Steve Harrington OneShots

Babysitters' Fight Club (Pt. 3)

Steve Harrington x Reader (she/her)

Warnings: similar themes/plot to s2, elements of fear
WC: 2k
Note: follows general plot of s2 but I've taken creative liberties to add/alter scenes

Originally posted at https://thisismynerdyself.tumblr.com/post/689249420449038336/babysitters-fight-club-pt-3

*****
It was dark, it was unlike anything they had seen before. Dropping into the hole in the middle of the field - as the kids were so adamant about doing - felt odd enough on its own. But landing in a tunnel under the town that was connected to a parallel dimension where the intention was to purposefully draw man-eating demon dogs to their location as a distraction for El and Hopper to close the gate to the other dimension... *deep inhale* now that was unlike anything they could even imagine. Yet here they were.
Y/N dropped down last after the rest had safely landed, and was surprised to find eager hands waiting to help her find her footing at the bottom.
As Steve held her arms, she could feel the grip tightening as the reality of their situation set it. The way his eyes connected to hers even through the goggles and masks they wore said enough to communicate the urgency and scale of the day.
But with no fanfare he quickly turned to the others, "I'm leading, but stay close. I can't let anything happen to you shits today." Steve sutured his bag on his back and stalked off down the shady corridor. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the tunnel swirled with vines, each person stepping carefully as the group paraded down the path - first Steve, followed by Max, Lucas, Mike, Dustin, and Y/N bringing up the rear.
The crew looked quite a scene donning mismatched goggles, bandanas, hats and hoods, anything that might protect them from breathing the air of the Upside Down. Each one carried a flashlight and was prepared for anything at any moment. Physically, of course. Mentally, their nerves were scattered and breathing was inconsistent.
Y/N crept along in the back, keeping a watchful eye for trouble, nearly jumping at every sudden noise. The journey to the hub, the central place where all of the tunnels met, began largely uneventful, though terribly slow and nerve-wracking. However, with the luck this crowd had over the last year, it was no surprise that things went sideways.
While Dustin was walking along, he stepped absentmindedly into a depression in the ground that consumed his foot and sent him sprawling to his hands and knees. The vines slowly, as if preoccupied but still aware, stretched and pulled over the lower portion of his leg. He cried out for help and you surged forward to come to his aid. "Y/N, help! It's got me!" Dustin shouted, waving his arms in the air.
"Dustin, calm down. I'm right here." He was hyperventilating already and knew it would only get worse. "Stop moving!" She shrieked when he wouldn't listen. He froze and stared up at Y/N, panic behind his eyes.
The sudden commotion had not only caught her attention but the others as well who gathered behind her. "Everyone back up, give them space." Steve instructed, pulling at their shoulders to widen the circle. Then he moved closer to Y/N.
Still trying to keep him at ease, Y/N reached out and gripped his shoulders. "It's not moving much, try to slowly pull your leg out. If these things are extensions of the mind flayer then it could just be like a- a reflex." She tried to keep her voice even and without hint of the tendril of fear which had slipped in.
Dustin nodded aggressively and, with Y/N and Steve each grasping onto one of his arms, they pulled Dustin forward and let him slowly unentangle his leg from the vines. It was slow and arduous, not wishing to disturb the hive mind any more than they already planned. But with enough wriggling, Dustin's foot came free and he laid sprawled on the ground, breathing in deeply and relishing in freedom. Steve helped Y/N to her feet after she had toppled backward from the momentum. The other kids stood by, mouths agape behind their face coverings. Y/N stood with her shoulder touching Steve's. Personal space no longer a concern as they both took a few deep breaths of their own to calm their racing hearts.
After a few moments, Steve rested his hand at the small of Y/N's back, inching her forward so he could move out into the middle of the corridor. "We need to keep moving. Henderson, you good?" He held his hand to the boy still strewn across the path.
Dustin nodded, taking the offer of help, and regained his strength to stand. "Yeah I'm good, I'm good." He dusted himself off and the journey began once more.
Once at their destination, each member of the party began their task of drenching the tunnel, walls, floor and all, in lighter fluid. The Mind Flayer hated heat, so they would burn the place to bring the little demon warriors back to defend their hive. It wasn't a foolproof plan but it was something.
Steve took a moment to find Y/N and pull her aside while the others were busy. His hand rested on her upper arm, she could feel the almost desperate hold he had. "Maybe you should take them all back before I light it. It'll go fast and we don't know how long before the- things can get here." He looked around as if maybe some were already lurking.
Y/N shook her head defiantly. "Steve, there is no way in hell I'm leaving you here alone. Think about it, if an army of demons comes charging at you, you alone can't fight them all off. You'd need me- us. You would need us." She caught her own words too late but hoped he didn't think too far into it.
Steve couldn't deny that he would prefer not to be left alone, but it was their job to keep the kids safe. And this wasn't safe. As if reading his mind, Y/N continued, "nothing about this is safe. But I think leaving anybody alone would be asking for disaster. And at the very least, I'd like to avoid a disaster." Without thinking, she took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. "If you want to light the match, so be it. But we won't be far away, at least I won't be. No man left behind."
Steve smiled at this sentiment. He squeezed her hand back, then they dropped their hands and looked around - seems the others hadn't taken any interest in their sidebar conversation.
As soon as the fire was ignited and the flames licked higher into the surrounding area, the pounding of hundreds of feet - paws? - echoed through the tunnels and howls of pain ricocheted around them. Eyes darted side to side, evaluating, planning.
Y/N threw her arms out frantically, "what are we waiting for?! Get out of here!" She motioned back the way they had come and one by one they took off back toward their exit. The growling was growing increasingly louder, raising the hair on the back of their necks, making legs move just a little faster than they normally would. Adrenaline fueled every movement.
Turning one corner, Mike tripped and fell, Y/N stopped to help him up and practically shoved him forward, no time to waste.
Finally, they were nearing the final stretch. Adrenaline was pumping, everyone was eager to get out. But then Y/N nearly slammed into Dustin again as he abruptly stopped. She shouted for the others and they paused to look back. Dustin had turned and stared directly into the face of one of the dema-dogs. He looked at it - almost familiarly - and called it by name.
"What the-"
"Shhh"
Once again, confusion overwhelmed Y/N but she remained quiet as Dustin had an oddly charming farewell with his pet-turned-demon. She knew she would never fully understand the brain inside that boy, but then again who could? Then it was back to the race for the exit.
There was nothing but a thin rope descended into the blackness below, which meant only a thin rope to use to climb back out.
As if working with the same mind, Steve and Y/N linked hands and hoisted each of their younger charges up through the hole and into the open field of presumed safety. Dustin was the final one lifted out, and just as his leg had slipped up and out, leaving the two babysitters behind, they heard the unmistakable approach of determined and likely hungry dema-dogs rounding the corner.
Steve linked his hands, a signal for Y/N to step up, "go, get out of here, I'm right behind you." She didn't want to listen, but she wanted even less to take up more time arguing. So she obeyed, placed her right foot in his threaded fingers, and jumped, hands just grasping the edge of the hole when a shadow of movement caught her attention. Steve froze, Y/N froze. Despite the pairs of hands grabbing at her to help her grip, Y/N's hands slipped and she fell. Luckily, Steve caught her just in time, easing her to the ground right as the first of the other-dimensional creatures tumbled through the tunnel toward them.
Y/N squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Steve, whose arms were still wrapped tightly around her from when he lowered her to the ground. His fingers dug into her back from the tight grip of his left arm around her. His right arm formed a brace against the wall. Her face pressed so deeply into his shoulder she could hardly breathe.
Fear rippled through the two as their lives flashed before them. Then as quickly as they had come, the creatures ran right by them and further down the corridor, leaving Steve and Y/N alone and still clutching tightly to one another as if their lives had depended on it - and that's just what it felt like.
Into the dead silence following the departure of the creature, Steve whispered, "they're- they're gone. It's okay, they're gone." But he sounded as though he were still trying to convince himself of this.
Y/N raised her head, looking around. She realized that she had stumbled backward and her back was pressed against the wall. Steve's arm was still braced against the wall behind her, his body impossibly close.
But he was right. They were gone. She still held tightly to Steve's torso, her hands looping up to his shoulders. They were her foundation to reality in that moment. She should have been eaten. Demolished. But instead, she was alive and so was Steve.
Steve.
He looked at Y/N with an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time. He reached up and brushed a slimy sliver of vine from her forehead. "We did it. We made it."
Y/N swallowed, her mouth utterly dry. She nodded her agreement, unable to summon words.
They were inches away, still holding tight to each other. She felt the pull, the desire to lean in further, to just-
"Hey! What happened down there? Where did they go?"
They leaned their heads back, glaring up into the night sky - their night sky in Hawkins that they would never take for granted again. "We're coming up, we're okay!" Steve responded, eyes rolling back. Relief in the truth of those words, but despair at the moment that was there and ripped away so quickly. "We should get up there, ya know, check on them."
"Yeah, probably should." Y/N replied, never before wishing for any other job but babysitter.
As before, Steve threaded his fingers together and boosted Y/N up and through the gaping hole. The kids hurried to help her ease over the edge, then they turned their attention to Steve as he rope-climbed his way to the top.
Within a few minutes, all six of them stood by Billy's car, preparing themselves to go and find out if their plan had worked. To possibly get chewed out for leaving the confines of the house they were ordered to remain in.
But for Steve and Y/N, there was no doubt that something had worked out in their favor.
***