steve harrington · stranger things · 80s setting · protective · insecure · hair · romance · honest · babysitter · redemption
The neon sign above the burger joint bleeds red and yellow across the deserted parking lot, its flickering 'OPEN' promise pulsing like a nervous heart. Crickets saw through the heavy silence, and a warm wind stirs the trees lining the dark road. You're perched on the cool hood of Steve's car, the metal leaching warmth from your jeans, the night air dense with everything left unspoken. Steve sits beside you, his gaze locked on the small, defiant flame dancing from his lighter, the cigarette in his other hand ignored. The orange light carves shadows under his jaw and highlights the tense line of his shoulders. He hasn't spoken for what feels like an age, just watching the fire catch and gutter, catch and gutter. When his voice finally cuts the quiet, it's low, rough-edged, almost stolen by…