talk too much | max mayfield

*45. it all works out i promise

IT ALL WORKS OUT I PROMISE

✧･ﾟ: * After an intense mind fight between Vecna and El, an hour and 40 minute long plane ride back to Indiana, and a 30 minute long hug between Nora and Steve (not that she was counting or anything), Nora and Max find themselves packaging first aid kits for the people walking around the gymnasium of Hawkins High School, helping out those who were victimized by Vecna - or Henry? They might be calling One now, actually. . .

Anyway, Lucas and Dustin filled the rest of them in on how Vecna's whole plan involved possessing people in Hawkins with past trauma, killing them brutally, then opening a supergate all through Hawkins to take over the world.

There were four victims - Chrissy, a senior cheerleader, Patrick, a basketball player on Lucas' team, Fred, one of Nancy's friends and coworker on the school paper, and Avery, a girl in Nora's history class who no one really knew very well, but it still sucked to see how it all played out.

So now a most of them are here at the school. Steve and Lucas working on folding laundry, Robin is working with Vickie on making pb&j sandwiches, Dustin is handing out things like clothes and water bottles to the people here, and Max and Nora are putting bandaids and whatnot in little boxes.

Mike, El, Will, Jonathan, and Nancy are out at Hopper's old cabin that's been boarded up and overgrown with vines since, working out an area for El to stay safely while she's still on the run from the government.

"I love you."

Nora's brain short circuits for a second.

She turns to look at where Max is taking the plastic off a roll of gauze to put it in her box. The redhead stops what she's doing to make eye contact with Nora.

"I love you," Max says again.

"Oh my God," Nora's still staring, not a single thought in her mind right now. "Wait, no."

"No?" Max looks taken aback, understandably so. "I mean, I get it if you don't wanna say it ba-"

"No!" Nora says again, not understanding why real words couldn't come out of her mouth. "No, I mean. I mean, um. Oh my God, no. No, I wanted to say it first," she then explains. "I was planning it out and stuff. I was gonna say it first."

"Oh. . . okay," Max pretends she understands. "Um, sorry? I take it back, then. Forget I even said anything."

"Wait, well, no. . . I-" Nora trips over her words. "Oh my God-" she shakes her head. "Start over. Hi."

"Hi. . .?" Max is far too amused with the interaction.

"I love you too."

"A bit fast for our first meeting, don't you think?"

"Oh my God, shut up," Nora knows she can't kiss Max right now, she settles for taking half a step closer to her, so their arms brush every time either of them move and they smile at each other and Nora's brain can explode every time Max makes eye contact with her.

"I'm sorry," Max then says.

"For what?" Nora doesn't look up from the antiseptic wipes she's separating.

"Like, everything. I don't know. I know I've been weird lately and we've had that awkward on and off thing and I'm just really sorry for all of it. Really."

"It's okay, Max," Nora hopes Max isn't setting up for another breakup, but they just "I love you" to each other. That means something, right?

"No, no it's not okay. But I'm working on it. I promise. You deserve the world, Nor, and I swear I'm working on getting it to you."

Nora smiles at Max, but then goes back to her wet wipes. "You're so cringey, babe."

"You totally just ruined the moment."

"I know, I saw an opportunity I had to take it."

"You're the worst. I'm never getting behind this 'babe' thing."

"You started it, babe!"

"It was a fluke!"

"Okay, babe."

"Fuck you."

"Love you too, babe."

"Stop!"

"B-"

"Don't even finish that sentence."

"I wasn't-"

"No."

a/n:
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also so I was planning on making this like not canon to this story at all but does it all work out?? could nora and max actually have a happy ending 🫣 idk I might follow this plot line for s5 we'll see 🤗