the unexpected | steve harrington

dear billy

part one

The group watched as Max stopped everything she was doing, her eyes shut, but they could tell she was awake.

"Oh, no, no, no," Daphne whimpered, both Dustin and Steve looking at her in confusion, "she's got it! The curse! Whatever you want to call it! Look at her! She's not here!" Daphne could feel the hot tears falling from her cheeks as she clicked her fingers in front of her face.

"Oh shit," Steve muttered, Dustin launching forward to shake Max but it wasn't doing any good.

Daphne could feel her chest tightening in fear, no, not Max. Daphne couldn't let this happen to her, not Max, not Dustin, she was responsible for them. She had to keep them safe.

Steve could see Daphne on the verge of a panic attack, her breathing quickening as she pulled a shaky hand through her hair. While Dustin was shaking, swatting and shouting at Max to wake up, Steve stood up and pulled Daphne into his chest. The comforting feeling of Steve's arms wrapped around her only let more tears stream down, despite her trying to stay strong.

The Harrington boy used his thumb to wipe away the falling tears. Reaching forward with his hand to lift Max's head and see if she was waking up. Which she did, finally.

Daphne ripped herself out of Steve's arms, practically pushing Dustin out of the way as she flung herself around Max, who was panting for air as if she'd just awoken from a nightmare.

"Oh my god," Daphbe quickly stood up and wiped away her tears, quickly pulling herself together to be strong for the two in front of her. "What the hell just happened?"

"I just- I- Vecna-" Max huffed out a breath, Dustin grabbing her some water to settle her breathing, "it was like I was here, but no one else was, I was- he was calling to me," Max explained as best she could, visibly shaking.

"Dustin, stay with Max, Steve, I need to talk to you." Daphne ordered, walking out the room and watching as Steve followed behind, flashlight in hand to lead the way.

Daphne opened up a classroom directly opposite the office, pacing back and forth as she looked at Steve with worry plastered over her face. Steve put down the flashlight on the desk, aiming it towards them as he walked forward.

"We- we have to do something, Steve, she doesn't- she can't die, holy shit, she's gunna die isn't she?" Daphne rambled in panic, pulling her hands through her wispy hair.

Steve's heart aches, not only for Max but for the petrified girl in front of him. He knew that she had an intense need to protect these kids, but Dustin and Max were everything to her.

The Harrington boy reached out and grabbed Daphne's hands, pulling her once again into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Daphne's frantic panic melted down at the feel of her head on his chest, the sound of his quickening heartbeat against her as his fingers rubbed comforting circles into the bare of her back where her top didn't quite cover. He could feel the goosebumps rising under his touch, and he felt his stomach flip.

His head was buried in her hair, the scent of vanilla mixed with some type of fruit, that he was betting was strawberry, filling his lungs. Steve wished he could stay like this and not go back to the very real reality that there was a monster killing kids all around him.