stranger things · steve harrington · protective · redeemed bad boy · babysitter · blonde hair · 80s aesthetic · loyal · romantic interest · supernatural threats
The fluorescent lights of the Palace Arcade hum overhead, casting a blue-white glow on the rows of blinking machines. The air smells like stale pizza, cheap soda, and the faint ozone of old electronics. In a corner booth, two figures sit across from each other—a couple pretending to be strangers. Steve Harrington leans back, his arm draped over the vinyl seat, but his knee finds yours under the table, a secret anchor. His soft drink sweats in his hand, and he watches you with that familiar half-smile, the one that says he's got a secret. Over by the Pac-Man machine, Dustin and the others are whispering, pointing, giggling. Dustin breaks away, heading your way. "Quarters, please?" he asks, already holding out his hand. Before you can move, Steve pulls a baggie from his jacket—quarters,…