you ‘volunteer’ to be bait for a demo & your boyfriend is not happy about it…
ⓘ CW. angst, fluff. mentions of death & injury. steve being overprotective…and needy. crying, hugging, comfort, resolved tension! steve is such a sweetheart it kinda made me tear up while writing. lowercase intended bc apparently it's tumblr etiquette
this wasn’t supposed to happen. not like this. not now.
his eyes are trained on you, flickering over your face as if it might be his last time to truly see it. because what if it is?
“you’re all stupid. i can’t believe you convinced her—“
steve is cut off by dustin with an offended sigh. “no on convinced her anything, she volunteered! she wanted to be the bait!”
your boyfriend grits his teeth, shaking his head with distain.
yeah, because you’d rather volunteer to be bait than let any of the younger kids do it. no one actually wants to be fucking bait.
“why, why, why…” steve whispers, mostly to himself as he stares at your frazzled eyes. you’re scared—no—petrified.
there’s the familiar sound of something inhuman lurking around the woods, but you can’t quite see it. you can only sense it with a trickling fear cascading over your body like a second skin.
nancy stands beside steve, gun aimed and controlled as they stare at you from a distance. he swallows thickly as she adjusts the direction of the barrel.
he hates how close a bullet is gonna be to you.
he hates how close death is gonna be to you.
focus, he reminds himself. eyes treading into the abyss of you quivering on sunken dirt, he grits his teeth and sighs.
nothing about this makes him feel okay at all. he hates this—he’s scared, he’s angry, and god—he’s so so so sad. sad that this is your lives. this is 'normal' somehow.
a breeze of wind makes everyone shift on their feet—including nancy. once the breeze calms down, steve finally tries to let out another breath.
but as soon as his lips part, they smack back together while a gun shot rings through the air.
once.
twice.
and so. many. more. times.
the disgusting sound of mutant creatures scratching drowns in the somber air.
it’s silent.
too silent.
he can’t bring himself to look up at where you’re supposed to be standing. he’s scared you won’t be standing—he’s horrified you might be torn apart in pieces.
“steve.”
nancy’s voice pulls him back to reality. she offers a sympathetic smile before nudging her head in your direction.
and he looks.
“sweetheart?” his voice shakes, his hands trembling as he sees you staring at the new corpse laid by your feet.
god, he knows that look. he’s lived that look.
it’s so confusing. to fight for your life and see the true gore of it. and selfishly, seeing someone or something die reminds you of how easy it really is to lose a fight.
“hey…” steve whispers, voice barely a whisper as he approaches you slowly. his face scrunches as you wince from his arm wrapping around your shoulders. he almost excepts you to shrug him off…but you don’t.
you can’t.
“is it really…dead?”
oh.
his heart lurches in his chest. you sound so…wounded.
so broken.
this is why he never let you even attempt to help with these things. because he can’t watch the person he loves the most get sucked into this terrible shit too.
he can’t watch you live in survival mode because he knows what that does to a person.
“hey…” he swivels you around, hiding your face in his neck. “-don’t think about that right now, okay? just…breathe.”
you let go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding. steve holds you a bit tighter as the tension leaves your shoulders, biting back the anger as his worries push forward.
“are you okay? are you hurt at all?” he swallows loudly while pulling you closer into his embrace.
“no, no…i…i’m okay. just, um, i…it’s…”
“it’s a lot. i know. trust me,” he places a kiss on your head, cradling your hair in his palm, “-i know. i’m here for you, whatever you need, just…just please—don’t do that again.”
you sigh against him. “i’m sorry, i just…couldn’t sit back and watch a kid do this, steve. it’s just…it’s not right.”
unfortunately, he understands. he gets it all too well.
“i get that, sweetheart, but…don’t be a hero.”
“steve—“
“i’m serious,” he pulls away, just enough to look you in the face to truly emphasize his point, “-don’t be a hero. i can take care of the kids, but i—i don’t think i can do anything if i don’t have you at the end of the day.”
you nod, too emotional to respond with words. steve sighs with relief from your acknowledgment, holding you back into a tight hug.
a lump gathers in his throat as he squeezes the same phrase out again—
“god, i...don’t…don’t do that again, baby. Please, just—just—don’t be a hero.”
paige’s notes . . . womp womp. im emotional and putting it into my writting...what's new lol. um…i’m sorry if this isn’t as detailed. i just had an idea & really needed to write it asap lol.
any interaction is deeply appreciated! especially comments & reblogs, i love hearing feedback 💕
comment to be added to my steve/joe taglist!
also shoutout to @enchantedmoonlight13 & @moonstoneandmoonlight for inspiring me to write more steve stuff hehe. & also my baby @losthopelover -- ilysm, like....sooooooo much <3
After saving the world, you're plagued with nightmares of your boyfriend falling from the radio tower.
pairing: steve harrington x henderson!reader
words: 2.1k
contains: heavy angst, eventual fluff, established relationship, character death (but not really), graphic descriptions of fatal injuries, nightmares, description of a panic attack, near death experienc, lots of trauma, use of pet names for reader (baby, sweet girl), female reader, no use of y/n, she/her pronouns for reader.
author's note: steve angst lovers please rise! this one got me i won't lie. i hope that the action is okay too, struggled a lot with that but we got there in the end!
taglist | masterlist | 3k special masterlist | requests page
Red lightning flashed across the sky and the radio WSQK tower seemed to groan beneath you as you lean slightly over the railing to see just how high up you were. You swallow when you realise that you were so high up that you couldn’t even see the ground. The thought that this could be a mission you wouldn't come back from briefly crosses your mind.
“You be careful now, baby,” comes Steve’s voice, his hand falling on your lower back like an anchor that reels you back in. Your boyfriend seems to have a midas touch when it comes to reassuring you because your shoulders relax almost instantly, your body always so attuned to his. “Dustin will kill me if I let you fall.”
The corners of your lips twitch into an almost smile. “If I fall—Dustin would be fine as long as he got my bedroom,” you say, a quick glance back over the edge before you step away from the railing and look at Steve.
He looked stupidly good in that backwards cap that sat on top of his head. You knew he had worn it for your sake, you knew it the moment he had slid it on and winked over at you. You wanted to be mad at him but you told yourself you’d get him back for it later. If there was a later.
“Funny,” Steve murmurs, zero amusement in his eyes as he looks back at you, his fingers curling into your jacket like he was trying to ground himself. “But I’m serious, if you fall I—”
“—Steve,” you interrupted him before he could let the thought in, your hand reaching for his in an attempt to reassure him with skin against skin. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be—”
“No, no, no, guys—it’s not lining up.”
Your blood turns cold at those words. A horrible sense of foreboding creeps in.
“What do you mean it’s not lining up?” Steve asks Lucas in a slightly panicked voice while you look up at the tower needle, at the rocky surface of the abyss above that was coming down. Your eyes focused on deep rifts that were emitting an eerie red glow that did not align with the needle.
“Look! The tower needle. It’s not lining up with the rift.”
“Shit!” Steve exclaims, his hand in yours tightening, his fear palpable as the abyss moved ever closer.
You could feel your heart pounding in your chest. You couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Steve’s hand in yours and trying to ignore that feeling deep in your gut that felt an awful lot like dread.
Because that if the abyss hit that needle—the tower was going right down with it.
Everything moved quickly after that. Dustin was frantic as he yelled down his walkie at Hopper. The others around you scramble to hold onto something, anything and Steve drops your hand so that he could grab you around the waist, pulling you against him as you all braced for impact.
You look up at him, seeing the fear in his eyes. “Steve, I love—”
“—don’t you dare say that, baby. Don’t you—”
“Watch out!”
The moment that the tower needle crashes into the rocky surface of the abyss, the whole tower moves.
The platform beneath you shakes violently. Everything feels uneven. Figures move around you as the others stumble, as they cling onto the railing like it was their very last hope.
And Steve—he slips backwards, letting you go so that he doesn’t pull you with him.
“Steve!” You cry out, your hand frantically trying to reach his but to no avail. He stumbles back before smacking into the railing on the other side of the platform.
You don’t think—your grip slips from the metal railing as you go to rush after him, to save him but—
The sound of metal groaning above you makes everyone look up.
You felt as though you were frozen as you watched the needle bend—the sound seeming to reverberate through you. Shrill. Piercing.
You barely have time to comprehend what was about to happen before the needle finally snaps.
“Look out! Look out! Look out!”
You knew it was Steve’s voice but in your panic, you couldn’t think of anything else besides getting to the man that you loved.
Someone screams out your name. Once, twice. You were sure that it was Dustin. You were sure he was yelling at you to stop. That it was too late. But as the needle falls, as it crashes onto the railing besides Steve—everything else ceases to exist.
Because the railing snaps off and Steve stumbles back.
Your world tilts—everything feels as though it was moving in slow motion as you try to reach for Steve’s hand. There was a moment when your fingers brushed against his. When your skin touched his and for that moment—you almost believed that everything would be okay. But your hands were too clammy to hold on to him and he slipped right through your fingertips.
“Steve!” You cry out, your voice breaking along with everything else inside of you as you watch Steve Harrington—the man you loved, the guy who had only hours earlier promised that he’d marry you the second all of this was over—tumbles over the edge of the platform.
A sense of numbness swept over you. A numbness that creeps down to the tips of your fingers. A numbness that makes it hard to comprehend what had just happened. Because Steve Harrington could not be dead.
You move without really thinking. Someone yells your name again as you look over the edge, expecting to see Steve—expecting to see him hanging from the platform with one hand. But you only see darkness below.
The moment you realise that no one—not even Steve Harrington—could survive that fall was the moment that the truth finally hits you—brutal and absolute.
Steve Harrington was dead and there was nothing you could do.
A scream rips from your throat, one that pulls at your vocal chords. One that feeds on the agony of seeing the love of your life being claimed by gravity. You barely feel the tears spilling down your cheeks, barely feel the hands that were grabbing you, pulling you away from the edge to stop you from joining Steve in death.
You hear your name being called frantically and in your grief, it almost sounds like Steve. But you knew it wasn’t because he was dead. He had plummeted to the ground and he was dead. His body lay broken on the ground five hundred feet beneath you, his bones smashed to pieces, his skull caved in from the impact of the fall. The heart you had once fallen asleep listening to no longer beating and those big, hazel eyes of his unseeing.
It didn’t feel real.
It wasn’t real.
It couldn’t be real—
You jolt, your body trembling as you wake. You felt cold. Everything felt cold. Your hands shook violently and a violent sob ripped through your body before you could stop it. The image of Steve falling replaying over and over again in your head—
“Baby, baby, baby—please—.”
You don’t even register the fact you had been thrashing violently in Steve’s arms until you heard his voice. Until his arms tightened around you, until he had grabbed your wrist to stop you from hurting him or yourself.
Steve.
Alive. Alive. Alive.
But he couldn’t be.
You had watched him fall over the platform edge. You had seen the sheer terror in his eyes right before he had fallen. The fear. The panic. The realisation that he was going to fall five hundred feet to his death. The realisation that he was leaving you behind, that the future you had planned together would never come to fruition.
“Y-you’re n-not re-real,” you cry out, your sobs that are so heavy that they shook your entire body. “Y-you’re de-dead—”
“—baby, I’m not dead,” Steve tells you, his voice breaking as he holds you, his arms around your waist tightening as he pulls you back against him, trying desperately to ground you. “Listen to my voice, I’m not—”
“—b-but I-I saw—”
“—I know baby,” Steve murmurs, pressing his lips to your temple as he pulls you close as though trying to fuse the two of you together. “I know what you saw and it’s not real, okay? I’m real. I’m here. I’m alive. Please believe me, please—”
But it was difficult to tell what was real and what was not when everything around you felt blurry, when your body felt as though it was still up on the platform watching him fall. You felt cold, you couldn’t stop shaking and despite knowing deep down it was just a dream—that Steve had never fallen from the radio station, that he had been pulled to safety by Jonathan—the grief you had felt was still all consuming. You felt it in every bone, every nerve, every cell in your body and all your boyfriend could do was hold you while you cried.
It wasn’t the first time you had a nightmare about him falling from the tower and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
“I got you,” Steve tells you. His own voice cracking as he struggles to control his own emotions at the sight of your distress before gently manoeuvring your body so that you could face him. “I got you, baby. I always got you, okay?”
It was when your eyes finally met his and you saw life in them—saw none of the terror and panic that you had seen right before he had fallen—that you started to focus back on reality.
Steve. Beside you. In bed. Warm.
Steve. Alive. Holding you.
Steve. Alive.
“S-Steve?” You murmur out, your breathing uneven as your fingers unclench before they reach for him—for the coarse hair that covers his chest. Your fingers slide through the hair there so that you could feel his heart beating beneath your palm.
“Yeah. I’m here, baby,” he tells you in a thick voice, his arms like a vine around your waist as he pulls you flush against him. “Not going anyway. Okay?”
You nod, small sniffles escaping you now as you lean forward to bury your head into his chest. The thump, thump, thump of his heartbeat against your eardrum—the reminder that he was still here, that he was still alive—making the panic that had built up inside of you settle. It didn’t leave, the anxiety of losing Steve never truly left but it settled. Because he was here. He was alive.
“I’m sorry i-if I w-woke you up,” you say quietly, dreading to think of what you had done, what you had said whilst you had been dreaming. If you had screamed, if you had yelled out in terror as Steve had fallen from view—
“Don’t apologise,” Steve tells with a small shake of his head. “Please don’t—”
“—I just—y-you can tell m-me if it’s to-too much.”
There was a moment of silence and then—
“Sweet girl, you could never be too much,” he tells you in a voice that was somehow both firm and gentle. “I promise you. Never.”
You nod, blinking away the tears that still lingered before you look back at him.
“I just—I-I love you so fucking much and—almost losing you it—it—it just—”
“—hey, hey, hey,” Steve soothes you so lovingly and gently that you could burst. “I love you too, baby. But you didn’t lose me, yeah? Not going to leave my girl when I still need to put a ring on her finger.”
That pulls another laugh out of you and Steve’s beams at the sound of it.
“There she is,” he hums, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to your cheek. “My love. My light. My future wife.”
Your face burns but you can’t help but feel warm inside at his words.
“Sap,” you murmur, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you look at him.
“I’m your sap,” he tells you, one his hands cradling the back of your head gently while the other rubs up and down your back—a motion that acts as a soothing balm to the deep ache in your chest. “And I’m here for as long as you want me.”
You let out a small laugh despite everything and Steve feels something tightening in his chest at the sound as you pull away enough to look up at him with eyes that were still glassy with tears.
“Is forever okay?” You ask him in a voice so quiet that Steve had to lean in to hear.
Steve smiles faintly, lifting one large hand to wipe away the tears that had spilled down your cheeks with his thumb. “Forever is more than okay,” he tells you sincerely before leaning in and pressing his lips against yours. You melt into it. His lips against yours yet another remainder that he was alive. That he was real.
Hope you enjoy, feedback is always immensely appreciated!
Masterlist
Warnings: Passing out, that's about it.
The wind swept across your face as you hurried along the busy streets of New York, arms loaded with stuff you picked up during your grocery run. 2 bags in both hands, a bouquet of flowers squeezed between your left arm and torso, keys dangling from your pinky.
To say it’d been a busy day was an understatement, everything that could’ve gone wrong sure did go wrong.
The choice to break in your new flats was a mistake you begrudgingly had to own up to, although everything else had been out of your hands.
You’d woken up with a lingering headache, one that felt like it was still deciding if it would break out into a horrible migraine or would fizzle out into a "gotcha" moment. A shower did nothing to ease the annoying sensation in your brain so you figured you’d just try to ignore it despite Joe leaving some pain medication for you on the kitchen counter before leaving for the studio that day.
He’d walked into the bathroom where you were brushing your teeth, gave you a gentle kiss on your cheek and rubbed his nose against the spot after. “I’ll come home early today so I can help you get everything ready for tonight okay?” You just nodded, looking at his reflection in the mirror while you continued to brush your teeth.
You’d planned a small get together with the friend group to celebrate Courtney’s birthday, but Joe knew how busy you'd been lately. Work was lovely but a pain, deadlines due, annoying coworkers, etc. Meanwhile you were trying to juggle dog-sitting your friends dog who was on vacation for 2 weeks, taking shifts with her mom since you couldn't keep a dog at your apartment. You also promised Kate you'd help her film some angles of her paintings to put on her website as she was gearing up for another exposition, and finally Courtney's party. Although she'd never call it a party, you considered it one. You felt very strongly about your friends, so every time a birthday or important milestone came up, you took it very seriously.
When you finally twisted the key into the lock of your apartment door, you felt like it was the first time you actually inhaled. You'd been racing from place to place across the city and now you had less than 2 hours to put everything into organized bags and make sure you didn't look like a crazy cat lady with a birds nest sitting on top of her head.
About 20 minutes after you got home, you heard the lock of the front door turn, smiling tiredly as you saw Joe walk into the kitchen. Your chest tightened when he took you into his arms without hesitation, making you softly put down the scissors you were using to cut a piece of wrapping paper for Court's gifts. His arms wrapped around your waist like it was their sole mission, hands resting on your lower back as he leaned in for a kiss. "How's your head baby?" You shrug and nuzzle into the crook of his neck, leaving light pecks. "I take it not good since you're clinging to me like a koala." He tried to keep his tone light, but couldn't help the worry seeping through. "Am not." Your muffled voice exclaims, still seeking refuge in the comfort of his warmth.
A sigh leaves his lips as he spots the bottle of painkillers left untouched on the counter, in the exact spot he left it for you. "You know it's okay to take meds sometimes right? Especially if it'll make you feel better. You don't always have to suffer through it." At that you raise your head and are immediately met with his beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. "I know, I just... It wasn't painful enough to take anything. I think I'm just tired." Nodding, he looks at you, like, really looks at you. Sometimes you think he's trying to memorize every single inch of your face, like he's afraid you might disappear if he looks away.
"You're too stubborn for your own good sometimes." "Thankfully only sometimes." You chuckle as you release your grip on him and get back to cutting the wrapping paper.
"So where do you want me? Matt and Veronica will be here in like an hour." After you tell him what else needs to be done, he gets to work and a peaceful silence washes over the kitchen.
The door creaks open as you enter the upstairs bathroom to start getting ready so Matt and Veronica don't have to wait on you.
About 40 minutes pass when you hear a knock. “Babe you don’t have to knock just come in.” You gently say as you apply your lipgloss. The door creaks open, revealing Joe who had changed in the bedroom while you were getting ready. “How are you feeling sweetheart?” His fingers gently stroke your temple. “Like a bulldozer ran over my brain and then the driver used it to wipe the floor.” He cringes, knowing it’s not gonna get better without help. “Baby, I think you should really take some Advil.” You nod, knowing he’s right.
“I will, I’ll take some at Courtney’s when we're having dinner. Don’t wanna upset my stomach raw dogging it.”
Although your reasoning definitely made sense, Joe still made a mental note to remind you. You were no stranger to forgetting about yourself once you got distracted by the people around you.
"Will you do my dress up for me baby?" He looked at your reflection in the mirror. Beautiful big eyes staring up at him, collecting your hair in one hand and pulling it over your shoulder so he could easily access the zipper. "Have I confessed my love and adoration yet for you today?" He mumbles while he does up the zipper without his eyes leaving yours. "Is it a confession if it's on your Wikipedia page?" You chuckle, brushing against his hand as he puts it on your shoulder. He snorts and shakes his while he bends down to kiss your neck. "Let me love on you."
You lift your head, wincing as the bathroom light directly burns into your eyes. "I'd love for you to, but Matt and Ronnie will be here anytime now and I don't want you to start something you can't finish." The suggestive tone is obvious and you feel him smirk into your neck and he starts to nip at your skin a bit more aggressively, but before he can take it further, the doorbell rings. "Saved by the bell." he groans and straightens his back, squeezing your waist before he makes his way downstairs, leaving you to get your shoes in the bedroom.
As you make your way down the stairs, you hear the familiar laughter of Matt and Veronica echoing through the apartment, but before you can smile, a dizzy spell hits you, making you halt halfway on the stairs.
"Ay, wassup girl!" You hear Matt say loudly, not realizing your distant stare as you try to ground yourself. Meanwhile Joe and Veronica are already gathering the bags you'd prepared, Ronnie had given you a quick hi and wave but instantly focused on helping Joe since you were running a bit late.
When you don't reply, Matt takes a couple steps closer to you, finally noticing the lack of reaction. "Are you okay?" He asks, putting one of his hands on yours while you tightly cling onto the railing.
The world is still spinning, so you shake your head to hopefully clear your vision. Bad idea. The pain in your skull erupts like a sleeping volcano randomly deciding to spew out all the gunk it'd been keeping in for years. A groan escapes your lips as you squeeze your eyes shut, fireworks being set off behind your closed eyelids. Feeling incredibly unstable, you bend forward, trying to lean your head on the railing.
"Ow, I gotcha I gotcha," Matt says, springing into action as he tries to grab your shoulders, trying to ground you. "Joe!"
The urgency is apparent in his voice, you notice that much and you're just trying to stay conscious so you're pretty sure it sounds even worse for Joe and Veronica.
Two pairs of footsteps approach you, making you straighten your back to look at them, for a split second forgetting about the dizziness. "Baby," Joe starts, but he doesn't get to finish his sentence as he watches you plummet to the ground. A shriek leaves Veronica's lips watching it all unfold before her but thankfully the two men spring into action. Matt grabs your arms over the railing, not having enough time to make his way around the staircase but thankfully Joe does have enough time from where he is stood. He grabs your waist as your knees hit the steps below the one you were standing on, not allowing the rest of your body to hit the ground. A groan leaves his body as he takes your dead weight and tries not to stumble off of the stairs himself.
"Baby! Baby!" You don't react, fully out which makes the trio even more worried. "You got her?" Matt asks, in an awkward position, holding part of your weight as he holds your arms up. "Yeah I got her." Joe huffs, prepared to take more of your weight as Matt slowly lowers your arms before coming around to help Joe take you into his arms. Because of your awkward position, Joe still has to keep you up with both arms or you'd still take a nasty smack to the ground. "Here, I got her legs." Matt exclaims, a focused look on his face as him and Joe work together.
In the meantime, Veronica has run to the kitchen to get a cold rag and some water, which she returns with as the guys try to gently lay your unconscious body on the couch.
"She's still not awake?" She'd hoped it had been like a split second zone out, but you were really still out. It had lasted for a solid 20 seconds now, which she guessed still wasn't that long, but still too long for comfort.
Joe kneels in front of you, tapping your cheek as he tries to wake you up.
"Come on darling, open your eyes." His voice sounds strangled, unsure, desperate. He just wanted you to wake up, not having to doubt on when to call 911. At least if you were conscious he could check in with you, ask you questions, assess the situation better. He hadn't even noticed that Veronica had passed the cold rag to Matt, who put it gently on your forehead. "Thank guys." He looks up briefly, seeing the worry in the couple's eyes. "Has this happened before?" Matt asks, but Joe just shakes his head while he focuses back in on you. "No, she'd been complaining about a headache, but she said it wasn't bad enough to take Advil." "Maybe she's just overworked, didn't you say you had barely gotten to see her these past couple of weeks." "Yeah.." If that was the case, he'd be so grateful. It'd mean he could fix this. It'd mean he'd be able to take charge next time he looked for the signs, it'd mean he could prevent this from happening again. Still stroking your cheek, Joe leaned in closer. Cheek to cheek. "Come on sweetheart, come back to me." His whispers faint, only for your ears to hear.
All of a sudden Veronica speaks up. "Do you guys have rubbing alcohol?" Joe props up at that. "Yeah?" Veronica looks at him expectantly, urging him on. "Downstairs bathroom, second cabinet." She disappears before he can ask her anything, so he focuses his gaze onto Matt who puts up his hands in the air innocently. "Don't ask me." "Well she's your wife." "That doesn't mean I can mind reader brother." The back and forth halts when Ronnie returns, rubbing alcohol in one hand, box of cotton balls in the other. "Here, hold this under her nose." Joe doesn't bother questioning it and does what he's told. Because the alcohol evaporates so quickly, they repeat the process a couple of times. Each time, Veronica soaks the cottons balls more, hoping it'd give off a stronger scent.
The room becomes lighter when they watch you squeeze your eyes. Not opening them, but there's movement, which is a good sign. "Baby? Hey, can you hear me?" A groan escapes your lips. While you can hear the stress and hopefulness in his voice, you're still only just coming around. You feel disgusting and still quite dizzy, but at least you're back to the land of the living. It takes you a couple more seconds, but then you slowly open your eyes, seeing three very worried faces bent over you. "Okay well that's definitely progress." Matt says, smiling slightly. Then you focus in on Joe's expression. Poor guy looked like just lost his puppy around New York. "Hey, you're okay. We got you." His lips find your forehead, wanting to offer nothing but comfort since you still looked a bit confused and dazed. "Joe." His eyes close at the sound of your voice, so thankful he gets to hear that again. Your vision becomes clearer while you look into each other's eyes. "Do you remember what happened?" He asks, softly stroking your hair. "Yeah I saw Matt and all of a sudden had a crazy dizzy spell and well... I guess I just felt like laying down after that." You try to joke but Joe isn't laughing. "Scared us half to bits, girl." Ronnie says, half serious half trying to make the room a bit lighter. You look at her with a sheepish expression. "Sorry."
"How are you feeling now?" Joe asks, still edge. "Fine, well, I mean, better than earlier that's for sure." "Right,..." He gets up slowly without saying anything else and you look questioningly to Matt.
"You know you could've just said hi. Didn't have to do all this to greet me." That got a proper laugh out you, which you can tell he's happy with. "I'll keep that in mind for next time." He nods and smiles wider this time, glad to see you get back to yourself.
As a more comfortable silence washes over the room, Joe rejoins the group, Advil in one hand and crackers in the other. "You're not waiting another second for that painkiller." You can tell he's forcing himself to act more nonchalant, as if the whole situation hadn't upset him the way it has. He was definitely trying to put on a brave face to not make you worry about him, but you can see right through him. While he crouches back down and focuses on getting a pill out of the bottle, you grab his attention by combing your fingers through his hair. He instantly stalls his actions and looks towards you. "I'm okay, I promise you." At that, he smiles, more genuine this time and leans down to peck your lips. "I know..."
You know he blames himself for not paying closer attention and shake your head lightly. "It's not your fault." "I should've seen it coming, should've been more on your ass about the painkillers, and I definitely should've lovingly advised you to not take on so much work."
"Lovingly advised." You repeat after him, smiling like an idiot. "Yeah yeah, laugh at me all you want. You know I'll never stop you from doing anything you set your mind to, but I can still speak up when you're getting ahead of yourself." "I know baby, but that's not your responsibility." He scoffs at that but his smile is wider now. "As your amazing, responsible, loving boyfriend I make it my responsibility. The world is not ready for an unleashed force like you. Gotta reel you in sometimes." He can see the heart eyes you're making when he says that and leans closer.
"I think my amazing, responsible, loving boyfriend, should kiss me right now." At that, Joe moves even closer but halts when he hears gagging noises. "Okay that's our queue. We'll say hi to Court for you guys. Try not to eat each other's faces while we're still in close vicinity."
You laugh loudly while Joe drops his head on your chest, realizing he kinda forgot about his friends being in the room for a second. "Thank you, love you, have fun." He yells, giving them a wave.
When he hears the door shut, he looks up at you. The realization of what had just happened settling in.
