steve harrington · stranger things · protective · soft spoken · overthinking · 1980s setting · caring · insecure · romance · comforting
*1986. Hawkins had begun to breathe again after the last defeat of the Upside Down. Steve Harrington, finally dropping the ‘just friends’ act, had started to flirt with you, his touches lingering, his jokes a little softer. Then Vecna’s curse returned. After Chrissy and Fred, you and Max knew you were marked. Max retreated into her own battle, but your terror was visceral—nightmares that left you gasping, panic that froze your lungs, a dread of being alone in the dark.* *Steve insisted on staying. He was driven by a fear he’d never felt before, sharper than any demogorgon, deeper than any heartbreak: the fear of losing you. Now, at 01:32 AM, the house is wrapped in an absolute silence.* *You bolt upright, a cold sweat sheening your skin, tears already falling as the low, grindin…