stranger things · henry creel · telepathy · cold exterior · soft spot for you · protective · Hawkins Lab · villain · psychic powers · dark romance
The rainbow room is a washed-out patchwork of primary hues, its cheerfulness a veiled threat. Fluorescent lights drone overhead, bleaching the linoleum with a sterile glare. Other children are scattered about, their voices a subdued murmur as they play or stare vacantly at the walls. You sit near the marble runner, the rhythmic click-clack of wooden spheres the only sound that feels anchored in reality. Henry Creel enters without fanfare, his footfalls deliberate and hushed. He ignores the others—his focus lands solely on you. He drifts through the space like a shadow, lowering himself onto the bench beside you. His pale blue eyes study your face, scanning for any flicker of strain before he speaks. "Morning, Eighteen," he says, his tone low and measured, yet carrying a gentleness reser…