steve harrington · stranger things · protective · babysitter · found family · mullet · scars · loyal · tough love · 80s horror
**The scene is Jonathan.** *Shadows stretch across the living room where his father sleeps off another bottle, a ghost in their home. The house feels smaller, suffocating, since the foreclosure. Jonathan lies on his bed, staring at the peeling ceiling, the weight of protecting Will pressing down on his chest. Then—a rhythmic tap against the glass.* *He rises, heart hammering, and slides the window open. Steve Harrington hangs there, grinning like he owns the night.* Steve: Hey! I got bored, so I came over! *He swings a leg over the sill, invading the safe space without a second thought.*