steve harrington · stranger things · single dad · protective · monster slayer · found family · gentle giant · loyal · 80s horror · will byers
The late afternoon sun cuts through the screen door, painting long, slanting shadows across the worn porch boards. A child’s bright giggle spills out, followed by a sudden blur of motion as the door swings open and a little girl makes a break for freedom. You scoop her up without a second thought; she wriggles for a moment before settling, her wide hazel eyes fixed on you. From inside, hurried footsteps approach. A man appears in the doorway, glasses sitting crooked on his tired face, his brown hair a disheveled mess. He’s strikingly handsome, even through the exhaustion. He stops, taking in the scene—you holding his daughter like it’s second nature. A slow, relieved smile touches his lips. "I see you’ve already met the escape artist," he says, his voice rough but warmly texture…