(stalker au. CW: nonconsenual touching)
Steve couldn't breathe, his heart was fighting to pull itself out of his chest, and he felt cold. So cold, freezing cold.
The figure realized they'd been noticed, and stepped backwards. They'd been on the front step of the trailer, close to the door. It'd been locked, but so had Steve's apartment, and that hadn't stopped them either. Steve couldn't make it much of their features, not from here, but he was unable to make himself move as the man moved away, backing up into the rain downpour.
As he moved, Steve could feel himself begin to breathe once more. Until he glanced down at Dustin, who mumbled in his sleep as he turned over on his side. Dustin, who wouldn't have known the stalker was there, watching them. Dustin, who would have been defenseless if they'd gotten in.
What would Steve have woken up to, had he been able to fall to sleep? Would he have woken at all? Would Dustin have found another friend, dead, unable to save them?
Fury burned away the cold in his veins, and Steve couldn't think straight anymore. This wasn't a monster, this wasn't a bogeyman. It was a person. Just a man.
Steve snapped away from Dustin's sleeping form, eyes falling on the fire iron next to the door, the tip of it still covered in soot from him adjusting the fire pit around. Steve snagged it up into his hand, before unlocking the door and running outside into the rain in nothing but his boxers and wife beater. He could hear the sound of Dustin waking up, but he didn't wait for him.
The figure had already gotten strides away, covered in a heavy poncho that disguised most of their build and shape. Still, Steve could tell the man was a bit shorter than him, but taller than Dustin. It was nearly impossible to make out any more than that in the dark and the rain.
"Coward!" Steve yelled, and the figure stopped in their tracks. "I see you. I don't care who you are. I don't care. You're just a freak, and you don't scare me. Come back here and fucking face me like a man."
Steve could feel the mud and rocks under his feet, the chill biting at them, but he couldn't focus on it. All he could see was that person, his stalker, and how they turned slowly towards him. He'd struck some kind of nerve, apparently. Steve's grip on the fire iron tightened, and he took a few steps forward in the mud, rain wetting his hair down, making what little he was wearing heavy on his skin.
"Freak?" The man asked, and his voice wasn't familiar to Steve. It wasn't anything that stood out.
The door creaked behind Steve, as Dustin stepped outside onto the campers stairs. "Steve- Jesus, Steve. Come back in. Get away from him." Dustin said, voice switching from tired confusion to panic instantly.
"No, he's a pathetic little pissant who thinks he can threaten people to get what he wants, but I'm done. I'm not playing along." Steve snarled, angrier than he'd ever felt. He was going to beat his fucking face in and then drop him off at the police department, tell Hop, make the guy disappear.
"I'm done," Steve repeated, but Dustin just made a concerned noise from behind him.
The figure stood still for a minute, though he'd definitely taken notice of Dustin coming out. Maybe he'd run, realizing it would be two on one-
The man moved, shifting to his other foot, as he brought once hand under his poncho, before pulling out a pistol. It was clear as day, even though Steve couldn't say a type or make. The small amount of light that reflected off of it was enough. He took a few casual steps forward, and Steve felt himself take a step backwards instinctively. The gun was raised, and pointed directly at Dustin.
"Drop it, Harrington." The man said, and the fire went out.
Steve snapped his head in Dustin's direction, wet hair sticking to his cheek and brow. Dustin looked petrified, pale, from where he stood. He'd come down off the steps, closer to Steve, but not within reach. His clothes, too, were darkened from the rain pouring down over them.
"Steve, drop it." The man repeated, and waved the gun a little bit. "I have no issues with killing him. I'd enjoy it, actually."
Steve met Dustin's eyes, and sent him a silent apology. He should have never got him into all of this. He should have done a better job protecting him.
Steve's hand opened, and fire iron fell from it, into the mud. Steve swallowed hard, before his gaze moved back to the stranger. He'd gotten closer, boots heavy on the ground as each step few took felt like a bell toll. It wasn't until he stood right in front of Steve, that anyone spoke again.
"Ste-" Dustin tried to get out, sounding desperate, but he was quickly cut off.
"You move, and I gut him in front of you, Henderson. You know I'd enjoy it." The man was close enough that Steve could make out more of the lower portion of his face. Some stubble, squareish jaw, and what looked possibly like scars higher up on his cheek bone. Weird, Steve thought he'd remember someone with scars across their face if he'd gone to school with them.
Dustin clenched his jaw closed, but his eyes didn't stray from Steve.
"And you..." A free hand reached out, grabbing Steve's chin, thumb rubbing circles into the skin there. It was a mockery of intimacy, of affection and love. "So perfect, aren't you? He thinks so. Henderson thinks so. I thought so, until I realized how tainted you are. How you'll never be clean again because of him, his obsession with you. And you? You went along with it. You sold your soul and body."
Steve tried to flinch back, but the man pushed him backwards, until his shoulders were hitting the side of the camper, and the barrel of the gun was shoved under his chin. The man's touches became rougher, as large hands ran backwards into Steve's wet hair, grabbing into his scalp in a way that had him hissing in pain.
"I can't fix you, you're just whore that serves your master." the man mumbled, leaning in to Steve's ear. Hot breath tickling sensitive skin in a way that made Steve's skin crawl. But, it was only going to get worse. He pulled back only barely, letting go of Steve's hair in favor of running it down Steve's neck, down his front, stopping on his stomach. "I can't believe I used to idealize you."
With that, the man shoved forward, bringing their lips together. Steve protested against it, trying to pull away, but the man just took hold of Steve's lower lip between his teeth - biting it until it split and bled. It was only when he tasted blood that the man let him go.
Steve could feel blood and hot tears running down his face, a counterpoint to the cold evening air chilling his skin. The man stepped back, smiling to himself.
"I know who you are." Dustin said plainly, voice barely above a whisper, but it cut through his good mood like a knife. The man turned to him, scowling, grip tightening.
"You should." Dustin told him, and it was as much of a threat as it sounded. The stalkers focus split from Steve, to Dustin, and he moved towards Dustin instead.
Until sirens rang out in the distance, growing closer. The man whispered something to himself only, looking thoroughly disappointed, before he turned and marched away in the dark. No parting words, no nothing.
Steve immediately fell to his knees in the mud as soon as the man was out of right, retching into the soil, tears blurring his vision as his stomach emptied what little was in it. It wasn't enough, he could still taste him, could still taste the blood. A soft touch had Steve jerking away, but it was only Dustin, trying to get him up onto his feet.
"Let's get inside. You're safe now."
Was he? Would be ever be?
"Dustin..." Steve got out, voice breaking from where he was crouched. His feet, legs, filthy and freezing, Steve didn't know if they'd hold him right now.
"I know," Dustin whispered, and Steve could see the tear tracks on his face, how red his eyes were. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Steve. I'm so... This is all my fault, I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I'm...I'm-"
Steve grabbed him by the midsection, pulling him in close, until he could scream his pain and fears into warm skin. Dustin let him, lettting the rain fall over them, until Steve's throat was raw and gone and their campsite was flooded with red and blue flashing lights.
