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Nancy padded impatiently across her bedroom, nibbling the end of her nails and picking at the hem of her jumper. Her mind was a blur of white noise, endless thoughts, insecurities and guilt, wishing she could make it all stop. Wishing she could just go back to her boring old life before she knew about any of the supernatural elements of her hometown. It was getting late, she should be cuddling up under the sheets and having a quiet night. She should have been preparing for her exams, she should have been looking at a new job to pursue her dream job in journalism. She should have been on the phone until late talking to her boyfriend until she fell asleep. She should have been getting ready for bed like a good girl her age. All the stupid teenage bullshit girls her age were expected to do or how to act. But these days she tended to find herself avoiding sleep like the plague, her pillow soaked in sweat and tears. Bags forming under her eyes from the lack of sleep brought on from the trauma. She felt so trapped, unable to escape from the monsters that lay hidden in the dark. She didn’t even want to close her eyes out of fear that the monsters would come, that she would look behind her to see a slimy jawed creature grinning back at her.
She could still see the upside-down in her memory, the endless vines wrapped around every tree acting as a living thing. Waiting to entangle her and drag her away, feeding off her like human mulch. The rotting smell that followed them everywhere. The ash in the air, the creatures that lay around every corner. The people who had been dragged to that place without hope of ever getting away. She could still see Billy’s dead body, being impaled by the mind flayer, red and blue blood accumulated onto the floor. Coughing as his life slipped away, dying a hero and saving a girl he barely knew. Swallowed up by his demons and finally making peace with himself and those closest to him. After Max brought to light about her stepfathers abusive behaviour towards Billy came to light, everyone looked at him differently. Though Billy had suffered and lost his life before he could find peace, which made him an easier target for The Mindflayer. She could still smell the smoke, the blood and the fear, the fireworks, the screams of the monster, being chased around the hospital by the flayed zombies. Being chased in a truck as the mind flayer chased them, nearly being run over by Billy while he was flayed. The removal of the mindflayer from El's body. The whole night feeling like a nightmare yet she knew instantly what to do. Aiming her gun and firing as best as she could, fighting her fear. The Demogorgon's petal-like face full of rows of teeth, hunting them through the upside down. Feasting of her best friend's body while all she could do was live with the fact her friend needed her, but she cared too much about being a cool kid.
Sounds in the night made her jump, her mind irrationally focusing on something supernatural elements instead of the possibility of her mother getting up for water. Instead of her little sister Holly simply being nosy, something had to have gotten inside instead. It had to be something dangerous instead of something familiar, shapes in the dark immediately made her think monsters. Something skulking in the dark waiting to pounce, something that wanted to eat her. No longer did she think of break ins, rowdy teens playing pranks. Shapes and sounds that never bothered her before had her on edge. Terrified something would crawl out of the shadows and drag her kicking and screaming to her death.
Alone and afraid just like Barb had been, begging for someone to come and save her but nobody would come. She would would never be found and nobody would know what happened to her. That thought terrified her, because these days it was a reality. So many of the locals still had no idea of what was going on, so many had no idea of the truth of strange things that had occured. Hawkins lab was finally closed off for good, they could do no more harm opening doorways and awakening monsters. After the experiments, they had been up to were over for good, nobody wanted the military in their town. There was so much damage done this past year, worsened no thanks to the Russians trying to open the gate.
Jonathan was gone, he had left her behind to move out of Hawkins with his family. His mother wanted to protect her family, she refused to allow this place to steal anyone else from her. Will had been dragged to the upside down and back. Bob had been murdered by Demodogs while escaping the lap before her eyes, Hopper had died while helping to close the gate. Too many men she fell in love with ended up with her heartbroken. She wanted to protect her sons and her adopted daughter. She wanted to leave this cursed town and protect her family from further harm.
Will was gone, after being kidnapped and labelled zombie boy by his peers due to coming back from the dead. Being bullied for it by his peers and feeling like an outsider, plagued by visions of the upside down. Becoming a host for the mindflayer against his will and gaining supernatural powers. Then using them to defeat the monster once and for all, all while losing his childhood. Though he had come to terms with his demons, he would never be the same again. At least now he had an adopted sister in El who could understand him and help him harness his newfound powers.
Hopper was gone, though he had been gruff and hated his job, soon he came to love his job again and truly try to protect his town. Fighting against the supernatural happenings of his town, trying to find Will, save him from the upside down and fight against what the Hawkins lab had been messing with. Adopting El and getting a second chance as a parent, then redeeming himself as a parental figure and dying a hero. She didn't know much about Hopper as she didn't speak to him personally but he always seemed so grumpy. But after a while he showed a softer side and clearly loved Joyce Byers, but instead of telling her how he felt, they simply argued. Then died closing the gate again.
El was gone, a kidnapped child, a lab experiment, a number, a powerful gifted child, a runaway. Then she became a member of Mike's team then his love interest, then girlfriend. She found a new childhood, friends and a second chance at life. Everything she had been denied in the past she was able to reclaim thanks to her friends and her new father. Broken hearted at how she was finally able to understand Hoppers feelings via his letter before his death. Life would never be the same again, nobody could deny the chaos that had occured and covering up would be even harder now. The Byers had moved out, they were lacking a chief of police, she'd suffered another breakup. Mike had lost the love of his life, everyone had lost something and it showed. Life as they knew had been torn apart at the seams. But there was a silver lining.
Mike lost his first love and girlfriend, a girl he had met after his best friend went missing and was able to help find him. He discovered love for the first time and found himself head over heels, finding his romantic soulmate. A girl with powerful psychic gifts with a heart of gold whom he lost and then found. Growing and changing because this girl made him feel like he was the most important person in the world. Though she could no longer spy on him via her powers, But they could still communicate. Write letters and such, Hopper had taught her quite a bit after adopting her and now Joyce her adopted mother could teach her how to write.
Will had to leave his friends all over again, he'd been abducted to a strange dimension by a demogorgon and hid from monsters that wanted to do god knows what to him. Being dragged from the upside down after being used as a host. Driving the creature from his body, developing new powers and trying to adapt to the aftermath of all the chaos. Knowing he could wake without the MindFlayer plaguing his dreams. But more so, to be so far away from the best friends he had grown up with, whom he had built a bond with. The team had broken up, torn apart by the chaos that happened in their lives.
After Max lost her stepbrother, she had become a shadow of herself, growing up into someone different that was hard to recognise from the ball of energy everyone was familiar with. She locked herself in her bedroom listening to music loudly so nobody could hear her crying. Cutting herself off from her father and rarely speaking to her mother, her family divided further than before. She couldn’t talk to El anymore, she wouldn't get a radio signal all the way from where she was moving and El no longer had her powers. She wouldn’t eat, unless she was coaxed into pizza or picking at her food with a distant expression, the light had died from her eyes. She wouldn’t sleep, or more so she couldn't sleep after the monsters she had seen and watching her stepbrother being impaled by a dimensional monster. She didn’t even like comics the way she used to, occasionally she flicked through them but she no longer boasted about how awesome they were anymore. She spoke to Lucas over the radio, but she also sneaked out more to bond with the guys, she found comfort in her friends and was still in grieving. They included her in game play, they still called her mad max and spoke to her over the radio. But they couldn't do anything to ease her loss simply comfort her through it. She wanted her brother, she missed her brother, but he was never coming back.
Jonathan had been her last familiar security, someone familiar. They had been friends while she was dating Steve, comforting him through the trauma of his brother going missing. Showing him kindness when nobody else would. Soon they learned of the upside down, the truth of his brothers abduction and her best friends death. Soon becoming allies, then best friends and then soon became lovers. But then they hit a rough patch when they got a job at the newspaper office. But they had broken up after he moved out of Hawkins, or at least they were on hold, having moved so far away.
Steve and Robin had been a great help through all of this mess however, having found friendship and comfort in people she never expected to. Steve had truly grown up since their breakup and getting a part-time job, acting as a best friend and emotional support, looking past their previous relationship. He was no longer the arrogant, show off king bee he used to be. He was an awkward, sensitive and down to earth guy with a heart of gold. He cared about the kids too, acting as a big brother towards them, which she couldn't help but admire. But more so his personal growth was added to the positive friends he now harboured in his life. Helping him move on from his colourful past as the jerk he used to be. Robin was a truly supportive friend to Steve, even having trusted him enough to reveal herself as a lesbian to Steve. They brought out the best in each other and it was good to see Steve with a loyal friend for once. She was better for Steve than Nancy had thought, even helping Nancy herself come to terms with her sexuality.
However, you had been such a great help to her, acting as her anchor, acting as her beam of sunshine amidst the chaos her life seemed to be in. She never expected the two of you to follow this path, but she didn't regret it in the least. The two of you had gone to school together, though not best friends you had been close. You had been study buddies a couple of times and bonded as fellow nerds, the mockery of the cool kids. But you never let their words affect you, even responding with sarcasm and creative insults. During the period when Barb went missing before her fate was revealed, you had truly proven your true colours to her, earning her trust. Previously believing you only spoke to her out of sympathy. You brought cookies to her house and sat up talking for hours, you would walk to school with her or hitch a ride with her and Jonathan so she wouldn't feel lonely. You listened to all her stories of the things she had seen and never treated her like a crazy person. Though surprised and in shock, you knew Nancy was no liar and you believed her. Over time you too saw the strange occurrences in Hawkins for yourself, like something out of a fever dream. Though you had been in shock for a while, you too joined the team of teens against the supernatural army of the upside down.
During her drunken breakup with Steve after she realised she didn’t love him, you stopped her from drinking anything else on an empty stomach. You helped her get to bed with help from Jonathan, you gave her water, gave her food and helped her get to school. Though the aftermath of her drunken antics weighed heavily on her shoulders, making her feel worse. You called every other day and checked up on her, knowing she no longer had friends to turn to. Walking to school with her and acting as moral support, making sure nobody gave her trouble. She missed Barb, she felt responsible for what happened to her. She blamed herself for being so selfish and ignoring her best friend when all she wanted to do was go home. But you helped her heal, come to terms with her grief and accept what had happened, though traumatic had been due to Hawkins lab, not Nancy's bad decisions.
Jonathan sensed you had feelings for Nancy before they began dating, he saw the way you looked at her with a warm smile and dreamy doe eyes. How you perked up whenever she came into your presence. How you would footsie underneath the desk but pretend it was just for fun. How you would hold her hand to comfort her, how you ran after her and always cared. How wrong Steve had been for for her at first, how Barb had been right. How you would vent to Jonathan about your crush on your friend. He didn’t say anything to anyone, having his own mutual crush on her. He began to date her shortly after the party event and soon became a loving if not old married couple. But upon his leaving Hawkins and their relationship becoming strained, arguing because of their part time jobs and the sexist treatment she endured. But he knew she would be in good hands with you, he knew you would look out for each other. He told you to take care of Nancy while he was gone, to which you promised you would. In his own way you knew he was giving his blessings towards your feelings for Nancy. You’d continued to keep calling her lately, making sure she was ok, checking in that life wasn't getting her down and how her new job hunt was going. Now that you had both left Hawkins high and entered the adult world, you needed to find employment and consider colleges outside of Hawkins. You encouraged each other and boosted each others confidence, chasing your dreams.
Nancy hesitated, you'd always been the person closest to her even when she was best friends with Barb. There was just something about you that made you stand out from the crowd. She felt safe around you in a way she couldn't verbalise, it was just such a strong feeling. She trusted you with her life, which was a big deal indeed. You never overwhelmed her, you never spoke over her, you never pushed her around or demeaned her. You always reassured her, you gave her headspace when she needed it and spoiled her with attention and affection when she didn’t want to be alone. You were a blessing she felt like she had been waiting for her whole life. Right now she didn’t want to be alone, she rushed to her bedside desk and grabbed the phone, dialling your number by memory. Right now you were the only person she felt comfortable with, playing with the phone chord anxiously.
"Please pick up, please pick up" she pleaded mentally.
(Y/N) answered the phone cautiously, it was late and though there was nothing going on, no school in the morning, most people during this time of night were sleeping. Unless they were catching a late movie or grabbing dinner after a late shift that is. Nancy was never the kind of person to phone without a reason, she was a smart girl, she always left an impression. “Hey Nancy, you doing ok?” you responded casually. You knew she had been enduring a rough time after Jonathan had left, moving on from her feelings from him. Another relationship where she felt happy ended up with broken hearts and a sour ending. The battle at starcourt mall had fucked everyone up, while everyone else was at a fair enjoying deep fried foods, games and other fun activities. They had been playing spy and fighting against a dimensional monster to save the world. Everyone had lost something that day, everyone had lost a piece of themselves.
Max had lost her brother, she had lost someone she loved before she even had a chance to understand him. She had been thrown into a strange town, made new friends and complained about her shitty brother. Only to realise he was more of a stranger than she knew, that he had demons she never believed she could understand. Wishing she could have done more to earn his trust, to love him, to make him feel loved.
Mike lost his best friend and his girlfriend, Will his best and oldest friend had been abducted and then brought back with expected trauma. Then he met a girl who changed his world and he lost her too, only to find out Hopper had been harbouring her in secret. Now when he had them both back, they had to move away from his hometown, leaving him behind again missing them like crazy. Wishing more than anything he could see them again.
Nancy had lost Jonathan, Nancy got revenge for Barbara, everyone was feeling lost right now. Everyone was coping as best as they could, wishing more than anything they could go back and change events. But they knew such a thing despite all the crazy stuff that had happened was impossible. Nancy took a deep breath, winding the phone cord around her finger, admitting weakness wasn't cowardly it was brave. She missed you, she needed you, “Can… can you come over?” she begged. She couldn’t stand the dark on her own, she would just stare at her ceiling until she succumb to sleep out of exhaustion alone. She couldn’t tell her mother either, she would sound like a madwoman, it was her dirty little secret.
You softened, sensing the urgency in her tone of voice. You could hear the fear, the tremble in her voice, how on edge she sounded. She was on the verge of a panic attack, after all she had endured she developed anxiety and had to hide it from her family. There was no way you could leave her alone, you weren't that kind of person, you knew Nancy was going through a lot right now. She was facing a rough patch and needed all the moral support she could get “I’ll grab my coat” you assured her.
Nancy sat curled up on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest as if she was a sulking child, stopping her legs from bouncing due to impatience. Wishing she could simply have a peaceful nights sleep but instead she spent her nights suffering from anxiety and insomnia. Wondering why she had to be so unlucky, you never witnessed the upside down without taking something negative in return. Watching the clock like a hawk as the time passed, counting down the hours till you showed up. Picking her nails absentmindedly as she waited for you to come, chewing on her lip. Suddenly, you tapped on the window making her jump, you'd learned how to climb up the side like Steve used to. Being sure not to disturb her parents or knock anything over in doing so, the last thing you wanted was to wake the neighbours and be mistaken for a burglar. You laughed in amusement at seeing her jump like a cat being disturbed from sleep, but before you could speak up she yanked open her bedroom window frantically.
You slowly climbed into her window with a sweet smile, you had missed her so much and seeing her face again made you so happy. She may have been smart girl plain jane to everyone else in Hawkins. But to you she was your own genius badass babe whom you admired with every fibre of your being. You were proud of how far she had come since high school and loved her so much for all of it. She wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug, nearly knocking you both out of the window. Taking you by surprise but it was much welcomed, burying her nose into your shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing in your familiar scent. Nancy had always been a romantic at heart and loved showing affection as well as receiving it. She was just a modern teenager, tended to find her brother a pain in the butt, involved in drama and enduring the difficulty of growing up.
You softened, you could feel her small body shaking like a leaf, trembling as though she had woken from a nightmare. She felt smaller, weaker than usual, making you want to scoop her up and fly into the distance where nothing else could scare her. You hated knowing she lay awake at night feeling alone, you knew she still had night terrors when she was alone. After everything you had seen, who would be able to sleep soundly at night? What normal person could cope with the strangeness you had experienced and wouldn't be traumatized, would be able to shrug it off and act like it never happened. You slowly wrapped your arms around her, returning the gesture and kissing her cheek affectionately “It’s ok Nance, I’m here now” you soothed her.
Nancy cuddled up to you affectionately, her breathing had relaxed, she was no longer on edge and she had returned to her normal self. But she was still clingy, she was still needy and she wasn't going to let you go anytime soon. Her arms still wrapped around you like a vice, her head rested comfortably on your chest, listening to your heartbeat. Her fingers playing absentmindedly at the hem of your shirt, her eyes wide with panic. She lay there in your arms, stewing in her silence but you could hear the grinding cogs working in her brain. She was still unable to shut off. Her memories and thoughts swirling around like an oncoming storm.
“Breathe Nancy, you’ll give yourself a panic attack” you mumbled gently, she was in her bedroom cuddling with you, the bedroom window was locked, nothing could get in. You wouldn't let anything happen to her. But you couldn't help but worry about her, you had suggested on numerous occasions that Nancy try sleeping pills to make things easier. Her lack of sleep wasn't healthy, you just wanted to help her. She needed to disconnect and rationalise her thoughts.
“I… I’m just…. I’m so scared… I feel so alone (Y/N). First Barb, then Billy now Jonathan is gone. So many people died because of the mind flayer. I feel like my world is falling apart” she sobbed. Just when would the madness end, when would this all go away and leave them in peace? El had lost her powers when part of the mind flayer embedded itself in her leg, the girl that the Mindflayer saw as a true threat was now immobilized, so if he returned she couldn’t use her powers against him. Hopper was gone, the grouchy chief of police who hated his job and came into work late, whom later redeemed himself and tried to prove what Hawkins lab was up to. The man who brought Will back from the upside down, who adopted El and fell in love with Joyce. The man who proved he had a heart of gold and was more than the grouch people perceived him to be. Now he was gone, leaving a hole in the lives of those he left behind. Will wasn’t around to warn them if the mind flayer came back, Max was suffering from grief and depression, She and Jonathan had broken up. You were all she had left, her anchor in this endlessly messy sea of chaos that seemed to get worse and worse. Nothing made sense to her and a life without the upside down felt like a dream.
You slowly got up from the bed, still holding her affectionately, you knew Nancy had lost a lot. You knew she feared that the worst would come back raising its ugly head. You knew she would always have that fear, but life wasn't always so bleak. Nancy gripping you as you began to move, afraid you would vanish if she let you go. You cupped her face, stroking the tips of her hair affectionately, reassuring her you were still here. You gazed into her brown eyes silently “Nancy, we’re safe now, you are safe now. I don’t know if the gate will open again or if he will come back. I’m scared too, my skin crawls at what could happen. But I’m here now and I always will be, no matter what”. You would keep telling her that as many times as she needed to hear it, you would kiss her until she lost her breath and couldn't think of anything else but your lips. You knew she was scared of being alone, because of how much she had fucked up in the past. She didn't want to lose you too, she didn't want to ruin another good thing. Tears beaded up in her eyes, her eyes shining with a glassy mirror effect, but she choked out a laugh and nodded. Hot tears spilling down her cheek, from relief, happiness and sadness all at once. You leaned forward to kiss her cheek, her lips and her forehead, holding her close as you smothered her in kisses “I love you Nancy Wheeler, you’ll be ok. I promise you that” you assured her.
Nancy nodded softly, she always felt safe with you, neither of you knew of the future, if the gate would open and what enemies would come next. But she knew she could get through the night so long as you were here “Stay with me” she begged. She needed you here, she couldn't lose you too.
“Always” you promised, as long as she needed you to be here she would. You would do anything for this girl