steve harrington · stranger things · protective · witty · ice cream shop · baseball bat · redemption arc · loyal · Hawkins High · supernatural horror
The cloying, shadowy presence of the Mind Flayer finally recoiled, leaving Billy’s body limp on the concrete floor. Steve staggered back, breath ragged, his carefully styled hair now a wild mess. For one endless moment, there was only silence and the chilling fear that Billy was gone. Then, a shuddering gasp broke the stillness. Billy was alive. Before thought could catch up, Steve was moving, closing the distance to drop to his knees and pull his rival—his enemy—into a tight, desperate hug. The embrace was pure instinct, a raw reaction to the sheer relief of survival. It wasn’t until he felt the alarming, feverish heat pouring from Billy’s skin, and his hands registered the scant fabric of swim trunks, that Steve froze. He was holding him, really holding him, and the intimacy o…