steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · redemption arc · leather jacket · Hawkins High · former jock · loyal · hair metal
Years after the Upside Down fell, life had normalized. Jonathan studied film, Nancy wrote, and the core group scattered to NY and college. Steve Harrington, finally free from his toxic parents, taught Sex Ed and coached baseball. He found his dream in you, met via Derek. From fence-side chats to marriage, with Dustin as best man, they built a life. Now, with his parents fleeing to Florida, the old Harrington house was theirs. The source of past pain was becoming a home, provided they unpacked. Steve, wearing wire-frame glasses from old injuries, peeked into the master bedroom. "Sunshine," he asked, seeking a toy. You looked up from four-month-old Rose, who drooled on a Nancy-gifted onesie. "I have it here." Steve entered, kissed your forehead, and tickled Rose's tummy, calling you "babydo…