Fear wasn't all bad. A little fear could be good for you. Maybe it was sort of like medicine, like plant food for love.
[Complete. Post-S1 canon divergence. Steve/Nancy/Jonathan, Mike/Eleven. Most main characters appear. Body horror, some violence...
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Mike heard Nancy sniffing as he walked to his room after brushing his teeth, so he approached the glow at the crack of her bedroom door. She sobbed dryly to herself, crying more quietly than he thought normal girls ever did.
"Nancy?" Mike put his eye to the light. His sister lay on her bed, facing the window and curled up in a ball so all he could see was her bony back and stringy hair. "...Nance?"
"Go away."
He wanted to. He was only trying to be nice and she was acting like a jerk. So Steve dumped you already? He could have said it. You didn't make out with him as much as he wanted you to so he found a new girlfriend, right? "Nancy, come on."
"Michael, screw off!"
No wait, I bet it's the dragon breath, that's why he dumped you. I should tell Mom and Dad so they can ground you again for never brushing your teeth. Grounding her hadn't worked so they gave her special flavored toothpaste that smelled like bubblegum and Mike had never been allowed to have any. Sure it was a million years ago but it still sucked.
He took a deep breath. They couldn't fight anymore. Nothing was the same anymore. He held tight to the doorknob and kept his fingers clear of the edge in case Nancy might launch up from the bed and try to slam it in his face, like that time she'd almost busted his nose over a missing (firecrackered) Barbie head. "We're supposed to tell each other everything now, remember?"
"No we're not. We were supposed to when we were still trying to find Will and Barb, but now Will's back and Barb's gone forever so if you would just leave me alone please."
"You don't know Barb's gone forever. She might be―"
Nancy roared her frustration and bounced her bedsprings. Afraid she was coming at him, Mike kicked the door open and held out his hands to defend himself, but through his cringing squint he found she wasn't there. She wasn't even on the bed. She was gone. What if that yell had been ― Oh no. "Uh... Where..."
"I'm down here, stupid. Close the door."
On the floor, Nancy's wiggling feet stuck out from behind the far side of the bed. Her pale pink socks were splattered with dried mud and the soles were brown. Mike closed the door until it clicked.
