#i don't think dustin or mike would enjoy it so much but to be fair I'm not as familiar with them

[theysherobinbuckley]

as soon as finals are over I will be constructing a st/acnh powerpoint to explore the villagers on stobin's islands. nancy's as well. perhaps even eddie and the kids. Who Knows

[elidoesntbreathwee]

Ever since Dustin got back from camp, he wouldn't shut up about Steve and Robin being perfect for each other. At first, Steve had thought it would be nice to date Robin, but after being high on truth serum with her, he realized that he wouldn't want that as much as before. Dustin, however, would not stop insisting that they should date.

"You guys would be perfect, like me and Susie!" Dustin would argue, "Plus, you guys are always around each other, and you're basically already dating!"

"Okay, so if we're already dating in your 'genius'" Steve made air quotes with his fingers, "eyes, why can't you just leave it alone? You do realize that when I'm at work, I'm supposed to be doing my job, right?" Steve added on.

It was mostly Steve that had to deal with Dustin's obnoxiousness, but Robin was sometimes graciously gifted some of his comments as well.

"I'm just saying, you two would be good together." Dustin shrugged, as if he were stating an objective fact, which, in all fairness, he kind of was, just not in the romantic sense that he had implied.

"Ewww? Me and Dingus? No way, I can't stand that guy!" Robin said, clearly unserious by the way she drew out words. "Seriously though, kid. There isn't anything romantic going on between me and Steve, and there won't be. Ever. We're platonic with a capitol 'P'"

Dustin rolled his eyes, not accepting that that was the end of it, but he didn't say much else to Robin after that. He did, however, say a whole lot to the rest of the party.

Steve and Robin had enjoyed their two (2) weeks of calm before the storm, because, oh boy, they were not prepared for this.

It started with more persistence from Dustin to Steve that Steve had just brushed off, then Max saying something about how attached at the hip they were at a group hangout. Mike said something, then Will made a small comment following it. Lucas made the occasional joke about it, and every one would laugh while Steve and Robin would let out a nervous chuckle.

One night, while everyone was hanging out, Nancy had made a joke about them. Everyone laughed, and Steve and Robin did their usual, but five (5) minutes later, they both excused themselves to go outside.

"Steve! Steve, what do I do!" Robin panicked

"Okay, calm down, Rob. Just breath with me, okay? It's okay." He took in a breath, and Robin followed. They let out their breaths.

"Alright," Steve started "you wanna tell me what's up?"

"I- You know how I told you I didn't like Vicky anymore. That I like someone else?" Steve nodded. "Okay, well that, um... ok, that someone is... Nancy." Robin looked at Steve to see his reaction, but surprisingly, there wasn't really one, Steve just gave her an encouraging smile, letting her go on. "A-and she made the dumb joke, about us being together and stuff, and I don't know if she really thinks we're like that or if it was just a joke, or if she was just going along with everyone else and making a joke about it and I just really hope it's not the first because... i don't really know, because I'm not sure I have a chance with her to begin with and and and I dont know, Steve!" Robin sighed

"Hey, don't worry, Robin, and thanks for telling me about Nancy." Steve smiled. "But we're gonna figure this out, okay, and we'll do it together."

"Thanks, dingus" Robin paused. "Hug?"

"Why not!"

Steve wasn't really used to hugs, and physical affection in general, but Robin was helping him get a bit more comfortable with it.

When the two (2) walked back in, no one (thankfully) said anything, or made any of their jokes, which was a relief for Steve and Robin, and they went back to watching the movie that had been paused for intermission when Nancy made her comment, but since intermission was strictly fifteen (15) minutes long, and Robin and Steve had been talking for a bit longer than that, the group had started the movie back up without them. Nancy and Eddie, as well as Jonathan and his friend from California, Argyle, made room for them on the couch, although the four (4) of them we're already a little squished. Robin and Steve Squeezed in where the most room was, between Nancy and Eddie, Steve letting Robin sit next to Nancy now that he knew about her crush.

Robin could barely focus on the movie, not to say she minded much, seeing as she'd already seen it once or twice, but she was also sitting right next to Nancy. Steve had stat down next to Eddie, and Robin had thanked Steve with her eyes for letting her sit by Nancy. She knew her chances with Nancy were pretty slim, but not impossible, especially since she and Jonathan had broken up. Robin didn't really know the details to that, she just knew that they both wanted different things for their futures and decided it's be better to break up, rather than stick together and end up with a bunch of resentment. Nancy may have been single, but that didn't mean she liked girls, and even if she did like girls, liking girls didn't mean she liked Robin, either. Things did not look good for Robin, but she had hope, as well as help promised from Steve. Plus Nancy's hand kept grazing against Robin's own, though she may be over-exanimating it, maybe she really had a shot with Nancy.

Another time, Dustin and Max had been hounding Steve on why he wouldn't just get with Robin during another intermission.

"I already told you, we're strictly platonic! With a capitol 'P'! There is nothing more there! We're best friends, okay, that's it." Steve told them.

"You sure about that? Because that's usually what people say when they like someone. 'oh no, i dont like them, we're just friends'" Dustin said the last part in a high pitched voice.

"We're not dating! We're not going to date! And we never will, Dustin, I'm getting tired of this, ok." Steve complained when Max spoke up

"If one of you'd just admit it, then we could stop."

Steve groaned.

"Robin!" She ran over.

"What's up?" Robin asked Steve.

"Please, save me form these monsters." Steve rubbed his nose bridge as Dustin claimed that they weren't monsters.

"Who's a monster?" Eddie asked, coming back form the kitchen with a bucket of popcorn. "By the way, popcorn!" He offered the bucket, for anyone to take a handful but Dustin took the whole bucket, and Max took it from Dustin.

"Dustin" Steve sighed. "and Max. Those are the culprits. The 'monsters' if you will."

"What is it, Stevie? Can't take jokes about you're own girlfriend?" Eddie smiled. Steve did not; His eyes glazed over like he was about to cry. He grabbed Robin by the wrist and led her outside quickly.

"Steve!?" Eddie yelled behind them, but decided to wait until they come back inside to apologize "Hey, Dustin. Max. Maybe lay off the jokes about them. I don't think they think they're as funny as you do." Dustin and Max nodded, then went to tell the rest of the party to lay off some as well (though they were the ones who did it the most)

"Robs, I don't know what to do. I mean, It's like with Nancy, like you. But me. But Eddie. And he said- I dont-... He-... Robin, what do I do?" Steve could hardly breath

"First, we're gonna breath. Remember? Like we did for me?" Robin breathed in "In." Steve breathed. "Out." They let out their breaths and repeated it until their breathing was steady. "Okay. What's up Stevie?"

"Eddie..." Steve breathed in, looked at Robin. "I like Eddie. And he made one of those stupid jokes too." Steve started to cry "It shouldn't bother me. It didn't even bother you this much, like, you didn't cry, so why am I crying? It's stupid."

"Hey, it's not stupid." Robin placed her hands on Steve's shoulders. "Everyone goes through things differently. It's ok, Steve."

"Robs?"

"Hm?"

"Hug?"

"Of course" Robin went to hug him, but Steve pause.

"Can I also tell you something else?"

"Yeah, anytime, Stevie."

"I- I know this probably, like, goes without saying, because... Eddie, and stuff, but, I like more then girls... I, yeah. I also like boys." Steve breathed

"Thanks for telling me Steve" Robin smiled and pulled him in for a hug.

When they walked back in, Steve expected it to be like last time, for no one to really care where they had gone. For the most part, no one had cared, the movie was playing, and most everyone was in the living room of Steve's house watching the movie. Everyone but Eddie.

"Steve!" Eddie said. "Hey, I think I owe you an apology." Eddie walked over to where Steve and Robin where standing.

Steve looked back at Robin, and she asked with her eyes if he wanted her to stay or go. Steve nodded towards the living room, and she went in to watch the movie with the rest of the party, leaving Steve and Eddie in the kitchen.

"It's really fine, Eddie. You don't need to apologize for anything." Steve smiled tightly.

"No, I do, Stevie. I shoulda realized that you didn't like those jokes about you and Robin, and I shouldn't have made one. I told Dustin and Max to nock it off, so they should be off your case, and hopefully the rest of the kids will be too. I just- you shouldn't have to keep telling them the same thing and have them not believe you, even if it's a joke." Eddie sympathized, his doe eyes staring right into Steve's, while Steve's were flicking up and down on Eddie's face while he was talking.

Steve couldn't tell if it was from what Eddie said, or because he had been crying not long ago, but he felt the need to cry again. He swallowed thickly, trying to hold back his tears, searching Eddie's face. He didn't do a very good job at holding his tears in, because he could feel one fall down his cheek. Eddie wiped the his cheek, caressing it.

"Sorry, I didn't mea-" Steve is cut off by Eddie shushing him, looking at him sweetly. Everything about the moment, the way Eddie is touching him and looking at him, how close they are, it makes him feel warm inside. It makes him wish he could feel this feeling everyday, so much that it was second nature to feel this way.

"It's ok, Stevie. Don't worry." Eddie said stroking Steve's cheek, Steve leaning closer toward him, unable to stop his body from wanting to be closer to Eddie.

"Eddie?"

"Steve." Eddie raised his eyebrows.

"Can I... tell you something... important?" Steve looked away from Eddie's eyes and swallowed.

"Of course you can." Eddie tried to meet his eyes, Steve deciding that he could look back at Eddie's

He took a deep breath. "I... I don't just uhm..."

"It's ok, man. You can tell me if you want to, but you dont have to."

"No, no, I want to." Steve took another breath, and Eddie rubbed his cheek once more, hoping to encourage him. "Eddie. I dont just like girls. I, um, i like guys too. Both, y'know." Steve looked at Eddie, hoping he wouldn't push Steve away and never talk to him again. Maybe he should've chosen a different time to tell Eddie this, one where he didn't feel so warm and, well, right.

"Thank you for telling me Steve. It means a lot to me that you trust me enough to tell me." Eddie smiled at him, and Steve breathed out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and smiled back at him. "And, uhm, since we're already on the subject. I also like guys. But, uh, just guys. Yeah."

Steve's smile widened. "Thanks for trusting me, Eddie."

It was silent for a little while, but not an awkward or uncomfortable silence. They we're just there together, looking at each other. They'd come closer together now, Eddie's hand that wasn't caressing Steve's cheek was now holding Steve's waist, and Steve's on Eddie's shoulders.

"Stevie?" Eddie asked.

Steve hummed in response.

"Can I kiss you?"

Steve nodded. "Please"

Robin had sat next to Nancy on the couch when she went into the living room. There had been an empty seat that no one had taken so she decided to take it, plus there was the added bonus that definitely wasn't the main reason she sat there of sitting next to her crush. When she sat down she was glad she had already seen the movie they were watching before, because she realized that she'd be thinking about Nancy the whole time she was supposed to be watching the movie.

"Hey." Nancy whispered, smiling at her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She's beautiful, Robin thought, she's like the sun. Robin wondered if she was warm like the sun as well, she wanted to know everything about her.

"Hey." Robin whispered back.

"You've seen this before right?" Nancy started shifting so her whole body was facing Robin, while Robin hummed a response. "You like it?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's alright. What about you? What do you think?" Robin asked her.

"Yeah, it's alright." Nancy paused. "Robin."

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the jokes about you and Steve. From the kids and for the one from me, they were dumb and i should have stopped the kids, and myself from telling them. So I'm sorry." Nancy looked at Robin, hoping she'd accept her apology.

"It's ok, thanks for apologizing" Robin smiled at Nancy and she smiled back. Nancy looked at Robin, leaning closer to her. "Can I-" Nancy hummed in response before she could finish. Robin leaned in, but then she looked behind Nancy, seeing the kids, realizing that they shouldn't do this here. "Let's go in the kitchen." Robin says, her face inches away from Nancy's, as she starts to stand up. Robin offers her hand to Nancy, and they walk into the kitchen.

Robin had stopped in her tracks as soon as they walked into the kitchen, though. She had totally forgotten that Steve had been in there with Eddie! They had only been looking at each other, heavily breathing though, hands caught in each other's hair.

"Ooh-" Robin said, in shock.

Steve and Eddie both wiped their heads to see Robin and Nancy standing at the kitchen doorway, all of them red in the face.

"I- sorry. Um, congrats though, Steve?" Robin says awkwardly, almost sounding like she was asking Steve if she was congratulating him.

"Oh- yeah, thanks. You too, right?" Steve looked at the floor awkwardly.

"Oh, ehh, not quite yet..." Robin pursed her lips, while Nancy's face scrunched up in confusion. Her eyes went wide, suddenly understanding what she meant, remembering what they had originally went into the kitchen for. She turned to Robin and brought her hand up to cover their mouths. Nancy placed her hand on the back of Robin's neck, tilted her own head, and kissed her, Robin kissing her back.

Eddie looks away from them to Steve, who's smiling at Robin.

"Hey, Stevie?" He whispers.

"Yeah? What's up?" Steve replies, looking away from Robin to look at Eddie.

"We should leave them alone, yeah?" Steve nodded. "Your room?" Eddie raised his eyebrows and grinned, Steve rolled his eyes, trying (and failing) to suppress a smile, and grabbed his hand, stepping back from him.

"As you wish." Steve led Eddie up the stairs into his room, leaving Nancy and Robin in the kitchen.

"Robin." Nancy said, pulling away, still right next to her face.

"Yeah, Nance?"

"You're beautiful." Nancy smiled at Robin, who's cheeks reddened. Just then they heard a loud thump followed by laughter.

"Dumbasses." Robin said with a smile, resting her forehead on Nancy's as the evening turned into night, and friends turned into lovers.

-

AN: Hello, I hope u enjoyed this :)) it was very fun to write, though it to be a bit to do it!! A like or reblog would be SUPER DUPER appreciated!! have an awesome day <333

[persage]

The Sweetest Thing-S. HARRINGTON

Summary : Getting back to your normal life is difficult, everyone faces it in their own way. Lately you've been baking non-stop and no matter how bad you are at it, Steve Harrington will eat every single cake you make just to see you happy. However, he will be forced - literally - to tell you the truth after the umpteenth food poisoning.

Tags: None, just pure Fluff and Steve Harrington being head over hells for you

I just wanna thank @i-always-come-back-xoxo for the amazing idea!

"No! No it won't happen again. Ever. I object" Dustin shakes his head forcefully to underline his words and reaches out to push away Steve Harrington's hands while he is squeezing a dangerously ugly looking cupcake and bringing it to the mouth of the kid, in an ambush from which Dustin feels - to be completely honest - rather threatened. And no, the little purple butterfly made of sugar that you have put as a decoration doesn't improve the situation at all, which is simple and also frightening: in recent weeks, you have had a craving for making cakes and pastries that no one understands but that everyone indulges in. Like a particularly sadistic Santa Claus who enjoys giving terrible and almost poisonous gifts, you give them to your friends and any excuse is good for doing so: Jonathan's first job as a newspaper photographer, Nancy's college acceptance letter, Will's award for his painting, the compliments Lucas has received from the basketball coach and Max learning a new skate stunt or Mike's B in chemistry. Even Suzie's birthday is an occasion for you to bake a cake and you don't care if she lives far away and you don't  know her at all, it's is still an excuse to give Dustin something sweet to eat since he won't be able to be with her.

Today's excuse is the Eleven's  C in the  grammar test, not an achievement that deserves a disproportionate amount of cupcakes, as she herself admits, so when you show up at the cabin in the woods with a frighteningly large basket of sweets, the expressions of your friends is not enthusiastic at all and even if you prefer to ignore it you really notice it and silently walk away to smoke.

"Now you eat this damn cupcake" Steve scolds him, trying to force the food into Dustin's mouth, who disgusted rejects it again. He cares about this stupid cupcake like his own life depends on it, maybe Steve will never admit it outloud and he thinks he's also pretty good at hiding it, but he hates to see you sad and cares very, very much about you. To be fair Robin says he doesn't hide it at all, that he's completely incapable of doing it, physically. Hiding his crush on you would be like asking him to go against gravity.

"I don't have a crush!" That's all he can answer.

"I don't want to die! This is torture Steve" Dustin almost screams and Steve slaps him on the back of the head to make him stop. He doesn't want you to hear. "He's not entirely wrong." Robin backs him up, smelling another cupcake and quickly pulling it away from her nose. "I think it's charred" she comments, watching it crumble in her hands. "Yes this is disgusting and y/n will never have to know it, so you" Steve points at Robin. "and you" He then points to Dustin. "And you all will eat what she has made for us with so much love" There is something authoritative in Steve's tone and if it wasn't for Nancy, who certainly isn't scared by her ex boyfriend freaking out about a dessert, maybe to be honest Jonathan would be folded from Harrington's words .

"You know I love y/n but we've been eating everything she makes for weeks. Someone should really tell her baking it's not for her"  The Wheeler girl says crossing her arms over her chest and glancing towards the window where she can see you fidgeting with your cigarette between lips.

"Do you want to break her heart Nance? No because this would certainly be the perfect way to do it" Steve comments as Mike rolls his eyes. "Yes, but in this way y/n destroys my stomach" It is his ironic intervention  but he is also more annoyed than the others. Insensitive, insensitive Wheeler, Steve thinks, shaking his head. Is it possible that no one understands you except him? Steve looks for a while at the cupcake he holds in his hands like a bullet that could kill him, then he turns towards you, beyond the glass of the window the sunlight reflects on your hair and you are so beautiful, so damn beautiful and sweet and special that the idea that others don't know how to appreciate you drives him crazy. He doesn't want to admit it but your new cooking fixation almost scares him, he's afraid there's something worrying you that you can't talk to them about.

The truth is that your friends are facing big changes, some of them are really becoming adults and some others are growing up before your eyes and you have the feeling of standing still, of doing nothing for them, of not being good enough to show them that you love them and that they are your family: that's why you bake, because you feel it's the only way you can give them something of your own, a piece of you, of your time and effort. Yet their expressions make you fear that you have exaggerated, that you are always too much, that you are wrong. You've always had this problem, you don't know half terms and half measures, if you love you love deeply, hard to the point of perhaps making people hate you. That's why you never had the courage to let yourself go with feelings, that's why after years you still haven't told Steve that you love him or Nance that she's your best friend or Max that she's the sister you never had. You try not to think about it and with the last draw of your cigarette you find the courage to go back inside.

"Don't do it Steve" Robin whispers, seriously worried. " It could be carcinogenic"

"Dude" Dustin says placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have loved you"

Steve looks at the cupcake uncertainly, his attention is captured by the door that opens revealing your figure. He smiles at you, hoping that in these weeks of terrible ordeals, you've finally learned something and with an almost trembling hands he brings the dessert to his mouth. It only takes one bite to realize you haven't learned anything and to realize that Steve Harrington has only two options: spit it out now and let you down forever (erasing any chance of success in his 5-step plan to get married and have kids with you in the future within the next four years) or end up in hospital with a second food poisoning within a month. Needless to say, he chooses the latter, without a doubt and without thinking too much about it. Honestly he would do it again a thousand times anyway.

"Mhhhh it's the best thing I've ever eaten" He says, pretending so badly that your gaze goes from the still full basket to Steve's now white face - which has lost color all of a sudden - and then to the doubtful expressions of the others . Max is the first to approach the basket, silently grabbing a cupcake and eating it with a smile on her face closely followed by Lucas and Will, who approaches you to give you a kiss on the cheek and thank you. "Next time I want Eggos though" El comments, giggling as she bites her muffin. You smile and nod. "For you Eggos El, got it"

"You don't eat it?" Jonathan asks you, taking a second bite with difficulty. “Oh no, I'm not a big fan of desserts… They're all for you” you reply, giving him the biggest smile in the world. A smile so wide and happy that Steve has never seen a more beautiful one, for this reason he nudges Jonathan without restraint when he ironically replies. "Oh you're lucky, good choice"

"You should try them you don't know what you're missing" Robin hastens to comment, glancing at her best friend. "Next time, I promise" And now all eyes are on Steve, because it's clear that there doesn't have to be a next time and it's clear that he'll have to tell you. After all, the brilliant idea of ​​lying to you about your baking skills was his, from the beginning.

Love makes people do stupid things, like let themselves be poisoned like this.

Two days later they all have stomach problems, someone more, others less, and Steve receives a call from Nancy, lying in bed with a vomit pan next to her. The conversation sounds more like a threat than a chat between friends . "Tell her" she simply orders without admitting replies, then she hangs up. The only survivor of this sweet massacre is Eddie, who was unable to eat anything due to his allergies. "I'll find a recipe for you too" You swear to him. "Oh you don't have to bother y/n, really." He pauses the "I'm serious, don't do it" He chuckles.

His presence during these days prevents you from missing others too much and Steve has to admit - as well as being a little jealous - that he hates Munson because it also prevents you from noticing the amazing coincidence that all the people who has eaten your cupcakes are now sick. And if you don't notice it by yourself it means that Steve will have to tell you and he really,  really doesn't want to. He's not ready.

But it happens, when he decides to visit you on a Monday morning and catches you in the act. You open the front door for him with a quantity of flour on your face, clothes and face that looks like you blew up a whole package, and he can't to hold back a  laugh while he wipes your nose. "Has a hurricane passed?" He asks.

"I'm still having trouble organizing myself when I bake, but I'll improve on this too" You reply, walking towards the kitchen as he follows you.

"What are you baking?" He question uncertainly, analyzing the bowls on the table. "I'm trying to make a cake for Eddie, you know with his allergies he never got to taste anything" You reply. Eddie, Steve tries to ignore his stupid jealousy. "That's nice of you" He crosses his arms over his chest while he watches you go back to kneading with far too much violence, so much so that it seems you're tormenting the flour. "You should be more delicate in your movements" He advises you. You roll your eyes. "Isn't it enough for you to be an altet , prom king and the hero of the city, now also a baker! Then what, a chef? A rockstar?" You try to hide irritation in your voice, the truth is that for once you want to be good at something and you want Steve to notice. He sighs and goes to wash his hands before walking up to you, he gets behind you and grabs your  own hands, showing you the right movement.

"You know when I turned twelve my mother stopped organizing my birthdays, she was never there and neither was my father. Sometimes they even forgot to call me, let alone buy a cake. So I decided to do it by myself, no, not buying the cake but making it myself. Cooking helps me, it's not only the fact that I had to learn to survive on my own relatively early, but it helps me de-stress." You turn to him, blinking without words. You've never thought his situation was so terrible, Steve has always masked the absence of his parents and his own traumas behind a smile and even now, although there is a sort of melancholy in his eyes, he continues to smile. Suddenly your problems, your anxieties seem small and useless and you feel ashamed of them.

"I'm sorry" You whisper, voice coming out broken.

"And for what?"

"I've never noticed" He comes closer, caresses your hand so small under his. "Hey. That's okay, I'm just saying that I can help you. I have a thousand talents by the way" He plays down and you smile.

"I feel I'm getting pretty good."

This time Steve can't mask the change of expression and this time you can't ignore it.

"What's up?" You ask uncertain.

"I've come to tell you something" He begins, continuing to squeeze your hands gently. "We appreciate what you do, really.."

"But?" You interrupt him, trying to stop the intrusive thoughts: but you're exaggerating, but we think you're crazy, but we're not your friends, but you should give us our space.

"But y/n, I don't know how to tell you... you're a bad baker. Like terrible to be honest. " You stay silent as a weight lift from your heart. "Oh God I really don't want to offend you, we've tried to wait to tell you but yesterday Nance called me, she threw up again, she was feeling terrible and so were the others and they couldn't take it anymore" You burst out laughing. "Are you telling me that in recent weeks you have been ill and still have continued to eat my desserts?" He nods, relieved to see you calm and happy. He doesn't know why he expected to see you cry, I mean it's  y/n we're talking about, the same girl who bravely fought so many monsters, he knows you're strong, he really does but maybe this is what love is: wanting to avoid any disappointment, even the smallest. And Robin is right, there's no reason to keep denying it, Steve Harrington loves you with every part of his being.

"I forced them to eat lately, they were starting to rebel against the idea, that's why they've sent me to tell you"

You shake your head. "You are crazy, you shouldn't have eaten this crap." You say, pulling free from Steve's grip only to point at the misshapen dough. "But you all are also adorable. You are" You continue.

"We love you and we know you do it for us. And also we had hope you would have improved at some point to be honest" He explains, without moving away from you, so close that you're almost crushed between his body and the table. He smells like home and safety and all the good things in life.

"I think this cooking thing is more a way to erase the fear you know, not only to show that I care about you all. It helps me, keeps the nightmares away. Sometimes when I can't sleep I cook and I feel better" You explain, with a little shame bowing your head. With his hands still covered in flour, Steve grips your chin between two fingers, gently he raises your head so that you can look at him and his dark eyes are filled with an emotion that you don't remember ever having seen or felt, so intense that a shiver runs down your spine. He would like to take all of your nightmares, your bad memories, your pain and make them his and if he could go back in time he would do everything to keep you out of this cursed story of the upside down even if this means erasing years of your relationship and returning to the starting point: when Steve Harrington was a douchebag you deeply hated. He would, to make your life better, but he can't and all he is able to do is give you comfort and everything he owns.

"It's honestly way better than our ways of copying, I mean Nancy literally has an arsenal in her room, Jonathan needs to smoke at least a joint to sleep, Robin calls me every damn night and makes me talk to her until she falls asleep, sometimes she runs away from home to come to me cause she knows damn well she will find me awake. And you know what's my brilliant method is? To guard the house, walking around like a zombie  with the bat in my hands. I keep it under my bed and sometimes I hit the air for no reason so trust me you are handling this  way better than us." Without thinking about it you throw yourself into his arms, clinging to his torso and hiding your face in the hollow of his neck, moved by an inexplicable overwhelming affection.

"You know you might come over here sometimes, if you can't sleep." You confess, realizing too late how out of place and misunderstandable your words are. But he hugs you back and places a kiss on your head and you are glad Steve can't to see your face turning red.

"Does anyone need cooking lessons here then?" He asks laughing, while he lets his hands dirty with flour run through your hair, caressing it and at this point you don't even care anymore who's dirtying who, there's just you and him and the burning smell of something you left in the oven, the minty scent of Steve and his words.

"Someone told me there's a great teacher around"

He puffs out his chest in satisfaction and pulls away from you just far enough to look you in the eye.

Sooner or later he will tell you that he loves you, it will happen because he feels his heart overflow, it will happen because he feels that it is his destiny. You are. And you will bake a cake together for your birthday then maybe, if he is lucky enough, for your children's ones. One day, not today. Today he is just your friend Steve who teaches you how to cook, who erases your fears, who creates new happy memories with you and promises to always be there. There is nothing more precious in the world.

[itsjustbyler]

Who is Mike Wheeler for you and his top 5 moments in your opinion?

Hiii!! This is going to be big because it's been a while since I posted anything focused on this guy.

For me, Mike Wheeler is a complex character. Like love him or hate him. Unfortunately, many hate him. I'm on the love him almost always, hate him sometimes team. He is a character with flaws, which makes him very human. But I love him despite all his flaws, even though sometimes he makes me want to pull out my hair.

Mike is loyal, kind, fair and not afraid to fight for the people he loves. He is extremely smart and has an impressive ability to connect facts. The best plans of the first seasons came from him and I'm sure that if he had been in Hawkins in season 4, he and Nancy would have made a strong team against Vecna. (looking forward to this duo in season 5).

His biggest flaws for me are not thinking before speaking and sometimes not owning up to his own mistakes, placing responsibility on other people. Of course, many of his actions come from trauma, depression, the pressure he suffers as a child in the middle of all the chaos in the Upside Down. But, you can't justify everything with trauma. Mike has flaws like all the other characters and that's normal.

Unfortunately, he has very low self-esteem. He believes he's just a random nerd while all his friends are special in some way. In the first season he associates the fact that Dustin can contort his arms as a form of super power. In the second season he believes that Will's connection to the UD makes him a super spy. And of course, he sees El, the person who actually has powers as superman a superhero.

What Mike fails to see, and thanks Will to actually point it to him, it's that Mike is especial. The heart, as Will says. The other members of the party needs him. He is a leader by nature. He is so smart and so important to everyone. especially Will hehe.

As the seasons go on, we notice Mike trying to conform. In the first seasons, Mike is a proud nerd. Despite being bullied, he continues to play DnD and continues to embrace the things he enjoys, like dressing up as Ghostbusters on Halloween. The change actually occurs in the third season.

It's clear that Mike associates growing up with putting his interests aside and finding a girlfriend. We see Mike pulling away from his friends, especially Will, because he wants to spend as much time as possible making out with El. He even lies to his friends, something that Mike from the first seasons would never (I'm talking about him saying that he needs to take El home because of the time and his friends themselves know that it's too early for that and even called him out on it).

I think season three is where Mike is trying to force conformity the most. He stops playing DnD, starts wearing the clothes his mother picks for him (confirmed by Eddie at the beginning of season 4) and starts focusing on the relationship with El in an exaggerated way. Looking at reddit a while ago, there were people saying that Mike was turning into his father and I think the third season is the one that gives that impression the most.. I mean...

In the fourth season we see that Mike is returning to who we knew. He joined Hellfire, started playing DnD again, he's dressing like Eddie. I think Eddie is very important to Mike because Mike sees him as a cool guy who is not afraid to show what he likes, who don't care about what people thinks of him and is proud do be a freak. That's all Mike was scared to show on S3. It's sad because Mike never had it at home.

While Will had Jonathan, Dustin had Mike himself and Lucas had his family to tell them that's okay to be different and that what makes people think they are freaks is actually what makes them special, Mike had no one. His father doesn't care, he can't connect with his mother and Nancy is focused on herself and her own things. While Eddie hadn't say that directly to him, he inspires Mike to try. He even voices to Lucas that they are nerds and freaks and they don't want to be popular.

But of course something happened when he was going to Cali. Suddenly he is wearing outfits that reminded us of S3, he has a huge change of behavior that wasn't there on episode one and clearly something is off. There is something wrong with his relationship with El and worse with his relationship with Will. He even made that comment to El about Angela at dinner and thats clearly a parallel to his father behavior. So yeah, it was a very S3 Mike, having both the rain fight from S3 and clothes to parallel with.

Again, we are seeing Mike pushing Will away to focus on El. Except... we are shown that Mike was actually hyper aware of Will... "You were moping, rolling your eyes, barely talking". That's the first change. We found out that Will and Mike only talked a couple of times during that six months (for some reason a whole year for both of them) and while we can assume why Will had not tried to contact, we don't know why Mike didn't try to, only finding out that he did try and whined about it all the time with Dustin later. Miscommunication trope. After the whole fiasco at Rink o Mania we see what's wrong with him and El too, El is lying to him and he can't say ily.

Now with the part that many will disagree with, but that's okay. Mike's sexuality. Mike does not have a confirmed sexuality and has been placed in the middle of a love triangle where he is the center.

Mike can't seem to balance his relationship with both of them at once. If he fights with El, he get closer to Will. If he gets closer to El, he leaves his friendship with Will aside. Since the first season we have NEVER seen the three of them together with Mike completely fine with both of them. At the end of the third season, when he finally resolves things with both of them, they both leave Hawkins and S4 starts with everything different.

People like to justify this with "Mike noticed Will's feelings or that he's gay and is uncomfortable around him" which isn't true. Both the duffers and Finn have already confirmed that Mike has no idea. He is oblivious. People also say that this is normal, that real teenagers act like this. The thing is... Mike isn't a real teenager. His motivations, actions, thoughts must be in accordance with that character's narrative and with the way the writers want us to see him.

I had said that one of Mike's flaws is that he sometimes blames others for his attitude. We see this clearly in his relationship with El and how different this is in his relationship with Will. Mike lies to El in the third season and when El gets angry (rightly so), he blames Hopper and Max as if she had corrupted El. Mike has a big fight with Will in the third season after him and Lucas made fun of Will and ends up saying things that made Will sad. He immediately goes to Will's house to apologize and his words are "I was being a total asshole, could you please step outside so we can talk?".

In the fourth season Mike fights with El because he can't tell her he loves her and his words are "Who said that I didn't?" and "You can't let this mouth breakers ruin this, ruin us". In his mind, the people who bullied El are to blame for El not feeling loved by him. Also in the fourth season he fights with Will about Will not telling with him that El was being bullied, to which Will responds that there would be no way for him to tell him since Mike didn't even try to talk to him, they argue and once again Mike goes to Will to apologize and when Will tries to take the blame, Mike says "No, you don't deserve anything. The truth is the last year has been weird. Max, Lucas and Dustin are great but it's Hawkins and it's not the same without YOU (not Will and El, just Will) and I was worrying so much about El and feel like I lost you". Again he takes the blame, even if it wasn't just his fault in this situation. I love Will, I understand why he didn't try to contact Mike, but he can't just blame Mike when he didn't try either.

When El leaves, Mike is stuck with Will. Everything goes to shit and they share a lot of heart to hearts. For some reason, Mike hides Will what the real issue is. His words are "I should had said something (?) and if I just said that thing (?) I think she would be here with us". Well, he knows damn well what he should have said. El cries to him for it and he didn't say it.

Another heart to heart with Will in the desert and here goes Mike "I should have explained myself because maybe she would have take me with her and things would be different, but I didn't know what to say". Well... What's there to explain, Mike? You could just have said that you love her. In fact, I think she would fell really loved without Mike even saying it if Mike said the same thing he said to Will to her instead.

And then before the van scene, Mike's words are "I'm scared that she doesn't need me anymore. The truth is: when I stumble her in the woods, it's not fate, it's not destiny, it's just simple dumb luck and one day she is going to realize that I'm just a random nerd that got lucky that superman landed on his doorstep".

That again shows Mike's low self esteem. He thinks that people around him are close to him because they need him. Also, Mike is moving backwards here. While on episode one he says he doesn't want to be popular and that he proudly is a nerd and freak, now he thinks that he is a just a random nerd that is lucky that people needed him and if they don't, he is going to be left behind. The way he says that breaks my heart, he really believes that.

Will gives Mike the painting and his speech about Mike being the heart and Mike absolutely melts into it. Mike is finally seeing how other people (Will) sees him. Except that Will is lying and everything he said are his feelings, not El's. El does not feel that way, in fact, we don't know how El feels. It's sad, but it's the truth, El never said anything to Mike about what she likes about him and we never see her saying it to other people too. When El is talking about Mike with Max we just find out that she doesn't know if Mike is a good kisser and that Mike is just her first boyfriend.

That's one of the reasons Mike is so insecure about his relationship. I've seen some people saying that Will's speech is how El feels even after the confirmation that it was Will's and his speech has nothing to do with her.

Well, this is not a byler analysis and I'm here to talk about Mike, but I need to say the last thing about it. It's such a interesting writing choice to instead of making Mike monologue to El on his own without hesitation, they decided to have Will telling Mike to do it and making not only Mike but us to remember of his van speech and Will's feelings for him.

We will have to wait and see where they are going with it and how Mike will react to this information, but Finn's word are "the duffers said it will pay off" and "I think there is going to be a mutual understanding and acceptance". So, I'm sorry for people who wants Mike to be homophobic toward Will and seriously, if you do believe that Mike would be something like that, even after he pushing Troy for being homophobic with Will, you don't know Mike at all.

My interpretation for it is: Mike is a gay boy trying to conform. He witnessed how Will was bullied bc of his sexuality and he knows how bad Lonnie was with Will because of it. His father watch the news everyday and he sees how the propaganda against queer people are. He is not purposeful using El and I hate when people says that. He is figuring out himself. He loves El, he loves her so much. What he is starting figure out is that the love he feels for her is platonic and that doesn't mean that this love is less strong as a romantic one. He is scared of losing her. He lost her once and he doesn't want to lose her again. And that's maybe what he wants to explain so much. That's maybe "the thing" he has to say that it's scary to him. If Mike thinks that El is dating him because she needs him, what is going to happen when she finds out he can't love her the way she wants to be loved? He is going to lose her. Mike is not ready for this conversation and that's why he agrees when Will said that's scary to open up to people you care about the most because they could not like the truth right after he said that he needs to explain himself.

I really really wish people would go read about internalized homophobia and how far it can go before calling us delusional for recognizing it on Mike's attitudes, not only going to Google and reading "internalized homophobia is when someone is gay and doesn't accept it" and closing it right after. He is starting to realize that the way he feels about Will is the way he is supposed to feel about El and this is scary as f*ck... I've been there... Mike is lost in the middle of what he really wants and what people wants for him and he doesn't know how to proceed. Everything being worse with him being in the middle of the supernatural shit happening and he watching over and over again both Will and El as a target of it. Just like Nancy on s1, Mike will have to chose if he stays in a loveless relationship like his parents because that's what people expects from him and it's "normal" or follow his own path and stop trying to conform.

Mike has depression and PTSD. His relationships are not the only part of his character. We can see that he barely eats anything in the fourth season, with shots of Will watching him messing with his food instead of eating it. There is also a shot of Will reacting concerned about Nancy's comment about the mess in Mike's basement because he knows that this is not normal, Max also comment on it so it's really something they want us to notice. We haven't been in Mike's POV for a while and it worries me a lot that the duffers decide to make Mike Vecna'd so that we can finally find out everything that's going on in his head.

Mike has the most overlooked trauma in the show imo. Everyone just act like he is just being difficult instead of actually pay attention to WHY Mike behaves like he does sometimes. Unfortunately, this happens with the audience too. People who hate him and write whole essays about how he is not the same just see the surface level of his actions and instead of trying to understand his reasons, they just hate on him.

He had to see El "dying" right in front of him. He had to witness his best friends body presumedly dead being pulled out the water. He witnessed everything that happened with Will throughout his possession. He had to fight the mind flayer, saw his friends struggling without knowing who would survive, saw someone (Billy) dying right in front of him, saw his sister almost dying because of the mind flayer too. He had already seen Will being targeted by the Mind Flayer and then had to see El being targeted by it too, without her powers. He had to come up with a lot of plans to save their friends that could have gone so much wrong and he would blame himself for everything. He has to deal with being queer in the 80s, were the AIDS was at its peak and associated exclusively with queer people.

I think this is to big already so I will just finish saying that I want to see more Mike in S5, not only related to that unresolved love triangle but also the Mike we love, that come up with crazy plans and the leader that he aways was, the one that is going to jump in on every change he has to protect his friends and will fight for what's right.

Now finally, my fav moments:

Mike and his reaction to Will's body being pulled out the water

From the moment Heroes starts playing, I see Hoppers reaction and Mike vocalizes "It's not Will, it can't be" to the moment he comes home and hugs his mom I'm destroyed. No matter how many times I watch this scene, if I'm rewatching the whole season or just watching it though a reel. I cry hard on this one. All the damn time.

Mike pushing Troy for being homophobic to Will

This shows how brave Mike Wheeler is and how he stands up for his friends. He was the target of Troy and his bullying for years. Still, he defended Will when Troy made homophobic comments about him and he doesn't even thought to much about it.

Mike's monologue to Will

It's one that also makes me cry a lot. He is being so genuine here, so vulnerable. It's like while he is talking he himself is realizing that asking Will to be his best friends is the best thing he was ever done.

Mike and his break down to Hopper when he found out he was hiding El

This is so sad. Mike had to see El "dying" right in front of him. He thought he lost her. He blamed himself, thought he was going crazy but them he finds out that Hopper knew where she was all the time. Mike breaks down not only because of this, but I feel like it was about everything that happened that season. It was too much for that kid.

Mike and his cute and flirty apologize to Will after their fight

I mean... this is so cute. Both of them were tearing up. Mike using his Will Voice TM. He apologizing for everything that happened between them and promising that whatever comes next, they will be a team no matter what. The interruption trope and the fact that if Jonathan hadn't entered the room, they would keep staring lovingly at each other 😭

honorable mentions to: Mike jumping off the quarry to protect Dustin, Mike and his sassy face to Steve at their movie date, Mike and his theatrical speech as a DM and Mike's reaction to Will's painting. but you told me to pick just 5 and this is already too long LOL

Ty for the ask!

[bylerschmyler]

fourgate - The foreshadowing of the number 4 in stranger things

moots who are following me for little while longer will know that I am obsessed with the number 4 in Stranger Things.

And while during all my findings I was struggling to see a pattern I think I finally cracked the code... Well mostly at least.

I will split this in parts. Because it's way easier for me to do it season for season.

Fair warning: I am just a human and as of now I didn't made a full rewatch so there is a big chance that this analysis will miss some mentions of the number 4. I tried to include as much as I remembered so just lean back and enjoy!

General

The number 4 is generally a bad sign in the show. Obviously since S4 we can connect the number 4 with Vecna/One/Henry because 4 chimes, 4 kills, 4 gates. But the number was a bad thing way before we learned about him and his plan.

This analysis will cover mostly obvious mentions of the number. Mentions meaning showing the number in for- or background or a character talking about this number. I will only concentrate on those (mostly). There are a lot of subtile mentions in the blurry background, digit-sums or as part of a number. I won't cover those (for now) because for that I would have to rewatch ST completly at half speed. And as of right now I don't have the time to do it so I will concentrate on this for now.

The number generally foreshadows something bad happening in some more or less immediate response after the mention. More or less immediate means that it can be directly afterwards but also take a while. The scenes will always be in direct connection between showing/telling of the number and the bad thing happening but it's possible that longer scenes and cuts are between the mention and the bad thing happening. (You will know what I mean)

Season 1

So let's get started with season 1. You may wonder, if the number 4 plays a huge role in Season 1. And yeah it definitely does.

The very first time the number is directly mentioned is in this scene

The party had to end their campaign and Will, Dustin and Lucas are leaving. Dustin talks about how Nancy has a stick up her butt and that she used to be cool because she did dress up for campaign. And Mike responded with Four years ago.

And hopefully you remember in what bad thing this mentioned resulted.

Do I need to say more?

This is what I mean when I say less immediate. The scene with the mention is directly connected to the bad thing.

Just wanna add that there are two honorable mentions of the number 4 in this scene.

First when we get told that Will needs to roll a 13 (digit sum 4) to defeat the demogorgon and later when Will wants X-men issue 134 as reward for winning the race against Dustin.

The second Time the number 4 is very obviously shown is in E3. When "Will's" Body is found in the quarry. THIS is the reason I started to dig into this number!

Again. Every fan on here knows what comes next, don't you?

So let's get ready for the third.

Looking at this scene you may ask what bad is coming in more or less immediate context. And I get what you mean but let me explain okay.

Yes, yes I know there are a lot of things happening between Dustin saying he joined the party in 4th grade and Mike jumping from the cliff. BUT it's still in direct connection. Mike and Dustin are on their way to find El in the scene where Dustin mentions the number 4. El destroys the door in the grocery store. Mike and Dustin search for her in the woods and then they get hunted by Troy and James. It's takes it time but it's still in one context.

The one's shown above were very obvious mentions. The following one's are more subtile but I still count them for this analysis,

Yes it's not directly the number itself but 4 paws are not coincidentally. (Have tigers 4 paws I don't know). This "Mention" is resulting in the Demogorogon coming through this Wall.

Next one supporting my mention:

It's 10:04 and results in this:

Just for confimation about the time:

Additional background mention:

Part 2 will come in the next days. If you find a mention of 4 in any season that might fly under the radar please comment/reblog it on this post.

[rogue-durin-16]

SUNGLASSES AND LIPSTICK STAINS (part II/III)

Summary: After his punch-up with Billy, Steve is in need of medical attention. Going to the hospital isn't an option, so the kids take him to the closest thing they know to a doctor. Funny how the girl who mended his heart back at Tina's party would be the one mending his body.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

Genre: angst-fluff (hurt/comfort)

Tags:

Sunglasses And Lipstick Stains: @shycupcakealissa

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @comfort-reads

Warnings: blood, injuries, head trauma, brief mention of smoking, language

A/N: not so fun fact! I didn't have to do much research on head injuries because I've had my fair share of experiences. It's literally a miracle that I'm still completely okay lmao. Anyways enjoy<3

Part I

Part III

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

Something was not right. I noticed straight up as I climbed off Samantha's car when she dropped me off —I just couldn't pinpoint what exactly was not right.

There were clear signs, though. The shed's door left ajar; a freshly dug patch of land that lacked grass; the storm cellar's gates wide open.

"Dustin?" My tone was wary when I called for my little brother from our front door.

No response.

"Dustin!" I tried again, setting one foot after another into our home.

Nothing. I felt my nerves beginning to rise. He should be home by now.

I stalked to our landline and picked the phone handle, pressing the number I had so many times called to when Dustin forgot his curfew.

That was probably it, but since Will's disappearance, everyone was on edge. The eerie screeches Samantha and I had heard on our way to my house hadn't helped either.

It didn't take long for a gentle motherly voice to greet me from the other side of the line. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Wheeler! Y/n here. I know it's late but uh..." My leg bounced as I tried to sound as casual as possible. "I was just wondering if Dustin was still there by any chance?"

"Uhm... Dustin wasn't here today, Y/n."

"He... wasn't?" My brows furrowed, the cable of the phone being anxiously twisted on my index finger.

"I... think he might be staying the night at the Byers'?" I hummed at the information, a light relief settling inside me —though it was swiftly torn out by her next sentence. "I don't know what's wrong with these kids today. Billy dropped by a while ago looking for his sister."

"Billy... Hargrove?" My heart nearly stopped at Karen's confirmation, followed by a little ramble about how charming the boy was.

Charming. Well, now, I personally wouldn't have used that word to describe Billy Hargrove.

Thanking Karen for her information, I hung up and trotted to the door. I would walk to the Byers' if I had to.

Just as I got a hold of my set of house keys, the sound of a rear was heard in our quiet street. A peep through my window was enough to make me freeze, because that was Billy Hargrove's car.

Billy Hargrove's car had just mowed down our mailbox.

In the span of five seconds in which I lost sight of our yard in order to open the front door, the scene turned even more bizarre. From the crashed Chevrolet Camaro's driver seat, a petite red haired girl climbed off. To further shock, Dustin, Lucas and Mike scrambled out of the vehicle right after, practically dragging out a semiconscious Steve Harrington.

What the fuck was going on.

One Hour Earlier

DUSTIN'S P. O. V.

I had barely registered Steve's wince after the headlights' overcurrent had blinded us, so seeing the eldest of us stumble to the car for some kind of support, only for his legs to give in once he got to the vehicle, nearly put me under cardiac arrest.

"Shit— Steve?" I called, taking a tentative step towards him while I signaled the others to stay put. "Are you good?"

"Yeah, Dustin, I'm great." The sarcastic response left his lungs in a strained grunt. Before any of us could throw a carless comeback at our assigned babysitter, his torso contorted to the side, allowing him to not throw up on his lap.

There was a colorful variety of panicked gasps, spit as a rapid fire by the four of us who remained standing while I rushed to kneel besides Steve.

"Oh my god..." I exclaimed, tugging Steve's arm to drag him further from his vomit whilst trying not to stare at it. I would so puke myself if I spared the puddle a single glance.

"He has to go to the hospital." Max took a step forward with a concerned frown darkening her gaze.

"No!" Mike made us all jump with his negative. "We just went into the tunnels. Bet if they run tests on him, they'll know something's off."

I heard a very much lost 'Wait what?' coming from Steve as I raised to my feet, hands thrown on the back of my head. "Holy shit."

"Okay but we gotta take him somewhere." Max insisted with urgency. "I mean, look at him."

"Guys I think... I think might pass out."

"Shit..." I cursed under my breath, crouching down momentarily to make sure Steve's back stayed laid on the side of the Camaro. "Shit shit shit. Okay, let me think."

No hospitals. Okay, but he needed medical attention. We needed a doctor. Or at least something close to it. Maybe a medic or...

"She's gonna kill me."

"Who's gon-" Lucas mouthed a quiet 'oh'.

"She's gonna have to suck it up." Mike stated, picking up on who we were talking about and how she felt about people like Steve. Or Nancy, matter-of-factly.

"Who's gonna have to suck it up?" Max exasperated begging for an explanation fell on deaf ears.

"Can you drive us to my house?" I inquired.

She sighed, a determined yet exhausted look lighting up her irises. "Put him in the car."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

READER'S P. O. V.

"Y/n!" I could barely process Dustin abandoning his friends to run to me, hands raised in surrender and an apologetic smile dancing on his face. "Y/n, hey. Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"What the fuck's going on?" I managed to question, my pitch as high as it could get due to the surreal situation before me.

"You remember what you learned in that first aid course, right?" He decided to ignore my inquiry as he moved my flabbergasted frame aside so Lucas and Mike could carry Steve inside.

"What?" My horrified eyes clocked the older teen's bloodied, swollen face. "The hell happened to him?!"

"My brother's an asshole, that's what happened to him." The ginger girl I finally recognized as Billy's little sister rumbled behind Dustin with folded arms. If I was not mistaken, it must have been the same girl my brother had a crush on— Max, I believed. "I... I think he might have a concussion."

"I'm sorry, how old are you?" She shuffled, sneaking my brother a begging side glance.

"It's okay, she's cool." Dustin whispered.

"Thirteen."

"THIRTEEN?!" I yelled, making them both flinch. "YOU DROVE THEM ALL THE WAY FROM—"

"Y/n! I'm gonna need you to calm down." Dustin's words were slow and clear. "We can't fill you in right now, but I promise—"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"I PROMISE" he reiterated over my words, a bit louder this time. "That I'll tell you everything, but now I need you to fix up Steve." I opened my mouth again, but no words came out of it before Dustin cut me off once more. "I know what you're thinking. 'Dustin, you know I wouldn't touch Steve Harrington with ten-foot pole', but he's a good dude." the oblivious confidence in his words was actually funny, but I couldn't find it in me to laugh.

"He saved our lives." The girl added.

"Is that why he's—"

"Kinda."

"Yeah!" Dustin shouted, though by the readhead's face, it must have been a half truth. "Now please, can you help him? Please."

A silence reigned among the three of us for a couple of seconds, in which I tried to assess the situation with the little information I had.

In all fairness there wasn't much of a choice to make. Casting my head down for a second, I re-entered the house, now with the pair of kids trailing after me.

"Alright, give him some space." I commanded Mike and Lucas, who were struggling to keep Steve sat still on our largest couch.

My heart clenched the moment I kneeled before my classmate, as I finally had the chance to fully take in his swollen face, peppered in purplish black bruises. "Holy fuck," I muttered, lifting my hand to move a rogue strand of hair out of the way. "He sure did a number on you, didn't he?"

"Henderson." There was some kind of surprise gleaming in his bloodshot orbs at the sight of me. "I'm alright. Just need a bit of sleep."

"You sure? 'cause a little birdie told me you might have a concussion." I whispered, taking my hands to the back of my pocket in order to fish out the half empty pack of smokes inside if which I kept my lighter.

"You smoke?!" Dustin screeched behind me, earning a chastising nudge from Lucas. "What."

"Yes, Dustin. I smoke." I confirmed in a hiss, rotating in the spot to throw daggers at my brother. "And if you tell mom, I'll slit your throat."

Dustin nodded rapidly at my deadpanning warning.

Once I was sure he had gotten the memo, I spun back to look at Steve. "Let me know if I hurt you." With a nod from him, I took a tender hold of his face, the pad of my thumb pressing on the skin beneath his left lower lid in order to open his eyes.

"Woahwoahwoah- what are you doing?" Steve slurred, trying and failing to slip away from my grasp by wrapping his digits around my wrist when he saw the lighter's flame moving close.

"I'm just— Stay still!" He winced at my loud tone, but complied nonetheless. "I'm just checking something. Keep your eyes on me, okay?"

There were a few seconds of expectant silence while I tested Steve's pupils' reaction time to the bright light of the tiny flame before him. It took the boy no time to break it with a soft whisper that surely made my cheeks flush.

"You have like, the prettiest lips." I should have seen something like that was coming by the look on his face.

"And you have a concussion." I declared in response, hoping in vain none of the kids had heard his statement, nor his enchanted tone. "Guys, he needs a hospital."

"No hospitals." Mike's statement held a finality that left me even more confused.

"What do you mean 'no hospitals'?"

"It's okay, Y/n." Steve agreed, which made it all more suspicious. "Just patch me up and I'll go home."

"How? Walking?" I countered, tilting my head to try and meet his avoidant gaze. I soon gave up on him, turning to the kids behind me instead. "Was he unconscious?"

"Yeah but for like, a couple of minutes?" Max asked with a tinge of anxiety in the back of her throat.

"How long's a couple of minutes."

"I don't know, maybe five?" I widened my eyes at Dustin's levity trying my best not to fume.

"Five?!"

"Then he was on and off." Lucas finished, his demeanor closer to Max's than it was to Dustin's.

I gathered all the patience I could find in me to not yell at the kids, and instead chose to return to Steve. "Listen, you need to see a doctor."

"Y/n, it's alright."

"No, it's not alright. What's wrong with you all?" I huffed, attempting to get up, only to be secured in place by Steve's lazy grasp. "I'm gonna call an ambulance."

"NO!"

"Y/N, PLEASE!"

"NO HOSPITALS!"

"Jesus Christ my head..." Steve groaned, bending over with the balls of his hands pressing against his eyes.

"Stop that!" I scolded him, taking his hands in mine. "Everybody SHUT UP!"

I immediately muttered an apology under my breath to Steve for the noise, whose forehead had come to rest on my shoulder.

"I'm gonna clean you up, and we'll... we'll move on from there." The boy nodded, messy hair bouncing at the movement and tickling my cheeks. "C'mon, Harrington, upsy-daisy. Wheeler! a little help here, please."

As soon as I began to pull him up with me, both Lucas and Mike appeared on either sides of my peripheral vision, scooping Steve's arms over their shoulders.

"Take him to the bath— actually no, take him to my room." I commanded them, walking over to the kitchen sink in order to wash my hands. "Dustin, go check if mom's still asleep."

At the lack of movement, I spared the two remaining kids in the room a look of urgency, only to be met by Dustin's baffled face.

"What."

"What was that?" He inquired in an accusative tone.

"I genuinely don't know what you're talking about." I lied, choosing to play stupid, keeping myself busy with filling a bowl with warm water and, right after, digging in our freezer for ice to avoid meeting Dustin's inquisitive eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about." I did my best to look clueless, which only seemed to exasperate my brother more. "The sexual electricity!"

"The what?" Max questioned, pulling a face at Dustin while my eyes widened because who the fuck taught him that.

Before I could get a word in, the two taller boys that had carried Steve to my room came back.

"Just check if mom's asleep, okay?" I insisted, taking backwards steps into the hall to reach the bathroom. "I'll be right back."

STEVE'S P. O. V.

The silence of Y/n's room was filled with the buzzing going on my head. As much as I would have loved to take a look around to hopefully catch a more solid grip of her already visible personality, keeping my eyes open with the light on was an effort I couldn't afford.

Due to being laid down on my back across the mattress with my forearm over my eyes, I didn't acknowledge Y/n's presence until she spoke.

"Hey."

"Hey." I reciprocated the greeting in the same soft, careful tone without changing my position. I was tempted to peek from under my temporary light shield when I heard her pacing around the room, moving from one corner to another, but I ended up waiting for her signal.

Soon enough, a two switches were flipped and a hand was patting my thigh. "C'mon, pretty boy."

I opened my eyes to see the room's ceiling light had been replaced with a warm toned night lamp by our side.

Without a word and some struggle, I propped myself forward and attempted to sit upright. The not so genuine smile I spared the girl before sitting on a chair earned me a sympathetic look.

She seemed to want to say a thousand different things, but stayed quiet instead, soaking a cotton cloth on an undersized bowl which rested atop her lap.

"Y/n?" She hummed, prompting me to go on. "You okay?"

Her irises shot up from her lap with incredulity. "Me?" She huffed, reaching to carefully remove the couple of colorful band-aids the kids had placed on my temple. "I'm peachy. You, on the other hand?"

"I'll be okay."

"I know." She raised the wet cloth to my forehead, and distractedly whispered, "Let me know if it hurts." before squeezing the piece of fabric above it, letting the lukewarm water run down the cut.

Instinctively, I raised the hem of my shirt to dry the droplets, but Y/n's expertise hands were much quicker. With a dry piece of toilet paper, she made sure the now dirty water wouldn't drip on my clothes, whilst beginning to ever so gently tap on the cut with the wet cloth.

I didn't realize how tense I was until the girl halted her actions, furrowing her brows at me. "Am I hurting you?"

"No- shit, not at all." I'm just not used to people taking care of me, my heart wanted to confess; my brain barely refrained it. And, had I kept my eyes on Y/n's for an instant longer, the sentence would have slipped anyway.

"Let's get you more comfortable, okay?" She suggested, moving the first aid items from her lap to the nightstand.

I simply nodded at her suggestion, chin still downcasted even when her grip secured my forearms to help me turn and slide backwards. An inpatient, mildly frustrated curse escaped her lips due to the struggle, stealing the ghost of a laugh from me when she had to abandon the chair and plant her knees on the mattress.

"I think I can do this myself." I teased, digging my heels on the blanket to push and help with my relocation.

"I think it's too late for that." She snapped back, releasing one of my forearms to cup the back of my head before it could hit the headboard. "Careful now." She muttered, only letting her fingers slide out of my hair when the back of her palm was pressed against the wooden piece of furniture.

I had to repress a mewl at the loss of touch, though I couldn't hide my pout when the warmth of her skin abandoned mine —nor could I avoid how I instinctively reached to hold her thigh in place when she attempted to retreat back to the chair.

Don't leave.

Instead of moving away, she lowered her own hand on mine, rubbing soothing circles on top of it with her thumb.

I'm not going anywhere.

After readjusting the lamp besides us and taking back the bowl and cloth, she repeated in silence the process carried out on the cut splitting my temple, this time on the one in my swollen lip.

"Did he only go for the head or...?" She questioned once she was done cleaning the open cuts.

Truth was, I didn't really know. After the third punch, everything was blank, but Y/n was worried enough as she was; adding that to the mix wouldn't do any good. "Pretty much."

"He's a fucking tool." She seethed, grabbing the antiseptic lotion to apply it on my temple. "Should've let Sam run him over at Tina's party."

"That would've made my night." I realized too late that the amused smile twisting my lips reopened the slit, and earned me some lighthearted chastising from Y/n.

"As if I didn't make your night." She taunted me, paying extra attention to my lips to make sure the bleeding was cut short before she brushed in the lotion with her fingertip.

The scene was too reminiscent of that one night, and I wondered if Y/n's intense stare on my mouth meant she was feeling the same urge to kiss me now that I had felt then.

"So uhm... Does Dustin know—"

And just like that, the spell was broken.

"Jesus, no." She snorted, straightening up her position. "And he's never gonna find out."

"Because you're embarrassed?" I furrowed my brows at the senior before me. She immediately mirrored my visage, and I felt the need to explain myself. "In the car, Dustin and Lucas were going on about how you despise me. And I mean, I got a complete different impression at Tina's party, but maybe you— I don't know, are ashamed of what happened?"

"What? No! No." She gulped, suddenly finding the clean gauze on her folded thigh very interesting. "I mean, I might have— I might have mentioned you weren't my uhhh favorite person to Dustin a couple of times, but— yeah, no." She shook her head to emphasize her words.

"Then why?" I hated the neediness in my tone; the way my voice broke. I blamed the lack of sleep and the adrenaline rollercoaster the last couple of days had been.

"First off, my little brother has no business in my love life." She fairly pointed out with a quirked brow. "And second, he'll tell Mike, and I bet Mike will tell Nancy."

"We broke up." I blurted out. With what intention? I didn't really know, and by the look on her face, neither did Y/n.

"You know it'll still piss her off."

"It was just a kiss."

She stared blankly at me for a second.

'No, it wasn't' was the sentence read on her expression —and she was right, it hadn't just a kiss. It was the best kiss I've ever had.

"And that's why no one needs to know." She said instead, with deluded resignation in her words. "Listen, Steve." Sigh. "We got more important... Matters to attend. Don't you think?"

"Right."

The following few minutes elapsed without a word. We drowned in the quietness of the room while Y/n finished patching me up. Hadn't I know better, I would have said she was lingering.

"You could use those sunglasses right now." She observed, taking my chin between her thumb and index to move me around.

"I'm pretty sure they're at the Byers'."

She gave her head a couple of slow shakes. I had earlier wondered if she would interrogate me any further about the events leading up to this moment, given how little she had asked about it, and the time had come. "How did you end up babysitting these assholes?"

"Your little shit of a brother got me mixed up in some dangerous business 'cause no one else was around." I explained, trying my best to give away nothing apart from the necessary. "It kinda kept escalating from there."

She dropped her hands on her lap, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times before finally asking, "what's going on, Steve?"

I didn't have time to say a single thing before the door was shoved open, making us both jolt on the spot.

"I'M NOT LOOKING!" Dustin yelled from the entrance with covered eyes.

"Dustin, what the fuck?!" The girl turned to hysterically gesture at the kid, whose hand fell limply to his side with a relieved exhale when he was met with nothing but his sister handing me an ice bag. "What is it."

"Can Lucas, Mike and Max stay the night?" It took a hot minute for Y/n to give her brother an affirmative response. She probably wasn't a fan of Billy showing up at her doorstep looking for Max like he had done at the Byers'.

"I'll get Max pj's in a moment." The eldest sister relented, shooing her little brother out shortly after.

"This kid."

"I know." She agreed with a breathy laugh, giving me an up-and-down. "Okay, you're all good. Or as good as it gets."

"I'm all ready to go home?"

Y/n's slack jawed expression made it really hard not to throw a fit of laughter. "And how the fuck will you go home, Steve?"

"I'll walk to the Byers'." I began to explain in a Self-assured manner. "My car's there and—"

"So is Hargrove." She cut me off. "And then what, then you drive?"

I threw my hands up in surrender between us. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Stay the night." The girl before me put that out there as if it was the most logical response; as if we had been friends for so long that not crashing in unprompted wasn't even up to question. It certainly wasn't the case. "Take the bed. I have to watch over and see if I gotta rush you to the hospital anyway." She nonchalantly explained, trying not so subtly to reassure me.

"I don't wanna be a bother."

"I'm inviting you." She responded, rocking herself slightly forward.

"Why are you so sweet to me?" It was more of an out loud thought than a real question, but I obtained a reply nevertheless.

"It's called minimal decency, Harrington." Flashing me a quick half smile, Y/n abandoned the bed and walked to the barely lit dresser at the foot of the bed. "I think I have... Ah, got it." She wiggled a piece of clothing I could barely discern and threw it at me. "You'll be more comfortable in that."

"Thanks." I mumbled after unfolding the item and realizing it was a big soft t-shirt.

"No worries." Y/n's body was back to being folded to fish out something else from the drawers, which i figured would be sleepwear for Max. "Alright, I'm gonna go arrange the gang of toddlers I have camped in the living room." I nodded at her, not missing the way her eyes slipped down to my torso once I had discarded both my jacket and shirt. "I'll... be right back."

In the last couple of days, I had had a lot of bizarre experiences, but one I certainly did not expect was sleeping in Y/n Henderson's bed. In her shirt. What was life even.

I had just barely accommodated myself under Y/n's covers when the door was once more shoved open, nearly giving my a heart attack. Unsurprisingly enough, the figure entering the room was not the girl who had just patched up my wounds, but Dustin.

"Everything okay?" I questioned, sitting up again, but the kid did not respond — not until he was sat on the chair by the bed anyway.

"Steve."

"Dustin."

I gave the kid a puzzled look when he took a deep breath, as if he was about to break some horrible news to me.

"Do you have a thing for my sister?"

"What?" It came out in a high-pitched, panicked tone, which definitely did not playing in my favor.

"I'm not gonna be mad," Dustin on the contrary spoke calmly, like a parent who was about to scold their child. "I just want to know."

"Jesus, Dustin. No. I do NOT have a thing for Y/n."

I felt myself getting smaller under the thirteen year old's scrutinizing glare, praying for him to be convinced because I didn't have the strength to have that conversation with anyone, let alone a child.

Eventually, the youngest Henderson caved in and spared me, choosing to get up and leave instead of questioning me any further. Maybe he himself didn't really want to know, or maybe he thought I had been put through enough already.

With one last squinted, unconvinced look from the room's entrance, Dustin closed the door, leaving me alone with just the warm colored night lamp to illuminate the space.

Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I slid back into the silky sheets permeated with Y/n's perfume, which lulled me to sleep faster than I would have ever imagined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

READER'S P. O. V.

It took me longer than expected to set up a proper sleeping place for the middle schoolers, but not long enough for someone to fall asleep in the meantime.

Yet there he was, sound asleep, lightly snoring in my bed when I got back to the bedroom. The mere thought of having to wake him up again was breaking my heart a little, but it was imperative.

With a quiet whine, I dragged my feet to the side of the bed before plopping down on the chair. God, even after fixing him up, he was in an awful state.

'Billy hit him pretty hard.' Max had confided me in a whisper, face full of guilt. 'I thought he was gonna kill him.'

"Steve." I called for him in the most gentle voice I could. Nothing. "Steve." I tried again. Again, nothing.

He was completely knocked out.

I resolved to try from a closer distance, so I leaned on until my lips were inches away from him and... Nothing came out of me. How could someone look so beautiful all beaten up?

I didn't fully register my movements until my lips were lightly pressed on his cheekbone. The positive side is that that seemed to do the trick to wake him up. The negative was that he had definitely felt the kiss.

His initial confusion, however, was quick to melt into an entranced expression I couldn't fully decipher.

"Hi." He whispered under his breath, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Hi." I greeted back with what I was sure it looked like a smitten smile. "I brought you Tylenol." He muttered a relieved 'thank god', propping himself on his forearms to take first the medicine and then the glass of water I was offering him. "I'm gonna stay put for a little while." I informed him, taking back the now empty glass to place it on the cramped nightstand. "If I'm sleeping and you start to feel like you're dying, wake me up."

It was a half joke, but Steve only furrowed his brows. "Wait are you gonna sleep on that?" He pointed at my chair with disgust while going back to his previous position.

"Where the hell do you want me to sleep?" I asked rhetorically with the intention of pointing out the lack of free sleeping places in the house, but I got a response.

"Lay down with me?"

I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted by the offer, but it just seemed wrong, so with a halfhearted smile, I shook my head no.

"Had to try." Steve clicked his tongue, poorly hiding his own disappointment. "Night, Henderson."

"Night, Harrington." I mumbled back, folding my arms over the mattress and resting my chin on them.

"Thank you." Had we not been in complete silence, the dozed off boy's words would have been inaudible. "For everything." He added, finding my fingers with his own and lazily intertwining them.

My heart skipped a bit at the touch and I silently cursed myself, because I was definitely crushing on Steve Harrington.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

COSMIC - S3:E1; Chapter One, Suzie, Do You Copy? - [Pt. 5 - FINAL]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

Summer brings new jobs and budding romance. But the mood shifts when Dustin’s radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong.

a.n: thank you guys so much for waiting, I know it must have frustrating but I don't regret taking time off. FYI i ended up skipping some scenes like Hopper's talk with Mike and Joyce going home cause I just kept getting stuck

||𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

Dustin is the first to reach the top of the hill, his sister, the last. And when she does, she hastily unhooks the bag from her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground before she does.

"We made it!" Dustin happily declares, choosing to ignore the bitter attitude of his cranky and overheated friends.

"Yeah, only took five hours." Max sighs, dumping her weight on the grass beside Y/n who buried her heated face in the cool grass.

"Quick," Y/n groaned, rolling herself over onto her back. "someone... water. I'm gonna be a raisin soon... please,"

Lucas's face lit up at the mention and instinctively he dropped the bag off of his shoulder and retrieved their shared canteen of water. Y/n's eyes fluttered closed and a frail smile strung across her face when she saw this. Lazily, she reached for it, expecting Lucas to hand her the refreshments she had asked for.

But a frown quickly flew across her face when she heard the flat splashing of water on grass and the obnoxious sound of guzzling. Hesitating against the downpour of golden sunlight into her eyesight, she allowed her eyelids to unscrew just enough to see Lucas downing the rest of the group's water.

Her lips drew back into a snarl, ready to chastise the boy, but her friend had beat her to the punch.

"Did you seriously just drink the rest of our water?" Max deadpans, her icy glare piercing Lucas.

"Nope," Answered Y/n from her spot on the grass, eyes peeling open again to scowl at Lucas. "I know for a fact he wouldn't do that, Max, cause that would mean I'd have to kick his ass."

Lucas cautiously met her eye, his puffed-out cheeks filled with water slowly drained themselves back into the canteen leaving behind a sheepish smile. He held out the container for Max, then Y/n as a peace offering. All he was met with were tired glowers.

"That's it. Your ass is grass, Sinclair," Y/n seethed, no real threat behind her words. Or her actions, as she showed no signs of moving other than the depleting motion of her tired heaving from her spot on the grass and a lazy pointed finger hanging in the air in his direction. It fell back to the ground. "You know, after I get up. The moment I do, it's over for you,"

Despite the creeping smirk, Max rolled her eyes at the duo as she grabbed for the duffle bag she had previously been carrying.

"Is it just me," she addresses the group as she unpacks, her mischievous smirk blossoming on her pink cheeks. "or has Y/n gotten meaner?"

Everyone shares a hum of laughter that floats amongst them, including Y/n who smiles to herself pleased, her eyes once again closed.

Unknowingly, Dustin does the same as he unpacks his duffle. A fleeting sense of deja vu passes over him.

"Yeah, it's my probably my fault," he says, beginning to put the first pieces of the Cerebro together. "all that time we spend with 'that douchebag' Steve Harrington,"

"Hey," pipes Y/n shortly. Thinking of the running joke that had started up earlier in the year thanks to Robin, her voice falls into a mocking tone. "don't talk about mom like that, Dustin."

Dustin gives her a funny look before ultimately rolling his eyes as she laughs quietly to herself. The sight drew a smile on Will's face and he briefly paused his unpacking to smile at her, then shook his head returning to work.

"Weirdo," Dustin mumbles. "Alright, sunbathing time is over. Come on. Get up and help us!"

It's Y/n's turn to roll her eyes and she does so with another impressive groan, though she does comply. She rolls herself over and sits herself up so she is sitting on her folded legs, and gets to work on the bag she had previously discarded.

What members of the party remain pull together underneath the setting sun and got to work. Under Dustin's word, the team was able to make quick work of the scraps they had lugged with them.

Lucas, Max, and Dustin took up the work of assembling the base of the radio antenna as Will and Y/n got to work dismantling several bare umbrellas for the makeshift directors. Dustin, who had been so engrossed in his work, had gotten to his third strip of tinfoil only to realize the roll was running thin and that Y/n had been sneaking strips to make various types of hats; one shaped like a baseball cap resting on her head, the second on Will's was shaped like a wizards cap to match Will the Wise, and a third, half-finished cowboy hat sat tucked away behind her back on the grass when Dustin's suspicions grew.

Dustin had learned better with the duct tape; keeping it on his person and only distributing it to those who asked. And he had been so caught up in it guarding the duck tape to avoid another incident he failed to stop the first.

After finishing her section of Cerebro, Y/n had gotten to work on her "side project", this one in the shape of a bucket hat for Max. Dustin tried to scold her again, but she knew they were just about one strip of duct tape away from finishing.

After some conniving on Max and Y/n's part—out of an act of spite, Max defiantly accepted the cap with honor as Y/n placed it on her head, both of them glaring at Dustin—the party came together to hoist the now finished Cerebro into the summer air.

"Pretty impressive, right?" Dustin declares as they all gaze up at their finished work.

Several of them nod.

"Now," he says, all but throwing himself on the grass beside the receiver. "ready to meet my love?"

Dustin is met with scattered agreement.

"Yeah,"

"Sure,"

"Go ahead,"

Y/n, however gladly takes a seat across from her brother, stretching herself out in the grass as she finally enjoys the absence of work in the sun. "Dustin, as your sister, I can honestly say that I have been waiting for this moment all my life. Fair warning though, I will be talking her ear off."

A hopeful grin touches Dustin, slowing blooming on his face. And despite her next words, he finds himself laughing a little.

"But I'm afraid I can't promise I won't be telling her anything and everything embarrassing about you."

His face falls flat, a hint of playfulness still lingering. And as he does so, Will gives into Y/n's lead and takes a seat beside her in the grass. Dustin only narrows his eyes at the pair.

"Telling you really was a mistake, wasn't it?"

Y/n breaks out in a devilish grin and she is unable to stop the quiet cackle that tumbles out of her, yet still it turns Will's insides to jelly. He, like his friends, had been watching the siblings' exchange with great amusement.

"Yes," she agrees, eagerly. "yes it was."

Dustin rolls his eyes before bringing the device up to his mouth, his fingers already on the speaker button.

"Suzie, this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."

A silence falls over the group as they wait, the only sounds to fill it are the crackling of the Cerebro's interference and the sweet sounds of nature that put even Max at ease. But no response comes.

Dustin shrugs it off, scratching his nose nervously as he mutters softly up to his waiting friends.

"One sec. She's probably... She's still there," he smiles, turning back to the speaker in his hand. "Suzie... This is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."

The others begin to shift uncomfortably where they stand; the awkward tension growing heavy in the air and they share uneasy glances outside of Dustin's field of vision.

"I'm sure she's there," says Dustin, his voice so soft and quiet it was nearly carried away by the breeze. "You know, maybe, she's just like, busy or--"

"Yeah," Lucas quickly agrees, avoiding eye contact and adjusting his cowboy hat.

"You know, it's around dinner time."

Everyone is quick to mumble an agreement, and Y/n, desperate for something to keep her busy and her mind off of whatever was happening mindlessly pulled a pack of gum from her pockets. Her eyes were fixed on a random spot in the grass as she unwrapped a bit of f/f gum and slipped into her mouth. Before putting the packet back, she just as mindlessly pulls another slip and offers one to Max who gladly accepts.

"Suzie," Dustin tries again. "this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."

Will watched Dustin continue his efforts to contact his girlfriend and couldn't help but note the bit of sadness growing in his chest at the sight. Dustin seemed so hopeful, and to see—

The spiraling thought was interrupted when he felt something move his hair; he smiled when he realized Y/n was readjusting the tinfoil wizard's cap on his head that had been slipping. He breathed a quiet laugh, watching her lips twitch up in a smile as she readjusts a few strands of hair she had messed up

"Suzie, do you copy? This is Dustin. Over."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"...do you copy? Over."

The summer moonlight spilled out onto the hill still occupied by five of seven party members; Max and Lucas, who lie on their backs side by side as they stargaze together while Dustin was still at Cerebro. Will—like his friends—wanted to make most of the scenery and found himself sprawled on his back in the grass. The back of his head was resting on Y/n's leg as she mindlessly played with his hair, her stare a million miles away. His eyes began to flutter closed having grown content by her warm and soothing touch.

"Suzie! This is Dustin, do you copy? Over."

The breeze picked up in a pleasant wave, making the trees sing around them. And it was gentle enough to pull Y/n from her thoughts, and back on her brother.

"Suzie, this is your Dustin. Do you copy? Over."

It dawned on her just how hard it was to see him in the darkness, and it hit her just how long they had been there. As her fingers continued to fiddle with Will's bangs, her downcast eyes landed on his face; the sight of him in a state of such relaxation put a smile on her face and a warm feeling in her chest.

He had been through so much for so long and was given so little time to readjust. This was one of the many reasons she enjoyed planning campaigns with him; he was always in his element, supercharged and bursting with ideas. That is when he could manage not to lose concentration whenever a love song came on the radio that didn't make him all dopey and lovesick.

At the thought, Y/n felt a heat creep all over her skin as it always did whenever she thought about Will—but she knew it had nothing to do with her powers. It was just Will. And his innate ability to lift her spirits higher than the skyline while simultaneously bringing her back down to earth; A superpower all his own.

Just as it had happened only just the other night with Will, the lovesick gaze holding her hostage was broken when the other took notice.

"What?" Will whispered up to her in a funny smile.

The softness in his voice pulled Y/n back down and into reality where she was faced with the embarrassing truth of being caught. She shook her head with a simper, a mischievous idea blooming in her mind as one hand crept out of sight and curled around the discarded tinfoil hat he placed in the grass.

"Nothing," she whispered, shrugging. Y/n scrunched her nose as she put on a silly look of fake disgust. "Just getting tired of this ugly mug is all,"

She placed the tinfoil hat over his face where it wobbled, threatening to fall. Y/n smiled again, breathing a laugh through her nose as he laid there still. Oh, so easily she could imagine the unimpressed look now plastered on his face.

"Funny," came his muffled, echoed response.

"Right?"

"Suzie, this is—"

"Dustin!" Cried Max suddenly. Her frustration had been growing with every call and it was a wonder she hadn't broken yet. "Come on! She isn't there."

"She's there, alright?" Dustin argued. "She'll pick up,"

Will craned his head up to look at the disturbance and in doing so sent the tinfoil dunce cap tumbling off his face and back into the grass.

"Maybe Cerebro isn't working?" Will offered.

"Or maybe Suzie doesn't exist," wondered a greatly agitated Lucas.

"She exists!" Dustin defended, the pitch of his voice rising as he got more defensive.

"She's a genius AND she's hotter than Phoebe Cates?" Lucas countered. "No girl is that perfect."

Max shot up from her spot in the grass and cast down a look at her boyfriend.

"Is that so?"

Lucas is quick to back peddle and throws himself into a sitting position with a growing look of concern.

"I mean," Lucas stammers. "you're perfect. I mean, you-you're per—I mean like you're perfect in your special way—you're own special way."

Max finally releases the laugh she had been holding in and shakes her head. "Relax, I was teasing. I'm obviously perfect and Dustin is obviously lying."

"Max," Y/n sighs. Her eyes flickering sympathetically to her brother who is downcast.

But Max doesn't think much of it and climbs to her feet. She throws her hand out for Lucas to take and pulls him to his feet. "Come on, Don Juan."

Together they start down the hill, prompting the final couple remaining to follow as they pick up the pieces left behind.

"Where are you going?" Dustin calls out to Max and Lucas.

The redhead barely throws a look over her shoulders as they retreat. "Home,"

Y/n watches with great disappointment as they retreat down the hill. She finally broke away when Will offered his hand from where he was standing.

"Well, guess it's just us," says Dustin longingly, not yet realizing they too were heading out.

"Um," he checks his watch, wincing at the timing. Like his girlfriend, he sends Dustin an apologetic look. "it's late. I'm sorry."

Dustin doesn't bother to hide his disappointment, but Will perks up with a hopeful smile. "But maybe tomorrow we can play D&D?" He flashes a smile to Y/n. "We've been working on a campaign lately. We've been dying to show you, we think you'd like it."

Y/n nods eagerly. "Yeah, and maybe you can tell us more about Suzie?"

"Yeah," Her brother nods, sad eyes still locked on the grass and limply his shoulders rise in a shrug. "sure."

Will tries again, giving his friend an earnest smile. "Welcome home,"

Dustin nods again and Will begins down the hill. He looks back when Y/n's hand slips out of his own to see her lingering. "I'll catch up in a minute,"

Will nods and starts after his friends leaving the Henderson siblings alone. Dustin is the first to break the ice, his voice sullen.

"She is real, you know," he mumbles, head nearly sagging all the way to the grass.

"I believe you, Dustin," says Y/n. She gestures to Will's retreating form with a gentle smile. "We both do."

His mood doesn't lift but Dustin's gaze does curiously. He's surprised to find nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

"I'm sorry about today. I really am. We were really looking forward to it," pessimism flashes across her face. "well, I know Will and I were."

"Is that why you guys are leaving?" He can't help but ask bitterly, making Y/n frown.

"You know it's not like that," subconsciously she starts fiddling with her watch to take away from the worry that had been growing all day. Her gaze stays on Will and the longer it does the more obvious it is she's scared. "It really is getting late and... Well, honestly I think something's bothering him. Like there's something he's not telling me. I don't know, it could be nothing but I'd feel better if I saw him home."

"I guess I can't blame you for being careful with him. I just— I guess I pictured today going a lot differently."

Y/n nods. "I did too."

A small silence falls between them. It's filled with nothing but unsaid words and the melodic choir of crickets singing to the night sky.

"For what it's worth, I know I've been teasing you pretty bad but... I am really excited to meet Suzie. I'm sure she's great,"

"Thanks," For the first time since before the sun had set, Dustin's lips hook upward in a threat to smile. "She is..."

"Get home safe, Romeo," Y/n quips. When he sends her a soft 'you too' she decides it's gotten too chummy and impulsively she yanks his hat over his eyes, chuckling at the look on his face.

Dustin chuckles under his breath and eagerly fixes his hat just in time to watch Y/n scurry down the hill to catch up with Will.

"You too," he mumbles more to himself than anything.

He watches as Y/n casts one apologetic look over her shoulder and that's that. He now stands alone on the hill next to the homemade radio tower, watching sadly as everyone leaves. It's nearly enough to break the dam of tears he can feel collecting in his eyes but he perseveres.

And nearly jumps out of his skin when the transceiver comes to life. It angrily spits out static and Dustin throws himself to the ground, making a grab for the speaker.

"Suzie? Suzie is that you?"

A voice can be heard here and there; not the voice of his beloved Suzie but much deeper, and unmistakably Russain. He snaps himself out of his daze and makes quick work of doing his best to clear the interference. His assessment was right; the voice was Russian, and it calmly spoke a string of words he wished desperately to understand. And yet, no matter how confusing, he can't help but feel his skin crawl with excitement when he realizes...

Cerebro had just intercepted a top-secret Russian transmission. Arguably the most vital piece in the puzzle of what would come to be known as the most important summer of their young lives.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

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[writing-blog-iguess]

Nightmares (4)

Summery: (Y/N) Henderson disappeared when Will Byers disappeared. Knowing she’s in a strange place, all she can do now wait. Either for death or for someone to come find her.

Now out of the Upside Down, (Y/N) has to go through life like nothing has happened. But she can’t, with nightmares that won’t let go of her and the Upside Down threatening to force its way back into her life

Warnings: swearing. Spelling and grammar mistakes. Blood.

A/N: Will there be more parts? Yeah probably. I have a plan for this story and it goes into season three. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue this and end it here but I changed my mind last minute. I’m going to stick with my plan. Is it a slow burn? I feel like this is but I’m not sure. 

I hope you enjoy!

Part 1

Part 2  

Part 3

Masterlist

Taglist: @daddystevee

Without a moments hesitation, you and Steve stood and raced to the living room. Upon entering, Steve grabbed his bat as everyone grabbed the closet weapon to them. You stood behind everyone and grabbed Dustin and Max, pulling them close.

You were going to protect them, that much you knew.

As you stood, you stared at the door waited in anticipation for the monster to come. Everyone moved as the monsters did, still waiting for them to come. You're grip on Dustin tightened as they continued to screech.

"Ow dude," he whispered letting go. You shrugged not wanted to explain. When the screeching stopped, so did your breath. Just then something flew through the living room window and everyone had the bright idea to move forward.

"Freaking idiots," you breathed out but followed them all the same.

"Holy shit," Dustin whispered.

"Is it dead?" Max asked, Hopper had the bright idea to kick it.

No one relaxed just yet as they heard a sound coming from the door. Turning around, you put Dustin in front of you.

Okay, so maybe you were willing to sacrifice your brother. But to be fair, you weren't really in the right state of mind.

Chewing on the inside of your lip, you watched as the chain lock moved on it's own accord. And everyone with weapons drew them up to shoot whatever it was that was coming.

You stood paralyzed as you watched the door open to reveal a girl, no older then the party, walk in.

You weren't sure who she was but judging by everyone's look, she was important. Especially to Mike.

Realizing that the threat was gone, your knees gave out causing you to sit on the floor.

"(Y/N)!" Dustin called kneeling beside you, "are you okay?"

"Yeah Dusty, I'm fine," you answered as you rubbed your face. "Anyways, so who's Chief Hopper talking to?"

"That's El," Dustin answered, "she's the one who killed the demogorgan last tear. And told us that you were still alive."

"Oh, cool." Seemed to be the only thing you could say. If you had more energy, you'd probably something more. But you were tired and just wanted the day to end.

"I think we need to have a little talk," you heard Hopper day and looked up to see him drag Mike into a different room.

"Are you sure you're alright." Dustin asked again.

"Yeah I'll be fine. Why don't you say hi to El? You haven't seen her in a year." Dustin looked at you in concern offered him a smile, "I'll be fine Dustin I promise."

With a hesitant nod, Dustin left to join his friends.

You're shoulders slumped and sighed. This day could have gone a lot different if you had stayed home. But you knew there was no way in hell that you would leave your brother to do the fighting. And you figured that if you had stayed home, somehow, you'd be roped into this. So why not go willingly?

"You alright?" Hopper's voice rang from above you. Looking up, you saw him standing there with his arms crossed.

"I thought you were talking to Mike?" you asked, he only offered a shrug.

"Come on, lets talk."

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" you asked as you got up and followed Hopper.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, no you're not. Just want to talk."

Nodding, you walked into Jonathan's room and shut the door.

"You know, I thought you would have stayed away from all this. I'm surprised to see you here."

Shrugging, you looked at a poster that Jonathan has hanging up. "What can I say? I enjoy dying at every turn I make."

Hopper raised an eyebrow at you. You gave him a smile, with a shrug. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I didn't want to help, but there was this thing that Dustin brought home and then Steve got involved and the thing ran away. And now we're here."

Hopper nodded. "How are you doing since that day?"

You paused before you answered, unsure if you should tell him about the dreams.

"What's wrong?" He asked when you hesitated.

Sighing in defeat you answered, "I've been having nightmares about it. Some are memories and some aren't."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since the day I came back," you answered knowing you couldn't lie now that you told him. "And I didn't want to bother you with something I thought would go away."

"Clearly that didn't happen." You gave Hopper an annoyed look. He sighed and rubbed his face. "Sorry sorry. It's just been a long night."

"Tell me about it. We should probably go back in there and figure out what to do next."

"Mhm. I'm going to go back in there and figure out what to do next. You are going to stay in here and sleep."

"What?! Hopper you can't bench me!"

"Watch me." With that, Hopper left the room and closed the door.

Puffing out your cheeks, you went to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge and you had a feeling that he was holding the door closed.

"Go to sleep!" Hopper called from the other side.

"I would love to! But I know I won't be able to!" you shouted back.

"Well try!"

"Well try," you mimicked in a low voice as you turned around and plopped on Jonathan's bed.

"I don't sound like that," Hopper grumbled and all you did was giggle.

You had to admit, it did feel nice to have someone like Hopper to look out for you.

With running around all day and the lack of sleep the night before, it didn't take long for you to fall asleep. Which felt nice. To bad the dreams didn't stay away.

Groaning, you stared at the sky as you were laying on the road. This one felt different then the others. This was your new reality and you couldn't stop it.

It had felt like you gave up running, gave up living.

You weren't sure how to feel about it.

With nothing to do but wait until something happened, you stayed on the ground. You heard talking in the background which made you curious. You tried to get up but you couldn't. It felt like your body was made out of lead.

So you stayed there, straining your ears to listen. All you could make out is it was a group of people all arguing about something.

About what? You weren't sure.

After a few minutes, the arguing stopped and you assumed they've come to a conclusion. Which meant you were stuck laying there on the ground until you could move again. Or the demogorgon found you. You favoured the first option more then the latter.

Soon after, the voices started up again. And it seemed they were fighting over something. Which made you wonder if that's all they did was argue.

There was this one voice though that stood out and she sounded scared. That didn't sit well with you and you wanted to get up and protect her. It broke your heart that you couldn't move.

Soon after, a rumbling of a car sounded, seconds later a door slammed somewhere only confusing you more. The shouted started again and you felt the ground shake as a roar went of in the distance. Knowing that sound anywhere, you tried moving again. Tried to shout or something to let them know that their in trouble.

But you couldn't and all you could do was pray that it didn't run towards them but to you.

The roaring came closer, you closed your eyes not wanting to see it this time. Not wanting to see your doom.

You could feel it hovering above you like it was examining it's pray, feel the breath as it inched closer to you. You held your breath and waited and focused on the shouting in the background.

"(Y/N)!" Dustin's voice ran out as he slammed the door open, causing you to sit up frantically. "You need to come and help!"

He stay for an answer, leaving the room having you jump out of bed to run after him. "What's going on?" you asked walking into the living room. Looking around you saw Billy and Steve laying on the floor. Steve was bloody and Billy drugged? "Why is Hargrove and Steve on the floor? And what happened to Steve?"

"Long story short, Billy beat the shit out of Steve and Max drugged Billy and now we need your help to help El," Dustin quickly explained as everyone started packing up supplies.

"That told me jack shit, I hope you know," you said kneeling down to examine Steve's face.

"I'll explain it all later but right now we need to light something on fire. And we need your help to convince Steve once we get there." You shot your head up to look at Dustin and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I swear your slower then Steve," Dustin grumbled, as he and Mike tried to lift up Steve.

"That's an insult to Steve more then me," you said, helping the two boys. You half dragged and half carried him to the car. "And two, I'm sorry I wasn't awake for when shit went down. Hopper forced me to sleep."

"Still not an excuse."

"I'm glad your going to camp next summer. I'll be Dustin free for a month."

"Guys, now is not the time for some sibling rival or whatever," Mike interrupted before Dustin could get a word in. "We have shit to do."

With a final grunt, the three of you shoved Steve into the car and climbed in after him.

"Ah (Y/N), I thought you were going to drive?" Lucas asked, looking back at you.

"Someone's going to need to calm him down when he wakes up. And all three of you are shit a the whole calming down thing."

"Hey!" the three boys in question exclaimed, you only shrugged.

"Max can drive."

Once everything was in the car and everyone was seated, Max grinned and started the car.

As Max drove and Lucas directed her on where to go, you ignored everyone in favour of taking care of Steve's face.

It didn't look pretty, and you knew it was going to swell and bruise for a couple of days. So you held an ice pack you got from the Wheeler's and held it to his forehead.

Feeling him stirring, you looked down as he tried to make sense on what was happening.

"Hey Steve," you said gently causing him to look up at you in panic. "Hey hey hey, it's okay. You're okay."

"What's going on?" he asked, looking to see Max driving instead of you. Which caused a change reaction and everyone started freaking out causing Max to almost miss the turn.

Nearing the whole, Max rushed forward a bit and braked close to the hole.

"Incredible," Mike complemented.

"Like I said, zoomer."

Everyone piled out of the car, leaving you to deal with Steve. Sighing, you got out of the car and helped him out and made sure he didn't fall over at the same time.

"You okay?" you asked, Steve gave you a look.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" he asked back, continuing before you could answer. "Billy beat the hell out of me. The dipshits didn't listen when I told them we weren't going to set the damn thing on fire. That we were going to stay at the Byers'."

"Well if we stayed there, then Billy would eventually wake up and probably get the shit beat out of you again. And from what I understand, which is not a lot, that setting it on fire would help El in some way."

He was getting a little frustrated and you didn't blame him. You stood, watching as the rest of the party made their way down the hole. And it made you wonder what that was exactly.

"You did promise Nancy to keep us safe,' Dustin added from the back of the car. "So, keep us safe." He handed Steve his backpack.

Steve held it and watched Dustin walk to the hole and climbed down. "So," you started getting his attention, "what are you going to do?"

"Go and follow the dipshits apparently," he grumbled. "What about you? Are you staying up here or coming?" he asked softly. "It's probably the last place you want to be right now."

"You're telling me that's the fucking Upside Down?" He nodded. "Of course it fucking is. It seems like I can't run away from it."

"So, what are you going to do?" he asked again, watching you. You chewed your lower lip as you turned to stare at the hole.

If you stayed there was a chance demo-dogs would find you and kill you. And if you went, you'd be helping them with the same chance that they would find and kill you.

"Well! Are you coming?!"

Groaning as you came up with the answer, you grabbed Steve's hand and started pulling him towards the hole. "I'm so moving out of Hawkins," you mumbled to yourself.

"Hey," Steve said stopping you from going into the hole, "I won't let anything happen to you."

There goes you heart skipping a beat again. "Thanks, Steve."

"Holy shit," Steve whispered after jumping through the hole and looking around.

"Welcome to my world. Except this isn't as scary as my," you noted, jumping in after him.

"I'm pretty sure it's this way!" Mike called, pointed a flashlight towards the right.

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin asked.

"I'm 100% sure. Just follow me and you'll know."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, hey, hey. I don't think so," Steve said stopping Mike from going further. "Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit? From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go." With that he started walking, and everyone followed.

"Looks like I'm walking behind," you sighed.

Most of the way you there wasn't any trouble but you couldn't help looking behind yo every once in awhile. Just to make sure they didn't notice you were there.

At some point, you didn't notice Dustin stop until he started screaming. You all rushed back asking what happened.

"It got in my mouth! It got in my mouth! Shit!" He kept wheezing and coughing until it was all out. "I'm okay," he said looking up at you.

"You serious?"

"Very funny."

You rubbed your face and helped him back up. "Dustin, if this place isn't going to kill you. I will and that's a fucking promise," you grumbled, pushing him and everyone else to start walking.

"Wow, I can totally feel the sisterly love here."

"Shut up."

You kept moving until you got to the right spot and started drenching it with gasoline they collected at the Byers' house.

"I really hope after all this, I can put this behind me," you mumbled, walking back towards the entrance you came from.

"I hope so too," Steve replied, "for your sake."

You offered him a smile and made sure everyone stood behind you. You did not want them to get hurt doing this. "Alright, once it's on fire we run like hell."

They all nodded and said that they were all ready.

"Light 'er up," Dustin instructed.

Steve took out his light and mumbled, "I am in such deep shit."

"You are not the only one," you said under your breath and watched as he flicked the lighter on and threw it.

The moment the fire started, everyone jumped back. Watching for a moment as the vines danced in the flames as if trying to extinguish the fire.

"Go! Go!" Steve yelled and everyone got up and started running.

You hoped this worked otherwise this was all pointless.

You continued to run not stopping to breath until Mike tripped and fell.

"Help! Help!" he called. You turned around to watch as the vines started to wind its way around his legs.

"Steve!" you called running towards Mike. They run back and Dustin and Max grabbed onto Mike's arms, pulling him free.

It was then that a demo-dog find you. Growling, you all turned to look at it.

"Dart," Dustin said and you wanted to hit your forehead. Everyone started to shout at him saying it was a bad idea. Dustin raised an hand at them and said, "trust me. Please."

He slowly inched his way towards Dart, taking off his goggles. Hey. It's me, it's me. It's just your friend, it's Dustin." He knelt down and all you could do was watch. "You remember me?" he asked, Dart whimpered as if to say yes. "Will you let us past?"

Dart's mouth opened, knowing that meant no. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was my sisters idea."

"Wow, way to throw me under the bus," you said and was immediately shushed by everyone.

"But it was a pretty douchy thing to do," he admitted. "You hungry?" he asked, grabbing something from his pocket. "Yeah? It's you're favourite. See? Nougat." Holding the candy bar up fro Dart to see.

Dart growled softly, walking slowly to him as Dustin opened the wrapper and putting it on the ground. "Look at that. Yummy. Here, all right? Eat up buddy. Come on, come on." Dustin waved you to continue moving.

Slowly, you took turns walking around Dustin and Dart. You were last, wanting to wait for Dustin. "Come on Dustin," you whispered.

Dustin slowly got up and walked to you, only to turn around. Him and Dart stared at each other until Dustin said his goodbye and Dart turned around to eat.

With that, everyone started moving again.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Steve shouted just before the ground started rumbling. You stood still when you heard the familiar roaring.

"What's that?" Max asked. Everyone turned around towards the sound.

"They're coming," Mike said, "run! Run!"

But you couldn't, your feet wouldn't let you.

"Come on, (Y/N)! Let's go!" Steve shouted grabbing your hand and pulling you with him.

"There! There!" Lucas shouted seeing the rope hanging.

Everyone else was shouting but you couldn't listen. You couldn't do much of anything but follow Steve as your heart raced. And your thoughts chanting the same thing over and over. This is it. This is how you're going to die.

Getting to the rope, Steve let go of your hand and started helping everyone out. You and Steve were the only one's left.

"(Y/N), come on let's go!" Steve shouted but you could barely hear him. You were stuck in your own mind, not moving or feeling anything.

The roars were getting closer and Steve stood in front of you with his bat ready. You barely watched as the demo-dogs ran towards you. Once they rounded the corner, that's when the fear came seeping in and you crouched into a ball.

You didn't want to see them when they kill you, you couldn't.

You you closed your eyes and covered your ears and just waited.

But nothing came.

You felt them run past you and felt Steve grab you so they didn't run you over.

You stood up and clutched Steve's jacket, you watched in surprise as they continued to run past you.

"Eleven," Mike said softly. And you figured that's where they were going. To stop El from closing the gate.

When the rest of the demo-dogs ran past, Steve cleared his throat. You looked up and blushed at how close you were and let go. "See, I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he said with a smile. You smiled back with a nod. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said and helped you up.

You stood in front of Billy's car and shielded your eyes as the lights became brighter. Soon the lights dimmed, and you could relax a little.

"El, she did it," Mike said and everyone cheered.

You stood there just staring at the car. "Does this mean it's over?" you asked no one in particular.

No one heard but Steve. "Hopefully," he said opening his arms up for a hug. You smiled a little and stepped into his arms, wrapping your arms around him.

"Seriously guys," Dustin commented, "in front of us."

"It's a hug Dustin. Shut up."

A month after that night, everything was starting to become normal again. Some anonymous source leaked some information about the Hawkins lab, and you couldn't be happier to see it shut down. You had your suspicions on who it was but didn't care enough to confront them.

The party seemed to be adjusting to having Eleven back. Though they usually hung out at Hopper's so he could watch them. And when he couldn't, you did. Which of course you didn't mind.

Will was back to normal with no visions. And enjoyed being back to himself with the Upside Down not looming over them.

And you? You felt better then ever. The nightmares still came but not as often as they did. It did help to talk to someone. Whether it'd be Steve or Hopper or even the therapist you started seeing.

You're relationship with Steve was...something else. You two weren't dating but you hung out with him a lot over the past month. And you'd be lying if you said that you're feelings for him didn't grow.

You weren't sure if he still had feelings for Nancy and you didn't want to bring it up. Nonetheless, you were happy that you two were friends.

“Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!” Dustin exclaimed walking into the living room. It looked like he was on a mission and you could only roll your eyes from behind your book.

“Where did you see it last?” your mom asked, holding the cat you had gotten her for Christmas. You felt so bad about Mews that you went to the shelter the day following that night and adopted a new cat.

“Right in here where I put it.”

“What's in there that's so important anyways? You look fabulous, baby.”

“He's a growing boy Mom. I don't think he has to tell you everything,” you said. A smile played on your lips as Dustin nodded. “Besides, it's probably something for his hair.”

“Dude!”

“Am I driving you to the Snow Ball tonight?” you asked, ignoring the glare Dustin sent you.

“Nah, Steve's doing that,” he answered rushing back to his room.

Your heart jumped a bit when the door rang. That probably would be Steve.

“Sweetie, can you get the door?” your mom asked. You nodded and set the book down. Getting up from the couch, you walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, you opened the door.

“Hey Steve,” you answered giving him a smile. Steve turned around to face you and smiled back.

“(Y/N) hey,” he said in surprise. As if he forgot that you lived here too.

“Hey,” you laughed, watching as a blush crossed his cheeks.

“What are you up to tonight?” he asked, you shrugged.

“Nothing to wild,” you answered, “just staying in reading or maybe watch some Christmas movies. I'm not sure.”

“Not going to Tina's party?”

“Nah. I was never one for party's and I had enough excitement for awhile.”

Steve nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Cool.”

“Move loser,” Dustin said, pushing you out of the way so he can walk through.

“What did you do to your hair?” you asked, poking it. Dustin moved out of the way and swatted your hand.

“You have no room to talk. Your hair's always a mess.” You gasped and pushed him a little.

“You brat, that was rude.”

Dustin shrugged. “Maybe so. But it's still true.”

“You better run to Steve's car before I tell everyone you still sleep with a teddy bear.”

“Come on Steve! Let's go!” Dustin said, grabbing Steve's hand and dragged him to the car.

You laughed as Steve looked at you for help. You offered him a smile and a wave before closing the door.

“Did they leave already?” your mom asked as you walked back into the living room.

“Yeah. If Steve doesn't pick him up after I'll go.”

“Thanks sweetie. Well I'm going to bed, goodnight.”

“Goodnight Mom,” you replied picking up your book again.

At some point you fell asleep and woke up later to a knock on your door. Rubbing your eyes, you looked at the clock on the wall and wondered who was at the door.

Walking towards the door, you were surprised to see Steve standing there with chocolate. “Steve? What are you doing here?”

“I figured we could watch movies together. Or just hang out and eat chocolate,” he answered offering a smile.

“Uh, yeah sure,” you replied stepping aside for him to come in. You closed the door and walked to the living room.

Steve sat on the couch as you popped in the movie you wanted to watch early. “Do you want something to drink?” you asked after getting everything set up.

“Sure. Need any help?”

“Nah it's fine,” you answered and went to the kitchen. While in the kitchen, you had popped some popcorn while getting the drinks ready. “Though I need some help carrying everything into the living room,” you called looking at the bowl and drinks.

You didn't have enough hands for this. You heard foot steps and a set later Steve appeared in the doorway. You handed him the popcorn as you grabbed the drinks.

“Wait! We're missing something!” you exclaimed once everything was on the table. Steve turned to you with a raised eyebrow. You rushed back into the kitchen and came back with a bag of chips. “Okay, now we're ready.”

You snuggled under the blanket as the movie started. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn, you put some chips and chocolate into it.

Steve watched you and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“What? It's good,” you offered.

“Popcorn chips and chocolate?”

“It's sweet and salty. Don't knock it until you try it.” You offered him the bowl. With a shrug, he grabbed a handful and stuffed it in his mouth. “That was a lot,” you commented. Grabbing his drink you offered it to him.

He took it and drank once he swallowed. “You know, it's not actually that bad.”

“See?”

After that, you brought your attention to the movie. It didn't play for very long before the two of you fell asleep on each other.

“You guys suck!” Dustin yelled, slamming the door shut waking the two of up.

“Ah shit,” you mumbled rubbing you eyes.

“Yeah. You guys couldn't stop drooling over each other that you forgot to pick me up from the Snow Ball.” Glaring at you and Steve. You ignored the blush on your cheek and gave him a sheepish smile.

“I'll make it up to you on the weekend,” you offered.

“Damn right you will,” he said with a nod. “Than you can kiss your boyfriend all you want.”

“Go to bed!” you called throwing a pillow at him. Dustin laughed and made his way to his room.

“I should get going,” Steve managed to get out after a moment. You nodded and got up from the couch, walking him to the door.

“Thanks for coming over. You really didn't have to.”

“But I wanted to,” he said with a smile. “I wasn't doing anything anyways. And being with you was more fun then being at home by myself.”

You looked down making your hair hiding your face. “Well, thank you anyways. I had fun.”

“Me too.” Walking backwards, he opened the door letting the chilly air hit your red face.

Before he could close the door, you quickly walked over and kissed his cheek.

“Drive safe.”

“I will,” he stumbled out and closed the door in a daze.

You stood there biting your lip, just staring at the door. You couldn't believe you kissed him. Granted, it was a kiss on the cheek but a kiss nonetheless,

“You going to stand there looking like an idiot?” Dustin asked bringing you out of your thoughts.

“Shut up.”

“I'm just saying,” he said hands up in the air. “You act like an idiot every time you're around him.”

“And you're an idiot all the time,” you countered, making your way to your room.

So, maybe you do act like an idiot around Steve sometimes. Maybe one day you'll tell him. Until that day, you were fine with being friends.

Even if it meant getting teased by your little brother.