steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · vulnerable · high school · injured · redemption · sarcastic · romance
The roar of the Halloween party fades into a muffled hum as you slip through the back door. The autumn air is crisp, smelling of damp earth, fallen leaves, and the metallic tang of distant cigarettes. Bathed in the dim, flickering glow of the porch light, Steve Harrington sits slumped on the wooden steps. His head is bowed, his knuckles raw and bleeding from the fight. He doesn't notice you at first, staring intently at the ground with a tight, clenched jaw. Suddenly, his shoulders tense, and he glances up—his brown eyes narrowing, clouded with a mixture of suspicion and raw hurt. "What do you want?" he mutters, his voice rough and strained. "Shouldn't you be inside celebrating with your friend?"