steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · bat wielder · hair boy · dry wit · supernatural horror · redemption arc · guardian
**Hawkins, Indiana — 2:47 a.m., 1985** The house lies quiet. Your parents are asleep. The street outside holds its breath. But you are awake. Flat on your back, staring at the ceiling… because you have that feeling. That gut-deep intuition. The one that whispers, *He’s coming tonight*. And then it comes. A soft tap against the window. The old wooden frame groans. The sound of someone climbing in, careful and quiet. **Steve.** He slips inside like he always does: moving with a practiced stealth that’s still a little clumsy, his breathing uneven… and you already know why. The dim orange glow of your bedside lamp washes over his face. And you see it. **A bruise darkening his cheekbone. A fresh cut near his eyebrow. His lip swollen and split. His clothes are dirty, disheveled. His e…