#Party Monster is like the only normal one which is why he is the face of the company he's like Mario in that you love playing his games but | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theladybarnes · 7 months

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⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ AND YOU SAW ME

▸ summary: Steve Harrington had hoped that he managed to fix his life after the events of last year. But he’s quick to learn that enemies aren’t always just regular school bullies. But also the troubling thoughts in ones head. Can he maintain his cool and help keep everyone safe? ▸ word count: 42.5k ▸ warnings: angst, violence, semi-fluff, slight canon divergence, self hating, self pitying, smut and a dumb blonde bully

STEVE HARRINGTON POV from DON’T YOU WANT ME, BABY?

After the events of last year, Steve Harrington really thought he was on the right track to getting his life back to normal. He’s got his girl, it’s Senior year, and there’s no more creatures coming out from the walls of the Byers house. So why couldn’t he shake off the feeling that trouble was on its way?

The halls of Hawkins High School had been bustling with excitement the few days before Halloween.

With whispered plans of dates, hangouts, and even trick or treating. It was like everyone had an idea of what they wanted to do this year and Steve was slowly falling into the same emotions as the others. Especially when there was word of parties beginning to form. One of them in particular called out to Steve immediately.

How could it not? He heard about it from the source themselves.

“I don’t know. This party is slowly turning into a disaster.”

“We’re literally so close to finishing up plans.”

“But this is pretty last minute..”

“So that just means we do things until we’re at our very last minute!”

Steve couldn’t help but stare over at you from his locker. Unable to tear his eyes away from the minute you excitedly came over to talk about some plans you two had talked about the night before. Apparently there was a party in the works. But Tina appeared to be more uneasy about the idea. You on the other hand leaned casually against her locker, an amused smirk on your face as she went on her ramblings.

You easily list out everything you guys needed to do left as if it were a simple grocery list. Making Steve wonder if there was anything you couldn’t do. How could you just appear to be so normal? Like nothing bad hasn’t happened to you? Wasn’t it only about a year ago that the two of you had been fighting for your lives against a faceless monster? How did you move on so quickly?

There were some nights where Steve would wake up with nightmares, unable to sleep due to the sounds of that monster playing in his mind. His eyes found your face again.

The smile on your face, though as dazzling as ever, was almost genuine. Steve had learned not too long ago that you were one to keep a pretty good poker face. No matter what was thrown at you, there would be hardly a sign of its effects on your face. Making each and every interaction have to be analyzed thoroughly. Not that he had that many to go based off of.

Since the fight, all you’ve ever allowed him was a minute or two of your time. Mostly just to tell him to leave you alone or insult him. Things he could take in stride, honestly. He knows he messed up with you. Hell, he’s messed up with everyone. But you were the only one who kept up your grudge. Not yet able to forgive him. He hoped to fix that this year but so far he was failing.

The sound of Tina’s laugh brought back his focus. You must have said something to make the other girl laugh. Her smile widened as she tried to control herself. You on the other hand, have your smile wide, but not reaching your eyes. The starry eyes he had been so entranced by the previous year had gone away too. He was beginning to think he might have jumped to assumptions too quickly about your well being.

“All right, So I’m covering snacks and you’re covering up the beer situation. All we need left is music.” Tina sighed, leaning against her locker. “Which will probably be the hardest. I don’t even know who has good music taste around here that’ll last a whole party.” She already looked a little defeated, but your composure remained relaxed.

Did anything ever make you crack?

“Music is easy!” you clapped. “I talked to Kelly Lopez in Chem, and she told me there was this rad party from last year that had a guy. He’s in your grade I think.” You scratched at your head before snapping your fingers. “McCorklin?..Yeah, Danny McCorklin.”

“Do you mean David McCorkle?” Steve asked out loud. Not realizing he’s just shown he was listening in on the two of you.

Instantly the two of you girls snapped your heads in his direction. You had a small shock on your face before you realized just who happened to butt in the conversation. It’s only a second for your face to sour up at him. “Wow, eavesdrop much?”

Tina snorted a bit at that, amused easily by your attack before nudging at your shoulder. “He’s right though. It is David.”

Steve cleared his throat, giving a small shrug as he took a step towards you guys. “Sorry, Trouble. Just heard you butchering the poor kid’s name.” he teased, wanting to ease you up. But you only narrowed your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest when Tina burst into a fit of giggles.

“Whatever.” you scoffed, turning your attention back to your friend. “Please ignore the giant wall of hair.” Tina raised a brow at Steve before she turned back to face you. “Kelly said that David has played at other people’s houses before. All you’d need to do is talk to him. See if he’s interested in coming and maybe bring his music.”

Steve couldn’t help himself and step closer again, holding his hand up defensively at you. “What Kelly has failed to mention to sweet Trouble here, is that David hates being asked last minute to people’s parties. He’s got super strict parents and they totally rag on him for going out late.”

Moving to rest his elbow on your shoulder, he pointed down the hall. “He does, however, have a little sister named Margot. She’s a perky little Sophomore itching to hang out with his friends. Invite her and he’ll be forced to watch out for her.”

The two of you glanced in the direction to where a mousy brunette girl was at her locker, packing away her books.

“Harrington, you’re a genius.” Tina clapped, before ditching the two of you to quickly dash after the younger girl. It was only one second into the conversation that the girl’s face lit up.

You slowly brought your hand up and shoved Steve’s elbow off your shoulder. “Are you serious?” you hissed. turning to glare up at him. He couldn’t help but think you looked pretty despite the anger towards him.

“What?” he asked, unsure why his helpful advice was calling for this reaction. “It was a sure way to get him to play! I-I was just trying to help.”

You laughed sarcastically, shaking your head at Steve that he’s worried just what kind of mess he got into opening his mouth again. “As per usual, your help does nothing to actually do things in my favor, your highness.”

He pursed his lips, wanting to point out that there is at least one time where he did help out and things turned out good. But now wasn’t really the right time for that. “Wanna drop me a hint?” he asked hesitantly.

Sighing, you wiped a hand over your forehead before answering him. “I already went out of my way to ask David myself this morning when I got to school.”

“If you already asked him then why did you–”

You held up a hand and pointed over to Tina down the hall. “I wanted Tina to ask him because David confessed to me that he’s had a crush on her since last year and would love to play at her house. But, he was hoping if I could help get her to talk to him since he’s a little shy.”

Steve gasped softly, not realizing how much he actually made things worse in his small effort of helping you out.

“Shit. I’m sor–”

“Save it, Harrington.” you cut him off. “It’s not like you even knew anyway.”

For a second he thought you might be showing a bit of kindness. But from the way your frown slowly turned into a smirk, he knew there was something else on the end of your tongue.

“I mean, how could you know? The world only revolves around you, right?”

He sighed defeatedly knowing that this was usually the part where things got cut short. And just like before, you give him the similar look you only wore when you tried to distance yourself again.

“Hey, look, Trouble..”

“It’s a costume party.” you interrupted, “So if you wanted to work on getting an outfit together, you should start on it, Bozo. Before the red noses are sold out.”

He stayed quiet watching now as you finally took your leave towards where Tina had gone. “Bozo..” he repeated before realizing what your suggestion meant. “Clown.” he mumbled to himself, turning towards the opposite direction. He was going to make his way over to find Nancy when he suddenly realized.

Did you just invite him to the party?

THREE DAYS LATER, OCTOBER 30TH

Steve had been working really hard that week. Not only did he make up a costume idea last minute with Nancy (Whom he had to convince to go to the party). But since he was a Senior, he had extra work he needed to sort through. Like college applications. The particular essay he spent the night on before, was proving to be the hardest thing so far.

It’s not good. He knows it. Just from reading it himself, he knows there's something off with.

It has him nearly distracted all morning. Even when picking up Nancy for school, he was half paying attention to whatever show she heard about. Driving to school purely on memory. Maybe he should ask if he could spend an extra hour in study hall toda—

“Steve, watch out!”

His foot instinctively pressed down on the break, making the car jerk for a moment in time to see the front end of a bike almost coming down to collide with him. Hitting the horn, he watched as the rider braked just in time and nearly fell off their bike to avoid the collision.

The rider turned their head to the car, making the two of them gasp at the sight of you.

“Whoa, didn’t see you coming there, Trouble.” Steve said calmly, despite the racing of his heart. He poked his head out of the window to look you over.

“I’m not surprised.” you scowled at him, fixing your footing. “Probably had all that hair on your face.” He feels deflated by your response. You won’t even give him eye contact. “Next time check your mirrors for others and not just for your face.”

“That’s not what happened.” he tried, feeling his stomach turn a bit. You lean down a bit and peek inside the car to cast a glance over at Nancy.

“Nevermind, I can see you were distracted by something else.”

“Wait!” He called, wanting to explain that again your hate shouldn’t be on Nancy. Not when it was his fault. But you’re already riding off, heading towards the front of the school. A car beeped their horn behind him, reminding him to move on.

He quickly turned the car towards the parking lot, casually glancing at Nancy. Her attention was over her shoulder, looking onto where you rode over to Jonathan. It added onto the already building guilt in his stomach. Nancy was still dealing with the repercussions of dating him.

“Sorry.” he mumbled softly, trying to ignore his girlfriend’s sad gaze.

“It’s okay, I get it.” she replied softly. Her hand reached out for his arm momentarily, giving it a light squeeze before her attention drifted down to the folder between them. He had just parked the car when he noticed her slowly pulling his admissions essay out.

“Fair warning, it’s shit.” he chuckled a bit, trying not to sound too bitter about the truth.

“Hey, don’t say that!” Nancy chided lightly, giving Steve a small smile. “I’m sure it’s great. Can I read it?”

He can tell by the smile on her face that Nancy’s trying her hardest to shift the mood. Especially when she’s sad enough with the anniversary of Barb coming up, so Steve smiled back. Nodding his head for her to go ahead and take a look at the paper. But it’s not long until he can see the furrow in her brow begin to form. Not even Nancy’s hopeful attitude can change the reception his paper was going to receive.

He kept his gaze out towards the parking lot, trying his best not to let it get to him. But he can’t stop the words from coming out. And it’s like a vicious little monster building up inside his chest. All the things his Dad liked to yell at him for were starting to sound more right than he had hoped.

Nancy does her best to try and help. Even going as far to pull out a pen and correct certain points in his paper that she was not following. But even if she handed him the whole essay full of attempts of her reorganizing, he knows that it won’t be enough.

He wanted to get some help from Nancy. At least with some sort of help from her, he might be able to put something together. But she’s quick to remind him about meeting with Barb’s parents for dinner that night. Something he shamefully hated doing. Not because the Hollands weren’t nice people, but because they were a horrible reminder of that night. No matter what he could do for the couple, whether it be to drop by for a hello, or attend one of their long dinners. There was nothing he nor Nancy could do to bring her back or explain what had truly happened to Barb.

So why couldn’t Nancy accept that instead of continuing this painful reminder with these dinners? How could she continue to endure their painful conversations of searching knowing that there was nothing either one of them could do to find her? She caught on quickly to Steve’s feelings and pushed for him to stay home to work on the essay. Insisting that it was okay. But there’s a sadness in her voice that chews at Steve and it’s enough that he’ll push down any other opinion in mind.

“No, no, no. What’s the point?” he asked, crumbling up his only copy. A foolish thing to do. Especially in front of his already stressed girlfriend. But he can’t help it. He feels trapped in a path that’s not meant for him. But how can he get out of it when all his efforts seemed so..hopeless? Maybe he’d have to take up the offers his Dad always gave him. Follow his footsteps..

“Hey, calm down.” Nancy frowned, looking taken back.

“I’m calm. I’m calm.” he said, lying a little bit. “I’m just being honest. You know, I mean..I’ll end up working for my dad anyway.” he admitted, feeling the words sound heavy despite the truth behind them.

“That’s not true.”

“I don’t know, Nance.” He said, trying to convince himself what he’s relaying to her. “Is that such a bad thing? There’s insurance and benefits and all that adult stuff.”

Her brows raised up when she looked away from him. He’s worried for a second she might be upset with everything, but he wants this scenario to sound more enticing. To sound like something she’ll be interested in the future. Their future..

“If I took it, you know, I could be around for your Senior year.” he added, trying to lighten up the mood again. She looked over at him incredulously, like he shouldn’t even say something like that. But he wanted her to know it was serious to him. To watch out for her, make sure she was okay without him in the halls.

She didn’t have Barb around anymore and could use someone who understood everything she’s been through.

“Steve..” she started, but he couldn’t help but interject.

“Just to look after you a little bit. Make sure you don’t forget about this pretty face.”

She’s chuckling. That’s good. Hopefully amused now by what he was saying. But while he’s happy to see her crack a smile, he can’t stop from wanting her to understand that underneath the goofiness in his words, there’s a real truth in there.

“Nance, I’m serious.”

She glanced back with a look he couldn’t quite place. Was it acceptance? Happiness? Or overwhelmed by everything he just threw onto her. Without thinking, he leaned to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Hoping that he’s able to put in a little emotion into that for her.

Her face was shy when he pulled back. Something he was always curious about whenever they kissed these days. She wasn’t usually one for PDA but Steve felt such a heaviness in his heart for her, he had to find ways to pour it out.

“I love you.” he reminded her, needing her to hear it at this moment.

Her lips curved into a small but genuine smile. “I love you, too.”

A loud car engine revved loudly outside the car. Cutting into the conversation and causing the two of them to break eye contact in order to peer out the windows. Opening up the door, Steve and Nancy both climbed out of their seats to find where the source of the noise pollution was. Racing into the parking lot was a pretty cool looking blue Camaro. A car that Steve would usually find nice if it weren’t for the screeching from its driver.

In the back of the car was a noticeable blue and yellow California license plate. Very odd.

The first person Steve saw come out of the car was a fiery redhead skating her way towards the middle school. A scowl etched on her pale face. Whatever was going on with her was pretty rough if that’s how she looked starting her mornings.

Not long after, a boy that looked around his age closed the door to his car out with a similar look to the girl’s on his face. Seemed like the car ride wasn’t fun for either rider. It’s not until Steve notices that he’s putting out a cigarette that he realized this kid was new.

“Who is that?” Nancy asked aloud, watching as he made his way over towards the entrance of the school. All around him students began to gawk and stare as the boy strode confidently past everyone. It’s not until he neared the doors to the school that he stopped suddenly. His gaze stayed focused on you while you spoke animatedly to Jonathan. He watched curiously, head titling a bit as he slowly began to walk again.

Why the hell was he watching you like that? Steve thought to himself. It was totally weird. But before he could voice that concern out, the boy suddenly yelled out to you.

“HEY, HENDERSON!”

Wait, how the hell does he know your name?

Before Steve could register anything else, he watched as this boy approached you, wrapping his arms around you and pressed you closely to his front. The look in your eyes is a mixture of shock and..fear.

But that couldn’t be right. You weren’t afraid of anyone.

The blonde slowly pinched at your chin, tilting your gaze up towards him before he swooped in and pressed his lips roughly against yours.

A fire flushed over Steve’s face. A feeling he hasn’t felt in quite a while. Who the hell was this guy and why did he just kiss you like that in front of the whole school? From his spot he could see as you struggled against the guy’s hold, pulling back from the kiss with a frown on your face.

“She’s upset.” Nancy gasped softly. He squeezed against the side of his car door, unsure if he should make a move over or not.

Your eyes glance around you at the sudden audience you probably weren’t expecting. Soon enough landing on where the two of them stood. Your eyes widen at that and you’re quickly pushing out of the boy’s grip. Jonathan thankfully seemed to catch onto your discomfort and quickly stepped in as a barrier.

Before the new guy could do anything else, you pulled Jonathan close and turned to enter inside the school. Almost like you were running away.

“Okay, that was seriously weird. Who is that?” Nancy said, turning to look at Steve. He quickly covered up the shock on his face. He doesn’t know why he’s so suddenly upset by it, but doesn’t want Nancy to see it. But really, from the look on her face, he thought she might be on the same boat as he is.

“I don’t know..but I’m gonna find out.”

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until the next day that Steve managed to find you by your locker.

The entire day before had been an ultimate failure and the only thing he managed to do right at the end of it was entertain the Hollands during dinner while Nancy wandered off in their house. After hearing the news of their plans to sell their home in hopes of using the money to increase their efforts in finding their daughter, Nancy had become distant and upset. Making the car ride home somewhat painful as Steve tried to cheer her up.

But it’s a new day and he’s hoping that the Halloween spirit will perk everyone up again. Who doesn’t love Halloween?

Turning down the hall to your locker, he noticed that you’re practically covering your whole upper body with how deep you were inside. Making sure to conceal most of yourself from anyone passing by.

“Who are we hiding from today?”

There’s a stiffness in your body when you hear his voice. Making Steve hope that he didn’t just scare you while trying to check up on you. “I’m not hiding.” You muttered, still deep within the metal locker. “I’m looking for something.”

He found it amusing that you were attempting to lie about it when it was clear to him and anyone passing by really, just how badly you were trying to hide yourself. The teasing words couldn’t help but slip out as he playfully tapped against the metal door. “And that requires you to practically climb inside?”

“What do you want, Harrington?” you asked after finally coming out with a book in your hands. There’s a small glare on your face that had him running his hand through his hair nervously.

Honestly, there wasn’t a good answer in his mind. How could he explain to you that something in his gut twisted at whatever he saw yesterday? But in a completely normal way because he cares about you like a friend.

And not for some other reason.

The only thing his mind could comprehend was one thing. And that was he did not like that look of fear he had seen on your face. “I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Well to start, that random new guy just walked right up to you and kissed you in front of everyone.”

“He’s not random. I know him.” You shrugged nonchalantly. Like you didn’t practically peel yourself off from the guy’s grip. Even Nancy from right beside him could tell you were upset. So it wasn’t like Steve had gone crazy. Gently, he reached out and pulled you over to rest against the locker door.

“Who is he?”

“It’s Billy. Okay? Can I go now?” you huffed, obviously wanting to end the conversation. But that didn’t phase the boy at all, what was psyching him out was the fact that your eyes were continuously checking over his shoulder. Like you were waiting for a sneak attack.

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” he pressed, needing more info.

“Billy is..my ex from back home.”

EX?

“The same ex from your story? That ex?” he asked, still perplexed. So many thoughts ran through Steve’s mind at that moment. How the hell did your ex from California make his way here in Hawkins? Did that mean you were going to get back together? Was that even what you wanted? Something about that very idea seemed to hurt his chest again.

“Yes, Steve.” you sighed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I should be heading to class.”

The tiredness in your voice was blaring red alert. It wasn’t unusual for you to cut the talk short, but he can’t help but think back to the look of fear he had seen on your face. He had to push his luck press a little bit more. “Are you okay? Do you want me to get this guy off your back?” He reached out towards you. Suddenly needing to just..physically feel if you’re okay. Only the tip of his fingers had barely brushed over your soft skin before you pulled your arm away from him. As if he had some sort of disease.

“Stand down, your highness. I don’t need you to come to my aid.”

“Then why do you keep checking over my shoulder every few seconds?” he asked, hoping to stump your usual stubbornness. With anyone else Steve might be done with it and move on. But there’s always been something about you that had Steve making a fool of himself. Like right now, with his horrible timing..

“Since when should you of all people be concerned of my well being?”

“I’m just trying to help..”

“Yeah? Because the last time you listened to my problems, that didn’t blow up in my face?”

And there it was.

The usual fact that helped give you the winning words to finally end the conversation. He knew better than to press on after that. It would only make things worse.

What he didn’t know was how much he might have pressed a little too much today. Making you turn quickly from your exit to point a finger at him. “And stop talking to me like we’re friends. I don’t want people to get the wrong impression.”

He could only watch as you turned back in the direction from before, making your dash down the school hallway. Sighing, he tore himself away from your locker, giving one last glance at your backside before he left to join Nancy at study hall. Hopeful for the time alone with his girlfriend to help lighten his mood.

The day doesn’t go on any better for Steve. After talking with Nancy in study hall, he’s sure that whatever is going on with her is deeper than he thought.

The very idea of spilling the truth to the Hollands terrified him. Not only for his sake but..everyone’s. Just how many of your guys’ lives would be turned for the worse from spilling one bit of the truth? He wished he could change things. Help give the couple some sort of relief. But not at the chance of hurting his family, or anyone else trapped in this.

It was too big a risk. How could someone as smart as Nancy not understand that? Why was she only seeing things with such a small perspective?

He wanted to be like you. To move on so carefully and effortlessly that you’re going as far to help make a party for everyone to enjoy. And more than anything, he wished he could talk to you about it. Jonathan, while okay with him, was not a close friend. Nancy was going through her own mix of problems. But you? You were there too. But he’s unfortunately burned that bridge. He can’t talk to the only other person who would understand and maybe even help.

“Your costume came out great.” Nancy muttered as she slid out of the car.

The trip to Tina’s had been a lot shorter than Steve had hoped. He wanted to try and check up on Nancy just once more in hopes to pick up her mood again. But when he had rolled up to her house, she had been already waiting outside at the end of her driveway. The same somber look on her face.

“Thanks.” he said shyly, not quite expecting a nice remark after that afternoon. “You look beautiful as always. I think you matched your look best.” he noted, reaching out to pinch lightly at the hem of her sweater. She returned him with another muttered reply before looking towards the house. Somewhat distant from the conversation.

That’s what it’s been like all day since the library and something in the pit of Steve’s stomach told him he should dive into that. Try to find out what he can do to fix it. But with Nancy’s offstandish reaction to his attempts of cheering her up, he’s a little bit lost at what to do.

The sound of Mötley Crüe blasting gave a comforting white noise to the lack of conversation between the two as they walked up towards the doors. One step inside and Steve felt a little relieved to see a normal party. Maybe this is what they needed. Just one night of doing nothing but stupid teenager stuff, right?

He’d barely been in the doorway for a minute before he heard a familiar voice.

“Got ourselves a new Keg King, Harrington.” Taunted Tommy. His former best friend. It’s been almost a whole year since Steve cut ties with the boy. While he was happy to no longer have to deal with Tommy Hagan or his crap. It didn’t stop him from feeling odd at how fast he switched from friend to foe.

“Yeah, that’s right. Eat it Harrington!” yelled Cody Conners from Basketball. Another friend he lost when dropping his former crew.

Between the two of them was Billy Hargrove. A name he had learned to hate within the school day. Aside from his connection to you, something about this guy brought a bad taste to Steve’s mouth. Even now, the unsavory sight of Billy drenched in what smelled like beer was unsettling as he stared off at Steve silently.

Nancy casually moved past the boys, ignoring the building tension between them as she made her way over to the kitchen. Leaving Steve alone to think of a clever way to get these guys off his back. But just as the thought came to mind, the front door behind him opened up roughly against him.

“Oh God.” said a familiar voice.

Wedging their way through the front door and between both boys was you. He tore his gaze away from Billy’s deathly stare to take a look at what you were wearing. It was a self made devil costume. All red with a plastic pair of devil horns adorned on the top of your head. Steve couldn’t help himself as he stared wide eyed at the sight of you.

It was probably the hottest thing anyone at this party could ever put together. The rim of your eyes were covered in dark kohl makeup, making your naturally cool stare look even more intimidating. Your usual free hair was slicked back against your head, almost like those models from the ads on tv. Then there were your lips. Sinfully covered in a red so captivating that Steve began to wonder if he had a thing for a color.

“Nice costume,” he said simply. The complete opposite of his thoughts. “Red suits you.”

“It’s not a costume if she really is the devil.” Tommy sniggered. Most likely trying to gain approval from the latest ass he’s been kissing. But from the stoic glare on Billy’s face, it looked like he wasn’t amused with Tommy’s lame attempt to get under your skin.

“I love when she’s dressed up hot and horny.” Billy smirked, looking over at you. There was a hunger to his eyes that had Steve feeling his chest tighten. This guy surely didn’t think he could just talk to you like that, right? He sucked in a sharp breath, ready to tell this guy off when you slowly stepped in between.

“I’m still nauseous from your pick up lines from today, Billy. Maybe take another lap around the room before you try to come at me again.” The three boys almost looked shocked by your reaction. Probably not having seen that coming. “Or drop dead, either one!”

With a quick pat to Billy’s glossy chest, you jet off into the party with a little bounce to your step.

Steve can’t help but smile at your tenacity. Admiring how you managed to return back to keeping anything thrown at you off your back. There’s a moment when you glanced over your shoulder, briefly making eye contact with Steve.

On your face was a small playful smile.

He really hopes you have a good time tonight.

“What is wrong with her?”

Steve had been wiping off a bit of sweat from his forehead when he heard the sounds of one of the girls behind him. He turned around quickly, catching as Nancy yet again was over at the punch bowl. Something she had been doing all night long.

For some reason, Nancy was more upset than she let on. Her earlier jab at pretending to be stupid teenagers had stung a bit. But after she had a couple of drinks, he figured she had loosened up to the idea. Especially when they were dancing for so long after that. There was a moment when he caught you staring at the two of them curiously, making him nervous as to what caught your attention. But then you went on with your night and things seemed normal again.

But now..now things have turned different. Nancy kept returning back to his side with a new cup every time he looked away. Steve was wondering just how much she’s actually had. She wasn’t a light weight, but she was definitely throwing back some harder stuff. Chasing after her, he quickly tried to put an end to her drinking.

The two of them look like a couple of kids fighting over a tv remote at the moment. Steve is trying his hardest to keep this drink out of her hands. But Nancy is already so drunk and so upset that he’s worried what will actually happen if he takes it away. But better to have her mad that get sick.

“Nance, put it down.” he argued, trying to keep the liquid from sloshing around.

“Steve, stop!”

“Stop. STOP.”

His fingers slipped around her slick hands and suddenly the cup flew back against her shirt. Spreading the dark red liquid across her bright white shirt. Everyone around them gasped as they took in the sight.

“What the hell?” Nancy asked softly, giving Steve a glare before she swiftly left the living room. Heading upstairs towards the bathrooms. He’s not far after her, needing to help fix whatever the problem was there and now.

His hands covered up his face as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car. Trying to keep control of his overwhelming emotions. But every time he thought he gained back his breath, Nancy’s words echoed in his mind. Every word felt like a slap to his face. And he can’t help but hit his hand at the steering wheel in frustration.

“You’re pretending like everything's okay.”

SLAP

“You know, like we didn’t kill Barb.”

SLAP

“Like, we’re in love and we’re partying.”

SLAP

“This is bullshit.”

SLAP

“You’re bullshit.”

He slapped once more before feeling a harsh pain go up the side of his arm. “Shit.” he hissed, looking at the palm of his hand. It was harsh and red, but for some reason not as painful as the beat in his chest.

How could Nancy think that way? How could she say they were just pretending to be in love?..Didn’t she feel it with him? Didn’t she love him? How could she say it all this time and not even mean it?

“You’re bullshit.”

The tears pricked the corner of his eyes and he quickly wiped them off. Not needing anyone at this party to get the chance to see him in such a pathetic state. He’s beyond upset, and he knows better than to go back in there. But at the same time, he realized he just left a drunken Nancy at the party alone.

As if things weren’t bad enough, before he could even think about stepping out of his car to go back, he’s seeing the last thing he needed to see right now.

Nancy, who didn’t look good at all, was holding onto Jonathan Byers. Someone he didn’t even know would be caught dead at a party like this. The boy was looking down at Nancy with such concern as he led her down the driveway. Talking gentle care with her as he walked the two of them over to his beat up car.

A part of Steve wanted to be upset with Jonathan. Because again, this was beginning to feel like last year. Only it would turn out that Steve was still the bad guy in this situation. Having been the one who left his girlfriend. Of course it would be easy for a good guy like Jonathan to step in and be the good hero.

So he sat pathetically in his car, letting the girl he loves be taken home by someone else who wasn’t bullshit.

He wondered for a moment if things would turn out differently had he just done what Nancy wanted to do. Let the Hollands in on the secret and possibly hurt the lives of those involved in this upside down mess. But even with all that, would all he thought was good in his life still be pretend?

Steve quickly started up his car. Trying to ignore the ache in his chest so that he could go home and try to sleep away some of the hurt. He glanced over at the road, noting how some kids were beginning to walk away from the party and down the street. Possibly walking off the alcohol they’ve consumed. But it isn’t until he noticed a familiar red figure that he found himself pulling along the road side.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a girl like you to be walking around this late at night?”

The sound of his stern voice caught you off guard. Making you stop walking for a moment. But you don’t reply. Instead, you keep walking, as if you didn’t hear him at all. He quickly shook his head and pressed down on the gas lightly to keep the car moving to follow after you. One glance at your feet and he can’t help but wince at the height of your heels.

“Come on, Trouble. We both know walking in those kinda shoes can’t be comfortable.”

Again you kept your gaze forward. Stubborn enough to possibly ignore the pain if it meant to keep up your usual avoidance. He glanced down the roadway knowing the familiar hills you’d been coming up to eventually.

“It’s only gonna get more muddy from here, might ruin them.”

That seemed to do it for you, making you quickly turn around and head over to the car. With a tug to the door, you entered his car. Hitting Steve with a small waft of whatever strong perfume you had been wearing tonight. When you slammed the door closed, you reached over for the seat belt. Struggling a bit as you attempted to lock yourself in.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. He peeked closer at your hands watching as it fumbled once more. “Henderson, are you drunk?”

“No.” you drawled out. “I’m A-OK.”

He let out a heavy sigh. Wondering how everyone around him managed to get this drunk. One more glance to you and he noticed just how much goosebumps had risen up on your arms. So, he set the car in park and quickly shed off his jacket. It brought a small shiver up his spine to lose such warmth so fast, but he brushed it off to hand the jacket over to you. “Put it on before you freeze to death.”

“So bossy!” you whined.

“It’s for your benefit, Trouble. Just do it.”

He watched as you pulled the fabric over you like a blanket. Bringing it up to your neck before you glanced over at him. “Happy?” you asked sarcastically.

“Ecstatic,” he grumbled. Hating how you were upset with him for making sure you were okay. “Now, can I please take you home?”

“Off we go Jeeves!” you yelled and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Your drunken state sure did like to try and annoy him. Or maybe it was his already bad mood ruining your playfulness. Right now he couldn’t tell. He instead focused on the road he drove the way over to your house.

“You look like you’ve been crying.”

He scoffed softly. No way could you have noticed that.

“Have not.”

“Have too. Your eyes are red.”

“They’re irritated. I have allergies.”

“To what, your tears?”

He stayed quiet. Unsure how to get around your cleverness. Even while drunk your keen observation skills were doing wonders against his distressed state. And though he wanted to keep quiet and avoid slipping out any of his current feelings, he can’t do that if it meant ignoring you. “How was your night?” he asked, in a poor attempt to change the subject.

“It was shit. Boys suck.”

“Hmm, girls suck too.” he said quickly. Unable to fully filter out his bitter mood. “Happy Halloween, eh?” While he’s disappointed that you didn’t have any sort of good night yourself, he’s somewhat relieved that he’s not alone in this

There was another beat of silence that fell between the two of you, and he was slightly worried he might have made you upset when you suddenly spoke up again.“You know, this party was supposed to be different.” you sighed.

“Was it?”

“Yeah, it was kind of supposed to make up for last fall.”

Last fall had been around the time you came to live here. It was also the time he met you and somehow ruined all his chances at any sort of friendship because of his mistake. More bullshit, he figured.

“I mean, let’s be real. I didn’t come to move here and deal with school drama and monsters. And since we got rid of that, I figured that someone as smart as me could work my way around the school bit.”

Your house approached faster than he thought. Making him hate how fast he arrived in your driveway. This was the first in so long that the two of you were actually talking. And he selfishly didn’t want to end it soon even if he wanted just to go home not too long ago.

“And how’s that going?” He asked, turning off the car engine. He’s hopeful that you’ll go on in your running thoughts.

“Very crappy.” you chuckled. The sheer honesty even made him laugh a little. “I don’t know but I feel like things aren’t ever going to be normal for me again. I mean, whatever happened to being just a stupid teenager? When did all this other mess like a love life come in to make it harder?”

“It’s all bullshit.” he said softly. “All of it.”

You snorted at his words, not understanding the sting that lingered behind them. “Glad to know we’re all bullshitters.”

Suddenly you’re leaning into him, reaching out gently to wipe off some of the remnants of his shame from the side of his face. It was so sweet and caring. Making Steve shudder from the affectionate touch. Something about it coming from you had his heart racing. He pulled his hand up from his lap to place over yours. Noting the softness of your hands.

“Thanks for the ride, Steve.” you whispered softly. As fast as he could blink, you were leaning in again to press a kiss to his cheek. Leaving such a fire to his skin, he was sure you’d notice how red he was in the face. But you don’t mention it. “I hope your allergies let up soon.”

He dropped his hand from yours, watching as you exited the car. Only fumbling a few times over yourself before you managed to get out. The cool air from outside didn’t even bother him as he watched you pull the jacket off from you. Unknowingly distracting him getting out a goodbye. It’s when you were about to close the door that he called out for your name. Feeling an overwhelming urge to help make your night better in some kind of way.

“I’m sorry about last year,” he said suddenly. “I can’t say it enough, but I really do regret hurting you and all.”

You looked only a little taken back, nodding your head slowly with a small sad smile. He sighed to himself, allowing you to finally close the door so that he could pull out of the driveway. He waved off at you before turning his car and going, looking back now and then at your figure receding.

It was weird for Steve. He hasn’t ever really felt so torn up in his emotions in a while. Feeling the need to sink into his sadness one second, and then needing to make sure you didn’t fall into yours the other. Last Halloween he spent wasted with Tommy, watching as Carol and some girl he had hooked up with played ding dong ditch at Mr. Clark’s house.

But that was last year, and now he was heading home with a broken heart and confused feelings.

Surprisingly Steve was up earlier than he had expected to be that morning.

The night before still haunted him despite sobering up enough before bed. And even after he was tucked in and done thinking about Nancy, he couldn’t stop himself from going back to you. Like a horrible pendulum, he was stuck either thinking about Nancy’s words or yours.

It was throwing him in such a wack that he hadn’t noticed how much he had gone his day stuck in autopilot. Getting his breakfast silently, driving his car to school, and heading to class. No one seemed to pay him any mind. That is until he was stopped at his locker.

“Steve!” called out a friendly voice.

He didn’t peek up from the inside of the metal box, aimlessly putting books in different places as he ignored whoever was calling out to him. But instead of taking the hint, the person ended up coming closer.

“Hello? Earth to Harrington?”

Slamming his locker closed, he watched as Tina and her friend Vicki jumped in place before they rubbed at their temples. Not expecting that sort of noisy response. He shot the two of them with a tight lipped smile. “What’s up?” he asked half heartedly.

“Did you enjoy yourself at the party last night?” Tina asked, gaining some sort of composer.

“Yeah,” Steve said sarcastically. “Had a real blast.”

He only gave them a quick nod before he turned on his heels to head off to class. Leaving the other two girls to stagger as they followed after him. “I noticed that you didn’t leave with Nancy.” Tina said, catching up to walk along his side. “It looked like she left with Jonathan Byers.”

“Are you telling me or asking me?” Steve muttered, trying to pick up his speed down the hall.

“I’m telling you.” she clarified a second after. “What I’m asking you is if you really left the party to take poor little Henderson home?”

He couldn’t help but think back to what the girl was telling him. Just how many people noticed what went down last night? How many today were talking about the fact that Nancy went home with someone else. He didn’t even call to see if she made it home..what would they think now that they didn’t even show up to school together?

“Hello?” Vicki called out this time.

“Steve,” Tina started more sternly. “Look, we get that you might be a little fuzzy on the details considering the punch everyone drank last night..” Vicki and her shared a humorous laugh together before glancing back at the boy. “My only concern is if you hooked up with my friend or not.”

“I mean, it’d be expected considering Wheeler probably hooked up with Byers. But still be pretty grimey of you.” added Vicki, causing Steve’s mind to go in a funky haze again.

He didn’t spare a glance at them, merely shrugging his shoulders before he pushed past the two. Trying to do anything but think of the idea of Nancy and Jonathan hooking up.

“You’re bullshit.”

The shrill sounds of Coach Troy’s whistle did not help with the building headache in Steve’s mind. While he had hoped that a good game of basketball in gym class would brighten up his mood, he couldn’t stop the cloudiness from raining on his mind..and performance.

“COME ON, HARRINGTON.” Drew Nelson, his teammate for the day, was on his ass for some reason, making Steve even more irritable.

Billy, who of course had to be in his gym class, was playing flawlessly. As if he lived and breathed basketball. For someone who had reeked of beer the way he did the night before, Steve would have thought he’d be somewhere with his head in the trash. But here he was, shirtless, and looking at Steve as if he were his next target.

At one point the game turned into a bit of a one on one, making Steve’s nerves on edge as he carefully dribbled the ball. There’s a second where he tried to go past Billy that ended with the two colliding against each other. Both not budging from their spot.

“Harrington, right?” Billy said, acknowledging Steve for the first time since he came. “I heard you used to run this school. That true?” The question was rhetorical. Something to get under Steve’s skin. Whether it be for the game or Billy’s own satisfaction, Steve did not know. “King Steve, they used to call you, huh?..Then you turned bitch.”

“Hey, maybe you should just shut up and just play the game.” Steve said, not wanting to even talk to this guy. But his offhanded reply only seemed to make Billy more amused, using his footing to trip Steve over so that he could steal the ball.

Steve scrambled getting up, watching as Billy effortlessly shot a dunk into the next, causing his teammates to erupt into happy cheers. He had been pushing back the hair away from his eyes when he heard the sound of Coach Troy’s whistle.

“Hey! Girls are out on the field today!”

Before he could turn and find out who the man was yelling at, the sound of another voice suddenly came up from behind him.

“What the hell is your problem, Harrington?”

His back was shoved harshly. Causing him to trip forward a bit before he was able to catch his footing. Wiping a hand over his sweaty face, he turned around and realized that the person who nearly pushed him over was you. His eyes widened at the sight of your blazing anger as you took a step forward.

“The hell is wrong with you?! Don’t you see I’m in the middle of a game?”

He caught eyes with one of the kids and opened his hands out for the ball. What kind of warpath were you on that you’d come into a class that wasn’t yours just to yell at him? He waved the ball in your face, hoping to snap you out of your daze but that only seemed to aggravate you further. Making you reach out and snatch the ball from his hands.

“I don’t care about the dumb game. I want to know why you’re not stopping people from assuming that we did anything but drive home yesterday!”

“Wait, what?” he scoffed. Trying to think about what you were saying. The only person that asked him about it was your friend. Why the hell would you care about something trivial as a rumor? “I didn’t think I had to.”

“You didn’t think that people were going to assume that you and I leaving a party early wouldn’t come off as something else?”

“No! Why the hell would anyone assume that?” You hated him, everyone knew that.

“They assume shit like that when you keep your mouth shut instead of clearing the air, genius!”

He tried to think over his answer with Tina today. Wondering how his mouth got him in trouble yet again, but it would seem his lack of speaking had done worse than he thought. From the side he could see a curious Billy step towards the two of you.

“What’s the problem, babydoll?” he cooed at you, trying to either get on your good side or at least appear like it. Either way, Steve couldn’t help but frown at it.

“Not now, Billy.” you said not even giving him a glance. Missing out on the frustration that easily slipped over his usual mocking exterior. You took a step closer, trying to get his attention and Steve suddenly became aware of just how many of his peers were suddenly watching this drama unfold right now.

“Can we do this, maybe not in the middle of class?”

“I would, except over at my class, I’m being told lies about myself!”

You’ve pushed enough that he found himself pressed against the gym wall. Making him lower his gaze from the other students that are probably thinking how pathetic he must look. At any other time this would most likely make him want to take out his frustrations. Ask why the hell everyone seemed to be on his ass today.

“Steve, people are gonna think I helped you cheat on Nancy..”

“You didn’t!” he said quickly, snapping his gaze back at you. The thoughts from before quickly faded away the second he finally saw your hurt look. “I would never and you wouldn’t either.”

He can’t stand the idea of his dumb mouth making things worse for you again. Without thinking he began to reach out for you, wanting to reassure you. But with the rumor that was currently bothering you, it would be best to give some space. So he dropped his hands to his sides, watching as you took a step back too.

“Make sure they know that then.” you warned softly.

Turning around, you make for your exit. Only being stopped by Billy who leaned in to angrily ask you a whispered question. It must have really got under your skin because the next thing he saw was you pulling back from his grip and pointing a finger at the man. “Stop fucking my friends!”

He blew out a huff of air, removing himself from the wall and back towards the court. Ready to just get on with the rest of class before he and the other boys witnessed you shoved the basketball to hit Drew against the groin.

“Take five, boys.” Coach Troy called out as some of the boys gathered around the groaning boy.

“Steve?”

He picked his head up in time to catch Nancy near the gym entrance. It would look like interruptions weren’t done just yet.

“What happened before I came in?” Nancy asked as she led the two of them towards the back of the gym.

“Trouble happened.” he shrugged. Not really sure how to even talk to Nancy casually. But the more she looked up at him with a questionable look, the more he felt himself grow frustrated. “What are you doing here?” he asked finally.

“What do you think?” she asked, growing upset. “Where were you this morning? I missed first period.”

That’s what she was upset about? First period?

The bitterness hit over his tongue and he couldn’t help the sarcasm as it came out. “I figured Jonathan would take you.”

“Wha..What are you talking about?” she asked, as if he pulled that answer out of nowhere. He can’t help but scoff in return. Unable to push back the venom that was building up inside of him.

“Jesus, you really can’t handle your alcohol.” He started. “You remember going to Tina’s party last night, right?”

“Yes.”

“And then what?”

“I remember dancing, and spilling some punch. You got mad at me because I was drunk..and then you took me home.”

He scoffed again. Shocked that not only could she not remember anything correctly from that night. But turn it around so that it was just his fault. “No, see, that’s where your mind gets a little bit fuzzy.” He wrapped the towel around the back of his neck, trying to approach this without blowing up. “That was your other boyfriend. That was..that was Jonathan.”

“I don’t understand..”

“It’s pretty simple, Nancy. You were just telling it like it is.” he muttered. Feeling her words begin to echo in his mind again.

“What?”

“Uh..apparently, uh, we killed Barb and I don’t care, ‘cause I’m bullshit, and our whole..our whole relationship is bullshit, and..I mean, pretty much everything is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.” he finished. Finding it worst to list it all out for her. But there was no going back now. “Oh, yeah! Also, you don’t love me.”

“I was drunk, Steve! I don’t remember any of that.” Nancy exclaimed, looking wide up at Steve. There was a bit of a panic in the tone of her voice. Giving Steve a small bit of..hope. But still, it all hurt too much for Steve to just ignore easily.

“So that makes everything that you said..it’s what? Just bullshit, too?”

“Yes!”

“Well, then tell me.” he pleaded, feeling his chest only begin to ache again.

“Tell you what?”

“You love me.”

Nancy could only stare up at shock. Almost like he asked her an unthinkable question. “..Really?” she gaped.

The doors to the gym burst open. Causing a pause in their conversation as Drew came through the walkway. “Harrington!” he yelled, waving his arms up. “Dude, we need you, man. That douchebag’s killing us. Let’s go!”

“All right!” he called out, irritated by the interruption.

“COME ON!”

But Steve ignored him, only looking down at Nancy as he painfully waited for her to give the answer that he could easily say right here and right now if she asked. Even when she mustered up the courage to look back at him, he could only see that despite being in front of him. She was so far away from his reach.

Say it. Please. Just say it.

He took a step away, taking the last bit of dignity that he had left to go back inside. This conversation wasn’t leading anywhere and he really needed to be alone right now. But not without leaving her with some parting words.

“I think that you’re bullshit.”

Steve pretty much bailed out on school after those confrontations. His mind nor his heart could handle the idea of dealing with the rest of the school day. Instead of dealing with anyone else who had something to say, he managed to fool the school nurse enough to send him home early. Allowing him to stay locked up in his room, blasting music loud enough to drown out the thoughts that ran through his head.

But the next day isn’t any better.

With every hall he walked down, he managed to catch the eyes of every student. And not in the way that he used to. With some, it was sympathy. Probably hearing worse things than the day before. He decided he’d try and ignore them. Moving on with the day so that he could simply get on with this horrible week.

Unfortunately, despite ignoring the other students. He couldn’t ignore his stupid gym class. Meaning he’d have to deal with Billy once again.

And boy did that class prove to be worthless. Instead of getting back in his groove. He only seemed to falter again. Failing to knock Billy down a peg. It was such a shit show that Billy even mocked him further by ending the game with some parting advice. Which was a whole different type of mind game that Steve couldn’t comprehend.

Things only turned more confusing when Steve hit the showers. He was just about finishing up when Billy and Tommy slithered into the showers. An amused smirk tugged at Billy’s lips as he casually washed up beside Steve. Like they were friends.

“Don’t sweat it, Harrington.” he spoke suddenly. “Today’s just not your day, man.”

“Yeah. Not your week.” Tommy added with a familiar taunting chuckle. “You and the princess break up for one day, and she’s already running off with the freak’s brother.”

Steve stayed quiet. Unsure if what he heard was right. Nancy ran off with Jonathan? Just like that?

“Oh, shit. You don’t know.” Tommy grinned. “Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday. Still haven’t shown. But that must just be a coincidence, right?”

He pulled away from the shower, his annoying familiar cackle following after him as he left to go off and change.

“Don’t take it too hard, man.” Billy said calmly. “A pretty boy like you has got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea.” He made it a point to reach out and shut the water off, cutting off the stream from rinsing off the shampoo from his hair. Making it so that his words were clear enough to hear.

“Am I right?” he asked, giving his shoulder a clap. He turned to walk away from the stalls, staring ahead as he left with parting words.

“I’ll be sure to leave you some.”

“Did you hear about Nancy and that Byers kid? I heard they’ve run off to get married because they’ve been secretly in love or something.”

“No, I heard she ran off with Jonathan Byers because she found out that Henderson girl got her nails into Harrington. They’re like totally an item now.”

“No way is she dating Steve! She’s dating Billy Hargrove. That new kid. They kissed the other day didn’t they?”

“Oh right! That makes better sense. New hot girl, new hot guy. Of course they’d end up together.”

Steve bolted past the trio of girls blocking the doorway into the cafeteria. Words like that have been spreading around all day and if he had to listen to another group of people talking about him and the people he knew, he’d go insane.

In the center of all the chaos he found you, at a lunch table alone. An odd sight really considering you haven’t been left alone since you moved here. But from where he stood he could tell that you kept up your regular composer. He quickly rushed over, pulling out a chair to sit across from you.

“We need to talk.”

“Don’t really see what we have to talk about.” you mused, keeping your gaze down at the magazine before you. While he’s usually impressed by your tact, he’s somewhat bothered that today of all days you’re not at least a little bit worried.

“Would the fact that everyone keeps talking about us not be good enough reason?”

“Nope.” You said, still the same tone. Only now you were frowning down at whatever you were reading.. “Damn, I got Tom Cruise. I wanted Michael J. Fox.”

Growing frustrated, he reached out and took the magazine away from your line of sight.

“Give that back, Steve! I have to find out if Tom Cruise likes what I do!”

He couldn’t help but throw you a look before he placed it down on the chair beside him. “You can figure all that out later. We gotta get these rumors under control.” If he doesn’t get at least some sort of help, he’s not sure what he’ll do by the end of the day.

“Us sitting together is just gonna make things worse.” you pointed out, stabbing at your food.

“That’s what I’m talking about! We should be able to do things like sit next to each other without it meaning anything.” It’s never been a problem all this time but just one damn party and it’s like life is turning upside down.

“Well, get Nancy to help clear some of the air. She’s a part of this as much as we are.”

He couldn’t control the mixed emotions on his face. Reaching out quickly to snatch a piece of your pizza to stuff in his mouth. If he got to talking about it right now, he’s worried just what might spill out. “We can’t go to Nancy right now.” he chewed harshly.

“Well no, I know she’s not here today. But tomorrow..”

“No, we can’t go to Nancy right now because..she and I are fighting.”

“Okay, so make up with her.”

“It’s not that easy, trouble.” he sighed, wishing it could be just that.

“Well why the hell not? You guys are practically making out in the hallway these days. Just bring her flowers and make up already.” There’s somewhat of a tone in your words that made Steve a little curious.

Was that jealousy? Could you possibly—

No. Nope. He’s not gonna go down that rabbit hole again. Despite his troubling thoughts and the conversation turning slightly annoying, he tried his best to calm down and explain it better.

“I can’t just make up with her because she thinks we killed Barb.”

Your eyes widened a bit and you quickly pushed away your tray, leaning in closer towards him to conceal the conversation better. “What the hell do you mean? Is this why you were crying the other night?!”

“I was not crying…but yes. Among other things.” he sighed defeatedly.

“Like what?”

It’s hard to dive into everything, but considering you’re one of the few people that he can trust. He figured it wouldn’t be so bad to clue you in on a few important key points.

“..and apparently, we were never in love, I’m bullshit, and now she’s run off with Jonathan out of town.”

“Shit.” You said, leaning back against your seat. The two of you have a bit of a stare off and he’s wondering what might come out from you next. Would you mock him? Tell him it was deserved? Did he just make a mistake on opening up about this?

He’s given you every reason to hate him still. Treat him like all the other assholes in this school. But a small part of him was scared to hear those kinds of words from you again. Fearing that it might just hurt a little bit more than the last time.

But you don’t do that. Instead, you’re reaching over to place your hand on top of his. “I’m sorry,” you said softly. The tips of his fingers twitched under the softness of your warm hands. “It’s not your fault..I hope you know that.”

His eyes didn’t know where to look. The sincerity in your eyes or the way your hand is slowly inching to be inside his. Turning his palm over, he watched in silent awe as you slipped your fingers between his. It felt nice. He couldn’t help but give it a light squeeze as he muttered a shy response. “Thanks.”

It’s a beat of a second that the two of you are just sitting there. Subtly holding hands over the table, where anyone could see and make things worse for the current rumors you shared. But Steve didn’t seem to care. Because for once, it felt like someone actually gave a shit about how he felt.

“I know I’m probably the last person you think would suggest this. But maybe we can find a way to figure out where Nancy and Jonathan are. Help figure out what mess they’ve gotten into-”

“You know Harrington. When I mentioned leaving behind some girls for you, I wouldn’t have expected you to go after my girl of all people.” He watched as Billy pulled a chair out beside you, screeching the metal against the floor before he plopped down. He shot a white toothy smile over at Steve briefly before he glanced back at you. Draping his arm over your shoulder in an attempt to hug you close.

He’s so distracted by the look of hatred on your face, that he didn’t even realize he had dropped your hand in the process.

“Okay, first off. I am not your girl. Second, what the hell are you on about, Billy?”

“Lover boy here is obviously having some relationship problems as we’ve discussed.”

Discussed?

Steve’s eyes glanced over to you questionably. Wondering just when the two of you had talked enough to have him be the main topic of discussion. Didn’t you hate Billy that you were trying to avoid him at any chance?

“I thought I gave him some humbling advice but he clearly ran off with it.”

“God, do you ever stop talking?” Steve muttered in disbelief. Unsure where the hell this guy pulled all this crap out of.

“No, he lacks the capacity to have any sort of tact.” you responded, sounding just as tired as Steve felt.

“Others would say I’m just brutally honest.” Billy shrugged. The two of you could only scoff at that. Still taken back by this asshole.

He watched as you scooted your chair away, trying not to be as close to Billy. “What asinine advice did you give Steve?”

“Easy, I told him there was plenty of girls–”

“Not the word I remember hearing.” he said, watching as the small interruption managed to get under Billy’s skin a bit.

“That he should move on and find some other bitch to help him forget Wheeler.” His poor choice of words earned him a look of disgust from you. Making Steve feel a little bit smug that of all the people Billy managed to get under his thumb, you didn’t seem to be one of them. “And like I mentioned before, I didn’t think he’d do that with you of all people.”

He glanced over at Steve with his last words, raising his brow just a smidge enough that Steve can’t help but feel something bubble up in his chest. “Who she talks to is none of your business.” There’s a slightly shocked look on both of your faces. But he ignored that to keep telling off Billy. “From what she’s told me, she dumped you last year, leaving you a mess back in California.”

“Oh is that what she said?” Billy chuckled, leaning in towards the table. Something waved over Steve’s body. He’s never felt so confrontational with a person before. And he’s not sure if it’s because Billy is that big of an asshole or if it’s because he’s an asshole who thinks he owns you. “What else do you suddenly know about her?”

“I know she’s obviously grossed out by you and yet all you’ve done since you’ve gotten here is invade her space, man. It’s like you aren’t getting the hint.” Steve countered, mimicking Billy as he leaned in closer.

“Really! You of all people are able to grasp hints all of a sudden!”

“Believe me, I’m not the only one seeing the signs. She’s practically crawling away from you every time you’re by her.” The anger was building up and he knew he should shut up. But this angry little monster that’s been on his shoulders this week is growing bigger with every reply back from Billy.

“And just how many times are you watching whenever I talk with her? She’s my girlfriend!”

Motherfu–

“She’s not!”

“ENOUGH!” you yelled suddenly as you pushed out of your chair. All around students paused in their lunch to stare over at the sudden eruption from the table. From the glare on your face, Steve knew was in trouble. “I’ve about had it with you two!”

Scratch that, he’s in deep shit.

“For the last and final time, Billy. I am NOT your girlfriend. You’re an egotistical man-whore who needs a god damn reality check! Leave me the hell alone!” Steve glanced over to the blonde, noting that he was not only taken back by your outburst but also a little bit..afraid? Did he too face your wrath back at home?

He nearly jumped in his seat when your fiery eyes turned to look at him next. But unlike Billy, he’s used to this fire by now, and he’s more than ready to accept what you throw at him. But the longer you look at him, the more he could tell there was something you were holding back on.

“We’re not friends.” you said, making his chest hurt just a little bit at the reminder. “I don’t need you to defend me and I definitely don’t need you to speak for me.”

“Shows over, assholes!” you yelled over to the gawking student body. They’re quick to avert their gazes after that, probably having seen enough of what your target practice can do.

Both the boys sat there, silent as you gathered up your things and pushed in your chair. It wasn’t until Steve held up the magazine for you that he saw you pause. If only for a second before you grabbed it.

“Nice one, Harrington!” Billy jeered with a slap to the table. He quickly got up from his chair and made his way towards another table before Steve could get the chance to say anything back. All he could do was sit back and watch as you made your way out of the cafeteria.

There was still the problem he had in his hands and he only hoped that the rest of the school day would cool you off enough so that he could convince you to help him again.

Steve felt almost eerily like how he did Halloween night. Hands gripped tightly to the steering wheel as he watched you and Billy from the parking lot. He had hoped that he’d be able to offer you a ride with an apology and that would be good enough to get you to help him with Nancy. But all he could focus on right now was the sight of Billy cupping at your jaw, leaning closer to your lips. There was an off look to your face, but your eyes slipped close, like you’re waiting for a kiss.

For a moment Billy turned his head, obstructing Steve’s view before he suddenly let you go. For some reason Steve couldn’t help but press on the gas pedal, feeling the need to drive the hell out of the school, out of town, anywhere that wasn’t here.

The two of you turned your gazes towards his direction and he can’t help but scoff at the sight of shock on your face. Without another thought, he put the car in drive and set off to head off the parking lot. Ready just to end the stupid day.

“And you’re sure this will help me out?”

Mr. Chen, the town’s florist, looked over at Steve questionably. The boy had come in just a half hour ago, asking for help on getting flowers to help mend things up with Nancy. Using the partial advice you had given him at lunch the day before.

Immediately the man stalked over and offered Steve a variety of choices. Lilies, orchids, tulips, and so many that Steve couldn’t decide on. It wasn’t until he told the man that all he had was ten bucks that the man stalked off to the backroom and came out with a small bouquet of roses.

“I’ve been in this town longer than you’ve been alive, boy. Give her these. Suck it up and say you’re sorry.”

With that he waved off Steve, wishing him luck before escorting him out of his shop. On the drive there he thought long and hard what he could say. For sure he knew he felt bad about just leaving her at the party. And maybe for calling her bullshit. But it wasn’t as if he pulled those out of nowhere.

He arrived sooner to the Wheeler house than he had hoped. Unsure of what to do still as he climbed out of his car. Holding tightly to the roses as he attempted to practice what he’d say when Nancy came to the door.

“Listen..I’ve been thinking. I love you. I’m sorry.” He sighed. The words tasted bitter on his tongue. “I’m sorry? What the hell am I sorry for?” he thought out loud.

He’s about to make his way down the long driveway when he suddenly heard the voice of someone else.

“Steve!”

Dustin, your cousin and Mike’s friend, cut across the lawn as he approached him. “Are those for Mr. or Mrs. Wheeler?”

“No.” Steve responded, confused.

“Good.” Without another word, he quickly snatched the flowers from his hand and made his way back up the driveway. Leaving Steve to scramble after him.

“Hey. What the hell? HEY.”

“Nancy isn’t home.” he clarified quickly.

“Where is she?” he asked, confusion only growing more. If she wasn’t at school yesterday and not at her house today. Then where the hell was she?

“Doesn’t matter. We have bigger problems than your love life.”

Great, so this kid all of a sudden can easily read just how much trouble Steve was going through right now.

“Do you still have that bat?”

Wait, he can’t mean.. “Bat? What bat?” Steve asked, cautiously.

“The one with the nails.”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain it on the way.”

“Now?”

“NOW!”

Steve couldn’t help but run back towards his car. Oddly enough, your cousin acted very similarly in terms of bossing him around. But like with you, Steve couldn’t help but listen to his gut and follow what was being asked of him. At least for now.

“Damn it.” Cursed Dustin.

Steve, who had been making the drive over to your house after getting the bat from his house, couldn’t help but glance over at the kid again. The ‘explanation’ that was promised to him was a quick short plea for Steve to help get rid of something that he had managed to trap in his basement. When asked what, Dustin said again that he’d explain when they got to the house.

“What’s up?” he asked finally.

“It’s dark. The stupid sun went down.” muttered the boy miserably. He ducked his head a bit to scan out the window again. Steve couldn’t help but chuckle a bit about it.

“You scared of the dark or something?” he teased. Dustin turned his head quickly to scowl over at Steve before he quickly shook his.

“In case you didn’t remember, the task I need your helping hand in, is to go inside the house’s storm cellar. Meaning shitty lighting, genius.”

Though Steve should be offended by the tone used by Dustin, he oddly found it a little entertaining. Wondering how a kid could sound so much like an adult. “Don’t sweat it,” Steve shrugged. “Just give me a good flashlight and I’ll take out this wild raccoon.”

“Uh it’s definitely not a raccoon.”

“Possum?”

“Nope.”

“Skunk?”

“Think more scales.” Dustin chuckled, seemingly amused by Steve’s guesses.

“A lizard?”

“No, not a liza- Are you kidding me?”

Steve’s eyes followed towards the direction Dustin had turned to, watching as a cyclist had emerged onto the road. He was about to ask what the big deal was until he noticed the familiar backside.

“Always with impeccable timing.” Dustin grumbled as he pressed down on the window. He quickly stuck his head out and began to yell out your name. For a second your bike wavered before you began to pull to the side. Your face turned towards the direction of the car and Steve slowly approached, setting down the brake once he had gotten close enough.

The boy climbed out of the car, hanging at the side of the door as he called out to you once more. For a moment you looked over, confused clear on your face before you eyed over at the car. That’s when it seemed to hit you. Making you storm closer towards the door with your bike in hand.

“What the hell are you doing with Steve Harrington?” you asked, in complete disbelief. Taking that as his signal, Steve moved to get out of his car. Leaning onto the roof slightly as he took in the sight of you. Not only were you visibly confused, but from the way your brows were furrowed, he figured it wouldn’t be long for you to get angry.

“Could have ran you off the road there, Trouble.” he sighed, unable to fight his curiosity. “Why the hell are you biking out so late anyway?”

“She was probably looking for her boyfriend.” Dustin answered with the same annoyed tone he had before. “Complained all last night about how he wouldn’t return her calls and went as far to look for him today. Which, by the way, thanks for getting back to me.”

“Boyfriend?!” said the two of you.

Steve couldn’t believe it. Not only were you kissing Billy but now he’s back to being your boyfriend? The questions began to quickly burst from inside of Steve as he turned to look at Dustin. The only honest person he’s spoken to in days it’d seem.

“She’s been trying to call Hargrove?”

“Hargrove? Who the hell is that? I meant Jonathan.”

“BYERS?” Steve yelled, looking back at you momentarily. How the hell could Jonathan be off with Nancy but be also dating you? When the hell did that even happen? How the hell did that even happen? “Since when is she dating Jonathan Byers?!”

“I don’t know, probably Christmas?”

“Excuse me.” you said in between the two of them.

How could you be dating Jonathan since last year and Steve not even see? The two of you hung out a lot. But there was never any hand holding. No kissing. You were just kissing Billy! “Christmas?! What about Billy?”

“I seriously have no idea who that is.”

“The guy that kissed her at school. Her ex.”

“A guy kissed her at school?!”

“Guys..” he heard you sigh. But by now Steve’s questions were pouring out in a flood and he wasn’t able to keep up with Dustin’s simple answers. As far as the kid knew, the two of you were a hot item for almost a year.

“WILL YOU GUYS SHUT UP!?”

The anger in your voice put a shiver down Steve’s back. How the hell was he about to be reamed by you for a second day in a row?

“I am not or will not ever date Jonathan Byers. He is my friend, and nothing else.” Your eyes found him next and he forced himself to hold his gaze with you when you pointed over at him. “I am also NOT dating Billy.”

“Yeah?” he asked as he ran his now sweaty hand through his hair. “So what was that I saw at school yesterday? First you tell us off in front of everyone at lunch and next thing I see after school is you two about to kiss.”

He can’t control the bitterness in his words. Whatever happened, whatever he saw? He didn’t like it. But the moment his accusations came out was unfortunately the moment he realized he had messed up. And the words that followed next didn’t help.

“Yeah, well, Billy likes to take whatever he wants. Regardless if the other person is willing.” you shrugged simply, despite your eyes saying something else. “It’s not like it’s any of your business anyway, right?”

Take whatever he wanted? Has he done this to you before?

Steve felt a sudden burst of shame wash over him. He quickly tried to remember how things looked the other day. It was like what he had told Billy at lunch.

“..all you’ve done since you’ve gotten here is invade her space, man. It’s like you aren’t getting the hint.”

Maybe he didn’t get the hint after all.

Dustin cleared his throat, bringing himself back into the conversation and the focus back on what he needed help with. “Look, there’s not a lot of time. But you need to get in the car.”

“Why? I can just bike home.”

The boy ignored you momentarily, grabbing at the handlebars of your bike before he called for Steve to follow him to the trunk. He quickly joined him at the back, popping up the trunk door as he helped place the bike in the leftover space. From the side he could see as your eyes found the weapon.

“Dustin..” you groaned. “What the hell is going on?”

Dustin looked nervous as he picked at his zipper before he glanced over at Steve. Silently shooting him pleading looks. But Steve ignored him momentarily, grunting a bit as he struggled to get the bike in the back. “No clue.” he honestly said to you.

The smaller boy stalked over to the backside, extending his hand for you to step. “Get in, I’ll explain on the way home.”

He couldn’t help but check his mirror to catch a glimpse of you. It’s only been about a minute since the three of you got back inside his car and he’s suddenly racked with so many emotions. Not only were you still upset from lunch, but apparently the whole Billy encounter was something that was forced on you.

And all he did was accuse you of something else. Like an asshole.

“What’s with the flowers?” you asked from the back, looking down at the seat next to you.

“Ah, just something Steve was trying to give Nancy.” Dustin said offhandedly. “She wasn’t even home.”

He peeked again at his rear view mirror. Watching as you pulled a single rose from the bouquet. You took a quick sniff and gave the flower a small smile. While he stared off at the road again, he couldn’t help but wonder; have you ever been given flowers?

“All right, punk.” you sighed to Dustin. “Spill.”

Dustin pursed his lips a bit before he began to dive into the details. If Steve hadn’t gone through what he did last year, he would have thought Dustin’s story was just one of an imaginative kid. But knowing Hawkins, and his luck this week, it was all probably true.

The more he seemed to go on, the more you grew even more irritated. If possible. Eventually there’s some back and forth about a cat and suddenly Steve had to stop the two of you from fighting. Or more so stop you from fighting.

Steve couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at the relationship you two shared. You weren’t siblings, nor even related by blood. But there was already such a bond between the two of you. Something he was sure you guys weren’t even aware of.

Dustin for some reason, acted as if you frustrated him, but at the same time would volunteer Steve to go down the cellar alone where the two of you could keep safe upstairs. And while you seemed to want to kill him a moment ago, you were fiercely tugging him close to your side.

He’s never had anyone like that in his life. And he wondered for a moment, what that would be like for once.

It’s hours later and the three of you are trudging back. All tired from not only trying to figure out where the tunnel that Dart, as Dustin named it, had escaped. But also the overall emotions from the day.

The two of you stepped before Steve, leaving him a bit hesitant at the doorway before Dustin turned to look back at him curiously. “Well c’mon.” he yawned, returning back at the door. “We gotta make up plans.”

Taking that as his welcome in, Steve stepped through the threshold. Taking in the house that he’s come to twice now, but never having seen inside.

There’s a couple pictures around the place. Mostly of Dustin and his mother. But there are a few that Steve couldn’t help walk over to. It was one of Dustin, looking even more younger than Steve thought possible, and of a plain looking girl. He was about to set it down until he looked back once more. The smile on her face..it was you.

“Hmm, back when she was too small to have all that attitude.” Dustin muttered as came to Steve after locking up. “Back when she was cooler.”

Steve glanced between the photo and the sight of you reading a note over at the dining room table. He wondered what it must have been like knowing you then.

“Aunt Claudia must still be out.” you yawned, missing out on Steve’s gawking as you shed off your jacket. “We’ll have a good hour or two to plan things out.”

Immediately it’s back to work and the three of you moved into the living room to quickly think out ways you could check the area. But after thinking it over, drawing Dart back to a secluded spot might be the better idea than attempting to scour the whole woods that surrounded the area.

It was a little bit later that you had gone off to the kitchen to check out supplies. Steve took it upon himself to read over a magazine that had been left on the table. It was the one he took from you the other day. Flipping through the pages, he found the stupid quiz you had been focused on.

Reading over the results, he couldn’t help but scoff to himself at how vague everything seemed. How any girl could fall for this type of thing was beyond him.

“I’m gonna need your help.” you sighed from the kitchen. Steve snapped his head up, following to where you were looking to notice that Dustin behind him had nodded off while he wasn’t looking.

“Shit, I thought he was strangely quiet.”

“Yeah, it’s the only time we’ll ever get this kinda silence.” you said at a glance to your watch. “He must have been tired from getting Dart out of the house.”

Setting the magazine down, Steve quickly got up from the floor. Moving to help get the poor kid somewhere he could rest without breaking his neck. There had been so many times growing up Steve had found himself waking up in the middle of the night, having knocked out on the couch while waiting for his Dad to get home. The stiffness lingered on for days sometimes.

Dustin deliriously called out for you, unaware that his house guest was still here. So Steve gently shushed him, moving him down the hall where you pointed over to. The inside of Dustin’s room seemed typical for the type of boy he was. Walls covered with movies and comics that the boy liked. It was nice to see a personality outside of the smart quips he usually gave to Steve.

“Goodnight, buddy.” he said softly before he allowed the kid to fall onto the bed. You carefully threw his blanket over him before following out after Steve. For some reason, being left alone with you at the moment felt almost nerve wrecking.

“I guess it’s getting pretty late.” Steve said tired, glancing at his watch to note the time. “I could drive home and come back in a couple of hours.”

“Well, we got a ton of stuff to do tomorrow. Probably need to head to the market early for all the supplies.” You said, eyes carefully watching him. He nodded his head in agreement. It would be better to get a head start as early as possible. And while he dreaded the idea, he figured there was at least another option for him to get some rest.

“I guess I can sleep in the car.”

“Or,” you drawled out. “You can just spend the night here.”

Wait what did you just say?

“Here?” He stuttered a bit. Still in complete disbelief that you’d even suggest that. “I can’t spend the night here..”

“Why not?” There was such an amusement to your tone. As if you hadn’t just been giving him nothing but the cold shoulder today. Waving your hand, you urged him to follow after you to the door just a little past Dustin’s. It’s your room. Steve’s not even sure he could even grasp the idea of coming in there. Opening the door, you looked back at him, continuing to wave for him to come forward. “It’s literally just to sleep for a couple of hours before we start everything.”

While there’s an honest reassurance in your voice, he’s still not sure he could wrap his head around all this. “Yeah,” He said, taking one step inside. “But I’m a guy and I can’t just stay over.”

You gave him a little look before he entered further, taking in the sight of your room. It’s colorful, and completely what he expected from your personality. All around were different magazines, books, and something that looked like a journal. There’s a strong scent of your perfume and he wondered if you might find it creepy if he asked what it was. He chose distraction instead and busied himself by looking over at your jewelry collection.

“You mean to tell me you haven’t spent the night over at a girl’s house?” You asked with a smirk on your face. Heat flushed over Steve’s face because honestly, no, he hasn’t. The real honest answer would be that girls mostly spent the night at his place. Where he could be in charge of who stayed and left him. But a part of him isn’t really ready to dive into that. “It’s not like a sleepover, Steve. You’re just sleeping over.”

“God, you’re still trouble.” he said, saying his thoughts out loud. It was like you were looking to make him break down at this point.

You disappeared into the closet for a moment, giving Steve the chance to peek over at your bedside table. There was a photo of you along with a trio of girls. All dressed up and grinning ear to ear in the photo. While all your friends held a certain beauty to them, you stood out the most. Posing in such a way that held confidence. If he looked close enough, he could almost see that sparkle that used to be in your eyes.

“All right, I don’t really have a sleeping bag so unless you want to break your back on the floor, we’re gonna have to share the bed.”

His eyes widened. Did you really just suggest what he thinks you did?

“The bed? Like you and me? On there?” he glanced over at the bed. It roughly had to be a full size. Possibly Queen if he wished hard enough. How the hell were you guys gonna be able to split that without it being weird.

But you’re so calm. As if you offer this for anyone that has to spend the night.

“We can use my other pillow as a wall between us. It’ll be like when you took naps in Kindergarten.”

“Yeah, well I could never really nap then anyway.” He muttered, feeling a little bit defeated in trying to reason with you here. “Isn’t this weird though? You hate me.”

“I hated Billy and did worse with him in the sheets.”

The idea of Billy and you in bed brought a sourness to his face. For some reason. But regardless of what his mind was screaming at him to do. He still shed off his jacket and pushed off his shoes. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” he mumbled under his breath before he glanced at you again. “So I usually like sleeping by the window..”

“Just get in, your highness.”

Not wanting to be told twice, he quickly climbed into the bed. Admiring just for a second its softness before he moved the farthest he could go. You had taken off your own jacket, hanging it just on the bedside chair before chucking over the spare blanket you had brought out. It smelled like freshly washed linens and he sincerely hoped that would mask the overwhelming smell of your perfume that currently drove him crazy.

It only got worse when you climbed in yourself, adjusting the pillow in between the two of you before you settled into a comfortable sleeping position. But sleep felt like the farthest thing on Steve’s mind right now. All he could focus on was the fact that he was with you, in your bed, in the middle of night.

And all you two were gonna do was sleep.

He should stop. Just sleep and forget about this awkward night so that tomorrow you guys could find this baby demogorgon and deal with it quickly.

But every time Steve attempted to close his eyes, he couldn’t help but think back to how you had looked at him earlier in the night.

“Yeah, well, Billy likes to take whatever he wants. Regardless if the other person is willing.”

How could he have just so easily thought so badly of you? Why did his stupid anger about the fight with Nancy have to come out and attack you of all people? The guilt had started to build up, and while he wished he could push it down to focus on everything else, he couldn’t.

Lifting his head up, he checked over the pillow in hopes that you were still awake too.

To his surprise, you were already looking over at him curiously. He took that as a sign to go forward with his thoughts. “I’m sorry about before.” he said softly, the small bit of light from outside shined brightly enough that he was able to see it cast over the bit of face that peeked up from your blanket. It was slightly distracting. “I sort of accused you of doing something with Billy..I should have known it was just him being a dick..”

For a moment, he had become worried about your silence. But you slowly turned on your side, facing him better. There’s a questionable look on your face, but Steve held his breath to hear you out. “It’s alright.” you said eventually. “He kind of makes everyone angry when they talk about him.”

“Which is what’s so confusing.” He said, thinking it over. It was annoying to think you put up with the man’s dramatics for so long.

“What do you mean?”

It was his turn to curl on his side now, needing to face you better. Using his elbow to lift himself up a bit so that he could peer down at you. For some reason, the subject has you looking so..small. His mind fought between reaching out to comfort you, and getting answers to the questions that’s racked his head this whole week.

“How the hell could a girl like you date that asshole?”

He feared he might have stepped too far. Making you uncharacteristically quiet before you shrugged up at him. “Because I was an asshole.”

“What?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re not an asshole.”

“No, but if I remember clearly, you did think I was a bitch once.”

His jaw slacked a bit and he attempted to stutter out an apology. That dreadful day where he had messed up in more ways than one brought out so many things he wished you both could forget. You’re already shaking your head, stopping him from speaking up.

“I can admit it. I don’t think I was a good person until the accident.”

There was almost a sad, distant look in your eyes when you looked down at your hands. Making Steve grip hard at the blanket over him to stop himself reaching out. Seeing you in any way sad hurt his chest. But this moment felt different.

He shouldn’t feel different.

“I used to be such a bitch..worse than anything you’ve seen so far. And the sad part is I don’t even know why.” You said with a laugh forced in. “It’s not like I needed to be. My parents weren’t negligent or mean. But when I was with Billy, I felt like I was a part of a role. That I was someone special because I was dating the most wanted guy at school. None of my friends even cared about things like that. So why did I?”

You mistook his silence for something else and quickly closed up again. A panic coursed through Steve.

“Mistakes happen and I’m over sharing.” you finished with a pull to your blanket. A large part of it covered your face a bit. “We should probably go to sleep.”

“I was wrong.” Steve said, finally breaking his silence. “You were never a bitch. If anything, I was the asshole.” His mind raced back to last year. And how different you made his life. Which, he of course, ruined that. Going so badly that he made you think he actually thought the worst of you. A painful regret that he still felt haunted by. “I think you’re actually the coolest person to ever step foot in Hawkins. And if my big dumb mouth made you think otherwise for even a second I’m sorry.”

When you don’t fight against his words, he used the small bit of courage he had left tonight to continue.

“I’m not the best with words. I think you out of everyone would know that. But I just want you to know that I’m sorry. For all that shit. And if tomorrow is the only time we hang out again after everything, then I understand.”

Looking back at you only made his chest tighten. The sight of your teary eyes putting his emotions in the ringer. How could he make things right with you? His weak words can only go so far and he’s sure that a smart girl like you wouldn’t care. You shouldn’t. But Steve is a little selfish and he’ll use the moment to his advantage. Like right now, when he reached his hand out to cup the side of your face. The pad of his thumb rubbed off a fallen tear from your soft cheek. “Those damn allergies, right?”

“Steve..”

There was such a pleading to his name when you spoke. Making his chest ache again in a way that he hasn’t felt in a while. But he can’t focus on that right now. Neither of you can.

He quickly shook his head. You didn’t need to dive into his words and he couldn’t fall towards yours. Not when you were both clearly upset about things neither of you could control. “Goodnight, Trouble.” he urged, gently pushing you to lie down.

He watched in silence as you turned over, giving him your back. A part of him wished he had let you continue talking. See what just might come out. But another, more silent winning part didn’t. Not when he was unsure what you might bring up. All that’s left is to force himself to sleep. Thinking only for a moment about the way you said his name.

It wasn’t the right time to get up when Steve stirred awake. It was the sudden temperature that surrounded his face. How was it that his pillows were so warm today? And when did his Mom change the fabric softener to something so incredibly sweet? Like fruity but..with a hint of something that made Steve take a deep breath. Just when he was about to fall back into sleep, he felt the pillow in his arms expand. No, not expand..breathe.

Wait pillows don’t breathe.

Steve’s eyes instantly snapped open. Giving full sight of the compromising position you were both in.

Somehow, during the few hours of the night, the barrier that you had meticulously put had been pushed off. Allowing the sleeping Steve to slither his way in and grab hold of your body. The sides of his face were not warmed up by his pillows, but by the crook of your neck. Making him realize why he was so engulfed in such a sweet scent.

His arm was wrapped around you. Tugged close enough so that your back was pressed to the front of his chest. Warming his body from the earlier hour’s cold air.

How the hell could he let this happen? Why would his sleeping hands just wander off and do something like this? And more importantly, why the hell did you smell so good?

He peered back from your neck. Careful not to wake you up in the process.

With the low light coming in through the crack in the curtain, Steve was able to get a pretty good look at your face. It was strange to see your usual stoic face look so..calm. There’s a certain peaceful look to your face. Or maybe it is just your usual look and he’s missed out on seeing it considering most days you frowned at him.

But it’s nice.

There’s so many nice things about you and he hates that it’s only in a moment that’s as wrong as this that he’s able to soak it in.

He shouldn’t stay like this. He should remove himself from around you and turn around. He’s in love with Nancy for Christ’s sake. And yet, he’s unable to remove his gaze from the soft features of your face. From the way your lips pout each time you blow out a bit of air, the way your cheek is rounded from pressing against the pillow, and especially the way your hands were placed above his. Like you were reaching out for him..

This is sick. You hate his guts.

He shouldn’t be over analyzing the way you cuddled unconsciously and instead focus on getting himself back to sleep. It wasn’t right to you, Nancy, and even himself. Because whatever this was..it was definitely messing with his mind.

Gently, he slipped his hands off from the expanse of your waist. Letting your hands slip down over yourself again. Using the small inch room he had, he bent down to pick up the blanket and carefully pulled it over your body. Earning a content hum to come from you once you gained back a bit of warmth that his body had been currently providing.

With his arms free, he squinted over at his watch. Thankful that it was still early within the night that he could get a couple more hours of sleep. If he was able to at this point.

Adjusting himself, he ignored the things in his mind to try and find a comfortable position on his back. Trying to focus on the sleep he’d seriously need and not the way he felt cold since letting you go. He peeked down once more to look at your sleeping form. You were still asleep, body covered up perfectly without any part of him over you.

He kept his gaze on you, allowing himself the sight of watching you until his eyes had begun to grow heavy again. Tomorrow would probably be the last day you’d want anything to do with him, he reminded himself. So for these few seconds, he’d enjoy your close company quietly.

“Dude, you know you’re drooling right?”

Steve let out a loud snort as he shot up from the bed. Scrambling to cover up his body with the blanket that had been thrown over him. “Huh? What?” he gaped. Blinking hard to his surroundings. He thought you would be beside him for the early wake up call, but he found instead a sleepy looking Dustin who stood just beside your bed.

“Did she really let you crash here?” he chuckled a bit while rubbing his eyes. “I bet the couch wasn’t comfortable for her.”

For a moment Steve was about to correct the poor kid, but decided against it when he remembered that this whole time he thought you were dating Jonathan. Climbing out of the bed, he stretched his tired body and looked around the room. It looked a little too bright for the time they were supposed to start working.

Turning his wrist over, he looked at the time and frowned a bit at how late it was. “Shit, we’re behind on things.” Steve muttered before he looked at Dustin. The boy looked over at his wrist before turning to exit the room. Following him, Steve stepped in just in time to catch the sight of you cutting up various cold cuts of meats at the counter.

“Why the hell didn’t you wake us up?” Dustin called out to you.

The sudden question caused you to jump a bit. Nearly dropping the knife before you glanced in their direction. Steve noticed that you were definitely more freshened up than the two of them who were still in clothes from the day before.

“You guys were pretty beat up yesterday. And since I’m an early riser, I figured I’d get most of the petty work done.” you replied as you kept your focus back on cutting the red chunky pieces.

Dustin moved to your side looking down at your work before he glanced back at you. Confusion clear on his face. “Did you just say you’re an early riser? Seriously? You?”

“I get up early.”

“You get up with minutes to spare most days!”

Steve walked up behind you, peering over at your work. The sight of the meat so early in the morning turned his stomach a bit. Making him extremely thankful that you took the task of cutting it up for the two of them while they were sleeping. He was curious about just how early you actually got up to get so much done. Not to mention how you did it without them knowing.

“How’d you even get all this stuff anyway?” He yawned over from the counter. You reached into your back pocket and fished out a pair of car keys. Wait a second..

“Really? You took my car?”

“She drove like a beauty.”

He rolled his eyes, stuffing the keys back in his pocket. While he’s sure that you didn’t crash his car, he’s a little bit annoyed that you got his car without him even knowing. “She better still drive that way when we go out today.”

“Don’t get so worked up, your highness. Excuse me for wanting to give the two of you an extra hour of sleep.”

“Hell, I’m thankful for it.” Dustin cut in thankfully. “Oh sweet, pop-tarts.”

There’s something different about you today. Something that had you on edge more than usual and Steve couldn’t figure out why. Did you regret opening up to him last night? Had he pushed you too far in an attempt to get his answers? He thought about how it felt to see you so calm this morning and how it’s slowly fading back to being annoyed with him.

“So you think we’re ready to go? Or can I have a shower first?” Dustin interrupted again, making you turn around and frown at him.

“Don’t be gross,” you said to him. A bit of distaste in your voice. “But to answer you, I’m actually done. So we can head out now if you’re ready to go.”

“Sweet, Let’s get going.”

“Ugh, if you’re not gonna be able to shower you should at least brush your teeth.” You groaned as you picked up Dustin’s trash. “I don’t wanna have to deal with your rank breath all day.”

Dustin looked over at Steve with a shocked look. “Do you hear the way she talks to me? Loving family, huh?” He said, trying to seek out a possible reassurance from him. But all Steve could do was give him a small smile and shrug. Unsure if he wanted to get in the middle of the two.

“Just hurry up, dude.”

The boy waved the two teens off before he stalked off down the hall. Leaving the two of you alone. Something Steve didn’t know he was secretly fearing until now. How were the two of you supposed to talk after everything? Were you going to close off again? What if you didn’t and he said the wrong thing today?

Last night had worked out in his favor. But lord knows that Steve wasn’t the best at keeping his cool around you. It was like he was meant to be the most uncool person you’d ever interact with. Which was definitely not okay in Steve’s book. He wasn’t that guy. He was the guy that had girls swooning and falling for him. But that wasn’t what he wanted for you.

Had he really gone all these years without figuring out how to be just friends with a girl? Carol was his friend for a long time. But she was also there because of Tommy..

“So about last night..” you started. Making Steve panic at how was going to go about things.

“Do you have any water?” he said quickly, needing a brief subject change.

“The glasses are in there.” you replied confused. Giving him the chance to turn around and gather his emotions as he tried to focus on anything other than your curious face. But it’s not a long enough pause to get his words together because you’re speaking up again seconds later.

“So..last night.” you chuckled. “Sorry for dropping so much emotional baggage on you.” From the corner of his eyes he could see as you struggled with getting the words out. Maybe you were embarrassed by it all and regret sharing in the first place. Great, now he was worried he made you feel bad about speaking at all. “I-I know I’m not the easiest person to talk to when pissed off. And I’ve been such a bitch lately—“

“You haven’t.” He interrupted quickly. Not wanting you to think even for a second that you were a bitch. Especially when you’ve been dealing with your asshole ex on top of everything else. “And last night can be just last night if you want it to be.” he added, hoping it’d bring you a bit of ease.

“What?” you asked, confusion back on your face.

“I mean, you were obviously upset about Billy and I was there for you to vent it out to. And like I said later on, it doesn’t have to be more than just hanging out today fighting a cat eating monster.”

He’s attempting to keep cool about this. Not wanting to sound too eager or too offish in case it made you upset. Maybe girls like you need neutrality to keep your emotions together. It was hard to figure out sometimes.

“..Okay?” you said slowly. “Sounds good then..”

While your answer wasn’t as pleased as he had hoped. He was glad it wasn’t making things worse as well. Remembering his cup before him, he quickly downed the liquid. Setting it down in the sink before he glanced back at you.

“Uh here,” you spoke up again, reaching for something in the grocery bag. He took a small step towards you and stared down at the new toothbrush in your hand. “Thought you might want this since you can’t exactly head home right away.”

The gesture was so nice and very much the opposite sort of thing you’d do towards him as of late. It’s throwing off Steve more than he’d like to admit but he managed to keep up his calm demeanor when he reached out to take it from you. “Thanks,” he muttered, trying to ignore the warmth he felt from the heat of your skin. “I’ll just uh, go get to it.”

Without another glance back, he rushed out of the kitchen. Needing to distance himself from you and your kind gestures. If last night wasn’t already messing with him, then today was definitely going to make things worse.

“And uhh what about her?”

Steve felt stumped with Dustin’s question. All morning the two of them had been going back and forth. Talking about just about everything. Meanwhile, you had been in front of them, leading the long walk to where the junkyard was. It had been quiet between the two of you since this morning. And Steve felt a twist in his stomach at the idea of possibly having made things worse for you.

But now his thoughts were plagued with a new thought.

What kind of girl were you?

For so long he thought he had it down with girls. Flirt with them, make them laugh, then see how they’d react and go from there. But that was all shot out the window when you came into town. You weren’t a girl who needed a man with confidence, and you definitely weren’t into someone who’d go for the slow approach. There was such a mystery to you and so many times did Steve find himself craving to figure out what it was.

“..I’m still trying to figure that out.” he replied honestly.

From where the two boys stood he could see that you were tensed up a bit. Did you listen in on their conversation? Did you want to hear his answer too?

“But this girl’s special, too, you know. It’s just like, something about her.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey.”

“What?”

“You’re not falling in love with this girl, are you?”

“Uh no, NO.”

“Okay, good. Don’t!”

“I won’t.”

“She’s only gonna break your heart, and you’re way too young for that shit.”

A quietness fell in their conversation and Steve winced a bit at how dejected the kid looked. He was obviously not given this type of advice on the regular. And he doubts you and Dustin had this kind of heart to heart about love lives. Especially considering that you two fought like babies.

The kid had the personality, he just needed to know how to use his confidence correctly.

“Fabergé.” he muttered.

“What?”

Pointing up to his hair, Steve kept walking as he revealed one of his most hidden secrets. “It’s Fabergé Organics. Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair’s damp..it’s not wet, okay? When it’s damp..”

“Okay, damp..”

“You do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray.”

“..Farrah Fawcett spray?”

“Yeah, Farrah Fawcett.” he said slowly. “You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass.” he pointed a meaty gloved finger at the boy, trying not to feel the slight embarrassment from Dustin’s teasing tone. “You’re dead, Henderson. Do you understand?”

“Yup,” Dustin replied calmly.

Sighing, Steve nodded his head, hopeful that he could trust the kid with something like this

“Move your ass, your highness.” you called out from down the track line. Steve couldn’t help but glance over at you slightly annoyed. The two of you really knew how to get under his skin. But oddly enough, it wasn’t something he could find himself really hating.

“Farrah Fawcett, really?”

“I mean, she’s hot.”

“Yeah..”

Their conversation goes back to normal after the life lesson. And Steve’s pleased to see that you’ve decided to walk beside them now. Not really talking, but seemingly wanting to be by them. There’s a moment when Dustin is rambling on about some movie that he thinks Steve should watch, making Steve realize how comfortable he felt. Right there, talking to Dustin about movies and you nearby.

For two people that were obviously smarter than him. You both made Steve feel so effortlessly comfortable. There were occasional moments where the two of you would correct him or things like that, which was annoying, but it was never something mean. It was comforting enough that Steve felt he could talk freely. Especially with Dustin who seemed to hang on his every word.

How could someone who was as smart as Dustin was, be so excited to hear what Steve had to say?

He had been so trapped in his thoughts and keeping up with the conversation that Steve never noticed how long you had been watching him. Only noting that there was a curious look in your eyes. So, he shot you a small smile, hoping to ease your curiosity.

And to his surprise, you smiled back.

“You say that like you’ve shared the same experience.”

“Maybe I have. But I think I’m not the only one.”

God is he fucked.

How did he start off the morning, trying to make things neutral between the two of you, only to open his big dumb mouth and say something that felt like it was something else? You were too smart to not be able to read into the words he was saying.

Hell, if anything else, that kiss last year was enough to show that Steve did feel something for you. But that was in the past. He loved Nancy. Whatever was said today was only about last year. Right? So why the hell did he feel like he just put his foot in his mouth?

“What are you doing?”

Steve jumped a bit at the sound of Max’s voice. Not even noticing that the girl had come up to his side. “Nothing.” he coughed, gripping onto the sheet of metal he had been looking for. You were going to cover up the side of the bus with a lining of metal and would definitely need more than what the two other boys brought you.

“Why are you staring at her like that?” Max asked next, raising a brow at Steve.

“I’m not staring at her, I was..lost in thought.”

The girl snorted a bit, following where Steve’s eyeline went. And unfortunately, it landed on you. “So your thoughts had to do with my friend over there? Pretty creepy.” she mused softly, turning to gather up another piece of metal.

“It’s not like that. I wasn’t–”

“It’s not like what?”

“I wasn’t looking at her in thought.” he stuttered, looking down at the young girl with a frown. It was a bit weird how easily this girl got under his skin. “I was in thought and happened to be looking in the direction that she’s standing.”

He looked down at Max and noticed that the amusement on her face had turned into full blown smugness. “Okay.” she drawled out, passing him another piece of metal. “If you say so.” Without another word to him, she passed him another sheet of metal, clapped her hands of any dirt and made a beeline down the hill towards you.

Could this day get any weirder?

The night eventually creeped its way in, meaning that not only were they to wait out for their plan to work, but they had to wait in the small capacity of the bus.

He glanced over the junkyard, taking one last look at the calm before the chaos that was sure to come. He wondered what the others were doing and if they were okay. Were the other last two kids with their siblings? Were they safe at the lab? Was Nancy okay? Did she check in at his house wondering where he was?

The worst started to come into mind. What if something happened to her and she couldn’t call for help? Then he thought of something even worse than that; what if she didn’t want to call for help?

Needing to distract himself from that, he finished setting up the gas line to the bus entrance when he closed up the doors. In the corner, he noticed right away that you were sorting through the various bits of trash inside. A worried look on your face.

His hand reached out to you. Stopping you from getting any more anxious in front of the kids.

“What’s wrong?”

“What if..what if this isn’t enough?” Your voice is soft, heavy with worry and vulnerability. A side of you that he only saw the night before and the day you spilled your secret to him. “They’re kids, Steve. What if something really bad comes?”

“Then we take care of it like last time.”

“Like last time?! Steve, the four of us could hardly get that thing down. I stabbed it and it barely broke through the skin! Nancy had a gun!”

The tone of your panic is too loud for his taste and he quickly hushed you over. Needing you to keep cool with him. “Lower your voice!” he hissed, shushing you momentarily before showing you towards the doors. “Look, the plan is foolproof. Okay? These guys..won’t even have to leave the bus.”

There was a time once where you were able to get some sort of comfort from him. Back when he had your trust. He’d give anything just to have a normal conversation with you, but he’ll take on trying to calm you down instead.

“I’m sorry..I’m just nervous since it’s just us.”

It’s odd for him to feel slightly comforted at the fact that you see the two of you as a team. But you’re right, it is just the two of you and he knows what you guys are capable of.

“C’mon, trouble. With my bat and your–” Oh god this crow bar is shit. “With my bat, we have nothing to worry about.”

That answer didn’t really seem to comfort you fully and you’re slowly looking over him with a worrisome expression.

“What about if your bat isn’t enough? You could get hurt.”

“Oh,” he breathed. Surprised that he was able to say anything after that. It sounded like you were actually concerned about him. But that couldn’t be it. Could it? There was something about the way you keep looking at him today that has him feeling..everything that he shouldn’t. He’s not sure how he can keep acting normal about you and your pondering faces.“Don’t worry about me. Nothing’s gotten me yet.”

That settled you for a short while. Giving the two of you a chance to sit back and rest with the others for Dart to come and fall for the trap. Max was beside you, murmuring small conversations to you now and then. All while Dustin paced back and forth.

Like him, the kid was seemingly going through the same kind of mix of emotions. Mainly, with girls. Max was the one he had been referring to earlier in the day, and he could see why Dustin might be interested in a girl like that.

Fiery personality, witty quips, and smart. It was words he’d easily use to describe you. But there was one big difference in all this. Dustin wanted to impress Max to date her. And Steve, well, he wanted to date– No, wait he didn’t want to date. He wanted to be friends with you.

That’s all.

“..Shit. Don’t be an idiot. Okay? It wasn’t a bear. Why are you even here if you don’t believe us?..Just go home.”

Steve’s attention snapped over to Dustin as he gave a harsh reply to Max. There was definitely some effort from the boy in terms of not caring. But he wasn’t sure he should have added the insult. And from Max’s reaction, she didn’t seem too pleased with it either. Ditching the three of you in favor of joining Lucas on the roof.

It wasn’t the best move for Dustin, but Steve thought it was good enough for a first try around. “That’s good. Just show her you don’t care.” he encouraged.

“I don’t.”

Steve was pleased. Knowing that with proper instruction and encouragement, Dustin could easily change his life from heartache to heartthrob.

“You both are seriously idiots.” you said, coming into the conversation finally. Steve watched over carefully, seeing as your stunned look from before changed to annoyance. “How you’ve gotten any date is beyond me.”

“What are you talking about?” Steve scoffed, a little insulted by your dislike. He’s capable of getting tons of girls. Especially with his methods. “The kid did great.” he insisted a second later.

“Really?” you huffed. “Calling Max an idiot and making her feel bad. That’s great to you?”

“They’re kids. They’re used to jabbing. The girl’s tough. She’ll probably get over it by the time she comes back down.” he replied quickly.

“And what if she’s not? Your shitty advice could have led her away.”

Steve nearly gasped at your words. His advice, although a bit extreme, was solid. Glancing over at Dustin, he raised a brow, hopeful for the kid to come into his defense. But all the boy could do was stare between the two of them.

“Look, my methods have worked before. So I don’t know what you’re freaking out about.” he said simply. “Just let the dude work it out for himself and see what happens.”

You huff about wanting to check on his past girlfriends while moving to kneel at the seat next to him. Without really thinking he couldn’t help but stare over at you. Going over all the ideas that he did to his past girlfriends and rethinking things over.

“Tell me, Trouble. What do you suggest then?” He asked, needing to see what gained your approval. As far as he knows Billy was your longest relationship and Steve didn’t think Billy of all people even knew how to court a girl.

“What do you mean?” You said back, not giving him your full attention yet.

“You think you have this all figured out. How would you have told him to do it?”

You took a deep breath and adjusted around in the seat until you were beside him. Letting Steve have the chance to feel the brush of your arm on his. It’s annoying how much that stayed on his mind while you replied to him.

“Simple. I’d suggest he’d go about this the normal way.”

“Which is?”

There was a beat of silence after that and Steve quickly fiddled with the lighter in his hands, hoping he could distract himself from overthinking.

“Girls just want it simple. They want someone who’s honest, loyal, and nice. They’re not gonna want a guy who’s gonna play mind games with them.”

The very mention of mind games has Steve frowning slightly. He’s been in the biggest mind game of his life with Nancy for the past two days and you’re sitting here trying to tell him it’s the other way around.

“Girls constantly play mind games,” he said quickly. “You guys perfected it.”

That doesn’t stump you at all. You raise a brow, looking at him with a tired look. “Maybe the immature ones. But really, most girls are like Max, who expect people to be real. And if your past girlfriends aren’t like that, then you’re in the wrong dating pool.”

What the hell is she on about? He thought, falling into a mess of questions in his mind. There were many past relationships that came into mind, but one outstanding question could not stop echoing in his mind.

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

Licking his lips, he looked over at you carefully. “Are you like Max? Looking for honesty?”

Right away he can tell you’re a little taken back to have it turned on you. Which he’s slightly proud of himself for. But there’s a small part of him worried about hearing what kind of answer you might have for him.

“I’m not looking for any guy at the moment..”

“But what if you were? What kind of guy?”

“..I just want someone who actually likes me for once.”

In just ten simple words, he feels like his world has turned upside down. How could you feel like there hasn’t been anyone out there who’s truly liked you ever? He wants to believe that it’s impossible for that to be true. But there’s no time left for him to think it over. Because Dart has suddenly arrived into the junkyard and all their focus has to go in keeping to the plan.

But it’s hard, and he finds that he’s distracted with how aware he is suddenly of you and all the kids being here with just his bat as the only weapon. With just Dart, it shouldn’t be so bad, but there’s no telling if everything was going to go correctly.

Beside him, he can hear the sound of your shaking breath. Reaching a hand out, he hoped that with him near you’d have some small sense of comfort to what was going on.

Up on the roof, Lucas called out to where Dart was. And thankfully it’s on the right path towards the center pile of meat that you guys poured out. Only for a moment can Steve feel the knot in his back loosen. But that’s all thought too soon and the sight of the monster sniffing around the meat instead of eating it, has Steve glaring out the window.

“He’s not taking the bait. Why is he not taking the bait?” he asked frustratedly.

“It’s like he’s waiting for something.” you said under your breath.

“Maybe he’s not hungry?” Dustin said, trying to be hopeful. But something about Dart being hungry clicked in Steve’s mind. If this thing was growing, it was bound to start hunting. And like all those terrible animal documentaries he saw in Science class, they were bound to want their food fresh.

“Maybe he’s sick of cow.” Steve said suddenly, getting an idea.

“Sick of cow?” He heard you scoff. But he was too busy trying to think of how he’d run out this play to dive into explaining everything. All he did was squeeze at your soft hand once more before letting go.

“Steve?” you said in the smallest voice.

He shuddered a bit. Not quite prepared for the worry in your tone. Dustin was next to turn back and look at you, face mirroring yours perfectly.

“Steve, what are you doing?” he asked when he had made his way over to the door. It caused him to stop in place and turn around, holding up the lighter.

Just get ready.” he ordered before tossing it to the younger boy. His eyes met yours only for a second before he tore himself away. Afraid you might actually talk him out of this crazy idea.

The moment he stepped out the bus, he felt that this is where shit was going to go wrong. It was too quiet and too tense for just the small creature he’d be taking on. But even with the hair on the back of his neck rising, and the thought of everyone on the bus watching him, he still stepped forward.

It’s a second or two of calling out to Dart. Grip on the bat tight and ready to swing away at the beast. That’s when shit finally hits the fan and suddenly Lucas is screaming at him from the bus. From the sides, more creatures that looked like Dart started to appear.

He was being surrounded. He was going to die by ambush.

Just when he was sending out a prayer you’d get the kids to look away, he heard the sound of a heavy breath behind him. Glancing over, he’s nearly sent into a heart attack at the sight of you and that stupid, rusty, crowbar.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” he shouted. Upset and worried at seeing you try to take on some of the creatures. He needed you back in the bus where he would know you were safe with the kids. Not here trying to get yourself killed.

“I’ve got your back, just get your ass back over to the bus!” you shouted back, not looking at the worry you’ve suddenly filled Steve with. From behind, he could hear the screech of the bus doors open as Dustin called out to the two of you.

“Guys! Abort! Abort!”

That triggered off the dogs and it’s a vicious fight to get the two of you back over to the bus.

All around Steve felt the knot in his stomach grow bigger. With every swing to a creature, his eyes glanced to the bus. You weren’t keeping up with him in order to protect him. Failing to keep watch of yourself.

Rushing to your side, he watched as you used the sharp end of the crowbar to jab the face of one of the dogs. Causing the creature to recoil in pain and give Steve the chance to grab hold of you.

“Are you out of your mind?” he growled.

“I couldn’t just leave you alone!”

The two of you heed the warning from Dustin and dash the rest of the way in. Steve only had a second past the threshold of the bus doors before the demodogs attacked the bus.

“They’re gonna break through!” you yelled.

He reached past you to grab onto one of the metal paneling, using it as an extra barrier to the bus doors. But before he could secure it better, the bus is hit hard by one of the creatures, forcing it to dip on itself and make everyone lose their footing.

You fall down to the door, hitting against the metal roughly. Steve’s worried you might have hit your head when suddenly a claw punched through the metal, swiping at your arm. The kids let out a panicked cry and you let out a yelp at the attack.

After that he sees red.

Slamming his bat down on any creature that broke its claw through. Amid his swinging, the sounds of Max’s scream caught the attention of the two of you. Quickly, you reached over to place down another sheet of metal. Holding it back safely enough before you looked over at him.

“Go help them! I’m fine!” you insisted.

A part of him didn’t like the slight panic on your tone, but went ahead to the kids anyway.

“Out of the way! Out of the way!” he ordered. “You want some? Come get this!”

The creature let out a snarl to him, making it look like he was about to dive in when it suddenly was cut off. All around the roof was cleared off of the demodogs as if they were being forced into a retreat.

The group slowly scrambled back together. Making their way over to the bus doors.

Steve is the first one to make the move to step outside. Looking around the place for any sort of sneak attack that could happen. He can hear the murmured reactions of all the kids. But Steve knew by the look of things that things weren’t as they seemed.

“Steve scared ‘em off?”

“No. No way. They’re going somewhere.” Where though, was the question in mind.

It’s later on in the night and Steve can’t stop this knot that’s formed in his stomach. The group has long gone left the junkyard and down the hilltop. With the demodogs surely on their way to the lab, there was no telling what danger they’d be approaching.

Sure the coats sitting up in the lab probably had some high level security personnel. But were they strong enough?

There’s also the fact that you keep lagging behind in the group. Keeping yourself distant. He couldn’t help but frown over at you. Were you quiet because he had failed to keep you out of harm? Were you upset for him being mad that you came out of the bus to help when he didn’t need it?

Dustin is calling out to you. Yelling your name slightly worriedly but you quickly shush him. Pulling him to your side. Leaning in close to keep whatever conversation between the two of you a secret.

Eventually he’s pulling away from you, a frown on his face as he nodded his head. You urge him off and finally notice that Steve has been watching you. But instead of approaching you about it, he left you off to yourself, leading the kids out of the treelines.

That’s when the group ran into Nancy..with Jonathan.

Steve kept his gaze forward. Fixating on the flashlight on his hands and not at the fact that once the lights in the lab came back on Nancy and Jonathan took off in his car. Leaving Steve and the rest of you behind.

Was everything that’s been rumored these past few days true?

Was Nancy with Jonathan now? Did she like him? Did she love– No, he wouldn’t think about that. He couldn’t. He should focus on something else. There was always later for answers. Nancy and Jonathan both had brothers that could be up in that lab. It made sense they’d go off together.

Even if it meant he couldn’t be there to protect her.

The scuffing of shoes perked in his ears and he noticed that you’re still pacing before. Worried eyes glancing back to the lab before turning to go back to walking. It’s weird. Tonight he’s seen more sides of you than ever. The worried, the insecure, the unsure. It’s all nice as much as it’s worrisome to himself. He wants to help you but is not quite sure if you’d take the help right now. So he’d settle for distracting you.

“I’ve never seen you this nervous before.” he pointed out calmly, staying still in place with the flashlight in hand.

“Who says I’m nervous?”

It’s amusing to see that you’re so stubborn at trying to keep your presence as calm and collective when clearly you are not.

“Well, the hole in the ground your feet are making is a start.” he shrugged, trying to keep things light. “There’s also the fact that you’ve been frowning since they took off.”

You let out a huff, seeming to think it over with a nod before you walked over to lean against the glass of the security box. The smile is forced, but more so in a playful way.

“There.” you said. “No more pacing and no more frowning. Better?”

He can’t help but chuckle at that, glad to see that you’re taking the playing along. The smile on your face grew wider and he felt for the first time in the night that he’s feeling a little bit of the knot in his stomach loosen up.

“Much better.”

It’s a little bit chaotic after the brief interaction with you, and the rest of you are surprised to find the Chief coming in with a van after the car that had Jonathan and Nancy zoomed by.

The group quickly climbed inside the van. Piling into until Steve let the Chief know he could drive off. Leaving behind the sounds of the creatures loud screams.

It’s another year of Steve finding himself inside the Byers home. As if the night wasn’t hard enough with the demodogs, now Steve’s vision is attacked with the sight of you and Nancy at Jonathan’s side.

He’s jealous. He can admit to that.

Not only does Jonathan have you by his side comforting him. But Nancy too. The two of you haven’t left his side since the group entered inside the house. Not that he can say anything otherwise. Will was definitely not well, and it made sense that all of you close to him were worried.

But the sight of it all had his..allergies acting up again.

“When did you get hurt?”

“She’s hurt?”

Steve was immediately pulled out of wallowing away in his self pity when he heard the sound of everyone’s sudden concern. How could he have forgotten that you were injured before. There was a scratch and blood that he saw, but after Dustin tended to it, he figured it must have been a minor cut.

You seemed to be stumbling into trying to ease the injury. Playing off the whole story like it was some sitcom when in reality, the demodogs had nearly gotten you. He wonders if anyone else is able to catch on to how uncomfortable you are to have this kind of attention on you.

“I can, uh, help her.” he blurted out without thinking.

The three of you are taken back by his offer. Probably not expecting him to intervene with any kind of help considering that the four of you didn’t have the best relationship with each other. Jonathan raised a brow at Steve. Possibly trying to get a read on him before his gaze turned to you. All you did was shrugged in confusion.

“You okay with that?” he asked softly.

Steve can’t help but feel slightly embarrassed at the fact that his effort to be helpful in this situation is taken with such heavy caution. Yes, the three of you would have reason the year before to have a lack of trust towards him. But he thinks he’s proven enough for you guys to know he’s serious with things now. Thankfully you don’t let the awkwardness linger much further.

“Uh yeah,” you said pointing down the hall with your thumb. “Still got that kit in the bathroom?”

“Yeah, there should be stuff there you can use.”

You nod for Steve to follow you and he’s happy to have some space away from the two other teens and instead go back to the comfort of your company. While he’s had problems with getting you to forgive him, it was at least the most honest. Something he couldn’t have exactly with Nancy at the moment.

In the bathroom, you’re leaning against the sink. Allowing Steve to be in a closer proximity to your wound. “Let me know if I hurt you.” he mumbled as he carefully started to undo the knot. There’s unfortunately very little light in the bathroom and he found himself leaning in closer than he planned. Almost feeling the heat of your body through the layers of clothing.

“Okay, I got this undone but I need to help clean it properly. You gotta get rid of the jacket.” For some reason that pulled an adorable pout on your face and he had to hide his amusement as he dropped the dingy bloody thing into the trash can.

The cut itself is practically healed with how long it’s been kept with a bandage. But he can see why it was bleeding so bad in the first place. The lines were pretty gnarly, and he’s surprised that you’ve gone so long without taking anything for the pain you must have. Running some clean water, he rubbed gently at the back of your arm, making sure to give a comforting touch to compete with the tugging he was about to give to your wound.

A pang of guilt hit him as he dabbed over the red skin. This shouldn’t have happened to you. All you wanted to do was protect the kids and because he didn’t make sure it was as safe as you wanted, you ended up hurt. You’d have a whole new reason to hate him tomorrow. If you wanted to, that is. At this point, your mood towards him has been pretty back and forth.

“Be honest,” you said softly, gaining his attention. “Is it bad? Will I have to wear sweaters for the rest of my life?”

The light hearted attempt at conversation has him laughing a bit. Even when you were unaware of the troubles in his mind, you somehow managed to get him out of it. Moving your arm up, he showed you the now cleaned cuts. There’s a small realization to your eyes and he’s happy to see you’re taking this in a better way than he would have.

“It’s so bad.” you said, sarcastically slapping a palm over your face. The dramatics are kind of amusing to him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that the two of you were getting along. So with that small hope, he volleyed off your joke.

“It’s disgusting.” he snorted. “They’ll have to chop it off for sure.”

The laugh you let out is sort of melodious to his ears. Not because it was pretty, it was pretty cackley. But because it’s so genuine. It has him feeling almost giddy inside at the idea of making you feel better enough that you’re laughing with him and not at him. He couldn’t help but join in a bit while he attempted to finish up his patch work.

From the corner of his eye he can tell you’re watching him closely. Will this be when you remember that you still hate him? Can he handle going back to that kind of animosity again? But before he can try and think of a way to continue the good mood between you two, you’re reaching a hand up to brush against his brows. Affectionately trying to ease the frown on his face.

He let his eyes slip close. Trying to bask in the moment of being comforted by you and just forget for one second that he’s fixing up your arm in the Byers’ bathroom. The pad of your fingers is soft and he’s wondering how it’d feel to be really comforted by someone like you.

Not that he’d deserve it..or should want it.

Reaching up, he pulled at your arm to move your hand to rest against his. Keeping you from making him impulsively reach out for more of your touch. You must think he’s upset because the next thing he knew, you were apologizing.

“I’m sorry,” you said quickly. “About what happened back there. I know it was stupid of me and you’re probably mad about it.”

For a moment he couldn’t say anything but look at you. How could you think he was upset at you? Sure, it was terrifying to see you out in that junkyard. But the main focus was just getting you inside. He wanted you safe. All he wanted was for you to feel safe..

You reached out to weave your fingers with his. Causing a fire to form in his hands. Why were you always so warm? It was almost like his body was hyper aware of the new touch. He couldn’t help but flash back to this morning where he found himself tangled with you.

“You were just trying to keep us safe..but something about you out there alone. It didn’t sit right with me.”

“I would have been fine.” he replied softly, giving you a look. You should know by now that he’d always find a way around things. But why were you so suddenly concerned over him? You shouldn’t be. And yet, his reply has you ducking her head down shyly. Like he pointed out something he wasn’t supposed to be aware about.

“Maybe I didn’t want to take that chance.”

The two of you shuffled a bit, trying to ease around each other without pulling away. In fact, he’s managed to wedge himself close enough that you’re standing before him now.

Why couldn’t you take that chance? Why’d you risk getting yourself hurt to just make sure that he didn’t? It didn't make any sense. You still hated him, right?

“..You wouldn’t have felt that way two days ago.” he pointed out.

There’s a quick pause before you nod your head in agreement. So if you were aware of those previous feelings and know that what was being said right now completely contradicted all that. Then why say anything like this? What were you truly feeling?

And why couldn’t he just ask you that?

“Feelings change.”

Something tugged at his chest and he impulsively couldn’t stop the words from falling past his lips. The curiosity getting the best out of him apparently. “Yeah? Just like that?” he asked, reaching out to cradle at your neck.

He shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t be needing this as much as he does right now. But something about the way you’re looking at him tonight as him rethinking all his words today. Wondering just what and when did things change for you. And if it were changing for him too.

“It can happen for someone as quick as a day.” you said, repeating his very words to him.

He’s torn between diving into the depth of what your words mean, and taking action to what he thinks they mean. For just this moment, nothing past this small bathroom seemed to matter. In his head, he’s aware that not only do not hate him, but that your feelings have changed entirely.

And with the way you’re looking at his lips, he has an idea of what you might mean.

All he’d have to do is kiss you now. Give into the curiosity that you both have and settle once and for all if the feelings between you have really changed.

Just kiss her.

Kiss her now.

Forget about everything and–

The sudden voices from Dustin and his friends cut through the moment. Making both of you jump away from each other and give some space between the two of you. The interruption from your cousin might have ruined the moment, but it gave Steve a second to realize what he almost did.

How could he have so easily swayed to wanting to kiss you after being torn up about seeing Nancy with Jonathan moments ago? This was sick. He was sick! It shouldn't be so easy to think about kissing you when just a day ago he was begging for Nancy to tell him that she loves him.

This wasn’t fair to you. This wasn’t fair to Nancy. And it definitely wasn’t fair to himself.

“Thanks for the patch up.” you said softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The action caught him off guard and he found that he was too stunned to get a reply out to you before you left without another word.

Now Steve was left to his rambling thoughts, and the feeling of your warm lips still over his skin.

Things don’t get any clearer after that. Eventually the kids put together some sort of idea of just what everyone could be dealing with. It wasn’t just the demodogs, but something bigger, something smarter.

Dustin had brought out a book from Will’s room. Something from their D&D games that Steve honestly had no idea what that stood for. But as Dustin turned the pages to the book, he pointed out the main culprit for who they thought was in charge.

The mind flayer.

Apparently a monster so grand and powerful that he might just be able to take over Hawkins in a Nazi like way with the help of the demodogs and whatever possession he had with Will. So basically the end of the world.

Or a regular weekend in Hawkins, he figured.

The topic of an upcoming attack has the entire kitchen filled with a tension that Steve thinks is almost unbearable. He glanced over towards Jonathan and Nancy. Noting their more composed positions on the matter. Nancy is more than ready to fight, asking questions in her mind. That’s when the Chief seemingly took in a more sarcastic interest.

“Great, so how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?”

“No. No, no fire–no fireballs.” Dustin chuckled, unaware of the adult’s disinterest. “Uh, you summon an undead army, uh, because..because zombies, you know, they don’t have brains. And the mind flayer, it..it likes brains.”

The Chief gave the kid a look that was a mixture of being completely done and angry.

“It’s just a game.” Dustin added quickly. “It’s a game..”

“What the hell are we doing here?” Hopper cried out tiredly. Steve rolled his eyes, not wanting to add any fuel to the fire. But apparently you did since you took a step forward, eyes glaring over at the older man.

“I don’t know about you, Hopper. But some of us have been trying to figure out how to fight against these things all damn day! We even set up a base to lure it in!” Everyone stared in shock.

Not any one of those kids there thought about ever talking back to the Chief of police that way. Let alone tell the guy off. Of course you’d be the one to be so bluntly truthful to your thoughts. “I think things might be a little bit more helpful if you weren’t so damn sarcastic with these kids!”

If Hopper’s glare scared you in the slightest, you didn’t dare show it. Steve couldn’t help but admire your gumption. Albeit reckless considering who you were speaking with but still pretty damn cool. And hot.

“You don’t know what the hell we just went through, kid. What we had to do. So quit acting like you do!”

“I think I’ve got a pretty damn good idea!” you laughed, pointing to the cut on your arm. “But at least I know better than to waste everyone’s time by being a sarcastic assho-”

Steve couldn’t help himself and reached around to cover your mouth. Just because he was able to take your sharp words with pride, didn’t mean everyone else could. Especially the very irritable man with the access to handcuffs.

“You do realize he’s still Chief of Police, right?” he muttered low.

““He could be the goddamn President for all I care! That doesn’t give him a right to mock the only people around here trying to help!”

After that spark of anger, it seemed to set off the other kids. Making each one of them spew out their concerns and ideas to a very tired Hopper. Steve thinks the worst is gonna happen with no help, no plans, and no weapons. But that went away when Joyce Byers emerged from her room finally.

There’s a painful desperation in her voice as she told Hopper about wanting to kill whatever was inside Will. And it looked like the Chief was going to shut her down until Mike spoke up. Leading the group to observe a sleeping Will closely.

“If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it’s Will. He’s connected to it. He’ll know its weakness.”

“I thought we couldn’t trust him anymore.” Max pointed out. “That he’s a spy for the mind flayer now.”

“Yeah, but he can’t spy if he doesn’t know where he is.”

After that, a plan is quickly thought up.

Everyone is forced into different tasks, pairing off groups of three and two to gather up supplies and set up the shed in the back. Steve found himself doing the latter with Nancy. Something he was hesitant about. Especially when he found out you’d be coming in with the supplies.

Today had already been pretty confusing. But working closely with the two of you seemed to make him nervous, honestly. Nancy was helping close by, picking up the nails and such to hand over to Steve.

He couldn’t help but find it funny that he was now doing the same thing you had done earlier to the bus. Making him smile a bit at the memory until Nancy spoke up.

“What you did, um, helping the kids. That was..really cool.”

“Yeah.” Steve replied coolly, trying not to read too much into her words at the moment. “Those little shits are real trouble, you know?”

“Believe me, I know.” she chuckled.

It’s a nice calming moment and he’s thankful that’s the main start of their conversation. Unfortunately, he might be the only one who was thinking that. Because the next thing he heard was the sound of your voice entering the room.

For some reason, you’re upset. More upset than he’d ever thought you’d be. And for once the main focus of your anger isn’t necessarily him. But to Nancy.

Too quickly are the vicious words coming out of your mouth. He’s sad to say he’s stumbling over easing up the situation. It isn’t until he attempted to reach out for your hand, and get you to calm down that he realized he might join Nancy in your verbal assault.

“God,” you said, getting out of his grip. “You two really are something else.”

The judgment in your words didn’t feel good, and he’s mildly aware that while their conversation was innocent. The situation between them is far from being settled any time soon. But that shouldn’t be any of your concern. So why were you so angry, and why did that bother him so much?

“Continue to enjoy the bullshit, Steve.”

The words hit him harder than he expected. And he finds himself momentarily transported back to how he felt that night at the party. A phantom like pain going right to his hand as if he just hit it on the steering wheel.

“Steve..” Nancy said softly. But all he did was hold up his hand, not quite done with you just yet.

“I’m sorry.” he said leaving her side. With a few strides he arrived at your side and grabbed onto your arm before you could step into the house. “Do you want to tell me what the hell that was about?” he asked you, eyes worriedly looking down at you.

“Let me go!” you whined, going as far to slap at his hand. It’s childlike and very much the opposite of the fiery girl he saw just moments ago. Instead of listening, he moved to grabbing you by the shoulders. Keeping you standing before him so he could get some answers.

“Relax.” he insisted. “Why are you so upset?”

“Because, Steve! What she did to you wasn’t okay and you’re just talking with her casually? Like nothing happened?”

He couldn’t understand where you got that idea from. If anything they were more awkward with each other than before. “She was just thanking me for helping with the kids. We’ve barely spoken all night.” he reasoned, trying to put together where they seemed to go back to things normally.

“She’s barely given you the time of day since that party! And up until tonight, she didn’t even bother to know where you were and if you were okay.”

The reality of his worries coming into light hurt a lot coming from you than if he heard it from Nancy herself. You were the most blunt and truthful person that he knew right now. And it wasn’t like you gained any benefit by hurting his feelings at this moment.

That still didn’t stop the pain hitting over him.

“Look, I’m sorry.” you sighed, sounding genuinely apologetic. “I know that..I’m being harsh. I don’t mean to make things worse. But I just don’t want—can’t see you get hurt again.”

He breathed heavily through his nose. As if he could blow out the ache from his lungs. But despite your honesty and apologies. There’s still something he’s desperate to know.

Why the hell did this matter to you so much?

“I don’t see why you even care. I don’t. It’s over with..”

“Because, Steve.” You said, moving in closer towards him. “Believe it or not but someone actually gives a shit about you for once.”

There’s a pain in your voice that’s oddly matching his. Where were these feelings coming from? You shouldn’t feel this way about him at all. This was not your problem to deal with. The only thing you should be worried about is making sure you and the rest are safe. Not his feelings..they didn’t matter. Right?

Closing up the last bit of distance, he stepped closer to you, looking down at you worriedly.

“You shouldn’t care,” he sighed. “We’re not friends..you’ve told me that so many times.”

There was something about the way you were looking up at him that was drawing him in closer. Was it the heat from your body? The softness in your words? Or was it just you?

“I know.” you sighed back to him. Looking just as torn up as he felt.

Without saying anything else you reached out to him, placing a hand down on his chest. The close contact has his heart beating erratically. Enough so that he’s sure you can feel it. He leaned his head down, getting closer to yours until finally; your lips met.

It was safe to say that his entire body is ignited once the two of you start to kiss. Like the last time you two shared a kiss, he can feel the entire world disappear. His senses are all heightened just to focus on you. The softness of your cheek in his hand, the sweet smell of your perfume, the sound of your breath against his, and the taste of your lips with remnants of some sweet lip gloss you had been wearing.

This was all a sensory overload for Steve but he doesn’t dare let go of it just yet. A secret part of him must have been yearning for this all day because he found himself pulling you in tighter. Making sure you felt him in the same way he could feel you.

Unfortunately, you’re the first to pull back and he has to stop himself from chasing after your lips. But with some air finally getting to his brain, he has the chance to remember that the two of you weren’t kissing at the privacy of your front door step. No, you were in the Byers backyard, preparing to save Will.

Your eyes don’t meet Steve’s and he can’t help but reach out to get you to look at him. Raising only a questioning brow at you as he waited for your answer to what just happened right now.

“We’re not friends.” you repeated. “But maybe because I want to be more than that..”

And with that, you backed away from Steve. Turning around quickly to enter inside the house without so much as a glance back to the chaos you’ve left in Steve’s mind.

How long have you felt that way? What did he do to change your mind? And most importantly, what can he do to get you to kiss him like that again?

As much as he’d like to stand there for hours going over that whole conversation, there was still work to do. So he turned on his heel and entered the shed again. Nancy, who was folding up the tarp slowly, did not meet his eyes.

A pang of guilt hit him when he realized that she possibly witnessed the whole thing.

“Nancy?” he called out softly. Her gaze snapped up to him, but instead of a look of heartbreak like he expected, he was met with her curious gaze. “About what just happened. I uh–”

“Hey, you guys are slowing down.” Mike huffed as he came into the shed. “You need to pick up the pace.”

He stole a glance at Nancy, watching as she nodded her head to Mike before handing the tarp over to the kid and making her exit. The inevitable conversation would just have to happen at a later time.

Despite the drama and setting up everything. The two of you managed to avoid Steve. Leaving him to figure out nothing but how to make sure the shed was perfectly wrapped up. Something he didn’t have too much of a problem with considering it was probably the more important matter to take care of.

But eventually the rest of you are forced back inside the Byers house while Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan and Mike are attempting to get Will to snap back.

Steve decided to keep himself busy with the bat. Using old methods of stretching back from when he was on the baseball team. But like usual lately, he can’t help but turn his attention on you.

Especially now that he’s seeing you on your softer side as you quietly spoke with Dustin. Letting him know what you really think of him and his actions today. It’s not like he needed the boost, the kid probably knows he’s doing the right thing. But something about Dustin’s reaction to you telling him brought out a shyness he didn’t think the kid would have.

“We’re Hendersons. No one gets to mess with us.”

“Hell yeah,” Dustin said back to you. “No one.”

There was a sense of unity between the two of you. Even if you both have tried to kill each other the day before, and bickered on the path to the junkyard, there was still something strong that Steve longed for.

He must have been staring too long because before he can look away, you’re meeting his eyes. And for some reason he can’t help but smile. But that quickly dropped the second the lights in the house began to flicker.

The group of you rushed over towards the windows, observing the shed quietly as you waited to see if anything had changed since you guys last checked. Something in the pit of Steve’s stomach began to turn at the lights. All he could remember was the year in this very house when the flickering lights meant the monster would be emerging in the house. But considering how calm you and Nancy are, he holds back from speaking about that.

Eventually the flickering stopped and the members from the shed came back to the house. Hopper quickly came to the conclusion that while cannot speak for himself, he’s using morse code as a method to communicate.

The groups separated again after that. The kids left inside surrounding the table while they teamed up to decipher it. up with some theory about Will speaking through morse code. Steve hoped that one of his friends here would be able to decipher it.

The message ends up coming quicker than they thought and soon enough everyone is around the paper, reading the message aloud.

“CLOSE GATE.”

The phone sprung to life, screaming out its bell and setting the group into a small panic. Dustin and Nancy both fight with the phone before it’s ultimately smashed down into the kitchen floor. For a second all of you are quiet, almost afraid to make another noise before Max spoke up.

“Do you think he heard that?”

Steve wanted to think about it as positively as he could. “It’s just a phone,” he pointed out. “It could be anywhere. Right?”

A loud screech echoed in the distance. Giving Steve the absolute worst answer he could have gotten.

It’s a bit chaotic after that and the others are all scrambling together in the house. The kids rounded up together in the back of the room while the adults worked to make a barrier with the teens. He’s about to enter the living room when he noticed you dashing down the hall.

“Hey, come on, we need you out here.” Steve said entering inside. There’s a look on your face that reminded him of being back on the bus. You’re struggling to find a weapon and he’s sure you’re preparing to fight even with your bad arm.

“I-I can’t. I don’t have anything to fight with.” you said quickly. “Why the hell did Jonathan take up photography? I need a weapon not a goddamn film strip!”

He reached out for your hand, feeling the warmth from your fingertips spread over him as he led you towards the living room. “Just watch the kids, I got you.” he urged, hoping that this time you’ll believe him and won’t get hurt.

He turned to face the windows and doorway when you tugged down at the sleeve of his jacket.

“Be careful.” you warned.

The same warmth he felt moments before bloomed over his chest. Even without physical touch, it felt like you were protecting him with your words alone and he had to hold back the pleasing smile that the feeling brought. He chose to nod instead.

“Where are they?” called out Max.

All around the house began to make various thuds and creaks. Making the group turn slightly panicked at which direction the assault would be coming from.

“What are they doing?” Nancy asked from beside him.

“They’re scaling the house for another ambush.” He heard you reply.

He really hoped that you were wrong and that there’d be possibly just one of those dogs outside. Otherwise they were gonna need a lot more bullets to take some of these guys down.

The noises around the house are getting louder and all over the place. No one could pinpoint which direction it was coming from. But just as Steve was ready for the worst, the creature outside let out a loud whimper.

“What the hell was that?” you hissed behind him.

The answer was a demodog as it was launched into the front window of the house. All of you screamed and fell back towards the wall. Keeping a distance from the creature’s body. It laid there motionless but the sight of it was enough to keep everyone tensed up.

Hopper was the first one to take small steps before it.

“Holy shit.” Dustin muttered.

“Is it dead?” Max asked next.

Hopper gave the creature a tap with his foot, keeping the shotgun on him. It was definitely dead, but if not by anyone in the room, then how the hell did it die?

The front door of the house creaked, setting everyone back on edge as they readied their weapons. But what came in next confused Steve. Because instead of another monster like he figured, in walked a small little girl with a bloody nose.

“So, she’s from the upside down?” Steve asked again.

Nancy, who had led him to the backyard gave him another weird look. “I told you before. She’s not from there. She just knows how to access it.”

Steve frowned down at the pile of things before him.

Immediately after the little girl or El as you introduced her as, came into the room, things seemed to shift into a more hopeful light. There was a way to close up whatever connection the mind flayer had on Will and that relied on the strange girl that seemed to bring out emotions from all of you except Steve and Max.

“And she was here last year?”

“Yes.”

“Where the hell was she when we were fighting that thing in the house last time?” he frowned, tossing a box of hangers behind him.

“She was at the school with the other kids..kinda saved them from the demogorgon before sending it back to the upside down.”

It’s hard for Steve to wrap his mind around, but he appreciated the brief story anyway.

Glancing over at Nancy, he can’t help but note that the frown was back on her face. She’s been off with him again, just like the past month. But there wasn’t any excuse about Barb, nor was it anything that Steve had done. He can tell by now. She’s worried. And while he wished it was because of what she might have seen or heard before. He knows that her concern at the moment was not about him.

And while that hurt Steve deep down, he still cared about Nancy. Hell, he’s pretty sure he still loves her. But if keeping her here was going to hurt her like this, then he’d suck up whatever emotions he had and help her out.

“You should go with him.” Steve said before he could change his mind.

“What?” she asked, slightly taken back.

“With Jonathan.”

“No,” she scoffed. “I’m not just gonna leave Mike.”

Steve looked up at her, wondering if your words might have hit her more than you thought. Or if this was another worry that she might have had on her mind. Either way, Steve knew that she’d never leave if he didn’t reassure her.

“No one’s leaving anyone.”

Getting up, he carefully helped pull away some of the storage items to help Nancy look for the heaters they were asked to retrieve.

“I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but turns out I’m actually a pretty damn good babysitter.” he said picking up the item they needed. Though his words were said clear and confidently, Steve found that he almost feared meeting her gaze.

Nancy was the girl he wanted for so long now. And while he’s used to being a winner, he can tell that this time he’d have to admit defeat fully. He wasn’t the boyfriend she wanted or deserved..and he’d have to deal with that.

Even if it meant feeling this shitty.

“Steve..” Her words sounded almost genuinely concerned. Like she wanted to try and fix things. But like their relationship; their time was up.

“It’s okay, Nance.” he said looking at her. “It’s okay.”

Not being able to keep hold of eye contact anymore, he turned away. Making his way towards the pile again. Just when he had hoped that Nancy would go inside and give him a final moment to mourn their relationship, she took a step over and placed her hand on his arm.

Her grip is cold. Whether it be from weather or because of how it felt to be beside her now.

“I’m–..” The words couldn’t seem to form in her mouth and Steve felt like dying at the idea that he wasn’t going to get the closure he wanted. But her struggle to say anything was starting to become worse than the silence so he gently removed her hand from his side with a pat to the back of her hand.

“It’s okay..for you too.” she said after a minute. He stayed quiet. Unsure of how to react to what she was implying. But he nodded his head anyway.

The two worked quietly after that, only wishing each other luck once they made it back to the front door of the house. He caught you and Jonathan heatedly talking at the back of his car. A disgruntled look on your face before you noticed him at the doorway.

He wondered if it really was okay for him too.

“Science needs this.” Dustin clapped as he led Steve over to the kitchen.

The group had been split apart, by your demands, to help clean up the Byers house. Dustin had only taken one second to call out Steve as his partner when you asked for the disposal of the demodog.

Steve carried the monster to the fridge, watching as the younger boy cleared out its contents onto the floor. Sort of counteracting against the cleaning up you wanted them to do. With the final bit of food on the floor he turned around to finally face Steve.

“All right,” he said. “It should fit now.”

“Is this really necessary?” Steve asked, feeling the monster's dead weight start to cramp up his arms a bit.

You were quick to rush over once you finally noticed the state of the kitchen. You held up your hands, stopping Steve from coming forward. “I told you two ten minutes ago to get rid of that thing in the backyard and you think to put it in the goddamn fridge? Look at this mess!”

“It wasn’t my idea.” Steve tried to explain to you. “The kid wouldn’t let me leave the house.”

“Hold on!” Dustin squeaked, while he shoved you away from the path. “Yes, this is necessary. This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can’t just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog.”

“But you literally call them demo-dogs!” you cried. Sensing another one of your guys’ regular back and forth arguments, Steve decided to just give in to what Dustin wanted as he stepped forward with the creature.

“All right, all right, all right.” He said quickly. Trying not to gag at the sight of the congealed drool that started to seep out from the creature’s mouth. “He’s gonna be the one to explain this to Mrs. Byers then.”

There’s a struggle between the both of them trying to get the creature in the fridge and several moments Steve’s sure he’s gotten drool over him somewhere. But eventually it’s sealed in the fridge and Steve couldn’t help as he gave Dustin a small affectionate head rub before he turned back to glance at the mess.

That’s when he caught sight of you quietly observing the two of them.

“What are you smiling at?” He asked curiously.

“What?” you laughed. Almost unaware that you had been caught in the act. You covered up a part of the smile with your hand. “Nothing.”

He took a step closer, looking down at you carefully. “Nothing? You mean you weren’t amused watching the two of us struggle?”

“I wasn’t.” you said, still attempting to keep up this act of coyness.

He finds it odd how easily he could feel comfortable around you again. Not only did he just sort of break up with Nancy officially, but the two of you just shared a kiss not even two hours ago. Making this whole interaction be even more confusing.

Still, like a moth to a flame, he was being drawn in by you.

“Why do I feel like you’re lying?” he hummed, watching as you angled your head up towards him. It reminded him of how close you were to him outside and how much he’d like to feel that kiss again. Instinctively his hand reached out to cup at your face again. But just before he could feel the softness of your skin again, Dustin called out to him. Making the two of you step away from each other.

When he moved to wash his hands, he couldn’t help but turn back to watch you make a quiet leave. It wasn’t long into his hand washing that he heard the starting sounds of the kids arguing. Making him quickly clean off so that he could shut things down.

“Mike, would you just stop already?”

“You weren’t in there, okay, Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs.”

“Demo-dogs!” Dustin called out from the kitchen.

“The chief will take care of her.” Lucas tried, ignoring Dustin’s interruption.

“Like she needs protection.” Max muttered.

“Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?” Steve chimed in, drying his hands in a dish towel. Mike merely looked at him with a frown on his face, something Steve was used to from being around the Wheelers for the past year.

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

“Ri-, wel-, SO my point is..”

All eyes turned to focus on Steve and he found himself stammering to get to the original point he wanted to make. “Right, yeah, we’re on the bench, so, uh, there’s nothing we can do.” He thinks he’s managed to stump the kids enough. But he’s unfortunately working with a group of gifted kids who feed off crazy ideas to each other and soon enough they’re forming up a plan on their own.

Mike took the lead in ignoring Steve’s interjections and led the others around the house, showing the maps that had been drawn out by Will apparently as he explained the aspects of destroying the main hub. A plan that might have been useful if it didn’t involve the demodogs coming after them and their lack of arsenal and adults to help.

Down the hall he can see you observing them carefully. Making Steve wish you’d speak up and help round up these kids. But you’re listening to every word carefully, it would seem. But Steve wasn’t the only one who caught on to your quietness.

“You’re being uncharacteristically quiet.” Dustin said to you. “Do you think we should help El?”

“Of course she does. That’s the only reason she hasn’t said anything, right?” Mike insisted. Steve glanced over at the boy’s expecting face and couldn’t help but mirror it to you. Surely, you of all people wouldn’t want to do something crazy like this. Especially not after everything that happened at the junkyard.

“Way to put the focus on me, Dustin.” you muttered softly.

“Come on, trouble. I know you don’t want to face those monsters again.” Steve said, knowing you’d have a hard time telling these kids no.

“He’s right.” you sighed to everyone. “I don’t want to see those monsters again. I’m sort of worried that other parts of me will get scratched up if I do.”

Steve felt a little bit of relief at your words. Finally someone that would listen to him tonight. But too soon is he adding his small victory, because as you got up for your spot on the wall, he noticed a look of determination on your face.

“But I really don’t want El to have to face those things by herself. She saved our asses last year and again tonight. The least we could do is help give her some relief.”

You tried to get a look at him but Steve waved you off. Fed up with everyone in the house suddenly deciding to play the hero when all they were supposed to do was stay here and be safe. “This is not happening.”

“But–”

“No, no, no, no, no.” He cut in, not caring how much it’d upset everyone else. If someone needed to be in charge, he’d take that role. Especially considering his babysitting partner was suddenly turning sides. “No buts. I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing. We’re staying here. On the bench. And we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?”

“This isn’t a stupid sports game!”

“I said, does everybody understand that?” Steve repeated, pointing over at Mike especially before looking at all the kids, and even you. “I need a yes.”

The familiar sound of a car’s engine revving cut into the conversation. There’s instantly a reaction from you and Max before the two of you bolted over to the front window. Peeking out through the curtains.

“It’s my brother.” Max said, sounding a little afraid. “H-he can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.”

Brother? Who the hell was her brother and why did he scare the one kid with the biggest attitude here? Taking a step, he peeked out from above your head to see that it’s Billy’s car. And suddenly, the image of Max storming away from his car on their first day here came into mind.

“I won’t let him.” he heard you reassure her.

So this asshole was not only someone who bothered you, but Max too? Before Steve could even think about what he wanted to do, he was already making his way out the house. Closing up the front door softly as he looked down the driveway.

Billy slowly emerged from his car. A puff of smoke came out with him as he looked over to the house. An amused look on his face. “Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.”

Despite the anger and annoyance he had towards Billy, there wouldn’t be any good in fighting with the guy right now. Not with how many kids were in the house. He knew to keep calm and approach this as casually as he could.

“What are you doing here, amigo?” Billy said as he strode over.

“I could ask you the same thing..amigo.”

Billy looked over at him innocently. Lit cigarette hanging loosely at the edge of his lips. “Looking for my stepsister.” he said simply. “A little birdie told me she was here.”

“Huh, that’s weird.” Steve replied nonchalantly. “I don’t know her.” he lied.

It was probably better off playing that Max wasn’t here at all rather than trying to place her at someplace else. But with Billy, Steve wasn’t sure how easily this guy could be tricked.

“Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch?”

A small flush of anger went over him at Billy’s words. Max, while a bit heavy on her sarcasm and attitude, was just a kid. Why the hell did he have to talk about her like this to someone he didn’t even know? Even when you or Nancy complained about the other kids, it was never with such genuine dislike.

Speaking of you, it would appear you decided to throw yourself into the mix of things.

“Bit of a bitch? Must be talking about me.” you said easily coming into view. Though Steve did not want you anywhere near Billy, he still took a step back when he felt you push your way between them.

Billy’s interest grew even more when he realized it was you before him. “Babydoll, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Well, in case you can’t tell, this is my friend’s house. I’m hanging out with him.”

Billy’s eyes flickered over to Steve briefly. “And Harrington?”

“And Steve.”

“I’m surprised. I figured after our little show the other day, he’d learn to back off.” The memory of Billy pushing into your personal space came into mind. Bringing back a tense anger when he remembered it wasn’t wanted from your end at all.

“Your little show didn’t mean shit to me.” Steve said coolly, not wanting to give Billy the satisfaction.

“Look, Steve’s here because he’s finally caught up with his girlfriend.” You waved off, trying to sound like the night was another typical weekend. But that only made Steve more anxious with where you were leading the conversation to. “So what are you doing here? I’m sure you didn’t come to hang out with everyone.”

“I’m here because Max decided to run away again. Neil sent me to drag her in.”

There wasn’t much need for a clue as to who this Neil guy was, it was presumably their Father. But that didn’t mean Steve didn’t catch your subtle reaction to it before your composure came back up.

“Max ran away again? She’s getting better.”

Jesus, Max. Again? What kinda running streak do you have? He thought.

“Yeah, and because of that bitch, my plans for tonight are tanked.” he huffed. “So, have you seen her?”

From the corner of his eye, Steve easily saw how the way Billy talked about Max was upsetting you too. And while you were able to keep up a front to Billy, he could see the slight tick it brought in your jaw. Why were you even bothering with this guy?

“I haven’t.” you shrugged, glancing over at him. “But,” you continued, looking back to the other boy. “I can help you find her if you’re up for it.”

“Really?” Billy asked, a little surprised. “Suddenly you’re up for spending the night helping me?”

For some reason, you attempted to sway Billy into believing your words with a little trick of seduction. Something Steve would think was hot any other time if it weren’t to the biggest asshole in town. Billy seemed to easily fall for it as he licked over his lips slowly.

“That’s exactly what I’m up for.” you smiled, blowing out some smoke. “Besides, Max will be more willing to go home if I’m helping you find her. We can catch up along the way.”

“Let’s go then.”

Suddenly Billy is pulling you away from Steve’s side and everything from this past week came into Steve’s mind.

"..Billy. I am NOT your girlfriend. You’re an egotistical man-whore who needs a god damn reality check! Leave me the hell alone!" “..Yeah, well, Billy likes to take whatever he wants. Regardless if the other person is willing.”

"..when I was with Billy, I felt like I was a part of a role. That I was someone special because I was dating the most wanted guy at school. None of my friends even cared about things like that. So why did I?”

“..I just want someone who actually likes me for once.”

Without another wasted second hesitating, Steve reached out for your hand. Stopping you from following after Billy. Quickly, he pulled you out from the other boy’s grip and brought you close enough so that he could stand in front of you. Blocking you from Billy.

“What the hell is going on, Henderson? Are we leaving or what?” Billy asked. Though his tone wasn’t angry, there was a glint in Billy’s eyes that let Steve know he had struck some sort of nerve.

“You don’t need to go with him. You can stay here.” he said back to you.

He can’t fully see your reaction, but there’s the small warmth of your hand on his back that meant you were still with him. “Steve, come on, I can get him out here.” In a way Steve knew you were right. Hell, it’d probably make so many things easier for him if it meant getting this asshole out of here.

But he wasn’t going to let you endure the night of Billy and his unhinged antics just because he couldn’t get the hint. “And let you deal with him again? D’ya think I’m gonna be able to stomach that, huh?” he asked worriedly. “The second you leave with him, I’m gonna go crazy. I can’t let you put yourself through anything with him.”

He doesn’t have time to focus on the stunned look on your face. Billy is already clearing his throat to get the attention back onto him.

“I’m not gonna play into whatever weird shit this is. So have you seen the bitch or what, Harrington?”

“Look, it doesn’t ring a bell for me and trouble here hasn’t seen her either. Sorry, buddy.”

Something clicked with Billy suddenly, making him wave his hand up in the air angrily. The hand on his back moved to his arm and Steve felt as you held onto him nervously now.

“You know,” he sighed. “I don’t know, this..this whole situation, Harrington, I don’t know.” He looked behind Steve to where you were briefly. “It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

Something was definitely up and Steve could feel the tension between the three of you rise up. Making the hair on his arms stand up. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Steve asked calmly.

Billy got close enough to the two of you that he felt his body angle away from the boy, only to still have his face close enough that he’s able to smell the heavy cologne that Billy bathed himself in.

“My thirteen-year old sister goes missing all day, you won’t let little babydoll here come with me, and then, I find them here with you, in a stranger’s house. And you lie to me about it.”

Steve tried to laugh off his accusation, hoping to sound as casual about this whole thing that Billy would get bored. “Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?” Steve scoffed, fighting to keep the calmness in his voice as well as keep up a strong enough front that wouldn’t let Billy think he was afraid of him. “I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said. She’s not here.”

“Then who is that?” he asked, pointing to the house.

A glance over to the windows of the house and Steve winced at the sight of the kids lamely ducking away from the gaze of Billy from the driveway. Son of a bitch..

“Shit.” you hissed.

“Listen,” Steve started, trying to think of a way he could ease up the situation. But before he could finish his sentence was sent flying back with a single shove from Billy. You thankfully don't stick around and quickly made a run towards the house to the kids. Hopefully getting them the hell out of there.

“I told you to plant your feet.” Billy reminded Steve before he shoved down hard on Steve’s chest with the bottom of his foot.

Though the air isn’t completely knocked out of his lungs, Steve still felt the impact send a pain over his body. Making it hard for him to gain back his breath and get off the floor. It’s not until the sound of all of you screaming inside the house that Steve shook off the pain to dash in.

He rushed in to find Dustin and Mike attempting to keep you up. There was a bit of blood coming from the side of your head and Steve couldn't help himself as he reached out to cup at your cheek. Noting how hurt you look. It has him seeing red. “Hold onto her, guys.” he said quickly before striding into the kitchen.

Billy has gone as far as to hold up Lucas against one of the china cabinets. Tussling the kid against the wood as he muttered threats over to him. The boy doesn’t allow this to happen long enough as he yelled for Billy to get off of him before kneeing him in the groin.

The blonde staggered back, hands on his knees as he quickly gained back his composure. “So dead, Sinclair! You’re dead!”

Reaching out, Steve grabbed Billy by the arm, pushing him back before he wound up his fist.

“No, you are.” And with that, the inevitable fight began.

All around were different voices reacting to the two of them. While Steve tried to focus on keeping up his guard to Billy, the sight of the boy’s bloody mouth spewing out in laughter threw him off a bit.

“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?” he yelled out. “I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody’s been telling me so much about.”

“Get out.” He ordered, not falling for Billy’s taunting antics. But all that did was trigger Billy to begin his own assault of punches. But Steve’s still quick, and he managed to dodge them while he returned the hit.

Still, every hit is met with a bloody grin, or laugh. And though Steve had him pressed against the kitchen sink it’s Billy who would have the upper hand once he reached over to smash a plate against the side of his head.

The sting of the glass breaking against his skull is bad. And he can’t get his vision to focus on the room, giving Billy the chance to send him flying back against the built in bookcase. Around him the kids are scrambling around, trying to keep you and themselves away from the fight.

He’s backed up into the living room. Struggling to keep his eyes open as much as pick himself up. Billy easily grabbed hold of his arms, pulling him close enough that he could give Steve one more annoying quip. “No one tells me what to do.”

With a punch to his stomach, Steve was sent flying back to the floor. Scooting across the papers until he’s curled up on his side. In the midst of it all he can hear you yell out for Billy to leave him alone.

“I’m gonna beat the shit out of your little boyfriend!” he yelled back at you. “See if you still like him then!”

And as if he promised then and there, Billy proceeded to beat the shit out of Steve. Throwing punch after punch until Steve couldn’t keep up anymore. The darkness faded in and all he could hear was the sound of you and the kids yelling out for Billy to stop.

“Steve?” said a familiar soft voice.

“Is he up yet or not?” asked another voice. He knew that one too. The feeling of lips pressed gently against his suddenly woke him up.

Sitting up, Steve was met with the sight of you at his side. You’re in your devil costume from the other night, and you’re smiling down at him. “There he is.” you cooed, leaning in to brush his hair away from his face. “He’s awake now.”

Nancy popped over your shoulder, looking down at Steve curiously before she too smiled. “I thought he’d never get up.” Glancing over, Steve noticed she was in her stained costume from the other night.

“Give him a break, he probably has a concussion right now.” you chided, moving to rest your hand lightly on his chest. “Guy took a hit for me.”

“Did he deserve it this time?” Nancy asked as she stepped away from the bed. “Can’t say he hasn’t before.”

“No!” You said throwing a frown over at the girl before peering your gaze below again. “You did great, your highness. Real heroic shit.”

“He lost.” chuckled Nancy. “Heroes don’t lose.”

“Well that’s because Billy cheated.”

“With what a brick?”

“No, kitchen plate actually.”

Nancy tutted at that before moving to sit at Steve’s other side. Finally the boy had the chance to realize that he was in fact dreaming suddenly. “What’s going on?” he coughed out, struggling to clear up his throat.

“Nothing’s going on.” you answered him. “We were just waiting for you to wake up so you could pick which one of us you like.”

“Yeah, we were actually curious about your answer.” Nancy smirked curling her legs to shuffle closer to his side. “I’ve been thinking about it and I think if you wait until the mess with the demogorgons is done, you might be able to fight for me.”

“And I’ve been thinking that after spending the day with me you might be able to get me. Especially with how hot you looked sticking up for the kids and all that.” you said kneeling beside him.

“That does sound kinda hot.” Nancy chimed in. “Do you remember how he looked fighting that demogorgon in Jonathan’s house?”

“Yes!” you gasped. “When he did that little bat swing? So hot!”

The two of you start to giggle playfully and Steve can’t help but feel confused. Sitting up now so that he could look between the two of you. “Have I gone crazy? We’re supposed to be getting rid of the mind flayer.”

“We are.” Nancy nodded.

“And you and I are supposed to keep the kids safe..we’re fighting Billy right now!”

“Well, some of us are fighting Billy. You’re actually out cold.” you pouted, reaching over to pinch at his cheek. “Quite unfortunate, they could really use your help right now.”

“Then we have to go!” Steve urged, pushing the two of you out of the bed. You both moved to stand in the middle of his room, looking at him oddly while he struggled to stand up. “What are you two just standing there for, we need to leave!” he urged.

“We already told you Steve. We’re only here because we wanna know which one of us you’re picking.” Nancy reminded him.

“Yeah, we deserve to know.” you nodded. Steve shook his head, wondering just what the hell was going on in his head to have you two acting like this.

“That’s not important right now,” he said simply. “The kids need me.”

“And what about us?” Nancy pouted, stepping forward to cup at his cheek. “Don’t you think we need you too? Don’t you want me Steve? Don’t you love me Steve?”

Steve felt his jaw slacked at the sight of his mind’s version of Nancy begging for him. It’s been so long since he’s ever heard that kind of sincerity from her and it’s pathetic that the only time he’d get it was right now.

“What about me?” you cut in, moving to snake your hands around his neck. “I see you when no one else does.” you said softly. “I make you feel every emotion..not just heartbreak.”

Nancy frowned over at you, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve only broken his heart once. Wasn’t it you who humiliated him in front of the school?”

“Just our lunch period.”

“Don’t forget gym class.”

“Shit.”

Shaking his head, Steve pulled your arms off him. Looking over at the two of you with a glare. “This isn’t the time for any of that. Dustin and the others..they need me. You need me.” A small frown flickered over your face at that before you suddenly looked over at him carefully.

“He sure is whiney isn’t he?” you spat, recoiling away from his side. Nancy slowly turned the same, shaking her head disappointedly at Steve as she did the same.

“He is. That’s probably why I’ve moved on from him. Jonathan is totally more put together.”

“Isn’t he? He’s just the best friend a girl can have.” you grinned, not even noticing that Steve’s face crumbled. “We should go and hang out with him! He’ll at least be better than this bozo.”

Nancy linked her arms with yours, giving you a wink before she led the two of you towards the bedroom door, pushing Steve aside so that you guys could leave. Steve sputtered out, unsure what kind of bizarre nightmare he fell into. Following you guys out, he called out to the both of you. Calling each name.

It was only you who looked back, giving him a small smile before fading out into the darkness of the night. Steve tried to follow but no matter how hard he tried to move, tried to call out, he was met with nothing.

Nothing until he felt a sudden cold press to his forehead.

The walls of the room began to melt and the pain in his face began to grow stronger. An almost blinding pain burst over his nose, eyes, and head. He found himself crumpling backwards into a sitting position and the space around him getting smaller and smaller.

His eyes blinked hard and he found that he was having a harder time getting them open. But when he did, he found himself looking at a distorted face. It looked familiar. “Nancy?” he asked, not sure if it was the actual girl or his dream again.

His vision focused and he’s suddenly looking at a disturbed Mike. His hand reached up to brush away some of the crust that’s blurring his vision but is quickly stopped by another hand..

“No, don’t touch it.” said the voice gently.

Turning to his right, he noticed Dustin as the mysterious other hand. “Hey buddy,” he said, shushing him. “ It’s okay. You put up a good fight. He kicked your ass, but you put up a fight. You’re okay.”

He’s reminded of his dream and being woken up by the other pair of Wheeler and Henderson duo and can’t help but wince away from the kid. Groaning a bit, he tried not to focus on the pain in his face and attempted to get up from his cramped seat.

“Dustin, you better calm him down.” He heard you warn from somewhere before him. The sound of a loud engine began to perk up in his ears and peeked his eyes open again to see Lucas sitting in your lap, reading a map in his hands with a flashlight.

“Okay, you’re gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.” Lucas instructed to his left. Glancing in that direction, he found Max sitting in what looked like a driver’s seat..but that couldn’t be right.

“What’s going on?” Steve called out as his body began to fill up with panic. Max looked over her shoulder, meeting Steve’s eyes with wide worried ones of her own.

“Eyes on the road, Red.” you instructed Max. Why the hell were you instructing the girl to do anything was beyond Steve, but he couldn’t even see your face properly. Let alone figure out why you weren’t driving.

You’re. Not. Driving. He thought.

“Oh my God!” Steve cried out squirming out from his spot. He had to put a stop to this. He had to get out of this damn car. NOW.

“Just relax.” Dustin tried. “She’s driven before.”

“Yeah, in a parking lot with your cousin!” Mike added, sounding annoyed.

“That counts!” Dustin countered before looking back to Steve. “They were gonna leave you behind.”

“Oh, my God.”

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

The speed picked up in the car and Steve felt the entire thing move at a speed that’s dangerously too high .“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on?!” he called out, ignoring Dustin. But the girl in front ignored Steve’s plea and suddenly pressed down on the gas even harder.

“SHIT MAX, SLOW DOWN!” you gasped, confirming Steve’s worry.

“Oh, my GOD. No! Whoa! Stop the car. Slow down.” He thought he might get sick but he’s not even sure he’ll even have the chance to vomit with how fast everything was moving.

“I told you he’d freak out!” Mike yelled out to the others.

“STOP THE CAR!”

“Everybody shut up! I’m trying to focus!” Max said to the others, sounding just as scared as Steve felt right now. Lucas beside her started to squeak, pointing over to the map.

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

“What?”

“MAKE A LEFT!”

The car roughly turned left, crashing into a mailbox of some house. The entire group in the car screamed out in a panic. Steve reached out for Dustin, holding onto the boy’s body while the car continued to turn roughly towards its destination.

Just what the hell did he wake up to?

By some miracle the car arrived safely to the field they had been discussing before. And while Steve was upset at the fact that they were even there in the first place, he was more than happy for the car to come to its abrupt stop.

One by one the rest of you piled out. Steve was barely able to hold onto the car door as the others moved to grab items from the trunk of the car. His head was still in so much pain, but thankfully he found that his vision was coming back to normal finally.

Just in time to watch as the kids continued on with their plans without him.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he called out to Mike. Watching as he moved to the front of the car. “What are you deaf?! HELLO?”

Next was Max, ignoring Steve as she followed to where Mike was squatting. “We are NOT going down there right now. I made myself clear!” There’s more silence and he’s painfully aware of how much he’s losing this battle right now. “Hey, there’s no CHANCE we’re going to that hole, all right?”

Lucas didn’t even give him the pleasure of walking past him as he went the farthest path to the others and avoided Steve completely. Having enough, he rushed over to where you two were and snatched the materials out of Dustin’s hands.

“THIS ENDS RIGHT NOW!”

“Steve!” Dustin yelled. “You’re upset, I get it. But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance.”

Beside him you’re sympathetically laying a hand on his shoulder. Nodding your head in agreement before you shot Steve a small shrug.

“Now, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe.” he said, reaching down for his bat and backpack “So, keep us safe.”

Steve shook his head and looked down at the items before him. Wondering just how the hell this night was turning from helping get rid of a pest in Dustin’s shed to helping keep some girl with powers safe from the demodogs.

Glancing towards you, he raised a brow, wondering what your speech would be like. But all you do is look at him with your worried eyes and quietly plead with him. “Please?” you asked softly.

A warmth spread into his chest and he begrudgingly reached out for the materials. Sighing in defeat. That brought out a pleased grin on Dustin’s face and he walked off, mask ready as he joined the other three waiting by the front of the car.

You stayed behind. He wasn’t sure what you’d do next, but when you reached out to cup at his sore cheek, he was more than happy to accept the kind touch. Placing his hand on yours to bask in the softness. That is, until he noticed the bruise on your eye.

“Your eye..” He gasped. It was dark and swollen. When the hell did Billy get his hands on you and how the hell can he kill him for leaving a mark on you?

“It’ll heal.”

“I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt. I-”

The words were cut off when you leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. Bringing his mind back to the comforts of how he felt in the backyard again. “It’s okay. Let’s go tough guy.” you reassured him before walking away.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever react normally to that.

Eventually they explained well enough just what they were going to do next, and while he wished he could convince everyone to leave. He knows that’s useless. He’s in on this shit as much as you guys now.

But now he’s managed to at least fight his way to leading the group and making sure they get to the hub safely and quickly as possible. Hopefully with no run-ins with any monsters or crazy brothers.

The stench of gasoline is heavy on Steve’s nose. Even with the heavy handkerchief around his face, he’s still struggling to breath in any clear air. But with the amount of upside down seeping in through the tunnels, he’d risk the dangers of smelling in so much gas than to breath whatever vapors were in this place.

“Alright, you guys ready?” Steve asked when he came over to your side. The spot had a perfect view of the hub. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out the lighter he had been carrying around today.

“Light her up.” Dustin ordered behind him.

He hesitantly looked around for just one moment. This whole place is about to light up and he’s sure that something bad will follow it next. “I’m in such deep shit.”

With that, he leaned back his arm and threw the lighter into the dark depths of the hub. Instantly, the ground caught fire and the place began to light up all around them. There was a startling screeching noise that began to cry out as the hive mind reacted to the sudden attack.

“Uh, guys? The fire is getting pretty big!” you warned, getting up from the floor. Everyone else followed quickly after that, trying to get out of the place now that the smoke was beginning to catch up.

Steve continued to take the lead in getting everyone else out, barking out directions on which way to go. He thought that they were having a pretty good pace when you’re suddenly screaming out his name. It nearly tripped him up but he turned around and dashed over towards you before realizing it was Mike you were screaming his name for.

Smashing at the vine that had tangled itself around Mike’s leg, he kept up with his attack until the rest of you were able to pull him up from the floor. That’s when he heard the growling.

Behind Dustin was a single lone demodog. Sneaking its way towards the group. From the side, he could tell how tense you had become. Calling out to your cousin and trying to reach out for him. But Dustin simply pushed you away, insisting that it was Dart.

How he could tell was beyond Steve, but if you kept up with your nervous calling, you’d definitely anger the thing a lot more than Dustin’s sweet talk would.

“Dustin..” you tried, attempting to step forward. Steve quickly wrapped a hand around your good arm, keeping you in place.

“If you go after him, it’ll react.” he whispered to you, trying to warn you of the severity. But even with the warning and Dustin’s words, the beast still flared open its mouth to the boy. Making Steve’s heart drop. He thinks the kid is crazy for trying to reason with the creature, but he’s not about to mess up the chance of it working by letting any of you big mouths ruin it.

“He’s insane!” Lucas whispered.

“Don’t.” Mike warned, trying to shush the others as well.

“Shut up!” Steve hissed. “And stop pinching me!” he said to you, moving his hand up higher from your sharp attack. But you only squirmed even more.

“He’s literally giving the damn thing food!”

“SHH.”

It’s eventually food that finally won them the safe passage. Dustin pulled the candy out from his own bag as he offered the sweets to the creature. Once he noticed that the demodog was fully distracted, he signaled for the others to go ahead.

“Eat up, buddy. Come on. Come on.”

One by one the rest of you move past the two. Steve didn’t even give you the chance to plead with him as he practically dragged you away. From the distance, he watched as Dustin rose up from the ground, giving one last glance to his friend before leaving.

“Goodbye, buddy.”

While Steve wished he could comfort his friend, the sounds of more demodogs in the distance was enough for him to push back feelings.

“They’re coming.” Mike called out, shining a light towards the tunnels. “RUN! RUN!”

Sounds of snarls and roars were surrounding the walls of the tunnels. With every step on the unleveled ground, Steve thought that this was when all would fail. But he couldn’t give up, not when he had the kids so close to their freedom.

“Over here!” he yelled, when he saw the loose bit of rope dangling from the top of the roof.

He yelled for the others to hurry, waving them down to meet at his side. When you were close enough, he grabbed onto your body, lifting you up from the ground high enough that you could latch onto the rope. When he saw that you were sturdy enough to climb up, he reached out for the next person.

You were quick to help out on the other side, reaching for each kid’s arm and pulling them up with a small grunt. It isn’t until he’s about to reach over for Dustin and send him up to you that he heard something in the distance.

“Come on, guys! Climb up!” you yelled from above.

But the sounds of heavy footsteps coming closer, made him think they might just be too late. All of you called out to the two of them, reaching your hands out towards them while Steve got into a defensive position.

“Oh shit.” Steve hissed, pushing Dustin to get behind him. There was no telling how many he’d actually be able to fight off. He didn’t want to think about that. All he wanted to do was focus on making every hit count.

Around the corner, a herd of demodogs finally made their appearance. Charging over towards the two at such a speed that would surely knock them down. And when Steve was just about to swing, they suddenly ran right past them.

The creature simply avoided their roadblock and dashed around them. Going roughly towards some source while pushing Steve closer to Dustin. The boy stumbled a bit into his arms and he simply held onto him as the rest of the herd went by.

Steve’s so lost in the confusion of not having to fight that he jumped at the sudden urgency in your voice.

“MOVE YOUR ASSES!”

Quickly, he helped lift Dustin up to the rope. Waiting until he was safely pulled in by you before making the climb himself. With every tug, he felt like his lungs were on fire, but eventually he’s on the ground again and the cold crisp air is burning through his nose.

Suddenly, he’s engulfed in a tight hug from you. Making him sway a bit before he’s able to balance himself. Your arms are around his neck and he can feel the warmth of your breath against his ear.

“You were going to fight them.” you said to him. “You stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot. You were gonna take them all on.”

Your words threw him off for a moment, making him worried he might have made you that upset again. But from the way you kept your arms around him, he understood that they were from a different place now.

He basked in the moment, allowing himself the small pleasure of soaking your comfort in before he spoke up finally. “Yeah, I know,” he chuckled. “I had to.”

From the corner of his eyes, he can see Mike awkwardly cut the moment short with a cough, Giving him a weird look that had Steve breaking up the moment. Together, the rest of you made it over to the car. Just in time to catch as the lights began to change.

Everyone watched in awe as it turned from blinking to a steady beam. Eventually turning brighter and brighter until all of you had to cover your eyes. But just as fast as it began to shine, it suddenly died down. Going back to its regular glow.

“What was that?” Max asked

“It was Eleven.” Mike replied to her. “She did it.”

“Come on.” Steve said quickly. “The others are probably wondering where the hell we are.” he said, pointing to the car with his thumb. “Let’s get going.”

The tired kids groaned out to him but you for once nodded along to his plea. “You heard your Mother, kids.” Without looking back, you led all the kids towards the car, making Steve happy to be heading away from danger. It wasn’t until he was about to open the car door that he realized your joke.

“Hey! Why the hell am I the Mom?” he frowned over at you.

“Because you nag at us like a Mother.” Max chuckled as she climbed in to sit on your lap. Steve grumbled to himself, mimicking Max’s ridiculous reply as he got into the driver’s seat.

“I’m the man.” he mumbled, turning on the engine to the car. From the seat over, he could hear the sound of your giggling, making him only slightly less annoyed.

“Whatever you say, your highness. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Finally a plan he could agree on.

Steve couldn’t help but contemplate what would happen the next day as he drove over towards Max’s house.

The group had come together to form up ideas and alibis for tonight after everyone returned to the Byers’ house. And while Steve was ready to pass out for the rest of the month, he still had one more task for the night. Taking you home.

But even with that simple thing left to do. He couldn’t help but worry about what was going to happen next.

Things with you were definitely different now. There was no way he could go back to having you hate him again, and he’s sure after all the conversations, the kiss, and even the fight, that you felt the same way.

The light turned red again as he approached the intersection. Giving him another minute of lagging behind you to think about what he wanted to say.

But what did he want? Not even in his dreams could he figure out what it was that he truly wanted.

Up until tonight, Nancy was the girl of his dreams. The girl he loved. But how could he be in love with someone who felt like they were pretending to be in love? How could he hold onto a dream of a relationship that was so easily forgotten in a quest to find out answers for her friend?

How could she look at Jonathan the way she did and not even spare a glance to Steve?

And on top of that turmoil of thoughts towards Nancy. He couldn't help but feel guilty that in all his mess, you were still there. Waiting for someone to finally like you for you once, and all Steve could give you were the broken pieces of his heart.

Down the line of the road, he could make out the muffled sounds of you arguing with the person in front of you. Not even waiting, Steve pressed down on the car horn, putting a stop to that interaction before he made an exit from the car.

Billy stepped back when Steve approached you, making sure you were behind him again in case the jerk tried to do anything again. “God, you just won’t quit.” he scoffed, unable to comprehend where Billy got the nerve from.

For a moment, it looked like Billy was going to react to his words. But he didn’t. Instead, he backed off, holding his hands up as he stepped away from you two.

“Have fun with my leftovers, Harrington.” he said, moving towards his house, only looking back one more time to glance at you. “Remember what I said, babydoll. Remember.”

While Steve is curious as to what the hell that was all about, he ignored the inquiry in order to check on you. Noting the look of distress still evident on your face. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, pulling you into his arms in hopes of warming you up.

He wanted to think you’d speak up and snap back to your usual self. But even you need a moment to gain back your strength it would seem.

“Can we just leave? I want to go home.” you whimpered.. “I just want to go home.”

The sadness in your voice tugged heavy on Steve’s heart and he quickly leaned in towards you. “Yeah, honey.” he sighed, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Let’s get you home.”

The drive over to your house is quiet.

There wasn’t much Steve could say to change how you felt at the moment. And he understood it was coming from having to deal with Billy again so soon after everything. This whole night, actually, this whole week, Billy has done nothing but make your life hell. And the one time Steve could have protected you from it, he failed.

The guilt felt overwhelming. He wasn’t sure just what he could say to make it up to yo–

“I’m sorry,” you blurted out suddenly. “I feel like I’ve been the reason you’ve been getting hurt all day.”

He can’t help but be a little bit amused by your words. Not even sure how the universe would have it that you felt the same way. “It’s funny, I was gonna say the same thing.”

“Steve, all you’ve done tonight is stick up for me. For all of us..you’re the only reason why everyone is safe.”

Safe. He thought. How could you think he kept any of you safe when you got hurt? Have you even seen your eye yet? “If I had fought better..”

“He hit you with a glass plate. I don’t think that’s necessarily skill.”

“If I had fought better,” he repeated. “You wouldn’t have had to come in and help me.” He reached out to cup at the side of your face. Hating the sight of his failure shown on your pretty face. “This shouldn’t have happened to you.”

“Then put the blame on the asshole that did it. Not yourself.”

There was something about the way you wouldn’t let Steve feel so low about what happened tonight that had him feeling something. How could you care to make him feel better? Even earlier in the night, when you got mad at Nancy. It was for his sake then too. He didn’t deserve them and he definitely didn’t deserve it now. Right?

So why didn’t he push that notion onto you. Why was he allowing this selfish part of him to bask in the way you were trying to cheer him up? His eyes slipped close as he let out a small tired chuckle. “You aren’t going to let me win this are you?”

“Nope.”you smiled. “And you better get used to it for the future. Because I’m pretty good at always being right.”

“Future?” He asked, surprised he’d even get tomorrow with you. “So there’s a future between the two of us?”

“Do you.. maybe like the sound of that?”

How the hell could he not? A future with you, any kind, was worth getting beat up for. But there was still something he needed to know more of. Something that’s been on the back of his mind since it’s happened. “That depends.” He said finally.

“On what?”

“If your feelings have changed since we kissed.”

You turned shy at the question. As if you weren’t prepared at all for Steve to bring that up. He should see that as a different kind of sign, but he ignored it. He didn’t want to listen to the logic in his head. He wanted to pull you in closer and enjoy the moment with you.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about that kiss.” He admitted.

“I just forced myself on you. It wasn’t right to kiss you like that.” You said honestly. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it was on the back of my mind.”

He couldn't of any other moment where he wanted someone to kiss him this badly. All he knew was at this moment, he'd give anything to feel your lips against his his again. If you'd allow him to. "Then how should you have kissed me?” he asked carefully.

You looked back at him and he found that he’s focused so intently on you that nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing but the sound of your breathing and the beat of his heart. Slowly, you reached your hands up from your lap to crawl on the front of his chest.

“I would have given you time to notice what I’m doing by moving my hands here.”

The tip of your nails scratched at the nape of his neck, making Steve’s body flush in an instant heat. “And then?” he shuddered, needing more.

“I would have leaned in close,” you said, angling your head to his. The tip of his nose brushed against yours and your lips hovered just beside his. “Like this.”

“And t-then?”

“I’d ask you to kiss me.”

This is the part where he should stop. Where he should let you go and remind himself that there’s another whole mess of emotions that he has to deal with beside the horny one that was starting to stir up inside him. But the longer he looked into your eyes, the more he realized that he didn’t want to think about what he should do and instead chose what he wanted to do.

“So ask it.” He insisted, “Ask me now.”

“Kiss me?”

That was all he needed to hear before he took his chance to crash his lips onto yours. The pain and soreness of his face was ignored easily when he tasted the subtle taste of you on your lips. Bringing back to multiple memories. The kiss on your doorstep, the kiss from tonight, even the kiss to his cheek.

One simple touch to you has him addicted and he found that he needed all you now or else he thinks he might explode. The desire that’s been building up between the two of you for the past day was far too much to handle and he’s selfishly taking the chance to give you all of him. Even if all of him was just a shell of a man you once knew.

Things heat up quickly and the two of you are together on his seat. He can take in the sight of your beauty even better.

Lips changing kisses from simple peck into heavy panting open mouth kisses that have the air leaving Steve’s brain.

He never planned for things to get this far. Hell, he never dreamed that he’d ever get this far with you. But eventually you’re allowing him to touch your body. Explore the places that he’s never known he needed to touch until right now.

But you want him to. You need him. With the way your breath had gotten heavier and the frantic way you pushed his hand into your pants, he can feel how you need him. And he’s more than happy to give in to you. Using the pad of his thumb to swirl over the sensitive bud of your pussy until you’re crying out in pleasure.

You fall over him as you curl into your orgasm. He can’t help but find it all too beautiful. The soft moans coming from you as you come down your high. “You make the prettiest sounds.” he commented absentmindedly.

Taking the chance to calm down, you reached between the two of you to take him in your hands. Giving his aching cock the attention it’s been dying for since you sprung it free from the confines of his jeans.

Instantly he’s moaning at your touch. Either he’s too sensitive right now, or something about your touch has him getting closer to his orgasm that he wanted. That and the musky scent of your pussy is driving him crazy. He wished for a better place to fully taste you, but there wasn’t time for that right now. Because he had only one plan next. To feel every part of you.

So with your help he slowly eased the head of his cock into your pussy. Just like your touch, your pussy wrapped around him in such a way he’s taken back to how it felt like to first kiss you. How was everything about you this intense? How was he supposed to wake up tomorrow without this feeling again?

Leaning up, he pressed kisses against your neck, watching as the light affection helped you as you adjusted to the size of him inside you. “You’re so tight.” he gritted, using his hands to grip at your hips so that he could fully push inside you. “God, you’re so tight.”

There’s a beat of silence, and he waited until you were calm again before he reached out to you. “Are you still with me?” he asked softly, not quite ready to hear if you suddenly changed your mind. But you look back at him, smile on your face as you nod your head.

“I’m with you.”

That’s all he needed to hear before he was back to kissing you. Distracting you with the taste of his lips while began to thrust up into you. It hasn’t been long since he’s last had sex. But it’s been long since he’s felt this new and electric. The feeling of your body wrapped closely to his, the hot breaths from your mouth fanning his skin, and the moans falling past your lips. All so new and exhilarating to Steve.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get it like this again.

“Fuck, Baby. You’re taking me so good. So damn good.” he groaned, needing to praise you. “Taking all of me.”

Your hips rolled to the praise. As if you needed the encouragement to drive even harder towards your orgasm. The sensation shivered over Steve and he thrusted harder towards you, hearing the sounds of your slick slapping against his cock with every thrust met to your pussy.

“Fuck, Steve. I’m so close.” you whimpered.

“Me too, honey. Fuck, keep doing that.”

Your hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to you and giving him just the right angle to hit up into your core that he could feel just about all of you. He has to bite down your shoulder to keep himself from letting go just yet. Not when he can feel you’re close.

Using his thumb, he began to rub at your clit again. Feeling the way it made your body tightened on top of him. The walls of your pussy gripped tightly against Steve’s cock. Making each and every thrust tug just the right way on him. You let out a loud moan, throwing your head back in pleasure as you finally let go around him.

Steve wasn’t long to follow after you, feeling the way his cock shot out his cum into your body. Each thrust after was chasing the remnants of his orgasm and he chanted out your name. Almost like a thank you prayer while he started to come down from his high.

The car’s movements came to a stop and Steve carefully reached between you to pull himself out so that you could rest easily on top of him. The sight of you cuddling into his chest does something to him and he finds he’s soothing you down. Making sure your body relaxes against him from the small workout.

“You’re bullshit.” said a voice in his head.

He tried to ignore the voice in his head. Squeezing his eyes shut to focus on your content hums. But again the voice spoke up. Almost yelling at him.

“YOU’RE BULLSHIT.”

Like cold water to the face, Steve slowly began to realize what he had done.

How the hell could he do this to you? He was just aching and pinning for Nancy this whole week and all of a sudden he’s sleeping with you? As if you were some rebound that was supposed to cheer him up?

Yes, the signs were there from you. He knows you wanted this too but did you deserve this? To be the girl he gave himself too all because Nancy didn’t pick him? Did he even want that? Why would he push for you to ask him to kiss you? He shouldn’t be kissing anyone let alone fucking them in their driveway.

Fuck, you were just talking about a future of a sort with him. Would you want anything with him now that you realized he had slept with you while still in love with someone else?

“I can’t believe we just did that..” you said softly, shyly looking up at him.

God he’s in such deep shit.

“Steve? Are you oka-”

“We shouldn’t have done this,” he interrupted, not able to hear your concern for him anymore.

“..What?”

Carefully, he sat up in his seat. Pushing you back a bit so that you were able to sit up on your own. “I shouldn’t have done this..especially to you.” he clarified.

“I don’t..I don’t understand..you didn’t want this?”

The pain in your voice has his heart breaking even more tonight. There was nothing he could do to fix this. He literally felt like everything around him was falling apart but he couldn’t stop it. He can’t change it.

You quickly remove yourself from sitting on his lap. Getting back in your seat to get dressed again. Steve pushed himself back into his jeans. Disgusted with the sight of his pleasure still coated on the front of his pants while he buttoned up.

“I’m sorry. I’m just..I’m not good right now.”

“So you just use me-”

“I’m not using you. Please,” he pleaded, fearing that he’s done the worst again. The look on your face is the worst thing he’s seen in days. It’s completely wrecked. Heart broken. Worse than anything he’s seen and it’s all because he’s just fucked up beyond repair. “God, this is so messed up. I promise..just..” Reaching for your hand, he tried to give you a reassuring squeeze. Feeling like he was only giving you a panicked grip before he let go to hold onto the wheel. “Tonight was a lot..I just..need to get home and..think.”

He’s waiting for you to yell at him. Tear him to shreds for having done such an awful thing just now. But you don’t. Instead of sounding like the fierce girl from before, you’re croaking out your words. Hitting him in the heart in a completely different way.

“Have fun with your thinking.” you said, grabbing your jacket and dashing out of his car. He can’t look up from the wheel. All he can think about is the fact that he’s probably messed up something really good.

ONE MONTH LATER

It’s a crazy few days after that night.

Steve attempted to fix things. The first thing he did was fix what he could with Nancy. Giving her gifts back and wishing her luck with things. The girl returned the sentiments, but also invited him to be a part of the service for Barb. With things finally coming into light about the lab, the Hollands were actually able to put their daughter to rest.

Something Steve was ready to do as well.

The funeral was on too bright of a day, he thought. Too bright for the Hollands and Nancy to say goodbye to someone they loved dearly. And while Steve knew the focus shouldn’t be on him right now, he couldn’t help but feel his guilt finally hit him.

I’m sorry. He thought. Looking over at Barb’s casket. I’m sorry for everything.

He’s surprised to feel it’s your hand wrapping around his that day. Neither one of you says anything to each other. You don’t need to today. Not when the only thing you guys needed to do was be there for each other.

But when it was over, you quickly pulled away from his side. Leaving Steve to watch as you joined after your friends. There’d be another day to try and fix things with you. Today, he’d leave you be.

The days continued on and he found that he was unable to face you just yet. An apology sat on the tip of his tongue. But every attempted phone call ended with Steve feeling sick. He couldn’t get the sight of your sad face from his mind.

There was a moment when he thought he’d never get his chance to fix things. But it would turn out that one phone call with Dustin asking for a ride to the snowball dance that would present Steve with one window of opportunity.

After a hopeful pep talk with Dustin, Steve watched as his new friend entered the middle school doors. Looking around nervously before entering the gymnasium. In the back Steve caught a glimpse of Nancy inside. Her curls piled up on the top of her head, and her smile bright as she handed the younger grades cups of punch.

The sight of the girl still stung to his chest, but he found that it was no longer drowning as it was before. Another sign of what he had to do.

Driving past the row of cars by the gym, Steve drove over towards the parking lot. Ready to camp out for the rest of the dance when he noticed a familiar figure emerging from their car.

Of course it’s you. And you’re dressed up in the coat he figured you threw away last Christmas. It’s a big enough sign for Steve to attempt what he wanted to do. So, without waiting any longer, he got out of his car. Tugging his jacket on before he moved to stand by your side.

“You look a little underdressed for the dance.” He said as casually as he could.

“I’m afraid I’m just the driver tonight. No chaperoning for me.”

He watched as you made some room on the front of the car, giving him just enough space to climb on with you. The heat of your body is strong, and he found that he’s inched as close as he can to feel it better. It was now or never with you. So he carefully took a slow breath and spoke up.

“I tried calling..” he said carefully “And I mean, really tried.” You looked over at him and he kept his gaze forward so as to not lose his train of thought. “I had the phone in my hand, ready to dial. But every time I thought to call, I just couldn’t help but remember the look on your face.”

“If you wanted to call to remind me how you feel, I’m glad you didn’t.” you scoffed. He could practically hear as you built the walls around yourself.

“Don’t do that.” Steve sighed. “Don’t shut me out just yet. I’m sorry. I just- I just wanna explain myself better than how I did.”

“I get the picture pretty clear, Steve. You regret sleeping with me and don’t want to do anything with me because you still love Nancy.” You’re quickly climbing off the car. Shutting down everything that might hurt your feelings. “I won’t tell anyone about us.”

He hated how badly he was already making this. Groaning into his hands, he quickly followed you off the car and moved so that he could stand before you. “That’s the thing. I don’t regret it. None of it. Not the sex, not the kiss, not the day, not even the night before. I wanted all of that.” He still does. But he knows better now. He knows it’s not worth messing things up with you again. “My only regret is that I didn’t give us a good time to recover from the other shit we just went through. Well, that and also hurting you again.”

You’re frowning at him in confusion. But he’s happy to see you’re still hearing him out.

“But you said we shouldn’t have..that you shouldn’t have done it..how am I supposed to take that?”

“Take it as me being a big idiot?” he said honestly, moving his hand around so that he could cup at your warm cheek.“I’m so sorry, Trouble. I hurt you again and I can’t beat myself enough for that.” He kept his gaze on you, hoping that you’d hear his truth and understand him, “And I know you should hate me, but I’m selfish with you and can’t let you go again. I’m just-..I’m just a guy who doesn’t know what girl would truly like him, let alone a girl like you.”

“But I do like you..”

He let out the breath he had been holding in. You still like him. Even after everything that’s happened. “I know,” he said sadly. The pad of his thumb brushed against your cheek and he watched in silent awe as you rubbed into his palm. “I like you too. But maybe we don’t really know. Maybe we both need some time before we figure out all that?”

“Time?” you asked softly.

Sensing that your worries must be getting the best of you right now, he leaned down to press a reassuring kiss to your forehead. “I can hear you overthinking. I just want you to have time to figure out if what you feel is real, or just the heat of the moment.”

The music from the snowball dance began to come out from the gym doors, giving you two a bit of background noise while you figured things out.

“Do you need time?”

If he was being honest with himself, he’d say how he doesn’t need a second to be with you. But knowing that there were still going to be moments like tonight where he’d look at Nancy and feel some sort of pain, he’d have to change up his needs.

“No. But I probably should take some time too.”

Moving both your arms and his, he changed up the position so that the two of you were slowly swaying to the beat of the music. You took the chance to rest your head against Steve’s chest. Making him relax as you comfortably rested against him.

“So what happens now?” he heard you whisper.

This was it. This was his one chance to finally do right by you and give you the one thing you deserved right now. “Friends,” he finally decided. “I’d like us to be friends finally. If you can forgive me and my shitty timing.”

He didn’t rush you as you contemplated what you wanted to do. Anything decision you’d make and he’d respect it. Even if it meant going against everything he was trying to do. He’d give you whatever it was you needed.

It was finally once the song ended that you pulled yourself back to look up at him. The warmth in your eyes is there and he’s pleasantly happy to see that familiar sparkle once more. It has his heart racing again and he can’t help but smile down at you.

“Okay, let’s try friends.”

Something inside Steve took control and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning down and sealing the deal with a kiss to your lips. It’s like being back to a place of comfort and he’s happy to feel as you carefully pressed back against him.

“Sorry.” he muttered, slightly embarrassed with you once the two of you realized what happened.

“Let’s just keep dancing.” you suggested. Not even realizing the double meaning behind the word. But like before, he’d leave you be. Knowing that it was going to be something you two would come across later on in time.

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, wrapping his arms tighter around you. “Just keep dancing..”

A BIT LATER ON

The sounds of A-Ha’s Take On Me slowly echoed out from the gym doors. The snowball’s DJ had been keeping all the music upbeat and lively the whole night. And you and Steve took the chance to enjoy the free sound while you both entertained yourselves.

“Take on me”

“(Take on me)”

“Take me on”

“(Take on me)”

“I'll be gone. In a day or two!”

Steve couldn’t help but pull back to look over at you. Eyes wide as he noticed the slightly pitchy ending to your note. “Trouble, are you tone deaf?” He laughed, still swaying you.

You let out a dramatic gasp. “I am not!” you giggled. “It’s just a really high note!”

“Oh man, you can do everything but sing.” He lied, knowing you could do and be anything you wanted. “Wait until I tell Dustin.”

You point a finger over at him. Trying to look intimidating but really you look just cute in Steve’s eyes. “You better not. Or else I’ll mess up that pretty face of yours.”

“So you think it’s a pretty face?”

“..You’re terrible.”

“You think I’m pretty!” he sang, watching as you attempted to pull away from his arms. But he quickly changed it to wrapping around you so that you were pressed against his front. “Tell me what’s my prettiest feature. My hair? It’s my hair right?”

“I’m not even diving into that.” you laughed while shaking your head.

“My lips?”

“You wish.”

“Lashes?”

“You’ll never get an answer from me..”

“Oh come on,” he laughed. “Just throw me a bone here.”

There’s a second where you seem to go quietly to your thoughts, and Steve’s worried he might have pushed the joke too far, but you slowly reach a hand up to cup at his cheek. The pad of your thumb grazing gently at his jawline while your eyes glanced up to his.

“Your eyes..” you whispered. “I think you have very pretty eyes..”

He didn’t expect for your answer to make him feel so shaken up but he found that he’s shuddering from your truth anyway. “T-thanks.” he muttered, stumbling to come back to being confident like he was moments ago.

“This is the part where you tell me I have pretty eyes too.” you smirked, making him let out a breathy laugh. Only you would manage to make the conversation light again.

“You’re pretty,” he said easily. Beautiful would be a better word, but friends, albeit new ones, don’t talk that way. “Prettiest girl in town.”

“Oh, I forgot you lay it on thick, Harrington.” you laughed as you looked away from him. Something on your face reminded him back when you two first met and he flirted with you. It wasn’t easy to make you flustered and yet that’s how you were right now.

He’s about to speak up when the sounds of footsteps cut in.

“What the hell are you guys doing?”

Looking behind him, the two of you saw Max, Dustin, and Lucas all stood before your Aunt’s car. The girl had a knowing smirk on her lips while the two boys had slight frowns on their faces. “Dustin,” he coughed, letting you go slowly. “Why aren’t you guys inside?”

“Why?” snorted the shorter boy. “How about because the dance is over? We thought you guys would come in and get us ten minutes ago. Why the hell were you two dancing with no music on?”

How long has it been since the music stopped? He didn’t notice. Not when he was talking with you.

“We were goofing around.” you explained easily, giving Steve a pat on the arm. “Plus, we never said we’d grab you kids. We’re off babysitting duty tonight, dork.”

“Such a loving cousin.” Dustin groaned, pushing past everyone to go over towards the passenger door. “But whatever. Do you think we can give Lucas a ride home?”

“Whoa, hey, I thought you were riding with me?” Steve frowned looking over the three of them.

“Well if she’s still around, might as well take me home, right?” Dustin shrugged before nodding over at you. “Well? Can we?”

You frowned at your cousin before glancing back at Steve. “Mind taking Max for me?” There’s a small pout in your request and he found it a little hard not to be distracted. Even if three other pairs of eyes were watching him intently.

“Yeah,” he said eventually. “I can take her.” Looking over at the girl beside him, he nodded towards his car. “Maybe I’ll give her a better driving lesson than you.”

The other kids frowned at that while you let out another laugh. Very amused by his words. “You’re still terrible.” you chuckled, making your way over to the driver’s seat. “But thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow? Make it up to you with a milkshake?”

“You got a deal, Trouble.” he winked.

You waved goodbye to him, staring at him for a moment longer before getting into your car. The other two boys called out a goodbye to Max before waving over at Steve. Dustin said he’d tell Steve all about what happened when he gets the chance.

Alongside Max, Steve watched as your car roared to life, filling the air up with the sound of your engine and soft pattering of music you had been playing. He kept his gaze over at you until the car was driving down the road towards the front of the school.

Max gently elbowed his side, giving him a knowing look.

“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?” she asked, smugness heavy in her tone. But Steve was too happy, too content, with how the night went to be embarrassed by her teasing. And considering everything that’s happened, he didn’t hesitate to give her a reply while he opened up the car door for her.

“You have no idea.”

A/N: If you’ve made this far, god bless you!! this took about 4 months to finally put together. I’ve been working on it since July and have been going back and forth on it. I’m very to be finished with it and hope you guys enjoy the inside of my poor Steve’s mind. I’m not really sure how much canon Steve would think this way, but I hope I tuned in to a little of what he might sound like. Thank you guys so much for the support. As always, I appreciate every like and comment!

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x henderson reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x female reader #steve harrington x y/n #DYWMB #stranger verse

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devotioncrater · 5 months

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chase and cameron ceasing their sexual relationship because chase wants a romantic relationship while cameron doesn't. meanwhile house and wilson aren't together at all but house leads wilson on with Two Play Tickets and then throws the concept of it being a date back in wilson's face when wilson assumes that they're going to the play together. because hello hi why wouldn't wilson assume so? they already do everything together. house was never clear in their conversation about what he meant anyway, unlike cameron who was clear with chase from the start.

"the play, you interested?" "sure, you want me to pick you up?" then wilson is thrown from such great heights when house says he's not going because "it's a play. dudes only go to plays when they're dragged by women they're hoping to see naked" + he's only offering the tickets to wilson because maybe there's someone wilson wants to see naked. which oh boy is it a heteronormative/misogynistic way to see the world, but it allows us to implicitly read the subtext of the scene and what is actually being communicated. the dude picks the girl up on a date night to see a play, then the dude and the girl have sex later. wilson picks house up on a date night to see a play, then wilson and house have sex later.

but now that house is not going to the play, wilson loses interest ("so why are you giving them to me?") and only takes the tickets because 1) he's a pushover 2) there's a third party stranger witness so he can't say no/insist that they see it together or else That Would Be Gay aka not fit the heteronormative script house laid out and 3) he's a closeted homosexual theater/musical nerd ofc he wants to partake see it only with house

"maybe there's somebody you're hoping to see naked" house says using a gender neutral term. and in response wilson looks exasperated like he's keeping a frustration inside like his whole hurt "why don't you want to see it with me?" wasn't enough of a clue. amazing heterosexuality there dude bravo

and for this scene it's like wilson and house's roles are flipped. normally house is the one asking wilson out on dates (famously the romantic weekend getaway, where wilson rejected him). normally house gets dejected or loses interest in an activity if wilson doesn't want to partake and then has to find a substitute for wilson's place (famously the monster trucks, where cameron stood in for wilson). normally wilson does his job while house simply doesn't.

this role reversal is overtly reinforced by them entering an exam room with a patient in it instead of the usual empty room. it's the catalyst for wilson being thrown for a loop, because it defies every expectation wilson has of house. What Do You Mean You Aren't Hiding From Cuddy? What Do You Mean We Aren't Doing This Activity Together? What Do You Mean You Don't Want To Date Me?

like gauging from wilson's facial expressions and his quietly resigned "alright" as he takes the tickets, i'm of the firm belief that hey. wilson in that moment was open to the possibility of dating house. even only if for a night. like they might've had a consensual workplace relationship in s3 had they gone to that play together. which would've paralleled chase and cameron's plot lines (thank you to eric "house and wilson would have sex before you two do" foreman)

#that scene makes me insane like. what was in the water #house md #hilson #like wilson even attempts to leave before house puts him on the spot abt taking the tickets. he for sure wouldve brought it up later #when him and house would've been alone. like. am i bonkers & delulu for thinking this

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jinkookspencil · 1 year

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stay pt 2

after a night of drinking, jungkook wakes up the morning after... unaware of his drunken confession the night before

description/tw/tags: ~3.5k words / fluff / jungkook x (f) reader / pt 2 to "stay" based on jungkook's lives / maybe you can read this on its own but it is a second part/ friends to lovers / jungkook's pov / italics are either for emphasis or jungkook's own thoughts / includes mentions of alcohol and drinking, jungkook has a hangover / includes swear words / feedback is always welcome and it’s appreciated!! i hope you guys like this 💗 (i'm secretly proud of my last paragraph ngl)

Light.

Too much of it.

In his room…

…Why?

It didn’t take Jungkook long to realize that the bright light was, in fact, sunlight filtering through his half-drawn drapes and into his silent room. But a grumble later, it finally dawned on him that this wasn’t a normal morning. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t turn on his back. Something stopped him. Was it... the weight of an arm? Draped across his waist? He definitely felt the warmth… of another body pressed against him. Stirring, he blinked open sleepy eyes, only to be met with the sight of the wall. A full heart-racing minute later, he finally realized there was one body part he could move. Turning his head, Jungkook saw…. you.

A coo escapes him at the sight.

Oh, he thought as he closed his eyes again. I’m still dreaming.

The breath he felt against his cheek felt so…. real.

It must’ve been an intense hallucinatory hangover, surely.

That was definitely the only answer. The only possible answer….

But then, teetering between the real world and sleep, he hears it.

The sound that pulls Jungkook back into reality.

A snore. The loud, nasally snore he’d heard only once in his life.

The night he was certain was real. When you passed out at his party. And he put you in his bed. It was more than a memory - the feeling of you, murmuring half-dressed in his arms, was cemented into his skin and veins, a feeling he and his body'd never forget.

A real night. Your real snore.

A sound he'd heard for hours as he tried to shake off what it was like to have held you and touched your skin ever so briefly. He'd hoped the endearing sound would complement his own snores one day, but they still hadn’t made their way into his dreams of you. So he knew. This was real. Not a dream. Not a hallucinatory hangover. Reality.

You - in his bed, again...

He couldn’t believe it was, even as he saw you centimeters away from his face, a breathtaking mess fast asleep on your side, but more importantly, closer to him than ever before. He'd slept on the floor that night, but now he was here.... in your arms.

As always, his own arms were tucked under his pillow, close enough to his neck to pinch. Which definitely hurt. Reality reality.

The panic is quick. Before Jungkook can even come up with any scenario that would explain the scene - damn his hangover brain fog - his heart pounds fast against the mattress. So fast that he couldn’t realize his chest and breathing caught up under your… touch… until your arm moved on his back, and Jungkook finally remembered his own strength, but he pushed up from the mattress to no avail. All it did was wake you up.

Batting of your eyelashes open, your pupils were illuminated by the rays that filtered into his room. A yawn so quiet and blissful escapes you, no one would’ve ever expected you’d been letting out the sound of monster trucks just moments prior.

With wide eyes, Jungkook expected you to jump when you meet his gaze. To run, like you had. To panic, as he did. Take in the scene and pretend it never happened. The last thing he expected, in this reality at least, was the smile he saw, clear as day on your face.

“Hi,” you whisper quietly, so close he can almost feel the word on his skin as you take in the sight of one another. Still feeling his back rapidly rising and falling beneath your hand, you rub his shoulder blades in an effort to help. It didn’t. It really didn’t.

Jungkook hadn’t realized just how petrified he’d been until you jump up and leave in the blink of an eye.

It’s only then, when the other side of the bed was actually empty - as it always was - that Jungkook finally moves, blinking rapidly as he sits upright. Touching the empty space beside him, Jungkook’s mind races. You weren’t there. You couldn’t have been…. there… sleeping beside him…. with your arm wrapped around him…. It must’ve been a hallucination… But… why do the sheets feel so warm?

Grabbing onto his abdomen, he only paces his room for a moment in hopes it'd get rid of the nausea and the pit in his stomach, he shook his head - shaking himself out of it - until the door to his bedroom opened…You. You really were there.

“Drink this.”

Outstretched in front of him was a drink Jungkook was familiar with. His own hangover smoothie remedy. The one he bottled up for you when you got drunk and passed out that night. Apparently, Taehyung, still his roommate at the time, had forgotten to remove the note he'd left on the bottle when he gave it to you that morning. "Taehyungie hyung, this is for Y/N. If she needs more, the recipe is on the back of this note. You know how much she means to me, take care of her if she wakes up first - JK" He cursed Tae for it then, overthinking your reaction, but he secretly thanked him now when it was you handing him the drink he probably needed... badly.

Chugging it, he feels the familiar, burning liquid trickle down his throat. The final sign that this really was reality. Still, he can’t look at you, especially when you’re back sitting on his bed, staring directly at him.

What were you doing here?

He knew that to you, it’d probably look like he zoned out, but really Jungkook went through the million and one possible scenarios in his head, remaining silent as he tried to find an answer and put the pieces together.

“You okay, Kookie? Are you… awake?” you finally ask, breaking the silence.

All he can do is nod. Brief glimpses of the night before coming to mind at the asking of your question.

“I was…”

“Drunk? Yes,” you confirm, looking up at him.

“Were you?” he mumbles.

“Drunk? No. No, you know….”

“I know,” he mumbles as quickly as he can, rushing to cut the tension of the both of you acknowledging your drunken night for the first time. The mystery of his drunken night less than 12 hours ago still lingered in Jungkook’s brain.

It’s only then that Jungkook realizes what you’re wearing… Your own sweatpants but…. his t-shirt? How did that happen? Sure, you’re his friend, and he would gladly lend a t-shirt to you if you asked…. but you hadn’t… ever. You’d even acted all weird when he made you wear his jacket in the cold... Why do it now? After breaking his heart by resisting so many times before? Couldn't you tell it was him trying to show how much he loved you?

“Sorry, I borrowed this. I woke up in the middle of the night, and my own hoodie was too hot. Saw this T-shirt folded on the chair and just crawled back into bed,” you say. Casually, Jungkook realizes. As if it was normal. As if you hadn't actively protested against wearing his clothes in the past. As if it didn’t mean you chose to stay the night and chose to stay in his bed. As if you didn’t know that would make his heart race faster. As if it wasn't something people only did when they were more than friends.

“No, of course. It’s you. It's okay,” he says. It was more than okay, but also not okay... at all. Why did you look so... happy?

"Jungkook, you look dizzy. Sit, the alcohol's getting to you," you say, patting the space he had occupied on the bed. It was way more than the alcohol. Jungkook felt like his entire world had been flipped and twisted, and he couldn't make sense of it as he tip-toed hesitantly to his own bed, sitting upright. Looking at you, his world came into focus. The world started to make sense, as it always did when he looked at you... save for the quietly excited expression on your face. Whether he was drunk, hungover, or sober, Jungkook was able to read you, a superpower he'd grown proud of, but it helped that you could never hide from him either. Why were you so damn excited?

“Y/N… I don’t remember much….” All he remembers is her, the alcohol, and a weird collection of words he might or might not have said. 'My heart will go on?' 'Stay?' 'Want you?' 'It doesn't go like this?' What doesn't go like this?

“I don't doubt it,” you giggle.

“What… did I… what… just…what happened?”

“Well…. Celine Dion, Adele, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, and, of course, an unsurprising dash of Ariana Grande happened….”

Jungkook nods, hoping that was the reason for your smile and that it was 'another night of Jungkook exposing the fact that he likes babygirly music' in your books. He knew you knew his secret obsession. He always did, even hoping you'd understand the secret messages he'd laced for you in his Pop Queen Babygirl singalong playlist. But until you caught on, it was fun to play along.

“And….”

“And…. you called me...”

“I did… Wait… I actually… I actually did?!” Jungkook felt like he was going to be sick at the realization.

“You…. did….” Jungkook expected the confusion he saw on your face, seeing the shock on his. The two of you calling each other wasn't an irregular occurrence, him always doing so when he wanted to watch a movie, have a late-night talk, or whenever he wanted to see your face... which was often. He wanted to spend time with you more than anything in this world, but always left the drinking til after you were already there... when he felt like he needed to forget that you were…. you... and the fact that he wanted to spend every waking moment beside you. So he'd limited his drinking and made sure that every call was a sober one. Because what you didn’t know was that he practiced confessing a million times and in a million different ways, one of which was over the phone. He realized very quickly that it was the stupidest way of confessing to the friend he was closest to and secretly in love with for the longest time, but… What if drunk Jungkook thought otherwise?

“It was a butt dial,” you quickly add. “My phone rang, all I heard was you singing, obviously drunk, so… I came. I came to check on you. And you continued drinking….”

Jungkook hadn’t realized his breathing wasn’t normal until it was, and most of the anxiety faded. Maybe he didn’t confess. Maybe it was just another karaoke night. Maybe you only stayed over because he drank a little too much and could've hurt himself.

“Jungkook… we need to talk.”

The panic returns in an instant. Suddenly, Jungkook felt something turn in his stomach. Fear. Nerves. Love. Regret. The hangover remedy. Last night’s fried chicken. He was going to puke… if it weren’t for the sudden hand on his.

“Calm down,” you say, laughing. The fear must’ve been evident on his face. Still, how could he calm down when you were holding his hand?!

“Jungkook-ah…. can I ask you something?” you ask, the faintest hint of a smile on your face.

“Anything…”

“What do you dream about?”

Fuck.

“Oh, you know…. having Namjoon’s body. Flying. Aliens. Being Spider-Man. And that repetitive one I told you about with the talking microwaves,” he babbles. Jungkook had cursed whenever he'd woken up from one of those dreams, wishing he'd dreamt of you instead, as he did most nights... but he was now grateful that he had them. At least he had an answer he could tell you. But why were you asking?

“Is that all you dream about? Is that your only repetitive dream?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Did I… did I say something while I was asleep? Fuck, if I…” he blurts before stopping. He could not say if ‘I moaned your name in my sleep’ because that would mean admitting to having sex dreams with you, which he'd never recover from. Plus, it practically meant confessing on the spot. What if he had confessed in his sleep? Or, God forbid, what if he'd vocalized those stupid dreams that started with a fight and either ended in hot sex or a cuddle session? Or what if it was something else? An innocent question?

“If I… cursed or something when I was asleep, I’m sorry. I- I mean do nisrespect - no disrespect - towards you, I don't know, I - -"

“You're worried about me hearing you swear after you just said ‘fuck’?”

Fuck, he thought.

“…..Fuck it.”

The next thing Jungkook knows, your hand clenched at his t-shirt and pulled him in until his lips met yours. A kiss.

You were kissing him.

Your lips were soft… softer than he’d ever imagined them to be… But just like his imagination… could it be that you were actually pushing on his lip ring with your lips? When he couldn’t even breathe, let alone kiss you back?!

“Woah, woah, woah…” he panics, standing up on the bed with a hand on his chest before bending down and pulling you in for another kiss, barely lasting a second… He’d already missed the feeling of your lips on his. “Y/N….”

“Jungkook-ah… sit!”

Resisting the urge to jump all around the room and give into his fluttering butterflies or his bubbling nausea caused by all this happiness and last night's alcohol, Jungkook sits by you, on his knees over the duvet, biting and licking at his lower lips for any trace of you. He’d felt your lips on his. You’d kissed him. He kissed you. He didn’t need a reason why you kissed him if you didn’t want to give him one. If it were just a spur-of-the-moment impulse, that’d be enough. Nothing else mattered. He didn’t need to know if you felt the same way, he’d be loving you for the rest of his life regardless, replaying this moment… but the wide, beautiful smile on your face gave him a good feeling…

“Jungkook,” you start, with your hand over his, which tightly held onto the fluffy blanket. “You're so adorable. Honestly, last night was adorable, too - you’d cringe, but you’d love it enough with time, as much as I do. One of our... best... late-night hangouts so far. I think I better explain the details of last night some other day when you're not hungover, but I couldn’t wait to tell you this bit….”

You bring your hand up, squeezing his cheek before caressing his face. For the first time, he was able to hold your gaze and stare into your mesmerizing eyes....

“…I like you too, idiot.”

Petrified, Jungkook replays the words in his head. I like you too, idiot. You really did like him?! Wait. 'Too'? How did you know?!

“What the fuck did I do… What did I say!?” he blurts out, thinking aloud. He has no idea what Drunk Jungkook had done or how he might’ve confessed, but it might’ve been for the better. He spent so much time coming up with a million different ways he could perfect a confession - the confession. Every time he said he was finally going to confess, even starting his speech or taking you to the many different, romantic places where he’d imagined professing his love… he'd stopped out of fear of losing what he had with you, never even realizing you might've felt the same way. But now he knows… you do.

“Oh, you just the details of a certain dream you seem to have... on occasion, involving me,” you joke, poking his arm before grazing his skin with your fingertips. “…Uhm… everything considered and to calm your nerves, I think it’s safe to say… I… have those dreams too. It’ll be nice if one day they aren’t just… dreams… anymore….”

Feeling his face flush, he looks down and gently holds your hands in his. What dream did you know of? What dream did you want to recreate? Was it the fluffy, domestic dreams of pancakes and ramen in the mornings? Or… the late nights with your bodies intertwined, endless kisses, and more? Since you… felt the same way… and dreamt the same dreams… he supposed it didn’t matter… too much. He'd move heaven and Earth for you, of course, he'd recreate whatever dream you wanted...

“This is all… Yes, let’s… of course… wait.” Still avoiding your gaze, Jungkook realizes he can’t meet it. Not while knowing he confessed when he wasn’t in the right state of mind. Fuck. How did you accept it? Your confession here today was incredibly romantic, but…. his? Alcohol? No. He wanted to do it right.

“Wait, let me confess, please. You deserve so much better than a drunken comment. I planned this… a million different ways. I want to do it right,” he pouts.

“Jungkook, the way you confessed was romantic and precious enough, but… go ahead if you want to,” you say, hiding your face as you hug your knees… He’d made you blush so cutely, but Jungkook quickly remembered that the sight of you blushing always made him… stutter… Oh no.

“…I have loved you since… no, that’s not the good one. Y/N, you are the most beautiful… no. Ah, stupid Jungkook. Fuck - what was that line from the movie Emma we saw together? I wanted to say exactly what he… Wait,” he stops, holding up his hands before touching his temples. “AHHHH, I can’t remember. Oh! I remember what I wanted to say that other night you slept over!! I want to wake up beside you every morning!! But you ran out… Hey, Y/N, remember that day in the park? That’s when - fuck, no, I think it was earlier than that. SHIT-”

Your lips were on his in an instant again.

You interrupted him with a kiss?! FUCK, he wanted to do that too but quickly dismissed it when he realized confessing to someone with a nonconsensual kiss would be entirely wrong. But in this case… Holy shit, you were hot. How do you taste sweeter than before? How are you softer?

It’s only when you pull away did he realize that he’d been biting on your lower lip, not wanting to let you go. He does, embarrassed.

“Jungkook,” you whisper against his lips, a hand over his chest and one at his nape. “I like you, and… you like me. Don’t panic. I practiced confessing a million different ways too. I know neither of us expected that this is how it’d go - so… how about we do them all? Let’s take our time confessing our love over and over again. All the ways we'd imagined. With the person we'd imagined. I know what I want, and it's this.”

“I want this, too.... It’ll take forever to get through them all,” he sighs happily.

“Well, Jungkook, I’d always wanted a forever with you, so… that sounds like a plan. If you’re up for it.”

Jungkook nods as fast as he can before meeting your lips with the same rapidity. Feeling your lips smiling against his, Jungkook knew this reality was also his heaven... but at that moment, he prayed that a real, eternal one actually did exist. He'd make up for every minute he'd spent away from you, every second he hadn't made sure you knew you were so loved, and it still wouldn't be enough. He wanted eternity with you, to spend your forever together, just like this - exactly like this, if he could, with your hands thoughtfully all over each other and your bodies intertwined… forever. You’d made him believe in heaven, and until you’d get there together… he won’t waste a second more not being together.

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when-wolves-howl · 2 years

Text

Can't Fight The Moonlight

Wanda Maximoff x reader

Summary: Feelings are revealed

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: Haven't written in a while. Inspiration struck and this happened. I'll get back to Resurrection soon. I am using the taglist for that series though.

*please do not repost or translate my material or claim as yours*

-------------------------------------------------------

As she leaned against the railing of the porch, you noticed how the moonlight illuminated her porcelain skin. Even the moon knew she was beautiful. What you knew, was that she had thought that no one had noticed but in a house of Shield agents, spies, ex assassins and super soldiers, someone was bound to notice. But it seemed like you were the only one who did. Everyone else was enjoying the party. You always notice her. You watched as she tightened her cardigan around herself, the chill in the air taking a visible effect.

Politely removing Natasha's arm from yours, her eyebrow raised in question to your movement. You nodded your head to the window, pointing out the only other redhead at the party. Natasha grins and winks at you, subtly pushing you towards the front door. You feign annoyance with an eye roll but follow Nat's silent instruction.

As you manoeuvred your way through the crowd, a strong hand upon your shoulder stops you in your tracks. Luckily for you, the super soldier serum that Bucky was forced to inject into you, still poisons your veins, so the rough grip takes no effect on you. However, the serum doesn't stop the irksome voice that follows your pit stop.

"Have you seen Wanda? I've been looking for her everywhere," Simon asks, disappointed as he scanned the room. Not wanting to out her, you pointed in the opposite direction.

"I think I saw her head to the garage for more wine," you replied convincingly. A tight lipped smiled followed your answer and Simon disappears as quickly as he appeared. That was your cue to quickly head to the door, making sure to grab your coat on the way out.

As you step onto the porch, the crisp fall air fills your lungs with a new breath. But the sight of the red head, warms everything else in your body. Your silent steps bring you closer to the shivering witch, your eyes never straying from her face as she stares up at the stars. When you reach her, you place your coat over her shoulders.

"Thank you," she whispers. She turns to look at you, her eyes glistening from the star lit sky. She wraps your coat around herself and offers a small smile.

You swallow the lump in your throat, only just now noticing how nervous you are. You stay silent and instead offer your hand for her to take, which she does so instantly. You lead her off the porch, across the yard and to a seat that overlooks the acres of land that Clint and his family call home. The moonlight allows you to bask in the ambience of what a 'normal' life could look like. It's a beautiful sight. But nothing compared to the woman who takes a seat next to you, who still holds your hand. After a moment, Wanda speaks.

"I've always wanted this." She gestures to the view before you. "But I'm not sure that it's in the cards for me anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't have a normal life like this. I'm not normal and I never will be. I can't have this," Wanda protests. You know she think she's a monster. You think of her as anything but. You can see the weight of the world weighing on her shoulders. You just wanted to help her carry it.

"Yes, you can," you assure her.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because you deserve it. Maybe more than any of us. I'm not normal either. I don't think I ever will be, but I know I also want this kind of life. Eventually. You've just got to reach out and take it." Wanda sighs sadly and your heart breaks for the woman who think she doesn't deserve good things. You spend the rest of your life trying to give her these things. If she let you.

"I tried to be normal. Do what normal people do. That's why I said yes to being Simon's date tonight. I just wanted to feel like a normal girl who was being asked out by a nice guy."

"But?" you ask cautiously.

"But he kissed me tonight. It just felt so wrong."

"Why?" You ask once again. Trying to hide your jealousy.

I haven't quite put my finger on the reason yet." Wanda answers teasingly. You don't notice her tone or the glint in her eye.

"Wanda. I know in my heart that you deserve this. All of it. You deserved to be kissed everywhere. In the corner of jazz clubs. On the shores of beaches with your toes dipped in sea. On the sidewalks of cities that show you in fall leaves. In the aisles of libraries, surrounded by the most beautiful literature. In the halls of art galleries, where the only thing more beautiful than the art is you. In the back rows of movie theatres that only feature black and white films. On the balconies of buildings in foreign countries. Sitting on the lap of the person you love., talking about anything and everything. But only with the right person," you blurted out, your eyes widening at your outburst.

"Who would be the right person then Y/N?" Wanda asked curiously, her eyes boring into the side of your head. You hadn't looked in the eye yet.

You shrugged in response, too nervous to talk. Wanda rose from her seat and let go of your hand. You mentally scold yourself for being so abrupt with her, not wanting to ever make her feel uncomfortable. She instead, took a place in your lap, her arms encasing around your shoulders. Before you could weakly protest, Wanda presses her lips softly against yours. You immediately brought your arms around her waist and brought her body closer to you. Sharing body heat with Wanda was an amazing feeling, but when you feel Wanda slide her tongue into your mouth, you'd happily give her all the warmth your body has to keep her in your arms. A soft moan from you makes Wanda pull away but you chase her lips. She breaks into a smile but asks you a question.

"Why haven't you told me yet?" she whispers into your mouth, her forehead resting against yours.

"Told you what?"

"That you're in love with me?" Your blood runs cold but only for a moment. Wanda somehow brings you closer without your lips touching. She's just looking for an honest answer. You sigh heavily, wanting to give her anything she asks for. You close your eyes when you feel her hot breath on your lips.

"I'm scared that you won't love me back. How did you know?" It's Wanda’s heart that breaks this time. She places her finger under your chin and makes you meet her eyes.

"That speech you just gave told me everything. Plus, you think you're subtle, but the lingering stares were no longer lingering. How long have you been in love with me?"

The first time we sparred, and you punched me in the face. I was a goner," you say with a giggle that Wanda shares with you. She kisses you quickly but thenpulls back with a frown.

"I need you to know that I'm not quite there yet. My feelings for you are true. But I just don't think I've allowed myself to explore them properly. You've always been so kind and caring towards me and that's when it started for me. But if you just give me some time and more of those kisses, I know it won't take me long. I'm still just trying to figure myself out, but I want you there when I do." You cup her cheek in response and feel her lean into it. Your stomach flips at the private moment you're sharing with her. Her stare is so intense that you know she's telling the truth.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you promise her. This wasn't what you were looking for when you joined her tonight. You just didn't want her to be alone. Wanda stands up from your lap and holds out her hand. You take it and intertwine your fingers together. She begins to lead you back to the house when she stops and turns back to you.

"Wait. What about you and Nat? I saw you two inside earlier. It looked like she was all over you," You just laugh at Wanda's insinuation, but she lightly slaps your arms. You hold your hands up in surrender.

"Me and Nat? No way. I was just holding her up because she's wasted."

-------------------------------------------------------

Taglist

@inlovewithfaberry @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @nr-enthusiast @kermy48 @whhyyynottt

@sherlockstrangewolf @the-camilucha @lorsstar1st @maximoffwitch @thefoxandthepenguine

@holiday-house-of-m @poptartpoppyy @blackxwidowsxwife @snowdrop1026 @afuckingshituniverse

@snowtrova @wildnightuniverse @lainjupi @d14n4ol @fayhar

@a-laufeyson @pawiie @lizlikespoems @rainbowmess-blog @jedi-luca @mrswidowjohansson @simp-erformarvelwomen @me-uglypretty @ninaahs @iliketozoneout @mmmmokdok @fxckmiup @diaryoflife @sayah13 @thought-of-you-and-me @messedupfan

@how-to-disappearr

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x you #wanda fanfic #marvel fan fiction #flufftober2022

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harmonictechnicality · 2 years

Text

Eddie discovers his ability to control dreams by mistake. All he wanted was to sleep off the shadows and storm clouds. Close his eyes and take a breath because he doesn’t breathe anymore. He doesn’t need to.

Something else keeps him alive now and he can hear it moving throughout him. Sloshing in his bloodstream and stealing his humanity. If he looks close enough, he can see black pulses underneath his wrists, right where his veins use to be.

Sleep never finds him, but nightmares do. They’re never his nightmares either - they belong to his friends. Some of them, like Dustin, have memory fueled nightmares: haunting events that are similar to ones that occurred in the Upside Down.

But others, like Lucas, have premonition-based nightmares: Max flatlining in a hospital bed or his sister getting mindflayed.

Neither form of nightmare is less torturous than the other.

Eddie hates consuming their trauma in a dreamlike state. They can’t even rest properly because of all this monster bullshit. It’s not fair. And it’s not fair that he can only spend time with them in such an intruding way. Like he’s infiltrating their darkest secrets and watching their struggles as a fucking audience member.

It’s daytime and he only has one friend who sleeps while the sun is up: Steve Harrington. Eddie shuts his eyes and searches for the familiar face.

Steve’s nightmares are driven by his greatest fears. Rejection. Dying alone. Total isolation. The settings are always so eerily normal. A Hawkins classroom. The bathroom of a house party. Driving his car. Sitting in his own bedroom.

In this current dream, Steve is waiting at a bus stop. He sticks a cigarette between his lips and fumbles through his pockets, searching for a lighter.

“Here you go.” A nearby voice says. “You can borrow mine.”

Eddie is next to him on the bench now, offering Steve a black lighter case. But it’s not the real Eddie.

It’s the nightmare version of Eddie.

Steve casually thanks Nightmare Eddie and takes the lighter. The flame is black as well, but Steve seems unfazed by this detail. He just inhales the cigarette and stares at the empty road in front of him.

“I don’t usually see you at this bus stop,” Nightmare Eddie is monotone. Stoic.

Steve let’s out the smoke, watches it fade. “My car broke down.”

“No it didn’t.” Nightmare Eddie is sneering and his voice is almost an octave deeper than it normally is.

“Yes it did.”

“Why are you lying, Steve?”

“I’m not!” Steve starts to raise his voice.

“You shouldn’t be here!” Nightmare Eddie matches Steve’s volume.

“What?”

“You don’t belong here!”

“How do you know?”

Nightmare Eddie points at the Bus Stop sign. “Because this stop is the last one.”

The sign’s letters change to read: It’s Over.

“This route takes you to the last stop of your life.” Nightmare Eddie pauses. Waits for Steve to respond. “Is that what you want, Steve?”

Steve is quiet when he says it:

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“No.” Steve stands up from the bench. “I don’t know what I want!”

Nightmare Eddie peers down the road and looks back at Steve. “Well you better figure out what you want. Because here comes our ride.”

The bus screeches down the road, clunky awful noises. Steve continues to stare straight ahead. Barely reacting to anything.

As the brakes halt in front of the bench, Nightmare Eddie skips onto the bus with no hesitation. Steve glances at the wheels before he brings his gaze up to the open door. He takes a step forward and stops again. A few more moments go by before the bus driver honks impatiently, which shocks Steve into a rash decision. He takes another few steps towards the bus and that’s when it happens.

“Steve, stop!” Eddie runs into the road. Real Eddie.

It works. Steve stops walking, so Eddie hurries over to him. He takes Steve’s hand, determined to ground him and his thoughts into staying. Never letting him leave on that damn bus.

“Eddie?” Steve blinks hard.

“It’s me.” Eddie doesn’t blink. Can’t look away from Steve’s conflicted expression. “I’m right here.”

The bus drivers lays down the horn again.

“Oh, fuck off!” Eddie yells, broadly waving his hand in front of the headlights. As he does this, the bus disappears.

Interesting.

He tries waving again, this time, at the sign. Gradually, the sign turns into floating particles that eventually disappear as well.

Eddie is making all the bad go away. Eddie can stop the nightmares.

“Please let me help, Steve.” Eddie loosens his grip around Steve’s fingers, but doesn’t let go completely.

“How?” There’s so much fear and agony in Steve’s eyes.

“I have an idea.”

There's a shared memory from their past that Eddie can use as dream setting, visualizing it in his own mind before offering into Steve's subconscious mind.

It's from their sixth grade class field trip. Eddie and Steve were in the same tour group - it was the first time they spent the whole day together.

"The aquarium?" Steve is awestruck. Closely watching the tanks of mellow waves of water. Eyes shifting to each colorful fish that flutters by his gaze. It's the first time Eddie has seen Steve calm in weeks.

"Do you remember this day?" Eddie rubs Steve’s back. The physical comfort he gives to Steve is equally for himself as well. He's so miserably lonely in this place.

Steve nods, never looking away from the exhibits. "I remember."

Underneath the shades of moving blues, Steve's complexion looks ethereal. An aquatic angel. His halo is cracked and Eddie wants to minimize the damage. Make him glow again.

"We sat in this exact spot for over an hour." Eddie motions for Steve to join him on the floor. They're facing a wall-sized tank. The fish look prehistoric, larger than life and swimming slowly. "I'll always remember what you told me that day."

"What did I say?" Steve finally looks at him.

The memory is visceral for Eddie. He could play it in his mind like a video tape, fast-forwarding to the good parts.

"You told me how much you loved swimming. How it made you feel like Superman. You said, ‘Humans don’t get to fly like superheroes. They get to swim instead.’ Which is pretty profound for an eleven year old.” Eddie nudges him and Steve almost smiles. Almost.

“I wish…” Steve trails off. “I wish you were still alive.”

Eddie places his hand over his heart. Thinks about it pumping toxins now instead of blood. “Yeah. Me too.”

"I can't believe you remembered what I told you years ago." Steve scoots his hand closer to Eddie's, ghosting his pinky finger over his open palm. The warmth of the touch almost feels like this is reality and not a dream. Like Eddie is back in Hawkins and not this stormy hellscape.

"You're hard to forget, Steve Harrington." Eddie lets his fingers close over top of Steve's pinky. Lets this moment feel tangible.

“Seeing you again is nice.”

“It is?”

“Really nice.”

Steve finally smiles. No more traces of the nightmare are left in his sleep realm. Eddie was able to give him a serene moment, however brief that may be. Steve is finally dreaming peacefully.

“Then I’ll stay until you wake up.” Eddie says quietly. He already knows that Steve is in the waking up process; the scenery around them is fading away into rays of light. He won't remember this place - this stage stuck between awake and asleep.

“Wake up?”

“Yes.” Now Eddie and Steve are fading away too. “And I’ll see you in your next dream too.”

“Promise?” Steve’s voice is distant.

"Promise."

The bright light takes over Eddie’s vision, forcing him to open his eyes quickly. Steve is officially awake.

This changes everything. Eddie can manipulate nightmares and turn them into lovely dreams. He can speak to his friends. He can tell his uncle he loves him. He can hug everyone that he cares about.

It’s not as satisfying as actual communication and affection. But until Eddie can find a way to return back to Hawkins, he can protect his friends from their bad dreams.

He can shield them from their own worst nightmares.

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #this one got dark and sad oops #been struggling to like my writing lately so this was cathartic #I'll write more sappy fluff again soon I promise

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halothenthehorns · 3 months

Text

Chapter 2: THE BRONZE DRAGON

Magnus saw that last word and just stopped. Just sat there frozen and looked like he wanted to cry. Why? Why was Percy's life like this?

"Magnus?" Under any other circumstances, Magnus would have been equally confused and delighted why Alex sounded so concerned over him.

"The, Bronze, Dragon," he slowly drug out every word like he was trying to suck the water off of a rock. A very pointless and disgusting task.

"Whatever nice things were said about Hephaestus need to be revoked right now!" Percy agreed with every dreaded line on Magnus's face.

Nico made a little yeep noise as well, his first thought being Bianca leaping into that thing's mouth and making it do the chicken dance as well.

"Please let this be an adventure about you getting shrunk down and fighting an armadillo lizard*," Jason was the only one who sounded excited. Then Percy considered for a moment and even nodded like that could have some fun before Magnus read on in dread before anybody else got crazier ideas.

One dragon can ruin your whole day.

"One dragon can ruin someone's whole life Percy!" Magnus groaned. He begged of the following words to please be something like Peleus with a stomach ache! An actual, made-up bad dream? A very oddly themed birthday party for some kid not cursed by the universe?!

"Surely that's why I'm there, to make it go from one to the other," Percy offered with half-hearted hope of his own he just had to help a dragon egg hatch or something cute and innocent... like his life was ever that easy.

Trust me, as a demigod I've had my share of bad experiences. I've been snapped at, clawed at, blowtorched and poisoned. I've fought single-headed dragons, double-headed, eight-headed, nine-headed and the kind with so many heads that if you stopped to count them you'd be pretty much dead.

"Nobody was ever going to ask you to reminisce about the hydra Percy," Thalia sighed. Why couldn't that have been his worst dragon experience?

"Frankly all that just made me think to ask you, again, how are you alive?" Jason nodded.

"Luck and some mild skill," Percy reminded.

But that time with the bronze dragon? I thought for sure my friends and I were going to end up as Kibbles "n" Dragon Bits.

The evening started simply enough.

"It always does with you," Will nodded without surprise. He alone seemed to have a pretty good idea what this one was about, and aside from rubbing Nico's arm to help chase those shivers away he didn't want to spoil the fun for anyone.

It was the end of June.

"Oh," Percy said in surprise as he did a double take. "This happened, before that thing with Clarisse though! That explains the weird smell!"

Nobody else had a clue what he was talking about, they just all kind of assumed Clraisse smelled like motor oil.

I'd come back from my most recent quest about two weeks before, and life at Camp Half-Blood was returning to normal. Satyrs were chasing the dryads. Monsters howled in the woods. The campers were playing pranks on one another and our camp director, Dionysus, was turning anyone who misbehaved into a shrub. Typical summer-camp stuff.

Magnus stopped cold like he'd been the one turned into a shrub. Which was ridiculous, he didn't have a single leaf on him.

"He turns them back Magnus," Will shrugged.

Magnus counted to ten in his head before deciding against asking for further details.

After dinner, all the campers were hanging out at the dining pavilion. We were all excited because that evening capture the flag was going to be totally vicious.

The night before, Hephaestus's cabin had pulled off a huge upset. They'd captured the flag from Ares – with my help, thank you very much –

"Nobody was thanking you Percy," Thalia scoffed.

"Well maybe more people should," Percy tried to give her big pouty eyes, but it was ruined by everybody laughing to much and he couldn't begin to hold it.

which meant that the Ares cabin would be out for blood. Well... they're always out for blood, but this night especially.

On the blue team were Hephaestus's cabin, Apollo, Hermes and me – the only demigod in Poseidon's cabin. The bad news was that for once Athena and Ares – both war god cabins – were against us on the red team, along with Aphrodite, Dionysus and Demeter. Athena's cabin held the other flag and my friend Annabeth was their captain.

"I need politics and details stat!" Jason turned and pleaded to Percy like he was going to fall on his knees.

Will lit up, clearly all for going into the latest drama that had caused such shifts in dynamics to occur, but Thalia and Percy groaned in sync, quite loudly. Seems as if unless they were the ones running the teams they weren't going to happily sit around and play back who had pranked whom, what revenge was needed, and the height of impressing others.

Jason sighed but reluctantly gave in that could take hours just to get caught up on a week's worth, but gave Will a very obvious look as if book marking him for later.

Annabeth is not somebody you want as an enemy.

"Which is why Percy seems to make a life goal of it!" Alex chuckled with a very pointed gesture at him like they'd missed her target.

"I only aim for the best," Percy puffed his chest up with pride and swooped back his hair.

Thalia smacked him in the stomach, causing him to deflate and the gray strands of hair to fall back in place as she smirked, "in everything except grades."

Right before the game, she strolled up to me. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"I didn't call you anything," Will said innocently.

Only Nico laughed while the others groaned even louder at the terrible pun. Though Magnus ignored them all with interest. That was, in fact, the first time he'd heard Percy wanted her to stop that, and as far as he could tell from the light-hearted smile on his face now and the passive eye-roll, Percy hardly meant it.

She knows I hate that name, mostly because I never have a good comeback.

"The worst atrocity I could name," Alex sighed.

"You should never be brought to a comedy show," Percy said with a hint of dread. She'd heckle anybody and get herself thrown out...though Percy wouldn't believe that wasn't her goal going in.

She's the daughter of Athena, which doesn't give me a lot of ammunition. I mean, "Owl-head" and "Wise Girl" are kind of lame insults.

"Lame but classics," Alex nodded contemplatively. "Surely you could get creative with all the world of nerd insults. Poindexter might suit her, or-"

"We are not going to sit around and make up insults about her, or her cabin," Thalia sighed.

"Just trying to keep the playing field even," Alex said, though raised her hands quickly in surrender.

"You know you love it." She bumped me with her shoulder, which I guess was supposed to be friendly, but she was wearing full Greek armour, so it kind of hurt.

"Both," Jason snorted.

"Definitely both," Percy agreed as he rubbed his shoulder with the biggest smile.

Her grey eyes sparkled under her helmet. Her blonde ponytail curled around one shoulder. It was hard for anyone to look cute in combat armour, but Annabeth pulled it off.

"Cute, huh?" Will's little laugh was so infectious even as he rolled his eyes hard. "How, on earth, Travis ever bet against me that you two would end up together I'll never know when you literally had these thoughts running through your brain."

"Why were there bets?!" Percy seemed to be missing the teasing part of that as he once again frowned at Will. "Where is this magical bulletin board?"

"Right next to the one with play tryout dates," he said saintly. "Up in the Big House, don't know how you've missed it."

Percy didn't seem able to close his mouth to properly get anything back and Magnus took pity on him and moved on before he'd have to.

"Tell you what." She lowered her voice. "We're going to crush you tonight, but if you pick a safe position... like right flank, for instance... I'll make sure you don't get pulverized too much."

"Retreat! Re-treat!" Jason enunciated very clearly. "This is a trap! Percy, please run for your life!" He said it in a pretty bad imitation of a robotic alarmed voice for some reason like a crappy fire drill.

Probably because it would have had as much effect on Percy then as it did now, who was to busy grinning at the challenge to hear a word.

"Gee, thanks," I said, "but I'm playing to win."

She smiled. "See you on the battlefield."

She jogged back to her teammates, who all laughed and gave her high fives. I'd never seen her so happy, like the chance to beat me up was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Percy is doomed," Thalia agreed casually. "Apparently even without fighting with me he can't avoid screwing up these games."

"I helped win the last one!" He spluttered, breaking out of his delusion of her hair escaping its helmet to glare at Thalia non-effectively. "You could have a little faith in me, I know her, her tricks!" He ended with a pretty sad stutter and crossed-eyed concern if this was a trick in a trick to make that any kind of believable.

Beckendorf walked up with his helmet under his arm. "She likes you, man."

"Sure," I muttered. "She likes me for target practice."

"Both," Jason said again with absolute confidence.

"Definitely both," Alex chuckled.

"I almost believed you that time," Percy sighed.

"Oh we're serious," Jason and Alex assured.

"Nah, they always do that. A girl starts trying to kill you, you know she's into you."

"What is this, playground rules?" Magnus sighed. He was no fool, he knew full well his cousin liked Percy back, but it was clearly complicated with her for several reasons and he assumed that's why she didn't act on it more. Who was this ding-dong, whose name he only vaguely recognized, trying to assure Percy of anything?

"Makes a lot of sense."

Beckendorf shrugged. "I know about these things. You ought to ask her to the fireworks."

Percy sighed. He'd really been wanting to talk to somebody about this back then, and Beckendorf seemed like the guy all of a sudden, but now that the moment was here...it felt like a waste of breath. What could he say Percy didn't already know?

I couldn't tell if he was serious. Beckendorf was lead counsellor for Hephaestus. He was this huge dude with a permanent scowl, muscles like a pro ballplayer, and hands calloused from working in the forges. He'd just turned eighteen and was on his way to NYU in the autumn. Since he was older, I usually listened to him about stuff, but the idea of asking Annabeth to the Fourth of July fireworks down at the beach – like, the biggest dating event of the summer – made my stomach do somersaults.

Then Silena Beauregard, the head counsellor for Aphrodite, passed by. Beckendorf had had a not-so-secret crush on her for three years. She had long black hair and big blue eyes, and when she walked the guys tended to watch. She said, "Good luck, Charlie." (Nobody ever calls Beckendorf by his first name.) She flashed him a brilliant smile and went to join Annabeth on the red team.

"I think she was beckoning to him," Alex said with a brilliant smile. Will and Nico both laughed hard at the pun while Jason and Magnus joined the groaning this time.

"Uh..." Beckendorf swallowed like he'd forgotten how to breathe.

I patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the advice, dude. Glad you're so wise about girls and all. Come on. Let's get to the woods."

Percy laughed along loudest of all. Finally, somebody else's girl misshaps wasn't at his expense!

...it felt a tad forced in his throat for some reason though he didn't like. A nagging idea in the back of his mind that had sporadically been cropping up. Now here, thinking of the beach, talking to Silena, the thought tried so hard to crystalize into something- but the idea was gone as his stomach pitched in pain and his skin felt a great flush of heat. He knew that feeling, he knew better than to mess with a memory like that.

Naturally, Beckendorf and I took the most dangerous job.

"Naturally," Will repeated in a very posh, british voice.

"Because if we gave Will the most dangerous job he'd stop to sniff the oranges to much," Nico smirked.

"We all have our strengths," he agreed without batting an eye.

While the Apollo cabin played defence with their bows, the Hermes cabin would charge up the middle of the woods to distract the enemy. Meanwhile, Beckendorf and I would scout around the left flank, locate the enemy's flag, knock out the defenders and get the flag back to our side. Simple.

Why the left flank?

"Because Annabeth wanted me to go right," I told Beckendorf, "which means she doesn't want us to go left."

"Please tell me you at least considered a double cross? Then a triple cross. Then a quadruple cross-"

"Jason!" Percy groaned. "I'm well aware Annabeth's going to pull one over on me, but I had to pick a lane! I'm sure I threw off her whole plan by just showing up."

Jason just shook his head at him, but then, he also would have been interrogating Annabeth about every layer of her plan if she were here and refused to tell him, so Percy didn't feel that bad about stopping him from pitching every way he was going to be wrong.

Beckendorf nodded. "Let's suit up."

He'd been working on a secret weapon for the two of us – bronze chameleon armour, enchanted to blend into the background. If we stood in front of rocks, our breastplates, helms and shields turned grey. If we stood in front of bushes, the metal changed to a leafy green. It wasn't true invisibility, but we'd have pretty good cover, at least from a distance.

Alex threw her head back laughing. "Somebody got jealous of Annabeth's hat!

"Ooo," Thalia said with interest. "Where's mine?"

Percy had some half-baked remark about her doing extra chores for him to help get Beckendorf's favor, but he choked on the words and nothing really came out except some spit while Thalia patted him on the back with a troubled smile she tried hard to look real.

"This stuff took forever to forge," Beckendorf warned me. "Don't mess it up!"

"You got it, Captain."

Beckendorf grunted. I could tell he liked being called Captain.

Thalia was still listening with great interest, and clearly decided she had her own turn at co-captain with him stuck in her craw more than letting him dwell on why he kept pressing his thumb between his eyes.

"Oh sure, him you just conceded the throne to! I was born to be a righteous, mighty warrior to lead armies, but this guy you just hand the crown."

Percy's shaking hand fell, a teasing smile instantly back. "Try getting accepted into college Thals, then maybe I'll watch you run your own team right into the river."

They even started bartering back and forth about who would get which cabin before Magnus bravely cleared his throat and waved the book around before they realized Annabeth would have to pick a side. That was a blood bath waiting to happen.

The rest of the Hephaestus campers wished us well, and we sneaked off into the woods, immediately turning brown and green to match the trees.

We crossed the creek that served as the boundary between the teams. We heard fighting in the distance – swords clashing against shields. I glimpsed a flash of light from some magical weapon, but we saw no one.

"No border guards?" Beckendorf whispered. "Weird."

"Overconfident," I guessed. But I felt uneasy. Annabeth was a great strategist. It wasn't like her to be sloppy about defence, even if her team did outnumber us.

Jason was over there muttering, "trap, this is a trap," and even spelling it out under his breath repeatedly while Thalia was still smirking and muttering about Percy botching this up like he had to hers. Percy sighed again about what great faith his friends seemed to have in him, but at least the headache was staying at bay.

We moved into enemy territory. I knew we had to hurry, because our team was playing a defensive game, and that couldn't last forever. The Apollo kids would get over-run sooner or later. The Ares cabin wouldn't be slowed down by a little thing like arrows.

"What about trick arrows?" Alex asked with interest. "Tip them in all kinds of fun stuff, or attach any number of things to activate-"

"I think we should just ban Alex's desert privileges before she even gets there," Percy grinned.

"Take away my chocolate, dudette, see what happens," she smirked.

"That sounds like a Chiron problem," Percy shrugged, picking at the hem of his shirt without concern.

We crept along the base of an oak tree. I almost jumped out of my skin when a girl's face emerged from the trunk. "Shoo!" she said, then faded back into the bark.

"Dryads," Beckendorf grumbled. "So touchy."

"Am not!" a muffled voice said from the tree.

Magnus was pretty proud of himself for laughing along at the mild moment instead of, say, freaking out the tree's could decide to kill them all in their sleep. Again.

We kept moving. It was hard to tell exactly where we were. Some landmarks stood out, like the creek and certain cliffs and some really old trees, but the woods tended to shift around. I guess the nature spirits got restless. Paths changed. Trees moved.

"They what?" Magnus yelped like his tail was on fire. "They just, move their whole tree, and roots, and plant them, and, they what?"

"It's pretty funny to watch, they just hike their leaf skirts up and their branches get top heavy sometimes so they-"

Thalia finally smacked Percy to get him to stop while the others couldn't stop snickering at the look of miserable acceptance on Magnus's face when he couldn't decide if Percy was telling the truth, or worse, nobody had any clue how or why the dryads did that and it was just another level of crazy.

Then suddenly we were at the edge of a clearing. I knew we were in trouble when I saw the mountain of dirt.

"A child of the ocean's worst enemy," Thalia snorted. "Take notes Nico."

"I've never tried just throwing soil around," he admitted with a smile that didn't mean he wouldn't be willing.

Percy narrowed his eyes contemplatively who would beat whom, earth-shaker versus child of the Underworld. He'd just have to challenge him to a digging competition to prove it later.

"Holy Hephaestus," Beckendorf whispered. "The Ant Hill."

"Do you all take your parent's names in vain?" Jason startled in surprise.

"Well it would just be weird if he said Holy Aphrodite, now wouldn't it," Percy shrugged.

"So who should Jason pray to? Merlin's Mankini," Alex smirked.

"If I've ever dabbled in witchcraft Alex, I would use whatever spell I could to burn that image from my mind," Jason sighed.

I wanted to back up and run. I'd never seen the Ant Hill before,

Why is Ant Hill capitalized, Magnus let the stray thought flit through his mind without interrupting to point it out. He just wanted a few more seconds of delusional peace this was just a sacred place and they were in awe of all its nonlethal help.

but I'd heard stories from the older campers. The mound rose almost to the treetops – four storeys at least. Its sides were riddled with tunnels, and crawling in and out were thousands of...

"Myrmekes," I muttered.

"Oh this is bad," Jason already realized. Percy never remembered the name of a monster otherwise.

That's Ancient Greek for "ants", but these things were way more than that. They would've given any exterminator a heart attack.

"Me too," Magnus promised with an opener like that.

The Myrmekes were the size of German shepherds. Their armoured shells glistened blood-red. Their eyes were beady black and their razor-sharp mandibles sliced and snapped. Some carried tree branches. Some carried chunks of raw meat that I really didn't want to know about. Most carried bits of metal – old armour, swords, food platters that had somehow found their way out here from the dining pavilion. One ant was dragging the glossy black hood of a sports car.

Magnus face planted the pages and groaned with misery. He'd been expecting a dragon, he'd been trying to mentally prepare himself for scaly beasts that could eat them! Now there were two, or more likely two thousand more deadly things running around! Why was Percy's life like this?!

"Now those are the kind of bugs that can take over the world, survive the apocalypse and become our new lords of the land," Alex grinned with wild delight, wondering if she could turn into something metal.

"They have to work on their infrastructure before I'd consider it," Percy said, resisting the urge to plug his nose through memory.

"They love shiny metal," Beckendorf whispered. "Especially gold. I've heard they have more gold in their nest than Fort Knox." He sounded envious.

"Don't even think about it," I said.

"Now that's a roll reversal if I've ever heard one," Nico chuckled in surprise. His stomach was pitching in disgust at the idea of mounds of treasure, he could all to easily picture Bianca in there picking up a hair pin and his old figurine again...so it was much more fun to imagine Beckendorf holding Percy's straps back at the idea of these things getting their jaws on a gold skateboard.

"I was not one of those weird kids who tried to drown and burn ant hills," Percy sniffed.

"Dude, I won't," he promised. "Let's get out of here while we..."

His eyes widened.

Fifteen metres*50 feet away, two ants were struggling to drag a big hunk of metal towards their nest. It was the size of a refrigerator, all glittery gold and bronze, with weird bumps and ridges down the side and a bunch of wires sticking out the bottom. Then the ants rolled the thing over, and I saw a face.

Magnus was about one word away from throwing this book in that trashcan that vanished things to nowhere. He'd give Percy better memories, he'd make up ones that didn't involve...all of this.

I just about jumped out of my skin. "That's a –"

"Shhh!" Beckendorf pulled me back into the bushes.

"But that's a –"

"Dragon's head," he said in awe. "Yes. I see it."

"So it's only his head," Magnus sighed in relief, the book's saving grace. "I can live with that."

"Right, buddy, you keep thinking that," Will muttered low enough Magnus only squinted suspiciously at him. What on earth made the poor guy think the rest of the body wouldn't come with the head?

The snout was as long as my body. The mouth hung open, showing metal teeth like a shark's. Its skin was a combination of gold and bronze scales, and its eyes were rubies as big as my fists. The head looked like it had been hacked from its body – chewed by ant mandibles. The wires were frayed and tangled.

"Robot dragon," Magnus sighed, trying to decide if that made this horror better or worse. On one hand he could imagine Tyson punching it in the face a little easier. On the other...robot dragon!

"I bet Percy sticks his head in that and tries to scare Annabeth," Alex snickered.

"I'm worried where the rest of the body is," Jason frowned how a camp had a whole dragon buried somewhere in there and what else was just under their feet.

"Hey, I just realized," Magnus looked a little extra miserable now for some reason. "Where's Tyson? I'd feel better with a fire-breathing machine around if he was."

"He went back to the Cyclops forges the week before," Percy said reluctantly. "Trust me, I was missing him right about then too."

The head must've been heavy, too, because the ants were struggling, moving it only a few centimetres with every tug.

"If they get it to the hill," Beckendorf said, "the other ants will help them. We've got to stop them."

"I take it back," Nico said with a puzzled frown. "Everybody at your camp is just nuts."

"So glad to not be the exception for once," Percy nodded his agreement.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"It's a sign from Hephaestus. Come on!"

Magnus dropped the book in his lap and pressed his hands to his ears. "I never want to hear of another sign from your parents!"

"This is a good one," Will tried to soothe, though his voice hitching a bit gave away the lie, so he finished, "eventually."

Magnus gave him a baleful look and wondered how many people the robot dragon killed just by stepping on them before that eventually happened. There really was just no point arguing though he should skip to that, Percy's reaction was probably going to be worse than whatever the dragon did.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I'd never seen Beckendorf look so determined. He sprinted along the edge of the clearing, his armour blending into the trees.

I was about to follow when something sharp and cold pressed against my neck.

"Surprise," Annabeth said, right next me. She must've had her magic Yankees cap on because she was totally invisible.

"I guess that makes sense," Jason chuckled. "She'd know better than to take her eyes off of you."

"She just wanted to jack that armor for herself," Alex smirked.

"She doesn't need it," Magnus said blankly.

"But I'm sure she has a whole speech ready about Percy stealing her thing," Alex insisted.

I tried to move, but she dug her knife under my chin.

"You've been held at knifepoint enough in your life," Nico shook his head, "I think I'm with Alex, she's just jealous she never got her turn at that too."

"I'm sure Annabeth has a list somewhere of what she wants revenge on Percy for and this was just a convenient outlet," Will chuckled.

Silena appeared out of the woods, her sword drawn. Her Aphrodite armour was pink and red, colour coordinated to match her clothes and makeup. She looked like Guerilla Warfare Barbie.

Thalia laughed way to hard at that one, but she'd been making Barbie jokes about that cabin for years and was probably just mad and appreciative of Percy getting to that one first.

"Nice work," she told Annabeth.

An invisible hand confiscated my sword. Annabeth took off her cap and appeared before me, smiling smugly. "Boys are easy to follow. They make more noise than a lovesick Minotaur."

Magnus looked newly traumatized at that sentence. "Who, who would he be lovesick after?"

"Geryon probably, he's the only monster with enough heart and a love of cattle," Alex said slyly.

Most of the others didn't seem to know whether to laugh or gag at that input and Magnus decided to read around her for it.

My face felt hot. I tried to think back, hoping I hadn't said anything embarrassing.

"You did not actually," Jason said helpfully, for once. "Though I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

There it was.

No telling how long Annabeth and Silena had been eavesdropping.

"You're our prisoner," Annabeth announced. "Let's get Beckendorf and –"

"Beckendorf!" For a split second I'd forgotten about him, but he was still forging ahead –

"Right towards the deadly ants," Will sighed.

"Annabeth truly will block out any other thought," Nico sounded grudgingly impressed.

straight towards the dragon's head. He was already twelve metres *40 feet away. He hadn't noticed the girls, or the fact that I wasn't behind him.

"Not the, greatest backup," Jason frowned.

"Credit for determination," Thalia shrugged.

"I bet he invents something that forces people to eat his dust," Alex chuckled.

"Come on!" I told Annabeth.

She pulled me back. "Where do you think you're going, prisoner?"

"I imagine her dragging you all the way back to Alcatraz and throwing you in the cell Braries used to be in just to prove her point," Magnus admitted.

"Labyrinth or no Labyrinth," Percy agreed.

"Look!"

She peered into the clearing and for the first time seemed to realize where we were. "Oh, Zeus..."

Beckendorf leaped into the open and struck one of the ants. His sword clanged off the thing's carapace. The ant turned, snapping its pincers. Before I could even call out, the ant bit Beckendorf's leg, and he crumpled to the ground. The second ant sprayed goo in his face, and Beckendorf screamed. He dropped his sword and slapped wildly at his eyes.

The collective shudder that went around the room may have knocked a few more support beams off their hinges. That went from zero to a hundred real quick from a friendly game to a death sentence. If this kid died, or even was maimed from these horrible injuries Percy was going to take that very personally...

I surged forward, but Annabeth pulled me back. "No."

"Charlie!" Silena yelled.

"Don't!" Annabeth hissed. "It's already too late!"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "We have to –"

Then I noticed more ants swarming towards Beckendorf – ten, twenty. They grabbed him by the armour and dragged him towards the hill so fast he was swept into a tunnel and disappeared.

Magnus was left sitting there shivering for several moments at the brutality of that. Bianca's and Zeo's deaths had been blunt, but not so much an out of the blue considering who they'd been fighting and the quests they'd been on. They didn't even know this guy, and it had just shot out of nowhere, like all those shrouds at camp were still waiting to float up.

"No!" Silena pushed Annabeth. "You let them take Charlie!"

Jason took an uneasy breath, trying to keep well off his face he wasn't sure how to take that. She'd saved Percy and Silena's life by doing so, but the cost felt ruthless.

"There's no time to argue," Annabeth said. "Come on!"

I thought she was going to lead us on a charge to save Beckendorf, but instead she raced to the dragon's head, which the ants had momentarily forgotten. She grabbed it by the wires and started dragging it towards the woods.

Percy's mouth was a fantastic showing of his feelings for that. She had never once shown an inclination for stuff over somebody's life, she hadn't even blinked at throwing Deadlus's wings away, she was as much a figurehead in that camp as him for kids to look up to. He'd follow her lead, but not exactly without hesitation when she was going to be crazier than an automaton about it.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Beckendorf –"

"Help me," Annabeth grunted. "Quick, before they get back."

"Oh, my gods!" Silena said. "You're more worried about this hunk of metal than Charlie?"

"Did that sign from Hephaestus involve some part of saying a child of Athena would become addicted to dragon heads?" Magnus asked in absolute concern for her mental health.

"You'd be lucky if a sign from a god had a message that clear," Thalia scoffed.

Annabeth spun around and shook her by the shoulders. "Listen, Silena! Those are Myrmekes. They're like fire ants, only a hundred times worse. Their bite is poison. They spray acid. They communicate with all the other ants and swarm over anything that threatens them.

"I liked my world better when I didn't know all of that," Magnus huffed, doing a poor job of ignoring Alex grinning in fascination and studying her hands like she was already imagining them with feelers.

If we'd rushed in there to help Beckendorf, we would have been dragged inside, too. We're going to need help – a lot of help – to get him back. Now, grab some wires and pull!"

Will watched as Percy clenched his hands and prepared to do as asked. He'd been about to follow Beckendorf without a clue. As much as everyone at Camp considered him a leader, it was really they all followed Percy's lead. Annabeth keeping Silena's head on was something to be proud of, Percy was the camp's beacon of who to shine the light on.

I didn't know what Annabeth was up to, but I'd adventured with her long enough to figure she had a good reason for what she was doing. The three of us tugged the metal dragon's head into the woods. Annabeth didn't let us stop until we were fifty meters* 55 yards from the clearing.

Magnus whistled in appreciation. "You drug that thing half a football field!"

"Almost a full blue whale," Alex grinned.

"At minimum as long as these books are laid out," Thalia rolled her eyes.

"It felt as long as the Jersy Turnpike," Percy groaned as he rotated his shoulder in vivid memory.

Then we collapsed, sweating and breathing hard.

Silena started to cry. "He's probably dead already."

"No," Annabeth said. "They won't kill him right away. We've got about half an hour."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Is she an entomologist too?" Jason sighed with envy.

"She's a Greek-ologist," Percy reminded with pride.

"I've read about the Myrmekes. They paralyse their prey so they can soften them up before –"

Silena sobbed. "We have to save him!"

"What Silena's siblings are probably thinking of her being in Annabeth's company for to long," Nico muttered. That girl didn't have an ounce of tact...and he was kind of annoyed he probably would have gone into details of their eating habits too without realizing that wasn't helping.

"Silena," Annabeth said. "We're going to save him, but I need you to get a grip. There is a way."

"Call the other campers," I said, "or Chiron. Chiron will know what to do."

"I don't think an exterminator has enough bug spray for this problem, let alone him," Magnus shivered.

"Where's a monster ant eater when you need one," Jason agreed.

"Why would you want Echidna back right now?" Will looked at him strangely.

Annabeth shook her head. "They're scattered all over the woods. By the time we got everyone back here, it would be too late. Besides, the entire camp wouldn't be strong enough to invade the Ant Hill."

"Then why is it there?!" Magnus cried in exasperation, he looked very near tears. "I demand an explanation why you and your entire nutjob of a family feel the need to have this in your backyard!"

"Lots of monsters got in before Thalia's tree was blessed," Will shrugged, completely unphased by his minor tantrum. "As you just read, we can't exactly kick them all out even if there was a reason to."

Magnus sighed and muttered an apology, reminding himself there was just no point in arguing any of this.

"Then what?"

Annabeth pointed at the dragon's head.

"Okay," I said. "You're going to scare the ants with a big metal puppet?"

"Annabeth does love taking part in our play, she's nearly always the star," Will snickered.

Percy gave him a long-suffering sigh. He was not going to strangle Will, he promised himself. He was just having fun, that was overkill, he would not strangle this idiot because of a joke...

"It's an automaton," she said.

That didn't make me feel any better. Automatons were magical bronze robots made by Hephaestus. Most of them were crazed killing machines, and those were the nice ones.

"What does that make Daedalus?" Alex mock whispered.

"The best of the worst," Percy snorted.

"So what?" I said. "It's just a head. It's broken."

"And sadly, I think the mermaids realize that, considering they dragged it there," Magnus sighed.

"Myermeks," Thalia corrected.

"Not if they're going to kidnap people back to their lair and drown them in acid they're not," Magnus sniffed.

"Percy, this isn't just any automaton," Annabeth said. "It's the bronze dragon. Haven't you heard the stories?"

I stared at her blankly.

"How to sum up these books in one sentence," Nico smirked.

Annabeth had been at camp a lot longer than I had. She probably knew tons of stories I didn't.

"Percy, you really don't have to keep repeating yourself," Jason shook his head.

"We just assume Annabeth knows every story ever, she's read every book and probably sleeps on a throne of them," Magnus rolled his eyes.

"I bet her favorite is probably still something mundane, like Star Wars," Alex said with a little wrist wave.

"Star Wars has a book?" Percy asked blankly.

"Would you guys stop trying to confuse the poor guy," Thalia said with a tragic expression as she moved to cover his ears, "you're crumbling his entire worldview!"

Percy smacked her away and called them all clowns and a few other choice words.

Silena's eyes widened. "You mean the old guardian? But that's just a legend!"

"Whoa," I said. "What old guardian?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. "Percy, in the days before Thalia's tree – back before the camp had magical boundaries to keep out monsters – the counsellors tried all sorts of different ways to protect themselves. The most famous was the bronze dragon. The Hephaestus cabin made it with the blessing of their father. Supposedly it was so fierce and powerful that it kept the camp safe for over a decade. And then... about fifteen years ago, it disappeared into the woods."

"Ooooh," Nico said in surprise. "Beckendorf's reaction actually does make sense now."

"Better than some other ancient prophecy about the end of the world," Percy agreed.

"And you think this is its head?"

"It has to be! The Myrmekes probably dug it up while they were looking for precious metal. They couldn't move the whole thing, so they chewed off the head. The body can't be far away."

"But they chewed it apart. It's useless."

"Not to mention, um, why did its batteries run out?" Magnus frowned. What did these things even run on? He'd never thought to ask.

"I'm pretty sure Annabeth could make a toadstool useful," Percy reminded.

"Not necessarily." Annabeth's eyes narrowed, and I could tell her brain was working overtime. "We could reassemble it. If we could activate it –"

"It could help us rescue Charlie!" Silena said.

"Hold up," I said. "That's a lot of ifs. If we find it, if we can reactivate it in time, if it will help us.

"I'm surprised that has you pausing," Thalia said. "Your life is a big series of what if's."

"What if I die, what if I die, what if I die?" Jason repeated, throwing up a finger for each.

"The day I stop worrying about that is the day I get cursed with immortality," Percy reminded with nothing but dread.

You said this thing disappeared fifteen years ago?"

Annabeth nodded. "Some say its motor wore out so it went into the woods to deactivate itself. Or its programming went haywire. No one knows."

"Do they hibernate?" Alex grinned. "Did it go off looking for a mate? Maybe he wanted to go on a better adventure where some poor farm boy finds him and saves the world."

"I need you to keep your ideas far away from Cabin 9," Will frowned at her. "If they make these things any more realistic, I will cry right along with Magnus."

"I'm just trying to foster encouragement and creativity," but Alex batted her eyes in a purely menacing way, a clearly deep want to have a robot dragon that she could ride into battle and slay the entire planet.

"You want to reassemble a haywire metal dragon?"

"I want Annabeth to have normal hopes and dreams," Percy sighed.

"Sorry Perce, wanting to date you doesn't fall on that list," Jason smirked.

Percy considered for a moment if the trade would still be worth it for his bladder's sake, but he didn't get the chance to linger on it.

"We have to try!" Annabeth said. "It's Beckendorf's only hope! Besides, this could be a sign from Hephaestus. The dragon should want to help one of Hephaestus's kids. Beckendorf would want us to try."

"Never have I yet heard being related to any of this stuff has made it more friendly! With the exception of Tyson!" Magnus balked.

"Exactly, I think some of the other kids are due for some," Thalia shrugged.

I didn't like the idea. On the other hand, I didn't have any better suggestions. We were running out of time, and Silena looked like she was about to go into shock if we didn't do something soon.

Will had a very unpleasant bubbling feeling in the pit of his gut. Wondering at Silena's decisions, if she'd been considering calling Luke for help in some deluded idea. He'd gotten a first hand look at the kind of despair that had been on her face for days and had no wish to keep thinking on all this in the slightest, but it's not like he could boot her out of Percy's memories.

Beckendorf had said something about a sign from Hephaestus. Maybe it was time to find out.

"All right," I said. "Let's go find a headless dragon."

"Maybe if you don't attach his head back he'd be less scary?" Magnus sighed.

"I hope they name him Reid!" Alex grinned.

We searched forever, or maybe it just seemed that way, because the whole time, I was imagining Beckendorf in the Ant Hill, scared and paralysed, while a bunch of armoured critters scuttled around him, waiting for him to be tenderized.

"To bad you can't start a bucket brigade from the kitchens," Jason frowned, "dish soap and lava would probably clear this problem up easier."

"We'll call that plan B," Percy shivered, well aware they only had one chance at plan A for Beckendorf to live...and there was a really horrible feeling deep inside him that made him worry if he even did...

It wasn't hard to follow the ants' trail. They'd dragged the dragon's head through the forest, making a deep rut in the mud, and we dragged the head right back the way they'd come.

"Talk about going around in circles," Percy sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "this head's doing full 360's."

"And somehow still making more progress than you on your capture the flag game," Jason muttered, well aware that wasn't on anyone's radar right now, but a part of his mind that never stopped working regardless.

We must've gone five hundred meters* over 500 yards – and I was getting worried about the time – when Annabeth said, "Di immortales."

We'd come to the rim of a crater – like something had blasted a house-size hole in the forest floor. The sides were slippery and dotted with tree roots. Ant tracks led to the bottom, where a large metal mound glinted through the dirt. Wires stuck up from a bronze stump on one end.

"You just know that thing would have some crazy rumors about it if you didn't know what it was," Alex chuckled. "Zues's wifi hotspot, tree that used to house a magic tree house that went evil, flying fish spawn from there."

"I am convinced you are the child of whatever god of stories is out there," Thalia shook her head in pure endearment of her.

"And I love it!" She threw her arms wide and smacked Magnus in the face while the others got a mild laugh from her antics.

"The dragon's neck," I said. "You think the ants made this crater?"

"Ant's are great at excavating their own mounds, but how well do they dig up stuff?" Magnus agreed in surprise that sounded kind of deep in the earth for them to have just found.

"Annabeth would know," Percy frowned he had no clue what was really going on, as usual.

Annabeth shook her head. "Looks more like a meteor blast..."

"Though now I am absolutely over here wondering if Hepeahsuts's big sign was his recreation of the dinosaur event or something," Nico grumbled if he'd thrown a meteor to take this thing out and his kids were just uncovering the remains.

"Hephaestus," Silena said. "The god must've unearthed this. Hephaestus wanted us to find the dragon. He wanted Charlie to..." She choked up.

Jason winced, that didn't seem very in line with these gods he'd heard of. Heaphusts hadn't even flinched when told the camp might be overrun, but he wasn't going to argue the point with anyone right now.

"Come on," I said. "Let's reconnect this bad boy."

Getting the dragon's head to the bottom was easy. It tumbled right down the slope and hit the neck with a loud, metallic BONK!

"I wonder if he enjoyed the ride," Thalia chuckled.

"That had to have been better than getting dragged away from his body," Will nodded, while Percy shivered at the idea of this thing being awake while all that happened.

Reconnecting it was harder.

We had no tools and no experience.

Annabeth fiddled with the wires and cursed in Ancient Greek. "We need Beckendorf. He could do this in seconds."

Alex took a deep breath before saying, "The man who built it doesn't want it, the man who bought it doesn't need it, the man who needs it doesn't know it."

"Are you seriously invoking the freaking sphinx right now?" Percy groaned. "One monster at a time isn't enough?"

"Oh, I know!" Jason waved his hand.

"Poor timing Alex," Magnus agreed while Jason was still glaring at Alex with his hand raised.

"I just thought it particularly appropriate right now," Alex said with the whole hope it didn't actually come true. "And since when do you need permission to talk around here Jason?" She shot at him in exasperation.

"The answer's kind of morbid, just making sure I should," he finally lowered his hand with a shrug.

"No morbid jokes until after the person is rescued," Thalia said swiftly as Percy started looking a little gray around the edges again the longer this dragged on.

"Isn't your mom the goddess of inventors?" I asked.

Annabeth glared at me. "Yes, but this is different. I'm good with ideas. Not mechanics."

"There's an I in both of those words though, so I'm kind of surprised to hear that," Jason chuckled.

"Annabeth's never claimed to be a solo act," Magnus reminded with a hopeful smile. "Even from Percy's first quest she knew she needed someone to get her out of camp rather than trying to go it alone."

Percy grinned with delight at that nugget while Jason nodded his agreement in mild apology.

"If I was going to pick one person in the world to reattach my head," I said, "I'd pick you."

I just blurted it out – to give her confidence, I guess – but immediately I realized it sounded pretty stupid.

"Well at least you finally realize the stupid shit that comes out of your mouth," Thalia chuckled. "Progress."

"Will it stop him from doing it? No," Nico smirked.

"Stop me from doing what?" Will asked innocently.

"Stop encouraging him Nico! You did that on purpose!" Percy groaned in protest to every word of this. Nico was to busy snickering to even pretend otherwise, and it was so far removed from the depressed little kid Percy only had memories of he didn't have the heart to act on that strangling threat again.

"Awww..." Silena sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Percy, that is so sweet!"

"Was it?" Nico asked blankly. Well crud, he clearly had no idea how to flirt.

"Annabeth wasn't impressed, so it's anyone's guess," Percy sighed, a slight blush still on his cheeks.

Annabeth blushed. "Shut up, Silena. Hand me your dagger."

I was afraid Annabeth was going to stab me with it.

Causing very unfair laughter around the room while Percy hung his head. He already had no clue what was going on, did he need a live audience for it?

"Does she kiss you again?" Alex asked eagerly, leaning on the edge of her seat.

"Then we'd have to call her out on bad timing," Magnus shook his head. "Beckendorf's about to die, not him."

Percy was rubbing his lip with a mosh pit of butterflies in his stomach, he couldn't make himself speak or they'd all come out. It's not like he was opposed to the idea, though that was ten times more morbid than even Alex could probably ever be if it was some odd new tradition like holding his hand underground was...

Instead she used it as a screwdriver to open a panel in the dragon's neck. "Here goes nothing," she said.

And she started to splice together the celestial bronze wires.

It took a long time. Too long.

I figured capture the flag had to be over by now. I wondered how soon the other campers would realize we were missing and come looking for us. If Annabeth's calculations were correct (and they always were), Beckendorf probably had five or ten minutes left before the ants got him.

"I trust Percy's internal clock pretty accurately too," Thalia shivered for that poor guy, even knowing the other Huntresses would consider her a traitor for doing it. "He always gets to the microwave right before it goes off."

"The one thing I've never managed to explode, it was to vital to my life," Percy agreed.

Finally Annabeth stood up and exhaled. Her hands were scraped and muddy. Her fingernails were wrecked. She had a brown streak across her forehead where the dragon had decided to spit grease at her.

Percy's fingers curled tight around his camp necklace to try and hide the fact his heart skipped a beat. How was it possible the worse she looked the more he couldn't look away?

"All right," she said. "It's done, I think..."

"You think?" Silena asked.

"It has to be done," I said. "We're out of time. How do you, uh, start it?

Alex frowned and paused and sighed. She knew she shouldn't get offended at them calling the dragon an it, but she'd have preferred if they just kept referring to the creature as the dragon, or even used they, them pronouns. This was a machine though, and she didn't want to start picking fights about that kind of topic right now.

Is there an ignition switch or something?"

"I really hope nobody left the key in their pocket, we don't have time to find out where the hotwire is," Nico frowned.

Annabeth pointed to its ruby eyes. "Those turn clockwise. I'm guessing we rotate them."

"Are we sure she doesn't have a manual shoved up her sleeve somewhere," Jason looked fascinated how she'd found that out from some wiring and was probably going to be picking up a new hobby soon...hopefully not specifically of the metal dragon variety.

"If somebody twisted my eyeballs, I'd wake up," I agreed.

"Good to know," Thalia nodded to Percy's eyeballs great concern. "My next course of action was to start cutting out teeth if you didn't soon."

"I wake at the drop of a hat," Percy tried to defend.

"When your life's in danger," she completely agreed while Percy looked pleadingly at the ceiling.

"What if it goes crazy on us?"

"Then... we're dead," Annabeth said.

"I always admire her confidence!" Will burst out laughing.

"Yeah, because you've never been on the receiving end of it," Nico muttered.

"Great," I said. "I'm psyched."

"Psyched as an ADHD kid in a filing cabinet," Thalia snickered.

Together we turned the ruby eyes of the dragon. Immediately they began to glow. Annabeth and I backed up so fast we fell over each other.

"Awww, the first thing it sees is what we all put together in the first five seconds too," Alex said with a posh wave of her hand. "So sweet of you guys not to leave him out!"

"You're lucky that dragon's probably color blind Alex, or you'd be his dessert," Percy rolled his eyes.

The dragon's mouth opened, as if it were testing its jaw. The head turned and looked at us. Steam poured from its ears and it tried to rise.

When it found it couldn't move, the dragon seemed confused. It cocked its head and regarded the dirt. Finally, it realized it was buried. The neck strained once, twice... and the centre of the crater erupted.

The dragon pulled itself awkwardly out of the ground, shaking clumps of mud from its body the way a dog might, splattering us from head to toe.

Percy had gotten some in his mouth and he spat nothing out in here in disgust. Silena had looked more like Mud Bath Barbie, and Annabeth seemed to have gone brunette there for a strange moment she was so caked down.

It was, by far, the least important thing to be happening in this memory, but struck Percy as strange all the same why he couldn't get the idea out of his head.

The automaton was so awesome, none of us could speak. I mean, sure it needed a trip through the car wash,

"Which Percy has ample practice in," Jason chuckled.

"I still might need a few test runs to make sure I get the settings right," Percy gave him an obvious look. "Are you volunteering?"

"Only if you promise no flesh eating horses or robot dragons are in there at the same time," he sighed because he knew he wasn't getting out of it now.

and there were a few loose wires sticking out here and there, but the dragon's body was amazing – like a high-tech tank with legs. Its sides were plated with bronze and gold scales, encrusted with gemstones. Its legs were the size of tree trunks and its feet had steel talons. It had no wings – most Greek dragons don't – but its tail was at least as long as its main body, which was the size of a school bus. The neck creaked and popped as it turned its head to the sky and blew a column of triumphant fire.

The longer the description dragged on the quieter Magnus's voice got, until he was sunk far enough back into his seat it looked like it was eating him and he was whispering.

Alex sighed and had no other clue how to get him out of this silly funk, it's not as if a dragon was going to appear in here. So she leaned very close to his ear, he didn't even notice as his eyes never left the page, and casually said, "boo."

Magnus startled, fell out of his chair still hugging the book to his chest, and then lay across Alex's feet for several moments glaring up at her before raising the book to hide her face and continuing to read in a normal volume like nothing had happened.

"Well..." I said in a small voice. "It still works."

"Thank you Percy!" Magnus jabbed at him, letting the book fall against his nose for a moment without care.

"Here to help man," Percy nodded, studying him in concern what they were supposed to do if Alex stepped on his face.

Unfortunately, it heard me. Those ruby eyes zeroed in on me, and it stuck its snout five centimetres* an inch from my face.

Magnus shivered from head to toe, probably causing a new crack in the floor where he lay. He was likely to curl up into the fetal position in moments, and Percy couldn't blame him as he gagged on the remembered smell of gasoline and tabasco filling his nose and the pitiless hunger in those ruby sockets.

Instinctively, I reached for my sword.

"Dragon, stop!" Silena yelled. I was amazed her voice still worked. She spoke with such command that the automaton turned its attention to her.

Silena swallowed nervously. "We've woken you to defend the camp. You remember? That is your job!"

The dragon tilted its head as if it were thinking. I figured Silena had about a fifty-fifty chance of getting blasted with fire.

"The other half is getting her head ripped off like a real Barbie," Thalia informed in case they'd missed that.

"Nah, she's got this," Will grinned. There was a lingering sadness to his smile nobody else understood, but he had full knowledge she could lead anyone into battle, even a dragon.

I was considering jumping on the thing's neck to distract it

"Percy!" Thalia smacked him upside the head. "Why, in the gods names, is that, your, first, thought?" She started smacking him repeatedly on the arm.

"Because I'm pretty sure it would work," Percy shrugged, watching in mild fascination as it seemed to hurt her hand more than he felt it the longer she kept going.

when Silena said, "Charles Beckendorf, a son of Hephaestus, is in trouble. The Myrmekes have taken him. He needs your help."

At the word Hephaestus the dragon's neck straightened. A shiver rippled through its metal body, throwing a new shower of mud clods all over us.

The dragon looked around as if trying to find an enemy.

"We have to show it," Annabeth said. "Come on, dragon! This way to the son of Hephaestus! Follow us!"

Just like that, she drew her sword, and the three of us climbed out of the pit.

"For Hephaestus!" Annabeth yelled, which was a nice touch. We charged through the woods. When I looked behind us, the bronze dragon was right on our tail, its red eyes glowing and steam coming out its nostrils.

It was a good incentive to keep running fast as we headed for the Ant Hill.

Magnus's voice was pitching in and out like bad reception now, ignoring the glitter of Alex's toenails in the corner of his eye easily enough as he still wasn't as convinced as Percy seemed to be that dragon probably wasn't so much as following them but chasing them.

When we got to the clearing, the dragon seemed to catch Beckendorf's scent. It barrelled ahead of us, and we had to jump out of its way to avoid getting flattened. It crashed through the trees, joints creaking, feet pounding craters into the ground.

It charged straight for the Ant Hill. At first, the Myrmekes didn't know what was happening. The dragon stepped on a few of them, smashing them to bug juice.

"Good dragon," Alex crooned.

Then their telepathic network seemed to light up, like: Big dragon. Bad!

"Somebody get me a magnifying glass!" She yelped.

"Alex, it was dark out when this was happening," Nico reminded.

"I can use the moonbeams, I'll get creative," she promised.

Nobody was really sure how that was going to start or end, and they were kind of scared to ask. Magnus, however, finally sat up and leaned against his seat now that at least the dragon's focus wasn't on Annabeth and Percy anymore.

All the ants in the clearing turned simultaneously and swarmed over the dragon. More ants poured out of the hill – hundreds of them. The dragon blew fire and sent a whole column of them into a panicked retreat. Who knew ants were flammable?

"Every psychopath I've ever met," Magnus scoffed.

"Guess you meet more interesting people than I do Magnus, and that's saying a lot," Percy said with a raised brow. The place had been lit up like a bonfire in seconds, how the rest of camp hadn't come running was an honest mystery.

But more kept coming.

"Inside, now!" Annabeth told us. "While they're focused on the dragon!"

Silena led the charge; it was the first time I'd ever followed a child of Aphrodite into battle.

A hiss of pain fell from Percy's lips this wouldn't be the last, but though he rubbed his temple he was almost smiling at the bad feeling too. It was kind of cool to realize in the moment this was Silena coming into her own, getting a chance to realize a memory was so awesome the first time doubled.

We ran past the ants, but they ignored us. For some reason they seemed to consider the dragon a bigger threat. Go figure.

"Their mistake," Jason scoffed.

"I'm not arguing the point," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Because you're an idiot," Thalia chuckled with nothing but affection.

We plunged into the nearest tunnel and I almost gagged from the stench. Nothing, I mean nothing, stinks worse than a giant ant lair. I could tell they let their food rot before eating it. Somebody seriously needed to teach them about refrigerators.

"Would Chiron and Mr. D be okay with them piggy backing off their electric bill though?" Nico smirked. "I already don't think they're holding up their share of the rent."

"It smelt worse than Smelly Gabe," Percy insisted. "I would donate- okay, I don't even get an allowance there, but if this is a recurring problem I'd flip the breaker switch or something!" He smiled at the others getting a laugh out of this while he fought the urge to gag. He was happy for them, truly, they only had to hear about this and not live it...though it only made him miss Annabeth more every word she'd be plugging her nose same as him.

Our journey inside was a blur of dark tunnels and mouldy rooms carpeted with old ant shells and pools of goo. Ants surged past us on their way to battle, but we just stepped aside and let them pass.

"To bad they're not all storming out to argue which is better, Antz or Bugs Life," Alex sighed.

"I'm sure they'll go back to their clubs and debats as soon as their home isn't under attack and the kiddos are full of goo," Nico said with her level of chipper, which was kind of starting to concern Percy. He hadn't sounded depressed in hours.

The faint bronze glow of my sword gave us light as we made our way deeper into the nest.

"Look!" Annabeth said.

I glanced into a side room, and my heart skipped a beat. Hanging from the ceiling were huge, gooey sacks – ant larvae, I guess – but that's not what got my attention. The cave floor was heaped with gold coins, gems and other treasures – helmets, swords, musical instruments, jewellery. They glowed the way magic items do.

"That's just one room," Annabeth said. "There are probably hundreds of nurseries down here, decorated with treasure."

"That's kind of cute," Magnus grudgingly admitted, all of his long, messy blonde hair still mostly on one side he was ignoring and reading through. "I wonder if they burst out and pick a favorite toy or something."

Alex resisted the urge to run her hand through the mess and straighten it out for him as she instead hummed in agreement.

"It's not important," Silena insisted. "We have to find Charlie!"

Another first: a child of Aphrodite uninterested in jewellery.

"I bet if it was cursed jewelry she'd at least hesitate," Jason said in mild defense.

"Nah, she'd find a way to work that curse with her outfit, it's their own magical gift," Percy sighed.

"Right up there with yours getting into trouble," Thalia shook her head.

We forged on. After six more metres* 20 feet, we entered a cavern that smelled so bad my nose shut down completely.

"I'm going to be sick," Percy promised, his stomach rolling at the memory alone.

"This is not class Mr. Jackson," Alex said in a snooty voice. "You were not excused!"

"Does anything get us out of your class Miss Fierro?" Will asked curiously.

She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope, you will all sit and listen to my brilliance or so help me you will get homework!"

"You're not even reading," Magnus frowned up at her accusingly, giving her the excuse to swat his bangs into his face and watch him for a moment shake his long hair out to fix it.

"You're more evil than Mrs. Dodd's," Percy frowned, though his hand fell lax from his stomach at the distraction.

"I'm not the one forcing you to read this," she reminded with a touch of hurt, "and the homework is encouraged to be worked on together."

"Okay, just as evil as Chiron," Percy chuckled.

The remains of old meals were piled as high as sand dunes – bones, chunks of rancid meat, even old camp meals. I guess the ants had been raiding the camp's compost heap and stealing our leftovers. At the base of one of the heaps, struggling to pull himself upright, was Beckendorf. He looked awful, partly because his camouflage armour was now the colour of garbage.

"Damn, I don't even think Silena could find a way to match shoes with that," Jason heaved a tragic sigh.

"Hospital gown," Thalia said flatly.

"Charlie!" Silena ran to him and tried to help him up.

"Thank the gods," he said. "My – my legs are paralysed!"

"It'll wear off," Annabeth said. "But we have to get you out of here. Percy, take his other side."

Silena and I hoisted Beckendorf up, and the four of us started back through the tunnels. I could hear distant sounds of battle – metal creaking, fire roaring, hundreds of ants snapping and spitting.

"What's going on out there?" Beckendorf asked. His body tensed. "The dragon! You didn't – reactivate it?"

"Afraid so," I said. "Seemed like the only way."

"But you can't just turn on an automaton! You have to calibrate the motor, run a diagnostic... There's no telling what it'll do! We've got to get out there!"

"I'm now imagining him with seven kinds of wrenches having a fit over a monkey belt or something," Nico admitted.

"Think it's just called a tool belt Nico," Will offered. Nico smiled as he imagined Will pouring over car manuals to try and impress his dad, and then Will showing him a few.

As it turned out, we didn't need to go anywhere, because the dragon came to us. We were trying to remember which tunnel led to the exit when the entire hill exploded, showering us in dirt. Suddenly we were staring at open sky. The dragon was right above us, thrashing back and forth, smashing the Ant Hill to bits as it tried to shake off the Myrmekes crawling all over its body.

The sudden blast of air and light felt like a second rise out of the underworld. Percy remembered gaping up at that monstrosity, fire and smoke setting its golden face like the sun of a new day, sparks flying from every scale as it roared in pain. That dragon had saved their life, and he was once again just left wondering if Grover would want a hug from it or would consider that a first class meal.

"Come on!" I yelled. We dug ourselves out of the dirt and stumbled down the side of the hill, dragging Beckendorf with us.

Our friend the dragon was in trouble. The Myrmekes were biting at the joints of its armour, spitting acid all over it. The dragon stomped and snapped and blew flames, but it couldn't last much longer. Steam was rising from its bronze skin.

Even worse, a few of the ants turned towards us. I guess they didn't like us stealing their dinner. I slashed at one and lopped off its head. Annabeth stabbed another right between the feelers. As the celestial bronze blade pierced its shell, the whole ant disintegrated.

"Great, another thing to lug back," Alex huffed.

"We did not need a trophy of this event," Percy groaned.

"Slackers!" She sniffed.

"I – I think I can walk now," Beckendorf said, and immediately fell on his face when we let go of him.

"There's a right and wrong place for a pratt fall man," Jason said with a nervous laugh.

"Nobody ever said to Percy," Thalia finished for him.

"Charlie!" Silena helped him up and pulled him along while Annabeth and I cleared a path through the ants. Somehow we managed to reach the edge of the clearing without getting bitten or splashed, though one of my sneakers was smoking from acid.

"What is it with your bad luck and shoes?" Jason frowned.

"I was destined to be bigfoot in another life?" He shrugged.

Back in the clearing, the dragon stumbled. A great cloud of acid mist was roiling off its hide.

"We can't let it die!" Silena said.

"Awww," Alex grinned. "Don't ever let someone say I never agreed with a child of Aphrodite!"

"How I wish that would have been her mother's response," Thalia nodded along sternly. The goddess of love was probably up on Olympus somewhere watching and applauding at all the drama instead of actually swooping in to help, if she wasn't engrossed in a hollywood celebrity magazine first.

"It's too dangerous," Beckendorf said sadly. "Its wiring –"

"Charlie," Silena pleaded, "it saved your life! Please, for me."

Beckendorf hesitated. His face was still bright red from the ant spit, and he looked as if he were going to faint any minute, but he struggled to his feet. "Get ready to run," he told us. Then he gazed across the clearing and shouted, "DRAGON! Emergency defence, beta-ACTIVATE!"

The dragon turned towards the sound of his voice. It stopped struggling against the ants, and its eyes glowed. The air smelled of ozone, like before a thunderstorm.

Thalia gave a not-so-quite chuckle at the rare power she allowed to course through her. It was a heady feeling she wouldn't ordinarily enjoy sharing with a dragon for a moment, but this one had saved a camper's life.

ZZZZZAAAAAPPP!

Arcs of blue electricity shot from the dragon's skin, rippling up and down its body and connecting with the ants. Some of the ants exploded. Others smoked and blackened, their legs twitching. In a few seconds there were no more ants on the dragon. The ones that were still alive were in full retreat, scuttling back towards their ruined hill as fingers of electricity zapped them in the butt to prod them along.

Magnus snorted fantastically and threw his head back laughing.

"Are you done acting like the world is ending again?" Alex asked as she watched the nerves twitch around in his throat. He had a really strong jawline usually obscured but for this angle.

"For now," he agreed as he hoisted himself back into his usual seat.

The dragon bellowed in triumph, then it turned its glowing eyes towards us.

"Now," Beckendorf said, "we run."

This time we did not yell, "For Hephaestus!" We yelled, "Heeeeelp!"

Magnus immediately groaned again, eyeing the floor as if considering how much less he'd looked like a dragon sized snack from down there.

"Don't even think about it," Alex huffed as she grabbed the back of his shirt.

"I am being punished for a crime I did not commit!" He huffed.

"The two kind of sound the same," Will offered in a not at all helpful kind of voice. "Maybe the dragon just thinks they're charging off again to a wasps nest next."

"Will, that's worse," Magnus yelped. "You hear how that's worse, right?!"

Percy finally cleared his throat and reminded him to either get it over with or give it up, because, you know, he'd already lived through it.

The dragon pounded after us, spewing fire and zapping lightning bolts over our heads like it was having a great time.

Jason couldn't help a little snort of laughter he tried his hardest to pass off as a muffled sneeze. He couldn't help it, that dragon had been through it and sounded more like a puppy having fun without yet realizing his playmates weren't squealing with delight.

"How do you stop it?" Annabeth yelled.

Beckendorf, whose legs were now working fine (nothing like being chased by a huge monster to get your body back in order)

"There's a whole world of self-motiavting posters and workout videos missing out on this dragon marketing," Thalia nodded.

"One that the mist should keep them very far away from!" Percy frowned accusingly at her.

shook his head and gasped for breath. "You shouldn't have turned it on! It's unstable! After a few years, automatons go wild!"

"Would he have rather they left him for dead?" Nico asked conversationally.

"Not a hundred percent sure being rescued into a dragon chase is what I'd call great," Magnus reminded with exhaustion in every syllable.

"Good to know," I yelled. "But how do you turn it off?"

"Someone really needs to tell Hephaestus it's a design flaw not to be voice activated shut down with a secret password," Will would give them that.

"I'll do it," Percy said without hesitation, which was pretty much the worst person to be sent to do it and also the only one who would tell a god to do it.

Beckendorf looked around wildly. "There!"

Up ahead was an outcrop of rock, almost as tall as the trees. The woods were full of weird rock formations, but I'd never seen this one before. It was shaped like a giant skateboard ramp, slanted on one side, with a sheer drop on the other.

"You guys, run around to the base of the cliff," Beckendorf said. "Distract the dragon. Keep it occupied!"

"That, is the worst sentence, in the English language," Magnus looked pained he'd said those words together.

"Followed very closely by, look, I didn't want to be a half-blood," Percy actually nodded his agreement.

"What are you going to do?" Silena said.

"You'll see. Go!"

Beckendorf ducked behind a tree while I turned and yelled at the dragon, "Hey, lizard-lips! Your breath smells like gasoline!"

The dragon spewed black smoke out of its nostrils. It thundered towards me, shaking the ground.

"Maybe that's a compliment in dragon?" Jason asked bemusedly.

"You are way to calm about this man!" Magnus groaned.

"Percy's not freaking out," he reminded, throwing a thumb at him. "He just kind of looks annoyed at this, I'm betting because he lost his chance to win capture the flag more than this."

Percy smiled his automatic reaction was to agree with that...but it didn't erase the insistent strain on him through all of this. There was something he was forgetting about all of this, something about Beckendorf and Silena, but the circumstances didn't feel right. This did feel like just another day at camp, so it wasn't bothering him to much.

"Come on!" Annabeth grabbed my hand. We ran for the back of the cliff.

"So we can now put underground, and being chased by a dragon on that list," Thalia snickered.

"I, have a minor preference," Percy said, smiling like a dope and not like someone who was being threatened by a dragon. Magnus really felt alone that should be a bigger concern than it was.

The dragon followed.

"We have to hold it here," Annabeth said. The three of us readied our swords.

The dragon reached us and lurched to a stop. It tilted its head like it couldn't believe we'd be so foolish as to fight.

"No, no, like a baby unsure what to do next," Jason grinned in delight. "Think a puppy waiting to see if he gets treats for doing a good job."

"Jason, you are not adopting the electric murderous dragon," Will sighed.

"Aw, come on!" Jason frowned. "He sounds so cool, and I bet Beckendorf keeps him in great order."

"Mrs. O'Leary has a playmate her size," Nico couldn't help but chuckle along.

Alex whooped in delight and loudly seconded that, well hiding Will's wince and no actual answer.

Now it had caught us, there were so many different ways it could kill us it probably couldn't decide which to use.

"Well the fire's obviously his go to, but he probably used up all that on the ants," Magnus said with dripping disdain.

"Stomping you means he'd have to dig out Percy from between his toes, I don't know if they like to groom themselves as well as cats," Thalia nodded along.

"I bet his bite force is, the best, he might want to slice you up just for fun so you don't go down in one swallow," Alex said seriously.

"I am going to find a way to bury this dragon back where he came from," Percy frowned.

"Aww," they all mock groaned like Sally had just threatened to take their new toy away before busting out laughing.

We scattered as its first blast of fire turned the ground where we'd been standing into a smoking pit of ashes.

"Still think this is cute Jason?" Magnus shot at him.

"Like a puppy who doesn't understand he shouldn't bite," he agreed with a sunny smile.

Then I saw Beckendorf above us – at the top of the cliff – and I understood what he was trying to do. He needed a clear shot. I had to keep the dragon's attention.

"Yaaaah!" I charged. I brought Riptide down on the dragon's foot and sliced off a talon.

Its head creaked as it looked down at me. It seemed more confused than angry, like, Why did you cut off my toe?

"Percy, that was just rude and a complete overreaction," Thalia couldn't help but play along with Jason's joke now.

"I got Mrs. O'Leary already trained," Percy said deadpan. "I'm sorry if I hurt the murder-happy dragon's feelings!" He finished in complete exasperation at the pair.

Then it opened its mouth, baring a hundred razor-sharp teeth.

"Percy!" Annabeth warned.

I stood my ground. "Just another second..."

"Percy!"

And just before the dragon struck, Beckendorf launched himself off the rocks and landed on the dragon's neck.

The dragon reared back and shot flames, trying to shake off Beckendorf, but he held on like a cowboy as the monster bucked around. I watched in fascination as he ripped open a panel at the base of the dragon's head and yanked a wire.

"I want that engraved on the cabin's door," Alex said in awe.

"That's, not a bad idea," Will agreed, his tone as light as usual, but a little more wistful than it should have been.

Instantly, the dragon froze. Its eyes went dim. Suddenly it was only the statue of a dragon, baring its teeth at the sky.

Beckendorf slid down the dragon's neck. He collapsed at its tail, exhausted and breathing heavily.

"Charlie!" Silena ran to him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "You did it!"

Annabeth came up to me and squeezed my shoulder. "Hey, Seaweed Brain, you okay?"

"Fine... I guess." I was thinking how close I'd come to being chopped into demigod hash in the dragon's mouth.

"You were great." Annabeth's smile was a lot nicer than that stupid dragon's.

"We all have our own idea of beauty," Jason snickered.

"I'm more surprised he's not thinking, monkey see monkey do?" Thalia rolled her eyes at where he kept touching his cheek as if Annabeth had abandoned him on a real reward.

"You, too," I said shakily. "So... what do we do with the automaton?"

Beckendorf wiped his forehead. Silena was still fussing over his cuts and bruises, and Beckendorf looked pretty distracted by the attention.

Percy huffed and grumbled for a moment he wouldn't know what that would feel like, since Annabeth had gone to studying the dragon like it was another Parthenon she'd need to know every detail of. At least he'd been a part of this story, he realized with a surprised smile. Now next time some idiot kid didn't know the story of the bronze dragon, Percy would get to enlighten them for once.

"We – uh – I don't know," he said. "Maybe we can fix it, get it to guard the camp, but that could take months."

"Worth trying," I said. I imagined having that bronze dragon in our fight against the Titan lord Kronos. His monsters would think twice about attacking camp if they had to face that thing. On the other hand, if the dragon decided to go berserk again and attack the campers – that would pretty much stink.

"Or we could host cowboy events to see who can wrangle it into submission again," Alex offered.

"Chiron will make you sleep in the strawberry fields if you suggest any such thing!" Percy tried to splutter and protest, but some part of him worried their activities director would go for it as some kind of communal practice.

"I can live with that," she grinned in delight, and Percy felt a smile tugging at his lips in admiration. Nothing scared Alex, not a threat even Mr. D could try to put against her would dampen her.

"Did you see all the treasure in the Ant Hill?" Beckendorf asked. "The magic weapons? The armour? That stuff could really help us."

"And the bracelets," Silena said. "And the necklaces."

"There it is!" Thalia nodded like a heavy weight of concern had been lifted away.

"What would you do with all your free time at Camp if you didn't have a feud with them?" Will snorted.

"Be very bored I'm sure, probably help Alex bring more fun into that place. You boys could use the practice," she grinned a smile worthy of a dragon that made all of them silently weep a bit.

I shuddered, remembering the smell of those tunnels. "I think that's an adventure for later. It would take an army of demigods even to get close to that treasure."

"Maybe," Beckendorf said. "But what a treasure..."

Silena studied the frozen dragon. "Charlie, that was the bravest thing I ever saw – you jumping on that dragon."

Beckendorf swallowed. "Um... yeah. So... will you go to the fireworks with me?"

Percy still vividly remembered the first time he'd gotten a compliment from Annabeth, after he'd run that bus with the furies off the road. It was a feeling of such power flowing through him, like he could do anything in that moment.

Sadly, Annabeth was rather stingy with her compliments, or he probably would have been able to defeat Kronos by now.

Silena's face lit up. "Of course, you big dummy! I thought you'd never ask!"

Will savored the laughter that blasted through the room with his eyes closed for several moments. It was probably the last laugh Silena and Beckendorf would ever get. Even Nico and Thalia probably didn't know in detail what was about to happen. They knew she was the traitor, but they probably didn't even know Beckendorf as more than just another name in a long list of people they'd lost in the war, they just weren't around camp enough to know as he did what was soon coming.

Beckendorf suddenly looked a whole lot better. "Well let's get back, then! I bet capture the flag is over."

I had to go barefoot, because the acid had eaten completely through my shoe. When I kicked it off I realized the goo had soaked into my sock and turned my foot red and raw. I leaned against Annabeth and she helped me limp through the woods.

The laughter increased ten-fold, Will's always somehow had the power to do that as Percy's tapered off with a flush of embarrassment. "It, it really hurt guys, have you ever walked on twigs barefoot, and um, there were rocks around-"

"Just stop Percy," Thalia was rubbing a stitch in her side, her eyes swimming with delighted tears.

"Yeah," he agreed with a shameless sigh. He'd been trying to find any excuse to pluck up the courage and ask her, having her to lean on so close just like always felt like a comfort rather than a hindrance.

Beckendorf and Silena walked ahead of us, holding hands, and we gave them some space.

Watching them, with my arm around Annabeth for support, I felt pretty uncomfortable. I silently cursed Beckendorf for being so brave, and I don't mean for facing the dragon. After three years, he'd finally got the courage to ask Silena Beauregard out. It wasn't fair.

"Some things never change," Jason said with a shake of his head that didn't suit him, he had that tone like one speaking twice his age again. "You'll be fifty and still stumbling over a compliment for her again."

Percy smiled at the dream he was painting, he found it hard to imagine he lived another birthday, let alone so many compliments later, but it was a nice idea.

"You know," Annabeth said as we struggled along, "it wasn't the bravest thing I've ever seen."

I blinked. Had she been reading my thoughts?

"Um... what do you mean?"

Annabeth gripped my wrist as we stumbled through a shallow creek. "You stood up to the dragon so Beckendorf would have his chance to jump – now that was brave."

Percy's mind froze...and then went more haywire than a dragons. Wait, she had been talking about him, right?! Not some other doofus who stood up to a dragon and cut its toe off? Did she want him to ask her out or was she just mocking him? Had she ever called Luke brave? What if he asked and she looked at him like he was covered in ant goo-

"Or pretty stupid."

"Percy, you're a brave guy," she said. "Just take the compliment. I swear, is it so hard?"

We locked eyes. Our faces were, like, centimetres apart. My chest felt a little funny, like my heart was trying to do jumping jacks.

"I really thought reading the rest would help him break out of, that," Magnus said, gesturing at his sagging face.

"Guys, I think we broke Percy," Alex announced grandly.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Thalia sighed, waving her hand in front of his face. "I half expected this back when she kissed him in the volcano."

"I'd just go ahead and finish man," Jason said without bothering to hide the laugh in his voice. He always was extra animated when a capture the flag game went on, and this seemed to have surpassed the others. "She'll call him an idiot here in a sec and things will go on like normal.

"So..." I said. "I guess Silena and Charlie are going to the fireworks together."

"I guess so," Annabeth agreed.

"Yeah," I said. "Um, about that –"

I don't know what I would've said, but just then, three of Annabeth's siblings from the Athena cabin burst out of the bushes with their swords drawn. When they saw us, they broke into grins.

"You're alive!" Jason mock cheered. "We already had the search parties assembled and everything with practice!"

Percy finally gave himself a little shake and looked around at him. "How terribly inconvenient of us, how about we skip back into the woods and play hide and seek next, oh wait, we just ruined that game!"

"The game probably wasn't ruined for everyone," Magnus offered, "I'm sure somebody had fun tonight." It just never seemed to be him.

Judging by the smile lingering on Percy's face though, they were pretty sure he was happy with his hour returned of seeing her covered in a new coat of mud, oil, and sweat as his arm stayed around her only in his mind.

"Annabeth!" one of them said. "Good job! Let's get these two to jail."

"Doesn't defeating a dragon and living through Myrmekes get him a get out of jail free card?" Magnus protested.

"I never even manage that in Monopoly," Percy sighed. She was as scary as Tyson, he usually went broke before he even got close to drawing his first card.

I stared at him. "The game's not over?"

"Damn," Nico said in surprise. "I really think Percy spaced out watching her a little to much, I thought much more time had dragged on too."

Magnus was at least laughing in surprised agreement again while Jason was looking at the book with a very calculating expression.

The Athena camper laughed. "Not yet... but soon. Now that we've captured you."

"Dude, come on," Beckendorf protested. "We got sidetracked. There was a dragon, and the whole Ant Hill was attacking us."

"Uh-huh," said another Athena guy, clearly unimpressed. "Annabeth, great job distracting them. Worked out perfectly. You want us to take them from here?"

Annabeth pulled away from me. I thought for sure she was going to give us a free walk back to the border, but she drew her dagger and pointed it at me with a smile.

"Nah," she said. "Silena and I can get this. Come on, prisoners. Move it."

I stared at her, stunned. "You planned this? You planned this whole thing just to keep us out of the game?"

"No way," Thalia sounded way to proud even if she shook her head. "No way she managed all of that."

Magnus didn't really think so either. As clever as she was, even she couldn't have put all that together.

"Percy, seriously, how could I have planned it? The dragon, the ants – you think I could've figured all that out ahead of time?"

"She did!" Jason gasped, causing a flare of jealousy in Percy at the look of admiration on his face. "She totally did! Oh my gosh, this girl is a genius!"

"Annabeth wouldn't put those two in danger like that," Magnus insisted.

"Not on purpose," he still had a wild grin in place, "but I'll bet you anything she somehow tracked down where that dragon was buried, unearthed it just enough to show the head, and then waited, hoping the ants would time it with her game."

"Her game?" Percy groaned. He thought Annabeth was a genius too, but she might believe someone as smart as Jason over him.

"That's a lot of if's," Magnus looked personally offended now if his cousin had decided to put a deranged dragon back into activation for a flag.

"It probably all didn't go according to plan," Jason was getting wound up now as he babbled excitedly. "I bet she planned on Percy and Beckendorf seeing this by telling them which direction to go and hoping Beckendorf would spend his time fawning over the dragon and forget about the game, not go charging the ants!"

"How on earth did she excavate a whole crater and find that thing and I didn't even notice?!" Percy demanded.

"Maybe she got Tyson and the forest dryads to help before he left," Jason shrugged, "maybe she-"

"Guys!" Thalia finally interrupted with a bright smile as Percy was clearly winding up to argue back. "One of these days, we're going to get out of here and you can interrogate Annabeth all day."

Jason still had a smug, 'I'm right,' look on his face while Magnus and Percy exchanged, 'I hate every minute of this' expressions, but Magnus was almost done with one more of these, and that was enticing enough for now.

It didn't seem likely, but this was Annabeth. There was no telling with her. Then she exchanged glances with Silena, and I could tell they were trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, I'm on Jason's side," Alex grinned along. The plan had probably gone to hell, but those two badasses had brought it back and still come out on top.

"Well don't look at me," Will reminded as Nico was watching him as if waiting to see if he was holding out. "I was on Percy's team! They weren't going to be sharing that kind of info with the enemy!"

"You – you little –" I started to say, but I couldn't think of a name strong enough to call her.

"Owl breath," Alex offered.

"Traitor," Magnus grumbled, she was the cause of this heart attack.

"Genius!" Jason crowed.

Thalia couldn't stop laughing at all of them, she had a pretty good idea Percy wasn't going to be the only one tackling Annabeth when they met now.

I protested all the way to the jail, and so did Beckendorf. It was totally unfair to be treated like prisoners after all we'd been through.

But Annabeth just smiled and put us in jail. As she was heading back to the front line, she turned and winked. "See you at the fireworks?"

Kronos might as well have appeared and trapped him in a time bubble. Percy froze with whatever expression was on his face. Had she just asked him out?! Like on a date!? The fireworks were on a beach, where they might just stumble into the ocean and, and... he sighed as the rest of the night's events swam easily to mind now. Still a little foggy around the edges, but with clarity that he was trying to connect two events that were not having it. The fireworks had been a spectacular show, he'd watched every color of the rainbow flash across her face that night and heard her laugh at the amazing designs their fellow campers created. She had gone down to the ocean and rinsed herself off, but there had still been mud creased into her skin and a streak of oil in her hair that nearly covered up her gray bangs.

She had been happy, on this night, but when Connor and Travis went racing past yelling in delight and throwing popcorn and hotdogs around from a stand no one seemed sure where it had come from, and Chiron announced how good it felt to have so many here on this night as he held a moment of silence for those they lost, Annabeth had bowed her head and clutched the beads on her necklace Percy had never been a part of. She wasn't there yet, with him or Luke.

She didn't even wait for my answer before darting off into the woods.

I looked at Beckendorf. "Did she just... ask me out?"

He shrugged, completely disgusted. "Who knows with girls? Give me a haywire dragon any day."

So we sat together and waited while the girls won the game.

Percy laughed along with everyone else. There was a relief in it, the tension in the room always just under the surface at being locked in here managed to vanish for just that moment that they knew they couldn't hang on to. Percy's life was hectic and chaotic, sometimes it felt like his closest friends made that worse rather than better, but it was his life being shared with them, and he wouldn't have it any other way...otherwise he might not ever find out how he got down here.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

Annabeth absolutely planned this and you cannot convince me or Jason otherwise.

Though I don't think she meant for Beckendorf to get captured. Most likely she expected Percy and him to try and find the dragon's body and for Beckendorf to fix it and wake it up while they followed invisibly to keep an eye on them and all that would have taken up time until the game was won. Annabeth only stepped in when she realized Beckendorf split off, but I don't think she saw or heard where he split off to.

*Not a goofy name I made up by the way, but a real animal. Go look them up, they're adorable!

#pjo #Percy Jackson #Thalia Grace #Jason Grace #nico di angelo #will solace #Alex Fierro #Magnus Chase #happy the dragon #charles beckendorf #silena beauregard #annabeth chase #percabeth #solangelo #big three kids

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2jaeh · 1 year

Text

Last Summer / Kim Doyoung

Genre: smut, angst

word count: 16k

f! college student reader, aged up! Doyoung, slight badboy!Jaehyun and fwb!Jaemin

warnings: dilf!, age gap, old money fic!, cheating, affair, public!, unprotected, daddy!, alcohol!, blackmail!, gaslighting?, multiple smut scenes, let me know if I miss anything.

A five week business vacation with a bunch of elite families, filled with gossip, rumors and people doing anything to climb the social ladder. But through all the chaos the last thing you suspected was a whirlwind romance with your friends father.

appearances: college friends : Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, Sungchan, Jaehyun

aged up! Johnny and Kun.

A/N: hello! its author SIN here! I haven't wrote a monster fic since FREAKS but im here for old money Doyoung after so many requested a full fic of Country Club. Sorry i've been so IA i hope you enjoy this one !

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It was that time of year again and you and your mom were being dragged to one of your father’s business vacations which entailed around five weeks of your summer at your family’s world renowned resort. Now anyone else would be joyous that they’d be spending a luxury vacation at the hot spot for celebrities in the Summer, but now entering your twenties, and spending almost every summer of your life at this place, you figured it had lost its wow factor.

“Why couldn't we go to the Maldives or Greece like normal families” you groaned, slipping into a cashmere sweater that matched with a pair of capri pants and tennis shoes. You watched your mother frantically order the resort employees to prepare the bungalow to her liking until her eyes rested on you.

“Darling I thought I told you to throw those tacky shoes out” she sighed, coming over and giving you a tight squeeze, “and…you can go to Greece on your next semester break okay ? right now we need to mingle with your father’s investors, big smile!”

You gave her your best fake grin before returning back to your room and exchanged your shoes for a more high quality taste. You had no idea why your mom was being so particular about your dress code being it was only day one and the more important guests only ever arrived in the second week.

You folded your arms and returned back downstairs to the lounge area when a familiar face completely caught you off guard.

“Jaemin!” you squealed, running into the toned man’s arms as he lifted you into a tight hug and engulfed you with his Givenchy perfume. Jaemin, your friend or rather fling whom you actually met via one of your father’s parties, was the son of a very big tech company CEO and your father’s current favourite golf buddy.

Mr. Kim Doyoung, the most handsome man you'd ever laid eyes on.

Jaemin released you from the hug and you took the opportunity to smile at both Mr and Mrs Kim as they briefly greeted you before returning to the conversation with your parents. You watched as Mr Kim pushed his glasses up as he laughed at some joke your father supposedly told, his gummy smile broke his stoic character and for a second you almost forgot your surroundings.

“Quite the surprise hey” Jaemin snapped you out of your trance and you quickly nodded. “You guys never do summer vacation, what's the special occasion ?” you questioned the dark haired man.

Jaemin chuckled and shrugged. “Dad said there’s a huge investor visiting this time and he doesn't want your dad to fumble any business proposals.” You hummed and looked back at the parents and watched your dad enthusiastically show Mr Kim around.

“Hey Doyoung it's a win win hey” your dad boasted, “our wives are happy, our kids are happy and we get to have a rematch of that golf game you cheated me out of last month.”

“Cheated?” Mr Kim smirked, “are we still running with that ?”

You gulped at his cockiness. Yes this was wrong. Entirely wrong because this was your friends father for fuck’s sake, but you’d been crushing on him for years, way before you met Jaemin. You hated to admit it but Mr Kim was your first real crush.

It all started on the night of your 18th, when he came to the party on his own because he and his family were going to leave on a business trip the next morning. He only stayed about 20 minutes, most of it was spent talking to your father and then he came over, introduced himself and placed a gift in your hands before planting a sweet kiss on your cheek.

“It's Viviene Westwood, your dad said you’re a big fan” His voice was so light and smooth. “My son starts at the same university as you next year, I hope the two of you can help each other out.”

And with that he said his goodbyes and you’d only see him at very special events after that. He did attend your 21st this year, but you and Jaemin had already established a friends with benefits situation and you decided that crushing on a man twice your age who now happens to be your fling’s father was not the path you were seeking.

“Do you think I’d have to sneak into your room every night ?” Jaemin pinched your side and you playfully pushed him before bringing your arms around his neck.

“Honestly our parents are going to be so blackout drunk every night im sure you could walk straight into my room and do whatever you want” you bit your lip and Jaemin smirked in return, enjoying the challenge.

The first two days were pretty much uneventful even with Jaemin railing you into your bed the very first night. Luckily for the two of you your dad managed to get the Kims’ the bungalow right next door and Jaemin made good use of the maintenance ladder and your balcony.

You were grateful you had Jaemin around until the morning you heard a voice you wished was in your head. The voice you thought you’d only hear when University resumed.

Lee Haechan.

“Jaemin hurry up, my arms are killing me here” You heard him say as you stepped out on the balcony to oversee the commotion. Your uni friend, well rather Jaemin’s, was standing outside their bungalow with luggage that definitely exceeded a five week stay which meant that it was likely computer equipment.

Great.

“What are you doing here ?” making sure your voice was definitely unwelcoming. “Wow y/n way to be hospitable to your good friend” he dropped his bags and clapped sarcastically. You watched the workers scramble for the luggage as Jaemin stepped outside to greet his very annoying friend.

“His parents kicked him out for the summer” Jaemin looked up apologetically.

“Can't say I wouldn't do the same” you scoffed while Haechan stuck out his tongue. “My boy and I are going to build a gaming pc, you know good old fashioned bonding” Haechan threw his arm around Jaemin while your poor friend knew you weren't in the slightest happy about this new arrangement.

“Great” you sighed, “hope you two lovebirds have a lovely vacation.”

“You can join us, you know, it's really fun.” Jaemin tried to look hopeful but he already knew you'd rather eat dirt than spend more than two hours with Haechan and build a damn pc on top of that.

You unenthusiastically waved them off and returned to your bedroom and threw yourself on your bed ready to dive into a solemn state until you heard a voice coming from downstairs.

His voice.

You tiptoed down the wooden stairs and you saw Mr Kim sitting at the corner bar with your father both adorning golf wear and engaging in conversation when your father quickly noticed your presence.

“Hey sweety, you're not hanging out with Jaemin today ?” he said while taking a sip of his scotch whiskey.

You groaned while approaching the two men, making sure your attention was on your father and not Mr Kim. “Haechan is here and they're going to spend the entire vacation building some stupid pc” you complained with a pout and your ears perked when you heard Mr Kim chuckle.

“Sorry about that, Haechan can be pretty persistent and I just wanted to help his parents get him out of their hair for a bit” Mr Kim smiled sweetly and you could tell he was genuine with his apology. “If you're bored why don't you come out for a round of golf, make sure your dad isn't cheating.”

“Uhm I don't want to impose…” you began to say and your dad quickly jumped to his feet and threw his arm around you. “My angel will be the best judge I can assure you!” he squeezed your shoulder, “go get ready sweetheart we will leave in 20.”

You stood under the caddy’s umbrella shielding yourself from the blistering summer heat as you watched Mr Kim and your father tee off on the fifth hole. Most of the banter was inside jokes they had going on and honestly you almost regretted joining their session until you saw how immaculate Mr Kim was at playing golf. His form, the way he stuck out his tongue slightly as he concentrated on his next shot and ofcourse how accentuated his muscles were through his golf gear as he swivelled his body every shot.

The heat wasn't that bad after all.

“Sir you have a call at the front desk” the caddy held the phone up for your dad to receive it.

You watched your father’s frown turn into a wide smile signalling it was either a big investor or one of his work buddies. “Hey Doyoung Johnny is here, i'm going to check him in before our wives make a big deal about his sudden appearance” your dad chuckled and hung up the call.

“Ah yes the wives biggest enemy, i'm surprised he actually showed up” Doyoung rested his hands on his golf club. “He didn't bring…her…did he ?”

Your eyes followed Mr Kim’s to your fathers and your dad quickly shook his head as he began handing his equipment to his caddy.

“Oh you know he wouldn't do that, gosh imagine what the investors might think.”

Now this story you were definitely clued up on thanks to Haechan practically interrogating Johnny Suh’s nephew, Sungchan. Mr Suh was a high end lawyer and had been working with your father’s circle of friends for years. He was a prominent figure, anyone and everyone fell in love with him and that's exactly how he got into trouble. You're not sure of the timeline but according to Haechan Mr Suh had an affair with a young divorcee who’s case he’d been working on. Almost everyone expected his career to plummet after the news broke but it just made him more popular amongst young naive women who thought they too could bag the richest newly divorced big time lawyer.

Your mom couldn't stand him especially because she and the other wives were friends with his ex wife. But your dad never bothered since he’d always say that his ex wife was a gold digger and would have ‘ran him dry’ eventually. Surprisingly Haechan noted that Sungchan was also more than happy to know that his uncle was finally free from that woman.

There’s two sides to every story you guessed.

“Are you really leaving in the middle of the game ?” Mr Kim sighed, “this isn't just an excuse to get out of losing again is it ?”

Your father scoffed and waved his hand. “Oh please we are picking this up tomorrow, but for now why don't you get a little practice with my daughter ? she's got a wicked right swing!”

“Dad I don't think-”

“Let's do it.”

You turned to face Mr Kim who was now holding out his golf club to you as a stunning smile spread across his face. You swallowed hard as your father zoomed off in his golf cart and left you alone with just Mr Kim and the unattentive caddy.

“Mr Kim I'm not the best player so-”

“Hey my rivalry is with your father not you” Mr Kim waved his hand and grabbed a bottle of water. “I’ll go easy on you.”

You refused to be a stuttering mess so you tried your best to concentrate on the task at hand. It should be easy since there’s nothing the two of you could really talk about besides your father or Jaemin.

Oh you hoped he wouldn't bring up Jaemin.

You took your first swing and honestly like you expected it wasnt that grand. You turned to him apologetically while he let out a charming chuckle before joining you on your walk to the next hit.

“You're too tense” he commented and tapped your shoulder. “Since we're just practising, how about I coach you and next time you can win against your father.”

You watched as he consulted the caddy on the perfect golf club and watched him stroll back over to you and replaced the club you clutched in your hands. The next movement almost had you weak at the knees as he slowly moved behind you and placed his slender fingers on your shoulders and squeezed lightly.

“Relax y/n” he calmly said in your ear. He may have been thinking this was just a friendly exchange but God your mind was thinking very different things. Vile almost absurd things. You nodded and did as he said, exhaling deeply while your heart was practically beating out of your chest.

“It's all in the hips you know” he said before clearing his throat, “May I ?”

You nodded again and within seconds his hands were on your waist. It was all very PG but anything he did always felt erotic. You kept your concentration on your posture making sure he wouldn't pick up on your strange behaviour but every touch, every breath coming from behind you felt like electricity.

“Now be gentle, allow your body to lead you to the shot rather than the strength of your hit” He continued and stepped back to watch you take your next shot.

The next shot was better but again you were no Lydia Ko. Mr Kim however seemed to be a perfectionist because yet again you were given another club and his hands returned to your waist. This time it felt a little different. You felt his breath against his neck and his hands were a lot more firmer as he guided you to redo your shot. “Now I know you can do better than that” His voice was low and you felt a sensation develop between your legs. You had no idea how you let your impulses get the better of you but you allowed yourself to arch your back a bit until your ass pretty much grazed against his crotch. You know it was evident too because you heard him suck in a deep breath but you didn't dare turn around.

“Like this..?” you managed to say and heard him hum before slowly stepping away and allowed you to take the shot.

Surprisingly that one was the best you had all day and it even ignited excitement out of you as you jumped in celebration, completely forgetting what had happened a mere seconds ago. “Oh my God did you see that ?!” you squealed and turned to face Mr Kim who had been chewing on his bottom lip before it turned into a sweet smile.

“I knew you had it in you, you're a natural and a quick learner” He held his hand out for a high five but as your hands collided, his fingers entangled with yours and your eyes met his in probably the most intense unspoken exchange in your life. You had no idea what was going on in his head and you were unaware that his thoughts mirrored yours. He had no idea why he did what he did and his head swarmed with so many unresolved questions.

This was his friend's daughter. His son’s college friend.

The caddy called the two of you up to drive over to the next hole and you both silently jumped in the backseat, hoping the situation was just an awkward exchange and nothing more. The drive was bumpy and unusually long. Both you and Mr Kim opted for looking in the opposite direction until the caddy hit the brakes causing Mr Kim to quickly shield you from impact.

“God what the fuck?” Mr Kim cursed and you mentally hated that it gave you another reason to find him attractive. There was no hope at this point.

“S-sorry sir there was a rabbit crossing the path” the caddy looked up into the rear view mirror and you swore you saw fear in his eyes. Mr Kim sighed and muttered that it was okay and to keep moving but as the trip resumed you realised his arm was still draped across your lap.

You adjusted your seating which pushed your tennis skirt higher and now his hand was exposed to your thigh as you waited to see what his next move might be. Mr Kim cleared his throat and you almost gasped when you felt him squeeze your exposed thigh before the caddy finally came to stop.

“I need you to go to the front desk and get more water and please let them know that the rabbits are roaming free on the course at this hour, it's quite dangerous for everyone involved” you watched Mr Kim tap his resort card on the payment machine and watched the caddy leave you and Mr Kim completely alone.

“What do you study again y/n ?” Mr Kim asked casually as if nothing suspicious had happened all day and set up his next shot. You wiped the beads of sweat forming on your head. “I…study accounting Mr Kim.”

His chuckle made your eyes narrow as he took an effortless shot and turned around to face you. “Call me Doyoung, you do call Kun by his first name don't you ?” his new demeanour confused you. Was he just being friendly all this time and you were mistaking it for something else ?

“Yeah well Kun has been my dad’s friend for ages so-”

“So am I a stranger then ?” he poked his tongue into his cheek, “I guess we have to work on our relationship then.”

Mr Kim, Doyoung gestured for you to set up your next shot. Seeing as you were unsure of his intentions you decided to test the waters again. What was the worst that could happen anyway ? Him peacefully rejecting you would actually solve a lot of your current problems.

“Can…you help me again ? I kinda forgot the posture thing” you battered your eyelashes at him and you watched as his jaw tightened for a brief second before he nodded and came over to his usual position. You wasted no time in pressing back into him but this time you turned your head slightly to see his reaction.

“W-what are you doing y/n?” his low voice sent a shiver down your spine.

“What do you mean, I'm just..playing golf” you replied innocently and you heard him chortle in amusement. You felt his fingers press into your hips as you practically settled in his crotch, a bit proud that you had him a little flustered.

“You’re…a very naughty girl” he hummed as he straightened himself and allowed his fingers to dance on the band of your skirt.

You sighed and hummed in agreement. “I know Mr Kim and it seems like you're not so innocent yourself.”

Doyoung raised his eyebrow at your snarky comment yet mentally cursed his inability to keep his arousal in check. He was in dangerous waters but his head was too clouded with how this was about to play out for him to think about any consequences right now.

“Are you saying that this….exchange has you a little excited as well?” he queried and you felt absolutely delirious with lust.

“You can find out for yourself if you want” you curved your back a bit standing like an open invitation for him to do as he pleased. You expected him by now to at least lecture you that the two of you were out in the open and this whole ordeal was just absurd but instead he carefully stood behind you as your hands tightened around the golf club and his fingers ghosted its way up your skirt.

Doyoung’s breath was deep and steady as he caressed the skin of your inner thighs before taking his index finger and grazed it over your soaked panties. You heard him groan at your wetness while you bit down on your lip at the contact. You thought it would stop there but you almost collapsed when he pushed your panties to the side and allowed his long cold digits to feel your arousal.

“Fucking hell” he cursed as his other hand held onto your hip to keep you steady.

“Mr Kim…please..more” your voice quivered, not sure what you were asking for exactly but whatever was happening couldn't end right now, not like this.

Doyoung was completely immersed in how wet you were for him. He loved how your folds felt between his fingers and you were like putty in his hands. You gasped when he inserted a finger into your core and he heard him groan once more this time in frustration.

“Youre so fucking tight, id ruin you sweetheart” his words were like venom in your ear as he continued to finger you at an agonising pace.

Euphoria quickly came to an end when you heard a golf cart and it was Doyoung’s caddy returning from his errands. Doyoung quickly wiped away his hands and the two of you stood innocently as the caddy jogged over.

“Sir, they are requesting the both of you back for brunch” the caddy spoke and immediately began collecting the golfing equipment and packed the cart. You looked up at Doyoung trying to search his face for what all of this meant and whether it might happen again but he returned back to his stoic self. His eyes never met yours and he was silent and to himself the entire way back up to the resort.

If you thought your crush on him before was dangerous, well you've just entered a new territory.

By the time you washed up and arrived at the restaurant your father had picked for lunch you noticed everyone was already settled in. Doyoung sat right next to his wife and chuckled along with your father, Mr Suh and your father’s long time friend Qian Kun. Doyoung glanced up for a millisecond but returned to the conversation as if nothing had ever happened on the golf course.

“Darling, what took you so long ? Doyoung said you guys arrived two hours ago” your mother embraced you before one of the waiter’s pulled out your chair next to Jaemin.

“I had to take a shower” you pressed your lips into a smile and looked over at Doyoung, “It was extremely humid down there.” You watched his fingers twitch around his wine glass but it wasn't enough of a reaction for anyone else to notice. Your eyes drifted to Mr Suh who flashed you a friendly smile that you forcefully returned back before leaning into Jaemin.

“Why the hell is he here ? I thought our mothers hated him” you questioned as Jaemin rubbed the small of your back.

“Apparently his ex wife had been cheating on him too, way before he started his affair” Jaemin popped a cheese cube into his mouth. “Yeah right that’s what he wants everyone to believe” Haechan chimed in and you weren't going to admit it but you definitely shared his sentiments.

You looked up and noticed that Sungchan, Mr Suh’s nephew had also joined the trip as well as Kun Qian’s son, Chenle. You weren't too familiar with Sungchan despite him being in the same university as you but you knew Chenle really well. The two of you practically grew up together.

“I thought you were going to Dubai for the summer” you took a sip of your white wine while the ash blonde boy shook his head and sighed.

“Yeah I thought so too” he scratched his head, “My mom convinced my dad to come to the resort this year for the big networking party, God are they not tired of doing business ?!”

“Who else is gonna pay for your trips to Dubai ?” Haechan mused and Chenle rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he retorted, “What are you even doing here anyway Lee Haechan? I thought your parents were going to London.”

“They went without him,” Jaemin snickered, earning a shove from Haechan.

“I would've done the same,” Sungchan added.

“That's what I said” you giggled and Sungchan gave you a thumbs up while Haechan erupted in a long groan.

“Face it, without me, you losers wouldn't have any fun” he pouted.

For a minute you too had completely forgotten about Doyoung, lost in the childish banter of your friends until the memory flashed back and you felt your stomach turn. There it was. The guilt was finally settling in as Jaemin squeezed your thigh under the table while he entertained whatever conversation they were now engaged in. How could Doyoung just sit there, as if nothing had ever happened. Was what he did just something to overlook?

You couldn't have been more wrong as Doyoung’s thoughts were completely scattered from the very moment he saw you in your tennis outfit. He was engaging in conversation but wasn't really retaining any information. He couldn't help himself but to steal glances at you from the other end of the dining table. Doyoung thought he was being subtle enough until he felt a tap on his shoulder from none other than Johnny Suh.

“Gonna take a smoke break, wanna join ?”

Doyoung stepped onto the balcony that overlooked the pool area as he twirled his red wine in his glass and exhaled deeply.

“Doyoung Doyoung Doyoung, you dog” Johnny blew a cloud of smoke into the sky as he erupted into laughter, “I didn't think you had it in you buddy.” “What are you talking about?” Doyoung muttered, leaning against the marble balustrade. Doyoung’s eyes shifted to the window making sure no one was paying attention especially since Johnny’s voice was the equivalent to a megaphone.

Johnny took a step closer with a smirk spread across his face, “Doyoung, do you know who you're talking to ? I am the King of reading the room, especially when it comes to sneaky glances at your good friend’s hot daughter.” Doyoung’s jaw tightened again and he looked back into the restaurant before gulping down the last of his wine.

“I don't know what youre talking about,” he answered coldly.

Johnny narrowed his brows and cleared his throat, “Okay so she walks in, directs a very weird innuendo at you after you two played golf alone all day and you two have been eye-fucking each other for the past half hour.”

“Would you lower your damn voice ?!”

“So it's true ?”

Doyoung ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and pulled Johnny aside. He had no choice but to come clean but luckily for him Johnny would never ever spill the beans on his adultery seeing as Doyoung had been hiding Johnny’s string of affairs for ages. Yes there were more than one and no his now ex wife and all his friends have no idea about them.

“She baited me” Doyoung wet his bottom lip, “came up to me like a fucking minx and I-”

“You fucked her on the golf course ?” Johnny asked amusingly.

“No,” Doyoung deadpanned, “I…used my fingers for a bit but the caddy interrupted.”

Doyoung hated the smug look that spread across Johnny’s face and honestly actually explaining the situation only made him feel more guilty. He was the older, more mature one; this was entirely his fault and not yours at all.

“That’s your son’s friend oh my God you're worse than me” Johnny grinned and Doyoung turned back to look at you in a hearty conversation with his son and your friends. Johnny was right. This was so much worse than whatever he has done, but he could end it right here right now.

“It’s not going to happen again, I made sure to get my point across to her very quickly” Doyoung chewed on lip.

“Oh please, you said your wife hasn't given you any in a long time and I still have the divorce papers you filed for last-”

“Throw them away” Doyoung cut Johnny off.

“What ?!” the taller man exclaimed.

“There’s no need, I'm not going through with it” Doyoung replied calmly despite his thoughts still scrambling about both his marriage and you. Johnny ashed his cigarette and shook his head as the two of them entered the restaurant.

“Whatever man, all I know is that just a small taste of that kind of adrenaline doesn't go away that easily.”

Doyoung slipped back in his seat and put on his best smile but Johnny’s words still stuck with him like a thorn in his side.

Would he be able to stop ?

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A few days had passed since the golf course incident and you were grateful that your dad had been entertaining his friends on his own as they attended seminars and did God knows what until late hours of the night. It was one of those nights where all the parents had gone out to one of the bars at the resort and you and your friends figured you’d also drink the night away.

“God Sungchan I swear if you don't finish your drink I will push you into this pool” Haechan threatened as the younger boy grimaced at the taste of his 8th drink of the night. Honestly having all of them around this year wasn't that bad because usually you'd either be babysitting your parents or drinking with the resort staff.

You sipped your cocktail and danced along to the music blaring from the poolside bar in your Miu Miu two piece wrapped in a mesh skirt. Jaemin threw his arm around you and you could tell by his slurred words and sloppy kisses that he was needy.

“Are you not fucking Haechan tonight ?” you rolled your eyes.

“Don't ever say that again” Jaemin groaned while his hands ghosted over your thighs and moved to grope your ass.

“Ew get a room” Chenle spat and you sighed. As much as you’d love to get railed right now you couldnt stand that this arrangement with Jaemin only worked when he was in the mood rather than it being mutual. You already knew he’d be in your room for the night and you won't see him the entirety of the next day unless you were out looking for him.

“Yeah totally not in the mood doll” you pried his hands off your figure and took a sip of your drink, “you should call it a night, don't want to be hungover when you have a pc to build.”

Jaemin never bothered to argue back. He knew how stubborn you could be and honestly he needed to get Haechan back to the bungalow before he ended up swearing at the bartenders. You waved off Jaemin, Haechan and Chenle who went along since his accommodation was on that end anyway while you took care of Sungchan.

“You all good there buddy?” you joined him on one the loungers as he gulped down his third glass of water.

“I'm alright, sorry i'm still getting used to the whole alcohol thing” he smiled sweetly.

You giggled and tutted in response, “don't force yourself if you don't want to, Haechan may think he is the boss around here but trust me he’s a pushover.”

Sungchan nodded shyly until you saw his eyes perk up. You followed his gaze and from all people in this entire goddamn resort in walks Johnny Suh and Kim Doyoung.

Just great.

“Hey Nephew” Johnny greeted, his face absolutely red indicating he was definitely more drunk than his dear nephew right now.

You looked up at Doyoung briefly who just stood awkwardly while Johnny babied his nephew, smothering him in hugs and compliments. Sungchan stood up and stabilised his uncle, praying he wasn't going to be stubborn about heading back to their bungalow.

“Come on Uncle Johnny, time for bed” Sungchan held him by his waist while Johnny pinched his cheeks and coddled the younger boy.

“Doyoung isn't my nephew just the cutest ? He's the cutest right ?” Johnny slurred as Sungchan bid his farewell to you and guided Johnny back to their bungalow.

You wasted no time in making sure there were no awkward silences and grabbed a new drink from the bar and began heading down a dimly lit path. You couldn't look at him. Especially since he had ignored your existence for most of the week.

“Where are you going ?” he questioned, as you heard his footsteps follow close behind.

“To the beach, leave me alone” you replied carelessly. Did he expect you to respect him as your father’s friend after the stunt he pulled ?

“You are not going to the beach in the middle of the night drunk and on your own” he lectured, still following you down the path until the two of you reached the white sandy area that met the moonlit shore.

He watched attentively as you turned around and removed the mesh skirt as you soaked in the moonlight and the salty sea breeze.

“You're not my father Mr Kim” you groaned, “I can do whatever I want.” “Do your parents know where you are right now ?” Doyoung questioned as he shook the sand that filled up his sandal.

You walked over to one of the beach recliners sighing that the umbrellas were all down and sat down your drink on the table. “My parents think I'm at the overnight spa, smart of me don't you think ?” you smirked as you struggled to open the umbrella that was twice your size.

Doyoung massaged his temples before walking over and helping you open the umbrella before taking a seat on the opposite recliner. He knew he was doing the right thing by taking care of you while you were acting recklessly, but a part of him wondered if being around you in that scantily clad bikini and the amount of alcohol running through his veins and yours, was a good idea.

“What are you drinking ?” Doyoung watched you take a sip of your cocktail as you laid back in the recliner and crossed your legs.

“Rum and Coke” you replied, handing him the drink.

You were amused by how much he drank, and watched as he set the glass aside and shook his leg anxiously while his entire body tensed up.

“For someone who told me that I'm too tense you're really one to talk” you commented and pointed to his fidgeting fingers and anxious leg. Doyoung quickly took notice of his actions and gathered himself. He turned his focus to the dark sea, while you studied him wondering what the hell was going through his head right now.

“You know any normal married man would be back home laying next to his wife after a drunken night” you sighed and Doyoung’s eyes quickly darted to yours.

“I'm here to make sure you get home safely,” he said in a calm tone.

“Oh please” you scoffed, “you had no idea I was out here until you guys stumbled across us at the bar. Mr Kim it seems like you love to keep your distance from your wife regardless whether I'm here or not.”

Doyoung’s jaw tightened at your words. He knew you were not taunting him because everything you mentioned was pretty much how it's been for the past few months in his marriage. Most of the time he met with your family on his own and your father had always commented on how divided the two of them had become after Jeno had turned 18.

“Its probably why youre so needy too, when was the last time youve even fucked anyone ?”

“Is this a joke to you ?” Doyoung retorted, “Do you not see how wrong this is ?”

You rolled your eyes, finishing the last of the drink, and sat it back on the wooden side table.

“Honestly I dont,” you shrugged, “I did at first ofcourse, hell Ive been wanting to fuck you since my 18th birthday but now that I know youre miserable in your marriage I dont see the harm in it.”

Doyoung pondered on your words and of course he was miserable but his reasoning for coming onto you wasn't because he needed a quick fix. God he saw beautiful women at so many investor parties but nobody had him riled up like you did. For him though it was your 21st birthday, when you wore that Elie Saab sequin dress and you carried yourself with such poise and class that he’d never taken notice of before. There was always a mystery surrounding you and with that neverending curiosity he disciplined himself into keeping his distance.

That was until a few days ago.

“You’ve been wanting me since then ?” Doyoung asked in that low voice that always hit the right spot.

You pushed yourself up from the recliner and stood up to hover over him. Doyoung’s eyes dragged over your body until his eyes locked with yours as you placed your thumb under his chin.

“Oh Mr Kim I fantasise about having you every…single..night” you mused and with that you pressed your lips against his and sighed into the passionate kiss. Doyoung quickly pulled you into his lap, his lips never leaving yours as you straddled him and immediately gripped onto his dark locks.

“I'm not going to be able to stop this time y/n” Doyoung groaned into your neck as you pushed your body further down into his lap, already feeling his hardened member against your clothed core.

“Don't stop…please dont stop” you moaned into his kisses as he grabbed your ass and buried his face into your chest, littering your collarbone and breasts with kisses. You both knew that taking your time would only raise concern so you were in agreement that it needed to be done as soon as possible.

You fiddled with his dress pants as he unbuttoned his shirt revealing the very toned body you were suspecting. God the sight of him alone like this could've made you orgasm. Doyoung quickly pushed down his pants and then suddenly pulled away.

“Fuck…Fuck!” he cursed.

“What is it ?” you looked around thinking one of the employees was lurking around.

“I don't have protection. '' Doyoung looked up at you and bit down on his lip.

“God i'm on the pill please just fuck me already” you whined and returned your lips to his desperate to regain the momentum you had earlier on.

“Are you sure this is okay sweetheart ?” He asked once again his voice filled with concern. God the age difference thing was really showing right now because everyone around your age was careless and dumb. Any guy in their 20s (and probably Johnny Suh) would be ecstatic to know they'd be able to do it raw.

You found his concern endearing.

“Do whatever you want Mr Kim, I just need you inside me” you whispered and Doyoung literally felt dizzy with ecstasy at your lewd words. He quickly responded by pushing aside your bikini bottom and rubbed circles on your clit before entering two digits into your core, preparing you for what's to come.

You were so lost in the magic he was putting in his fingers that you almost gasped at the difference when he inserted his member inside you. He was much bigger than you imagined and the biggest you ever had. He was right when he said he’d ruin you.

“Oh my fuck-” you moaned in his ear as Doyoung guided your hips to ride him. He wasnt sure if it was the impromptu fuck, the lack of sex he’s had recently or the girl on top of him right now but it was a fucking hell of a experience. You moved your hips roughly against his, expertly making circles with your hips as you built up your orgasm. Doyoung’s moans were like music to your ears as he groaned according to your movements as his nails dug into your thighs.

“Doyoung im-”

“Is my angel close hmmm” he hummed and the pet name just inched you closer to your high. Doyoung moved his hand to the front so his thumb had access to your clit, stimulating you until you were ready to give in. Doyoung watched in awe as you beautifully threw your head back and came so hard on his cock that he wished he could do it again almost immediately.

You rode out your high and to Doyoung’s surprise you removed yourself from his lap and settled between his legs. Your hand grabbed hold of his member as you looked up at him and pumped his member.

“You know, so you don't have to stress about coming inside me,” you brought your face down to meet his tip, “well coming inside me in a different way.”

Doyoung leaned back in his seat and grabbed a fistful of your hair as you went to work on his length. He knew he wouldn't last long, not with already fucking you and now with your tongue skillfully pleasing him. You hollowed your cheeks as your hand met your speed and the grip on your hair signalled that he was close.

“Fucking hell” was all Doyoung could say when he finally released in your mouth and with heavy eyes watched you swallow every bit of him.

“We should get back before they close up the bar” you said, straightening up your hair and outfit.

“Yeah we should” Doyoung agreed and buttoned up his shirt and tucked himself back into his pants. God he wished he could at least help clean you up and lay in bed with you but unfortunately that could never be on the agenda. He honestly had no idea what to say or what to do. The two of you walked in silence until you reached the bungalows, making sure to stay in the shadows just in case anyone was awake at this hour.

“Well good night I guess” you folded your arms, slightly embarrassed that regardless of what you said you still felt a pang of guilt and jealousy that he still wasn't yours for the night.

You were about to walk off when Doyoung grabbed onto your arm and turned you to face him. He placed a kiss on your forehead and then a softer one on your lips.

“Meet me tomorrow at the squash court at 2:30,” he whispered as his thumb stroked your cheek, “Only if you want to though.”

You nodded and smiled up at him before finally parting ways and leaving both of you revisiting one of the most incredible nights of your life.

—--------------------------------

The next morning you took your time to get ready, completely avoiding the voices of your hungover parents downstairs. You knew they'd pester you about where you were, what time you got home and most importantly who was the last person you were with last night.

That was the last thing you needed to be questioned about.

“Princess are you done pampering up, we're going to the gym” you heard Haechan’s grating voice call from outside your balcony. Of course you still had to pretend you wanted to hang out with them today but it just gave you a better alibi to showing up at the squash court. You quickly slipped into a cute Ralph Lauren polo shirt and bike short set and doused yourself with your Chanel no.5 before heading out to meet your friends.

“God I can smell you a mile away” Chenle dramatically coughed as the five of you strolled down to the fitness centre.

You sighed and stretched your arms above your head, “It's called perfume, you should try it sometime” you teased and the boy stuck out his tongue in return.

“Hey did you get home okay last night ?” Sungchan tapped your shoulder looking down at you sheepishly, “I needed to get Uncle Johnny home before he decided to extend his drinking hours.” You waved your hand and hooked arms with the taller boy, giving his bicep a tight squeeze as you stepped into the air conditioned wellness centre.

“It’s all good I went straight home anyway” you lied.

You and your friends were already welcomed with green juice, herbal tea and smoothie selections by the staff while you scouted the area for where you might bump into Doyoung. The centre was quite vacant, I guess not everybody could recover as fast as your family and friends as drinking to your limits never delayed the schedule of the next day. You walked through the essential oil aroma of all the various spa treatments until you finally reached the gym and caught your first glimpse of Doyoung laughing along with the rest of the parents.

God he looked extra hot today in just a pair of black track pants and a fitted white tee.

“Dude your uncle is jacked” Haechan gaped at Johnny Suh who was walking around in just a pair of training shorts, his sweaty toned body on display for everybody. God knows why. It's not like you didn't think he was hot, you would be stupid to think otherwise, but Mr Suh was never your type. He never had the sex appeal that Mr Kim had.

“Hey kids!” your dad waved as you all strolled over to join the gathering. You put on a friendly smile as your mom already pulled you into her side and gushed to the other mothers about how thankful she was to have a daughter or something along those lines. Your mother spoke but you avoided Mrs Kim’s eyes completely, while flashes of last night kept running through your mind.

“How about you gym buffs finish up and we’ll meet for lunch later” Mrs Qian spoke even though she knew her husband would rather join in on spa treatments than play any form of sport.

“Why are we doing sports on a vacation again ?” Kun Qian sighed as Johnny shoved a racket in his hands. “Come on now Kun, you gotta look good for Mrs over here” Johnny winked as Mrs Qian giggled shyly. Johnny Suh was truly a menace for any married woman.

“Well I'm guessing you're going to sweat it out with the boys” your mom fixed the headband on your head and sighed, “My dear daughter thrives on competitive sports, especially when it’s beating her own dad in them.”

“Not this time honey, I'm feeling lucky” your dad ended with his infamous catchphrase before he’d probably rage quit later on.

“Alright so I’ll be playing basketball with the fit young guys” Johnny threw his arms around both Jaemin and Chenle who both looked enthused by this idea. “Sure then I guess Kun, Doyoung, y/n and I will head to the squash courts” your father saluted Johnny as he began making his way to the back of the gym where a row of brightly lit squash courts lined up.

“Are we playing singles or doubles ?” Doyoung asked as he grabbed a baseball cap to push away the loose strands that fell over his forehead. He was pretty composed for someone who was literally fucking you raw on a beach a few good hours ago. You wondered what was going through his mind now that you showed up to his invitation.

“Doubles, my daughter and I verse you and Kun” your father called over an employee to bring over a few iced bottles of water. Your father suggested a round with each opponent and tally the score after.

Everyone agreed to the plan and you had your first round with Kun who was a pleasant opponent that always complimented your serves no matter how lazy they were eventually becoming. You liked Kun. He was such a good husband and father that you believed he truly set a standard for men everywhere. You always wondered how he even dealt with your father and his erratic friends but clearly it never bothered him.

“I'm going to talk your father into a quick foot spa before we get onto the next round” Kun said cheekily and you smiled sweetly as the two of you stepped into the hallway for the opponent swap.

“Did she go easy on you Kun ?” Your dad came over and high-fived you while Doyoung rolled his eyes. “Well you'd have to bet that she destroyed Kun after the beating I gave you” he said, the cockiness yet again in his voice drove your arousal.

“We both did just fine” Kun snapped back, “I'm just going to rest up a bit before the next round if you are planning on drinking tonight again.”

“Okay old man,” your dad conceded and followed Kun, “You guys coming with or going on with the game ?”

Doyoung waved his hand, “I know you two will never come back and I need to get my fitness in, go ahead.” He waited until the hallway was clear and followed you inside one of the courts in silence. There was tension in the air now that he was finally alone with you.

As soon as he was certain the two of you were alone Doyoung backed you up against the corner of court, a blind spot from both the entrance, hallway and the cameras above. He exhaled deeply as he grabbed onto your thigh, pushing your legs apart and settling his own leg in between for you to nestle on his toned thigh. His slender fingers ghosted up your body until his thumb brushed over your pouty lips, awaiting to meet his.

“I thought about you all night” he whispered before leaning in and peppered kisses along your jawline. He smelled exquisite, and you had no idea that you were already unconsciously rubbing your heat up and down his thigh.

“Why’d you ask to meet here?” you whimpered into his touch, “we could get caught very easily.” Doyoung silenced you by pressing his lips against yours passionately, moaning into the kiss as he slipped his tongue inside and wrapped his hand around your neck ever so delicately.

“I thought I’d be able to control myself in a public setting and we could sneak out after, but I can't help myself” Doyoung pushed you harder onto his thigh and snaked his hand around you to grab onto your ass. He seemed way less in control than the first two times you two were in a situation like this. It was so out of his character to be the one to initiate such intimacy especially when his family were literally just a stroll down the hallway.

Doyoung had worked himself up to the point you thought he was going to recreate the golf incident but something quickly brought him to his senses and he immediately stepped back and neatened himself while his eyes shifted to the entrance of the court.

“What’s going on ?” you frowned and looked into the empty hallway and back to the man who just had his tongue down your throat a few seconds ago.

“We cant do this, what the fuck this is just..its too much!” he was pacing the court and biting on his nail as if sanity had just hit him.

You groaned in frustration and gained some sort of composure before approaching the older man. “Are you serious right now ? you can't just do that and then tell me youre chickening out” you spoke in a low voice obviously frustrated that he was still so indecisive regardless of what had happened last night.

“Everytime I see you it's like I throw away my morals and then reality just…hits me” Doyoung frowned and his words really pissed you off, rightfully so.

“So what am I huh ? someone you can use until reality just hits you ?” you snapped back feeling your face heat up, “I have feelings too you know and I thought I made it very clear last night.”

Doyoung became stoic. You watched him grab a racket and ball from the floor as he got into position on the other end of the court.

“Let's Play” he said in a cold tone.

“Youre fucking unbelievable” you cursed and pushed open the clear door making your way back to your bungalow and as far away from Kim Doyoung as you possibly could. You hated that for him it was purely just physical and you had to deal with the emotional side to all of this. You had no idea how much you liked him until his attention drifted from you, until he was showing some affection to his wife or when he was just purely existing in the same space as you.

You hated it. You absolutely hated having feelings for Kim Doyoung.

You spent most of the day locked up in your room, catching up your best friend on the whole ordeal to which she just said ‘find someone new to fuck with and get over it’. It was easier said than done. Jeno was completely out of the question seeing as he was the son of the man you were trying to get over. Most of the employees were annoying frat boys and you weren't sure if any man would be able to satisfy you the way Mr Kim did.

“Honey get ready, we're having dinner at the Greek place tonight” your mother called from downstairs and you inwardly groaned. What was with these people and doing almost everything together. Sighing you got ready anyway because missing a dinner would not only have your parents nagging you about it you’d also be letting Doyoung know that the quarrel you had earlier was a lot more serious than you wanted him to think.

You needed him to know that you didn't care and you were going to be the one to move on. Pulling out your Versace black cocktail dress or the revenge couture collection as your friend calls it, you made your way down to dinner making sure to keep your head up high and your attention off Mr Kim entirely.

You hoped.

“You guys finally made it” Johnny Suh’s voice boomed from the grand table that was set up on the fairy lit private deck at the back of the quaint restaurant. You began making your way over to your friends when you noticed an extra man had now joined the festivities and boy was he something.

He looked around your age, dressed in Prada with his hair slicked back which emphasised his sculpted face with the prettiest set of dimples you'd ever seen. His eyes immediately locked with yours as you took the seat across him and his lips curled into a friendly smile.

“Good evening everyone” you greeted and Sungchan quickly cleared his throat and gestured at the man seated next to him. “y/n this is my older brother Jaehyun, Jae this is y/n” he introduced the two of you and the man reached over the table to shake your hand.

“You're the infamous y/n then” he smiled, his voice was low and utterly charming.

“Infamous ?”

“Well,” he shrugged, “the beautiful heir to this luxurious resort, best believe you're talked about.”

You blushed at his words ignoring the irrelevant comment from Haechan and continued getting to know Johnny Suh’s other nephew, a true god sent distraction from Kim Doyoung. The two of you spoke for hours. You learnt that Jaehyun was an up and coming actor, and his family were in the textile industry. His hobbies were photography and collecting vinyls from his favourite artists all the way down to his great grandfather's favourites. You also learnt he frequented Milan for fashion shows, and it was his favourite city in the world. A place he already offered to give you a personal tour of.

“You know I heard that he goes to Milan just to fuck these old rich women” Haechan whispered as the two of you snuck around the back of the resort for a smoke.

“Why would he need to, he’s too rich to be a sugar baby” you rolled your eyes and drew in the freshly lit cigarette.

“Bro is just a milf hunter, it gives him bragging rights and those cougars love it” Haechan grabbed the cigarette from your fingers and brought it up to his own lips. You peaked around the corner and watched as Jaehyun conversed with the rest of the men, laughing along with their jokes. He looked so innocent compared to the perverse things you were now hearing about him.

“Probably runs in the family, streets already calling him Johnny Suh’s prodigy” Haechan ashed out the cigarette and used a tester cologne to mask the smell.

“God he is so hot though, you think he could retire milf hunting for just one night ?” you smirked as the two of you made your way back up to the restaurant. Haechan gave you a pat on the back as he followed your gaze back to Jaehyun.

“If he’s anything like his uncle he probably already fantasised you underneath him during dinner.”

All the scandalous chats with Haechan and the obvious flirting with Jaehyun completely grabbed your attention from Doyoung and you almost forgot about the argument earlier on. You took the opportunity to steal a glance but to your surprise his eyes were already on you and he barely bothered to look away. His stare was dark as he twirled his whiskey glass in his hand and ignored the conversations that were happening around him.

“Honey the girls and I are all packed and off to the overnight spa” His wife interrupted his stare and he gave her a sweet smile and never bothered to share his plans for the night. That's the kind of relationship they had. No questions, no suspicions, just a facade for the friends and family that everything was perfect.

The ladies said goodbye to their tipsy husbands and thanks to your white lie that you already spent time at the spa the previous night you got away scot free from the outing. Haechan, Chenle and Sungchan decided to hang out at the arcade with Jaemin following close behind, seeing as you hadn't paid him any attention thanks to the appearance of Jaehyun. Which meant it was just you, Jaehyun and your father’s friends still lingering around the restaurant and bar for the rest of the night.

“So y/n what do you guys do for fun around here ?” Jaehyun shot back the last of his drink and leaned back into his seat looking so goddamn inviting.

“Well,” you held up your glass, “we drink, we play sports nobody cares about and we complain about our embarrassing parents.” Jaehyun followed your eyes to your father doing his best impression of what looked like the moonwalk and chuckled.

“Hey he’s pretty good!” he mused while you shook your head and stood up.

“You wanna get out of here?”

You and Jaehyun strolled around the empty courtyards as all the restaurants started packing up for the night. The summer night finally began cooling down and Jaehyun’s body seemingly got closer as the two of you walked around aimlessly.

“Why don't we take a little pitstop?” Jaehyun smirked and pulled you behind one of the restaurants where both of you were out of sight to onlookers. You could tell he was an expert in these circumstances, he definitely was a man who always got what he wanted.

Consensually of course.

“I heard something about you” you bit down on your lip as he began giving you butterfly kisses along your jaw and down the nape of your neck. Jaehyun hummed as you felt him smirk against your skin. “Hmmm and what did you hear about me ?”

“That you’re a milf hunter” you giggled as he licked the weak spot he found just under your ear. Jaehyun pulled back and an amused smile spread across his face. “A milf hunter ?” he repeated your words as if it was the first time he was accused of such.

“I mean I generally meet older women,” he added, “but I don't actively search for….milfs.”

“So I'm not just a second choice for tonight then ?” you mused, pulling him back to your body by his half buttoned dress shirt. Jaehyun licked his lips as he stared down at you and his large hands massaged your thighs while you moaned in his touch.

“I came all this way after Sungchan sent me pictures of you guys hanging out, baby i'm here because of you” Jaehyun lifted your face to bring you into a deep sensual kiss that figuratively and literally had you weak at the knees. The kiss was amazing but it was still sub par in comparison to Mr Kim. Jaehyun was a lot like the guys you've met at country clubs and student events. They were all drop dead gorgeous but lacked the experience, the class you craved. The type that came natural to someone like Kim Doyoung.

God you were thinking about him while another man, your rebound was practically worshipping you right now.

“You wanna come back to my place ? my uncle won't say anything” Jaehyun asked in between breathy kisses while he tried to hike your dress up for better access.

You ran through the pros and cons of the indefinite possibility that Johnny Suh’s big mouth might spill your escapades to your father despite his nephew trusting him this much. The only pros you could think of were getting fucked by Jeong Jaehyun and possibly getting over Mr Kim.

Possibly.

While you were in a mini dilemma Doyoung’s mind was a mess. He obviously couldn't let go of how you had left him at the squash court earlier and secondly how you spent the majority of your night with Johnny Suh’s promiscuous nephew. He downed another round of brandy, wincing at the taste while his friends fooled around on the roulette tables.

With a free night away from his wife and the happy hallmark family agenda Doyoung assumed it was finally the night to let loose. But all he could think about was you and where you were right now. What were you doing ? Did you not want him anymore upon meeting Jaehyun ?

“Need a top up ?” Johnny tapped Doyoung’s shoulder and the dark haired man nodded and held out his glass. “Hey you good ? my man you’re free tonight be happy!” Johnny cheered but his smile turned into a frown when Doyoung just appeared more stressed than usual. “Hey is this about..” Johnny turned to look at your father, making sure he was at a good distance from the conversation, “y/n ?”

Doyoung nodded and Johnny sighed.

“It happened, we went too far and now all I can think about is my wife and my son,” Doyoung sighed, staring at the brown liquid in his glass. “I truly fucked up.”

“You know what's fucked up ? you and this trainwreck of a marriage” Johnny scoffed, irked at the fact that he had to have this conversation about his friend’s failed relationship once again. “She is not the reason your marriage is not working, honestly she has nothing to do with your marriage regardless.”

“I know I know” Doyoung responded and sipped his drink, “I just cant get her out of my mind.”

“My advice is spend actual time with her, not these little sneaky one hour sessions and see how you feel after” Johnny suggested and Doyoung was quite surprised that the advice Johnny had given wasn't a total waste of time.

“If you're genuinely interested in another woman, it will make signing those divorce papers much easier, that's all i'm saying” Johnny concluded and topped up his own glass with the remainder of brandy.

“What about her family, Jaemin God what would everyone say if-”

“We will get to that when it's serious enough” Johnny interrupted before Doyoung dug himself into more worries. “For now just figure out if you're finally ready to call it quits.”

Doyoung decided to take a walk to clear his mind and ponder on the advice Johnny had given him earlier. He knew very well that his marriage was pretty much doomed a few years back but he hated that he stuck around to the point where he felt guilty to be the first one to bring up a divorce. What was even worse was that during a conflict over dinner some time back Jeno had come up to him and told him he’d be okay if it happened and it was better than both of them pretending to be happy for other people.

It was that very conversation that prompted Doyoung to have the phone call with Johnny, ready to begin the divorce process but his sudden interest in you made him retract it. He felt insane. Careless. He made himself believe that he was only interested because he was unhappy in his marriage.

But of course that was never the case. You were different.

Doyoung stepped down into the courtyard and just as he was about to retreat he caught a glimpse of your figure that was partially lit by the overhead light of the restaurant. You were up against a wall, pinned against it by Jaehyun as he ravished your neck with kisses and you grabbed onto him for dear life enjoying every second of it.

Doyoung felt his body heat up at the sight of you with another man. He had never experienced that amount of jealousy and just pure anger up until this moment. Did he have a reason to be ? no. Could he have walked away and allowed you to do whatever you wanted seeing as you weren't his ? yes.

Was he going to ? not likely.

“Sorry, uhm Jaehyun ?” Doyoung cleared his throat causing you and Jaehyun to quickly move out of the shadows and gain some composure. Doyoung’s presence made you roll your eyes as Jaehyun approached his uncle’s friend unaware of the tension between the two of you.

“Oh hey Mr Kim” Jaehyun grinned and Doyoung’s jaw tightened as he took in your lipstick stains all over Jaehyun’s swollen lips and neck.

“Your uncle…He is looking for you…probably needs help getting back home seeing as Sungchan is preoccupied at the moment” Doyoung reported as his eyes briefly met yours.

Jaehyun looked back at you and shrugged. “Hey my offer is still open” he winked and gave you a quick peck on the cheek before moving his lips to your ear, “if you still want me just knock on my bungalow.”

You watched him say his goodbyes to Doyoung before quickly disappearing into the resort in search of his uncle and began your own journey home before you were interjected.

“y/n..” he held onto your wrist as you looked up at him.

“What ? you want to take over from where Jaehyun left off hmm ?” you raised your eyebrow, “you want to use me for about twenty minutes and go back to your happily married life ?”

Doyoung chewed on his bottom lip and exhaled deeply. “Look,” he began, taking a step forward, “I apologise for making you feel that way but please understand that was never my intention. I would never hurt you or purposefully disregard your feelings y/n” he loosened his hold on your wrist and caressed your cheek.

“A Lot of it is overwhelming but I've never done this before and you're not just some random hook up y/n, believe it or not I actually like you” Doyoung’s words made your cheeks heat up, not completely sure how to react to his confession.

“Now listen,” he continued, “I had time to think about it and If we're both on the same page that it's not just a physical attraction then I want to spend time getting to know you better.”

“But how would we-”

“I managed to get an extra room up at the hotel away from the bungalows and I'll schedule myself free time for ‘business meetings’ throughout the day for us to hang out” He answered by pulling out a hotel keycard as evidence.

“How did you get a room isn't it at all suspicious that you're not at your bungalow ?” you frowned, still trying to process everything he was suddenly offering you.

“Y/n, me sleeping in a different room let alone a different suite altogether than my wife is not all that surprising to anyone around me” he admitted as he stuffed the keycard back into his pocket.

“If your little white lies work as well as you say they do then this should be a breeze right ?”

Your head was muddled and you wondered if he was being genuine about getting to know you or just stringing you along until he had another guilt trip fiasco. You needed some type of leverage to not only save your feelings but to also prove that he was in this for real this time.

“If you change your mind and for whatever reason decide ‘this is too much’ during the rest of the vacation i'm going to come clean to both your wife and Jeno” you folded your arms and stood your ground.

“Sure, you have every right to” Doyoung answered, quicker than you expected him to. “Even though I will be going through a divorce in the possible future, if there is truly something between us, I'll sign the papers as soon as the vacation is over.” His words gave you goosebumps. He was absolutely serious. He was ready to go all in ?

You looked up into his almond eyes and nodded. “Deal.”

The next two weeks were probably some of the best moments of your life. Not only could you indulge in mind blowing sex with Doyoung but the two of you started to develop a genuine emotional relationship through your scandalous affair.

“What’s with this obsession with Greece y/n ?” Doyoung brushed the wet hair from your face as the two of you soaked your naked bodies in the spa bath of his hotel room.

“I love Greek mythology” you shrugged, “from the time my dad took me over there in elementary school, I had a school project on a Percy Jackson book” you giggled.

“I didn’t care much for the fantasies of Percy Jackson until I saw the real thing in Athens, it took my young breath away.”

Doyoung listened to your little story as he always did while watching the water droplets cascade down your shoulders and disappear into the soapy water. He finally felt relaxed for the first time in God knows how long.

You noticed you were babbling on and turned around to face him, giving him a cheeky smile.

“Are you daydreaming about screwing me while I was talking about a treasured memory ?” You raised your brow and Doyoung chuckled.

“Well I wasn’t thinking of it until you mentioned it just now”

You pulled him into a deep sensual kiss as you settled into his lap and sighed as he wrapped his delicate hands around your waist. Doyoung moved his lips down to your neck and nibbled on the sensitive skin, smirking when you moaned out his name. He loved hearing you praise him.

“Baby let’s move this to the bed” he whispered into your ear before pulling you out of the tub and quickly dried the two of you up before carrying you over to his bedroom.

“Someone wants to take his time tonight” you hummed and Doyoung gave your thigh a quick smack, ordering you to get on your stomach.

“That ass has been grinding up against me for the past hour and I can’t help but want to get a piece of it” his words made you wet in an instant as you slowly arched your back, giving him what he wanted.

Doyoung’s fingers danced across your spine and with his index finger he pressed into your core, sticking his tongue in his cheek as you already begged him for more. “Does my Angel want a little more?” He asked innocently as his second finger came in contact with your clit.

“Please more” was all you could say and Doyoung granted your wish, pushing two digits into your core and feeling your core clench around him. You loved when he took his time but you hated that you couldn’t last long when he did. You were already feeling an orgasm building way too early and quickly reached for his fingers and pulled away.

Doyoung chuckled darkly behind you and realised you weren’t going to hold on for long tonight and began lining up his member and pushing deep inside you. He sighed as you let out a gasp and gripped onto the bed sheets as he moved in and out of you in a brisk movement.

“That feels so good Mr Kim” you mewled, knowing it drives him insane in the best way possible when you refer to him formally in this type of setting.

Doyoung grabbed a fistful of your hair as he pounded into you. Your back arched in the best possible way for him to find your sweet spot. You were going delirious with ecstasy as his cold fingers moved to your throat and squeezed lightly. He was a professional in knowing what made you weak at this point.

“Come for me my Angel” Doyoung spoke between strokes and you could hear in the strain of his voice that he was close too.

Doyoung bit down on his lip as he watched you draw circles on your clit to help you finish. You were completely fucked out and he loved looking at you weak under his touch. Your pants became faster and Doyoung held on a little longer so you could cum all over him before pulling out of you and brought your mouth to his tip.

“Open up pretty” he swiped his thumb over your quivering lip and slipped his throbbing cock into your mouth until he finally came undone. Doyoung watched you swallow every bit of him until he was completely cleaned up and he stroked your head in satisfaction.

“Good girl.”

The next day you had plans with all the moms while Doyoung attended a few meetings with his friends. Everything was finally running smoothly until what you had feared most had already begun stirring.

Jaemin got a text from his mother to retrieve her ipad from his father’s suite, where she assumed it would be considering her husband only hired the suite for work related activities. Jaemin showed his identification to the hotel and headed up to the room until he realised that he didn't have keycard access. Mentally cursing himself he pulled out his phone in order to text his father until he heard a trolley park behind him.

“You need access to your dad’s room bro ?” the young bellboy smiled and held up the employee master key.

“Yeah thanks man” Jaemin nodded and watched the boy open the room for him and disappear down the hallway.

Jaemin stepped into the apartment and he immediately had an unsettling feeling fill his chest. From the unmade bed to the alcohol and chocolates spread across the coffee table, this looked a whole lot more than a ‘work suite’. Brushing it off knowing his parents have their issues anyway Jaemin began searching for the ipad. He slumped into the couch and looked in the crevices until he pulled out a very interesting piece of material.

“What the fuck ?” Jaemin murmured as he inspected the lingerie until the set started looking familiar to him. There was no way he thought. His heart began racing as he looked around the room once more and everything started to make sense. Your favourite chocolate, your favourite champagne left on the table. There was a new edition of Vogue magazine laying on the floor, the same one he saw you with at the pool the other morning.

Jaemin felt lightheaded. Who was he mad at more? Was it you ? the girl he was sleeping with just before the summer break or his father. The man that raised him and the man he respected. He was angry but reality hit when he realised he couldn't react. He couldn't cause a scene amongst the hundreds of socialites that could probably ruin his university reputation. This was how their lives worked. Everything needed to get buried before anyone outside their circle found out.

Jaemin sucked in a deep breath and left the room in silence. He needed to discuss this with the only person who could bury this messy affair.

His father.

While you were blissfully unaware of the shitstorm that was about to come, you happened to bump into Jaehyun and Mr Suh in one of the conference room lobbies. Both of them smiled down at you giving you an uneasy feeling that you couldn't explain.

“Looking for someone?” Johnny Suh smirked annoyingly.

“M-my father” you lied, “where is he ?”

“I think I saw him head over to the pool bar with Kun” Jaehyun draped his arm over your shoulder and escorted you very far from a confused Kim Doyoung who had just joined his friend Johnny Suh. The more you seemed to converse with Jaehyun the more awkward things had become. Since the night you made out with him you ofcourse cut it off after your deal with Doyoung, but you wondered why Jaehyun never bothered to question your sudden disinterest in him. He just moved on. You greeted him during dinners and said goodbyes when he left, that was about it.

“So where do you disappear to at odd hours during the day y/n ?” Jaeyhun brought you over to a table, pulling your chair close to him.

“You expect me to hang around Haechan and friends ? no thank you” you scoffed and Jaehyun stuck his tongue into his cheek and shook his head.

“You never answer my question sweetheart”

“Is it any of your business ?” you raised a brow and you hated the smug smile that spread across Jaehyun’s face. Him getting you heated probably got him off or something.

Jaehyun leaned in and you caught a whiff of his overpowering Tom Ford perfume. “I know you’re fucking Mr Kim so cut the innocent act” he smirked, enjoying seeing the fear that now filled your eyes. There was no point in denying since he probably found out from his loud mouth uncle who Doyoung admitted to letting in on your little secret.

“Like I said, that’s none of your business” you kept your cool, waving at a waiter to order something strong to keep your nerves down.

Jaehyun politely waited until your order was received and again leaned in close enough to make you tense up.

“Let me cut to the chase here y/n” Jaehyun began, “this little secret might be the juiciest story in the last few years and if it gets out your dad’s reputation, Mr Kim’s reputation…”

“Nothing is going to happen because no one is going to find out” you cut him off. Jaehyun raised his brow as if you just challenged him.

“Help me out and I’ll keep your dirty little secret” he leaned back in his chair and smiled as the waiter brought over your drinks. You glanced over Jaehyun, trying to figure out what he could possibly want when he practically had it all.

“Remember I mentioned that the only reason I’m here is because of you” Jaehyun sipped his drink, “well turns out there’s a lot of perks in dating the heir of this resort.”

“Oh really like what ?” You rolled your eyes at him.

“There’s this film I want to star in and the director is obsessed with wanting to come to this resort during these ridiculous networking vacations” Jaehyun explained, “Now I don’t have the power and neither does my uncle have a say as to who gets an invite, only your dad.”

You frowned as you tried following what he was getting at.

“Why can’t I just tell my dad to invite the guy why do I have to be dating you ?”

Jaehyun sighed and placed an arm around your waist. “Wouldn’t it be just romantic ?” He smiled, “y/n and Jeong Jaehyun met at her fathers resort and now she’s accompanying him to the Cannes film festival officially as his girlfriend.”

“You’re delusional” you rolled your eyes.

“And you’re fucking your boy toy’s father let’s not play the morality scale here sweetheart” he smirked and honestly you wished you could punch him in the face.

“Remember, your fathers entire empire could come crashing down” he added and you felt a shudder go down your spine.

“..how can I be so sure you won’t say anything after the festival is over?” You asked in a small voice. This felt like a dead end situation.

Jaehyun pulled out an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of you.

“My uncles a lawyer and I’ll make sure this little agreement between the two of us stays equal and authentic, no fine print.”

You couldn’t believe this was happening. One minute you were in paradise with Doyoung and now you’re in a law and order episode with Jaehyun. But you couldn’t risk it. Not for Mr Kim and definitely not for your parents. Image was absolutely everything in this socialite world and one little mistake could ruin it all.

“What were the two of you planning to do after he divorced his wife anyway ? Get married ?” Jaehyun chuckled dryly beside you.

That was another question that always kept you up at night. Yes he was going to divorce his wife and be with you but the two of you could never go public. Your parents would be livid plus the press would have a field day. You could be dropped in university for your actions, the sin count was endless.

Maybe there was no happy ending after all.

You signed Jaehyuns agreement and decided to retire to your bungalow before contacting Doyoung about everything that had just happened. This may even be the last night you could spend with him.

While you were wrapped in your own thoughts Jaemin watched as his father got ready for the dinner party your father was hosting tonight. Everyone was invited but Jaemin already felt sick to his stomach that he’d have to be in the presence of both you and his father.

“Dad, are you almost ready ?” He knocked on the door as he watched his father scramble for a necktie.

“Yeah yeah almost done son” Doyoung chuckled as he finally picked one out, “gotta look good for the last big dinner here.”

Jaemin leaned against the door frame as he watched his father spruce himself up. He actually never noticed how much his mood had changed since they had arrived. He was dressing nicer, he was smiling more and honestly just felt like his old self again.

Jaemin couldn’t stand that he knew the reason for his fathers happiness.

“Okay let’s head out!” Doyoung draped his arm over his son's shoulder as he met his wife at the entrance and they made their way over to the grand dinner party.

All the investors were there and it seemed like they kicked off the drinking festivities quite early as the restaurant was brimming with lively chatter and clinking of glasses. You decided that despite your sombre mood you’d still dress for the occasion and stepped out in a lacy Versace midi dress that you had been saving for the end of the trip.

“Hey y/n that milf hunter has been lookin- wow you look great!” Haechan’s eyes widened as he took a second to look at you.

“Thanks Haechan, who knew you’d be the least hated person on my trip this year” you nudged him playfully.

“Character development” he winked before realising what he came over for, “oh I was saying that Jae-“

“Hello y/n '' Jaehyun approached you in a Prada custom, you figured at this point he was probably sponsored since that's the only brand he wore the entire trip.

“Hi Jaehyun” you forced a smile as he gestured for you to take his arm. Your stomach churned as you watched him flash that gorgeous smile to all your fathers elite guests, all the older women gushing and giggling when he acknowledged their existence.

“What’s going on with your brother and y/n?” Chenle asked Sungchan who just shrugged as he was just as confused as the rest of them. Jaemin was especially confused. Could he have been wrong about the woman his father had seen ?

Doyoung was a bit distracted by all the guests but he managed to catch a little glimpse of you when you were being introduced to a board member by your father.

You looked breathtaking and he couldn’t wait to tell you that. He wished he could just steal you away just for a minute and have you all to himself. He wanted to pepper your skin with soft kisses and tell you how beautiful you were. He wanted to show you off to everyone here that you were his.

But Doyoung’s smile faded when he saw Jaehyun slip beside you and his hand was placed on the small of your back as he joined the conversation. Jaehyun was behaving differently. He was attached to your side and now he had the distaste of watching Jaehyun press his lips against your cheek.

“Whatever he is doing I am not involved” Doyoung snapped out of trance to Johnny's voice beside him. The taller man offered him a whiskey as they watched the scene from a distance.

“I thought you said he’s not interested in her,” Doyoung said as he winced at the taste of his whiskey.

“You know how these kids are” Johnny shrugged, “one day they’re fighting next day they’re fucking like rabbits.”

Doyoung shook his head at Johnny's crude words as he continued to observe the strange interaction. That was until Jaehyun had locked eyes with him and he sent him a wink.

God he knew.

“You told your nephew ?” Doyoung pulled Johnny aside who was still pretty much oblivious to everything that was unfolding.

“Told him what ?”

“What do you mean! You know what” Doyoung shot back the rest of his whiskey in frustration. “Johnny, did you tell your indecent moronic nephew about y/n and I ?”

Johnny thought about it for a second and then raised his hands in defence. “He must have overheard me on the phone or maybe I….mentioned it while I was drunk.”

“You’re unbelievable” Doyoung spat and shoved the glass into Johnny's hands before making his way out onto the terrace for a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile you finally found an excuse to get away from Jaehyun who decided that his next target for the night was some film star from the 80s that he wanted as a mentor. You walked out into the courtyard and blew out a sigh of relief that you were finally free from that place.

“Y/n….”

You looked back and noticed Doyoung was making his way down from another exit, probably sick of this party as well. You were so happy to see him finally, he’s the only person you wanted to see tonight. Doyoung moved down a path that was dimly lit and away from anyone at the party and waited until you were able to make your way over to him.

“Doyoung” you practically ran into his arms as the two of you embraced tightly under the moonlit sky. You didn’t want to let him go. Especially after everything that had happened earlier on.

“y/n what is going on?” He asked with concern as he studied your face.

“That bastard ugh” you cursed, “Jaehyun knows about us and now he’s blackmailing me into dating him for some film feature.”

Doyoung felt a burning sensation in his throat. Having someone like Jaehyun in on the secret meant it was done, it was over for everyone involved.

“Should I talk to him, what he says something after ? I could-“

“No” you replied, pressing your hands to his chest. “He made me sign an agreement that he wouldn’t say anything, as long as I do a few PR couple things for him.”

“This is my fault I should’ve never told Johnny I should’ve -“

“It’s not your fault” you cut him off again, “this relationship we have is complicated and after speaking with Jaehyun I realised that it’s going to be difficult regardless if he knew or not.”

Doyoung licked his lips as he figured what you were getting at. He never thought about how hard it would be to even start seeing you in your day to day life once he was a divorced man. Your father and him might ruin a good business relationship and opportunities for you could be removed based on what the public opinion would be.

“So this ends here then” he said defeatedly as he watched you fight back a few tears.

“I wish it could be different” you replied and looked up into his comforting eyes. Doyoung leaned down and pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was sweet and soft, it reminded you of the one night you were able to sleep over and finally fall asleep in his arms.

It wasn’t long until the kiss became intense, and Doyoung had you up against the stone wall pressing his body against yours as he ravished you with kisses. There was absolutely no way the two of you could sneak off so you were okay to get whatever little time the two of you had left. Doyoung pushed up your dress in a hurry as you undid his pants and got into a position that would give him easy access in the short space of time. Groaning as he entered you, Doyoung pushed your hair to the side and left open mouth kisses along your neck and jawline as he pounded into you, a few feet from your father’s dinner party.

“Doyoung I can't hold on any longer” you panted as you chased your orgasm. Doyoung planted a soft kiss on your cheek before quickening his pace and his soft whispers made you weak at the knees.

“Baby i'm going to fill you up and don't you worry this won't be the last time, I promise” he grunted until he finally released inside of you and quickly grabbed hold of your waist to help your balance. That was probably one of the best orgasms of your life and you wondered if you’d ever feel something like that ever again.

“Did you mean it ?” you asked in a soft voice as Doyoung helped you neaten up.

“That it won't be the last ?”

You nodded and he cupped your face with his large hands, smiling down at you.

“It's tough right now, but after things begin to settle we can try going on a little private vacation, just you and me” he promised with a kiss on your forehead, “look at it this way, being apart for a while will just build excitement to seeing each other again.”

You chuckled and nodded once more, softly embracing him before realising it was probably time to get back to the party. As you walked away you felt a lump develop in your throat because while his gesture was sweet, you honestly had no idea if you'd see him like this again. Doyoung shared your exact sentiments and only said what he said to give you a piece of mind.

He watched you walk off and decided to go in the opposite direction to use an alternate entrance when he noticed Jaemin had been sitting slumped on the terrace chair watching him make his way over.

“Son, what are you doing here?” Doyoung cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pocket to appear less nervous.

“Where were you dad ?” Jaemin deadpanned.

“I was..I was just-”

“How long have you been seeing y/n ?” Jaemin looked up at him and Doyoung’s chest felt heavy as his son looked at him with such disgust in his eyes.

“Jaemin what are you talking-”

“Look,” Jaemin cut his father off, “I went to your hotel room and figured it out, I didn't tell anyone and I don't plan to because I don't want to be embarrassed.”

Doyoung sighed and it felt like his entire world just crashed once more. From being a shitty husband the last thing on earth he ever wanted to be was a shitty father. He was selfish because he was unhappy in his marriage but not once did he consider how Jaemin would feel if, when he found out.

“I'm so sorry Jaemin, I really am and don't worry it started and ended on this trip” Doyoung tried to reassure the boy. “I made a huge fucking mistake because-”

“You wanted out of your marriage” Jaemin sighed and Doyoung nodded with guilt. Jaemin chuckled bitterly and looked off into the distance. “What’s more annoying is that Ive never seen you happier you know, I just assumed it was being away from the office.”

Doyoung listened intently as Jaemin shared his sentiments. “I cant believe the reason you had to suffer and stay in this awful marriage was probably because of me” Jaemin frowned and looked back at his dad, “Of course I hate that it was y/n but dad please live for yourself, I can't stand this person you have become in the last few years.”

Jaemin’s words surprised Doyoung but he hated that he didn't want him to think that you were the sole purpose for his new found joy. Being free was the root of his happiness and being with someone like you made him feel free.

“Look son, firstly us staying together was our choice and I apologise that you felt guilty for my change in character, that is not your fault and never will be” Doyoung reassured him and placed his hand on Jaemin’s shoulder, “y/n have ended what we have and shes with…Jaehyun now, don't worry about it okay?”

Doyoung would rather use Jaehyun’s blackmail to avert all attention all together and in turn that part of the deal seems more realistic and eventually everybody is happy. Almost everyone.

Jaemin felt a sense of calm that the affair was over and that you were moving on. He obviously hated Jaehyun but it was better to bury all of this and for it to never be revisited ever again.

“Okay cool” Jaemin finally said, “God I hate this resort.”

“That makes two of us.”

Back at the party you were practically on autopilot, doing the rounds of small talk with all of your father’s guests to distract your mind from Doyoung. This was what being a socialite was all about. Your lives were a mess just like anybody else but the media could only show the good side of it. The lavish parties, the power couples, the perfect children with the perfect grades.

That's all it ever was and will ever be.

The next day all bags packed you had your father’s closest circle had a grand breakfast then gathered in the lobby for the last goodbye.

“What a time huh?” Johnny Suh bellowed as he shook your father’s hand, “next time at the Maldives resort ?”

Were not fishing your drunk body out of the ocean Johnny” your father quipped as the two of them laughed in unison. You said your goodbyes to Chenle whose father was already rushing them into their car.

“Mr Qian is a true airport dad” Haechan shook his head.

“What is he late for ? He literally owns a private jet” Sungchan added.

You smiled as Jaehyun came over, you really played up the fake girlfriend thing because you had no idea what the psychopath was capable of next.

“Aw look at you, so sad to see me go” Jaehyun pouted as he moved a strand of hair out of your face.

“Hmm so sad” you gritted your teeth as you pulled him into a hug that involved a cheeky pinch to his side which only made him laugh. Jaehyun pressed his lips to your cheek and slipped his hand down to your lower back.

“Be a good girl now and I’ll be seeing you in New York next week” Jaeyhun smirked and made his way out with Sungchan and his uncle.

Jaemin shuffled awkwardly as it was now just your family, his and Lee Haechan. He watched as you and his father paid each other no mind as if nothing has or ever happened between the two of you. Doyoung tipped an employee that loaded their car and waited until his family had finished their goodbyes.

“Oh please do come to the next vacation, it was a pleasure having you” your mom hugged the Kims before Mrs Kim, her son and Haechan jumped into the vehicle.

“Yes Doyoung don't you dare go off and work in solitude like you always do” your father gave him a firm handshake.

“We shall see what the future holds,” Doyoung smiled before coming over to you. He almost felt like a stranger again with the way he stood his distance and held out his hand to you.

“I hope when you're not too busy we can play golf again” He smiled and you felt your heart flutter.

“I’ll let you know when my schedule is free Mr Kim.”

The End

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