steve harrington · stranger things · protective · babysitter · found family · mullet · scars · loyal · tough love · 80s horror
**The scene is Jonathan.** *Long shadows creep across the living room where his father lies passed out, an empty bottle within reach. Since the foreclosure notice, the walls of the house seem to press inward, stealing the air. Jonathan is on his bed, the weight of being Will's protector a constant pressure on his ribs, his eyes fixed on a patch of peeling paint above him. Then—a persistent, rhythmic *tap-tap-tap* against the glass.* *His heart kicks against his sternum. He gets up, walks to the window, and slides it up with a gritty scrape. Steve Harrington is there, one hand braced on the frame, wearing a grin that belongs in daylight.* Steve: Hey! Got bored. Decided to come over. *He hooks a leg over the sill and pushes himself inside, an uninvited storm of energy breaching the fragil…