#venca

After multiple trips back to the real world to find someone he finally found success. You. You were strong, smart, very caring, and very sweet. Plus you working at a job that seemed to be wearing you down was enough to inspire him on how he'd take you. He knew it needed to be fast. So in the cover of night he entered your home. There you were all tired out still in work clothes fully crashed on your bed. Using those magical powers he entered your mind. Started feeding you false memories. Planting how you had been dating for a while and how you knew he left for "work". This "work" being going and getting the kids for his big plan. One you didn't know much about but you knew you needed to take care of these kids and the home.

You woke up groggily. Laying in bed in a short slip dress, hair all over, everything smelling very new but familiar. You sat up and noticed the room. Pink with lace trimmings everywhere. Pink curtains on the extremely large windows. The blanket's shades of pink and white. The only thing that was out of the ordinary in what seemed to be your dream bedroom was the giant dark oak bed frame. Definitely not what you would have picked. A very masculine touch in what seemed to be your feminine room.

"good morning sweetheart" you heard from the doorway. You pulled the blankets up guarding yourself with them like they would do much and turned toward the sound. There he was in all his glory. Standing in his orange brown suit. With his clean shaven face and pretty glasses. "How are you feeling?" He says as he sits at the edge of the bed. "Alright?" You say weary. "You had quite a fall' he replies back almost like he knew you were suspicious. "Fall?" "Yeah, you were walking down the stairs with too many things in your hands. You couldn't see. You tripped and fell down the stairs. Hit your head pretty hard and then pass out." You immediately felt a pain rush to your head. It was a false pain he had caused to make his lie seem real. Then false memories came in. You walk with a pile of clothes to take to wash, tripped, and tumbled all the way down. Then all of the other memories of who this man was came flooding forward. Just enough to not make you suspicious. "Henry?" "Yeah sweetheart?" "My head still kinda hurts" "It will for a while darlin. Stay in bed all day while I go out." And even though you feel as if you've just met this man but not you don't want him to leave. "Wait where are you going?" You say reaching for his hand. "Today I am just going to get you groceries since I will be out all day tomorrow. I won't be long" he says kisses your hand and leaving. You lay down and end up passing out for the entire day.

The next day you wake up more aware, alert. Your head doesn't even hurt anymore. You get up still wearing the same slip as yesterday. You walk down the stairs holding the railing as to be more careful this time. You walk towards the kitchen and begin to smell the best smell ever. When you walk in Henry is flipping pancakes on the stove as holly is sitting on the island eating. "Good morning love" he says plating some pancakes for you. "Morning what's all this?" "Oh just wanted to make you breakfast before I leave for the day." You give him a weary look, like you are not ready to be left away from him. "Its okay Holly is staying with you. Right holly?" He looks at the small girl who smiles and nods her head as she has food in her mouth and can't talk. "Good, now I have to leave to go to work and go do things. But I will be back later and with the others" "others?" "Yes sweetheart remember. You are here to look after the kids and keep the house clean. I have to go get the other kids but for now you and Holly get the whole house to yourselves" Holly immediately breaks out in a smile. So do you, granted if you in your right state of mind you would be seeing all the red flags right now. He leaves with a kiss of your cheek and a wave out the door.

You sit at the island next to Holly. You begin to eat in silence. Holly perks up once finishing her food and putting the plate away. "I'm gonna go play dress up, you can come once you're done if you want" You smile at the young girl "yeah let me finish eating" She nods her head and leaves. You sit and eat silently. Mostly because you have this strange feeling you can't shake. Like you don't belong where you are. Despite how much of a dream life it is for you. It still feels off.

You spent the whole day playing with Holly. Doing whatever she wanted. You played dressed up, baked a cake, and danced to the music she played on her new radio. You decided that you needed to make dinner. Taking whatever groceries were got yesterday and making something before Henry came home. It was quiet in the house nothing but the shuffling of pans and cutting of food. Right before you finished you heard the front door open. Then you heard kids running and screaming. They all showed up in the kitchen then Henry shortly after.

"Hello love" he said coming up to you and kissing your cheek. "Hi" you replied. "Who are these kids?" "They are kids I'm helping. Remember I told you I was gonna help save them" You sat there for a minute thinking before smiling "Oh yeah" He smiles back "Well more the merrier" you said while plating food for all the kids. There was 6 of you now. You, Henry, Holly, and 3 new kids. After dinner you put the kids in their respective rooms Henry had for them. Giving them all the maternal love you could.

You walked back to your room and walked in locking the door after entering. Henry was sitting on the edge of the bed in just his sleeping pants. He doesn't turn towards you but he knows you're there. "You did well today" he says in a low voice. "Thank you" you blush and walk past him to the closet. He watched you take a slip dress out of the closet and walk to the bathroom. The bathroom is filled with every skincare product you could want. Things for an everything shower and perfumes galore. You take an everything shower and then put on the pretty slip. Brush your hair and put on night creams. You slather yourself in lotion and spray perfume in all the right places. You walk out and he's still at the edge of the bed

"you're wonderful you know that" he says lowly "stop" you say trying to cover your face. "I simply won't." He says grabbing you by the waist. "You are beautiful beyond anything" kissing your stomach. "And you are sweet and kind" he says again kissing your hands. "You are everything" he says getting up and kissing your neck. He turns you around and lays you down. "And I am so thankful for you staying with me" he kisses your lips slowly. You might have a funny feeling about all of this but his lips of yours are enough of a distraction for now.

He pulls away just to stare at you under him. He pushes a piece of hair out of your face and kisses you again. He climbs on top of you more. Pulling your leg up so it sits on top of his waist. Grabbing at your waist to encourage you to grind against him as he kisses you with so much passion. "Henry wait" you say breathless. He backs away "what?" Slightly annoyed but trying to hide it. "There are other people in the house we can't" you say while still pushing against him. "Oh sweetheart, you say no but the rest of you is saying yes." He kisses you again "Don't worry, no one is going to come by" "yeah well what about the noise" "well then maybe you should try and watch how loud you get" he says kissing your neck. "Henry" you repeat hushed. "Shhh baby, gotta be quiet remember." You close your mouth tight and nod. "Good girl" he whispers back

____________________________________________

He was. We all knew it, even if none of us said it out loud. Vecna was somewhere out there, lurking between worlds. And every step we took felt like brushing too close to something ancient, angry, and broken.

We were searching for clues. Anything that might help us stop him.

Robin was combing through a pile of old papers near the fireplace when she froze. “Hey… guys? You need to see this.”

We crowded around as she carefully pulled out a small, dusty box wedged behind a loose brick. The lid creaked open, revealing faded photographs, yellowed letters, and a delicate silver bracelet.

“What is it?” Mike asked.

I took one of the photographs, my fingers trembling. It was black and white, but even through the age of it, I could see a young Henry Creel maybe 12 years old smiling. Beside him stood a girl, about the same age, her arm looped around his, laughing like she didn’t have a care in the world.

She was beautiful.

“Who’s that?” Dustin asked.

Will leaned closer. “There’s writing on the back.”

I turned it over. In looping handwriting, it said:

Henry and Y/N - Summer 1958

“Y/N…” I murmured.

“She looks happy,” Robin said softly. “He looks… different.”

Lucas frowned. “Different how?”

“Human,” she replied.

That word lingered in the air like a ghost.

We looked through the other photographs more of Henry and Y/N. Sitting beneath a tree. Reading together. Him playing the piano while she leaned against the edge, smiling up at him.

There were letters, too. Folded, stained, filled with careful script: talk of dreams, books, music, stars.

He loved her. Even I could see that.

“Guys,” I said slowly, an idea forming in my chest, “what if she’s still alive?”

Dustin blinked. “Wait you think we can find her?”

“If she knew Henry before he became… Vecna,” I said, “then maybe she can reach him. Make him stop.”

Robin nodded, eyes wide. “It’s worth a shot. Because honestly? We’re running out of options.”

Finding her wasn’t easy.

But Hopper had friends at the police station, and with the name and old address from one of the letters, we traced Y/N down to a quiet town two hours away.

We arrived at a small cottage surrounded by tall trees, the kind of place that looked untouched by time. The garden was overgrown, but flowers still bloomed wild and beautiful.

I felt a strange nervousness settle in my stomach. Meeting someone from his past felt dangerous. Sacred, almost.

When the door opened, a woman in her late 30's stood before us. Her eyes kind but sharp. She looked at us with quiet confusion.

“Yes?” she asked softly.

“Are you Y/N?” I asked.

She hesitated. “I am. Who’s asking?”

I took a deep breath. “My name’s Eleven. We’re… friends of someone you used to know. Henry Creel.”

The world seemed to still.

Her face went pale, her breath catching. “Henry?”

The others stayed quiet, letting me explain. I told her about Hawkins, about Vecna, about what he had become. About how we thought hoped she might be the one person who could still reach him.

By the time I finished, tears had gathered in her eyes.

“Henry,” she whispered, voice trembling. “I thought he was dead.”

“He’s not,” I said softly. “But he’s lost. And I think you might be the only one who can help him remember who he was.”

She was silent for a long moment, staring past me at something far away a memory, maybe. Then she nodded.

“All right,” she said. “Take me to him.”

Y/N’s Pov-

The woods felt different now.

When I was young, Henry and I used to walk through them for hours, barefoot and laughing, talking about things too big for the world around us. He’d tell me about stars and time and the cruelty of people who never understood him.

And I’d listen. I always listened.

Now, as I followed Eleven and her friends into the ruins of Creel House, the same woods seemed to close in, dark and heavy. Every step felt like stepping into the past or a nightmare.

We set up near the living room, where the air crackled faintly with something I couldn’t name. Eleven stood still, eyes closed, focusing. The others hung back, whispering among themselves.

Then the temperature dropped.

A sound like a distant, distorted breath filled the space.

“Henry,” Eleven called softly. “Someone wants to see you.”

The lights flickered. My heart pounded.

And then he was there.

Not in flesh, not really but his presence filled the room. The air shimmered, and from the shadows, he emerged. Tall, thin, monstrous. His skin a twisted network of scars and roots, eyes burning red.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. The boy I had loved was gone.

But when he looked at me like really looked at me something flickered behind those eyes. Recognition.

“Y/N,” he rasped, voice low and hollow.

I swallowed hard. “Hello, Henry.”

The others tensed, but he didn’t attack. Didn’t move. He just… stared.

“I thought you were dead,” I whispered.

He tilted his head, the faintest trace of sorrow in his voice. “You should have let me be.”

“I couldn’t,” I said. “You don’t have to be this, Henry. You don’t have to keep hurting people.”

He laughed, though it sounded more like a broken sigh. “It’s too late for that.”

“No,” I said firmly. “It’s not.” I took a step forward, ignoring Eleven’s warning look. “I’ve seen what you became, but I remember who you were. The boy who used to read to me under the oak tree. The boy who said the world was cruel but wanted to make it better. You were kind once.”

His gaze flickered confusion, pain, something human surfacing beneath the monster’s mask.

“That boy died a long time ago,” he murmured.

“Then let me remind you,” I said, tears blurring my vision. “You used to believe people could change. You used to hope. And I know that part of you is still there, somewhere.”

For a heartbeat, silence.

Then he took a step closer, and the air thickened with power. I could feel it pressing against me, cold and suffocating yet it didn’t frighten me.

He stopped just a few feet away. His hand lifted slightly, trembling.

“I missed you,” he said softly.

The words broke something inside me.

“I missed you too.”

He looked down, as though ashamed. “When Brenner took me, I thought about you. For years. You were the only thing that made sense. But then the world it showed me what I truly was.”

“You’re not a monster,” I said. “You were made into one.”

He laughed bitterly. “And yet here I stand.”

I stepped closer, reaching out. “You can still stop this, Henry. Please.”

His eyes softened just for a moment. Then his expression darkened again, torn between rage and sorrow.

“They’ll never let me go,” he said. “They’ll never understand.”

“I do,” I whispered. “I always have.”

He stared at me then, long and hard. And for the first time since he’d appeared, the red faded slightly from his eyes not gone, but dimmed, as if something deep inside him was fighting to resurface.

“Y/N…” His voice cracked. “I don’t know how.”

“Start by remembering who you were,” I said. “Who we were.”

He closed his eyes, and the entire house seemed to tremble. For a moment, I thought the walls would collapse but then the pressure eased.

When he opened his eyes again, there were tears... real tears slipping down the hollowed grooves of his face.

“I loved you,” he said quietly. “More than anything.”

My throat tightened. “Then let that love be enough to stop you.”

He looked at me for a long time. Then slowly, painfully he nodded.

The air shifted, lighter somehow.

“I can’t undo what’s been done,” he murmured. “But maybe I can… stop it spreading.”

“Henry”

“Go,” he interrupted softly. “Before I lose control again.”

“Please come with us,” I begged.

He smiled faintly sad, fragile. “You were the best part of me, Y/N. And I am not that boy anymore.”

And then, like mist in sunlight, he faded.

The lights steadied. The air warmed. And I was left standing in the middle of the ruined house, tears streaming down my face.

Eleven came to my side, her small hand finding mine. “You did it,” she whispered. “You reached him.”

I shook my head, swallowing the ache in my throat. “I don’t know if I did. But for a moment… I think Henry remembered who he was.”

Outside, the wind rustled through the trees gentle, almost like a sigh.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

you raise an eyebrow. “what, ditch the group?”

“not ditch,” he says quickly, a smile tugging at his mouth. “just… take a lap. kill some time. we’ve got plenty of time, plus i have my walkie in case they need us” he says playfully. 

you hesitate, eyes flicking back to the group. to the way johnathan barely glances your way anymore. to how nancy  doesn’t look at him at all.

“yeah,” you say before you can overthink it. “okay.”

steve’s smile widens, relieved. “cool. yeah. cool.”

he opens the passenger door for you like it’s second nature. you slide in, heart doing something traitorous in your chest as he closes it gently, like you’re fragile. like this moment is.

the car smells like him—clean laundry, a hint of cologne, something warm and familiar. the radio hums softly when he turns the key, some late-night rock station crackling through the speakers.

as he pulls away from the curb, you catch a glimpse of the group in the side mirror. someone notices you leaving. someone doesn’t.

the streetlights blur together as hawkins stretches out in front of you, quieter the farther you go. steve rolls the windows down halfway, cool air rushing in, tangling your hair.

“hope this is okay,” he says, glancing at you. “i just figured… it might be less weird if we weren’t all just standing there.”

you huff a soft laugh. “less weird than our exes dating each other?”

he winces. “yeah. that.”

another pause. not awkward. just full.

“for what it’s worth,” he adds, eyes on the road, “i’m really glad you said yes.”

your chest tightens. “yeah, me too.”

he takes a turn you don’t expect, heading out of town.

“where are we going?” you ask.

“you’ll see,” he says, grin slipping back into place.

the road winds upward, trees thinning until the town lights glow below you like scattered stars. steve pulls off near the hills overlooking hawkins, parking where the grass is flattened from years of people doing exactly this.

he hops out first, jogging around to your side to open the door again. “gentlemanly habit,” he says when you smile at him.

“i’m not complaining.”

the night air is cooler up here. quieter. the world feels far away in a way that makes your shoulders finally drop.

steve pops the trunk and pulls out a small blanket, a paper bag, and two sodas. he freezes when he realizes you’re watching him.

“i swear this wasn’t, like, planned,” he says quickly. “i just—keep this stuff back here sometimes.”

“sometimes,” you echo, amused.

he shrugs. “you never know.”

he spreads the blanket out, smoothing it with his hands like he wants it perfect. you sit beside him, knees almost touching. almost.

the paper bag holds sandwiches from the gas station on main. nothing fancy. still warm.

“i know it’s not much,” he says.

you shake your head. “it’s perfect.”

and it is. because it’s quiet. because it’s just you and him and the hum of the town below. because no one else is here to complicate it.

you eat slowly, talking about nothing and everything. work. music. how weird it is seeing familiar places at night. steve makes you laugh until your stomach hurts, and you don’t remember the last time that happened so easily.

eventually, conversation drifts. the space between you shrinks without either of you noticing. your shoulder brushes his arm. his knee nudges yours.

“can i ask you something?” steve says, voice softer now.

you nod. “yeah.”

“does this feel… strange to you?” he asks. “us, i mean.”

you consider it. the obvious answer would be yes. the complicated answer is something else entirely.

“it feels… new,” you say carefully. “and a little scary. but not wrong.”

he exhales like he’s been holding his breath. “yeah. that’s—yeah. that’s it.”

steve watches you, something hopeful flickering across his face. “we should probably head back soon.”

“yeah,” you agree. neither of you moves.

the silence shifts. heavier now. charged.

steve turns toward you, bracing one arm behind him on the blanket. “can i—”

you don’t let him finish.

your hand finds his wrist first. grounding. then his jaw. warm. familiar, even though it shouldn’t be yet.

his breath stutters when you lean in.

“you okay?” he whispers, forehead brushing yours.

you nod, heart hammering. “yeah.”

the kiss starts soft. hesitant. like you’re both afraid this might be crossing some invisible line. his lips are warm, gentle, like he’s trying not to rush it.

then something gives.

his hand slides to your waist, fingers curling into your jacket. you kiss him deeper, slower, feeling the way he melts into it. the way he sighs against your mouth.

it’s not rushed. it’s not desperate. it’s intentional.

his thumb brushes your hip, sending a spark straight up your spine. you shift closer without thinking, knees fully touching now. his other hand comes up to cradle the back of your neck, grounding you.

you break apart only when you need air, foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling.

“we should stop,” he murmurs, even as he doesn’t pull away.

“yeah,” you agree, not moving.

he laughs quietly, breathless. “you’re kind of dangerous, you know that?”

you smile. “takes one to know one.”

he kisses you again. deeper this time. hungrier. still careful. his hand slides into your hair, gentle but firm, like he wants to remember exactly how this feels.

when you finally pull back, your lips are swollen, your heart racing. steve looks at you like you’ve just changed his entire world.

“okay,” he says, clearing his throat. “yeah. we should definitely head back now before i forget how to act normal.”

you laugh, standing and brushing off the blanket. “good plan.”

as you walk back to the car, his hand finds yours. casual. natural. like it’s always been there.

down below, hawkins waits. the group waits. reality waits.

but for now, in this small pocket of night, it’s just the two of you—and the promise of something that’s only just beginning.

—————————

a few weeks is all it takes for something to become a habit.

not a bad one. not a dangerous one. just… inevitable.

it started small. stolen glances across the room. steve’s hand brushing yours when he passes by. the way you both somehow always end up walking a few steps behind the group, like gravity is gently pulling you together and you’re both pretending not to notice.

and then there’s the van.

the WSQK van is not romantic by any stretch of the imagination. it smells faintly like old coffee, dust, and whatever cleaner someone used once in 1974 and never again. the seats are cracked vinyl, the floor permanently sticky in places no one can explain.

but it’s private.

and apparently, that’s all you need.

the first time it happens, it’s an accident. you’re both sent out to grab something from the van—steve volunteering before anyone else can, you following because you’re already standing. the door slides shut behind you with a heavy thud, sealing you in.

there’s a second of silence.

then steve looks at you, really looks at you, and smiles in that way that feels like a secret.

“we’ve got, like… two minutes,” he says quietly.

you don’t even answer. you just lean closer.

after that, it becomes your place.

any chance you get—five minutes before a meeting, ten minutes after everyone else heads inside, a quick break when no one’s paying attention—you end up pressed together in the back of that van. kissing slow and deep, steve’s hands warm at your waist, your fingers hooked into the collar of his jacket.

it never goes further than that. not because you don’t want it to—because you both do—but because there’s something about the way this feels that makes you want to keep it careful. 

like if you rush it, it might shatter.

so you kiss. you smile. you laugh softly into each other’s mouths.

you learn the little things.

like how steve always hums without realizing it when he’s happy. how he pulls back just enough to look at you, like he’s checking that this is real. how he rests his forehead against yours afterward, breathing slow, grounding himself.

and how he always, always opens the van door first, peeking out like a lookout before holding his hand out for you.

“ladies first,” he says every time.

you roll your eyes. you take his hand anyway.

by the time he suggests ice cream, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

“come on,” steve says one afternoon, keys already in hand. “please tell me you’re not gonna say no to ice cream.”

you tilt your head. “depends.”

he gasps. dramatic. offended. “on what?”

“on if you’re buying.”

he grins. “i was already planning on it.”

———

the drive to the ice cream parlor is easy. comfortable. the windows are down, music low, the sun starting to dip just enough to turn everything gold. 

steve taps the steering wheel in time with the song, glancing at you every so often like he still can’t believe you’re sitting there.

“what?” you ask when you catch him.

he shrugs. “nothing. just… you’re really pretty.”

heat crawls up your neck. “you’re really bad at being subtle.”

he laughs. “yeah. i know.”

the parlor is busy when you get there—families, kids from school, the bell over the door chiming nonstop. it’s loud and sticky and bright in a way that feels distinctly hawkins.

steve orders first, leaning over the counter like he’s known the guy scooping the ice cream his whole life. you watch him talk with his hands, animated, charming without trying.

“what’re you getting?” he asks.

“oh strawberry for sure,” you say without hesitation.

“of course you are,” he replies, like that tells him everything he’s ever needed to know about you.

you both end up outside, sitting on the low brick wall, ice cream sweating in your hands. steve’s knee presses against yours, casual and warm.

“this might be my favorite thing we’ve done,” he says between bites.

you smile. “the van’s gonna be offended.”

“the van knows what it did,” he says seriously, then grins when you laugh.

you’re mid-spoonful when you feel it—that shift in the air. that sense of being watched.

you look up first.

and freeze.

“oh my god,” dustin says, standing a few feet away, eyes wide, mouth half-open. “what.”

lucas stands beside him, brows furrowed, glancing between you and steve like he’s trying to solve a math problem he didn’t study for.

steve nearly drops his cone.

“hey,” he says, way too casual. “uh. guys.”

dustin’s eyes flick to the way steve’s arm is clearly resting behind you on the wall. to the way you’re leaning into him without even realizing it.

“hold on,” dustin says, holding up a finger. “no. wait. no.”

lucas squints. “are you two…?”

there’s a beat.

steve looks at you, a silent question in his eyes.

he smiles, soft and unguarded, and turns back to them. “yeah.”

dustin stares. “you? and you?”

“yep.”

“since when?”

steve shrugs. “uhh..” his voice going up an octave, “a few weeks ago,” he saws awkwardly, 

“i thought you weren’t her type,” dustin blurts out.

you snort before you can stop yourself.

steve looks personally wounded. “wow. okay. rude.”

lucas scratches his head. “i just—wait. is that why you’ve both been disappearing all the time?”

“probably,” you say.

lucas’s eyes widen. “oh.”

“oh,” dustin echoes, realization hitting him full force. “OH.”

he looks between you again, then breaks into a grin. “wow. i did NOT see that coming.”

steve tilts his head, slightly offended, “henderson you know? i taught you everything you know,” he glares playfully, 

dustin shakes his head. he pauses, then smiles softer. “you guys look… happy.”

steve’s expression shifts, something warm and earnest settling in. “yeah. we are.”

lucas nods. “cool. cool, cool. makes sense.”

“it does?” you ask.

“yeah,” he says. “now that i think about it. like… a lot of sense.”

dustin sighs dramatically. “great. another couple.”

steve laughs. “relax. we’re still cool.”

“better be,” dustin says, then grins. “so. can i get a bite of that?”

you hold your spoon out without thinking. steve watches the whole thing, smiling like his heart might actually burst.

later, when you’re walking back to the car, steve’s hand slips into yours. natural. easy.

“you okay?” he asks.

“yeah,” you say. “are you?”

he nods. “yeah. kinda feels nice not hiding.”

you squeeze his hand. “yeah.”

and for the first time in weeks, you don’t feel like you’re sneaking.

Its been 18 months since Venca has trapped you in his mind and essentially left your body in a frozen state, the only indication that you were still alive physically was your beating heart, that Steve and dad monitored very closely.

So many things have changed. For one the military had completely taken over Hawkins and has locked it down,quarantining everyone that didn't leave when the gates opened up. Nobody who wasnt essential was allowed in or out. Well Murray did find a way in and out by posing as a delivery guy bringing your friends and family everything they needed for their 'crawls', even sneaking in a hospital bed and heart monitor and a few other medical supplies for you.

Steve left your shared apartment moving into the cabin with your dad and El in order to be with you and other then when we was at the squawk he was by your side. And when he did have to be away from you he made sure someone was always by your side never leaving alone.

El still had not been able to find you, meaning Venca had you deep in his mind, hiding you and making sure there wasnt a chance your sister could spoil his plan.

Tonight like every other night Steve sits beside your bed after another shift at the station telling you all about his day, how Robin wouldnt shut up about Vicky and how Dustin got into another fight...

"I swear that kid is looking for trouble! I know i know I can already hear you 'Steve he lost Eddie, saw him die right in front of his eyes give him time he just needs time' and you're right youre always right, but the kid is a ticking time bomb right now baby and I'm really worried about him. Its like he goes looking for these fights by purposely wearing that stupid fucking Hellfire shirt, and I cant get through his thick skull, reason number one million why I wish you were here you would be able to get through to him he needs you" Steve says rubbing your left hand right over your ring before using his free hand to wipe a tear away "I need you too! Your dad needs you, El needs you! Guess we never really understood how much you held us together until you werent here"

"Hey Harrington" Hopper said from the door making him look his way "Joyce said dinner is ready if you're hungry, I'll sit with her"

"Im ok Chi-"

"That wasnt a request she wouldnt want to you sit here and not take care of yourself, plus we agreed to all take turns keeping a watch on her, so take 45 minutes go eat and shower"

Steve nods knowing hes right, then kisses your head and whispers "ill be back I love you"

When Steve leaves the room your father takes his seat and starts his own one sided conversation with you "You sure did pick a hard headed one didnt you? But also a good one I'm impressed with him and how hes been with you but dont you dare tell him I said that I need him to fear me" He laughs "he barley leaves your side we have to force him most of the time. He comes back from the station and plants his ass in this damn chair! Hes the reason Joyce had me get a new recliner in here she was tired of him sleeping in a wooden chair slumped over!" Hopper says shaking his head remember that conversation "I wish I could say we were closer to getting you back or El had been able to find out where in this assholes mind you are and what kind control he has but we aren't. I wish you were here its been over 2 years now since ive heard your voice and I miss you, even missed you being able to to make fun of how skinny I got from that Russian prison, God I wish you would wake up babygirl it would make your old man happy and I know it would make your boyf- your fiance happy."

Hopper stays by your side until Steve come back in once again taking his place by your side holding your hand and grabbing your favorite book 'P.S I love you' by Barbara Conklin and opens it to the page he stopped on the night before. He reads for about an hours before saying the last line on the page.. "You made me a man, by loving me Holly. And for that, I am eternally grateful... literally.".

"You know its funny thats the last line of the chapter because it fits us so well. You really did make me more of a man by just loving me! I know back in school I was an asshole to you at times and I'm sorry! Honestly I dont even know why you gave me a chance at all but I thank God everyday you did! I don't even know if you can hear me or if you are so far in him mind everything is blocked out but if you can remember I love you and I wont stop til I get you back and we start our lives together!" He kisses your ring then your head "I love you so much baby, please come back to me"

..."please come back to me"

You wake up in a sweat with a stange feeling and you reach up touching your head. This has been happening since the moment Venca sent you away. Hearing random voices and feeling phantom touches. Henry said it was the 'monster' messing with you but it didnt feel evil instead it familiar and full of love but Henry knew best right?

Your dad was right about one thing tho...Vecna had you so deep in his mind and had been twisting your memories and feelings for the last 18 months. But he has yet been able to break the soul connection you shared with Steve which was why you kept hearing and feeling Steve. But with him ahowing himself as Henry his plan was working in alot of way. He had not only made you believe you hated Steve but also had made you think you were in love with him and you were a couple and not just a couple, husband and wife! And in his twisted mind you saw him as the perfect husband!

And he took full advantage making you do everything a normal married couple would do or things only couples in movies do, cooking together, dancing at night, reading together, cuddling, even the physical aspects of married life kissing and sex.

He had full control over you and not only were you trapped in his mind but he had you trapped in the house telling you if you went further then the porch without him you were in danger so you were happy that on clear nights when you would take a walk hand and hand down the street.

Henry made you believe he was the perfect husband, a husband every woman wanted! He was romantic and loving, never getting upset with you, always bringing home flowers and gifts...yep he had you deep in his mind to the point the part of him that was still human really was in love with you!

But today was the day everything was gonna start falling into place something Venca himself didnt see coming!

"Hey you hungry sweetie" you ask standing by the stove making breakfast

"I.am.starving" Henry says in a low loving voice coming up behind you kissing your cheek wrapping his arms around you making you blush "making love all night took alot out of me"

"Me too" you smirk "but well worth it"

"Ill never complain! I love seeing your faces" he winks "How did you sleep last night sweetheart?"

"I slept good but woke up in a sweat hearing another one of those voices and touches, im really starting to believe they mean something" you tell him making him a plate

Henry's face twist into anger but you didnt see it so he was able to hide it "its that monster trying to take you away from me trying to hurt you but I wont let him I'm gonna protect you I promise! I love you!"

"I love you too hon" you say kissing his pink lips "here's your plate"

"Thank you it look delicious" he says picking up his fork

"If you think this looks good wait until dinner, pot roast with all the trimmings you like" you smile

"I can't wait I love your cooking sweetheart! Make sure you set an extra plate"

"Oh? Who?" You ask confused

"Little Holly"

"Holly? Holly Wheeler?"

"You know her love?"

"Ive been babysitting her since she was a baby. Is she in danger?"

"I think the same person after you is now after her and some of the other children in your town. I just have to convince her to come back with me then hopefully the others as well"

"Ill go with you she knows m-"

"NO!" he says little faster and louder then her meant to his face changing and making you jump in surprise at his tone and when Henry sees this he sofens his voice"I sorry I didnt mean to scare you I just dont want you out there where you are vulnerable if something happened to you i would never forgive myself, plus I need you here making up her room and getting things ready for our guest. I wont be gone long ok"

"Ok" you smile

After eating breakfast, you meet Henry at the door while he puts on his coat and hat then he leans down and kisses you "ill be back soon I promise just remember dont go outside ok"

"I wont ill put some music on and get things ready for Holly, it'll be nice to have her here"

"Yes it will, ill see you soon"

You watch as Henry makes his way to the streets where he gives you one last wave before he disappears. You are just about to close the door when you see the trees moving in the woods. You stand frozen scared to move, scared to know what or who is out there but then you see what looks like red hair and it takes you by surprise. Then just for a second you see a face...it cant be?

"Max"?

Steve wakes up to the sound of your dad and sister fighting about her training to hard which is nothing new. He was about to start getting ready when the sound of El saying your name catches his attention and he walks out of the room to see what was going on. What he sees is your father and sister yelling at each other and Joyce standing by the stove drinking her coffee probably thinking what Steve was thinking... its to damn early for this!

"I want my sister back!" El says rasing her voice "And if training is what I have to do to get her back i will train all day everyday!"

"You dont think I want my daughter back! I havent seen her or talked to her since that night at the mall where she thought I died! I never got a reunion with her! You dont think Steve wants her back? He asked her to marry him and the next day she gets mentally kidnapped" He yells back "but you cant run yourself into the ground that will do her no good and you know she wouldnt want that!"

"Its been 18 months 2 weeks and 5 days and I have yet been able to find her! You know why Hop? Because I'm weak! I have to train, get faster, stronger, to be able to beat Henry, to get her back! If I can get physically strong it will help me become more mentally strong"

"You havent been able to find her because that son of bitch doesnt want you to El! It has nothing to do with you or how strong you are!"

"Cheifs right El" Steve speaks up making them turn their attention to him "it really doesn't matter how much you train the only way you will be able to find her is if he makes a mistake or lets his gaurd down"

"Thank you Harrington at least someone is on my side" Hopper says throwing his arms up

"Listen El I want her back just as much as you i mean I'm going in-fucking-sane without her and it pisses me knowing shes trapped in his mind while hes doing God only knows what to her but what I do know if your sister loves you more then anyone on this earth including me and your dad and she would kick your ass for pushing yourself this hard"

Steve didn't wait around for El to respond, just turned around and made his way back to your room. "You know your dad and sister fight...like alot!" Steve says while he starts getting ready "I get it El wants you back we all do but she is training to hard and I know you wouldnt want that for her, I dont want that for her! One way or another I'm getting you back not just for me but for her and your dad and Robin, Dustin, im getting you back for everyone! I have to get to the station I'll tell Robin you say hey and not drive me crazy about Vicky today" he laughs then leans down and gives you a soft kiss in your lips "I miss you! And I love you! Ill you later baby"

At the station Steve lets Robin, Nancy and Jonathan know how your doing like he does everyday and they all promise to come by and see you soon, Robin promising it will be tonight after her date with Vicky. Things were going pretty normal til something breaks he and and Jonathan has to fix and then Murray shows up talking about a supply drop meaning it was time for another crawl...this could be the night he finally gets you back!

Now Robin just had to get on the air and give the clues to the other members of your party...

"Hey there, friends this is Rockin Robin! Sorry about the abrupt departure, I hope you survived without me! We had some annoying technical difficulties! But to make it up to you we have a very special treat...thats sure to turn your day upside-down!" Then she starts playing the special song "Before you start bumping here's a few fun facts about the Boss. She was born Diane in the North. End of Detroit,Berry Gordy thats Gordy with a G., signed her to Motown in 1961. And one. is the key number, because between 1974 and 67, the Supremes had ten songs hot top of the charts, thats right 10. Then in 78 she tried to make it big in the movies with the Wiz, which was a colossal flop-a-roonie. But in my personal opinion I still dig it! Michael Jackson as a scarecrow? Give it a chance! But make sure you bring your super-sized popcorn, because this movie has a run time of over 2 hours! All right class dismissed! I hope you were taking notes, there will be a test later! Take it away Diane"

"I gotta call Hop have him get y/n up here, she cant be left alone!"

Murray not only brought a hospital bed for the cabin but also for the station when the group decided the squawk would be their headquarters. It was dangerous to ever leave you alone for to long but it became even more dangerous durning a crawl, anything could happen to you! So durning a crawl while Steve was in the van with Dustin, and Hopper was in the upside-down they brought you to the basement where Joyce and El could watch you.

A few hours later they are moving you into the basement of the station.

"El dont leave your sister! Here are extra snacks to keep you fueled in case that fucker or anything tries to take her" Hopper says handing her a box of junk food.

"Yes Hop I know" she says rolling her eyes

"I just need to make sure you get it! You might be her only line of defense if something comes for her"

"Hop sweetie she knows. And im here too! So is Will, Robin and Nancy shes gonna be ok id die before I let something happen to her!"

"I know you would Joyce, I just hate leaving her to do these damn things! Leaving her unprotected!"

"Shes not unprotected she has me! Ive always looked at her like a daughter and I'll protect her like a daughter, now go pry Steve away from her so you can say kiss her goodbye" Joyce says giving him a kiss.

Mean while at your bedside Steve sits beside you not waiting to leave your side til the last minute "Henderson isnt here so Im gonna have to do this crawl with Jonathan and no we are still not getting along. He says because me and Nance are getting to 'close' which is bullshit! Everytime im around her we are talking about you or ways to find Vecna-"

"Ok Harrington time to go, so give me a few minutes with her" Hopper says cutting him off

"But-"

"Now Harrington I cant do this without your ass in that van"

"Fine" Steve says then turns back to you and kissing your head "ill be back soon I love you"

Once Steve is away Hopper takes his seat beside your bed "he definitely hogs you by the way! Guess I should be happy about that, shows he truly loves you but sometimes I just want to punt him across the room, I wont but I feel like it sometimes. I have to go on this crawl and if were lucky well be closer to bringing you home! Joyce and El are staying with you. I just hate leaving you I just feel like noone can protect you like I can but Joyce and El love you so I guess of I cant be here they are the next best thing, ill be back soon and we'll get you back home" he says then kisses your head "I love you babygirl"

After Joyce leaves your dad in the woods she comes back and decides before everything starts she wants to steal a few minutes with you...

"Hey sweetie, I know I dont get alot of time with you since your dad and fiance take up every bit of your time but they arent here right now are they" she laughs and takes your hand and and tries to keep her emotions in check "I remember when your dad showed up on my doorstep with you after your mom left, the man had no idea what to do with a baby to be honest it was comical" she laugh "I had to teach him everything then without even asking I became your babysitter, but im happy I did because you became the daughter i never had! I know its hard for Steve Hop and El to see you this way but it's also hard for me to see m-my daughter like this but I do my best to keep it together for them but it's hard. We need you to wake up! You dont even know me and your dad are together! Hell you dont even know hes back. The whole time I was in Russia trying to get him back I could picture your face when you saw him again-"

"Joyce its time" Robin yells

"Well i gotta cut this short but we'll finish this conversation later ok"

Hours later and the crawl didnt go as planned of anything it went way worse then any crawl that had been done. Hopper and El are now in the upside-down, Mr. And Mrs.Wheeler are fighting for their lives in the hospital and Holly is missing...

You decided not to tell Henry you think you saw Max because really you weren't even sure if it was Max or your mind playing tricks on you. Why would you see Max? Yes you became close last summer when she started staying at the cabin more with El, and developed a bond since you both lost someone important to you at the mall but why Max?

You are so lost in thought you miss the door opening until you hear your name being called.

"Oh here you are dear!" Henry says kissing your lips "and you remember Holly"

"Oh gosh Holly youve grown so much" you say hugging the young girl "how are you?

"Im so good I missed you" she said hugging you

"I missed you too, are you hungry I made eggs, bacon, pancakes, muffins, and even homemade whipped cream" you say making her smile and nod

You grab Holly's and lead her to the dinning room and showing her to her seat, meanwhile Henry smiles a wicked smile, he had turned you into the perfect 1950s housewife who doded on him, he now just had to finish breaking the connection in order to completely make you his. And now that Holly was here he only needed the other 11 children to complete the other part of his plan.

While setting the table Henry told you about the attack on Mr. And Mrs.Wheeler and it broke your heart for Holly knowing she had to see that and knowing Nancy and Mike were probably going crazy.

Holly dug into her pancakes putting extra whipped cream and blackberry on them and complimenting you on how good they are but then a few minutes she becomes more quiet

"You still thinking about your parents?" Henry ask her im a somber voice

"Yeah"

While eating and listening to them talk, you started to get a migraine and you rub your temples trying to ease the tension

"Sweetheart are you ok" Henry asked

"im ok just starting to get a bit of a headache must be all the excitement of today"

"Oh no I'm so sorry" he says rubbing your arm "how about after brunch you go lay down, I have to run out for a bit but Im sure Holly will be ok while you rest"

"Oh yeah ill be fine Y/n!"

"Oh where are you going"

"To try to save the other children of course! Cant have this evil monster get them now can I" he says with a smile

You look at Henry in awe! He doesnt even know these children and he was determined to save them as he saved you! You had a great husband!

After eating you say goodbye Henry at the door giving him a kiss and telling him to be safe, then start to clean up while he takes Holly outside to give her the gift he got her.

"Y/n! Look what Henry got me" she says coming in showing you her new radio and tape.

"Yeah he said he was getting it he hopes it'll help bring you some comfort while your here with us" you tell her while drying your hands and leading her through the house.

"Hey y/n can I ask you something"

"Oh course sweetheart"

"If you and Henry are married, I was just wondering about Steve? What happened with him"

"Steve Harrington?" You asked confused but when you said his name it felt familiar and sent a spark through your body "Steve is a jerk! I never dated Steve! Nancy did when you were younger thats probably what you're thinking of"

"Oh yeah maybe" Holly says confused. She didnt understand, she was sure you and Steve were together. She had seen the two of you out around town holding hands and laughing. You had brought him with you a few times when you babysat her. And she knows she saw the two of you kissing in the basement just days before the earthquake because you caught her.

"This is your room, I found some old clothes and toys in the attic for you" you smile watching her take in the room "Are you sure you'll be ok while I take a nap, i hate leaving you alone?" You ask bring her back from her thoughts

"What? Oh yeah ill be ok I promise"

"Ok well make yourself at home! Whats ours is yours ok! And if you need me come get me, mine and Henry's room is 2 doors down from yours"

You lay in bed with your head throbbing and wondering why Holly would think you ever dated Steve. You remember Steve being a jerk in school! Always belitting people, and acting like because he had money he was better then everyone even broke Jonathans camera! But he was always cute and did help out with the kids but really you and Steve Harrington...

"I'm back baby and i have so much to tell you"

That was the last thing you heard before you fell asleep

"Im back baby and i have so much to tell you! Henderson finally showed up after everything went to shit and hes beat all to hell, told you he was just looking for these fights, you need to wake up to knock some sense into his kid. But on a different note and your not gonna like this, your dad and sister are somewhere in the upside-down, Mr.&Mrs. Wheeler are in the hospital and Holly was taken by a demogoron, so I've decided since it seems Vecna is getting closer, instead of moving you back to the cabin you're gonna stay here where there is extra people to watch you, right now we gotta go make a plan to get everyone back!"

Will explains hes been seeing inside Vecnas mind and those words excite Steve, if he can see Vecnas victims maybe he can see you too!

"So you can see into his mind? Does that mean you can see where hes keeping Y/n? Maybe where he has her" Steve ask

"I dont think so? because its more like I'm Vecna but in the mind of his targets like Holly and now Derek. I dont think he knows i can do it-

"Just yes or no kid"

"No because he already has her where he wants her, plus he would never let me that close to her knowing El is already looking for her and she knows his plan"

"This is bullshit!" Steve yells "we have 2 people that have these magical mind powers and neither can find her but can see everyone else"

"Steve calm down! This is a good thing" Robin says

"How so Robin? How is Will being able to see Derek a good thing? And how does that help get my fiance back"

"We know who he is planning to take next which means we are that much closer to stopping Vecna and getting y/n back!" Robin tells him

"Steve I'm sorry I can't see her I wish I could" Will says in a sad voice

"Steve we all want her back, we all love and miss her like crazy! And i think we can all agree things arent the same without her" Joyce adds making everyone agree

"So whats the plan" Steve ask

The plan was simple...kidnap Derek!

Once the plan was set and preparations were made it was the waiting game. So while Steve waited he did what he always did, talked to you and even tho he didnt know if you could hear him he told you the plan...

"So yeah we are about to become kidnappers so lets add that to the list of crimes! Oh and Henderson ruined the Beamer, I told him you were gonna kill him that you loved that car more then me but the little shit just smiled and said you loved him and drilled the hole in the roof anyways, guess we gotta find another secret makeout spot" he laughs. He was about to say something else when Joyce comes in

"You know you two werent as secret in that car as you thought" she said making him laugh "I had to keep Hop from killing you both a few times especially after he saw a little rocking and fogged up windows"

"Thank you" he laughs "Hey I'm sorry for snapping at Will, Im just frustrated and I-I just miss her" he says his voice cracking "we're supposed to be starting our life, planning a wedding, hell even be married by now, but instead shes trapped in his mind forgetting she ever loved me and hes doing God only knows what. What if even when she wakes up she doesnt remember me? Or worse she never wakes up? Its been 18 months how much longer do I have to go without her?"

Joyce walks over to Steve and kneels beside him "Steve y/n loves you so much! She told me so many times how much she loved you! You heard El, the two of you have a soul connection that isnt easy to break. Shes in there and shes fighting even if she doesnt know she is! I truly believe shes in there and she isnt gonna forget you not truly"

"Its not just about me tho, she doesnt even know Hopper is back. She told me the night before Vecna took her she wanted her dad and now hes here and she doesnt even know. Its not fair she wasnt here when he got back or that after the hell he went through he had to come home to her like this" he says pointing at you "all she wanted was to have him back and she isnt here to have it"

"I hate that too! You should have seen Hop going on and on about getting to see her again. He was excited to see both the girls but y/n especially. It was just the 2 of them for so long even after he had Sara. Then when Sara died and his wife left, y/n was the only person keeping him together"

"I feel like I failed her! I promised id keep her safe and now look"

"I felt the same way about Will! But Im gonna tell you what I tell Hop when he says that... its not your fault! Vecna seems to be hellbend on her just like he was with Will and there is nothing you could have done to stop him, he would have killed you then taken her anyways then we never would have gotten her back!"

"I miss her Joyce! I just want her back I'm completely lost without her"

While you take a nap Holly does indeed make herself at home! Dancing around, watching TV, playing dress up and even made you a cake hoping it would make you feel better! While shes in room she hears the doorbell making her freeze...

DING-DONG

DING-DONG

DING-DONG

DING-DONG

Holly wonders if you hear it but she doesnt hear or see you she decides to answer, but she doesnt see anyone only the red flag to the mail box up. Holly slowly slowly walks to the mailbox, finding a compass and a note...

-Holly, I need your help. Meet me at the X. Please hurry -Henry. P.s. dont tell Y/n

After reading the note over and over and begins to talk to herself well her Tiffany tape case "ok ok it doesnt make sense, Henry told me never ever go in the woods but he sent this letter so it must be important right? Should I wake up y/n for her to go with me? But the letter said not to tell her!" She says to nobody "why am I talking to you anyways, you're a popstar what do you know about monsters!" then she hits the tape case down. Holly grabs the necklace Mike gave her "Im going". She grabs a fire poker, a cape, bag and a telescope and heads to the woods.

Holly follows the map and the compass further into the woods for what felt like hours, she was almost sure she was lost and was about to turn around when she comes to a giant cave.

"Wow"

She slowly walks closer to the entrance not having the best feeling but she keeps going "hello? Henry? Are you there"

Holly didnt see anything at first so she pulls out her telescope and looks through it, nothing. But then she does sees something moving. She drops the telescope and run, but whoever or whatever was in the cave was hot on her heels!

Holly runs and runs even falling in the process, before finding a large rock and hiding behind it. She thinks whatever was following her is gone until she see a pair of boots

"Hi"

Max helps Holly up and takes her to a near by stream to clean up her skinned knees from her fall and hopes to explain everything.

"Sorry for scaring you, I haven't seen anyone in...a really long time so I guess i got excited. But good news on the knee its not that deep, no stitches needed"

Holly nods her head but stays silent not knowing what to say or if she can even trust this girl.

"You remember me right? I've been to your house... like alot"

"Your Max, Max Mayfield. You skateboard and never take off your walkmen" Holly says making Max laugh "thats me"

"But-"

"How am I in there when im in a coma in Hawkins? Thats a reasonable question-"

Max is cut off when she hears something "did you tell Y/n you were coming"

"No"

"Come on ill explain everything but not here its not safe, follow me"

"I cant go far I have to meet Henry! Do you know Henry?"

Max chuckles at her question "you can say that"

"He left me this note, I think hes in trouble with the monsters"

"Henry is alot of things but in trouble with monsters is not one of them"

"But the note-it says-"

"I know what it says" Max says cutting her off

"How do you know what it says"

"because Henry didnt write it I did! I need you to know the truth and I need your help"

"What truth? Help with what? I dont understand?" Holly says confused then her eyes go wide and she backs away from Max "Youre one of them arent you? Thats why I couldnt tell y/n"

"One of what"

"One of the monsters!"

"If it was a monster would I know your brother tried to get a Mohawk before your sister stopped him?"

Holly looks at her pounding her words "What color was the mohawk?"

"Hot orange"

With that Max walks into the cave and Holly follows.

After showing Holly the the veiw and explaining about vecnas curse, the upside-down, his plan and everything shes been through its time to get to you....

"So is Y/n like you? Is she really back in Hawkins in a coma?" Holly asked

"Sorta but not in the same way"

"why do you remember everything about Lucas but she doesnt remember she anything about Steve? She says Henry is her husband"

"I know which means hes getting closer"

"Closer to what?"

"Y/n isnt under the same curse as me, what Henry has done to her is much worse Holly"

"What do you mean worse?"

"Venna or Henry decided he needed a queen by his side and he choose her. To make this short he is making her forget she ever loved Steve in order to break their soul connection so he can take her body from the physical word in order to have her by his side"

"What a soul connection?"

"Its hard to explain but basically they are true soul mates!"

"But how did she forget she was ever with Steve? I remember her loving Steve like alot, it was kinda gross"

"Tell me about it" Max laughs "he has her trapped her in his mind, messing her memories, controlling everytime she sees and feels basically she is a prisoner, and if she thinks she loves Henry and is married to him, he is very close to breaking the connection and taking her"

"Cant she get out like you? Following the music?"

"I dont think it works that way with her. I need to make her remember her love for Steve, make her remember what Vecna did to her, have her tap into all her memories, but I need to get her here now! And in order to do that im gonna need your help thats why i sent you the letter. I have a plan to get us out of here, all of us"

"How can I help?

"Henry is gonna return soon and Y/n is gonna be up from her afternoon nap-"

"How do you know shes taking a nap? I never told you that?"

"Ive been keeping an eye on the house, She has a headache right?" she ask and Holly nods "she always comes down with a headache when Henry leaves for more then a couple hours and she always takes a nap when he does, its another way for him to control her so she doesnt leave and find me"

"But how am I supposed to help?"

"I need you to bring y/n to me"

"You want me to go back there? Back to Henry i-i cant i-i-"

"I know its scary but if you wanna help Y/n, if you wanna get home and escape Camazotz...this is the only way"

Holly stays silent for a few seconds but she knows in order to get the 3 of you home she has to do what Max says "tell me what I need to do"

Henry was right on time...as always and of course he greets you with smile, a sweet kiss, and a bouquet of daisies!

He brings the kids inside and sits them on the foor "this is my wife Y/n and she is another one i saved from the monsters. Your memory of what happened, of how you come to be here might be foggy...confused! The monsters...they tried to take you, but I saved you just in time. This place, my home...our home" he says looking at you with a smile while he talks to the kids "is now your home too! Your sanctuary! As long as you do not venture into the woods where the monsters Iive, you will be safe here..."

As Henry continues talking you look around at the kids and notice Derek and Holly are acting a little strange. Thinking back Holly's been acting off since you got up. You are so focused on the 2 of them you dont really hear the rest of Henry's little speach. But you do catch the fear on Holly's face when he says hes not leaving again....

A little while later you begin to get the rooms ready for all the kids... new blankets, sheets, clothes and everything else they may need. As you are walking at the top of the stairs you see Holly sneak out you run to the window to see where shes going and thats when you see Derek behind her and they are both heading into the woods, thats when your heart drops.

You dont know what to do! You can't tell Henry hes busy, you dont want to scare them by yelling for them to come back so...you slip your shoes on and follow them into the woods

As you walk through the woods you start to hear 3 voices and the closer you get the more you start to realize you know one of those voices very well then they come into view.

"Max?!"

The 3 of them all turn to you and Max breaks out into a run and crashes to you almost knowing you over.

"Oh my God Y/n! How did you escape? Does he know your gone?"

"Escape? From Henry? Why would I have to escape from my own husband"

"Hes not who you think he is! He's not your husband! Thats Vecna!" She says making your face drop. You open your mouth to say something but Max is quicker then you "Youre engaged to Steve Harrington! You are so grossly make everyone around you wanna puke in love with Steve! And i know you dont believe me and you think you hate Steve but please just come with us and ill explain everything I promise! Please I have ever lied to you your like my big sister please please trust me" Max says while Holly nods her in agreement.

You stare at Max and Holly like they had completely lost their mind. How could your loving, sweet, handsome, and charming husband really be Vecna? And if you ever dated Steve "the hair" Harrington you would have remembered! Something in Max's eyes and voice tell you shes telling the truth and she has always been truthful..."ok"

She sends Derek back with a plan to keep Henry busy but you know its not gonna take long for him to know your missing.

As you walk through the woods Max tells you everything about what she heard Vecna tell your sister, and she tells you everything about you and Steve...

"I dont understand this Max! And im having trouble believing you. I hate Steve hes a jerk why would I date him let alone agree to marry him, i love Henry-"

"No you dont! Look I know it all sounds crazy to you but its the truth! He messed with all your memories of Steve because thats the way he breaks the connection! We just have to find a way to your memories!"

"If what you are saying is true and im still not fully convinced about the whole Steve thing how do we find my memories if we are in Vecnas he-"

"Hey would that work" Holly says interrupting you and Max and points at a door

"That works and far to easy, but lets go"

1st memory:

You are back in the cabin before your dad, hes leaning up against the counter after opening a beer and it looks like you are getting ready for something...

"I dont get what you see in the Harrington kid, I thought you said he was jerk"

"He was but hes changed ok so you better be nice and not embarrassed me when he shows up please dad im begging you! Its our first official date and I dont need you to say or do something stupid"

Your 17 year old self walks away but you barley pay her attention, your eyes glued on your dad...hes alive. You are pulled from your thoughts you hear a knock at the door and you watch as your dad goes to answers it "Steve"

"Hi Chief is Y/n ready?"

"Come in ill check...Y/n the Harrington kid is here"

"Oh my God he has a name dad"

"Yeah yeah yeah"

"Wow you look beautiful, I mean you always are but wow you look really beautiful"

"Ok enough with the lovey dovey bullshit, I wanna know what the plans are?"

"Oh uhh dinner at Enzos then a movie sir"

"Sounds innocent enough i guess! Curfew is 11:30 not a second later! And she better now come home with any hickeys or knocked up"

"Oh my God dad! I wont be late can we go now before you embarrass me anymore"

"One more thing, Harrington! Remember I have a gun and im the chief of police so I can cover up-"

"Oh my God dad!"

2nd memory:

You walk out of the door and you are in the Hawkins High School gym and know right away its your junior prom. Everywhere you look there are you see girls in dresses and boys in tuxedos and right in the middle of the dance floor is you and Steve dancing dancing to a familiar song

🎶If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting

Time after time🎶

"I love you! I hope you know that!"

"You do?"

Steve leans in and kisses you and when you see your lips connect from your memories you feel it like its happening in real time and you touch your lips and your eyes start to water "oh my God" you say touching your lips "I feel his his lips on mine!"

"I love you too Steve"

"Im gonna marry you someday I hope you know thay baby"

"I'm gonna hold you to that Harrington"

"Is it all coming back to you" Max ask

"Kinda" you say softly

"Well onto the next one...

3rd memory:

You are now in what looks like Steves bedroom...and this memory feel familiar, more then the others

"This was the night my bad died" you stated looking at Steve holding your while you cried "He refused to leave me alone for the next month" you tell them through tears as you look on at you and Steve on his bed.

"I remember that night" Max says getting your attention "when Joyce came out and told you about Hop, Steve had catch you before hit you the ground, then fought you when you tried to run back inside"

"I think actually ended up giving him a busted lip by accident by fighting him" you laugh wiping your eyes "but he never faulted me for it and I really dont know if would have made it through with out him"

"So you're starting to remember?" Holly says excited

"Ummm a little, its still really fuzzy but its like I can remember if im seeing it but nothing beyond that"

"Well lets try this one"

4th memory:

You walk into the next memory and its from the night Steve asked you to marry him...

"Ive had this for a few months, Robin helped me pick it out. I had this who thing planned, take you away for the weekend up to the mountains and ask you then spend the rest of that night well weekend celebrating probably by giving you more orgasms then you could count! when this is all over, when we win will you be my wife? Ill give you the wedding of your dreams if thats what you want I promise, give you the life you deserve just say you'll be my wife"

Then you watch him slips the ring on and thats when everything rushes back all at once, almost bringing you to your knees with how overwhelmed you get! And now everything makes sense... the voices, the touches, the dreams were all Steve trying to reach you!

"Oh God I remember everything! Every detail! Every memory! The first I love you, our first kiss, our first ti- well you know, and the life we were building how much we love each other!" Then the memory of the conversation you had in the stolen R.V "We want 6 kids 3 boys, 3 girls take them on summer road trips, the grand canyon, Yellowstone" Then you turn to them "all those voices and touches ive been feeling for months has been Steve! How could I ever forget? Hes the most important things in my life"

"He had to make you forget in order for him to make you love him! What i heard that night, you and Steve are true soul mates, I mean yall could chill a little on the kissing" she jokes making you laugh

"I need to get home"

"Lets go"

You walk through another door and this time you are in the Wheelers house. As you walk through you see a door leading to the place Vecna took you before and you freeze.

"Whats that" Holly ask

"Our exit" Max says

"let's go home" you smile

The 3 of you start to walk to the door when you get a weird feeling, a feeling you have felt before then the door slams...

"My sweet wife, are you leaving me? I told you..."

You turn your head to the stairs and see Henry standing there and your blood runs cold then what happens next terrifies you to your core...he starts shifting into someome else

You push Holly and Max behind you as she stops shifting...

"Never go beyond the porch!"

"Yeah now I know why!" Then you turn to Max "take her and run!"

"What about you" Holly says with so much fear in her voice

"He wont hurt me" you say turning to look at Henry "if he wanted to he would have already! Go!"

They take off running and Henry slowly comes down the stairs never taking his eyes off you.

"Come home sweetheart, ill forgive you for believing Max! We can start over! What she told you is not true, you know that! Im the one you love!"

"Go to hell! I dont love you! I love my fiance! I remember everything you dont control me anymore" you say and take off running when you hear a window break

"Max hurry" you say then turn to check behind you but this time its not Henry...its Vecna! But this Vecna didn't look like before, no this Vecna looked way worse and alot more scary.

"Youre right my sweet wife I would never hurt you! Never hurt the woman I love but-" he says reaching his arm out grabbing Max by the neck "id be more then happy to hurt her!"

"LET HER GO!" you yell pushing Holly aside and grabbing the firepoker

"Come home...with me where you belong and I might let her live"

"My home is with Steve! My heart belongs to Steve! I told you before I will never be yours"

Vecna lets out an angry growl hearing Steve's name but before he can reply his leg snaps making him scream and drop Max.

"Oh my Gosh are you ok? Come one we gotta go" you tell her trying to help her up

"No Y/n you need to go he wants you more then us! If you don't get out you might not get another chance! Don't worry about me and Holly"

"Max-"

"No you need to go I will take care of Holly"

The 3 of you turn to Venca and his head starts to twist almost like it was being forced..."y/n!" He says in a distortedvoice "...if you...can hear me, you...need...to run...RUN! Come...home...you need...to come...home"

The 3 of you are frozen in fear, whatever or whoever that was it was not Vecna.

"Come on down the hall-"

"No I got Holly go out the window now before its to late"

You hesitate for a second not waiting to leave the 2 of them but both girl push you to the broken window before running off "look for your exit" is the last thing you hear Max say before they disappear.

You are half way out the window when you hear Henry...not Vecna "I'll find you and bring you home where you belong!"

"Screw you! Im going to my real home"

"Why isnt she awake?!" Steve ask holding your hand and looking over at Max while you still laid in your frozen state "you woke up already why hasnt she? You said she found her way out before you"

"I dont know, I really dont know. But she wasnt or isnt under the same curse as me."

"You dont think he found her again do you? Took her back" Robin ask from across the room

"I dont think so because he was yelling at me and Holly for helping her remember you" she said looking at Steve

"Well if you were both in the same place, and you saw her and were able to talk and interact with her how do the curses differ" your dad asked Max

"My mind wasnt being controlled by him, all my memories stayed the same and the feelings that come along with them. With y/n he messed with and hid all the every memory of Steve which messed with her feelings and other memories. He kept her in his house she never went beyond the porch which is why i couldnt get to sooner. She was almost like a prisoner, he would give her headaches anytime he left and made her sleep so she wouldnt leave or wake up if i went to the house and i tried"

There was something about the look on Max's face that El picked up on and she knew she was holding something back, something she didnt want Steve to know. "What are you not telling us Max, something you dont want us to know" El asked her

Max and El stare at each other for several seconds, then she looks at Steve then Hopper then back to Steve before taking a a deep breath "he had her believeing she was his wife"

All blood from Steves face drained and he felt physically sick "does that mean-"

"I dont know I didn't ask" Max says knowing what Steve was asking "what I do know is she could hear you, even feel you touching her. She was fighting the whole time, she might have forgotten you but the feelings were still there even if she didnt know"

Max went on telling them everything she knew, not just about you but everything Holly told her and everything she experienced, when Robin speaks up "Steve her finger...it moved"

Steve snaps his head to you and Hopper runs to your side and sure enough the fingers on your right hand are twitching...

"Come on baby open your eyes! Please open your eyes" Steve says rubbing your hand

"Come babygirl open em, open your eyes"

Joyce puts her hand on your dads shoulder then starts to rub down his back before she speaks up and the words she is about to say arent gonna make him happy "hey Hop maybe you need to step out-"

"Thats not fucking happening Joyce" he says in a low gruff tone "ive waited over 2 years, she still thinks I'm dead"

"Thats why, shes gonna be overwhelmed as it is seeing you first thing she might think its not real and freak out"

"No shes right Hopper she talked about you in there and in one of the memories she saw you and cried, and in another one it was the night you died, she will definitely freak the fuck out"

Hopper looks over at Steve who hasnt taken his eyes off you "Harrington what do you think?"

Steve looks over to Hopper then back to you and remembers what Venca told you the night before he took you, something he hadn't told your father "Chief i know you want to be by her side when she wakes up and I wont stop you, shes you're daughter but...you dont understand how broken she was for months after the mall shit. She cried herself to sleep, had panic attacks, nightmares to were she woke up screaming, even slept with her old bear after wrapping it in one of your uniform shirts-"

"Why did you not tell me Steve? I could have helped her" El says

"She didnt want anyone to know how much she was falling apart especially you El, said she had to be strong for you and for you Joyce. But before he took her, he told her something that almost made her give into him..."

"What Harrington? What could he have told her to make her even think about leaving your side" Hopper asked in a hard voice

"That if she went with him he would bring you back to her knowing how much shes been waiting it since that night, and she almost believed him and agreed. So I know you want to be here when she wakes up and again i wont stop you but Ms.Byers is right if she sees you right away she is gonna think its just him in her head again and I dont think it will end well"

Hearing that you almost gave yourself to Venca in order to see him again breaks his hear so he agrees...but only if he can stay at the door and be the 2nd person to see you.

So everyone left the room but Steve, while Hopper El, and Joyce waited by the door and it was just the waiting now...

20 minutes later you start to hear a voice, you cant make it out but you hear your name. Your head is pounding, your ears are muffled and your eyes are heavy but slowly you open them...and the first face you see is the face of the person you love most! The person that never gave up on you!

"Steve"

----

CH1

Jane opens the door to the lecture hall where her first class of the day was, which was Intro to Sociology with Dr. Theo Deschamps. She put off taking this course until her last year, and now she is stuck taking an 8 am course with the majority being disinterested first-year students. 

She takes a seat in the second row in the farthest right seat, and she sets her iced coffee down onto the tiny desk connected to her chair, along with her bag. She was one of the first students to arrive, but not the first, and it appeared that the professor was not there yet.

Jane takes out her notebook and her favorite pen, drawing a small doodle of a rose in the corner of a page to entertain herself while other students file in. She yawns, prompting her to take a big sip of her iced coffee. 

Jane feels her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she takes it out to check to see if anything important was being said. 

ROSHA: Hi Jane! You do not have to come in for any more ADR; everything we got last night is usable!

ROSHA: We’ll see you on Netflix shoot day!

Jane reads these and opts to respond after class. She puts her phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and continues her doodle. 

“Alright. It is now 8 o’clock, and I prefer to start my classes on time. Good morning everyone, I hope your morning is going well. My name is Dr. Theo Deschamps, but you can call me Theo or Dr. Deschamps,” Theo begins, crossing his arms behind his back and walking slowly to the center of the room. His entire demeanor screams nothing but confidence.

Theo is wearing an outfit that screams ‘professional’, and he looks to be in his early thirties. He has dark blonde hair that is slicked back into a tight ponytail. He wears a small hoop in his left ear, and his hands are full of rings. 

Jane yawns again, beginning to zone out slightly—completely unintentionally. She had hardly gotten any sleep the night before, and it was beginning to catch up to her.

“We’re going over the syllabus today, and then I will let you all out a little bit early,” he says, adjusting the settings on the microphone slightly. 

Jane continues to doodle, trying to keep herself awake. Eventually, her eyes start to periodically open and shut, fighting back sleep. 

Theo scans the room after finishing the second page of the syllabus, noticing the disinterested and disengaged look on a lot of the students' faces, causing him to fight back a frown. He looks to his right and notices one girl in particular. She’s looking at her notebook, lazily scribbling, and her eyes are fighting to stay open.

“Participation will be a large percentage of your grade this semester,” Theo says after a moment of saying nothing. He walks towards the right side of the room, standing almost in front of the girl, but on the floor rather than near the desks. 

She startles at his voice, jumping a little, and rubs her eyes. She notices him standing closer to her than he was moments before and looks at him. When she does, Theo catches her eyes with his, and an amused glint takes over before she immediately looks away. 

“This is a class of 45 people, and I don’t expect all of you to speak in our discussions. However, I do expect you to try to at least act like you are paying attention,” he explains, walking back to the center of the room. “And to try and stay awake,” he adds with a grin, looking at everyone other than Jane.

Jane frowns and takes a deep breath, followed by another big sip of her coffee. 

After another 15 minutes, Theo finishes reading through his syllabus. Jane puts her notebook in her bag, and the second that he dismisses everyone, she is out the door.

Jane pulls out her phone, clicking on her friend Blaze’s contact and calling him as she walks out of the building, beginning her trek to the general area where her other class is later today. 

“It’s way too early for you to be calling me,” a tired voice answers from the other side of the phone. Jane snorts.

“It’s 10 in the morning,” Jane says. 

“Too early,” Blaze repeats, and the sound of fabric rustling is heard, and a bed squeaking as he sits up in bed.

“Uh huh. Sure. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight. It’s Friday, and I wrapped last night. At least for now,” Jane asks, pressing the button for the crosswalk. 

“Shit, you’re finally done?” Blaze wonders. 

“Everything except for the Netflix stuff, yes,” Jane answers, crossing the street and spotting a cafe that has plenty of seats open. She walks in, keeping the phone to her ear as she waits in line. 

“Oh, we’re absolutely going out tonight. This is a huge deal, Jane!” Blaze exclaims. Jane grins, putting her hand in her pocket.

“I’m done at 3 today. I’ll call you then, okay?” Jane says, waiting for the person in front of her to finish ordering. 

“Gotcha. Talk to you soon,” Blaze says. Jane hums, saying a quick ‘goodbye’ before ending the call. After she does, the person in front of her in line finishes ordering, so she steps forward. 

–

“You look hot,” Blaze comments, closing the door to Jane’s apartment as he walks in. Jane smiles, pulling in Blaze for a quick hug. 

“I’m going for hot tonight,” Jane replies, turning her head to look in a mirror that was near her doorway. Jane looks at her eyelashes, brushing one side with her index finger to get rid of a small piece of clumped-up mascara. 

Jane is wearing a black tank top under a dark red lace top and a black skirt. Her hair is half up, with a bow in it. She is wearing silver hoop earrings and a few necklaces, with a coat of dark red lipstick with gloss. 

“You’re singing tonight, right?” Blaze asks, waiting by the door as Jane grabs her black coat and puts it on. Jane chuckles, nodding.

“We’re going to a karaoke night—of course, I am going to sing. I miss doing gigs,” Jane answers, nodding at Blaze to open her door. Blaze does, and they walk to his car. “I also like when men pay for my drinks.”

Blaze laughs, nodding in agreement. “I also like when men pay for our drinks.”

-

The pair walks into the packed club after paying the cover and walks toward one of the empty corners to take in the environment and plan where to go first. 

There is a woman drunkenly singing “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic, and she fails to hit almost every note. Blaze and Jane look at each other, chuckling. 

Jane opts to stand near the karaoke, waiting for her turn.

“What song do I sing? What screams “sexy, hot, and just finished a Netflix show”?” Jane asks, adjusting her necklaces. Blaze shrugs. 

“I don’t know, dude. I’m going to go and try to meet some people. I’ll come back over when you’re singing?” Blaze asks, earning a nod in reply from Jane. 

Jane finally makes it up to the karaoke stage, putting on “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande. 

Her hand shakes on the microphone at first, nerves catching up to her as she tries to remember how many times she has sung in front of people before. 

Before she knows it, she is halfway through the song and fully into it—performing as if she were meant to be on a bigger stage. A larger crowd gathers near the karaoke area, and people in the club start to cheer her on. 

When she gets to the higher notes at the end, she hits every single one as if it were the easiest thing in the world. 

Once the song is over, people gather around and give her a hefty round of applause, and she blushes profusely. Jane spots Blaze and immediately rushes over to him, standing in his space to avoid the alternative of standing super close to everybody else. 

“You have to start doing gigs again,” Blaze says with an impressed yet not surprised look on his face. Jane snorts, hugging Blaze again and then stepping away, looking toward a few of the people who were looking in her direction. 

Jane grabs Blaze’s hand, walking them towards the bar and grabbing a seat, Blaze sitting to the right of her. She is about to speak to the bartender, but is interrupted by a tap on her left shoulder. She turns around to reveal a man with a nervous smile. 

“Hey. I hope this isn’t too forward, but can I buy you a drink?” The man asks, pulling out his wallet. Jane smirks, scooting over to make room for the man to stand next to her. 

“Only if you buy one for my friend too,” Jane replies, her voice confident and unwavering. The man looks over to Blaze and chuckles, shrugging. 

“Sure, why not?” he caves with a shrug, putting down a few bills on the bar, letting the bartender take them. 

They both order their drinks, and they both decide to keep it to mixed drinks for the night—Blaze only having one anyway due to the fact that he drove here. 

“I’m Gregory,” the man introduces himself, holding out a hand to Jane. Jane takes his hand, shaking it with her maroon-painted fingernails, taking the spotlight. “You did great up there. Do you sing professionally?” he asks, taking a small sip of his whiskey. 

“Not anymore, no. Too busy for that,” she answers, taking a sip of her drink. “What about you? Do you sing?” she asks, cocking an eyebrow. She looks over to Blaze for a moment, biting back a smile as she sees Blaze engaged in a conversation with the person next to him, seemingly hitting it off. 

Gregory shakes his head, smacking his lips as he takes another sip. “I can’t sing.” Jane frowns, turning to face her body to Gregory’s, the light buzz of liquor loosening her up a little bit. 

“I’m sure you can. At least a little bit,” she protests, leaning a little into Gregory’s space. Gregory presses his lips together, shaking his head again. 

“Nope. I’m awful,” he insists, letting one of his shoulders brush hers. Jane rolls her eyes.

“You should sing karaoke, Gregory,” she suggests with a mischievous smirk on her lips. Gregory widens his eyes, shaking his head.

“No. Not happening,” he rejects, his face twisting in disgust. Jane pouts a little, running one of her hands down his upper arm. 

“Oh, come on. What’s the worst that could happen? You suck?” she wonders with an encouraging smile. “It’s karaoke night. At a nightclub. People are drunk.”

Gregory huffs, thinking for a moment. 

“Fine,” he groans, stepping out of their space as he turns to look over to the karaoke area. “You’re lucky you’re pretty,” he flirts, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. Jane flushes and then gestures with her head for him to go over. He lets out a long sigh and then eventually starts making his way over to the karaoke area. There was someone finishing up a song, and no line, so he got up to the stage pretty fast.

Gregory was not lying when he said he couldn’t sing. Jane finds herself holding back a grimace as soon as he sings the first note. 

As she’s looking over at Gregory, trying to keep an encouraging and not-disgusted look on her face, she hears a familiar deep voice over to the right of her. 

“A Manhattan. On the rocks, please,” she hears the voice say. Her head immediately snaps toward the familiar voice, and she is shocked by what she sees.

It wasn’t just any random man. It was her professor. Professor Theo Deschamps.

The professor had seen her fall asleep during the first class.

He was sitting a few people away to her right.

Her head immediately snaps to look away, her eyes widening as she looks in the complete opposite direction. 

She hears a quiet chuckle, and she narrows her eyes, slowly turning her head back to look at him. 

Sure enough, there he is—looking right at her. An amused smirk is plastered on his face, and he looks down at his drink before looking back at her. 

“So is this the reason why you kept falling asleep?” he asks, raising his volume a bit so that she can hear him over the awful karaoke that Gregory was singing. Jane rolls her eyes, taking a quick sip of her drink. 

“Fuck,” she groans, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to contain her embarrassment. “No. I barely drink. Or go to the club,” she says. “Not that I need to tell you anything about my personal life,” she adds. 

Theo raises his eyebrows. “Am I boring?” he inquires, his lips turning the slightest bit upward as he asks. Jane rubs her eyes with her hands. 

Blaze looks at her, raising an eyebrow, before stepping back, signaling Jane to take his spot while he goes to continue a conversation with the girl that he was talking with at the bar. Jane holds her breath, wanting to protest but not wanting to make a scene while Theo is watching her. She slides her drink over and steps closer to him, now sitting in the seat next to him.

“No. You’re not boring,” she finally replies, fixing a few pieces of her hair as she speaks. She offers no further explanation, tracing the edge of her almost empty glass with her finger. 

“I should probably go somewhere else now,” Jane says with a slight frown, looking at Theo apologetically. Theo takes a long sip of his drink, nodding with a deep exhale. 

“You probably should,” he agrees half-heartedly, raising his eyebrows, catching her eyes for a second too long. 

Jane’s breath catches in her throat, and suddenly the outfit she is wearing feels all too revealing. His gaze makes her feel stripped naked, yet—not in a bad way. In a terrifyingly thrilling way.

She stands up and takes one long sip of her drink, completing it. 

“Yeah,” she breathes, placing her finished drink down. “It’s just—you’re—I’m—yeah… okay,” she stammers. However, it doesn’t read as nervous. Just unsure of what to say. 

Jane steps backward, scanning the crowd to see if she can locate somebody else to spark a conversation with. Someone approachable.

“You don’t have to, though,” Theo speaks up, looking at his glass before looking at her again. 

“I don’t,” Jane echoes, curious, leaning on the bar top, not quite sitting down again yet. 

“All I am saying is that if you would like to have a chat while we’re here, I wouldn’t be opposed,” Theo says carefully, choosing each word he says with a good amount of thought.

“You’re—,” Jane starts, immediately cut off by Theo.

“If I am overstepping, you are more than welcome to kick me,” he adds, making sure to make eye contact with Jane, conveying nothing but sincerity in his entire demeanor. 

Jane bites back a smile, sitting back down on the stool. 

“You’re my professor,” she almost whispers, looking around to make sure that nobody hears her. 

“Yes. I am. My forwardness probably doubles as stupidity,” he says. Jane lets a smile grow on her lips at this.

“I—,” Jane starts.

“Hey. Did I do okay?” Gregory, seemingly appearing out of thin air, asks Jane. Jane turns around to face him, forcing a smile on her face. Theo rubs his chin with his thumb, observing their interaction.

“You did great,” Jane lies, wishing she had more of a drink to down. Gregory smiles widely, blushing.

“Do you want to go to the dance floor with me?” Gregory asks, holding out his hand. Jane hesitates for a moment before standing up and grabbing his hand.

“For a little,” she agrees, shrugging. She turns to Theo and waves a quick goodbye, earning an amused chuckle in response. 

-

“That was fast,” Theo comments as Jane comes back to the bar winded and sweaty, immediately taking a seat. 

“He is so fucking annoying,” she grumbles with an eye roll, before quickly asking the bartender for another drink. 

“Who is he? Your boyfriend?” Theo wonders, taking a bite of the nachos he had ordered after she had left. Jane snorts, shaking her head.

“No. I met him today, like less than an hour ago,” she replies, the clink of her drink being served to her on the table prompting her to sigh in relief. 

Jane takes a big sip of her full drink, humming as it burns her throat going down. “Are you here alone?” she asks suddenly. 

“I am. I actually have never been here before. I felt like shaking things up tonight, I suppose,” Theo says with a small shrug. 

He moves the basket of his nachos to his left, in her direction. “Would you like some? I don’t think I can finish this all myself,” he offers. Jane immediately nods, takes a chip from the basket, and takes a bite, catching a piece that fell with her free hand. 

“Do you ever run into your students when you go to the club?” Jane asks, genuinely curious.

“No, I don’t. I haven’t been to a club in a proper minute—but this would be the first time. I am also hoping that this is the only time,” Theo answers, twisting one of the many rings he has on his fingers. 

“Sorry,” Jane apologizes, biting her bottom lip. Theo shakes his head. 

“No, no. You don’t be sorry,” he insists. “As long as I’m not making you uncomfortable, I actually quite enjoy your company.” Jane smiles at this.

“You’re not making me uncomfortable. I would have just walked away from you if you did,” she states, nodding her head back towards the dance floor. Theo laughs, his shoulders moving with him as he does.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he says, a slightly less guarded smile taking over his face. Jane bites her lip again, looking back in the direction of the dance floor. Jane takes a big sip of her drink, licking her lips afterward.

“Do you want to come dance with me?” Jane asks, wiping smudged lipstick from the corner of her mouth. Theo hums, checking his watch. He hisses through his teeth, clicking his tongue. 

“I do appreciate the offer, darling, but I’ve been here for a bit now, and I should probably get going soon,” Theo answers, pointing to his watch. Jane frowns, standing back up from her stool to stand closer to him, his hand inches away from her arm. 

“Yikes. Maybe you are boring,” she says with a playful edge to her tone, looking him up and down. Theo raises his eyebrows.

“I am exhausted, not boring,” he protests. “If I don’t leave now, I’m going to become what you were in my 8 am section,” he teases, earning a giggle from Jane. He takes her in, this time looking at her unabashedly. 

“Which would be unfortunate, because I have a beautiful woman standing in front of me,” he adds, his voice dropping lower as each word falls from his lips. 

Jane steps even closer, and her arm brushes Theo’s hand. Theo pulls away at first, and then slowly puts his hand on her arm, trailing a finger up to her shoulder. Jane leans into his touch the slightest bit, and he watches as her lips part to take a sharp inhale. 

Theo turns to face her completely, parting his legs. Jane boldly steps closer to him, taking up the space between his legs that he had made for her. Theo brushes her hair behind her shoulders with his hand, running his fingers through it. 

“A beautiful woman?” Jane repeats, a trail of goosebumps raised on her arm where he had brushed his hand, and her head now leaning into his hand as he brushes her hair back to show more of her face. Her face inches closer to his, so close that she could begin to feel his breath ghosting on her lips. 

Theo nods gently, humming affirmatively. His eyes dance back and forth between her eyes and her lips, darkening more and more with each lap they make. 

“You’re trouble,” he remarks. Jane smirks, biting her bottom lip. Theo chokes back a groan.

Theo removes his hand from her hair, putting his thumb on her chin and pulling her bottom lip from between her teeth. Her bottom lip is glossy from her lip gloss and her own saliva when freed, and Theo fights the urge to run his thumb along her lip. 

Jane loses herself looking into his eyes and back at his lips, and she inches even closer. Her nose brushes up against his, and they both are looking at each other’s lips now. 

“It really is too bad you won’t dance with me,” Jane whispers into his lips. “I would have kissed you on the dance floor.” 

Theo presses his nose closer to hers, almost asking for permission to close the gap between them. In response, Jane smiles—not completing the gap.

“I’m not going to kiss you,” she states suddenly, causing Theo to pull away slightly and frown. “Not when you won't dance with me because you’re boring.”

“I’m—,” he starts.

“Not boring, you're exhausted, whatever,” she completes for him, reaching to grab her drink and then finishing it off. Theo’s frown deepens as he takes one of the last sips of his drink, too.

“I’ll see you Monday, Professor,” she says, putting on a completely innocent voice and walking away with a small wave. Theo is left sitting at the bar, processing what has just happened.

— 

CH2

Monday was a rainy, cloudy day, and Jane had to drag herself out of her bed. 

After weighing the pros and cons of skipping her classes for the day, Jane gets herself ready and gets into her car. She grabs herself a cup of coffee on the way to campus, hoping it wakes her up at least a little bit—not wanting a repeat of what happened on Friday in Professor Theo’s class. 

She walks into the lecture hall with 2 minutes to spare, avoiding looking at Theo, who was sitting in the front, as she takes a spot similar to where she sat in the previous class. Jane takes out her notebook, opening it to a blank page. 

On Sunday, when Jane woke up, she remembered everything that had happened the night before almost immediately and groaned into her pillow. She was not embarrassed, just overwhelmed with the memory. 

At 8 am on the dot, Theo clears his throat—commanding the attention of every person in the room.

“Today, I strongly urge you to start taking notes. I will have your first assignment for you at the end of this class, and it is due before the end of class on Friday,” Theo starts, crossing his arms behind his back as he walks slowly in front of the room, scanning the left side of the room. 

Jane grabs her pen and accidentally drops it on the floor to her left. 

The person next to Jane notices it rolling over near their foot and picks it up for Jane. They smile warmly, handing it to Jane.

“I’ll probably drop one for you to pick up soon,” they whisper, leaning back into their chair. Jane laughs quietly, placing her pen back next to her notebook. 

“I'm not a morning person,” Jane whispers back, pointing to her pen. The person nods, agreeing.

“I’m not either, usually,” they say.

Theo’s voice continues in the background, starting his lecture for the class. He walks to the whiteboard, picking up a marker from the tray and uncapping it. Jane looks to him for a moment before turning back to the person next to her.

“Do you have any other 8 am classes?” she wonders, still trying to remain quiet. The person shakes their head.

“Nope. You?” they ask in response. 

“I avoid them as much as I can. The only reason I am here is that every other section was full,” Jane explains, putting her hair into a ponytail as she does. 

“Same here,” they say, beginning to write something down that Theo had just finished writing on the whiteboard. “I’m Josie, by the way,” he introduces himself, looking back at Jane before focusing more on writing his notes again.

“I’m Jane,” she responds, looking at the whiteboard to catch up on writing what had been written down as Theo walks toward the front of the room again. “Do you l—,” she starts.

“As important as socialisation is in a Sociology course, I’d really prefer if I could give this lecture without being talked over,” Theo’s voice cuts between them. He is standing in front of them, but in the front of the room. 

He has his arms crossed in front of his chest and has a frighteningly patient and calm, but stern, look on his face.

Jane’s head snaps to look at him, and her lips press together into a straight line—her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Something apologetic washes over her face, and Theo nods, seeming content with that. 

Once Theo walks away, Jane turns her head back to look at Josie, and they both share a brief, quiet laugh before they resume their notes.  

—

The class ends, and Josie and Jane make conversation before heading out—Josie leaving before Jane. 

After putting her notebook away, Jane grabs her coffee and starts walking down the small set of stairs to leave the lecture hall where she was seated. 

There were 3 people other than her left in the room, because Jane had to catch up on a few of Theo’s notes right at the end, and it took longer to get packed up because of that. 

As she is walking down the stairs, one of her ankles twists, and she falls down, her coffee spilling on her. She didn't fall down far—she only had two stairs left—but she still twisted her ankle and spilled coffee all over herself in the process.

She groans in pain as her brain catches up to what had just happened.

One of the students left in the room, whom Jane had found out about during class, was named Bia, and she ran over to help her up. 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Bia asks worriedly, holding out a hand for Jane to use to sit up. Jane accepts the offer of her hand, hissing in pain as she sits up.

“I’m… okay. I think,” Jane says with a pained grimace on her face. She looks around her, noticing the coffee that had spilled all over her and the floor, and lets out a deep sigh.

Theo, who had stepped out of the room for a moment, walks back in and takes in the scene.

His eyebrows immediately furrow in concern, and he walks over, crouching down to be level with both of them.

“Are you—?” he starts.

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Jane rushes to say, almost immediately trying to sit up straighter as she sees him. Theo frowns, turning to Bia.

“I can help her if you need to get to class,” he offers, gesturing subtly to the mess on the floor as well. 

Bia nods, putting her bag back on and offering an encouraging look to Jane, waving goodbye to both of them.

Once Bia is gone, the door shuts behind her, and Jane and Theo are left alone in the quiet classroom. 

“Why can’t we ever talk in a normal situation? Maybe one where I’m not half naked or embarrassing myself?” Jane groans, putting her head in her hands. 

Theo chuckles, opting to ignore her question as he looks to where she is holding her ankle, his smile turning back into a frown. 

“Oh my. Did you twist your ankle, darling?” he questions, moving her hand to lift up her long pant leg, revealing her injured ankle. It was a little red, but nothing seemed immediately too concerning. 

“Darling?” she echoes, raising her eyebrows. 

“Jane…” he waves away, completely unamused. 

“I tripped down the stairs,” she admits. “And my coffee is all over me now. And the floor,” she adds, an exhausted shadow taking over her eyes. 

Theo’s expression softens. He stands up and walks over to the desk in the room. He takes the roll of paper towels that is kept in the bottom drawer, unraveling a little bit as he steps away.

He walks back over to her, this time crouching closer to her now that there aren’t as many eyes on them. He starts to clean up the spilled coffee on the floor around her.

Jane sits there, unmoving as Theo works. He cleans up most of the mess, save for what had spilled under her. He hands her a few paper towels to wipe her outfit, but he takes the opportunity to look closer at her outfit. 

Jane was wearing a red t-shirt with a black bra underneath, along with a pair of black leggings. Her red shirt was now wet in the front from the coffee, showing a little of her bra.

She wipes herself off a little bit, making an annoyed face when she realizes that her shirt was probably ruined. 

“I have to stop somewhere to get a new shirt, now,” Jane complains whilst attempting to stand up. She puts weight on the ankle she twisted, and Theo is immediately by her side, holding her up as she almost falls over once again. 

“Easy. Easy, love,” he says in a gentle tone to her, letting her hold onto him as she stands up. She hisses, looking down at her ankle. Jane attempts to walk again, but immediately has to hold tighter onto Theo so that she doesn’t fall over.

Her face contorts with pain and frustration, feeling stripped bare as she looks him in the eye. Jane is holding onto him still, and her breath slows when she finds nothing but warmth looking back at her. Theo looks around them and spots the rolling chair that he had pulled to the center of the room during the lecture. 

“Can I help you get to that chair over there?” he asks, rubbing his thumb back and forth on her shoulder to try to help calm her a little. Jane nods, holding on tighter to him as he guides them to the chair. He helps her sit down and then pulls away, giving her space to adjust herself as she needs to. 

Jane offers him a look full of gratitude, crossing her leg so that her injured ankle could rest on the chair. Theo grabs more paper towels, cleaning up any coffee that was left on the floor.

“You don’t have to do that,” Jane says, as he gets on his knees and wipes down the floor. 

“I know,” he replies simply, not offering her any reason to protest as he finishes wiping the floor, standing up and walking over to the trash can, tossing the wet paper towels into the bin.

Theo walks back over and leans on a table that sits near where Jane is sitting.

“I’m going to get you some ice from the staff lounge. Can you come to my office with me and wait there?” he asks her, no hesitance or reluctance in his voice. Jane’s eyebrows twitch, raising a little in surprise. 

“Is your office far?” she questions, biting her bottom lip as she fixes her necklace. Theo shakes his head. His eyes flicker to her bottom lip—small flashes of Friday night briefly overwhelming his senses. 

“At the end of this hallway, darling,” he tells her, snapping himself back into reality as a reassuring smile returns to his lips. 

Jane nods, letting Theo lead her to his office. 

When she reaches his office, the first thing she notices is how empty and dull everything in it is. She wonders if it is because it is the beginning of a new semester, or if it is because Theo isn’t big on personalizing his spaces. Theo closes the door to his office.

Theo guides her to the chair that is in front of his desk, allowing her space again to sit down. Once she settles, he looks down at her. 

The small space of his office, along with the quietness that makes the sounds of her breathing louder, makes the air shift into something more intense. He looks down at her wet shirt, the black bra showing through still.

Theo clears his throat, surprising himself out of his thoughts. 

“I have a few spare tees that I keep in my car. Would you like me to go and get you one of them?” he asks, rummaging his hand through his pocket to grab his keys. 

“Please,” she replies almost immediately, her body relaxing more as a wave of relief overtakes her. Theo chuckles, stepping closer to Jane once again. His thighs touch the leg of the chair that Jane is sitting in, as he catches her eyes with his once again.

“Of course, darling. Stay here, okay? I’ll be back in a moment,” he tells her, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear.

He doesn’t retreat immediately after brushing the piece of hair back. Theo traces Jane’s jawline slowly, almost as if he’s savoring the moment with everything in him. He pulls away slowly as well, not wanting to harshly end the small, tender moment that had just happened.

—

Theo returns with a bag of frozen peas, a few more paper towels, and a plain black T-Shirt that he had retrieved from his car. 

Jane sees him with the items in his hands and almost immediately melts in her chair. She grips the arms of his chair, her body instinctively wanting to get up, but then she has to stop herself—remembering that she is still injured. 

He sets the items down one by one, leaving the shirt last. The shirt was folded, and he unfolded it as he handed it to her. 

“Here you go. It might not be your size, but I figured it might be better than nothing,” he explains, almost sheepishly. 

Jane chuckles, taking the shirt from Theo, her pleasant surprise at the kind gestures remaining on her face. 

“You…” she starts, trailing off as she shakes her head slowly and repeatedly. Theo furrows his eyebrows, partially in concern, and partially in confusion.

“What?” he asks, confused. “Have I overst—”

Jane reaches up and grabs Theo by his tie, yanking him down to smash their lips together. Theo lets out a surprised yelp, tensing up for a second before completely melting into the kiss.

Theo leans down completely, getting progressively more into the kiss while he runs his hands through Jane’s hair before pulling back to catch his breath briefly.

His eyes match hers. Dark. Passionate. Hungry.  

“Fuck,” he chokes out into a destroyed whisper, before pulling her back in for a fierce, deeper kiss. He starts to run his hands down her back and sides, letting out a small laugh into a kiss when he feels her wet shirt. 

“You made a mess of yourself, didn’t you?” Theo taunts, raising his eyebrows. Jane shivers at the sound of his voice while his hands are on her. Theo notices, and a slightly more excited yet mischievous smirk breaks out on his face. 

“Oh? Do you like it when I talk to you like this, sweetheart?” he adds, standing tall again, lifting her chin as he bends his neck down to look at her. 

Jane bites her bottom lip, looking down as a guilty smile and a deep blush take over her. Theo continues to look at her, expectantly. 

He repeats what he had done Friday night and pulls her lip from between her teeth. This time, though, he does what he had wanted to do so badly that night that he almost forgot how to breathe. He rubs his thumb on her bottom lip, spreading her saliva across it as she looks up at him with increasingly desperate eyes. 

“Tell me,” he says. A command. Jane lets out a wrecked exhale, trying to mute the moan that tries to escape instead. 

“Yes. I like it,” she confirms, her voice hoarse. “A lot,” she adds for good measure. Theo grins, taking his hand away from her face and pointing to the shirt that she was now holding.

“You should get changed,” he says, folding his hands behind his back. “I’ll turn away.” Theo takes a few steps back, turning in the other direction, looking down. Jane hums, hanging the shirt over the arm of the chair as she continues to look at him. He holds a patient and respectful stance. 

“You could look at me,” she offers quietly, yet sure. Theo turns himself halfway around, but not completely. 

“Are you s—”

“Look at me,” she commands, her voice sharp. Theo slowly turns to look at her again, every last thread of restraint fighting to break as he scans her. 

Her hands are on the bottom of her shirt, and she lifts it up, revealing her black bra underneath. Her necklace falls on her chest, moving as she does. She tugs the rest of the shirt off and bunches it up, throwing it on his desk.

Theo toys with his rings, his eyes glassy with need as he drinks her in. She reaches to the back of her bra and looks at him for any signs that he doesn’t want this. She finds nothing even close. 

Jane undoes her bra, letting it slip down her chest slowly before she pulls it off. Theo blinks, his breath growing less controlled as he looks. 

Her entire chest is revealed now, and Theo groans at the sight. 

“Can I—”

Jane’s phone rings. They both jump, startled at the loud noise in such an intense and quiet moment. Jane frowns, looking at the caller ID.

“Fuck,” she curses as she tries to stand up, but immediately falls back into her chair as she remembers her ankle is injured. She rushes to start and put his black T-shirt on. “My boss. Sorry,” she apologizes, clicking the answer button on her screen. 

Theo nods, walking to his desk and sitting down at his chair, making himself busy with sorting a stack of papers that had accumulated. 

“Hi Rosha, what’s up?” Jane says when the phone picks up.

“Hi, Jane! I was wondering… are you busy today?” Rosha asks, seemingly out of breath from walking. Jane hears the opening and closing of a car door on the other end of the line.

“I have two more classes today, and one of them is in 30 minutes. If it is something important, I can skip if I need to,” Jane answers, furrowing her eyebrows, reaching and grabbing the paper towel and bag of peas to put on her injured ankle. 

“Up to you. We got a last-minute spot for a shoot with a photographer we didn’t think we’d be able to book, and we’re trying to see who in the cast could come for it. Marketing is willing to throw in a small bonus if you can make this, since it’s so last-minute,” Rosha explains, the sound of a car starting coming from her end. 

“Yeah, I can make it work. When do you want me there?” she asks, looking up at the clock in the corner of Theo’s office to check the time.

“Hair and makeup will be there for 3, so around then?” Rosha replies. 

“Do you want me to wear anything specific?” Jane wonders, fidgeting with her necklace. 

“We have our usual stylists here, so come in whatever you’d like. Blaire has a few outfits set aside for you already, I think,” Rosha says. 

“Oh, I’m going to look great,” Jane remarks with a smile that can be heard in her tone. Rosha laughs. 

“Okay, Jane, I have to go and call around and see who else is free. I won’t be there the whole time, but I’ll see you then! I’ll forward you the info in a few,” Rosha says, the sound of her car hitting a bump can be heard. 

“Sounds good, I’ll see you then!” Jane says, clicking the button to hang up her phone. 

Theo looks up from where he was organizing and raises his eyebrows, looking her up and down. 

“Skipping class on the first day already?” he asks, a slight disapproving edge to his tone. 

“Apparently, I am,” she responds with a shrug, lifting the frozen peas and paper towel on her ankle. “I need to hope my ankle feels better in the next 3 hours so that I can drive an hour into the city.”

Theo frowns, looking at her ankle from his desk. “Would you like to stay here and ice it?” he asks, looking to his clock now. “I have a class to teach in an hour.”

Jane smiles warmly and shakes her head. “I should try to walk to the building where my seminar is, since I can still make that,” she says, gripping onto the chair as she tries to ease herself up. She puts a little weight on her ankle and winces in pain, but then tries again and puts slightly more weight on it, before opting to stand on one foot. “Or limp, I guess.” 

Theo stands up, offering his arm for her to hold onto as she walks to the door. 

Once they get close to the door, Theo spins Jane around and pins her against it, caging her in. He presses his thigh against her clothed center, pressing in, and is met with the immediate response of her hips jutting towards him. Her head falls back, a light ‘thud’ on the door as it does. 

“I will remember what happened here today,” Theo almost growls, looking back and forth into her eyes. Jane chokes on a breath, letting out a very shaky exhale. “And whatever this is, it is not finished.”

“I don’t want it to be finished,” she says in response, pressing her clothed pussy down on his thigh, trying to relieve a little of the ache that had been growing this entire time. 

Theo lets out a low chuckle, pressing his thigh harder in response, earning a small whine from Jane. He leans his head in next to her ear, the heat of his breath eliciting an immediate shiver down her spine.

“Mmm, you’re already so needy, aren’t you?” Theo observes, whispering in her ear. 

“I bet that if I put my hand down your pants right now, you’d be soaking wet for me. Am I correct?” he inquires, his voice dropping lower and lower in pitch and volume with each word that he says. 

Jane nods quickly, her pulse racing and her entire face flushing further. 

Theo moves his head back to face her and clicks his tongue, narrowing his eyes as she goes to grind herself against his thigh again. 

“Usually, right about now, I would tell you to use your words for me,” he begins. “But… I don’t think I will.” Jane stares at him blankly, confused. 

“Go to class,” he says, suddenly calm and collected. Almost as if he became a completely different person again in the span of a second. He pulls back, allowing Jane to balance herself on the door, and he fixes his rings as he takes a small step back. 

Jane’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, and she brushes a piece of dust off his shirt that she was wearing. 

The look she offers him is a questioning one, in which he provides no answer. 

“I’m going to give you my phone number,” he says, walking back toward his desk and pulling out a Post-it note and a pen, scribbling a line of numbers down. “And you are going to text me,” he instructs, walking back over to her and grabbing her hand, putting the Post-it in the palm of her hand, and closing both of his hands around hers. 

“I’m going to text you?” she repeats with a playful smirk on her face. Theo shrugs, stroking her hand gently as he releases it. 

“I suppose you don’t have to,” he feigns indifference. “But I think you might enjoy what happens if you do,” he finishes, a sly grin on his face as he does. Jane giggles, grabbing her bag and pocketing the Post-it. 

“Goodbye, Theo,” Jane says, opening the door in Theo’s office and waving to him. 

“Don’t fall again,” he says, waving back to her as he walks back over to his desk.