•••

IT'S BEEN ONE MONTH since everything happened, and today was the snowball dance at the middle school. Mike had asked Eleven obviously, which meant Levi and Five had to go, not really but Hopper felt safer letting El go if the two boys were there as well.

Which led to now, Levi stood looking at himself in the full-length mirror with hesitant eyes, taking in his suited body.

“You okay, bud?” 

The boy snapped his head up when he heard Hopper’s voice from behind him, looking at the older man through the reflection.

Hopper walked closer to put his hands on Levi’s shoulder, holding eye contact through the mirror. “Nervous?”

Levi swallowed harshly, tugging on the lapel of his black suit, nodding at the man.

Hopper chuckled, “You’ll be okay, kid. Just stick with the group and you’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Twelve whispered, biting his lip. “Take Ben?”

Hopper sighed, thinking it over, it would be better if the plush stayed but since Levi told him about how Six possessed the plush he knew the reason why he took it everywhere. And tonight was the one night that Five, El, and Levi could be kids, why not let Six be able to watch it.

Levi glanced at a hopeful looking Six who sat on the bed biting his lip in anticipation.

“Sure, kid.” Hopper smiled softly at the boy as Levi grinned turning to hug the man tightly.

“Thank you.”

Levi picked the plush off his bed, going to walk out his and Five’s room but before he could Hopper stopped him.

“I need to give you something.”

Levi looked at the older man with a confused expression as he took in Jim Hopper’s shifting form. Hopper gestured for the young boy to sit on the bed so Levi complied, the older man sitting next to him after.

“I already gave the other two to El and Five, but I want you to wear this, okay?” Hopper fiddled with something in his hands.

Twelve shook his head as Hopper held out a familiar purple bracelet. “Are you sure?”

After the whole incident last month, Hopper got super overprotective which led to him telling the Five, El, and Levi about Sarah.

Sarah, his baby girl, who died. Levi knew the bracelets were made out of Sarah’s favorite old hair ties, he knew Hopper wore them every day, cherishing them.

Twelve didn’t want to take that away.

Hopper felt his heart clench, but smiled, he could feel the pressure behind his eyes but he won’t release it. “Yeah, I want you to have it.”

Levi hesitated, which Hopper noticed, Jim sighed before gently grabbing the boys wrist, the one that held the ‘012’ tattoo and slid the bracelet on, before letting the sleeve of the jacket fall upon it.

After the heartfelt moment, Hopper told him it was time to go, so they both got up and walked out of the room. Levi looked at Five with wide eyes, taking in the boys all-black suit, the only pop of color was the red bracelet peeking from under his cuff on the same wrist as his tattoo.

“Woah, he’s hot.” Levi looked over his shoulder, seeing Six right there looking at Five with wide eyes.

Twelve blushed, swallowing a laugh, “You look nice. Six says too.”

Six glared at Levi as Five chuckled. “Thanks, guys.”

“El, come on. We’re going to be late!” Hopper shouted, gathering his keys and jacket.

Finally, Eleven stepped out of the bathroom, looking up at the three with a shy smile as the boys take in the blue dress Joyce had picked out for her and her slicked-back curls with one dangling in her eyes.

“You look great, El.” Five smiled softly at her as Levi nodded along. El giggled out a thank you as the three share a smile, and Hopper watched with a proud look on his face as he watched the three together.

•••

El, Levi, and Five, in that order, stood outside the gym doors, they could faintly hear Hopper and Joyce talking as they leaned on their cars.

Levi could feel his heartbeat rapidly in his chest as he heard the music from inside.

“You ready?” Five asked the two, not feeling as nervous as the two.

Levi and El share a look, before grabbing each other’s hands, before walking into the school.

They all look around wonder, Levi smiles at the streamers dangling from the ceiling, wanting to reach out a pull one but controlled himself. He noticed beside him that El found Mike in the sea of middle schoolers, rushing to him with a smile.

Levi looked around, frowning when he sees Dustin sitting on the bleachers with tears in his eyes. Five gazed in the same direction sighing, “You could go, I’m gonna get a drink.”

Five left Levi alone, Twelve took a deep breath before making his way up to the boy.

Nancy, who saw the crying boy from her place working at the punch bowl, stopped in the middle of the dance floor as she saw Levi walking towards Dustin.

Nancy smiled softly as Dustin’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw the boy before she chuckled and walked back to the punch stand, forgetting about her plan to cheer Dustin up, knowing just seeing Levi did it for Dustin.

“What’s in this?” Five looked at the drinking bowl, raising a brow at the older teenager.

Nancy smirked, handing a cup to the hesitant boy. “Pure fuel.”

“What are you doing here?” Dustin asked, smiling widely at the boy in front of him.

Levi glanced around, “Hop said we could come. Normal night.”

A slow song started playing and Levi smiled softly when he saw El and Mike start dancing together. He looked at the other kids dancing, frowning when he saw no boys were dancing together as intimately as Mike and El.

Just as Levi was about to get insecure he remembered Richie and Eddie, smiling grinning widely, Levi places Ben onto the bench and grabs Dustin’s hand.

Five drank the punch in his hand with a shrug, before walking away with one last smile towards Nancy. He made his way to the bleacher, he furrowed his brows as he saw the octopus plush sitting alone.

A surge of panic ran through Five as he looked around, his eyes scanning everyone in the gym as he picked up the plush.

Five gasped as he felt a coldness wash over him like a blanket, and it felt like a hand was pushing him in a direction, and Five had no other choice but to follow.

Five’s heart warmed when he stopped, all he could do was smile when he saw Dustin and Levi slow dancing under the bleachers, smiles on both their faces.

Levi knew Ben was close by, he could hear Six speaking, to who, he doesn’t know, probably himself or another ghost.

All the blue-eyed boy could do was focus on was Dustin. Levi was really nervous as he danced with the boy, his hands were tightly clasped together around Dustin’s waist, trying his best not to fidget.

The two were silent, they didn’t need to talk for it to be comfortable between them.

“I’m happy your here.” Dustin said, “I thought you wouldn’t be able to come.”

“Me too.” Levi nodded.

Levi remembered what Eddie told him about his and Richie’s first dance, causing him to blush and glance at Dustin’s lips, before sighing.

Closing his eyes, Levi hurriedly pecked the boy’s lips, before pulling back from Dustin’s embrace entirely, whimpering, “I’m sorry.”

Dustin stood there for a few seconds, frozen, before finally snapping out of his daze with a goofy smile on his face.

Levi squeaked as Dustin suddenly pulled the boy into a tight hug, sighing in content. “It’s okay, Lev. I like you.”

Levi wanted to cry but smiled instead, “I...like you too.”

The two boys grinned at each other, feeling giddy before Levi snapped his head towards the side as he heard Six exclaims.

“Oh, look at my babies all grown up!”

Levi blushed at the ghost’s words as Dustin blushed that Five caught them.

Five caught Dustin’s look, “It’s okay, dude.”

The three or four, walked out from under the bleachers, Dustin and Levi not even bothering with letting go of each other's hand, ignoring the few whispers and looks they were getting as they basked in their happiness.

Five sat on the bleachers, holding onto Ben, watching proudly as Levi led Dustin towards the middle of the dance floor and started slow dancing to a different song not caring about what the people around them think.

Five sighed, biting his lip as he looked at the two boys, before looking towards Lucas and Max on the dance floor just as the two kissed causing his stomach to churn.

Levi glanced towards his friend sitting alone on the bench, noting he was covering his sad look.

Twelve then looked at Six who was sitting next to Five, looking at the green-eyed boy longingly before turning to connect his hazel eyes with Levi’s blue ones, giving the human boy a smile that tried to convince him that Six was fine but Levi knew.

He wasn’t.

Levi frowned, but turned back to Dustin smiling. Listening to the song that was playing.

I'll be watching you…

As Levi heard those lyrics, the boys started feeling a pull in his gut, feeling as though something bad was gonna happen.

Twelve pulled back from Dustin, "I'll be back."

Dustin nodded, not thinking of it, going to talk to Mike, Will, and Lucas who were talking by a table, not noticing Levi running outside.

Levi stumbled outside, the door slamming behind him as he took in the night sky. He could hear the same song keep playing, and the pull in his stomach getting more aggressive.

Levi whimpered as the world around him flashed, and he was suddenly in the upside down, looking at the darker echo of the school, seeing the sky turn red.

Wide blue eyes took in the monster standing over the school, the spider looking shadow disappeared and he was suddenly back in his world.

Jumping as the door opened behind him, Levi turned quickly seeing Max and Five standing there looking concerned.

"You okay?" Five asked, looking around wearily.

Levi looked between the two, glancing up at the sky, before nodding.

Max smiled, "Good. I wanna dance with you."

Five walked back into the school, Max grabbed Levi's hand, dragging the boy into the building too as Levi glanced one more time over his shoulder, but not seeing anything.

So he just shook off the feeling, brushing it off as his imagination. Because El closed the gate, that means everything would be normal, Levi thought naively.

It would be normal? Right?

•••

A/N) Happy New year's! I thought to give you guys the last chapter of season two for a present, lol.

I'm gonna take a small break to work on the 3rd season just like the others so I hope you stick around for it cause it's probably gonna be my favorite thing to write.

I love you guys, and I'll see you soon! ♥