Do They Hide Deep Inside?

(Is It Someone That You Know)

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/42110322.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Relationship: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Character: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley
Additional Tags: Background Eddie Munson, Background Nancy Wheeler, Past Steve
Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Good
Friend Robin Buckley
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Fictober
Stats: Published: 2022-10-01 Words: 479

Do They Hide Deep Inside? (Is It Someone That You Know)

by sehnxsucht

Summary

It wasn't his typical nightmare of the Upside Down; it wasn't even a nightmare of his
parents getting back from wherever they fucked off to.
It was a nightmare of his breakup with Nancy. Everyone calling him bullshit. His best
friends, his family—not his biological one—calling him bullshit.
It was still a normal day, though. He still had to get up, drive Robin to school, and then go
to Family Video to work the morning shift.
Just like every other day.
-
Steve has a nightmare and doesn't repress it because he knows Robin cares about him

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Steve knew it would be a bad day the moment he woke up, with the way his head throbbed and he
sweat through his pajamas and bedsheets.

It wasn't his typical nightmare of the Upside Down; it wasn't even a nightmare of his parents
getting back from wherever they fucked off to.

It was a nightmare of his breakup with Nancy. Everyone calling him bullshit. His best friends, his
family—not his biological one—calling him bullshit.

It was still a normal day, though. He still had to get up, drive Robin to school, and then go to
Family Video to work the morning shift.
 Just like every other day.

Steve dragged himself out of bed and grabbed his cane and keys before heading out. First stop was
Robin. He turned on some music to wake him up and get him out of his head. Best music for that
was the mixtape of metal that Eddie made for him.

Rainbow in the Dark by Dio came first. At first, he didn't enjoy it—too much loud guitar—but by
the time the lyrics came in, he found himself relating to and enjoying the song and how it tackled
his mental issues. He found Dio was speaking to his soul, especially with the lyrics about your
demons not letting you go. If this was what metal was, he looked forward to the next song.

Robin knocked on his window and he unlocked the car for her. She got in, putting her bag at her
feet, scrunching her face and raising an eyebrow. "You? Listening to metal? What have you done
with the real Steve?"

Steve would laugh in any other situation, but with the nightmare he had, he didn't, instead starting
the car and driving.

"What's wrong, Steve?" Robin asked.

He figured he should be honest, knowing his best friend had his best interests at heart. "I had a
nightmare last night." He tapped the steering wheel in time with the music. "It was a rehashing of
Nancy breaking up with me."

Robin nodded; she knew all about that and how it affected Steve. "I know she called you bullshit
—" Steve flinched at the word. "—sorry. Did anything else happen in the nightmare, or was it just
that?"

"No, no. Everyone finally realized she was right," he said. "Everyone realized she was right and
left me." He let a tear escape and it led to a cascade that he tried to keep silent; this was one of his
biggest fears.

At the next light, Robin put a hand on his knee. "Steve. Look at me." Steve obliged, looking
slightly past her ear. He knew she knew that was the closest he could get without feeling far too
uncomfortable. "You are not bullshit. Your friends, your family, aren't leaving you. I chose you.
We all chose you. You're stuck with us."

End Notes

Title from Rainbow in the Dark by Dio

I could not help myself with the small bit of Rainbow in the Dark analysis. I feel like Steve
would relate to "Do your demons/Do they ever let you go?/When you've tried, do they hide
deep inside?/Is it someone that you know?" (coincidentally this was the verse I named this
after) especially with the trauma he would have surrounding his breakup with Nancy

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