*I DON'T OWN THIS GIF* *CREDIT TO GIF OWNER*
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 6.1k
Warnings: S4 SPOILERS. Mentions of blood.
a/n: Here it is! Part two of A Sweet Distraction. This is the longest piece I have written, so we can just ignore the word count, okay? Anyway, I had to mess with the storyline from the show a little to write this one, so don't crucify me if some things are a little out of order. I mentioned "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley in this one which was actually covered by The Ataris in 2003. It's a good song, and you should definitely give it a listen if you don't already know it. My first song pick for this one was "The Final Countdown," but after listening to it a few times, I was like....that does not fit the vibe lol. I did my best to wrap this one up because I don't want to write a part three, so I hope you all enjoy it. My next post will be a Henry Creel one shot, so be on the lookout for that! As always, thanks for the support!!
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Your eyes shot open. The muffled sounds of the television from downstairs echoed in your room. You didn't get up right away. Instead, you looked around at the familiar room. Your posters hung on the wall, covering almost every inch of hideous flower wallpaper your mother had picked for you when you were a little girl. Your bookshelf stood in the farthest corner next to your desk. It was all the way it should be. You pushed the duvet off your body and threw your legs over your bed, but when you stood, you froze. Your door was cracked, letting in a little sliver of light from the hallway. You never left your door open. Every night, you made sure it was shut before climbing into bed. An unsettling feeling filled your stomach, but you pushed it away. Maybe your mom had just forgotten to shut it after she came in and checked on you. She did that sometimes, right?
You walked to the door and opened it the rest of the way, peeking into the hall. Nothing was out of the ordinary. All the photos of you and Mike through the years were still hanging on the wall. You made your way down the stairs with caution until you were standing in the living room. The television was much louder now, but your father wasn't sitting in his usual spot.
"Dad?" You called out but got no answer.
You turned and began walking toward the dining room. When you entered the little room and rounded the corner, you saw your father sitting at the table in the kitchen. His back was to you, and he was hunched over something. You leaned to the side a little and noticed your math textbook and homework papers strewn all over the table. The unsettling feeling from before was back, and you swallowed the acid that was climbing up your throat. You took a few hesitant steps toward your father's back.
"Dad?"
"Y/N," he said cheerily, "you finally decided to join me."
You stood frozen in the archway that led toward where your father was sitting. There was something wrong.
"W-what are you doing?"
"I've been waiting on you so we can work on your math."
Your forehead creased.
"But-"
Before you could get another word out, the lights above the table began to flicker.
"Why don't you just have a seat?" Your dad asked, his voice low and distorted.
He turned in his chair, and when you saw his face, you jumped back. Where there used to be smooth skin, there were wrinkles and shadows. His eyes were burned and black, and his teeth looked like tar when he smiled. You stepped back.
"Oh, no."
Your dad slowly pushed himself out of his chair, but before he could get close to you, you turned and ran. It was a short journey back to the living room, and when you reached the small room, your mom was standing by the couch with her back to you.
"Mom!" You shouted as you ran up to her and grabbed her arm. "Mom, please. You have to-"
When your mother turned to face you, her mouth and eyes were sewn shut with blood streaming down her cheeks. Her mouth was moving as muffled screams erupted from her. You let go of her and fell back onto the floor with a yelp.
"Y/N," an all too familiar low voice said.
You turned toward the sound only to see the monster walking down your stairs. He looked like a man, but you knew he wasn't. Instead of flesh, there were slimy black vines covering his body. He lifted up his arm to expose a claw instead of a hand. Your heart was racing, and your breathing was labored, but you couldn't move. All you could do was sit there and watch as the monster slowly descended your stairs. The sound of a grandfather clock echoed throughout the house.
"Your time is almost up," he said just before your mother and father started to attack you.
Your screams rang in your ears as you tried to swat your way out of their grasp until you shot awake in your bed. Sweat beaded on your forehead and your chest heaved with every breath you took. Your eyes immediately went to your bedroom door, and when you noticed it was closed, you knew you weren't dreaming. A sigh fell from your lips. Then a knock came from your door, earning a yelp from you. The door pushed open just slightly, and your mother peeked her head in.
"Oh," you said, relaxing into your pillows, "it's just you."
She held the phone up with a smile.
"The phone is for you. It sounds...urgent."
Your mom took a few steps into your room to hand you the large phone before exiting, shutting the door behind her. Once it was just you again, you could hear Dustin's voice from the little speaker.
"Well, maybe this wouldn't be a red alert had you come to me sooner."
"I just found out yesterday!" Steve's voice rang out.
"You said she'd been looking rough for five days, Steve!"
Your eyebrows furrowed, and you put the phone up to your ear.
"Hello?"
"Shut up!" Dustin shouted. "Shut up. Your girlfriend's on the phone. Hey, Y/N."
You let out a huff of air.
"Hi, Dustin. Mike isn't here. He's in California."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that."
Your brow raised at that.
"Then why are you calling my house on a Saturday morning?"
"Well," he said with a little laugh, "funny you should ask. You see, Steve has come to me because he said you have a bit of a problem."
You sat up a little straighter at his comment.
"I-what?"
"I don't want to discuss this over the phone," he said, and you could almost see him shaking his head, his curls bouncing around his cheeks. "Steve and I will be at your house in five to pick you up."
Before you could object, the line went dead, and you knew you had no other choice but to get ready to go. So, you quickly got cleaned up, and just as you were walking out the front door, Steve was pulling into your driveway. You hopped into the passenger seat, and Steve gave you a tight-lipped smile and an awkward wave.
"Hey," he said before gesturing to you, "you look-um, you look good."
You tried to hide the little smile that was pulling at your lips, but you knew you were failing epically.
"Thanks."
He ran a hand through his hair, and suddenly the dials on his dash became very interesting to him.
"I didn't, um, say you looked rough," he said, looking back at you. "You know? From earlier?"
The smile you were trying to hide blossomed onto your face but before you could retort, Dustin leaned forward onto the center console.
"Yes, you did," he said, looking at Steve.
Steve let out a low groan.
"Dustin, no, I didn't."
"Yeah, you did."
Dustin gave him a dumb look.
"Your exact words were, 'For five days, she's looked a little rough.' You said that."
A little chuckle fell from your lips at the awful impression Dustin just gave, and Steve just rolled his eyes.
"I didn't mean," Steve pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Never mind. Let's just go."
Then, without saying another word, Steve backed out of the driveway and took off. At first, you didn't say anything. But the farther you got from the middle of Hawkins, you finally got curious.
"Where are we going again?"
Steve looked at you briefly before nodding toward the trailer park sign you were approaching and said, "Max's house."
When the car came to a stop, you got out and followed Dustin and Steve inside. Much to your surprise, it wasn't only Max who was waiting on you when you entered. Robin was pacing the living room, and Lucas was sitting next to Max on the couch. It was already tense in the house, but once they realized you were there, the tension only grew. They were all staring at you, but no one said anything. Your eyes traveled from one person to the next, waiting on them to speak, but they didn't. Finally, you turned and looked at Steve.
"What's going on?"
But Steve didn't respond. Instead, Robin took your arm and guided you to the couch.
"You might want to sit down for this."
The confusion was evident on your face, but you followed her directions and sat. And you were glad you did. Dustin stood in front of you and began to describe things you thought were only real in horror and sci-fi movies. Things about monsters with no faces and thousands of sharp teeth. Stuff about gates to other dimensions that look exactly like ours but are evil and dark. At first, you thought he was joking. That they were all just pulling some massive prank on you. But then Dustin started to describe what you were going through, and you knew he was telling the truth. He said the monster had a name – Vecna – and how Chrissy and Fred's fight with him ended with their demise. Your eyes widened as you stared at Dustin.
"Great," you said, throwing your arms in the air, "so I'm gonna die."
Steve moved toward you, hands on his hips.
"That's not what he said."
"You're right," you snapped. "What he said was everyone else who's dealt with this died. Those are some great odds for me considering the fact that I'm next, Steve."
Steve's mouth opened and closed, but he didn't say anything. You shook your head when Max tossed a Walkman at you. You picked it up and turned it over in your hands before looking up at the girl.
"What is this for?"
"It's your first line of defense."
You rolled your eyes.
"And you know this how?"
Max pointed at the headphones that were strung around her neck.
"You're not the only one Vecna is after."
Your lips parted, but you just swallowed your words. You looked at the Walkman in your hands, and when you looked back up, Steve was in front of you. He held out a cassette, and you recognized it immediately – "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley. You took the little piece of plastic from him, and he shrugged.
"I remember Mike saying this was your favorite song. He said you wouldn't stop playing it for a week when the album was released."
Your heart fluttered a little at his statement. Even though you had barely spoken to him in all the years you knew him, he still somehow remembered such an insignificant detail about you. You could feel your cheeks grow warm as you looked at him. The faintest smile played on his lips, and your stomach did a flip.
"Thank you," you whispered before putting the cassette into the Walkman.
You stared at the piece of equipment for a moment, then turned your attention to the rest of the group.
"Okay, so what now?"
You looked at everyone for a second before Robin finally spoke.
"You all head back to Y/N's house. I, on the other hand, have a date with a serial killer at Penhurst."
She grabbed one of the walkie-talkies off the coffee table and exited the house. But it wasn't long after she left that you, Max, Lucas, Dustin, and Steve all piled into Steve's BMW. The car ride was quiet, and before you knew it, you were all walking down to the basement of your house. Max grabbed some paper and sulked off to the table in the corner of the room, and you followed suit. You slid your headphones on and found a home on one of the bean bags against the wall on the opposite corner. Don Henley's voice poured from the headphones as you fiddled with the tag on the bag. This is what your life had come to, and you didn't even know how it had gotten to this point. You let out a sigh when someone plopped down next to you. Even though you were feeling anything but happy, you couldn't help the smile that spread across your lips. You paused the music and turned to face Steve.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
Steve's fingers messed with the laces on his sneakers as he spoke.
"How are you holding up?"
You let out a dry laugh and shrugged.
"As best as I can be. You know, since there's some otherworldly monster haunting me."
Steve finally looked at you, and when he noticed you were smiling, he chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
He didn't look away after he said that. Instead, he held your stare for a moment. You never noticed how soft his facial features were. In all the time you've known him, you never truly got to look at him until this moment. His eyes were so soft and brown, like a smooth glass of whiskey. You could get drunk from his stare.
"Y/N?" Steve whispered.
"Yes?"
Your voices were low, and you were afraid if either of you spoke too loudly, the moment you were sharing would be destroyed. So, you held your breath when Steve started talking again.
"I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"
You shut your eyes and let out a puff of air.
"Steve," you began dropping your head, "I don't think we have much control over what happens."
The sudden warmth of Steve's finger touching just under your chin sent a jolt through your body. You didn't resist when he guided your eyes back to his. His stare was much harder now.
"I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" He said sternly.
You just nodded and whispered back, "Okay."
Although you believed that you were right, there was nothing any of them could do; you still trusted Steve. Even through all this mess, you knew he would keep you safe. The two of you held the other's gaze, Steve's fingers still on your face, when two brown envelopes fell at your feet. Steve jumped away from you, putting a little space between the two of you as you picked up the envelope with your name on it. When you looked up, Max was standing there, arms crossed.
"What's this?" Steve asked as he turned the envelope over in his hands a few times.
"It's for later. Now let's go."
"I'm sorry?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows at the girl.
She just rolled her eyes and moved to gather her bag.
"We're going to East Hawkins."
Steve stood and immediately put his hands on his hips.
"What? No, we're not." He said, using the envelope in his hand to point at Max.
But his rejection wasn't stopping her. She zipped up her bag and exited the basement without even a second glance back. Lucas and Dustin were the first to rush off after her. You and Steve looked at one another for a second before scrambling off after the kids.
Steve ran to be in step with Max, but you stayed back with Lucas and Dustin.
"Max," Steve called before raising his voice and shouting, "Max, seriously."
She wasn't slowing down as she marched toward Steve's car. Steve kept up pace with her, though.
"Seriously, I'm not joking, okay? I'm not driving you anywhere."
You watched as he argued with the girl and your forehead creased.
"Where does she want to go in East Hawkins?" You asked, looking between Dustin and Lucas.
Dustin shrugged. He was just as lost as you, but when you turned to Lucas, he sighed.
"It's the cemetery," he stated before bringing his solemn eyes to meet yours, "where Billy is buried."
Your heart jumped to your throat, and your chest tightened. Max wanted to go see her stepbrother's grave. When you finally made it to the car, Max was jiggling the door handle.
"Open the door."
Steve scoffed.
"Uh, no."
You walked up the passenger side door and said Steve's name, earning his attention. He looked torn, and you knew he was trying to do the right thing by keeping the kids safe, but you also knew that going to see Billy was important to Max. You, of all people, understood exactly why she wrote the letters. And you were going to make sure she got to tell her deceased stepbrother whatever she needed to say. So you gave a small nod to Steve and said, "Open the door."
He didn't move right away, and you thought he wasn't going to listen to you. But then he groaned and unlocked the doors.
"Henderson," he said as he climbed into the driver's seat, "that super walkie of yours better reach Penhurst."
Everyone got into the vehicle, and soon you were driving toward East Hawkins. The kids were squished in the backseat, but no one was talking. The usual banter and childlike play they indulged in was gone. Instead, there was a heavy tension weighing on everyone's shoulders. You turned a little to see Max staring out the window while the boys fidgeted with whatever they could occupy their nervous fingers with. When you turned back, you sent a glance in Steve's direction, and he just gave a weak smile. Your hand rested on the center console, and you watched the road ahead go by in a blur. You didn't realize Steve had moved his right hand to be next to yours until you felt the tiniest brush of his fingers on yours. Your heart leaped in your chest, and you inched your hand just a little closer to his. His fingers grazed the tops of yours until you carefully flipped your hand over, allowing him to intertwine your hands. You could feel the heat creeping up your neck and the goosebumps that pricked your skin at his touch. But you didn't move. And that's how your hands stayed for the rest of the ride to the cemetery.
When you arrived, Max didn't waste any time hopping out and making her way toward the headstones. Lucas slid out after her and jogged to stop her. The three of you sat in the car and watched. You couldn't hear what they were saying, but you could tell that Lucas was pleading with Max. When she waved him off and stomped away, you knew the conversation didn't go well. Lucas sulked back to the vehicle and got back inside, slouching into the seat.
"She won't talk to me anymore," he choked out, and you could feel your heart breaking at his strained words. "She just keeps pushing me away, and-and I don't know what to do."
You looked at the boy and sighed. You weren't sure exactly what happened with their relationship, but you knew that Lucas still loved Max, and he was scared.
"Let me go talk to her," you said, unbuckling your seatbelt.
Steve straightened next to you as he franticly watched you about to exit the car.
"What? No."
You let go of the door handle and rolled your eyes.
"Steve."
"No," he began, shaking his head, "I can't-"
He stopped short, his eyes wild with fear.
"You can't what?" You whispered.
Steve looked back at Lucas and Dustin, who were staring at the two of you, and he lowered his voice.
"What if something happens?"
You picked your Walkman up and gave it a little shake.
"I've got this bad boy, remember? Don't worry."
You didn't give Steve a chance to say anything back to you before you opened the door and got out. Max was sitting in front of the grave, but as you got closer, you noticed her shoulders shaking just slightly. Her hands clutched another brown envelope, and you could hear her little sobs.
"Max?"
When she heard you say her name, she bowed her head and started wiping her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice thick with tears.
You didn't move any closer. Instead, you just stood a few feet from her sobbing figure and shrugged.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed a little rattled when you got out of the car."
Max didn't say anything in response. Her shoulders were stiff now as she stared at the gravestone. "William Hargrove. Gone but not forgotten," was engraved on it. You looked back at Max, who hadn't moved, and you swallowed your nerves.
"Is it alright if I sit with you?"
She nodded without a word, so you carefully made your way up to the plot and sat next to her. It was quiet at first, neither of you speaking, just looking at Billy's grave. But then you finally turned to look at Max and asked, "Do you come here often?"
"No," she mumbled. "I don't."
Your eyes fell to the folded-up paper in her hand, and you nodded toward it.
"Is that for him?"
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. She didn't answer your question right away, and you noticed her eyes growing watery again. Finally, she coughed and gripped the letter a little tighter.
"Yeah," she said gruffly. "I thought," she dropped her head for a beat, the paper crumpling under her clenched fist, "I thought I owed him an apology. For everything, you know?" She lifted to look at the gravestone again, "Before it's too late."
Her stare was hard as if she had lived a million lives full of hardship. Your heart ached at the sight. You looked down at the grass in front of you and started plucking at the little green strands.
"Max," you said softly, "whatever happened to Billy wasn't your fault."
You didn't raise your eyes to look at her. Instead, you continued to play with the grass as a dry chuckle escaped you.
"But writing letters? That's a pretty good idea. I wish I would have thought of that."
You finally lifted your head toward Max with a tired smile and said, "I guess it's not too late, though, huh?"
But your face fell when she wasn't sitting next to you anymore. You quickly turned to look in the other direction, but she was gone. The once blue sky started to turn black, and thunder rumbled overhead. Your pulse began to thrum faster as you continued to look around, hoping it was all a big joke and Max would jump out at you any second.
"Max?" You hollered out into the darkness.
"Max isn't here, Y/N," the deep voice that had been haunting you for five days bellowed.
Your breath caught in your throat, and you could feel your fear welling in your eyes as you stumbled to your feet. Your head was on a swivel as you desperately tried to find Vecna. The sound of the old grandfather clock chimed, and your heart began to race even faster.
"No," you uttered, "not again. Not here."
Then you heard the squishing sounds of Vecna's slow approaching steps. You turned and saw the monster from your dream. Tall with slimy tendrils coiling all over his body. His one arm hung at his side while the other exposed his giant claw, fingers wiggling slowly with each step.
"No, no, no," you muttered to yourself as you began running in the opposite direction.
You could still hear him. Every step he took echoed through the darkness. But he never ran. Instead, he took slow, calculated steps because he knew you couldn't escape him. And you knew it too. Panic was a wild thing inside you as you sprinted through the dark cemetery.
"Steve!" You shouted, hoping that in some way he would hear you and save you from this nightmare. "Steve, please help me! Steve!"
You stopped and looked around. Your chest was heaving, and you could feel the terror thrumming through your veins. Through the shadows, Vecna's menacing figure emerged, and you let out a whimper. There was nowhere to go. You started running again, and soon the normalcy of the cemetery turned into something more ominous. The same slimy tendrils that were all over Vecna appeared all around you. The trees were no longer green and full but rather bare and skeleton-like. It was like a darker eviler version of the world you knew. But you didn't have time to think about that. Instead, you ran until you couldn't breathe and found a tree to hide behind. It felt like your lungs were on fire as you leaned against the tree. You shut your eyes, hoping that you would wake up and this would all be over. But then the grandfather clock chimed again, and you opened your eyes. Standing in front of you was Vecna.
"Do you think you can hide from me?"
You turned to run again, but before you could get very far, a vine wrapped around your ankle, and you slammed into the ground.
"No!" You yelled as you tried to grasp at anything you could to prevent the vine from dragging you any closer to Vecna. "No, let go of me!"
The tendril dragged you until you were pinned up against the tree. Two more sprang up, grabbing your wrists and restraining your arms. Then another slid around your neck, cutting off your oxygen. You gasped for air and started whimpering as you thrashed against the restraints. Tears streamed down your face, and you let out a little sob when, suddenly, the familiar sound of Don Henley's guitar filled your ears. You looked up to the lightening filled sky, and the clouds parted to expose the cemetery. You could see yourself surrounded by the kids and Steve.
"Y/N! We're here. Just wake up!" Steve said, his words laced with desperation.
Dustin shook your shoulders, and Lucas clapped his hands. Max held the headphones over your ears, willing the song to work like it was supposed to.
"Come on, Y/N," Dustin said.
You could see Steve gripping your hand, his face ridden with fear.
"Please," he begged, "you have to wake up."
You watched through the little hole in the clouds as the vine around your neck tightened and Vecna blocked your view.
"They can't help you, Y/N. You're here for a reason."
You bucked against the vines again to no avail.
"What do you want from me?"
Vecna's claw came up, and one of his long sharp nails trailed down your cheek.
"I want you to tell your friends that they cannot stop me. It's too late. I have already won."
"No," you said, voice strained, "you haven't. I'm still alive. I already know your plan is to kill me."
A low chuckle vibrated from him.
"No, Y/N. I don't want you. I want Max."
Your jaw went slack.
"I will get her," he said, stepping closer to you, "and I will be set free."
"What? No."
Vecna's claw opened wide and cupped your face.
"Let me show you, Y/N."
Your eyes started to roll into the back of your head as flashes of images flooded your mind. Hawkins was in shambles, and the town was being swallowed up into the ground. A gate of some sort was bursting open, and monsters of all types were being set free into Hawkins. And Max was in the hospital with casts all over her body. It was too much, but he wasn't stopping. So, you forced your eyes open and saw the parted clouds again. You thought of all the good memories you could muster. You thought about teaching Mike to ride a bike for the first time and the way he smiled at you when he did it on his own. The feeling of pride you had for him at that moment. You thought about the first time you met Robin and how quickly the two of you became friends. You remembered all the nights you spent with her and the times you visited her at Scoops Ahoy. You thought about seeing Steve in school and how sweet he was to you every day, always making sure he sat next to you in classes you shared. And you remembered kissing him on his cheek yesterday after he took you to get ice cream and took care of you.
It was the last thought that gave you the strength to look at Vecna, reach forward, grab one of the tendrils on his neck, and rip it off. He let out a guttural grunt just before the vines gave way, and you fell to the ground. You scrambled to your feet and started running toward the opening in the sky. Don Henley's voice continued to ring out, urging you to keep going. You pushed yourself to run even faster when tree branches started to snap and fall onto you. Your breathing was labored, but you kept going, dodging everything Vecna was throwing at you. The sound of "The Boys of Summer" mixed with your heavy beating heart was all you could hear. The opening was getting closer. You shut your eyes as you ran faster and faster until your eyes shot open, and you took in a gulp of air.
You were floating for only a split second before you went careening toward the ground. When you smacked into the grass, you let out a yelp and then frantically grabbed for Steve. You weren't sure if you were still dreaming or if it was real, but you didn't care. Steve's arms wrapped around you, and you melted into him. Your breathing was ragged from hyperventilating, and your face was wet from tears. You clutched onto the fabric of Steve's Members Only jacket as he shushed you.
"It's okay," he reassured you, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Your eyes were wide as you finally took in your surroundings. Max was standing behind Steve with Lucas' arm around her, and Dustin was still crouched next to you. They were all there. Every single one of them. Your breathing evened just slightly, and you burrowed into Steve's chest. The smell of sandalwood and vanilla washed over you like a wave, and you let out a sob. You weren't dreaming. He was actually there. It was real.
When you pulled away from Steve, they were all looking at you.
"What happened?" Dustin asked, his voice a little shrill. "Did you see Vecna? Did he say anything? Did he do anything?"
Your mind was still reeling from the encounter you just had, and Dustin's questions only overwhelmed you even more. You shook your head and leaned into Steve's chest again.
"It's Max."
They all stopped, and the air went still.
"He's not after me," you said, "he's after Max."
Dustin, Lucas, and Max all started talking simultaneously, throwing questions at you that all seemed to jumble together. Your eyes flitted from one kid to the next, but you couldn't focus on what they were saying. You could feel the panic from before creeping into your gut, and your breathing grew shallow. The kids kept talking over one another until Steve put his hands up and shouted, "Okay!"
It went silent.
"Okay. Clearly, Y/N is still a little shaken up. We can figure out what happened later." He looked down at you. "She needs time to calm down. So, let's just go."
And with that, Steve helped you to your feet and guided you back to his car, his arm still firmly wrapped around you. The kids followed behind, and soon you were all in the car again, driving back toward Hawkins. Steve dropped the kids off one by one. Max, then Lucas, then Dustin. Before long, he was pulling into your driveway and shutting the engine off. The lights were off, and you knew your parents weren't home.
When you got out of the car, Steve followed you. He walked you all the way to the front door, and when you went to go inside, he held the door open and went in too. You didn't even bother asking why or what he was doing. You knew just as well as he did that this was his way of making sure you got to your room safely. Steve walked behind you until you entered your room and sat on the edge of your bed. You put your head in your hands, letting the silence fall over you like a blanket. When you sat up, Steve was leaning against the door frame.
"I should probably get going," he said, using his thumb to point behind him, "you know before your parents get home."
He didn't wait for you to respond before turning to leave. But you quickly stood and said, "Wait," causing him to stop and look at you. He looked as tired as you felt, but you knew you wouldn't be able to sleep alone in the house after what happened. So, you took a small step forward and stopped just short of him.
"C-can you stay?"
He turned until his body was fully facing you.
"What about your parents?"
You waved his question off.
"I'll deal with them tomorrow. So? Will you?"
Steve ran a hand through his hair and nodded.
"Um, yeah. I-I can stay."
You stood there for another beat before moving to your bed and crawling under the comforter. You didn't care to get cleaned up. All you wanted was to melt into the one place you actually felt safe, and that was in Steve's arms. The bed dipped as Steve slid in behind you. You scooted closer to him until your back was flush against his chest. He let his arm hang loosely around your waist, and you could feel his head land on your pillow. His short puffs of breath tickled the back of your neck, making the hairs back there stand up. You could feel his chest rising and falling, and you shut your eyes. You weren't expecting him to say anything, so when he finally broke the silence, you were wide awake.
"I thought I lost you back there," he mumbled.
"Yeah."
You could hear him take in a shaky breath.
"I can't lose you, Y/N."
Your chest tightened as you rolled over to face him. His arm tightened around your waist, pulling you just a little closer than before. You lifted your hand and rested it on his cheek, rubbing your thumb over the little stubble he had.
"I'm safe now."
Steve let out a puff of air through his nose before leaning forward and placing his forehead against yours. His soft hair fell over your face with the motion. You could see that his eyes were closed, and you could tell that something was bothering him.
"I've known you a long time, Y/N."
"I know."
His eyes opened again.
"There's something I've never told you that I probably should have said a really long time ago."
Your heart started to beat faster as you swallowed.
"And what's that?"
His breathing was steady, but you could feel his quickening pulse under your hand. His tongue poked out and slid over his bottom lip, agonizingly slow.
"I love you, Y/N."
Butterflies erupted in your stomach, and it felt like your whole body was buzzing. But before you could reciprocate your feelings, Steve started to ramble.
"I know this may not be the best time, but I really thought you were gone earlier. You-you just started floating, and you wouldn't wake up, so I thought," he let out a long breath, "never mind. I just needed you to know how I feel, okay?"
You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth for a brief second, ran your fingers through Steve's velvet soft hair, then planted the softest kiss on his lips. His hand gripped your hip before relaxing and pulling you even closer to his body. Every nerve in your body was humming as Steve's lips captured yours, turning the gentle kiss a little more frantic. Finally, when you pulled back, you placed your forehead back onto his and smiled.
"I love you too, Steve."
He let out a quiet laugh, then pressed his lips against yours once more. You rested your head on his chest, letting the soft thump of his heart lull you to sleep. You were safe. Now all you had to do was make sure Max was safe too. But for now, you just wanted to enjoy the feeling of Steve's protective arms wrapped around your frame.