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dwobbitfromtheshire · 3 days

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Nancy wandered into Max's hospital room after everyone was unexpectedly kicked out. Max was lying in the bed, her head bent as she cried. Maybe she shouldn't. . .maybe she should give her the space she said she wanted. She couldn't leave her alone to cry, though. She sat carefully in the chair next to Max and took her hand. Max jumped.

"Who's there?" Max asked, her eyes trying to look around the room.

"It's Nancy," she said softly.

"I said that I wanted to be left alone," Max said.

"I know. I was never really good at doing what people told me to do, though," Nancy said, smiling when Max laughed.

"Me neither," she said softly.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you need to talk," Nancy said.

"I'm just - I'm really bad at letting people in," Max said.

"I'm the same way," Nancy said. "When things get rough, I tend to push away the people who matter the most. . .especially when they just fall apart, and then you just let them."

"I want to let people in, I really do," Max said softly.

"Yeah, me too," Nancy said.

"I don't know where to start. Every time I think about it, it's like I can't breathe," Max said.

"I think for me, my biggest fear is that my pain will somehow hurt them more than if I just let them go. In some weird way, it's my way of protecting them," Nancy said.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Max said.

"Somehow, in the back of my mind, I tend to think it's better if I do this alone, but we live in a world dependent on people and as much as we try to admit that we don't want help or think we don't need help there's always this part of us trying to reach out for the people we care about the most. We keep trying to push it away or stamp it out because there's people in our lives who tell us we don't need them, that we don't fit. Like my mom said to me once, 'People are always saying you can't. That you shouldn't. That you're not smart enough. Not good enough. This world, it beats you up. Again and again. Until eventually. . .most people, they just stop trying.' I think when you start to believe that, it starts to come true. I think the hardest thing for people to say is that they can't do this alone. I think it takes a lot of strength to say that you can't or don't want to do it alone. Max, you're the strongest person I know, I think you can do it. No, I know you can do it," Nancy said.

"In the junkyard," Max said, sniffling. "When Steve moved me out of the way to protect me from the demogorgon, and stood in front of us holding up the bat. . .no one's ever done that before. Not Billy, not Neil, not even my mom. . .it's the first time I felt like I could do it myself. I looked at Steve and thought that this was what a brother's supposed to be. He's supposed to protect you, not hurt you, and when I saw Billy hurting Steve, I had to stop him. For a long time, I just wanted Billy and Neil to stop hurting us. When Billy died, I thought it was my fault, so I pushed Lucas and everyone away because I thought I was protecting them."

"It's not your fault, Max. What happened to Billy. He had many chances to do the right thing by you, to be the brother you needed. He failed you, Max, and you wishing for him to stop hurting you doesn't make you a bad person. You didn't wish him to die, did you?" Nancy asked.

"I just wanted it to stop," Max said.

"He waited until it was too late, and because of what Dr. Brenner did. . .because of the Russians. . . He died without really making it up to you. All these things that happened to you aren't your fault. The blame lies on other people. I know what it's like to feel guilty about the things that are out of your control. I know what it's like to deal with trauma that no one's ever dealt with before. How do you deal with real flesh and blood monsters? We have no guidebook for this, only each other. When you're ready, we're here for you," Nancy said.

"I'm scared, Nancy," Max sobbed. "I don't know if I can handle being blind. I won't ever see my mom's face or the sun again. I won't ever see the ocean or Lucas's face. I'll never see him play basketball. I should have gone to his game. Why didn't I just go to his game? Because I was scared? What kind of excuse is that?"

"A really good one," Nancy said softly. "Sometimes, the best way you can let people know you care about them is to let them take care of you."

"He's good at that, Lucas. He read to me, I heard him," Max said. "I heard his voice. . ."

"Steve’s good at taking care of people too," Nancy said, mentioned casually.

"Except he pretends as if he doesn't like it like he's a goddamn cat," Max said, and Nancy laughed.

"He is a cat, but then I think so are you," Nancy said.

"Lucas is more like a golden retriever," Max said. "Which is weird because I'm not a very affectionate person."

"I'm not really either, but there are other ways to show people you care about. One of them is, like I said earlier," Nancy said. "And it's in the little million different ways that I think only you can discover along the way. And if it's someone who's willing to do the same, even better. . .How do you want to show Lucas you care?"

Max grinned so suddenly, it startled Nancy.

"I want to see him play basketball," Max said.

"Max. . ."

"Will's a good dungeon master, right?" She asked Nancy.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think he would be willing to transfer those skills into telling me what's going on when Lucas is playing?" Max asked.

"I think he would be willing to do anything to help in any way that he can," Nancy said with a grin of her own. "That's a good idea, Max."

Max beamed, suddenly looking more comfortable in her hospital bed.

"I want to make it work this time with Lucas," Max said. "No more pushing him a way or El or anyone else."

"I think Robin's hoping for that too. She said something about 'two flames that never should have been burned out,' so she's rooting for you and Lucas," Nancy said.

"Was she saying that about us or about you and Steve?" Max asked slyly.

"It can be both," Nancy said.

"Well, she's smart, so maybe she knows what she's talking about," Max smirked. "Does Steve have anything to do with you breaking up with Jonathan?"

"No, well, a little bit. It's been a long time coming. We've had problems before, but I think an important part of wanting to be in a relationship with someone is wanting to be with them. We didn't want to see each other, and it's not because we didn't love each other. It's just that love wasn't enough anymore. Suddenly, it wasn't Jonathan who I could see in my dream anymore," Nancy said. "He wasn't who I wanted anymore, and I wasn't who he wanted, but that doesn't mean he's not going to be in my life. We were both relieved when we ended things."

"Are you sad?" Max asked.

"A little, but I think that happens when you close a chapter of your life," Nancy said. "But then a new chapter starts. . .a new day begins and the sun rises. . . I'm looking forward to being friends with Jonathan."

They sat in silence for a while as Max let Nancy stroke her knuckles.

"Thank you, Nancy," Max said and paused. "You're too stubborn for your own good, you know?"

"I've been told," Nancy laughed.

"I didn't really feel like I would ever have a family again until I came here to Hawkins. You and the others. . .especially Steve and Robin. . .have been the best older siblings that I could have asked for. I don't think. . .I don't want to do this alone," Max said.

"We're here," Nancy said softly and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Can you send Lucas in?" Max asked.

"Yeah," Nancy said.

She walked out into the parking lot where everyone was loitering around. Lucas was talking to Will and Mike when she approached. She touched his shoulder, trying to ignore the nostalgia and the realization that he had grown so much. They all had.

"Hey, Nancy," Lucas said with a smile.

"Max wants to see you," Nancy said.

"Is that a good thing?" Lucas asked. "I mean, is she okay?"

"Yeah, and it's a very good thing," she grinned and hugged him. "Good luck."

"Thanks!" Lucas exclaimed and ran off towards the hospital.

She found Steve’s car parked a few feet away. Robin and Dustin were leaning against the trunk while Steve argued with them about something. That was something Nancy noticed Steve did. He would start a trivial argument in order to get other people's minds off other things, especially when they worried too much and they couldn't do anything about it. He knew how much Dustin was worried about Max. Steve was so much smarter than he ever let on. His back was to her. Robin and Dustin's eyes looked at her curiously as she approached. She didn't care. Nancy placed her hands on Steve’s hips and turned him around.

"Nancy?" He asked.

"I love you," Nancy said.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. He froze for a moment, and she was about to pull back when he returned the kiss. He wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight, as she moved her arms around his neck. Nancy smiled against his lips, enjoying the familiar way they fit against hers. They smiled into the kiss before pulling away.

"Hi," Steve said, his cheeks red.

"Hi," Nancy said.

He stared at her in amazement, and she looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, yeah, I love you too!" Steve exclaimed.

Robin and Dustin let out a squeal. They turned to find them both clinging to each other, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I can't believe Dustin had doubts!" Robin exclaimed.

"I didn't have doubts. You had doubts," Dustin accused.

"Harrington! Did you seriously just make out with Nancy in front of me?!" Jonathan yelled from across the parking lot.

"Oh, shit!" Dustin exclaimed.

"She kissed me!" Steve squeaked, and Jonathan laughed.

"Oh, man, your face! Sorry, man, I was messing with you. Nancy and I broke up. I'm dating someone else," Jonathan said, grinning. "We're good."

Everyone in the parking lot laughed and Steve sighed.

"I'm going to kill him," Steve muttered.

"The look on your face was pretty funny," Nancy giggled.

Steve smirked and began ticking her sides. She laughed and slapped his chest.

"Oh, yeah, you think so?" Steve asked.

Nancy laughed and shook her head. Steve stopped and hugged her tightly. She let him for a moment, letting him savor her touch while she did the same before pulling away. She laughed when he went over to gush about it with Robin. Suddenly, Lucas came running out of the hospital with a grin on his face. He ran over to Will.

"Are you okay?" Will asked.

"Better than okay! We're officially back together. She said she loves me and we kissed," Lucas said.

"That's great!" Will exclaimed.

"I was wondering if you would be able to help Max with something," Lucas said.

Nancy smiled. These kids were more than friends. They were family. They all were. Whether romantically or platonically, they were all willing to help each other through the bad times, no matter how big or small. The part of her that wanted to do everything on her own was no longer screaming at her. Even without monsters from other dimensions, it was difficult to navigate this world on your own. Nancy wouldn't go anywhere without one of her guns, just like Steve wouldn't go anywhere without his bat, nor would they go anywhere without knowing that they always had their family to fall back on.

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