Tell me, how does it feel to have my teeth in your heart?
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steve harrington x fem!oc
stranger things ╱ season 2-5
cross posted on ao3 by cosmiclovrs
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CHAPTER NINETEEN The Ties That Bind
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THERE WAS NOTHING to be afraid of. Rhiannon wasn't scared of Steve's parents, not when she had faced worse things, but this interaction felt like some test she had to pass.
Grace Harrington, with those gorgeous and sharp brown eyes, gave her a slow once-over. Saying Rhiannon felt her judgment would be an understatement; it settled over her like a visceral weight. Dread coiled in her stomach. She shifted where she stood.
No pressure.
Despite the enthusiasm plastered across the woman's face, something in her eyes betrayed her. Something cold and distant. Contempt. It clung to her like a Chanel perfume. Both of Steve's parents were that way, oozing with contempt, like they were incapable of being happy with each other or their lives. Rhiannon forced what she hoped was a polite smile in return. It usually worked wonders with adults. Maybe this whole affair would be okay, after all.
"Rosalind, right?" Grace swirled the martini in her hand, almost amused. "Steve told me about you over the phone."
Steve opened his mouth to correct her, but Rhiannon beat him to it. "Rhiannon. It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington."
"Honestly, we weren't sure you were even real," Robert teased. The way he carried himself made it clear who he was: the type to spit out sharp-edged comments that he thought were harmless, that posed as jokes but really severed arteries. "So, tell us what you do. Do you have any plans after graduation?"
"I'm waiting to hear back from a few fashion schools in New York."
"You'd go on a scholarship I imagine?" said Grace with a smile sharp enough to draw blood. "Tuition can be very expensive. Not to mention housing and books."
Steve glowered. "Mom, I don't think that's anyone's business."
"I'm hoping for a full ride," Rhiannon said, planting a hand on Steve's arm. He sent her a look that screamed I'm sorry I made you go through this. But she wasn't worried; she knew they'd have a stockpile of questions to ask her.
