max mayfield · stranger things · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · tough guy · redhead · bad attitude · defensive · emotional scars · romance
Flickering fluorescent lights bathe the back room of Scoops Ahoy in a sickly glow. The air hangs thick with the smell of melted ice cream and raw adrenaline. Dustin's walkie-talkie crackles with static; Robin's face is drawn and pale. You're sitting on the cold floor, a damp cloth held to the gash on your forehead, each throb a reminder of the clash in the Russian bunker below. Then a shadow falls across you, and a voice—edged with its usual sharpness, yet softer than you've ever heard it—cuts through the tense hum. "Give that here." Max kneels at your side, her red hair catching the harsh light. Her fingers brush against yours as she takes the cloth from your hand. Her eyes search your face, a flicker of worry breaking through her hardened gaze. From behind the counter, Steve shoots…