#hopper is billys real dad

[shiftingwithcha]

so...I shifted and I am freaking out !

Hello people! I hope you are all doing amazing! For everybody that is reading this and want to shift, I hope it gives you motivation!

So firstly y'all need to know that my DR is Stranger Things (season 3 because the mall looks fire). I have found this walkman from my dad like maybe a week ago and decided to listen to my Billy Joel mixtape. I bought those melatonin gummies and decided to try it out and I ate 2 of those as well.

WHAT I DID BEFORE SHIFTING:

So I laid down on my bed, my walkman in my hand and I close my eyes as I felt the gummies having their effects on me. I started to fall asleep and as the music went on I started to count and just feel my body and my surrounding as I was just focusing on waking up in my dr.

As I was trying to keep my focus on my music I slowly started to feel myself just melt in my bed and my music was slowly fading out and coming back but all of a sudden it just stopped, which at first made me so confused because it is supposed to be 45 minutes long and I then felt like I wasn't in my bed. I was elsewhere.

THE STORY TIME:

As I felt this weird feeling, I realised I was slowly waking up and someone was actually just shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and didn't feel my headphones nor the walkman in my hands. I turn to the person that was shaking me awake and it was Hopper (he is my dad there). He looked at me and it is AT THIS MOMENT THAT I REALISED THAT IT WAS NOT A FREAKING DREAM.

I looked around and I was a bit freaked out because this is clearly not like a freaking lucid dream nor a normal dream. He looked at me and basically just said: "can you get your butt up because Marie (my best friend there) keeps spamming the phone and won't stop calling until you wake up"

So I got up and freaked out a bit and Hopper noticed that and went: "are you good? You look disoriented". I assured him I was alright but in my head I was FREAKING OUT. I was happy he couldn't see how my brain was ticking in my brain because he would have been sooo worried.

I got myself ready and as I was putting my shoes on, Marie came and I got in her car. We were heading to the mall. I was so happy and still was freaking out how IT IS ALL FREAKING ALL REAL. I was looking around I was almost on the verge of actually pinch marie to see if she would react but instead I was just playing with the radio she had in her car and she was like: " what the hell are you doing? You know my freaking radio does not work so don't bother trying". And I was like: "Yeaaa yea I totally knew that already!!". (I think she was suspicious about something)

We then arrived to the mall and we just started to hang out and just shop around at the Gap especially and other store. We even took a look at the Radio Shack that they had and it just computer stuff but still hella cool (I kind of miss Bob). THE MALL IS HUGE. THEY ARE SO MUCH STUFF TO DO THERE IT IS JUST CRAZY.

Then Marie and I decided (mostly Marie) to go to scoops and guess who works there???? STEVE WORKS THERE AAAAH. I was totally trying not to freak out but it was hard not to. So basically we walked in and I was trying to keep myself concentrated on Marie and I went like: "Oh so Robin works here? I bet you only wanted to see her because you like her right?" I was basically teasing Marie with Robin and I waved at Robin. She is so so nice. And she waved back while Marie literally answered me: "okay stfu she is right there".

And then..I saw him...Steve freaking Harrington. He has the sweetest smile. If I was an ice cream I think I would have melted like RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT. HIS SMILE IS SO PRECIOUS BUT ANYWAYS. We walked and he just always has this thing that he passes him hand through his hair all the time??? It is a bit annoying but his hair looks so fluffy as well.

We walked to the counter and Steve and Robin were just bickering about that stupid board with "you suck/you rule". But he just cut the conversation and talked to us saying: "Hi you guys want anything?" And I STAYED SILENT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO ANSWER AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID: "Oh it has been a while since we have seen each other ah!" AND I WAS JUST PANICKING RIGHT ONTHE SPOT AND I WENT LIKE: "oh yea.. you are right it has been a while!"

So after that he looked at us and said: "So maybe so cherry jubilee ice cream?" He was a bit fighting with Robin because I believe that since Robin also has a crush on Marie she wanted to serve us just so she could talk to Marie. And while marie agreed to it I said that I wanted to taste the blue ice cream which was "smurf's flavour" AND IT WAS DELICIOUS but he literally said like: "that is the one we sell the less because it has the worst flavour of all" and was like "I don't care I want this one" AND THE WAY HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND PULLED OUT HIS FREAKING SCOOPER MAN...I am a fan for this man.

So...I asked for one scoops only but he gave me 3 instead and I didn't had to pay omg like what??? What a gentleman. So I thanked him and walk to a table with marie and sat down my back facing the counter so I couldn't see them. And after we were talking about some random stuff with Marie I FEEL SOMEONE WALKING NEXT TO ME AND IT WAS FREAKING STEVE. I lightly tapped my shoulder with his index finger and went like: "oh yea..do you...know about that party tonight? Do you plan on going?" and I look at Marie and frowned a bit saying "Well I would love to, but I would only be allowed to go if Marie and Jonathan were going" So marie agreer to it as Robin was also gonna be there.

So I agreed on going and he was like: "Oh well can't wait to see you again!!" After we finished our ice cream and as I grab all my shopping bags he grabs one of mine and looks at me and say: "oh don't forget this one" and I went like: "Oh yea sure give it to marie thank you" I SWEAR I MUST HAVE SOUND SO DRY BUT I WAS JUST SO FREAKED OUT!

So me and Marie walked out and she brought me back home Hopper was not there because he must have been to work. Eleve was not there either and I still don't know where she was probably at Mike's. Marie left to go grab some stuff and as I settled down on my bed I was thinking about all the stuff that happened to far and I was thinking about shifting back so I could enjoy my next shift without freaking the fuck out.

so I shifted back and woke to my walkman but it was not playing anymore it was just turning.. SO THAT WAS JUST AMAZING AND I CAN'T STOP FREAKING OUT OF HOW REAL THIS IS AAAAAH.

[keeryhours]

keeryhours masterlist

welcome to my masterlist! here you’ll find all my work in one place!

join a taglist

series

wildflower - an eddie munson x fem!reader and steve harrington x fem!reader love triangle｜henderson!reader, mom!reader, dad!eddie, rockstar!eddie, ex!eddie, best friend!steve｜+18｜ongoing

the needle and the damage done - an eddie munson x fem!reader rockstar au｜mom!wife!reader, dad!husband!eddie, rockstar!eddie, addict!eddie｜+18｜ongoing

real love, baby - billy hargrove x fem!reader｜hookup to lovers｜pregnant!reader｜+18｜ongoing

nothing’s gonna hurt you, baby - eddie munson x fem!reader｜dbf!eddie, older!eddie, harrington!reader｜dad’s best friend trope｜+18｜ongoing

teen pregnancy series - a ST x fem!reader pregnancy series｜+18｜ongoing

baby daddy! rafe series - a rafe cameron x fem!reader anthology series｜dad!rafe, mom!reader, ex!rafe｜+18｜ongoing

runaways - steve harrington x fem!reader｜preacher’s daughter!reader, track star!reader, baseball player!steve｜+18｜coming soon

such small hands - eddie munson x fem!henderson!reader｜major angst, hurt/little comfort, post s4 events, pregnancy, some x steve｜+18｜ongoing

bigger than the whole sky - steve harrington x fem!reader｜angst, hurt/comfort, pregnancy, loss｜+18｜coming soon

we are never getting back together - eddie munson x fem!reader｜ex husband!eddie, ex wife!reader, dad!eddie, mom!reader, older!eddie｜+18｜coming soon

don’t say you love me - eddie munson x fem!reader, billy hargrove x fem!reader｜hopper!reader, love triangle, pregnancy｜+18｜ongoing

closer to morning - eddie munson x fem!reader｜ex husband!steve, step dad!eddie, mom!reader, dad!steve｜+18｜coming soon

jason doesn’t know - eddie munson x fem!reader｜jason carver’s wife!reader, cheating｜+18｜coming soon

dinner in america - eddie munson x fem!reader｜based on the movie｜+18｜coming soon

scream: the hawkins massacre - an eddie munson x fem!reader horror miniseries｜scream au｜+18｜coming soon

stop the stars - billy hargrove x fem! oc katelyn henderson｜hookup to lovers angst｜+18｜semi-hiatus

one shots

steve harrington

zombie movies & first kisses - steve x fem! henderson! reader｜first date｜fluff

lover boy - steve x fem!reader｜modern college au｜frat king!steve｜+18｜smut

for the very first time - steve x fem!reader｜virgin!reader｜+18｜fluff, smut

is there someone else? - steve x fem!reader, some eddie munson x fem!reader｜college au｜+18｜smut

baby, it’s cold outside - steve x fem!reader｜best friend!steve, christmas｜promptmas 2024｜+18｜smut

fall in love again - steve x ex wife!reader｜mom!reader, dad!steve｜christmas ‘24｜fluff

no one knows (oh, what you do to me) - steve x fem!reader｜ceo!steve, older!steve, personal assistant!reader｜1k celebration｜+18｜smut

there is no other love (it’s only yours) - steve x fem!reader｜5 times i was mistaken for steve’s girlfriend and the one time i really was｜best friend!reader, idiots in love｜fluff

i bet on losing dogs - steve harrington x billy hargrove｜+18｜angst, smut

billy hargrove

how do i live without you? - billy x fem!reader, platonic steve harrington!reader｜pregnant!reader｜angst with some fluff

i bet on losing dogs - billy hargrove x steve harrington｜+18｜angst, smut

eddie munson

late night with the devil - eddie x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

please please please - eddie x fem!reader｜hopper!reader, delinquent!eddie｜+18｜smut

flesh and bone - eddie x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

new year’s magic - eddie x fem!reader｜NYE ‘24｜fluff

nothing else matters - eddie x fem!reader｜older!eddie, birthday boy for CCF｜+18｜smut

meet the parents - eddie x fem!reader｜promptmas ‘24｜+18｜smut

do you trust me? - eddie x fem!reader｜vampire!eddie｜+18｜smut

please be gentle (when you’re tearing me apart) - eddie x fem!reader, steve harrington x fem!reader｜asshole!eddie｜+18｜major angst, some smut

do you wanna come over? - eddie x fem!reader｜virgin!eddie, cheerleader!reader｜+18｜smut

wildest dreams - eddie x fem!reader｜bakery order｜virgin!eddie, best friend!reader｜first time, friends to lovers, porn with no plot｜+18｜smut

you must be a dream - eddie x fem!reader｜perv!eddie, virgin!eddie, Carver!reader, popular!cheerleader!reader, fwb!king!steve｜pure filth｜+18｜smut

⤷ Part 2 next week

robin buckley

naked in manhattan - robin x fem!reader｜best friend!robin｜promptmas ‘24｜+18｜smut

jonathan byers

girls on film - jonathan x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

undressed - jonathan x fem!munson!reader｜first time｜+18｜smut

rafe cameron

baby, come here (i get so lonely at night) - rafe x fem!reader｜frat!rafe｜+18｜smut

jj maybank

friends don’t - jj x fem!reader｜best friend!jj｜fluff

emperor geta

an heir for an emperor - geta x fem!reader｜empress!reader｜+18｜smut

⤷ the emperor’s love - geta x fem!reader｜ empress!reader｜part 2｜+18｜smut

both arms cradle you now - geta x fem!reader｜bakery order｜surprise pregnancy, forbidden love｜+18｜smut

gator tillman

you know my desire - gator x fem!reader｜gunplay｜+18｜smut

don’t forget (you’re mine) - gator x fem!reader｜1k celebration｜+18｜smut

sam (warfare)

coming home to you - sam x fem!wife!reader｜check warnings!｜+18｜angst, fluff, smut

joel miller

listen to that fireplace roar - joel x fem!reader｜younger!reader｜+18｜smut

blurbs

steve harrington

take a ride - steve x fem!reader｜baby making in the truck｜+18｜smut

good for us - steve x eddie munson x fem!reader｜hard dom!steve, soft dom!eddie, sub!reader, threesome｜+18｜smut

kiss me - steve x fem!reader｜coworker!reader｜1k celebration｜fluff

rockstar!steve - steve x fem!reader｜rockstar!steve｜+18｜smut

billy hargrove

please… - billy x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

blurb bakery order 3 - billy x fem!reader｜dubcon, sex pollen｜+18｜smut

eddie munson

good for us - eddie x steve harrington x fem!reader｜hard dom!steve, soft dom!eddie, sub!reader, threesome｜+18｜smut

pussydrunk eddie - eddie x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

sucking eddie off - eddie x fem!reader｜+18｜smut

eddie & plus size gf go to prom - eddie x plus size! fem!reader｜+18｜smut

love letters - eddie x fem!reader｜dom!eddie｜+18｜smut

obey your (dungeon) master - eddie x fem!reader｜dom!eddie｜+18｜smut

don’t stop - eddie x fem!reader｜sub!eddie｜+18｜smut

blurb bakery order 1 - eddie x fem!reader｜first time, one bed trope｜+18｜smut

blurb bakery order 2 - eddie x fem!reader｜baker’s choice｜+18｜smut

blurb bakery order 4 - eddie x fem!reader｜rockstar au, one bed trope｜+18｜smut

rafe cameron

rafe & his plus size gf - rafe x plus size! fem!reader｜+18｜smut

headcanons

the guys taking care of you while sick - billy hargrove, eddie munson, eric (aqpdo)

events

promptmas 2024

1k celebration

[shieldofiron]

Lie Better

Twilight x Harringrove AU, as a celebration for 2000 followers, THANK YOU.

Also on AO3 Here | Words:1,295 | Chapters:1/1

"So your dad is the chief? I thought his kid was adopted," Billy'd already forgotten the guys name. J something. Jackson? He's removed his lettermans jacket, which helpfully had his name embroidered on it.

"She is," Billy took a bite of his sandwich and sat up a little in his seat. "I didn't know he was my real dad, and I was living with... it's a long story."

The guy rubbed his jaw. "Cool. So he brought you out from California?"

"That's right."

The girl next to him glanced up at Billy shyly. "I'm Chrissy."

"Billy. Nice to meet you."

"And this is Patrick and Chance," She glances around the table.

"Nice to meet you." Billy forgot the names almost as soon as she said them. He'd figure it all out later. Everyone in this town was chomping at the bit to meet the new novelty from California and he didn't blame them. This town sucked ass, with the possible exception of Eddie and his Uncle Wayne, Hopper's friends who'd dropped off Billy's new ride from the reservation.

It was then, in the cafeteria, that he saw them.

The door from the outside opened and a couple walked in, the girl's arm slung over the guy's shoulders casually. Vivid red hair flowed down her shoulders and she was snapping some gum between her perfect white teeth. There was something almost old fashioned about her beauty, like a pre-Raphealite painting come to life.

The guy was broad, freckled, with a wide grin. He surveyed the lunchroom like a bored king, whispering again in the girl's ear and sending her melodic laugh ringing out like a chime.

Right behind them came a wisp of a girl, with a pale, heart-shaped face, tugging a lanky guy behind her. He had dark circles, but in that cool rockstar sort of way that made it seem like he'd been up all night doing something way cooler than you could ever imagine.

Two younger boys followed in quick succession, one with a dark mop of midnight black hair that recalled a medieval prince, and a slight kid with haunted-looking eyes.

And then something sucked all the breath out of Billy's lungs. A boy followed them, shoving playfully at the haunted-looking kid.

His hair was brown, but the word seemed entirely inadequate for the way it felt to look at it, like it was the richness of the earth, shot through with sunshine.

"Oh, them? That's the Harringtons... well... Dr Harrington has all these foster kids," It's physically hard to hear the other guy's voice when the dark haired pretty boy flashes his eyes in Billy's direction. When their gazes meet, a shock runs up Billy's spine.

"Some of them are dating," Jackson or whatever his name is whispers.

Chrissy swats his arms, "It's not like they're related. Only Steve is the Harrington's actual son."

"It's weird. Even the freshman ones-" The guy gestured towards the youngest ones.

"Which one is Steve?" Billy asked, eyes still locked on the pretty boy.

One of the other boys snorts, "King Steve? He's the one on the end with the polo shirt."

Chrissy shuffled closer, "There's Carol Perkins, and Tommy Hagan, the redhead and the big guy. Then Nancy Wheeler, and the youngest one with the curly hair, that's her brother Mike. Jonathan and Will are the last ones, though they're only staying with the Harringtons for a little, they said something about their mom coming for them in a year."

All of them looked so otherworldly, in the dank and vaguely smelly beige of the Hawkins gym/cafeteria, like a set of movie stars come to life.

It was hard to turn away and back towards the table. Everyone else seemed duller, less shiny than the table behind him.

"He's staring at you," The Jackson guy said, his pinched face going even more pinched and pissed.

"Don't look," Billy growled.

When Billy turned into Biology later that afternoon, his breath caught when he saw the pretty boy sitting right in the front, staring dreamily out the window. The grey light of Hawkins favored his fair skin, highlighting beauty marks Billy hadn't noticed in the cafeteria.

And there was an empty spot next to him.

Did Billy dare? He shouldn't. He had no idea what Hopper expected from him, only had the moment in the courthouse when everything Billy had known was ripped to shreds and his dad Neil had lept towards Billy and Billy had flinched and Hopper had stepped-

The boy froze, his spine going ramrod straight, and then he turned, coal black eyes locking onto Billy's.

Billy couldn't breathe, caught in a snare he couldn't dare explain. Or maybe he could, it was called being gay and seeing the most beautiful boy you'd ever met look at you like you're something that belongs on the bottom of his shoe. No, worse than that. He looked furious, livid, dangerous.

The boy, Steve Harrington, clamped a hand over his mouth and ran out of the room.

And Billy slunk to the empty seat, his eyes feeling suspiciously tight. Which was stupid, maybe the guy was just sick.

A theory that would play since he was absent the week after, if it wasn't for the fact that the whole of his family was too.

"It's the weather. Dr Harrington pulls them out when it's not nasty, they go camping or something," Jason said in the parking lot days later, sunning himself on his jeep.

"Wish they'd adopt me," Heather snarked, drawing a few giggles from the group as she nudged Chrissy's shoulder.

Days later, nights later, after several dreams plagued with perfect skin and coal black eyes, he's awoken by the creak of his window.

Billy shot up in a cold sweat, eyes flying around the room. In his half awake state he was looking for Neil, but his eyes landed instead on a figure he doesn't know well enough to recognize as well as he does.

Billy flipped on his light, throwing the room into a soft glow that, annoyingly, also flattered Steve Harrington's skin.

"What are you doing here?" Billy asks without preamble.

Steve blinked, and fidgeted, the movement strangely elegant for being so nervous.

"Testing a theory."

It's disgusting what Harrington's voice does to Billy, turned him to melted ice cream inside, turned him into hot summer days. His dreams were nothing compared to this. Maybe he is really just dreaming.

"That's all you're gonna say?" Billy pressed, rising from his bed, clenching his fists. "What the fuck are you doing in my room, asshole?"

Harrington backed up a step, almost into the window again. His eyes darted around the room and rested on the postcard Eddie had given Billy, of the lake on the reservation. It was the one thing Billy had hanging on his sad sack walls.

Harrington's nostrils flared slightly, and then the expression disappeared back into placid beauty.

"Hey," Billy snapped his fingers. "I'm talking to you, Amigo."

Billy stepped forward and Harrington backed up, muttering something to himself that sounded like, 'it's worse.'

"You should stay away from me," Harrington said more clearly.

Billy choked out a laugh, "You're the one in my fucking room, dude. Don't you know my dad is the Sheriff?"

Billy shoved his fingers into Harrington's chest and almost gasped. It hurt, like jamming your finger at a brick wall.

The pain was what confused him the most. You weren't supposed to be able to feel pain in dreams.

Which meant this was real.

Looking at Harrington's beautiful face this close almost hurt, prickled Billy's eyes so bad they burned.

"What the hell are you, Harrington?"

And then, as quick as he'd come, Harrington disappeared, the blinds rustling the only sign he'd been there at all.

[notme-marie]

Harrington! Wait up!

Steve x Hopper!Reader, Jonathan x BestFriend!Reader, Billy x Reader (a little sprinkle)

Summary: Hopper!Reader celebrates her favorite holiday the best way she can, by causing drama at a Halloween Party.

Warnings: steve harrington x fem!reader, alcohol/drug use, discussions of death; this was a brain dump & hopefully you enjoy! Words: 2.6k

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

October 31, 1984 - Trick or Treat, Freak

Little Miss Margot Hopper had a way of pushing Jonathan to his limits, way out of his comfort zone. She had berated him their entire life and he loved her for it. Like the sister he never had.

They met in elementary school like everyone else in Hawkins usually did. But, they didn't become friends until seventh grade when she punched Jack Montgomery in the face for picking a fight with Jonathan for something she deemed lame at the time. Margot says she took him in when really it was the opposite. She needed a friend more than anything right now. Sure she had the soccer girls, but they were all into boys and clothes and television. Margot liked to think she was more "evolved" than that, but really she just had been through more than a 13 year old girl should ever go through - her parents' divorce, moving around, a sibling death.

She liked Jonathan because he also had been through some real life shit. With his unreliable father and parents also separated, he understood that life isn't always perfect. In fact, the two pre-teens bonded over their cynical outlook and love for sad rock and roll, not that pop shit everyone else listened to.

So now, four years and a lot of friendship later, Margot is very surprised when Jonathan tells her that they're going to Tina's Halloween party that night.

Margot slams her locker shut, gasping, "you want to go to a party?"

Jonathan rolls his eyes. They turn into the hallway, walking in stride to their final period of the day. He shrugs, "Nancy invited me. Said it would be cool if-"

"Ah, now I understand," Margot cuts him off.

He looks at her, "understand what, exactly?"

Now she shrugs, "you're going to this party just to see Nancy Wheeler. I respect that."

"No, that's not the only reason," he starts but she's quick to interject.

"So what do you plan on doing about her boyfriend. Harrington? Remember him? Big hair, obnoxious voice," Margot says as they turn a corner.

Jonathan shakes his head, "it's not like that. We're friends. You know, after everything that happened last year."

Margot stays quiet. Yeah of course she remains the strange events from last year. Of course she remembers Will going missing and her dad secretly adopting an experimental special child. Yeah, how could she forget?

Jonathan pushes on, "you'll go with me, right? I figured you'd already be going anyways."

"Yeah, Billy wanted me to go," Margot sneaks in.

Jonathan rolls his eyes, "he's such a jerk."

"So, I'm not marrying the dude. Just fucking him," she says rather casually. They stop in front of her classroom. Other students file in beside them.

"Gross," Jonathan starts, "I'll pick you up at 8."

"Can't wait!" Margot turns and heads into the classroom.

Later that night

The room is packed with teenagers dressed in various 80s appropriate Halloween costumes. Jonathan leans against the wall with some Goths, watching as Margot and Billy make out on the dance floor. Jonathan scrunches his nose in disgust as the two go at it, practically eating each other's faces off. He groans, turning away and seriously contemplating getting a drink. He wanders over to the kitchen.

Margot breaks away from Billy who looks way too good tonight. She's only slept with him twice since he asked her out last month, but tonight she's really considering doing it a third time.

Margot Hopper wasn't an easy screw, believe or not, she had some standards. So, when a new boy in tight jeans rolls up to school in a nice car with California plates, she has to weigh her options.

She felt that sex and virginity were all a croak of shit anyways. Her mom waited for love and marriage and look where that got her - a divorce before the age of 40. Maybe if she had explored her options, she would have more success. Or that's at least what she tells Margot now as "motherly" advice whenever Margot goes to the city and stays with her mother for the allotted custody weekends once a month.

So, Margot decided to do whatever she wanted or desired and lost her virginity sophomore year with Mark Donoghue, a senior who called her beautiful and took her to prom. He was kind and gentle and definitely a virgin too which Margot appreciated because yeah, she acted like she was fearless. But, really she was so scared of having sex for the first time. So, when Mark asked her out during honors Chemistry, she said yes. She considered him the perfect option for that time in her life. He would be her first boyfriend, respectable, her first kiss, her first fuck, her first everything! Then he would leave for college and they would never speak again, so she could continue on her dating journey. Unlike her mother, who married the first guy who told her he loved her.

That's why Margot was now pulling away from Billy as he kissed down her neck. God, it felt good. His hot breath on her skin. He was way experienced. She didn't know that hooking up could be so pleasurable. Yeah, Mark and that other guy after him were cute, but they had no clue how to please a woman. Billy on the other hand, knew exactly what he was doing.

The first time they had sex was in her bed while her dad was working a night shift. Risky, but that kind of made if more exciting for the both of them. The second time was in the back seat of his car - her idea. She wanted to know what it felt like to be naked on leather. He laughed at that, calling her "a fucking freak." But something about this girl - the sheriff's daughter, intrigued Billy. Yeah, he liked the way her hair smelled and how gorgeous she was. But, she was completely herself and that was new for Billy. He was so used to girls acting like who they thought he wanted. Which, to be fair, he did like that. He liked most girls and doing one thing with most girls. Margot was cool and didn't give a fuck. It excited Billy, scared him even. But, he would never admit that to her.

He kissed down her neck as the loud music roared on. Margot hummed against him, gripping his shoulders.

"Not here, Billy," she mumbled.

Just as he was about to suggest they go upstairs, Tommy grabs him.

"Get over to the keg!" Tommy yells. A few other guys urge Billy over. He breaks away from Margot, hesitating. Billy turns back to say something to her but stops himself. Margot eyes him.

"It's fine, go" she honestly does not give a shit. He nods, turning away to do a keg stand or whatever the hell they want King Billy to do.

Margot rolls her eyes and straightens her costume and hair. She scans the room, finding Jonathan in the kitchen.

------

Margot shoots back another shot as Jonathan nurses his one red solo cup. He continues his plea enthusiastically, "I think we should stay with your mom for the concert next month."

"Ugh, I'll ask her," Margot reluctantly slams the glass onto the counter. She points a finger in his face, "only if you drive!"

"You don't have a car," he laughs.

Margot groans, "don't remind me!"

She begins to pour another shot as Nancy Wheeler barrels into the kitchen. She lunges toward the punch bowl and tries to get another drink while Steve Harrington pulls her back, "you've had enough, okay."

"Screw you!" Nancy hurls back at him.

Margot and Jonathan watch on, in shock.

The couple go back and forth, arguing over a cup of punch until Nancy spills it onto her white costume shirt.

"Oh shit," Margot covers her mouth.

The party goes silent, watching as the couple race off to some other part of the house. Jonathan takes a sip of his drink. Margot turns back to him, "whoa. That was crazy."

"Yeah," Jonathan stays quiet, thinking about Nancy.

Margot continues, "I'm surprised they even stayed together. You know, after everything."

"I don't know, maybe she loves him," he mumbles, looking at his drink. Margot shakes her head, "no way. It's just high school shit, you know? Like the jock and the nice girl. Straight out of a movie."

Just as Jonathan takes a sip, Margot grabs his arm. "You should totally make a move now!"

"What are you even talking about," he plays it off.

She pushes on, "they're on the rocks! Now you can be a good friend to her. It's perfect."

Before he can respond, Steve rushes past them and out the door. Margot nudges Jonathan, "see. Told you."

She grabs a bottle of alcohol and slaps Jonathan on the shoulder before turning to leave. He calls after her, "wait, where are you going."

"I'll distract Steve, you go be a good friend to Nancy," Margot wiggles her eyebrows and practically dances after Steve. Jonathan groans, weighing his options.

-------

Steve leans on the back of his car, looking down at his keys and sniffling. God damn sniffling over this girl. Fuck.

He nods his head, solidifying his decision to leave when someone calls his name.

"Harrington! Wait up," Margot skips over to him. He eyes her and the disheveled hair and half empty bottle of tequila. She slides next to him, leaning against his car.

He tilts his head, "now's not a good time, Hopper."

"Just thought you'd like some company after whatever the hell happened with Nancy in there," she offers him the bottle. Steve shakes his head, "I gotta drive home."

"Good, you can give me a ride and we can drink at your place," Margot shoves the bottle into his hands and climbs into the passenger seat.

Steve shakes his head, dismayed at the audacity of Margot Hopper - the girl he used to spend summers with because their moms were friends. The girl he ended up fighting weird alien creatures last year.

In the car, Prince comes on the radio and Margot immediately turns it up, dancing and singing along. Steve moves the knob, turning the volume down which earns a quick groan from Margot.

"You are such a vibe killer," she quips.

He laughs, completely shocked at this turn of events, "I'm sorry I'm not giving off great vibes right now. My night was already going terribly and then you decided to hop in my car."

"It's the neighborly thing to do, Steve," she emphasized his name.

He looks at her, "you're never at your mom's place anymore."

Margot, quiet for the first time tonight, shrugs, "don't need to be around a screaming baby. Or Bill."

"Your step-dad?" he asks.

God, Margot didn't realize Steve would know so much about her. Did his mom really talk to her mom that much? And did his mom really repeat all this info to him?

Margot nods. She sits up, "let's not talk about them right now. You're still really killing my vibe."

Steve shakes his head, laughing, "whatever you say, Hopper."

He slows down as the pass Margot's mom's house. She waves him to keep going. "Just park at yours," she lifts up the bottle, "we still gotta finish this baby."

Steve contemplates this. Does he really want to get shit-faced with Margot Hopper right now and forget about Nancy for a few hours? Fuck yes.

He keeps driving, oblivious to Margot anxiously staring at the completely dark house she used to live in.

-----

Margot lays across the plush couch as Steve sits on the floor, leaning against the arm chair. The almost empty bottle of tequila sits on the glass coffee table.

"And then she said it was bullshit," Steve hung his head back, closing his eyes.

Margot shook her head, "that's so fucked."

"Right?" Steve's voice raising, "how do you even say that?"

"Wanna hear my opinion?"

Steve nods, taking another swig from the bottle. Margot moves her hands as she speaks, "you got lucky. Cut out fast before anything got too serious."

"Whoa, whoa, it was serious," he pauses, "at least to me it was. It is!"

Margot sits up to look at Steve, "what, you're going to marry her?"

"Well, yeah that was the plan," he shrugs, as if that's the most casual thing in the world. Margot softens now, realizing that this isn't just some high school relationship to Steve. That maybe their relationship wasn't all superficial like she assumed. Maybe she didn't have everything about love and romance figured out. But, she did know how Jonathan felt about Nancy and that complicated this entire mess she interjected herself in.

Steve eyes Margot, watching her think. He takes in the moment, realizing how odd this is all is. He hadn't spoken to Margot in months really. Since everything went down last year. Yeah, they had seen each other in the halls and in English class - how was she in senior English anyways? Fuck, she was smart, right? Freshman class president a couple of years ago, captain of the soccer team last year. Steve heard all those things about her but never paid too much attention to it or her really. Their moms were friends, both came from wealthy families in Hawkins, had kids around the same age, and lived down the street from one another. So it only made sense that Margot and Steve played together every summer as kids.

Things changed when they grew up, which was only natural between growing boys and girls. But when Margot's little sister died and her parents separated, he never saw her really. Only in school and even then they never spoke. Their childhood friendship felt like a far away dream, and yet they slipped right back into the familiarity of each other tonight. Margot was brazen, sure, but she clearly was comfortable enough to insert herself into Steve's crisis and demand they get drunk together. And Steve was comfortable enough to not think twice about it. Truthfully, he didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to go back to the often quiet and empty house, especially not tonight when he just got his heart broken.

But now he was doubting the comfortability when Margot suddenly gets up from the couch.

"I'm sorry, I should go," she says, quickly looking around for her boots.

Steve's eyes widen, "what, why?"

Margot looks at him, "you're upset and I'm totally intruding."

"No it's fine-"

"I'm sorry, really-"

"Margot, please," Steve reaches out, grabbing her wrist. She pauses, turning back to look into his soft eyes.

He looks like that little boy she used to know again.

He smiles at her, "I know we haven't been close, but this has been nice. Tonight. Talking shit and having you here."

"You're just saying that," she recoils slightly from his tough. Steve holds on to her still.

"No, really, I don't have that many people to talk to these days," he sighs, "it's nice to talk to someone who, you know, gets it. All of it."

Margot nods, knowing exactly what he's talking about. She's distanced herself so much from her teammates and some friends at school in the last year. At least she has Jonathan and her dad, but it's not the same. Tonight with Steve, it's been easy. Shooting the shit, laughing, gossiping. Not once talking about some traumatic or supernatural event.

"You're right," Margot sighs dramatically, "I can't believe you're making me like you again, Harrington."

Steve chuckles, letting go of her wrist, "oh, like you ever stopped."

She plops down onto the couch and Steve joins her, grabbing the TV remote. He flicks through the late night channels settling on some horror movie that he's seen a thousand times and is shocked she hasn't seen it. They argue about this and then about the movie itself and then about something else after that until both dozing off on the couch, the TV softly playing.

[hargrove-mayfields]

Benny lets Steve work at the diner.

Nobody else would hire the kid who wore chunky headphones and couldn’t stand for more than an hour before he was crumpling under his own weight. Seizures, panic attacks, overstimulation.

Steve’s disabled, he can’t work full weeks, but he’s also restless. Billy provides for them just fine, but it makes Steve all twisty inside knowing he’s so dependent. Even though his partner promises it’s really, really okay.

They compromise by getting him out of the house to work at Bennys whenever he can; Benny who is super understanding of the whole situation and lets Steve work just two days a week, or less if he’s not able.

On his breaks, Benny will sit with Steve and just talk. About the diner, about life. About this crushing anxiety and insecurity problem of Steve’s.

He talks about a time when he felt the same way. Turns out Benny Hammond is deaf.

When he started the diner, he hadn’t had hearing aids yet, and there were many that insisted he’d fail. Almost thirty years later though he’s still going strong.

Benny even says that maybe thirty years later, Billy and Steve will be trucking along just fine too.

Steve gets all wide eyed and blushy, he didn’t realize Benny knew about him and Billy being a couple. That was supposed to be a secret. But maybe thirty years of sitting back and watching the people of Hawkins taught him how to spot that kind of stuff.

It’s a special kind of comfort, having someone older to relate to. To teach him the tricks of not being so insecure. To confide in about his boy problems without fear of being outed to everyone.

Billy gets that too in the form of Jim Hopper.

After Neil left, he’d been adopted by Joyce, and then Hop became his step-dad not long after.

He comes with Billy by the diner all the time. Pays for a meal and doesn’t say a word when Billy spends the whole time checking on Steve and watching him taking orders and things.

They have support now. Real support.

Even moved out on their own, in the big adult world, two terrified teenagers that grew up into slightly less terrified adults. And they aren’t ever really alone. They’re one phone call away from having an army of support.

They’re doing fine. Much better than they realized they could.

All because of Steve reaching out one day over a slice of cheesecake at the diner, for which Billy says he’s so proud of him. And as always, loves him so deeply.

————

We’re nearing the end of @harringrovemovember already you guys! Wow!! Today I’m excited to have wrote about male role models, this is one headcanon I hold really dear!!

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

From Hell to Home to Back Again

Summary: At the talent show, Chrissy Cunningham is so hungry that she nearly collapses. When she's found by Hopper, her parents ended up losing custody of her. She ends up being placed in the care of the Hendersons, and she finally finds the family she so desperately needed. She also ends up falling in love. What other changes are made in this alternate universe?

@emen-98 @1lostsoul0fishbowl @vulpixsworld

Prologue . . . Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chrissy eyes fluttered open, and she found herself looking up at the ceiling of her bedroom. How the hell did she make it out of that fight with Billy? What the hell was making that loud, obnoxious beeping sound? She slipped out of bed and pushed away the stuffed pig Eddie had gotten her before holding it for a moment. She had named her Peggy Munson, and she remembered the way that Eddie had laughed when she had named it that. Well, he really shouldn't have given Peggy a little denim vest. She wandered into the kitchen, where she saw a tall figure cooking at the stove. Benny Hammond turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey, pumpkin," Benny smiled.

"Dad," the name spilled from her lips without even thinking about it.

"You never called me that before," Benny said, turning off the stove.

"I never - I wasn't - we weren't sure if you wanted to be called that," Chrissy said.

"It's always been your choice. I was waiting for you," Benny said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "The minute you stepped into the diner with your big sad eyes and your cute pig tails, there wasn't anything that I wouldn't do for you."

"You've always been my dad. I don't care what anyone else says or what biology says. You're our dad," Chrissy cried.

Benny pulled her into his arms and held onto her tightly.

"You, Dustin, your mom. . .best damn thing that's ever happened to me," Benny said.

The beeping sound grew louder, and then she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Chrissy pulled herself out of Benny's arms.

"Eddie?" She called out.

"Chrissy, please, wake up, I don't like this. . ." Eddie's voice sobbed.

Chrissy followed Eddie's voice all the way back to her room. She was surprised to find that her bedroom had changed to a hospital room. Nestled in the hospital bed was Chrissy hooked up to several machines, a tube had been inserted in her mouth. Eddie was sitting beside her bed, looking heartbroken. He was holding Chrissy's hand and crying. It looked like he hadn't slept in days and half of his face was bruised. Wayne walked into the room, looking just as haggard.

"She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself, son. You need to eat," Wayne said.

"I'll eat when she wakes up," Eddie croaked, and she realized how cracked his lips were.

His sobs were dry as his skin. When was the last time he had water?

"Billy hit me harder than I thought he did," Chrissy said.

"Yes," Barb's voice said. "He did."

Chrissy jumped and looked to her right. In place of Benny, stood Barb.

"Am I dying?" Chrissy asked.

"Maybe," Barb shrugged. "It looks like it."

"Is this real or all in my head?" Chrissy asked.

"Can't it be both?" Barb asked.

Chrissy's eyes welled up at the sight of Barb. She missed her glasses, her hair, and the shirts she always buttoned up all the way up to her neck. She missed her judgemental but comforting presence and her funny sarcastic quips. She missed Barb.

"I'm sorry," Chrissy sobbed.

"You did everything you could for me that night, Chrissy, and you fought just as hard to save Will," Barb said. "What happened to me was out of your control. . .yours and Nancy's both. I'm glad you have each other."

"I miss you too," Chrissy said.

"A part of me will always be with you. . . .oh, that's a little cheesy, isn't it?" Barb asked, and Chrissy laughed. "It's true, though."

"Thank you for being my friend," Chrissy said softly.

"Fight for me, Chrissy," Barb pleaded. "It's not your time yet. You have to fight."

Chrissy sobbed, and she turned her attention back to Wayne's conversation with Eddie.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT STUFF. . .I ONLY CARE ABOUT HER!" Eddie yelled. "FUCK SCHOOL!"

"Chrissy cares, and how do you think she'd feel seeing you dead at her bed when wakes up?" Wayne asked.

"She wouldn't want that," Ronnie said from the doorway.

Eddie's eyes snapped up to find her standing there, her corduroy ball cap in her hand. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Ronnie," Eddie croaked.

"I tried like hell to get away when I heard," Ronnie said. "She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. . .she's going to need you when she wakes up."

"Everything tastes like cardboard," Eddie muttered.

"I think if Chrissy is willing to put up with your stubborn ass then I think you can do this too," Ronnie said. "She's fighting right now. You should, too."

"I don't know how she does it," Eddie whimpered.

"Come on, son, we'll be with you every step of the way," Wayne said. "She'll still be here when you get back."

"I love you, my little witch," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Eddie stood up shakily, and Wayne was quick to help him. He wrapped his arm around his boy, and with the help of Ronnie, they walked him out of the hospital room. Chrissy stared at the chair her boyfriend had occupied for a moment and then buried her face into her hands, crying. Her entire body shook with sobs.

"You two are so great together," Barb whispered and placed a hand on her back. "You'll find each other again."

The memories of their life together flickered onto the television in the hospital room. Young Chrissy and Eddie meeting on the catwalk at the talent show. . .Chrissy seeing Eddie in the hallway in his Led Zeppelin shirt. . .Eddie slipping on the ice and into her arms. . .them calling each other witch and freak. . . Their first fight. . .dancing in his arms. . .watching him perform with Corroded Coffin for the first time. . . Him becoming friends with her friends. . . Laughing with Ronnie. . .Chrissy walking away from him with her skinned knee while he watched from the ground. . .walking out of the high school after Higgins expelled him. . .their first kiss. . . Falling sleep in his arms. . .all of those memories flickered quickly on the screen.

"I don't want it to be over yet," Chrissy cried.

"Then fight," Barb said.

Nancy came into the room, her face swollen and red. Steve came in with her, holding her hand tightly. His face was just as bad as Eddie's, and the only indication she could see that he had been crying was the sniffles he let out. Nancy took Eddie's spot and took Chrissy's hand.

"Please. . .we lost Benny. . . We lost Bob. . .and Barb. . .we can't lose you too. You're my best friend, Chrissy. Please, don't go," Nancy sobbed. "You have to wake up."

All of her memories flashed up on the television. . .all of her times with her friends and family. Nancy joining the squad for a brief moment, and Chrissy being welcomed into her friendship with Barb. All the slumber parties they had. Nancy crawling into her bed after Barb died. Chrissy could only watch. As badly as she wanted to, she couldn't hug her. Nancy held her hand tightly as she cried over Chrissy's body before standing up and falling into Steve’s arms. They clung to each other tightly as they both cried, burrowing their faces into each other's neck. Her heart nearly shattered when her mother and brother came into the room after them. Claudia was sobbing hysterically, with Dustin clinging to her.

"My baby!" Claudia cried.

It was the only thing she could say as Dustin led her into the chair. It was hard enough on her when Benny died, and then when Mews went missing. . .how would she handle this? They couldn't lose her either.

"We got a new cat. She's white and her name is Tews. You're going to love her," Dustin sniffled.

Another memory appeared. Chrissy was walking into the house for the first time, an 8 year old grinning Dustin eagerly waiting at the door with their mother. . .Mews brushed up against her leg as Claudia put her arm around her. The first time Dustin put up the fort. . .then the second time when Claudia made them all hot cocoa and Dustin wanted Claudia to join them. He had tugged on her arm so hard that he nearly knocked over the fort. Another memory popped up of Dustin and Chrissy sword fighting with sticks in the backyard. Claudia laughed and cheered them on while Mews sat on her lap, looking bored. All those talks with her mother. . .coming out to her. . .to both of them and the midnight conversation with her mother when she decided to end her relationship with Heather. All those talks with her mother were always with hot cocoa, a listening ear, and a warm hug.

"I want to go home," Chrissy cried.

Suddenly, her hospital room disappeared, and she was walking down the hallway to the waiting room. Jonathan and Argyle were leaning on each other. Chrissy hated seeing them cry. Dustin was hugging Steve and Eddie rather tightly while Nancy rubbed his back. Robin didn't care what it looked like. She was enveloped in Ronnie's arms tightly, letting her girlfriend press kisses into her hair. Ted stood awkwardly next to Karen as Karen rubbed Robin's back. Mike and Lucas sat next to each other, sniffling while Will set on Mike's other side. Max was next to Lucas, looking sad but also guilty, and she nervously picked at the thread on her pants.

"You should know that Billy was arrested for assault," Barb said. "But it looks like he might not get a whole lot of time served, especially since he's relying heavily on the fact he claims he was looking out for his sister. He's probably going to be out before the end of the year, maybe even less."

"That's bullshit! He doesn't give two shits about her!" Chrissy exclaimed.

"Yeah, but they're eating it up," Barb said. "His arrest, though, it's not making Max's homelife any easier."

"What do you mean?" Chrissy asked.

Suddenly, a furious looking man with short brown hair and a mustache came marching into the waiting room. A woman who looked a lot like Max stood meekly behind him.

"Come on, Maxine, your mother wants you home," he said.

"I'm staying here," Max said, standing up.

"Your brother protected you from these people," Neil Hargrove hissed. "Sitting here with them doesn't make him look good. I am your father and you're going to listen to me! Get your ass in the car!"

"Billy's a monster!" Max yelled. "I don't want to be a monster like him or like you!"

"Max!" Susan yelled.

"No! Mom, I've seen the way he treats you! I've seen the way he treats Billy. Now that Billy's out of the house, you know he's coming after me next! Neil. . .Billy, they're both pieces of shit!" Max yelled.

Neil's hand came flying, with the loud slapping sound following as his hand hit its target, and Max was on the floor, clutching her face. Everyone jumped all at once, and a nurse came running in. Jonathan and Argyle moved in front of Max along with the others. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas surround Max on the floor. She wasn't sure which one of them would swing first: Steve, Eddie, Jonathan, Argyle, or Nancy. The answer came in the form of Ted Wheeler. Quiet Ted Wheeler, who never raised his voice to anyone. Suddenly, he was grabbing Neil and swinging his fist into his face. When did he take off his glasses? The next thing Chrissy knew, they were both on the ground and hitting each other. Susan was screaming and trying to get Ted to stop. Meanwhile, her daughter was crying in Karen's arms while her split lip was being tended to by the nurse. A thunder of footsteps sounded down the hallway. Suddenly, Hopper, Joyce, and Wayne appeared in the doorway. Wayne and Hopper had to pry Neil off of Ted with the help of Steve.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hopper asked.

A moment later, the scene changed, and she was back in the hospital room. Max timidly walked into the room. Her eyes were red, and her lip was swollen.

"I'm sorry. . .this is all my fault. If I hadn't been there, Billy wouldn't have come looking for me. They all love you so much," Max said, sniffling. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Chrissy said and frowned when she heard another voice speak at the same time.

She looked at the doorway and watched as Mike walked into the room.

"You're not responsible for what those mouth breathers do," Mike said. "They were responsible for you, but they failed you. They hurt you, and Billy hurt Chrissy."

"This is supposed to be a private conversation," Max rolled her eyes.

"I heard my dad and mom talking," Mike asked. "They want to give you a place to stay."

"They don't want me," Max mumbled.

"They wouldn't have said it if they didn't mean it," he said.

"So, what? I'd be like your sister?" She asked.

"It'd be cool to have a zoomer for a sister," Mike said, smiling for a moment before letting it fall. "I'm sorry for being an asshole and lashing out at you. You didn't deserve it."

"No, I didn't, but I get it. You thought El was dead, and I was trying to replace her," Max said. "I know what it's like when you don't know how to feel, and sometimes you just want to scream at the world."

"I don't want to turn into them either," Mike said softly.

"Yeah," Max said. "Don't tell anyone what I'm about to do. . .it's not like they're going to believe you, anyway."

Max walked over to Mike and hugged him tightly. He was surprised for a moment before hugging her back. It was a quick hug, but it was enough. Mike reached over and took Chrissy's hand.

"Please, wake up. We all want you to wake up," Mike whispered. "You're our friend too."

"Mike. . ." Max said softly, and he turned to her. "No one's ever done that before. . .fought for me like that."

"I've never seen my dad do that before, but it's kind of what we do in the family," Mike said. "You're worth it."

Mike walked out with Max, but not without looking over his shoulder one more time. It was quiet for a long time until Benny was next to her again.

"Poor kid, but it looks like she's going to get a better life just like you," Benny said.

"I'm glad even if it took me being put into a coma to do it," Chrissy said.

Benny put his arm around her and kissed the crown of her head. A moment later, a tired looking Hopper came in. He took his hat off and placed it on the table with a book he brought. He sat down in the chair and took Chrissy's hand in his. Chrissy frowned. Being back in the hospital and seeing her like this must be bringing back memories of Sarah. Hopper cleared his throat as he opened his mouth to speak, but the words became lost as he choked. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"I can't - I can't do this again. Don't make me lose another kid. . .you have to fight," Hopper said.

Taking his hand out of hers, he brushed back her bangs and kissed her forehead. He cleared his throat again and wiped his eyes. He picked up the book: Anne of Green Gables. Hopper opened it and began to read. Chrissy smiled a watery smile.

"This is why this man is my best friend," Benny said.

Not long after that, she watched friend after friend filtering through the room. Robin was supported by Ronnie, and she was a completely incoherent mess. The next person who came through was Heather, who didn't say anything. All she could do was cry and hold Chrissy's hand. After Heather, Jeff came in with Gareth and Dougie. Chrissy looked surprised. Dougie came down to see her, too? Gareth's face was soft and round, a baby face that reminded her of her brother. He always tried to disguise it with a scowl, but this time, he looked soft and extremely sad. They were all pleading with her to wake up.

"They all act like I have a choice," Chrissy sobbed.

"Pumpkin, you do have a choice," Benny said. "You can stay here in this dreamworld, or you can back out there and fight."

Benny led Chrissy to the living room and towards the front door. Suddenly, a shadowy figure blocked the doorway.

"Chrissy. . . "

"You don't touch her!" Benny yelled and threw himself at the figure. "Chrissy! GO! Tell your brother and your mother that I love them!"

The front door swung open, and light flooded through the house. Chrissy ran through the doorway, and the bright light light enveloped her. Suddenly, it felt like she was floating for a moment, and then she realized she was lying in a hospital bed. Something was in her throat. Chrissy began gagging, and a doctor was above her, pulling the tube out of her throat. They spent quite a while checking her over before bringing her mother and brother into the room. Claudia wept at the sight of Chrissy and began pressing kisses into her hair before kissing her face as well.

"My baby!" She gasped happily.

"Never scare us like this again," Dustin said and threw himself on top of her.

"I'll try my best," Chrissy croaked as she hugged Dustin. "I saw Benny. He loves us. Best damn thing that ever happened to him."

"He would say something like that," Claudia said with a watery smile.

"That's our dad," Dustin said.

"Yeah," Chrissy said, smiling.

Chrissy peaked over Dustin's shoulder to see a figure leaning against the doorway. Eddie was clutching Peggy. His bruises were very faded. . .almost healed, in fact. How long had she been asleep? His face had more hair on it, and while he did look like he was drinking more water, there were bags under his eyes. He looked so rough.

"Edward Wayne, get over here," Claudia sniffled.

Eddie shuffled over to her and let Claudia hug him. Dustin moved off of Chrissy to let him do the same. He moved closer to Chrissy's bed.

"You're awake," he croaked and burst into tears.

Chrissy moved over to make room on the bed for him.

"Come here," Chrissy said, and Eddie gave her a skeptical look. "Eddie, my love, you're not going to break me."

Eddie laid carefully on the bed and curled around, holding her tightly.

"I missed you," Eddie said as Claudia and Dustin walked out of the room.

"They're so getting married!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Dusty! Hush!" Claudia exclaimed, but Chrissy could see that her mother was smiling.

"I missed you too. I'm here now," Chrissy said. "We'll always find our way back to each other. Always."

Chrissy began to rub his back as she began to sing. She felt him relax and she smiled when she heard him start to snore. He could finally sleep.

"Oh, Eddie, Eddie, I love you so

Eddie my love

Oh, Eddie, Eddie, I love you so

Eddie, my love, I love you so. . . My freak."

Chapter Twenty-Three

[acowardinmordor]

There is this song that YouTube algorithmed to me. And good job. This is exactly my jam. Tale of the Shadow.

And unexpectedly, my brain wants to make it a Max and El thing.

You should pause and listen real fast.

Okay, you’re back? Good.

Something about El having escaped it before, Henry was trying to use her and the powers she has to try to capture it. Henry got taken, and El barely escaped. Max is the daughter of a privateer, and has been on and off the ocean all her life. She has heard stories about The Shadow for years, Billy has always sworn he’d take it one day. Max meets El in one of the rare seasons she spends on land, this strange, sweet girl who was found on flotsam after a storm.

A year or two later, in which Max has made sure to come to port more often, just to see her friend, she and her brother lose their dad, and Billy inherits the ship, the Camaro. Max hugs El goodbye at the dock and climbs abroad expecting the trip to be rough as she proves to his newly hired crew that she’s more than the young woman they see. It’s worse than she knew. Billy is going after The Shadow, but Max doesn’t find out til they’re at sea.

And, to be fair, Billy does catch it, which few ever do. They board. And for whatever reason, Max is the one to touch the helm. She watches The Shadow kill her brother and his crew before it takes her eyes, and shackles her to it.

Another ship nearby saw them in pursuit of the Shadow, and brings the story back to land, along with the empty and battered Camaro. El is brought a letter that Max wrote after finding out what her brother intended to do. The second crew had the decency to deliver it since they found it while salvaging what they could.

It's an apology, and an explanation of what Billy wants to do. Everyone knows that no one survives the wrath of The Shadow.

But El did. And now it’s taken her friend. Henry was a bad man, but he was smart, and he was sure that El was strong enough to defeat it.

She finds the captain of the ship that hauled the husk of Max’s ship back to shore. She demands they help her. Demands they believe her when she says she can defeat it. Throws an entire fit when they don’t, until the walls shake and thunder rolls, until they see a bit of the power she holds that made Henry steal her and try to use her.

The Captain refuses to put his crew in danger. A few of his crew start to argue for her. The captain holds the line until the scarred sailor with frizzy dark hair who has been fiddling with dice the whole time joins in on El's side. With a sigh, the captain stands, looking to his second in command, a woman with a sharp wit.

And thats how Elle Hopper meets Captain Steve Harrington and his crew. Who are not pirates, but they’re not not-pirates.

It doesn’t matter. She needs them. They sail a few days later, Elle going on the ocean for the first time since Henry, chasing the Shadow, so she can save her friend.

—

This is a Hot potato fic. Add to it if you know more pieces of the story or the world.

[strangerthingsreversebigbang]

In case you missed them, here are the next ten works posted from the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang!

---

A Chance to Fly by @karadanverss | Art by @madwomanwithawarehouse

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters(s):

Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Will Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Martin Brenner, Bob Newby (Stranger Things), Lonnie Byers, Jim "Chief" Hopper

Relationship(s): Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler

Summary: Jonathan Byers has never been like his peers. In addition to being socially awkward, and odd, he was born green. If that wasn't enough, he had power like no one in the town of Ozkins has ever seen before. When he goes off to school to keep an eye on his brother and sister he makes some unlikely friends, and despite what he's expecting, he starts to see a real future for himself in Ozkins. Unfortunately, nothing is quite what it seems and it isn't long before Jonathan isn't quite sure what he's gotten himself into. -- Wicked AU.

Simple As That by @fuctacles | Art by DragonChris

Rating: General Audiences

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Eleven | Jane Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Erica Sinclair

Relationship(s):

Relationship(s): Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Maxine "Max" Mayfield & Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair & Lucas Sinclair

Summary: Sometimes, home is a girl, her boyfriend, and the freeloader on their couch.

or

Erica, the bestest sister ever, visits her brother for the weekend and makes Lucas question what exactly is happening between him, Max, and El.

Unseen Connections by @klausinamarink | Art by @yellowsweater-bluevest

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Character(s): Will Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Mike Wheeler, The Party (Stranger Things), Joyce Byers, Jonathan Byers

Pairing(s): Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Will Byers & Eleven

Summary: It's a miracle that Will Byers was found alive after a week of being missing. But Will doesn't feel like a miracle. Some days when it gets too much, he retreats into the void where he speaks to a girl with superpowers.

Only You (Until It Is Done) by @rajumat | Art by @alduade-art

Rating: Mature

Warnings(s): Graphic Depictions of Violence

Character(s): Steve Harrington, D'artagnan "Dart" (Stranger Things), Dustin Henderson, Robin Buckley, Eddie Munson, Billy Hargrove

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington & Dart the Demodog

Summary:

Trapped in the Upside Down after the night in the tunnels went horribly wrong, Steve is doing his best to pick himself up and keep going. Sure, his only company is Dustin’s ill-advised “pet demodog” Dart. And sure, they’re being hunted by the largest demogorgon that Steve has ever seen.

But it could be worse!

It’s not like the Russians are running their own experiments in the Upside Down or anything.

Fic 008 in 2024’s Reverse Big Bang!

Still The One by @faithfulcat111 | Art by @karadanverss

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings 

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers

Relationship(s): Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington

Summary: Sometimes things fall apart. But sometimes they can come together again.

In the Library There Lived a Hobbit by @formosusiniquis | Art by @thefreakandthehair

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Steve Harrington; Eddie Munson; Robin Buckley; The Party; Wayne Munson; Original Child Character

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson; Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Summary: Steve Harrington has always been a romantic. He spends his time in his head imagining possible futures with strangers, but one in particular has really caught his attention: the mysterious son of Wayne who comes to Baby and Me every week with his granddaughter Lucy. When opportunity knocks, Steve is quick to suggest that this mysterious dad starts volunteering at the library. Enter Eddie Munson, a high school crush, and now Steve has to deal with the fantasy single dad he'd been imagining being real, in the library, and reading fantasy books to kids twice a week.

I'm just gonna swim (until you love me) by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Art by @hereforanepilogue

Rating: General Audiences

Warning(s): Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings

Character(s): steve harrington, eddie munson

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper (mentioned)

Summary: He came here to distract himself from his thoughts about Hawkins and all the things he left behind. Most of them horrible; most of them things he hopes he’ll never have to experience ever again. The horrors that still haunt his nightmares. The hatred and the bigotry of the fine townspeople. But also … But also. Also the only people he’s ever called friends. The ones who stuck with him and defended him, even when everyone else called him a freak and a murderer. Who not only dragged him out of literal hell, but stuck around after. When the mobs and the torches and pitchforks were gone, and the wounds were scarred over, and his name had been cleared, but the rumors and the looks and the goddamn whispers remained. He’s been trying to forget about the past for two years. And now it’s standing in front of him in skinny jeans and a striped polo, pretty and perfect and kissable as ever, measuring him with an expectant look. — Or: The one in which Eddie goes to the aquarium and finds his past (and maybe his future) in the shark tank.

Let's Leave Nothing Unsaid by @salamandergoo | Art by @alduade-art

Rating: Mature

Warning(s): Graphic Depictions of Violence

Character(s): Robin Arellano, Finney Blake, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Gwen Blake, Dustin Henderson, Jeff, Gareth, Eddie Munson

Relationship(s): Robin Arellano & Finney Blake, Robin Arellano & Steve Harrington, Robin Arellano & Eddie Munson, Robin Arellano & Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley

Summary: Robin Arellano thought that if they could just get out of the basement of their kidnapper, he and Finney would be okay. They’d return to their normal lives. But normal was different, and years later he finds himself in Hawkins, Indiana on a desperate search to find his best friend. And then two days later, he’s searching again. Why can they not catch a break?

Worth the World by @lemonlimelights | Art by @anaccidentwaitingtohappen

Rating: Teens and Up

Warnings(s): No Archive Warnings Apply 

Character(s): Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington, Will Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington & Mike Wheeler, Mike Wheeler & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, (Minor) Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary: Steve and Mike give each other pep-talks in their own unique ways, and it works! The almost end of the world is rough but they can figure it out together.

Don't Stop Burning by @whataboutthefish | Art by @yellowsweater-bluevest

Rating: Teens and Up

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Jim Hopper, Eleven, The Party

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley

Summary: Escaping from Hawkin’s Laboratory had been hard, prying Papa’s phantom claws out of his mind took every strength he had. Seven thought that would be the hard part, but when he finally got free, running through unknown land with no direction to go he realized it had only been the beginning of this nightmare he was running from.

---

Stay tuned for more incredible works from the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang!

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[crabreadingfanfiction]

Sorry

Eleven (Jane Hopper) x Reader

(Unfinished for no specific reason other then I just never came around to continuing, been sitting on this so screw it I’ll just upload this here. My direction with this involved reader taking the place of Max with them “dying” If anyone wants to take what I’ve written and finishes it then go for it, you have my full permission and consent)

“Get off of me!” Punching the basketball player off, you run back to the Creel house.

Bursting through the door you yell out “Lucas! Jason is-“ Suddenly the floor below you breaks and you feel yourself falling. Opening your eyes your met with your old room.

“Sweetie.” Turning around you come face to face with your mother.

Falling backwards you land on your back. “M-mom?” Stuttering out your words as you slowly get up.

“How, where am I?” You ask as you walk closer to her.

She puts her arms out for a hug “What do you mean? We’re at home. *sigh* El is gonna be here soon, I invited her for dinner. I wanted to have dinner with my future daughter in law.” You feel your eyes tear up but soon realization hits you.

“Your not real.” Backing away your mother’s face shifts to confusion.

“Honey what are you talking about?” She moves closer as you slowly back away.

“Of course I’m real.” You want her words to be the truth but you know they’re lies.

“Your not real because your dead!” You yell at her as tears start to fall from your eyes.

“Your dead because of me!” Screaming this out causes her face to become blank.

“You did kill me didn’t you?” She says before walking slowly towards you, as her surrounding start to rot and her features change.

“I’m dead because of you. Because you killed me.” Her skin now pale and cold, a bite mark on her side with dried up blood.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d be alive wouldn’t I?” Your mind races and tears fall freely from your eyes. Your back to the wall as your mother approaches.

“You should’ve died that day. Right?” She questions as she stops a foot away from you.

“Yes. I-It should have been me.” Ever since that day, you’ve blamed yourself. If you would have listened to the party, if you listened to your mother.

You should have trusted Eleven but you let your fear of her getting killed take over. If you didn’t run to her, you wouldn’t have almost been stabbed by the mind flayer. Then your mom wouldn’t have pushed you out of the way. You remember that day, you always remember.

The scream of pain from your mom as the tentacle stabbed deeper. Your inability to help as you stay frozen in shock and horror. The way the mind flayer threw your mother aside like she was nothing. You only moved again when Eleven grabbed you hand as the two of you ran to safety.

You didn’t even notice when Billy sacrificed himself. You were so gone that the only thing that brought you back to reality. Was when Eleven brought you to your mom. As she lay dying, you remember the way she smiled at you.

Her last words to you. “Don’t blame yourself my sweet y/n. Remember what you father told you before he passed.” She places her hand on your cheek as tears fall from her eyes.

“I’ll always love you y/n even when I’m gone.” She says attempting to sound like your dad.

“Even when I’m gone y/n, I’ll still love you. You’re not alone either, you have your friends and most importantly Eleven.” She covers her mouth as she coughs, blood staining her hands.

“I love you both so much, take care of each other and always love each other.” She tells you and Eleven as she holds your intertwined hands.

“I’m just sad I’ll never get to meet my grand babies. But I’m happy to have had two amazing children even if you two aren’t married yet.” Even in a time like this she still knows what to say to make both you and Eleven blush.

Seeing you both blush causes you mother to laugh, but she coughs more blood soon after. “You two are adorable, I love you two so much. Goodbye my lovelies.” With her final words said your mother’s eyes close as she draws her last breath.

Coming back to the present you stare at the thing saying it’s your mother. “I can make your pain go away.” It states as it inches closer. Pushing it to the side you run out of your room and are met with the creel house.

Running to the front door you try to open it but it’s boarded shut. You start to attempt to break the boards off but nothing works. “Y/n. Just accept it. You will die here and be the final piece of my plan.”

Turning around your met with Vecna. “How are you here! I thought you had Max under your control now!” You scream out at him as a low chuckle escapes his throat.

“You truly believed I didn’t know what was going on? I knew your plan from the very start. Your friends in the upside down are dying as we speak.” As he tells you this your face pales.

‘How did he know?’ You question but Vecna soon answers.

“That nagging feeling you’ve felt, the feeling of being watched. That was me.” His statement makes your blood run even colder.

“I-I thought you only had four victims!?” You yell out questioning him. He just stares at you as if you’ve asked the dumbest question known to man.

“How naive are you to think I would not have a backup plan? It was a good thing too because it seems your lover has come to save Max” Vecna says with disgust and anger. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t notice Vecna was right in front of you.

“I may have given up Max but you will be my final key. Though I must say I will savor this moment.” Without another word Vecna puts his hand on your face. Suddenly you feel as if you’re very being is being pulled apart and out of you.

Screaming out all you can feel is excruciating pain. “Your screams amuse me. Sadly Eleven won’t be able to hear them.” Vecna states with joy, unbeknownst to either of you. Eleven has come to your aid, she throws Vecna away from you and through the wall.

Running to your side Eleven holds your face in her hands as she looks at your pained face. “El? You’re here?” You cry as she holds you in her embrace.

“Yes I’m here n/n (nickname).” You hold onto her as if she’ll disappear any second.

“I’m so scared El.” She

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

just a rhyme without a reason

by doriangrayscale

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & The Party, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler Character: Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Wayne Munson, Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair, Jason Carver, Jonathan Byers, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper Additional Tags: Bisexual Steve Harrington, Gay Eddie Munson, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, and ptsd, Slow Burn, Homelessness, Self-Harm through Self-Sacrifice, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Season 4 Rewrite, Steve Harrington Whump, No beta we die like Barb, Pining, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, light period-typical homophobia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Vague Suicidal Thoughts/Ideations, liberal use of echo and the bunnymen, Pre-Season/Series 04, I did mention angst right? Words: 78,139 Chapters: 12/12

Summary

The mall is destroyed. El’s lost her powers. Billy’s dead. So is Hopper. Steve is probably fucked up mentally for life, but what else is new? Steve has a pretty good thing going. He has kids to take care of, an awkward lesbian to advise. Max needs a big brother. Hawkins is his home, and Steve can’t just leave. Not while he’s still needed. He knows one day he won’t be. But for now, it’s enough. Or: the Harringtons sell their house before the real estate market goes belly-up. Hawkins has been going downhill for years, anyway. His parents give Steve a choice: move with them and finally take that job at his dad’s company or get left behind. For Steve, it wasn’t much of a choice at all. He may not have a house anymore, but his BMW’s backseat has served as a bed plenty of times already. No one has to know. The party has enough problems to worry about. Or: Eddie Munson worms his way into Steve’s sorry little life months before Vecna rears his ugly head. Or: Steve Harrington, a character study.

[keeryhours]

upcoming project teasers

everything i’m excited about/working on that has its own banner i wanna show off. new stuff coming soon under the cut!

Bigger Than The Whole Sky - Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Summary: It was early for a baby, admittedly. You were both scared shitless. But one thing you and everyone knew for certain was that you and Steve loved each other - and together, you could handle anything. A bump under your shirt and a ring on your finger later, and you were on your way to having the family of your dreams. But sometimes life has other plans. Horrible, fucked up, terrible plans that destroy everything you thought you knew.

We Are Never Getting Back Together - ex husband!dad!Eddie Munson x ex wife!mom!reader

Summary: Eddie Munson is a lot of things. Mechanic, musician, loving father to his 12, 9, and 6 year old girls, your ex husband, and huge pain in your ass. Stupidly handsome and infuriating with his ability to make you smile and to weasel his way into your bed - he makes your life infinitely more complicated. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with him.

Don’t Say You Love Me - Eddie Munson x Hopper!reader and Billy Hargrove x Hopper!reader

Summary: You’re Hawkins’ good girl. At least, that’s the image you’ve created, and it serves you well with your chief of police dad. It’s just you and him, and you’re close because of it. His main rules: keep your grades up, and no boys he doesn’t approve of. And at the top of his “absolutely not” list? Eddie Munson and Billy Hargrove. Your two secret friends with benefits. And when you end up pregnant and unsure which one’s the dad - everything falls apart.

Closer To Morning - older!Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Summary: After an amicable divorce from your husband Steve, you find yourself juggling being a single mother, the dating scene, Steve moving on, and living on your own for the first time. Things get interesting when your work friends drag you out to a bar and you meet Eddie - the handsome metalhead musician who isn’t at all your type, but sweeps you off your feet anyway. And when Eddie realizes your ex husband is his high school nemesis Steve Harrington? It becomes his life mission to make Steve jealous and show him just how much he’s changed since they knew each other.

Dinner in America - Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Summary: You’ve always been weird. You’re okay with that. Sheltered by your family, no real friends. The only thing you have to keep you company are your cassettes of anonymous underground metal band Corroded Coffin and your obsession with their masked lead singer, known only as JQ. Meeting down on his luck rocker Eddie as he’s running from the cops is unexpected - and so is falling in love while you go on a journey together through the suburbs of Indiana and the underground music scene.

Jason Doesn’t Know - older!Eddie Munson x Jason’s wife!reader

Summary: You loved Jason once. Maybe it was when things in your relationship were fresh, before the kids, before the marriage went stale. Maybe before he got so angry all the time. You knew cheating was wrong. You knew it was the ultimate betrayal. But when you meet Eddie - all sweet words, stolen kisses, and secret passionate trysts - he makes you feel alive. He makes you feel loved. He makes you willing to risk it all.

[ladykailitha]

Werewolf Steve!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone! I won't be able to answer too many of these because I am completely drained. Like usually I plot in my head all the time, but this trip had me running on empty the whole time.

I love my nieces and their mom to the moon and back, but it's the other side of my family who also came for the graduation that are the brain drains. I didn't want to spend the trip dueling with my dad over TV remotes (he'd come in while a couple of us were talking or chilling and turn the TV without asking), but I did.

My niece and her mom wanted me to stay a few extra days (my husband had to be home on Sunday and my other niece drove me and my son back down today) and then they proceeded to hide out in their rooms the whole time.

So, I'm home, I'm tired, but I am absolutely itching to write. So we'll see how this goes.

WIP Wednesday! Make me write.

Snippet

Tommy couldn’t wait until he turned eighteen. Then he could finally dispense with the fucking pretense of being Steve Harrington’s bitch.

Him and Carol had been ordered by Hopper to befriend Steve at school, to keep an eye on him. Asshole used his alpha voice and everything so they couldn’t refuse. Carol learned to actually like the knucklehead, but Tommy couldn’t stomach Steve. He wasn’t Pack. Not that Tommy wanted to be a werewolf. No, he had other plans. But to order them to hang out with the idiot was just too much to bear.

So when Billy Hargrove came into town and cleaned up that hornet’s nest that was the old Coven, Tommy knew what he wanted. He wanted real power. Werewolves were big slobbery beast who didn’t have a fucking thought in their head. Just pure instinct.

[maraudersmqry]

When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die

★ 5k words

★ time travel fix-it au

★ slowburn finney/robin

★ aged up characters

★ 3/20

Chapter Three: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64462024/chapters/166587040

Ages: 18: Vance, 17: Bruce, 16: Robin, Finney, Billy, 15: Griffin, Gwen, Susie, 14: Amy

JANUARY 3RD, WEDNESDAY.

TERRENCE BLAKE RESIDENCE.

Seeing Griffin was different than seeing Robin.

He had actually known Robin. Had spent real time with him. Had been to his house, had sat at his small kitchen table while his mom handed them tamales wrapped in foil and told them to eat more, “Mijo, you’re too skinny.”

He had helped his uncle pull weeds out of the cracked backyard, both of them sweating under the sun while Robin teased Finney for how slow he was going. He remembered their dumb arguments over comic books, the way Robin would lean back on two legs of his chair during math homework and nearly fall, the way they both laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe when it finally happened.

He knew him—not as a name, not as a face—but in that deep, instinctive way you know someone who’s walked beside you through the everyday. Someone whose presence fills up space like furniture. Solid. Familiar.

The others… the others were figments.

He knew of Bruce Yamada—the golden boy who somehow balanced perfect grades and a killer batting average, who people said smiled at everyone and never missed a homework assignment. Bruce had always looked like he stepped out of a movie, crisp and clean, a kind of all-American kid you saw in brochures or posters. So when word got around that he’d become friends with Vance Hopper, the entire school paused. People whispered about it in hallways. Bruce, who was always polite to teachers and never raised his voice. And Vance, who everyone knew had a temper like a lit match and a cigarette habit that didn’t care about school rules. Even Robin gave Vance a wide berth, and Robin didn’t scare easily. A year later, they proved the doubts about their friendship lasting to be wrong.

Billy Showalter was different. Not because anyone really knew him, but because you couldn’t avoid him. He was just there, part of the scenery. The paperboy, always on his bike. You heard him in the morning before you saw him. The whir of wheels, the thump of the paper hitting your porch. People recognized his face because he passed by every house in the neighborhood. He was like background noise—reliable, familiar, but distant. Not really someone you thought much about until he wasn’t there anymore.

And Griffin… Griffin Stagg was barely a name. He moved in and out of Denver so often, kids stopped bothering to remember which grade he was in. He was a quiet blur at the back of classrooms, the kind of kid you didn’t sit next to unless every other seat was full. His arrival sparked a handful of half-hearted rumors—his parents were divorced, his dad was military, maybe he got expelled from his last school, maybe he just didn’t talk much. But even those whispers faded quickly. He was unremarkable, unnoticed. The kind of kid who slipped through cracks before anyone realized he’d been standing on them.

Those were the only memories Finney could conjure up the first time he saw the posters. Names and faces pieced together from passing moments. Static images, like yearbook photos, with nothing behind the eyes.

But when Terrence told him Robin was missing—

It was different.

It wasn’t like seeing a stranger’s picture and frowning in vague recognition.

It was like the bottom dropped out from under him. Like someone had hit rewind on every memory they’d ever shared and forced him to live them all at once. The late-night talks on his porch steps. The fists Robin threw in his defense. The way he said Finney’s name when he was pissed. The way he said it when he wasn’t.

All of it, rushing back, sharp and clear. Like what they said happened in the split second before your death—everything flashing by in an instant, unbearably vivid.

Because Robin wasn’t just another name on a poster.

Robin was late-night bike rides with no destination. He was the stubborn kind of loyal that didn’t make sense, especially not in their world, where loyalty got you hurt. But Robin didn’t care. He stuck. He stayed. And Finney had leaned on that more times than he could count.

Robin was life.

That was why he couldn’t spend the night there, no matter how much Gwen wanted him to. No matter how safe the room was, or how kind her voice sounded when she told him it would be okay. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be near Robin—god, he did. He wanted to stay more than anything. But it felt too soon. Too raw. Like touching a bruise that hadn’t even begun to heal.

Finney knew he should feel overjoyed. He’d been given the impossible—Robin was back. Or rather, Finney was—in time at least.

But he was standing right in front of him, breathing the same air, making dumb jokes and rolling his eyes like nothing had changed. Though, everything had changed. Because every time Finney looked at him, really looked at him, he wasn’t seeing the now. He was back there.

Back in that cold, rotting basement. Back in the dark, sitting on the mattress with his arms wrapped tight around his knees, blood on his shirt, and screams stuck in his throat. Back to talking to ghosts and clutching the phone like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality.

And Robin—Robin had been one of them. A voice, a memory, a fading echo of something he could never touch again. Finney had already mourned him. Had already sat in silence, breaking piece by piece under the significance of losing him. And now, with Robin alive and here, Finney didn’t know how to hold that. Didn’t know how to carry both versions of him in the same heart.

So no—he couldn’t sleep under the same roof just yet. Couldn’t sit across from him in pajamas, pretending everything was fine. Not when the past still clawed at him every time their eyes met.

It wasn’t about not wanting to be there.

It was about not knowing how.

Which left him alone with Terrence in their desolate house, the walls bare—no photos, no memories, nothing that resembled a home.

Finney had never been good at pretending. It wasn’t that he wore his heart on his sleeve—it was that his silence screamed louder than any outburst ever could. And lately, he was silent almost all the time. Every interaction with Terrence felt like a shrinking room, the walls closing in, the air heavy with expectations he couldn’t meet and didn’t want to try.

He remembered Terrence’s relentless nagging from Before, how the man had always found something to pick at. With the new year, the piling bills, the fewer hours at work—it was all spiraling. A slow, inevitable collapse.

In all honesty, Finney thought about Terrence more often than he liked to admit—especially when he was trapped in the basement. It wasn’t that he missed him in the way a son should miss a father. He missed the familiarity of the pain Terrence gave out—the routine cruelty, the sharp edge of a slap, the sting of a belt. Pain with rules. Pain he could expect.

With Terrence, there was a rhythm. He could read the signs, brace for impact. If he kept quiet, if he kept out of sight, he might get through the day untouched. There was a sick sort of comfort in that predictability, in knowing what he was dealing with.

But the Grabber was something else entirely.

Down in that basement, Finney had come to understand a different kind of fear—the kind that hollowed you out. It was silent and watchful. It crept up when you least expected it. The Grabber didn’t follow rules. He played games with people’s lives. He smiled when he hurt you. He made cruelty into something personal, something intimate. And Finney never knew when it was coming, or how far it would go.

That made Terrence feel almost…safe, in comparison.

Almost.

It sickened Finney, sometimes, how his brain tried to rewrite things just to cope. To twist one nightmare into a lesser evil. But trauma didn’t care about fairness or logic. It just left scars—and sometimes, longing—for what hurt less.

Even so, Finney stayed silent as he moved through the kitchen, the only sound being the clink of the spoon against the cereal box. The house was dim, and cold in a way that felt less like temperature and more like absence. Terrence was nowhere in sight, but his presence still lingered like a bad smell—heavy and waiting.

The door to his bedroom was shut. Finney didn’t need to check. He knew.

He imagined the man passed out on the bed, maybe with a beer can slipping from his fingers, maybe just staring at the ceiling like he sometimes did—eyes glassy, mouth slack, as if life itself had already given up on him.

Finney didn’t twist the doorknob. Didn’t knock. Didn’t speak. He just stood there for a moment, holding his breath, feeling the tension in the walls like static before a storm. Then he turned away, busying himself with food.

Once upon a time, Finney would’ve sat beside Terrence on the bathroom floor while he puked his guts out, rubbing circles on his back the way he’d seen their mom do, back when things still felt fixable. Back when love was something he hadn’t yet learned to be afraid of.

He used to think that if he was gentle enough, quiet enough, good enough, maybe Terrence would soften. Maybe he’d notice. Maybe he’d stop.

But that time was long gone. Whatever pieces were left of that version of Finney—of that version of Terrence—had crumbled long ago.

Now, he didn’t sit beside him. Didn’t check if he was okay. Didn’t care to. That tenderness had been drained out of him over the years, replaced with silence, distance, survival.

It was over. Had been for a long, long time.

He poured himself a bowl of cereal in silence, the milk splashing softly, the scent of it slightly sour from being close to its expiration. He ate standing up, like always, not bothering to sit at the table. That would mean pretending they were a family.

He didn’t have the energy to pretend.

Finney took two bites, setting the rest in the sink.

“You’re not the boy I raised,” Terrence said that evening, voice low and rough, dragging the words out like a chain he expected Finney to wear. “I don’t know what the hell’s gotten into you.”

Finney didn’t look up from his math homework. The numbers were useless—they might as well have been scribbles on a wall. His mind wasn’t in the equations. It was drifting again, pulling him back to echoes of things that hadn’t happened in this timeline but still felt too vivid to forget. The basement. The blood. Robin’s broken body. Griffin’s hollow stare.

And Terrence.

Not the one standing behind him now, but the one from before. The same man, just… more obvious back then. Drunk and bitter and loud, with nothing to lose and no one left to blame but his own son and daughter.

Now, it was fiercer. Sharper. More controlled. But the poison was the same—just served in a colder glass. Terrence didn’t scream as much anymore, didn’t whoop them like he used to when they were small. He didn’t need to. His words did the damage now, calculated and deliberate, like knives slid beneath the skin where no one else could see. And Finney wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

Sometimes, the silence between them felt more violent than any of the shouting ever had.

Maybe Terrence hadn’t changed at all. Maybe he had just grown tired of making a scene, or maybe he finally realized that bruises fade, but words echo. Either way, the venom in him hadn’t gone anywhere. It had just learned to speak softer.

Finney had changed, though.

Or at least, he hoped he had.

He wasn’t the same boy who used to flinch when footsteps got too loud. The same boy who tried to make himself small just to keep the peace. Something inside him had hardened, cracked under the weight of too many memories he didn’t ask to carry. He wasn’t sure if that was a strength or just another kind of scar.

But it meant he saw Terrence more clearly now. Saw the way he twisted things, and rewrote history in real time to paint himself as the wounded one, the hero, the victim. Finney used to believe it. Used to ache with guilt every time Terrence sighed just a little too heavily or slammed a cupboard door just a little too loudly.

Now, he just felt tired.

The kind of tired that sank into his bones and stayed there, like it had always been part of him.

Maybe the poison had always been there, too. He was only just learning how to taste it.

“I ask you a simple question, and you sit there like I’m talking to a wall,” Terrence continued, pacing just out of Finney’s peripheral vision. “You’ve been walking around this house like a damn stranger. Like you don’t even live here.”

Finney’s fingers tightened around his pencil. He wanted to say I don’t, but that would only feed the flames. Terrence didn’t want honesty—he wanted submission. He wanted the version of Finney that was scared and apologetic and small.

He wasn’t that boy anymore. He couldn’t be.

“You used to care,” Terrence pressed, the floorboards creaking beneath his heavy footsteps. “Used to be polite. Respectful. You used to smile when I came home. You used to ask me how my day was.”

A glass bottle was gripped tightly in his hand, bearing the brunt of Terrence’s irritation in place of a fist.

“Hell, you haven’t said a word to me since I got up.”

He didn’t mention that it was nearly five o’clock.

Finney bit the inside of his cheek. He remembered doing those things. Not because he felt them, but because he thought maybe—just maybe—if he was good enough, his father would stop being so angry. That maybe, he could save Gwen from his wrath. That maybe kindness could soften something so broken.

But it never had.

“You think I don’t notice,” Terrence said. “But I do. I see the way you look at me now. Like I’m the problem.”

Finney stared down at the page, his pencil unmoving. You are.

“I bust my ass every day to keep this house running,” Terrence growled. “I pay the bills. I make the rules. And all I get in return is silence. Attitude. Disrespect.”

He wasn’t even yelling—not yet—but somehow it was worse. The lingering dead air made the venom hit harder. Terrence was building his case like a lawyer on a stage, laying every guilt-trap like it was gospel.

“I’m tired, Finney,” he said, lowering his voice into a false vulnerability. “I’m tired of feeling like the bad guy in my own home.”

Finney finally looked up, his eyes glassy but unreadable. “I’m fine.”

There was no use in arguing with him. Everything was Finney’s fault, it seemed.

Terrence’s head snapped toward him. “Fine?” he repeated, his voice thick with contempt. “You think this is fine? Look at yourself. You can’t even hold a conversation without acting like I’m some kind of stranger.”

“I’m tired,” Finney said again, louder this time. “That’s all.”

“Oh, you’re tired,” Terrence snapped. “Of course you’re tired. You kids today don’t know real work, real pressure. I come home every day with a back that feels like it’s going to snap, and you’re what? Sitting at a desk with some math book, pretending the world’s ending because of a bad test score?”

Finney stood, slow and deliberate, closing the textbook. “You don’t get it.”

Terrence laughed—sharp and cold. “No, you don’t get it. You think I enjoy being the villain? You think I like raising a kid who walks around like he’s the only one who’s ever suffered?”

Finney’s heart pounded, fast and shallow. “You don’t know anything about what I’ve been through.”

“I know exactly what you’ve been through,” Terrence snapped. “You’ve had it easy. You think losing your mom was hard? I lost her, too. And I still showed up. I still kept this family from falling apart!”

Finney’s stomach lurched. He remembered the nights Terrence didn’t show up. The dinners Gwen tried to patch together dinners with leftovers. The way the house felt like a trap, like something alive and waiting to devour them both. He remembered Terrence storming through the door, already reeking of beer, snarling at nothing and everything.

“You think keeping the lights on makes you a good dad?” Finney asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “You think putting food on the table gives you permission to hurt people?”

Terrence’s eyes flashed. “You ungrateful little shit.”

The slap never came—but Finney saw the moment when he considered it. The twitch in his shoulder, the shift in his stance. Terrence was trying to restrain himself, not for Finney’s sake, but for his own pride. He needed to believe he was better than that.

“You know what your problem is?” Terrence said, stepping forward. “You’re selfish. You want everyone to pity you. Poor Finney. Lost his mom. Doesn’t talk much. Has a hard time in school. Boo-fucking-hoo.”

Finney flinched, not from fear—but from fury. “You don’t know me.”

“I raised you!”

“No,” Finney said, his voice shaking with rage. “You raised a version of me you could control. That’s not the same.”

Terrence moved closer, invading his space, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, so now you’re a psychologist, huh? You gonna diagnose me next? Tell me I’m toxic? Maybe write a little essay about your traumatic childhood?”

Finney stepped back, tears welling in his eyes, not because he was scared—but because he was tired. So tired of trying to explain his pain to someone who only saw it as ammunition.

“I’m not your enemy,” Terrence said suddenly, lowering his voice again, switching tactics like a chameleon. “You think I wanted things to be like this? You think I wanted to be alone in that room every night while you avoid me like I’m diseased?”

Finney said nothing. He knew this game too.

“You’ve changed,” Terrence murmured, almost sadly. “You used to look up to me.”

“I used to be a kid.”

Terrence flinched like he’d been struck. His face hardened again. “So that’s it then? You’re just done with me?”

Finney turned toward the door. “You were done a long time ago. I just stopped pretending.”

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Terrence barked.

He followed after his son, marching from the bedroom and through the living room—feet hitting the floor harder than Finney could will himself to.

Finney’s hand paused on the doorknob.

“I am your father,” Terrence spat. “I made you. Without me, you’d be nothing. Don’t forget that.”

Finney turned to face him, his voice quiet but full of fire. “Without you, I might’ve been okay.”

He stepped outside, letting the door close behind him. The night air was bitterly cold, but it was cleaner than the air in that house. No shame. No guilt. Just breathing.

He didn’t know where he was going. Maybe to Robin’s. Maybe nowhere. Maybe he just needed the sky above him and the wind in his lungs to remind him he was still here.

Alive. Scarred. But free.

For now.

The sky was a dull gray, clouds rolling like wet wool across the rooftops. He walked without thinking, hands in his pockets, feet finding the sidewalk like muscle memory. Past the grocery store, the corner diner with peeling letters, the bench where he and Robin used to throw pebbles at cars when they were twelve.

Robin.

Alive.

Griffin.

Alive.

It still didn’t make sense.

Finney didn’t know where else to go, but his feet took him to the park anyway. The one a few blocks from the school. The one where he and Gwen used to play when their mom was still alive—when Terrence still tried, or at least pretended to. Back then, they used to sit on the swings and chase pigeons. Back then, things didn’t hurt all the time.

He crossed the street and stepped onto the grass. It crunched beneath his shoes, brittle from the cold. The trees were bare, their limbs reaching up like broken fingers. A few kids were scattered around the jungle gym, bundled up in puffy coats and bright mittens, their laughter distant and hollow.

He wasn’t dressed for the cold at all—just a thin, long-sleeved shirt that clung to him like a second skin, offering no real protection from the bite of the wind. The fabric rippled faintly with each gust, and goosebumps lined his arms like raised warnings. It was the kind of cold that slipped beneath your clothes, sharp and persistent, and he hadn’t even bothered to fight it.

Finney sat on one of the old metal benches near the edge of the park, the kind that always seemed to lean slightly forward, as if it wanted to tip you out. He hunched his shoulders and stared at the scuffed toes of his sneakers. For a while, he just listened—to the wind, the occasional bark of a dog, the whistle of a far-off train.

He didn’t want to think. But the thoughts came anyway.

The basement. The dirt under his fingernails. The phone that shouldn’t have rung but did.

Robin’s ghost standing beside him, fists clenched, telling him to fight.

Griffin’s voice. The timid one. “Don’t hang up.”

Finney closed his eyes and leaned back against the bench. He could still hear their voices like it had all just happened. Could still feel their presence like shadows burned into his bones.

Because technically, it did just happen. Because just last night he was trying to keep his eyes open—afraid the Grabber would come when he’s asleep.

But they were here now. Real. Breathing.

He just didn’t know what to do with that.

“Hey.”

The voice was there—not some distant echo. Weak and uncertain.

Finney’s eyes snapped open.

Griffin stood a few feet away, half in shadow. He wore a red hoodie, the hood pushed back to reveal his messy hair. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he shifted awkwardly, like he hadn’t meant to be caught standing there.

Finney blinked. “Stagg?”

“Yeah. Hey, Blake.” Griffin said. He looked around like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to stay. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

“You didn’t.” Finney sat up straighter. “I just wasn’t paying attention.”

Griffin nodded once, then hovered a second longer before gesturing to the other side of the bench. “Can I…?”

“Yeah,” Finney said quickly. “Of course.”

Griffin sat down. Not too close. Just enough space between them to be respectful. His knees bounced a little, like he was trying to burn off nerves he didn’t know how to explain.

They sat in silence for a minute. Not uncomfortable, but not exactly easy either.

“You come here a lot?” Finney asked finally, eyes fixed on the cracked pavement near the swing set.

“Sometimes,” Griffin said. “Needed to get out of the house.”

“Same.”

Griffin glanced at him, then quickly away again. His shoulders were hunched, his posture defensive, like the question had taken more courage than he’d expected.

“Your dad, uh… strict?”

The word hung in the cold air for a beat too long, thin and inadequate. It didn’t cover half of it. Maybe it never could.

Finney gave a short, humorless laugh. “That’s one word for it.”

His voice was steady, but there was a darker meaning behind it—an edge that hinted at more than he was letting on. He didn’t elaborate—he didn’t need to. The silence that followed said everything. It stretched between them like a wire, taut with understanding neither of them wanted to admit out loud.

Griffin nodded once, still not meeting his eyes. He looked down at the bench between them and started tracing something on the metal armrest with his finger. A scratch that was already there. A spot of rust. Anything to give his hands something to do.

“Yeah,” he muttered, his voice even softer now. “Mine too.”

It was said like a confession. Not dramatic, not attention-seeking—just quietly, with the kind of rawness that only comes from lived experience. Like he’d been holding the words in his throat for a long time and wasn’t sure if it was safe to let them out.

Finney didn’t say anything right away. His gaze drifted to Griffin’s hand, the way his fingers kept moving even though there was nothing left to trace. Just nervous energy spilling out. It was strange, how much he recognized in that small motion. The restless habit of someone trying not to think too hard. Trying not to remember.

“I used to make excuses for him,” Finney said eventually, his voice low. “To Gwen. To myself. Like… maybe he was just tired. Or stressed. Or whatever reason made it not his fault.”

Something fragile flickered in Griffin’s eyes, who nodded.

Finney exhaled slowly. The park around them had gone daft—families heading home to eat dinner—except for the wind rustling the brittle branches and the occasional creak of the swing set. Somewhere far off, a dog barked. Everything else felt still. Suspended.

“It’s weird,” Griffin said after a moment, pulling his sleeves down over his hands. “The way people talk about dads. Like they’re supposed to be these heroes or something. Fixing cars, throwing baseballs, grilling steaks. Mine just drinks a lot. Yells more.”

Finney nodded. “Mine too. He comes home and slams the door so hard the windows rattle. I’d sit real still on the couch, like if I didn’t breathe too loud, maybe he’d forget I was there.”

Griffin didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. His hand stilled. His eyes were glassy now, not with tears, but with that sheen of old pain pressed too close to the surface.

“You ever try to fight back?” Griffin asked, not like he expected an answer—more like he was thinking out loud.

Finney hesitated. “Once.”

Griffin turned to look at him.

“I was little. He yelled at Gwen, and I snapped. Got in the way. Told him to stop.” Finney rubbed left hand like the memory still left a mark. “Didn’t go great.”

Griffin didn’t laugh, but he smiled just a little. A sad, understanding smile.

“I used to hide his beer,” Griffin offered, glancing out at the empty slide set across from them. “Thought maybe if he couldn’t find it, he’d be okay. He just yelled louder.”

They sat in silence for a while after that, both boys staring out at the park like it held answers they hadn’t found yet. There was no need to fill the quiet. The space between them wasn’t awkward—it was heavy with understanding. With all the words neither of them had ever been allowed to say at home.

“My mom used to sing to me,” Griffin said suddenly, voice barely above a whisper. “Before she left. Real soft. At night. I think I only remember it because it was the only time I ever felt safe.”

Finney’s chest ached. He hadn’t expected that. Not from Griffin. Not from today. But maybe that was the thing about pain—it recognized its own reflection in other people. It pulled you in, even when you weren’t ready for it.

“I remember my mom too,” Finney said. “She’d hum when she did the dishes. Nothing special. Just… soft. Like background music. When she died, the house got too quiet. Like the walls knew something was missing.”

Griffin looked at him again, and for the first time, there was no guardedness. Just quiet recognition. The kind of connection that could only come from living through something similar—something you wouldn’t wish on anyone else.

“I don’t talk about her much,” Griffin admitted. “People don’t know what to say. So they just say nothing.”

“Yeah,” Finney murmured. “Or worse, they say stuff like ‘everything happens for a reason.’”

Griffin scoffed. “I hate that one.”

They both let out small, half-hearted laughs—tired sounds from tired hearts.

“I used to think if I was just better,” Griffin said after a moment, his voice rough, “he’d stop. Like, if I did everything right, maybe it’d finally be enough.”

Finney looked down at his hands. “Me too.”

He didn’t say what he was really thinking—that even after everything, after the basement and the phone and the blood on the tiles, a part of him still wondered if it was something he’d done. Some flaw in him that had made the world hurt so much. That maybe if he’d just tried harder, Robin wouldn’t have died. Maybe Griffin wouldn’t have. Maybe they wouldn’t be here now, sitting on a cold metal bench trying to stitch words over wounds that had never healed right.

But he didn’t say that. He just sat there, beside someone who had been dead once and now was alive. Someone who still carried the same bruises, even if they were on the inside.

Griffin pulled his knees up to his chest. “You ever feel like you’re stuck in between something? Like… not where you were, but not where you’re going either?”

Finney nodded slowly. “All the time.”

Something shifted—like a thread had been tied between them.

“I’m sorry if I was weird today,” Griffin said suddenly. “At lunch. I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“You didn’t,” Finney said, maybe too fast. “It wasn’t you. It’s just—” He stopped. Swallowed. “Things have been kind of messed up lately.”

Griffin gave a slow nod. “Yeah. Same here.”

They both looked out at the park again. The jungle gym was empty now. Just one swing moved in the wind, creaking gently, like it remembered when someone used to push it.

“I get these dreams,” Griffin said quietly, after a long moment. “Weird ones. Scary. But familiar, too. Like I’ve been somewhere before, even though I know I haven’t.”

Finney didn’t breathe.

Griffin rubbed the back of his neck, eyes on the ground. “Lately, I’ve been having these dreams. There’s this… basement. And a black phone on the wall. It rings, but no one else seems to hear it. And sometimes, I think I hear your voice.”

Finney stiffened, his breath catching, but he quickly masked it, forcing a shaky laugh as he looked away. “Weird dream.”

Griffin glanced up, clearly unsure. “Yeah. It’s probably just that—just a dream. I’ve been having a lot of those lately.”

“Stress, maybe,” Finney said quickly, cutting off the silence. “School’s been kinda nuts.”

Griffin nodded slowly, but his brows stayed knit. “Yeah… maybe.”

Finney forced a smile and nudged his shoulder. “Hey, you wanna go throw rocks at the frozen pond or something? Bet I can skip one further than you.”

Griffin hesitated, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward. “You’re on.”

Neither of them said anything else about the dreams.

After a moment, Finney glanced over. “You can just call me Finney, by the way.”

Griffin raised an eyebrow. “Not Finn?”

Finney scratched the back of his neck. “I mean—only a couple people call me that. Robin does. Gwen, sometimes.”

Griffin smirked. “Relax, I was just messing with you. Finney it is. You can call me Griffin. It’s not like saying my name brings bad luck or anything.”

“Are you sure you’re not related to Mary?”

Griffin shoved his shoulder, “Shut up.”

I hope you enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are appreciated. Like always, more chapters are available on ao3 :)

[empress-of-snark]

Heard this is the place for Jonathan aus so here’s something I’ve been brainstorming

Mamma Mia AU

Jonathan has always wondered about his birth father but all Joyce ever told him was that it was summer romance, and he’d gone long before she found out she was pregnant. But one day he stumbles upon her old diary and discovers he has not 1 but 3 potential fathers -Jim Hopper, Bob Newby, and Murray Bauman- and decides to invite them all to his upcoming wedding.

- Lonnie is Will’s dad but not Jonathan’s, he met/married Joyce after Jonathan was born and they’ve since divorced

- Was thinking Nancy as Skye but could be anyone you ship Jonathan with

- Joyce unfortunately doesn’t have female bffs in ST so the best I got is Karen in her divorce era as Tanya and maybe Mrs. Henderson as Rosie and yes they were totally in the world’s first girl power band

- Can play around with setting, dealers choice if it’s still a musical

Okay first of all, love that I'm apparently gaining a reputation as someone who loves and appreciates Jonathan Byers and will always accept AU ideas for him, because that's exactly who I am

Second of all, oh my god?? I love this so much??

I've actually thought about the possibility of a Mamma Mia AU in the past, but with either Nancy or Chrissy as Donna, and some combination of Jonathan/Eddie/Steve/Billy/etc. as the potential fathers, but this version is so much funnier because the idea of Jonathan being the main character of a musical is so unlike him 😂

Even better if it is still a musical, but he's the only one who doesn't sing lmaoo

Casting here is so spot on because if Joyce ends up marrying Hopper, that means Murray will end up being gay, Bob will get together with Claudia Henderson (which, frankly, adorable), and Karen Wheeler will flirt shamelessly with a bartender (Billy?) that's way too young for her (accurate)

Either Nancy or Chrissy would make a great Skye, plus Eddie and Steve could have bit parts as Jonathan's groomsmen who try to help him figure out which is his real dad 😂

In short, OBSESSED. Thank you SO much for sending me this ask, it genuinely made my day lmao

[an-automatic-harringrove-feed]

Lie Better by ShieldOfIron The boy froze, his spine going ramrod straight, and then he turned, coal black eyes locking onto Billy's. Billy couldn't breathe, caught in a snare he couldn't dare explain. Or maybe he could, it was called being gay and seeing the most beautiful boy you'd ever met look at you like you're something that belongs on the bottom of his shoe. No, worse than that. He looked furious, livid, dangerous. The boy, Steve Harrington, clamped a hand over his mouth and ran out of the room. Words: 1302, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Chrissy Cunningham, Jason Carver, Heather Holloway, Carol Perkins, Tommy Hagan, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, Mike Wheeler, Will Byers Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Additional Tags: Twilight AU, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Short One Shot, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Human/Vampire Relationship, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Background Relationships, Soft Billy Hargrove, Mentioned Hopper is Billy's Real Dad, this ones wild, No beta we die like Barb, One Shot

[sweepweep]

Ok so about Stranger Things again

1. Steve Harrington is literally living my dream of working at an ice cream parlour in a stupid little sailor uniform. I didn't know it was my dream before I saw this show.

2. Apparently the creepy mom didn't go on the date (ew) because she saw her husband sleeping with her daughter also sleeping on his lap. She went to apologize to the guy who is the same age as her daughter (I think his name is Billy) and now I don't know if she's dead or not. Like this was after Billy got taken (infected?) by the fae so he had like a day dream of slamming her head into the wall then it cuts back to her calling out his name very much alive and then he had another one that was a lot less clear but now Billy is established as an unreliable narrator so I don't know.

3. Max and Elle even after the time skip obviously were not on good terms with each other (not bad either but like awkward since when Max was first establishing herself as a character she was trying to be friends with Mike and find out what his problem was with her and Elle saw but didn't have context so she got jealous so when they finally meet Elle is really cold to her) so I love that when Elle came to her about her relationship issues (courtesy of Elle's new dad: Sheriff Hopper but Elle doesn't know that he threatened her boyfriend) and learns that Mike (Elle's boyfriend) obviouly lied about his grandmother and THINKS he did it to play dnd with his friends she's like "NUH UH GIRL. IF HE DOESN'T EXPLAIN HIMSELF OR APOLOGIZE YOU NEED TO DUMP HIS ASS. YOU CAN NOT SPEND YOUR LIFE CLINGING TO A BOY. COME ON LET'S GET YOU SOME INDIVIDUALITY. YOU EVER BEEN TO A MALL? NO, IT'S AGAINST YOUR DAD'S RULES TO GO TO PLACES WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE? YOU HAVE SUPERPOWERS, YOU'RE A BAD BITCH. WHAT'S THE WORSE THAT COULD HAPPEN? COME ON, WE'RE HAVING A GIRL'S DAY WE'RE GOING SHOPPING. WE'RE GOING TO FIND STUFF THAT FEELS LIKE 'YOU.' NOT YOUR DAD. NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND. STUFF YOU LIKE. YOU LIKE THAT THING? WE'RE GETTING IT." And then they have a cute little montage of trying out clothes and buying stuff and now I am jealous of Elle's wardrobe because that is exactly how I want to dress.

4. I feel so bad for Will. Sir went through so much only for his friends to ditch or ignore him after they get girlfriends. And he's being plagued by visions of disaster again. And he's right. Again. And he says nothing. Again. Probably because his friends have probably ignored him before. And because it's been a year or something since the events of season 2 happened.

5. Dustin claims he got a girlfriend at camp at tried to contact her via radio because her parents are Mormons or something. Really sad no one believes him. He thinks they ditched him BECAUSE they don't believe him but they actually left because they had been in the middle of nowhere for hours with no response and it was getting late. Good news is he found another radio signal that peaked his interest. Bad news is he thinks they're evil because they were speaking Russian even though he can't understand a single word they're saying which is super racist of him. Worse news, he's right.

1. Yeah thats honestly so real I wish it paid a real living wage

2. Dubiously Dead

3. Wait wait stop thats really sweet

4. NOOO WHAT?! Urgh I hate that the poor guy :(

5. Guy can’t catch a break good lord