Author's Note: Hi! This is my first ever fanfic so I hope you like it! I love reading Stranger Things sickfics so I thought, "why not write one?" The beginning gets a little off track from the point of the story, and there's not a lot of sickfic-ness in the first chapter, but I promise it will refocus! So without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Dinner Party

Thursday, May 13, 1985

Hargrove Household

Moving to Hawkins, Indiana: Maybe not the best decision her family ever made, but once you get past all the multidimensional monsters and Upside-Down drama, it's not that bad of a town. Just really bad timing.

Max Mayfield and her family moved to Hawkins about 7 months ago, and a lot has happened. Not only does Max have a ton of weird - but still admittedly kind and sweet - friends, an amazing boyfriend, and the upper hand with her step-brother Billy, but she also has someone who means a lot to her. Almost like another older brother.

Steve Harrington

Max has Steve in her life, and she couldn't be more grateful.

Neither could Steve.

Within the months she's lived in Hawkins, Max and Steve grew very close. So close that Susan and Neil Hargrove actually trust Steve to take care of Max while they're away on a 2-week retreat.

Normally, Susan would ask Billy to watch Max rather than some boy she only met a few months ago, especially since she'd heard that Steve's household often lacked adult supervision, something she wasn't very comfortable with. But seeing how Steve took good care of Max, along with a bunch of other children she hears so much about from her daughter, and how close the two have become, she figured it would save some inconvenience for the boy, seeing as he drives Max and her friends to and from school almost everyday, and it would feel like much less of a burden on Billy's end, given he wasn't crazy about playing "babysitter" for 2 whole weeks.

When Susan called Steve to ask him to take care of Max, he accepted without hesitation. Steve knew his parents wouldn't be back for at least another 3 months or so, and he told Mrs. Hargrove it would probably be safer for Max if his dad wasn't around. Susan and Neil had only met Frank and Samantha Harrington once at a social event, and she knew that Steve wasn't kidding when he said his father could be dangerous.

Frank was drinking an awful lot of wine, he got very upset at his wife when she told him he'd had enough. Susan didn't see anything wrong with Samantha, and the two ladies actually had a good time together, talking about Steve and Max. She did notice, however, that when it came to her husband, she folded like a house of cards. By the time she left, Susan could see why Steve gravitated a bit more to his mother. Neil wasn't too fond of Frank either, but he agreed that Samantha seemed like a good person.

Tonight, Susan and Neil have invited Steve over for dinner to get to know him a little better, but also to make sure he was completely prepared to take care of their daughter/step-daughter. Max was bursting with excitement, being Steve and her parents have not yet been formally introduced. Billy has a date, so absolutely nothing could go wrong.

"What are you making tonight, mom?" Max asked from the dining room table. She was trying to fold the spare napkins to origami swans to show Steve, but she remained unsuccessful. One of them kind of looked like a flamingo, though.

"I'm making spaghetti. Do you think he'll like it?" Susan says while boiling the noodles.

"Steve's not picky, mom. He'll eat anything you put in front of him" Max said, chuckling softly. She was remembering the time Dustin tried baking brownies, but he used salt instead of sugar, and to avoid hurting his feelings, Steve ate almost all the brownies. He threw up almost immediately after. It was hilarious.

About 10 minutes later, Max heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it!" Max practically yelled, causing Susan to almost drop the giant pot of spaghetti.

Max ran to the door, a wide smile and eyes filled with joy as she opened it to see Steve, dressed in a grey hoodie and jeans. Her face fell, however, when she saw a fading bruise on his left eye.

"Steve, are you ok?" Max asked, knowing he must have had a fight with his dad again. It made her angry that Steve was treated like this, but she decided it was none of her business and just to keep her hatred for Steve's father her own little secret.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about," Steve replied. Max looked at him suspiciously, but decided to just drop it. She moved out of the doorway so Steve could enter.

Steve took a visual of the house, taking in how nicely decorated it was. "Nice digs you got here," he said a bit absentmindedly. "Oh, that's all my mom. She was an interior designer back in California," Max said, unsuccessfully stopping the wide grin that refuses to leave her face.

Neil was in the bathroom washing up while Susan was placing the massive pot of spaghetti in the center of the table along with a pitcher of water. Neil had taken a seat at the table when Max and Steve walked in.

Susan immediately saw the bruise Steve was sporting, but decided it was not her place to comment. She saw he had the same brown hair as his mother, but he must've gotten his brown eyes from his dad, as Samantha's eyes were emerald green.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Steve asked. "Nonsense! You're our guest! Make yourself comfortable. Maxine, please show Steve where he can wash up,"

"Maxine?" Steve asked, confused. Max had forgotten that when she met Steve, everyone referred to her as Max, only her parents called her Maxine.

"Shut up! It's Max to you!" Max said jokingly. "Yes Maxine," Steve said before tussling her hair. The way the two interacted warmed Susan's heart. She couldn't believe that in the span of 7 months, this 19-year-old high school senior became a brother to Max.

The evening went perfectly. Steve went home in his brown BMW with Max's 2 suitcases in the backseat. Max went to bed a bit earlier than normal, feeling a small scratchiness in the back of her throat.

At first she panicked a bit, scared she might have to spend 2 weeks under Billy's care, but she chalked it up to the fact that she was talking a LOT during dinner, and she had gotten into a "Who can Yell Louder" contest with Billy earlier that day.

No reason to worry, Max told herself as she drifted off to sleep. Little did she know she would spend the next 2 weeks realizing how wrong she was.