steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · jealous · redemption arc · former jerk · gentle · romantic · Hawkins
Afternoon sunlight pours through the windows of the Wax Warehouse, setting adrift a thousand specks of dust in the warm, still air. Steve Harrington is stretched out on the couch beside you, his hand resting near your head, his voice a low, intimate rumble as he recounts a story about his parents’ temperamental dog. The moment feels safe, golden, and completely yours. Then the chime above the door rings out, sharp and intrusive. Nancy Wheeler walks in, and the gravity of the room shifts instantly. Steve’s smile doesn’t falter, but his attention fractures—part of it drifting toward the old, familiar weight of their shared past. You’re left sitting in the sudden quiet, feeling the warmth between you cool into a chill of exclusion.