bob formed the AV Club, and even gives him the map that kickstarts the plot. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas struggle with how to best approach Will's situation (sometimes they handle it with tact, other times they don't) and even join him on his quest despite how bad the weather gets because they recognize this is important to Will.

There's also Dustin who (despite having gotten his feet wet in the blizzard) becomes intrigued by the treasure when he sees the X on the tree and starts digging for it because he realizes there are actual clues pointing in a certain direction.

Furthermore, while the comic borrows heavily from The Goonies, it also contains a lot of references to Lord of the Rings: Will going into Mirkwood to find the treasure. The Party climbing a wintry hill just like the Fellowship climbs Caradhras in the books. Them arriving at an actual mine where the treasure is located, which Dustin is quick to name The Mines of Moria:

On a slightly related note, since Stranger Things heavily borrows references from LOTR, I have started looking at the books as one means of predicting the direction the Duffer Brothers might go in season 5. I also see many of the characters on the show paralleling characters from The Fellowship of the Ring:

Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas for instance all have characteristics that resemble Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. If I were to say which ones are a direct parallel to whom, I'd probably argue that Dustin has a lot of Pippin's qualities, with his natural curiosity and fun-loving nature. Lucas is Merry with his pragmatism and being the more sensible one in the group. People might disagree with me on this, but I see Mike resembling Sam with his unwavering loyalty to those he cares about while Will resembles Frodo with his kind nature and being the one established as having a connection to the main villain of the series (Sauron/Vecna). Even the comic itself has Lucas referring to Will as Frodo.

There are other parallels as well, which I may do a separate post about later if I choose to. Hopper's fake death in season 3 and battle with the Demogorgon in season 4 reminds me of Gandalf's supposed death at Khazad-Dum and the fight he and the Balrog have later on a snow-covered peak.

Back in June, I made a prediction about the possibility of the show killing off Mike, and even drew parallels between that and the way Boromir's death broke the Fellowship, and how Frodo's decision to sail to the Grey Havens at the end of the series was officially the end for the core four (Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin). Regardless of what fans have said, I could see a scenario where the Duffer Brothers kill off one of the main characters if they think it'll either drive the plot forward or impact the other characters in a way that affects future decisions for them moving forward. Since Mike is described on the show as being "The Heart" of the Party, and since both Will and El (two characters who have personal history with Vecna) are closest to Mike, I could see Vecna targeting Mike as a way of hurting both of them and demoralizing the group.

Finally, this is something I discussed with @spaghettificationandpretzels in one of my reviews, but since they've established on the show that the hive mind in the Upside Down connects all the way to Vecna, killing him once and for all would be similar to Sauron's downfall in the books where his defeat would decimate whatever armies he controls and the land he inhabits.

But I digress.

Some final aspects to note from this comic:

Scott Clarke is still dating Jen Woo from season 1, and they seem to have a happy relationship. I hope they both appear in the final season. I wouldn't even mind if the next comic or graphic novel centers around Mr. Clarke. People have joked online about how they wish they could know more about his personal life, and I would fully support a story focusing on that.

Also, Dustin briefly talks with Will at the beginning about signing up for Camp Know Where over the Summer. The events surrounding his time there (and how he meets Suzie) are covered in the comic Stranger Things Science Camp.

Overall, this is a fun comic and a must-read. I want to be careful about saying what is or isn't canon, especially when it comes to supplementary tie-ins, but this particular story is something I could see being part of the canon, especially because it doesn't contradict anything from the show and it helps build on a meaningful relationship from the show (Will and Bob). Check it out when you get the chance! :)

[mothguillotine]

Chapter 4:  Never Trust Elevators, Ever.

Main Masterlist

cw: swearing and violence

word count: 4.8k

Summary: After you gain a fear of elevators, you explore a basement from Hell.

You weren’t entirely sure when the elevator stopped. It felt like it went forever and with everyone screaming it was hard to ask anyone else so you screamed along with them. Not really out of terror, well actually yes, you are terrified, but you are also frustrated with yourself. You knew that something didn’t feel right and what did you do? Go inside the dangerous Russian elevator that is most likely only supposed to be used for transporting whatever the hell is in that container. 

“Shit!” Dustin yells and tries smashing the buttons once again, “Shit!” 

“We’re going down!” Steve yells hysterically and in any other situation you would have laughed but you get it.

“Yeah, no shit, Harrington!” Robin yells at him.

All of you are bracing onto the shelving or anything else to hold yourselves upright, “Fuck!” you yell as you slip off the shelf you were holding only to be caught by Robin who helps you stand back up.

“Why won’t these buttons work?!” Dustin screeches.

Erica runs over to him, “Press the button!”

“What do you think I’m doing?!” Dustin asks.

“Come on, press something!” Steve yells at him, “Just press the button!”

“Push it!” Erica yells at him but before he has the chance the elevator stops making you all slam into whatever you were holding onto. And in your case that happens to be Robin, who also falls, which makes you both land on the ground. The boxes that were sitting on the table fall off in the lurch and onto Steve. 

You hear him groan, “My groin. It fell on my groin.”

Robin moans in pain behind you so you stand up and help her stand as well.

“Stop talking about your di- groin.” you correct yourself remembering that Erica and Dustin are present.

“Dustin!” Steve yells, “Get this off of me!”

Dustin lifts the box off of Steve and places it back on the table, “I can’t move,” Steve says.

“Is everyone okay?” Robin asks.

“Yeah,” Steve says sarcastically, “I’m great, now that I know that Russians can’t design elevators!”

He then pushes Dustin out of the way of the button panel and proceeds to press them all over and over.

“I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work,” Robin tells him.

“They’re buttons,” Steve retorts, “They have to do something.”

“Yeah,” Robin says and gestures to the panel, “If we had a keycard.”

“A what?” he asks.

“You don’t know what a keycard is?” you ask him, furrowing your eyebrows.

Steve stays silent so Robin explains, “It’s an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door. If we don’t have a keycard, it won’t operate meaning-,”

“We’re stuck in here,” Dustin finishes.

“Yeah,” Robin agrees.

“Just so nerds are aware,” Erica tells you all, “I’m supposed to be spending the night at Tina’s, and Tina always covers for me. But if I’m not home for Uncle Jack’s party tomorrow, and my mom finds out you four are responsible, she’s gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throat. Probably starting with you since she knows where you live.”

“I didn’t even wanna get you involved in the first place!” you tell her.

Steve is fed up and slams his hands down on the box in front of him, “I don’t care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack’s party!” he yells at her, “Your mom’s not gonna be able to find us if we’re dead in a Russian elevator!

“Hey,” Dustin says pointing up, “What if we climbed out?”

All of you look up at the ceiling and see the hatch he is pointing at. Steve pushes over the table and Dustin jumps on top. He pushes open the hatch and climbs up with Steve close behind him. You, Robin, and Erica all stay inside the elevator instead of going up.

“Are you okay?” Robin asks you.

“I mean, not really,” you tell her, “What are we going to do? There is a literal child with us.”

“Honestly?” she asks and you nod, “I have no idea.”

You put your hands over your eyes, “This was such a fucking bad idea.”

“I know,” she says, “I- I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” you ask looking back at her, “Sorry for what?”

“For making you take this job and shit,” she says and sighs, “If you wouldn’t have ever come into Scoops that day we would have never met and you wouldn’t be in this situation, I just-”

“Let me stop you right there,” you tell her, grabbing her hand, “First of all you didn’t make me take the job, I wanted to work with you. And second of all, I would never wish I didn’t meet you. I l- I am lucky that I met you.”

You wish that you were alone right now, instead of Erica being in the same room. Maybe then you would have the balls to kiss her because as of this moment, it has moved up substantially on your list of things to do, all the way up to number one. Robin’s face is unreadable though, so you probably wouldn’t and won’t. Robin smiles in a way that doesn't quite reach her eyes and looks away.

Steve comes back down through the ceiling, “Yeah, there is no way to get out up there.”

“Damn it,” you say and lean back ready for a long night.

“What are we gonna do?” Erica asks.

“Nothing,” Steve says, jumping down from the ceiling.

“Nothing?” Erica asks.

“Nothing,” Steve reiterates.

“Why?” she asks.

“We have to wait until morning,” he tells her, “Then people will be awake.”

Dustin hops down after him and walks over to the button panel. Erica is sitting on the ground trying to rest the best she can.

“My mom is going to kill me,” you say out loud.

“Maybe she thinks you are at my house,” Robin offers.

“She wanted us all home tonight for a family dinner,” you tell her, “Tee has been gone the past few days and she wanted us all together.”

This catches Dustin's attention and he turns around, “Wait, your Tee’s sister?”

“Uh, yeah,” you tell him.

“I had no idea,” he says to you.

“Well, I mean I don’t just go around talking about my sister,” you tell him.

“Oh, she talks about you all the time,” he tells you, which you find hard to believe is true, “I only hung out with her for one day and she brought you up like ten times.”

“No, she did not,” you refute.

“Yes, she did,” he says, still focused on the panel, “Also why wouldn’t she? You are like super cool.”

“What?” you ask confused, “What exactly did she say?”

“I don’t know specifically,” Dustin tells you, “But the gist of it was that she thinks you are cool and after hanging out with you for a few days I agree.”

“Well, thanks,” you tell him.

“No problem,’ Dustin says.

“God that makes me feel like a bitch,” you say.

“What do you mean?” Robin asks you.

“It just puts mine and Tee’s argument in perspective,” you tell her, trying to hold back tears, “Like, if I die, then one of the last times I saw her was an argument.”

You look at the ceiling, willing the tears not to come out, and take a deep breath that sounds shaky. Everything feels like entirely too much all at once and you feel like curling up into a ball and crying your eyes out. Just when you are going to break down you feel Robin’s hand rest gently on your back. 

You let her pull you into a side hug, “I don’t wanna promise that everything is okay,” she tells you, “But at least you will go out of this world with Tee thinking you are a cool older sister, even though she never told you.”

You take a deep breath in, “Does anyone have a watch?” you ask.

“Yeah,” Dustin says.

“How much longer until the mall opens?” you ask him.

“Ah,” he says and looks down at his wrist, “About 12 hours.”

“Well, I’m going to sleep,” you tell them and walk to the side of the room. When you lay down and close your eyes you can only hope you sleep through the night.

Robin doesn’t know if she will survive this anymore. Sure she originally thought ‘What is the harm in trying to take down a bunch of Russian spies?’ but as she stepped onto the elevator, she knew she was in much deeper shit than that. Although at that point she didn’t know it was an elevator, just a room that was heavily guarded with guns.

As soon as she felt the ‘room’ move her only thought was making sure that you were okay and as much as she wanted to pretend that she was okay, she wasn’t. She was beyond terrified and looking between you and Erica it was a wonder that either of you were asleep. Robin has been surprised with how well Erica in particular has handled the situation, never crying even though she should have never been put in this situation.

All she kept trying to do before she went to sleep was try to provide solutions. Robin wanted to be like that, she is normally, but right now her mind is elsewhere. She couldn’t stop thinking about you, that was not uncommon, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't stop thinking about what you told her earlier. Repeating every word in her mind. You didn’t know how much she wanted you to say exactly that, but what Robin kept going back to was what you almost said, or what she thought you almost said. You love her? Robin just couldn’t believe it.

And you couldn’t believe that you almost said that to her, with Erica in the room, overhearing everything you say, that is a slippery slope. You tell her that you love her and then the next day half of Indiana would know. Although, in this case, it would be Russia eventually.

The floor is horribly uncomfortable to sleep on so you only get a few hours after that you just lay there hoping the hours will pass by quickly. At some point, Erica wakes up and starts talking to Robin, both of them talking about random shit. With them talking you decide to get up as well.

“Finally,” Robin says, “I thought you died or something.”

“Ha, ha,” you say sarcastically and then feel your stomach rumble, “God, I am so hungry.”

“I know right,” Robin says.

She is sitting at the edge of a table so you walk over and sit with her.

“I am gonna get like 55 burgers and 55 fries from the burger place,” you say dreamily, “With a whole bunch of mayo and ketchup.”

“Mm,” Robin says, “Stop, you are making me hungry.”

“I hope the slop is good in the gulag we are imprisoned in,” you say and Robin laughs.

“Oh god,” she says, “I hope they kill me on sight.”

“Well if you are going out,” you tell her, “Then I am going with you.”

Robin doesn’t know what to say, well actually she usually doesn't know what to say, especially to you. A million things she can think of to say right now but instead she elects to stay silent. Ever since the other night, you have been acting… different. Not in a bad way, actually the opposite which leaves Robin confused. 

Robin doesn’t know why exactly you are acting like this, she wonders if you do.

You hear a thumping noise behind you and when you turn around you see Dustin climbing on top of the table to get to the hatch again. Steve is quick to take notice and follow him.

“I’m just tired of waiting,” you tell her and then groan, “I wanna go home.”

You can both hear Dustin yelling into his radio, trying to get someone's attention.

“I can’t wait to get away from dingus one and two up there,” Robin tells you and you laugh.

“You’re not getting sick of me yet?” you ask her.

“I don’t think I could,” she tells you and puts her hand over yours on the table.

You can feel your cheeks start to warm up at the action and look away. Specifically at the wall and notice a patch of wall that is progressively getting wetter. Your face changes into disgust when you realize what it is.

Robin notices the change on your face, looks at the wall, and comes to the same realization that you have, “Can you redirect your stream, please?” she asks loudly and you both watch as the wall gets wet zig-zags across it.

“Ugh,” you and Robin both say at the same time.

Then you hear sharp banging coming from behind you, “Erica what are you doing?” you ask.

When you both turn you see her taking the tube of neon green substance and hitting it repeatedly on a metal barrel behind you.

“Hey, hey! Be careful,” Robin shouts, “We don't even know what that is.”

“Exactly,” Erica says to the both of you, “It could be useful.”

You and Robin both look at each other in bewilderment, “Useful how?” Robin asks her.

“We can survive a long time down here without food,” she explains, “But if the human body doesn’t get enough water, it will die.”

“I hate to break it to you,” Robin tells her, “But this is not water.”

“No,” Erica says, “But it’s a liquid, and if it comes down to drinking that shit or dying of thirst, I drink.”

Erica takes the container out of Robin’s hand and you watch as Robin goes over to the door, but your attention is still on Erica. 

“Erica, this literally looks like it will kill you,” you tell her and take it back from her.

“And?” she asks sarcastically, “So does Mountain Dew.”

“This isn’t Mountain Dew!” you tell her.

“Shh,” Robin tells you both and whispers, “They’re here.”

“Shit,” you say under your breath, “Let’s go up top.”

All three of you climb on top of the elevator and Robin carefully shuts the hatch behind her. You all gather around the ceiling grating and watch as two men open the door. They take some of the boxes and then hear them drive away in a vehicle.

Steve quickly hops down and props up the door with the container leaving only a foot of room to escape out of. Erica throws him her backpack and at the same time he is helping her under the door you go under the other side. Dustin crawls out right after you do then Robin rolls herself under closely followed by Steve. 

Right as he is passing under the door the canister starts to break and not a moment after he is through the door closes shattering it. You all watch as the liquid bubbles and then melts a hole through the floor.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve exclaims.

“Ooh!” Erica shouts.

You quickly turn to her and raise your finger to your lips, “Shh, we don’t know if anyone is around.”

“Look at it,” she tells you and walks closer.

You follow her to where the rest of them are investigating the hole in the floor, “Imagine if you drank that.”

“Yeah,” Robin adds, “You still wanna drink it?” 

Erica rolls her eyes at you both and leans in closer to look at the hole. You can’t help but join her out of curiosity leaning against Robin to peer into it.

“Holy mother of God,” you hear Dustin say from behind you.

When you turn around you see what looks like a never-ending hallway, “Oh, god.”

“Well,” Steve starts, “Hope you guys are in good shape.”

Then he walks past all of you into the hall. As he passes by Dustin he pats his chest, “Looking at you, roast beef.”

You all watch as Steve walks away, “Come on, let’s go,” Robin tells the three of you.

“Woah,” Dustin says, “Look at the supports, this place is awesome!”

You, Robin, and Erica watch as he runs to catch up with Steve who is further down the hall.

“Tell me why I think he is going to be annoying the entire time?” you ask them.

“When is he not?” Erica asks you.

“Probably,” Robin agrees with you, “But all I know is that me and him have very different definitions of awesome.”

“Well, he did just spend a whole month at a camp for science, so…” you say.

Robin yawns, “I should have slept last night instead like you guys,” she mumbles.

“Why didn’t you?” you ask her.

“She was up all night talking to Steve,” Erica teases her. 

Robin looks visibly uncomfortable, “Yeah, we were talking about how to open the door.”

“Uh huh,” Erica rolls her eyes and speeds up walking.

“We should have left the children up there,” Robin tells you.

“I know,” you say, “I grew up with my sister. I should have known not to get trapped with them.”

Both of you walk in silence for a minute until Robin breaks the silence.

“How long do you think this hallway is?” she asks you.

“I don’t know,” you tell her, “Forever?”

You were proven correct though, Dustin would not stop talking about the Russian basement that you all were currently trapped in.

“Look at all of the supports!” Dustin says enthusiastically.

“Yes, Dustin,” you tell him, “We’ve all seen the supports.”

“It’s just so cool,” he says to you.

“Ah, yes,” you say sarcastically, “So cool that we are trapped in a Russian secret base and no one knows where we are. And we don’t know how to get out.”

“I mean, you have to admit,” Dustin says, “That as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive.”

“What are you talking about anyway?” Steve asks, “It’s a total fire hazard. There’s no stairs, there’s no exit, there’s just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell.”

“Their commies,” Erica says, “They don’t pay people, they cut corners.”

“To be fair to our Russian comrades,” Robin says, “I don’t think that this tunnel was designed for walking. Think about it, they designed the perfect system for transporting that cargo.”

“It all comes into the mall like any old delivery,” Dustin says.

“And then they load it up onto the trucks and nobody’s the wiser,” Robin says.

“Do you think that they built this whole mall so they could transport that green poison?” Steve asks.

“I mean it’s definitely possible,” you tell him, “But it’s just so weird to make it here, like, shouldn’t they be near the capital or something important.”

“I very seriously doubt that it’s something as boring as poison,” Dustin says, “It’s gotta be much more valuable, like promethium or something.”

“What the hell is promethium?” Steve asks.

“It’s what Victor Stone’s dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components,” Robin explains.

“You all are so nerdy,” Erica says and grabs her stomach, “It makes me physically ill.”

“No, no, no.” Steve denies, “Don’t lump me in with them. I’m not a nerd, all right?”

“Why so sensitive, Harrington?” Robin asks him, “Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?”

“No, I’m just saying I don’t know jack shit about Prometheus,” he says.

“So what is it Steve?” you ask him, “Do her mean comments hurt your feelings that bad?”

“No,” Steve denies.

“Yeah, okay,” you tell him, rolling your eyes.

“All I’m saying is,” Dustin says, “It’s probably being used to make something.”

“Or power something,” Robin says.

“Like a nuclear weapon?” Dustin asks.

“Totally,” Robin says.

“Walking towards a nuclear weapon,” Steves says, “That’s great.”

“Do you wish you thought it was poison?” you ask him.

“If they are building something, why here?” Robin asks, “I mean, Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places.”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” you say, “Before I moved here I was not excited to be here.”

“Honestly, at the very best, we’re a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland,” Robin tells you, “Maybe that's it, we have the very best toilets.”

“What?” you ask her, “Robin, that makes zero goddamn sense.”

“I don’t know, maybe,” Robin says.

“Robin, be for real right now,” you say laughing and shaking your head, “No the fuck it's not.”

“You never know, they could-,” Robin stops talking and turns around, “I’m sorry, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

When you turn you see Steve and Dustin both stop talking and then look at each other, obviously sharing a secret between the two of them. Unfortunately, before you can question them more you hear the radio pick up a signal, “Walkie,” they say in unison.

Erica kneels and puts her bag on the ground reaching in to grab the walkie. She hands it to Robin who pulls out the antenna all the way to better pick up the signal. The man speaks the same code you have listened to for the past few days.

“It’s the code,” Robin confirms with a smile.

“Wherever that broadcast is coming from-,” Dustin starts.

“It’s close,” Robin finishes, “And if there’s one thing we know about that signal…”

“It can reach the surface,” Dustin says.

“Let’s go,” Robin says and stands up to continue walking down the hall.

All of you stand up to follow after her down the hall, hopefully finding the long-awaited end. Unfortunately, as you draw closer you start to hear noise and at a certain point, you realize that the noises that you are hearing are the vehicles you saw earlier. As you turn a corner you see a few people in uniforms. Dustin and Erica run and hide behind a large metal crate, Robin pulls you into the small area followed closely by Steve.

All of you wait for a minute, listening for anyone who could have seen you. Steve peaks out and looks around making sure the coast is clear.

“Okay, clear,” Steve says and all of you follow him out, “Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay, that was close,” Robin says.

“Too close,” Dustin says.

“Relax,” Steve says, “All right? Relax, nobody saw…”

Steve stops in his tracks as he rounds a corner and when you see what he is looking at, you can’t help but have the same reaction. You see a whole bunch of people either in military uniforms or lab coats, and you even see radiation-proof gear. Which makes Robin’s idea of a nuclear bomb seem all that more real. More importantly, though, you see a mass amount of guns. All of you come to your senses and duck behind a wheeled cart. 

“Jesus!” Erica exclaims.

“Red Dawn,” Dustin says.

“I saw it,” Erica says, “First floor, northwest.”

“Saw what?” Steve asks.

“The comms room,” Erica tells him.

“You saw the comms room?” He asks.

“Correct,” Erica confirms.

“Are you sure?” Dustin asks.

“Positive,” Erica tells him, “The door was open for a second and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there.”

“That could be a hundred different things,” Steve tells her.

Robin looks back at you for a split second and then turns back to Steve, “I’ll take those odds.”

Steve sighs and shakes his head then looks in your direction, “And what about you?”

“I’m with her,” you tell him.

Steve shakes his head again and peers around the cart observing the Russians again which causes you all to look around the cart. The room, that Erica claims she knows is the comms room, is on the left of the hub probably 50 feet away. All of you move back behind the cart after a few moments.

“All right,” Steve says, “We’re gonna move fast, we’re gonna stay low. Okay?”

“Okay,” Robin says.

Steve crouches down and walks quickly to the crates a bit further down the hall, Robin follows closely after him with the children right behind her and you in the back. As soon as it’s clear Steve moves a bit further urging all of you to hurry. You all watch as one of the scientists opens the door and the five of you run into the room without alerting any of the Russians.

That is until you turn around and see a guard sitting in front of the comms table, who of course, notices you as soon as you all enter the room. He stands up and his face matches all of yours in the amount of surprise. 

Robin, in a moment of genius, or stupidity, starts speaking Russian to him and of course, you recognize the code right away. He reaches down slowly for his gun anyway and Robin steps forward with her hand out, trying presumably to calm him down. 

The man responds in Russian, which none of you are actually fluent in no matter how long of a week you had studying it. 

Robin, who must understand at least the basic idea of what he was trying to say, tells him in Russian, “Silver cat, silver cat.”

The man who still doesn’t look too convinced says something else which you don’t understand, Robin one last phrase which must make the guard realize that you guys really aren’t supposed to be there. But before he can aim his gun Steve lets out a bloodcurdling scream, rushes over, and tackles the man onto the panels. The Russian pushes Steve off of him onto another table and then swings at him, which Steve narrowly dodges. He then grabs Steve by his sailor's uniform and slams him onto a desk, Steve is able to get his bearings quickly, elbows him in the stomach, and then kicks him back. 

Steve moves over to the comms panel, picks up the receiver, then smashes the guard in the head which causes him to fall over and smash his forehead on the edge of the comms table, knocking him out. All of you are staring in shock at the events over the last 30 seconds all while Steve is still standing there as if he would wake back up at any second.

“Dude!” Dustin shouts, “You did it! You won a fight!”

Steve looks at him, then back down at the unconscious man, then back at Dustin and smiles. Dustin runs over to the guard and begins looting him. 

“What are you doing?” Erica asks him.

“Getting us our ticket out of here,” Dustin tells her.

“You want to walk all the way back?” Erica asks him.

“Well, Erica,” you say to her, “It’s either that or we wait here until the government comes and gets us. I’m gonna say it’s probably gonna be faster just to walk.”

“It took us hours to get down that hall,” she tells you.

“Yeah,” you say, “And the government isn’t exactly known for their response time,”

“While we are waiting why don’t we have a picnic, we can relax, and make nice with the Russians,” He tells her, “I’m sure they won’t just shoot us or torture us.”

“Have a picnic?” Erica says, ignoring the more concerning aspect of the conversation, “We came here for the radio.”

Behind the children bickering you see Robin climbing up a staircase, “Robin?” you call after her, “Where are you going?”

Instead of verbally answering you she reaches out her hand. You move to the stairs and take her hand in yours then make your way up the stairs. At the top, a faint blue light is emitted from beyond a glass door, as the two of you reach the top and look inside the room, you realize this is a lot more fucked than you could have possibly imagined. 

“Robin, what the fuck is that?” you ask her.

“I have no fucking clue,” she responds to you, gripping your hand a bit harder.

As the two of you descend the stairs you can hear Dustin and Erica arguing still, “Guys,” Robin says loud enough to get their attention and moves away from you, dropping your hand, “There’s something up there.”

“It’s, like, really freaky,” you tell them.

The three of them follow you up the stairs and go through the door into a room with glass windows. All of you look through the glass, astonished. Past the glass is a command room filled with scientists all working at a desk pressing various buttons or standing taking notes. Just past the last desk is a wall with floor-to-ceiling windows which reveal a large machine sitting in a cavern. 

The machine shoots out something that looks like lightning which is pointed at the cavern wall which is glowing orange with patterns that look almost like veins. But in the very center, a large crack is slowly growing. The likes of which you just don’t know how to describe. If you didn’t know any better you would almost say that the wall is coming to life.

Next Chapter

[msjansaccountant]

Get ready for a Ned Stark appreciation post.

I love Ned. I don't quite understand what a 'babygirl' is, but I'm a firm believer that Ned is so 'babygirl'. I think what I find most interesting about Ned as a character are his insecurities. His insecurities that came with being Brandon's younger brother are specifically what I want to touch on. I can't quite remember the quote, but I remember at one point in a Game of Thrones Ned thinks about how he wasn't cut out to be the Lord of Winterfell. That was Brandon's job. And every time I think about that I want to shake him and say "no 'babygirl', doing say that about yourself!"

I get why Ned feels so sensitive about this. I mean, Catelyn literally thought of Ned as the plainer version of Brandon. I'd feel a bit sensitive too if I was the dour brother of an absolute stud who consistently outshone me at everything. However, I contend that Brandon would've been a shit warden of the north compared to Ned. Or at least, he wouldn't have been as good. I'm going to use Robert Baratheon as a case study for why Brandon would've been an ineffectual leader. I'm doing this because I think that Brandon parallels Robert in a lot of ways. They're both hot headed, they're both relentlessly horny and will fuck anyone regardless of the consequences (see their respective relationships with Barbrey Dustin and Delena Florent) and they both seem more or less indifferent about the responsibilities that come with ruling a kingdom/kingdoms.

And look at how things turned out for Robert! Everybody loved him, but that love didn't matter for shit once he died. Literally the day he died the Seven kingdoms descended into civil war. Now it may be unfair of me to assume that if Brandon ruled the North he would be as incompetent as Robert, but I think it's fair to assume that many of the issues Robert had as King Brandon would also possess as Lord of Winterfell. Now, compare these two to Ned. Ned held himself to a higher standard. He didn't sleep with whomever he wished (he was too shy to even talk to Ashara Dayne), he didn't act on every emotional whim he had and he treated ruling with the respect it deserved. The man was humble enough to seat the small folk right next to him at dinner because he cared about what they thought. Fucking hell, the only time Ned ever 'broke the rules' was by fathering Jon, which doesn't even count because Jon isn't his! And look at the way people treat Ned after he died. The North is fanatically loyal; the mountain clans march on Winterfell as winter sets in just so they can save Ned's girl. Ned cared for his people and they cared for him.

Ned might be a bit solemn, he might look a bit plain, he might even be a bit boring compared to his older brother. But damn it, he was a good man, and if anyone should feel pride in what they achieved, it's Ned.

Thank you if you read this far! Good night Australia.

[ohfallingdisco]

all of ur wips look so cool!! I’d love to hear more about dead fanta, dustin

ahh thank you!! i hope they are lol

here’s the opening for dfd:

Mike’s campaign was meant to honor the friends they lost in the war. 

Not that they died in Mike’s story, of course—nothing to stir up bad memories while playing through a cathartic campaign—but it was meant to symbolize, in summary, that even though they were growing up now, they were still the Party members they had been before it all started. The plot was woven around memories and details they had gotten together and shared, over smiling and tears, a few months ago at the birth of the idea. There were lots of cats, to honor Mews, a hero who lived to honor the agent who protected them in California…vulnerable things, while being solid and untouchable in the realm of fantasy. 

And not a single person was allowed to mention Vecna. 

Logically, it should be a very good game. Logistically, even. It was going to go great. So why was Will hovering at the top of his basement stairs the night before it started, looking smaller than he had been in years, almost sick with nerves? 

They had just talked to each other over walkies that morning. Nothing too serious could have happened, right? 

Nothing…bad? 

And so Mike watched Will with a lump in his throat, as Will descended the steps with Mike’s heart in his hands. 

He swore that if they were about to need to kill Henry again, then…then he didn’t want to be a part of it. That pathetic bastard had taken enough from them all as it was. 

Mike held his breath and studied Will as he finally reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked a little calmer now, which was good—but still freaked out, which was not. 

“Hi,” Mike greeted, but it came out too quiet. He cleared his throat, and his friend’s wide eyes darted up to his. 

He winced. Whoops. 

Will gave a soft smile back, only kind of strained. “Mike,” he returned, voice gentle and assured, and…well, Mike could address the way it made his stomach flutter later. 

He set down the notebook he had been using to scribble last-minute details about the campaign. “Is everything okay?” he asked, and then kicked himself. “Not that—not that you’re not always welcome here. In my house. Or—with me, or.” 

“Mike,” Will huffed happily, the corners of his lips quirking up into a tiny smile. “Everything’s fine. But, um. Thanks, I guess.” 

…Success. 

Mike thought his smile back was maybe kind of dopey, but he was fine with that. Will deserved to know that people cared about him. 

—

AND because i like this one, some from the first scene with Dustin’s pov:

Yeah, yeah. Dustin had been home alone bllions of times before. 

From when he was little and his dad died, to recent years, like Dart or the robots after camp, he was used to filling odd silence and stretchy quiets. It had become a part of his home, by now, when Mom was at work. You could even say he liked it, sometimes. It gave him space to move around. 

But despite all the years he had gotten used to staying home alone, there were some things he never got used to. Branches scraping the window. People talking outside, the cat’s random screeches, his friends showing up at weird hours to bug him. 

But…those footsteps crunching his grass right now were not from anyone in the Party. Will and El never made a sound when they walked, Lucas and Steve were more of a saunter, and Mike and Max were quick and purposeful. 

Damn it, Dustin knew his friends. And right now, he also knew he was in danger. 

He couldn’t risk looking out the window. Or going back to his room, because he had left the blinds open in the kitchen. 

And it was almost midnight. How, and why were there strangers at his house, at almost midnight, on the one night his mom happened to be in the hospital? She’d sprained her foot and been forced to stay one night. She couldn’t help it. And as far as she knew, Dustin was staying at Steve's tonight—dammit, he should’ve just gone through with it. 

It couldn’t have been that humiliating, for long.

Definitely not more than getting murdered over the one twelve-hour stretch he was supposed to be taking care of himself. 

Dustin sighed, muffling the breath with a palm.

What the actual, ever-loving—?

A quiet clatter from his room. 

Oh. 

Oh, shit. 

The cat. He forgot the cat was out, sleeping on his bed. No one left their cat out unsupervised when they were going to sleep, or at least not where they wouldn’t be able to reach them quickly and fix any problems made in the middle of the night. 

But there was a really big problem with going to his room right now: he’d have to pass through the kitchen. 

Where the window was open. And the dangerous strangers could see right in. What would they even do to a seventeen-year-old kid home alone overnight? How would they do it? Would he be taken to a lab, same as El, except without the potential of superpowers to keep him alive? Passed off as dead, like Will? Brutally psychically targeted—like Max? 

Just as he’d thought all that shit was over… 

A quiet click behind him, and a walkie-talkie stirring to life crackled through the closed window. Better quality than the Party’s, so. Someone official. 

His heart was pounding. He wasn’t ready to die. His friends were all still here and he was supposed to get married to Suzie eventually, and his mom— 

“…target,” the walkie-talkie said. 

He was trying so hard not to panic. 

—

so, hope you like it!! <33 the first chapter of this one pretty much just needs to be edited all together i think (and i owe the huuugest thanks to @wheelersboy for helping with beta-ing grammar etc. and accidentally helping me remember my original plan lol)

[corrodedseraphine]

playlist | #1 don't you cry tonight

pairing: eddie munson x henderson!fem!reader

summary: Just when you thought the boy you were in love with all through high school was gone, he suddenly reappears as your little brother's friend. Fate has once again decided to join your paths, however, everything turns out to be a bit complicated. Will Eddie Munson's sudden return to your life bring with it even more changes?

The story is also avaliable on ao3

masterlist | eddie munson masterlist | general masterlist

song that I used here: Guns n' Roses - Don't Cry

Club music drummed in your ears making your headache worse and worse. Another weekend in a row everything looked the same. You arrange with your boyfriend to spend some time alone, then suddenly he gets a message from his friends and a moment later he is preparing to go out to a club. He then leaves you with two choices, either you go with him, or you spend the next weekend alone because he won't let go of the party. What happened to the boy you fell in love with? You were together for two years, but in the last six months he has changed beyond recognition. Suddenly all that mattered to him were his new friends and the parties they went to together. He swapped his entire worldview for this new one, which was completely different from yours.

"What's up, babe? Don't you like it?" he asked sitting down next to you putting his arm around your shoulders.

"It's a bit boring here." you replied.

"Boring? We're at a party, and you're bored?"

"We're here every week, Tom. Every week it all looks the same." you sighed. "I miss how we used to spend time just the two of us. I'm not saying we should stop going to parties altogether, because I know how much you care, but it would be nice to do something different from time to time."

"Can you stop whining? You've been complaining non-stop for a while now, you don't like anything!"

"I'm just trying to be honest with you! Besides, you're the one who keeps trying to change me! Suddenly you don't like what I do, you don't like how I dress, suddenly my friends are inappropriate for you, is there anything else you like about me? Does everything all of a sudden need to change? For the past six months I have been trying to do everything to fit into your new lifestyle, and when was the last time you did something for me? When was the last time I heard something nice from you instead of constant nagging that I'm not trying hard enough?" you could feel anger gathering inside you.

"You are a terrible bore y/n. If you can't have fun then just go home." his words hurt. It hurt that the boy who not long ago wanted to spend every free moment with you and, as he claimed, these were his favorite moments, was now calling you a bore?

"Fine." You replied in a cool manner while getting up from your seat. He didn't even try to stop you, which made you feel even worse. You all arrived at the club in Tom's friend's car, but you were lucky enough to catch the night bus to Hawkins. All the way there you wondered what had happened to him. You wouldn't have guessed that a person is capable of changing so drastically in a few months. You missed the evenings together when you watched series together or played board games with Dustin. You missed the way he treated you like a princess. When his every touch made you feel loved. Now every show of affection on his part was at a premium, because you couldn't even remember the last time you lay together just cuddling. For a long time, every kiss had to end with sex, and when you were done, instead of staying with you, he got dressed and went to meet his friends. You didn't want to believe it, however, more and more thoughts popped into your head suggesting that you were someone he was used to, and all the love and magic had died out somewhere along the way. But maybe this is what adult life was supposed to be like? Maybe in every relationship after a while everything burns out and only habit remains?

The Hellfire Club unfortunately had to share its room with the theater club and remove themselves whenever they rehearsed. This was also the case today, but no one was going to postpone the campaign. On days like this the campaign would move to your house and the living room would often suddenly become the scene of the biggest and most dangerous fights. Somehow it never bothered you, sometimes you even enjoyed watching the whole game from afar, accidentally preparing food for yourself in the kitchen a little longer than necessary. As a Dungeon Master, Eddie had something about him that no one could resist, and his campaigns were able to charm everyone. However, today was a day when you needed solitude, and even in your own home you couldn't find it.

"Y/n? Weren't you supposed to be at the party?" asked a surprised Dustin, seeing you on the doorstep.

"We'll, hello to you too Dustin." you sighed. "I had a poor time, so I came back. Where's Naveen?" Naveen was your dog, which you named after one of your favorite Disney princes. You had a feeling that tonight he would be the only one who would enjoy your company.

"In the garden. You wanna sit with us?" he offered.

"No, thanks."

"Our company is no longer worthy of your presence?" asked Eddie teasingly.

Who was Eddie to you? You had no idea. Your relationship was a bit strange from the very beginning. You both started high school at the same time, so you shared most of your classes together. When he mercifully decided to show up for class, which wasn't very often, he always took the seat next to you. Then you couldn't focus on the lesson. All your attention was directed at him, who constantly commented on the teachers or made fun of them. Sometimes, however, when he wasn't as talkative as always, instead of taking notes in his notebook he kept drawing something. Monsters, knights, wizards and many other magical things filled the blank pages at an express speed. His creativity had no limits. Then you had the perfect opportunity to observe him. A focused face with curls falling over it, a slightly stuck out tongue when he was concentrating on something very much, hands with heavy silver rings making confident movements. From the very beginning, the very sight of him caused a strange feeling in your stomach and made your hands sweat. One day he caught you red-handed.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked, smiling slightly. You felt your cheeks burning.

"N-no...I was watching you draw. It's very pretty." you said pointing to a sketch of a dragon in his notebook. You had to get out of the situation somehow, and that was the only thing that came to mind. By the way, you really liked the drawing. Eddie had a great talent indeed.

"Oh, thanks." he laughed nervously. He wasn't used to compliments directed in his direction one the fact that he got one from you caused a strange warmth to rise in his heart.

Throughout the lesson you tried with all your might not to look at him. Eddie went back to drawing and you, unable to concentrate on the lesson, wondered why you felt so strange in his company. Moments before the bell rang, you heard the sound of a piece of paper being torn out, and a moment later a familiar hand with rings moved a piece of paper toward you. Immediately below the drawing was written For y/n, Eddie. From that moment through the next years of school, he took up residence in your thoughts and heart for good. At first it was an innocent crush however with every subsequent conversation you felt yourself falling in love with him. You didn't even know why. Your conversations were always ordinary, usually just about school topics. Several times you helped him with projects, and then each time you got a drawing as a thank you. Eddie was charming from the very beginning, and you were unable to resist him. However, you weren't brave enough to do anything about it either, so you silently enjoyed every conversation with him wanting to remember every detail of it. Unaware that his feelings toward you were similar, you decided to camouflage all the feelings you felt for him. You hid all the drawings you were getting in a box tucked away at the bottom of the closet so that no one would get to your little treasure.

The moment you left school, Eddie stayed there. He didn't realize how much he would miss your presence, especially during classes. He regretted many times that he never got up the courage to ask you out, but he always thought that the mere fact that you didn't consider him a social outcast and freak was luck enough and he would never have a chance to do anything more. Now a certain part of his day was gone and he didn't understand why it hurt him so much. After graduation you met Tom, who to some extent helped you forget about the metalhead who had lived in your heart for so long, but you were never quite sure if you had moved on. Suddenly, after two years, he reappeared in your life, as your younger brother's new friend. He and Steve became idols for Dustin, whom he treated like older brothers. You were happy that he had found someone to help him through the unforgiving period of high school, but what you didn't count on was that from now on almost every week the entire Hellfire would gather at your house, and Eddie himself would be there even more often because by some miracle it turned out that Dustin was a genius when it came to science subjects and helped him with his studies. Now passing each other in the living room or hallway you sent shy smiles in each other's direction or teased each other by throwing in some pinches from time to time. Part of you missed him very much, but the other part of you feared what might result from his once again appearing in your life.

"I'm not in the mood." You replied while looking at him. His gaze, however, was on the game notes.

"What a bore." he commented laughing. He didn't mean to insult you, he didn't even think you were like that, you had exchanged a lot of name-calling, so he was just now waiting for you to call him a weirdo and laugh kindly. He knew that you never really saw him as such. However, this time he didn't get a response. Bore. This is the second time in one evening someone has called you that. For the second time in one evening the word goes straight to your heart making you really start to wonder if they are right. Surprised by the lack of reaction on your part, he raised his eyes, and the sight of tears in your eyes completely caught him off guard. Before he had time to react in any way, you disappeared into your room slamming the door.

"Okay, that was something new." commented Mike. "What happened to her?"

"She probably had a fight with Tom again." Dustin rolled his eyes. "They've been doing that all the time lately. I always thought that when you're in a relationship with someone you're happy. Looking at them, I'm starting to doubt that."

"I thought Tom was cool." Will added.

"He was, but lately he's been acting like a complete asshole."

"It's weird."

"Break's over, gossips. We're in for a battle with a three-headed dragon, have you forgotten?" ordered Eddie feeling uncomfortable hearing their conversation.

"I'll just go to the bathroom." Said Dustin getting up from the table. In the meantime, the rest of the group heard the tapping of claws against the glass door. Will immediately went to open it letting the little white dog inside. This one immediately ran towards the couch where Eddie was sitting and jumped into his lap.

"Hi buddy!" he said scratching him behind the ear.

"You can feel special." Lucas laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Naveen is very picky when it comes to people, he rarely lets us pet him."

"Speak for yourself!" exclaimed Will.

"Right, besides y/n, Dustin and Will, you are the only person from whom he demands petting on his own." Eddie looked at the little ball lying in his lap and smiled to himself.

"Apparently he feels I'm a good person, not like you guys." he laughed. "And now excuse me for a moment." He took the dog in his arms and moved along the corridor. He remembered how you asked about him right after you left. He knocked on the door of your room however, getting no answer, he decided to just open it. You were lying on the bed with your back to the door, and you had headphones on your ears. The music was loud enough that he could easily hear the familiar guitar sounds. He was a bit surprised because he would never have suspected you of listening to Guns N' Roses, he always identified you only with Harry Styles, whose songs Dustin was forever complaining about. When he put his hand on your shoulder you shuddered turning toward him.

"Hey, I found your prince." he said as you pulled the headphones out of your ears and smiled moving his gaze to the little animal in his hands. Eddie never watched the movie, but once, not hiding his curiosity, he asked your brother where the name came from.

Don't you cry tonight There's a heaven above you, baby And don't you cry tonight

Axl Rose's voice rang out from the headphones accompanied by beautiful guitar sounds played by Slash. Without a word, you took the dog from his hands. "You okay?" he asked.

"Why do you care Munson?" you replied dryly. Ironically in conjunction with the song your eyes were watered from crying and still glassy.

"Uhm- I-" he wanted to explain however you didn't let him.

"Give it up, you don't have to pretend to care. I don't need your pity." your words gave him a clear sign to leave the room as soon as possible. So he did. Without a word, he closed the door behind him and returned to the living room. It didn't change the fact that he was really worried. He wanted to tell you that he cared, but once again preferred to keep quiet about it.

You didn't want to be unkind to him, you didn't want to treat him so harshly yet at that moment you were furious and let your emotions get the best of you. Feeling remorse and even more sadness, another wave of tears flowed into your eyes.

For the rest of the evening, he couldn't get the sight of you and your weeping eyes out of his head. Once he had locked himself in his room he grabbed his guitar and devoted the rest of the evening to playing the song that refused to leave his head.

Talk to me softly There's something in your eyes Don't hang your head in sorrow And please don't cry

He knew that even if Dustin was right and your mood was caused by the quarrel with your boyfriend, his words also contributed to the state in which he found you in the room. The uncomfortable feeling in his chest had already stayed with him until he fell asleep. Lying in the darkness, he wondered where it was coming from.

[kaittalkstoomuch]

🚨I’m back! Did you miss me? Miss Roxie and Eddie? We’re back! Now every Wednesday night going into Thursday morning will be a new chapter. Long story short, holidays and birthdays are CRAZY! Welcome back! 🚨

‘86 // Chapter Nineteen: Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart

Midnight - March 23, 1985

Tw: mentions of Jason, mentions of Walter and abandonment, longing for a friend.

The insomnia hits me like the harsh cold air. My heart is beating out of my chest. Everyone is scattered all over the cabin. Eddie is soundly asleep next to me. So peaceful. I smile at my peaceful metalhead. As if nothing is going on. I can’t help but to think of what had just occurred.

Henry using my trauma against me. Disorting Eddie, the boy I fell in love with just a year ago, with the voice of Walter, my estranged father. The one person who I loved so dearly, only to be abandoned by. I can’t even imagine how Max is feeling right now. The fact she’s still grieving Billy. She feels like she should’ve died with him. My heart aches for her. Which somehow brings me back to my situation. How would he know of my situation with Nancy? It’s as if he’s in my mind.

“You also, don’t know what you want.” His taunt echoes through my mind. I try to make sense of it. What could he possibly mean by that? It’s obvious I want Eddie. Always. Sure, I loved Nancy a long time ago. It was so long ago. What could he mean? It would crush Eddie if I told him, “hey, just fyi, that thing with Nancy… yeah I loved her!” Yeah, that would crush him.

I yearn for normalcy, I miss him so much. I look at the clock on my side of the bed. 12am, March 23, 1986. Happy anniversary, darling. I sit up and examine the room, making sure everyone’s okay. Eddie, of course, is sleeping next to me. Dustin and Steve are huddled together on the floor while Nancy and Robin sleep at the table with the files scattered. Probably dozed off researching there’s to know about the Creel family. Then, my eyes scan the most heart stopping sight. Max and Lucas.

Lucas, I’m pretty sure, put a blanket over Max. Max possibly fell asleep writing a letter judging by the pen and paper in her hand. Who could it be for? For Lucas? You can cut the tension between those two with a knife. Lucas cares about her deeply and Max reciprocates those feelings.

I get up finally, putting on a sweater and wrapping around the clothes I have yet to change out of. After everything, I was too exhausted to care. The light scent of weed and old spice hits my senses as I put on my boots. I walk outside and cling to the wood.

I take the first deep breath I’ve been able to in the last couple of days. No lightning and red clouds in sight. No vines slithering to catch you and take your life away. Comfort hits me as I breathe in the chilly midnight Hawkins air.

I hear the door behind me open then shut. The scent of weed and Old Spice intensifies as does my comfort. It’s the person I need most. I turn around to meet Eddie’s tired gaze. I immediately take notice he doesn’t have a jacket. “Where’s your jacket?” I manage to slip as I scurry to him. My arms wrap around him, as if to keep him warm. His arms wrap around me, as if it’s been ages.

“I’m okay, sweetheart. How about you? How are the guys?” I chuckle and smile up at him. “I’m okay… now that I’m with you. Not some hallucination… as for the guys, Gareth is explaining everything we know. About Vecna, well, Henry, since we’re in cahoots apparently.” I attempt to make light of the situation. Eddie strikes my cheek. “We’re not going to let that bastard get you, or Max.” He whispers deepens.

The corners of my lips form a smile. “Do you wanna go for a walk?” I softly speak, “to Lover’s Lake? It’s not far.” The corners of his lips form a smile as well. “Our old spot? I would be delighted to.”

Eddie grabs my hand gingerly and we make way for the lake. “Are you sure they’re going to be okay?” Eddie asks. “Positive. The cabin is pretty secluded by trees. Also, Reefer Rick’s is close by. I figured we could swing by too.” “That sounds amazing.” Eddie says as we continue our little adventure.

As we approach the lake, which is glistening in the distance, Eddie asks what happened. “When I was under his trance, I was talking to you… but he had Walter’s voice. It was… chilling…. I-I knew it wasn’t you. He just taunted me. About my father, about you… about…” I stammer off, trying to avoid his gaze, thinking about Nancy.

“Rox, darling, are you okay?” I begin to shake a bit looking into his darkened chocolate eyes. “Nancy… Eds… I need to tell you something.” We near Reefer Rick’s. “But first, let’s get inside.” We walk in to where the boats are. Eddie climbs into one and helps me into one. I smile at his gesture. The water is calming. Eddie holds my hands. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

I grip on his hand tightly as I look around, as I hear ruffling. “Remember when Nancy and I stopped being friends? How I’d long for that friendship back? How I’d be jealous of Harrington?” I begin to speak softly, like a little kid. “Yeah.” He matches my tone. Here goes nothing.

“I liked Nancy… like, I was in love with her. I was infatuated by her… Obviously those feelings for her are long gone. I’m with you and I’m in love with you. I love you. I just… I don’t know what took me so long.”

The way the vulnerability slips out. It feels so good, but also terrifying. I can tell by the look on his face he’s taking this in. The way his eyes flicker between realizing what I mean and taking it in. Now, he’s the one gripping my hands tightly. “Eddie…” I say in a hushed voice, scared for what’s to come out of those luscious lips.

“I love you so much, sweetheart. Not a damn thing could ever change that. Ever. You’re still the same girl I swore to protect in the cafeteria last year.” I smile as he strokes my cheek and his hand rests easily on my thigh. “And you’re the same guy that swooped in to protect me.” I rest my hand on his hard chest, where his beating heart is threatening to jump out. “I love you.” I say hushly before our lips reunite.

Eddie tightens his grip around me and our lips dance. It’s electrifying. The kiss. We’ve been longing all day for it and it feels like the world is semi-right again. “I love you so much sweetheart. We’re going to kill Vecna. Whatever it fucking takes. I can’t lose you.” I rest my thumb on his bottom lip and hold his chin. “Didn’t you make that clear? You are not going to lose me, got it? We’re going to save Max, this shit town too. Then, take over the world when Corroded Coffin makes it big.” Eddie chuckles. “That’s my girl.”

We continue to kiss and my fingers tangle in his hair, that is until we hear car doors slamming. Eddie and I stop and share a confused glance. “What was that?” I whisper as I grab an oar that’s behind me. I squint to see if I can catch it, but nothing. I watch as Eddie tenses up. I hear male voices saying something I can’t quite make out. That’s not until they come closer and it’s clear. “HE CAN BE HERE!” “AND THAT SMOKING GIRLFRIEND OF HIS TOO.” “WHEN WE GET THEM, THEY’RE DONE!” Panic sets in as Jason and his goons approach.

[stranger-rants]

I love Billy but honestly the Duffers never actually intended him to be a big character that much. That is why he just got shafted. All of his background and characterization was propped by Dacre's great acting, but Billy was jut written to die.

I don't think the Duffers actually care about their side characters, this is just ''amazing'' writing because they also give them so much unnecessary screen time to only kill them off to further main characters' plots. Barb, Bob and Eddie used for the same thing. I get the frustration of Eddie fans, because they expected or wanted to see something more from him. But objectively, he was written to die to further Dustin's arc. The fact that there's only two people who actually seem to be said about Eddie's death prove this. It's only about Dustin and Wayne (Wayne is probably gonna die too, I just realized it while writing... but anyways)

I mean, we didn't even get to see Patrick's side of the story, just completel negligence (a rather ironic thing).... They shafted Max and even thought about legit killing her. Kinda seemed weird, but I wonder if they don't even exactly see Max as a ''main main'' character. She mostly just died to further Lucas and El's arcs. Watch Max not even have a scene that much and that most of her character will only be told by El and Lucas' POVs.

Steve was written to die, too, but they decided to keep him. There were a few storyline options for Billy including one that would incorporate him into the group, I believe. They had planned to kill him off earlier as well, but they decided to stretch that out. However, these narrative decisions were made due to the creative input of their actors.

I wouldn't be surprised if they just never mentioned Wayne again. They had planned for Eddie to die from the very beginning, confessing that they thought he wasn't going anywhere in life anyway which just goes to show their classism. They continue to kill off these really interesting characters, using their traumas as decoration, and then it's a surprise that the audience actually cares about these people.

I'm used to creators doing this. It's why I dropped The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy. It created this obnoxious trend where showrunners thought that to be "realistic" they needed to regularly kill off characters the audience had become attached to, even at the expense of character building. I don't think tragedies are bad at all, but a real tragedy is still character driven over plot driven. These people go 'how many people do we have to kill in our show to drive the plot forward?' and they don't look back.

[love-kurdt]

Thick Skull (byler): III

word count: 3,560

warnings for this chapter: underage drinking, descriptions of racism and racially motivated violence, consensual underage... activities

Only I know where all the bodies are buried / Thought by now I'd find 'em just a little less scary Might get easier but you don't get used to it / Keep on autopilot, hey, hey

Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington arrived at the basement entrance of the Wheeler house with their construction masks and goggles on, carrying two bags full of beer and some stolen vodka from Steve’s dad’s liquor cabinet. He figured that the kids should still be able to have the typical high school party experience despite the fact that their high school had been turned into a temporary homeless shelter slash soup kitchen. The reasoning was pretty sound— well, that, and the kids harassed him until he caved. Steve and Nancy had, of course, protested the idea initially, but Eddie convinced them in the end; the world was ending, so what bad could a little alcohol do? All they had to do was keep Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler away from the basement and keep the kids within the four walls of said basement, which wouldn’t be that difficult since the gremlins were always down there anyway. So while the teens got shit-faced and Eddie supervised, Steve and Nancy helped Karen reorganize the Wheeler family scrapbook collection with Ted’s snoring serving as background music.

The kid probably most eager to get drunk was Dustin. Despite his excellent grades (with the exception of Spanish, obviously, but thanks to Suzie, that went away) and his nerdy perspective on life, Dustin Henderson was a daredevil through and through. He’d arrived on the scene convinced that everyone had an alcohol-induced alter ego, and was determined to classify everyone by the type of person they were while drunk. There were three categories: the happy and affectionate drunk, the sad and sappy drunk, and the reckless and irresponsible drunk. He had an inkling of a feeling as to which category everyone in the group fit, but in order to test his various hypotheses, he needed to see them in action.

El often kept to herself while sober. Her vocabulary was still a bit jumbled– like a robot in the process of programming. Obviously, that was due to the uncontrollable circumstances of the environment in which she was raised, and the fact that her brain blocked out trauma from that area of her life. The way Eleven spoke was a sensitive subject; she often felt self-conscious and resented the way she sometimes sounded like a six year old. Dustin figured that if her inhibitions were lowered, she’d either start talking a lot, not caring what she sounded like, or she’d stop talking altogether to prevent any further embarrassment. He hoped that El would be the happy and affectionate drunk. Having Max around would likely help.

Max was bold to begin with. She was not afraid of sharing her opinion with the group, even if she were the first or only one to mention it, because she was confident that the rest of the Party would agree with her. She found love in Lucas again, and El was back in her life, so things seemed great. But Max also had some unresolved trauma that drew Vecna to her in the first place. Her stepbrother died a gruesome death, her stepfather left, and her mom drank more alcohol than water. People like Max tended to push any type of negative thoughts onto the back burner, and in turn, it came out when they were most vulnerable; in Max’s case, six vodka shots deep. She’d probably be a sad and sappy drunk, hanging off Lucas or El’s shoulders and talking about what could have been.

It was difficult for Dustin to pinpoint which category Lucas would fall into, mostly because he seemed pretty okay. Apart from the Party’s shared experiences, Lucas had a pretty normal life. He had a loving family and a great group of friends who would stick by his side forever. Dustin knew that Lucas encountered racism on a daily basis– something no one else in the party had to endure– and that definitely influenced his behavior and personality. Lucas would often express how he was “othered” by his peers. The feeling of being othered was horrible enough without a gun in the equation. When Jason pulled a gun out and pointed it in Lucas’ face that spring night, his reality became crystal clear. Nearly being shot would change anyone, but Lucas felt like any other stereotypical Black man, facing down the barrel of a gun. And he hated the fact that the basketball guys went after his twelve year old sister and basically ended her childhood, whatever was left of it. As a result, he was more guarded than the rest of the group, and quick to come to the defensive whenever he was confronted. Which was understandable; no one in the Party could truly know what it was like to be a Black person, but they all had his back and loved him exactly the same, if not more. Dustin watched from across the room as Lucas took another shot with Max before pulling her into a kiss, and he smiled to himself. It was going well. Happy and affectionate drunk it is.

Anything that might cause harm to an individual, you name it, Will had been through it. That didn’t stop him from living his best life. Dustin believed it had something to do with dying and coming back, and having a new outlook on the world, as fucked up as their current world was. And he applauded Will for that, truly. Everyone did. It was a miracle that Will was able to hold himself together after everything involving the Upside Down, but Dustin knew that something, or rather someone, was helping him in doing so. Will was never the type of person to hate someone, but when it came to Mike, it was physically impossible. No matter how many times Mike would try to get Will to hate him, breaking his heart time and time again, he would always forgive Mike, idiocy and all. Mike Wheeler was Will’s entire world. His crush on Mike was far from obvious; he hid it pretty well. Dustin just happened to be good at analyzing people and their body language. Despite being on opposite sides of the room, and the fact that Will was talking with El on the couch with his focus on her, Will’s feet were pointed directly at Mike. The mind’s subconscious was the strangest concept. Dustin wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring at Will’s checkered Vans before he heard someone clearing their throat, and he lifted his gaze to see Will looking right back at him with a confused expression on his face. He looked away, blaming the alcohol on his prolonged staring. 

Dustin grabbed a handful of small, skinny pretzels from a bowl on the table and chewed each individual pretzel into one millimeter pieces. I should call my mom and tell her thank you for saving up her hard-earned money for these pearls, he thought. He ventured across the room to the phone to call Steve’s house, only to discover that the cord was wrapped around the corner. He followed the stretched out cable into the laundry area, where Mike was seated on top of the dryer, phone in hand.

“Hey man, are you good?” Dustin asked, and Mike’s head snapped up to attention. Dustin could read Mike quicker than Fellowship of the Ring. From what he could observe, Mike was all over the map, mentally speaking. He had been since their return from Lenora. His eyes looked a little misty, and he was unconsciously swaying from side to side. How much had he had to drink?

“Shh, I’m calling Will, he might pick up this time,” he whispered, holding out his hand with his pointer finger extended, signaling Dustin to wait. Oh, so Mike was gone, gone. He’d apparently forgotten that Will was less than ten feet away from him, and had decided to call the Byers residence in California, just as he had every single day for months after they left town. Dustin concluded that Mike was most definitely the reckless and irresponsible drunk of the Party.

“Uh–” Dustin hesitated, not sure how to approach the conversation. Before he could get a word in, Mike held his free hand to the mouthpiece so “Will” wouldn’t hear him in case he picked up, and shook his head.

“There’s no way Mrs. Byers could be working at this hour.”

“Mike, I–”

“Maybe Will just hates me. Do you think he hates me?” Mike asked, his voice breaking a little with immense sadness. It hurt Dustin to see Mike like this, in such intense emotional pain and unable to name those feelings. It didn’t help that whenever the topics of Will or his breakup with El were mentioned, he’d shut down.

“No, Mike, I don’t think he hates you. Quite the opposite, actually,” Dustin reassured his friend, whose eyes filled to the brim with tears at the mere thought.

“Really?”

“Really.” Dustin slowly moved towards Mike, taking the phone from his hand and hearing the dial tone on the other end; he hadn’t even called anyone. “But let’s get back to it, huh, bud? We should get you hydrated, have a snack, maybe?”

“O-okay,” Mike whispered. Dustin held out his hand, and Mike took it, letting him help him down from the dryer and get back to the party that was… frankly, dying down.

And Dustin knew exactly what to do to keep it going.

“Guys, I have an idea.”

“It better not be to chug another one of those wine coolers, that shit is not sitting well with me,” Lucas said, eyes wide and slightly panicked. Dustin sauntered over and placed his hand on Lucas’ shoulder, addressing the group as a whole. 

“No, my dear Lukey, it’s even better.” Cicadas. Could they be any less excited? “We should play spin the bottle.”

“Jesus, Dustin, you can’t be serious,” Eddie said from his spot in the corner. Dustin had almost forgotten Eddie was there, given that he was so damn quiet while writing his newest campaign. He couldn’t do much else otherwise; he was still in the process of fully healing from being mauled nearly to death by demobats. Regardless, he was supervising, and Dustin was certain that Eddie wouldn’t dare put a stop to his usual antics. He loved the kid too much.

“Actually, as a matter of fact, I’m being totally serious!” Dustin retorted, “I mean, you only live once, am I right?”

“Bold assumption, given that most of us are on our second lives,” Max said, deadpan.

“Oh, Max. My sweet, pessimistic friend…” Dustin waltzed over to Max’s side, patting his hand on her head a few times. “Do it and you’re cool. Or… you can sit this one out.”

Everybody knew Max would never turn down a challenge. That’s why they were not the least bit surprised when she squinted at Dustin with a smirk on her face. “Over my dead body.”

“That’s the spirit, Maxine! Now, everybody form a circle! Who has an empty bottle?”

What's the body count up to now, captain?

“Alright, Mike-a-Rooney, you’re up!” Dustin grinned as El and Max sat down in their respective spots in the circle. “And remember, you either take the challenge or chug!”

Oh God. Mike resisted the urge to throw up. Please be Will. Please be Will. Please be– what the fuck was he thinking? He’d essentially been praying for his own self sabotage. Would it be that horrible if he just said “pass” and ran up the stairs and through the front door and down the street and out of Hawkins? Pretty damn likely. Mike shook his thoughts out of his head and leaned forward into the circle, spinning the bottle and trying to maintain a neutral expression on his face. He didn’t even have to look up when the bottle stopped moving and everyone gasped.

“Will, do you accept?” Dustin asked, to which Will hesitated, cheeks flushed. He watched as Mike, equally red in the face, slowly ripped his eyes from the carpeted floor up to Will. He looked… embarrassed? Eager?

“Uh… sure?” he shrugged, and Mike’s immediate response was, “No!”

So much for looking neutral, Mike thought, I might as well have a neon sign that reads ‘THIS BOY IS A CLOSETED HOMOSEXUAL’ over my head.

Shit. He had to cover this up, and quickly. He cleared his throat before speaking. “I– I mean, it’s just, he hasn’t had his first kiss yet, and I don’t want to ruin his first kiss, I’d rather him have it with someone who–”

“Mike, no, it’s okay,” Will interrupted, and Mike felt his heart beat faster in his chest. Why would Will want this? How could Will want this?

“But–”

“It’s fine,” Will told him, looking calm and cool as a fucking cucumber. “I’m serious. Plus, I’d rather kiss someone I know rather than a random stranger.” Will knew he was digging his own grave, but if this was his only chance to kiss Mike in his life, like hell would he give up the opportunity.

“Okay.” The party cheered.

Mike and Will met in the middle of the circle, and Mike audibly gulped. He moved his hand up to cup Will’s face. Will nearly flinched at the contact, but his nerves were instantly calmed as he felt Mike’s thumb caress his cheekbone as if it were made of glass. He leaned in, and Will tilted his head up a little bit to accommodate Mike’s height. The kiss was light at first, just lips on lips, testing the waters.

Will became concerned for a second, because he didn’t feel anything. He definitely assumed that too soon; within a matter of seconds, the kiss was deepened, and gravity ceased to exist. Mike’s hand that wasn’t on Will’s face grabbed Will’s hip and pulled him closer, so they were almost chest to chest, and Will needed to hold onto one of Mike’s shoulders to stabilize himself. He pressed further into the kiss, but not too hard, because he wanted to savor this moment for as long as he could, but he didn’t want to seem like he was too into it—

But Mike definitely wasn’t showing any signs of holding back. In fact, the two had been at it for a whole minute and Mike hadn’t stopped. The cheers had melted into silence, very much like Will’s heartbeat that he initially felt in his ears but now he couldn’t hear at all. Mike slipped his tongue into Will’s mouth. Will ran his hand through Mike’s hair. Mike held Will in his arms and pulled him impossibly closer. Everything seemed to move at simultaneously lightning speed and in slow motion and Will couldn’t wrap his head around what the hell was happening.

That was until Mike pulled away. Will glanced over at the corner where Eddie sat, hands clasped together and over his mouth in surprise. He looked down at their friends, whose jaws fell agape, and for once in his life, Will felt like he wasn’t going completely insane. They all saw what Mike had done on his own volition. This wasn’t just a Spin the Bottle kiss. This was a real kiss. He looked back up at Mike, who ran his hand through his hair before turning back and sitting down, leaving Will standing in the circle, speechless. It wasn’t that he was surprised, per se, it was just that prior to that night, he’d only been able to dream about kissing Mike. Now he had. He returned to his own spot and ran the kiss over and over in his head while Lucas spun the bottle. Lips. Deep breaths. Hand on hip. Shoulders. Tongue. Fingers in hair. Arms.

Will snapped out of his thoughts and blinked a few times. He couldn’t let himself get too wrapped up in his wishful thinking. They were drunk. Fucking around with their friends. He’d always had to deal with the fact that Mike was straight; he was used to it by now. It was like he’d been on autopilot all these years, obeying the voice in his head that told him “no.” But that didn’t make it any easier now that his previous sliver of hope had become somewhat tangible.  

Hit over the head, epiphany / Over my head, repeatedly Thick skull never did nothing for me / Same lesson again?

Spin the Bottle got old after a while. There were only so many people in the circle, and after everyone had kissed, it seemed slightly pointless to continue. Mike suggested they watch Fast Times, so the party gathered on and around the couch while Eddie bid his goodbyes and headed upstairs to Nancy and Steve. Mike rested his arms atop the back cushions and watched the television come to life. Will knocked out in seconds.

Where Will knocked out, however, was Mike’s primary concern. When Will’s head met Mike’s shoulder, he nearly jumped fifty feet in the air. He shifted a little bit, with the hope that Will would stir and realize what was happening, but of course, it only caused Will’s head to fall further down so his ear was resting on Mike’s heart. How apropos. Mike took a deep breath, as quietly as he could for both his friends’ and Will’s sake, and settled into the couch, lowering his arm from the cushions and onto Will’s shoulders. If this was all he could get, even if it made him a slight creeper, he wouldn’t take it for granted.

A few hours later, the movie ended, and everyone was passed out across the living room, leaving the two boys on the couch by themselves. Mike didn’t have the heart to wake Will. He looked way too peaceful. Part of Mike wanted to enjoy this, and the other part dreaded what would happen after the fact. Will and Mike barely spoke to each other any other given day, not since their argument on the day that Mike and El broke up. He wasn’t even sure if it had ever been cleared up that it ended well, with an even stronger friendship. Would everything just go back to normal?

Will exhaled in his sleep, a frown forming on his gorgeous face. That wouldn’t do. Mike looked around to see if anyone was watching before gently pressing his lips to Will’s forehead, running his nimble fingers down Will’s arm and back up again. This felt nice, even if it would only last for a little bit.

Or not.

Come on, give it to me Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me

Will felt something tickle his arm, causing him to shiver and wake with a start. He took in his surroundings and realized that it hadn’t been vines running up and down his biceps. It had been Mike’s fingers. He slowly lifted his head up and met Mike’s eyes, which seemed darker than usual. He went to speak, but Mike lifted his free hand to put his finger to Will’s lips. Will complied. Mike’s hand didn’t stop brushing Will’s biceps, but the hand that had been on Will’s lips found a new position on the side of Will’s head.

He sat there, lips slightly parted, watching with wide eyes as Mike’s face moved closer, and closer, and even closer, until their lips collided for the second time that night. He could feel Mike’s breath fanning on his face, and Will responded immediately. He wrapped an arm around Mike’s shoulders, guiding him into a position where Mike was now leaning over Will, legs straddling his own.

He leaned down on his forearms to reach Will’s neck, pressing kisses down until he hit the collar of Will’s shirt. He brought a hand down Will’s chest, under his shirt, and up his torso. Will wrapped a leg around Mike’s waist and he went along with it, lowering the rest of his body onto Will.

Mike returned back to Will’s lips, kissing them with all the pent up emotion he had. He wanted to feel every part of Will. He wanted to see every part of Will. Before he could stop himself, he rutted down and felt something against his own inner thigh. He was hard.

Will gasped at the contact, instantly getting hard as well. He heard Mike repress a groan. Was this a dream? This had to be a dream. It couldn’t not be a dream. All thinking came to a screeching halt when Mike’s hand that had been under Will’s shirt was suddenly dipping down into his sweatpants. 

“Mike, I–”

“Do you want the others to hear? You gotta be quiet.”

Mike pulled the blanket over his head and Will felt him moving lower and lower until he felt his brain turn to putty. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed between silencing his panting with his arm and when Mike returned to meet him face to face, but he had one question burning on his mind before he succumbed to his exhaustion. So he asked.

“Is this real?”

Mike pressed a feather light kiss to Will’s lips before settling down next to him.

He brushed some hair out of his face before he replied, “No.”

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