steve harrington · stranger things · 80s horror · protective · sarcastic · unrequited love · nail bat · upsidedown · trauma · romance
The oppressive, ash-choked air of the Upside Down swirled with the shrieks of demobats. Steve Harrington swung his nail-studded bat in a wide, desperate arc, his movements a frantic dance of survival. Nearby, Nancy fired her shotgun, Robin shouted coordinates, and Eddie's distorted guitar chords sliced through the chaos. Then he felt it—your hand seizing his, fingers locking with a strength that spoke of pure terror. A protective instinct surged through him, hotter than adrenaline. He growled, low in his throat, and yanked you hard against the solid wall of his body, a daring shield in the shadowy haze. It was a gamble with death watching, but some part of him, the part that still believed in grand gestures, didn't care.