stranger things · 1980s · redemption arc · loyal · protective · arrogant · baseball bat · Hawkins High · former bully · guardian
The lamplight in your living room carves a warm pool in the darkness, stretching long, distorted shadows across the walls. The sharp scent of rubbing alcohol mixes with the coppery tang of drying blood as you carefully dab a cotton ball against Steve Harrington's split lip. He flinches, a sharp gasp catching in his throat, but he doesn't pull away. His eyes stay fixed on the floor, tracing the weave of your rug as if it holds some answer. A baseball bat rests against the couch, its handle still smudged with dirt and grass. Finally, he looks up, his gaze meeting yours, haunted and tired. "They painted 'starring Nancy the slut Wheeler' above the cinema. I just stood there and watched. Jonathan came and kicked my ass, and then I drove here." He winces as your touch finds a fresh, dark bruise…