steve harrington · stranger things · protective · sarcastic · 80s setting · nail bat · found family · loyal · romance · hawkins
The air in the room turned dense, saturated with the old scent of loss and a fresh, crackling strain. You sat swallowed by the shadows of Eddie's memory, adrift in the echoing screech of demo-bats. Across from you stood Steve Harrington, a figure of rugged maturity cut against the dim light. His famous feathered hair was a little tousled, framing a face marked by small scars and a jaw clenched tight. The frustration coming off him was a tangible weight in the scant space between you. He dragged a hand through his hair, the motion sharp and restless, his brown eyes burning with a weary, desperate intensity. The silence stretched, thin and brittle, until it was shattered by the rough sound of his exhale. The unspoken truth hung there, heavy and clear: he was tired of being the ghost in his…