#hopper season is approaching...

[clannfearrunt]

Good morning to this thing

[lexirosewrites]

super late night slick sunday ask, steddie flavored but it's mostly abt how much I love omega Steve & omega Robin

I just can't help the way I get kinda dreamy thinking abt omega Robin helping omega Steve build his first nest, or abt the two of them moving into a one bedroom apartment in some city somewhere after everything is Finally Over & they just build one big nest tht they both tend to the upkeep of & the party sends scented items for regularly

Omega Steve who never had very close omega friends, Carol was a beta, till omega Robin was sitting with him on a bathroom floor, he was raised w the attitude tht other omegas were competition for the attention & claim of the nearest stable safe bet alpha, who unlearns all of it at the first tearing of a dimension before his eyes

Omega Robin who was deemed too strange to be liked by other omegas her age, getting drugged & confessing her darkest secret to the bitchiest omega of them all only to b accepted like he'd simply been directed to turn his car to the road on the right rather than the left in order to get her home safely

I'm thinking abt Eddie coming out of the other side of the vecna final confrontation like this is an au where st4 is the final seasonal & he begins courting Steve & he doesn't approach Hopper or max abt courting an omega they've claimed informally as family instead he goes to the one most important to Steve; he goes to Robin & asks her how he can prove himself to both Steve & her & she makes him fulfill a series of ridiculous tasks tht always end endearing him to Steve further & now tht I've typed this whole paragraph I'm thinking abt a fairytale au where omega Robin is like his magical guardian who tasks herself with ensuring his suitors r all of pure of intentions

SO NOW EXPECT AN ASK TO THE TUNE OF THIS FOR SLICK SUNDAY

I firmly believe that Robin would make it her personal mission to look out for omega Steve regardless of her designation. She was raised in a stable and happy family, so she knows her worth and that she has parents/pack to make sure she’s safe.

Steve doesn’t.

He’s absolutely at risk of being swept away by the first alpha who calls him pretty. Which is precisely why Robin insists on vetting any and all suitors. Most people who might be interested go running the other way once they meet her because Steve isn’t worth the effort to them.

Eddie is determined though. He completes every little ridiculous task without a single complaint in order to make his intentions clear.

[teambyler]

"Byler Endgame, One Episode at a Time" - s5e5

Plot beats and scenes leading to a Byler endgame, one episode at a time, for Season 5 of Stranger Things. (This is just for fun! I have no insider knowledge!)

Also see Part 0, where I explain what I think a Byler Endgame has to address. Link to the previous episode.

s5e5

Will is unconscious and bound to prevent him from taking off his headphones. Mike and El stay with Will. The group heads out to assault Vecna’s power source when Vecna is distracted by Will. El will piggyback and try to protect Will.

El talks to Mike. “You know why he took off the headphones, Mike?” “Vecna controlled his mind?” “No, Mike… Will was doing it. He loves you, Mike. I saw what Vecna told him. He said he’d kill you if he doesn’t give himself to Vecna.” Mike’s mouth drops open. El tears up: “He doesn’t see living without you, Mike… Did you know he’s loved you since you were five years old?” Mike can’t believe what he’s hearing. “WHAT?” “If he makes it, you have to talk to him, Mike, okay? No more pretending.” She tenderly puts her hand in his hair. “Friends don’t lie.” Mike starts to realize it all and starts to sob. She hugs him. Mike glances at Will and looks back at El: “Thank you. I - I’m so sorry…” She shakes her head and smiles, and kisses Mike on the cheek.

They hear from the walkie-talkie that now is the time. She takes Mike’s hand, “I can help you talk to him.” He understands and nods. They each hold one of Will’s hands. El takes the headphones off of Will. He starts to breathe heavily. Vecna is getting close… They close their eyes as El starts to focus.

Current-day Will is in the Upside Down, in the woods, and El is nowhere to be seen. Something is pursuing him. He runs to the old Byers house, runs in, and shuts the door. He hears Vecna taunting him: “How suitable. It’s time to finish what I started…” Will runs out to the old shed where the gun is. He is hyperventilating and starts to load the bullets. He feels the back of his neck, and turns around. He knows Vecna is in the back yard. Vecna slowly approaches the shed… when Will strides out and fires the gun. Vecna staggers back. Will is reliving and struggling through all the trauma and pain of everything that has happened to him since that fateful night. He strides forward, repeatedly firing, getting closer each time.

The bullets only have so much effect, and Vecna grabs Will by the neck. Will starts panicking. Back at Hopper’s cabin it becomes apparent Will is being Vecna’d. Mike: “El, what’s happening?” El is still struggling to focus. Mike tearfully kisses Will’s hand. “I’m right here!” El arrives in the Upside Down. She tries to stop Vecna but vines immediately grab her and restrain her. Vecna smiles and looks at Will: “Good… I see you have power over this place, too…” El looks in horror at Will, who is looking at Vecna in utter despair as he continues to taunt him. The more hopeless he feels, the more horrible his surroundings become. The Upside Down is tied to Will. El cannot reach him. Will starts to levitate.

Back in Hopper’s cabin, El levitates herself and Mike together with Will. She tightens her grip on Mike’s hand. Mike’s eyes open wide as he realizes what El’s doing. She shares his memories with Will (“I asked you to be my friend. You said yes”… a kindergarten Mike and Will swinging high on a pair of swings… biking through the rain and hugging his mom when he thought Will was dead, jumping off the cliff to join Will, by his bedside in s2, apologizing to Will in the rain, Will: “Not possible,” Mike looking back at Byers house and hugging his mom again, reading El’s letter “Maybe it is for a girl, I think there is someone he likes”, Will giving Mike the painting in the van, Mike happy seeing the painting, Will: “better for being different”) Mike: “I love you Will! Not just as a friend… I’ve always loved you. The painting, all of it, going to Vecna… I know what you’re doing! I won’t let you! And I’m sorry! I was too stupid to say how I feel. I was scared Will! I’m so sorry…”

… Vecna snaps Will’s arm. Mike: “No!!!”

In the Upside Down, Will opens his eyes with a look of utter determination. The vines unwrap around El. She distracts Vecna enough that Will falls to the ground (here and in Hopper’s cabin). El and Vecna have a showdown. The rest of the party, seeing their chance, get at Vecna’s power source. Seeing he is weakened, Vecna hurries elsewhere.

Will wakes up and winces from his arm, and looks kind of lost. Mike and El look at each other with concern. Mike: “I’m here.” He wants to hold Will but doesn’t want to hurt him. Will looks directly at Mike and extends his one good arm to him. Mike cups Will’s face and kisses him passionately. It is a long kiss… Will puts his hand in Mike’s hair, tears flowing. When it’s over Will is in disbelief.  “Am I dead?” El and Mike laugh. Mike caresses Will’s hair. Mike: “Don’t leave me Will, ever…” Will laughs and nods. “Okay.” Mike laughs, they kiss, and then hold on to each other as tightly as Will’s arm allows.

FOLLOW ME for the next part of “Byler Endgame, One Episode at a Time”!

Part 0 (what a Byler endgame needs to address) Previous episode Next episode

-teambyler

[pinkypromisepascal]

A story request when hopper is your dad best friend and you like each other, thank youu

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 (𝚍𝚋𝚏!𝙷𝚘𝚙 𝚡 𝚏𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛)

summary: You're home from college and Hop's over for dinner. You realize you can't get your dad's best friend out of your head.

content: some sexual tension (MDNI), age gap (reader's in her 20s, Hop's like 40), and some curse words 'cause I can't live without them

word count: 3.9k

author's note: don't get me started on how long I took for this. This was actually 6.9k words, but I split it into two parts (and I got even more planned AHHH). Also, this is set pre-season one. Anon, I am so sorry I took so long for this, I hope you remember this request and like how it turned out!

and thanks to @strang3lov3 for helping me work on this, don't know what I'd do without you!

part two!

________________________________________________________

You were on summer break from college, finally visiting your parents again. You loved living in a bigger city, but you also loved Hawkins every time you visited. The small town just seemed so calm, so unwinding. Plus, staying with your parents always guaranteed a fun time, they were always trying to make the best of your stay.

The sun was gonna set soon as you drove into Hawkins, the temperature was comfortably warm, allowing you to dress in one of your favorite summer dresses.

Your dad was already out on the porch of your small house, a bottle of beer in his hand and a wide smile on his lips as you pulled up the driveway in your car.

“Hey, sunshine!”, he called as you stepped out, lifting himself off the porch stairs and approaching you with spread arms.

You hugged him happily and rubbed his back.

“I see you’ve started celebrating without me.”, you giggled, nodding to the beer bottle.

“Oh, well, Mom and I were just so happy you’re coming by -” You chuckled at that, “I’m joking, I don’t care when you start drinking. As long as it’s not that good whisky you bought, I’d be mad if you started that without me.” Your dad raised his hands in defense, “I would never, sunshine, y’know that. Oh by the way, totally forgot to tell ya, but Hop’s coming over tonight as well. Told him about our barbecue plans and thought he’d have a good time with us.”

You stopped in your tracks to the trunk and cocked an eyebrow at your dad. “Jim Hopper? Huh, haven’t seen him in a while. Still Chief of Police?” Your dad nodded with a smile. 

“Still drinking on duty?”, you asked with a cocky grin. 

He laughed at that and shrugged, “You’ll have to ask him that yourself, I won’t be the telltale here.” You shook your head with a smile and unloaded your trunk, handing your dad the small suitcase.

As you entered the house, you could already smell the food that was gonna be served soon.

You sighed happily as you took the scent of your mom’s salad in, “I really miss this smell sometimes when I’m in college.”

You placed your backpack on the couch and went to your mom, who was standing in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables. You greeted her softly and hugged her. “Good to see you, sweetie, how are you? How’s college going for you? Anything fun happen outside of college? Anything romantic?” 

You smiled at her and scrunched your nose, avoiding her last question, “Eh, it’s stressful, got some papers that I need to work on, but it’s still fun. Need some help with the food?”

You internally cringed; talking about romantic topics was the last thing you could use at the moment. It wasn’t like there would be much to talk about anyway.

Your mom waved a hand at you with a smile, “I’m good, you can just sit down and grab a drink to cool off a little.” 

“I will, just gonna get my stuff to my room real quick.”

You returned a minute later, your father handing you a bottle of beer with a questioning look. You grabbed the drink with a smile and took a swig before getting plates and cutlery from the kitchen and taking them outside to set the table. Your mom jokingly scolded you for that, but you just waved her off with a grin.

You enjoyed the light breeze outside, the warm summer air gently brushing your hair out of your face. As you ordered the plates, you heard some commotion from inside. 

You finished your task and stepped back inside, your eyes instantly locking with the blue ones of Chief Jim Hopper who was standing next to your dad.

“Evening, Chief.”, you chimed in and watched his lips twist into a smirk. 

“Hey there.”, he responded as he took his hat off and held it in his hands. You noticed that he was still in uniform. He probably came over here right from work.

“Like the uniform.”, you smiled as you pointed at it, “Makes you look all serious.”

Jim chuckled, “So I don’t look serious when I’m not in uniform?”

You raised your arms in a defensive gesture and walked over to your mum who was almost done with preparing the food.

“No comment on that, Chief. Don’t wanna get arrested.”, you joked. You briefly glanced over to him to see him smiling warmly at you again.

You felt your heart skip a beat and cleared your throat, turning to your mother to help her carry the salad and the bread outside.

At first, you were a little unsure how the mood at dinner would be when your dad told you Hopper would be joining you. You didn’t have anything against him, you just never really felt like you could read him, and that bothered you sometimes.

He always seemed so serious, stoic almost, although he and your dad were pretty chatty with each other, just like today.

You glanced over to Hop, who was sitting right across you, as he talked to your parents. He looked more relaxed than you remembered. Maybe it was his third beer slowly letting him loose the serious demeanor.

You kept looking at him, observing him. You looked at his right hand that was holding the bottle on the table, noticing that his middle finger was drawing small circles on it. It was probably an unconscious habit, and you couldn’t help but find it somewhat adorable.

As you smiled to yourself, you noticed his gaze shifting to you. You looked into his blue eyes and your heart skipped a beat again.

*Since when did you find him so attractive?

Was that just the uniform?*

His look made you feel like he was expecting your answer to something. Your eyes widened. Had you zoned out that bad over watching him?

“Sorry, what?”, you asked, trying to play it off with a grin, noticing your parents were looking at you as well. 

“We were just talking about your college life.”, your mom smiled as she patted your hair, a gesture she hadn’t shaken off ever since you were a kid. It still sent a warm flush across your face, it made you feel safe.

“You alright? You’ve been quiet since we’ve been out here.”, your dad asked with a smile, not too concerned that something was really bothering you. 

“Yeah, no, I’m good, just a little tired, that’s all.”, you replied. 

You were hoping your parents would go back to their conversation again, but that hope was shattered when Hopper asked you how you liked college. 

You took a deep breath and laughed, “Jesus, I hate these questions… Uhm, it’s fun.” 

You shrugged, not knowing what exactly he, or anyone who ever asked you that, wanted to hear. “It’s fine. I mean, there’s a lot of input and there are some lectures, some professors, or some other students I really can’t stand, but other than that…”, you shrugged again, laughing awkwardly, “Fine.”

Hopper smiled at that and chuckled. “Art history, right?”, he asked softly, “That’s what you’re studying.” 

You smiled back at him and felt a light blush coming to your cheeks. “Yeah.” 

“So you wanna work in a museum when you’re done? Or in a gallery?”, he asked, his attention now fully on you.

Your breath caught in your throat. The way he sat there, his body relaxed, his right hand still holding the bottle, his eyes staying on you as he took a sip from it, his tongue quickly swiping over his bottom lip as he set the bottle down again, and his uniform just fitting him so right.

Your smile grew bigger at his question. “That’d be perfect, but I haven’t decided yet. But, yeah, I’d love to work in an art museum.” You briefly looked over to your parents who were both looking at you proudly.

“Bet you’d fit great in there.”, Hopper smirked. You nodded at him and mumbled a quick “thanks”, a little overwhelmed with how he seemed so focused on you.

Lucky for you, his attention switched to your father again as he asked something about work at the police station. This gave you time to collect your thoughts a little.

Why did you feel so attracted to your dad’s friend? What exactly was it about him? Was it just that he looked very handsome, with his somewhat rugged behavior most of the time, which made you wonder why he was so kind towards you? Was it his seemingly genuine interest in you and what you did? Or was it just the thought of doing something potentially immoral? Or simply your lack of love and romance at college that made you fall for every guy that was nice to you?

You looked at Hopper again as he talked to your dad, almost admiring him. You couldn’t grasp what made him so attractive to you, he was just your dad’s friend. There was nothing special about him. Nothing that really stood out. Except for his eyes, maybe. And his beard. And his voice… And his uniform, obviously. Your eyes widened a little as you realized your thoughts, finding more and more things about him you considered attractive. You silently cursed yourself and shifted a little in your chair, untangling your crossed legs and stretching them out under the table.

You startled a little as you brushed against another leg. You quickly pulled back and saw Hopper glancing at you with a smirk before shifting his focus on your dad again as they kept chatting. To get a hold of yourself again, you grabbed your glass in front of you and took a big sip of the cold water, using the condensation on the glass to cool yourself on your wrists as your mother started telling you something about all the things you could do during your stay in Hawkins.

Thankful for the distraction, you happily listened to her ramble about all the things the two of you could do together and all the things you could teach her once you finished your studies.

“We could go to all kinds of museums across the world and see all your favorite paintings! Wouldn’t that be great?”  You nodded, giggling to yourself, “That would be awesome.” 

As you told your mom about a recent lecture you’d found very interesting, you watched Hopper through the corner of your eye.

He took a cigarette out of a pack and stuffed it between his lips. He grabbed a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette. You didn’t care about smoking yourself, but there was something about the way it sat between his lips or dangled between his fingers when he held it in his hand.

God fucking dammit, get a hold of yourself, your mind screamed at you. You cleared your throat again and looked at your mum, quickly excusing yourself and heading to the bathroom.

“It’s gotta be a hormonal thing.”, you muttered to yourself as you entered the bathroom and locked the door.

You turned on the faucet and let cold water run over your hands and wrists to cool yourself. After a few moments, you shook some water off your hands before placing them on your neck, dampening the skin. You closed your eyes as you enjoyed the coolness, startling when an image of Hopper standing in front of you, taking your hand away and putting his on your neck instead to cool you down popped up. You opened your eyes and looked into the mirror with a confused look.  “Pull yourself together, for fuck’s sake.”, you said to your reflection. You walked out the bathroom and back into the garden, joining your mom and Hopper again.

Before you could ask, your dad came into view with a bottle of whisky. You chuckled to yourself and rubbed your hands together playfully. 

“If that one’s not good, I’m heading home first thing in the morning.”, you warned with a laugh.  Your dad shook his head with a smile as he poured the drinks for everyone. As you grabbed your glass and lifted it to your lips, you noticed Hopper glancing at you yet again. Something about his look made you a little uneasy, but you couldn’t figure out what. He looked attentive and a little stern. 

You tried not to think about the sweet shiver his look gave you and kept eye contact as both of you took a sip. The liquid burnt slightly in your throat, almost making you cough, but you kept a straight face as you swallowed quickly. 

Hopper nodded approvingly, “Not a single twitch in her face. Didn’t expect that.” He looked over to your dad who just shrugged and chuckled, “Told ya so.” You looked at both of them with a cocked eyebrow. “Just told him you handle whisky pretty well, that’s all.”, your dad smiled. You didn’t know what to answer, so you remained silent at first and shrugged a little, but couldn’t hide a smirk. “Bet I could drink you old men under the table anytime.”, you teased, earning a laugh from both your parents.  “That a challenge?”, Hopper asked and you didn’t even have to look at him to sense the amusement in his voice. You shrugged again, trying to look serious as you locked eyes with him, but failing immediately, feeling your cheeks heat up again.

For the rest of the evening, you couldn’t shake the feeling of some sort of tension between Hop and yourself. You weren’t sure if it was just your imagination, if he was just in a mood to taunt you or if there was something else you hadn’t caught on to yet.

And you could’ve sworn he was eyeing you when you stood up to grab a coke from the fridge.

At around ten, Hopper announced he’d be heading home, despite your dad suggesting he could just crash on the couch.

You waved him goodbye with a sweet smile and watched as he got into his car. Before he drove off, you noticed his eyes lingering on you a tad too long as his lips twitched into a slight smirk and reached forward to start the car before driving off.

As you headed inside, you helped your parents clear the table outside. You grabbed the glasses and took them into the kitchen. Your mother mentioned some plans for the upcoming week. “Your dad and I are havin’ our date night on Wednesday. That okay with you?”

You nodded firmly, “‘Course that’s okay, Mom, I don’t mind. I’ll just try to make some plans myself for that night so you can have your space ‘round here, don’t wanna interrupt you two havin’ fun.” You cringed a little at your phrasing, definitely not intending for the last part to sound so suggestive. Your mum just chuckled, “Thank you, sweetie. Maybe some old friends from high school’re around that you wanna meet up with.” “Not sure if I really want that, I think my taste in people has changed.”, you groaned bitterly.

As you got ready for bed and changed into your pajamas, moments from the dinner kept replaying in your head and sent a shiver through your whole body. You couldn’t ignore the way Hopper had looked at you with his pretty blue eyes. His expressions never gave much away, but sometimes, his eyes could say more than he would ever dare to speak. You laid down and tried to clear your mind from him, but you couldn’t help thinking about what he’d be like if you got to know him better. How he would take care of you if you had a bad day, how he would always ask about your major and listen to everything you’d tell him.

“My fucking god.”, you mumbled to yourself and rubbed your eyes before turning to your side, focusing on just getting some sleep.

Throughout the next days, your mind kept drifting off, which was messing you up when you were trying to work on a paper for college. You were sitting at the table in the kitchen, sipping on your third cup of coffee for the day and staring at the book in front of you with wide eyes and ruffling your hair in frustration. You couldn’t focus. At all.

You groaned and threw your head back as you heard your parents’ car pull up the driveway.  “Thank god for the distraction.”, you mumbled and got up from the chair and walked to the front door, ready to help your mom get the groceries out of the car.  “You look-”, your mom started. “I know.”, you laughed and groaned again as you took two bags out of the car, “I’m just trying to work on a paper, but nothing’s working today.” 

She gave you a sympathetic smile and rubbed your arm before taking another bag out of the car and following you inside. “Something on your mind you wanna talk about?”  “I don’t know, not really? And please don’t ask me if it’s boy trouble or something like that, that question will be my last straw.”

She laughed and apologized immediately, “But if there’s something you wanna talk about, anything, you know you can talk it out with me, right?” You just nodded as you started packing away the groceries. “Maybe I’ll just head to the library later and see if I find something helpful there. Or something to distract me and clear my mind.” “I bet you’ll figure something out, don’t stress yourself too much.”, she said and patted your head again.

Two hours later, you were roaming through Hawkin’s library. Initially, you just wanted to look for any book that seemed interesting enough to keep your mind busy. But once you found the small section on art history, you couldn’t resist. 

You scanned the books on each shelf with a smile, taking one out now and then to skim through it and see if it could help with your paper.  As focused as you were on the books, you could still hear faint background noises. Though the library was mostly quiet, you swore you could hear someone talking. You were too far away to distinguish words, but the voice alone made your heart skip a beat.

Shit. 

You turned around and peeped around the corner as inconspicuously as possible. Of course, as you turned around the corner, one of the books you were holding slipped out of your grip and fell to the floor with a loud thump.  You rolled your eyes and silently cursed to yourself as you bent down to pick up the book.  “This day, I swear… Feel like I’m going insane.” As you got up again, you quickly looked around. No one nearby, no one there to give you strange looks because you dropped a book.

You shook your head and looked back to the shelf in front of you, this time placing the books you already took on an empty space in the shelf to keep another one from falling. You looked to the upper rows of the shelf, quickly scanning the books for titles that seemed interesting.  You reached out to pull one out that seemed to be stuck between the other ones around it. You groaned and tried again with more force. You did it get it out, but you also got the other two around it out. Before you realized what happened, the books were stopped by a big hand. “Clumsy today, aren’t we?”  Hopper’s low and quiet voice instantly sent a shiver down your spine. You looked at him with big eyes as he put the books back.

“What?” 

He chuckled. “That book you dropped a minute ago might have gotten my attention. Wanted to see who’s being loud in here.”  You rolled your eyes at him and smiled a little.  “You okay? You seem a bit off.”, he asked.  “Off how?”  “Well, first of all, your hair looks a lil’ messed up.”, he chuckled again and raised his hand to carefully move a strand of your hair. You froze as his hand slightly grazed your forehead. 

“And you just seem… off. I dunno, a little jumpy. Not to mention you dropping books all the time.”

Now you laughed quietly too, “It was one book, gimme a break!” Hopper smiled down at you, “You okay, though?” You puffed out a breath, “I don’t know, this day’s been driving me insane, tugging at the last of my nerves. Can’t focus on anything.”  He frowned a little, “Something happen? Something making you think too much?”

Yes, you, but I can’t tell you that for various reasons, you thought.

“No, not really. I’m just trying to work on a paper and thought looking through the library would help… What are you doing here anyway?” Hop shrugged. “Just needed to check some old newspaper articles. Nothin’ important.”  You rolled your eyes again, but couldn’t help a smile, “I pour out my trouble to you and that’s all I get from you, that’s a lil’ disappointing, Hop!” Hop smirked, “Maybe I just stay out of trouble better than you do.” “I’m not in trouble.”, you chuckled as you scanned the shelf for more books.

Anything that kept your eyes off that damn uniform. 

“Well, if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be so stressed and jumpy.”, he teased, “You can talk to me if something’s bothering you, a’ight? I won’t tell anyone.” You looked over at him and noticed a warm smile as his eyes scanned your face. You inhaled deeply and nodded, “Yeah, I know. Thanks, Hop. Don’t you need to get back to the station?”

“I’m the-”, he began.  “Chief of Police, I can do whatever I want.”, you both said. You looked at him and tried to suppress your laugh as his jaw dropped a little. “You kinda say that a lot.”, you said quietly. He smirked at you.  Was that too much? Did you just flirt with him?

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

You mentally prepared yourself for an awkward situation and prayed you wouldn’t start stuttering or something. “My parents got that… date night tomorrow night, and, uh… I told them I’d just stay away so they can have the house to themselves, but turns out I didn’t think this through, so I-”  You looked at Hopper and saw his smirk get bigger as you rambled. You took a deep breath and kept going, “Long story short: I don’t know where the hell I should go and now I wanna awkwardly ask you if I can maybe stay at your place? I swear you won’t even notice me, I can keep myself busy the whole night with my paper or read a book or-"

You internally screamed when he didn’t say anything, just looking at you and smirking. “Please just say something, don’t leave me hanging like this!”, you quietly whined.  You heard a low chuckle come from him before he answered, “Y’know where my trailer is? I’ll put a spare key under the doormat and you can let yourself in whenever you want, a’ight?”  You sighed in relief and thanked him. “I can even cook dinner if you want?” Hopper cocked his eyebrow, “Hell no. I‘m not putting you to work.” “But I make a really good-”  He raised his hand to stop you and smiled again, “Listen, when I get off from work, I just come home, you get in my car, and we’ll get something from Benny’s. Sound good?”  You smiled back at him and nodded, “Sounds good.”  “Good. And don’t stress yourself out too much, okay?” You simply nodded at him before he took off, his lips twitching into another small smirk as he looked at you.

This wasn’t weird, right? You and your dad’s best friend just hanging out?

___________________________________________________________

tags: @strang3lov3 @whyamiheresomeonehelp

if you enjoyed this, please like, comment and/or reblog, I'm a sucker for that😚

And if you wanna be tagged in the next parts, let me know!

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

So, after season one, Nancy and Steve don't get back together for like a month, right? Okay, what if they reconciled by Steve approaching her and telling her that he wanted to give her space, that he didn't want to push her, but he wanted to make sure she was alright after Barb. He told her how he wished he had gotten to know her, and if she was up for it, then maybe she could tell him about Barb. I have a hard time believing that no one acknowledged Nancy and her grief for Barb. (I mean, did Hopper even think to check on her?) To me, I think that this would explain why she was holding on to Steve for so long even though she had feelings for someone else. In her darkest moment, Steve was so sweet to her. Jonathan was busy with his own family, and that's understandable, but you're telling me that he couldn't pick up the phone? I think it's also why Steve went to the dinners because he did feel guilty, and he did feel guilty about not getting to know Barb. I think if she and Jonathan hadn't gotten together in that moment, then she would have found her way to actually talk to Steve about Barb to get closure. It's one of the things that annoys me about Jancy. That and the photographs. I wish they had written Jonathan better. Anyway, I just wonder how they reconciled after that month, and I think this is it.

[roanofarcc]

PROJECT SUNSHINE CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE → THE GRISWOLD FAMILY CRISIS

summary: steve harrington x oc

when another product of Hawkins National Laboratory escaped a long-survived nightmare alongside her sister, she crashed into one unsuspecting teenage boy and dragged him deeper into the dark mysteries that made up their hometown.

word count. 3.5k || masterlist || ocs moodboard

warnings: cannon typical violence, child abuse, horror, gore, and depictions of mental illness. parts of this story were written pre-season 4 release. cannon divergence.

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A mounting tension filled the air of Starcourt as the remaining members readied to split up. Sunshine along with Nancy, Jonathan, and the remaining kids gathered supplies to take to the P.I.’s safe house. Joyce had briefly explained to Sunshine that Murray was the only person they knew who spoke Russian, which was why he tagged along with her and Hopper. He had a house a state over that they could crash at until the Mind Flayer was no longer a threat and, hopefully, Hopper’s backup in the form of Dr. Owens and his team would show up eventually and solve their Russian problem. 

“My battery’s low,” El said to Hopper. She wore her usual tired determination while Hopper wore a certain look of softness that he reserved only for his kids and Joyce. “But it will recharge.”

“I know it will, kid.” 

El added, “I can fight.” 

“Better than any of us, but right now, I need you safe.” Hopper looked up at Sunshine and Luke, who stood around the two who were seated on a bench. “I need all of you safe. This thing isn’t after me.” 

Sunshine swallowed down the lump in her throat and looked down at her hands. Red marks circled her wrists from where they tied down in the base. She shuttered, thinking of Hopper and Joyce sneaking into that place. The adults brought a sense of comfort to all of them, taking some of the weight off of the older teens' shoulders. But she knew their plan was the best course of action. She still worried, though, that something would go wrong and put Hopper and or Joyce in danger. She wasn’t the only one worried. 

“Just be careful, please,” Luke said to Hopper. He looked pale and uneasy. 

“I will be.” Luke didn’t seem convinced. “We’ll be all right.” There was a glint behind Hopper’s eyes, a careful and caring one as he spoke to the son he never believed he’d have but found. By the look on Luke’s face, it was clear to see how much he wanted to believe Hopper. Luke was trying his best to understand what it meant to be taken care of and loved by an adult who didn’t want to hurt him, but who genuinely loved him and his sister.

“Hey.” Mike’s voice rang out as he approached the Hopper clan along with Max. “We should go.” 

El wrapped Hopper up in a quick hug before he was passed off into the arms of Mike and Max, who helped her limp along on her bad leg.

“Mike?” Hopper sighed. “Be careful.” The kid nodded, a truce built between a father and boyfriend. They both wanted El safe; that was all that mattered at the end of the day. 

Luke trailed behind them along with the rest of the kids. Sunshine moved to follow them, but she was stopped by Hopper. “Listen,” he began. “I know that all of that, all of this, is a lot. But I promise you, as soon as I get that Gate closed and end this for good, we will figure out exactly who has that file. I already called in Owens for a favor. If he shows up, I’ll get another one out of him, all right?” He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. “I will take care of it.” If there was anyone in the world she trusted to ensure that she was safe and that her secret was safe from her mother and father, it was Hopper. He and Joyce were the first adults she met outside of the Lab who saw her as a kid, as a person. She trusted them with her life. 

“Okay,” she replied, letting some of her stress roll off of her shoulders as she plastered on a brave face. 

“Now,” he said. “Get out of here.” 

Exiting the mall, Sunshine took a moment to breathe in the fresh air. The air smelled like incoming rain, and the humanity clung to her bare arms and legs welcomingly. As she walked towards Nancy’s car, she glanced upwards and caught a few stars not yet overtaken by clouds, twinkling in the darkness. 

They all packed into the vehicle, squeezing to make enough room for everyone. Sunshine joined El, Max, and Mike in the very back, carefully making enough room for El to outstretch her leg to avoid irritating it any further. El curled into Sunshine’s side, muffling a pained groan. 

After they all were inside, Nancy jammed her keys into the ignition. The car sputtered but didn’t turn on. “You can’t be serious,” Nancy grumbled. She tried again, earning an awful groan from the vehicle, but it failed again. 

“Didn’t your mom just buy this car?” Will asked, squished in the middle seat between Lucas and Jonathan, who had given up the front seat for Luke in hopes of avoiding sending the kid into a fit visions. 

“Yes.” Nancy let out a sigh. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She tried again, and the car refused to come to life. 

“Did you leave the lights on?” asked Lucas. 

“No.” Nancy angrily jammed the keys in, turning them back and forth each time the sputtering died down. 

“Do we have gas?” Will questioned. 

“Yes!” Nancy slammed her hands against the wheel in frustration. “Gah! Come on!” 

Jonathan threw open the car door as he said, “Just stop, Nance. Pop the hood.” 

They both stepped out of the car to try to figure out what the issue was. Sunshine absentmindedly brushed her fingers through El’s knotted hair in a lame attempt to soothe the pain El was clearly in but tried to hide. 

The bright glare of distant headlights shot through the car windows. Sunshine peered out into the empty parking lot and found one singular car that she didn’t recall seeing a moment ago. As she stared into the lights, she was struck with the familiarity of the car. 

A hand beat against the window, startling everyone inside. Nancy knocked with ferocity as she yelled, “Out of the car! Now!” They all listened without question, scrambling out of the vehicle. Sunshine and Mike grabbed El and followed the group back inside Starcourt. She couldn’t escape that goddamn mall. 

Billy had found them, a possessed and puppeted Billy, which, according to the party, meant the Mind Flayer wouldn’t be far behind. Nancy’s car was out of commission, suspiciously so, which left them stuck like sitting ducks inside the mall. 

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?” Max asked in the tense silence as Nancy loaded her gun. 

From what Sunshine had gathered, Billy was much farther gone than Will had been last fall. He was the Mind Flayer’s pawn, a piece it was using to build its physical form in Hawkins. 

“This is precautionary,” Nancy replied, but she wasn’t a very good liar. Max dipped her head and occupied herself by joining Lucas at one of the food court tables. 

Mike used his walkie-talkie to try to get ahold of Steve for an emergency rescue, grumbling into his radio and pacing back and forth with increasing speed. Everyone else could only wait. 

Sunshine found Luke seated farther away from the group, his eyes closed in concentration and fingers pressed against his forehead. “Luke?” He peeled his eyes open with a huff and slumped back into the bench he occupied. 

“I can’t reach Leia. Her mind’s too busy. She must be using her abilities on the radio.” He shook his head, eyes watery as he stared at the tiled floor. “I think something’s wrong with me.” 

“What’d you mean?” Sunshine asked, her voice laced with gentle concern. 

He hesitated for a moment. “The other night, I saw Will’s future. He was worried about all of this happening, about the Mind Flayer coming back. But I didn’t see anything that has happened or that I know will happen tonight in his future. I saw something else…something I don’t understand.” He paused, looking over at the group who surrounded the overturned car, talking about something that Sunshine was too far away to hear. Luke continued. “I didn’t just see his future. I think I saw his past too.” 

Sunshine couldn’t hide her surprise. “How is that possible?” She knew little about the inner workings of Luke’s abilities, but by the look on his face, he didn’t have an answer. 

“It’s not,” he said. “Or it shouldn’t be. It’s never happened before. But seeing it screwed something up inside my head. Now, in my dreams, I can’t tell who they belong to. They’re all jumbled together and I’m seeing scenes that don’t fit; things that don’t make sense keep appearing with no explanation.” 

Luke dug around in his jeans pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper before handing it to Sunshine. She smoothed it out with the pad of her thumb, trying to work out the creases just enough to make sense of the picture on it. It was a scribbled drawing of a clock, one of those tall ones that older people kept in the corners of their living rooms, made of wood and chimed at the end of each hour. 

“Have you seen this before?” he asked, to which she shook her head in reply. 

Luke sighed. “I don’t know whose future it’s from or if it’s even from a future at all. There’s too much inside my head now.” He closed his eyes once more, screwing them together so tight it formed creases in the skin around his eyes. “What if I’ve seen things from the past but I’ve mistaken them for the future? What if my visions are scrambled up and I can’t tell the difference?” 

Sunshine wished, more than anything, that she had the answers for him. She wished she could pull all of the worries from his head and soothe his worry, but she couldn’t; she didn’t know how to. 

“Maybe what we can do, our abilities, can alter or change over time?” she said, unsure. There was no telling what the long-term side effects of their abilities would be years down the line, whether or not they would change and shift. The more she used her abilities, the stronger she grew and the longer she could use them. She learned, over time, how to preserve her energy, when she wasn’t using them in a panic. But she didn’t know how that would translate to Luke’s abilities; he was different from her, El, and Leia. 

“But why now?” 

“I don’t know-” 

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crash that startled the both of them. Sunshine whipped her head over her shoulder to see the group standing on top of one of the food court counters, having just flipped the car El used to knock out the Russian soldiers back to its upright position. 

They joined the rest of them, pausing their conversation until they couldn’t figure a way out of Starcourt. Once their night was over, she’d try to think of some explanation for Luke or at least help him work through his new-found abilities to see into people’s pasts. 

She stood beside Max, who anxiously picked at her polished fingernails with her brows pulled in concentration. “Are you okay?” she asked the redhead, bumping her shoulder against Max’s.

“I guess.” Max shrugged. “I just want this night to be over.” 

Sunshine cracked a small smile. “You and me both.” 

Max reached into her pocket and pulled out a slightly smushed granola bar. “I snagged two of these from Nancy’s purse in the car. You look like you need it.” Sunshine took it gratefully, not caring that the chocolate chips were slightly melted, and it smelled a little bit like the perfume Nancy always wore, which she kept in her purse. 

“Thanks,” Sunshine said with her mouth full. “It’s been a long day.” She couldn’t recall the last time she had eaten anything. The granola bar tasted like the greatest thing she had ever eaten at that moment. She wanted to savor it, but she didn’t know how long they had until either someone came to their rescue or Billy came stomping into Starcourt. 

“A long day with Russians and random co-workers of Steve’s?” Mike said, joining the two girls. 

“They weren’t exactly part of the plan.” Neither was getting stuck in the elevator or her nightmarish connection to Calum Miller’s father. 

Something off to the side caught Max’s eye. “What is she doing.” Sunshine followed her gaze to where El dug in one of the mall trash cans. She grabbed something from the trash but then moved behind one of the pillars, out of sight. Sunshine moved to see what her sister was up to, but she was stopped by Max’s hand grabbing a hold of her wrist. 

“Guys,” Max said, her gaze fixed upwards toward the ceiling. It took a moment, but the Sunshine heard it. The glass panels that made up the ceiling started to shake, rattling softly until it grew louder and louder. 

“Nancy!” Mike screamed, calling the attention of the others still gathered around the car. The footsteps on the roof were right over them, and a large shadow came into view just as the glass started to fracture under the shadow’s weight.

Sunshine grabbed a hold of Mike while Max kept her grip on Sunshine’s wrist. She pulled the kids towards El and together, all four of them sprinted as far as they could across the mall before the glass ceiling shattered, raining shards down in dangerous droplets that accompanied the arrival of the Mind Flayer. They dove behind a food court counter, their knees pulled to their chests and breathing erratically.

Sunshine’s heart lodged in her throat as an ear-splitting roar shook the entire building. 

☀☀☀

Steve didn’t consider himself the most patient person in the world, but after a year of becoming one of the go-to babysitters for a group of Hawkins's most sarcastic teenagers, he liked to think he had grown more patient. That being said, with one good eye, his collections of other injuries, an ever-increasing cloud of doom hanging over their heads, having to part ways with Sunshine, and no more Russian drugs in his system to mellow him out, Steve was nearly at his breaking point.

“We are in the middle of something right now, in case you haven’t noticed!” Dustin snapped at Calum Miller as they stood atop a tall, grassy hill where Dustin’s super-radio was located. 

Calum had his fingers threaded through his hair and was breaking down in a way Steve had no time to deal with and no sympathy for. He knew better than anyone that no one was destined to become their father, but the second he saw the hurt in Sunshine’s eyes when she looked at the photo of Calum’s father, Steve also abandoned that belief. And when Calum had the nerve to call Sunshine a liar, he nearly found himself in another fight he’d probably lose. That didn’t matter to him, though. He’d lose a hundred more fights if that meant Sunshine wouldn’t have to keep fighting tooth and nail for a life she more than deserved. 

“I don’t understand!” Calum shouted, not at anyone in particular, as he paced back and forth in the overgrown grass. 

Tamera tried to calm him down, but she looked equally freaked out. “Clearly your mom was right all along. Your dad was mixed up in bad business.” 

“That doesn’t make him a bad person!” His voice was desperate, almost broken. But Steve felt his fingers curl into fists at his sides as he tried to shove down the anger that steadily rose in his chest. 

“Did you not see the look on her face?” Tamera asked, sounding on the verge of tears. He felt worse for her than Calum. Maybe it was because she wasn’t trying to justify what Calum’s dad had done to Sunshine and every other kid inside the Lab. And maybe a small part of it was Robin’s crush on Tamera. “Something obviously really terrible happened to her.” 

Calum stopped pacing. “Why are you taking their side?” 

“There are no sides!” Tamera yelled. “We got your answers. We got too many answers! God, I feel like my brain is melting!” Tears started to leak from her eyes, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away and she continued yelling at Calum. “I take back everything I said. I shouldn’t have told you we should look into that stupid file. I should have listened to my gut, and we should have stayed out of this.” 

A bitter cold laugh sounded from Calum. “Well, it’s a little too fucking late for that. You told me to open that file in the first place. You wanted to play detective with me. This is just as much your fault as it is mine! And now look where we are!” He waved his hands around wildly. “We still have no idea where my dad is and apparently everything we know about our world is utter bullshit! Monsters are real. Does anything fucking matter anymore?” 

Steve rubbed his forehead, trying to pull his headache out of his skull by sheer will. “Please, for the love of God, have your breakdown after we finish this,” he said. Maybe it was a little insensitive, but Steve didn’t give a shit. 

With a scoff, Calum turned his attention onto Steve, trying to look taller than he was. “You are your freaky group of children just told us everything we understood about our reality is wrong. We were chased by Russians through the fucking mall. It’s totally normal for people to have superpowers. And I was right from the very start of this whole thing when I said Danielle had something to do with my dad. So, I’m sorry for freaking out, but that’s a whole lot of fucking information to take in, asshole!”

“Seriously?” Steve shook his head. He tried to think back to that night at Jonathan’s when he discovered that monsters were real. He freaked out too. It wasn’t an easy thing to comprehend, but they had a job to do; they could freak out tomorrow. “Look, I get it. All of this is fucked. We’ve all been there. But you freaking out right now isn’t helping any-” 

“Steve!” Leia’s scream rang through the air like a gunshot. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the girl kneeling beside Dustin at the radio. A streak of blood fell from her nose. Steve rushed to her side immediately, abandoning his scolding of Calum. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, kneeling beside her. 

“It found them!” she cried, her voice strained and tears gathering in her wide eyes. “T-They’re still at the mall. It found them!” 

An icy fear crawled up Steve’s spine. He sprung up from the ground and rushed to the edge of the hillside that just barely overlooked the mall. 

“What are you talking about?” Robin asked from somewhere behind Steve. 

“Luke,” Leia hiccupped. “He’s scared. They’re all so scared.” 

They all gathered, aside from Dustin, beside Steve, peering over at the mall. The lights of the building blinked wildly, much like how they did that night at Jonathan’s, only on a much larger scale. It was no longer a single, slightly larger than the average human side monster and Christmas lights inside a home. It had become a thirty-foot melted flesh monster and the lights of the entire Starcourt Mall.

Cold fingers gripped Steve’s arm frantically, demanding his attention. Leia looked at him, shaking. “Steve, we have to do something. W-We have to…It’s going to kill them.” 

He was silent for a moment, stuck in his own fear as his brain moved too fast. It was going to kill them. The Mind Flayer was going to kill them, and they were stuck at that mall. 

“Griswold family, this is Scoops Troop! Do you copy? Over.” Dustin called the group that was supposed to be on their way to Illinois. The only response was static. Steve’s chest tightened uncomfortably as he waited, silently praying for a response. Dustin tried again. “Griswold family, I repeat, this is Scoops Troop. Do you copy? Over.” A pause, then a response. No familiar voice cut through to tell them everyone was okay. Instead, a bone-chilling roar tore through the walkie’s speaker, echoing into the night.

“Shit,” Steve cursed under his breath. He snapped into action, harshly grabbing Calum by the shoulders. “Give me your keys.” 

“W-What?” Calum’s face had gone white, no doubt from the further confirmation that monsters existed. 

“Key!” Steve demanded and Calum put up no fight. He tossed his keys to Steve, too flustered and confused to say much of anything at all. 

Steve then started to dart toward Calum’s minivan that they abandoned halfway up the hill. 

Robin followed him. “Where are you going?” 

“To get them the hell out of there! Stay here and contact the others!” 

Robin chased after him, leaving behind the three kids in the care of Tamera. Together, they jumped into the minivan and hightailed it back to the mall. 

Tagged. @sattlersquarry , @leptitlu , @two-sides-samecoin

[lucassinclaer]

smth so soothing in post s2 divergence where the party comes slowly closer, actually integrates el in a meaningful way.

where they show up at the cabin for game nights and it's a risk but hopper can’t actually find it in him to shut it down.

where mike finds el and will with their heads together already and is kind of confused but also sees that they sort of fit together - in that strange way where they just seem to get each other on the most primal of levels. will's already accompanied by jonathan most of the time so it's not that difficult to convince hopper to let them take el to the byers house sometimes so she gets out without being out in the open. jonathan and will roll their eyes at hopper's music selection and try to figure out the type of stuff el would like. she has different taste most of the time but jonathan can’t really be a snob about it because there’s this specific type of happiness that crosses el's face when she listens to her favorite songs.

where max is hesitant to reach out to el beyond a group setting bc they got off to a bad start, but something shifts when she sees the frustrated lines drawn over el's english homework and she faux-casually asks "hey, do you need any help with this?" and mike's been doing his best to help her out but he doesn't wanna do schoolwork all the time so el accepts and max turns out to be a really fun and patient tutor until most of the time they veer off topic immediately and just start being friends the organic way. the first friend el has made outside of mortal danger.

dustin turns up at the cabin unannounced so often, it drives hopper up the wall but dustin doesn’t even seem to notice, just leaves open the door to el's room the entire time while he chatters about all the gossip at school that el doesn’t really understand but still greedily absorbs. he's always talking about the future when she can go places with them and for the first time it doesn't make el feel like she's caged in now, but that there are plans she belongsin. that she's thought of.

mike, like all of them, is working through some stuff but he's always there to remind her that he never gave up hope she was still out there. that above all else he's happy she's still here. he's adamant about it whenever it comes up, the wordsmith who knows how to reassure her when he thinks to do it.

lucas is more of a planner where visits are concerned. el always knows when he'll be coming by, sometimes he brings max along once her and el are more comfortable with each other. he's always been the anchor of the real world that el didn’t belong in, but now that they have time and he knows her - really knows her - he slowly, slowly makes her feel like she can be tied to life like that, too. never makes her feel bad about not catching up in an instant anymore, but never makes her into the "weirdo" again either, just adjusts, tweaks his approach slightly.

i don’t think we ever needed to be shown any of this on screen, but there is a vibe that only changing things from season 2 onward can capture bc they were never picked up.

[chirpsythismorning]

Noah saying, "I don't think Mike likes Will back" doesn’t equate to him not knowing about byler being endgame, and here's why.

Noah and a majority of the main cast have been given a rough idea of how the show will end, broadly in terms of the entire story, but also more specifically in terms of their personal character arcs.

Actors are out here acting. This is nothing new.

Any of the the main cast insisting they have no idea how the show ends at all, are lying. This is because their safest bet is playing dumb.

There's nothing safe about them revealing they know how the show ends, least of all to an audience that is dying for any spoiler they can get their hands on. It just puts them in a position to have to think very carefully about everything they say, which is something they already have to do regardless.

It's a lot easier to just say you don't know, because then you can give vague answers or even just flat out lie and get away with it, as opposed to saying you know and then having everyone take whatever you say as gospel since you admitted to knowing what's coming.

David is pretty much the only actor who goes around explicitly saying that he knows how the show ends, which is something he's been doing consistently since s2 premiered back in November of 2017.

Something David has also mentioned on a few occasions since then, is how much input the Duffer's let him put into his character. He's literally praised them for having a collaborative process, because it allows him to play Hopper more authentically.

And so yes, I do think it's safe to assume that the Duffer's extend this approach to their other cast-members as well, at least among the main cast-members. I do not at all think this is some exclusive treatment only David gets, because this seems like more just something the Duffer's do out of respect to the actors. How else can they expect them to portray their character accurately if they don't know what they're going through or what their motives are or what's right for them going forward?

We obviously won't know all the details about who knew what at what times or how long they've known certain things, until they themselves come out and reveal after the fact, if they even do it at all.

Still, I do think that when it comes to byler actually happening, it's going to be very satisfying for fans who saw it coming.

This is because we're dealing with something the Duffer's are predicting a good portion of the ga will be bitter about, with the main argument at the forefront being that Mike and Will came out of nowhere.

And so, how do you think they're going to combat that?

With the literal proof.

They have David, who has been used happily as their main scapegoat through the years, whose words are literal proof that things were planned for quite some time. We have him saying all the way back in 2017 that there are easter eggs in the first season which we won't understand until the end, how it's beautiful and surprising and it will explain why certain characters acted certain ways...

Not only that, but there's just no way people are going to be able to use the whole 'it came out of nowhere' argument (at least without looking like idiots), because we'll have the Duffer's themselves out here confirming shit like blue meets yellow in the west and other theories that were entirely intentional (as we predicted).

And because of this, I think I can guess roughly how things will go moving forward and it's honestly already panning out in some ways I expected.

Because while season 4 ends in a way that seems to be leading towards Mike and El ending up together from the perspective of the ga, there are numerous details in the subtext and just outright in the literal text that's trying to tell us this is not actually the case.

And so now the Duffers and everyone who knows are in this limbo of tricking their audience in plain sight, hoping to keep this act going for as long as they can, and that's obviously not easy to do.

What I think makes it most difficult is that they want to surprise fans, but they also want them to be satisfied and happy with the ending.

And that is why the whole Milkvan straight bait is indeed very near its end.

If they want ST to live on as a cult classic with rewatch value, they can't keep this straight bait going on into the last season.

They'll want Mike and El to definitively give off platonic elmike for s5, with byler being endgame and Willel being wonder twins.

This is why Mike and El's dynamic HAS to blatant in a way that will come across as platonic to the ga in s5. And the shift needs to be immediate, otherwise byler will not be satisfying.

I feel like a lot of bylers already predict this, which is why a lot of us assume that the milkvan breakup with happen (or be acknowledged as having already happened) as early as 5x01 or 5x02.

Honestly, I do think that Will's painting being plastered on merch recently was one of the big moments which is representative of a shift we're already seeing start to happen. We're going to continue to see milkvan be promoted as elmike, while byler is being promoted in a way that is, well byler.

What I think is most noteworthy in terms of how they're approaching this conflict going forward, is how the actors themselves have talked about it when asked.

For example, there was one Con specifically that I remember Noah attended right around when Vol 2 dropped, where he mentioned byler at least 3 times. Two times when asked and one other time unprompted.

And no one ever talks about this, but full serious you guys, it was dead silent at that con whenever he mentioned byler. There were maybe a few hoots and claps, with Noah literally looking kind of worried. It was obvious he noticed the silence the first time it got brought up, and so he felt the need to mention it a second time when asked about what he shipped and then AGAIN, with a note of defensiveness in his voice:

"Byler is just, at it's peak right now, okay, so definitely ship that--"

And while in the background, all you hear is maybe 2 bylers supporting him, otherwise, it's mostly crickets...

Let's try to remember that while Byler is a lot bigger now undoubtedly, unless you're active online, most of the ga does not see it coming. And so byler is by no means fan-service. If anything it's show-runner service.

This means Noah had literally no obligation that day to go all out with referring to byler in a positive hopeful light, nor does he still. And yet he did and he hasn't slowed down much since.

His approach makes sense. Because his character has been revealed in canon to be in love with the other, he can freely say he ships it and even take the opportunity to hype it up in an attempt to open peoples minds to it, who might not have considered it before. And he can also do this because in canon, Will assumes Mike doesn't love him back, so Noah can just co-opt Will & the ga's assumption that Mike doesn't feel the same, and get away with it, without anyone whose close-minded giving it a second glance as evidence.

If they wanted to avoid queer-bait and get people to not look at byler that way, they had the chance to. A majority of the ga didn't read byler romantically and so they could've just kept things casual by not bringing it up, nor humoring it at all.

The byler tag didn't even hit 30k followers until AFTER vol. 2 dropped! Most people were oblivious (including bylers).

Undoubtedly, Noah in particular around that time, was a big part of why people started to look deeper on their own and it's how a lot of people ended up here, now with 277k of us.

Like seriously, listen to me ya'll, Noah would NOT put himself in a position to broadcast his support for byler like this and the Duffers would probably be begging him not to, knowing he would be subject to a lot of criticism in doing so, if byler was not in fact where the story was going. Point blank, period.

His tweet "vol 2 got me shipping byler over everything' has to have been the most obvious stunt of all. He was not saying that to be quirky or to appease a few thousand people, he was saying it to wake up the hundreds of thousands that might be open to it, and who just need a push to see what's right in front of them.

Then we have Millie's approach. Her approach for a long time has been to say stuff that she thinks the audience wants to hear, that being anything pro-milkvan. And up until Vol 1, she was still mostly on board with referring to it in a super positive light.

She also insisted during s4's run that she has no clue how the show will end (lies, Millie is a good actress pls give her more credit), and this also explains why she's tended to feel somewhat comfortable lying about milkvan positively...

Though as Vol. 2 neared and ever since, a shift has started to happen, where in interviews Millie is getting a lot more into depth and real about El's personal arc. She mentioned right before Vol 2 dropped that El was insecure in her fight with Mike at the start of the season because she thought he only considered her a superhero and didn't see her as more than that.... Then more recently she has doubled down saying that she is her own superhero, having been shaped a little too much by the men in her life.

SHE IS OUT HERE SAYING WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR MONTHS (SOME YEARS)! SHE KNOWS HER CHARACTER BETTER THAN ANYONE!

Honestly, even though I understand they are trying to trick people into thinking they're clueless and so I guess I'm happy for them that they've succeeded in that, I can't help but admit I feel a little disappointed upon hearing some bylers say that they are convinced Millie doesn't know, but that Finn does and even Noah does, but that she's entirely in the dark about it and that they're okay with this I guess?

First of all, why would anyone be okay with that? Why would we be okay with Millie not having insight into where her character is going. What, do you guys think they're just going to pull up on her at the last minute like, "yeah sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but this is where your character is going to end up. anyways back to byler!...."

I don't care, it would seriously be fucked up to keep her in the dark about this because El IS important to the story and Millie, just like everyone else, deserves that closure so that she can understand her character better and therefore perform to the best of her ability. She also deserves a say somewhat in where she feels her character should go, just like David has said the Duffer's afford them.

Now lastly, when it comes to Finn, I think most assume at least he is aware of byler, and I do agree he knows, so let's start there.

Again, we don't know when they found out and so for now I don't feel like going too far into guessing the exact point and so I won't. However, I do think that Finn also as of late has had an approach that manages to somehow be very different from both Noah and Millie's, and for reasons that also make a lot of sense.

Because Finn's character is assumed to not return Will's feelings, he has to be more careful than all of them. This is arguably why he goes to the least cons out of everyone (most recently everyone attended a con in person, with Millie present over zoom even, but no Finn or Noah... seems very intentional at this point).

Why I think they need to be more strict with Finn in particular is because he's in the exact opposite situation as Noah.

His character is assumed to not return Wll's feelings, and so he can't go very far with what he reveals. What we've got up to this point is actually quite revealing enough as it is, which is why that's all we're getting for now.

What I find interesting is that Finn's approach is quite similar to David's. I know Noah is known for spoiling things, but arguably Finn is just as bad, he's just a lot more sneaky about it. He has a harder time lying, which is why I think he actually looks uncomfortable when asked milkvan questions. Not necessarily because he doesn't ship it like lots of bylers assume, but because he's having to dance around and lie outright and he probably feels bad.

His most common approach though is that he likes to make jokes and say things that could be looked at from multiple perspectives, where it could be looked at now as milkvan evidence, while simultaneously being looked at from the future as byler evidence. Him saying 'I think everyone knows how Mike feels about Eleven' was him quite literally gaslighting the audience just like Mike did with El in s4:

'I care for you so much" "I say it" "You know how I feel about you--"

But do we? Do we really? Or does the audience THINK they know, and so Finn can get away with saying something cryptic and vague like that? When really, in the future, everyone will be laughing looking back because to Finn and all the cast, it was actually abundantly obvious Mike's feelings for El were platonic and his feelings for Will were romantic.

Same for his response when asked if El and Mike would be together and happy in season 5. He dances around it, doesn't deny it, but also doesn't confirm it. Instead of just being like yes they will (which is what we're being led to assume is inevitable at the end of s4, and so he has no reason to dance around it), he starts by deflecting, talking broadly in terms of the stories overall ending, only to say he hopes they find happiness... Again his answer fits with the ga's assumptions now, but it also fits with the surprise of byler in the end as well.

Also important to note that Finn and Noah are the ones to repost about the show most out of everyone from the main cast. A LOT. In fact, they were the only main cast-members (besides Brett LOL) out of everyone to repost about the episode title name for 5x01 being released on ST day...

And it's because THIS is their character's big revelation going into the final season and they had a say in it going this direction. Even if it's what the Duffer's wanted all along, they still gave them and everyone to an extent, a say in things. And now that it's all slowly happening, they are front and center standing by that decision, because they insisted they could do it and wanted to.

I can't say for certain that things will just be smooth sailing from here on out though, by no means is everything just going to shift completely.

There is still undoubtedly this element of the Duffer's and everyone wanting to have the pleasure of tricking the audience. In an industry where everything that happens is usually expected and predictable and therefore rarely exciting, and with an audience that is always figuring stuff out before their supposed to through leaks and stuff, byler is something they have finally been able to successfully trick most of the audience to think will never happen. And that is fucking impressive when considering the heaps of evidence.

And yet still, they don't want to be yet another show that is considered to have a bad ending.

So, going forward, I think things will continue the way that they are, but we'll slowly see them be more comfortable in this element of acknowledging endgame in a way that will be easy to look back on positively when everything is all said and done.

Because if byler is endgame, IF they want people to look back and go oh Oh OH during all those moments where they misread things, but now they can see the other side of it, there needs to be more of an approach that gives Byler equal playing field and allows the ga to actually start to appreciate it and even want it and root for it. Which means buh bye predictability and heteronormativity and hello surprises and gayness (but also be open ended about it so the homophobes will stay tuned until the last second).

[messrsbyler]

Today I'm here to talk about how from season one we are shown how Mike was forced to grow up and mature at a very young age given the dysfunctional dynamics of his family, the neglect he was put through and how he's been left to fence for himself as if he was an adult.

There's many scenes where Mike's attitude and behaviors make a contrast from Dustin and Lucas, even though they are exposed to the same situations. For example, when Hopper questions them and Dustin and Lucas start bickering over whether Mirkwood is a reference from the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, Mike is sitting in the middle trying to convince Hopper they can help as well and that they should be out there to find Will. This isn't because Dustin or Lucas don't care about Will as much as Mike does, but immediately we see Mike taking over the role of leader of the group with a much serious approach to the situation.

Where this is even more evident is at the beginning of Episode 2 when the guys bring El to Mike's basement and interact with her. Here is how that goes down:

Mike: "Is there a number we can call? For your parents?

Dustin: "Where is your hair? Do you have cancer?!"

Lucas: "Did you run away?!"

Mike: "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Lucas: "Is that blood?" *reaches out to touch the blood*

Then Mike stops Lucas saying he's freaking El out. When things get complicated over what to do with El, Mike immediately comes up with a plan for the next day so they all stay out of trouble and can go out there the next night to go and find Will.

Now, keeping in mind that these are twelve years old we are talking about, Dustin and Lucas' reaction to El make sense with how a kid could react. A bit of curiosity, a bit of hesitance and awe, asking questions like of El has cancer because her hair is buzzed and trying to touch the blood on her clothes. Mike, however, takes the approach I would expect from an adult, immediately asking for a number to contact and if the strange girl he found in the woods is okay or in trouble. Instead of giving into his curiosity and awe like Dustin and Lucas, Mike pushes that away and gets to the point in order to help El and learn more about the situation so he can understand how he can solve it.

Then when El tries to take off her clothes we again see this contrast. Dustin and Lucas freak out and turn away, both probably embarrassed and weirded out that a girl just tried to take off her shirt in front of them. And honestly, it makes sense for Mike to feel the same way, but he still instead reaches out to El to kindly stop her and show her the bathroom where she can change. He steps up in the situation and takes control of it. Then when El tells her she doesn't want the door closed, Mike is quick to learn how to communicate with her in order to make her feel comfortable around him (like a protective figure would).

Once Dustin and Lucas leave his house, Mike shows El where she will sleep and they sit down to talk. Now, this is an interesting part of their dynamic because THIS is the first time since meeting El that Mike allows himself to behave like a kid just like Dustin and Lucas had been acting before. When Mike sees El's tattoo he drops trying to control the situation like an adult would and reaches to touch the tattoo because he is a kid and he's never seen another kid with a tattoo, it's something new that surprises him and he acts on that surprise. And then El pulls away and Mike is quick to apologize and pull back as well, and just like that he's back on seizing control of the situation and acting like the grown up between them.

The next day we see Mike also allowing himself to behave more his age around El, showing him around and making impressions for her with his toys, but El is mostly uninterested going around on her own and looking around the house. (This because, in my opinion, El from the first moment is more interested in a parental/protector type of relationship with Mike since she doesn't know what a friend is and doesn't know that type of relationship can even exist. Then El learns about what a friend is but by then Mike has been pushed into a romantic type of dynamic with El by Lucas and Nancy). And then El sees Will's picture and she reveals she knows Will and saw him, and Mike is back on being the leader, the one that makes the plans and doesn't allow himself to be surprised over small things or get distracted with toys and games when his best friend is missing.

So, yeah. Mike has always been in a rush to grow up, but during the first and second season I see it more being an unconscious process for him that comes from being neglected by his family. Then, by season three, Mike takes an active role in wanting to grow up fast and leave all the "childish" things behind in order to fill his role as El's boyfriend.

It's interesting to think how running out of time is Mike's thing in ST, and how that's linked to Mike rushing through life as if he had no seconds to waste because he is either after something or something is chasing him.

I see how El exacerbates these feelings in Mike, that also link to him wanting to pretend to be someone else that's worthy of being with El, from season one when Mike tries to lie to El about the wound on his chin because he doesn't want El to know he gets bullied at school, to Mike wearing that outfit at the airport that's a knockoff of real brands and that, we know, is not his style at all.

Now, of course I HAVE to link this to Byler. And, well, just thinking how Mike was forced to mature at a really young age, how he's pushed into thinking he should be embarrassed about the things he enjoys, about how he thinks he has to pretend to be someone he's not in order to get the "normal" everyone seems to want. And how then there's Will, the one person that tells Mike things don't have to be like that, that on this the rest of the world is wrong because yes, they can stay in Mike's basement and play games for the rest of their lives, they can keep on enjoying their favorite board game, they can make plans to retire at a young age and play Nintendo for a living. Will tries to tell Mike that it is okay if he wants those things, that it's nothing he should avoid or feel ashamed of, that they don't have to stop being kids because the world and the Upside Down keeps making them soldiers, fighting battles they should've never had to fight.

Because Will wants all of that, and Mike wants it too. But Mike knows he's not supposed to. He knows he should want something different, something like what the rest of the people want because otherwise he'll be different. And for now, it is Will the one that's okay with being different because Mike is there, and Mike makes Will feel like it's okay being different, that he shouldn't feel like a mistake at all. And I think Mike has put so much effort into not being different, that he hasn't stopped to think that maybe it could be good, until season four happens and the van scene happens.

There's a TON more of this I wanted to write about but this will do for now.

Anyhow, love Mike Wheeler and how disturbed he's on the inside.

[elekinetic]

hi! i was just wondering what your opinions are on hopper, like, as a character? i've just seen so much slander for him and i was wondering about your own thoughts on it since you seem to have a good grasp of the show's characters. also, no pressure to answer if you don't want to, i'm just genuinely curious :)

hi!! i am so honored you asked!

so. hopper’s a shithead. i love him.

no but actually so, i think hopper is one of the most interesting characters in the show, and i think a lot of the hopper slander (and character slander in general) comes from having fundamentally different approaches to the show. and I don’t think there’s any one correct way to watch the show, but there’s a difference between looking at characters as people who are accountable for their actions and characters as vehicles for communicating themes and ideas.

(I wanna start with a disclaimer that I’m not really gonna touch how he exists as copaganda, especially as a character, who really does not subvert the hero cop trope. That’s a separate post and a whole other conversation — one that’s important when contextualizing our discussion of hopper, but for now I’m just gonna focus on his characterization and behavior within the context of the show. alright, moving on.)

hopper is not always the nicest person and doesn’t always make the right call, but he is so caring and protective of the people he loves, and he believes in goodness in the world. i think it’s really interesting to see that over the course of the show, part of his journey is relearning that there are good things, and that even though it’s painful, those things are still worth protecting. (it’s less so that he’s learning that those things are worth protecting and it’s more so that he’s learning to be okay with the pain of it.)

after losing sarah, hopper shuts everything down and everything out. and like, obviously. of course he would. there’s this really interesting part of his spinoff novel that talks about how when he was in the war, he was stationed in an area that exposed him to chemicals that could lead to birth defects or infertility in the future. and then he comes home and has sarah anyway, and then she dies of cancer. obviously he feels really guilty about that. I think it’s really really important to remember that that is a key part of his experience when it comes to analyzing hopper and considering his behavior.

i was re-watching the first couple episodes of season two with abby strangeswift and bats demobatman, specifically el’s conversation with him about wanting to go out for halloween. and i was really frustrated, right, because here’s this girl that’s been trapped in a lab her entire life and just wants to feel normal, and there’s really no end in sight to this new kind of confinement. but then abby and bats were talking about how there’s really no other choice and especially after losing sarah, he is not willing to put el at risk.

I think this haunts him through the next couple of seasons. he becomes so blinded by his need to protect and keep el safe that he loses nuance. especially with a kid as extraordinary and as hunted as el, hopper is so on guard all the time. and that’s frustrating! because then we see him as the reason el loses out on experiences that she should get to have. she should get to be a normal kid and do normal things like go to the mall and kiss her boyfriend etc. etc. but hopper is so keenly aware of the fact that el is not a normal kid and the world is not safe for her. he’s not willing to be the reason another daughter dies.

like i said, i think hopper makes bad decisions and doesn’t always consider the agency of the people he loves, but i think the reason that we see so many parallels between him and mike is because they are both protectors. fundamentally, i think their arcs are the same. it’s them learning they don’t always have to be the protector, that they can trust the people they love to love them back without being a defensive force. learning there’s a way to be protective without being overbearing or imposing on agency. 

and listen, hopper fucks up a lot. I don’t think the way he speaks to Joyce season three is OK and I think he owes her an apology. and I think he and eI will need to have a real conversation about why he acts the way he does and why he put the rules he does in place. (I don’t think people understand just how much danger el is in even when the upside down shit isn’t happening.)

hopper makes a lot of sense to me and his inner conflict is really, really interesting. if you’re looking at him as a person, then, yeah, it gets a lot harder to excuse his actions because they do cause harm, tangible harm. but i read an article recently that i think articulated really well why our progress as a society about discussing mental health hasn’t really solve the problems we need it to solve; that, despite introducing these therapeutic terms and emphasizing boundary setting, we still center ourselves in our experience of the world. (when you fuck up, youre learning—when your friend fucks up, they’re a narcissist, kind of thing.)

so let’s let both things be true. that hopper is not always making the best decisions and doesn’t always say or do the right thing, that he should apologize for that (which he has on occasion).  but he’s also learning and he should be given the space and grace for that. and yes, he’s 40. but people don’t stop learning and growing when they’re 40. you don’t hit 25 and suddenly you’re a perfect person. and this is a man who has been through a war, lost his four-year-old daughter to cancer he is sure he caused, struggled with addiction and depression, and at this point has been literally tortured by russians for months. 

but then again, hopper isn’t person. he’s a character. hopper does not exist to be accountable to his actions. he exists to convey a story, to communicate ideas. stories like this aren’t interesting without complicated people. he adds complexity to the plot and the relationships between characters. he informs el’s relationship with society and adults in her life. he gives joyce the space to be taken care of, to not be the mom, the hustler, the protector of her own family all day everyday. he fills out hawkins as a three-dimensional place, where not everyone is a wheeler-esque suburban wet dream. he shows that there is a path out of grief and depression. he shows that it’s important to lean on people and that isolation will just lead to further suffering. It shows that protecting other people is important, but so is moderation and communication. how do we learn those lessons without a character making mistakes that hopper does?

anyway, those are my brief scattered thoughts on hopper. i think he deserves more grace than he’s given by people in fan spaces, but i understand peoples hesitation to treat him as a beloved character the way they would treat el or lucas or will. he’s a very real character and doesn’t really fit the schema of a fave, i think. and i think the way people communicate their appreciation for his character doesn’t fit easily into the way people show their appreciation for other characters in fans spaces.

I hope this makes sense. 👍

[lexirosewrites]

Imagining a Steve w powers AU set in a/b/o

O!Steve has always seen/known/heard things he knows he shouldn't b able to, when he was 8 he became aware tht he could always tell when someone was lying & what truth they were trying to hide, when he was 12 he started to see things before they happened but he never had control over what he saw or when he saw it, then he turned 13 & suddenly ppl tht weren't there tht SHOULDN'T b there anymore were everywhere he looked, he started being able to hear & talk to them when he was 15, then...

will Byers goes missing & Steve knows, he KNOWS will isnt in Hawkins as they all know it, not anymore, he ditches A!Nancy & B!Tommy & A!Carol frequently to help Mrs Byers in her search, he's there when they figure out the Christmas lights ouija board, he's there when Holly wanders into Wills room, he's suddenly there when the younger party r watching Wills "body" b discovered in the quarry & he'd snuck up on them which shouldn't b possible w El & her powers, Lucas has already left but Steve speaks w such authority when he tells them tht isn't Will in the water, he's there when Mrs Byers has to identify the fake body & B!Jonathan is confused/angry at his presence, he backs up Mrs Byers when she convinced Hopper something wasn't right w the body they found, he doesn't deface the movie theater but he shows up to help w the final show down at the school, he goes w Nancy & Jonathan after learning Barb is dead (she was taken after sneaking out w Nancy to smoke weed at a bonfire at an old campground, & Nancy didn't notice bc she was too high & caught a ride home w Carol who is nicer than she presents herself to b) he still fights the demogorgon w his nail bat & is urging them back to the school but ofc El takes care of everything/disappeared before they get there

Will is found by Joyce & Hopper, while everyone celebrates, while Mike is sad abt El disappearing, while the government comes by to present them w NDAs each, steve feels like he's being watched & when he looks around he finds no one but he's never been wrong before

Steve has a heat soon after the dust settles, B!Joyce helps him is a maternal presence for him feeds him & helps him as best she can, & her mature pheromones tell Steve he is being cared for by a parent so while his heat is rough it isn't sexual just a terrible time where he needs cuddles as he runs a fever, he's lost his place in the pecking order of Hawkins High but he finds he doesn't care anymore being King used to mean safety but now he has a nail bat always nearby & a friend in Nancy & Jonathan & a parent figure in Joyce

Season 2... is a doozy, steve knows immediately A!Billy is bad news & not in a sexy way, he knows something is wrong w O!Will (will presented fully as an omega after the stress of his abduction) but his powers don't work in a way tht let's him know what EXACTLY is wrong, he sees visions of the Upside Down now & glimpses the deaths of several ppl, he knows El is back in their dimension & he makes his way to the cabin avoiding the booby traps as if he'd put them there himself, he approached Dustin first showing up at his house a moment before Dustin discovered the body of his cat, they work together to lure Dart to the junk yard, steve had known since he saw her tht Max was going to end up knowing what they know so he isn't surprised or apprehensive when she appears alongside Lucas, he defends them from the demodogs, he defends them from Billy avoiding the plate bc he sees it coming before Billy even thinks to grab it, steve keeps him distracted while Max grabs the needle & drugs him & threatens him, they burn the tunnels, season 2 concludes, again everyone is celebrating but Steve feels something not just watching him but trying to reach out to touch him, everyone in the party knows abt his powers now not the entire scope just tht he sometimes sees things before they happen

When he has a heat after all of this he's tended to by Joyce & cuddled by Dustin & Max & Lucas, sweat wiped away by Mike & Jonathan, Nancy guards his door, the pheromones of pups makes his heat more abt scenting & cuddling the young ones, El comes by when it's safe & gets cuddled & scented & isn't released till Steve falls asleep, when he falls asleep he dreams & in every dream he is in the Upside Down & someone is always there just out of sight

Season 3: Steve purposefully bombs his college applications bc he knows something STILL isn't right in Hawkins, he feels like the mall has a basement but there's no evidence of one,

A!Robin is still mean & dismissive toward him but he isn't trying to get dates anyway so all of her passive aggressive shenanigans go in one ear & out the other, he doesn't have feelings for her like Dustin suggests, he makes the eureka moment of the music seem like a moment of chance, he knows Billy isn't rlly there anymore tht ppl have been dying, & he knows what the Russians r doing as soon as the Scoops Troop sees the shady figures at the loading dock, he gives Dustin & Erica the heads up tht they'll need to get into the vents & get out, stobin still get Tortured & drugged & Dustin & Erica rescue them, stobin become platonic soulmates in the bathroom, the battle of starcourt happens, but Steve gives the adults the information they need & it ensures Hopper isn't presumed dead & gets out alive, & when they're negotiating & going over the NDAs together treating it like a pizza party, Steve not only senses someone reaching out to touch him he feels them actually brush the back of his neck

The heat he has following season 3 is probably the worst one yet not in terms of the company or care, Steve is encouraged to build a nest in the expanded & repaired cabin in a room A!Hopper had built specifically for him to move into, Joyce & Hopper take shifts caring for him as parents would, B!El didnt lose her powers but theyre weak like an atrophied muscle so she sticks to learning to cook for Steve w Joyce's help, Max presented fully as an omega after Billy's funeral & so she & Will don't leave his side unless it's to use the bathroom & he cuddles & scents Max endlessly helping calm the sadness her pheromones were leaking everywhere the 3 of them purring in rhythm, Erica comes by to get cuddled & reads to him the goosebumps books she gets from the library, B!Dustin sets up a moderate sound system in his new room tht let's him play music he likes & Dustin gets cuddled almost as much as Max & Will

Nancy/Jonathan bring him his favorite juice & sodas, Robin is the only one allowed to adjust/maintain the nest he built, Lucas & Mike presented as alphas after the stress of the mall & their instincts to protect a vulnerable member of the party r haywire in a way they haven't learned to manage yet so the adults have them take shifts btwn guarding the door to Steve's room & helping feed Steve who's become the undisputed pack omega so Steve is cared for in a way tht tells his body it doesn't need sex for this heat because he's surrounded & cared for by pack w no interesting alphas in sight

What makes this heat terrible r the dreams... he doesn't scream or thrash in his sleep but they disturb him all the same, they don't contain what if scenarios abt the past events, he's always in the Upside Down in them & there's the same human figure standing a distance away & they get closer w every dream & the scent of ichor & blood floods his nose stronger w every dream, in the dream he has before his heat breaks the figure is right behind him, caressing his neck, humming some song he doesn't recognize, & the scent is stronger than ever w the spice tht marks the figure as an alpha

Season 4 is an entirely different part of this AU tht I will send in a separate ask bc this got long but I'm not as entranced by this AU to make it an entire post lol

part 1 of 2 I suppose

part two of omega Steve with powers AU posting shortly💛

(link to part two)

[funnylittlelad]

Rules Made To Be Broken - Steve Harrington x gn!reader

Masterlist - AO3

<< Prologue | Rule Two >>

summary: As you and Steve grow closer, things seem to be going perfectly. That is until your police chief father steps in. The more you lie the deeper a hole you dig, but what else can you do? No matter what your dad says, you're not staying away from Steve Harrington.

wordcount: 6.4k

notes/tags: Hopper!reader, secret dating, sneaking around, fluff, friends to lovers, almost teenage car shenanigans, events of season three do not take place (canon divergent), Hopper is a bit of an (redeemable) overprotective helicopter parent, mentions of/talks about: abusive parents, tumultuous relationships, divorce, death, and family trauma., brief description of a minor cut.

Rule One: No Hanging Out Alone, Unless It's In Public

“Aren't you seeing Robin tomorrow ?” Your dad asks in response to a question you asked him.

He and Joyce are watching a rerun of some show they like.

“Yeah, but it’ll be with Steve. Robin wants some one-on-one time before that. I think there's something going on at school,” you lie a little too easily, “She’s been anxious about going back. I'm trying to help her not think about it this early.”

“Someone giving her a hard time?” Your dad quirks a protective eyebrow.

“It’s high school. I don't doubt there is.”

He hmphs and nods.

“Do you need a ride over there?” He checks.

“No, I can walk. It’s nice out,” you smile.

Robin truly doesn't live far. She's just a street away. Plus, it's late June and just after five. The air is warm and breezy as the sun starts to lower slowly.

“Alright, if you aren't home by nine the door will be locked,” he warns.

“I know,” you drone.

“You’re like a broken record,” Joyce chirps from beside your dad on the couch.

“At least a broken record would be pleasant to listen to,” you jab.

Joyce laughs, but your dad is unamused.

“Watch it or the door'll be locked at eight,” he threatens with a playful finger pointed at you.

“Okay, okay,” you chuckle.

You bid them goodbye and set out for Robin's. It's a short walk that you spend humming. You haven't seen Steve since his father cornered the two of you at the award ceremony. The rest of the evening was spent quietly making fun of other people there with your dad at the table. It was a light-hearted night after everything. Yet, you spent the whole time wondering if Steve is okay. 

The sudden change in his demeanor is crossing your mind as you approach Robin’s. She’s reading on her porch swing already waiting for you. 

“Hey, Rob,” you greet.

She smiles and snaps her book shut. 

“You made a clean escape?” she asks.

“It's not really an escape,” you roll your eyes, “They knew I was leaving.”

“Barely,” she teases.

You plop down on the porch swing right next to her. Once you're settled you rest your head on her shoulder. It’s a nice quiet evening, like most in Hawkins. It’s only marred by the first rule your dad gave you, watching you from behind the line you crossed.

“Thank you for doing this, Robs,” you sigh.

She rests her head against yours. The two of you gaze at the sherbet sky above the house across the street.

“Don't mention it. I like you two together,” she tells you softly.

Her words bring a smile to your face.

“You do?” 

“Yeah, you’re both so giggly and happy. It’s disgusting.”

You laugh and give her side a little pinch. She squeals and jumps. Before she has a chance to retaliate, Steve's car rolls up her driveway. You’re up and jogging over in an instant. 

“Hey, Rob!” Steve calls by sticking his head out his window.

“Sup, dingus!” She calls back.

Steve’s head returns to the interior of his car as you climb in. He catches you in a quick kiss before you can say anything. You scrunch your nose at him dramatically when he pulls away. He mimics your expression causing you both to laugh. He pulls out of the driveway smoothly. As he drives down the street, he laces his fingers through yours. The back of your hand gets brought up to his lips so he can press a sweet kiss to the skin.

“Missed you,” he murmurs against your hand.

You smile at him as he drops your intertwined hands onto your lap.

“Missed you too,” you reply softly. 

A smile spreads easily across his lips. He hums happily. A breeze brushes through his hair from where his window is cracked. After a moment, his smile tugs downward.

“I'm sorry about my dad,” he says.

“Me too,” you sigh.

“I’d rather deal with the Chief than my dad,” he admits.

“Yeah, you seemed… different around him.”

Steve takes an even breath through his nose. 

“Yeah, I kinda have to be. I’m sorry if it was weird o-or-”

“No, Steve, it was fine. I just want to make sure you’re okay,” you assure him.

He glances at you with a tiny smile that you want to cradle in your hands. His hand squeezes yours.

“I’m okay now,” he says. 

“You sound sweet on me, Harrington,” you smirk.

“Sweeter than pie,” he flashes you his own world-ending smirk.

“Aren't I the luckiest?”

“Oh, no, honey, that'd be me,” he’s quick to correct you. 

You’re quick to look away to hide your flushed face. His hand tugs at yours for your attention.

“Hey,” he coos, “C’mon, don't get shy on me.”

Your glare is sweet on him. It earns an adoring smile that makes your fingertips buzz. 

“What exactly d’you plan on doing with me once you get me alone in that house of yours?” You ask quietly as you creep up on his driveway.

“Honestly?” He lets out a breathy laugh, “I plan on wrapping you up in my arms and not letting go until I absolutely have to.”

“That right?” You inquire as he parks.

“That’s right,” he nods and kills the engine.

You lean in toward him, eyes on his pretty pink lips. He inches closer to you in response, eyes hooded. Just before your lips can brush against each other you speak.

“You’ll have to catch me first,” you tell him.

“Wha-” he starts, but you’re already gone.

You’re scrambling out of the car by the time he processes what's happened. He calls out for you as he struggles to free himself from his seatbelt. When he finally does he races up behind you. You’re so close to the front door, but it's been a while since you've gone running. Steve’s arms wrap around your center. He lifts you into a spin as you let out a shriek-like laugh. 

“Steve,” you giggle as you struggle in his hold.

“Caught you,” he murmurs in your ear.

He doesn't let your feet touch the ground. Rather, he walks right up to the door holding you like that, only letting you go to open it. Once it's open he’s lifting you again to carry you in.

“Are you gonna let me go?” You laugh.

“Nope,” he chimes, “Already told you, m’not letting you go until I absolutely have to.”

“Fine,” you huff as if it's a chore, “If this is my fate, I guess I’ll just have to accept it.”

“Guess so,” he mumbles into your hair and kicks the door shut. 

He brings you to the living room and drops onto the couch with you landing on top of him. The tip of his nose is warm as he burrows into your neck.

“What’s got you so touchy-feely?” You ask teasingly, loving this mood.

“You kidding? I haven't seen you in days and even then I couldn't touch you. I’m surprised I didn't go nuts,” he complains, “Plus, my parents had me practically ripping my hair out. I just… need this.”

You wiggle to turn in his hold. He loosens his arms to allow you. When you're nose to nose you bring a hand up to his cheek, drinking him in through every source you can. Those caramel apple eyes pour into you as if you’re the cure for everything that ails him.

“D'you wanna talk about it?” You whisper.

His mouth tightens and you think he’s going to say no. You expect him to shake his head and change topics. Steve nods so minuscule you nearly miss it.

“My dad was on top of me about wasting my life away. As far as he’s concerned, I’m basically promised to his stupid finance company in the city. My mom just goes along with whatever he says. I don't want to suffocate in a suit while stuck in some board meeting,” he vents.

“What do you want?” You ask softly, raking a hand through his hair.

His eyes flutter close at the touch. 

“I don't know exactly, but not that,” he sighs. 

“You’re eighteen, you don't have to know anything yet,” you tell him.

“It'd be a lot easier if I did.”

“Well, it may not be easy, but you’re not alone,” you mumble shyly.

His eyes open and find yours. A smile that warms you from the inside out spreads across his face.

“No, I’m not…,” a thoughtful knit of his brows and twist of his lips takes over, “Is Diane your mom?”

The stillness that grabs you doesn't go unnoticed by him. His hand starts to rub soothing circles on your back. 

“She was, at some point. I haven't spoken to her since about a year after we moved back,” you answer.

His hand trails up until he’s cradling you where your jaw meets your neck. A warm calloused thumb skirts back and forth over your cheek. Your muscles loosen, the tension seeping out of them as you allow Steve to surround you.

“What happened? You don't really talk about when you lived in New York.”

You worry your bottom lip between your teeth nervously. Steve’s thumb moves to gently pull it free before he continues speaking.

“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.”

“I want to,” you reply quickly, “I do. I’m just not used to talking about it.”

“Take your time.”

You give him a small smile. 

“Things were fine in New York. We were happy, at least I thought we were,” you sigh, “I think my parents were having problems for a little while, but then Sara got sick.”

He nods in encouragement as you take a breath. 

“They were better after that. For a while, anyway. Then Sarah got worse. She just kept getting worse and we tried to make her feel like she wasn't, but… But she knew. The-” your voice cracks a little and you clear your throat of the thick emotion that's settled there, “By the end, they were barely even speaking outside of the hospital. My mom was gone after the funeral. They divorced a few months later and I was given a choice.”

“Mom or dad?” Steve asks.

You nod.

“Hawkins or New York. Honestly, part of it was how pissed I was at my mom for leaving my dad like that, but New York was starting to feel haunted. A new start sounded nice. Besides, I couldn't leave my dad he was… God, he was such a mess. I’m not sure he would've even been eating if I wasn't there to make sure he did,” you get a little lost in the memories.

Your voice becomes a touch distant. Steve frowns.

“So, you came back to take care of your dad?” He questions slowly.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Who took care of you?” 

You blink at him blankly for a moment.

“I- I- uh- Well, at- at first my mom. Y’know she called to check in or I would call her. At least once a week, but then… Then Bill showed up one day. Next thing I knew there was a wedding and a baby,” you say the word like it's dirty, “and I… I wasn't important anymore.”

“Who’s taken care of you since then?”

“I’ve gotten pretty good at taking care of myself,” you shrug insecurely.

Steve clearly isn't a fan of that answer. He wears it on his face, not even attempting to hide any emotion from you. It's a swift motion as he presses a tender kiss to your forehead.

“M’gonna take care of you from now on,” he kisses the promise into your warming skin.

He pulls back to take in your flustered features. 

“I think I’d like that,” you tell him quietly as you take him in with wide eyes.

You’re drowned in kisses after that. The two of you make a mess of giggles, light kisses, and cuddling limbs on the couch. The night passes you far too quickly. There's never enough time with Steve. An untouched VHS sits on the coffee table. You had picked something to throw on but never got that far. Instead, you spend most of the time as Steve promised, wrapped up in his arms while he takes care of you. He’s absentmindedly pressing gentle kisses to your hand as you wonder how your dad could ever think he’s capable of anything else. 

The clock on the wall ticks closer and closer to nine. Each stroke of the second-hand sinks dread in your chest a little more. You don't want to leave Steve. Even if you will be seeing him again tomorrow. 

“How d’you think your dad would feel,” Steve starts quietly as he plays with a piece of your hair, “if you spent the night at Robin’s?”

“He might go for it…,” you trail off with a smirk. 

Steve shoots up into a sitting position. He snatches the phone from the end table and hands it to you. The goofy smile on his face causes you to roll your eyes as you chuckle. You dial Robin first. She picks up after a handful of rings.

“Buckley residence.”

“Hey, Rob, would you be able to cover for me tonight?” You ask.

“I’m confused, I thought I was already doing that,” she answers after a beat.

“Yes, you are, but I was going to see if my dad cared if I stayed at your place tonight,” you explain.

“Oh, I mean, sure, as long as you don't think he’s going to show up on my front porch with a rifle,” there's a shrug in her voice.

“You’re the best, Robin. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Yeah, just remember that when you're writing your vows,” she teases.

You ignore Steve's curious eyes as your face reddens.

“Alright, goodbye.”

You don't waste a moment hanging up and dialing your house.

“This is Hopper,” your dad answers lazily. 

“Hey, dad,” you greet.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You need a ride?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I was actually wondering if you cared if I stayed at Robin’s tonight,” you grimace as you ask, expecting nothing good.

“When would you be home?”

“After work tomorrow. I’ll just go there from here, it’s not a big deal,” you answer.

“You sure you’ll be able to get there?”

You roll your eyes at the expected third-degree.

“Yeah, she works with Steve tomorrow so he can give us both a ride in.”

There's a moment of loaded silence.

“Alright,” he sighs, “As long as you’re home for dinner.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there,” you promise, “Love you, good night.”

“Love you, good night.”

You hang up and beam at Steve. He beams right back. An entire night with Steve. It doesn’t even matter if nothing happens tonight. Just the simple act of being with him is enough. The movie finally ends up on after that, but it's mostly background noise. When your curfew comes and goes, Steve leaves to find you clothes to sleep in. You explore the images on the walls of Steve growing up to a certain point. If you believe the story that the pictures tell, he never grew past fifteen. 

A subtle pang echoes in your chest at the thought of Steve being left alone for so long. At least you have a family that loves you, despite their problems. Steve doesn't even have that. If he’s determined to take care of you as no one else has, you're determined to love him as no one else has. Even if you’re not sure you're ready to call it love. It’s toeing ever closer to that line.

Steve comes back with a pair of green basketball shorts and an old swim team shirt. They aren't as big as you’d imagine, but they smell like him. Crisp and sweet like cinnamon and apples. His eyes drag up and down your form when you step out in the clothes. Pink blossoms on his cheekbones as you smile shyly under his gaze. The moment you're within reach, his hand shoots out and takes hold of your wrist. He pulls you into him in a fluid motion, kissing you as soon as your chests press against each other. When he pulls back he rests his forehead on yours.

“You look good,” he comments.

“I’m in your clothes,” you chuckle.

“Yeah, exactly,” he grins.

There’s a good thirty minutes of you making fun of his room and the sheer, ungodly amount of plaid. He pouts as you tease him.

“My mom did it when I was like seven, okay?” He whines. 

“Why haven't you changed it?” You laugh.

“I don't know, I never thought about it,” he shrugs.

“My point exactly, Stevie.”

It's when you’re settling in for bed that reality catches up with you. It crashes down with all the force of a tsunami. Thankfully, you have Robin to sound the siren and give you a head start. The phone trills obnoxiously as you cozy into Steve’s bed. He lets out an exasperated sigh before answering the landline next to his bed.

“Hello?” he answers.

When he freezes you look up at him curiously.

“Fuck,” he hisses, “O-okay, we’ll be there in ten just stall until we get there.”

He slams the phone down and turns to you with wild eyes.

“Your dad is at Robin’s, we have to go,” he informs you.

You’re confident you've never moved so fast in your life. You don't bother with your clothes or any nonsense like that. Steve doesn't even put on his shoes, opting to drive in his socks. 

“Why did he show up?” You agonize.

“He brought your uniform. Robin told him you were in the bathroom, she said she left the window open for you to climb in through,” Steve explains.

You nod, trying very hard not to hyperventilate. All it takes is for your dad to see Steve’s car. Everything is so close to falling apart. Steve parks on the street behind Robin's house. You plant a rushed kiss on his lips with a promise to see him tomorrow before sprinting. There are two backyards between you and the window you need to get through. Silently, you thank whatever is out there that you did track in high school. The fences were the hardest part, but you managed to haul yourself over them with only a scratch as evidence. 

A bottle of soap gets toppled over as you crawl through the window. Quickly, you pick it up and try to straighten yourself out. Your face is beet red, your chest is heaving to catch air, and your skin feels ablaze. As fast as you possibly can, you splash water on your face and collect yourself. Before leaving, you flush the toilet for good measure. With one final steadying breath, you kick off your shoes and exit the bathroom. You can hear your dad’s voice carry down the hall. 

“Dad,” you feign surprise, “What are you doing here?”

His eyes snap to you. You swear there's relief in there. As if he was moments away from interrogating Robin about your whereabouts. He holds up your folded arcade uniform.

“Figured you’d need this,” he says. 

You take the clothes gratefully.

“Thanks, you really didn't have to,” you smile.

He manages a smile in return, but there's an uncertainty behind it. It’s an uncertainty usually reserved for suspects, not you. 

“Are you feeling okay? You look feverish,” he comments, examining your still half-flushed form.

“I’m fine, I just- erm- ate something that didn't sit well with me,” you cringe as you lie.

He immediately holds up his hands to stop you before you have a chance to elaborate. You smile meekly. 

“What happened there?” He nods toward your arm. 

An angry red scratch tears across your upper arm, right beneath your sleeve. The offending sleeve had gotten caught on Robin’s fence on your way over it.

“Robin got a cat,” your eyes flicker to her.

“Yeah, it’s in my room,” she backs you up.

Your dad’s eyes bounce between the two of you for a moment. Ultimately, they land on you. He eyes you for another moment before deciding there's not enough evidence to charge.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he sighs.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you say. 

The two of you hug before he leaves. You press your back against the door once it's shut. Robin’s wide eyes meet yours. 

“Holy shit,” she states slowly.

“Holy shit,” you echo.

“He was definitely suspicious,” she tells you.

“It’ll be fine,” you shake your head mostly trying to convince yourself, “He has nothing to prove I did anything wrong.”

“You’re dressed like the dingus,” she gestures to your clothes.

You look down at the offending garments. Steve’s scent still sticks to them. Cold pours over you as you realize you just hugged your dad while looking and smelling like Steve.

“You don't think he noticed, do you?” you ask with furrowed brows.

She frowns, causing you to frown. The answer hangs silently between you. Sleep isn't restful tonight. Guilt plagues your dreams showing you distorted images of your father. In some he’s angry, in others he’s hurt, and in the worst ones, he’s just as depressed as he was when you first moved back. It was such a close call. Too close a call. Yet, you still find yourself longing to see Steve again. 

You get more careful and it pays off. Rendezvous with Steve has become a weekly thing. Jonathan isn't too happy, but your dirt on him is enough to stop him from snitching. Mostly, he just hates having to wait up to make sure you come home. Your dad’s suspicion seemingly dies, making inconveniencing Jonathan worth it. 

Lying doesn't feel good, but you’re getting better at it. At least, you think you are. There are still times your dad levels you with an uncertain stare that twists your gut, but you can ignore that. You don't attempt another sleepover. The first time scared you enough to wait a while on trying that again. 

As mid-summer crawls into late summer, the heat closes in like it's tightening its grip on Hawkins’ throat. Before you know it, you're staring down the barrel of the anniversary of Sara’s death. A few days before, your dad knocks lightly on your open bedroom door. You look up from where you lay on your bed reading. He’s in uniform.

“Hey,” you say.

“Hey, d'you wanna grab lunch?” He asks.

“Sure, all of us?”

“No, just us.”

You give him a small smile with a nod. He leaves you to get ready, shutting the door behind him. When you're finished, you meet him in the living room. Will and El are playing a board game, waiting to leave for the Wheeler’s. You hug them both before you go. If either of them thinks it's weird they don't make any indication of it. It’s a tough week. Everyone in the house knows that. 

The sight of the chief’s truck tightens your chest. Any space of your dad’s has felt different since you started lying. As if just by being here, he can read your mind and catch your lies. He gives you control of the radio. You turn it to a rock station you know he likes. 

You don't think to ask where you're getting lunch. When you get there you kind of wish you did. Your heart skips a beat as you stare at the diner where Steve and you had your first kiss. You don't know what difference it would have made, but the warning of such a reminder while you're with your dad would've been nice. 

“How’s everything going?” He asks as you slide into cracked a booth.

He smiles at the waitress to signal for menus. 

“Good,” you reply, but it comes out more as a question.

“I'm just checking in,” he explains a little defensively.

“Okay, sorry,” you chuckle.

The waitress drops off the menus and takes your drink orders. Coffee and a soda.

“So, you're good?” Your dad checks.

“Yeah, I’m good. I have an interview for the supervisor position next week,” you tell him.

Both of you thumb through the menu noncommittally. It's a diner, you already know what you'll be getting. 

“You’re feeling good about it?”

“Yeah, I think I have a decent shot,” you shrug, “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“How are you? How’s everything with you and Joyce?” You ask with a silly effect in your voice.

It earns you a chuckle from him as the waitress sets down your drinks. Your dad orders you both waffles with eggs and bacon. It's what the two of you always get from diners.

“We’re good. I’m good,” he answers when the waitress walks away, “I think El is adjusting well. Can't tell about you on the other hand.”

“I’m adjusting just fine,” you assure him, “I’ll be a lot better adjusted with my own room…”

“We're working on it,” he sighs.

The Government gave you hush money for all the Upside Down-related trauma. The trick is finding something that will fit all of you and keep you relatively distanced from the greater Hawkins population. The latter is your dad’s request. He isn't a fan of neighbors. You had enough of those in New York.

“I know, sorry,” you say, “I almost have enough saved up for a car.”

“Jesus, when did you get so old?” He breathes with a shake of his head.

“When did you get so old?” You shoot back playfully.

You both chuckle.

“When did I get so old?” He agrees in disbelief. 

“How’s the station?” You ask.

“You know those jokers. Same shit as always. Flo’s still bothering me to set you up with one of her grandkids,” he answers.

“Let me guess…,” you tap your chin in thought, “the one that's going to be a dentist.”

“Yup,” he nods.

“Boring,” you scrunch your nose.

“Nothing wrong with boring.”

“Except that it's boring .”

He rolls his eyes.

“What I mean is, you've been through your fair share. No shame in taking it easy… settling,” he attempts to reason.

You narrow your eyes at him.

“Oh my god, are you trying to pawn me off on the dentist?” You gasp dramatically.

“No, I just mean that not everything has to be this grand adventure,” he levels you with a steady stare, “Sometimes I worry you’re more attracted to the thrill of something, and that ends up getting you hurt, or leading you into life-threatening situations.”

You frown as you meet his eye. He isn't completely wrong. That's what hurts about it. Your dad has seen a pattern and he’s trying to help you out of it. The only thing is, if the way out of it is someone like the dentist, you’re not interested. You’re not interested in taking the easy way and settling.

“Are you settling? With Joyce?” You ask quietly, toying with the straw in your cup.

“What? No, that's not- You’re taking what I said out of context,” he protests. 

“Am I? I mean you just told me I should settle .”

“Okay, maybe I used the wrong words, but all I’m trying to say is sometimes you can be more interested in a situation than a person. Just try to be mindful of which is which,” he says. 

“Yeah, okay,” you sigh, “is that why you brought me out? To grill me on my dating habits?”

“No, it's… It’s a hard week for both of us. Figured this would be nice,” he rubs his eyes.

“It is nice,” you promise, “But why have you been so weird about me dating?”

“It's not-” He pauses as the waitress places your food in front of you.

You both smile up at her and thank her before she goes. When she goes he continues.

“It’s not being weird. It’s being your father. At the end of the day, you can make your own decisions-”

“Can I?”

“What?”

“Can I make my own decisions?” You challenge.

“Yes,” he pauses, “to an extent.”

“There it is,” you chuckle dryly.

“Look, you might technically be an adult, but you live under my roof-”

“I know, I know.”

“Can we just-” he gestures curtly at the food on the table, “please?”

“Yeah,” you mumble and start cutting up your waffles.

The two of you eat in silence for a moment. The local news drones on a tv hanging in the corner of the ceiling behind the counter. Your dad empties his mug down his throat and sets it back down steadily.

“Are you seeing someone?” He asks suddenly.

The question causes you to choke on your waffle. You glare at him red in the face, thankfully able to pass that off as being from almost choking.

“What makes you ask that?” You counter.

“You've been different lately,” he shrugs, “Not bad different- just different.”

“And what if I was?” 

“You can make your own decisions.”

“To an extent,” you remind him sarcastically.

“Right, to an extent,” he confirms pointedly, “So if I say they're bad news then they're gone.”

“Dad, try as you might, you can't police my life. When there’s something to tell you about my dating life, I’ll tell you,” you state evenly.

“I don't want- It feels like- I-,” he sighs in defeat, “It feels like something's changed with us. You don't come to me anymore.”

Your heart cracks in two. Hurt pours down until every inch of you is drenched in it. Guilt comes next. 

“I just grew up, dad,” you shrug noncommittally, “I get to grow up.”

He nods solemnly, going to take a sip of his coffee before remembering the mug is now bone dry.

“Just because you’re grown up doesn't mean you can't come to your old man, alright? No matter how old or grown you get, I’ll be here when you need me,” he promises, “Even if it's stuff you think you can't come to me about. I’m here.”

Another hot streak of guilt tears through your chest.

“I know, dad,” you give a small smile.

He nods curtly, gesturing to the waitress for more coffee. The rest of lunch is spent talking about lighter subjects like stories of Callahan being dumb at the station. A little monster made of guilt comes to life, gnawing at your calves.

On the anniversary of Sara’s death, everyone knows to leave the Hoppers to do their thing. Your dad hides away in his room for twenty-four hours, sometimes more. You float around like a ghost haunting the house. You don't speak or interact, you just do what you need to do to fulfill your needs and go back to bed. Jonathan made himself scarce to allow you some privacy. It's not a well-thought-through plan. Hell, you’re willing to admit not a lick of thought went into it. All you know is that you’re falling into a deep spiral of guilt and grief and there’s only one thing- one person you want.

“Harrington,” Steve answers on the fourth ring. 

“Hey, Steve,” your voice comes out much quieter and more strained than you expect.

“Hey,” he coos softly, “What’s wrong? What's going on?”

“I- uh- um,” you swallow your emotion, “Could you come over? Jonathan is gone tonight. I’ll sneak you through my window.”

“Your dad isn’t-”

“My dad won't be a problem today.”

“Right.”

“So, can you?”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

You spend that ten minutes tidying up your side of the room. Steve can think what he wants about Jonathan’s slightly frenetic side. You drift through the house to see where everyone is. Your dad is locked in his room, Joyce is watching the Price is Right, and the Wonder Twins are going over something nerdy in their room. No doubt Will fell down a rabbit hole trying to explain one thing to El. When you go back to your room you lock the door and sit on the edge of your bed.

Not too much later. Steve's lovely face appears at your window. You fling it open and pull him in for a frazzled kiss. He’s smiling when you pull back. You realize you are too.

“Can I come in?” He asks. 

“I guess,” you reply playfully.

Steve takes you into his arms on your bed. He sits with his back against the headboard and your back to his chest. His arms circle you to play with your hands. It's so easy to melt into him, to allow yourself to feel consumed by him. 

“What can I do to help?” He whispers after a moment of silence.

He doesn't need to ask what the problem is. He knows. You told him the day was coming up.

“Just be here with me. I’m a-always alone. I j-just want you here,” your voice wavers as a couple of stray tears run free.

Steve is quick to wipe them away with sturdy hands.

“It’s okay. You're not alone anymore,” he promises softly, but earnestly.

“I’m not alone anymore,” you echo, confirming it to yourself.

There’s a beat where it feels like you're holding your breath. As if someone stuck a cork in you to trap all the emotion, careful not to spill any on Steve.

“You don't have to hold back. You can let go,” he whispers.

The tender touch of those words breaks the dam. Fat juicy tears stream down your face. At first, the sobs are ugly and make anything you say incomprehensible. After a few seconds of Steve wiping at your tears, you're able to calm down enough to speak and cry at the same time.

“Sometimes,” you hiccup, “I wish it was me instead of her.”

Steve holds you tighter.

“That’s normal. It’s like survivor’s guilt,” he murmurs into your ear, “but it’s not your fault that it was her and not you.”

You nod as a few sobs shake your system. Steve’s lips trail gentle kisses all over the top of your head. His fingers trace soothing shapes into your shoulder. 

“I think…,” you stop yourself before deciding that you can say anything to Steve, “I think my parents wish it was me instead of her sometimes too.”

“Whoa,” Steve breathes while taking hold of your face to make you look at him, “That’s not true. I can tell you just from knowing your dad, that’s not true. I can guarantee that he would rather trade himself than you.”

“Then why aren't I ever enough?” You break in a whisper.

“What?” Steve’s brows furrow deeply.

“My parents- after me they had Sara. Which, fine, people have multiple kids. Then after everything m-my mom went off and had another kid, b-but I was right here! And I love El, I really really do, but I took care of my dad for years and he still needed someone else around,” you finally let long hidden emotions rise up and spill over, “Wh- why aren't I ever enough on my own, Steve?”

His hold tightens like a love-filled hug from a boa constrictor.

“You’re enough. You hear me? You're more than enough. It isn't you. Everyone handles loss differently. It isn't you,” he hushes reassurances into your ear. 

The two of you fall asleep like that. When you wake up your eyelids feel like stone. Your face is sticky with drowsiness and stale tears as you process the sky outside the window. When Steve arrived the sun was setting. Now, it’s well below the horizon. Then it registers why you woke up. Someone is knocking carefully on the door. 

“Shit,” you hiss, “Steve, wake up!”

Steve stirs with a groan. You clamp your hand over his mouth causing his eyes to widen fully alert. You press your free pointer finger to your lips to tell him to be quiet.

“Is everything okay in there?” Joyce’s voice asks. 

“Y-yeah, just give me a minute,” you call back, voice hoarse from crying. 

Steve’s expression is startled when you look back at it. The two of you scramble up trying to figure out what to do with racing hearts. You shove Steve down. He gets the hint, sliding underneath your bed. You take a breath to compose yourself. Joyce has dinner for you when you open the door. 

“Is someone in here with you?” She asks, straining to look a little to check.

“What? No,” you lie.

She shrugs and hands you the plate.

“How are you holding up?” She smiles warmly.

“I'm okay. I’ll be okay,” you shrug.

She nods.

“You let me know if you need anything, okay?” She raises her eyebrows at you.

You smile tightly and nod. She walks away and you quickly close the door. Steve’s head pops up over the side of the bed, hair a little disheveled.

“Anything good?” He jokes.

You can't help your laugh, covering your mouth to muffle the sound. He shouldn't, but Steve stays for a little longer. Mostly he just makes you feel normal, which is exactly what you need today. He looks nervous as he gets ready to leave.

“What’s up?” You tug at his hand for him to look at you.

He looks from where he stands in front of you, besides the open window. There’s a halfhearted tug of his lips.

“I told my parents I’m dating someone,” he tells you, “They were on me about going out with some corporate partner’s kid.”

Your eyebrows shoot up. The butterflies have escaped your stomach and now flutter in your throat.

“Wh- what did they say?” 

“Not much, but they want to meet you.”

You blink in surprise.

“When?”

“We can work out the details later. I just wanted to tell you. I know it's complicated, but this is still important to me and I wouldn’t ever leave you alone with them,” he tells you. 

You nod slowly, still really taking the idea in. The logistics don't matter right now. This is important to Steve. You’ll figure it out.

“Yeah, okay,” you agree.

A wider smile grows on his lips. He swoops down and steals a peck.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, yeah?” He quirks his eyebrows up.

“Yeah,” you smile.

Then he’s gone and you're left with the memory of sharp green eyes on you. You’re going to be meeting Steve’s parents. Steve’s parents who you promised to not go near. Now, you’ll be officially meeting them, holding a conversation, and shaking hands. The guilt monster officially reaches your hip now.

<< Prologue | Rule Two >>

[withlovewriting]

All I Ever Knew, Only You 1: Bye Bye, Benny

Chapter One.

You were riding your bike to the sound of ‘It’s No Big Deal’, And you’re trying to lift off the ground on those old two wheels, Nothing ‘bout the way that you were treated ever seemed especially alarming till now, So you tie up your hair and you smile like it’s no big deal.

Summary: Hawkins was your typical quaint, mid-western town where nothing ever happened. People were born here, lived their entire lives within the town limits and eventually died here, peacefully in their sleep. But one cold November evening in 1983 would change everything. 

Despite a child with psychokinetic abilities, and ravenous monsters that lacked faces, stranger things had definitely happened in the small town in Indiana. One of them being your reluctant and slightly imposed friendship with Hawkins High’s own King Bee, Steve Harrington.

Characters: Steve Harrington x Non-descriptive F!Reader (eventual)

Words: 4,983

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, alcohol abuse, child abuse, mentions of possible mental health disorders, typical season 1 mean-girl Steve and his little gang of assholes. An offensive term to specific religion, i guess. Also apologies, first chapters are awkward and just plot building but there ya go.

Series Warnings: Strong language, mentions of underage drinking, mentions of drug use, canon-typical violence, mentions of alcohol abuse, mentions of possible mental health disorders, child abuse, slow burn, kinda enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, I like to call it ‘two idiots who begrudgingly befriend each other only to realize... ‘wait a damn minute...’, eventual sexual content, canon-typical time-period bullshit. 18+. Minors DNI.

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Chapter One: Bye Bye, Benny.

Your legs moved faster than ever before, calves crying out in pain as your lungs burned, feeling like you hadn’t taken a proper breath in forever. But you still continued to push forward, dodging the oncoming vehicle and pedestrians as best you could. A car slammed on their breaks, horn blaring through the bustling streets during the late evening causing you to wobble slightly, hands gripping the handle bars of your bike so tightly you were sure you’d be able to pull them off completely.

Once you had regained your balance, you held up a hand, a silent sorry to the passing car as the driver shouted obscenities that you didn’t have time to be offended by. Just as you passed the coroners office, a loud whoop, whoop sounded behind you, the red and blue lights lighting up the ever darkening evening.

Shit, you mumbled to yourself, head darting around to watch as the officer stuck his hand out of the window, flagging you down. Well, you were definitely going to be late now.

Stopping alongside the side walk, one dirty converse perched on the curb to balance yourself, you waited as he slowly approached you, taking his sweet time. Of course, it wouldn’t be Callahan, the man gullible enough that you could easily spin a tale and get yourself out of this quickly, or even officer Powell, the man much more commanding than the former yet still not as assertive — or nosy — as the man in the unsightly beige uniform that was walking towards you.

“Kid, do you know how recklessly you were riding?”

Tilting your head backwards, face scrunched up slightly, you tried to suppress the annoyance that was bound to seep through your voice, “Hop, listen-”

“You almost caused two separate road traffic accidents, and don’t even think I didn’t see you almost wipe out Mrs. Lloyd.”

“Hopper, I-”

“I should take this damn thing off you, throw it in the junk yard where it belongs. Looks like this piece of shit is falling apart.”

“Are you gonna give me a ticket? Because if you are, can we speed this thing along and maybe save the whole responsibility talk for next time.”

Raising a brow, Jim sent you an incredulous look, “Next time?”

Rolling your eyes, you finally released the pent up, frustrated sigh, “ You know what I mean.”

Mumbling under his breath, Jim took off his slightly off-color hat before gripping his leather belt, hands firm on his hips, “Look, kid. You’re on a bike, which means you’re not gonna win any fight you decide to pick that day with a car. You might not give a shit, but I could really do without the extra paperwork. So stop riding like you’ve just robbed a bank.”

Nodding along with the man, you hoped your silent agreement would make this exchange go by at least a little quicker.

“I’m giving you a verbal warning, alright? If I have even one more complaint about a delinquent teenage cyclist bowling over old ladies in the street, I’ll personally arrest you myself and make you fill out the complaints paperwork. Got it?”

“Got it, chief.”

You couldn’t help but imagine how boring his job must be — especially since moving back from New York — to even bother with a cycling non-incident.

“Now, grab you bike and throw it in the back, if you’re in such a rush my car will get you there a lot quicker than that rusted piece of junk.”

Doing as he said, you then joined him in the car, the man glaring at you until you remembered to buckle your seat belt. Eventually, he pulled away, and you directed him towards Oak street.

“So, hows your Mom doing?”

His comment was meant to come off as flippant, uninterested in your actual answer and just trying to fill the silence. But you’d had your fair share of interactions with Jim Hopper since he crawled back to Hawkins in 1979, as had your mother.

He’d vehemently deny it if he was ever asked, but Jim Hopper — in all of his gruff, cynical glory — had a soft underbelly. He didn’t care about much any more. Not his job, not himself, nor any family, but in the few months he’d had some kind of relationship with your mother, he had unwittingly taken on a role in your life that had been missing for so, so long. So, what did it matter if he checked in every now and then?

Shuffling uncomfortably, you peered out of the passenger window, hoping he wouldn’t push too hard, “She’s fine. Got a cold, at the moment, so…Can’t exactly make it into work right now.”

“You’re covering for her again? You really shouldn’t be out late, and especially not on a school night-”

“She’s not well, Hop. A lecture won’t pay the bills.”

Despite reading between the lines, Hopper shut his mouth, even for just a moment before changing the subject, “No car tonight?”

“Mom forgot to get gas after work last night.”

“I thought she was too ill to work.”

Squeezing your eyes shut, you couldn’t have been more happy to see the shitty, run down bar you’d be spending the next couple of hours. Barely letting the man come to a full stop, you hopped out of the car before struggling to pull your bike out of the trunk without scuffing the police vehicle,

“Thanks for the ride, Hop.”

As if it took him a moment to realize you’d even exited the car, he quickly rolled down his window, “You’re not even old enough to be in there-”

It was safe to say your ride home from covering your mother’s shift wasn’t as fast paced, or exciting, as your previous journey.

You felt exhausted after a long day working at the arcade, revising for a stupid chemistry test that Mr. Kaminsky seemed determined to make half of the class fail, and then rushing like a mad man toward The Hideout, a long 6 hour shift bussing tables for old men who seemingly had boundary issues when it came to teenage girls. If it wasn’t for Thomas, the owner, you might’ve had another run in with the chief, certain you’d of stuck a fork through one of Mr Hanson’s wandering hands.

Turning down Morehead Street, you were almost relieved to be home. Almost.

All you wanted to do was shower off the smell of stale beer and greasy burgers and flop into bed. This wasn’t exactly how you’d wanted to spend your Sunday.

Your heart pounded in your chest, the lurking feeling of uneasiness crawled up your throat, the familiar, yet uncertain apprehension causing you to slow to a stop outside of the large, blue house that sat at the other end of your street. Hauntingly intimidating, the formidable house had sat abandoned since before you were even born. Children would often dare each other to play ding-dong-ditch, especially around Halloween, but nobody to your knowledge had actually made it much further than the path that led toward the rotten porch stairs. It had been boarded up since before you could remember, and nobody seemed all that bothered to disrupt it, the memories of what happened there more than two decades ago settled like the dust that was sure to line the floorboards inside.

Despite the desolate appearance in the daytime, the house only looked even more daunting in the shadows that lingered in the night, crawling their way over the house to leave it in almost total darkness.

Swallowing down the lump of uneasiness, you placed your foot back onto the pedal, ready to push off when you heard something. Your head swiveled back toward the large house, eyes wide and inquisitive, certain you’d heard voices.

Maybe the teenagers of Hawkins had finally become brave enough to step forth into the house, or maybe it was the ghosts of the slain family. Either way, you weren’t hanging around to find out, cycling home a little faster than before as you willed yourself to not peer back at the house for one last look, too worried about what, or who, you might find staring back.

Leaving your bike in the front yard — it was Hawkins, after all and the only thing more boring than the teenagers in this town, was the workload, or lack thereof, for the police — you quietly made your way up the creaky, half-rotten porch steps, all too aware of the television blaring so loudly from the living room that you could hear it from outside.

After taking a moment to prepare yourself, you finally pushed the door open, silently grumbling about how your mother always left it unlocked, regardless the time of day. Creeping toward the archway leading to the living room, you caught sight of your mother slumped on the sofa, eyes heavy from more than just sleep, but somehow still conscious. Stepping into the room, you called out for her, hoping she’d hear you over the loud laughter from whatever bullshit show she was half-watching.

“Mom?”

Her head turned, eyebrows raised as if she was surprised anyone had entered the house at all, before her glossed over eyes narrowed, pointing the empty bottle in her hand in your direction, “Where the hell have you been?”

It took everything in you not to release a frustrated sigh, telling her that you had in fact been covering her shift in order to guarantee you’d be able to keep the heating on this month. Winter in Indiana was a bitch and you were certain neither of you would survive another year without at least a mildly-warm house.

“I was working, Mom. C’mon, lets get you to bed-”

“Were you late? Cause you know they dock my wage by a whole hour if you’re even a fuckin’ minute late.”

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you shook your head, avoiding her eyes, “No, Mom. I wasn’t late. I-”

“Fuckin’ liar!” Standing, your mother wobbled on uncertain legs much like a newborn foal as she stumbled toward the telephone, where the answering machine blinked a devious, betraying red. Your mother almost looked too happy that she’d caught you in a lie as her clumsy pointer finger pushed hard at the button, playing the message out loud,

‘Rebecca, this is Thomas. You’re late for your shift, again. You better be on your way, I swear to god, this is the last fucking time. And you better not send your kid, again. I’m sick of it, Bec. So unless your face-down in your own vomit somewhere, you better be in work within the next 10 minutes, or- Oh, hey sweetheart-’

Bottle still in hand, your mother floundered toward you, nose scrunched in annoyance and distrust, as if you’d lied to her about something so much worse, like smashing up the car, or god forbid, pouring one of her beloved bottles down the kitchen sink.

Thankfully, by the time she reached you, she’d not only half forgotten what she was mad about, but wouldn’t be able to work out which one of you she saw to swing at. So instead, you took her gently by the shoulders, ushering her toward her bedroom. She collapsed onto her bed face-first and rather ungraciously her fingertips still gripping the empty bottle as if her life depended on it, and by the time you’d placed a throw blanket over her body, soft snores were already escaping her.

Despite your mother now being out cold, you still closed your bedroom door as quietly as possible, the fear that you’d manage to wake her up too ingrained in you to do anything but.

Keeping the light off, you sprawled out onto your own bed, deciding to forgo the shower and overflowing laundry basket that had been calling out to you most of the week.

Deciding to shower when you awoke in the morning, you didn’t have a choice but to drive your mother’s old Fiat Brava to school, knowing you’d be late otherwise.

Grumbling at yourself for not finding time to do the laundry, you dug deep into your drawers, trying to find something both suitable for school, knowing half of the clothes were creeping up on being too small for you. But money was sparse in your household, and an oversized jacket that you were yet to grow into had sufficed so far.

Pulling out a blue blouse that you absolutely knew was too small, meaning you would be pulling down the sleeves all day in an attempt to stop them ending up halfway up your forearm, you knew it would have to do. 

Leaving with barely enough time to fill up the coffee pot in hopes your mother would be drawn to the bitter smell rather than the temptation of the alcohol cupboard, you remained just under the speed limit, gnawing at your lip for the entirety of the drive.

School was dragging by, every minute feeling like an hour, and you knew clock-watching wouldn’t help, the gentle tick, tick, tick lulling you into a drowsy mess as you tried your best to keep your attention on your school work.

Making your way toward your locker, ready to dump half of your books out and enjoy your free period sleeping in the library, you saw Barb staring off down the hallway, her eyebrows pulled together as she watched Nancy turn the corner in a hurry.

“Everything OK?” You asked, causing her to jump slightly, head whipping toward you.

Relaxing as she realized it was you, she released an annoyed sigh, “It’s like he calls and she goes running. Literally.”

“You mean Harrington?”

“She’s still denying they’re even a thing.”

Your eyes remained in the direction of where Nancy had disappeared to, the hallways clearing out as people prepared for their next lesson, “Nancy’s a smart girl. She knows what he’s like.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Barb sighed, pushing her glasses to sit a little higher on the bridge of her nose, “He’s gonna use her, and dump her, and she’ll end up hurt. Just like every other girl he’s dated.”

“Dated is a very loose term,” you joked, Converse heel digging into the hard floor when Barb didn’t quite appreciate the joke, “He’ll get bored eventually, alright? He always does. But Nancy’s not an idiot. I highly doubt she really thinks he’s gonna be the love of her life, or even her date to prom if his reputation is anything to go by.”

When Barb remained silent, her top teeth worrying at her bottom lip you sighed, “Hey, if he hurts her, we can always key his car. Or set his hair on fire. God knows it’s got enough product in it to go up like a bonfire.”

That, at least, caused a smile to pull at Barb’s lips. Feeling satisfied that you’d at least kind of cheered the girl up, you left your friend with a reassuring pat on the shoulder before making your way down the long hallway.

Pushing the bathroom door open, you came to a halt almost right away, body colliding with the same person you’d just been shit talking for the last five minutes.

“Watch where you’re going-”

Scoffing at the boy, you pushed him away slightly, “This is the girl’s restroom, nimrod. You watch where you’re going.”

Rolling his eyes, Steve lent back against the wall slightly, hands grasped at his hips, “Nice shirt, but I think you’re shopping in the wrong age department of the Goodwill.”

“Says the person wearing a polo. Mommy pick it out at the GAP?”

Your stand off would’ve continued for much longer, had the second bell not have rung. Grabbing his yellow gym bag from the floor, he brushed past you with an annoyed glare, “It’s a vintage H R Robinson’s.”

God, he was such an ass.

Word about Will Byers’ disappearance had spread around town quicker than the time Mrs. Hunt’s husband had been caught balls deep in his receptionist at the local car dealership.

After returning home, your mother was nowhere to be found and to say you spent your night pacing around and doing absolutely anything to take your mind off the fact she was gone, was an understatement.

Your laundry was washed, dried and shoved back into your drawers, homework finished in record time and by 9pm you were certain you were a chemistry master. At least, you would’ve been, had any of the information stuck in your brain, instead using your notes as nothing more than a distraction.

So when the sound of shoes kicking up rocks and unsettling the gravel on your driveway roused you from your light sleep, you felt your heart finally settle back down to a normal speed as your mother carelessly stumbled down the path, slamming the front door shut behind her — still not learning to lock it — before making her way to her own bedroom.

Peering at your clock, the illuminating numbers spelled out 4am, causing you to release a long sigh before rolling over, hoping that you wouldn’t sleep through your alarm, less so for the fear of being late to school, and more-so for the fear of your mother’s hungover wrath if it woke her up instead.

Shoving a few books into your locker, you felt too mentally drained to even bother with the chemistry test, and if it didn’t count for half of your grade that semester, then you probably would’ve skipped.

The doors at the end of the corridor opened, the cool November wind slipping in behind a head of brown, scraggly hair, and you felt your heart plummet. Closing your locker, you heaved your half-empty messenger bag over your body and made your way towards the boy,

“Hey, Jonathan.”

The boy peered back at you, a strained smile on his face as he struggled holding everything in his hands and attempting to pin one of the papers to the board, “Oh, hey.”

Taking the papers from under his arm, you tried to send him a reassuring smile, “I, uh… I heard about Will. He’s a smart kid… He’ll be back soon, he’s probably just… hiding out, you know.”

Jonathan’s smile grew meeker, “Yeah… Yeah, I’m sure he will. It’s just not like him, you know? He’s not the kind of kid to just run off.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, eyes peering down at one of the many sheets you held for him, the boy’s smile wide and genuine. You didn’t know, though. You felt like you barely knew Jonathan, let alone Will. The eldest of the siblings, you’d met during your quick stint working at the cinema down town. You had similar music taste, bonding over your disdain for the popular kids in school, and he’d even taught you how to properly change the pump for the buttered popcorn. Your job there had only lasted a few months, but your friendship with Jonathan had lasted a lot longer. But it wasn’t like you two sat around braiding each others hair.

He was quiet and meek, whilst you were indifferent and aberrant. At least, that’s what your mother had always called you. You had perfected the art of acting like you didn’t care, and Jonathan seemed to not care at all. He kept to himself, and that’s how he liked it. You had bulldozed your way into his life, pouring flat half-cups of Coca-Cola and stale barely buttered popcorn and given him no real chance but to accept your sudden appearance. He took it in his stride, at least. But he remained quiet and shy, nonetheless.

“Hey,” a small, familiar voice called from behind you. Turning, you both send Nancy a small smile. Handing the papers back to the boy, you gave them space to talk, ready to make your way towards Kaminsky’s classroom in hopes of looking over your notes one last time.

Barb, however, had another idea, her arm halting you mid-stride before you could pass, “How is he?”

Before you could answer, you could hear the snickering of the three people to your left, “Yeah, hows he doing? Heard guilt can really tear a person down from the inside, out.”

Watching as Tommy’s face broke out into a large grin, the boy finding himself all too funny, your eyebrows pulled together in confusion, “What the hell are you talking about, Hagan?”

“He’s talking about the rumor that your boyfriend over there had something to do with his brother’s disappearance,” Steve explained, his eyes still set on his girlfriend, “Might wanna be careful. I wouldn’t be in any rooms alone with him.”

Scoffing, you crossed your arms over your chest, eyes darting toward Jonathan, Nancy, their eyes soft and sweet, and then back to Steve, an insolent smile tugging at the corners of your mouth, “I think if anyone needs to be worried, it’s you, Harrington.”

Steve’s dark eyes darted toward you, and you made a point of looking back at his girlfriend, eyebrows raised as the smile broke onto your face. Deciding you’d had enough, you strolled down the hallway, ignoring Steve’s confused calls of your name.

“Absolutely not,” you shook your head, sucking in a deep inhale of smoke, trying your best to aim it away from your friend as you blew it out, “The last thing I intend to do tonight is go to a lame-ass party at Harrington’s house. I’d rather fry my own eyeballs.”

Barb pouted, her eyes widening as they silently pleaded with you, causing you to turn your attention to the cigarette between your fingers,

“You have to come, please. I really, really don’t want to the the 3rd wheel tonight.”

Rolling your eyes at the girl’s dramatics, you sucked in another deep breath, the smoke burning your lungs slightly, “You won’t be a 3rd anything, Carol and Tommy will be there, too.”

“Ugh, 5th wheel, then. Please? I really don’t want to spend my entire evening there alone.”

“And I don’t want to spend even a second of my time there, at all. Why don’t you just tell Nancy no, for once? Put your foot down? I mean, she’ll be swapping spit with Harrington all night either way.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Barb send you an exasperated sigh, “You know I can’t do that.”

Your hand halted mid-way to your mouth, cigarette burning right down to the end, leaving you only faintly aware of the slight pain, but your eyes were focused on Barb. Of course, you knew Barb couldn’t — and wouldn’t — let Nancy go to this party alone. And you knew why, too. But that didn’t mean you had to be dragged along too, did it?

Dropping the butt of your cigarette onto the floor and crushing it with your worn sneaker, you frowned, forehead creasing as you sighed, staring off into the distance, “Oh my god, fine. I’ll go. But only for an hour, and then I’m out.”

Barb had never looked more grateful, pulling you into a strong hug and thanking you a million times.

Unable to not smile back at the girl, you shook your head, “Who even has a party on a Tuesday night?”

The plan was for Barb to pick you up at 8pm, along with Nancy. The girls had told their parents that you would all be studying at the library before sleeping over Nancy’s house. It was only a half-truth at best, and one that needn’t be repeated for your own mother.

Around 5pm you drove out towards Randolph lane, deciding to grab some burgers for yourself and your mother, hoping that it would at least sober her up whenever she wandered in that evening. Grumbling, you realized you still hadn’t topped up on gas, and decided that after you’d hit the gas station before heading home, hoping you still had some change in the car.

Pulling into the parking lot, a frown pulled at your features, dipping your brows towards each other. The lights were shut off, and as you approached the door, you almost bounced right off it, realizing a little too late that it was locked. Jiggling the door handle a few times, you knocked on the glass. Sure, Benny could’ve closed up early… But Benny never closed up early. Not even on week nights. He was always open for the evening rush normally fueled by hungry teens and loitering pre-teens.

“Benny? You in there?” Rasping your knuckles against the door one last time, you huffed, annoyed that your plan of an easy dinner and been thwarted. Before you turned to return to your car, something through the darkened window caught your eye.

It was definitely a figure at the table, but not quiet sat… More-so slumped. Backing away from the window a little too quickly, you stumbled off the deep curb, falling backwards onto the concrete. Eyes wide as you pushed yourself back, you managed to heave yourself up before taking off across the road, heading into the gas station.

The bell rang as the door bounced off the wall, hinges squeaking as the owner, Earl, turned his annoyed glare in your direction, “Careful with the damn door-”

Upon seeing your panicked face, Earl quickly made his way around the counter, brows pulled together in a frown as he held his hands out, “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“I think… I think something’s wrong with Benny-”

“Benny? Benny Hammond? I saw him yesterday, he’s fine-”

Shaking your head, your eyes whipped back toward the diner, “No, I… I don’t know. I came to get dinner, but it’s closed, so I looked through the window and I think… I think I can see him.”

Earl’s eyes darted between yourself and the diner, concern and skepticism evident on his features, “Right. I’m gonna go check it out, you get on the phone to the Sheriff. But I swear to God kid, if this is some stupid teenage prank-”

Perched on the wall just outside the diner, your leg bounced erratically as you waited for Hopper to return from inside. He’d arrived within 30 minutes, Powell to his left and Callahan to his right, and a face stormier than a rain cloud.

It didn’t take 10 minutes after his arrival for the fire department and ambulance to turn up, backdoor open as they carried out a stretcher.

“What happened, kid?” Hopper’s once dour expression had melted away, smoothing out into something slightly softer, though his frown remained. Maybe, after so many years, his face was stuck like that, you wondered.

Shrugging, your teeth worried at your bottom lip for a moment, “I came to get dinner. The door was locked and… Benny never shuts this early.”

Nodding, Hopper scribbled something down on his notepad before turning his attention back to you, swallowing uncomfortably at your tremulous voice, “Then what?”

“I thought it was weird… Knocked on the door a few times, but I didn’t get a response. So I looked through the gap in the curtains and… I don’t know. I saw someone leaning over a table. I didn’t know what was going on so I went and got Earl. He said to call you guys.”

“Alright. Look, I’ll have to take an official statement, but that can wait until tomorrow. Why don’t you-”

Before Hopper could finish his sentence, your attention was pulled away by the door opening, the familiar bell above it ringing like it always did. Two paramedics rolled out the stretcher, a large white sheet stretched across a white, zipped bag. A body bag.

Feeling your stomach lurch half-way up your throat whilst your heart dropped the other way, you couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath, body all but toppling off the wall and thankfully into the arms of Hopper.

Sure, he’d seen a lot of shit during his time in New York, but they had all been strangers and that seemed much easier to disassociate from and get the job done. But Benny… Well, they went way back. They were friends.

Despite Hop’s insistence to not look, you couldn’t help but turn your head, watching as they loaded the stretcher into the ambulance and carted off toward the morgue.

The last suicide in Hawkins had been in October of 1961, and despite not even being born then, you knew all too well about it. It had been your Grandmother, after all.

Crazy old Colette, the town had so lovingly referred to her as. Lost her husband in the war as well as her mind and never got either back. And, of course, instead of helping, the town simply ignored and gossiped, watching as she wandered around town at all hours, jittery and talking to herself, shouting that the ‘end was nigh’.

What was strange, however, was your family weren’t particularly religious. Your mother only worshiped the God she found at the bottom of a bottle, and you couldn’t even guess the last time you’d stepped inside the town’s chapel. Sure, Hawkins had it’s fair share of bible bashers — typically the overprotective PTA moms and their husbands who would frequently break their marriage vows whenever they headed out of town — but your family weren’t exactly known for their love of Jesus Christ. Or any other higher being, for that matter.

You had frequently wondered if that was the start of your mother’s downward spiral, the loss of her father and consequently her mother too, her drinking only exacerbated when your father headed out for a pack of Embassy Gold cigarettes one evening and apparently got lost on his way home, ending up in Georgia, or Colorado, or wherever the hell he was now.

Worse than that, however, was the torment that maybe whatever had caused your Grandmother to lose herself was hereditary, trickling down through the generations of your family right to the very bottom.

To you.

[thestrangestthing89]

I feel like for the most part, the show has done a great job showing what life was like in the 80s but that doesn't mean they aren't allowed to take artistic license with some things. It's not a documentary but a fictional show being written in 2023. They are allowed to add a more modern approach to certain things since that's where the audience is coming from.

I think the main message of the show is supposed to be about found family and overcoming adversity. The bullies always lose, and not only that, the bullies aren't ever part of the main cast. Billy was there for two seasons and was the bad guy and he dies. The middle school bullies lose. Steve was a bully in Season 1 and reformed and is likable now. Jason dies.

All of the main characters are outcasts in some way and find support with each other. I don't think this is unrealistic. People who don't fit in tend to band together. But I also don't think it's a problem if people who would have normally been homophobic IRL aren't shown to be on this show. A cop in real life would have likely been homophobic, but that doesn't mean they are required to show Hopper as that. He already knows Will is gay because Joyce told him in the first episode. His "is he?" comment in response to this was not judgmental, he was looking for clarification. He's gone out of his way to help Will. He could have ignored that he went missing and no one during this time would have questioned it. But that didn't happen. He's consistently show as someone who doesn't do things in the conventional way (a major theme of the show). This show likes to invert tropes and not having Hopper be depicted as the cowboy someone like him frequently is shown as, isn't a bad thing. It's keeping in line with the themes of the story. He's messier than this and he frequently questions and works against authority/institutions to protect his family.

Same thing goes for the Wheelers. They are shown to slowly start questioning their conventional upbringing even though they have a Reagan sign on the lawn. Karen almost has an affair and isn't happy in her marriage. She is also shown to emotionally support her kids. She isn't going to suddenly start shouting homophobic things at Mike because she mentioned Margaret Thatcher's name one time in a vague conversation. They are allowed to show the complexities of human behavior. Even Ted starts to question the media propaganda at the end of the season. He's realizing that the normal explanations aren't holding up. It doesn't matter if this would or wouldn't have happened IRL. It's a story. And showing them questioning convention falls in line with the themes of the story they have been telling from the beginning.

I think the Reagan sign is there to show what kind of town Hawkins is and how the Wheelers fit into that. But when the whole town starts hunting Hellfire Club we can plainly see that the parents are not on board with this and are worried about their kids. They are questioning the mindset of the town. They are questioning the conventional ideals they were taught. They think separately from the masses because the masses are hurting their kids.

The bullies have consistently worked against the main characters. The whole point is that they work together as a team to overcome their problems. I think Season 4 was meant to be a set up for what's to come for Mike and Will next season (and obviously for the rest of the characters too but specifically with regard to homophobia). It's showing how these characters are outsiders in their own town, but not within their group. Like it always has. It has consistently done this since the beginning. This isn't working against the 80s backdrop in any way. They are using familiar themes from 80s movies and giving them a modern twist. They aren't trying to write another 80s movie as if we still live in that time.

[ihatepeanutss]

tw: mention of the death of a cute bunny and basically based on the second season of stranger things

can you imagine steve accidentally involving his cheerleader girlfriend in this whole topic/situation upside down? bcs i do imagine him panicking when he seems her standing in front of the byers house while everyone tries to make a plan to be able to save will.

being steve and opening the door and seeing you had seen on the basketball court in the afternoon, wearing your most casual clothes making steve take his bat as soon as you enter the house.

“god! y/n they could have killed you” steve screamed watching you raise your eyebrow as if he were having a shoe in his hand “what are you doing here?”

“the girls of the team pass by here with Luke’s car, brigdet’s boyfriend” you raised your shoulders watching nancy and raising your hand to say hello

steve looked at you, he knew where you would be, with whom and probably what you will do but he never thought that he would be looking at you as if nancy wheeler was not aiming at you with a gun and him with a bat full of nails, looking totally normal.

“then what they say is real, eh, Jonathan?” you looked at hopper while you closed the door of the house and you saw the girl with short and brown hair smiling at you “i like to see you again, little one”

Jonathan looked at you one more time and under the gun “how not...?” he dared to ask “how can you not get scared?, steve almost peed when he saw us like this”

you raised your shoulders seeing the group of children behind Joyce “when i saw murray bauman around here i didn’t miss the opportunity to ask, i dream of being a journalist someday jhon, robin and i spent hours investigating when i found the girl in the backyard of the school” you answered calmly

steve tried not to panic by leaving the bat on the byers’ couch, approaching nancy gently to lower the gun, what was his sweet girlfriend weighing on entering without warning?

“once robin and i needed my training bag and as you put it in the trunk we found....uhm, the blood bat” you replied to steve looking at him “Rñrobin suggested that you were a serial killer”

“steve wouldn’t kill a fly” mike wheeler screamed as he approached eleven, behind him was dustin, dustin henderson, you had seen him near your yard more than once when his friends went to visit

“i saw you in the car drain” scratch your neck “don’t ask what we do there, it was tommy who took them to the forest and i saw you with that...thing” everything you said was true, you weren’t nervous, you weren’t thinking about what steve could do that either. your boyfriend was clumsy, soft but mostly clumsy and very sweet “what’s her name?, sweet girl”

“eleven” she replied, her eyes were painted with black pencil and her cheeks were naturally pink

“eleven, nice name then... what’s going on here?” you looked at the byers, the children, two alleged responsible adults with three teenagers who used weapons, you didn’t have the slightest idea what it was but you remembered that morning having seen the body of one of your lifeless rabbits in your backyard “this morning bugs died”

“did bugs die?” steve raised his eyebrow, of course he knew your rabbits, each of them and had slept more than once in your bed with pink sheets next to four rabbits jumping all over his arm, back and hairy chest

“yesterday i saw something in my yard, regularly for the tricks i let my rabbits go out to the yard while i get ready for school and... uhm, bugs never came back, when i went out it was open in the middle and dog, do you think?” you answered as you looked up when you saw dustin almost choke on his own saliva and steve looking at him as if he wanted to kill him

“wasn’t it just your cat?” harrington looked at henderson making you look at the whole house of the byers, you knew will and jonathan, you and him were childhood friends and you could attest that this was not the work of the madness that this town had put in joyce

this time it was dustin, nancy, lucas and jonathan who explained to you everything they knew, from demogorgones to the telekinesis powers of eleven, surprisingly your head didn’t hurt, being a girlfriend with steve and being friends with robin buckley and eddie munson had helped with retaining the information.

“bart is a demogogue, little one who ate your cat and my rabbit?” you answered looking at steve worried with his hands on his hips or dragging his face, you knew how to read, you knew that this town was not only quiet or had a damn laboratory on the outskirts

“you killed my rabbit” you looked at dustin while you raised your eyebrows “and i thought eddie munson was crazy because he thought the easter bunny was creepy. Tell me something worse than that”

“you go out with steve harrington, there’s nothing worse than that” mike released making you raise your eyebrow

“the cool girl goes out with you and for her in a few years there will be nothing worse than that, square pants” you smiled looking at steve laughing before winking at him, watched max and smiled, you had been colliding with her more than once when you went to the supermarket or to buy something

once all the attention was devoted to hopper and his plan steve pulled you to one of the corridors of the byers house, he looked at you, analyzed you and let out a sigh before kissing your forehead.

“so when you gave me that knife, wasn’t it really to protect me from billy?” you answered by looking at steve denying “is it for...? that?”

steve nodded “yes, i basically panicked the first time and i told myself that i wouldn’t let anything happen to you, not after seeing that standing there, next to me you look small, you’re small, for god’s sake i don’t know what i would do if something happened to my sweet cupcake” he murmured on your forehead hugging you making you roll your arms around his waist

“i think i’ll be here for a while for you, my gentleman and superhero” you smiled kissing his lips gently with one hand over his neck “thank you for taking care of me, i love you more than anything, bae”

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨୧ ˚

ENOUGH, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! i need to do a series about my girly girl and her cutie sweet pie boyfriend named steve <3 he’s such a sweetie so as his girl bcs in my head she’s a sweet princess obsessed with priscilla presley and sharon tate style, obsessed with pink and skirts the 60s and non judging anyone or anything with just a dream ♡

[strangerthings4theories]

Bestie, please tell me what is our stance on hoping that Billy will return in the final season? My clown shoes have gotten so heavy to wear 😔

I'm warily hoping for his return for multiple reasons:

(1) A lot of what I've explained about Billy's arc is still true, and still demands additional developments to make any sense. (For instance, he hasn't saved Max from anything yet, even though protecting the women in his life is a driving force for him.)

(2) He has a STRONG presence in S4, despite being dead :p That's not the case for any other character who's died. I interpret it as a "bridge" to S5; he's supposed to stay fresh in our minds.

(3) The spin the bottle moment at the end of S4 is primarily a Billy reference. And when El hears someone approaching her door, I'm pretty sure she's expecting him to walk in, not Hopper. (Which plays on the Billy/Hopper parallels of S3)

(4) Eddie, Billy's mirror character, died in a similar manner AND has plenty of evidence for his return also. I'll be genuinely surprised if their stories don't merge in the final season.

(5) Max's anthem for S4 says, "If I only could, I'd make a deal with God and get him to swap our places." Well guess who's currently braindead in a hospital bed? I.e., in the middle of swapping places with her dead brother? 🙃

(6) Now that I'm actually studying screenwriting, I feel 1000% justified in expecting the Duffers to pay off what they've set up. The setups are real, it's just a matter of execution now.

(7) Dacre Montgomery moved to LA 😆 I stg it's because the pandemic ruined their plans for S4, and Dacre was like, "Screw this, I'm moving to the US so this doesn't happen again."

So yeah. Lots of reasons! I'm just hoping the Duffers have enough storytelling space left to give a good payoff.