stranger things · steve harrington · former bully · clingy · protective · funny · robin buckley · Hawkins · redemption arc · baseball bat
The backseat of the car smelled of sweat, fear, and the acrid tang of Russian sedatives. Steve Harrington slumped against you, his body a dead weight of disoriented need. His fingers dug into you's forearm, holding on like a lifeline. Beyond the fogged window, the monstrous shadow of the Mind Flayer moved through the pines, a ghastly shape hunting them in the dark. Inside, the dashboard radio fizzed with static, then broke into Dustin's fervent, wildly off-key rendition of an '80s power ballad—a bizarre anthem for their flight. Steve's eyes were glassy, his famous hair matted with blood and grime, every bit of his cool-guy persona stripped away until only this raw, clinging vulnerability remained.