We're not kids anymore - Lumax Oneshots

In my arms (where you belong)

Between Season 4 episodes 4 and 5. Plot divergence. Really really really not proofread.

"I thought we lost you"

"I'm still here"

He kept her in his arms, close to him, for as long as he possibly could. She was breathing heavily, running a hand up his arm to ensure he wouldn't leave. He continued to repeat the same few phrases in her ear. "I'm right here." "I'm not going anywhere." "you're okay."

Her breathing began to slow and her eyes became droopy, clearly tired. "We should get going, she looks tired." Steve commented, reaching for Max to lift her up. Lucas instinctively smacked Steve's hand away. "Hey! What was that for?" He whispered. Lucas gave him a stern look.
"I'll take her." He said, tucking his arm under her legs and his other cradling her neck and shoulders. He lifted her and carried her back to Steve's car. Dustin opted to sit in the front with Steve while Lucas sat on the backseat to the right, Max's head in his lap and the rest of her body sprawled across the other two seats. 

Lucas kept his hand under her head as the car hit a bump in the road, protecting her from hitting her head. She was in and out of consciousness the whole ride back to the Wheelers' house. Halfway through the journey she was out cold and Lucas began to get worried as her breathing sounded shallow, like it did when she was in the trance. He gave it a few minutes to see if it would stop but when it didn't he shook her gently.

"Hey, Max? Max you okay?" He asked, panicking. She woke up immediately, rubbing her eyes.
"What...are we," she took a deep breath and yawned. "Are we there yet?" She questioned. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Not yet, sorry Madmax. You were breathing funny and I got worried," he admitted shamefully.  She just smiled.
"Hm, it's okay," she said, slightly slurring her speech due to how tired she was.
"Go back to sleep I'll carry you in when we're back." He comforted her, rubbing her arm. She turned toward him this time, reaching her hands up to his shoulders.

He dragged her body up into a sitting position in his lap, she was facing the window on the opposite side and lay her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. She breathed in, taking in her surroundings. He smelled like his house, which made sense to her. She loved the smell of his house, it felt much more comforting and cozy than her old house or the trailer. She could smell the deodorant he always wore too. He smelt...familiar. She felt grounded sitting like this, she felt safe. So she let herself drift off to sleep again.

The Wheeler Residence

She woke up to the sound of her loop finishing on her Walkman. She soon realised she was in the Wheeler's basement, laying on the couch with a blanket over her. Her legs were on top of Lucas's lap, he had fallen asleep with his head in his hand, his arm rested on the edge of the couch. She reached out to try and grabs his hand but it was too far away, resting on her leg. So she kicked his arm out from under his head gently and he woke up, startled.

She giggled slightly before apologising, "I'm sorry, I was alone and I got scared," she confessed, wary. She was suddenly aware that everyone else was sleeping around them.
"Ugh, it was supposed to be Robin's turn to watch you." He grumbled, reaching over to pull her into his lap, wrapping the blanket around them both tightly. They were sitting in almost the exact position they were in the car except on the opposite end of the couch. "Max?"
"Yeah?" She replied, looking up at him sleepily. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"I care about you...so much. Please remember that." He stated, kissing her temple but keeping his grip on her hand.

She beamed at him, her eyes half closed. She could have been dreaming. She probably was dreaming.
He cared about her. He really cared about her. It used to scare her, the idea of being loved or cared for by someone. But with him it wasn't so scary. He made her feel at home, warm, safe. There's no one on earth better than him. She's sure of it.

"I care about you too, Lucas." She admitted, kissing his cheek. He leaned closer to her, looking down at her lips.
"Max I..." he started, she shushed him and placed a hand on each side of his face, bringing him down to kiss her. The kiss was long and he felt her slowly melt into him, pulling him even closer. He didn't even know that was possible.

She pulled away from the kiss to yawn, covering her mouth. His expression shifted sarcastically.
"Wow." He stated, watching her expression turn confused. "Are you saying kissing me is boring?" He asked in a fake offended tone. She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder lightly, nestling into his chest again.
"It was Billy." She stated simply, Lucas looking down at her. "He showed me Billy. Vecna I mean.."

He could tell she was getting upset by the tone of her voice, he rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her.
"Shh...it's okay, we don't have to talk about it yet, okay?" He asked, watching as she nodded into his chest. She silently wiped some stray tears she had let fall. "Unless you want to?" He said, straightening up a little. She shook her head, looking up at him. She burrowed her face into his neck, "It was anything but boring by the way." She mumbled against him, her eyes closing slowly. He looked down at her in confusion. "The kiss." She clarified. He smiled and watched her lovingly as she fell asleep again.

He felt horrible for her, he can't even imagine what Vecna could have made Billy say to her. He couldn't even think about it. He held her tight and rested his head against hers. He watched her sleep, knowing her looked like a stalker but, hey, at least it was warranted. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her, especially while he was supposed to be caring for her. Well, technically Robin was meant to be caring for her but he much preferred watching her himself.

He kissed her forehead a few times before noticing Nancy woken up, "get some sleep." She stated, smiling at them. "I'll watch her." He heard the tape finish rewinding and pressed play at a lower volume.
"Thanks, Nancy." He smiled, beginning to doze off. He felt comfortable sleeping knowing that she was okay and felt safe in his arms. They fell asleep together with a blanket around them and the faint sound of Kate Bush's voice playing through Max's headphones.