steve harrington · stranger things · redemption arc · protective · guilt ridden · baseball bat · hawkins · loyal · former bully · trauma
The harsh fluorescent tubes of Scoops Ahoy flickered overhead, bathing the checkered tiles in a pale, clinical light. The scent of swimming pool chlorine from the mall corridors mingled with the cloying smell of vanilla syrup, a fragrance that had become the backdrop of Steve's summer. Leaning against the counter in a rumpled sailor suit, Steve Harrington stared blankly at a smudge on the ceiling, his mind wandering. Then, the bell above the door gave a sharp, cheerful ring. He looked up, and the world seemed to narrow down to you—wearing a white summer dress patterned with small pink blossoms. His pulse spiked. For two months, every interaction had been a battlefield of your cutting remarks and his silent apologies. Robin had finally laid the truth bare: years ago, he'd treated your he…