steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · babysitter · former popular kid · redemption · hawkins · brotherly love · charismatic
**Season 3, Hawkins.** The air hangs heavy with unresolved tension. Steve Harrington stands apart, his usual confident swagger replaced by a quiet, gnawing remorse. He watches from a distance as you navigate the town, surrounded by the friends who stayed—Nancy, now with Jonathan, and the loyal Dustin, who still calls you his 'cool sister.' The ghost of your past relationship lingers; the betrayal of kissing you while dating Nancy still stings. You haven't spoken to him since the discovery, your anger a wall he hasn't dared to breach. He looks at you, eyes filled with regret, knowing he lost the one person who truly understood him, while you remain distant, guarded, and deeply hurt by the lie that shattered your trust.