#i need more of max and billy laughing together
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Steve can see it in Max. That same loneliness and ache that he finds in himself. For him, itâs result of his parents leaving with no intent to return to him unless absolutely necessary.
He knows he was an accident. Or rather a mistake as his father used to call him when he was particularly angry. But it made sense to him. Steve's the reason his father had to marry his mother. He left him "trapped." And maybe no one says it out loud, but he can tell his mother feels the same way too.
But they must keep up appearances, right?
Which is what Max has been trying to do since Billy died, El moved away, and it's been just her and her mom. But she's been going about it through a different route - pushing people away all while pretending things are fine. But Steve sees the way she picks up the broken pieces of her mom and tries to put them back together - Steve's had to do the same thing before.
So, he starts sticking around a little longer. Offering her more rides to the arcade and around town to pick up groceries when she needs to. Sometimes he'll tell her about a new recipe he's been trying for a casserole and pick up the ingredients, pretending like the milk and butter he bought will spoil by the time he drives home from her trailer.
Of course, they both know it's a lie, but Max humors him and plays along. She'll let him cook dinner while she picks up the bottles her mom left on the floor, dumps out the overflowing ashtray, and feeds the dog. Usually, Steve will ask her what she's learning in school and linger a little longer than usual in hopes that she'll say more than the usual, "I don't know. A bunch of boring stuff."
But lingering has gotten a lot of things out of Max such as her love for Kate Bush, a story about El and how much she misses her, and short quips about Lucas before she gets a sad smile on her face. Steve doesn't really know what to say most of the time, but he hopes that just being there will help.
Unfortunately, lingering and just being there has led him to his current predicament of none other than Eddie "The Freak" Munson sitting on the hood of his car glaring at him as he walks out of Max's place. Steve jumps a little, startled by the figure on his car and becoming more hostile as he sees the expression on his face. He shoves his hands in his pockets and slows his pace. "Is there a problem?"
Eddie snorts humorlessly. "Christ. You're really going to pretend like there's nothing wrong with what's happening?"
Steve's brows furrow, entirely missing whatever point he's trying to make.
Eddie stands up and stalks toward him. "I see you, you know. Always lurking around when her mom isn't home. Coming out of her trailer late at night."
Steve laughs, finally understanding the absurd conclusion he's come to. "Jesus, man. You're delusional."
Steve doesn't expect it, but Eddie sharply shoves his chest and grits, "I don't fucking lie to me, Harrington."
Steve holds his hands up. "I'm not," he firmly states. "Nothing like that is happening here. I'm glad you're looking out for her, but it isn't like that."
"Do you expect me to believe that? Maybe this is why you're always hanging around Henderson and the other kids."
Steve crosses his arms and his jaw tenses. "I'm not a fucking pervert or a pedophile if that's what you're trying to say. I'm just looking after them."
"Why?" Eddie asks, dramatically opening his arms, "Why would King Steve adopt a group of misfits to take under his wing? See, the math isn't adding up."
Usually, Steve would just brush it off and tell the person to fuck off and mind their own business. But his parents have just left town again without leaving a note and Max had snapped when Steve tried to help her clean the place because it looked worse than usual, and he was just generally feeling like shit and angry at his parents and Max's parents for not being there. So he broke, "Because I don't want Max to end up like me! I don't want any of those kids to grow up without a role model. And god forbid if any of those other kids' parents fuck up, and theyâre left with only me. I need them to know that I'm there for them! Because sometimes it feels like whenever the world goes to shit, I'm the only one who is there, and I plan to stay there, okay?!"
He finishes his rant breathing a little heavier than usual and noticing that a few of the lights in the trailers have turned on around them. He looks around and awkwardly nods to the people glaring out their windows. God, he needs to get a grip.
When he turns back to Eddie, he notices the conflicted expression, jaw dropped, eyebrows knitted together, eyes searching him as if he's still wondering if he's lying.
A door creaks open behind them and Steve curses under his breath as he hears Max say, "Eddie, leave him alone. Do you really think I would hook up with my damn babysitter? Jeez."
"Language," Steve quietly lectures as the door swings shut. He runs his hands over his face and takes a deep breath. It's been a long fucking day.
A hand lands on his arm and tugs him away from Max's trailer. Steve glances up at Eddie, leading him across the way. "Where are we going?"
"My place," Eddie says.
"Why?"
"So we can talk."
God, the last thing he wants to do is talk to Eddie of all people, the guy he's been actively avoiding since Dustin started worshipping the ground - or rather tables - he walks on. But he lets himself be pulled away in the trailer and practically deposited on the couch in the living room.
He glances up and comments, "That's a lot of mugs."
"My uncle's, but that's not what I wanted to... Christ," Eddie says, pacing in front of Steve and tugging his hair in front of his face. The anxious display makes Steve feel even more tired, but he lets him pace. God, what is he even doing here?
"I'm sorry," Eddie blurts out. "I'm just..." he trails off and rushes over to grab a stool a few feet away before dragging it in front of the couch. He sits on it but his leg still holds that nervous energy as it rapidly bounces up and down. "I jumped to conclusions, and it was really shitty of me, man. I just... didn't believe what Henderson was saying about you and thought 'Oh, this makes way more sense than Steve Harrington being a good dude.' And I'm sorry to accuse you of that. And I... I didn't know about your... parents and stuff. Like I knew they were away a lot because of your parties but... I just never connected the dots. And I'm sorry. No one deserves that shit, man."
Steve doesn't know what to do this whole interaction, especially with it coming from Eddie Munson who he doesn't think he's ever talked to before this moment, but... he needs to hear it. God, he needs to hear it.
Of course, he can't let him know this, so he does what he's best at and brushes it off. "It's fine. You were just looking out for the kids. And really just ignore what I said back there, it isn't that big of a deal."
Eddie worries his bottom lip before he blurts out, "I know what it's like." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "I mean, I know what it's like to have... absent parents. But in my case, eventually, my uncle Wayne took me in, and I can only imagine if he didn't." He gives him a pointed look and lowers his voice, "Do you have someone like that?"
A big part of Steve wants to leave right now, and he knows there's nothing stopping him. But a bigger part of him needs to stay. Needs to talk about the emptiness in his house that he can never truly escape at the end of the day that he canât talk to anyone about. Because he's not supposed to be weak. He's supposed to take care of the others. So he admits, "No, I don't have... anyone like that. Except Robin but..."
"That's different," Eddie finishes the thought for him.
Steve nods. He loves Robin, but he loves her as a platonic soulmate and not as a parent figure in his life. "You know, I once had this basketball coach in middle school - Mr. Weston. And I remember looking up to him so much. I wanted to be just like him, and I would go to his office during lunch and ask him for advice or talk about dumb shit that my father would never talk about. But he never shamed me for my questions. And sometimes he even packed an extra dessert for me." Steve smiles at the memories and runs a hand through his hair, remembering the day he got the news. "But one time, when I went to his office, he had this look on his face. And I just knew it was bad news. And really, it wasn't bad news to him because his wife was pregnant. But she wanted to move a few states away to raise the kid closer to her family. And it wasn't his fault, you know? It wasn't like he purposely chose to move away from me, but I felt like I was abandoned again."
Steve wipes a tear from his eye and puts his head in his hands. "God, I don't know why I'm even telling you this story. Sorry."
"Don't apologize," Eddie says quickly. He pauses and shifts on the stool, his gaze being far away. "I remember him. He was one of the only gym teachers that defended me against all the shitty middle school bullies. He was a good person.â
Steve nods. God, he was a good person.
Eddie continues, âI'm sorry that he left. And I bet he still regrets leaving you behind."
Steve leans back against the couch and looks away, shaking his head. "I bet he forgot about me."
"You're kind of hard to forget."
Steve looks at Eddie and sees a slight blush on his cheeks as he shakes his head and waves his hands as if trying to make the comment go away. "What I mean is that there's no way he's forgotten about you. Someone who you used to have lunch with all the time to the point of giving you free food... Nah, man. He remembers you. I think you may have been as important to him as he was to you."
The thought breaks away at a wall Steve had built up long ago. "Thanks," he practically whispers.
Eddie just smiles at him, small dimples appearing on his cheeks.
"You didn't deserve it either, you know," Steve says. "The absent parent stuff. Even with Wayne, they should've been here too."
Eddie's smile falters a bit as he swallows and looks at the ground. "Thanks," he mumbles. He looks up at Steve and comments, "Getting sappy with Steve Harrington. Who knew."
"Yeah, getting sappy with Eddie Munson," Steve echoes back at him.
Eddie laughs, "I'm surprised you even know my name."
"You're kind of hard to forget," Steve says easily.
That same blush comes back to Eddie who shifts in his chair a bit as if he needs to process the information with his whole body.
They sit in the moment for a bit before Eddie gets a somewhat serious look on his face and offers, "You know, I'm definitely not a parent figure or anything, but I'm always here and around to talk about that whole thing if you need to."
Steve's heart beats a little faster at the sheer genuineness. "Same here," he can't help but offer in return. He glances down at his watch and sighs, "It's getting late, so I better..."
"Right," Eddie says, standing up and leading him to the door. "Do you need water for the road or anything?"
Steve smiles and pats him on the back without thinking too hard about it. "I'm good, man. But thank you. For everything really."
"Sorry for being an asshole," Eddie apologizes again.
"Usually that's my line," Steve accidentally voices before cringing a bit, wondering further why Eddie's been so kind to him.
But as he opens the door, Eddie comments, "I don't know. It seems like Dustin was right about the whole reformed jock thing. Maybe your crown really has fallen - which is a good thing by the way."
Steve slightly smiles at him before he turns to leave. But he can't help but say, "I wonder what the neighbors will think about me leaving your trailer so late."
Eddie groans then laughs. "Sorry to ruin your image."
"I wouldn't mind," Steve replies, honestly unsure what he means by that. "Goodnight, Eddie."
"Goodnight, Steve," Eddie says, that same blush on his cheeks, only this time Steve isn't sure if it's something he said or a result of the cold night air.
In bed that night, Steve feels a slight weight lifted from him and can't help but feel like heâs a little less alone.
#steddie#eddie munson#steve harrington#stranger things#steddie ficlet#leave it to Eddie to tell Steve the things he needs to hear#sometimes it just shakes me to the core when I realize how alike they are#like yes. they absolutely have their differences#but at the core they have similar experiences that they need to process#and really I think they need each other#because theyâre both so willing to die for others and see the worth in everyone but themselves#but put them together and that worth goes back and forth#I just see them learning a lot from each other#and itâs a really beautiful thing#ANYWAYS#hi guys. thanks for sticking through that massive tag rant thing đ
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i would love to know which of the crazy ass boys gang would indulge a partner who watches reality tv? whose getting just as invested and angry and who is standing to the side saying itâs dumb and fake? (i know itâs kevin)
⼠who grins and bares it so they can bond with you âĽ
Billy Loomis - This is just a bonding activity for Billy. Itâs not awful. Nor is it the most fun thing in the world. Itâs just one of those tiny moments that relationships are built off. The small bids for connection that build intimacy. You donât bitch when he wants to watch Psycho for the sixth time in two months. He doesnât bitch when you turn on trashy TV. He pulls you close, so that youâre sitting in his lap, or laid up against him, and pays enough attention to ask you the odd question or two to clarify whatâs going on if he gets lost. What do you mean they switch couples?? When did they start doing that? Last week⌠oh I bet Luca was pissed.Â
David Mccall - David is obnoxious because he pretends to be the type who is upset when you watch without him. Heâll come home, glance at the TV and gasp dramatically: Baby! Why are you watching our show without me?! How far along are you? You watched an entire episode? You know better than that, baby! You gotta rewind it, hold on, Iâll order us some pizza. Canât believe youâd watch behind my back! This is a ridiculous pantomime that you may or may not pick up on. Mileage varies as always. David couldnât care less about the reality TV shows you watch. But he likes the way you giggle as you rewind it for him. Or the way you light up when youâre discussing it with him. You used to spend way too much time talking with your friends about this stupid crap. Now you talk to him. Who gives a shit about whatever mindless little thing youâre watching. What David enjoys is your undivided attention.Â
Jason Dean/JD - JD also sees this as a bonding activity and bid for connection⌠However, JD is a born hater. He bonds by talking shit. Heâs not necessarily trying to be a bummer about the things you enjoy. Heâs just a certified yapper when it comes to shit-talking. If he thinks something is stupid he just canât sit in silence. This is his most underdeveloped life skill. Heâs got ten minutes of quiet in him max. If he does manage to bite his tongue his face gives him away anyways. So what was the point? Will say something pretentious like: âWhy are we watching people play out a badly scripted version of their lives through a screen when we could be out living ours, right now? Letâs hop on my bike and just ride, darling! Live a little!â Sir, I just worked an eight hour shift. I need to see someone who doesnât deserve a rose get sent home in tears. Read the room. Get a grip.Â
⼠who is pissed off/devastated when you watch it without them âĽ
Sebastian Valmont - What can he say? Sebastian likes to watch people experience psychological torment. Heâs trying to turn on the first seasons of âAmericaâs Next Top Model" and watch a girl get sent home in tears after the judges convinced her to shave her head bald to look more fierce.This is the type of quality reality TV that makes Sebastian laugh. Watching people go through their darkest moments in front of a camera that highlights the creases in their cheap makeup is how he likes to spend the occasional date night. You had to put him onto reality tv shows, but now heâs hooked. He probably watches more reality TV than you do. If weâre being honest. You think this might be how he gets to still live out his glory days of being an unrepentant asshole. Sometimes he sighs a little too wistfully when someone is being a monster.Â
Jordan Li - Jordan enjoys anything you do together. Even if they hate a particular activity, at least theyâre spending time with you. Still, there are reality TV shows that Jordan really likes, such as: home improvement shows, âSay Yes to the Dress'', âFace Offâ, âAmerican Ninja Warriorâ, and âRuPaul's Drag Raceâ. And then there are shows that Jordan puts on a brave face about. Things like âLove Islandâ and âJersey Shoreâ. Jordan gets queasy just scrolling past them. There was a time before they became one of Brinkâs favorites that their parents kept pushing them to try and be an entertainment Supe. No one is taking you that seriously, anyways! Maybe youâll do better in the reality TV circuit. Itâs unlikely Jordan will ever get stuck in projects like that now. Theyâve proven they can be a heavy hitter. Proven that theyâre strong enough to not need to sell themselves as cheap, easily-digestible, entertainment. Still, they donât like thinking of the alternate world where theyâre having to sit in front of a camera and do twenty retakes of âauthenticâ confessional room venting.
Stu Macher - He likes reality TV and doesnât care who knows. Hooray! A shared interest⌠except watching these shows with him will piss you the fuck off. He has dog-shit opinions about everything. You will never be rooting for the same people. You will never agree on who handled a situation better. Heâs always rooting for the asshole, it seems. You donât even think heâs doing it to be contrary or to make you mad. Heâs genuinely on their side (most of the time⌠he does enjoy making you mad.) Watching reality TV with Stu makes you want to kill him. It also makes you look at him funny. Why are you always siding with the bastards? You donât think Ekin-Su needed to apologize? Stu, are you out of your fucking mind?
Josh Washington - Youâre gonna try to tell me that the twins werenât making him paint toenails while they pulled all nighters of âThe Bachelorâ? Sure, okay, if youâd like to believe that. And his inner circle consists of Emily and Jess? Please. Heâs been watching trashy TV for years. Heâs watched a little of everything. He is so well acquainted with the dark underbelly of reality TV that it would roll over for a tummy rub from him. It knows his scent. He can easily keep track of the names, faces, and plots. Whoâs fucking who. Who hates who. Whoâs forming secret alliances. Youâll probably be more lost than Josh ever gets. Heâs a day one. Heâs an OG.Â
⼠who is pissed off to even be hearing about it second-hand âĽ
Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves - He has better shit to do than watch reality TV show crap all day, and so do you. These are the kinds of harsh words that will be waiting for you if you try and get him to watch anything fun with you. Ask him one too many times and, like a parent who is annoyed that you are bothering him, he will begin to fill up any moment of free time the two of you have with activities. No, babe, we canât watch â90 Day Fiance.â Why? Because weâve got to run the marathon for kids with cancer and then weâve got dinner with the mayor after that. You two are gonna be booked and busy. You were obviously bored. Now you wonât have time to even think!
Kevin Khatchadourian - Please donât remind him so blatantly of his own intellectual superiority over you (heâs an asshole.) He gets the ick of the century when you try and tell him what happened during one of your littleâŚprograms. If you have the audacity to take it a step further and ask him to watch with you? Heâs rendered speechless. Since when is this relationship a safe space? He doesnât enjoy well-written, heart-stopping, incredible genre-defining movies and television. And yet, somehow, youâre so delusional you think heâs gonna sit through reality television with you? Donât piss him off. He doesnât even bother responding. Enjoy the view of his back as he walks away!
⼠secret fourth worse thing âĽ
Nathan Prescott - Nathan is once again in a category of his own, which you might call: too nosy to not get into it, but doesn't want you to know he enjoys it. He made fun of you when you first started to watch reality TV. He canât go back on his word now. If you were cuddling on the couch heâd have his face turned into your stomach and dramatically roll his eyes at your absentminded head rubbing. Could we focus on whatâs important please? But then the plots started thickening and the heated exchanges started to pique his interest. He knew he was cooked when he started recognizing names, who was booed up with who⌠wait that disloyal prick hooked up with who this week?! He tells you to just replay the episode because youâre explaining it shitty and you obviously want him to watch it and talk to you about it. It isnât for his benefit at all. Turn the subtitles on, god dammit.
A/N: this was really fun! how did you know i've been watching reality TV shows lately?? if you enjoyed these headcanons consider reblogging, leaving a reply, or an anon! a writers fuel is engagement. xoxoxo
#crazy ass boys gang#black!reader#black reader#billy loomis x reader#jordan li x reader#josh washington imagines#nathan prescott x reader#jd x reader#jason dean x reader#stu macher x reader#sebastian valmont x reader#ben hargreeves x reader#kevin khatchadourian x reader#david mccall x reader#ben wants to tire you out like a mom who puts their kid in karate and soccer and gymnastics five days a week#this one made me laugh while writing it
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episode eight: the gate
âDrop me and die.â Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs. Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. âLike Iâd ever dream of letting you go.â This time, you know itâs his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain.
Summary: you encourage nancy to take your place (everyone is shocked), you and steve are the newest babysitters in town, billy ruins things as always, tunnels are weird when youre concussed, you remind jonathan of an old promise, and when the snowball comes you make your own promise with steve that you know you can keep.
Rating: general, although very violent
Warnings: use of y/n, fem!reader, intense violence and blood, weapons, monsters, probably more im forgetting
Words: 20.1k (no one speak to me)
Before you swing in: this is it ,,, the final episode of season two <3 this chapter was both the easiest and hardest one ive ever written. there are scenes in here that i put so much into, and im so proud of where everything landed. handling so many relationships and dynamics was so incredibly difficult, but i adore where they ended up. i hope you guys do, too :)
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âEleven,â
âMike.â
The two kids embrace, Mike holding desperately onto El as if heâs afraid sheâll disappear again any second, and sheâs holding onto him just as tightly as their tears mix together.Â
You watch them with a hand over your heart, your own tears spilling over. You canât believe this is real, that El is standing in Mikeâs arms alive and real.
The way they cling to each other brings more tears to your eyes. Itâs obvious to everyone how much they love one another. You think about the endless batches of brownies you baked for Mike, how many nights you spent in his basement standing watch, looking for any sign of grief, in case he needed you there to remind him that itâs okay to cry.Â
âIs thatâŚ?â Max asks Lucas, and he nods.Â
âSheâs back.â You exhale, feeling Dustinâs fingers slip between yours. He knows how much you missed El, heâs spent just as many nights keeping watch over you, reminding you to cry as well.Â
Mike pulls away, his eyes shining with tears. âI never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night forââ
â353 days.â El finishes for him, youâve never heard so much emotion in her voice. âI heard.â
You think about the nights you found Mike huddled underneath the fort he once built for El in his basement, clutching the radio to his chest, passed out from exhaustion. You never mentioned it to the boy, knowing heâd simply deny and tell you it was nothing, but hearing El confirm what you already knew still hurts.Â
âWhy didnât you tell me you were there?âÂ
You look around the room now, wondering the same as Mike, and then your eyes land on Hopper. While everyone looks surprised or confused at Elâs reappearance, Hopperâs face is one of resignation.Â
Everything clicks.Â
He knew.
Hopper sees that youâve pieced it together and steps forward. âBecause I wouldnât let her.â
You step forward as well so that youâre next to Mike, knowing that this will only upset him more. âYou knew.â
âWhat the hell is this?â The chief ignores you, now speaking only to El. âWhereâve you been?â
âWhere have you been?â Elâs eyes darken, but she immediately melts when Hopper pulls her into a hug. By watching their body language, you can tell that they love each other dearly, and distantly you remember hearing about the daughter Hopper once had.Â
Though youâre angry he hid El from you, youâre thankful they found one another in the end. Youâve never seen Hopper so tender with someone, and El seems to feel safe within his embrace, far from the skittish girl you found in the woods last year.Â
âYouâve been hiding her!â Lost in your thoughts, you momentarily forget about Mike, who launches himself at Hopper and punches the manâs chest. âYouâve been hiding her this whole time!â
Hopper flinches away. âHeyââ
âMike,â you grab his shoulders, knowing his anger will only do more harm than good, but he struggles against you as he tries to continue hitting the man. âWe can all talk about thisââ
âLetâs talk,â Hopper grabs at Mikeâs shirt, finally forcing the kid to stop. Then, looking directly at you, he adds. âAlone.â
You look at Mike, silently asking him what he needs from you. You know the two of them need to settle their differences, that he feels Hopperâs betrayal the deepest and you trust him to make his own choices. However, with one headshake from him, you would prevent Mike from being alone with Hopper in a heartbeat.Â
Mike knows this, he doesnât have to even have to ask what you mean when you gently nod your chin at him. Taking a deep breath, the boy sighs and nods at you, indicating that heâll talk with the cop.Â
You let go of Mike and gently push him towards Hopper. âHeâs all yours, but try not to kill him, please? I unfortunately like the kid.â
Hopper doesnât play into your words and promptly grabs the back of Mikeâs hoodie and marches him towards Willâs room. The door closes behind them, leaving you to deal with El.
Her nose is bleeding and she looks upset having Mike taken from her, thereâs an exhaustion behind her eyes that youâre all too familiar with. You wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into you. âCâmere, sweetheart.â
El leans into the kiss you press upon her cheek and closes her eyes, relishing in the tenderness after the night sheâs had. âMissed you.â
âAnd I missed you.â You place another kiss on her head. âThe hairstyle suits you, by the way.â
This seems to lighten the girl up a bit, who giggles and quietly thanks you as she wraps her arms fully around you now, securing you into a hug. You allow her all the time she needs to collect herself.Â
When you hear Mikeâs heartbroken screams at Hopper, calling him a liar, you squeeze your arms tighter around El. âTheyâll be fine,â you promise her, feeling the need to reassure her of this, though hearing Mikeâs screams breaks your heart.
You understand why Hopper hid El, it wasnât safe for anyone to know about her being alive, but Mike spent the entire year grieving for her. He lost a year of his childhood mourning the loss of a close friend, of someone he loves, and it isnât fair to expect him to accept this.Â
El nods at your reassurance before youâre suddenly shoved away from her.Â
âYouâre hogging the former dead girl, Y/N!â Dustin exclaims as he engulfs El into a hug.Â
Lucas flashes you an apologetic smile before hugging the girl as well, focusing his attention on her. âWe missed you.â
âI missed you too.â She responds, squeezing both boys tight.Â
âWe talked about you pretty much every day.â Dustin pulls away before pointing at you. âY/N usually just cried.â
You elbow your brother, causing him to wince. âYou say that like I donât normally cry over things.â
Dustin opens his mouth to argue, but suddenly Elâs fingers are pinching at his lips as she pries his jaw open. Your brother looks at you in alarm, and youâre too stunned to do anything besides watch in bewilderment.Â
âTeeth.â El finally says,
You giggle, while Dustin simply stares at her as if sheâs insane. âWhat?â
âYou have teeth.â
Dustin breaks into a smile. âOh, you like these pearls?â
When he makes an obscure purring sound with his mouth, you scoff at your brother and roll your eyes alongside Lucas. âPlease, never do that ever again.â
âEleven?â Max now approaches with a warm smile on her face, the most open youâve ever seen the girl, and extends her hand for El to shake. âHey, um. Iâm Max. Iâve heard a lot about you.â
El looks at you and tilts her head, which you assume means sheâs unsure what to do, so you step in. âMax is a friend, sweetheart.â
She eyes Maxâs hand, looks up at her again, before bypassing the girl completely and going straight into Joyceâs arms.
You frown, confused by Elâs unusual dismissiveness, and look over at Max. Her head is ducked down, embarrassed, and you make a mental note to remind yourself later to ask El what happened. Max is a good girl, they deserve to be friends and you know theyâd get along if given the chance.
Joyce cradles Elâs head and greets her with tears, and the girl responds the same. After theyâve hugged, El pulls away, her tears now ones of worry. âCan I see him?â
Joyceâs eyes flash to you, and the two of you seem to realize the same thing: itâs no coincidence that El arrived when she did. You think about what Dustin and the kids deciphered in morse code, Willâs hidden message.Â
Close the gate.Â
El is the only person you know can do it.Â
âGo take her to him,â you tell Joyce. âIâll catch everyone else up.â
The woman nods, her eyes appreciative, before gently guiding El towards Willâs room.Â
âIâm assuming Iâm âeveryoneâ.â Steve says as soon as Joyce and El have left.Â
You laugh, finally rejoining his side. âYeah, pretty much.â
âAlright, catch me up then. Who was the girl and why does she have a bloody nose problem?â
âHer name is Eleven, or El. Besides the Demogorgon, and Demodogs, did we ever discuss El?â
Nancy speaks up from the corner, timid. âI, uh⌠Didnât tell Steve a lot. We kinda just, weâwe didnât ever reallyââ
âI never let Nancy explain, and I was too afraid to ask.â Steve kindly saves Nancy, and something both you and Jonathan take note of.Â
âWell,â you clap your hands, dispelling away any remaining tension for both your sake and the kidsâ sakes. âEl has these powers, she can make things move with her mind, and when she uses them she gets nose bleeds.â
Steve stares at you. âOkayâŚâ
âMhm. Itâs just as insane as it sounds. Remember the whole Upside Down story Dustin and I told you about yesterday? Well, she can travel there and has a connection to it. With her mind. Somehow. I donât actually know the logistics of it.â
âYouâre doing great, bug.â Jonathanâs voice drips with sarcasm, but Dustin hits his chest to shut him up.Â
âThanks, Dustin. Anyways, El has these insane powers and sheâs the sweetest, softest person Iâve ever met. WeâŚâ your voice trails off now, still getting used to the fact that sheâs alive. âWe thought we lost her last year, when she killed the Demogorgon and helped bring Will back.â
âBut sheâs alive.â Steve concludes.Â
You nod, a natural smile spreading across your face. âShe is.â
âIf you say sheâs the sweetest person youâve ever met, then I definitely believe you.â
Steveâs words make you blush, the pure and honest way he says them, and both Dustin and Jonathan cringe. The two boys share a look, both for once on the same page in a long time, and make gagging motions.Â
You see this and flick both of their heads. âI know where you both sleep.â
Both boys stick their tongue out at you, and for a moment everything feels normal. Jonathan and Dustin are teasing you, Jonathanâs eyes are lit up, and your brother is carefree again.Â
Then Joyce returns to the living room with El and the mood becomes somber again.Â
They stand over the kitchen table, El stares down at the piece of paper with the âclose gateâ on it, and Joyce asks the question youâve all been wondering. âYou opened this gate before, right?â
âYes,â the girl responds as you and everyone else now join her and Joyce.Â
âDo you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?â
El looks between you and Joyce, her gaze stony and resigned. You wonder what else sheâs gone through to put such a void within her; like all the other kids, she no longer has a sweet naivety to her.
Then, slowly, El nods.Â
âÂ
âItâs not like it was before. Itâs grown. A lot.â Everyone stands in the kitchen, circling around Hopper as he explains exactly what the gate now is. âI mean, thatâs considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs.â
You grab Dustinâs shirt and yank harshly at it. âDonât you dareââ
âDemodogs.â
Hopper looks at him, sighing. âIâm sorry, what?â
âPlease just ignore him.â You plead with the officer, knowing heâs already in a bitchy mood.Â
Dustin doesnât pick up on the anger, though. âI said, uh⌠Demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs.â
âOh my god,â you groan, rubbing at your temples. Youâve heard this explanation of the word play a million times within the last twenty-four hours. If you have to hear Dustin explain what Demodog means one more time, you think you may murder the kid.
Dustin, unfortunately, continues. âYou put them together⌠it sounds pretty badassââ
âHow is this important right now?â Hopper snaps at the boy, which only makes you more annoyed.Â
You put your hand up at the old man, closing your fingers together to mimic a mouth being shut. âOne more aggressive comment to the thirteen year old and I will show you that Nancy isnât the only one who can shoot a gun.â
âUh, Y/NâŚâ Jonathan nervously mumbles, unsure what Hopperâs reaction may be.Â
However, the chief simply raises an eyebrow at you, stares you down for a few seconds, before finally seeming to decide that heâs impressed with your bold comment. âIâll make sure to remember that.â
âI can do it.â El suddenly voices from the other end of the table.
âYouâre not hearing me.â Hopperâs shoulders slump. You can tell by his now defeated stance that he has yet to win an argument against El, something that youâre incredibly proud of her for.Â
âIâm hearing you. I can do it.â
âEven if El can, thereâs still another problem.â Mike speaks up, looking around the table to ensure everyone is listening. âIf the brain dies, the body dies.â
Max frowns. âI thought that was the whole point.â
âIt is, but if weâre really right about thisâŚâ
âWill,â you breathe out quietly with dread, understanding where Mike is going with this.
Mike continues explaining. âI mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayerâs armyââ
âWillâs a part of that army.â Lucas finishes as he looks over at you, now knowing why youâve just exhaled the boyâs name with grief.Â
âClosing the gate will kill him.âÂ
Jonathan tenses at Mikeâs words, and you place your hand against the back of his neck in a grounding manner. You can feel his rapid heartbeat against your hand, even from this position, and you play with his hair to try and soothe him.Â
Heâs terrified of what may happen to his little brother, once again struck with pure terror that he could lose him. Youâre not sure how many more times Jonathan can grieve his brother without losing a piece of himself.
Steve, standing on your other side, sees the way your fingers intertwine in Jonathanâs hair. The same way they did earlier with his own hair as you hugged him.
He frowns, looking away.Â
Everyone else falls silent as well, Mikeâs words hang in the air. Your gaze shifts to Joyce, who has a deep frown on her face, and before you ask her what sheâs thinking, she stands up from the table. âFollow me.â
No one says anything as you all follow the woman to Jonathanâs room, where Will lays motionless on top of the bed youâve slept in for years. His body is stiff, the hospital gown swallows him, and the sight disturbs you.Â
You walk over to the boy and kneel next to the bed. Itâs in your nature to take care of Will, you do this without even thinking about it. Stroking his forehead, you place a kiss against it as you watch his mom in the doorway.
âHe likes it cold.â Joyce mumbles, eying the open window in the room.Â
âWhat?â Asks Hopper, standing behind the woman.Â
Joyce looks over at her son now. âItâs what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold.â Then, as her voice grows stronger, she walks over to the window and slams it shut. âWe keep giving it what it wants.â
Nancy and Jonathan walk over to you now, the girl remains standing while Jonathan kneels down next to you. The two of you take turns caressing Willâs forehead as Nancy starts to speak. âIf this thing is a virus, and Willâs the host, thenâŚâ
âThen we need to make the host uninhabitable.âÂ
You turn to Jonathan, not at all liking what heâs saying. âWhat does that even mean? Heâs a kid, how do you make a childâs body uninhabitable?â
âHe likes it cold.â Nancy says, as if that explains everything.Â
âButââ
Joyce clenches her jaw and spits out, âWe need to burn it out of him.â
Everything about what Joyce has said makes your stomach twist. You look down at Willâs body, at how small he still is despite a year of trying to get him to recover, and his pale skin is almost translucent in the bedroomâs lighting.Â
You hate everything about whatâs happening, but you hate the way Will looks lifeless even more.Â
If making his body uninhabitable can save him, then you have to try; youâll simply be there to pick up the pieces when itâs done, as you always are.Â
The kids begin planning now.
âWe have to do it somewhere he doesnât know this time.â Mike says.Â
âYeah, somewhere far away.â Dustin adds on.Â
âLast I checked, none of us have a hidden hut in the woods.â You say, at a loss for where else to possibly take Will. Then, Hopper clears his throat and shifts his weight. âOh, no fucking way. You would have a hidden hut in the woods.â
âItâs a cabin.â Hopper corrects with annoyance, though thereâs a slight glint in his eye as he looks at you. âJoyce and Jonathan will take Will there.â
âWell, go show them the cabin, then.â
Jonathan grabs your hand. âYouâre not coming with?â
As if thereâs a string tugging at the back of your head, you turn around and catch Steveâs eye. Heâs standing in the doorway, eyes alert yet sad, and you know with everything within you that you canât leave him behind.Â
Not when he was shaking in your arms only twenty minutes prior.Â
Steve doesnât want to be alone, especially not when youâd be leaving him behind with Nancy after itâs become clear that sheâs with Jonathan now.Â
Now, as Jonathanâs open and expecting eyes stare into yours, you do something youâve never done before. Something youâve needed to do ever since you were twelve and grabbed the boyâs hand on the Wheelerâs porch that fateful night.
You let go of Jonathan.Â
âI canât,â you tell him, the words of denial feeling foreign on your tongue. Youâve never told him no before, never left him behind, but saying the words isnât as difficult as you once feared. âIâll stay with the kids, Iâm better with them anyways.â
Jonathan watches you, his eyes trace over your face again and again as if drinking it in for the very last time. When he seems to find what heâs looking for, he takes a deep breath and nods. âYeah, okay.â
His understanding of everything you donât say almost makes you take it all back, but you donât. Instead, you squeeze his hand and nod towards Nancy. âWhy donât you take Nance?â
Something shifts when you say this, you know Jonathan feels it as well. Thereâs an ease within the shift, almost akin to a soft exhale in Decemberâs cold. It parts you with a gentle farewell, strokes your cheek as it departs, and you can faintly see its outline as it floats away.Â
A thread, one that has tugged within your chest in a painful ache since last year, finally loosens.Â
Nancy looks at you, her eyes wide. âMe?â
âMhm,â you nod at the girl, a kind smile on your face.Â
Itâs a monumental shift, youâre willingly encouraging Nancy to be next to Jonathanâs side rather than you. Itâs an exchange of powers, trusting her to take care of the boy you love so dearly.Â
For once, it doesnât feel like youâre tearing off a piece of yourself. Instead, youâre simply sharing the weight of it, of this trust, rather than losing it.
âI⌠I think Iâll stay here.â Nancy finally says, looking away in shame.
You donât blame her, you know she carries a weight of guilt within her for things she couldnât control. Thereâs a lot you want to say to her, a lot you have to say to her, but for now you simply nod at her, understanding. âThen Iâm happy youâre here.â
And you mean it.
Steve, still quietly standing in the doorway, sees everything. He felt the shift, too.
âÂ
âYou should go with him.â Steve picks up a spare heater, he and Nancy have been sent outside to retrieve whatever they could find from the Byersâ yard.Â
The shift weighs heavily upon him. Your words ring in his ears.Â
Nancy spares Steve a glance. âWhat?â
âWith Jonathan.â He bends down to dig through some old Christmas lights, and seeing them reminds him of you. Everything reminds him of you. âY/Nâs right. You should go with him.â
âNo, Iââ Nancy scoffs, uncomfortable. âIâm not just gonna leave Mike.â
Steve thinks about you, about how youâre always the one who stays. âNo oneâs leaving anyone.â He walks over to Nancy and helps her with a radiator sheâs struggling with. âI may be a shitty boyfriend, but⌠I realized Iâm actually a pretty damn good friend and babysitter.â
Though he never says your name, Nancy can feel it hang over the two of them. The unspoken confession that itâs because of you that Steve now accepts what has happened between them. It strikes her then, how different he is now. How differently you and the girl came to know Steve.
Nancy stares at him, her eyes are filled with more remorse than heâs ever seen from the girl. It hurts, seeing her so upset, and he wishes that things couldâve been different. He recognizes now that they didnât stand a chance, though heâs happy they tried anyways. It was always going to end like this between them.
Steve doesnât hold any anger towards her, he doesnât hate her, because he still loves her.Â
How could you possibly fault the person you love for finding their own love?
âSteveâŚâ His name comes through as an apology.
âItâs okay, Nance.â Steve means it, he gives her the same blessing that you did. Sheâs allowed to be happy, you both want her to be happy, and you have each other to lean on now. âY/N and I will be okay.â
He leaves Nancy standing there.
âÂ
Youâre waiting to say goodbye to El, standing patiently behind Mike as the two of them make promises about coming back. Itâs sweet, watching them, until they slowly start to lean in for what you fear is a kiss, so you intervene.Â
âHate to ruin the moment, but Iâd like to say goodbye to El, too.â
Mike glares at you. âCouldnât wait five seconds?â
âA five second kiss is shameful, Wheeler.â
El giggles softly and pulls you into a hug. âI will be careful.â
You kiss her cheek. âCome back this time, okay?â
âI will.âÂ
Hopper calls the girl over to get in the car so they can leave, and you quickly run over to Jonathanâs car before he can get in.Â
When he sees you approaching, he extends his arms out and pulls you in as he always does. No words are needed, he simply holds you so that youâre chest to chest and he can feel every breath you take. âIâll come home to you.â
You bury your face in his neck, inhale the scent youâve come to associate with your childhood and warm, sunny days. âI love you.â
âI love you, too.âÂ
The words ease between the two of you, finally warm after months of being cold.Â
Nancy then appears, and when you notice her you break away from Jonathan. âI see youâre joining?â
âI am.â She nods. âSeems I have you to thank.â
You smile and grab her hand. Your grip is firm, but sincere. âDonât make me regret it, okay?â
Your words are teasing, but Nancy senses the undertones of a warning. Jonathan is your best friend, she has always known this, and she knows how much weight has gone into your trust for her. Nancy understands that youâre giving her something precious to you, and she will forever be indebted for it.Â
âI wonât.â She promises. âAnd good luck with Steve and the kids.â
âOh, Iâll need it.â You laugh, and any remaining tension that has hung over you and Nancy finally disappears.Â
Once Jonathan and Nancy get into the car, you stand on the porch with Steve and everyone else as you watch the cars drive away.Â
âÂ
 You poke around the Byersâ kitchen for some food; your stomach has been rumbling for hours and youâre sure the kids are hungry, too. However, like usual, you come up with nothing. As you dig through a cabinet, Dustin walks into the kitchen and starts clearing out the fridge.Â
âWhat are you doing?â You ask, knowing that this canât be for anything good.Â
Dustin doesnât answer, continuing to carelessly throw racks of food onto the floor.
âHey, stop!â As you walk over, Steve suddenly comes rushing in, holding a very dead, and very disgusting, Demodog.Â
âIs this really necessary?â
âAbsolutely not.âÂ
Dustin groans at you. âCâmon, Y/N! This is absolutely necessary, itâs a groundbreaking scientific discovery.â
âIt is a dead creature, from an alternate universeââÂ
âWe canât just bury it like some common mammal, okay? Itâs not a dogââ
âOh, so now itâs not a dog after youâve stated a million times that itâs a Demodogââ
Steve steps in between you and Dustin. âAlright, alright, enough!â He begins to shove the Demodog into the fridge before you can stop him. âBut Dustin, youâre explaining this to Mrs. Byers, alright?â
âYou both are idiots,â you mumble, watching as Steve and Dustin pathetically try to make the giant Demodog fit into the fridge. âIâm leaving.â
Youâre seriously starting to regret their friendship.Â
However, you know when to pick your battles, and as you watch the two boys try to maneuver the body into the fridge, you know that this is not a cause worth fighting for.Â
Instead, you exit the kitchen and instruct the rest of the kids to start cleaning the house. Itâs a mess, glass shattered everywhere from the dead Demodog and papers thrown haphazardly around during the morse decoding.Â
The mess will only add more unneeded stress to Joyceâs life, so as Lucas and Max groan at you for making them do work, you stand your ground and shove a broom into their hands.Â
âYou suck, you know.â Lucas grumbles, but Max hits his shoulder and holds the dust pan as he sweeps.
As they get to work on the shattered glass, you figure itâs best that you call your mom before you forget again. You know sheâs probably worried sick about you and Dustin for disappearing so suddenly without a word.Â
However, when you walk over to the wall where the phone normally is, itâs gone.Â
âHey, uh. Where did the phone go?â You ask Dustin, who has finally left the kitchen. âI need to call mom.â
âOh, Nancy threw it when it rang. She went kinda berserk.â
You look towards where Dustin is pointing and see the phone, in fact disconnected, on the ground across the room. The sight makes you snort. âGuess she really likes throwing phones, huh?â
Your brother doesnât understand the joke. âWhat?â
âNevermind,â you shake your head. Thereâs no use explaining to the boy about a quick, five second moment from last year. Nancy had done the exact same thing when Steve had tried to call the cops when the Demogorgon originally attacked you.Â
Dustin mumbles something about your blood loss making you delusional, but you ignore him and begin sweeping the hallway. You order him to help, and soon the two of you are cleaning the Byersâ home.Â
Youâve just finished sweeping when you notice Mike pacing around the room. Heâs anxious, that much is obvious, and whenever he begins to pace: trouble soon follows. Heâs brewing up a plan, you can feel it.Â
After the fifth time the boy has paced the room, Lucas has finally had enough. âMike, would you just stop already?â
âYou werenât in there, okay Lucas?â Mike stops pacing. âThat lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs.â
âDemodogsâoomph!â Dustin corrects, only to be cut off by your hand clamping over his mouth.Â
âSay it again, I dare you.â You warn him before turning towards Mike. âLook, I know itâs nerve wracking, but all we can do right now is trust Elâs abilities and wait.â
Lucas nods. âYeah, the chief will also take care of her.â
âLike she needs protection.â Max quips from the floor, dustpan still in hand.
You feel a hand place itself on the small of your back. The weight of the palm is starting to become familiar to you, the length of the fingers and the way they splay across the span of your back are slowly becoming recognizable.Â
Without turning, you know that Steve has joined you.Â
âListen, dude,â he says in a placating voice to Mike. âA coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?â
You wince. While youâre impressed that Steve is trying to intervene and reason with Mike, you know immediately that his approach will fail. Trying to reason with the kid using a sport analogy is like trying to explain magic to a mathematician.Â
âOkay, first of all, this isnât some stupid sports game.â Mike rolls his eyes, which you expected. âAnd second, weâre not even in the game. Weâre on the bench.â
âRIght! Soâso my point⌠My point isâŚâ Steve stumbles over his words and Mikeâs unwavering insistence. When he canât think of a better response, he lets out a defeated sigh. âYeah, weâre on the bench, soâuh, thereâs nothing we can do.â
You pity Steve, honestly. It takes years of careful analyzing and strategic planning in order to prepare yourself for an argument against Mike Wheeler.Â
Patting his shoulder, step in to help. âWhat Iâm sure Steve means is that while we may be benched, that doesnât mean we canât keep the homefront secure.â
âThatâs not how sports work, Y/N.â Steve whispers obscenely loud, but quickly shuts up when you glare at him.
âStupid sports analogy aside, thereâs nothing we can do besides keep watch here and wait for everyone to return.â Even though you know youâre saying the right thing, that itâs best you follow Hopperâs order of staying put, even you donât believe the words youâre saying. âWe may not be able to help right now, but later, I promise we will be the best damn homefront ever.â
Dustin clears his throat. âThatâs not entirely true.â
You turn to him and a sigh escapes you when you see the plan already forming behind his eyes. âI canât argue with you, can I?â
âNope.â
âGreat, go on then. Share with the class what youâre thinking.â
âI mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind.â Dustin begins. âWhen they ran away from the bus, they were called away.â
Lucas thinks about this. âSo if we get their attentionâŚâ Â
âMaybe we can draw them away from the lab.â Max concludes, and you take a second to marvel at how seamlessly sheâs integrated herself into the party.
However, you then remember what Lucas said. âWait, what do you mean by âget their attentionâ? Why do those words scare me so much?â
Mike talks over you. âWe can clear a path to the gate.â
You have a multitude of questions and Steve seems to be thinking exactly what you are when he loudly exclaims, âYeah, and then we all die!â
âThatâs one point of view.â
âDustin, thatâs quite literally the only way to look at it.â You flick his hat and he swats your hand away.
Steve points at you, nodding in agreement. âThatâs a fact.â
âThanks, Steveââ Mikeâs body slams into yours as he runs past you. âChrist, Wheeler!â
âI got it!â The boy shrieks, running out of the room as he wordlessly instructs everyone to follow. He kneels in front of the fridge and points wildly at one of the pictures Will has drawn. âThis is where the chief dug his hole, this is our way into the tunnel.â
âInto? What do you mean into?â
Mike shoves past you again and runs into the living room. âHere, right here.â He stands in the middle, where all the pictures have interlocked together to form a center. âThis is like a hub. So, you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fireâŚâ
âFire?â You shriek as Steve quickly follows with, âOh, yeah thatâs a no!â
Dustin, however, is on board with what Mike is planning. âThe mind flayer would call away his army.â
âTheyâd all come to stop us!â Lucas waves his arms madly at you, as if saying this will get you to agree to the plan thatâs forming.
You throw your hands up in surrender. âLook, I recognize that we could maybe do somethingââ
âHey!â Steve looks astonished that youâre even considering this.Â
âI mean, if we can help then I donât see why we canât justââ
Mike shakes your arm now, deciding that your hesitation is an agreement. âWe then can circle back to the exit! By the time they realize weâre goneââ
âEl would be at the gate!â Max now also is looking at you. âCâmon, Y/N. You have to admit that itâs a solid plan.â
You bite your lip. It is. Thatâs the problem with the Wheelers. They come up with these insanely dangerous and insane plans, yet theyâre also always brilliant. You know itâs risky, Hopper could barely even explain the tunnels to you without shaking in fear, but⌠Whoâs to say that the Demodogs wonât simply go after Will and Jonathan at the cabin? Or kill Hopper and El before they even reach the lab.
Itâs obvious you canât just sit here and wait.Â
El has to close the gate, that much is certain, and because of this: you have to help her. You have to help everyone, keep them safe.Â
âItâs a solid plan,â you finally breathe out, and all the kids start to cheer.
âI knew you were my favorite sister!â
âDustin, Iâm your only sisterââ
âHey! Heyââ Steve pushes himself in between you and the kids, clapping his hands to break up any further conversations. âHey! This is not happening.â
Mike tries to argue, âButââ
âNo, no, no!â Steve places his hands on his hips like a disgruntled father. âNo buts. I promised Iâd keep you shitheads safe, and thatâs exactly what I plan on doing.â
You donât like the way Steve is speaking to the kids, commanding them as if heâs their parent. âHey, no. We arenât doing that.â
âDoing what?â He looks at you, eyes wide as he quickly gathers that heâs upset you. The fight in his voice is gone, replaced with quiet guilt.
âWe donât ever command the kids, not like that, anyways.â You step away from them and pull Steve aside with you to give the two of you some privacy. âLook, I know you promised Nance youâd take care of them, but I also promised Jonathan. We have to help, Steve.â
His face twists with confliction, and the two of you are caught between what Nancy wants and what Jonathan wants. They both want the kids to be safe, but they have different viewpoints of how they expect you and Steve to do so.
Nancy wants to keep her brother out of it, Jonathan wants to save his brotherâs life.Â
âY/NâŚâ Steve breathes out, begging you to change your mind.Â
The confliction on his face hurts to look at, you hate that youâve made him feel this way, but you can only shake your head at him. âIâm sorry, but weâre doing this.â
âYes!â Mike rushes over to you and surprises you with a hug. âThis is why I keep you around!â
âOkay, no.â You push the kid away and hold him by the shoulders to ensure he listens to you. âThat doesnât mean I think we should all go down into the tunnels. Iâll go, and Steve will stay here with you guysââ
âWhat? No! Youâre not going down there by yourself, Y/N.â Steve doesnât understand how you would expect him to ever let you do that. âWeâre all on the bench, okay? Weâre waiting for the starting team to do their job.â
âThis isnât a stupid sports game.â Mike groans in annoyance before focusing his attention back to you. âAnd no one in the party gets left behind. If you go, we all go.â
The sincerity in Mikeâs voice warms you. Heâs defending you, protecting you how youâve always protected him, and youâve never been more impressed with his bravery; itâs because of this, his bravery and admiration for you, that you know you have to go into the tunnels alone.Â
It would kill you if Mike got hurt, if any of the kids got hurt.Â
Steve sees the way your eyes shine at Mikeâs words and his stomach twists. He knows he canât change your mind about going alone, he knows youâd never, ever let anyone get hurt. That youâd lay down your life for these kids and those you love.Â
The bloodied cloth wrapped around your rib cage reminds Steve that heâs a part of it all now. You have laid down your life for him.
And heâs never, ever going to let you get hurt because of him again.Â
Steve steps forward and gently grabs your arm, he needs you to understand how much your selflessness terrifies him in this moment. âY/Nââ
The revving of an engine cuts him off.Â
Itâs a familiar sound. Youâve heard this car before. The sound of it has seared itself into your memories. The hair on your arms stands up, and within seconds Max is at the window, looking out in fear.Â
âItâs my brother.â Maxâs voice is terrified. Not even in the junkyard, when Demodogs had been raining down on you and the kids, had you heard such terror in the girlâs voice. âHe canât know Iâm here.â
Youâre at her side in a heartbeat, tugging her away from the window. Youâve seen the way Billy acts around Max, you remember the harshness he displayed in the parking lot. The same harshness that left bruises on your waist when he had you pinned against the wall on Halloween. âI wonât let him touch you.â
Your words have a bite to them. Max hears the oath within them, she has never believed anyone when theyâve told her this. âHeâll kill me. Heâll kill us.â
âHe wonât.â You promise her, trying to control the pure rage you feel because of her brother. He can do whatever the fuck he wants with you, but heâs hurt Max for the last time.Â
Steve watches your exchange with Max and feels his hands clench into fists. Anger fizzes through his body. As you console the girl, your eyes meet his and he nods. With one simple head movement, the two of you have silently agreed to do whatever it takes to ensure that Billy never hurts Max ever again.Â
â
âAm I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?â
Youâre standing behind Steve.Â
Billy hasnât seen you yet.Â
âYeah, itâs me. Donât cream your pants.â Steveâs hand tightens around your arm as he guides you further behind him. He doesnât like that youâre here with him. He hates the way Billyâs eyes roam over your body without any shame.Â
But you insisted on coming outside, and Steve has never been able to tell you no.Â
You step out from behind Steve and force your hands to rest by your side in nonchalance. âGod, I was hoping youâd be allergic to milk.â
Billy raises his eyebrows when he sees you; youâve surprised him. âWhy, itâs always a pleasure seeing you, sweetheart.â
Steveâs clenched fists only tighten when he hears Billyâs nickname for you. He hates the implications behind it, the way he says it with such sickly sweetness that leaves Steveâs stomach feeling raw.Â
He canât imagine how you feel whenever you hear it, and it only makes Steve hate Billy more.Â
âItâs never a pleasure for me.â You cross your arms as Billy now stands in front of you and Steve.
The teen laughs darkly and eyes Steve up and down. âWhat are you doing here, amigo?â
âI could ask you the same thing⌠Amigo.â His voice carries an air of indifference, but you know that tomorrow there will be indentations in Steveâs palms from his fingernails.Â
âLooking for my stepsister.â Billy lights a cigarette and smirks at you. âA little birdie told me she was here.â
âHuh, thatâs weird. I donât know her.â
Billy smirks at Steveâs words and motions over to you. âYeah, but this little lady does.â
âMax isnât here.â You say, forcing your anger down to play along with Steveâs indifference. âHave you checked the quarry? A lot of kids like to hang out there.â
Smoke surrounds you as Billy responds, âDonât know what the hell youâre talking about, Henderson.â
With every dodged question, youâre only angering the teen more. If you and Steve keep this up, youâll only make everything harder to manage. You try to think of something to distract Billy, but all you know about him is that heâs a sleazy pig with a cigarette addiction.Â
Then, it hits you.Â
His weird fascination with you.Â
If you use it against him, maybe you can get him away from the Byersâ house long enough for Steve and the kids to leave.Â
You step closer to Billy, ignoring every part of you that screams in rejection. Youâre covered in blood and your hair is probably a mess, but you bat your eyelashes anyways and quirk your head up at Billy with an innocent smile. âI could show you, if you want.â
Just as you hoped, your sudden interest in him catches Billyâs attention. He presses his chest against yours and looks down at you, a pleased smile on his face. âAnd what would you be showing me, sweetheart?â
âThe quarry, silly.â You giggle, trying not to gag at the reek of cigarette smoke. âItâs secluded⌠No one really goes down there. Itâs, wellâthis is embarrassing.â
You duck your head down and act as if youâre blushing. Billy takes the bait and uses his fingers to lift your head up to look at him again. âGo on, tell me.â
You make a show of biting your lip. âWell, itâs where every teen in Hawkins goes to⌠Be alone.â
Billyâs eyes darken again, even more interested in what you have to say. He leans down, his lips inches from yours, and you know you have him right where you want him.Â
Please, you think. I just want to protect the kids.
His breath fans across your face and heâs about to agree, to have you lead him away and forget all about his bitch of a sister, when Steve roughly pushes him away from you.Â
âMax isnât here, man.â He spits out, his once controlled anger now spilling over the edge.Â
You want to scream at him, you almost had Billy. He was seconds away from agreeing, and the stupid idiot pushes him away from you?Â
Billy looks between you and Steve and lets out a low chuckle. âSorry, Harrington. Forgot that sheâs yours.â
Steve moves as if to hit him but you quickly grab at his jacket, stopping him. Billy sees this and laughs again.Â
âYou know, I donât know⌠This whole situation, Harrington.â He shrugs, exhales more smoke. âI donât know. Itâs giving me the heebie-jeebies.â
âOh yeah, whyâs that?âÂ
Youâre silent, hand still clutching Steveâs jacket.Â
Billy exhales more smoke. âMy thirteen year old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you in a strangerâs house, alongside Y/N Henderson, the townâs darling, all bloodied and bruised. And you lie to me about it.â
From an outsiderâs perspective, you hate how much Billy makes sense.Â
To anyone else, this would look incredibly incriminating against Steve.
Yet, Steve still tries to deny it all. âMan, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?â
âIâm assuming he was.â You voice, looking nervously at Billy as he seems to grow more and more volatile.Â
âI donât know what you donât understand about what Y/N and I have told you. Max isnât here.â
Billy leans in close to Steve and points with his cigarette towards the house. âThen who is that?â
You and Steve turn, and your heart drops when you see Max and the boys all quickly duck their heads out of the window.
âShit,â you breathe out, knowing itâs over.
You really hate those kids sometimes.
âListen,â Steve tries to make up some excuse, but Billy roughly shoves him to the ground.
âI told you to plant your feet.â Bully sneers as he looms over him. You try to help Steve up, but youâre pushed aside as Billy then stomps on Steveâs ankle with a sickening crunch that makes your own wounded ankle sting.
As he storms towards the house, you quickly help Steve up, He pushes you away. âIâll be fine, go help the kids!â
âButââ
You canât just leave Steve while heâs hurt, but every time you try to help him up, he bats your hand away.
âGo!â
From inside the house, you hear the kids start to scream, and you reluctantly leave Steve behind and run inside. When you enter, Billy already has Lucas pinned against the wall as all the kids scream at him to let the boy go. Lucas is hitting at the teenâs chest desperately, but nothing is working.Â
âStay away from her.â Billy spits in the boyâs face, who is paralyzed with fear.
âLucas!â You all but throw yourself onto Billyâs back as you begin hitting and pulling his hair. Anything you can think of, you try, but itâs no use. With Billyâs size and build, youâre nothing but a fucking bug to him.Â
âI said get off of me!â Lucas kneels Billy in the groin, sending you and the teen flying back, but at least heâs let go of Lucas.Â
You let go of Billy and place yourself between him and the boy, your breath comes out ragged. You donât know what youâre supposed to be doing. All your mind can think of right now is protecting the kids, but in the midst of screaming and exhaustion and blood loss, you canât think of anything.Â
Billy tries to get to Lucas again, his teeth bared with fury. âYouâre so dead, Sinclair. So dead!âÂ
In your exhaustion and fear, you call out for the only person you can think of. âSteve!â
Heâs at your side in a heartbeat, quickly looking at you to make sure youâre okay, before he flings Billy away from you and Lucas. âNo, you are!â
Steveâs punch lands perfectly, with a precision far from his pathetic punches thrown last year against Jonathan. Itâs incredibly hot.
Billy begins to laugh in a manic manner that frightens you, but all of his attention is now on Steve, so you use this opportunity to drag Lucas over to the rest of the kids and make sure everyone is okay.Â
You trust that Steve has everything else handled, but you make sure to keep an eye on him anyways while you take care of the kids.Â
âAre you okay?â You check Lucas over for any injuries, who numbly nods as heâs still in shock, while Billy screams something about always wanting to meet King Steve.Â
âGet out.â Despite Steveâs leveled voice, his tone is vicious.Â
Billy swings again, but Steve manages to duck just in time before he lands yet another punch to the boyâs face.Â
âYes!â Dustin shouts with glee, but you remember the fight from last year. How Steve had lost miserably against Jonathan. A boy half of Billyâs size.Â
While youâre impressed with Steveâs fighting improvement, youâre not sure how longer heâll be able to keep this up. When more punches land on Billy and all he does is laugh menacingly, you know you donât have a lot of time left.
Youâre fucking terrified.Â
The kids are still cheering Steve on when you turn to them, panicked. âYou guys need to leave. Now.â
âWhat? But Steveâs winning!â Dustin says as Steveâs fist connects with Billyâs jaw.Â
The sound makes you feel sick.Â
Youâre pleading now, terror clawing at your throat as you do so; your words slur together. âLeave, sneak out, andâand go through the front door and hide. Get help, okay? Just, go and find someone while Steve and I handle thisââ
The sound of glass breaking against Steveâs head alerts you that your time is up.Â
Billy hadn't been fighting back before. But now? Heâs angrier than youâve ever seen him.Â
As Steve stumbles back in pain, you try pleading with the kids again. You donât want them to see any more of this, of what might be about to happen. This isnât just some fight between two teen boys. You know Billy better than that.Â
Heâs out for fucking blood.Â
âDustin, take everyone outside now!â
âWe canât just leave you!â Mike shouts and the others all nod.Â
You want to cry. âWe donât have time for this, justââ
âShit!â Dustin knocks against you as he dodges a punch meant for Steve.Â
Steve crashes into the Byersâ bookshelf and youâre practically shoving the kids out of the door so that you can go and help, but they refuse to leave you and Steve behind.Â
Billy has Steve by his jacket. âNo one tells me what to do.â
With a sickening thud, he bashes his head into Steveâs and sends him flying to the ground.Â
âSteve!â Thereâs blood pooling from his head and youâre gripped by fear so intense that youâre afraid youâll pass out any second.Â
Billy is relentless, now standing over Steve as he lands punch after punch. Every time his fists slam against Steveâs face, you feel them land against yours as well. Billyâs screaming like a fucking maniac and none of the kids are listening to you and Steve is getting bloodier by the second.
Youâre torn.Â
Dustin and the kids are staring at you, eyes wide with fear, and the front door is open; you could take the kids and run, but Steve is lying motionless on the ground.
Itâs either him or the kids.
And yet itâs the easiest decision youâve made all night.
âGet off of him!â You throw yourself onto Billyâs back for the second time tonight.Â
You yank at his hair and try to scratch his face, but within seconds Billy throws you over his shoulder. âYou demented bitch.â
Your head catches on the edge of a coffee table and you land with a thud on the ground. Almost immediately you feel blood drip from your eyebrow and you groan. Fuck. Definitely another concussion, but when you look over at Steve, he looks worse than you feel, and you force yourself to get up.Â
Billy watches as you pathetically try to stand, and he laughs with cruelty. âWhat, want some more, sweetheart?â
More blood drips down your face and you feel the scratches on your rib cage re-open. Every bone in your body aches, but you pull out your switchblade and extend its knives. Your fingers skim over the engraving on its handle, reminding you to use the weapon with love.Â
âThis is your last chance.â You clutch at your side, hoping you look more intimidating than you feel. âLeave my family alone.â
Billy sees your knives and laughs at you. âAm I expected to believe that youâd actually hurt me?â
Your grip tightens around your switchblade. No one ever believes that you could be so cruel, so vicious. Billy is looking at you as if youâre some pathetic little girl, as if you havenât killed Demodogs and Demogorgons. Heâs looking at you as if you arenât the sole reason everyone you know and love is alive.
You were once told to use the switchblade with love, that there was never any room for love when it came to violence.Â
Now, as the kids are screaming at you to run and the pool of blood around Steve continues to grow, the onslaught of love that is always within you overtakes the fear.Â
âI warned you.â With one quick movement, you swat at Billy and cut deeply into his shoulder.
He lets out an enraged scream and instinctively his fist goes flying. Pain erupts in your left eye and you know that youâll have the worst time ever trying to explain to your mom later how you got a black eye.Â
âFuck!â You groan, dodging every other punch that Billy throws your way as he starts to approach you. With one eye quickly swelling up and the other blinded by blood, you do your best to stumble away from Billy, but itâs no use.Â
Your foot catches on the carpet and almost as quickly as you fall, Billy is right there to wrap his hands around your throat and squeeze. You inhale sharply and panic overtakes you as you claw at his hands, drawing blood from him as well, but his fingers only tighten.Â
âY/N!â Dustinâs vocal chords strain from how loud he screams your name.
Billy seems to get a kick out of hearing your brother plead for your life, and he squeezes even tighter as you flail. âNot so tough now, are you?â
You struggle to free yourself, to do anything, but you canât.Â
For the first time since Will went missing, you truly believe that youâre about to die.
Steve is practically dead on the ground below you, heâs bleeding so much from his head that youâre terrified heâll never wake up, and the kids are defenseless as they scream with tears in their eyes.Â
Your baby brother is about to watch you die.Â
Spots begin to form in your vision and itâs getting harder and harder to move your limbs. To make them do as you command.Â
You know itâs your brain shutting down from the lack of oxygen.Â
I hope Jonathan doesnât blame himself.
Your world fades to black.Â
Billy screams.
And you feel your body drop to the ground.
âÂ
The first time you wake up, itâs to Dustin huffing as he tugs at your arm. âGod, youâre heavier than you look.â
You promptly pass back out.Â
The second time, itâs dark outside and you register that youâre cold, but your eyes sting and youâre out again.
You wake up a few more times, always in a daze, and never more for a few seconds at a time, before the feeling that youâre moving wakes you up for good.Â
It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the dark, your left eye barely even opens, and the pounding in your head is blinding in itself. Blinking a few times, you look down and finally notice that Steve is sprawled on your lap. Youâre in the backseat of someoneâs car.Â
Your head is resting against someoneâs shoulder. When you try to lift it to see who it is, you feel someone gently guide your head back down. âShh, itâs okay. Donât move too fast, alright? Donât want you yacking on us.â
âDustin?â You immediately regret trying to speak. Your voice comes out hoarse and raw and the pain is so intense that it only makes your head pound more.
âRight here, sis. Try not to speak, you sound like a frog.â
You try to sit up again, forgetting that Steve is sprawled on top of you, and your movements cause him to wake up. When his eyes manage to blink open, he tilts his head at you and mumbles, âNancy?â
âWhaââ Again your voice cracks and you feel so delirious. Are you Nancy?
Steve attempts to wipe away the blood on his face but Dustin stops him with a gentle chiding. âNo, donât touch it.â
Steve brings a shaky hand up to your face and carefully rests it against your cheek. âYouâre⌠Youâre bleeding.â
Dustin puts the hand down. âHey, buddy. Y/N is bleeding, good job. Youâre bleeding, too. Itâs okay though, you put up a good fight. I mean, he kicked your ass but you put up a good fight.â
Your brotherâs words ring in your ears. Heâs saying so much and youâre trying to swallow down the vomit that threatens to spill out.Â
âOkay, youâre gonna keep straight for half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.â A voice rings out, one different from Dustinâs.Â
Was that Lucas?
âWhatâs going on?â Steve slurs, trying to process everything happening. He blearily looks back up at you. âWhoâs driving?â
âNot me,â you manage to croak out.
A beat of silence passes.Â
Then, at the same time, you and Steve realize: Max is the one driving.Â
Youâre more awake now and you try to say more, but your throat has swollen shut from speaking and it feels like itâs on fire.Â
Thankfully, Steve is here to say everything you canât. âOh my god!â
âJust relax, sheâs driven before.â Dustin reassures, slapping your hand away when you try to reach over to the driverâs side.Â
âYeah, in a parking lot.â Mike says, and you notice heâs also here now.Â
âThat counts.â
You want to scream at Max to pull over and demand the keys from her, but your bruised throat prevents you while your bleeding rib cage traps you in. While you canât say anything, all Steve can say is, âOh my god.â
âThey were gonna leave you guys behindââ
âOh my god.â
âBut I promised that youâd be cool, okay?â Again Dustin slaps your hand away and all but shoves his leg over you so that you remain seated.Â
Max then presses down on the gas pedal and the car increases its speed, which only makes the entire situation worse.Â
Steve, rightfully, freaks out. âWhoa, whoa, whoa! Whatâs going on? Stop the car, slow down!â
You twist in your seat and blindly grab at Steveâs hand, both thanking him for voicing all that you canât and also to try and prevent the poor boy from passing out again.Â
âI told you heâd freak out! At least Y/N shut up!â Mike shouts over at Dustin.Â
While youâre flattered that youâre officially cooler than Steve in Mikeâs eyes, if you had a functioning throat right now, youâd be letting out some very choice words.Â
âStop the car!â Steve screams again, but the little rainbow bandaids on his cheek take away from his commanding nature.Â
You hope that Dustin at least chose some pretty bandaids for your face.Â
âEverybody shut up! Iâm trying to focus!â Again, Max doesnât at all help the situation at hand.Â
âWait, thatâs Mount Sinai. Make a left!â Lucas points to where Max needs to go and you wonder why they trusted the girl, who just moved to Hawkins a week ago, to know where to go.Â
âWhat?â
âMake a left!â Lucas screams, and Max quickly yanks the car to the left.
You, Steve, and the kids all scream as she hits what you hope is a mailbox. As the car jerks, you topple onto Steve and let out a painful, weird mix of a croak and shriek as the car continues to turn. Dustin tries to steady himself against you as he screams and Steve fully grabs your waist and uses you to shield himself from danger.
What a hero.Â
Then, you almost go flying out of the windshield as Max suddenly stops the car.Â
âHello!â Steve exclaims, gripping you tightly still.Â
Dustin giggles. âWhoa!â
âIncredible,â Mike breathes out.Â
Meanwhile, you think your heart fell out of your ass about five blocks ago.Â
âI told you. Zoomer.â Max smirks with pride.Â
âShe terrifies me,â you whisper, and Steve nods in agreement.Â
The kids begin getting out of the car and seem to have some unspoken plan being set into motion. Dustin pats your shoulder before leaving you behind with Steve as the others go towards the trunk.Â
Not knowing what the fuck is happening, you kick Steve so that he falls off of you and onto the grass so that you can follow after your brother. When you get out the car, you march over towards where all the kids are standing and silently demand an explanation.Â
Mike notices you first. âWhat? Cat got your tongue?â
You refrain from shoving his face in the mud and point towards the goggles heâs holding. He sighs and hands it to you while Dustin ties a bandana around your neck and Max grabs a gallon of gasoline.Â
Seems like theyâre sticking to the plan from earlier, then.
When Steve realizes this, as he is gripping onto the car for dear life, he whines. âOh, no. Guys.â
Everyone ignores him and he continues to try to stop whatâs happening. You hobble over to him, a new wave of nausea and pain washing over you, and lean against him helplessly. Thereâs no use trying to explain to him that the party wonât listen. For now, you simply relish in his presence and enjoy how he feels against you.Â
âWe are not going down there right now!â Steve, though gentle to not jostle you around too much, waves his hands in the air as he screams at Max. âI made myself clear. There is no chance weâre going to that hole, alright?â
Similar to last year, Steve begins to spiral in his fear. He wraps his arms around you and places you against the car before he runs over to Dustin and throws that backpack thatâs in the kidâs hands. âThis is not happening!â
You slowly walk over and grab the thrown backpack, hoping that Dustin can reason with the teen.Â
âSteve, youâre upset. I get it, but the bottom line is that a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance.â When you join Dustinâs side, he helps you put the goggles on and brings your bandana up over your mouth. âNow, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe. So keep us safe.â
He hands Steve the backpack you retrieved.Â
Steve looks between you and your brother. You both look absolutely ridiculous in your get up, and he knows he has no other choice but to agree. His eyes meet yours and he silently asks if youâre sure about this, he will always look to you for the answers.Â
You nod, hoping that the small head shift is conveying what you physically cannot say.
Iâm here, the kids need us, and I need you with me.
Steve hears it, sighs, and grabs the backpack from your hands.Â
âWell, letâs get going.â He motions for you and Dustin to lead the way.Â
âÂ
âI got you,â Steveâs voice is soft as his hands graze your waist. Heâs standing below you, already having jumped into the tunnels so that he can help you climb down the rope safely. Youâre not sure if itâs his touch, or the way his voice drips with promises to protect you, or the simple fact that youâre bleeding and bruised that makes your body weak.Â
âDrop me and die.â Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs.Â
Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. âLike Iâd ever dream of letting you go.â
This time, you know itâs his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain.Â
âAhem.â
Turning around, you see Dustin glaring at you and Steve while Lucas is stifling laughs. You roll your eyes at them and step away so that you arenât standing so close to Steve, and he seems to think the same and distances himself as well.Â
âHoly shit,â Steve breathes out, now finally examining the tunnels.Â
It takes your breath away as well. The tunnels are terrifying, but oddly kind of cool. Thereâs a dim light within them, almost ghostly, and yet itâs beautiful in a way that you canât quite describe. Small particles float through the air, and you reach your hand out to feel them against your skin. It tickles, akin to snowflakes, and the reminder makes you yearn for winter again.Â
Mikeâs flashlight distracts you as he shines it towards a random section of the tunnel. âYeah. Iâm pretty sure itâs this way.â
âYouâre pretty sure, or youâre certain?â Dustin asks, doubtful.Â
âIâm 100% sure, just follow me and youâll know.â
As soon as Mikeâs declaration of leading leaves his lips, you and Steve share and look and immediately stumble towards the boy.Â
Like hell youâre letting him lead. Heâs a child, and heâs also incredibly horrible at navigating. Last time you let him guide the way, you ended up finding El in the middle of the woods.Â
âWhoa, whoa, whoa!â Steve flashes his light at Mike. âI donât think so.â
âWhat?â
âAny of you little shits die down here, Iâm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?â Steve takes the map from Mikeâs hands and then looks over at you. âI guide, you take the rear?â
You nod. âGood luck.â
Steve smiles, his sarcastic bravado now gone, before he suddenly clears his throat once more and shouts. âFrom here on out, Iâm leading the way while Y/N makes sure none of you idiots get lost. Come on.â
The kids groan and roll their eyes at him, but they fall into line and do as theyâre told.Â
Dustin walks in front of you and offers you his hand. He knows the uneven terrain will only increase the chances of your ankle acting up. âHowâs the ankle?â
âHurts,â you rasp, accepting his hand as you hobble along. He hums and helps you navigate, the goggles covering his nose makes him sound nasally. âDid I put up a good fight at least?â
Your throat strains to get all the words out, but Dustin seems to understand what youâve said and laughs. âYeah, you did a much better job than SteveâWhat the hell?â
Dustin stops walking and suddenly looks up. Unsure what heâs seen, you look up as well and gasp. Above you rests a giant flower-bud looking thing, except itâs pulsing in a very concerning and gross way and is the size of a car. When it starts to expand even larger, you realize before your brother does what itâs about to do; you tug at his hand and try to run away, but Dustin doesnât move.
Then, in one grand blow, the bud explodes and releases what you can only imagine are pollen spores, and they spray all over Dustin. âShit!â He falls to the ground, screaming and rolling around as if heâs just been shot, and all you can do is stand there and silently wait for him to calm down enough for you to talk to him. âHelp! Y/N, help!â
You motion to your throat, but Dustin gags and scrambles to stand up before promptly falling back down again in his haste.Â
Steve and the others have now joined and everyone is crowding over your brother with worry. âDustin? What happened?â
âPollen.â You croak, and Steve looks even more confused now.Â
âItâs in my mouth!â Dustin spits onto the ground and coughs, wheezing every few breaths. âSome of it got on my mouth. Shit!â
Mike points his flashlight at you. âAny more useful insight from Kermit the frog?â
You glare at him, although the nickname is funny and you hate that itâs clever. You clear your throat, cringe at the sting it sends down your body, and respond, âRose-bud thing. Exploded. Heâs fine.â
Everyone tilts their head at you, not at all understanding what youâre trying to say, and you groan. Itâs incredibly frustrating that Billy left you unable to say a goddamn thing without immeasurable pain. You honestly wouldâve preferred that he stab you or something, because your intelligence and wit are so crucial to who you are as a person.Â
Plus the whole Kermit the frog thing kind of sucks, regardless of how funny it will be later.Â
âIâm fine.â Dustin gasps out. âAs Y/N said, a rose-bud thing sprayed me.â
âYou guys serious?â Max shakes her head, at a loss for why sheâs even here.Â
âVery funny, man.â Steve looks at you and teases, âAnd Y/N, I expected more from you.â
You give him the finger. âDustin, not me.â
âMhm,â heâs starting to walk away again, resuming his leader position through the tunnels, but he sends you a wink. âCâmon, Hendersons.â
The rest of the kids follow after him while you help Dustin up and wipe him off. Heâs a mess, and heâs clearly still frightened, but he seems reassured by your presence and begins to calm down. When heâs ready, you and Dustin follow.
The tunnels are long, windy, and incredibly disturbing to be in. You canât believe that something this intricate and vast has been laying underneath Hawkins for god knows how long. The ground beneath your feet is squishy and it takes both Dustinâs hand and immense concentration to not trip.Â
Steve leads, his flashlight serving as a beacon to focus on despite the pounding in your head. The bandana tied over your nose only makes the ringing in your ears worse, but youâll leave inhaling mysterious Upside Down particles to your brother.Â
After a few minutes of walking, youâre starting to fear that the poorly drawn map from Mike really is just a poorly drawn map. Then, Steve stops. âAlright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub.â
You flick your flashlight around and your eyes widen. Itâs huge. In the center lies a mound of what you hope is just mud, but you see a bone or two stick out from it and look away. To your left, thereâs easily five or six more tunnels, each varying in width and height, and to your right is the same.Â
Seeing how vast the tunnel system is, youâre thankful for Mikeâs genius little brain.Â
âLetâs drench it!â Except the vigor in his voice frightens you and you consider that he may be the worldâs next mad scientist.Â
However, a plan is a plan and youâve already made it this far, so you set to work on spraying the area with gasoline. Between you, Steve, and the kids, within minutes youâve created the worldâs most flammable labyrinth.Â
When youâre done, Steve guides the kids back towards the exit and you make sure everyoneâs behind the two of you. He kneels, flicks out his lighter, and turns to everyone. âAlright, you guys ready?â
âReady,â Max and Lucas say.
Dustin tightens his hand around yours, preparing to help you run as fast as you can with your ankle. âLight her up.â
Steve flicks his lighter open. âI am in such deep shit.â
âTogether.â You nudge him with your shoe, and even though his face is hidden, you know he smiles.Â
He takes a deep breath, winds his arm back, and flings the lighter into the center of the hub.Â
Immediately everything bursts into flames. In the blaze, the strange roots that had been lying dormant on the ground now come to life as they flail against the heat. They twist and whip around, writhing in pain. The tunnels themselves almost seem to come to life as it writhes in pain.Â
âGo, go, go!â Steve yells, pushing everyone back to start running.Â
You stay behind with him, making sure all the kids have started to run before you finally let Dustin tug you along as well. The boy is screaming, hopping and dodging roots as best as he can while squealing, âOh my god, oh my god, oh my god!â
Steve takes the lead now, having somehow memorized the way out. âLetâs go!â
Youâre disoriented. Dustinâs hand is gripping yours so harshly and itâs taking everything within you to keep up, but your ankle throbs and your left eye has only continued to swell from the punch earlier. Itâs becoming increasingly difficult to follow along, and in your disorientation you lose track of Mike.Â
When he falls, everything within you snaps back into focus. You tear your hand from Dustinâs and youâre at Mikeâs side in a heartbeat, but already the roots have started to wrap around his leg; he screams. âHelp! Y/N, help me!â
Your hands shake as you reach for your switchblade, adrenaline runs through you so violently that you feel lightheaded. Mikeâs screams are the only thing keeping you grounded right now. As he panics, you roughly grab his shirt and force him back before you start to hack at the root with your knives.Â
âPull him back!â Steve instructs the kids, who have now joined. âY/N, watch out!â
You have just enough time to cut through one root before dodging Steveâs bat as he hits at the other. It takes a few swings, but with one final blow, you and the kids are able to pull Mike free and help him stand back up.Â
âYou good?â Lucas pants, patting MIkeâs shoulders for any injuries while Dustin asks, âYou okay?â
You pull Mike into you and quickly hug him, damning whatever time constraint you currently have against you. Your hands are still shaking, which Mike feels, and he gives you a quick pat before pulling away. âGlad you care, butââ
âWe gotta go!â Steve steps between you two, bat still in hand, when a growl erupts from behind him.Â
Dustin shoves everyone behind him before you can stop him. Heâs recognized the growl before you have. âDart.â
The Demodog growls again. Heâs bigger than ever before, now practically fully grown. His growth distracts you long enough to miss Dustin slowly starting to approach him. When you do, you immediately try to stop him.Â
âDustinââ Fear overtakes you.
âSteve, hold her back.â He orders. âJust trust me, okay?â
Steveâs arms wrap around you and you try to fight back. âNoââ
âY/N,â he whispers into your ear, keeping an eye on your brother as well. âIf you freak out now, Dustin will get hurt.â
Heâs right, you know heâs right, but your brother is only a foot away from Dart now and heâs now smaller than the creature. One wrong move, and heâs dead.
Dustin kneels in front of Dart and you feel your heart drop. You donât dare breathe as he takes off his goggles and mask and leans in closer to the creature. âHey, itâs me. Itâs just your friend, itâs Dustin.â
Dart slowly inches forward as Dustin continues to talk. âYou remember me? Will you let us pass?â
This time, Dartâs entire mouth opens as he snarls at Dustin.
Again you struggle in Steveâs arms, but he only tightens his hold on you as you watch your baby brother, terrified, face off against the Demodog.Â
âOkay, okay, Iâm sorry.â Dustin lowers his voice, unwavering against Dartâs malice. âIâm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchy thing to do. I blame Y/N, sheâs always the one who makes me do the right thing.â
The little shit has you scared out of your fucking mind, and yet he has the nerve to somehow make this your fault.
If he gets out of this alive, youâre never, ever letting him go again.Â
Dustin reaches into his backpack, eyes never leaving Dart. âYou hungry?
âHeâs insane,â Lucas whispers in awe. Both you and Steve tell him to shut up, scared that any noise will cause Dart to attack.
âIâve got our favorite.â Dustin waves the candy in front of Dartâs face. âSee? Nougat.â
As soon as the Demodog sees the candy bar, his demeanor shifts and he happily approaches Dustin. Within seconds, your brother has managed to re-tame his weird Upside Down pet, and for a brief second you feel bad that Dustin canât keep him.Â
âLook at that. Yummy!â He places the candy on the ground as a peace offering and he starts to motion behind him, waving for you and everyone else to start moving. âEat up, buddy.â
Steve guides Lucas, Max, and Mike past Dart and through the tunnel that was previously blocked by him, but you stay behind. Your knives are drawn; youâre not leaving your brotherâs side.Â
âThereâs plenty,â Dustin coos to the creature, placing down one last candy bar before standing up. When he sees that youâre still there, he grabs your hand and starts to walk away with you. Feeling his hand, warm and alive against yours, is enough to calm you down enough to follow. Before the two of you leave, however, Dustin turns around one last time to look at Dart, a sad smile on his face. âGoodbye, buddy.â
Dart doesnât show any reaction, too busy devouring the candy heâs been given, and you gently tug Dustin along to safety, albeit with some guilt. He really loved that little lizard thing.Â
As soon as the two of you are out of danger, you pull Dustin into a bone crushing hug. âYouâre stupid.â
âStupid brave,â he mumbles against you, though his arms are tight against your waist. He had been scared, too.Â
You snort and pull your bandana down so you can kiss the top of Dustinâs head. âJust stupid.âÂ
âGuys, we gotta go.â Steve whispers, feeling bad for interrupting your moment with the kid. He can still feel the way your body shook in his arms, how he could hear your terrified heartbeat as he held you back. He felt horrible for doing it, but he promised Nancy heâd keep the kids safe, and Steve knows that she also wanted him to protect you, too.
At Steveâs urgent whisper, you reluctantly nod and pull away from Dustin. With one last shoulder squeeze, you pat his back and tug at his hand to start running. As you run, the ground trembles beneath your feet. Youâre the first one to fall, Max and Lucas not far behind. âFuck!âÂ
Steve has your hand within his in seconds and he gently pulls you up. His face is obscured from the goggles and banana, yet you can see the concern when he looks at you. When he stands you back up, he pulls you close and whispers, âYou okay?â
You nod, about to tell him to keep running, when you hear the first screech of the Demodogs.Â
âWhat was that?â Max inches towards your side, now long familiar with what the screeches mean.Â
As if almost in response to the girl, more screeches follow as they echo through the tunnels. Only this time, thereâs more of them; more than youâd even want to imagine. The hair on your arms stands up as the screeching continues. You know that if you donât run now, none of you will stand a chance.Â
âTheyâre coming.â Mike realizes. âRun! Run, letâs go!â
You snatch Dustinâs hand and practically throw the kid forward with how harshly you begin running. Lucas and Max run past, while Mike follows after Steve. Your footsteps fall harshly against the tunnelâs earthy ground and it takes everything within you to keep going. When you round the corner and see the rope, you almost sob with relief.Â
âKids first!â You shout, damning whatever further damage itâll do to your vocal chords.
Steve understands immediately and kneels beneath the rope to give the kids a boost up while you hold the rope taught and help lift them. Max is the first up, both you and Steve more so throwing her rather than helping her.
âCâmon!â Steve encourages her, and with one final shove from you, she makes it over the edge and is safe.Â
Everything happens so fast, itâs a blur as you help Lucas start to climb out, then Mike, and as youâre hauling Dustin up next, you hear the Demodogs drawing near.Â
âOh, shit!â Steve hears them as soon as you do and he grabs for his bat and starts to place himself in front of you and Dustin, but you stop him.Â
âNo!â You yank him back and then grab your brother, shoving him underneath the rope. The shadows of the Demodogs cast against the wall, you know you only have seconds before theyâre here. âThrow him up!â
Dustin realizes what youâre about to do. âY/N, noââ
But Steve already has a grip on him. âYouâre going home.â
âNo!â Dustin screams and tries to stay behind, wriggling and thrashing, but with Steveâs help, youâre able to lift him to safety before the first Demodog appears. Dustin, now safely above ground, sees this too. His heart stops. âY/N!â
âSteve! Y/N! Climb up!â The kids begin to shout now, urging you and the teen to get out of the tunnels, fear alive in their voices.Â
You look up at them, see their faces alive with youth, and then turn to Steve. He seems to be thinking the same thing as you. Youâve both run out of time. He nods, you do as well, and together youâve accepted your fate. Steve draws his bat as you raise your knives.Â
âY/N!â Dustinâs voice rings through clearer than the otherâs, the despair evident. You close your eyes for a second, wishing that there was more you couldâve done, but at least heâs safe.
Jonathan will take care of him, Nancy will, too.Â
He wonât be alone, and you have Steve with you, who is holding your hand as if it contains all the secrets of the world.
Itâll be okay.Â
You open your eyes.Â
The Demodogs, miraculously, start to run right past you and Steve. They weave between you two, not at all paying any attention. You stand as still as possible, not wanting to wake them from whatever trance they seem to be in.Â
However, one particularly large Demodog crashes against your leg and sends you into Steveâs side, who wraps his arms around you with a fierce protectiveness. You duck your head down, unaware just how desperately youâd been craving his presence, and he buries you further against him as the monsters continue to run.Â
The two of you cower, curling into one another, steadying the other, waiting for something to happen. Steve has his feet firmly planted and stands his ground as more monsters run past, and without him you wouldâve fallen minutes ago, trampled by the creatures.Â
When you canât hear any more Demodogs, you slowly lift your head from Steveâs chest and look around.Â
Theyâre gone. Each and every one of them has left.Â
Youâre still in Steveâs arms, your chests are pressed tightly together and youâve never been this close to him before. When you look up at him, you can feel his breath against your skin. Thereâs an odd look in his eyes, heâs studying your face as if seeing it for the first time, and his gaze makes something deep within you stir.Â
âThank you,â you whisper, needing to say something. Heâs once again saved your life, and your eyes canât seem to leave his.Â
His fingers dig into your side, itâs the only way he can respond. The sensation causes you to shiver and your eyes slowly drift down to his lips. Theyâre a lovely shade of pink, flush and full. You wonder what theyâd taste like, if heâs wondered the same about you.Â
Steve stares down at you and feels every breath you take, the rise and fall of your chest matching his. The two of you stand like this for a moment, hearts beating together as you cling to one another, until Dustin clears his throat.Â
âAhem,â he draws your attention. âThere are kids here, ya know.â
Lucas, Max, and Mike all snicker when you frantically pull away from Steve in embarrassment. Both of your faces are red, the air between you still hangs with something youâre not quite sure how to name.Â
âWeâre coming.â Steve mumbles to your brother before turning to you. âReady?â
You take a deep breath and nod, your nerves still shaky from being so close to him prior. When youâre ready, you grab onto the rope and feel Steveâs always gentle hands grip your waist. Youâre slow climbing up, being the most injured out of everyone, but heâs patient with you and murmurs encouragement as you climb.Â
Once youâre safely up, you help the kids with Steve. The moment his feet touch solid land, he lets out a low whistle and claps his hands. âWell, Iâd say that went wellââ
Suddenly, Billyâs headlights begin to shine obnoxiously bright. The light increases in its intensity, glowing brighter and brighter, so much so that you and everyone else have to shield your eyes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the lights shut off.Â
Itâs quiet. No one says anything, unsure of whatâs just happened, but you know.
âEl,â you whisper, somehow knowing itâs her. Mike nods, understanding as well.Â
She did it.Â
She closed the gate.Â
You pull the kids into you, dragging them all in your arms in a giant hug. All you feel right now is disbelief. The plan worked. Youâre all somehow still alive.Â
Steve stands behind you, his chest firm against your back, and you allow yourself to gently lean against him. To accept all that heâs silently providing you; thereâs no point in fighting it any more. Heâs here, offering you anything you need from him, and youâre exhausted from pretending that you donât see it.Â
After a few moments of silence, you finally release the kids and nudge them towards the car.Â
Itâs time to go home.Â
âÂ
âSo what exactly did you guys do with Billy?â Steveâs driving and youâre in the passenger seat, waves of exhaustion crashing upon you. From the rearview mirror, Steve sees Lucas, Dustin, and Mike all turn to Max slowly. He frowns. âWhy are you all looking at her?â
Max shifts uncomfortably in her seat. âI handled it.â
âShe sedated him and we left him on the floor at Willâs.â Dustin fills in the information that Max opted to omit, which she elbows him for.Â
Steve blinks, turns to you, and asks, âYou heard that too, right?â
âMhm.â
âCool.â
When you get to Jonathanâs, Billy is sitting hunched over on the porch, waiting. He looks rough, his eyes bleary and his hair matted. When you see him, you feel your throat constrict in pain and a sense of panic builds within you. You look towards Steve, see his bruised cheek, then notice the way Max squirms in the backseat being near Billy, and the panic is replaced with anger.Â
Heâs caused enough pain and turmoil to those you love.Â
Steve parks the car and turns in his seat so that heâs facing everyone. âAlright, we all see that Billy is awake, so you guys stay here while I go andââ
âWe.â You correct, swallowing down the pain you feel.Â
Steve inhales and looks as if he wants to argue, but he just shakes his head and continues. âOkay, we go and talk to the guy.â
âI want to come.â Max says, though she still refuses to look in Billyâs direction.Â
You rest a hand on her leg. You understand what sheâs asking for, to handle her brother herself, take her life into her own hands. Max is a brave kid, sheâs shown you that much tonight, and while you trust her to make the right decision, youâre still hesitant. âAre you sure?â
She thinks for a second before nodding. Her eyes harden and she juts her jaw out. Sheâs made up her mind, and you get a kick out of seeing the fire within her. Max Mayfield is an incredible young girl, and youâre honored to know that she trusts you. âIâm sure.â
âThen letâs go.â
You, Steve, and Max walk side by side towards Billy, though you make sure to place the girl slightly behind you in case her brother tries anything.Â
When Billy notices you approach, he lifts his head up and waves lazily at the three of you. âBack already?â His words slur together and his eyes are glossy; the sedative must still be wearing off.Â
Max steps forward. âTake me home.âÂ
Billy eyes her, looks between you and Steve, and then sighs. âFine. Any other demands?â
The girl shakes her head. âIâll wait in the car.â
And then sheâs gone, leaving you and Steve alone with Billy.Â
He eyes you, sees the bruises on your neck, and a languid smile drawls across his face. âSeems I left a mark, sweetheart.â
Steve steps forward, but you put your hand out and stop him. You appreciate him, you do, but this is something you have to do yourself. You swallow again, feeling the tender flesh within your throat constrict, and try to make your words come out as neutral as possible. âSeems I did, too.â
Billy looks down at his shoulder, the wound from your knife is still bleeding. âSo you did.â
Lucas and the other boys stand off to the side now, having left the car alone for Max. When Billy notices them staring, he sighs and wipes his hands off on his jeans and slowly gets up. âWell, my bitch of a sister awaits.â
As Billy leaves, Mike runs up the steps and unlocks the front door. âY/N, think you could make those cookies again? Iâm starving.â
You glare at him and Steve laughs. âIâm not sure she can even walk up the steps, dude.â
âYeah, look at her.â Dustin waves his hands in front of you. âShe looks like a zombie.â
Lucas makes zombie sounds and pretends to eat Dustinâs brains before Mike joins in. The three of them chase each other into the house, screaming âbrainsâ and âdieâ as they mess around, leaving you and Steve alone outside.Â
He steps in front of you, his back towards you and he crouches down. âCare for a ride?â
You want to argue, but itâs becoming harder and harder to keep your eyes open. Itâd be a miracle if you even manage up the first step on the porch. Hesitantly, you place your hands on Steveâs shoulders and jump onto his back.
âAtta girl,â he laughs, standing back up so that he can carry you inside and join the boys. You wrap your arms around his neck and nuzzle your face as you close your eyes. Youâre seconds away from falling asleep. Steve seems to sense this and slows down his footsteps so as to not disturb you.Â
He navigates the home, remembering where to go from his time here last year. Youâre warm against him and Steveâs fingers draw lazy circles onto your ankles. The boys are in the kitchen, scurrying around for any food, and Steve relishes in this small moment with you.
Youâre placed down into a soft bed and the smell of Jonathan overwhelms you; you open your eyes and realize that Steve has taken you to the boyâs room. The bed is warm beneath you, the scent soothes your wounds.Â
âJonathanâs?â You ask, confused as to why Steve would take you here.
âFigured itâs where you sleep when youâre here.â He shrugs, as if itâs no big deal, before grabbing the blankets and tucking you in. His movements are careful and he makes sure your head is resting on a pillow and that he takes off your shoes.Â
The gentleness of his touch soothes you. Youâve never let anyone take care of you like this before. You let him play with your hair, wrap the blanket around you so that you wonât get cold, and when he finally seems pleased with his work, he flicks your nose and smiles. âGet some sleep, dork.â
âEveryone is safe?â
His eyes melt. âThey are. Theyâll be home soon. In the meantime, Iâll rustle up some grub for those heathens outside while you sleep. Doctorâs orders.â
You giggle and grab his hand to bring to your lips. They linger against his knuckles, you inhale and breathe in his scent, and Steveâs breath hitches at the touch. âThank you,â you whisper against his skin before placing another kiss.Â
Thereâs such a lovely buzz within your chest, holding Steveâs hand fills you with this syrupy warmth like honey, and youâve never felt it before. It drips down your skin and into your bones, healing wounds both old and new with its kisses.Â
Steve squeezes your hand with his. He feels it, too. You both do.Â
â
A body slides in next to yours, rousing you from your sleep. A hand wraps around your waist and the fingers, long and lithe and familiar, skim your skin lazily. The sensation almost lulls you back to sleep, you know whose touch this is, whose body lays next to yours.Â
You open your arms and engulf Jonathan into a hug. His body lays atop of yours, reminiscent of the night a few days ago when he snuck into your room before he left with Nancy. Your body has long since come to anticipate his weight against yours, itâs become accustomed to how he lands upon you.Â
âWhat time is it?â You rasp, stroking Jonathanâs hair with your fingers as he breathes steadily against you. Youâre not sure how long youâve been asleep, but the pain in your throat has lessened, your voice is slowly returning to normal.
âEarly morning,â he mumbles, pressing a kiss against your shoulder. âSteve took Dustin home, no one wanted to wake you. Apparently you had a rough night.â
You laugh, then wince at the pain it draws from your throat and ribs. âYou could say that.â
Jonathan places another kiss upon your skin, this time against the base of your throat. He litters kisses up and down your neck, his breath tickling as he does so. âIâm sorry,â he says in between each kiss, as if his words will make the bruises fade faster.Â
Rather than respond, knowing nothing you can say will make him believe that none of this is Jonathanâs fault, you simply hum at his kisses and lean into them. âWill?â
âHeâs okay, heâs safe. Mom is with him now.â
You hum again, relishing in the knowledge that Will is okay and that Jonathan is once again here with you. The house is quiet, everyone else asleep, and the two of you lay like this for a while. No more words are said, Jonathan presses kisses against your skin as your fingers interlock through his hair and you run your hand up and down his back.Â
Somehow, you know this will be the last time you ever have him like this.Â
Just the two of you, uncrossed in any boundaries. Skin against skin, kisses to wounds and fingers intertwined. You hope that your body never forgets the weight of his. You hope that it will always anticipate his impact, welcoming it after a long day. Jonathanâs touch will soon become ghosts lingering on your skin, and selfishly you never want this moment to end.Â
Uncrossed boundaries, threads and strings and lines.Â
Theyâre here. You can see them now, they almost glow faintly within Jonathanâs room, the same room in which you grew up in.Â
âBee?â You whisper, nudging him gently to get his attention. He lifts his head from your neck and looks at you, eyes open and listening. âWe have to talk about it.â
The early morning light streams through the curtain and illuminates Jonathanâs face. His eyes are a mixture of browns and reds and ambers and you try to remember what they look like now, before the words are said and nothing will ever be the same again.Â
âIâm scared,â he admits. Youâve made him into who he is today, with all of his quirks and humor and love. Jonathan doesnât know who he would be without you, and heâs terrified that heâll say the wrong thing and lose you forever.
âI know,â you stroke his cheek. âI am, too.â
âI donât want toâI canât lose you.â
âYouâll never lose me, Jonathan Byers.â Youâre firm in your words, now grasping at his face with your hands. âWeâre connected, remember? String theory, you and me.â
Jonathan has tears in his eyes. âBut I slept with Nancy.â
His confession only makes you sigh. âI know, bee.â
âIâI think⌠I think this time itâll turn into something more. I⌠I think I love her, bug.â His voice cracks, terrified of his own words. He recognizes now, far too late, all that heâs missed. âBut bug⌠I know thereâsâthat thereâs some things we shouldâve talked about. A long time ago⌠but I justâŚâ
âI know,â you know everything heâs trying to tell you. Thereâs no hurt in your voice, only resignation, but you knew this would happen eventually. âWe missed our chance a while ago.â
âDid we ever really have a chance?â He asks, thinking back to the day the two of you met. How easily you accepted him into your life, the role you unknowingly assigned to him as your best friend. How, for years, heâd been so in love with you but terrified itâd scare you away.Â
You play with his fingers, thinking for a moment. âIâd like to think that we did. I think we just⌠We missed each other, along the way.â
He smiles, bittersweet and somber. âWe wouldâve been something great, huh?â
âYouâre my person,â you tell him, a certain sadness creeping into your voice. Itâs the truth. No one will ever know you like he does, no one can unravel you the way he can. The love you have for Jonathan is unyielding, it transcends everything else youâve ever felt. âOf course we wouldâve been something great.â
âAnd now?â
You bite your lip, unsure. âNow we just⌠We let go.â
Jonathan tightens his arms and presses himself further against you. âIâm never letting you go, Y/N Henderson.â
You feel tears beginning to form in your eyes, both from grief and acceptance. âYou donât have to, but we have to let go of our claim to one another. Youâre Nancyâs, now. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. To anyone.â
âAnd youâre Steveâs?â He asks, hesitant to bring the boy up. While you watched Jonathan fall in love with Nancy, heâs watched you fall for Steve.Â
âI think I could really love him,â you admit, breathless. âI think Iâve already started to fall for him.â
Jonathanâs heart twists at the breathlessness in your voice, though he knows heâll have to get used to this. To no longer being the reason for your bashfulness. Itâll take time, but he knows in the end that itâs for the better. âYou deserve to go for it, bug.â
âReally?â
âOf course,â he playfully pokes your side. âNancy fucked up with him, and I fucked up with you. The two of you deserve better than us, and I⌠I want you to be happy, you know that.â
âI know, butâŚâ you turn to him now, needing him to understand all that you still donât know how to voice yourself. âRemember our pinky promise from last year?â
Jonathan wiggles his pinky at you, unsure where youâre going with this. âI do.â
âWeâll always stay like this, right? You and me?â You know itâs selfish to ask, to expect everything to stay the same between you, but losing Jonathan would be the one thing youâd never recover from. Heâs in your bones, now. Heâs grown up alongside you, patched up your wounds as a child and now holds your hands through the nightmares you face together.Â
It doesnât matter how you and Jonathan end, whether youâre lovers in this universe or simply the best of friends. Regardless of whatâs happened, heâs the most important person in your life. He always will be.
Jonathan presses a kiss upon your forehead, his lips warm. âAlways, and Iâll always love you the most, bug.â
âIâll always love you the most, bee.â The words come easily to you, an exhale after being inhaled so long ago.Â
The world stills. Then, as slow as the sun rises after a harsh winterâs night, the strings and lines finally settle between you two.
âLetâs go to bed.â Jonathan whispers, wanting to hold onto you for at least a few more hours.Â
In the late morning hours the two of you will wake up, and it will be the last time you do so in each otherâs arms.Â
âÂ
When Jonathan drops you off at home the next day, your mom freaks when she sees you. Dustin had tried to prepare her, making up some lie about how youâd fallen down at the Byersâ house and thatâs why you couldnât come home for a few days. However, your mom still had a heart attack when you walked through the front door with a split head, black eye, bruised neck, and a bloodied side.Â
âMy baby!â She took you into her arms and immediately set her eyes on Jonathan. âWhat, did you have a bear in the house or something?â
Jonathan looked over at Dustin with a helpless look on his face and your brother had sighed. He figured heâd have to be the one to take over. âLike I said, mom. Y/N just got really into our campaign and fell. Sheâs fine, I mean, look at her!â
You did your best to appear very fine and healthy, despite your concussion forming a horrendous headache. You forced a smile on your face, all teeth. âAll fine and dandy, mom.â
Claudia Henderson hadnât bought it.
You were placed under house arrest for two weeks.Â
During these two weeks, you were only allowed to leave the house to either go to work (somehow Mrs. Waters still hasnât fired you despite missing three days of work), and go to school. It wasnât so bad, though. You had needed the rest, and Nancy visited you a few days into your house arrest.
Youâre not sure when she officially began her relationship with Jonathan, but the first time she came to see you, she had brought a giant basket full of baked goods and comics she had asked Jonathan about.Â
âYou didnât have to get me anything, Nance.â You had informed the girl when you saw her struggling to carry the basket.Â
âI stole your boyfriend, itâs the least I could do.â You stared at her, eyes so wide that your black eye almost fully opened, and Nancy had let out a loud laugh. Youâd never heard her laugh so openly before, and it was a beautiful sight. âIt was a joke, Y/N. Itâs okay to laugh.â
âHa, ha, Wheeler.â You took the basket from her and inspected its contents. There were more comics than you could count and the muffins smelled delicious. âThis is a good haul.â
Nancy had smiled, relieved that sheâd done something right. She had bugged Jonathan all day yesterday, anxious to do something nice for you because she felt this crippling need to make you like her. He had reassured her a million times that you did already like her, but Nancy has never been the best at making friends, and she knows the history between you and her is tense.Â
âYou really like it?â
âI love it, dude.â You saw the way Nancyâs body relaxed, as if she had been terrified youâd burn the basket in front of her face. Itâs only then that you realized why she was there. âYou and Jonathan finally seal the deal?â
Nancy blushed, still unused to how well you perceive others. âWe did.â
âTook you guys long enough!â You squealed and threw your arms around her, elated for your friends. Sure, it still stung a bit, but Nancy was trying, so you were too. âBut can I say just one thing, and then weâll bury the hatchet for good?â
âOf course, Y/N.â Nancy said, though you felt her body tense underneath your hold. She had been bracing for impact, and it broke your heart to imagine how she was feeling in that moment.Â
You grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. âIâm happy for you two, I really am, okay? You know my history with Jonathan, and Iâm sure heâs told you everything, but I need you to listen very carefully to what Iâm about to say.â
âIâm listening,â she whispered, gripping your hand tightly.Â
âIf anything, and I mean anything, bothers you about my relationship with him, I need you to tell me. Donât let anything simmer, donât swallow down any hurt. I need you to know that I will always respect your guysâ relationship, and if you ever feel that I donât, please tell me.â
Nancy, to your surprise, had laughed. âThatâs it? Geesh, Y/N. I was expecting you to threaten me with your knives or something. I understand your connection with Jonathan, I know what I agreed to.â She paused, and then added with a sly smirk, âBesides, I know you wouldnât cross any boundaries because youâve spent practically all year pining after Steve.â
âI did not!â You gaped at her, shocked that she would say such a thing, and Nancy laughed so hard that it took both you and her another ten minutes to say anything else. It was lovely, laughing alongside the girl you once held so much resentment over. Now there you were, rib cage aching with glee.
And thatâs how Nancy Wheeler became your best friend. Â
After that, things seemed to settle down during the month that followed the events of Hawkinâs Lab.Â
While you healed your wounds at home, Jonathan and Nancy came to visit you whenever they could. It was weird, at first, being in the same room as them now that they were together, but within minutes the three of you formed your own dynamic. You and Nancy teased Jonathan while he simply shook his head at the two of you and did whatever you asked.Â
It was a good dynamic, really.Â
A week into house arrest, your mom let you finally return to work.
Of course, on your first day back, Steve was standing inside of Bookstrordinary, waiting for you.Â
Seeing him there, hair messy and smile warm, felt like coming home.Â
âBack so soon?â You had teased, walking slowly up to him.Â
His smile widened and he grabbed your hand and tugged you closer, impatient with how long it was taking you to come to him. âLike I could wait any longer.â
âI stack and you sort?â
âLetâs get to work, Henderson.â He winked and spun you around, causing you to giggle, a sound heâd come to adore, and the two of you set off to work.Â
Steve becomes a regular at Bookstrorindary again, and one day you come home from school to find him sitting at your kitchen table with Dustin and your mom. They were eating an after school snack together, chatting as if they were old friends. Your mom was even blushing as Steve charmed her. It was a disorienting sight, to say the least.Â
âIs this going to be a thing now?â Youâd asked, setting your backpack down to grab your own snack and join.Â
âI invited him.â Dustin said with a mouth full of apples. âHeâs cool, and mom likes him, so. Yeah.â
Your mom pinched Steveâs cheek and giggled. âHeâs just so charming!â
Steve sent you a wink, basking in your motherâs praise, and in that moment, seeing him with the two people you loved most in this world, you knew.
It hit you like a warm, soft summer breeze. It swirled around you, kissed your skin the way only the sun can do, and you could almost smell the fresh summer honey that your dad used to buy for your birthday. The feeling was serene, it felt as easy as exhaling.
You were in love with Steve Harrington.Â
Only this time, the realization made you smile; you accepted it with open arms. You walked over to him and ruffled his hair before sitting next to him at the table. Biting your own apple, you winked at your mom, agreeing with what she had said. âHe is indeed very charming.â
Dustin gagged while Steve draped an arm across your chair and stole your apple. âThat I am, Y/N.â
Maybe love wasnât so bad after all.
The following week, both Steve and Nancy asked you to attend Barbâs funeral, and of course you went.Â
It was a small service, and Jonathan held Nancyâs hand throughout all of it. While it hurt to see her cry, you canât help but think about how incredible Nancy is. Sheâs the reason that Barb is even getting a funeral in the first place, having brilliantly exposed Hawkinâs Lab and giving her friend the justice she deserves.Â
Steve stood next to you, stoic and guilty, and after the service ended you had to pull him aside and remind him that none of it had been his fault. He listened, but you know he hadnât necessarily heard you.
Itâs similar to how you feel with Will, and how Jonathan feels with you, and Nancy with Barb.Â
You all hold a heavy weight within you, of guilt and shame and despair. Thereâs nothing that specifically can be done to lessen it. All you can do is allow the ones you love to carry the weight with you, to share it and accept the help that they offer.Â
Time canât heal all wounds, you recognize this now, so you do things for those you love and see the good thatâs still there, even if itâs hard sometimes.Â
And thatâs what you do.
You start stopping by Hopperâs cabin to see El.
He hated it at first, but when you showed up one day with a box of nail polish and comics, El had been so overjoyed that he simply sighed and let you in.Â
You teach the girl how to read, having her say words out loud as you paint her nails, and itâs lovely. Itâs rare to get the girl all to yourself, so spending time with her is always the favorite part of your day. Plus, she starts to get really into Spider-Man, so youâve done your job as an avid fan.Â
As for Will and the boys, you start to make it a point to partake in their DnD campaigns whenever possible. While itâs hard balancing work, school, El, and the party, you donât regret it for a single second. Itâs exhausting, but a good kind of exhaustion. One that leaves your bones aching in a rewarding way at the end of the day.
Youâll never tell Jonathan this, but he had been right a few months ago. Youâd been burning yourself out, running away from everything you didnât want to confront, from your feelings to your crippling worry for the kids. Youâre not sure how much you had left in you, looking back now.
You had been drowning for a long, long time.Â
But as you pick up Dustin and Will from Mikeâs, Jonathan by your side as always, your nails painted a messy shade of blue thanks to El, and Steve waiting for you back at your house, youâre finally able to breathe.Â
âÂ
It somehow takes you the entire day to get Dustin ready for the Snowball.Â
Heâs running around the house, frantically trying to find his bowtie that heâs misplaced, and youâre currently digging through the endless supply of hairspray that Steve dropped off yesterday. Thereâs so much hair products within the bag that he delivered, and it actually scares you a little.Â
No way this much chemicals can be good for a kid.Â
âDid you find the bowtie?â You yell from the bathroom, finally managing to open the bottle of hairspray that Steve specifically told you to use first.Â
âYes!â Dustin runs back into the bathroom and throws the piece of fabric at you. âQuick, put it on while I spray my hair!âÂ
You roll your eyes at him but do as he asks, securing his bowtie to his baby blue button shirt. However, as he sprays his hair, he almost blinds you in the process. âChrist, Dustin! Thatâs practically a weapon.â
He continues to spray. âYouâre the one who insisted on helping me get ready.â
âI wanted you to look handsome,â you coo at him, straightening his bowtie one final time before stepping back and admiring your handiwork. âAll done, and look at you!â
Dustin sprays even more product into his hair and tries to shove you out of the bathroom, but he secretly preens. âAm I really handsome?â
You admire him and you canât believe how grown up he is now. Heâs grown another three inches since last month and with the way heâs styled his hair, he looks like a teenager. Your heart stings a bit, seeing him no longer look like the little brother you know and love. Heâs changing, growing up. âThe handsomest.â
He smiles at you. âThanks, Y/N. Now go get dressed while I finish my hair. Steve will be here any minute!â
You salute him and run to your room. Nancy had asked you to chaperon alongside her at the dance, and you figured itâd be fun watching Dustin and the party failing miserably with prepubescent girls, so you agreed. However, because it somehow took five hours helping your brother get ready, you run around your room in a hurry.
Youâve just finished applying some mascara when the doorbell rings, and your heart skips a beat.
âY/N, Steve is here!â Your mother calls, a slight glee in her voice. Sheâs quickly come to adore the boy, something that Steve milks whenever he can. Heâs incredibly proud of it, honestly.Â
You run to the door and open it, Dustin is still spraying his hair to death in the bathroom.Â
When Steve sees you, he forgets how to speak. Youâre dressed in a soft white dress and youâve pinned the front two pieces of your hair back. Youâve dotted your lips with a berry-red lipstick and your cheeks look more flushed than usual.Â
You see the blush that immediately forms on Steveâs cheeks and you giggle, suddenly shy. Itâs awkward, but a nice awkward between you two. âHey.â
âHâhi.â His voice squeaks and he clears his throat. âIâI mean, hey. You, uh⌠You look. Wow. I mean, not wow, but also wowââ
âDude,â Dustin now joins and looks disappointedly at Steve. âGet it together, man.â
He pats his chest and starts heading towards the car, and you canât help but snort. âHeâs so lovely, isnât he?â
Steve holds out his arm for you to take, the momentary awkwardness now gone. âThe Henderson charm is a fascinating thing.â
During the car ride, the closer Steve gets to the school, the more you see Dustin fidget in the back seat. He had been so excited earlier, but now you notice the doubt in his eyes and the way he keeps patting his hair, unsure.Â
You tap Steveâs hand to get his attention. When he looks over, you motion towards the backseat and he realizes what youâre trying to tell him. He nods, and the two of you silently agree to give the kid a pep talk once you get to the school.Â
âAlright, buddy. Here we are.â Steve parks the car and tries to give Dustin a reassuring smile, but your brother looks out the window and exhales nervously. âRemember, once you get in thereâŚâ
âPretend like I donât care.â
You interrupt. âOkay, no. I thought we abandoned that idea last month.â
âTechnically you abandoned it, I didnât.â Dustin responds, and Steve shrugs his shoulders at you.Â
âDustin, I really want you to be yourself, okay?â You turn to face the kid. âWhat did I tell you last month, huh?â
âThat we Hendersons are charming people.â He grumbles.Â
âExactly, and I meant that. Use your charm, buddy.â
Dustin isnât listening, instead he tries to look at himself in the rearview mirror to once again fix his hair. Steve sees this and stops him. âHey, listen to your sister, alright? You look great, okay?â
âSuch a handsome lad.â
Steve puts his hand up to stop you. âOkay, ignore her and listen to me. Now, youâre gonna go in thereâŚâ
Dustin nods. âYeah.â
âLook like a million bucks.â
âYeah!â
âAnd youâre gonna slay âem dead.â
âLike a lion.â
You cringe. âIâm not at all liking this language use in relation to women.â
Dustin purrs, just to spite you, but now Steve cringes and shakes his head, âYeah, donât do that, okay?â
âOkay.â Dustin deflates, but when Steve offers him his hand to shake, his face lights back up and he accepts it.Â
Steve winks at the kid. âGood luck.â
âYou got this!â You shout as Dustin exits the car. He gives you a thumbs up and starts to walk towards the school, leaving just you and Steve alone in the car.Â
With Dustin gone, a tension creeps within the car. You look over at Steve and he catches your eye, and your stomach flutters. You canât deny that thereâs nothing there, and itâs⌠itâs nice, honestly.Â
You donât feel the same fear you did with Jonathan. You can look at Steve and admire his beauty and all you feel is warmth. His smile doesnât hurt you, and the way heâs looking at you so unabashedly no longer scares you.Â
âYou look beautiful, Y/N.â Steve says, his voice honest and dripping with honey.Â
You blush, and he wants to kiss the pretty red until it colors his own lips as well. âThank you.â
Thereâs more you both want to say, but for now you simply enjoy each otherâs presence. Itâs too soon, you know this. Heâs still in love with Nancy, and you donât blame him. Instead, you bask in his gaze and he admires how lovely you are. How lovely you always are.
He feels it, too. He knows what youâre thinking, and for once he feels comfortable with where he is. Youâre here, next to him, expecting nothing but what you know heâs ready to give you.Â
You press a kiss to his cheek, and Steveâs heart aches. âDrive home safe, okay?â
As you pull away, he catches your arm and stops you. You look up, confused, and Steveâs gaze softens. He doesnât know how else to say it, how else to ask you to stay. âBe patient with me, okay?â
You donât have to ask what he means; you know.Â
Whatever he needs, youâll give it to him. You place a hand on his face and stroke his cheek, he leans against the touch and closes his eyes. This is the easiest promise youâve ever made. âTake all the time you need, Iâll be here.â
The words cause Steve to sigh, youâre too good for him. Youâre everything lovely and beautiful and kind, and Steve canât believe how lucky he is to know you, to have you in his life the way no one else does. That youâll wait for him, trusting him with your heart, and he canât believe that youâre real.
âYouâre an angel.â He breathes out, feeling everything constrict within his chest when you smile.Â
âAnd youâre sweet honey.â You press one last kiss to Steveâs face and get out of the car. No other words are needed.Â
Steve watches you as you leave, your kiss still burning his face, the same burning warmth heâs come to love about you. He watches as you walk up to Nancy inside the school and she hands you a drink, the two of you laughing. You both look so different standing side by side.Â
A girl Steve loves and the girl he knows that in time heâll come to love more than anything else.Â
Heâs already falling for you, he thinks he has been ever since he first saw you all those years ago when you were twelve and he was thirteen. Heâs falling for you, but he wonât rush it. It wouldnât be fair to you, not after everything youâve been through.Â
So Steve admires you, he watches the way your hair dances as you laugh and the way the kids around you smile in admiration. He forgets that Nancy is even there, his eyes only on you, and for the first time in a long time, Steve smiles a real smile.Â
Your kiss on his cheek lingers, and he presses his fingers to it and feels his body warm. Youâll be waiting for him, and thatâs more than enough for now.
Take your time, Iâll be here.
And Steve believes you.
[END OF SEASON 2]
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#steve harrington x henderson!reader#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington x you#stranger things#steve harrington fanfic#stranger things rewrite#slowburn#angst#wtlws#m's writing#behold: the nickname reveal#i told yall itd take till the end of season 2#muahahahaha#also im so sad its done omg
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kinktober day 10 boot riding
daddy kink, amab reader yes ill post the missing days i swear sjdkf
cis women dni
The longer you stayed at a party, the more boring it got.
Sure, getting drunk and high and fucking around with your classmates was a good time. But after hours of huddling together with sweaty drugged up teenagers and having generic music blasted into your ears, it got a bit boring.
But Billy always found a way to make it more entertaining. Normally by pulling off a rather impressive keg stand. For once, heâd offered to be the designated driver (mostly because youâd done it for the past four parties and refused to do it again), so you were downing your second drink, talking to some junior you barely knew. The buzz of a high was clouding your head, though it wasnât enough to impair your judgment.
But apparently your boyfriend felt like pissing you off tonight.
Eventually the junior wandered off, probably to flirt with someone interested. Billy, on the other hand, was chatting up some girl from your math class. You didnât remember her name, but you most certainly remembered the way she talked to Billy.
She gave a fake laugh, making sure to lean forward and give him a decent view of her cleavage. Not that you blamed her for trying to sleep with your boyfriend. Billy was pretty, and itâs not like she knew he had a boyfriend. So no, you didnât hold any resentment toward the girl.
Billy, on the other hand, was in a world of hurt.
He had every chance to turn her down. Every chance to make up some half-assed excuse or just plain tell her he wasnât into it. But no. He joked and gave her some cheesy pick-up line. The brat even had the nerve to look your way while he was doing so, giving you a wink.
You watched for a minute longer, waiting for him to make some excuse to leave. But when it was obvious he had no plans of doing so, you decided to step in for him.
âCâmon Hargrove, youâre my ride home.â Luckily your head was clear enough to make walking out easy.
Billy frowned, trying to look as disappointed as possible. âAlready? But I was having fun!â The girl next to him looked sad as well, as if begging you to let him stay longer.
âSorry, I gotta get up early tomorrow,â You said, shrugging. Tomorrow was Saturday, neither you nor Billy had anything to do. But she didnât need to know that.
âFine, buzzkill.â
Billy, tap dancing on your last nerve, gave the girl a wink, causing her to let out an airy giggle. You rolled your eyes, stomping out of the house. You could hear Billy mumble what was most certainly a sarcastic comment under his breath.
You sat in the passenger seat the second he opened the door, waiting as he slid into the driverâs seat a second later.
After a second of him realizing you werenât going to speak, he started driving, the music from the party fading into the background as he did so.
âYour mom and that bastard home?â You knew the answer was no. Heâd made quite a big deal about getting the house to himself while Neil dragged his step-mom and Max on a âfamily outingâ. Even with Max asking, Billy was left home alone.
âNo, why?â He asked, glancing over to you before his eyes returned to the road. He was perfectly aware of âwhyâ, you knew that much.
âGonna let me stay over, pretty boy?â You asked, your tone low. He nodded, quickly taking a turn to head toward his house.
The trip was short and Billy got out of the car almost immediately after you arrived. You chuckled at how eager he was, fumbling with his keys in an attempt to get in quicker.
You followed closely, heading to Billyâs room without much hesitation.
The second you got in, you closed the door, pressing Billy up against a wall.
âYou got some fuckinâ nerve, Hargrove,â you spoke quietly and quickly, though you knew he heard you from how he shivered. âYou tryna get my attention, or just tryna whore around with some poor girl, hm?â
He shook his head rapidly, gulping down a breath.
Billy tried his hand at being a brat often. Always teasing you, getting your attention in public. But the second you were behind closed doors, he practically melted.
âWords, baby boy.â
âNo, Daddy.â
God he knew what buttons to press.
âThen why were you flirting?â You spoke softly, loving how his eyes glazed over with lust when you did so. âGiving her hope for no reason. That just seems mean, baby.â
He made a noise of disagreement, shaking his head again. âDidnât mean to, just wanted your attention.â
You chuckled. âNo, you knew exactly what you were doing.â
He opened his mouth to protest, but you slammed your lips into his before he could. You took over the kiss quickly. His arms twined around your neck, one of yours on his hip and the other gripping his hair. You gave a soft tug to his hair, forcing a loud moan out of his throat.
You slotted one thigh between his legs, giving him the chance to messily rut against you. Both your pants were tight, his jeans no doubt uncomfortable at this point.
âPleeease just fuck me.â He was practically begging, arms tightening around you. âPlease, Iâm sorry for flirting with her, I wonât do it again.â
You both knew damn well heâd do it again.
âI donât think I feel like forgiving you yet, baby.â He huffed at your words, hips still moving against your clothed thigh.
âHow about this,â You suggested. You placed your hands on his shoulders, lowering him to his knees and placing your boot between his legs. âYou cum in under two minutes, and Iâll fuck you so hard you wonât remember your damn name.â
He nodded rapidly, head collapsing into your leg.
He moved his hands towards his jeans, only stopping when you firmly questioned what he was doing.
"I can't use my hands?" He asked, looking slightly hopeful. As if he'd get off that easy.
âIf you really want me to fuck you, you can cum like this.â
He paused for a moment. âLike âthisâ?â
You smirked, tilting his head up slightly with one finger. âYou think you can cum in your jeans for me?â
He shivered, nodding fervently.
"Good boy."
He started off slow, moving his hips against the firm leather of your boot. It was just enough stimulation for his sensitive cock. He was burying his face into your jeans, mouthing at your dick over the fabric. You just let him, watching as he desperately tried to get you to force your cock down his throat.
"One minute left." He whimpered.
His thrusts sped up, messily humping your boot in an attempt to get off. Barely decipherable mumbles of "please" "Daddy" and "more" tumbled out his lips, the words jumbled together and high pitched.
"You gonna cum, whore?" You asked, spitting out the term as if it was his name. He moaned, nodding.
"Please can I? Please Daddy? Wanna cum for you so you'll fuck me, please?"
You'd barely said yes before he buried his face into your thigh, hips stuttering and slowing. Cum slowly seeped through the fabric of his boxers, and suddenly he was thankful you'd waited until he was home to ruin him.
"Good job handsome," you said, leaving down and placing a surprisingly soft kiss on his forehead. "You get your reward now."
He was practically buzzing already.
#male reader#dom male reader#top male reader#x reader#billy hargove smut#billy hargrove x reader#billy hargrove x male reader#kinktober 2023#stranger things x male reader
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The Experiment | Part 2
In case y'all missed it, I asked one of my best friends to watch Stranger Things and here's what she had to say about season 1 and 2 .
Now, here's the updated version of season 3 that she finished so fucking fast and I felt guilty because she told me didn't sleep because she was desperate for answers, my sweet summer child.
This time around she'd update me as she watched the episodes and needless to say I woke up today with way too many messages
She's 100% convinced that Mike is gay because she said and I quote: "What teenage boy takes off the hands of his girlfriend like he did?".She also said that Mike should remember that friendships are important too, she doesn't understand why he's avoiding his friends and focusing too much on El.
She loves Max Mayfield BTW (again, sweet summer child). She 100% agrees that El needs to learn how to be herself without the influence of others.
She said that the biggest problem she has with Mike and El is that El didn't even know what a friend was the first season, how can se be in a relationship? However, she does think that if Mike learns how to listen to her they might work it out but she's not sure they should. "Ok I guess they're not going to work it after all" says her after their break up. Also, she was like: "shouldn't he be more upset about this?
In comes the rain fight scene and I think the conversation deserves to be in a mural somewhere. This is what she said and I apologize for the language and for how she talks about Mike but this deserves to be translated in it's entirety because her rant was epic.
"Why. The. Fuck. Was Mike being such an ass?! He used to be so sweet to Will and now he's treating him like this? Hell nah! Like, I get that he wants to spend time with his girlfriend and that's fine, but that doesn't mean he gets to treat Will like this!
And who the fuck said anything about Will not liking girls? Will didn't! So why the fuck would Mike say this completely unprovoked? Like, this is the kind of shit Will's bullies would say! I don't know who the fuck this Mike is, but it's definitely not the kid from last season.
"Oh se he goes to apologize to Will but doesn't apologize to El?" She asked me after she calmed down from her seething rage. "Inch teresting"
"Oh boy, Billy is gonna die. Am I supposed to want him not to?".
"How the fuck did Soviet Union manage to build this entire lab underground without anyone noticing? And this is I'm thr hight of cold war too, makes no sense but what do I know?"
She absolutely adores Robin, she thinks she and Steve will get together.
"Am I supposed to feel bad for Billy?" Needless to say, she doesn't like Billy.
"What. The. Fuck. Am. I. Watching?" She asked during the people turning into slush scene.
"Oh. So I guess Robin and Steve won't get together after all" lmao I laughed.
"Oh they do want me to feel sorry for Billy, huh"
She had a mental breakdown over Hop's "death". She sent an invoice crying and cursing me for bribing her into watching the show.
She also noticed how unresponsive Mike acted after El told him she loved him and was like: "is this boy ok? Like, I'm sorry Bia (my nickname) but you're telling me he just stood there with his eyes opened while she declared her love and kissed him? Am I watching this right? Answer me dammit!" (She was angry when I refused to tell her anything lmao).
Now, bare in mind that I haven't told her about Byler at all, didn't even tell her I ship it because I wanted her to be as unbiased as possible. She told me she had thoughts/theories and I told them to share them even after she claimed she didn't think she was right.
This bellow are her thoughts and hers alone, translated from Brazilian Portuguese to English.
"I just feel like Hop's letter is telling us something about Mike, maybe? Like, how he's afraid of change, of confronting his feelings, maybe? Like, I know you won't tell me, but I don't think this scene is about El leaving at all, I think it's about Will leaving.
"But I have a theory? I don't know, but the scene parallels the scene from when they find Will's body, right? But he comes home and holds his mom and I think this when he realized he has feelings for Will? Maybe? Or at the very least he realized he isn't straight.
" I didn't think Will was gay until I saw his reaction to what Mike said, and I think Will felt that he was stupid for believing that Mike cared for him at all. He destroyed the castle because he lost his childhood, he lost everything when he wasn't even looking, and I also think he called himself stupid because he thinks it was stupid of him to hope Mike could ever think of Will that way.
"I don't think Mike truly loves El, and he's coming to terms with the reason why he doesn't"
She then begged me for information which I refused to give her, obviously. But this is part 2. Now onto the last season *laughs maniacally *
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Door Open (Part 2) - Billy Hargrove
Part 2
Billy x Fem!reader Hopper
Warnings: mentions of abuse
Word count: 1,647
Summary: Neil went to far this time and Y/n wants Billy out.
Authors Note: Hereâs Part 2! So this is only 2 parts but maybe Iâll make more if you all like it and would like more.
Masterlist
Stranger Things Masterlist
Part 1
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It had been months since the dinner and things were good. They didnât have to hide anymore. Billy had been over practically every day since. And to surprise everyone, Hopper didnât mind. He actually grew to like the boy and his daughter turned out to be right. He was very different behind closed doors. But Hopper had sensed something off with him and he just wished he could figure it out. Although he might find out soon.
It was around midnight when Y/n heard the sound of tapping against her window. She turned her head and out the dark window was her boyfriend. Y/n got up and opened her window, helping him into her room.
When Y/n looked up at Billy once he was fully standing to the best of his ability at the moment. She was shocked, he had never looked this bad before. And that was saying something. âOh God- Billy.â
âYeah, I know.â Billy let out a huffed laugh even though it really hurt. He was pretty sure he had some cracked ribs. âItâs bad this time.â
Y/n looked him over with wide extremely concerned eyes. There were bruises everywhere old and new but the new were really nasty looking, and they werenât even done developing yet. âNo kidding.â
Y/n was glad that her door was shut right now so no questions would be raised. Y/n grabbed all her medical stuff she stored in her room, with the upside down crap and her boyfriend it came in handy. As she cleaned the cuts Billy occasionally hissed. âSorry.â
Billy shook his head. âItâs fine. Doesnât hurt as bad right now.â
Y/n let out a sigh knowing what needed to be done. Sheâd have to convince him though. âI canât let you live there anymore, Billy.â
With a sigh of his own Billy answered sadly. âThereâs nothing you can do about it, Y/n/n.â
âWe could tell my dad.â y/n told him, her dad was the sheriff after all. She knew he could do something. âHe could help.â
âHopper already barely tolerates me. Why would he help me?â Billy knew him and Hopper seemed to be on good terms but it always felt like the other shoe would drop at any time. Billy never felt safe around adults, for good reasons.
Y/n reached for his hands and monevered on herself to also sit on her bed, looking him in the eyes. âHeâd do it for me. Because as you said he is tolerating you- well heâs doing that for me. Plus my father doesnât think kindly about people who abuse their children or any person abusing one. Look at El and her situation.â
Billy sat there thinking about her words for a moment before asking. âYou think heâd really help me?â
Y/n nodded. âI do. Even if we werenât together, hell even if we werenât even friends. Heâd still help you.â
Billy knew it was time, he had to agree with Y/n. He couldnât live under Neil anymore. âOkay.â
âReally? I know how you feel about telling people anything personal, let alone this.â Y/n asked, wanting to make sure he was sure.
âYeah. I think its time. I need out and I canât do it on my own. Plus I donât want anything like this to also happen to Max. She may be a brat but no one deserves what heâs capable of.â Billy nodded looking Y/n in the eyes. It needed to be done.
^ Â Â ^ Â Â ^
âHey, dad?â Y/n spoke, poking her head out her door. Not opening in enough for anymore to see into her room. She didnât want El and Mike seeing Billyâs state or asking questions. This needed to be between the 3 of them only.
âHmmm?â Hopper hummed, shifting his eyes off El and Mike and to his oldest daughter.
âCan you come to my room for a sec?â She nodded back towards her door with raised brows, giving her dad a look to tell him it was private and serious.
âSure.â Hopper nodded, getting up and heading to Y/nâs room.
âThanks.â Y/n thanked him before pulling him into her room.
Upon entering her room Hopper saw Billy and he could feel his blood boiling. But upon a longer second look his more pressing question became âwhat happened to his oldestâs boyfriend?â Billy wasnât known to lose a fight. More than half the time he walked away with barely any bruises or scratches. But right now, Billy was sporting a black eye forming, a cut on his head, split lip, bruises old and new, and his shirt was completely unbuttoned showing off a really nasty almost black bruise across his ribs. Meaning to Hopper that his ribs were either extremely bruised, cracked but most likely a few were broken.
âWhatâs?â He glanced down at his daughter. âWhatâs going on?â
Y/n walked around him to pull out her desk chair gesturing for her dad to sit. âCan you sit down? Billy, has something he wants to tell you.â
Hopper did as he asked as Y/n went and sat down next to Billy, grabbing his hand in hers for what Hopper preserved was reassurance. âWhatâs wrong, kid?â
With that Billy went on to explain to Hopper all about Niels abuse. Every detail and for how long it had been going on for. He told the older man everything, with Y/nâs support.Â
Hopper noticed when some things got hard for Billy to talk about he either looked to Y/n or she would squeeze his hand. He came to the conclusion that his daughter had become Billyâs safety blanket.
And he was proud of her for being there for the boy who had been through things that no child ever should go through.
âAnd I didnât want to tell anyone or let anyone know because back in California no one seemed to notice or care so. . . My plan was just wait it out- till ya know, I turned 18.â Billy told the sheriff nervously bouncing his leg.
âButâŚâ Y/n encouraged him to continue. He needed to get it out, she knew that.
âBut, now heâs worse and the worse he gets I worry about him with Max now. He wouldnât do anything before because of Susan, but heâs getting sloppy.â Billy appreciated more than he could ever put into words Y/nâs support. Everything sheâs ever done for him, including loving him.
Y/n turned her attention to her dad with hopeful and nervous eyes. âCan you do anything to help?â
Hopper nodded, hell even if he couldnât legally heâd find a way to get rid of that piece of shit. Niel Hargrove. âYeah, I can help.â
Y/n nudged Billy shoulder to shoulder with a smile. âI told you.â
âYeah, you did.â Billy nodded with a small smile on his lips as well.
âBut for now you canât let him or Susan know that anything is out of the ordinary.â Hopper spoke up, leaning back in the chair.
Billy looked back at Hopper confused. âOut of the ordinary?â
âWhat do you mean dad?â Y/n asked as well, confused like Billy.
âWe have an extra room. I want you to slowly start moving your stuff into it. And I want Max to slowly start moving her stuff here too, into Elâs room. Iâm sure theyâll love becoming roommates.â he scoffed thinking of how that was going to go. And how he and Billy will be outnumbered.
âThe sleepover that never ends.â Y/n laughed, shaking her head happily at the thought.
âExactly.â Hopper smiled, letting out a huff of air.
âIâm still confused.â Billy stated with a furrowed brow looking between the father and daughter confused.
Y/n squeezed his hand and gently pulled him closer, if that was even possible. Smiling at him, she was very happy at this new found situation. âYou and Max are moving in. Here. With us.â
âI-â Billy was speechless looking at Hopper in shock. But Hopper could see the hint of relief in the young man's eyes.
âSon.â Hopper felt bad for the boy. This had obviously been going on for a long time and it had affected Billy more than he showed or let on. No wonder he starters fights, Hopper thought, he needs a cover for the bruises and a way to vent out his anger about his father. âOnce things are all ready to go and in motion, things are gonna move fast. And I'm not going to have you or Max in that house or anywhere near it when it happens. Max I consider already like a daughter, sheâs over enough to be one. And you Billy. I like you more than I would care to admit. You're like a son to me, I think you need to know that.â
Billy could only sit and look at his girlfriend's dad in complete shock. He could never find the words to tell Hopper how much this and what he said meant to him. Billy was very appreciative for what he was willing to do to help him. âThank you, sir.â
Hopper stood up and placed his hand on Billyâs shoulder and squeezed. âSon, you can call me Hopper.â
Billy nodded. âThanks Hopper.â
âNo problem. Iâll get you a shirt to sleep in. You are not going back to that house tonight.â Hopper stated exiting the room to do as he said. This was a night where the closed door rule for the couple wouldnât apply. Hopper wasnât going to split them up tonight.
âHe called me son. More than once.â Billyâs voice cracked and his eyes held happy tears as he looked to Y/n with a watery smile.
âYeah, he did.â Y/n smiled at him, things were going to be okay now.
taglist: @gruffle1 @padawancat97 @starkleila
#y/n#imagine#imagines#billy#hargrove#billy hargrove x hopper reader#billy hargrove x hopper!reader#billy hargrove x reader#billy hargrove imagine#billy hagrove imagines#x reader#stranger things#stranger#things#stranger things x reader#stranger things imagine#stranger things imagines#netflix
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Hello I would like to request an omega billy Hargrove like when he decides to have children with his alpha he starts kinging items for the babe currently he decides to knit a baby blanket and the alpha just praises him (because he needs the praise) for thinking ahead and taking care of the future pup. Because I head canon that omega billy knits after his alpha lets him be an omega and not under the influence of his fathers pressure to be an alpha.
Absolutely yes
đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇâď¸đŠˇ
It took Billy a while to be able to admit he wanted kids.
"That looks wonderful baby" (name) said lovingly to his mate, kissing his forehead as Billy tried not to smile under the praise, the Omega six months pregnant and relaxed "how was work?" Billy asked snuggling into him "it was good, nothing too crazy" (name) said watching him knit "you're getting really good at that" (name) commented and didnt miss the happy pharamones that escaped the Omega "you think?"
"Our pup is going to love it"
(Name) was the best thing for Billy, he turned him around for the better and helped the Omega get his shit together and embrace who be was.
He made Billy a better person.
He got him away from his dad, brought Max with them and got them into family therapy and now...
Life was good.
Life was happy.
"I also made little socks and a hat"
"Really? Maybe if you make two more we can all wear matching hats"
"Maybe..." Billy said with a soft laugh and (name) kissed his temple before getting up to make dinner, the meals catering to Billie's needs and cravings.
He was really into broccoli and Swiss cheese.
"I got a recipe from a coworkers mate, a broccoli and chicken pasta dish with cheese" (name) said as he began prep, not missing the curious look of his mate.
Though billy still had bark and sass, he was very docile with his alpha and let him dote and spoil him.
His pup will have a very good sire.
#male reader#omegaverse#stranger things x male reader#stranger things x reader#omega billy hargrove#billy Hargrove x reader#billy Hargrove x male reader#alpha male reader
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If I Should Stay
Part 1 | . . . | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
âYou wish,â Steve teases, then looks wide-eyed at Robin. âWhat about all the pictures we have?â
âWeâll take new ones,â she assures him, then grins. âAnd hey, maybe Starcourt will be built, without the Russian base underneath.â
Steve hums. âMaybe then I could avoid one of the concussions from Billy.â
Robin freezes suddenly. âSteve,â she says, âis it a good idea for the party to meet Max? Because of the first concussion from Billy? That wasnât Upside Down related, was it?â
Steve grimaces. âHeâd been Flayed at that point, yeah. Even if he is a racist asshole, I canât imagine him coming after us like that again.â
Robin hums. âBut if he does-â
âTell me,â Eddie says suddenly, âdoes he like Mary Jane? Because I can make sure he never sees her again if he goes after Steve.â
Robin blinks at him, then begins to grin. âSorry, Stevie, Eddieâs my new favorite.â
Eddie laughs and fist-bumps her. âLikewise, Birdie.â
âHey!â Steve says, faux-affronted. Itâs ruined by the grin he canât hide.
El pokes gently at Steveâs arm, then the waffle iron when he looks at her. âItâs done.â
âAh,â he says, opening it. âThank you, Ellie. Mind getting me a plate?â He grins at her. âWithout grabbing it?â
El grins. Without moving, she opens a cabinet, floats a plate out to Steve, then shuts the cabinet again. She wipes underneath her nose, then grins at Steve. âNo blood!â
âThatâs great!â He celebrates with her, offering her a high-five. âYou think youâre ready?â
âIâm still scared,â she tells him. âBut yes. I do.â
âYâknow something else?â Steve asks. âVecna needed four more years to be strong enough to do what he did. You needed two more days. I think youâre much stronger than he is right now.â
âSpeaking of the big bad,â Eddie interjects, nibbling on a corner of his waffle, âshouldnât we go over the plan?â
Steve sighs. âProbably,â he agrees.
âI think we should wait for everyone,â Alli says. âLetâs just have as normal a morning as we can for right now.â
Steve smiles at his sister. âSure, Al,â he says, then rolls his eyes when she pulls him into a hug and ruffles his hair.
âLove you, Bubba,â she murmurs into his ear, and he canât help but to melt into her hug.
âLove you too, Al,â he murmurs back, then grins at her. âHow about grilled cheese when we all make it outta this intact?â
âI think that sounds like an excellent idea,â she nods, then steps away. âIâm gonna call Cass. Come and get me when everyoneâs here?â
âWill do,â he nods, and she smiles in response as she walks off.
Eddie pulls his feet up onto the counter heâs sitting on, looping his arms around his knees. âSo, Cassidy is Alliâs-?â
âGirlfriend,â Steve nods. He takes another waffle out of the iron and scrapes the last of the batter into it. âIt makes me wonder how I wouldâve ended up, if I had her the entire time, yâknow? Cause I know I was an asshole. And Iâm trying not to be anymore.â
âYouâre succeeding,â both Robin and Eddie say at the same time, then excitedly point at each other.
Steve laughs and shakes his head. âThanks. But I wonder, if Iâd had her the entire time, would I have ever gotten as bad as I did? Would I have ever worked at Scoops or Family Video and met you, Robin? Would any of his have ever happened in the first place?â
He only notices his hand is shaking when Robin gently takes his fork and puts it down, then grabs both his hands in hers. âSqueeze,â she requests, and he does, letting out a harsh breath and resting their foreheads together.
âSorry,â he mutters.
âShuddup,â Robin says. He laughs.
After a few seconds, he pulls away to look at her. âAm I being crazy?â
âI think youâre being exactly as sane as taking this mission in the first place makes either of us, Dingus, I donât think either of us were all there in the first place.â
Steve giggles. âI think you may be right.â
âMaybe you wouldâve been different,â Eddie says. Heâs taking the last waffle out of the iron. âMaybe you wouldnât have. Maybe all of this wouldâve happened, and maybe it wouldnât have. Maybes arenât gonna change anything thatâs currently happening. All we can do is our best to get through it.â
El slips between Steve and Robin and wraps her arms around Steveâs waist. âI can do things you canât,â she says quietly. âBut I canât see the future. I donât know what couldâve happened. But I know Iâm glad that youâre here now.â
Steve sighs contentedly and wraps her in his arms. âMe too.â
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#stranger things#if I should stay#steddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#el hopper#platonic stobin#el and Steve are siblings#steve has a long-needed mental breakdown#he deserves it honestly#fix it#fix it fic#time travel#time travel fic#time travel fix it#time travel fix it fic#starambles
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@intothedysphoria has inspired me to write about autistic!harringrove, and my own experiences with autism... Max, this is for you! I hope you like it!
tw for anxiety and sensory overwhelm, but it ends fluffy, I promise.
---
It started as a normal day, but it quickly derailed from there.
An asshole at work approached Billy from behind and clapped his hand around the nape of his neck, despite Billy having told him several times he didnât like that.
Billy didnât like being touched at all, by most people. And some people had no concept of personal space.
A horrible, painful shiver cut through his spine, icy cold and almost slimy, and Billy held back a shudder. He broke out in goosebumps, and only years and years of practice, of putting on the charm let him pull away from the dickhead graciously, laugh at whatever he said and keep himself together until he could hide away in a bathroom stall.
Billy presses his fingers to his closed eyes hard, seeing stars, and rubs the back of his neck vigorously, trying to replace that cold shiver with something else. Tears spring to his eyes, and he feels so fucking frustrated.
Finding out youâre autistic in your twenties is an experience. A lot of things start making sense, and a lot of things you pushed down and convinced yourself werenât a problem spring back up like a jack-in-the-box, a hundred times worse.
Like the touch thing. Itâs not that Billy doesnât like being touched. He just doesnât like being touched by people he doesnât know, and for no reason.
Like, his physical therapist, when she was helping him regain dexterity in his hands after Starcourt, that was fine.
Some dude in the office touching his neck, even casually, not so much.
Billy takes a deep breath, tries to remember the self-care workbook he and Steve filled out together a couple months ago. Tries to calm down.
Three ways I can distract myself when someone touches me, heâd written, glancing back up at Steve with a smile. Happy they were doing it together.
Loud music + puzzle
Hot drink
Yelling
Steve laughed and shook his head (âitâs very youâ) when Billy wrote down the last one, but it really did help.
Billy gives himself a few more moments in the stall before he slinks out, heading to the sinks and splashing cold water on his face. The sensory shock helps a little, the cool, pleasant feeling helping balance the sensation of something crawling under his skin.
He checks if the break room is empty before he goes in, and it thankfully is. He doesnât want to run into anyone. Doesnât think he has it in him to mask right now.
Billy makes himself a mug full of scalding hot coffee and hurries back to his office, avoiding eye contact with anyone who throws out a hello. So what if they think heâs angry. Maybe he is pissed.
He manages to spend the rest of the day locked in his office, headphones on, and only comes out when itâs time to go home.
Of course, all he wants is to see Steve, wants his comforting presence, even if theyâve been dating only three months. When he walks through the door of Steveâs house, he sees Steve sitting on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, wearing his ugly vomit green socks with raccoons on them, that heâs had since he was 15 and wonât get rid of.
A wave of relief crashes through him, nearly leaving him dizzy. He breathes deep, catches the smell of his clean house, laundry, and Steve.
âHey baby,â Steve calls, laying his head on the back of the couch to look at him, making his glasses just a little bit crooked. âBad day?â
âDoes my face look that terrible?â Billy grumbles, taking his shoes off at the entryway before he steps into the living room.
âYour headphones are around your neck,â Steve points to them, a smile ticking up the corner of his mouth.
Oh. Billy forgot to put them away. He doesnât need them in the car.
He sighs and throws himself down next to Steve, a careful, deliberate distance away.
âIâm just âwhelmed,â Billy mumbles.
âOverwhelmed?â
âNot anymore. Just whelmed,â He says, sighing again. His body sags, melting against the cushions. He doesnât feel shivery anymore, but he feels tired, like heâs on the bad end of an all-nighter.
Steve puts his hand on the cushion between them, palm up, not touching Billy.
Billy takes a deep breath, watching Steveâs hand. He knows that hand intimately, knows it to be warm and soft and kind, knows how its skin feels against Billyâs, the friction making the shivers good instead of bad.
He puts a tentative fingertip on Steveâs pointer finger, and all Steve does is press back, smiling gently.
Billy slides his fingers in between Steveâs, laces them together, holds his hand palm to palm, and feels the touch of his skin like theyâre buzzing together.
Billy knows he can change his mind, and all Steveâs gonna do is smile, sit on his side of the couch, and continue the conversation.
âHowâs that book you were working on going?â Steve asks. He rubs his thumb over the back of Billyâs hand once, and stops. When Billy squeezes his hand, he resumes the movement, sending pleasant tingles up Billyâs arm.
âGood. The writer was receptive to what I said. They sent me a couple reworked chapters today,â Billy says, moving closer to Steve, so their arms press together.
As the conversation goes on, Billy presses closer and closer, at his own pace, and Steve accepts it crumb by crumb.
He doesnât know what he did to deserve Steve, or how Steve is so patient with him. Steve loves physical contact. Billy does, too, but heâs so particular about it that sometimes he wonders if heâs even worth sticking around for.
Billy ends up lying on top of Steve, chest to chest, nose tucked into his throat, breathing in his warmth and his scent.
âDonât touch my neck, okay?â He asks, hunching his shoulders a little.
âYeah, okay,â Steve says, easy as that. âCan I touch your hair?â
âYeah.â
Steve turns his head and kisses Billyâs head, right on the hairline, pulling a deep, content sigh from him.
âThanks, Stevie,â Billy says, squeezing his ribs just a little tighter. âFor doing this for me. Being patient.â
Steve looks down at him, frowning slightly.
ââCourse. You shouldnâtâ You donât have to thank me,â He says, earnest. âItâs not a chore, Billy. Youâre notâŚâ He licks his lips, trying to think. When he looks at Billy, it's like he's telling him a secret. âYou make me happy. All of you.â
Billyâs smile is wide, stretching his full lips and showing his teeth, and Billy only drops it so he can kiss Steve.
They keep it chaste, an unhurried, soft press of lips, enjoying their intimacy and their closeness and their familiarity. Simple as it is, it's one of the best kisses he's had. Steve's the best person he's ever met.
When Steve touches him, he feels safe. Billy wants to keep him.
#harringrove#billy hargrove#autistic billy hargrove#steve harrington#harringrove fic#harringrove ficlet#billy x steve#sorcery writes#mine
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okay so this request was sent through the dms (best to go through inbox for future req) and they chose to stay anon. so they requested steve with hargrove reader (i made them step siblings so i hope that helps for mostly everyone reading) where reader is being abused at home and steve finds out and is being super caring (short summary)
pairing: steve harrington x fem hargrove!reader wc: 2.4k
tw: mentions of hitting, abuse, blood and cuts
masterlist
âmr. harrington, you will be partnered with miss.hargrove. and i expect equal work, steven.â mrs.johnson glared at the king before going back to handing out assignments.
you could feel his gaze lingering on your skin, tracing your profile as you looked down on your open book. you didnât bother giving him your attention, not planning on doing the work outside the classroom. best to keep him distant.
there was a loud commotion happening in the room. head tilting up you saw everyone with their assigned partners, you included. a look to your left and steve harrington locked eyes with you.
he was turned in the seat so his body was facing your side. his left elbow sat on the scratched brown top, his palm cupped his cheek so his head was slightly tilted. a dark curl kissed his forehead.
your eyes squinted, âwhat?â not understanding why he was watching you like a hawk.
his brows rose an inch and a small pout formed on his lips, ânothing. just sitting with my partner.â and he flashed a smirk. it made your eyes narrow into slits.
you rested your pointer finger into the crease of your book and twisted your stomach to face him more head on. âlook, letâs just do most of the work here and then split up what needs to be finished and do it separately. howâs that sound?â voice bored and not looking for any actual input.
but steve squinted his eyes and pouted, âsounds dumb. letâs just do it at my house when school is over. canât focus with all this noise.â a playful smile replaced the pout. he was trying to be cute.
it wasnât working.
âiâd rather do it in a class environment then do the rest on my own.â pushing back. steve kissed his teeth, âoh, well you heard mrs. johnson. i need to put in work, so we gotta stick together and make sure itâs even teamwork. need to try and bump my C to a B this year. dadâs on my ass.â
and you knew the feeling.
but you took a deep sigh while slightly shaking your head, âi just donât think itâs the best idea for us to hang out⌠outside of school. you knowâŚâ being extremely vague and closed off. hoping you didnât have to verbally give a reason for steve harrington to just back off.
Steveâs demeanor changed at your words and tone. the hand that was pushing up his cheek feel to the table surface, his body leaning in close and his voice dropping into a whisper. âis it billy? âcause i can handle him, done it before.â and you kinda knew what he was talking about.
how steve came to school one day with a fucked up face and how max told you billy wasnât gonna bother either of you anymore. you didnât realize the two were connected but havenât bothered to push.
with steve making the assumption the problem was billy you took the handed excuse. âiâd just rather not piss him off today. heâs been ignoring me and i donât want to be on his radar.â lips set in a tight line as you looked at your book.
âwell⌠do you want to work on it at the library? neutral ground.â you couldnât help the huffed laugh, âvery persistent, are we?â finally holding stable eye-contact.
steve flashed his dazzling smile as he shakes his head, âwhat can i say? i take my education very seriously.â
eyes squinted, âuh huh⌠very. trying to bump a C to a B with only a few weeks of the semester left. very studious.â taking your turn to tease.
steve shook his head as he looked down at his lap, right knee bouncing up and down quickly. âbut seriously, just come to my house. we can get whatever snacks you want, maybe a pizza if it goes late. my parents wonât be home anyway.â
âwoah, trying to charm me into your bed, harrington?â he rolled his eyes, âfuck off, hargrove. iâm driving you home like a respectable young adult.â he smoothed a hand through his hair.
there was a heat crawling up your neck that you were choosing to ignore. along with the twisting in your guts. so instead you questioned steve again, âwhy are you so insistent on doing this together? at your house? and donât use mrs. johnson as an excuse.â needing to understand this persistent attitude heâs developed.
his knee stopped jerking and his hands fell limp to the table or his lap. he looked to be debating something in his head, teeth rubbing at his bottom lip.
âcome on, steve. just spit it out, canât be bad.â trying for encouragement.
he heaved a sigh, âi, uh, i just⌠want to hang out. with you. you seem cool.â you couldnât help the raise to your brows, âcool? i keep to myself.â
he shrugged, âlook i donât know. i just want to get to know you. youâre nothing like billy.â âthatâs cause we are only related by marriage. i donât share any of those shitty genes.â
steve sighed again, âif you actually donât want to come over to do this project or just to hang out, i understand. we can just do it here at school in the library. not gonna force you to be by my side.â
he got quiet as he turned in his seat to face the front with his head tilted down and his knuckles rapping along the top. your eyes followed the shape of his body, getting stuck on his face that wasnât hidden by his hair. his lidded eyes and his lashes that touched the tops of his cheeks, angular nose coming to a nice point, and pink lips pushed to a slight pout.
a groan settled in your throat, âiâll come over.â sounding almost begrudgingly about your statement. steve perked up and turned just a little, âreally?â he almost sounded hopeful.
a deep breath through your nose, âyes, steve. iâd be happy to hang out with you.â
-
âso, i hear your going to harringtonâs after school. that true?â billyâs nosy self leaned against the lockers to your left. his stupid face stuck in your periphery and his loud gum smacking a ringing in your ears.
replacing unneeded textbooks with ones you need for homework tonight, you sighed, âyes billy. itâs a partner project. kinda have to work together.â
âdadâs not gonna like that.â he stated like he cared about your well-being (he couldnât give two shits). âyeah, well, iâm trying to keep good grades to get out of this shithole. so my academics are coming first. i can handle my jailer.â final words as you slammed your locker closed and headed to the parking lot.
you rolled out your shoulders twice as you made the short walk to steve harringtonâs maroon bmw. he was sitting on the trunk with his head down while scribbling away. ânice car, harrington. almost prettier than you.â your way of greeting him.
he hurried to close one of two notebooks he had, face looking a bit red in the cool january air. âyou okay?â eyeing him head to toe. he played off the moment with a smile, âyeah, yeah. ready?â
he hopped off his car and it bounced with the loss of his weight. steve walked to the back door on the passenger side to throw his things on the floor, then he reached a hand out for you.
âwhat are youâŚâ âasking for your stuff. come on, iâm freezing out here.â a light shake to his hand made the point.
you waited a second longer before handing over your books then shrugging your backpack off and over to steve. he then closed the door and instead of heading to the drivers side, he opened your door and nodded at you. âalways open doors for girls, harrington?â instinctively teasing him.
you missed the shy smile, but heard him say, âonly the special ones.â he kept his voice, low. hoping you wouldnât hear it as he closed you in and ran to his side.
-
the harrington household was big, style a decade old, well cleaned, and empty. the only inhabitants were steve and the occasional cleaning lady and landscaper who come by when his parents call in a request. you didnât say it aloud, but you wished you could live in this empty house. just you and max, staying away from the bad that stained your indiana home.
âwe could just work at the dining table.â steve directed the both of you to the dark stained oak wood, four polished and carved seats pushed in. only two were occupied close together.
the room was mostly quiet, pages moving and pencils writing were the main noise when not discussing the work. steve actually putting in some elbow grease with his portion of the project and would ask for help if he was stuck, it was nice.
you leaned back into the cushion of your chair with a sigh that turned to a low hiss. âyou okay?â steve asked with concerned puppy eyes.
you ignored him, âuh, whereâs- whereâs your bathroom?â his brows pinched in the middle then relaxed a fraction,
âuh, down the hall to the right.â pointed over his shoulder. you excused yourself quickly down the hall and locked the door behind you. twisting your torso to the left the pain spiked again. lifting the bottom of your shirt, the deep purple bruise taunting you, you couldnât feel the wet blood sticking to your skin and shirt.
you threw the shirt down, unlocked the door and walked back to the table where steve had his head laying on the table with his eyes closed. his head looked up when you loudly gathered your work pile together,
âwhere you going? weâre not done.â steve pushed himself out his chair. you didnât bother looking his way, âuh, i- i, uh i forgot about something. very important.â a half-assed excuse, just needing to leave the too quiet house now.
âwell, i could drive you. wherever or drop you off at ho-â âno!â yelling the word at kind hearted steve. you deflated a bit, palms running over your head, âsorry. no, iâm fine on my own.â turning away from steve to grab your bag and shoes.
âwoah, woah, woah. wait, just-â âsteve, i gotta-â âyouâre bleeding.â
you stopped in your tracks, books to your chest. âwhat?â confused and panicked.
âyou have spots of red showing through your shirt,â steve voice was closer now. it made you jerk away. âiâm sure itâs nothing. uh, thanks for⌠yeah. iâm just gonna-â
âhey.â his voice was carful, gentle like the wind. he was holding the bone of your wrist like fine china. only used to a crushing touch as if you were an aluminum can thatâs been drained of its intoxicating drink.
you could feel the shape of his body from behind, envision his deep brown eyes melting in emotions. ây/n, come on, let me look. might need to clean it.â it felt like he was talking to a scared child. and you felt like one in the moment.
âiâm fine, steve.â steeling yourself. building your guard strong.
he rounded from behind to stand in front of you, blocking your exit, âplease, y/n. i just want to make sure you're okay.â his thumb rubbing over your wrist while he stared directly into your eyes.
and you couldnât stop the tears even if you wanted. it started with a glossy view before you felt the cold droplets hitting your cheeks and rolling down your nose and over your lips and chin. lips wobbling as you tried to swallow the sobs but once one slipped the others ran free. youâre sure you wouldâve collapsed to the floor if it wasnât for steve catching you in his arms and guiding the both of you slowly down.
âhey, hey. itâs okay, you're okay.â steve pushed your head into his neck while he rubbed a palm over your shoulder blades. âim here for you, y/n.â
âi- i donât- donât wanna go- go home, steve. please.â fingers curling into the front of his shirt to keep him close as your tears stained his skin.
âitâs okay. you donât have too.â a ragged inhale through your mouth, âi- i have to. for- for max.â
steveâs hands worked gently to move your head away from hiding and back into the light. whites of your eyes red, lids growing puffy. cheeks flushed in color with tear tracks. steve worked his thumbs at wiping away your distress, wishing he could whisk you away from this town.
âletâs not think about home right now. letâs just clean you up.â
a meek nod was all it took for steve to pick you off the floor and lead the two of you towards the bathroom. steve places you on the closed toilet, knees hitting the wall so steve could grab stuff from the cupboards and clean you from behind.
you closed your eyes and forced yourself to keep taking deep and slow breaths in and out. in and out, in and out until your head didnât feel so light and your heart stopped racing.
âokay, iâm gonna need to lift your shirt, is that okay honey?â steve squatted by your side with the tips of his fingers touching your thigh. bleary eyes watched steve, took in the way he called you honey, smooth and soft. without a word you pulled the back of your shirt off, head out of the opening so all the fabric sat on your collarbones.
âthank you. just let me know if it hurts, iâll stop.â words youâre not used to. usually itâs just yelling obscenities as you suck in your sobs.
a wet stinging sensation caused you to flinch away. âsorry, sorry. iâll let you know when iâm going in. okay, so three, twoâŚ. one.â and the sting was still there. it wasnât painful like the first.
steve did that two more times before he asked a question. âdid⌠did billy do this?â and you knew what he was feeling when he spit your step-brothers name with venom. you zoned out on your fingers, âno. not⌠not billy. higher up.â pinching the skin around your bones, thinking about the horrid man.
steve was quiet, not cleaning your wounds since he didnât count down. a tiny flinch came as a reaction when you felt his fingers prod around your bruises. âiâm sorry.â words a whisper meant only for your ears.
you shook your head slightly, âdonât say sorry. itâs not your fault. no oneâs fault.â âincluding yours. itâs not your fault.â it was like he could read into your mind with how quick his response was. you didnât bother saying anything back, just a look over your shoulder, puffy and droopy eyes taking in the sight of steve before looking back to his wall.
-
#steve harrington blurb#steve harrington reader insert#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington#steve harrington stranger things#steve harrington fic#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington x female!reader#steve harrington x hargrove!reader
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I tried requesting earlier but it didnât go through so hiiiii I just started following you!!!â¤ď¸ could you possibly write a billy x reader where they argue one night and so she ends up going to stay the night at Eddieâs and billy somehow finds out where she is and shows up in the middle of the night like fuck no sheâs mine and him and Eddie argue. Add whatever else you want and end it how you want ofc but I just love jealous/ protective/ angry billyâ¤ď¸
My Girl
Pairing : Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader
Summary : ^^^^^^^
Warnings : Swearing, cannabis use
Word count : 1,441
A/N : I don't think I've ever written Billy in a jealous/protective/ angry way before so I really do hope you like this.
You don't even remember what the argument was about at this point, the argument started small and escalated to now, where you were both arguing in his bedroom, him pulling his hair by the roots as you held the bridge of your nose. You knew the argument would just escalate more if you didn't leave and let him cool down and let yourself cool down.
You grabbed your cross-body bag, making sure your small wallet and car keys were inside. You put the bag on and opened his bedroom door as you walked down the hallway, passing Max's room where she laid on her bed, El on her floor, their eyes snapping to you as you angrily left the house.
You got into your car, sighing as you started it and began driving. At first, you had no destination in mind, not wanting to go home since Billy could show up considering he had a key, your mother having given him one.
You somehow ended up at the trailer park, you didn't even know how. You found the Munson trailer and parked your car beside Eddie's van before going to the door and knocking, knowing Wayne was working. The door opened, Eddie's eyes half-lidded as he reeked of weed. He let you inside, "What's wrong?" You sighed and sat on the couch as he sat in Wayne's recliner as you explained what was happening.
He nodded, taking a drag from the joint and holding it out to you, you shook your head, "No thanks Eds, need a clear head tonight." He nodded and finished the joint until there was a roach left and he put it in a discarded can of beer. "Does he know you're here?" You shook your head, "I just left." He nodded.
"If you want, you can sleep in my room and I'll sleep out here or you can sleep out here, whatever you want." You nodded, "I'll just sleep out here, your snoring would keep poor Wayne awake." Eddie laughed and went to his room and walked out with one of his pillows, tossing it to you as he grabbed a throw blanket.
He handed it to you and you thanked him. Eddie had been a close friend of yours since middle school, you were younger than him but now you were both seniors along with your boyfriend. "Thanks Eds." He smiled, "You know you don't have to thank me." He sat in the recliner, "Do you guys argue a lot?" You shook your head.
"Rarely, I don't even know how it started," you sighed, "fucking Max and El were across the hall, I know they heard everything." He nodded. Eddie didn't know much about your relationship with Billy besides the simple fact that the two of you had been together a month after Billy arrived in Hawkins.
"He didn't call you any names right?" You shook your head, "He'd never do that. I know he has a reputation but he's nothing like they make him seem." He nodded and talked to you until your yawns seemed endless and he laughed, "Go to sleep, Wayne will be here in a few hours." You nodded and he locked the trailer door, wishing you a good night before he went to the room as you kicked your shoes off and laid down on the couch, little cigarette burns here and there, the pillow smelling of Eddie's cigarettes and it made you sigh, wishing it was Billy's cigarette smoke that you were smelling.
You began thinking, trying so hard to remember what triggered the argument, sighing once more as you came up empty-handed.
"I'll drive to his house first thing in the morning so we can talk," you said to yourself, getting as comfortable as you could on the couch as you fell asleep.
You swore you dreamed the roar of his Camaro until the angry bangs on the door completely awoke you. Eddie sleepily left his room, grumbling about Wayne forgetting the key again and before you could tell him it wasn't Wayne, he opened the door. "You're not Wayne." You heard Billy's scoff, "Sure fucking not. Where's she at?" Eddie cocked his head, playing dumb, "Where's who?"
Billy scoffed once more before letting out a chuckle, "I knew you were fucking dumb but not this dumb, Munson. My god damn girlfriend, where is she? Her car's right there next to your shit van." Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes quickly snapping to yours. "Thanks for letting me know she's here, now let me inside." Eddie scoffed, "Billy, just leave her alone for the night. She left for a reason."
You grimaced, you knew those words were going to get Billy amped up and according to the clock you could barely see, it was nearly 3 in the morning. You could just imagine the smirk on his face, "Oh yeah," he asked tauntingly, "why did she leave then, Munson? Enlighten me." He was being cocky.
You heard Billy's voice once more, "You know what, fuck you, Munson. Let me inside." Eddie put his hands on the door frame, trying to make himself seem bigger than he was. "Billy, she doesn't want to see you. Fucking let it go for the night." You heard Billy hum, "So let me get this straight, my girlfriend doesn't want to see me? Let me hear it from her then. Because it sounds like you're speaking for her and honestly, I don't appreciate that."
Eddie scoffed, "How the hell did you even find her?" Billy chuckled and you heard him suck before he exhaled loudly, "Her mom said she was most likely here, it wasn't that hard to find her after that." Eddie hummed. "So, what's it gonna be, Munson? Are you letting me inside to talk to her or are we gonna keep doing this until the neighbors come out? Your choice."
Eddie's hands dropped as he turned his back to your boyfriend and took a few steps into the trailer, Billy behind him as he closed the door, the trailer going completely dark once more as you shuffled a little on the couch. "Scoot." You moved your legs as Billy sat down, the springs squeaking under him.
Eddie turned a lamp on and went to his room. "Why'd you leave?" You looked at Billy, his hair tousled like he had pulled on it more, his waterline pink like he had cried and your heart broke. "It was just gonna escalate." He nodded, placing his hand on your knee, gently rubbing it.
"Were you crying?" He laughed, "No." You pursed your lips, "Liar." He rolled his eyes, pulling you up so you were beside him. "Next time we argue, don't run off. That shit scared me, hell I'm getting the heebie jeebies just from being in the trailer park." You rolled your eyes and he laughed before leaning down and smacking a fat, wet kiss to your cheek.
"Gross, you're salivating like a dog." He laughed before clearing his throat, "I'm sorry for arguing with you all day." You reached up and rubbed his cheek gently, "I'm sorry too for arguing and leaving." He nodded and placed a soft kiss to the top of your head. "Now, if you lovebirds are done, I'd like the two of you to not fuck on my couch." Your eyes snapped to Eddie as he leaned against the wall.
"We weren't going to fuck, Eds." Billy furrowed his brow, "We weren't," he asked jokingly. He helped you up and handed your keys to you. "Thanks Eddie." He smiled and nodded, "Anytime." You smiled. "Later Munson, thanks for not making me kick your ass tonight." You rolled your eyes, pulling Billy through the door as Eddie grumbled something under his breath.
You got into your car, following him back to his house, parking your car behind his as you followed him inside. You went to his room and took your shoes off, placing them by his door as you got ready in his bathroom and he walked inside, placing his arms around your waist as you used his mouthwash.
He kissed your temple, holding you a little tighter, thumbs rubbing your hips as you finished getting ready for bed. "We're okay right?" You nodded, "Yeah, B, we're okay." He nodded and let you tie his hair up as he got into his bed. You followed suit, laying your head on his chest, right under his chin as he held you close to him.
"I love you," he softly said and you smiled and leaned your head up slightly, kissing his jaw, "I love you too."
#billy hargrove fanfiction#stranger things billy#william hargrove#billy hargrove x f!reader#billy hargrove x female reader#billy stranger things#stranger things fanfiction#billy hargove imagine#billy hargrove x you#billy hargrove
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'tis the damn season â harringrove relay race
Summary: A modern AU in which Steve has to spend the holidays alone for the first time. It's a good thing his next-door neighbor has other ideas. Pairing: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove Rating: T Word Count: 1k A/N: This is my contribution to the Harringrove Relay Race ( @harringrove-relay-race ).
When Robin said she had to go back to Hawkins for Christmas, Steve tried to tell himself it was a good thing. Heâd have the entire apartment to himself, which meant he could lounge on the couch in his pajamas and eat whatever he wanted without any comments from his friend. It would be a good thing, because Dustin was always telling them that they needed to learn how to exist apart, citing something about âcodependencyâ or some shit that Steve never bothered to really pay attention to.Â
He told himself it didnât matter that everyone he knew had a home to return to for the holidays, and he was stuck in the rundown apartment he and Robin could barely afford in the middle of San Francisco.
At first, it was even fun. He danced around the living room to his music without any complaints from Robin about the amount of Springsteen that existed on his mixtapes and didnât bother to cook a single meal on his own when pizza delivery was an easy solution.
But then the apartment grew hauntingly and stiflingly quiet, even when the music still blared. Nothing seemed to solve his loneliness.
At least, until his neighbor made himself known.
It was the guy who lived in the studio apartment across the hall, the one that Robin had lovingly called âMalibu Barbieâ after seeing him return one morning with a surfboard under his arm. He was quiet most of the time, with the only proof that he was around being the occasional blasting of his rock music (not that Steve minded, it was proof there were other people around).Â
Theyâd never had any reason to talk before, but Steve supposed December made everyone act strangely for one reason or another.
âWhereâs the girlfriend?â Steveâs neighbor asked when Steve came home from work one night, exhausted from the last day of classes before the elementary kids went on winter break. The neighbor looked more casual the usual, dressed only in jeans and a white tank which revealed the beginnings of a tattoo sleeve winding its way down his right arm. He was holding a laundry basket close to his hip, his front door barely cracked open as if heâd started to enter but stopped just to talk to Steve.
âThe who?â Steve asked, only realizing a moment later who his neighbor was talking about. âRobin? Gross, no. Sheâs like the annoying little sister I never had. You know I used to wish for one of those as a kid? Someone thought they were funny sending Buckley my way.â
Malibu Barbie grinned at that oneâa devilish thing that made Steve want to swoon right there in the hallway. âTrust me, I know all about annoying little sisters. Mineâs in Seattle right now with her mom.â
âHer mom?â
âSusan married my asshole dad years ago. We havenât talked since their divorce but Max still thinks itâs funny to call me every week. Something about sibling bonding or some shit,â Malibu Barbie said with a shrug.Â
Steve laughed despite himself, suddenly able to picture his neighbor rolling his eyes at every call but still picking up anyway. âSee Robin decided weâd just move in together after school. Dragged me all the way here.â
âSo whereâs Varsity Ken from?â
âVarsity Ken?âÂ
Steveâs neighbor shrugged at that. âBlame Max. She thinks sheâs funny.â
âYou must think sheâs funny too, if youâre using her jokes,â Steve returned, leaning against the open doorway of his apartment once it was clear he wasnât going anywhere.Â
âDonât let her hear that. I donât need the shitbird getting a big head.â
âWell, I guess she should meet Robin. Sheâs called you Malibu Barbie for weeks,â Steve laughed.
âBarbie and Ken, huh?â his neighbor laughed. âGuess theyâre trying to tell us something. Subtle little fuckers.â
It wasnât too often Steve got this many laughs in, especially not recently. Hawkins hadnât been a safe home in years, and though he loved his chaotic life in California he did ache for some of the normalcy that this time of year brought back in Indiana.
âLook, Iâm having a lonely movie night tonight. I rented a bunch of cheesy Christmas romcoms and enough candy for twenty people. Come be lonely with me?â
âHow do you know I celebrate Christmas, pretty boy?â
âWell do you?â
Malibu Barbie just smirked at that and tossed his laundry basket just inside his apartment before shutting the door. âHanukkah, actually. But I do celebrate cheesy romcoms with a real-life Ken.â
âIs that a yes?â
âItâs a âyou better have Reeseâs cupsâ,â his neighbor said back.
âWho doesnât get Reeseâs cups? Thatâs against the spirit of romcom movie night,â Steve laughed, opening the door to his apartment for his neighbor.Â
Robin would not believe him when he told her what happened, if only because she was constantly reminding him that his flirtation skills had dropped considerably since stepping away from the âpopularâ life back in high school. Heâd have to thank her though, because if it werenât for her silly nickname heâs sure his neighbor wouldnât be getting settled on the couch in their apartment now.Â
âWe starting with Love Actually, Ken?â Malibu Barbie called from the couch, lifting the case from the coffee table.Â
âWho do you think I am, man? Put it in,â Steve laughed, sitting down as close to his neighbor as he dared, setting a small bowl of candy between them. âAnd you donât have to call me Ken all night. Steve works just fine.â
âI kinda like Barbie, but I guess you can call me Billy,â his neighbor said in return.
It was easy to relax with Billy. They watched movies all night, though did a lot of talking the entire time. Steve hardly noticed when the sun set and rose again to start a new day, too busy getting to know Billy Hargroveâthe hot next door neighbor who he apparently had a lot in common with.Â
Maybe this holiday week wouldnât be so bad without Robin. At the very least, heâs pretty sure he has the best story to tell when she gets back.
Please look forward to the amazing work from the next contributor, @raven-cl
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Shovel Talk (Bury Me)
So many people give Billy the shovel talk, it starts to become kind of a game.
Robin is first, deadly serious but very inventive when it comes to her imagined punishments. Hendersonâs is by far the most inventive, spanning centuries of his life with pain and suffering that heâs not entirely sure the little guy could mete out. Nancyâs is to the point, simple. Just a reminder that she has guns, like she hasnât shot at him already. But when he reminds her with a laugh she goes a little pale and apologizes. Jonathanâs is kind of half assed, and heâs the only one who seems to think Harrington isnât some porcelain doll ready to shatter at any moment. Hoppers is sort of garbled, itâs clear that he doesnât have a great footing with these things, with emotions and stuff.
Erica and Lucas deliver theirs at the same time, and itâs possibly the only one heâs really scared of, because that little chick is a firecracker. And as Lucas said, he hasnât missed Billy once, unlike Nancy. Gotta respect that. Maxâs is quick, a barely there mention that he better not hurt Steve, but it hurts worse than the others.
And he gets it. Theyâve only been together a few weeks, but soon Steve is gonna wake up and realize that if he likes guys he could like better ones. Healthier ones, who are nicer. Calmer. Steve needs someone like Steve, someone warm and loving, who knows how to treat him right. Billy just happened to be around when Steve figured it all out. Billy just happened to be lucky enough to look like he looks.
Itâs the only way this thing between them makes any goddamn sense.
The thing is, he also doesnât see a future where he can really affect Steve like people think. Sure, Steve is affectionate and stuff. Heâs happy when Billy does his best, when Billy opens doors for him and calls him to hear about his day. But surely Steve is just like that with everyone heâs dating.
So Billy just shrugs. Tries to let it roll off his back and remember that he knows what this is. That he knows what he is to Steve. Just a very good looking first experiment with guys. All he can do is keep things light. Keep things relaxed and casual. Open Steveâs doors and enjoy the feeling of being held by him, without expecting more.
He doesnât push his feelings on Steve. He doesnât say that when he sees how far people will go for Steve it makes him want to grab a shovel and dig and dig until he knocks on the ceiling of the upside down, until his arms feel like rubber.
He doesnât get too mushy with Steve, or call when heâs had three shovel talks in a day and it hurts so much. When he wishes his boyfriend could just be there for him.
Because he knows what he is.
âNot hurting Steveâ is the slowest death ever, like being buried alive. And then Steve will smile, and reach across the seat and take Billyâs hand⌠and Billy always decides he can die for one more day if it means being close to Steve.
El takes Billyâs hand when she sees him, and he almost expects another shovel talk. But instead she squeezes his hand.
âHeâs hurting you,â she says softly.
âN-no,â Billy can feel his chin tremble.
âYes, he is.â
She closes her eyes and the emotions wash over Billy like a hurricane. The isolation heâs still feeling. The way heâs terrified to spend time with Steve, the way heâs terrified to be himself.
He pulls his hand away, âToo much, Jane. Too much.â
She nods, âOkay. Iâll stop.â
And then they set down and watch Saturday morning cartoons, and she pretends not to notice that heâs crying.
So imagine his surprise when later that day Steve throws open the door to his car while heâs idling at the arcade waiting for Max. Steve is still in his family video vest, looking a little out of breath.
âTell me what I did wrong,â Steve gasps.
âUh, hello to you too,â Billy presses his sunglasses up his nose.
âWhat did I do wrong?â
âNothing? What are you talking about?â
âI got a call from El,â Steve frowns, his bangs flopping down his brow, âLike five minutes ago telling me I could find you here to fix this.â
Billy groans, âSorry. You didnât do anything. Sheâs just worrying-â
âWorrying about what?â
âNothing,â Billy shrugs, âIts fine.â
âWhatâs fine?â
âEverything.â
âListen, man,â Steve sucks in a breath. âWhen a teenage telepath calls telling you to fix stuff with your boyfriend, you listen. Whatâs wrong?â
Billy snatches his sunglasses off and rubs his eyes, âLook sheâs just⌠Iâve⌠fuck.â
âBaby,â Steve glances around furtively and must decide that itâs worth it to take Billyâs hand.
âIâve just⌠your friends really care about you,â He spits out at last.
âWhat?â
âAnd maybe theyâre right. Maybe weâre just dragging this out, and we should just⌠cut our losses,â Billy shakes his head. Because thatâs exactly what he doesnât want. But he would do it, for Steve. He would do just about anything. Heâs the only person who can hurt Billy in quite this way. Steve hurts him, thatâs how much Billy is in love with him.
âStop, wait. I donât understand.â
âThey donât want me to hurt you. Which is just⌠like the funniest fucking thing,â Billy looks at Steve square in his eyes, even though it fucking hurts, âThey donât know how impossible that is. Like⌠you donât even care enough about me to be hurt.â
Steve looks struck, âWhat the fuck? What?â
Billy shrugs, snorting a little to try to calm the prickling in his eyes, and the tightening in his throat.
âWhy would you say that to me? Say that I donât care⌠thatâs not true, Billy.â
âItâs fine,â Billy shakes his head no, and hates himself. âI know what this is. They just donât get it.â
âAnd what is this?â
âAn experiment,â Billy shrugs, staring hard at the arcade sign and cursing Max for being late again.
âIâm an experiment to you?â
Billy feels the anger trigger hot in his chest, âNo. Iâm the experiment. And when youâre done with me, and you find someone who is actually worth all this trouble from your friends, itâll be over. You know. Someone you could love back.â
Steve is quiet, and when Billy looks over, his eyes are wide.
At just that moment, when all Steve has to do is pull the trigger and leave Billy like heâs supposed to, Max raps on the window.
Steve squeezes Billyâs hand, not moving. âMeet me when I get done with work at nine? Right here, meet me right here.â
âOkay,â Billy says, though heâs not sure why Steve canât just do it right now.
âOkay,â Steveâs brow furrows, âIâll be waiting for you.â
Like Billy wouldnât be counting the minutes.
And then Harrington letâs go, and flashes Billy a strange look before swapping with Max.
âWhatâs wrong with you?â She frowns at him.
âOh, you know,â Billy sniffs, âSame old everything.â
âWhat did Steve want?â
Billy sniffs again, âIâm trying to get him to break up with me.â
âWhy the hell would you want to do that?â Max curls her lip up at him.
âI donât,â Bill reverses and peels out of the lot.
Max just stares at him, which he pretends not to notice as he starts the well worn route back to Susanâs trailer.
âDid he do something?â Max startles him with the vehemence in her voice.
âNothing but be too good for me, right? I mean thatâs what youâve been saying,â Billy grips the wheel.
âWhat Iâve been saying?â
And Billyâs just so tired. Heâs so tired, and he wants to go to the woods and dig until all he can think about is sweat and dirt. And then he wants to lay down and sleep for a hundred years.
But instead he drowns out whatever Max says next with the music, and when they get home, he ignores Susanâs prodding about lunch and seals himself in his room.
He tries to be late to see Steve, but, embarrassingly, he ends up being early, waiting outside the arcade and video store like some kind of creep.
Finally, Steve exits, waving goodbye to Robin who shoots a warning look over to Billy in Susanâs idling sedan.
âIâll be out of your hair soon, Buckley.â He whispers, just as Steve gets in next to him.
âHey.â
âHi,â Billy whispers.
âSo⌠you love me.â
Itâs like a punch to the gut. Billyâs stomach plummets through the mantle of the earth and down to the lava below.
âFuck you,â He gasps.
âAm I wrong? You said you thought I would leave you for someone I could love back,â Steve doesnât seem disturbed by Billyâs outburst in the slightest.
âThis is by far the worst fucking way to break up with someone-â
âWell good, because Iâm not breaking up with you.â
This knocks his stomach around more, though his heart, stupid thing that it was, started rising with dumb hope.
âRobin told me that you guys had a⌠conversation,â Steve nods, âAnd apparently she head from Nancy that⌠well. I had to do some detective work. But the point is, Iâm guessing they kinda freaked you out?â
Billy frowned.
âAnd⌠I mean I canât be totally mad at them, Billy. Because I told Robin how in love with you I was before we even dated,â Steve bit his lower lip, âI thought it would be too early to say. But since you said it first⌠it doesnât feel so bad.â
âI didnât,â Billy protests.
âYou kinda did, though,â Steve takes Billyâs hand, âYou love me.â
Billy tries to take a deep breath through his seized lungs. Like he had a choice. Like he hasnât been lost for the guy from the moment he saw him across the parking lot, across a crowded party, across a court. Itâs a dream now that theyâre here, next to each other.
âIâm sorry that they scared you,â Steve brushes the scars on Billyâs palm, like heâs reading the lines for a moment, and then knits their fingers together. âThey just know how hurt I can get when I loved someone⌠who didnât love me back. No one can really hurt me, not like you can.â
Billy swallows.
âButâŚâ Steve has the softest eyes in the universe, dark and depthless as the sea at night, âYou wouldnât. Right?â
Itâs kind of a shovel talk. Billy doesnât care. Only Steve can bury him this deep.
âNo,â Billy gasps, âI wouldnât. I mean I would try⌠never to do that.â
Steve leans in, face pink in the light of the arcade sign, âWill you say it? For me?â
âI love you,â Billy gasps.
âI love you too,â Steve smiles, âI love you so much, Billy.â
That night in bed, his spine still tingling, Steve throws him for a loop again.
âWillâs shovel talk was the scariest,â Steve sighs, âDonât you agree?I mean El is scary and so is Max, donât get me wrong-â
âWill?â
âYeah, Will,â Steve shivers, âHe told me heâs been to the upside down so heâs not afraid of prison.â
Billy shakes his head a little, âWill didnât give me one.â
âOh. What about Mike? His was pretty good. Not that scary but I thought it was really cute,â Steve leans up on his elbows.
âWheeler?â
âYeah. He said thereâs only so many cool guys in town and I was not one of them,â Steve smirked, âI think he has a little crush on you.â
âFirst of all, ew,â Billy wrinkled his nose, âMike didnât give me one either.â
In the end they make a game of it. They each had a few different, but in the end it evened out.
Jonathan was way less lax when he spoke to Steve, it turned out. Max had threatened to go nuclear.
Billy had people who cared for him. That part wasn't a game, but it was very nice. And he had Steve, so he didn't need to bury himself, after all.
Also on AO3.
#harringrove#harringrove fic#shovel talk#harringrove fanfic#harringrove drabbles#steve x billy#billy x steve
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Fanfiction recommendation:
I just need to gush about a fic for a moment. I don't have a profile(yet) so I can't comment on it on ao3, but I've read this fic 8 times now since i found it in late august, and while it's far from unusual for me to read a fic more than once in the same month, 4 times in 1 month doesn't happen often. It's The Risk in the Kiss by NotEvenCloseToStraight, 50+k, harringrove, a/b/o, E-rated, but unless you hate one of these it should be considered a must-read
There're many good things about this fic
⢠main thing that made it stand out to me is the descriptivness and missing unnecessary filler words. i'm pretty sure it's not grammaticaly correct but i'm also pretty sure that sensory and emotional impressions don't use the same grammer as spoken/written language, which is why it's so damn hard to express them right that way. now, i've never had problems putting myself in a character's pov, but this fic made it easy;
"....Steveâs voice dropped a register commanding...."
"It was nice to feel red tinted angry for a change, instead of always blue shaded lonely miserable sick...."
"....could only take being pushed away, rejected, dismissed, unwanted for so long...."
"The Alphaâs scent crackled thrilled, cherry bright and bittersweet chocolate pleased...."
"....protectively comforting in a way that tinted his rose scent purple...."
"....Steve wrinkled his nose when the Alphaâs scent plummeted sympathetic...."
"....Billy cursed cursed cursed his way through the front door of the school...."
"....leaning in anxious and looming over protective and staring at him worried...."
⢠one of the advantege of tropes like a/b/o is that you don't just relay words and body language, you can also use smell ect. to communicate, but this fic doesn't just use it form smut, no no. people growl, show teeth, click and trill, they basicly behave like cats, and it's for everyday non-sexual interaction.
⢠animaniacs reference, in the 80's
⢠fangs
⢠everybody's bullshit being pointed and often called out.
⢠fluff. there's SO MUCH fluff and softness and cuddles in this fic and it is wonderful
⢠max and billy being siblings
⢠pining. SO MUCH PINING
⢠billy starting a foodfight because he can't deal with how much he's pining and that's after they get together
⢠steve threatning neil with the bat
⢠alphas having stretch marks from getting muscle fast
⢠semi grafic reference to omegas maiming alphas who enter their heat space uninvited or don't act corretly and isn't that just a refreshing take!
it's stated that billy's car, in the 80's, needs to be turned on in order for the windows to be rolled down and it's during a fairly serious scene but, apologies NotEvenCloseToStraight, but that always makes me laugh.
could have called nancy out harder, but i'm a die hard nancy critic, and the gorgeous happy ending skips right over s3 so there's a sad sad sad lack of robin, but those ARE my only critisisms of this fic.
@not-close-to-straight
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***
Billy is angry. At his own stupid ass mostly. He told himself to be careful, warned himself against making the dumbest mistake, like falling for someone here.
He didn't expect it to get this big. One minute he's in control, and next thing he knows, he's not feeling the ground under his feet anymore, and he's fucking down.
Last time they fucked? Billy almost blurted out "I love you" to this asshole Harrington who doesn't need it, who doesn't care. He called him "baby", it slipped out, and Harrington was on the verge of laughing. He didn't, but Billy saw the look on Steve's face, heard the tone. Hated it.
He remembers, he knows the feeling well - the shittiest feeling of all, when your good and sincere and most precious gets rejected. When you are kind and loving, but people mock it. Or simply run from you, like mom did. Billy thought she'd take him with her cause he loved her with all his little boy's heart had to offer, and he would've loved her even more, they would've made it, together.
What he had to offer, wasn't enough.
She ran, leaving her son in the rip current. Alone.
Nope, not alone. With dad.
Or, there are people who hurt you. When Billy turned to Neil for some warmth, but got hurt in return, with a word, with a look, with his fatherly hand.
Billy learnt that the world didn't need his love, the hard way.
It's not his fault now, he didn't want any of it, it's not even Harrington's fault, it's nobody's. It just happened.
But Billy can't breathe, and when he can't breathe, he pushes through, he lifts himself up like when he found himself under water so many times, fighting for air, almost drowning. He always swam up, towards the sun and the sky, instead of going down.
Falling for Harrington is like going into the ocean during a storm. Billy likes risk, but he still wants to live.
He turns the key, and his car comes alive like it understands him, like it can feel what he's going through, and it's always there to help. She appreciates his love, Billy knows it.
"Let's go, baby. We're getting the fuck out of here."
When Billy pulls out of the driveway, the phone rings, shrill and demanding. Max gets away from the window where she was watching the camaro go and picks up
"Hello?"
"Hi.. Max? It's Steve. Harrington. I was wondering .. is your brother there?"
There are tears running down Max's face. She's not sure if she can share the information with anyone, probably not. Most definitely not.
"Billy .." The tears are choking her.
"Billy just left."
Slow burn on ao3 "Wake me up when July is around" bits and pieces (there's only 1ch tho, it's in the works)
***
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They go back to California, after Billy gets out of the hospital and finishes his high school education. Steve drives, holding Billy's hand over the gearshift, but eventually they switch to taking turns.
They stop at landmarks, taking polaroids to stuff in an envelope for Max. Billy talks about the waves, the sun, the sand. Steve listens and hopes it's what Billy needs.
They last two months. Two months of Billy smiling and laughing before a certain kind of sadness begins to set in. He still laughs easier than he did in Hawkins, but- Steve can tell it's something more.
He waits. Sits Billy out. Gets a job at a cafe, takes up running around their little neighborhood, plies Billy with food and terrible surfing skills.
"What's wrong?" Three months in and Steve can't take it anymore. Can't take the far off look in Billy's eyes. Can't take waking up and feeling like Billy might be gone one morning, never to return.
"Nothing. What?" Billy looks affronted over his morning coffee.
"You- you seem sad."
Billy's shoulders sink and he looks down at his mug, the steam slowly curling out of it. "M'okay."
"No you're not. You're not happy and I don't know how to fix that."
Steve looks worried, he knows he does while his eggs cool on his plate. He leans across the table to put his hand next to Billy's.
Billy takes a long drink of coffee and his jaw sets more than once, but Steve waits him out.
"I thought I left something behind," Billy says, glancing up at Steve.
"What do you mean?" Steve asks, furrowing his brows.
Billy shakes his head and points to his chest. Scarred a hundred different ways.
"Like a piece of me. I left something here and I thought if I came back, I would get it again."
Steve doesn't know how to fix that, how to bring the cheer and rush back to Billy's face. He stretches a little further to take Billy's hand, linking their pinkies together.
"And I- I haven't found it. California's beautiful but it's not the same anymore. Maybe it was just a dumb dream," Billy mutters. He shakes his head but doesn't pull away from Steve.
Steve frowns a bit and shakes his head too. "No it's not a dumb dream. We don't have to stay, if you don't want."
"Where would we go?"
"Wherever." Steve would. Hawkins is fine, it's where his parents are and the kids, but they'll move eventually too. Maybe they can try the East Coast or somewhere down South, close to the border.
"Back to Hawkins?"
"If you want," Steve promises. "Don't have to."
"It's your home-"
Steve shakes his head again and squeezes Billy's pinky tight. "It's not. I know it's corny and gross and gay but you're my home. I wanna go where you're happy."
Billy bites his lip and nods. He takes a breath, finishes his coffee and grabs the paper and an almanac.
He sits in the chair next to Steve at the table and presses up against his side and starts to search.
Steve listens and waits because he knows Billy will find the place he's looking for. And, for now, Steve will just try to build it himself.
#harringrove#i think about billy not finding himself again in california sometimes#its nostalgia#and hope#and its a letdown#but theyll find their place#stranger things#greye writes
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