creds to: tvoyasashi on X for the cover art! Jane Hopper and Max Mayfield have been inseparable since seventh grade. Best friends. Partners in crime. The kind of friendship where you show up unannounced, steal each other's hoodies, and know exactly what the other person is thinking with just one look. They've grown up together.But sometimes... growing up makes things complicated. Now eighteen, they spend most of their days working across town. Max slinging ice cream at Scoops Ahoy with Mike Wheeler, and Jane making pizzas at Surfer Boy alongside her twin brother, Will. Late-night drives. Break room conversations. Pizza deliveries that turn into long hangouts. Sleepovers that last until sunrise. The lines between friendship and something more start to blur.Max has known something about herself for a long time now. She's a lesbian. The problem? No one else knows. And the bigger problem? She's had a crush on Jane for years. Jane, sweet and curious and completely unaware of the way Max's heart speeds up every time she smiles. As Max struggles to keep her feelings hidden, the group's dynamics only get messier. Mike keeps trying (and failing) to flirt with Max, while Will quietly navigates his own feelings for Mike. Through awkward moments, teasing banter, late-night movies, and heart-shaped pizzas made just for one person, friendships begin to shift into something deeper. Because sometimes your best friend is also the person you can't stop thinking about. And sometimes... the scariest thing in the world is realizing that the person you love has been right beside you the entire time. This story includes: • Best friends to lovers • Fluff • Light angst • Found family • Possibly some smut • Lots of pining Full AU: • Jane has no powers • The Upside Down doesn't exist • Jane was never called Eleven Main ships: • ElMax (Jane x Max) • Byler (Will x Mike) • Ronance(Robin x Nancy) Takes place in present year time

Jane and Max have been inseparable since seventh grade best friends, partners-in-crime, and roommates at NYU. They know each other better than anyone else ever could. But sometimes, knowing someone too well makes it impossible to ignore the little things the accidental touches, the lingering glances, the way your heart skips a beat when they laugh. As they navigate college life in New York City, from late-night dorm talks to crowded subway rides, their friendship is tested in ways neither of them expected. Max's impulsive charm clashes with Jane's quiet thoughtfulness, and every flirty joke or playful tease leaves them both wondering... could there be something more between them? This includes: fluff smut heated makeout sessions spice slight angst This is a full AU: -Jane has no powers -The bad men don't exist -The Upside Down doesn't exist -Jane was never called El -Jane is hopper and Joyce's bio child ALSO THIS IS NOT MY ART ON THE COVER creds to: tvoyasashi on X for the cover art!