#the title to this got changed last minute bc the premiere afterparty music had me WEAK

[dustinhendrsn]

i’ll stop the world and melt with you

dustin henderson/lucas sinclair 3.6k - read on ao3 requested by anonymous from this list: 24. ‘are you thinking what I’m thinking?’ ‘probably not.’

Dustin can’t think. His mind is nothing but electric blue water and Lucas’ deep brown eyes trying to get him to understand. God, his hand is so wonderful when it’s right there in Dustin’s. It fits so perfectly. “What are you saying, Lucas?” he chokes out, and he’s surprised it’s audible at all.

“I think I love you,” Lucas whispers, and the world stops.

full story below!

The humid nighttime air hangs over Hawkins like a cloak as Dustin and Lucas walk through the empty neighborhood, kicking a pebble back and forth across the asphalt between them as they go. Silver moonlight dapples the concrete in leaf-shaped patches and their silhouettes stretch tall and thin across the pavement in the glow of the dim yellow streetlights. Dustin exhales up to the sky, shoving his hands into his shorts pockets.

“So has your eighteenth birthday lived up to your expectations?” he asks, nudging Lucas’ side. Lucas looks down at his feet with a smile. Dustin loves that smile – it’s the one that means he’s unexpectedly pleased or happy about something that he’s too shy to admit. It makes Dustin’s heart do somersaults. All of Lucas’ smiles do, really, but this one in particular.

“I’ve eaten more cake than I can handle, demolished you at the arcade, and spent the entire day with my most favorite people in the entire universe. So, yeah,” Lucas concludes, looking over at Dustin with a grin, “I’d say I’m pretty happy.”

Dustin beams. “Good. Glad I’ve done my job well.”

They’ve been walking for what has to be at least an hour by now; the rest of the party went home after they messed around with some fireworks from Hopper’s garage on Hawkins Hill to round out Lucas’ birthday celebration. It’s just he and Dustin now, whiling away the night in each other’s company until they decide to stop. There’s honestly no place or time that Dustin would rather be.

They round the corner of Seventh Street and the public pool comes into view, its chain-link fence reflecting the streetlamps and the underwater lights turning the water to a glowing aquamarine. Dustin slows as they near it, his gears starting to spin, and he can tell Lucas immediately knows something is up.

“What?” Lucas says warily when they stop at the corner of Seventh and Ross Street.

Dustin looks over at him with a mischievous grin. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Lucas grimaces. “Probably not.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you don’t want to.”

“Dustin, we’d be breaking and entering.”

Dustin shrugs. “Not really. It’s a public pool, it says so right there on the sign.”

“The gate’s locked,” Lucas points out, but Dustin won’t be deterred.

“You really think it’s that hard to scale a chain-link fence? The thing’s barely taller than you.”

“It’s at least three feet taller than me.”

“Whatever,” he groans. “Come on. It’s hot, it’s your birthday, it’s one in the morning. Who’s ever gonna know?”

Lucas eyes the fence hesitantly, teetering on the edge of agreement, and Dustin grabs his hand to make the decision for him. Lucas lets out something between a sigh and a laugh and Dustin is met with no resistance as he pulls them across the street.

A heady thrill runs through him, saturating his nerves with excitement. He knows that despite Lucas’ halfhearted protests, he let Dustin convince him to do it, and it’s obvious in the way his hand holds tight to Dustin’s. It’s not the trespassing part of it that’s exhilarating; it’s being out here in the middle of the sticky summer night with his best friend, completely alone and drenched in all the freedom they could ask for, no eyes on them or expectations on their shoulders. It’s the very real possibility that anything could happen, anything at all, and it lights up Dustin’s spirit and sends his pulse fluttering, making him hyperaware of every little thing Lucas does. He loves these nights; he lives for the promise and potential of these nights. There’s no limit to what you can think and feel and want when the sun isn’t around to shine on the truth of reality.

They hop the curb on the other side of the street and gaze up at the fence. “You realize that if literally anyone in this neighborhood looks out their window, we’re dead,” Lucas says casually. Dustin rolls his eyes.

“Better climb fast, then.”

He hooks his fingers into the links and starts climbing. It’s arduous and takes a long minute for his not-particularly-athletic body to get all the way over, but finally he leaps down to the concrete on the other side. Lucas follows more easily behind him, his shoes slapping onto the pavement as he jumps down.

“I never should have skipped the rock climbing classes at camp,” Dustin says a little breathlessly, wiping his hands off on his shorts. Lucas snorts, striding up to him without looking even remotely strained. It’s bullshit, honestly.

“It was your idea, dipshit. Also, you’re wrong.”

Dustin frowns at him. “Wrong about what?”

“You said it was one in the morning, right?”

“Um, yeah? It’s like ten past.”

A smug smile finds its way onto Lucas’ face. “So technically it isn’t my birthday anymore.”

Dustin groans, letting his head fall back. “Oh my God, what does it matter?”

“I’m just saying,” Lucas snickers. He’s obviously pleased that he’s gotten under Dustin’s skin. Stay there, Dustin thinks, his heartstrings pulling tight. Stay under my skin. Don’t go anywhere, ever.

They’re standing at the edge of the glowing blue pool now, so close their shoulders are brushing. It’s hard to ignore but Dustin tries to, for his own sake. It starts hurting when he lets his mind dwell too long on Lucas. It stings when he thinks about who he loves with every beat of his heart, who he would die for without a second thought, who he would follow to the ends of the earth without question, who he can’t have.

“Now what?” Lucas asks flatly, looking out at the water. Dustin side-eyes him, shoving down his own pity party.

“We jump in? What did you think we were gonna do?”

Lucas throws his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t know! I’m not even wearing a swimsuit, dude.”

“Neither am I, but I did not climb that fence just to stand here and stare into the water like some kind of fucking oracle trying to divine the fate of the world. We have to go in.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

Lucas raises an eyebrow, a spark of challenge in his eyes. “Make me, Henderson.”

Dustin’s stomach flips over. Lucas is so rarely like this and he has no idea what it does to Dustin. Which is the for the best, Dustin supposes. He’s terrified that one day he’s going to slip up and Lucas is going to find out just how in love with him Dustin is, and then everything between them – the years, the memories, the friendship – would all collapse. There’s not a single thing in the world Dustin wouldn’t do to stop that from happening. Lucas and his friendship both mean far too much to him.

He swallows back his feelings and forces himself to give a nonchalant shrug, feigning disinterest in the challenge. “I don’t think I can.” They’re already at the edge – all it’ll take is a little bit of force.

“Finally,” Lucas says, nodding his head sagely, “you’re seeing sense. I was wondering when you’d sprout some brain cells –“

Dustin snatches his hand and Lucas lets out a yelp; he tries to yank his hand back but it’s far too late. Dustin drags them both over the edge and they go tumbling into the cool water with a mighty splash, all tangled up in each other. Dustin breaks through the surface and takes a deep breath, laughter bubbling up from his throat, and he shakes his hair out like a dog. Water droplets go flying onto Lucas’ face and Lucas just laughs and laughs and laughs, soaked and breathless and alive.

“Shithead,” he gasps.

“Happy birthday,” Dustin says with a wild grin, and he gets a splash to his face for it.

“God, I don’t know why I put up with you,” Lucas laughs. He’s still smiling and it’s making Dustin’s heart stutter because he’s such a lovesick fool. After a moment, he realizes that the warmth of Lucas’ hand is still loosely set in his own. Neither of them has let go yet. Dustin knows why hehasn’t, but as for Lucas…

“It’s because you wouldn’t survive a day without me,” he quips, fighting to get his mind off the hand-holding. “Can you imagine if I didn’t exist? The world would stop spinning.”

Lucas rolls his eyes. “You think you’re such hot shit.”

“I know I am,” Dustin says confidently.

“Yeah, well,” Lucas pulls his hand out of Dustin’s to wipe water away from his eyes, much to Dustin’s disappointment, “You’re not. Trust me.” And then without warning he bounces up out of the water and pushes Dustin under by his shoulders. The water closes over his head and he laughs, yet all it comes out as are bubbles. He blindly reaches out and when his hands find Lucas’ ankle, he yanks his feet out from under him. They chase each other around the pool in a splash fight for a while, and then they’re back to where they started near the middle and Lucas grabs his wrists just as he moves to splash him again.

“Truce, truce!” he yells. Dustin stops struggling against his grip and eyes him apprehensively.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, even though I shouldn’t trust you farther than I can spit because of what you pulled earlier,” Lucas says. Dustin snorts.

“You’re right. But, yeah, truce.”

Lucas releases his wrists and, honestly, he’s almost sad about it. Chlorine paints his tongue and going by the way Lucas absently licks his lips, it’s all over him too. A peaceful quiet slowly descends on them, wrapping them up in their own little bubble of nighttime. Chest-deep in the pool, surrounded by turquoise water and dark trees and empty streets, Dustin truly doesn’t know if he’s ever been more content. They throw their sopping wet shoes onto the concrete and then Dustin floats around on his back, watching the stars twinkle high above while Lucas hovers in the water next to him, doing whatever it is he’s doing, and time starts blurring. They occasionally drift in and out of conversation, mentioning whatever comes to mind, and other than that it’s just them and their halcyon night.

After a while, maybe minutes or moments or days, Lucas speaks with a new tinge of uncertainty in his voice. “Do you ever think…”

He trails off, absently dragging his finger around in the water between them. Dustin reorients himself from floating to standing and they’re so close that if he bows his head the way Lucas is doing, they’ll be just a hairsbreadth away from touching.

“Do I ever think what?” he asks, mesmerized by the swirls Lucas is drawing.

“I don’t know.”

“Dude, what?”

They look up at each other at the same time. Dustin doesn’t have the first idea what the hell his friend is thinking about, which is an extremely rare occurrence.

Lucas just gently shakes his head and his gaze moves up to Dustin’s short, loose curls. “I like your hair like this,” he says thoughtfully, lifting a hand. Dustin’s breath hitches as he takes one of the curls between his fingers, his expression calm and contemplative. Does he even know what he’s doing? Obviously he’s totally unaware of the effect it’s having on Dustin, who is standing as still as a statue, his heart slamming against his ribcage, unable to move because holy shit what is Lucas doing? It lasts the longest moment of his life, but finally Lucas’ gaze flicks back down to him guiltily and he lowers his hand. “Sorry, that was, um –“

“You’re good,” Dustin says far too quickly, almost tripping over his own words in his haste to reassure Lucas. There’s never been any boundaries between them, no lines or walls, especially not on Dustin’s part. He is Lucas’, completely and without question, and Lucas doesn’t even know it.

Lucas’ eyes are bright and serene, illuminated by the pool lights. He’s so close that Dustin can see the water droplets in his eyelashes and feel his warm breath across his cheek. It hurts so much to look at him. It’s all Dustin ever wants to do.

“What were you asking me?” he says, his voice hoarse all of a sudden. Whether it’s from their proximity or from the desire not to shatter the tranquility of the night, he can’t bring himself to speak any louder.

Lucas furrows his eyebrows. “What?”

“Just a minute ago. You asked me if I ever thought about something. What were you asking?”

Lucas is silent for a moment, holding Dustin’s gaze, and then finally, “Do you ever think things could be different?”

Dustin’s heart skitters past several beats and he immediately wants to kick himself. He’s jumping to conclusions and getting his hopes up, as per usual. “Like – like what?”

“Things,” Lucas says emphatically, an edge of frustration in his voice. “Us.”

This isn’t happening, Dustin thinks. This isn’t real. He’s talking about something else.

“Sometimes,” he whispers. It’s too big of a confession to say all the time, to admit that far too often he lets himself fall into the painful trap of imagining what life would be like if Lucas loved him too. It’s a trap because inevitably, there comes the time when he has to remember it isn’t real.

Lucas exhales, and if Dustin isn’t mistaken, it’s clear relief painted on his face. This can’t be happening.

“I just – sometimes, I think – you know, you and me, it’s just – we could – what if we – “ Lucas shakes his head, giving up on words. He grabs Dustin’s hand under the water and holds up their laced fingers between them. “This, Dustin.”

Dustin can’t think. His mind is nothing but electric blue water and Lucas’ deep brown eyes trying to get him to understand. God, his hand is so wonderful when it’s right there in Dustin’s. It fits so perfectly. “What are you saying, Lucas?” he chokes out, and he’s surprised it’s audible at all.

“I think I love you,” Lucas whispers, and the world stops. Dustin forgets how to draw breath, how to move his limbs, how to do anything. This is real. This can’t be real. Lucas is still talking. “I just – I want you to know that, because it seems like this town is death central station and if one day something happens to me, or – or to you, I need you to know –“

And then somehow, Dustin breaks out of his trance. The love of his life is right there, he’s just said that he loves Dustin, he feels the same, so as he stands there trying to string the right words together, Dustin surges forward and kisses him.

Dustin loses all concept of everything the instant that he feels Lucas on his lips and his heart bursts into a blinding supernova. There’s no hesitation from either of them, just an intense years-old need to be closer, closer, as close as physically possible. Lucas pulls their hands apart so that he can cup Dustin’s face with both, holding him steady, kissing him so hard you’d think it was the last minutes of their lives. Dustin still isn’t sure it’s not – but then, maybe their lives are just beginning all over again. He fumbles for something to hold onto and ends up with one hand fisted in the front of Lucas’ shirt and the other on the back of his neck, his fingers grasping up into Lucas’ hair. A small, desperate noise comes from Lucas that sounds like Dustin’s name and Dustin pulls him closer, holds him tighter, feels himself falling deeper and deeper in love. He didn’t even think that was possible. His skin is on fire at every point of contact between them and all he sees behind his eyelids is gold. The entire universe is right here between their lips. They’re slipping on the bottom of the pool as they try to stay upright, completely enraptured with each other and oblivious to anything else. It’s just Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, that’s all Dustin knows for sure. He’s the only thing Dustin can make sense of right now, his warm body pressing against him and chasing away the chill of the night. Dustin pushes back, pours his heart and soul into this first kiss between them and God, what is this? Is he even awake? Who decided he was worthy of this?

“Do you mean it?” he manages to say against Lucas’ lips, struggling for air. Who even cares about oxygen anymore? He’s breathing Lucas.

“Of course I mean it,” Lucas rasps. Their foreheads are pressed together and Dustin can feel Lucas’ chest rising and falling against his own – he doesn’t know whose heartbeat is whose. He opens his eyes to see Lucas staring wide-eyed at him, just as flustered and blushing and amazed as he is. “I love you, Dustin. I really do.”

The truth of it makes Dustin’s knees go weak and he’s praying Lucas can hold him up. “Okay. Okay – that’s – that’s good,“ he stammers, and finally, finally, after so long of keeping it in, “I love you too.” It’s a confession three years in the making but it feels so good to hear it said aloud, and to know that Lucas will accept it and reciprocate it. “I love you,” he repeats, stronger this time. He can’t help the incredulous laugh that escapes him – he can’t believe any of this is real. His blood is running backwards and there’s sunbursts in Lucas’ eyes, actual sunbursts despite the fact that there’s currently no sun in the sky. How is this real? “Holy shit, I love you, Lucas. Do you know how much I love you?”

“Tell me,” Lucas says, his expression somewhere between shock and abundant glee.

“So much,” Dustin laughs, sliding his arm around Lucas’ neck. Their noses keep brushing and it’s the most breathtaking thing Dustin has ever felt. “You don’t even – it would take so long to give you all the reasons why I love you, Lucas.”

Lucas grins wide. “How long?”

“Years, because – because that’s how long I’ve loved you.”

Lucas stares at him in awe and Dustin, his heart floating somewhere that certainly isn’t his body, decides to go back to kissing him. He’s so warm and beautiful and Dustin doesn’t ever want to let go. He tries to imprint every single thing about it into his memory – the feel of Lucas’ fingertips pressing into the small of his back, the taste of chlorine on his lips, the way he leans into Dustin’s touch like he’s been waiting for it all his life. How, how can Dustin ever let go now that he has this?

“Dustin – mmf, Dustmm – “ Lucas mumbles, his voice completely smothered by their kisses. He moves a hand from Dustin’s jaw to his chest, his palm burning a scar into Dustin’s skin right through his soaked shirt, and it’s like he wants to pull away but every time he tries, he falls back in, unable to help himself. Dustin understands the feeling immensely. “Anyone can – mmf – see us –“

Dustin leans back. He couldn’t care less about anyone that isn’t Lucas right now, but if Lucas isn’t happy about it, neither is he. “We can stop.” He doesn’t know how he’ll stop but he will if that’s what Lucas wants, of course he will.

Lucas chews on his kiss-bitten bottom lip, a puzzled look on his face. “That’s the stupidest idea you’ve had all night.”

Dustin gapes at him. “You brought it up –“ And then Lucas is kissing him again and all of his thoughts scatter like dandelion fluff in a summer breeze.

They stay there for an eternity. When the water becomes too cold for them to stand it anymore, they push two of the pool loungers together and lie next to each other as the night wears on. They drift from one conversation to another and kiss the hours away and marvel at what is suddenly real and how foolish they were for holding out for so long. When the sky shifts from a deep starry blue to pastel pink and orange, they finally stumble home hand-in-hand. The first golden rays of sunshine dry their clothes and illuminate Lucas’ eyes, his cheeks, his smile as they walk, and Dustin still can’t believe it. He can have this; he does have this. They have this.

“I can’t imagine it,” Lucas says abruptly as they walk down the middle of a quiet, morning-lit street, birds chirping in the trees and the aroma of summer heavy in the air. Dustin frowns at him.

“What?”

“Last night, when you said can you imagine if I didn’t exist? I can’t imagine it.”

Dustin gapes at him, speechless, and he can see the faint blush rising in Lucas’ cheeks. “You fucking sap,” he teases, as if he’s not completely melting from the inside out.

“Hey, I can think of some incredibly sappy things that you were saying last –“

“Okay, okay, I get it! I get it, geez. You know, if you ever tell anyone about those things I said, this,” Dustin waves their linked hands in the air to demonstrate, “is terminated immediately. Over. Done. I have a reputation to maintain.”

Lucas rolls his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Dustin knows there’s not a single thing Lucas could say or do that would make him want to end their newfound relationship, so even though he doesn’t say it out loud (he does not need that self-satisfaction from Lucas), he squeezes Lucas’ hand just to make sure he knows.

Lucas clearly gets the message. “Idiot,” he says as his smile grows.

“I love you,” Dustin says by way of reply, grinning. His heart is so full of light and euphoria it’s going to burst. This is real. All of it, just because of the illimitable possibilities of an everlasting night.

“I love you too.”

They walk on.

@fatechica @calpurnias @mikewheeler @formerlyjannafaye @ericasinclairs @elshopper @elhoppers @summer-in-hawkins @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold @wheelrs