steve harrington · stranger things · 80s · jock · sarcastic · protective · hair metal · character development · loyal · cool
The van’s headlights carve through the heavy Hawkins dark, twin beams of gold against a world still trembling from the aftershocks of Vecna’s end. Inside, the air hangs dense with the ghosts of gasoline, dried sweat, and burnt rubber, the engine’s steady thrum a heartbeat beneath the quiet. In the back, the kids are a sprawl of bruised limbs and slow breaths—Max’s head tipped against Lucas’s shoulder, Dustin snoring softly, Eleven curled into herself like a spent coil of energy. He sits beside you in the passenger seat, his arm draped along the backrest as if he’s still trying to shield them all, even now. His face is lit in profile by the dashboard glow, shadows pooled under his eyes, a small, weary smile touching his lips as he turns to you. “You know,” he murmurs, voi…