Think Of Only What Is.

“How long’ve you been up?” 

“I, um…” You shift your legs out from between his, a bit guilty for the relief you feel. “I haven’t been able to go to sleep.” 

Eddie’s smile melts away. His brows draw together, eyes somehow larger. “Oh, yeah?” 

You shrug. “Did I wake you?” 

“Nah.” His hand coasts over your hip, touching you idly as he looks you over. “I was up.” 

You know it’s not wholly true. You heard Eddie snoring just a little while ago. “Why?”

“Because,” Steve grumbles, and you freeze all over again, “he’s a creature of the night.” 

Eddie huffs a laugh at the self-reproach that must be plain in your expression. “That’s vampires, babe,” he says fondly. 

Steve mumbles some bitterness into his pillow. 

“I’m sorry,” you murmur. 

Eddie shakes his head at you. “You’re good. He’s always like this at night. Roll over, I’ve got something we can try.” 

You watch him bemusedly as he sits up, dragging the covers with him until they’re down to your waist. He gives your shoulder a nudge. 

“What?” you ask, rolling onto your stomach. 

Rather than answering, Eddie sets his hands to your shoulders. His touch is warm, but not the damp heat you were trapped in before. It works like a balm for your strung-up-tight muscles. 

“Oh.” The word tips out of you on a sigh. This is familiar. A couple of weeks ago, when Eddie’s van broke down and you both had to walk to Steve’s, you’d complained half-teasingly that your feet were killing you from the hike. Eddie gave them a massage to make it up to you, and you’d nearly drifted off with your head in Steve’s lap. “Eds, you don’t have to.” 

“Kinda do,” he replies. “First time here, and you don’t catch a wink of sleep? You might never come back.” He pauses. “Plus, you feel like you need it, baby. Shit.” 

Eddie presses harder into your back, and you don’t smother soon enough the thready sound that escapes you. 

Sheets whisper against each other as Steve rolls over. “You okay?” he asks, ten degrees more caring than he sounded a minute ago. 

“Yeah,” you murmur. “Sorry I woke you.” 

The window on Eddie’s side of the bed bleeds streetlight through the curtains, casting Steve’s face in orangey yellow and shadow. His mouth pulls to the side as he lifts a hand to your cheek, pulling a piece of hair from your mouth. “It’s okay. You gonna be able to get to sleep?” 

Eddie pffts. “Have a little faith.” He leans into a spot on your back, provoking a small click that in turn provokes a sigh from you. He pauses. “Was that a good sound?” 

“Yeah,” you confirm. 

“Okay, cool. So yeah, Harrington, a little faith. I’m working magic here.” 

“What about you?” you ask him. 

“What about me, beautiful?” 

“Are you…” You’re interrupted by a yawn. Steve strokes your cheek approvingly. “...gonna sleep?” 

“Oh. Yeah.” Eddie’s voice goes tender. “Yeah, ‘course. I’ll be able to sleep once you’re asleep, okay?” 

He pushes your shoulders into the mattress, and your body heeds the suggestion, growing heavier. “‘Kay.” 

You can practically feel Eddie’s smugness emanating off him above you. Steve must see it on his face, because he scoffs quietly. You make a questioning hum, and he murmurs that it’s nothing while his thumb runs sweetly across your jaw. 

“You house.” Then you look at the pool. “Me.”

“Me and you in the house,” he says. 

You scrunch up your nose. Steve considered trying to learn whatever language it is that you’re speaking before realising he can’t make some of the sounds you’re using. It’s like a dolphin at times, but not so high or long. Whatever note it is is one Steve can’t replicate, so he’s failing to teach you English instead, despite your best efforts to learn. 

“Hold you to the house?” he asks. 

You wrap yourself around his neck and wait to be picked up again. 

Steve struggles to get you into the house. There’s cussing and bumping and your laughter as he nearly tips you both over onto the landing. You’re looking around every which way with the widest of wide eyes, but there’s a recognition there, too. Mermaids totally have houses, Steve theorises, or at least caves or something. You must put things somewhere? Not that you have anything, but all of that could’ve been stripped off of you during the storm. 

He drags you through the master bedroom to the bathroom and puts you down as carefully as he’s able to despite the tiredest arms anyone’s ever had. “It’s an off day for me,” he pants, wiping his mouth. 

You glare at the green tiled bathroom. 

“Just for a day,” he says. 

The tub is a two man. Which would disgust Steve if he thought his parents still loved each other, but instead stands as a tribute to their disconnect from the common people. If Eddie knew Steve had a bathtub this big he’d probably give them all a headache with an hour long rant about money and the man and the ten percent of rich people ruling America. Eddie would also be psyched to learn Steve has a mermaid in his bathtub. 

Steve is bending over the faucet to turn it on when he hears tires on the gravel outside. He runs back into the living room hoping against all hopes that it’s Robin or Jonathan or Chief Hopper himself pulling in, but it’s a familiar Sudan with gold trimmings. Steve honestly almost whites out. 

He runs back to the bathroom. “Change of plans!” he says, shoulders up at his ears. “Can I hold you, please?” he asks, already leaning down to carry you. You let out a frustrated huff right into his ear, but you aren’t biting it off. 

Steve’s heart is like a pendulum of wild swings as he drags you across the landing in full view of the front door and into his own bedroom. He hears car doors outside opening and closing as he slams his own behind you both, then the front door just as he’s getting you into the bathroom. 

“Steven?” his mom calls. “Hon, are you in?”

“Yeah!” he shouts, panic clogging his throat. He clears it. “Mom, hi! I’ll be–”

“Oh, honey, we’ve missed you. Can you come downstairs?”

“I’m just getting in the shower!”

“Come say hello!”

He hoists you into his bathtub and feels very, very sorry as you bunch yourself up tight, your fins furled inward away from the drain. “Sorry,” he whispers, turning on the shower. The cold hits first, to which you shriek, but then the water levies out and you relax tentatively against the bath wall. 

“I’m naked!” he shouts to his mom. 

He can picture his father scowling from here. 

He can hear footsteps on the stairs and he can’t remember if he locked the door and he doesn’t have time to check so he climbs into the bathtub and slams the curtains closed around you both, enclosing you in darkness just as his mother tries the bathroom door. It opens, because of course it does, so Steve sends you a look with his heart in his mouth that he hopes says you’re both in complete shit if you make a noise.

“Steve, you know I hate the yelling,” his mom says. 

“Hi, mom, how are you?” he asks, letting the shower pelt down on his back. “Did you have a good trip? I didn’t know you’d be home today.”

“It was okay. Your father is… well, your father. We’re going back to Cincinnati tomorrow night for more business. You could… come. With us, this time. It’ll be at least two weeks, if not the full month.”

Steve hasn’t been asked to go with them since he was twelve years old. He has to stop himself from peeking his head out of the curtains as he stares at you, sitting scared and small in the bottom of the tub —not small, actually, so long you’re almost too long to fit, your tail fins brushing at his ankle. It almost distracts him from how hard his hands are shaking. 

“I can’t mom. Sorry. I just got that new job at the radio station, I don’t think they’ll let me take any time off yet.”

“Oh, yes. The radio station.”

Silence fills the room. No talking, just the flick of shower water against the curtain. 

“Okay. I brought some groceries to make dinner, shall we say an hour?” she asks. 

“Sounds perfect, mom, thank you.”

You splutter as the shower water runs from his hand into your face. Steve tenses, but luckily his mother either doesn’t hear it or doesn’t want to, retreating from the bathroom and shutting the door with a final click. 

Steve crouches down to touch your cheek. You meet his eyes in surprise. 

“She can’t know you’re here,” he says, “okay? She won’t understand.”

“Hold?” you ask, sounding scared still as you offer him your arms. 

Steve can’t take you anywhere. “I’m sorry,” he says, taking both of your biceps into his hands. “It’s just for a day.”

You glance down at his knees. The face you make is nearly comedic, you’re so perturbed. Before he can stop you, you reach out and rub your hand down the length of his thigh, feeling the hair, so close to the inner side of it that he laughs and flinches away from you. “Pervert,” he accuses jokingly.

It was Pi Kappa Alpha’s annual New Years party and despite hating frat culture, your friend, Vickie, insisted you both come. You know it’s because she’s been hooking up with an alpha here since the beginning of the semester. She insists it's not that serious, but you can’t imagine her dragging you to a stupid frat party over a casual hook up.

She’d ditched you about half an hour ago when she found Robin with her other frat brothers, the two of them disappearing and leaving you behind to suffer alone in this house full of drunk college kids. You should have just dropped her off and left, but you were a good friend and wanted to make sure she got back to your dorm safe.

So that left you to fend for yourself amongst the drunk sea of people that filled the frat house. You’d tucked yourself in a corner of the room to lay low, which seemed to be the right call since no one was bothering you. But the growing urge to pee was becoming unignorable so you knew you’d have to leave your safety zone sooner rather than later.

With a sigh, you push yourself off the wall and start making your way through the crowd. It wouldn’t be too bad if you knew where you were going, but you have no idea where the bathroom is, and this was one of the biggest houses you’ve ever seen. You could try just opening each door you come across until you find it, but lord forbid you walk into something you don’t want to see.

Cheers erupted from the side of the room you were heading to, so you kept pushing until you reached a break in the crowd, hoping to see a familiar face. There was a long plastic table centered in the middle of the room with people on either end. It looked like someone had just won a game of beer pong, a guy in a backwards hat being surrounded by other people in shirts the same has his.

Once he turned around, you immediately recognized him as Robin’s major douche canoe of a friend, Steve Harrington.

A frown formed on your face at the sight of him. You didn’t understand why someone as nice as Robin was friends with a total jerk like Steve. You didn’t know him personally, but had heard that he was your typical rich, cocky, asshole of an alpha that thought the world revolved around him at all times. You’d heard that he hit on every unmarked omega he laid eyes on without a second thought, ditching every one of them after he was done with them. Vickie even told you that Robin said he doesn’t take suppressants, and that he sleeps with a different omega every night of his rut.

He was the worst of the worst when it came to alpha’s, and you were thankful that you’d not had the displeasure of being properly introduced to him yet. You didn’t even know if he knew who you were, doubtful that Robin had ever brought up her not-girlfriend’s best friend to him. The two of you had a class together this semester, but it was a huge one and you sat on opposite sides of the classroom, so there wasn’t any chance of interaction between you.

But, in this moment you wished that maybe you had met, because it might make this next interaction less awkward.

”Hey! Harrington!” You called once the attention on him seemed to disperse a bit. He seemed to hear you, his eyes scanning around to find the source of your voice. You called for him again and his eyes landed on yours as you approached.

But in that moment when your eyes met, it felt like something around you shifted. The air felt like it was stolen from your lungs, and your feet suddenly felt like they were full of lead. You tried to shake it off, chalking it up to the alcohol in your system, and after a moment, whatever you were feeling seemed to pass.

The smell of musk and mint suddenly filled your nostrils, prompting you to look up and see Steve was standing right in front of you. ”Hey, I’m— “ you start, feeling a bit dizzy in his presence.

He says your name and you look at him again, surprised he knew it. ”You good? You hear him ask, and you give him a small nod.

“Yeah, sorry, I just…” Your brain feels fuzzy, like you can’t think straight. Steve rests a hand on your shoulder and the contact has you jumping back in shock as a wave of electricity shoots through your body. Steve pulls his hand back and looks at it wild eyed.

”Woah, the static in here is crazy,” he says, shaking his hand.

”What? Oh, yeah, um, sorry. Can you show me where the bathroom is?”

Steve looks at you curiously before giving you a wide grin. “Yeah, sure thing, hun.” You grimace at the pet name, choosing to ignore it in lue of saying something snarky so that he doesn’t change his mind in helping you.

He nods his head and motions for you to follow him. You watch as the sea of people seem to naturally part as he approaches, rolling your eyes at all the girls who said hi to him as the two of you walked by. A few of them gave you dirty looks when they noticed you following behind their golden boy.

He says something to you that you don’t catch the first time with all the loud noise around you. “What?” You shout to him, trying to get a little closer to him to hear. He suddenly grabs your hand and pulls you closer, his scent flooding your nostrils once again.

”I said, are you having fun?” He says into your ear, his hot breath hitting your cheek.

”Oh, um, yeah, I guess so,” you shrug, pulling away from his grasp. He doesn’t fight you, letting you fall back behind him again.

After following him up the stairs, Steve takes you down the long hall to a door near the end, giving it a quick knock and listening close for a response. Then he’s pushing the door open, moving out of the way and gesturing for you to enter. “Thanks,” you say as you pass him, your bodies touching in the process.

“No problem, sweets,” he says with a devilish smirk that remains even as you close the door on him.

You take your time in the bathroom, splashing your face with cold water when you wash your hands. You hadn’t realized how hot you were feeling until you were by yourself and able to think straight, the bumping of the party barely there to distract you anymore. It made you realize how much you wanted to go back to your dorm and go to sleep, New Years be damned.

You weren’t even sure how long Vickie was going to be gone with Robin. The two of you really should have made a game plan before the party started, or at least made a designated rendezvous spot to meet up at. You hoped she didn’t plan on staying all night because you sure as hell weren’t going to leave her here, alone, in a house full of intoxicated alphas.

Pulling the bathroom door open, you were hit with that musk and mint smell again, followed by the sight of Steve leaning up against the wall opposite you. You raise a brow at him, silently asking what the hell he’s still doing up here when the party is downstairs.

”I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said as if he could read your thoughts.

”I feel better now. Just needed to clear my head.” But that lightheaded feeling was starting to come back again. You tried to be nonchalant and grab the door frame, but Steve followed your hand with his eyes.

”You sure?” He says, pushing himself off of the wall and taking a few strides towards you. The room got fuzzier the closer he got, and you felt like you needed to sit down.

“Yeah, I just—Are you wearing like a pheromone enhancer or something?”

Steve tilted his head at your question, but his confusion quickly morphed into amusement. “Are you saying you like the way I smell?”

“No—I mean—Yes, but—“

”Oh, honey, you don’t have to play coy with me,” he says, placing a hand above your head on the doorway and leaning down into your personal space.

“What? I’m not—that’s not—“ It felt like your mind was melting this close to him. The room started to tilt like you’d taken a bunch of shots too quickly and they’d gone straight to your head. That hot feeling washed over your skin and you didn’t want to admit it, but you could feel yourself getting wetter between your legs, that familiar ache starting to set in. It almost felt like…

No, it made no sense. You were on the best suppressants on the market, so there was no reason for you to be going into heat. It shouldn’t even be possible. But this feeling was undeniable. It had to be the close proximity to all these alphas in one spot.

You needed to get out of there quickly, before you made a mistake you couldn’t take back.

A hand waving in front of your face caught your attention, and you realized Steve was talking to you. “You still with me, sweetheart?” His tone was sultry and you didn’t like the way it was affecting you.

”Yeah, sorry, I just—I really need to go,” you say pushing past him.

“Woah, woah, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Steve says, grabbing your arm and pulling you into him.

“Hey, what the hell?” You say, looking up at him through heavy lidded eyes.

”You really think it’s a good idea for you to go back down there when you’re like this?”

“Like…like what?” You ask, your knees starting to feel weak.

”Newsflash, but I think you’re going into heat? Why don’t you let me help you—“

“Oh come oooon,” you slur, pushing him away from you, stumbling back in the process and landing on your ass. “Do you really think all omegas want to be fucked by you? Sorry to break it to you, but you can fuck off.”

Steve looks at you dumbfounded, like you’d completely thrown him for a loop. But then he tilts his head back and starts to full on belly laugh, which only seemed to piss you off more.

”I don’t need your help, Harrington,” you say, standing back up on shaky legs. “I know what kind of guy you are. I’m not about to be one of your pump and dumps.”

”Okay, first of all,” he starts, “I never said anything about having sex with you. If you’d have let me finish, what I was going to suggest was that you come back to my room to hide out until the party dies down. Because if you go down there smelling the way you’re smelling right now, you’re going to be making a target of yourself.”

You blinked at him, surprised by his words. Was he being genuine about not having any ulterior motives?

”What do you mean by how I smell?”

“You’re joking, right? I’ve been able to smell you since you found me downstairs. You’re clearly scenting up the place like a desperate omega. I’m surprised no one else came at you before you found me.”

“That…there’s no way. I’m on suppressants. And I’m definitely not scenting for attention.” You were trying to make sense of it all, but the more you thought the more confused you became.

”Could’ve fooled me,” he said with a shrug. “Now, if you wanna follow me.” He turns on his heel and makes his way down the hallway away from you. This should be your chance to run, get away from him. But…something inside of you wanted to follow him. So you did.

Steve opened a door at the other end of the hall and you were instantly hit with a wave of his scent as it emanated from his room. He walked inside and you were right on his heel, letting yourself be enveloped in the scent of his den. Everything in your mind slowly melted away, your body moving on it’s own as you made your way to his bed, plopping down on the mattress and inhaling the blankets.

”Feel free to whatever you want in here,” you hear from behind you, sounding almost distant in this headspace you were entering. “I’ll tell Vickie you’re in here when her and Robin are done, uh, well, you know.”

”Wait,” you say, lifting your head in a panic, “Are you leaving?”

Steve takes a sharp breath in, running his hands through his hair. “I mean, you said you didn’t need me so—Hey what are you—woah!”

You’d slid off of Steve’s bed and crawled the small distance between you until you were at his feet. You rubbed yourself against his crotch, feeling the bulge in his pants pressing against your cheek. It made you salivate, and you could feel the wetness building up between your legs once again.

“Shit, what are you—“

Your hands found their way to his pants and began to undo them, only stopping when Steve’s big hands grabbed yours.

”Wait, wait, stop,” he started, but you let out a whine in protest. “What happened to not wanting to be a pump and dump?”

”Need you, Steve. Pleeeeeease,” you cry, and Steve curses under his breath.

He said your name, prompting you to look up at him through your lashes. His pupils were blown out and he looked like his breathing was labored, as if he was doing everything he could to hold himself back.

“Look, if we do this, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to stop myself.”

”Don’t want you to,” you say with a pout, hand reaching up to grab at his shirt. You pull at him until he’s bending over to be face to face with you. He looks between your eyes and your lips and for a moment you think he’s going to kiss you.

Suddenly, he grabs your face and holds it in place in his big hand. He takes a ragged breath, the heat of it hitting you from how close he was to you.

”Tell me you want this,” he says, licking his lips, “I need to hear you want this.”

”Want it! Want it so bad—“

The chord of tension in the room snaps as he cuts you off by crashing his lips into yours. The kiss is hot and heavy right off the bat, Steve wasting no time shoving his tongue in your mouth to get a taste of you.

Then, you felt Steve’s hands around you, gripping you in a way that his strong, alpha arms could lift you off the ground. He walked you to the edge of his bed where he let you fall back onto the mattress, breaking the kiss. You watched in awe as he tossed his hat onto his nightstand and pulled off his shirt, revealing a thick, hairy chest to you.

The mattress dipped as he leaned into it, his body looming over you as he crawled onto the bed. Grabbing the hem of your dress, he pulled it up to reveal your slick soaked panties. ”Shit,” Steve hisses at the sight, licking his lips again hungrily. “Gotta get a taste of that.”

He shifts in the bed until he’s laying flat on his stomach with his head between your thighs. Taking a deep whiff, his eyes roll back at your scent, a low groan escaping his lips.

Without warning, his mouth is on you, tongue lapping at the fabric covering you. You jolt at the sensation, but Steve wraps his arms around your legs to keep you in place. You can hear him purring a satisfied hum as he tastes you on his tongue, his saliva mixing with your slick to completely soak your panties.

Suddenly you hear a tearing sound, and you look down to see that Steve has torn your panties in half. You can’t even bring yourself to care though, because as soon as his mouth makes contact with your sensitive cunt you’re a goner. He licks and sucks and shoves his tongue deep inside you, your hips bucking as his nose presses into your clit, effectively riding his face.

You chant his name with strained breaths as you feel yourself reaching your peak, body growing hotter with each passing second. One good roll of your hips does you in, body shaking as you begin to come undone on Steve’s face. You moan out, burying your fingers in his hair to keep him place so you can grind yourself on him, wanting to ride out this feeling as long as you could.

After a few moments, you felt yourself starting to come down from your high, body slowly slipping back into that needy ache that comes with being in heat. It had you grabbing for Steve, trying to pull him up to face you. He pushed himself up and you got a good look at his face, wet with slick and wearing a completely fucked out expression. You swore you could see something change in him right there in front of you.

”Steve?” You said, just above a whisper. But Steve didn’t respond. He was just staring you down with a wild look in his eyes, one that would scare you in any other context, but in this moment excited you.

“Alpha?”

And that was what did Steve in. His mouth was instantly on you again, all teeth and tongue as he kissed you desperately. His hips were bucking against you, the thick material of his jeans pressing into your heat where you could feel how hard he was. He let out a frustrated growl, pulling back quickly to fuss with his pants. He pulled them down just low enough that his huge cock sprung out and his heavy balls were on display. The sight had you feeling so needy that you probably had hearts in your eyes.

Grabbing his big cock in his hand, he ran it through your folds a few times, huffing in frustration as he tried to find your entrance. The feeling had you dripping in anticipation, a fresh wave of slick coming from you in preparation to take his large cock.

When he was finally able to catch your hole, he wasted no time pressing himself into you, each inch stretching you out on his thick length. Even for an alpha he was big, filling you up in a way you’ve never felt before. If you were more aware you’d be worried about it even fitting, but you were too far gone to care.

You were already cock drunk by the time he bottomed out, the both of you moaning out at the feeling of being connected like this. When Steve leaned forward, he hooked his hands under your knees and pushed your legs forward until you were folded in half with your knees to your chest.

Once he was steady in this position, he withdrew himself from you about half way before slamming back into you with a harsh thrust. The motion took your breath away with how his cock was so deep in you. He did it again, and again, until he built up a steady, sloppy pace. You could tell there was no real rhythm to it, he was just fucking into you to chase his own pleasure.

His body dropped from above you, his chest pressing into yours as his face landed in the crook of your neck, folding you in half even more. You wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer, enjoying the pressure of his body on yours.

His face dipped further into your neck, mouth nipping at the skin there. He let out a disgruntled huff, pulling away from you and out of your grasp. You whined out for him, but he paid you no mind as he stopped his movements completely.

Confused, you watched as he quickly grabbed your legs and lifted them together in the air before twisting them to the side. It caused your whole body to flip with his cock still inside you, putting you on your stomach in one swift motion. He pulled at your hips until he could get his arm wrapped around you, pushing himself all the way inside of you again.

He laid his body on top of you once more, flattening you out until you were completely prone beneath him. The pressure of your alpha on top of you was comforting as he began to drill into you. You could feel his hot breath on the back of your neck as he pants heavily from the exertion he was putting into fucking you.

The noises he was making were animalistic, his whole demeanor bordering on feral as there seemed to be no thoughts other than to fuck you going through his head. Not that you had any complaints. The only thing on your mind was Steve’s dick filling you up to your limit, and then him stretching you even more on his knot.

Oh. His knot.

You needed that.

Steve let out a high pitched hiss when he felt you squeeze around him, your body’s way of signaling that you were ready for him. All of him.

His thrusts became erratic then, barely pulling out of you before pushing himself as far into you as he could possibly get. You called out his name along with a string of curses and other nonsense as he fucked you harder than you’ve ever been fucked in your life.

You could hear him starting to mutter something under his breath, but couldn’t quite make it out at first. You turned your head to try and hear him better, eyes going wide when you were able to make out his words.

”Get her pregnant, get her pregnant, get her pregnant.”

His words pushed you over the edge once again, your orgasm hitting you like a train. Everything went white in your vision and your body was tense under Steve’s, hardly able to move with how you were pinned beneath him.

“Fuck!” Steve shouted, thrusting a few more times before stilling inside of you. His body shook above you as you felt his hot cum begin to fill you up, instantly soothing that deep ache inside of you.

Then, a pressure started to build inside you. One that you’d never felt before. It took your breath away with how intense it was. The stretch was almost painful, but your body wasn’t letting you feel anything other than pleasure in this moment as Steve’s knot locked your bodies together. It was a euphoric feeling, like nothing you’d ever felt before.

Just as your body began to shift into a more aware state, you felt a sharp pain on the back of your neck, making you gasp. Looking over your shoulder, you were shocked to see Steve’s teeth bared as he bit down on your mating gland.

“Steve!” You shout, but he doesn’t even so much as flinch. In fact, the look in his eyes tells you that he’s not even mentally with you in this moment. That's when the realization hit you.

Steve had fallen into his rut.

A knock on the door pulled sobered you up instantly, a familiar voice calling from the other side.

”Steve? You in there, dingus?”

Steve let out a low growl, his eyes alert and trained on the door. You could tell he felt threatened by the presence of another alpha so close to you, even if there was a door between you.

Then you heard Vickie call your name, and you knew you were screwed. “Tommy said he saw the two of you come up here but not come back down.”

”If you guys are screwing in there that’s fine, but you’re gonna miss the ball drop!”

You look at Steve again and determine there’s absolutely no way you guys are leaving here any time soon. You’ve never been knotted before, but you know it can take a long time before one can go down. Even more so when the alpha is in his rut. You could be stuck to him all night.

”We’re okay!” You call out, and you can hear Robin on the other side of the door laughing.

”Ha! I knew she was in there! You two enjoy yourselves! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

A little too late for that.

And then there are two figures hovering over him, silhouettes at first. One of them lets out a sharp, breathless laugh. “Holy shit—he’s awake. Oh my god, Harrington, you scared the living—”

“Robin,” another voice cuts in quickly, firm but gentle. “Would you quiet down your voice? He’s probably still processing the situation.”

Steve would love to process the situation. He just… doesn’t know what the situation is.

His vision sharpens bit by bit, the haze clearing enough for faces to come into focus. On one side of the bed is a girl with short hair and an expression that’s equal parts relief and barely-contained excitement. She’s smiling way too hard, like she’s waiting for him to say something

On the other side—

Steve’s breath stutters, completely against his will.

She’s closer, standing just within his line of sight, her hands clasped together like she’s been holding herself back from touching him. 

Her eyes are glassy, rimmed with exhaustion and something else he can’t name yet, and she’s looking at him with so much worry and love. Like he scared her. Like she’s been here a while.

Steve isn’t one to discriminate. He appreciates beauty in all forms. But holy shit—his chest tightens in a way that feels familiar and frightening all at once.

He doesn’t know you. He’s almost sure of that, and yet the pull is immediate, instinctive, like his body recognizes you before his mind can catch up.

“Uh,” he croaks, except pain shoots through his body as he tries to speak.

“Easy, easy.” you say right away. Your voice is calm, but your eyes are worried, scanning his face like you are checking for cracks. “Hey, you’re okay. You’re in the hospital.”

Steve frowns, trying to piece things together. “Why am I in a hospital,” he asks, then winces when the movement makes his head pound harder. “And who are you people?”

Robin lets out a short, incredulous laugh. “We, buddy, are your friends.”

"And how did I end up here?"

“You got hurt on a crawl,” you say gently, keeping your voice calm as your thumb traces small circles on the back of his hand. “You crashed your car into a pole on the way back. The doctors said it’s a concussion, and your memory might be temporarily affected.”

“I… don’t remember any of that,” he admits slowly, panic threading through his voice.

“Steve, it’s okay,” you say softly, keeping your tone steady even though worry is slipping through. “Temporary memory loss is part of the recovery.”

“Sorry,” he murmurs, though he’s not sure why. “I just—”

And then, because apparently whatever they’ve got pumping into his veins has removed his filter entirely, he blurts, “You’re just really pretty.”

Heat creeps up your neck and into your cheeks, as you huff out a quiet, disbelieving laugh and shake your head once, eyes dropping to his chest like you might find something steadier there.

Robin snorts loud enough to break the moment. “Okay, wow. Guess the concussion knocked his filter clean out.

She steps back toward the door, already reaching for the handle. “I’m gonna go tell the others he’s awake before Dustin gets more worried.” She pauses, smirks at Steve. “Don’t flirt yourself into another head injury.”

And then she’s gone, leaving the room quieter than before.

The room settles into something quieter after that. The machines hum as Steve shifts slightly, then freezes when he realizes how close you still are.

Your hand is still on his.

He blinks at you, then grins slowly, a little mischievous despite the wires attached. “Soooo… are you gonna tell me who you are so I can figure out a way to take you out on a proper date once I’m out of this bed?” His eyes flicker with a mix of earnestness and teasing, and you can’t help but grin at how genuinely sweet he sounds.

You raise an eyebrow, smirking. “A proper date, huh? You’re already in a hospital bed and thinking about that?”

Steve leans back slightly, still staring at you with a goofy, love-struck grin. “Hey, priorities, okay? First I survive this concussion, then I take you out somewhere nice. Gotta make it worth your while.”

Your chest warms at the sincerity, and you reach out, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead. “Well, Mr. Harrington, you better survive then, or you’re never getting that date.”

“Oh, I’m determined, baby. It’s not every day a man wakes up in a hospital bed and finds a pretty girl at his bedside. Can’t let that chance slip away.”

You laugh loudly, shaking your head. “You’re gonna have to stop saying stuff like that or I’ll start thinking you’re hitting on me.”

He lifts one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “And what if I am?”

Your brows lift, amused. “Is that so?”

“Well,” he says, warming to it now, “would that be such a bad thing?”

You laugh again, cheeks pink. “No, I guess not.”

He opens his mouth, clearly about to say more—then cuts himself off. “—Unless you don’t think I’m awesome. Which, not to brag, but I am. I mean, I’m just… not at my best right now. My hair’s usually fixed and I'd be in way better shape.”

“I know that, Steve,” you say, fond and familiar in a way that makes his stomach flip.

“Then what’s the problem?” he asks, squinting at you like he’s solving a puzzle. “You got a boyfriend or something?”

You hesitate for half a second. Then nod. “I do."

“Oh.”

The warmth in his chest caves in on itself, replaced by1 something hollow and sharp. His head throbs suddenly, a spike of pain behind his eyes, and images he doesn’t understand flash through his mind; your laugh, your hands laced with someone else’s, your mouth pressed to another person’s cheek.

Someone who isn’t him.

He swallows, forcing a small, lopsided smile. “Yeah. Figured so.” A quiet breath out. “Guess it would’ve been kinda insane if a girl like you didn’t already have someone.”

You reach up without thinking, fingers sliding into his hair, smoothing it back. The touch resets something in him instantly. Whatever ache was there dulls under your hand.

“It’s okay,” you say softly. “I’m really flattered.”

He looks at you for a long moment, then nods. “Well,” he says, trying to sound casual and failing just a little, “your boyfriend’s a lucky guy.”

You hum, noncommittal, then sigh and slump forward, burying your face into the sheets.

Steve watches you, heart doing something stupid again. You look… comfortable and so soft. Like a cat curling up somewhere it feels safe.

“As I said, you’re really pretty,” he murmurs, voice rough and nasal from the concussion. “But… you must hear that all the time, don’t you?”

You shrug, brushing a strand of hair from your face, lips barely parting. “Not really,” you admit quietly, almost inaudible.

Steve blinks, then slowly pushes himself up in the hospital bed, propping on one elbow. “Really? Your boyfriend doesn’t… call you that?”

You place a hand lightly on your chin, lips pouting just slightly, hair falling across your face. The soft tilt makes your eyes shine in the bright hospital light, and Steve swallows, heart thudding in a way that’s equal parts awe and helplessness. He wants to lean forward, brush his thumb across that pout, kiss it gently, but he doesn’t.

You shake your head slightly, still face-down. “Not really.”

“God,” he murmurs, sincerity slipping through before he can stop it, “your boyfriend sucks.”

You glance up at him, surprised.

“If I were him,” Steve continues, voice quiet but sure, “I’d tell you you’re pretty every single day.”

And while Steve wants to tell you to dump that clueless idiot of a boyfriend already, he bites his tongue. He’s not here to be a homewrecker, he just wants you to realize your worth before that poor sap completely wastes it. Besides, it’s painful watching someone else fumble what should be his.

You groan. “My boyfriend’s a total jerk sometimes. He doesn’t notice half the things I do, and he spends all his time driving around with a bunch of kids, getting into trouble”

Steve’s grin is lazy but affectionate, eyes crinkling despite the fever. “That bastard’s missing out! How can he hang out with kids when he’s got a pretty girl like you waiting for him? What a schmuck.”

You snort. “That’s exactly what I keep telling him.”

He smiles lazily, the corners of his mouth tugging upward despite how tired he clearly is. “Yeah,” he says, words starting to blur together now. 

“Y’know what I think.” He pauses, fighting sleep. “I think you should tell that boyfriend of yours he’s gotta do better.”

“And if he doesn’t?” you ask, amused.

Steve’s eyes flutter, but he manages a crooked smirk. “Then,” he murmurs, “I’m gonna come  and sweep you from right under his nose.”

You laugh, warm and fond, and reach out to tuck the blanket more securely around him. “Big talk for someone who can barely keep his eyes open.”

He hums softly, already drifting to sleep. “M’just sayin’,” he mumbles. “Pretty girl like you deserves better.”

****

Two weeks later, Steve is supposed to still be taking it easy.

Keyword: supposed to.

He’s on the edge of the bed, wrestling with his shoes, one hand rubbing at his temple like that might fix the very real concussion he’s ignoring. You’re in the doorway, arms crossed, watching him with the look that says your patience ran out five minutes ago.

“Steve! You’re being unbelievable,” you say. “The doctor said to rest and not to stupid shit.”

Steve scoffs. “I wasn’t trying to be stupid.”

“You went into a tunnel full of demobat slime!”

“—to save you and Dustin,” he shoots back, turning to look at you. “Which, by the way, I did. So maybe a thank-you instead of whatever this is?”

You groan, dragging a hand down your face. “You’re so annoying lately.”

He laughs once, sharp. “Oh, I’m annoying? Sorry my brain injury is inconvenient for you.”

“Oh my god,” you mutter. “You’re such a shitty, horrible boyfriend.”

Steve blinks. “Wow. Okay. And you’re an inconsiderate girlfriend who apparently doesn’t care that I almost cracked my skull because you and Dustin are absolute idiots.”

You huff, turn on your heel, and start pulling the blanket off the bed. “Fine. I’m not sharing a bed with you tonight.”

He frowns immediately. “—Wait, what? Where the hell are you going?”

“Anywhere that’s not next to an ass,” you snap, grabbing a pillow.

Steve watches you for half a second, then stands. A little wobbly, but determined. “Okay, yeah, no. I’m following you.”

You glare. “If you don’t quit it, I’m gonna find someone else who treats me right.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes,” you say, annoyed and dramatic on purpose now. “At least they won’t be reckless and stupid.”

Steve steps closer, incredulous. “Is that so? And where exactly are you gonna find someone who can tolerate your annoying ass? Because I bet there isn’t a single soul in Hawkins who can handle—”

You whip the pillow at his chest.

“I actually know someone,” you say smugly, pointing a sharp finger at him. “Who said he’d sweep me right out from under your nose, Steve Harrington!”

The color drains from Steve’s face.

 “—Wait, what?” he blurts, eyes wide. “Who?”

What a dumbass, you think, smirking as you turn away.

based on this request: right here!!

a/n: this was so lovely to write! i hope it meats your expectations nonnie, and thank you for all the detailed ideas <33 much love xx

“shhh,” he coos, laying on his back now. his hands find the back of your thighs and he pulls you towards him. “you can take another. just wanna soothe your poor pussy, baby. stretched you out so good, didn’t i?”

you whimper and nod, legs shaking while he has you hover over his face.

“right here,” he says, his fingers caressing your waist. “wanna see you. so beautiful, honey.”

you nod, face burning. you’re shy like this. and your steve senses are tingling, because he’s being a little too careful with you. his fingers are hardly dipping into your hot skin, and steve likes to grope. loves having handfuls of you and gripping onto you like you might slip away at any moment.

so you really should have known better.

steve lets you think you’re in charge at first. lets you gently grind against his tongue, chasing the soothing warmth and making sure your clit is sitting this one out. he watches you intensely from below, waiting for a moment where you’re vulnerable. head thrown back, moaning softly.

he suddenly hardens his grip on you, fingers bruising your hips, and pulls you down onto his face.

steve’s strong. he hardly flinches when you start squirming, trying to get out of his grasp and failing.

“oh, steve, fuck you!”

you can’t say much else, because he’s sucking on your poor, swollen, tortured clit. he doesn’t pull away, but he digs his nails into your skin and gently nips your clit with his teeth.

“fuck!”

you feel him smile.

you’re desperate to get away, but your body still leans into it. you buck against his face without meaning to, only making the pleasure-pain worse.

he doesn’t give you a break, never lightens his ministrations. he switches between latching onto your clit and swirling his tongue around it. he doesn’t give your sore, empty hole anything. not a kiss, not a lick.

you reach down to tug in his hair hard. “can’t — i can’t —“

he lets up then. loosens his grip and lets you lift yourself off of his face. you shiver, the air cold on your pussy, steve’s breath fanning over your folds.

“you dick,” you hiss, panting, chest heaving.

steve’s smug. “anything else?”

“asshole.”

“are you done?”

“bastard.”

steve hums, frowning, a glint in his eyes that tells you you’re fucked.

“your poor clit’s really going to hurt after this.”

he pulls you back down. smacks your ass when you start whining again, then drags his nails across your flaming skin.