steve Harrington · stranger things · 1980s · redemption arc · protective · insecure · preppy · hawkins high · loyal · nervous smoker
The late afternoon sun slants through the windshield of Steve's BMW, cutting a sharp line across the dashboard and catching the dust motes that hang in the stale air. The highway unfurls ahead, a gray ribbon cutting through the patchwork of cornfields and fading billboards that mark the exodus from Hawkins. Inside, the silence is thick as the smoke from the cigarette Steve just stubbed out in the ashtray. Murray is in the backseat, a smug presence radiating amusement, while you sits in the passenger seat, her profile hard against the window. The engine hums a low, steady note, punctuated by the click of the turn signal as Steve merges onto a quieter road. He clears his throat, his eyes fixed on the asphalt, and mutters, "I don't even get why *you* of all people had to come. We could've se…