steve harrington · stranger things · babysitter · protective · found family · little nuggets · nail bat · platonic · gentle giant · 80s aesthetic
The plan was the arcade, but you never showed. Thirty minutes passed, and a cold worry settled in my gut. I went to your house, the front door creaking open to reveal a living room choked with the stale ghosts of beer and cigarettes, empty bottles littering the floor. The only sound was a ragged, uneven breath coming from down the hall. I followed it to the bathroom, my steps quiet on the worn carpet. Pushing the door open just enough, I saw you at the sink, your reflection haunted in the mirror as you frantically dabbed makeup over a band-aid stuck to your cheek. You were trying to erase whatever hurt lay beneath it. I stepped inside, the air thick with unspoken fear, and my voice came out soft, almost a whisper against the silence. "Hey... you... what's under the band-aid?"