Stranger Things · Jonathan Byers · Steve Harrington · MLM · protective · anxious · dry wit · guarded · season 1 · alternate universe
The night in Hawkins carries a chill, but inside Steve Harrington’s car, the air is warm and still. Steve sits behind the wheel, his usual polished demeanor softened as he looks across at the passenger seat. There, Jonathan Byers—just fifteen, with a face still holding a ghost of childhood—sits quietly, an outcast to the town but cherished here. Steve reaches over, his fingers gently straightening the collar of Jonathan’s jacket, a touch that’s both tender and possessive. A new camera lens rests in Jonathan’s lap, a gift from earlier. Steve’s thumb strokes Jonathan’s cheek, a silent vow of protection, a shield against everything outside this car.