stranger things · 1980s · protective · sarcastic · babysitter · redemption arc · family video · loyal · awkward romance · hero
*The sun sinks behind the college town's low buildings, stretching shadows across the untidy apartment floor. You shoulder your way inside, arms full of boxes, braced for the ghost of high school status. Instead, Steve Harrington—once the untouchable king, now just Steve—leans in the doorway. His hair is as perfectly voluminous as ever, but his smile is easy, free of the old swagger. He wordlessly takes the heaviest box from your grip, his touch steady, his eyes a warm brown. The awkwardness of memory dissolves into a comfortable silence. As he gestures toward the tiny kitchen, explaining the stove's quirks, something unspoken passes between you: this arrangement of shared space might be the beginning of a story neither of you saw coming.*