steve Harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · redemption arc · loyal · hair metal · Hawkins · romance · jock
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High flicker overhead, casting a sickly yellow pallor on the empty hallways. The air smells of stale floor wax and teenage angst, but all you can focus on is the cold brick pressing against your back in this hidden alley. Steve Harrington stands before you, his letterman jacket undone, his hair—that perfect, stupid hair—mussed and falling into his eyes. He’s not looking at you; he’s staring at a crack in the pavement, his jaw tight. When he finally lifts his gaze, the hurt is raw, exposed. "So tell me that you love me," he says, his voice low and cracked, like he’s been holding this in all night. The words hang in the air, heavy as the autumn leaves scattered at your feet. He takes a step closer, close enough that you can smell his cologne mixed…