youre safe
pairing - steve harrington x anxious fem!reader
summary - your biggest fear comes straight to you in the middle of the night and your boyfriend is there with open arms to help you through it.
tags - fluff, hurt/comfort, gentle steve harrington, fear related anxiety, power outage, kissing, season 2 steve, showering together
wc - 2.5k
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you were actively reaching for the phone to call your boyfriend when the power shut off. for all of hawkins in fact.
realistically, you shouldve sat in bed and read a book calmly while waiting for everything to turn back on. of course thats if "realistic" meant a complete different person reacting.
not only were you afraid of the dark, but your parents were on a business trip. which left you in your room, in the pitch black, with nothing to focus on but the soft whispers of leaves coming from your cracked window.
you shot up and slammed it closed as if it was a reflex.
for a few minutes you sat on your mattress and tried taking deep breaths. quietly reassuring yourself that itd all be okay and nothing would happen to you.
no one could get in, you had locked and unlocked and locked the doors 10 different times. your windows were shut and locked. you were safe in bed. comfortable aswell.
but to reassure yourself with such a frightened and clearly unstable mindset wasnt doing much for your confidence.
it was late.
you knew you couldnt and most likely shouldnt.
but steves house was only a block away.
without thinking, you stood from your bed and carefully made your way around your room to find your dresser and your lighter. once your hands scrambled in drawers and then on the wooden surface, you felt the cold glass container of your old emergency candle.
you quickly lit it just to see around as you started to pack a small bag with a shirt, socks, a brush, and perfume. everything else you would need for a night was already at steves.
you slipped into the only sneakers you had and stuck your dads stolen pocketknife in the waistband of your pants.
it took a lot of courage, but you picked up the lit candle and made your way through your darkened house cautiously and quietly as if it had been broken into.
all until you made it to the front door and faced the real challenge.
in a bigger picture, venturing off into the midnight streets of what most called a hell hole is not exactly smart. but to be locked in your house all alone in the dark felt much worse than a 10 minute walk.
your feet began walking before your head wrapped around where you were. you had taken off after locking the door.
walking as quick as possible and peaking over both shoulders every five seconds just in case.
"okay. youve got this. doooont even worry- everythings gonna be-" you stepped into a puddle and startled yourself with the splash.
also soaking entire bottom of your pants.
"gonna be.... fine."
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the walk, with the exception of a random 2 minute long shower of rain, was safe. a few snapped branches and soft screams of false fear here and there. yet you stood infront of steves door, not so standing proud, but standing at least.
you knocked three times before shoving your hand back in the pocket of your jacket and returning to your shivering state. after a few quick and sharp breaths, the door cracked open.
"babe?" steve squinted before opening the door completely.
the contrasting warm air from inside his house wafted against your face and you could nearly cry at the sensation.
he looked you up and down to take in your damp state that the surprise shower of rain mother nature chose to gracefully deliver to you had created.
"hi." your voice was hushed as if you felt like someone was watching you from behind steves bushes. "could i come in- u-uh please?" your hands were clambering to move hair out of your face. no matter how long youve been with steve, his face always made you a little flustered. including your highly distressed condition.
with the mixture of his eyes, filled to the brim with concern and confusion, the cold air, and the still-slightly-present fear, your head was a little frazzled and blank. you didnt even notice when he guided you inside by the waist, his hands then moving to your cheeks.
to him you looked like you had been through hell and back. beaten up or something. he gently looked over all of your face to check for bruises or cuts.
"im not hurt, steve." you carefully pulled his hand away and shifted to hold it tightly.
his eyebrows furrowed in silence as a way to communicate his questioning
"what happened?"
"did someone hurt you?"
"why'd you come here?"
he wanted to ask. you squeezed his hand and he squeezed back.
not once did he take his eyes off of you.
"i...the powers out." your eyes dart to your feet for a split second.
"ive noticed." he joked a little.
patiently, he stood in-front of you waiting for your head to push the words in the right order to make some sense of an explanation. he always gave you enough time.
all the time in the world if he could.
"i got...i panicked. the power went out and i heard stuff outside of my window and i couldnt see anything and it just felt like-" before your rambling could continue on, your voice cracked and the tears spilled without warning.
steves arms immediately took you into his chest, holding as tightly as possible. his hands pressed and smoothed over your hair repeatedly as he spoke.
"oh honey...its okay. its okay youre safe i swear."
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the soft whispers of comfort continued all the way up to his bedroom. his hand lingering on the small of your back despite the impossibility of you ever letting yourself slip from his grasp. you both walked into his room quietly and stood for a moment before steve reached into his drawers.
"do you want to shower? change or anything?" he cocked his head once he looked up from the few t shirts his hands rested upon. gently, just like you imagined back at your own house in the fear filled walls.
you nodded a little with a tender smile. obviously being soaked in the rain wasnt unusual for you in hawkins but it was still uncomfortable.
yet a part of could didnt want to shower. you wanted to stay frozen for a moment and a dark divided part of your body wanted to stay in a scarier place. one filled with pitch black rooms.
what if you were bothering steve by coming over so late?
almost on cue, he stepped over to you in two slow strides and held you once again. this time, spinning you around carefully to face away from him and tugging you against his chest. his chin laid on the top of your rain soaked hair and your own leaned back with a content sigh.
finally, everything started feeling safer. his hold really is the only thing to ease your mind.
no matter where your head could possibly wander, steves touch and scent and breath and existence was a clear road back to a simple loving moment.
"i love you."
he spoke quietly like he was scared to startle you.
your heart fluttered delicately just like his hands running up and down your arm.
"i love you too." you mumbled out.
"cmon i still have your shampoo and conditioner in there." he smiled and spun you back around to look him in the eyes. his arm trailed with grace from your jaw to your shoulder to your elbow then your hand. all with affection youve never quite felt before.
tonight felt so different.
you guessed it was because it was the first time you have broken down like this over the dark. such a silly fear to go insane over, youd tell yourself.
steve thought differently
and you guessed correctly.
ever since steve met you, he just wanted to keep you safe and make you feel loved. he never cared if it was platonically or romantically. deep down he just knew that out of all the many girls hes met and have tried to get with him....
you were true.
not pure or innocent.
true.
"do you want me to uh- shower with you?" he scratched his neck a little while turned away as you got undressed.
you looked at him and tapped his shoulder softly to let him know he could just turn around.
"yeah...please." you sounded quiet, almost small. either way, steve wanted to be in the shower with you but now hearing the quick and soft statement or more so plea, saying no was the last option.
the water felt like a million kisses on your skin but instantly fell unimportant when you felt steves actual kisses. his lips peppering over your shoulders and then to the space behind your ear that gave you immediate chills. a soft shiver slipped from you and he held you a little closer.
he swayed you side to side, taking you werent exactly in the state to move or care for yourself completely, he kept in mind to let the heated water run over both sides of you.
your hands held his arms surely to keep reminding yourself that he was here and real. all while he slowly scrubbed shampoo into your scalp.
both of your gazes scattered across the shower walls before locking together.
he let out a slow breath at the sight of you. still scared, still startled, still affected.
"hey" he mumbled under his breath, lifting his hand from your waist to your cheek.
"hey" you replied back with a counteract of a tone. a distant and almost guilty reply.
"im not gonna let anything happen to you, honey."
despite the water rushing down your face, he could easily differentiate your tears from the drops of water. his thumb carefully swiped away one of the tears.
"i promise." he squeezed your face faintly and gave a deep look of longing. longing for any sort of response that showed that you trusted his word.
all you could do was nod. deep down you knew he would protect you when in need. but some surface level anxiety wouldnt let up on the fear.
the both of you exchanged looks long enough before your hung your head down and against his chest. just briefly before looking back up.
"i know. i just cant remember it when i should."
he nodded with understanding written all over his face. understanding and concern.
"as long as i know you....i cant let anything happen to you" his voice became more of a whisper than a mumble, like he was scared of saying the sentence.
the thought of you being anything in his life other than a lover felt gut wrenching. but that didnt mean he wouldnt keep his promise.
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the bed sheets were freshly washed, it was easy to smell the soft powdery scent and feel the blank slate of a bedding set beneath your body. you got in the bed first and steve followed after turning on three lamps. one he had for himself, the other stolen from his moms room, and another taken from his living room. its not like his parents would notice.
he specifically grabbed extra ones just so you wouldnt have to sleep in the dark.
as soon as steve hopped under the covers, you curled into yourself and underneath his arm. steve held you just as tightly as usual but with more desperation in his fingers now.
you held him close by clutching the seam of his t shirt and shoving your head against his chest. the only thing that gave you any grounding emotions was him. his scent, his eyes, his hands, anything to relate to steves presence soothed you enough. even if it wasnt obvious.
silence made space for itself in the room for a while. all the words that realistically had needed to be said, were already said. you laid quietly with the top of your head nudged close against steves chest. you rested atop him like he was a pillow. a pillow with arms, thank god.
you assumed that both of you were staring at the ceiling and attempting to find a sense of calm between this silence. but steves only peace, the only thing that gave him his own reassurance, was looking down at you.
the soft flutter of your eyelids as exhaustion began to take over your body. your tightening and loosening grasp on steves hand and shirt simultaneously . the way your wet hair draped over his chest and started to leave a dark spot in his shirt. the rhythmic beat of your heart that was simple to spot with the quiet within the walls.
all of your features
every last one on display for him to adore.
steve leaned down from his heads place on his pillow and kissed your hairline while he squeezed your waist into him.
"ive got you" he muttered quietly.
even as you were on the brink of falling asleep on top of him, you managed to lift your head and turn to face up at him. he took your small shift as a sign and kissed you slowly. savoring each crease of your lips.
steves mouth tasted a little bit too much like mint for you to not joke.
it was only a joke because of your first ever kiss. the two of you sat on steves couch watching a movie. he left the room just to freshen his breath ended up being far too obvious.
"fresh" you broke the silence.
steve laughed so hard you could see a vein popping out of his forehead.
thats when you knew his laugh would be your one of your favorite parts of him.
besides, it was better to lighten the mood than sit it the fears ghost of an attendance.
"mmm...fresh" you laughed and dipped your head against his.
he scoffed and shook his head, running his fingers through your hair lovingly.
"thats never been a bad thing babe."
you nodded, agreeing and letting your laugh fade into a calm smile.
steve stared shamelessly at your curved lips. his fingers held your chin up to kiss you again. your lips wrapping around eachothers with a slow tempo.
the two of you separated to admire eachother before you rested your head against his chest once again.
"youre beautiful baby."
your cheeks flushed shades of red and pink like always. you werent ever good at taking compliment but steve helped you almost everytime.
which was often as long as you two were near eachother.
"seriously so so gorgeous" he shook his head in disbelief at the fact that you were real.
you spoke out a small 'thank you' and nudged against his arm. one hand rest over your hand that held his stomach, his other hand holding your side.
you fell asleep before steve but eventually, both of you fell asleep, finally at peace for the first time that night.
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authors note - heyy this is my first steve harrington post or fic im a little nervy but ohhhhh my god my man
