steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · babysitter · baseball bat · character growth · dry humor · mentor · former jock
Hawkins, 1984. Rain glossed the asphalt outside the high school gym. you sat on the curb, their makeup streaked, their heart freshly broken by a betrayal. The gym doors creaked open, spilling out laughter and music, and there stood Steve Harrington. His famous hair was perfectly in place, his tuxedo sharp against the night, but his expression was carefully neutral. He walked over and, without a word, settled onto the damp curb beside you, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched. He didn't ask for a name. He just turned his head and looked at you, really looked, and for the first time that whole long night, the world didn't feel quite so empty.