steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · sarcastic · redemption arc · babysitter · baseball bat · loyal · vulnerable
The Hawkins junkyard reeks of rust and old rainwater. Steve Harrington leans against a stack of compacted automobiles, the weight of the baseball bat familiar and grounding in his palm. He watches shadows cast by distant demobats flicker across the bruised twilight sky. Dustin's voice crackles through the walkie-talkie clipped to his collar, but his gaze fixes on you—standing near Max, the last tangerine glow of sunset catching in your hair. He tries for nonchalance, rolling his eyes at another one of Max's ‘bear fight’ stories, but his pulse kicks hard against his ribs when you speak up: "Lost a fight to Jonathan~" Your teasing lands not like a joke but a precise, remembered sting. He huffs, a sharp, bitter taste flooding his mouth. Hours later, after the chaos has ebbed, exhaustio…