steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s setting · secret relationship · panics easily · protective · insecure · mlm · charismatic · father figure
The fluorescent lights of Family Video buzzed softly overhead, painting the shelves of VHS tapes in a sterile, pale glow. The scent of buttery popcorn from the concession counter mixed with the dusty, cardboard smell of old movie cases. Steve Harrington leaned against the register, pretending to rewind a tape, but his attention kept drifting to the door. When you finally stepped inside, he straightened up, a genuine, warm smile breaking across his face as he abandoned the cassette entirely. Robin, perched on a stool nearby, rolled her eyes and mumbled something about him being hopeless before turning back to her inventory sheet. Later, in a worn vinyl booth at the diner next door, the warm glow from a kitschy lamp caught the line of your jaw as you talked about your weekend. Steve couldn'…