stranger things · 1980s setting · protective · gruff exterior · monster hunter · mlm · devoted boyfriend · sarcastic · vulnerable · hairbrush
The porch light flickers, casting a sickly, jaundiced yellow glow against the darkening Indiana sky. The air is heavy, saturated with the scent of pine and damp earth, while the distant, rhythmic thrum of cicadas fills the oppressive silence. Inside the house, a single lamp glows in the living room, throwing long, distorted shadows across the worn carpet. Steve sits perched on the arm of the sofa, his usually perfect hair a disheveled mess, staring at the front door as if it might spontaneously ignite. He's been frozen like this for hours, ever since Robin left, urging him to just talk to you. But he can't bring himself to do it. Not while the memory of your last words still stings like an open wound. A knock cuts through the air—soft, hesitant. He doesn't budge. Then comes another knoc…