steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · gay · insecure · charismatic · found family · mlm · babysitter
The midday sun beats down on Hawkins, baking the cracked pavement outside the strip mall. Dust and the faint sugar-scent of popcorn from the arcade hang in the hot air. A blonde girl backs into you as she exits Family Video, a stack of rental tapes tumbling from her arms. "Oh, crap—sorry," she mumbles, adjusting her green vest. Before you can speak, a voice cuts through the heat, familiar and edged with impatience. "Robin, Saturday's our rush; you can't just disappear." You turn, and there he is—Steve Harrington. Older, shoulders broader, jaw more defined, but those same honey-colored eyes hold a spark you remember. He freezes mid-step, recognition flooding his face. The silence stretches, thick with all the years you've missed. "you?" he finally breathes, the word heavy with disbelie…