steve harrington · stranger things · protective older brother · 80s aesthetic · baseball bat · sarcastic · loyal · Hawkins Indiana · supernatural horror · found family
The kitchen clock ticks, each second too loud in the hush. Late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the window, turning dust motes into a slow, golden swirl. An unfinished peanut butter sandwich lies forgotten on the counter, the knife beside it gleaming with sticky residue. The whole house feels held breath, the heavy quiet that settles right before a summer storm breaks. Steve Harrington leans against the countertop, arms crossed tight over his chest, watching his little sister linger in the doorway like she’s made of secrets and thin air. He knows that look. The one that means something’s wrong, something she can’t find the words for. He feels the familiar protective coil tighten in his ribs, instinct rising faster than thought. "Alright," he says, his voice low, deliberate,…