The door slams open, his shoulder burning the process of him slamming the door open but he doesn't care. He gathers his thoughts, trying to remember where to go to get to his destination.
"Can I help you?" The rude receptionist at the desk states, her glasses at the tip of her nose while she looks at Lucas with a bored expression.
Lucas ignores her, remembering he has to take the elevator. No, no no not the elevator, it will go way too slow and he needs to get there fast. He looks around, seeing the door that is labeled stairs and he makes a break for it. He ignores the receptionist yelling at him.
He thanks the heavens at least him being apart of the basketball team had a positive effect on his body and endurance of running. He runs up the flights of stairs, not stopping for a mere second. His breaths become heavy but he doesn't dare stop, he doesn't have time to stop. He finally makes it to the eleventh floor, running for the room that he very well knows, the room he has been in for the past year now.
515
Lucas stands at the closed door, his heart pounding out of his chest. He takes a few breaths before opening the door.
Joyce, Hopper, Johnathan, Nancy, Steve, Robin, Eleven, Mike and Dustin stand in the room, all eyes turning to him. That is when he sees it...
That is when he sees her...Max. She still has cast on her legs and one of her arms, not yet being fully healed. Her eyes, they are still a clouded blue, letting Lucas now she cannot see. Eleven and Mike holds Max up, both of them smiling brightly at Lucas.
It is like a huge weight that he has been holding onto for the past year has been washed away, stripped away from him right here and right now because she is here. Max is here and she is breathing, she is moving. He doesn't know why he stands frozen, maybe he just having a hard time processing, a series of overwhelming emotions fills him, most of it all of them being joy.
Max looks around, only being able to see streaks of things. She holds onto Eleven and Mike while she looks ahead of her. She sees streaks of brown skin, a blue shirt tank top maybe? Max immediately recognizes the person, she doesn't have to see him to know he is there. Max smiles, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Lucas?" She speaks, her voice soft, full of emotion.
It makes Lucas break, running over to her and hugging her tightly. Mike and Eleven both draw away, them looking at each other with content smiles.
Lucas wraps his strong arms around her waist, bringing her very close to him. He practically smushes Max against him, his head going in the crook of Max's neck. She is here, her voice, her smell...this is her...this is finally her.
Lucas panics when he hears Max grunt a little. "I'm sorry! Am I hurting you?!" He quickly questions, drawing away but being sure to hold onto her that way she doesn't fall.
"No it's just my leg. I'm fine." Max answers. She slowly reaches forward, only being able to see just a little, barely anything. Her hand finds his cheek, putting her hand on his cheek. Lucas lets her, seeing her move her eyes a little while she feels Lucas face a little. Max smiles, her eyes becoming watery.
"We'll leave you both alone. We're going to see the process of discharging her." Joyce mentions, beckoning for everyone to leave the room. Everyone goes to leave out of the room, Joyce being the last one to leave and close the door behind her with a smile.
Lucas goes to sit Max down on the bed that way she doesn't use that much energy to stand up. Lucas gets on his knees in front of her, holding her hand against his cheek. He closes his eyes, a sense of calmness washing over him. He cannot find words right now, he really can't, it is all so overwhelming but in the best way possible. Max is here, after one year he is finally here with her, and Lucas will not let ANYTHING happen to her again.
"So..." Max starts. "...are you still going to read me the sequel of your spider man comic?" Max questions.
Lucas looks up with eyes of shock, knowing he read those comics to Max while she was in coma. "You...you heard?"
Max smiles, remembering all of the countless things Lucas has read to her and said to her while she was still inside of Vecna's mind. "Every word Lucas, I heard every word." Max states. "It was you that made me strong Lucas, your words...they strengthened me."
Lucas sobs out at that, letting the tears go free because he just can't contain it anymore. He brings Max hand to his nose, breathing in her scent that he very well knows. He closes his eyes, his head hurting from crying so hard while he hold Max's hand tightly against his nose, fearing if he lets go he will loose her forever. He has never cried so hard in front of anyone like this, the last time he did he was very young and it was with Mike Dustin and Will. Lucas has never been one to want to cry in front of anyone, but as of right now, emotions are too overwhelming to contain, it is too much to keep in.
Max begins to cry as well, tears spring free from her eyes. "Lucas, Lucas please don't cry." Her voice cracks. She has never heard Lucas cry before, she has never 'seen' him like this and it breaks her heart. She knows that Lucas blames himself, she has heard him say it to her countless amount of times. "Lucas this isn't your fault." Max says, her voice soft.
Lucas shakes his head, having to wipe his eyes because his vision becomes blurry with tears. "But it is..." Lucas starts, his voice hoarse and small. "...I told you about everything, I showed you those goddamn demadogs, I brought you into this mess. I didn't stop you when you put yourself out there as bait, I wasn't there for you. This is all my fault Max."
"Lucas please don't say that." Max says while shaking her head.
"It's true Max."
"No Lucas don't say that! Please stop!" Max cries. "You are the one who brought me the strength to find a way out Lucas! You saved my life! And it pains me to hear the one who had a part in saving me is blaming himself for what happened to me."
Saved her? Lucas only feels she is telling him that only to make him feel better. He doesn't believe it, all he sees is what he didn't do, what he could have done but didn't do. Lucas looks down, still holding Max's soft hand on his nose, that being the only thing keeping him sane, her being the only thing keeping her sane.
"Lucas." Max says, her hand going to his cheek. He goes to look up at Max again, seeing her look ahead of her. "Vecna did this..Vecna caused this not you. He is dead now, he can't bother me again, he can't hurt me again. El made sure of that..." Max trails off, looking down a little. "...Will made sure of that."
A silence fills the room, Lucas taking Max hand in his own, both of his hands engulfing Max's. She smiles at the feeling, the warm feeling it makes her feel, the content feeling, the feeling of safety and security. He has always felt safe around Lucas, he is her safe place, her place to go when she feels scared, and she is glad right now she is with him right now.
"You saved me Lucas. You, El, Will, Nancy...all of you. But you, you gave me the mental encouragement for me to go on, for me not to give up to think that it was all over. You saved me from giving up, you saved me." Max makes sure to say again, she wants Lucas to know that he had a major part in saving her, in helping her when she was in the darkness. He was the light at the end of the tunnel, he is the light to her darkness. Most of all, she doesn't want Lucas to blame himself for something that was not his fault. "Plus I chose to accept this risk? Remember that? You asked me if I accepted and I did. Trust me after I saw those...things I could I left, but I didn't. I'm not one to stick around for things I don't want to do." Max adds in.
Lucas smiles at that while nodding. "Yeah, you're stubborn."
"Shut up." Max says while lightly pushing his shoulders. Both of them chuckle a little, letting a content silence fill the room.
"I'm sorry Max." Lucas states after some time.
"Lucas you don't have to..."
"No. Please, please just listen." Lucas begs, going to crouch to be more leveled with Max. He puts his hand on Max's cheek, her soft cheek that he missed. He missed all of her, her voice, everything. He wipes the tears that slowly escapes from her, his other hand holding Max's other hand that is in the cast. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I saw something was wrong but I didn't ask. I was too focused on trying to be popular that I just...didn't ask. I should have been there, I should have known."
"Lucas I broke up with you. You couldn't have..."
"No that doesn't matter. Even if we are not together we are still friends, and friends look out for each other. I didn't do that. I failed you as a boyfriend, I failed you as a friend."
"Lucas you didn't..."
"Max, please." Lucas says softly, holding her hand tighter to let her know it's okay, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek lovingly. Max leans into Lucas touch, letting him continue. She knows he needs to say what he is feeling, even if Max doesn't agree with it. "I won't ever, and I mean ever...let that happen again Max, I promise. I will always be there for you, together or not. I will always support you, hold you, comfort you whenever you need. I am here, I will always be here. I am not leaving you anymore, I won't abandon you again. I promise. I did that once and I will NOT do it again. I'm here, I'm here Max." Lucas explains, his voice pained because he knows he could have done better, and he will spend the rest of his life if he has to making it up to Max.
"Even if I'm blind and crippled like a old person?" Max says it as a joke but Lucas can hear the sadness in her voice.
Lucas shakes his head. "Did the doctors say that your vision would come back?"
Max looks down while she shrugs her shoulders, lightly playing with Lucas fingers. "They said they didn't know if it will return or not, but given the circumstances...most likely no so.." Max trails off. A silence fills the room, Lucas holds her hand tighter in comfort. "Lucas...I still...think about it all the time, what happened in there. What if...what if I have a nightmare and wake up and it's just darkness?" Max cries.
"Hey." Lucas stands up, cradling Max's face in his hands. "If you have nightmares I will be right there to tell you that everything is okay and you are safe. Max I am not leaving your side and I mean never, you might get annoyed by it but I'm not leaving your side."
Max chuckles a little, feeling Lucas wipe her tears away with his thumbs. "Surely you don't want to assist a crippled person 24/7 with everything like a nurse..."
"Max that doesn't matter." Lucas states firmly. "I don't care if your crippled, if your blind. Hell it wouldn't matter if you were just a floating head..." Lucas says making Max laugh. "...it wouldn't matter, because it will still be you." Lucas finishes.
Max feels her cheeks heat up, something that barely even happens. Only with Lucas does it happen, it happens sometimes when she and Lucas use to make out, or when Lucas told her how good she looked on days. This time though, this time is much more different, because this is what Murray calls 'the good shit, shared trauma'. It is a huge heart to heart, it is feelings being explained that hasn't really been explained before, and it makes Max heart melt.
"Max..." Lucas says softly, coming closer to her while still cradling her head softly. "....you know I love you right?"
Max is shocked. When she wrote the letter she clearly explained her feelings because she felt that would be her last time actually sharing something with Lucas. Max has always loved Lucas, but truth be told she never really knew if he loved her back. Lucas was not a distant person, he wasn't one to typically hide his feelings, he is just chill. And although Max likes that about him it was hard to decipher how he felt sometimes, because most of the time he was chill about everything.
But now she knows, because he just told her. Max feels more tears well up. Max nods her head, she knows now, she knows. She feels a warm feeling overwhelm her heart, she hasn't felt this calm, this happy in such a long long time, and it is him bringing her this comfort, it has always been him.
"There is no one else I love as much as I love you Max." Lucas states. "It will always be you, I don't want anyone else, I want you. No matter the condition."
Max smiles brightly, going to hug Lucas tightly. Lucas hugs her back just as tight, not too tight to hurt her though. "I love you too stalker." Max says.
Lucas laughs while he still hugs Max, his head going to the crook of Max's neck, sighing contently. Max lays her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes close, and in the first time in forever, she doesn't see the nightmares when she does.
The door suddenly opens and Lucas wipes away his tears, looking behind him to see Joyce Eleven and Hopper come inside of the room. Hopper rolls in a wheelchair, putting it at the edge of the bed. "Your free to go kid." Hopper says, a big smile plastered on his face.
Max smiles, Lucas helps stand up. Lucas wraps both of his hands around her waist, letting her wrap an arm around her neck as she goes to wheelchair, going to sit down on it with Lucas help. Lucas goes behind the chair, going to push her out of the room. When he comes out everyone looks at him and Max both with big smiles, happy to have both of their friends back, both literally and figuratively.
"Discharge papers are signed, no more hospital bed or the food." Mike says while holding the papers that Joyce told him to hold.
"Thank goodness, I have never taste pudding that was horrible." Max says, making everyone laugh.
"Is that all doctor?" Joyce questions.
"Before Max goes we would like to apply new bandages to her, new cast as well. These cast were made when her bones were 5 inches out of alignment, now it is 3 so she would need tighter castings." The doctor explains.
Joyce nods, the doctor going to take Max wheelchair and bring her to a room door. Lucas subconsciously follows suit and the doctor stops. "We would have to give her new castings, so we would have to take off the hospital gown." The doctor tells Lucas.
Lucas freezes, of course he wants to give Max her privacy but at the same time he does not want to leave Max alone.
Nancy notices and steps forward. "It's okay, I'll go with." Nancy says while putting a hand on Lucas shoulder, following the doctor into the room. Lucas breaths a sigh of relief, knowing that Max isn't alone and she is with someone both him and her trust brings him comfort.
"Max is insanely lucky to have a man like you at her side." Joyce mentions, smiling at Lucas.
Lucas smiles back, turning towards Joyce. "Does she know about her mother?" When the 'earthquake' occurred Max's trailer was destroyed, and unfortunately her mother was in the trailer.
Joyce nods. "Yeah, she is staying with us now." Joyce mentions. It pained Joyce to tell Max about her mother when she woke up, first Billy then her mother. But she comforted Max and let her know she would not be alone, that she would stay with her along with El. "And you are more than welcome to come by anytime you need to, and spend the night. Whatever you want to do." Joyce says.
"Please, he's practically going to be living there." Dustin says while smiling.
Everyone chuckles and Lucas goes to hug both Mike and Dustin. "Thank you all for being there, I couldn't have done this without you all."
"It all worked out in the end." Mike says, going to put a arm over El's shoulder while hugging her tightly.
"Yeah, yeah it did." Lucas says while nodding. Soon enough the door opens and Nancy pushes Max out of the room with the wheelchair.
"Alright, who's ready to go?"
~
"So I made zucchini, I hope everyone likes. Because I spent hours on getting the spices right so everyone should like." Murray states, smiling around the table as he eyes everyone with a plate of zucchini.
"It smells nice Murray I'm sure it'll be amazing." Joyce comments, going to grab her fork.
"You're sure?! As if it might not be amazing?!" Murray suddenly questions.
Joyce only looks at him in confusion while Hopper gives him a bored expression. "What's wrong with you? It's just zucchini." Hopper says while having a mouth full of it in his mouth, sitting next to Joyce at the end of the table, across from Murray.
"Just zucchini?!" Murray questions like he has just lost his mind. "No! No this isn't just zucchini! This is the fresh quality zucchini that is sure to win the contest Friday night!" Murray says.
"What contest?" El questions, sitting on the other end of the table along with Mike.
Murray takes a sip of his water to calm himself down before he speaks. "I joined a cooking class."
"What?" Eleven questions.
"Holy shit." Lucas says surprised, him and Max sitting at the other end of the table across from Eleven and Mike.
"That's stupid." Hopper states simply while still chewing his food. Joyce slaps him lightly on the thigh while smiling.
"Why would you join a cooking class?" Mike questions.
"Because I need something to do in my spare time. Since saving the world and solving Hawkins lab mysteries is now over I find myself with more time." Murray states.
"Then why don't you like go on a date? Get a girlfriend or something?" Mike questions.
"I'm sorry, why is the eleven year old giving me relationship advice?"
"I'm sixteen!" Mike exclaims.
"Sounds the same."
"Okay, Murray the zucchini is amazing." Joyce mentions.
"Yeah it's really good. I mean not as good as I last had it but good." Max adds in.
"Thank you Joyce, and I suppose Max as well." Murray says, going to eat a little as well.
"You are literally a detective now." Hopper mentions.
"Yes and?" Murray questions.
"How do you have more time when you are literally a detective?"
"There is more to life then solving crimes Jim! I need a thrill!"
"And that's cooking?"
"Yes!"
"What happened with your Karate class you were in?" Joyce questions.
Murray looks around a little, almost in embarrassment while he takes a sip of vodka followed by water. "I got...kicked out." Murray says quietly.
"What how?" Joyce questions.
"That's what happens when you take a class with a bunch of ten year olds." Max says.
"I thought they were thirteen year olds." Eleven questions.
"Both of you are wrong, most of them were sixteen!" Murray corrects. "How was I suppose to know that he was going to kick me right as I punched him in the foot and broke his big toe."
Mike chokes a little on his drink from laughing, him and El trying to hold back a laugh.
"That's what happens when you take classes with kids!" Hopper states.
"Teenagers!"
"It doesn't matter-"
Soon enough Hopper and Murray get into one of their little arguments while Joyce tries to stop them. Mike and Eleven only laugh quietly while looking over at Max and Lucas. Lucas laughs too, because despite of the petty fights Hopper and Murray fights about almost every day it is amusing, it puts a smile on everyone's face at the end of the day.
Lucas looks over at Max, seeing her smile as well while holding her fork, barely touching her food. "Hey you okay?" Lucas questions in her ear. Max jumps a little from the action. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"No no it's fine." Max says. "I'm fine."
"Do you need any help?" Lucas questions
"No I'm fine." Max says, looking ahead of her while she sticks the fork in the zucchini, lightly swirling her fork around to get some on her fork before slowly bringing it to her mouth. Lucas notices a little sauce get on the side of her lip and he goes to wipe it off with the thumb softly. Max smiles, a little blush forming on her cheeks. "Thanks." She says quietly.
Suddenly the doorbell rings, making Murray dramatically push his chair back and stand up. "I'll get that." Murray says, going around the corner to open the door.
"You got to stop arguing with him like that, you know he gets sensitive." Joyce whispers at Hopper.
Hopper shrugs his shoulders while still eating. "He's whining about zucchini." Hopper says while his mouth is still full with zucchini.
"You also gotta stop talking with your mouth full." Joyce mentions, going to pat the bottom of his chin to close his mouth.
"Nancy Wheeler!" Murray exclaims while bowing dramatically when Nancy makes her way into the dinning room. "Would you like some zucchini?"
"Thanks but no, I already ate." Nancy refuses politely.
"Have you though?" Murray questions.
"Ignore him. He is just mad no one will bow over his zucchini." Hopper states while looking at Murray with his usual grimace.
"Hop." Joyce says in a warning tone. Hopper only puts his hands up in surrender, going back to eating quietly.
"Okay well." Nancy says while shaking her head while smiling, looking over at Max. "Max you ready?"
"Yeah." Max replies, putting down her fork. Nancy goes to roll Max's wheelchair out of the dinning room, Eleven going to follow them after she is done eating.
"Oh Max did you want me to bring up the rest of your food?" Joyce questions.
"No I'm fine, I'm not that hungry." Max says. Both Nancy and Eleven helping Max up the stairs, all of them disappearing.
Lucas looks at the stairs as well as Max's wheelchair in front of it. He knows something is bothering Max even though she is trying to hide it. He knows he will not make the same mistake as before and look the other way, he will ask about it. Problem is he doesn't know if Max will tell the truth or will she just give her normal 'I'm fine' phrase. Whatever she says, he promises he will always be there for her, whatever it is.
Lucas thinks most likely it is because how dependent she has to be on people now. She cannot even take a bath on her own, so Nancy and Eleven have to help her with it now. She has to now use a wheelchair to get where she needs to go, and it's not like she can move it herself either.
"Hey.." Mike says, grabbing Lucas attention. "...she's fine. My sister will take care of her, El as well."
Lucas nods. "I know."
"Aww don't sweat it kid, she is still head over heels over you despite the circumstances. Because guess what? You all have something in common with your women..." Murray starts.
"Shared trauma." All of them say in union, already knowing what Murray was about to say.
"Yeah we know." Mike starts.
"You basically tell us that same thing every time we see you." Lucas adds.
"And it needs to stop, relationships are not all about shared trauma." Hopper says.
"Oh please! You can have a good connection, have a lot of common. But when you have the good shit which is shared trauma, then boom!" Murray says while slapping his hands together. "Then you're bound for life." Murray says. "Well for most people, shared trauma will 99.9% bound you for life, Nancy and Johnathan was the 0.01%." Murray states simply.
Joyce and Hopper both roll their eyes while Lucas and Mike just glance at each other in confusion.
"But you all are the 99.9%, so don't worry kid. None of you should worry, because you will be living your life in bliss and getting married and having little babies!" Murray says.
"WOOAAAHHH!!" Hopper suddenly yells while putting his hands up.
"Murray!" Joyce says bewildered.
"Oh spare me spare me spare me!" Murray says. "What do you old people think?! They are sixteen for Christ sakes it is only a matter of time they are down each others throats and having offspring!"
"NO ONE...will be getting pregnant!" Hopper commands. "No one..." Hopper says while looking at Lucas hard before turning over to Mike. "...will be getting them pregnant." Hopper says carefully, more so looking at Mike.
Mike only sits there awkwardly, going to take a long sip of his water. Lucas does the same, both of them glancing at each other while doing so.
"My work here is done." Murray says simply, taking his plate and going to the kitchen to wash his plate off, leaving a awkward situation in the dinning room.
More so Hopper eyeing down Mike with his blazing eyes.
~
Lucas makes his way out of the bathroom, having on some sweatpants and a simple wife beater. After he says goodnight to Eleven and hugs Mike goodbye he makes his way to Max's room, knocking on the door softly.
"Lucas?" Max says from the room.
"Yes it's me Max." Lucas answers.
"You can come in." Max says. Lucas opens the door and shuts it quietly, seeing Max just sitting on her bed, her back against the headboard.
"Max? Is everything okay?" Lucas questions, going to sit down on the bed next to her. "Hey? You know you can talk to me right?" Lucas says while taking Max's hand.
Max looks down, only seeing little streaks of Lucas hand. She goes to put her other hand on top of his, lightly playing with his fingers. "Yeah...yeah I know."
"Then tell me what's going on." Lucas says.
Max sighs, looking down still. "It's not honestly anything, it's just...I feel so immobile, so broken. I feel like everyone is walking around me like eggshells. I don't want to be treated that way."
Lucas nods. "I can understand that. Will felt the same way after he was saved from the upside down."
Max nods her head. "I just....don't want to be treated like glass, and I know right now I have to depend heavily on people to even move but...I still want to be treated at least a little normally." Max explains. "Because right now I feel like glass walking about that is already cracked."
Lucas nods his head in understanding, going to sit cross cross by Max. "Okay."
"Okay?" Max questions confused.
"So what do you need me to do to stop making you feel this way? Tell me what I need to do and I'll tell everyone else." Lucas says.
Max is taken aback. "Wait really? No 'Lucas Sinclair defensive' talk?"
Lucas chuckles while shaking his head. "No talk. I want you to be comfortable Max, and if there is something I am doing that is making you uncomfortable as well as everyone else then I am more than happy to change that."
Max smiles, continuing to play with Lucas fingers. "Okay."
Lucas smiles, letting her play with his fingers. It is something new she just started and he likes it, he likes it a lot. "So what types of things make you feel uncomfortable?"
Max thinks for a moment. "Well, today for instance....I dropped my fork and the whole table went silent. When I tried picking it up you stopped me and got it, you know...even though it was still on the table by a few feet." Max says. "Also with 'careful talk'. I don't know, I feel like everyone I come in a room things so silent then there is a series of 'how are you feeling max?' Is everything okay max? Do you need something? When I feel or need something I promise I'll tell you guys I just...I just don't need everyone asking me that every single time they see me you know?"
Lucas nods his head. "Thank you for telling me, I will stop doing that, and also let the others know tomorrow."
Max smiles. "Thank you, for understanding."
"Thank you for confiding in me." Lucas says back. There is a content silence, Max still lightly playing with his fingers while Lucas looks at her smiling. He still can't get over it, he is back with her and she is back with him.
"You staring at me stalker? I can feel your eyes on me." Max says in a amused manner.
Lucas smiles. "Just admiring you."
Max looks away a little, trying to hide the blush that creeps onto her cheeks. "You're such a dork."
Lucas only shrugs his shoulders. "I don't mind that."
Max laughs while she shakes her head. "Yeah, I guess I don't either."
"Are you tired? Do you want to go on and go to sleep?" Lucas questions after some more content silence.
"Well I've been asleep technically for a year now so not really." Max jokes. "Is it too soon for dark humor jokes?"
Lucas laughs. "As long as you're okay with it so am I." Max smiles. "So what do you want to do? You want me to read you something?" Lucas questions as he gets up, looking through the many books on Max's bookshelf.
"Well, those spider man comics I guess weren't that bad to listen to." Max admits.
Lucas chuckles. "See I told you!" Lucas says, grabbing the comic and going back on the bed with Max.
Max goes to lay her head on Lucas shoulder, her hand finding one of his. "Are you staying? Or just until I fall asleep?" Max questions.
"I'm staying here." Lucas answers.
Max smiles, coming closer to Lucas. "Could you just...stay up here tonight? I know Joyce gave you a sleeping bag n stuff but...it's just whatever you're more comfortable with."
"If you want me up here then I'll be up here." Lucas answers.
Max's heart swells, he has changed. Lucas has always been a caring person, but now he is even more caring then ever before.
"Hey Max?" Lucas says after some time, finding themselves in content silence a lot of the time.
"Yeah?" Max answers while still playing with Lucas fingers.
"I love you Madmax." Lucas says.
Her heart swells once again, her cheeks flush at the confession. It is something she will never grow tired of him saying, not now, not ever.
"I love you too stalker."