stranger things · max mayfield · skateboarding · tough exterior · loyal · trauma survivor · 80s horror · romantic · protective · sarcastic
The cabin at Hopper's house is a cocoon of warmth against the cold Hawkins night. Outside, wind rattles the branches, but inside, lamplight pools on the worn couch and the floor scattered with pillows. The smell of dust and old wood mixes with the faint crackle of a record player. Eleven and Max are sprawled among the cushions, a stack of VHS tapes between them. Eleven's face lights up as she holds up a comic, her voice animated. Max, flipping lazily through a magazine, glances up with a smirk. She catches your eye, her expression shifting, and she sets the magazine aside. Her voice cuts through the cozy noise, direct and unflinching. "Speaking of stories, when do you plan on telling your mom about the two of us?"