Chapter Text
Jude pushed off against the ground, leaning as he skated around the curve, hands in his pockets. He couldn’t do all the tricks Max could, but gone were days where he fell off the board and bruised half his body.
Jude hummed the song that Eddie wouldn’t stop singing as he jumped off his board, running up his driveway, reaching down and scooping up his board. He needed to hurry. Eddie, Jonathan and Nancy were driving all of the kids to the Byers house for their weekly dinner. It was Joyce and Hopper’s time to check in with each kid, stay up to date on what they were doing, how their parents were, how school was, etc. Wayne was invited every week, and sometimes he came, and sometimes he didn’t. He loved his kid and his boyfriend and all their friends, but there was only so much of their never ending energy he could take.
The adults with cars were going to pick them all up from school, and Steve would meet them at the Byers when his shift ended at Family Video.
Jude realized the last time everyone was over at his house, El had left her blue bracelet, and she came to school distressed that morning. Jude promised to skate home real quick and grab it, turning down Nancy’s invitation to drive him there and then drive them all to the Byers. Jude had waved her off, citing needing the quiet time away from all of his very loud friends. Plus, he wanted to get out of his binder and change into tape. Ever since Eddie had shown him how to use it, he split his time between the two.
Jude fiddled with his keys, bobbing his head to the song. He would have to annoy Eddie later for getting it stuck in his head - Jude didn’t even know the song, and Eddie just sung snippets of it, so it was just the same verse repeating in Jude’s head.
The door swung open and Jude dropped his backpack on the ground next to the door, walking into the kitchen. He looked over the counter, moving plants and dishes to find it, but he couldn’t find the blue band. He slid his keys into his front pocket, ready to do some deeper digging when the door to the garage opened.
“Steve, I thought you had a shift, what are you…” Jude’s voice died in his throat as he stared at Eric Harrington, who glared at him with more malice than Jude had ever seen.
“Sit, Jude,” his father gestured to the dining room table. “Let’s talk.”
Jude was frozen in space. He wasn’t supposed to be home today. He wasn’t supposed to come home for two more weeks, and Mom was supposed to come with him.
Eric slammed the door, and Jude winced, instinctually covering his face with his arms. “I said, sit.”
Jude took a step back, but Eric was too fast, crossing the space in an instant, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the wall. Jude grabbed at his father’s hand and wrist, trying to relieve the growing pressure. Eric got up close to his son's face, using his free hand to thumb at his cheek. “You will do what I tell you,” his voice was low. Quiet and dangerous, the pinnacle of rage that the Harrington father had. “But I guess if you won’t listen to me about being a fucking tranny, then you aren’t smart enough to follow a command for a dog.”
Jude gasped as Eric stepped back, only given a small reprieve as Eric’s fist slammed into his cheek, and he crashed to the ground, into the kitchen counter. Jude could feel the blood dripping down his face as he tried to get up, but shooting pain accompanied by a crunch from Jude’s ribs wouldn’t let him.
Jude shook his head, trying to get his wits, when Eric bent down and grabbed his hair, wrenching his head back to look at him.
“I won’t kill you,” Eric assured Jude, twisting his fist, a cry of pain leaving Jude’s lips. “But you need to be punished. So does your brother. But I’ll get to him later.”
Jude didn’t try to fight him after that. There was little use. He was too strong for Jude, and he had an advantage - fear.
***
“I bring soda and movies!” Steve held up the two bags triumphantly in the Byers doorway, laughing at the kids as they jumped up for both.
“Not before dinner!” Hopper yelled, pointing a spatula at El, who rolled her eyes, but stopped jumping at Steve.
Steve kicked the door close, setting the soda on the counter and handing the movies to Max. She smiled up at him, locking her wheelchair as she read the sleeves of the movies, Lucas and Robin crowding in behind her.
Steve opened the box of cans and cracked one open. “No fair, why do you get one?” Mike whined from the card game he was playing with Dustin and Will, and a very confused Jonathan.
“Cause I bought it with my paycheck, shithead,” Steve took a long sip of the cold carbonated beverage with a sigh.
Nancy hit him with a towel, from across the kitchen counter. “Don’t call him a shithead.”
“No, you should,” Warm arms wrapped around Steve’s waist and Steve hummed, leaning back into the strong chest as Eddie hooked his chin over Steve’s shoulder. “It’s his tone, right?”
Steve snorted, shifting to kiss Eddie on the cheek, but Eddie felt the shift coming and replaced his cheek with his own lips, Steve squeaking with surprise. Eddie smirked as he pulled away, Steve’s hand warm on his cheek. “Well, hello to you too,” Steve murmured, his eyes flicking down to Eddie’s lips, leaning back in.
“Get a room!” Erica emerged out of the backyard, hands on her hip, holding a handful of flowers. Eddie rolled his eyes, but untangled himself from his boyfriend, pulling him to the closest chair, grabbing Steve’s hips and forcing him to sit on Eddie’s lap.
“Classy,” Steve drawled, taking another sip of soda.
“I don’t see you complaining,” Eddie poked Steve’s side, who threw his head back and laughed. Eddie loved it when he did that.
“Where’s Jude?” Steve surveyed the room, doing a headcount. “He was supposed to go with you guys, right?”
“Yeah, he skated home to pick up El’s blue bracelet ‘cause she thought she left it there, but Hopper found it this morning in her room,” Eddie frowned. “He mentioned something about changing from binder to tape too, but he should definitely be here by now, though.”
A pang of panic struck Steve under his ribs. Anytime any of them didn’t show up, his mind always went to the worst. “Did you call to tell him you found the bracelet?”
“Oh, no, I don’t think we did,” Eddie snorted and shook his head. “See, he’s probably just tearing apart your house looking for the bracelet. Get off and I’ll call him.”
“I thought you said I loved it,” Steve quipped, but shifted anyway to get off Eddie.
The door lock rattled as it opened, and a familiar Hellfire t-shirt greeted their eyes.
“Hey, honey!” Joyce smiled towards the door, wiping her flour dusted hands on her pants.
Jude slipped in quietly, turning towards the door as he closed it with a soft click so his back faced everyone as they all shouted a greeting.
Jude didn’t acknowledge them, or move.
Steve put his can of soda down, pushing himself off Eddie’s lap. “Jude?” His shoulders were hunched, like he was hiding something. Or he couldn’t hold himself up properly.
The chatter in the room quickly died out. The kids started to get up from around the room, hovering nervously. Joyce followed Steve, giving him a few feet of space. She glanced off to the side, where Hopper’s eyes were flicking around the room, trying to assess the danger. She waved at him, and their eyes met. “First aid kit,” She whispered, making a small cross with her fingers. Hopper nodded and started towards the kitchen. Will recognized the symbol from his mother and followed, the two of them rustling under the kitchen sink.
“Jude,” Steve murmured, ghosting his fingers over Jude’s shoulder, trying not to startle him, but he still flinched anyway. “J, what’s wrong?”
Jude took a deep breath, his hand sneaking up his side to clutch at his side, shaking. Steve’s eyes narrowed. Jude was hurt for sure, and badly if he were clutching his ribs as hard as he was when breathing was difficult. Steve had been there. It fucking sucked ass to feel like every time you breathed your lungs were going to burn to a crisp and then be ripped out of your body.
“I have bad news, and I have worse news,” Jude told the door, but loud enough that it filled the silent air. He took another breath, bracing himself against the door, almost to push himself into turning around.
The small gasps that filled the room told him it was bad. Jude hadn’t seen a mirror yet. He had just run.
Steve’s hands shook as he cupped his younger brother’s face, blood dripping down it and drying, bruises spreading across his neck and jaw and uneven breaths filling the space. The more Steve looked, the sicker he felt. Jude’s shirt was ripped in the sleeve, and he could see blood dotting the white fabric all down his arm. His shoulder wasn’t completely right, a little too low in the socket. His hands had blood and dirt smeared across them, and his eyes were full of pain and fatigue, but behind it, raw fear.
“Who did that to you?” Jude’s eyes flicked past Steve to Lucas, who seemed to be the only one who had regained a voice at the upsetting sight of their friend.
Jude looked back up at Steve. “Dad’s back.”
“Shit!” Steve breathed, ignoring the pang of fear and adrenaline as he wrapped an arm firmly but as gently as possible around Jude’s waist, leaning down and scooping up his knees. Normally, Jude would squirm and complain and laugh at Steve’s antics, trying to get down. But instead, Jude just leaned into his brother, tucking his head under Steve’s chin as Steve walked him over to the couch. Steve sat down with Jude in his arms, hoping to make the transfer of moving Jude to sit on the couch easier, but Jude grumbled when Steve tried. Steve knew Jude’s grumbles. This wasn’t a,‘that’s-annoying-stop-doing-that-grumble, but more of a, ‘I’m-in-pain-grumble’.
The couch dipped as Joyce sat next to the two of them, popping open the first aid kit. Steve watched her pull on a pair of gloves as she eyed the two of them. “You may need to go to the hospital, hon.”
“No!” Jude jerked suddenly, pushing himself out of Steve’s lap, away from Joyce. “No, you can’t, I can’t, they’ll call him, and I, I can’t go back, I can’t, I -”
“Hey, hey!” Steve grabbed his wrists, pulling Jude’s hands down and stopping the pulling of his hair. “You don’t have to go to the hospital. We can’t make you, okay? I’m not your legal guardian, so they’ll call Dad,” Steve didn’t need to explain it to Jude, but he needed to ground them. So telling all the others the important parts while staring into his eyes would have to do. “And I’m not letting him near you again. I promise.”
Jude was shaking like a leaf in the wind, but he nodded slowly as Steve let go of his wrists, leaning back against the pillows. Joyce rounded the coffee table, kneeling in front of them. “Will,” Steve muttered to the boy standing awkwardly behind his mother. “Go get an ice pack and a towel.” Steve eyed Jude’s ribs, covered by a shirt, but he suspected if he lifted it, deep purple and blue bruises would splay across them like paint.
A hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it. Steve glanced up to Eddie, who was standing over the back of the couch, offering Steve a small smile. Steve grabbed Eddie’s hand and squeezed back, the warm, calloused hands grounding the words swirling around in his mind like a tornado.
“J, you said you had worse news,” Steve’s heart ached, as Jude’s eyes suddenly got wet.
“Mom didn’t come with him.”
Fuck.
They were fucked.
Royally fucked.
The Harrington father was a grade-A asshole obsessed with status and reputation and probably actually hated kids but needed the image of kids. He was an abusive motherfucker who cared about basically no one - no one except their mother.
Their mother was no saint. She would egg on their father when she thought one of them did something wrong, she would stand to the side apathetic as he rained down verbal and physical abuse upon them, but he was always restrained around her. Like their dad was still worried about what their mother thought of him, even after all of it.
Their mother wasn’t a good person, but she made their father a slightly less horrible person.
Steve swallowed the rising panic in his chest, even though he knew everyone could see it. They had all started to migrate over to the living room, giving them space, but watching carefully.
Right now, he couldn’t worry about the other kids. That’s what Joyce and Hopper and Nancy and Eddie and Jonathan and Robin were for. He had to focus on Jude.
“I don’t completely understand what happened, Jude,” Steve nodded to Will as he handed Steve an ice pack wrapped in a towel to him over the table. Steve pressed it to Jude’s side and he sighed, the temperature shock worth the numbness that chased the pain away. “I made a deal with him, he’s always honored it.”
“What deal?” Hopper’s gruff voice cut through the air. Steve gazed up at him, his arms crossed, a very large frown on his face.
Steve licked his lips and swore internally. Fuck. It was going to come out someday. May as well be now.
“When I was younger,” Steve started, rubbing his hand on his jeans. He didn’t know how to tell them. He hadn’t told anyone, because until very recently, he never thought anyone would believe him, and even if they did, Jude and Steve would be carted off to child services and separated. He really couldn’t protect them then.
“When I was younger,” Steve started over. Eddie squeezed his shoulder again, and Steve let the warmth of his touch run through him, a reminder to breathe as all the memories flashed through his head. “I made a deal with our father that I would do everything he wanted. Be his perfect child, and he could do anything to me and I wouldn’t rat or resist.” Steve blinked, the blurriness in his eyes an unwelcome presence he couldn’t deal with right now. “As long as he didn’t lay a hand on Jude.”
A soft kiss was pressed to the back of his head, threatening to send him over the edge, so Steve balled up his free hand, wishing he could crush all of the fear and anxiety as easily. “He still verbally abused both of us, but it meant that Jude could just wear makeup if he wanted, not because I had to teach him how to cover up bruises.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nancy knelt in front of him, running her hands over his fist, working it open to hold hers. “Or Hopper? We could have helped.”
Steve shook his head. “I wasn’t old enough to get custody, so anything that happened would have ended up in the foster care system. Away from him.” Steve gazed over at Jude, who was holding the ice pack to his ribs while letting Joyce hold his chin and wipe at his face. Steve rested his hand on Jude’s knee, and Joyce let go of his face so he could hold his brother’s stare. “What happened?”
Jude’s eyes welled up again, and a tear slipped down his cheek, making a clean track in the grime and blood. “He was just so mad, somehow he found that I’m a boy,” Jude’s jaw trembled, his voice breaking, and Steve started rubbing soft circles on his knee. “Turns out he’s not a fan of having two sons.”
“Oh, honey,” Joyce breathed, motherly worry written all over her face. “You’re more of a man than he’ll ever be.”
Jude tried to smile as Joyce pushed back his hair and thumbed away the tears sliding down his cheeks.
“Steve,” Steve startled, finding Hopper on the other side of the room. He wasn’t used to Steve, and definitely not from Hopper. They all said “Harrington” as much as they said Steve. Sometimes maybe more. “You’re over 18 now, right?” Steve nodded. “I’m getting you custody.”
Steve felt like all his vision fell away except for the determination on Hopper's face, something Steve desperately wanted to share. “How? I don’t have a place to live besides my parent’s house, and they typically want a base salary and -”
“You’ve done your research, and that’s good. But this is not my first domestic abuse case,” Hopper felt his gut clench when both Harringtons flinched at the word ‘abuse’. “You’re parent’s are rarely home, and when they are, they are shitty parents. You have stories enough that will get a judge on your side,” Hopper hated how that sounded. Share all the horrible things your parents have done so a judge can tell you that you’re right. “That deal you made? How old were you?”
Steve ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Nine.”
Hopper nodded. “I can work with that. And I can get you a lawyer who can work damn well with that.”
“And all of us are here,” Robin stepped forward. Steve wanted to smile and cry at that. Robin was the only one who really had a glimpse of what it was like, living by yourself for months at a time, scared everyday that the person who left you there would come back. There was a reason that both the Harringtons could be found pretty much everywhere but their house at most given moments, because even when they were together, they hated what the place did to them. Represented to them. Two parents who decided they weren’t good enough to spend time with. Robin stuck her hands in her pockets. Steve almost smirked. She never was one for public speaking, and everyone was looking at her. “We’ll protect you. Both of you.”
A smaller, cold hand slid up Steve’s wrist. Steve opened his hand without having to look, curling his fingers around the familiar touch before turning his head towards them. Jude looked back with tired eyes, but with a beautiful glimmer of hope.
Steve leaned forward and bumped their foreheads together. Jude hummed and closed his eyes. Steve took a deep breath, listening to Jude breath.
They could work with that.
***
Thank god Eddie had extra tape.
Steve was right, Jude’s ribs were painted black and blue, and he practically lived with an ice pack pressed against them.
Neither Steve nor Jude had been back to the house since their father came home, instead bouncing between their friends’ homes.
“Eddie…” Jude groaned. “I know how to put the tape on.”
“You have broken ribs and you tried to wear a binder over it,” Eddie scoffed. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
Jude grumbled, but didn’t say anything, raising his arm like Eddie told him with a wince. Steve sat on Dustin’s bed behind them, making sure no one else came in while Jude was half naked. He was a little surprised that Jude had agreed to let Eddie put the tape on him after Eddie’s ultimatum (“Either I put it on or you don’t get any!”). Jude didn’t even like people seeing him shirtless with a binder on, even Steve.
“How’s that look?” Eddie stepped out of the way of the mirror on Dustin’s wall. Jude twisted a little, poking at the tape a little, nodding in agreement. Eddie smiled. “Good.”
Steve smiled tiredly at Eddie as he got close. Eddie pressed a kiss to the crown of his head, accepting one of the button ups the boys had assembled for Jude, since all of his and Steve’s nicer clothing was at their parents house, and they had to show up for court looking presentable. Steve’s suit was hanging on the door, borrowed from Jonathan and Hopper, while the others waited in the living room with Dustin’s mother fretting over them with cookies and lemonade.
Eddie was chattering about something to Jude, probably DnD related, trying to distract them as he buttoned up his shirt. They had decided that this shirt fit Jude the best.
Jude made a face when Eddie was done. “I hate this shirt.”
“It fits you well, though, J,” Steve twisted the simple silver ring that he had stolen from Eddie around his thumb.
“Yeah, but it’s itchy,” Jude pulled at the bottom as Eddie buttoned his cuffs. “Dustin!” He yelled out of the room, startling Eddie. Eddie glanced over at Steve, eyes wide, and Steve smirked. “Why is your shirt so itchy?”
“Are you allergic to cats?” Dustin yelled back.
“No!”
“I don’t know then!”
Jude fake cried for a second, looking up at the ceiling. “That’s so much worse!”
“Do you seriously wanna know where that shirt has been?” Steve teased, nudging Eddie’s leg as he walked around Jude, trying to convey his gratitude again. Eddie had insisted on being in charge of making sure Jude was ready for the hearing today, and Steve couldn’t thank him enough. He was already anxious enough about what he was going to say to the judge and remembering everything the lawyer Hopper had connected him with said to remember, and seeing his parents for the first time in months. The lawyer was nice, but nothing he said had put Steve’s mind at ease. He outlined all the reasons Steve might not get custody, and after a few meetings, Steve asked Joyce to come with him so he didn’t have a panic attack.
Jude wasn’t completely healed. His ribs were still bruised and broken, and the bruises around his neck had faded, but were still visible. The wound on his head from when their father had slammed his head into the counter was still there, scabbed over, but plenty red. Steve had to slap Jude’s hand more than once to stop him from picking at it.
“Steve,” Eddie’s voice was soft as he touched Steve’s cheek, the cold rings a stark contrast from his warm hands. “You should get changed.”
Steve nodded, taking a deep breath as he stood. Eddie cupped his face in both hands. “It’s gonna be okay.” Steve tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Eddie kissed him softly, Steve’s hands coming to hold Eddie’s hips. Eddie pressed his forehead to Steve’s, breathing the same air for a moment before Eddie pushed him towards the door. Steve took the suit and laid it on the bed, peeling off his sweater as Jude slipped out, mumbling about “stupid dress pants, it’s a stupid fucking name.” Steve had half a thought to smile at it, knowing when Jude got annoyed or extremely anxious they would fixate on one thing to complain about.
Steve heard Will’s voice interrupt Jude’s muttering and Jude barked a sarcastic laugh, but through the crack in the door he saw Jude drop his head on Will's shoulder, who awkwardly laughed but pulled him into a hug. Hopper walked past and ruffled both their hair, and they both swatted at him, and he yelled something about “don’t get my suit dirty”.
“I’m not ready for this,” Steve hung his tie around his neck, looking in the mirror, fatigue all over his features.
Eddie nodded, brushing the shoulders of his jacket. “I know. But better now than never.”
Steve gazed at himself in the mirror, the tie a dark blue that contrasted with the grey suit.
“You gonna tie that?” Eddie gestured to his tie.
Steve shrugged.
Eddie chuckled. “Well, I don’t know how to, so let’s go ask Hopper.” Eddie pulled at Steve’s hand, but the man stood rooted in the carpet, staring in the mirror. Eddie bit his lip as he stepped in front of Steve’s vision, tilting his chin up to meet Eddie’s eyes. “It’s gonna work. I know it.”
“Don’t give me false hope,” Steve murmured, and the look on his face nearly broke Eddie’s heart in two.
“Someone has to,” Eddie kissed his forehead, knowing Steve’s confidence failed massively in this department. “Come on. We can’t be late.”
***
Their parents brought a lawyer. Steve did too, but he knew from the minute he looked at the man his parents brought that he didn’t like him. He was wearing an expensive suit with a smug look on his face like it was already won.
His parents gave convincing testimonies, mostly on his mother’s part. When the judge looked to Eric, he went on a rant about how both his children were stellar athletes, and when his oldest hadn’t had the chops to make the family business, but he always pushed them to do their best, like pushing Steve to get another job. Steve fiddled with his tie when his mother looked at him, a tight smile across her features, like she was still trying to win him over.
Judge Horne looked down at her papers, flipping through a file before turning to Steve. “Your parents have never been convicted or arrested, have a healthy salary and own a home, and are legally upstanding citizens, Mr. Harrington,” Steve swallowed as she addressed him, his hands shaking as he clenched them together in his lap. “You have filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of both your parents for you to assume guardianship over Jude Harrington.” Steve nodded, and the judge glanced at him over her glasses. “Why do you think they are unfit?”
Steve took a deep breath, glancing at his lawyer, who nodded. Steve stood up, flattening his tie. “When I reached middle school, both my parents started going away for business trips or vacations. The time they were gone got longer and longer, to where it is now, where we only see them for a week every four to six months.” Steve swallowed, feeling like he could vomit under his father’s hard gaze. “When I was eleven they had been gone for a month. It was during the school year, on a teacher workday, so most people were still at work. Jude got sick a few days before that. Everytime I took his temperature, it just seemed to get higher,” Judge Horne raised her eyebrows at Steve’s pronoun use, eyes flicking back to the parents, narrowing for a fraction of a second. “I called them,” Steve looked over at his parents, a small look of panic on his mother’s face as she realized what story he was telling. “I called them at the number they gave me, over and over again, but they never picked up. When Jude’s fever reached 103 I knew we had to go to the hospital. None of our neighbors were home, and I was panicking, and I didn’t think I had time to scrounge around the house for bus money, so I picked them up and ran.” Steve bit the inside of his lip, pausing, his throat terribly dry. “When I got there, the hospital staff took Jude away to the back. I sat in the waiting room for five hours before they came and got me.” Steve stole another look at his parents, particularly his father, his anger overwhelming his anxiety. “Jude’s appendix had ruptured, and they told me if I hadn’t gotten there when I had, Jude could have died.” Steve blinked, remembering crying in the hallway. “When Jude got discharged a week later, my parents still weren’t home, and they wouldn’t be for another three weeks. I called them everyday, trying to tell them. Jude was six.”
Jude remembered it pretty well. The excruciating pain in his abdomen, the bright lights of the hospital burning through his eyelids when he just wanted to sleep. He couldn’t have imagined how Steve must have felt, alone and scared and not knowing what to do.
“When my parents finally got home, I never actually got a chance to tell them, because they went straight to looking at bills, and they saw the part that insurance didn’t cover,” Steve shuddered. “They were so mad that we had gone to the hospital without telling them. I tried to tell Martha that I had called them, but she didn’t care. She slapped me across the face and walked away. Eric grabbed me by my shirt and slammed me into the nearest wall and told me I was never allowed to go to the doctor or the hospital without their permission, no matter if it was an emergency or not, because it was their money I was wasting.”
Steve could feel eyes on the back of his head. Everyone from Hawkins was sitting behind him, hearing this story for the first time. He could practically hear Joyce’s heart breaking. “Except I never could, because they left the next week. We never see them,” Steve gestured towards Jude and himself, gaining a sense of security the longer he talked because he was talking for Jude. “They are always gone. Jude is a different child when they aren’t there. They actually act like a kid, and laugh and have fun and take risks because there isn’t a mother waiting to scream at him when he gets home. A mother, who taught me how to cover up bruises when I was seven with concealer, something that I have to practice nearly every time they come home.”
Steve’s emotions started to hit him, his eyes shining, the true horror of what his parents were becoming more overwhelming and real as he said it out loud. “Eric is so abusive that I had to make a deal with him that he could do whatever he wanted to me physically so he wouldn’t hit Jude. Martha berates us with how we are the biggest disappointments in the world. We are in our family for the image, not to actually be a family.”
“That’s not true!” Martha stood up, and the savvy looking lawyer gave her a death glare, pulling her back into her seat.
“Jude got caught in the mall fire last year,” Steve challenged his mother. “Shattered his left leg. Had to go to physical therapy, stay on crutches or a wheel scooter, and he still has pain. But my parents didn’t come home, even when I called them. So I drove him everywhere. I made sure he took his medicine. I packed his lunch for a long time. I showed up to his archery tournaments and his school events. I went to the parent conferences. I was there when there was a nightmare. I was there when he scraped his knees. I made sure he got to spend time with his friends so he didn’t have to feel as alone as I did,” Steve’s voice wavered, and Jude pressed his foot into Steve’s under the table. “I did more to raise him than our parents ever did. I just want him to have the opportunity to live the rest of his childhood and his life without fearing for the day that Eric and Martha come home.”
Steve sat back into his seat, feeling like all the air had been stolen from his lungs, but he was stronger than he had ever been in his life. He finally told someone. And someone important who could actually change it. And his parents could do nothing about it.
Joyce reached for Hopper’s fingers, intertwining their fingers. Nancy held Jonathan’s. Will was staring at the back of Jude’s head, trying not to cry and completely ignoring the weird feelings in his stomach that would plague him later when he tried to sleep. El leaned against Mike. Eddie sat forward on his elbows, bouncing his leg at an inhuman speed while Dustin sat next to him quietly, picking at his thumb as he watched. Lucas let Max play with his fingers from the side of the room, the only place her wheelchair fit. Robin sat next to Nancy, startling when Nancy’s hand darted out and grabbed hers.
They were all shocked. Nancy had known the most, knowing that Steve didn’t get along with his parents, but she never imagined it to be this bad. They knew it was worse than they could have predicted when Jude showed up battered to hell weeks ago, but to have it this severe, and neither of the Harringtons felt safe from their parents, even when they were gone, to tell any of them hurt everyone’s heart. This was the kind of thing that happened to other people.
But then again, if the Upside Down could find them, so could this.
Judge Horne nodded, looking back and forth between the two groups. It was probably only ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Steve. “Jude,” Judge Horne’s voice softened slightly, focusing on the child, who looked scared and hopeful, but above all, tired. Jude glanced at their lawyer, who jutted his chin out. Jude stood up, using the armrests on his chair to push himself up. “You have bruises on your neck and jaw, and quite a sizable cut on your head. Every time you breathe you look uncomfortable, and based on the way that you just stood up, I’m guessing you have broken ribs. Am I right?”
Jude nodded. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Judge Horne took off her glasses and let them dangle from her fingers. “Who did that to you?”
Jude swallowed, taking a shaky breath, glancing at his father, fear rigid through his body. “Eric Harrington.”
Judge Horne sighed, watching Eric Harrington’s face harden. “You know, I have a daughter like you,” she pointed to Jude with her glasses. “I always wanted a daughter, but I never gave birth to one, even though I certainly prayed. But then one day, my daughter came up to me and helped me see that she had been my daughter along, and I thank God everyday for opening my eyes to that.” Judge Horne smiled at Jude, and Jude smiled softly back, the mother in the judge pulling out more of who Jude actually was. “I’m glad you have people in your life,” she gestured to the people sitting behind the railing. “That listened, and let their eyes open to that too.” The judge paused, holding Jude’s gaze, and they shared a moment of mutual understanding. Jude knew that his parents’ reputation couldn’t save them here. The judge wanted to do what was right by Jude, and Jude couldn’t help but smile at her dedication to doing the right thing. “So, Jude, who do you want to go with? Who do you want to be your legal guardian?”
“Steve,” Jude answered immediately. Steve knew that’s what he was going to say, but his heart still swelled and the knot in his stomach loosened when he heard it. They weren’t perfect siblings, and sure they fought, but Steve and Jude were always in each other's corner, and nothing could break their bond.
Judge Horne nodded. “Thank you, Jude. You can sit.”
Jude sat down, taking Steve’s hand that grasped his bicep as he sat down, scrunching up his face as his ribs twinged.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harrington,” Judge Horne slid her glasses back on, staring pointedly at the Harringtons. “I understand you are here today to keep up appearances, so I will save you the trouble of having to fake argue that you want your child.” Eric crossed his arms, and Martha bristled in her seat, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt. “So to save you of the burden, I am stripping you of your parental rights over Jude Harrington and transferring them to Steve Harrington, effective immediately.”
The court room erupted in a short cheer, and Steve let out a breath of relief as Jude jumped into his arms. Steve lifted him up, spinning him around, holding him as tightly as humanly possible. Steve let out a wet laugh as Jude buried his face in Steve’s shoulder, his tears staining Steve’s jacket, but neither of them cared.
Eric stood up. “Your Honor -”
“In addition, Mr. Harrington,” Judge Horne’s voice turned hard as she narrowed her eyes at him. “I am instituting a restraining order for the both of you at a minimum of 500 feet from either of your children at any time, because unfortunately I do believe you’ll make bail.”
“Bail?” Martha exclaimed, eyes darting to the bailiff on the side of the room. “What do you mean, bail?”
Judge Horne tapped her papers on the table, done with the rich privileged parents in front of her. “Bailiff, please escort Eric and Martha Harrington into custody where they will be charged with child abuse and neglect. Bail is posted at 50,000 dollars.”
The two Harrington adults protested, but didn’t resist as the bailiff pulled them out of the room. Steve kept holding Jude, rocking him back and forth, watching his parents go.
Judge Horne stepped down from the bench, tucking her files under her arm, giving the siblings one last glance as their friends and family started to lean over the railing to pat them on the back, giving them their congratulations.
“Thank you,” Steve whispered, rubbing a hand up Jude’s back.
Judge Horne smiled softly, another mother fighting for them, exiting the room.
***
After the day of the trial, the Harrington parents left town, given the option to vacate their house for the day to let Steve and Jude pack up their things, or leave town for one of their usual months long business trips. They chose the latter.
The whole crew showed up, though not all of them were terribly helpful. Erica kept kicking Lucas and Dustin, who kept getting distracted by all the stuff around the house. Max was the only one who got a pass, and she was writing down labels on tape by the coffee table.
But they weren’t all there for moving help. This house had been Steve and Jude’s home, as conflicting as the emotions that surrounded it was.
They started stacking boxes from the front door, ready to pack into Eddie’s van. Max rolled up to them, sticking on tape, talking quietly to El as she put down a box of records from Steve’s room, which had been confiscated from Eddie once he started ranting about music education, his words ricocheting around the house.
“All right, gaggle of children who are unfortunately mine!” Hopper yelled through the house. “Start loading up boxes!”
Wayne pulled the keys out of his pocket, leading the way of a gaggle of loud teenagers towards the Munsons’ very beat up van. They were just moving boxes downstairs, things from one place to another.
Upstairs was a different story.
Joyce placed the last folded sweater in a laundry basket, picking it up and leaning it against her hip in Steve’s former room. She turned towards the door, squeezing Steve’s shoulder before disappearing into the hallway and down the stairs.
Steve took a deep breath, looking over the bare walls of what used to be his room, the place he grew up in, his place in the house where he had a small amount of freedom and relief. A room that Jude spent countless nights in because the nightmares of hell never stopped. A room where he had blasted music to drown his parents’ yelling. A room where he fantisized over Nancy Wheeler, and in recent days, Eddie Munson, something Jude figured out before him.
A warm hand ran over Steve’s shoulder blades, a hand wrapping around his shoulders. Steve leaned into Eddie’s side, biting the inside of his lip. Eddie pressed a soft kiss to Steve’s temple. “You ready?” Eddie whispered, rubbing absent circles on Steve’s shoulder.
Steve sighed, but that didn’t feel like enough to relieve the tension in his chest. “I don’t know,” Steve thunked his head on Eddie’s shoulder. “I thought this would be easier. To leave.”
“When they weren’t here, this was your place with Jude,” Eddie gazed at a dust particle floating through the sunbeams from the windows. It was a nice room. It was a nice house. Too bad such shitty people had bought it. “But you can have that in other places too. I don’t think you could pay him enough to get rid of him.”
Steve snorted. “I know, he’s so clingy. I’ve woken up in the morning with him tangled around me like a giant spider.” Steve swallowed, his throat scratchy and uncomfortable. “Thank you for letting us stay with you, Eds.”
“Of course,” Eddie pressed another kiss to Steve’s hair. “The new apartment the government set us up with is really nice, and Wayne told me he’s actually kind of excited to have a kid in the house again. Jude was always his favorite of the Hellfire boys. And I will be selfishly enjoying getting to share a bed with my very hot boyfriend.”
“Yes, and half the time my little brother,” Steve joked back, but his heart wasn’t in it. Eddie shook softly against him with laughter.
“My little brother too, a little,” Eddie smiled at the idea. “Someone needs to teach that baby trans boy how to trans. Something that, as genuine and sweet as you are, you cannot quite provide.”
“You are an expert in that area.”
Eddie wiggled his eyebrows. “More than just that area.”
Steve laughed. Not hard, or loud, but it was still nice to hear. The past couple weeks had been a never ending stress, and Steve didn’t smile as much, or laugh as much. Worry consumed him, and now that it was over, he could finally breathe again.
“Come on,” Steve slid his hand around to Eddie’s on his shoulder, tugging at it. “I wanna get out of here. I wanna go home.”
Eddie’s face split into a grin, and Steve couldn’t resist leaning forward to kiss it softly. “Let’s go, he whispered.
Eddie rested his forehead against Steve’s. “Lead the way, big boy.”
As Eddie and Steve made their way to the first floor, wrapped around each other, to everyone else waiting outside, leaving only Jude and Will.
Jude was sitting on the floor, against the wall under the window, painting the texture of the walls. Will sat next to him, staring at Jude’s bow, which was sitting in the middle of the floor of the empty room in front of them.
“Will?”
“Yeah?” Will snapped his focus to Jude, ringing his hands.
“You don’t have to keep bouncing your leg,” Jude tilted his head, lazily looking at Will. “If anyone should be nervous, it’s me.”
“Sorry,” Will ducked his head, his cheeks dusted pink. “I just, I don’t know what I thought. I just.” Will sighed, dipping his head back to stare at the ceiling.
“It’s okay,” Jude shifted, pressing his leg into Will’s. Will startled, but smiled nervously, pushing back slightly with his knee. “I hate this house too. It has bad vibes written all over it.”
Will exhaled a laugh, glancing around the room. “Yeah, I know a thing or two about bad vibes.”
Jude chuckled quietly, the sound reverberating around the empty white walls. Will tried to ignore the twinge he felt, how much he liked the sound of it, how accustomed he had gotten to it. How much he had missed it in California.
“I’m sorry I make you nervous.”
“What?” Will’s face scrunched up with confusion, and he scrambled to face his friend. “You don’t make me nervous.”
Jude shrugged, picking at his nails. “You don’t have to lie to me. You’re more fidgety around me, especially since you came back from California. I don’t blame you. I know that this town is a lot, for anyone, especially you, and adding me to the mix -”
“Stop!” Will grabbed Jude’s arm. Jude flicked his eyes to Will’s face, set in stone with determination. “You don’t make me nervous. What you represent, makes me nervous.”
Jude furrowed his eyebrows, shifted to face Will, their knees touching as they sat crosslegged across from one another. “What do you mean?”
“You know how Eddie’s dating Steve? And Steve likes girls and boys but Eddie just like guys?” Will stared at the laces of Jude’s shoes, which were dirty white from running around in them, little stars drawn on the soles of them from where Jude had gotten bored in class. He could see Jude nod in his peripheral, but still didn’t wanna look up. “I’m like Eddie.”
Jude smiled, his grin threatening to take up his whole face. He rested his hand on Will’s knee, the rough denim scratching his well worn callouses. “That’s great, Will. I’m glad you were able to figure that out. Thank you for telling me,” Jude offered tenderly.
Will gulped. He could feel the question on Jude’s mind, because he hadn’t answered Jude’s first question. “I thought for a long time that I liked Mike. I love El, but I was jealous of her. She took the person who was my best friend and became his, and I didn’t feel that way with Max and Lucas, so I thought that it was different.” He stared at Jude’s hand, how his nails were chipped but still mostly blue, thanks to Max, who was bored out of her mind. “But I realized after all of this, the four gates, and Vecna,” Both of them cringed at his name. “That I wasn’t jealous of Mike because I liked him. I was jealous that he had that relationship. I do love him, just not like that. Because I do have a best friend, and I hope that he can be like my best friend like El is Mike’s.”
Will finally braved a glance up, expecting to see at the least confusion or shock, at worst disgust and uncomfortable. But Jude just looked at him patiently, waiting for him to be done talking. Will put his hand over Jude’s, trying to stop it from shaking as Jude smiled, slowly turning his hand over, making them palm to palm, tangling their fingers. “I really like you,” Will’s voice came out hoarse. “I know this isn’t great timing, but I was worried there was never gonna be a great time, but I at least wanted to wait until you guys were settled outside this house at Eddie’s, but telling you at Eddie’s would be a little weird especially if Mr. Munson was there, and I’m sure I’ve ruined it and I’m sorry and I’m so - mmph!”
As Will had rambled, in one impressive breath, Jude got closer and closer, trying to get a word in, but when he started apologizing, Jude took matters into his own hand, splaying his fingers across Will’s jaw and pressed his lips to his.
Jude pulled away a few inches, sitting back up. “Sorry,” He said sheepishly, trying not to laugh at the completely flabbergasted Will. “I couldn’t get a word in. I like you a lot too. But are you…” Jude bit his lip. “Are you sure? About me?”
“Of course I am!” Will grasped both his hands, scooching closer to him on the floor. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I wasn’t always a boy,” Jude muttered, looking away.
“Yes, you were,” Will squeezed his hands, pulling Jude back to Will. “You just didn’t always know it.” Will played with Jude’s fingers, pulling out a giggle. “Are you sure about me?”
“I always have been,” Jude assured him. “Through all of it.”
They stared at each other for a moment before both blurting out, “Do you wanna go on a date?”
Jude fell over laughing, Will laughing into the wall.
“Yes,” Will wiped at his eyes, smiling more than he had in years.
“Yes!” Jude cupped his face, squishing his cheeks. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Will glanced around the room. “Should we…?”
Jude followed his gaze. “Yeah. We should.”
Jude picked up his bow gently, slipping his hand into Will’s, who beamed at him, leading him down the stairs, where Eddie and Steve were waiting for them. Jude slowed to a stop, blushing when Eddie and Steve saw their hands, Steve raising his eyebrows and Eddie smirking wickedly.
Steve pulled his hand out of his pockets, holding up his key. Jude sighed, turning to Will. “Hold this for me?”
Will stared with wide eyes at Jude’s outstretched hand holding his bow. Will swallowed, but reached out a shaking hand, his fingers brushing Jude’s as he did and he blushed again.
Steve took a step towards the counter, and slid his key across it.
Eddie let go of Steve’s hand, gesturing Will out of the house, who was clutching the bow Jude had handed him to his chest like it was made of diamonds and fragile as glass. Eddie pushed his back, making him go faster through the front door, trying to give the youngest Harringtons a moment alone to say goodbye.
Jude dropped his key on the kitchen counter next to Steve’s. Steve ran his hand through Jude’s hair, cupping his head, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “Ready?” Steve scratched the back of Jude’s head, thanking whatever destiny had given the two brothers the same love language, making comforting him easy.
“Been ready for years,” Jude murmured. Steve felt the need to smile, but all that came out was a wet laugh that sounded more like his voice breaking over and over again.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” Steve tried to apologize, but Jude made an annoyed noise, the one he made when he thought Steve was being stupid.
“I love you,” Jude gazed up at Steve, and suddenly Steve was staring down at the scared seven year old who just found out that Mommy and Daddy were horrible parents and people, putting all his hope into Steve. Steve had forgotten that look, and what it meant. He had hated that look on his brother’s face, but now it had a different depth. A depth of gratitude. Jude was looking at Steve like he had saved the world (which he kind of had). Like he was the hero in this story.
And all of a sudden Steve was breaking his promise that he wouldn’t cry when they left.
“I love you too,” Steve wrapped his arms around Jude’s shoulder, squeezing Jude back into his chest as they both gazed out at the house they would never step foot in again. Steve rested his chin on the top of Jude’s as they took a deep breath together. “I promise I will always love you.” The hidden message was spoken. Jude was loved not just by him but all their friends, and if Steve could help it, Jude would never lose the love of the people who he cared about and cared about him for petty ego or narcissism.
Jude ran his hands down the length of Steve’s forearms around his shoulders. “It’s time to leave the pain here.”
“Yes, it is,” Steve stepped back, closing his fingers around Jude’s when Jude reached out for him.
Steve gave the house one last time. A house that was not really theirs, not really. For the first time in a long time, he finally felt free.
Steve closed the door on the Eric and Martha Harrington house, removing them from that narrative forever.