Everybody Wants to Rule the World
It used to bother him for a while. He wanted to prove he was more than a pretty face and some muscles. Prove to his father he could take over the business when he was old enough. Prove he could become something and do amazing things just like they told every other kid. But after enough time he just got used to it. He made it a part of himself. It was easier to dumb himself down than to deal with the overwhelming feelings he felt on a daily basis.
Or: I do what the Duffers couldn't and address Steve's trauma ;)
CW for unhealthy consumption of alcohol as a coping mechanism, child abuse/neglect, past non-con, panic attacks/ptsd, and dissociation
