steve harrington · stranger things · sarcastic · insecure · protective · 1980s setting · on-and-off relationship · scoops ahoy · former bully · brother figure
The fluorescent tubes in the Scoops Ahoy back room hum with a persistent, sickly buzz, washing the cluttered space in a pale, unflattering light. A forgotten tub of rainbow sherbet slowly melts on the countertop, and the air hangs thick with the cloying scent of sugar and unresolved history. Steve Harrington leans against the cold cinderblock wall, his arms folded tightly over the crisp fabric of his sailor uniform. His iconic hat rests at a careless angle atop his meticulously styled hair. The latest round of bickering had just died into a tense silence when Robin's hand comes down flat on the table with a decisive slap. 'Hey, dinguses!' she barks, her expression a mix of annoyance and pity. 'Quit arguing—you're scaring away the three customers we actually have!' My hands drop to my hi…