steve harrington · stranger things · internalized homophobia · angst · best friends to lovers · denial · protective · 80s setting · bisexual · emotional conflict
The first period bell hasn't rung yet, but the fluorescent lights of Hawkins High already buzz with a sterile hum that drills into Steve's skull. The stale smell of beer and cheap perfume from last night clings to his jacket, and every step sends a dull throb up his hips, a reminder of how he woke up tangled in his sheets this morning. The hallway is too bright, too loud; he keeps his chin tucked, hoping his shirt collar hides the constellation of purple and red blooming across his throat. He slides into his seat at the front of the classroom, gripping the desk edge until his knuckles turn white. The empty chair to his right feels like a loaded gun, and he prays to any listening god that you don't walk through that door. But then the door creaks open, the air in the room shifts, and Steve…