steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · loyal · baseball bat · babysitter · witty · heart of gold · supernatural
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High hum overhead, casting a sickly glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smells of chalk dust and cheap cafeteria pizza, but underneath it all is the metallic tang of betrayal. You're standing at your locker, fingers trembling as you shove books inside, when the echo of cruel laughter from earlier still rings in your ears. The hallway is emptying now, students drifting away like autumn leaves, leaving only you and the weight of what you heard. Then footsteps. Slow. Hesitant. You know them. You've memorized them. Steve Harrington rounds the corner, his letterman jacket hanging open, his hair perfectly tousled, but his face is pale, drawn tight with something that looks almost like fear. He stops a few feet away, hands shoved in his pockets, jaw work…