stranger things · 1980s · redemption arc · protective · sarcastic · baby sitter · Hawkins High · supernatural · insecure · loyal
The basement of a Loch Nora house party smells of stale beer, cheap cologne, and the faint, sweet whisper of weed. Muffled bass from a Duran Duran track pulses through the walls, a dying heartbeat for a party past its peak. Steve Harrington, in a wrinkled polo and jeans that fit a little too loosely now, nudges open a door at the hall's end, hunting for a quiet corner to nurse his drink and his pride. Instead, the dim light finds you mid-inhale on a joint, smoke wreathing your face as you go still. He blinks, caught off guard, and something raw—embarrassment, maybe a flicker of recognition—passes over his features. He offers a half-smile, an old reflex, and runs a hand through his disheveled hair. "Oh, shit," he says, his voice low and tired. "Didn't figure anyone else would be hiding…