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Max Mayfield doesn’t know what love feels like, but she likes to imagine it feels like how Lucas takes her hand and promises her to stay with her ‘till the very end.
When she wakes up, in a hospital bed, and she can’t see anything - she panics. She’s struggling to breathe and it hurts her chest and she can’t feel her legs and she’s terrified.
She feels a hand brush back her hair and she flinches. She’s blind and she’s scared and she wants Lucas . She’s terrified that she’s going to be alone until she hears him.
“Max. Max it’s okay, it’s me . It’s me, Max” Lucas whispers, and she feels him gather her up into his arms, and he kisses her head and she finally lets herself cry .
She cries and cries and she thinks Lucas is crying too, because she feels her forehead get damp.
She’s terrified and she’s blind, but she’s got Lucas and that’s enough for her.
When they’ve calmed down enough to gather themselves, she feels exhausted .
“How bad is it, Lucas,” she asks, not wanting to delay the inevitable.
She hears a tense silence from him, and she gets angry .
“I didn’t put myself in front of Vecna, to not know how bad it is, Lucas,” she bites out, and she hears him sigh and a scraping of a chair. She feels a hand card through hers, and she’s still tense and on edge.
“It’s bad, Maxie… They don’t know if you’ll get your eyesight back, and they don’t know the extent of how your legs will heal.” Lucas softly says, caressing her hand with his thumb.
She sits with that information. She sits on it and she sits on it, and then she explodes .
She’s shaking, and she can feel herself breathing rapidly, and she can hear her heart monitor start to beep faster and faster.
She fucking hates that she’s given so much, and now she has to deal with this.
She hears a scuffle and footsteps, and she’s dazedly hearing Lucas speaking to her and a nurse speaking to her. She can’t breathe.
She feels lightheaded, and she suddenly feels hands on her.
“Can you hear me, Maxine?”
Max can feel herself nod, and she’s trying her best but it hurts .
“Breathe with me now,” the voice says, and she feels her hands being lifted against someone’s chest, to follow the deep breathing.
It hurts to take the first breathe, but she manages to follow. It gets less and less tight before she’s breathing deeper and deeper. She’s shaking by the time she feels okay again.
The nurse, she’s assuming it’s a nurse, talks to her, but all she hears is static. She can hear Lucas talking for her, and she’s tired. She wants to sleep for the rest of her life.
She feels light-headed and so thirsty, and she’s had enough .
She can feel Lucas entwine his hand in hers, and she can breathe .
“You okay?” he asks, his voice soft.
“No. Not really,”
“Did- did you wanna talk about it?”
“I-I don’t know… if I can.” Max confesses.
Lucas hums, and she can feel him thinking. He rubs two circles on the back of her hand, “What if… What if, when you can’t talk, you rub two circles into my hand,” he explains, “And if you’re okay, you can rub one circle back, and if you’re not, you rub two back.”
Max laughs.
“It’s better than just waiting for my chest to do that again,” she whispers, and if Lucas doesn’t mention how her hand tightens around his, or how she can feel some tears in her eyes, then she loves him even more for it.
Lucas is strong, and he knows this. He’s tough and he’s there for his friends and he hates that he can’t protect anyone right now.
He’s doing everything he can to be there for Max, and he’s never left her side, not even once. He’s terrified that if he leaves her, she might…
He doesn’t want to risk it, not ever again.
When Max asks if Vecna is dead, if they finally did it , he doesn’t hesitate. He tells her exactly how it went down. He tries to recount what the others have told him, what they managed to get done in the end.
Max is quiet for a long time, before nodding.
“Good.” she had said, and that had been that for her.
Lucas is strong, but he’s only fifteen years old, and he’s terrified. He’s seen things, far too much. He sees Will’s dead body coming out of the lake ( he knows it’s fake, but for one true moment, he had seen one of his best friends dead .)
He sees Steve getting his head smashed with a plate, he sees Erica getting tackled by Jason Carver and he can’t get to her in time , he sees Eleven losing to Vecna.
He’s only so strong until he’s not.
When he’s sure Max is sleeping, Lucas sneaks over to Steve’s room. He needs to make sure that he’s strong, that he’s like Steve .
Steve, who puts everyone first, who takes care of them so fiercely, who loves them so much.
Steve, who is currently not in bed.
Lucas panics, and he feels his chest constrict and he’s bursting out the door before running into a nurse.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” she asks, and he can’t help his panic.
She must see it on her face, because she’s looking worried and looks at the room he’s just come from before understanding dawns on her face.
“He’s with that Munson boy, sweetie. Seems he’s been helping him, making sure he’s not guilty. I knew Emilia Munson while she was here, that boy wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone that poor girl” she says, placing a hand on his shoulder. Lucas believes her.
Lucas takes a deep breath and thanks her. He asks where Eddie’s room, and he’s making his way over, and he’s going to give Steve a piece of his mind. Eddie too while he’s at it.
He doesn’t blame Eddie, but he does have this weird feeling towards him for taking his friend away on his important day. He knows he’s a good guy, but he knows that he’s not as perfect as his friends think he is. He’s hypocritical in the way of thinking he’s above the norm, when he’s just perpetuating it in his own way. He’s got feelings about Eddie Munson, and he’s not going to let Steve hang out with him anymore than he needs to.
Lucas is strong and he’s going to make sure Steve isn’t going to fall back into that mindset.
He stops himself short though, when he reaches Eddie’s door. He hears quiet voices together, and he’s not nosy, but he strains to hear what exactly they’re saying to one another.
“I grew up near the Mojave Desert, it’s close to Nevada. We lived out close to the reservation over there, and I loved it.” He hears Eddie’s voice.
“Do you miss it?” Steve’s voice comes muffled behind the door.
“Every damn day.”
“I wish I could see it, see something outside of Hawkins for once,” Steve says, and there’s a longing there that Lucas hears.
He wants Steve to see everything .
“Maybe we can go sometime then, if they don’t charge me for murder first,” Eddie jokes, and there’s no laughter from Steve.
“It’s not funny, Eddie,”
“Yeah… Yeah, I know.”
“We’ll make sure they know you’re innocent, if it’s the last thing I do,” Steve says fiercely. Lucas can just imagine Steve looking intense and threatening. He means it with everything in his body too.
“Well, querido, I think I’ll have to believe you when you look that intense about it,” Eddie laughs, and Lucas doesn’t want to interrupt, but he knows where Steve is.
He doesn’t want to think when Eddie and Steve might’ve gotten close, but he trusts Steve. He’s still going to keep a close eye on Eddie Munson though.
Max is keeping something from Lucas and he knows it. He doesn’t like it, but he respects her space, at least that’s what his mandated therapist says.
He’d taken up on it, when Dr. Owen’s people offered it, his parents not forcing it, but strongly recommending it for him and Erica.
“It would be good, to let go of some of the things you’ve done ,” His dad had said, late one night in his study when Lucas had another nightmare and woke up screaming.
He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows something is going on.
He’s assuming it’s something to do with Steve & Eddie, and how Steve looked like a kicked puppy covered in hickies when he last came by to see Max and him.
It might’ve been an eye opener, but he knows that Eddie Munson said something to him.
He can feel it in his gut.
He gets his answer one night, when he’s getting a snack from the vending machine. Eddie’s wandering out of his room, and he’s headed towards Max’s room before stopping himself. He’s muttering something and pacing.
Lucas is watching from a distance, and he pities Eddie for second.
Then Eddie looks up, and his eyes widen when they land on him. He gives a small wave, which Lucas doesn’t return.
“Uh, hey there Sinclair,” Eddie greets, and Lucas sighs before heading towards Eddie and Max’s room.
“You need something, Munson?” Lucas says bluntly, cutting straight to the point. Eddie tenses, before shaking his head.
Lucas stays quiet, and he has to know. He’s gotta know if Eddie said something to Steve, or not.
“Did you do something to Steve?”
Eddie stares at Lucas, before huffing.
“I’m not the one who stopped visiting,” Eddie says instead, and Lucas gets angry .
“So you did say something then,” Lucas bites out, and Eddie looks just as irritated as Lucas is.
“More like, Harrington didn’t want to spend time with The Freak anymore. Seems like the trauma bond finally wore off-”
“Steve’s not like that.” Lucas bites out, and he’s clenching the bag of Doritos he got for Max. He can feel the bag wanting to pop in his hands, “Steve’s a better guy than that, and if you don’t think that, then maybe you shouldn’t have assumed shitty things about him,”
Lucas gets a realization, “You told him that, didn’t you?”
“What- No, I-”
“You did, and you fucking believe it too,” Lucas says, and it makes so much sense .
“You’re an asshole who thinks he’s above it all, when he’s just as judgemental as the rest of them,” Lucas bites out, “Leave Steve alone before I make you leave him alone,” he threatens, pushing past him and bumping into his shoulder.
If he doesn’t tell Max about it, well, he figures he’ll tell her when he’s ready to.
Max is exhausted, but she’s finally out of the hospital. She knows that she’s got to use her mobility aid and her glasses are pretty much forever, but she’s finally out .
She’s still trying to figure out how to get Eddie to remove his stupid head put of his ass, but so far, no results have yielded anything.
She’s sitting at home, watching her mother run around getting things ready for a fast lunch, when she hears a knock on the door.
She stands up, and walks over using her arm crutches to slowly make her way towards the door, holding up her hand to stop her mother from helping her.
She’s got to learn how to do things again, and she’ll ask for help if she needs it, and not a moment sooner.
When she opens the door, and she sees El, her heart drops and she feels tears and she can feel how hard she’s smiling and suddenly El is in her arms and squeezing her tight .
“I missed you so much,” she hears El whisper into her ear.
She nods, and she grips her back just as tight.
They both pull back and laugh, tears and snot running down both their faces. El uses her sleeve to wipe her nose and snot, before she exclaims and runs out of the doorway.
Max laughs, before hobbling over the doorway to see Will standing awkwardly to the side, El talking to him softly.
Will looks up at Max, and there’s a pained expression on his face as he looks at her, and that won’t do at all for Max.
“Byers, if you pity me, then you owe five bucks everytime you look at me like a kicked puppy,” Max yells out, her voice echoing in the trailer park. Will freezes, before turning a crimson, and Max laughs.
Will rubs the back of his neck, and El is smiling as she grabs his hand and pulls him into the trailer, both of them following after Max.
Sally doesn’t say anything, and Max has the feeling she’s orchestrated this all together, when the lunch she’s made is exactly for four people.
After they dig in, and Sally leaves them to go to run some errands, Max turns to El and Will.
“We have to get Steve & Eddie together,” she says, figuring the truth would be the best place to start.
Will gapes at her, mouth opening and closing, while El hums and nods.
“They are… They are close to each other, like how me and Mike used to be,” El says softly, her eyes drifting towards Will, who looks slightly pained at the mention of that. Max isn’t touching that with a 10-foot pole right now, but she will be prying that info out of El later.
“They are hurt, then?” El asks, her face pinched. Max nods, and she’s watching Will for his reaction. He’s purposely not looking at anyone, but Max needs to know if this is okay . If he’s okay with the idea of this, of Eddie and Steve being together.
“You’re being awfully quiet there, Byers, you got something to say?” Max says, her tone clipped.
Will isn’t startled, but he does look up at her, and he looks…
He looks scared.
Oh, Max thinks, Oh. I get it now.
She has to school her expression back, because she’s got to show Will it’s okay just like she did with Steve.
“I-I’m fine with it, really, but-” Will gets out, “Do they even want anything to do with each other, after what happened at the hospital,” he asks, his voice soft.
There’s a tense silence as they all recount how that had left an aftermath no one wanted to see Steve in.
“Steve… I think Steve’s in love with him,” Max muses, and she sees Will tense.
“He- he is?”
“Yeah, I think he is,” Max confesses, and she sees Will breath deeply in.
“I-I… I think I need to tell you something,” Will whispers, and Max simply holds his hand and links their fingers together, and she sees El do the same with other.
“You don’t have to tell us anything until you want to, not because you have to in this situation,” Max says, and she’s staring intensely at Will, who gukps.
“You’re strong Will, but you can let us be strong fot you right now too,” El says, gently.
“I am strong enough for the three of us, and I’m strong enough to protect you too,” she says, and he tone brokers no argument.
Will nods, and his eyes are watery when he does.
“So… now that we’ve had that moment, what do you guys think,” MAx asks, as she rubs a circle into Will’s hand.
El hums, “When I ended what I had with Mike, it was hard to see him for awhile. I think they need space . To think and to remember how much they love each other,” El says, and Will nods his head along, humming in agreement.
“I agree, I think… I think it’ll give them the space to see if they even want to be together with the other. It’s.. it’s a good thing, if you think about it,” he says, and Max wants to put her head through a wall.
“You say that, but you haven’t seen them pining like I have. Those two need to talk things out and then make out. Preferably in that order.” Max says, and she’s seen Steve sad enough already that she wants him to have some closure and an apology from Eddie.
They all turn their head when they hear another knock, before Lucas walks in, holding a case of Coca-Cola and stopping in his tracks at the sight of the three of the holding hands at the table.
He sighs, and puts down the soda on the counter, before coming over to kiss Max’s head, and ruffling Eleven’s before leaning slightly on Will’s shoulder.
“We talkin’ about Steve and Eddie,” he asks, and they all burst with noise.
“ Yes , oh my god-”
“They’ve been like for how long-”
“They’re in love.” El states, matter of factly.
They all nod, and Lucas sighs.
“Guess I’ll have to play nice with Munson then, huh Max?” Lucas asks, grinning when Max rolls her eyes.
“Only if he’s good, otherwise you have my permission to beat him up,” she says, waving her other hand.
El giggles, and Will looks worried at Lucas, who shrugs.
“Okay, so… planning guys.” Will says suddenly, and Max could kiss him.
Max isn’t sure she heard right.
“Did- Did you just-” she stutters out, looking at Lucas who’s fidgeting, hands in front of him as they lay together on the couch at Max’s trailer.
“I want you, in whatever way that means, Maxie,” he says softly.
“You-you want to marry me ?” Max asks incredulously.
“I want to marry you eventually, but yeah, I want to spend forever with you,” he says and he sounds so sure of it. He sounds so earnest about it and it gets Max, it really does.
“I- I don’t know what to say,” Max whispers back.
Lucas smiles at her. “There’s no rush, and I’ll take whatever you’ll give me, but I want to be with you until the end, whatever that means.” He says, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Max is terrified.
“What if you get tired of waiting,” she asks, and she’s scared. Lucas looks at her, and shakes his head.
“Not of you, I’ll never get tired of waiting for you.” he confesses.
“It’s…. Going to be horrible, taking care of me,” she says, and she knows it’s true, but she can’t bear Lucas sacrificing his life to take care of her forever.
“Not to me. Not if it’s you, Max,” he says, and he’s staring at her intensely. He means it with every fiber of his being, “I choose you, always.”
Max starts crying.
“You- You fucking asshole, I-I just…” Max sniffs out, and she knows Lucas is crying too. “I love you, you stupid boy,” she laughs out, voice warbled from the tears.
Lucas laughs out loud and it’s the best thing Max will ever hear, and she feels her decision made. She wants to hear Lucas Sincalir laugh until they’re both old and gray, and she wants it so bad.
She grabs his hands and brings them up to her mouth to kiss.
“I do, Lucas Sinclair,” she says softly, and Lucas’s eyes widen before he’s nodding along.
“I do, Maxine Mayfield,” he whispers back to her.
It’s rough, and she knows she’ll have her chronic pain, and disability aids for the rest of ehr life, but she wants it with Lucas for every step of the way.