Story [Stranger Things] Let the Night Come and Do What It May (2023 Fanfic Olympics Triathlon, AU)

Title: Let the Night Come and Do What It May
Characters: Max Mayfield & Billy Hargrove
Timeframe: A few years pre-S1 to many years post-S3
Genre: AU
Notes: Written for the 2023 Fanfiction Summer Olympics. Thanks to devilinthedetails for creating and hosting this fun, inspiring challenge!

And a very special thank you to gizkaspice for beta-reading. Not only did she look over these entries, she was kind and generous enough to listen to me ramble about these ideas and characters, and to do it all fandom-blind. Thank you!

The thread title and the titles for each entry are taken from I'll Stand By You by Bruce Springsteen. This beautiful song is a tribute to love, friendship, and family, and I've wanted to write a fic with it for ages. While I haven't been able to tell the story I want to tell, it seemed fitting to use it here. Please give it a listen!

If you choose to read, thank you and I hope you enjoy!

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Index

100 Word Sprint: A Kingdom of Love, to Be Won or Lost
AU Archery: We'll Fight Here Together, Till Victory is Won
Synchronized Swimming: I'll Stand By You Always

 

Event: 100 Word Sprint - A 100 word drabble about your character, family, friendship or couple using any theme.

Title: A Kingdom of Love, to Be Won or Lost
Timeframe: Pre-canon (I headcanon Neil and Susan marrying when Billy's 13 or 14 and Max is 9 or 10, so I think that would put this drabble around 1980 or 1981)
Notes: Title from I'll Stand By You by Bruce Springsteen. Thanks for reading!

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A Kingdom of Love, to Be Won or Lost

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Max stands outside the church waiting for her mom and Neil to finish talking to their friends. Her shirt itches, and she squirms as she tries to scratch her back.

"What's wrong?" her new stepbrother says. "You got bugs?"

"No!" Max glares up at him. "You do!"

He laughs.

When it's finally time for pictures Max is in front of her mom, next to Billy.

They stand stiffly, trying to avoid touching each other. Billy's scowl matches hers.

Neither of them is happy about this marriage. Neither of them wants to be here.

At least they have that in common.

 

Excellent capture of the shared feelings of the stepsiblings of "I am not in favor of this marriage." You get the sense they'll continue finding common ground.

 

What a pickle they are in - I hope and trust it lasts no longer than it must for them to become a beautiful, blended family.

 

Yay! Welcome to the challenge, @amidalachick! I loved your Stranger Things drabbles from last year, so I'm delighted to see you doing another Stranger Things challenge!

I never had to experience the adjustment of a blended family, but the way you've opened this thread is a wonderful introduction to how these two are going to make peace with each other's existence and eventually bond as siblings. I'm looking forward to reading more!

 

Great to see you doing the challenge with your Stranger Things. Love Max and her thoughts about the marriage

 

Fandom-blind for sure but now interested in said fandom

And great contrast with the two obviously disliking each other but finding a common ground at the end!

 

Event: AU Archery - A story of at least 100 words set in an alternate universe with your character, family, friendship, or couple.

Title: We'll Fight Here Together, Till Victory is Won
Timeframe: Post-S3
Notes: Title from I'll Stand By You by Bruce Springsteen. The "We're family...Meaning we're stuck looking out for each other" line is adapted from a line of Billy's dialogue in Season 2 (Episode 4, I think). Thanks again to gizkaspice for making this coherent, and thanks to all who've read.

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We'll Fight Here Together, Till Victory is Won

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On good days, she ambles beside Billy as he pushes his walker down pale, sterile hallways. They watch TV and she shares school gossip and her friends' misadventures: lighthearted, inconsequential, normal topics. Billy smiles, sometimes even laughs.

On bad days, he won't leave his room or his bed. He won't look at her, won't listen when she says it's over, they're safe. He tells her to go, run, get away before it's too late. He tells her he's sorry.

She cries on those days.

Today's not a good day or a bad day. It's a quiet day. The TV's off, leaving the steady, reassuring beep of Billy's heart monitor and the occasional calls of doctors or nurses in the hallway as background noise. She's doing homework while Billy reclines against the raised head of his bed. She'd thought he was napping until he spoke.

"The nurses said you were here every day. Before I...before I woke up."

She looks up from her history textbook. He's staring at his hands as he twists and untwists a fistful of sheet.

"Yeah," she says. She remembers the blur of those first few days. Doctors, nurses and government officials scrambling in and out of the room. Emergency surgeries. The weeks of waiting to see if he'd ever regain consciousness. "I was."

"Why?"

He sounds so confused, as if he genuinely doesn't understand.

She sets her book down and leans forward. Waits until he looks at her.

"We're family," she says. "Meaning we're stuck looking out for each other."

It's an awkward hug. She's leaning over the bed rail, and he's trying not to jostle his still-healing scars, and they don't do hugs.

"See you tomorrow?" he says later, when she's gathered her things and said that her mom's waiting to pick her up.

She nods. Smiles and promises, "See you tomorrow."

 

Sweet and moving. She being there for Billy every day and helping him to recover.

 

Sweet indeed! Family in a nutshell Stuck with each other and sticking together.

 

Such agony in these few words ... how grand they've stuck together through thick and thin.

 

Event: Synchronized Swimming - Write a story between 230-500 words in length inspired by a song of your choice.

Title: I'll Stand By You Always
Timeframe: Approximately 30 years after S3
Notes: The song I used is I'll Stand By You by Bruce Springsteen, and once again, that's where the title comes from as well.

I'm only posting this to complete my triathlon, since I already started it. Thanks to all who've read.

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I'll Stand By You Always

*

She waits impatiently through four rings before her brother picks up.

"So?" she says. "When are you getting hitched?"

"Oh, hi, Max. How are you today?"

She ignores his sarcasm. "You could have called."

"God, Max, they - no, Caitie...hold on."

There's some rustling and muffled voices, then Billy says, "Caitlin was trying to eat the phone."

Max smiles. Her youngest niece is adorable, but already a handful. "Lunchtime already?"

"Teething," Billy says. "She's got her blocks now, she's fine. Anyways, I didn't call because they just passed it. And what makes you think we even want to get married?"

Max laughs at that. She laughs until her belly hurts.

"You've been in love with Steve since high school," she finally chokes out.

"You started dating Lucas in middle school!"

"You've lived together for thirty years," she says. "You have four kids."

"You have three!"

It strikes Max that they're doing no, you over domestic bliss.

"Listen to us," she says, and her voice softens. "Who would have ever thought?"

"Yeah." They're both quiet, then Billy says, "I was going to call you. We want to do it this summer, before school starts - it's short notice, I know, and it won't be anything big. Maybe we'll do something else later - "

"We'll be there," Max says. "I'll talk to Lucas tonight."

"Okay." There's a long pause. "Max - "

"Billy."

"Would you stand up with me?"

Max smiles and clutches the phone tighter, as if she's squeezing her brother's hand.

"Of course," she says. "I'd be honored."

*

Their families and closest friends are all gathered in the small church near the beach. She's standing with El by the altar, next to Billy.

Lucas is sitting near the front with their kids, and she smiles when she catches his eye. She sees his answering smile before she turns her attention back to the ceremony. Her brother's and Steve's joy fills the church like the sunlight streaming through the windows.

There's nowhere she'd rather be.

 

Congrats on finishing your triathlon!

This is never going to be not funny

And I love how Max and Billy stand by each other's sides even as adults.

 

congrats on finishing your triathlon.
Max and Billy with their friends, always there standing by each other's side

 

Nicely concluded with a perfectly perfect union.

 

@gizkaspice

It's canon (really! ) that they both have very sarcastic senses of humor and they would totally make these kind of weird dumb jokes no matter how old they got.

Thank you so so much for the comments, and for reading, and for all your help and support!

@earlybird-obi-wan

Yes, they will always be there for each other. And their friends, too. Thank you so much for reading and for all of your lovely comments. It means a lot.

@pronker

They deserve all the loving, happy families and happily-ever-afters! Thank you for reading and for your comments, I appreciate it so much.

 

The amazing songwriters and artists who write and perform those lyrics are such an inspiration!

I might have mentioned this before, but I also highly recommend the movie Blinded by the Light. This song is from the soundtrack, and the movie itself is based on the author's real-life experiences. It's very much a love letter to Springsteen, to being a fan, and to music, family, and friendship in general.

I know, poor babies.

Honestly, Max and Billy were the main reason I couldn't watch Season 4 when it was released. I'm still not entirely sure I could handle watching it now, but mostly I just don't care. I'm quite happy sticking to fanworks, especially the AUs where EVERYONE gets a happily-ever-after!

Thank you so much! There's so much hate directed at him and his fans in a lot of fandom spaces, and it's very...disheartening. Obviously, nobody has to like or agree with every single character in any piece of media, and he was absolutely a terrible person whose behavior, especially in S2, was in no way acceptable or justified. But he was also a complex character with a lot of potential, and like - real people are complicated too, and everyone deserves a chance to grow and heal and be better. So it means a lot to me that you said that!

Thank you so much for reading and for all your lovely comments! I truly do appreciate it.

 

Love the teasing between siblings and that Max and Lucas are together. The whole childhood sweethearts growing older together is too precious.

 

It's so precious, and Max and Lucas deserve the happiest life together! Thank you for reading and commenting.