Imagines and Preferences: Book 2

Preference: The Upside Down | Stranger Things

Requested by antihoshial

Summary: Your adventures involving the Upside Down.

QOTP: Are you excited for season four?

Word Count: 4813

Dustin -
He'd seen her just that night, at Mike's house. They were playing D&D, all five of them, as per usual, and the game was taking hours — much longer than expected. It wasn't a school night, but still four of them had to go home. One, of course, was already there.

Dustin was sitting next to her, cracking jokes with her all night. He liked her, and she knew it, and he knew that she knew it, and he knew that she hadn't said a word about it to him but he didn't know why. She didn't seem to feel awkward or uncomfortable around him, so it was hard to believe she just didn't reciprocate his feelings. She would've said something. She would've acted different.

But she didn't. She acted just the same, as his closest friend out of all the others. She smiled brightly at him before she rode off on her bike, heading toward home, Will right next to her. They lived on the same street, and they were practically brother and sister.

And that was the last he saw of her — of either of them. They disappeared without a trace, save their bikes. Everything else was gone. They were gone. The remaining three of them were left worried sick, though they all decided to take action, to look for them, Dustin especially.

Two of his friends were gone, and one of them was his closest friend in the world — and the girl he liked more than anyone else. Not even Mike, who was closest with Will, felt as bad as he did. With the way his heart ached, he almost wanted to say he was in love. But it didn't matter anyway, not if she didn't come home.

He never joked, not once. He barely smiled. He never laughed. He'd changed, worried and fearful and guilty, though he didn't know why. It wasn't his fault, he knew that. But he wished it were him instead of them.

He wished that they were home.

The first glimmer of hope he felt was when they met Eleven, and they realized that she could help. She could find them — maybe even save them, bring them home.

When Hopper and Joyce left to get them from the Upside Down, he wanted to go too, though they wouldn't let him. Hopper promised he'd bring Y/N back, safe and sound, and that was what got Dustin to stop arguing and stay with the others. Still, he didn't see Y/N until afterwards, after El had died defeating the Demogorgon, after Hopper and Joyce returned with both Will and Y/N. Will woke first, and so was allowed to have visitors first.

But then they finally wheeled Y/N into the room, as she asked for her friends almost immediately after asking for her parents [or guardian/close family member]. Dustin started crying when he saw her, he just couldn't help it.

"Y/N," he said, and she smiled, opening her arms. He leaned down to hug her, and she hugged him back, crying a little herself.

"I missed you," she said. "A lot." Then, she saw the others looking on, mostly happy and amused. "I missed you guys too," she added.

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah, sure you did."

"Just not as much as you missed Dustin," Will finished, actually knowing it for a fact. Y/N turned sheepish and a bit flustered.

Mike waved her off. "I wouldn't be too embarrassed; he missed you just as much."

Dustin pulled back to look at her. "It's true. I did. But I guess you already know because of how long that hug was."