#hopper said: you need to learn to live without this thing kid

[ikarakie]

eddies's first impression of steve harrington post-high school comes when hes loitering in family video one day. chief hopper comes in, much to his and his friends' chagrin, carrying a fucking... nail bat?

robin buckley, upon seeing him, darts around the corner and comes back with a dishevelled steve in tow. he looks jittery and worried. he reaches for the bat, but hopper moves it slightly out of reach and says something rather pointed. eddie moves closer, watching as steve takes and cradles the bat before disappearing into the back room of family video.

he hears buckley say: "thank you. he's been insufferable all day."

hopper replies: "im worried about him, using that thing as a crutch. he shouldn't- you're all too young. shouldn't have to do that shit." buckley smiles a little grimly and agrees. thanks the man again before he leaves.

eddie is left with so many burning questions. mainly: why is the chief of police hand delivering a probably illegal weapon to harrington at 11am in the morning?

[questionablequeeries]

Free Space (Too Far Gone? by Metallica)

Day 0

“Absolutely not. We need to put it outta its misery.” Hopper insisted as they recovered in the Harrington home. He grimaced when the sound of screeching and thrashing sounded from the basement, and Steve would have found the expression almost humorous any other day.

“He’s not an it!” Dustin protested, “And we didn’t abandon Will! We don’t leave party members if they can be saved!”

Nancy sighed, taking a gulp of water to gather her thoughts before she spoke, “Will was savable. Eddie is…Is he even Eddie anymore? He didn’t drop when the other democreatures did, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means everything!” Dustin’s voice got a little louder, “I don’t know what final boss battle you guys were watching, but Eddie, El, and Will did most of the heavy lifting!” While tentacles (vines? Whatever, either way Steve wanted to pretend that hadn’t happened) pinned them down, Eddie had turned on Vecna. He’d bared his fangs and lunged, catching the monster offguard enough for Eleven to mindblast the vines (vines aren’t slimy. Definitely tentacles) off of herself. He had even caught a tentacle (but tentacles imply they’re attached to something and the majority weren’t. So…vines?) through the chest for his trouble. Apparently whatever had been done to him made him heal faster, so yay for small miracles.

“He’s staying.” Steve finally spoke up, “Hop, with all due respect I won’t hesitate to do what it takes to protect him.” His voice was even, the ‘from you’ left unsaid but still understood.

Hopper paused before he sighed, “We do this, you aren’t taking care of him alone. The second he becomes too much of a danger…”

“He won’t.” Steve said firmly. They would make it through the night and pull his heart into the day.

Day 1

“Wow, you look bad.” Robin grimaced at the sight of her platonic soulmate absolutely drenched from head to toe.

Steve sighed as he wrung out his shirt, “I had El restrain Eddie so I could chain him up.”

“And that required you to take a swim first?” Robin arched an eyebrow as she walked into Steve’s bathroom and gathered a few towels.

“It was for a bath. He hasn’t had one since at least three days before he died.” Steve grumbled, drying himself off, “I know he’s not exactly Eddie right now but the moment he remembered he had wings was the most Eddie thing I’ve ever seen.” He’d watched as Eddie had gone from thrashing in the plastic pool they’d brought down to flapping a tidal wave in Steve’s general direction, making an almost pleased sort of chirp. The bastard had even looked smug, and it was annoying, but it was all the proof he needed that Eddie still lived, was more than an attack dog. It was progress.

Day 10

“So, um, the party’s gonna deal with Acererak, but the twist is that he’s the DMNPC that’s been traveling with them.” Will explained his next campaign, glancing over to Eddie. The man had to be restrained when people were with him, and the kids needed an adult by their side, but he couldn’t help thinking that maybe the vampire wasn’t so bad. After all, being changed by the Upside Down didn’t mean you were automatically evil, just…different.

Steve smiled softly. He was pretending to read a magazine to give them some privacy, but he heard the curious chirps Eddie was making, the inquisitiveness spoken in a language Steve was starting to learn, and he couldn’t help speaking up, “I think he wants to know more.”

Will’s eyes lit up, “Okay, the big reveal’s gonna be at the end of the tomb…”

Night 35

Steve was woken up by screeching, mournful and terrified. He booked it downstairs so fast he nearly fell down the last steps. He saw Eddie in his little nest of sweatshirts he’d taken from Steve, wings wrapped around himself and brows furrowed, fighting some horrors his own mind had created. Without hesitation, Steve climbed into the nest and laid there, pulling Eddie into his arms and brushing his hair back, “It’s okay,” He whispered, “You’re not alone.”

Day 63

Dustin was sat right next to Eddie, reading from The Hobbit, when he felt a wing wrap around him, startling him out of the paragraph, “You okay? Do you need something?”

Steve grinned, “I think that’s mostly because he can’t do it with his arm.”

Eddie let out a confirming chitter.

“Let’s let him out!” Dustin undid the chains before he could be stopped though, considering it was just he and Steve, there wasn’t really a voice of reason there.

Eddie froze when he was freed, looking around the room as if this was a trap, a trick, and a soft whine pulled from his throat.

“No, it’s okay. Like this, see?” Dustin demonstrated by wrapping an arm around Eddie’s stomach.

Eddie hesitated before he rested a clawed hand on Dustin’s curls and ruffled them. What startled both Steve and his semi-child was the purr that rumbled from the vampire’s chest.

Day 86

Steve walked downstairs with breakfast. They’d found that Eddie could eat normal things but that most of his nutrients came from blood, so the adults had been donating when they could. Thankfully, he only seemed to need to be fed once a day, with Steve giving him human food the rest of the time. He frowned when he heard what sounded like hissing, an incessant ‘s’ sound, “What is it? You okay?” He asked in concern, setting down the cup and approaching his vampire.

Eddie let out an annoyed sort of grunt then continued hissing, shaking his head.

Steve crouched down in front of Eddie, resting a hand against his cheek, “What’s wrong? Do we need El?” Because Eleven was the only one who could communicate with Eddie better than Steve through her static blindfold mind powers (and Steve totally wasn’t jealous, no, why would he be? Totally fine with someone else speaking to his Eddie, totally chill and cool)

Eddie growled, hissing louder, until he stopped and took a deep breath. Robin had been teaching him how to control his emotions, though hers were mostly panic attack related. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes, “SSSSSStevie.” He whispered.

Steve felt tears spill out, instantly throwing himself at Eddie, “Yeah, Baby, it’s me.” He murmured into a cold neck that still felt so familiar, “Welcome home.”

@steddie-week You can read the entire week here!

[deadbydad]

Kisses in the rain for Brance? 👉🏻👈🏻

We love a good kiss in the rain!

Vance Hopper was well aware that he had anger issues.

He was constantly reminded about them by the people round him and the things he does when he does get to certain level of anger, so it really wasn't that easy to forget about them.

And everyday Vance wished he didn't have them.

The blonde hadn't thought about his issues as a big deal, it was just something that others needed to get over and fuck off about, but someone has made him start thinking about them differently.

That said someone just happened to be Bruce Yamada.

When people found out that they were dating, it was the only thing that people talked about around town for three whole months.

It was a surprise, and honestly Vance couldn't blame them, he was just as shocked as they were when it registered in his mind that the Golden Boy was dating him of all people.

Out of any girl or boy in the school, he chose Vance.

And that scared him.

The blonde was afraid that his anger issues was going to hurt Bruce in any way, and if that ever happened he didn't know how he could live with that.

Bruce was the light of his life and the one thing he looked forward to when he wakes up and the last thing that's on his mind when he falls asleep.

He loves him so much it hurts and he doesn't want to lose him.

But here he is, running away from his lover in fear.

It wasn't his boyfriend that he was scared of, hell he could never be scared of Bruce, Vance is running away from another pain that he had caused.

Vance and Bruce had gotten into fights before, but every time they were just small ones that were easily resolved with either male apologizing to the other one and that was it, problem solved.

But this fight was different.

They had gotten into an argument over one simple question that the blonde male had asked.

"Why me of all people?"

It was something that had been on the back of Vance's mind for a while now but he never wanted to bring it up because he felt like it wasn't that important so he ignored the thought. But eventually it corrupted his mind and it became what he thought about day and night.

"That's a stupid question Vance," Bruce had replied honestly without looking up from his homework. The answer from his boyfriend annoyed the blonde a little bit.

"But you could do so much better Bruce." That caused the other male to set down his pencil and turn round to look at the blonde who was clenching his jaw and his fists so hard that his nails were digging into the skin of his palm. It hurt but it didn't matter to Vance so her ignored it and instead focused on Bruce's soft but puzzled expression that was painted on his gorgeous face.

"Where is this even coming from," the darker haired male had asked with a certain tone in his voice, one that the taller male couldn't name for the life of him.

Vance had to mentally stop himself from lashing out.

"There's fucking better people that will treat you right!" Finally losing it, the blonde had started to slowly raise his voice in annoyance, once again forgetting how to control his anger.

Not that he even ever learned how to.

This caused a reaction to erupt from the shorter male.

"That's so random and out of nowhere Vance, what are you even fucking talking about," Bruce raised his voice back towards the other male that equally matched his anger.

"Don't fucking play dumb with me you know I'm right," Vance was full on yelling now and he didn't care about the consequences at the moment.

"You have so many fucking girls that are fawning over you, dying to be with the Golden Boy of the town but instead you chose to pick the fucked up kid who does nothing but hurt people, and that's a fucking terrible choice if you ask me!"

"That's not true," Bruce denied as he started walking towards the other male who only backed away from his lover.

"God Bruce sometimes you're so fucking stupid!"

That made the shorter male gasp at Vance's words, his body frozen in shock as he stared at his lover who was equally as shocked.

This was the one thing that the blonde had wished to not happen, and it wasn't granted.

Vance hadn't noticed that he turned away from the other males gaze and started to run out the door and into the pouring rain, the feeling of his hair getting wet and damp and the faint sound of Bruce yelling out to him was the only thing that he could hear and feel.

He couldn't get it out of his head, the whole argument and the pained and hurt look that his lover had on his face from those hurtful words that the blonde had yelled at him.

"God Bruce sometimes you're so fucking stupid!"

Never in his life had he regretted something so much that it caused him to burst into tears. Vance had always hated crying, it made him feel weak and he hated that feeling. Been known around town as the violent kid who was no good was something that Vance had lived up to and had taken the name for the one reason that people were actually paying attention to him for once.

But he had someone who gave him attention, and he might have just lost him forever.

Vance didn't hear the footsteps and the small splashes from all the ringing in his ears and the repeated words of that one sentence.

"Vance."

It was Bruce.

The blonde felt a hand being gently placed on his shoulder which he flinched away from, too afraid to look at the other male in fear of what he was going to see what laid behind those beautiful hazel eyes that he had grown to love.

"Please, look at me," Bruce begged softly which caught the blonde male in surprise.

'Why isn't he mad at me?"

Finally getting the courage to look at him, Vance turned around to see that his lover had no sign of hatred or anger on his face but instead there was a gentle smile on his face that made the other male let out a small breath that he didn't know he had been keeping in.

The shorter male gently placed his hand on the blonde males face, cupping his cheeks and Vance instantly nuzzled his face into Bruce's palms.

"Why aren't you mad at me," Vance asked softly as if he was afraid that Bruce was going to leave him.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

He gave the shorter male a look of confusion.

"I said those hurtful things to you Bruce," the taller male whispered, "I hurt you." Bruce just shook his head and once again gave his lover a small smile.

"Yes you said some hurtful things to me, but I know that you didn't mean them Vance," Bruce answered with love and care in his tone that caused Vance to cry a little bit more, not caring that his lover was seeing him break down like this.

The shorter male wiped away the tears with his thumb.

"You wanna know why I chose you?"

Vance closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly.

"It's because you're different, a good different. You don't let others walk on you and you're smarter than you think you are, you don't worship me and treat me like I'm someone who needs saving," Bruce said as he pressed a kiss to the taller males forehead.

Vance felt a smile appear on his face at those words, it felt good having those said to him when all his life he was called a good for nothing kid who isn't going anywhere in life.

"Yes, there are people out there that I could have chosen, but I didn't want them, I wanted you Vance, and that's the best decision I have ever made and it always will be."

For once in his life he wasn't ashamed to let his walls, the ones that he put up because he was too scared to let people in, come crashing down. For once he was okay to let the one person that he loved and cared about see his emotional side, one that wasn't just angry but instead it was fear and other emotions that he couldn't describe.

The blonde leaned down to rest his forehead against his lovers own, the tears have stopped and the only thing that he cared about was the special person infront of him that had nothing but pure adoration and love for the blonde.

"I don't deserve you Bruce," Vance muttered as he rested his hands on the shorter males waist and gazed deep into Bruce's hazel eyes.

"Oh Vance, don't say that," Bruce whispered back, "you deserve the world and everything that's good in it."

The two males stared at each other, the only thing that could be heard was the drops of rain hitting the pavement under them. There was nothing that mattered to Vance except the boy that he loved and would do anything for standing in front of him.

He was too distracted that he didn't notice that Bruce had leaned up to press his lips against Vance's and had wrapped his arms around his neck. Eventually the blonde had popped out of his little world and kissed back with as much love that his lover had.

The two males smiled against each others lips as they moved their lips in sync. Kissing Bruce was something that Vance was quickly getting addicted to, never wanting to stop and he was perfectly fine with that.

The shorter male pulled away with a giggle escaping his lips, causing the blonde to let out a laugh himself as he felt himself fall more and more in love with this boy.

Vance picked the other male up by his waist, earning a surprised yelp from his lover, and spun him in the air, the two laughing in sync.

Neither of them cared that it was raining and they didn't have jackets on and they could get sick from that, but that's okay and the only thing that mattered was that they were in love.

Vance finally put the other male down as they caught their breaths and stared at each other with smiles on their faces.

The blonde grabbed Bruce's hand with his own and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles.

"I love you, Vance Hopper," Bruce said as he once again lifted his face towards the taller males so that their lips were brushing against one another's.

"I love you too, Bruce Yamada." Vance connected their lips once again.

He was glad that this boy had chosen him over anyone else.

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

I loved writing this and I hope I got Vance right!

Anyway, to the anon that requested this, I hope you enjoyed this fic!

@vanneyiscanon

@vintagemissuny

@nyxbatz

@dontknow3792u4

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

Russian Refugees Part 2- Dmitri Antonov x OC

Dmitri Antonov x Judith Horowitz

Description: After a while of living together, Dmitri and Judith receive very happy news. 

Word Count: 2.4k

The next few weeks at Judith’s house were spent with her and Dmitri learning quite a bit about each other. It actually took a little while for them to get used to each other and their routines. While Judith had been involved with almost everything that led to Alexei staying with her, she had no idea what happened that resulted in Dmitri ending up in her house. Once she understood everything that happened to both him and the rest of the group, things were smooth sailing. 

With the earthquake that recently occurred, the town was in dire need of whatever help it could get. Because of that Judith was gone for most of the day trying to do as much as she could to help. As she did so, she learned the truth about what really happened with Dustin and the rest of the Hawkins gang that resulted in the earthquake and how her sister’s group had helped them. Nevertheless, she did everything she could to help before finally going home at the end of the day to cook dinner for her and Dmitri. 

While she was away during the day, Dmitri got used to his new living arrangement and American culture in general. That meant exploring the house and some of Judith’s property (where no one could see him) as well as watching a lot of tv. When they were done with dinner he would always be the one to clean up so he could show his thanks to Judith. His presence didn’t stop her from living her life, which he was thankful for. The last thing he wanted was for her to be forced to not do what she loved. 

After being forced to stay inside Judith’s house for the time being, an opportunity presented itself for them to be safely outside. Judith’s birthday was today and Joyce wanted to celebrate at Hopper’s cabin in the woods, where they’d be unseen and safe. Naturally Judith and Dmitri accepted the invitation, eager to be outside without prying eyes. That afternoon they changed into the appropriate attire and hopped in Judith’s car, heading through the woods towards the cabin. 

Once they arrived, they were met with a newly furnished and decorated cabin full of her family and friends. The party ended up being a success. Judith finally got to spend time with her nephews and niece, who she hadn’t really had the chance to see much since they’d arrived in Hawkins with  Jonathan’s friend Argyle. There were several times where she’d be messing around with them then notice that a certain Russian was watching her. When her eyes met his, he would always turn away as if he hadn’t been looking. She couldn’t help but giggle at the interaction, especially when it happened the second and third time. 

By the end of the party everyone was exhausted. Judith and Dmitri said their goodbyes before heading out. The drive home was mostly silent aside from the music that played softly from the radio. When they got home Dmitri helped her carry all her presents and leftovers inside, setting them on the table. A card fell from the stack and Judith was quick to crouch down and pick it up. Once she stood up again, she couldn’t help but stare at the card. 

It was a homemade card that Will had made for her. The picture on the front was of her in what looked like quite possibly the comfiest sweater she’d ever seen. Her hair was up in a bun with two paint brushes sticking out of it, presumably holding it up. She was surrounded by hearts and balloons with the words “Happy Birthday” at the top of the card. A small smile appeared on her face as she examined it, and that didn’t go unnoticed by Dmitri. 

“You are very good with them,” he mentioned softly. 

“It’s been that way since they were kids,” the girl responded in the same tone, looking at him with the same soft smile. “After Joyce’s ex husband left I would always be the one looking after them when she had to pick up extra shifts. They’re my best friends aside from Joyce, and I love them more than anything.”

“You remind me of me and my son. I think you would really like him,” he muttered, his smile turning bittersweet. Judith stared at him with a sympathetic expression. By this point she knew a fair bit about Mikhail from what Dmitri had told her. And if there was at least one thing she understood, it was that Dmitri loved his son more than anything in this world, and he missed him. 

“Well, I would love to meet him,” she answered easily. “If he’s anything like you, then I know that he’s an amazing person.” The man couldn’t help but smile at her words as he nodded shortly before she pulled him into a hug. Thankfully they’d known each other long enough for it to not feel awkward. . 

“And it won’t be like this forever,” Judith added softly. “You will see your son again. We just need to be patient.” Dmitri nodded again, looking comforted by her words as he returned her hug.

Something had changed between them that night. Something blossomed between them that they chose not to name just yet while they were still trying to figure everything out. It was unspoken, but that didn’t stop their actions from speaking louder than any words could. Any gestures that the other made seemed much more intimate and tender now. 

Just a few weeks later Dmitri and Judith were having dinner. Conversation between them flowed easily, as it usually did by this point. Their peaceful meal was suddenly interrupted by the shrill ring of Judith’s phone. The girl offered him an apologetic smile, which he quickly waved off, before standing and walking into the kitchen to pick up the phone. 

“Hello?”

“Is this Judith C Horowitz?” A deep voice spoke on the other end of the line. The girl, naturally, was surprised by this. 

“Who’s asking?” She asked, trying not to let her nervousness translate through the phone. 

“My name is Sergeant William Nacks, I am the one who helped a man by the name of Dmitri Antonov arrive safely in America. I was told by your sister, Joyce Byers, that he would be staying with you and gave me your number. Is Mr. Antonov there?” Judith was once again surprised by the information, but she remembered Joyce mentioning his name so she answered. 

“Yes, he is. Do you want to talk to him?” The Sergeant agreed and so she pulled the receiver away from her and faced Dmitri, who’d walked up behind her after hearing her hesitation. 

“It’s for you,” she explained, holding out the phone for him. It was his turn to hesitate now, but she only offered him a reassuring smile. 

“It’s Sergeant Nacks,” she added, which let him know that it was safe. It was her reassurance that made him grab the phone. Judith stepped away to give him some space as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. After a moment she watched him perk up and say something she couldn’t quite hear, then he hung up the phone and faced her with a wide smile on his face that she couldn’t help but mimic. 

“What is it?” 

“They found Mikhail,” he answered eagerly, pulling her into a tight hug without a second thought. “They have found my son, and they are bringing him to the U.S.!” Judith couldn’t stop the excited gasp that left her even if she wanted to as she returned the hug. 

“That’s amazing Dmitri!” She exclaimed before pulling away to look at him, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. “I told you that things would get better.” The man’s smile went from ecstatic to fond. 

“That you did,” he muttered sincerely, leaning down a bit so he was eye level with her. At first they just stared into each other’s eyes, then Judith spoke. 

“When is he coming?” She inquired softly. 

“Two weeks from now,” the man answered, earning a nod from her as they shared yet another smile. 

“Well then, I guess we better prepare for him.” 

The next two weeks went by in a blur. During that time they learned a bit more from Sergeant Nacks. Mikhail would be arriving at a private airport not far from Hawkins in a government jet. Dmitri’s ex wife was refusing to come, however. Of course she understood that this would be the safest bet for her son since Dmitri was considered a traitor and enemy to the Motherland, but she wasn’t afraid of them. Though the man was sad to hear the news, he understood why she didn’t want to come. 

Also during their wait, Judith decided that they should set up one of the extra rooms for Mikhail. They didn’t know how long he and Dmitri would be staying with her, so they may as well make it comfortable for him. After consulting his father she learned what he would and wouldn’t like and together they decorated it accordingly. 

Finally the fateful day came where a government car arrived at Judith’s house, ready to escort them to the private airport to pick up Mikhail. Dmitri was practically bouncing in his seat from excitement, and Judith had to all but hold him down so he wouldn’t annoy the driver or the soldier that was escorting them. When they arrived Judith held his hand as they waited on the landing pad. 

Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long before the soldier escorting them instructed them to stand back. They had to cover their ears as they watched a large jet finally land just a few yards from them. The first one out of the large vehicle was someone they assumed was Sergeant Nacks. He took off his hat as he walked down the steps over to the duo. 

“Dmitri Antonov?” He questioned, earning a nod from the man. He offered him a small smile as he shook Dmitri’s hand. 

“Your son’s transit was successful. Airman Hanson is currently waking him up and he should be out any minute.” Dmitri was visibly relieved by this information and he took Judith’s hand once again, as if trying to ground himself. 

“Thank you, sir,” he muttered. 

“No, thank you,” the Sergeant answered shortly before a young sounding voice called out from behind him. 

“Папа (Papa!)” It was Mikhail! The young boy all but sprinted down the steps against the jet and ran towards them. Judith didn’t have to look at Dmitri to know that he was already about to cry as he let go of her hand. Sergeant Nacks stepped to the side and Dmitri fell to his knees, opening his arms as Mikhail approached them. As soon as his son entered his arms a small sob left his lips and he embraced him tightly. 

“Папа, знаешь что? Я должен лететь на двух больших самолетах! Они оба пролетели так быстро, и я съел немного самолетной еды, и это было очень весело (Papa, guess what? I got to ride in two big jets! They both went so fast and I ate some airplane food and it was lots of fun),” the boy rambled excitedly. As he did so, all Dmitri could do was nod along tearfully as he stared at his son. 

“Похоже, тебе было очень весело (It sounds like you had a lot of fun),” he finally muttered. “Я скучал по тебе (I missed you).” 

“Я тоже скучал по тебе (I missed you too),” Mikhail answered, still excited. It was only then that the young boy noticed Judith standing behind them, and he became shy. Dmitri followed his line of sight, then smiled before facing him again. 

“Михаил, это моя подруга Джудит (Mikhail, this is my friend Judith),” he introduced in a gentle voice. “Мы останемся с ней на некоторое время, хорошо (We will be staying with her for a while, okay)?” Judith took the chance to crouch in front of him with a kind smile. 

“Привет, Михаил. ��вой отец так много рассказывал мне о тебе (Hello Mikhail. Your father has told me so much about you),” she greeted, which made the boy beam at her. “Вы готовы идти (Are you ready to go)?” 

“Да (Yes),” he answered simply. The trio only stayed long enough to get Mikhail’s luggage and thank the people that made this possible before heading back to the car. Judith couldn’t help but coo when the boy fell asleep on the way home, and she and Dmitri shared a smile at the sweet sight. 

She ended up being the one to carry him inside while Dmitri grabbed the bags. Mikhail’s arms were around her neck lazily as she laid him down in his new bed in his new room. She then watched from the doorway and his father covered him up and pressed a kiss to his forehead before they both walked out, her closing the door behind them. 

“I knew you would like him,” Dmitri muttered quietly despite the fact that they were now in the living room, several rooms away from his son’s bedroom. 

“And I knew that he would be as amazing as you,” Judith shot back with a small smile. “Though, he is much cuter than you.” That earned a laugh from the man, which she joined in just a moment later. 

“I must agree with you there, but you cannot deny that I am handsome.” It was meant to be a joke, but Judith still found herself nodding in agreement. 

“You’re definitely right about that,” she answered without thinking. As soon as she realized what she said a deep blush coated her cheeks. Dmitri’s eyebrows shot up and he smiled amusedly at her. 

“Well, if you truly feel that way about me, would you like to have dinner with me?” 

“Isn’t that what we do every night?” The girl retorted with a small giggle. 

“Yes, but usually it is you who cooks it. I would like to show you some of my cooking,” he answered. 

“As long as I can help you,” she said with a small smile. A small chuckle left his lips as he began leading her to the kitchen. 

“I believe that can be arranged.”

[rainystrangerthingsimagines]

OK so I was just scrolling in eddie munson x reader and I found your account and damn- I think you are gonna turn in to my favorite st writer. so I saw you want request and I'm hereeee. so I saw so many eddie and hopper!reader that they caught making out but like can you do a fluffy one. Like hopper!reader and eddie are on hopper's house and baking cake and just the cute things couple do while baking and hopper and kids ( will and mike and el and dustin and max and lucas and maby even steve?) want to go in house and they saw Eddie's shoes and they are like oh no they are making out and hopper is gonna kill them but they go inside and they just saw them baking so sweet and just begin soft for them. I'm sorry if I write it so bad. thank you darling 3/>

Awww this is so cute!

Eddie Munson. That cocky little shit. Hopper hated him. Not as much as maybe hating Mike but it was damn near close. Eddie was this bad boy in Hopper's eyes. He knew he was a pothead considering he had busted his friends multiple times. You however were smitten with the boy. It was kind of hilarious to so many people on how the police chief's oldest daughter was dating the local pothead.

You loved Eddie more than anything else in this world. How you two started dating was so damn cute, the boys almost didn't believe the story until they realized they witnessed most of the story play out without them realizing. You had been showing El around school, you and Mike hoping that if she just stuck with you, it'd be easier to navigate. However, the second El got the chance, she ran off with Mike's group. You weren't pissed off, it gave you plenty of time to study anways so you just went with it.

But then El started talking about this amazing older sister she had. She went on and on to this group on how amazing she was. Eddie needed to know just who you were. So he walked you and El home.

"So you're the amazing older sister I've been hearing so much about?" Eddie asked, walking next to you. "Yep" you nodded. "Not much of a talker?" He asked. "Well uh... I'm confused on why you're helping us in the first place?" You asked. "To meet you. El's been talking your ass up since she joined Hellfire" he said. "Has she?" You asked, looking over with an amused smile. "Yeah. Well, and the Max kid swears up and down that you're the second coming of Christ or something and considering that Max hates everyone, I had to see this greatness for myself" he declared. You smiled at him, and that's when it first hit him.

That smile. He wanted to see it more often. So at lunch, he asked you to sit with the club. Because you were interested in learning more about Eddie, you did. Things didn't really change until one Friday when it was raining. El was with Max, leaving you to walk home alone. You walked for a while but the storm got bad, you having to stop and wait. Luckily for you, you knew one person that lived near the area.

There you stood, shaking from the coldness of the water at Eddie Munson's doorstep. What would normally be a hard boiled response of "What do you want" was turned into concern "jesus Y/n- you were out in that!?" He asked, pulling you inside. "Well, Dad had something going on and El is with Max and my car is still in the shop so... yeah. I was in fact out in the rain." You said. "Here, take off your jacket- you like cocoa? I'll make cocoa." He said. You smiled slightly as he helped you with your jacket.

The jacket seemed to be useless considering your clothes were soaked anyway but you planned on sucking it up. However, there was a change in plans for Eddie. You sneezed, pulling back your hair. He noticed it and REFUSED to let you get sick so he ran to his room, grabbing shorts and a t-shirt. "Hey, I didn't want you to die from a cold so I brought you clothes." He said. You looked up from the couch and his heart pounded in his ears looking at that face.

"Thanks Eddie" you said with that smile. That sweet smile that he loved so much. So you changed, coming out of the bathroom in a AC/DC shirt. He stared at you, finding this to be absolutely adorable. He handed you the mug of cocoa and you sipped it, smiling slightly at its sweet flavor. "I can feel you watching me, Ed" you said. He swallowed. "Sorry- sorry." He said. You looked at him. "Why do you do that?" You asked. "What?" He asked. "You watch me, why?" You asked. "Uh... So listen uh" he scratched the back of his neck. "I might... like you. Like uhm... like you in a romantic way. But if that grosses you out then no I do not." He said. You blinked.

This had never happened before. Most people kept the Police Chief's daughter at an arms length but Eddie knew who you were but didn't seem to care. "We will pretend like this never happen-" you kissed him, him setting down his mug. It took a good moment for either of you to pull away but you did, looking in his eyes. "Was that okay?" You asked. "That was perfect." He chuckled.

So from then on, Eddie walked you and El home everyday. Hopper was not thrilled. At all. You were the one daughter that didn't date, suddenly that was changing.

Hopper sat on a bucket as Joyce put things away. "I just don't get it- she never showed an interest in boys before!" He whined. "Hop, come on." Joyce laughed. "What?" Hopper asked. "She's probably always had an interest, but Eddie might just be her first boyfriend " Joyce said. "BUT WHY!? Why Eddie?" He asked. "Well, you'd have to ask her that!" Joyce laughed. "I thought I only had to deal with El with a boyfriend, now Y/n is dating Eddie!? Seriously!?" He whined. Joyce sighed. "Will and Jonathan both say he's a nice boy." She said. "He isn't!" Hopper declared. "And why's that?" Joyce asked. "BECAUSE HE'S DATING MY DAUGHTER!"

You weren't clueless to Hopper not liking Eddie. Course that was mainly because he did catch the two of you making out, quite a few times. Hopper hated Eddie though, way before that. The second he laid eyes on the boy, he just seemed to dislike him. Eddie was of course, terrified. However, he kept coming around you because that boy LOVED you.

"Explain to me again why WE have to do this?" Eddie asked. "Because apparently Nancy underestimated how much baking for a bake sale that this requires." You said, walking in with grocery bags. "Yes but what if your dad comes home?" Eddie asked. "It's not like he's walking in on us doing something weird, we're baking Ed." You snorted at the subtle fear he displayed. "What is he even doing?" He asked. "He's bonding with El." You shrugged. "Oh" "and Mike." You added. "Oh, so that poor bastard is dealing with him instead." Eddie said making you laugh.

You both started baking, Eddie occasionally looking over at you. "What?" You asked, noticing him stare. He smudged cookie dough on your cheek making you laugh. "You little shit!" You laughed, swiping his nose with it. He looked at you and you looked at him. "THIS IS WAAARRR!" He said, watching as you backed away. He charged at you with the cookie dough, you launching a small bit of flour in his face. He froze, you laughing hard. He smiled, pulling you into a hug from behind and you giggled as he kissed your cheek, the door opening in the living room. You wriggled from him, occasionally getting him with flour.

Hopper walked in, El, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Robin and Steve all trailing behind him. "Thanks for letting us hang out here." Dustin said. "Yeah yeah I know-" he heard a squeal followed by laughing. "I cannot believe you suck this badly at baking!" You laughed, Hopper raising a brow. He looked over where you typically took off your shoes and saw it. Eddie's shoes. Hopper frowned. "Dad, no" El tried to stop him.

He entered the kitchen, prepared to yell but he saw you, sitting at the counter with a smile, eating cookie dough as Eddie put the cookies in the oven. "I feel like we've got a good system going. You make the batter and I-" "Eat most of it?" You teased. He chuckled before jumping, noticing Hopper.

Suddenly, Hopper wasn't angry anymore. Seeing you with that smile, seeing you happy, it was more important than his illogical hatred for Eddie. You looked over. "Hey dad, welcome home." You greeted. "....Why are you baking?" He asked. "SHE JUST NEEDED HELP I SWEAR!" Eddie squeaked out. "Eddie, calm down. Nancy apparently signed up to bake for a bake sale to help the paper, she underestimated how many cookies they needed so she called us." You said.

Hopper looked at Eddie and then you. "...Make sure you clean up afterwards. Oh and your friends are here. Robin and that Steve guy." He said. You chuckled, seeing Robin walk in. "Wassup!" She said making you smile. "Ooh cookies-" you smacked Steve's hand. "Touch the cookies and I kill you" you said. He stared at you and then Eddie. "I keep sneaking them." Eddie said, earning a "ohhh" from Steve.

"Eddie." Hopper said, making him jump. "Uh... Ye-yes sir?" He asked. "Are you staying for dinner?" Hopper asked. You rose a brow, looking at Eddie and then your dad. "Is that allowed?" You asked. "Yep. Just uh... getting a head count. Have fun" hopper said leaving. "...holy shit." Eddie gaped. "Well that was nice-" "Babe I think he's going to kill me!" Eddie said.

You snorted, as did Robin. "Why would he-" "Uhm, hello? Dating his daughter? He's going to kill me- oh god they're never going to find my body" Eddie said making you laugh. "Baby, maybe, just maybe. You should talk to him." You said. "Me?" Eddie asked. "Yes." You nodded. "Talk to your dad?" He asked. "Yes." You nodded. "Alone?" He asked. "Yes, Eddie. Alone." You said. He looked at you. "...So are you two in on the murder together?" "Oh my god."

However he did take your advice seriously, going to Hopper at the end of the night when he was doing dishes. "Uh, Mr.... Mr. Hopper?" Eddie asked. Hopper turned, the natural disdain for Eddie falling on his face. "I-I was wondering if-if we could uh-" "Sit." Hopper said, motioning to the stool. Eddie sat down. "I don't like you." Hopper said. "....Well I kinda got that." Eddie said. "I don't have to like you." Hopper said. "I understand-" "But Y/n loves you. You make her happy so I will TRY to get along with you." Hopper said. "Yes sir" seemed to be the only thing Eddie could say before Hopper grabbed his shirt, yanking him forward. "However." He began. "If you ever hurt my daughter, I will kill you. There is no question. Am I understood?" He asked. "...Yes sir" Eddie squeaked out. "Good. Do you need a ride home?" Hopper asked. "No sir." Eddie said. "Okay. Get out." Hopper said, letting go of his shirt.

Eddie nearly knocked over the stool sprinting out of the kitchen. He gave you quick kiss goodnight before bolting out the door. You knew that Hopper was the only man who made him that skittish. You walked into the kitchen. "Dad, what did you say to Eddie?" You asked. "What?" Hopper asked. "He seemed weird and scared when he left, what did you say?" You asked. "I didn't say anything, if anything I was trying to bury the hatchet." Hopper said. "...Uh huh, what did you say?" You asked.

Hopper sighed. "I said that I didn't have to like him but I'd try to get along with him because you loved him." He said. "And then?" You asked. "Why do you assume-" "Because there's always a 'and then?' With you." You said. "...And then I said if he hurt you I'd kill him." He added. "Aha! I knew it!" You said. "It's literally my job as your dad to tell him that!" Hopper defended. "Dad, Eddie is so afraid of you that when you were nice to him, he legit thought that he was going to be murdered." You said. "...I strongly considered it." He said.

You sighed. "Does he make you happy?" Hopper asked. "...Yes dad, he makes me very happy." You said. "Then it's fine." Hopper said. You smiled slightly. "But he will die if he hurts you" Hopper said. "Oh please, I'd hand you the shovel." You said, walking out the kitchen.

[spiderking-of-queens]

Chapter Four: The Fight

Summary: Just as you’re beginning to wrap your brain around the Upside Down, Billy Hargrove pays you all a visit at the Byers household and flips your world on its head again. (Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader, 3.2k words)

Warnings: Violence, abuse, language. Reader gets injured in a fight.

Masterlist

November 5th, 1984

You paced back and forth in the Byers’ living room. Steve and the kids were trying to busy themselves by cleaning up the mess left behind from the craziness that had just ensued. You were still trying to wrap your head around all of the information that had been thrown at you in the past couple of hours. 

Okay. Breathe.

This is what you had learned so far:

1. The Shadow Monster that had taken control of Will was like The Mind Flayer, a creature from D&D.

God, if you hadn’t already regretted not joining Hellfire on Friday night, you certainly did now. Maybe if you had, you’d have a better understanding of what these monsters were. 

You couldn’t help wondering how Eddie would handle all of this. He’d probably be completely in his element. You wished he was there, then shook yourself out of your daydreaming to focus back on your list.

2. Will was like a spy for The Mind Flayer, but he figured out how to use morse code to communicate without alerting it. 

3. He told you all to “close the gate.” 

4. The phone rang and Will found out where you were all hiding, then The Demodogs found you.

5. Nancy Wheeler was way too confident with a shotgun.

6. Somehow, this “El” girl showed up and saved you. Hence the mess. 

The details were still fuzzy on that one. You cleared your throat and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at you.

“Guys? Remind me… El. Who is she, exactly? How did she stop the Demodogs?”

“She has superpowers,” Mike answered nonchalantly. 

“She has what?” You asked, dumbfounded. Then after the initial shock wore off, you shook your head. Out of everything you had discovered that night, that was probably one of the least crazy.

“She has telekinetic powers,” Lucas explained. 

“She was part of an experiment at the lab and she escaped. She was Number Eleven. That’s why we call her El,” Mike added.

“Jesus Christ, how much were the people in that lab trying to cover up?” You grumbled, rubbing your temples.

“Well, hopefully not much more…” Steve joked.

He was handling all of this remarkably well. You were sort of pissed at him for it. 

You shook your head disdainfully at his attempt at humor and continued your list in your head as you bit your nails. 

7. El and Hopper were trying to close the gate at the lab, like Will said to do.

8. Nancy, Jonathan and Joyce were at Hopper’s cabin in the woods trying to smoke the Mind Flayer out of Will’s body so it wouldn’t kill him when the gate did close.

You were still having trouble wrapping your mind around those last two. 

“The gate.” What did that even mean? What would that even look like? Why would Will die if it closed before the Mind Flayer was gone?

“Okay, one more question. Last one, I swear,” You said, then decided that was probably a stupid thing to promise as you added, “Maybe. Anyways, this gate that Will needs us to close, it’s like a doorway to the Upside Down, right?”

“Right,” Lucas confirmed as he and Max swept up glass from the floor.

“And the Upside Down is where those Demodogs come from?”

“Yes. And the Mind Flayer. It’s like an alternate version of Hawkins. A dark dimension. Everything is pretty much the same, but it’s creepier and there’s no people there. Just monsters, as far as we know,” Dustin explained. 

You bit off a hangnail that was on your thumb as you nodded along, pretending like this made complete sense to you and didn’t shatter your view of the world whatsoever. 

“Okay. Right. So, El, she’s gonna use her powers to close this gate?”

“Yes,” Dustin sighed. 

“And why can’t they just close it while that thing is possessing Will? Wouldn’t it just kill it and save Will?”

Dustin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again more loudly.

“Because, with the Mind Flayer controlling him, Will is part of his army now. He’s part of the hive mind. We’ve been over this. How hard is it to understand, Jesus…”

You scoffed at him incredulously, your mouth hanging open in shock. You couldn’t stop the anger rising up within you.

“Excuse me? What did you just say?” You shouted as you stared daggers at him.

“Okay…” Steve mumbled as he intervened, grabbing you by your shoulders. You tried to protest it as he pulled you into the kitchen. 

“Did you hear how that little shithead just spoke to me?!” You hissed at him.

“Yes, I did. That’s just how he is sometimes, okay? You can’t let it get to you. He’s a little know-it-all. A kid, right? He’s just a kid.”

He looked into your eyes with raised eyebrows, his hands still gripping your shoulders to try to bring you back down to Earth. 

Dustin was just a kid, and he was trying to handle everything the best way he knew how. He was trying to rationalize it all, and he was probably exhausted, too. It was past midnight at this point - officially Monday - and he had been dealing with this shit since at least Saturday. 

You took a deep breath. His frustration with you was actually kind of funny when you thought about it. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just lost the plot for a minute there.”

“I know. It’s okay. You’ve had to deal with a lot tonight.”

You smiled up at him appreciatively, then eyed his hands on your shoulders. He cleared his throat and removed them when he realized he hadn’t let go yet.

“Sorry. You good now?” He asked, his hands now on his hips.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”

You nodded at each other during a brief moment of awkwardness before Dustin called Steve to help him with something in the living room. 

“Goddammit. Now what?” Steve muttered as he left the kitchen to see what was going on.

You stayed behind and closed your eyes, trying to focus on your breathing to calm down. Then you jumped as you heard a loud clattering noise beside you.

Dustin was emptying the entire contents of the Byers’ fridge, shelves included, as you watched in shock. 

“Alright, it should fit now,” Dustin said and looked at Steve who had just reentered the kitchen. Your eyes widened as you realized that he was carrying the dead monster, wrapped up in a quilt. 

So much for remaining calm. 

Steve gave you a weary look, then sighed and turned his head to Dustin.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can’t just bury it like some common mammal. It’s not a dog!”

“Alright, alright. But you’re explaining this to Mrs. Byers,” Steve grumbled and turned to you again before walking to the fridge. “See what I mean? Know-it-all.”

You snorted and watched in disgust as the two of them argued and struggled to fit it into the fridge. After they were finally able to close the door on it, Steve let out a deep breath and shook Dustin by his head playfully before realizing he had monster goo all over his hands. Dustin groaned in disgust and put a hand on his hat to assess the damage done as Steve grabbed a nearby dish towel to wipe his hands off. 

Okay. New fact:

9. There was a dead demodog in the fridge beside you. 

You rubbed your eyes as you processed the ridiculousness of this, then winced when Dustin yelled to Mike and Lucas as they were discussing something loudly in the living room.

You groaned and the three of you walked over to join their conversation.  

“The chief will take care of her,” Lucas said, trying to talk Mike down. He must have been speaking about El. Mike seemed to really care for her, considering their emotional reunion when she showed up to fight off the Demodogs. 

“Like she needs protection…” Max mumbled. She was in awe of her, understandably. 

“Listen, dude,” Steve sighed, “A coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?”

You rolled your eyes. His basketball metaphors were lost on you, and clearly the others, too. 

“Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game. And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench,” Mike argued.

You didn’t want any part of the fight and certainly didn’t want the kids to be in danger, but you couldn’t help pursing your lips and nodding at this in agreement. His commitment to the analogy was impressive. 

“Right… So my point is…” Steve trailed off and looked around, trying to figure out a way to fight him back on this. You all stared at him and waited.

“…Right. Yeah. We’re on the bench. So there’s nothing we can do,” He stammered nervously. The look on his face told you that he already knew how bad his argument was. 

You gave him a mocking smile and thumbs up to let him know just how badly he had done, and he glared back at you. 

“That’s not entirely true…” Dustin spoke up. “I mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away.”

Lucas snapped his fingers as he realized what Dustin was getting at.

“If we get their attention…”

“Maybe we can draw them from the lab,” Max finished his sentence. 

“And clear a path to the gate,” Mike added excitedly.

Steve snorted and threw his hands up.

“Yeah, and then we all die!”

You squinted at him and shook your head. 

“Steve!” You hissed, and he shrugged back at you. 

“That’s one point of view…” Dustin mumbled.

“No, that’s not a point of view, man. That’s a fact!”

“Steve!” You repeated, yelling this time. 

“How else do you want me to stop this?!” He snapped back.

“I don’t know, but you don’t need to threaten them with death!”

“It’s not my fault they don’t listen to reason!”

You were so busy arguing that you didn’t notice Mike beginning to form a plan. Steve overheard him talking about setting the hub of the Demodog tunnels on fire and butted in with a, “Yeah, that’s a no!” Before turning back to you to continue your fight.

“Look, all due respect, you’re new here. You don’t know how to handle these guys,” He said matter-of-factly. 

You gawped at him, offended, as he glanced at the kids and yelled, “Hey!” In another attempt to get them to stop. It didn’t work. They continued scheming. 

“Oh, really? What, because you’re doing such a good job?” You sneered. 

“They’re alive, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, but not for long, apparently. According to you…”

“Only if they don’t listen to me! GUYS! Hey, hey, hey!” He clapped his hands together and shouted when he became too overwhelmed by trying to fend you all off at once, simultaneously shutting you up and stopping the kids from finalizing their plan of action. 

He took a deep breath after he got everyone’s attention, putting his hands on his hips for dramatic effect before he spoke again. 

“This is not happening,” He commanded, trying to speak more calmly.

Mike began to protest and he put a hand up to stop him.

“No, no, no. No buts! I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing. We are staying here - on the bench - and we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand that?”

“This isn’t a stupid sports game!” Mike yelled back, but Steve refused to relent. He clutched the dishrag he had pulled off of his shoulder in his grip and waved it at Mike like an exasperated mother.

“I said, does everybody understand that? I need a yes!”

The kids refused this order, staring at him disparagingly. Max turned to you for help.

“Y/N, do you agree with this bullshit?”

You glanced over at Steve as he was glaring back at you and sighed.

“Sorry, Mad Max. I do. Steve’s right, we shouldn’t deviate from the plan. We can’t risk you guys getting hurt over something that might not even work.”

Steve snorted at this, far too happy about you admitting that he was right. You rolled your eyes at him. 

It truly felt like the two of you were a married couple bickering about how to parent your kids. You tried not to laugh out loud at this thought. 

There was only a brief moment of peace and quiet before you heard the sound of a car engine revving outside. 

Max ran to the window to take a look and gasped.

“It’s my brother. He can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us,” She said to Lucas in a panic. 

After everything that happened since, you had completely forgotten the original reason why you followed Max that night.

Shit. One more for the list:

10. Billy had figured out where you were, and he was probably going to try to kill you all.

Cool. Why not pile that onto the already insane list of things you had to deal with?

“Don’t worry, I got this,” Steve said confidently and walked to the door. You got in front of him to try to stop him.

“Whoa, wait! What's the game plan here? Billy’s not exactly the reasonable type.”

“I don’t know, just keep them inside,” He muttered as he grabbed you by your arms and pulled you aside so he could get past you. 

You were terrified for him but obeyed, commanding the kids to get away from the window. You stood on your tiptoes and watched Steve speak to Billy through the frosted glass on the front door.

When Billy eventually pointed inside and Steve turned to look, you tore yourself away from the door to see the kids hiding behind the back of the couch. They had clearly ignored your orders and were watching outside the window anyways.

“Guys! What the hell?! I told you to get back!” You yelled and ran over to them.

“Shit! Did he see us?” Dustin asked nervously as he hid with the others. 

You looked outside to see Billy push Steve violently to the ground and kick him in the stomach, then storm towards the front door. You raced to lock it, but you were too late. Billy threw it open and came face to face with you. 

“Y/N? You’re in on this, too, huh?” He said with a mocking laugh. “Honestly didn’t expect that from you.”

You stood your ground despite your fear. Suddenly, after what you had been through, Billy didn’t seem as scary anymore. 

“Billy, you need to go home. Now.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. Not unless Max comes with me.”

“Well, I’m not going to let you take her.”

He laughed manically at this. 

“Right,” He sneered and pushed you out of his way roughly. Your back thudded against the wall of the entryway.

“Well, well, well,” He said as he saw Lucas standing in the hallway next to Max. “Lucas Sinclair, what a surprise. I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max.”

“Billy, go away,” She demanded with a shaky voice. He ignored her plea.

“You disobeyed me, and you know what happens when you disobey me. I break things.”

He grabbed Lucas by his jacket and slammed him up against a shelf of china in the living room. You yelped and rushed forward to try to pull him off of him as Lucas and the other kids screamed at him to get off, but Billy turned around and pushed you to the floor with ease. 

“Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will. You stay away from her.” He said as he slammed Lucas against the shelf again, then bellowed louder, “Stay away from her! You hear me?!”

“I said get off of me!” Lucas screeched and kneed him right in the balls. 

Billy grunted in pain and recoiled, and you exhaled in relief as you struggled to get up off the ground. 

“You are so dead, Sinclair! You’re dead.”

Then Steve appeared through the door as if by magic, and pulled Billy away from him by his shoulder.

“No, you are,” He retorted and punched him straight in the face, nearly knocking him to the floor.

“Steve!” You cried out in shock without thinking. Lucas ran into Mike and Dustin’s arms for comfort. 

Billy just laughed at this like a lunatic as he nursed his freshly bloodied nose.

“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I’ve been waiting to meet this ‘King Steve’ everybody’s been telling me so much about.”

Steve shook his head and ran a hand through his hair coolly.

“Get out,” He growled and pushed him away by his chest.

There was an eery moment of silence before Billy drew back his fist and threw a punch back at Steve. He dodged it and landed another blow to his face, pushing him into the kitchen table. 

“Yes, kick his ass, Steve! Murder the son of a bitch! Now! Now!” Dustin screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Get that shithead!” Mike added in support. 

“Quiet!” You shushed them sternly (to no avail, of course) and spread your arms wide as you stood in front of them, attempting to shield them from getting in the middle of the brawl. 

Then everyone gasped and went silent as Billy hit Steve over the head with a dinner plate, gaining the upper-hand. Dustin ducked out of the way just in time to miss Billy’s fist as he attempted to strike Steve again and hit a bookshelf instead.

“Billy! Jesus Christ! Stop!” You screeched as you pulled Dustin off the floor and into your arms. 

Steve and Billy fumbled their way back to the living room where Billy gripped him by his jacket firmly. You could tell that Steve was losing steam.

“No one tells me what to do!” Billy snarled and head butted him to the ground, then pinned him down and began laying into him violently, blowing punch after punch to his face as you watched in horror. It was clear that Steve was no longer conscious, but that didn’t stop him. 

“You’re gonna kill him!” Dustin screamed in terror, and the others joined in, too, begging him to stop. 

He was right. You were certain that Billy wasn’t going to stop until he was dead. 

You decided to make one last valiant attempt to stop him, laying your full body weight into him to try to drag him to the floor. 

But his fists were flying wildly and one punched you right in the nose, knocking you straight into a side table. You smacked your head hard against the corner of it and the world around you began to fade to black.

[tarantinolovesmyfeet]

Thunder Struck

Life to Eddie was weird; he was still in school; he was still around people he never thought he would be around. The same people last year that looked at him weird; still do minus one. And he wonders if one person is all he needs to keep him sane. Eddie X OFC (Pining at Steven Harrington but blast from the past. Light mentions of Billy. Why Eddie Munson, pining more or less Eddie Munson)

Hawkins was always a weird place. Your first year here, you moved as a new comer with a single mom. I was instantly different from everyone else, but it didn’t matter. You instantly got a job as a baby sitter for the Wheelers and made some friends in school. made the girls' swim team; had an insane crush on Steve, but then things got weird. 

It's so weird. 

Eleven, the upside-down, and everything else you could imagine. All of a sudden, your normal life was twisted. Seeing Billy die and Hopper gone, it’s even more weird. 

“You know, Mike, you don’t need a baby sitter.” You said back to him, eating ice cream, sitting in the backyard in a bikini. “You’re about to be in the ninth grade.”

“I know, but my mom said Nancy won't watch us and we are going to do a DND campaign. And it’s not the same without Will. Can’t you help? ” 

“Me? I barely knew my ass to my elbow in that game. ” 

"Yeah, but Dustin will help.” He was staring at you with those puppy eyes. "Please, Esmeralda.” 

You sighed deeply before rolling your eyes. “Fine! But I’m too old for this shit. I’m going to be a senior. ” 

“I know, I know. Thank you. Thank you.” You smiled at him; you were always happy to make time for Mike. He was like your own little brother, and you always treated him as such. You did with all of them. Even Max, even though she’s been kind of pushing everyone away, but you get it, her brother did die and not a normal death. Life moved on like no one cared about the “mall fire” anymore, and sometimes even you wondered if it was normal how society just forgot about it and moved on.

As summer went on, you learned more about DND than ever, which Nancy was confused as to why you bothered, but you waved her off. You were getting better at drums, which your mother, bless your mother, was happy about, as was Robin. Steve, on the other hand, was still wrapped up in every girl he met. It's just your typical normal Hawkins summer.

“Since you’ve been such a good kid this summer, especially after everything, you're still hanging out with the Wheeler kid.”

“Mike is awesome, mom. Also, him and his sister don’t get along too well, so... I’m kind of stepping into that role. ”

Your mother ignored you; your mother, Rosa, was a free spirit. She lived by her own design and didn’t give you too many rules. She said you needed to spread those wings, which you never understood because you weren’t a shy child, but you chose to go along with her moods. Rosa was a 5'1", sun-kissed, wildly curly-haired latina who wore bangles up and down her arms while listening to Cher on repeat.

“I dig that. Very thoughtful of you, Ezzy.” She said, "Smile back at you as she smoked her cigarette." But with that being said, I thought, why not give me and my sweet, loving child a surprise?”

“What do you mean?” You asked, eyes wide with curiosity and anxiety.

Your mother has been known to give you surprises you didn’t care for. She once gave you a gold fish, but by the time you got it, it was dead; she was deeply sorry, but then gave you a speech about life and death.

“Come on, follow me, don’t be a square.” "She said with a laugh as you rolled your eyes."

You followed your mother's long flowing skirt out of the house, as you peered over her, as you could see how you were 5’4. You gasped loudly to see an old Chevy. It didn’t look in good shape, but you didn’t care as you squealed running towards it. No more bike rides all over town; you liked the idea of being able to get somewhere in five minutes rather than 20 to 30.

“Mom! How did you do it? ” "You said back to her as she smiled over to you."

“My dear Esmeralda," I could tell you the story or you can enjoy the car. ” She smiled and you knew there was a story, but you didn’t want to know. But tomorrow is a school night and I may not have rules for much, but sleep? It is important for your body and health, so go to bed. ”

“Mom... it's seven o'clock.”

“Exactly.” She said over to you, turning you around to go back to the house. “You need to take a shower, get ready, be in bed, journal, or whatever it is you do to rest your mind, so you can have a good night’s rest.”

You shook your head as she kept pushing you further and further away from the car. You pouted as you watched your car disappear as you went into the house. You groaned but listened to your mother; she’s right, she didn’t ask for much, but when she did, you followed her orders. 

In the morning, you were excited to be at school; you couldn’t wait to show off your car. You quickly came down the stairs as your mom raised an eyebrow.

“Not that I care about school rules, but you’re allowed to wear a crop top?”

“Uh, I’m wearing a denim jacket?” You said it back to her with a shoulder shrug as she scrunched her face at you.

“I am not bringing you clothes.” She said it back with a laugh and a head shake as you shrugged your shoulders. “See yah, kid.”

“Bye mom!”

You never jumped into a car so fast as you peeled out and instantly drove to pick up Robin. When Robin saw your car, she instantly gasped and ran towards it.

“Did you hot wire a car?” She said, looking over at you before you peeled off.

“No, what the fuck? What am I, Munson? ” You said it as a joke, and you both laughed.

You knew it wasn’t nice to mention anything about crime and Munson but you were only kidding. Munson, as you know, was a guy who kind of hung out with his own friends. He’s in some weird group you figured was his band, but you never really had interaction with Eddie; just a lunch room you shared really. You hung out with your own friends, which were Robin and Steve. Also, last year was kinda hectic and you didn’t have time for anyone else to be around you or your life. 

"Robin, you know you should ask her out.” You said it with a smile. “I mean, I’ll beat her up if she tries anything.”

“Ezzy!” She laughed while rolling her eyes. “No, what? She’s totally straight. ”

“And what does Steven say?” Robin rolled her eyes back at you before sulking.

“He said she likes girls.”

“Okay, and when has Steven been wrong?” As soon as the words left your mouth, instantly, both of you started laughing. “I mean about that.”

“He was wrong about you.” She said as you shrugged your shoulders back to her.

“I’m not Nancy, and it’s fine that the ship has sailed.” Your focus was on the parking spot that was next to a large van. You didn’t question it since it was  school parking lot; probably a drug dealer.

“So Billy had it right and Steven didn’t.” Robin said to you, causing a scoff to come out of your mouth.

“Billy was obsessed with one thing only, and I didn’t even like him.” You slammed the door shut as you stared over at the school. “You think this year is going to be different?”

Robin looked at the school with you as she sighed deeply before putting her arm around you. You smiled gently at her as you both walked towards school with half of your core group missing. It left an ache in your chest, but you simply ignored it. If not, you would fall into a dark place, and you couldn’t have that. You turn your head around to look back at your car as you see Eddie pop out of the car next to you. You saw the smoke puffing out, causing you to shake your head as a soft smile graced your face. As you watched Eddie shake his hair wildly, he stopped just in time to see you looking at him. He stopped to look back at you, catching your eye. You felt a sudden jolt go up your back, almost as if you had been shocked, almost woken up from a dream. 

Eddie Munson He looked at you with a smile on his own face and a slight pink in his cheeks. He nodded his head to you as you winked and turned back to look at the school.

Maybe this year will be different after all. 

Eddie heard you before he saw you; your voice rang out, snatching up his attention. Of course he knew about you, as did the majority of the nerds.Eddie wasn’t a nerd. He was a metalhead, and he knew about you. Attracting your attention; at first, everyone wanted to know her because she was new, but once she didn't fit in with a clique and just talked to everyone, you knew she was cool.Then you saw her crush on Steve Harrington, and you knew you never had a chance. Once a girl had a crush on Steve, he was no longer available, because you and Steve were nothing alike. She joined the swim team, and you knew for sure she was officially off limits. Sport chicks, and you were a no-go. So you pined from afar, and sure, there were plenty of other girls in Hawkins. But when Billy came along and followed Esmeralda, you knew she wouldn’t want you at all.

You would watch her at the pool; you know, it's kind of creepy, but you couldn’t help it. You know, Eddie Munson had a crush on a girl who was unattainable. She had such long legs that you would watch under the shade as she watched everyone else. She had to be good at swimming if she was a life guard. You thought this as she sat on her tower, looking like a sun-kissed goddess, her hair down at times and ringlets curling around her face.making her look even more divine and stunning; and other times, her hair back with gloss on the lips, making her full lips even fuller.The bathing suit was a tight one-piece and the red looked so good on her skin. It was enough to drive you mad. She didn’t even know what she did to you, as her eyes were hidden behind shades.

Sometimes you would hear her sing some Rolling Stones and think it was weird because she seemed like a Madonna girl, but you listened to her voice; a little hoarse, almost had a smoky feel, and it caused goose bumps on your skin.

Eddie thought of her day and night, a crush that he knew would go nowhere. So when he saw her parked next to him and heard her laughter and declared she didn’t even like Billy. You wondered if there was a chance even now. You got out of the car when she was further away than right there at your fingertips. You got out of the car a little bit high and nervous. You see, Eddie watched her walk towards the school with Robin by her side. Your gaze shifted from her shoes to her long legs, catching a glimpse of the curve of her ass. Before looking up at her, you bit your lip as you noticed how good her butt was. Her curls were big and wild. He smiled, seeing it; he shook his head to get the image of her body out of his mind. He felt her.

Eddie felt Esmeralda's eyes on him and when he looked back, there was instant eye contact. Your heart skipped a beat and your stomach dropped; her smile remained on her face as you attempted to return it. You saw something flicker in her eyes before she winked.

“Maybe she’s right after all,” Eddie said as he watched her walk into the school. “Maybe this year will be different.” 

Chapter 2

[kaypeace21]

Lets talk about how these spotify songs confirm byler’s endgame.

Will’s songs

Don’t you forget about me: illustrates Will’s feelings after Mike says they won’t be together for the rest of their lives (but have to get gfs). Love’s “strange” (stranger things). And Will fears change will pull them apart- and as it rains he hopes Mike won’t forget about him/ and questions if Mike will ‘ever love him’. And Mike in the rain (instead of “walking on by?”) calls his name.

“Tell me your troubles and doubts.Giving me everything inside and out and Love’s strange so real in the dark. Think of the tender things that we were working on…Slow change may pull us apart.Don’t you, forget about me.Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t.Don’t you, forget about me.Will you stand above me?Look my way, never love me?Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling.Down, down, down.Will you recognize me?Call my name or walk on by? rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling. “

“Don’t you try and pretend. It’s my feeling we’ll win in the end.I won’t harm you or touch your defenses-Vanity and security.Don’t you forget about meI’ll be alone, dancing you know it baby .Going to take you apart.I’ll put us back together at heart, baby Don’t you, forget about me.”

( Will physically took them ‘apart’ -from the photo. But in the end it’s also Mike who fears Will will forget about him too. And Will doesn’t harm Mike by picking at his insecurities - like lack of ‘security' in their relationship. But just says the truth that it’s “not possible” to replace him (after he moves). And of course deep down they know they’ll be together in the end. )

upsidedown: Just Will saying he loves Mike and he turns Will ‘insideout” (like the previous song) and “upsidedown”. And he loves him but he’s “crazy’ (cough ‘crazy together’) to think Mike is all his. But no matter what he’ll always love Mike.

“I said, “Upside down, you’re turning me.You’re giving love instinctively.Boy, you turn me inside out .And ‘round and 'round-Upside down…Instinctively, you give to me the love that I need.I cherish the moments with you… no one makes me feel like you do…I know you got charm and appeal.You always play the field.I’m crazy to think you’re all mine.As long as the sun continues to shine.There’s a place in my heart for you, that’s the bottom line.”

here i go again: Will saying he’s “not going to fall in love” ever (like he said in s3) cause he doesn’t want to waste time on Mike. But he keeps backpedalling on the idea and desiring to love Mike for ‘the rest of his days’. Like how Will said he thought they’d never get gfs but play games for the rest of their lives.

“ (verse 3)And here I go again on my own.Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known…Like a drifter, I was born to walk alone.And I’ve made up my mind.I ain’t wasting no more time . (verse 4)Just another heart in need of rescue- waiting on love’s sweet charity.I’m gonna hold on for the rest of my days'Cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams (verse 5) And here I go again on my own .Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.Like a drifter, I was born to walk alone.And I’ve made up my mind I ain’t wasting no more time.BUT here I go again.Here I go again.Here I go again.Ooh baby, ooh yeah.”

Take my breath away: This excerpt speaks for itself that byler is real/endgame after Will moves/s4 and 5. XD

Mike’s songs

Will’s canon Spotify playlist. He ALSO has the song “I’m still standing” by Elton John (who is gay)? Aka cause Mike has a ‘romantic comeback’ with Will XD

I’m still standing’ is a guy bragging about a breakup and now feeling like a kid -lol Mike saying he feels like a 7 y old after the breakup . And moving on -lol it’s mileven).   The album is from “to be continued...” I MEAN, C’mon. That’s , very on the nose for s4 byler happening after mileven XD

‘Your blood, like winter, freezes just like ice” (when El broke up with Mike , “cold as ice” played).”I got a taste of love in a simple way.And if you need to know why I’m still standing.You just fade away.Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did?Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.And I’m still standing after all this time.Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.”

‘Baby I lied’, also reminds me of the byler fight where Mike insults Will/talks about El and then says to Will “ But, we’re not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think, REALLY?  That we’d never get girlfriends? Sit in my basement and play games for the rest of our lives?” Causing Will to storm off crying- thinking Mike doesn’t even imagine Will being there for the rest of his life (in favor of a girlfriend).And then Mike (although already knowing of his feelings for Will) realizing that it wasn’t a temporary crush/phase- but that he was in love with Will. And only realizing he can’t live without him when Will left. Making it sink it to Mike that he was lying to Will during their fight.

“Did I say that I’d be okay if you said good-bye? And did I promise you I could take it if we were through? And forget about these feelings inside? Baby I lied when I told you I could walk away .Baby I lied��And did I ever tell myself I could always find someone else? Did I say if you left today it’d be no surprise? Did I ever leave any doubt I could hold up if you walked out? I know I told you that I could survive. Baby I lied…And now that I can see you walking out of my life . Saying good-bye, I realize….”

also ‘Love is a battlefield’ (could be recontextualized/interpreted through a que*r lens  given the time period-typical hom*phobia) . Love would be considered a ‘battlefield’. ( The song could be. about 2 people refusing to state their feelings/ holding back from doing anything romantic. Despite both people in the song secretly knowing the other secretly reciprocates mutual romantic feelings)  . But they fear pursuing anything cause society says their love would be ‘wrong’. It also reminds me of s3 byler fight . Both ‘standing’ secretly in ‘heartache’. One character in the song(Mike) being mean to the singer who’s angry and wants to go home (Will). Then after that (Mike/song character) begs the singer (Will) to stay but then is mean to the singer again . So in response (Will/singer) gets annoyed and then asks ‘am I in your way? or am I the ‘best thing’ you have?(s2 byler ref). And the singer could internally question if they made a move on the Mike (/song character) would they be rejected? And like that singer ,Will, also throws Mike’s words in his face by saying he actually did think they’d be together for the rest of their lives without girlfriends (cause he may suspects Mike is full of shit?). The singer pretty much says-when it becomes impossible to ignore your romantic feelings for me - you’ll realize you’ll need me ! The song also emphasizes they’re “young” (kids) and Will/the singer  questions if their love will get  “old” , but quickly decides their love can’t get ‘old’ or die (despite Mike’s lies stating the contrary) * Also saying “no promises” could be a ref to show it’s the opposite of mileven who have the promise line.*Seems like the song is from Will’s pov. 

“We are young.(Heartache to heartache) We stand. No promises(No demands)…We are strong. No one can tell us we’re wrong. Searching our hearts for so long. Both of us knowing, love is a battlefield. You’re begging me to go. Then making me stay. Why do you hurt me so bad? It would help me to know : Do I stand in your way?Or am I the ‘best thing’ you have?When I’m losing control.Will you turn me away? And when all this gets old,will it still feel the same?There’s no way this will die. But if we get much closer.I could lose control.And if your heart surrenders-you’ll need me to hold.”

‘Kiss off’ could also be seen through a queer lens aka Mike trying to deny he’s gay but realizing at the end of s3 it’s not a phase. And hopefully learning to accept it in s4.

“I need someone, a person to talk to. Someone who’d care to love. Could it be you?could it be you?Situation gets rough. Then I start to panic. It’s not enough!it’s just a habit! Hey, kid your sick. Well, darling this is it! You can all just kiss off into the air!Behind my back I can see them stare.They’ll hurt me bad . But I won’t mind. They’ll hurt me bad, they do it all the time.” 

El’s songs

 The power of Love is the 1st song that shows El desire to learn about love despite it scaring her and not really understanding her relationship with Mike. (it’s a very heteronormative idea- “I’m your man /i’m your women” so we’ll fall in love). It also shows her more questionable behavior like spying on Mike. (The later songs illustrate mileven falling apart.)

“Even though there may be times it seems I'm far away. Never wonder where I am'.Cause I am always by your side.'Cause I am your lady.And you are my man...We're heading for something.Somewhere I've never been.Sometimes I am frightened.But I'm ready to learn of the Power Of Love.”

  (The second song)Another one bites the dust is about a dysfunctional romantic relationship.

Girls just want to have fun illustrates El’s annoyance with both Hopper controlling her, and Mike (like Hopper trying to control her) and keep her away from the outside world. And just preferring hanging out with Max and not having a romantic relationship.

“ (verse 2)My father yells, "What you gonna do with your life?".Oh daddy dear, you know you're still number one.But girls, they wanna have fun... (verse 4) Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world.I want to be the one to walks in the sun.Oh girls, they wanna have fun.Oh girls just wanna have.That's all they really want. Some fun.”

Don’t tell me lies - (El in s4) saying they’re whole relationship is a lie and she was ‘naive’ to think otherwise.But now she knows her Mike will be with someone else and their relationship was always based on a lie. And she’s ok on her own. “Every move you made before was never meant for real.Over my naivety is this how I should feel?...they'll never ever be another one.Don't tell me lies.Don't tell me lies.Looking back I realize it's always been this way.We must note what has gone and never turn away...Broken loose from indecision.Now I'm alright on my own...I guess I'm alright on my own.”

 I feel like i’ve talked the lying aspect to death but it’s an important element to their relationship.

Mike while apologizing to El at the grocery store never apologizes for lying -despite it being the cause of the breakup . He never apologized for lying cause the love is the lie- like Max said “boyfriends lie ALL THE TIME”. And it’s why the camera panned to Will when Lucas asked why Mike lied to her. And he never answers El’s question of ‘why do you lie?!’ (he just looks up silent and guilt ridden).  In s2, Mike says “i never gave up on you (to El). “ When moments earlier he says to Max “it took her just like it took Bob.” HE’S LYING AGAIN . He thought she was d*ad.Plus he also fought with Hopper in s2 (’about El’) in Will’s room too. He wasn’t actually calling Hopper the liar he was calling himself “a stupid disgusting liar”out of self hate . That scene was foreshadowing his lying to El in s3 (about his feelings for her). He blamed Hopper for his feelings for Will cause he told himself it wouldn’t have escalated if El had been around to ‘fix him’ . “I BLAME YOU! NOTHING ABOUT THIS IS OK! NOTHING ABOUT THIS IS OK. YOU STUPID DISGUSTING liar, liar, liar, liar”.starts crying.

In s3, mike (in Will’s room) did not reciprocate El’s kiss/ or say ‘i love you ‘ back  and had his eyes open while the same exact song plays that robin came out to: called ‘the first i love you’. These are the only times the song plays in s3. The ‘first i love you’ also sounds like ‘the first lie’ - that song played when jancy said they were just friends. it sounds the same cause jancy lied about it not being romantic while mileven lied by saying it was.  

Ugh- why are the tags not working? I guess , please, reblog if the tags continue to act up or else no one will see this.XD

[writerwhowritesao3]

Max and Billy both know how to cry on command. They learned from both years of living with neil and living in not in the safest neighborhood in Cali.

(I’ll leave this open for you to elaborate on if you want, since it could go as either 1. both of them doing it in funny/petty situations like getting to pick what movie to watch when hanging with the party and pushing over Hopper, or 2. Them having to use it to get out of fucked up situations)

Oh, abso-fuckin-lutely, anon. 

The thing is, both of them have known how to cry on command since they were kids—before Neil and Susan got married. 

When Max was in elementary school and her mom and biological father were going through a divorce, she didn’t turn in a fair bit of homework and straight-up flunked a few quizzes and tests. Like, to the point where she was in danger of having to repeat the grade. Her teacher, of course, noticed the obvious change in behavior since up until that point, Max had been a decent student. Her teacher held her back after school one day to talk about the situation...and Max just turns on the waterworks. Like, full on crying and shaking. It helped that her home life was currently a mess, but crying about it to her teacher tipped the case in her favor. Her teacher ended up letting Max retake a bunch of tests, turn in assignments  months after they had been due, and do some extra credit to make sure she wouldn’t be held back. The teacher never even told Susan about this because Max pulled the “my mom is soooo sad all the time now because my dad moved out” card. 

When Billy was ten, right after his mother left, he kind of fell in with a not-great group at school. One day his new friends dare him to shoplift some Hot Wheels car from a store close to their school. So Billy does. And an employee catches him and his “friends” run away, leaving him to deal with the situation alone. And so the employee does the whole “give me your parents’ phone number or I’m calling the police to let them deal with this” schtick. So Billy just starts crying and apologizing. And it’s really not that difficult to conjure up the tears because he was sad all the time anyway PLUS he was absolutely terrified of his dad. And this store employee is a college student and he’s hungover (at 3pm....) and he is just not paid enough to deal with a crying child, so he just takes the Hot Wheels toy back and tells Billy to not do it again. 

Fast forward six years. Their first year living in Hawkins, Billy is driving around with Max and he’s speeding quite a bit on an empty backroad. Like...boy is going eighty-five in a 40mph zone and Max is egging him on to go even faster. And he’s pulled over by Officer Callahan. 

Automatically, without even discussing it, both Max and Billy start crying. Max is fully sobbing by the time Officer Callahan reaches Billy’s window and Billy is pretending to be fighting back tears as he reaches for his license and registration. 

“Uh...you kids okay?” Officer Callahan asks. 

“Um,” Billy says, swallowing and blinking back tears, really laying it on thick. “Our mom just called and...and she told us our grandma just died...”

In the passenger seat, Max lets out a dramatic sob. 

“I’m really sorry for speeding, officer,” Billy says, tears rolling down his face. “We just need to...to go home and be with our parents...”

“Aw jeez,” Officer Callahan says, shaking his head sympathetically. “I’m real sorry to hear that, guys. Go on ahead, just try to stay within the speed limit, okay?” 

Billy and Max wait until Callahan has driven away to turn off the tears. 

“Do you think it’s bad karma to lie about Nana dying?” Max asks. 

“Nana’s gonna outlive us both,” Billy snorts. 

Their powers have limits though. Billy never cries on command to Neil because Neil tends to get more aggressive with him when he cries because only pussies cry. And both Billy and Max always feel way too guilty about making themselves cry to manipulate Susan, so they don’t ever do that. 

They also can’t fool each other. They spend way too much time together and know each other way too well to successfully fake tears. Max tried it once, when she was twelve and Billy was fifteen. It was over something stupid that neither of them can even remember. Max started crying and Billy raised an eyebrow and went, “Really, Max? I fuckin’ invented that shit, get the fuck outta here.” And Max immediately stopped, rolled her eyes, and said something like, “Yeah, whatever, Billy, fuck you too.”

[strangertheory]

"anti-Mileven"

I know you submitted this as a message and not an Ask, but I hope you don't mind if I answer your question with a longer post because this is a topic that is important to me but is complicated. I've meant to do a post about this, but kept putting it off because it is a very layered topic for me and my thoughts about Mileven are probably not what a lot of fans want to hear.

I respect that everyone develops an attachment to their preferred couples in stories for personal reasons, and as such any criticism of the dynamic between two characters that are dating can feel like a very personal criticism. I respect everyone's head-canons and favorite ships as sacred ground: I don't want to tell anyone how they should or should not relate to a story. That's unique to each of us as fans, and we will all enjoy Stranger Things for different reasons.

However: I do have some thoughts regarding the way that the narrative has established the dynamic between Mike and El. And I personally do not find their dynamic *as it currently is* to be one that is ideal for either of them yet.

I really care about Eleven and I really care about Mike. They are two of my favorite characters in the story.

To say that I'm "anti-Mileven" is a huge oversimplification of how I feel about Mike and El's dynamic.

I am very much anti:

overlooking the fact El has been treated as a lab rat and abused and isolated from society for the majority of her existence and her ignorance of her own identity and her own desires is repeatedly reinforced canonically. ("How do I know what I like?") El has spent only a few months out in the world beyond her cell at the lab and beyond Hopper's cabin, she knows very little about the world yet, and she is being taught much of what she now knows by her boyfriend who also happens to be one of the few people she interacts with in her daily life. The power difference and social difference between them is huge currently regardless of whether Mike is a nice kid with good intentions or not, and they are both fourteen years olds.

overlooking that it is superficial and not representative of a "deep" relationship to only kiss and make out with a significant other and not do other meaningful activities that establish a real day-to-day relationship (like hanging out with friends and other loved ones as a couple.) There's a popular misconception that the act of two people kissing is inherently romantic and a sign of emotional closeness. But kissing becomes romantic psychologically when two people share a deep affection for one another that is based on shared experiences and emotional and psychological connectedness. If two characters can be shown to care about one another without ever physically touching, they have the potential for a deep connection that is based on more than the thrill of physical affection. Give me a well-developed relationship first, and then kissing will seem romantic to me. Without an established psychological and emotional connection between characters, kissing is merely a superficial representation of the idea of intimacy between characters without any actual substance underneath. Sure that's what kids do when they're figuring out how dating and feelings and physical intimacy work and it's not harmful in itself provided that they are both comfortable with it, but keep this in mind within the context of the other concerns I list here.

trivializing Mike's dishonesty and blaming Hopper for Mike's lying when the truth is Mike could have easily explained to El that Hopper didn't want them spending as much time together and having some space would be better. El is well aware of Hopper's dislike for their time spent together. This should have been a very easy conversation. As Lucas rightfully asks as Mike is ranting about the situation he got himself into: "Why lie?" Good question, Lucas. Good question. El asks Mike this again later at the mall. "Why do you lie?" Mike stares back at her with an awkward expression, and does NOT answer her. Why is this answer not an easy one? Why has Mike still not addressed things with El? I think there is more going on here than just Hopper's threats.

I am very in favor of:

El learning more about who she is and what she wants to do with her life outside of the desires and expectations of other people.

Mike figuring out how to effectively express his thoughts and feelings honestly. He is clearly struggling to do this throughout season 3, and it is uncharacteristic of the kid who defiantly said and did what he wanted frequently in seasons 1 and 2. Clearly Mike is not comfortable and is nervous, which is understandable for someone exploring new emotionally vulnerable territory like dating for the first time, but he needs to learn to be honest and tell people how he is thinking and feeling or else he is also putting himself and his feelings and needs at risk and potentially establishing an unhealthy relationship that will hurt him and hurt others even if he doesn't mean to. Mike's nervousness is STILL present in the final goodbye scene in which Mike and El talk, and El tells him she loves him and kisses him. He is still stumbling over his words and anxious, and he seems notably confused after El kisses him. These small details are not trivial, they are clearly intentional.

Recognizing that Mike is the first person her age that was kind to El when she escaped the lab, and given that she has only known pain and abuse her entire life and has never known friendship let alone romance that her psychological readiness for understanding a romantic relationship is NOT the same as an ordinary 14 year old's and this cannot be stated enough.

Recognizing that societal pressures and personal insecurities might be a huge factor in how Mike clings to El's attention and affection for him, and that there is evidence in the story that supports this interpretation. We know that Mike is bullied frequently, and that there is a layer of homophobia often involved. (Even if James and Troy were speaking rudely about Will, they were still directly confronting Mike. The implication is there.) We know that Lucas yelled at Mike "No Mike. You're blind. Blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you!" This reveals that Lucas knows that Mike is insecure and wants validation. Just because Mike has a desperate desire to be loved and liked by a girl does not mean that his appreciation of El's attention is based on his genuine romantic affection for her. Mike might be dating El because he enjoys the attention, he likes being liked, and he likes how having a girlfriend makes him feel more accepted and normal.

Recognizing that every moment that Mike has tried to share something that he is passionate about with El (the Yoda figurine, the dinosaurs) she has been completely disinterested. Since El has no cultural connection to the pop culture stories Mike loves and she lived in the Lab her entire life, it makes perfect sense that she will have no interest in these toys. Her lack of interest in what Mike is passionate about, however, is worth noting: not because it's a bad thing, but because it's just one of many reasons they are "not even from the same planet" and cannot bond and connect easily. El has lived an incredibly different life from Mike, has suffered through so much, and is still learning about the outside world and about herself. She is severely behind in social and personal development. She needs time to learn and to grow and to heal so she can live her best life and recover from what she has been through. (She doesn't really care about your Star Wars toys, Michael, because she just learned what a phone is and is processing a lot of other things right now.)

*I want to credit @kaypeace21 for pointing out many of these particular observations listed above: you can read her very detailed and extensive analysis in her post here: El is Not in Love with Mike.

These are just a few of many thoughts I have regarding Mike and El's dynamic together, and why I find the romanticization and idealization of their dating relationship to be more suited to fan-canon and fanfiction. For El to have a relationship with Mike that I would personally enjoy and appreciate, the story would need to convincingly allow her to establish a notably better understanding of who she is and what she wants, and have time to heal from her trauma and learn a lot more about the outside world. While I suspect that the Byers moving away will be very difficult for Will, in many ways I think it will benefit El tremendously and I hope that she is given more opportunities to learn and to grow.

I also agree with @hawkinsschoolcounselor 's hypothesis that Mike is projecting his feelings for Will onto El. It's impossible for me to see Mike's dynamic with El as entirely separate from Mike's relationship with Will because El was found in the woods when they were looking for Will in season 1, El helped everyone find Will in the Upside Down and saved his life, and El reappears at the end if season 2 and saves Will from the Mindflayer. Until season 3, El's appearance in Mike's life has been directly tied to Will's survival and safety. I do not think this is a trivial aspect of El's narrative. El's importance within the larger story being told is repeatedly tied back to what Will is dealing with. The reason that El and Will's narratives are so deeply intertwined has not been revealed in the story yet, but I suspect that there are some important aspects of El and Will's stories that haven't been fully revealed yet that will bring all of these seemingly isolated plot threads together. The creators of Stranger Things repeatedly tie El and Will together visually and narratively (re: @kaypeace21), and I believe there is a very specific reason for this.

I look forward to seeing what happens in season 4. Whether my interpretation of El and Mike's dynamic is fair or not, I trust the writers have a compelling next chapter in their story for us all to enjoy.

[elizabeethan]

The Days We Defend (Will Turn To Gold)- Chapter 3

Everything is perfect, until it isn’t. Killian and Emma have spent months building a life together after finally defeating Neal and Gold, but when the Dark One dies and his power becomes untethered, everyone in Storybrooke is at risk, and some decisions may have lasting consequences.

Sequel to Walk With Me (I Think We’ll Find A Way)

Prologue, 1, 2

Read on Ao3

Tagging: @courtorderedcake @kmomof4 @stahlop @klynn-stormz @laschatzi @emelizabeth88 @lfh1226-linda @kday426 @profdanglaisstuff @elisethewritingbeast @timeless-love-story @captain-emmajones @gingerpolyglot @ebcaver @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @superchocovian @itsfabianadocarmo @tiganasummertree @gingerchangeling @jrob64 @onceratheart18 @xhookswenchx @winterbaby89 @swampmedusa @ultraluckycatnd @dancingnancyy @love-with-you-i-have-everything @shireness-says @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @ouatpost @daxx04 @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook​

Belle is overwhelmed with responsibilities, both as newfound official owner of the shop, and with settling the Crocodile’s assets. They weren’t even bound together by law, but for whatever reason, she felt compelled to take care of these things.

“I suppose we should bury him,” she says over her coffee mug as she pours over pages of financial documents at Killian and Emma’s dining table.

Killian shrugs. “I suppose that’s a good way to prevent any foul odors,” he agrees, and she gives him a look that tells him he may have said the wrong thing. “And… of course, it’s the respectful thing to do.”

“Of course,” she says through a laugh and rolls her eyes. “I mean, I probably should've taken care of this already. It’s been a week since he passed, I just… it’s been strange.”

“I understand, love. You weren’t together but you still had feelings towards him. And as big a bastard as he was, he did love you.”

She presses her mouth together thoughtfully, nodding as she looks back down at her pages and takes another sip from her mug and he finishes up the dishes from their lunch. It’s perhaps the first time that he’s realized what this means: his enemy is dead. His life’s mission is complete.

He has a feeling that, were this to happen three years ago, he would have felt lost. He’s lived an unnaturally long life with one goal in mind, and with that goal met, he’s unsure what else he may have had to live for. Now, he has everything he needs.

It isn’t long before he hears the bounding steps of his toddler stomping down the stairs, one step at a time, and a nervous Emma behind her reminding her to be cautious.

During the last week, he’s noticed a new trend: Emma is constantly anxious about Corrine’s safety. She’s far more nervous about her being hurt while exploring her environment and learning new skills, and is always helicoptering over the child, hardly taking an eye off of her. It isn’t that he suspects that she distrusts him, but he’s certainly noticed that she almost never leaves their daughter alone, not even with her father.

“Hello my little love,” Killian says as she reaches the landing.

“Hi Captain,” she says, her tiny voice pronouncing her new word without a T.

“Who the blazes is teaching you these terms, my dear?” he asks, picking her up once his hand is dry and placing a kiss on her forehead.

“No know,” she responds with a shrug, although he doubts that to be true. One can only trust a two-year-old as far as one can throw them, especially when that child’s father is Captain Hook, and he’s nearly completely certain that she does know that Prince Charming is trying to mess with him.

“You’re far too smart for your own good, sweetheart.”

“Thank.”

Emma smiles softly as she rounds the corner, placing a hand on their daughter’s back and glancing up at Killian before moving towards the refrigerator.

“What would you like for lunch, smarty pants?” Emma asks Corrine, and she shrugs.

“Cheese,” she tells her mother, smiling a toothy grin at Killian and then poking his nose with her chubby finger.

“A grilled cheese? For Emma Swan’s daughter? Preposterous.”

Emma laughs, barely, and bumps his shoulder with her own, moving throughout the kitchen to get started on cooking as Killian continues to entertain the lass.

“Corrine, did you say hello to Belle?” Killian asks, and she turns in his arms and smiles sweetly.

“Hi.”

“Hello there,” Belle says with a smile, standing and gathering her files. “I actually think I should be going. I’ve got to make the arrangements for the burial.”

“Aye, lass.”

“Would you guys, um, are you planning on coming?”

Emma drops something behind him with a clatter, then lets out a hissed curse. When he turns, he sees her shoving a frying pan to the back of the stove and forcing the burner into the off position, holding her hand in front of her.

“Uh,” he says, placing Corrine down and moving towards Emma. “I’ll let you know,” he tells Belle as she makes her way out the door to leave.

“Momma’s okay?” Corrine asks, toddling over towards her.

“I’m fine,” she mumbles back, looking down and plastering on a fake smile. “Baby, go play in the living room while I make your lunch, okay?”

Corrine runs clumsily towards her small chest, opening it up and exclaiming excitedly when she sees some of her favorite stuffed toys. “Emma,” Killian finally says, moving in front of her and taking her burned hand.

“I’m fine,” she spits out, yanking her hand back and reaching for the pan again, replacing it on the burner and moving towards the refrigerator.

“You’re clearly not.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Did you forget the conversation we had last week? I told you I’m here for you, love. You don’t have to bear—”

“Hook, I’m fine! Just leave it, would you?”

She hadn’t called him that since the curse was broken, but lately it’s been slipping from her lips far more frequently than he prefers. “Don't do that, Swan. Don’t put your walls back up; don’t shut me out.”

“I”m not.”

“You are. You’re scared about what’s going to happen with Regina and you’re trying to protect yourself, but in doing so, you���re closing yourself off from me.” She refuses to look him in the eye as she lets a pat of butter slide into the pan and tilts it so that it melts across the surface. “You’re doing it now.”

“What do you want me to say?” she mumbles as she places a slice of bread in the pan.

He takes her hand once she places a slice of cheese over the bread and covers it with another, pulling her away and forcing her to turn and face him. “You don't have to say anything. Just… I just want you to trust me like I trust you.”

She sighs, wriggling out of his hold and grabbing for a tool that she uses to flip the sandwich over. “Of course I trust you,” she says softly as he hands her Corrine’s plastic plate. She slides the hot sandwich onto it, slices it down the middle, and hands it back to him, turning away once again and taking the pan towards the sink.

He stands there expectantly, foolishly, for a moment before turning and walking towards the table, calling for Corrine as he places the plate in front of her chair. “Come, love,” he calls, and he hears her tumbling towards him. He hoists her into her chair and kisses the top of her head as she starts munching away.

Emma holds her burnt hand out of the running stream of water as she washes the pan vigorously. She isn’t one for cleaning, well, anything, so to see her so passionately doing so is throwing him for a loop.

Rather than trying to talk any more sense into her, he walks up behind her, resting his prosthetic on her hip and taking the pan from her hand to place it down in the sink so that he can hold her. He feels tension leaving her quickly as she settles her back against his chest before turning around and wrapping her arms around his middle, sighing.

He holds her tight, attempting to squeeze the anxiety and fear out of her but knowing it likely isn’t going to work like that. Instead he settles for telling her, “I’m here, love, always. We’ll get through this, I swear it.”

He hopes beyond hope that he’s being truthful to her.

~~~~

Later that night, when Corrine is safely tucked into her crib only after David helped Emma to lower the platform in an attempt to prevent her from escaping, Emma and Killian sit quietly on the loveseat as Henry takes up the entire couch. They had a film on, and although Killian finds them difficult to follow, he guesses that Henry is having a far worse time focusing  based on the way he stares off at the ceiling for almost the entire picture. Eventually, he sits back up, his spine so straight that it looks uncomfortable, and announces, “I don’t wanna see my mom.”

Emma straightens too. “I know that, Henry. I told you I’m not gonna make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“I know she’s been asking for me.”

Emma squeezes Killian’s hand but won’t turn his way. He sighs and steps in. “Aye, lad, she has. But your mother has been very clear that that won't happen.”

“Hook’s right,” she says. “We aren't letting anything happen to you. You're old enough to make your own decisions about this stuff.”

The lad sighs, relaxing back into the couch a bit before speaking up again. “I feel bad, though. If she’s saying she wants to see me, maybe that would help her to fight the darkness.”

“Well, maybe that’s true, but it’s okay for you to set your own limits. Isn’t that what Dr. Hopper used to say?”

“Yeah. It’s just… why would she do this?” he asks softly, staring down at his hands resting on his knees. “Why would she let herself go back to being dark, after everything that happened when I was a kid?”

“The darkness came to her, Henry. She didn’t really have that much control over it,” Emma says, trailing off weakly at the end of her statement. He knows she’s blaming herself now for the position that Regina is in, and for Henry’s emotional turmoil.

“She’s gonna do something stupid. And dangerous.”

“Henry…”

“Mom, she did some really terrible stuff when she was the Evil Queen, and now she’s gone dark again. How can I trust that she won't try to hurt you like she did last time? Or me or Corrine?”

He feels her tense some more. “Kid, you shouldn’t have to worry about that.”

“But I do! It’s all I can think about!”

“We’re gonna take care of this! I told you that you don’t have to see her and I meant it. Nothing is gonna happen to you,” she tells him urgently, standing from the couch so quickly that Killian starts to tip over.

“But what about you? And everyone else I care about?”

“I’m gonna fix this,” she promises, her voice cracking. She moves towards Henry and pulls him into a tight hug which he returns in kind, the two of them standing still in the middle of the living room and seemingly blocking out the rest of the world.

Killian feels so helpless.

~~~~

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Swan,” he starts, moving towards the bed that she sits on heavily.

“If you tell me everything's gonna be okay, I think I’ll scream.”

He stops in his tracks, sighing as she flops backwards until her back hits the mattress and groans.

“Emma.”

“Hook, I can’t have this fight with you again!” she nearly shouts, thrusting her fingers into her hair.

“Who said we were fighting?”

She rolls over onto her stomach and presses herself up so that she’s sitting on her knees, staring him down with angry eyes. “You're going to tell me that this isn’t my fault and that we’ll get through this,” she says, irritation clear in her voice.

He steps towards the bed, standing closer to her and narrowing his eyes. “Suppose I am. Suppose I mean it.”

“It doesn’t help!” she says. “I can’t keep doing this. I can’t just sit around doing nothing while we wait for something to go wrong.”

“Swan, you're not doing nothing.”

“Why do you keep saying that?!”

“Why are you so upset with me?”

“I’m not!”

“Clearly you—” he’s interrupted. Her hands are around his neck and her mouth is on his with a forceful pressure that nearly knocks him off his feet. “Swan,” he tries, but she continues her attack on his lips.

“Stop talking,” she mumbles against him. “I don't want to hear anymore.”

“What do you want?”

She slows her movements of her lips along his only slightly, as if she’s considering his question, and in her pause, he leans them forward so that she falls back onto the mattress with him on top of them. She grunts, biting his lip fiercely in an angry response, and before he can steady himself on top of her, she’s pushing his shoulders and flipping them.

“You,” she growls at him before kissing him again. “I want to fuck you.”

Her words shoot through him as quickly as his blood does, coursing through his body in an icy heat. His hand finds her hip immediately, squeezing before he slaps her ass covered by her tight leggings. “You want it rough, love?”

“Yes,” she answers immediately.

“Well,” he murmurs as her mouth trails down his stubble covered chin and finds the juncture of his neck, sucking what he knows will become a bruise. “I’m happy to oblige.”

He knows what this is. He knows she’s seeking out control where she can and while she has so little of it. He normally takes the reins and revels in his ability to make her fall apart, so tonight, he’ll sit back and enjoy as she flips the script.

She’s quick in her work of undoing the buttons of his top, ripping it open forcefully and fully exposing his chest so that she can slide her lips down the expanse of flesh. She sucks another bruise into the skin just beside his nipple as her hands make quick work of the zip of his trousers. She pulls them down promptly once they’re undone, continuing the wet trail that her mouth leaves down his torso until she’s blowing hot breath against the fabric of his boxers just above his already-hard cock. She slides onto her knees on the floor before him, pulling the garment away, and takes him in her mouth almost immediately, never breaking eye from his. It’s perhaps the longest their eyes have maintained contact all week.

She sucks him expertly, swirling her tongue as her cheeks hollow and taking him down nearly to the base. He groans at her enthusiasm and she hums in response, the back of her throat vibrating against his throbbing tip. “Fuck, Emma,” he says, pulling at her hair lightly and iliciting a moan from her. He nearly loses himself at her response. “Come here, love.”

She hums again to question him, looking up as her tongue trails a thick line up his shaft and she sucks his tip once more. “Where?”

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to finish, and I won’t be able to fuck you.”

Releasing him with a pop, she presses herself up from her knees and begins to slide her leggings and knickers down her shapely legs. “Didn’t you hear what I said?” she asks as she pulls her top above her head and moves back towards him. She’s straddling his hips, his erection trapped between his stomach and her core, and the heat of her against him driving his mad. “I’m fucking you.”

“Bloody hell,” he breathes out as she grasps him and tucks him inside her. She moans, her hands sliding up his chest and taking his hand to place it on her breast still covered by her bra. He moves the fabric away as best he can through the distraction of having her around him, but he must be moving too slowly because she reaches around her back and unhooks it herself. As he squeezes again and runs his thumb along her nipple, she moans, tossing her head back so that her long hair almost tickles the tops of his thighs.

She rides him mercilessly, bouncing and and thrusting hard against him as she takes what she needs from him. He hopes it helps her; he could see her fear all week, her lack of control driving her to a state he hasn’t seen her in in quite some time. Her walls are coming back up, and watching it happen before him and being unable to prevent it hurts more than he knows what to do with.

“Fuck,” Emma says, reaching her hand to rub tight circles along her clit as she continues to squeeze him. “God, yes.”

“That’s it, darling. Take what you need from me,” he chokes out. He’s hardly even coherent, barely holding himself together as he prays for her quick release after the work she has put in on him moments ago. “I’m here, love, take what you need.”

“I need you,” she whimpers. Her voice is high and breathy as she collapses against him, one hand still trapped between them on her clit and the other wrapping around his neck. “I need,” she breathes, following it with nothing.

He chooses now to bend his knees and thrust his hips up into her finally, feeling her squeeze her arm harder around his neck and her core tighter against his cock. He groans into her neck, holding her hips so she can continue to move above him as he meets her with each thrust. “That’s so good, love, you feel so perfect. Such a good job for me, that’s it.”

“Killian,” she chokes out. “I— I lo—”

He thinks for sure that she’ll say it— he would’ve loved to hear it— but instead, she squeezes once more, choking out a cry that tells him she’s cascading off the cliff they worked towards together. As soon as she gives him permission through her own orgasm, he’s spilling himself inside her. She lets out a keening whimper as she comes down, her lips biting and kissing against his neck as she collapses.

He turns his head towards her’s, kissing her forehead and rubbing his bare arm up and down along her back as she comes back down. He hasn’t been with her with her walls this high since Neverland, and he isn’t sure how she’ll react to his attempts to hold her after such animalistic sex, but he chances it.

After he rolls them onto their sides, she holds on tightly to him but won’t move her head from its spot under his chin. He feels her shallow breaths hitting the skin of his collarbone, tickling the hairs gently as he runs his fingers along her spine. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she whispers, and he feels his heart squeezing painfully in his chest.

He pulls her impossibly closer to him and responds, “there isn’t anything wrong with you, my love,” and kisses the crown of her head once more.

“I don’t know why I can’t just…” she shrugs.

He thinks— he hopes— he knows what she means. She feels love for him, but can’t say the words and stay for the aftermath. Assuming this is correct, he says, “it’s okay. I love you enough for the both of us.”

He feels her burying her face further into his chest and she tightens her grip on his torso. “I feel it, I do. I just…”

“I know.”

He does know. He only hopes that he doesn’t soon get to a place where that isn’t enough anymore.

~~~~

They meet again at Granny’s in the morning, Ruby and Tink staying with Henry and Corrine despite the lass’s protests. She wants desperately to come with her parents, and her increased clinginess to the both of them worries Killian. He thinks it worries Emma more. Just one more straw that threatens to break the camel’s back that is Emma, he thinks.

Regina can hardly focus. She’s still going back and forth between talking to them as herself and the Dark One, and her quick flip from one personality to another startles them all. Today, she can’t seem to think about anything aside from Henry, and he can feel Emma’s tension from across the diner.

“Regina, we need a real plan.”

“I have a plan! It’s to see my son!”

“We need a plan for getting the darkness out of you. Have you found anything in your books or your vault?”

“Emma, I have to see him,” she pleads. “He’s the only thing that can keep me sane right now. Being the Dark One is so hard… I’m trying so hard not to give in, and he gives me strength to fight it.”

He watches as Emma blinks, sighing and letting her head fall forward at Regina’s words. She’s trying to appeal to Emma’s motherhood, and it isn’t fair. He wants to step in, but they asked to talk privately and he’s trying to respect that.

“I’m sorry, I really am,” Emma says softly. “It’s just not a good idea right now.”

“So Emma Swan finally has something over me and she’s milking it for all it’s worth, is that it?”

“Regina, it isn’t that. You know I want what’s best for Henry.”

“Then why the hell won’t you let him see me? Is it revenge over what happened last year that you want?”

“No!”

“You finally have a say in this and you can’t seem to let go.”

“Regina, Henry doesn’t want to see you,” Emma practically shouts. Killian’s blood runs cold.

“What?” Regina spits, leaning towards Emma threateningly. He stands from his stool at the counter and starts to make his way over to them.

“He’s scared! He spent so much of his life frightened of his mother being the Evil Queen and now he’s scared that you’re going to hurt someone he loves again!”

He places his hand on Emma’s shoulder and feels her tense up in response. Regina stands slowly, leering over Emma and smiling maliciously. “We’ll see.”

“What does that mean…?” Emma asks softly, leaning back against his hand and seemingly taking comfort in his presence.

“Well, Miss Swan, I suppose you’ll see.”

“Regina—”

“Just you wait, Miss Swan. You can’t keep my son from me forever.”

Before Emma can argue, she vanishes.

~~~~

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

“A plan. Don’t think I’ve forgotten your little scheme to get what you wanted last year.”

“So the new Dark One needs help from the old Dark One’s son?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. Your plan to make everyone forget and keep your family to yourself was perfect, aside from the fact that it may have taken Henry from me. I need your help to make that happen now.”

“How will you do it?”

“Allow me to show you.”

~~~~

~~~~

Thoughts????? :)

Read Chapter 4

[alexandralyman]

project neverland

Inspired by Colin’s upcoming role on The Right Stuff, I wrote a little 1960s CS test pilot/early NASA AU one shot. I didn’t aim for historical accuracy with this one, it’s more about the feel of the era instead of a literal depiction of the Mercury 7 and their missions.

Summary: Test pilot Captain Killian Jones always liked to go too fast. When he gets asked to join the elite group Colonel David Nolan of NASA has formed to be the first men to fly into space it's all he ever wanted...until he meets his CO's daughter, the beautiful and headstrong Emma Nolan.

Read on ff.net here and on AO3 here

Killian Jones always liked to go too fast.

In fast cars.

In fast planes.

(with fast women)

The NASA shrinks said it was because he had to grow up too quickly, too young when his father finally took off for good and his absence sent Killian hurtling recklessly into adulthood too soon with only his older brother left to try to keep him tethered to Earth. They almost didn't clear him to join Project Neverland, the internal code name given to the mission when someone made a late night crack after one too many pots of coffee about throwing out all the charts and just taking the second star to the right to reach the moon, but he was a hell of a pilot and after rising star Captain Arthur Pendragon, given the call sign "King" because everyone expected him to lead the mission, literally crashed and burned out of training in the Excalibur prototype and actually broke the damn thing clear in half, Colonel David Nolan publicly decided to give Captain Killian "Hook" Jones a second chance to join the team and be the hero.

Alongside a more private warning for Killian to clean up his act if he really wanted to reach the stars.

Killian knew the man wasn't kidding, so he took it to heart and stopped drinking (hard liquor, at least), stopped sleeping around (he'd been given the call sign "Hook" for his ability to hook up with any woman he wanted, including a general's wife, the bold and brash Milah Gold), he cut his hair short and shaved twice a day to keep within NASA's strict grooming requirements for its elite group of test pilots, he wore a suit and tie and smiled politely for the photographers whenever he was told to, doing the whole dog and pony show for the press without a single word of complaint. He wanted to fly to the stars, wanted it more than anything, he wanted to go faster, higher, than any man had gone before and bring home honour and glory for the name Jones.

Dr. Hopper scribbled furiously in his little notebook during their mandatory sessions and went on and on about his clear "father issues" and his "tendency to overcompensate" while Killian tuned him out, thinking instead about the feel of the wind in his hair when he drove with the top down on his 'Vette, rock 'n' roll blaring on the radio and putting the pedal to the metal up and down the Florida coast, or the exhilaration of taking off in one of the sleek new jets, feeling the lift and drag of the wind under the wings as delicate and powerful as a lover's touch along his skin when he aimed straight for the clouds above and pierced the sky fast enough to break the sound barrier. He agreed with whatever the doc said every week just to get out his office, lighting up a cigarette as soon as the door closed and taking a deep inhale to deal with his nerves instead.

Killian was keeping to the straight and narrow as best he could, but he couldn't stop himself from driving way over the limit in the early morning when the roads around the base were clear and empty as far as the eye could see, or taking his boat out just before sunset after a long day of NASA eggheads telling him what he could and couldn't do and blowing off steam by opening up the throttle as far as it would go to ride the waves so fast that the hull barely touched the water. Giving up booze and unhappily married women were one thing, he'd already almost ruined his career more than once over both and he'd learned his lesson the hard way, but the bone-deep need within him to push just a little bit harder, go a little bit faster, always chasing something that lingered just beyond his reach, well, what NASA didn't know couldn't hurt them.

Captain Killian Jones did everything too fast, but when Miss Emma Nolan grabbed the collar of his leather aviator jacket and kissed the smirk right off his face he wanted nothing more than to take it slow for once, since the only thing more off-limits than a superior officer's wife was a superior officer's daughter and Colonel Nolan wasn't just Emma's father, he was Killian's CO, with the power to ground him for good if he knew that his princess had been sneaking out to meet Killian at the underground drag races and after-hours nightclubs in Cocoa Beach. She wore dangerously short miniskirts and pale, frosted lipstick, all the men assigned to Project Neverland were half in love with her and she was the cause of every grey hair on her mother's elegantly coiffed head. Colonel Nolan's illustrious career had taken the family all over, although not always together. Emma had been sent to live with relatives in Boston while her parents were overseas on a remote posting that didn't allow children, reuniting several years later and then taking assignments at several different bases across America until he was handpicked for the most coveted position of them all and the Nolans moved again to Florida.

Emma recited the long list of former addresses without looking at him, staring out at the horizon instead while she sat with her legs folded Indian-style on the beach blanket he kept in the trunk of his car.

"It must have been hard, moving around so much," he offered. Military life was tough on families and tougher on marriages, which was one of the reasons why it had been all too easy to fall into bed with Milah Gold, despite both the ring on her finger and her husband's rank and a bigger reason why he had never followed that track.

"Yeah," she agreed, letting the clean white sand run through her fingers. "If I wanted friends I had to make them quickly, and then as soon as you really got to know someone new orders would come in and either we'd be leaving in a week, or they were shipping out, and sometimes you didn't even get that much notice. Sometimes...sometimes someone you thought you were really close to would leave one night and just never come back."

She said in a way that Killian knew she was referring to someone in particular, someone who'd done just that, walked out of her life one night and broken her heart in the process. But before he could say anything she stood up and took off, sprinting away from the memory on those long legs that looked so fantastic in white go-go boots and that he privately thought would look even better wrapped around his hips instead. She headed straight for the ocean and came to a halt right at the water's edge, waves just licking her toes and lapping at her ankles before rolling back out into the sea. Her hesitance confused Killian at first, Emma was like him, always leaping before she looked, but then she peeled off her lime green two-piece and dropped both halves into the sand, plunging straight into the crashing surf as naked and carefree as any flower child.

Killian Jones was one of the seven best pilots in the entire country, his reflexes were literally off the charts...and yet it took him an embarrassingly long time to pick up his jaw from where it had dropped somewhere around his knees and reach for the knot in his own swim trunks. Turned out there was something that could get his heart beating faster than the sight of the sleek vessel he was slated to fly into space sitting in the hanger at Cape Canaveral, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't look up into the sky when the sun set and the stars appeared.

But a late night skinny dip at a secluded little cove aside, Killian did his damndest to be a gentleman to Emma Nolan, and it wasn't because it was rumoured that the sword her father had mounted to the wall in his office wasn't just ceremonial. It would be easy to fall into bed with Emma, easy for this thing between them to be nothing more than another meaningless fling, but maybe he had been listening more than he realized while Dr. Hopper droned on about how lost boys either grew up and became men, or just grew older and which did he want to be? So he checked his speed and drove much more carefully when she was in his car and didn't let his hands wander when they danced no matter how dark it was in the hole-in-the-wall bars far from the country clubs frequented by his fellow officers and their wives. He made sure to have her home at a reasonable hour afterwards, even though he had to park around the corner and she was going to climb the tree next to her bedroom window and sneak back in anyway.

They got caught one afternoon, not by Colonel Nolan (although there had been a couple of close calls in that regard) but by one of those Florida downpours that came without warning, a sudden and shocking deluge that plastered the clothes to their bodies and ruined Emma's bouffant in a heartbeat before Killian could get his jacket off to serve as a makeshift umbrella. She clung to him while he held it over their heads, cursing a blue streak that would make a sailor blush and her mother faint while he laughed and did his best to shield her with his body. Raindrops slid down her neck and lingered in the little dip of her collarbones when she tilted her head up to the sky, mapping a course on her skin that he longed to follow with his lips until he'd charted every square inch. For someone who was about to take off at speeds men could only dream of a few short years ago and touch the stars, everything he'd ever wanted and more, Killian wished for nothing more now than to make these quiet moments last, for the song to never end when they danced and for the rain to keep falling, to keep them grounded in the here and now.

"You're leaving soon," she said in barely more than a whisper, a statement instead of a question. Suddenly everything was moving too fast, the mission date was measured in days instead of years now and their time together was growing short. The rain stopped, the afternoon showers were heavy but they never lasted long and it ended as abruptly as if someone had turned off a spigot, leaving wet pavement steaming in the sun and nothing to hinder Emma's return to her own car, the cheerful little yellow thing her parents had bought her.

"Yes...but not a day will go by where I won't think of you."

Emma looked at him and he wondered if the dampness on her face was from the rain or from something else. Her lips quirked in a half-smile that made his chest ache.

"Good."

Killian watched while she walked away and got into her car, putting it in gear and driving off. Slowly, at first, until it started to pick up speed. He knew, intellectually, that it couldn't go nearly as fast as his own V8, but it didn't feel that way when she was driving away from him.

He stood completely still until she was gone.

...

The little beach house that he'd rented when he first arrived to join the program went unused, Killian had to cram in his flight hours to stay mission ready after falling behind thanks to a certain blonde distraction, and he was going out daily in the jet that had been nicknamed the Jolly Roger and staying on base at night with other members of the crew. It seemed that whatever he'd had with Emma was over completely, she used to come by on a regular basis to visit her father and once she'd left the colonel's office there were all sorts of storage closets and empty stairwells to hold a more clandestine meeting afterwards. They'd neck frantically against the wall until Killian had to tear himself away to return to the daily physicals and calisthenics and whatever else the brass had scheduled for him, with the waxy taste of Emma's lipstick lingering in his mouth for hours afterwards and his uniform rumpled. But now it was Mrs. Nolan who came to base instead, with her lacquered helmet of dark hair and impeccable manners she was the Jackie Kennedy of NASA, always with a smile and a gracious word for the men under her husband's command.

It would be much more colourful if she knew exactly what her free-spirited daughter had gotten up to with one of them, even though he hadn't crossed that line. They'd come close, too close, moving too fast, too soon, the way Killian did everything else in his life.

Perhaps breaking up before one of them inevitably got broken was for the best.

Life magazine devoted an entire issue to Project Neverland and the men carrying the hopes and dreams of the nation on their shoulders, with each member of the flight crew getting their own double page spread. Captain Graham "Huntsman" Humbert was unsmiling and stoic in his photograph, described as, "the serious, single-minded leader of the elite group and devoted husband to his wife Ruby, as stunning and statuesque as any high-fashion model" while Captain Will "Knave" Scarlet was, "the practical joker, unofficial jester and class clown and a newlywed to boot, to former school librarian Belle, as pretty as her name suggests."

Killian posed alone in his flight suit, with no sweet-faced wife in hat and gloves like the others to stand by his side he was, "the swinging bachelor with the rock 'n' roll attitude and the looks to match, with eyes even bluer than Paul Newman's fixed firmly on the prize."

They were all inundated with fan mail after that, everything from children's crayon masterpieces of themselves meeting little green aliens on the moon to letters from senior citizens who remembered Kitty Hawk and man's first flight, but Killian in particular received a lot of perfumed envelopes decorated with lipstick prints and marked SWAK. Infatuated schoolgirls wrote him mash notes that Scarlet stole and read aloud to the rest of the crew in a high-pitched squeal, suburban housewives offered home-cooked meals with themselves served for dessert, and a Playboy Playmate even sent a few photos too racy to publish with her phone number scrawled on the back.

"Have you rung up Miss November yet, Hook?" Scarlet asked with a wink and a nudge, his caterpillar eyebrows practically doing the Twist on his forehead at the prospect. "Maybe we should start calling you Hef instead."

"Knock it off, Knave," Killian replied around the cigarette in his mouth, trying to snatch the picture back. Scarlet was shorter than he was, but he kept dancing just out of his reach with that smug grin while he continued to make jokes about Killian trading his flight suit for a smoking jacket. Finally, Humbert intervened, smacking Scarlet in the back of the head with one hand and grabbing Miss November away from him with the other.

"Ow! Watch the goods, it's property of Uncle Sam now, you know."

Humbert rolled his eyes. "We all are, dummy, which is why Captain Jones here isn't going to risk catching the clap and getting grounded. Are you, Hook?"

Killian met his expectant look. "Sir, no sir," he said, giving a mock salute and taking the photo delicately between his fingers. He left them to their bickering and headed outside, where he lit another cigarette and then held Miss November over the little flame, bidding her a silent farewell as she turned to ash on the wind before sliding the Zippo back into his pocket. Maybe he would have given her a call, once upon a time, risked a venereal disease and a shot of penicillin in the ass just for the story alone. But Humbert was right, there was too much at stake now. They all had to stay squeaky clean, in more ways than one. He wasn't even supposed to smoke in public anymore, which was even more of a pain when he had to deal with the press. Thankfully access to the base was highly restricted, and the wide swath of tarmac was completely deserted save for him and the line of sleek jets parked in neat rows, under a clouded sky.

The clouds drifted and the moon appeared, just as she had to the ancient sailors who set off in search of riches across Homer's wine-dark sea of old. They'd plotted a course into the unknown with only the stars to guide them and he was about to do the same, on a ship of a different kind but a ship nonetheless, with titanium wings instead of canvas sails to carry them across an ink-black sky, navigate by the stars and then follow them back home.

It wasn't his empty cottage that Killian pictured when he thought of home now, closing his eyes and letting the cigarette burn out untouched, breathing in the clean night air instead and hearing the faint crash of the waves against the distant shore.

...

A decision was made to hold a party at the base a few days before they had to enter pre-mission quarantine, a full on soiree with politicians flown in from Washington to see for themselves where their constituents tax dollars had gone, four star generals, celebrities and the cream of Florida society, and as the guests of honour, the flight crew in full dress uniforms with their brand new commendations pinned over their hearts. Colonel Nolan would lead them in to the fanfare of a naval brass band, each man with his wife displayed proudly on his arm. As the only unmarried one, Killian would escort one of the single women who'd been invited so he wouldn't have to walk alone.

Emma Nolan.

She arrived with her parents, stepping out of the car in a red cocktail dress that matched her red lipstick and drew him straight to her like a beacon.

Ot a warning light.

Maybe it was both.

"Miss Nolan."

"Captain Jones."

He proffered his arm and she accepted, her gloved hand resting lightly on his sleeve. His eyesight was as keen as the rest of his senses and yet everyone else seemed to fade into nothing more than a blur in the background, as far removed as the Earth would be once they broke through the atmosphere and went where none had gone before. The only one he could see clearly as the flashbulbs popped and the band started to play was Emma.

They weren't seated together at the dinner, much to Killian's chagrin while he made polite small talk with the senator's wife on his left and tried not to let his gaze drift too much in her direction. When the floor was cleared for dancing he took a turn with Ruby and one with Belle (neatly evading the rather overzealous senator's wife, a tall redhead from Kansas) and even danced with Mrs. Nolan herself, feeling his back straighten even more under her scrutiny. Her husband might be the one wearing the silver stripes, but she had the bearing of a queen in her golden dress.

"You look lovely this evening, ma'am," Killian said, his posture still stiff and formal despite the modern bossa nova the band was currently playing.

"Thank you, Captain. At ease."

He did relax a fraction at that while her stern expression melted into a smile. Over her shoulder he caught a flash of red and saw that Emma was dancing with her father, on the next pass Mrs. Nolan saw them as well and her face softened even more.

"Part of me is glad he's not twenty years younger or he'd be the one leading this mission instead of overseeing it. As exciting as this all is, don't forget about those of us back down on the ground waiting for you to come back."

Humbert drifted by with Ruby, her arm wrapped tight around his neck and her cheek resting against his chest. The wedding ring on his hand shone under the lights, his fingers splayed across her slim back and looking like there was nowhere on Earth or beyond that he'd rather be.

"I'll bring them all back safe and sound, ma'am, I promise."

Mrs. Nolan's eyes were a lot like her daughter's, a deep gemstone green that reminded him of distant galaxies they'd only caught the faintest glimpse of from Earth. They fixed him in place for a long moment, making his step falter and lose the beat while everyone else continued to dance.

"Not just them, Killian. You come back safe and sound. That's an order."

She had no real authority over him, but as the song ended and she patted him affectionately on the cheek, Killian was tempted to salute her as neatly as he would a general. He settled for giving a respectful dip of his chin instead, wondering as she walked back to her family if maybe, perhaps, his relationship with Emma hadn't been nearly as secret as he thought it was.

"Yes ma'am," he whispered, even though she was too far away to hear.

A few (or several) champagne toasts later everyone was invited into the hanger to view the spacecraft itself up close. Killian hung back, he'd already seen it, after all, more times than he could count, and as tipsy politicians eagerly followed the NASA eggheads through the doors to gape and gawk at what had built in this little corner of the world for the glory of all mankind, he noticed a familiar woman in a red dress with a bottle of champagne dangling from her fingers, heading the other way.

He went after her instead.

"You know, if you mean to christen the vessel with that, love, it's actually that way."

"Hmm," Emma mused, her red lips pursing as she appeared to contemplate the thought. "It's for good luck, right?"

Killian took it from her and swigged right from the bottle, feeling the bubbles pop on his tongue. "For luck," he said, and he was lucky that it didn't break or tip over when he set it down, blindly thanks to the woman in his arms, her mouth hot under his and her fingers fumbling with the buttons on his jacket. She got it open just as he hefted her up in his arms, fingers splaying over his heart while her legs went around his waist and a shoe hit the floor with a thump. They were in a darkened conference room, the walls strewn with maps and schematics of the most modern undertaking ever dreamed while the most ancient and primal of needs clawed at his belly, and he carried her to the couch in the corner that had seen many a hastily-snatched catnap during the late nights of the Project, but never an assignation quite like this one. For all the optimism and hope that they all professed publicly, privately everyone knew that the mission was dangerous, and there was a more than infinitesimal chance that none of them would make it back. Humbert knew it, Scarlet, despite the juvenile sense of humour, knew it, Colonel Nolan knew it and Killian did as well. The fierce claim in Emma's kiss as he fumbled with his belt told him that she was more than aware of that grim possibility, the squeeze of her thighs around his hips was an anchor, one he would remember later once gravity faded and he was floating free. As dangerous as this was it was more than worth the risk, and when he crossed that final barrier it was like both braving the unknown and coming home in one fell swoop, his face pressed to her neck to muffle his groan and her nails digging into his shoulders. The little half-moons she left in his skin had faded by morning, when all of NASA was hung over except for Captain Killian Jones and Miss Emma Nolan had gone home with a pilfered bottle of champagne and without her girdle.

She still cut quite the figure in her dress, even if it was wrinkled just a tad.

They were each allowed to bring one small personal item with them on the mission, something Dr. Hopper had said was to remind them of whatever it was they held most dear. A photo of a loved one, perhaps, or a symbol of their faith, the choice was up to them. The shrink had nodded approvingly when Killian had shown him what he'd finally decided to bring in their last session, leaving his little notebook closed for once. It didn't weigh very much, it couldn't, since it cost a literal fortune for every pound of weight being sent into orbit, and tucked easily into the little zippered pocket on his flight suit set aside for the purpose.

It was therefore the most expensive engagement ring in all of history.

Maybe he was moving too fast, but when he caught sight of Emma on the other side of the glass, come with her mother and the wives to say their final goodbyes on the morning he was going to leave the Earth and take the second star to the right, he knew he'd finally found what he'd been chasing for so long.

[kelyon]

Golden Rings 8: A Mayor

The Storybrooke Sequel to Golden Cuffs

Rumple has a chat with Regina

Read on AO3

After that disaster of a meal, the walk to City Hall gave Rumpelstiltskin time to cool his head. It was one thing to lose control in front of Mrs. Gold, the poor woman would just blame herself for any change in his behavior. But now he was strolling into enemy territory. Going eye-to-eye with the Evil Queen. He knew better than to blink. 

In the old world, there was no question that he was more powerful than Regina. She had learned her magic from him. Even then, the girl had a long list of grievances against a world that had, admittedly, treated her poorly. Rumpelstiltskin had trained her in the ways of dark magic, and that gave her the means to forge her anger into a weapon. Over the years, the queen had refined her rage, hammering her many resentments again and again until her pain was a folded blade, sharp enough to cut the world asunder.   

The most important lesson the Dark One had ever taught his protégé was that true power was the ability to cause pain. If hurting people didn’t make her happy, clearly the solution was to hurt more people. As Regina’s abilities had grown, so did her list of enemies and potential victims. Her wrath had expanded from targeting one little girl, to a small rebellion, to the whole realm.

Storybrooke was Regina’s ultimate victory, even over him. It was not enough for her to simply end the lives of her enemies. She had to torture those who had wronged her, prolong their suffering. For twenty-eight years, she had trapped them all in a world without time. A world where every day seemed exactly the same as the day before--except, somehow, worse. 

She had separated all of them from the people they had loved. She had forced them all to be the worst versions of themselves. She had destroyed their happiness in the hope that she would finally have some for herself.

Had it worked? 

Rumpelstiltskin had reached Main Street, the unofficial border between the old part of  town and the new. Regina lived in New Town, along with the rest of the Storybrooke elite. The castles of this world were made of drywall and stucco, and Mayor Mills lived in the grandest of them all. Did that satisfy her? Was it enough for her to be richer and more powerful than anyone else in town? Did she still feel like a Queen?

City Hall was in New Town as well, only a few blocks away from 108 Mifflin Street. That wasn’t the official residence for every mayor, but it was convenient that the only person who ever ran for the office lived within walking distance. 

Main Street was deserted at this late hour. Even Granny’s had only a few stragglers inside, lonely people lingering over cups of coffee before heading back to empty houses. The loudest noise on the street was the opening of the door from the offices of Dr. Archibald Hopper.

A little boy ran out onto the sidewalk, jabbering excitedly to a blonde young woman.

“I’m telling you, the first step is to figure out who people are. Once we know, then we can help them remember on their own. Then they can find their happy endings!”

“Okay, kid. Sure. We’re gonna suss out people’s secret identities from fairytale land. How?”     

“Don’t worry. It’s all in the book!”

The animated conspirators walked off. Neither one noticed the figure limping in the shadows behind them.

Well, Rumpelstiltskin thought. That was interesting. 

Gold recognized the boy as Henry Mills. Ten years ago--though to a cursed mind it couldn’t possibly have been ten years, my how time flies--Regina Mills had come to Gold and asked him to arrange for an adoption. She had demanded a newborn with no family, preferably from far away. She had wanted a closed adoption, with a birth mother who would never interfere with the life she had planned for the baby. 

It had been a tall order, but Gold had contacted a juvenile detention facility in Phoenix, Arizona. By some happy chance, one of their charges--herself an orphan who had spent her life in the foster care system and inevitably fell to a life of petty theft--had found herself pregnant. Gold had never gotten the name of Henry’s birth mother, but Rumpelstiltskin knew it well.

Emma Swan.

So that was why the Savior had come to town. 

And, apparently, the boy Henry had some idea of the true nature of the people around him. Was it because of this book he had mentioned? Or was reality obvious to anyone who  wasn’t blinded by the curse? Either way, the boy was trying to get Emma to help him make people remember who they were.

How very interesting.

The rest of the walk was easy. Rumpelstiltskin walked with a light step to City Hall. The lights were on in the Mayor’s office, but there was some activity in the garden around the back.

Rumpelstiltskin found the Queen on her knees, picking apples up off the ground. The sedate little garden had become a place of horticultural carnage. An entire branch of Regina’s prized apple tree was on the ground, with a fresh wound on the trunk. The grass was littered with sawdust and leaves and fallen fruit.

“What a mess.” Rumpelstiltskin announced his presence, walking into the enclosed space.  

Regina finished what she was doing before she stood up. “Not for long.”

There was a smile on her face, and a sharp gleam in her eyes. Rumpelstiltskin could read his pupil like a book. Despite the chaos around her, she was celebrating a victory. So far, she was happy. How fragile was that mood?

“This will all be cleaned up in the morning,” Regina said. “And the menace responsible is probably halfway back to Boston by now.”

“You don’t mean Emma Swan, do you?” Rumpelstiltskin circled the tree as he spoke. “I just saw her walking down the main street with your boy. Two of them looked thick as thieves.”

It was always a pleasure to see Regina’s smile vanish, and her satisfaction sour into spite. But now there was an extra thrill in watching her ire. She hadn’t changed at all. Twenty-eight years of getting everything she wanted, and Regina was just as insecure and petty as she had ever been.

Marvelous.  

“I told that woman to get out of my town.”

“Apparently, she didn’t follow your orders.” Reaching up into the tree, Rumpelstiltskin grabbed a low-hanging fruit and twisted the stem until it broke off in his hand. “That makes her rather a special person around here, don’t you think?”   

Regina ground her back teeth, an ugly habit she’d had for years. “I spent all day trying to get rid of her.”

“And you didn’t come to me?” Rumpelstiltskin tossed the apple in the air and caught it in one hand. A whole day? No wonder the Queen was frustrated! Normally her will was worked much more quickly than that. Of course, she normally had help. “I thought you knew where to go when you needed something done.” 

She turned her back on him to examine her tree. “I don’t make deals with you anymore.”

“And what a shame that is for us both,” Rumpelstiltskin lied. “After all, we have such a grand history of working together for our mutual benefit.”

“Your ‘benefits’ aren’t always what they seem, Mr. Gold.” Regina smirked, like she was pointing out some undiscovered fact. “Even when you got Henry for me, now I find out that there’s this woman.”

He held the apple in the palm of his hand. “Children are known to have mothers--”

“I’m his mother!” She cut him off sharply, and he knew that look. If this was a world with magic, the Evil Queen would be throwing fireballs right now. Her anger was always so close to the surface. She had never learned how to hold back, how to sneak and plot and keep your enemies close. 

“Be that as it may.” He kept his voice friendly, the same tone Gold would use. “Next time you need something, I hope you’ll remember to call on me.”

She smirked again, that regal expression of amusement and disdain. It was one of her better masks. “Nice to see you so accommodating, Mr. Gold. I’m glad that woman hasn’t ruined everything in Storybrooke.”

He shook his head, all businesslike courtesy. “No matter what strangers may do, everyone needs a friend in low places.”

“And you are certainly the lowest,” Regina chuckled. The smallest show of deference was enough to restore her good humor. The slightest reminder of the power she thought she had. “By the way, how is Mrs. Gold?”

“Quite well, thanks for asking.” He looked her in the eye and lied to her face. His masks were better than hers and always would be. “She’s a little, ah, tied up, at the moment. But I’ll give her your regards once she’s free.”

“Please do. I always like seeing the two of you around town.”

Rumpelstiltskin polished the apple on the sleeve of his suit jacket. This type was called a Red Delicious, though Mayor Mills would tell people it was a Honeycrisp. She could tell people anything and they wouldn’t question her. 

He began to saunter out of the garden. He had seen everything he needed to see.

 “I wouldn’t worry about Emma Swan.” He left Regina with a reassurance that would only remind her of her real problem. “How could she possibly be a threat to you?”

He didn’t let Regina respond. He had asked her a question that would haunt her waking hours. Whatever happiness she had accumulated with her curse had popped like a balloon the moment the Savior had entered Storybrooke. 

All he had to do was watch the show. 

On his way out of the garden, he took one bite out of the apple. Red through it was, the fruit was far from delicious. It was bland and bitter, just like her. Rumpelstiltskin tossed the apple over his shoulder and left the Queen to the destruction that had once been her sanctuary. 

****

Heading back to the house, Rumpelstiltskin’s mind went to another dark sorceress: Maleficent, the self-styled Mistress of All Evil. She had certainly been the mistress of Regina. Once Regina’s husband was dead and Snow White had fled for her life, Regina had taken Maleficent as her lover publicly. No one in the kingdom had dared speak a word against it. For a time, the two of them were inseparable, their mutual adoration a force that would move mountains. And they liked nothing more than to exercise their power on anyone who was weaker than they were.

They had done it to Belle. Rumpelstiltskin’s heart burned at the memory. Long before he married her, he had let them take her. When Belle had trusted him completely, he had been too much of a coward to defend her. Because he couldn’t have let the queens of darkness know that he had feelings for the pretty girl whose body he had bought and paid for. He couldn’t have exerted any force to protect her from them. He couldn’t have even said that she belonged to him and he didn’t want to share. That would have been a sign of weakness, tantamount to admitting that he loved her.

And he couldn’t have allowed them to know the truth. His reputation, his pride, could not endure it. At the time, he couldn’t even admit it to himself. 

Belle had come back to him naked and bleeding, with a testimony of the worst kinds of torture. Every wound on her body screamed out his guilt. Every word of what she told him as an indictment of his failure. For weeks after she had suffered nightmares and attacks of fear--things he only learned about later, because he hadn’t wanted to hear it, and Belle hadn’t wanted to tell him. The selfless girl had stifled her own trauma for the sake of his ego.

On Rumpelstiltskin’s mountain of regrets, refusing to protect Belle from Regina and Maleficent was a towering peak. 

Of course, Belle wasn’t the only one. Reports and rumors kept circulating about that kingdom, of the horrors inflicted on anyone who stood up to the Queen, or got in her way or even attracted her attention. Fair maidens with dark hair began to stay out in the sunshine to tan their skin and lighten their tresses. They wanted to bear no resemblance to the truest target of Regina’s rage, the girl who always evaded her grasp.

Eventually it had become too much, even for Maleficent. She had left, returning to her own castle. When Rumpelstiltskin had paid a visit to her, the witch had seemed more disappointed than heartbroken.

“It just got boring, Rumple. The same things to the same people, over and over! And Regina was never satisfied, not with me or anyone else. Evil is evil, but a person’s got to feel appreciated for the work she puts in!”

Maleficent would have taken Regina back, he knew. If there was even the slightest hint that things could change, that Regina was capable of growing up. Maleficent would have offered Regina a twisted version of happiness, if only Regina had really wanted to take it. 

Sometimes, late at night while Belle was sleeping safely beside him, Rumpelstiltskin liked to imagine the reconciliation between the two queens. It was an inevitable moment. One way or another, destiny would bring them back together, at least one more time.

Regina would come to Maleficent. Perhaps she would say she was sorry, that she wanted a new start. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to say anything. Maleficent’s eyes would glow with her green fire. And her smile would be of genuine joy. She would lower her defenses and welcome her lover with open arms.

Welcome Regina into her heart.

That image had comforted him through many nights when his mind was tormented by how the queens had tortured Belle. They would pay for all they had done to her. Even now, the thought filled him with vengeful contentment.

****

When he got back to the pink house in Old Town, Rumpelstiltskin found the place dark and quiet. The lights in the entryway were shut off, the candles in the dining room extinguished. The cold, fluorescent light in the kitchen was the only illumination on the first floor.

Plates and cookware were stacked on the counter by the sink. They were rinsed off, but not scrubbed. Gold didn’t trust his wife to wash his precious antiques. 

“Right,” Rumpelstiltskin said. 

In preparation to wash the dishes, he took off his suit coat and draped it over a kitchen chair. Then he removed the cuff links at his wrists and carefully folded up his sleeves. There were black rubber gloves inside the cupboard door underneath the sink. A green canvas apron hung from a hook by the stove. Gold was very fond of protection, of layers and separation. At last, there was something about him that Rumpelstiltskin could understand.

He took off Gold’s moonstone ring and put it in his trouser pockets with the cuff links. Now the only thing on his hands was his wedding ring, the golden band that had once been a shackle around Belle’s wrist.

Before he put on the rubber gloves, Rumpelstiltskin brought his knuckles up to his lips and kissed his ring. He had never removed it in the old world. It was as much a part of him as his own hand. He wouldn’t take it off here, either. The ring was proof that he was Belle’s husband. 

Belle’s husband, and Bae’s father. That was enough. When the world was right, that would be all he would need to be. 

Once the dishes were cleaned, dried, and put away, Rumpelstiltskin gathered his things and went upstairs. Mrs. Gold had said something about taking a bath. She was surely done by now. If he was lucky, she would already be asleep and he wouldn’t have to talk to her again.

It was the end of Rumpelstiltskin’s first full day in Storybrooke. He was already tired, already heartsick, already waiting for the Savior to do her job and free them all.     

The red lamp was burning in the parlor of the bedroom suite, just as it had been the night before. Mrs. Gold had turned it on to welcome her husband. The bedroom was dark, save for a beam of light that shone from the half-open bathroom door.

“Is that you, Mr. Gold?” Belle’s voice came from the bathroom, as well as the faint sound of sloshing water. The whole bedroom smelled like some kind of artificial perfume--the expensive bath oils that Mrs. Gold liked to buy.

“Do a lot of visitors come into this bedroom?” Rumpelstiltskin stayed on the other side of the door and began to undress. 

Mrs. Gold chuckled, the way Belle did when she was relaxed and comfortable. “I never know when you might send someone over to surprise me.”

He winced at that, at the casual way she suggested the possibility. Gold had never allowed another man or woman to touch his wife, but it always seemed to be on the horizon. That was the next barrier to cross, the next thrill for Gold to seek. He had prepared Mrs. Gold to expect it. At any moment, he might invite some stranger into their home--into their bed, into her body--and her task would be to be a welcoming hostess. 

Regina had made it that way. Everything about this marriage was her design, a reflection of what she had seen of him and Belle. It was possible that the torment was supposed to come from how much Gold and his wife both wanted to sleep with more people, but couldn’t find anyone in Storybrooke willing to indulge them.

“I’m almost done shaving,” Mrs. Gold called from the bathroom. “Then I think I could use some lotion. It’s getting colder now. I gotta keep soft and moisturized.”

She was inviting him to rub her down, to put his hands all over her silky skin and cover her body with a slick, sweet-smelling substance. They had done this so many times, in this world as well as the old one. He had made her soft and smooth and warm. He had found her wet and willing and open. His wife wanted him. She was offering herself to him. She loved him and he loved her and joining their bodies together was the most natural thing in any world…

“Fuck,” Rumpelstiltskin whispered as he pulled his pajama pants up over his hardening cock. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, more loudly, he said to Mrs. Gold, “Actually, I think I’m going to go to sleep. You take as much time as you need.”

For a moment, the silence from the other room threatened to swallow the whole of reality. 

“Oh,” she said at last. “O-okay, Mr. Gold. What--whatever you say.”

It hurt to hear the disappointment in her voice. But this was what he had to do. He couldn’t indulge in Mrs. Gold’s appetites--or his own. She wasn’t Belle. Doing anything more than sleeping next to her would be an unconscionable violation of Belle’s trust. 

And besides, that woman had no say over what she thought she wanted. Between the cursed personality Regina had devised and the cruel training Gold had inflicted, nothing inside of Mrs. Gold was real. She wasn’t a person, any more than Gold had been.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, and got into bed. Maybe he could fall asleep before Mrs. Gold joined him. Or he could feign slumber until she went away to do something else. Would tomorrow be another day like this? And the day after that? Was he going to have to make excuses to this woman until the curse was broken? Coward that he was, he would run and hide from someone who thought she loved him.

He was still awake when Mrs. Gold came out of the bathroom. To her credit, she didn’t try to attract his attention. He had told her that nothing would happen tonight and she respected his decision--far more than Gold had ever respected any of hers. But she still strode across the bedroom to get to the armoire in the parlor. Gold had never made room in his closet for her clothes. 

The light from the bathroom illuminated her body. Her hair was wrapped up in the microfiber towel she had bought specifically for that purpose. Aside from that, she was completely naked. 

He should have looked away. He should have turned his face to the wall and closed his eyes until she put on a nightgown. But he hadn’t seen Belle in twenty-eight years. His wife, his beauty, his light in the darkness.

For a moment, he filled his eyes with her. Hiding in the darkness, he didn’t conceal his interest. He saw it all. Belle’s neck, her shoulders, her slim arms and round breasts. She was so pale and smooth, a statue carved from alabaster. The gentle slope of her belly and the soft curves of her waist and hips. Her long, lovely legs. And between her legs…

Rumpelstiltskin blinked. 

Bile rose in his throat.  

He clenched his jaw, and rolled over in bed. He couldn’t look at her for another second. 

Between her legs, Mrs. Gold was bare and hairless. Like a child. Gone were the wiry curls that used to hide Belle’s treasures. He used to enjoy running his fingers through them, to tease his wife before he began to play with her properly.

It was a style in this world, for a woman to shave or wax her pubic hair. Men thought any hair on a woman’s body was unfeminine or even unhygienic. Apparently Gold was one of those fools. 

But even worse for Rumpelstiltskin was the memory of when Belle came back from her time with the queens. She had been bare then as well. It had taken weeks for her hair to grow back. She said that Maleficent and Regina had shaved her with broken glass. That they had pulled out any stubble by the roots.

Belle had not described the pain, but he could imagine it.

He didn’t know if Mrs. Gold had put on a nightgown before she got into bed. She didn’t touch him or try to speak to him. She probably thought he was angry with her. And while Rumpelstiltskin did seethe with fury, Mrs. Gold had very little to do with it.

Regina. The name pounded through his mind, until the very instant he succumbed to sleep. Regina will pay for all of this. 

****

He is in a cell, in the deepest dungeons of Snow White’s castle. The cell is enchanted, so his magic is useless. It is a dripping cave, carved from solid rock. There are no other prisoners nearby. The guards are stationed at the other end of a long corridor. The only time he ever sees a living soul is when people come to him for help.

He is exactly where he wants to be. 

“I tried your curse,” the Evil Queen rants from the other side of the pointed bars. “It didn’t work!”

“Considering we’re all still here, I should think that’s rather obvious, dearie!”

The Queen snarls at him. Her dark jewels glint in the torchlight. “You know why it didn’t work.”

“Well, I can make an educated guess...”

“Then tell me!”

Leaning back against the rough stone wall, he chuckles at the Queen’s demands. 

“There’s a price to that, dearie.”

She sneers. “Name it.”

“When--” He stops. He makes a show of changing the word. “If you can cast this curse, you will be creating a whole new world. Everything will be as you want it to be, Your Majesty.”

“I know that!” she snaps. “That’s the whole point! This world is stacked against me. This curse is the only chance I have to get my revenge!”

“Yes.” He grins at the Queen, and runs his tongue over his teeth. “You will control everything. All of our fates will be in your regal hands.”

“So what do you want?”

“Oh nothing much,” he waves his hand. “Only what I already have.”

“It’s a world without magic.”

“But not a world without power, yes? Not a world without wealth, or a world without comfort? Not a world without any pleasures at all?”

“Tell me what you want, imp.”

“It truly is a simple request,” he lies. “What is mine, stays mine. Everything I had before I came to this…” He gestures to indicate his captivity. “So the power, the wealth--”

“The woman?” The Queen smirks. “Is that what this is? You want to make sure you keep your little plaything!” Now she laughs. “Are you sure you still want her? She is a little worse for wear.”

“You made sure of that, Your Majesty.” His voice is low, but she doesn’t hear the threat.

“I could make you a lothario instead. Give you a new girl every night? That would be a punishment for quite a lot of people.” 

He moves so fast she cannot see him until he climbs the bars and grabs her by the throat, pulling her toward him. He growls at the Queen. He almost roars: “I. Want. My. Wife!”

The Queen jerks from his clutches, stumbles backwards to get away from him. Quickly, she allows haughtiness to mask her fear. 

“Fine,” she says stiffly. “She will be your wife in the new world, though that will not save you from the curse. Neither of you will remember a second of this place.”

“That’s not as cruel a fate as you might think, dearie.”

“Nevertheless.” She acts like that’s the end of an argument she has won. “Now: how do I cast this curse?”

“You need a heart, dearie.”

“Yes, I know that!” she snaps. “The heart of the thing you love most. I killed my own father and it didn’t work!”

“Poor Prince Henry.” He shakes his head. “He died as he lived: being betrayed by women who never loved him enough.”

“I did love him!” The Queen seems on the verge of tears. “Daddy was the only person who stood by me through everything!”

“Oh!” He widens his eyes and purses his lip in a mockery of her sorrow. “While it is true that the love between father and child can destroy worlds, that doesn’t seem to be enough. The curse doesn’t demand the thing you love much. You must give up the thing you love most.”

“Snow White killed the only other thing I ever loved.”

“Oh, then you’re in trouble, aren’t you, dearie?”  He giggles. “You don’t understand what you’re trying to do!”

“I’m trying to get revenge!”

“You’re trying to make yourself happy!” He grabs the bars of his cage. “You said it yourself, there’s nothing for you in this world. You think you have no choice but to destroy everything here and start over. Do that, and you’ll lose things, dearie. What you love most is just the first step.”

“But I have nothing to love!”

“And nothing loves you? No one loves you, Your Majesty? No one in this world wants to make you happy? No one would embrace you, if only they thought you might embrace them back?”

She begins to speak, then stops. Her royal countenance freezes. He can see the thought blossom in her mind.

“There it is!” he cackles. “You know what you love, dearie. Now… Go kill her!” 

[troop-scoop]

Mistakes & Regrets XXI

Summary: When a trip to your Dad’s hometown of Hawkins goes wrong, you end up in the year 1983, and have to learn how to cope with being stuck in the past.

Pairing: Steve Harrington / Future!Reader (like, a really slow burn)

Warnings: Swearing, violence

A/N: Definetaly not my favorite chapter, but we need to keep moving and i was having writer’s block :/

• • • 

Your dad and pa always said to stay yourself.

There was always something about the exact words they used. About never changing who you were for others that always stayed in your head, repeating itself occasionally. But you hadn’t thought about them in a long time. 

You changed for a lot of people since you got here. You’d gone from the very loud outspoken girl in all of your classes who cracked jokes and got in trouble frequently to a quiet and reserved shy girl now. Except for around Steve. You weren’t afraid to be annoying around him. And others picked up on it. 

So then came the question, was everyone else like the kids you went to school with most of your life except for Steve, or was there something else more there? 

Well, you’d cried in front of Joyce, and Jonathan, and even Nancy in the past year. Yet, you kept your composure around Steve. He made you feel stronger than you really were. Like he boosted your confidence or something. 

Hearing the kitchen door open, you were up on your feet and heading to the kitchen table, where everyone else was already beginning to gather. 

Hopper had a pen and a ripped piece of paper. 

You were looking over Lucas and Dustin’s shoulders. “I think he’s talking, just not with words.” He began to draw small circles and a long line. Morse code. You only knew it because for some reason your dad had wall art in the house, showing it for each letter. And while you never memorized it, you knew what it looked like. 

“What is that?” Steve asked from beside you. 

The boys and you all answered.

“H-E-R-E” 

“Here.” You repeated it as a word, everyone else doing the same. Everyone knowing the simple four letters. 

“Will’s still in there. He’s talking to us.” Hopper came to the conclusion. 

Soon enough they were back in there, leaving Steve, Nancy, you and all of the kids but Mike in the house. 

Hopper had his walkie in the shed, repeating back the code that Will was tapping on the side of his chair, letting the kids figure it out, while Nancy wrote it. You had a terrible feeling, and kpt exchanging looks with Steve every few seconds. 

“Close gate.” You finished as Nancy wrote the last letter. “He wants us to close the gate.” 

It was an obvious fix. But to do so, you probably needed Eleven. And if done so, you’d never see home again. You’d never graduate in the year you were supposed to. But you’d only resigned yourself to that fact. So while it still hurt, you knew it needed to be done. 

The kids and nancy all looked at you, Lucas and Nancy by far having the saddest looks on their faces, but Steve looked at everyone, seeing their gaze was fixed on you, and he too, saw how your arms were crossed and how you looked at nothing in particular. 

But the phone rang. 

“Shit!” You turned on the ball of your foot, rushing to the phone. It was loud. And you knew that if you couldn’t fall asleep because the one in your apartment was too loud to drown out even with three pillows pushed against your ears, that they could hear it from the shed. 

Dustin passed you, grabbing the phone from the receiver and putting it back on. 

You stopped next to the phone, looking back and seeing everyone staring with wide eyes, Nancy still holding the notepad and red crayon. 

The very beginning of the next ring, you grabbed the receiver, tearing it off the wall and holding it to your chest like you would with an infant you were trying to shush. 

“Do you think he heard that?” Max inquired. 

“It’s just a phone. It could be anywhere. Right?” 

Shrugging, you looked down at the blue phone. “How many phones is that now? Four?” You questioned, looking at Nancy. Who only shrugged and shook her head, a silent ‘why does it matter?’ 

But you heard that noise. It was in the distance but you still heard it. “Fuck.” You murmured. You tossed the phone to the ground watching as everyone from the shed ran back, Jonathan carrying Will and running to one of the bedrooms to set him down. 

“What happened?” 

“He heard the ringing.” He explained as the kids looked out the window.

“Hey! Away from the windows!” Hopper bellowed. Walking into the living room. He looked at Jonathan, holding up a hunting rifle. “You know how to use this?”

Without a word, Steve grabbed your hand, taking you a few steps further into the living room with him, letting you go while Hopper tossed the rifle to Nancy instead.

Pulling the pistol from your jeans, you turned the safety off, already knowing you’d reloaded it when you got to the house. 

The kids stayed behind most of you, and Hopper had a rifle. The kind police or military would use. An automatic, you were pretty sure. 

“Stay behind me.” Steve told you, swinging the bat around in a brief circle. 

Nodding, you took a step back, holding your gun up and aiming towards the door as the screeching from the creatures outside got louder. 

You heard another one come from the other side of the house, and in a split second, you all turned to it, still holding your weapons. You couldn’t hear anything now except for your own heartbeat and drowned out thoughts.

You all turned back to the front of the house again, you did it because you were following their every move, but something kept you from being completely alert, like you weren’t completely in danger. Like you were somehow safe. “Don’t be scared.” It was Anne’s voice in your head.

You took her word, and felt your ears toon back into what was being heard by everyone else from outside. Those things screeching, but what also sounded like crashing. As if they were being thrown into things. And one completely stopped. Before the window shattered, and it seemed to be thrown in. 

Grabbing onto Steve’s arm, but ending up with a firm grip on his shirt, you aimed the gun over his shoulder, looking at the creature that was laying on the hardwood, limb and unmoving. You knew that everyone was on edge, and scared, but just by looking at it, you knew it was dead. 

“Holy shit.” Dustin mumbled.

“Is it dead?” Hopper pushed it’s head back with his foot, and nothing happened but the creaking of the front door, which had everyone turning back to the front. 

You lowered your gun when the bolt turned, even though everyone else who had weapons, brought them back up. The door’s chain latch was undone as well, and slowly it opened, and in came a very familiar face, in very unfamiliar clothing and makeup. 

“Jesus christ, El.” You murmured to yourself. 

You watched with a small smile on your face as Mike and Eleven hugged each other, after almost a year of being apart, after a year of Mike thinking she was dead. 

“Is that the girl-”

“Yeah,” You interrupted Steve, in a hushed whisper. Turning the safety back on of the pistol and putting it back, looking down at the crayon drawings under your feet. 

You were happy, and a little envious. But you knew that they hadn’t made their peace with being apart. You’d made yours with being apart from your family. 

“That you were okay?” Looking back up to the scene in front of you, you saw Hopper take a step forward. 

“Because we wouldn’t let her.” Hopper gave you a quick glance, before turning back to Mike who turned to him at that point. It was true that you were partly responsible for telling he she shouldn’t contact Mike at any point. 

“El, where have you been?” You questioned, walking over, not caring if any one of the kids were mad at you. You only really socialized with them when you took Will to the arcade or one of these events happened. 

She allowed you to embrace her for a split second before she looked at Hopper. “Where has he been?” Her voice was laced with venom, but the only thing you could really think was that her hair smelled of heavy duty hair gel. The kind girls used in ROTC. 

But she still allowed Hopper to pull her out your arms and into his. 

“You two have been hiding her.” Mike sounded angry, and because you weren’t the one facing away he came over and shoved you. 

“What the fuck, Mike? Wanna fucking go?” Before you could approach the 13 year old, Steve had come over, and Hopper’s attention was taken away from El. Steve was facing you and had an arm against your torso, hand on your side, keeping you from getting closer to Mike. 

“Y/n, you’re not going to fight-”

“I will throw fucking hands, Steven, I will beat this scrawny little asshole to a fucking pulp!” You were exhausted, and already agitated and overthinking about everything, and Mike shoving you? Everything felt like coming to a breaking point. 

Hopper grabbed Mike, and took him away, while Steve took you further from the two, closer to the door than anything else. “Stop picking fights with people.” He told you, his hand still on your side, thumb against your ribcage from over the t-shirt you’d worn. 

“What?”

He gave a look, eyebrows raised and head tilted. “You’ve gotten into fights with a few teachers, me, one other student last year, Kieth earlier this week, and now you’re trying to fight a kid-”

“Who told you about my fights with Mrs. Jensen and Mr. Larn?” 

The look only got worse. “Stop trying to pick fights.” He said again, still fully knowing that he deserved the punch the year before, and the tiny little scar on the side of his nostril from it. “I get we’re all a little on edge, You’re tired, I can tell. Just… don’t fight literal children.”

“They’re only two years younger than me, Steve.”

“Dude-”

“Okay!” You said in a defensive tone, finally relenting. 

You looked behind Steve, and saw how Eleven and the two other boys reunited as well. But quickly your gaze shifted to Jonathan and Nancy who were staring at both of you. But not at either one of you in particular. Which was when you realize that while this position with STeve didn’t feel unusual, or weird, or anything other than friendly to you, it wasn’t to others.

He still had his hand on your side, which is also when you noticed that while over your shirt, as it should be, it was under the jacket he’d lent to you. And you had a hand on his arm,  more specifically right under his elbow.

In a split second it became very overwhelming and very obvious to you how close he was, just like when you were in the apartment. And even though the smell of detergent on his clothes was still faint, it was mostly gone. Instead he smelled like deodorant and dirt. 

Maybe Jonathan was onto something. 

“What’s wrong?” 

You were snapped out of your thoughts, and your eyes focused on Steve’s face. His brows were furrowed and the question hung shallowly in the air around you. 

“Nothing.” You lied.

Jonathan was onto something. And it terrified you.

• • •

It was bittersweet in a sense. Knowing how this would turn out. Knowing that everyone in the long run would be fine, but also knowing everyone would be traumatized, even just a little. 

You could barely cope with what happened over a year ago when you were in the Upside Down, and you couldn’t even remember most of it. Just bits and pieces. Feelings. 

“Y/n.” 

Looking at Eleven you watched as she took a step away from Mike, and toward you, reaching into her jacket and pulling a small box out, handing it to you. 

“What is this?” You asked, hearing Jonathan and Nancy get into the car, while Hopper opened the driver’s door to his own car. 

“Someone told me to give it to you.” It didn’t clear anything up, even as she walked away to Hopper’s car getting into the passenger side. 

The box looked like a ring box you’d see in jewelry stores, but it was far lighter. And you could hear a rattling of the expensive cardboard. 

The two vehicles drove off. Leaving you and Steve with the kids. All except for Will and Eleven. 

You put the box in the jacket pocket, not wanting to open it right then and there. “We should head back in.” You reached out to Mike, grabbing his shoulder, and to your surprise, he stepped back into your arm, letting you rest it on his shoulders. 

Even though you’d threatened to beat him into a pulp.

And while you didn’t quite know how, with in ten minutes of getting back into the house, you were advocating for interdimensional arson. 

“Y/n,” Mike tried, while you stood next to Steve, hands on your hips and eyes trains on the point where the tunnels all met. “What do you think?”

“Y/n, we promised to keep them safe-”

“I’ve always wanted to set something on fire.” You shrugged. “Besides this thing?” Turning to Steve you pointed at the meeting point. “Kinda deserves it!” 

“What?”

“She was in the Upside Down.” Dustin clarified. Your eyes snapped over to Dustin. You hadn’t shared that with Steve for very specific reasons

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, why do you think I was always being picked up by the chief from school, dude? We were going to the lab with Mrs. Byers and Will.”

“You never mentioned it before-”

“It was never brought up before. I’m all for setting this bitch on fire.” You quickly defended.

“No! We’re not doing this! We’re waiting for the starting team to do their job-”

“This isn’t a stupid sports game-” Mike interrupted. 

“We’re not doing this! Does everybody understand that?” 

No one could answer before the sound of an engine revving and coming towards the house was heard. Max left the hall, going towards to window and looking through it, with Lucas going right up next to her. “It’s my brother.” The way she said it made you feel cold. Like he wasn’t a good person. “He can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.” 

“Steve. . .”

“I’ll handle it, you guys stay here.” He told you, heading for the door. He was out of the house within seconds, but something about the situation made you feel wrong. You’d never even heard your aunt Maxine ever talk about a brother. 

“Guys, get away from the window.” You told the group of kids, who had gathered after Steve left. But the second you said that, the kids all jumped away. 

“Shit! Did he see us?” 

“Guys! Get over here!” You told them, gesturing towards yourself. They all came over like ducklings and stood behind you, which only made you more nervous, especially from how Max stood right behind you, almost as if you were a great hiding spot. 

The door slammed open, and an older boy walked through, his hair permed and cut into a mullet. He looked like the kind of person who would have made fun of you in school. His red button down almost all the way undone and tucked into his jeans. 

“Well, well, well.” Behind him, you could barely see Steve on the ground, clutching his stomach before the door was slammed shut. 

You understood why Max was so afraid the moment you laid eyes on him. He smelled like beer, cologne, and cigarettes. 

Lucas got behind you as well, and almost instinctively you had an arm to the side covering him. 

“Lucas Sinclair. What a surprise.” He took long yet slow strides toward you, not giving you much space, and towering over you. He looked over your shoulder. “I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max.” 

It wasn’t hard to put together that this was the new guy every girl at school was swooning over. And you couldn’t understand why. He was terrifying. 

“Back off, prick.” You told him. 

It seemed as if he only registered your presence then. He eyed you for a second before turning his attention back to his sister. “You disobeyed me. And you know what happens when you disobey me.”

“Billy. . .” Max’s voice was afraid and cautious. 

“I break things.” 

You didn’t have time to process anything before Billy shoved you away and grabbed Lucas by the collar of his jacket. Shoving him into the kitchen and slamming his body against a shelf. 

Max, Mike, and Dustin all started yelling and you moved after them in a heartbeat. Trying to grab onto Billy’s arm to get him to let go of Lucas. 

“Get off of me!” Lucas shouted. 

“Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will-” 

You tried to pull him off, but he shoved you into the kitchen table, your hip slamming up against it, and surprisingly the table was far heavier than you imagined, and far more sturdier as well, because you landed against it harshly, and the pain shot through your hip. 

“Stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?” It wasn’t hard to tell that Billy’s motive wasn’t to protect Max. You’d seen protective siblings, you’d been one for Daniel, this was racially motivated. And from how he’d completely ignored Mike and Dustin gave it away. 

“I said get off of me!” Lucas brought his knee up and against Billy’s groin, stunning Billy and making him let go of him. Billy took a few steps back before looking back up at Lucas. “You’re so dead, Sinclair! You’re dead!” 

You saw the familiar figure coming in from the living room and you grabbed Lucas’ arm, pulling him towards you. 

Steve grabbed Billy by the shoulder while you took Lucas over to his friends, with you once again acting as a shield in case Billy got the upper hand and tried to get any of them again. 

You could hear the punch before you even turned around, but when you did, you saw how amused Billy was and when he started laughing was when you were confused. He looked insane. 

“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody’s been telling me so much about.” He had a drop of blood on his upperlip from his nose as he spoke. 

And Steve wasn’t into the games he wanted to play. “Get out.” 

Billy swung and Steve dodged. “Steve!”

“Kick his ass, Steve!” Dustin encouraged. 

“Get him!”

Both Mike and Dustin were acting as hype men while Steve got Billy further into your grandmother’s kitchen, eventually with Billy landing against the sink, 

“Steve!” Was all you could get out when the plate shattered over his head, the shards of ceramic on the floor

Steve was trying to find his balance, backing up and needing a moment, You back the kids against a wall as Billy continued to follow him. 

Billy grabbed him by the shirt. “No one tells me what to do!” You’d never actually seen someone head butt someone else in a fight, this was a first. And Steve was now on the ground by the couch, with Billy still going after him. Just by how enraged Billy was and how out of it your best friend was, you knew Billy wouldn’t stop until he was dead. 

“Stop it!” You yelled, going over to the two teenage boys, trying to grab Billy and get him off of Steve, but to no avail. All he did was push you off of him again. 

You were on the ground now as well, but against the a wall, you could see the blood coming from both Steve’s mouth and nose. Small cuts around his face from where the plate shattered and cut him. 

You jumped a little when Max stabbed her brother in the neck. But when she stepped back, you could see the syringe sticking out. 

That was enough to stop him, and have him off of Steve, and the second he was on his feet and facing her, you made your move over to Steve. 

It was all becoming very real within a matter of seconds. His eyes were closed and he was completely limb on the ground. 

“Steve.” You mumbled to him, grabbing his cheeks and making him look at you. At least his body wasn’t stiff. 

Tears were welling up in your eyes as you looked down at him. Sure, you’d seen him with blood on his face before, but it was never this bad. The last time he deserved it.for being an asshole. All he’d done this time was try to protect everyone. He was always doing that, wasn’t he?

“Steve, Steven- wake up.” Your voice cracked, and you didn’t even flinch when Billy collapsed only a few feet away. 

But you did flinch at the sound of metal digging into the hardwood. Looking over you saw Max with the nail bat, between Billy’s legs. “Say you understand! Say it! Say it!”  She screamed at him. 

He mumbled it under his breath. “What?” Maxine demanded.

“I understand.”

• • •

@disneyprincessbuffyannesummers @nxncywheeler @yllwtaxi @songofcosplay @potatopooper05 @cheesecakeisapie @robinsdolan @yall-wildin-like-siriusly  @bisexualpears @ilovebucketbarnes @random-thoughts-003 @mochminnie  @abbyg217 @stevexscoops @cashmereandtears @iris-suoh @supred12 @ohmyitsfaith @beyond-the-gone​

[addictofsupernatural]

Emotions (pt. 10)

Billy Hargrove x reader

Summary: Billy reevaluates his relationship, and the both of them spiral.

Word Count: 2009

Chapter 1 • Chp. Masterlist • Chapter 11

"I can explain!"

"What the fuck was that?!" Billy yelled, freaked out.

"Billy, please calm down." You felt like you almost couldn't breathe. It felt like panic was taking over you and squeezing your heart. You really wanted to cry. What was this feeling? "Please."

He took some deep breathes and pointed at Neil. "How the fuck did you do that?"

"Please don't freak out–"

"Friends don't lie!" He shouted. You could feel your nose beginning to burn and the stinging in your eyes were starting up. "Tell me the truth!"

"Okay. Okay, um, I have powers. Like, like an ability to do something that, um, regular people can't do."

"You telling me that you're some kind of mutant?" He looked at you with an expression that he's never given you.

"No. I'm not a mutant. I was just born like this. My mother had experiments done on her and she died in labor. I, I just came out with my ability."

"And what the fuck is that ability?"

You've never felt this bad about yourself, you don't think. The way he was speaking to you, looking at you. The love of your life was looking at you like a monster. It was almost too much to handle. "Um, I can alter emotions." You squeaked.

"Emotions?" You nodded, and Billy paced around the room and ran his fingers through his hair. What if you were controlling his feelings? You could knock someone out from sleepiness, so you'd be able to do it, right? Was your whole relationship a lie? "Have you ever used that shit on me?"

"Well, once but it was an acci–"

"Get out."

"Billy I–"

"Get out!" You said nothing as you looked at his angry eyes, and walked out. You walked down the street, sobbing uncontrollably. As you walked towards the woods, it began to pour. You walked over to a telephone pole, and tried to think. Hopper's at work. Who else would you call?

It was about a few minutes until Joyce came rushing with her car. You got from the ground where you were sitting, and got into the car. "Jesus y/n you're soaking. Are you okay?"

As you told her everything she took you home and had you take a shower. She got you comfortably seated on your bed and let you listen to the radio that she got you for your birthday. She was the one who decided when your birthday should be, after all. You felt like a burden right now, and you didn't have to tell her anything for her to say that it wasn't any trouble when it came to you.

El saw this, and called Mike, who called everybody else. Jonathan drove everyone there, and soon they piled up in your room to check up on you. Everyone each got their turn to say something, whether it was helpful or not. "I knew he was a fucking piece of shit from the start." Dustin stated as they all looked at you on your bed.

"Yeah, he was a jerk anyways." Lucas said.

"Like, he just speaks out his ass most of the time." Max commented.

"Don't worry five," Mike said. "We got your back."

Jonathan ushered everybody out to talk to you. He sat on your bed while you still laid there in silence. "I called Steve. Maybe he could cheer you up." You nodded. "How're you feeling?"

"Like a monster." You sat up and rubbed your eyes, which were still puffy and red. "I just wanna be normal."

"You are normal." Jonathan said. "You just have something in you that others don't, but you only use it for good. That just makes you a good person."

"I don't want something extra. It doesn't matter how I use it. I'm either a monster or a freak."

"No, you're just y/n. The one who's always happy and nice to jerks. When I look at you, all I see is my friend." You gently smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I'm here!" Steve said, storming into your room. "Oh my God, that asshat really did it this time." He rushed over to you, grabbing your arms. "You're not hurt, are you? Your face..." He trailed off, trying to get you to laugh at how puffy your face was.

"Yeah, well you look like you just ran a marathon and I'm not even gonna start about your hair, so I wouldn't be talking." The three of you chuckled. "Thanks for being here guys."

"Your welcome!" Dustin called out from the other room.

"Hey, dickhead, way to ruin the mood!" Steve called out.

Just then Hopper walked into the house, and looked around. "Does anyone wanna tell me why my home is a day care center right now?"

Joyce grabbed her keys with Max trailing behind. "Talk to Jonathan. I'm going to take Max to get her stuff. She's sleeping over with everybody else."

"Every– what is happening?!"

As Jonathan and Steve explained everything that happened, Joyce and Max left. When they stormed inside the house, they saw that Billy had just put Neil on the couch. He looked at Joyce. "Who are you?"

"Who am I? I'm a friend of Hopper, and a friend of y/n buster." Joyce crossed her arms and pointed at him. "C'mon Max, get your stuff."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Billy took a step towards Max.

"I'm sleeping over at y/n's to make sure she's okay."

"Max, you don't–"

"I know about it all dipfuck!" Max yelled. "About her powers and everything!"

"Yeah!– woah, language." Joyce said.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just cause he, like, really deserves it."

"Well yeah he does deserve it and he is one, but just, y'know."

"Yeah. Totally get it. I'll watch my language next time."

"Max!" Billy yelled, stopping the bickering between the other two. "You knew?!"

"Yeah, I knew. What does that matter? She wouldn't use it for bad things. She's a good person Billy. She's been through enough cra– um, stuff, for her to become, like, a supervillain or something, but she chooses to be nice and better."

"She's admitted to using it on me before though."

"Well did you let her explain the situation?" Joyce asked, causing Billy to fall silent. "Sometimes she gets so full of emotion that it just radiates off of her. She's not used to being so happy, but you wouldn't know that."

"Don't you have kids? You're really okay with them hanging with someone who could toy with them if they wanted to?"

Joyce got close to his face and pushed his shoulder. "I'll have you know that her and her sister were the ones who helped save my son's life. It is not their fault they were born that way, and they just want to be like regular people."

"Her sister..." He trailed off.

El. Billy didn't think about her until now. It actually explained a lot of things. Her lack of speaking fluently. Her shyness. Why she wasn't in school. He thought that she was homeschooled because of past foster parents or something. But it wasn't a foster program. It was a lab. She couldn't even be a kid.

This caused Billy to think differently. He had a soft spot for El, and it made him think about you. You were once like that. You must have struggled to make complete sentences at some point. When he met you, you were pretty shy. You probably didn't know anything about anything in school, and yet somehow caught up and even excelled.

You had to learn everything from the start and work hard because of it, yet you were bullied from it. Unlike El, you didn't really find any die hard friends. You had that one guy, but felt like you couldn't be around his without bothering that girl. And now all Billy did was make you feel a hundred times worse.

"Shit." He muttered.

"Yeah, now you actually start thinking. We're gonna leave you here to think. We gotta go comfort y/n now." Joyce said. "At least Jonathan and Steve are there with her right now."

Steve. He was probably hugging you, maybe making you laugh right now. He could picture the two of you together watching TV as you were snuggled up against him, smiling. And you needed that right now, thanks to Billy. He wasn't the one you were going to right now in your time of need. Damnit.

"Have fun with your guilt asshole." Max flipped him off.

"Max."

"Okay okay. That was the last time, I swear."

As they came back, everybody had situated themselves to where to sleep. All the kids slept in El's room, Hopper insisted Joyce take the bed while he was on the couch, and Steve and Jonathan were on the living room floor, where they had put a bunch of blankets for cushion.

They all let you have your privacy tonight. As you got ready for bed, you grabbed the jean jacket that had been thrown on your chair only a week ago. Billy had forgot it, and when you put it on as a joke, he said that you should have it. That you looked cute in it.

You put it on. It smelled like him, and felt comforting like him. It made you think of the memories you have with him. You could almost feel him brush your hair away from the back of your neck, giving it loving kisses. You could almost smell his cigarettes, when he tried to kiss you, but you were quick enough to dodge it and kiss him on the cheek.

Would any of that have still happened if he had known from the start? Would he had still loved you? Maybe it was really just a lie?

Billy went to his bedroom and opened his bottom drawer. He took out the small teddy bear with a leather jacket on and cigarette in hand, which you called Damien. He opened his top drawer and took out the polaroid pictures of you. Some were just of you smiling, some had the both of you, and some were of you unaware that he was taking pictures. There were also a few naughty polaroids of you, but Billy suddenly felt like he shouldn't be looking at you so exposed, so he put those back.

He laid down on his bed, with the polaroid pictures of you spread out next to him, and with Damien in his arms. He snuggled his head into the bear, and silently cried.

Billy was never really a crier. He would get choked up sometimes when he was being vulnerable with you, but never full on cried. He always had you to make him feel better. You'd clean off the blood from his face, and put some Band-Aids on him. You even bought him a first aid kit for his car. He can almost feel you lean up to kiss his forehead, tracing your thumb over his jaw. He could remember the gentle hugs you gave, so gentle it was almost as if you were afraid to hurt him.

You never messed with his head. If you had then those crappy feelings about himself and his dad would go away, but they never fully did. Even around you, he had some anxiety that he'd mess things up. If you really were controlling him, wouldn't he just have been happy all the time?

It wasn't a lie. You weren't lying.

As you were in your bed and recalled your fond memories with Billy, you decided that this was your fault. You shouldn't have dated in the first place. All you did was drag a good person into your life and issues, and that was selfish of you. Billy would be your one and only love, but you needed to give that up.

As Billy was in his bed and recalled his fond memories with you, he decided that this was his fault. He should have listened more instead of getting angry. All you did was try to be happy with him like a normal couple, and he couldn't see past your flaws. That was selfish of him. You would be his one and only love, and he's not giving that up.

---

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[kaypeace21]

if mike sees el as a "blank slate", that's not only pretty dehumanizing, but also kinda problematic thing to do. i just don't understand why, if you think he would do such a thing like that, if he's that bad of a person, why you would ship him with your fave?

It’s one of many reasons I don’t ship him with El. Cause he doesn’t respect her as her own person (unlike how he views Will). You can’t humanize/respect a person who you use as a beard- cause then you couldn’t continue to use them without feeling guilty. He’s compartmentslizing. plus seeing her as her own person would make it harder to project Will on to her. And he would have to sooner accept the truth (he’s gay). But, people are just brushing over the fact he’s doing it out of fear and ignorance. He’s a middle schooler in the 80s. Kids make mistakes , especially out of fear (making mistakes and changing behavior is how people grow) . Do people just not realize how terrifying it was to accept being gay back then?! How people in similar situations were killed in such small towns due to mob-justice ? Saying gays were being killed by the ‘gay cancer’ (aids) cause god was punishing them (and that it was deserved) ? Using homophobic slurs (f*g) on tv comedically? Equating it to mental illness/ predatory behavior? Not allowed to legally work as teachers cause it was equated with p*dophilia?! It’s true look it up . People really need to look back at the historical period (use google people ... not that hard 😑) and stop viewing the show from today’s viewpoint . Some straight people (and some queer people who don’t know our history or how bad it was just 10 years ago ) refuse to see it from mike’s position. In the 2010s they’d say “that’s gay” (bad) and “’m straight” (doing good) constantly- on a daily basis. We only recently have gained civil rights in the usa (same sex marriage).  It’s terrifying accepting being gay as a kid in many places today - let alone in a small conservative town in the 80s! What he’s doing isn’t right but he genuinely thought he could transfer his romantically feelings for Will to El and cure himself. Which isn’t possible. And honestly, I’ve already talked about how neither loves eachother ... they’re both using each-other. Mike is using her to look straight and el is subconsciously using him to feel normal and live out her soap opera fantasies . Neither love each other or respect eachother as people. Mike uses her as a blank slate to project Will on to. And el watched too many soap operas and is trying to emulate the corny toxic romances in them- the soap opera she watched in s2 was about a girl (who she mimicked) who was into a dr named mike (FYI they weren’t endgame) . We see in s1 and 3 she doesn’t actually like mike’s personality and only swooned when he acted like a bad boy like how he was with Hopper (she canonically thinks he talks too much, doesn’t know if she likes kissing him, and doesn’t like his nerdy intersts). She attacked max for smiling at mike- cause she wrongfully thinks of mike as her possession (like her teddy bear). And is probably emulating all the soap operas where girls start physically fighting over “their men.”. She didn’t mention how she heard his love confession for 3 months until he gave her, her teddy bear (a comfort object she used in s2 and 3) and ‘conviently’ right before she left for a new and unfamiliar environment . If I love someone and knew it was mutual I wouldn’t ignore that fact till the last possible moment. She’s frustrated and vulnerable without her powers and then sees mike “like her hero” walk in and give her her bear (that she couldn’t get by herself) . And proclaims she “loves him” ...girl didn’t even know how to assess what clothes she liked but we expect her to know she’s in love? Mike represents something she’s used to and the idea of normalcy but also a false unhealthy co-dependent idea of love (that she saw in soap operas). They’re both using eachother . They can barely hold a conversation , have nothing in common ,and never apologized when they spied and lied to the other. Mike projects on to el his fantasy of being straight and el projects on to mike her false fantasy of being in a soap opera romance 😂

Mileven is toxic but Mike and El aren’t horrible people. They’re kids and their relationship is a mistake. Like hopper said to El about mileven “keep growing up kid...make mistakes, learn from em’.”