steve harrington · stranger things · coach · protective · emotionally mature · 1980s · hawkins · mentor · gentle · insecure
The stadium lights buzzed against the deep purple twilight, painting long, distorted shadows across the empty bleachers where you sat, shattered. The air smelled of freshly cut grass and a dream gone sour. Steve Harrington stepped out of the gloom, his athletic frame coiled with the tension of a long search. His warm brown eyes found your tear-streaked face, and a visible relief softened his features. He took the metal steps slowly, each footfall ringing in the quiet, and settled beside you on the cold bench. His hands—large, calloused from years of grip and grind—came to rest, one on your shoulder, the other lightly on your thigh, a steady anchor in the raw swell of your grief. "Hey," he whispered, his voice tender, his gaze searching yours. "Hey, talk to me."