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usetheeauthor · 2 years ago

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We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes Pt. 2 of 2

Incel!Perv!Jonathan Byers x Dark!Latina!Reader

Angst/Smut : Dark Fic : Enemies to Lovers : College AU

Summary: You ask for Jonathan’s to embark on a road trip with you to terrorize a girl you’re seeking revenge on. Meanwhile, Jonathan has plans to blackmail you to assert ‘his power’ over you via the advice of his incel community. Things go south in his plan, once he meets your enemy who happens to be a familiar someone.

A/N: Had fun writing this. It was camp, it was weird, it was unhinged and i love that for these characters. I love Nancy. This isn’t Nancy slander. Just want to play around with an evil side to these characters. Hope you all enjoy and thank you for reading.

Part 1 Here

Word Count: 6.6k+

Warnings: breaking into house, vandalism, some fluffy moments, loss of virginity (m), graphic language, yandere!reader, past nancy x reader, past jonathan x nancy, hint of ronance, past cheating (not by reader nor jonathan), hurt!reader, hurt!jonathan, mentions of child and domestic abuse, dark!nancy, everyone is insane, oral (m receiving), p in v (unprotected sex), if you squint mommy kink, male masturbation, mutual masturbation, slight degradation kink, hair pulling, choking, creampie, small anal play, cum eating, switch!jonathan, switch!reader, nipple play, passionate rough sex, overstimulation, squirting, fingering, finger sucking, biting, scratching, ‘papi’ kink, spit kink, corruption kink (even tho Jonathan and Reader are corrupt already)

You awoke before him, freshening up and dressing up in your cutest outfit so that when he awoke, he wouldn’t be able to take his hands off you. When you walked back into the room, Jonathan was still peacefully asleep. He looked so beautiful and innocent, you could watch him all day. So you attempt that very thought, climbing back in bed and staring at him.

He must’ve sense this because he tossed and turned a little before his eyes fluttered open.

Stretching and yawning, he blinks up at you. “Morning.” The sexy, raspiness of his voice upon waking up made you throb between your legs.

“Good morning, mi amor.” With your face hovering over his, you placed a kiss to his lips. His body jolts a little with surprise.

You pulled away, running your fingers through his hair.

“What’d you do that for?” He asks.

“Because I can. Now go freshen up. We’ll be hitting the road again soon.” You pecked his lips once more before releasing him.

Jonathan had a wonderful night’s sleep. After last night activities, he found himself sleeping like a baby after countless nights of restlessness. It felt good sharing the bed especially when he got to cuddle up against you. You were so warm and soft. He was beginning to genuinely like you and not for the company of your body or anything sexual but for all of you. As fucked up as you were.

He’s in the shower currently and his mind drifts off to the things you two had done. Your lips luscious and full. He couldn’t wait to feel them on his again. What he really anticipated, though, was finally getting to penetrate your tight cunt. The way you swallowed his fingers inside you last night convinced him that you would take his cock just as hungrily. You were absolutely drenched from his mouth tasting you and he’d only just gotten started. He already missed your sweet taste.

Blood rushes to his dick and he’s hard as a rock. His hand lowers to grope himself. He began to jack off at the thought of your hot pussy on his mouth again. Head thrown back, he tightens his fist around himself, imagining thrusting in and out of you. Biting his lips, he stifles the groans tumbling from them. Once he thought about the look on your face when you’d gush all over him, he came onto his hand, the other hand resting on the tile wall for support.

Then he’s breathing again. Unsteady, but breathing, nonetheless. He finishes up his shower and quickly dressed before you could decide to step in while he’s naked. Believing if that were to have happened, he knew he wouldn’t be leaving that bathroom a virgin.

He exits. You were on the bed, laying on your stomach. Your feet in the air, swinging alternatively back and forth. Head in his phone, you mindlessly scroll through his feed.

He sighs. “Why are you going through my phone? How’d you even get into it, anyway?”

“Easy. Your fingerprint was still smeared on the screen.” You say, nonchalantly, still scrolling through it.

“It’s an invasion of privacy.”

You laughed. “How ironic coming from the guy who took candid photos of me? Did you get to jerk off to them this morning?” You teased.

Crimson colors his cheeks. You take notice of this, smirking. “Ahhh. So, you did touch yourself,” You get on all fours, crawling over to him. There’s an innocence with a glint of danger in your eyes as you stare up at him. “What exactly did you jerk off to?”

“It’s just about enough of your business as what i do on my phone. I’d like it back. Please.” He’s stern. His hand extended out.

You rise up to kneel, handing him the phone with pouty look. “I have a right to know what you write about me, ya know. You don’t even depict me in the right light.”

“Well, good thing I’m the creative between the two of us. Because I think I’ve captured your essence to the T.” He begins to pack his things into his duffel bag.

“I am, too, creative. I got you to come with me, didn’t I? You’d never agreed to join me if I hadn’t asked my friend about popular manga in the 80s.”

“You mean to tell me you were lying? I should’ve known you weren’t a true fan. What poor sap did you flirt with to get that information?”

“It’s not fucking FBI levels of top secret. Anyone could Google that. And that ‘poor sap’ is my best friend, Robin. She knows manga.”

“She?”

“Yes, papi. This isn’t the stone ages. Women read, too.” You rolled your eyes then hopped off the bed, gathering your things into your bag, too.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. Girls can like anime and manga, too.”

“Now you’re learning.” You winked.

—————

Once you checked out, you were on the road again. Jonathan drove to the closest diner for breakfast. The place looked as if it were in the middle of nowhere.

When you were sat inside at a nice quiet booth in the back, your stomach began to rumble. “God, I’m so hungry. I can eat an entire cow. What are you ordering?

“Maybe the strawberry waffles. You?” Jonathan asks, eyes skimming through the menu.

“The french toast because it’s better than waffles.” You challenged.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is. Let’s settle this,” You say, noticing the waitress coming your way. “‘Scuse me, hermosa. Which do you prefer french toast or waffles?”

“Definitely the waffles.” The waitress says.

“Told ya.” Jonathan smiles teasingly at you.

“A fan of waffles I see.” The waitress turns her attention on Jonathan, smiling brightly. He smiles nervously at her.

You feel your impatience heightening as she continued her banter about goddamn waffles with Jonathan. Now all of a sudden, he’s some charismatic ladies’ man. It took everything in you not to lash out and crack their skulls.

You swallowed hard. “So…” You nearly growled before putting on your sweet voice. “About ordering…When will we get to do that? Or will we start a podcast about breakfast foods?”

The waitress’s smile falls. “How can I help you?”

After your orders were taken, you seethed in your seat, arms crossed and avoiding Jonathan’s stare.

He sighs. “What’d I do this time?”

“You’re not that nice to me.”

“Oh, come on. You know that’s not true.”

You scoffed, ignoring him and looking out the window.

“Don’t be mad at me. Please.” He pleads.

“Why not? You were fine being mad at me the other day.”

“You’re still on about that?”

“Um, yeah.”

“I wasn’t that angry.”

“You were and it was specifically directed at me. All I know is…it wasn’t because I flirted with the professor. So what was it?”

“It was…because you got a higher grade on the final and it made me feel inferior.”

“Seriously?”

“Can you blame me, though? See my side of things for once. In my followers’ perspectives of you, you can’t be smarter than me.”

“Because I’m a girl?”

“Sorta. And maybe because I feel like you already have so much leverage over me. I just wanted some where I know I better at something than you. I get to be on top. Then, you come and take that shine from me. I’m sure you’ve seen the messages that I’d plan to blackmail you. Hell, you figured it out before you even read through my phone. You’ve ruined my every move against you.”

“We aren’t playing chess. I’m not your enemy here. I’m your lover,” You say the last part with a sultry tone. “My intentions are never to undermine you, papi. So, quit acting as if this is some dick measuring contest. If want your time to be on top, then fine—I can provide that for you. But you’re a bottom by nature. And me…Siempre estoy en la cima.”

He didn’t have to ask her what it meant based of her facial expression.

You continued. “Maybe to assert my dominance on you, I’ll make you cum right under this table. That way you can whimper and whine for the whole diner to hear including your darling waitress.”

“T-that won’t be necessary.” Jonathan says, taking a sip of his drink.

“You sure…papi.” You bring your boot up between his legs, pressing the heel lightly against his erection.

He stutters out a pained moan. “S-stop. Not here.”

The waitress comes in, serving up the food. You turn to her, “I’d like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I such a cunt.”

You didn’t really care to apologize. You were only doing so, so she’d be present to hear Jonathan’s whimpers as you continued to roll your boot-covered foot over his hard length.

“Oh, no. I totally understand. I hope you didn’t think I was trying to flirt your boyfriend. I am truly respectful honest to god. As a libra, people usually say I’m quite flirty.” The waitress explains.

“No way! I’m a Leo! Our signs are so compatible.”

Jonathan could feel himself slowly coming undone. It shouldn’t feel this good to have you run your foot over that spot but it did. The mix of pain and pleasure had begun to overwhelm him. His mouth flies open as he shuffles in his seat. He lets out a small, high-pitched cry and the waitress whips her head around to look at him.

Jonathan blushes, looking down shyly. The waitress leaves but not before shooting him a look of disgust. You smile at your lover boy and he looks back at you with an angered stare.

—————

*Jonathan’s POV*

Readers. We’ve finally reached our destination. Nothing about my hometown’s changed really. My mom and brother are anticipating my arrival. But I’m forced to put that all on pause to carry out Babydoll’s plan. All because of my stupidity and lust for pussy.

Fellas…this is a cautionary tale. Girls like Babydoll they lead with their looks and overwhelming sense of personality to get the things they want. I’ve humbled myself. I am a man. I’m not exempt from her temptations. Great men have fallen to the commands of a beautiful woman. Think of Adam and Eve. Eve tempted Adam to take a bite of the apple and it only led to shit for all of humanity.

I wonder what kind of shit I’ll end up in once I’ve taken a bite of the ‘forbidden fruit’.

—————

Jonathan was confused. Why had you given him the address to the Wheeler’s residence? He drove on autopilot, trying to figure out the situation before arrival. Maybe she’s an old friend of Nancy’s. Maybe she’s stopping by to say ‘hi’ and then we’ll go after her ex. But he was in denial, he knew exactly what these implications meant.

You both exit the parked car. You were nervous but it fueled your anger. Knocking on the door, you stood there with an angry pout. The door swings open and it’s Mrs. Wheeler. You quickly fixed your composure putting on your innocent act.

“Afternoon, Mrs. Wheeler.” You greeted with a smile.

“Y/N! Is that you? I haven’t seen you in over a year. Would you like to come in?”

“No, it’s fine. We don’t want to crowd you. Thank you for offering. Actually, I noticed Nancy’s car isn’t in the driveway. Is she not here?”

“She lives in her new home here. She moved down recently with her friend, Robin—”

“Robin?” Your eyes widened.

“Oh you’re familiar? Yeah, she…” Mrs. Wheeler’s voice trails off when she spots Jonathan standing on the bottom step behind you. “Oh my god. Jonathan? Good to see you. How are you? Nancy’ll be thrilled you’re in town.”

Jonathan cringes when he notices you stiffen at this fact. This was incredibly awkward.

“I can give the address to her home. She’s expressed to me about how much she misses the two of you. What are the odds you come here together in search for her?” She laughs, pulling out a paper and pen from her robe’s pocket and writing down the address. “There. She’s not too far from here.”

Oh, sweet Mrs. Wheeler, you hadn’t a clue what we have in store for your daughter.

Saying your goodbyes, you both head back to the car. Silence. Then, you two burst out a fumble of words at each other, simultaneously.

“You’ve dated Nancy Wheeler?!”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Well maybe if you told me her name we could’ve had this extremely awkward conversation earlier. Wait, didn’t you say you dated her a year ago?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes.”

“That would mean she dated you around the time she was still dating me. You’re the reason she broke up with me.”

“No, I wasn’t. I dated her way longer which means she dated you during our relationship. That puta.” You muttered.

“Hold on. You were definitely the other woman of my relationship because you two weren’t public about it. Me and Nance were exclusive.”

“We weren’t public about it because my abuelita’s Catholic. But then we—fuck this is the part where I open up—But then we planned to out ourselves to our family’s. I’d tell my abuela that I’m bi and she’d tell her family she’s bi. But she didn’t. I did. And my abuela was not very welcoming. She still loves me but our relationship is strained. Meanwhile, I knew Nancy had found someone. She started acting differently around me. She cheated but I stayed, anyway, because I need love. And when I’m in love, I do stupid shit like staying in toxic relationships. Then, she promised me she’d cut all ties with them which I’m guessing was you. Only for her to break up with me not even a month after,” You clenched your fist. “I want her to hurt the way she hurt me.”

“Well, shit.” Jonathan scoffs, eyes leaving the road for a moment to look at you.

“Yeah,” You nodded before adding in a threatening tone. “I’m not crazy if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just hurt.”

“It’s okay to go a little mad, sometimes. We all do. I won’t judge.”

“So how did Nancy manage to fuck you up this bad? No way did her breaking up you lead you to a life of loserdom.”

“Gee, thanks.” Jonathan says, sarcastically.

“Sorry. I’d just like to know what went wrong. Is it because she didn’t give you any?”

“No. I just had my friends online who helped me see the truth about the nature of women. Women want men to dominate them. So that’s exactly what I tried to do. I said to her ‘I’ll give you an ultimatum it’s either remaining submissive to me or do whatever you want and remain single for life’.”

“Looks like she made the right choice. I can’t believe you let a couple of losers online scam you out of a girlfriend. And you question why I’m smarter than you.”

“I thought you weren’t going to undermine me.”

“Can’t help but to comment on something that unbelievably dumb.”

“You know what, let’s be silent for the rest of this trip. We’ll be there in 5 minutes.” He grumbles.

“I’m sorry. Okay? I’m only being a bitch right now because she’s fucking my best friend.”

“You mean, Robin?”

“Yes.” You cried out. “And now I know that she’s dated you, too, it makes me even angrier. It’s like she knew I’d love you.”

“You love me?”

“I thought we’ve discussed this already. I’m clearly obsessed with you because I love you.”

“Why? I’m just some loser.”

“I just do. I don’t think you’re a loser. You’re fucked up, for sure, but you can be sweet, funny, intelligent. I’ve seen it when I watched you from afar. You don’t really hate women. You just hate yourself. I hate myself, too.”

Jonathan is speechless. He’d never heard someone see through him that way. He’d always hated how passive he was. He was passive when his father used to abuse him and his brothers having to witness his mother take the abuse. He hated himself for never standing up to him to this day. He hated women indirectly for witnessing his mother’s abuse.

“That’s it. The house.” You say, pointing at the blue and white house on the right. “Looks like her car’s not here either.” You exit the car and Jonathan follows after you.

“Okay, shouldn’t we wait in the car?” He asks.

“Nope.” Taking a decently sized rock you found on the ground, you threw it through one of the small glass panels of the door.

“What the fuck?” Jonathan exclaims, looking around for any witnesses.

“We’re going inside.” You say over your shoulder, putting your hand through the space to unlock the door. You pull it open, gesturing him to walk in first.

“This is breaking and entering. A crime!”

“Mi amor, the hell did you think we came down here for? To sing campfire songs? This is just the beginning.”

Jonathan squeezes his eyes shut, rubbing at his temple. You were in too deep. He enters the home and you follow behind, closing the door.

It was a decent place. Big, comfortable, very warm and inviting. Nothing like her. You notice a picture frame on the side table in the hallway. A photo of Robin and Nancy on the beach with wide smiles on their faces. You throw the frame on the floor, shattering the glass.

“Seriously? You’re gonna break more shit.” He shoots a disappointed look.

“It felt…therapeutic,” You smile mischievously at him before running into the kitchen and he runs after you. You take a china cup from the cupboard. “Looks expensive. Wanna break it?”

“No.”

“You’re boring,” You groaned, throwing the cup over your shoulder and he reacts quickly, catching it. When you hadn’t heard the glass shattering to the ground, you looked back. “Nice catch, papi. You sure you weren’t an athlete in another life.”

“Babydoll…You’re acting like a child. Stop.”

“No. I don’t want to stop.” You say, ironically sounding even more childish. Just as you were about to pick up a plate, Jonathan pushes you up against the wall, pinning your hands above your head.

“I said, ‘stop’.” He growls.

You just blinked up at him with doe eyes. Then, your mouths collided. He releases your hands and you immediately grip the small of his back, forcing himself to grind into you. He lifts your leg, wrapping it around his waist allowing his hardness to sink deeper against your core. You both moan into the kiss at the added pressure, feeling his swollen tip prodding you though his jeans.

You were biting each other’s lips and kissing wildly, surprised that you hadn’t drawn blood. Maybe not yet at least.

Jonathan rips himself away as if you’d burned him. He lets out a shuddery breath. “We can’t do this. They’ll be here any minute.”

“So what? They’ll be entertained by the show,” You sauntered over to him, pressing up against him and whispering, “We could christened her bedroom. I could make you feel so good. We wouldn’t have to go all the way either. I know you’re still not ready. But I just really need to taste you.”

Jonathan was torn. He wanted you bad. Real bad. But of course, that would mean letting go of the lifestyle he was embraced by when others shunned him from their circles. And yet, you, somehow made that seem so meaningless. When’s another chance I’ll get to be inside a girl this pretty?

“Yes.”

“Really?” You actually surprised.

He nods. “I don’t think I can wait any longer. If I’m being honest, I was always ready for you especially when after last night. I just didn’t want to believe it.”

“Now what do you wanna do?”

“I wanna fuck you.” Jonathan says, almost out of breath.

You smirked. Not saying a word, you take his hand, leading him up the stairs.

—————

When you both made it up the stairs, you couldn’t keep your hands off one another. A second was a second too long. You’re making out and it’s feverish and sloppy. You enjoyed the taste of the strawberry flavoring in his mouth.

You’re first to make move to strip off his clothes. Pulling off his shirt, you throw it to the ground and examined his frame. He was quite thin, not muscular but pale. A slightly hairy chest. He suddenly grew insecure under your stare. Then, he was pleasantly surprised. You were practically drooling, eyes dark with lust. You peppered wet kisses along his shoulders and down his chest, wanting to let him know that he’s beautiful.

He pulls your shirt over your head then slowly unclasps your lacy pink bra that contrasted so beautifully against your skin. Your breasts bounce once their released. Jonathan gulps at the sight. He wanted to taste each pebbled nub and make you feel good but for now you were taking things slow. He kneads your breasts, feeling the soft flesh in his hands, eyes shimmering with excitement.

You have one hand palming him through his pants while the other undid his belt on the front button. He thrusts into the palm of your hand, moaning softy. You lower his pants letting gravity take its course and it falls to the ground. Your met with his hard erection poking through the cloth of his boxers, allowing your imagination to run wild. He looked big for sure. Huge. And the fact that he shied away as if he didn’t know he’s got a big one, turned you on even more.

You fall to your knees before him, kissing, licking, biting his tummy while pulling down his boxers agonizingly slow until his cock sprung out of them.

He feels his heart soar at your reaction. You stared at it as if it were perfect. He didn’t have any thick veins. But Jonathan definitely had the girth. He wasn’t too long but it was just enough to hit the points of you that you needed. And the curve of his dick, only confirmed this.

You suck hard on the tip and lets out a strained cry, knees buckling. You pressed him up against the nearest wall and began your worship. You were swallowing him down as if life itself depended on it. Jonathan’s convinced that you’ll be the death of him by the end of this session.

You pull him out of your throat, jacking him with one hand and drool dripping from your chin down to your chest. “You taste so good, papi. I’m so addicted. I want you to take my throat like the fucking whore I am.”

“I might cum soon.” He warns, laughing nervously.

“That’s okay. Cum down mommy’s throat.” You scratch you nails over the ‘V’ of his hips.

“Ah, fuck.” He moans, feeling your mouth around him once again. You take his hands, tangling them into your hair. You were sure he’d figure things out for himself. His hips begin to rock back and forth, gently. The sound of your gagging urged him on.

Your eyes don’t leave his, a devious glint in them. He knew what that meant. You’d won the little game you two were playing. Jonathan never stood a chance against you. He was wrapped around your finger the moment you’d spoken to him at the food court. But losing felt so sweet.

Jonathan can feel himself approaching and you picked up on this as he continuously hit the back of your throat over and over. The thrusts are short to keep himself from leaving your mouth fully. You tugged and squeezed his testicles in one hand and he shouts his orgasm. His cum shoots down your throat. You moan at his taste filling your mouth. It was intoxicating enough that you closed your eyes to commit it to memory. He whimpers and shudders as you began to pull away, sucking him on the way up to his tip.

He couldn’t think or talk again until your mouth had finally left him. “Holy shit. I think I almost died.” He puts a hand over his heart.

You circle your tongue around your lips, collecting the remnants of his taste. “I love the taste of you. I can’t wait to have more.”

“Give me some time. Need to catch my breath.”

You take in the sight of him before you. His brown hair is messy, some hanging over his eyes. He stood completely naked in your presence. He looked almost fragile. You take him by the shoulder, pushing him onto the bed. You removed your skirt then your underwear, giving him a show.

“You look so fucking good, papi. Like dessert served for me to partake and indulge,” You lick up his stomach. “So glad you’re all mine. Can show me how you touched yourself when you thought of me? I want to see you do it as if I’m not here. Don’t hold back.”

Jonathan reluctantly takes his semi-hard cock into his hands. He winces at the sensitivity from cumming only moments ago but he didn’t wish to disappoint you. He begins to stoke himself slowly his eyes on you. You climbed on the bed, sitting on back on your knees.

You stick two of your fingers inside you, grinding into your hand. They weren’t as nearly as filling as his fingers from last night. Jonathan notices your pining for his hands bring his free hand up to your mouth. You sucked on his index and middle finger, swirling your tongue around like you would to his cock.

Your eyes focused on the hand around his cock increasing in speed at your ministrations on his fingers. You match his speed, circling your clit to match his pumping.

“Can I please be inside you?”

“Sure, baby.”

You take you drenched fingers from inside you, replacing his hand with yours, coating him in your slick.

“You want to be top?” You ask him.

He doesn’t answer instead he pulls you down so you’re rested on your side, your ass pressed up against his erection.

“I wanna do it like this,” He whispers, softly in your ear. “I want full access to your body. It’s so beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”

You smiled. Sex from the side felt so intimate. You half expected this to go down rough and hard but Jonathan wanted it slow and his wishes were your command.

You bend your top leg at the knee, bringing it up so he can get a better view of your core. He takes himself in his hands, sliding it back and forth between your slick folds before pausing at the entrance.

“Look at me.” He demands.

You glanced over your shoulder, meeting his eyes. He pushes in torturously slow, your mouths falling open at the same time.

“Oh, fuck. You’re sooo big.” You whimpered.

Your tight walls made the process of sinking into you even slower and Jonathan had grown impatient, gripping your hips, he pulls you down hard against him. He bottoms out inside you and you let of a cry so loud it bounced off the walls.

He does this a couple more times. Pulling out slowly before slamming deep within you, his hands sliding up from your hips to grope your breasts. Then, he begins his toe-curling pace.

He’s hitting deep within you with long, deep strokes. His face nuzzled into your neck. You bring a hand back to tug at his hair.

Your ass ripples with every powerful thrust. Jonathan looks down between you to catch this. You bring a hand to spread your cheek a little, allowing him to see his cock plunging deep within you.

He groans. “You’re making my dick all creamy, babydoll. Is it that good?”

As if on cue, the noises of his length sloshing around inside you increased in volume.

“Yes, yes, yes.” You chant.

His hands are everywhere. One hand pinching and rubbing at your hardened peaks while the other wrapped around your neck gently squeezing. Then, he’d moved one between your legs to toy with your clit while the other one remained on your aroused nipples.

He takes your arm bringing it over his head and around his shoulders. “Need to taste.” He hastily says. Twisting your upper body enough, his mouth immediately latches onto your breasts. Flicking his fat tongue over that nipple while toying with your clit and fucking you silly. He looks up at you through his beautiful lashes, watching your face contort in pleasure.

“Jonathan…please.” You didn’t know what you were begging for but the pleasure was so overloaded that it made you delirious.

He feels you tightening around him. Not wanting this to end, he removes him fingers from your clit back to squeeze around your neck, biting down your nipple simultaneously.

“Oh god.” You mewled.

Jonathan grips your chin forcing your lips against his. Your tongues entangled in a dance as he slams into you. While the kiss grew grew in ferocity, his nails glide from your thighs up to your stomach, then he digs them into your sides.

When he breaks the kiss, a sting of saliva connecting mouths is present. You flick your tongue out teasingly, collecting into your mouth and breaking the connection.

“I want you on top.” You whined.

He wastes no time. Without pulling out of you, he lifts himself a little, rolling you onto your back. Your legs are bent over his own at first as he continues to pump into you from the side. Then, finally, he makes his way to be on top of you, moving one of your legs to the other side of him.

Now you were spread wide open, him kneeling and pumping deep. His hands gripped the back of your knees pulling you down against him. The sound of skin crashing into each other louder than ever. You propped yourself on you elbows to look up at him while also using the support to grind up to meet his thrusts. You were like a ragdoll in his hands. You’ve never seen him so in control before.

“I like this side of you, papi. Maybe you aren’t so vanilla.”

He hits hard against your cervix as retaliation, laughing when you cried out. “See? I can be top, too.”

You weren’t going to let him get away with it that easy. You were still the one in control. You jump him so that he’s now on his back. He’s surprised looking up at you like an innocent doe.

This new position allowed him to hit so deep within you that you felt him in your stomach. Your mission was to rock his world. So, the cheerleader in you kicks in, you’re in a split position now, grinding back against his cock hands on his chest as leverage.

Jonathan was right. You were everything he believed you were. A witch, a siren, a succubus… all the kinds of mythical creatures created to bring a man to his demise.

You bring yourself up, bending your knees and resting your feet against the mattress now. You’re bouncing hard and fast against him and he’s whimpering and moaning like a little slut and it makes you incredibly soaked.

He throws his head back. You pull him by his hair.

“I wanna see that pretty face, papi,” You tug his hair again, guiding his eyes between your bodies. You knew he loved the view. “Love how wet you’re making me.”

He’s hypnotized. His length glistening in the light from your tight heat’s coating, drooling when he grip around him like a vice.

“Unh, god. F-fuck.”

“Aww, pobrecito. Look at you. You’re all dumb and drunk off my pussy. Can barely form a sentence. Don’t worry. I’ve got you, papi.”

“You feel so good.” He sobs, tears streaming down his face. His big brown eyes are rolled to the back of his head.

Gathering the little strength he had left, he sits up wraps your legs around him and thrusts up into you. Your foreheads are pressed against each others, alternating between kissing and breathing in each other’s gasps.

You snake a hand between your bodies and began to rub faster and faster at your clit. The sweet high pitches of his moans making your end approach soon. His hand grips your ass, the other caressing your back.

“Gonna cum. Should I pull out?” He whispers.

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

He growls at this bouncing you faster into his lap. He knew exactly what he was doing hitting repeatedly against your g-spot. His perfectly curved cock almost seemed like if was made for that very purpose. Sticking a middle finger in your rectum, he hit hard into you one good time and you’re spiraling.

“Fuck, I’m cumming!” You screamed. Wetness spurting out of you. Jonathan continuing to thrust into you causing the waterfall to flow even more.

He falls back on top of you, stroking deep into you like a man who’s lost his senses. He’s reduced to grunts and groans as you milked him for all he’s worth. Your walls wringing every last drop of his hot cum, greedily absorbing the essence into your tight channel.

He wanted to collapse beside you but figured it would be better to clean up first. Heading to the nearest bathroom, he grabs a towel and wets it. Making his way over to you, he cleans between your legs and himself. He tosses the towel on the ground, finally getting to curl up to your warm body.

At first, you’re both panting up at the ceiling with giant smiles on your face. Then, you turned to your side and he does the same, staring at each other.

“How was your first time?” You asked.

“Do I really have to say it? I cried. It was fucking amazing,” He laughs then nervously adds, “I didn’t hurt you. Did I?”

“Not in a way I didn’t like. A little pain can be fun every now and then,” You winked. “You were the best I’ve ever had.”

“Really? Even compared to Nancy?”

You nod, “I know. That surprises me, too. Sex with girls is usually better but you’re definitely the exception. You’re very aware of a woman’s pleasure, papi. Makes me proud that the man I love is a fucking sex god. If I weren’t so tired, I’d go for another round.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty spent.” Jonathan exhausts.

“I would’ve loves to see the looks on Nancy and Robin’s faces if they’d caught us.”

“What if it isn’t worth it anymore? We could just leave. Maybe even forget about her.”

“But what about revenge?”

“Do you really care? We’ve got each other now. Whatever this is between us,” He laughs softly. “If I can give my world for you, I’m sure you can let go of this grudge.”

“You’re giving up that shitty incel community for me? Even though I gave you what you wanted?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what love is yet but I’d like to know. With you. I don’t want you to love someone who hurts you. So I will gladly be better for you. You don’t need to put yourself through that anymore.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes. You were so used to falling for people you knew were bad for you. Who couldn’t love you the way you loved them? You thought that’s what love meant for you. When you felt like Jonathan hated you, it fueled your love. When Nancy cheated on you, all you could do was stay.

“I don’t know if I can be normal or good. I don’t let go easily.”

“I’m not sure how to be good either. And you don’t have to let go just yet. We can take it a day at a time. We can leave before this gets too far. I think having sex in our ex’s bed is pretty devious,” He pokes at your side, playfully. “Let’s get out of here. You and me…we can start over. You can learn to love me for real and I, learn to love you. And we wouldn’t have to be perfect. We already know we’re both fucked up.”

You smiled, warmly at him and he does, too. “I’d like to start over.”

—————

The two of you dressed in content silence until that it was shattered by a high-pitched squeal. It looks like it was too late to bail now.

You and Jonathan walk hand and hand down the stairs, a smug look on your face. Nancy looking up at you with anger and Robin, a surprised look.

“Hey, Nance! Love what you did with the place. It’s so you. Trashy and broken in.” You say, sarcastically.

“What the fuck are you two doing here?”

“Well, me and Jonathan decided to spice up our sex life. So, I said ‘let’s fuck in our ex’s bedroom’. To my surprise, my best friend lives here, too. It couldn’t get any better than this. I came so hard thinking about it.”

“Y-you two are fucking?” She growls. “You’re fucking with me, right?”

“Nope. We definitely just fucked in your bed. It was mind-blowing. You really missed out on Johnny boy. He’s got great dick. Oh, well lucky me,” You shrugged then cocked your head to the side. “Hello, Robin.”

“Y/N…” She says, stunned.

“Didn’t think you’d see me here, huh,” You walked towards them, looking them up and down. “I actually came here to make you suffer but from the looks on your faces, I think you’ve suffered enough. I’m trying this new ‘being good’ thing so I’ll extend my mercy.“

Nancy scowl morphs into a smirk. “Oh, you. How long are we going to play this little game of yours?” She plays with a strand of your hair. “You should be thanking me. I make your life so much more exciting. You can’t get over me even after a year.”

“Because you always find a way to slither back in. You fuck up everyone you touch. You probably fucked up Robin.”

“Joke’s on you. I’m already fucked up.” Robin comments.

“I’m the ‘big bad’ bitch because I wanted to discover myself. I didn’t take you as someone so closed-minded, my love,” Nancy says to you then directs her attention to Jonathan. “Hey, long time no see, lover boy. You miss me, too.”

She reaches up a hand to touch his face, you quickly catch her hand, gripping it tightly. “Don’t touch my man.”

“Oh, he’s your man now. We’ll let him answer for himself. I know you still think about me, Jon—”

“I don’t,” He says cutting her down a notch. “In fact, I haven’t thought about you since we broke up actually. And you know what, I won’t credit you for how I turned out because that would only give you the satisfaction you don’t deserve.”

“Hear that, Nance. Jonathan just called you basic bitch.” You smirked.

“Get the fuck out of my house.” Nancy seethes, clearly this stuck a chord with her. She always pride herself for someone to shake the lives of everyone she encountered.

“We’ll gladly leave,” You bumped passed her shoulder on the way to the door. You turned to look back at them and using your innocence persona. “Oh and one thing, Robin…I’m really glad you found someone who’ll hide you from the world just like she did with all the girls she’s liked. Home wreckers usually lurk in the shadows so I guess you’ll be right at home. Have a great day.”

You smiled your infamously sweet smile, grabbing Jonathan’s hand and left without looking back. For the first time, you felt like maybe you could actually move on from your obsessions.

You hear a scream from the house and Jonathan turned to look at you, seeing a smirk on your face.

“What’d you do?”

“I may have broken a few things in her room while you were busy getting dressed.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “I think I love you already.”

Siempre estoy en la cima = I’m always top.

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lagataprrr · 2 years ago

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In Honor of Eddie Munson and my broken heart, my mom decided to brand her jeep with Hellfire Club❤️

86’ BABY

#eddie munson x latina!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddiemunson #eddie munson st4 #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut #stranger things x reader #stranger things season 4 #eddie munson x henderson!reader #edward munson #steve harrington #robin buckley #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #jonathan x nancy

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milkmily · 2 years ago

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Upcoming:

Editing:🦋

Currently writing/working on: 🍒

Almost done:🌱

Just started: ☕️

Line/crossed: posted

Eddie x Chubby/plus size Latina reader🍒☕️

You want to meet Eddie's Uncle after some time and ask Eddie. Eddie tells his uncle and he says, "Sure, I want to meet the lovely girl who always brings us home cooked food."

Eddie Munson x Reader🌱🦋

You lost your pick while being at Eddie's trailer. You see a white pick on his messy nightstand and decided to use it. You have a huge habit of putting picks in your mouth and always leave a dark red mark on your picks. Eddie sees his used pick and decides to use it as a necklace.

Nancy Wheeler x Chubby/Plus Size Reader SMUT 🌱🦋

In where you and Nancy chat and suddenly things get spicy at Steve's party.

Steve Harrington x Chubby/Plus size Latina reader🍒🦋

Steve meets you at scoops ahoy and has to train you at work. He falls in love with you. But one day, you don't haveva ride and Steve gladly took you home. But your family had a party when he dropped you off and invited him as a thank you.

[REQUEST]

Billy x Platonic Chubby Latina Reader 🦋

You hate Billy but feel bad seeing him knocked out at a party and decide to help him. You two trauma dump and who knew that you two would become best friends.

Steve Harrington x Reader🦋🌱

You are sick while trying to help Eddie hide and help Max from beings caught by Vecna once again. But the body finds ways to rest and you pass out. Steve, your lovely boyfriend, is there to help you.

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bbuckysbeardd · 2 years ago

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Three new Stranger Things designs being dropped by The Wonder Studio tomorrow (july 29) at 1PM EST!

Code: WonderNikki15 to save some $$$

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damn-stark · 2 years ago

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How did you guys like it?!

Chapter 14 Dark Red

Chapter 14 of Chispa

A/N- :(

Warning- Swearing, fluff, ANGST, mention blood and torture. Violence, small talk of physical abuse.

Pairing- Steve Harrington x WOC!reader

Episode- 4x08 & part of 4x09

(Let me know if you want to get tagged)

————

There he is again, a salvation when you need him most. One.

“It’s time,” he says and shifts his body to the side to point at the darkness ahead.

“What?” You ask nervously, but step towards him nonetheless, noticing in that moment that he isn’t looking at you, but what’s behind you.

When you look you see yourself, a much younger version with your twin brother, Bruno. You’re hand in hand and that vision of you runs through you to reach One.

“It’s time for your individual evaluation.” One says.

Vecna. This is him. This isn’t real.

“No,” you murmur and step back before you turn around to try and get out of your mind.

However, in that moment the darkness that surrounds you begins to brighten, bland white walls begin to appear, white lights begin to turn on overhead and that awful smell infiltrates your nose.

“Face me!” You bellow out to Vecna, but he doesn’t respond, he leaves you to hear the scoldings of Leo.

“Bruno, try harder, you’re holding back.”

No. No, no. No.

You keep facing the wall to avoid looking at what was playing behind you, but the memory keeps playing.

“You’ve exceeded everyone else, you can do this.”

The day of Bruno’s death.

“Face me!” You cry out again, but to no avail, he kept trying to torture you.

“Bruno, if you want to go home, do it. You won’t see your sister if you hold back.”

Well he won’t curse you, this day can’t affect you anymore.

You clench your jaw and let out a deep breath through your nose and walk out of the audience room. Nevertheless, when you’re out in the hall you freeze as you see Four and Five standing at the end of the hall with their eyes downcast, and their hands at their sides.

“Why did you leave us?” Five asks, but keeps their eyes down.

You shake your head and try to turn back but the door is gone.

“We died,” Four says.

You keep looking around for more doors to escape through, but the door at your side is locked, you can’t even force it open with your powers.

“Let me go,” you grumble to the door. “Let me go! Vecna let me go!”

“Two.”

You ignore their call and walk down the hall to try and open more doors.

“Two,” they keep repeating over and over again, each time getting louder and louder, with each call ticking you off more because you knew it was one of Vecna’s sick tricks.

They keep calling, they keep saying your name over and over again. And each attempt you try to open a door fails, it just adds to your frustration until you have had enough.

“SHUT UP!” You snap at the kids.

This time both kids go quiet, but they slowly lift their eyes to look at you, creating goosebumps all over your skin. They don’t say anything, they grab each other's hands, and when you’re about to turn away to avoid their stare they suddenly throw out their hands and shriek as they hurl you back to the wall with their powers.

“No,” you groan, “this is fake. This is all fake!”

“No,” a deep and scary voice contradicts you. “This is all real. In your head.” Vecna.

You clench your jaw and try to fight back against Four and Five, but as they come closer to you they add more pressure to their force and press you further against the wall, actually provoking pain on each and every muscle and bone in your body.

“Suffer as I did,” Vecna says through the comms around the hall. “Feel the pain I did. You can’t be shunned like I was, but you can feel at least an ounce of what I felt, Two.”

You whimper and keep trying, but the more strain you do on yourself, the more the pain increases, and it actually begins to show on your body physically.

“Her nose,” Steve murmurs. “She’s bleeding.” He cradles you in his arms and looks up at the gate. “Hurry up, get me some damn music!” He yells at the kids all gone crazy trying to find music you’d like from Eddie’s room.

“Steve,” Nancy says behind him. “We need to get her out of here. We can’t keep her here, maybe then the connection will break.”

Steve looks up at her and retorts with negativity. “We can’t pull her out of here Nance, even if you and I both tried to get her through the gate it’s too far up. We just need music.”

Nancy stays quiet and looks up at the gate to try and think of a solution as Steve holds you close to him, whispering against your lips in hopes you’d wake up soon.

Meanwhile, no matter how much you tried to fight off the kids holding you back, your powers are useless against them for some reason. It’s not until they finally make you crash through the wall that they drop their hold against you and let you fall to the floor with a loud and painful thud.

“No one can save you now,” Vecna sneers against your ear. “Just like how no one could save you then.”

You grunt and push yourself off the floor, seeing now that you’re once again in an audience room, this time however you’re not watching the moments before Bruno’s death, you’re watching yourself get hit on the wrist each time you couldn’t lift a single wooden block.

“Aren’t you tired?” Vecna asks by your ear again, making you shiver.

When you look back however, he isn’t there, no one is, you’re alone watching the memory change to another. This like the other was one of your many training sessions, one where you fail and get punished for it.

“Of getting pushed around? Not getting loved by the man that swore to love you?” Vecna continues to taunt you as he forces you to watch Leo scolding you. “Not even your own mother protected you,” he mutters and shows a memory of your mother just watching as Leo once again got you in trouble, as he hit you for not doing something right.

“She loved me,” you whisper, but he just scoffs.

“Does she?” He counters and shows you a memory of her hugging your siblings, showing them a kindness she wasn’t allowed to show you because Leo was afraid it’d make you weak. Vecna showed you memories of her letting Leo hurt you, of her letting him cast you away from your siblings to train endlessly.

No matter how much you want to fight against what you’re forced to see, it feels as if you’re captivated by it.

“You were only meant to be a weapon, you all were,” he says and changes the memory to one of you and the rest of your siblings training alongside each other. “Even now. As you live your life, thinking you’re free, they’ll find you to use you.”

“No,” you try to argue. “No. That won’t happen, you’re just trying to trick me! Get out of my head!” You grab your head and close your eyes to try and force him out, to try and wake up, but he only gets louder.

“No matter how hard you try you will never escape it! Them! They’re looking for you! Don’t you see?! Papa. He’s alive, it’s only a matter of time before he takes you back home.”

You snap your eyes open and drop your hands to turn around and talk back. “No, no! Papa is dead! You can’t trick me! He’s dead! He won’t find me!”

“Is he?!” Vecna snaps from behind you.

You spin around and this time Vecna is there, towering over you and piercing his glare into you. You try to step back, but he suddenly grabs your wrist and pulls you to him, making you gasp and go rigid.

“No, let me go please,” you plead. “Please.” You try to push his arm off but he only tightens his hold.

“I’ll give you a choice, Two,” he says in a less angry voice, but still a menacing one nonetheless. “Leave and conspire against me, or stay with me.”

You narrow your glare and furrow your eyebrows deeply. “Why would I stay with you?!” You snap.

Suddenly Vecna lets you go and tilts his head. “Because,” he continues. “I am One.” From one moment to another he begins to grow shorter, his slimy and ugly complexion begins to transform into the man you trusted, into the man you loved like an older brother, a father almost, One.

“No,” you mutter breathlessly and in disbelief. “No, this..this is another trick.” Your eyes widen and fear strikes. “What did you do? Huh! What did you do to him?!”

Vecna tries to walk towards you again, but this time you put your hand out and step back. “Stay away,” you whisper. “Stay away from me!”

“My sweet little Two, it’s me,” he says in his regular voice, the sweet and kind one. “I am the man you all call “Vecna”. It’s been me in your head helping you out, it’s me now, here again offering you a chance to be with me. Like the family we’re meant to be.”

Something shifts inside you, where you once felt a fill in your heart that had been left empty after losing him and everyone else, now rage and betrayal replace it. A rage you haven’t felt in your life, a betrayal that breaks you like you’ve never been broken before.

“But,” your voice quivers. “You tried to kill me.”

One scoffs. “Kill you? Please Two don’t be dramatic, I helped you. You were trying to ruin my plans and I showed you mercy.”

You glare at him and scoff. “Mercy?” You sneer. “That was not mercy! And my name is not Two, I am not that person!”

One tilts his head and hums. “Don’t be angry with me,” he says in a more meaner voice. “I have done nothing to you. I have done nothing but shown you love! Kindness! I’ve been looking out for you ever since you returned home. Last year with Billy? That day at the mall when he appeared after you had broken up, that was me, worrying about you.”

Your breath catches in your throat and for a second all you feel is disbelief.

“Tell me, before me who was it that loved you? Doctor Castro? Or perhaps the father that left you? Or was it your mother who let you be an experiment, who let her husband hurt you?! Your siblings?” He approaches you and grabs your cheeks to squeeze them. “None of those people out there will ever understand you like I do, Two, I am your only family. The only one who has ever loved you. Stay with me, here, this can be your home, you can teach all those people who’ve hurt us what power is!”

You swallow thickly and feel your eyes sting. “You,” you mewl. “You’ve killed innocent people. M-my brother and sisters.”

One scoffs. “Necessary deaths. Doctor Castro had a life he didn’t deserve. I wanted to see him hurt the way I did for all he did to me, to you….”

Tears roll down your cheeks as you shake your head in disbelief.

“I gave him the mercy of living his life without them, his wife or you. He will die a lonely man full of guilt.” He smirks as if it’s some joke.

“And,” you stammer. “Your family. Why? Why them?”

One then goes on to tell you his life story, that it was him who killed his family and made them believe it was something sinister all because he wanted to, because he’s evil and cruel. He showed it to you all, how he was picked up by Doctor Brenner, how he was hurt too.

How he was the one that killed all your siblings at the lab after he manipulated Eleven into setting him free. How he was the monster all along.

He told you that in order to get through he needs four people, he’s already killed three, he just needs Max. He said it all and still he didn't try to give up on his offer.

“Stay with me here, Two, and no one will ever hurt you again.”

You drop your gaze and shake your head as you begin to laugh with tears in your eyes. “All these claims of love and….” You go quiet and look up at him with a scowl. “You don’t know me at all. Why would I join you? You’re a monster! Just like Papa, just like Leo and those Russians.”

One loses that soft look and begins to pierce his glare into you.

“I would never join you!” You bellow and shove him back with your powers. “Not after what you’ve done! You killed them, all of them! I will never stay!” You shove him again before you pick him off the ground and hurl him against the wall. “I’ll kill you.” You sneer and use more force. “I will kill you for them. For all of them.”

One drops his head and slowly smirks at you. “Oh the woman you are, Two.” He snarls and raises his hand even against the force you add on his body. “Always so quick to cry.” He continues and shoots out power of his own that is strong enough to make you lose your hold on him.

“Always so quick to anger,” he counters and shoves you back to a chair that he made appear. “That will be your ruin. Those womanly emotions of yours.” He then walks towards you and slowly begins to turn back to Vecna. “That’s why you couldn't fight against Billy when he and his friends beat you, when he’d yell at you and call you names and slurs.” He groans and lets vines begin to wrap around your ankles, wrists and neck. “That’s why you never fought back against Doctor Castro.” He crouches down and wipes the tears off your face.

“It’s why you can’t fight me even now. Oh Two.” He clicks his tongue. “So desperate for love. That’s your downfall.”

You try to pull your head away, but he just squeezes your face tighter.

“Go ahead,” you try to say confidently, but your emotions keep breaking through. “Laugh at me. Mock the one thing you can’t have, the one thing you’re incapable of. Laugh at me! The girl who loves too easily.” You meet his gaze and even if tears roll down your cheek all you can do is glare at him.

One sighs and stands up to turn around and grab something off the counter. “Tsk,” he scoffs and lifts his head before he turns around and shows off a tattoo gun.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Two, join me, stand at my side and show them all who we really are.”

You drag your eyes away from the tattoo gun and swallow thickly out of nervousness for what he plans to do, but you still don’t give in.

“No,” you mutter. “I won’t join you.”

One sighs and begins to approach you. “You’ve tried so hard to pull yourself away from the one thing that made you powerful, from the one thing that makes you interesting.” He turns on the tattoo gun, making the room fill with its buzzing sound. “Don’t worry,” he says in a feigned soft voice. “I’ll make sure you remember who you are. I will be the monster you all think I am.”

“No, no, no,” you plead and try to pull your arm away, but the vines around you shove your arm down to the armrest, and hug your body closer to the chair. “No. No! No!” You try to squirm even if it’s impossible, you try to get away so hard that Steve and the others begin to see your strain too.

“Wh-what’s happening to her?!” Eddie exclaims as your body begins to convulse. “This hasn’t happened before.”

“That’s because she’s not being cursed, we don’t need music.” Nancy adds breathlessly and pulls the headphones off your head. “I don’t think that was ever his plan for her. They’re in her mind, just like—”

“Just like how Eleven was in her own mind the first time,” Dustin cuts her off quickly. “Only she was in a pool of salt water.”

“She doesn’t need saltwater,” Steve interjects. “Her other dad or whatever, said she didn’t need it. Besides, if Vecna pulled her in there, I doubt he needs it too.”

Dustin claps his hands making Eddie jump and grow more confused. “Which means we can talk to her. She’ll hear us!”

Steve looks back at you and strokes your cheek to begin talking to you in hopes it’d help. “Y/N, It’s me, it’s Steve, I hope you can hear me. We’re all here, waiting for you to wake up. You need to wake up, you need to fight him and whatever he’s doing….”

“Please,” you plead at One as he sits down in front of you and grabs your arm. “Please One. Don’t, please don’t.”

One ignores you and without a second thought stabs the sharp needle through your flesh to begin engraving what he wrote instead writing it with ink like your other tattoos.

“No!” You scream at the top of your lungs.”No! Please!” You shriek. “No—-”

“Y/N,” a familiar voice cuts you off.

You snap your eyes up where the voice comes from, whilst One stops what he's doing to hear too.

“You’re stronger, stronger than everyone I know.” Steve. It’s Steve.

“Steve,” you call.

“Baby,” he continues. “Don’t listen to a word he says. Okay? Fight him off, or whatever is you need to do, just come back, we need you. I need you.”

“Yeah, Mousie don’t take his bullshit,” you hear Eddie’s voice.

“Don’t worry,” One sneers. “I’m almost done.” Once again he stabs the needle through your flesh and continues to engrave the second zero on your flesh.

You try to fight him away, try to make him hurt but he wraps more vines around you. This time he wraps one around your mouth and then begins to stab your flesh harder.

Moreover, what he wrote appeared on your physical body as well. The two zeros he engraved on your skin began to appear on your wrist and bled too.

“What’s going on?” Robin asks in panic. “What’s happening to her?”

Nancy picks up your arm and watches as a third number, ‘2’ begins to appear on your wrist. “That’s her number,” she whispers and glances at all the others in front of her.

Robin's breath shudders whilst Steve wipes the blood off your wrist that kept spilling out once the writing stopped and your body lay still once more.

“Y/N,” Robin whispers. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please you have to wake up so we can keep talking, so we can keep being friends.”

You hear her voice, distant and echoed, it feels as if it’s gone to deaf ears as you sit on the chair and stare at the number ‘002” in disbelief.

“See what you made me do?” One says and pulls all the vines off your body.

Even with all your power, even with all the encouragement you heard from your friends, once again you felt weak, vulnerable. Once again you were betrayed and tricked by a man that you thought loved you. The one person who you thought would never hurt you.

“It’s going to be okay,” One continues. “It will be okay…” his voice trails off and you’re suddenly thrown back to reality.

You’re out of the lab and gasp for air as you're thrown back to Eddie’s living room. Not the Upside down but his actual living room.

“It’s okay,” Steve cooes, pulling your eyes to him in front of you. “It’s okay, I got you. I got you.”

Your lip wobbles and tears cloud your eyes before you throw your arms around him and let him pull you into an embrace.

“You’re okay,” he assures you. “You’re okay. I’m here.”

——

*LATER*

Hours, days, or minutes passed, it all blended together since then. The pain of betrayal and the actual pain also blended together making it unknown what you were suffering from. Tears however are something you didn’t let escape, they filled your eyes but that’s it, you just lay numbly on Max’s bed.

You were supposed to get some sleep, gain energy and strength you lost while the others talked, but sleep is the one thing you couldn’t actually achieve. Instead you made butterflies flutter around the room, you watched them in hopes you’d knock out, but nothing happened. Instead they remind you more and more of the monster that betrayed you.

It was all quiet, you could hear the murmurs of their voices out in the living room. It was like that for a while, silence and your numb state until you had enough the moment it was all completely quiet.

However, the moment you were getting up, the door begins to slowly open, welcoming in a gleam of light in the darkness.

“I thought you were meant to be sleeping,” you hear Steve say from the door. “And trying to power up.”

You swallow thickly and begin to pull on your shoes whilst you make the butterflies disappear. “It got quiet, I thought you all left me,” you admit quietly.

Footsteps approach and he scoffs. “Don’t think that way, you know we would never do that.” He crouches down in front of you and picks up your other shoe. “Here—”

“I’m not an invalid,” you retort. “I can do it myself.”

Steve sighs and pulls your foot towards him nonetheless. “Sure you can,” he says. “But the more energy you save, the more you have when we face Vecna—or One, whatever he calls himself.”

You watch him put on your shoe and sigh. “So it’s decided then?”

Steve nods. “Nancy is quite stubborn about it. Won’t take no for an answer…and well as much I think it’s dangerous and don’t want you putting your life in danger anymore….what other choice do we have? We can’t let him win.”

You nod and slowly begin to scowl. “Yeah,” you retort. “We can’t. I want to fight him for Eddie, Max and everyone else here. I have to. He’s done horrible things.”

Steve begins to tie your shoe and looks up to meet your gaze. “Didn’t think you’d actually say anything else. So if you fight, I fight too.”

You offer him a gentle smile and caress his cheek. Steve smiles softly and cups your hand when he finishes tying your shoelaces to press a kiss on your palm. “How are you feeling?” He asks as he rests his chin on your lap.

You begin to stroke your hand through his hair and shrug while a frown slowly reappears on your face.

“You were right,” you admit. “I care too much. I cared too much that I didn’t see that One was the monster….”

“Y/N,” Steve tries to cut you off, but you continue.

“It’s okay,” you nod softly. “I understand now, but I…I still don’t think it’s a flaw, you understand? Leo always said it was, One said it was just now, but….” You swallow thickly. “It’s not. It’s because I care that I want to protect my friend. That I’m here, they’re the ones that don’t understand. I’ll be more careful though.”

Steve offers you a sly smile and stands up to press a kiss on your forehead. “That’s my girl,” he whispers, making you genuinely smile. “Now let’s go, we're on a mission to go buy weapons.”

You stand up and begin to follow behind him. “In what car?” You queire.

Steve sighs and peers back at you with uncertainty as he opens the door. “Just follow our lead and—”

“Put this on,” Eddie interjects from the doorway before he throws you a bandana.

You catch it and pick it up with the tip of your fingers in disgust since it was the one he always carries. “This…old thing?” You look up at him and gasp as you see him wearing an actual Halloween mask that covers his entire face. “And you get to wear that?!”

Eddie shrugs. “I picked it first, you should’ve been there.”

You sigh and keep trying to protest. “Why do I have to wear it? I’m not the one they want.”

Steve looks over at you and reminds you of what they thought. “But they do think Eddie kidnapped you, if someone sees you then they’ll know you’re with Eddie, or they’ll try and follow you and find Eddie, see where I’m going with this?”

You roll your eyes and wrap the black bandana around the bottom half of your face, only leaving your eyes visible.

“Happy?” You complain to Steve and Eddie.

Eddie grins and nods as he throws you a thumbs up. “Rad as ever my little Mouse.”

You roll your eyes and begin to drag your feet out of Max’s room. “Whatever, let’s go before I suffocate.”

The moment you’re all together, everyone proceeds to file out of Max’s house and sneak towards some drivable RV nearby.

Since there’s so many of you, the sneaking part took a lot more time than needed. And it was because there was many of you that you were afraid you’d be caught by someone just inside their house.

With every step, with every stop you did to hide, your pulse beat a lot harder and faster. Even when you did make it in the RV, your worry didn’t decrease whatsoever, more like it felt you were going to have a fucking heart attack.

“There’s no keys here,” you grumble as you shut the glove box.

“Yeah,” Eddie mumbles as he fumbles with something in the driver's seat. “Didn’t think there would be. You don’t happen to like start cars with your mind do you?”

You look over at him and meet his gaze whilst he pulls the wires out from under the steering wheel. “Uh, maybe I can, it would just take some concentration.”

“Where’d you learn how to do this?” Steve asks Eddie as he cuts some wires.

“Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball,” Eddie says. “My old man was teaching me how to hot-wire. Now, I swore to myself I wouldn’t wind up like he did, but now I’m wanted for murder, kidnapping of one of my best friends, and soon, grand theft auto.” He continues as he begins to spark some wires. “So, uh, I’m really living up to that Munson name.”

“Uh, Eddie,” Robin walks over to interject. “I’m not sure I love the idea of you driving.”

Eddie looks back at Robin and assures her. “Oh, I’m just starting this sucker. Harrington’s got her.” He smirks and leans towards Steve. “Don’t ya, big boy?”

You look over at Steve and grin as he looks baffled.

Moreover, Eddie finally gets the RV started and instantly alerts the owners.

“Hey! Open this door!”

“Hey!”

They bang the window and keep trying to get in.

“They locked the door!”

You snap your eyes over at Eddie and exclaim. “Switch now!”

Eddie hurries out of the seat and runs back with Robin, whilst you jump in the passenger seat.

“Everyone grab onto something!” Steve yells, causing everyone to panic, and making you grab onto your seat as Steve presses on the gas to maneuver out of the RV park.

It seemed like you were actually going to shit yourself over how scared and panicked you felt, but when you saw that no police cars were chasing after you you finally began to relax and fully settle in your seat.

“How’s it handle?” You finally manage to ask Steve.

He glances over and nods. “Not half bad. Considering that this is a…house.”

You scoff softly and nod. “Yeah. This is crazy.” You glance out at the passing scenery and set the bandana down on your lap.

“Yeah, it’s…” Steve continues to say. “It’s silly, but I…I’ve actually… I always had this dream that I’d have this really…really big family.”

You look over at him and listen carefully.

“I’m talking, like, uh,” he continues to share. “A full brood of Harringtons. Like, five, six kids.”

You begin to smile and question him. “Six?”

Steve nods. “Yeah. Six little nuggets. Three girls, three boys….and,” he laughs. “And every summer, I figured all of us Harringtons, we would pack into something like this and…just see the country. You know, the Rockies, Grand Canyon, maybe Yellowstone. End up in some beachside town in California. Spend a week parked in the sand. Learn how to surf or something.”

You swallow thickly and can’t help your cheeks from aching as you keep smiling. “That,” you add softly. “Sounds very nice.”

Steve looks over at you with his eyes soft and his lips tugged in the same tender manner. “Yeah?”

You nod as you hold his gaze. “Yeah. Even the six kid part I mean I can see it.”

Steve snickers. “Can you now?”

You nod and look back at all the kids. “You’ve had practice haven’t you?”

Steve nods. “I have.”

You share a passing glance before you watch the passing greenery once more.

“You?” He presses. “Do you have a future in mind?”

You let out a deep breath and shrug, feeling your lips flicker to a frown. “I…I guess I never gave it much thought. Given my life, I mean, my life was planned for me. I was going to go to a prestigious university, but end up being a weapon for who knows who. Now…well I don’t know.”

Steve looks over at you for a second and sighs before he tries to comfort you. “But you’re free from that life…no longer controlled by Leo or anyone else.”

You blink and look down at the engraved ‘002’ on your wrist and sigh.

“So tell me, what comes to mind.” He insists to know.

The corner of your lips pull to a faint smile and you give in. “Truth is I don’t know what I want.” You smile wider and meet his softened gaze. “Maybe I do want to experience some time in college, or I want to travel the world to see what it holds. Or maybe,” you laugh nervously. “I want a farmhouse, with chickens, goats and cats and dogs. A white picket fence and a wrap around porch so I can have a rocking chair to drink iced tea and read all day. Two kids so they can keep each other company. A cozy job or no job at all, I’m fine being a housewife and welcoming my husband home.” You giggle and see his gaze unchanged, it’s still soft and tender, full of love and awe.

“I don’t want to worry about who might be after me, or who I have to fight to live another day,” you continue with more confidence. “I want a husband who loves me, who after fifty years or so when we’re all wrinkling and senile still shows me the same burning passion we had when we first met. I want a normal life.” You sigh.

Steve scoffs softly but can’t stop smiling as he watches the street. “I thought you didn’t know what you wanted?”

You nod. “I don’t. That’s why I said maybe I want those things.”

Steve glances over at you again to meet your gaze and share his soft and awe-struck smile. You mirror it and let your gaze linger, knowing when you mentioned, husband and talks of a future, it was him who appeared in your mind.

Would it be too soon to tell him?

Maybe. But maybe after all this is over you’ll tell him.

“Y/N,” he says and pulls eyes gaze away to look back at the street. “Uh…it’s—”

“We’re almost there!” Eddie cuts Steve off loudly, making you and Steve groan.

“I’ll tell you later I guess,” Steve adds.

You nod. “Okay,“ you whisper and let your eyes linger on him a bit longer until you see the weapon store come into view.

“You’ll stay here with me right, Mouse?” Eddie asks.

You nod. “Yeah,” you sigh. “I don’t really have another choice.”

Eddie walks over and leans his head forward to meet your gaze. “Is that…dread and annoyance I hear?”

You narrow your gaze and nod. “Yes.”

Eddie scoffs and feigns to be hurt. “Ouch.”

You smirk at him and hand him back his bandana. “Do you even wash that thing? It reeks.”

Eddie shoves it back in his pocket and looks at you dumbfounded. “Do I have to? I never use it on my head.”

Your jaw drops and you look at him in disgust and bewilderment. “I…I…” you pause and just sigh. “Okay. I’ll pretend you didn’t ask me that. Robin, Steve, I’m going to write down what I need so please get it for me.” You snatch a scrap of paper around the mess in the RV and jot down, “Black vest, pants, handgun, bullets and socks.”

Steve reads the note and Robin comments on it. “A gun? You’re like a better version of Carrie, you don’t need it.”

You get off your seat and watch Max, Nancy and Erica climb off the RV.

“I do,” you retort and give her your excuse. “If I want to face One, I need strength, meaning if we run into bats again, I can use a gun to save my energy. See where I come from?”

Robin nods and sighs. “Yeah. I understand now. Smart.”

You shoot her a sweet smile and wave. “Bye now. Stick together and behave.”

Robin scoffs. “We always do! Don’t drive off, or you know get out.” She jumps off the RV and Steve lingers back.

“We’ll be back,” he says in a soft and caring voice. “Okay?”

You smile and nod. “I know.” You wave and he finally steps out and shuts the door, leaving behind only Lucas, Eddie, Dustin and you. Letting you sit down on the couch and wait for them to return as the boys began to talk.

You planned to just in silence, try to continue gaining as much energy as you could, but as you fiddled with your fingers you caught a glimpse of the raw red scar on your wrist and felt only sharp stinging pain.

All the effort you put into trying to cover up the tattoo that stood its place before, now One scars you in a manner that is harder to cover, in a manner that will scar and stay with you forever.

Him, One, the man who made himself a mentor, an older brother…he who you missed, who you mourned and grieved for years scarred you in ways no one has. One hurt you in ways only a vile few have. He who you held in such high respect, who you vouched for.

Now One is nothing but bad memories. A nightmare. An enemy. A stranger….

You sigh and open your palm to make a butterfly appear on your palm in hopes it’d bring some calmness, but tears instantly sting your eyes and your heart begins to ache more.

“See, I knew you could do it. It was all about your will. I’m proud of you y/n.”

Now the way you saw butterflies as pure and beautiful, soft and sweet, now that cherished memory of making those paper butterflies float for the first time because of One, becomes tainted. All of it. It’s no longer pure and beautiful. No longer sweet and soft, it’s just an ugly reminder of him. It’s cruel and monstrous thanks to him.

So instead you slowly lift your hand that holds the butterfly, slowly lose your frown and tears and form a vicious scowl. Now you watch the butterfly fluttering with a cold glare before you suddenly crush it in your hand.

There, dead.

You groan and turn your fist to open your hand and watch pieces of the butterfly fall out of your hand with the same coldness.

“You okay?” Dustin’s voice cuts you from your stupor.

Your eyes flicker up to him and you nod. “Quite,” you assure him. “Just…” you sigh. “Dealing with my demons.” You smile at him. “How are you doing? It’s been a crazy couple of days.”

Dustin shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m used to it already.”

You scoff softly. “It’s not something you should be used to. You’re just a kid.”

Dustin drops his gaze and sighs. “Guess it’s life right? We can’t choose it.”

Wise. It’s not something he should be at such a young age. But you can’t disagree either.

“Yeah,” you agree softly and drop your head. “Guess you’re right.”

“Hey,” someone says as they come near. When you look up you see Lucas slowly approaching the both of you.

You smile. “Hey.”

Lucas draws in a deep breath and puts his hands in his back pocket as he sighs. “You’re a girl right?”

You snicker and nod. “Last time I checked, yeah.” You narrow your eyes on him and notice that he looks almost timid. “What’s up? We have time until the others get back, so spit it out before you’re interrupted.”

Lucas rolls his head to the side and averts his gaze as he slowly gets to his point. “Say you’re broken up with Steve, right? Say you want to get her—him, him! back how would that be? What would you do?”

Your smile softens and you answer without an ounce of amusement so he can take you seriously. “Well if I was broken up with Steve and I wanted to get him back, I’d…try to be his friend but not in the way that says let’s just be friends, more of a friend before you date— I’d try to be there for him, try to make him laugh, compliment him and his hair,” you laugh as you think of him. “Uh, I’d ask him out to do something he likes. I’d…” you pause and meet his gaze with a smirk.

“I’d buy her flowers even if she says she doesn’t like them,” you say since you knew he was asking for himself and Max. “Her favorite flowers. Flatter her, but importantly make her laugh. Be yourself. Be patient. Have fun, you’re kids. Make memories.” You shrug innocently, and see him nod and get awkward again.

“Thanks,” he says and smiles nervously.

You shoot him a grin and nod. “No problem.”

“Can you pencil me in now?” Eddie interjects and walks over to squeeze in between Dustin and you.

You open your hand and stare at your palm to pretend it’s your checkerboard. “I have one last opening. Now.”

Eddie smirks. “Lucky me.” He glances over at you and meets your gaze briefly before grabbing your right arm and pulling it towards him. “You really gave me a scare there.”

Your smile fades and you look down at your new scar. “Sorry,” you whisper in a sad tone.

Eddie lifts himself off his seat to pull out another smaller bandana. “Here,” he offers and begins to wrap it around your scar. “So you won’t get it infected.” He ties it around your wound and when he’s done he gently pats it as he meets your gleaming gaze. “And don’t apologize, ‘kay? Not to me. Maybe Robin because you were really freaking her out, she was, like, ballistic.”

You muster a hearty chuckle and sniffle. “I’ll have to talk to her then.”

Eddie nods slowly and then nudges your shoulder. “Dustin told me about the time you were a badass.”

You smirk and glance at Dustin shying away before you meet Eddie’s gaze. “Is that so?” You ask.

Eddie nods and shifts around to face you with a toothy grin. “You, like, stopped bullets in midair and snatched the Russians guns out of their hands, and shot them with their own guns! That’s super fucking badass!”

You giggle and nod. “Yeah, I was always high as shit.”

Eddie eyebrows scrunch before he leans over and presses in disbelief. “You, were high? You never want to get high with me!”

You clear your throat and turn to face him and explain. “It wasn’t weed or anything like that. And it wasn’t because I wanted to either. They forced truth serum or some crazy shit like that on me! It was, I mean, traumatizing but…I kinda liked it,” you giggle and Eddie chuckles.

Eddie scoots in closer and goes serious. “You also can make me see things huh? Show me something that you know I like.”

Your smirk widens and you put your hand out and close your hand to a fist and Eddie watches you closely. When you turn your hand face up, you slowly open your palm and make a Wyvern fly out.

Eddie’s jaw drops, and his lips tug to an amused and fascinated grin.

The Wyvern roars and flies around his head before returning to your palm and suddenly changing to a black widow and jumping on Eddie’s lap, making him jump but laugh at the same time.

You beam at his reaction and as you’re changing it to something else the door suddenly slams open, making you lose concentration and jump up to your feet.

Steve comes rushing in and throws Eddie back his vest as he quickly returns to the driver seat in new attire. Erica stomps in after him with a bag in her hand.

“What happened?” Lucas beats you to the question.

“Your old friends are here,” Erica answers and lets Robin, Nancy and Max rush in with more stuff, causing you and everyone else to rush back to your seats, even if you were curious over Robin’s pout and saddened gaze.

“What’s wrong with Robin?” You ask Steve once he was driving on the street again.

Steve sighs and briefly glances at you with this pitiful and sad look. “I’ll tell you later when there’s…less people around, okay?”

You meet his gaze and grow concerned but nod regardless. “Okay,” you assure him.

Steve then digs in pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper he hands to you. “Your friend Raul was there,” he says with bitterness.

You roll your eyes and scoff before correcting him. “It’s Rahul.” You open the paper and instantly go rigid when you see that it’s a missing person flier for you. It has a picture of you and everything.

“Was he handing them out?” You ask in shock.

Steve presses his lips together and nods slowly. “Yep. He looked at me funny too…” he huffs out in fustration. “I probably looked like such a fucking jerk. I mean I walk in with my ex-girlfriend and everyone else, looking like I’m marching into battle with no emotion whatsoever. He-he probably thought the worst.”

You slowly drift your gaze up to him and scoff. “And? Who cares? I mean sure it’s weird that you, my boyfriend, don’t seem to care that I’m missing, but you know the truth, so don’t care what he thinks, okay?”

Steve sighs deeply. “It’s sort of hard when he wants to win you over.”

You roll your eyes and scoff. “He can try but I'm just going to reject him, I’m with you…I mean…” you pause and debate telling him that you see a future with him.

But you promised yourself that you’d tell him after just to make sure you’ll come out of this alive.

“I love you,” you say instead and reach for his arm to caress it. “I love you.”

Steve glances at you and pulls the corner of his lips to a timid smile before he pats your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I love you too,” he assures you. “But still. I mean he made fliers! That caught me off guard.”

You snicker. “You know at least you know now that he’s a loyal friend.”

“He is!” Robin teases Steve from the back. “We love Rahul!”

Steve's eyes widen and he glares at her through the rear view mirror. You snicker and shrug before you lay back on the door and rest your legs on his lap. “Wake me up when we get to wherever.”

“Alright,” Steve says and steals a look at you and smiles softly.

——

Gentle breeze. Warmth. Singing birds. Calmness. Steady heart. Peace. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Peace.

Calmness. Peace.

“Just do—”

“Shh.”

Don’t pay attention, deep breath in, deep breath out.

Don’t think about the smell of dirt, sweat and lake water that suddenly wafts in your nose. Don’t think about the feeling of people breathing by your face, just keep calm and keep meditating.

Peace. Think about the gentle breeze brushing over your skin, the singing birds, don’t think about….someone trying to give you a wet willy…jeez.

You keep your eyes closed but stop their attempts, making them known and protest.

“My finger won’t move…there’s—” Eddie.

“It’s her,” Dustin retorts.

You sigh deeply and slowly open your eyes to see Eddie and Dustin crouched around you.

As Eddie catches your stare he slowly lowers his hand and stands up to place his hands on his hips and act nonchalant. “How did you know I was doing that?”

You feign a smile and share their very obvious mistakes. “One, I can hear and feel you guys breathing on me, mouth breathers,” you quip. “Two, I heard you pull your finger out of your mouth, and your jacket makes noise when you move so…” you sigh and stand up, choosing to give up on your meditation. “You guys suck at sneaking up on people.”

Dustin stands up straight and shrugs. “We just wanted to check out how concentrated you were.”

“Well,” you scoff in annoyance. “I was doing well, you know clearing my mind until people chose to interrupt me all the way out in the treeline, where I,” you snap sassily. “Chose to be at peace while you all worked on your weapons.” You feign a grin and pat Eddie’s shoulder.

“Well,” Eddie excuses his actions. “We’re done with our part.”

“So we came to annoy you,” Dustin adds.

You sigh and nod stiffly. “That’s what I gathered. Thanks—”

“On guard witch,” Eddie suddenly blurts as he lifts his makeshift shield.

You cross your arms over your chest and glare at him in silence. Eddie however smirks and drops his shield to quickly run at you to pick you off the ground and throw you over his shoulder before you can react. “Burn the witch! Come now ward.”

“Eddie!” You yell, but also can’t help but smile and begin laughing as he begins taking you with the rest of the group. “Put me down dude!”

Dustin picks up Eddie’s shield and follows behind him with a goofy grin on his face.

“Eddie!” You laugh. “Come on, put me down! You stink!”

Eddie chuckles. “And so do you.” He then deepens his voice and continues to joke around. “Your time has come now, witch.” He then puts you down and reaches back to be handed his shield. “Like it? Made it myself.”

You look at the nails he hammered through the shield and smile up at him. “Nice. Very practical and creative. Deadly too. Good job.” You peer over at the others now that you were forced back to rejoin them and see the Sinclair’s struggling with their spears. “Now that I’m here,” you sigh. “I’m going to make some rounds.”

Without waiting for a response from either boy you make your way to the siblings, once you reach them you notice how loose the blades were against the wooden sticks.

“Need help?” You chime in and make them look over at you.

Erica scoffs and points to her brother. “He does. All that basketball made him lose some brain cells.”

“Hey!” Lucas remarks.

You smile at their interaction and pick up one spear that was already “ready”, when in reality the blade needed to be tied tighter against the wooden stick.

“This,” you point out and press the blade down, making it fall off. “This is still loose.”

“Ha!” Lucas laughs and points at his sister.

Erica shoots him a glare and snaps back sassily. “I’m still young, therefore I’m weaker than you. What’s your excuse?”

You keep smiling at the ground and just tighten the grip a bit more since it didn’t need that much more grip, just a bit. Once you’re finished you present it to Erica. “Here, better. Now,“ you sigh and wave Lucas’s spear over. “Hand it.”

Lucas sighs and places it on your hand so you can tighten the blade against the wooden stick more.

“Can I ask,” you add as you work. “Can either of you throw a punch? I mean from what we have planned so far, and who’s out chasing Eddie, one never knows what trouble you might run into.”

Lucas scoffs. “Of course I do.” Lucas says smugly.

“Please,” Erica quips. “Don’t lie to the girl. When have you fought someone in your life Lucas?”

You glance at him and see grow annoyed and slightly shocked. “Erica!” He snaps.

You chuckle softly. “It’s okay.” You finish with the spear and put it down to face Lucas. “Show me how you throw a punch.”

Lucas glances at the ground and sighs deeply before he slowly stands up to show how he makes a fist and throws a punch; which isn’t so great or all that powerful. It’s a bit of a weak swing and his fist is slightly wrong.

“Okay,” you say and walk over to him to shift his elbow slightly more up, and pull his thumb out over his index finger. “Never cage your thumb in or else you’ll break it on impact.” You tell him and let Erica see since she’s paying close attention.

“In the heat of the moment it’s hard but always try to keep your back straight before throwing a punch,” you keep helping them. “And always, always rotate your whole body, use all your strength in that punch and you’ll give a mean right hook.” You step away from Lucas and motion him to show you.

This time when he swings his fist he does a lot better. “Good, good,” you compliment him and then turn to Erica. “Come on show me your swing.”

Erica smirks and fixes her fist, arm and body the right way, the way she just saw you mentor Lucas. When she throws it however her swing is a little slower, but good nonethless since she is smaller.

“That was great,” you assure her and she smirks proudly. “Better…” you pause and feel your smile falter. “Violence doesn’t need to be the answer for everything, but…given our complexion….it’s better to know how to protect ourselves unfortunately.”

Lucas frowns and nods in agreement. “Yeah, I get it…have you gotten jumped or something?”

You swallow thickly and nod. “Yeah. Once by Billy and his friends. I didn’t fight back even if I could. I regret it now. Besides, back then I didn’t know how to throw a punch, I only relied on my powers to help, but since I couldn’t show them off they hurt me.”

Erica grows visibally uncomfortable whilst Lucas seems to grow upset.

“Yeah,” Lucas nods. “He tried to fight me once too. I didn’t fight back because I was scared.”

Your jaw drops and you stiffen until something comes to mind, something you wish you could’ve bonded over with your own siblings.

“If you guys want, once all this done I can teach you both some stuff for protection,” you offer them. “My dad and his friend have been letting me train with them, I know some moves.” You offer them a gentle smile. “It’s all up to you though.”

Erica smiles and nods in agreement without a second thought. “That would be cool! I’m in.”

You glance over at Lucas and he also agrees. “Yeah, that would be cool.” He nods. “Uh, thanks.”

You grin. “Cool, we’ll talk about it more after then.” You walk back and linger for a bit only because you got reminded of your brother and sister, Enzo and Angel. Not because the Sinclairs did something in particular to bring such memories, but they simply just did. Them more than anyone else.

With that also comes anger though. Anger towards One, the person who killed them out of spite against Doctor Castro.

Fuck him. It’s good that you’re on your way to kill him, he deserves that and so much more. Fuck One.

You sigh deeply and save that anger for later, instead you turn to head towards Nancy and Max, as Nancy practices shooting on some targets.

And not surprising whatsoever of course Nancy knew how to shoot.

“You’re a good shot,” you announce yourself.

Nancy lowers her gun and looks back at you to watch you fall at her other side. “Thanks,” she says with a small smile.

“Who taught you?” You ask.

Nancy sighs. “Myself. My dad is in the picture, but he’s…not really in my life.” She reveals with no hint of sadness, she’s more angry than anything. “I had to teach myself.”

You meet her gaze and hum. “Well, shitty dads is something I know all about.” You exhale deeply. “My step dad, Leo, was more my scientist than anything. And my real dad was a dead beat, preferred traveling the world and working than being with me, even if he knew how bad his brother treated me.”

“But you live with him now,” Max adds.

You nod. “Yeah,” you say. “He wants to try now. I was against it at first, but after he saved me I chose to give him a chance. He’s trying I mean, he,” you giggle. “He does what he can. Better than my mother, she can’t even look at me sometimes. I think…I remind her too much of the kids she lost. Can't say I blame her though.”

Nancy looks at you with pity but makes sure to lift your spirits. “I can teach you a thing or two, if you teach me how to throw a good punch like you did with Lucas and Erica.”

You grin at her and nod right away, going unaware of the pair who was watching you by the RV.

“Have you told her her?” Robin asks Steve as she looks away from you. “That you want to move her out of the state after graduation.”

Steve lets his eyes linger on you to watch how Nancy taught you how to shoot with a shotgun. “No,” he admits and shakes his head. “Not yet, I haven’t really had the chance given we barely made it official not so long ago.”

Robin bites the inside of her cheek and musters a feigned soft laugh. “You two have been basically dating since August.”

Steve smiles and places down the bottle he had in his hand and comments on her response. “Not officially. She was waiting for my feelings to pass for almost an entire year, she didn’t want to date.”

“But you stuck together regardless,” Robin says dryly. “You guys did couple stuff together in between, meaning you were basically together. Just unofficially.”

Steve sighs and rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” he retorts. “Anyway, no, I haven’t told her yet.”

Robin stays quiet for a second before she swallows back her ache and tries to comfort him. “Well, you should. I wasn’t really convinced by your plan at first, but now…” she pauses and they both look over at you as you miss shooting a can. “If what One says about Doctor Brenner is true, then it’s a matter of time before they try to come after her again. The Russians already tried once, I…she’s my friend and I love her, she’s gone through a lot already, I don’t want her to go back again.” She drops her gaze and feels her eyes sting with tears.

Steve on the other hand smiles sadly as you look quite happy being helped by Nancy. “Yeah,” he agrees. “I don’t want her to go back either, and I don’t want her to suffer here anymore either, but…she’s barely managing to pick herself up again.” He sighs with frustration and looks away from you. “She’s happy.”

Robin nods. “She was. But it’s better for her to be out of Hawkins. Besides she won’t be so upset, she’ll have you. She loves you.”

Steve gets happy at the sound of Robin's comment even if he tries to act cool. “I guess we’ll see when I tell her. After all this shit. If we make it out that is.”

“Yeah.” Robin whispers and steals one last look at you.

——

Time passed. Not much, but now returning to the Upside Down, facing One again, killing him was getting closer.

Maybe death was creeping around the corner or salvation and relief, whatever it was that waited for you at the end of this day, you were ready. More than you have been for anything in your life, because he broke your trust and your heart. He lied and became a monster, he killed…Enzo and your sisters. He. He killed them.

So yes, you are rightfully enraged, yes you’re ready to face him and kill him.

However, one thing that you’re not ready for is breaking up the group. You don’t like that Eddie and Dustin are going to try and distract the bats alone, and you especially don’t like that Max is going to use herself as bait. Not when he needs her to open the last gate.

“Maybe,” you interject as you tighten your vest strap. “I’ll go in your place, Max.” It wasn’t a question or a suggestion, it was a claim. “I can keep him distracted and put up a fight to get him weaker.”

All eyes turn to you and Steve and Robin look at you with protest, but Max is the first to argue. “No, it’s been decided I’m going. I’m not going to trade your life for mine.”

“Life?” You scoff and lift your hands to secure the vests straps on the shoulders.

Max swallows thickly and tries to show off that she’s not at all affected by what she just said. “We have to face the facts, don't we?”

You shake your head and narrow your gaze. “No, because you aren’t going to die. That’s what we’re trying to avoid. You’re not dying Max.”

“And you won’t either,” she retorts. “Besides you’ve faced him more than once, if he wanted to kill you he would’ve. You won’t be able to keep him distracted, he’ll just push you out again.” She folds her arms over her chest and challenges your gaze to prepare to counterattack, but she’s right.

All he’s done since you’ve seen him as Vecna is push you out, he’s avoided getting rid of you, he’s helped you. If it’s for the simple reason that he wants you to be at his side or not, you don’t know anymore.

“Max is right,” Nancy chimes in and throws you a pair of leather fingerless gloves like hers. “He’s had the chance to kill you and he hasn’t, I doubt he’d do it now. Besides, you’re the only one who can give him the killing blow after Robin, Steve and I injure him.”

You slip on the gloves and nod stiffly.

“Meaning, no mind control,” Eddie adds and points at you. “None of that. Got it?” He looks over at Robin and Steve. “You two have to make sure she doesn’t use her powers.”

You roll your eyes and interject for yourself. “You don’t have to lecture me on something I already know, Eddie.”

Eddie shrugs. “I’m just reminding you, Mouse.”

You sigh and meet his gaze to offer him a half assuring smile. “Thanks.”

“So everyone understands what needs to happen?” Nancy asks with admirable determination.

Some verbally agree, while others like you nod to show your understanding.

“Good,” she says with a nod. “Let’s go.”

Everyone breaks away from the group and head to their seats to begin heading to your first stop, the Creel House to drop off Lucas, Erica and Max.

Now unlike before though, the mood in the RV was different than before. The atmosphere felt heavy, somber and nerve-wracking. Steve didn’t even bother to turn up the radio, nothing filled the RV but silence until he rolled to a stop in front of the abandoned house.

“Be careful,” you tell all three kids. “Keep your eyes peeled, and don’t get distracted.”

Lucas and Erica nod and head out after saying their own goodbyes to the others, leaving you to talk to Max. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at the end of this okay?”

Max nervously shifts her gaze away and nods slowly.

“Whatever he makes you see,” you continue, “it’s not true. Remember that it’s all just tricks, okay?” You grab her shoulder and give it a small squeeze as you offer her a faint smile. “Maybe after all this we can go eat ice-cream or something.”

Max slowly meets your gaze and the corner of her lips twitches to a smile. “Yeah,” she whispers. “That would be cool.”

Your smile widens and you pull your hand away to step back towards your seat before you nod and wave at her. She then gets out of the Rv and closes the door behind her, letting Steve finally drive back to Eddie’s house, back to the gate. Only making your confrontation that much closer.

Now worry also began to accompany your anger as you were getting closer. Steve saw that and reached over to caress the back of your neck.

“It’s going to be okay,” he tries to assure you.

You slowly drift your eyes over to him and sigh deeply. “I hope so.”

Steve offers you a faint smile before smirking as he checks you out. “You’re looking hot in that outfit.”

You grow flustered and can’t help but smile.

“I’m being honest,” he says. “I mean it does look like you're going to be cold with that tank top under your vest, but you’re still looking good.”

You stretch out your arms and smirk. “I’ll be okay without sleeves, I’ll feel less restricted. This way I can move my arms better. Danger comes and bam!”

Steve chuckles and nods. “Good that’s what I like to hear.”

You grin at him now. “You’re not looking so bad yourself, Harrington.”

Steve smirks and shrugs nonchalantly. “Oh you know. It’s just me, effortless.”

You giggle and beam at him.

“What?” He quips. “You dont think so?”

You scoff. “Did I say that? No. I liked your comment.” You smile sweetly and he glances over and smirks.

“You better.”

You meet each others gazes and share a soft and sweet smile before he begins to frown and grow serious.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid and rash.”

Your smile slowly begins to fall but you manage to offer him a very faint one. “I promise. As long as you promise me the same.”

Steve nods without hesitation. “I promise,” he whispers.

Your eyes linger on one another for a second longer before he focuses back on the road and lets the tense silence return now that you’re much closer. Closer than before.

The moment you reach the glowing red gate, your breath catches in your throat and goosebumps grow all over your skin. Dread begins to grow and keeps you quiet as everyone throws their weapons to the other side before they themselves go through, one by one, always wary until you’re once again in such a horrible place.

Now though it’s on purpose rather than on accident.

“I really hate this place,” you murmur as you exit Eddie’s Upside Down house.

Robin nods in agreement. “Same here.”

“Hey, guys, listen,” Steve interjects, making you all stop to turn and watch him direct his comment to Dustin and Eddie. “If things start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep ‘em busy for a minute or two. We’ll take care of Vecna. Don’t try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just—”

“Decoys,” Dustin says at the same time as Steve. “Don’t worry,” Dustin continues. “You can be the hero, Steve.”

“Absolutely. I mean,” Eddie chimes in. “Look at us. We are not heroes.”

Steve nods softly in comprehension and turns as you stay facing Eddie with worry. He notices right away but first addresses Steve.

“Hey, Steve? Make him pay.” Eddie nods and then glances at you. “And take care of this one,” he points at you, and you scoff. “I’m trusting you with her.”

Steve holds Eddie’s gaze and nods before turning, leaving you still before Eddie with the same worry painted face.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he finally addresses you as it’s hard to find words to tell him. “It’s going to be okay,” Eddie assures you with a soft smile.

You swallow back the lump that forms in your throat at the sound of his comment, and can only muster a wobbly smile as he reminds you of the twin brother you had lost so long ago.

And of course Eddie notices your gleaming gaze, and walks over to you to grab your shoulders and offer you a wider smile before he leans in and presses a kiss on your forehead.

“You take care of yourself,” you whisper and lean your head back to meet his gaze.

Eddie smiles softly and nods before he takes your forearm and you take his.

“I’ll see you later,” he assures you.

You scoff softly and then press your forehead against his. He smiles at you, at your interaction and continues to try and comfort you.

“Stop worrying about me, Mouse,” he says. “It’s going to be okay.”

You draw in a deep breath and pull back to nod at him. “Yeah,” you sigh and offer him a soft smile.

You pull away before you force him to follow, and turn to follow after Steve to head towards your destination.

However, before you can enter the woods, you look back at Eddie one last time and notice he was watching you leave. When he meets your gaze he waves, while you offer him one last smile before disappearing through the woods.

Tagged- @manuosorioh @lily-sinclair-2006 @flwrdia @sunshinee0-0 @luluhdz93 @misaamaneswifey @guichu @khaylin27 @milkiane @ilovereadingfanfics @royalestrellas @sherxoo @ioonatv @daylightsana @hcrringtonslvr

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ridestomars · 2 years ago

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⋆·˚ ༘ * STEVE HARRINGTON.

track # liv talks about stevie.

SERIES. none yet.

ONE SHOTS. over 0.5k words.

is he your new best friend? ─ in which steve gets jealous when his best friend tells him about their new friend, eddie.

long, hot summer nights. nsfw. ─ in which steve harrington loves the summer. and it's only because of you.

a warm embrace. slight nsfw. ─ in which you and steve cuddle after a hard day at work.

to the moon and to saturn. ─ in which you read steve's birth chart. part of my astrologer!reader concept.

sunny days that won't ever end. ─ in which you and steve take the kids to the beach.

SMALL FICS. over 0.1k words.

cuddles with steve. steve helps you study. steve being obsessed with reader's boobs and thighs. making out in steve's car. slight nsfw. steve loves reader's curly hair. steve cleans your room for you. steve sees you without your glasses for the first time.

CONCEPTS.

late night drives with steve ─ steve's mixtape. having a smoke sesh with steve and eddie. steve in a crop top. steve is an old-fashioned guy. steve being the kids' older brother.

steve x latina!reader ; steve x astrologer!reader ; steve x fairy!reader ; steve and max being siblings ; steve x top gun ; athlete!steve ; modern!au ; old money!steve.

MOODBOARDS.

old money!steve. attending galas with old money!steve. punk!steve x eddie.

COLLECTIONS. baby, we were born to run.

── you might also like . . .

steve's mixtape (playlist). steve fic recs. music ramblings.

eddie munson masterlist. nancy wheeler masterlist. 500 followers celebration masterlist. navigation. ask. currently accepting requests for steve, nancy and eddie.

#liv talks about stevie #stevie <3 #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #masterlist #steve harrington masterlist #stranger things masterlist

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gumbxz · 2 years ago

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steve harrington x ex!friend reader

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

steve has unrequited love for an old friend. reader had confessed to him but he didn’t feel the same way in that moment. so they moved on and now steve regrets rejecting them :( reader has a partner too haha basically an alt version of my steve x afro latina reader where she confesses but he doesn’t react to nicely.

genre// angst, unrequited love

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

robin could tell something was fishy with steve-o. he felt so out of it lately. it was pretty depressing looking at him. family video was a bit busy around valentine’s day. a perfect day for couples to unwind with each other and watch a film and get all snuggled up.

that could’ve been steve. it could’ve been steve and you, but he was stupid. stupid enough to reject a total package like you. the night where you confessed to him, he knows how vulnerable you were in the moment. but he still rejected you anyway. he didn’t think about you in the moment. the only thing on his mind was steve. and what steve wanted. and he just so happened to want nancy wheeler still.

“why- why don’t you want me. she clearly doesn’t need you. i need you steve, i’m inlove with you. don’t go chasing after someone who doesn’t want you, you’re waiting for nothing. nothing is happening steve.”

“i know what i’m doing, but i genuinely hope that maybe at least, a small amount of hope lingers where i hope that nancy could come back to me.”

“are you fucking serious, are you hearing yourself right now? what is it all for- can’t you see that i’m right here. stop waiting for someone who isn’t going to chase you, steve.”

you started reaching out to him, trying to hold him while you begin to cry in frustration. your pleases didn’t seem to matter at all to him. he didn’t even uncross his arms as you cried into him.

“what did i do wrong. what am i doing wrong? is it because i’m not her. am i not enough.”

he couldn’t say anything. what could he even say? it’s like you were speaking to a brick wall as you cried and hit his chest. you were powerless beneath him.

“i hate you. i fucking hate you. i hate you steve harrington. i hate you for making me feel this pain.”

your words were nothing. he took a deep breath and stood back. you fell to your knees and cried in frustration. gripping the carpet floor. steve hated himself for not feeling anything for you. he hated that he couldn’t do anything. the best thing he could do was leave you. he left you behind.

left you on the street like you were nothing more then trash. he regrets it till this day. he regrets not noticing the feelings he has for you. he regrets not being the one to hold you.

“man, they look happy don’t they, steve?” robin nudges steve’s shoulder as he goes through the vhs’. he looks up in the direction where robin is looking. he felt a familiar ping of pain in his heart.

you were there. you were in the horror movie isle. with your partner. the two of you seemed happy. the way your partner held you from behind while you laugh against them made him feel both sad and upset. angry that it wasn’t him with you. angry that it hurts to even look at you.

you slowly make eye contact with steve. your face drops a little seeing him. and it hurts him. he’s the first to look away and go back to sorting the vhs’. robin couldn’t believe steve right now. she could only shake her in disappointment.

“you could’ve gotten that bag, steve. she is a literal keeper. i’m gonna be honest, she is hot. and you managed to mess up that bag. you idiot.”

“look i know- there’s nothing i can do now. it’s too late.”

“it’s never too late, you just have to like- pray for their downfall. and when she’s all sad you swoop in and save her like some knight in shining armor.”

“robin, that’s not how thi—“

“hey, can we get these two movies?”

your partners voice speaks as they set the movies down on the counter.

“hm, labyrinth and friday the 13th. cool movies, haven’t seen labyrinth yet, right robin?”

“mm you’re very right steve, you should let us know what it’s like when you guys bring it back.”

she smiles at you, and you give her a soft smile back.

“yeah, totally. we’ll let you know all about it. thanks you guys. see ya.”

“take care, (y/n).”

“you take care too, steve.”

he sighs to himself as he watches you leave with the vhs’ as and you walk away hand in hand with your partner.

this was a different kind of pain that steve hasn’t felt before.

he didn’t like the feeling. the feeling of loving you, when you don’t love him back. he feels stupid for not being there for you when you needed him.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

this one hurt tbh- i related to both steve and reader 💔but maybe i will add a part 2 to this 😱and maybe they both get each other in the very end hehe,,

#steve harrington angst #steve harrington x reader #Spotify #afro latina reader #angst #unrequited love

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d33rz · 2 years ago

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nancy wheeler with a little latin gf makes me go feral

#was this worded weird? maybe but idc #nancy loves puerto rican women because I'm puerto rican and i say so #her tryna learn spanish so she could talk to you and your family members omfg #the whole idea has me SOFT #nancy wheeler x reader #nancy wheeler x latina!reader #latino tony stark supremacy #the way I'm making this my entire brand-

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d33rz · 2 years ago

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okayy but this with steve or nancy, like, them just kinda swaying wit you cause they can't dance bachata but they're trying to at least be a little on beat because they know this is your favorite song 😩

nah cause the thought of latin!reader dancing to monchy y alexandra with eddie is making me so ??

#like te quiero igual que ayer playin in the background as they just look at you while being so completely head over heels #someone stop me I'm bout to lose my mind #nancy with her little latina gf got me so soft bro-#nancy wheeler x latina!reader #steve harrington x latina!reader #steve harrington x reader #nancy wheeler x reader #latin!reader #latina!reader #latino tony stark supremacy

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bbuckysbeardd · 2 years ago

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My favourite small shop The Wonder Studio is dropping the coolest Stranger Things tees for Eddie and Steve 😭🔥

The Munson is LIVE and The “Out of Hawkins” Tee drops Friday at 1PM EST.

Code: WonderNikki15 to save some $$$

#stranger things #eddie stranger things #eddie x chrissy #steve x eddie #eddie x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x steve harrington #eddie munson x male reader smut #eddie muson x reader #eddie munson x chrissy cunningham #eddie munson x latina reader #steve harrington x nancy wheeler #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington x eddie munson

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bbuckysbeardd · 2 years ago

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The Munson Tee is still available for a little while longer! I love this tee way too much 😭🎸👏🏼

WonderNikki15 to save some $$$

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ridestomars · 2 years ago

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⋆·˚ ༘ * EDDIE MUNSON.

track # liv talks about eddie.

SERIES. none yet.

ONE SHOTS. over 0.5k words.

since i've been loving you. ─ in which you and eddie kiss for the first time.

heavy metal love of mine. ─ in which you keep a notebook full of love poems about your crush and eddie is one nosy son of a bitch.

hungry eyes. ─ in which eddie gets frustrated when you can't do dirty dancing's lift. part of my dirty dancing!au.

the perfect girl. ─ in which eddie makes a mixtape for you.

SMALL FICS. over 0.1k words.

getting high with eddie for the first time. dancing in the street with eddie. starting a book club with eddie.

HEADCANONS.

where the fairies all wait. (fairy!reader)

CONCEPTS. having a smoke sesh with steve and eddie. eddie is a bookworm. eddie with a pop fan s/o.

eddie x flower child!reader ; eddie x latina!reader ; eddie x alt!reader ; eddie x fairy!reader.

AUs. metal lords!au. sing street!au. can't buy me love!au. dirty dancing!au.

MOODBOARDS. eddie and alt!reader. heathers!au. wizard!eddie. punk!steve x eddie. king of hell!eddie x innocent!angel!reader. (from @wrenniebaby's mon ange series).

COLLECTIONS. baby, we were born to run.

── you might also like . . .

eddie's mixtape (playlist). eddie fic recs. music ramblings.

steve harrington masterlist. nancy wheeler masterlist. 500 followers celebration masterlist. navigation. ask. currently accepting requests for eddie & steve.

#liv talks about eddie #eddie <3 #eddie munson x reader #masterlist #eddie munson masterlist #stranger things masterlist #eddie munson

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damn-stark · 2 years ago

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How did you guys like it?

Chapter 13 Open your eyes

Chapter 13 of Chispa

A/N- We’re nearing the end, no, no, no!

Warning- Swearing, fluff, ANGST, mention of cigarettes, blood, Violence, LONG CHAPTER.

Pairing- Steve Harrington x WOC!reader

Episode- 4x06 & 4x07

(Let me know if you want to get tagged)

————

“One,” you murmur.

Finally.

Eddie looks back in confusion and probes. “Huh?”

You let go of him and share only a vague explanation. “Wait here.” You sit down on the dirt ground and cross your legs over the other.

Eddie’s face expresses more confusion now and slight annoyance to what you were doing, considering Jason is probably still after him. “Y/N,” he retorts and crouches down in front of you. “A break can wait, we need to get far from the lake.”

You ignore his suggestion and close your eyes before assuring him. “It’s okay. It won’t take long, just wait, I need to talk to someone.”

Eddie looks around but sees only darkness, trees, and shadows of trees. “There’s no one else here, what’s going on, did Vecna—”

“Shh,” you snap and hold your knees as you begin concentrating on who appeared within your mind—Or at least who he was pretending to be.

Eddie tries to add something else after your interruption but you tune him out and manage to go within your mind, hearing the night breeze go quiet, seeing nothing but a calm darkness, and feeling cold beneath your feet.

“One,” you call out and take a step forward to try and search for him.

However, he suddenly appears from behind. “Two,” he startles you, making you jump.

You turn around rapidly and see him there, his figure, his face. It’s him.

Or a very good trick.

“One?” You ask cautiously and stiffen where you are.

Said man tilts his head and a frown grows on his face. “You’re scared?” He asks as he notices.

You swallow thickly. “Vecna,” you say slowly as you check him out to see if anything was wrong. “He can get in peoples minds, he’s been in mine. He’s playing tricks on me. How do I know you’re not just another trick?” You query seriously and with your jaw clenched.

One shrugs and takes a step towards you, causing you to take one back out of fear. “I guess you won’t know,” he shares with a faint smile. “You’ll just have to trust that it is me. You trust me right?”

More than anyone. But if this is some other cruel illusion….

“I trust you,” you assure him and stay where you are as he takes another step towards you. “But I don’t trust him. Besides, I still don’t understand how you’re doing this. Why me?”

One takes another careful step towards you and answers sweetly. “Because I trust you. And you’re the only one I can reach. Even if I could reach the others, you’d still be the first one I’d talk to. Always.”

Your eyes soften, and your body loses some of the tension.

“As to how, well,” he chuckles. “You know the reasoning behind that.” He takes his final step towards you and looks down at you with the same soft and assuring smile. “Two, I swear it is me.” He reaches for your hands, and rather than pulling them away you let him carefully pull them both towards him.

He then closes them together and holds your gaze as he smiles wider. You’re still cautious over his presence, not wanting to get attached in case it is just Vecna, but you don’t attempt to pull away. Instead you look down at his hands on yours and watch as he begins to pull them apart to let out paper butterflies.

They flutter up and begin to fly around you, making you smile up at them before you share that soft smile with One.

You still had reason to doubt him, this can still be a part of Vecna’s trick, but would he really be as patient as One is being? Or as kind as to show you paper butterflies, a piece of a cherished memory from the past?

Probably, but there is something in you, the naive part of yourself that does believe One is himself.

“One,” you mutter with emotion building up in your throat and throw your arms around him for a longing and gentle embrace.

One is taken back by the gesture for a few seconds before he slowly puts his arms around you, and slowly pats your back. He doesn’t say anything and neither do you for a few seconds, you linger in the embrace and record this moment to cherish it.

Leaving him, leaving the only person who tried to care about you when you would go to Hawkins Lab, hearing about his death years later, broke your heart. You loved him, the man who showed you kindness like no one else did. So seeing him, assuring yourself that he really is alive heals your broken little heart just a bit.

“I,” you break the silence and pull away to slide your hands down to his arms and look at him with pity. “I heard about your past. I know your name, your real name, Henry.”

One's smile falters as he nods slowly. “That’s a name I haven't heard in a long time,” he says and grabs your shoulders.

You shake your head and frown sadly. “I don’t mean to bring up the past, but I just need help understanding why Vecna targeted you and your family.”

Vecna pulls away completely and clasps his hands in front of him to look at you with a more serious expression. Not sadness. He’s just serious.

“Because of what I could do. My family didn't know, but he did,” he shares.

You narrow your gaze and keep probing. “Is that why he trapped you in the Upside down? Because of your powers? Is he—was he the one that killed all the others in the lab?”

One nods stiffly. “Yes,” he answers. “It was him, because he tried to steal my powers. My family was just colateral, like the others were as well. That’s what he wants from you, your powers.”

There’s a sense of relief as some things clear out, but you’re still very much confused. “Then why kill those teens? If he wants me, why target my friend?” You express your confusion.

“Because he wants to get out,” One reveals in a scary tone that brings chills. “He wants to spread his evil. He wants to kill you for your power. You can’t let him consume it.”

You drop your gaze and draw in a deep breath as you shake your head. “But,” you breathe out and meet his gaze. “How? He found me and tortured me, I tried to stop him and he did it again. I can’t fight him alone. I need you. At my side.”

One's lips tug to a faint smile. “And you will have me, we will reunite again,” he assures you softly. “But remember, my sweet, Two.” He reaches for your cheek to cup it gently. “You are capable of everything you put your mind to. Don’t listen to your doubt, your insecurity. You’re powerful, block his mental attacks and redirect them at him. Use your anger.”

“And,” your voice quivers. “How can I reach you? How can I help you?”

“After he killed his recent victims he’s gotten stronger, he’s closer to finding me again. I can’t put you at risk anymore,” he says. “I’ll reach you from now on and I’ll help you, I’ll tell you how you can help me when I figure it out, okay?”

You nod and hold his gaze with a soft smile. “Okay,” you mutter.

One’s smile widens and he presses you against his chest to stroke the back of your head one last time. “We’ll be together again. Soon.”

You clutch onto him and nod one last time before you’re returned back to reality. Back to Eddie who keeps pacing impatiently.

“Okay,” you startle him, causing him to stop in his tracks. “I’m done.” You stand up and shiver as you’re reminded of how cold you are with these wet clothes strapped on you. “Let’s go find something to talk to others with. I’m freezing.” You continue down your path and hear Eddie run towards you to catch up.

“Uh, excuse me, Mouse,” he interjects. “What was that back there? You were, like, frozen completely.”

You nod and smile at the ground. “I was talking to a friend,” you answer him.

“Oh,” he mouths and falls at your side to press further. “Who? How?”

You smile at him. “With my powers. He reached out to me.”

Eddie nods slowly and repeats himself. “Who?”

“A brother.” You say with happiness.

——

Morning rolls around quickly. Or it seems so. The others still haven’t found you. Your clothes are dry, smelly like lake water, your skin is sticky, you’re very cold considering you had to take your jacket and shirt off, leaving you only with a tank top Eddie had, but at least you aren’t wet anymore….yay!

And! Eddie found a way to communicate with the others. Apparently there were construction workers nearby where you chose to hide, and he stole some workers walkie.

Did he let you know he had plans to sneak into the construction site? No he didn’t.

But hey, he got the walkie!

“Dustin, can you hear me?” Eddie says through the walkie. “Wheeler?”

You yawn and then sit at his side to wait.

Thankfully you didn’t have to wait long. “Eddie. Holy shit. Are you guys okay?” Dustin comes in through the walkie, making you smile proudly, and causing Eddie to pull you in for a happy half hug.

“Nah, man,” he says and shakes his head. “Pretty…pretty goddamn far from okay.”

“Where are you guys?” Dustin asks.

“Skull Rock,” Eddie shares your location. “Do you know it?”

“Uh, yeah,” Dustin agrees. “That’s near Cornwallis and—“

“Garrett,” you catch Steve’s voice on the other side. “Yeah. I know where that is.”

Your smile softens and you feel relief wash over you at the sound of his voice.

“Hold tight,” Dustin assures Eddie. “We’re coming. We’re coming.”

Eddie presses the walkie against his forehead and nods, leaving the conversation at that.

Out of all the years you’ve known him, you’ve never seen him be so…scared. He always seems to have such a brave face on, like nothing ever affected him, like he had hard skin. It was always such an admirable quality. You loved him for it. Seeing him now be so glum is…heart aching.

“It’s…” you break the short silence that had befallen. “It’s going to be okay, you know that right?”

Eddie pulls his arm away and puts the walkie down to look over at you.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” you assure him. “We’re going to beat this monster and clear your name. I mean my dad has friends, friends in high places, you’re not….going to jail, nothing is going to happen to you.”

Eddie drops his gaze and sighs. “I’m trying to believe that, but I can’t get my hopes up, right?”

Your frown deepens and you catch his gaze gleaming with tears.

“Eddie,” you murmur to try and contradict him, but he grabs your hand and offers you a sad smile.

“Whatever does end up happening, thank you. You’re out here risking your life, falling in cold water,” he chuckles softly. “Spending your spring break trying to help me. So thank you for being the greatest friend anyone could ask for.”

You sigh softly and muster a wobbly smile.

“I love you,” he admits softly.

Tears form in your eyes and your breath catches in your throat. “I,” your voice quivers. “I love you too.”

Eddie smiles. He genuinely smiles now and pulls you in for another half hug. He proceeds to press a kiss on the top of your head and lets you rest your head on his shoulder. He lets you stay like that, in the comfort and warmth of his embrace, even as you nod off to sleep since you’re unwilling to fight the heaviness that had set over your eyes.

Even if a few minutes pass he stays like that, in that uncomfortable position until he catches muffled voices in the background.

“Y/N,” he murmurs and slowly begins to pull his arm away, causing you to jerk up and wake up suddenly.

“What?!” You gasp and look around the woods. “What’s going on?”

Eddie stands up and takes your hand to pull you away from the skull shaped rock.

“Could you,” you groan. “Tell me what's going on, hm?”

“I hear people,” he whispers and pulls you behind him into a big green bush.

“Oh, fuck, Eddie,” you complain and step away from the bush. “I have powers, remember—”

“Shh,” he cuts you off and pushes you back again.

You roll your eyes but keep quiet this time to hear the voices that begin to get louder.

“Oh, boom!” You hear a familiar voice exclaim. “Bada bing, bada boom. There she is….”

Steve. It’s Steve.

“…Skull rock.”

“It’s them,” You tell Eddie with a smile.

And rather than helping you out of the bush, Eddie leaves you behind to meet up with your friends.

“Friends,” you grumble to yourself under your breath as you walk out of the bush to catch up with the others. “Yeah that’s what we are. Oh, Eddie? No, don't worry he’s such a gentleman.” You scoff and roll your eyes. Since where Eddie pulled you to wasn’t far from the rock, you catch up rather quickly. And the first person you notice standing there is Steve.

“Steve,” you call out with a relieved grin.

Said man looks over to where his name is called and his face unclenches as his eyes soften. You then both proceed to meet each other halfway and don’t fret to throw your arms around one another.

“Hey,” he whispers as he holds you tight. “Hey, baby.”

You sigh in relief and grin brightly. “You’re okay,” you murmur as you stroke the back of his head.

Steve nods and then pulls away to cup your cheeks and check you out. Noticing right away that your outfit is missing items of clothing.

“Wh-what happened? Why are you, like, naked?”

You scoff in annoyance to his comment, but answer him with the truth. “My clothes are still wet. Eddie let me borrow his shirt after we fell into the lake.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrow and his eyes narrow just slightly.

“A lot obviously happened at the lake house,” you retort. “We’ll explain it. But first, would you happen to have a jacket? Another sweater?”

Steve shakes his head and Robin interjects this time. “I have my flannel,” she says and begins to take it off.

You pull away from Steve and meet Robin halfway to grab her shirt and throw it on right away.

“Thank you,” you tell her with a grin. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.” You meet her gaze, and in that instant recall your conversation with Eddie yesterday about Robin.

“…do you not see it?”

Not see what? What is there to see?

Since yesterday you haven’t really had time to think about it, but now that you have her here again you can’t help but wonder what you’re missing.

Is there something there?

“So what happened?” Robin asks, making you drop your gaze from her and step back— “You guys are all over the news.” She let’s both Eddie and you know.

Your eyes widen and you gasp. “What?” You look back at Eddie, and he looks even more disappointed and sad then he already is. “What does it say?”

Steve scoffs and points to Eddie. “Might want to add kidnappning to your list because they think you kidnapped y/n.”

Your jaw drops and your eyes fall to the ground.

Your parents must be so fucking worried. Fuck.

No going back now.

“It was Jason,” you reveal in annoyance. “He was trying to help me as he was chasing after Eddie.”

“How did he end up chasing you?” Lucas questions whilst Nancy walks over to you to hand you a paper bag.

“Thanks,” you direct at her before you look over at Lucas. “He somehow found where Eddie was hiding,” you say and walk to Eddie so he can open the bag and reveal food.

“No,” Lucas retorts. “I mean why did he end up chasing you? I mean wasn’t the whole reason why you went with Eddie was to help him?”

You swallow thickly and feel guilt all over again. “I—”

“It was my fault,” Eddie interjects in your defense. “She had told me about what had happened earlier with her powers, so I put her on the sidelines. Being the good friend she is, she listened to me.” He scoffs. “I was being a hard ass. Don’t blame her.” He hands you some cookies and as you take them you look back at Lucas once more, this time with a sad frown.

“If you’ve seen the news,” you begin to say in a sad tone. “Then you know about Patrick?”

Lucas nods as he grows upset. “Vecna,” he says.

You nod and begin to feel anger. “It had happened so fast,” you huff out. “We were trying to escape on the boat and he suddenly got pulled under…” you pause and shake your head as you grow more upset. “When he came back up I tried to save him, I wanted to pull him out of his trance, but Vecna fucking got him first.” You scoff and feel more anger than guilt.

“He was there,” you continue to say. “Right there and I couldn’t…I couldn’t help him.” You turn away from the crowd and try to calm down, but that feeling of uselessness only adds more fire to your anger.

“Y/N,” Nancy says, but you quickly cut her off by clenching your hands into fists, and letting a wave of your power explode out of you that causes the dirt and small rocks in front of you to fly forward and hit trees and create deep dents, making leaves fall off branches, causing the dirt to cloud in front of you, and the ground beneath and ahead of you to tremble slightly.

“Better?” Robin asks.

You drop your head and let out a deep breath. “Yeah,” whisper. “Vecna is fucking asshole.” You turn around and see shock only displayed on Eddie’s face, the others are just unfazed by what you displayed. “What did you guys learn at the Creel house?”

Nancy shakes her head. “Uh, nothing much. We confirmed that it was the same house Max saw, and that he is using that house as a lair, only from the Upside down.”

You hum and open your bag of cookies, noticing Steve walk over to you to steal a cookie from you as the rest get closer to Eddie and you.

“When we got to shore we wanted to call you guys, but uh,” Eddie interjects as begins to drink water. “My walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran,” he feigns a chuckle.

“Do you know what time this was?” Nancy asks. “The attack?”

Eddie nods. “Yeah, no, I…I know exactly what it was,” he says and begins to take off his watch. “My walkie wasn’t the only thing that got soaked.” He then throws his watch at Nancy. And when she catches it she turns it to read the time.

“Nine twenty-seven,” she reads out, getting you confused.

“Same time our flashlights went kablooey,” Robin interjects.

You look between both of them and question them. “Which means what exactly?”

“That that surge of energy we witnessed at the Creel house was Vecna attacking Patrick.” Nancy explains.

You hum and Robin sighs. “Well, we’re one step closer,” she says. “We know how Vecna attacks.”

“And where he attacks from,” Lucas interjects.

“So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down,” Max adds. “And drive a stake through his heart.”

You scoff and retort. “If he even has a heart.”

“A stake?” Steve questions. “Is he like a vampire?”

You blink and look at him with disbelief, but also amusement.

“Is he a vampire?” He asks.

“It was a metaphor,” Max corrects him.

“A bullet should work on him, right?” Eddie asks.

“I say we chop his head off,” Lucas cuts in, and you also add your two cents.

“Or explode him from the inside out.”

“Yeah, I say all of the above,” Nancy interjects. “But we can’t do any of that until we find a way into the Upside Down.”

“We need El to get her powers back,” Max says. “I mean she’d totally help you, y/n.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. “Everything was way easier.” He looks over at Eddie and explains himself. “We had this girl. She had superpowers.”

“Superpowers,” Eddie interrupts. “Yeah, you mentioned her. Hey, uh, Henderson’s not, uh, cursed, is he?”

You and others look over at Dustin pacing back and forth, and Steve gives an answer. “Cursed? No, no. He’s fine. Mental? Absolutely.”

You smile and roll your eyes.

“Boom!” Dustin voices echoes, stealing everyone’s attention again. “Bada…bada…boom,” he says as he points at Steve.

You drop your smile and look at him with concern and confusion.

“I was right,” Dustin continues. “Skull Rock was north.”

“Seriously?” Steve quips. “You’re serious?”

You cross your arms over your chest and sigh.

“Mh-hmm,” Dustin hums as he nods.

“This is Skull Rock,” Steve exclaims as he points to the side. “Okay?”

“Mh-hmm.”

“You’re totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now!” Steve points down, and Dustin leans his head forward and agrees.

“Yes. And No.”

You point your gaze on him and interject. “Explain.”

“This compass,” he lifts said object. “Worked correctly when we left the Wheelers’. It was correct when we got in the car on Curly. But it started to slip the futher east we went. Now it’s way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn’t wrong. The compass was.”

“So you’re using faulty equipment,” Steve argues. “You’re still wrong.”

“Except it isn’t faulty,” Dustin says and looks over at his friend. “Lucas, do you remember what can affect a compass?”

Said man lowers his hand from behind his neck and answers. “An electromagnetic field.”

“Yep.” Dustin agrees, and Robin luckily asks for clarification.

“Sorry. I must’ve skipped that class.”

“In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field,” Dustin explains. “The needle will deflect towards that power. So either there’s some super big magnet around here, or—”

“There’s a gate,” Lucas adds for Dustin.

“We’re nowhere near the lab,” Nancy points out.

“But what if,” Dustin says. “Somehow there’s another gate? A gate that we don’t know about. It has to be smaller. Way less powerful.”

“A snack-size gate,” Robin says.

“How? Why?” Steve asks, and your eyes widen as you’re hit with a memory from last night.

“Vecna,” you say. “One talked to me last night, he said that Vecna wants to come out from the Upside Down. This must be it.”

Steve snaps his head towards you and retorts. “Then what is he waiting for?”

“No idea, maybe it’s not big enough,” Dustin interjects. “All I know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we’ve seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is because then we’d have a way to Vecna. And a shot at freeing Max from this curse.” He finishes and turns to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Steve asks. “Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.”

Dustin stops and turns to face Steve.

“Eddie’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go on a hike in the woods,” Steve points out the truth.

“This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Max and Eddie,” Dustin says as he lifts the compass. “What say you, Eddie the Banished?”

You look back at said man and see him looking away as he answers without hesitation. “I say you’re asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if I’m totally straight with you, I think it’s a really bad idea.” He glances at you and then at Dustin. “But, uh, the Shire…the Shire is burning.”

You smile at his reference and look over at Dustin as he begins hopping.

“So Mordor it is,” Eddie confirms and walks past all of you to catch up to Dustin, making the others quickly follow.

“What is Mordor?” Steve asks in a whisper.

As you follow the group you look back at him and smile sweetly. “It’s a book reference.”

Eddie then runs back to grab his things he almost left behind, making Steve snap at him. “Get your stuff, dude. Let’s go.”

You grin at Eddie as he runs past and throws you your jacket and shirt that are still very much damp.

“So,” you say to Steve as you tie your jacket around your waist. “Learn anything new?”

Steve glances at the ground and shakes his head. “No. I mean nothing besides what Nancy already told you.” He looks up and scratches the back of his head as he sighs. “That and I…uh, I don’t know how I went on that adventure without you.”

Your lips quickly tug to a smile as you look over at him.

“Aww, did you need someone to hold your hand in that big scary house?” You tease him.

Steve rolls his eyes, but snickers. “Yeah,” he whispers. “If that comforts you. But I mean, it didn’t feel the same without you. Or maybe what I’m trying to say is I should’ve stayed back with you. I was just so caught up wanting to be part of the action that I…I didn’t think about you.”

You drop your gaze and nod slowly in comprehension. “But it’s not about me,” you retort. “None of this is about me. It’s about…” you pause and sigh. “Helping Max, Eddie, and trying to fight Vecna. You—”

“No,” Steve interjects. “No. We’re not doing that anymore. You can’t make excuses for me.”

Your lips twitch to a frown and you quickly snap your eyes towards him to look at him with confusion.

“I just…” he sighs. “You can’t. I don’t want you to do that anymore. Not with me.”

Oh. This is about…Billy.

Yeah you used to do that with him. Unwillingly or not, you did make excuses for him. It was a flaw you can now admit.

“Right,” you scoff. “Well…it doesn’t matter if you had stayed or not, nothing would’ve changed the outcome. There, my truth.” You blurt. “Besides, it gave me a chance to talk with Eddie alone.” You smile softly. “I appreciated that.”

Steve hums and nods slowly. “Okay….what did you guys talk about?”

Your lips pull to a smirk and you shake your head and rub his arm. “Stuff. Friend stuff. Actually,” you say and slide your hand down his arm to hold his hand as you keep walking after the group through the woods. “There is one thing that kind of…uh…caught my attention.”

Steve quirks his eyebrow and probes. “Yeah? What?”

You blink and look at Robin walking at the front of the group with Nancy.

“Robin,” you whisper. “We were talking about how she, you know, doesn’t let me smoke, and he said that all I need to do is bat my eyelashes at her and she’d give in. He then,” you sigh and look at Steve. “Seemed to insinuate something. I…I don’t understand though, do you see something? Know something about her referring to me?”

Steve looks over at your mutual friend and presses his lips together to think.

Yet he doesn’t notice anything either. Like you he came out blank.

“No,” he shakes his head. “Nothing, he was probably just referring to how she spoils you too much.” He rolls his eyes. “She lets you get away with too much.”

You snicker and nudge him. “Ha. And what about you my beloved boyfriend, hm?”

Steve shrugs. “Well what can I say? I can't be stern with you. I don’t own you. Unless that’s what you’re into then,” he clears his throat. “I can be bossy,” he teases and winks at you.

You giggle and drop your head to laugh at the ground you’re passing by.

“No,” you laugh. “I like the way we are now.”

Steve scoffs softly and nods. “Good,” he says and smiles softly for a brief second before he goes serious. “Can I ask, you said you talked to your friend, One, what did he want? I mean what did he say?”

You let out a deep sigh and lose your amusement and smile.

“He…” you pause and shrug. “He just assured me that it was really him,” you answer. “He’s alive. And he said that…” you pause again and stiffen at the memory. “The reason why Vecna was after his family was because of his powers, and that….” You swallow thickly. “He might want mine to.”

Steve comes to an abrupt stop and pulls you back with him, letting you see the serious and worried expression that was painted on his face that contradicted his short happiness. “What?” He scoffs. “Why didn't you say that earlier?”

You grab both of Steve's hands and offer him a soft smile. “Because I trust One, he said he’s going to help me. He won’t let anything happen to me. He wants to help us defeat him.”

Steve’s eyes narrow more and his lips curl. “And did he bother to give you the how?”

You shake your head. “No, he said that Vecna is getting stronger, he’s closer to finding him again, but he said he’s going to talk to me again with more information. Trust me, Steve, please. I’m going to be okay.”

Steve drops his gaze and inhales deeply. “And,” he sighs, “what about the teens he’s killed? Why kill them?”

You shrug. “He wants to get out. They’re somehow the key to achieving that. Again, One, will talk to me and I’ll ask more, okay?”

Steve is hesitant but he has no other choice, so he nods in agreement. “I trust you. Just…be careful,” he warns and lifts his hand to caress your cheek. “Please.”

You meet his gaze and offer him a sweet and soft smile as you brush his bangs aside. “I will. I promise.”

The corner of Steve's lips twitch to a smile before he leans in and presses a kiss on your forehead.

“I love you,” you whisper and pull away to meet his soft gaze.

Steve sighs softly and can’t help but smile wider. “I love you too,” he assures you.

You let your eyes linger on one another for a few seconds more before Eddie interrupts the moment to urge you to keep following the group.

Hours of walking ensues after that, thanks to Dustin following the faulty compass in his hand it took a while to find where the location of the gate is exactly. Once you do however, you all come to a stop in front of Lover’s lake.

Yet the gate wasn’t at shore though, no, it wasn’t that easy. The compass kept getting pulled ahead, further across the water, meaning that you once again had to climb on a boat and go rowing in the chilly night breeze.

At least you aren't getting chased anymore. That’s the plus side. However, the boat Eddie and you hid in is small, so it meant you had to leave most of the kids behind. Much to their dismay.

“Easy, I…I said easy, man,” Steve tells Eddie as they push the boat in water after coming up with the excuse that you need to save your energy instead of using it on mundane stuff such as moving a boat.

“Sorry, dude,” Eddie mutters after the boat splashes some water.

The moment the boat is still, Robin walks towards it first.

“Here, you go,” Steve offers her his hand, but she instead grabs both Eddie and Steve’s heads.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna do that,” she says and climbs in herself. “Thank you.”

“Yeah,” Steve retorts. “That works too.”

Eddie gets in next and Nancy follows, saving you for last.

“Mousie,” Eddie says and grabs your hand to help you in.

You smile at him and sit beside Nancy, and across from Eddie and Robin.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Eddie clamors. You look back and see Dustin had stepped toward the boat. “You trying to sink us? This thing holds four people tops, okay?”

“It’s better this way, okay?” Nancy interjects as she looks back at the boy. “You guys stay here with Max. Keep an eye out for trouble.”

Dustin narrows his gaze and snaps back, like a child. “You keep an eye out.”

You narrow your gaze on him and share a passing judgemental look with Steve before Dustin continues.

“It’s my goddamn theory.”

“You heard Nance,” Robin cuts in.

Dustin points and rebuttals. “Who put her in charge?”

You sigh in annoyance and just look out to the water in case there’s something visible you’ve missed.

“I did,” Robin counters.

“Compass,” Nancy says and stretches out her arm.

The boat shifts and you hear Steve now as Nancy turns back around. “Hey, there you go.” Steve throws something and then proceeds to push the boat forward before climbing on and getting an immediate reaction from Dustin.

“You said four!”

Steve sits beside you and peers back. “Sorry,” he whispers to his child friend.

“Bedtime at nine, kiddos!” Robin yells at them and stands up, causing the boat to sway. “Miss you already!”

“Robin,” you scold. “You’re moving the boat. One bad shift and we’re all going down.

She sits back down and just slightly raises her hands. “Sorry,” she whispers, and then begins to help Eddie row with a oar you hadn’t found earlier.

“Question, Mouse,” Eddie interjects as he rows.

You look away from the compass in Nancy’s hand to look at the back of Eddie’s head. “Hm?”

“Couldn’t you just, like, call forth the gate?”

You scoff. “No,” you mutter as you shake your head. “My powers don’t work like that. I’m not from the upside down, nor do I have that power. Sadly.” You sigh and peek at the compass again.

“Another question,” Robin adds this time. “Why use your hand? I mean sometimes you use it and other times you’re just doing stuff with your mind.”

You shift up and shrug. “It depends,” you share. “I don’t need to use my hand, but it helps me direct my power. Like today for example. I let my anger out and my power spread out, using my hand helps me focus.”

“Okay,” Eddie keeps adding in, with excitement this time. “Another question, have you—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down,” Nancy cuts Eddie off. “Slow down guys.”

You look over at the compass and see it spinning like crazy.

“It’s here—”

“Guys, what’s going on?” Dustin cuts in through the walkie and cuts you off. “Come on guys, talk to me. What’s going on?”

You pick up the walkie and answer. “Uh, Dustin your compass has gone—”

“From wonky to wonky with a capital ahh!” Robin interjects before you can answer.

You sigh and hand her the walkie, feeling the boat move in that instant, seconds later you feel Steve’s elbow hitting your arm. When you look over you see him beginning to take off his shoes and socks.

“Uh,” you quickly interject. “What are you doing?”

“Somebody’s gotta go down there and check this out,” he says and doesn’t stop. “Unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then,” he sighs as he puts his socks down. “It’s gotta be me. No complaints, all right?” He says and looks directly at you. “And no, being all badass and powerful doesn’t count.”

You shoot him a pointed glare and scoff.

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Eddie says as Steve stands up. “I do not wanna go down there.” He begins to pull a plastic bag out and makes sure to dump out the pack of cigarettes.

You proceed to part your lips to argue with Steve, yet in that moment he pulls off his shirt, leaving you with your words caught in your throat.

No matter how many times you’ve seen him shirtless, you still can’t help but be mesmerized by his body.

“Hey,” Eddie calls, causing you to blink and look away as he hands Steve his lamp wrapped in the plastic bag. In that moment as you turn though, you catch Nancy smirking at you.

“What?” You ask.

She shakes her head and looks away to hide her teasing smirk.

“Good luck.” You hear Eddie tell Steve.

“Thanks,” Steve says as he takes the lamp and throws Eddie his lighter.

Steve stretches his arms back and breathes out as he prepares to jump down, making this deep and aching pit grow in your stomach.

“Steve,” you call.

Said man shakes his head. “I don’t want to hear it. Same way I trust you, you have to trust me.”

You scoff and roll your eyes before you stand up too. He hears the sound of your body moving and looks back at you.

“Stay,” he insists.

You swallow thickly and think of disobeying him and going down with him, but he’s right, you have to trust him. So you do.

“Be careful, okay?” You say instead.

He offers you an assuring nod before he dives in. Without a second to spare you sit down by the edge of the boat to watch as his light gets fainter as he swims further down the lake.

With each second that pases, the more your heart races, the more you begin to pick at your cuticles.

“Where we at, Nancy?” You question.

“Closing in on a minute,” she says.

You sigh and nod. “Okay.” You let out a deep breath and continue to pick at your nails with more force. “He’s taking too long.” You mumble as you shift more forward to squint your eyes to try and look better into the water. You’re about to stand up and jump in, but then suddenly Steve resurfaces with a big splash and without a light, startling you and everyone on the boat.

“<Son of a bitch,>” you swear in Spanish and jump back towards Nancy.

“I found it,” Steve pants.

You don’t take a moment to catch your breath and return to the edge of the boat to assure yourself that he’s okay—which he is, you just needed to see him.

“You found it?” Nancy exclaims and leans over you.

Steve swims towards the boat as he repeats himself. “I found it. Yeah. I found it.”

You smile down at him and hear Robin report to Dustin. “Dustin, you are a goddamn Einstein. Steve found the gate.”

“I mean It’s pretty wild,” Steve says inbetween pants. “It’s more a snack-size gate than the mama gate, but still, it’s pretty damn big.”

“Okay, that means—” however before you can finish your comment Steve suddenly gets yanked down, causing you and the others to gasp.

He surfaces seconds later but looks terrified.

“What just happened?” You mumble in fear.

Steve looks down at the water and shrugs. “I don’t know,” says. “Something pulled me.”

“Okay,” you scoff and reach over for him. “Give me your hand.”

Steve reaches over for your hand, his fingertips brush against yours, but as you both were going to secure your hold, he suddenly gets yanked back down and doesn’t resurface this time.

“No, no, no,” you mumble in panic. “No.”

Even if you’re scared over what could’ve pulled Steve down, you don’t think twice about getting up and diving in after him without consulting or waiting to hear what the others would say.

“Wait, wait! Y/N!” You hear Eddie call, but it’s too late to get stopped, you dive in the water and push against the force of the water. You swim down with urgency and spot a red light down on the surface.

It’s like Steve, the gate is small. Yet it’s big enough to fit through. When you’re above it, however, as you reach for the red gate, the texture is weird, gooey, and smooth, easy to break through. Albeit when you jam your hands through, you feel a bitter breeze, you try to reach for something, but you just feel air.

It’s not until you move your hands to the side that you actually feel a cold surface. When you pull yourself through, however, rather than seeing ground, you see the fucking sky, it’s terrifying, you feel like you’re about to have a heart attack, but then luckily you hit the ground when you make it through to a whole new place.

It’s shocking to say the least, stunning maybe; in a creepy way. There’s this whole other world that’s right under your feet.

The sky is different too, gray and gloomy, there’s the sound of thunder in the distance, red lighting striking the sky, and the sound of screeching. When you look where it comes from you see Steve surrounded by some kind of scary bats. One has its tail around his neck, and the other two have their fangs in his body. He struggles to get them, he’s trying to pull off the one around his neck, but is clinging too tightly. It’s hurting him, cutting off his air.

As you take note of all that, something goes off in your mind that fills you with blinding anger. That makes you clench your jaw and curl your lip before you roll your shoulders back and break into a sprint towards Steve.

“Y/N!” You hear your name being called behind you, but you don’t look back, you continue. You don’t grab the oar you notice on the ground, or attempt to grab anything at all. Instead you throw your hand out and use your power to throw an invisible grip around the bat on one of Steve’s sides, and yank it apart with a flick of your wrists, forcing its teeth out of Steve and making it fall limp on the ground.

“Hey there,” you greet Steve as you reach him. You then proceed to grab ahold of the other bat at his other side and throw it back as you catch a glimpse of Nancy approaching with the oar. She’s the one that smacks it out of the air to let you focus on the one around Steve’s neck.

You grab a hold of it, you feel it in your mind, but as you’re about to squish it’s head, one bat dives down out of nowhere and clings it’s fangs down on your neck, managing to shove you down with its strength.

“Y/N!” Eddie cries out and tries to run towards you, but, before he can reach you, something slimy wraps around both wrists and suddenly begins to drag you back.

“Let. Go!” You bellow and try to use your powers, but another bat dives down and sinks its teeth on your body and stops you.

“Fuck.” You pant and then let out a pained scream.

The vines around your wrists tighten and the bats sink their teeth further into you, only pissing you off even more, giving you the nudge you need to use your power against the vines.

It’s not much, but you manage to squeeze them before you pull them apart, making their grip fall off and leaving you with the bats.

They’re easier, because instead of grabbing them, you instead lift a vine off the ground and throw it around a bat's neck.

It screeches and lets go of you, but you still pull its head off, and then do the exact same thing to the other. Once they’re no longer on you, you let out a gasp of air, as if that’s what they were stopping with their bites. You then proceed to roll around slowly and push yourself to your feet.

“Y/N!” You hear someone yell.

You’re about to look back to see who it is, but you then catch more bats flying at you.

“Okay,” you groan. “Let’s go.” You draw in a deep breath, and begin to stride towards the bats as you exhale through your nose.

One bat then begins to dive towards you, so you stop and pick a vine off the ground to hurl it towards the bat, and throw it around its neck before you pull down and rip its head clean off. The second one still tries to attack you, but you instead let the vine go to grab a hold of the bat's head with an invisible hold. And with one small tilt of your head, and slight lift of your finger, you use your powers to crush its head from the inside.

Three more try to sneak up from behind without making a sound, but you catch the sound of their wings flapping and side eye them. You clench your jaw and lift a vine off the ground to then spin around swiftly with the vine, and whip it around one of its necks.

Eddie and the others approach, but when Eddie sees what you do, he stops and watches in awe and slight fear.

You proceed to clench your fist as you tighten the hold around the bat's neck, and tug it down. While with the other two you try to get in their minds—it’s difficult since they’re actually very strong, but you manage to find a small way in and control them.

They screech and try to fight off your control, but you just hold onto them tighter and drift your eyes back as more fly towards you.

“Hm,” you hum smugly and smirk as you force the bats you control to attack the other two that were coming from behind. Leaving only the one on the ground alive.

It tries to fly up to attack you but you turn to face it as you summon a rock to your hand, and then fall over the bat.

This wasn’t Vecna, not even close to what killed your siblings, but there was still so much anger, so many emotions that that monster resurfaced with his tricks. Stuff you tried so hard to recover from. Stuff that begins to pile over you again, reminding you of that deep ache, pulling you down again into that abyss you tried so hard to escape from.

Killing this bat wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy you from what you really wanted to get rid of, but for now, in this instant, it was enough. For now hitting it over and over again with the rock was enough because you can’t reach Vecna, because you can’t hit the monster that’s hurt you and everyone else. With each strike you imagine his face and let out that built up anger, you let out every bad emotion.

Even after it stopped moving and died, you keep hitting it. Even if blood keeps splashing all over your face, you keep smacking it. Even as tears cloud your eyes you keep hitting it over and over again until all you hit is the ground.

“Y/N,” you hear Eddie call softly and in a shaky voice. He reaches over for you, but you slowly stand up and miss his touch. You hear him step back, so you slowly turn around. And immediately as you see Steve walking towards you, you lose all your anger.

He’s all bloody but he’s okay. He’s alive.

“Steve,” you cry softly before you meet him halfway and grab one cheek to scan his body. “Are you okay?”

He looks down and nods. “Well, they took about a pound of flesh. But other than that, yeah, never better. You? Are you okay?” He grabs your shoulder and checks you out. “They seemed to really be after you.”

You scoff and shrug it off. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” You caress his cheek and linger in each other's gaze until Robin interjects.

“Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?”

Steve and you look over at her, and he questions her before you can. “What?”

“It’s just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear. And I think we should get you to a doctor, like, really soon. Because once the symptoms set in, it’s too late. You’re already, like, dead. “

You scoff softly and can’t help but sigh in relief as she remains the same Robin, as you assure yourself she’s fine.

Alas, even if you wanted to say something, more bats screech and fly over. This time instead of attacking you albeit, they huddle over the gate.

“All right,” Steve pants. “There’s not that many. We can take ‘em. Right?”

Except they’re not moving towards you. Even as more come over.

“You were saying?” Robin says as you all keep your eyes on the bats.

“The woods!” Nancy exclaims. “Come on!” She departs from the group and you all follow since there’s really no other choice, the bats are all huddled around your means to escape.

Albeit, when you make it in the woods, you begin to feel sharp pains from the bites the bats left on your body, it slows you down and makes your grip on the bat you’re still controlling to weaken.

Luckily, you all slowed down when you were hidden in the thickness of the trees.

“So is that bat going to keep following us?” Eddie asks you.

You look up at your companion flying overhead and nod as you reach for your wound. “Yeah. At least until I keep it under control.”

Eddie nods slowly and keeps walking ahead. He stays quiet for a few seconds before he suddenly spins around and points at you. “How exactly are you doing that? And have you ever done that on me?”

You shake your head and answer his last question right away. “No,” you groan quietly. “I haven’t. I never use my powers on the people I care about,” you assure him with a faint smile.

Eddie nods and turns to keep facing the way you’re walking. “Okay,” he continues to say. “How are you controlling it exactly?”

“I uhm,” you swallow thickly and wince, feeling your whole world spin for a second. “I’m manipulating the mental functions of their brain. Some people…can fight me off…depending on how strong someone or something is.” You clutch onto your wound and catch Steve looking over at you with concern.

“Are you doing okay?” He asks as he begins to examine your face.

You briefly meet his gaze and nod slowly even if you can feel sweat begin to form on your forehead, and feel your body weaken with each step—“I’m fine.”

“Let go of that bat,” he advises you. “You got hurt, that’s only going to hurt you more.

You look up at the bat and see its head moving as it looks out for more of its friends. “No,” you retort and shake your head. “It’s helping look for danger. We’re in the woods, we need it.” As you look down again, there in the distance, hidden within the trees you see, One.

He’s there, standing, watching you pass by. He tugs the corner of his lips to his typical smile, but after Steve blocks the view as he passes by you, One doesn’t reappear in the same spot.

It might just be your blood loss.

“What,” you whisper and blink your gaze back ahead, and notice Skull rock coming up ahead. And once again you see One. He’s under the rock, this time with a straight face instead of his previous smile.

“One,” you whisper.

No it can’t be. This is just a bad fever dream.

You rub your eyes and when you look at the rock again, he’s gone.

“Hide,” you hear someone whisper, making you come to a sudden halt to look at who’s around you, but everyone is walking ahead.

“Two,” you keep hearing in this muffled voice.

“No,” you mumble and pick up your pace to fall beside Steve, but that’s when you feel something warm roll out of your nose.

When you lift your hand to wipe it off, you see blood stain your hand.

“Shit,” you grumble, but you still don’t drop your hold on the bat, you keep walking and keep it on the lookout.

“Two…” there it goes again. That voice. “Hide!”

You look up at the sky to see if you could see anything, and that’s when you hear the bat above you screech its alert. Meaning the voice was helpful, it was something. Someone.

Was it him?

“Under the rock,” you tell the group.

Steve turns back and reaches over for your hand to pull you with him under the rock.

When you hide behind the bodies of your friends as they keep an eye out on the sky to watch the bats pass, you begin to feel more blood roll out of your nose, but now from both nostrils.

“That was close,” Robin says as the bats pass by.

“Shit,” Eddie mutters. “The bat did help.”

“See,” you mumble proudly. “It…” you trail off as you begin to feel your head spin even more than before. You try to stand straight up and shake it off, but you then feel lightheaded and your eyes incredibly heavy like you’re about to…

“Oh, shit,” you murmur and feel your body fall back for a second before you’re suddenly surrounded by darkness.

Rather than waking up later and finding out you fell unconscious, you actually wake up in the depths of your mind, surrounded by the same dark abyss, and on the watered covered ground.

Instead of being alone there he is, One.

You smile at him without hesitation and greet him with no question. “One!”

He mirrors your smile and walks towards you. “Took quite a fall there. You exhausted yourself.”

You scoff. “Worth it if it means I get to save them. Was it you just now? In my head?” You ask.

One nods and scoffs. “You didn’t listen.”

You huff out and shrug. “I thought I was going crazy,” you then go serious and uncertain. “How did you know I was in danger?”

“I sensed you down here with our connection,” he says and makes your smile grow. “Besides, after living here for so long, I’ve found ways to navigate, control aspects of the Upside down like you did with the bat.”

You hum and don’t press on that matter, instead you probe on something else. “Our connection?”

One nods and reaches you to cup your cheek. “Don’t you feel it?”

You slowly reach for his cheek, and he tilts his head once he feels the warmth of your hand.

“What do you feel?” He asks. “Really reach in.”

You do as he says and all you feel is him. His presence, life, warmth and familiarity.

“You,” you murmur with a soft smile. “Just you.”

He hums and you then grow rigid and serious. “I’m here,” you say. “I’m here, tell me how I can find you so I can help.” You pull away and he clasps his hands in front of him. “One, I can help.”

He scoffs softly. “What you did with the bat took a lot from you. As much as I’m eager to have you find me, you need to worry about yourself first. If he finds you, he’ll kill you.”

You press your lips together and swallow thickly. “But,” you whisper. “How? How do I get out? The bats are blocking the gate.”

One smirks. “You’re smart, Two,” he says. “Recall back to what Vecna has done. I’d give you the immediate answer, but I’m afraid I don’t know either. Besides, I can't risk having him find me if I go look.”

You nod and let out a deep breath. You think of leaving your mind and returning to your friends, but you then think of a question. “Why is it that you don’t want me to go looking for you? I’m here, I still have powers. Let me help.”

One’s smirk fades away and his gaze slightly hardens on you. “Now,” he answers. “It’s because you’re weak. I don’t want you to exhaust yourself. I don’t want you to end up like…” he pauses and frowns. “Like poor Bruno.”

You stiffen and step back as you stare at him with a hurt look.

“I need you alive if I want to see you in person,” he continues. “We’ve lost too much already, I would hate it if I lost you too.”

Your eyes soften and your lips tug upward.

“Yeah,” you whisper. “I’d hate it if I lost you before I could really see you. Before you can see Eleven again.”

One lips twitch to a smirk at the mention, but he doesn’t comment on it, instead he comforts you. “You’ve lost too much. I see that. I know that’s why you fight so hard for your friends.”

You nod softly.

“Soon,” he assures you. “Soon, when I’m with you again, you won’t have to lose anyone else. I’ll help you. I’ll be with you, at your side. I’ll never leave you. Or lie.”

You let out a soft quivering breath and nod in comprehension. You feel your heart fill with happiness at his words of comfort. You feel hopeful.

“Now go,” he says. “Back to your friends and get out, we’ll talk again.”

“But,” you whisper. “If I leave and don’t come back, what happens then?”

“Don’t worry,” he assures you softly. “I’m afraid this isn’t quite over yet. We still have a monster to kill right? You need to come back to kill him, that's the only way.”

You sigh and nod again. “Okay, yeah. I will.”

One smiles at you, and that’s the last thing you see before you emerge from unconsciousness.

“Oh, jeez!” You hear Robin exclaim.

You rub your eyes and slowly lift your head off her lap, feeling a sharp pain on your wounds again.

“Careful,” you hear Nancy’s soft voice. “I just wrapped those.”

You pull your hands away from your eyes and see a piece of Robin’s flannel around your waist, and one piece around your neck.

“Hm,” you groan and look around, seeing Eddie outside of the rock, Nancy just under it, and Steve by your side—he has on Eddie's denim vest, and you see his waist is also bandaged.

“Are you okay?” You ask him, earning a soft scoff.

“Are you?” He redirects. “You passed out there for a few minutes.”

You nod. “Yeah. I remember.” You look back and see Robin wave at you as she stays close by. “I saw One again. He didn’t give me the answer how to get out, just a vague, “remember what Vecna has done.”,” you scoff.

“Real helpful,” Nancy rebuttals.

“Yeah,” you mumble. “Tell me about it. But he can’t do much with Vecna after him, and I can’t help right now, so we’re on our own.” You push yourself up to your feet and Robin and Steve immediately help you up: even if he’s also injured.

“Well,” Robin sighs. “We’re on our way to get guns at Nancy’s house so we don’t need him, or your powers at this moment.”

You look over at Nancy and smirk. “You have guns. Smart.”

Nancy shrugs smugly and smiles, she’s about to say something, but then the ground begins to rumble, making Nancy fall into Eddie’s arms before he also falls back with her. Meanwhile you fall back to Robin’s body and crash to the floor, noticing that Steve is the only one that can keep himself upright.

The ground doesn’t stop shaking until a few more minutes and once it is done, nothing dangerous emerges, but there is a knowing silence that lets you know you need to stop lingering behind.

“Those guns sound nice now, huh?” Eddie says as he helps Nancy up.

You pull away from Robin and nod as you take Steve’s hand as he helps you up.

“So,” Steve interjects and begins walking ahead with you in hand so he can assure himself you wouldn’t faint again. “What are we waiting for?”

Now that you had nothing to do but walk all the way to Nancy’s house, besides thinking of the pain, you couldn’t help but think back to Robin, what Eddie was referring to before he changed the topic. Steve says he doesn’t notice anything strange, and as much as you think about it, you don’t either, but there is something in your gut telling you the opposite. And you knew you wouldn't be able to rest if you didn’t at least ask her.

However, it does take you a while to build up the courage to ask what could lead to nothing.

What if she thinks of you as, like, stupid for overthinking it. For thinking there’s something there lying underneath your friendship.

Then again…as you think about it, as you recall memories with her, of your friendship, especially the time you were seeing Steve, her attitude towards your relationship was odd. Way more than she acted when you were with Billy.

Could it…

There’s only one way to know.

“Robin,” you call and leave Steve’s side to catch up to her walking behind Nancy.

Said girl looks back and her eyes brighten when she sees you approaching.

“Hey,” she says and watches you fall beside her.

You smile at her and hold back for a few minutes. Just to warm up to the question.

“How are you feeling?” She asks.

You let your hand hover of your wound and sigh. “Well, I’ve been shot,” you laugh breathlessly. “I literally died, so you know, all that considered, this is nothing.” You smile at her.

“What’s a little bat rabies, huh?” She teases with a small smile.

You giggle and nod.

Robin then smirks and begins to laugh. “You might turn to Batman,” she nudges your arm. “Batwoman. Woman Bat.”

“Or,” you add. “I might turn into a vampire,” you smirk. “That’d be cool. I mean having to hide in the shadows would be depressing but, hey, at least I’ll be cool.”

Robin drops her eyes to the floor and nods with an amused smile on her face. A silence then falls over you both for a few seconds until she peers back at the boys and smiles.

“They seem to be getting along,” she points out as she looks back ahead.

You take a peek and smile as you see Eddie and Steve talking. “I hope,” you say and look back at her.

“They should,” Robin adds. “Considering they share one thing in common.”

You roll your eyes as you pick up on what she means and scoff softly.

“You,” she finishes saying.

You nod but don’t add anything, instead you start creeping up to your anticipated question. “Do you think they’ll get along like you and Steve do? I mean they are quite different from one another.”

Robin shrugs. “I think so,” she shares confidently. “Steve is a good guy.”

You smile softly and nod in agreement.

“But,” she adds. “You forget that Steve and I worked together, which is why we formed such an unlikely connection.”

You scoff and nod, and begin to feel your heartbeat pick up. “Yeah, but you didn't like him when we started to talk. You said to keep away from him. Why is that?” You glance over at her and keep your gaze on her to wait.

Robin swallows thickly and keeps her eyes averted. “I…I told you already. I was looking out for you. You’re my friend, I love you, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

You hum and nod, feeling that knot tie tighter in your stomach.

“Are you sure?” You probe. “There’s no other reason?”

Robin eyes bounce from the ground and Nancy, and then only briefly glances at you before she smiles nervously and quirks her brow. “Are you asking if there’s dirt I know about Steve? Because I’ll tell you ever since he saw you walk in the shop for the first time, you’re all he’d talk about.”

The comment makes you gush, but that feeling about her doesn’t go away.

“There’s no other reason why you were so upset?” You keep insisting in hopes she’d share the truth.

Robin sighs and her eyes drift to the ground as her nervous smile falters. “Say,” she pauses and exhales deeply. “Say there was some other super logical and super serious reason. Would it really matter? You’re with Steve. He’s, like, madly in love with you, he has like this whole future planned with you…”

What? He..he does?

No. This is about her now…but….

No! No! Don’t think about him or how happy that just made you.

“…so say if there was really a deep meaning behind why I didn’t want Steve and you together before,” Robin rambles as her voice begins to get more raspy and her eyes begin to gleam. “Would what I had to say really, truly matter? Tell me y/n,” she looks at you with anger and sadness. “Would it?”

You stop and face her. She comes to a stop too and actually holds your gaze with sadness.

“I,” you begin to say as you figure out the truth she couldn’t flat out say. You could see it now too, in the way she’s looking at you; with tears in her eyes, a sad frown, and this agonizing look that seems like someone had stolen her heart from her chest.

Now you know what Eddie means. What you were blind to before.

She…she liked you. And she was right, nothing would change.

You love him. More than it felt capable to love someone in your life. You’re in love with him, nothing would change that. Not Robin.

It will always be him.

You can’t tell her that though. So now you feel bad for bringing it up in the first place.

“Robin,” you mutter and offer her a pitiful frown.

Yet before you can say a word the ground begins to shake again, causing you to stumble towards a tree at your side.

“Second on my list of least favorite things, earthquakes,” Robin interjects as she grips onto a tree. “Seriously, I’m unsteady enough as it is.”

You grip onto the tree bark and groan as the trembling hurts your wounds. You want to wait it out, but Nancy all of a sudden breaks away from the tree she was holding onto, and forces you to push yourself away.

“Jeez,” you mumble. “Nancy!” You exclaim and run after her just in case. “Where are you going?”

More footsteps follow behind you and once you reach Nancy you watch her stop just outside of the tree line. When you stop, the others follow.

And there standing at the end of the field, surrounded by dead trees, and broken electricity lines is a single house.

Nancy’s you assume.

“Come on,” she urges and steps away, making you all follow after her, leaving your conversation with Robin unfinished.

Then again there wasn’t anything good you would have told her so maybe it’s a good thing the conversation was interrupted, and that you got to Nancy’s house quickly so you wouldn’t be thinking about it.

Another good thing is that you arrived to Nancy's house without complication. It was creepy, and it was filled with vines but besides that there was nothing—

“Hear that?” Steve asks in a whisper, making you stop on the stairs whilst Robin, Eddie and Nancy continue walking up.

“Hear what?” You query and glance back at him, noticing he was flashing his light around the living room.

“Steve,” you call. “They’re over here, come on.”

“Listen,” he insists and continues walking.

You sigh in annoyance but actually pay attention to the silence, thinking that maybe Steve did get rabies. But as you reach the bottom of the stairs to follow after Steve, you hear the muffled voice of Dustin.

“Holy shit,” you mumble and smile to yourself. “Is that?”

Steve nods. “Dustin! Dustin!” He begins to yell, making you stiffen and go wide eyed.

“Shh, Steve, don't yell. What if something hears you.”

He begins to walk towards the kitchen and yells even louder. “Dustin! Can you hear me? Dustin!”

You follow after Steve and point your light around as you continue to hear his voice.

“Du—hello? Hel…hello?” Steve continues to yell.

“Maybe he really does have rabies,” Robin’s voice scares you. When you look back you see her and the other two watching Steve yell like a crazy person.

“What’s up with your Romeo?” Eddie asks.

You slowly smirk at him, and just as you’re going to share the news, Steve turns around and points the light on your friends faces to say what you were about to. “He’s here, Henderson. That little shit, he’s here. He’s like…he’s in the walls or something. Just listen.”

You nod in agreement and they all look at the both you like you’ve gone crazy. “It’s him,” you add to your defense. “Dustin. We just need to find—”

“Dustin!” Steve’s yell interrupts you. “Dustin!” He turns and continues. “Can you hear me?!”

You sigh and talk quieter than he was doing. “Like I was saying, we just need to find a way to talk to him. Communicate somehow.”

Nancy squints her eyes and hums, thinking that Robin was right about the rabies thing, but then that’s when they all hear it too, Dustin’s voice. Albeit it’s muffled and slurred.

“Dustin!” Eddie begins to yell and breaks away from the group to go searching. Nancy and Robin follow and you all partake in trying to earn Dustin’s attention.

But nothing happens, no one talks back. Then again you didn’t think Dustin would.

“All right,” Steve interjects after he gets tired of yelling. “Either this kid can’t hear us or he’s being a total douchebag.”

You hum, and Nancy adds something that steals your attention. “Will found a way.”

You look over and remember the name she said; it was Joyce’s younger kid.

“What?” Steve queries.

“Will,” Nancy repeats. “He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights.” She walks off and you all follow her to the lamps around her house.

Yet nothing works. At least the lamps don’t, when she starts flipping the switch however, you see the chandelier begin to spark to life.

“Guys,” you call out and walk towards the light. “Are you guys seeing this?”

The lights are dim, but they’re still on, and something seems to be rising off them, something shiny and small that you could barely see, but caught nonetheless. It’s almost beautiful in such a dark and terrifying place, it’s…captivating.

So much so that you reach your hand towards the light and feel something, like a magical barrier almost; it’s soft and it tickles your flesh.

“It,” you murmur with a small awe-stricken smile. “It sort of tickles.”

“….are these like the mothergate…” you hear Dustin’s voice.

“Feel,” you advise the others and begin waving your hand slowly.

Steve and the other four slowly raise their hands and mimic what you do.

“It…tickles,” Steve points out what you had.

You scoff softly. “Right?”

“It kinda feels good,” Robin adds in a soft voice.

“Does anyone know Morse code?” Nancy asks.

You look over at her and see she had removed her hand.

“No,” Robin and Steve answer simultaneously before they all look at you with hope.

“Uh,” you voice and pull your hand down. “What?”

“You don’t know Morse Code?” Nancy asks you.

“Yeah,” Robin interjects. “You know like five languages,”

You press your lips together and slowly shake your head. “No,” you whisper. “Sorry. I never really picked it up.”

“Wait, does SOS count?” Eddie cuts in, making you all look over at him—“Is that…is that good?” He asks as he looks at all of you for approval.

Nancy nods and answers for all of you, letting Eddie step forward to tap the barrier and try out the code over and over again.

“Come on,” you murmur and lift your fingers to your lips out of anxiety. “Come on.”

“It’s working,” Robin points out.

You exhale deeply and turn to pace down to the dining area.

“Upstairs!” Dustin voice comes through, making you stop and spin around on your heels. “Nancy’s room! Lite Brite!”

“What?” Eddie questions in confusion.

Nancy all of sudden breaks away from the group again and begins to run up the stairs, making you all follow after her up the stairs, and then to her room where she lays the toy on her bed.

“…if you’re here. Wait!” You hear Dustin yell.

Your anxiety to see if this would work grows more intense, making you gnaw on your nails on one hand, while you used your other hand to hold onto Steve’s arm for comfort.

“Come on, come on,” he murmurs behind you.

“Okay!” Dustin’s voice suddenly echoes, causing you to gasp softly, and lean closer to Nancy as the toy lights up and grows that same hue barrier. “Are you guys seeing this?!” He asks.

Nancy waves her hand in the barrier and you hear distant commotion.

“We’re not moving it,” Dustin continues. “But we’re gonna unplug it, stand by.”

The toy then loses most of its light, but keeps some of its hue, and Dustin speaks up once again. “Okay, try it now!”

“Okay, uh, uh,” Nancy says and spells out ‘Hi’, making the kids immediately talk back.

“Hi!”

“Hey! Hi! That worked!”

You beam at the object and tighten your hold around Steve’s hand out of happiness, while Eddie exclaims and the others smile and laugh.

“Hi!” Eddie yells out before Nancy continues to spell out ‘stuck’.

“Stuck!” Dustin yells and you all agree even if they couldn’t hear, or see your heads moving.

“Okay, okay!” You recognize Lucas’s voice. “They’re stuck in the upside down!”

You hum in agreement, and then Dustin interjects.

“Uh, you can’t get back through watergate?”

You furrow your eyebrows in confusion and Steve voices your exact thought.

“What the hell is Watergate?”

You shake your head and shrug, whilst Robin figures it out. “‘Cause it’s in water and it’s a gate.”

Oh. That’s nice. Cool.

“Oh,” Steve voices.

“That’s nice,” Eddie comments.

“Uh, no,” Nancy shakes her head to deny the question before she spells out ‘guarded’.

“Ok, Watergates guarded!” Dustin says exactly what you meant, making Eddie clap, and you comment in agreement.

“Yes, good, perfect.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes!” Steve yells out.

“Okay,” Dustin says. “We think we have a theory that can help with that!”

You smile wider and listen with more intent whilst Robin comments on him. “Genus child.”

“We think Watergate isn’t the only gate.” He continues to say. “That there’s a gate at every murder site.”

Of course! Of course! That’s One meant when he said to think about what Vecna has done! How could you have missed that, it was so obvious!

“Does anyebody understand what he’s talking about?” Nancy questions, and you clap as you finally figure it out.

“Yes! Yes!” You squeal, causing everyone to look over at you. “Remember how One told me to think about what Vecna has done?” You ask with a proud smile, but none of them seem to get it. “Think about every location he’s done his killing! Middle of the street,” you begin to give the clue. “Eddie’s house!”

Nancy’s eyes light up and she then turns to Eddie, whilst Steve pats your back out of pride—“So…so how far is your trailer?”

“Seven miles,” Eddie says.

Nancy goes quiet and Robin takes this opportunity to add a comment. “Uh, I know your house here is, like, creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven’t you always had bikes?”

You look back at Nancy, and she nods before she tells the kids in very few words to meet up at Eddie’s house. They agree and before long, you all find bikes to use and ride to Eddie’s trailer. Once again luckily no danger got in your way, the path to the trailer was clear.

The moment you got there though, you couldn’t help but be taken back by how the trailer park looked like; so lonely, ominous, some houses were missing, but you know if you turn the street you’d find yours—correction Ace and Trigger’s house they hardly stayed at because of how much they traveled.

If you went to Leo’s house, it would be occupied by someone else, you hadn’t lived there yet, not by the time the Upside down is stuck in apparently.

“That’s gotta be a Guinness World record.” Robin comments breathlessly as you all climb off your bikes once you arrive at Eddie's house. “Most miles traveled interdimensionally.”

You giggle and roll your eyes whilst you all follow Eddie inside.

“Just inhaled a bunch of that crap,” Steve adds and coughs. “It’s stuck in my throat.”

You look back at him and look at him with concern. “Careful,” you say.

Steve coughs again. “Too late.”

As you make it inside, Steve stops coughing and your attention immediately gets stolen by the big glowing gate on Eddie’s ceiling.

“Goddamn,” Steve comments and turns off his flashlight.

Chills crawl down your spine and your breath quivers.

“This is where Chrissy died,” Eddie adds. “Like, right where she died.”

“I think there’s something in there,” Robin points out as some shadow begins to slowly poke through.

“What the hell is that?” Eddie asks as you all watch the object get pressed futher down until it suddenly breaks the gate and startles all of you, making you yell and jump back.

Yet neither of you can pull your eyes away from it. Steve actually begins to approach the gate slowly, and you all follow after him.

Nevertheless, what’s on the other side isn’t anything dangerous like you all feared, it’s actually Dustin, Lucas, Max and Erica.

“No way,” Steve murmurs, whilst you smile up at them.

Once Dustin sees you all he laughs and waves. “Hi there!” He greets while the other kids also wave.

“Hi,” you all mirror happily.

“Holy shit, this is trippy,” Robin whispers, and you nod in agreement.

And before long, before bats could come and flock to this gate too, Dustin cooks up a plan to drag Eddie’s mattress under the gate, and make a makeshift rope out of sheets and other rags.

And surprisingly enough it turns out working, when he throws the makeshift rope down it actually doesn’t all fall, it hangs.

“Good job,” you tell the kids.

“All right pull on it! See if it holds!” Dustin yells.

You all share a quick look and then Robin is the one who tests it out, confirming what you already saw.

“Who first?” You queire with a smile. “I’ll stay behind in case bats come to pay us a visit.”

Steve snaps his head towards you and parts his lips, but Robin steps up and cuts him off before he can argue. “Guess I’m the guinea pig.” She jumps up and climbs up with all her strength, once she makes it through she lets go and lands on the mattress, releasing you of your worry.

Eddie then follows and lands too, leaving behind Nancy. However, before she can even grab the rope she suddenly freezes and her eyes roll back.

“No,” you murmur and shake your head. Steve begins to shake her and yells out her name to try and wake her up, but she wouldn't move. There was only one way.

You knew.

“Stand back,” you tell Steve and approach Nancy.

Steve pulls his hands away from Nancy’s shoulders and slowly looks over at you in confusion that only lasts a few seconds before he understands.

“No! No, you already bled when you were controlling that bat!” He argues and steps towards you. “You fainted.”

You swallow thickly and don’t falter. “Steve,” you murmur and try to assure him. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll pull her out. Last time Vecna attacked me because he saw me.” You smile softly but he just frowns deeper. “He won’t see me this time. I have the element of surprise.”

Steve shakes his head and grabs your shoulders to push you back towards the rope. You grab his arms and push back. “Stop,” you counter. “Stop, Steve—”

“He’s already after you, he already wants to kill you,” Steve keeps arguing. “You need to get some energy first.”

You shake your head and shoot him a pointed look. “We can’t wait! Let me help her or I’ll throw you through the gate.”

Steve stops trying to push you back and holds your gaze as he just slowly breathes.

“Steve,” you whisper and grab his cheeks. “It’s…” you pause as a memory gets triggered in your head of Bruno saying the same words to you that you tell Steve. “It’s going to be okay,” you assure Steve in a sweet voice.

Steve swallows thickly and cups your cheek before he pulls away and lets you pass by to approach Nancy.

In that moment, even if you can feel your own exhaustion on your bones and mind, you don’t hesitate, you grab her shoulder, close your eyes and enter her mind.

The moment you’re inside, you find yourself taken back by familiar bland walls, that medical smell that lets you know where you are exactly; the lab. It’s all so clear, white and bland, lonely halls, just as you remember it…but why here?

As you look around there’s only one door in front of you. When you approach it you hear a voice, loud, clear and terrifyingly deep, Vecna.

Again there’s no hesitation, you throw the doors open with your abilities and catch Vecna in front of Nancy tied down to a black chair. He hears the doors and begins to turn his head, but before he can say or do anything, before he can even look at you all the way, you throw your hand out as you throw him back, causing him to crash through a wall.

“Y/N!” Nancy cries in relief.

You look over at her and see tears down her cheeks and a relieved smile on her features as she looks at you.

“It's going to be okay,” you assure her as you approach her. “I got you.” You proceed to untie her from the chair and make her stand behind you as Vecna begins to stand up from the ground.

“You,” he groans.

You clench your jaw and narrow your gaze on Vecna as he slowly begins to approach you.

“You’re home,” he says. “Aren’t you?”

You hum and push Nancy back. “Get out of her head,” you demand as you clench your hand into a fist.

Vecna tilts his head and groans before the corner of his lips tug to a menacing smirk.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “Let’s go into yours.”

Suddenly he throws a vine around your neck and pulls you to him before you can even react. He then slaps his hands on the side of your head and throws Nancy and you out her head.

Once you’re out you gasp for air and immedietaly look around in panic, realizing you're back at Eddie’s Upside down house.

“Y/N!” Steve yells.

You drop your eyes and see him, see his brown eyes, his dirty face, his concerned look.

“Steve,” you call in relief and try to approach him, but you’re then suddenly surrounded by darkness, like all the lights had suddenly gone out. There’s nothing for miles but pitch black.

Vecna.

“I’m here,” you yell out in anger. “I’m here you bastard!” You spin around in hopes he’d suddenly appear, but there’s nothing.

Nothing but a voice. “Y/N?”

It’s familiar.

“Y/N?” He calls again, and this time you immediately turn around and see him clear as day. A single white light shines over him.

You smile. “You’re here,” you whisper in a shaky voice.

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damn-stark · 2 years ago

Text

Let me know what you thought!

Chapter 12 Nothing ever last forever

Chapter 12 of Chispa

A/N- I actually really love this chapter 😗

Warning- Swearing, FLUFF, ANGST, mention of cigarettes, death and dead bodies, LONG CHAPTER.

Pairing- Steve Harrington x WOC!reader

Episode- 4x03, 4x04 & 4x05

(Let me know if you want to get tagged)

————

“Okay, help me get this straight,” Robin continued to talk to Nancy, demanding information the girl has already said. “Eddie’s uncle, Wayne, thinks that Victor Creel escaped from Pennhurst Asylum and that he’s the one running around committing all these murders?”

You sigh and nod before answering for Nancy. “Ro, just like she said in the car, yes!”

Robin nods in comprehension but continues nonetheless. “But Victor committed the eyeball murders, like, way back in the fifties.”

“Well, fifty-nine,” Nancy corrects her as you open the door to walk in the library.

“So, that means these murders predate Eleven in the Upside Down by about thirty years?” Robin asks, getting you annoyed now just like Nancy was.

“Yeah,” Nancy agrees.

You walk up to the counter and ring the bell for assistance even if you don’t know what exactly you’re looking for, besides information on Victor Creel.

If only Nancy could be more open, and Robin could be a little bit more quiet.

“Which makes spooky Victor Creel like seventy years old,” Robin continues to speak.

You hum and nod, and Robin keeps at it.

“So, he’s a grandpa murderer, who can turn invisble and lift people into the air.”

“Well,” you sigh. “Age shouldn’t really matter for a murder, right? Especially if they have powers,” you whisper the last part.

Robin scoffs. “I guess you’re right, but it still doesn’t make sense.”

“Yeah,” Nancy interjects. “I know. That’s why I said it was a shot in the dark.”

“I know,” Robin groans as she has her elbow propped on the counter and her chin resting on her hand. “I just thought that by “shot in the dark,” you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve that you were gonna wow us with later. But this is really….”

Nancy continues to ring the bell with urgency.

“…truly a shot in the dark. Like, we are snipers with blindfolds on who’ve been spun around fifty times,” Robin keeps rambling, causing Nancy to rapidly tap on the bell.

“Coming!” A woman's voice exclaimed before she finally appears.

“Hi. Sorry,” Nancy greets, “we’re in a bit of a rush. Could we get the keys to the basement archives.”

“Of course,” the librarian agrees. “Give me one sec.” She turns and walks off, leaving the three of you alone again.

“Did I come off mean or condescending or something?” Robin probes the moment the lady turned around, causing you to sigh in annoyance and cross your arms over your chest, whilst Nancy turns her head to meet Robin’s gaze.

“No,” Nancy says bluntly.

“Right. Sorry, it’s just, you seem annoyed.”

“Robin,” you call in a whisper hoping she would stop.

“You don’t know me very well,” Robin says. “I don’t really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues. Y/N could attest to that. So if I say something that may upset you, just know that I know it’s a flaw. Believe me, my mother reminds me daily.”

Nancy meets her gaze again and nods. “Got it,” she whispers.

Footsteps approach and the lady comes back with a set of keys in hand. “All right, ladies. Here you go. Have fun.”

“Yep,” Nancy says as she takes the keys. “We’ll try.”

You scoff in amusement at Nancy's tone and don’t fret to follow after her to the basement.

Yet that’s where all the amusement dies as you all mindlessly search for whatever it is Nancy was looking for in Victor Creel. She also seemed to be annoyed by your chatty friend too, or maybe it was something else, like the fact that you’re with Steve. But whatever it is you didn’t want to push any further than Robin had already. She could annoy you all you want, you’re used to her rambles, she just needs to to stop bothering Nancy, it’s making things tense.

“So, y/n,” Robin probes after a few minutes of searching through old newspapers. “If this man has powers and he’s very old, would you happen to know about him? Like from the days at the lab?”

You shake your head as you continue to scan the articles. “Uh, no. The only person I knew who had powers before I was born was One, and he was still fairly young.”

“The guy that appeared in your dream?” She queries.

You nod and scroll. “Yeah. Him.”

“If he is real, could you maybe ask him about Victor Creel,” Robin suggests. “Maybe they, like, know each other.”

You chuckle and shake your head. “That’d be smart but I can’t reach One. Even if I could I doubt he knows, we lived in a lab, remember?”

“Right,” Robin sighs and rest her chin on your shoulder to continue looking at what you were scrolling through, whilst Nancy looked at her own machine in front of yours.

“So I’ve been avoiding asking,” Robin continues to speak. “Like why numbers? And like, does your birth certificate legally have your name as Two?”

“I,” you breathe out. “I think numbers were easier to remember. There was a lot of us. It was easier for them that way to not form attachments either. We were just lab rats after all. Weapons.” You stiffen at the reminder of the days at the lab and begin to find this searching irritating since it was all the same. “Insane man killed family.”, blah, blah. Nothing really stood out in these damned newspapers.

“So,” Robin begins to press. “What about the—”

“I’m going to go get a different tape,” you cut her off and stand up abruptly, causing her head to slide off your shoulder.

“Okay,” Robin mumbles and watches you walk away.

Maybe Robin’s right, maybe One does know something. But how can you talk to him without the ability to do so? He said that you just had to put your mind to it, but…it…it’s never worked out before.

Trying something that you can’t do because of the lack of power is what killed Bruno, he was pushed to his limits and died because they couldn’t accept failure.

But if knowing at least the smallest piece of information about this man is the key to something significant, to sparing Eddie from life in prison, then you have to try. Without Eleven and her powers you’re the last one who can try.

“Right?” You ask yourself as you close a cabinet to mindlessly search through another for a few more seconds until you freeze as you think about trying now. It’s lonely in the archives, a lot of space to hide in case some stranger does come.

You just have to try once.

With that in mind you double check no one was here and walk towards a more emptier corner. You try to sit down on the floor.

However, just as you were going to try footsteps approach from the stairs. When you step forward to check who it is, you catch Nancy walking down, so you stop your attempts and continue searching.

It’ll just have to be saved for later, hopefully when you go see Leo. For now just keep looking for…whatever it is you’re looking for exactly.

Moreover, as Nancy stands a few feet away, you want to ask, but as you look over at her you can tell by the way she has her jaw slightly clenched, and her eyebrows just slightly furrowed that she’s still very much annoyed.

Still, you need to know—but what if this annoyance is not only due to Robin but something else too.

“Uh,” you speak up and catch her glance over at you. “Nancy, I'm sorry about Robin. She can be…a lot, but she means well.” You try to sway her. “Just be patient,” you laugh breathlessly and gain no reaction.

“Okay,” you whisper and pull out another cabinet to continue searching. All the meanwhile feeling her stare now.

She needs to know.

“Look,” you both say simultaneously.

You let out a soft laugh and turn to face her. “Go, first,” you urge her.

Nancy blinks and continues to search as she talks. “I was just going to say I’m sorry if I seem…I don’t know…annoyed, or like…mean. This is all just weird to me. I’m usually doing this stuff with someone else.”

You nod in comprehension and offer her a faint smile. “Don’t worry about it. Really. I just…” you pause and sigh. “I just thought you were annoyed because of me. Because I’m with Steve.”

Nancy’s eyes widen and she quickly shakes her head and assures you. “Oh! No! No, that’s not it. I really don’t care. Steve and I are in the past.” She offers you a faint smile and continues. “It was just me feeling out of place.”

You let out a small huff and turn step to the side to look through more flies, this time a little bit closer to her.

“Can I say,” Nancy adds as she continues to search. “I really like your tattoos.”

You grin softly. “Thank you.” You glance at her again. “I like your reporting, if that makes sense.” You laugh nervously. “I think what you write for the school paper is great and very addicting. Your entries are my favorite.”

Nancy’s eyes soften and her cheeks grow red as her smile turns timid. “Thank you,” she whispers. “It means—”

“Guys?” Robin cuts her off as she walks down the stairs. “There you guys are. I was getting worried.” She hops off the last stair and walks towards Nancy and you. “Find anything?”

You shake your head and slam the cabinet shut. “Nope, it’s the same thing.”

Robin makes her way to a cabinet and opens it to begin looking. And right away she actually pulls something out. “Holy shit. The weekly watcher. I can’t believe they have this.”

You turn and face her, whilst Nancy interjects. “Don’t they write about, like, Bigfoot and UFOs?”

“First of all, UFOs are absolutely real,” Robin says as she approaches both Nancy and you. “Bigfoot I’m still on the fence about. But may I remind you guys we are looking for information on dark wizards? If someone’s gonna write about that, it’s gonna be these weirdos.”

You look at the tape and then at Robin before smiling and leading the way back up. Nancy and Robin follow and insert the tape in right away to begin searching.

Nevertheless, the first few articles are…not what you’re looking for.

“Elvis cloned by aliens?” You read the title out loud.

Robin looks over at you and interjects. “You never know.”

Nancy pulls away and walks back as Robin keeps scrolling until finally the name you’re looking for pops up.

“Victor Creel claims vengeful demon killed family,�� Robin reads out loud in a deep mocking voice, making you giggle and nudge her. “The murder that shocked a small community.”

“Ha. Ha,” Nancy adds sarcastically. “That’s very funny.”

You squint your eyes on the newspaper and defend Robin. “She’s not kidding, get over here.”

Nancy approaches Robin and you again, and Robin continues to read the rest of the old newspaper. “According to several insiders, Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon. Victor allegedly hired a priest to exorcize the demon from his home—Pretty novel for the fifties. Exorcist wasn’t out yet.”

“Keep. Keep going,” Nancy insists.

Robin scrolls down to another article and continues reading. “Okay, so Victor claimed this exorcism failed, but it angered the demon, which then murdered his family, removing their eyes.”

Your eyes begin to widen and you’re more intrigued now. “Victor believed he was spared as a punishment.” You finish reading.

“Wow,” Nancy adds. “That’s pretty convenient for Victor

“Yeah, or super inconvient,” Robin snaps, making Nancy meet her gaze. “Victor was declared legally insane by the court, right? What if this is why? I mean it sounds pretty insane. It just didn’t go public because—”

“The plea bargain,” Nancy cuts her off. “The records were sealed.”

“What if a demon did invade Victor’s home?” You add with surprise to what you’ve found. “It's just this demon wasn't any old demon.”

Nancy glances at the article and then back at you. “It was Vecna,” she says and you all agree and hurry and print out the articles to get out of the library and share the news to the others.

“Dustin, do you copy?” Robin talks through the walkie.

With no minute to waste Dustin responds right away. And he actually sounds out of breath. “Yeah, I copy.”

“So, Nancy’s a genius,” Robin continues, making you smile at the comment. “Vecna’s first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bulls-eye.”

“Okay, that’s really bonkers, but I can’t really talk right now,” Dustin shares with what seems to be panic.

“Wait,” Robin interjects. “What are you doing?”

“Breaking and entering into school...”

You open the passanger door and look at the walkie.

“…to retrieve confidential personal files,” Dustin continues to say.

“Can you repeat that?” Robin asks in disbelief.

“Just get your ass over here, stat,” Dustin exclaims in an angry whisper. “We’ll explain everything.”

“I thought they were talking to Ms Kelley,” Nancy retorts.

You snicker and get in the car as Robin responds. “We leave them alone for two hours.”

Robin and Nancy climb in and you smirk. “I mean where else would student files be? They didn’t say they’d need to go there?” You question.

Nancy scoffs and Robin cuts in. “No! And you didn’t bother to let us know?”

You shrug. “I thought it’d be obvious.”

Arriving at the school was quick since it’s pretty close, but it’s getting into the school that begins to raise the pulse of your heart. Sure the chance to run into danger at school was low, but it could still happen, besides it looks really dark inside, and it’s really dark outside, it just adds too much uneasiness, and the creeps.

“Okay, what I can’t understand,” you finally let out after not being able to hold back anymore. “Why wait decades to attack again?”

“I…I don’t know,” Nancy says from behind you as the three of you run to Ms Kelley’s office.

You sigh deeply and make a sharp turn into a different hall.

“And why that family?” You ask but in a quieter voice. “It just…” You pause abruptly when you see Steve walking out of Ms Kelley’s office. “Steve,” you call with relief as you see that he’s okay.

Albeit he looks stressed and slightly scared.

“Come in here, quick,” he orders before returning to the room with the three of you in tow.

“What’s wrong?” Nancy asks. “Did you find the file?”

Dustin nods and steps aside to show a slightly flushed Max. “Not only that but,” he pauses and swallows thickly. “Something just happened to Max.”

You narrow your eyes and feel your interest piqued. “What?” You press.

Max lets out a shaky breath and averts her gaze for a second before she stands up. “I just saw something. Or I had some kind of weird daydream, but I just saw a grandfather clock at the end of the hall.” She then proceeds to rush out of the room, making you all follow to look at the wall she’s pointing to.

But there’s nothing there.

“It was here,” she says, making you share the same puzzled look with Steve. “Right here.”

“A grandfather clock?” Nancy questions.

“It was so real,” Max stresses. “And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just…I woke up.”

Hm.

You stare harder at the wall to see if there would be anything, but there was nothing there. Nothing seemed wrong with her either. Physically anyway.

“It’s like she was in a trance or something, exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy,” Dustin adds.

Max then turns to face the group. “That’s not even the bad part,” she says and then returns to the office with the rest of you following close behind her. “Fred and Chrissy,” Max continues to say as she lays out the files. “They both came to Miss Kelley for help. Uh, they were both having headaches, bad headaches that just wouldn’t go away. And then…then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They’d wake up in a cold sweat. And then they started seeing things. Bad things. From their pasts. And these visions, they just…they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually…everything ended.”

You bring your nail up between your teeth and begin gnawing on it as you process her words and repeat it in your head to try and make sense of all of it.

“Vecna’s curse,” Robin points out.

Max averts her gaze and continues to share more. “Chrissy’s headache started a week ago. Fred’s, six days ago. I’ve been having them for five days.”

You lift your eyes off the files to look at her slightly panicked.

“I don’t know how long I have,” Max says as you hold your breath. “All I know is that…”

You exhale and keep your eyes on Max, noticing a fear you’ve never seen on her before.

“…For Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than twenty-four hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock,” Max points out to the hall. “So,” she breathes out shakily. “Looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.”

You part your lips to try and assure her even if you have no solution. However, a distant clang sound interrupts you and steals everyone’s attention.

And of course the first one to go and check it out is Steve. “Stay here,” he orders as he begins to walk out.

You scoff, and without hesitation follow him, seeing him notice you but not say anything, instead he grabs a lamp and leads the way out.

Not too long after, footsteps come out of the room and you see the others follow too.

“Careful,” you whisper to Steve and clench your hand to a fist, in that moment seeing a light shine on the wall before more commotion and fast approaching footsteps.

You try to walk past Steve just in case, but he retilates by stepping ahead of you to raise the lamp as the person finally rounds the corner, causing you and everyone else to begin screaming out of fear.

Alas, when someone shines the light on the perp, you see Lucas. It’s just fucking Lucas Sinclair.

“It’s me!” He shouts

“Lucas?” Nancy questions.

“It’s me!” Lucas repeats and pants.

“Jesus, what’s wrong with you Sinclair?” Steve exclaims whilst you face the lockers to catch your goddamn breath.

“I’m sorry,” Lucas pants.

“I could’ve taken you out with this lamp!” Steve retorts.

“I’m sorry guys,” he says between heavy pants. “Sorry. I was…I was biking for eight miles.” He grunts and pants more. “Give me a second. Shit.”

You turn swiftly and glare at him.

“We’ve got a code red,” he announces.

“What?” You spat.

Lucas walks past Steve, making the both you turn to see him approach Dustin.

“Dustin,” he says. “I’ve been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they’ve gone, like, totally off the rails. They’re trying to capture Eddie…”

What?

You grow stiff.

“…and they think you know where he is. You’re in terrible danger.”

“All right,” Dustin mutters. “Yeah, that definitely sucks, but we’ve got bigger problems than Jason right now.” Dustin looks back at Max, and Lucas follows his line of gaze.

Before Dustin could share anything though you step towards Lucas and question his comment. “Where is Jason now? Does he know where Eddie is?”

Lucas turns and swallows thickly before shaking his head. “No,” he pants. “No, none of them do. I lead them away.”

You sigh in relief and nod slowly as he turns to face Max again.

“What’s wrong?” He asks.

Dustin sighs. “Where do we start?”

“We’ve been here as long as it is,” Steve interjects and returns to the room to put back the lamp. “Let’s talk and walk.”

Now to focus back on Max and Vecna more than ever. Hopefully Leo can help so you can find some answers.

That is it if it works. If you manage to find him.

It’s still…sort of early he should still be awake lost in his work.

“….we can just meet up at Mike's basement,” you hear Nancy offer but you don’t pay close attention, instead you pull Steve back as you all begin to walk out of the school.

“Steve,” you call, and get a hum. “Could you take me to my—Leo’s house?” You ask. “With Max being targeted I need to know for sure if One was real or not. I need help now more than ever.”

Steve shifts his eyes to the side to meet your gaze and nods without hesitation. “Of course.” He peers back. “Max, Dustin you’re gonna have to ride with Nancy,” he announces.

“What?” Dustin quickly interjects. “Why? Where are you going? Don’t tell me you and y/n—”

“I’m taking y/n to her old house,” Steve cuts Dustin off. “Hopefully she can get some answers there.”

You peer back and add on to Steve’s comment. “We’ll meet up at Nancys house after. I just need to talk to my—uncle.” You look at Robin now and probe. “Will you come?”

Robin quickly shakes her head and answers. “No, I’ll stay back with Max and Nancy. In case it happens again.”

Not what you expected but okay. As long as Steve is going.

“Okay,” you nod and get thrown the walkie Robin had.

“Keep in touch in case something happens.”

You walk out of the school and then meet her gaze again to nod in agreement before departing your separate ways.

Surprisingly you weren’t bombarded with questions about your adventure at the library, the car ride for a few minutes was quiet. Too much just happened to jump into conversation right away.

However, you could feel Steve’s occasional gaze, you could slowly feel his curiosity growing until he couldn’t hold back anymore.

“So, what’s going on in that head of yours?” He asks with his gaze bouncing from you and the road. “What do you think of this whole thing.

You pull your nail away from your mouth and sigh deeply. “It’s all…confusing. There’s a lot of things I don’t get.”

“Like?” He probes.

You glance at him and sit up. “Vecna,” you answer. “Why attack once, one family, and then go away and come back decades later? Why not kill his victims right away? It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Well,” Steve sighs. “Maybe it's like Robin said, he likes hunting his prey. He probably thinks of it as some sick joke.”

You nod slowly. “Maybe,” you whisper and look out the window.

“What about the trance thing,” Steve brings up. “Do you have any thoughts about that?”

You glance at your lap and shrug. “Some. It’s all so familiar, what he can do, but he’s different. I mean none of us at the lab could do what he does, not to his extent. It’s what we were created to do, Leo, and Doctor Brenner wanted us to be that powerful, but it….” you pause and swallow thickly as you grow upset. “But we all weren’t that strong. Hopefully,” you breathe out. “Leo has some insight though. Or I can actually talk to One and ask him about Vecna.”

Steve turns the street towards your old house, passing his house in the process and letting out a deep exhale that meant something.

“What?” You question him with a puzzled gaze.

Steve briefly meets your gaze and his frown deepens. “When we’re in there, if it doesn’t work out, if you can’t reach One, don’t strain yourself, okay?”

Your eyes soften and you sigh, “Steve.”

“Y/N,” he interjects in a serious tone. “I’m being serious. Don’t push yourself. I know how harsh he can be, how harsh you can be on yourself, don’t push yourself, we’ll figure out everything regardless.” He brings his car to a stop in front of your old house and finally holds your gaze. “Okay?”

You offer him a soft smile and actually intend to listen to him rather then just taking his words under consideration. Maybe it’s the way he spoke, the way he looked so concerned, or simply because he is right, but you didn’t wish to fight him about it.

“Okay,” you assure him and squeeze his hand. “Now,” you exhale deeply and look at the front door. “Let’s go talk to him.”

With some hesitation you slowly make your way towards the front door, stopping completely only when you’re about to knock.

You haven’t been here since the breakdown in your room. You haven’t seen him since then either. It feels strange coming again, almost like you’re being pulled back from knocking and letting yourself be known.

Steve could see your fear, your hesitation, and rubbed your back before sliding his hand down to yours to give it a gentle squeeze.

You glance at him one last time and smile very faintly. “Thank you,” you whisper. “For coming with me.”

Steve tugs his lips to a partial but sincere smile and nods. “Of course.”

You let your eyes linger on him for a second before you finally push yourself to knock on the door.

Now as you wait for Leo though, it feels eternal. With each second that passed without the door getting answered, the more you grew convinced to leave and do this all on your own.

However, just as you were going to turn Steve to leave, the door opens and Leo is revealed.

“Y/N,” he says with disbelief before he glances at Steve and just flat out ignores him. “What are you doing here? What’s wrong?”

You squeeze Steve’s hand and let out a deep exhale as you hold Leo’s gaze. “I need help.”

Leo stays quiet for a few seconds and checks you out for any injuries, but when he doesn’t see any he steps aside and welcomes you in the living room—that looks exactly the same, just as your mother had last left it.

“Water? Juice? Tea?” Leo offers as he sits down across from you.

If you had come before, weeks after being shot, just getting a glimpse of this living room would’ve sent you on a spiral. But now, after all that trauma and grief therapy, seeing this living being so empty and dead just brings sadness.

“No,” you answer a bit late. “I’m fine.” You look at Steve to question him with your look alone, but he also declines, letting you move on with the problem.

“The other night,” you begin to say and avert your gaze. “I had a dream, or it wasn’t a dream. I don’t know, but One appeared to me.” You look up at Leo and notice his slow surprise.

“What?” Leo gasps. “He’s—”

“Dead?” You retort. “Yeah. He said he wasn’t and when I saw him he didn’t appear blurry, he was clear, where we were was like when I’m in someone else’s mind. Same pitch black walls and water floors.”

Leo rubs his face and let’s out a heavy sigh. You can’t tell if he believes you or not, his face remains hardened and in disbelief.

“What did he want?” He deadpans.

You shift in your seat and slowly meet his gaze to answer cautiously. “Help,” you reveal. “He said he needed help. He’s stuck in the Upside Down, he says. And he needs help getting out. He also said he could help me fight this monster…” you trail off and see Leo’s eyebrows knit together.

“What monster?” He probes.

With one passing look at Steve, you then share what you know about Vecna, about what he’s done and about who your suspect was to Leo. Of course he remained nonchalant. Like he’s witnessed the horrors you told him didn't about beforehand.

It didn't tick you off this time, but you did wonder what he thought.

“What?” You question him. “Does any of it ring a bell? Do you know something maybe?”

Leo clenches his jaw and nods. “Victor Creel, he had a son.”

You gasp softly and Steve leans forward as he grows intruiged.

“Henry Creel, they were the only ones who survived. Henry, the boy, is as you know him, One.”

Your jaw drops and a breath of air escapes your mouth from surprise.

“When he was taken to the hospital, Doctor Brenner found him and took him. That’s why he created the lab, why he created you and the others. Because of the abilities Henry had.”

“Oh my…”

“Wait, Henry and One are the same person?” Steve asks since you couldn’t muster a word. “He had powers? Is that why he was spared?”

Leo shrugs. “All he said about the incident is that he saw his family get attacked by a ghost before he blacked out. He was quite reserved so we couldn’t get much out of him about his past. All I know is that his family didn't know about his abilities.”

That’s when realization hits and your hopes heighten.

You stand up and interject in that hopeful tone. “So One might actually know more about Vecna if he was attacked by him.” You meet Leo’s gaze and offer him a sly smile. “I need your help trying to reach him. I know he said that I needed to go into the Upside down to reach him, but I can’t risk that yet. And I know, I’ve never been able to actually find people, but I want to try and reach One.”

Without an ounce of protest Leo accepts your plea for help. It’s Steve who’s more hesitant but it’s too late for him to take you away now, Leo and you were finally on the same page. Furthermore, Leo felt glad you had come to him for help and he was easily determined to help you with no failure or take backs.

“Okay,” he says to you when you’re back in his old lab, back in your old training quarters. “You remember what to do, right?”

You sit down on the mat and nod. “Yeah, of course.” You cross your legs over the other, close your eyes and take big and deep breaths.

“Wait,” Steve interjects as he watches you get prepared. “Doesn't she need to go, like, in a ice bath and have her eyes covered as she listens to static?”

Leo walks to the door that leads to the viewing room and shakes his head as he opens it. “No, I’ve taught her to be better and be mentally stronger. Those methods work, but mine are more simple and convient.”

That’s not what years worth of scolding say but okay. Sure, simple.

“She does need silence though,” Leo quips and lets Steve walk into the viewing room before he follows and stands in front of the glass to instruct you like old times. “Remember y/n,” he says through the comms. “Clear your mind, breathe and picture him, picture One, reach for him.”

You do as he says; clear your mind and breathe. Breathe.

Breathe.

You feel the chill of the room on your skin, feel their stare, feel your heart beating in your chest until…nothing. You fall into that dark space with the water covered floor and try to reach for One like he reached you. You try to find him with all your will, all your might, but the invisble walls fall around you again and you’re once again trapped behind that stupid metaphorical door.

“Come on!” You yell at the abyss. “One?!” You turn around to look at your surroundings, to try and reach for him. “Please, I need you help,” you plead and try to reach, but you’re blocked, nothing comes up. It infuriates you.

“Come on!” You exclaim and keep trying to get through that wall. “Come on!”

No matter how hard you strain yourself though, it all turns out like the hundred times you’ve tried in the past, nothing. You can’t reach One, or anyone else, there’s just darkness and emptiness.

But you still don’t give up, you reach out with every ounce of strength.

Yet that stress you put yourself through was beginning to have real effects that began to display with trickles of blood coming out of your nose.

“She,” Steve whispers when he sees the blood begin to escape out of both nostrils. “She needs to stop. She’s hurting herself.” He tries to talk to you through the comm, but just as tried to click the button, Leo covers it.

“She needs to keep trying,” he sneers at Steve, bringing the boy to halt. “Do you think she got as strong as she is by quitting? No. Leave her.”

Steve returns his eyes back to you and keeps seeing more blood, he sees your skin gleam with sweat now, he sees your lips begin to tremble just like how your body began to shake. “Screw this, I’m not watching her kill herself.” Steve mumbles and breaks into a sprint to the door. Leo notices and runs after him.

However, just as Steve crouched down in front of you, you suddenly froze.

Not because you reached One and saw him, but because you did make it past that invisible wall after you actually fell down and hit the ground.

“One?” You call in hopes that passing the wall meant finally being able to see him.

You try to stand up to look, but just as you push yourself up, suddenly a rose painted on stained glass reflects on the ground.

Maybe you shouldn’t be so curious about it, but there was nothing else here, because of that you reach for it. Albeit, just as your fingertips touch the reflection, a dark vein breaks through the ground and wraps itself around your wrist.

You gasp, “what the—” and instantly try to yank it off, but it wouldn't budge.

“Come on!” You stress out and then try to pull back but it begins to pull you down to the ground.

“Get off!” You bellow and press your other hand against the floor to try and push yourself up.

Yet in that instant you then see a reflection form through the water covered ground. It wasn’t yours, this face was different, frightening, bone chilling; it seemed to be made out of flesh.

It had no nose, its eyes were a pale blue, and some sort of veins were carved onto its face. And its ….eyes just bore into you.

You try to look away, but for some reason you’re fixated on its face not realizing it began to get closer until it suddenly emerged from the ground head first, making you scream as you tried to pull back, as you tried to fight off the damn vein around your wrist. But then another vein wraps around your other wrist and keeps you locked down.

Was this Vecna?

“Who are you?” You ask in a shaky voice as it pulls the rest of his body out of the ground.

The flesh monster tilts its head and begins to lift you off the ground until you’re at eye level.

“Who are you?” You demand to know in a much more demanding voice.

Even then it doesn’t say anything, instead it just grips onto your jaw and forces your mouth shut with a tight squeeze.

“I want you to know,” it mutters in a deep voice that brings chills. “How they suffered.”

You furrow your eyebrows and slightly begin to narrow your gaze on it out of confusion, until suddenly a memory slammed into you. A memory that wasn’t yours.

It was dark and quick paced, but you saw him, them; Enzo, Stephanie, and Angel. They were alive but scared as they saw that dark gooey monster. They tried to run and scream, but he quickly grabbed ahold of them and dragged them back before slamming one of its tentacles into their mouths and made them stop.

And there wasn’t anything you could do about the memory it forced on you, but watch as they suffered in their last moments…

“Please,” you begin to cry. “Stop. Please.”

Vecna tilts his head and leans his face forward to whisper in your ear. “They pleaded too, they cried for help…”

You shake your head and close your eyes in hopes it’d go away, but he made you hear their desperate pleas, he made them sound like they were beside you, screaming in your ears.

And you couldn’t even cover your ears to make it stop, or make the sound tune out

“Please,” you sob.

Vecna squeezes your mouth shut tighter and tightens his grip around your wrists. “Just like they all will…just like you will,” his words slither into your ear.

He then overwhelms you with more cries for help and pulls you closer, making sure you can't scream or cover your ears to ease the ache.

“One last thing. Tell your dad I want him to know it was me. I killed his kids,” he mutters and then shoves you back to reality, releasing you from the torture.

Now instead of being surrounded by darkness, you were returned to the lab, and Steve was in front of you.

“Y/N?” He calls quietly and with concern, but relief as well. “Hey.”

You pull away from him and covers your ears as you break into a sob.

“Hey,” Steve insists and carefully grabs your arms. “Hey, talk to me, baby. Talk to me.”

“I couldn't do it,” you cry. “I couldn’t reach him.”

Steve shakes his head and pulls your hands away from your ears before he tilts his head so you’d meet his gaze. “It’s okay, It’s okay. I dont care, it’s okay,” he assures you in sweet and soft voice.

“Steve,” you mewl. “I saw him. I saw Vecna.”

Steve’s face falls and his heart drops to his stomach. “What?” He gasps

You slide your hands down to grab his and let out a shaking breath before explaining. “He showed me…he showed me Enzo. The girls. He-he…” you stop and try to catch your breath.

“It’s okay,” Steve comforts you before he pulls you in for an embrace. “It’s okay,” he says and kisses the top of your head.

“He said,” you continue and drag your eyes up to meet Leo’s gaze as watches the interaction between Steve and you. “That…he wanted you to know…” you pause as your voice quivers. “It was him. He killed them.” You drop your head and don’t see his reaction, you can’t see his heartbreak, or actually hold the energy to do much else but clutch onto Steve and dig your head into the crook of his neck as you melt into this embrace.

“It’s okay, baby,” he cooes. “It’s all okay.”

——

*THE NEXT DAY*

Their screams still echoed in your ears. All night since he forced that memory on you.

When you close your eyes their faces appear in your mind, their agony was clearly painted on each of their faces.

Not only their pleas, but the pleas of your friends too. It hasn't happened, who knows if it will, but it still haunts you.

“Y/N!” Robin’s voice startles you.

You jump and snap your eyes towards her. “Wh-what?” You stammer.

Robin pushes a file towards you, and you hesitantly take it.

“What’s this?” You ask and glance at Nancy as she hands Dustin her file.

“First, where were you, just know?” Robin interjects.

You look down at the file and carefully open it. “Uh,” you hum and read the transcript. “In my head. Don’t worry. What’s this?” You insist to know as you sit up and cross your leg over the other.

“Thanks to Nancy’s newspaper minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame.” Robin answers you as she also informs the others.

You scoff in awe and see the amazing gpa this transcript has.

“I’m now Ruth,” Nancy says, and Robin follows by saying her fake name.

“And I’m Rose.”

You look up at Nancy and giggle. “Ruth?” You tease her.

Nancy meets your gaze and shrugs with a smug smirk on her face.

“Nice GPA,” Dustin compliments her.

“Thanks.”

You hand Robin’s file to Steve and reach for another, but there’s only two. Just two.

“So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we’d like to speak with Victor Creel for a thesis we’re co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics—”

“To which they said no,” Robin interrupts Nancy.

“But we landed a three o’clock with the director,” Nancy adds before Robin continues again.

“Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor.”

“Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse,” Nancy mutters and steals a look at said girl.

“Yeah about that,” Steve cuts in. “We’ve been doing our Victor Creel homework, and, uh, we got some questions.”

“Lots of questions,” Lucas jumps in and hands you Nancy's file.

“So do we,” Nancy says. “Hopefully, Victor has the answers.”

You nod and interject seriously. “Just don’t tell him about his son, okay? If you talk to him. He didn't know about him before, there’s no need adding that stress on him now. Especially since there's really nothing to go off of.”

Nancy nods in agreement. “Of course.”

“Wait…wait…wait a second.” Steve interrupts when no third file gets passed to him, “uh where’s mine?”

Nancy offers him a tightlipped smile and reveals the harsh truth to the both of you. “We didn't make you one.” She stands up and points Robin to the stairs. “Or y/n.”

You had been quiet about it before, not giving it too much thought because you were occupied reading there’s and hearing what they had to say, but now that Steve brings it up, after you found out the Victor Creel information with the girls, you’re quite offended too.

So as Nancy and Robin go back upstairs to Nancy's room, Steve and you follow after them. Each trying to get an answer out of their tactic.

“I thought we were a team,” you complain to Robin as Steve complains to Nancy. “I thought us girls stuck together?!”

Robin reaches the room and just tunes you out as she gets wowed by Nancy’s room. “Oh my god!” She exclaims.

“Hello?!” You yell as you follow Robin inside. “Answer me!”

“You have a Tom Cruise poster,” Robin continues to ignore you and walks to said poster by Nancy's bed. “You have a Tom Cruise poster.” Robin teases.

“That’s..” Nancy says as she glances back. “Old. It’s just…” Nancy trails off as Robin begins to laugh and look through her stuff. “Can you please not touch anything?!”

You glare at Robin and snap. “Robin! Leave it alone.”

“I just I can’t do anything here, Nance,” Steve continues to argue whilst Robin meets your gaze and shows off some nic-nac—“maybe I can be helpful with this asylum director dude. I don’t know. I could uh, turn on my bah, bah,” he snaps his fingers. “My charm.”

Nancy shakes her head as she turns Steve down. “Not the kinda charm we need.”

“Ouch.”

You roll your eyes at Robin’s curiosity and walk back to be beside Steve.

“No, I just…” Nancy sighs. “Look I did a little digging last night, and it turns out this Dr. Hatch is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a Harvard visiting scholar, okay?”

Your annoyance falls and you're filled with shock. “Wow, impressive,” you comment and receive an agreeing nod from Nancy.

“This is a lifelong student of the world.” Nancy continues. “If we’re gonna win him over, we’re gonna have to convince him we are too. That, like him…we are true academic scholars.”

“Holy shit,” Robin whispers and pulls your attention back to her.

You shake your head and sneer. “Robin!”

“Y/N, there’s a little ballerina in here.” She giggles as she shows off the music box.

Steve scoffs. “Academic scholar? She’s giving you an academic scholar vibe? Yeah?” He points to Robin.

Robin sighs and Nancy begins to pull out a girly and pink outfit from her closet—“no, but she will,” she says.

Your face lights up and a smile slowly grows on your face.

“Oh, please,” Robin protests. “Please tell me that you’re joking.” Her eyes snap to you and she narrows her glare on you. “No, don’t smile.”

“Y/N!” Steve exclaims, making your shoulders jump. “What about y/n? Why doesn’t she get a file either?”

Nancy sighs and puts down the outift on her bed. “Because,” she explains and returns to her closet. “Like I said before. Max needs people, and if Max gets possessed again, or Vecna tries to haunt someone else, maybe y/n can help. You need her more than we need her.”

Steve scoffs. “You’re right on that, but aren’t you three, like—”

“It’s okay,” you cut Steve off and look between the girls and him. “I get it. I mean am I a little offended I’m being left out of this scheme? Yes, but I get it.”

Nancy smiles at you and Robin quips. “See Steve, y/n gets it, be more like y/n.”

Steve sighs, and you roll your eyes and pat his shoulder for comfort as you stifle your smile.

“Now, dingus,” she continues. “Get out of here I’m going to change.”

Steve groans and pushes himself away from Nancy’s vanity to walk out of the door. He then stops however and looks back at you to raise his eyebrows. “Uh, y/n, come on.”

“Oh,” you breathe out and nod. “Right, I’ll be down there in a minute.” You wave and he leaves even more annoyed.

Once he’s out the door you close it with your powers and walk over to pick up Robin's outfit as Nancy picks out hers. “You know birdie,” you say with a smile. “What would’ve been better? A dress. I mean a skirt works out fine, but—”

“A skirt is torture enough,” she cuts you off and snatches the outfit out of your hands. “And heels?! You know how perfectly imbalanced I am! Maybe we do need you to come with us so you can help me walk!”

You scoff lightheartedly and shake your head as you watch her hide in Nancy's closet to change. “You’ll be fine. Just one foot in front of the other.”

Robin just groans from inside the closet, letting Nancy speak up in a more serious tone.

“So, y/n, now that you’re here, can I ask what else happened when you went to go visit your old house?”

Your smile falls and your amusement quickly fades away, letting the memories haunt you again.

“I,” you mutter and sit on the end of her bed. “I saw Vecna.”

Suddenly at the sound of the comment the closet gets pulled open and Robin pops her head out to retort. “What?!”

You begin picking at your cuticles and sigh deeply before assuring them. “It wasn’t—at least I don’t think it was bad. I mean I don’t think he wanted to curse me.”

Nancy walks over to you to be your pherial view and probes. “Did you have any of the symptoms?”

You shake your head. “No, I didn’t, I was trying to reach One, but,” you pause and swallow thickly. “He popped up,” you continue to explain. “I don’t know, maybe he sensed me reaching out to One, or he had me targeted way before and found me when I was the most vulnerable to strike, but he talked to me.”

Robin's lips part and her eyes slightly widen, whilst Nancy crosses her arms over her chest and investigates more. “About what?”

“The past,” you mumble and feel the memories play louder. “He was trying to scare me, I think. He showed me memories…that weren’t mine. Memories of…of my…” your eyes water and your voice quivers. “My siblings. When they…passed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Nancy interjects softly. “I shouldn't have asked. Sorry.”

You shake your head and sniffle. “Don’t worry about it, I needed to say it outloud, I couldn’t keep it trapped,” you sigh. “He was trying to scare me. Meaning he knows about me and my abilities. Meaning there’s more reason I need to talk to One.” You get up and face them. “I hope you guys find something useful. I came out empty handed.” You press your lips together and show off a tightlipped smile.

Nancy parts her lips to add something, yet before she can, Steve calls out your name from the bottom of the stairs. “Y/N! We’re leaving, let’s go!”

Robin narrows her gaze and quirks her brow. “Where?” She queries.

You shrug and begin to step back; when you open the door you add one last thing. “I’ll see you girls later, have fun.” You smile and walk out to run down the stairs and catch up with Steve in the basement, noticing right away that he has jacket on and the others are ready to go.

“Whoa,” you scoff and catch your jacket as Steve throws it at you. “Where are we going?”

“Ask Max,” he grumbles and begins to chase after her as she walks past the both of you to hurry out the door.

Lucas, Dustin, and you quickly run after them to try and catch up too.

“Max, Max, seriously,” Steve calls. “Seriously, I’m not joking, okay? I’m not driving you anywhere.”

You only grow more confused with the no answer.

“Steve if you think I’m going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement,” Max argues. “Then you’re out of your mind. So either take me where I need to go or you’re gonna have to tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a minor. And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute.”

Max reaches for the car door and tries to open it, but she finds it’s locked.

“Open the door,” she demands in a very scary tone.

“Uh, no,” Steve declines her and briefly meets your gaze. But you’re still confused.

“I know a good lawyer,” Max quips right away and challenges Steve until he gives in with a scoff.

“Henderson,” he says as he unlocks his car. “That super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst.”

You get into the passenger seat and finally ask your anticipated questions. “Can someone tell me where we’re going?”

“East Hawkins,” Steve grumbles.

You squint your gaze and just probe further. “What for?”

Steve shrugs as he drives. “Max needs to go and I don’t feel like getting prosecuted so, I’m taking her because apparently I’m also the designated babysitter.”

You scoff and giggle at his complaint, finding it rather cute and sweet, but you actually instantly get a passing glare from Steve.

“What’s so funny?” He quips with his lips curled.

You offer him a teasing smile and shake your head as you begin to rub the back of his neck. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Steve scoffs. “Whatever.”

——

*LATER*

“…All right, this better be fast, Mayfield,” Steve warns as she gets out of the car to go into her house.

“Twenty seconds,” she assures him and shuts the door.

All the mystery behind her destinations, and she just ends up coming to the Rv park. Someone could’ve just said you were coming home.

So much for sleeping too, everyone is so loud.

“That things got batteries in it, right?” Steve asks Dustin.

You yawn and pull tighter on the strings of Steve’s hoodie so you can rest your head back on the window

“I’m not even answering that question,” Dustin retorts from the back seat. “…yes, it has batteries!”

You scoff and smirk to yourself at the sound of his comment.

“Yeah,” Steve says, “I got it.”

“You know, little man,” you tease with your eyes half closed. “You said that last time and your battery died.” You snicker.

“Exactly!” Steve exclaims.

“Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?!” Dustin counters spitefully.

You scoff and nod. “You guys are loud,” you grumble and fully close your eyes to try and sleep a little bit more considering you still had one more stop to do according to Max. “Wake me up if Max gets cursed, or you see one of parents car.”

There's a bit of silence for a few peaceful minutes, but then someone beside you begins to get antsy. “Steve,” you mumble groggily. “Stop moving.”

A second of silence passes before he responds. “She’s taking too long.”

“Twenty seconds was a figure of speech, babe, let her have her time.” You let out a deep breath after you finish talking and sink further in your seat. You actually begin to nod off but then the drivers side door opens and Steve climbs out, making a whole big commotion and causing the boys to get out as well.

Neither of them actually respecting your desire to sleep after a sleepless and tormented night.

“Okay,” you grumble and sit up to pull your hoodie off. “I’m up.” You sigh deeply and look out your window as you choose to stay in the car.

However, that turns out to be a mistake because right across from you is Eddie’s house.

Staring at the caution tape, at the house in general made you think back to Eddie, it made you wonder if he was okay. It has been some time since you’ve talked to him. Now with Jason and his clique out for him you hoped Eddie was okay, hoped they weren’t smart enough to find him like you all had.

You wondered most of all if Eddie needed help as well. He’s not being haunted by some Upside down demon, but he is being hunted, and you’re here. Traveling around instead of trying to help him hide better.

Enzo would be so pissed. He’d want you there with him, “you can use your power,” he’d say. “Help him.”. He probably would’ve been with you now, trying to help Eddie too. He, just like Dustin, would’ve never doubted him. He should be here.

“So tell me y/n, why did you move over here to this…Rv park, instead of staying in your big mansion.” Dustin asks as he stands in front of the car.

You part your gaze away from Eddie’s house and open the door so Dustin could hear better. “My dad travels a lot for work. Says that these houses are easier to maintain, cheaper too. This place isn’t ideal compared to what my mother and I are accustomed to anymore,” you sigh. “But I like it. It’s cozy.”

Unbeknownst to you Steve glances over at you and smiles softly. He didn’t intend to say anything, he just wanted to look at you as he began to think. At least he tried because Max then returned to the car.

“Hey, that was longer than twenty seconds,” he yells out, whilst you pick up your head to watch her walk back to her seat with this very dreadful expression on her face—“hey, whoa, whoa. You all right?”

You sit up and lean a little bit forward to try and see more of Max’s face, but she then just assures him a bit coldly. “I’m fine. Just drive.”

Steve and the boys get in, letting you share a worried look with Steve.

“Did something happen?” Dustin asks Max as Steve starts his car.

“Can we go please just go?” Max deadpans.

Now you were too afraid to also question Max, considering how she snipped at Dustin, so instead you, like the others, sit in silence. You try to sleep, but it’s too far gone now. At least albeit the memories that Vecna forced on you, the screaming, it was all quiet and gone for the most part.

Then again you are holding Steve’s hand so that could be the cause of your peace.

That peace even lasted when you stopped at the cemetery per Max’s request, considering your siblings were buried here too.

“You doing okay?” Steve asks as Lucas gets out of the car to go after Max.

You look away from the young couple and meet his gaze to nod. “Yeah, it’s quiet. You?” You direct at him.

“Yep.” He nods. “I’m okay.” Steve sighs deeply as he assures you, even if you can see by the tightlipped smile and crinkled brows that he wasn’t what he claimed to be.

“I know you better than that,” you say. “You know, I don’t think they did it to be mean. I think they think you’re better qualified to look after the kids.”

Steve briefly meets your gaze and then lets out a deep exhale and watches the trees. “If thats the case, you’re far better qualified. You have powers, I don’t.”

You scoff and smile. “So? You’ve helped them before, right? With no super powers. That’s impressive. That’s why they put you in charge.”

Steve hums and keeps his eyes on the trees. But you see the corner of his lips twitching to a smile.

Nevertheless, silence falls again as Lucas returns all visibly upset. You’d probe, but you knew better; when Enzo would get upset it was better just to let him cool off first. Besides, Eddie once again occupied your mind, the worry if he’s okay or not. If he needs help or not; he hasn’t tried to communicate, but if he is in trouble he couldn’t.

You hope he wasn't in trouble.

“Y/N?”

You lift your head and shift your eyes to Steve and hum. “Hm?”

“I said are you okay? You’re too quiet.”

You smile softly and nod. “Yeah, Steve, I’m fine, just like five minutes ago when you asked.” You scoff softly. “Just thinking about…Eddie. That’s all.”

Steve draws in a deep breath and nods slowly as he presses his lips together and gets this weird look on his face.

“What?” You probe and turn your head to face him.

Steve exhales and shakes his head. “Nothing,” he mutters with a pouted lip.

You furrow your eyebrows and shoot him a pointed look. “What?” You repeat.

Steve shrugs. “You’re just thinking about your friend…Eddie. Your long time childhood best friend Eddie.”

Oh. He’s jealous. First Rahul, now Eddie. Great.

“Yeah,” you scoff. “My friend Eddie. Almost like a brother Eddie.” You narrow your eyes on him and lean forward just slightly. “I told you, you have nothing to worry about. Besides, he’s in danger, running from the police. Jason and the rest of his boy band are after him, I’m worried.” You reach over for Steve’s hand and offer him a sweet smile. “That’s why he’s on my mind.”

Steve glances over to meet your gaze with a frown, making you giggle.

“One time,” you share. “He told me that the idea of dating me makes him want to vomit. He said it’d be like incest.” You chuckle. “You’re okay, he’s not gonna want to steal me away.”

Steve averts his gaze and sighs softly as he interlaces his fingers with yours. “His loss, you make a beautiful and badass girlfriend.” He smirks and meets your gaze whilst you grin at him and grow flustered.

In the back there’s audible groans before they both get out of the car. You choose to ignore them and their negativity and instead lift your other hand to carefully begin to rub his arm.

Steve looks down at your hand on his arm and then looks at you as you look distant. “What?” He asks. “What do you feel?”

You look up at him and smile softly. “Just you,” you whisper. “I just feel you.”

Steve smiles just as softly, he actually looks flustered, but he doesn’t let himself get embarrassed, he instead cups your jaw and pulls you in to press a kiss on your lips before lifting his head to press a kiss on your forehead.

You sigh in relief and clutch onto his arm as you rest your head on it and fall in silence again.

At least it was silent for like five minutes.

“She’s taking too damn long.”

Just as your eyes were getting heavy again.

You lift yourself off Steve’s arm and look over at Max in the distance.

She seems fine.

“I think—”

“All right,” Steve cuts you off.

“Okay,” you whisper and pull away.

“It’s been long enough.” Steve proceeds to get out of the car to walk towards Max.

“Steve,” Lucas interjects as he stays sitting on the hood of his car. “Just give her a minute.”

“I have, all right, Sinclair?” Steve snaps. “I’m calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can.”

You climb out too but don’t stop him, you just stand by your door and watch him walk away. Lucas looks back at you to urge you to stop your boyfriend with his look alone, but you just sigh and avert your gaze to watch Steve as he reaches Max.

It was calm at first, she seemed to be ignoring him and his calls to get up. It all seemed fine at least until you begin to hear Steve scream, and see Max sit incredibly still, she didn’t even try to argue or fight him off. She seemed to be just sitting there.

“Max, wake up! Max! Wake up!”

You slowly walk around the car and walk to the grass to watch closer.

“Oh,” Lucas breathes out.

“Max!”

“…Somethings wrong.”

You take another step forward and call out for Steve first. “Steve?! What’s wrong?!”

Said man looks over with his eyes wide and waves you all over. “Come over here!”

Without hesitation you all rush over, Lucas gets there first, and then you come in second, leaving Dustin fall behind.

“Max?!” You call out, and when you face her you see that her eyes are a pale blue and rolled back, her body is twitching and she’s unresponsive.

It’s Vecna, he’s in her mind.

Meaning one thing.

“I’m going in,” you cut in and get on your knees beside her.

Steve snaps his head over to you and shakes it. “No, no, what?! You—”

You shake your head and cut him off. “No, I can. He’s in her mind right now, he’s got in her trance, meaning I can go in and pull her out.”

“You couldn’t reach One,” Steve argues. “Your nose was bleeding, you almost died!”

You sigh and counter him. “I’m not going to reach One, Steve, Vecna is already there. All I’m doing is walking in.” You offer him a faint smile and nod. “I can do it.”

Steve parts his lips to continue arguing, but you just grab Max’s hand and close your eyes to go in without more hesitation.

And right away, instead of being covered in a dark abyss and walking on a water covered ground, you’re actually still in the cemetery, it’s night now however. There’s ominous fog floating around, and grass and dirt beneath your feet. It’s the same place. Exactly the same. However, the only thing missing is Max. You can hear mutters in the distance, but you can’t see her.

So you call out. “Max!” You squint to try and see through the fog, and actually catch a figure. It’s gotta be her. “Max! It’s y/n!” You let her know as you walk forward.

“I’m here to help…” you trail off the moment you’re past the fog screen, the moment you see Vecna standing over Max on the ground.

“Y/N,” she mutters in disbelief.

Vecna snaps his head to the side to lay his eyes on you. And the moment he sees you, he throws his hand out to hurl you back with his powers.

And he didn't just throw you back away from Max, no, he made sure to hurl you out of her mind too. He made sure to torture you again with the sound of your siblings pleading for help, their screams; they sounded all around you, like if they were in your head, in your ears, at your side, they overwhelmed you.

“Y/N! Help me! Help me!”

“Stop!” Enzo’s voice bellowed in your ears. “Please! Help me!” He cries out with agony.

You throw your hands over your ears and crawl away from Max. “Please,” you whimper and ball yourself up. “Stop. Stop!”

“Y/N?” Steve yells out and leaves Max side to try and help you. “Y/N? Baby? It’s me.”

His voice however mixes with all the others and it makes it impossible to focus on him.

“Help me! Y/N!”

Your sisters.

“Y/N! Y/N!”

You see flashes of their faces, flashes of their dead bodies. You close your eyes to try block out the vision, but you can still hear them. They’re all screaming in your ear.

Eleven.

“Y/N! Y/N! Two! Help! Help me!”

Robin.

“I need help! Y/N! Don’t leave me!”

Eddie.

“Y/N! Help me! Help me!”

Their pleas, their cries are attacking you. He’s paralyzing you so you wouldn't help.

And it worked. As you hear your parents, Dustin, the rest of the kids, all you can do is stay balled up against the ground and cry. Cry and scream for it to stop, to quiet down, until you couldn’t scream anymore and just whimpered against the ground.

Steve tried to help as the others helped Max, as Robin and Nancy gave a solution to Max’s problem, but you kept getting bombarded with the cries and screams. You couldn’t even focus on Steve’s presence, you were too overwhelmed, surrounded by all the mental chaos Vecna threw at you.

Until suddenly nothing. All of a sudden after what felt like hours, it all just stopped completely, leaving only Steve’s soft voice beside you trying to get you to get up and listen to his voice.

“Y/N—”

You gasp, causing Steve to stop and watch as you slowly begin to pull your hands away from your ears.

“Hey, baby,” he whispers and leans down. “It’s okay, they’re not here. Everyone’s okay.”

You slowly pick up your head and immediately look at Max, noticing she was out of her trance now in Lucas’s arms with headphones over her ears.

“It’s okay, we’re all okay,” Steve keeps assuring you as he rubs your back.

You blink and look over at him—he was okay, they all were. You knew that, in the back of your head you knew, but in that moment, when it’s all slamming into you, it all sounds too real.

“See,” he says and cups your cheeks with both hands so you can just focus on him. “I’m okay. Wh-what do you feel, tell me.”

You grab his hands and focus on that feeling, on his presence and how safe and happy he made you feel.

“You,” you mumble hoarsely and press your forehead against his.

“You’re okay. We’re all fine. It’s okay.” He soothes you.

——

“Guys, wake up…”

There it goes again. Grating voices.

As beneficial as it is, and as often as you do wake up early, it’s still a pain in the ass.

Moreover, sleep is something you do value even if it’s impossible to get much of it.

“It’s important!” You hear Nancy exclaim so you’d all wake up.

You groan and snuggle closer to Steve.

“Five…” you mumble. “Minutes more.”

“No! Now! It’s important” Dustin yells and slams his hand on the table, making Steve grumble and begin to get up.

You whine and slowly push yourself up, but keep your hood on and drop your head on Steve’s shoulder.

“Couldn't this wait ‘til morning?” You grumble even if the sun shone inside, and the smell of breakfast coming from upstairs woke up your stomach.

“No,” Dustin repeats louder and violently points to a very bright red drawing. “This! Max and Nancy found this!”

You rub your eyes to see better, but just see a big red blob. “What?” You retort and hold Steve’s arm as you stretch out your back in hopes the ache from laying on the small couch would go away. “Red crayons?”

Nancy shakes her head and turns the page so all of you gathered around the table can see her pointing to a familiar glass stained rose.

“Max saw this yesterday when Vecna cursed her,” Nancy informs with excitement. “And yesterday, Victor Creel told us about his house that had the same red rose on his door.”

You lift your head off Steve and lean towards the table to pick up the drawing. “This?” You point and fully wake up now. “I saw this too when…Vecna paid me a visit the other day.”

Steve takes the drawing and looks at it with confusion. “What about it? What does it mean?”

“Creel,” Nancy continues and summarizes what she and Robin had said last night. “…Said yesterday that it felt like the demon after his family was inside the house, plotting within. It means that we can find answers in that house! It’s still standing.”

“Of course it’s been abandoned,” Robin adds.

Dustin nods. “Sure, but it isn’t restricted, we can still sneak in there and hopefully find something.”

You clear your throat and agree with the plan, but there’s someone else who you can’t get out of your mind. “What if it doesn’t lead to nothing? We’ll be wasting an entire day, what about Eddie?”

Nancy briefly meets your gaze and sighs as she sits down. “Right. He called and said he needed food or else he’d go into town himself.” She shrugs. “We’ll go after. He’ll be—”

“I can go,” you volunteer yourself and avert Steve’s gaze. “Just drop me off and I’ll keep an eye out on him. With Jason after him it’s probably a matter of time, I can help him avoid the police and Jason.”

Rather than having Steve protest, Robin does this time. “What if we need you? I mean that house is probably Vecna’s nest, you’re the only one with powers.”

You stiffen and nod slowly as you fiddle with your fingers. “Sure,” you agree. “But I really doubt that Vecna is gonna be out in the open like that. And we can’t leave Eddie behind, we promised we’d help. What kind of friend would I be if I left him to fend for himself?” You queried in a shaky voice.

All your friends around you go quiet, knowing you’re right. They can’t try to argue, not even Steve. Not when Eddie meant so much to you.

“Fine,” Nancy agrees, “we'll drop you off and then we can go to the Creel house after that. We’ll pick you up after to meet up with you.”

You smile at her faintly and nod. When you look over at Steve he doesn’t smile, but he doesn’t fight you against your attempts either.

“If anything happens,” you add. “If Max gets tranced again, let me know.” You look around at all of them, and Dustin nods in agreement for all of them.

After that, you all eat a quick breakfast and don’t fret to leave to your first stop after buying some quick supplies at the store for Eddie.

“If anything happens,” Steve says to you as you approach Eddie’s hideout. “Just use his walkie.”

You look over at him and nod with a hint of smugness. “I will. But I can look after us.”

Steve shrugs and glances past you as the house comes to view. “I don’t care, Vecna has been messing with you, talk to me if anything happens. Tell Eddie to talk to me, just know to talk to me, or Robin.”

You smile softly and nod. “I will, but let’s hope that all I have to do is keep him from smoking pot, or running into town.” You smirk and open the car door as Nancy rolls to a stop. “You take care okay? Anything happens, talk to me.”

Steve nods stiffly, letting you press a gentle kiss on his lips before climbing out.

“Take care everyone,” you direct at everyone in the car. “Stick together, and listen to music Max.” You offer them a smile and wave before closing the door and watching them drive away.

Seconds after that, just as you’re turning to walk into the shed, your name is called out.

“Y/N?”

You lift your gaze and see Eddie walking out of the shed.

You smile and lift the bag in your hand to show off what you brought before you run over to him.

“They sent the calavry,” he mumbles and grabs the bag from your hand to peek inside. “Finally.” He looks up. “Just you?”

You nod and begin to walk back inside the shed just in case. “The rest are following a lead, I chose to come to you. I’m all you need after all.”

Eddie scoffs and you miss his smile. “Good, but this bag is very disappointing my sweet, Mouse….”

You smirk and dig in your jackets pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. “Right here,” you point out and spin around to face him.

Eddie puts the bag down and walks over to you with a grin. “Lifesaver,” he mutters and takes the object from your hand to open it right away.

“I had to wrestle Robin for these,” you let him know and pull a stick from the box with your powers as you sit on a wooden box. “So don’t lose them.”

Eddie stands in disbelief to what you just did, but doesn’t freak out, nor do you touch on the subject just yet. You instead light your cigarette and watch him pull some wooden crate beside you.

“I think,” he clears his throat and pushes his cigarette towards you so you can light it for him. “You could’ve just batted your eyelashes really pretty and she would’ve given in,” he snickers as he pulls his hands away.

You scoff and briefly knit your eyebrows in confusion to his comment. “I,” you scoff and shake your head. “What?”

Eddie slowly turns his head as he pulls his cigarettes to his lips and looks at you slightly wide eyed. “What? Is it—do you not see it?”

You blink repeatedly and shake your head as you release a nervous giggle. “See what?”

Eddie stiffens and lets out a deep breath that lets the smoke unfurl out of his nose first before he speaks up. “Nevermind...”

“No,” you interject and snap your head to the side to meet his gaze. “What?”

Eddie shakes his head and points at you. “So powers, huh?”

You nod slowly and inhale first, once you pull out the cigarette you chose to answer him. “Yeah,” you breathe out and watch the trail of smoke come out of your mouth and float up.

Whatever confusion you had over the previous topic completely went to the back of your head, and all you could think about was him, what he’d say. You couldn’t even look at his face anymore, you were too scared to have him fear you. It didn't even feel right talking, you wanted to hide to avoid the worst.

Yet, he surprises you with his response.

“So are you like a Jedi? A witch? It hasn’t been clear.”

You let out a breathless laugh and feel your eyes water out of joy since you don’t sense fear or anger—“I…” you swallow thickly and keep your eyes averted. “I guess maybe a Jedi. If that’s easy to understand how I work.” You slowly let your eyes drag up and see him smirking.

“So if I asked you to make me float now, could you?” He asks with a pointed look.

You look at him in disbelief and scoff as you nod. “Yeah—yes. I could.” You put your cigarette down and begin to forget you have it lit. “Eddie—”

You cut yourself off as you get hit with a empty soda can on your forehead.

“Ow,” you mumble and narrow your gaze, “what was that for?”

Eddie snorts and puts his hand up to excuse himself. “I thought you were going to stop that. You were supposed to stop that.”

You let your eyes linger on him and then let out a breathless laugh as you feel your eyes swell with tears, and your heart race with disbelief. “Why…aren’t you mad?” You finally ask.

Eddie closes his mouth and puts his cigarette out, reminding you of yours too late and feeling it burn your fingers.

“Ow,” you whisper and flick it to the water to then suck on the wounded area.

“Because,” Eddie says and makes you look back at him and forget your pain. “Considering I have never actually heard about anyone with powers like yours, or at all until now. And after I remembered how protective your parents were. I’m sure it’s not something you could just show off.” He offers you a soft assuring smile and pats your hand before he gently picks it up to holds it in his. “Why are you so surprised?”

You wipe your tears away and shrug. “I just expected you to be scared, or to never want to talk to me again.” You drop your head and sniffle.

Eddie swallows thickly and shrugs. “I was a little scared,” he admits. “But I thought about it and now I can't believe my best friend has powers. You have fucking powers, y/n, that’s so fucking cool!”

You lift your gaze and laugh, smile as you see his beaming grin.

“Besides,” he adds. “Enzo did always say you were cool and pretty awesome.”

Your smile falters. “What?” you whisper.

Eddie nods. “He always had good things to say about you. He looked up to you. I mean besides actually being cool, now I know why.”

More tears stream down your eyes and a wobbly smile spreads on your face as your heart aches.

“You’re pretty extraordinary, y/n,” Eddie finishes saying with that sweet wide smile.

You scoff softly and can’t find words right away, it’s all so balled up in your throat that you can’t even speak. So instead you mirror his smile and rest your head on his shoulder as you squeeze his hand.

“Thank you,” he whispers. “For believing in me. For coming.”

You wipe your tears away and smile sweetly even if he can’t see it. “Of course,” you assure him. “What are friends for?”

Eddie presses a kiss on the top of your head before he rests his chin on it and lingers peacefully in the silence.

And that peace lingered, that comfort didn’t shift to something awkward. Boredom of course came since there isn’t much to do in the shed, but you tried to fill that the best you could in hopes your friends would return all in one piece soon.

As to how Eddie stays here all day and doesn’t leave is beyond you.

“Go your turn,” he instructs and throws you the pebble. You catch it, step back, and close one eye to try and throw the pebble in the can, but miss it and see it plop in the water.

Eddie scoffs and looks over at you with a smirk. “You don’t even try.”

You smirk and pick up another pebble to throw it to him. “I do,” you lie mischievously. “Go.”

Eddie leans back and throws it over, but it hits the rim and bounces in the water.

Eddie groans and motions you to go next with his hand. “And actually try this time, don’t let me win.”

You snort. “You’re winning, since when?” You pick up your last pebble and shoot him a smirk before you throw the pebble. It’s actually about to land just an inch to the side, but you then use your abilities and make it land in the can. And rather than keeping it in there you lift it in the air and shoot it across the water, making it skid across the surface until you lose sight of it.

“Ah, better,” Eddie says with a half grin.

You sit down and act all cocky. “Try beating that.” You laugh quietly.

Eddie lets out a huff and shakes the pebble in his hand. When he throws it he misses and huffs out. You want to tease him about his horrible throw, but you then hear tires screech and stop nearby.

Thinking it’s Steve and the others, Eddie and you run to the little window to peek outside. However, that’s when you see that it’s actually Jason and his two other basketball friends.

“Shit,” you mumble as you step back.

“They have weapons,” Eddie murmurs and then walks back to hurry to the other window. “They’re going inside the house.”

You look around for a form to escape now that they’re busy inside but the only way out is through the only door, and the water—but that would get you both caught. There is one solution but it’s a long shot, and it involves getting seen.

“Maybe—”

“Hey, Dustin,” Eddie talks through the walkie, making you cut yourself off. “You there? It’s Eddie. You remember me, right?”

You walk towards him and whisper. “Eddie, it’s okay. I have an idea.”

Eddie looks over at you and continues regardless of what you just said. “Hey, if anyone’s there, I really think we might be in a bit of trouble here. Okay? Wheeler?”

He gets no answer and smacks the walkie before sneering. “Anybody?!”

“Eddie,” you call out again just above a whisper. “Listen, I can get us out. I would just need to be seen first.”

Eddie lowers the walkie and looks lost. “The whole point is to not get seen,” he rebuttals.

You nod and look to the boat before meeting his gaze again with hope. “They don’t know I’m with you, okay? If they ask questions, I have a…an idea of what I can say. I just need them to see me so I can go inside their heads and trick them into not seeing you.”

Eddie narrows his gaze. “Like,” he tries to clear things out for himself. “Like a mind trick. Like when Obi-Wan told the storm troopers that there was nothing to see when they were—”

“Yes,” you cut him off so he can stop referring to the movie. “Yes. But in this case I would make you invisible within their head from the get go. It just doesn’t work out unless I see them. A glimpse is fine too.”

Eddie returns to the window and begins to actually debate about your proposal. Like if there's any choice. “Would you walk us out?” He asks and glances at you. “We might be best friends but anyone hardly sees us hanging out at school. He thinks you’re one of them, y/n.”

You squint and scoff. “So what?”

“So what?” He retorts. “Jason will probably offer you a ride to whatever it is you’re going to. That makes things hard. I doubt he’ll take no for an answer.”

“By boat then,” you offer an alternative. “I’m pretty strong. I can keep up my mind trick ‘til we’re out of sight.”

Eddie slides back down to the floor and narrows his eyes. “And if you can’t?” He argues. “From what you’ve told me today, it seems you’re worn out.”

“I’ve slept,” you interject in annoyance. “I can do it.”

“If it doesn’t work then our plan will fall, they’ll see you with me and pin you as an accomplice.”

You shrug and quip. “And?”

“And,” Eddie raises his voice. “I can't drag you down with me.”

“You—”

“You aren’t listening to me, y/n,” he says with anger that you haven’t seen him use on you. “I don’t want you to become my accomplice. I don’t want to drag you down with me. I also don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

His words touch your heart, his affection reminds you of your own twin brother, Bruno, this soft side of him—no, every bit of Eddie reminds you of what you never got to have with your twin brother. That’s why it hurts that he won’t let you actually help like you were here to do.

Bruno would act the same way.

He may have been young when he died, but maturity is something you both had to grow into rather quickly.

“That’s what I’m here to do,” you argue with frustration. “I’m here to help you. Do you not trust me?”

Eddie sighs and shakes his head as he rubs his eyes. “No, no, I do, but if something happens to you because of me, I…I don’t know what I’ll do.”

You walk over to him and grab his hands to keep up your argument. After all, losing him like you lost Bruno, not being able to help Eddie like you couldn’t help Bruno would…it…It’d kill you.

“I’ll be okay, Eddie,” you assure him. “That’s what I'm here to do. I’m going to help you. I…” you pause and swallow thickly. “You’re my best friend, you’re like my brother…I’ve already lost two, I can’t lose you too.”

Eddie’s eyes soften and his frown twitches to a faint flattered smile.

Still even with your words to comfort him, he doesn’t step back. “No. If it comes to it, you can use your powers, for now, just trust me.”

You stiffen and raise your head high. “Eddie,” you mutter.

Said man pats your head and pulls away from your side to return to the window, letting you see that it was beginning to get dark fast now.

Where the evening sun once shone, now it was beginning to dim as night came quickly. And Steve and the others haven’t even answered, or talked back, they didn’t approach either.

Which is a good thing since Jason and his friends refuse to leave after searching the small house for what feels to be hours.

Moreover, you knew you shouldn’t have listened to Eddie, you should’ve fought him like a mother fights their bratty toddler, but he said to trust him so you are. When night fully rolls around, you keep trusting him as Jason stays inside.

“Dustin,” Eddie says through the walkie once again. “Please. Are…are you there?”

He gets no response and lingers in the silence for a few seconds before talking back. “Never mind.”

You look away from the window to look over at Eddie, seeing him run over to the side of the boat to begin to untie it.

“What are you doing?” You ask.

“Help me,” he points to the rope tied to the front of the boat. “I have a plan.”

You slowly walk over to the rope but don't listen right away. “Eddie, I can help, okay? If you don’t want to leave, let them come here. I can hide the both of us.” You remind him.

Yet Eddie stays adamant on his plan. Instead he unties the rope he had ordered you to let loose.

“Hop on,” he says and offers you his hand.

You clench your jaw and challenge his gaze. He should’ve faltered and given up, but he fights back and wins, causing you to grab his hand so he can help you on the boat.

When he gets on you immediately use your powers to make the water push the boat out of the shed. Eddie then grabs the oar and begins to row to the other end of shore.

“Just keep pushing the boat, y/n,” he orders.

You look over at the dark water, noticing a tree line in the distance and fog over the dark water…

That was it! He doesn’t want you to do much of anything, even if you’re well qualified, so instead you can pull the fog towards you to use that as a screen; it’s thick enough, and it moves constantly so no one would question why the fog is moving.

“Good job me,” you mutter to yourself as you smile at yourself out of self pride, and then proceed to push the boat as you pull the fog towards you. Whilst Eddie keeps rowing to move faster.

Nevertheless, as you’re moving you forget to look back and don’t catch those after Eddie in time—“Hey, freak!” You recognize Jason’s voice.

You stiffen and watch Eddie stop rowing to look back.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Jason bellows.

You don’t look back and keep your back facing Jason. “Shit,” Eddie mutters.

You proceed to drop the fog idea, but keep pushing the boat while Eddie runs past you to try and start the engine.

“Come on,” he mumbles and pulls the string.

The motor sputters and you add more force to your pushes.

“Just come on…” Eddie tells the engine.

“Who do you have over there, huh?!” Jason keeps yelling, only getting you more tense.

“…You piece of shit!”

You glance back at Eddie as the engine keeps sputtering. “Eddie,” you whisper. “Just keep rowing, come on.”

“Y/N?!”

Shit. Shit.

Shit!

You turn your head more and catch Jason and Patrick begin to swim towards Eddie and you.

“Come on, you piece of shit!” Eddie yells as he kesps trying to start the boat.

“Eddie!” You yell out.

He tries one last time but it still fails to start, only getting him angry. “Goddamn it! Nope? Okay. All right,” he mutters to himself.

You try to reach for the oar, but Eddie then returns to his spot and slaps your hand away before gently pushing you back.

“Hey you let her go, freak!” Jason yells.

You peer back and see Jason and Patrick approaching the boat fast.

“Shit, shit,” you stress out and look under the seats for another oar to help Eddie that way, but there’s nothing but dust.

“Y/N!” Jason yells in your favor, unaware that you’re actually helping Eddie. “Just jump out! We’ll help you!”

You feel your breath get faster as your heart beats quicker inside your chest from all the anxiety this chase is causing. Jason and Patrick were so close.

“Hey!” Eddie yells and begins to swing the oar. “Just stay back, man! Stay back!”

You duck to miss getting hit and hiss at him. “Eddie! Stop it.”

“Stay back!”

You glance back again and see Jason just as close as ever, but you notice Patrick fall behind. He seems to be scared, lost on something at his side.

“Hey, come on, let's go! We almost have him!” Jason tells his friend as he notices the same thing you do. “Hey, Patrick!”

Yet when you look over there’s nothing there. You squint and turn around in your seat to look better, to see what he’s fixated on, but then suddenly he’s yanked down in the water.

This water doesn’t contain any dangerous fishes, nor does it have a current to say he got stuck by it. There wasn’t anything at his side out of the ordinary, so it only meant one thing.

He’s here. Vecna.

“Patrick,” Jason calls in confusion and desperation. While you slowly stand to carefully walk to the end to try and see through the dark waters for any sign of Patrick or Vecna.

“Hey, Patrick,” Jason calls out again.

You squint and hold your breath for a second before you breathe out and call out for Jason. “Jason, stay back!” You warn him.

Just as he was going to look back at you, Patrick suddenly jumps out of the water and floats in midair with his arms out, and his face to the sky.

“No,” you sneer and try to jump off to help Patrick, but the sight startles Eddie, making him lose his footing and tipping back the boat far enough that you both fall in the water.

Since it’s unexpected when you splash in you take in a bit of water and get more dazed. You open your eyes and try to swim up regardless, but actually catch Eddie grabbing your arm to help you to the surface.

Once you’re out you begin coughing out the water you had inhaled and lose seconds, valuable seconds. Because when you can look up Patrick’s legs and arms are already snapping.

“No!” You bellow and try to swim closer to him, you try to throw your hand out to go in his head so you can pull him out of his trance, but then his jaw snaps and something else gruesomely snaps before he suddnely falls back in the water, leaving you stunned and speechless.

No one dared to move. Not Jason, not Eddie, not you. The chase was forgotten for a moment and all you could look at was Patrick’s body floating back to the surface face down.

All you can hear is your heart pounding so violently that a dull pain hits your ears. Your breathing was small and quickened pants, while your eyes stung because of the lake water and your tears of disappointment in yourself.

Once again you were useless. So much power and for what?

“Y/N.”

For what?!

“Y/N!” Eddie yells and pulls you out of your shock and stupor.

Before you can look back at him however you feel his hand wrap around your arm to begin pulling you back to boat as Jason was busy focusing on Patrick’s body.

“Come on,” Eddie mumbles and helps you on. After you help him up, you look back and debate helping Jason as he just stood there in disbelief and fear. But then Eddie began to row away, leaving Patrick’s body, and Jason behind.

You didn’t intend to argue with Eddie about his choice to leave, Jason wasn’t after you anymore so it left the both of you with a chance to escape. Besides, there wasn’t much room for words on the boat. What you just witnessed rattled the both of you with fear and trauma.

No one more than Eddie though. He moved as the boat hit shore, he moved to tie it to a dock, he helped you, but he was still stunned to the point he couldn’t speak.

As fearful and traumatizing as it was seeing Patrick get pulled to midair, and seeing and hearing his bones snap in ways it doesn’t seem humanly possible, seeing things like that wasn’t as….affecting to your mind. Considering what you’ve been forced to do in the past, what you’ve done.

Eddie though. Poor Eddie.

Once you’re hidden within the tree line you grab his hand and pull him back towards you. “Eddie,” you call and grab his cheek with your other hand. “Eddie, look at me.”

Said man blinks and lets his eyes fall on you.

“Are you okay?” You ask and snap him from his shock.

“Y-yeah,” he assures you with a shaky voice.

You sigh, and he clears his throat.

“You?” He redirects to you.

You swallow thickly and drop your hand from his face. “I’m fine.” You assure him even if mentally you felt like a mess.

Eddie nods and lets out a deep breath. “Good, good, let’s keep moving. Find some place to hide to get dry.” He secures your hand under his and begins pulling you deeper into the woods.

“Hey,” you interject. “Is the walkie—”

“Busted?” He cuts you off and nods stiffly. “Yep. We’ll find something soon.”

Hopefully, Steve, Robin, Max and the others are fine. Hopefully, they come looking soon. Hopefully—

“Two…”

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