#stranger things x hopper!oc

[notme-marie]

Harrington! Wait up!

Steve x Hopper!Reader, Jonathan x BestFriend!Reader, Billy x Reader (a little sprinkle)

Summary: Hopper!Reader celebrates her favorite holiday the best way she can, by causing drama at a Halloween Party.

Warnings: steve harrington x fem!reader, alcohol/drug use, discussions of death; this was a brain dump & hopefully you enjoy! Words: 2.6k

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October 31, 1984 - Trick or Treat, Freak

Little Miss Margot Hopper had a way of pushing Jonathan to his limits, way out of his comfort zone. She had berated him their entire life and he loved her for it. Like the sister he never had.

They met in elementary school like everyone else in Hawkins usually did. But, they didn't become friends until seventh grade when she punched Jack Montgomery in the face for picking a fight with Jonathan for something she deemed lame at the time. Margot says she took him in when really it was the opposite. She needed a friend more than anything right now. Sure she had the soccer girls, but they were all into boys and clothes and television. Margot liked to think she was more "evolved" than that, but really she just had been through more than a 13 year old girl should ever go through - her parents' divorce, moving around, a sibling death.

She liked Jonathan because he also had been through some real life shit. With his unreliable father and parents also separated, he understood that life isn't always perfect. In fact, the two pre-teens bonded over their cynical outlook and love for sad rock and roll, not that pop shit everyone else listened to.

So now, four years and a lot of friendship later, Margot is very surprised when Jonathan tells her that they're going to Tina's Halloween party that night.

Margot slams her locker shut, gasping, "you want to go to a party?"

Jonathan rolls his eyes. They turn into the hallway, walking in stride to their final period of the day. He shrugs, "Nancy invited me. Said it would be cool if-"

"Ah, now I understand," Margot cuts him off.

He looks at her, "understand what, exactly?"

Now she shrugs, "you're going to this party just to see Nancy Wheeler. I respect that."

"No, that's not the only reason," he starts but she's quick to interject.

"So what do you plan on doing about her boyfriend. Harrington? Remember him? Big hair, obnoxious voice," Margot says as they turn a corner.

Jonathan shakes his head, "it's not like that. We're friends. You know, after everything that happened last year."

Margot stays quiet. Yeah of course she remains the strange events from last year. Of course she remembers Will going missing and her dad secretly adopting an experimental special child. Yeah, how could she forget?

Jonathan pushes on, "you'll go with me, right? I figured you'd already be going anyways."

"Yeah, Billy wanted me to go," Margot sneaks in.

Jonathan rolls his eyes, "he's such a jerk."

"So, I'm not marrying the dude. Just fucking him," she says rather casually. They stop in front of her classroom. Other students file in beside them.

"Gross," Jonathan starts, "I'll pick you up at 8."

"Can't wait!" Margot turns and heads into the classroom.

Later that night

The room is packed with teenagers dressed in various 80s appropriate Halloween costumes. Jonathan leans against the wall with some Goths, watching as Margot and Billy make out on the dance floor. Jonathan scrunches his nose in disgust as the two go at it, practically eating each other's faces off. He groans, turning away and seriously contemplating getting a drink. He wanders over to the kitchen.

Margot breaks away from Billy who looks way too good tonight. She's only slept with him twice since he asked her out last month, but tonight she's really considering doing it a third time.

Margot Hopper wasn't an easy screw, believe or not, she had some standards. So, when a new boy in tight jeans rolls up to school in a nice car with California plates, she has to weigh her options.

She felt that sex and virginity were all a croak of shit anyways. Her mom waited for love and marriage and look where that got her - a divorce before the age of 40. Maybe if she had explored her options, she would have more success. Or that's at least what she tells Margot now as "motherly" advice whenever Margot goes to the city and stays with her mother for the allotted custody weekends once a month.

So, Margot decided to do whatever she wanted or desired and lost her virginity sophomore year with Mark Donoghue, a senior who called her beautiful and took her to prom. He was kind and gentle and definitely a virgin too which Margot appreciated because yeah, she acted like she was fearless. But, really she was so scared of having sex for the first time. So, when Mark asked her out during honors Chemistry, she said yes. She considered him the perfect option for that time in her life. He would be her first boyfriend, respectable, her first kiss, her first fuck, her first everything! Then he would leave for college and they would never speak again, so she could continue on her dating journey. Unlike her mother, who married the first guy who told her he loved her.

That's why Margot was now pulling away from Billy as he kissed down her neck. God, it felt good. His hot breath on her skin. He was way experienced. She didn't know that hooking up could be so pleasurable. Yeah, Mark and that other guy after him were cute, but they had no clue how to please a woman. Billy on the other hand, knew exactly what he was doing.

The first time they had sex was in her bed while her dad was working a night shift. Risky, but that kind of made if more exciting for the both of them. The second time was in the back seat of his car - her idea. She wanted to know what it felt like to be naked on leather. He laughed at that, calling her "a fucking freak." But something about this girl - the sheriff's daughter, intrigued Billy. Yeah, he liked the way her hair smelled and how gorgeous she was. But, she was completely herself and that was new for Billy. He was so used to girls acting like who they thought he wanted. Which, to be fair, he did like that. He liked most girls and doing one thing with most girls. Margot was cool and didn't give a fuck. It excited Billy, scared him even. But, he would never admit that to her.

He kissed down her neck as the loud music roared on. Margot hummed against him, gripping his shoulders.

"Not here, Billy," she mumbled.

Just as he was about to suggest they go upstairs, Tommy grabs him.

"Get over to the keg!" Tommy yells. A few other guys urge Billy over. He breaks away from Margot, hesitating. Billy turns back to say something to her but stops himself. Margot eyes him.

"It's fine, go" she honestly does not give a shit. He nods, turning away to do a keg stand or whatever the hell they want King Billy to do.

Margot rolls her eyes and straightens her costume and hair. She scans the room, finding Jonathan in the kitchen.

------

Margot shoots back another shot as Jonathan nurses his one red solo cup. He continues his plea enthusiastically, "I think we should stay with your mom for the concert next month."

"Ugh, I'll ask her," Margot reluctantly slams the glass onto the counter. She points a finger in his face, "only if you drive!"

"You don't have a car," he laughs.

Margot groans, "don't remind me!"

She begins to pour another shot as Nancy Wheeler barrels into the kitchen. She lunges toward the punch bowl and tries to get another drink while Steve Harrington pulls her back, "you've had enough, okay."

"Screw you!" Nancy hurls back at him.

Margot and Jonathan watch on, in shock.

The couple go back and forth, arguing over a cup of punch until Nancy spills it onto her white costume shirt.

"Oh shit," Margot covers her mouth.

The party goes silent, watching as the couple race off to some other part of the house. Jonathan takes a sip of his drink. Margot turns back to him, "whoa. That was crazy."

"Yeah," Jonathan stays quiet, thinking about Nancy.

Margot continues, "I'm surprised they even stayed together. You know, after everything."

"I don't know, maybe she loves him," he mumbles, looking at his drink. Margot shakes her head, "no way. It's just high school shit, you know? Like the jock and the nice girl. Straight out of a movie."

Just as Jonathan takes a sip, Margot grabs his arm. "You should totally make a move now!"

"What are you even talking about," he plays it off.

She pushes on, "they're on the rocks! Now you can be a good friend to her. It's perfect."

Before he can respond, Steve rushes past them and out the door. Margot nudges Jonathan, "see. Told you."

She grabs a bottle of alcohol and slaps Jonathan on the shoulder before turning to leave. He calls after her, "wait, where are you going."

"I'll distract Steve, you go be a good friend to Nancy," Margot wiggles her eyebrows and practically dances after Steve. Jonathan groans, weighing his options.

-------

Steve leans on the back of his car, looking down at his keys and sniffling. God damn sniffling over this girl. Fuck.

He nods his head, solidifying his decision to leave when someone calls his name.

"Harrington! Wait up," Margot skips over to him. He eyes her and the disheveled hair and half empty bottle of tequila. She slides next to him, leaning against his car.

He tilts his head, "now's not a good time, Hopper."

"Just thought you'd like some company after whatever the hell happened with Nancy in there," she offers him the bottle. Steve shakes his head, "I gotta drive home."

"Good, you can give me a ride and we can drink at your place," Margot shoves the bottle into his hands and climbs into the passenger seat.

Steve shakes his head, dismayed at the audacity of Margot Hopper - the girl he used to spend summers with because their moms were friends. The girl he ended up fighting weird alien creatures last year.

In the car, Prince comes on the radio and Margot immediately turns it up, dancing and singing along. Steve moves the knob, turning the volume down which earns a quick groan from Margot.

"You are such a vibe killer," she quips.

He laughs, completely shocked at this turn of events, "I'm sorry I'm not giving off great vibes right now. My night was already going terribly and then you decided to hop in my car."

"It's the neighborly thing to do, Steve," she emphasized his name.

He looks at her, "you're never at your mom's place anymore."

Margot, quiet for the first time tonight, shrugs, "don't need to be around a screaming baby. Or Bill."

"Your step-dad?" he asks.

God, Margot didn't realize Steve would know so much about her. Did his mom really talk to her mom that much? And did his mom really repeat all this info to him?

Margot nods. She sits up, "let's not talk about them right now. You're still really killing my vibe."

Steve shakes his head, laughing, "whatever you say, Hopper."

He slows down as the pass Margot's mom's house. She waves him to keep going. "Just park at yours," she lifts up the bottle, "we still gotta finish this baby."

Steve contemplates this. Does he really want to get shit-faced with Margot Hopper right now and forget about Nancy for a few hours? Fuck yes.

He keeps driving, oblivious to Margot anxiously staring at the completely dark house she used to live in.

-----

Margot lays across the plush couch as Steve sits on the floor, leaning against the arm chair. The almost empty bottle of tequila sits on the glass coffee table.

"And then she said it was bullshit," Steve hung his head back, closing his eyes.

Margot shook her head, "that's so fucked."

"Right?" Steve's voice raising, "how do you even say that?"

"Wanna hear my opinion?"

Steve nods, taking another swig from the bottle. Margot moves her hands as she speaks, "you got lucky. Cut out fast before anything got too serious."

"Whoa, whoa, it was serious," he pauses, "at least to me it was. It is!"

Margot sits up to look at Steve, "what, you're going to marry her?"

"Well, yeah that was the plan," he shrugs, as if that's the most casual thing in the world. Margot softens now, realizing that this isn't just some high school relationship to Steve. That maybe their relationship wasn't all superficial like she assumed. Maybe she didn't have everything about love and romance figured out. But, she did know how Jonathan felt about Nancy and that complicated this entire mess she interjected herself in.

Steve eyes Margot, watching her think. He takes in the moment, realizing how odd this is all is. He hadn't spoken to Margot in months really. Since everything went down last year. Yeah, they had seen each other in the halls and in English class - how was she in senior English anyways? Fuck, she was smart, right? Freshman class president a couple of years ago, captain of the soccer team last year. Steve heard all those things about her but never paid too much attention to it or her really. Their moms were friends, both came from wealthy families in Hawkins, had kids around the same age, and lived down the street from one another. So it only made sense that Margot and Steve played together every summer as kids.

Things changed when they grew up, which was only natural between growing boys and girls. But when Margot's little sister died and her parents separated, he never saw her really. Only in school and even then they never spoke. Their childhood friendship felt like a far away dream, and yet they slipped right back into the familiarity of each other tonight. Margot was brazen, sure, but she clearly was comfortable enough to insert herself into Steve's crisis and demand they get drunk together. And Steve was comfortable enough to not think twice about it. Truthfully, he didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to go back to the often quiet and empty house, especially not tonight when he just got his heart broken.

But now he was doubting the comfortability when Margot suddenly gets up from the couch.

"I'm sorry, I should go," she says, quickly looking around for her boots.

Steve's eyes widen, "what, why?"

Margot looks at him, "you're upset and I'm totally intruding."

"No it's fine-"

"I'm sorry, really-"

"Margot, please," Steve reaches out, grabbing her wrist. She pauses, turning back to look into his soft eyes.

He looks like that little boy she used to know again.

He smiles at her, "I know we haven't been close, but this has been nice. Tonight. Talking shit and having you here."

"You're just saying that," she recoils slightly from his tough. Steve holds on to her still.

"No, really, I don't have that many people to talk to these days," he sighs, "it's nice to talk to someone who, you know, gets it. All of it."

Margot nods, knowing exactly what he's talking about. She's distanced herself so much from her teammates and some friends at school in the last year. At least she has Jonathan and her dad, but it's not the same. Tonight with Steve, it's been easy. Shooting the shit, laughing, gossiping. Not once talking about some traumatic or supernatural event.

"You're right," Margot sighs dramatically, "I can't believe you're making me like you again, Harrington."

Steve chuckles, letting go of her wrist, "oh, like you ever stopped."

She plops down onto the couch and Steve joins her, grabbing the TV remote. He flicks through the late night channels settling on some horror movie that he's seen a thousand times and is shocked she hasn't seen it. They argue about this and then about the movie itself and then about something else after that until both dozing off on the couch, the TV softly playing.

[nicolewritesthings]

New Me - Series

Summary: Hopper!reader is having a hard time adjusting to normalcy after the disappearance of her father, the death of her tumultuous ex-lover, and losing her only family to California. Instead of turning to her friends, she turns to isolation and partying to cope. Best friend, Steve Harrington, isn't about to let her drown.

Steve Harrington x OC

This series is more of a collection of moments between Little Miss Hopper and Steve. I'm currently writing a full fledge fic about these two based in the season four canon. Stay tuned!

Present Day Don't Press Your Luck What Would Madonna Do? Hope This Isn't Weird

[roanofarcc]

PROJECT SUNSHINE CHAPTER SIXTY THREE → THE FREAKSHOW

summary: steve harrington x oc || Ao3

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

word count. 2.7k || masterlist || ocs moodboard

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

previous chapter ← → next chapter

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

The subdivision was quiet that afternoon. A strange calm had settled over Hawkins that spring, but Steve had learned not to let his guard down anymore. Nothing was ever calm in Hawkins, and his nerves were already pricked with Sunshine a couple of hours away in Indy with her sister. He knew she could handle herself if she ran into any trouble, and he tried to convince himself that she wouldn’t run into any trouble, but there had been a knot of worry tied inside his gut since he was little. He worried about everything, all of the time. The revelation of other dimensions, monsters, and bad men only made that knot worse. But he did his best to distract himself. 

“Turn your elbow like this,” Steve said, moving his arm to mimic the motion of the kid beside him. “It’ll help your aim.” 

Lucas fixed his arm and shot the basketball, putting it right through the old hoop Steve had dug out of his garage. Since Lucas told Steve he was thinking of trying out for the basketball team last fall, Steve had been helping him practice. Between all of his high school highs and lows, basketball had been the only consistent thing for Steve, and something he still enjoyed. It served as a normal distraction for both of them, but especially Lucas. The kid was really good too and made varsity his freshman year. And while he most rode the bench, Lucas had too much potential to stay there forever.

The ball bounced against the cement and Lucas raced to grab it, dribbling it back down the driveway to where Steve stood. He was quieter than normal; Steve was the only person, besides Lucas’s dad, who the kid could have an actual conversation about basketball with. His friends weren’t interested in it, and Steve wasn’t sure of the last time Lucas had a full conversation with Max, to everyone’s dismay. 

“You all right, Sinclair?” Steve asked. 

He shrugged, eyes glued to the ball. “This game’s a big deal, right?” 

“A really big deal,” Steve replied. There were only a handful of times Hawkins High made it to the championship of anything. “But, you know, all you can do is play your best.” 

Lucas snorted a sarcastic laugh. “You sound like Sunshine.” 

Steve smiled. “Occupational hazard.” She had rubbed off on him, even more so since they were dating. Her sunny disposition and pep talks, along with her adoration of the simple things in life. He saw the world differently with her, and not just the bad stuff that crawled out of portals or gates. The world was a scary place, but it also held a lot of good stuff, you just had to look through the weeds and interdimensional vines to see it. 

“I know the pressure can be tough, but you’ll be fine.” 

Lucas held the ball in his hands, slumping his shoulders slightly. “It’s not just that. This game is important to me, but Mike and Dustin want me to skip it for the D&D campaign. I guess Eddie refuses to reschedule.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. He didn’t really know the guy, their paths rarely crossed in high school. Either Steve was running with Tommy and Carol, too busy to notice nerds like Eddie Munson, or he was sulking in his fall from grace and reeling from monsters and bullies. He’d heard of Eddie, in a small town it was impossible to not know everyone, whether you liked to or not. Rumor had it he was some super-senior drug dealer, and that sounded like the last person Steve wanted hanging around the party. But Dustin refuted the rumors and made Eddie out to be some kind of king of the nerds. 

It was embarrassing, and Steve hadn’t even admitted it aloud to Sunshine yet, but he was a little jealous of the Hellfire Club caption. Sure, on paper, he was probably the cooler person to hang out with in the eyes of Dustin because he loved the same game they did, but Steve had thought that he and Dustin were the ultimate duo. He was like Steve’s little brother, annoying and sometimes a pain in the ass, but someone Steve couldn’t see not in his life. But it seemed like Dustin was no longer interested in hanging out with him. 

It made Steve feel even more useless to the gaggle of teens, like he really didn’t have a place in the grand scheme of their monster-hunting team anymore.

“Your friends can’t miss one campaign to come watch you play?” Steve asked, shoving aside his own weird issues with some dude he’d never even talked to before. 

“Guess not.” 

“Well, what about Max?” 

Lucas sighed again, hugging the ball to his chest like he was trying to get some kind of comfort from it. “She still won’t talk to me. She hardly talks to Mike or Dustin. Every time I try, she shrugs me off with some excuse. I don’t know what else to do.” 

Max didn’t like change, which Steve figured out very quickly after getting to know Max. Moving across the country was one thing, but what she’d experienced since being in Hawkins was another beast. No one could blame her, they all just wished she’d let them help her. Sunshine seemed to be the only one who could get through to her somewhat. She shut the party out, caved in on herself. Lucas was the most distraught over it. 

“There’s not much you can do,” Steve said. “You can try to be there for her, but you can’t magically make everything better.” 

“It just sucks. We know people with superpowers and know there’s another dimension, but we can’t, like, fix any of the shit we’ve been through. We just have to take it and pretend like…like it’s fine.” 

It was beyond frustrating, but that had become their lives. Steve’s mind glazed over it, trying hard not to think too much about it until the world threatened to end again. 

“Look on the bright side, you’ve only got four more years here. Then you can play basketball at some D1 school, pretend like Hawkins was some fucked up nightmare or something.” 

Lucas laughed but it was mixed with a little scoff. “Yeah, if I live that long,” he muttered, and Steve’s gut turned uncomfortably. He didn’t like that, jokes like that were too real. “And if they ever let me off the bench.” He tossed the ball at Steve, who caught it despite being slightly thrown off guard. 

Dribbling the ball, back up the driveway, Steve shoved away the pit in his stomach and focused on the task at hand. “Hey, with my help, you might even get to play in the championship.”

“Yeah,” he replied, sarcastically. “I might even win the whole thing.” 

→←

“This feels…unethical,” Will Byers said, chewing nervously on his nails as he stood lookout for Leia. 

She stopped, turning her head to look at him. “Really? I could name ten unethical things that have been done to the two of us alone. This, my dearest brother, is good ole’ fashioned revenge.” She balanced a cup of red paint on the locker shelf with a fishing wire around it. Carefully, she threaded the wire through the slit in the door and fashioned it so that as soon as the locker was opened, the cup would be pulled forward and spill on the unlucky but well-deserving bully. 

“I doubt she’s even read Carrie. Angela and her friends aren’t going to get the prank.” 

Leia sighed, cautiously looking up and down the empty hall. “They don't need to ‘get it.’ All that matters is that Angela is covered in red paint. She deserves a lot worse for laughing at El’s project, but Joyce said we’re grounded if we commit a crime.” 

“Technically, I think she said we’re grounded if we’re caught committing a crime.” 

Leia paused before she shrugged. “If this doesn’t work, then I’ll think of something illegal. Until then…” She dusted her hands off on her paint-stained overalls from an art project gone slightly rouge and clapped Will on the shoulder. He had grown even taller since their move, Joyce said it was probably the sun that was making all of them grow like weeds, but Will still curled into himself and tried to make himself smaller among their new Cali-folk. 

While Leia probably should have been more wary about a new school, but she had a different view of it. She had never attended any kind of school, so she had no expectations. Bullies didn’t bother her because she was good at brushing them off. All of the teasing from Kali’s friends made her skin thick and she had a little voice in her head reminding her she had superpowers and they didn’t; it made her feel better. 

Will flew under the radar too. He was quiet and good at blending in, making himself a small target. Luke followed in his footsteps, spending most of his time tucked away in the library which most kids avoided besides the nerdy and quiet ones. It was El that caught all of the flack. 

By some unlucky chance, she had caught the eye of a blonde-headed all-American mean girl the second she stepped through the school doors. El was kind, she wanted to be friends with everyone but had a hard time picking up on social cues. And the second Angela got a whiff of El’s slight unusualness, she latched on like a hungry shark. How some freshman had a cult following of brightly dressed, rich friends who would do anything she said, Leia had no idea. It was like they stumbled into the set of a movie riddled with cliches that Leia thought weren’t actually supposed to happen in real life. Yet, there Angela was, laughing at El while she tried to present a project she had worked really hard on. Apparently cruelty earned you cheap laughs; Leia wanted to fry Angle to a crisp. 

She had to settle for ruining the bully’s outfit. 

The bell rang, singling the end of class. Leia and Will stood innocently at the water fountain and subtly watched as Angela and her clique waded down the hall, her blonde ponytail swinging with each step. She arrived at her locker, entered her combo, and yanked it open. Out poured the red paint, splashing down the front of Angela’s shirt. She let out a shrill scream that echoed through the hall, causing people to stop. 

Angela wiped her hands against the paint, smearing it into the fabric and getting a layer coating her palms and fingers. It looked like blood, but the smell of paint quickly filled the air, making the hall smell just like the art room. 

Leia hid her laughter under her hand while Will pressed his lips in a thin line, suppressing a smile. They watched as Angela’s friends surrounded her like a flock of birds. She swatted them away and turned out from her locker with her face nearly as red as the paint. Leia couldn’t hear what she said, but without even cleaning herself up, she took off toward the doors that led to the courtyard of the school. 

“Okay,” Will said with a laugh. “You were right; that was great!” 

Leia beamed. “I’ve got more where that came from.” 

He shook his head, a lightness in his tone that only came out from time to time now. “Come on, let’s go find Luke and El. They’ll want to hear about this.” 

Unfortunately, their two siblings did hear about the red paint stunt because El was the first person Angela assumed had pranked her. By the time Leia and Will entered the courtyard, El was sprawled out against the ground with her project in pieces along the sidewalk. Angela was standing the closest to El, her arms crossed and laughing along with the rest of her friends who stood on the sidelines. 

El’s face was grief-stricken, and that alone was enough to send Leia running towards her sister. She jammed her shoulder into Angela’s sending the blonde stumbling. El stood and outstretched her hand in a similar way she once did when she used to abilities; it was a reflex, one that would probably take El a long time to shake since she had lost her abilities last summer. Before El did anything to give Angela further ammunition, Leia grabbed El’s arm gently and pushed it back down at her side. 

Angela seemed satisfied with sending El and her project to the ground and turned to leave, her front half still coated in paint. A tear fell from El’s eye as she glanced at her broken project. With a gentle sigh, Leia tried to channel her anger into something more helpful for El; it was what Sunshine told her to do when she felt her anger gain control of her, fueling her abilities and asking for something bad to happen. Leia grabbed a hold of El’s shoulder, making her sister look at her. 

“Are you okay?” 

El frowned, wiping away her tears. She nodded sadly, slumping her shoulders. 

“It’s my fault,” Leia said. “I pranked Angela, but I should have known she’d think it was you. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” El tried to smile, but it was weak and turned back into a frown when her eyes landed on the pieces of her project. 

Will and Luke started picking them up, placing them back in the slightly crushed shoe box. “We can fix it,” Will said with confidence in his voice. He pinched a squirrel figurine in between his fingers before holding it out to El. She grabbed the squirrel and closed her fist around it. “We’ll all help, and it’ll be good as new, all right?” 

“All right,” El said quietly. She joined the boys on the ground while Leia scooped out the surrounding area in case any pieces went flying off of the sidewalk and onto the grass. She spotted a couple of popsicle sticks and gathered them before she turned around. Directly behind her was one of her classmates, who sat beside Leia in art class. 

Startled, Leia gasped, and the girl’s eyes widened before a sheepish smile fell across her lips. “Sorry!” Abby said. “Didn’t mean to scare you, I just found this.” She held out a small hat that El had made to resemble Hopper’s police hat. 

“Thanks,” Leia said, taking the hat with a small ache in her chest. Not a day went by where she didn’t think about Hopper; she missed him, but Joyce was doing everything she could to make the three of them feel a part of their family. It wasn’t the same though. They weren’t in that little cabin in the woods, eating Eggos and watching black-and-white detective movies. 

Abby shoved her hands in her pockets and rocked back and forth in her busted sneakers. She didn’t dress like most of the kids at school; her shoes were dirty and her clothes were mended with patches of different colors. Her hair was pin straight and black, with thick bangs cut barely above her eyes. She was odd but in a good way. Abby was always bouncing on her heels or tapping her hands against the tabletop. She spoke quickly but with so much enthusiasm it made Leia feel happy too. 

“Angela’s a jerk,” Abby said. “I’m glad someone finally did something, even if it didn’t end super well.” 

Leia pocketed the hat with a sigh. “I should have used real pig’s blood.” 

“You stole the pain from the art room?” 

“Guilty.”

Abby laughed. “That’s amazing! Oh, I would have killed to see her face!” Leia laughed too; it was impossible for her not to. Abby’s laugh was infectious, which often got them into trouble in art when they couldn’t spot giggling in the middle of class.

“Leia, are you ready?” Will called from several feet away. They had cleaned up El’s project and Luke was carrying it in his arms, probably in case Angela had any other ideas. Luke was a little taller and broader, harder to knock down. 

Abby gave Leia a smile before she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, she turned on her feet and headed across the yard, leaving Leia with a friendly giddiness bubbling inside her chest. 

Leia rushed over to her siblings, handing the hat off to El. Together, they all walked back into school, El sandwiched between them. The Hopper-Byers weren’t a typical group of siblings, but it was as if they were destined to be family all along. Maybe they radiated the idea that they didn’t belong, slotted pieces of different puzzles that somehow fit, but there was no denying that they belonged together as a family. 

[stvolanis]

Don’t Wanna Grow Up.

( one shot )

PAIRINGS: Rockstar! OC X Mean! Jim Hopper

WARNINGS: guys Hopper is really mean in this, small plot, OC is in a band (corroded coffin), she’s Eddie’s best friend/step-sister, age gap (OC is 19 and hops in his 40s), dubcon, drinking, usual rockstar things, OC is also kinda an asshole,nice jim at the end, hop being a cop (that rhymed lol)

NSFW INCLUDES: anal play, degradation (slut, brat, bitch), spitting, (hard) slapping, hair pulling, breeding kink, breath play, power play, size kink, manhandling, choking, oral (m receiving), praising (if you squint), heavy sir kink, humiliation, public sex (parking lot), p in v sex, overstimulation, cum eating, SORRY IF I MISSED ANYTHING<3

Istg I got horny while writing this so I hope y’all enjoy !!<3

please lmk if you guys are interested in a part 2!!

˚ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ˚

the night was lively and booming in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. It was a big contrast to the usual boring nights that the locals were used to, and it was surely a huge difference for on-duty chief of police, Jim Hopper.

Rowdy teens were one thing, but full grown adults plus teenagers being loud and obnoxious was not how hopper wanted to spend his night. Of course the big commotion would only mean one thing, lots of paperwork and phone calls.

It was a Tuesday night. A school night. A work night, even. What could have possibly caused all this up roar in the town? This much disruption and constant noise complaint phone calls from a small, quiet and local bar were unusual. But, nonetheless, the chief loaded up in his cruiser and made quick work of heading to the busy bar.

Jim could hear the faint blaring music from down the road, much to his dismay. As he pulled in and got out of his car, slamming the door shut, he quickly took notice of the locals stumbling out of the bar drunkenly, hollering only god knows what as he watched one fall into a bush. It was gonna be a long night.

Hopper walked into the noisy bar and was instantly met with the smell of strong alcohol and must coming from the sweaty bodies dancing around in the crowd. Unfortunately, he could also smell the lingering remanence of throw up, cause his face to crinkle up in disgust. Suddenly, the bright stage that was flashing every color under the sun caught his attention.

Of course she would be what was causing all of this nonsense.

Blood red hair sticking up in all kinds of directions bounced up and down while singing wildly. One of her dainty, fishnet covered hands in the air as her other held a microphone. The deep red lipstick she was wearing was slightly smeared, as was her eyeliner and mascara. Her honey brown eyes peering over the crowd with a wicked smile dancing on her lips at the mess she’s stirred. The lead singer of Corroded Coffin, Cherrie.

A Highschool drop-out who was on the upcoming charts with her band, soon to be leaving the small town to start touring across America for a hefty price. A delinquent since she became friends with the Munson boy, who she’d met in the 5th grade after she stabbed him in the thigh with her pink pencil.

Cherrie was a force to be reckoned with, and Hop can’t even count on his fingers anymore how many times she’d spent the night in the county jail either high out of her mind or drunk on gin. She’d spent her whole life in and out of the system, till Eddie Munsons uncle, Wayne, decided he’d take her in. Her love for music started when she’d stumbled across Eddie’s massive music collection. Once Eddie got his guitar and she had a microphone in her hand, the rest was history.

The band started off as something they did for fun with their friends, but then it turned into something they couldn’t even imagine. Once their producer released their first album, it went flying off the shelves after about a lingering week of nothing. Before they knew it, they were ushered to go on tour in 2 weeks times. Cherrie always felt she was destined for more than the small town had to offer, but she could never quite place it till now. She had wanted an escape for as long as she can remember, and now that she finally had one, she wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

The small town she lived in seen the worst in her, even the ones who were much worse than her. The difference between them was that she wasn’t afraid to show it. She didn’t need to put up a facade for people, because they’d always just see her as the burnt out Highschool drop out. But when she was on stage, it was like she was on top of the world. For once, the people who’d whisper terrible things about her and spread ugly rumors were looking up at her and cheering their hearts out. It was a nice change. It was a euphoric feeling.

Cherrie was no stranger when it came to the male gaze, as she’d dealt with it since she was only about 14. It’s always made her uncomfortable, for sure, but after a while she’d learned how to use it to her advantage. So it was no surprise when she’d tried attempt to seduce Jim Hopper a few months prior when he’d threaten to lock her up for good. She’d ended up spending the night in a jail cell. Ever since then, Jim’s felt uneasy around the ball of fire. Almost afraid she’d pounce at any moment on him.

But right now, it was almost as if he was in a trance as he watched her body move enchantingly. The lighting made her deep olive skin appear more vibrant, and hopper could see the sweat dripping down her chest and into her open cleavage. She wore a tight strapless corset that was laced and a small mini skirt that was so short, he was sure if she turned around he’d be able to see her ass. The fishnets that adorned her arms and legs had skulls embroidered onto them, but hopper could still see her colorful Paul Stanley star-man tattoo on the side of her thigh.

The choker she wore had protruding spikes on it and the chains she wore along with it complimented her slim neck. Hopper instinctively locked his dry lips as he stared at her for a moment longer before their eyes connected, and he felt the hairs on his arm stand up and his back straighten.

Cherrie watched Hopper walked to the side of the stage with furrowed eyebrows as he unplugged Eddie’s amp and the strobe lights, effectively making everyone let out noises of confusion and annoyance. Cherrie rolled her eyes and groaned as she dropped the mic onto the ground angrily before hopping off of the stage, pushing her way through the crowd to get to Jim. Eddie was hot on her tail, trying to calm down the fire he could’ve swore he saw in her eyes begin to spark, but he was soon lost in the crowd as he called out to her.

“What the fuck are you doing, shithead?!” Cherrie yelled out as she stood in front of Jim. “Doin’ my job, Cherrie. But you always gotta make it harder f’me, huh?” He huffed out with annoyance as he pushed past her towards the crowd of rowdy people.

“Everyone out! Right now, unless you’d like to spend the night with me at the station.” He yelled to the crowd, who quickly dispersed. Many sending Hopper ugly glances, but he was too over everything to care. “No, this is my scene, why’d you have to come fuck it up?!” She said with a groan as she stood chest to chest with him, though she was much smaller than him.

“Noise complaints, from multiple people.” He replied dryly. “Why can’t you just stay out of trouble for 2 fuckin’ minutes, is it that hard?” He added with a scoff. Cherrie didn’t process what happened as she felt her fist connect with his cheek, wincing as she rubbed her knuckles before slowly looking back up at an angry chief.

“Shit—Wait—” she muttered as she tried backing away from him, but Hop wasn’t having it. He harshly gripped her upper arm before slamming her front into the wall. “Cmon, yknow I didn’t mean to.” She said as she tried to wiggle free from his tight hold. “Shut up, brat.” He replied through clenched teeth as he snapped his cuffs onto her wrists.

“Ow!” She shouted as the cuffs tightened around her wrists painfully. Hop ignored her please as he dragged her out of the now almost empty bar. Eddie was by his van as he watched Cherrie get taken out in handcuffs with a shake of his head and a frown. “M’ sorry, Eds!” She shouted to him across the parking lot with a shrug of her shoulders. Eddie sighed as their band loaded up their belongings into his car.

Hopper pushed her forward towards the car. “We ain’t stoppin’ for chit-chat.” He grumbled under his breath. Cherrie merely rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Asshole.” She muttered under her breath. Hopper gripped her wrists in the cuffs tighter and he watched as she winced in pain. “What was that? Hm?” He muttered lowly in her ear.

She could feel his warm breath against the shell of her ear, and that’s all it took for her body to feel like it’s on fire. His grip on her wrists and the way she could feel his crotch area brush against her ass as they walked to the car from how close they are had her body on edge. She bit her lip as he opened the backseat door for her before roughly shoving her in and slamming the door shut.

Hopper got in his seat and fumbled with his keys with a huff before starting his cruiser. “Yknow you’re kinda hot when you’re mad to me, chief.” Cherrie giggled as she batted her lashes. Hopper eyed her through the rearview mirror, his eyes briefly trailing down to her open cleavage that was now free of sweat before rolling his eyes and adjusting the mirror to see better behind him, but really it’s just so his boner wouldn’t further harden from the sight of her in cuffs in his back seat.

Cherrie giggled lightly as she made herself comfortable in the backseat as Jim began driving to the police station. And then an idea hit her. “Yknow, I always thought you were a pretty shitty cop.” She said aloud as she looked out the window with a smirk. “Excuse me?” Hopper said, taken slightly aback.

“You heard me. I don’t even know you you became chief—I mean, aren’t you always drinking on the job? Yet you wanna make me seem like I’m the worst person ever.” She scoffed out with an eye roll. Hopper slammed on the breaks, making Cherrie hurl forward, hitting the head rest with a loud ‘thud’.

“Shit—what the fuck, Hop?!” She yelled out with furrowed brows. Jim’s breathing was erratic and hit fists were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. “Yeah? You think I’m a shitty cop? Alright, y’little bitch.” He muttered with a dark chuckle as he drove into an empty parking lot that was some what hidden behind trees.

“What’re you doin? you aren’t gonna kill me are you?” Cherrie giggled, feigning fear. Hopper didn’t respond as he parked the car and swung his door open, quickly opening Cherries too. “Hey—” she started, but was cut off when hopper gripped her upper arm tightly, yanking her out of her seat and onto the ground. Cherrie sat on her knees in front of the cop, looking up at him through her thick lashes.

“Y’gonna hurt me, Hop?” She challenged with raised brows and a taunting smirk. Hoppers hand harshly made contact with the side of her cheek, roughly slapping her, making her head spin to the side as a stinging pain overtook her cheek. Cherrie whimpered lightly, making Hopper chuckle. “Thought this was what you wanted, brat.” He said tauntingly as he gripped her hair, making her look up at him.

“Now here’s what’s gonna happen—” he started . “Y’gonna suck my cock like a good girl n then I’m gonna fuck that tight little cunt until I’m through with you, n maybe your ass if I feel like it. You’ve been a little bitch all night so don’t expect to fucking cum, y’hear me?” He stated as he peered down at her. Cherrie felt her pussy begin to ache with need, but this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to actually want him the way she does now.

Cherrie nodded and Hopper slapped her once again, but on her other cheek. “Words, slut.” He spit out. Cherrie moaned at the slap, making hopper chuckle. “Yes, sir.” She muttered as she bit down on her lip. Jim groaned at the name. “Good girl.” He praised as he began to unzip his pants, letting them fall to his knees.

Cherrie could see his large bulge and a small wet patch where his tip is that’s seeping through. “M’gonna teach you how to suck cock properly, little girl.” He said as he let his hard cock spring free, long and so thick. A vein ran along the underside of it and Cherries mouth watered at the sight, but she wasn’t gonna let up so easily. “S’ not gonna fit in my mouth. Don’t want it to.” She said.

“I don’t give a fuck, you act like a brat n’ you get treated like one.” He said as he slapped his cock against the side of her cheek with a smirk. He soon forced Cherries mouth open with his thumb and shoved his throbbing member down her throat without warning, making her gag aloud. Cherrie could feel her eyes watering as his cock hit the back of her throat with no mercy. It was getting hard to breathe, and it didn’t help when the mean man above her pinched her nose shut as he held his cock in the back of her throat with a loud groan.

After a few seconds he let her nose go and she released his throbbing dick, gasping for air, hee chest heaving. “Please—” she begged through breaths of air. Jim quickly shoved his cock back down her throat that was now becoming unbearably sore, along with her jaw. She moaned around his cock as she began to grind her sopping cunt against the chiefs freshly polished boots.

Hopper felt his end coming near at the sight it. “Look at you— h-humping my boot l-l-like a bitch in heat.” He moaned at through clenched teeth as he watched her mascara and eyeliner run down her cheeks from her tears that he caused. The way she feverishly humped against his boot harder after his comment made him cum down her throat with a groan and a string of ‘fuckkk, just like that’ and ‘so fuckin good’.

Cherries senses were overwhelmed as she tasted him down her throat and on her tongue. Salty, but not bitter. Hopper slightly pulled out and released the rest of his cum on her tongue that was hanging outside of her mouth with a satisfied moan. Cherrie made quick work of swallowing his generous load. “Whaddya say, baby?” He mocked.

“Thank you for your cum, sir.” Cherrie said as she gripped at his leg, her panty covered pussy still dripping on his boot. “Needy little girl, aren’t you, Cherrie?” He asked as he clicked his tongue. She nodded and muttered a small ‘yes, sir’ as he surprisingly, gently pulled her up from the ground. Hopper gripped Cherries throat and pulled her face close to his, just enough to where their lips were brushing against each other.

“‘M gonna fuck you so good.” He muttered, and Cherrie groaned as he lips finally crashed with his. The kiss was messy and heated, and their teeth clashed together as did their tongues. They fought for dominance, but Jim over powered her as his tongue danced with hers. “Fuckkk, y’taste so good.” He groaned against her as his grip on her slim throat tighten just above her spiked choker that he adored so much on her.

He opened her mouth before spitting into it, his boner growing larger as he watched her swallow it obediently. It was just something about making her go from a bratty, loud, rude and arrogant little girl to a submissive, hot mess with not much to say now that made Jim Hopper go absolutely fucking feral. The need to be inside of her hurled into his senses as he dragged her to the front of his cruiser, bending her over the hood.

Jim got down onto his knees, now eye level with her wet, fishnet covered baby pink panties with lace on the trim of it. “So cute, baby.” He muttered as he kissed the flesh of her ass before gripping both cheeks in his large hands. He pressed his nose into her panties and inhaled her scent deeply, his dick throbbing at the smell of her arousal. Cherrie whimpered as his nose brushed against her aching clit as she tried to wiggle her pussy even closer to his face.

Hopper chuckled at his needy girl and licked a long stripe over her panties. Cherrie let out a pornographic moan as he sucked her panty covered clit into his mouth. “Please, sir, ‘m sorry for bein’ a bad girl, need you so bad. promise I’ll be good.” She whined out as her eyes began to water again.

“Since you asked so nicely f’me, whore.” He said as though he were pondering it. He stood up and easily towered over the small girl bent over the hood of his car as he ripped her fishnets big enough to wear he could push her panties to the side. He groaned as he watched her slick drip out of her pussy and down her thighs. “Hop, my fishnets..” she muttered breathlessly.

“I’ll buy you new fishnets, baby, whatever you want.” He muttered as leaned over and kissed her shoulder. He slapped her ass, once, twice, just to watch it jiggle against the impact before spreading her ass once again to get a better view of her pussy. “So wet..” he murmured to himself as he slapped her gently slapped her cunt, making her let out a soft groan.

Hopper aligned his massive cock to her entrance and pushed in forcefully before pausing for a moment to get the smaller girl used to his size. Her cunt squeezed around him in a vice grip, almost painfully as he hissed. Cherrie moaned as she felt him fill her small cunt to the brim, kissing her cervix. She could feel him throbbing inside of her, begging to move.

“Please, sir—” she started, and Jim wasted no time in pulling out just to slam back into her again, causing Cherrie to let out a gasp. Hopper began pounding into the red haired girl, one of his hands gripping her wrists that were still in handcuffs while the other harshly smacked her ass hard enough to leave a deep red hand print, making Cherries eyes water.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she moaned out loud ‘uhs’ each time he slammed back into her. As his pace began to gradually increase, the sweaty sound of skin slapping together could be heard throughout the parking lot and Jim felt like he was on cloud 9. Her cunt was so warm and tight. Almost as if she were a virgin.

Hop imagined her stomach swollen and her breasts enlarged and swollen with milk. How she’d become domesticated and obedient, much to his pleasure. He imagined her whimpers and moans as he’d fondle her nipples and squeezed the bundle of nerves just to watch the milk come out of them.

His hips slammed into hers harder and faster, taking Cherries breath away as her moans were uncontrollable and throat sore. Her mind was blank and all she could think about was the way he was filling her up. “Like the way I fuck you, hm? Stuffin’ this little pussy just the way you like.” The older man said as he threw his head back with a loud moan.

God, she loved how vocal he was. It made her pussy clench around him as she felt her orgasm approaching. “Sir—‘m gonna cum, gonna cum, oh my god—” she moaned out, her voice a higher pitch as she whined at the stimulation. Hopper sounded almost animalistic as he let out a what sounded close to a growl. “I told you you’re not gonna fuckin’ cum, you hear me?” He said through pants. Cherrie could tell he was being serious, but she just couldn’t hold it.

“please, ‘m sorry, sorry, I c—ca—can’t hold it.” She gasped out as her mouth formed into an ‘O’ shape as her orgasm slammed into her. Cherrie squirted all over Jim’s lower body, making him let out a groan. “Fuckkk..” he groaned out again. Cherrie thought Hopper would let up since she’d already came, but it seemed like the man had other plans.

Her pussy was so sensitive as he continued his brutal thrusts in and out with no remorse to her aching cunt. “please—stop, I can’t—“ she begged loudly as she tried to push her cuffed hands against his lower stomach, weakly trying to push him away from her but failing miserably. “No, you wanted to cum so you’re gonna fuckin cum for me as many times as I tell you to.” He said as he watched her ass jiggle each time his hips hit hers.

Hopper moved his hand that was around her wrist to her ass cheek, spreading it before spitting down into her puckered hole. He used his thumb to smear around his saliva before he slowly pushed it in, making Cherrie hiss out in pain. “This is what little girls who don’t listen get. They get their assholes used and violated.” He said with a chuckle as he began to fuck her tight ass with his thumb.

Broken moans left her throat as she felt herself go cross eyed, body shaking at the stimulation of her clit dragging against the hood of the car with each violent thrust delivered to her over-used cunt, paired with his thumb fucking into her ass made her orgasm quickly approach again.

“Sir, ‘m gonna cum, please let me cum, please, please, please!” She yelled out like it was a chant. Hopper bit down harshly on his lip, drawing blood before speaking. “Hold on, ‘m almost there, slut.” He huffed out as his thrusts became erratic and sloppy. “Y’want me to cum in this pussy? Make you nice n’ full? Make you all nice n swollen with my fuckin’ babies?” He moaned out.

“Yes, yes, yes, oh my god, need your cum, please cum in me. Need it so bad.” She moaned out, drunk on his cock that was drilling into her now more sloppy. “Yeah? Fuck , yes. Cum f’me right now, Cherrie. Cum f’me.” He repeated over and over till she squirted all over his cock for a second time, her body shaking and spasming with each dragging thrust he blew.

His hips stilled as his cock stuffed her full, and she could feel him getting soft inside of her before lazily pulling out. Hopper dropped down to his knees again and began licking up both of their release from her hole, savoring the taste of her juices that were now dripping down the starved man’s chin, making his beard sticky. “Oh my god.” Cherrie moaned as her legs shook violently at the harsh overstimulation of him fucking his cum back into her pussy with three of his large fingers.

Jim let up and slapped her cunt a few times for safe measures before he grabbed the keys to her handcuffs and took them off. Hopper put her panties back in place to make sure none of his valued cum can get out of her used cunt. He let her body fall limp against him as he picked her up bridal style as he opened the passenger door, gently putting her in.

“‘M takin’ you to my house, baby. Gon’ take good care of you, Cherrie.” He murmured gently as he kissed her temple. Cherrie nodded and blushed madly at his gentle, loving tone. A tone no one besides Wayne or Eddie used for her.

Maybe Jim Hopper wasn’t so bad after all.

˚ ꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ˚

[starlordsatellite]

I have the slowest possible burn steve harrington x oc fic written in almost complete sentences in my docs that spans all four seasons and beyond, and have been obsessing over it for months but never had the courage to actually write it up and publish it... is now the time to suck it up and get going?

[perfectprofessorloverapricot]

•| A not so stolen youth |•

Stranger things / chapter 3

Summary: Everything in life seemed limited to walls of whites and rainbows. Caged within the confines of the lab. But an accident that involved a group of teenagers and the upside down world finally let him free. In a funny turn of events he found himself hiding in a step sibling's shed. A redhead that loves video games and a blond that spends his time making sure to keep his good looks.

Character: Male child OC

Warnings: Possible to descriptive scenes, child abuse, use of drugs and bad language.

A/N: I ask you to take into account that I lack experience writing in English and there'll be some grammatical mistakes because my native language is Spanish.

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It was early in the morning, every kid was either at school or at home because they’re sick. All except for one.

Thirteen walked with tranquility through the groups of trees scattered all over the town. He found that the only onces that walked there were a few really young kids, other than that, the coast is completely clear.

But what is not completely clear is his mind. The day before he saw something that brought back awful memories. He found out, his father is not the only man like that in the world and he isn’t the only one like him out there. He would like to say that he doesn’t understand Billy completely, but he does.

The teenage has moments of calmness when he usually keeps to himself or even glances at him as if inspecting his soul, and moments of complete chaos when he is hostile against anything and anyone near him.

Billy was angry at his father, that much was evident, but he couldn’t do a thing because he knew it was useless. That was a feeling he could relate a little bit to well.

It happened too often to him in the lab. Loosing his papa’s respect brought a lot of punishment with it and answering it only left him in pain. His only solution was to hold back and resist. But that led to future explosions where he sent his guards flying or breaking an entire room with a scream.

He was labeled as dangerous and forced to stay isolated.

He was thinking of ways to help make him feel better but nothing came to mind other than a present.

But what?

Or maybe, some company? That’s what he wanted when he was in the lab. Maybe that’s what Billy needs at home.

Before he could think about other options, his senses detected something. He heard a pair of soft footsteps quite some distance further in front of him but instead of dreading to find the person a familiar feeling made itself present in the back of his mind. He waited.

As silent as ever, he walked cautiously towards the sound.

Both kids that found themselves in front of one another gasped in surprise. They know each other.

The curly haired girl smiled at the boy receiving a smile in return.

“Eleven.” Whispered the boy, walking closer to her.

“Thirteen.” Once close enough they engulfed each other in a big hug, giggling, happy to realize they both basically survived.

The kids pulled away, still connected by their arms, smiling like no other day.

They had so much to talk about.

“-and then, she taught how to skateboard.” Commented the boy with glee.

They have been talking for about an hour about what’s happened the last year after escaping the lab and getting in contact with the upside down. So far, everything’s been peaceful.

He was happy to know that she was also taken care off by a good guy, even though she puts a kind of weird expression when she mentions him, she stills seems to trust him a lot too.

“But…” he made a pause and sunk in the log they were both seating at the reminder of what happened a few hours ago. “Her papa…” he turned his eyes from his joined hands to the attentive look of eleven. “He is like our papa.”

Eleven gasped softly at the revelation.

“She and Billy hide me.” His lips curved a little at the sides. He always gets a warm and fluffy feeling in his chest at the reminder of people that care about his safety. “She gave me clothes.” He gripped the fabric of the blue hoodie in his chest. The same that keeps his body heat from escaping. “And a name. Magnus.”

Eleven gave him a close-lipped smile. They don’t know each other as well as she would like too because they were separated in the lab. They met only after the rest of the kids disappeared and their father needed more power to connect with the unknown world. But couldn’t interact that much in a friendly way under the scrutinizing eyes of their handlers. He always wore a frown accompanied with tired eyes. So she is happy to see him finally smile, even in the slightest.

“And you?” He asked, giving her the opportunity to express something that might be bothering her.

“Hopper is good.” She nodded. “But he lies.” The kid raised his eyebrows in surprise. “He says, one day I’ll leave to see my friends but that never happens. He promised soon, but soon never comes.”

Thirteen lowered his head in sadness. He knows that feeling, or he knew, before living with his only friend.

“He says it’s dangerous, that it’s for my protection.” The kid wrapped an arm around her in a side hug to comfort her.

In moments like that he wished he was more like magneto and fight for their freedom.

But he couldn’t, he was just a kid after all. All he could do was make her aware that she’s not alone.

A certain blonde haired teenage boy was currently tightening a screw on the engine of his blue baby Camaro.

He was finishing changing the air filter. After what happened the day before with his father he has been looking for ways to release some pent-up pressure. He already said goodbye to his last hook up an hour ago, he doesn’t know where Max is because she was late and he left her to skate home alone and he already worked out in the living room but nothing seemed to make his anger decrease.

Billy huffed once he was finished, cleaning the sweat in his forehead with the back of his dirtied hand. It wasn’t enough but that’ll have to do.

“Jesus.” Exclaimed the blond once he turned around and found the boy behind him, startling him. Weirdly attentive to what he was doing. “What the hell are you doing there? Are you a creep?” He asked with annoyance. He had almost sent the tool in his hand flying.

The kid just kept looking at him and the car with his big blue eyes and shrugged. He didn’t know what ‘creep’ means.

Billy raised a brow at the look of wonder in the kids face. He has seen it a few times before, directed to him, like trying to figure him out, which makes him edgy, but this time it was directed more to his car. “Never seen a car before?” He asked mockingly.

Unknown to him, the first time the boy saw a car was when he escaped from the lab. Ever since that day, the younger one has been greatly interested in the weird machines that roll faster than any adult he has ever seen runs.

Billy furrowed his brows when the only answer he got was the kid leaning his head to the side, still looking at the car.

Was he really that stupid? No, he couldn’t be. They would have already found him if that was the case, but he would have to live under a rock to not know what a car is.

“What, cat got your tongue, brat?” Thirteen shook his head and stick his tongue out to demostrarte it was still there making Billy huffed and turned to his car.

What a weird kid.

He grabbed the car’s hood and slam it shut to make sure it was closed.

“Cool.” Alluded the boy walking closer to the drivers side.

“What?” Thirteen glanced at Billy for a moment before returning to the inside of the vehicle repeating his word.

“Cool.” He is not completely sure if his using correctly the word Max taught him. ‘A word to describe something that’s better than amazing.’ Is what she said, and that is exactly what he thinks about the car.

“Huh, at least you have taste.” Said Billy as he wiped his hands in a towel he had hanging from his short’s waistband. Until he got an idea. Something that would help him destress and he used to do it a lot in California. “Hey brat.”

Thirteen turned towards Billy, not knowing what ‘brat’ means but understanding he wanted his attention. He blinked a few times, watching the weird look in the teenager’s eyes. He had an idea.

Billy would never in his life know what led him to do what he did, but the next thing he knows, he is driving top speed in one of the many lonely roads in the outer sides of Hawkins with the kid in the copilot seat. He loves to use the backroads.

He thought the kid would be scared shitless, however, the kid was grasping the seatbelt like his life depends on it (because it does) with the biggest smile Billy has ever seen.

But he doesn’t care that the kid didn’t get scared he was too concentrated in the adrenaline coursing through his veins at the speed to actually pay attention. He didn’t even light the cigarette between his lips because it wasn’t needed.

Billy whooped in ecstasy and bobbed along the surprisingly not so loud music. It was more important the roar of the engine than the beat coming from the stereo.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Cheered Billy with his always sharp smile.

But that wasn’t the best part, he was waiting for the right moment to put his car modifications to the test. In a way he couldn’t in the crowded city of California.

His smile widened when he saw what he was looking for. A wide straight doble lane road.

It’s show time.

He stepped on the break and pulled the hand brake simultaneously, then turned the wheel completely to one side in a second. The car instantly followed the action, turning with so much force skidding the tires in the street. Making a U turn by drifting.

Billy laughed loudly while the kid beside him screamed for his life. The wheels scraped the floor until the vehicle came to a stop in the other side of the road. Facing the opposite direction.

Not waiting for anything, he pushed the hand break back down and step on the gas. The wheels screeched against the ground, leaving marks, before moving at full speed back to the house.

At the speed he was driving it only took him 10 minutes to arrive.

He got out of the car after killing the engine and lit the cigarette between his lips, taking a drag as if it was pure oxygen he was inhaling. Finally he felt a little bit better.

So lost in his relief he didn’t pay attention to the passenger in his car. He only turned his head back when he heard a thud. He found the passenger seat empty and the door opened. He huffed thinking the kid just left without closing the door but he stop when he went around the car and found the kid basically face planted in the dirt while giggling.

Billy scoffed a laugh almost sending the cigarette in mouth flying. He was positive the kid was high with adrenaline. He saw the kid try to stand up in his jelly legs only to fall on his side.

“What the hell?” Billy didn’t need to turn around to know who that was. He merely rolled his eyes when the redhead rushed by him to get to the kid. “What did you do to him?” She asked when the kid tried to stand up again with her help but stumbled to the side like he was drunk. She got even more confused when she heard him giggle.

“I fixed your damn brat.” He grumbled taking a drag of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and returning to the house. He wanted to take a shower.

Max looked between the retreating back of her step brother and the kid seating in the dirt with a big smile in his face.

Could it be possible that Billy changed his mind?

No, that is not something Billy could ever do.

But either way, she was relieved that he was at least tolerating the kid’s presence.

If Max thought they had made a progress with Billy after the ride he had with Magnus. She was wrong.

The very next day his anger returned when he saw her talking to Lucas. There was no problem with that, she didn’t plan to be part of their club of hypocrites anyway.

Well, that was her plan, until the very next day she wanted to go to the arcade to play dig dug and forget everything only to be tricked in to the breakroom by Lucas himself. They argued about the veracity of the fanciful story Lucas told her ensuring that it was the truth.

Leaving the arcade Billy saw him at the door. At first he acted eerily calm while accusing her of disobeying and lying. But a silent threat was made evident later in the afternoon when Billy broke her skateboard when reversing in his car.

It was his way of telling her he could ‘accidentally’ break something without a problem.

He became a ticking time bomb and she didn’t want to be there to see it explode because she would be the collateral damage, and possibly with her, Magnus too. Even though he has mostly ignored the kid in the last days, it was obvious the anger he was holding in.

Taking every posible outcome Max took a decision. She’ll go back to Cali to her father and she’ll take Magnus with her.

The kid already had a new name, and no one will be looking for a kid in another city, miles away from were he was.

That’s how she found herself in this position. Fidgeting with her fingers inside her hoodie pockets, feeling the money between her fingers and watching attentively at Magnus sitting in her bed and messing with her Walkman.

She got the money by telling her mother that she wanted to buy a new shirt but she wanted the money to buy it herself and avoid any kind of harsh comments from Neil if she went with them to the mall in the neighboring town. Her mother, illusioned with the possibility of her daughter buying something more feminine, gladly gave her double the money she needed to buy the shirt. She thanked the heavens her mother did because she forgot the amount of money it’ll cost to buy two bus tickets.

She forgot a slight detail. The distance between her and her father was much more now that she is in Hawkins than when she was in Cali, and the tickets would be more expensive.

She already prepared two bags with things for her and Magnus. In that precise moment she has the perfect opportunity to leave with him. Her parents aren’t home and they’ll come back until night and Billy was too busy working on his muscles for his next hook up of the night to notice.

Gaining some courage Max sat next to the kid in her bed. She took a breath and spoke. “Mag-“

She was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, someone calling at the door.

The kid raised his head, looking between Max and the bedroom’s closed door. He was to concentrated on the Walkman that he didn’t pay attention to the footsteps at the front door. It’s not like Billy’s blasting music trough the house helped at all.

He was already used to the volume of the music, but hearing it with the door open still hurt his head. At least the wood helps to drown out the sound. But he was still relieved that it’s not as loud as the alarms in the lab. That was a real headache.

He jumped from the bed when doorbell sounded again. He needed to hide. He turned to the window but stopped, if the person in the door somehow comes to the backside of the house he’ll be screwed. He turned to the bed. He doesn’t fit under it. As his last and only option, the kid threw himself inside the closet and closed the door, always leaving a crack to let the light come inside.

Max pressed her lips together trying to suppress a laugh. For a moment he looked like a headless chicken.

Her poorly covered smile disappeared when she heard her stepbrother yell at the next ring. “Max, are you getting that or what?”

Exasperated with him she yelled her answered “Okay.” She opened stood up stomping her way out of the room, closing the door behind her

“I swear to God Max.” Fumed the blond getting an eye roll and a glare from his sister when she walked by him. He just proceeded to lift the weights again.

From the closet, Magnus could slightly hear the door opening and closing over the music, along with Max’s voice from the other side of the door, indicating that now she was outside with whoever was at the door. He couldn’t tell what they were talking about because the music muffled their voices.

He waited for a moment, relieved that Max at least sounded like she knew the person outside. He was also aware that it wasn’t Neil, he could have heard his truck parking or his gruff voice booming in the house.

He waited a little while until she finally came back, closing the door behind her. She turned to Magnus watching the window in wariness. She knew why. Lucas was outside of the window. “Magnus.” She called for his attention.

He turned to her, blinking a few times.

“I… ammm.” She fidget in her place looking for the words to say. She didn’t know why she was so nervous, she just made up her mind and decided she’ll find out what’s really happening with Lucas and his group because deep down she still wishes to have friends. “I’ll live with the stalker for a few hours. He says he has proof or something.”

“Where?” Came the silent question from the kid. Max almost didn’t hear it with Billy’s blasting music coming through the door.

“To the old junkyard.” Magnus lifted a brown and tilted his head slightly to the side. There was nothing in there other than trash and forgotten stuff. Nevertheless, he nodded, understanding that she is going there like really few other teenagers do. “Okay, then. I’ll be back.” She said, making the reference of the terminator movie even though Magnus didn’t catch it.

She turned to one of the two opened windows. The one closest to the bed. She stepped on the woodshed outside before stopping and turning to Magnus who was seating in her closet.

“Don’t talk with Billy if he doesn’t talk to you, by the way. He’s not in the mood and can get cranky.” Magnus smiled at the thought but nodded again.

Don’t talk to Billy. Copy.

Max said a soft goodbye before exiting when she heard the boy outside telling her to speed up. He even heard her commenting that whatever they were doing better be worth it.

Minutes later after she left, Magnus stayed in her closet. He was to engrossed in the Walkman she borrowed him.

The interest came when he returned from the store he likes to visit (steal from) with a cassette tape he found behind the garbage dump.

He put on the headphones and changed the tapes the way Max instructed him to. He pressed play instantly jumping in his place and accidentally trowing the headphones. The volume was too high. Even with the headphones in the floor he could hear it clearly.

He decreased the volume to the minimum before putting the headphones back on. The rhythm of the music was somewhat similar to the songs Billy hears when exercising but not as scandalous. He turned the Walkman over to see the tape through the see through cover. The letters in the side said ‘Call Me by blondie’ and something else he couldn’t read due to the blurred sharpie. He likes it though.

He bobbed his head to the rhythm of the music, not caring that he could hear Billy’s music through the headphones. He liked it. He found his taste in music.

Still moving his head to the beat, he stood up and walked to the window farthest from the bed. He sat on the window sill dangling his feet for a couple of second before jumping out. He looked at the full woodshed beside him before returning to the shed. Walkman in hand.

He’ll wait for Max in there.

It’s been a few hours and Max still hasn’t retuned. Magnus got bored since he doesn’t know where Max’s tapes are and he can’t read so well, so he decided to steal an apple from the Hargroves’ fridge.

Meanwhile, the blond teenager was done exercising, taking a shower and currently sharpening his look before his date (hook up). He sprayed hair product in the hair locks that fell on his forehead. Turning over the bottle of colon, he spread a few drops of the liquid in his wrist, even going as far as to spread a little bit in the southern area.

He turned and posed in front of the mirror, smiling with satisfaction at the result. Taking a drag from his previously lit cigarette he leaned forward and blew the smoke against his reflexión, winking. Yep, he was ready.

His smile was erased once he heard someone calling at the door. He noticed the rush in the knock even over his blasting music. “Billy?” He knew that voice. The reason for witch his father decided it was a good idea to move.

Kind of.

“Yeah, I’m a little bit busy in here, Susan.” He answered uninterestedly.

“Open the door. Right now.” He mentally cursed when he heard his father’s commanding voice in the other side. There was no way around this.

Genuinely curious he finally opened the door finding his father frowning face and the always present worried face of Susan shielding herself behind the man.

“What’s wrong?” He cut to the chase.

Neil wasn’t at all impressed by his son’s bluntness. “Why don’t you tell us?”

“Because I don’t know.” He answered with obviousness in his tone. They just appeared in his door insinuating something that he isn’t aware of and yet, he is not surprised. Everything that goes wrong for Neil is always somehow his fault. No matter what.

“We can’t find Maxine-” Said Susan.

“And her window’s open.” Interrupted the man like the boss that he believes himself. Billy faltered for a second, looking in another direction before regaining himself. Even he was surprised. She was in her room with the brat a few hours ago. “Where is she?” Commanded Neil.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Scoffed the Man like his son was the worst dumbass in the world, annoying the younger.

“Look, I’m sure she just, I don’t know, went to the arcade or something.” Explained Billy, still not finding the force in his voice, kicking himself for it, and panicking internally. To avoid looking at the rising anger in his father eyes he went to the closet to retrieve his previously selected leather jacket. “I’m sure she is fine.”

Nike wasn’t having any of it. “You were supposed to watch her.” He commented, like he was just making an obvious observation.

Billy could clearly hear the covered anger under those words. But he couldn’t stop himself from arguing. He was getting annoyed.

He sighed. “I know dad. I was. It’s just you guys were three hours late, and, well, I have a date.” He slipped on the jacket and turned towards the man ready to face it and just leave. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“So that’s why you’ve been staring at yourself in the mirror like some faggot instead of watching your sister?”

That did it.

“I have been looking after her all week, dad. Okay?” He snapped. “She wants to run off, then that’s her problem, all right?” Neil licked the interior of his cheek, concealing his anger with an eerie façade. “She’s 13 years old. She shouldn’t need a full-time babysitter. And she is not my sister.” He turned to the radio. Stopping the music abruptly only to feel his heart drop to his stomach when Neil grabbed him by the colar of his shirt and slammed him against the shelves beside the closet.

“What did we talk about?” Asked Neil in a condescending tone. Practically whispering it in Billy’s face.

The teenager panted in anger and fear. He couldn’t answer fast enough when Neil slapped him in his left cheek, making him groan.

Susan, who once again couldn’t leave the scenario only looked the other way, feeling guilty for putting him in that situation but not doing anything fearing she could be in his position.

Neil grabbed Billy’s chin to force him to look at him before pointing with the same hand. “What. Did. We… talked about?” He made emphasis in each word.

“Respect and responsibility.”

“That is right.” Answered the man, pleased to have him under control once again. “Now, apologies to Susan.”

There was silence for a few seconds. Neil waiting for Billy while the blonde swallowed his pride and fear. “I’m sorry, Susan.” He said, never tacking his eyes from his father’s.

“It’s okay, Neil, really-“ she was interrupted when the man once again rises his voice.

“No, it’s not okay. Nothing about his behavior is okay. But he’s gonna make up for it.” He grumbled the last part. He finally stepped back to turn to look at Susan. “He’s gonna call whatever whore he’s seeing tonight and cancel their date.” He said as if it was the most normal thing to say. “And then he’s gonna go find his sister. Like the good, kind, respecting brother that he is.” He turned once again to his son, already finished with the humiliation. “Isn’t that right, Billy?”

Billy looked at his father with watery eyes hiding all that hate and anger he harbors towards the man. If only he could make him pay or just leave.

“It’s that right?” Yelled Neil when his first answer was only silence.

“Yes, sir.” He said softly.

Neil sighted in annoyance, leaning closer to his son. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you.”

“Yes. Sir.” He repeated. This time with more courage.

“Find max.” Demanded Neil with finality turning around and leaving the room, intimidating Susan enough for her to step away from his way.

Billy finally let the tears spill once the door was slammed close and hit the wall beside him. He hated him with all his being. He wanted to fight back, punch him or something, but the last time he tried to do it didn’t end well for him.

Sucking his feelings up and drying his tears, he left his room to the back of the house. He thanked the heavens he parked the car in the back really close to were he needs to go. The shed.

Faster than he thought, Billy reached the wooden door and gentler than he wanted to, he opened the door (still slamming it open). “Hey, brat.” He grumbled once inside.

Magnus raised his head looking at him with wide eyes. He knew it was Billy the one walking (stomping) towards the shed. But it still surprised him when the teenage barged in the shed and called for his attention, loudly.

Billy opened his mouth about to yell but stopped. He didn’t want to scare the kid that looked like a frightened rabbit ready to bolt and end up running around like a headless chicken looking for Max for scaring him, or for his father to find him hiding a kid in the shed and get his butt kicked.

Instead he took a breath before talking. “Where’s Max?”

The answer he got was the kid blinking in bewilderment hugging a comic to his chest.

“Ugh, for fucks…” he mumbled under his breath. “Do you know where is Max?” He repeated in a gentler voice, clearly containing his annoyance.

Magnus nodded his head slowly. Max told him to not talk to Billy if he didn’t speak to him first, she didn’t say anything about not telling him where she is.

Billy raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Okay, and?”

“The old junkyard.” He answered softly.

Damn. Now he is in trouble. He doesn’t know where that is. He slightly fidgeted in his place. “Do you know how to get there?”

Magnus nodded a slowly, still with the comic in his hands.

“Okay, then get in the car.”

Magnus instantly light up. He didn’t care that Billy used a commanding voice, he was just happy to get a raid again.

The kid quickly rushed out of the shed as silent as a mouse with an annoyed teenager following him.

Billy was already donde for the night, but unfortunately and unknown for him, it would be the longest and most eventful life of his entire life.

Hope you like the new rout I’m taking with this story.

[aprilludgate357]

adventures in babysitting

steve harrington x original character

Gracie Williams used to think she had the best and easiest job in the world. Getting paid to play Dungeons and Dragons and hang out with a couple of middle schoolers was something she could do in her sleep. But when Will Byers went missing, babysitting took on a whole new level of difficulty. Gracie would still say it was the best gig she could have though. And while she may have resisted it at first, steve harrington joining her on the job wasn't the worst thing in the world either.

season one! (completed!)

episode one: the vanishing of will byers

episode two: the weirdo on maple street

episode three: holly jolly

episode four: the body

episode five: the flea and the acrobat

episode six: the monster

episode seven: the bathtub

episode eight: the upside down

season two!

episode one: madmax

episode two: trick or treat, freak

episode three: the pollywog

episode four: will the wise

episode five: dig dug

episode six: the spy

episode seven: the lost sister

episode eight: the mind flayer

episode nine: the gate

season three!

episode one: suzie, do you copy?

episode two: the mall rats

episode three: the case of the missing lifeguard

episode four: the sauna test

episode five: the flayed

episode six: e pluribus unum

episode seven: the bite

episode eight: the battle of starcourt

[eddiemunson-reader-shame]

Eddie Munson x MKUltra!Reader: Something About Us

I wanted to write something for MKUltra!Experiment! Reader in an attempt to make a more non binary option for readers.

The storyline was inspired by Interstella 5555, which is a visual companion to Daft Punk’s Discovery album. The scene is from “Something About Us”, which I highly recommend watching for the visual effects and story. I believe Interstella itself is available to watch free on YouTube these days.

I’d like to explore more of this character in the future, so let me know if you’d like to see more of the storyline I have in mind.

Trigger Warnings: Main character death, blood, spoilers for Season 4

***

This time… he didn’t run away…

And you tried to help…

What a fool…

You approached slowly, exhausted. Limping from the pain of battle and just as chewed up as the love of your life was. It didn’t look good for him: flattened on the ground, bleeding from the mouth and monster-made orifices.

Dustin looked at you, tears in his eyes as Eddie, his friend, the one he saw as a brother, told him weakly that he loved him.

“Thirteen…” Dustin whispered, “He… He isn’t going to make it… Do something.”

I know… you thought bitterly. Neither am I.

At the end of the day, you knew you weren’t your “sister”. You wanted to help, but what good was your power when all it could do was show rather than do.

You gently but firmly pushed Dustin Henderson aside, reaching out to stroke his chubby cheek. A wet streak of sanguine ran down the pale baby fat, marked by your shaking fingers.

You had a mission. One last declaration to make that you were saving for Eddie.

Eddie Munson coughed. Dribbles of wine colored life running down the corners of his mouth as your beloved looked at you through wet, dark eyes.

“Baby…” he whispered, calling the name he’d given you.

To everyone else, you were Thirteen. A connection to their Eleven. In their eyes, a replacement.

But to Eddie… you were more than that.

I know, Eddie… don’t talk…

You took his hands in yours, resting your forehead against his. This was what you’d come here for. Dragged yourself with the last of your strength, sheer force of mind propelling you forward and to his side. Even though the demobats had taken chunks, you kept going. Pressing on with one mission:

You wanted to make the Pictures for him. Just one last time.

And he knew.

“Pi… pic…”

A bloody finger pressed to his lips.

Shhh… don’t talk. Just let me show you…

You leaned in closer, sharing the last of his breath, closing your eyes. Focusing the last spark of energy. Manipulating the pictures that vividly danced across your imagination. It had taken time. Had taken expertise and five long years to hone.

But Eddie had fine tuned it. His words and beautiful way with linguistics had inspired your imagination, and with his weaving of words you learned to make your own Pictures. No longer were you a surveillance camera forced to document everything and see horrors beyond recognition. You were no longer Papa’s camcorder. You could make your own worlds, your own Pictures of beauty and magic to chase away the dark.

And you wanted to show this beauty to Eddie. Your beloved. Your savior. Just as he’d shown it to you, one on one, playing dice games on the worn out coffee table of the Munson trailer.

Your castle…

You pressed his cold hands to your forehead, eyes opening, irises milky white.

Instead of the Upside Down, your Pictures washed over the landscape, with his touch you showed him how your surroundings in your mind were an elven paradise. No longer twisted, dark blue, or deadly poison. Instead you showed him Pictures of Greyhawk, the worlds he’d described to you from the depths of his vivid dream-like imagination. You used your Pictures to show him grassland dales, the City of Splendors, rivulets of starlight that marked the Astral Plane, dragons soaring through the clouds with red leathery wings cutting through the soft fluff of white against a blue sky…

One last visual burst of color, one last moment of respite to show him that you loved him. You would always love him.

Just one last moment of happiness before the end came to take the both of you.

You hoped he saw it… before he hissed out one final breath, and before your eyes closed forever…

[werdlewrites]

masterlist - ao3

summary: “You know him?” The girl named El nods slowly, and Autumn is instantly closing the distance between them. The cold plate is now forgotten on the counter. “How? Who is he?” The silverware is laid down with a gentle thud, hands folding up into her lap. The connection between them is strong and unbreaking despite the obvious worry in her innocent eyes. As if speaking of him will manifest a sudden appearance. “Bad man. Makes me…hurt people.” warnings: child trauma and neglect :( wc: 1,795

You wonder what it’s like.

To feel haunted by something you don’t quite understand.

To know something has its eyes on you, but you can’t quite make it out in the fog of terror. It’s waiting for you. Dying to get a taste of your fear as it digs its claws into you. Maybe it feels like a fire has been lit inside your stomach. Bubbling and boiling until your skin runs raw from fidgeting back and forth, on edge as the monster lingers in the shadows. Maybe it feels a lot like nothing. Your body is left frozen from shock. Mind stuck in a twisted web of fight or flight and unable to choose in the panic. A lack of action leaves you for bait as teeth and claws creep in closer at your back. But the creature of her story is a mere child—harboring knowledge of the true beast she runs from.

Autumn’s pants are soaked from time spent out in the snow—watching as his truck vanishes into the distance, then refusing to move. Stuck and one with the ice that melts from the heat of her body. She can no longer feel the sting, but her lungs begin to burn. The only reminder of nature's wrath as it slowly chokes the life from her.

Returning to the cabin brings no comfort—not the way it once did. Not the way she had hoped. She’s cautious as she moves around the small space, walking on her tiptoes and avoiding the boards that squeak with the slightest of weight. A trap set to spring should she make one wrong move.

Wild eyes are scanning the small space—from the closed-off room to the ladder up toward her private sanctuary. She could hide like a coward and wait for the girl to wake—pretending not to notice or to care as she wanders right out the door and out of her life. Out of sight, out of mind. Except now that she’s seen what was once a ghost, now walking among her, it’s hard to ignore.

Still, she never asked for it.

Anxiety gets the best of her and has her feet flying without grace across the wooden boards—the thunderous steps drowning out the sound of a rusted handle twisting. Autumn’s fingers are wrapped around the railing, prepared to make her ascension by the time she notices a shadow. For a moment, she hopes it’s all just another nightmare. That she still lie in bed, and Hopper had never left for work.

But just over her shoulder, the girl stands in total stillness. Nearly a statue with dark eyes watching the older girl in wonder. Their gazes meet with great reluctance—worried their connection will send her spiraling down a path she hadn’t braced for. A memory that had been purposefully forgotten.

“H-hello.” Her voice is tiny—timid and full of fear and uncertainty. She’s practically cowering from the teenager. Just barely stepped beyond the threshold of the opened door, ready to retreat should she need to. It’s her hesitation that makes Autumn realize that she’s just as afraid of her.

“W-where is—?”

“Gone.” The girl's voice cracks with the reply. Not entirely prepared to speak as a rapid heartbeat climbs up into her throat. A forceful swallow to give room for shaken breaths. She clears her throat. “G-gone. He, uh… He said he would be back. He had t’do some things.”

The child nods. Her fingers twisted and pulled at the fabric of a tarnished dress that certainly didn’t belong to her, as it seemed just a tad too big. She was terrified—anxious and uneasy in this new space. The look of her alone left a nauseating feeling in the pit of Autumn’s stomach, finding familiarity within her. She was just as the teenager had been when she first woke from the trance of shock. Lost and alone.

Autumn pries herself from the wall. Back aching from the pressure of the ladder forced against her skin. There’s a forced bravery on her face. A trembling, gentle smile—hardly seen in the dim light of early morning. But she wears it for the girl who purposefully shrinks away. “What’s, uh… What’s your name?”

The girl’s fidgeting fingers are still, though tangled tight in loose threads, cutting off the circulation as her fingers begin to turn red. “El.” She replies in a quiet voice.

Autumn repeats her name. Hushed and on a loop as her gaze falls to the floorboards. She’s trying to place the name to a time forgotten. To someone even mentioning her name in passing, and nothing comes up. No spark of a memory. No cozy, familiar feeling. Just an anomaly disguised as a girl.

But it was just a girl. Her innocence is long gone and replaced with heartache and trauma. Sorrow and frailty fill dark eyes as she searches for a place of safety and protection. Untrusting of all despite the sacrifice made to rescue her from evil things. For her sake, Autumn swallows the nerves to put on a brave face but keeps her distance. The electricity between the two sent fire crawling up her skin, burning deep into every nerve and bone.

“A-are you, uh… Are you hungry?”

El nods with great hesitation, though there’s a spark of hope on her face.

“Right, okay, uh, just—just have a seat.” A shaky hand gestures to one of two chairs—old and teetering with the added weight and a missing foot for balance. The girl waits patiently at the small table, hands folded up into her lap—nerves wound so tight she could bolt at any second from the slightest noise or wrong motion. A small animal of prey waiting for the fatal strike.

Autumn has to pry herself away from the wall, vision fading in and out with the rushing adrenaline until her hands meet the handle of the fridge. She works almost on autopilot—mind unthinking as she pulls out the food she worked so hard to prepare, yet never getting a taste of it as her body slips into panic. At least Hopper had enough sense in all of the chaos to store it away.

The plate is filled and warmed in complete silence. Thunderous hearts filling up the small space and lurching up into her throat when she lays the plate in front of the girl. Like she catered to the beast. Anticipating another invasion of the mind or something yet to be seen. Autumn puts distance between the two, colliding with the rattling fridge.

El doesn’t seem to notice the awkwardness or the anxiety ignited between them. Dark eyes are locked on the food, and like an animal, she begins to eat. The fork moving quickly across the dish to stab and scoop until her cheeks were puffed, heavy sighs of relief escaping her nose. How long had it been, exactly? If she’s been missing for that long, she would be a mere ghost of herself. Hollowed out with no strength to even lift a utensil.

Maybe the blood on her dress was an indication of just how she survived. The brutal reality of being left behind.

The teenager is so lost in thought that she doesn’t notice the child's pace has slowed. Her mouth is still full—chewing with care as she studies the far-off look in the other girl's eyes. El speaks. Words muffled by food and barely audible despite the quiet around them. “What?”

“Y-you were…scared. I’m—I’m sorry.”

Autumn isn’t aware that she’s staring—eyes gone dry and pained now that she’s locked on the girl, drinking in her sadness—her frailty. She’s only a child with a history unknown. Though it’s painfully obvious something darker follows her. Is it the same thing that haunts Autumn? The bizarre mysteries the universe had cursed them with and the fear of what they could do. She’s like her—that’s what they had said. But how far did it go?

“How were you in my head?” the teen asks.

The question puts El in a place of discomfort. Gaze faltering to land on a half-eaten dish. The admission was soft and almost shameful. “It was…an accident. Thought—thought you were in mine.”

It’s not the answer she was looking for. More vague responses to something otherworldly, leaving her without progression or closure—still lost and desperate for something bigger. Her stomach rumbles. The only sound between the two, and she surrenders to its call, turning her back on the child to rummage through the leftovers.

“D’you think he’ll find us?”

“Who?” Autumn asks without thought, practically on autopilot as she samples a cold spoonful of stuffing.

“Papa.”

The hunger is silenced by the nickname. It drifts through the air, seeking her out. The poisonous name crawls along her skin and slips between parted lips to coat her tongue. It spills down her throat—a rushing wave acting before she has the chance to choke it out. It’s unsettled, burning, and eating up her insides. Claws of death climb up her spine until they worm their way inside of her mind. Her senses are numbed—turning to glance over her shoulder at the girl.

He said they would take things slow. They would work at a snail's pace to prepare her distorted mind and her broken heart. It’s infuriating, even if the path ahead is frightening. But the need to know drowns out the itching anxiety. The bubbling heat of terror.

“You know him?”

The girl named El nods slowly, and Autumn is instantly closing the distance between them. The cold plate is now forgotten on the counter. “How? Who is he?”

The silverware is laid down with a gentle thud, hands folding up into her lap. The connection between them is strong and unbreaking despite the obvious worry in her innocent eyes. As if speaking of him will manifest a sudden appearance. “Bad man. Makes me…hurt people.”

Her heart is racing—pumping that poison to move faster until all she can feel is the buzz of excitement. The door to all she needed opening with the helping hands of a child. Too young to understand secrecy, and longing to be a part of something bigger than themselves. “Well all hurt–”

“Who, El? Who is ‘we?’”

There’s a glisten in her eyes. Old sorrows rose to the surface, a telling sign that her emotional wounds were still fresh and bloodied. No scars as a sign of healing and processing the trauma of life.

Autumn is sitting just across from her now, arms folded across the small table as she leans in. A reassurance that despite her lack of affection and hardened exterior, she was present. She was there for the child. Maybe it’s just cruel manipulation. Maybe it’s real. But she’s there, guiding in the focus of another broken soul. “What did he do, El?”

[sweetblinginrose]

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭,

symbols and meanings:

★ series ♥︎ smut ꥟ oneshot ༄ fluff  angst

✿ x reader ☾ x fem!reader 𒊹︎ x OC 𖣯 x masc!reader

═══════ ≫ ♡ ≪ ════════

billy hargrove

★ ♥︎  ����︎ sweet chestnut ︎

(“Sweet Chestnut” is an ongoing series about Samantha, Billy’s stepsister, who she really doesn’t get along with. It’s basically an enemies-to-lovers story)

eddie munson

♥︎ ꥟  ☾ the sith order

♥︎ ꥟  ☾ the sith order pt2

(A OS consisting of two parts where you, with your own D&D group, face off against Eddie, whom you secretly love but also hate)

♥︎ ꥟  ✿ hospital

(Eddie is in the hospital because he messed up his hands, one of which is in a cast, so you have to help him with almost everything)

jonathan byers

♥︎ ꥟ ☾ photoshoot

(Jonathan’s first job in California turns out to be a photographer for a porn actress)

steve harrington

♥︎ ꥟  ☾ spoiled daddy’s girl!

(It’s about your life when you were dating Steve and your return to the town as a very lesbian girl, hooking up with Robin)

robin buckley

♥︎ ꥟  ☾ spoiled daddy’s girl!

(It’s about your life when you were dating Steve and your return to the town as a very lesbian girl, hooking up with Robin)

jim hopper

♥︎ ꥟  ☾ back to hawkins

(You return to Hawkins after your divorce, where you encounter your old ‘boyfriend’ Hopper and end up sleeping with him)

[billys-pretty-babe]

But Daddy I Love Him

Chapter 2

Pairing : Billy Hargrove x Daniella Hopper (Billy Hargrove x Fem!OC)

Warnings : Swearing, child abuse, mention of alcohol

Word count : 2739

           Jim looked at Daniella after he got off of the phone. “Can you go pick up El from Max’s house?” She nodded, getting out of her dad’s recliner. It had been weeks since she arrived in Hawkins and she was well aware of where the Hargrove house was. She got into her car, checking her hair before beginning the drive to the residential neighborhood.

            She arrived at the familiar house and saw a truck in the driveway as well as the familiar blue car. She got out of her car, having parked on the curb in front of the house. She walked up the driveway and knocked on the front door. She heard some yelling coming from inside of the house, it sounded like two guys arguing over something. From where she was standing, she saw a glimpse of blonde hair, knowing it was Billy’s from the few times she saw him when she’d pick up El.

            The front door opened, a frazzled Billy behind El. His cheek was red and there was a bruise near his eye. El quickly walked out of the house and before she could say anything, the door was shut and locked. El looked up at Daniella, “His dad’s mean to him.” Daniella nodded and walked back to her car with El and sat in the car for a moment, trying to see what the shadows behind the curtains were doing as she saw a hand strike one silhouette, not sure if it was Billy, but she had a good guess that it was him.

            “What are they arguing about?” El shrugged and Daniella began driving back to the house. She walked into the house and located her dad, “Dad.” Jim hummed as he filled out paperwork at the small coffee table. “What’s considered child abuse?” He raised a brow, “What?” Daniella sighed, “When I went to pick up El, Max’s brother has a bruise near his eye and it looked like his dad hit him or something when I got back into the car.” Jim waved her off, “I doubt that’s what happened. Billy’s troubled, I pull him over weekly due to speeding and other stuff. His dad probably found out about the unpaid tickets and got mad over them. I doubt it’s child abuse.”

            Daniella had a feeling it was something deeper, but she nodded. She walked into El’s room, listening to her talk on the phone. “Who are you talking to?” El looked at her and covered the receiver, “Max.” Daniella nodded and stayed for the conversation. El would hum and nod, trying to comfort Max about what was happening at her house. “Dani can come pick you up.” Daniella raised a brow and El looked at her and giggled, “Please.” Daniella sighed and nodded and waited for Max to confirm that she wanted her to go get her.

            Daniella grabbed her keys once more before leaving back into residential Hawkins. She parked in front of the house, noticing the truck was gone and the blue car was still there. She walked to the front door and knocked and waited. The door opened, Max’s brother answering the front door as he held a bag of frozen carrots to his eye. “I thought you already got your sister.”

            Daniella nodded, “I’m picking up, Max.” He shook his head, “She’s fine here.” Daniella raised a brow, “She called my sister and said she wanted to spend the night.” The guy shook his head, “She’s not allowed to leave, she’s grounded.” Something didn’t feel right to Daniella. “What’s your name?” The guy looked at her, “Billy.” She nodded, “I’m Daniella.” Billy nodded, “I know, shit bird talks about how cool you are and shit.”

            Max walked around in the back and she saw Daniella and waved. “Wanna come in?” Billy went to protest before Max pulled the door open completely and pulled Daniella inside of the house. It was wrecked, plates on the floor and the dining table looked like it was placed in the middle of a warzone. “We can hang out here, my mom and stepdad are staying in a hotel for the weekend.” Daniella nodded and followed Max to her room. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

            Max nodded and Daniella walked to where Billy was as he picked up the large plate chunks and she began helping him. He looked at her, “You don’t have to do that.” She waved him off, “You obviously can’t see too well, just let me help.” He sighed and nodded. She helped him pick up the broken plates and she fixed the dining table. “Does he do that a lot?” Billy perked up, “I don’t know what you thought you saw, but it’s not what it looked like.”

            She was confused, she knows what she saw. She assumed it was something he didn’t want to talk about so she dropped it. It didn’t take long for the dining room to look pristine once again and Billy sighed, taking the bag off of his eye. It was heavily bruised and the side of his nose was swollen. She took a good look at him, he was breathtaking, even like this. She felt her heart stop a beat as she looked at him. He was broken but he was beautiful. “I’ve never seen you before.” She looked at him in his eyes, instead of her eyes wandering his features, “I’m only here for the summer.” Billy nodded.

            “How old are you?” “Eighteen.” Billy nodded and put the frozen carrots in the freezer to refreeze. “Do you know anyone here?” She shook her head and he hummed, “Well now you do, welcome to Hawkins, or welcome back. I don’t know your life story.” He walked away and walked into a bedroom and locked the door behind him. She walked into Max’s room, Max had her makeup on the floor. “You can leave the door open, that douche will open it anyway.”

            Daniella nodded, “He doesn’t seem too bad.” Max raised a brow, “You talked to him?” Daniella nodded as she sat on the floor with Max. She had been teaching her basic makeup and how to do her hair. “How’re things with Lucas?” Max sighed and began venting about her middle school relationship that was failing. “And then El broke up with Mike, it’s just a lot,” Max said as she practiced curling her lashes. “What’s your boyfriend like?” Daniella sighed, she hadn’t really heard from him since she got to Hawkins.

            “He’s a football player, I met him my Freshman year.” Max hummed before she looked at Daniella, “What grade was he in?” Daniella glanced at her, “He was a junior, a little old for me, but I was going through stuff.” Max nodded and fixed her lashes before putting on the clear mascara. “Is he nice?” Daniella nodded, “He is, he’s not big with emotions or anything like that, but you can tell he cares.” Max nodded again.

            “Has your dad met him?” Daniella shook her head, “No, I don’t think he will either. I’m only here for a few months before I go back to Indianapolis for college.” Max nodded; eye wide as she attempted to the clear clumps out of her lashes. “You should take Billy back with you, maybe we’ll have less tension with him gone.” Daniella glanced at the younger girl, “You don’t mean that, do you?” Max shrugged, “Ever since my mom started dating his dad, he’s been such a dick to everyone. Like he was always a dick when I met him but now, he’s mean. He never hurts me or anything like that, he’s just an asshole. I wish he was gone.”

            Daniella felt like she was lost for words, she didn’t know much about the blended family, but she felt like she understood where Billy was coming from. Her own stepfather had brought three kids into his marriage with Daniella’s mom and she had a hard time adjusting to having a ton of siblings. “Maybe he just needs someone to understand him.” Max snorted, “There’s no understanding him. I would say he needs to get laid but he does that a lot, he just needs a girlfriend probably.” Max looked at Daniella and Daniella raised a brow, “Why’d you look at me when you said that?” Max shrugged, “I could see you two being together.” Daniella scoffed, “I have a boyfriend, I already told you that.”

            Max hummed, “Do you love him?” Daniella stopped, she had been dating Alex on and off for four years. “Exactly.” Daniella raised a brow, “I didn’t even say anything.” Max shrugged, “Didn’t have to, I can tell.” “You’re fourteen, Miss Love Expert.” She laughed, shaking her head. “You hesitated, if you genuinely loved him you wouldn’t hesitate.”

            There was a knock on her bedroom door and she looked over and groaned, “What?” Daniella looked back, seeing Billy in a pair of shorts, his skin wet from what she assumed was a quick shower. “Do you want takeout?” He scratched the back of his neck and she took him in, her eyes scanning him as Max responded and Billy looked at Daniella. “Do you want anything?” She shook her head, “It’s okay, I should probably leave soon.” Max frowned, “Oh come on, you can stay. I doubt your dad would care.” Daniella shrugged, “I don’t know, I’d have to call him.” Max nodded and shoved her landline in Daniella’s hands. “Call him.”

            Daniella sighed, “I don’t have clothes even if he says yes.” Max waved her off, I can find you something, just call him.” Daniella nodded at the pushy teenager before she called her dad, getting permission to stay the night. Max had been like another sister to her. She put her blue phone back on the table beside her bed and sat back on the floor beside Daniella. “Now, tell Billy what you want to eat.” Daniella looked at Billy, “I’m fine, really. I had dinner before I came here.” He nodded and Max huffed and Daniella watched Billy walk away.

           He was attractive, she would never deny that. “You should call your boyfriend.” Daniella looks at Max and shrugged, “Okay.” Max handed her landline back to Daniella and she dialed his number and listened to it ring twice before he picked up, his words slurred a little like he had been drinking. “Hello?” She smiled, “Hi Alex.” “Hi baby,” he said loudly through the receiver. Max leaned in close to listen to the conversation. “How’s home,” he asked, hiccupping softly. “It’s good, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my dad and my sister.” “No guys I hope.” Daniella laughed, “No guys, I promise.” Alex hummed, “Alright baby, well I’m drunk and I need to sleep. I love you.” Daniella nodded, “Love you too Alex.” The line went dead and she put the phone back.

           “No ‘I love you’, just love you like you say to friends?” Daniella looked at Max, brow raised, “Once again, you’re fourteen.” Max shrugged, “Just saying, I’m gonna find you clothes for the night.” Daniella nodded and Max left the room, leaving Daniella in her thoughts. She and Alex had a lot of ups and downs and there were trust issues caused by him which caused break ups a lot. Max walked back into the bedroom with shorts and shirt. “Here,” she tossed them to Daniella and she saw the Sharpie on the grey shirt.

B. Hargrove

Hawkins P.E. ‘84

           Daniella raised a brow and Max shrugged, “My clothes won’t fit you and I doubt you want to wear my mom’s, so I took Billy’s old clothes.” Daniella nodded and changed in the bathroom. The shorts were big on her in the waist but hugged her thighs. The shirt was also big on her and had a masculine smell mixed with smoke. She walked back into the room where Max had changed into her own pajamas. It wasn’t long before Billy stopped by Max’s room, leaning against the doorframe, “Food’s here.” Max nodded and stood up, groaning as she popped. Billy walked away, his eyes lingering on Daniella in his clothes. Daniella followed Max to the living room where a beer was cracked open and a few food containers were on the table as a sports game was playing.

           “Your food is in the bag, shit bird.” Max flipped him off at the name and he did the same back to her as he sat on the couch and Max grabbed her food and took off back to her bedroom with Daniella in tow. It felt like hours, but in reality, it was barely under an hour until Max had fallen asleep on the floor, her food containers around her. Daniella collected the trash and stood up before leaving the room as she went to the living room, Billy still on the couch as a movie played. “Hey Billy.” He jumped, not expecting her voice. “You scared the fuck out of me.” Daniella softly laughed, apologizing. “Where do I throw the trash away at?” He pointed to the brown bag on the floor. She nodded and threw away the white containers.

           “She fell asleep on the floor, by the way.” Billy groaned, “She does this shit all the time.” He got up, stretching before scratching his stomach. He walked to her bedroom and lifted her with ease before he placed her in the bed. He turned off her lamp before shutting her door. “You can stay the night, it’s late and I doubt you want to drive backroads right now. You can take my bed; I usually sleep out here anyway.” Daniella shook her head, “It’s your bed, I don’t want to take it.” He waved her off, “It’s fine, really,” he said as he sat back down on the couch.

           “There’s no tv in there, but you can stay out here. I don’t bite, contrary to popular belief.” She laughed and sat down on the couch, curling up with her legs under her. “What’re you watching?” He shrugged, “Channel surfing.” She nodded. “Where are you from?” She looked at him, “Hawkins, I moved to Indianapolis eight years ago.” Billy nodded, “Why?” She hummed, not wanting to get into Sara’s death. “My parents got divorced and my mom got full custody.” Billy nodded. “Where are you from?” Billy smiled, “California.” Daniella’s eyes lit up, “I’ve never been there before. What’s it like?” Billy smiled more; his voice filled with love as he described his home in California.

           It wasn’t long before Billy felt a weight on his shoulder as the movie played on the tv. He looked down, Daniella asleep on his shoulder. He grabbed the throw blanket and covered her with it. He had a half mind to pick her up and take her to his room so she’d be comfortable. He didn’t want to leave her on the couch by herself just in case his dad got back early.

           He didn’t understand why he cared about someone he barely knew, maybe because she was worried about him and not only interested in his bedroom activities. He got comfortable on the couch, putting his legs up on the longest side as he turned the tv down. He grabbed a different blanket and covered up his lower half as he laid down. He looked at Daniella, feeling bad that he had all of the pillows. He moved her a little, not knowing how light of a sleeper she was. He placed her head on his shoulder so she’d at least be able to use his arm to keep her head propped up.

           He watched the tv program until his eyes felt heavy and began to hurt from the lack of sleep. Daniella’s lips smacked softly as she moved a little, her head on his chest as she curled up beside him, cuddling him. He stilled, his heart stopping as he stopped breathing. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do in this situation. He never cuddled anyone, his mom used to cuddle him but she left nearly ten years ago. He moved his arm so it was draped over her back before he moved his left leg so it was propped on the back of the couch, his knee up so he could get air under the blanket and he fell asleep, comfortable for the first time in the last ten years.

taglist : @joeyfilth @buckysgrace @unamused-boss

If you'd like to be tagged let me know <3

[roanofarcc]

PROJECT SUNSHINE CHAPTER FIFTY SIX → GRINNING LIKE A DEVIL

summary: steve harrington x oc | on Ao3

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

word count. 3.2k || masterlist || ocs moodboard

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

previous chapter ← → next chapter

Sunshine’s heart beat so loud inside her chest, that she thought the creature lurking just on the other side of the counter could hear it. The Mind Flayer growled, stalking over the broken glass-covered floor as it tried to sniff them out. Sunshine hadn’t dared to look at the creature, yet, too scared of putting an image to a terrifying idea. She focused on the three kids lined up beside her, all paled and shaking slightly in fear. 

Mike slowly peaked around the edge of the counter for no longer than a second before he whispered, “It’s turned away. If we go now, we’ll make it.” 

“No now,” Max argued. “Not with El’s leg.” 

“We have to try.” Both he and Max turned to Sunshine, looking for a tie-breaking vote, but it was El who answered, wanting to speak for herself. 

“There’s another way to get out, through the GAP.” The store was the closest to them, a straight shot if they could get there without making much sound and alerting the Mind Flayer. 

Sunshine wiped her sweaty hands off on the skirt of her dress as she said, “Get ready.” She poked her head up from the counter to see their path. The monster was still turned away. Sunshine trusted Nancy and Jonathan to get the other kids out safely and she’d get her three out. They’d reconvene at Nancy’s car with the broken piece Jonathan had stolen from the car inside the mall, and they’d get out of town before the Mind Flayer caught them. 

On her signal, Mike and Max looped their arms through El’s to support her and her bad leg, and they all took off toward the GAP with Sunshine trailing a step behind them. They ran fast and quietly almost having it into the store without being spotted, but El’s foot slipped on a shard of glass and slipped. The trio stumbled loudly into the store, alerting the Mindflayer. It hissed just as the four of them ducked behind a clothing display. 

The Mind Flayer crashed through the entrance, knocking down mannequins and clothing racks in its wake. The group sat squished together, trembling, waiting to be caught. A tentacle-like limb snaked around the store, on the hunt. Sunshine waited for what felt like the inevitable, waiting to become the victim of a towering beast composed of melted flesh and bones of poor Hawkins's residents. She dug her fingernails into the skin on her knees and swallowed down a scream that was lodged in her throat. 

The monster's arm grabbed a hold of a mannequin and roared once more before it sent it flying in front of them. The mannequin wore the same outfit that El had on. Her eyes were wide in terror; the Mind Flayer was smart, smart enough to recognize the outfit El wore and attack anything that resembled it. 

Its movements sounded closer and closer. Sunshine sat up a little straighter thinking maybe if she was a little taller than the kids, the monster would only grab her, giving them enough time to make a break for it. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the slimy tentacle inched forward right beside where they were, but not spotted them yet. Then, something from back in the main part of the mall popped loudly, drawing the Mind Flayer’s attention away quickly. 

They knew they had a small window of time to escape before it came back for them. They quickly sprang to their feet and sprinted towards the exit. 

Sunshine’s entire world moved in a blur before her eyes as she ran behind the trio of kids down the service halls that led to the back exit of the mall. She was filled with a sickly sense of Deja vu from a couple of hours before when she ran the same path with Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Erica. 

The white lights over their heads flickered frantically in rhythm with their heartbeat. Sunshine hoped the three adults underneath Starcourt were making progress because she had no idea how much longer they all could keep narrowing escaping a fate that wanted all of them dead so badly. 

☀☀☀

As Steve swung Calum’s minivan into the mall parking lot, he noticed only two other cars there. Nancy’s was parked in front of the main entrance. He could vaguely make out her figure standing in front of the side of the car with something in her hand. Then, he heard the shots ring out; Nancy was holding a gun, which was never a good sign. She seemed to be aiming at the car facing her across the lot, which Steve also recognized as Billy Hargrove’s. His engine revved and before Steve fully realized what was happening, Billy stepped on the gas and began hurtling towards Nancy’s car, where Steve assumed everyone was packed inside. They were in Billy’s direct path. 

Little Byers had said that Billy was possessed by the freaky monster who had ahold of the kid last year, but Billy had gotten it even worse. If Hargrove had been a monster before, Steve couldn’t imagine what he was like actually possessed by one. 

Holding his breath, Steve slammed his foot down on the gas and prayed that the rusty minivan had enough power to close the distance between him and Billy before the latter crashed into Nancy’s car. His hands white-knuckled the steering wheel and in the passenger seat, Robin let out a small yelp as she squeezed her eyes closed. She didn’t object to his plan, not that he gave her much time too. 

An awful screeching sound of metal scrapping against metal hit Steve’s ears before he felt it. Tires burned against asphalt and glass shattered as the minivan collided with Billy’s car, sending the latter spinning out. Steve felt his whole body jerk sharply, painfully, to the side. His head screamed out in pain from the minor whiplash on top of his other injuries, but he swallowed it down and turned to Robin. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, breathless. 

She returned his gaze with unfocused eyes. “Ask me tomorrow.” She blinked and turned her head as something caught her attention out of the busted windshield. Steve turned his attention toward it too, noticing an odd shadow shift along the roof of the mall. They leaned forward in sync, peering upwards in the wild blinking lights of Starcourt. Towering above them, in grand horror unlike anything he had ever witnessed, was the Mind Flayer. 

Its body was grotesque with giant spider-like limbs that crawled close to the edge of the roof. Its mouth opened up in the center of its otherwise featureless face, and flashed spiraling rows of sharp, jagged teeth as it roared, coating the air in horror. The Demogorgon at Jonathan’s was scary and revolting. The army of Demo-Dogs in the junkyard and the tunnels were overwhelming and the subject of his nightmares still, but the Mind Flayer was something else entirely. 

When he was little, he thought a monster lived under his bed. He didn’t think he’d grow up to be faced with real ones, and yet, there he was. The Mind Flayer was scarier than anything a child could come up with. It was made even worse by the lumps and oozing red flesh constructed of real people Steve probably saw walking down the street on who greeted him at the grocery store. Mothers, fathers, children. Who knew all of the people the monster had consumed to create itself? 

A car horn blared to Steve’s left as Nancy pulled up beside the busted minivan. Steve didn’t fully realize he was moving until Robin was shoving him into the very back of Nancy’s car. Robin didn’t even have the door closed before the car sped off and hurried out of the parking lot. The Mind Flayer crawled down the front of the mall and scurred after them. 

Steve’s body was consumed by nausea; he’d been knocked around one too many times that night, and speeding down the road was not soothing his stomach. But he tried to shake it off, turning around to see the heads of everyone poking up from the back of their seats. He counted them, a habit he acquired after the tunnel incident last year. He counted them once, twice, three times. 

“Wait,” he said. “Where’s Sunshine? Where’s the rest of the kids?” Four, they were missing four. Steve was positive they were missing that many, even in his slightly disoriented state. They were missing three kids and Sunshine. 

No one answered him, but he saw the kids in the back seat exchange looks with each other. The silence and lack of answers surrounded him uncomfortably. “Nancy?” He raised his voice just slightly. “Where are they?” 

Nancy didn’t turn her head to look at him as she said, “I don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” He wanted to scream, but he didn’t. He also kind of wanted to cry, but he couldn’t do that. Instead, he refused to look at the back windshield where the Mind Flayer followed them and kept his focus on the missing four. “They were with you.” 

The air inside the car with thick; the summer humidity outweighed the bodies packed inside the car and their labored breaths. After a beat, Lucas broke the silence in a quiet voice. “We got split up.” 

Split up? That meant that Sunshine, El, Max, and Mike were left behind. Steve wanted to hurl. 

“They’re with Sunshine,” Jonathan said, his words were more pointed at Nancy, who looked to have tears streaking down her cheeks from what Steve caught in the rearview mirror. “They’ll be okay.” Would they? The mall was the center of all of their problems; the place was swarming with Russians who knew exactly what Sunshine looked like and about her abilities. It was where the Gate was open and where Billy remained in the parking lot. Steve doubted hitting Billy’s car was enough to kill him, especially with his monster possession. 

“It’s following us,” Will said, his neck twisted around to see the creature from the window. Steve finally turned to look at it too. The Mind Flayer crawled down the streets of Hawkins with its spider-like legs kicking up asphalt. He was sure that if it caught up to them, they’d be squished by one stomp. “So,” Will continued. “It doesn’t know that they’re still at the mall; it thinks they’re with us.” 

That didn’t make Steve feel a whole lot better. The group of kids and Sunshine were still stuck at that stupid fucking mall with no way out. He just hoped they could hold out a little bit longer. As long as they kept the Mind Flayer occupied, it wouldn’t be a threat to the group, but everything else inside the mall still was a threat. Steve hated that that responsibility was put on Sunshine’s shoulders. He hated that there was nothing he could do about it. 

☀☀☀

The fresh air didn’t taste as sweet as Sunshine exited the mall that time around. She felt stuck in a loop in which, no matter what she did, she ended up right back inside the mall. It refused to end. The four of them limped out the side exit, where Sunshine had been earlier trying to flee from the Russians, only to be chased back inside. And as if someone from above, whoever was controlling their lives, actually laughed at them because once they were just far enough out to believe they could make it to the front of the mall, a figure stalked right towards them. 

Under the glow of the lamp lights, Billy Hargrove locked his gaze on them, and Sunshine felt her blood rush to her head. She grabbed a hold of Max’s shoulder and pulled her to a stop, halting El and Mike since they all were connected by looped arms. Billy walked towards them at a normal pace, not too quickly or slowly, as if he knew he already had them right where he wanted. Thick, black veins covered his exposed arms and trailed up his neck, making him look for from human. Black blood was smeared across his white wife-beater top, and he glistened with sweat.

“Go! Back inside!” Sunshine shoved the kids toward the door they had just walked out of. They took off running as quickly as El’s bad leg allowed. Sunshine turned toward Billy and sprinted toward the gate that he had yet to pass through that separated the loading dock from the back parking lot. She slammed her fist down on the button that controlled the gate. As if started to close, she ran back to the trio using what little time they had spared themselves from whatever Billy and the Mind Flayer had in store for them. 

Once again, she raced through the back halls of Starcourt with sore legs and a depleting thread of adrenaline pumping through her veins. She kept her gaze split between the kids ahead of her and the empty hall behind her. 

She kept reminding herself of the promise she had silently made what felt like a lifetime ago after Will returned from the Upside Down and after Sunshine saw the many lost children of Hawkins Lab inside the party. She’d keep them safe; that was a promise she’d never break. She didn’t let the crashing wave of panic pull her under. 

The trio stumbled into one of the open rooms, letting El rest her leg for a second and allowing them all to catch their breath. Sunshine closed her eyes for just a moment, focusing on her breathing and slowing her aching heart. Time refused to slow down for her and before she could even peel her eyes back open and register what was happening, Max’s voice cut through the air, thick and heavy. 

“Billy, please. It’s Max. I’m your-” The only part of Max Sunshine saw was her leg, stepped halfway out of the doorframe for only a moment before she fell backward and crashed onto the floor. The fall was hard, purposeful, and caused Max’s bright eyes to shut and her limbs to go limp. 

Sunshine yelled out for the girl, rushing forward, but Billy stepped into the room and cut off her path to Max. Broad and towering, Billy looked monstrous with his sickly-colored skin under the flickering lights. Sunshine held her ground, separating him from El and Max. Through gritted teeth, she ignited her hands, letting the white light burn in her palms with a glittering fury. She threw her arm forward, striking Billy in the chest with a burst of light, but it was only strong enough for him to stumble slightly. He shook it off too quickly and launched himself at her with a low grunt and flare of his nostrils. 

She had to be careful, using her abilities inside the confines of the small room. El and Mike curled against the wall, holding onto each other in an attempt to become as small as possible. With a twist of her wrist, Sunshine struck him again with a small beam that sliced across the skin of his arm, but it hardly seemed to inflict any pain at all. He was too far gone; his jet-black irises told her that much. 

They danced around the room, Sunshine’s steps light and quick while he was loud and stiff. She tried to hit him in the places where it hurt, the eyes or any exposed flesh, but it wasn’t enough. If she wanted to take him down, she needed to be more aggressive, but then she ran the risk of hurting one of the kids in the process. 

Billy, however, had no remorse for any of them and as soon as Sunshine stepped too close, he grabbed a hold of her hair and pulled hard. Her scalp burned, but only for a moment before that pain was replaced by Billy using the momentum to slam her up against the wall. Pain exploded right where her head collided with the wall and a short scream tore past her lips. She lost her footing and landed on the ground with spotted vision. The figures of El and Mike blurred, and their voices became muddled and frantic. She watched as their figures moved. A mess of lanky limbs collided with the floor a couple of feet in front of her. Mike. 

Mike was knocked out, just like Max. Rage flared inside Sunshine’s chest. She blinked away the dizziness she could and struggled to her feet, against her body's wishes. Those were her kids who Billy was hurting. She couldn’t let him get away with it, no matter what or who possessed him.

She screamed something between a battle cry and utter frustration as she attacked him from behind. She slapped her burning hands against his bare shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin for good measure. Billy hissed, his body seizing up just slightly under her touch, but it only lasted a moment. He was strong and desperate to heed whatever orders the Mind Flayer instilled in his sick and twisted brain. He spun around to face her, and Sunshine went right for his face. She stung him in the eyes at the same time he went in for a punch. 

Her light hit him, searing his eyes as his fist struck her gut with an inhuman amount of strength. Crying out, Sunshine doubled over, and he recovered. Billy blinked wildly but there was no hesitation in his movements. His hand gripped her throat, fingers squeezing hard and cutting off the air to her lungs. She thrashed and tried to claw her way out, but dots grew darker in the corners of her vision. She felt herself on the verge of passing out. Before she could, though, Billy let go and let her body drop to the floor in a sputtering fit of coughs. 

Air slowly reentered her lugs, but she had no strength to pick herself up. Something wet pooled on the back of her head where she had hit the wall, and the urge to close her eyes was almost overwhelming. She forced her gaze open, staring unfocused as Billy stalked towards El, who tried to use her abilities to fight him off, but nothing happened. 

Billy knocked El out. Sunshine cried, her throat raw. She tried to stand but the room spun, and her limbs felt like jelly. All she could do was watch as Billy threw El’s body over his shoulder. He came for Sunshine next, grabbing ahold of her ankle. She tried to kick herself free, but his strength overpowered her. She felt useless, being dragged down the hall half-conscious. Her last resort after fighting proved to be pointless, was to yell. 

Sunshine yelled out every name she knew. Steve. Nancy. Hopper. Joyce. Dustin. Anyone. She needed anyone; she needed someone. They needed help. 

Tears poured from her eyes, but no one was there. 

Billy carried and dragged them down the corridors and into the main part of the mall, under the sky of shattered glass. The lights that dully blinked started to flash with more intensity.

He let go of her ankle first before he took El a little further away, out of Sunshine’s reach. Everything was quiet for a moment after that. Sunshine's blood drummed in her ears as she attempted to lift her head, even though it felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Something rumbled in the distance; no, something roared in the distance, drawing closer. Closer. Closer…

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

[stvolanis]

STRANGER THINGS

ONE SHOTS

✎ Strawberry Kisses - Nancy Wheeler

✎ Don’t wanna grow up - Jim Hopper

STRANGER THINGS DRABBLES

✎ Nancy Wheeler smut

“𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?”

[stranger-marauders]

unbreakable

seven: the aftermath

chapter summary: After the party, Kate finds she has more than a hangover.

chapter warnings: alcohol intoxication, steve being a bad friend

word count: 3.2k

series masterlist | masterlist

WHEN STEVE AND Nancy had finally made it to his room, they had found Kate wearing only his dark blue sweatshirt and passed out in his bed.

Before she’d made it upstairs, Nancy imagined what his room looked like in her head. While she hadn’t pictured it perfectly compared to the actual room, she’d been fairly accurate in her image of it. She had pinned the dark blue bedding and the light-wooden furniture, but she hadn’t pinned down the checkered wallpaper in his room, nor would she have assumed he’d have so many pictures of him and Kate in his room. The blonde girl being in his bed had almost been perfect—she’d been in all of his pictures, so of course she’d be in his bed, too.

Steve, however, immediately laughed at the sight of his best friend, almost as if he were trying to ease the subtle tension that hung in the air of the room. He didn’t know if he had laughed because of his nervousness, because he was worried about her, or even because he was just tipsy and everything was funny right now, but he went with it. “I’m gonna take her down the hall. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Nancy nodded. “I… I think I’ll go ahead and change.”

Steve had no idea that by the time he would come back, Nancy definitely would not be changed into drier clothing.

Without another word, Steve scooped Kate into his arms, carrying her into the guest bedroom across the hall from his own room.

He couldn’t think of a time when he’d had to actually carry her out of somewhere, especially not while she was passed out. Come to think of it, he couldn’t think of a time when Kate had actually fallen asleep before him, not for years. Besides, there was no reason to carry her out of his room if they normally slept in the same bed anyway.

When the Hoppers and the Harringtons had traveled together when they were younger, Steve and Kate had always slept in the same bed (of course, leaving Sara out, because they were the “big kids”). Once they hit middle school, their parents had told the two children that it wasn’t exactly appropriate for the two of them to be sleeping in the same bed anymore. Of course, with Sara being sick, the two kids, for the most part, had been able to maneuver sleeping in the same bed without their parents knowing. Back then, Kate had needed the support, and Steve was more than willing to give it to her.

It hadn’t proven to be too much of a problem until Kate and her father had moved back to Hawkins the summer before seventh grade began, which was when that rule became even more enforced. Of course, Steve and Kate hardly ever listened to their parents unless his mother or her father had come to check on them and one of them had fallen asleep. If it had been Steve’s mother who had checked on them, then Kate would move to the guest bedroom across from Steve’s own room.

That was why the guest bedroom at the Harrington house had unofficially become Kate’s bedroom. It was plain, with the light blues and turquoises that had been popular whenever his mom redecorated it a few years back, but it was still nice. Nice with all of the large, expensive pillows she’d put in there, as well as a vanity and chest of drawers. Nice—that was the word that Kate had used to describe it when she first saw it. That was, however, how she described everything in his house, so he didn’t really know how she felt.

He thought for the time being that this would be the best place to put her.

Whenever Steve first put her down into the bed, he struggled with pulling the comforter and top sheet down for her. He didn't want to just throw her on the bed and her get cold. Still holding her with one arm, he threw the more decorative-looking pillows on the floor and pulled the comforter and top sheet down, then scooped her back up and placed her down gently. Of course, as he began to pull the sheets on top of her, she began to stir. 

“No, no, no, no, no, Kathy, shh,” he said, grabbing her as she tried to fight him. “You need to go to bed, okay? You just need to go to bed.”

“Steve…”

“Kathy, just listen to me, okay?” Without giving her the opportunity to fight him, Steve picked her back up, pulled the sheets down, and placed her back into the bed.

“What…?”

He sat down next to her, trying to pull the sheets over her body. Whenever she started to fight him again, he tried to stop himself from laughing. “Kathy—”

“N–No, no… I’m not… tired,” she said, still slurring her words. She didn’t even have her eyes open, her movements sluggish. She couldn’t have been more than half-awake. 

“Go to sleep, okay?” he said, pushing the hair out of her face. “You’re gonna hate yourself tomorrow morning.”

Whenever she groaned in response, still half-asleep, he smiled for half a second. He finally pulled the sheets and comforter over her body, and, without thinking, kissed her on the cheek. “Love you, Kathy. Get some sleep, okay?”

She exhaled softly in response, turning her head slightly. Kate was out for the night and for good this time.

As he walked away to the door, she mumbled his name again, then something so soft he couldn’t make it out. He shook his head, turning out the light and shutting the door behind him. Steve knew that anything coming out of Kate’s mouth for the rest of the night wouldn’t make any sense, and he didn’t think he was in the right mindset for anything else to happen involving her. 

As he walked off to greet Nancy again, hoping that maybe the night wouldn’t be ruined for them, Kate slept all of her troubles away, Tommy and Carol slept together, and Barbara Holland was gone, never to be seen alive again.

When he’d finally gotten home after a long night of searching for Will Byers, Hopper had panicked whenever he hadn’t found Kate asleep in her room.

Of course, he quickly remembered that she had been staying at Steve’s for the night, and most of his worry for her as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator melted away.

Most parents, especially in small towns like Hawkins, would have raised an eye at their daughter going to a boy’s house, especially for the night, but even more so if they knew it was the Harrington boy. Hopper knew how it was. It wasn’t like he hadn’t grown up in Hawkins himself, like he didn’t know how things worked. Hopper would have worried much more if he didn’t know Steve as well as he did.

Even though he was a boy, it wasn’t like he didn’t know the kid. Hell, he’d known the kid for almost his entire life. Hopper had grown to know that even if the kid acted like an ass sometimes, he wasn’t near as much of one as he let on to be.

In recent years, the boy had made Hopper wary of him. Contrary to most folk in Hawkins, Steve’s slight dickishness had never been what made him wary—Hopper was simply reminded so much of himself whenever he had been in high school every time he looked at the kid in recent years.

Hopper wasn’t an idiot. Sure, he wasn’t the smartest guy in town, but he was observant, at least. In his eyes, it didn’t take a genius to map out all of the similarities between the two of them. For starters, Hopper wasn’t a stranger to what it looked like when your old man was beating on you. He could see right through the faux arrogance and charades, similar to how his daughter did. He knew that even though Steve was somewhat of a handful, Hopper knew that he, more than anything, cared about his own kid, so he would let his behavior slide for the time being.

Even so, Hopper would always worry about his daughter, even if he knew she was safe.

With everything that had happened in the past couple of days, which had almost felt like weeks—Joyce Byers’s kid going missing, Benny shooting himself in the head—for the first time in a long time, Hopper was scared. The man had been riddled with anxiety when he got home and when he left for work again because he knew, even if for now she was safe, he would be so much worse off if he lost her, too.

His daughter was his saving grace. Hopper knew he didn’t act like it, and surely he didn’t think that she knew that, but he knew that if anything ever happened to his daughter, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. He didn’t think he would ever be able to express that feeling to her, would even be able to hint at it, but he knew in his heart that it was true. He knew that there wasn’t absolutely anything in the world that he wouldn’t do to keep his daughter safe, so long as he was alive.

That was why he couldn’t afford to not take this missing boy seriously.

He knew that he wasn’t the only person nervous about everything going on. Every time he’d seen his daughter since he’d come home the night before, which was only twice, he’d sensed her anxiety surrounding the case. Hopper hated it, but he’d rather have her worried than missing, though, never mind even possibly gone for good.

Hopper didn’t know what he’d do with himself if anything happened to Kate—maybe he’d finally lose it once and for all.

Kate woke up the next morning with a splitting migraine.

She groaned, realizing she’d somehow ended up in the guest bedroom across the hall from Steve’s room. When she’d finally been able to open her eyes for more than a moment or two, everything had seemed so bright, especially with the sun beginning to peek through the window. She looked to the bedside table only to find two ibuprofen and a glass of water.

Steve.

Whenever she’d made it downstairs, she quickly found Steve in the kitchen.

He had already taken a shower, presumably dealing with the Hair situation before the sun had even risen. He’d even gotten dressed already and was now carrying out the breakfast part of his routine by pouring himself a bowl of cereal. Whenever he turned around from pouring the bowl, holding a spoon in his hand, he smiled wide. “Morning, sunshine. You feeling okay?”

“Mm,” she said, pressing her lips together. “I have a killer headache, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That’s it?” he asked in return, leaning on the counter as he began eating his Cheerios.

“Well, I mean, my eyes sting, but I haven’t decided if that’s because of the alcohol or because I’m looking at you right now,” she said, smiling smugly.

He shook his head, pressing his lips together in a discontent expression. “You think you’re so funny.”

“Just a little bit. Funnier than you, anyway,” she said, moving to lean against the counter next to him. “I probably smell like beer right now.”

“Oh yeah. Totally,” he said, taking another bite of Cheerios. “Stinking up my damn kitchen.”

“Oh my God.”

“It’s like you’ve never heard of a shower or something—ow, hey!” he said, recoiling slightly in response whenever she swatted his shoulder. “Watch it, okay? I could’ve spilled my Cheerios because of you.”

“Oh, the humanity,” she said dryly, her smile juxtaposing her tone. “Anyways, I’m going to take a shower in your bathroom. I like the shampoo in there more.”

“Yeah? Hurry up or you’ll run out of time. I do not want to deal with your stench all day, okay? I mean it.”

She rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together as she left the room. “Thanks, asshole.”

Without another word, she trotted along upstairs to the bathroom, hoping nothing more than to wash the stench, as he’d so lovingly put it, of last night off of her body and hopefully her mind, too.

Kate’s headache still hadn’t cleared up by the time she and Steve had gotten to school.

“What the hell did I even do last night?” Kate asked. While the ibuprofen had helped slightly, her head still throbbed. The fluorescent lighting inside the school had even still been a little too bright for her liking, but the more she was subjected to them, her sensitivity to them slowly started to clear.

Steve only laughed at his best friend as he watched her navigate her first hangover. In terms of hangovers, hers wasn’t so bad. She had woken up with a bad headache, which was much better than his first hangover, quite possibly even better than some of his more recent ones. “Uh, what do you remember?”

“Kinda goes blank after Nancy and Barbara showed up, honestly,” she replied, shrugging slightly. “I remember the wine, I remember the first couple of beers, but I pretty much was blacked out by the time they actually got there.”

“Well, would you like to be enlightened on what drunk you is like?”

She hesitated, eventually shrugging. “Sure, why not?”

He laughed uneasily. “All right, so you stripped in front of everyone, swam in the pool, and shotgunned a beer, so you’re missing a lot of time. I think you also became friends with Barbara somehow? I’m not really—”

“Hold on, what?” she asked, cutting him off and laughing uneasily. “Back up. I did what?”

“Listen, it’s not like we didn’t try to stop you, okay?” Steve argued. “You just didn’t want to listen. You’re really annoying whenever you’re that drunk, okay? Like, you literally did not give a flying fuck about what I had to say last night.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“I really wish I was.”

She sighed, putting her head in her hand. “Steven, never under any circumstances let me ever do that again.”

“But—”

“I don’t care if you have to drag me. Never again. Got it?”

He nodded again, chuckling slightly. “Gladly. I don’t ever wanna witness that again. It was horrible.”

Kate hesitated to ask another question. How much else did she really want to know about last night? “You have any idea what Nancy’s friend and I were talking about?”

His face contorted in confusion. “What? Why?”

“Well, right now I’m pretty sure I horrified her.”

Steve shook his head. “No idea. Don’t worry about it. It was probably boring, anyway.” Whenever she didn’t respond, he nudged her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it, okay? It’s nothing.” He paused, almost as if he were waiting for her to respond. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she said softly. She still wasn’t completely convinced of what he was saying, especially after he had essentially told her she had annoyed him all night.

Kate couldn’t believe he’d let her do all of those things the night before. She couldn’t remember how many parties they’d gone to together that she’d had to stop him from embarrassing himself, or at least embarrassing himself any further than he already had. She couldn’t believe that she had done everything that he’d said, especially all in one night. Kate had never done anything like that in her life, and she couldn’t believe that Steve didn’t try hard enough to try and stop her from doing them.

Steve, as they roamed the hallways, finally stopped in his tracks.

“What?” 

Kate quickly turned her head to find what he was staring at: he’d finally found Nancy. She was currently standing at her locker, presumably grabbing the books she needed for her first class of the day. 

“I hate to leave you alone like this, but I should, I… probably go and talk to her. About last night.”

Kate ran her fingers through her hair. She didn’t even want to ask. She had already known what had happened last night, and the extra pep in his step all morning had perfectly displayed it for her. She couldn’t understand for the life of her why she asked anyway. “So, you guys did it, huh?”

He shoved her lightly before walking off and smiling. “Shut up.”

Kate, however, hadn’t smiled, and only stared at the boy longingly.

She couldn’t understand why she cared so much about him in the first place. It wasn’t like he ever went out of his way to do things for her like she did for him, and he certainly didn’t care enough about her to at least shield her from all of the girls he fucked around with. She didn’t even know why she cared about that, anyway. It wasn’t until now, right now as he watched him flirt with Nancy right in front of her that it almost physically hurt her. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. How was a person supposed to feel whenever their best friend was flirting with someone else in front of them? It was absolute bullshit, especially when she—

Oh. 

No, that couldn’t be it. Why would that be it? Certainly, she couldn’t be in lo—it made her vomit just thinking about it. About him. God, she hated him. She hated everything about him: his stupid hair, his stupid smile, his stupid puppy dog eyes that practically begged her to give him attention. She couldn’t get him out of her mind, especially as she watched him now.

Kate thought she was going to vomit.

As she walked to her first period class, hoping to find Jessica and Kim, Kate started to remember the other side of the coin that was her and Steve Harrington’s friendship: the wrong side. Steve had been disappointing her for a long time, and his actions from the night before, or lack thereof, even further proved her point. 

Steve Harrington had felt wrong to her for a long time.

She hadn’t ever truly wanted to admit it, but she could only take so much of the endless stream of girls that had always seemed to want to sleep with him, and all of it just so he could get another notch on his belt. Just the thought of him getting with those other girls made her sick, especially with the knowledge that he did it just because he could. On another note, Kate was tired of Steve always sacrificing her for his throne at Hawkins High. To Kate, none of it mattered. All of it was stupid, just like him, and after the previous night’s events, she knew that even if she was doing something completely and utterly out of the ordinary (at least, out of the ordinary for her), he wouldn’t care in the slightest. Not really.

At the moment, that hurt Kate possibly more than anything else in the world.

next chapter

[perfectprofessorloverapricot]

•| A not so stolen youth |•

Stranger things / Chapter 1

Summary: Everything in life seemed limited to walls of whites and rainbows. Caged within the confines of the lab. But an accident that involved a group of teenagers and the upside down world finally let him free. In a funny turn of events he found himself hiding in a step sibling's shed. A redhead that loves video games and a blond that spends his time making sure to keep his good looks.

Character: Male child OC

Warnings: Possible to descriptive scenes, child abuse, use of drugs and bad language.

A/N: I ask you to take into account that I lack experience writing in English and there'll be some grammatical mistakes because my native language is Spanish.

Prev part - Masterlist - Next part

“What does it say here?” Sounded the voice of the teenage redhead in the shed. She pointed to one of the dialog bubbles in the comic.

Thirteen tilted his head in a vain attempt to read better. The comic was in his own hands and moving it wasn’t as helpful as he thought. “Mmm… final… v… victory?” He stutter. He felt he chest warm when he saw the look of pride in Max face while she nodded.

“Yeah. You’re getting better.” She said excitedly. A big smile was formed in the kids face.

It’s been two weeks since they met. And everything’s going good so far.

The day after Max let him stay, with the condition of being careful no to be seen, she went to check on him only to have heart attack when she didn’t find him.

The blankets she gave him were folded and there was no trace of him.

She spent the whole morning of school wondering where he could have gone. It’s not like she paid attention to the classes before.

And after an uncomfortable ride home with her stepbrother she went straight to the shed getting an insult of how weird she was behaving from the blond and disappointment from finding nothing.

She stayed on her room thinking the few things she knew about him while her brother worked out in the living room. She thought about the limited vocabulary of the kid and that she had to read the comics she showed him because he couldn’t.

There were no visible signs of physical abuse but she got a glimpse of a tattoo in his left wrist when he rubbed his eyes after yawning.

The kid is only ten, what kind of tattoo would a kid his age want?

He is dirty and his clothe doesn’t fit him, obviously not his. But still, none of it gives her a hint from where he comes from or how to find him.

She didn’t even know why she wanted to finde him so bad. Or more like, she pretended not to know.

She’s always thought of herself as independent, which was accurate for the most part, but didn’t mean she liked being alone.

Before moving to Hawkins, in California, she made her life outside of the awkward environment of her house. She spent most of her time with her two best friends and going to her biological fathers house. Even when her mother met Neil and his son, she did it.

But now, she is stuck in a place she doesn’t know with her awkwardly nervous mother, an asshole who controls the house and everyone in it and calls himself her father just to have an excuse to “educate” her and a stepbrother that gives cero shit about her.

The kid was like her hope for something better. His innocent soul hasn’t been taught how to be an though (asshole) to confront the live out there. He was a little piece of the remaining good things of the world.

Fortunately, before she could exit and give her stepbrother an excuse to leave the house she was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on her window.

There he was peeking over the edge of the window and lifting a hand with three bags of chips to share with her.

Since then it became a routine that they manage to hold for a week. While Max goes to school and avoids as much interaction with her current family as she could, thirteen sneaks out to explore more. He already knows most of the place like the back of his hands but he still finds interesting the things that people do, even tho he is to scared to get close.

Those are the moments too bitersweet to him. He loves watching others have fun and imagine himself enjoying with them, having a life where he didn’t have to keep hiding, but before he can get a step closer to the kids in the park the fear of returning to the lab and being punished for leaving in the first place stops him.

That’s why he always goes back to the shed. To a place where he knows he is not alone anymore. At least the fear of being found didn’t bother him for the first week, but at the beginning of the second something that neither he or Max could have thought happened.

It was a normal day for them until the girl came back from school and went to her room like usual. But her heart fell once she saw Billy walking out of the house with a grey tank top and a pair of shorts he only uses when he knows his going to get dirty. Which means he is going thinker with his car, which means, he needs his tolls that are in the shed.

She took a shortcut jumping through her window. She run to catch her stepbrother and walked as normal as posible beside him.

“What are you doing?” She asked, trying to act normal.

He threw her a a momentary look, easily realizing her act. “To mind my business.” He answers bluntly.

She put herself in front of him walking backwards, only making the situation even weirder to Billy. “Don’t you have a date? With the… that blonde girl. What was her name?” She tried to remember almost stumbling with a rock.

Billy rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I don’t know and I don’t care. That was yesterday. Now move.” He pushed her effortlessly to the side once they reached the shed.

Max almost face planted in the floor but that wasn’t her priority. She turned to Billy only to witness him stop in his place with the door open.

“What the fuck?” He mumbled.

Max rammed her body against the door and closed it staying between it and her stepbrother. “It’s not what it looks like.” She defended.

Billy rose a brown in incredulity. “Really? Because it looks like you’re keeping a stray in Neil’s shed.”

“He’s not a dog, he’s a kid.” She defended, actually offended. “A really scared kid.”

“And I don’t give a shit. You’ve been keeping him there in a shed that doesn’t belong to you.” Max knew that what he said was true, but she couldn’t let him to his own with the possibility of returning to an abusive home. “What could a kid of his age be scared of? A monster under his bed?” He shook his head. It was ridiculous. “He needs to go.” He said with finality.

Max pressed her back even harder against the door and shook her head.

Billy got closer to her, using his height to tower over her in an intimidating way. “Get him out before Neil finds out or I’ll do it.” He threatened in a gruff voice.

Max genuinely felt scared. She knew what he was capable of, but she bets that the kid is even more scared than she is right now. And she was right, the boy was shaking inside the shed, hugging to his chest one of the comics Max left for him. His favorite comics. One of x-men’s.

“No.” She said with all the confidence she could in front of her intimidating brother.

The blond grabbed her arm in a painfully strong grip and dragged her a few steps away from the shed before throwing her, ignoring her yelp when she fell on her side. “Then I’m gonna get rid of the scaredy cat myself.” He conclude walking with heavy steps towards the shed.

Max panicked. She let out something that she knew could affect him. “He’s scared of his father, okay?” She screamed.

She felt a small relief when Billy stopped in his actions with his hand in the door’s handle.

His hesitation brought some confidence to the girl. “He hurts him.” She explained in hopes of changing his mindset. “I’m not asking you to take care of him. Just don’t tell anyone. You won’t even notice he is here.” She pleaded a little calmer now but still seating in the floor. “You won’t even notice he is here.” She repeated in a soft voice.

Billy bit the inside of his cheek in thought. He doesn't know how long the kid’s been there but if it weren't for the fact that he personally went to the shed he wouldn't know of his existence.

Almost reluctantly, Billy opened the shed again. He stayed in his place but he took his time to actually take a look at the kid. Scared and dirty, the boy stayed in the very back of the wooden place, shaking. Those blue innocent eyes were looking at him, waiting for the worst.

For a second, a small flash, he saw himself in the boy. When he was recently abandoned by his mother and left with his abusive father. He moved slowly to one of the shelves close to the door to grab the box of tools, keeping an eye on the kid.

Once he was out he looked at the surprised redhead in the floor as he closed the door behind him.

He stepped in front of his sister with his always present frown in his face. “If Neil finds out I let you hide a kid in the shed I’m gonna drag you under the bus with me. Do you understand?” He concluded.

Max was stunned for a few seconds but nodded slowly.

Billy scoffed, proceeding with his plans on tinkering in his car but made a las comment. “And wash that filthy kid. His gonna become a charcoal by the weekend.”

Max blinked a few times. She sat there for a moment, processing what just happened until she heard the door creaked open and a pair of eyes accompanied by a dirty fur (at least that’s what it looks like) peeked out of the place. She gave him a toothed smile that soon became a laugh that turned into a cackle that had her almost rolling on the floor.

The boy came out of the shed smiling, visibly confused but smiling. If Max was happy that means good news.

And it did.

Now that she didn’t have to actually hide the boy it became easier to change places between her room and the shed, they go through her bedroom’s window though.

She did what Billy said. She gave him a bath. She took his clothes and left him in his underwear covering it with a towel and sat him in the bathtub. She was horrified when the water changed color almost instantly and she had to change it for more clean water.

She knew he got dirty through the week but not that much.

She was surprised once again when she gave him the bottle of her brother’s shampoo and he only looked at it in wonder.

The kid didn’t know how to use a shampoo, much less the conditioner. He now has hair long enough to go a little below his ears when wet but that’s new to him, he’s always had a buzz cut since he was a kid. He never needed anything more than soap for his whole body, like the rest of the kids in the lab.

Knowing the kid was never taught how to use a shampoo put another knot in Max’s heart. Through how much has the kid gone?

She end up teaching him how to use the shampoo and conditioner. He needed a little help to get some knots out of his hair but it was easy.

Surprise surprise. Under those old rags and all the dirt was a beautiful kid with light brown hair. It was formerly a way darker color.

Even Billy who was just on his way to his room did a doble take to the boy standing patiently in the hall. He scoffed and continued on his way. Who could have thought?

Meanwhile Max was practically buried in the main closet of the house, it was more like a storage room with all the unpacked boxes, looking for clothe that would fit him. More specifically, clothes her stepbrother used, but there was nothing. She already looked for in the unpacked boxes around the house and the closet was her last option.

She debated if she should ask Billy personally. It wasn’t the best of her ideas but it was the only one. The probability of Billy slamming the door in her face where high.

She sigh. It was her only option for now.

Reluctantly, she made her way to her stepbrothers bedroom where he was gathering clean clothes to take to the bathroom. His towel was already in his shoulder.

She knocked on the doorframe a little shy.

“What?” He grumbled without looking at her.

“Can you lend me some of your old clothes. The kid doesn’t have any.” She said in a small voice.

He huffed as he grabbed a blue tank top from his closet. “Why is that my problem? He should have thought about it before running away.” He said in a low voice with a hint of annoyance.

“Come on Billy. You can’t let him freeze to death in the autumn weather. Winter is already close.” She answered with a little bit of annoyance in her own voice.

Billy slammed the door of his closet shut and turned to Max. He already had what he needed. He pointed at her with his free hand. “You said he isn’t my problem and I wouldn’t even notice him. This doesn’t seem like it.” He had a point. “Give him some of your old clothes.” He recommended walking to the door. “You dress like a boy anyway.” He insult on his way out, bumping with Max’s shoulder on purpose.

Thirteen, still in the hallway, looked at Billy in curiosity when he walked by him, even when the teenage was obviously ignoring his presence.

Max huffed at him. Well she didn’t have that much expectations in him anyway.

She guided Thirteen back to her room and sat him down on her bed.

She looked for her own old clothes through the many unpacked boxes in her room, grumbling every time something fell out of the boxes for the lack of space needed.

It took a long time but finally, she found her clothes. she organized it into tree divisions. The too small for the 10 year old kid, the clothes that fits and the clothes that will fit. All of that, after selecting the ones that looked boyish.

By the end of it thirteen already had his hair sticking out in every direction, full of static. He put on and took off everything to measure.

While they were both doing their own things, Billy was back in his room. He discarded the dirty clothes in the laundry basket and dried his hair with harsh movements of the towel. Once satisfied he threw the towel to wherever the hell it flew, he just wanted to fall on his bed and blast some music, but he was stopped when he heard a commotion at the feet of his bed.

He huffed. The towel fell on top a stack of books placed on an unpacked box and caused everything to fall.

He grabbed the towel with annoyance only to freeze when he saw the box slightly opened. The item wasn’t hidden but wasn’t visible either from the door, that’s why Max didn’t see it when she came to ask. The light left a cloth visible inside the box. The box was filled with the clothes Max was looking for and some other things of his childhood.

Memories of the few good times. When his mother was still with him and he was happy.

He hasn’t been able to get rid of the things. To sentimental. But he doesn’t want to be reminded of the past and keeps everything hidden. Just like his feelings.

Agitated, Billy grabbed the box of things, slammed his closet’s door open, threw the box inside and slammed it back shut. He walked to his nightstand and grabbed the box of cigarettes. He lighted one up with hands trembling in bottled fury and disgust towards himself and the world.

The relief of breathing nicotine and filling his lungs with the smoke was almost instant. He held his breath for a few seconds, calming himself first then letting it out just like the bad feelings.

The past is in the past, he cannot be weak anymore. He doesn’t have that chance.

To drown every remaining of that bad taste in his mouth he blasted his noisy music so loud that he couldn’t hear his own thoughts anymore.

Thirteen, still in Max’s room frowned when the music reached his ears. Billy’s door was close and so was Max’s, yet, he could still hear the music very clear. He didn’t like how it sounds.

A little thing he hasn’t told Max yet is one of his rare capabilities. Everyone in the lab new it was a possibility to gain enhanced senses once some of the kids started showing signs of it. More specifically, hearing and smell.

Whatever they did to expand the limits of their minds also better enabled the senses limited by mental capacity.

9 of the 15 kids they had developed the enhanced senses along with telepathy and psychokinetic powers. Thirteen was one of them. He only got the hearing though.

But he never got to interact enough with them because he was separated from the rest of the kids when his father found out he was a late bloomer. He was left in isolation for many hours with the excuse that it was to help him concentrate. He was raised in the east side of the lab while the rest were held in the west.

But still, he ended up better than his father ever anticipated and now he has some resemblance of freedom.

Uncomfortable with the music rumbling in his head he rubbed his ears for a moment. The security alarms in the lab were still worse so it wasn’t that much of a problem.

“Here” cheered Max grabbing jeans, a pair of socks, a navy-blue t-shirt with long sleeves and a red hoodie that has less color than when it was new for the many times it’s been washed.

Happy to cover his chilling skinny body he quickly put on the clothes. Max helped him when he managed to get his head stuck in one of the long sleeves.

At last, when he was done, he had a big innocent smile in his face that was reflected in Max’s own. The clothes fitted perfectly.

“Looking good, uh?” she said rising and lowering her eyebrows consecutively. The smile in the boy’s face widened with joy. “Now you can blend in with the others if you need.” Thirteen nodded in agreement. “Wanna read a comic now?” She asked, getting another nod as an answer.

“Magneto?” asked the boy in hope.

Max laughed a little, already grabbing an x-men comic. She knows that the boy’s favorite character is Magneto. She doesn’t know why but she likes how he thinks outside of the box. Most of the kids like a hero, but Thirteen likes a villain, just like she likes monsters. In some way, they are similar.

That’s how the first two weeks of knowing the stepsiblings went. Enjoying a little bit of liberty and not lonely anymore.

But Halloween is close, and so are other things in the dark he thought he would never see again.

Fortunately, this time he won’t be alone.

What do you think?

Any comment or constructive criticism are appreciated.

[aprilludgate357]

chapter eight: the upside down

steve harrington x gracie williams(eventually) word count: 6.7k summary: nancy and jonathan go to kill the demogorgon, leaving gracie and the kids alone at the middle school. shit goes down and gracie finds herself put in the ultimate babysitter test.

Everyone was still reeling from Eleven's revelations in the sensory deprivation tank. Hopper and Joyce had left to find Will, embarking on what seemed like a desperate mission, but Gracie held onto a thin strand of trust in them.

Nancy and Jonathan had disappeared into the darkened halls, leaving Gracie alone with the kids. They all sat together on the gym bleachers, huddled around Eleven, who was still trembling from the overwhelming visions.

Lucas, who had been quiet and tense, suddenly returned with a jacket he’d found in the lost and found. He gently draped it over Eleven’s shoulders, his earlier resentment toward her now replaced with concern. Gracie managed a faint smile, touched by his gesture. Despite everything, it felt like the party was finally united again, even in the midst of all this chaos.

But Gracie’s thoughts kept drifting back to Barb. Gone. The word echoed in her mind, cold and unforgiving. She replayed Eleven’s words from the pool over and over, trying to grasp the reality that her best friend was truly gone.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Nancy and Jonathan re-entered the gym, their faces set with determination. Nancy waved Gracie over, her urgency clear. Gracie hesitated, looking back at the kids. They were focused on comforting Eleven, who was slowly calming down, though her eyes were still red from crying. Reluctantly, Gracie walked over to meet Nancy and Jonathan.

"Let’s go," Nancy said immediately, her voice firm and resolute.

"Go?" Gracie repeated, confusion furrowing her brow. "Go where?"

"To finish what we started," Jonathan said, his eyes dark with purpose.

Realization hit Gracie like a freight train. They wanted to kill the Demogorgon. Her eyes flicked back to the kids, anxiety clawing at her insides. "I can’t leave them. You know that."

"They’ll be safe," Nancy insisted, her voice tinged with desperation. "No one knows they’re here. Do you really think those people will check the middle school?"

Gracie bit her lip, weighing their words. They were right; the chances of anyone finding the kids in the middle of the night were slim. But the thought of leaving them alone again, especially after everything they’d been through, filled her with dread. "I have to stay here—"

"Gracie, please," Jonathan interrupted, stepping closer. His voice was calm, but there was an urgency in his eyes. "That thing is still out there, and it could come after Hopper and my mom any moment. For all we know, it could even come here. We need to kill it."

"It killed Barb." Nancy said, anger and grief radiating off of her, "I want to kill it."

The mention of Barb made Gracie’s heart ache, but she shook her head. She had this feeling in her gut, like she had when she offered to bike back all the way with Will. That time she had ignored her instinct and went with rationality that nothing bad would happen. She wouldn't make the mistake of assuming the typical ever again. Shaking her head, her resolve definitive. "I want to kill it too Nance. But I can’t leave them. They're just kids, my kids, and they need me here. I need me here. If anything happened to them I-" Not even letting herself finish the thought, Gracie looked back at Nancy even firmer than before, "I won’t leave them alone. I just won't."

Nancy’s face fell, the determination in her eyes wavering as she realized Gracie wasn’t going to change her mind. She let go of Gracie’s hand, stepping back. "We have to do this, Gracie. We have to kill it."

"I know." Gracie replied, her voice heavy with emotion. "But you don't need me to do it."

Jonathan glanced between the two of them, his expression conflicted, but he knew they didn’t have time to argue. He wanted Gracie to come, as this was something they'd all started together, but he also knew Gracie well enough to know that there was no way in hell she was leaving these kids by themselves at a time like this. He gave Gracie a solemn nod. "We'll come back as soon as we can."

"Stay safe." Gracie nodded, giving them each a tight hug before they turned and walked away, their footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. As Gracie made her way back to the bleachers, the kids were already watching her, their eyes filled with concern. They had clearly seen her conversation with Nancy and Jonathan, and as she approached, they quickly pretended to be engrossed in a different conversation. Gracie couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, knowing that subtlety was not exactly their strong suit.

"Are you leaving with them?" Mike asked, his voice tinged with worry, the rest of the group waiting anxiously for her answer.

"You can if they need you," Dustin added, trying to sound casual but failing to hide the concern in his tone. "I mean, we get it."

Gracie shook her head, a warm smile spreading across her face as she sat back down with them. "And leave the party behind?" she asked with mock incredulity. "Never."

Sighs of relief echoed across the bench, and Lucas broke out into a wide grin. "Thank God. We were scared you were going to ditch us and leave us here alone."

"Lord knows I can't leave you shitheads alone for more than a minute before you blow something up," Gracie teased, her tone light, drawing laughter from the group.

As they shared this brief moment of peace, Gracie felt a deep sense of warmth and love for these kids. They had all been through so much, and yet they were still here, still together. Pulling Eleven into her arms, she held her close, feeling the younger girl relax against her. The weight of everything pressed down on her, but she knew, without a doubt, that she had made the right choice. She couldn’t leave them. Not now. Not ever.

------

It had been an hour since Nancy and Jonathan had left, and the tension in the air was palpable. Everyone was getting antsy. Gracie could hear the rumbling of the kids' stomachs, and her own hunger gnawed at her. Taking charge, she decided to lead them to the cafeteria to find something to eat.

As they scoured the cafeteria kitchen, Mike and Eleven waited by a table. Eleven was still too weak to walk around much, her small frame slumped against the table, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"I found the chocolate pudding!" Dustin’s triumphant yell echoed through the kitchen. Gracie and Lucas immediately rushed over to grab some for themselves. As the boys dug into the pudding cups, Gracie couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of their chocolate-covered faces.

"You shitheads look like you actually ate shit!" she teased, her laughter infectious. The boys looked at each other before bursting into laughter themselves. For a brief moment, Gracie allowed herself to enjoy the simple joy of being with the kids, forgetting about the chaos and fear that had dominated their lives. The truth was, she wasn’t just staying to protect them; she needed them just as much.

Shaking her head at their ridiculousness, Gracie grabbed a couple more pudding cups and brought them over to Mike and Eleven. "Here, I brought pudding for both of you," she said, placing the cups and two spoons on the table.

Mike thanked her, immediately opening his cup. Eleven, however, stared down at the pudding, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's... pudding?" she asked, her voice small and hesitant.

Gracie shared an amused look with Mike before pushing the cup closer to Eleven. "I have a feeling you’ll like it," she assured her. When Eleven still seemed unsure, Gracie gently handed her the spoon, adding, "Friends don’t lie, right?"

At that, Eleven’s worried expression softened into one of trust. She opened the cup and took a tentative bite. Her eyes lit up with delight, and Gracie smiled, glad to see a moment of happiness for the girl who had been through so much.

Mike grinned at Eleven’s reaction. "Don’t worry, when all this is over, you won’t have to keep eating junk food and leftovers like a dog anymore. My mom’s a pretty awesome cook. She can make you whatever you like."

"Eggos?" Eleven asked, her eyes widening in excitement.

"Well, yeah, Eggos," Mike replied with a nod, "but real food too. I was thinking, once all this is over and Will’s back and you’re not a secret anymore, my parents can get you an actual bed for the basement. Or you can take my room if you want, since I’m down there all the time anyway." His face turned a bit red as he spoke, and Gracie watched their conversation with a sad smile.

She knew that even if they all made it out of this unscathed, the idea that Eleven would be free was unlikely. She wished more than anything that their future could look like what Mike described, but deep down, she knew it was a pipe dream. Still, as she saw Mike’s hopeful face and Eleven’s excited expression, she wouldn’t dare break their little bubble.

Leaving the two of them to their private moment, Gracie was about to head back to the kitchen to check on Dustin and Lucas when something caught her eye. Glancing out the window, she saw a stream of white vans pulling in. Her heart sank. She didn’t need to look twice to know who they were. Her instincts had been right—Jonathan and Nancy shouldn’t have gone alone.

"Oh shit," Gracie cursed under her breath, catching the attention of Mike and Eleven. They followed her gaze out the window, their eyes widening in fear.

"How did they find us?" Mike asked, his voice trembling with panic, but Gracie didn’t answer. She was already moving, grabbing Mike and Eleven and rushing them back into the kitchen to alert Lucas and Dustin.

Once they were all together, Gracie led the group out of the cafeteria and into the halls, searching desperately for an escape route. She spotted the back entrance that led out to the field and knew it was their only chance. But before they could reach it, agents appeared at the end of the hall, one of them shouting, "There they are! Freeze!"

Soon, the blonde woman Gracie recognized from earlier appeared, flanked by two other agents, all with guns trained on them. Gracie quickly pushed the kids back, spreading her arms wide to shield them as much as possible.

But before she could react, Eleven stepped forward, pushing Gracie’s arm down as she moved in front of her. Gracie’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Eleven’s eyes darken with concentration. The agents’ guns suddenly dropped from their hands, and blood began to trickle from their eyes. In the blink of an eye, Eleven snapped her head to the side, and the agents followed suit, their necks breaking with sickening cracks as they collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

The effort was too much for Eleven. She fell to the floor, and Gracie was quick to catch her, lowering herself to her knees with Eleven’s head resting in her lap.

"Is she okay?" Mike asked, dropping down beside Gracie, his face pale with worry.

"Something’s wrong," Lucas said, his voice filled with dread. They had never seen Eleven pass out like this before. Gracie knew she must have pushed herself too far—flipping the truck, the sensory deprivation tank, and now this.

Mike, trying to stay calm, assured them, "She’s just drained."

Gracie gently shook Eleven, trying to rouse her. "Shit, she won’t wake up. El!" she called out, panic creeping into her voice.

"El!" Mike echoed, his voice growing louder with each call, his fear evident.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped Gracie back to the present. She cursed herself for getting caught up in her worry for Eleven. "Shit, we’ve gotta go," she said, standing up. She was about to lift Eleven into her arms when it was already too late. They were surrounded.

Agents appeared on both sides of the hall, guns pointed at them, leaving no room for escape. A man stepped forward from the line of agents. He was lean, with gray hair and a face that instantly filled Gracie with disgust. He wore a suit and tie, his expression cold and calculating.

"Step away from the child," he ordered, his voice dripping with authority.

Glaring at him, Gracie positioned herself protectively in front of Eleven, who still lay unconscious. "You want her? You’ll have to kill me first."

"That’s right!" Dustin shouted, the boys quickly backing her up.

"Eat shit!" Lucas added defiantly.

But their resistance was short-lived. The agents behind them quickly grabbed the boys, pulling them back. Gracie barely had time to process what was happening before the man stepped closer, trying to reach Eleven. Seeing his intent, Gracie took another step forward, ready to fight him off.

"No!" she yelled, her voice raw with desperation. But before she could make a move, one of the gunmen fired, the bullet hitting her leg with a sickening thud. Pain shot through her body, and she screamed, the sound echoing through the hallway.

"Gracie!" Lucas cried out, the boys struggling even harder against their captors, trying to reach her as she collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from her wound.

Gracie’s vision blurred from the pain, but she refused to give in. She tried to crawl toward Eleven, who was now being held by the man she loathed. But before she could get close, another agent grabbed her, pulling her back. The boys’ cries of protest filled the air, their struggles growing more frantic.

"Get off me!"

"Let her go!"

"You idiot!"

Despite the excruciating pain in her leg, Gracie’s determination only grew. Adrenaline surged through her veins, dulling the pain enough for her to fight back. She kicked the agent holding her square in the crotch, causing him to release his grip. In one swift motion, she grabbed his gun from its holster and used it to bash the face of the agent holding Mike. As the man stumbled, she quickly shot the agent restraining Lucas in the foot, forcing him to let go.

Seeing Gracie’s fierce resistance, Dustin’s captor hesitated, giving Dustin the chance to break free. But before the agent could retaliate, Gracie was on him, slamming her elbow into his chin with all the strength she could muster.

"Run!" Gracie yelled at the boys, her voice urgent as she sensed more agents closing in. She couldn’t leave without Eleven, but she needed to get the boys to safety. Before anyone could move, the lights above them began to flicker, drawing everyone’s attention. Gracie’s breath caught in her throat as she noticed the pools of blood everywhere—blood from the agents Eleven had killed, the ones Gracie had fought off, and her own wound. Nancy’s theory about blood attracting the monster flashed through her mind.

"Oh shit," Gracie muttered, her eyes widening as the realization hit her. She didn’t waste another second. She grabbed the gun from the ground and used it to knock out the man holding Eleven. Slinging the weapon over her shoulder, she hoisted Eleven onto her other shoulder, ignoring the searing pain in her leg. The agents, distracted by the cracks forming in the walls, didn’t even notice her.

The sound of bricks breaking and the door creaking open filled the hallway. Gracie didn’t waste a second. "Run! Run! Run!" she shouted at Dustin, Lucas, and Mike, making sure they were ahead of her as they bolted down the corridor in search of safety. They found an empty classroom, and Gracie hurriedly ushered everyone inside, locking the door behind them.

From behind, the terrifying roars of the Demogorgon echoed, followed by the deafening sound of gunfire. But all Gracie cared about was the fact that all four kids were safe... for now.

She quickly moved to the back of the classroom, placing Eleven on one of the lab tables. The girl, though weak, was awake, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

"It’s okay, you’re okay," Gracie cooed, running a soothing hand over Eleven’s head. "We’ve got you. The bad man is gone." She wasn’t entirely sure, but she needed to comfort the girl.

Stepping back to let Mike hold Eleven’s hand, Gracie joined Dustin and Lucas, who stood close by. The adrenaline in her system began to subside, and the sharp pain in her leg from the gunshot wound flared up. Biting back the pain, Gracie removed her sweater and tied it around her leg to staunch the bleeding. The gunfire continued outside, but the classroom was far enough that the sound was muffled.

"Just hold on a little longer, okay?" Mike pleaded with Eleven, his voice thick with emotion as he clung to her hand. "He’s gone. The bad man’s gone. We’ll be home soon, and my mom... she’ll get you your own bed. You can eat as many Eggos as you want. And we can go to the Snow Ball." His voice cracked, and Dustin, Lucas, and Gracie watched the heartbreaking scene unfold.

"Promise?" Eleven asked, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes. Deep down, they all knew it was a pipe dream.

Mike nodded fervently. "Promise."

Suddenly, a monstrous screech pierced the air, causing everyone to jump. The gunfire outside continued to roar, and Gracie saw the flashes of muzzle fire from the hallway. Then, abruptly, the gunfire stopped.

"Is... Is it dead?" Dustin asked, his voice filled with desperate hope. But before anyone could answer, another growl echoed down the hall, the monster rapidly approaching them.

Gracie’s mind raced as she realized it was only a matter of time before the Demogorgon found them. Looking at the terrified boys, she knew she had to do something. Her entire body froze as the realization of what she had to do settled in. Glancing down at her leg, she saw the blood seeping through her makeshift bandage.

"It’s attracted to blood," Gracie mumbled aloud, her mind formulating a desperate plan.

The boys looked at her in confusion, but Gracie didn’t have time to explain. She turned to them urgently. "Listen up. I’m gonna run out that door and distract it, okay? The second you hear that monster run past you, grab Eleven and run out of the back door. Do not wait for me. Do you understand?"

Their eyes widened in shock as they realized what she was planning. They immediately began to protest, "Gracie, no!—"

"Do you understand?" Gracie repeated firmly, cutting off Mike’s pleas. The wild look in her eyes silenced them. Instead of arguing, Lucas stepped forward and hugged her tightly, the other boys quickly following suit. Gracie held them close for a moment, savoring what could be one of her last moments with them. She looked over at Eleven, who was watching with panicked eyes, and sent her the most reassuring look she could muster.

Another growl echoed, this time much closer. Gracie quickly pushed the boys away. Ripping off the sweater that was protecting her wound, she groaned in pain as the cold air hit the open injury.

Without a second thought, Gracie rushed out the door and into the empty hallway. She could hear the Demogorgon’s footsteps approaching, though it was still out of sight.

"Come and get me, you son of a bitch!" Gracie yelled, her voice echoing through the corridor. Her challenge was met with a loud growl. "I’m right here!"

There was a brief moment of silence before the Demogorgon turned the corner at the far end of the hall, coming face to face with Gracie. Neither moved, the air thick with tension.

"You want me?" Gracie taunted, letting out a humorless laugh. "Come and get me."

Without waiting for a response, Gracie took off down the hall, turning a corner as the Demogorgon screeched and charged after her. She led it away, ensuring the path was clear for the boys and Eleven to escape.

Hearing the monster gaining on her, Gracie made a sharp right turn, leading her down another hallway. She knew she couldn’t outrun it much longer. Spotting an open door to an empty classroom, she quickly slipped inside and locked herself in. Pressing her back against the door, she held her breath, listening as the Demogorgon’s footsteps grew closer, then seemed to move past her room.

For a brief moment, Gracie thought she was safe. But then, everything went eerily silent. The quiet was almost suffocating.

Suddenly, the door blew open with a force that knocked Gracie off her feet. The Demogorgon roared as it grabbed her by the throat, slamming her to the ground before she could even react. She gasped for breath, the weight of the monster pressing down on her chest as it held her there, its terrifying face inches from hers.

Gracie turned her head to the side, closing her eyes as the cold, slimy mucus from the Demogorgon’s maw dripped onto her. She braced herself for the end, knowing there was nothing more she could do. But just as she accepted her fate, she heard a small stone clatter against the back of the Demogorgon’s head.

"Get off our babysitter!" Lucas shouted, his voice filled with defiance as he slung another rock at the monster. Gracie’s eyes flew open in shock as she turned her head to see the boys standing in the doorway, their faces filled with a mixture of terror and determination.

The Demogorgon turned its head fully towards them, its mouth opening wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth. It let out a deafening roar, ready to pounce on the boys.

"No!" Gracie croaked, struggling to free herself from the creature’s grip. She should have known the boys would never leave her. Even in life threatening situations, they would do anything but listen to her orders.

Just as the Demogorgon was about to pounce on the three boys, it suddenly flew into the air, slamming into the chalkboard with a bone-crunching force. The boys, who had been bracing for the worst, blinked in shock, their eyes darting from the monster to the source of this sudden power. Gracie, her vision blurred from pain and exhaustion, saw Eleven standing in the doorway, her hand outstretched, blood trickling from her nose.

Eleven's gaze was locked on the Demogorgon, her focus unbreakable as she walked past the boys. As soon as the monster was off of Gracie, the three boys rushed to her side, dragging her to safety at the side of the room. They watched in a mix of awe and fear as Eleven continued to move closer to the struggling creature, her telepathic hold tightening like an invisible vice.

"Eleven, no!" Mike cried out, the realization of what she was about to do dawning on him. The desperation in his voice mirrored the panic in Gracie's heart. Eleven was already so weak, and the thought of what this final act might do to her was almost too much to bear.

As Eleven turned back to her friends, still holding the Demogorgon in place, Gracie saw the tears streaming down her face. "Goodbye, Mike," Eleven whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of what she knew had to be done. The four of them watched in horror as she turned away, resolute in her decision.

"No more," Eleven declared, her voice filled with a quiet fury as she faced the Demogorgon. Her eyes darkened with determination as the lights around them began to violently flicker, the energy in the room reaching a fever pitch. Eleven let out an ear-piercing scream, her anguish and power intertwining with the Demogorgon's own pained screeches.

A blinding light suddenly erupted from the center of the room, engulfing everything in a brilliant, searing flash. When the light finally faded, Eleven and the Demogorgon were gone. The only evidence of the battle that had just taken place was a charred, blackened hole in the chalkboard, smoldering in the aftermath.

Mike's anguished cry shattered the heavy silence, his voice raw as he called out Eleven's name. Dustin and Lucas joined in, their voices a desperate chorus as they frantically searched the room for any sign of their friend.

But Gracie couldn't focus on their cries. The pain in her leg, now seeping into every nerve in her body, was finally too much. Her vision blurred as exhaustion and shock overtook her. She could feel herself slipping away, the edges of her consciousness fraying as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Mike, Mike!" Dustin yelled, bringing Mike's attention to Gracie, who's head now layed in Lucas' lap still.

The last thing she heard before everything went dark was the sound of Mike, Dustin, and Lucas calling her name, their attention quickly turned to the state of the older girl, voices filled with fear and desperation as they tried to keep her awake. But it was too late—Gracie had nothing left to give. The world around her faded into a comforting blackness as she finally succumbed to the darkness.

------

Gracie slowly blinked her eyes open, the world around her coming into focus. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a bedside lamp casting long shadows across the walls. Her body felt heavy, her leg throbbing with a dull, persistent pain. As her senses returned, she became aware of a soft sniffle beside her.

Turning her head, she saw Nancy sitting in a chair by her bedside, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The moment their eyes met, Nancy gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as tears of relief spilled over.

“Gracie!” Nancy whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. She quickly leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Gracie in a gentle hug, careful not to jostle her too much. “You’re okay… thank God, you’re awake…”

Gracie, though still groggy, managed a small smile, touched by Nancy’s concern. “I’m okay, Nance,” she murmured, returning the hug as best she could. "My leg hurts like hell but I'm fine."

Nancy let out a shaky laugh, pulling back to wipe her tears. “You scared the hell out of us,” she admitted, her voice still quivering.

Gracie, weak but relieved, reached out a trembling hand. Nancy took it, her tears spilling freely. “I was so scared,” Nancy choked out, her voice cracking. “I thought I’d lost you, too.”

Gracie managed a faint smile, squeezing Nancy’s hand with the last of her strength. “I’m here. We made it.” Her gaze softened as she looked at Nancy, the weight of their shared loss settling heavily between them.

As silence settled around them, the unspoken reality became painfully clear. The girls had yet to truly mourn Barb, and with the chaos finally subsiding, it was time for them to confront their grief.

Nancy’s face twisted with anguish as she whispered, “I still can’t believe she’s gone.” Her voice trembled with the weight of her sorrow.

Gracie nodded, her own eyes misting over. The two women sat in somber silence, each lost in their own memories of Barb. The laughter and shared moments seemed like a distant echo now, overshadowed by the stark reality of their loss.

The pain of their absence was a deep and profound ache, a constant reminder of the price they had paid. It was a grief that had settled deeply in their hearts, unspoken but ever-present. As they faced this moment of reflection, they clung to each other for support, finding solace in their shared understanding and the strength of their friendship.

Gracie took a deep breath, her voice steadying. “We’ll remember her. She’s a part of us, always.”

Nancy wiped her tears, nodding resolutely.

Before she could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. Jonathan stepped in, his face lighting up when he saw Gracie awake. “Hey,” he said quietly, relief evident in his voice as he approached the bed. “You had us all worried there.”

"Gonna take more than a bullet to keep me down." Gracie quipped weakly, trying to lighten the mood despite the lingering pain in her leg. She looked between Nancy and Jonathan, grateful to see them both safe and sound. “You guys okay?”

Jonathan nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, we’re okay. Thanks to Steve, actually.”

Gracie raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Steve?” The last she’d heard of him he had called and written Nancy a slut and got beat up by Jonathan. Her opinion of him was at an all time low which was saying something.

Nancy nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. “He… he showed up at my house. Helped us take down the Demogorgon.”

Gracie stared at them in disbelief for a moment before bursting into laughter, the absurdity of the situation catching up to her. “Steve Harrington? As in King Steve.”

Jonathan chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, we couldn’t believe it either. But he came through.”

The room filled with the warm sound of their shared laughter, a brief respite from the horrors they’d faced. Jonathan eventually stood up, looking down at Gracie with a soft smile. “I’ll go get the boys. They’ve been waiting to see you.”

Gracie’s heart swelled at the thought of the boys waiting anxiously to see her. As Jonathan left the room, Nancy squeezed Gracie’s hand one last time before stepping back. “I’ll give you guys some privacy,” she said softly, smiling through her tears.

Moments later, the door creaked open again, and Dustin, Lucas, and Mike burst into the room. Without hesitation, they all rushed to Gracie’s side, their faces lighting up with joy and relief.

“Gracie!” Dustin exclaimed, practically throwing himself into her arms, followed quickly by Lucas and Mike. Gracie winced slightly at the sudden pressure but couldn’t help the warm laughter that bubbled up as she hugged them back.

“You dickheads,” she scolded affectionately, her voice filled with warmth. “I told you to run.”

The boys waved off her words with grins, Lucas shaking his head. “We’re not leaving a member of our party behind.”

Dustin nodded vigorously. “Never!”

Gracie’s heart swelled with pride and affection for these kids who had become like family to her. But as the initial joy of the reunion settled, Gracie couldn't help but notice a missing member. Her smile faded as she looked at each of them in turn, dreading the answer to her next question.

“Where’s Eleven?” she asked quietly.

The room fell into a heavy silence, the boys exchanging uneasy glances. None of them spoke, but the look in their eyes told Gracie everything she needed to know. Eleven was gone.

Gracie’s chest tightened, her mind racing with a thousand questions. Had she died? Disappeared? Was she still out there, somewhere? The uncertainty gnawed at her, but she forced herself to push those thoughts aside.

“Gracie,” Mike’s voice broke through her thoughts, his tone gentle yet hopeful. “Will woke up. He’s okay.”

Gracie’s eyes widened, a wave of emotion crashing over her. “Will’s awake?”

The boys nodded, and without another word, Gracie swung her legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through her wounded leg. She couldn’t wait another second.

With the boys by her side, Gracie limped her way through the halls until they reached Will’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and as she pushed it open, she saw Joyce sitting by Will’s bedside, her eyes filled with tears of joy as she cradled her son’s hand.

Will looked up as they entered, his eyes meeting Gracie’s. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the reality of the moment sinking in.

Then, without warning, Gracie burst into tears, crossing the room in a few quick steps to wrap her arms around Will. He hugged her back just as tightly, both of them overwhelmed with relief and happiness.

“Will,” Gracie whispered through her tears, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Gracie!" Will exclaimed, ecstatic to see the older girl. Limping as fast as she could, Gracie wrapped her arms around Will, who sat up on his hospital bed, quickly hugging the the girl back tightly.

Will hugged her back with all his strength, his own tears of joy soaking into her hair. “I’m so glad you found me,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Gracie pulled back slightly, her hands cupping his face as she looked into his eyes. “You’re really here,” she said, her smile radiant. “You're really here."

As Gracie, Will, and the boys gathered together, the room seemed to glow with a renewed sense of hope and unity. The shadows of the past were starting to fade, replaced by the warmth of their shared bonds and the promise of a brighter future. Gracie looked around at her friends, her heart full, knowing that despite all they had endured, they had emerged stronger and more connected than ever. With laughter echoing through the room and tears of joy glistening in their eyes, they embraced the moment, cherishing the fact that, against all odds, they had found their way back to each other. For a moment, it felt as if her world had never been turned upside down.

------ one month later...

Christmas evening had arrived in Hawkins once more, and while most kids spent their time baking cookies or opening presents a day early, Gracie and the gang had other plans.

“Something is coming,” Gracie whispered dramatically, her eyes scanning the tabletop where the Dungeons and Dragons board lay. “Something angry, hungry for your blood. It is almost here.”

“What is it?” Mike asked, his eyes wide with curiosity as he, Lucas, Dustin, and Will gathered around the table.

“It’s the thessalhydra, I’m telling you,” Dustin said with confidence, though Lucas shook his head in disagreement.

“It’s not the thessalhydra,” Lucas argued, looking to Gracie for support. Gracie only shrugged, hiding a smirk.

“I’m telling you, it’s the thessalhydra,” Dustin repeated, his confidence growing with Gracie’s lack of a definitive answer.

Skipping the dramatic pause, Gracie grabbed the figurine and slammed it on the table with a loud thud. “The thessalhydra!”

Groans erupted from the group. “Damn it,” Mike cursed, the four boys sharing similar exasperated responses.

“It roars in anger!” Gracie read aloud before turning to Will. “Will, your action!”

“What should I do?” Will asked, looking around for help.

“Fireball him!” Lucas demanded, Mike nodding in agreement.

Will glanced at Dustin for confirmation. Dustin, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, finally said, “Fireball the son of a bitch.”

Gracie opened her mouth to reprimand Dustin when the boys cut her off.

“Language,” they said in unison, knowing Gracie’s usual response.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dustin said dismissively. “Roll the damn dice!”

Will rolled the dice with a flourish, and the group waited in eager anticipation. The dice clattered across the table and finally came to a stop. Cheers erupted as the result was revealed.

“Fourteen!” Gracie exclaimed, the group jumping up in celebration.

“Direct hit!” Gracie announced, staying in character. “Will the Wise’s fireball hits the thessalhydra. It makes a painful screech, and then…” Gracie fell to the floor dramatically. “It crumbles to the ground. Its clawed hand reaches for you one last time and, and, and…”

Gracie lay still, pretending to be dead, while the boys cheered their victory. Standing up with a wide grin, she continued, “Lucas cuts off its seven heads, and Dustin places them into his bag of holding. You carry the heads out of the dungeon, victorious, and present them to King Tristan. He thanks you for your bravery and service.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dustin interrupted, shaking his head. “That’s not it, is it?”

“Well, there’s a medal ceremony—” Gracie began, only to be met with laughter from the boys.

“Oh, a medal ceremony?” Dustin mocked playfully. “What are you talking about? The campaign was way too short.”

“Yeah!” Lucas agreed, the boys nodding in unison.

“It was ten hours!” Gracie argued lightly, but the boys remained unconvinced.

“But it doesn’t make any sense,” Will said, “What about the lost knight?”

“And the proud princess?” Mike added. “And those weird flowers in the cave?”

Laughing, Gracie stumbled over her words. “I don’t know, it’s—”

Before she could explain further, Jonathan appeared at the basement stairs, scrunching his nose playfully. “Jeez, what’s that smell? Have you guys been playing games all day or just farting?”

“Oh, that’s just Dustin,” Lucas teased. “He farted.” He blew a raspberry and raised his voice higher. “Dustin farted!”

As Dustin glared at Lucas, who continued to blow raspberries, the rest of the group laughed. Will made his way to his brother.

“I’ll walk you guys up,” Gracie offered, leaving the boys in the basement momentarily.

“Did you guys win?” Jonathan asked as they climbed the stairs.

“Yeah,” Will nodded, his smile wide.

“Will here rolled the winning dice,” Gracie said, affectionately ruffling his hair.

As they reached the front door, Nancy emerged from the second floor with a small present in hand. Gracie eagerly awaited Nancy’s gift to Jonathan—a new camera that Steve, Nancy, and herself had chipped in to get him.

Nancy and Jonathan exchanged smiles as Gracie stepped back to give them a private moment. She watched as Will pretended to gag, mimicking how lovey-dovey his brother and Nancy were being without even noticing it.

Waving goodbye to Will, Gracie walked into the family room, ready to head back to the basement when she spotted Steve Harrington on the couch, apparently waiting for Nancy. Making eye contact, the two stayed silent for a second unsure of what to say.

“Oh, hi,” Steve greeted awkwardly, finally breaking the silence. “Uh, is Nancy giving Jonathan the present?”

“Yeah, she should be coming back soon,” Gracie confirmed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. There was still a lot unsaid between them, neither sure if the other hated them.

Steve ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable but trying to be casual. “So, um, did you have a good time? I mean, in the basement. You guys were pretty loud. Nancy said you were playing, uh... Dragons or Demons?”

Holding back a laugh at Steve's mix-up, Gracie smiled. “Yeah, it was great. It’s nice to have everyone together again.”

Steve nodded, his gaze softening. “I’m glad. You guys deserve it.”

There was a brief pause as both fidgeted with their hands. Steve rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I, uh, I know I’ve been kind of a jerk, especially with the whole movie theater thing. And you probably hate me. But just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry, and I’m trying to change.”

Gracie’s expression softened, letting out a sigh, “I don’t hate you Harrington.” she admitted, taking a deep breath. “Look, obviously, I wasn’t your biggest fan when you first got with Nancy.” Giving Steve a quick glare when he laughed at the understatement, “But what you did for Nancy and Jonathan that night, well- that was really cool of you."

Silent for a second, Steve asked hesitantly, “Can we just... can we start over?”. Gracie looked at him, surprised by his genuine request. She hadn’t seen this side of Steve before, and it was refreshing.

Recovering her composure, Gracie smiled warmly. “Yeah, we can do that. I’d like that.”

Steve’s eyes lingered on her, a smile tugging at his lips. “You know, Nancy told me what you did for those kids. I mean I always knew you were sort of crazy, but letting that thing chase you…that's badass.”

Gracie’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away, trying to hide her blush. “Well, from what I heard, you were pretty badass too... something about a bat with nails?” She asked, recalling what Nancy and Jonathan had told her.

Laughing, Steve shook his head. “Yeah, something like that.”

A comfortable silence settled between them, Gracie’s eyes meeting Steve’s once more, an indescribable warmth spreading through her.

“Merry Christmas Williams.” Steve said, breaking the silence with a gentle smile.

“Merry Christmas, Harrington,” Gracie replied softly, returning his smile with one of her own before heading back to the basement to enjoy the rest of her Christmas evening with the party. The air felt lighter now, and as Gracie rejoined her friends, she couldn’t help but feel that the evening had turned into something truly special.