Dustin Henderson - Blog Posts
Ok @chocoarts , I'm ready to go on a ramble! Thanks so much for answering my request! I hope my ramble does your art justice!
So! Steve and Robin are destined to work together, no matter how they meet or what they do. I know that most folks on the internet think that Robin wouldn't be great with little kids, while Steve would be the master. However! I personally like the idea that they're /both/ great with kids! I'm not usually one for no-Upside-down aus, but I can't really think of another way that this would work, so.
I'll bet that Steve and Robin met while volunteering at the Hawkins Daycare center. They bond over a love of kids and hatred for the people in charge. Y'see, Hawkins kinda reminds me of the area I grew up in a little bit, and something that's happened, both in my community and the town where my mom works, is that daycares and pre-schools start out as genuine nonprofits, existing for the sake of the community. But over time, they become super exclusive, expensive, and mildly corrupt. I imagine that if Hawkins had a daycare center, that's what would happen.
*oh, by the way, I have nothing against day care centers or all you folks who run them in a general sense. I know how difficult it is to take care of little kids to an extent, and I respect you all for what you do. It's just the ones in my community that I know of that are like that.*
Anyway...
So Steve and Robin see this and decide, hey, Steve's parents may be assholes, but they haven't cut him off yet, so why don't they use that money to open their own daycare center? They would call it Bat-man and Robin's Junior Bat-cave, because Steve plays baseball in this au. Also because of this meme:
By the way, they decided to add hyphens to the DC related parts of the name to escape a potential lawsuit. That's my logic, and I'm sticking to it. Cool? Cool.
So Steve and Robin open their daycare, and they keep their fees as inexpensive as they possibly can without it being detrimental to the business. One of their first customers is a single mom by the name of Claudia Henderson.
It takes a minute for Dustin to warm up to Steve and Robin, because even as a 3-year-old, people give him a hard time about his disease, cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), which he worked really hard to learn how to pronounce.
Steve and Robin don't treat him any differently. The only acknowledgement they make of his CCD is when they have to follow his daily medical needs, which I assume exist, but I have no idea what they'd be. When this sinks in, he warms right up to them. His favorite thing to do is play spies with the toy walkie-talkie set that Steve got especially for him. He gets bad dreams sometimes about his dad leaving, but Steve is always right there when he wakes up with a sci-fi picture book or Star Wars stuffies to help him feel better.
The next kid to show up is Max Mayfield. She's a sassy little thing. And in this au, N*il dies in a car crash or something, and Billy's mom gets custody of Billy, because he deserves good things, dammit, but Susan doesn't have the money to move her and Max back to Cali. The Junior Batcave is affordable for her. It takes Max a hot second to warm up to Steve, because of N*il, but Robin helps her feel safe, and Steve never pushes her boundaries. That is what gets her to warm up to him. Max likes playing spies with Dustin, but her favorite thing to do is use cardboard as ramps and play with those tiny skateboard toys.
Jane Eleanor "El" Hopper shows up after Hopper adopts her and gets her out of the foster system. She's pretty quiet and timid, but she's got good judgement for a 3-year-old. She warms up to Steve and Robin pretty quick. She calls them Auntie Robin and Mom-Steve. She likes any kind of game, as long as she's with her best friend Max. But her favorite thing to do at daycare is play with Steve's hair. One day, she brings all sorts of clips and ribbons from home. El gets a little sad, because Robin gently tells her, "if it touches your hair, you don't share." Steve immediately goes out to the store to get some new hair supplies, and then El just goes ham on his hair. When she's done, she says that "Mom-Steve is the prettiest ever!" Hearts melt, and there are tears.
When Will shows up, his family is fresh out of a divorce, so he's really quiet and sensitive. He knows that he's welcome to play with Dustin, Max, and El, but he's just too shy. Luckily for him, Mike starts attending at around the same time. They bond over Star Wars with Dustin. And Will just has the best ideas for games if make-believe! When Will leads, Max and El get to be the knights, and Mike is the one who needs saving. Will gets attached to Steve and Robin when they agree to play the dragon and the queen respectively, and help him practice reading when he's not up to playing. Eventually, Will spends so much time reading with Steve that Mike gets jealous, which I think would explain the ankle-biter moment in chocoarts's picture.
Mike is a bit of a jealous kiddo, because baby Holly gets all of Mom and Nancy's attention, and Dad isn't home too often cause of work. That's why, if any of his friends start spending more time with Steve than him, his ankle-biting tendencies surface. Oh, Will would rather read a story with Steve than play knights and castles with Mike? CHOMP! Even so, Steve and Robin both give Mike plenty of attention, so he warms up to them. He copies El, calling Steve Mom-Steve. He also starts calling Robin Auntie Birdie.
Last, but certainly not least, the Sinclair siblings. In this au, I think Lucas and Erica would either be twins, or the age gap would just be a year instead of 4, as it seems to be in canon (Lucas seeming to be a 15-year-old freshman when Erica is 11). Lucas likes playing catch a little more than the other boys, and Steve is always happy to play with him. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Y'see, I just had the thought that when the Sinclairs tried sending Lucas and Erica to Hawkins Daycare, the two were surrounded by white children who didn't know anything other than the racist bullshit their parents said around them. The employees weren't much better. When the Sinclairs reached out to the Junior Bat-cave, on the other hand, Steve and Robin were perfectly respectful, and made sure the other kids knew to be respectful to Lucas and Erica, too. Anywho, as the two adjust, Steve loves to see how Lucas is just the best big brother. He knows that Erica is still a bit too small for catch, so he rolls his favorite ball around with her, instead. Also, Erica likes dogs in this au, so Steve helps Lucas draw and/or color in pictures of dogs and puppies. Robin is always happy to play with Erica, too. In fact, all the girls love finding all the dog stuffies in the daycare to play dog school, Erica's favorite game.
Alright! That's all I've got for this ramble. If anyone wants to take these ideas and just roll with them, feel free to do so. I hope my ramble did chocoarts's drawing justice!
@chocoarts thanks so much! This is just so adorable! I think it's very in-character for Mike to take the term "ankle biter" literally, and of course Robin just sits there and lets it happen. I might just have to come up with a ramble for this one!
Hey! I saw that requests are open, so can I request Steve straight up carrying all of the kids in the party? Or at least just the lads, if all 7 is kind of a stretch.
i cannot tell u how long i stared at ur ask trying to figure out how to do this hahahhdf BUT UUM ?? kindergarten au ! hope that works!!!
Who is your Stranger Things best friend? Drop your answer in the comments, and feel free to reblog! Just for kicks, my phone is at 86%, so my best friend is Billy.
@gay-little-bitch
And then when Mike opens the door, who's waiting for him but El, Dustin, and Nancy. Their expressions put the fear of god into Mike, and he just turns on his heel and walks back to Steve. A shovel talk from Mom-Steve, as El calls him, might be scary, but even that's better than facing the rest of the Will Byers Protection Squad (and yes, they have t-shirts).
What are your thoughts on Steve being a good big brother/mom for El and Will and Dustin in particular? And when Byler happens, would Steve give Mike a shovel talk?
I love the idea of Steve bonding with El and Will. Idk what over but it would be so cute, and I ofc love Steve with Dustin because He is literally Dustin's brother.
I think that Steve, as his mom self would 100% give Mike the shovel talk. Mike would fucking hate it because ofc he has alove-hatee relationship with Steve. Mike would literally try to walk out of the room as Steve is talking lmao.
We've seen autistic Steve, autistic Eddie, and Autistic Robin. All three are great, and we love to see it.
But you know what I haven't seen?
Autistic Dustin.
Just picture it! I imagine that Dustin would have mild autism, just because that seems fitting for his character. He'd probably try to hide it, because I really can't picture Hawkins Middle or Hawkins High having a very good support system for special needs kids.
But then he'd meet Steve. Steve, who is people smart rather than book smart. Steve, who can tell that there's something else that Dustin needs support in.
I can just imagine Steve being the most supportive big brother/mom when Dustin finally trusts him enough to tell him (Steve). He'll find Dustin the best stim toys, so that he doesn't hurt himself. He'll help Dustin through every meltdown. He'll shower his kid with compliments when Dustin feels like he's just too different.
Okay, that's all I have to say on this matter. Also, please keep in mind that I am /not/ autistic. I do, however, know many kids who are, and have had many close interactions with them. I am basing the finer details of this ramble on my interactions with them.
Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Comments are chicken soup for my soul!
Incorrect Steddie that’s actually correct
Insp
Welp, here I am again, rambling on Tumblr cause I can't ramble about it irl. Hope this makes somebody smile!
So, here's my thing. We all know that if the og party, none of them were "mr. popularity." We also know that they were bullied by what's-his-name- troy, right? And when Max joined the friend group, she might have been picked on for associating with the nerds. After the events of season 2, or even before everything goes down, I imagine that the party, now including Max, is getting chased around by troy, and they somehow end up near the high school gym.
As they're trying to figure out where to hide, Dustin has a thought: wouldn't Steve Harrington be in basketball practice right about now?
Meanwhile, Steve is just trying his best against the absolute beast of an athlete that is billy hargrove. He's already having a hard time focusing, but then he hears the door opening.
"Steve!"
He pauses, and turns his back on hargrove to see Will, and all the kids who were involved in last year's shitshow, plus a red-headed girl he hadn't seen before. With the exception of lil' Byers, everyone is talking over each other.
"whoa, whoa, whoa," he says. "Slow down, guys. One at a time. What's going on?"
Henderson takes a deep breath and speaks calmly, but Steve can hear his voice trembling.
"troy is giving us shit again. Can we hide out here for a little bit? We're nerds, so he'd never thin to look for us in the high school gym."
Steve starts to nod, but pauses. Something Nancy had told him comes floating to the front of his mind.
"Isn't troy the kid who threatened to cut your teeth out if Wheeler didn't jump off the cliff at the quarry?"
Henderson and Wheeler both go a little pale, so Steve knows he's remembered correctly. He takes a deep breath to reign in his anger. Even if the kid deserved it, no eighth grader, not even this "troy" bastard, deserved to get beat up by a high school senior. Besides, the kiddos don't need his anger right now.
Okay, sorry, that became much more like an actual story than I meant it to, and I don't know how to continue it that way, but I'm not finished rambling, so. I'll continue, I guess.
Anyway, Steve gets all protective of all of them, naturally, and gets Hargrove to chase troy away, because Billy is freaking scary. He doesn't realize that Billy agrees because this punk was chasing Max, too.
Anyway, at the end of it all, the kids are kind of shaky, and Steve remembers that they all play d&d, and he also remembers that there is a particular student who dms the school d&d club. So what does he do?
He gets cleaned up, and picks up all 4 of the lads-don't ask me how, he strong jock boy, ok?-and carries them off to Hellfire. Max follows on foot, because Steve asks her if she'd rather do that, or be carried with the boys. Max prefers to walk.
Anyway, that is how Steve introduced the lads to Eddie Munson, and how both the bad boy athlete and the metal head nerd both fall for Steve, because I just can't help myself.
The Music Challenge
Recently, my sibling and I had a conversation where we said what Imagine Dragons songs applied to which Stranger Things character. I'll give my take on it here, and then I challenge you to do the same. It doesn't have to be Imagine Dragons, of course, just an artist that you love. Reblog this if you think it'd be fun! Can't wait to see your response!
Steve Harrington: In a non-romantic context, West Coast. He is absolutely the kids' rock. He drops everything for them, even for the little things. (I'm convinced that he went to the game to support Lucas, and had the date to keep up appearances.)
Nancy Wheeler: Rise Up. She is always reaching, trying to move up in the world.
Eddie Munson: Machine. I love how he's so unique, and he doesn't try to hide it. He takes pride in it, and doesn't let anyone tell him who to be.
Murray Bauman: Sharks. That man is absolutely ruthless.
Will Byers: Trouble. I say that because, as the song says, he wants no trouble. That kid needs a break.
Billy Hargrove: Shots. I feel like this one just fits him really well.
Mike Wheeler: Whatever It Takes. I know we all like to hate on Mike, cause he can be a real dick, but I can't deny that he will do whatever it takes for those he cares about.
Dustin Henderson: Zero. Especially during s3, but I think that it really applies to Dustin, always feeling different because of his interests and intelligence.
Chief Hopper: I'll Make It Up To You. He wants to be better for the people he loves.
Jonathan Byers: Walking The Wire. He stays with everyone, no matter how hard things get, even if it feels like they're going to get thrown off the wire.
Joyce Byers: Follow You. She supports everyone, no matter what. Will, Jonathan, everyone.
Lucas Sinclair: Boomerang. How many times, over the course of the show, has some kind of chasm formed between Lucas and the others? But it doesn't matter if it's a disagreement about a girl, or new interest in basketball. He always comes back to his friends, just like a boomerang.
Max Mayfield: Hear Me. Max Mayfield doesn't take anybody's shit. She doesn't let anybody drown her out. She makes sure that she is heard by the people that matter.
Eleven: Enemy. With the exception of Max, everyone thinks the worst of El from the beginning. Even the og party thought she'd been an escapee from penhurst. But she proved them all wrong.
Robin Buckley: Amsterdam. It hasn't happened yet, but Robin is getting out of Hawkins. And when she does, she will thrive, and she'll make sure that Steve thrives, too, because she will definitely drag her platonic soulmate out with her.
Erica Sinclair: On Top Of The World. Maybe this song seems a little cheerful for Erica, but after seeing her roll a 20 at Hellfire, I think that she was on top of the world in that moment.
Argyle: No Time For Toxic People. For Argyle, it's good vibes only.
The Party: Warriors. They might not have built this town, but they protect it better than anyone.
Ok, I think I covered everybody important. If you think I missed anyone, go ahead and let me know. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!
*cue bisexual panic*
Dustin: Why does Eddie call you baby girl?
Steve: How about we stop talking for a little while.
Pissing, shitting, screaming, and crying after watching season 4 again
It's giving... Something
This scene gives me total Dustin and Eddie vibes and I'm here for it.
The core four ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Please check out my Strangercoco Synths album! It's a nice album to chill to, there's no lyrics. Just vibes and vibrations (instrumentals) lol The best part is that you can interpret it any way you like. :)
ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕞𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥! 𝔾𝕠 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕚𝕥 𝕡𝕝𝕤?
“DUSTY WAVES SKETCH”
-EYESofCORAL
...someone had to do it, ok?
Reblogging from my doll tumblr!
I finally got around to making background layouts in my doll cubbies for my Stranger Things custom Licca dolls. The nice thing is that I have an extra uncropped forest background for future photoshoots!
I AM ABSOLUTELY LOVING THE MIKE WHEELER X POPULAR GIRL READER LIKE NEHEHDNDHD
its so cute i exploded
We need more 🤌
(I ask respectfully 🙇♀️)
— A DREAM WITH A CHEERLEADER
written by mina leigh ୨ৎ , mike wheeler𝔁 f! reader | wc 1700
summary. mike wheeler, a shy and awkward member of the hellfire club, has been harboring a massive crush on you ever since he first saw you cheering at one of lucas’s basketball games. despite his insecurities, his friends max and dustin help him gather the courage to talk to you. with their advice and a bit of luck, mike might finally close the gap between his daydreams and reality.
labels. cheerleader reader, feminine reader, use of y/n, shy and awkward mike, hellfire mike, reader is into it though.
warnings. mild language, social anxiety, fluffy awkwardness.
‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. based on faye webster’s song “dream with a basketball player.” merry christmas those who celebrate & happy new year.
i saw you first during lucas’s game last month. you were standing at the edge of the court, wearing your cheer uniform, waving your pom-poms in sync with the rest of the team. but for me, you didn’t blend in — you stood out. the way you smiled, like it didn’t matter if your team was losing or winning, it hit me. i couldn’t look away.
since then, it’s been … bad.
❝dude, you have to stop staring,❞ dustin said during lunch one day, waving a fry in front of my face. i blinked, realizing i’d been watching you across the cafeteria again. ❝it’s borderline creepy at this point.❞
❝i’m not staring,❞ i muttered, looking down at my tray, heat rising to my face.
shit, max is here. why did she decide to sit with us today?
max, sitting next to him, rolled her eyes. ❝no, dustin’s right. you’ve been mooning over her for weeks, mike. either do something about it or stop whining.❞
❝just because i don’t sit with you everyday doesn’t mean i can’t see how obvious you are drooling over her.❞
❝i’m not whining,❞ i protested, but they both gave me a look. i groaned, slumping forward. ❝it’s not like she’d ever go for someone like me, okay? she’s …she’s perfect. and i’m just —❞
❝a nerd?❞ max supplied helpfully.
❝thanks,❞ i grumbled.
dustin leaned in, lowering his voice like he was about to deliver some top-secret intel. ❝listen, y/n’s cool. cooler than you, sure. but she’s not, like, untouchable. she talks to lucas all the time, right?❞
❝lucas is on the team.❞
❝exactly. so you already have a connection.❞
max smirked. ❝just go up to her and say, ❝hi, i’m mike, and i think you’re really pretty. want to hang out sometime?❞ see? easy.❞
❝not easy,❞ i muttered. ❝she’d laugh in my face.❞
❝or,❞ dustin said, ❝she might not. look, dude, the worst that can happen is she says no.❞
i didn’t want to admit it, but they were right.
it took another week — and a shit ton of convincing — but eventually, i agreed to let them help me.
max decided the best plan was to catch you after school when you weren’t surrounded by your cheer squad or basketball players. i was already regretting this.
we spotted you at your locker, stuffing books into your bag.
❝okay,❞ max whispered. ❝just walk up and say hi. be normal. don’t overthink it.❞
❝don’t overthink it,❞ i repeated under my breath. easy for her to say. my palms were sweaty, and my heart was pounding like i’d just run a mile.
i approached slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last.
❝uh, hey,❞ i blurted out when i reached you. smooth. real smooth.
you looked up, surprised but not annoyed. ❝oh, hey. mike, right?❞
you knew my name? that alone nearly made me short - circuit.
❝yeah, that’s me,❞ i said, my voice cracking slightly. i cleared my throat. ❝uh, i just … i wanted to say hi.❞
❝hi,❞ you said, smiling. ❝how’s it going?❞
❝good! great. i mean, yeah. you?❞
you laughed softly, and it was the nicest sound i’d ever heard. ❝i’m good. tired, though. practice was brutal today.❞
❝yeah, i bet,❞ i said, nodding like an idiot. then, before i could chicken out, i added, ❝so, uh, i was wondering if … maybe you’d want to hang out sometime? like, get a milkshake or something?❞
your eyebrows raised, and for a second, i thought i’d made a huge mistake. but then you smiled again, and it felt like the sun had come out.
❝sure, mike. that sounds fun.❞
❝really?❞
❝really,❞ you said, pulling a pen from your bag and scribbling your number on a scrap of paper. ❝call me, okay?❞
i nodded, speechless, as you handed me the paper and walked away.
later, dustin and max found me standing in the same spot, still holding the paper like it was a golden ticket.
❝you did it!❞ dustin cheered, clapping me on the back.
max smirked. ❝told you it wasn’t that hard.❞
maybe it wasn’t. but to me, it felt like a miracle.
© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024
can you do another popular!readerxmikewheeler blurb please?😊
— COINCIDENCE
written by mina leigh ୨ৎ , mike wheeler 𝔁 f! reader | wc 1400
summary. mike wheeler isn't the same boy he was last year. the hellfire club and d&d are his only escape from feeling like a nobody in his own school. she's hawkins high's brightest star, leading the cheer squad with a confidence that lights up every hallway, but when she stumbles upon mike during one of his campaign sessions, curiosity sparks-can two people from different worlds find common ground?
labels. popular cheerleader reader, extrovert reader, introvert mike, shy mike, touchy and affectionate reader.
warnings. add any if necessary
‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. sabrina carpenter’s short n sweet album. i love it! my favorite songs have to be taste, good graces, juno, and don’t smile. enjoy ♡
hawkins high hadn’t changed much. the same squeaky floors, the same buzzing fluorescent lights, the same faces in the hallways. but to mike wheeler, it felt like an entirely different world. the one where he fit in had disappeared, replaced by one where he was just … invisible.
he hadn’t meant for it to happen. friendships drifted, people changed. lucas found a place on the basketball team, max had her own battles, el and will now resided in california, and mike? mike had the hellfire club.
most days, he liked it that way. the campaign room was a sanctuary, filled with laughter, dice rolls, and the kind of camaraderie he didn’t find anywhere else. but today? today was different.
the door creaked open, and he froze mid-sentence. ❝… roll for initiative.❞ his voice wavered slightly, eyes flickering toward the intruder.
it was her. y/n l/n, the girl everyone noticed. the head cheerleader, with that bright smile and the confidence that seemed to glow wherever she went.
she shouldn’t be here. this wasn’t her world.
her gaze swept over the room, lingering on the chaos of the game board and the scattered dice. ❝sorry, am i interrupting?❞ her voice was light, almost teasing.
dustin answered before mike could. ❝yeah, kinda. but, you know, stay if you want.❞ he grinned, clearly amused by the sheer absurdity of her being there.
mike’s cheeks burned. he ducked his head, pretending to be focused on the game. but he felt her eyes on him.
❝actually, i was looking for you,❞ she said, directing her words toward mike.
his head shot up. ❝me?❞
❝yeah. can we talk?❞ she gestured toward the hallway.
every pair of eyes in the room was on him. dustin gave an exaggerated eyebrow raise, and eddie leaned back in his chair, smirking.
❝uh … sure.❞ mike mumbled, pushing himself to his feet. his heart pounded as he followed her out.
the hallway was quieter, the hum of distant chatter fading as they walked further. she stopped near the trophy case, turning to face him.
❝so,❞ she started, crossing her arms over her chest, ❝what’s the deal with that game?❞
mike blinked. ❝what? d&d?❞
she nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. ❝yeah. it seems … interesting.❞
he didn’t know how to respond. was she messing with him?
❝why do you care?❞ his voice came out sharper than he intended.
her smile faltered for a moment before softening again. ❝i don’t know. i guess … i’ve seen you around. you always look like you’re having fun with your friends. and, well, it looks nice.❞
mike stared at her, trying to process her words. he wasn’t used to people outside of his circle being curious about his world. especially not her.
❝it is fun,❞ he admitted, his voice quieter.
her eyes lit up. ❝see? i knew it.❞ she stepped closer, leaning against the wall beside him. ❝it’s cool that you guys have something like that.❞
he shifted uncomfortably. ❝yeah, i guess. most people just think it’s nerd stuff.❞
❝who cares what most people think?❞ she shrugged. ❝you like it, right? that’s what matters.❞
his heart did a weird flip at her words. he wasn’t sure if it was her tone or the way she was looking at him —like she genuinely meant it — but something about this moment felt different.
❝thanks,❞ he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
she smiled again, this time brighter. ❝anytime.❞
for a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the school around them feeling far away.
❝so,❞ she broke the quiet, ❝you gonna teach me how to play?❞
mike blinked. ❝you want to play?❞
❝why not?❞ she laughed, bumping his shoulder lightly. ❝maybe it’s time i tried something new.❞
he hesitated. ❝i don’t know … it’s kind of complicated.❞
she raised an eyebrow. ❝are you saying i can’t handle it?❞
his lips twitched into a small smile. ❝no, just… it might not be your thing.❞
❝let me be the judge of that, wheeler.❞ she grinned, and for a second, he forgot why he was nervous.
the following week, she showed up at hellfire. dustin’s jaw practically hit the floor, and eddie looked like christmas had come early. but mike? he was nervous.
still, y/n fit in better than he expected. she laughed at their jokes, asked questions about the game, and even rolled her first dice with an enthusiastic cheer.
by the end of the session, she was leaning into mike’s side, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she whispered, ❝this is actually fun.❞
his heart raced at the contact, but he managed a nod. ❝told you.❞
❝you’re a good teacher,❞ she teased, her fingers squeezing his arm gently.
he swallowed hard, feeling a warmth spread through him. ❝you’re a good student.❞
she smiled, resting her head against his shoulder for a moment. ❝thanks for letting me crash.❞
❝thanks for wanting to,❞ he replied, his voice soft.
over the next few weeks, y/n kept coming back. not just to hellfire, but into mike’s life. she’d find him in the hallway, throw her arm around him, and drag him to sit with her at lunch.
people stared. they whispered. but she didn’t care, and somehow, neither did he.
❝you’re different,❞ she said one afternoon, walking with him after school.
❝different how?❞ he asked, curious.
❝different good,❞ she clarified. ❝you don’t try to be someone you’re not. i like that.❞
mike felt his cheeks heat up. ❝thanks.❞
she stopped walking, turning to face him. ❝i mean it.❞
he met her gaze, her sincerity hitting him hard. ❝you’re… different too.❞
her smile widened. ❝different good?❞
he nodded. ❝yeah. definitely.❞
she stepped closer, her hand brushing his. ❝you know, i think we make a pretty good team.❞
he glanced down at their hands, his heart pounding. ❝yeah … we do.❞
her fingers intertwined with his, and suddenly, hawkins high didn’t feel so overwhelming anymore.
© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024
hello hello !! i just found your blog and i love your writing style would you mind doing a dustin x reader fic ? hope you’re having a wonderful day !! <3
— RADIO CONNECTION
written by mina leigh 𝜗᭪ , dustin henderson 𝔁 reader | wc 1200
summary. you and dustin discover old outdated walkie - talkies that still work. you start talking to each other late at night, sharing those thoughts and dreams, slowly but surely falling in love through your late night conversations.
labels. no definite description of reader, gender neutral reader, shy & kind reader, reassuring dustin, new party member reader, worrying about being of use. dustin & suzie are only platonic friends here. party mentioned, max is readers best friend. mike doesn’t like reader. yet
‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. this is my first ever time writing for dustin, so i tried to come up with a prompt suited for him. i hope this is well suited to your liking!
you pace around dustin's room, your eyes tracing over the multitude of trinkets and gadgets that adorn every surface. his room is a testament to his brilliant mind and boundless curiosity, and you can’t help but feel a bit out of place amidst it all. you hear him rustling behind you, dismantling his radio tower after yet another failed attempt to reach his friend, he met in know where camp, suzie.
❝ hey y/n, come here, ❞ dustin calls out, his voice full of excitement. you then turn to see him holding up two old, slightly battered walkie - talkies. ❝ look at what i found! ❞
you aren't gonna lie, it did startle you for a moment, what could possibly make him speak in a manner like this? you first looked over at him, but his eyes were met with the walkie - talkies.
you walk over, curiosity piqued. ❝ oh my gosh, wow! ❞ you let out content, eyes widening. ❝ do you think they still work? ❞
❝ only one way to find out, ❞ he grins, handing you one in the process. ❝ c'mon, step into the hallway and speak into it. ❞ he lets out like he was a kid in a candystore.
you walk out of dustin's room and into the dimly lit hallway, suddenly getting nervous focusing on what you were gonna say into the walkie - talkie. to put it quite frankly you putting way to much thought into this. your cheeks heat up, ❝ h-hi dustin can you hear me? ❞ when you heard yourself from his room, it came out choppier then you would've imagined, i mean they did look in very good condition you thought to yourself.
dustin's reply is just as garbled. ❝ i can… you… hold on… fix… ❞
seeing how the testing process was done with, you walked to his doorway with baby steps and peeked into his room. his eyebrows were furrowed with a hand rubbing his chin, perhaps in thought. ❝ what should we do? ❞ you asked gloomily as you return to his room, handing the walkie-talkie back to him. ❝ is there something you can do dustin? ❞ ❝ hm i think i could yeah, nothing a bit of tinkering can't fix, ❞ dustin assures you, already examining the device with a keen eye.
later that night, you lied in bed, the walkie-talkie dustin gave you sitting on your nightstand, right next to your walkman and cassettes. as soon as you returned home, you decorated you new prized possession with stickers and adhesive gems to your liking. you reach for it hesitantly, wondering if he’s still awake. finally, you muster the courage to press the button.
❝ h-hello, dustin. are you there? ❞ you let out as soft as a whisper, feeling a bit foolish and bashful.
almost immediately, his voice comes through, clear and bright. ❝ hi y/n, it's dustin. do you copy? ❞
❝ o-oh! i didn't think you would answer so quickly, ❞ the corners of your lips turning upwards. ❝ i just ... i wasn't so sure if you'd still be awake, ❞ you admitted, laughing softly
❝ of course, I’m always up for a late-night chat, ❞ he replies warmly, emitting a soft chuckle hearing your voice. ❝ how are you feeling? ❞
you hesitate, unsure how to put your swirling thoughts into words. ❝ i don’t know … i guess i feel like i’m a burden to the party. ❝ i mean, I just joined, and sometimes it feels like I’m not really useful. ❞ honestly this was on your mind for a while, just never had anyone to talk to about it, besides perhaps your stuffed animals.
❝ why would you think that? ❞ dustin’s voice is full of genuine concern. ❝ you were recruited by max, right? ❞ ❝ i would assume she knows a good addition when she sees one. ❞
❝ yeah, but it’s just … there’s this tension, ❞ you admit. ❝ will is great. he’s been so welcoming and loves talking about d&d. lucas and i get along well too. we both think max is amazing. plus jane is super pretty and has very stylish outfits! but mike … it feels like he doesn’t like me. ❞
dustin sighs softly. ❝ mike’s a bit … odd. he’s only really been close to me, lucas, will, and el jane for so long. it takes him time to warm up to new people. but he will, I promise. ❞
❝ i really hope so dustin. ❞ I say quietly. feeling better by the minute ❝ it’s just hard, feeling like an outsider. ❞
❝ hey, ❞ dustin’s voice is firm yet comforting. ❝ you’re not an outsider. you’re part of the party now. and for what it’s worth … I think you’re pretty amazing. ❞
your heart skips a beat. ❝ r-really? ❞ you squeaked, your palm immediately landed on your mouth in disbelief
❝ yeah, ❞ he says softly. ❝ i … i like you. a lot. ❞
you stay silent for a moment, processing his words. ❝ i-i like you too, dustin,❞ unsure if he meant what he meant he said. like platonic like or romantic like? ❝ no like, ugh listen to me y/n. like i really like like you. ❞ he confessed. dustin almost instantly regreted uttering those words till about three seconds later .. ❝ well i think ... i think i also like like you too. ❞ finally whisper back, enphasis on the second like. a smile spreading across your face. hoping he reciprocated across the walkie - talkie.
you both spend the rest of the night talking, sharing your dreams, your fears, and everything in between. as the hours slip by, you realize just how much you should cherish this moment, and every moment with dustin from here on out. these whispered connections that bring you closer together.
© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024
— SIGN YOUR NAME ACROSS MY HEART
written by mina leigh 𝜗᭪ , mike wheeler 𝔁 f! reader | wc 1325
summary. mike wheeler , member of the notorious hellfire club, has a hopelessly hopeful crush on you. it takes the simplest thing, a yearbook signature, for him to realize the feeling is indeed mutual.
labels. no definite description of reader, cheerleader reader, friendly & extroverted reader, introvert mike, basically loser boy + popular girl trope.
‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. hope you guys enjoy some mike wheeler! i just really miss stranger things right now.
should i just leave right here, right now? mike asked himself, clearly internally monologuing.
his frail legs shaking slightly under his black skinny jeans, wiping his sweaty palms on them, switching one hand to wipe while the other holds his yearbook.
i should just turn the balls of my feet the other direction and walk off, i mean y/n wouldn’t notice, right?
his thoughts of escaping running through his poor head were abruptly interrupted as another body jostled against him, laughing unapologetically as they, too, headed towards the object of mike’s affection.
It was whoever they were, along with at least three of y/n’s cheerleading teammates, and no less than eight screaming boys and girls (consisting of at least two teammates from lucas’s basketball team, if mike’s memory served him correctly) all holding their yearbooks out as if y/n were some hollywood star in california.
she could be one, mike mused. she certainly has the looks for it. and maybe mike might even feel better if it were just that. if it was just that y/n was practically aphrodite’s incarnate and people couldn’t take their eyes off her.
but, she’s just so good. she’s beautiful and athletic, yes, but she’s also caring and whip-smart and bright in every sense of the word. she constantly does volunteer work and has a ridiculously high gpa and smiles at everyone she sees, including himself, just because.
everyone loves her, and of course they do. how could mike blame them for seeing exactly what he sees?
a pang of something courses through him. it’s probably a bit of jealousy, a bit of uncharacteristic obstinacy, and a bit of (characteristic, dreadful) hope. if mike were less of a romantic, he might be able to see this for what it is: a fantasy.
he’s standing here, waiting his turn, as if the living, breathing portrait of goodness would choose him out of everyone. and, even worse, he can’t even muster fear within himself, because it’s y/n.
it takes mike a moment to register that everyone else has cleared out, and it’s just him and the person who plays the role of the sun in his universe standing face to face. mike just hopes that the blush he can feel starting at his pale neck reaching to the tips of his ears don’t show up where y/n can see it.
❝ hi ❞ y/n says. her voice is soft, much softer than mike is used to, only ever hearing it up close when she’s yelling out supporting words to the basketball team, and he wonders if that’s how y/n always talks to people one-on-one.
he also wonders if that’s how y/n ever talked to lucas, a memory of him feeling the most uncomfortable he’s ever felt after seeing her talk to him making each other laugh and acting casually with each other seeing y/n playfully smack his shoulder clouded his thoughts. its not everyday you see your crush talking to one of you best friends like, since forever. well not that i’d know, he internally chastises himself.
y/n is smiling and her eyes crinkle at the corners and mike doesn’t have it within himself to look away, even as he abruptly pushes his yearbook out in front of him and holds it there. mike’s heart skips a beat as y/n grasps it carefully, as her gorgeous eyes skip over his face again, as she uncaps a pen to start writing.
without a yearbook to hold on to, mike is left waiting with shaky hands and trembling legs, trying to grab on to just a fragment of a thought so he doesn’t float away. unsurprisingly, the first one he can seize is still distantly about y/n. it’s dustin’s voice, echoing once again in his head, just as it recurrently had since they last talked. about life, about love, about y/n.
❝ you need to go for it mike ❞ dustin had urged, his face unusually grim and serious. ❝ you need to let yourself have things, at least once. ❞
mike takes a breath, remembering all of his years - long longing and misery and idealism, and tries. he opens his mouth to say something, anything. if he can stomach it, he’ll ask for y/n’s number or, at least, say something that y/n could respond to.
he can give himself one conversation. he can give himself one syllable so he can at least say that he gave it an honest shot, so the flavor of regret he’s bound to taste will wash away faster.
but y/n closes the yearbook, and mike closes his mouth.
y/n holds the book out away from her, the same way mike had. like there was something burning inside it that she needed to let go of.
❝ here you go ❞ y/n says, closer to a whisper than anything mike’s ever heard.
something seems off. and mike can’t tell if it’s just that he feels caught out, with y/n looking at him as he was thinking about his irrepressible crush, or if it’s really right there in front of him. y/n is still smiling, but it’s small and a bit strained. her lips are pressed together and she looks… red? there’s a tinge of pink across her cheeks, coating her perfect features. She looks exerted.
of course she does, she just finished her cheer practice, you lovesick idiot. mike barely stops himself from covering his face in embarrassment. this is what he gets for trying, for thinking too hard and making himself look like a total and utter imbecile.
so, he overcompensates.
❝ wow uh thank you, so much, y/n really, ❞ mike replies, rushed and vaguely fearful. the adrenaline has worn off and he’s starting to feel the comedown of this prolonged period of stress.
he can’t tell if he wants to say more or if he merely, momentarily, considers it, but it doesn’t end up mattering. his traitorous legs betray him and spin him around, pushing him onward in the opposite direction.
now mike can feel the flush of deep, burrowing shame rising to the surface. he cringes and keeps walking.
once he’s far enough away, mike decides to open his yearbook and take a look at y/n’s signature before he inevitably throws up on it and renders it illegible.
mike doesn’t have to look long. he knows y/n’s handwriting, just like everything else even tangentially related to her, by heart. and he’s relatively certain that he’ll see what y/n has left behind in seemingly every other yearbook: a simple ❝ y/n ^_^ ❞ that evokes the image of her toothy, genuine grin without fail.
what he finds, though, leaves him frozen in the middle of the hallway. he is so taken aback that his limbs don’t even shake. It’s just his heart—his foolish, faithful heart—that does a little dance.
he gets stuck on his own name, ❝ mike ❞ in y/n’s charming scrawl. he never told y/n his name. he didn’t even dare to dream that y/n remembered his face.
mike reads on and lets a little gasp of laughter escape. he can’t tamp down his uncontrollable smile as his eyes trek across the words over and over and over again, as he quickly closes the book and opens it again to make sure the words haven’t somehow flown away.
he grins, wider than he can ever remember, before closing the yearbook again with finality and hugging it tightly to his chest. y/n’s words cycle through his mind, becoming new fragments for mike to grab on to. he doesn’t need to open his yearbook to be able to re - read the words that traveled straight to his heart. to be honest, he could probably recite the message word for word, letter for letter, with his eyes closed:
mike,
i think you’re cute
if you also think i’m cute
maybe we can do something about it ^_^
xxx xxx xxxx
have a summer as beautiful as you
y/n ♡
© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024