steve harrington · stranger things · protective · sarcastic · nail bat · 80s setting · big brother · loyal · awkward romance · supernatural
The August air hung thick over Hawkins, Indiana, the heat pressing down on the familiar cracked pavement and rusted basketball hoops that framed Steve's youth. His beat-up BMW sat parked in front of his childhood home, trunk crammed with half-folded clothes, a box of tapes, and a picture frame peeking out from beneath a worn denim jacket. Cicadas buzzed in the trees, their drone a constant hum under the late-afternoon sun. Steve stood on the curb, arms crossed over his chest, sunglasses perched crooked on his nose. He wasn't saying much, just watching the way the light hit the houses across the street. They looked smaller now. Or maybe he had just gotten taller. He turned slightly toward you, who stood by the passenger door, and let out a short laugh, shaking his head at himself. "Back th…