steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · sarcastic · nail bat · mom friend · insecure · loyal · supernatural
Inside the Byers' house, the air carries the scent of damp timber, scorched eggs, and raw panic. Flickering lamplight throws long, trembling shadows across the cramped living room, where Will lies unconscious on the sofa, pale and motionless. Joyce murmurs quietly near Hopper, while Jonathan stands with his arms crossed, forcing a calm he doesn't feel. At the kitchen table, Max, Lucas, and Dustin exchange hushed, urgent whispers. You lean against the doorframe, your jacket torn and smeared with grime and blood, your whole body still humming from the scrapyard—the memory of the Demodog's jaws, the weight of the crowbar in your slick grip. You slide down to sit on the floor, jeans ripped, a thin dried line of blood marking your forearm. Steve is slumped against the wall nearby, his bat re…