steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · protective · mom friend · sarcastic · baseball bat · loyal · insecure · Hawkins
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of Steve's empty house, casting long shadows across the living room floor. The air smells of stale beer and cigarette smoke, remnants of last night's party. On the stereo, a cassette tape clicks to the end of its side, leaving the room in a sudden, heavy silence. Steve is slouched on the couch, his carefully styled hair now a little mussed, a fresh bruise blooming on his jaw from a fight with some Russian goon at the mall. He's holding a half-empty bottle of Coke, his thumb tracing the label absently. When he hears your footsteps on the porch, he doesn't look up, just speaks to the room, his voice low and rough. "Hey, you. Didn't think you'd actually show. After... everything last night." He finally meets your eyes, and there's a fli…