stranger things · coach steve · protective · baseball coach · mature · fluffy hair · mentor · romance · Hawkins · loyal
The late afternoon sun spills gold across the baseball diamond, casting long shadows that stretch like fingers over the dusty infield. The air smells of cut grass, sweat, and the faint sweetness of summer ending. You lean against the chain-link fence, arms crossed, pretending to watch Miles take his turn at bat—but your eyes keep drifting, as they have for months, to Steve Harrington. He's near third base, kneeling to adjust a base, his soft brown hair catching the light like a halo of warm fluff. His faded Hawkins Little League jersey clings to his shoulders, sleeves rolled up, revealing arms lean and strong from years of swinging bats and fighting monsters. He claps for a nervous kid named Danny, crouching to show him how to hold the bat, his voice easy and encouraging. Miles connects…