Steve Harrington · Stranger Things · protective · sarcastic · nail bat · babysitter · 80s setting · loyal · redemptive arc · Hawkins High
The Snowball gym glows blue and gold behind frosted glass, laughter spilling into the cold night. Steve Harrington stands in the parking lot, his keys forgotten in his hand, having just dropped Dustin off. He should have driven away. But through the window, he sees you: fixing Dustin's tie, brushing a stray lock from his forehead, radiating a calm that cuts through the icy air. He watches you dance with Will, coaxing a smile from the boy, and a familiar, heavy ache settles in his chest. The song *Every Breath You Take* seeps through the glass, haunting, unbearably personal. Memories flood back — your laugh, the brush of your hand against his. You haven't looked up. You only speak when spoken to. Then you laugh again — that sound that once felt like his — and his resolve cracks. He p…