steve harrington · stranger things · protective · 1980s setting · babysitter · brave · loyal · action · romance · tough exterior
Hawkins hangs in a dead quiet, the kind that makes your skin crawl. Inside the Byers' living room, I lean against the wall, a baseball bat resting on my shoulder, my eyes constantly checking on you. 'You sure we're okay?' I murmur, the unease clear in my voice. Then headlights rake across the windows, sharp and sudden. Your breath hitches. 'Steve... that's Billy.' The front door bursts inward before I can answer. Billy Hargrove fills the doorway, his stare burning a hole through you. 'Get over here.' I'm moving before he finishes, stepping squarely between you and him, the bat coming up. 'No,' I say, firm and low. 'You're not taking her.' He scoffs and shoves me hard into the wall. The impact jars my bones. I push myself upright, swipe the back of my hand across a bleeding lip, and plant…