Joe Keery Imagines

Double Trouble!

I'd just finished an exhausting shift at the bright and shiny new movie theatre that Starcourt Mall was so proud to boast it had. (Have to admit, it is a lot nicer than the old cinema in Hawkins!) My legs were tired, I smelt like popcorn, my feet were sore, and I just wanted to go home, but I had to collect a couple of people before I could.

I walked through the foyer in search of the two troublemakers I was looking for, the carpet silencing my sneakers as I headed towards the small gaming section. It was here where I found who I was looking for - Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson - the two most important guys in my life! Both were deeply involved in playing their games on the pinball machines that they wouldn't have noticed if anyone was around them, and it seemed the only words being exchanged were the odd curse word when one of them didn't quite hit their shot. I stood a slight distance from them, just watching them while somehow managing to hold in my laughter, before I quietly snuck up between them.

'RA!" I said as I grabbed at their backs with my hands in a claw shape

'WHAT THE FUCK!' Steve yelled in a loud whisper as Dustin let out a small scream, causing anyone who was nearby to turn and look in our direction. I let out a small chuckle at the two boys, happy that my plan to scare them worked.

'Hi guys, how's it going?' A sweet smile spreading across my face as I watched the two of them both clutch at their chests as their heartrates dropped back down to normal.

"God dammit Y/N, what the hell?' Steve said as he leaned his hands against the sides of the pinball machine, the game long forgotten.

'Yeah, Y/N, what the hell?' Dustin echoed, glaring at me, arms crossed

'Sorry guys, I had to do it, you were both so deeply engrossed in your games and after my long and exhausting shift, I needed a laugh! Your reactions were totally worth it!'

Both of them looked like they were pouting at me, not happy with my little prank. I wrapped one arm around Steve, stretching up on my toes, looking up at him with my lip pursed hoping for a kiss, he looked at me with a raised eyebrow before sighing and lowering his head to meet his lips with mine. I then turned to Dustin and squished his cheeks together with my other hand.

'You big babies!' I said, continuing to squish Dustin's face

'Get off me!' Dustin said, swatting my arm away, before rubbing his face.

'You boys ready to go home?' I asked, while trying to stifle a yawn, noticing that both games had ended when I snuck up on them

'Yeah, let's go.' Steve said, sounding a bit dejected as he'd been on a roll with his game when I scared them

Dustin nodded his agreeance during his turn at trying to stifle a yawn.

'C'mon then Hendersons, let's motor!' Steve said as he softly linked his hand with mine, then using his other hand to ruffle Dustin's cap and hair, who was a few feet in front of us, as we headed to the carpark and our ride home that was Steve's BMW.

I made myself comfortable on the front passenger seat, with my back resting up against the door, as I watched Steve and Dustin dissect - well, it was more like argue about - the movie they had seen. My attention would go from watching Steve, who was stating his opinions to Dustin via the rearview mirror, then to Dustin who was basically talking to the back of Steve's head. My little brother would glance over at me, hoping I'd back him up, given I work at the cinema and may have seen the movie. As the film as of no interest to me, I wasn't the one who had set it up in the projector room, so as a result, hadn't seen any of it. Dustin slumped back in the seat when he realised I'd be of no help to him.

With mom away visiting her sister, Steve stepped into babysitter mode and hit the kitchen to get dinner prepared while I went and had a shower, I really needed to wash the smells of popcorn and it's flavouring off me and feel somewhat human again - until my next shift, anyway.

I was in my own little world as I went about my usual routine after my shower - skin routine for my face, treatment for my hair and pyjamas on - which meant I didn't take notice of what the boys were doing - which in hindsight, I wish I had!

I wandered down the hall to our open plan lounge and kitchen and noticed it was dark. It seemed strange as Steve was supposed to be preparing dinner and looking back down the hall, couldn't see a light under Dustin's bedroom door, which meant he wasn't in there. I found the light switch on the wall and flicked it on.

'ARRRRRRRRRRRRR' Steve and Dustin yelled at me, both wearing two of Dustin's stupid Halloween masks, both scaring the life out of me as I am not a fan of anything scary or horror etc - something both of them know.

I screamed like all the girls in those stupid horror movies the two of them and the rest of the party like to watch. I screwed eyes shut and put my hands over my ears as I continued to scream, facing the wall so I didn't have to look at the masks. As the volume of screams got quieter, my breathing intensified as I started hyperventilating, with tears now streaming down my cheeks from eyes still closed shut tight. I jumped as I felt two hands touch my upper arms.

'Hey, hey, hey.' Steve said in a soothing voice, 'It's okay, we were only joking, we thought it'd be funny to get you back.' He made me turn towards them. I moved my hands from covering my ears to covering my eyes, I was too scared to open them in case they still had the masks on.

I felt Steve pull the hands off my face 'It's okay babe, we've taken the masks off, you can open your eyes.' I slowly opened my eyes to see the concerned look on both Steve and Dustin's faces, both realising that their joke didn't quite work as planned.

'Oh honey, come here.' Steve said as he took one look at my tear stained face and pulled me into his arms. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist as I tried not to sniffle too much as the tears finally stopped. 'Sorry Y/N, we didn't mean to upset you, hope you can forgive us.' Steve then squeezed me tighter and rested his chin on top of my head. I felt another pair of arms wrap around me as Dustin joined in for a group hug.

'Yeah, sorry sis.'

'Are you okay now?' Steve asked as he pulled away, grabbing my face in his hands, as he made me look up at him, his thumbs wiping the last of the tears on my cheeks away. I nodded as I used the sleeves of my pyjama top to wipe my face.

'Can we eat now?' I asked, my voice hoarse from the screaming.

'We sure can!' Steve beamed, giving me a quick kiss on the lips before heading into the kitchen to serve up. Dustin briefly screwed up his nose at the sight of his sister and his best friend being lovey-dovey.

The three of us sat on the couch and ate dinner while watching some stupid sitcoms, which I was grateful for as they took my mind off the scare. Bedtime came once I'd started yawning more and more, and struggled to keep my eyes open. I made Steve stay over as I needed him to cuddle with me so I could feel safe in case I had flashes of those stupid masks in my sleep. Steve was more than happy to oblige, his parents weren't home either (no surprises there) so any excuse for him not to be home alone, he'd take it.

'Sorry again for giving you a fright earlier, we really didn't expect you to react that way, we won't do it again.' Steve said as we got into bed and into our usual comfortable sleeping position, cuddled up to each other.

'It wasn't funny Steve, I was so scared, you know I don't like scary things like that.' I mumbled into his chest, as I let sleep overtake me. Steve wrapped his arms around me just that bit tighter before kissing the top of my head and drifting off to sleep. From the faint snores drifting out from Dustin's room, he'd fallen asleep too.

Thankfully I was too tired to relive the scare and was able to get a decent sleep, being wrapped up in Steve helped too.