Stranger Things: It Started with a knock in the night (Byler and Steddie)

A knock in the night

Steve loves his friends and loves the kids. He loves them. They are his family. One that he had built up by himself. He would anything for them. And if they would ask for his help he would give them. All they had to do was ask. 

"No matter what is wrong? You are alone and you are sick or hurt, call me. Or come to me. No matter the hour. Do you understand?" Steve tells this to his kids this at least two times per week. After the whole Upside Down mess was over everyone was left more than a little shaken. There are nightmares and paranoia and anxiety. He knows that he has all of them. But he's an adult. And he could deal with them by himself. But Dustin, Lucas, Max, Mike, Will, and El are just kids and they don't need to deal with this by themselves. So he remembered them all the time.

"Yes, Steve"All the kids would say at the same time annoyed. But Steve doesn't care if they are annoyed as long as they would do what he told them.

Then one day. Night? Early morning? One of the kids did just that.

Steve groaned as he heard incessant knocking at his front door. He looked at the clock. "Who the fucks knocks at people's doors past midnight?" He was tempted to ignore the knocking and just go back to sleep. But whoever was knocking he was a very insistent person.

Steve groaned and got out of the bed and he walked downstairs. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm coming"He yelled and he flipped the light switch on before he unlocked the door and he opened it, revealing the last person he expected to see at his hour. Or ever at his door. "Wheeler. What...."Steve stopped himself when he noticed the boy's disheveled appearance. His hair was a mess, there were bruises on his face and neck. Looking closer he could see fingers-shaped bruise, which made him sick. The boy was crying. "Mike. What happened?" he asked softly and the boy threw himself in his arms with a sob.

Steve was frozen for a second before he wrapped his own arms around Mike and he pulled him into the house. "Hey. Shh shh, it's ok. It's ok. You're safe" he crooned softly as he rubbed the boy back and rocked both of them side to side trying to shush the distraught boy. Mike tightened his hold on him as he continued to sob against his shoulder. "Mike. Hey. Calm down. You're alright. Take a deep breath", he said trying to coax Mike from not hyperventilating. Which was not very successful.

"Mike," Steve said as he pulled the boy away from his arms, making him whine. "Look at me", he said gently and he cupped the kid's face. "Breath. Slowly. In and Out. Breath. You are safe", he said wiping the tears that were still falling. Steve guided one of Mike's hands on his chest. "Breath with me. It's alright. You're alright. I promise"

It took a while but he managed to calm down Mike a little. Enough to not sent himself into hyperventilation again. "That's it. Good job" he said as he smoothed one hand over the kid's head. He brought Mike into the living room and he put him on the couch before he kneeled in front of him. "You are a mess kid. What happened? Who did this to you?' he asked angrily. Not at Mike. But at the person who dared to put their hands on Mike.

"My father", Mike said sniffing.

"What?"Steve asked shocked. Then again. He shouldn't be. The world is full of shit dads like this. His father is like this. Will and Johnathon's father is like this too. So why Mike's father shouldn't be?  "Why did he hurt you?"

"I can't tell you?"Mike said and he shook his head frantically as more tears poured from his eyes. It breaks Steve's heart. He had never seen him like this before.

"Mike," Steve said gently as he put one hand on Mike's knee. "Tell me. Please"

"No. You would gate me. You would hu..." Hurt him. That's what he didn't finish. The thought that Mike would think that he would hurt him at what he was supposed to say, made him sick.