Chapter Text
1987
Vecna was near death. all the children were free from his control. You felt some sympathy. He wasn’t completely in control. Joyce nearly cut his head off.
She wanted to.
But everyone decided the best idea was to let him bleed to death. The best way to suffer after what he had done. He couldn’t have survived this. But it only got worse when Eleven sacrificed herself. You held Mike back, who finally just collapsed in your arms, sobbing from the death of El.
She at least was in a better place now, but you didn't tell it to Mike. It was all over, for good this time. And yes, your brother was devastated, but in time, he'd understand what El had to do. Maybe it was because you were older, but you understood, even if you were devastated and crying just as much as he was.
Sometimes, you had to let go, and Mike would learn that.
1989.
You only came home for one thing: your brother's graduation. Actually two, and seeing your family. To know that they were alive was relieving. The cycle ended once and for all. Except as soon as you came home, Mike ran. He hadn't been seen in a day. "I'll go looking for him," you say. "Y/N, Maybe he needs space," your mother said."after all, it's still been hard on him." you sigh, before replying," I guess so."
You've only been understanding of what Mike's gone through. But it's been what? 2 years now. Maybe he needed to at least begin to understand it all, maybe not move on and not grieve anymore, but at least do that.
You stay at the breakfast table. Holly had sat next to you."It's okay. He's fine." You nod at your sister's words, but you still worry for your younger brother. You finish breakfast, before heading to your bedroom.
It felt weird, being home and all. You hadn't been in this bedroom for sometime. You went off to NYU, like Jonathan, but for something different. "It's strange..." You say, knowing your mother was there."Like, there's a dark cloud over me." "It's going to be okay," She said, hugging you."We've all changed, sweetheart. It won't hurt any of us anymore." You nod, seeking comfort in your mother.
You just knew she was right.
Nothing could hurt any of you anymore. Nothing like that, anyway. You've been going to therapy, which was what helped you really move forward. You wished Mike would do the same. He's stuck in 1987, and you didn't blame him. He watched his girlfriend die in front of him.
well, girlfriend or friend? you weren't sure if they broke up or not. Everything that had happened over the past few years was finally put to an end. You liked that, of course, but you wished things had gone differently with El and Kali.
Hawkins was a peaceful town again.
"We all miss you, and Nancy," Mrs. Wheeler said, sniffing a few tears. "I miss you too, Mom, I just have a lot I want to do, outside of Hawkins, these past few years of chaos proved it for me," You said.
You had so much you wanted to get done. You finished getting ready for the graduation. All of them were growing up and you couldn't handle that either. They were still just kids, babies, honestly.
"You look great, Holly," You said."Nancy, you too." "Thanks, They both say, complimenting you back. Life seemed to work in weird ways. For a second, you thought that he might've won that battle. That no one would've made it out.
El, you wanted to believe, had found her happiness, that she lived in the end, but that was just a daydream. you knew it wasn't logical, but mike would believe it, and maybe if it gave him comfort, you'd be fine with it. as his older sister, all you wanted was for him to be safe and happy.
You held your breath, before letting it out.
"Mike's going to be there," Nancy assured you."He will." "I don't know, Nance," you say to her."I mean, what if he doesn't?" You were glad that at least, everyone was close by. Mostly. Most of the party had moved to New York. You had done so after you'd been accepted. It was always a plan to get the hell out of Hawkins. You just didn't expect it to be so soon. Now everyone was going to be on their own.
Why was this so much more harder than it had to be?
If there was anything positive about this chaos, it left a strong bond within the party. No matter what, they'd all always be so close. At least there was that. At least that still was existent. It could've been so much more worse.
“Is everyone ready?”
you nod and the others too. You were thankful that your parents recovered. You visited them both when you could, but with a lot going on it was hard. You hoped Mike would make the right decision and come back and graduate. Everyone had to see that. But you couldn’t push him either.
you learned that a while ago.
grief was funny, and it worked in funny ways. It also was different with everyone. You thought you moved on, but maybe you didn't. Was everyone just pretending? or was it genuine? Your feelings had been ripped apart, and now you had to figure out how to put them back together.
something else tore at you.
Henry's death.
No, it was a good thing, that wasn't what you had some weird feelings about. It was the fact that maybe, he could've been saved. he wasn't fully in control, he was like will, in a way. you didn't fully believe he 'chose' to be with the mind flayer.
okay, maybe you really were messed in the head after all of that. but it still was there in your head. what if you and the others, mainly will, had been successful? could he have been saved? it didn't justify anything, not at all, but, if Billy, the worst kind of asshole there was, could've had a small moment of goodness, Henry could've too.
Well that was just being naive and too optimistic.
But maybe.
You were a hopeful person. Hope that anyone could become good again. Redemption was possible for anyone, wasn't it? Well, some people were too far gone. You knew that. he was probably one of those people, but still. you held some hope. some, but not much. And yet it clouded over you, your own pain and suffering.
Sometimes for a second, you wish you had been taken and killed. So that your own trauma and pain could’ve been over and done with. You would’ve been more at peace with that. you sat at graduation in the row with your family. At least back in New York you had a boyfriend who was waiting. It wasn’t that serious yet but you’d be phoning and talking a lot.
“Hopefully we will meet your boyfriend at some point,” Your mother teased you. “Maybe,” you reply. “Yeah,” Nancy said to you, giving you a teasing look.”We would love to.” You rolled your eyes at her, nudging back. You knew she and Jonathan had reconnected, they just kept it a secret for a few months now. At this point, they could've been engaged. you never know. You sat back, and look over, Mike came after all, with Hopper.
You chuckle, of course he'd be the one to convince him.
You get up.
"Don't do that again, asshole," you tell him jokingly, hugging him before your mother came over. "Oh my gosh, Mike," She said. "Sorry, I just panicked," He replied. Mhm. You doubted it. but probably not. You roll your eyes."At least you came back in two pieces."
He chuckled."Of course I would."
You head back to your spot, but your mother stays, you smile at him, before heading back to your spot. Your little brother was graduating. It stung more than you'd like to admit. Tears were forming in your eyes and you tried holding back from crying, but you end up crying anyway, at Dustin's speech. He'd been right all along. With all the death and shit that happened, finally, a good thing had happened.
Something good for once.
Everything had been darkness. Just darkness. No good came out of this town. It was as if the curse was lifted, as if the cloud that reigned over for so long faded at last. You couldn't help but feel anything but contentment. Though you thought you were fine.
You were, mostly.
you were fine for fuck's sake. afterward, though, you just want to stay and hug them all forever. but you've got plans with Steve, Nancy, robin and Jonathan. you've got a lot to make up for. it's been a while.
you chuckle by your mother."I feel old, mom." she looked at you and laughed."you think you're old, honey?" you hug her tightly. after this, you'd be going home. luckily most of them lived in New York.
you loved it, you might not come back. you would, obviously, from time to time, your family still lived here. so you'd obviously come back after some time. you at least knew for the most part what you wanted in your life. Steve had done a lot in his life, Jonathan and Nancy too.
You head over to the roof spot. A few drinks wouldn't be so bad.
- -
Henry
He was dead.
Everything had failed. The Flayer had failed. Henry had failed. Or so he believed. It seemed like they'd given him a second chance, God. When he woke up, he was alive, back in the Creel House in Hawkins.
originally, he thought it might've been time travel.
but nope. it was 1989, Hawkins Indiana. only he was human.
The voice in his mind, the one that had always controlled him, was gone. Henry was himself again. Completely. Except for one flaw. he held a thirst for blood. Like a vampire. He needed blood. Of course he expected something. Something to have remained, the impact of being controlled for majority of his life did that.
Fuck.
That was an overwhelming feeling. So despite given a second chance at life, he was now a vampire? As if that was any better. Maybe it was more of a punishment to what he had done.
Henry expected to finally be at peace.
Not that he deserved it. He had harmed so many people and he was weak. He never resisted as much as he should have. He hadn’t even resisted hard enough for Patty.
That was the past he wanted to leave behind.
Mostly.
His House was in tact. It was what it was in his childhood. So, from the outside, it looked like someone had bought the home. He did, probably. He had wealth from his parents that he inherited.
Henry had walked out of the house, staring out at the outside world. For once, it wasn't the upside down. It was all normal. But what had he expected? it'd been two years now, as far as he remembered. Most of the human life he held was blurry, but he remembered. It wasn't sunny out, so he was able to be out freely, for now.
He walked back inside of his home.
He wasn’t sure what to feel now. He wasn’t controlled anymore. Henry had the freedom he had wanted for so long. The kind he couldn’t get back then.
He thought lastly to a girl that he remembered vaguely. She called out his name. It was not Eleven.
It was in one of the final battles.
She wanted to help him, she knew he was flayed. Mostly. But she had let go. The girl was beautiful. She was probably 18 or 19. Younger than he should be drawn to. But there was something about her that he now knew he had to go and chase for.
He was pretty positive she was his sister. The one with dark hair. Mike, he remembers.
He'd go for a Wheeler.
How ironic.
New York City,
You
"Hey babe," He smiles, entering your apartment easily. "Alex," You say, kissing him."I'm glad you're here." "Me too," he said."is your roommate gone?" "you mean my friend/roommate? yeah, whole place to ourselves," you grin." for now, at least." You couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. But it was all fine. But wasn't all of this just a show for you? You held up a smile, kissed Alex and pretended that you were fine.
Completely.
He sits on your couch, and you go to the fridge."Beer?" "Yeah," Alex laughed, you hand one to him. You open yours, and he opens his. You remembered your first date not too long after what had happened. Well it wasn't that long ago but you met him in 1988. Not that long ago, but you wanted to know him for much longer than you currently did. You sit down on the couch."I'll order a pizza. A fun but casual date in."
"I love simple," He tells you, kissing you.
you loved him, you were sure of it, that wasn't what you were pretending about. it was the other feelings. the other parts you pushed into a box after what happened. Alex just wouldn't completely understand. You met him in New York, he didn't come from Hawkins, he had no idea about the monsters, about vecna, or anything. you didn't need to tell him, not for a while anyway.
He wouldn’t believe you, probably. It sounded too ridiculous to be real. You wouldn’t have, if you didn’t experience it. So why would you think he would? yes, he was your boyfriend, but no normal person would've really believed you. and you would've understood.
You stop kissing him and then smile,” I’m going to order the pizza before I get distracted.” He laughed.”Too much of a distraction, hm?”
You nod.”A cute one.”
You get up to the phone and order a pizza. You only need one since it's the two of you. You remember what your first date had been. It was romantic, at a restaurant better than Enzo's. You thought that was the fanciest place ever, but you only had been in Hawkins. You didn't experience New York yet. You order pizza. Here, the pizza was great. You were glad you moved, you almost didn't. Your mother and father both well, told you how much they'd miss you. But you didn't let that discourage you. You had to go out on your own.
Independence was something you've been wanting for so long, you finally had it. And you didn’t want to ever let go of it.
You didn’t plan to at all.
After ordering the pizza, you almost sat back down on the couch before you heard a knock.
”I’ll get it,” you tell Alex.” Don’t worry about it.”
You didn’t expect what you’d see behind the door.
Henry.
You saw him bleed out and die. Maybe you should’ve gone with Joyce’s idea to chop his head off but you and Eleven both felt sympathy. Will too. He was controlled.
Even if he didn’t know it.
”What…” You began said, closing the door behind you.”How are you here?”
”I was given a second chance,” Henry said.”And I’ve been here for a day or so now. I’ve got money. New York is a beautiful city, I’ll give it that.”
”I will fight you again if you came here for that,” You said. “I don’t want that,” Henry said calmly.”So no need to threaten me. I’d just want to talk.”
You sigh.”Fine. But hurry up, I’ve got a date.”
- -
It isn’t that cold out but it is slightly windy as you walk alongside him. “So, you became a vampire and got a second chance?” You ask.
”Yes,” He said.”He doesn’t influence or control me anymore. The Mind Flayer is dead and buried.” “Why come to me?” You ask, stepping back.”What if you want my blood?”
Henry chuckled.”I am not thirsty for blood at the moment. And I came here because you were the only one that believed in me.”
“Because I could see that you weren’t in control, it wasn’t you,” You said.”I know a flayed person when I see one, believe me.”
This man had done so much evil. He had kidnapped your little sister and her friends. He almost killed them all.
”I may move here,” Henry said.”What a city indeed.” “So you want me to help you again?” You ask.”I am still a little lost.” “Yes,” He replied.”In a way.”
”How long have you been under his control?”
”Far too long now. But it’s over.”
You wanted to help, truly. You did. If anyone deserved a second chance, it might’ve been Henry. Billy was given one. But granted he died.
“And I am very glad to hear that,” You said. “But I also came to help you,” Henry said. “How would you help me?” You asked.
”Because I know your pain.”
You didn’t know what to say, honestly. What could you say? Denying it won’t do anything. Denial wasn’t helpful at all. “Then we could help each other out,” You offer.
“That would be fair,” Henry agreed. You come closer to him.”For now, they can’t know. Everyone else. They won’t get it yet.”
Henry nodded in agreement.
“Are you staying anywhere?” You asked. “Yes,” Henry said.”So I am fine. And I wouldn’t want to interrupt… your date.” “Right,” You said.”Enjoy this, Henry. It’s freedom. You should experience it.”
He turns around and smiles. You watch him light a cigarette before walking. You decide to get back before it gets too cold.
There was one thing you didn’t know.
One thing Henry purposely didn’t tell you.
You were his soulmate.