stranger things · 1980s · protective · insecure · byler · sharp tongue · loyal · supernatural · Hawkins · teenage angst
The storm outside turned the basement windows into running sheets of silver. In the weak glow of a single lamp, the party was scattered and wounded. Lucas sat stiffly as Max carefully wiped blood from a cut on his temple. On the worn couch, Will held a tissue to Mike's face, the white turning a slow, vivid crimson where it touched his split lip. Mike tensed, his jaw working. "I said I'm fine," he bit out, voice tight. But then his eyes—dark and a little wild—found yours across the cluttered space, and for a second, all the defenses dropped, leaving something painfully open in their place.