027. 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍 impenetrable and consuming silence. It felt as if a blanket had been placed over the house, shielding it from outside and muffling every noise— even the ones inside. Time stood still. The footsteps on the creaky wooden floor couldn't even be heard as the converse stepped over the threshold, because the silence was so loud that it clogged all ears. There had never been a time in all the world where silence was louder than words, until now, as she stepped into the dimly lit home. The air was suddenly thick with revelation, and entirely ravaging with epiphany.
Lori's lips departed in awe. Her body spiraled into a state of shock, surprise, and confusion as her eyes grew wide, and her chest fell. She felt her chest relax and lose some of its tension, but her stomach swirled with revelation and her mind raced at a million miles with bombarding thoughts. All she could do was stare forward at the young girl in the doorway, as if she'd just seen someone bring the moon down to earth.
Mike was the first person to step forward. Lori couldn't even look at his expression, she couldn't look at anything else but the girl with the blood dripping from her nose. Things seemed to move in slow motion as he approached her carefully, so very carefully, until they were right in front of each other and he reached forward. They came together in what appeared to be a long awaited embrace, in front of everybody.
Lori felt her hand being squeezed. She leaned her head towards Steve beside her, and swallowed very hard— the liquid smoothing over a lump in her dry throat. Her mouth formulated words, and, all while staring forward with wide eyes, she whispered.
"That's..." she whispered, in a volume only he could hear. She trailed the word off, not capable of saying any more because of the shock coursing through her veins.
She kept her eyes on Mike and Eleven, and her ears registered the words they were saying— something about calling her every day for three hundred and fifty three days. But she could barely process their words from the awe she was feeling.
Steve didn't say anything, but out of the corner of her eye she could see him nod once— knowing exactly what she meant without even finishing.
Lori swallowed and closed her lips, as the stories flashed in the forefront of her mind. Eleven, she was one of the main forces at the center of all of this. She'd opened the very first gate, Lori remembered now— was it the same gate as the one written on the coloring book tonight?— and she'd been taken by one of those creatures last year. She'd been gone ever since. She was a lab rat, she had powers, she could move things with her mind. And now she was in the Byers' living room, reuniting with her friends.
It was slowing down in her mind by the time Hopper spoke out, saying something about how he wouldn't "let her".
"Holy shit," Lori finally breathed out, her eyes relaxing a bit. "It's the telekinetic bald girl," she whispered so low, nearly breathless as if this sight took all the air out of her lungs.
If this weren't such a monumental moment, Steve felt like he would've let out a small giggle— because Lori was serious, she wasn't joking.
But all he did was look down at their hands when it slowly clicked in his mind. Their hands, woven together, fingers intertwined so very tightly like the world depended on it.
Lori saw his flush of hair lower in her peripheral vision, naturally causing her to follow his gaze for a brief moment.
Her heart twisted when she realized with immense confliction that she was holding his hand. Steve Harrington's hand. Confliction, because she couldn't even remember when she'd grabbed it.
And confliction as to why her heart was doing a thing from the sight of their fingers tangled together.
She cleared her throat as she wiggled her hand out of his grasp— feeling him do the exact same thing, as if they realized their actions at the exact same time. As if their actions were sinful. He untangled their hands, their fingers moving quickly against one another in a race to separate— so fast, as if their flesh was burning.
She felt her heart pattering as she took the tiniest step away from him, so that her side wasn't pressed right up against his. Her hand immediately felt cold from the loss of his touch, so she tucked it away as she crossed her arms. She still felt his body heat radiating onto her, and she suddenly felt like it was a reminder of their immoral action.
Steve cleared his throat too, but more quietly, and ran his hand through his hair before gripping it on the bat— where he decided it should have been the whole time.
But what was that feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him the opposite?
Lori lifted her eyes back up when Mike shoved Hopper's back, hitting him as he shouted. She tried to focus on what their mouths were saying, but all she could think about was the dreadful and fucking annoying fact that her hand wasn't warming up under her arm— at least, it wasn't going to feel the same warmth it had when it was grasping Steve's just a mere moment ago.
She bit hard onto her bottom lip from the anger that thought caused her, nearly drawing blood. Desperately, she flicked her attention to the problem at hand, which was Hopper dragging Mike away from the group and towards the hall— to talk alone.
A few long seconds passed where everyone lingered in the tense aftertaste that created. The silence broke when Dustin stepped forward, with Lucas right at his side.
Lori watched as Eleven wrapped her arms around both their shoulders, letting out a small, airy laugh of relief as she did. There was a small, content smile on her lips, as her chin rested on both of their shoulders.
"We missed you," Lucas told her, his voice sounding happy to have her back.
"I missed you too," Eleven replied, meaning it.
Dustin sniffled, "We talked about you pretty much every day," he said, with a small laugh as they pulled away.
When the three of them separated, there were smiles on all of their faces. It was an unusual reunion, but either way they would've been equally as relieved and happy to see her— Lori could tell by their faces.
As Eleven stared at Dustin, and reached for his mouth to poke at his teeth, Lori shifted uncomfortably and creaked the floor while doing so.
Her, nor Steve, could deny the tension that circulated between them. The awkwardness that consumed every little bit of the single inch that separated their bodies. It felt weird to stand beside him after that, it was annoying, and it made her feel so many different things all at once.
Her attention was grabbed when Dustin spoke her name. It seemed that she'd been drowning in her own thoughts for a moment.
"Eleven, I want you to meet my cousin, Lori," Dustin said, with a proud smile on his face as he turned to Lori. "She kinda got dragged into this, but she's awesome," He put his hand out, motioning to her. "She's heard, like, everything about you."
Lori felt a small chill scatter down her throat when Eleven locked eyes with her. Eleven's face softened, and the subtle twitch in her expression gave off the idea that she was sorry Lori was "dragged into this".
"She kinda reminds me of you," Dustin continued, speaking to Eleven. "You're both badass." Dustin gave Lori a proud smile.
Lori felt Steve's elbow plunge into her side after a moment of staring, and if she wasn't standing in front of the telekinetic bald girl, she would've turned and slapped his arm scoldingly. But all she did was take a step forward from the light impact, and open her lips.
"Hi," she said, lightly. The corners of her lips tilted up a bit.
The corner of Eleven's mouth twitched, and her eyes softened but just barely. Then, her chin dipped in the slightest way, and even though it was such a small gesture— Lori could tell that it was one of approval. They all could.
Lori's chest filled with relief, that she wasn't starting off on the wrong foot. Lori never cared about first impressions, but certainly this was a different case.
"You grew out your hair, I'm assuming," Lori pointed out casually, as if she fucking knew her personally.
Steve pulled her back, meaning for her to stop. She wiggled her arm from his grasp. But Eleven didn't really hear, as she turned her attention to something else.
Eleven looked away from Lori when Max stepped forward.
"Eleven?" Max said, and stepped up in between Dustin and Lucas. "Hey. Um," she paused, and struck her hand out towards the girl, "I'm Max." she said, kindly. "I've heard a lot about you."
They watched as Eleven stared back at the redhead, seeming to be thinking about something. And then, without even cutting a glance to her outstretched hand, Eleven leaned forward and walked past her, swiftly cutting through Max and Dustin.
"Shit," Lori whispered.
The three kids stood there, and Max lowered her head. Lori watched as Eleven made her way over to Joyce— immediately going in for a hug. As Joyce embraced her, Lori stepped away from her spot and walked slowly towards the kids, leaving Steve there.
He stared at the back of her head, teeth chewing on the inside of his cheek in confliction.
Lori placed her hand on Dustin's shoulder when she stopped behind him. Briefly, she caught his eye and gave him a small smile, squeezing his shoulder once as the group opened up. He smiled and looked to Max.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Lori followed his gaze, and nudged Max's shoulder.
"You okay, Lor?" Dustin asked her, as he studied her expression. When she'd smiled, she seemed rather weak— but he noticed that when the smile fell, her face was even more tense.
Lori blinked at him, "Pointless question." she said, shortly. She thought of Steve right then, and felt her throat tighten.
Dustin narrowed his eyebrows, and leaned back to look past her. His eyes landed on Steve, his mouth tense and gaze on the floor as he turned away. Steve walked over to the dead demogorgon on the floor, joining Jonathan and Nancy. Dustin noticed his face was painted with the same expression Lori's was.
Lori let out a strong huff, trying to release the restriction in her chest. "So," she said, and shoved her hands deep into her jacket pockets. "What does this mean," she asked, referring to Eleven showing up.
She turned her head to watch as Joyce and Eleven walked down the hall, on their way to Will's room.
"Dunno yet." Lucas huffed.
"This is so batshit crazy," Lori whispered, more to herself. "Mon dieu."
If Lori wasn't already avoiding Steve earlier, she sure as hell was avoiding him now.
The group was gathered in the kitchen, around the table. All eyes stared down at the old coloring book, at the red crayoned words written on the cardboard. It sat in the middle of the table, and everyone flocked around it except for Jim Hopper, who was leaning by the counter an observing from a distance. It was sometime far into the night, and everyone was sort of calmed down from earlier— knowing that the creatures weren't coming to attack for the time being. The mood in the air was still tense nonetheless, fearful, and prudent. But now they found themselves gathered around the kitchen table, trying to figure out what this all meant.
Lori stood beside her cousin, near Jim— and the aforementioned King Steve was on the opposite side, with Max and Lucas. She'd decided sometime between now and when they were in the living room, that she was going to completely forget about it. It didn't have to matter if she didn't let it, right? It was just holding hands. No big deal. She could admit she that she'd been scared, so it didn't matter if it was out of fear. They weren't schoolkids. So they stood on opposite sides of the table and Lori put on her most unbothered and monotone expression.
Hopper let out a grand sigh. "It's not like it was before," he said, about The Gate. "It's grown. A lot." he turned his head and looked out the window. "And I mean that's considering we can get in there, that place is crawling with those dogs."
Dustin turned back, "Demo-dogs," he corrected, proudly.
Hopper looked at him, "I'm sorry, what?" he said, unamused.
"I said, uh, demo-dogs," he paused for a second, and then continued, "Like demogorgon and dogs. Like, you, uh, put em' together... it sounds pretty badass—"
"How is this important right now," Hopper raised his voice, and blinked repeatedly.
"It's not. I'm sorry," Dustin turned back around to face the table.
"Read the room, shortstack." Lori nudged his arm, and whispered scoldingly.
All eyes were pulled when Eleven looked up from the table. "I can do it." she said, confidently.
There was a pause in the room, where everyone held their breath.
"You're not hearing me," Hopper shook his head.
"I'm hearing you." Eleven nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on him with determination. "I can do it." she said, assuredly.
Lori's lip pulled up in a slight manner, from the way she corrected Jim. She could see, now, just a little bit, how Dustin found them similar.
"Even if El can, there's still another problem," Mike spoke fast, "If the brain dies, the body dies,"
"I thought that was the whole point," Max asked, her eyes squinting.
"Was it not," Lori agreed, turning to Mike.
"It is, but... If we're really right about this," he paused. "If El really closes the gate and kills the Mindlfayer's army—"
"Will's apart of that army..." Lucas finished for him, and looked to Max.
"Closing the gate will kill him." Mike said, certainly.
Lori's lips parted. Everyone shifted uncomfortably because it was true, they all knew it was true. They looked to Joyce.
She sat there for a moment, her eyes wide with revelation and fear, before standing up abruptly. It was obvious where she was going, but still, they followed her down the hall and to Will's room.
Lori crossed her arms when she realized Steve was right beside her as they stepped down the hall. Somehow— they always winded up next to one another, and she was beginning to loathe the thought and truth of it. But there was nowhere else to stand. Joyce was walking into the room slowly, Jonathan following her in, along with Hopper and Nancy. The kids stayed near the entrance, which left Lori and Steve standing together in the doorway— since they were the least valuable to Will, anyways.
Even if she was in the doorway, she felt the cold air from his room reach her body. It sent a chill up her arms, and she gripped her jacket harder under her crossed arms to keep warm.
As if reading her mind, Joyce was stepping over to the open window.
"He likes it cold," she said, slowly approaching realization. "It's what Will kept saying to me, he likes it cold," she rushed to the window and shut it.
Lori had the sure feeling that Joyce wasn't talking about Will.
She was talking about the Mindflayer.
"We keep giving it what it wants!" Joyce said.
"If this is a virus," Nancy said, "And Will's the host, then..."
Jonathan nodded, as he was crouched beside Will's body. "Then we need to make the host uninhabitable."
"So if he likes it cold..." Nancy continued, trailing off as she thought.
Joyce butted in, speaking sternly. "Then we need to burn it out of him."
Lori felt her stomach swirl a little bit, at the thought of all this. She placed her hand on her lower abdomen.
"This is making me feel sick." She said quietly. She didn't really mean to say it out loud, and she prayed that no one heard her— but of course, Steve did. He always did.
"I know." he whispered back. And by the way he shifted on his feet after those words, Lori could tell that he felt the exact same.
Mike was speaking, about finding a new location to perform this next mission. Dustin spoke too.
She looked away from Steve when the room went quiet. Everyone seemed to be thinking. She darted her eyes up to Hopper.
And then he spoke. "I know a place." he said, and stopped leaning against the wall.
They stayed in the doorway as Hopper walked over to the bed, wrapped Will up in his blankets, and lifted him up. He expected them to follow him, and they did, as he marched for the door with Will carefully over his shoulder.
Lori and Steve bounded out of the way as the group parted to make way for Hopper to walk— his hand falling absentmindedly on the middle of her back for just a moment.
"Grab your keys," Hopper ordered to Jonathan who was following behind him, using that stern, Chief of Police voice. They were quickly marching down the hallway, Joyce following, and the kids soon doing the same.
Lori and Steve were quick on their feet to follow the rest of the group, walking close behind the kids.
"Grab any heater you can find," Hopper called back, generally to everyone, "Any device,"
"I got it," Nancy nodded, from the middle of the group. She split from them when they passed the kitchen, and Lori cut a glance to see her pulling open the back door.
The kids, Lori, and Steve, stopped in the living room as Jonathan ripped open the front door, and stepped out. Hopper followed behind him, telling him directions as he carried Will out. Joyce shut the door behind her.
"What the hell is going on?" Lori said, once the door shut. She already knew vaguely what was happening— it was all just happening so fast that it was hard to keep up.
"I'm going out," Steve suddenly said.
Lori whipped her head to look at him, but his head was turned towards the back door— where Nancy had gone.
"I'm gonna tell her to go with Jonathan." he claimed, and then looked to Lori. "She's not gonna go if I don't."
Her lips departed, with confusion. She could barely get a look in his eye before he turned away again. "Stev— what?"
She couldn't say anything else as he hopped on his foot to start for the door, walking fast. She stood and watched him, as he pulled it open, stepped out, and shut it behind him.
He was going to tell Nancy to go with Jonathan. Lori didn't know if he was doing that just to get Nancy out of the house, to let Nancy know that it was okay if her and Jonathan were together, if he wanted to be alone with Lori, or if it was because he thought he could protect the kids on his own.
Either way, Lori was left in the living room with five kids.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Dustin was speaking to Eleven. They were in a small circle, Lori watching over.
Eleven nodded slowly.
"You think they'll get it out of him?" Lucas asked, to them, referring to the Will mission.
Nobody answered for sure.
"They're burning it out of him," Lori took a step forward, speaking skeptically, "What does— what does that mean, exactly?"
Dustin shrugged at her, glumly. No one answered.
Lori crossed her arms tighter and clenched her jaw, looking away. The kids spoke to one another, gave their hugs and goodbyes to Eleven, wishing her well. Lori turned her attention to the corner of the room, eyes landing on the dead demogorgon. She felt her stomach twist, and she nearly gagged.
She stared at it for god knows how long, from her spot in the middle of the room. She bit on the inside of her cheek. She drowned out the kids' voices. All she focused on what the demodog, replaying images of it from when she'd seen one in Dustin's room, and when it growled at her from on top of the bus.
Just as she was about to take a step, about to head towards it, the front door flew back open.
"Let's go," Hopper said, huffing, out of breath. He was speaking to Eleven as quickly marched into the room.
She nodded, and slowly, with her friends following, she walked to the front door.
Lori watched with confusion as Hopper marched towards her. She took a step back.
"Where's the Harrington kid?" He asked, urgently and out of breath. He stopped right in front of her, his tall, intimidating body looming over her.
She paused, narrowing her eyes. "He's outside in the ba—"
The back door opened then, and in came Steve, running his hands through his hair. He sniffled and shut the door, and then looked up to Lori and Hopper.
"You both stay here, got it?" Hopper told them, sternly, when Steve joined Lori at her side. "You make sure those kids don't leave this house."
Steve nodded right away, placing his hands on his hips.
"You understand?" Hopper looked to Lori, his tone of vice demanding. "Do not let them leave this house."
"Yeah— yeah, we got it," Steve nodded for her, and put his hand out assuredly. "We'll keep 'em safe. They're our responsibility."
She was too busy staring at Hopper, replaying that other time he told her orders— in the pumpkin patch. This was different.
"Call me on my radio if anything happens." Hopper concluded, and let out a long sigh. "There's a gun in the back if you need it."
"Got it." Steve agreed.
Lori didn't say anything, just nodded in the slightest way.
He turned away, swiftly making his way to the door and walking out— passing the kids. It felt only right for the two of them to approach the door, and stand behind said-kids, as Mike and Eleven said their goodbyes. Lori placed her hand on Dustin's shoulder.
As their faces approached, and Hopper called from his car that it was time to leave— Lori thought about the fact that she was back to babysitting. With Steve. They were left in charge of four children, yet again, just the two of them against all of this madness. Lori watched as Nancy pulled open the passenger door of Jonathan's car, and felt something swirl in the pit of her stomach— but she didn't know what.
The six of them stood by the door as Eleven hopped into the Chief's SUV, and Jonathan pulled out of the lot. And then the SUV turned around, veering onto the road and they watched it go until it was out of sight.
The silence became consuming, and Lori took in a deep breath— in order to brace herself for whatever was to come next.
"I hate to be the one to ask this," she started. She took in a breath, and then exhaled. "But what the hell do we do with the demogorgon in the living room."
𝙅𝙐𝙇𝙄
I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH next chapter is scream worthy
some long awaited things might maybe perhaps be happening <33333333
i recommend playing The First Lie from the stranger things 2 soundtrack on repeat for next chapter if u know what i mean 😉
big thingsssss be excited !!!!!!!!!