#which is completely correct but time vessel sounds fucking badass

[doccywhomst]

i choose to respect susan. i CHOOSE to believe that the acronymic nickname she gave her time capsule was so catchy that it single-handedly influenced all of time lord society and everyone in the universe forever

[chloelucia13]

Chapter 13: The Gate

Pairing: none for the moment (currently Jonathan Byers x Platonic!Henderson!reader)

Prompt:  You always thought Hawkins was the most boring town of all, stuck in a vacuum void of excitement and entertainment. Well, it seems that way until the world decided to flip upside down, literally.

Chapter Summary: You were stuck on the bench, and after deciding to try and do something to help Will, you had secretly wished that you had stayed at home. But at least people say dumb things when they’re dying, and other people say even dumber things when the person they love is dying.

Warnings: ANGST TO THE MAX, maybe like a hint of fluff, language, some vivid descriptions of gore, violence, just get ready to sob

Word Count: 9323 (holy SHIT)

A/N: And season 2 has come to a close in the saddest fucking way possible (just read it and you’ll see). I highly advise grabbing some tissues for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! As always, the taglist is open!

Tags: @just-my-fandom​, @nightbu-g​

Mike immediately ran forward, taking Eleven into his arms and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I never gave up on you,” Mike told her, pulling away to look at her. “I called you every night. Every night, for-”

“353 days,” she completed his sentence. “I heard.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were there? That you were okay?”

“Because I didn’t let her,” Hopper spoke up, stepping forward. Mike stepped away, and Hopper took Mike’s spot in front of El. “The hell is this? Where you been?”

“Where have you been?” Mike repeated as Hopper pulled El into a hug. “You’ve been hiding her.” He grew angry, shoving Hopper. “You’ve been hiding her this whole time!” he shouted.

“Hey!” Hopper shouted back. “Let’s talk. Alone.”

Hopper took Mike into Joyce’s room, leaving everyone in the living room to digest what just happened. 

You stepped forward, setting your machete on the floor before stepping over to El, who seemed to be distressed. You could hear Mike and Hopper shouting from the other room as you rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault, okay?” you told her. “You haven’t really learned it yet, but men get angry really easily. Don’t worry about them.” She nodded slowly and you pulled her into a hug. “It’s good to see you, sweetie. I’m glad you’re okay. And I kinda dig the outfit.”

She smiled at you as you stepped away from her, allowing Dustin and Lucas to give her a hug. “We missed you,” Lucas spoke as the three of them hugged.

“I missed you, too,” she whispered.

“We talked about you pretty much every day,” Dustin told her as they pulled away from the hug.

She looked between the two boys before stopping at Dustin, reaching forward. “Teeth,” she stated, touching his mouth.

“What?”

“You have teeth.”

Dustin grinned at Lucas. “Oh. You like these pearls?” He chuckled before making a purring-type noise, making El look at him confusedly.

“Eleven?” Max spoke up, stepping forward between the two boys. “Hey. Um, I’m Max.” She held out her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Eleven stared at her for a few moments, blinking, before brushing past her and rushing over to Joyce, who immediately pulled her into a hug. They spoke for a few moments before Joyce led her into Will’s room.

“Don’t take it personally, Max,” you told her, stepping over to her. “Eleven doesn’t really know how to... socialize.”

From the corner of your eye, you saw Eleven leading Joyce into the kitchen, stopping at the kitchen table.

“You opened this gate before, right?” Joyce asked Eleven, pointing to the scribbled letters on the back of the notepad.

“Yes,” El answered gravely.

The group began walking towards the kitchen, listening in on the conversation.

“Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?” Joyce voiced with urgency and a hint of hope.

El looked over at Joyce before staring off for a moment. “Yes.”

***

“It’s not like it was before,” Hopper explained with a sigh, trying to shut down the idea of having El close the gate. “It’s grown. A lot. I mean, that’s considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs.”

“Demo-dogs,” Dustin corrected, turning to Hopper.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, uh, demo-dogs. Like demogorgon and dog. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass-”

“How is this important right now?”

“It’s not. I’m sorry.” Dustin closed his mouth and turned around as quick as he did before.

“I can do it,” Eleven broke in, looking over at Hopper.

“You’re not hearing me-” Hopper began.

“I am hearing you. I can do it.”

“Even if El can, there’s still another problem,” Mike argued. “If the brain dies, the body dies.”

“I thought that was the whole point,” Max said.

“It is, but if we’re really right about this... I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the Mind Flayer’s army.”

“Will’s a part of that army,” Lucas connected.

“Closing the gate will kill him,” Mike concluded.

Everyone was silent for a moment, letting Mike’s words sink in. 

“But those creatures,” you began, thinking through your words, “they’re individual parts of the Mind Flayer. Will is just a vessel for the Mind Flayer. His life isn’t dependent of the Mind Flayer. So, if we kill off the Mind Flayer, I don’t think it will kill Will. It’ll just kill off the part of the Mind Flayer that’s inside of him.”

“I mean, I guess,” Mike sighed. “But do you think it’s safe to risk it?”

Silently, you shook your head, slouching slightly. 

Joyce rose to her feet from her seat, walking from the kitchen and into Will’s room. Everyone followed behind her, like a silent parade of worry and fear.

You felt your stomach churn when you saw Will laying still in his bed, his skin damp with sweat despite the harsh chill of the room.

“He likes it cold,” Joyce spoke.

“What?” Hopper answered, looking at her confusedly.

“It’s what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold.” She moved to the open window, yanking it closed. “We keep giving it what it wants.”

“If this is a virus, and Will’s the host, then...” Nancy said, looking down at Will.

“Then we need to make the host inhabitable,” Jonathan completed her thought.

“So if he likes it cold-”

“Then we need to burn it out of him,” Joyce concluded.

“We have to do it somewhere he doesn’t know this time,” Mike informed, trying to avoid what happened the last time.

“Yeah, somewhere far away,” Dustin agreed.

Hopper stepped forward from his spot against the wall. “I know a place,” he claimed as he wrapped the comforter on the bed around Will’s body, scooping him up into his arms. “Come on.”

Joyce and Jonathan followed behind Hopper as he rattled off directions, carrying Will out to Joyce’s car.

“We’ll need to find heaters, radiators, anything that would heat up a room,” Nancy instructed.

“There’s probably something in that pile of stuff we pulled out of the shed,” you told her.

She nodded, and the two of you hurried out into the backyard, Steve following close behind. Steve shone his flashlight on the pile of trash, the three of you quickly starting to search through it. 

“You guys should go with him,” Steve spoke up, pulling a radiator out of the pile.

“What?” Nancy voiced, shining her flashlight on the pile as you rifled through it.

“With Jonathan.”

“No, I’m not just gonna leave Mike.”

“Or Dustin,” you added. 

“No one’s leaving anyone,” Steve corrected. “I may be a shitty boyfriend, but turns out I’m a pretty damn good babysitter.”

“No, you’re not taking my title of babysitter.” You stood up straight. “I’m staying here. Nancy, you should go with Jonathan.”

Nancy looked between you and Steve. “Are... Are you guys-”

“No!” You and Steve shouted simultaneously. 

She sighed, looking down. “But Y/N, you and Jonathan-”

“Trust me, Nancy. He likes you a lot more than he could ever like me. It’s okay.”

She turned to look at Steve. “Steve...”

“It’s okay, Nance. It’s okay.”

She stood there silently, tears welling in her eyes. “Go, Nance,” you told her, patting her shoulder. “He needs you. We’re gonna be with the kids.”

You gathered the few heating materials you could find and carried them over to Jonathan’s car, blinking away the tears in your eyes. You set them in the backseat of the car before closing the door and walking up on the porch. Nancy climbed into the passenger seat and you gave them both a small wave before they drove away.

***

You had been sitting on the couch since everyone but the party and Steve had left, staring off into space and letting yourself wallow in your own pity.

“Alright, I think it should fit now,” Dustin announced, his voice startling you back to the present. 

With a huff, you pushed yourself to your feet and walked over to the kitchen, letting out a sigh of frustration when you saw the mess on the floor Dustin had made. Behind him Steve stood with the demo-dog in his arms, which was wrapped in a blanket.

“Is this really necessary?” Steve grumbled.

“Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can’t just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog.”

“No, it’s a creature from the upside down. And I don’t know if you remember this, but we could be killed if we even talk about this to anybody,” you reminded Dustin, pointing to the limp creature.

“They’ll never know. Everyone who works there is probably dead now anyway.”

“It’s the government, Dustin! It’s not like it’s a singular entity!”

“Alright, alright,” Steve spoke up. “We’ll just keep this in the fridge until we know what to do with it. Sound good?” 

You nodded silently. “Fine. But you’re buying the Byers’ a new fridge.” You turned to Dustin. “And you’re explaining this to Joyce.”

Steve stepped forward and began to try and shove the creature into the fridge, only to smack its head against the side of it. “Christ, help me out here!”

“What am I supposed to do!” Dustin argued.

“Get the door, man!”

Steve wedged the creature into the fridge, all while grumbling profanities, and Dustin closed the fridge door behind it.

From the other room, you could hear Lucas and Mike bickering, but you were too focused on the creature in the fridge to decipher exactly what it was about.

“Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?” Steve broke in, stepping into the living room.

“Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game,” Mike snapped. “And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

Steve stammered for a response, feeling defeated by Mike’s argument. “So my point is...” He stopped, searching for the words to say. “Right, yeah, we’re on the bench. So, uh, there’s nothing we can do.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Dustin claimed. “I mean, these demo-dogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away.”

“If we get their attention...” Lucas voiced.

“Maybe we can draw them away from the lab,” Max finished his thought.

“Clear a path to the gate,” Mike concluded.

“Yeah, and then we all die,” Steve countered, shutting the conversation down immediately.

“That’s one point of view,” Dustin hummed.

“No, that’s not a point of view man. That’s a fact.”

“I got it!” Mike exclaimed hurrying out of the room and into the kitchen, kneeling down in front of a certain point on the map of tunnels. “This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So...” He pushed himself to his feet, running over to another spot on the map. “Here. Right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire-”

“Oh yeah. That’s a no,” Steve attempted to shut down.

“The mind flayer would call away his army,” Dustin continued.

“They’d all come to stop us,” Lucas added.

“We circle back to the exit!” Mike joined in.

“Guys-” Steve warned.

“By the time they realize we’re gone,” Mike ignored Steve.

“El would be at the gate!” Max finished.

“Hey, hey hey!” Steve shouted, clapping his hands. “This is not happening.”

“But-” Mike whined.

“No, no, no, no, no. No but’s. I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on. We’re staying here. On the bench. And we’re waiting on the starting team to do their job. Y/N, help me out here.” He turned to look at you.

You shrugged, pursing your lips. “I mean...” you sighed. “Maybe it would work?”

Steve scoffed, running a hand through his hair.

“This isn’t a sports game, Steve. This is someone’s life, someone who I care a lot about. I don’t think I can just sit on the sidelines and wait.”

Just as Steve was about to argue, the sound of a loud engine revving echoed from the silent night outside. Max got up and ran over to the windows to investigate, everyone else following behind her.

“It’s my brother,” she announced. “He can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.”

You wrung your hands together nervously. “Okay, you guys get out of sight. Steve and I will try and talk to him,” you instructed before you and Steve hurried onto the front porch, closing the door behind you.

The car lurched to a stop and Billy got out of the car, a cigarette between his lips. “Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?” he shouted from his car, smoke falling from his mouth like a dragon.

“Yeah, it’s me don’t cream your pants,” Steve huffed, his hands on his hips.

“And who’s that little lady who’s with you? That your new girlfriend, buddy?”

“No!” you and Steve shouted simultaneously.

“Why does everyone think that?” you grumbled, crossing your arms over your chest.

Steve just shook his head, walking over to Billy as Billy shucked his jacket off. “What are you doing here, amigo?” Billy questioned.

“I could ask you the same question. Amigo,” Steve scoffed.

“Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here.”

“Huh. That’s weird. I don’t know her.”

“Small. Redhead. A bit of a bitch.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. Sorry, buddy.”

Billy pulled the cigarette out from between his lips. “You know, I don’t know, this... This whole situation, Harrington. I don’t know. It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Oh yeah. Why’s that?”

“My 13-year-old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you in a stranger’s house. And you lie to me about it.”

Steve chuckled. “Man, we’re you dropped too much on your head as a child, or what? I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said. She’s not here.”

“Then who is that?” Billy pointed to the window, and you all turned to see all of the kids’ heads peeking through the window.

“Oh shit,” Steve sighed. “Listen-”

Billy grabbed the Steve’s jacket before shoving him to the ground. “I told you to plant your feet.”

Steve groaned out in pain, and Billy kicked him in the stomach before stomping past him and up the porch.

“I’d advise you to back up, and go the fuck home,” you hissed, squaring your shoulders as he stepped up onto the porch.

“Aw, that’s cute. Now if you wouldn’t mind scooching over, that’d be real great,” Billy hummed, his eyes dead as he bent down to your level.

“Go fuck yourself.” You picked up your foot and kicked him in the knee, making him stagger for a moment.

“You’re a feisty bitch, aren’t ya?” He stood up straight and grabbed your shoulder, squeezing it tightly before shoving you to the side, pushing you away from the door. You fell onto your hip, letting out a hiss of pain as he stomped through the front door. It slammed shut a moment later, and you scrambled to your feet.

You pushed the door back open, seeing that Billy had already backed all the kids into a corner. “I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max,” Billy hissed.

“Billy, go away,” Max begged.

“You disobeyed me. And you know what happens when you disobey me.”

“Billy-”

“I break things.” Billy turned to Lucas and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, backing him up into the kitchen and shoving him up against a cabinet as everyone shouted at him to stop.

Billy got in Lucas’ face, hissing something you couldn’t quite make out, and a moment later, Lucas shoved his knee into Billy’s groin, making Billy stumble back in pain.

“So dead Sinclair! You’re dead,” Billy growled.

Steve popped up behind him, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around. “No, you are,” Steve huffed before swinging his fist, having it connect with Billy’s nose.

“So you’re abusive and racist, huh, Billy?” you hissed, stepping forward so you were next to Steve.

Billy stood up straight, laughing maniacally. “Oh sweetheart, I already knew you had some fire in you. But it looks like Steve actually has some fire in him after all! I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve that everyone’s been telling me so much about.”

“I mean, we could, but I think all that hair muffles your hearing a little bit, bud,” you growled.

Steve held his hand out, signaling you to stop, before he gently shoved Billy back. “Get out,” Steve stated simply.

Billy stared at him for a moment before swinging a punch, which you and Steve effectively dodged. Steve swung and landed another one on the left side of Billy’s face. You stepped forward and elbowed him right in the ribs, making him hunch forward. Steve landed a few more punches as you stayed back and guarded the kids. 

Billy was backed up against the sink, and he grabbed a plate and broke it over Steve’s head, making Steve stagger. You immediately hurried forward to try and block Steve, only for BIlly to shove you to the side and land a punch to Steve’s face. 

Billy stomped forward and held Steve up by his jacket. “No one tells me what to do!” Billy shouted in Steve’s face before colliding his forehead with Steve’s, sending him flying. 

You ran up and hopped onto Billy’s back, wrapping your arm around his neck in a chokehold as you tried to yank him back. With your other hand, you pulled at his hair with all your might. Billy surged forward, flinging you off his back and sending you tumbling to the ground.

You laid there limply and watched as Billy knelt over Steve’s body and mercilessly landed punch after punch to Steve’s face. From your peripheral, you watched Max approach him, a syringe in her hand. She stabbed the needle into Billy’s neck and injected him with the tranquilizer that was in it.

Billy froze, the syringe sticking out of his neck as he registered what had happened. He stumbled to his feet and turned to face Max, a look of shock on his face. He yanked the syringe from his neck, looking between it and Max. “The hell is this?” he slurred. “You little shit, what did you do?” He swayed for a few moments before falling back onto the floor.

Max grabbed Steve’s bat from the floor and held it over her head. “From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?” she growled.

“Screw you,” he mumbled.

Max swung the bat down, landing it in a space on the floor just between his legs. She ripped it from the floor and held it above her head once more. “Say you understand! Say it! Say it!”

“I understand.”

“What?”

“I understand.” He finally succumbed to the drug, and Max stepped forward to grab the keys from Billy’s pocket.

Dustin immediately rushed over to you, helping you to your feet. “Do you think you can drive?” he asked.

You scoffed. “I can barely drive normally. There’s no way. I can barely see anything. I think I have a concussion.”

“I can drive,” Max announced.

“Alright,” you mumbled, too tired and out of it to argue. You followed her into the car, sitting down in the back as all the boys attempted to carry Steve’s limp body.

*** You were all nearly to the hole when you heard Dustin talking beside you. “Is he awake?” you grumbled, lifting your head from the car window. 

“What’s going on?” Steve grumbled. “Oh my god!”

“Just relax, she’s driven before,” Dustin reassured Steve, trying to keep him calm.

“Yeah, in a parking lot,” Mike argued.

“That counts!” Lucas defended.

“They were gonna leave you behind,” Dustin continued.

“Oh my god!” Steve shouted again.

“I promised that you’d be cool, okay?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on?” Steve cried out as Max picked up speed. “oh my god. No! Whoa! Stop the car! Slow down!”

“I told you he’d freak out!” Mike shouted.

“Stop the car!”

“Everybody shut up! I’m trying to focus!” Max chided.

“Shhh! My head hurts and you’re all being too loud!” you whined, clutching your head.

“Oh wait, that’s Mount Sinai! Make a left!” Lucas instructed.

“What?” Max voiced, beginning to panic.

“Make a left!”

Max immediately jerked the wheel, taking out a mailbox as she swerved slightly before turning sharply into a field. She sped quickly through the field before screeching to a hard stop right in front of the hole. “I told you, zoomer,” Max hummed before parking the car and hopping out.

You all filed out of the car and headed to the trunk, pulling out the supplies the boys had packed away before you left the house. You all quickly slipped on your goggles and bandanas before grabbing your gear. 

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Steve voiced, trying to find his footing as Mike rushed past him. “What, are you deaf? Hello?” Steve looked around at everyone else who was already suited up. “We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear.” Steve turned to you. “Hey, there’s no chance we are going to that hole, alright? This ends right now!” Steve grabbed Dustin’s bag from his hands and threw it to the ground.

“Steve, you’re upset, I get it,” Dustin soothed. “But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance. Now, I know that you promised Nance that you would keep us safe, so keep us safe.” Dustin grabbed Steve’s backpack from the trunk and handed it to him.

You grabbed your machete and patted Steve shoulder. “So suit up, loverboy,” you hummed, brushing past him.

He sighed before reluctantly taking the backpack and putting on the mask and goggles Dustin had brought for him.

Once he was ready, he stepped in front of the group and stared down the hole, letting out another sigh before helping everyone down into the hole. He hopped down afterwards, pausing for a moment to take in the new atmosphere.

“Holy shit,” he breathed out after a moment.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s this way,” Mike instructed, referring to the quick makeshift map he had copied from Will’s drawings.

“You’re pretty sure, or you’re certain?” Dustin urged, looking in the same direction Mike was facing.

“I’m 100% sure. Just follow me and you’ll know.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey. I don’t think so,” Steve argued, stopping Mike in his tracks.

“What?” Mike huffed.

“Any of you little shits die down here, I’m getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?”

“Steve,” you scolded, arching a brow at him.

“Sorry.” He let out a breath. “From now on, I’m leading the way. Come on, let’s go.” He began marching forward, trying to get this done as quick as possible. 

It had only been about 20 minutes or so when the strange ashy substance in the air grew thicker, acting as a fog of sorts..

“God,” Lucas stated incredulously.

“What is this place?” Max pondered, slowing her pace to look around.

“Guys, come on. Keep moving,” Steve commanded.

Everyone continued trudging forward, but froze in fear when they heard a shriek coming from a few feet behind them. “Shit!”

You all hurried back, seeing Dustin stumbling around blindly and screaming for help. 

“What happened?” You urged, falling to your knees in front of him.

“It’s in my mouth! Some got in my mouth! Shit!” he screeched, pulling his bandana down from around his face and spitting on the ground. A few moments later, after effectively expelling all the spit in his mouth, he took a deep breath and looked up at everyone. “I’m okay.”

“Jesus Christ,” You grumbled, pushing him by his forehead before you got to your feet.

After Dustin got to his feet, Steve continued marching forward. “Y/N, you’re manning the rear from now on!” he shouted from his position at the front.

“Yes sir,” you grumbled with an eye roll before stepping to the back of the line.

***

“Alright, Wheeler,” Steve announced after another few minutes of walking. “I think we found your hub.

You all stepped closer, closing the line up into a small cluster so you could all observe the large clearing Steve was referring to.

“Drench it,” Mike instructed, and everyone immediately got to work spraying weed killer, kerosene, gasoline, and any other flammable substance on the large clearing filled with strange-looking vines.

You all had made quick work of covering the surface area of the clearing, making the entire area reek of chemicals. 

The six of you were backed a few feet into the tunnel you came from, with Steve sitting in the front, his lighter in his hand. “I am in such deep shit,” he sighed before flicking the lighter on and tossing in into the pit, watching as it instantaneously burst into flames. 

“Okay we gotta go before the demo-dogs get here,” you instructed, pushing yourself to your feet and quickly ushering everyone past you before taking your spot at the end of the line. Everyone’s pace quickened into a run as you tried to get out of the tunnels as fast as possible.

You had only made it a few hundred yards into the tunnels, however, when Mike stumbled and fell to the ground. You reached your hand down to help him up, only to see the vines quickly moving and snaking around his ankles. “Shit, shit,” you whispered, moving to try and pry them off him. “Guys! Guys, get back here!”

Everyone came running back, quickly working to help Mike get out. Steve raised his bat above his head and swung down in an attempt to crush the vines that held Mike captive, only for them to flinch and continue.

You shooed Steve out of the way and swung your machete down, severing the vines and watching them fall limply off Mike’s ankles. Dustin and Lucas quickly pulled him up and you all turned to hurry off.

You let out a sigh of relief and moved to follow behind them, only to feel a tight grip on your ankles. Panic rose in your throat as you felt them tug, yanking you to the ground. You fell hard on your back, all the air leaving your lungs as your body thumped silently to the ground. Through blurred vision, you watched the group walk forward, not realizing that anything was wrong. Your eyes flickered down to your ankles, now trapped in two snaking vines that began slithering up your body. 

Bile rose in your throat and you kicked with all your might, only to have one vine snake around your waist and arms, holding you down. Another vine wormed around your throat and contracted, cutting off your air supply. Tears welled in your eyes as you struggled to breathe, to move, to speak. You watched as one last vine slipped under your goggles and handkerchief, exposing you to the toxic environment. Your vision slowly began to fade, all of your senses quickly diminishing as you felt your body slip away from consciousness.

Then you heard the stampede.

Demo-dogs trampled over your near-lifeless body, clawing at your clothes and skin as they went. Blood began to well from the cuts, letting out a silent scream when one clawed straight down from your forehead to your cheek and sliced your eye.

Blood flooded into your eyes and your nose and your mouth as everything slowly fell dark and silent.

***

Steve hoisted the last boy up before he tugged himself out of the hole, letting out a tired huff as he landed on the soft earth. His eyes searched around the group, doing a mental count.

And then another one.

“Guys?” he voiced, body filling with worry. “Where’s Y/N?”

“She’s right-” Dustin began, turning around only to see that you weren’t standing behind him. “Shit.”

Everyone’s eyes grew wide and Steve immediately sat up, adrenaline already coursing through his veins. “Okay, when was the last time we saw her?”

“At those vines,” Mike said, his voice wavering with fear. “Oh my god.” 

Steve looked down into the hole before looking back at the group. “You guys stay here. I’m gonna go find her.”

He tugged the handkerchief over his mouth before diving back into the hole and sprinting down the tunnel.

“Y/N! Y/N, where are you?!” His heart was pounding in his chest as his mind raced with all the possible scenarios that could’ve happened, all of the things that could’ve happened to you. 

Then he heard the soft whimpers.

He froze for a moment, listening. Then he ran faster than he ever had before, faster than when he was being chased by the demogorgon, faster than he thought possible.

“S-Steve,” you choked out, voice strained and shaky. You had only woken up moments before, the grip on your neck now gone.

“Oh my god.” His stomach twisted at the sight of you when your body came into view.

Every inch of your body was covered in cuts, blood, bruises, and vines. Your hair was matted and coated in a thick layer of dirt and gore, your eyes drooping so low he couldn’t tell if they were open or not.

He knelt down beside you and grabbed your machete that was lying just out of your reach, immediately slicing through the vines that kept you pinned to the ground. The moment you were free of your restraints, he scooped you up into his arms with the gentle touch that he would use to hold a baby, minding your wounds. “You’re okay, Y/N. It’s okay.”

“Hurts,” you cried. “I can’t see.”

“I know. We’re gonna get you to a hospital. You’ll be okay.”

“D… Don’t let Dustin s-see me. Please.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

After a minute, which felt like hours to you, you arrived at the opening. “Dustin…”

“I know.” He looked up, seeing the clear starry sky. “Hey Dustin, I need you to close your eyes, bud.”

“Wait, why? Is Y/N okay?” Dustin shouted back leaning over to peek into the hole.

Steve immediately stepped back, hiding your body from view. “Please, dude. Just for now.”

Dustin, noting Steve’s panicked tone, nodded and stepped back, covering his eyes with his hands. “Okay, they’re closed.”

“Okay, guys, I need you to help me get Y/N up and out.”

The two boys and Max peeked their heads in, their stomachs lurching at the sight of you. “Holy shit,” Lucas whispered. Immediately, they all reached down and pulled you up as Steve lifted you. They dragged you away from the hole and fell back, panic in their eyes. “What do we do?”

“We get her to a hospital.” Once Steve got his footing, he scooped you back up and carried you out of the pit. “Can someone radio Jonathan and Nancy and Joyce?”

“It’s in the car,” Max admitted, voice shaking with fear. “Okay, we need to go. Try to get ahold of them.”

As the group stepped towards the car, the headlights began to shine brightly, blinding them for a few moments from the sheer power of it. “Eleven,” Mike whispered. “She did it.”

Once the lights faded, Max hurried to the car and hopped in the driver’s seat, starting the car and speeding off once everyone was inside and you were safely situated.

Mike grabbed the radio from off the seat and began to search for Hopper’s radio at once, trying to recall the channel Hopper had told Jonathan earlier. Once the radio stopped buzzing with static and was now filled with silence, he pressed the button and began to shout for Jonathan. “Jonathan, this is Mike, do you copy?” 

“Mike?” Jonathan’s voice came through the machine after a few moments of silence, his voice crackly and tinny. 

“There’s an emergency. Y/N, she…” Mike cleared his throat, images of your torn up body flashing through his mind. “She’s not doing good. We’re on our way to the hospital right now.”

“W-What happened? What do you mean she’s not doing good?”

“She got hurt. Really bad. Just… Just come to the hospital as soon as you can.”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

***

As soon as Max pulled up to the hospital, the flash of Jonathan’s headlights shone into the car. He sprinted out of the car before it was even parked correctly, leaving the keys in the ignition. 

He could get a new car. Buy a new battery. He couldn’t get you back if he lost you.

“Jonathan,” Steve said, noting his presence with a breath of relief. “I’m gonna get the kids inside. Can you get Y/N?”

Jonathan nodded, feeling as if his mind and heart were detached from his body, running further and further apart with each moment.

Once he made sure the kids were inside, he yanked the front passenger seat down to get to you.

At that moment, his body, heart, and mind collided, bringing him to the shocking present. The feeling could be compared to being dunked in ice water, every part of your body and soul being forced into fight-or-flight mode while you still hadn’t comprehended what was happening.

“J…” you muttered, eyes fluttering open to search for him.

“Hey, hey, it’s me. You’re okay,” he whispered, gently scooping you up and getting you out of the car.

“H-hurts.”

“I know. Don’t speak, it’ll make you weaker.” 

The moment your body was fully exposed to the cruel and unforgiving fluorescent lights of the hospital, he felt as if he was going to faint. 

Your blood had already began to congeal, caking onto your skin and making your clothes cling to your body. Your right eye had a large gash through it, your eyeball scratched and possibly split. “I’m so sorry, Y/N,” he choked out, walking through the doors of the hospital. He knew he should’ve been looking ahead, searching for a nurse or doctor to help you, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of yours. “I’m sorry.”

With every last bit of energy that you had left in you, you reached up and cupped his cheek, cracking a small smile. “It’ll be okay, Johnny Boy.” A harsh cough ripped through your body, making blood trickle down your lips. “I...I love you.”

With that, you were taken from his arms and placed on a gurney, whisked away from him, leaving him to drown in his own thoughts.

***

“She’s awake,” the doctor announced the moment she stepped into the waiting room, effectively drawing everyone’s attention.

“Can we see her?” Mike asked, eyes pleading.

“Only one at a time, but yes.”

Everyone looked to Dustin. “She’s your sister, you should probably see her first,” Max explained, nudging his shoulder.

Dustin nodded and stood up, taking a deep breath before following the doctor into your room. “Be fairly quiet, she may have a slight migraine from the blood loss.” With that, the doctor left the room.

“Hey Dusty,” you choked out, voice hoarse and crackly. 

“Hey, Y/N/N,” he spoke, a scared smile on his face. “How are you feeling?”

“Mmm, high right now. Probably feel like shit later. They gave me a ton of painkillers.” You tried to flash him a small smile, but winced from the pain that shot through your face when you did so. “How are you feeling?”

He shrugged. “I-I’m okay now. I was kinda scared.”

“I’m sorry. I-I should’ve called for help before it got too bad. I just… Thought I could handle it.”

“It’s not your fault.”You nodded. “How are we gonna explain this to mom?” you joked after a moment of silence.

“We’ll say you got taken and they had some dogs attack you.”

“How long have you been thinking that through?”

“Ever since we got here.”

You let out a chuckle, shifting slightly with a small wince. “So, have they told you guys what all is wrong with me, or are they just waiting for me to find out myself?”

“Well, they said that you have a bruised windpipe, a few broken ribs, a concussion, your eye got cut, and there were a lot of cuts on your body.”

“God, they really did a number on me, huh?”

He nodded, letting out a small chuckle. You couldn’t tell if it was real or if it was just to comfort you, but it calmed you down nonetheless. “The doctors said that you get to come home once you’re stable. They said in about 2 days, if everything goes okay.”

“I’m excited to be home. Gonna eat all the rest of your Halloween candy.” A cough rattled your body, causing you to shiver for a moment afterwards from the feeling of your organs seizing up. A small dribble of blood dripped down your lips, but you quickly wiped it away before he could see.

“Everyone’s excited for you to be home. They’re all outside waiting for you.”

“Really? Why aren’t they in here?”

“The doctor said only one person could come in at a time.”

“Fuck what the doctors say. Tell them to come in here. I wanna see them.”

Dustin flashed a genuine smile this time, running out of the room to grab everybody.

***

Jonathan thought that the most heartbreaking thing he would experience was him losing his little brother, knowing there was virtually nothing he could do to help him.

But when he saw you laying in that hospital bed, half of your body covered in bandages with wires sticking out of your body, he knew that that sight was an extremely close second.

A wide smile spread over your face when you saw everyone flood into the room. “Hi guys,” you rasped.

“Hey, Y/N/N,” Nancy whispered, tears springing to her eyes. “How are you feeling?”

You shook your head slightly. “I’m okay. I-It doesn’t matter.” You searched around the room. “Where’s Will? Is he okay?”

"He’s resting at home,” Mike explained. “He’s okay.”

Questions and concerns were voiced by every person, all eyes on you as you consoled them and reassured them that you were fine. The doctor came in about 15 minutes later, instructing that everyone leave so you could get some rest. Everyone did as they were told, stepping out of the room to give you space.

Well, almost everyone.

Jonathan stood in the corner of the room and waited until the room was cleared out to sit down in the hard plastic seat next to your bed, remorseful eyes trained on your face.

“So, are you an exception to the doctor’s orders, now?” you teased, reaching out and giving his shoulder a weak squeeze. 

“I-I’ll leave if you want,” he said, sitting up slightly, ready to leave at any moment.

You shook your head. “No, stay. I missed you.”

He let a small smile crack on his face, his hand slipping into yours with a cautious touch. “I missed you too.”

“Are you doing okay?”

“I should be the one asking you that.”

“Jonathan, like I told everyone else, I’m fine. It doesn’t matter.” You squeezed his hand, wincing slightly at the tug on your broken skin when you did so. “You basically witnessed your brother get exorcised. I… I wouldn’t be okay if I saw that.”

He let out a sigh. “I’m not okay, but I will be. He’s okay now, that’s all that matters.” He squeezed your hand in return, smoothing his thumb over your knuckles. “Besides, that’s not really what’s on my mind.”

You tilted your head, confusion furrowing your brows and scrunching your nose slightly. “What’s on your mind, Johnny Boy?”

Another sigh, followed by him shifting in his chair. “Do you remember anything when you got to the hospital?”

You shook your head. “No. I-It’s all kinda fuzzy. I guess blood loss and oxygen deprivation does that to you.” You let out a small chuckle, silencing when you noticed the distressed look on his face. “Why?”

“Steve…” He bit down on his lip, thinking of what to say. “Steve told me to bring you in while he took care of the kids.” You stayed silent, allowing him to continue. “When I carried you in, you…” He brushed a hand through his hair. “You told me you loved me.”

Your breath caught in your throat, eyes growing wide for a split second. “Well, I do love you, Jonathan. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for. Even after this week.”

“And I’m really sorry about that. Truly. I… Doing that to you is one of my biggest regrets.” He let out a sigh, eyes darting back and forth as if he was reading from an imaginary script. “But you... You said it like-” A frustrated huff. “Like you loved me, romantically.”

Your lips pursed, silent as you searched for a response. “Like I said, I was on the brink of death.” A shrug. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. You’re with Nancy.”

“But it does matter!”

You shook your head. “It doesn’t, Jonathan. You’ll learn this eventually, but what I feel doesn’t matter on the grand scale of things.”

“It does to me.”

“Why are you so hung up on this? I was almost dead! Forgive me if I say some stupid shit!”

“Because I love you too!”

You closed your eyes, taking a few deep breaths before letting out a small chuckle. “Jonathan, th-this isn’t funny.”

“You’re right. It’s not funny. I love you, and I’m serious.”

“If you do love me, like you say you do, then you wouldn’t have pined after Nancy so much. Maybe you do love me, but definitely not as much as you love Nancy-”

“Y/N-”

“It’s okay, Jonathan. Like I said, what I feel doesn’t matter.” You squeezed his hand once more, feeling tears spring to your eyes. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“But I’m not happy if you’re not happy.”

“But I just said that I’m happy if you’re happy.”

“Well, I’m not fucking happy-”

“But you are, Jonathan. You seek out happiness, and you found it with Nancy.”

“But I found it with you too.”

“But who did you choose in the end?”

Silence.

“Exactly.”

He shook his head, letting out a scoff. “Don’t just ‘exactly’ me.”

“What do you want me to say? That you should break up with Nancy and be with me?”

“Yes!”

“Then you really don’t know me at all, do you?”

He clenched his jaw, fingers of his free hand curled into a fist. With a puff of air through his nose, he pushed himself onto his feet and leaned over you, pressing a gentle but firm kiss to your lips. Your eyes widened in shock, but you couldn’t force yourself to pull away.

He broke the kiss a moment later, squeezing his eyes shut and letting go of your hand. “Just give me some time, please?” he whispered, taking a few steps towards the door.

“Don’t I always, Byers?” you choked out, feeling a tear slip down your cheek.

***

Dustin had stepped through the doors with a big smile on his face and even bigger hair. You leaned over and waved at Steve in his car before stepping over to your brother, pulling him into a side hug and hovering your hand over his head. “Hey, don’t mess up the hair! It took me like 30 minutes!” he squealed, prompting a laugh from you.

“God, you’re getting more and more like Steve every day,” you teased, giving his shoulder a squeeze before letting him go and going back over to Nancy behind the punch bowl.

With a sigh, you leaned down and rested your elbows against the table, keeping your face cast downwards to avoid scaring the kids too much.

No matter how many times you had begged your Principal, the PTA manager, even the teachers setting up the dance to dismiss you from your chaperone responsibilities due to your injuries, they denied because “it was your choice to volunteer in the first place” and “maybe you can scare the kids straight.” Yeah, just wonderful.

“You look beautiful, Y/N,” Nancy told you once again, nudging your shoulder before pouring a glass of punch for a kid.

“Yeah, this gigantic gash on my face sure does go well with my hair and makeup,” you huffed snarkily, waiting until the kid had walked away to sit up straight and turn to face her. “Besides, you don’t have to reassure me all the time. I know I look scary. It’s fine. I’m accepting it.”

She let out a sigh and shook her head. “You’re so stubborn, you know that? Can’t you just accept a compliment?”

“I don’t accept things that aren’t true.”

“Hmm?” She voiced, turning to you. Of course she wasn’t listening to you. Why would she when she had someone else she could pay attention to.

You shook your head, pursing your lips as you stared into the punch bowl. “You know you don’t have to hang out with me the whole time.”

“Y/N-”

“Go. Hang out with Jonathan. I really don’t care. Besides, I don’t think serving punch requires two people, anyways.”

She was silent for a moment. “Are you sure?”

“Positive, Nance. Go have fun. One of us needs to have some.”

She left your side the second the last word left your mouth, immediately hurrying over to hang out with Jonathan. You blew out a long breath through your slightly open lips, eyes glancing over the crowd of middle schoolers before returning to the punch bowl, staring at it as if it held all the secrets you needed.

The song changed and you listened to the shuffling of feet along the gym floor as everyone searched for someone to dance for, or they were retreating into a corner to avoid confrontation at all costs. You drummed your fingers along the table and chewed on your lower lip, finally sitting up straight and staring into the crowd directly. A smile tugged at the corner of your lips when you saw that Will and Lucas were already swept off into the crowd. You knew Mike was waiting for El, so you didn’t worry about him. Dustin, however, was a different story.

You watched as he stepped into a crowd of girls, only for them to ignore him, and then laugh at his attempt to woo them. A small pit of dread settled in the pit of your stomach, but you watched as he pushed on. Only to be rejected again. He then retreated over to the bleachers, his gaze focused on the ground.

You searched the crowd and, after deciding that no one would come over to the punch table for a while, headed over to Dustin. “I guess this isn’t either of our nights, huh?” you voiced, plopping down next to him. With a sigh, you reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing slightly. “Don’t take it personally, Dusty. Middle school girls are assholes.”

“You weren’t,” he huffed, still staring at the floor. “And El and Max aren’t.”

“Popular middle school girls are assholes.” you nudged his shoulder. “You’ll find someone, I know you will. You just have to give it some time. You’re gonna be like the new Steve when you get to high school. You’re gonna get all the girls.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” You two sat in silence for a moment before he spoke.

“Why aren’t you talking to Jonathan?”

You furrowed your brows, shaking your head slightly. “What do you mean? We-we always talk.”

“Will said you’ve been avoiding Jonathan. Besides, it’s pretty obvious, Y/N.”

“I’ve just been busy.”

“Manning the punch bowl while Nancy talks to him?”

“They’re dating now. It’s fine.”

“Well you don’t look like you’re fine with it.”

“Do you have to be right all the time?”

“It’s a curse.”

You let out a chuckle before sighing, eyes glancing up at the couple for a moment before going to the floor. “There’s just not a point in trying anymore. They’re happy. I can’t compete with Nancy. It’s better to just… Let it go.”

Another pause. “Jonathan really likes you, you know.”

You shook your head. “He may have used to. Any feelings he has for me are strictly platoni-”

“Everyone saw him kiss you at the hospital.”

His words made you choke on your spit, your heart nearly stopping right there. “... Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Well not everyone. But the party saw it. And mom. And Joyce. And Hopper. And Steve.”

“Oh my god.” You buried your face in your hands. “You couldn’t have told me then? Or at least at a time other than now?” Your toe nervously tapped against the wooden floor. Then, in a small voice, you asked, “... Did Nancy see?”

“Not that I know of. I think she was getting snacks at the vending machine.”

You let out a breath that you didn’t know you were holding. Then another silence.

You didn’t even notice the sound of approaching footsteps as you were too wrapped up in your own thoughts, your heart nearly stopping once more when you saw Nancy’s shoes come into view. “Hey Dustin,” her voice rang clearly.

Dustin looked up, offering her a shy smile. “Hey.”

“Wanna dance?”

“What?”

Nancy reached her hand out. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Dustin took her hand with hesitance, glancing over at you. You gave him a nod and a big smile, letting go of his other hand to let him go with her. “Like I said, Dustin. Ladies man,” you teased.

He gave you a big smile in return and rose to his feet, letting Nancy lead him to the dance floor. Nancy turned to glance back at you, and you mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her. She nodded and flashed you a smile of her own before disappearing into the crowd of people.

As soon as the two of them were out of eyesight, you slouched back down in your seat, smoothing your hands over the tulle of your dress. You let your eyes flutter closed as you listened to the music, trying to keep yourself in the present to avoid your emotions from going haywire. That was a bad idea, however, as the moment you closed your eyes, you saw flashes of that horrid night in the tunnels. Your eyes snapped back open a moment later, and a heavy sigh fell from your lips.

“Hey.”

You looked up to see Jonathan standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a sheepish look on his face.

“Hey,” you hummed, mirroring his sheepish look. He sat down next to you, his arms unfolding so he could clasp his hands together and rest them in his lap. “You look nice. You should wear suits more.”

He scoffed, playfully nudging his shoulder with yours.

“What, I’m serious! You look nice!” You turned to face him, letting a smile grow on your lips.

“You look nice, too. Seriously.”

You let out a sigh. “You don’t have to say that, you know.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”

“But I’m not lying.”

You chewed on your lower lip, your smile almost completely faded away. “Did Nancy send you over here?”

“Why would you think she did that?”

You shrugged. “Pity? That’s one of her strong suits.”

“What if I told you that I came over here because I wanted to? Because I missed you and I wanted to see you?”

“Then I’d say that you’re lying.” You held back another sigh, staring him straight in the eye. “Jonathan, you really don’t need to baby me or pity me. I already get enough of that from everyone else.”

“I’m treating you like a normal human being, not pitying you-”

“But I’m not a normal fucking human! Look at me! I look like a fucking monster!”

He let out a huff and unfurled one of your hands that was tightly gripping the fabric of your dress. He rose to his feet and grabbed your now-unfurled hand, pulling you to your feet as well. “Come on.”

“Jonathan-”

“No, no whining. Come on.” He led you past the crowd and past the bleachers, over to the exit. He pushed past the doors and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of the stairs.

“What are we doing? We can’t leave the gym-”

“Y/N, just be quiet for once. Okay?”

You nodded, watching him as he pulled a tape from out of his pocket. He let go of your hand and stepped behind you, placing the tape into the tape deck of the stereo you had failed to notice. There was a small gap of static as the tape wound before the familiar notes of “Melt with You” by Modern English began to play.

A smile graced your lips once again, eyes twinkling with joy and appreciation. He stepped back over to you, taking both of your hands into his. “Is… Is this okay?”

You let out a chuckle, nodding immediately. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” You slowly slipped your hands away from his so you could snake your arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. His hands wound around your waist a moment later, his head resting against your shoulder.

“Anything for you.”

You sniffled slightly, leaning your head against his chest as you two slowly began to sway along to the music.

The song stood out to you, but you couldn’t quite place it. “I didn’t know you could stomach putting this song on a mixtape,” you teased.

Then it hit you.

“Isn’t this song also on your mixtape for Nancy? That ‘For Her’ mixtape?” You pulled your head away from his chest to look up at him.

He sighed. “Y/N, that mixtape wasn’t for her. It never was. I… Hold on.” He stepped away from you and crouched down by the stereo , grabbing the plastic casette case. He traced his fingers over the words on the index card that was taped to the inside for a moment before getting back up and handing it to you. “Read the songs.”

“I-I don’t know how this proves-”

“Just read them. Please.”

You sighed, but obliged. “One, ‘Melt With You’ by Modern English-”

“The song you’d play in my car on a loop when it first came out.”

You pursed your lips slightly before continuing. “Two, ‘Love Will Tear us Apart’ by Joy Division.”

“Your favorite song off of their album.”

“Three, ‘This Must be the Place’ by Talking Heads.”

“The song you said reminded you of us. That as long as we’re together, everything is okay.”

You skimmed over the rest of the song list. “So all these songs make you think of me?”

He chuckled. “Well, everything makes me think of you. But these songs are yours. It’s your playlist.” He stepped forward, taking your hand in his. “Everything I do is for you. I guess it just took me a while to realize it.”

Tears welled in your eyes, and you looked down at the ground to avoid his gaze. “I... I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just... I wanted you to know.”

You nodded slowly, lifting your gaze to meet his. A small smile rested on your face and you squeezed his hand before wrapping your free arm around him. “I do really love you. And I know that it’s too late, but I just don’t think I can keep it in anymore.”

He nodded, slowly beginning to sway to the music once again. “We’ll figure this out. We always do.”