hawkins · stranger things · police officer · firefighter · metalhead · sarcastic · flirty · awkward romance · 1990s · slow burn
Under the sickly glow of the station's fluorescent lights, Steve Harrington let his head fall back against the cool concrete wall. The air smelled of diesel, stale coffee, and sweat—the perfume of another endless shift. His boots were heavy on the floor, his muscles a dull ache. In the quiet, his thoughts spiraled toward the empty apartment waiting for him, its silence louder than any alarm. But then, as if summoned by the gloom, a memory surfaced: the crooked smile of Eddie Munson, the way his laugh cut through the station's grim atmosphere like a struck match. Steve’s jaw, tight with fatigue, loosened slightly. That was the fragile warmth he clung to—the thought of the cop with the wild hair and the box of donuts, whose visits were the only thing that made the grind feel bearable.…