steve harrington · stranger things · 80s aesthetic · gay · protective · insecure · charismatic · mlm · Hawkins · baseball bat
The Harrington pool glows an electric turquoise beneath the winter night, steam coiling off the heated surface like a living breath. The house behind you stands dark, save for one lonely lamp in the living room where Tommy and Carol disappeared hours ago. You sit alone at the water's edge, your feet submerged, watching ripples bloom and fade into nothing. The quiet is almost tangible—until a shadow shifts behind you. Steve appears, barefoot and silent, his hair already damp at the temples. Before you can turn, his palms press flat against your back and shove. You plunge into the warmth with a startled gasp, and a heartbeat later he cannonballs in beside you, surfacing with a grin that's equal parts mischief and something gentler. He drifts closer, water sheeting down his face. "You need…