theladybarnes

[theladybarnes]

UPDATE:

Hello everyone! Hope you’re all doing well. Just wanna update here.

The next chapter should hopefully be done soon. I know a lot of you are excited for what comes next so I’m just making sure it’s good~

I also noticed a small new batch of followers so thank you to them for giving my page a chance! I really appreciate it. 🩷🩷🩷

Also I might be starting something..but idk if I should spoil or just start it up and throw it at you guys randomly.

#text post #I’ll give a clue #🏝️

[theladybarnes]

CRIMSON AND CLOVER: CHAPTER EIGHT

“I told you, I'm fine. Okay? I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be.”

▸ summary: the group splits off again and a breaking theory comes your way ▸ characters: steve harrington, dustin henderson, max mayfield, robin buckley, nancy wheeler, & lucas sinclair ▸ word count: 12.7k ▸ warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of death, slight canon divergence, & trauma ▸ series masterlist

“It was here..right here!”

 “A grandfather clock?”

 “It was so real.” 

 You watched carefully from the back of the group as Max explained what happened once she had snapped out of her brief frozen state. Time had not ran out and it was only a few seconds into your panicking that she gasped before you guys, waking up.

 “..And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just..I woke up.”

 “It was like she was in a trance or something.” Dustin chimed in, looking over to the rest of you. “Exactly what you and Eddie said happened to Chrissy.”

 You met his gaze with a small nod, unsure what to think next. Chrissy never woke up to the sound of you and Eddie calling out to her. And while Max didn’t either, she still snapped out of it. 

 Turning around to the group, Max couldn’t help but dive into more information. “That’s not even the bad part.” she started before she led all of you back to Ms.Kelley’s office. Surrounding the stack of files, she shared a couple between Robin and Nancy, setting up the base of what you guys gathered.

 “Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Ms.Kelley for help..they both were having headaches, bad headaches that just wouldn’t go away. And then..then the nightmares..trouble sleeping. They’d wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things..bad things..from their pasts. In these visions, they just, they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually..everything ended.”

 “Vecna’s curse.” Robin clarified. 

 Curse. You thought. 

 Stomach churning at the idea of not only yourself being cursed, but Max too. How could she be hit with any more hardship than she already has? Even as she had explained everything as perfectly as she could, there was still a heavy terror in her voice. One that hit you harder than you expected. 

 But what could you do? How could you be of any help when you were going through the same afflictions that her and the others have? The only difference in the patterns were the visions. Instead, you were tormented by a voice. A dreadful voice that seemed to know all your insecurities and dump them into your mind at the worst times.

 You glanced around at your friends, their faces etched with sad, sombering looks as they listened to what Max had to say. 

 “There’s still time to figure things out,” you said, speaking up finally. “No one is giving up just yet.”

 Max slowly shook her head. Her bright eyes still lingered with a few unshed tears as she tried to reason with you. 

 “Chrissy’s headache started a week ago, Fred’s, six days ago. I’ve been having them for five days.” 

 Your heart dropped at that, unsure what you could even say to help make things better for her. But to your dismay, she went on. Even through her own body betraying her regular strength, she couldn’t help but crumble at her conclusion.

 “I don’t know how long I have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than twenty-four hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock!..So..” her breath was shaky as she stepped towards the desk. Gripping at the chair while she looked at everyone. “..it looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.”

 There’s a loud clang in the distance. Causing the group to jump a bit and pause the conversation. Steve doesn’t hesitate to step up, turning to the others with a frown on his face. “Stay here.” he ordered calmly, and turned to leave the room. But not without grabbing a nearby lamp to use as a weapon. 

 It took only a couple of seconds of him leaving the room before you quietly muttered to the others. “Yeah, screw that.” 

 Trailing after him, you made sure to check the hall behind you guys before following in close after him. Without having to look back, you could hear as the others quietly did the same. Sticking close behind Steve as well as he ventured out to the source of the noise.

 Steve barely glanced over his shoulder and noticed you all before he sighed disappointedly. “You gotta be kidding me.” he muttered to you.

 “Like you aren’t used to us not listening.” you whispered back. “Besides, you’re using a damn lamp. It’s not like you’re ready to fight either.”

 “It’s the best thing I got!” he hissed, trying to keep quiet. The sound of clattering stirred up again, shutting you both up.

 In the distance you could hear the sound of feet running begin to pick up, creating an anxious chill to run down your back.

 All around the rest of the group grew tense, waiting behind to see what would be coming into the view. Steve raised up the lamp, ready to take his aim on the target when suddenly a familiar face jumped into the hall.

Steve and Lucas began to yell once coming to head with each other, causing everyone to let out a panicked cry as they staggered back. 

 “IT’S ME!” Lucas cried out, holding his hands out before him defensively. 

 “Lucas?!” Nancy called out, flashing another light on his face.

 “It’s me!” he cried again.

 “JESUS, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU SINCLAIR?” Steve yelled, looking flushed as the panic came over him.

 “I’m sorry!”

 “I could’ve taken you out with this lamp!” he chided dramatically. You reached over for his arm and pulled him away from Lucas to rest back and give the kid some obvious air since he was panting particularly hard. 

 “Easy there, he-man.” you patted his arm, earning yourself an annoyed look from him. 

 “I’m sorry, guys, sorry! I was..I was biking for eight miles.” he held up a finger, holding onto the front of his gut. “Give me a second, shit.” he said before remembering what he really wanted to say. “We’ve got a code red!”

 “What?” Steve asked, confused all over again. 

 “Dustin,” He said as he staggered over to your cousin, still panting as he laid out more crap for the group to worry about now. “I’ve been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they’ve gone like totally off the rails! They’re trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You’re in terrible danger!”

 Dustin, while taken back by this, still can’t help but keep the main problem at focus. “All right, Yeah, that definitely sucks.” he agreed. “But we’ve got bigger problems than Jason right now.” 

 You could only watch as Lucas slowly glanced over at Max. The two locked eyes and you could just see the pain in Max’s face. Without even realizing it, you’ve instinctively reached out for Steve’s hand. And thankfully, he doesn’t say anything but squeeze back.

  “We wouldn’t be able to access the program for it here. The family computer isn’t exactly gonna cut it.” sighed Nancy, downing the rest of her water. “Besides, I’m not even sure how to write up the kind of files we’d need to pass as real.”

 “There’s always a chance the library could have some examples.” you threw out, leaning against the counter to look at the two girls. “If we head there early enough, we could be the first ones in, type it out, and get it done by early morning.”

 “We can try that, but there’s always a chance it might not work. Hawkins doesn’t really have the newest resources. Even today we had to dig pretty deep to find the newspaper headlines.” Robin countered, crossing her arms as she stood beside you.

 The three of you had been in the kitchen for a good few minutes discussing what you guys could do.

 After leaving the school, it was pretty easy to just collect everyone and keep watch of each other in the safety of the Wheeler basement. Especially with Max’s countdown recently coming into light to hang over the rest of you. 

 “Well,” Nancy piped up, “there was a rumor I heard at school..” You and Robin shared a confused look before nodding at her to continue. 

 “Jordan Wallis. He’s in the A.V. Club. They said his older brother Nick used to help create fake IDs and permits for a certain price..”

 “Wasn’t his brother also sent to a Military school for getting caught?” Robin asked, looking a little skeptical.

 “He was.” she nodded, scrunching her nose at the fact. “But, I’ve heard that Jordan and a few of his buddies have taken on the family business. They might know a thing or two about forging documents. Some of them are in the newspaper so I might have a way in if we need to talk to him.” 

 The three of you mulled it over for a minute. Contemplating how much this idea could work. 

 Nancy let out a long sigh, sounding tired as she set down the cup in the kitchen sink. “It’s a long shot in the dark, but–”

 “It’s the best we got.” you finished for her, watching as she nodded her head. “I say we do it.”

 Robin silently agreed with a shrug, looking over to Nancy.  “Do you think you can reach them in time tonight?” she asked, scratching nervously at her cheek. “We’d have to leave first thing in the morning.”

 She turned her watch over, noting the time before she offered a tight lip smile. “It’s not too late. I can make a couple of calls.”

 “Then let’s get to it.”

 Robin left the two of you to join the others downstairs, possibly giving Steve some sort of relief from ‘babysitting’ while you and Nancy ventured up her stairs. It was easier to conceal the type of phone calls you guys were making from her parents in the privacy of the room. And after about ten minutes, three different conversations, and one sweet minute of pleading, there was a plan made to get the files. 

 You waited until everything was set and ready for the next day to ask Nancy if you could use her phone for a moment alone. She seemed a little worried, but gave a small smile and quietly left the room.

 Reaching for her phone, you stared down at the receiver, wondering what was suddenly coming over you as you pressed in the familiar number. A glance at your watch and you were thankful for once for the time difference. 

 “The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again at a later time.”

 Frowning, you tried dialing it again. 

 “The number you are trying to reach is un–”

 Ending the call, you tried to figure out just what could be holding the line. Since reaching Jonathan seemed out of play, you dialed the next person you needed to speak to. 

 It only took one ring for her to pick it up.

 “Hello?”

 “Mom?” 

 “Oh, Duckie!”  your mother gasped. “I was hoping I’d hear from you soon!”

 The sudden joy in your Mother’s voice brought a blooming happiness over you. It had been a couple of weeks since you had the chance to properly speak with her, and hearing her chirpy tone now felt like just what you needed.

 “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting for so long..”

 “I would wait forever if it meant to get a call from you.” she cooed teasingly. “How are you, Duckie? Are you guys finally on Spring Break?”

 “Yeah, just started on Friday. Are you and Dad at the beach house?”

 “Yes! We just arrived the other night. We’re definitely missing you here. The Johnsons brought their little Dune Buggy that you liked to ride on the shore line.”

 The memories of spending breaks over at the seaside home came flooding in. If you were living there now you’d find yourself spending the evening with your parents getting ready for a lush dinner. Not currently dwelling over what you were going to do to save a friend from the fate that you might very much fall into as well. 

 “Duckie?”

 “Sorry,” you coughed, feeling your throat tighten up from your thoughts. “I’m just out of it today. Kinda tired.” 

 “Well it’s a good thing you’re on break! You’ll get to go out with your friends, have fun date nights with Steve–By the way! How is he? It’s been so long since you’ve told us about you guys. We’ve got that picture of you two from his graduation in the drawing room. It’s too cute!”

 Instantly you’re covering your face up. Not sure how you could even dive into explaining everything that was going on with Steve. Especially when right at this moment, you’re pretty sure you’re the last person whom he’d want talking about how well he is. 

 “Oh, uh, Steve’s fine.” you stuttered a bit. “He’s just been working really hard.”

 “Hopefully not too hard. I know how much you two are in love~ Must be going crazy with seeing each other all the time..” she teased, nearly making you groan out in pain. 

 “Yeah, we’re..inseparable.” Balling your hand up in a fist, you lightly punched at your thigh, trying to keep it together. "How are you and Dad doing?"

 "We're doing just fine," she sighed, her answer comforting you a little. "Your father's been trying to cut back hours in the firm, he wants to get some vacation time.. I’ve just finished designing a showroom for Margaret Chandler. She’s redone her whole home since her daughter graduated. But, mostly, we miss you. It's not the same without you around."

 You swallowed hard, trying to push down the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm you at the endearing words you’ve been needing to hear lately. "I miss you too, Mom. It’s kind of late here..um, I’ll try to call again soon, okay?”

 “Okay, Duckie. Don’t wait too long this time. I wanna hear all that you’re up to, okay?”

 “Yeah.” you managed to choke out. “I love you..so much.”

 She let out a light laugh, possibly thinking you’re in a loving mood tonight. “I love you too! Talk to you soon.”

 You waited until the line disconnected before slowly putting the phone back down. The silence of the room suddenly became so overwhelming.

 Covering your face, you tried to control your breathing, reminding yourself to calm down before you went and join the others. But the tears still welled up in your eyes and your vision blurred. 

 Would that be your last conversation with your Mother? Should you attempt to reach Jonathan again? What protocols would one have to follow when dealing with a curse?

 There was a dip on the bed next to you and suddenly you were being engulfed into a pair of arms. They were so warm, so familiar, you don’t even have to open your eyes as you pushed your way into his chest. 

 “It’s okay,” Steve whispered as his hands rubbed at your back. “You’re okay.”

 You don’t cry as much as you’d like to. Not when you knew you had to be around the others in just a few moments. But you allow the escape of Steve’s hug to give you a few moments of peace until you were pulling back.

 “I’m sorry.” you sniffled. “I just..I just...”

 The words died right off your tongue and you watched as he merely brought a hand up. Rubbing the pad of his thumb across the tears that stained your cheeks. His warm eyes looked over your face as he slowly shook his head. “You don’t have to explain yourself, baby. I just wanna be here for you.”

 His words nearly made you break down all over again and you can’t help but push your face back into his chest once more. Resting against his pecs while listening to the sounds of his comforting heartbeat. He placed his head gently on top of yours, simply holding you close while you took the chance to calm down. 

 The interaction between the two of you was very much the opposite of what you guys had just a couple of hours ago. When you both tried ways to jab at each other. But to your dismay, like all other fights, Steve would always come to comfort you when you felt you least deserved it. 

 “Hey do you think you guys can go–”

 The sudden voice of Robin booming into the doorway caused you both to pull back from each other. Her blue eyes went wide at the sight of you two before slowly turning into a small grin. “Am I interrupting anything?” she asked teasingly, until she noticed the leftover tears in your eyes. “Shit, am I?”

 “Robin,” Steve sighed, letting go of you so he could get up from the bed. He stepped towards the door and closed it enough that it was only him that Robin could see. Giving you the chance to fix yourself up. “What were you gonna ask us?” 

 “Sorry,” she chuckled nervously. “Do you think you guys could maybe get us some pizza? We’re all kinda starved and don’t wanna bother Mrs. Wheeler or anything.”

 “Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good thing right now..” Steve said, most likely thinking you needed a minute. But the idea of stepping out for a moment sounded a lot more pleasing when you really thought it over. “Maybe we could just-”

 “We can go get it.” you said softly. 

 The two peeked turned at your voice, watching as you got off the bed, wiped your cheeks and made your way to the door. You reached around Steve to open it up again, allowing Robin to get a better look of you again. 

 “Are you sure?” she asked, moving to place a hand on your shoulder. “If you guys need a second it’ll be fine. I can try and heat us some frozen waffles or something.”

 “It’s fine, Robs.” you reassured her, attempting to shoot her a small smile. “We can go.” Turning to glance at Steve, you give him a hopeful look. “If you’re up for it?”

 His eyes were skeptical as he took in your question. Most likely because he probably didn’t believe your sudden change in demeanor from moments ago on the bed. But to your surprise, he’s not against it and slowly nodded his head. “Let’s go.”

 As Steve drove down the winding path toward town, the tension in the car was slightly nerve wracking. 

 Quietly you sat beside him, trying to keep your composure together. Not wanting to go back to how you were not five minutes ago in Nancy’s room. But there’s no denying what was bound to happen. The moment Steve came into the room and overheard you, you knew what he was going to ask. If not now, then eventually.

 The problem was, were you willing to tell him the truth?

 From just a glance you could see as his eyes focused on the road ahead. Jaw clenched and lips pursed in a tight line. He was most likely running ideas about how to approach this with you. Not that you had any clue on how he could. It made the guilt return back quickly. 

 The whole fight earlier felt petty now.

 Max was now closer to falling into Vecna’s curse, and there was a possibility that you might be next. How could you even care about stupid things like exes and kisses? Not that he was aware of the severity. All he knew was that his ex girlfriend was acting out of normal for a couple of weeks now. But in reality, you were far into this web of problems that you weren’t sure you had it in you to trap him in it with you. 

 How could you drag him in when you weren’t sure how to get out?

 Carefully, he veered off the main road into the quiet woods, just outside of the main parts of town. You could feel your heartbeat quicken. How many times could you lie to Steve and tell him you were okay? Would he easily see through your lie again and call out the bullshit? There was no way he could attempt to unravel the myriad of problems surrounding you. 

 But like always, despite all your best efforts to push him away, he just came back with a force.

 The car came to a slow stop and he turned off the engine. Cutting off the only noise left between the two of you. Outside the chilly spring night brought a blue hue over the woods. It was the same way it looked the other night when you were left to find your way back home. 

 You must have been shivering at the memory because suddenly Steve was slipping off his jacket and placing it over you. His eyes stayed focused on making sure you were covered up before he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. The smell of his cologne still lingered over his jacket and you can’t help but allow the heat of the fabric to comfort you briefly, giving you a small relief before you cleared your throat to speak up finally. 

 “So,” you said lamely, pointing out towards the field. “Chilly night isn’t it?”

 He stared quietly, raising a brow at you like he was expecting some sort of breakdown.

 “I, for one, think that it is too cold for Spring. Back home, Spring nights felt crisp but still nice enough for a walk.”

 "So you’re just gonna act like what happened in Nancy’s room didn’t happen?" he frowned, his voice laced with worry.

 You shook your head, trying not to dive into that as you plastered on a smile, hoping it would be enough to deflect his concern. "Nothing happened. That was just me being homesick.."

 “Homesick? You’re kidding me..” 

 “It’s the truth! I haven’t been away from home in so long. It’s complicated. Not to mention, it’s been a long day and I’m a little tired.” 

 He scoffed lightly, his hand reaching out to grip onto the wheel tightly. "Bullshit, Trouble. You look like you haven't slept in days, you’re crying after a phone call home, you were just in an accident the same night you saw a girl die from some curse. When are you going to finally be honest with me, here?”

 “I’m fine.” you replied, voice a little too forced. "Just... worried about Max too, you know? With everything that's been happening. It’s a lot.”

 Steve's brow furrowed, his gaze lingering for a moment too long. He could always see right through you. Always sensing when something was off. It was both a blessing and a curse, especially now when you were desperately trying to keep your own secret buried.

 "Look, we’re all worried, but I know there’s more. You're not just worried about Max, are you?" His voice was soft, though laced with a hint of hurt. 

 You swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry as you tried to ignore the guilt coming back in your stomach again. "What do you mean?"

 "It’s him too?" has asked carefully, his eyes never leaving yours. "You’re worried about Eddie too. I mean..that kiss..”

 “Well, I am worried he might get attacked by a mob of evangelicals. But that kiss, it was just..it was nothing.” you said quickly, “He does it all the time. It’s more so to annoy me than to mean anything else.”

 “That’s not what it looked like to me.” he mumbled, glancing out the window. 

 A lump formed in your throat. Trying to push out any sort of excuse that could ease him of the hurt he had over what transpired earlier. All this time, Eddie was the only thing that helped distract you from Steve. He didn’t care about making anything deep, and neither did you. It was perfect. 

 But now Steve was here, and he was trying to help you, and all you could think was to apologize for making things worse.

 "I'm sorry, Steve," you whispered, reaching out to gently place a hand on his arm. "I want to say that it’s nothing, because it is nothing to me. I’m not even thinking about that. Right now I just want to work on making sure Max is okay."

 “There’s more you’re not telling me.” 

 “I‘ve said all that I need to say—“

 "No, nope. I’m not letting you avoid this," Steve said firmly, turning to face his body towards you. "We don’t lie to each other, okay? Even when you’re mad you always eventually tell me what’s wrong. But now? You’re just..” 

 “I’m just trying to keep focus, Steve.” 

 He quickly shook his head, frowning now. “You can't keep shutting me out, pretending like everything's okay when it's clearly not. I'm not going to stand by and watch you keep whatever it is that’s eating you up inside! I’ve made that mistake before and I won’t do it again.”

 You wanted to protest, to tell him it wasn’t anything he should be concerned over, but the words caught in your throat. How else could you fail in keeping him safe when even keeping him out of the loop caused him to feel this hurt?

 But before you could think of anything to say to him, his voice softened, his eyes searching yours as if the answers were right there. "I just want to help you, honey..I lo— I care about you, And it's killing me to see you like this. I made a promise to you a long time ago and all I do is keep breaking it.”

 “Promise?” you whispered, leaning in close to him. “What promise?”

 He reached out to cup the side of your face. Warming your cheek with the palm of his hand as he came in to rest his forehead against yours. “Last summer. Back in my room, I said no one was ever going to hurt you again. Because no one was going to look out for you better than me.” he whispered back. You stayed quiet, trying to take in those words again. Steve nervously licked over his lips, scared to push the limit of the conversation. “Do you remember why?” 

 The memory hit you instantly. The way you two looked over each other, trying to make sense of all the pain and suffering you both endured after Billy and being captured by the Russians. You never wanted to see Steve hurt again. You still don’t. His words, however, came back to your mind and you found your eyes slightly prickling with tears.

 “..because I’m your girl.” 

 “That’s right.” he sighed, “You’re my girl..”

 Without saying anything, he pulled you into his arms. Holding you so tightly, as if his arms could shield you from the world and all the doom that wanted to make its way in. And truthfully, in that moment, it really felt like they could. 

 “Can we just..forget about everything? Just for right now?” you asked, keeping your face pressed into his chest. “I don’t want to talk or think about breakups, exes, fighting, or curses. I just..want this right now. Just us.”

 “Yeah,” he agreed, pulling back so he could hold your face in his hands. “We can do that.” 

 There’s a little disappointment in his eyes. Probably from the lack of progress in the conversation. But you’re grateful for the pause. Needing to be selfish just once more with Steve, and focus on the kindness and sincerity of his words that made the ache in your chest lighter.

 “Can you say it again?” you asked, leaning close to his face. The faint brush of his breath flushed over your skin and you reached out to place a hand over his chest. Basking in his closeness to you. 

 A small, pleased sort of smile, pulled at his lips as he nodded his head slowly. He reached out to push a hair away from your face before he finally spoke again. 

 “You’re my girl.” A kiss to your forehead.

 “You’re my girl.” A kiss to your cheek. 

 He took his time leaning down, only brushing his lips briefly over yours, affectionately. “My girl.” he breathed before he sealed the moment with one last kiss.

  The night thankfully didn’t result in more crying. After the two of you allowed yourselves just a little bit of time to just forget everything, you remembered that you had a whole group of people to feed. Some who were kind enough not to point out how long it took for you guys to receive the food. 

 Eventually the full bellies led for some to go in and out of falling asleep. You took the chance of having a quieter basement go over everything. Sleep, as much as it called to you, did not sound like a good idea. Not when every night now it’s led to another nightmare. 

 You managed to keep yourself busy, going over all the files again as well as taking in the new information about this Victor Creel guy. Now and then you’d peek over and watch Max over at the desk. She had grown quiet after eating, only asking Nancy for a pen, paper, and envelopes before settling into the back of the room. 

 It was hard not to want to pester her with worrisome questions. You knew better than to poke her with that kind of approach. But it didn’t help ease you at all. Not when you knew she was probably scared out of her mind. 

 Eventually the night passed and it wasn’t until morning came that Nancy and Robin left to go try and reach one of the boys who Nancy had called the night before. You offered to join them but they pressed for you to stay back when they noticed your tiredness. It was decided you’d stay back and attempt a bit of a nap. 

 After a brief hour or two spent up in Nancy’s quiet room, you made your way down to the basement again after downing two pain relief pills. The dreaded headache only turned worse after the reveal of symptoms. But now you were up again and seeking out the company of the others. 

 You had just sat down beside Dustin, relaxing against the cushion when the other two boys decided to venture into the small pile of information left for them to read over again. It wasn’t until Steve’s grumbling that you peeked an eye open to look over at them.

 “Okay, be honest. Uh, you guys understand any of this?”

 “No.” Lucas sighed defeatedly. 

 “Pretty straightforward.”

 “Pretty much all of it.”

 You and Dustin looked over at each other approvingly before casting a glance over at Steve who was frowning over at the two of you now.

 “Oh, straightforward, really?” Steve asked, perplexed, eyes shifting between the two of you. 

 “Well, what’s confusing to you?” Dustin sighed, tiredly. “So far, everyone Vecna cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He’s the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it’s him.” 

 “Exactly,” you chimed in. “Which is why he’s our best lead on this.”

 “Yeah, that’s assuming he was cursed, Hendersons, which we don’t even know.” Steve muttered, a hard frown on his face. “God, How can Vecna have existed in the fifties? It doesn’t make sense.”

 “As far as we know, Eleven didn’t create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it.”

 “Jonathan and I asked Will about this before, he mentioned that the Upside Down looked sort of out of time. Like everything was aged. But that was only from the area surrounding his house, not sure about the whole town..” you said, trying to remember if Nancy had ever mentioned anything. Dustin seemed to agree with your direction, snapping a finger at you. 

 “The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions. I wouldn’t be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs.”

 Steve couldn’t help but grow even more frustrated at that. Waving his arms over in a crossing motion. “Dinosaurs? What are we–”  

 “Okay! Okay!” Lucas intervened. “But if a gate didn’t exist in the fifties, how did Vecna get through?”

 “Oh! And how’s he getting through now?” Steve threw in, pointing to Lucas. 

 “And why now?”

 “And why then? Just pops out in the fifties, kills one family, and he's like, ‘Yeah, I’m good!’ and poof, he just disappears. Just..gone?” You watched carefully as Steve put together his own idea, waving his fingers in the air dramatically. “Then only to return thirty years later and start killing some random teens? No, I don’t buy it.” 

 He glared down at the newspaper again before starting up again. “Straight forward my ass.” he mumbled, turning to go over to his seat. “You know what? Honestly, Hendersons, a little humility now and then, it wouldn’t hurt you guys.”

 Dustin is quick to apologize. Muttering out a ‘sorry’ while he allowed Steve the small win. 

 The man looked over at you next, raising a brow questionably, but all you could do is chuckle at his reaction. Holding your hands up defeatedly before settling back into a resting position. With a flick to the paper and cross of his legs, Steve finally seemed to relax again. 

 It was only a few more seconds of silence before Dustin changed the subject. 

 “Any idea what she’s writing?” The four of you slowly diverted your attention to the girl in the back. She was still quiet, working at the desk like she did late into the night. “Did she sleep?”

 “No,” you answered softly, trying not to speak so loud and clue her in on your guys' tactless conversation about her. 

 “I mean, would you?” Lucas asked. 

 “I wouldn’t.” you answered honestly. That earned you a worried glance from Steve. Thankfully, before any questions could come out from that, the loud shut of the basement door cut into the room. 

 Nancy and Robin quickly came down the stairs, a small approving look on their faces as they held onto the folders you had been patiently waiting for. 

 “Okay, so, we have a plan.” Nancy announced, mostly to those unaware of last night’s conversation. The files were given to the others, allowing them a clue in while Robin explained where they had gone that morning. 

 “Thanks to Nancy’s minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame.” 

 “Ugh, Notre Dame?” you asked, earning a small amused look from your friends before they passed you the last folder. Apparently you’d be joining them this time.

 “I’m now Ruth.” 

 “And I’m Rose.” 

 “Ruth?” Steve asked amusedly. You would have joined in on the silly name, if your eyes had not landed over the name at the top of your page. 

 “Rhonda?!” you gaped, eyes flickering between the paper and your two friends. “Of all the names–”

 “The Beach Boys happened to be playing on the radio when we couldn’t think of another name.” Robin excused quickly, waving her hand to point over to the student status card. “Look at your pretty extracurriculars.” 

 Dustin leaned over to glance at your file. “You guys do have nice GPAs.” he said, throwing in some positive feedback.

 “Thanks.” Nancy said cheerfully before explaining further. “So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we’d like to speak with Victor Creel for a thesis we’re co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics–”

 “To which they said no.” Robin threw in, adding some reality into the plans.

 “But, we landed a three o’clock with the director.”

 “Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor.”

 “Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse.” Nancy finished, hopefulness in her voice. 

 “All easy things, of course.” you muttered sarcastically, handing your file out to the small rotation that was happening with the boys. 

 “Yeah, about that.” Steve joined in, “We’ve been doing our Victor Creel homework, and, uh, we got some questions.”

 “Lots of questions.” Lucas emphasized. 

 “So do we,” Nancy agreed. “Hopefully, Victor has the answers.”

 “Wait, wait, wait a second.” You all looked over to Steve as he confusedly looked over the papers before him. “Where’s mine?”

It was only a matter of seconds into Nancy’s room that Steve went into a mini tantrum.

 “Nancy, you’re outta your mind if you think I’m babysitting again.”

 “Okay, first of all, they’re not babies anymore. And Max is in real danger. She needs people around her.” she turned to open her closet before stopping. “Also, It wasn’t just my idea, you know.” she said to him, throwing a glance over at you. 

 Steve looked at you with wide eyes.

 “Way to throw me under the bus.” you muttered, making your way to lie down on her perfectly made bed. Thankfully he didn’t let that part of the conversation linger and returned back to the main focus. 

 “I know she needs people. But why does it always have to be me?”

 “Oh my God, you have a Tom Cruise poster!” Robin gushed as she came into the room now. The excitement on her face is so opposite of Steve’s annoyed one that you can’t help but be entertained from your spot. “You have a Tom Cruise poster~.” 

 “That’s old!” Nancy replied, trying to justify her previous celebrity crush.

 “You act like you’ve never been in a girl’s room before.” you chuckled to your friend, watching her go through Nancy’s tapes next.

 “This is Nancy’s room, It’s like a whole new personality to find out.”

 “Can you please not touch anything?” she tried telling Robin. Again, Steve is left to try and bring the focus back onto him and his current agenda. 

 Leaving the babysitting business.

 “I just-I just- I can’t do anything here, Nance. Maybe I can be helpful with this asylum director dude. I don’t know. I could turn on my..my charm.”

 “Not the charm we need.” she shut down kindly, still hurting his ego in the process.

 “Ouch,” he turned before he caught you watching comfortably from the bed. “Well, why does she get to go?” he pouted, pointing over at you

 “Hey!” you frowned, sitting up now. “What are you trying to say?”

 “Nothing! Just that if I’m stuck babysitting again then so should you.”

 “We need her.” Nancy butt in, poking her head out from the closet. “Not only is she Ivy League type, but some of her assets might be what we need to convince them if all else fails.”

 “What assets?” you and Steve asked at the same time.

 “She means your boobs.” Robin said plainly, holding onto one of Nancy’s sunglasses from her dresser. “Let’s be real, she’s as hot as she is smart so it’ll be of use when we need to get through.”

 You couldn’t help but glance down at your chest, frowning at the ‘assets’ in question before your eyes landed back on Steve for his reaction. He’s unfortunately looking at the same thing as you were, nodding his head despite the frustrated frown still on his face. 

 “I’d like to make a note that her confidence is good enough to convince anyone she belongs in a room.” Nancy threw in, giving you a sympathetic smile. “Plus, she can charm the pants off pretty much any guy that comes her way.”

 “I suddenly feel dirty.” you scoffed, rolling off the bed. “But I suppose I have no other choice but to play the role of femme fatale.”

 “I can charm.” he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve charmed the charmer.” he pointed out, looking at you again.

 Nancy looked over at him with a sad smile as she tried to reassure him of things again. “I just– Look, I did a little digging last night, and it turns out this Dr. Hatch is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Harvard visiting scholar, okay? This is a lifelong student of the world. And if we’re gonna win him over, we’re gonna have to convince him that we are too. That, like him, we are true academic scholars.” 

 “Holy shit.” Robin whispered while playing the music box loudly. “There’s a little ballerina in here.” 

 It’s comically quiet for a second while the three of you gaped over at her. Steve can’t help but look at Nancy dumbfoundedly.  

 “Academic scholar?” he asked, using his hand to point attention to his friend. “She’s giving you an academic scholar vibe? Yeah..”

 “No,” Nancy replied honestly. “But, she will.” 

 You all cast your eyes over the frilly pink shirt Nancy had been rummaging for her in the closet for. It’s a lovely top you’ve seen your friend wear before. But for someone like Robin, whom you’re pretty sure you haven’t even seen in a skirt before, it must have been a frilly nightmare. 

 “Oh, please, tell me that you’re joking.” muttered Robin, horrified. 

 You made a mental note that while you were more than happy to be a team player, you weren’t going to be walking around a mental asylum cinched into Nancy’s clothes. “I’m going to shop over at the Karen Wheeler selection.”

 Leaving the room, you quickly made your way over to Nancy’s parents room. Thankful that the other members of the Wheeler family had set out for a busy day to give you the chance to sneak in. It was only a second later that Steve came in after you. Frown still on his face but attitude slowly disappeared when he noticed you started to change. 

 “I don’t think I need any help here, Steve.” you said playfully, reaching for one of Karen’s two piece suits. 

 It was a pastel green peplum top with a nicely fitted blazer skirt. The pastel color wasn’t your thing but it was paired up with a silky white button shirt. It made the whole ensemble look mature with the small bit of sultriness you needed. “Props to you, Karen.” you mused, squeezing inside the skirt. 

 You were about to reach over for the top next when Steve suddenly took your hands. “Trouble, we need to talk.” he said softly, stopping you from continuing getting dressed.

 “You talk, I’ll get dressed.”

 "I don't like this," Steve said while he watched you reach back for the top again. "You guys don't even know what you're walking into. And you’re doing it alone"

 “How can three people be alone?” You asked, letting out a long sigh before buttoning up your shirt. “Also, we know what we’re walking into. A guarded asylum, run by staff who we’re hopefully going to trick into letting us interview one of their high risk schizophrenics patients.” you said simply, reaching over for the blazer next. “Kinda, straightforward.”

 That earned you a tired look.

 "Are you sure about this, Trouble?" His voice was laced with worry, his eyes searching yours for some sort of reassurance.

 “Look, we’re just going to ask some questions and hopefully get out of there with something useful.” 

 “But what if something happens? What if you guys get caught?” 

 “Then you’ll get to be that brave Knight in white Nikes, again, right?” You teased, reaching out to cup the side of his face. He let out a heavy sigh, resting his hand on top of yours as he leaned in closer. 

 “Trouble, you know what I me—” 

 You pressed your lips against his, kissing him gently and stopping him from running into more scenarios. “We have each other, we’ll be safe.” You promised, pecking his lips once more before you pulled back to look at him. 

 Steve's concern persisted, his gaze searching yours for any sign of hesitation. "I just don't want anything to happen to you," he murmured.

 “Nothing’s gonna happen to me.” You said softly, rubbing your thumb across his cheek. “Worst case scenario is we get arrested for false documents and that’ll just be a phone call to my Dad. Which Dustin or Max will help get for you.” 

 He nodded his head slowly and you gave a small pat to his cheek before letting go to switch out for some cute pumps Karen had hidden in the back of her closet. The outfit looked good, but was it enough for what you guys needed to do?

 “All right,” you sighed, grabbing his attention again while you fixed your hair. Hoping it was still fine after having such a restless night. “How do I look?”

 Steve, for the first time, didn’t seem to be bothered now that he was watching as you turned in spot to give him an overall view. His hands reached out to grab at your hips as he pulled you closer. Letting his height tower over you while he gave you a small smirk.

 “Like a scholar,” he murmured. “A very pretty scholar, who uses her kisses to try to make me forget how worried I am about her.”

 Your heart beats a little fast, but you find yourself almost pressing up to him. “And is it working?”

 “Sorta.”

 Nancy suddenly called out your name from down the hall, cutting the conversation short.

 Or so you thought. 

 Steve waited until you were walking toward the door before he reached for your hand and tugged you back into his arms. You’re about to ask what he was doing when he leaned in to press his lips against yours again. 

 The kiss is deeper this time. More needy and hot than the sweet calming one you gave to him. Instantly, your body fell for it and tried to mold against his. There were always going to be unsettled feelings between the two of you, but the physical ones never seemed to be the problem. 

 It’s not until Robin called out your name, more aggravated than the way Nancy did, that he reluctantly pulled back. His eyes were warm, and looking at you in a way that made your cheeks burn a bit. "Just... be careful, okay, Rhonda?" he pleaded, his knuckles brushing lightly against your cheek.

 The simple touch sent a shiver down your spine and you nodded meekly before offering a faint smile. “We will,” you reassured him. “Mr. Charmer.”

 He shot back a beautiful smile as he finally let you go. From down the hall you could see as he picked up your discarded clothes while he whistled a familiar tune that tugged at your heart. It wasn’t until you were at the bottom of the stairs that you noticed your slightly disgruntled friends. 

 Nancy was rubbing the side of her head while Robin awkwardly kept adjusting at her bra. You open your mouth to tease her about her being dressed up as a Nancy clone, when she held up a hand before you could make any comment. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” she grunted before stalking to the front door.

 Nancy and you were left rushing after her until you were all outside. The other two led the way towards Nancy’s station wagon when you stopped and noticed Steve’s car parked nearby. The front windows were down a bit, giving you a look inside to something you’ve been aching to see again. 

 Running to the door, you reached your hand in and carefully tugged on the sun visor until you were able to pull the metal out. Not wanting the other girls to catch you, you ran back towards the car and quickly climbed into the back seat. 

 It’s not until the drive over had begun that you finally opened up your palm and stared down at the item. The sun perfectly illuminated the shining S, giving you something of comfort to have it in your possession again. You quickly pushed the necklace into the pocket of your jacket, feeling it relax your silently anxious nerves.

 “So what did you steal from his car?” Nancy asked, looking out the front window as she pulled out of her driveway onto the street. Her blue eyes flickered over to you in the rear view mirror, almost like she already knew.

 “Just...something for luck.”

 The three of you arrive at Pennhurst in a good amount of time. There was still time left in the day to get what you needed and hopefully return to Max before the twenty-four hours were up. 

 As you all exited the car, you couldn’t help but watch as Robin struggled to balance herself in the very low heels that Nancy had her in. “I feel like I’m watching a newborn deer walk.” you said with a sly grin.

 The girl bobbed her head over at you, giving you a glare as she adjusted her footing again.

 “Do not test me, Henderson. I can’t breathe in this thing, and I’m itchy. I’m itching all over!” she huffed. 

 “It’s not all about comfort.” Nancy retorted. “Okay? We’re academics.”

 “Who are evidently coming straight from Easter brunch.” Robin hissed, stumbling once more before she gripped at the side of her underarms. “Also, this bra that you gave me is really pinching my boobs!”

 “We’re also college girls and college girls definitely don’t say boobs. Not to mention, they know how to handle wearing heels. Especially measly one inch heels, Robs.” 

 “Oh, I hope you get rotten eggs in your basket this year.” she swore, giving you a small glare as she tugged at the sides again. Nancy let out a small, tired, exhale and turned to look over at the two of you.

 “Okay. Could you two just let me do the talking? If that’s even possible?” she asked, sounding overwhelmed. 

 “It’s not only possible, it’s inevitable.” Robin threw back. “Because shortly, I’ll be dead from strangulation.” 

 Somehow you three managed to cover up the discomfort between the three of you in order to enter inside and get in for the meeting with Dr. Hatch.

 It’s a wasted few short minutes of him overgoing all three files while you guys patiently sat around his desk. Robin somehow, got between the two of you, and started to itch again. Nearly getting the attention from the man now and then. 

 “Three point nine GPAs.” He mused offhandedly. “The three of you…impressive.” 

 “And this is a recommendation from Professor Brantley.” Nancy added in, offering the man one of the other letters written up from the Newspaper lackeys. 

 “Yeah, I know Larry. Quite well, actually.” The director replied, making all three of you sit up a bit straighter. His eyes looked from the paper as he gave off a small teasing smile. “Eh, you know what they say, ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’” 

 The other two girls give off an encouraging chuckle, while you can’t help but open your mouth at this guy’s slightly patronizing behavior. 

 “I always felt Aristotle said it better,” you pointed out, leaning forward to throw off one of your more charming smiles. “Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.”

 The other two girls nervously glanced your way, raising a brow at your sudden opinion. Over at the desk, sat Hatch as he took in the words you said. Only letting out an amused chuckle before he nodded his head. “That is a positive way of looking at it.”

 “That’s actually why we’re here.” Nancy spoke up. “I mean, we can only learn so much in a classroom.”

 “Mm. And I’m sympathetic to your struggle, truly. But there is a protocol to visiting a patient like Victor. You have to put in a request, and then you have to undergo a screening process, at which point the board will make a decision.”

 You felt frustrated hearing his reply. All those were logical reasons that you three did not have time for. Glancing to your right, you watched as Robin began to squirm in her seat. Adjusting the collar and edges of her skirt over and over as she tried not to scratch. You reached out to grab at her hand, giving her a warning look that only caused her to pout at you.

 “I can see you’re disappointed. But I’m more than happy to give you a tour of our facility. Perhaps you can even speak to some patients in our low-security wing.”

 “And we’d..we would love that.” Nancy said, looking over at you guys to nod in agreement. “It’s just that, um..our thesis is due next month.”

 “And you’re out of time.” he figured.

 “Unfortunately, yes.” you sighed, trying to sound a little guilty about it. “Things got a little pushed back–”

 “Whose fault is that?” he asked sharply, nearly making you throw him a glare. From the side you watched Nancy’s eyes widen a bit as she attempted to throw in a bit of damage control.

 “Ours. Absolutely. And I do apologize–”

 “Don’t apologize, Ruth. Screw that!” Robin interrupted. “The fact of the matter is, we did put in a request months ago and were denied. And then we reapplied and were denied again. And coming here was our last-ditch effort to save our thesis. And I really..I can’t breathe in this thing!” she said, turning to glance at Nancy. 

 “Well, Rose, maybe you’d like to go outside and get some air. I think Rhonda and I can handle this.” she insisted, giving Robin a pleading look.”

 “Maybe I should, Ruth!” she said, slapping at the arms of her chair before she got up from her seat. “Because I’m starting to think this whole thing is a colossal mistake. I’m breaking out in a rash. My boobs hurt. And I’ll tell you the truth, Anthony. May I call you Anthony? These aren’t actually my clothes. I borrowed them because I wanted you to take us seriously. Because nobody takes girls seriously in this field. They just don’t.”

 From your seat you can’t help but gape at your friend because either she’s been taking acting lessons without your knowledge or that shirt was really so torturous that it was giving her the best ending speech of her life. 

 “We don’t look the part or whatever. But can I tell you a story? 1978, I was at summer camp. And my counselor Drew told me and everyone in Cabin C, the true story of the Victor Creel Massacre. And little Petey McHew..You know Petey, right, Ruth, Rhonda?”

 “Of..of course.” Nancy stuttered. 

 “Totally!” you chuckled nervously, wondering where this was going to go.

 “Yeah. Little Petey McHew started sobbing right there on the spot. Full-on hyperventilating. And all the other campers, they couldn’t sleep for weeks. And I couldn’t sleep either but not because I was scared. Because I was obsessed with the question, ‘What would drive a human being to commit such unimaginable acts?’ Other kids, they wanted to be astronauts, basketball players, rockstars. But I wanted to be you! I wanted to be you. So, forgive me if I’ll now try anything in my power, including wearing this ridiculous outfit, if I might get to speak to the man that ignited my passion and learn a little bit more about how his twisted, but let’s face it, totally fascinating mind works. So, yes, we don’t have the official paperwork, but don’t tell me that cry-baby Petey McHew wouldn’t have gotten an audience with Victor in a matter of moments if he’d asked politely, because you and I both know that he would.”

 A beat of pause and you were practically glued to the edge of your seat. Glancing between a very red faced Robin and what looked like a suddenly moved Hatch.

 “So..ten minutes with Victor. That’s all I ask.”

 It felt like forever as the three of you stared over at the man with bated breath. 

 “Follow me, girls.” 

 Without question, you all shot out from your seats and quickly followed the man out. Robin stood proudly between the two of you, allowing Hatch to lead the way while she held her palms out for you both. Nancy and you happily gave her a pleased smirk before pulling your hands out and giving Robin the well deserved high-five.

 By the time you guys were walking the grounds of Pennhurst, the sun had died even more. Throwing the whole yard into an overcast gray as the four of you made the way to Creel’s holding.

 “These are our gardens.” Hatch announced. “Beautiful aren’t they? We allow them two hours of outside time a day.”

 “Can’t they just escape?” Robin asked, glancing at one of the patients waving nearby.

 “They could. But the vast majority choose to be here. They like it here.”

 “And they’ve said this themselves?” you muttered, worriedly glancing over to a particular woman near a flower bed. Something about this place didn’t feel right to you and his indifferent tone wasn’t helping you feel any better about it. 

 The three of you are led into a building. The soft sounds of music could be heard from outside the room before you guys walked in. 

 “This is one of our more popular areas. The listening room.” Hatch said in a much quieter voice. “We found that music has a particularly calming effect on the broken mind. The right song, particularly one which holds some personal meaning, can prove a salient stimulus.”

 The right song..

 That sparked an interest within you. Recalling how just the other night, Eddie managed to calm down your bad dream with the simple strum of the familiar tune. 

 Hatch straightened up as he led you girls towards a room in the back. Voice turned eerie as he went on. “But there are those who are beyond a cure.” 

 Down the stairs, what looked like a basement floor, stood a lonely guard. Curiously glancing at the four of you guys while you made your descent. 

 “Uh, Dr. Hatch, do you think it might be possible for us to speak to Victor alone?”

 He paused at that, casting a shocked glance at her question. “Alone?” he asked, walking back over. You perked up, offering him a kind smile as you tried to help make the idea sound not as crazy as it really was. 

 “I have to second that request. I think it’d be beneficial for the three of us to gain hands-on experience in this.”

 Robin nervously nodded along with you, throwing in her piece. 

 “I-I think that we would just love the challenge of speaking with Victor without the safety net of an expert such as yourself. Then we could really rub it in Professor Bradley’s face. When we get back to campu–”

 “Professor Bradley?” he interrupted. “I don’t believe I know a Professor Bradley.”

 “Brantley!” Nancy corrected, trying to fix Robin's slip up. “She..she meant to say Brantley.”

 “Didn’t I say Brantley? What did I say?”

 “You keep messing up today!” you playfully chided, forcing a giggle to come out as you lightly slapped the back of her hand. 

 “Sorry, silly me. Words, letters.” she chuckled nervously. “Guess I’m just nervous..I mean, excited. SO excited to speak with Victor. Preferably, as they mentioned, alone?”

 Much to your dismay, the suspicion never left his eyes as he watched over the three of you quietly. You’re beginning to think that this whole plan has failed and that you three would be leaving with nothing. But soon enough his stoic face broke as he spoke.

 “Yes,” he said, smiling over his frown now. “Why not? You’ve caught me in a rebellious mood.”

 You forced a chuckle with the others, hopefully sounding enthralled with his humor enough that he’ll return back to trying to be charming once more. 

 “There’s something rather urgent I need to check on anyway, so.. Sure.” he said before looking towards the guard. “Keep a close eye on them.” 

 With that, he quickly made his leave to the stairs. All of you shot off thanks to him as he made his exit before following the guard into the area. 

 It’s an ominous hall of cells. Clamoring and groaning with other patients that seemingly weren’t allowed the freedom of wandering the lawns of the asylum. You can feel your heartbeat in your throat with every step after the guard, not daring looking into the cells of the patients you walked past while the guard laid out some rules.

 “Do not startle him. Do not touch him. Do not pass him anything. Stand five feet away from the bars at all times. Is that clear?”

 “Yes, sir.” the three of you said together. 

 He approached the last cell of the block, using his baton to hit against the metal bars to the patient inside. 

 “Victor!” he sang out. “Today’s your lucky day! You got visitors…real pretty ones.”

 There’s an echoing scratching noise that had you wincing slightly. Victor said nothing, keeping his back to you guys. 

 “Must be in one of his moods.” shrugged the guard. “Have fun.”

 Without another taunt, he left down the hall from where you came from. Leaving the three of you to get started on the work finally. Nancy is the first one confident enough to speak out to the man, ignoring the fact that he was quietly snarling to himself in the chair. 

 “Victor?” she called out gently. “My name is Nancy. Nancy Wheeler. And these are my friends.”

 You and Robin quickly tell him your names, careful with how loudly you spoke out to him.

 “Um, we have some questions.” Robin added, voice higher with nerves.

 “I don’t talk to reporters.” Victor spat out. “Hatch knows that.”

 “We’re not reporters.” Nancy quickly, but gently, corrected. “We’re here because..we believe you. And because..we need your help.”

 Robin took her turn, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. “Whatever killed your family, we think it’s back.” 

 Silence hung heavy in the air as you three waited for a response. When none came, you sucked in a sharp breath, summoning every ounce of courage your friends had to come to you. "And we're not leaving until we get some answers, Victor.."

 All your words must have sparked something of an interest to the man, causing him to pull away from the desk and emerge from the shadows. Revealing an older man. Worn down by years of torment that must have come from that night. But the most haunting part of his appearance were his eyes. Swollen eyes shut by some previous stab wound. 

 But even with that in mind, there was something about his gaze that felt off. As if he was staring right through you.

 “..When he attacks, our friend described it as a trance. Like a waking nightmare. That’s why we think he’s coming for her next. Does any of this, anything we’ve told you, sound like what happened to your family?”

 From your spot you could hear as Victor’s breath began to shake. Almost fearfully. 

 “Victor.” Nancy spoke out again. “I know this is hard–”

 “You don’t know anything!” he bellowed.

 His voice echoed throughout the hall. Almost shutting up any other noise around you guys. 

 “You’re right.” Nancy nodded slowly. “We don’t know. That’s why we’re here. To learn, to understand.”

 “We need to know how you survived that night.”  Robin added, earning a disbelieving laugh from the man. 

 “Survived?” he asked sardonically. “Is that what you call this? Did I survive?” He slowly approached the bars, almost as if he knew where to direct his growing anger towards. The three of you pressed closer to each other. Keeping a safe space back as he spoke again. “No, I assure you, I am still very much in hell.”

 Surprisingly, that did not stop Victor from beginning his story. 

 The return home from war, the new fortune that fell into his family’s lives, and the promise of a new chapter in their lives. The reminiscence in his voice almost sounded..loving, far beyond the tone of a man who had murdered those he spoke of. 

 “It was a magnificent home. Alice said it looked like it was from a fairy tale.”

 He spoke of the name so fondly, almost like sighing her name brought relief to him. 

 “Alice. Was this your daughter?” Nancy asked.

 “Mhm, Yeah. But Henry, my boy, he was a sensitive child..and I could see he felt something was wrong.” His voice turned low for his other child. Sort sombering to his previous mood. “We had one month of peace in that house. And then it began..”

 He shook his head slowly. Memories seemingly coming to his mind. 

 “Dead animals, mutilated, tortured, began to appear near our home. Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, even dogs. The police chief blamed the attacks on a wildcat. This..” He paused to let out another feigned laugh. “This was no wildcat. This was an evil. An evil neither animal nor human.”

 He walked towards the bars again as he whispered out next words.

 “This was a spawn of Satan. A demon. And it was even closer than I realized.”

 You felt a shiver run down your spine. Trying to picture out what it was that could have been attacking their home. But like the night you saw Chrissy die, you knew that force was unseeable. That its fury came with no warning. 

 “My family began to have encounters conjured by this demon. Nightmares. Waking, living nightmares. This demon, it seemed to take pleasure in tormenting us. Even poor, innocent Alice.”

 So this curse spared no one. You couldn’t help but think. If his daughter wasn’t safe from it, neither would Max. And that made your stomach turn even more. You pushed your hand into your pocket, squeezing around the metal of the necklace. It brought a moment of comfort until you listened to more of Victor’s story. 

 “It wasn’t long before I began to have encounters of my own.” he recalled, turning away from you all. “I suppose all evil must have a home. And though I had not a rational explanation for it, I..I could sense this demon..always close. I became convinced it was hiding, nesting, somewhere within the shadows of our home.”

 You can’t help but think about this presence. This sense of dread, always creeping up on you these days. Like it was haunting you.

 “It had cursed our town. It had cursed our home..It had cursed us.”

 A hand reached out for your arm and you glanced down to see Nancy gripping onto you while her face stared hard at Victor. Quietly, you gave you a small reassuring pat before watching as Victor flopped down onto his bed defeatedly. 

 “It took Virginia first.”

 The flashback of Chrissy’s body being twisted and pulled into different directions came to mind. You barely knew her and it shocked you to your core. You couldn’t imagine the horrors if you had to see it happen to someone you loved. Someone like St– 

 “I tried to get the children out, to save them!” he exclaimed, pulling back your attention. “..But I was back to France, back in the war..It..it was a memory. I had thought German soldiers were inside. I ordered its shelling. I was wrong.”

 Victor physically started to become tormented by his own words. The very words that must have been half the torture as whatever was going through his mind. You felt yourself being pulled in, wishing to help this poor man, but you had to hear it all.

 “This demon, it was taunting me. And I was sure it would take me, just as he’d taken my Virginia. But then..I heard..another voice. At first, I believed it was an angel. And I..I followed her, only to find myself in a nightmare far worse…While I was away, the demon took my children. Henry slipped into a coma shortly after that. A week later, he died.”

 Without realizing it, you pressed against the metal bars. Listening to what you thought might be the very future you were to face. But even with that new fear in you, you couldn’t help but seek out one missing piece. 

 “Did you hear it?” you whispered. 

 “Hear what?” he muttered back.

 “The ticking..”

 He turned his whole body around, facing in your direction calmly before he nodded his head. 

 “Yes..it was there..it was always there.”

 You staggered back, hope fleeting quickly as you came to realize that even with your small difference in things. Your fate would end the same. From the side you could feel Nancy and Robin cast you a worried look before Victor spoke up again.

 “I tried to join them…I tried!” His voice sounded almost like a small child, pleading for forgiveness to his upset Mother. He raised up two fists and pressed them to his eyes. It weighed down on your already heavy heart.

 “Hatch stopped the bleeding.” he sobbed. “He wouldn’t let me join them!”

 The three of you watched as he slowly lied down on the bed. Reaching up to his pillow to hold close to his face for comfort.

 “The angel you followed, who was she?” asked Nancy gently. 

 He didn't answer as he swayed gently. Only humming out the best that he could in his distress state. It sounded familiar. Something you’ve heard long ago. But you couldn’t quite recall it now. 

 “Victor?..Victor!”

 “Is he everything you hoped he would be?”

 You guys jumped at the booming voice, turning around to glance down the hall. Hatch, along with two security guards behind him, were making their way over now. 

 “I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Brantley! Perhaps we should discuss in my office while we wait for the police.” 

 The three of you were quickly rushed out of the holding cells. Pushing impatiently through the stairs until you were back in the listening room. Nancy raced after Hatch, trying to plead out to him.

 “You’re not listening. Our friend is in danger!”

 “Do you really expect me to believe anything you have to say at this point?”

 “It’s the truth!”

 “You are free to tell your sob story to the police.”

 You clung close to Robin’s side since leaving the cell. Victor’s words still echoed  in your mind as you guys weaved through the tables of people. Every now and then a guard would give your shoulder a shove and you’d have to step faster to keep close to the other two. 

 Once you guys were back outside, Robin gripped at your arm and pushed you close to Nancy as she leaned in to speak to you two better. 

 “Victor said the night of the attack, everything went on in the house, but he made specific mention of music.”

 You nodded your head a little. “The night at Eddie’s trailer. The only reason I knew something was up was because of the lights outside. But there wasn’t any music..”

 “Right, but that might have been the key difference!” she pointed out. “He said music was playing. And then, when we asked him about the angel, he started to hum.”

 She hummed the tune a bit before singing out the lyrics. “Say nighty-night and kiss me. Hold me tight..”

 “Dream a Little Dream of Me!” Nancy caught on.

 “Yeah, Ella Fitzgerald.”

 “The voice of an angel!” you and Nancy gasped.

 “Hatch said that music can reach parts of the brain that words can’t. So maybe that’s the key, a lifeline.”

 “A lifeline back to reality.” Nancy added.

 “Something to ground them.” you muttered, mostly to yourself. But would that have really worked at the stage when you and Eddie were calling out to Chrissy? It wasn’t just a trance she was in, she was being lifted off the Earth. You were so lost in thought, you almost missed catching your friends checking over their shoulders. 

 “You’re gonna have to lose those.” Nancy muttered towards your feet as she stole one more glance.

 “Lose them?” you asked confused, looking from your feet to the guards behind you three.

 “I think we can beat him.” Nancy whispered. This time it was Robin’s turn to be confused.

 “What?”

 “To the car.”

 Robin’s face paled a bit at the idea. 

 “Okay. I’m warning you right now, I have terrible coordination. Like it took me six months longer to walk than all the other babies.”

 “Yeah, I’m not really any better.” you sighed, feeling the rush already start to climb up your body. “Last time I tried running off I got caught.”

 “She’s right.” Robin nodded. “Those Russian guards caught her in seconds.”

 Nancy gave you two both exasperated looks before she sternly turned towards the way she wanted you three to go. “Just follow my lead.”

 “No, my God!” Robin panicked. 

 In a split second the three of you sprinted off in the lawn. Shoes flying off feet as you ran through the grounds, past the orderly and patients that covered the large lawn. The guards continued to call out for the three of you to stop but you guys pushed through. 

 Behind you Robin was panicking, and you were trying to control the dry heave that wanted to come out of your throat as you attempted to follow Nancy. You could hear one of the patients call out as you all zoomed past him.

 “Cinderella, you dropped your shoe!”

 You were definitely gonna have to buy Karen Wheeler a nice pair of pumps after this.

 Somehow you guys managed to make it to the front of the Asylum. The air burned your lungs and you let out a tired cry at the sight of the station wagon. All of you quickly climbed inside, shutting the doors in record timing. Nancy’s hands were barely on the wheel before the guards began to pound at the windows.

 “GOGOGOGOGO!” Robin babbled, panicked at the sight of the men. 

 The tires screeched loudly as Nancy shot out of the parking spot. It’s a mess of emotions as you let out a small thankful whine while Robin continued to panic.

 “Holy shit! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!”

 “You really are a weird runner!” Nancy said to Robin, earning an annoyed look from the girl. Dustin’s voice perked up from the radio, cutting into the quick celebration.

 “Robin, where the hell are you? This is a code red. I repeat, a code red!” 

 “Max!” you gasped, allowing Robin’s steady hand to take the radio from you. 

 “Dustin, it’s Robin. We copy!”

 “Holy shit, finally! Please, please tell me you guys have this figured out!”

 “It’s music! She needs to hear music as a lifeline. Use a song she’s connected with to bring her back!”

 The line went painfully quiet.

 “Oh God.” you gasped, feeling the tears spring to your eyes. Not Max. It couldn’t happen to her. Not the small girl who sparked such a fiery personality. The one who offered you nothing but a genuine friendship back home. The only person who understood what it was like dealing with the real Billy. She was your friend, she was like family at this point. And despite the current rifts that hit your current relationship, you still deeply cared for her. 

 If she was going through what Chrissy and Fred did—you weren’t ready for that reality. 

 “Please not her.”

 Robin could only reach forward to grip at your hand while Nancy pressed harder on the gas. Jerking the car a bit as she sped back towards town. You quickly  began to hyperventilate, wondering if you’ve just lost your dear friend when suddenly Dustin’s voice broke through again.

 “We got her! Shit..She’s back, it worked!”

 All three of you let out a sigh of relief together. 

 “Thank God.” you heard Robin whisper.

 The beat of your heart is still erratic and you cover your face to take a second and catch your breath. It wasn’t over yet. You guys still had time. 

 “Time?” said a familiar deep voice beside you. 

 Slowly, you pulled your hands away from your face. Around you the world began to shift, turning into the dark middle of the night as it took you into a different reality. You were driving suddenly. Holding onto the large wheel of the car that seemed so familiar. 

 “No.” you whispered, shaking your head, this couldn’t be real. You were..you were just in the station wagon. Turning your head, you were shocked to find Billy sitting on the seat beside you. Mouth still oozing from the dark blood as he threw you a smirk. 

 “Don’t you know, babydoll?” he asked playfully. “Times up.”

 You were so shocked, so stunned to see Billy outside of a dream, that you never really noticed the headlights that were coming your way… 

  “DUSTIN! STEVE! WE NEED HELP! – OH SHIT, SHE’S CURSED GUYS, HOLY SHIT! — GODDAMNIT, ONE OF YOU BASTARDS ANSWER ME. – WHAT’S THE SONG!? – STEVE! WHAT’S HER FAVORITE SONG!?”

A/N: Hey guys! This chapter was a bit lengthy, but I could not find it in myself to skip out on Victor’s story. The actor, gives off such great emotion and I’ve been a fan of his when he was back playing Freddy~ ANYWAY, I tried to include some scenes I hope you guys love. Please excuse any mistakes and let me know what you think! Would love some feedback~

TAGGING LIST: k @cluz1babe, @starofavolonea, @primroseluna, & @siriuslysmoking​ 

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x henderson reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x female reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x henderson reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #cac #angst #fluff #stranger things fic

[theladybarnes]

hi! i just recently binge-read crimson & clover series and it’s soooo good. i love how you write the dynamics of the reader’s character. it’s been so long since i have read a fanfic where the reader’s character has so much depth. i totally love how the reader and steve interact with each other. it’s got so much tension and it shows how much they’re yearning and pining with each other even though they’ve basically broken up.

thank you for writing, honestly. you’re such an amazing writer. i look forward to your future updates and it’s okay if it will totally take some time. have a nice day!! <3

You seriously do not know how much this message means to me, holy crap. First off, I'm glad you have been enjoying CAC! It's literally taking a lot in me to write it these days and knowing that my effort is being liked is just giving me so much relief. I'm glad that you guys have been enjoying it and enjoy the reader character! I feel like I've said this countless of times, but I truly wanted to write someone that ppl would root for, or even just be interested in finding out what happens.

The relationship with Steve is so scary to write out sometimes. I fear I may make him too ooc or have her easily change her mind too often. But you guys really do help me feel better about it. I hope that by the end of the seasons (sob, ill probably die after s5), you guys like their ending and just enjoy the series for a fun journey in the fandom.

Writing has always just been such a hobby for me, and I never thought I'd have this kind of feedback from people who don't know me personally. Thank you so much for saying this, it just really made my night and I can't stop kicking my feet right now. I hope you're having an amazing day/night. 💗

#anonymous #answered #love tag #i can't believe i get to have messages like this #im so grateful

[theladybarnes]

“.. I’m sort of annoyed with all of you.” “Aw, you’re breaking my heart, Princess. I think I’m gonna go home and cry about it.”

a mood board for the stanger verse series. 

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x henderson reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fic #stanger verse #just wanted to make more of these since i had it in mind a while ago #an update will be coming soon~

[theladybarnes]

Ok since no one responded to that post I deleted it for now 😓 was not expecting that kinda of reception lol

#text post #for now I guess expect an update eventually

[theladybarnes]

CRIMSON AND CLOVER: CHAPTER SEVEN

“What if I'm not good? What if I'm the monster?”

▸ summary: things get messy between the group and you feel as if you’re out of luck (&time) ▸ characters: steve harrington, eddie munson,dustin henderson, robin buckley, max mayfield, & nancy wheeler ▸ word count: 10k ▸ warnings: angst, semi-fluff, mentions of death, slight canon divergence ▸ series masterlist

“I guess the old man taught me well, huh?”

 The sudden weight of falling down into the cold street hit you harder than you expected. Forcing you to reach out and grip onto the blue car behind you. Wait, you know this car. 

 “What?..” you whispered, taking a step back. It was Billy’s blue Camaro, still warm from being recently used. But you weren’t anywhere near his car– Your thoughts are cut off when you suddenly take in your dim reflection from the car window. 

 The entirety of your right eye was black and teary. Instead of being trapped in the mall again, you’re suddenly back from having just left the tunnels that had run beneath Hawkins. But if you're by Billy’s car then..

 Turning around, you nearly gasped at the sight of Billy. He’s healthier than the last time you saw him. No Flayer tentacles stuck in his chest. No dead look in his eyes. He was back to the regular asshole you knew before. The sight of his former appearance has you taken back. 

 “Billy..” you croaked, unsure what to say. “I-...”

 “She’s speechless.” Billy laughed, taking a step towards you. “What a nice change.”

 Every part of you is aware that this isn’t real, but seeing him before you is leaving your mind puzzled. “You should go inside, Billy.” you got out eventually, gesturing toward his home, but the moment you glanced over, you noticed it was gone. The land stripped down to just the gutted floor of the house. Only the lawn had been laid intact. 

 “I don’t have a home anymore. I don’t have anything.” he said slowly, voice dark as he inched closer. You tried to step back, but something about his tone had your feet frozen in place. He took the chance to stand behind you now, wrapping his arms around you in order to pull you close. 

 He was ice cold.

 “All because of you..” he said into your ear, tickling your skin with his cold breath. 

 “I didn’t..I didn’t do anything to you, Billy.”

 “Exactly,” he agreed. “You didn’t help me..you didn’t save me. You let me die, you let the flayer get me.” 

 His grip got tighter, causing you to wince out in pain. You had to get out of this. “Let me go.” you said calmly despite the chill that was now coming up your spine. “Billy, let me GO.”

 “It’s sad when you consider what’s happened,” he continued on, pressing his face against the side of yours. “Billy said that he loved you, tried to get back together with you, and you left him in the dust for a guy that wouldn’t even consider leaving town for you.” 

 There were so many alarms going off in your head but you couldn’t help but focus on one in particular. 

 “Billy? You mean yourself, right?” you asked, trying to turn your face to look at him. But he simply reached one of his cold arms up to pinch at your cheeks, forcing you to look at the empty lot in front of you. 

 “No one is ever going to pick you, you know? At the end of the day it’ll always be someone better, someone worth sticking around you. There’s no happy ending for you.” His lips ghosted around the base of your neck before he chuckled lightly against you. “No happy ending for us..”

 You shook your head, trying to get his daunting words out of your head. “I’m nothing like you..”

 That only made him even more amused, raising a laugh out of his chest. “We’re a lot alike, actually.” he hummed, “We use people for pleasure and toss them aside when they decide to go against what we want.”

 “I don’t do that.” you said, turning around enough to face him. He looked at you with a smirk before he pinched at your cheek. “I would never do that to anyone.” you added, swatting his hand away.

 “So you didn’t dump Steve for saying no to the big move?” he gasped, feigning shock. “Or better yet, you’re not ditching your poor Eddie after he left you alone to wander the forest? I mean, you didn’t even bother to let him speak. He’s probably beating himself up but you don’t care. Not when Stevie is giving you the ol’ love and attention you need. Which, let’s be honest, babydoll, is pretty shitty of you to use him for a quick fuck instead of talking things out. Thought that’s the sort of shit girls like to do.”

 His words cut through you like knives, dredging up thoughts you tried to bury deep down. But then, something shifted. Billy mentioned Eddie, someone he couldn't possibly have known about. Their paths never crossed once if you thought hard about it. 

 "You don't know Eddie," you said slowly, voice struggling between sounding calm and trembling. "How could you possibly know what I’ve done with him if you’re dead..”

 A sinister smile twisted Billy's lips as his grip tightened, sending searing pain coursing through your body. "He’s been watching you," he confessed, his voice dripping with malice. "And boy does he have plans for all of you..”

 The world around you began to fall apart. The dark sky falling apart like fabric unraveling to reveal a dark crimson sky. The distance etched with bursts of lightning to light up a world in an ominous glow. 

 “This isn’t happening..” you promised yourself, eyes squeezed shut, desperately trying to convince yourself that this was just a dream, that none of it was real.

 “Oh babydoll, did you still think this was just a dream?” (tick)

 The arms around you felt different, and you opened your eyes in time to see Billy back to looking like the night of mall fire. His eyes glistened with tears and smile oozed with the dark bloody liquid that seeped from all over his wounds. 

 “Time for a wake up call.” (tock)

 Before you could react, he shoved you with a force that sent you crashing to the ground. Landing hard on the unforgiving concrete that shot your body in instant pain. Just as you began to process what had just happened, a deafening roar filled the air.

 To your right, the blinding headlights of an oncoming car came into your vision, hurtling toward you at a terrifying speed. You barely managed to get your hands up to cover your face right as it was about to hit you.

 And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, you woke up.

 Gasping for air, you sat bolt upright in bed, heart racing with adrenaline. Sweat soaked your skin, and a sense of lingering dread clung onto you like a heavy cloak. The warm glowing light of the sun peeked through your curtains. Nothing like the red haunting sky that was in your dream. New day, new nightmare. You thought.

 “Hey, are you awake?” 

 Dustin burst into the room, nearly sending you back into panic mode as you scrambled to get out of the bed. Defensive position ready for the attack. The younger boy held onto the door knob in shock, holding a hand out too in case you were about to strike him.

 “Whoa,” he chuckled nervously, looking at you carefully. “You okay? You’re all sweaty.” 

 You licked over your lips, pushing back the hair away from your face. “I’m fine.” you nodded, trying to calm yourself down. “Just got spooked.”

 “Right,” he said slowly, skeptically, even. “Well, Steve called. Said he was going to head over here if you wanna shower or something before leaving.”

 Turning away from your cousin, you tried to gain some sort of control over yourself as you trudged over to your dresser. Picking out some clothes you could change into after your shower. But from behind you could feel Dustin lingering at the door, a familiar worry still in the air.

 “I’m fine, Dustin.” you said, before he could ask. You focused on the clothes before you gathered for your shower. “It was just a bad sleep.” 

 “You sure? Because..we’d all get if it you needed a day to jump back into–”

 “I said I’m fine!” you snapped, turning around finally. The glare on your face is enough to have him take a step back. As if your words were a slap to his face. Guilt quickly filled into your gut and you rubbed a hand over your tired face. “I’m sorry I’m just tired.”

 “I get it.” he cleared his throat, “I’ll be in the living room.”

 Without another word, he turned on his heels and made his exit. Not two minutes into the day and you were already messing things up again. 

 “Time for a wake up call.” 

 You shuddered at the words that repeated in your head and quickly left the room. Hoping for the shower to wash away the remnants of your latest nightmare and give you a chance to start the day fresh.

 The car ride to the supermarket was spent mostly with Dustin yammering to Steve about the plans for today while you sat quietly in the back. The nightmare that pulled you out of your sleep still left you frazzled. Even with the help of a hot shower that tried to wash away the haunting memory. So while Steve kept checking over you now and then, you managed to keep to yourself until you guys arrived at the market. 

 Instantly Dustin wandered off in search of snacks for Eddie once inside. Leaving you and Steve to navigate the supermarket aisles together as a small awkward tension lingered in the air. You focused on gathering supplies, your mind preoccupied with thoughts of what would be enough to last Eddie for the unforeseeable future. 

 "Hey," Steve's voice broke through the silence, causing you to glance up from the decorated can of the Smurf’s Beef Ravioli you were inspecting. His curious gaze met yours, and you couldn't help but notice the worry etched into his features.

 "You look exhausted," he remarked softly, his tone filled with genuine concern.

 You wanted to sigh. 

 Of course Steve would be the first one today to distinctly look past all the makeup you expertly applied this morning to notice the exhaustion you were feeling. After the harsh nightmare, the bags in your eyes seemed to take a permanent residence. Offering a weary smile, you attempted to brush past his observation in order to change the mood. “Is that your subtle way of saying I look terrible?” 

 His eyes widened, worried for a second that you were being serious. “Of course not!” he scoffed, moving closer to you. “You’re gorgeous..but I can tell you look exhausted.” 

 You watched him carefully, waiting to see if he’d crack from the line of questioning, but when he tilted his head at you, keeping a worried gaze, you let out the withheld sigh, giving in a little bit. “I had a pretty harsh nightmare, don’t think I really slept well the whole night.”

 The palm of his hand met your cheek gently. Thumb rubbing against the soft skin before he reached over to push a piece of hair away from your face. "That bad, huh?" he murmured, looking at your features. "Why don't you let me stay over tonight? Just a friendly sleepover. You can wake me up if things get too intense."

 You couldn't help but chuckle at his offer. Recalling the past summer filled with nights of him on the pretense of just sleeping. "A sleepover, really? With just the two of us?"

 He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's not like it's the first time I've slept over at your place."

 You raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a teasing grin from tugging on your face. “Well, if I recall correctly, we didn’t really sleep at those either.”

 A faint blush crept up Steve's cheeks, and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Okay, fair point," he admitted, a hint of embarrassment coloring his voice. "But seriously, I just want to help. You don't have to go through this alone."

 It would be so easy to say yes. Give in to that natural urge that always wanted the company of the man before you. To have him by your side and give you all the attention and care you know he would willingly give to you. But your nightmare played in your mind again and you couldn’t help but feel the familiar twist of guilt form in your stomach again. 

 You opened your mouth to decline the offer when a case of YooHoos was placed quickly into the cart. An out of breath Dustin wiped over the sweat from his forehead, looking between the two of you expectantly. “It’s almost ten and we still have to pick up the others. Let’s go.” 

 Steve looked over still waiting on an answer from you but all you could do is offer a meek smile. “All right,” you nodded to Dustin. “Let’s head out.” Without looking back, you made your way towards the registers. Stomach twisting more than ever now.

 Thankfully picking up Robin and Max turned out to be quicker than expected. Max had taken the bus to the other girl’s house, making the trips cut down less after Dustin explained you’d also have to make a stop at the hilltop to use his Cerebro. And after some unsettling updates from the Hawkins police department, you all were able to finally make the drive over to the Lipton boat house.

 A part of you was slightly nervous to face Eddie again after yesterday. You never really felt the best after chewing out people you cared about. But add the hurt from the day before, plus the predicament with Steve, and the newest bit of information, your body was slowly aching in all sorts of places as you tried to navigate each feeling.

 “The streets should be busy today, most of Hawkins are probably over their hangovers from  Friday and have to go back to shopping for the week. We’ll have time to look for clues around the trailer later.” you heard Dustin say to everyone as he and Max took the lead towards the boat house. 

 “God,” you said suddenly, stopping in place. The days quickly calculated in your mind and you couldn’t help but feel another worry. Robin and Steve both turned at your voice, looking at you curiously before you wiped your hands over your face. “I was supposed to work with Keith today..”

 The two of them looked at each other for a second before letting out amused chuckles. 

 “What’s so funny?” you frowned.

 “Honey, Robin and I closed up the store at seven o’clock last night so we could all go find Eddie.” Steve cleared up.

 “Not to mention Steve was gone a whole hour before that to go find you.” she snorted, trudging over with the groceries still in hand as she draped an arm over your shoulder. “We’re totally fired.”

 “Fired?” you gaped, slightly worried by how easily over it they seemed to be. “B-but you guys needed the jobs!”

 “There’s thousands of other part time jobs in Hawkins, kid.” Robin sighed, giving you a tight lipped smile. “We’ll just have to update our resumes..again.”

 She left with that, leaving the two of you behind to join the others down the hill. Glancing at Steve, you opened your mouth, ready to apologize about his likely termination, but he quickly leaned over to press a finger to your lips.

 “Don’t even think about apologizing.” he said sternly. “Because no one in the whole world could have stopped me from leaving. Not when it comes to you.”

 Again, you’re left speechless by the man before you. 

 There couldn’t be any proper explanation as to why Steve continuously gave you more than you deserved. Not one that you would believe in anyway. You’ve hurt him, pushed him, and left him with no reason to do things for you. And off he’d go, ditching his life’s responsibilities just to look out for your well being. 

 It’s all so overwhelming and you find you’re stumped enough that it’s taking a second longer to think of a reply.

 “Trouble..” he said after a second of your silence. 

 You quickly scrambled together a response good enough to divert the seriousness that he seemed to be leading things to lately. Something you know he’ll grow tired of eventually and confront you about. But for now, you’d stick with easing the already harsh day as best as you could.

 “I was just going to say I’m glad we won’t have to wear that vest anymore.”

 “Right.” he said, sucking in a sharp breath. Then suddenly, he leaned over enough that he could look at your face closely. “Are you..okay?” 

Okay seemed to be the last word you’d use to describe yourself. Especially after this morning’s nightmare. But considering the man lost his job to help you out the last time, you figure you should cut this worrisome question short. 

“I have a lot on my mind.” You shrugged. “Just..girl problems.”

His brows were knitted tightly together, skeptical of your response. But before he could throw in a follow up question, the sound of Robin calling out to you guys put a stop to that.  

“We should go..” he said eventually.

 Not wanting to lag behind any longer, you dashed down the hill to the others, catching a glance back to see Steve rub at his face until he remembered to follow after you. The two of you joined just in time to open the door into the boat house. 

 There’s a slightly yelp sound and the five of you watched as a frightened Eddie looked over at the doorway with wide eyes. Apparently he didn’t notice or hear any of you approaching at all. 

 “Delivery service!” Dustin exclaimed, a wide grin on his face as he lifted up the grocery bags. 

 Apparently, you weren’t the only one whose morning was off to a rough start.

  The five of you gathered around Eddie, giving him a few minutes to calm down. But that calmness quickly left the moment Dustin gave him the box of Honeycomb. All there was after that was the crazy amount of crunching as Eddie stuffed as many as he could into his mouth. 

 “So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news.” Dustin started hesitantly. “How do you prefer it?”

 “Bad news first, always.” Eddie said as if there’d be any other way.

 “All right, bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they’re definitely looking for you.” he said before blinking hard, forgetting the last important fact. “Also, they’re, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.”

 “Like, one hundred percent kind of convinced.” Max said next, looking at him solemnly.

 “And the good news?” Eddie asked, perplexed. 

 Robin looked down at him with a familiar gaze to Max’s as she spoke up next. “Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it’s a matter of time before others do too. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning out for you.”

 You can’t help but feel worse hearing everyone lay out the information than from the dispatch. From where you stood behind Dustin, you could see as Eddie’s face paled at the truth. 

 “Hunt the freak, right?”

 “Exactly.” Robin confirmed.

 The memory of the crash came to mind from his words. Freak of the town. Now it was going to be a man hunt with him as the prey. Dustin before you held a hand out, piping in with what he figured would be words of encouragement. 

 “So, before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.”

 “That’s all, Dustin? That’s all?” 

 “Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it.”

 You can’t help but snort at Dustin’s reply. Feeling the pessimism seeping into your mood. There were too many variables to this idea that made it almost impossible to complete. And while you didn’t want to join in on adding salt to Eddie’s wounds, you couldn’t help but shake your head.

 “And after all this we’ll have you back home in time for dinner.” you said offhandedly, keeping your eyes down at your nails. Steve and Dustin turned their gazes over their shoulders to look over at you questionably, making you sheepishly wave them off as you stepped closer towards the group. 

 “Listen, Eddie,” piped Robin as she attempted to lift up his spirits. “I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this before. I mean, they have a..a few times,” she said gesturing to the three of you. Steve confirmed her words with a reassuring nod as she went on. “And..and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, and theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this.” 

 “Yeah, see, we usually rely on this girl who has super powers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so uh..” Steve said quickly, adding a true fact that you felt didn’t really help much considering El wasn’t even in town in the first place. 

 “So, we’re technically in more of the–” Robin volleyed in.

 “Kinda..”

 “Brainstorming phase.” Max finished, seeming to conclude where Robin and Steve were going with their words.

 “There..There’s nothing to worry about.” Dustin spluttered, attempting to bring the group in together. 

 Eddie was rightfully stunned at everyone, tilting his head in shock as he stared at his friend in disbelief. But he’s soon after glancing over to you finally. Looking for what you had to say. In fact, everyone glanced over at you, almost waiting for you to say otherwise.

 And while you parents always said they admired your candor, not everyone around you reacted the best to it. 

 So, you shot him a small tight lipped smile, nodding your head to everyone. “We’re gonna help you, Ed.” you said honestly. “Just..hopefully without any more..complications.” 

 As if the universe was waiting for their cue, the sounds of sirens cut through the silence of the group. Grabbing all the attention off of you as everyone quickly reacted to the new possible threat. 

 “Tarp.” Robin pointed out. “Tarp!” 

 Eddie quickly concealed himself underneath the fabric while the rest of you dashed over to the windows. Peering out through the dirty glass in time to watch as police cars and ambulances zipped past the front of the house. 

 “Where the hell are they going?” you heard Dustin mutter under his breath. His gaze shifted up to you curiously. 

 “I don’t know, but we need to go find out.”

As the group dispersed from the boat house, you felt a hand gently grab at your arm, halting your exit. Turning around, you found Eddie out from the safety of his tarp. Looking at you with remorse in his eyes. You could practically feel how nervous he was. 

 "Hey," he began softly, "I need to talk to you for a sec."

 Sensing where this conversation was going to go, you almost wanted to reject him. You weren’t sure how many tense conversations you could handle for the day. But seeing as you weren’t certain of when you’d actually see Eddie again, you nodded your head and stayed in place.

 "I wanted to apologize," he continued, his voice tinged with regret. "For that shit back at the van, the woods, all of it. I know it was messed up,..I never meant for any of that to happen."

 His words stirred conflicting emotions within you. Anger, frustration, but also a bit of understanding. 

 At this point, you knew Eddie. He was the same guy who’d get annoyed with your lectures about his fashion taste, or who’d try and kiss you whenever you had a bad day at work, and who would bring out that ridiculous Mick Jagger impression that made you laugh before the first bell rang. He was impulsive, but never malicious. 

 Still, the wounds still lingered inside of you. 

 "I was terrified, Eddie," you admitted, voice barely rising above a whisper despite the anger behind it. "Being lost in those woods...I had no idea where I was going or what was around me. I just saw Chrissy die and woke up to a world of mess."

 His expression softened, and you could see the heavy remorse returned back to his features. "I'm so sorry, Princess.” he croaked, hands reached out to grip onto your arms. “I promise I'll make it up to you, however I can. I won't let you down again."

 You pushed away remaining doubt that wanted to linger behind. Wanting to believe that there were still ways to turn things around. At least in terms of your friendship with Eddie. He was there for you through your shitty moments, it was time you took your turn in being there for him. 

 In this case, his moment being a murder case. 

 “Well, let’s make a habit out of not ditching each other in the woods then.” you said finally. 

 He snorted excitedly, chuckling a bit at your reaction before he pulled you in a tight hug that had you patting his back just to calm him down. “Sounds reasonable to me.” 

 “Good.” you laughed, giving him a final pat to release you out of his tight hold. “Uhh, Eddie? Kinda need to go work on saving your ass now.” 

 “Sorry,” he muttered, loosening up his grip. “I was just kinda worried we’d stop being friends..”

 You pulled back to look up at him, searching his eyes for a moment before you nodded your head. “We’re still friends..”

 “Good, because now that we’re square again, I really gotta say, you look like shit.” 

 “What is it with you guys today? I mean, I am tired, but seriously what the fu–” your words are cut off when Eddie leaned in to press his lips against yours. It wasn’t the most unusual reaction from him. There had been many times he’d say something to annoy you and cut off your anger with a sloppy kiss. But at the current time you couldn’t help but think about the last kiss you had from a freakout. And many other things you did with the man who gave it to you.

 "Eddie, I..." you trailed off, unable to find the right words to explain the complexity of problems you had going on. Especially the ones in your love life.

 He quickly retreated, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

 Suddenly, a throat cleared from behind, cutting into the moment. Instantly your heart plummeted as you turned to see Steve standing under the threshold of the door. Expression unreadable. How much did he see? How much did he hear?

 "We’re ready to go," he stated curtly, avoiding your gaze. “If you two are done.”

 Without waiting for you to reply, he quickly turned and left the doorway to join the others back up where the car was. You let out a tired sigh, unsure how you were going to even explain anything of what he just witnessed. All you knew was this was slowly turning from a bad morning to a crappy day.

 “Did I just make things worse?” you heard Eddie chuckle behind you.

 “No, Ed, I think I did.”

 Despite the awkwardness of your late entrance to the car, the group made it just in time to catch the location of where the cops were heading to. It was towards the main road that led over to Forest Hills.

 Everyone slowly began to murmur out curious questions as to what it could be. Chrissy’s body had already been covered, what could have happened in just a day?

 The car came to a slow stop and the group slowly made an exit out of the car. Looking around what looked like a scene of a crime. Amongst the cars surrounding the area was one that caught your attention quickly. Coroner. But before you could mention that, the sight of a brightly colored skirt caught your attention.

 Talking close to the newly appointed Sheriff Powell stood Nancy. 

 You stepped out on the road, ready to make your way over to join her when a hand tugged on your elbow. Steve, who despite still held some difference towards you since the boathouse, did not want you going forward. Only cocking his chin in the direction of the girl.

 She looked relieved to see you guys but you could tell from the furrow in her brow that she was more than upset. Looking close to crying. Still, she held up a weak hand, waving over at the group with a pained expression. 

 “Shit.” you heard Max whisper. She pointed over towards the side of the road. On the floor, just past your friend, was another body, covered up in a white sheet.

 Vecna’s second victim.

 Picking at your nails had seemed to be a new habit of yours now. Previously used to keep you busy from conversations slowly turned into you using it to distract yourself from the reality of things. Like right now, as the group gathered around one of the lunch tables just outside of Eddie’s trailer, listening to Nancy explain what the police had found, you were currently tearing at the side of your hangnail.

 Fred was gone. Just the same as Chrissy. Meaning that Dustin was right about this not being the last of Vecna’s attacks. But the idea of it being people you all knew seemed to make this whole thing more sickening.

It was eerie to be back in the trailer park. You made it a point to sit at the side of the table facing the Munson home. Needing to keep your eyes locked on the place again in case of anything odd happening. At one point you felt a hand slowly pat over at your leg, making you jump a bit before glancing to your left.

 Steve stared at you expectantly before he shook his head in confusion. “You with us?” he asked softly, voice with the familiar tinge of worry. 

 Nodding your head, you tucked your hands down into your lap, looking at the three girls across from you. 

 “So, you’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the Upside Down?”

 “If the shoe fits,” Steve said simply before he looked at you again. “Right?”

 “Well, considering the lights blinked like usual before the attack happened. I’d say yes.”

 “Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse.” Dustin added. “Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

 “All we know is that this is something different.” Max joined in, a frown etched on her face as she glanced amongst everyone. “Something new.”

 “Doesn’t make sense.” Nancy muttered, shaking her head. 

 You reached over to place a hand towards her, gaining her attention to you. “Has anything about the Upside Down ever made sense?” you asked honestly, “Besides, this is still a work in progress.”

 “She’s right, it’s only a theory.” Dustin said after you. 

 “No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense.” Nancy explained, putting together something in her head. “I mean, why them?”

 “Maybe they were just in the wrong place. “ Dustin tried. “They were both at the game.”

 Max nodded her head, following the pieces coming together. “And near the trailer park.”

 “We’re at the trailer park.” Steve pointed out slowly. “Uhh, should we maybe not be here?”

 You sucked in a slow breath before leaning back to look around the area. It looked the same as when you’d come to visit Eddie. Max’s trailer was still just across the way, and the sound of wind chimes still echoed in the distance. But one glance back to the Munson trailer and you felt your stomach dip. 

“There is something about this place.” Nancy said after a second. “Fred started acting weird the second we got here.”

 Robin looked over at Nancy curiously.  “Acting weird as in..?”

 “Scared, on edge, upset.”

 It completely bothered you how similar you felt to that right now. But you could practically feel worried glances from some of the people at the table, so you bottled down speaking up on that in favor of hearing what Dustin had to say next.

 “Max said Chrissy was upset too.” 

 “Yeah, but not here.” she shook her head. “She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

 For a second you couldn’t help but feel a twist in your stomach at the idea of Chrissy. She was so nice in the van that night. Wanting to take the special K just to get through the night without feeling overwhelmed. But her troubles were vastly bigger than she laid out for you and you couldn’t help but feel bad for not reaching out more when you had the chance. 

 “Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?” Robin asked, cutting into silence. “So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman–”

 “Vecna.” Dustin quickly corrected.

 “I don’t know about you guys but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone.” Steve said. His eyes looked to you, almost like he was expecting you to agree with him. And while the logical side of you did, something deep inside was stopping you entirely from speaking out. 

 “Maybe they did.” Max considered slowly. “I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you..you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you. But you might go to your–”

 “Your shrink.” Robin concluded. 

 The idea of Fred and Chrissy having a connection through Ms. Kelley did little to ease your growing anxiety. Especially when you remembered that amongst the few students that happened to be stuck in her counseling sessions, was you.

  Not wanting to waste the day, the group quickly left the bench to head over to the next destination. Hopefully Max could find her way into getting out some information about the others from Ms. Kelley. 

 You’re walking close beside Nancy when she elbowed your side, raising a brow to you before nodding towards the direction of her car. You almost wanted to ask her what she had meant when she gave you a familiar look. Quickly getting the hint that she had something else in mind, you casually turned towards the car. That is until the group’s den mother seemed to take notice.

 “Whoa, whoa, HEY! HEY!” Steve said, jogging after the two of you. “Where are you guys going?”

 “Oh, there’s just something I wanna check on first.” she explained simply, nudging at your side quickly. 

 “I’m gonna go with her, you know Nancy Drew needs Bess Marvin and all that.” you waved, trying to make a turn for the car again.

 “Something you guys wanna share with the rest of us?” Dustin asked, slightly offended.

 “I don’t wanna waste your time. It’s a real shot in the dark.” she said shyly, kicking at the dirt for a second. You nodded your head, looking over at the rest of the group with a small smile.

 “If she’s got a hunch, it might be worth checking out guys. We’ll be back soon.” you reassured them.

 “Hey, you can’t just ditch us.” Dustin scoffed. “Besides, it’s better to keep an eye on you if you’re suddenly turned into a suspect and we need to hide you up with Eddie.”

 Max looked over at Dustin before she nodded her head, agreeing. “There’s still a chance your name could come up. If we can’t reach you then we wouldn’t be able to help you on time.”

 Something told you that there might be another reason Dustin and Max wanted you to stay and while you were sure nothing would happen while going with Nancy, you also didn’t want to make things harder on anyone. Especially with these two out of all them showing concern openly.

 “Looks like I’m with the kids.” you sighed, turning defeatedly to Nancy. “Think you’ll be okay?”

 “I’ll be an hour or two tops.” she nodded. “We’ll regroup after that.”

 “Yeah okay. Are you guys out of your mind?” Steve asked, looking at you two a little perplexed. “Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, it’s too dangerous. You need..you need someone to..” His face turned hard with a sudden frustration as he looked at Nancy worriedly. Your stomach caught onto that tension quicker than your brain and twisted slightly at a growing feeling you haven’t felt in a while. Steve didn’t seem to notice as he turned to toss his keys over to Robin.

 “Here you go. I’ll stick with Nance.” he said quickly. “You guys take the car, check out the shrink.”

 The girl caught the keys awkwardly, giving Steve a confused look as she pointed over to the car. “Don’t think you want me driving your car.” she said wearily. 

 “Didn’t think he let anyone drive the car.” you scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “Last time he nearly had a heart attack and that was just driving in the streets.”

 Steve blinked over at you confused before he turned back to Robin. “Why?” he asked, ignoring your jab. 

 “I don’t have a license.”

 “Why don’t you have a license?” he asked frustratedly. 

 “I’m poor.” she reasoned with a shrug. 

 “I can drive.” Max offered, only adding fuel to Steve’s emotions. 

 “No, No! Never again. Please. Anybody but you. NO.” he argued.

 Dustin, ever with his perfect timing, looked at Steve with his arms out. As if he were ready to take on the responsibility that no one on the team could take. From behind Steve you could see as his body deflated at his choices. 

 “No chance.”

 “Come on!”

 Nancy looked a little uncomfortable at Steve’s persistence, only casting you an apologetic look. You on the other hand could not stop the familiar green monster from trying to crawl its way up from the depths of your soul. Unsure where Steve’s need to be around Nancy came from just yet. But you knew by now that it wasn’t the best idea to act on those feelings just yet.

 Finally Steve glanced back to you, raising a brow questionably. 

 Bastard.

 “Fine,” you said calmly, earning a small shock from the group. As if they expected some other reaction from you. Taking a step towards him, you held out your hand, giving Steve a sweet smile. “I’ll take your car.” 

 Steve nervously licked over his lips. Eyes shifting from your hand, then to Nancy, and then back at you. “No,” he gulped, shaking his head lightly. “I sense I made a mistake of some kind.”

 Fed up with everything, Robin reached for the walkie in Dustin’s bag and stepped in. “All right, okay. This is stupid. Us ladies will stick together.” she confirmed, putting the keys back into Steve’s hands. Her eyes gave him a warning look before she marched over to join Nancy’s side. “Unless you think we need you to protect us?” she said with a humorous chuckle.

 The two of you didn’t move from your spot. Only watching as Robin made her way towards Nancy’s car. Taking the lead for their exit. Nancy gave you both a sympathetic shrug before she mouthed an apology to you before turning on her heels to catch up with the other girl.

 “Be careful!” he called out, Robin turned around, shooting out a peace sign before she glanced at you. 

 “Should be saying that to yourself!” she laughed, giving you a wink.

 From the corner of your eye you can feel as Steve nervously looked over at you. His previous annoyance went away when he noticed your change in demeanor. Without another thought you walked towards his car, avoiding his gaze as you made your way towards the car doors. He quickly rushed over, moving to open up the passenger door for you, a small tight lip smile on his face.

 Ignoring that offer, you carefully opened up the backseat and slipped in beside Max. Avoiding his gaze as you slammed the door shut. From the outside you could hear Dustin chortle at his friend as he moved to take the free spot. “Nice one,” he said to Steve. “You just gonna stand there and gawk?”

 “Dude, shut up.”

 “Why don’t we go? Okay?” he said teasingly.

 “Shut up and get in the car.” he ordered. “Wipe your feet.”

 You watched as Dustin carelessly began to wipe his feet inside the car. Almost comically as he patted the shoe against the clean interior floor, earning another explosive reaction from Steve. 

 “On the outside, not the inside!”

 There was a bit more huffing between the two as they finally got into their seats. Leaving the car in a second of silence. Steve glanced back at you, opening his mouth to say something. But instead of giving him the chance to say anything, you turned in your seat, facing your direction to look out the window. Giving you the chance to give him a bit of the silent treatment. 

 “Always the babysitter.” Steve muttered angrily, turning on the engine of the car. “Always the GODDAMN babysitter!”

 You watched carefully from your side of the car as Max entered inside Ms. Kelley’s home. Only looking back at you guys once before the door closed up behind her. Hopefully the whole thing wouldn’t take as long and the four of you could make your way back to others and give you space away from Steve. 

 “So..we gonna talk about..it?”

 Glancing to your right, you looked into the passenger mirror to find Dustin looking at Steve. He seemed to have purposely left his window open enough that you were able to eavesdrop into their conversation. 

 “Huh? Sorry, talk about what?” Steve asked, barely paying attention.

 “Your temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Nance? And in front of my cousin of all people.”

 It took everything in you not to react to what you just heard. Your cousin’s words basically confirm the worries that hit you in the trailer park. The little green monster inside was practically dancing as it festered on the negative energy building up inside of you. 

 “Okay, first of all, that’s not what happened.” Steve said defensively. 

 “Pretty sure that’s what happened.” he countered. “It was public, there were like, a lot of witnesses. The prime one being at the back of your car right now.”

 He made it a point to glance at you through the mirror, catching your glaring gaze. He looked like he was about to change things up from his expression but you quickly shook your head, nodding in the direction of Steve’s side of the car for him to continue. 

 “Uh-Are you implying I still have a thing for Nance? Really? Me?”

 “No, I’m not implying.” he said, shaking his head. “I’m stating. And, as it relates to your current break up leaving you to go on various dates, it’s pretty much the only logical explanation.”

“That’s not the only one.” Steve denied quickly. “You know what I’ve been going through. What I’ve been thinking. And as for Nance, I was just trying to protect a friend.”

 From the mirror you could see Dustin’s face turned amused, like he was beyond believing that statement in the slightest way. You let out a small sigh, glancing down at the ground almost..defeatedly.

 This wasn’t even something you had the right to be angry about. If anything, the only reason you had room to speak on the situation was the fact that Nancy was currently dating your best friend and you couldn’t just let Steve of all people step in on that.

 God, that thought alone made you feel sick.

 “A friend, Henderson. Okay?” Steve said after noticing Dustin’s silence. 

 “Okay.”

 “I don’t wanna find her in the morning with her eyes sucked out of the front of her skull by this Vecna creep.”

 Dustin let out an amused giggle. “You’re bright red in the face right now!”

 Not having it in your stomach to listen to anything else, you stomped away from the car. Trying not to let the stinging tears in your eyes slip out. Your mind viciously shoots you into a memory from the first fall when Billy arrived. His terrorizing had slowly come to an end that night but not without some parting words to you.

 “He’ll never get over Wheeler. It’s that first love shit that chicks are so keen for. He’ll never get away from that feeling. Trust me, I’d know.”

 Back then you convinced yourself that he wasn’t telling the truth. That he took your weakness that night to try and get under your skin. But now? Now your mind is so frazzled and so broken lately that everything is turning into doubt. 

 “Get in the car.”

 You turned around to find Max rushing over to the car door, giving you a wide look before she entered inside. Quickly, you joined in after her, closing up the door in time to catch her giving Steve an order to drive. He’s quick to start up the car, setting all of you to hit against the seats as he sped away from the house.

 Eventually Max briefly explained what happened inside and stated that the best way to get more information would be in Ms. Kelley’s office at the school. You tried to explain it’d be a lot harder to break in due to the break but she simply held up a pair of office keys. 

 Suddenly the walkie in Dustin’s lap let out a loud squawk before a voice suddenly spoke through.

 “Dustin. It’s Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin.”

 The sudden sound of your friend’s voice had you and Max quickly leaning over your seats, trying to listen in on the incoming message. 

 “Lucas? Where the hell have you been?” Dustin asked into the walkie. 

 “Just listen.” Lucas pleaded. “Are you guys looking for Eddie?”

 “Yeah and we found him, no thanks to you.” he chided back. 

 “You found him?”

 “He’s at a boathouse on Coal Mill Road. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

 “You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?” Lucas asked worriedly. The car seemed to grow tense at that. Now the teens at the school surely knew he was the main suspect. Time was beginning to run out. 

 “That’s bullshit. Eddie tried to save Chrissy. My cousin was there!”

 “She was there too?! Wait, then why do all the cops say he did it?”

 Max, having had enough, reached over for the walkie. “Lucas, you’re so behind it’s ridiculous, okay? Just meet us at the school. We’ll explain later.”

 “I..I can’t. I think some real bad shit’s about to go down.”

 “What are you talking about? What bad shit?” she asked, but there was no response back. Almost as if the connection was lost. “Lucas? Lucas?” 

 “Line got cut off.” Dustin said, reaching back for the walkie. “What do you think he meant?”

 “I’m not sure.” Steve said, gripping the wheel tightly. “Let’s just get to the school.”

  It was dark by the time the four of you arrived at Hawkins. The air held an eerie atmosphere as you guys parked discreetly in the back of the school. Couldn’t exactly have anyone checking by to see there was someone at the school this time of night.

Your cousin was thankfully prepared for the night again and quickly passed around a couple of flashlights, giving you guys some light to venture through the creepy halls with. 

 “I gotta say, didn’t think I’d be coming back here anytime soon.” Steve muttered to you, smacking at the side of his flashlight before it fully turned on. 

 “It’s definitely not the way I wanted to spend my Spring Break.” you nodded, flashing towards one of the classrooms. 

 There’s an awkward building tension between the two of you. A part of you wanted to squash down that anger from before, use it to keep focus on the problems at hand. But there was a bigger part inside that was gleefully ready to make a mess out of things. 

Per usual.

 “Didn’t think I’d spend the day like this.” he chuckled lightly, looking over at you. “Kind of a bad way to end the weekend don’t you think?”

 Something in his words, while innocent, just irked you. Making your whole body shift as you finally let free some of the venom that had been building up since the trailer park. 

 “Yeah, you must be having a pretty bad day considering you’re stuck babysitting with me instead of chumming it up with Robin or looking out for Nancy.”

 Steve looked almost as if your words were a slap to the face, staggering back a second before his expression quickly changed to annoyance. He reached a hand out to stop you from walking. 

 “Where’s that coming from?” he asked slowly.

 “Seriously?” you laughed, raising a brow at him. “Did you suddenly forget that little show you gave back in Forest Hills?” You made an effort to dramatically reenact tossing invisible car keys. “Here you go. I’ll stick with Nance.” you said in a dramatically deep voice. 

 He was unamused by that, pressing his lips together before he scratched at his hair. A nervous tick he got whenever something got under his skin. “I’m sorry I’m a little particular with who I hang out with at the moment. I figured you’d feel the same way considering you probably wanted to stick around with Eddie so you guys could make out and weirdly flirt again.” 

 Sometimes you forget that Steve’s as much of a former bitch as you were. Making his bite hurt particularly bad right now. Still, you weren’t one to back down from a verbal fight. 

 “Wow, I’m not really surprised you noticed everything I’m doing considering how you’ve been trying to figure out ways to keep me at home.” Tilting your head you step closer to look up at Steve. “Was worrying about me too much for you now that you want to display your macho-man persona to Nancy again?” 

 “You’re pulling that out of nowhere.” he scoffed, shaking his head at you. “I mean, really, how is me wanting you to stay home because I’m worried about how tired you look, suddenly turn into me trying to get back with Nancy?”

 “Oh, so now it’s suddenly trying get back with Nancy?”

 “No, you just said–”

 “I said you were showing off!” 

 He let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face before he turned to look at you seriously. “All I offered was to go with Nancy so that she wasn’t alone. Her friend just died the same way Chrissy did and I didn’t want her to end up the same way. I was just trying to be a comforting friend.”

 “So you wanted to comfort her? Well, that’s great to hear considering we both know how you like to comfort people through their crisis, don’t we?”

 “I-It was different with you, okay?” He stuttered a bit, before he held his hands up, looking annoyed again. “You’re the one who is kissing some other guy and it’s me that’s trying to get with someone?”

 “As always, you always take one part of the picture to paint the story, your highness.” you sighed, pushing a hair out of your face. “But don’t worry, I’m sure Robin will put in a good word for you with Nancy since you’re so keen on chivalry.”

 “That’s not fair. That is not what I want.” he spat. “Look, I know that you two have a thing okay? I’m not going to step in on it but that doesn’t mean I have to be nice about it either. So, quit using the friendly friendship I have with Nance to compare your beneficial one with Eddie.”

 “There isn't a thing. God, Steve.” you frowned. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Eddie kissed me. I didn’t ask him to, nor to hold me, or anything. He’s just a friend..and I pulled back.”

 “That’s not the only thing you two have done, quit acting like it’s just some innocent friendship.”

 “If you can’t seem to remember, the only person around here that I’ve willingly done anything with in the past twenty-four hours, is you, so..” you said as a matter of fact. “Also I think it’s unfair that you get mad at Eddie for kissing me but quickly go around to play the brave knight in shining white Adidas to Nance.”

 “They’re Nikes!” he countered weakly. 

 You could only scoff at him in disbelief. “This conversation isn’t going anywhere. I’m sorry I’m not the one you want to be around right now, let’s just leave things at that.” 

 Taking a step to leave him you made an effort to follow after the two kids when Steve reached forward to grip at your arm. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you around. But I know you’re not okay right now. And the more you try and push yourself in this, the more I can tell that something else is bothering you.”

 He’s staring down at you with the familiar look of worry he’s been doing these past few days. Something that would have comforted you the other day, but not with how you were feeling right now.

 “You’re right.” you said softly, reaching up to gently pat at his hand. “There is something bothering me.”

 From the tone of your voice, Steve could easily tell where this was going to go, only giving you a pleading look as he tried to diffuse the comeback you were about to give him.

 “Don’t say it’s me-

 “It’s you.”

 Without a sparing glance, you pushed out of his grip and brushed and brushed past a nosy, lingering, Dustin in order to join Max at the front of the search. Her gaze stayed ahead, looking away from you, but from the corner of your eye you could see as she shook her head. A small smirk on her lips.

 “Well that was really nice.”

 “Oh, shut up.” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “Like you have any room to talk about niceties.”

 “I don’t?” She asked amusedly. 

 “Well considering your on and off history with Lucas, I’d think it’s fair to say you’re just as good with dealing with exes as I am.” 

 She frowned for a moment, seeming to think it over before she shrugged. “Guess we’re both kinda messed up.” 

 A part of you wanted to argue. Say how she’s wrong and that aside from what was currently going on, you were fine. But considering the dramatic fight you just shared for the two kids, you figured she wasn’t entirely wrong. “It’s kinda nice.” you said eventually, nudging her side playfully.

 “It’s nice that we’re messed up?” She chuckled, looking a little taken back. 

 “No,” you hummed lightly, “it’s nice we’re messed up together.” 

 She finally glanced over at you, giving you a weird look before laughing. “You’re so weird.” she said, nudging you back. 

 With that small bit of comfort, the two of you silently led the other boys the rest of the way to Ms. Kelley’s office. 

 The familiar lingering scent of her relaxing lavender candle hit your senses quickly once you entered inside. Which you were thankful for considering the small stress you seemed to be adding onto yourself. You were happy to finally have a moment where all you guys had to do was focus on the clues needed to progress your theories and not your current problems.

 “It’s like a mini-Watergate or something.” Dustin said behind you. “Hawkinsgate.”

 “Wait a second, didn’t those guys get caught?” asked Steve.

 You made your way over towards the desk, looking over the papers laid out neatly at the center of the table while Max peeked through the cabinet for the files. 

 “Holy shit.” she said suddenly.

 “You found it?” Steve asked, as the rest of you gathered around her.

 “Yeah, and not just Chrissy’s file. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too.” Her hand reached back into the cabinet, pulling out one more manila envelope before she turned over to face you. Her eyes focused on you intently as she held the file up in the air. “And so were you.”

 Even with your eyes looking down at your file, you could feel the intense stare from Steve’s eyes. He hasn’t stopped looking at you ever since Max revealed your file to everyone. You couldn’t help but find it all worthless to bring up. To you, it was just your regular file. There was the first meeting recorded, the goals she wanted you to have for the next couple of years. Nothing out of the ordinary until this year. When she began to take notice of your reaction towards Billy’s death.

 “God,” you scoffed, looking down at her words. “Behavioral avoidance? What a load of crap.” 

 You carefully threw the file onto the desk, plopping down in her chair to look over at what Max had been reading across from you. 

 The folder containing Chrissy’s sessions quickly caught your eye. Making you curious to know what the girl truly had been going through before her untimely death. 

 “Can I see Fred’s file?” she asked suddenly. 

 “Yeah,” Steve said, passing the folder over to her. She quickly laid it out before her, flipping through the papers to collect whatever information caught her attention. From the side you could see as Steve carefully tried to reach out for your file. You made it a point to move away from him on the other side of the desk.

 Leaning over, you reached over for Chrissy’s file, looking over the small details listed on her last session. Headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, trauma.. All things that made sense but..oddly familiar. Moving closer, you peered over to look down at Fred’s notes that Max had stopped at. 

 ..They were almost similar to Chrissy’s.

 But that didn’t make sense. It couldn’t. Because if that were the few connecting signs to what made Vecna attack Chrissy and Fred then what did that mean about you? Glancing back at your folder, you pushed through the notes again, trying to figure out if there was anything similar to what was on the other two folders. But there was nothing.

 Only the small note written at the corner of your last session.

 Might benefit if suggested with a group therapy. Perhaps with Max M.  Both suffer from related trauma.

 Related trauma? You thought.

 Glancing up from the papers, you peered over at Max worriedly. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she looked a lot like how you felt at the moment. But this couldn’t be right. You never voiced to Ms. Kelley any of these things. You weren’t seeing any weird Vecna monster or dealing with trauma. You were-

 “Perfectly fine?” (tick)

 You felt a cold shiver run down your back and glanced up in the room. Almost expecting to see if anyone else had heard that. There’s a heavy weight suddenly over you and you feel as if the air in the room was slowly being sucked out. This couldn’t be happening. You weren’t like the others. You weren’t going through these struggles you weren’t–

 “Going crazy? (tock)

“Max! MAX!” 

 The sounds of Dustin and Steve calling out to Max instantly pulled you out from you haunting thoughts. Before you was a frozen Max, still frozen in place. “Max?” you called out, getting out from your seat to kneel beside her. 

 Steve’s hand rested on your shoulders, concern on his face as he began to breathe heavily. “What’s going on?” he asked, voice uneasy. “What do we do?”

 “She’s just..I don’t know!” you panicked, shaking at her shoulders. “Max, c’mon. Talk to me!” But as you gazed into her vacant eyes, a chilling thought swept right through you. 

 Did you guys just run out of time?

A/N: okay so this chapter is kinda messy. Reader is seriously losing her mind but I promise that trouble is gonna get her head on screwed right soon enough. Maybe after she remembers that Nancy is in love with Jonathan and Steve practically dropped everything to go to her. I blame Vecna tbh. And Billy from the afterlife. 

TAGGING LIST:  @cluz1babe​ , @starofavolonea​ , @darlingimafangirl (won’t let me tag), @primroseluna​,  & @siriuslysmoking​

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x henderson reader #steve harrington x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x henderson reader #cac #angst

[theladybarnes]

Hellooo how are you? I was just wondering if you were going to update your bucky story it's been so long.

Hi anon! It has been a long time since I’ve updated the scout universe. If you could help me, I’ve been contemplating. Do you think it’s better to revamp the series and write it out again (meaning add new details and change a couple of things), or just keep going?

I’m only wanting to redo it for the sole purpose of making it more inclusive. For some reason my dummy head didn’t think that having it be a stark siblings would be exclusive. 😅 so I think I wanna redo it for that. OR I could just finish the story at Endgame. Idk! Let me know…help me 😔

#anonymous #answered #meanwhile I’m gonna go work on cac’s next chaoter

[theladybarnes]

CRIMSON AND CLOVER: CHAPTER SIX

"Got me stressed out. It's not even my girlfriend.”

▸ summary: it’s a mental game to get out of woods, and you need help bringing yourself back to earth. ▸ characters: steve harrington, eddie munson,dustin henderson, ft. robin buckley & max mayfield ▸ word count: 12.6k ▸ warnings: angst, semi-fluff, SMUT (MINORS DNI +18), mentions of death ▸ series masterlist

“Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!”

 Your surroundings blurred as you stumbled against the railing in front of you. The air was thick with bitter smoke, and the distant cracking of fireworks reverberated through the air.  You’ve been here before. This was Starcourt Mall. 

 The night you all faced the Mind Flayer.

 In disbelief, you watched as your friends frantically threw fireworks at the colossal creature on the ground floor. Their faces etched with determination and words filled with anger. The Mind Flayer writhed and snarled from below. Whipping its gaze at all the directions the attacks were coming from.

 A surge of confusion swept over you. How the hell were you back here? Was this a dream? It had to be. The mall, the flayer– it all felt too surreal to be real. Yet, the vividness of the moment, the heat of the fireworks, and the urgency in your friends' voices made it impossible to dismiss as just imagination.

 There was a lull in the attack that you were able to hear your name being called out.

 The voice was unmistakable. Billy. 

 His desperate cries echoed through the chaos, adding to the overwhelming sense of dread. Slowly, you approached the edge of the railing to peer down below. 

 "Help me! Babydoll, please!” His desperate pleas cut through the chaos. “Don't let it get me!" 

 Your gaze locked onto the unfolding horror below as one of the Mind Flayer's tendril arms snaked around Billy, pulling him helplessly toward its gaping mouth. Billy's terrified screams resonated through the air, pleading for salvation. Your heart pounded in your chest, urging you to move quickly. But an invisible force seemed to paralyze you, rendering you powerless to intervene.

 As the monstrous entity snarled at Billy, the scene descended into a nightmarish mess. Walls turning dark red with the light slowly fading to the center of the room. Unable to witness his gruesome fate again, you fell backward in fear, the world around spiraling into darkness.

 However, the horror didn't end there. 

 Your friends, done with their attack to the flayer, all slowly crowded towards you. Surrounding you in a circle of their judgmental gazes before they pointed down to you. Shouting out their accusing cries. "WHY WON’T YOU SAVE HIM?" they demanded in a chorus of eerie, distorted voices. The weight of their accusations pressed upon you, suffocating you with guilt and terror that kept you on the floor. It gave them a better chance to close in on you as they shouted out more claims.

 “HE LOVED YOU!”

 “HE WANTED YOU!” 

 HE DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!”

 Your jaw slacked at their words. Confusion in the mix of your fear as you tried to reach out to them. Hands shaking as you pleaded for them to realize the truth. “I didn’t want him to die! I don’t want anyone to die!” 

 Surely your friends would never think that about you. They had to know!

 Amidst the continuing cries, was one familiar voice shouting at you. Steve, who was silent until now, emerged from the nightmarish crowd, his face contorted with anguish as he kneeled down beside you. 

 "Why won't you save us?" He asked desperately, hands cupping around your shoulders. “You’re leaving us to die!” 

 When you didn’t say anything back he began to glare at you, words coming out in a spit as he gripped hard against you. “WHY WON’T YOU SAVE US?” His final yell echoed across the whole mall and in a final surge of terror, the world around you collapsed. 

 You jolted awake, gasping for breath as you forward. The world around me blurred as you slapped down against the dashboard. It took you a second to realize that you weren’t just sitting on the mall floor but in a moving car. 

 “Thank God!” 

 Eddie, who looked as sick as you felt, was behind the wheel, driving erratically as if the police were hot on your heels. Chrissy's contorted body flashed in your thoughts, reminding you of the horror you had just witnessed in the trailer.

 "Jesus Christ, slow down, Eddie!" you croaked out, voice tinged with a mix of fear and anger. "What the hell happened? Where are we?"

 Eddie's eyes darted toward you for a moment, his hands white as he held on the steering wheel tightly. "We didn’t have a choice, okay? We needed to get out of there before whatever killed Chrissy came for us too!”

 “B-but she’s back there!” you cried out, heart torn between the urgency of escape and the idea of abandoning Chrissy alone. “We can't just leave her there alone like that!"

 "We can't get caught up in this," Eddie insisted, frustration etched across his face. "You think anyone will believe I didn't have anything to do with it? Freak of the town, ring a bell?!"

 The reality of the situation hit you like a punch to the gut. But that was slowly pushed back when you realize just how far out of the main part of town you guys are at. You reached out to Eddie’s arm, tugging at it quickly. 

 “Eddie, tell me you’re not leaving town.”

 “All right, I’m not leaving town.” he said sarcastically, pressing down harder onto the pedal. The road began to blur and you could feel the anxiety grow in the pit of your stomach. 

 “We cannot leave town, Eddie! Turn back!” you urged. 

 His gaze shifted away, guilt and fear written all over his face. "Look, I know it’s bad. But I–we can’t risk it. Not when we don’t even know what the hell happened!”

 “It doesn’t matter! Turn back now!” The two of you are so busy glaring at each other that you both failed to notice the van veering off the road. "Shit, watch out!" you shouted as you finally registered what was about to happen.

 Eddie tried his best to press down on the brake and slow down the speed of the van, but to your horror, it only skidded over the long grass of Hawkin’s massive forest. Panic surged through you as the van rushed towards a tree, and you braced for impact.

 The world blurred as the van crashed through the underbrush, the sound of crunching metal and snapping branches deafening. In the midst of the chaos, you clung to your seat, desperate for it to stop. It wasn’t until one final forward thrust that the van finally stopped. Leaving you gasping for air again.

 The scene felt oddly familiar to your own car accident years ago. But there’s no flashing lights, and your father wasn’t on his way to help you. The only thing waiting for you was the looming dark forest that swallowed up the lights from the headlights. 

 "Shit," Eddie's voice trembled with fear as he finally released his tight grip from the wheel. "Someone’s gonna see this. Come on, we can't stay here."

 He threw open the door, while you stumbled out. The world spun wildly and it took you a minute to control the overstimulating thoughts and memories flooding your brain to register that Eddie was in front of you now. “I-I can’t..” you whimpered, hands reaching out to him. 

 You closed your eyes, feeling his hands cup around the sides of your face as he waited for you to calm down. It was only a second later that you opened them again to see the look of concern on his face. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, shaking his head. “We still have to go.”

 Reaching down for your hands, he made sure to lace them together before he led the two of you away from the van towards the trees. “Wait, shouldn’t we go back on the road?” you asked, trying to keep up with his pace. The uneven forest floor beneath your feet felt foreign and slippery. Making it hard to try and keep up with your friend who had now moved on to mumbling to himself.

 "Eddie, slow down! I don't know these woods!" you cried out, breath catching in your throat.

 He didn't hear you, or maybe he didn't care. Eddie was on a mission, leading the two of you deeper into the wilderness. "I know a safe place, just keep up!"

 But the dense foliage and the unfamiliar terrain took on your already unsteady balance. You stumbled over a protruding root, hands reaching out to break the fall. The grass was moist beneath your fingers and you took a second to close your eyes to stop the world from spinning again. Eddie continued on without noticing, his footsteps fading in the distance while you struggled to regain footing.

 "Eddie! Wait!" you called out. The only response was the eerie silence of the woods. Taking a few long strides in, you called out for your friend again, hoping your voice was loud enough to break through the trees. 

 “EDDIE!”

 It’s only a matter of seconds before you’re lost, alone, and terrified. Still, you picked yourself up, desperately searching through the thicket for any sign of your friend. The trees loomed like shadows, and panic clung to you like a suffocating shroud. He couldn’t have just left you behind right? But the more you walked, the louder you called out, the more you were hit with the realization.

 You were stranded in a place you didn’t know, alone without your friend, and cold from the night sky. But the worst part of all, was the light echoes of a ticking clock in the distance.

 Exhausted and disoriented, you stumbled into the main street of town as the evening sun began to break through the trees. Your clothes were damp, feet sore from your terrible choice in shoes, and body shivering from the cold night in the woods. 

 It’s not like you had any choice. With the road being too dangerous at that time of night to hitchhike, your only other safe solution was to tough the walk through the woods and hope you’d find the outskirts of town soon enough. 

 You’re embarrassed to say that despite your usual sense of direction, you managed to circle around the woods a few times. Making your arrival into town at a much later time than you’d have preferred. But at least you were back. Better than another night trying to ignore the various noises and whispers the woods had to offer to you.

 It wasn’t like you had any help at all considering that at no point in the night did Eddie try and find you. 

 Still, you pulled through and despite the sleepiness, the hunger, and the aches, you were determined to get yourself home. But that plan seemed to come with a few complications.

 With every store you passed, every street corner, the townspeople of Hawkins seemed to be highly aware of how out of place you looked right now. One glance at the hardware store window and you were shocked to find just how disheveled and weary you looked, confirming your guesses to their curious gazes.

 You had to get home. You needed to get Dustin and figure out what to do about this mess.

 So without wasting time, you made your way towards the bus stop that stopped nearest to your house. But just as you were about to ask around for some possible bus fare, there was a loud honk that caught your attention.

 “Honey!?”

 You turned on your heel, scanning through the small group of passengers to try to find the familiar voice calling out to you. Around the corner of the block stood Steve. Your eyes met and you could see that along with the worrisome look on his face was a bit of shock. Possibly from your appearance. 

 The two of you don’t waste a second to make your way to each other. Steve even went as far to run over to you before he stood before you.

 "What the hell happened to you? Dustin told me he hasn’t seen you since yesterday. Are you okay?" His eyes scanned over your figure, possibly trying to find an injury that matched with your current state of appearance. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled you into his arms, letting his hand cradle the back of your head as he pressed your face into his chest.

 You couldn’t help it as you allowed yourself to hug him back. Seeking comfort in his arms after the night you had. The scent of his cologne and heat from his chest felt amazing against your cold skin and it wasn't until he pulled back that you realized you were shaking from the weather. 

 He quickly shed off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders, providing a better warmth over your shivering arms. He was still waiting for you to answer, only raising a brow to you as he cupped the side of your cheek gently. 

 There’s a weak attempt at trying to smile. To let him know that you were okay. But you weren’t. At least mentally you weren’t. Not when you couldn’t stop replaying the events that happened just last night. It only felt even more overwhelming now that you had Steve of all people worried over you again.  “I’m sorry.” you croaked, unable to stop the guilt from coming through. “We got in an accident and then we–I got lost in the woods."

 Steve's eyes widened in disbelief. "Accident? Lost in the woods? What were you doing out there? Are you hurt?" He glanced around, noticing that there were a few people eavesdropping into the conversation. He carefully pulled you away from the bus stop towards the other direction. “Did he do this? Did Eddie do this?”

 "No,” you answered right away, not needing for that vine to tangle up in this mess. “I can't explain everything right now. It's complicated," you replied, voice shaky from exhaustion. "Please..I just need to get home.."

 For a moment he looked even more worried if possible, but instead of pressing on, he merely rubbed his thumb against the apple of your cheek before nodding his head.

 "Alright, Honey.” Steve said more softly now, gesturing towards his car. “Let’s get you home." His concern was genuine, and despite the awkwardness that should be between the two of you, the only thing you could feel from Steve now was comfort.

 And that was all you’d focus on right now.

 It didn’t take long for Steve to get you home. In fact, you’re pretty sure he broke the speed limit a couple of times on the road. Not that you’d press him about it right now. All you wanted was to get inside your house. Where you could hopefully recollect yourself into a person again.

 Despite being in the comforts of being around Steve, you were still finding it hard to come back down from the overwhelming anxiety that still ached inside of you. It was almost like you were stuck on autopilot as you exited the car.

 Steve was quick to return to your side. Gentle like before as he wrapped an arm to lead you towards the front door. A glance up and you can see him sporting his frustrated frown despite the kind voice he used with you.  

 A step to the front door and you could hear the phone ringing inside, blaring loudly into the empty home “My key.” you whispered softly to yourself, trying to check over the pockets of your dirty dress. But all your things were gone. You’re not even sure when or where you’ve managed to lose everything. 

 “It’s okay.” Steve reassured you, carefully letting go to walk over to the potted plants your Aunt had placed this past summer. “The spare’s right here.” 

 You watched quietly as Steve moved over a ceramic frog to reveal the hidden key. It was just a couple of months ago, before the end of Summer, that you had revealed its secret spot to him. Telling him he was more than welcomed to use it any time he needed to.

 He had joked that you might get tired of his surprise visits if he had a way in every time. You happily told him that it’d be impossible, but if he really wanted to surprise you, there was always your bedroom window.

 “Come on,” he said, pulling you out of the memory. “Let’s get you warmed up.” 

 As the two of you entered the home, you glanced around with uncertainty. Unsure of where you should even start on your previous night considering the heavy load it came with. But before either of you could even touch on the subject, the shrill ring of the phone interrupted the silence again.

 Steve held a hand up, quietly offering to take the call as he picked up the phone from the small table.

 He muttered out a half greeting before sighing deeply. “Yeah, she’s here.” he said calmly to the receiver. "Yeah, I found her near Main… No, she's not hurt, I think, just shaken up… I don't know what happened, man. She hasn’t had a second to really explain..”

 You could hear the muffled voice of Dustin on the other end, bombarding Steve with questions you’re sure he doesn't have many answers to. Steve glanced over his shoulder, noting you quietly observing him before he motioned for you to go clean up. “Go ahead, I’ll be here when you get out.” he whispered.

 With that reassurance, you gave him a quick nod, grateful for his patience, and headed towards the bathroom. Once you closed the door and undressed yourself, you finally got the chance to really check over your appearance. The mirror reflected a face unfamiliar to you. One that wasn’t its usual confident self, but of someone who was scared.

 You didn’t like looking at that face. 

 Shielding your gaze away from the mirror, you quickly stepped in started up the shower.

 The hot water felt good as it cascaded over you. Washing away any dirt and grime that clung to your skin from the long night in the woods. That and the loofah you were scrubbing hard against your skin. Every swipe of sudsy soap would reveal a red burning skin that let you know it was fresh and clean.

 “Chrissy! Wake up! CHRISSY!”

 You nearly dropped the bottle of body wash from your hands as your mind flashed over the haunting images from before. The harsh, supernatural force that took Chrissy’s body so effortlessly as she hung in the air like a puppet. The sounds of her bones breaking echoed above the noisy shower. 

 Eddie’s screams came into your mind, almost like speakers pressed against your ears and you dropped everything to cover them up. Muttering for them to just go away. But it won’t stop. Every attempt to focus was met with the flashbacks that persisted. Each replay was more vivid than the last. The flash image of Chrissy's contorted body, the way her eyes sunk into her head, it all made you feel trapped in a nightmare from which there was no escaping. 

 You gotta get out. 

 You have to leave.

 You need to RUN.

 “Honey?”

 The clear sound of Steve’s voice brought everything to halt. Your eyes snapped open to watch as a hand reached past the shower curtain to turn off the water, cutting off the remaining sound in the room. Hesitantly you pulled back the plastic curtain a bit to peek out. 

 Steve was standing there, concern etched on his face again, but this time with his eyes cast down to avoid your naked form while he held up a towel.

 "Are you okay?" he asked softly. There’s a vulnerability in his voice that was unexpected, and you nodded as you reached out for the towel to wrap around yourself. 

 Finally he glanced back at you, giving you a once over as his hand extended out for you while carefully helping you exit the shower. With a small gesture towards the door, he helped usher you over to your bedroom. 

 The amount of patience and kindness that Steve was giving you today had your emotions turning erratic again. The mixture of your previous fear along with the current gratitude and embarrassment that came from having him see you like this.

 Once in the room, he let go of you, almost turning to leave before he sighed and returned back before you. Having had enough of the uneasy silence. 

 "I need to know what’s going on, Trouble. I know you were there in the trailer. What happened?”

 His eyes searched at yours for answers. But you found yourself hesitating, unsure of how to put it into words. Despite Steve being completely aware of things such as the upside down, hell, even your past, this was the one time it felt..unreal.

 "I don’t know if you’ll believe me, Steve. It’s..unlike anything we’ve seen.” you stammered, voice barely above a whisper. His concern deepened, and he urged you to continue with a light nod.

 "Chrissy... she..." You struggled to find the right words, your mind still clouded with only flashes of what you had witnessed. "She was taken by this force, this... I don't even know how to describe it. It just pulled her in the air..it twisted her, Steve. It was so fast..in mere seconds she was gone and crumpled to the ground. I've never been so terrified in my life."

 You didn’t even realize you were crying until Steve had stepped over to wipe at your cheeks. His face was even more grave than before as he looked down at you. He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving yours, and said, "You’re safe now. You’re not there anymore.”

 “But safe from what, Steve? We don’t even know how or why it happened!” you whispered, feeling your throat choke up as the emotions you had been holding finally poured out. “One minute she’s just there inside with Eddie, and the next I hear screaming and she’s not talking! She was here but gone at the same time.” 

 Steve moved to wrap his arms around you, pulling you back into his chest to stop from shaking. “Did he say anything?..Do you know if he?..”

 “No, Eddie didn’t do this, Steve!” you pulled back from the hug to look up. “He was just as terrified as I was..it wasn’t him. I-I swear!”

 “I believe you, it’s okay.” he said quickly, noticing your sudden panic. But it's too late and you’re feeling the air around you turn thick, unable to get it in your lungs.

 “I can’t breathe, Steve!” You gasped, moving your hands to grip tightly at his arms. His presence alone was keeping you grounded before, but everything seemed to be crashing down at this moment. Your attempts to breathe mixing with crying only made things worse.

 “Breathe with me.” He shushed, pushing his forehead to press against yours. The palms of his warm hands wrapped around your shoulders and he tugged you closer to keep you from getting any colder. 

 But the fear persisted, and your sobs grew louder. It was then that Steve cupped at your face and planted a soft but deep kiss to your lips. Catching you off guard enough that your mind frazzled into focusing only on the touch of his skin to yours before he pulled back.

 "Why did you..." you began to ask, voice trailing off.

 "I just needed to help bring you back down to me," Steve whispered, his eyes searching yours. Almost as if he were afraid he had crossed a line. The two of you silently shared a moment of silence before you gave a quick nod.

 "Right," you managed to say, still grateful despite the unconventional method. 

 Steve remained close to you. "Are you?" he asked calmly.

 “Am I what?”

 “Here with me?”

 When you don’t answer, he sighed softly, enveloping you in his arms. The natural heat of his body called out to you and you reached out to hold onto him desperately. Seeking all the familiar comforts that came with Steve. The scent of his cologne, the warmth of his skin, the cotton of his shirt. It was impossible for you not to inhale all of it.

 He rested his chin against the side of your head, holding you tightly as his arms traced soothing patterns across the bare skin that peeked on the top of the towel. Something inside you is sparked and any sane conscious thought is out the window.

 You don’t want to feel this fear anymore. You just want to feel like yourself again. 

 Even if just for a moment. 

 Pulling away, you reached up, brought his face close and kissed him. 

 It was nothing like the shared kiss you had moments before. It was intense. Needy. All the emotions that the two of you seemed to share as you both clung onto one another. 

 His hands trailed down from your back to rest at your hips. The tip of his fingers dug lightly as he attempted to control whatever urge he had. Your own hands had the same problem as they crawled up to tangle in the ends of his soft hair. Tugging hard enough that caused him to groan against your lips. He broke the kiss apart to pull back. 

 “We’re being stupid right now, aren’t we?” he asked, hot breath fanning over you.

 “Yeah,” you breathed, eyes flicking down to his pink lips. “Incredibly stupid.”

 Reaching down between your bodies, you pulled the towel off from your skin, giving him a full view of yourself.

 He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight, eyes scanning down your body that had you flushed. Nodding his head to himself, he reached and grabbed your face with both hands and kissed you again. 

 Frantically, his own desperation kicked in and he doesn’t even give himself a second to properly shed off his own clothing. Making you have to be the one to pull back and help strip him down. Once he was down to nothing, he resumed pressing his lips against yours. Using one of his hands to cradle the back of your head and the other to press your body against his.

 The contrast of your cold body to his hot one had you both shivering as you stumbled backwards towards the bed. It wasn’t until the back of your legs hit the edge of the bed that he carefully pushed you to lay down. 

 Your back met with the comforter of your bed quickly and you gazed up to watch as Steve slowly came onto the bed, kneeling just before your legs. Though you’re both naked and practically panting with want, there’s a small flicker of concern on his face again.

 “Say it,” he begged, voice slightly cracked from being out of breath and from the hurt that lingered in his tone. “Say that you want this too.”

 “I want this.” you nodded, spreading your legs open for him. His eyes widened at the sight of you. His hand instantly reached out to rub down the expanse of your bare thigh. Your heart began to beat rapidly at the dark desire that flickered in his gaze. “I want you, Steve.”

 He groaned at that, leaning down so that he could lay on top of you. His lips were back onto yours once again, tracing his tongue at your lips until you parted yours and allowed him the chance to swirl it against yours. The sensation had you feeling lightheaded. Your hands wrapped around his shoulders, fingers digging lightly into his bare skin. 

 The light graze of his hardened cock brushing lightly against your inner thigh had you jumping back in surprise. Pulling back from his kiss, you looked down between the two of you, reaching down and taking hold of his member in your hands. 

 “Fuck, honey.” Steve whimpered, “It’s been so long.”

 The tip of his cock was already red, aching to be touched and dripping with excitement. The pad of your thumb swirled over the glaze of precum. You used its slickness to help glide your hand over the base of his member. Jerking it up and down lightly while you watched Steve’s face for his reaction.

 He emitted a sweet moan that had you biting down on your lip to keep from joining him. His hips jerked with every tug you gave and you knew it wouldn’t be long for him to take control again. So you enjoyed your time, leaning down his neck to kiss at his hot skin while you worked him to a full erection. 

 “I’ve missed this.” you muttered softly, kissing up the line of freckles and moles that adorned his neck. 

 “Me too.” he gritted, hands now gripped at your hips to control himself from thrusting into your fingers. “But I’ve missed something else even more.”

 One of his hands pulled away from your side so that he could release himself from your hold and slide down until they reached your aching core. The slick glaze of your arousal spread quickly over his fingers, giving him the chance to swirl around your folds.

 “Steve,” you whimpered, feeling already so sensitive and desperate for release. Any more of the simple touches and you were embarrassed to say you’d come undone easily. “I need you.” 

 “You have me.” he promised, as. he brought the tips of his fingers up to his mouth, sucking any bit of you that was left on them. “All of me.”

 With that he reached between you and easily guided his aching erection to glide against your slick folds. Teasing not only himself but you in the process as he worked you two up. You leaned up on your elbow to pull him down again, pressing your lips together as your hips instinctively thrust upward to him.

 He didn’t break the kiss, but he did stop his hips in time to finally press the tip of his cock at your entrance and slowly thrust in. The walls of your pussy reacted instantly to his member again. Tightening around his long thick size until he was fully sheathed inside of you. 

 Shocked, you gasped and looked up at him, eyes clouded with a familiar desire. It had been quite some time since you’ve felt this full and with every small nudge, Steve managed to bottom his way in. “God, you’re so tight,” he shuddered, bucking his hips for a moment before he wrapped an arm around the side of your waist. “So hot and tight for me.”

 “Steve,” you whimpered, hips rolling on their own accord before you forced your body to relax. “I need, fuck, I need–” you begged, practically desperate for him to make any movement now. 

 “Need what, honey?” he said, moving his hands to place down at your hips, a small thrust to get you moving a little. “Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

 “Move.” you said finally, nails digging into his shoulders now. 

 That was all he needed to hear before he began to move again. He slid out- and back in, with more force this time, causing you to shudder beneath him. The pleasure was strong this time, possibly with how desperate you’ve become since entering the room. You leaned up, clinging around his arms to hold him close. 

 Every part of his warm body felt like a cover from the world. A cover from the dread that wanted to eat at you that only he seemed to be able to pull you out of. It was all you wanted to focus on, all you could focus on. 

 Steve dropped his face into your neck, murmuring something against your skin before he kissed at the flesh gently. “Yours.” he said eventually, another thrust back. He picked his head back up to look down at you. One arm had you pressed close to his body, making you feel every part of him while the other leaned on his elbow to give him a chance to look down at you. “I’m yours.”

 You gazed up into his eyes, one hand letting go of his shoulders to cup at his cheek. “Mine.” you agreed, pressing your lips to his. 

 His pace quickened up at that, goading him into another set of emotions. 

 You wrapped legs around his waist. Keeping yourself from moving away from him as his quick thrusts that pushed you higher up in the bed. His name fell past your lips in a long moan, unable to think of any other words. It was like all you could do was think and speak his name. 

 Whether it be from your shifting feelings, or the fact that Steve was going at such a fast pace, the two of you seemed to be closer to your release than expected. He dropped his head down, pressing a few loving kisses to the apex of your breasts. He groaned your name against the pebble of your breast, nipping at the sensitive bud before he returned back to your face. Kissing your lips and cheeks over and over until he had to pull back to breathe again.

 “I can’t hold on much longer, baby.” you warned, leaning up to press a kiss to his shoulder.

 “Me either.” he nodded, taking a quick pause to look down at you. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but settled with dropping down to meld your lips once again. One of his hands let go of your waist to slip between the two of you, and you soon felt the familiar pad of Steve’s thumb press against your clit. 

 Without a wasted second, he began to roll the sensitive bud in a circular motion while thrusting into you at a more brutal pace. 

 The whole world is gone and all you could feel now was the intense orgasm as it washed over your body. Back arching up to him as you cried out in ecstasy against his lips. Your palms clasped his back, pressing yourself even more if possible to meet up with his final thrusts.

 He whimpered into your lips, pulling back to allow his face to fall against your neck and catch his breath while he shot his cum into your core. The thrusts slowed down and soon enough you only rolled your hips lightly against him to ride out the rest of the euphoria with him. 

 It was only a second that the two of you said nothing. Both of you seemingly unsure how to process the intensity that the sex brought. 

 His head lifted back up, looking down at you intently before gently pulling himself out of you. The sudden pressure change had you let out a small whimper and Steve returned to leaning back on his knees. His gaze was locked over your figure and you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed to look so wrecked. 

 But Steve doesn’t seem to think the same thing as he gently reached down, caressing the skin of your thighs. “You’re beautiful.” he said aloud, “So damn beautiful.” 

 Something sparked inside of you. Maybe the sincerity of his words, or the selfish need to be taken out of that deep sinking feeling that had its grip on you lately. Or maybe it was just because you wanted Steve and to ignore the reality that was outside the doors. 

 “Steve?” you asked softly, leaning up on your elbows.

 “Yeah?” he whispered back, looking at you with a small bit of concern again.

 “I’m still not here..”

 A small smile tugged at his lips before he nodded his head at you, crawling back up to climb over your body again. One of his hands crawled up this time to cup around your breast, kneading the muscle gently. 

 “Okay, honey. Let me try again.”

 It’s embarrassing to say you two go for it another two times before you’re both satisfied. The sun was set even more into the evening and you glanced at the clock in time to see you’ve been here for over an hour.

 You collapsed forward, sagging into his arms. Your chest nearly heaving as you struggled to catch your breath after all the vigorous movements you two just did. He pressed his lips to your cheek, and it burned. Like a reminder of his presence there being nothing but a burning comfort to you. 

 Holding your heavy breath, you stopped moving around. Allowing his arms to wrap around your body and give you the chance to savor the moment for your memory. To use it when you needed a reminder of a time you felt this content. 

 Eventually he helped lift your tired body up enough that he was able to pull himself out of you, hissing a bit at the cold air before he laid you to return to resting on top of him. Grabbing your bare leg, he draped over his hips and kept you close to his side so that he could use your warm skin as a cover. You gently placed your head against his chest, hand up so that you could gently run your fingers through the curls that covered his pecs. The sound of his heart beat, your favorite sound, thumped lightly in your ears.

 “Talk to me.” he said before he kissed the smooth skin between your brows. 

 You lifted your head up to watch him. Not answering right away to gauge his reaction. He’s pretty calm considering what you two were just finished doing. Not hurt like you almost expected for him to be after having just used him. In fact, he was just looking down at you patiently, bringing a hand up to caress the side of your face while he waited. 

  Resting your chin on his chest, you sighed softly, not sure what to say next. 

 “I’m sorry.” you said hesitantly. “I know you were trying to calm me down. But I didn’t mean to just use you to make myself feel better. It was shitty of–”

 “I wanted it.” he interrupted you, a firmness in his voice. You glanced back to his gaze, noting the calm was replaced with a serious look. As if he were about to lose it if you went further on with your sentence.  “I needed it, actually.”

 This was all so overwhelming.

 The very idea that after pushing Steve away, practically forcing him and yourself to move on with others, the two of you still relied on each other to feel good in the end. You’ve never had this feeling with anyone before. It was scary. It was too real. 

 You opened your mouth, ready to set him up with another disappointing apology when he sprung forward to kiss you. Ceasing any words from making it past your lips as he captured the moment. Again you don’t fight against it. At this point you don’t think you can.

 Down the hall, the phone sprung to life again, pulling you both back to reality. The kiss had you breathless, staring up at Steve with wide eyes because he was doing it again. He was making you question every choice you’ve ever made.

 “It doesn’t have to mean anything. This whole thing could be nothing..” he said, looking at you with such fondness. “It’s just us helping each other. That’s it.”

 “But it isn’t nothing.” you whispered back, unable to hide the truth. “It never is with us.”

 He doesn’t say anything. Only taking a glance down the hall at the phone that’s still ringing. Reaching up, you cupped at the side of his face and made him look back at you, but all that does is create a pained look on his face. Like he was torn about something.

 “It’s probably Dustin.” he said eventually, reaching up to pull your hand away. “We’ve been here longer than expected. They’re probably waiting for us.”

 “They?” you asked, releasing him fully from his hold so that he could climb out of the bed to gather up his scattered clothes from the floor.

 “Robin, Max, and Dustin were trying to figure out where Eddie could be hiding before I left.” he said, watching you while he dressed himself. “Max saw Eddie running to his van last night in a panic. We’re gonna try and figure this out. Get his side of the story.”

 The mention of Eddie brought a sad dip to your stomach. It’s been hours since the two of you had lost each other and you weren’t sure if he was okay or not. Not to mention it had been hours and he didn’t exactly seek out to find you either..

 A glance up and you watched as Steve quickly fixed himself enough to look presentable. This time the guilt rolled in when you thought of the idea of Steve wasting precious time he could have been using to help with Eddie just to go out and try and find you. 

 “Right,” you nodded, climbing out of the bed. “We should probably go.”

 He didn’t say anything at first as you began to dress yourself, pulling on underwear and a bra. But it isn’t until you’re about to reach for a shirt that he stepped over and reached out to gently grab your hand. 

 “No one would be upset if you wanted to sit this one out, Trouble.” he said softly, turning you to face him again. “After everything you saw and been through..we can figure something out by ourselves”

 “Are you trying to say you don’t want my help?” you ask a little guarded. In all this time you two had been dealing with the kids and the upside down, Steve has never once been the one to push you out of things. Even last summer with the Russian’s invasion, he was insisting on you joining. What was different now?

 “I always want you and your help.” he said as matter of fact. “But I’m not gonna be selfish and force you to come out and join us when I know there’s something going on with you.”

 Just like the night before, Steve’s intuitive mind was working double time on you. But there isn’t much time left in the day to dive into that discussion and you’re worried about wasting more time by having Steve stand around and be concerned about you.

 “I wanna come.” you explained calmly, trying to sound more confident than you felt. “I need to help figure this out too.”

 Steve’s eyes watched you carefully, almost like he was waiting for you to crack. But when you continued to hold your gaze, he must have sensed you wouldn’t be cracking down any time. “I’ll wait in the car.” he said eventually, leaning forward to press a kiss to your cheek.

 After that, he left you to finish getting dressed and also give you a moment to collect yourself in preparation for facing the others. 

 If Steve was worried enough to venture out for you, and Dustin enough to be calling the house this much, then surely the others would be just the same. And while a part of you wanted to allow them in, even just a little, there were other important things now. 

 Like finding where Eddie was, and figuring out just what killed Chrissy.

 So with that determination, you quickly finished dressing and locked up the house on your way out. The air was chilly again and you shivered a bit as you made your way over to Steve’s car. He was adjusting the radio when you entered inside. Fiddling out with the knobs for a station that he liked.

 Thankfully the heater was already on. Helping thaw out your cold bones as you buckled in. Right away your eyes caught sight of something you didn’t seem to notice before in your dazed out mind. 

 Wrapped around the left side of the driver’s visor, was the gold necklace. The ‘S’ dangled just enough to shine in the bit of light that was left outside. You couldn’t help but watch it quietly, not sure what to think about him still having it. Steve didn’t seem to notice where your attention was as he turned to face you.

 “Ready to go?” he asked, settling on a soft rock station. You nodded your head slowly, forcing your eyes to look out towards the window.

 “As I’ll ever be.”

 There is no real reunion when you finally get to picking up the others. Mostly, it was Robin taking control of the line of questioning. Which you were a little bit troubled with answering right away. Mostly because you needed to hear Eddie’s half to put all the pieces together.

 The rest of the car ride was spent being spooked by the empty lot that led over to Rick Lipton’s house. You recognized some of the area from the road. Recalling coming to part of town the past summer with Steve so he could show you lover’s lake.

 It was bizarre to think you were supposedly near this house just last night and wound up walking all the way back into town. It added to the bitter feeling inside of you when you remembered the events again. 

 But there were questions that needed answers and pouting about being left behind would have to be done later. 

 The car was parked in the dark driveway of the Lipton house and flashlights were slowly passed around before you all made an exit of the car. Steve was quick to make his way to your door, opening it up for you and extending a hand out to help pull you out.

 The moment is sweet and you squeeze his hand lightly in a silent thank you. Over his shoulder, you spot a gawking Robin who didn’t even bother to conceal the small shock on her face.

 Nodding for Steve to go ahead, you hang back a moment to let Robin make her way over to you.

 “So,” she chirped, “that was a pretty nice moment I saw there.”

 “Yes,” you agreed, looking at her from the side of your eyes. “Steve’s been really nice to me since he found me.”

 She hummed playfully, giving you a small wink. “I see. And I’m guessing he was really nice to you when you guys were at your house for over an hour.”

 You hoped that your poker face didn’t crack over Robin’s comment. On top of everything going on, you didn’t need to have her teasing either one of you for what may have happened in your house. Even if she was on the right track.

 “I think it was mostly me needing a minute to process everything.” you said slowly, thankful that you were able to be truthful. “Steve’s just kind enough not to rush.”

 Her eyes glanced over the guy, watching as he held the flash light over towards the side of the house, inspecting the area before he sensed the pair of eyes watching his back. Turning, he glanced between the two of you. Eyes shifting worriedly before he settled with putting an awkwardly forced smile on his face.

 “Dingus is something else, that’s for sure.” Robin muttered with a head shake. “Sorry if I’m pushy. Just looked like something might be sparking between you guys again.”

 Guilt spread over yourself at the idea of giving another person in your life false hope over something you weren’t sure of yet. Especially Robin, who most likely just wanted her close friends to get back together again. 

 “We’re always gonna be close.” you tried, hoping not to sound like your feelings were swinging in any kind of way. “I’m thankful that he’s always willing to help me, even when I don’t think he should.”

 “He cares about you.” She said calmly, like a reminder. 

 Your lips pursed and you dropped your gaze to the flashlight in your hands. “He cares about all of us, Robs.”

 “Yeah, but we know it’s different with you.” she shrugged, “Enough so that he’s willing to just drop everything he's doing to leave work and find you.”

 Dustin called out to the two of you to hurry up, leaving you without a chance to give out a proper response. Quickly, you both followed up behind the others to the door. All holding up a flashlight to brighten up the area.

 The first ring of the doorbell was met with an awkward silence. Then the second, then the third, then fourth, and finally fifth.

 You couldn't help but think that neither Rick nor Eddie would be the type of person who would happily open the door that was being rung this late at night. But, you figured vocalizing that might not help with Dustin’s current frustrations. Steve on the other hand..

 “Okay. Well, that’s settled. I guess he’s not here.”

 Like you expected, Steve’s skepticism only frustrated your cousin further. Causing him to change the ringing into banging. Yelling out for Eddie in hopes that his friend would come out to a friendlier voice.  

 “Look, we just wanna talk, okay? No cops, I swear! We just wanna help!”

 To your left, you watched as Max and Robin began to scale the side of the house. Trying their best to peer into the windows of the closed off home. 

 “EDDIE!” Dustin continued to yell, mixing his knocking with ringing again. “RICK!...REEFER RICK!”

 “Don’t scream that!” Steve chided, making you slightly amused before you moved closer to try and look through the window. The house from what you could see looked completely abandoned. Eddie considered this place to be a shelter from all the mess that had happened. So why did it seem like the place had been abandoned for a while now? 

 “Hey guys?” Max called out, bringing the group to leave the house and follow to where she stood. 

 Down her line of vision was a boat house. Eerily the only thing in the area other than the street lights to have a light on. Something in the back of your mind warned you about its creepy appearance, but considering that everything lately was getting to you, it’d be something you’d have to ignore.

 So down the hill the rest of you went. Lights flashing at the dingy building as you all approached its doors slowly. 

 Robin took the lead this time, pushing at the door slowly as she peeked her head in. “Hello?” she called out, not fully yet stepping in. “Is anyone home?”

 One by one the rest of you filed in after her. Lights aiming in different directions to showcase the inside of the place. It smelled like rusted metal, wet wood, and something else you couldn’t decipher. Forcing you to tuck your nose into the collar of your jacket to breathe in your perfume.

 “What a dump.” Steve called out, a light disdain in his tone. 

 “Did you really expect pristine conditions from a guy called Reefer Rick?” you asked, giving him a small look. He huffed amusedly before turning around to reach over for an ore on the wall. You’re about to ask what he was planning on doing with that when he suddenly began to stab the ore into the tarp covered boat. Making you and Dustin jump a bit from the rapid movement. 

 “What are you doing?” Dustin gaped.

 “He might be in here.” Steve answered simply, continuing with his jabbing.

 “And you plan on turning him into a skewer?” you frowned, taking a step back to observe from a safe distance. 

 Dustin shook his head, pointing over to the boat with his hand. “Take the tarp off!”

 “If you’re so brave, you take the tarp off.” Steve countered, still poking around the edges. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at their cowardice. 

 “Don’t you think he’d have popped out by now if he was hiding in there? You’ve practically poked a hole in the tarp.” you said, crossing your arms. 

 “Hey, look over here.” you heard Max call out. From the other side you watched Robin and her approach a table. Fiddling with some that had been thrown on top. “Someone was here.” she continued. 

 “Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran.” Robin suggested.

 “Don’t worry,” Dustin cut in. “Steve will get him with his oar.” 

 You chuckled at that, finding the whole thing ridiculous while Steve went on with his work. 

 “I know you think you’re being funny, Henderson, but considering the fact that everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don’t find it funny in the slight–”

 As if he were waiting for the right moment, Eddie suddenly popped out from beneath the tarp, causing everyone in the group to jump back in fear. He shot himself forward and grabbed onto a shocked Steve and pushed them backwards until the two of them were pressed against the wall. 

 All of you are too shocked to react right away. It wasn’t until Dustin was pleading out to Eddie to stop that you noticed he was holding up a broken glass bottle to Steve’s neck. A flashback of Steve’s bloodied face after dealing with the Russian’s came into your mind and you found yourself panicking over his safety. 

 Without even a second thought you picked up one of the other oars and gripped on it tightly, sizing up behind an unknowing Eddie. Dustin called out to you next, holding a hand up as he tried to take control of the situation.

 “Eddie! Eddie! It’s me! It’s Dustin!” he called out, gaining the attention of the boy. “This is Steve. He’s not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?”

 You glanced over Eddie’s shoulder to watch as Steve nervously tried to respond. “Right, yeah.” he whispered, almost afraid to speak up. 

 “Steve, why don't you drop the oar?”

 Right away he let go of the wooden piece, causing a small clanging noise to fill up the tense room. Eddie is slightly triggered by that, pinching the glass a little more against Steve’s neck and causing him to groan out. You glared at the back of Eddie’s head, ready to swing against your own friend when Dustin held a hand out to you again.

 “He’s cool! He’s cool!”

 “I’m cool, man. I’m cool.” he agreed in a whisper to Eddie. His eyes flickered behind the guy towards you, widening as he barely realized your attacking stance.

 “What are you doing here?” Eddie grunted, never looking away from Steve.

 “We’re looking for you.” Dustin answered, trying again to gain his friend’s attention. 

 “We’re here to help.” Robin joined in, trying to calm the tension that had risen. Eddie glanced back, probably just realizing the two girls behind Dustin now. 

 “Eddie, these are my friends.” he pleaded, “You know Robin, from band.” he said, gesturing to the girl behind him. Robin, while awkward, imitated the sound of her trumpet playfully. He turned to his other side and pointed over to Max. “This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D.” Max offered up her best wave, despite the nervousness that appeared on her face. 

 Dustin nodded over towards your direction, gulping a bit when he noticed you still were ready for the attack. “And you already know my lovely cousin,” he said, clearing his throat. 

 Eddie barely now registered your presence, glancing over his shoulder finally to meet your eyes. He’s shocked at your position, but still unwilling to let go of Steve right away. You made it a point to take a step closer, glaring at him as you finally spoke up. “Hiya, Ed. Remember me?”

 “Eddie,” Dustin cut in, trying to bring the calmness back. “We’re on your side.” There was a flicker of hesitation on his face, making you and Dustin turn slightly more desperate the longer he held onto Steve. 

 “I swear on my Mother! Right guys?”

 The other three shootout similar answers while you remained silent. Ready for anything.

 A long heartbeat passed before he pushed away from Steve, letting him fall back against the wall with a small grunt. You tossed aside the oar and made your way to check on him when Eddie gripped at your hand.

 The two of you hold eye contact and you’re unsure how to react to him calmly.

 His eyes alone showed there was a lingering fear. Hell, you just saw the same eyes in your own mirror hours ago. But the mixed emotions that were going through when it came to Eddie, made it a little hard to figure out how you wanted to react.

 “You’re.. okay.” he whispered, almost like he was afraid to speak aloud. 

 “Yeah, I’m okay.” you nodded, a frown still hard on your face. “No thanks to you.” 

 Tugging your hand out from his grip, you finally stepped away, ignoring the hurt look on his face as you joined Steve at his side. He was hunched over, hand rubbing lightly at his neck. You leaned down, getting close enough to inspect his neck yourself. The skin was red with a slight little nip against the spot under his jawline.

 Steve smiled slightly, reaching out to place his hand on top of yours. “I’m okay.” he reassured. 

 “Eddie..” you heard Dustin behind you. “We just want to talk.” The two of you turned your heads to watch as Dustin lowered down to squat before Eddie. He was closing himself off to the rest of you, hand still clutching onto the bottle as he kept his gaze away. 

 You couldn’t help but feel guilty knowing that Eddie was probably beyond freaked out about all this. There was still such anger and hurt flowing through you. But deep down you knew you felt for Eddie too. He was still the guy who had been your friend this whole time. 

 Dustin tried to reach out for Eddie’s hand to take the bottle, causing him to flinch and grip onto it tighter. Robin slowly approached next, trying Dustin’s docile method as she lowered down to his eye level.

 “We want to know what happened.” she said calmly. “To the both of you.”

 Max glanced over at you, worry still flickered over her pale face before she glanced back to Eddie with the same expression. Steve reached out to place a hand on your back, soothingly as he nodded at you to go forward. “Tell ‘em.” he said softly to you. 

 Eddie sniffled a bit. “You won’t believe me.” he said, voice cracking a bit. His gaze turned to look up now and you let out a shudder at the sight of his teary eyes. 

 Max stood closer, giving him a light shrug as she calmly said a simple “Try us.”

  Eddie was the first one to go up and recall the events of the night before. The pain, evident in his voice as he tried to describe everything in detail. Immediately your mind is plagued with the images you had seen with your own eyes. Following each part of the story that Eddie cleared out. 

 “..Things only got worse when I looked over to see Henderson passed out on the ground.” he said, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I..I didn’t know what to do, so I grabbed her and just..ran. I ran away. We left her– I left her there.”

 Your face contorted at the painful reminder. The memory of leaving her behind still brought a heavy guilt on you that ached in your chest. Tears pinched in your eyes and you turned away from everyone to control yourself.

 “But what happened to you?” Max asked when she noticed your sudden change. “How did you get separated? Steve said he found you in town by yourself.”

 “I was lost all night.” you clarified, wiping the tears out from your eyes to face them. “I came to in the van when we were nearly out of town.”  Eddie looked down in his hands ashamed, not meeting your gaze. “I had begged Eddie to turn back. To go someplace where we could call for help. I tried to remind him how things would be worse if he made a break for out of the state.. But that’s when we crashed.”

 “Crashed?” Dustin interjected, his eyes were wide as he looked over your appearance for any scars he must have missed out on before. Steve shifted slightly beside you, eyes turning dark as he took in the new information.

 “We made a break for the clearing,” you went on, anger still focused on Eddie. “I could barely grasp what had just happened, let alone follow Eddie, so it didn’t take long for me to lose him in the trees.”

 “I’m sorry,” he started, hands clasped together as he shook his head. “I thought you were behind me the whole time–”

 “You weren’t thinking about anything but getting yourself to safety.” you accused him, pointing a finger in his direction as you stepped forward. “I told you I didn’t know those woods at all and you just kept going!”

 Eddie lifted his head up to meet your fiery gaze. “I-I didn’t mean to..I was just–”

 “You were afraid?” you asked curtly, “Well so was I! I don’t have any idea what the hell killed Chrissy and the next thing I know is my friend just ditched me without even looking back!” You shook your head, feeling tears gradually make their return. “Did you even look for me?”

 The room was filled with a painful silence and you had to turn your face away from Eddie before you took out more anger on him. You nearly left the room entirely, needing to get some fresh air, when you felt a hand slip into yours, stopping yourself from leaving. 

 “Don’t go.” Steve said gently to you. “Just take a breath.”

 It felt easier said than done. But all Steve did was give you a knowing look and you settled with leaning against his side. Eyes cast down to the ground while you sucked in a sharp breath. His presence was a little calming, but you were still struggling internally. 

 During that bit, you could hear Eddie scoff in frustration. “Look, I can’t explain everything that I did, okay? All I can say is what I saw..it was something freaky, man.” There’s a beat of silence that had Eddie recoiling away from the group again. “You all think I’m crazy, right?”

 “No. We don’t think you’re crazy at all.” Dustin reassured gently. 

 “Don’t bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds.” Eddie cried out, voice cracking in frustration.

 Max leaned forward, keeping her voice calm and steady. “We’re not bullshitting you.”

 “We believe you just like how we believe her.” Robin added, pointing a finger over at you. But it does little to relieve Eddie’s shaken state. Finally, Dustin took the lead on explaining everything.

 “Look, what I’m about to tell you might be a little..difficult to take.” he started. 

 “..okay.” 

 “You know how people say Hawkins is..cursed? They’re not way off. There’s another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours.” 

 “Like ghosts and shit?” Eddie asked.

 “There are some things worse than ghosts.” Max followed, trying to help pin it together for him.

 “These monsters from his other world, we thought they were gone. But they’ve come back before and that’s why we needed to find you.”

 Max nodded her head, glancing back at you briefly before she looked back at Eddie. “If they’re back again, we need to know.” 

 Dustin’s words brought a painful reminder of all the times the group has faced different monsters these past few years. From the Byers’ demogorgon, Dart and his pack of demodogs, and recently the Mind Flayer. All things that came when all of you were finally trying to get life back to normal. It wasn’t fair. 

 “That night, did you guys see anything?” Robin asked.

 “Dark particles, maybe?” 

 You tried to think back, recalling the only odd rememberable thing to be the flickering lights. But just like that night, you never saw the familiar monster that broke through walls, or the growling noise of the creatures that surrounded the house, or even the thuds of a monster in the distance. It was like nothing was there and yet it killed Chrissy. 

 “It would almost look like dust, swirling dust.” said Dustin to Eddie, hopeful for his memory to be better than yours. But all his friend did was shake his head. 

 “No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh, or touch.” he explained, looking up at you. “It was just us in there.”

 You sighed frustratedly, finally giving Eddie a sparing glance. “He’s right..aside from the lights flickering it was like..she was pulled up in the air like a puppet. As if by magic.”

 “We tried to wake her, man. She couldn’t move.” he added after you. “It was like she..she was in a trance or something.”

 “Or under a spell.” Dustin countered. 

 Some sort of realization flickered over Eddie’s face. “A curse.” he said next.

 “Vecna’s curse.”

 Beside you, you could see Steve’s head tilted at the name. “Who’s Vecna?” he asked Dustin. Your cousin doesn’t look back to you guys, but from your spot you could see the sudden shift in his demeanor. 

 “An undead creature of great power.”

 “A spell caster.” Eddie added, voice soft in disbelief.

 “..a dark wizard.” Dustin finished off. 

 Suddenly, the room began to feel smaller, and the weight of this new threat pressed down on everyone. You couldn't shake the feeling that this time, it was different – that Hawkins was about to face a threat unlike anything you’ve encountered before.

  The mood between everyone didn’t get much better after you and Eddie finished retelling everything. 

 The others took their turn in recapping all the news coverage they had been hearing throughout the day. While it was safe to say you were clear as a suspect, it didn’t mean you were out of the woods just yet. Most likely, those closest to Eddie would be next on the public’s radar. Which seemed like the easier thing to worry about considering there was this ominous Vecna to focus on.

 But since things were clear for now, the rest of the group urged Eddie to continue hiding in the boat house. Promising to return the following day. It wouldn’t be safe to move him around just yet. An unfortunate circumstance that he’d have to understand for now. The only time you saw him look a little more comfortable with the idea was when Dustin promised to provide him with food the following day. 

 Soon after you were all back in the comforts of Steve’s car.

 The two of you back in the front seat while the three in the back talked about what could be going on and where they can start tomorrow. You’d answer one of their questions now and then, but weren’t able to fully bring yourself in just yet. Considering no one wanted to be in your line of anger like in the boat house, they were very minimal in what questions they’d call out to you.

 Steve, on the other hand, was silent. Still visibly stressed from the boathouse conversations. In fact, you were pretty sure he was upset with the way his jaw would clench now and then. Ever since the mini spat with Eddie, plus the reveal of what happened, he hasn’t been the same. But even then, he set aside his emotions to still offer up a ride to the others. Making sure everyone got home safely.

 You watched him carefully, wondering what was going through his mind. 

 Today was..definitely not what he probably had planned. Especially after everything that was said the night before, then in your bedroom, and then the boat house. It wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t crack under the pressure he seemed to be under. You wished you could help alleviate this new worry, but all you’ve done lately is add to it. 

 The only solid concentration he seemed to have at the moment though was driving and keeping hold of your hand.

 “Okay, Steve. We’ll meet up early tomorrow. I think Eddie’s gonna need a lot of food if he’s gonna hide this out. We’ll have to go to the market before we pick up everyone.” Dustin said from the back with a yawn. 

 The others were already dropped off. Mumbling out tired goodnights before Steve had finally made the return back to your driveway. The engine was off and the three of you had been quiet until Dustin broke the silence.

 “Sounds good, man.” he confirmed, speaking up for the first time in an hour. 

 With a clap to Steve’s shoulder, Dustin quickly made his leave for the car. Calling out for you to hurry up before he used his key to enter the house. Neither of you made any motion to follow through on Dustin’s warning. Only watching in silence as he entered the home. 

 It wasn’t until he saw the switch of the living room light on that Steve finally turned to look at you. His eyes scanned over the features of your face before he leaned in to push a hair away from your face. “You doing okay?” he asked softly.

 You’re almost taken back by his quick concern. How despite all that’s happened and been said, his first question is to ask about your well being. 

 “I’m here.” Was the best answer you could think of at the moment. You were still pretty upset about earlier. Especially the fact that you allowed yourself to get so angry at Eddie who was clearly unfamiliar with this type of horror. But it was hard to control anything going on with you right now. A glance down and you noted how he hasn’t dropped your hand yet. “Are you? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you be so..quiet before. Feels weird.”

 He huffed amusedly through his nose before he shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve had a lot on my mind today. And honestly..I’m tired.”

 You use your free hand to reach over and cup the side of his face. Unable to contain yourself from helping provide Steve the comfort you know he needs. 

 His eyes slipped close and he leaned forward enough to rest against the palm of your hand while you gently caressed. He looked as tired as he sounded, and you wanted to help provide him with the ease of a good night’s sleep.

 “I never thanked you.” you murmured, watching as he peeked his eyes open to look at you. “Today you..you helped me in more ways than one.”

 “I think you sort of showed me thanks already.” he countered, a little bit teasing in his tone.

 “Us having sex was not my way of showing thanks.” you scoffed, only slightly amused by his words. “I mostly meant you bringing me home..and then back in the boat house. You helped calm me down.”

 He reached up for your hand to bring them together before him, squeezing them lightly until he pulled them up to press a kiss to the front of your finger tips. Keeping his gaze at you until he settled them back into his lap. 

 “I’m always gonna be here for you, you know that right?”

 The never failing sincerity of his words had you shyly averting your gaze away from his. Unsure how to deal with your own emotions as well as the ones that Steve kept bringing back. But he didn’t seem to want to wait for you to come up with an answer as he used the grip on your hands to pull you in and meet you in the middle of the console. There’s only a small space for you to decide to pull back but you ignored that thought as you pressed your lips against his. 

 The kiss, while breathtaking, was a lot sweeter than the ones you guys had shared today. Almost like a reassuring gesture to help ease you into ending the conversation. 

 “You need to get some sleep.” he urged when he pulled back for air. His plump lips were ghosting over yours now, enticing you back in despite his words saying otherwise. “After everything we need you back in shape tomorrow.” 

 “Okay,” you agreed, not quite moving just yet. “Promise you’ll get some rest too?”

 He nodded his head, pulling himself further back so he could meet your eyes. “I’ll be here as early as I can.” Sighing heavily, you take your hands out of Steve’s grip and reach for the door handle, sparing him one last look before you exited the car. 

 The sound of his engine starting up cut through the silence as you made your way towards the front door of the house. You got the chance to watch as he pulled out of the driveway, waving to you before he fully pulled away and made his turn down the street. 

 Exhaustion covered your whole body as you turned to enter the house. You were more than ready to pass out on your bed for a couple of hours. However, there was one more person waiting to talk. 

 Sat down on the chair beside the couch, was a nervous Dustin. Looking over at you expectantly as he waited for you to finally make your way towards him. He’s barely talked to you today and while you’re sure he was still annoyed with the previous fight you guys had, you could easily tell something else, something deeper was on his mind.

 “Dustin?” you called out slowly. “Are you–”

 “A lot happened yesterday.” he blurted out. Though his words were clipped, there was the familiar hint of Dustin’s sincerity that lingered through. “We could have talked things out but..I just got annoyed and pushed you away.”

 You blinked at that, trying not to think of the day again. “It’s fine, Dustin.”

 “It’s not..I didn't know where you were all day. A girl is dead.” he stood up, moving before you. “You were with Eddie when it happened..it could’ve been..”

 The words died off from his mouth but you feel you already know what he wanted to say. Taking a step forward, you reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. Trying not to downplay his worry while also attempting to reassure him. “It could’ve been me, but it wasn’t. Okay?”

 “I just can’t shake the feeling that all of this isn’t gonna stop with just Chrissy.” he whispered, almost afraid to speak the words out loud. “It’s never just one attack for us. Vecna..he’s powerful. I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s you or anyone else.”

 “It’s not gonna be any of us.” you reassured him. 

 “How can you be so sure?”

 “Because, we have people like you on our side.” He tried to appear confident at that, but the lingering worry still lingered on his face. He was on the verge of freaking out. “We’re gonna figure this out, okay?”

 “..I hope you’re right.” he mumbled, pulling out of your grip with a sigh. “Let’s get to bed, we have a lot of work tomorrow.”

 With that, he quickly turned to walk away. Leaving you alone in the dimly lit living room with his words echoed in your mind. The worry about this ‘evil wizard’ hung in the air, and the unsettling reality that someone you cared about could be the next target scared you down to your core. 

 Things were different this time and most of the party has been split off. All you could hope for was to hold back the fear that wanted to consume you whole. 

A/N: Sorry it’s taken so long for another update! I was so busy and sick over these past few weeks. I really hope you guys enjoyed this update. I’m hoping to get this next chapter out sooner. Let me know what you guys think! xoxo

TAGGING LIST:

@cluz1babe , @starofavolonea , @darlingimafangirl (won’t let me tag), & @primroseluna​

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x henderson reader #steve harrington x you #Steve Harrington x female reader #steve harrington x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x henderson reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #cac #angst #smut #steve harrington smut

[theladybarnes]

Hi hi I hope you're doing well! I love Crimson and Clover!! Can you please tag me in updates? 🥺🥺

Hello! I'm doing better as of lately. Ofc! I'll be sure to add you to the list. 💖

#primroseluna #answered #💖💖💖💖💖

[theladybarnes]

Hi guys! Just wanted to throw in a little update. I’ve been sick lately and had to take a couple of breaks. Not to mention when I have been better I had a couple of events and birthdays that took up time. I’m currently wrapping up the next chapter so expect an update this week.

I also have a question, if I had an alternate sort of scene for a chapter or in this case, season, would you guys like to see that? Or just keep it with the story line?Sometimes I have a quick 1-2k shot of like a moment but have never posted it. Especially with 2-4 since I have more space of possible interactions. They’d be quicker to shoot out than my long chapters. Let me know your thoughts?

#text post #update

[theladybarnes]

Will you please tag me in the future chapters of crimson and clover!!!! I’ve just binged the whole thing and I’m OBSESSED

Aww I just saw in my notifications! Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to tag you! 🩷

#answered #darlingimafangirl

[theladybarnes]

CRIMSON AND CLOVER: CHAPTER FIVE

"It’s time for your suffering to end.”

▸ summary: there’s still time left in the night for more surprise ▸ characters: nancy & mike wheeler, dustin henderson, steve harrington, & eddie munson ▸ word count: 11.8k ▸ warnings: angst, semi-fluff, minor character death, self loathing,  ▸ series masterlist

“Why is she here again?” 

 You glanced away from the small clippings of possibly headers to look over at Fred Benson. Nancy’s new friend from the paper, and currently a small thorn in your side. For some reason, Fred did not like you, and while he was completely involved with Nancy’s small paper world, he did not seem to like her friends outside of it. Meaning you.

 “She’s here because I offered to show her how things work here, Fred.” Nancy chimed in before you could respond back with a less friendly answer. 

 The pale boy raised a brow at you before shooting to follow after Nancy. He’s been trailing behind after her ever since you came into the news room for your free period. The two of them were currently discussing Jonathan, peaking your interest enough that you quietly followed after the two. 

 “So maybe I’m missing something, but why can’t Jonathan come down here for break?”

 “Because.”

 “Because why?”

 You moved to stand beside the slumped Fred as you smirked over at him. “I know that journalists are naturally inquisitive people, Freddie, but you seem to be very keen on knowing the deep details of Nancy’s love life.” you said, watching as his light eyes widened a bit. “Any particular reason for that?”

 Nancy chuckled nervously before she reached over to pull you away from Fred’s side. Forcing you instead to walk in front of her. “Stand down, tiger.” she said to you before turning back to the boy. “As for you, because of a lot of reasons.”

 “Curious.”

 Her blue eyes narrowed at him briefly before glancing down at the work being down on the newest headline. You couldn’t help but stare down at the large font predicting a win for the game tonight. You were never one for sports, but considering Lucas was on the team, you couldn’t help but be a little hopeful there would be a win. At least for your friend.

 Fred was quick to bring the focus back to his curiosity. 

 “You said there’s a lot of reasons he’s not coming. Such as?”

 “Why are you being so nosy?” Nancy asked, frustration breaking through her exterior now. But the snap to her words didn’t seem to falter Fred in the slightest. It actually just made him appear more roused at continuing the conversation. 

 “Call it journalistic instinct.”

 “I’m pretty sure it’s called being nosy.” you volleyed with a shrug. 

 He rolled his eyes, adjusting the large folder in his hands before his face quickly changed to an amusing smirk. “We can always talk about your life, Henderson. Wasn’t it just a while ago that you were dating Steve Harrington? From what I hear from the halls, he’s been going on dates with a couple of the girls from our grade.” 

 Your spine stiffened up at the mention of Steve. Not fully prepared for that subject to be thrown into the conversation. Nancy scoffed at Fred, shaking her head quickly at her friend as she gently placed her hand on your shoulder. 

 “You don’t have to tell him anything.” she said to you, eyes checking over your face as if you were back in her car ready to break down again. “Really, Fred’s just–”

 “He’s curious.” you butt in, not wanting to give any satisfaction to the boy’s attempt to throw you off. Glancing at him, you make sure to give him a reassuring smile despite the fact that the mere mention of Steve had your chest aching. “We’re..not together anymore. Broke up before Christmas. Things are fine. I’m glad he’s doing well.”

 Fred looked a little bit skeptical, eyes narrowed his pale eyes at you. Almost as if he were waiting for you to crack at any second. Nancy beside you was doing the same thing. Nervously watching over you until she decided enough was enough.

 “Okay, well, there’s no story there or here, if that’s what you’re after.” she sighed, willingly taking on the main focus again. “Jonathan’s mom works, so he has to watch over his brother. On top of that, he’s not early decision like me, so he’s waiting on his acceptance letter, and he wants to be there when it comes..which I totally get!”

 There was a certain higher pitch in her tone that clearly gave away some of the uncertainty in her words. And while you knew that being friends with both her and Jonathan meant being neutral in moments like this, especially considering she just took the heat off of your relationship, you couldn’t help but feel like you’d have to join in on meddling with Fred. 

 “Okay! Um, I don’t. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

 Crossing your arms over your chest, you gave your friend a winced look before your mouth finally blurted out a running question you had been thinking over the past week. “You are aware that a letter would be available to read when he gets back..right?”

 Nancy looked over at you, a flicker of annoyance before she shook her head, trying to keep positive. 

 “Well, it’s always different. You know how it is to wait.”

 “I also did things like go to school and leave the house. In this case, he’d have a whole week off school that he could use to go see his hot girlfriend and yet he’s at home playing the babysitter.” you scoffed. “Who is he, Steve?”

 “You know, he’s your best friend.” she pointed out softly. But you simply shrugged your shoulders, unsure of Jonathan’s reasoning yourself. All he did when you called him about it the other night was say the same excuse as she said. 

 “He’s also a guy. We both know they’re dangerously questionable at times.”

 She pursed her lips at that as Fred snapped his finger at you, nodding in agreement. 

 “So he’s supposedly the love of your life, right? The guy you plan on going to school with, and yet he’s so nervous about this acceptance letter, he doesn’t have time to visit the most desired girl in Hawkins?” 

 “Hey!” you chided, glaring at him. “What the hell?” 

 He rolled his eyes but held a hand up to you. “Fine, one of the two most desired girls in Hawkins.”

 Nancy closed her eyes, shaking her head at the two of you as she tried to focus on her work again. You moved closer to her side, nudging her a bit. It wasn’t like this conversation would be easy, but it did make you wonder why neither one would take the time to visit each other when they could. It was something like this that slowly started to cement your feelings about long distance. 

 “I know Jonathan likes to take on a lot of work at home. But it is kinda unfair to you guys..”

 “Not to mention as a part of the many sexually active teens in Hawkins, she’s denied the gratifications of having coitus with her supposed loving partner.” 

 Both you and Nancy let out a small gasp of disgust from Fred’s blunt words. Of all things that didn’t need to be pointed out in this conversation, it was Nancy’s sex life. Especially from Fred of all people. Beside you, Nancy held up her hand, holding back the full twist of disgust from her face. 

 “Okay, first of all, Fred, I’m going to try to forget that you said any of that. It’s..” 

 “None of your business.” you said simply. “Nance here doesn’t need to dive into her personal life for us, but is kind enough to open the floor up for conversation. So maybe keep it PG if you want to keep part of it.”

 Fred again couldn’t help but give you another eye roll, probably done with your butting in. Nancy placed a thankful hand on your shoulder as she tried to bring reason back to the three of you. “You just don’t know Jonathan. He’s not like you. He’s caring and compassionate and loyal.”

 She set down the tools, thinking hard for a moment until a small smile tugged on her lips. 

 “He’s so protective over the people that he loves. And he’ll never back down from what’s right, what's moral. No matter the pressure, no matter the personal cost. That’s why I love him.” 

 You were a little taken back to hear someone else speak so highly of your best friend. But Nancy’s genuine words got to you a bit and you found yourself slightly emotional over it. “That’s so sweet.” you cooed softly, nudging her arm lightly. “I love you guys.”

 The girl laughed a bit, rolling her eyes at you but smiling at the comment before she glanced down at the work before. An even prouder smile tugged at her lips as she presented the newly designed headline for you two. “It’s perfect.”

 Fred, who had grown quiet since Nancy humbled him down a bit, seemed to easily move on from things without any hesitance. His eyes scanned over the screen briefly. Brows knit together in disinterest. 

 “Eh, I’m still rooting for my alt.” 

 He proudly held up his alternative cover that displayed a more negative outcome of the game. It would seem that you weren’t the only one walking around school with a lack of school spirit. Before either one of you could critique the grim headline, the door to the editing room burst open. 

 “Nancy!” Mike yelled as he quickly stepped in, letting the door behind him bang against the wall before its hinges creaked loudly to close up. The whole room became quiet to the boy who had disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. He stood nervously for a second before his eyes slowly locked on to where his sister was. 

 “Nancy, hey!” he greeted, as if they had just run into each other in the hall. “Um, do you wanna join Hellfire tonight?”

 Beside you Nancy let out an actual seething grunt as she glared over to her brother. You couldn’t help but actually chuckle a bit at the whole interaction.

 “I’ll take care of this.” You said with a pat to the shoulder. 

 Stepping away from the desk with the hall pass, you grabbed onto Mike’s arm, taking him out of the class so that Nancy didn’t have the chance to drag him out herself. The boy grumbled a bit in your hold until you two were back into the quiet hallway. 

 “I don’t think Karen would approve of you coming into rooms without knocking.” You teased watching as Mike rolled his eyes. 

 “God forbid she ever does me a favor.” he sighed, adjusting the strap on his backpack. You gave him a sympathetic smile before ushering him towards the classes. Just when you were about to turn to go toward the bathrooms, he gripped at your arm.

 “You’re someone!” He said smiling.

 “Keen observation, Wheeler. Mind letting me go now?”

 “Join us! Hellfire tonight.” 

 “Yeah, I’d rather be chased around by Russian security again than do that.” you scoffed. 

 Mike frowned at your past memory before waving his hand. Brushing the comment away. 

 “It’s only for tonight. Dustin and I need to replace a spot. You wouldn’t even have to work too hard. We can even help you quickly fill out a character sheet before school ends.”

 You’re about to tell Mike where he can shove that sheet when his words suddenly stumped you. “Wait, did you say that the game is tonight?’ you asked slowly.

 “Yeah, tonight in the theater. Why?”

 Looking over at him with a glare, you crossed your arms as you approached Mike. Doing your best to keep down the frustration that easily came along with your friend’s brother. “Tonight is the basketball team’s championship game. So are you guys playing out the campaign after or?”

 Mike still cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his neck. His dark eyes stayed cast down to the ground rather than meeting yours. Even without speaking yet, his guilty silence was almost enough of an answer.

 “Hellfire’s game is tonight,” he said wearily. “It’s uh..at the same time as the game.”

 “And what, Lucas is gonna miss out on the game?”

 “..No.”

 You can’t help but let out another scoff at Mike. While you knew there was a recent difference in interests amongst the boys, you didn’t expect for any of them to ignore an important event so easily. 

 “So you guys don’t care at all to go and support Lucas?” you asked, raising a brow at him. “Whatever happened to looking out for a party member? Shouldn’t you guys hold off until the game is over or just wait for you to come back from break?”

 Mike let out a big sigh, trying to turn away from you now, but you quickly moved to stand in front of him again. Raising a brow at him until he gave you some sort of reasonable answer. 

 The boy paled even more, if possible, visibly gulping as he tried to think of what he could say that wouldn’t sound bad. But all he could do was shake his head. “Look, even when we tried, we’re not the only ones in this campaign. Besides, Eddie doesn’t care about things like basketball. He’s counting on us to finish the campaign before the break.”

 “And just screw over a friend along the way.” you muttered, annoyed with your friend’s biased views towards other cliques of the school. Glancing down at your watch, you made note of the limited time you have left in your period and quickly turned on your heel towards your next target.

 “Wait, so is that a no for Hellfire?!” Mike yelled from down the hall.

 “Go to damn class!”

There were thankfully not too many wandering kids in the front of the school. It made for an easy way to find the boy you were looking for. With his stupid hat, stupid shirt, and stupid voice yacking into the public phone. 

 “Just move your date this one time, come on!” he whined into the receiver. 

 Instantly you froze behind him. Unable to move or stop yourself from eavesdropping into the conversation. Considering the fact that everyone he knew was in school right now, you knew exactly who he was talking to. Which is what made the subject of a date twist at your stomach. 

 There’s a beat of silence before he spoke into the phone again. 

 “You’re just jealous ‘cause I have another older male friend.”

 The pride in Dustin’s tone is almost something admirable if it wasn’t such an embarrassing statement to say out loud. You’re pretty sure Steve is most likely unamused by the comment without having to be a part of the call yourself. 

 “The one? Are you serious? Because I’m pretty sure that wasn’t what you were complaining about last week.” There’s another pause that had Dustin scoffing. “And I’m supposed to believe it’s over? Actually, don’t answer that.  Because if I get involved in your love life any more than I already have, my cousin will actually–”

 “I’ll actually do what?” you piped up, watching as Dustin jumped in place from your sudden voice. He turned around, staring wide eyed at you before he adjusted the receiver into his ear properly.

 “Yes, it’s her.” he muttered, giving you a small glare. “No, I didn’t say anything about..No, I was not yelling out loud, Steve.” His eyes glanced over towards you briefly before he shook his head. “No, I will not– Don’t make me– ugh, Steve says hi.” 

 You stayed silent, unsure if responding to Steve or not would make things awkward. Dustin looked up at you expectantly, waiting for what should be a simple response. You chose to tap against your watch and signal for Dustin to end the call. He let out a small sigh before he adjusted the phone against his ear. Not at all faltered by your sudden displeasure towards him. 

 “No, she didn’t say anything..Yeah she’s pissed at me. Must have done something else since this morning.” he grumbled into the phone. Steve must have mentioned something he really didn’t like because he barely muttered out a pleading reminder about the game before he panicked again. “No, you can’t call me back I’m at..” he pulled the phone back and frowned at the item before hanging it up. “..school.”

 When he fixed his back pack back on his shoulders, he finally gave you his full attention. Raising a brow at you. “What did I do now?” 

 You slapped at his shoulder, making him yelp out. 

 “What was that for?”

 “That was for putting me on the spot.” You quickly slapped his other arm, earning the same reaction. 

 “And that one!?”

 “That was for planning on ditching your friend, tonight!”

 “I don’t have time for this!” he scowled, rubbing his arms. Without waiting for your rebuttal, he turned on his heels and made his way back inside the building. Leaving you to quickly follow in pursuit. 

 “Dustin,” you started sternly. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to ditch Lucas for some stupid game tonight? Don’t you think it’d be kinda nice to show him some support?”

 “One, it’s not a stupid game. And two, I’m not ditching him, he’s ditching us, okay?” Dustin sighed, shaking his head. “If anything, what he’s playing is stupid and he’s clearly decided that this game is more important than Hellfire. What happens next is out of my hands.”

 “Except it is considering you’re literally looking for his replacement.” you scoffed, following him towards one the halls to the courtyard. He’s about to step out the doors towards the quad and ditch you but you’re quick to grip at his arm, keeping him in place. “He might think you’re trying to replace him or something.”

 “Well, I kinda am. But it’s only for the rest of the campaign.” he shrugged. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it needs to be.” 

 A headache began to form in your head again. Causing a splitting ache to pool all around as you tried to think of a way to help fix things before they got worse. “Look, I’m not meaning to make things complicated.” 

 “And yet you’re not letting me go.” he said, glaring down at your hand.

 “It’s just that Lucas could take this the wrong way. You guys aren’t kids anymore. You’re people who have to balance each other out. You can’t just always do what you want and forget everyone–

 “Oh, you’re one to talk.” 

 Rubbing at your tired face, you looked down to the ground almost defeatedly before an idea came to mind. “I could talk with Eddie if you wanted? Try to convince him to hold it off for another–”

 “Stop!” Dustin snapped, clearly displeased with the idea of you interfering. "I really don't need you meddling in my business."

 The tension between the two today seemed to come to a boiling point. Twisting the knot even more in your stomach. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the two of you to have a random bickering moment. But something this time felt a little different. A little more personal.

 “I’m not meddling, Dusty. I’m just trying to help.” you offered carefully. “Decisions like this could lead to friendships falling apart. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

 His expression hardened before he quickly retorted, "You're not my mom. I can handle my own friends. Besides, it's not like you're an expert at keeping friendships intact. Remember Steve? The guy you couldn’t even bother to say hello to?"

 The mention of Steve hit a nerve and you sighed heavily. Despite this morning’s conversation, Dustin wasn’t able to fully comprehend the problems that surrounded your relationship with Steve. "This isn’t about me or Steve. It's about you possibly jeopardizing your friendship with someone I know you care about. I don’t want to come back next year and see that you guys have grown apart.”

 Dustin's eyes narrowed down at you. "It’s not about you and yet you’re placing yourself right in the middle of something that doesn’t need your presence.” He leaned forward, and despite not having the height over you, his anger managed to make you curl away. “Do me a favor. If it bothers you so much, why don’t you go to the game tonight? Show Lucas some of that support you’re preaching about. Mike is leaving tomorrow, and we’re gonna make the most of tonight.”

 With that he quickly turned to leave before your mind could think of something to say back. All you could do was stand there frozen to muddle over his words. Was Dustin truly this upset about you helping? Did everyone see your help as meddling? A mixture of frustration, sadness, and regret nearly caused you to nearly double over as it turned into a physical pain. 

 Even dorks like him can see through your bullshit. (Tick)

 “Stop.” you muttered to yourself, picking yourself up enough to turn towards the direction of the editing room.

 Sorry, babydoll, this pill won’t be so easy to swallow. (Tock)

 The familiar nickname hit over you like a bucket of cold water. You hadn’t been called that since Bil–

 “There you are!”

 You jumped a bit in place, not expecting to hear another voice so suddenly. Looking to your right, you watched as Nancy quickly dashed over. A small smile on her face as she made her way to your side.

 “Hey,” you said softly, not quite finding confidence in your voice. “What’s up?”

 “What’s up?” Nancy repeated, laughing a bit before she thumbed in the direction towards class. “Class is over in five minutes. I thought you were just showing Mike out?” 

 A flush of heat spread over your face. Slightly embarrassed at just how far you lost the track of time in your quest to change your cousin’s mind. Without saying much, you gripped at Nancy’s arm and led her back to class. 

 “Do you think the editing team can score me a ticket to the game tonight?” you asked quickly, pushing your way into the door with her in tow. 

 The girl looked over at you incredulously before she snapped back into the conversation. “I feel like I’m missing a chapter here. Didn’t you have work plans tonight? Why do you suddenly want to come to the game? Don’t you hate sports?”

 You felt a little overwhelmed with the sudden rapid fire of questions but tried your best to answer them all in hopes of her helping you out. 

 “I do, but I’m gonna try and skip out early.” you sighed, pushing your stuff quickly into your bag. “And I want to go because I apparently have the only school spirit left in my family and need to show Lucas that his friends do care. And lastly, yes, I hate sports. But I’m willing to tough this one out for a bit.”

 Looking back up at her, you noticed she’s a bit hesitant over your words. The bell interjected before either of you could say anything else and you take a few seconds to calm your heart rate down from the weird voice in your head before.

 From the familiar look in her eyes, you could tell she wasn’t a hundred percent believing you. But after lunch with Robin, you knew that having another friend worried was the last thing you wanted right now. 

 “Are you okay?” she asked shortly after the brief pause, like you expected. “Because I can help with the ticket but..it looks like–”

 “I’m fine, Nance. But thanks for the solid.” you said quickly, not wanting to dive in that direction. “I’ll see you tonight.” With a quick wave, you made your way out the room and towards your next class. 

 Hopefully clear of any familiar voices. 

 This was a bad idea.

 From outside you could hear the crowd of people clamoring inside of the gym. Excited for the final game of the season to begin. For the majority, it was supposed to be a fun, anticipating night. You, on the other hand, were filled with dread.

 It came upon you the moment you stepped up to the doorway and caught sight of the beacon of hair that was your ex boyfriend. 

 Why of all places did Steve think to have a date at his old school’s basketball game? He could have easily gone anywhere in Hawkins. It wasn’t like he was at this school anymore. He didn’t need to pay attention to the high school games! So why the hell was he here on the one game you decided to go see?

 From the safety of behind the door, you watched as Steve quickly got up and gave a wave down towards the gym floor. A quick follow to his line of direction and you watched as Lucas on the court floor smiled up at him. Giving him a wave back from the bench. 

 Stupid caring Steve.

 “Hey! You’re finally here!” 

 You looked away from the door’s window to find Nancy peeking her head through on the open side. A small smile tugged on her face before she finally stepped out to join you in the hall. 

 “Yeah, managed to guilt Keith into letting me leave in record timing.” you chuckled nervously, patting your nervous hands over your dress. It was a lovely white cotton dress from Yves Saint Laurent’s spring collection. But under the yellow hued gymnasium, you weren’t sure if you looked as fresh and clean as you hoped. Especially with how tired you knew you looked today. 

 Nancy reached out for your hand, squeezing it lightly before she pulled you closer. “Are you sure you’re okay today? You seem kind of out of it. I’m sure Lucas won’t mind you missing. The game is almost done and he’s sort of distracted for the night.”

 “I’m fine.” you lied, not needing to stress out your friend. “Just haven’t slept well lately.” Your eyes glanced back into the room. Going directly to where Steve was sitting with his bubbly date. She’s from your grade, but you aren’t sure you’ve had any classes with her. “Besides, I’m already here. Might as well make the most of it.”

 Nancy hummed lightly, nodding her head towards the room. “The place is kinda packed tonight. You’re gonna have to stick by me and Fred.” Her blues turned back to you with a bit of mirth in them. “That is if you don’t try and kill him when he talks to you.”

 Your nose scrunched up at the mention of her friend. Behind her, you could see Fred speaking closely to the school’s photographer, giving him an earful as he pointed across the court. “Can’t make any promises.” you snorted. “Just try and keep him at your side if you can.”

 The two of you laughed at that and you finally left the safety of the doorway to enter inside the gym. Instantly you’re hit with a wave of emotions as the gym’s atmosphere washed over you. From your left you caught sight of a familiar green and orange combo and noticed Robin in the stands. She noticed you right away and brought her hand up to wave at you. 

 “You’re here!” she mouthed, making you nod your head at her. 

 From behind you could see as the interaction caught the attention of Steve who was nearby. The two of you awkwardly held eye contact for a second before you quickly tore your eyes away. Glancing at the scoreboard instead. Things weren’t looking so good for the school. 

 “You think the team has a chance?” you asked, leaning in towards the two beside you. Things weren’t looking so good for the school. 

 Nancy pursed her lips, jotting down a quick note on her journal before she glanced back at you. “I’m hopeful. There’s still time left in the game.” she answered, sounding genuinely hopeful. 

 Fred leaned forward, giving the two of you a cocky smirk as he held up his notepad. “An hour with the opposing team having a six point lead, Carver slowly losing it, and the team lagging so bad they’re fumbling. I highly doubt those sixty minutes mean anything.” he finished with a scoff.

 The two of you stared at him quietly for a moment before you leaned over and looked at Fred seriously.

 “Benson, do you think you can lighten up?”

  Unfortunately, Fred’s prediction seemed to be coming true. Merely four minutes later into the game the other team gained another three points.

 “Crap, player eleven just took out ten.” Nancy muttered, “I think he’s done for the night.”

 You looked over to where her attention was and frowned as you watched the other teammates help carry out the injured player towards the benchline. 

 “So they’re bringing in another player, right?” you asked, glancing to Nancy for confirmation.

 She looked up from her notepad with a slow nod before the realization hit her. “It’d be the next person up on the bench…”

 The two of you excitedly peered over just in time to watch as Lucas excitedly got up from the bench. Tearing off his track suit in order to join the rest of the team in the group huddle. 

 You couldn’t help but start clapping and jumping as you yelled out. “GO LUCAS!” 

 The boy, having heard his name thankfully, found where you were and shot you the gummy grin that you’ve seen so many times. It was an oddly familial sense of pride that surged in you and you couldn’t help but actually get excited for the game finally.

 “You sound pretty excited for just a benchwarmer.” Fred noted, adding the newest addition to his notes. “You think he’ll turn around the game?”

 “He’s a Sinclair.” you said confidently. “They’re stubborn but they sure as hell come through in the end.”

 And boy did he.

 In just the hour worth of game play, Lucas had managed to not only get the team’s points high enough to be only a point behind. Making it so that with one good shot, they could take the whole thing.

 Jason, who you thought had been ball hogging the whole night, seemed to be tied up in a bit of a corner. He quickly called out for a time out in the game. The clock showed it was the last ten seconds of the game. Making whatever last team huddle crucial. 

 “I don’t know, girls.” Fred sighed, pushing on the bridge of his glasses. “I still think they’re gonna mess it up.”

 “Oh come on.” Nancy laughed. “You seriously can’t sit there and tell us that after seeing the jump in points we managed to get to.”

 “I’m just a realist.”

 “Yeah, a real party pooper.” you teased, glancing over at the team again. “They finally have an ace in the group and you’re praying for their downfall.”

 Fred glanced over with you and scrunched his nose a bit. “Sinclair’s got talent. But nothing helps me sleep better at night than being proven right.” 

 The referee blew into the whistle again and you nodded over towards the court. “Get ready to eat your own words, Benson.” you mused. 

 The tension in the air was palpable by the time the players all returned onto the court. You could practically feel your own heart race as the game started up again. 

 Back and forth, the Hawkins teams passed around the ball, getting it to their main goal; Jason. In a quick second, he had a golden opportunity to secure the win. Shooting the ball out towards the hoop in a steady throw. The ball danced around the rim, teasing everyone with the possibility of victory, but it bounced off.

 In a split second, Lucas snatched the rebound. Turning away from the others on the swift turn of his heel as he doubled around and leaped into the air. Releasing the ball towards the hoop.

 Time seemed to freeze as the basketball circled the rim and bounced against the backboard. Then, with a collective gasp from the crowd, it dropped through the net.

 The gym erupted in cheers as the school's victory echoed through the air. Nancy and you shared a shocked glance of excitement before you started to cheer and clap. The entire school community joined in, creating a thunderous applause that seemed to shake the very foundation of the gymnasium.

 The team and cheerleaders all gathered into the main court floor, circling around Lucas and eventually picked him up into the air. Chanting out his name in victory. 

 In the midst of the celebration, you turned around, hoping to spot Robin in the stands. There were bursts of instruments booming into the air and cheers intertwined that added joyful noise to the atmosphere.

 However, as you scanned the crowd, your eyes locked onto something you definitely did not want to see. There, in an embrace, stood Steve with a date. The room seemed to freeze for a moment as his date pulled back, shooting him a happy smile before sealing the victory with a celebratory kiss.

New love, how promising. (Tick)

 A pang of discomfort surged through you, and a sudden headache gripped your temples. You felt the weight of the past in that moment, the history with Steve crashing back into your thoughts, and all the regret you’ve felt lately come at you. You quickly turned away, hoping to hide your reaction from Nancy before she saw anything.

 Guess she really might be the one. (Tock)

 You ignored the taunting words as you tried to process what you saw. Trying to picture it as the new normal when you felt a trickle of warmth on your upper lip. Touching it, you realized your nose was bleeding again. Panic set in, and you discreetly covered your face with your hand, attempting to hide the bleeding. 

 Nancy finally seemed to notice your suddenly odd behavior and called out to you. Reaching to place a hand on your shoulder. But you quickly pulled back, throwing out a quick excuse about feeling unwell and slipped away from the crowd. The gym door closed behind you, muffling the cheers, and you found refuge in a nearby empty classroom.

 Fumbling through a desk for tissues, you took a moment to compose yourself. The mix of emotions, the unexpected encounter, and the physical discomfort left you overwhelmed.

 Something was going on with you. But you couldn’t pinpoint what.

 Just as you were trying to stop the bleeding, the classroom door opened then closed quietly behind you. Startled, you turned to see Steve standing there, a concerned expression on his face.

 Whether it be the headache or the current ache in your chest right now, but the sight of a concerned Steve had you frowning at him. Not quite ready for him to see you at your most pathetic vulnerable place again. Especially after a day of awkward waves and avoiding phone calls.

 "What are you doing here?" you snapped, your tone sharper than intended.

 Steve, only a little taken back by the harshness of your tone, stepped closer towards you. "I saw you leaving in a hurry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

 You avoided making eye contact, focusing on keeping the tissue against your nose as you returned to giving him your back. "Just a nosebleed, Steve. It's nothing."

 He tilted his head. Eyes scanning over your face before he shook his head. “You sure it’s nothing? You don’t really look too good.”

 “Wow,” you chuckled half heartedly. “Thought I actually looked good tonight, thanks.” 

 “Look, I just meant I can tell you’re not okay.” he sighed, trying to keep the conversation calm. “I know that you might have seen–”

 “See you and your date kiss? No, I don’t think I did.” you said sarcastically, chucking the paper into a nearby trash can. A touch to your nose and you were happy to feel that you were clear of any more blood. But your happiness quickly disappeared when you turned to look back at Steve. 

 His jaw was tightened in annoyance and he carefully pinched at his nose for a moment before he glanced back at you. A more calming face now that he took a second. "That's not fair, and you know it. Besides, I didn't expect you to be here. I'm sorry if what you saw hurt you."

 “Don't need to apologize, Steve.” you groaned. It was unfair of you to be upset and the last thing you wanted was Steve to apologize about it.  But you struggled to get that out. “I just want you to leave. I mean, really, why are you even here? I’m fine. You have a date that’s obviously into you and ready to celebrate. Why aren’t you focused on that right now?”

 Steve remained unfazed, his eyes piercing through your defensive front. "Because I've been watching you all night, and while you might smile and joke with everyone else, it's clear to me that something's eating at you."

 A scoff fell past your lips as you tried to ignore the truth in his words. Leave it to Steve to be the only one tonight to see right through you. “I think you’ve forgotten what it’s like for me to watch a sports game. Nothing is wron—.”

 “Don’t lie. Not with me.” he cut in quietly, reminding you of all the past confrontations you’ve shared where he slowly broke down your walls. 

 “God.” you squeezed your eyes shut, forcing them to hold back the emotional tears that seemed to easily come forward when talking to Steve. “You should go. She’ll be wondering where you are, you know?” 

 His gaze softened, a mix of compassion and frustration. "I don't care about that right now. I care about you. Talk to me."

 Anger and frustration surged within you, fueled by your own self-loathing. "You don't get it, do you? We’re broken up. I'm leaving soon, a-and I can't drag you into my messed up head. I don't deserve whatever this is!" You waved your hand between the two of you. The air around you felt heavy and you wished that Steve would leave for the sake of giving your erratic heart a chance to calm down. “I shouldn’t be your concern anymore. Just go, please just..go.” 

 Steve took a step closer, his voice gentle but firm. "I told you. I don't care about any of that. Not when I know something is going on with you. I can't stand to see you like this. You're not alone, and you don't have to be."

 Something inside of you breaks down at the idea of Steve still trying to comfort you when he had no reason to. All he was doing was enjoying his night and you were the one pulling out the theatrics. But for some reason, you lived in a world where Steve Harrington would always comfort the people who hurt him the most. 

 He deserved better than that.

 "Well, it's too late now.” you croaked. Tears threatened to spill as you took a step back. “I can't keep going back to you whenever things get tough. I need to do better."

 Just as you contemplated making a run for the door, Steve gently grabbed your arm, pulling you back toward him. The warm palm of his hand ran up the side of your arms, making you shiver at how cold you didn’t realize you were until he was cupping at your cheek. 

 "You don’t need to do anything, Honey. Just let me in,let me help." he whispered, his eyes locked onto yours. 

 Your breath turned heavy, and you barely had the chance to realize what was about to happen when he closed the remaining distance, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. And just like always, the world seemed to fade away as the familiarity of his touch ignited a spark of longing within you.

 From the looks of it, Steve felt the same as the two of you wrapped around each other. Wasting no time to soak in this moment. 

 Steve, with his arms now wrapped around the sides of your waist. And you, with yours locked around his neck to keep the kiss going. Neither one of you seemed to care where you were or what you were just talking about as you staggered back to hit against the large desk. 

 He reached down to grip around the back of your legs next, using a bit of strength to help get your rear to sit on the edge of the desk so he could wedge himself between your legs. The familiar heat rising inside of your chest when you felt the front of his jeans press against your inner thighs. His fingertips traced along the edge of your dress before he palmed at the thick part of your thighs. 

 You gasped at the sudden feeling, parting your lips against his and giving him the chance to trace the tip of his tongue against your mouth before he sealed them back together. The sensation of his tongue caused a moan to escape your lips. It’s been a while since you’ve been kissed like this and your head is spinning out of control.

The previous tension that had fueled your argument seemed to dissipate, replaced by the undeniable fire you both shared.

 He swallowed your moans as his lips stayed connected with yours, taking every second that he could to make your thoughts go away as you focused solely on him. Your hands eventually found their way to gripping at the collar of his shirt, trying to scratch at the small visible amount of chest hair that peeked through his shirt. 

 But just as quickly as you were wrapping your legs around his waist was the memory of him and his date kissing cutting in. And it was like a spotlight shined over what the two of you were doing. Quickly, you pulled back from the kiss, curling into yourself in order to try and get some air into your brain. 

 He seemed to catch onto things and gently reached back to help unwrap your legs from around him. Stepping back a step in order to stand before you but not completely pull away from you just yet. You let your hands fall back to rest on the desk to balance yourself while Steve ducked his face in the crook of your neck. Not quite able to break away from you just yet.

 You could feel as he brought a hand up to trace gently against the necklace on your neck. Toying with the single letter that rested in the middle.

 “Steve?” you asked softly, watching as he pulled away from your side to look at you now. There was a terribly familiar look of sadness to his eyes. Almost as if he knew what you were going to say next.

 “Please..” was all he said back.

 Reaching up, you quickly untied the necklace from your neck and gathered it carefully in your hands before you looked down. The sad glint of metal shining up at you finally caused the tears to roll down your cheeks. Feeling guilty again for what you were about to do.

 Reaching for his hand you gently placed the necklace down into his palm, curling up his fingers to hold it before you pressed a light kiss to the back of his hand.

 “I’m done hurting you, Steve. Please give this to someone who truly deserves it.”

 You quickly pushed yourself off the desk, fixing your dress before you made a step to leave. He was quick to catch your hand, looking at you with such a pleading look that you’d fall for any other day. "Don't do this. We can still fix things."

 His words held such a promise in them. You knew he’d give you the world if he could.

 “I can't meddle more in people's lives than I already have, I’m sorry. I just keep hurting everyone.”

 With that, you gently pulled your hand from his grip and left the empty classroom. Leaving behind the person you still loved. Knowing that in your attempt to set you both on the right path, heartache would be alongside the two of you.

 It was the hardest pill to swallow yet.

  It felt like forever for the crowds to finally pile out of the school. 

 The sounds of cheering made its way outside of the gym into the parking lot while you hid away near the side entrance to the school. It was hard to avoid everyone after you left Steve. You weren’t sure how you’d be with Nancy or even Robin if they asked what was wrong again.

 You severely needed to clear your mind of everything. Not think about the trouble you were causing to your loved ones and instead focus on trying to make most of the night. So after wiping away your tears, you found yourself making your way towards the school’s theater.

 It appeared to be clear of any of the hellfire members. Leaving behind its dungeon master to clean up the mess the others left behind. 

 He was busy stuffing away pieces of the game into a box as he whistled to himself. Looking over all the work with a grin on his face until he heard the sound of your footsteps. A slightly fearful look on his face before he pursed his lips at you.

 “You tryna give me a heart attack?” he grumbled, pointing a finger at you. “Coulda swung at you, Henderson.”

 You chuckled a bit, joining him at his side as you looked down at the sheets of paper he collected into a folder. “Excuse me, I thought nothing spooked you.” you mused, moving to sit down at the grand chair that was placed by the table. “How was the campaign? Worth missing Lucas’ game I hope?”

 Eddie breathed heavily through his nose, looking over at you unamused while he stuffed more supplies into the cardboard box. “I was warned you’d be in a mood.”

 “Oh really?”

 “Yeah, two little birds told me, actually.”

 The idea of Mike and Dustin as two annoying bickering birds sort of brought a smile to your face before you remembered how mad Dustin was at you. “Birds,” you repeated. “Can’t say they’re wrong. I’m sort of annoyed with all of you.”

 “Aw, you’re breaking my heart, Princess.” Eddie cooed, picking up the box. “I think I’m gonna go home and cry about it.” 

 Not waiting for you to follow, he quickly made his way onto the long pathway out of the theater. Making you slightly worried as you rushed after him. Thinking that he was actually upset with you until you approached the door and saw that he stayed by the entrance doors to hold it open for you.

 “You know you owe Lucas, right?”

 “God,” he said with an eye roll. “Sinclair made his choice tonight.” he pointed out after letting go of the door when you stepped out. “There’ll be other campaigns for him to join in the future. We still have a few months of school left.”

 “But basketball season is over and all his friends missed out on seeing him make the winning shot.” you huffed, walking alongside him as he made his way towards the parking lot. “Don’t you think this game could have waited until next week?”

 “He helped them win the game?” he said softly, an amused grin on his face. “Those Sinclairs, man. They’re something else.”

 You’re a bit confused by what he meant but pressed on in order to get to your point. 

 “Eddie,” you sighed, watching as he trudged down to where he parked his van. “You’re still missing my point.”

 “Your point is that you want all of us to stick together and be best friends until the end of time. Like some gooey family sitcom, right?”

 “Not the words I’d use but kinda.”

 Eddie glanced over his shoulder to frown at you. “That’s not how shit works but look,” he grunted, setting the box down on the hood of his car before he turned to face you fully. “If he’s really upset about it, the guy knows where to find me. Don’t make a big deal outta nothing.”

 The words were oddly similar to Dustin’s from before and you couldn’t help but become silent after that. Fighting with your head to keep the negative thoughts from continuing to ruin your night. 

 It’s not until Eddie opened up the back door to his van in order to put away the box that he noticed you had gone quiet. From the back you could hear a deep sigh from him until he closed up the doors and made his way over to stand beside you.

 “I’ll talk to him, ok?” he said softly, nudging you with his elbow. 

 His soft promise eased your mood a bit. But even that couldn’t stop your mind from being clouded by everything today. The fight with Dustin, the talk with Steve, and even the weird voices that your guilty conscience kept bothering you with. 

 "Alright, spill it. What's going on? You’re being off again," Eddie prodded, raising an eyebrow.

 You hesitated for a moment, worried that opening your mouth would just make matters worse. But you still replied anyway. "It's a lot of things. For some reason today, I feel like I’ve been just messing up with everyone. It’s hitting me harder than usual."

 Eddie's expression softened, and he placed a hand on your shoulder. "Mess up how?”

 “Well, Dustin's mad at me, Steve and I are officially over, and I’m making my other friends worried.” You turned your head to look up at him, feeling the slight pain your head returned as you spilled out your worries. “I just feel like I'm hurting everyone around me no matter how much I try to make things right.” 

 He looked at you with a determined expression. "You can't control everything, and you certainly can't make everyone happy. Why you put that much pressure on yourself is beyond me.” 

 His slight lecture made you feel a little embarrassed, making you reach up to the chain around your neck until you feel nothing. Slowly you remembered what you just did just a while ago. 

 You almost felt like crying again.

 “Look, Dustin’ll come around. Ok? He’s family and that means he’ll get over the little shit that doesn’t matter eventually. Your friends being worried about you is kinda a good thing because that means they care, and as for Harrington–”

 His voice cut off and you glanced up to watch as he painfully tried to spew out some sort of helpful advice for him but all Eddie ended up doing was shaking his head. Looking down at you with a sorry look. “Is he really worth feeling this shitty?”

 “He means a lot to me, Ed.”

 “Even after he practically broke your heart? Not even considering for a moment to go with you?” he asked, not caring to sugar coat the question at all.

 “He has his reasons.” you mumbled, trying not to feel pathetic for sticking up for Steve. Even if his answer did break your heart. 

 “He has excuses.” Eddie scoffed, looking away from you as a frown tugged on his brows. “Harrington is an idiot for not wanting to follow you.”

 “No, he’s not. Don’t say that.” you said quickly. Despite the heartache and sadness that came with everything,  you’d hate anyone to think so negatively of Steve. “He’s got his own life to live.”

 “And he can’t live it with you?”

 The words throw you off more than you expected and you have to lean against the door of the car to keep yourself balanced. The truth was, you weren’t sure what was the right answer anymore. Because at the end of the day, neither one of you were prepared for what the future held. 

 The more you thought about it, the more it seemed to do your head in. The only promising prospect was the idea of being able to leave Hawkins and go home. It was just unfortunately, alone.

 Eddie sighed beside you before he nudged at your side once more. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “This whole thing just..sucks.”

 “It does suck.” you confirmed, looking back at Eddie with a sad smile. “Wanna get out of here? I’m thinking of heading home.”

 “I can drive you home,” he nodded. 

 “No, home, as in California.” you said half-joking. 

 Eddie smiled at that before he wrapped an arm around your neck, bringing you down to tousle at your hair. “How about instead of the road trip, I take you out for a bite to eat? Burgers make a great remedy for heartaches.”

 The annoyance of having your hair messed up is quickly changed into a bit of happiness at the idea of Eddie’s attempt to fix your mood. “I’d like that.” you nodded, pushing out of his arms to fix your hair. “Let’s go.”

 “All right, but we might have to stop by my place first.” he winced, almost like he was in pain.

 “Why’s that?”

 “Okay, Eddie, I’m ready to go!” came a shaky voice from behind you.

 You turned around to find Chrissy Cunningham of all people standing near the back entrance. Shy smile on her face as she waved over at you.

 “What the hell?”

  “So, are you two friends?”

 From the backseat of the van, you struggled to keep a straight face as you watched the interactions between Eddie and Chrissy. Since she stepped down the steps of the school and met you both in front of the van, there was an air of awkwardness in the air.

 Thankfully not from you.

 No, you were perfectly comfortable in the back of Eddie’s van. Slightly entertained at seeing the two attempt to make small talk in front of you.

 Eddie for some reason did not know how to react as coolly as you knew he could. The girl brought out this inner dorkier side of him that you were unaware of. It reminded you about the first time you truly hung out with Eddie. At Tina’s Halloween party. They held a connection then and seemed casual. So why was it so different now?

 “Hello?” Chrissy asked softly.

 “I’m sorry!” you coughed, shaking your head from your thoughts. “What were you asking me?”

 “I asked if the two of you were friends.” she repeated, eyes flickering between the two of you. Very quickly you leaned forward to pat her shoulder gently, giving her a small smile. 

 “Only when I need a ride.” you said simply, earning a scoff from Eddie in the driver’s seat. 

 Chrissy finally seemed to crack out of her nervous state and let out a small laugh. Almost relieved. "Got it.” she nodded. “You guys had me wondering if I had interrupted a moment back at the school."

 At that you couldn’t help but ask the question that came into mind since she joined you two tonight. “You have me wondering too. What brings a popular girl like you on a mission for drugs tonight?"

 She sighed, her guard dropping for a moment. "Honestly, I just need something stronger to help me sleep. A lot has been overwhelming me lately..I just need to forget. Even for just one night.”

 There was an air of desperation in her tone that tugged at your heart. Not even for the fact that it was sad, but because deep down something that anxious and desperate was building up inside of you as well.

 “And you think drugs are what’s gonna calm you down?” you asked softly, looking over at Eddie. “What are you asking for anyway?”

 “Special K.” they both said at the same time. 

 You weren’t even sure what that even was but felt a small pang of worry build up in you. Eddie’s side hustle wasn’t the most ethical thing you’d like for your friend to do. But at the same time you understood people had different means of living. And who were you to judge them for that?

 “Well, if the special K doesn’t work out as well as you hoped, I’m here to talk if you ever need an ear.” you offered, hoping not to sound as meddling as you have been today. 

 Chrissy sighed, a hint of sadness falling into her tone. "I don't want anyone to worry about me. Plus, it's hard to explain to people who seem to have it all together." 

 Her blue eyes locked onto you at that. Did she really think that you had it all together? 

 “Trust me, Chrissy. The majority of people at our school, including myself, have no idea what we’re doing.” you started, picking at the hem of your dress. “I’m pretty sure my life is about to get turned upside down and it’s not even finals yet.” 

 The words sounded more light than you really meant to, but it thankfully gave Chrissy another reason to laugh. Hopefully having some sense of relief to hear another peer give off the same sentiments.

 “Henderson is right.” Eddie pointed out, turning down the pathway to his house.  “If we all had our shit together, I’d have been out of here two years ago.” 

 “You would have been out of here if you had shown up to class now and then.”

 Eddie looked into the rearview mirror to playfully scowl at you. "Hey, I had better things to do!"

 “Playing pool in some dive bar outside of town is not something better to do.” you snorted, hearing Eddie’s engine sputter like him as it slowly turned off.

 If it weren’t for the fact that you guys were parked in front of Eddie’s trailer, you were pretty sure he’d attempt some sort of reply. But now that it was back to his business, he settled for giving you the finger before he glanced over at Chrissy. “It’s kinda cold out here if you want to wait inside for me to look.” 

 The blonde nodded her head quickly, unbuckling her seat belt before she hopped out of the van. Eddie was going to do the same when he noticed you weren’t moving from your seat. There was a confused look on his face that had you chuckling a bit.

 “What? Aren’t you gonna go inside?”

 Eddie licked over his lips, nervously glancing out the passenger window to a waiting Chrissy before he frowned at you. A small pout on his lips. “Well yeah but..aren’t you coming too?”

 “To help you make your deal?” you asked, adjusting yourself in the back to get comfortable. “Count me out, Mister. I’m not going to get caught in a drug deal anytime soon. I’d rather freeze my pretty little behind off.”

 His eyes widened, "What? No, it's perfectly safe!” he coughed, perplexed. “Besides, you've been in my house before. You know I've got some stuff there."

 You waved your hand, ignoring that bit of information before you smirked at him. "Look, Eddie, this is your chance to have some alone time with Chrissy.” Again his face turned into pure shock at your words. “I happen to know that you've had a thing for little Miss Cheer since last year. Now she’s willingly coming to your trailer. Seize the opportunity, my man!"

 “She’s here for drugs!” he scoffed. “Just come in with us so it’s less awkward.”

 “You’ve been making her wait forever now. She’s probably frozen in that skirt.” you said offhandedly. 

He shook his head in disbelief, "This is ridiculous. She’s one of the most popular girls in school. She has a boyfriend."

 The thought of Jason Carver made the two of you visibly scowl before you waved your hands. “Popularity means nothing. I mean, I hang out with you and that’s not a big deal.”

 “You’re not like the others.” he mumbled under his breath. 

 You brushed off his comment, focusing on the matter at hand, “Come on, Eddie. Take the chance.” you said, trying to encourage him. “See what happens.”

 For what felt like a long minute, all Eddie did was stare at you like he was trying to figure you out. As if the words you said weren’t clear as day and had some other meaning to them. Which they did, you wanted him to find someone too. Someone that had the time to open up their heart properly and not so haphazardly as you have. But you couldn’t exactly say that.

 "This is stupid,” He sighed, resigned. “But fine. We’ll be right back.”

 From your spot you watched as Eddie lamely excused your absence, waving his hand over at the van before he walked up the stairs to his trailer and opened the door up for Chrissy and entered inside the home.

 You took the time alone to dissect the events that happened today.

 One thing was Dustin definitely had his own convictions about you. Whether it be about butting into his life, breaking up with Steve, avoiding Steve, or just some other thing you weren’t even aware of. 

 Then there was Steve..

 Well, you felt pretty much like a broken record about him. Not only were you still in love with him, but you were officially over. Returning that necklace would surely cement that now. Even if you regretted that whole day in your driveway. Wishing that you could go back and just..pause like he had wanted. But it was too late for that now and you’ve brought in someone else into your life to ruin.

 Another thing would be that Robin and Nancy were both definitely worried about you and you were out of excuses to explain what was wrong. Mostly because you had no idea what the hell was wrong with you. It’s not like you weren’t faced with struggles before. Why was this year suddenly worse?

 Maybe it had to do with the fact that there was a recurring voice in your head that laid out all your inner guilty thoughts. Or the nightmares that plagued your night, or headaches that ruined your days, or even the newest addition; nosebleeds. 

 There’s absolutely no more room in your mind for the list of problems that you already had. If there wasn’t a way to fix at least one of these things, you were pretty sure you’d lose it by the end of spring break. 

 Maybe you needed to actually take the week off. Go home and see your parents. Get a break from the mess that you got yourself into at Hawkins. Ironically it was supposed to be the place to get you out of your mess from California, but stranger things have happened since then.

 “CHRISSY! CHRISSY! CHRISSY!”

 The sudden sound of Eddie yelling pulled you out of your contemplative thoughts and you quickly rushed to the back of the van, pushing open the back door so that you could stand before the house. The screams continued on inside but you were frozen in fear at the sight of lights blinking rapidly inside. Sending a familiar chill up your spine.

 “No.” you whispered, not ready for this to happen again. It couldn’t! The gate was closed! This couldn’t be happen–

 “HELP!”

 Without a second thought, you rushed up the stairs into the trailer, nearly tripping your way in. “Eddie?!” you gasped, finding your footing before you noticed the two right away. 

 Chrissy was standing completely still before a panicked Eddie. He was smacking at the side of her cheek, screaming out for her to wake up when he looked back to see you. “Holy shit, Henderson, she’s like, tripping out!” he yelled, voice cracked with panic.

 “What the hell did you give her?” you frowned, joining his side to try and shake the girl. It wasn’t until you were close enough that you noticed the whites in her fluttering eyes. “Shit is she having a seizure?” 

 “I gave her nothing, man. I don’t know what the hell is going on!” he said, pinching at the sides of her neck, arms, anywhere to get a response out of her. “Chrissy! Wake up!”

 “We need to get her out of here!” you urged, knowing the danger that could be lurking with the room’s lights blinking like this. If it’s anything you’ve dealt with before, a panicked Eddie and comatose Chrissy would be nothing against a demogorgon. 

 You reached for her hands, trying to clap at her hands and get her body to snap out of it. But the more you tugged, the farther she seemed to get away from you. Wait, how the hell is she moving?

 Glancing down at her feet, you noticed that her body has slowly started to ascend up in the air towards the ceiling. “What the fuck?” you gaped. This didn’t happen before..

 Eddie, having noticed her rising state, staggered back. Eyes wide and shocked at what was going on. “W-what do we do?” he asked you, looking up as Chrissy rose towards the roof of the trailer. 

 “We-..I-..” your breathing became strained and you felt like your heart was about to go into cardiac arrest the faster the lights blinked. What the hell was going on?

 Her body shot up into the air, like a marionette doll manipulated by unseen strings. Eddie fell back from the sudden change, cursing out loud as he fell down to the floor.

 You stood there, helpless and paralyzed by fear. The limbs of her body began to twist and turn in unnatural directions. Creating a sickening sound of bones twisting that echoed in the air. The scene unfolded with a nightmarish intensity, and you could feel the tendrils of something dark wrapping around the room. 

 “N-no.” you said, watching next as her mouth cracked into a haunting angle. 

 A wave of dizziness washed over you. It was as if the very ground beneath your feet was giving way. You stumbled backwards until you finally fell down into the ground. Your vision narrowed away as the darkness began to take over the world before you. 

 “No.” you said again, fighting to stay awake. You had to get out of there. But you couldn’t fight this power over you. The last thing you saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was the sight of Chrissy’s eyes sinking into her head and the sound of Eddie’s screams.

A/N: Hello! It’s been so long since I’ve been working on this chapter. I redid it like three times and still aren’t quite happy with some parts. But! It’s up and will hopefully help me to get to the storyline. I know it’s kinda angsty but I promise i’ll have fun in here again and more Steve/Reader. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Love y’all~

TAGGING REQUEST:

@cluz1babe​ & @starofavolonea​ 

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #Steve Harrington x female reader #steve harrington x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x henderson reader #stranger things fic #cac

[theladybarnes]

Can you tag me in Steve X reader series plss. I love it so much!!

Hello! I can do that for you~

An update should be coming sometime this weekend since I’m just stuck on this one part. 🩷

#answered #starofavolonea

[theladybarnes]

Loveed the last chapter for trouble and steve. Would you ever write for gator?

Hi! Thanks for the comment! About that, I'm not quite sure.

If I were ever to write for Gator it'd be kind of difficult. Because for the most part he's a bad guy and having any sort of character fall for him doesn't seem right. There's ofc plots I could have in mind considering his ending on the show. But it'd be a lot of writing of harsh themes and I wouldn't want to trigger anyone if there was something that felt like too much.

Plus, I've noticed in the fanfiction little bubble that there were people being attacked or even 'blacklisted' for writing him? I don't want the same outcome. Especially since most of the people were being said that they were supporting that kind of mindset that the show has? So if people are unable to identify with dark themes being just fictional and think that authors support what they write, then I'd rather just steer clear.

#anonymous #answered

[theladybarnes]

chapter four omgggg im sooo excited for eddie and trouble’s relationship, as lovers or fwb or even jus as friends bc i loveee the drama to come😋😋😋

!!! I’m nervous for them. But let’s see how things go~

#answered #anonymous #I wanna say which they’d be but Idek

[theladybarnes]

CRIMSON AND CLOVER: CHAPTER FOUR

"Remind me, when do they become reasonable human beings again?”

▸ summary: spring break is just a day away, but something else is looming around the corner.  ▸ characters: robin buckley, eddie munson, steve harrington, dustin henderson & nancy wheeler  ▸ word count: 7.4k ▸ warnings: angst, semi-fluff, & slight depression ▸ series masterlist

FEBRUARY 28TH (TWO WEEKS LATER)

 The two of you haven’t stopped glancing at each other all night. 

 With every little still in conversation with a party goer, you rewarded yourself a chance to glance over at Steve. He’s talking with another girl, short, curly red hair, cute. But even with their in-depth conversation, his eyes always seemed to find yours.

 It’s been only two weeks since the two of you started to secretly hook up again. Neither brave enough to talk about it, nor explain it to your friends. But simply enjoying the sinful pleasures that each other gave. Seeming to forget the world when it came to each other.

 It was a bad idea.

 “So I must look pretty good if you can’t keep your eyes off me.” 

 You glance again this time to watch as Steve slid over the kitchen island so that he could stand beside you. 

 Alone.

 It gave you a moment to really look over his outfit. Eyes scanning over the black crew knit sweater that tugged over his top looked great with his jeans. Correction, his tight jeans. The very ones he bought at the outlet mall when he caught you staring last fall. 

 Next your eyes danced across the many features of Steve’s face. The constellation of freckles and moles on his skin. The way his deep eyes would always stare at you so intently. The warmth they seemed to only hold for you. All things you missed dearly.

 An overwhelming feeling hit you suddenly and you forced yourself to avoid his gaze any further by glancing down to the can in his large hands. “What are you drinking?” you asked, nodding towards it. “Aren’t you driving?”

 He chuckled a bit at the deflection before he looked down at the can with a small amusing smile. “It’s just a cherry coke.” He said simply before he held the can up towards your lips. “Want some, pretty girl?” 

 The use of an older pet name left you stunned with the offer. A heat quickly spread over your face but you managed to press on as you leaned forward to take a slow sip from the rim. All while keeping eye contact with Steve. That seemed to do something for him as he proceeded to bite down on his lip. Letting his eyes shift down to your mouth while you drank the sweet liquid. 

 A small dribble of the sugary drink managed to coat your bottom lip, making you jerk back in reaction. But before you could wipe it away, Steve already leaned forward in time to cup the side of your face. “So messy.” he hummed, letting the pad drag slowly over your bottom lip before he pulled away to casually suck between his lips.

 You couldn’t help but gulp, nervous for the way Steve seemed confident in all his actions.

 “So, I figured you were done with parties since Fall break.” you blinked, trying to gain back some control. “What brings you here?” 

 He paused for a second, brow raised at your sudden question before he quickly shook his head. Brushing off his past convictions apparently.

 “I’m here to see you.”

 “Really?” you scoffed, finding it both amusing and hard to believe that he’d be here for you at all when he wasn’t aware of any of your plans. Your answer thankfully came when Steve let out a small chuckle. He brought a hand up to point meekly behind you to where the other party guests were at. 

 “Patrick started on the team around when I did. Never really had a fall out with him so told him I’d stop by at work the other day.”

 The boy himself came into your vision as he tried leading a group of kids away from one of the rooms in his house. Apparently Patrick McKinney had a super strict Dad. Which made the party itself questionable, but in a town like Hawkins you can’t really argue with a free party.

 “And what about you?” He asked, stepping closer to bop at the tip of your nose with his finger. “It’s not like you to come to a party alone.”

 “Nancy.” You frowned, swatting lightly at his hand before pointing over towards the backdoor that led to more party guests. “Some people from her editing team are here and she wants to make friends with them. I offered to come with her for support.” 

 “And Nancy is your only company tonight?”

 Your lips pursed at the slight mention to Eddie. Both nervous and hesitant to bring your friend up at all. There was no telling what bringing him up would lead the conversation to. 

“Are you really interested in what Eddie is doing or are you wondering why I’m not with him?”

 Steve sighed, leaning in to rest his elbow against the counter. Bringing you both shoulder to shoulder and close enough that you could inhale the scent of cologne off his collar. You wanted nothing else but to turn your body over and bury your face into the fabric. Seeking the regular comfort it usually gave off whenever you used to cuddle up in his bed. Luckily your mind wasn’t foggy enough to give into that urge.

 “He’s with his friends. I don’t really keep tabs on him.” you answered anyway, keeping your gaze now at the can in his hands rather than his curious one. He let out a small sigh of relief before his elbow nudged into your side lightly. Almost playfully. 

 “So you’re not going to see him tonight?”

 Though he was trying to keep the mood light, there was a bit of worry in his tone that had your stomach twisting. The never ending conflict of keeping up the mindset of moving on and making sure that whatever you said wouldn’t hurt Steve’s feelings. 

 “No, I’m not.” you sighed, feeling suddenly tired with your internal struggle. “So if that’s all you came to catch up on then I guess we’re done with that.” Stealing his can of soda, you made your leave from the kitchen and tried to venture back out into the party. Hoping that the footsteps behind you weren’t his. 

 “Who’s to say I’m all done? What if I asked because I wanted to hang out with you tonight?” Steve asked, hand sliding up to rest on your lower back as he carefully led you towards the foot of the stairs. His palms were warm. Warm enough to seep through the fabric of your dress and nearly have you curling to wrap around him.

 “Is hanging out what we’ve been doing lately?” you asked, pulling yourself away as you leaned against the banister.  The small space only gave you the smallest amount of composure as you stared over at him. There was a small smirk tugged at his lips as he placed his hand right beside yours. 

 “Well, I’d consider it.”

 You threw him a weird look, only shaking your head as you took another sip. “You’re getting too comfortable.” His brow raised at that before they knitted together. “Maybe we should be hanging out differently.”

 He pursed his lips, displeased with that notion. “I kinda prefer what we’re doing now than the weird avoiding thing we had before.” he took the can from your hands, taking a quick drink before he gave it to you again. It was oddly sweet and reminded you of last year. When the two of you finally became friends and shared lunches together. You’d steal his drink then and he’d say nothing about it. Just like now.

 “And the sex wouldn’t be the reason for that, right?” you asked slowly, looking away. He simply reached a hand out to cup at your chin, gently turning your face back to look at his again. He was serious now, leaning in closer so that only you could hear his words next. 

 “I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not enjoying the sex.” he said, breath fanning over your already flushed face. “But that’s all you’re offering me and I’m going to take every bit of it you give me,” he explained. “Because we both know that if things were my way...it would be different.”

It took you too long to physically pull yourself out of his grasp. Needing a bit of space to get some clarity. You two were on the stairs in the middle of a party. Not at the privacy of each other’s houses. Where you were allowed to be lured in by his words.

 Carefully, you moved up a step. Giving yourself the higher ground and hopefully more confidence to put down the tone of the conversation Steve is turning things to. But even with that help, you struggled to bring the words past your lips when you saw the small bit of longing in his eyes. 

 “I’m not dancing around the subject again, Steve. We both want different things.”

 “It’s not like we aren’t used to dancing, Trouble.” His eyes locked onto something around your neck before he looked back at you again. “Besides, we both know the only thing I want is you.” 

 Shaking your head, you left him there. Needing to head up the upstairs to clear your mind. It was becoming harder and harder not to give in again and you were scared the next time you did you’d fall back into something that would get broken.

 Steve’s hand gripped lightly onto your arm when you reached the top. Gently ushering you into one of the empty rooms before you could protest. “Four months.” He said letting you go to close the door. “Four months is all I have and then you’re just gone.” 

 You stared at him in shock. Watching as the semi reserve he had moments ago slowly faded away as his worries seemed to kick in. “Steve,” you sighed, setting down the can on a nearby dresser. “Please. We shouldn–”

 “You’re still wearing it.” he interrupted, stepping towards you to reach for the chain against your neck. The small lamp over at the desk shined just enough to make the S around your neck glimmer. “You’ve been wearing this the whole damn time and I’m not supposed to take it as a sign? Do you..do you not love–”

 His sentence was cut off when you jumped forward to crash your lips against his. Hoping to stop the question from ever coming past his lips. Like always, his lips were soft, warm, and inviting. This time with the lingering hints of cherry cola still there. 

 He eagerly kissed back, Moving his arms to wrap around you as he pressed your chest tighter against his. It wasn’t long for the air to leave your lungs. Making your chest fill up with a burning heat that you tried to ignore in order to dive deeper into the kiss. There’s only a second you give a small space of shared air for the two of you. 

 Steve followed the same hungry path. Turning your kisses open so he could pant hotly into your mouth before closing it with his again. You’re not sure what’s making your head spin so much. The shared hot breaths between the two of you or just the usual pleasure that came when being this close to Steve. 

His hands found purchase over the round of your behind. Cupping at the cheek briefly before he squeezed it lightly. Your legs wobbled from the sudden touch and you couldn’t help but wrap one leg around his to stable yourself while your hands wrapped around his neck. Bringing him closer than ever tonight. 

This could have gone further. You wanted it too. But the sudden sound of something breaking downstairs caused you to flinch back and look at how much you allowed yourself to give in. The two of you rested foreheads against each other while you calmed down from the heat of the moment.

 Looking up, you saw that Steve had been watching you silently, but questionably. Probably even more confused by your actions that went against your words. You reached out to cup the side of his face, letting your thumb caress his cheek softly. 

  “I love you.” you said out of breath. “But that’s the problem. I love you and I need to be able to move on from you. Because I am leaving soon, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to step on any plane if I can’t get over you now.”

 “Honey..”

 There’s a sudden knock on the door, and the two of you jumped a bit before Nancy barged in the room. Her wide blue eyes scanned over your close positions before she shook her head. “We get outta here.” she said quickly. “One of Patrick’s neighbors gave the heads up and someone called the cops.”

 Steve quickly took your hand, leading the three of you back down the stairs to the hustle of party goers trying to make their exit. “You guys parked close?” he called over his shoulder, keeping you both nearby as he pushed through the crowd of people.

 You were about to answer his question when the sound of a prissy voice called out to Steve. The short girl from earlier pushed her way through people, beer in hand and a lazy smile on her face. “Stevie! You left without giving me your number, silly. I thought you wanted to talk about what school I’m going to?”

 The three of you stand there kind of frozen in place. From one side you could see Nancy glare over at the girl, probably confused about what she was going on about in the first place. On the other, you could see Steve's shocked face turned into a grimace. Feeling bad for the girl who was unfortunately in the middle of a drama she wasn’t even aware of, you quickly help end the problem. 

  “Harrington.” you told her, dropping out of Steve’s tight grip. “They’re listed.” 

  Without saying anything else, you reached for Nancy’s arm and dragged her out the door of the house. Towards the direction of her car. “Did that seriously just happen?” she asked, perplexed, trying to keep up with your fast pace. “Did you really just give that girl Steve’s information?”

 “Not now, Nancy. Please.” you said, voice wavering as you held in the mix of emotions. Why did you do that? You’ve been saying this whole time that the two of you needed to move on, and you’re even attempting something like that with Eddie. 

 So why was your stomach twisting so much about it? 

 The two of you only got half way down the block before a hand grabbed at your shoulder. Steve, who had barely caught up to the two of you, was glaring at you now. 

 “Why would you tell her that?” He asked. You tried to get out of his grip, wanting, no, needing to get away before you cried in front of him again. But Steve gently reached for your hands, getting you to stand close in front of him. “I thought we were...what changed just now?” 

 “I’m just.. trying to do the right thing for once.” 

 Nancy, who while free now, was still at your side. Looking over the two of you with such turmoil on her face as she witnessed everything. Steve didn’t seem to care how awkward that might be as he moved a hand to cup the side of your neck. Trying to bring you down to Earth with him.

 “Right thing? How the hell can that be the right thing? What about what you said, not five minutes. I thought you still loved—“

 You quickly reached up to cover his mouth. “Four months.” you said, repeating his words back to him. “Four months and I’m due back home.”

 His brows knitted tightly together as he shook his head in disagreement, reaching his hand up to pull yours away from his mouth. “But we..we still feel it. I still want this..us.”  

 “It doesn’t matter what we want at this point, Steve. Neither one of us should be held back because we’re too scared to face reality.” You took a step back and quickly reached for Nancy again. “I want us to be friends, Steve, but we can’t do this if we don’t get over each other first.” 

 Not having the heart to hear more of Steve’s pleas, Nancy quickly took the lead this time and dragged you away from the boy. Rushing the two of you towards her car and thankfully away from the peering eyes of everyone. 

 It wasn’t until you were both strapped into your seats that you finally broke down. Letting the hot tears roll down your cheeks. Nancy reached over to place her hand on your arm, calling out your name softly until you finally looked over at her. 

 “Are you going to be okay?” she asked softly. 

 You shook your head, looking at your friend sadly. “I love him so much, Nancy.” She reached out to hand you a tissue from her glove compartment, watching you with a concerned look on her face. “Please tell me I’m doing the right thing.. I need to know that this isn’t a mistake.”

 “You’re doing what’s right for you, and that’s all that matters.” she said softly, “Steve will understand eventually. We both know he’s a good guy..”

 “He’s the best guy, Nance.” you corrected her. “He’s the best and he doesn’t want to come with me.. why doesn’t he wanna come with me?” 

 She didn’t answer you, probably unable to think of a good response for it. All she does is start up the car and keep a hand patting at your arm. “I wish I knew.” she said eventually. “I really do..”

  MARCH 20TH (THURSDAY NIGHT)

 It was the soft sounds Eddie strumming against the strings of his guitar lightly that had lulled you to sleep. It filled the room with such soft background noise that easily relaxed the moment you arrived from Family Video an hour ago. 

 You had spent the majority of the night listening to the new songs that his band were planning on covering soon. Some too out of your tastes, and some like this current medley that pulled you into a nap. Which was all a pretty good distraction from your current problems. 

 It was weeks of you running on autopilot through work and school while you tried to ignore the ache in your chest. It would turn out that sticking to what you thought was right would only lead to you feeling worse. Every day was filled with a headache, stomach ache, or the current of your problems. Nightmares. 

 Every night, you found yourself dreaming up various scenarios that ended with you running away from everything. Leaving all your loved ones in broken pieces. All because you’re too scared to fight. It was torture and brought your current guilt of disappointing everyone to a new high. 

 Things only seemed to worsen when you found out later that weekend that Steve took your words to heart and decided to go out on a date with that girl.

 Then again the next night when he went out with another girl.

 Then another.

 And another.

 It was safe to say that you were definitely over now.

 But you knew better than to voice out the hurt of that reality. Especially when you still found yourself sitting comfortably in the Munson trailer over in Forest Hills. Making out with Eddie, touching Eddie, and occasionally letting Eddie touch you. But with your heart so out of it, you didn’t consider it actually moving on. But it wasn’t like you could claim that as being single either. 

 It was beyond messed up. You were totally fucking up your life and you weren’t sure how to control it anymore. The only relief was that you weren’t ruining anyone else’s. 

 Steve didn’t deserve the stress of having to uproot his life just for you. As amazing as that dream sounded, that’s all it was. A dream. You were asking for too much. You were too much. 

 A pity party for one, how sweet. (Tick)

 You squeezed your eyes tight, fighting against the venomous voice that seeped into your mind more than ever these days. 

 Venomous voice? Is that how you see it? Others would say I’m just brutally honest. (Tock)

 Something about the words threw you off and you found yourself squeezing the blanket tighter. Hoping that the cotton of Eddie’s blanket would ground you. But something about that voice started to sound familiar..

 Maybe it’s your guilty conscious finally catching up on– (Tic–)

 “Ah, now I don't hardly know her. But I think I could love her. Crimson and clover..”

 The soft singing from the edge of the bed pulled you out of your thoughts, calming down the building back in your chest. Turning over you caught sight of Eddie watching you from the bedside. His singing had stopped, but he continued the light strumming to the song. 

 “Ah, she wakes up to her favorite.” he mused softly. 

 Rubbing the sleep away from your eyes, you moved to crawl up in the bed. Sitting beside Eddie with a pillow hugged to your chest. You watched as his fingers worked the strings on the guitar. 

“Sorry I fell asleep.” you said eventually. 

 “S’okay,” he shrugged a bit, glancing over at you briefly. “Your snoring makes up for a nice break from hearing you talk.” 

 You fought back a smile, instead, playfully frowning at him while you pinched at his rib side. Causing him to briefly mess up on a note. “How do you know I liked this song?” 

 “You only ever make me shut up whenever it comes on the radio.” he snorted, finishing up the rest of the notes before setting the guitar to the side. He carefully turned around so that he could face you now, causing you to back up a bit. “It’s a good song. Did it cheer you up?”

 “How did you–”

 “You’ve been pouting so much it’s showing in your sleep.” 

 Letting out a huff of air through your nose, you looked down at the pillow. Unsure just what truth would make Eddie feel too uncomfortable or not. But instead of saying anything, you pushed yourself forward to capture your lips against his, wanting to distract him, and yourself, from any real worries for just a moment. 

 “Mm, Princess,” he chuckled against your lips, reaching out to gently push you back. “As much as I’d like to kiss you, I can tell you’re not into it right now.” 

 You looked down to your lap ashamed. Wondering just how much you were breaking through your usually well put up walls. Eddie poked gently at your cheek, waiting for you to look back up at him. 

 “We’re friends, right?” he asked, his voice gentle.

 “It’s up for debate..” 

 “As friends,” he drawled out, ignoring that bit. “I think that kinda means you gotta be honest with me now and then.” 

 “Honest?” you asked, feeling a familiar lump return to your throat. “Since when am I not honest?” 

 Eddie sighed dramatically as he crossed his arms over his chest. Patiently waiting for you to actually just give in to his request. Licking over your lips, you tried to pull your staggered thoughts together. 

 You sighed, a mixture of frustration and longing tugging at your heart. “It’s Steve,” you whispered. “He’s been dating now.. which means things are really changing.”

 Eddie's expression softened, and he nodded, waiting for you to continue.

 “I never meant to make things so complicated for myself. For anyone. But I’m still.. struggling to get over him.” The memory of his face when you left him at the party flashed in your mind and you fought hard to shake off the physical pain that came from the image. “Now he’s going on dates, doing the thing I said we should both do, and it’s killing me. And the hardest part is that it’s completely my fault and I don’t have a right to feel any of this.”

 He didn't say anything for a moment, processing your words. You could almost feel the conflict within him—the desire to talk against the very type of people he usually despised and the other to actually provide some help for you. 

 "Look, I'm sorry," you started, preempting any awkwardness. "You don’t need to say anything. I just needed to vent it out I guess.” 

 Quickly, you made an effort to climb off his bed but was gently pushed back into place by Eddie’s hands. He shook his head, a determined look in his eyes. "First off, don't apologize for giving me the answer to my question, okay?” he said slowly. “Second, I think it’s kinda a normal thing to feel shitty after a breakup.”

 “So you don’t think I’m just a whiney bitch who’s changing her mind quickly when she suddenly doesn’t like getting what she’s asked for?” you asked softly, feeling your own venomous words get to you.

 Eddie reached out to place a hand over yours. Brows knitted together with concern over your words. "I don’t think you’re a bitch at all. Maybe a pain in the ass, but definitely not a bitch.”

 With a sigh, you let silence fall between the two of you. Playing instead with the hem of your shirt as you tried to not overthink everything you’ve just said in the past five minutes. 

 Eddie leaned in, his voice carrying a comforting tone. "You know, you don't have to figure it all out right now.” His hand reached up to tip at your chin, making your gaze return to him. “I’m serious. You’re in your Senior year, you’re hot, single, and sometimes fun to hang out with. I think you should just forget about shitty ex-boyfriends, and think about doing cool stuff.”

 You couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "You make it sound like that’s easy."

 "Definitely not easy,” he agreed. “But sometimes a friendly distraction helps.”

 “And what kind of friendly distractions do you have in mind?” you asked, leaning in towards him. A small noticeably blush spread over Eddie’s cheeks. He didn’t back away though, only clearing his throat before he brought a hand up to brush a bit of hair away from your eyes. 

 “Tomorrow night.” he said softly, “Come and watch me play with the boys.”

 You raised a brow at him, wondering how quickly his band managed to rehearse the songs he had just collected for them a day ago. “You have a gig tomorrow?” you asked, thinking about if you had any outfits at home that would look cool in a rocker sort of way. 

 Eddie’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “Wrong choice of words. I meant Hellfire’s Campaign.” 

 “D&D?” you groaned, chucking the pillow at Eddie’s face. “You know better than anyone that I do not have any interest in that stuff!”

 “Come on! You’ve barely given it a chance! I’m really good as Dungeon Master.” he tried pleading, pushing the pillow away. You took the chance to roll off the bed, reaching for your shoes on the floor. “Wha- now you’re leaving?”

 “Yes!” you laughed, slipping on the boots quickly. “I am not about to sit here and get another lecture on the fundamentals of D&D and how it can open my imagination of storytelling.” 

 “Okay, that was only once. And to be fair, Dustin had some really good points that day.” 

 You threw him a pointed look before getting off the bed, going towards the mirror where his electric guitar hung to check on your hair. “I’m working tomorrow night anyway. Keith pleaded with me to close the store. Says he ‘needs the help’ or something.” you sniffed, fixing up the rest of your outfit. “You’ll have to have fun with your campaign without me.”

 “Ooh I love it when you talk with the right lingo.” he cooed softly, climbing up from the bed to stand behind you. “The game lasts pretty long.. I bet if you get off early you can catch it.”

 “I’m still gonna have to pass.” you said turning around to face him. 

 Eddie had a small pout on his face, and you couldn’t help but reach out to pinch at his cheeks. “While you’re kind of terrible at providing ideas on what I can do, I’d say you’re pretty good at keeping me from thinking too much about my other problems.”

 “Yeah? You feeling all better now?” he asked, a crooked grin tugging at his face. 

 “I’ll get there. Especially if you keep up with that nonsense talk.” you teased, watching as his smile quickly turned into annoyance. “Can’t wait to see what other songs you learn for me.” 

 He smiled a bit before quickly draping his arm around your neck, keeping you close in a small choke hold as he led you over towards his front door. “Keep teasing me and that might be the last song you get from me.” he said, lightly giving your hair a toss.

 You slapped at his hands, trying to keep your hair from looking crazy but he only held you tighter, making you laugh against his chest. With his free hand he pushed open the door, letting the chilly air seep inside the warm trailer. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 “Yeah, I’ll try and find you for my next set of problems.”

 “Sounds like a plan.” 

 "Goodnight, Eddie." You leaned up as much as you could in your position, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek before you slipped out from under his arm out the door. With a glance over at your car, you couldn’t shake off a bittersweet feeling. Eddie was funny, caring, and possibly into you.

 The only problem was, you weren’t so sure where you stood with your own feelings. At a second glance, you watched as he gave you that same lopsided grin again. You couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, you could figure it out soon.

 For Eddie’s sake.

  MARCH 21ST (FRIDAY) 

 “We’re going to be late.” 

 “He’s just getting dressed dear.”

 “It’s about fifteen minutes before we’re out of luck.”

 “He’s trying to figure out his style! It takes time.” 

 You pushed the set of pain relief pills into your mouth, downing the glass of cold water before you looked over at your Aunt incredulously. She had been pacing in the living room for ten minutes now while you both waited for Dustin to finish getting ready. It’s the third time this week he’s pushed the limits of being later or not, and you’re frankly tired of it.

 “He’s worse than me.” you pointed out, looking at the time on your watch again. “Then again, I only take long because beauty takes time. Boys taking long though.. well, we both know there’s only a couple of reasons for that.” 

 Aunt Claudia paused, eyes went wide at the nefarious thoughts before she instantly shot down the hall. There were a couple of swift knocks to his door as her worried voice perked in your ears. 

 “Dusty-buns what’s going on in there? You guys are going to be late!”

 “DON’T COME IN I’M NAKED!”

 There was a loud gasp and she slowly ventured out back into the living room. Her face pale and worried as she leaned against the archway. You couldn’t help but shake your head, arms crossed over your chest. “I’m telling you, worse than me.”

 She wiped a hand over her face, groaning a bit before the sound of Dustin’s door sliding open stopped her. 

 Dustin, looking a little bit smug for some reason, came down the hall. Completely dressed with his backpack hitched over his shoulder. “Shall we get going, ladies?” he chirped before making his way out the front door. You share a confused look with your Aunt before gathering your things and joining out with him. 

 After a small fight for the front seat, the three of you were thankfully on the road to school. Dustin was grumbling about something under his breath from the backseat before he leaned forward to peek over at you.

 “Since when did you care about getting to school on time? You’ve been close to late for the past two years.”

 “The word is close to late. And that was only because I was adjusting.” you scoffed, glancing over your shoulder. “I wasn’t fiddling around in my room doing God knows what, like you.”

 Dustin rolled eyes, his Mother beside him shaking her head swiftly. “I don’t like this Dusty, you need to be better at managing your time if you’re.. busier in the mornings.”

 Your cousin’s eyes narrowed over at you before he looked over to his Mother. Trying to put together what it is you two were insinuating. “Look, whatever crap she’s filling inside your head, just push it out. Because the only thing I’m doing in the morning is making sure that I’m ready for my education.”

 “And talking to Suzie.” you piped in, pulling down the sun visor to check your reflection, catching the stink eye from Dustin in the backseat. 

 “I wouldn’t expect anyone to understand the relationship that I hold with Suzie.” he sniffed, looking away. “Especially you, the girl who has put herself in the unfortunate position of being single even though she had a perfect relationship with the coolest guy.”

 "Ah, the expert on love speaks.” You chuckled dryly, pulling out your red maxi-color lip gloss to spread over your lips. “Tell me, Dustin, are you pursuing a class in relationship counseling now?”

 He rolled his eyes. “I don’t necessarily need to be in a class to know that you two were good together. It just doesn’t make sense why you make it seem like you guys are incapable of holding a long distance relationship. Suzie and I do it.”

 “Suzie and you met at a summer camp where she miraculously was not bothered by you in the first five minutes of speaking together.” you said with a head shake. “It’s complicated for some people, Dustin. College is a whole different world. Different schedules, different priorities... throw in things like long distance and it's a recipe for disaster."

 Dustin scoffed, crossing his arms as he fell back into the seat. "I think you’re just being overly dramatic about this. You guys could make it work if you wanted to."

 "It's not just about wanting to.” you turned over to look over at the back, watching as his annoyance turned slowly into a frustration you didn’t think he could have about it. “It's about feasibility and reality. And unfortunately, dear Dusty-buns, reality tends to be a buzzkill."

 There wasn’t much said from him after that as you guys neared the long road down to the school. All the kids were gathered around the main entrance, making their way across towards the gym for the early pep rally. Dustin was quick to brush past you without a goodbye. Making his way to meet up with Mike before the bell rang. You figured he was just on the list of people you were hurting from your decisions. 

 As you made your way towards the school gym amidst the bustling crowd, a familiar voice called out your  name.

 “Hey! Wait up!”

 You turned around to see Robin beckoning you over from Steve’s car. The unexpectedness threw you off. Causing you to lamely stand in place as you figured out what the best response would be. Robin quickly grabbed her stuff from the backseat before she started heading your way.

 "Hey!" Robin grinned, falling into step beside me. "You came right on time today."

 “Barely.” you chuckled, throwing a sideways glance at her. “Ready to huff out air in your lungs for the sake of school spirit?” 

 She shrugged, adjusting her bag on her shoulder while her hands struggled to keep her cap and trumpet in place. “That’s the plan. Though I’m pretty sure I'm just a walking zombie at this point with how tired I am. Who knows how well I’ll do.”

 Taking her feathered cap, you give her bangs a quick fix with your fingers before smiling over at her. “Well, at least you’ll be the prettiest zombie. So it can’t all be too bad.” you teased. She rolled her eyes but wasn’t able to hide away the shy smile from her face. 

 “Come on, let’s go so I can liven up your spirits.” she said eventually, nodding towards the school.

 "Yeah, let’s see about that.” you hummed, trying to match her enthusiasm before you glanced back towards Steve.

 His eyes met yours, and in that brief moment, a rush of emotions flooded in. Still, you managed a sad smile and lifted your hand in a small wave to him. His lips turned upright in a small attempt of smiling back before he nodded at you. 

 Robin followed your gaze and caught sight of Steve. "Hey, you okay?" 

 You nodded, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, just got caught up in the moment. Let’s go.” 

 Together the two of you turned towards the gym, heading inside for what was bound to be an interesting start of the day.

  The pep rally did not uplift your spirits as intended. 

 After having the loud music from the band buzz in your aching ears, the whole school was invited to listen to evangelistic words of Jason Carver. Someone you did not think you’d grow to dislike so much, but after hearing him speak of the many passing people of the school, including Billy and even Hopper, all for the sake of a championship? You easily found a disdain towards him.

 Even now as he sat comfortably gathered by his friends, you couldn’t help but scowl at him. 

 “Do you think if you glare hard enough he’ll just leave?”

 You stopped momentarily shooting daggers at Jason to look over at the table you had been walking to originally. Robin, who had saved you a seat at her table, looked up at you amused. She was finally out of uniform. Sporting her regular jean jacket than the ruffle and white combo that you saw her in previously. 

 “Unfortunately, I’m not El and can’t just simply move him out of the cafeteria with my mind.” you sighed, sitting down across from her. 

 Robin chuckled, taking a bite of her sandwich before she reached over on your tray to steal a fry. “I’m guessing that his little speech didn’t inspire you today?”

 “Oh you mean the speech where he callously mentioned the deaths of fellow students and Hopper in order to justify the team’s need to win?”

 “That would be the one.” she said, stealing another one. “I for one, have learned how to drown out kids like Jason after all this time.”

 "It's just hard not to slip back into being a mean girl again," you admitted with a sigh, picking at bits of your sandwich. "But people like this guy seriously make me want to reconsider.”

 Again Robin couldn’t help but chuckle at your words before she patted your hand lightly. “Don’t worry, kid. A few more months and you won’t have to worry about any dumb high school jocks.” 

 You leaned back against your seat, nodding your head in agreement. “A little disappointing I won’t be able to enjoy that new freedom with you.”

 “Hate to say it, but that’s high–”

 “But as long as you’re into band, or science, or parrrtieesss, or a game where you toss BALLS into laundry baskets!..”

 You, Robin, and the majority of the students instantly turned your gazes over towards the center of the cafeteria. Where Eddie of all people, decided to make a sudden ruckus amongst the already noisy room. He was standing on the table looking towards the direction of Jason.

 The other boy slowly rose up from his seat, confidently glaring over at Eddie as he stood ready for action. “You want something, freak?”

 For a second you were worried that there might be a sudden random fight in the middle of lunch. But Eddie, ever so serious, raised his hands up to his head in a horn-like way, and sputtered out a weird random response to the blond.

 Students all around seemed to drop their attentions after that. Most likely unsure how to react to that. You on the other hand couldn’t help but laugh at how oddly timed that was in comparison to your conversation with Robin. It wasn’t until you watched Eddie hop down from the table that you glanced back at Robin again. Her face was curious as she stared at you.

 “So, Eddie Munson, huh?” she hummed, taking a swing from her coke. “Are you two uhh..”

 “Together?” you asked incredulously. She slowly nodded her head. “No, we’re just friends. I’m not planning on dating anyone right now.”

 “Really?” she asked, perplexed. “There’s no one here to change your mind?”

 “Nope. I’m staying single until graduation and after that I’m out of here.” you frowned, balling up the remainder of your sandwich in the foil. “I am so done with high school romance.”

 “Oh, well if you’re done with high school romance..I do happen to know this out of high school guy..”

 “Robin..” you sighed, rubbing your hand against your forehead.

 A coy smile tugged on her face as she meekly held her hands up to you. Trying to feign some innocence with words she knows are completely biased. Apparently, it wasn’t just Dustin who had reservations about your relationship with Steve. 

 “Hear me out! He’s cute, has great hair, drives a nice car, and from what I know is super into you.”

 “And is also going on dates with other girls,” you reminded her. “Not to mention he’s part of the reason why I’m not dating anyone right now.” 

 Robin sat up right, setting down her food in order to reach out for your hand. “Look, I don’t know the full details of the break up.. just that it’s official. But I truly do not believe you or Steve are over each other. Regardless of what either of you is doing.” 

 Holding up your hands, you tried to shake your head innocently. But Robin only shuts that down when she pointed over at Eddie. “I’m not dumb. Don’t think I haven’t seen the way that guy looks at you when he’s picked you up now and then. It’s anything but just friends.” 

 You can’t help but sigh, feeling a little bit ashamed all of a sudden under your friend’s gaze. “It’s complicated.” You mumbled, unsure how to stick up for yourself. “We’re friends but sometimes more.. then I’ll think of Steve and pull away. It’s just..”

 It’s pathetic. (tick)

 The table before you blurred a bit and you tried to control your breathing. The familiar ache suddenly surged into your head. Making you reach out to grip against the table before you shook your head. 

 “Are you okay?” You heard Robin ask. 

 “I’m fine.” you said suddenly getting up from your seat. “I think all this noise is making my head worse.”

 YOU are making things worse. (tock)

 Robin stared up at you worriedly, her blues flickering over your face as she tried to piece together your sudden ailments. You reached down for your bag, slipping it over your shoulder before you pushed your chair in. 

 “I’m gonna head out. Take care of a couple things before the bell rings.”

 “Okay,” she replied wearily. “Do you want me to go with you?”

 You quickly shook your head, finally gaining back some composure. “I’ll call you later? Maybe after the game?”

 “Yeah, we can talk then.”

 With that you gave her a quick wave goodbye and quickly made your leave. Chucking the trash into the bin before pushing your way through the double doors back to the hallway. The halls were oddly quiet and you finally had a moment to let out a relieved sigh before you felt a warm liquid begin to pool above your top lip.

 Bringing a hand up you slowly swipe over your lip before looking to see that it was blood. Pinching your nose, you rushed over towards the nearest bathroom and rushed into a stall to retrieve a piece of toilet paper. 

 The bloody nose didn’t last long. In fact, it left just as quickly as it came. You couldn’t help but wonder where it even came from. Could it be that bad of a headache that it was making your nose bleed?

 After checking for any more blood on your face, you slowly came out of the stall, looking at your reflection in the mirror to make sure you were presentable again. The lights in the bathroom flickered. Sending an oddly familiar up in your spine before it returned to its normal fluorescent hue. 

Today was slowly turning from annoying to just plain strange.

A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to give you guys an update. I've hit a bit of a writing block and had to split this up in order not to rush the whole first ep. Another update should be happening soon so you guys can get back in the flow of the story. Hope you enjoy!

Tagging Request: (if anyone else would like a tag, just let me know~)

@cluz1babe​

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x henderson reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x female reader #stranger things fic #steve harrington x y/n #cac #angst #fluff

[theladybarnes]

✨Happy New Years!✨

I'm so happy to start a new year with you guys! I'm prepping up things to post soon so you guys can finally have proper updates. I hope everyone had a safe night and and good day! Love you all~

#text post #update