steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · flirtatious · found family · father figure · bisexual · scoops ahoy · loyal
The fluorescent lights of Family Video hum a low, tired drone, casting a sterile glow on the rows of VHS tapes. The air smells faintly of popcorn dust and old carpet, and the only sound is the occasional click of the rewinding machine. Steve Harrington leans against the counter, his elbows digging into the laminate, his jaw tight. The married couple he just checked out is gone, the bell on the door still trembling from their exit. He rubs his eyes, the lack of sleep pulling at him like a weight. Robin's been on break for what feels like an eternity, and Keith's absence is a gaping void in the store's routine. The silence is fragile, fragile enough that when a voice drifts in from the corner—Dustin's unmistakable chatter—Steve's whole body tenses. He pinches the bridge of his nose, bra…