“Are you okay?” “Well, Nancy, I think I’d have you look yourself in the mirror and ask the same question.” He hadn’t meant for it to come off as snarky by any means, but it almost seemed like a ridiculous question to ask. How could any of them be okay? What with everything they’ve been through, and the fact they had to keep it some giant secret, because not only would the government completely annihilate them, but also because they might get sent to the mental house for that kind of shit.
He groaned, rubbing at his temples, shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s possible to be okay anymore. Surviving? Sure. But okay? That’s a big leap.” For him to be saying this all to her, it was a lot. It was something he had been bottling in ever since Dustin Henderson had first introduced him to all this garbage. Normally, Steve would have put on a brave and heroic face, especially for her. But with the end of the world looming over their shoulders, there was no place for lies and pretend. Steve was all about being honest and raw.
“I like to pretend I’m okay. That we are the heroes in some big action movie, and everything is going to be fine. But then I see another person die. And another. And another.” Barb had been one thing. He had felt horrible, sure, but it had seemed like an out of nowhere crime. Now death was surrounding them, and Steve couldn’t help but wonder when one of them would be next. “But then the nightmares come. Or the flashbacks. Or there’s certain triggers that send me spiraling, and I realize, fuck no, I’m not okay. I’m pretty broken, actually.”
@suchbllshit
