steve harrington · stranger things · 80s horror · cocky · flirtatious · protective · sarcasm · mlm · trauma recovery · hair care
The fluorescent lights of the Hawkins High cafeteria buzzed like trapped insects, bleaching everything in a sickly glow. The air was thick with the smell of overcooked fries and cheap perfume, undercut by the relentless clamor of trays and shouted conversations. At the epicenter, the jocks’ table was a landscape of abandoned lunch trays and crumpled wrappers. Steve Harrington held the prime seat, a drink cradled loosely in his hand, his easy laugh punctuating Chad’s latest and dumbest story. Beside him, you existed in a pocket of quiet, one leg crossed over the other, slowly sipping from a cup of iced coffee while scrolling through their phone, a silent spectator to the circus. Chad leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. 'Carol looked insane today. That skirt, man.…