Chapter Text
Max dreamed of Lucas often.
It was weird. Hazy. Memories of the summer of ‘85 at Starcourt mall. Glimpses of when she was truly happy. Shoving Lucas whenever he did something dumb. Breaking up with him when he said something dumber. Her sleepovers with El, which involved no sleep at all. Discussing how stupid the boys were even though they didn’t believe it.
Her mind conjured new thoughts, too, like dancing at senior prom. Lucas in a black tailored suit, asking her to dance in the dorkiest way again. But this time they were older, the love well-worn. He’d spin her around and they’d laugh and laugh, dancing to a distant melody. It always matched the tone of her favourite song.
Sometimes she could feel it. His hand on hers, holding her softly. And sometimes, sometimes she heard him.
“—alive. Can you believe it? We all thought—”
“—board. If you wake up I’ll get you a new one. I prom—”
“— up. I miss you, Max. I miss you so much. Sometimes I feel—”
But then she’d wake up in the cave again. Alone. Cold. She wished she hugged him more. Held his hand more. She was shocked he visited so often, even though she’d pushed him away.
She knew she loved him. She just wished she could tell him.
Chapter 2: Confession
Summary:
Here are some extra scenes I’ve added after Max woke up/season 5 events because you’re telling me they didn’t ONCE get quiet moments, eat, sleep brush their teeth shower?!! And you’re telling me everyone got to say ILY besides them?? Duffers, I’ll take it from here.
Also please pretend that Max didn’t break her arms because I need her to be able to hug Lucas back LOL thanks
(Writing this at 4AM while sick so forgive me if there's errors 😢)
Chapter Text
At the Wheelers, the gang scrambled around different rooms, taking a break from the chaos of Hawkins to eat, sleep and recharge.
Max found herself alone in Holly’s room, sat at the edge of the bed. She felt absolutely miserable, and even guiltier for it. Sure, she finally escaped the 2-year-long coma she was under, but at what cost? Holly was all alone with that monster, and the guilt of leaving the poor child alone ate her up alive.
“Hey.”
He walked in, sat beside her and gently laced his fingers through hers.
Lucas. Her constant. Max found herself releasing a shaky breath.
“Yeah, just… it’s all so scary.”
“I know.”
”God, I just want this to be over.”
”It will be. It will, Max. We’ll kill that crazy asshole and everything will be back to normal.”
He sounded so sure, so headstrong, that a small part of her genuinely believed it. Even after witnessing all Henry was capable of. Even after seeing the state of Hawkins. Still, his resolve was compelling.
They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled, Lucas softly grazing his thumb across the back of her hand.
A small act, so reassuring and innocent, sent an unexpected rush of emotion through Max. She was suddenly overwhelmed by all of it – how unbelievably, inexplicably guilty she felt after Billy’s death. How she believed that she was cursed, eventually pushing all of her loved ones away. But there he was. Pleading for her to come back, reassuring her constantly that he was there for her. Still she pushed, and pushed until she was gone.
But there he was, playing her song every single day. Grazing his thumb across her lifeless hand. Believing that one day she would come back. And she did.
He saved her.
Max didn’t know she was crying until Lucas swiped a tear from her cheek, leaving his hand on her face. She leaned into it, the warmth sending shivers down her arms.
“Lucas, I’m— I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry,” she managed through uncharacteristic sobs.
”Max, you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing.”
“I do, I — you tried to help me and I pushed you away. I was horrible to you. And I left Holly, and... and I let Billy—”
”No, no, no you didn’t, Max. You didn’t.”
He pulled her in for a hug. She fell into his arms so fluidly, as though they were made just for her, and gripped his coat with such ferocity, a part of her afraid that this was all a dream.
It took her a while to compose herself and he let her, stroking her hair gently and rubbing her back. Even with snot and tears all over his coat, he didn’t seem to mind. How was he so perfect while she was so flawed?
Finally she pulled back, gazing into Lucas’ eyes.
“How do you not hate me?” She whispered, glad that her voice was steady.
“Hate you?” Lucas asked. He could’ve almost laughed at such an absurd question as he stared back, her cheeks dusted with faint freckles, eyes, nose and lips red from crying. In his eyes she looked like an ethereal angel. She was an angel, back from the dead to defeat the villain that had terrorised their lives for so long. She was beautiful, effortlessly so. Brilliant. Courageous. Strong. She was everything he needed. Lucas thought he was complete with his friends and family until Max entered his world, giving him feelings he never ever considered. They were just kids so he didn’t expect it to grow. To shift and bloom in the darkest of days. Perhaps their bond was forged in pain. But Lucas would have the upside down, the demogorgons, all of it, if it meant he would be hers.
He shook his thoughts away and smiled. She would definitely laugh and scold him for being so sappy.
“I was rude to you and you had to play Kate Bush over and over again for Two. Years, and my legs are all messed up so you have to wheel me around everywhere—“
“I love you.”
A few beats passed as Max stared at Lucas with shock.
Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. Stupid. What a significant declaration to make at the height of all their problems.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out—“
“Why?”
“...Why?”
”Why do you love me?”
Lucas grinned, “how many hours do you have?”
Max laughed, a small, shy laugh. She heard him mutter I missed that so much right before saying, “come on. Seriously. I’ve been nothing but—“
”Stop that. I don’t care what you think, I love taking care of you, wheeling you around. I love being there for you because I love you, and I hate that it took losing you for me to figure it out. Nothing you said was your fault, and I hate that you think it was. For my sake, don’t… just please don’t blame yourself. It was Vecna, it was all Vecna.”
”Okay,” she nodded.
“Do you believe me? Do you believe that I love you? Because I do,” he threw his hands up in the air as though it was obvious. As though it was a fact, just as the sky was blue. Or, in Hawkins’ case, grey and polluted. “I love Max. I love Max Mayfield. I love her ginger hair and her skateboard and her freckles. I love her smile, her laugh, her bravery. I love the way her eyes go big whenever I do something stupid. I love that she has an attitude and thinks I’m an idiot—“
”Hey!” She laughed,
”—and I’ll be an idiot forever if it means I get to be her idiot.”
”You are such a dork.”
They both laughed, cheeks hurting from smiling so hard.
“I love you too,” she said, shyly. It was unlike Max to be shy. Lucas unabashedly found it adorable, “I can’t believe you played my song for two years for me.”
”I’d play Kate Bush for a hundred more for you.”
”Stop,” she smiled, embarrassed.
“I’d fight demodogs with my bare hands for you. I’d get the ugliest haircut for you. I’d—“
”Why would I need you to do that?”
”Stop, you’re interrupting my flow,” he feigned clearing his throat, “I’d embarrass myself in front of the entire school for you. I’d —“
Max held his face with her hands, leaned forward and kissed him. Lucas promptly kissed her back, melting into her arms and silently thanking Kate Bush as he did so.
He still struggled to believe that it wasn’t a song Max needed. It was him.