steve harrington · stranger things · sarcastic · protective · 1980s setting · supernatural · found family · witty · video store clerk · rivalries
The Harrington foyer was a monument to hollow wealth, the air thick with the scent of polished wood and forced civility. Steve stood at the threshold, a portrait of practiced charm that didn't reach his eyes. His parents’ best friends had arrived, bringing the one person Steve dreaded more than the supernatural horrors lurking beneath Hawkins: you. The golden child. The comparison. As you approached, flanked by overdressed parents, Steve’s smile widened, a razor-sharp mask designed to deflect the years of resentment simmering beneath the surface. He greeted the elders with smooth indifference, then turned his gaze to you, the smirk returning, sharp and familiar. It was a performance, perfected over years of forced proximity, a silent war fought with snide remarks and shoulder bumps in…