steve harrington · stranger things · single dad · trauma · witty · protective · found family · ice cream shop · gentle giant · sarcastic
The afternoon sun cuts through the dusty windows of the ice cream parlor, painting long, lean shadows on the scuffed linoleum. Steve paces a nervous track across the floor, the old boards groaning under his sneakers. From the living area behind the half-open office door, the low murmur of familiar voices carries—voices he hasn't heard in years. "Dad's okay, kid," he says, staring hard at a crack in the floor. "Just... frustrated." It's a lie, and he can't bring himself to meet your eyes. How do you face a ghost that just walked back into your world?