Story [Stranger Things] Something Happening Somewhere - drabbles/ficlets

*tiptoes in*

Title: Something Happening Somewhere
Author: amidalachick
Notes: Hello, lovely people! I've been trying to write Stranger Things fic for a long time now, but it's hard to do justice to such an amazing show. I finally finished one little drabble, and I have a few more ideas sketched out, so if the muse cooperates, my plan is to collect all of them in this thread to help pass the time before Season 3.

Both the thread title and the drabble title are taken from Springsteen songs - "Dancing in the Dark" and "Restless Nights". Hope you enjoy!

*****

Restless Nights

Nancy thought she saw a shadow flicker. Her heart pounded as she lifted her head for a better look.

"It's okay," Jonathan murmured. "Nothing's there."

She lay back down, her body tense and alert. She closed her eyes and heard the creature's scream, saw its ugly form turn to seek her out. Her eyes flew open and she wrapped the blankets tighter around herself.

"You're still awake?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Jonathan whispered back.

"Okay," she said.

As they lay next to each other in her brightly lit bedroom, Nancy tried to focus on Jonathan's breathing and forget about the creature.

 

Good to see you, again amidalachick! This is a great start. I have drabbled in stranger things myself. I remember having some of the same fears about living up to the source material.
Both Jonathan and Nancy have a very good reason to have trouble sleeping. Keep it up!

 

Hi there! What a very compelling and fascinating focus for the QUEEN of LOL Bundy-esque hilarity! Yes, Nancy and Jonathan can help one another deal with the factor.

 

I know it's been a long time, but thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comments!

So I loved Season 3 but I still have so many emotions about it. I've been reading a ton of fic to try and deal with it all. It's been so long since I've written anything at all, but this season gave me so many ideas (although not sure how many I'll actually write lol!). And even though I liked it and I'm looking forward to Season 4, in my head everyone is alive and happy and Billy made amends and is part of the group now and they're all doing fun things together and bickering and listening to wonderful 80s music. That's totally what happened.

Anyway, here is a post-Season 3 ficlet inspired by the song "Second Go" by Lights.

*****

Title: Second Go
Characters: Billy, mentions of Max and Eleven, reference to Neil Hargrove
Notes: Post-Season 3 AU. Dialogue in italics is taken from Stranger Things Season 3, Episode 8, "The Battle of Starcourt". Ficlet inspired by, and title taken from, "Second Go" by Lights.

*****

Second Go

In the hospital, after, he has time to think.

Too much time. Images - he's not sure if they're real, imagined, memories, nightmares - flood his mind until he's overwhelmed and he screams or the monitors shrill, bringing a nurse with sedatives to help him go back to sleep and forget for a while.

Sometimes his mind whispers that he should have died there, that he deserved to die long before the Mind-Flayer caught him. He hears a familiar voice tell him he's worthless, garbage, or worse. Sometimes it's so loud, sounds so real that he flinches, expecting a fist to strike him. Sometimes he agrees with the voice, knows deep in his bones that he is worthless garbage, knows he should have died.

But sometimes, other voices break through. One crying, sobbing, begging him to "wake up, please, Billy, wake up, Billy", another whispering, "Seven feet... you were happy". He thinks of tears and a little girl's hand on his cheek. He doesn't know why they would want to save him, after everything he's done, but he thinks maybe the other voice is wrong. Maybe he does deserve another chance. Maybe, for them, he will stay alive.

 

Superbly touching as Billy struggles with competing voices and urges to hang on versus not. Glad he's moving more towards listening to the voices pushing him to live.

 

I am no fan of Billy Hargrove, but this is a touching piece of introspection in the wake of surviving Starcourt. It feels like Billy; hard, defiant, and bitter. But with a spark of hope that perhaps he does not have be defined by his father or what he has done as the Mind Flayer. Excellent work.

 

WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Thank you so much for your lovely comment! If anyone can encourage Billy to hang on, it's Max and El.

brodiew: Oh my gosh, you have no idea how much that means to me! Thank you! I didn't like either Billy or Max in Season 2, I thought they were very unnecessary additions to the story. But by the end of Season 3, they were some of my favorite characters and I was literally crying for both of them (not to mention everyone else...). Billy especially is such a complex character, and I feel like there would be so much potential for him after Starcourt. But I guess that's what fanfic is for. Anyways, thank you again.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you'll enjoy this next little piece.

*****

Title: Year of the Cat
Characters: Robin, mentions of Steve
Notes: My muse works off music and Stranger Things. This is set post-season 3. Title and inspiration taken from "Year Of The Cat" by Al Stewart. I'm not sure this is entirely in-character for Robin but I heard the song the other day and the idea of her going off to travel the world and meeting a free-spirited hippie girl out on the road somewhere popped into my head. And if you're not familiar with the song, please give it a listen as it is absolutely gorgeous.

*****

Year of the Cat

Robin had never had a plan for her life.

She was good at school, even though she wasn't overly interested in the academic world. She did band, studied languages, hung with her group of friends. She had a vague notion of leaving Hawkins for college, maybe ending up in New York or Los Angeles or some other big city that had more to offer than high school cliques and small town drama. But there was nothing she was passionate about, no wild dreams she could cling to and pursue. She was aware in an abstract, intellectual way, that there was a bigger world out there, she just didn't have any idea where her place in it might be.

When she finally admitted to herself that she was different, not like other girls, her sense that there had to be something else increased. She didn't want to spend her entire life being mindful of every word and every look, afraid of the consequences if she revealed too much.

Still, by the time she took a summer job at Scoops Ahoy, life wasn't too terrible and she wasn't too unhappy. She figured at least she could save up some money for whatever adventures awaited after high school.

She had never counted on evil Russians, secret bases, and all sorts of monsters.

She wasn't sure how to get over it all. She read books, and watched old movies, and spent time with Steve both at work and outside of work. Sometimes they joked and laughed, sometimes they were silent. Sometimes one or both of them needed space, sometimes one of them would call the other in the middle of the night because they couldn't bear to be alone.

One day, when business was slow and they had nothing to do but lean on the counters, she found out Steve had never seen Casablanca. She decided to remedy that. As the movie played, it dawned on her that while the movie was fictional, Casablanca was a real place. It wasn't something she'd ever thought about before.

On her next day off, she bought a map. She saw Morocco's proximity to Spain. Her fingers traced imaginary paths across continents, place names she'd only ever read about suddenly seeming real. She started to dream of foreign streets, art, adventure.

Instead of applying to college, she applied for a passport.

She knew, now, that there was a world beyond Hawkins. She'd seen it firsthand. It was a world of darkness and pain and indescribable sorrow. But if that world existed, she was sure another world existed too, a world full of exotic places, beautiful girls, a chance to be someone else or maybe, finally, herself.

She couldn't wait to find it.

 

I think you did a great job on Robin's characterization. She wants more but the more she finds is horrific. So in wanting to escape the drama of small town life and the horror of another dimension She looks outward for exotic beauty not only in places but in people. I think it works great.

Edit: Specifically I enjoyed how you encapsulated Riobin and Steve's friendship in so few words.

 

brodiew: Thank you so much! I'm glad you think Robin's characterization worked, and I'm very glad her and Steve's friendship showed through. Their friendship was a highlight of Season 3 for me and I really hope we get to see more of it next season.

Mira_Jade: Thank you! She definitely seems like she's destined for bigger things than Hawkins, and travelling the world feels like a good fit for her. It was a lot of fun exploring her character a little bit.

Thank you again to everyone who's read my little rambles! You guys are awesome. Hope you enjoy this next installment!

*****

Title: The Man Who Got Away
Notes: Set after Season 3. As always, title and inspiration for this ficlet are taken from a song - "The Man Who Got Away" by Bruce Springsteen. A few more notes at the end as well if you're interested!

*****

The Man Who Got Away

They are mostly settled into the new house. They've filled each room with furniture. Boxes have been unpacked and knickknacks arranged. They've all got their new routines, the new jobs and new schools starting to become familiar.

She's still restless though. She often wakes up at night and tiptoes through the house, checking that Will, El, and Jonathan are safely asleep in their beds. She checks the locks and the windows.

On nights like this, when she's more on edge than usual and she can't go back to sleep, she sits at the table with a cigarette and gives in to the memories.

His smile was the last thing she'd seen before she'd closed her eyes, turned away, done what she had to do. By the time she looked back, there was nothing but twisted metal, sparks, the fading glow of the gate. He was gone.

And that makes a little voice inside her head whisper, what if.

She tries to ignore it, knowing it's foolish, wishful thinking.

He was down there, right next to the machine.

But he was tough, stubborn, a little bit crazy. If there was any chance, any way out, he would have taken it.

When Will disappeared, she was sure he was still alive despite all the evidence. She was right.

She reminds herself, again, that Hopper isn't Will. This isn't the same situation at all. Maybe this time she has truly gone insane.

*****

She wakes up suddenly.

Her room is dark and she looks around, her breath coming in sharp gasps and her eyes wide. There's nothing there.

Still, she can't shake the feeling that she heard something. She gets up to get a drink of water, and sees Joyce sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hi, sweetie," Joyce whispers. "Are you okay?"

She weighs whether or not to tell Joyce what she heard - or thought she heard. She doesn't have her powers anymore. She doesn't know if it's real. It was probably a dream. She misses him, all the time, and she's dreamed about him before.

"El?" Joyce asks, concerned now. "Is something wrong?"

"I heard him," she says, quickly.

"You heard who, honey?" Joyce asks.

"Hopper," she says.

Joyce puts out her cigarette. She looks shocked and sad. She doesn't want her to be sad.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

"El," Joyce says, and stands up to hug her. "Sweetie, you have nothing, nothing, to be sorry about."

For a few minutes, they stay there, drawing comfort from each other. She sniffles into Joyce's shirt, and Joyce strokes her hair soothingly.

"Can you tell me what you - what he said?" Joyce asks finally.

"'Home, I promise,'" she says.

Joyce nods and hugs her tighter.

She can tell Joyce believes her. Joyce believes that she heard Hopper say "home", that he promised, and she thinks maybe if Joyce believes it it might be true.

*****

He's alone, huddled into himself to try and stay warm. He's running through plans in his mind, carefully considering each new impossible idea. He doesn't know how he'll get back, but he'll be damned if he's going to just sit here waiting to die.

He has a ritual that he goes through once a day - or what he guesses is a day. He's lost track of time. It helps him stay grounded, though, stay alert and sane and focused on his goal. He imagines he's talking on the phone, or the radio he and El used to use, and pretends they're listening at the other end.

Sometimes he talks about the past, recalls favorite memories, tells them stories about Sara. Sometimes he talks about all the places they'll go and the things they'll do when he gets back. He tells Joyce he'll pick her up for a date anytime, take her anywhere she wants to go, that he loves her. He tells El he loves her too, that he's proud of her and she'll always be his other wonderful, brave little girl, that he hopes Mike is treating her well and she's keeping the door open.

He always finishes with the same words.

"I'm coming home, I promise."

*****

Spoiler: Notes

If you're familiar with the show at all I'm sure you've seen the theories about Hopper being "The American" or jumping into the Upside Down before the gate was closed. Either way, there's definitely a bit of time between Joyce turning the keys and the machine exploding so he could have escaped. She thinks he's dead, obviously, but I feel like between everything they've been through before, not having closure with a body, and knowing him so well she could have a little lingering... suspicion that maybe he did something crazy and got out somehow.

I'm also totally fascinated by dreams and the things our subconscious knows. Even if El can't track Hopper using her powers, I think it's quite possible she could still connect with him subconciously. This fic is basically just touching on those ideas, and if a better writer than me wanted to dig deeper, I would totally want to read it. Hope you enjoy anyway, and thanks for reading!

 

Very touching and I just know El is onto something, and Joyce believes it too. The "I'd know it if he were really gone" kind of vibe.

 

It's good to see a little bit longer stranger things fic from you! I loved the alternating point of views as well as the idea that Hopper is alive. It never even occurred to me that hopper may have jumped into the gate. I thought he might have been pulled in but jumping in makes even more sense.

You did a great job also of capturing all three characters in so few words. Keep going. I want more.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you! That's exactly what I had in mind. Joyce and El both know, or at least suspect, and they believe each other. And they'll make sure Hop comes home. Thank you so much for reading!

@brodiew I've seen some fan theories about him jumping into the gate, since he's been to the Upside Down and knows what he'd be facing. Him being pulled in would work too. Either way, I'm sure he's out there waiting for El and the rest to find him and rescue him! Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words.

*****

Title: Laughter Among Friends
Characters: Steve, Billy, Max, El
Notes: So this is a little different than the other ficlets in this collection. I'm rewatching the show and made it to Season 3, so I needed some silly happy fluff to balance it out. The backstory in my head is that Season 3 either didn't happen or ended differently and Billy made amends with everyone and became part of the group so everyone is all one big mostly happy, slightly dysfunctional family. Or something like that.

Written for the prompt "Laughter Among Friends" from Nyota's wonderful NSWFF Prompts thread.

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy!

*****

Laughter Among Friends

"I can't take it anymore, Harrington!"

"What?"

"Them! They won't stop!"

"Who won't stop what?"

"Harrington, just shut up and get over here. Now."

*****

When Steve arrives at the Hargrove house Billy yanks the door open and practically falls down the stairs in his haste to get out.

"They're in there," he says, gesturing at the house. "I need a smoke."

Steve hears it as soon as he walks inside.

Max and El are in Max's room. The door is open slightly and he can hear their high-pitched, excited voices and their even more high-pitched, excited giggles.

He knocks lightly on the door. They don't seem to notice.

He knocks louder.

Max and El look up, still giggling.

"Steve?" Max says. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Steve smirks.

"Your brother called me," he said. "He said you two have been laughing all day long and he can't take it anymore."

Max and El look at each other and laugh even harder.

*****

Steve goes back outside. Billy is still smoking, although he looks a little less frazzled.

"Did they stop?" he grumbles.

Steve shrugs. "For now. Probably not for long."

He and Billy go back inside. It's still surprisingly quiet.

Billy claps Steve's shoulder. "Well, well, well. Guess you are the best babysitter in Hawkins."

Steve doesn't mind the teasing, because he's gotten to know Billy well enough to know that he's grateful for this moment of peace and quiet.

Besides, after he'd told Max and El that everyone's glad they're having fun, but maybe they could quiet down a little bit because incessant teenage girl giggling is annoying after a while, he'd also suggested that maybe next time Billy babysat they could get him to take them out for the day, maybe to the mall.

The looks on their faces as they immediately began plotting, and the knowledge that Billy can never say no to their combined pleading, almost made him feel sorry for Billy.

Almost.

When Steve gets back in his car he can't help but laugh.

 

Very nice, amidalachick! I just wish there was more. I continue to be interested in your Billy and how he retains his gruffness, but is not mean spirited. I can attest to preteen/teen giggle getting maddening after a while. Egads! Excellent work. Keep 'em coming.

Lastly, Billy needing to call Steve to restore order is classic. Love it. Your easy going Steve is spot on.

 

Max & El just being gal pals is wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

 

@brodiew Thank you so much! I think I've said before that I hated both Billy and Max at first, but now they're two of my favorite characters and I love exploring the happier sides of them and their relationship while still trying to keep them in character. And I've got to admit, I still go into teenage girl-style giggling fits that drive everyone around me crazy! Add to that the dynamic of an older sibling trying to tell their younger sibling to stop doing something because they're being annoying... Billy never stood a chance. Thank you so much for reading and your kind comments!

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha I love Max and El being best friends and just hanging out, too! And there is nothing quite as fun as having a giggle fest with your best friend, no matter how old you are. Just maybe not so fun for anyone in hearing distance. Thank you so much for reading!

Thank you again to anyone who's read these! It means a lot to me.

*****

Title: No Need For Words
Characters: Hopper, El, Max (mentioned), Billy (mentioned)
Notes: As soon as I saw the lovely prompt No Need for Words in @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha's wonderful prompt thread this scene popped into my head. It's just a little Season 3 AU ficlet that I dashed off in about 15 minutes. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

*****

No Need For Words

It's been a long two days for all of them and he's ready to go home. Joyce left a while ago, kissing him on the cheek and telling him to call if he needs anything.

He steps into the sterile white hospital room. Doctors and nurses have been in and out all day, and he's sure more will come throughout the night, but for now they're alone. Billy appears to be sleeping, the ventilator pushing air in and out of his damaged lungs. Max is curled up in a chair, her breathing slow and even as she sleeps, tangled red hair falling across her face and her hand firmly grasping her stepbrother's.

In another chair next to Max El is awake, and she turns when she hears his footsteps. Her eyes are big, pleading, still red-rimmed from all the tears she'd shed.

He was going to insist on taking her home tonight so she could get a good night's rest and they could start to piece their lives back together.

Instead he goes into the empty room next door and steals a blanket off the bed, then brings it back and carefully drapes it over El. He hugs her with one arm and kisses the top of her head, and she snuggles against him.

When she's finally drifted off to sleep, he goes out to the waiting room just down the hall and settles in to wait for the morning.

 

Touching and heart-tugging use of the prompt with this anxious, loving vigil

 

touching and reflecting what some are feeling now

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you so much for reading, and thank you for these wonderful prompts!

@earlybird-obi-wan Any resemblance to real-world events was completely unintentional but I guess it does reflect what some people are going through. I wish everyone in real life could have a happy ending. Thank you so much for reading and stay safe!

Thank you again to everyone who's read these little stories!

*****

Title: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Characters: Mike/El
Notes: I finally had a day off today after a particularly busy and stressful week and I intended to spend it working on Silly Love Songs and my fics for the Mini Games challenges but that took way too much mental effort. So instead I was just sitting listening to music and Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse came on. It's such a fun, happy song and in my Stranger Things-obsessed brain the lyrics fit Mike and El perfectly. So I dashed off this drabble to cheer myself up, and I hope it will put a smile on your face too. Thanks always for reading and stay safe!

*****

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

"Wow!" Mike blinked in amazement.

"You like it?" El smiled shyly and twirled so that her skirt flared out.

Mike nodded, wide-eyed.

"You're so pretty," he said, reaching for her hand. "No, beautiful."

El used her free hand to touch the silky fabric of her dress.

"It's the dress," she said. "It's pretty."

"It is," Mike said. "But you're beautiful. You always have been."

El's smile turned from shy to radiant. It was the same smile he'd loved since they were twelve years old.

She leaned forward to kiss him gently, then hand in hand, they left for their date.

 

Delightful and so sweet!! They deserve every second of happiness.

 

Love this and the song. Stay safe and keep hope for a happy ending

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha They do! I'm so glad you enjoyed this little drabble, and thank you always for reading.

@earlybird-obi-wan Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the song too!

*****

Title: Scoops Ahoy
Characters: Steve, Robin
Notes: Stress is making me want to write, but not the things I really want to write. This little ficlet has been percolating in the back of my mind for a while, and I finally jotted it down today just to get it out of there. One of these days I will get back to the pieces I've actually been trying to work on.

I don't work at an ice cream shop but this was inspired by my own workplace experiences (minus the evil Russians ). There are times when I want to pull my hair out and scream but most of the time I honestly love my job and my amazing coworkers are the biggest reason for that. Although we do have some really awesome customers too, especially these days. Anyways, hope you enjoy and thanks always for reading my little rambles!

*****

Scoops Ahoy

Steve hated everything about Scoops Ahoy. He hated the stupid uniforms, especially the hat. He hated the corny names of the products. Who ever came up with the name USS Butterscotch, and how had anyone ever taken it seriously, not like the joke it always should have been?

He hated the customers, taking forever to make up their minds and demanding free samples of every flavor before deciding, oh, they didn't want anything after all. He hated the ones who ordered and then added at the last second, just as he was finishing the sundae, oh, can you hold the whipped cream? He tried to smile and be cheerful and patient, but it didn't matter, the customers were usually grumpy anyway whether he was happy or not.

But without Scoops (and the whole secret evil Russian base thing) he never would have gotten to know Robin. As he settled next to her on the couch one evening, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and told her she was his best friend. She rolled her eyes and said okay, dingus, but a while later, she added casually, you're mine too.

And Steve realized he didn't hate everything about Scoops Ahoy.

 

Steve is definitely right about persnickety customers But underneath it all you can tell he really likes his job and can generally laugh about the frustrating parts. You can tell that Robin makes up for a lot.

 

some customers are a pain in the posterior. But you can laugh anyway