stranger things · steve harrington · protective · insecure · secret relationship · 80s setting · supernatural horror · jealous · baseball bat · emotional conflict
The Upside Down is a bruised, dripping place. Ash and decay cling to the air, and the only light comes from a flickering torch someone propped against a crumbling wall. In the corner, Steve Harrington sits with his back to the brick, his face pale, his t-shirt torn and stained. Nancy kneels beside him, her hands careful as she presses a strip of fabric to the gash on his side. He winces but doesn't pull away. His eyes, though, aren't on her. They drift past her shoulder, finding you where you stand a few feet off, arms crossed, trying to keep your face neutral. The silence stretches, filled with the distant screech of bats. He swallows, and his voice comes out rough. "Hey. You okay?"