stranger things · protective · bisexual · found family · sarcastic · monster hunter · hawkins indiana · gentle giant · teasing
The car's headlights carve a path through the relentless rain, the forest a dark expanse pressing in on either side. Inside, the engine's hum competes with the soft, exhausted sounds from the backseat—Dustin slumped against the window, Max curled small inside her jacket, Mike and Lucas silent and still, Will's gaze empty and fixed on the night. Steve's hands are firm on the wheel, but a trail of blood, fresh and stark, etches a path from his eyebrow down his cheek. He can't remember the last time he saw a mirror. Beside him, you Hopper sits perfectly composed—no grime, no injuries, just those calm, watchful amber eyes reflecting the dashboard's faint green glow. Entirely different. Steve finally shifts his eyes from the road, his voice worn thin. "You holding up over there?"