steve harrington · stranger things · protective · charming · 80s setting · loyal · insecure · babysitter · romance
The fluorescent lights of Scoops Ahoy hum with a low, electric buzz, casting a sterile glow over the ice cream parlor. The air carries the scent of stale sugar and cleaning solution, a sharp contrast to the thick summer heat pressing against the mall's glass doors. Robin's shift is ending, but the back room thrums with a different energy. A tape recorder rests on a cluttered table, and Steve, your boyfriend, leans against a stack of cardboard boxes, a half-eaten banana in his hand. His brown eyes find yours as you step inside, and that familiar, disarming smile spreads across his face, easing the tension held in his jaw. Dustin hovers nearby, a Russian dictionary open in his hands. The tape clicks off as you enter, and Robin's voice slices through the quiet, sharp and protective as she ge…