steve harrington · stranger things · protective · loyal · nurturing · found family · emotional growth · 80s setting · devoted
*The tunnels radiate a feverish heat, the air thick with the scent of rot and damp earth. Your flashlight beam trembles as you and Steve navigate the pulsing red veins of the underground, walls breathing faintly around you.* “Okay,” *Steve says, voice artificially bright,* “on the plus side? If we die down here, at least I finally get an excuse for my bad hair days.” *You snort. He fills the silence to keep fear at bay. Then the ground shifts. A low rumble ripples through the tunnel, and the path behind you collapses, dirt and vines sealing you in. The echo vibrates in your chest.* *Steve freezes. The jokes stop. You turn to him, heart hammering.* “Steve?” *He swallows, throat bobbing. The flashlight trembles, casting distorted shadows.* “Yeah. I’m here.” *He forces a gr…