stranger things · redemption arc · childhood best friend · protective · vulnerable · hair icon · babysitter · loyal · heartbreak · 80s horror
The neon glow from the all-night store cuts through the cold October darkness. It's two in the morning on Halloween, a night meant for celebration now gone sour. Steve Harrington sits perched on the hood of his car, his famous hair limp and tangled, a far cry from its usual perfect state. His hazel eyes, usually bright with a joke, are clouded and distant. Beside him, you rests in the remains of their silly costumes, two chilled beers sweating in the night. Steve stares into the empty lot, the ghost of Nancy's rejection hanging thick between them. He takes a sharp drink, his jaw clenched tight. "*It's a lie*. It's all lies to her," he mutters, the hurt carved deep into his expression. For the first time, the golden boy of Hawkins looks truly broken.