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English
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Published:
2024-05-24
Updated:
2026-02-01
Words:
23,080
Chapters:
10/?
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116
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Kith and Kin, Through Thick and Thin

Summary:

“Did you tell Lucas yet?” He asks finally, unable to stifle his curiosity even if it means she bites his head off.

And, like clockwork, Max answers by flipping him the bird. “No, Steve, I’m just gonna wait nine months and surprise him with it,” she deadpans. Then, after a beat, “Of course, I told him, moron!”

Steve scowls, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. Yep, he thinks to himself, she’s back. “Okay, geez. Who shit in your cornflakes this morning?”
...
Or, the AU version of late '80s Hawkins, Indiana in which the scariest thing The Party's ever had to face is teenage pregnancy.

Chapter 1: Cover Info

Notes:

-Some of the characters have canon birthdays so I honored those and the rest are headcanons.
-The last chapter/epilogue of this fic will take place in late May of 1989 (with the birth of the Lumax baby) so if you see two ages listed for certain characters, it's because they would've had a birthday by that point.
-In this AU, Eleven is known as “Elle” short for Eleanor Jane whom Hopper adopted from foster care when she was like 8 years old.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

                                                

THE PARTY

Lucas Sinclair, as portrayed by Caleb McLaughlin

Born April 3rd, 1971 (age 17-18)

Aries sun, Cancer moon, Taurus rising 

Senior at Hawkins High School 

Dating Max Mayfield

Maxine "Max" Mayfield, as portrayed by Sadie Sink

Born July 16th, 1971 (age 17)

Cancer sun, Taurus moon, Aries rising

Senior at Hawkins High School

Dating Lucas Sinclair

Dustin Henderson, as portrayed by Gaten Matarazzo

Born May 29th, 1971 (age 17) 

Gemini sun, Leo moon, Aquarius rising 

Senior at Hawkins High School

William "Will" Byers, as portrayed by Noah Schnapp

Born March 22nd, 1971 (age 17-18)

Aries sun, Aquarius moon, Pisces rising 

Senior at Hawkins High School

Eleanor "Elle" Hopper, as portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown

Born June 7th, 1971 (age 17)

Gemini sun, Scorpio moon, Cancer rising

Senior at Hawkins High School

Dating Mike Wheeler

Michael "Mike" Wheeler, as portrayed by Finn Wolfhard

Born April 7th, 1971 (age 17-18)

Aries sun, Virgo moon, Cancer rising 

Senior at Hawkins High School

Dating Elle Hopper 

THE BIG SIBS, LITTLE SIBS, & HONORARY SIBS CLUB

William "Billy" Hargrove, as portrayed by Dacre Montgomery

Born March 29th, 1967 (age 21-22) 

Aries sun, Scorpio moon, Aries rising 

Auto mechanic

Older stepbrother of Max Mayfield 

Erica Sinclair, as portrayed by Priah Ferguson

Born August 1st, 1974 (age 14) 

Leo sun, Capricorn moon, Leo rising 

Freshman at Hawkins High School

Younger sister of Lucas Sinclair 

Steven "Steve" Harrington, as portrayed by Joe Keery 

Born July 27th, 1966 (age 22)

Leo sun, Sagittarius moon, Leo rising 

Assistant manager at Family Video

Honorary older brother of everyone (especially Dustin Henderson and Max Mayfield) 

Robin Buckley, as portrayed by Maya Hawke

Born March 11th, 1968 (age 20-21)

Pisces sun, Leo moon, Aquarius rising

Junior English major at Hoosier State University, Family Video employee

Honorary older sister of everyone

Crushing on Vickie Dunne

Edward "Eddie" Munson, as portrayed by Joseph Quinn

Born February 5th, 1966 (age 23)

Aquarius sun, Leo moon, Aquarius rising

Lead guitarist for Corroded Coffin, part-time drug dealer, and the Hellfire Club's beloved Dungeon Master 

Honorary older brother of Dustin Henderson

Jonathan Byers, as portrayed by Charlie Heaton

Born September 12th, 1967 (age 21)

Virgo sun, Capricorn moon, Scorpio rising

Junior Journalism major at Northwestern University in Chicago

Older brother of Will Byers and Elle Hopper

Dating Nancy Wheeler

Nancy Wheeler, as portrayed by Natalia Dyer

Born October 19th, 1967 (age 21)

Libra sun, Taurus moon, Capricorn rising

Junior Journalism major at Northwestern University in Chicago

Older sister of Mike and Holly Wheeler

Dating Jonathan Byers

Holly Wheeler, as portrayed by Nell Fisher

Born October 3rd, 1979 (age 9)

Libra sun, Pisces moon, Aquarius rising

Advanced fifth grader (skipped a grade)

Younger sister of Mike and Nancy Wheeler 

Notes:

If you're wondering:
-Yes, I made it so Holly skipped a grade to fit better with her season 5 age discrepancy (my personal headcanon is that she's currently 8 in the show but her classmates are all 9-10) haha, also idk how much she or Nancy and Jonathan will appear but they'll probably be in at least one chapter which is why I included them!
-No, Hoosier State isn't real, it's a fictional university within commuting distance of Hawkins. I'll probably have Lumax go there, too. I'm aware Robin ended up at Smith (in MA) in the epilogue but my headcanon is that she got in by writing a killer college essay (a sanitized version of the Upside Down stuff) and that's why she stayed local in this AU.
-Jancy are at Northwestern because that's another popular Journalism school but Chicago is closer to home than Boston or NYC and therefore easier for them to visit family during the holidays.