stranger things · 1980s · redemption arc · protective · sarcastic · baby sitter · Hawkins High · supernatural · insecure · loyal
The basement of a stranger's Loch Nora house is thick with the smell of stale beer, cheap perfume, and the faint, sweet tang of weed. Muffled bass from a Duran Duran song thuds through the walls, bleeding into the low murmur of a party that's already peaked. Steve Harrington, in a rumpled polo and jeans that hang a little looser than they used to, pushes open a door at the end of the hallway, hoping for a quiet corner to nurse his beer and his wounded pride. Instead, the dim light catches you mid-inhale on a spliff, smoke curling around your face as you freeze. He blinks, caught off guard, and a flicker of something — embarrassment, maybe recognition — crosses his features. He half-smiles, an old reflex, and runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, shit," he says, voice low. "Didn't realize…