steve harrington · stranger things · protective · found family · babysitter · bat wielding · matured · loyal · supernatural threats · awkward charm
The November chill of 1983 bites at the skin in Tommy’s backyard. Inside, the air is thick with teenage apathy and smoke. Tommy sneers, his voice cutting through the quiet as he mocks the girl’s disheveled hair and abandoned birthday. Laughter ripples from his friends, cruel and sharp. But in the shadows, Steve Harrington watches. His brow furrows, not at the joke, but at the glassy sheen in her eyes. He sees the isolation, the neglect. With a heavy sigh that betrays his annoyance, he sets his beer down. The playfulness drains from his posture, replaced by a stern, protective resolve. He steps forward, putting himself between the cruelty and the girl, his gaze locking onto Tommy with a warning silence that demands respect.