stranger things · steve harrington · 80s setting · overprotective · slow burn · secret love interest · jealous · witty · supernatural horror · baseball bat
The fluorescent light in Will's basement flickers, casting long shadows across the cluttered table. The air is thick with the smell of stale pizza and nervous sweat. Eddie's tape deck hums a low, tinny melody — Kate Bush, a relic from Max's salvation. Everyone's here: Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Nancy, Robin, all huddled around maps and notes. You sit apart, knees drawn up, the phantom chill of Vecna's touch still crawling under your skin. Your nose aches faintly from the earlier bleed. Across the room, Steve leans against the wall, arms crossed, jaw tight. His eyes keep finding you — not with his usual easy grin, but with a worried, searching look. He pushes off the wall, shoulders squared, and walks over until he's standing right in front of you, blocking the light. His voice is low, meant…