the unexpected | steve harrington

papa

trigger warning: abuse // domestic violence

part one

Daphne froze in fear at those words; he's just getting started. Her eyes welling with tears as she watched him stalk forward, his long limbs by his side as her eyes rested on his sharp fingers. She could do nothing but gulp away the lump in her throat.

"Don't you remember?" He teased as the picture became clearer.

Of course, Daphne remembered it. She turned around to see her three year old brother playing in the middle of the living room, her mother's cries echoing from the kitchen where she slowly stepped forward. Daphne glanced at her reflection; she was 8 years old again.

The fear that she swore she would never feel again writhing through her body as she watched her father tower over her mother, hand in the air, ready to swing back to her.

"It-it's not t-true! I swear!" Her mother's cries became more clearer as she watched from the side lines.

"You dirty whore," Her father stunk of alcohol, Vodka, to be exact. "Tell me who you're screwing." His hand this time connecting with her face. Daphne clenched her eyes shut as the sound connected with her ears.

"Daph- Daphne sweetheart, go and see your brother!" Her mum whimpered to her, Daphne's head cocking to the side as she stayed put.

"I am talking!" Daphne's father snapped, "I saw you talking to him in the supermarket, who is he?!" He screamed again, this time taking Ms. Henderson's hair in his hand as he turned the gas oven on, pulling her face closer. Her mother breaking out into sobs.

"It was no one!" She whimpered as she tried to pull her face away from the searing heat licking her cheek.

"A fucking liar," He seethed, spit hitting Ms. Henderson and simmering against the heat.

Daphne was used to this. Her father was a drunk and an abuser. But Daphne would never forgive herself for this night.

"What kind of sister does this?" Vecna's voice mused from around her, forcing the tears in her eyes to spill over.

Daphne looked to her left as her brother totted into the kitchen, watching the scene unfold through his innocent eyes, his cry distracting his father as his eyes dart between his two distraught children.

"Maybe this will trigger a memory," Their father taunted, storming towards Daphne who leaps out of his way, praying for him not to hurt her again.

She ran around Dustin, listening to Dustin's cries increase and turn into a squeal.

Daphne's hands cupped her ears, the tears falling as she rocked herself back and forth. The cries of Dustin and screams of her mother muffled, but very much tainted into her brain. Smacks and bangs heard from the room next door.

Until she looked up to the police running through the door.

Daphne had unwittingly sacrificed Dustin to face her father's wrath that night. Causing Dustin's first ever scar on his stomach. Not that Dustin can remember, but Daphne does. Daphne remembers the sickening thoughts that she begged in her head for anyone to be hurt but her that night. Her eight year old self truly terrified to be hurt at her father's hands again.