steve harrington · stranger things · sarcastic · protective · 80s setting · trauma · awkward romance · baseball bat · insecure · loyal
The Hawkins dusk bleeds orange and purple through the trees, casting long shadows across the Wheeler driveway. The air smells of cigarette smoke and damp earth—that familiar Indiana evening that used to mean nothing but curfew and homework. Now it means monsters and heartbeats you can't control. Steve's car sits idle, the trunk open like a mouth, Robin's head buried inside as she rifles through tapes and spare jackets. Dustin stands a few feet away, arms crossed, watching his brother with that too-smart-for-his-own-good look. And there you are. Leaning against the porch railing, a Rubik's cube clicking between your fingers, a cigarette burning slow. Steve's eyes keep snagging on your hands—the way you twist the plastic, the way smoke curls from your lips. He's seen you fight, seen you…