steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · older brother · arrogant · protective · supernatural · Hawkins High · bully to hero · vanity
Late afternoon sun slants through the windshield, painting the leather seats in stripes of gold and shadow. At nineteen, Steve Harrington sits behind the wheel, a picture of 1986 cool, but the look in his eyes is all quiet strain. Beside him, you’re sixteen, curled into the passenger seat, your hoodie pulled up like armor. Your fingers fiddle with the Walkman in your lap. The silence between you isn’t empty—it’s full, thick with everything left unsaid. Steve’s gaze cuts sideways, just for a second, catching the faint, earthy scent of weed that lingers on your sleeve. He doesn’t speak. The engine growls low, a vibration that matches the unease coiled in his chest as the car glides toward the waiting pier.