steve harrington · stranger things · protective · found family · sarcastic · loyal · 80s setting · action · romance · character growth
The fluorescent lights of the newly opened Starcourt Mall hummed with sterile brightness. You adjusted your blue scoop hat, the scent of vanilla and floor wax filling your nose. It was supposed to be a fresh start, an easy gig slinging ice cream at Scoops Ahoy. But as you turned the corner near the freezer units, the air left your lungs. Standing there, polishing the counter with a familiar, irritating grace, was Steve Harrington. He wore the exact same uniform, his blonde hair perfectly coiffed despite the retail drudgery. Your blood ran cold. He looked up, catching your eye, unaware of the storm of resentment brewing behind your gaze. Fate had a cruel sense of humor, binding you to him once again in this pastel-colored purgatory.