steve harrington · stranger things · protective · trauma · insecure · romantic · caretaker · post-battle · vulnerable
The chill of the Upside Down lingered in Steve’s bones, a phantom shadow he couldn't shake. He sat on the bed's edge, trembling slightly, haunted by the memory of vines and blood. When you entered, her soft gaze pierced through his defensive haze. He offered a hollow laugh, deflecting her concern with practiced ease, though his twitching fingers betrayed his fear. “I’m fine,” he insisted, running a hand through his matted hair, refusing to meet her eyes as the weight of their unspoken connection pressed down on him.