AHOY! Would you like to set sail on the Ocean of Flavors that is Season 3? I'll be your captain.
We've finally made it. Only took three years, but it's officially time for Season 3! Are you emotionally prepared? This season's a lot.
We're starting off with "Suzie, Do You Copy?" as we must. As you hopefully realized by now - c'mon, we're on Chapter 32 - this fic is rated "M" for "Mature". People who are not supposed to be reading this shouldn't be reading this. That being said, it's rated "M" for a reason. Nothing crazy, pornographically explicity happens, but Steve and Veronica get frisky. It's nothing wild, but still. Just wanted you to be aware.
The next chapter is where the fun truly begins, but you get a peak into it in this one. As always, I only own my OCs.
Camp Know Where
June 28, 1985
8:27 pm
It's dark - pitch black. I can't see a damn thing, I can only hear the wind howling. It's cold, like Hawkins in January. If there was any light, my breaths would be visible. My ears twitch, picking up the sound of scurrying little claws.
"Veronica."
I shoot up in the rickety twin bed, panicked. It takes what could have very well been an hour to calm down, my heart beating like it was going to either explode or burst out of my chest. I haven't had a dream like that in months, not since November.
Checking the time, I huff when I realize I've only been asleep for an hour, having spent the whole day supervising my campers' packing and helping the other counselors close up shop. I only signed on for the first camp cycle, so I get to drive home as soon as the last of the first campers leaves.
I lie down once more, running my hand through my sweaty curls. The Gate is closed. The Mind Flayer can't hurt us anymore. I'm safe. My family's safe. Steve's safe. The Party's safe. I repeat those words over and over again, until the terror from my nightmare fades away.
My therapist and Dr. Owens once said that dreams are a manifestation of both our deepest desires and fears. Maybe I'm just subconsciously worried about going back to Hawkins? Like, look, I trust Steve to always be honest with me. But this is the longest we've been apart since getting together - I haven't seen him in a month, and brief phone calls and a few letters aren't enough. What if he doesn't miss me as much as I miss him? What if he's met someone new, what if he doesn't love me anymore?
Stop it. You're being ridiculous, Veronica, a voice nearly identical to Dustin's chides me. I groan and roll over, facing the photo we took at Steve's prom. I drift off as I stare at my boyfriend's smile.
Tomorrow can't come soon enough.
Camp Know Where
June 29, 1985
I grumble tiredly to myself as I shut the trunk of the Falcon, rolling my shoulders back. This whole morning felt longer than these past four weeks. Dustin and mom drove off over an hour ago, meaning they're almost back to Hawkins. My brother offered to wait, but that would have ruined the carefully planned surprise awaiting him at home. Just as his friends do.
Just wait until he tells them about Suzie. She's literally the sweetest girl I've ever met, and that's saying something. She's also a certified genius, I'm pretty sure she's one of the few people who makes Dustin look like an idiot. Cute, too. It's a shame she and her family's mormon, but no one's perfect. Even if my brother insists Suzie is.
With a few waves and shouted goodbyes to the other exhausted counselors I climb in behind the wheel and start the engine, pulling away from the science camp. As much fun as I had telling nerds scary stories and gorging on s'mores, there's no place like home. Most of my drive back to Hawkins is spent singing my heart out, the "Road Trip" mixtape Jonathan gave me filled with heavy metal to Queen. By the time I pass the "Welcome to Hawkins" sign, I'm lucky I even still have a voice. I feel weird, though. Itchy. Probably mosquito bites, or nerves. It's been a month.
My thumbs tap on the steering wheel as the road veers towards the Hawkins Community Pool. It's been a year, but the idea of being near a pool still fills me with dread. I only turn into the parking lot when I notice a familiar mullet blowing dramatically in the hot Indiana breeze. The shrill whistle makes me jump, and I wave through the gate at Heather Holloway, who's taking her break in the shade. She waves back, looking both relaxed and miserable. As a camp counselor, I completely understand.
Her eyes flick over to Billy, and I nod. She groans but whistles all the same, getting his attention. Billy turns in his red chair, lowering his sunglasses down his nose so I can see his wink. I roll my eyes and he laughs, waiting for Heather to quickly relieve him. As soon as she takes his place he's strutting towards me, only a gate separating us. As much as I hate the pool, the gate provides me some comfort.
Who would've thought - a gate, making me feel safe. The irony.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."
"Whatever. I see you're having the time of your life."
Billy pops his gum and shrugs. "It's the whistle. I've got all the power now, Queen V."
"And the groupies, too." I nod over to a few moms - gross - glaring over at me, and wave pleasantly. Only Karen Wheeler waves back. Her eyes are glued on Billy, though, and I shake my head as I refocus on my friend. "Seriously?"
"What?" He blinks, ocean eyes all wide and innocent, but the smirk betrays him. "I'm eighteen, and those poor women need all the entertainment they can get."
"It's still wrong. And gross. Please get some dignity. Or, you know, stop being a pussy and ask out Heather, who I know is just your type."
"Whatever, man." Billy waves me off. "Don't know why I missed you. Go back to whatever bumfuck Indiana town you left us for."
"You're in a bumfuck Indiana town."
"Don't remind me." He growled. I snort. "Alright, it could be worse. It's easier, with Max and I more like we used to be."
"Still a work in progress?"
"Yeah." Billy sighs, shoulders sagging just enough for me to recognize them as his "Forlorn Shoulders". "I know. It's my fault. We'll get there, though. And Lucas is pretty alright, for a dweeb dating my sister. What?" He asks, noticing my big grin.
"You just called Max your sister!" I nearly squeal.
Billy winces. "Don't tell her."
"Fine. But you owe me breakfast. Sally's, tomorrow. Does 8:30 work? I need to berate you for your obvious stupidity. This is why I'm not allowed to leave Hawkins, y'all turn into a bunch of idiots."
Billy snorts, but agrees all the same. "Sure. I'm not on until 11:00, anyway. I should get back to the chair before Heather kills me."
"Mhmm. Anything to keep Heather happy."
"You're such a bitch. I hate you." He snaps back with zero animosity.
I grin back, and we manage a fist bump through the gate. "Try not to murder any kids."
"I ban them for life, it's much worse." With one last wink Billy walks away. My heart flutters as he exchanges a smile with Heather, his body going soft.
Seriously, dude, stop being a bitch and get with Holloway already.
"Thanks, so much." I smile at Heather as soon as she reappears. We're barely even acquaintances, but she's always been nice to me. To everyone, really. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
"Yeah, yeah. He missed you, a lot." She tells me, and there's a little flush on her cheeks.
"He says he's a Scorpions fan, but play any Metallica song and he'll worship the ground you stand on." She blinks at my words, and I smirk. "Especially 'Fade to Black'. Now, woman up and please, put the poor boy out of his misery. Look at him, he's flirting with moms. Jesus Christ." I shake my head, waving before walking away from the confused lifeguard.
I have my own man to rescue.
It's a quick drive from the pool to Starcourt Mall, the latest addition to Hawkins, Indiana. A lot of shops downtown were forced to close, but thankfully Hunting & Camping wasn't one of them. RadioShack hasn't been open since Bob… died. Sally's is an institution. But even Melvald's is close to biting the dust, which means Joyce might be out of a job.
I gotta give credit where credit's due, though. The mall looks spectacular, and it's clearly drawing in outsiders because I've never seen these many people in Hawkins before. I manage to find a space at the end of the lot, locking up behind me as I shove my wallet into the back pocket of my jean shorts. It's disgustingly hot, the sun beating down on me without so much as a cloud for reprieve. I nearly run into the mall, the air conditioning instantly cooling me off. The itchiness from earlier is back, something I know attribute to how overwhelming Starcourt is, the mall filled with children screaming and teens gossiping. Compared to the calmness of Camp Know Where, I feel like I'm in a madhouse. The thought of seeing Steve forces me out of my musing, and I look for the nearest map of the mall, looking for the food court and exhaling when I find it. Steve had applied for a job at Scoops Ahoy, and unless he decided to start lying to me he's now an employee. Time to find out.
My body buzzes impatiently as I try and weave past the people standing on the escalator, both sides blocked up. My eyes follow the signs, no doubt lighting up as soon as I see "Scoops Ahoy", complete with an anchor between the ice cream parlor's name. I walk steadily towards it, peeking in to see Steve's turned his back to the entrance. Robin is leaning forward in the back room's window, and she starts to smile when she notices me. I'm quick to put my finger to my lips to silence her, ducking out of the way when Steve begins to turn. A trio of girls steps in front of me, just talking, and I peer around them to watch my boyfriend tugging off his hat, clearly frustrated.
The girls start to walk in, but a few passing boys have them changing their minds. I step around them to approach the counter, my boyfriend standing at the sink. The water rushes as he cleans the different scoopers, and I ring the bell, Robin watching with quiet amusement.
"Just a second. Alright." Steve tiredly shuts off the water and grabs the nearest clean scooper, flipping it in his hand. His head's down as he walks towards me. "Ahoy. Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?"
"Hmm. I'm not sure yet. Are you available?"
His head snaps up at my words, and Steve drops his scooper. I laugh, blushing as his eyes fill with warmth, that irresistible boyish grin filling his face. I only have a few seconds before I'm lifted into the air, Steve having sprinted around the counter to literally sweep me off my feet. "Roni! Robin, look, it's my girlfriend!" He announces.
My physics partner nods. "I can see that, Harrington. Welcome back, Veronica. Take it to the storeroom, Popeye."
"Whoa, seriously?" Steve blinks over at her, and my friend shrugs. "You never let me take my break early!"
"I like her better."
Before my boyfriend can complain, I kiss his cheek. "You heard the woman. Backroom."
Steve doesn't even bother putting me down. He just walks us through the door, Robin sliding through the window and closing it behind her just as a family walks into Scoops. It's a glass window, so Steve makes sure to keep us out of frame, safe in a dark corner. My boyfriend swallows my moan as he manages to wrap my legs around his waist, holding me up completely on his own. I kiss him back just as passionately, fingers tangling in his highlighted locks.
"Missed you like crazy." Steve murmurs against my lips, both of us catching our breaths. "Bed felt wrong without you in it, I mostly slept on the couch -"
"That's bad for your back."
"I'd take a sore back over an empty bed." He argues, stealing my breath in another deep kiss. I whine as quietly as possible as his lips leave mine to trail down my jaw, nipping at my chin before continuing down my neck. He finds my jugular, mouth latching on and sucking as I squeeze my legs tighter around his hips. Steve's fingers dig into my thighs, bouncing me up as I start to slip. My back arches as he drags me up his hardening bulge.
"Holy shit, not here, that's so unsanitary." I quietly argue, but there's no actual heat in my words.
"I'll wipe everything down." Steve mutters, my eyes fluttering as one of his hands leaves my thigh to run up under the shirt I got at the Bruce Springsteen concert. I grin as his fingers go to cup my bra, only to meet warm flesh.
"It's too hot for a bra." I smile innocently, and my boyfriend groans before surging up for another kiss, thumb brushing the underside of my breast.
"You trying to torture me?"
"Maybe just a little."
"You make everything so hard. Don't." He cuts me off before I can even open my mouth and let loose a snarky little quip. "God, please. Missed you so much. Know you missed me, too." I gasp as his middle finger grazes my nipple. "Fuck."
"Not with Robin on the other side. Don't need you fired for indecency." I gently remind him. "I'm all yours after work. Mom knows."
"Fine. Hate when you're the voice of reason." He sets me down on my feet, both of his hands on my hips to keep us steady. "Shit." Steve palms at his tented shorts, shifting uncomfortably.
Yeah, no, I'm not waiting.
Glancing around, I notice a door leading to another hallway. "There a private bathroom nearby?"
"Yeah, just across - what's happening?" Steve asks as I drag him into the hallway, grinning as I realize there aren't any cameras to be found.
"Bathroom. Now." I order.
He blinks then nods, the corners of his lips curling upwards. "Right. C'mon." He knocks on a nearby door, then pulls a key out of his pocket. As soon as it's open, he gently nudges me through, locking it behind us.
Three hours later, and Robin still hasn't forgiven either of us for disappearing for almost an hour and leaving her with "more customers than she can count." A tally even got added to the "You Suck" column on her board, my physics partner explaining she's kept score of how many times Steve screwed her over or messed up at work. Considering it's only been a month, there's only seven tallies, all of them accompanied with funny stories.
"That'll be $20." She smiles fakely as she rings up my third serving of Rocky Road.
"Rob -"
"Don't 'Rob' me." She nearly smacks the ice cream out of my hand. "You two ditched me to have hot sex in the employee bathroom." Robin whispers harshly, but if she's expecting me to feel guilty, she'll be waiting a long time. "Stop it." I pretend to look abashed. "$20." We just stare at each other for another minute before she sighs and takes my three singles instead. "Whatever, just go."
"Love you Rob."
"Bitch." I laugh as she grumbles, Steve grinning my way as he serves a harried looking mom and her four boys. Sitting down at the booth I've claimed as my own, I discreetly check out my slightly bruised knees, the mark on my jugular barely covered by my loosened curls. If I were to take off my shirt - which I won't, because I'm not wearing anything underneath - everyone would bear witness to the purple blotches that decorate my skin.
My eyes flick up to watch Steve tally up the mom, some of the hair on his chest peeking out from the top of his ridiculous uniform. My fingers itch to rake through them again, to hear him moan desperately as I tug them.
Down, girl.
My head buzzes a little as I eat my ice cream, my skin itching again. That could just be drying sweat, but still, I feel weird. And my dream last night. That was weird. Why then?
"-ronica. Babe?" I blink up at Steve, who frowns. "You alright, Roni?"
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. What's up, baby? I ask.
He tilts his head, but lets it go. "I'm off in an hour. You want to go out for dinner tonight, or just stay at home?"
"Mmm. Stay home. Enzo's tomorrow?"
"Sure." He shrugs. "I love you."
"I love you, too, honey." I lean up to kiss him, smiling as one of his hands strokes my hair. "Get back to work, before Robin kills us."
"Fine." He grumbles good naturedly, pecking the tip of my nose before returning to Robin. She doesn't scowl this time, only sends me a happy little grin. Guess I'm forgiven. My physics partner even waves me over when I'm finished with my cone, and we geek out over movies and bands as Steve rolls his eyes at us.
"Be nice, or I won't be nice to you."
His grin is wide and dangerous. "But I like when you're mean to me."
"Alright, that's it." Robin nearly screams. "Just go."
"I've got five more minutes -"
"I'll clock you out, Natalie and Rachel will be here any minute. Just please, leave. God, you both suck!" Robin gripes.
I just can't help myself. "I swallow, too."
"Go!" I dodge the rag in her hand, Steve quickly grabbing his car keys before pulling me out of Scoops Ahoy.
"Love you, Rob!"
"I hate you!" She calls after us, Steve pulling me into his side so he can kiss the top of my head.
"She's awesome."
"Try working with her."
I wince playfully as Steve guides me onto the escalator. "Oops, I still win. At least you get paid. Robin and I had to suffer through physics with Lewis together." My boyfriend rolls his eyes before drawing me into a quick kiss.
"I don't really want to talk about Robin right now." He helps me off the escalator, hand wrapping around mine as he walks us out of the still-crowded mall. In true mutual clingy nature, Steve drives me to my car, where we spend another five minutes making out before an irritated family honks at us to haul ass. "You're going straight to mine?" Steve double checks.
I smile, pecking both of his cheeks. "You said we're spending the night at home, right? You're my home, Teddy Bear."
"Smooth talker." He blushes and gets back in his car, waiting for me to back out of my spot. I tail him, and will forever deny singing along to Wham!
He's waiting for me outside the Harrington house, leaning cooly against the hood of the Beemer. I grab my duffle out of the trunk and slam it shut, half-heartedly arguing with Steve about who gets to carry my bag. Eventually I let him take it, our hands entwined once more as he brings me inside. "Mom called this morning." Steve tells me, tossing my bag on the floor of his room before dragging me into him. I rest my chin on his chest, staring up into his hazel eyes. "She's due back at the end of the month. She and the Center are looking for a live-in sponsor to help her get, uh, rea-reacclimated?" I nod, and his grin is full of pride. "Reacclimated to life in Hawkins, in this house. Without dad around. And if it turns out moving back was too soon, the Center's happy to have her come back."
I smile. "Hey, that's great!"
"The only downside is our sleepovers probably won't happen anymore."
"I'm sure we'll figure it out."
"Still," Steve clears his throat as he plays with the collar of my band tee, "we should probably make the most of it. Just in case."
"You're a genius, handsome."
June 29, 1985
8:00 pm
I lie back happily in Steve's - our - bed, reading over the pizza menu. My boyfriend's in the shower, washing off both our recent activities as well as his day at Scoops. As much as I wanted to join him, I couldn't stop my legs from shaking. The night would be way less fun if I fell in the shower. Besides, the ego boost did wonders for Steve's weariness. Whatever, it's well earned.
As my eyes flick back to the meat lover's - heh - pie, my gut tugs. I flinch, the world around me seeming to spin. My fists clench onto the sheets, but all they meet is air as I'm left standing in the middle of the road, an old factory and a busted car on either side of me.
No. No, not again. This can't be happening. Wake up, wake up -
My feet move towards the car without my command, and it doesn't take long for me to recognize the blue Camaro. It's never been wrecked, before. Slime covers the cracked windshield, smoke pouring out of the hood. But where's Billy?
A scream rings through the night, coming from everywhere and nowhere. I force myself to turn, my feet sinking into the ground as I run towards the steel mill, someone crying for help. Billy, what's happening to Billy -
"-ica. Roni." I grumble, rolling over. My eyes blink open in confusion, both at the soft sheets caressing my naked body and my boyfriend frowning down at me. "Sorry for waking you, but it's still early. You hungry, or should I just let you go back to bed?" I don't answer, mind all foggy. What just happened? What was that dream? "Babe, you okay?"
"Sorry." Steve helps me sit up. Nothing. It was nothing. "Just a weird dream. Don't even remember falling asleep." I rub my eyes, laughing as my stomach growls. "Yeah, baby. Let's eat."
He sends me another concerned glance before nodding, climbing into bed and reaching over for his phone. I roll into his arms, mumbling my desire for a meat lover's pie. As he dials the number to place our order my fingers play with the hair on his chest, the dream fading with every stroke.
In case you're wondering why Veronica's not going "hey, these dreams mean the Upside Down's back", the poor girl thinks she caught a break back in 1984. Let her have fun with the man she loves before she figures out she should've been a little more cynical, and a little less hopeful.