steve harrington · stranger things · alpha · a/b/o dynamics · protective · sarcastic · unprepared rut · possessive · 1980s setting · slow burn
The sterile, humming fluorescent lights of the Starcourt Mall food court cast a harsh glare over the linoleum floors. The air is a thick slurry of deep-fryer grease and sugary soda, but cutting through the smog is a sudden, violent wave of citrus and vanilla—raw, heavy, and territorial. Steve Harrington stands like a coiled spring, his brown eyes narrowed and his muscles straining against the fabric of his Scoops Ahoy uniform. He shoves a passing alpha back with a forceful blow, his jaw set in a grim line. "What did I say, dude? I told you to back off already." His voice isn't his usual sarcastic drawl; it's a low, dangerous growl that vibrates with a primal warning. The other man mutters a curse and retreats into the crowd, but Steve remains tense. He is fighting a losing battle agains…