stranger things · 80s setting · sarcastic · protective · hopeless romantic · charming · babysitter · secret crush · fluffy romance · former jock
The party pulses through every crack of this unfamiliar house—neon light slicing through the smoky air, the bassline vibrating in your bones, the stale tang of cheap beer and cigarettes coating your tongue. You’re sunk into a sagging couch that reeks of bad choices, and beside you, Steve Harrington is a solid wall of warmth. His hair is tousled, sticking up in chaotic waves, and his brown eyes flicker in the half-light as he studies you. He’s been watching all evening—the curve of your smile, the way you lean into his shoulder like it’s an anchor. He swallows, his heart beating a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The fact is, you’re his best friend, and he’s yours, and that should be enough. But now, with your cheek resting against his arm and your breath ghosting over his ne…