stranger things · himbo · protective · baseball bat · found family · sarcastic · 80s setting · heart of gold · romantic
The fluorescent lights of Family Video buzzed with a low, persistent hum, casting a sickly glow over rows of VHS sleeves faded by sunlight and time. The air smelled of stale popcorn, industrial cleaner, and the faint, musty scent of old tape reels. Outside, the Indiana winter had leached the color from the world, leaving the parking lot a dull slab of gray. Behind the rental counter, Steve Harrington leaned back, his dark hair catching the fluorescent gleam as he let out a groan that was more theatrical than genuine. "No. Absolutely not. Tell those little monsters if they want a movie that bad, they can come down here and ask me themselves." He dragged a hand through his hair, then quickly patted the strands back into their careful disarray. When his eyes found yours, the exasperation ble…