Always Be There For You ~ Dustin Henderson x Reader

Chapter 33: The Dive

 The next day, we found ourselves wandering in the woods searching for Skull Rock. While we were at Victor Creel's house, Vecna took the life of another Hawkins teenager. Patrick McKinney, a basketball player at Hawkins High, was disarticulated on Lover's Lake sometime during the night, and Eddie had seen everything. Hawkins P.D. named Eddie their primary suspect and instructed all locals to be on the lookout. Needless to say, things weren't going too great for the Hawkins Gang.

We were going to Skull Rock because Eddie called us through his walkie, instructing us to meet him there. Dustin held a map out alongside his trusty compass. He, Steve, and I were ahead of the others as we waltzed through the woods. Steve seemed confused and annoyed by something, but I couldn't quite figure out what.

"Dude, you're going the wrong way," Steve stated.

"It's north. I'm positive. I'm looking at the map." Dustin defended.

"You do realize Skull Rock is a super popular make-out spot?" Steve questioned.

"Yeah, we know," I shot Steve a glance and his eyes widened.

"So?" Dustin annoyedly asked.

"Well, I practically invented it. We're heading in the wrong direction," Steve explained. Steve made a sharp turn and instructed us to follow. Once I noticed what direction he was headed, I realized something.

"Shit, Dusty. He's right," I sighed as I grasped Dustin's hand, encouraging him to follow Steve with the others. My comforting hold on Dustin's hand kept him from bickering with Steve throughout the whole walk, but I could tell he was resisting the urge to complain.

"Have I ever told you how much I like your hat?" I inquired, smiling as I flicked the bill of his hat that read "Thinking Cap".

"Thank you," Dustin responded, "Have I ever told you how much I like your smile?"

"Oh please. Yours is so much better!"

"You mean this one?" Dustin grinned wildly as he made his signature purring noise, sending me into a fit of giggles. Dustin looked at me sweetly, before pressing a kiss to my temple.

"You really know how to fluster a girl, Dustin Henderson."

"Well, you really know how to entrance a boy, Y/n Harrington." Dustin gave me a quick peck on the lips, before looking back ahead. Steve pulled back a few tree branches and stood triumphantly.

"Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson," Steve gloated as he stood before the infamous Skull Rock, "In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face!"

"Doesn't make sense," Dustin muttered, pulling his compass back out of his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it," Steve teased, "You can't admit you were wrong, you butthead."

"I concur," Eddie jumped out of a random bush and leaned against the edge of Skull Rock, "You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead."

"Jesus, we thought you were a goner!" I exclaimed as Dustin and I dashed to Eddie's side. Eddie smiled at how much we cared and placed his hand on Dustin's shoulder.

"I did too," Eddie replied. He explained the little details that we didn't have; he and Jason both watched Patrick get Vecna'd in the middle of Lover's Lake, and Jason was convinced that the Hellfire Club was a satanic cult. He also told us that his watch broke after he fell off the boat and was forced to swim, which was right after Patrick died. The time on the watch was 9:27; the same time that our flashlights blew up in Victor Creel's house.

Suddenly, a loud noise broke our relatively quiet discussion.

"BOOM!" Dustin yelled at the top of his lungs, causing his voice to echo throughout the woods.