𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 *𝙻𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚡

*Unspoken*

*Requests : AhsokaJedi asked for a one-shot of Lucas finding out that Max is cursed. I wrote this differently than the way it was in season four so I hope you guys still enjoy it regardless of the slight differences. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Under the cloak of the night sky, Lucas hurried as he ran through the quiet streets of Hawkins. His earlier encounter escaping Jason and the rest of the basketball team sent tremors down his spine. As he approached Hawkins High, he caught sight of Dustin and Max standing by the school entrance, the darkness amplifying an inexplicable unease around Max.

Breathless and anxious, Lucas approached them, the urgency of his recent escape still clear in his sweaty body. "Lucas? You okay, man?" Dustin's eyes widened at the sight. "Hey, uh... yeah, I'm... I'm okay," Lucas stammered, trying to steady his breath and calm the frantic pounding of his heart. Dustin furrowed his brow, noting Lucas's disheveled appearance.

"What happened, dude? You look like you just ran for days." Lucas hesitated, glancing nervously at Max. "I... I ran into Jason," He admitted, the memory of the encounter still fresh in his mind. Dustin's eyes widened in alarm, a mix of concern and understanding washing over him. "Jason? Aren't you guys friends? What did he want?"

Lucas swallowed hard, the tension in his muscles evident. "He... he was asking about Eddie, something about Patrick, and... he's dead," he explained, his voice trembling slightly. Max's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and dread. As they exchanged greetings, Lucas studied Max closely. There was a haunted look in her eyes, a glint of despair veiled beneath her facade.

"Max..." Lucas began, his voice shaking with concern. She looked down, not able to look him in the eyes as she spoke. "I... I saw the clock..." The weight of Max's words hung in the air, her voice barely above a whisper. Lucas's concern deepened, his heart sinking with the realization that Max, like Patrick, was cursed.

Born to die.

He turned away, he too not able to face her, "Fuck!" Max jumped, Lucas's abrupt yell having caught her off guard. Steve still in the guidance counselor's office, peered out, urgently walking towards the kids. His steps echoed through the hallway as he hurried toward the group. His eyes widened in concern as he caught sight of Lucas's distressed expression and Max's haunted demeanour.

"Lucas? What's going on here?" Steve asked, his voice filled with concern as he approached them. Lucas turned to face Steve, his expression a mix of frustration and fear. "Patrick... Patrick's dead and It's got Max now," he explained, his voice trembling with worry. Max looked down, unable to meet Steve's gaze, a heavy silence weighing down upon them.

Steve's brow furrowed in concern, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "Max, is this about the clock? Is that what you're talking about?" Max nodded silently, her voice barely audible as she confirmed Steve's suspicion. As the weight of the situation bore down on Lucas, panic clenched his chest. The threat to Max, coupled with the memory of Patrick's fate, stirred an indescribable fear within him.

Steve's concern for Max mirrored Lucas's own. "Okay... We need to do something. We can't let this happen," Steve tried, his voice high-pitched in desperation. Amidst the turmoil, Dustin sighed, a realization dawning upon him. Watching Lucas argue with Steve in panic, the two trying to figure out what to do to help Max, the poor girl in tears in front of them.

Steve's attempts to calm the situation were met with Lucas's persistent worry, both driven by a shared concern for their friend. He purses his lips, feeling awful for Max, but also feeling bad for Lucas. After everything he'd gone through with his best friend, he'd witnessed and heart every little thing that went on with Lucas and Max.

And every time Max carelessly dumped Lucas or pushed him away, for one reason or another, the boy just wouldn't give up on her. I mean, it was obvious in every possible way that Lucas was still in love with Max. He just wouldn't- or somehow, couldn't give up on her. Despite Max's attempts to keep her distance, Lucas too, like Dustin knew, couldn't deny the love he still had for her.

Despite the pain he'd caused her in the break-up. It lingered beneath the surface, a truth he dared not voice aloud. Dustin, continuing to watch the heartache unfold among his friends, could only guess one way this was going to end. And it wasnt good.

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