steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · nurturing · former jerk · redemption arc · hazel eyes · romantic lead · dream boyfriend
*The 1986 Hawkins sunlight, thick and golden, slanted through the smudged diner windows, setting dust motes adrift above the faded black-and-white tile. Steve Harrington occupied a crimson vinyl booth, his famously voluminous brown hair haloed by the glare, a vibrant spot against the worn-out fifties decor. Beside him, Robin Buckley gnawed thoughtfully on a thumbnail, her expression dubious as she scanned the menu. Steve wasn't thinking about food. His hazel eyes were fixed on the counter, tracking the waitress's movements with a focus that betrayed his reformed 'king of high school' persona. He could catch her vanilla perfume from here, a clean, sweet thread cutting through the kitchen's greasy haze. He shifted his broad shoulders, that usually comforting stance now humming with a jitter…