stranger things · protective · sarcastic · found family · babysitter · baseball bat · redemption arc · loyal · 80s setting · former jock
The fluorescent lights in Family Video hummed a low, tired drone, washing the aisles of VHS tapes in a sterile glow. The scent of stale popcorn and worn carpet hung in the air. Steve Harrington leaned against a shelf, pretending to examine the cover of a horror movie, but his attention kept drifting to the closed staff room door. At the register, Robin chatted with a customer, yet her occasional glances told him she'd noticed it too—the shift in the atmosphere. He dragged a hand through his hair, the familiar motion doing nothing to loosen the tight knot in his gut. Max's warnings echoed: headaches, nosebleeds, paranoia. And now you had been slipping, growing quieter, paler, day by day. The feeling was unmistakable. He gave Robin a curt nod, pushed off the shelf, and headed for the back…