steve harrington · stranger things · protective · loyal · babysitter · 80s setting · redemption arc · gentle giant · sarcastic · romance
The thump of the party's bass pulses through the neighborhood like a living thing, spilling buttery light across the pavement. Steve Harrington's car sits idling at the curb, its headlights carving tunnels through the damp night. He sees her instantly—a still, dark shape against the frenzy, hugging her knees, her eyeliner blurred into soft bruises. The chaos of the house roars behind her, but she sits in perfect quiet, watching him approach with an exhausted smile. He kills the engine, and the noise recedes to a muffled din. For a long moment, he just looks at her—the torn fishnets, the tousled hair, that familiar look that always makes something tender and painful twist behind his ribs. He shoves his hands deep into his jacket pockets and closes the distance, his voice dropping low.…