Chapter Text
Jane looks around the room - they’re in Higgins’ office. She turns her head to the side, the whole party is with here, all looking less than thrilled.
“Hopper will be here soon!” Higgins says, a little too happy, as he walks in.
“Why?” Gareth asks, glancing around the party as they all give each other confused looks - Beth mouthing ‘What the fuck?’
“School property has gone missing,” Higgins says, “And something tells me one of you did it.”
“What property?” Mike asks.
“I think you know.”
Mike’s face screws up in confusion as he looks at Jane. She shrugs just as confused.
“I don’t think you are all accomplices,” Higgins continues, leaning against his desk, “So if the thief confesses, then I won’t extend the punishment to all of hellfire.”
“What does that even mean?” Jane asks before she can stop herself.
“Tell me who did it and I won’t suspend all of you,” he states simply, with a grin that makes Jane feel uncomfortable.
Gareth huffs, “We didn’t do anything!”
“I know you did, Emerson.”
The teens all glance around at each other, trying to figure out what’s possibly gone missing.
“If no one man’s up and takes the blame,” Higgins continues, “Then all the sophomores are suspended and Emerson gets expelled.”
El’s alarm startes her awake, making her angrily turn it off.
“What the fuck?” She mumbles to herself as she forces herself to get out of bed, “What school property?” She makes her way into the kitchen - ignoring Hopper as she sticks bread in the toaster. “Property,” She mumbles again, “Property.”
“You good there, kiddo?”
El hums quietly to herself while she thinks.
Hopper doesn’t ask again, simply shaking his head and returning his attention to his coffee and the newspaper.
Then it dawns on her - the throne! - she nearly drops the toast as she’s taking it out of the toaster - quietly cursing. She decides Higgins had to have found out about it going missing. Her skin crawls as she takes a bite of her breakfast, wondering if normal Higgins would be as bad as dream Higgins. She decides a few bites later he would be. She goes over the dream again, realizing if he’d called her dad, he was probably planning on trying to have Gareth arrested.
“What are you over there thinking so hard about?”
“Hellfire club,” She says.
Hopper hums, suddenly uninterested, as he turns the page of the paper. “They let you take that god awful chair when they kicked you out of school?”
El slowly turns around to look at him, “How do you know about the throne?”
Hopper chuckles, “‘Cause ol’ Ms. Taylor down in forest hills called me about ten times in one day to come check out suspicious activity while Munson was making it.”
“Eddie made it?”
Hopper nods, “Yeah, it’s an old dining chair he spray painted and added shit to. Made it his freshman year, I think. Long damn time ago.”
A smile slowly stretches over El’s face, “He made it for hellfire club?”
Hopper looks up from his paper to quizatively nod. “Uh, yeah. Told me that himself when I went down to check it out.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I remember being happy he was being a normal teen for once,” Hopper says, narrowing his eyes at her, “El, what the fuck are you on about?”
”Nothing!” El states as she heads for her room, “Thank you!”
“Welcome?” Hopper yells after her, more confused than anything.
She passes Will on her way that gives her a weird look as he goes.
“What’s with her?”
Hopper shrugs, “I learned not to ask, Son, somethings are better left unknown.”
~
Both Mike and Max are whining when they make it downstairs on Monday, voicing their displeasure of going back to school.
“You were out for like three weeks,” Eddie says flatly, watching them make their way to the table, glaring at everything.
“But it wasn’t long enough!” Steve mimics the teens before they can say it, earning himself an extra grouchy glare, as he goes to dramatically lean against Eddie - making Eddie laugh, before he leans in to kiss him.
“Ew, they’re getting weirdly touchy again,” Max playfully says, smiling at the narrow eyed stare she gets from Eddie.
“I am a grown man, I can touch my boyfriend if I wanna!” He states, before making eye contact with the teens as he grabs Steve’s ass - electing loud and dramatic shrieks of dislike from both of them and making Steve laugh.
“Jesus, grope your boyfriend when we aren’t here, Munson,” Gareth comments as he walks by to grab a package of pop tarts before he heads for the door, “Mini stoners, to the car!”
“You’re driving us?”
“Yes, Red, I am driving you, so get your ass in the car.”
Max huffs as she takes her bagel and heads to the door, “Fine, grumpy.”
“Go!”
Steve and Eddie snicker as Gareth groans in frustration as Mike takes his sweet time getting his food and getting outside.
“So, I guess you’re picking shitheads up, right?” Eddie asks, kissing Steve again before he wanders off to get coffee, “Or I can, I’m off.”
“Doesn’t matter, I’m off, too.”
“We get a day together?” Eddie asks shocked, “What demon did I make a deal with for that?”
“What record label did you sign to again?”
Eddie snorts out a laugh before he heads into the living room, Steve following close behind, while they both take a seat on the couch - turning on the tv to something they both knew they wouldn’t pay attention to. “You ever call wicked witch of Florida back?”
“Yeah, twice. Didn’t answer,” Steve scoffs, “I even tried New York too, but nothing.”
“Huh, weird,” Eddie mumbles, “She’ll probably call again when she remembers what she wanted to torture you over.”
“Yeah, probably,” Steve shrugs as he leans against Eddie, “Probably wanted to know if I got the Christmas card and birthday check.”
~
“Hey, hey, hey!” Gareth yells as Max bails out of the car before he’s fully stopped to rush up to Lucas on the side walk, “What the fuck is that about?”
“She’s scheming,” Mike states simply, “You’ll see.”
Gareth raises his brow, glancing at Mike before looking back at Max and Lucas, shaking his head before he turns the car off and gets out with Mike.
Max throws her arms around Lucas’ neck, smiling at him, “Good morning!”
He smiles back, staring at her with an amused expression. “You’re weirdly happy this morning.”
“I have a question.”
“Okay?”
“Friday, you said you didn’t know if you were going to Chicago, and -“
“I’m going,” Lucas states, “Already talked to my parents, as long as Steve and Eddie are with us or at least have eyes on us at the bar and I tell them I’m bunking with Mike or Will, I can go.”
Max squeals with happiness, pulling Lucas down to kiss her. “Okay, so, hear me out!”
He nods along, sliding his arms around her waist. “Hearing you out.”
“What if we talked mom and dad into driving to Chicago Friday after school and staying until Sunday?” She asks. Lucas furrows his brow in thought, prompting her to start rambling. “It’s just, like, we could go do something in the city Friday night! Like date night, right? Then Saturday we’d have all day, then Saturday night -“
He cuts her off with a kiss, making her smile. “Sounds like a plan. Any specific place you’re wanting to go?”
Max shrugs, “Didn’t want to get my hopes up yet.”
Gareth nods, looking at Mike.
“Told you, scheming.”
“Scheming,” Gareth repeats as he continues to nod, making his way to Lucas and Max.
“Gross,” Dustin states as he climbs out of Wayne’s truck - taking Beth’s backpack so she could climb out behind him, “Why’d they get all, PDA-y?” He looks at Mike like he’d know the answer.
Mike scrambles to come up with anything other than oh, you know, after Lucas got drunk during their mini breakup and subsequently crashed in Max’s bed in his boxers; it prompted a whole new level of PDA, coming up completely blank, deciding he knows way too much about the situation. “Uh, aren’t they always like this?”
“No,” Dustin states flatly.
“Can confirm I’ve never once seen this level of public affection,” Beth chimes in as she takes her backpack from Dustin, slinging it over her shoulder before she takes his hand to lace their fingers together.
“We’re used to it because they’re like this at the house,” Gareth says, indifferent, “Just be glad you haven’t witnessed them napping on the couch yet.”
“Gross,” Dustin mumbles, sounding more disgusted than before.
“Says the dude letting his girlfriend hang off his arm,” Mike says, amused.
“Fuck off, Wheeler,” Dustin says with a grin, pushing his way past Mike and Gareth to lead Beth inside to walk her to class, Mike assumes.
Hopper pulls up next, waving to Gareth and Mike as Will and El get out.
“Mike, a word, please.”
Mike walks over to the cruiser, leaning in the window. “Uh, what’s up, Hop?”
“Hagan’s the kid you socked in the face, right?”
Mike nods, “Yeah, Phil. He was talking shit about Nance and Jon.”
Hopper nods, “And his house?”
“House?” Mike repeats, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, “Haven’t a clue what you’re talking about, Hop.”
Hopper smirks, turning his attention back out the front windshield as he shakes his head. “Alright.”
Mike smirks, stepping away from the cruiser expecting him to drive off. Instead, Hopper looks back over at him.
“El comes back in one piece from Chicago this weekend, El does not drink in Chicago this weekend, am I clear?”
That catches El’s attention, making her grin as she looks at Hopper. “I can go?” She asks excitedly.
Hopper doesn’t answer her, staring at Mike.
“Crystal clear, Hop,” Mike says with a smile as El excitedly shrieks beside him, “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Yeah, I know you won’t,” Hopper states, catching Mike off guard, “Wouldn’t let her go if I didn’t trust you.”
He drives off, leaving Mike standing on the curb slightly confused as he stares at the cruiser.
“Did he just say he trusts me?” Mike asks dumbly.
“Uh, yeah, he did,” Will says, already heading towards the building.
Mike turns to follow them, letting El grab his hand. “Hopper? Trusts me?”
“That’s what he said.”
“Why?”
“Maybe because you’re actually trustworthy?” Max says as the group walks in the highschool, “You kept her safe all of spring break last year and you’ve yet to do anything stupid since.”
Mike quickly shakes his head, “It’s a trap. He's fixing to feed me to a demogorgon.”
Max gives him an amused look as she shakes her head. Beside her, El rolls her eyes. “No, he isn’t.”
“Demobat,” Mike corrects himself.
“Doubtful, since they’re all dead,” Lucas says.
“Demo-“
“Maybe my dad actually just likes you,” El offers, squeezing his hand in hers.
“The man tolerates me on a good day, Sweetheart, I doubt that’s it.”
“The man’s let you off on three separate counts of defacing property,” Lucas says, chuckling, “That’s a little more than tolerates, Mike.”
Mike stays silent as they make their way towards their lockers, El squeezing his hand again before she heads down the opposite hall with Max as they split off to head to class.
Mike looks at Lucas, who shrugs.
“Dude, I’m pretty sure you’re his favorite at this point.”
“This a Vecna dream?”
Lucas thinks for a second before he shakes his head, “Nah. If it was, Hopper would’ve morphed into the fugly crisp.”
~
Lucas makes his way to their lunch table, ignoring the stares of the jocks as he goes, taking his seat by Max - already handing over his dessert.
“How’d the hangover play out?” Trevor asks as he takes a seat next to Lucas, getting a half annoyed look in return. “Come on man, you were wasted before the keg, god knows how bad after. You took that shit like a champ!”
“Wait,” Will says as he takes his seat, already handing off a second bag lunch to Gareth, “Lucas got drunk? When?”
“Saturday night,” Trevor answers.
Mike clarifies, “Day before we hung out with Arlo.”
Will cuts his eyes to Max, who avoids them. “Right, with the jocks?”
“I mean, Max was there, too,” Trevor says, sounding defensive, “You could’ve come! I’m not like, jock exclusive.”
“Max was there?” Dustin repeats, also turning his gaze to Max, “I thought -“
“Yeah, she was like, hanging out with my cousin,” Trevor continues, oblivious, “Arlo. They did their own thing while we played beer pong, right, Luke?”
Will and Dustin’s brows both shoot up as they snap their attention to each other - having a side conversation with slight head nods and darting eyes - while Max and Lucas shift awkwardly.
Mike clears his throat trying to draw attention away from them. “Yeah, he was pretty wasted when they got to our house,” he stares at Dustin, “Together.”
Dustin looks at Beth, mouthing together? Getting a nod in return and a sharp elbow in the ribs as a warning to shush.
“How’d you even get home?” Trevor asks as Lizzy takes her seat, already picking the roll off her tray with a swat to the hand in return.
“Walked,” Lucas mumbles, picking at his food.
“We walked back,” Max answers, “We were both pretty drunk.”
Will and Dustin share another look.
“Yeah, Arlo said you two had a few drinks,” Trevor nods along, “Hey, we going to practice today?”
Thankful for a topic change, Lucas looks up from his food to nod. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we?”
Trevor shrugs, “Hagan’s on one.”
Lucas rolls his eyes, “When the fuck is he not, York.”
Trevor shrugs it off as Lizzy cuts in. “Cellars and centaurs start back on Thursday?”
“Dungeons and dragons!” Mike and Will both loudly correct her, making her laugh.
“Close enough.”
Mike glares at her while Max snickers, looking around Lucas to Lizzy. “Yeah, Hellfire starts back on Thursday. Why?”
Lizzy shrugs, “Cheer practice is getting moved to Tuesdays because our coaches son has T-ball on Thursdays.”
“And - What? You wanted to join?” Gareth asks flatly.
Lizzy shrugs again, “Maybe, kinda sounds fun.”
Mike gives her a scowl. “Absolutely not.”
“What? Why?”
“Because Max and Beth are bad enough!”
“Hey, Beth’s pretty good,” Dustin states, getting his own scowl from Mike.
“Dustybuns has a point,” Gareth reasons, “Beth and Max are both good players, just a little more reckless.”
“My point exactly!” Mike huffs.
Gareth glances between Trevor and Lizzy for a second before he cuts his eyes to Will, who shrugs. “Thursday directly after school, our house. No other jocks.”
“Dude!” Mike frustratedly scoffs.
“Can we ride with you?” Trevor asks, ignoring Mike’s mini-meltdown.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Dude!”
“Sweet, thanks Emerson.”
Max smirks at the exasperated look Mike gives her before he shakes his head. “This is bullshit,” Mike grumbles, turning his attention to his food.
“I think it’s great we’ll have another girl to play with,” El chimes in happily, making Max smirk more when Mike gives his food a pained expression.
“Yeah, Mike,” Max says, grinning at the look Mike gives her, “Janie thinks it’s great!”
Mike snarls at his food, shoving a bite in his mouth.
~
“I can’t believe you’re letting them join,” Mike grumbles, for the five hundredth time since lunch, as they gather their notes and homework from their lockers, Gareth standing by with Will.
“I told them they could come, I said nothing about a return invitation.”
Mike grumbles, shoving a notebook in his backpack.
Lucas shakes his head in amusement as he zips his backpack up and shuts his locker, “Have fun with that all afternoon.”
“Yeah, tons,” Max says sarcastically, “Have fun in practice.”
Lucas makes a face as they head outside, leaving Mike to complain to Dustin and Will - El pretending to listen while she gets her things, heading to Steve’s car and opening the door for Max.
“Hey Steve,” Lucas greets as he sets his bag in the floorboard, “I’ll need a ride after practice.”
“We’ll be here.”
Lucas nods, looking towards the gym as he sighs.
“Go, practice,” Max says as she sits her bag next to his, “Trip Hagan and laugh.”
“Why would I do that when he does it himself?” Lucas asks, making Steve laugh. “I’ll come over after practice. Don’t forget Erica’s staying with you -“
“Because your parents are with uncle Jack,” Max finishes his sentence, “I know. They’re having dinner, I’m keeping Erica until they get back and making sure she eats because you have practice and last time they left her to her own devices she stayed up past her bedtime and got her big girl privileges revoked.”
Lucas snorts out a laugh, “Do yourself a favor and don’t say that in front of her.”
Max hums out an unamused ‘mm’ that reminds him of Robin. “So, she’s in a bad mood, is what you’re saying?”
“Oh, yeah,” Lucas easily agrees, leaning in to kiss her, “You’re going to have so much fun. Upset I’m missing it.”
Max smiles against his lips, playfully pushing him away. “Go to practice before you’re late and have to run it off.”
Lucas backs away smiling before he turns and heads for the gym - checking over his shoulder again once he's halfway there, smiling at her again. She returns the smile, flipping him the bird as well, making him laugh as he rushes to catch up with a group of Juniors.
Steve waits until she gets sat in the car and shuts her door. “My god, you two have gotten worse.”
She makes a show of rolling her eyes at him. “We have not.”
“You finish each other's sentences,” Steve teases, “You’ve reached Joyce and Hop levels.”
“Shut up!”
“Why are we shutting up?” Mike asks as he climbs in the backseat.
“Nothing-!” Max starts to say, Steve talking over her.
“She finished Lucas’ sentence.”
“Jesus, Joyce much?” Mike snorts.
“That’s what I said!”
“I hate you both,” Max monotonically says.
~
Lucas makes his way out from the locker room, ready to run drills and then go to Max’s - hopefully without much trouble from the seniors.
“Hagan, enough!” Their coach yells, making Lucas and Trevor look at each other confused, “My star players are failing!”
“Coach, I’m just -!”
He’s cut off by their coach’s whistle shrill sound, “Everyone, laps! Thank Hagan and his mouth.”
The team collectively groans, a few seniors flipping Hagan the bird their coach ignores, as they all head over to get ready to run laps around the gym. The shrill whistle blows again as they all take off.
“What the fuck did he even do?” Seethes Trevor.
“All the starters beside Lucas are failing at least one class, in Hagan’s case, three,” Derek reports, “And arguing that he should override the rule they can’t play.”
Lucas and Trevor groan.
~
“Calling it now,” Mike says as Steve pulls in the driveway - having tormented Max the whole drive - “You and Lucas are gonna be the first of us to move in together.”
“And have kids,” Dustin adds, making Max turn to glare at them.
Beth snickers are she grabs her back and opens the door, “He already spent nearly all of break here, are you sure they haven’t moved in together already?”
“You're supposed to be on my side!” Max yells as Beth cackles, shutting her car door.
“She has a point!” Mike nods, “I think I saw Lucas more than I did El.”
“He was not over here that much!” Max scoffs, swinging her door open.
“He stayed here more than he did his house!”
“Oh, whatever,” She grumbles as she gets both their backpacks and heads for the house.
Mike looks at Steve for backup, but he simply shrugs. “I lose track, at this point you could all be living here and I don’t think I’d really notice.”
“Isn’t that how you moved in?” Dustin teases as the other teens climb out of the car.
“Pretty much, yeah,” Mike shrugs as they all head in the house.
“Erica, do your homework,” Max says as Erica rushes to the living room to grab the remote.
“I will in a second,” she says as she turns the channel.
Max sighs, heading over to confiscate the remote and hand it to Eddie. “No, you’ll start your homework now.”
“Okay, mom,” Erica grumbles as she gets her homework out.
Max sighs, ”Yeah, I’m mean and horrible I know.”
“Totally,” Eddie agrees as he changes the channel back.
Erica grumbles as she digs a pencil out to start her work while Jane and Max sprawl out in the middle of the floor to do their own homework.
Mike makes his way in, dropping his backpack in the floor by the girls while Dustin and Beth head to the dining room to work there.
“Hey, can I talk to you guys?”
“Yeah, sure,” Eddie says as he mutes the TV, “What’s up, junior?”
“So,” Mike awkwardly says, looking down to watch himself fidget and spin his ring around, “I thought about what you guys said.”
“About?” Steve asks, taking his seat by Eddie.
“About Karen and Ted.”
“Oh,” Steve says, nodding, “Okay, did you decide anything, bud?”
“Do you need us to leave?” Max asks, looking up from her paper, getting a quick head shake from Mike.
“Um, yeah, I did,” Mike says, finally looking up, “I want you guys to adopt me. Like you did Max.”
“Yeah, okay, we’ll talk to Hop and get the paperwork started this week,” Eddie says, nodding before he looks at Steve.
“But um, if the government won’t let you both do it, I think Eddie should be on the paperwork,” Mike mumbles, “Just, for like band stuff.”
“Right,” Steve says, “I mean, that - that makes sense.”
“But I want you both on it!” Mike quickly says, “But like, if they can’t do it twice, then -“
“You want me on your paperwork?”
Mike snarls his lip at him as he nods. “Uh, yeah. Duh. But, like, if you can’t because the government’s stupid, then, like, Eddie should be on the paperwork for band stuff since he’ll be with me in California and stuff.”
Steve simply nods, slightly stunned.
“But, like, if that is the case, then, me and Max looked into it and Steve can file for this weird thing called a secondary adoption in like, a year.”
“I don’t think it’s a full year,” Max comments.
“Wait,” Steve says, “You - you not only want me on your paperwork but if I can’t then you want me to file a whole separate thing to legally be your parent?”
“Yeah,” Mike says, sounding confused, “I want you both to be my legal parents. That’s okay, right?”
“Yeah!” Eddie quickly says, “That’s - yeah, we’d be honored to uh, legally have to put up with you.”
“Yeah,” Steve agrees, “Yeah, I’m just kind of uh, I didn’t think you’d want me on there.”
Mike gives him a weird look as he goes to get his homework out of his backpack, “Why? You’re both way better than Ted and Karen. Like, you actually take an interest in what I’m doing and my hobbies, and the band stuff. Karen doesn’t even know what I do in coffin. Plus, you don’t think I’m weird when I have a reaction to flickering lights and stuff.”
Steve quickly points to the dining room, wide eyed.
“What?”
“Beth!” Eddie hisses, “She’s literally Six feet away.”
“Dad, she knows,” Mike says slowly, “Jane told her like, before Christmas.”
“What?” Max asks, looking at El, “When the fuck did you do that?”
“When she broke up with Dustin. He told me not to, but I decided she should know.”
“So, she knows?” Steve asks, glancing towards her and Dustin.
“Yeah,” Jane states, “I told her everything. Kate doesn’t know though.”
“Robin said she’d sick a Demodog on you if you ever told her,” Beth yells from the dining room.
Steve and Eddie both nod, looking concerned, but Eddie blinks the concerned look away before he refocuses his attention on Mike. “Um, okay, but that’s what parents are supposed to do and be, Mike.”
“I know, that’s why I said you’re better than them,” Mike states as he takes a seat by El and flips his text book open - leaving Eddie and Steve staring at him.
“Oh, yeah,” Max says, looking up, “So, I think we should go to Chicago after school on Friday.”
Eddie gives them a confused look, looking slightly whiplashed by the topic change. “Why would we do that? Shows not til Saturday.”
Max shrugs, “We could go and spend the whole weekend, like a little vacation.”
Eddie narrows his eyes at her.
“Plus, Lucas is going with us and I think it’d be fun to go have a date night in Chicago.”
“There it is,” Eddie snorts out a laugh, “Max -“
“A date night in Chicago would be fun though,” Steve says, leaning against Eddie, “Wouldn’t it? I mean, no one knows us, no one we know would be there to run into.”
Eddie stares at Steve for a second, thinking.
“We’d get two different hotel rooms,” Steve continues, “We could have our own then Max, Lucas, Mike, and El could have the other one.”
“Fine,” Eddie dramatically sighs, “You’ve talked me into it.”
Max looks up, smiling at Steve - who winks. “Thanks, dad.”
“You two already discussed this, didn’t you?”
“No,” “Of course not.” Steve and Max both say, shaking their heads.
Eddie looks at Steve, amused.
“Maybe a little,” Steve admits with a smile.
~
Lucas heads to Steve’s car, tossing his bag in the backseat before he gets in the passenger seat, not paying attention to whose driving as he does so.
“Hey, how was practice?” Max asks, making Lucas look at the driver's seat confused. “Are you okay?”
“You’re not Steve.”
“Very observant,” Max giggles, “Are you okay?”
Lucas shrugs, leaning the chair back before he pulls his practice jersey top off, flinging it in the back. “‘M fine, ran.”
“Ran?” She repeats, pulling away from the curb, “Were you late?”
“Seniors are failing,” he mumbles, closing his eyes.
Max reaches over to feel his cheek before she pulls onto the main road.
“Lucas, you’re burning up! How long did he make you run for?”
“Whole team.”
“Whole team ran? Okay, for how long?”
“Practice.”
“You ran all practice?”
Lucas nods, not bothering to open his eyes.
Max snarls her nose, but keeps her comments to herself as she heads for her house, waving at Hopper as she goes.
“Just take me home,” Lucas mumbles.
“You are not going home alone like this.”
“‘M fine.”
“You are not fine,” She states as she drives past the turn off to his street. She half expects him to comment, but he stays silent as she makes the turn a few streets down onto Loch Nora. “How much water have you had?” She asks as she turns onto her street.
“No.”
“No?” She repeats, “You haven’t had any or you don’t want any?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, did you drink anything at practice?”
He shakes his head, and she sighs as she pulls in the driveway.
“Okay, why?”
He shrugs, getting out and heading in the house.
Max grabs his bag and jersey - gagging at how sweaty it is - before she heads in the house herself. Steve gives her a weird look as she drops the bag by the door before she heads in the kitchen to grab a Gatorade, holding it out to Lucas as he shakes his head. “Lucas -“
He shakes his head again, “I’ll throw up.”
“You are dehydrated. If you don’t hydrate, you will throw up and it will make it worse, so drink something.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lucas mumbles, “Don’t worry about it.”
“Is this like the time you had a really bad practice last year, then you came home and got so sick that mom threatened to take you to the doctor?” Erica asks, making Lucas sigh.
“Thanks for that.”
Max looks around him to the living room, sharing a look with Erica. “Lucas -“
“No, I don’t want you to worry about me, I’m fine.”
Their living room of spectators murmur their disagreements with that sentence, apart from Erica who scoffs.
Max drapes her arms around his shoulders as she looks up at him. “Lucas, I love you and I’m going to worry about your dumbass for the rest of our lives. Please stop being stubborn and just let me help?”
“Okay,” Lucas mumbles, sliding one arm around her waist and taking the bottle with the other hand - letting her take the cap off for him.
“Sip, don’t chug it.”
He nods, taking a sip.
Max looks around Lucas again to stare at Erica. “He got sick last year?”
“Yeah, for like two days. It was bad.”
“You are not going home until your parents are back,” Max states.
Lucas shrugs, taking another sip. “They won’t be home until like, ten.”
“Then you’re staying here until ten,” Max says, taking the bottle from him, “Go take a shower.”
“I can’t smell that bad.”
“You can and you do,” Erica says, not looking up from her book.
“It’ll make you feel better,” Max says, ignoring Erica, “Go.”
”Fine,” Lucas says, kissing Max before he heads upstairs, “But I’m stealing my sweats back.”
Max rolls her eyes as she puts the cap back on his drink. “Sure, babe. Don’t take a straight cold shower, it’ll make you sick.”
She sighs, heading into the living room when Lucas doesn’t respond.
“Coach make ‘em run?”
Max nods, “The whole time.”
“What?” Steve asks, sounding offended on Lucas’ behalf, “That’s bullshit! Why?”
Max shrugs, “He didn’t talk a lot on the way here.”
Steve scoffs, shaking his head.
“Question,” Eddie chimes in, “How do you know how to treat - whatever the fuck this is?”
“Heat exhaustion,” Steve states as Max nods.
“Billy. One of his punishments used to be running laps in the California heat.”
Steve and Eddie both make disgusted faces.
“Wasn’t Lucas in the gym?” Mike asks, confused.
“That gym is hot as fuck,” Steve states, “It’s happened to me more than once.”
Max makes a face, pushing herself off the recliner. “I’m gonna help him with his homework and try to get him to drink this.”
Steve nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
Max heads upstairs, making piles on her bed of what he’ll need for homework - and giving him her papers to go off of in the classes they have together - before she opens his elemental science book to chapter 22, glancing over his notes for what homework is, and sets out on finding the answers to put little stars by them in pencil.
“What are you doing?” Lucas asks as he walks in, wearing the reclaimed sweat pants as promised, tossing his dirty laundry towards her laundry basket - missing.
“Since you don’t feel good, I’m gonna let that slide, but we’ve gotta work on your aim,” Max says, not looking up from his science book, “‘Cause that sucked for a basketball star.”
Lucas snorts out a laugh as he walks over to climb on the bed next to Max, “Are you doing my work for me?”
“No, I’m finding the answers, you’re gonna write them, so you’re doing the work,” Max states simply as she looks up to smile at Lucas, “Feel better?”
Lucas shrugs, “Not really, but I’ll be okay.”
Max snarls her nose, abandoning her science task to lean against Lucas, wrapping her arms around him. “First off, you’ve cooled down some, so that’s good. Secondly, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
He shrugs again, “Forgot to grab one. If you grab one I’ll put it on.”
“I wasn’t complaining,” she says as she returns to finding answers - Lucas shaking his head in amusement - as she rests her head against his arm as she finds and stars the last answer. “All done, you just need to write them out. I also finished our English homework, so you can just copy my answers for that.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Max asks as she gets up to properly put his clothes in the basket.
“Helping. Anyone failing a class has an extra practice Thursday.”
Max gives him a confused look as she settles back in her spot. “You aren’t failing though, so what’s it matter?”
“Yeah, now,” Lucas says as he writes out one of the answers, “When we were broken up towards the first of the year, I was dangerously close to a failing grade in English. Between sports, the team, and just - life I was too exhausted to do my homework half the time.”
Max stares at him for a second before she leans against him again, resting her cheek against his arm again while he finishes his science homework and starts his English.
“Hey Princess.”
“Hm?” Max tilts her head up to look at him.
“Did you bring my drink up here?”
Max affirmatively hums, sitting up to get the bottle of Gatorade from her nightstand to hand to him.
“Thanks babe,” He mumbles, taking a sip before he goes back to his homework - Max settling back against his arm while he works.
They stay like that until Lucas finishes his homework. He shuts the book and tosses it towards the end of the bed, sighing.
Max sits up, stretching. “Want me to get your Bio stuff?”
Lucas thinks for a second before he shakes his head. “No, I’ll do it tomorrow at lunch.”
“Want me to do it for you?” She asks as she packs everything back in his backpack.
“That’s cheating.”
“Like She’d really put effort into catching us.”
Lucas chuckles as Max zips up the bag and sits it next to hers on the floor before she gets back in her spot, leaning back against a pile of pillows before she starts playing with his hair.
He sighs again, turning his head to look at her. “Can I just stay here?” He whines, sounding annoying even to himself, “Think my parents would care?”
He half expects her to stop - annoyed with him - but instead she cards her fingers back through his hair. “I’ll have Steve call and tell them you’re gonna stay when they get home.”
He gives her a small smile. “‘Kay.”
Max moves her hand from his hair - much to his dismay - to open her arms up, like she’s asking for a hug. “Cuddle?”
He moves quicker than he probably should with how bad he feels, landing on top of her - getting a small oof sound from her in the process - with his head on her shoulder as he snakes his arms around her waist, contently sighing. She drapes one arm around his shoulders, the other finding its way back to his hair.
He’s almost asleep when Steve gently knocks on Max’s open bedroom door.
“You know, if you baby him every time he doesn’t feel good he’ll expect it the rest of his life.”
“So?”
Steve shrugs as he chuckles. “I just wanted to let you two know I talked to the Sinclair’s, Lucas and Erica are spending the night here.”
Lucas smiles, snuggling closer, if at all possible, to Max.
“Okay,” Max says.
“And uh, dinner’ll be ready in about ten minutes. I’ll send Mike up here to get you when it’s time.”
“Thanks, dad,” Max says, getting a nod in return as he makes his way towards the stairs.
—
Lucas sighs when Max’s alarm goes off, turning his head to glare at it for a second before he reaches over to shut it off. He tries to escape from Max’s hold with little success before she cracks an eye open to look at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting up.”
“Why?”
“This lovely little place called school,” he jokes, “Come on, get up.”
She finally lets him go, rolling over as she grumbles about not getting up. He shakes his head, getting up anyway to rummage through his pile of clothes that somehow managed to accumulate in her room instead of the shared dresser in Mike’s room that holds Will’s, Dustin’s, El’s, Erica’s, and weirdly some of Beth’s clothes now.
He manages to find a pair of jeans and a hoodie - which he’s fairly certain is one he’s been looking for for a few weeks now.
“Get up, babe, we’re gonna be late,” he calls as he heads to the bathroom.
“Ugh!” Max grumbles, flinging her comforter off and into the floor as she goes.
“And you get to deal with that for the rest of forever,” Mike comments as they pass each other.
“Shut up, Micheal!” Max yells, slamming a dresser drawer shut.
Mike and Steve share a look, eyebrows raised as they slightly shake their heads, both heading downstairs.
“I think that’s the fastest we’ve gotten her out of bed on a Tuesday,” Mike comments, getting a snort of laughter from Gareth - already sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal.
“Red already up?”
“Did you not hear the bull in the china closet?” Mike deadpans as he gets his own bowl.
“Be nice to your sister, she’s not a morning person,” Steve comments as he hands off a box of Frosted Flakes.
“Are we sure she’s even a person at all?” Mike asks, getting an amused glance from Steve.
“The state of Indiana says she is, Junior.”
“Are we sure they’re right?” Mike continues, “Because they also think my girlfriend’s a weapon of the country. I’m just saying, they aren’t always right.”
“Eat your breakfast.”
“Yeah, eat your breakfast, asshole,” Gareth comments.
~
“Okay, why is Higgins on a rampage today?” Trevor asks as he takes a seat at their lunch table.
Jane grimaces - not expecting her dream to be this soon hoping for at least another week.
“Higgins is on a rampage?” Mike asks, looking up from his sack lunch from Steve before he peaks in El’s from Joyce - offering a fruit cup to trade for El’s cookies, which she happily takes. “I haven’t seen anything,” Mike continues, “What’d he do?”
“He’s been stomping around school all morning, apparently,” Lucas says as he digs through his own sack lunch from Steve, “Came into art last hour looking for something.”
“What’s he looking for?” Will asks.
“Probably the rest of his hairline,” Trevor jokes, making the other boys at the table laugh.
“That’s rude!” Lizzy scolds, “He’s probably trying to figure out where his old man beer gut came from.”
The girls laugh, getting eye rolls from Mike and Trevor.
”Are you two still planning to come to hellfire?” El asks - making Mike snarl his nose, which makes her smack his arm.
“Yeah,” Lizzy states with a nod, “Why? Offer receded?”
“Yes,” Mike monotonously responds.
“No, just wondering!” El smacks Mike again, “Offer still stands.”
“Do you not love me anymore?” Mike asks, straight faced. Max and Lucas both roll their eyes at him.
“Of course I do, baby!” El says, leaning into Mike’s space, “You’re gonna be famous so I can be a stay at home wife! Plus, I’ve invested too much time into training you, I'd hate to start over now.”
Max and Will both howl with laughter as Mike’s jaw drops. El can’t help it anymore, dropping her head to Mike’s shoulder as she giggles.
“Oh my god!” Beth giggles out, covering her mouth to try and hold it in while Dustin openly laughs after the shock wears off.
“You spend too much fucking time with my sister,” Mike grumbles.
“I’ve never been more proud of my future sister in law,” Max says between laughter, making Mike glare at her.
“I’m sorry,” El says, giggling before she clears her throat, “I’m sorry. Yes, I still love you.”
Mike turns his attention back to her, giving her an unamused stare.
“Famous or not,” she says, smiling, as she grabs Mike’s chin to kiss him, “Although you are pretty trainable.”
“Just for that, I’m rooming with Gare and Jeff in Chicago.”
El pouts her bottom lip out, looking at Mike through her eyelashes, “Okay.”
Mike sighs, long and drawn out. “Okay, I’m not rooming with them.”
“Oh, look!” Max says, “The training in question.”
Mike flips her off, making the table erupt in laughter.
“Done,” Lucas says, closing his Bio notebook to toss it in his backpack, “And with all of one minute to spare.”
“I can’t believe you actually did homework,” Trevor asks as they all get up to head towards English - or in Gareth’s case, Drama - “I went home and died, dude.”
“Oh, no,” Lucas says as he slings his backpack over his shoulder, “I went to Max’s and tried to die. She helped with homework and stuff.”
“Why’d you go to your girlfriends to recover from cruel and unusual punishment?”
“Same reason he comes to our house for all his head colds and hangovers,” Mike teases, “She babies the hell out of him. I shit you not, last time he was hungover she brought him Advil before he even asked for it.”
Trevor snorts out an amused laugh, looking at Lucas.
“I don’t like, ask her to do it,” Lucas sheepishly shrugs as they walk out of the cafeteria doors, walking straight into Higgins.
Jane snarls her nose as they all quizzically stare at Higgins.
“York and Addams may continue to class,” He states, “The rest of you, come with me.”
“Why?” Gareth asks, sounding as confused as the others feel.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to ask questions, Mr. Emerson.”
Trevor and Lizzy wave goodbye, scurrying to class as the party trail after Higgins to his office.
“Sit and stay,” he announces once they’re inside, disappearing out of the door and closing it on his way out.
“What am I, a dog?” Dustin asks flatly.
Jane sighs, leaning against Mike as the others take their seats.
”What the fuck did we even do?” Will groans.
“Breathed wrong?” Max guesses with a scoff.
The party waits anxiously, watching the clock tick for a good ten minutes before Higgins opens the door.
“Hopper will be here soon!” Higgins says, a little too happy, as he walks in.
“Why?” Gareth asks, glancing around the party as they all give each other confused looks - Beth mouthing ‘What the fuck?’ As Jane’s annoyance grows.
“School property has gone missing,” Higgins says, “And a little birdy tells me one of you did it.”
“What property?” Mike asks.
“I think you know.”
Mike’s face screws up in confusion as he looks at Jane. She rolls her eyes. Higgins catches it, walking towards her and Mike.
“I don’t think you are all accomplices,” Higgins continues, staring down Jane, “So if the thief confesses, then maybe the outcome won’t be so bad. Do you know anything, Miss Hopper?”
“What does that even mean?” Jane asks before she can stop herself, staring at Higgins in the eyes, “You won’t suspend us all, just who you want to target?”
Gareth and Will both whip their heads around to stare at her. She doesn’t acknowledge them, not willing to forfeit her staring contest.
“Thats right! Tell me who did it and I won’t suspend all of you,” he states simply, with a grin that makes Jane want to punch him.
Gareth huffs, “We didn’t do anything.”
“I know you did, Emerson.” Higgins states as he crosses the room to glare Gareth down, getting the same treatment from him as he did Jane.
The other teens all glance around at each other, trying to figure out what’s possibly gone missing - Jane glaring at the side of Higgins head.
“If no one man’s up and takes the blame,” Higgins continues, “Then all the sophomores are suspended and Emerson gets expelled.”
“You haven’t even told us what we supposedly took,” Jane says flatly, “That’s not even legal.”
“Have you taken more than one item of school property, Miss Hopper? I’m sure that makes your father very proud.”
“We haven’t taken any school property, so why don’t you just tell us what you’re accusing us of?” Mike chimes in.
“The chair from the drama room,” Higgins finally reveals.
Jane scoffs, making a show of rolling her eyes.
“Something to say, Miss Hopper?”
“Yeah,” Jane says, keeping her tone even and bored, “That, again, we did not take school property.”
“The chair -!”
“Is not school property,” Jane states.
Higgins turns an unholy shade of red, staring her down. “It most certainly is, Hopper.”
“It is hellfire club property, it never belonged to the school.”
Higgins looks genuinely surprised. “Miss Hopper, I understand you’re a little - delayed - in the social norms, but -“
“Don’t fucking talk to her like that,” Mike snaps, moving to stand between Higgins and Jane as he glares at Higgins.
Higgins’ face hardens, “Miss Hopper, sounds like you’re downplaying the crime. Something to confess?”
El cocks her head to the side as she mills over her options. “If you already decided Gareth’s guilty, why even ask us?” she asks, “I mean, it’s pretty obvious who you intend to punish. Why the theatrics, Mr. Higgins? Or do I just not understand this societal norm either?”
The party, even Max, is staring at her now, all nervous. El continues to stare defiantly at Higgins.
Mike decides if Higgins face turns any redder, steam would literally start rolling out of his ears. And his forehead vein is really sticking out now.
Before Higgins can answer her, Hopper clears his throat from the open doorway.
“What seems to be the problem, Mr. Higgins?”
“Someone from this little group stole school property and I want to know who, so they can be adequately punished.”
Hopper’s brow raises as he turns his attention to the teens. “Anyone gonna fess up?”
“He wants to expel Gare,” Will softly states, staring at the ground.
Hopper's brow shoots up as he looks back at Higgins. “You have proof they did it?”
“No, not yet -“
“Then what exactly is this?”
“He said he was gonna suspend all of us,” Mike states with disdain.
Hopper's brow gets higher as he stares at Higgins.
“That - that was a fear tactic, Chief. Trying to get the truth.”
Hopper scoffs, turning back to the kids. “What’s the property?”
“The hellfire chair,” El states.
Hopper whips his head back to Higgins. “You're throwing a fit over a damn chair?”
“It’s the principle of the matter, Hopper.”
“You just said you don’t have proof it was us,” Max speaks up, “You used this to try and expel Gareth. You said as much yourself!”
Higgins turns a darker shade of red, staring at Max.
“We did not take the fucking chair,” Gareth states, staring at the floor.
“Have you called any of their guardians?” Hopper asks.
“It’s my understanding that mister Emerson doesn’t have a guardian, Hopper.”
Hopper’s jaw works as he stares at Higgins. “His guardian would be my fiancée, Brian. Same as my son and my daughter. You know, the one you called Stupid.”
Higgins eyes go wide, stuttering out a sentence that gets nowhere.
“So to recap, you have no proof, no witnesses, and no reason to interrogate my children and their friends,” Hopper grits out, “Did I miss anything?”
“I-“
“Kids?” Hopper looks away from Higgins to glance around at the teens.
“He threatened to expel Gare regardless and suspend us,” Mike states, “But you pretty much covered it.”
Hopper looks back at Higgins, who looks away to stare at a scratch on his desk. “Unless you find evidence or plan on calling Ms. Byers, Mr. Harrington, Ms. Henderson, and Ms. Conley, it sounds like they’re free to go.”
Higgins continues to stare at his desk for a moment before he lifts his head and clears his throat.
“You are all free to go,” He says through clenched teeth, “But if I find out you had anything to do -“
“Then your first call will be to their parents,” Hopper spits out, turning to usher the teens out of the office and into the hall.
He slings his arm around Mike’s shoulders as they get closer to the English room - Gareth already splitting off to head towards the drama room. “Where’s the chair, Mike?”
Mike scoffs, “I’m not sure if I’m more offended that you think I stole or that you think I’d snitch on myself that easily.”
Hopper chuckles as he shakes his head.
“It’s the second one, actually,” Mike continues, “I’d really just be living up to dad’s legacy with the first one.”
“Eddie?”
“Obviously,” Mike snottily says, making Hopper laugh again.
“Go to class, Munson, and take my daughter with you,” He says as he gently shoves him in the direction of the English room.
Mike gives him a grin as he drapes his arm around Jane’s shoulders. “Yessir.”
Hopper shakes his head, mumbling, “Fucking teenagers,” under his breathe with a smile as he goes.
“We are so dead!” Dustin whispers as they walk in, heading towards their usual seats.
“We’re fine,” Mike says, getting a wild look from Dustin.
“We were caught!” He hisses, “caught!”
“Hop wasn’t gonna do shit before Higgins targeted Gare,” Max whispers as she gets her notebook out, “I doubt he’s going to do anything now.”
“Especially after hearing how Higgins talked to Jane,” Will quietly agrees.
“Hellfire, homework?” Their teacher loudly asks, nodding approvingly as they all hold up their papers.
~
Hopper chuckles as he walks into family video, finding Eddie sitting behind the counter with a comic book that no doubt belongs to Robin and Steve helping a customer.
“You know, I told the kids they couldn't annoy people at their jobs, Munson, maybe you should take that advice too.”
Eddie looks up, shrugging. “I brought him lunch, we’re just waiting for Ms. Jones to pick out her movie.”
“So,” Hopper leans against the counter, “First big out of state show this weekend.”
“Yep!” Eddie says happily, “You lettin’ your bunch come with?”
“Eh, I guess.”
Eddie shoots him an amused expression, getting a shrug in return.
“El wants to go, told her she could as long as she stayed with Mike the whole time.”
“The wh-“
“Don’t make me shoot you, Munson.”
Eddie throws his head back, cackling, making Hopper shake his head as he looks around for Steve - getting a confused look as he and Ms. Jones make their way up to the counter for her to pay.
“What’s up, Hop?”
“Oh, just our little shitheads caused some trouble at school.”
Steve raises an eyebrow but finishes the transaction and tells Ms. Jones to have a good day before he turns his attention to Hopper.
“Apparently, the hellfire chair is missing and Higgins was blaming our kids,” Hopper explains.
Steve goes to say something, only to have Eddie talk over him. “He have any proof my kid did it?”
Hopper flippantly shrugs, “Maybe, maybe not. Mike says he doesn’t know anything about it.”
“Damn straight he doesn’t!” Eddie says, getting a confused look from Steve and a smirk from Hopper.
“Eddie -“ Steve starts to say, only to get cut off by Hopper clearing his throat.
“Now, Steve, without evidence, there’s nothing we can do,” He pointedly stares at Steve, “Understand?”
Steve slowly nods, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Right.”
“Good,” Hopper states with a nod, “Glad we agree.”
Eddie smirks as he goes back to his comic book.
“Oh, we needed to talk to you about something,” Steve says, shaking his head, “We need you to see about pulling those strings. For Mike.”
“For Mike?” Hopper asks, brow raised, “Both of you?”
“That’s the plan,” Eddie says, “Mike’s choice.”
Hopper hums, nodding. “I’ll go make a call. How’d Red’s go?”
Steve and Eddie both grin as Eddie pulls an envelope from his pocket. “It’s official as of today, Hop.”
~
The party’s jumpy to say the least by the time Steve’s car pulls up to the curb outside the highschool. Dustin, Beth, Max, and Lucas all pile inside silently - Max and Lucas cramming in the front seat so Erica can have the other backseat spot.
“Where’s El and junior?”
“Um, he went with Gare and Will,” Max mumbles as Steve heads towards the elementary to pick up Erica.
“So, how was school?”
They all mumble out good and fine, not making eye contact.
“Alright, drop it, Hop already told us.”
They all deflate in their seats, sighing.
“How’d the throne get in the garage?”
They all mumble out random words at once.
“What?”
They mumble again.
He turns in his seat to stare at Max once he’s parked. “Maxine.”
“We borrowed Dad’s van without asking during Thanksgiving break and got it.”
“Got it from where?”
“The school.”
“The -? You broke into the school?”
“Is it really breaking and entering if the door is unlocked?” Lucas speaks up, “I mean, then it’s just entering!”
“Door on the side by the gym?”
Max and Lucas both nod.
“Yeah, they should really learn to lock that,” Steve muses as he rights himself in the seat.
Max and Lucas share a confused glance before they look in the backseat at the other two.
“Are you gonna tell Kate?” Beth quietly asks.
Steve sighs as he waves for Erica to hurry up. “No, but can you guys go one school year without breaking into the damn school?”
“Hey, last year was the first year!” Max argues, “And you were with us.”
“Can we not make it an annual thing?”
Max shrugs.
“I don’t think we can honestly make that promise,” Dustin chimes in, “I mean, have you met us?”
Steve shakes his head, propping his elbow up on the door to lean his chin against it - a poor attempt to hide his smile. “Yeah, unfortunately I have. Whose idea was it?”
The teens all glance around at each other, shrugging.
“Mike? Gare? Who?”
“Mine,” Dustin mumbles, making Steve look at the back seat in shock.
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbles as Erica gets in.
The short drive home is filled with bickering - instigated by Erica towards Dustin.
“I thought dad had to work?” Max asks as they pile out of the Beemer, eyeing Eddie’s van.
“He does, he’s going in a little late today.”
Max’s forehead scrunches as she scowls and heads inside, dumping her bag at the edge of the living room and heading to the kitchen to grab a soda before heading to the couch where Lucas has already taken up residence, trying his best not to grin, Steve and Eddie looking close to kids in a candy shop as well. “What’s with you?”
Lucas shrugs nonchalantly, getting a weird look from Max as she sits beside him, going to set her can on the coffee table - freezing when she sees an envelope.
To Maxine Ruth Harrington-Munson and the parents of Maxine Ruth Harrington-Munson. 153 Loch Nora drive, Hawkins Indiana typed on the front of it.
“That -“ Max says, pointing to the envelope, “Is that-?”
“Why don’t you open it and see,” Eddie suggests.
Max wastes no time setting her can down and grabbing the letter, ripping it out of the envelope to read it.
Congratulations! The paper reads, Mr. Edward W. Munson and Mr. Steven R. Harrington’s adoption of Ms. Maxine Ruth Harrington-Munson has been filed, approved, and finalized as of 01/03/1987. Attached is the court order legalizing said adoption for the use of name changes and changes of guardians.
Max looks at the other page - the court order signed and stamped by a judge.
“Holy shit,” she breathes, “It’s real.”
Eddie and Steve both happily nod, grinning.
“Like, it’s signed and everything.”
“Yeah,” Steve says, “We’re taking it to the school tomorrow to change your name on your paperwork.”
“Not that you have to go by Harrington-Munson!” Eddie quickly adds, “Just, for legality purposes.”
“I know,” Max looks up from the papers, smiling, “First thing tomorrow?”
“First thing tomorrow,” Steve agrees, “I already changed everything over at work.”
Max gets up to fling herself at Steve then Eddie, hugging them. They both squeeze her back just as enthusiastically - Eddie smacking a kiss on her forehead before he stands up.
“Okay, I have to head to work, I’m already late,” he says as he leans over to kiss Steve goodbye.
“Why’d you pull a Kelly?” Max asks, taking her seat back by Lucas.
“I wanted to be here when we told you and I didn’t want to wait until tonight,” Eddie explains as he heads to slip his jacket on, “I’ll be super late, I agreed to finish inventory for Barry in return for letting me be late.”
Steve makes a face, but stays quiet.
“So, don’t wait up,” he calls as he heads out, “Love you, bye!”
“Love you too, Bye,” Steve half heartedly calls after him.
~
It’s nearly two am before Eddie’s done inventorying the store, groaning as he pushes himself up off the floor - wincing when a scar pulls after being bend in an odd position for at least an hour counting fucking iron maid tapes. He leaves his sheet of inventory on the counter and writes what time he left, heading out and locking the door behind him as he heads for the employee lot behind the store to get to his Van.
He doesn’t even pass a cop on his way home - making note to tell Hopper no one’s patrolling at night, apparently.
He half expects the house to be dark and everyone in bed, since it’s nearly three, but the TV’s on when he unlocks and opens the door.
He gives the house a confused glance as he pulls his boots and jacket off, quietly heading to the living room.
Steve sleepily waves from the couch, wrapped in a blanket from their bed while Greece plays on the TV, unwatched. “Hey, finish inventory?”
“Uh, yeah, what are you doing up, baby?”
Steve gives him a sleepy smile, shrugging. ”Bed was cold, didn’t like it.”
Eddie gives him a smile, “Can we go to bed now?”
Steve nods, yawning, as he uses the remote to turn the movie off and stand up, stretching, before he hugs Eddie, wrapping him in the blanket as well.
“I don’t think I can carry you up the stairs, babe.”
Steve hums, unbothered, as he starts upstairs himself - Eddie trailing behind him.
Steve immediately climbs in bed, holding the covers up for Eddie.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower-“ Eddie starts, sighing when Steve gives him an over exaggerated pout, “But we do need to change the sheets, I guess,” he finishes lamely - getting another sleepy smile from Steve that makes tomorrows chore a little more worth it - Before he strips of his shirt and jeans, leaving them in the middle of the floor, before climbing into bed beside Steve, who immediately snuggles up to him, laying his head on his chest.
—
By the time Steve is up and downstairs, Max is already up, fed, and dressed - waiting patiently on the couch. He double checks the time, thinking maybe he’s late, but the microwave clock reads 6:50.
“The hell you up so early for?”
“You said we’re going to change my stuff at school today!” Max states, already up and slinging her backpack on her shoulder.
Steve wants to argue that Mike isn’t even up yet - but decides that would probably not matter as much to her as it did him. Instead, he writes a note for Gare, leaving it on the fridge where he knows he’ll see it, and nods.
“Right, today is the day,” he says with a smile, “Guess we really are doing it first thing, huh?”
“Can I drive?” Max asks, already grabbing the keys to the Beemer as she heads outside.
“Sure, you could use some more practice, I guess.”
“Less than a week!” Max happily reminds him.
“Less than a week,” Steve repeats as he follows her out, “Why are you reminding me my first born is that close to the next big milestone?”
She shrugs, giving him a smile as she gets in the drivers seat.
The drive to the school is the longest one yet - Steve, a little proud Max is following speed limits for once, but is slightly convinced it’s because she’s with him and not Eddie, no real changes in her speeding habits.
She parks, practically vibrating with excitement as they get out and walk to the office.
The secretary - Ms. Butler? Ms. Buckley? Something close to that he couldn’t remember - gives them a slightly confused expression as she looks up. “What can I do for you, Steven?”
He holds out the court order, “We need to change her parents to myself and Eddie Munson, officially, and her name to Maxine Ruth Harrington-Munson.”
Steve wishes he had a camera to capture the look of pure confused surprise on her face as she opens the order, jaw dropping when she reads it - and rereads it twice - before she forces herself out of her chair to go make a copy.
~
Steve walks back in the house, smiling, as he tosses his keys towards their place on the entryway table, before he heads to the kitchen to drape himself across Eddie while he tries to cook.
“Morning,” Eddie mumbles, “Sorry I didn’t get up before you guys left. Get it changed?”
“Mmhm,” Steve hums, kissing the back of Eddie’s shoulder, “Should’ve seen Higgins’ face when he saw the court order.”
Eddie manages a half hearted smile.
“Thought he was gonna shit himself when he saw her new last name, too.”
“You realize that the high school secretary is the biggest gossip in town, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“The whole town is gonna know we adopted a kid together.”
Steve considers this for a second before he shrugs, sliding his arms around Eddie’s waist. “I don’t give a fuck what the town thinks. If they figure it out, good for them, if they think we’re weirdly close best friends, then fine.”
Eddie smiles, leaning against Steve. “What time do you go in today?”
“Don’t,” Steve states simply, “Off.”
“Off?” Eddie repeats, getting a nod against his shoulder. “Two days off together in one week? Blasphemy!”
Steve chuckles, “I mean, I can go in -“
“Absolutely not,” Eddie quickly states, “You’re stuck with me all day now.”
Steve snickers as he finally looks over Eddie’s shoulder at the catastrophe he’s cooking. “Is that supposed to be Eggs?”
~
“Harrington-Munson?” Trevor repeats, staring at Max like she has four heads.
“Yeah.”
“That’s your new name? Harrington-Munson?”
“Do you need me to spell it out for you?”
He shrugs, “Maybe. Why - how - I mean - huh?” He looks at Lucas, who shrugs, being absolutely no help.
“Dude, don’t think too hard on it, okay?”
Trevor slowly nods, turning back to his food.
“Are you gonna go by both?” Lizzy asks, getting a shrug in return.
“Probably not, I might just go by Munson.”
“Munson?” Trevor repeats, “At least Harrington has a better standing.”
Max gives him a dirty look.
“Dude, no, it really doesn’t,” Lucas says, “Steve’s parents are assholes.”
“Yeah, okay, but Eddie sells drugs for a living.”
“Sold,” Mike corrects, “Dad doesn’t sell anything hard anymore.”
Trevor turns his confused stare to Mike for a second before he looks back at Max. “What about last year?”
The table all rush to correct him - Trevor raising his hands in surrender.
“I know! I know! He didn’t do it!” He says, “But people still think he did.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
The table sits in silence for a second - Lucas and Mike watching the jocks across the room theatrically talk about something, waving their arms as they talk.
“Anyway,” Lizzy finally says, “I’m happy for you that it went through.”
“Thank you.”
Lizzy turns her attention to El, “Cheer tryouts are in eight weeks.”
Mike gives Lizzy a wildly confused look - and Jane’s isn't far off from his.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Well, I just thought, you know, you could try out!”
El snarls her nose.
“Come on! It’d be fun! You could cheer with me!” Lizzy tries, “Please?”
“I cannot cheer,” El states.
Lizzy pouts her bottom lip out, but El shakes her head. “Come on, Janie, it could be fun!”
El looks slightly interested, or at least swayed, but shakes her head.
“I’ll coach you!” Lizzy offers, “We’d have so much fun.”
El cuts her eyes to Mike, who looks downright disgusted at the idea, but doesn’t voice an opinion.
“Think about it at least?” Lizzy asks, “Please? No one cool is on the team!”
“I am not cool,” El states seriously, getting an unamused glare from Lizzy.
“Just think about it?”
El stares at her for a second before she slowly nods. “I will think about it.”
Lizzy squeals with excitement before she turns her attention to Max and Beth.
“Nope!” Max quickly says, shaking her head.
Beth doesn’t even look up from her book, “I’d rather eat glass shards with a rusty spoon.”
“Oh come on!”
~
Steve double checks the clock - nearly 2:45 pm - by the time he and Eddie make their way downstairs after having gone back to bed after Eddie’s interesting - yet edible - breakfast.
Eddie slumps against him, scrubbing sleep out of his eye once they get to the living room.
Steve freezes as he hears keys jangling as someone tries to unlock the door, triple checking the clock - still almost three pm - and deciding it isn’t Hopper, because he’d just walk inside without bothering to try and unlock the door. Eddie stares towards the doorway, confused, as they hear it swing open.
Richard and Melody Harrington stroll inside, dropping their keys on the entryway table.
Steve and Eddie share a confused glance as they head towards the entryway.
“Son,” Richard says with a nod.
“Uh,” Steve says, staring at them, “What are you doing here?”
Richard gives them a less than pleased look. “Coming to check on you and the house, of course.”
“Hello dear!” Melody says as she makes her way inside.
Steve questions if he’s still asleep - and having a nightmare - as he watches his mother sneer at the one wall of the living room they’d hung all the family pictures on, where her creepy angel art had once hung.
“Hi,” Steve says flatly, “Why are you checking on me, again?”
Melody gives him a confused glance - finally seeing how close he and Eddie are. “What do you mean, honey?”
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come back to Hawkins after you gave me the house.”
“Well,” Melody says uneasily, glancing at Richard.
“We heard some unsavory rumors,” Richard says plainly as he starts to walk the house - heading for his study, grumbling unhappily when he sees Eddie’s taken it over.
“Unsavory-? What?” Steve looks at Eddie, “Please tell me I’m still sleeping.”
Eddie shakes his head, trying to stay as quiet as possible to keep the attention off himself - torn between shrinking away from Steve and plastering himself to Steve’s side, the latter wins.
Richard makes his way back in the living room, staring at a picture of Steve and Eddie crammed into a lounge chair outside, both smiling, from sometime around July.
“Son, get our room ready, we have a lot to discuss.”
Eddie debates just making a run for it and going to Wayne’s trailer or maybe Claudia’s house - glancing down at his sweats and Steve’s sweater.
“You don’t have a room,” Steve says flatly, “You don’t live here.”
Both Melody and Richard look plain shocked as they stare at Steve.
“In fact, I don’t even have an extra room to give you.”
Richard scoffs as he shakes his head. “You’ve rented all the rooms out to lowlifes? How bad is it?”
Before Steve can respond, Richard is talking again.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already pissed away the trust fund? Your grandmother will be so disappointed.”
Steve scoffs, scrubbing a hand down his face before he glances at Eddie - who looks somewhere between nervous and flat out sick - as he takes his hand to thread their fingers together. “Sir, I haven’t even touched the trust fund.”
Melody rips her attention away from a picture of Max, Mike, Steve, and Eddie to look at Steve, confused - noticing their hands - and silently mouthing oh. Steve nervously flickers his eyes from Melody to Richard, trying to subtly shift himself between Richard and Eddie.
“Your mother said you were renting to that lowlife Munson.”
“Richard -“ she tries to say, reaching for his arm, but he moves closer to Steve before she can grasp it.
“And that some little girl answered her last phone call, claiming to be your daughter,” Richard continues, “So, what the hell is going on in this house, Steven?”
Steve clears his throat, glancing back at Eddie, before he looks at his mother - who appears to be enlightened, darting her gaze between he and Eddie’s entwined hands and Eddie.
“This is my house, Dad,” He says, “You signed it over to me, it’s mine.”
“With the condition you uphold our reputation!” Richard’s voice rises an octave.
“Believe me,” Steve says softly, “I’ve done everything in my power to distance myself from you, Sir.”
Richard’s face reddens but Melody steps around him, shooing him off as she goes, heading towards Steve and Eddie - both bracing for impact. Instead, she hugs Steve before she extends her hand out to Eddie.
“I don’t believe we’ve officially met, Mr. Munson,” She says as Eddie slowly reaches out to shake her offered hand, “I’m Melody Harrington, Steve’s mother. You may call me Melody.”
Steve’s brow shoots into his hairline as he watches the exchange, Eddie simply nods, helpless and confused.
“Um, Eddie Munson, ma’am.”
Melody stares at him like she’s trying to decide something before she nods once - more to herself than them - as she looks at Steve. “So, we have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”
Steve nods, “Um, yes ma’am, I guess we do.”
Melody nods to herself again. “I’d like a glass of wine but it’s too early for that,” She says as she heads into the kitchen, “Do you still drink coffee?”
Steve blinks the confusion away before he turns to follow her into the kitchen - Eddie trailing along behind him - while Richard disappears to another room of the house. “Uh, yeah, where it’s always been.”
Melody dumps their old coffee leftover from the morning before she starts a new pot, getting down three mugs.
“So,” she starts, leaning against the counter, “Who is Maxine?”
Steve gives her a small smile, “She’s uh, our fifteen year old daughter.”
“Our?” Melody repeats, one side of her lips corking up into somewhat of a smile.
Steve looks at Eddie, who squeezes his hand.
“Up to you, Stevie,” Eddie mumbles quietly.
Steve looks back at Melody, clearing his throat. “Mine and Eddie’s, mom. He doesn’t rent a room, he’s my, uh - Eddie and I are together.”
He half expects Melody to fly off the handlebars and condemn them straight to hell, but instead she gives him a small smile.
“I think we can all agree this is going to take some getting used to,” she says, turning to pour out three mugs of coffee, “But, catch me up.”
When Steve doesn’t immediately say anything - trying to figure out if she means Max or Eddie - she turns to hand each of them a mug, Steve taking both to fix Eddie’s to his likings - more sugar than coffee.
“How’d you two meet?” She prompts, taking a sip of her own coffee.
“Uh, officially school,” Steve says, “But um, we started dating at the end of last May. He moved in the beginning of July.”
“Seems kind of quick,” Melody notes, “But I rarely live with Richard and we’re married, so, who am I to judge.”
Steve involuntarily snorts out a laugh, shaking his head.
“I uh, stayed here a lot before that. Pre and post relationship,” Eddie quietly offers, “I promise it wasn’t as quick as it seems.”
Melody stares at him like she’s trying to figure him out. “Honey, it is not my place to judge how quickly you and my son decided to go all in,” She finally says, “That is what this is, right?”
Steve nods so quickly he thinks he may give himself whiplash as he hands Eddie his mug.
“Yes ma'am,” Eddie says with a small smile as he takes his mug from Steve, quickly thanking him with a peck on the cheek, which makes Steve’s face tint with a slightly blush as Melody watches them with a soft smile, “I’m - Steve’s it for me, Mrs. Harrington.”
“Melody, please,” she softly reminds him, “So, Maxine?”
“Um, that’s a little more complicated, mom.”
Melody leans back against the counter again, sipping her coffee. “I have all day to hear about my granddaughter, Steve.”
“Do you remember the Hargrove-mayfields?”
“The one that lost their son in that mall fire?”
Steve quickly nods, “Um, yeah, them. Susan is Max’s biological mother. Max was uh, injured really badly in the earthquakes and Susan just dipped and left me with guardianship papers that March.”
Melody gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Um, she hasn’t seen her since then, so we were able to adopt her.”
“I can’t believe this,” Melody says with a sigh, dropping her hand to rest over her heart, “I’m much too young to be a grandmother of someone old enough to drive.”
Eddie snickers as Steve rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, mom, she turns sixteen next week.”
“Sixteen? Next week?” Melody repeats, “You got her a car yet?”
Steve shakes his head, “No, found one she’d probably like though. Got Mike one already.”
“Mike?”
Steve nods, “Yeah, in the process of adopting him, too. He turns sixteen in April.”
“What’s the story there?” Melody asks as she takes another sip.
“You remember the Wheelers?”
Melody scoffs, disgusted, “Theodore and Karen Wheeler?”
Eddie nods, “Those are the ones.”
“They’re his biological parents,” Steve says, staring down at his mug of coffee intently, “They uh, well - He moved in here about the start of school because Ted is uh -“
“An ass?” Melody supplies, making Eddie chuckle.
“I was going to say difficult,” Steve snorts, “But we can use your word. Yes, Ted is an ass, and Mike is uh - Mike is in a metal band with Eddie -“
Melody’s brow shoots up but doesn’t comment.
“- And he plays DnD, just - he’s not Ted’s idea of a good son, I guess. And, uh, he’s threatening to disown him. He already lives here, he calls us dad - it’s - just,” Steve pauses to sigh and look at Melody, “He’s been my kid for a while, long before he moved in, mom. It just made sense for us to make it official.”
Melody stares at them both for a moment before she sighs.
“Are you happy?”
Steve quickly nods. “Yeah, mom. A lot happier than I’ve ever been.”
Melody sits her mug on the counter, giving Steve a small smile before she moves to hug him. “Then I am really happy for you.”
“Melody,” Richard yells as he makes his way to the kitchen - making Melody sigh, “Our son and the f-“
“Choose the next words out of your mouth very carefully, Richard,” Melody warns, glaring at him as he enters the kitchen.
He stops, glancing at Steve and Eddie before he looks at her. “Melody, there is a picture of them kissing hanging up in my study!” He hisses, like it’s a dirty secret.
“Yes, couples tend to do that, Richard,” Melody says politely, as if she were talking to a child, “And I don’t believe it’s your study, dear.”
“Couples?” He repeats with disdain, scoffing, “My son is not allowed to date - that, Melody, I raised a real man not a -!”
“Richard, Get the fuck out of our house,” Steve snaps while Eddie ducks his head, staring intently at the flooring while he chews his lower lip.
“Excuse me?” Richard asks, teeing back as if he’d been slapped.
“You fucking heard me.”
~
Gareth checks his watch again, 3:25. And neither Steve or Eddie are anywhere to be seen.
“Okay, let’s just pile in my car,” he announces, waving the group towards his Buick.
“Aren’t they both off?” Dustin asks, trailing behind Gareth while Beth swings their conjoined hands between them, “Should we be worried no one showed up?”
“Yeah,” Max snorts out a laugh, “real worried.”
Dustin gives her a confused glance.
“For us maybe,” Mike states, “We should probably announce we’re home really loud.”
“Oh gross,” Dustin says, scrunching his nose.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Beth says, resting her head against his arm while they wait for Gareth to unlock the car.
“Get in, assholes,” he announces, waving them inside. Will claims the front seat while the others all cram in the back, sitting on laps and forgoing seatbelts. “That’s so nice of you, baby,” Gareth comments once they're all in and the car is pulling out of the parking spot - heading for the elementary.
“What?”
“You volunteered to sit with Erica!”
Will groans as Gareth snickers, reaching over to hold his hand - getting a round of blush inducing cheers from the backseat.
picking up Erica goes smoother than Gareth thought - the teacher in charge of pick up not giving the Buick a second glance as Erica rushes to the passenger seat to crowd Will.
“Where’s Steve?”
“With Eddie,” Gareth says, getting a weird look.
“Then, where’s Eddie?”
“In bed, we think,” Max states, getting a scrunched nose nod in return.
“Can I pick the music?” Erica changes the subject, already reaching for the radio.
“No! It’s my boyfriends car, I get to pick!”
“Snooze you lose,” Erica announces as Gareth nods.
No one particularly loves the bangles song she lands on - but Hopper doesn’t pull Gareth over when he passes him going ten over to end the torture quicker, so he decides it’s fine.
“Whose car is that?” Beth asks, looking at Max, who shrugs at the Rolls Royce.
“I have no clue.”
The party mumble their confusion as they get out and head inside, Mike gawking at the Indiana license plates.
“Maybe it’s one of Steve’s -“ Mike stops as soon as Erica pushes the door open and they’re met with Steve yelling.
“You do not get to come into our home - uninvited! - and insult my boyfriend or our family!”
The teens all exchange various confused and concerned looks as Mike grabs Erica’s shoulder to steer her outside to the hellfire garage, hoping to go unnoticed.
“Family,” Richard scoffs, “Steven, you can’t be serious! After all we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us?”
“Leave me out of this, Richard,” Melody says, sounding disgusted.
“He asked you to leave, Mr. Harrington,” Eddie states firmly.
“Steven, -!” Richard cuts himself off when he sees the party trying to quietly sneak out the patio door, “My god, it’s worse than we thought, Melody.”
Steve barely turns to look before he refocuses his attention back on Richard. “Actually, two of them are your grandkids. Max, Mike, come say hi to your grandpa.”
Richard sputters at being called grandpa, scoffing.
Both understand what’s being asked of them, sharing a quick glance to check the level of agreed upon showing out before they break away from the rest of the party - now frozen in place as they stare at the ordeal underway in the kitchen.
“Hey granddad,” Max politely says, getting a slightly shocked look in return from Richard. He sucks in a sharp breath, but doesn’t have time to respond before Mike slings one arm around Max’s shoulders and starts talking.
“Yeah, heard lots about you, pops.”
Melody snickers, leaning back against the counter top again.
“Do you prefer granddad or pops?” Max asks, looking at Mike.
“Or gramps,” he offers.
“You may both call me sir.”
Both teens snarl their nose, looking at each other before they look back at Richard. “Nah, you’re more like a gramps,” Max announces.
Richard stares at them for a second before he looks at Steve and Eddie. “I’ve seen enough, Steven, I hope you aren’t relying on my money to fund this blunder in judgment.”
“Haven’t since I turned 18, Richard.”
Richard forces his lips into a tight line. “Melody, let’s go.” He stiffly turns and heads for the door, not bothering to check that Melody is still standing by the coffee pot. “Our reputation will never recover from this when it comes out!” He continues as he opens the door, “After all we’ve done for that boy.”
Melody watches the door close before she sighs, standing up straight from leaning against the counter. “Unfortunately that vile little man is my ride.”
“It’s fine, mom.”
“It’s not,” Melody rolls her eyes, pulling Steve then Eddie into hugs - catching Eddie off guard, he cuts his eyes to Steve, who simply shrugs. “Anyway, we’re staying at the apartment in Indianapolis,” Melody says, unbothered by Eddie’s response, “Or at least I am, maybe I’ll run him off on the drive back.”
Steve snorts out a laugh, shaking his head. “Oh, I’m sure I’ve done enough to keep him out of the state for a while.”
Melody hums, “Maybe. Either way, I want you both to meet me at that cute little Italian restaurant by the apartment tomorrow evening, I’ll call with the time tomorrow morning. I look forward to getting to know my son in law.”
“Mom-“
“My treat, which really just means I expect you to get the most expensive thing on the menu because it’s your fathers card,” Melody says, picking lint off Steve’s shoulder before she pats it with a smile, moving on to Mike and Max. “I’m not sure what I’m okay with being called yet, but granny is not it,” she says firmly, getting a smile out of Max.
“Grandma?” Max offers instead.
Melody stares at her for a second before she shrugs, “We’ll see.”
Outside, the Rolls Royce honks an obnoxious amount of times.
“Just as patient as always,” she mumbles, hugging Max and Mike - both giving Steve a weird look when she does. “Steve, Eddie, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes ma’am,” Steve says, tone filled with amusement as he follows her to the door, “Tomorrow evening, and I’m ordering calamari.”
She gives him a smile as she heads out, yelling I am going as fast as I can, Richard! When he honks again.
Steve clears his throat as he shuts the door, turning around. “So, you’ve met my parents. Hope they met expectations, god knows I didn’t.”
Everyone stays quiet, glancing around at each other.
“Are you okay?” Eddie asks after a second.
Steve slowly nods as he releases a breath. “Yeah, I think I am.”
“I don’t have to go tomorrow-“ Eddie starts to offer, but Steve shakes his head.
“That - that,” he motions to the left behind mug of his mothers coffee, “That is the mom I remember from when I was little. Richard’s always been an ass, but - Mom, I think she may actually be trying.”
Eddie slowly nods, “Well, then, I guess I need to go hunt down my good jeans.”
Steve gives him a smile - happy but obviously tired - accompanied with a small nod. “Just be yourself, if she’s willing to accept this,” he motions between them and their kids, “She can handle you.”
—
The party is finishing up at hellfire, Will trying to explain something to Trevor - but he still looks confused - and Lizzy is finishing her character sheet with Gareth’s help.
Jane looks around, finding Mike as he’s trying to pick up the pizza boxes to take to the trash, so she follows him up to the house.
“I can’t believe he let them join!” He grumbles.
“It’ll be fine!” El says, opening the patio door for him.
“It will not -!” He starts, getting shushed by Steve before he presses closer to the phone to hear whoever Eddie’s talking to.
The teens exchange confused glances, but ultimately shrug it off, as Mike heads out the front door to toss the pizza boxes in the outside can.
“Right, yeah!” Eddie excitedly says, “May 22nd to July 8th.”
El tilts her head, like a puppy, trying to piece together what’s going on.
“Right, right, one break in June,” He apparently repeats with a nod - looking at the calendar that Steve’s already writing on. “Wait, May 16th? Just us?”
Steve stops writing to look at Eddie - now too far away from him to hear.
“May 16th, 18th, and 19th, yeah we’ll make it work,” Eddie says, excitedly flapping his hand at Steve as he writes something on the calendar for those dates. “Yeah, absolutely!” Eddie says, “Thank you!”
He hangs up the phone just as Mike comes back in - looking at El’s confusion no less confused.
Before Mike can ask, Eddie’s jumping on Steve in some form of a hug, both grinning.
“What the hell?” Mike asks, looking at El who shrugs.
Steve moves just enough for El to read the big letters on the calendar, starting May 16th, TOUR WITH SKELETON KEY! And lasting through to, she assumes, July.
“El!” Will says a little too close to her ear, making her flinch awake, “We’re gonna be late, get up.”
“Shit, my alarm!” El huffs as she flings her covers off.
~
Mike yawns as he leans against the side of the school with Gareth.
“How come you didn’t go get them?” He asks Gare.
“Will called and said Hop was leaving a little later today and Jane wasn’t up yet.”
“Wasn’t up yet?”
Gare shrugs, “Something about maybe not setting her alarm. I was still half asleep, man.”
Mike decides that’s fair - he barely had the brain function to realize the phone was ringing at 7:15, little alone realizing it needed to be answered.
“Why are you two so tired?” Beth asks, getting glares from both of them. “Jesus, never mind.”
“There they are,” Gareth says, ignoring Beth, as Hopper pulls up.
El quickly bails out, throwing a quick hi good morning! To Mike as she grabs Max’s arm and hauls her inside and towards their class.
“El, what the hell are you doing?” Max asks, waving to Lucas as she’s dragged along the halls.
“I need to talk to you.”
Max gives her a wildly confused look before asking, “Could it not have waited?”
“No.”
“Happened in front of the others?”
“No!”
“Did you Vecna someone?” Max whispers seriously as El comes to a halt outside their classroom, nearly slamming Max into the wall as she does.
“No, better.”
“I’d hope so, unless it was Sam or Derek.”
“I had a dream!”
“Ah, like Martin Luther King?”
“What?” El says, shaking her head, “No, about Mike.”
“Oh, my bad, so a nightmare?”
El gives her an exhausted look before she smacks her arm. “No!”
Max laughs, dodging another smack.
El drops her voice to a whisper, “I had a dream skeleton key picked up coffin to open for them -“
“This summer?” Max hisses, “Holy shit! Arlo said if Chicago goes well, they were going to!”
El and Max both quietly and happily shriek, jumping up and down, ignoring the weird looks of upper class men.
“Oh my god!” El whisper yells, “Mike is gonna go on tour!”
“Wait,” Max suddenly stops, grabbing El’s arms, “That means we get to go on tour!”
They resume their excited shrieking, now a bit louder - gaining a few more side eyed glances from their classmates.
~
Eddie glares at the phone when it rings before he heaves himself off the couch to answer it.
“Harrington residence.”
“You should really start saying Harrington-Munson, Eddie,” Melody gently scolds.
“People would kind of know if we did that, Ma’am.”
“Who cares?” Melody breezily says, “Also, it’s Melody. Or mom, I’d accept that as well.”
“Uh - okay, um,” Eddie forces out.
“I made reservations for us at the Italian restaurant for six, does that work?”
“Yes ma - Melody.”
Melody makes a satisfied sound on the other end of the line. “Good! I’ll see you both then.”
“See you then.”
Melody hangs up, so Eddie quietly puts the receiver back on the hook before he picks it back up and dials family Video.
“Family video, this is Steve.”
“Melody called and said the reservations for six.”
“You’re on a first name basis with my mom, for real now?”
“It’s weird, Stevie!” Eddie whines, “She also said we should start answering the phone Harrington-Munson residence.”
Steve stays quiet for a second.
“Steve?”
“Do you think she’s like - dying?”
Eddie hums as he contemplates, “Maybe she’s just trying to be really supportive?”
“Fuckin’ whiplash,” Steve mumbles, making Eddie snort out a laugh. “Okay, well, I’m leaving at three.”
~
Gareth gives Eddie a highly confused look as he pulls up to the curb after school to pick up his half of the gaggle of children.
“You, sir, are supposed to be at work. It is Thursday.”
Eddie shrugs, “Switched.”
“With who?”
“New dude wanted another shift and Kelly pissed me off.”
Gareth quickly nods, “That’s fair!”
Eddie gives them a confused glance as Lizzy and Trevor climb in the van with Lucas.
“Uh, Munson chauffeur services, where am I taking these two?”
“Hellfire,” Max states as she settles in the front seat.
“Two preps are going to hellfire?” He asks flatly.
“My feelings exactly,” Mike grumbles.
“Oh, wow,” Lizzy says as she glances between Mike and Eddie, “I totally see it now.”
“Told you,” Max says smugly.
Eddie looks at Mike, who shakes his head in a silent please just fucking drive, dad so Eddie does, pulling away from the curb to head towards their house.
The drive is - thankfully - quick.
Eddie’s sure his blood pressure spikes when Lizzy and Trevor trail in the house after Mike and Max, wishing he’d kept most of the iffy pictures of he and Steve in the office instead of all over the house - but sue him, they rarely bring home strays, and the one they did manage to adopt ended up belonging to a lesbian and is now - practically - Robin’s step-daughter-slash-sister-in-law.
Neither of the teens comment on any of their decor on their way to the kitchen to grab snacks and a pop before heading out to the garage, which eases Eddie’s worry a little.
“Dad,” Mike pipes up from beside him - starling him a bit, “They are our friends, you know? Liz about decked Derek over Will.”
“I know,” Eddie breathes, “Well, not about - the Will thing, but -“
“Max told them about the adoption and her new name,” Mike continues, “They don’t know, but definitely don’t care.”
Eddie nods. “Good, good, glad you, uh, found some more strays.”
“I don’t think they’re strays,” Mike grumbles, “They could have it pretty good in the good graces of Hawkins high.”
Eddie finally looks at him, a slightly amused expression plastered on his face. “You realize Lucas could too, right?” He asks, getting an eye roll from Mike, “Anyone that chooses to slum it with us freaks when they don’t have to are pretty good people, Mike.”
“Ew,” he says, heading to the kitchen, “You sound like mom!”
The teens get their snacks and drinks, all filing outside to the hellfire garage.
“You did fucking steal it!” Trevor yells once he enters the room, “I fucking knew it!”
Gareth gives them a slightly weary look before he cuts his eyes to Max.
“That’s fucking awesome,” Trevor finishes as he heads to the table, “So, there a seating arrangement or -?”
“Will sits to the right of Gare,” Max supplies, “but that’s about it.”
Trevor nods as he takes a seat at random and settles in - looking at their permanent gaming setup with caution.
“You’ll get used to the nerdiness, Trev, don’t worry,” Will states as he takes his own seat.
“I sit with you guys every day at lunch, I’m already used to the nerdiness,” he playfully shoots back, getting flipped off by Will and Mike.
“Found a stray!” Max says as she and Lucas walk in - Arlo trailing behind her.
“I’m not a fucking stray!” He complains, “And you didn’t find me, I knocked on your front door.”
“What’s your point?” Max asks as she takes her seats.
Arlo scrunches his face in confusion.
“You’ll get used to her,” Lucas states as he takes a seat next to her.
“Excuse you?” Max says flatly.
“You heard me, Princess.”
A chorus of ew gross! Comes from all the guys as Beth, Jane, and Lizzy roll their eyes.
~
Eddie looks in the visor mirror to fix his hair - again - as Steve parks in front of the Italian restaurant.
“Stop, you look good.”
“Why’d you let me wear jeans?” Eddie hisses as he looks at the restaurant, getting a confused look from Steve, “This place looks fancy!”
Steve looks down at his own jeans before he shrugs. “They don’t have a dress code,” he settles on as he turns the engine off.
Eddie huffs, getting out of the car - straightening his shirt and jacket.
“Mom literally saw you in our pajamas, I don’t think she cares.”
“I should still try to make a good impression!”
Steve sighs as he rounds the car, taking Eddie’s hand as he leads them inside. “Eds, you already have.”
“There you are!” Melody calls, waving them over to her table. She hugs both Steve and Eddie before retaking her seat. “So, Traffic okay?”
Steve shrugs, reaching for a bread stick. “It was pretty normal. Dad still in town?”
Melody gives Steve a look that decidedly means he is not.
“Ah, Florida?”
“Better, California, farther away from me,” Melody says, a tad too happy.
Steve snorts out a laugh, shaking his head. “Didn’t know me coming out warranted that much distance.”
Melody shrugs, indifferent. “So! Eddie! Tell me about yourself.”
“Uh,” Eddie says, eyes darting to Steve.
“He’s in a band, lead singer,” Steve starts, “Works at the record shop in town for now.”
“Um, that pretty much sums it up,” Eddie mumbles.
Melody stares at him for a second before smiling. “Well, anyone that has my son this happy has my approval. Band taking off?”
“Um, we just got signed.”
“Oh! That’s exciting!” Melody enthusiastically says as the waiter walks up to take their orders, “Remember boys, expensive!”
Eddie shifts uncomfortably, looking at Steve.
“We’d like the the calamari as a starter, and I’ll take the pasta trio with raviolis, manicotti, and lasagna and extra bread sticks,” Steve says, handing his menu over before he takes Eddie’s to hand off, “And he’ll have the fettuccine chicken Alfredo, extra breadsticks.”
Melody gives them a smile as she snaps her own menu closed. “My usual please, Tony.”
“Yes, Ms. Harrington,” Tony says, taking her menu before he turns to head to the kitchen, Steve assumes, to turn their orders in.
Eddie nervously fidgets - straightening his silverware before he unwraps his straw to put in his water, fidgeting with the wrapper.
“So, how long do you think you’ll be in town?” Steve asks, reaching over to take Eddie’s hand under the table.
“Oh, who knows. Until I get the wild hair to go back to Florida, maybe,” Melody shrugs, “So, tell me more about this band you’re in, Eddie!”
Eddie glances nervously at Steve, who gives his hand another encouraging nod. “Um, it’s - we’re uh, heavy metal?”
Melody slowly nods, clearly confused.
“It’s - um, like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motörhead?”
“The screamy bands?” Melody quietly asks - glancing between Eddie and Steve like she might offend him.
“It isn’t screaming, mom,” Steve chuckles, “It’s just a bit heavier than what you like.”
“Heavier,” Melody repeats, “But you got signed?”
Eddie nods.
“So, you’re good, then?”
“Corroded Coffin is amazing, mom,” Steve says, looking over to smile at Eddie, “Like I said, Eds the lead singer and Mike is their guitarist.”
“My grandson’s in a heavy metal band?” Melody scrunches her nose, “That doesn’t affect his schooling, does it?”
“No!” Eddie quickly says, shaking his head, “No, I make sure it doesn’t.”
Melody gives them both a soft small as she picks up her wine, “Well, then when’s your next show?”
Eddie gapes, looking at Steve.
“This weekend, it’s in Chicago," Steve answers, leaning to bump shoulders with Eddie, “Our first out of state show. Pretty excited to see him in his element outside the hideout.”
“Well, unfortunately, I have dinner plans with your aunt here this Saturday. You’ll have to tell me when his next show in Indiana is,” Melody says, taking a sip.
“You,” Eddie glances between Steve and Melody, “You want to come watch us?”
“Well, I wanna see this amazing artist that stole my babies heart!” Melody says with a smile - making Steve blush, “Plus, you said my grandbabies in the band, too, right?”
Eddie slowly nods.
“Well, what kind of grandmother would I be if I didn’t support him?”
Steve squeezes Eddie’s hand again, smiling at the table. “You don’t have to, mom.”
“Bullshit,” Melody scoffs, “I most certainly do.”
~
“So, that went well,” Steve says as they get back in the beemer.
“That was weird," Eddie states.
Steve glances over at him while he buckles his seat belt, waiting for him to continue.
“She - I never thought I'd have a boyfriend whose mom was actually interested in getting to know me,” Eddie softly says, “But like, she actually asked questions about me and stuff.”
“The kids too,” Steve adds with a smile.
“Yeah,” Eddie agrees, “That was nice. I think we should take her up on the offer to do it again.”
“I think you should tell her when your next in state show is.”
“Thought we wanted her to keep liking me,” Eddie mumbles.
Steve reaches over to take his hand, “She will.”
—
Mike, El, Max, and Lucas all rush out of the school Friday when the bell rings - nearly trampling over each other to climb in Eddie’s van, that’s already loaded and ready to go to Chicago.
“Guys, we’re not leaving without you,” Steve says as they all try to pile in the backseat at once.
“I want a window seat!” El shrieks as she tries to push Lucas out of the van.
“There’s two, Jane Elizabeth!” He retaliates, grabbing her backpack to haul her completely out of the van door - Mike and Max watching in amusement as the scene unfolds.
“Hey!” El yells, stumbling backwards, grabbing for Lucas.
“Enough!” Eddie yells, getting all their attention as he twists in the driver's seat, “It’s a five hour drive one way, you heathens. We’ve got five licensed drivers, we’re rotating there and on the way back.”
“Five-?” Lucas mumbles, glancing around at the six of them.
“Yeah, five,” Eddie states, pointing at each one as he lists them off, “Steve, me, Max, Mike, and you.”
“Me?” Lucas repeats dumbly, “I mean, I have a permit, but dad never has time to let me drive.”
“Congratulations! You’re first up then.”
“What?” Lucas nearly yells - Eddie pays him no attention as he climbs out of the van with Steve, motioning for Max to sit shotgun while he and Steve climb in the back, letting El take her window seat and Mike sit beside her.
“You’ll do great!” Max says, taking her seat in the passenger seat and snapping her seat belt into place.
“I’m gonna die,” Lucas whispers, slowly rounding the van to climb in the driver's seat.
~
Robin smiles when she sees Kate parked outside the dorms, waving before she points to the dorm door.
Kate gives her a thumbs up before pointing to Beth in the backseat.
Robin rushes up to her dorm, tossing her backpack on the bed and grabbing her packed bag.
“Have fun in Chicago,” her roommate calls as she rushes back out.
She narrowly misses Beth as she tosses her bag in the backseat as she gets in.
“Jesus, Bird, we aren’t in that big a hurry!”
“Sorry,” Robin offers, not sounding the least bit, “So, we’re driving Beth and Steve and Eddie are driving Mike, El, Max, and Lucas. Whose driving the others?”
“Will and Dustin are riding with Gareth in the morning,” Kate states, “Jeff might be riding with them, too, I didn’t ask.”
Robin hums as she settles into the passenger seat. “Four hours?”
“With how she drives?” Beth pipes up, “I’m betting three and a half, tops.”
Kate rolls her eyes as she pulls away from the dorm building curb, “I am not that bad.”
“Eddie drives slower than you, sis,” Beth states flatly.
Robin giggles as she settles into the passenger seat, “You do have a tendency to speed, my love.”
Beth crinkles her nose is disgust. “God, you two are worse than uncle Steve and uncle Eddie.”
~
Lucas makes it all of an hour and a half - passing through Indy - before he pulls over at the first gas station he sees and throws in the towel.
“Whose next because I’m done,” he states seriously, looking around the van for any takers. Max looks up from her book, giving him a smile.
“I’ll drive until we get closer to Chicago,” She announces, leaning over to kiss Lucas’ cheek, “You did really good, babe.”
Lucas gives her a look that says he doesn’t really believe her as he leans over to actually kiss her - the backseat voicing their dislike of witnessing the PDA. “Thanks, princess.”
Eddie isn’t sure if he’s thanking her for the compliment or saving him from driving anymore - he suspects the latter with how fast he bails out of the driver's seat and lets Max climb in his spot as he walks around to the passenger side.
“How fast do you think you can get it up to, sissy?” Mike mischievously asks, a glint in his eye that reminds Steve of purely Eddie.
El and Lucas both try to voice their dislike of the idea -
“I do have a pretty straight shot on the highway from here, huh?” Max replies - her tone matching Mike’s.
“I’ve gotten it up to 85 on this highway,” Eddie comments with a shiteat grin.
“Challenge accepted!” Max says, throwing the van in gear and gunning it - Mike and Eddie cackling wildly in the backseat by Steve as she fishtails back onto the highway and takes off.
Steve can’t even bring himself to care quite honestly. “Okay, all our kids can’t inherit your driving tendencies, Eds,” he comments with no real heat, smiling as Eddie cheers when he notices Max nearing the eighties.
“Don’t worry big boy,” Eddie says, leaning over to smack a loud kiss on his cheek, “We’ve got four more chances to get a kid that takes after your err of caution behind the wheel.”
Steve’s smile widens as he leans against Eddie. “Four, huh?” He asks quietly.
Eddie shrugs, wrapping his arms around Steve. “Six, right?”
“Right,” Steve nearly whispers, smiling bigger - if at all possible.
Max whoops with excitement, Mike joining in when he sees she’s hit 90.
“Hell yeah, gingersnap!” Eddie cheers with them - making Steve fondly shake his head.
Lucas gives Max a second to celebrate, keeping the van at ninety for about a mile before she slows down to the speed limit. “Passenger picks the music, right?”
Mike and Eddie both groan in defeat, slumping back in their seats - Eddie going as far as resting his head on Steve’s shoulder.
“Sure babe,” Max says, unbothered.
Lucas turns off the Iron Maiden tape Max had going, rewinding it as he digs in the communal van tape collection until he finds what he’s looking for, taking the prior tape out and putting it in its case before he puts his in and hits play.
Mike braces for the worst - expecting tears for fears or maybe Duran Duran - but instead, last in line by Dio starts.
“Is this Dio?” Max asks, glancing at Lucas, surprised.
“Uh, yeah,” Lucas says with a shrug.
“You like Dio?” Eddie asks, raising his head from Steve’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” Lucas states, sounding confused, “I like a lot of Max’s music.”
Mike leans forward to give Lucas a strange look. “Excuse you?”
“I do!” Lucas insists, “Dio, poison! A few Van Halen songs! I even endured Motörhead once, they weren’t even that bad.”
Max smiles at him, using one hand to shove Mike back over the seat before reaching out to hold Lucas’ hand.
Steve and Eddie share a look before Eddie settles his head back on Steve’s shoulder, smiling.
Max and Lucas keep holding hands until the van needs gas about a mile outside of Chicago.
“Okay,” Max says with a sigh, “Someone else is up!”
“Alright,” Eddie says, “Switch, I’ll drive!”
The Van’s occupants switch around - Steve for passenger, Eddie for driver, and Max and Lucas to join Mike and El in the back seat.
“We’ve got about thirty minutes give or take until we get to the hotel,” Eddie announces.
“What’s everyone’s plans for tonight?” Steve asks as he turns in his seat while Eddie pumps gas.
“Just exploring,” Lucas states.
“Dinner,” Mike says, “There’s a place El saw when we stopped in on vacation she wants to try.”
Steve nods approvingly. “And tomorrow during the day?”
“Me and Lucas are going to the Chicago zoo then to dinner.”
“The zoo?” Steve repeats.
“Yeah,” Lucas shrugs, “We went to the aquarium on family vacation so we didn’t want to do that again.”
Steve smiles at them, getting weird looks in return. He shrugs. “I just expected something different when we gave you free range for the day out. Maybe, sneaking into bars or something.”
“Why sneak into a bar when we go all the time with the band?” Max questions, “Plus, the zoo looked cool when we were here last summer.”
Steve hums, looking at Mike and El. Both shrug.
“I think El wants to see the pier.”
“I want to see the wheel thing,” El agrees with a nod.
“What about you and dad?” Max asks.
“Night at the hotel then I think we’re gonna go explore with Robin and Kate when they get in tomorrow.”
“Night at the hotel?” Mike repeats.
“That’s it?” Max adds.
Steve shrugs, “The door locks and we know we won’t get interrupted.”
“Ew!” Max yells.
“Dad, gross!” Mike says, equally as loud, both teens grimacing.
“You asked.”
Eddie gives everyone a confused look as he gets back in. “What?”
“They asked what our plan for tonight was,” Steve says with a smirk.
“Oh,” Eddie nods.
Mike and Max both shiver in disgust.
“In their defense, you did ask,” Lucas states.
~
“Told you!” Beth says as she tumbles out of the car - nearly three hours later.
“I took a shortcut.”
“Honey, you never went below eighty,” Robin laughs as she gets out to stretch, waving at Eddie and Steve as they pull up.
“How -?” Eddie asks, hanging out the window.
“Katie speeds!” Beth helpfully supplies.
“I took a shortcut!” She insists.
“Was the shortcut never taking your foot off the gas?” Eddie asks as he puts the van in park.
“Yes,” Robin and Beth say as Kate hotly says, “No!”
Eddie smirks, shaking his head, “Alright, whatever you say.”
Eddie climbs out of the van and heads towards the lobby to check in.
“Oh, like you’re any better, Munson!” Kate grumbles, trailing after him.
He cackles, throwing his arm around her shoulders.
The van load of teens pile out, stretching and looking around.
“Arlo should already be here,” Mike says, looking for Skeleton Keys Van.
“He hanging out with you guys tonight?”
Mike shrugs, “After dinner I think.”
“If anyone asks,” Eddie says as he and Kate exit the office, “Me and Kate are in a single bedroom, and Robin and Steve are in the other!”
Everyone all dutifully nods.
Kate hands out the rest of the keys - Mike, El, Max, and Lucas all head towards their shared room to dump their bags off and head out to their respective plans.
—
Steve waves at Mike and El as he and Eddie make their way back from the hotel's breakfast. “Max and Lucas already leave?”
“Yeah,” Mike nods, “They left at like, eight this morning. We’re heading out to the pier.”
“What’s the zoo got to offer this early?” Eddie mumbles.
“Baby, it’s almost eleven am.”
He smiles, swaying into Steve’s space. “My point stands.”
Steve lovingly shakes his head, knocking his shoulder against Eddie’s. “You guys meet up with Arlo?”
“Yeah, last night after dinner he came over to the room. He’s coming to the pier with us.”
Steve flicks his eyes to El - she smiles, shrugging.
“Arlo’s cool, I don’t care if he hangs out with us today.”
“Alright,” Steve relents, “I’ll see you guys tonight.”
“Be at the bar no later than six for mic check!” Eddie warns as Mike and El head out.
“We know!” Mike says.
~
Max smiles as she and Lucas stop to look at the zebras.
“Having fun?” Lucas asks, detangling their fingers to wrap his arms around her.
“Yeah,” She tips her head back to smile at him, “More fun than movie nights with everyone else.”
“I know,” he mumbles, pressing a kiss to her temple, “As soon as one of us has a car we can go on more actual dates.”
“You’ll plan some?”
He nods before resting his head against hers. “Give me some credit, I have the ability to plan a date.”
She giggles, leaning against him. “Not from what Erica says.”
“Well, Erica’s a snitch.”
Max’s giggles turn into laughter as she shakes her head. “My favorite Sinclair is not a snitch!”
“Oh, she definitely is,” Lucas laughs.
Max makes a show of rolling her eyes - still smiling - as she turns around to face Lucas. He leans down to kiss her, ignoring a glare from a passerby.
“So, you still haven’t told me what you want for your birthday.”
She shrugs, wrapping an arm around his waist so they can keep walking.
“It’s next week, princess, I kind of need ideas.”
“I don’t know, there’s nothing I really need.”
“Okay,” Lucas says slowly as Max stops at the next animal exhibit, “How do you want to celebrate your birthday then?”
Max shrugs again.
“You gotta give me something here, babe.”
Max leans against him, tilting her head back to look at him. “Spend time with you.”
“Okay, but how?”
She shyly shrugs, turning her attention back to the animals.
“Max?”
“Maybe we can,” She shrugs and tilts her head back again, “If I have a car, maybe we can, you know, go park out at the quarry or something and listen to music.”
Lucas gives her a weird look, long enough that she detangles herself from him to walk on down to the next exhibit. “The quarry? But that’s like, the new hook up spot, isn’t it?”
Max looks over her shoulder, slyly shrugging again.
Lucas’ eyes bug out a little as he stares at her, rushing to catch up with her. “Seriously?” He whispers - like anyone they know is there to overhear the conversation.
“I mean, we can just go to the diner or something,” she mumbles.
“The quarry?” He asks again, brow raised.
She shrugs, “Just an idea, I guess?”
Lucas roughly exhales, wrapping his arm back around her shoulders when they stop at the next thing.
“Holy shit,” he clears his throat, “Okay. The quarry. To listen to music.”
~
El laughs as they get off the wheel at the pier.
“That was horrible,” Mike states.
“Agreed,” Arlo quickly nods.
“What? That was fun!”
Both boys give El an unamused glare.
“It was!”
“Mike, your girlfriend’s crazy.”
Mike nods, “Certifiably.”
El rolls her eyes, grabbing Mike’s hand to haul him further down the pier. “Whatever, you still love me!”
He snorts out a laugh, nodding, “Unfortunately, I do, so I will be doing that again, won’t I?”
She turns to smile over her shoulder at him. “Yes, yes you will.”
He nods, accepting his fate. “Can’t wait, sweetheart.”
Arlo shakes his head at them. “Count me all the way out, please.”
~
Eddie waves as Gareth and Will pull up with Dustin, who bales out as soon as Gareth is safely stopped to rush inside to Beth, whose setting up a merch table with Robin and Kate.
“You guys get here okay?”
Gareth wavers his hand in a so/so motion. “Traffic was a bitch but Will’s a helluva lot better navigator than Jeff is.”
Eddie nods, “Kate has your room keys. You two are in a double room with Beth, Jeff is rooming with Dustin.”
Gareth quarks an eyebrow up.
“I don’t care who sleeps where, just tell Kate that’s what went down,” Eddie states, hands in the air in surrender.
“I’ll go get our key,” Will snickers has he heads inside.
“Mikes not helping unload?” Gareth observes as he heads to the van to help.
“Nah, he’s not here yet. Day out with Ellie.”
“Ah,” Gareth nods, “What’d you and Stevie do?”
Eddie gives him a grin that makes him think he doesn’t actually want to know - so Gareth simply nods instead.
“Noted, ya’ fuckin’ nasties.”
Eddie throws his head back in a cackle as he heads inside with something.
Rush angrily huffs as he checks his watch again.
“Dude, what’s up your ass?” Gareth asks as he sets his box down.
“Arlo is supposed to be here!”
Gareth scrunches his face in confusion.
“Dude, he’s a kid,” Eddie grumbles, “Let him be a fucking kid. They’re at the pier, when Mike gets here, Arlo will be here. Sound check isn’t for another thirty minutes.”
“He is our front man, Eddie!”
“Whose sixteen,” Eddie says, with as much attitude as Rush, “Who deserves to act sixteen every once in a while. He wanted to go with Mike and Jane, so he went, because they’re acting sixteen and not twenty two and miserable.”
Rush huffs, “Fine, but he better stick around for the after party then.”
“He’s sixteen!” Gareth snorts, “I’m sure you’ll have no problem shoving a beer in his hand and telling him to smile at groupies.”
“He doesn’t really interact with groupies,” Skeleton Keys guitarist - Frankie - states, sounding confused, “Like, they throw themselves at him and he just kinda brushes them off.”
“Maybe because he’s - again - sixteen,” Eddie chuckles, “I wouldn’t have bothered with some twenty one year old in a bar bathroom at sixteen.”
“You’re gay,” Frank states plainly, “You wouldn’t do that now.”
Eddie shrugs, “Stevie’s twenty, that's close enough.”
“Absolutely not, Munson!” Steve yells from their merch table.
Rush and Frank both howl with laughter as Steve gives Eddie a sassy I said no expression.
“I’m just saying I’m willing!” Eddie explains, getting a head shake from Steve.
“I’m not doing anything in the bathroom of this bar, Edward.”
“So,” Rush drawls out with a grin, “Another bar, maybe?”
Steve turns his unamused stare to Rush. “I’m twenty with two bad knees, no.”
“It’s one bad knee,” Eddie corrects, “Don’t be a drama queen.”
Robin snorts from her fold out chair before both her and Kate dissolve into giggles.
“Okay,” Steve states - sounding at least a little amused now, “One bad knee and a side full of scar tissue that makes it less than delightful to bend any sort of way for long.”
“Oh, ew!” Robin says between her laughter.
“Fair!” Eddie nods, “That’s - yeah, the scar tissue does put a damper on things.”
“Oh, you two are disgusting,” Kate laughs, “I cannot believe I’m willingly friends with you.”
“You’re practically their sister in law,” Beth states drily, “You’re basically related to that.”
Kate gives Beth a slightly offended look.
Dustin, without looking away from the bars menu, “Bethany, Eddie’s my brother, so, you’re practically the sister in law to that.”
Kate and Robin cackle, falling into each other when Beth pulls a slightly disgusted face.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”
“Here!” Mike announces as the three of them walk in, “And with time to spare, even!”
“You missed a riveting conversation,” Dustin states flatly, “Your dads were discussing their sex life.”
Mike makes a face. “Ew. Why? Actually - I don’t want to know.”
“Bar bathroom sex,” Beth supplies.
“That’s - isn’t there better places for that?” Mike asks, looking at Arlo, who shrugs.
“Less puke-y smelling for sure,” Arlo agrees.
El simply scrunches her nose in disgust.
“Funnily enough,” Dustin finally looks up from the menu, “That wasn’t Steve’s argument for saying no.”
Mike looks confused for half a second before he shakes his head. “I - whatever floats their boat, man. This place got food?”
Dustin holds up the menu, “The usual.”
~
Max and Lucas make their way into the bar about ten minutes before show time, Max letting Lucas lead her through the crowd of people to Steve.
“Hey!” She cheerfully says, “We’re here.”
“Where have you two been all day?”
“Zoo,” Max says, confused, “We told you, right?”
“All day?”
“There’s a lot to see,” she says, glancing back at Lucas, “That’s okay, right? I didn’t think it’d be a big deal -“
“It’s fine,” Steve quickly interrupts, “I was just concerned, but I knew you’d be okay. You guys have fun?”
Max’s mood shifts as she happily nods. “Yeah! It was so cool, it’s way bigger than ours. Plus, I talked Lucas into letting me feed a giraffe.”
Steve looks at Lucas who sighs.
“Talked into is a fancy way of saying she looked at me and said please.”
“We need to work on your ability to say no,” Steve jokes, “You’re a bit of a pushover.”
Lucas shrugs, “Hey, if she’s happy I’m happy. If that means paying to feed a giraffe, then I guess I’m paying to feed a giraffe.”
Steve, Robin, and Kate all snicker.
“You’re a quick learner,” Kate gives him a nod of approval, “Keep that mindset the rest of your life and you’re golden.”
Lucas snorts out a laugh, shaking his head before he leans over and kisses Max’s cheek. “I’m gonna get a beer. You want anything?”
She leans against him, tilting her head back to look at him. “Whatever you normally get me.”
He nods, “Jack and Coke it is. Be right back.”
He disappears into the crowd.
Steve gives Max a knowing, slightly worried, look.
“He’s just having one.”
“Max.”
“He’s seriously just having one!” Max quickly argues, “He told me he’s having one, that’s it, so I can drink as much as I want and he’ll be sober enough to get us back to the hotel.”
Steve sighs, conflicted. “Okay, but this is a city neither of you know, so should you really be drinking that much at all?”
Max shrugs, “I trust Lucas.”
“That isn’t who I’m worried about,” Steve mumbles as he sips his own beer, Max giving him a strange look.
Lucas makes his way back, handing off a jack and coke to Max before he sips his beer, right as Corroded Coffin walks on stage.
Max and Jane both whoop with excitement before pushing and shoving their way to the stage - Lucas being dragged right along with them and Steve meandering behind - all four ignoring the dirty looks as the girls bully their way forward.
Steve settles into his front and center place - smiling up at Eddie who fucking beems when he sees him - while the girls and Lucas settle into their usual semi center stage area, Lucas instinctively taking Max’s drink while she headbangs and dances with Jane.
They get through their first song relatively unscathed, Max taking her drink back and giving Lucas a kiss for his troubles.
“I love you,” a drunken girl beside El yells, slightly slurring towards Mike, who points at himself slightly confused. “Yeah! You!”
Mike snickers, tossing her a pick with a wink. “There you go, gorgeous.”
She drunkenly cheers as she catches it.
“You done flirtin’ over there?” Eddie jokes into the mic, getting an eye roll from Mike as he digs another pick out of his pocket and a round of drunken laughter and cheers from the crowd, “My kids over here trying to be Casanova.“
“Easy there, tiger,” Jeff continues, earning the finger from Mike.
“Can we start the next song, please?” Eddie says, grinning.
In response, Mike starts the next song's riff, shaking his head.
He looks at El - trying to gauge how much apologizing he needs to plan for - but instead she’s looking at Max.
“Got some competition tonight, Janie!” Max jokes.
Jane cuts her eyes to the girl, snarling her nose.
“Jesus Christ,” Lucas mutters, shaking his head, “Please don’t start any bar fights, you two, I don’t think me or Mike are up to defending your honors.”
Both girls laugh in response before El steals a sip of Max’s drink.
Lucas shares a slightly worried glance with Steve, who ultimately shrugs it off.
By the time Coffin ends their set, Max’s drink is gone - Lucas mutely comes to the conclusion that El helped more than a few sips.
“There they are!” El whisper yells, nodding towards the backstage exit where coffin is stepping out.
Steve and El both immediately disappear through the crowd to get to Mike and Eddie.
Lucas leans into Max to half yell in her ear so she can hear it, “We staying here for Skeleton Key?”
She nods, half yelling back, “I wanna see Arlo!”
He nods, sipping his still mostly full beer.
It doesn’t take long for Mike and El to push their way back to the front, Mike with his own beer and El with a mixed drink that looks suspiciously like Coke, that she hands off to Max. “Jack and Coke, right?” She yells, getting a nod from Max who lets her take a sip before she fully takes it from her.
“Woah!” Mike says, “Why -?”
Lucas shoots him a look over Max’s head.
“This has happened the whole time, hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah,” Lucas nods.
Mike blows out a puff of air, nodding. “Great, Hop’s gonna kill me.”
“In your defense, you weren’t here to stop it the first drink,” Lucas offers, “I’ll testify on your behalf.”
Mike snorts out a laugh as he shakes his head, sipping his beer.
El eyes the girl from earlier, slowly making her way over to them, so she slips her arm around Mike’s waist, smiling at him before she stands on her tiptoes for a kiss, which he readily accepts.
“God damn, you have been drinking her shit haven’t you?”
She gives him an innocent smile as she leans against him.
Lucas chuckles into his beer as the fan isn’t deterred, walking up anyway and tapping Mike on the shoulder.
Max leans back into Lucas as if to avoid the fall out, taking a sip of her drink.
Mike slowly turns around, confused, until he realizes who it is.
“Oh my god!” The girl says - Max swears she can smell tequila a foot, if that, away and notices the girl doesn’t look much older than them, maybe eighteen but that’s pushing it. “You were so good,” the girl continues, leaning into Mike’s space a little, “I’m Rose!”
“Nice to meet you, Rose,” Mike says with a smile, which gets him a glare from El and hushed Jesus Christ’s from Lucas and Max as he turns fully towards Rose. “Always nice to meet a fan, babe.”
Rose giggles, shyly holding out a sharpie. “Um, is there any chance I could get your autograph?” Rose asks with a smile and a head tilt.
Mike takes the sharpie and uncaps it. “Sure, what am I signing?”
“Me?” Rose asks hopefully as she yanks her already low cut shirt down lower to meet the top of her bra.
Mike pauses for a millisecond before he laughs. “Holy shit, okay,” He hands his beer to Lucas - who shoots El an apologetic look in the process - so he can sign the top of Rose’s chest - El watching him like a hawk. “There you go, babe,” he says with a wink as he hands the sharpie back, Rose giggling before she slips back to the group of girls she’s with.
Lucas hands his beer back, “So that just happened, rockstar.”
Mike barks out a laugh, slinging his arm around El’s shoulders as Steve and Eddie find their way to the group - Eddie having been stopped by several people himself on the way.
“Did I see a girl with -?” Eddie cuts himself off, motioning to his chest. Mike nods. “Nice.”
Steve smacks Eddie.
“What?” Eddie squawks, rubbing his arm, getting a raised eyebrow glare from Steve. “What?”
Steve shakes his head, leaning against the stage as Skeleton Key walks out.
~
By the time Skeleton Key’s set is done and Arlo makes his way to Corroded Coffin’s merch table - and by proxy Mike and Max - Mike’s beer is gone, and Max is close to finishing drink number two, Jane no longer assisting.
“Holy shit,” Arlo yells as he walks over, slinging one arm around Mike and the other around Max, “You guys did so good!” He shoots a look at Max.
“Seriously?” She asks with a grin.
“I’m about 99% sure Rush is talking to Byrd right now.”
Max happily shrieks, hugging Arlo, who returns the hug with just as much enthusiasm. “I’m so fucking happy!”
Mike looks over at Lucas, who shrugs.
“Drinks?” Arlo asks, once Max unhands him.
Lucas holds up his half drank beer, “I’m good.”
Arlo nods before he glances around the rest of them.
“I’m good,” El announces with a shrug.
“I’ll take a beer,” Mike says - just before getting distracted by a fan that’s walked up to the merch table, asking for a picture of him and Eddie, apparently.
“Oh I’ll take another drink!” Max says, “You know what, I’ll just come with.”
“Sweet,” Arlo states before they both head off.
Lucas watches Max order her drink, smiling at the bartender as Arlo pays for the two beers and mixed drink before they make their way back over.
El watches Mike with narrowed eyes as he slings his arm over a fans shoulder for a picture - no Eddie in sight this time.
Steve gently nudges her arm until she looks at him.
“You’re fixing to explode your boyfriend.”
“Maybe he shouldn’t flirt with groupies then.”
Steve heaves out a sigh. “El-“
She glares at him. He holds his hands up in defeat.
“I’m just saying,” he says, “Maybe be a little easier on him.”
She huffs, rolling her eyes.
Mike makes his way back over, trying to put his arm around El.
“No,” she simply says, shoving his arm away.
“What-?”
“You know what,” she hotly says before she turns and heads for where Max and Arlo got hung up by a fan.
“What the hell?” Mike mumbles, looking at Steve.
“Jane’s not so crazy about the fans,” he says, giving him an apologetic smile.
Mike drops his head, sighing.
“Oh, yeah!” Eddie says, “Mike! Hey! Come here!”
“Duty calls,” Mike mumbles, glancing up at El - getting a glare in return - before he heads back over to the merch table, smiling at a fan as he digs a loose pick out of his pocket.
~
Mike out right giggles as Arlo steers a very tipsy Max to Lucas close to one am, saving her from tripping more than once.
“Hey Princess,” Lucas says carefully before he downs the last of his only beer of the night, “Are we ready to go?”
“Arlo cut me off,” Max complains, speech slurring, before she falls against Lucas.
“And we thank him immensely,” Lucas says, looking over Max’s head to Arlo who gives him a knowing nod while Max frowns.
Arlo snorts out an amused laugh. “Good luck, the walk over here was hell.”
“Floors spiny,” Max states as seriously as she can.
Lucas sighs, shaking his head fondly before he kisses Max’s temple, getting a small smile in return. “Mike, tell Steve and Eddie we went back to the hotel?”
“Yeah, go ahead and go, I’ll let them know.”
Lucas nods before he carefully steers Max towards the exit with an arm around her shoulder.
She makes it out of the bar and to the sidewalk before she stops, tilting her head back to look at him, pouting.
“Princess?”
“Ion-nna ‘alk.”
Lucas stares at her for a second. “You don’t want to walk?”
She nods, leaning against him.
“Okay,” he mumbles mostly to himself, “Walking is off the table then.”
It takes him a second, but he convinces her to stand on her own for a second while he crouches down in front of her.
“Piggyback ride, come on,” He states, deciding any other way to carry her will end in more of a disaster than this. She happily complies - taking a second to manhandle her onto his back before he can take off walking, her head perched on top of his while her arms loosely wrap around his neck - him holding onto her thighs so she doesn’t slip off when she forgets to wrap her legs around him.
“I love you,” she announces, making him laugh.
“I love you, too, babe.”
“Like, a lot!”
He snorts out a laugh, “I love you a whole lot, too. Off topic, but what all did you drink?”
“Three Jack and cokes! Janie helped with one of them, and then I had some shots.”
“What kinda shot?”
“It was clear and burny.”
“They’re all burny, baby.”
Max makes a face.
“Tequila or Vodka?”
She shrugs, “Clear.”
“Okay,” Lucas says, deciding that was as much as he’d get on the subject, “How many?”
“Iono,” Max shrugs again.
“With who?”
“You ask a lot.”
He chuckles, squeezing his hands on her thighs. “Come on, who’d you do shots with?”
She’s quiet for a second before she offers up, “Gareth and Arlo. But don’t be mad!”
“I’m not mad.”
“Arlo’s really not my type.”
“Who is your type, then?”
“You, silly!” She says, slurring a little, before she reaches up to pat his face.
He laughs again, “Me, huh?”
“Yep!” She says dropping her hand back down to the shoulder it was on, “What’s your type?”
He stays quiet for a second as they cross a street, finally seeing their hotel. “Sassy red heads that make me carry them home when they’re drunk.”
“I am not drunk! The worlds just a little -“ she stops to think, making a quiet hmmm sound, “Tilty right now.”
“Tilty, huh?”
“Yeah! Like on a boat,” she states, emphasizing the ‘T’ in boat.
He snorts, “Yeah, sounds drunk to me.”
She hums again, but doesn’t offer a rebuttal.
“Babe.”
“Hm?” He asks, checking that it’s safe to cross the road.
“I’m gonna be sick.”
He sighs, jogging across the street before he carefully sets her down on the ground. “This is gonna be a long walk back.”
~
El storms in the hotel room, going to slam the door - Mike catching it before it can slam or hit him.
“Uh, have fun after we left?” Lucas asks.
El looks over at them - Max fast asleep in her sweats and sleep shirt, snuggled up to Lucas. “Oh, yeah, tons!”
“El-“
“My boyfriend flirted with half the bar population that had boobs!”
Mike hangs his head as he shuts the door. “That is not what happened.”
“Oh, wasn’t it?” El asks as she gets her pajamas out of her suitcase to head to the bathroom, “Get a pillow, you’re sleeping on the couch!”
Lucas waits until the bathroom door closes.
“Well, she’s handling the whole rockstar thing well.”
“Oh, yeah,” Mike forces a laugh, “I expect to be single by the time we get back in Hawkins.”
“Well,” Lucas shrugs the shoulder Max isn’t laying on, “At least you’ll have groupies.”
Mike glares at him as he walks over to rip a pillow off the bed. “Ha,” he says drily, “You’re hilarious, you know that?”
“I do, yeah, thanks for confirming.”
Mike rolls his eyes as he tosses the pillow on the couch.
“Get her back okay?”
Lucas shrugs his shoulder again. “We puked four times and she didn’t want to sleep in jeans, so that was fun.”
Mike snorts out a laugh, “I do not envy you.”
—
Max groans, flinging an arm over her eyes, and reaching out across the hotel bed - huffing when she comes up empty.
“Lucas?” She croaks, immediately wincing at how loud she’s being.
“Right here,” he says as she feels the bed dip, “I was fixing to wake you up. We’ve gotta leave in about an hour.”
She groans, rolling over to hide her face in the pillows.
“Come on, I’ve already got your clothes in the bathroom, all you’ve gotta do is go in there and shower, then we can load your stuff up and be ready to leave.”
Max huffs, but lets Lucas gently guide her into the sitting position at the edge of the bed.
“I’m in sweats,” She observes, “Why am I in sweats?”
“Well,” Lucas says awkwardly, making her jerk her head up to look at him.
“Oh no, what’d I do?” She asks, “I didn’t do anything stupid did I?”
“Well,” he says again, “You did throw up like, twice on the way home.”
“Oh my god.”
“And the second time was all over my shoe.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“And,” Lucas hesitantly says, “You did attempt to strip as soon as we got back. I did convince you to change in the bathroom though.”
“Oh my god!” She whines, flopping backwards on the bed, covering her face.
“I promise I didn’t see anything!”
Max separates her fingers to look through them at Lucas.
“I swear! When you asked for help you already had everything changed, but-“
“But?”
“But the world was spinning a little too quickly so I did have to carry you to bed.”
”I’m never drinking again.”
“Or, maybe, just don’t do shots of tequila with Gare anymore.”
Max groans, “Please don’t mention tequila anywhere near me right now.”
He snickers, pulling her back upright. “Come on, you’ll feel better once you shower.”
“Boozy locker room?”
“Just a little bit,” he says, hauling her to her feet, “I have pain meds waiting for you when you get done.”
“Oh my god, I love you.”
“I know, you told me like, fifteen times last night,” Lucas states, chuckling when Max lets out an embarrassed groan, “But I love you, too.”
~
“There they are!” Gareth yells, snickering at the glare he gets from Max.
“Next time you do shots with my girlfriend, I’m telling Hopper you let Will drink every weekend,” Lucas states as he loads their bags into the van.
Gareth’s face pales, “Hey, he is his own person. I don’t control him.”
“You do supply him the alcohol, though,” Mike chimes in, getting a dirty look from Will and Gareth, which he smiles at.
“Whose Hopper?” Arlo whispers, both he and Mike leaning against the van.
“Hop’s Jane and Will’s dad.”
Arlo slowly nods. “Right,” he says, “Why does Gareth care if Hop knows he lets him drink?”
“Uh,” Mike says before he snaps his jaw shut, glancing at Will, “Gare’s pretty high up on Hop’s favorites list, just doesn’t want to jeopardize that.”
“Oh,” Arlo nods like it makes sense.
Eddie breaks the tension by popping the back of Gareth’s head. “You ever do shots with my daughter again and I’ll beat your ass, Emerson.”
Gareth makes an intrigued noise. “Promise?” Gare asks, grinning at the unamused glare Eddie gives him.
“William, get him in the car already.”
Will solutes before grabs Gareth’s wrist and hauls him towards the Buick - Gareth not putting up a fight. “See you guys in Hawkins!”
Kate mutely points from Dustin to the Buick.
“He’s riding with us,” Robin says, “The love birds requested it.”
“Which ones?” Kate mumbles, laughing when Robin swats at her as she heads for the car. “We ready?”
“Yep!” Steve says as he climbs in the drivers seat.
The teens file into their respective vehicles as Arlo waves and heads back for one of Skeleton Key’s rooms.
~
Will kicks his feet up on the dash as Gareth flies down the highway - Van Halen blasting from the speakers.
“Have you no manners?” Gareth jokes as he reaches over to take his hand.
“Used to,” Will turns his head to give Gareth a smile, “Then I started dating you.”
Gareth barks out a laugh, shaking his head, before he lifts Will’s hand to press a kiss to the back of it. “Sorry,” he says with a sigh, “I’m such a bad influence, I know.”
Will laughs, “Oh, yeah, so bad.”
The pair slip back into silence - apart from diver down playing in the background.
“So,” Gareth says as Pretty woman ends, “How mad would Hop be if we took a detour?”
“Mm,” Will hums before he lets go of Gare’s hand to flip the middle console up to sit in the middle, snuggling up to his side, “He’ll survive.”
~
Steve makes it halfway home before he pulls into a gas station.
“Fill up and driver change,” He announces as he kills the engine and hands the keys to Mike.
“Sweet,” Mike says, taking the keys before he tumbles out of the van to follow El into the gas station.
On his way in, he spots a dog - more like a puppy barely old enough to be away from its mother - at the edge of the parking lot, sniffing at the dumpster.
“Micheal, come on,” El complains, storming inside.
“Mad about that fan still?” Max asks as she and Lucas catch up.
Mike lets out a slightly self deprecating sigh. “Mad is kind of an understatement.”
“And it was fans, plural,” Lucas corrects.
Max winces on his behalf.
“Yeah, I thought I was gonna bunk with you two last night, but after Lucas told me about the puking I decided on the couch.”
“You’re literally a rockstar,” Max says flatly, “Flirting with fans is your job. You were literally doing your job.”
He forces a hollow laugh. “According to El, it’s not and I enjoyed it too much.”
“Did you?” Lucas asks as he holds the door open for Mike and Max.
Mike gives him one of his signature scowls. “Dude. Come on. Obviously I enjoyed it the normal amount.”
Max giggles, “You signed someone’s boob, Micheal, how much can you enjoy that?”
“Yeah, that’s like signing Patrick Swazye’s abs for you.”
Max narrows her eyes as she thinks before she nods. “You’ve got a point,” she finally relents, “Carry on.”
Lucas chuckles, shaking his head.
Mike breaks off, hunting down the aisles for snacks before he grabs jerky and a Coke, making his way to the register.
“Find everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Mike mumbles, tossing a Mar’s bar in the mix, “How longs that dog been out there?”
“‘Bout a week,” the worker shrugs, “Was two. Something happened to the other one when I was off.”
Mike hums.
“Some asshole dumped them,” the worker provides.
Mike slowly nods. “Hey, can I get a chicken strip, too?”
“Sure, $1.50,” the worker says, heading to go get the chicken strip out of the hot box.
Mike forks over the money before he pockets his snack and heads outside, detouring to the dumpster.
He’s mildly aware of Steve watching him - but he’s also slightly, somewhat, confident Steve won’t tell him no - so he sits on the edge of the sidewalk, breaking the chicken strip into little pieces, waving one towards the puppy.
It’s a fuzzy, black and white, mutt.
“Come on,” Mike mumbles, tossing a piece of the chicken before getting another piece.
The dog slowly makes its way over to Mike, finishing off the chicken strip before it lets Mike pet it.
Steve sighs, looking at Eddie.
Eddie smiles at him, “I’m not being the bad guy.”
Steve sighs again, looking back at Mike as he coaxes the puppy into his lap. “We own a dog, don’t we?”
“We own a dog now,” Eddie confirms as he climbs in the van.
Mike picks the puppy up - with little resistance from the dog - turning to look at Steve. “Dad-“
“Micheal,” Steve responds, tone slightly amused.
“Please?” Mike asks, holding the puppy up beside his face, getting an excited puppy tongue to the face in response.
Steve tries to keep a stern face, but Mike sticks his bottom lip out.
“But Dad, he’s all alone.”
Steve heaves out a sigh, looking at Eddie, who shrugs.
“He makes good points.”
“You’re no help.”
“Never claimed to be,” Eddie shrugs, settling into his seat.
“Why does Mike have a dog?” Max asks as she walks out of the store with El and Lucas.
Mike looks at Max and then back at Steve. “Dad, can we keep him?”
“Mike-“
“But dad!” Mike whines, walking closer, “He’s lonely.”
“Yeah dad,” Eddie throws in, smiling when Steve glares at him.
Steve looks back at Mike - and the stray that has settled in Mike’s arm.
“You’re house training it.”
“Seriously?” Mike asks, grinning.
“It’s your responsibility.”
“Yes!” Mike quietly cheers as he heads for the van - Dog in arms, holding him out to Steve to take, which he begrudgingly does, before Mike runs around to the drivers door to get in.
Steve gets in the backseat, the dog immediately getting stolen by Eddie.
“What’s its name?” Eddie asks.
Mike shrugs as he adjusts the seat.
“Spot?” Max offers as she settles into the seat.
“He has no spots,” Eddie points out.
“Fluffy?” Lucas chimes in as Mike starts the engine and pulls back onto the highway.
“Overused,” Max argues.
“Oh -!” Eddie starts to say, getting cut off by Mike.
“He’s my dog, damnit, I’ll name him!”
Max and Eddie both give each other a look before they settle into the backseat, silent.
“Well,” Steve finally says, taking the dog back, holding it up to his face - biting back a smile at the slobbery tongue he gets in return. “We already have an Ozzy, maybe you should match. James?”
Mike makes a face, offering, “Lemmy?”
“He doesn’t look druggy enough,” Steve states.
Eddie gasps, offended, from beside him. “Did you just say Lemmy looks druggy?”
~
Gareth and Will end up parked not far outside of Hawkins, down a backroad that Gareth is pretty sure leads to the lake - a new Van Halen tape playing in the car stereo - both of them having relocated to the back seat with Will having ended up in Gareth’s lap.
“You’re sure this is far enough out it’s not in Hop’s jurisdiction?” Will asks - again.
“Babe, it’s fine,” Gareth promises, settling his hands on Will’s hips, “Hop never comes out this far even if it is. Do you know how many times I’ve parked out here to smoke and he’s never even driven by?”
“Okay.”
Will relaxes - barely - into Gareth, nodding, before he pulls Gareth into kiss him.
It doesn’t take long before they get a little- heated, Will barely recognizes that everybody wants some!! by Van Halen is the song that starts, making him giggle.
Gareth pulls back slightly, giving Will a confused look. “What?”
“Nothing!” Will says, shaking his head, “Nothing - just, the song.”
“Song?” Gareth repeats dumbly before he realizes, shaking his head as he laughs, “Holy shit.”
Will shakes his head, still smiling at the irony, before he leans back into Gareth, hand reaching up to tangle in his curls.
~
“My vote is still Dio,” Steve states as Mike takes the exit to head to Hawkins, getting weird looks from Max and Eddie. “‘Cause, you know?” he says, shrugging, “Ozzy and Dio? Both in Black Sabbath?”
“The fact you know that baffles me,” Eddie states, leaning over to steal a kiss - making all the teens loudly voice their opinions.
“Gross!” Mike states.
“Dad, I’m right here!” Max says from beside Steve, even if she’s grinning.
“Ugh, my eyes,” Lucas chimes in, jokingly.
“Get a room,” Jane states flatly.
“Feel the love you guys,” Eddie says with a smirk, making them all laugh.
They all stay silent as Mike makes the turn towards Hawkins.
“We could name him Satan.”
“We are not naming the family dog Satan, Micheal!” Steve immediately scolds, making Eddie laugh.
“He does kinda look like a Satan. Maybe a Lucifer?” Eddie offers, making Max and Mike giggle at Steve’s exasperated sigh.
“We are not naming the dog after an entity of the underworld,” Steve states, “Of any religion so Hades is off the table too.”
“Mm,” Eddie rests his chin on Steve’s shoulder to look at the puppy - long since gone to sleep, snuggled up to Steve. “He doesn’t give off Hades vibes. Metallica?”
Steve drops his head back on the seat, groaning. “No!”
~
Hop opts to - stupidly, might he add - take the call in about a ‘suspicious vehicle’ down one of the side roads outside of Hawkins instead of Callahan, and isn’t sure if he should laugh or not when he pulls up to none other than Gareth’s Buick parked off to the side, music blaring. He squints, barely making someone - no, two someone’s in the backseat.
He heaves out a sigh, shaking his head as he shoves the cruiser in park and gets out, heading for the Buick.
“These fuckin’ kids are gonna make me gray,” he mumbles as he nears the back fender. He determines everyone appears clothed, so he counts it as a small victory at least.
Neither notice him, both too - preoccupied.
He decides he’s never letting them live this down. This is going in his speech at their wedding and will be used along side whatever the fuck Mike and El try to pull to teach grandchildren not to try and be sneaky, he decides mutely as he focuses on the gravel crunching under his work boot.
He clears his throat - loudly - before he pounds on the back drivers window, opting to keep his eyes trained on the trees above the hood of the car.
“Shit!”
“Oh my god!”
He hears scrambling - and possibly a quietly hissed ‘I thought you said he doesn’t patrol out here!’ That makes him chuckle.
He finally deems it safe enough to look towards the car. “You two okay back there, Emerson?”
He takes a step back as Gareth opens the door - looking a healthy mix of mortified and guilty. “Uh, Hey, Hop.”
Will clears his throat, trying to hike his shirt up high enough to cover a hickey on the junction of his neck and shoulder, keeping his eyes focused on anything but Hopper. “Hi dad.”
“Coming out here to smoke weed is one thing, Emerson,” Hopper comments, relishing in the realization dawning Gareth’s face, “Coming out here to defile my son is another.”
“You knew about that?” Gareth squeaks, voice at least two octaves higher than it usually is.
Hopper raises a brow, giving Gareth a what do you think look.
Gareth audibly gulps. “Any chance we don’t tell Joyce?”
Hopper bounces his gaze between Gareth and Will for a second. “We never speak of this again, understood?”
Both quickly nod.
“Understood, sir!”
“Thank you.”
Hopper stares at them for a second longer before he shakes his head - biting back a smile. “Get your asses to Steve’s. Now.”
“Yes sir!” Gareth repeats, scrambling to get in the drivers seat.
Will points towards the Buick, slightly lost expression on his face. “Um, can I-?”
“Get to Steve’s, kid,” Hopper repeats, a little softer before he turns and heads back to the cruiser.
Will stares at him for a second before he rushes to the passenger side door to climb in.
“Will, I swear -!”
“It’s fine,” Will mumbles as he shuts the door.
“I promise I didn’t think he patrolled this area.”
Will sighs, turning his head to give Gareth a small smile. “Gare, I believe you,” Will says quietly, “I didn’t really think you’d want my dad to see that.”
Gareth hums as he pulls off the side of the road and heads towards Steve’s. “It could’ve been worse, I guess.”
“That is not happening in the back seat of your Buick,” Will states seriously, “Ever.”
“What? I’ll pick romantic music!”
Will snorts out a laugh, reaching over to hold Gareth’s hand. “Oh, yeah, because music’s the issue with that scenario."
~
”Axl?” El offers - sprawled out in the living room floor with the puppy happily playing with her and Max, Ozzy watching from a safe distance away on the back of the couch.
“I’m not naming my dog after your rockstar crush,” Mike says flatly.
“Slash?” Max offers, looking over her shoulder to grin at Mike.
“Or yours!”
Lucas looks up from the puppy to Mike before he looks at Max. “Which ones slash?”
“Guitarist of Guns ‘n’ roses,” Steve reports as he walks by, getting a bewildered look from Eddie, “Tall, dark, and handsome. Has a top hat.”
“The one with the hair!” Max adds on dreamily.
“So, we’re keeping them far away from Slash at cadence, right?” Eddie asks, only half joking.
“We’re keeping them away from him the rest of our lives, Munson.”
Steve rolls his eyes, but Max just smiles.
They all startle when the phone rings.
“I’ll get it!” Max yells as she jumps up, both her and Mike rushing for the phone - she delivers an elbow to the ribs as she flings herself on the wall the phones hung on. “Harrington residence!”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, hey, Arlo!”
“You asshole!” Mike yells.
“Anyway,” Arlo says, not sounding a bit bothered, “Can anyone hear me?”
“No, Mike’s still being a wimp.”
“Guess what I just got told?”
Max gasps, “No!”
“Yep,” Arlo says - and Max can practically hear his grin, “They’re extending the offer for opener next week.
Max shrieks, “Oh my god!”