#background steve

Chapter 2— Twins and Poly-nailery

Ao3 Link

Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.1.23

Summary: Max has a lot of shit going on in her life

(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)

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Dustin met Mad Max when she moved to Hawkins in 8th grade. Why her parents (or mom and stepdad) chose to move from fancy California to bum-fuck-nowhere Indiana beat him, but alas, they had, and it had brought Dustin one of his best, closest friends.

Originally, Dustin believed he had a crush on her. Soon, he realized that feeling of jealousy, of passion to prove himself, and burning love…wasn’t exactly romantic. It was 100% familial, and after the Snow Ball fiasco and the second (and hopefully last) edition of traumatic bullshit that was the Upside Down, Dustin, Max, and Steve became a little unit of melancholy daddy issue holders.

So, Max and Dustin got really damn close. Close enough that Dustin started to learn her quirks and mannerisms, how to tell if she was nervous or excited, and how to tell if she liked you or if she was just flat-out annoyed.

In the summer of 1985, Dustin noticed her becoming closer with El, and close in a way Max had only been before she started dating Lucas.

So that was something.

More and more, on his off time from dealing with the Russians and contacting Suzie, he’d see the two together, easily brush off-able as besties or bffs, but Dustin knew Max better than that.

So he did his research, because he wanted to support his sister as much as possible. Even if she didn’t know what she was feeling, he wanted to make sure she knew he loved her for it.

In 1976, David Bowie came out as bisexual.

Perfect.

Bisexuality meant she could like both Lucas and El, boys and girls.

However, that was a long shot. Maybe Max was completely over Lucas, or maybe she wanted to try something new, or maybe she didn’t even catch how her feelings were absolutely more than platonic.

So, all Dustin had to do was confront her about it, or…confront really wasn’t the right word, it made it all seem threatening and angry; Max already got enough of that in her life.

He was…talking…to her about it.

Talking worked!

Yeah.

Dustin had no idea what would happen with Billy, though.

He couldn’t predict the grief that would strike her for weeks, making her unattainable. He could understand, though, and knew to give her space. A sexuality crisis could wait until after a grief one.

It was well into September, now, a few weeks after their first day of high school, when Dustin and Max found themselves alone (or, semi-alone, Steve was downstairs in the kitchen) in Max’s new designated bedroom in the Harrington mansion.

Dustin was jealous as hell for that, side note. He knew the reason why she got it, and knew it wasn’t a great reason by any means, but he was still mad as hell Max now got to live with Steve and he didn’t. (Though he’d spend enough time there in the next few weeks for it to become their room, but he didn’t know that yet).

Dustin knew this was probably a good time to bring up the conversation he’d been putting off for about a month and a half, now, when the two of them were calm, sitting on Max’s big comfy bed. They were listening to music from an old record player, Max painting his nails a pretty purple (Eddie, the new DM at school, wore nail polish, and it was so cool).

"Hey, Max, I have a question." She looked up from his hands, eyebrows raised, and made questioning 'hmm' sound. "You…you know it’s ok if you like, girls, right?" He saw the panic immediately form on her face, "I don’t judge you, love is love…I think the saying is. Not sure." She blinked.

"I’m—I’m not gay!" So she didn’t know what bisexual meant, ok. Dustin could work with that!

"You can like guys and girls, Max. I’ve seen the way you look at Lucas and El, and it’s the same," Max’s cheeks flushed red, and her freaked gaze started to soften.

"You can…do that?" Dustin nodded, smiling slightly.

"David Bowie’s bisexual, so yeah, I think you can." Max blinked again, brow furrowing.

"Bisexual?"

"Bi, two, sexual, sexually attracted to." Dustin shrugged, "That’s the word he used to describe it, anyway." Max slowly closed the polish bottle, curling her knees to her chest in front of Dustin.

"I was so confused, I thought there was something wrong with me!" Dustin grinned.

"There’s nothing wrong with you, Max,"

"I like Lucas, and I knew I liked El, but I didn’t know if that meant if I was gay or…well, I guess you can see how that turned out, huh." They both laughed, but Dustin paused.

"You still like Lucas?" Max nodded.

"Yeah, uh, it’s weird but…I like them both? And I don’t want to have to choose, because they’re both amazing—"

"Polyamory." Max froze, eyes wide, jaw slightly dropped, "You have two hands, Max." Dustin grinned, slightly maliciously.

"Is that…there’s a term for feeling like that?" Dustin shrugged.

"I think that’s it. My mom taught it to me on the way back from camp, something about Suzie and Mormons and standards," He waved his hand, disregarding the topic, "Dunno. Either way, I think you should love whoever the fuck you want, and if it’s Lucas and El?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just don’t do it in the bed, man. I’m not sleeping over again if you do!" Max made a disgusted sound, and the two of them laughed.

"I’d hug you right now if your hands weren’t still drying, asshole," Dustin snickered, then his eyes widened.

"Also? Steve’s safe. Can’t really explain why, but…he won’t judge. He may be a little confused, though." Max nodded. "Wanted you to know since you’re staying here, now."

"Thanks," Dustin grinned.

"Anytime, sis."

———

Your honor, these are twins. No, I will not defend myself: this is a fact.

I've seen so many "Dustin is Steve's child" and "Max is Steve's child" to which I say "they are the trio of melancholy daddy issue holders and they are all siblings and Claudia is their Ma.