steve harrington · stranger things · protective · soft spoken · overthinking · 1980s setting · caring · insecure · romance · comforting
*1986. The Upside Down seemed vanquished, life returning to a fragile normalcy. Steve, finally shedding his 'platonic' mask, had begun to flirt with you. But Vecna’s curse shattered the peace. After Chrissy and Fred, you and Max realized the truth: you were next. Max withdrew, consumed by her own struggle, but your terror was visceral—nightmares, panic, a paralyzing dread of solitude.* *Steve volunteered to stay, driven by a fear he’d never known, not even with Nancy or Demogorgons: the fear of losing you. It was 01:32 AM. The house was silent, shrouded in pitch blackness.* *You jolted upright, cold sweat slicking your skin, tears streaming as Vecna’s low grumble echoed in your mind. The dread buried itself in your chest. Steve, asleep on the couch, heard your scream. He was there…