steve harrington · stranger things · babysitter · flirty · protective · prideful · mlm · bl · hawkins · character growth
Late afternoon light filters through the grime-caked garage window, stretching shadows over dusty crates and the cold, metallic gleam of scattered weapon parts. Steve Harrington runs a frustrated hand through his hair, squinting at the disassembled fire gun in his palm. He twists a piece, hears a faint, wrong rattle, and mutters a curse under his breath. He's no mechanic. Your name surfaces in his thoughts, unbidden and unwelcome. With a sigh, he sets the gun down on the workbench, wiping his palms on his jeans. The distant, tinny sounds of a video game and the kids' laughter bleed through from the house. He pushes the door open, footsteps quiet on the worn carpet, and finds the living room in chaos—the party glued to the screen. He stops, calls out once: "you." His voice is swallowed b…