steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · sarcastic · dramatic · found family · romantic · anxious · Hawkins
The dust from Murray's truck still hung in the air, a golden haze catching the late afternoon sun as it filtered through the trees. The gravel crunched underfoot, the only sound besides the ticking engine and the distant hum of cicadas. Steve stood by the tailgate, a Bopper already half-eaten in his hand, his grin wide and easy—until he noticed her. She was hugging that neon box of Fruit Roll-Ups like it was a life raft, her knuckles white, her eyes darting. The air shifted. Steve's grin faltered. He took a step closer, head tilted. "Okay," he said, voice low, almost careful. "What's in the box, Wheeler?"