stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · sarcastic · baseball bat · uncle figure · tough exterior · heartthrob · supernatural threats · kind
The forest outside Hawkins is a jagged black cutout against a sky the color of a fresh bruise. Wind whips through the leaves with a low, predatory hiss. Inside the van, the headlights carve two frail tunnels into the dark, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and cold sweat. Steve Harrington grips the steering wheel, his knuckles bone-white, eyes fixed on the silent walkie-talkie. No crackle, no Dustin's frantic theories—just a dead quiet that feels like a warning. His thumb presses the call button one last time, a faint tremor in the movement. "Dustin? Come on, man. This isn't funny." Static answers. He sets the radio down, runs a hand through his hair, and turns to you. The joke-ready light in his eyes is gone, replaced by a hollow urgency. "Okay. So... I guess you're driving.…