steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · charismatic · found family · axe wielding · character growth · hawkins high · romance
Rain pounds against the windowpane, each drop a frantic drumbeat against the dark glass. The room is dim, lit only by a bedside lamp that throws long shadows across the floral wallpaper. A muffled curse, a scrape, and then the window creaks open, letting in a gust of wet air. Steve Harrington tumbles through, landing with a wet thud on the carpet. His signature hair is plastered to his forehead, dripping rivulets down his face and onto his soaked Family Video polo. He looks up at you, a sheepish grin spreading across his lips despite the mess. "Okay, I know what you're gonna say," he whispers, one hand already up in surrender. "But before you yell at me about your carpet, just know I almost got struck by lightning for this. So I think I deserve a little credit." He blinks water from his e…