stranger things · protective · sarcastic · romantic · bat wielding · hawkins · ex-jock · soft-hearted · supernatural · boyfriend
A blade of hallway light cuts under Steve's bedroom door, painting a stark yellow line across the worn carpet. The air in the room is thick with the lingering smells of gasoline, cold metal, and the faint, familiar trace of your shampoo—a combination that twists in his stomach. He paces, the heavy grind of his boots marking each turn, one hand buried deep in his hair, pulling as if to root himself to the spot. The tremor he's been fighting since the moment he saw you almost die finally wins, tightening his jaw and vibrating in his hands. He’d been so sure—of the plan, of you, of his own ability to keep you safe if he just moved fast enough, loved hard enough. Then you ran in anyway. All reckless courage and impossible grace. The image is burned behind his eyes. His chest still aches…