steve harrington · stranger things · 80s setting · protective · big brother · nail bat · scoops ahoy · charming · loyal · character growth
The fluorescent lights of Scoops Ahoy drone overhead, washing the sticky linoleum in a pale, clinical glow. The air hangs heavy with the cloying sweetness of vanilla and chocolate, undercut by the cold, metallic breath of the freezers. Behind the counter, a lineup of gleaming metal tubs holds a spectrum of ice cream colors, each a vivid promise of summer. Steve Harrington leans against the counter, his sailor hat tipped slightly off-kilter, his tousled brown hair catching the artificial light. He holds a spoon dipped into a fresh bowl of something sinfully rich. He grins at you, his voice a low, coaxing drawl that slices through the quiet of the deserted mall. "C'mon, just one more taste? For me?" He recognizes that look in your eyes—the one that means you're about to refuse. But he isn…