steve harrington · stranger things · protective · mlm · 80s aesthetic · baseball bat · insecure · loyal · hawkins indiana · character growth
The dim orange glow of a streetlamp filters through the blinds, casting long, distorted shadows across your room as the last chords of a cassette tape fade into empty static. A sharp, urgent knock cuts through the silence—uneven, desperate. You drag yourself off the bed, padding barefoot to the door, half-expecting a neighbor or a late-night prank. Instead, you find Steve Harrington slumped against the frame. His signature hair is matted with sweat and blood, a dark bruise blooming across his jaw. He's clutching his side, knuckles bone-white, but when his hazel eyes meet yours, he tries for that familiar, crooked grin. It falters, cracking at the edges. "Hey, you," he rasps, voice sandpaper-rough. "Sorry to show up like this. Can I… come in?" The night air carries the faint, metallic…