Summary: Benjamin Rosales-Hopper never expected much from the small town of Hawkins. A small group of friends, persistent bullies, and former unrequited crushes were all the classic staples of what he believed would make up the rest of his high school life. However, when Will Byers disappears and strange dreams invade Ben's sleep one November night, he and his friends realize that something dark lays behind its tranquil exterior.
Pairing: Steve Harrington/Male OC
Changes to Character(s): N/A
Spoilers To: Stranger Things (S1-S4)
Type of Story: Chapter-Filled
Trigger Warning: Minor Use of a Homophobic Slur
"When alpha particles go through gold foil, they become . . . ?"
It was the next day, and Barb and Nancy were making their way down the school hallway (practicing for the latter's test). Ben was quietly walking behind them with a distant look on his face. They didn't seem to take much notice of his weird behavior—probably dismissing it as an off day—which wasn't that uncommon for many in the aftershock of Will's disappearance.
If only it was an off day, he thought.
Ever since yesterday's events, it was difficult to concentrate on anything else. His already distraught mind spun and tore at his emotions, forcing a multitude of horrifying scenarios to form in its depths.
Hopper had called for an immediate search party after investigating the shed in the Byers' backyard, alarming his fellow officers. He delivered the news to Joyce with a calm tone, but Ben could sense the urgency hidden in his words.
Afterwards, he had pulled Ben out of the house—not happy to see him standing on the porch instead of their trailer home's.
"I told you to go home," his dad said, rubbing his face in annoyance. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I wanted to make sure they were okay," he said, folding his arms. "You can't stop me from checking on them."
"If I locked you in your room, I could," the chief threatened, almost baring his teeth. "I need you to understand that there is a serious threat out there, and you shouldn't be out in the streets while there's an ongoing investigation!"
"I get that, but I can't stand back and let my friends be alone in their time of need!"
"Oh, how noble of you," his father spat. "Just because you feel guilty about Will doesn't mean you have to be stupid and reckless!"
"I'm not being—"
Hopper cocked his head towards the car. When he refused to move, his dad grabbed his arm and dragged him to his truck. "I'm going to be home late, and If I don't see you sleeping in your bed when I come back, you will be grounded. No car, no TV. You won't be spending time with any of your friends. The only thing you'll be seeing is my face for a month straight while you contemplate on your idiotic decisions."
"But dad—"
"No buts. Go home."
Ben had even tried to join the search parties, but Hopper was adamant that he would be going to school, and only school, the following day. His objections were quickly disregarded, and his dad only threatened to prolong the length of what could be a life, ensuing punishment.
He called Nancy to tell her he couldn't come over to study anymore, but she didn't appear to be upset by the news. If the familiar laugh of Steve Harrington in the background was any indication, she was quite ecstatic.
Now, he had to somehow concentrate on passing a stupid test on a subject he didn't have the urge to study for. Great.
His thoughts were interrupted when Steve (speak of the devil) appeared out of nowhere, snatching the flashcards from Barb's hand. Ignoring the redhead's protest, he began to shuffle through the colorful deck of notes.
"I don't know," Harrington said, "I think you've studied enough, Nance."
Nancy frowned at him. "Steve—"
"I'm telling you, you know, you got this," the tall boy interjected. "Don't worry. Now, on to more important matters. My dad has left town on a conference and my mom's gone with him, 'cause, you know, she doesn't trust him."
"Good call," Tommy commented, smirking.
Steve gave him an unimpressed glance before continuing, looked hopeful as he stared at Nancy. "So, are you in?"
"In for what?" the brunette girl said confused.
"They're talking about a party, Nance," Ben answered before Carol could. He didn't like the look of arrogance on the junior's face as she imitated the sound of a bell with her boyfriend laughing beside her.
"It's Tuesday," Wheeler said, the idea appearing ridiculous to her. Knowing how she thought and operated, it most likely was.
Hagan laughed, not able to help himself. "It's Tuesday."
Steve gave his girlfriend an assuring smile. "Come on. It'll be low key. It'll just be us. What do you say? Are you in or are you out?"
"Umm . . ."
As Nancy pondered on her response, he felt Tommy H.'s and Carol's piercing eyes on him. Although they acted nonchalant, their stares were enough to tell him what they were honestly thinking. You can't come, freak.
"I'm assuming I'm not invited," Ben muttered, a slight bit of anger coming out. Barb laid a hand on his back, a warning for him not to act irrationally. He swiftly switched his attitude into a joking tone. "Wouldn't want to get you all arrested now, do we?"
"Of course, you're invited," Harrington said. He looked startled at the accusation like he couldn't believe he would say that. "Why wouldn't I want you there, Benji?"
"Oh, God," Carol groaned. "Look."
They all turned their attention in the direction she was staring at, curious about the source of her revulsion. Standing near the end of the hallway, Jonathon was sticking a missing poster on a corkboard—exhaustion embedded in his stance.
A sad feeling passed through Ben.
He knew that Jonathon was going to spend the morning putting up flyers in hopes of getting people familiar with Will's appearance. There hadn't been any other leads aside from the boy's bike, and it was making everyone (including the police) nervous.
The only other person who may know where Will was their father, who Jon said he would visit later that day during their morning call.
"Oh, God, that's depressing," Steve remarked, causing annoyance to flicker in him.
Nancy looked crestfallen as she examined the eldest Byers boy, not one to enjoy seeing someone in pain. "Should we say something?"
"I don't think he speaks," Carol ridiculed without an ounce of sympathy.
Ben glared at her, his nerves slowly reaching their limit with each passing minute. "I wish you didn't speak, Perkins."
"How much you want to bet he killed him?" Tommy H. asked, directing his question at Steve.
The boy only told him to shut up.
With a determined expression, Nancy made her way towards Jonathon—saying something they couldn't hear from where they were standing. Ben, seeing that it wasn't necessary to play nice anymore, decided it was time to go. He told Barb he would see her later and began to head towards his class.
Before he could make it too far, he could hear Steve walking behind him. He tried to speed up, but he was prevented from moving forward by the popular boy's hand clasping onto his shoulder, forcing him to face him. "Yes, Harrington?"
"Come to the party," the other boy said, giving him a squeeze.
Ben shook the boy's hand off his shoulder. "Why should I?"
"I really want you there," Steve insisted. At the younger boy's unconvinced expression, he continued. "If not for me, at least go for Barb and Nancy."
The sophomore glanced back in time to catch Barb and Nancy head towards the opposite hallway; the two of them missing the sight of Carol and Tommy H. laughing behind their backs. Worry churned in his chest at the idea of them going to the party alone.
What kind of friend would he be if he left them in the hands of his bullies?
He turned towards Steve and sighed. "Only for Barb and Nancy."
• - • - • - •
Sneaking out his house was easy.
In a lucky and horrifying coincidence, the night Ben needed to leave his prison-like home was the same day his dad decided to invite someone over for some fun times. He nearly threw up once he heard loud thuds coming from the other side of the trailer, the sounds travelling all the way to his room.
He tried to ignore the moans coming from his dad's room as he carefully made his way across his dark living room, tiptoeing past the beer bottles and empty pill containers littered on the floor.
Ben's house was a death trap.
Opening the front door, the teen grimaced when it gave out a small squeak. He waited for a moment, afraid that his dad may have heard it. When nothing occurred, he exited the house and made his way down the long gravel path and towards the dirt road where Barb's Volkswagen was waiting for him.
He ran towards the car and hopped into the backseat. "Hey, you two."
"Hey," Nancy greeted while Barb started the car. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep," he said, nodding.
Barb turned around from her seat to face him. "Won't your dad know you're missing when he sees an empty bed?"
"He's a little busy right now," he answered, grimacing at the reminder. "He usually just glances into my room and moves on, so I set up a couple of pillows and other stuff to confuse him for a bit. Plus, he's had a stressful day. He won't notice I'm gone."
Ben remained silent for most of the ride, closing his eyes to take a small nap while his two friends talked between themselves.
He hadn't been sleeping well since the night of Will's disappearance—suffering the same recurring nightmare of the monster ever since. It also didn't help that he would wake up with itchy palms and a painful migraine the morning after.
The exhausted teen had gone through multiple cups of coffee to keep himself from falling asleep for too long. He drank the last of their brew not too long ago, and the feeling of lethargy was quick to take advantage of his lack of defense.
When they were a certain distance from the Harrington household, Nancy insisted they park on the side of the road.
"What are we doing here?" Barb asked after stopping and cutting the engine. She was clearly confused and annoyed with her demands. "His house is three blocks away."
"We can't park in the driveway."
"Are you serious?"
Nancy grabbed her bag and rummaged through it until she found her lipstick. "Yeah, the neighbors might see."
"Umm . . ." Ben sat up from his seat, yawning as he tried to stretch. He wasn't keen on walking if he was being honest. "Nance, I'm sure the neighbors won't care if we're here. Now, come on. We're going to be late if we don't hurry up."
At his words, Barb seemed to have enough.
"This is so stupid," the redhead sighed, getting ready to turn her car back on. "I'm just gonna drop you two off."
"Calm down, Barb. Come on," Nancy persisted, opening her lipstick before applying it to her lips. She glanced at the rear view and saw the boy's hesitation. "You both promised that you'd go."
He snorted. "I also promised to stay home, but . . . here I am."
"You're coming," the brunette continued, turning her position to be able to face the duo—a determined look on her face. "We're gonna have a great time."
"He just wants to get in your pants," Barb said, sending a sliver of shock through him.
While the two of them agreed that Steve wasn't the best, they tried to mask most of their opinions about the boy from their friend. Barb had a gentle approach in her opposition and never spoke badly about him since the couple's first interaction.
It seemed she held back a lot more than he thought.
Nancy chuckled at the claim. "No, he doesn't."
"Nance . . . seriously," Barb uttered, giving her an incredulous look. "He invited you to his house. His parents aren't home. Come on, you are not this stupid."
"His invite did seem to imply it," Ben confessed, much to the Wheeler girl's frustration.
"Tommy H. and Carol are gonna be there," the brunette defended. She appeared to find the whole situation funny, taking little note of the seriousness behind her friends' words.
Barb noticed the quick smile on her face, "Tommy and Carol have been having sex since, like, seventh grade."
"They have," he confirmed. "I heard a girl from the marching band caught them hooking up in one of their practice rooms."
"It'll probably just be, like, a big orgy."
"Gross," Nancy remarked with a disgusted frown.
Barb was amused by her reaction, looking at him for confirmation. "I'm serious!"
"All right, well . . ." the brunette started, placing her bag on the dashboard, "you two can be, like, my guardians. All right? Make sure I don't get drunk and do anything stupid."
"Ugh," Barb and Ben groaned in unison.
Nancy grabbed the bottom of her collared sweater and pulled it off, causing the only boy in the car to squeak in surprise. He looked down at his hands on his lap as she switched her clothes for a striped shirt and a hoodie, a blush creeping up his neck.
"Is that a new bra?" Barb asked, undisturbed.
He could hear the shuffling slow down for a second before Nancy answered, embarrassment in her voice. "No."
More shuffling. "Grow up, Ben. You've seen me in a bikini before. It's not any different."
Before he knew it, the trio was standing in front of the house—the sound of a doorbell ringing along with the symphony of blasting music. Ben placed his hands in his pocket as they waited for someone to open the door, clenching his fist to stop them from shaking.
Ben's anxiety only increased as seconds passed by, wishing they could turn around and go home. He and Barb were not used to being surrounded in a group in this kind of setting. How was he supposed to have fun when he had to hang out with the very people who had harassed him for years?
With the guy that had abandoned him for the popular crowd?
Nancy noticed the nervous energy around the third of their group, the redhead's energy a lot more intense than his. "Barb, chill."
"I'm chill," Holland insisted.
The door opened to reveal a smiling Steve Harrington, charm oozing from his confident demeanor. Ben's heart jumped at the sight, causing conflicting emotions to rise in his chest. He dug his nails into his palms—hoping it would distract him from his thoughts.
"Hello, ladies," he said, his stare lingering on Nancy before quickly glancing at Barb. When he got to Ben, a spark of hope appeared in his eyes. "And Benji."
• - • - • - •
Ben was grateful Sharpies were invented.
They've only been hanging out near the Harringtons' heated pool for nearly an hour, and all he wanted to do was tear his hair out. It was obvious he wasn't welcomed to the small gathering, thanks to Tommy and Carol's not-so-subtle shoves, and his annoyance grew with every minute.
The only reason he could stand being under the couple's judgmental stares and ignore their constant whispers was because of the black marker that had lived in his jacket, using it to create various tiny designs on his forearm for entertainment.
The music was also a positive, making things a little more bearable.
While he, Barb, and Nancy sat on the chaise lounge chairs, Steve had gone inside to retrieve some beers from the house—leaving them to deal with a screaming Carol as Tommy threatened to throw her in the pool.
"One! Two! Three!"
"Stop it, Tommy, no! Don't!" Carol shrieked, holding on to her boyfriend's neck as he playfully swung her towards the water. Once he let her down, she pushed the laughing boy away in irritation. "You're such an asshole, Tommy."
Steve came back from the kitchen with alcohol in hand, setting down the six-pack on the table that laid amongst the chairs. Taking the pocketknife he held between his teeth, the boy punched a hole into the can he held in his other hand and leaned down to chug the liquid.
Nancy's mouth dropped in surprise when he managed to drain the can's contents in under a minute. Barb was unimpressed and rolled her eyes at the ridiculous action, not one to appreciate or approve of such antics.
He prepared himself to do the same, but his attention was caught when Steve straightened his posture—the new angle pulling up his shirt to uncover a sliver of skin.
Ben felt his face flush, inspecting the toned muscle underneath, and cursed the universe for making Harrington a member of the swim team. He felt a bit of shame when a sudden longing to touch him overtook his nervous system. He wanted to know the feel and strength of his body under his hand.
Dazed, he followed the slight cut of his V, trailing down until it . . .
He removed his stare—not wanting anyone to make note of his ogling—but not before catching the subtle wink Steve sent him as he sat down in the empty chair between him and Nancy. Ben responded with a glare and returned his attention back towards his arm, trying to shake off the strange desire.
However, Nancy was quicker to recover, a smile already on her face.
"Is that supposed to impress me?" she asked, a smile already on her face.
When he settled down on the chaise, Steve pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and placed a cigarette in his mouth. He looked puzzled as he mumbled through the cig, taking out a lighter. "You're not?"
"You are a cliché, you do realize that?" Nancy teased.
"You are a cliché," the tall boy said, lighting his cigarette. "What with your . . . your grades and your band practice."
Nancy laughed. "I'm so not in band."
"Okay, party girl," Steve said, holding out his pocketknife for her to grab. "Why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done, then?"
"Okay."
Ben looked up, a concerned look on his face. "Nance, that's not a good idea. We have to get home soon. Our parents—"
"Just one won't hurt, Ben," she said before dismissing him with a wave of her hand, taking the knife from her boyfriend. She grabbed a beer from the table before standing up and walking toward the pool's edge.
Steve pointed towards the can. "You gotta make a little hole right in—"
"I got it." Nancy assured him with a teasing smile.
"Yeah, she's smart, you douche!" Tommy shouted, throwing his empty drink onto the floor.
The brunette managed to puncture a hole into the tin and placed it onto her mouth, downing the alcohol with ease. Tommy began to chant in excitement, quickly joined by Steve and Carol as she finished. Once the last drop passed her lips, she threw her hands up in victory—taking in the hollers and laughter of approval from the popular crowd.
She looked around and saw the glum look on Barb's face before catching his frown. The brunette stilled for a moment before turning towards the redhead. "Barb, you wanna try?"
"What?" Barb asked, surprised. "No. No, I don't want to. Thanks."
"Come on," Nancy insisted, grabbing another beer and gesturing at her to take it.
Ben stood up from his chair, ready to interfere. "She said no, Nance."
However, his voice was pushed aside while the others continued to pressure Barb into going along with the irresponsible stunt. The girl eventually caved and grabbed the can and the blade from their friend's hands.
"You don't have you if you don't want to," Ben said, hoping to ease the hesitant girl.
"No, it's fine," Barb reassured him; although, the look on her face said otherwise. "Okay. So, you just . . ." She pressed the pocketknife on the can and hissed when it slid off the tin, painfully stabbing her hand.
Tommy chuckled, impressed with the amount of blood flowing from the injury. "Gnarly."
"Are you okay?" Nancy asked, grabbing the redhead's shoulder.
"Yeah," Barb said, defensively moving away from her.
Nancy gave her a look, her face full of disbelief. "Barb, you're bleeding."
"I'm fine," the other girl insisted, pulling her hand away when Ben tried to inspect it. She turned to Steve. "Where's your bathroom?
"Oh, it's . . . it's, uh," Steve stuttered, getting up from the chaise before walking and pointing towards the house. "Down past the kitchen, to the left."
"Okay. Thanks," Barb said, heading towards the house.
Ben looked around at the group (seeing the junior couple smoking their cigarettes while Steve and Nancy stood awkwardly nearby) and shook his head in disbelief. The next thing he knew, a scream and a splash erupted from the water, a result of Tommy pushing Carol into the heated pool. Everyone's spirits were immediately lifted . . . except his.
Of course, they wouldn't care about her.
She wasn't one of them.
"Ridiculous," he muttered before walking towards the building, only turning around to shout a brief sentence. "I'm going to check on Barb!"
He opened the sliding doors into the small, decorated sitting room that had a perfect view of the backyard and made his way into the main area of the house, following Harrington's earlier instructions. Before he could make his way towards the kitchen, he could hear someone running behind him.
"Benji, wait!" the person exclaimed.
Annoyed, he turned around to see a flustered Steve standing behind him. He must've either jumped or have been pushed into the pool because he was completely wet, water dripping down his hair and clothes and onto the expensive flooring. However, he didn't appear to care about those details—not bothering to even grab a towel before entering the house.
"Hey," Harrington said, biting his lip. "Come back and swim with us. I'm sure that Bria—Beth—she'll be fine."
"Barb. Her name is Barb," Ben replied, harshly. "I know she'll be okay. I just needed to get away from everyone."
The popular boy became rigid, his hands turning into a fist at his sides. "Did Tommy and Carol say something to you?"
"Nothing direct, but I got the message," he answered, looking away. "They aren't really the kind of people to be subtle about their opinions."
"I'll talk to them. I'll make sure—"
"Talking to them is what got us here in the first place!"
They remained silent, the words hanging heavily between them. Hurt coursed through his veins as the solidified gates of his mind began to break under the immense emotion. He sighed and leaned onto the wall, too tired to stand up on our own.
"How do I fix this?" Steve asked, sadness lacing every word.
Ben shook his head and scoffed. "There's nothing to fix here. Not anymore"
"Benji," the other boy whispered, taking a step forward, "please . . . I-I didn't mean to tell them. After you told me you liked me, I was confused. I had a couple of drinks that day. I-I was drunk, and they were there. I didn't realize what I was saying . . ."
"I don't care that you told them," the sophomore spat. "I care that you abandoned me the moment it wasn't cool to hang around a fag."
"I-I didn't leave because you liked guys!"
"Oh, yes, you did! You couldn't look me in the eyes after that. You avoided me every chance you got, and you would always end up hanging out with those terrible two! You pretended you didn't know me until everyone was fully convinced that I was nothing but an obsessed fanboy my freshman year."
"I didn't mean to hurt you," Steve insisted, red now surrounding his eyes. "Tommy and Carol didn't give me a choice."
"You've always had a choice," Ben wept, wiping away the tears. "You could have stayed with me. We could've stayed friends."
Steve grabbed his hand. "Please, let me explain—"
"Ben?"
The boys froze.
Catching both boys' attention, Barb entered the hallway with a now cloth-wrapped hand. She looked perturbed, glancing at their held hands (which Ben quickly snatched back) before clearing her throat. "Are you okay?"
Ben gulped, feeling the large lump in his throat.
"Yeah, we were just having a lovely chat."