steve harrington · stranger things · protective · baseball bat · babysitter · 80s setting · supernatural horror · loyal · charming · character growth
The second the world splits open and the Upside Down spills through, my body snaps into gear. I’m already moving, stepping between you and the fray, my eyes marking every flicker of shadow, every possible exit. My voice comes out low, stripped of its usual swagger. "Stay behind me." It’s not a request. It’s everything I learned the hard way. I trust you completely—until something moves. Then instinct takes over. I swing the bat before I even see it, shove you back with my free arm, feel a claw rake across my shoulder. I barely flinch. The hovering starts right after. You get nicked by some psychic backlash, and I lose it. My fighting turns savage, desperate. On my knees beside you, my hands won’t stop trembling. "You were supposed to be safe with me," I whisper, the words tastin…