.

.

Max knows what she likes. She likes Lucas, but sometimes… Max doesn't like the way he acts towards her.

The first time they broke up was during a midnight race down the street, after Mike and Lucas found two old, rusty shopping carts abandoned in a lot. They had been hanging out with one of the new neighborhood kids, and Mike partnered up with them, riding in the metal basket. Max climbed into hers, and then was promptly dumped out by Lucas, with him squealing laughter.

She didn't think it was so hilarious, bandaging her skinned elbows and chin. Lucas swears it was an accident, having lost control of his steering as they ran ahead of Mike and the new kid, and Max ended up breathing in the gravel. She did forgive him.

And, well, the second time Lucas pretended to snore while Max was ranting to her boyfriend about getting grounded. He put one of Erica's math textbooks over his face, crossing his arms and leaning back fully on the sofa-chair. Third time, Max was playing baseball with Lucas and the kids living near the ravine, hitting the ball into Mr. Jonson's garage-window. Lucas ran, leaving her.

Both times, Max forgave him eventually.

He also forgot their anniversary (dating off and on for four months), or didn't care — Lucas came over in a striped bow-tie and a goofy, lovely smile, presenting Max with a bouquet of flowers he picked from Mrs. Kettle and Mrs. Quinn and Mr. Roe's gardens.

That was the fourth time, on their four month anniversary. She tossed out Lucas's dying, wilted flowers, sniffling angrily.

She didn't want to forgive him and take Lucas back, not right then — but Mike and Will complained about their loud, insistent fighting. So maybe it was peer pressure. The last time was Lucas pet-sitting, and he didn't warn Max about how Pickles didn't like strangers. Max jumped away from the big, rowdy dog snarling at her, as she hollered at the top of her lungs at a wincing Lucas, and then stormed off on her bicycle.

It's getting harder to forgive him. Max knows what she likes, but okay, that sometimes she's a little too harsh on him.

"I really like you, Max," Lucas whispers beside her on the floor, wrapped up in a blanket with her. "I'm sorry." Max doesn't say anything at first, listening to the television blaring, lying her head on his shoulder and playing with their fingers.

"Do you even know my favorite color?"

"Yellow," Lucas says immediately, beaming. Max's eyes bug out. "Because it's different and nobody ever cares about yellow. So you decided it was your favorite." He grins, chuckling when Max gawks up at him bewildered, snuggling in.

Max's lips crook into a smile.

"… Dork."

.

.

Stranger Things isn't mine. Requested by Raphale (AO3): "Lumax, "she dumped me 5 times in 6 months" so why and how did they get back together?" They're really cute. Highly dysfunctional but maybe as they get older, it'll be less breaking up! I wanted to keep it lighthearted! Thanks for reading and any comments appreciated!

((Want a request for Stranger Things? I'm doing 100-500 word drabbles of any friendship or romantic ship + any prompt until I feel like quitting. Rules: you need to comment here and provide a friendship or romantic ship and prompt. Please do not ask for anything with Billy Hargrove. Thank you. The only requests I'll be looking at is if you ALSO commented about the fic you just read as well. It's only fair. You came to this fic to read it and me doing something for you later on is a sweet bonus!))