HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1985.

THERESA COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING as she took the joint from Steve, pushing her hair out of her face.

"I can't tell if it's working," she remarked, giggling uncontrollably once more.

Steve made an amused face, placing an arm behind his head as he observed her. They had moved to the backseat, the rain still hitting Steve's car in a heavy stream. A rock song played softly over the radio as Tess passed the joint back to Steve, coughing a little with another laugh.

"I think it's working," he replied, taking a hit. Theresa grew unusually quiet as her smile dimmed slightly, studying Steve.

He noticed her staring, raising an eyebrow. "...Why are you staring at me?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, tilting her head. "Have you ever noticed how many moles you have?"

Steve blinked slowly, then Tess crawled over to him and grabbed his face on either side. He stared up at her with wide-eyed confusion as she sat in his lap, Theresa still giving him an intent stare.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"Shh," she placed a finger over his lips. After a moment, Tess began to bubble with laughter again, falling forward and burying her face into Steve's chest as she snickered.

He shook his head, amused. "I think that's enough weed for you."

Theresa sat back, her mouth falling open dramatically. "What? I was just starting to have fun!"

She began to get off of Steve when he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back.

"No, stay right here," he whined, Tess falling back into his lap with a huff.

"Steve," she giggled as he kissed her neck very lightly, tracing over the places where he had already left marks.

Theresa's eyes fluttered shut at the feeling, running her hands through his hair as his lips raised goosebumps on her skin.

"Steve," she finally moved away, looking down at him with a slight smile. "Why are you so horny?"

Steve looked at her with a blank expression. "Because you're fuckin' hot?"

She pulled her lips in, tilting her head up as she thought, then shrugging.

"Fair enough."

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     "YOU GUYS ARE JOKING, RIGHT?"

Theresa looked between Jonathan and Nancy as they sat in front of her, the both of them shaking their heads.

She paced the hall of Hawkins Post with her arms crossed, shaking her head.

"Why– why did you call me down here, exactly?" Tess then questioned, stopping and facing them.

"We need your help," Nancy said. "If anyone could win an argument with these assholes, it's you."

Theresa placed her hands on her hips. "I don't even know what I'm arguing!"

Jonathan sat forward, a pleading look in his eyes. "We went and talked to Ms. Driscoll about the potential disease-carrying rats. She ended up going to the hospital and now Tom is furious."

Theresa blinked a few times to make sure she heard him correctly.

"Disease-carrying rats?"

Nancy and Jonathan exchanged a look.

"I-It's a long story," Nancy replied, Tess throwing her head back in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," she muttered, pacing again. "What am I even supposed to do in this situation? I can't just tell the Chief Editor that you guys are right about this when I don't even know what's happening!"

The door to their left opened just then, Officer Callahan stepping out of Tom Holloway's office. He eyed Theresa with some slight suspicion.

"Sinclair. What are you doing here?"

Her eyes darted over to Jonathan and Nancy, then back to Callahan as she displayed a smile on her face.

"Officer Callahan. I'm so flattered you remember me."

He stared at a moment longer, then simply shook his head and continued walking. Tess glanced over at Nancy and Jonathan, who gave her the same look before entering Tom's office.

Theresa opened her mouth to say something, but Tom slammed the door shut behind him. She raised her eyebrows, turning on her heel with pursed lips.

"Never mind then."

A man walked out of the conference room just then, a cup of coffee in his hand as he looked Tess up and down.

"You here for a job, sweetheart?"

Theresa fought the urge not to smack the older man, dismissing his gross attempt to flirt with her.

"Not hardly."

The man chuckled, taking a step toward her and offering a hand. "Bruce Lowe. I'm one of the journalists here."

She glanced down at his hand, then looked back up. "Oh, so you're one of the assholes."

Bruce blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"What gives you the notion?" he finally questioned.

Theresa tilted her head, picking at her nails with disinterest. "Nancy's told me all about you guys. Your lack of journalistic integrity, misogyny, harassment in the workplace... you know, as a matter of fact, those things could all be reported to HR and get you fired."

His mouth fell open slightly with shock, Bruce swallowing as he laughed her off.

"And who do you think you are?"

Tess slowly smiled. "Me? I'm Theresa Sinclair."

"A friend of Nancy's, huh?" he retorted, snickering again. "Not surprising. Although I will say, you've got more spunk than her–"

"Why are you still talking to me?"

Before Bruce could respond, the door to Tom's office opened. Jonathan and Nancy walked out, hanging their heads low.

"Tess, is everything alright?" Nancy asked, her eyes darting to Bruce standing there.

Theresa nodded nonchalantly. "Mhm. I was just informing– Bruce, is it? Yeah, I was just informing Bruce that all of his workplace allegations could get him fired."

She narrowed her eyes at him with an evil smile as Jonathan began to pull her toward the exit, Bruce glaring at her without so much as a trace of a smirk.

"By the way, where'd you get that tie? It's horrendous," Tess called aggressively, Jonathan leading her out of the door.

"What an ass," she said as soon as she was outside, turning to Jonathan and Nancy.

She looked between them, sensing that the outcome of their conversation with Tom had not been great.

"Wait, did he– did he fire you guys?"

Jonathan nodded at once, Tess scoffing.

"Oh, that bastard–"

"It's okay, really," Nancy cut off, bitterly replying, "I'm kind of glad I'm not working there anymore."

Theresa clenched her jaw, squinting in the sunlight as she crossed her arms. "Still. I'll expose their asses if I have to."

Jonathan grinned a little, placing a hand on Tess' shoulder. "I hope you never change."

He and Nancy walked to his car, Nancy opening the passenger side door before looking up at Tess.

"Thanks for your help anyway," she said. "I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me," Tess muttered. "I didn't do anything. Although, now that you no longer require my services, I'm gonna head back to the mall."

Nancy and Jonathan both laughed softly.

"We'll see you later," Jonathan said. "Let you know what we find."

He was already getting in the car before Tess could ask questions, frowning with confusion. "Wait– find what? Jonathan! Nancy!"

Jonathan started up the car, quickly pulling off. She stood there, scoffing to herself in disbelief.

"What... the fuck."

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     THERESA WAS ALREADY REGRETTING getting herself involved in Dustin's plan.

But as she returned to Scoops Ahoy, Tess was surprised upon finding her sister halfway in a vent.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Steve, Dustin and Robin all turned to her with smiles, while Erica continued to hang halfway out of the vent. Theresa placed her hands on her hips, blinking a few times.

"Tess, hey!" Steve greeted, hurrying over to her to greet her with a kiss.

She pushed him off, gesturing a hand to Erica. "Why is my sister in a vent?"

Erica stepped down the ladder at once, clicking off the flashlight in her hand as she faced them.

"Yeah... I don't know."

Dustin squinted. "You don't know if you can fit?"

"Oh, I can fit," Erica replied. "I just don't know if I want to."

"Good, because you're not," Theresa interjected, turning on the other three. "What the hell were you guys thinking? She is not getting involved in this!"

They all exchanged looks, trying to find an explanation and apology all at once.

Steve scratched his head. "Well, we–"

"Tess," Robin gave her a pointed look. "We need her. She's crucial to the plan."

Walking over to the table, Robin picked up what appeared to be a blueprint and showed it to Theresa. "The only way to this secret room where the Russians are hiding out is through the air ducts."

Tess was unmoved. "Well that's cool, but it's still a no. I'm not putting Erica's life at risk for this."

"You can't tell me what to do," Erica placed her hands on her hips, Theresa spinning around. They glared at each other, the others realizing that they were having a full blown stare down.

"Should we intervene?" Steve quietly questioned, Dustin quickly shaking his head.

"Nuh uh."

Tess set her jaw, narrowing her eyes at Erica.

"Erica, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not scared," Erica replied with much attitude, crossing her arms. "Fear is subjective."

Theresa's mouth fell open. "Do not quote me to myself!"

"Well I'm right, aren't I?" Erica shot back, Tess going quiet as she glared furiously.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, finally throwing her hands up.

"Screw it. If you die, you die."

"Woah woah woah," Erica raised a hand, turning her head to Steve, Dustin and Robin. "I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica."

Theresa scoffed. "You're kidding. After you just sat here and argued with me about this?"

Erica gave a shrug. "That doesn't mean I don't have a price."

Ten minutes later, Steve was sliding the fifth bowl of ice cream over to Erica as she quickly pushed it back.

"More fudge please."

Theresa rolled her eyes, throwing her head back against the booth with a groan. "Erica, oh my God."

Steve reluctantly took the banana split, getting up once again to put more fudge on it.

Robin pulled out the blueprints, marked with a red line that led from one circle to another.

"So, you see this?" she pointed with her marker. "This is the route you're gonna take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then, you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door."

"Then you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica inquired.

Robin nodded. "Exactly."

Erica pursed her lips. "Mhm... and you say this guard is armed."

"Yes, but he won't be there," Dustin quickly reassured.

"And booby traps?"

Theresa halfway rolled her eyes. "Booby traps? Really?"

"Uh, yes. Lasers, spikes in the wall?"

"What?" Tess, Robin and Dustin said in unison.

Erica rolled her eyes. "You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment."

"You signed yourself up for this," Tess pointed out, taking Erica's ice cream and having a bite.

Dustin was exasperated. "Erica? Hi, uh– we think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love our country?"

Theresa gave a cynical laugh, eating another spoonful of ice cream.

"You can't spell America without Erica," the younger Sinclair responded without missing a beat, picking up her root beer float.

The three of them all sat there for a moment with realization as Erica slurped loudly.

"So– so, don't do this for us," Dustin suggested, "do it for your country! Do it for your fellow man. Do this for America... Erica."

Erica shivered. "Ooh! I just got the chills. Oh yeah, from this float, not your speech."

Theresa closed her eyes with a deep sigh.

"You know what I love most about this country?" Erica continued. "Capitalism. Do you know what capitalism is?"

"Erica, we're literally all older than you."

She ignored Tess. "It means this is a free market system. Which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all. So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many. And I'm talking free ice cream for life."

Tess finally sat up, pushing Dustin out of the way as she stood up. She could not even reprimand Erica, because she acted the exact same way as Theresa. Everything she learned, she had learned from her older sister.

"Steve!" Tess called as she walked into the back, pushing the doors open. "What are you doing?"

He looked up at her as she entered, tossing his sailor hat on the table. "Hiding. Your sister might might be even more menacing than you are."

"Not possible," Theresa responded, walking over to him and taking Steve by surprise as she casually sat down in his lap.

She placed her arms around his neck as his hands went around her waist, trying to ignore the flushing of his face.

"I had a really interesting conversation with one of the journalists from Hawkins Post earlier," Theresa informed him, chewing her inner lip. "He was such a douchebag."

"Should I be worried that he might steal my girlfriend then?"

She glared down at him, scoffing with wide eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying, you have a type," Steve shrugged, Tess narrowing her eyes at him.

"Whatever. Anyway, Nancy was telling me about how awful these guys were so I decided that this one deserved to be introduced to me."

Tess beamed, looking back down at Steve as he nodded. "Did you threaten to get him fired?"

"You know me so well," she leaned down, pressing her lips to his.

Steve whined a bit as she pulled away, standing up as he mourned the absence of her in his lap.

"By the way, I'm never smoking pot again."

He rubbed his nose, smiling with amusement. "I thought you were pretty funny."

She glanced at him warily, leaning against the table. "Yeah, and I thought I was seeing demons in my bedroom. I much prefer to stay sober."

Theresa glanced at her watch. "Anyway, I think I'm gonna head to the library for a bit."

"What for, nerd?"

She turned her head sharply to Steve, who smirked with amusement. Tess gave an eye roll, pushing off of the table.

"None of your business, that's what for."

"Are you going to check out a romance novel?" Steve teased, standing up as she started to walk away. "I bet you love to read those dirty books with Pablo on the front cover–"

"Get out of my face!" She shoved him lightly in the side of his face as he chased her out to the front and grabbed her from behind, Theresa squirming in his grip.

Steve snickered to himself while Tess smacked him, annoyed.

"For your information, I don't waste my time with romance novels. They have terribly shitty writing. Secondly, I'm going to find books about air duct mechanics."

He stared at her dumbly for a second.

"Yeah, whatever that means."

notes.
hello killing moon nation! i must apologize for my lack of updates, but unfortunately ya girl got busy (yk, making that $$$) however i should be back to the regularly scheduled updates now!

theresa ending another white man, what else is new 🥱 she doesn't tolerate misogyny in the slightest

it's so cute how she goes to the library to read about shit like ventilation systems LMAOO,, like girl if you don't read the hobbit or something normal

physically cannot wait to write tess and steve in season 4, although imma be shitting tears if anything happens in volume 2 that will cause detriment to their relationship

theresa & steve headcanons? i posted a few on tiktok but i can always publish them here if y'all want <3