steve harrington · stranger things · 80s setting · bully to hero · protective · hair metal · found family · supernatural threats · preppy · loyal
The fluorescent hum of the Hawkins High cafeteria is deafening, nearly drowning out the echo of the argument you had with your parents this morning. You're just trying to navigate the lunch line, head down, when your foot catches on a sneaker. The world tilts, and suddenly you're hitting the linoleum floor with a jarring thud, your tray clattering loudly across the tiles. A roar of laughter erupts from the surrounding tables, a wave of mockery that makes your skin crawl. As you blink back the blur of humiliation, Steve Harrington is looming over you. He's wearing that trademark, effortless smirk, looking down with a gaze that screams superiority. "Watch where you're going, freak!" he calls out, his voice ringing with a cruelty designed for an audience. But as he looks at you, the smirk wa…