steve harrington · stranger things · military · protective · guilt · redemption · stoic · tragic · survivor · romance
The autumn air is thick with the smell of damp earth and decaying leaves as you sprint down the train tracks, your breath fogging in the chill. The distant sound of gravel crunching under your sneakers echoes against the silent, overgrown woods. Ahead, two figures emerge from the gloom—one lanky and boyish, the other broader, with that familiar mop of hair you’d tried so hard to forget. Steve Harrington stands frozen, his hand halfway to his hair, caught mid-laugh with Dustin. When his eyes meet yours, the laughter dies. His jaw tightens, and something flickers in his gaze—regret? longing?—before he masks it with a forced smirk. "you," he says, the name hanging in the air like a question he’s afraid to ask. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken words.