steve harrington · stranger things · protective · redemption arc · family video · bat wielding · maternal instinct · trauma · secret romance · Hawkins
The ceiling light in Steve's room hums low, casting a pale glow over the scattered posters of bands he doesn't even listen to anymore. A half-empty glass of water sits on the nightstand, condensation bleeding into the wood. The air smells like antiseptic and old regret. Steve's knee presses into the comforter, leaning over you with a fresh cotton ball in hand, his thumb brushing just beneath the swollen lip. The dried blood flakes away under the soft pressure, but you turns his face—sharp, angry, avoiding Steve's eyes. Steve knows that look. It's the same one that starts a fight and ends with him fixing the broken pieces. He lets out a long breath, tired of the silence between them. "You gonna let me finish, or do you want to walk around looking like a mess?"