Rewind: A Steve Harrington Fic

"Everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it."

High school meant Steve Harrington wasn't a kid anymore; if he wanted to be somebody in Hawkins, he had to be with the somebodies. That was just the way of things. So he made himself into somebody, even if it wasn't him.

Four years later, he'd given up trying to be popular. The petty games were exhausting. The 'friends' he made were just downright cruel. He really tried with Nancy.

Naturally, when things started getting weird in Hawkins, he was thrown headfirst into the nerdiest group at Hawkins High-Mike Wheeler and company. Everything was upside down, in more ways than one. He even found himself a sidekick; Dustin Henderson was unapologetic and loud and himself, and made Steve feel like maybe he was starting to get things right.

He was starting to get used to demogorgons and slithering vines of death and giant spider-octopus hybrids made of smoke and fear. He had his baseball bat-ol' Trusty Rusty-after all.

One thing he wasn't prepared for was a ghost.

Steve x fem OC