[ interquel to hideaway and runaway. ]
"s-stop, please!"
"she's screaming, you know."
"..."
"her cries, she's begging for me not to touch you."
"shut up! stop it!"
"you know, i bet this is what you wanted, michael wheeler."
"l-let go of me, help! he...
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➵
THEY DON'T SPEAK ABOUT THE black veins that were still sprouting out and expanding from the ruins of her, yet again, bloody knuckles when Steve was finally able to embrace the broken beauty again from behind without getting his jaw socked. And she was shivering; fear and guilt filling her lungs when her glossy eyes spilled humanity, and every time she closed her eyes - Hell, even blinking in a sense - the suicidal woman would flash and it only encouraged more whimpers to leave her throat when her grip on Steve's arms tightened.
They don't speak about how the patches of red that ripped in the depths of her knuckles curled into black like the colour of dead angel wings because the two teenagers knew more than enough that this was bad, this was Claudia's way of purely showing that weakness had taken over. That the Mind Flayer was so close to having her, that fighting was fucking useless.
Steve still cradled her, still chanted that she's okay, you're okay, you're here with me, me, your brother after Claudia cried about how this was her fault, it's my fault, I did this, it's all my fault! And the younger brunette tried to engulf Steve's words in, let herself be reminded that the nightmare was over, that the Mind Flayer was allowing her to have her body again for the day before God knows when he'd take control. In fact, he could literally possess her again right here, right now, the girl was so powerless. powerless. unsteady.
It was 2am, but the Harrington boy was used to these times. He's had his fair share of his own nightmares too, so when he'd heard the blood-curling scream pitch in through his ears that night, he was quick to grip on the nailed bat and run to Claudia. Because with a scream like that, she was in trouble, Mind Flayer or not, Steve had to save her.
They don't speak about the incident when the older boy gave Claudia the smallest advantage of being taller than him but propping her up on the kitchen bench, fiddling his way through the first aid kit for gauze and grasping on a wet enough cloth. Steve's been cut with glass before; dropping expensive things, smashing the abandon windows at the junkyard when he just wanted an excuse to hit something, even good ol' Billy Hargrove smashed his head with a plate. But for tonight, he received a little cut under his eye when the mirror couldn't take Claudia's hits anymore and basically exploded into shards. The smart feeling lingered, but it was nothing compared to what he's had before. Steve took a mental note that he's have to treat the cut after treating Claudia, he promised that to himself; he had to look after her before himself. And he didn't really care that much that there was no response from when he murmured, "Squeeze my hand if it hurts too much," when he started to apply pressure to the first hand.
Claudia didn't.
But as much as they didn't speak before, they do speak when Steve was finished with the gauze and what should be red on the cloth, was black and Steve was carefully watching the way that the younger teenager stared into the distance like a statue like if she moved the slightest, the waterworks would start up again. A game of patience, it was like that for five minutes before Steve rested a hand on her shoulder, "Missy, hey, look at me," He whispered.
She didn't.
"Talk to me, okay? I want you to talk to me about anything, what you're thinking, whatever is bugging your mind," And Steve was stern with his words, but the hoarse of his tired voice softened it out. He nearly jumped when the teary cloudy eyes - that were losing their bright colour of hazel and turning it into a sore grey - flickered so they were trained on his empathetic ones.
Her head tilted a little, her focus filled up on Steve and she sniffled, "I'm the monster," Just three simple words to make her puffy red cheeks grow more, and skin that once was pale only drained more of its colour. The bags darkened, loss of hope. Claudia was drained. And she let out a hiccup, "this is what he's wanted all this time. To...to make me a monster."
Voice breathless and still in shock, the older boy felt like he was crumbling under her presence because he felt like crying too, he wanted to, because she doesn't deserve this, "Claudia, no, please don't say that-"
"-My mum is dead because of m-me. If I hadn't left like the selfish brat that I am, then she'd still be alive. She'd be-she'd be okay and...h-happy," She was crying, it was a shock that there are so many tears still coming out and Steve was quick to wipe them away with his thumb, biting the inside of his cheek worriedly and hopelessly when he listened. Claudia's chin trembled and quivered when her breaths hitched, "He's taking over and I'm just letting him in, I'm giving in. And I don't want to, but being- I can't keep suffering like this. Steve I'm so...I'm s-sorry, okay? I'm trying so hard but he's so too powerful, too strong."
Staying strong wasn't easy, it never is and never will be, "I know, Claudia. He's hurting you and you've been holding on for way too long," He mumbled, sending her a small ghost smile, "but don't apologise, don't apologise for something that isn't your fault. Don't ever apologise because of him, okay? You're not a monster, you never are and never will be."
Claudia wanted to apologise again for apologising, but instead just stayed still and nodded her head slowly, "Okay," The girl is submissive, gives in to Steve. Even if she doesn't believe enough. She's still a monster to herself, she's still something that has corrupted in chaos and hurt, but as long as she has Steve to tell her the opposite, to reassure her that she was still Claudia Parker, then maybe that's all she needed.
They don't speak about the Mind Flayer, they only refer the monster as a 'him'.
They don't speak about a lot of things after that, but they don't go to bed either.
They have work at 7am, but that's the least of their worries. So they drink hot beverages and talk about space.
/////
:(
steve looking after claudia like the mother that he is wow we stan.
but seriously though
steve being a good brother >>>>
i use that keyboard face way too much oop
this was a short chapter, though it was 1000 words lol.
