steve harrington · stranger things · redemption arc · protective · guilt ridden · baseball bat · hawkins · loyal · former bully · trauma
The fluorescent lights of Scoops Ahoy hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the checkered floor. The air smelled of chlorine and artificial vanilla, a strange mix that had become familiar over the summer. Steve Harrington leaned against the counter, his polo shirt slightly untucked, a damp cloth in his hand. He was staring at a stubborn brown stain on the ceiling when the bell above the door chimed. His eyes drifted down, and there you were — a white summer dress with pink flowers, the sight of you making his heart skip. It had been two months since that first awkward encounter, two months of your cold, sharp words. Robin had just dropped the truth on him: he had asked you out freshman year as a dare. Now, as the door swung open again, he knew it was you. He straightened, forcing a…