In the Name of Love | lumax AU-stranger things

~His Doorstep~

TW: sexual/physical abuse and swearing+some violence
***

Max stumbled off the bus in front of her home later that afternoon, her mom was watching the television, and her stepdad was still out at work.  The teen ran up to her room and flopped down on her bed.  After brushing her hair out of her face she turned her head to her pillow, closed her eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

***
In the unconscious mind of Max Mayfield a nightmare deliberately entered her dream space. 

Max was standing in the void.  She had no idea that was what this place was referred to.  Only Hawkins test subjects 001-011 were familiar with this term although Eleven had used it in Max's presence. 

The girl walked forward, she noticed the soles of her feet were submerged in pitch black water, and her socks were gone.  As max walked forward a bed became visible in the distance.  It was her bed.  A twelve year old Max sat on it in her pajamas which were only a t-shirt and her underpants.  In front of the bed was a muscular caucasian teenager standing in front of Max's eyes.

"I saw you hanging out with that black kid at school today," Billy said sharply.  He exhaled deeply while Max did the opposite.

"Billy please don't hurt him—please," Max whined.

The older Max walked faster to her past self's bed too carefully observe the clear but traumatic memory.

"Oh Max, you know there is a way to leave this behind us, right?" Billy chuckled.

Max slightly whimpered, pulling her knees closer to her.

Billy smirked at the little girl as he approached her.  He cupped her small pale face in his left hand, the other unzipping the center of his pants.  Tears began to form in Max's eyes. 

"No!  No!  Billy!  No!" Both present Max and past Max shouted, backing up. 

As soon as the memory happened, it disappeared like sand flying through the air.  The present Max began to break down into tears, falling to the floor on her knees.  Her hands covered her damp face, and the dark water that filled the void started swirling up from the ground, forming a whirlpool around the girl.

Max stood up, trying to escape what she had gotten herself into.  She screamed as if she was six feet under ground.  Her mouth moved with no purpose, no sound waves could defeat the ones she was being surrounded by.  Only water waves.

Max closed her eyes, and soon the girl was awake in a cold sweat, panting as if she had just biked eight miles.
***

"You stupid bitch!"

Max quickly arose from her bed and ran downstairs.

The scene was clearly set: Neil had just arrived home from a trip to the bar after work and Max's mom was in the clear window of unreasonable yelling and other physically disturbing actions that Max couldn't bare to see form the top of the stairs. She watched in fear as Neil charged at his wife, a punch hitting her face with no escape. A blue and purple mark was left on Mrs. Hargove's face as blood slowly started pouring out of hit. The woman shrieked as she placed a finger over the mark. Neil took a pause from his attack at Susan when he noticed his stepdaughter standing above him. Max bit her lip in fear, the girl was shivering and her knees in a tremor. Neil lifted a vase from the table next to him. He raised it, preparing to throw it at the girl.

"Neil, don't!" Max's mom screamed. The case released from Neil's hand, soaring through the air. "MAX LEAVE!"

The vase shattered into a million pieces over the staircase, not one of the sharp edges hitting Max as she had already dashed away. She ran back to her room, locked the door behind her and ran to her closet.

Meanwhile down stairs, Neil had enough of his wife and was ready to take on the teenager who had fought other worldly monsters. He raced up the stairs and started ramming his shoulder into Max's bedroom door. "Maxine open up."

On the other side of the room Max was tying together her clothes. Once she had a long enough string of cloth she tied one end of her creation to one of the legs of her bed, and threw the other end to the floor. She quickly turned the knobs of one of her windows and opened it. She grabbed the clothes on the floor, and gently tossed it out the window.

"YOU BITCH OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

Neil was making progress with trying to break into Max's room. Although drunk, he was still a fit guy, and cracks were starting to form in the door that had already been shut a hundred times.

Max didn't bother looking at the door, and instead grabbed onto the rope and slid down the brick wall of her house. Her feet skidded there way down to the grass. When Max was close enough to the ground to not get hurt, she let go and landed on her feet. Still shaking, the bitterness of the night dug into Max's skin. The teenager knew she only had one place to go.

***

Max spent at least half an hour walking around the dark town before arriving on Lucas's street.  Nearly an icicle, Max walked up to the doorstep of the Sinclair household.  She hesitated on knocking at the door, remembering that Lucas's little sister, Erica was a light sleeper, and ten years old.

Max made the decision of walking around to the back of the Sinclair's home, and began to chuck a few pebbles at Lucas's window. 

***

Inside the Sinclair home, Sue Sinclair and her husband, Charles were sitting on their couch in the living room.  Erica was asleep, and Lucas was looking at a sports magazine.  He had been sitting at his desk in the exact same position for a while, so he groaned as he got up when he'd heard the rocks hitting his window. 

Lucas pushed up his window and peeked through to see the girl who had just broken up with him for the seventh time in two years.  Although a little angered at her sudden behavior, Lucas had a special place in his heart for Max, and waved his hand, signaling her to go to the front door.  The boy closed his window and ran down to the front door whilst trying not to awake his sister.  Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair noticed their son running towards the front door, and with the worried expression on his face, they didn't bother telling him to stop. 

Lucas opened the door and there she was.  Standing on the front porch.  Her freckles and red hair lit up the night, serving as a lantern for Lucas to look to.  Max sheepishly waved at the boy.  She flicked a tear away from her cheek before he scooped her up in his arms, she began to sob.  Using his shoulder as a tissue, the two teenagers rekindled their relationship while standing outside, on the Sinclair's doorstep.  Max's safe haven.  His doorstep.