Chris POV
I looked at Karen, a 36-year-old woman whose body still carried that effortless grace, healthy and undeniably captivating. If you know what I mean. Even with the sweater covering her arms, she still looked… incredibly hot.
[A/N: Yeah, I know…in the fandom she's kinda 42 y/o, but let me have this fantasy, alright?!]
A gold necklace rested gently against her neck, but what caught my attention wasn't the necklace itself, it was her skin. Pale, smooth, almost glowing under the light. My eyes kept wandering, tracing every detail of her with a faint smile tugging at my lips.
I knew she noticed.
And yet… she didn't look away. She didn't seem embarrassed. Not threatened either.
Maybe she took it as a compliment, you know, something polite, harmless. Or maybe… she simply didn't mind the look.
Because right now, she was looking straight at my face, even while I was clearly taking in everything about her.
It had been three years.
She knew what I was doing.
She knew the way I looked at her.
And more than that…she knew her own situation.
Lonely, unseen, unappreciated by her husband makes her want more, right?.
Maybe that was why she didn't stop me.
Maybe… that was why she liked it.
Or the worse thing is, maybe she's seeing me as her kid friends, her little neighbor.
"Thank you, pirate," Karen let out a soft laugh, brushing her hair back behind her ear. The movement exposed more of her neck, more than necessary and even her ears, delicate and bare, came into view.
"You're gonna pick up Dustin, right?" she added, her voice light, almost casual.
Her words snapped me out of whatever spell she had me under.
"Yeah," I replied quietly, swallowing before continuing. "I'm serious, though… you look lovely tonight."
This time, my tone carried weight.
I really meant it.
My expression turned more serious, more intentional with holding her gaze, letting her feel every word I said. There was something sharper in my eyes now… something that made her hesitate, just for a second, unsure how to respond.
But before anything could unfold further, "Chris! What are you doing outside? Come on in." Ted's voice cut through the moment as he appeared behind Karen.
Just like that, the tension snapped.
Karen quickly composed herself, masking whatever thoughts had been crossing her mind. She stepped aside, giving me space to enter, avoiding my eyes entirely this time.
Still…
I was sure she knew. She knew exactly what I was doing, and yet, I didn't push it any further, instead, I shifted my attention toward Ted.
"Hello, Ted. What are you guys doing?" I said as I stepped into his house.
"This stupid television isn't giving me a proper picture," Ted replied, still fiddling with it. "I've been turning the antenna over and over, but…" He trailed off, going back to what he was doing without even sparing me more than a quick glance.
"Really? Let me take a look," I said, shifting my attention to the TV.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Karen already back in the kitchen, continuing whatever she had been doing earlier. But even from there… I could tell she was stealing glances at us.
"Sure…" Ted sighed, and I could tell he was more than happy to let someone else handle it while he relaxed. He walked back to his La-Z-Boy and dropped into it, leaving me to deal with the problem.
He didn't even say anything about my eyepatch.
Huh… being a nice guy is really hard.
"Really, Ted?" Karen's voice cut in as she stepped closer, hands on her hips, glaring at him for making me do the work like some kind of TV repairman.
"What? He said he wanted to help," Ted replied casually, completely unfazed and earning nothing but a sharper look from her.
"You don't have to do that, Chris," Karen sighed, turning to me with a hint of guilt in her expression.
"You don't have to worry about it, Karen," I said, reaching behind the TV and pulling out the coaxial cable connected at the back. "It's no big deal."
I adjusted the connector slightly, pushing it in more firmly before plugging it back in.
"...It's better," Ted said with a little voice, nodding as the picture cleared up.
He'd been messing with the antenna for ten minutes.
I fixed it in less than one.
Yeah… he's definitely losing face right now.
I stood up and looked toward Karen. "See? No biggie," I said.
She gave me a strange look for a moment before turning her gaze away again. "The boys are in the basement," Karen said quietly, returning to whatever she had been doing.
"Alright then," I replied, stepping into the hallway. As I passed by her, I leaned slightly closer. "Nice earrings, by the way…" I whispered.
I was sure she heard it.
She didn't say anything and didn't react.
But I knew she heard me.
I made my way toward the basement, stopping briefly when I saw the stairs leading up to Nancy's room. The boys were probably still in the middle of their campaign… maybe I should give them a little more time.
Without thinking much, I turned and walked upstairs instead.
Reaching Nancy's room, I found her lying on her bed, the phone pressed to her ear.
"Knock, knock," I said, catching her attention.
She turned and immediately froze. "Chris! What happened to your eye?!" Nancy exclaimed, quickly pulling the phone away as she sat up.
We were close. Close enough that people at school often assumed we were dating.
And honestly… I knew Nancy had feelings for me.
Not because I was full of myself, but because she had shown it more than once.
Little signals, subtle gestures, something like that even if you dumb enough or being a 100 years virgin will notice.
And me? I only ever responded as a friend. Until Steve Harrington realized we were just that and decided to step in.
"It's nothing," I said casually, leaning against her doorframe. "Just trying out a new trend."
She was still staring at my eyepatch, her blue pajama soft against her frame as she studied me.
"How is it? Still handsome, right?"
Nancy let out a small giggle, crossing her arms. "You're still a dork. I'm sure my brother's gonna follow that trend of yours."
She leaned back slightly, mirroring my relaxed posture.
She really was… cute. Innocent, even.
Her long eyelashes made her eyes stand out more, adding to that quiet kind of beauty she had.
"Oh, come on. You know I'm still handsome," I said, earning another giggle from her. Then my eyes drifted to the phone she had left on the bed. "Was that Steve you were talking to?"
The question made her stiffen slightly.
She glanced back at the bed, then quickly shook her head before looking at me again.
"No, no! it's… Barb."
She watched my face carefully, like she was trying to read my reaction. And maybe… whatever expression I gave wasn't what she hoped for.
"Oh yeah? Say hi to Barbara for me," I said with a small smile. "I should go get my brother now. Nice pajamas, Nance."
With that, I turned and headed back toward the stairs.
"Oh… okay," Nancy replied softly, watching me as I walked down. A second later, she slipped back into her room, closing herself inside just a little too quickly.
I made my way down to the basement, the sound of shouting growing louder with every step. The boys were already yelling at each other, their voices overlapping into pure chaos.
I could even hear Dustin cursing loudly, throwing out words he definitely shouldn't be using at his age.
They were completely absorbed in their game, so deep into it that they didn't even notice my footsteps.
"The Demogorgon is trying to reach you!" Mike's voice rang out sharply.
"Will! Back off!" Lucas shouted, his tone tense, like they were actually facing something real and something dangerous.
And my brother?
"Shut the hell up! I'm gonna protect Will, you dipshit! Will, cast protection!" Dustin's voice cut through everything, just as intense as the others. He was fully in it, completely immersed in the world they created.
Will bit down on his finger harder now, his eyes locked onto the character sheet in his hands. The paper was already worn at the edges, filled with pencil marks and numbers that had been written over again and again. His hands trembled slightly.
"I only have one spell slot left…" Will said quietly, almost like he was truly running out of magic.
"That's why you use it!" Dustin fired back instantly, leaning forward so hard his elbows slammed against the table, making the dice rattle. "You don't save it for later! There is no later!"
Lucas shook his head sharply. "If he wastes it, we're done! The Ranger can still cover-!"
"You're not fast enough!" Dustin cut him off, pointing at Lucas like a frustrated general on a battlefield.
Mike rose slightly from his chair, leaning over the table. His shadow stretched across the map and the tiny miniatures they had carefully arranged.
"The Demogorgon is right in front of the Bard," he said slowly, his voice dropping into something darker… heavier. "Its claws are dripping. It can smell fear."
Will swallowed.
I could see the faint sheen of sweat on his temple even from the stairs I am currently at.
The basement smelled like dust, old paper, and a hint of spilled soda. The small hanging lamp above the table cast a dim yellow glow, making everything feel more intense, like there really was a monster lurking in the corners of the room.
"Roll…!.." Mike said firmly which Will took a deep breath and threw the dice.
It bounced across the wooden table with tak, tak, tak sounds, before finally stopping.
Everyone leaned in at the same time.
"...Eight," Will whispered.
Lucas groaned. "That's not enough."
Dustin stiffened. "Modifier. What's your modifier?"
Mike looked down at his notes, pretending to calculate longer than necessary. "The spell flickers… but the Demogorgon pushes through."
Will closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Dustin pushed himself halfway to his feet, his face turning red. "Fine! Then I attack!"
"You're the Bard!" Lucas snapped.
"I'M ALSO A DWARF!" Dustin shot back without hesitation.
I almost smiled.
Dustin grabbed his dice like it was a real weapon and threw it with force.
The dice rolled longer this time… as if it wanted to make them suffer.
Silence.
"…Twenty," Dustin said quietly. Mike stared at him for a moment before looking at the dice.
Lucas froze with his mouth opened so wide.
Will slowly opened his eyes when he heard those beautiful sounds of words.
"...Natural?" Mike asked quietly, trying to get confirmation as dungeon master.
Dustin lifted his chin with pride like he just saved the world with dice and twenty numbers. "Natural."
The room exploded.
Mike immediately shifted his tone. "The Dwarf charges forward! Axe raised high-..!"
Lucas slammed the table. "YES!"
"The Axe sinks into the Demogorgon's chest!" Mike continued, his hands moving wildly through the air. "Black blood splashes across the trees!"
Will let out a relieved laugh, almost like a breath he had been holding in for far too long.
"And the Demogorgon… falls." Mike gives a dramatic sit down on his chair while closing his eyes.
They all cheered.
Dustin stood up fully, both hands raised like a hero who had just saved an entire kingdom.
And me? I stayed where I was, unseen… watching them.
Until Will finally noticed me.