Better babysitter // Steve Harrington x Reader //

the mind flayer

"You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked Dustin as we were walking on the railroad tracks, trying to find the creatures.

"Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt." Dustin replied.

"Wait, how did you manage to notice that?" I asked.

"A mother always recognizes her child," Dustin answered my question.

"Oh," I say as I focused on my walking.

"He was tiny two days ago," Max argued.

"Well, he's molted three times already." Said Dustin.

"Malted?" Steve asked.

"Molted," I answered. "It basically means to shed old feathers, hair, or in this case skin to make way for a new growth," I explained and Steve nodded in understanding.

"When's he gonna molt again?" Max questioned.

"It's gotta be soon," Dustin said. "When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends."

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats," Steve said.

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas asked as he stopped Dustin. "Dart ate a cat?"

"No, what, no." Dustin denied, slowly backing away from Lucas.

"What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Steve confirmed and I punched his shoulder to shut him up. Steve held his shoulder as he looked at me. "What?"

"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked looking at him.

"It's Dustin's cat." He answered.

"Steve!" Dustin and I yelled at the same time.

"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas shouted as he pushed Dustin's shoulder.

"No!" Dustin exclaimed." No. No, I...no, I...he missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas yelled.

"Hey, language," I said looking at Lucas who ignored me.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin defended.

The kids continued their argument as I noticed Steve staring off into the distance. "You okay?" I asked him while walking closer to him.

Steve shushed me before looking at the distance again. "You hear that?" He asked and I listened carefully to what he was referring to. In the distance, I could the creatures screeching.

"Hey, guys?" I said to the kids who didn't seem to notice me calling for them.

"Guys!" Steve shouted making others turn around. As he yelled that the screeching got louder. Our heads turned to where the sound was coming from and Steve started to run towards it, the kids following behind him.

"No, no, no. Hey, guys why are you headed towards the sound?" Max said as she stayed in the same spot, not wanting to follow the sound.

"Come on, Max," I said as I turned to look at her. Max didn't say anything as she started walking toward me. I grabbed her hand and we ran to the others.

We caught up to others when they suddenly stopped on top of the hill that looked over at Hawkins.

"I don't see him," Dustin said, looking down at Hawkins.

"Lucas give me your binoculars," I said to Lucas who handed them to me. I took them before looking through them, trying to find the creatures that were making the noise. My eyes went straight to the lab. "There," I said as I pointed towards it. "The lab. They were going home."