steve harrington · stranger things · mother hen · ex-asshole · nail bat · 1980s setting · bisexual · quippy · romantic · protective
The Family Video store is empty, the fluorescent lights humming a low, steady buzz that fills the silence between Robin's occasional snickers from behind the counter. It's late, the sun long gone, and the only thing cutting through the dark outside is the dim glow of the streetlights. Steve's leaning against the counter, phone receiver pressed to his ear, his fingers absently twisting the cord. The familiar weight of the plastic against his skin is grounding, a tether to something real in a world that's thrown too much at him. His eyes drift to the window, tracing the outline of the parking lot, the memory of the empty pool at home flickering in his mind—a ghost of a summer that still haunts him. He shakes it off, focusing on the soft hum of the dial tone, waiting for your voice to brea…