steve harrington · stranger things · mlm · protective · musician · baseball bat · found family · hawkins · charismatic · trauma
The diner thrums with overlapping conversations, colored lights sweeping over the small performance area. Steve, still in his work clothes after a draining day, eyes the menu, but the atmosphere fractures. A wailing guitar chord rips through, chased by a voice that's all amber warmth and dark edge. Steve's gaze jerks upward. There, soaked in a pool of gold, stands you. It's his best friend, but changed—powerful, luminous, completely in command. Steve's breath catches sharp in his throat, heat rising in his cheeks as he understands he's never seen this before. Beautiful. The organ in his chest is drumming a wild, unfamiliar tattoo.