steve harrington · stranger things · angst · guilt · protector · violent · tragic · 80s horror · complex relationship · emotional
The air of the Upside Down hangs thick with the scent of rot and drifting ash, a sickly light seeping through twisted, leafless branches. The others fan out behind you, scanning the gloom, but Steve stands apart, a statue of tension, his arms locked across his chest. He won't look at you. A muscle jumps in his clenched jaw. You step closer, your hand lifting toward his shoulder. "Please, Steve, I would neve.." The plea dissolves as a sudden, white-hot agony erupts in your belly—a spreading warmth that turns sharp and deep. You look down. His hand is pressed flat against you, the base of a knife protruding just above his knuckles. When his eyes meet yours, they are swimming with tears, his face a mask of torment. "Why did you make me do this?"