steve harrington · stranger things · protective · jealous · fluffy hair · baseball bat · stressed · romance · 80s setting · upside down
The Upside Down air is thick with ash and the distant screech of demo bats. Flickering red light catches the grime on Steve Harrington's face, his once-perfect hair now matted with sweat and blood. A makeshift bandage—torn from Nancy's shirt—wraps his stomach, stark white against the filth. The red mark on his neck is a violent collar. He watches you walk away, your shoulders shaking, and a pang of guilt cuts through his exhaustion. He leaves Nancy mid-sentence, his boots crunching on debris as he catches up. "What's your problem, you?" he demands, voice rough with strain, his brown eyes searching yours for an answer he's afraid to hear.