He's A Gangster

he's a gangster

@aristrocrat my love 💘👑

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NO I CANT WAIT A WEEK FOR THE NEXT ONE WHAT THE FUCK

Chapter 7

S2 Episode Seven & Eight

SUMMARY: Y/N recalls the moments leading up to, arguably, the worst moment of her life. The pack tries to save Jackson. But at what cost?

WORD COUNT: 7343 :)

TW: none

A/N: Since A.) I skipped last week and B.) episode 7 was fairly uneventful for the pack, I decided to combine these episodes into one chapter

Episode 7

The past 48 hours were a blur for you. It seemed like it all happened too quickly to fully comprehend how it got to this; Scott lying lifeless on the table in front of you as Doc worked diligently on saving his life, your boyfriend refusing to do much as speak to you, and your secret exposed. All you needed was to hear Stiles’ voice, feel his embrace, but after the night you’d had, you’re doubtful you’ll ever feel it again.

You looked down at your phone; still no response. How did it all come to this?

“If Jackson doesn’t know what he’s doing, then he probably doesn’t know that someone is controlling him,” You sighed, looking over at Allison as you spoke into the phone.

“Or he doesn’t remember,” Scott’s voice chimed in.

“What if it’s the same kind of thing that happened with Lydia when she took off from the hospital?” Your boyfriend asked.

“A fugue state?” Allison furrowed her brows, stepping closer to you.

“He’d have to forget everything,” Scott looked at his best friend. “The murder…”

“Getting rid of the blood,” Allison muttered.

“But he had help with one thing though, the video,” Stiles continued.

“Maybe someone else helped him forget that,” You swallowed. “Whoever’s controlling him.”

“Are you sure Jackson has no clue about any of this?” Allison questioned.

“He still thinks he’s becoming a werewolf and that being with Lydia somehow delayed the whole thing.”

“So do we try to convince him he’s not?” You asked them.

“If it helps us find out who’s controlling him, then yeah.”

“.. Do you think he’ll talk to us after what we did?” Allison sighed.

“Yeah, it’s us. He’ll talk to us,” Stiles asked.

“Sti, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t press charges or gets a restraining order against you guys,” You bit your lip, looking back up at Allison who nodded back at you.

“He wouldn’t do that… Right?”

———

“I can’t believe he got a fucking restraining order!” Stiles shouted as he slammed his Jeep door. You pursed your lips and stopped in your tracks as you watched him walk up to you. “Was that another one of your voodoo, future predicting intuition things? How’d you even know he was gonna do that?”

“Because he’s a privileged white boy with an attorney for a father. Didn’t take much for me to put two and two together,” You deadpanned.

“You know, your sarcasm hurts when it’s directed at me!” He rolled his eyes, walking past you.

“My mom said the exact same thing to me on the way to school today!” You giggled, reaching for his arm. He turned around, biting back a smile. “Aww, Sti! I’m sorryyy. I’m sorry about my sarcasm. I take it back! And.. I’m sorry you guys had to take the fall for this. I wish you would’ve let me go to the Sheriff’s department with you so that I could’ve-“

“So that you could’ve what? Ruined your chances at getting into Yale? Right. Like I’m gonna let that happen,” He sarcastically tilted his head before realizing you were genuinely distraught about it. “Hey, it’s cool. Okay? I don’t regret it one bit. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Plus now you and Allison can go talk to him.”

“I just feel bad-“

“Kinda sounds like a you problem,” He shrugged, making you laugh.

“Asshole,” You playfully shoved him. “I’m serious!”

“So am I! There’s nothing we can do about it now, and there’s nothing that I would do to change it. So come on, we need to meet Allison at the library! She’s got to show us what you translated for her on her tablet!” He laughed, brushing off the topic as he wrapped your arm around you, guiding you towards the school.

———

“This is everything Y/N could translate. I ran it past Lydia too, who surprisingly knows Archaic Latin. In hindsight, we could’ve just asked her last week and it would’ve saved us a lot of time. She said everything was correct but she was so confused as to why I was having her translate it,” Allison laughed.

“What’d you tell her?” You smiled.

“That I’m a part of a gaming community that battles mythical creatures,” She giggled.

“I am part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures,” Stiles muttered innocently, making your heart melt at the way he looked around as if to say ‘Wait, is there something wrong with that?’.

“You’re so cute,” You smiled sincerely, kissing his shoulder and making him blush slightly. He chuckled and took your hand in his as the couple continued on with the conversation.

“Okay, does it say how to find out who’s controlling him?” Scott asked.

“Not really. But Stiles was right about the murderers,” You began.

“Yes!” Stiles threw his fist in the air, earning all of your glares.

“It calls the Kanima a weapon of vengeance,” Allison continued. “There’s a story in there about this South American priest who uses the Kanima to execute murderers in his village.”

“Alright, see? So maybe it’s not all that bad!” Stiles looked at you.

“Until the bond grew strong enough that it killed whoever he wanted it to,” You finished.

“All bad, all very, very bad,” He pursed his lips.

“Here’s the thing though,” Allison said. “The Kanima’s actually supposed to be a werewolf. But it can’t be..”

She cleared her throat as someone walked up behind her to put a book away.

“It can’t be a werewolf until it resolves that in its past which manifested it,” You finished off her thought.

“Okay, if that means that Jackson could use a few thousand hours of therapy, I could’ve told you that myself,” Stiles muttered.

“What if it has something to do with his parents? Like his real parents,” Allison whispered.

“Yeah, does anybody actually know what happened to them?” Scott asked.

“Lydia might,” Stiles replied.

“Maybe you and I can talk to her to see if we can get anything out of her,” You offered. Stiles nodded.

“What if she doesn’t know anything?” Scott asked.

“Well, he doesn’t have a restraining order against me so I’ll talk to him myself,” Allison shrugged.

“Okay, what do I do?” Scott paused.

“You have a make-up exam, remember?” She raised a brow. He scoffed and turned to the two of you, only to see that you both agreed with her. “Promise me.”

“If he does anything, you run the other way.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Allison, if you get hurt while I’m busy with some stupid test, someone’s going to need to take care of me. If he does anything-“

“Like?” She asked.

“Anything weird or bizarre… anything-“

“Anything evil!” Stiles placed his head through the empty space in the bookshelf only to receive a palm in the face that launched him back into you. You opened your mouth to make a smart remark before he interrupted you. “Don’t. Let’s go find Lydia.”

———

“I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” Lydia walked past the two of you before you both followed behind her like lost puppies.

“Come on! Anyone who ever says ‘I’m not supposed to tell anyone’ is always dying to tell someone! So tell us!” Stiles pleaded.

“Is he always like this?” She asked you.

“Yeah, pretty much,” You nodded. “So about Jackson’s parents-“

“Why do you wanna know?” Lydia tilted her head, still making a beeline towards her locker.

“We can’t tell you that!” Stiles chimed in.

“Then I’m not telling you!” She scoffed.

“But you are telling me that you could tell me something if you wanted to tell me?” Your boyfriend asked.

“Was that a question?”

“It felt like a question..”

“Well, tell me if this feels like an answer,” She paused. “No.”

“Let me take care of this,” You kissed his cheek before chasing after her. “Lydia!”

“Wait- But- Hold on! Y/N! .. And now I’m standing by myself. Great. I love this plan,” Stiles grumbled as you disappeared into the crowd of students. A pair of hands caught his attention, but before he got the chance to see who it was, he felt his body slam into the wall beside him. “Ah-Ow.. Hey, Erica.”

“Why are you asking Lydia about Jackson’s real parents?” She demanded, pressing her claws against his chest.

“Why are you bringing out the claws on camera?” Stiles rolled his eyes, pointing behind her. She turned around before retracting her claws and pulling her arm away. He scoffed, speaking before he walked away. “That’s right. You wanna play Catwoman? I’ll be your Batman.”

“If you’re wondering about Jackson’s real parents, they’re about half a mile from here. In Beacon Hills Cemetery.”

———

“I would’ve totally told you had you not brought Stiles into it. Now I feel out of the loop and I want in,” Lydia shrugged as she closed her locker.

“You know I can’t do that-“

“Then I can’t tell you,” She smiled before turning on her heels and walking towards her next class. You were close behind before you felt a familiar sensation fall from your chest to your stomach.

Scott.

You stopped in your tracks and turned around before walking quickly through the hallways, following the magnetic pull towards the locker room. You could hear growling accompanied with things slamming from down the hallway. Just as you were around to turn the corner, you heard a familiar voice that made you pause.

“I used to have the worst crush in the world on you,” Erica’s voice echoed through the empty hallway. “Yeah, you, Stiles.”

Your brows furrowed and finally stepped out of the corner to catch your boyfriend’s gaze.

“And you never once even noticed. Exactly how you’re not noticing me right now.”

“Y-Y/N, I-“

“Scott’s in trouble,” You interrupted him, reaching for the door.

“Aww, sounds like she’s jealous,” Erica sneered.

“Of you? Please, Erica. I’m in the middle of something, right now is not the time for jokes,” You chuckled and opened the door, making her lips part.

You looked back into the locker room just in time to see Jackson throw Scott into a sink, wincing at the sound of his skull breaking the porcelain. Your blood boiled as Jackson continued to land blows into your best friend’s stomach and face. You clenched your jaw, stepping forward to allow whatever magic, that would help Scott, take over before Stiles pulled you back by your belt loops.

“Woah, woah, woah,” He held your back to his chest, preventing you back from walking in.

“What are you-“

“Hey, hey, listen to me. Your hands are doing the thing, okay?” He whispered into your ear from behind you, practically pressing his lips to your ear. “There’s a crowd gathering around us. Take a deep breath, put your hands in your pockets, and walk away. I got this.”

“Stiles, I-“

“Y/N. Please,” He spun you around so you could see the urgency in his eyes. He motioned to the camera behind him, reminding you of who installed them. “Go.”

“… Okay, I’m gone,” You nodded, walking away. You fought the feeling that begged you to stay, the one that demanded to be felt and acted upon. Despite the rising chaos behind you, you kept your eyes low and followed Stiles’ commands.

———

“I still say we just kill him,” You grumbled after hearing all about your boyfriend’s eventful evening.

“Scott said the same thing,” Stiles voice echoed through your room on speakerphone, hearing his keys jingle as he opened his front door. “Oh and Erica’s gonna be fine by the way.”

“Fuck, really? I say we kill her too,” You smirked as you brushed through your locks, getting ready for bed.

“Wait, are you mad about earlier?” Your boyfriend asked, pausing before walking into his room.

“No. Not at you at least,” You said the last part under your breath, making him laugh.

“Okay good,” He smiled. “Why do I feel like Erica and Isaac are trying to split us up?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” You yawned, crawling under your sheets.

“Are you sure I can’t sneak in tonight? I hate sleeping without you,” He whined.

“Unfortunately yes, I’m sure. My mom’s off tonight, and I don’t think we should risk it. She already heard all about the restraining order from Melissa. I think we need to let some time pass before she finds you in my room again. Which blows because I hate sleeping without you too,” You sighed as you got into bed.

“Stay on the phone until we fall asleep?” He yawned, making you giggle.

“Again?” You smirked

“Yes, again!” He snapped playfully. “Come on!”

“Okay, fine!” You smiled, placing your phone to charge. “Goodnight.”

“Wait! I still haven’t told you about what else happened!”

———

Episode 8:

“About damn time. I’ve been waiting here for half an hour,” You stood up as Scott entered the vet clinic. “Why did you want me here anyway?”

“As backup,” He said, looking into the parking lot. “Did you talk to Deaton about your powers?”

“Yeah, I talked to him a while back. He said he only knows of the Delvoux family but nothing about how to control magic. Told me to talk to my dad’s mom but I have no clue how to contact her since-… hold on. Backup for what?” Your voice trailed off as Derek and Isaac opened the door. “What are they doing here?”

“Y/N, please. I got this,” Scott dismissed before turning around to face half of the alpha’s pack. “What’s Isaac doing here?”

“Asshole,” You scoffed and shoved Scott’s shoulder.

“I need him here,” Derek walked past you.

“I don’t trust him,” Scott replied.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t trust you either,” Isaac bit back before smiling over at you.

“And Derek really doesn’t care. Now where’s the vet?” The alpha snapped. “Is he gonna help us or not?

“That depends,” Doc said, leaning against the doorframe. “Your friend, Jackson. Are we planning to kill him or save him?”

“Save him,” Scott responded.

“Kill him,” Derek said before the two looked at one another.

“Save him!” Scott corrected, earning a look of compliance from the alpha.

“Guess we’re saving him,” You sighed.

You all followed Deaton to the surgical room, watching as he shuffled around grabbing what looked like spices before placing them in front of you all.

Isaac reached forward to grab one before your hand pulled his arm back.

“Watch what you touch,” You said.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sounded worried about me,” He smirked.

“Good thing you know better,” You smiled sarcastically before he placed his elbows on the table and looked up at Doc.

“So, are you some kind of witch too?” He asked the man.

“No. I’m a veterinarian,” Deaton deadpanned, making you chuckle. “Unfortunately, I don’t see anything here that’s gonna be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin.”

“We’re open to suggestions,” Derek spoke softly.

“What about an effective offense?” Isaac demanded.

“No, we already tried,” Derek said before looking back at Doc. “I nearly took its head off. And Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up.”

“Has it shown any weaknesses?” Deaton questioned.

“Well, one- it can’t swim,” The alpha responded. “And Y/N knocked it down for a while too but-“

“Leave her out of this,” Scott warned, narrowing his eyes. “I already told you she can’t help.”

“Does that no-swimming thing go for Jackson as well?”

“No,” You spoke up. “He’s the captain of the swim team.”

“Essentially, you’re trying to catch two people,” Doc sighed before grabbing a wired coin and holding it up. “A puppet. And a puppeteer. One killed the husband but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?”

“I don’t think Jackson could do it,” Scott offered. “His mother died pregnant too.”

“And she was possibly murdered,” You nodded. “We don’t think he couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.”

“How do you know it’s not part of the rules?” Isaac asked. “The Kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies too.”

“Does that mean your father a murderer?” You furrowed your brows.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if he was,” His voice trailed off, making your heart sink. For the first time in weeks, you actually felt sympathy for him. No one deserved to go through what he did. You could see the trauma in his eyes as he recalled memories of his father.

“Hold on,” Doc blinked. “The book says they’re bonded, right? What if the fear of water isn’t coming from Jackson, but from the person controlling him? What if.. something that affects the Kanima also affect its master?”

He surrounded the coin with a black powder. Your eyes widened, feeling a familiarity to the substance. Mountain Ash.

“Meaning what?” You heard Isaac ask.

“Meaning we can catch them both,” Scott looked up at Deaton with a glimmer of hope.

———

“There’s gotta be some other way to get tickets, right?” Scott asked as he jumped out of the Jeep, holding his door open for you as you hopped out of the back before closing it behind you.

“It’s a secret show. There’s only one way. And it’s a secret,” Stiles responded as you all began walking towards the school.

“Hey!” Matt called after you all. “Either you guys know why no one’s getting suspended after what happened the other day at school?”

“Just forget about it. Nobody got hurt,” Stiles brushed off.

“I-I had a concussion,” Matt blinked.

“Well, nobody got seriously hurt.”

“I was in the E.R. for six hours!”

“Hey, do you wanna know the truth, Matt? Your little bump on the head is about this high on our list of problems right now,” Stiles held his hand mere inches from the ground before you smiled and pulled him back up. “What?”

“Are you okay?” Scott asked the boy.

“Yeah, I’m fine now,” Matt responded slowly, giving Stiles a look of annoyance. “So you didn’t get any tickets last night either.”

“No. Are they still selling?”

“Uh, no, but I managed to find two online,” Matt responded. “You should keep trying. Sounds like everyone’s gonna be there.”

“I don’t like him,” Stiles narrowed his eyes as the boy walked around. “Hey, Scott, are you sure about this?”

“Last time, whoever’s controlling Jackson had to kill somebody because he didn’t finish the job, so what do you think he’s going to do this time?” Scott shrugged.

“Be there to make sure it happens..” Stiles rolled his eyes before the three of you walked into the school.

———

“Here’s your ticket,” Stiles said, placing it into your hand before you walked back into the clinic.

“How’d you manage to score this?” You furrowed your brows.

“I have my ways,” He smirked.

“Isaac beat up some kid and stole his tickets,” Scott chuckled as he walked past two two of you.

“You got your ways, huh?” You smiled.

“Oh, shut up. We have them now, don’t we?” Stiles rolled his eyes, walking back into the surgical room.

Doc explained to you all that you were to use Ketamine on the Kanima and to insert it intravenously.

“This is some of what you’ll use to create the barrier. This part is for you, Stiles,” Doc placed the black powder container down. “Only you.”

“Uh, that sounds like a lot of pressure,” He mumbled, picking it up. “Can we maybe find a slightly less pressure-filled task for me?”

“Y/N, you should recognize this, considering it’s running through your veins. You feel that pull towards it?” Deaton turned to you as you nodded.

“What is it?” Stiles asked.

“It’s from the Mountain Ash tree, which is believed by many cultures to protect against the supernatural,” Doc responded. “Her family created it. And this office is lined with Ashwood, making it difficult for someone like Scott to cause me any trouble. In its raw state, it also has calming and healing properties for Y/N. Many of your ancestors built their cabins using this wood to enhance their mental health.”

“That explains why my mind is always so quiet when I’m in here…” You muttered, wondering why he is just now telling you this. And what else he knows about your family.

“Okay, so then what? I just spread this around the whole building and then either Jackson or whoever’s controlling him can’t cross it?” Stiles asked.

“They’ll be trapped.”

“Why can’t I do it?” You tilted your head. “I mean, it runs through my veins, right?”

“Exactly. You ancestors made the mistake of using the ash of the tree; it’s what causes the madness that runs in your family. Only the strongest of witches can be around powdered Mountain Ash without feeling the effects.”

“What effects?”

“Madness, dizziness, weakness, anger- it’s different for everyone,” Doc sighed. “Only the chosen witches, the Sorcières Verte, break the barrier without going completely mad or losing their powers. And your chances of being a Sorcières Verte are about one in a million. The only way of finding out is by breaking an ash barrier, so the vast majority of witches steer clear of doing such a thing. It’s advised to do it when you are an elder.”

“What does Sorcières Verte mean?” Scott asked, looking over at you to see your eyes had widened.

“Green sorceress,” You muttered, recalling what Stiles told you the other night; your eyes were glowing green. The magic that you’ve only channeled once and struggled to fully keep under your control. What if you fit under that category?

“Yes. They are the strongest of witches. But their powers are the hardest to control, and they are more likely to go mad if they can’t do it before adulthood,” Deaton nodded.

“Green.. Wait, but Y/N-“ Stiles began, looking over at you.

“Hold that thought, I have a surgery in a few minutes so let me finish telling you how to use it. Think of mountain like gunpowder. It’s just powder until a spark ignites it,” Doc continued. “You need to be that spark, Stiles.”

“If you mean light myself on fire, I don’t think I’m up for that.”

“Let me try a different analogy,” Deaton chuckled. “I used to play golf. I learned that the best golfers never swing before first imagining where they want the ball to go. They see it in their mind, and their mind takes over. It can be pretty extraordinary what the force of your own will can accomplish.”

“Force of will..” Stiles repeated, looking over at you again to see that you’d completely zoned out.

“If this is going to work, Stiles,” Deaton caught the boy’s attention again. “You have to believe it. And no matter what, make sure to time the barrier. Since it’s your first time using this stuff, you’ll have an hour before you can break the barrier. Nothing you do can change that, so make sure you time it perfectly.”

You all cleared the room as the vet tech brought in the next patient. You sat quietly the whole ride back to Scott’s, thinking about what you’d learned.

What if it was just a fluke? What if you’d accidentally channeled green magic without being a sorcières verte? You could try to break the barrier tonight to see. You no longer knew who’s thoughts raced through your mind; your own or the black mist’s.

“I’ll see you guys tonight!” Scott waved as he walked back into his house before Stiles turned to you in the back seat.

“I have to go home for a little while but you wanna hop up front and talk for a sec?” He asked. You looked up at him and nodded before climbing over the seat and plopping down where Scott sat only moments before. “What’s on your mind?”

“You said you saw my eyes glow green,” You said after a moment.

“You’re not actually thinking about breaking the barrier, right?” He deadpanned. You looked down at your lap. “Right?”

“Stiles, what are the fucking odds that my eyes were glowing green?” You finally turned towards him, making him scoff. “What? It would explain why I can’t control my magic. And why my mind is so easily possessed by the magic!”

“Did you go crazy again?” He snapped, not quite believing what you were proposing. “There is a one in a million chance of that being true! In case you missed the math, that’s a 999,999 in a million chance of you losing your mind permanently!”

“Stiles, my chances have to be a lot better than that! My eyes were glowing green! Maybe I can just-“

“Do you even realize that you’re not just affecting yourself when you make these decisions?!” He shouted, making you fall silent. “It’s not just your mind that you're sacrificing; it’s Lydia and Al’s friend, your parents’ daughter, Scott’s best friend— the girl I’ve loved since second grade! I don’t think I can watch another woman I love lose her mind AGAIN!”

His voice cracked as he choked out the last few words, angrily wiping away the tear that escaped. You swallowed a lump in your throat. You felt selfish for putting Stiles through the same experience he had with his mother. You knew he wouldn’t be able to go through it again.

“I-..” You stumbled before sighing. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t think of it that way. It was selfish of me to even think about it. I won’t do it.”

“Swear on it,” He said sternly. “Under no circumstances will you break that barrier.”

“I swear I won’t break it under any circumstances,” You stuck out your pinky and dipped your head down so he would look at you. “Hey, look at me. You have my word.”

“I’m sorry for raising my voice,” He mumbled as he intertwined his finger around yours, making you smile.

“It’s okay. I think I kind of deserved it that time,” You laughed, making him chuckle. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” He smiled, finally taking in the sight of you. He never realized just how much unwarranted resentment he held towards you for the effects your magic had on you.

He never knew what to expect from you anymore. He didn’t know who he was talking to sometimes or who to expect; you or your black misted self. Stiles wanted to be here for you, and he made a vow to himself to see this through- to help you through this. But he just couldn’t put himself through watching you destroy yourself in the name of curiosity or power.

Your warm gaze brought him back to reality. This was his Y/N smiling back at him- the one he loved since he was a kid, the one who held his hand through the roughest patches. A pang of guilt stabbed through him like a dull knife for not wanting to stick through the aftermath of breaking the barrier. Was he wrong for holding you back from knowing what you were capable of? As selfish as it might be, he couldn’t afford to lose you. Not like that.

But why did this moment feel so melancholy? It was almost like seeing you in a memory.

“I should, uh, probably go inside,” You spoke up, pressing the back of his hand to your lips. “I love you. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Yup,” He smiled halfheartedly, making you pause. “Oh, I, uh.. I love you too.”

Your face fell for a split second at his reaction. If he didn’t know you to your core, he wouldn’t have caught it. You were good at hiding your pain from him, but he could always see through it. He knew you’d only let it slide because of the argument.

And part of him wishes he hadn’t caught the way of your brows furrowing in concern and the corners of your mouth dropped. Or the way your eyes showed every emotion brewing restlessly behind them. Before he got the chance to speak, you hid behind a smile, dropping his hand to walk inside.

———

“You okay?” You heard Scott ask as Stiles grabbed the bag of mountain ash out of the back of the Jeep. You hopped over the front seats and climbed out, standing on the passenger’s side of the car.

“Yeah, why?” Stiles responded nonchalantly.

“Just.. didn’t say anything the whole way here,” Scott shrugged before lowering his voice. “Was it about the argument you both had after dropping me off because I don’t think-“

“No, dude. It’s not that. We’re fine. I’m fine,” Stiles brushed off, making you bite your lip nervously. You genuinely couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth. “Come on. Let’s grab the other bag.”

“I can’t, remember? Deaton said you have to do it alone.”

“Okay, this plan is really starting to suck,” Stiles whined as Scott looked past you, stepping closer to the club.

“No.. Not here.. Not now,” He muttered before bolting inside.

“Wha- Scott!” You both called after him.

“What am I supposed to-..” Stiles sighed before looking over at you. “This plan officially sucks!”

“You wanna talk about it?” You asked. He drew in a big breath and looked up; looking as if he would rather be anywhere else besides in your presence. “Okay, a simple no would’ve sufficed. I’ll just head inside then.”

“I didn’t mean for it to come off like-.. Y/N, this isn’t about you if that’s what you’re thinking! We’re good, okay?” He grabbed your arm before you could fully walk off. “I just don’t think I can talk about what’s on my mind without completely breaking down and I don’t think now is the time for that. Let’s talk after this is all over?”

“.. Okay,” You sighed and nodded before he placed a kiss on your forehead. You pulled away, placing your hand on his cheek and rubbing it with your thumb before turning on your heels and walking into the building.

Something felt off. It wasn’t Stiles himself, but the way you interacted almost felt like the calm before a storm. You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head as you marched through the door, convincing yourself it wasn’t your mind talking. This was no time to be distracted; you needed your full focus.

You followed the music down a dark hallway before revealing a room filled with sweaty teenagers, neon lights, and music that would leave your ears ringing for the rest of the week.

“Hey, follow me,” Isaac grabbed your shoulders and guided you over to a secluded corner. “You have the stuff?”

“You make this sound like a drug deal,” You rolled your eyes, grabbing the vial Doc gave to you out of your backpack and filling the syringe with the liquid.

“You are literally giving me a vial of Ketamine. This kind of is a drug deal,” He smiled. You looked up at him and chuckled before continuing. “You have a nice smile. Too bad you don’t show it to me more often.”

“Too bad you’re not funny enough to see it more often,” You shrugged, making him laugh. You couldn’t help but chuckle at his boyish giggle.

“What was that about not being able to make you smile?” He teased.

“You wanna learn how to use this thing or not?” You rolled your eyes. He nodded, flickering his gaze between your eyes and lips as he watched you speak. “You have to do this intravenously, which means in the vein. When you find him, you pull back in this plunger right here. In the neck is probably going to be the easiest. So you-“

“Find a vein, jam it in there, and pull back on the trigger? Got it,” He smiled before taking it out of your hands. “Why me?”

“We have to make sure that Agrent doesn’t completely ruin the plan,” You explained. “And be careful, okay?”

“Oh, I doubt it’ll even slightly hurt him,” He chuckled.

“No, I mean you,” You corrected, making his gaze snap back up at you. “Uh.. Scott doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Scott?” Isaac grinned.

“Yeah. Scott,” You smiled before feeling your phone buzz in your pocket. You broke eye contact to look down to see that Stiles was calling. Isaac sighed as you urgently walked away from him with the phone pressed to your ear, not so much as giving him a proper goodbye before you were out of the room. “What’s wrong? I’m on the way out.”

“Look, I got like 50 feet of ash left, and I’m out. Okay? So could you get out here and try to help me figure something out?” He begged. “Because I don’t know what to do and I’m just standing out here and I’m.. all alone and I’m hearing gunshots and werewolves, and I’m-I’m standing here like a frickin’ idiot all by myself with a handful of magic fairy dust, and I don’t have enough-“

“Okay, I’m here!” You laughed, standing at the door. “I think I need to keep my distance though because Doc said it might have effects on me if I’m too close.”

“Oh come on! The universe has a personal vendetta against me- I just know it!” Stiles shouted, more at himself than anything. “What do I do?”

“He said you gotta believe!” You called.

“Believe. Okay, yeah! I need to believe,” He nodded, looking at the gap again “Come on, believe, Stiles…”

“Close your eyes and picture it,” You stepped closer. “Just imagine it working, okay?”

“This is stupid. My mind is racing way too fast for me to believe anything besides in the power of medicinal marijuana!” He shook his head. You sighed, debating your next move for a moment before jogging out next to him. “Woah- What are you doing?”

“This,” You smiled, reaching forward and pulling him into a kiss. His free hand found the small of your back and pulled you in closer as your hands trailed along his neck and hairline. You felt him ease into you; his breathing slowed as you softly yet eagerly kissed him. “You need to breathe. Imagine it, okay? You got this. I’m going to step back before I get any effects but I believe in you! Close your eyes and just-“

“Imagine..” He finished as he looked back at the gap. He took a deep breathe before closing his eyes and walking towards the other side. You watched from the door as the remaining gap sealed shut.

“OH MY GOD!” You squealed as he opened his eyes. He looked over at you and laughed before running up to you.

“YES!” He shouted, picking you up in a hug and twirling you around. “WE JUST DID THAT!”

“YOU JUST DID THAT!” You laughed, holding his smiley face in your hands. “I knew you could do it!”

“Oh my god! This was all you! I love you!” He grinned before kissing you.

“Oh, I feel dizzy,” You mumbled as you pulled away.

“Am I that good of a kisser?” He smirked before seeing your pale face.

“Mountain Ash..”

“Right, yeah. The Mountain Ash,” He nodded, jogging you back towards the door. “You feel better over here?”

“Yeah, almost instantly actually,” You furrowed your brows before looking at him again. “We can keep celebrating if you want now.”

“WE FUCKING DID THAT!” He cheered, making you laugh as he spun you around again. “We need to meet up with Isaac and Erica now!”

“Okay, follow me,” You smiled, taking his hand and dragging him down the dark hallway and towards room Scott told you to use. You opened the door to be greeted by Erica’s golden eyes. “Woah, down girl!”

“It’s just us! It’s just us!” Stiles stepped in front of you. “Geez, don’t freak.”

“Is he okay?” You asked as you stepped toward Jackson.

“Well,” Isaac stepped in front of you. “Let’s find out.”

He whipped out his claws and tried to slash through his chest, only for Jackson to catch his arm and bend it at an ungodly angle. You all winced as Isaac stumbled back towards you.

“Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?” Stiles looked over at you and Erica who nodded back at him.

“I thought the Ketamine was supposed to put him out,” Isaac grunted.

“Yeah, well, apparently this is all we’re gonna get,” Stiles shrugged. “So let’s just hope that whoever’s controlling him just decided to show up tonight..”

“Uh, Stiles?” You muttered as you noticed Jackson’s eyes snap open. The pack all looked at you before you pointed.

“I’m here,” Jackson said in a distorted voice. “I’m right here with you.”

“Something’s wrong,” You whispered to Stiles as your stomach dropped.

“No shit, Sherlock,” He rolled his eyes.

“No, my powers are telling me something’s off. I think Scott’s in trouble,” You looked at the door.

“It could just be the bond you have with us. We’re kind of balls deep in trouble right now too,” Isaac said sincerely. For the first time ever, he didn’t say it as a joke or in a condescending manner; he was serious. Your brows raised, looking over at Stiles.

“I hate to say it, but maybe he’s right,” Stiles grumbled, earning looks of amusement. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I only agreed because he said ‘us’. Now who’s gonna talk to Jackson?”

Everyone looked around at one another before Stiles scoffed.

“Okay, calm down, guys. One at a time now,” He rolled his eyes before getting in front of the boy in the chair. “Jackson, is that you?”

“Us,” He responded. “We’re all in here.”

You stepped forward, placing a hand on your boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Are you the one killing people?” Stiles asked.

“We’re the ones killing murderers.”

“So then all of the people you killed so far-“

“Deserved it,” Jackson finished.

“So we got a little rule book that says you only go after murderers,” You spoke up.

“Anything can break if enough pressure is applied.”

“Alright so the people you’re killing are all murderers then?” Stiles interrogated.

“All,” Jackson spoke. “Each. Every one.”

“Well who did they murder?”

“Me,” Jackson finally answered.

“Wait, what? What do you mean?” Stiles titled his head slightly.

“They murdered me,” He said before his eyes began glowing orange and developing into those of a reptile. You grabbed your boyfriend and pulled him up, knowing what was going to happen next wouldn’t be good. “They murdered me.”

“Okay, alright. More Ketamine,” Stiles told Isaac. “The man needs more Ketamine. Come on!”

“We don’t have any more,” Isaac muttered.

“You used the whole bottle?” You narrowed your eyes at him. You heard Erica whimper beside you before you all saw Jackson stand up and snarl.

“Okay, out. Everybody out!” Stiles pushed you out of the room. “GO! GO! GO! GO!”

“Okay, find something we can all move against the door!” You breathed as you all pressed against it. Only a split second later, Jackson burst through the wall beside you and ran off into the dark hallway. “Let’s go check on the Mountain Ash.”

“Good idea, let’s go,” Stiles nodded before you both took off running the opposite direction. Once you burst through the door, you saw Derek at the Jeep. “Hey, um.. So we kind of lost Jackson inside but it’s-”

He paused as Erica and Isaac looked down at the mountain ash, not daring to step across it. You, however, easily walked over it.

“Oh my god! It’s working!” Stiles cheered. “Oh, this is- YES! I did something!”

“I have that sinking feeling again, Stiles!” You turned towards the building, feeling a magnetic pull. You stepped back towards the ash. But it stopped you. You held your hand against it to see that it was now impenetrable for you.

A weak howl echoed through the alleyway.

“Scott..” Derek breathed.

“What?” Stiles asked.

“Break it!” Derek ordered.

“What? No way!” Stiles argued.

“Scott’s dying!” Derek shouted.

“Okay, what? How do you know that?”

“Oh my god, Stiles! I just know! BREAK IT!”

“I CAN’T!” He shouted as he tried to move the ash to no avail. “It hasn’t been an hour and Doc said it won’t budge before it-… Y/N?”

You clenched your fists, looking down at the Mountain Ash. You felt Scott’s bond slipping away from you; he really was dying. You were left with no other option.

“Y/N, don’t. We have a plan!” Stiles shook his head. “You heard Deaton! You can’t-“

“I’m so sorry, Stiles,” You whispered, looking up with tears in your eyes.

“WAIT!” He jumped up and ran towards you. But it was too late. Strong wind suddenly erupted from the barrier, pushing him and Derek away from it with great force, but leaving you standing in your place. “Y/N! PLEASE! STOP!”

You held your hand out, clenching your eyes to try and drown out your boyfriend’s screams, you felt a familiar aura surround your body before a loud explosion rang through your ears and brought you back to reality.

“NO! WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Stiles cried. Derek ran past you, you lingered for a moment to look back at your boyfriend who stared back at you with tears running down his face. You swallowed the knot in your throat before turning around to chase Derek into the building. You followed him into a smoky room that made him burst into a coughing fit.

You looked up just in time to see Mrs. Argent running up behind him with a wolfsbane-laced knife. You held out your hand and sent her flying backwards into the opposite. She groaned before looking up at you and chuckling.

“A Delvoux. I knew there was something off about you,” She smiled before getting back up and running to attack Derek again. You held out your hand; nothing happened. You looked down to see nothing; no mist, no aura, nothing. You watched as the two fought desperately for their lives. You took the opportunity to run up to Scott.

“Are you okay? Scotty? Oh my god!” You breathed, looking up to see that the smoke was coming from a wolfsbane diffuser. You held a finger under his nose to check for any sign of breathing. “DEREK! I don’t think he’s breathing!”

“I’m right here! She’s gone. Help me carry him out to my car!” He gasped.

You did as told, holding Scott’s head in your lap the whole ride to the clinic. You sliced through your both of palms with Derek’s swiss army knife and pressed them together.

Again, nothing. No pain, no healing, absolutely nothing happened besides your blood dripping down each other’s arms.

“No, no, NO! The healing’s not working!” You sobbed, looking up in the rearview mirror to see Derek’s alarmed gaze.

“We’re here! Help me carry him in! I’m still weak,” He ordered.

———

The remembrance of the past 48 hours hit you like a train as you stared despondently at your boss working diligently on your best friend. The rug had been yanked from under you. Everything you knew was flipped upside down.

You were losing your best friend. The Argents knew of your lineage. You lost your powers and we’re waiting patiently for your mind to go with it. And worst of all, radio silence from Stiles.

12:32 AM Stiles: Is Scott alive??

12:33 AM Y/N: Yes. Doc’s working on him rn. No news yet. I’ll keep you updated if anything changes

12:39 AM Y/N: Can we talk about earlier? Read.

You looked up at the clock that read 3:12 AM and placed your face in your palms. You couldn’t get the scene out of your head; his shattered look, his devastating cry. The words kept repeating in your head as you finally allowed yourself to cry.

What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?

———

As always, please let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list! I love to hear your feedback so please feel welcome to leave a comment below. Don’t forget to like and reblog, it really helps me out!

BESTIES IT’S GETTING REAL!! OMG I FUCKING LOVED WRITING THIS CHAPTER! IM SO SO SORRY THAT I WAS LATE POSTING (AGAIN) I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS PERFECT BC I DIDNT POST LAST WEEK! ILYILY thank you guys for your patience and support!!!

@okay-j-hannah @mitchloveswriting @itscheybaby @cevans-winchester @moon-child @rrrogertaylor @janalustare @loveangelic69 @angelxfics @blueberry-birdie @rebelbagel @fandoms-fandoms-everywhere99 @ifilwtmfc @dianewowslt @crockercorpbakers @taysirene @take-me-to-ny @captainfrisbee @darkenwolfie @stilesbxtch @raynelbabe @michellebarista @chervbs @littleboysmile @mushroomroyal @naynay2319 @xannaelizx @igotmajordaddyissuess @stephhevring @andrew-garfield-is-my-mj @biqueenxo @reallysparklychaoss @izzymultifan @yougottalovefandoms @tsukkisdinoaddiction @shawn-spencers-pineapple @celestair @jazzmynerule @angywritesstuff @celestinevalet @strawberriesandknives @alilstressyandlotdepressyy @small-town-wayward-daughterer @nikt-wazny-y @aloha-lu @youaintabadbitchyoujustabitch @lovingchildperson @luvforstiles @itsyaboiskinnypein @didanrxbma @honeybunimdun @fixtionlover @werewolfbanshee-love @thegreatmushroom @bookishlover13 @mj1300

hey,,,ik most of you are here for my SJM fics, but how would we feel about me writing for stranger things?

if steve dies… 🔪

read this or be a pleb 💖💖

Upside Down Feelings

Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byres

an episode-by-episode stranger things fic that incorporates the reader into the series

summary: Y/N Henderson is your typical high school girl with typical problems; falling out with her best friend, an annoying little brother, and a chronically unpopular standing in school. Little did she know that after the disappearance of Will Byres, her world would be flipped upside down

pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader (slow burn)

word count: 3400

tw: none besides the fact that this is unedited :)

“You’re such an asshole!” Dustin shouted as you laughed.

“Dusty! Language!” Your mother gasped, peaking . “Y/N, doing whatever you’re doing stop!”

“You heard her! Stop,” Dustin smirked.

“I’m not doing anything-“

“Give it back!” His smile dropped into a scowl, jumping up to try to reach your raised arm. “I’m late for the D&D campaign.”

“Just reach up and grab it,” You raised a brow. You loved annoying your little brother. Partially because he was just an adorable little kid but mostly because he loved to annoy you just as much. But you both knew if anyone were to so much as look at him the wrong way in front of you, you wouldn’t hesitate to break their nose.

His eyes quickly darted behind you, making you turn around to see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary behind you.

“Y/N, don’t make me use the power of the D&D league against you,” He warned. “We might be small but we’re mighty.”

“First of all, wow. I’m so scared of a bunch of 9 year olds-“

“We’re 12.”

“Whatever. And what’s the big deal anyway? It’s just a damn doll,” You smirked, making him gasp dramatically as he placed a hand on his hip.

“That is not a doll,” He spoke with offense, using his free hand to point at you as continued. “That is a limited edition action figure that can’t be touched because your nasty human hand oils will ruin the paint- You know what? Whatever. I tried to warn you. GET HER!”

“I- What? Who are you talking to- OW! FUCK!” You heard his group of friends scream before they all attacked, two knocking you on the couch as another one grabbed the doll.

“Y/F/N! Language!” Your mother called.

The boys cheered before all running off into the front yard. You looked through the window and smiled at their cheers as your brother held up the action figure victoriously. “Why do you give him such a hard time?”

“Because I’m his big sister. It’s part of the job description,” You shrugged, walking into the kitchen and placing a quick kiss on the top of her head as you made a bee line towards the fridge. “Can I go out tonight?”

“Where to?” She asked, looking over to see you chuckling. “Why do I even bother asking at this point? Yes, you can go out with Robin. What ever happened to Nancy? I thought she was your best friend.”

“Key word: was,” You sighed, hopping on the counter and watching your mom cook. You opened the bottle of soda and took a long swig before you continued. “Ever since she got with The Hair, she hasn’t really talked to me as much. I guess she’s just too cool for me now..”

“Well, if it helps any, you’re the coolest girl in my book,” She smiled over at you, placing a maternal hand on your cheek as she watched you smile. “And the prettiest! And the funniest! And, most importantly, you have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. If Nancy can’t see that, then I don’t think that makes her very cool. I like Robin way more than I ever liked her.”

“Aw, shucks!” Robin chimed in. You’d given her a key about a month ago and she used it generously. “You’re making me blush, Mrs. Henderson! Ooh, it smells good in here. Whatcha makin’?

Robin smiled as she hopped onto the counter beside you and laid her head on your shoulder.

“Chicken Parm,” Your mom grinned. “Wanna stay for dinner?”

“We’d love to, Mom but-“

“No buts! The movie can wait. Let’s eat!” Robin interrupted.

———

“Could you ride your bike out to the Wheeler’s and tell your brother it’s time to come home? It’s getting late for a school night,” Your mom asked. “I called and Mrs. Wheeler says that they refuse to wrap up their game.”

You groaned and pouted.

“But Nancy-“

“You aren’t there for Nancy. You’re there for Dusty. Now go,” She ordered in a firm tone.

You huffed and did as told. You wished Robin hadn’t left about an hour ago so she could make this trip a little more bearable. Seeing Nancy wasn’t exactly at the top of the list of things you wanted to do tonight. Or ever, for that matter.

The truth was that the two of you had a falling out. It wasn’t rare for the two of you to argue, considering you’ve known one another since you were children. But this argument held a lot more weight to it than your previous disputes. The type of weight that settled into your mind as you fell asleep and made you drag your feet to school, knowing she would be there. She tried to apologize twice for her words but she knew how deep they’d cut you. She knew that even you had your limits and she was way out of line. Now when you passed each other in the hallways, you’d both blush, shoot a feigned smile and walk a little quicker to avoid any type of conversation.

God, if you’re real, You thought before you rang the doorbell, holding your breath to see who would answer. Nancy won’t be the one to-

“Y/N?” Nancy furrowed her brows as she opened the front door of her house.

Okay, God. You’re either not real or a dick. Noted.

“What are you doing here?” She asked. The small glimmer of hope in her eyes crushed you. All you wanted to do was hug her and tell her that you missed your late night giggle fits and little study dates. But the weight of the argument prevented you from doing so.

“I, uh.. My mom sent me to come get Dustin,” You didn’t even recognize your own voice; weak and apathetic. “She said your mom has been trying to clear them out of the basement and they won’t leave so I’m here to-“

“Y/N! Sweetheart!” Mrs. Wheeler called from behind her daughter. Nancy’s eyes quickly shot to her feet. “I haven’t seen you around in a while! How’ve you been? How’s your mom?”

“Good and good,” You smiled, hoping the tension wouldn’t be too evident. You let out a small breath of relief when the woman giggled.

“Thank the Lord that you’re here! They won’t listen to me. I know they’ll listen to you!”

An awkward silence fell upon the three of you. You nodded and shot her another tight lipped smile.

Oh, now it was evident.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help but feel that I just interrupted something?” She asked.

“Nope!”

“No!”

“Uh-huh..” The woman said slowly, looking at the two pathetic girls who looked down at their feet. “They’re in the basement.”

You nodded and made a quick bee line to the basement door. You didn’t even bother knocking- no time, you simply ran downstairs and watched them gasp. You couldn’t get out of this house fast enough. Every single inch of this house held the memories of you and your best friend.

You clenched your eyes at the force of habit. Ex best friend.

“Y/N? What are you-“ Your brother began, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“When someone asks you to go home, Dustin, you go home,” You said sternly. “It’s late. And Mrs. Wheeler has been kind enough to let you stay here and play this game all day. The least you could do is show some respect and leave at a reasonable hour. Especially on a school night, dipshit. Come on. We’re leaving.”

“But we’re in the middle of a game!” Mike whined.

“You heard her,” Nancy spoke from behind you. “Clean up. It’s time for your friends to go home.”

The boys all simply looked at the two of you with wide eyes.

“Now!” You both shouted, causing them to chaotically clean up and do as told. You grabbed Dustin by the shoulder, taking him upstairs to apologize to the Wheelers before you met the other kids outside.

“You and Nancy used to be cool!” Dustin huffed. “What happened to you guys?”

“We grew up,” You said simply, not revealing the fact that you wondered the same thing every night. “Let’s go.”

“Y/N!” Nancy called as she ran out to catch you before you got on your bike. The boys already began cycling home, leaving the two of you alone. “Hey, I know things are.. The way they are between us. And I’m sorry about that. But there’s a party on Tuesday night at Steve’s and I was wondering if… maybe you wanted to come?”

“Uh,” You smiled. “On a school night? I don’t know, Nance.”

“That was my first reaction too. Come on!” She giggled. “Barb said she’ll go if you do. And I think you might a lot of fun-“

“Ah,” Your smile faded. “You want me there so Barb will go.”

“No! No, I didn’t mean it like that at all. I want you there for me not because I want Barb to-“

“Nancy,” You interrupted softly. “I appreciate the invite. I do. Thank you. I just..”

“Yeah,” She nodded, looking away to hide the tears in her eyes. “No, yeah. I get it. It’s okay. It’s a school night anyways so..”

“Right,” You nodded. “I hope you have fun though.”

You slung your leg over your bike and began to walk it towards the street before something stopped you. Maybe it was the familiar house with the familiar girl who stood with the familiar sad face that you always seemed to cause as of recently. Maybe it was the fact that you just missed your best friend, regardless of how damn mean she could be at times.

“Hey, Nancy?” You called.

“Yeah?” She looked up.

“I don’t know.. Maybe you could, like.. Call me if anything crazy happens at the party.”

“I can call you?” She asked a little too quickly with those wide eyes of hers, making you laugh. She smiled. “Sorry. I got excited.”

“I see that,” You teased. Oh, how she missed being teased by you. “I should get going. But, uh.. Feel free to call me afterwards, okay? I’ll be up late studying anyway so it really doesn’t matter what time you do.”

She nodded, trying to hide her grin. In her world, everything seemed to finally be falling into place now that you were speaking to her again. She missed telling you things about school and about the things she did with Steve. She missed your study dates because no one matched her intellectually the way you did. She missed your quick witted comments, and she missed the fact that you both cheered each other on in life. She missed you. All of you, even the bad parts that she couldn’t stand at times. Because at the end of the day, you were like a sister to her. And sister fight all the time, right?

“Dustin! Wait up!” You called, watching as he and Will took of racing towards your house. You laughed and accepted the challenge, peddling as fast as you could to catch up with them.

“I’ll take your X-Men 134!” Will called as he sped past your house. You hit the breaks and swerved your bike, avoiding Dustin who halted to a stop.

“Son of a bitch,” He muttered.

“Tell him I stole it and to pick another one,” You offered, slightly out of breath. “I know how much you like that one so put the blame on me.”

“You’re in a good mood,” Dustin chuckled. “Did your girlfriend finally talk to you?”

“Other way around, doofus,” You rolled your eyes, hopping off of your bike to walk it into the garage. “And she’s not my girlfriend.”

“What happened between you guys anyway?” He asked, doing the same.

He’d never look at her in the same way if he knew.

“A boy,” You lied. More like the bad of an influence he is and the fact that he is morphing her into someone she’s not. At least, that’s what led to the falling out.

“Ew, don’t tell me you have a thing for Steve too!” Dustin gagged, kicking the stand out on his bike and closing the garage. You followed him inside.

“Gross,” You scrunched your nose. “Mark my words, Dustin; I will never see that boy as anything more than what he is. Trash.”

“At least we’re on the same page about something tonight,” He nodded, walking to the kitchen. “What’d mom make?”

“Chicken Parm,” You responded, already grabbing some plates. As he opened the fridge, the lights flickered and he yelped. “Oooh, maybe it’s the monster from your game.”

“That’s not funny,” He snapped. “If that were true, we’re all dead.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” You smiled. “I’m sure there’s just a nearby storm. Totally not a monster. The lights would flicker again if it was a monster.”

The lights switched off for a moment and next thing you knew, you heard your brother scream and lunge into you. He wrapped his arms around you and held on tight. When the lights turned back on, you looked down to see him clenching his eyes shut as his legs shook.

Great, now he’s gonna ask to sleep in your room.

“Can I sleep in your-“

“Yes,” You groaned, peeling him off of you. “But you’re sleeping on the floor.”

“THE FLOOR?!” He yelped.

“Yes, the floor. You kick in your sleep,” You rolled your eyes. “And I have a quiz tomorrow.”

“But-“

“You need to stop playing that damn game, dude. You’re always like this when the lights flicker.”

“But the floor is worse than sleeping alone in my room and I-“

“No! You’re sleeping on the floor. Take it or leave it.”

“Please, I-“

“Dustin!” You shouted.

“Fine!” He shouted back, taking an angry bite out of his food. “Gross, I forgot to put it in the microwave.”

You both giggled before finishing up in the kitchen and getting dressed for bed. Halfway through the night, you felt him try to crawl into your full size bed.

“Dustin. Floor.”

“Fine..”

———

“Waffles!” Dustin grinned, all but running to the table. “Pass the syrup, please.”

You mindlessly did as told as you flipped through a guitar magazine. The phone rang and your mother answered, her voice dropped for a moment before she turned around to face you.

“Did you guys ride home with Will?” Your mother asked with the phone pressed to her ear. “Joyce said that Mrs. Wheeler told her that you all left together.”

“We raced to the house and then he went home, why?” Dustin asked. Your mother blinked before repeating what he said into the phone.

“It’s probably nothing,” Your mother smiled after she hung up the phone but you didn’t miss the way her hand trembled as she brought the cup of coffee to her lips.

———

“Nice shoes,” Carol snorted as she approached you. You didn’t need to look down to see that you’d chosen your old, ratted up converse.

“Nice face,” You rebutted without missing a beat as you bumped into her shoulder. “Your nose looks different this year. Did your daddy buy that for you too?”

“At least she has a dad,” Tommy smirked, making Carol throw her head back in laughter. Your lips parted, taken aback from the statement. “What’s the matter, Henderson? Cat got your tongue?”

You quickly composed yourself, readjusting your backpack and chuckling.

“I’d rather have a dead dad than a dead beat one,” You shrugged, turning on your heels.

“What did you just say to me? Hey! Don’t walk away from me when I talk to you,” Tommy asked, grabbing your shoulder. Hard. He pushed you into the lockers with the same force, causing your head hit a handle, making you wince and curse under your breath. “You wanna say that again, loser?”

“Hey, what the fuck, dude? She’s a girl!” Steve furrowed his brows and pushed Tommy off of you, but the boy kept his eyes on you. If looks could kill. Steve looked back at you with concern. “You alright?”

“Never better,” You groaned, bringing your hand up to your head and bringing it back down to see a bit of blood. Steve’s eyes widened as he looked back up at you. “Don’t worry, Harrington. I won’t tell Nancy.”

“What?” He blinked, searching your face for any sign of . “No. I-I didn’t.. I wasn’t trying to imply-“

“Excuse me,” You interrupted before walking away, quickly making a bee line to the bathroom to get some paper towels for your head. Luckily, it was a small cut. Though it wasn’t gushing or running, the blood still pooled at the wound. It’d only take a few minutes to stop. The throbbing of the forming bruise, however, was a different story. “Fucking assholes.”

“Who?” Robin asked as she walked in. “Woah! Dude, I don’t know if you know this but your head is bleeding!”

You chuckled dryly before grabbing the mess of paper towels and putting them in the trash. Her gaze never left your face as she leaned against the wall.

“Let me guess-“

“Don’t. I don’t wanna talk about it,” You shook your head, desperate for a subject change. “Did you hear about Will Byers?”

“Yeah,” She exhaled as she responded. “Poor Jonathan.”

“Yeah,” You nodded. You couldn’t even fathom the possibility that it could’ve just as easily been your brother. “Poor Jonathan indeed.”

“Here, you’re still bleeding a bit. I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but at the very least, let me hold some pressure on it,” Robin grabbed a handful of paper towels and made you lean against the sink. She stood by your side and gently but firmly pressed, watching as you sucked in a breath before easing into her touch. “You were saying? Something about Jonathan.”

“I don’t know how he’s keeping his cool. I’d be devastated if it was Dustin.. Shit, I’m a little devastated even with Will. I mean I watched that kid grow up… One time, he convinced me, Jonathan and Nancy to dress up for their stupid game and it’s still one of my favorite memories. We all ended up on the floor laughing and grabbing at our stomachs from the force.”

“Shit,” Robin raised her brows, handing you a hat from her bag. “He’s the quiet one, right?”

“He’s shy, not quiet,” The smile from your story lingered as you put it on. “He’s a good kid. I just wish there was-“

“Steve!” You both heard a voice giggle. It was followed by sloppy footsteps and kissing noises. Robin shot you a look of disgust as Steve and Nancy stumbled in, in one of those teenage hormone sparked make out sessions. Gross. “We could get in trouble! Someone might see us!”

“Consider yourselves seen,” Your friend smirked, making them jump. They looked over as she tossed the towel in the trash. There was barely enough blood to see but you could tell they’d noticed. Steve almost winced at the fact that he knew what the hat was for, covering the evidence. “We were just on the way out. As you were, sir.”

You both grabbed your bags before making your exit. Nancy blushed furiously as Steve looked back at her.

“You think they’re good at keeping secrets?” He asked.

“Trust me,” She smiled before pulling him in again. “They’re the best.”

———

“And then we told him about the road!” Dustin ranted about his interaction with Hopper. You and your mother listened intently as you finished the dinner Dustin has yet to touch. “So can I go tonight? Search for him?”

“No,” She responded. He looked at you for help. You pursed your lips and shrugged. As much as you wanted to take his side, you’d rather see him upset than missing. He huffed, pushing away his plate and marching to his room. Your mother sighed and sat back. “My poor, sweet boy..”

“I’ll talk to him,” You muttered. You got up and walked down the hallway, knocking lightly at his door.

“Go away.”

“Dusty,” You leaned your forehead on his door. “It’s me. Let me in.”

You heard him hesitate before his mattress creeped and footsteps approached. The door unlocked and opened to reveal your teary eyed little brother.

“I’m going. Lucas and Mike and I will stick together. I took your pepper spray for protection,” He admitted as he held up your keychain. You laughed. “If you love me, you’ll cover for me and say I went to sleep early.”

You sighed, looking at him with concern.

“What kind of big sister would I be if I let that happen?” You shook your head.

“The type that doesn’t want Mom knowing you lost your virginity already,” He threatened, making your face drop. You widened you eyes before pushing him into his room and closing his door. “I’ll tell her if you don’t let me go!”

“SHH! Keep your voice down, asshole! Where did you even hear about that?” You whisper yelled.

“I overheard you talking to Robin,” He whispered.

“So instead of asking nicely to go you fucking blackmail me?!” You scoffed. “I came in here to cheer you up and all of the sudden I’m under attack? And I find out that you know about.. Ew!”

“You’re the one who taught me how to blackmail in the first place!” He argued. His face has never seemed as punchable as it did in that very moment. He saw your glare, the daggers it sent his way, and took a step back physically but continued to threaten you. “I’m going whether you cooperate or not. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“I fucking hate you, you know that?” You hissed, turning on your heels and going to your room. He stood in a silent guilt, hating that the person he looked up to the most just said that to him. Dustin drew in a shaky breath and sat on his bed for a moment before his door opened again. He looked up and saw you hand him a backpack. He furrowed his brows in confusion. “There are three pocket knives and three flashlights- one for each one of you. It’s going to rain so take your raincoat. If you don’t come back by midnight, I’ll tell mom about that gross comic book you have that is filled to the brim with cartoon tits. If you don’t come back ever, I’ll never recover. If you see or hear or feel something that’s not right, you turn around and come home. You got it?”

He grinned and nodded, running into your arms to hug you. You quickly pushed him off and lowered yourself to his eye level.

“I still hate you,” You clarified. He just laughed as you pulled him in for another hug. “Be careful. I’ll let her know you cried yourself to sleep.”

“I owe you!” He jumped out of your arms and opened his window. “Big time.”

“Oh, I know. And I intend to cash in on that. Big time.” You responded. His face scrunched in concern, almost as if he was reconsidering his whole plan, before he jumped out. You sighed, and walked back to the kitchen.

“How is he?” Your mom sat up as she saw you.

“He just needs some time to cool down. I’ll check on him in a few hours to make sure he’s still okay,” You smiled, knowing that answer perfectly satisfied your mother.

Was this your best moment; allowing your kid brother to go out alone with his kid friends in search of a missing boy? No. But you knew him. He needed this. Maybe this would be a funny story in a few years, but you spent the whole night studying in his room, waiting for him to come back. When the window finally creeped open to reveal his silhouette, you about passed out from relief.

Something told you that this boy was going to grow up to be nothing but trouble.

Chapter 2 ->