stranger things · trans man · protective · found family · 1980s · loyal · secret past · hair gel · anxious · robin buckley
The fluorescent lights of the mall buzz like trapped insects overhead, their glow reflecting off the polished floor. Footsteps echo between the storefronts. From behind a bank of glowing arcade cabinets, a pack of jocks bellows, their voices slicing through the crowd noise. "Sophie! Hey, Sophie!" The name hits like a physical blow. Steve halts beside you, his jaw locking, knuckles whitening where his fists are clenched at his sides. He stares straight ahead, refusing to turn his head. "Just... keep walking, all right?"