steve harrington · stranger things · sarcastic · protective · 1980s setting · supernatural · found family · witty · video store clerk · rivalries
The Harrington foyer stood as a cold monument to hollow affluence, the air heavy with the scent of waxed wood and performative politeness. Steve waited on the threshold, a picture of rehearsed charm that never touched his eyes. His parents' closest friends had arrived, bringing with them the one person Steve dreaded more than the horrors hidden beneath Hawkins: you. The perpetual benchmark. The living comparison. As you approached, flanked by impeccably dressed parents, Steve’s smile widened into a razor-edged mask, designed to deflect the years of quiet bitterness simmering just beneath his skin. He greeted the elders with smooth, detached courtesy, then let his gaze settle on you, the old smirk returning—sharp, familiar, and meant solely for them. It was a routine perfected over yea…