#mayler

Karen, who’s been sleeping with Susan even before her divorce: well we’re else is going to sleep Nancy?

Mike: the couch?

Karen:

Karen: well the bed is far more comfortable than a couch and she’s been working so hard! She deserves a proper bed.

Mike and Nancy side eye each other: okay mom.

~~meanwhile~~

Max: are you fucking Miss Wheeler?

oh hello. hi. what if I were to just tag @4rielle for no reason here.

•Got really close when Max was in the hospital especially because they knew Max and Mike got really close during their freshman year.

•Karen brings Susan food a lot and always tells Susan that if she needs somewhere to stay her house is open regardless of how many people live there.

•there are nights were Susan just can’t take being in the hospital anymore and does crash at the Wheeler place. Ted hates it but Karen (and Joyce) always defends Susan and Ted is always put in his place.

•When they first met they both had instant attention to each other but since they are both in deep denial they both separately decided to avoid each other.

•Karen LOVES Susan’s hair and loves playing with it

•they both relate to each other when it comes to their experience with queerness and the pressure to conform and have kids

•if they had met and got together when they were younger (I’m talking Mike and Max as baby younger) i def think they would’ve loved putting m&m in matching outfits and take a million pictures. (Nancy would laugh and make fun of them).

•honestly they would probably still try and do it even with Mike and Max becoming step siblings in their teens.

•they also probably accidentally convinced m&m that they were actually twins and they didn’t figure out that they weren’t until an embarrassing age (Lucas had to be the one to break it to them)

•Susan can’t cook for shit but is definitely the better baker out of the two so once Max wakes up she starts making Karen all different types of sweets as a thank you for being there.

•Ted fucking dies and Susan and Max move into the Wheelers after everything and so Susan ends up sharing Karen’s bed with her and yeah they have massive gay feels.

•the hardest substance Karen has had is vodka but Susan had definitely done coke

•after Billy died and Neal left max and Mike would constantly sneak the other in for sleep overs the thing is tho is that Karen and Susan definitely figured it out and basically started co-parenting them without even realizing it.

•once Susan moves in permanently she completely repaints the house with Karen to make it feel like it’s their home now.

•“Mom I’m gay” “omg i was going to say the same thing!” “WHAT” — Karen and Mike one night

•Once Max finds out and processes the fact that her mom is dating her best friend’s mom she finds her favorite part of it all is the fact that Nancy is basically her older sister now.

•Nancy had guess that something was happening between the two for a while and was so relieved when she was right. Nancy is so happy that the only men in her family now are the Byers and Lucas.

•Holly LOVES that she can call Max her older sister now because they are trauma bonded to hell.

• try’s to be fem to appear appealing to Neal but honestly doesn’t feel comfortable presenting that way. She’s way more masc than fem.

• she’s good a good baker.

• bisexual with a strong fem lean and had many short lived relationships with both but mostly girls at 18-21 until she felt forced to settle down after getting pregnant.

• her first husband filed for divorce because he wanted to start over with his mistress. They have a horrible relationship and he is vary distant with Max.

• is the one that encourages Max’s skateboarding even though she’s extremely worried about Max getting hurt.

• definitely crush’s hard on Karen. Karen in the femme of her dreams.

• LOVES Lucas and 100% already sees him as her son-in-law. When they broke up during freshman year Susan did not take it well.

• grew up with a alcoholic dad that was verbally but not physically abusive. It’s what makes her and Neal even sadder.

• Neal has put his hands on her but it’s in the ways that someone might not think of as abuse immediately.

• likes Mike he’s her second favorite (her first Lucas)

• is extremely proud of Max and wishes she could’ve been better support for her.

• actually went to college but dropped out due to being pregnant. Wishes she could go back but doesn’t see it as a possibility.

• would try and look after Lucas whenever he would be visiting Max at the hospital. Lucas would also try and take care of her.

• because of the trailer being destroyed they move in with the Wheelers

• Karen, Joyce and Susan have crazy tension (threesome 👀)

• has done coke at least once

• has smoked since she was 13

• first time she got drunk she was 10 and it was because she wanted to try her dads beer.

• tried to correct Billy on his shitty behavior but it always fell flat because he never respected her or saw her as a parental figure. 

• when her and Max moved into the trailer park is when her depression and alcohol abuse got really bad. It felt like her life was over.

• drinks with Karen on the occasion.

• knows Max sneaks out and hangs out with her friends (Mike) at night but can’t bring himself to tell to stop. They both are depressed and suicidal.

• thinks Dustin is funny and sweet but finds him a bit annoying as well.

• never got to meet El until after Max was in a coma and Susan was just glad Max has so many friends to support her. Thinks El is really sweet. Calls and knows her by Jane.

• the move to Hawkins was because of Billy but Susan and Neal we’re already planning to move in a hope to save their marriage.

• post s3-pre s4 era was lonely because she had no support system in Hawkins for her. Post s4-pre s5 was hard but full of support from all the people that love Max.

• Miss. Sinclair would constantly try and get her to stay over and eat some dinner. Susan would always decline unless Lucas was there and he would pull out the bigs (max) and it always hurts more from him.

• Miss. Henderson also invites her over but she mostly comes to give Susan snacks and drinks.

• Karen brings flowers and leftovers for her to have.

• Joyce just sits with her and lets her talk about her stress and worries.

• Susan has no idea what to do with this support because she’s never had anything like it before.

Her son and his friends always have to push Lucas out of the girls room but Susan doesn’t have anyone to do that for her. Karen then makes a point to show up after dinner with some leftover food and every other week she changes out the flowers in the room. Susan is alone, dead stepson, two time divorcee, and now her only daughter in a coma and on top of all that a destroyed house! So yes Karen tries to be the woman’s friend.

Karen doesn’t succeed all that well though, which all things considered Karen can’t fault the other woman for not opening up. Karen makes it to Max’s room, the lights dimmed in there to make her eventual waking up less disorienting. Susan sits next to the bed, her red hair a mess and her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Kate Bush plays throughout the room like usual which must be driving the poor woman up the wall.

“Hey, I’ve come bearing food.” Karen makes her voice soft and low as she doesn’t want to upset Susan. Karen’s been told off before for being too loud in the room and she wants to respect the other mom’s wishes. It’s her daughter’s hospital room after all. Susan looks up at Karen, her eyes give nothing away as she stares long and hard. Her intense blue eyes always strike Karen in a way that she’s only experienced once before. Joyce to Karen always had the most beautiful brown eyes so deep and caring, that wasn’t Susan’s eyes though no Susan had hard and mean eyes. Susan's eyes scream tired and Karen always had a hard time looking away.

“Thank you.” Susan’s scratchy voice whispers out, making Karen’s stomach turn slightly. Karen hands the container of food over to Susan and like always Susan sets the container on the side table not eating it. Karen smiles sadly before rushing over to the vase of wilting flowers and changes it out for the fresh ones. Karen throws out the flowers in the trash and then sits down next to Susan.

“It’s a salad by the way, I figured leftover salad would be easy to eat in a hospital.” Karen rushes out her face heating slightly as she does. She always gets like this when around the other women ever since they met. She’ll never forget it, it was a few days after Halloween when she saw the woman with beautiful fiery hair step out of a car with her daughter in front of her house and introduced herself as Susan. Karen of course acted like the polite welcoming hostess but all she really wanted to do was run her hands through Susan’s hair.

“Thanks.” Susan’s response was once again rough as continues to stare at her daughter. Karen can’t blame the other woman for her shortness because Karen wouldn’t be any better if it was one of her kids sitting in that hospital bed.

“You can go now.” Susan says like she always says expecting to be abandoned in her grief. Karen grimaces and lays a hand on Susan’s arm.