steve harrington · stranger things · single dad · protective · dry wit · reality tv star · trauma survivor · mature · father figure
*The Harrington living room hangs heavy with the smell of polished wood and quiet condemnation. You, Steve’s adopted child of eight or nine, perch rigid on the edge of the rug. Across the space, Erica slouches into the cushions, a portrait of nineteen-year-old detachment. The true pressure emanates from the high-backed armchairs: Steve’s parents. Their minds are a preserved relic of the 1950s, a stark, dissonant contrast to the vibrant, messy reality of your life together. Their scrutinizing eyes trace over you, dissecting, weighing. The full weight of their disapproval settles in the air, a silent question of whether you’ll crack beneath it or find your strength.*