#she's hotter than phoebe cates

[friendsdontlieokay]

It's the middle of an apocalypse, the worst one to ever occur, there's blood and violence everywhere, there's no chance if anyone is gonna stay alive, there's no chance that YOU can stay alive and Robin f-ing Buckley just decides to be a fashionista diva in the midst of it and she won, she won and we won!!?

[scoops-aboy86]

Steve as a late night radio DJ, with Robin as his producer (because my partner has made me watch so much Frasier lol). He's got the sexy voice and Eddie, frontman of successful metal band Corroded Coffin, still remembers him from Hawkins and, ugh.

But, well, his manager set up the interview and it would cause more of a stir to no-show than it would to turn up and bicker with some washed up former high school bully. It's a different city, a different decade; maybe King Steve won't even remember him.

So Eddie turns up, and he actually beats Steve there. To the point of the show starting and it's just him in the booth, chatting awkwardly with Robin to fill the air. It gets less awkward the more they talk, idly catching up on old small town bullshit and what it's like to go from isolated baby queers ("I thought I was totally alone!" "Really? You didn't clock the black bandana hanging out of my pocket for five of my six years in high school?" "Sorry old timer, I was still in middle school for part of that." "Oh fuck off, Ms. 'I went to Sarah Lawrence and all I got was this awesome girlfriend.'" "Sorry Eddie, we can't all be super late bloomers like you.") to Actually Successful And Functioning Adults. (She's kind enough not to mention his single but unfortunately well known brush with rehab, other than to congratulate him on his seven year chip.)

And then Steve bursts in, huffing and puffing and diving for the headphones and mic to apologize to both them and the audience for being late. He doesn't even try to offer an excuse until Robin asks, "Uh, Steve? Want to share with us why your arm's in a sling and one of your eyebrows looks like it got flambéd right off your face?"

Which turns into a very put-upon but entertaining retelling of Dustin Henderson ("Oh damn, Henderson! I fell outta touch with him ages ago. How is that little shit?" "Married. He didn't end up converting to Mormonism, but they still have enough kids to make up half a basketball team." "Is that... a lot?" "Six, Munson. They have six kids." "Which is funny, because he made soooo much fun of Steve for wanting that many back in the day." "Yeah. Showed him." "Fuck, my condolences to his wife if they all inherited his big head. You gotta give me his number after this. Or—DUSTIN, if you're listening to your babysitter's show, come to my next concert and there'll be two backstage passes with your name on it! Or, well, that embarrassing nickname your radio girlfriend used to call you, since I think I've blurted out your full government name by now." "That girlfriend is actually his wife now." "No shit?! Wow, I can't believe one of my little lost sheepies has managed to keep the same girl for over a decade. Is she really hotter than Phoebe Cates?" "Oh, she is smokin." "Robin, don't make it weird." "Oh it's okay, she already knows. I told her.") ... A very put-upon but entertaining retelling of Dustin Henderson coming over to discuss plans for Ma Henderson's birthday, and bringing a cherries jubilee that Suzie had made so he could literally demonstrate the flambé presentation ("Listeners, I swear I did not know, when I asked Steve about his flambéd eyebrow, that it was a literal flambé accident. Eddie, can you confirm?" "I can confirm, Robin. We received no heads-up calls or messages from Steve before or during the show. It was serendipitous irony, 100% pure.") but poured waaaaay too much brandy on, and then Steve tripped in his mad dash for the fire extinguisher ("He was no help at all, just stopped dropped and rolled right there in the middle of the damn kitchen." "How are his eyebrows?" "Ugh, I have more of them than he does right now but at least his match. Don't worry everyone, he's fine. No nerds were injured in the course of this improv slapstick comedy routine that is my life. I swear to god, I need a girlfriend or a boyfriend or someone reasonable to hang out with besides all you weirdos." "Aw, you love us." "Yeah Stevie, what would you do without your loving nerd squad?" "Yeah, yeah... But don't try to leave yourself out of this Munson, as far as I'm concerned you're still the king of all nerds. And if you're reconnecting with Dustin, you're stuck with us too.") and had to stop by urgent care on the way to work.

Throughout all of this, Eddie is not twirling a lock of hair around one finger... but only because it's tied haphazardly back to keep it out of his face for the day. Steve is different from the guy he remembers strutting the halls of Hawkins High. Still all freckles and hair and charismatic grin, but he carries himself differently. More solidly built in his mid-thirties than his late teens, with a layer of softness that suits him. Calmer and settled, with the kind of confidence that comes with growing up. And the girlfriend or boyfriend thing? Holy shit. Holy shit. King Steve? Who knew? But, well, it explains why Steve and Robin are so close, Eddie guesses.

The Steve Harrington that Eddie had known back in the day hadn't exactly been the worst of the bullies, but he'd been friends with them, and they had spouted plenty of homophobic shit. And Steve had been looking right at him as he'd said it, like he's aware that Eddie is terminally single and maybe, just maybe, there was a flicker of a question in his eyes.

Eddie has been publicly out for a while now, and the thing is... Steve is definitely his type. So he leans into it a little, testing the waters. And Steve responds to it like a sunflower greeting the sunrise.

By the end of the show Robin is slapping post-its on the glass partition that read "Get his number dingus" and "Get a room" and Don't make that face at me, yes I do know that he can see these too and I don't care, GET IT or I will recruit Dusty-dun to my cause" and "To clarify, the cause is getting you laid. Eddie, take note, he's allergic to latex."

Permanent tag list (ask to be added, but since I have gotten an influx of new followers lately just know that I write a lot of weight gain kink so like... just be aware): @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @tangerinesteve

[conanssummerchild]

lol i think its silly that the only party members who have actually SEEN suzie now are mike and will (not counting dustin obviously) like what if we get a scene with like lucas or smth asking 'so is she (suzie) really hotter than phoebe cates?' and mike and wills gay asses just there like 🕴

[freelancearsonist]

Whole

Steve Harrington x fem!Reader

Rated MA for the most long-winded poetic smut i've ever written jfc 🤦‍♀️ slow burn fluff with a couple sprinkles of angst for flavor, reader uses fem pronouns and is described as having female parts, it's dirty y'all but at least they use protection

7,470 Words

A/N: you all know my mo by now i disappear for a year and then come back and lay down some god damned PORN. this fic is no exception to the rule. @shakespeareanwannabe requested this back in july and she literally just asked for a cute moment between steve and dustin, sorry you got 6k words more than you bargained for 😂 but also thank you for betaing and the constant validation you're the best ily 🖤

Steve’s not sure how it even worked.

He can still remember the look on Robin’s face when you agreed, how she was speechless for almost ten minutes because she couldn’t process what had just happened.

Steve’s reaction was about the same as hers, in all honesty. He’s gotten so used to striking out that asking people out has become something of a game to him. He knows he’ll get a no, and he knows Robin will laugh her ass off at him. But what can he say? He likes putting a smile on his best friend’s face.

Needless to say, you’ve shaken him. In the best possible way. Because your answer was three letters instead of two.

And now, he's a little bit in over his head.

Or, to be more accurate, a lot in over his head.

It seems like it’s been ages since he’s gone on a date, even though it’s only been a few months at most. He feels lost, like he’s completely unlearned everything he ever knew about girls.

He hates it, despises it with every fiber of his own being, but he also knows it’s true; he needs advice. And although he’ll never admit it to the little shithead’s face, there’s no one better he can think of going to than his very own protege. Who better to remind him of his own prowess than the person who learned everything they know from him?

One look at Dustin’s smug little face and Steve almost regrets it. Almost.

“Just can’t stay away, can you?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Steve rolls his eyes and gives the younger boy a little shove, camouflaging it with an affectionate pat on the back. “This is strictly business, Henderson.”

“Oh, is it now?” The younger boy’s voice takes on a smug tone as he folds his fingers together and leans back in his chair. “Well then, why don’t you have a seat? Step into my office.”

Steve rolls his eyes and slides into the booth, shooting a smile and a “thank you” to the kind waitress who delivers two milkshakes to their table.

Dustin takes his time and makes a meal of unwrapping his straw, feeding off of Steve’s clear impatience Steve’s fingers tap against the table, reminding himself that patience is necessary when you come to someone for a favor. It’s just that it’s Dustin, and Dustin knows exactly how to get under the older boy’s skin in the most annoying-yet-oddly-endearing fashion.

“So…” Dustin finally says after a lengthy sip of strawberry milkshake. “What brings you so humbly to me?”

“I’ve got a date.”

And Dustin, the little bastard–he laughs. A deep, rumbling belly laugh, so pure and unfiltered that the three other occupied tables in the diner pause their conversations to get a look at the boy clutching his sides.

Steve’s a little embarrassed by the attention, but even more embarrassed that Dustin’s reaction is so genuine. The fact that the idea of him having a date is so laughable is a bit of a punch to the gut. It hasn’t really been that long, has it?

When Dustin’s laughter finally dies down he realizes Steve’s face is completely serious, and it makes him giggle even more.

“Wait, you’re actually serious? Who on earth did you manage to pull?”

Steve’s nearly bashful as he says your name, and even more bashful when Dustin’s jaw visibly drops.

“No fucking way. I’d believe anyone else, but her? She’s like… hotter than Phoebe Cates. There’s no way you wouldn’t strike out with her.”

Steve’s immediately on the defensive. Is it really so hard to believe that he, former king of Hawkins High, could pull the most gorgeous girl in town?

But that’s just it. There’s really no one like you, not in his eyes. He’s admired you since freshman year and never once even tried with you because he knew he wasn’t worthy. You were always in the background–a beautiful, kind, smart, funny girl just out of his reach. Part of the reason he even asked you out was because he was so sure he would strike out. In the end, losing his confidence was exactly what he needed to pull the girl of his dreams.

And that’s why there’s so much riding on this. You’ve always been his biggest “what if”, the girl he wonders about when thinking that maybe not trying has been holding him back. And apparently, it has.

“Look, I don’t even know how it happened, okay? But she said yes, and… and I really don’t want to blow it.”

“Well duh. You’ll have to leave town if you blow it with her, you know that, right? If she doesn’t think you’re worth it, no one else in this town ever will again.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of!” Steve groans, slouching down so far in the booth that Dustin can just barely see his poor, overwhelmed face.

“Steve, listen…” Dustin’s voice takes on an almost fatherly quality, an omniscient tone that gives off the illusion of great hidden knowledge. He gets like this sometimes, and Steve’s not always sure that it is just an illusion. “Don’t let this go to your head, but you’re, like, one of the coolest guys I know. If she doesn’t like you… that’s her problem, not yours. Okay?”

Steve straightens in his seat, a little shocked to hear such kind words from a friend that he’s used to being mercilessly teased by.

“No, no, no, it’s going to your head. I take it all back. Forget I said anything.” Dustin’s hearty giggle makes Steve smile as he sets a wad of bills on the table and slides out of the booth.

“You’re not so bad Henderson, you know that?” He gives the younger boy’s full head of curls an affectionate ruffle. “Thanks, kid. I’ll radio later.”

Not that Steve didn’t have total faith in his young protege, but it’s still a relief that the pep talk turned out to be exactly what he needed to hear. Dustin’s right, after all. Steve’s worked hard to become the man he’s always wanted to be. He may not be dripping charisma or sex appeal the way he used to, but he’s much more comfortable in his own skin. That’s what counts, right?

And you really are his dream girl. The opportunity to take you out tonight, even if it ends up being your first and only date together, is an honor. He’s much less focused now on all the ways he could screw up, hyper-fixated on putting the effort in to make this the best night of your life.

That effort comes out in the carefully selected suit jacket he dons over his white button-up, the extra spritz of cologne, the careful touch-up shave to vanquish his five o’clock shadow, the extra ten minutes using the perfect amount of product in his hair so that it stays in place yet is still soft to the touch.

By the time he gets to Enzo’s (half an hour early, mind), he’s practically vibrating with nerves and anticipation. He’s never been much of an overthinker, but he sure is tonight. Is this place too much for the first date? Would you rather do something lowkey, like catch a movie or go for a walk in the park? He has to remind himself a couple of times that you agreed to this, that you wouldn’t have said yes if you weren’t interested in the arrangement.

To say he’s prepared for this is putting it lightly. He’s run through every possible scenario in his mind, gone over conversation starters and questions he wants to ask you over and over again until he knows exactly how he wants to phrase each thing.

And still, nothing could prepare him for when you walk through the door.

He has to physically restrain his jaw from dropping because in the moment he sees you, every well-planned thought and all etiquette is flushed down the proverbial pipes. You’re nothing short of breathtaking in a dress that hugs all the right curves and shows just enough cleavage to have him imagining what else there might be to see. Your hair is pinned back out of your face, eyes framed by just the slightest bit of makeup to make the color of your irises pop. He swears he’s never seen a shade quite like them. It’s like you move in slow motion as you approach him–he sees the entrance of the smoking hot love interest in every romantic comedy, complete with smoke and fireworks, as you move towards the table.

And then some sense of decorum returns to his addled brain, and he quickly shoots up so he can pull out your chair for you like a proper gentleman. He catches just the slightest whiff of your perfume, and he’s a goner. He’s ready to sign his life away to you, to yank his own heart out of his chest to offer to your careful hands.

He has to give his head a shake to compose himself before he goes any further off the deep end. No one’s ever thoroughly shaken him the way you have, and it’s been a matter of thirty seconds. It’s almost intimidating, the effect you have on him.

“You look… incredible,” he fumbles as he takes his seat across from you. “I mean, you always do, but… wow.”

The shy giggle you emit tugs at a heartstring he didn’t even know he had.

“Thank you,” you tell him with a genuine smile. “You clean up very well yourself.”

“I do like to put in some effort every once in a while.” He flashes the most charming smile he can muster, and just like that he’s back. His resolve to impress you is reinforced tenfold. You’ve shaken him, and it’s such an unfamiliar feeling that he’s practically bumbling. He wants to shake you just as badly.

The food’s delicious, and the conversation’s even better. He has a track record for taking out a more–for lack of a better term–bimbo-y type, and that’s definitely not you. You’re smart, you’re witty, but you don’t make him feel like an idiot. He’s so taken with you that he doesn’t even notice that three hours have passed until he looks around the room and notices that every table is now empty and bussed.

The waiter delivers the check, and Steve notices you gnawing on your lip.

“What’s on your mind?” He asks, trying not to be too prying.

“I don’t want this to be over yet.”

Steve smiles. He’s got you; hook, line, and sinker. He’s never been so sure of anything, and that surprises him. He’s used to dates who are easy to read and even easier to take home, and those aren’t the impressions you’ve been giving him. To know that you’re feeling exactly what he’s feeling is a huge confidence boost.

“I don’t either.”

Your hand is so small compared to his. That’s all he can think about as he strolls next to you, his fingers intertwined with yours. He’s always considered hand-holding to be child’s play, it’s never excited him before the way it does in this moment with you.

It’s pitch black in the park and he can hear the overlapping chirping of summer cicadas and grasshoppers, the perfect background noise now that the conversation has died down. It’s less about getting to know each other at this point and more just basking in each other’s presence, prolonging the inevitable because neither one of you can bear to call it a night when it’s been such a good few hours.

You’re shocked, to say the very least. Steve certainly has a reputation, and it’s not for being a romantic. Yet everything tonight has flown in the face of all the rumors you’ve been hearing since junior high. You figured he’d be a fun fling, and probably only one night at that–you’d made your peace with the idea. To find that he’s kind, considerate, funny, and can match your intellect and quick wit… it’s a very pleasant surprise. And that’s what has you out well past a decent hour, giddy over simply holding his hand like you’re a damned school girl all over again.

“I should probably let you go home,” Steve sighs wistfully. He hates to be the one to bring it up, but you’re on your fifth lap around the park and about to circle back to where your car is parked so now seems the best time.

You’re chewing your lip again, a thoughtful habit that makes his heart pound just a little bit harder.

Here’s the thing: you’re really not the bold type. You act confident, sure, but in practice it’s a lot more difficult for you. So no one’s more surprised than you are when you say, “You could come home with me. If you want.”

Steve’s definitely shocked, too. Less shocked at your proposition and more at the fact that he’s tempted to decline. Because no matter how much he’s been running through the back of his mind what you might look like under that gorgeous dress, he doesn’t want this to end there. For the first time in his life, he wants to find more meaning than sex out of a relationship. He doesn’t want to take you home and never see you again. He wants to take you out again, and again, and again, and again after that. He sees a future, for once, that doesn’t look dim and hopeless. That fact alone scares the shit out of him.

He realizes he’s waited way too long to reply and fumbles for an answer. “Of course I want to. I’d be an idiot not to. But…”

You chew that cursed bottom lip of yours again, and Steve has to focus on the obvious cue you’re giving him rather than the fact that he wants to be the next set of teeth around that lip.

He stops in his tracks, gently pulling on your hand to face him so he can take your other hand in his free one. “It’s not a bad but. I mean, I’m going to go home kicking myself for saying no because I really honestly do want to… well, y’know. But… I want to do this right with you. I want to take you out again. I want to get to know you and see where this goes. I can’t… I don’t want this to end tonight.”

He’s eternally grateful for how dark it is as he feels a flush consume his face. He can’t remember a time he’s been so honest and open, especially on a first date; but the look on your face tells him he’s done something right.

“Okay,” you tell him, squeezing his hands in yours. “You… honestly have no clue how nice it is to hear that.”

“Of course,” he continues, “if you just want me for my body, no hard feelings.”

You laugh at that, genuinely laugh, and Steve thinks it’s the best sound he’s ever heard.

“No,” you reassure him. “No, I… I wanna see where this goes, too.”

You’re stopped only a few paces from your car, and Steve knows with a twist of his gut that this is the end of the night. It makes his gut turn with disappointment, but also with anticipation of when he’ll see you next. Already, his mind is flooding with ideas of where he can take you and what you’ll do together.

You drop one of his hands so you can walk but keep a tight grip on the other until you get to your driver’s side door, hesitating outside because you’re still not ready for this to be over. It takes every ounce of restraint he has not to kiss you, unsure of if that would be moving too fast.

Thankfully, you make the call yourself. Leaning up on your toes, hands against his chest for balance, you press your lips against his and he has to summon every mite of strength not to moan. No one’s ever tasted so sweet, molded against him so perfectly. His hands drift from your shoulders down your arms, coming to rest on your waist as he pulls you just a little bit closer. It’s a fight of will not to overstep, to break off the kiss before it can become too heated. His mind is spinning by the time you break away. He’s aching for more, and he hopes you are too. 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

Your sweet voice replays in his mind all night, long after you’ve gotten into your car and driven away, long after he’s returned to his own vehicle and pulled the radio out from under the driver’s seat to check in with Dustin, long after he arrives home and soaks in a cold shower for longer than he probably should. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get your voice out of his head, and he couldn’t be any less upset about it.

He practically counts down the minutes until he sees you again. This time, he has a little less restraint. He greets you with a kiss–a sweet peck and a hand on your waist that leaves you aching for even more.

It’s a movie this time, a chance to enjoy each other’s company on a night you’re both too tired from working to engage in heavy conversation and getting to know each other further.

It starts with sharing popcorn, then holding hands, then somewhere along the way the film is completely forgotten in favor of your lips meeting his. His breath grows heavy as his hands hold your face, committing you to memory while resisting the urge to explore further. Your hands, meanwhile, are firmly on his thighs, gripping tightly to keep yourself steady as you do everything you can to keep yourself from crawling into his lap.

He whispers your name, and your grip on him tightens.

“W-we shouldn’t…” he murmurs, then gives up on the futile attempt at finishing his sentence so that he can pull you even deeper into the kiss as his tongue sweeps across your bottom lip.

It takes everything in him not to moan when your lips eagerly part to accept him.

Needless to say, once the credits start rolling you’re both more than a little hot under the collar.

“Let me buy you dinner,” Steve suggests as he woefully unwinds himself from you. Declining doesn’t even flicker through your mind as a possibility.

It’s not Enzo’s this time, but it doesn’t have to be. He could set a soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of you at this point and you’d still thank him for it. This time around, you’re not really as interested in the cuisine as you are just simply getting through this meal to what’s next. Because what’s next is all you’ve been thinking about since you walked through the doors the night of that very first date and saw Steve Harrington wearing a blazer for you. It’s a level of effort he’s definitely not known for–in fact, he’s built a reputation for putting in so little effort that it nearly made your jaw drop to see him trying. And it certainly made your heart skip a beat.

But then again, the Steve before you carelessly wolfing down his bacon cheeseburger seems very different from the Steve you knew in high school, even if you didn’t know that iteration as intimately as this one. That one was cool, collected, snarky and pompous and maddeningly desirable.

This Steve, your Steve, is nearly an exact foil. Much less cocky, a little less confident but more self-assured in the ways that actually hold meaning, less worried about what the people around him are observing of him than what you’re observing of him. He seems happier, more carefree, more eager to please others than simply himself. He’s grown so much in such a short amount of time, and you feel proud just for having the honor to witness it. Significantly more proud to be on the receiving end of his affections now that they hold the kind of value you’ve always wished they would.

He looks up and notices you staring at him while lost in thought, a small smile spreading across his lips as your eyes quickly dart away.

“What’s on your mind?” He questions as he licks a stray bit of ketchup from his thumb.

“Just… happy I’m here. With you.” It brings heat to your cheeks to admit it, but you don’t want him to go unappreciated in this moment.

It’s the right thing to say, because his smile grows even wider. “I’m happy too,” he admits. “I… I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while. Could never work up the courage, I guess.”

“Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington was intimidated by me?” You say it with a mock gasp, but your shock is more genuine than you give off. Never in a million years would you have thought that he, the man who could have whoever he wanted, would be worried over you saying no to him. It’s almost comical, especially considering the way you practically threw yourself at him on your first date. Of course then, you had no clue how much he’d developed as a person. You’re almost ashamed of your behavior now, as if you might’ve inadvertently been taking advantage of the new and improved Steve who isn’t just into you for a hookup.

He shrugs, nearly bashful at your teasing. “Never figured I was good enough for you. So I didn’t bother to try.”

You’re genuinely curious now, leaning in a little closer and brushing your fingers against his hand resting atop the diner counter. “What made you change your mind?”

“Honestly? I was so sure you’d say no that I asked just to give Robin a chuckle. She loves watching me get shot down.”

That makes you frown, and he’s quick to backtrack. “I wanted to! I just… I’ve had a bad track record lately. And you’re… you’re you. You’re the last person I should be worthy of.”

His eyes are quick to avert from your gaze, bottom lip tugged between his teeth as he contemplates whether he’s said too much.

“Steve…” you properly grab his hand now in the hopes that it’ll bring his eyes back to you, and it works. “You’re the only person I’ve deemed worthy in a long time, honestly.”

Steve Harrington is scaldingly warm. It’s one of many sensations forcing your mind into overdrive as he lays you delicately across the backseat of his beemer, one hand cushioning the back of your head while simultaneously deepening the already heated kiss and the other balancing his weight to lean over you in the cramped space without completely crushing you.

Your fingers tangle themselves into his soft brown locks, tugging ever-so-slightly as his tongue slips between your parted lips. He’s an eager explorer and you’re more than happy to let him take the lead, to show you all the skill you’ve heard so many whispers about.

You let out an involuntary moan as he wedges himself even closer to you, his body heat soaking through all the layers of clothing between the two of you and warming you all the way to your very bones.

You’re practically aching, ready to beg, and he knows it the second you wrap your legs around his waist in an attempt to get him even closer. If there’s one thing Steve Harrington’s good at, it’s assessing your needs. He pulls away just the slightest bit to adjust his position so he can get closer, wedging a knee between your legs to press right against your core, and it makes you jolt back against the car door at the same time his head hits the roof just a bit too hard.

You both pause for a moment, the reality of your situation hitting you simultaneously, and then you’re laughing. It’s light and edged with unresolved want, but it’s enough to fracture the tension of the moment.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Shouldn’t have gotten so carried away. This isn’t how I want to do this.”

“No?”

“No. You deserve way better than this old beater,” he chuckles, then leans down to kiss you. This kiss is lighter, no longer edged with tension and lust. He kisses you just to kiss you–there’s no end goal to it this time.

“What could be better than a BMW?” You tease lightly, trying to reassure him that you’re less disappointed than you really feel.

“You know. Something romantic. A proper bed, rose petals, maybe a few candles…”

“I don’t need all that,” you try to tell him.

“I think I do,” he admits. And that’s enough to pull you back, to remind you that you need to be patient and grateful that he values you so much as to want to do this whole thing properly. That his affection is something to be cherished, not taken for granted.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I didn’t mean to be pushy.”

“Please don’t apologize.” He hesitates to untangle himself from you, even though he knows he needs to. “I want this just as bad. I just… I need it to be right.”

“As long as I have you, it’ll be right,” you reassure. “I hope you know that.”

He presses his lips to yours again, a slow and passionate kiss that he hopes communicates every bit of adoration he feels for you in this moment.

“It’ll be perfect. I swear,” he vows. You’ve never believed anything more whole-heartedly than you do this promise. 

~~~

“Wait, you’re telling me that you literally had her under you and you stopped?” Robin’s halfway through chewing a mouthful of popcorn and the absolute carnage inside her agape mouth makes Steve give her a light shove.

“It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full, y’know.”

“It’s not polite to blue-ball either!” She shoots back in utter disbelief.

“How do you think I felt? I was this close,” he holds his thumb and index finger barely millimeters apart, “to sealing the deal.”

She just shakes her head. “You, Steve Harrington, are a genuine, bonafide idiot.”

She’s not telling him anything he doesn’t know. It’s been three days since the aborted fling in the backseat of his car, and he’s barely thought of anything else. Especially since you’ve been away from home both of the past nights when he’s called. He’s starting to worry you’ve gotten the wrong impression, that he’s not interested or that he’s toying with you. It’s the exact opposite. He wants nothing more than to know you in the most intimate way he can know you. But he needs it to be flawless. He needs it to be well thought-out and precisely planned, the most romantic event in the history of copulation. He won’t settle for anything less, not with you. You deserve perfection, and he won’t give you anything less.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he tries to explain. “I want to more than anything. But if you’re gonna go to town on a goddess, you need to do some worshiping, y’know? I don’t feel like I’ve done enough.”

Your heart pounds in your chest as you hear this admission. You weren’t sure what to expect–worried that maybe visiting him at work was an overstep–but hearing him call you a goddess certainly wasn’t on your radar.

“You’ve done more than enough, Steve.”

The sound of your voice makes Steve jump and whirl around, oblivious to Robin’s sly smirk and mumbled excuse of needing to attend to something in the back room.

“H-hey!” He squeaks, then clears his throat in an attempt to get his tone back to its normal octave. “What… what’re you doing here?”

“Oh, just came to pick up a tape,” you tease. “But mostly I came to see you.”

“Me?” He takes a moment to ground himself, loosening his too-tight grip on the counter. “I mean… I tried to call you last night. And the night before?”

Your brow furrows. “Really? I didn’t get your message.”

Because he didn’t leave one. He clears his throat and says, “I just figured you were busy.”

“Oh, well, I volunteer at the animal shelter on Wednesdays, and last night was my friend’s 21st birthday. I’m sorry I missed you, though.”

He can tell that you’re really remorseful, and it makes his heart squeeze in his chest a little bit. He plays it off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “No, it’s fine, it’s… are you free tonight?”

You giggle at the abrupt redirect, but he’s played directly into your hand.

“Yeah, actually. I was hoping maybe you could help me pick out something for us to watch tonight? If you’re free too, that is.”

His dark eyes blink slowly, wondering if you’re aware of the implication behind your completely innocent words. You. Him. A movie. Alone. It’s enough to make his head spin. 

“I’ve never been freer.”

Conveniently, you’ve come in close enough to the end of his shift that by the time you’re done combing through Family Video’s vast selection for the perfect film to use as background noise, Steve’s ready to clock out. And since you walked over after finishing your own shift at the local dollar store up the street, it works out perfectly that he can give you a ride straight to his place.

You only glance in the backseat once, but it’s enough to get your mind churning. Remembering the feeling of him, of what could’ve been. Anticipating what will be.

“Parents home?” You ask as he pulls into his driveway and parks, trying to sound casual and utterly failing.

“Nope,” he answers easily. “Took a detour to Cabo on their way home from Hawaii.”

“Sounds glamorous. You opted out?”

“I’d rather be here in Hawkins with you than on a beach alone anyday.”

He must know the effect his words have on you. Surely he can hear the way your heart picks up pace as he looks at you with those dark, affectionate eyes.

“So… this is home.” He waves a hand around the entrance hall like it’s a shabby nightmare, not the grandest house you’ve ever been in.

“I’m starting to understand why they used to call you King Steve.”

He’s almost embarrassed at the mention of that old high school nickname. “Trust me, this isn’t why.”

“Well, a palace does befit you,” you tell him with a smirk.

“Stop, you’re gonna make me blush.” The wink he shoots you makes your gut erupt with butterflies, a sensation that would normally make you a little uncomfortable. With Steve, you’d take the butterflies all day long.

He gives you a cursory and oversimplified tour of the ground floor before leading you upstairs, and suddenly he’s sheepish. It’s been a few moons since he shared his room with a girl, so the nerves are justified. But that’s too simple an explanation. You’re not a girl. You’re his dream, his muse, his–to re-quote himself–goddess. No one he’s ever cared about more has stood where you’re standing, and it terrifies him.

He hides it well, though, busying himself with making a comfortable nest for you in his bed before setting up the television set on the dresser against the far wall. If ever there was a time to regain his confidence, it’s now. He curses whatever god there is that he feels like a fumbling virgin in this moment when nothing is even happening, when just the anticipation is enough to make his hands tremble.

There’s no more stalling once you’re comfortable and the tape is set to play. His heart pounds to the steady and frantic rhythm of one of those heavy rock songs Dustin listens to now as he sits next to you, hands itching to take a hold of you but also eager not to move too fast.

Almost as if you can sense his hesitation, you reach over and take his hand. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me.”

And so he does, and the second his lips slot to yours all the worry and anxiety is gone. He’s Steve Harrington, and he knows what he’s doing. You’re you, and he’s wanted this for so long. After years of being lost, he deserves to finally find the love he’s been looking for. He’s never been so sure of anything as he is, in this moment of initial clarity, that he’s in love with you.

He can’t say it, not yet. He’s sure it’s too soon, and the last thing he wants is to scare you off. But he’s determined to prove it to you, and the only way besides words is action.

He can handle action.

There’s no more restraint or hesitation behind his touch. This is it, this is what you’ve both been waiting for. There’s no way in hell he’s not going to deliver now. He’s desperate for you, and it shows in the heavy way his hands drag along your curves whilst committing you to memory; the way his tongue languidly swipes across your bottom lip; the way he shifts effortlessly to hover over you even while deepening the kiss.

He’s overwhelming every single sense of yours in such a sudden fashion, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. Especially not when his hips meet yours in a deliciously slow grind and you finally get your first little taste of what’s to come.

He keens at the little breathless whimpers that leave your mouth, reading every single signal you provide him with and accommodating each. Moaning? He continues what he’s doing, intensifying if deemed necessary. Whining? He adds something, because he knows it’s hard to use your words when you’re wanting so badly. Squirming? He pays attention to the direction of your movement and pulls away or presses closer depending on necessity. It’s down to science for him; he only really cared about extracurriculars in school anyway, and this was certainly his favorite.

But then he comes to his senses–while he doesn’t pull away completely, he needs to clear his mind and he does so by letting up a bit, allowing the kiss to become languid and the heat to extinguish a bit. It only makes you whine more, and Steve curses his damned formula. You shouldn’t be part of an equation. You’re everything he’s ever wanted, and every aspect of your relationship so far has been a new experience for him. He needs this particular activity to be different too. No formulas or calculations. Just you and him and whatever happens naturally.

Clearly you can hear the cogs in his mind turning. You pull away with a concerned look on your face and ask, “what’s on your mind?”

Now’s not the time to hide anything from you, he reasons with himself. He wants to be authentic with you, and part of that means telling the truth, even if it’s not something particularly comfortable.

“I’m… falling into a routine. And I don’t want to,” he admits. He sighs and leans back, one hand dragging through his shaggy and disheveled hair, sure that he’s going to ruin the mood if he carries on like this. But he refuses to back away from the truth now. “This… it’s always been like…. Like a series of checkpoints. Boxes to check, y’know? Kiss you, take your clothes off, make you come, fuck you, say goodnight. And I don’t want… I can’t let it be like that with you. I need this to be… real. Not just some list to cross shit off of. I don’t–”

Steve takes a long, shaky breath before he can ramble on anymore. Never has someone so thoroughly gotten under his skin. He’s never felt so insecure, so unsure. It’s terrifying. The most terrifying part of it all, though, is that he likes it. He loves the feeling of the unfamiliarity, of doing this right. In a way, it’s almost like he’s doing all of this for the first time all over again. You’re his first date, first kiss, first time. All because he’s changed so drastically, because he’s not even remotely the same person he was just a year or two ago.

Your hands are so gentle as you cup his face, tenderly forcing his eyes to meet yours.

“Steve… we don’t have to do this, not if you’re not ready. I want to be with you, not just for this, but for everything. Everything that comes with you… that’s what I want. There’s no pressure. I would wait a hundred years for you to be ready so long as I could still have you.”

Steve’s breath shakes a little as he comprehends the gravity of your words. There’s nothing he can say that can properly convey the gratitude he holds for your words, so he says nothing at all.

In his silence, you continue. “You’re more than a body, you know that, right? You’re funny, and kind, and smart. Yes, smart, don’t look at me like that. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted to be close to. I just… I want to spend time with you. I want to watch stupid movies and eat diner food until we get sick and laugh at your stupid jokes… and maybe make love with you, sure, but that’s pretty low on the list as long as I just get to be with you.”

He doesn’t notice the tears until it’s too late–by the time you’re wiping them from the apples of his cheeks it’s far too late to take them back or hide them. With anyone else, he would be angry; at himself, for allowing himself to be so vulnerable. For allowing himself to be so emotional. With you, though… with you, his emotions make him feel strong. 

For the first time since you walked into his life, he’s not scared of losing you.

“I love you,” he tells you. His voice is firm, as fierce as the kiss he presses to your mouth, as powerful as the waves of emotion vibrating through his very soul. “I love you so much.”

He barely gives you a chance to reply, as keen as he is on physically proving his love to you through myriad passionate kisses that leave you breathless. But when you finally get the chance to use your voice after a barrage of kisses that start to trail down your neck, you whisper, “I love you too.”

Four words, and they’re all he needs to quell every worry or fear he’s had over doing this relationship properly with you. Why should he have to worry, after all, when he’s already succeeded? 

“I love you,” he whispers as he trails down your neck and to your chest, leaving tender love bites on the tops of your breasts once he’s properly liberated you from your shirt.

“I love you,” he mumbles through sucking a mark a few inches north of your navel.

“I love you,” he murmurs when his lips meet your waistband. His fingers make quick work of your pants as he scatters kisses over your stomach, unable to part his mouth from your skin for even a moment.

“I love you,” he affirms as his mouth meets your hot and waiting core.

There’s no more checklist. Because this isn’t simply sex, as it always has been for him in the past. This is love-making: the kind of sappy shit they talk about in all those Hallmark movies that he rolls his eyes at the sight of. It’s like losing his virginity all over again.

He understands the old adage of “the other half” now. You’ve ripped him to shreds and sewed him back together with strands of yourself. The end result is better than the original ever could’ve even dreamed to be. He’s sure he couldn’t possibly live without you now, that losing you would be like ripping out fresh and unhealed stitches.

You’re not sure how long he camps out between your trembling thighs, but it’s long enough for you to lose count of the number of times he pulls you apart–first with his languid tongue; then his long, curved fingers; then a combination of the two. It’s like he loses himself completely in your pleasure, not a single thought in his head except what he can do to bring you to the edge again, and again, and again.

You’re trembling with oversensitivity by the time his own needs overtakes his desperation to unravel you. So out of it that you feel drunk, like Steve’s laced you with absolute bliss so pure you can barely stand it.

You’re hardly present enough to appreciate the adonis before you when he finally undoes his own jeans, and that’s a damned shame because he’s so damned pretty. Long and thick, flushed at the girthy tip from his hitherto unacknowledged arousal. His lean thighs are pure muscle, and the dark thatch of hair that trails south from his navel makes your mouth water. He’s everything you dreamed he’d be and so much more.

“Steve…” You don’t know what else you can possibly say. All you can do is vainly hope that one whine of his name can convey all of the heat, frustration, tension, and above all longing, swirling through your head in the moment.

He breaks from his lustful reverie for a moment to smile as he leans in for another heated kiss; you think it’s safe to say you’ve gotten your point across.

He slows from his mania for a few moments, lips tender as they explore against yours once more. These kisses are languid, slow, yet no less heated. Even now, he’s trying to prove his love to you. As if you could somehow not believe him after everything that’s happened, every small moment you’ve spent with him witnessing how hard he’s trying for you.

Somewhere in between kisses he manages to wrestle a condom out of his nightstand, miraculously without ever breaking from your lips.

Now is where you cut in, finally fading out of your over-pleasured fugue and back to reality. You take the little foil packet from his hands and tear it open, eager for this small chance to finally get a hand or two on him.

He lets out the most gorgeous noise you’ve ever heard as you roll the rubber down his length; a deep, earthy, diaphragmatic moan just from the simple touch of your hand. You want to touch him even more, to wrest out more of those sounds from him; to see what other undiscovered responses you can pull from him as you pleasure him. But you know that now, he needs to set the pace. He believes he has something to prove, and you’re more than happy to let him prove it. There will be plenty of other opportunities to have him completely at your mercy, anyway.

There’s no way to describe the feeling as he slides into you. It’s more than bliss, more than euphoria, more than earth-shattering toe-curling mind-altering pleasure. It’s nothing more than feeling whole. Of never knowing you were missing a part of yourself until it’s suddenly returned to you. Of never knowing what home felt like until this exact moment.

Maybe it’s overdramatic. Maybe it’s outlandish and outrageous and a million other adjectives to feel something so overpowering and overwhelming from such a seemingly simple physical act. But in this moment, you know you’ve never felt anything as right as being connected to Steve in this way.

His lips hardly leave yours while he rolls his hips against you, easily finding the perfect angle to make your breath hitch and your hands scrabble for purpose.

It admittedly doesn’t last long, but it doesn’t have to. Once you start to tighten and pulse around him, he’s a goner–deep purposeful thrusts turning to hard, arrhythmic plunges in desperate search of release.

You’re still shaking from your high when he slowly pulls out of you. He keeps you close, arms linked around your waist and dragging you to lay on his chest as he flops back against the pillows. 

You’re not sure how long you lay like that, with Steve whispering sweet nothings into your hair and pressing absentminded kisses to your face. All you can really focus on is one all-consuming, life-changing fact.

“I love you, Steve Harrington.”

“I love you too,” he whispers back. He kisses you again, just a simple peck on your lips, and you know that he’s telling the truth. It’s an eternal truth: one that can’t be changed or altered in any way. Steve Harrington loves you with every fibre of his being, and he will for the rest of his life–even if you’re both blissfully unaware of it for now.

THE END

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[biancadjarin]

making out with Eddie on Halloween

em x fem reader

18+!

You walk towards Steve’s car as the cool fall air whooshes past your ears. The chocolate brown BMW 733i looks black in the setting sunlight. Goosebumps erupt on your exposed legs as you reach for the handle of the car. The muffled beat of Thriller thumping against the door. The darkly tinted windows reflect yourself back to you and the iridescent strands on your fuzzy white halo shimmer softly. Halloween in Hawkins is an especially spooky time so when Robin and Steve invited you to a costume party, you jumped at the chance to join them. Little did you know they invited Eddie too.

“Look how cute you are!” Robin exclaims from up in the passenger seat as you open the door and see two long skinny dark blue denim covered legs. You giggle nervously as you duck in and Eddie shoots you a wordless look, his eyes scanning your body more than your face. “Thanks Robin. You look cute too! Hi Steve! Hi… Eddie”. Eddie nods back an unenthusiastic “hey” and Steve turns around and wiggles his brows at you before putting the car into drive.

Nancy’s house is a 20 minute drive from yours and the thought of sitting this close to Eddie, his obsession by Calvin Klein cologne (no doubt borrowed from Steve) hitting your nostrils every few seconds and his lingering glances at you while he pretends not to, was going to drive you crazy. You played with the short hem of your white dress to appear busy, tiny sparkles shimmering on your thighs as they press into the leather backseat.

“You got that shit rolled up already right?” Steve asks Eddie, his eyes shooting up from the road to look at him in the rear view. Eddie reaches a hand into his leather jacket pocket and, like a magic trick, a long white joint emerges. He holds it in the air for Steve to see to which Steve lets out a “Niiiiice.”

Eddie places the joint between his full lips as he raises his hips and digs around in his pocket for a lighter. He flicks the black zippo and lights the end, inhaling until the tip glows an angry red and a plume of smoke flows out of his nostrils. You watch as uninterested as you can, but it’s hard to look away. The dim light of the last few minutes of sun dances across his features and you suddenly become very aware of how close he’s sitting to you.

“All you, man.” Eddie says as he passes the joint to Steve over his shoulder. Steve takes it and take a couple skillful puffs before handing it over to Robin. She takes a too big hit, coughing and choking for a few seconds as you all laugh at her. “Ok babe, your turn.” She says as she turns around to hand it to you.

You freeze. You’ve never smoked before. And you don’t think right now is the best time to make that big step. Robin’s eyes look at you expectantly, as you hear a scoff next to you. You take the joint in an awkward pinch and Robin drops back into the seat, her and Steve deep in some conversation about who’s hotter, Phoebe Cates or Farrah Fawcett.

“Do you not smoke?” Eddie asks as he scooches closer to you, his thigh touching yours. You look at him with panicked eyes. “Sweet innocent thing.” Eddie says in a teasing voice, his chin dipping low and puppy dog eyes looking up at you. “You really are an angel.” He says through a laugh. “Here,” he motions for you to hand him the joint and scooch even closer, “I’ll show you. You’ll love it.”

You feel Eddie’s hand snake behind your lower back, “watch real close now, angel.” he says softly as he pulls your body into his side. His hand rests there on your side, his thumb finding the skin between your skirt and top, rubbing it gently. “All you gotta do is breathe in like you’re taking a normal breath, see?” He demonstrates. “Then,” he says with his lungs full, “you just exhale.” A cloud of smoke rolls out like he’s the prettiest dragon you’ve ever seen. “Think you can handle that?” He asks as he hands the joint back to you. You take it from him and examine it closely, turning it in your fingers.

“Hurry,” Eddie says as his other hand lands softly on your thigh, rubbing it with urgency. “You don’t want it to go out.” He nods his chin at you, his eyes watching your lips. He licks his lips absentmindedly. Butterflies fill your stomach. “Ok,” you say with a heavy sigh “I’ll try.”

As you inhale, Eddie does a pretend inhale with you, widening his eyes so you know to hold it in. You try not to laugh when his already big chocolate brown eyes are staring at you like that. Then he pretends to exhale so you do the same.

“See?” His face unnecessarily close to yours, “wasn’t so bad was it?”

You shake your head no, going back in for another hit.

Eddie leans back in his seat with a smirk and watches you. You miss how his hands feel on your body. The weed starts to make you fixate on random things. The passing streetlamps lighting him up every few seconds as they pass. His eyes are low and glassy, pink to match his lips and cheeks.

You hand him the joint after a couple more hits and he takes it from you, hitting it once more before sending it back up to Steve. One of his hits equals at least three of yours if the smoke that he exhales is any indication.

A moment passes, he smirks and looks down at the space between you two, then at your lap, your hand resting there. He reaches for it slowly, first letting his fingertips graze the top of your hand then grasping it in his and pulling it towards him. He traces your fingers with his, not saying anything for a moment. His eyes stare at the sparkly white polish on your almond shaped nails, running his thumb over the shiny finish.

His hand comes up to tilt your chin so your eyes are locked on his. “You feeling ok?” He asks. You nod slowly, not sure what’s making you feel more dizzy. The weed, the way Eddie’s voice is filling your ears or Steve’s crazy driving. Eddie’s smile widens, his dimples showing. “I’m impressed, y/n.” You think this is the first time you’ve ever heard him say your name and it’s never sounded more beautiful. “Maybe you’re not quite the innocent angel that you appear to be.” He says as he nuzzles his face into your neck, testing the waters. Your body shudders against his, and he smiles. The soft warmth of his lips grazes your skin as they kiss your neck gently.

Your palms brace against his chest, the worn leather of his jacket feeling cool and soft under your touch. He watches you, his eyes studying your face like the textbooks in school he doesn’t look twice at. He’s waiting. Waiting for you to make the next move. Waiting to feel your glossy lips against his.

You look shyly towards the front seat to make sure Steve and Robin are still distracted. Eddie huffs out a small laugh at your innocence. He doesn’t care if Steve and Robin see. You look back at him and see the fire in his eyes. The heat radiating off his skin. The red brake lights ahead of you bathing him in a devilish light. And you let yourself do what you know you probably shouldn’t.

Your mouth collides with his in a burning kiss, your tongues dancing and darting and daring each other to go further. “You’re cute.” Eddie whispers against your cheek when he pulls away. “Your costume is so..” he sucks in a breath through his teeth as his hands squeeze your waist. “I like it.”

“Yeah?” you urge him on. “Mhm.” He nods. “I’m almost worried about walking into Nance’s party with you looking this good. Gonna have to…” his voice trails off as your hand starts to caress up his thigh, curious to feel what’s making his denim strain. Your fingers meet the rounded end of him and he groans. The opening notes of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid start up and Eddie’s eyes are watching your fingers curl around his erection through his jeans. You smile softly, feeling it throb against his thigh.

“You were saying?” You ask him teasingly. Eddie shakes his head and pulls you in for another kiss as you feel Steve turn onto Nancy’s street.

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

[mostlylurkinbarelypostin]

Mike Likes Cute Things

Dustin, Lucas, Steve, Max, and Robin all use the word “hot” to describe people that they’re attracted to in S3.

For Dustin, Lucas, and Steve, it’s in reference to Phoebe Cates, who Dustin compares Suzie to.

Dustin: “Think Phoebe Cates, only hotter.”

Lucas: “She’s a genius and she’s hotter than Phoebe Cates? No girl is that perfect!”

Steve: “No no. No way. Hotter than Phoebe Cates? No.”

It’s implied that they all view Phoebe Cates as the pinnacle of hotness - a common opinion at the time as a result of her role in Fast Times.

Similarly, Max uses the word hot to describe Ralph Macchio. Another actor that was popular at the time as a result of his looks.

Max: “Yeah he’s the Karate Kid. […] He’s so hot right?”

Finally, Robin uses the word hot in reference to girls when she tries to convince Keith to give Steve a job at Family Video. She bribes him by talking about all the ladies he’ll bring in.

Robin: “And these ladies… These ladies are hot. They’re so very hot.”

This is all to say that most teenagers are attracted to people that they consider “hot.”

When Mike finds out about Suzie though, he doesn’t ask Dustin if she’s hot. Mike asks…

“Is she cute?”

Mike is the only one to use this word. He’s the only one who is primarily concerned with cuteness rather than hotness, and his word choice is so telling. Unlike many teenagers, Mike is drawn to cute things still.

Things like the little teddy bear with the bow tie at the mall…

…and, ya know, his best friend, who happens to be strategically placed right behind him throughout the entire shot…

… in bright red shorts…

… as if he’s Mike’s version of a certain someone.

[itswhatyougive]

Eddie Shows Off His Nipple Piercings

(Eddie pulls his shirt up and over his head, shaking out his mane and kneeling over Steve, who is sitting up in bed to view the glinting silver accessories that have been revealed)

E: So what do you think, huh? (wiggling eyebrows)

S. (taking in the view) Hot. Very hot.

E: Yeah? (teasingly) Would you say......hotter than....Phoebe Cates?

S: (casting his eyes to the ceiling with a barely disguised smile, playing it up) Hmnnn........

E: (laughing) No? No??

S: Well..... (reaches out a hand to trail sinuously down Eddie's front) Your tits are a little on the small side.

E: Hn. 'Tis true, 'tis true. But uh.....(sliding a hand inside his own pants to grasp the growing bulge therein) this isn't.

(leaning in to whisper) And Miss Cates isn't packing one of these.

S: (salacious grin spreading across his face) Hmm.....no, she isn't.

(Both giggling as Steve jerks Eddie's hips forward and starts undoing his belt)

S: (licking his lips) No, she isn't......

[harringtonstilinski]

Always The Babysitter - Chapter Nineteen: The Mall Rats

Author: @harringtonstilinski​ Characters: Steve Harrington x Olivia Henderson(OC) Word Count: 2,700 Warnings: fluff, Smut: no | yes; A/N: Hi, friends! If you like this chapter, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

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season masterlist

series masterlist

series playlist 

Steve took me home the next morning so that I could change and spend some time with my mom and Dustin, who kept bugging me about going to see Steve.

I didn’t tell Steve I was going to bring him today, but I figured a nice surprise would put an extra smile on his face.

Robin had her hands held out, giving the customers in front of Dustin and I their cones, saying unenthusiastically, “Have a nice day.” We stepped up the counter when they moved.

“Hi,” Dustin said, a smile on his face.

“Hi,” she said back. Looking at me, she said, “Hey, dingette.”

“Hi,” I said.

Robin looked back at Dustin, as he said, “I’m Dustin.”

“I’mmm Robin,” she said.

“Sweet shit,” I whispered.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Dustin said. “Uhh, is he– is he here?”

“Is who here?” Robin asked.

As if right on cue, Steve came bursting out of the back room, happiness laced on his face as he put his arms up, saying, “Henderson.”

I smiled, thinking he was talking about me, his favorite Henderson. Sadly, my smile turned into a look of annoyance when Steve said, “Henderson! He’s back! He’s back!” while moving in front of the counter towards my little brother.

“I’m back!” Dustin said. “You got the job!”

“I got the job!” Steve did some weird ass trumpet miming thing before him and Dustin did some weird ass handshake they came up with over Spring Break.

They laughed as I leaned against the counter, telling Robin, “You see what I have to deal with?”

She looked from me to Steve, asking, “How many children are you friends with?”

He gestured to Robin as if telling Dustin, “You see what I have to deal with?” Steve got Dustin some ice cream that he asked for, the two of them sitting down at a booth before they both looked at me expectantly. 

Steve got up and said, “Come on, baby. Come sit with us.”

“But your favorite Henderson is here,” I sassed, looking at Dustin. 

“Come on,” he said, moving over to me to whisper, “You know you’re my favorite.”

I looked at him with sad, doe eyes before smiling and giggled. “I’m just kidding. I know I’m your favorite.” Walking around him, I went and sat down at the booth Dustin was in, Steve coming to sit next to me.

Dustin had told him about Suzie with a Z from Utah before diving into his ice cream.

“No, no. No way,” Steve said. “Hotter than Phoebe Cates? No.”

Dustin hummed, “Mm-hmm,” before taking another bite of his ice cream.

“No girl is hotter than Phoebe Cates.”

I turned to look at him over my shoulder, eyebrow raised.

“E-expect for you,” Steve stuttered.

Smiling, I leaned my head against his shoulder before chuckling, his arm coming around my shoulders. Dustin looked at us, eyes wide as he said, “Brilliant, too. And she doesn’t even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth.”

“Gross,” I groaned.

After a moment, Steve said, “Wow! Yeah, that’s great. Proud of you, man. That’s ro– that’s kinda romantic.”

Looking at his boat of ice cream, Dustin asked, “So do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?”

“Yeah. I mean, sure. It’s not really a good idea for me, though. Ya’know, I gotta keep in shape for the ladies.”

Again, I turned to face him, eyebrow raised.

“Oh, shut up. You’re the one who agreed for me to flirt.”

“Yeah, and how’s that working out for you?” Robin and I asked.

Without missing a beat, Steve said, “Ignore them.”

Looking in Robin’s direction, Dustin said, “She seems cool.”

“She’s not. So, where are the other knuckleheads?”

“They ditched me yesterday.”

“And I’ll kick every single one of their asses,” I said. “They like to forget that I know where they sleep.”

“My first day back! Can you believe that shit?”

“Whoa, seriously?” Steve asked.

“They’re gonna regret it, though, big time, when they don’t get to share in my glory,” Dustin said, pointing in mine and Steve’s direction.

“Glory?” I asked. “What glory?”

Dustin moved closer, to say, “So, last night, I was trying to get in contact with Suzie–”

“Suzie with a Z from Utah,” I sassed.

“Yes, now, shut up,” Dustin said, before looking around. He covered his mouth and said something so quiet, I thought he was just mouthing the words.

I looked back at Steve, confused, before looking back at Dustin, asking, “What?”

“Uh…” He talked so quietly again, I couldn’t hear him… and I was sitting right next to him!

“Just speak louder,” Steve and I said.

As if he were telling the whole town of Hawkins, Dustin loudly said, “I intercepted a secret Russian communication!”

Covering his mouth, I said, “Okay, shut the hell up! No need to announce it to all of Hawkins.”

“That’s what we thought you said,” Steve said. After a moment, he tapped me on the shoulder, asking, “What-what does that mean?”

“It means, future brother-in-law,” Dustin said, causing me to choke on air. “We could be heroes. True… American… heroes.”

Steve made a happy noise, I sighed in annoyance, and Dustin also made a happy noise.

“American heroes,” Steve said, sitting up behind me causing his arm to move a little closer to my girls.

“Just think,” Dustin said. “You could have all the ladies–” I cleared my throat, raising a brow at my brother. “Pop-popularity?” he asked, me blinking slowly and shaking my head. “Fa-fame?” I nodded with a tightlipped smile.

“You could have all the fame you want and more,” he continued on his train of thought. 

“More?” Steve asked.

“More.”

“I like more,” Steve said, pressing his lips to my temple.

“Uh-huh,” I said to both boys. “What’s the catch, Dusty?”

“No catch,” he said. “I just need Steve’s help.”

Looking at him with a shocked expression, I exclaimed, “What about me?”

He sighed, exasperatedly as he said, “I guess you, too.”

“Help with what?” Steve asked.

Dustin unzipped the bag I didn’t even notice he had, bringing out a book that had the words Romanov’ Russian-English, English-Russian Dictionary on the cover. “Translation.”

~~~

Dustin, Steve and I went to the back room to start trying to translate the Russian communication Dustin heard from Russian to English.

I was eating a banana because I was starving when Dustin played the tape again that he made last night, a Russian man's voice coming through the speaker.

Feeling my arm rise up, I turned my head to see why, watching Steve take a bite of the fruit in my hand.

I narrowed my eyes in thought, hearing music in the background. I’ll make a note of that later.

Dustin stopped it, the nautical themed music from the store coming back into my ears. “So, what do you two think?”

“It sounded familiar,” I said, taking another bite of my banana.

“What?”

“The music, right there at the end.”

“Why are you listening to the music, Olivia? Listen to the Russian! We’re translating Russian!”

“You don’t realize I live in America where we speak English, right? I’m trying to listen to the guy’s words, but there’s music playing!”

“Alright, babysitting time is over,” Robin said. Speaking to Steve, she said, “You need to get in there.” She looked at her board for Steve, turning around and saying, “Hey, my board! That was important data, shitbirds!”

“Robin, it was my fault,” I said, raising my hands in mock surrender before placing them on the table, Steve taking my banana as I did so.

“Plus, I guarantee you that what we're doing is way more important than your data,” Dustin said. 

“Yeah?” Robin said. “And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?”

Looking at me and then Steve, Dustin asked, “How does she know about the Russians?”

Steve answered, “I don’t know,” as he handed me back my banana… well, moreso the peel.

“You told her about–”

“It wasn’t me.”

“Steve, babe, stop talking with your mouth full,” I said.

“Hello, I can hear you,” Robin said. “Actually, I can hear everything.”

“Yeah, you both are extremely loud,” I added.

I just looked at them with a smile on my face as Robin continued, “You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you’re trying to translate, but haven’t figured out a single word because you didn’t realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet than we do.”

“Stop her if she’s off base here.”

“That goes for you, too.”

“Hey!” I said, looking back at her.

Robin went to reach for the cassette player, but Steve got to it first, asking her, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I wanna hear it,” she said.

“Why?” both boys asked.

“Maybe she can help,” I said.

“I’m fluent in four languages, ya’know,” Robin said.

“Russian?” Dustin asked.

“Ou-yay are-yay umb-day.”

Steve laughed like she was actually speaking Russian to my brother.

“Holy shit,” Dustin smiled.

I looked up at her before I looked back at Dustin and chuckled out, “That was Pig Latin, idiot.”

“But I can speak Spanish, French and Italian, and I’ve been in band for 12 years,” Robin said, sitting next to me. “My ears are little geniuses, trust me.”

The bell rang at the front counter right before she said, “Come on, it’s your turn to sling ice cream, my turn to translate. I don’t even want credit, I’m just bored.” She handed the ice cream scooper to Steve as the bell dinged again.

He grabbed it from her hand before handing her the cassette player.

“Please wash that before you scoop ice cream,” I said, looking from Steve’s hand to his eyes.

Sighing, Steve went to the sink and rinsed the ice cream scoop before drying it off. “Happy?”

“Yes, because you won’t get others sick,” I smiled.

He placed a kiss on my lips as we walked around the table, going to sling more ice cream. I stayed in the back room with Dustin and Robin, almost able to recite the Russian words, word for freaking word, that familiar music playing.

“Wait, that last part, one last time,” Robin said, pointing towards the cassette player in my brother’s hand.

Dustin rewound the tape, hitting the play button once again, the Russian’s voice and the music coming back through the speaker.

Robin walked past the sink once more, pointing towards Dustin as she said, “Okay, that word. Uhm… it’s pronounced “dly-nna-ya.” Dustin repeated the word before she continued, “Which is spelled–”

“D. D, D, D,” Dustin said, running toward the white board. Pointing to it, he said, “The chair! The chair-the chair-looking thingy.”

Robin smiled as she wrote down the Russian letter. Looking up at me, she said, “Go get dingus.”

I hopped down from my spot on the counter before poking my head out of the door as I heard the window open. “Babe, we got our first sentence.”

Turning around with two cones in his hands, he said, “Whoa, seriously?”

“Yeah. Window.” I walked back to stand next to Robin as she said, “The week is long,” in a Russian accent.

“Well, that’s thrilling,” Steve deadpanned.

“I know, but progress,” Robin smiled before she shut the window.

I chuckled and walked out, seeing two familiar girls as Steve turned around and said, “Okay, here ya go, you got a strawberry and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream.” I walked over to Steve, standing beside him as the girls took their first taste of their ice creams. Looking dead at El, I asked, “Are you even allowed to be here? Does Hop know you’re here?”

El and Max looked at each other before running out of the store. I looked at Steve, seeing the confused look on his face. I’m sure I had the same look. “Ooookay.”

~~~

The whole mall was closed down a few hours later, but Scoops was still open, much to my protest of going home.

I sighed as all four of us looked at the white board and recited, “The week is long, the silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west.” I groaned, just wanting to go to bed.

“Can we please leave?” I asked. “I’m so tired.”

Steve chuckled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, guiding me out to the rest of the mall. Going back to the conversation they’d had on our way out as he closed the security gate to lock it, he said, “I mean, it just… it just can’t be right.”

“It’s right,” Robin said.

“Honestly, I think it’s great news,” Dustin added.

“How is this great news?” I groaned. “So much for you two being American heroes, Dusty.”

“It’s total nonsense,” Steve said.

“It’s not nonsense,” Dustin said. “It’s too specific.”

Looking at the shops we were passing, I said, “It’s obviously some sort of code.”

Feeling Steve slip his fingers between mine, he asked, “Babe, what do you mean, a code?”

“Like a super secret spy code,” Dustin said, turning to face us for a second. Gesturing to mine and Steve’s hands, he added, “And break this up.”

“That’s a total stretch,” Steve said, pulling me closer. 

“I don’t know, is it?” Robin asked.

“You’re buying into this?” 

I wrapped my hand around his bicep, leaning my head against his shoulder.

“Listen, just for kicks,” Robin said. “Let’s entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What’d you think they were gonna say, fire the warhead at noon? And my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so… the silver cat feeds. Why would anyone talk like that unless they were trying to mask the meaning of their message.”

“Exactly,” Dustin said.

“I mean, why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message is somehow sensitive?”

“Exactly.”

I looked up at Steve as he was making a sarcastic facial expression, mocking them both in his mind. Chuckling, I lowered my head, as Robin continued, “So I guess that confirms your suspicion,” before Steve and I stopped at the horse ride… thing by the claw machine. I could still hear Robin and Dustin’s conversation.

“Evil Russians,” my brother added.

Turning her head to look at Steve and I for a moment, Robin said, “I can’t believe I’m about to agree with Henderson’s strange little brother, but, yeah, totally evil Russians.”

“So how do we crack it?” Dustin asked.

“Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges.”

“A pattern. Right, like maybe silver cat is a meeting place?”

“Or a person.”

Pointing at Robin, Dustin added, “Or a weapon.”

“It’s probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but… Where’s Steve and Olivia? Hey, guys!”

Steve let go of my hand to get some change from his pocket before dropping them to the ground.

“Baby, what are you doing?” I asked.

“I need a quarter,” he said, looking at me. “Do you have a quarter?”

I reached into my pocket to get the quarter that I randomly kept in it as Robin and Dustin came back to us, the former asking, “Sure you’re tall enough for that ride?”

Handing the quarter to Steve, he quickly squatted, inserting the coin into its slot. The music started playing as the horse started moving back and forth, my eyes going wide. 

“Need help getting up, little Stevie?”

“Shh!” Steve shushed.

Dustin started chuckling, which annoyed me because I was so tired. “Would you two just please shut the hell up and listen?”

After a few moments of silence, Dustin said, “Holy shit. The music.” He took off his backpack, getting the cassette player from it, pressing the play button, the Russian code and the music coming through the speaker for the billionth time.

“I don’t understand,” Robin said.

“It’s the exact same song on the recording,” Dustin said.

“Maybe they have horses like this in Russia,” she suggested.

“Indiana Flyer,” Steve said. “I don’t… I don’t think so.”

“The code obviously didn’t come from Russia,” I breathed out. “It came from here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Posted on March 4, 2024

[stiles-o-dylan24]

King of My Heart Chapter 18 - The Mall Rats

Author: @stiles-o-dylan24​ Pairing: Steve x Summer Byers (eventually) Word Count: 5.4k Warnings: pretty sure it’s just language in this one SERIES SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

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With Robin taking care of the last two customers from the noon rush, I grab a cleaning rag and move to start cleaning up the empty tables.

“I'm Dustin” I hear from the front of the store and I turn around from the table I’m wiping down. Just over one of the booths I can see Dustin standing at the counter with Robin who nods her head and introduces herself “I’m Robin.”

“Pleasure to meet you” Dustin starts and I quickly walk towards him “Dustpan?”

He spins around and smiles brightly at me, opening up his arms wide “Who let a Summer breeze in here?”

I laugh and quickly hug him, stepping back and setting my hands on my hips “When did you get back?”

“Yesterday and I have so much to tell you–” he looks at my uniform, eyes moving up to my white ahoy hat “Looks like you have a lot to fill me in on too– wait, is he here?” Dustin looks around and Robin makes a noise, looking between us “Is who here?”

Like he was summoned, Steve’s shoes squeak on the floor as he crashes into the door that leads out into the front of the store. He looks around at all of us, his smile just increasing until finally he’s lifting his hands up to point above him “Henderson.”

Dustin laughs, pointing over towards him as well and Steve skips past the counter and heads towards him “Henderson! He's back!”

Steve stops in front of the counter pointing excitedly at Dustin as he continues to celebrate “He's back!”

“I'm back!” Dustin celebrates with him, continuing to laugh and point back at him and the sign above Robin “You got the job!”

“I got the job!” Steve boasts happily, also pointing towards the Scoops sign above the back counter wall before he imitates playing a trumpet.

Robin just moves her wide what the hell is happening eyes between them and I cross my arms over my front, lifting one up to cover my mouth as I laugh.

“Hey! Oh! Steve and Dustin walk closer together and start hitting their hands together in their handshake they made up a few months ago, finishing it off with pretending they have lightsabers. Their imaginary lightsabers have sound effects and all, as they take turns imitating the lightsabers clashing together– once, twice– before Dustin pretends to stab Steve in the chest with his. Steve groans and makes noises and sound effects to go along with him dying a horrible death via lightsaber, using his hands to indicate his blood is gushing out.

They laugh hysterically at their greeting and Robin furrows her brows, looking between them still laughing and me smiling as I watch them “How many children are you guys friends with?”

Dustin and Steve stop laughing, the latter clearing his face before he sighs and points over towards her in a she’s always like this type of way as he looks back at Dustin.

We get Dustin hooked up with the Scoops Ahoy VIP treatment and he has a massive banana split boat sundae with all the toppings he wants prepared for him.

He widens his eyes when I slide the container across the counter and he doesn’t look up from it as he asks “Can I tell you guys about science camp now?”

I look around at the mostly empty parlor and look over at Robin who nods, smiling through a quiet laugh “Go ahead and catch up with your fifth child– I’ll cover the counter.”

Glaring lightheartedly at her I follow Steve as we head over to a booth with Dustin. He sits down with Steve sitting next to him and I slide in at the end next to Steve. Dustin starts eating his ice cream while telling us all about his girlfriend he met at camp.

“Girlfriend?” Steve and I say at the same time, sharing a look in our shock at how much has changed since the last time we saw him, and Dustin smiles wide “Yup– Suzie with a ‘Z’ and before you ask,” he looks at Steve, pointing his hand towards him “Yes she’s hot– hotter than Phoebe Cates.”

“What?” I ask and Steve shakes his head, lifting his hand up as he leans back against the back of the booth “No, no. No way– hotter than Phoebe Cates? No.”

“Mm-hmm” Dustin mumbles his agreement around another bite of ice cream before he looks up, moving his arm around with his words as he continues telling us about her “Brilliant, too– and she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in” he raises his brows towards us silently asking if can we believe it before he finishes with “She says kissing is better without teeth.”

Dustin nods and goes back to eating the sundae and I slightly widen my eyes with that, sharing a look with Steve who is trying extremely hard to be supportive with that news. He nods his head “Wow– yeah, that's great. Proud of you, man. That's ro... that's kinda romantic.”

Dustin sits back in the booth, smiling down towards the table as Steve continues “That's like... wow.”

“So do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?” Dustin asks, lifting his hands up to indicate the banana boat ice cream in front of him and I nod while Steve shrugs “Yeah. I mean, sure. It's not really a good idea for me, though,” he points towards himself and continues “I gotta keep in shape for the ladies.”

“Yeah, and how's that working out for you?” I ask, leaning my elbow on the table and setting my chin in my hand while Steve keeps looking at Dustin and he says “Ignore her.”

Dustin snorts through a chuckle and looks over at me “So why are you working here with him? What happened with your job at the pool?”

“Hey” Steve interjects, leaning forwards against the table to point at me “I got her the job here”

“That’s slightly true” I roll my eyes and cross my arms on the table, leaning forward on my elbows while I answer Dustin’s question “The lifeguard thing was going great until they hired on more lifeguards and my shifts were going to be shorter,” I breathe out a sigh “And unfortunately I need to save up as much money as I can.”

Steve scoffs, adding “Plus douchegrove was stalking her.” Dustin looks over at me with concerned eyes and I shake my head “He was not stalking me– I doubt he even knew I was working there.”

“Oh he knew” Steve retorts and I throw him a look, countering “He likes women and not wearing clothes– being a lifeguard at a community pool was a job made for the likes of him since he can’t be a stripper.”

Dustin laughs before he grimaces and asks “How long did you have to work with him?” he takes another bite of his ice cream and I scrunch my face up in contemplation as I think about it “Umm,” I look up at the ceiling and over at Steve when I admit, dragging out my words “About... five minutes?”

With his elbow on the table to hold the spoon up Dustin snorts, setting the back of his hand against his mouth as he laughs and looks over at Steve “Swooped in with your hero cape that quick, huh?”

Steve’s face drops and he points at him, shrugging his shoulders “Hey, she wafted in here like the sweet summer breeze she is– in complete despair,” he sets his hands on his chest and asks “What was I supposed to do?”

“Not calling her Summer breeze should have ben step one–” Dustin says without missing a beat, shrugging his shoulders and throwing him a look like that’s a given.

I lift my arms up and set my clasped hand against the side of my face as I wait for this argument to play out. Steve scoffs out a lighthearted chuckle and half whines “It’s so clever though, I wish I thought of it first.”

“But you didn’t” Dustin states, setting his hand on the table like we’re in court “And you’re not going to just swoop in with your good hair and job offering abilities and take the awesome intangible nickname creation of my human intellect like this–”

Steve interrupts, mumbling “Intangible nickname... human intell–” and Dustin is quick to raise his brows and explain it all out, pointing from himself and over towards Steve with his words “Yes, otherwise known as intellectual property– mine– so consider it patent pending– okay? That is my nickname for her. I called dibs on it way before you even knew her.”

Steve just blinks at him slowly through his whole explanation before he finally sighs and lifts his arms up to his sides, conceding “Jesus fine– fine I won’t say it again.”

“Thank you” Dustin raises his brows like that shouldn’t have been so difficult to just say and goes to take another bite of his ice cream.

Steve rolls his eyes and looks over at me, silently asking if I can believe what just happened. I snort behind my hands, reaching over to hit his shoulder in mock sympathy “That’s okay Stevie, take comfort in the fact that you were not the first person to be on the receiving end of that argument and you took it much better than Lucas and Mike did.”

Steve crosses his arms and leans his elbows on the table, grumbling sarcastically “Oh, great– yeah, makes me feel so much better.”

Dustin chuckles to himself, smiling as he tries to switch topics “Lighten up Steve, working with Summer has to be cool, right?”

“It’s not–” he deadpans and I scoff in my offense, hitting his shoulder with mine. He laughs, returning with a bump of his shoulder into mine before we look back at Dustin who is trying not to smile as he looks at us. I throw him a curious look and Steves asks "So, where are the other knuckleheads?” 

Dustin’s face falls a little while he explains “They ditched me yesterday.”

“No” we say and he nods “My first day back– can you believe that shit?”

“Whoa. Seriously?” Steve asks and Dustin nods, “I swear to god” before he takes another bite of his ice cream and makes a noise “They're gonna regret it, though, big time, when they don't get to share in my glory.”

“Glory?” I say and Steve nods his head towards him “What glory?” 

Dustin scoots a little closer towards us and we lean against the table a little more as he shares “So, last night, we're trying to get in contact with Suzie…”

“Oh– mm” Steve agrees, completely unconvincing that he actually believes Dustin and he looks at me, jerking his head back slightly when he notices the small glare I’m throwing at him while I silently tell him to reign in his doubt about Suzie. 

Dustin, thankfully, misses Steve’s reaction and keeps going “And, uh…” he stops, looking around at the few tables with customers sitting down and the two up at the counter with Robin to make sure we’re being ignored before he lifts his hand up to slightly cover his mouth and he whispers something.

I lean my head forward trying to hear him, however, I’m not able to make out whatever words he’s just said. I scrunch my face up with the unclarity and look up at Steve who is sporting the same confused look on his face “What?” he asks and Dustin clicks his tongue “Uh…” he inhales deeply and looks over the top of our booth with the doors of the ice cream parlor leading out into the mall. He faces forward again and tries to whisper once more “I intercepted a secret Russian communication.”

This time I catch what he whispered and I sit up a little from my previous lean forward, however, at the same time Steve says simply “Just speak louder” and Dustin wastes no time to do just that “I intercepted a secret Russian communication!”

The few customers in the ice cream parlor and at the counter with Robin all look over at us, frowning with his outburst. I chuckle nervously, smiling wide and offering “He’s just telling us about a science camp activity he got first place in”

Robin tries not to laugh, smiling down towards the counter as the customers shake their heads and turn to face her again. I throw her a helpless look while Steve shushes Dustin and scoots closer towards the table “Jesus, yeah, okay, that's what I thought you said” he furrows his brows, looking between Dustin and I “So wait– what... what does that mean?”

“It means, Steve, the three of us could be heroes– true American heroes” Dustin lays it out for him and Steve smiles with his agreement, boasting smugly “Huh– American heroes.”

“Maybe even impress a certain someone” Dustin boasts and I furrow my brows, watching as Steve sits up a little straighter and interjects “Yeah, yeah, yeah– everyone is always impressed with heroes.”

“Who are you trying to impress, Harrington?” I ask and Dustin looks between us, shaking his head in disappointment towards the table “Oh, I see it’s been that kind of month.”

I look curiously between them and Steve laughs, slinging his arm around Dustin’s shoulders as he answers me “My dad– you know, douchebag that he is, would be very impressed with an American hero for a son.”

I soften my face towards him and Dustin nods “Yup, that’s definitely who I had in mind”

Steve glares at him and says through clenched teeth “I got that,” and removes his arm, saying "Anyways if we help you, what’s the catch?”

“No catch, I just need your help” Dustin answers and Steve shrugs like that’s easy enough “With what?”

Dustin reaches over and grabs his backpack from across the table, unzipping the pocket and pulling out a Russian to English dictionary. He lifts it up and raises his brows once towards us “Translation.”

I leave Steve and Dustin in the booth so he can finish his ice cream and I walk around the counter towards Robin “Why don’t you go on break?”

She looks from me and over at Dustin and Steve, furrowing her brows “What’s going on with them?” 

I lean my back against the back counter and shake my head like it’s nothing big “He just needs help translating something for a project.”

Once Robin is back from her break Steve and Dustin rush into the back and I walk back and forth between helping them clear the white board so they can write the alphabet down with the Russian letters above them and out front to help Robin when we get a rush.

Dustin grabs a tape recorder from his backpack and sets it on the table in the back with his Russian to English dictionary. Steve grabs a banana and peels it open while Dustin hits play and we hear a man’s voice speaking Russian on the recording. 

We listen to it a few times before I walk out to check on Robin, seeing Lucas’ little sister, Erica, walk in with her friends. They walk up to the counter and Erica smiles mischievously “Can I try the peppermint stick?”

Robin rolls her eyes and looks at me while she begrudgingly walks to the ice cream bins and grabs a tester spoon to give a sample to Erica. I chuckle and push into the door to head into the back room with Steve and Dustin.

“Steve!” Robin yells from the front counter a few seconds later and Dustin reaches forward to shut off the recorder “So what do you think?”

“It sounded familiar” Steve says, chewing around a bite of banana and I walk closer towards them “What could have possibly sounded familiar?”

“The music” Steve explains, pointing towards the tape recorder “The music right there at the end.”

Dustin’s face falls and he all but yells out “Why are you listening to the music, Steve? Listen to the Russian! We’re translating the Russian!”

Steve widens his eyes, throwing his arm over to his side as he argues “I’m trying to listen to the Russian, but there’s music…”

“All right, babysitting time is over” Robin announces as she walks into the back, looking at Steve “You need to get out there–” she stops, looking at the whiteboard we hung back up and exclaiming “Hey my board–” before she’s turning around and looking between Steve and Dustin “That was important data, shitbirds”

“Steve sucks six fold and rules zero– don’t worry I remember the data” I offer and she laughs while Steve flops his arm down to his side “Really, Sum?” I shrug and look over at him “Just letting her know that her important data is safe,” I lift up my arm and point at the side of my head, clicking my tongue and throwing him a wink.

Dustin and Robin laugh while Steve glares at me and throws the banana peel onto the table and crosses his arms over his chest. Dustin clears his face and looks over at Robin “I guarantee you, what we're doing is way more important than your data.” 

Robin smirks and walks closer towards the three of us “Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?”

“How does she know about the Russians?” Dustin asks looking between me and Steve who shrugs and mumbles around the last bite of the banana he had “I don't know...”

Dustin swings his eyes towards me, accusing “You were supposed to keep her distracted out there not tell her about…”

“I didn’t say anything” I defined myself, pointing towards him “You both were just yelling about Russians when she walked in here.” 

Robin rolls her eyes, chiming in “Hello, I can hear you,” we all look over at her and she laughs once “Summer’s right I could hear everything because you both are extremely loud. You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you're trying to translate, but haven't figured out a word because you didn't realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet. Sound about right?” Robin asks and while Steve and Dustin share a look, she takes the opportunity to reach forward across the table for the tape recorder, however, Steve is quicker and grabs the tape recorder before she can “Whoa! What do you think you're doing?”

“I wanna hear it” Robin says simply, causing Steve and Dustin to scrunch their faces up and ask “Why?”

“'Cause maybe I can help– I'm fluent in four languages, you know.” Robin offers and Dustin questions “Russian?”

Robin looks at him and leans forward slightly “Ouyay areyay umbday.”

Steve and Dustin celebrate, offering a “Oh-ho-ho!” and a “Holy shit!” while I snort and look over at her, saying “dday ouyay ustjay alktay inyay igpay atinlay?” and Robin laughs, smiling and nodding while Steve widens his eyes and he looks at me “Summer, what the fuck? Since when do you speak Russian?”

I throw him an unamused look, shaking my head at him while Robin scoffs lightly and informs them “That was Pig Latin, dingus.”

Their faces fall and Steve hits Dustin in the shoulder with the banana peel, muttering “Idiot.”

Robin and I laugh quietly and she moves to sit down at the table as she informs “But I can speak Spanish and French and Italian, and I've been in band for 12 years– my ears are little geniuses, trust me.”

Steve laughs nervously, sharing a look with Dustin and I while shaking his head slowly “Uh…” and Robin keeps her persistence going “Come on, it's your turn to sling ice cream, Summer’s turn to sit down and my turn to translate. I don't even want credit. I'm just bored,” she reaches across the table for the tape recorder and lifts up the scooper towards Steve at the same time we hear the front bell ding at the counter.

Steve sighs, shares a look with Dustin and then with me– which after I smile brightly at him he rolls his eyes and grabs the scooper in one hand and hands off the tape recorder with the other.

Robin and I set up a system and while Dustin plays the tape, she’ll listen and guide me with the translator book until we can figure out the letters they’re saying and then we’ll hopefully be able to figure out the words after that.

Dustin hits play on the recorder and we begin, slowly translating each sound Robin is hearing. I start to write down the words and we’re almost at the first sentence done when Dustin hits play on the recorder again.

I tap the pen against the side of my cheek while Robin starts pacing in front of us and when the male voice says a certain part again she reaches back and points at it “Wait, that last part, just one more time.”

“Okay” Dustin says and rewinds the tape, hitting the buttons before the recording continues “Okay, that word. Um…” Robin turns back around, moving her hand out to her side “It's pronounced... ‘dly-nna-ya’.”

"Dly-nna-ya..." Dustin and I repeat and Robin continues “Which is spelled…” she points towards the white board and Dustin gets up while I grab the pen and write on the paper.

“D... D, D, D…” Dustin repeats as he walks towards the white board, looking back and saying “The... the chair. The chair looking thingy.”

“Yeah, okay” I say and Robin spells out the rest of the letters and looks at me expectantly “Got it?”

I smile and stand up “Yup” and read the sentence off to their confused faces. Dustin hits play and Robin starts listening to the next part while I move over towards the window along the back counter. I open the window up and lean across the metal back counter on my elbows to fill Steve in “Hey we’ve got our first sentence”

Steve stands up from the ice cream bin and looks over his shoulder at me, smiling as he walks closer “Oh, seriously?”

“Yeah” I wait until he’s right in front of me and I drop my voice down to a whisper as I offer my best Russian accent “The week is long.”

Steve’s face drops in disappointment before he grumbles “Well, that’s thrilling.”

I shrug, smiling up at him “I know, but it’s at least progress.”

He snorts under his breath, shaking his head at me and I look over his shoulder seeing Max and Eleven standing at the counter “Hey.”

They look up when they see me and wave and I nod towards them “What are you guys up to?”

“Shopping” Max announces and smiles proudly “I’m helping El find her style.” El nods, holding her arms out to her sides so I can see her new outfit and I smile genuinely at her and nod “I love it.”

“Yeah, you look great,” Steve agrees and makes a noise “Oh, right– okay here you go, you got a strawberry” he moves to walk over to the counter and hands them their ice cream cones, continuing “And then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream.”

“Thanks” Max says and Steve looks over his shoulder at me and back at them “Wait a second– are you even allowed to be here?”

Max and El both smile and share a look, laughing behind their ice cream before they turn around and leave the ice cream parlor without actually answering him.

Steve jerks his head back once they run out into the mall, making a noise and turning around to face me again “Okay then.”

I snort and move to shut the window again at the same time he reaches up to stop me, his hand landing on mine and he makes a noise “Oh– sorry, uh” he removes his hand, smiling a half smile and reaching up to scratch the side of his head “Um– how much more of the recording is there? Another sentence?”

Making a noise I correct his guess “Another two– Robin thinks it’s three sentences in total.”

Steve nods slowly, crossing his arms and leaning on the counter towards me. He looks over at Dustin and Robin, who has resumed her pacing while she listens to the tape, and he chuckles. When I face him again I blink quickly at being a little shocked to see him already looking at me. He smiles and moves to say something, however, customers walk into the ice cream parlor and I nod my head towards them “Need help?”

Steve looks over his shoulder at the group of three and sighs, “Nah, I got it” he looks back at me, smiling softly “You get back in there and help with the next sentence.”

I return his smile and reach up to slowly close the window in between us, seeing his outline through the privacy window material stay in the same place for a few seconds before he turns around and helps the customers that stopped at the counter.

I help Robin and Dustin translate the next sentence and since it’s closing time I walk out to the front to help him close down the ice cream parlor. While we’re lifting the chairs onto the tables I tell Steve the next sentence we got “The silver cat feeds” which he rolls his eyes at and says “How sure is she the translation is correct?”

I shrug, offering “It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of how the letters sound” while we clean up the back counter and take the cleaning rags and ice creams scoops into the back to clean.

Once we’re done with all the end of the night cleaning taste we head into the back with Dustin and Robin, who announce they’ve finished the translation.

The four of us stand in front of the whiteboard that’s hanging on the wall again and has the entire recorded message written in Russian with the English translation written below it. We all start to read the message "The week is long, the silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west..."

We grab our bags and shut off the lights before we walk out into the mall. Steve turns around and reaches up to grab the gate to the front of the store that we have to lock closed. “I mean, it just…” he slams the gate onto the floor and grabs the keys out of his pocket to lock it, kneeling down in front of the gate “It just can't be right.”

“It's right” Robin reassures and walks a few steps away with Dustin who follows her slowly and shrugs “Honestly, I think it's great news.”

“How is this great news?” Steve asks with a sarcastic little laugh, standing up and walking with us “I mean, so much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense.”

“It's not nonsense” Dustin argues and I nod, agreeing “He’s right, it’s too specific and it was repeating, a lot– it’s obviously a code of some sort.”

Dustin snaps his fingers towards me like I’m on to something and Steve falls into step beside me, looking down at me “What do you mean, a code?”

“Like a super secret spy code” Dustin offers and Steve scoffs, answering towards his back “That's a total stretch.”

“I don’t know, is it a total stretch?” I question and Steve sighs “Come on, you can’t seriously be buying into this?”

“I’m the one who just said it’s got to be a code” I argue with a little laugh and Steve makes a noise as he repeats “Right, but a super secret spy code?” He doesn’t hide just how crazy he finds that and I shrug “Come on, just for kicks, let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What do you expect they were gonna say, ‘Fire the warhead at noon’ or ‘the crow flies at midnight’?”

“Exactly” Dustin throws his arm out to point towards me and Robin chimes in “She’s got a point and my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so… the silver cat feeds– why would anyone talk like that unless they're trying to mask the meaning of their message?”

“Come on, not you too” Steve tells her at the same time I smile at her agreeing with us “See, exactly,” I look at Steve and continue “Think about it, why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive information that they didn’t want anyone to know?”

“Exactly” Dustin repeats and Robin smirks over at him “So I guess that confirms your suspicion.”

“Evil Russians” Dustin smiles and she shakes her head “I can't believe I'm about to agree with this strange child, but, yeah, totally” she smiles over at me and we say together “Evil Russians.”

“So how do we crack it?” Dustin asks, looking over at us and and I sigh while we keep walking together and Robin answers “Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges.”

Dustin repeats “A pattern” and I nod, pointing over towards her “Right, like maybe ‘silver cat’ is a meeting place?”

“Or a person” Robin offers before Dustin points between us “Or a weapon.”

Robin smiles as we continue to walk forward and says “It's probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but…” she stops when I make a noise and notice how we’re missing a voice adding in to our thought process and I look around “Wait– where’s Steve?”

I see him standing back a ways from us looking at one of the quarter operated children’s rides and I turn around fully to ask him “Hey, Steve– what are you doing?”

We hear coins rattling as they fall on the ground and he ignores us as he looks at his palm “Wh, it’s a quarter. I need…” he lifts his arm out towards us “Sum, do you have a quarter?”

I snort and chuckle under my breath, shaking my head as we run back towards him and I dig in my pocket for the change from my lunch.

“Sure you're tall enough for that ride?” Robin laughs as she runs beside me and Steve yells out “Quarter!”

I throw a quarter towards him and he catches it, spinning around and kneeling in front of the single horse ride at the same time he’s putting the quarter in.

The ride starts and we hear a background song of a sort of carnival type of music and I cross my arms over my chest as I listen to it closer.

“You need help getting up, little Stevie?” Robin jokes and he shushes her while Dustin and I chuckle.

Steve lifts his hand up and orders “Would you three just shut up and listen?”

We do as he instructs and one ring of the bells has me widening my eyes “Holy shit”

“What?” Robin asks and Dustin looks at me, seemingly having recognized it as well. “She’s right– the music–” he looks from Robin to the ride, pointing at it when he sees she still is not follow “The music!” He moves to take off his backpack and he sets it on the floor, kneeling down so he can dig through his backpack.

Dustin lifts the tape recorder out of his backpack and hits play– the male voice speaking Russian starting once again and in the background you can just make out the music playing.

Robin looks from the tape recorder and between Dustin and I “I don't understand.”

“It's the exact same song on the recording” I answer, pointing over towards the ride Steve is still kneeling next to and Robin shrugs, lifting her hand out towards the ride “Maybe they have horses like this in Russia.”

“‘Indiana Flyer’?” Steve says, pointing towards the ride and shaking his head in his disagreement “I don't… I don't think so.”

“This code, it…” he trails off and I make a noise, finishing his train of thought “It didn't come from Russia at all,” I say thoughtfully and Steve shakes his head once more, looking up and connecting his eyes with mine “It came from here.”

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Posted: 15 Aug 2023

[mikesbasementbeets]

it’s a little frustrating sometimes to watch people try to “debunk” gay mike evidence by quibbling over things that are. kind of beside the point? like arguing that mike’s consistently negative (or even neutral, if you want the benefit of the doubt) reactions to girls aren’t “disgust” therefore they don’t mean anything. but like 1. yeah i agree, cates gate isn’t about mike being “disgusted.” mike’s face when el kisses him isn’t “disgusted.” mike’s reaction to el, to max, to girls in general doesn’t really read to me as “disgust” either. so 2. what DOES it read to you as? incredulity? confusion? discomfort? those…. still aren’t positive reactions.

the point is that mike actively and blatantly Does Not react positively toward el kissing him. and he also Doesn’t react positively to dustin’s description of a girl being “hotter than phoebe cates.” he asks “is she cute?” with maybe preemptive incredulity (in line with will's question "girls go to science camp?") over a girl who goes to science camp being cute, or perhaps just a neutrally curious state over dustin's new girlfriend, but then dustin doesn’t say “she’s hotter than phoebe cates.” he says, “think phoebe cates. only hotter.” that’s a prescriptive statement. you want to know if she’s cute, mike? think about phoebe cates, and then imagine someone hotter than that. and mike’s expression doesn’t improve in the slightest. think about someone hotter than phoebe cates, dustin tells mike. and mike? remains confused and entirely unintrigued. no, he’s not disgusted, but the point is not his negative reaction, it’s a complete lack of any sort of positive reaction. if he’s listening to dustin, he should have, in that moment, thought of phoebe cates. and his reaction?

nothing.

(but. this is also just to say... i don’t even think it's fair to call most of mike’s facial reactions “proof” of his sexuality in any argument… i think they’re fun little easter eggs that add an extra visual element to his gay characterization. but. it’s not WHY people think he’s gay. it's funny to point out BECAUSE he's gay)

[edit: AND this is not even to mention the direct line drawn to this in season four via stobin's discussion of fast times, linking phoebe cates to 'people who like boobies.' #notmikewheeler]

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Dream Girls

18+ for almost smut

Robin was surely dreaming. It seemed crazy that she could believe in the Upside Down and the monsters that came from it, but the fact that the girl of her dreams was in her arms seemed impossible to believe. It was even harder to believe that Vickie was kissing her, that she was pressed up against her and pushing her into Steve’s bed. Oh, shit, would he be mad? No. He'll understand.

Vickie's legs tangled up with hers as her kisses grew more desperate, gasping into Robin's mouth as Robin moved her fingers into Vickie's hair. She moved her legs until Vickie was practically straddling her thigh, her knee in between Robin's. The girl of her dreams was slipping her tongue into her mouth. Holy shit! Robin couldn't help the giggle that escaped. Vickie broke the kiss, looking down at her.

"Are you okay? Did I accidentally tickle you?" Vickie asked.

"No, I just can't believe this is happening," Robin said and Vickie grinned.

"Yeah, me neither," Vickie said.

Robin cupped her face and pressed her thumb into Vickie's dimple. Her blue eyes twinkled, and she kissed Robin's wrist. Vickie pushed Robin's hair aside and started kissing her neck. Red lightning flashed, and thunder sounded outside, and they both jumped.

"I just wish it was happening under better circumstances," Robin said.

"Me too," Vickie muttered softly against her neck.

She nipped at Robin's neck, causing her to moan loudly. Vickie nibbled, sucked, and bit the skin of her neck. Robin bucked her hips, moving against Vickie's thigh. Vickie moved a hand to her throat and started unbuttoning the top buttons of Robin's shirt. She moved her lips down her throat to her chest and finally to the top of her breast. She bit down, letting out a growling sound as she did so, moaning against Robin's breast.

"Fuuccck," Robin groaned. "Vickie. . ."

Vickie pulled away and smirked at her.

"That's right, baby. Say my name," Vickie said, purring sweetly.

Robin growled and flipped Vickie over onto her back.

"You know, it's supposed to be me who thanks you for saving my life," Robin said.

She moved down and started undoing Vickie's pants. She had just pulled them down her legs when a knock sounded on the door. Robin froze while Vickie sat up, using her elbows to support herself.

"Uh, sorry, Robin, but Hopper wants everyone downstairs," Steve’s voice floated through.

They both groaned and rolled their eyes. Vickie collapsed back onto the bed with a loud sigh.

"What about a quickie? Do we have time for a quickie?" Vickie asked.

"No," Steve chuckled. "Sorry, Vickie."

"Damn," Robin and Vickie said.

Vickie sighed and pulled her pants up. She glanced at Robin as she moved to the edge of the bed. She hugged Robin's waist and pressed her head into her stomach.

"At the same time, I'm glad I'm going through this with you, but also, I wish we weren't. You're the best thing about this apocalypse," Vickie said. "I wish we were just us. . . No apocalypse."

"I don't think I could feel like get through the end of the world without my friends or without you," Robin said. "You're my dream girl."

Vickie giggled and welcomed Robin's kiss. Robin stood back up, and Vickie rested her face against Robin's chest.

"Hmm, boobies," Vickie said, and Robin burst into giggles.

"Hmm, boobies," Robin said in agreement, and then she groaned. "I can't believe that Steve was right about Phoebe Cates."

"So, Steve caught onto my master plan, but you didn't?" She asked.

"You did that on purpose," Robin said. "To get my attention?"

"You're the girl of my dreams, too, Robin," Vickie said sweetly. "And I can't believe that I'm saying this, but you're totally hotter than Phoebe Cates."

"You're hotter than Phoebe Cates, too," Robin grinned. "We better go before Hopper sends out a search party."

They left the room, holding hands, not caring about what others might think. It was the end of the world, after all, and there was hope to be found here.

[marya-blackbone]

sleepover redux

A/N: max and el do espionage and learn something about steve

One of the first things Eleven does after moving back to Hawkins is to invite Max to a sleepover. Max is really glad – after that first sleepover last summer, she hoped it would become a recurring thing for her and El (minus the uncovering of a horrifying body-snatching conspiracy, of course) but they never got the chance. Now that El’s back, Max is secretly pleased neither of them made any new friends this past year and finds it surprisingly easy for them both to slot back into each other’s lives once the UD dust settles, and accepts the invite with zero hesitation.

Eleven asks if it would be alright if she invited some other people too, to which Max nods, of course, feeling warm and fuzzy about the fact that El asked her first and checked if she would mind – Max hasn’t had a best friend since kindergarten and El’s earnestness has turned her into such a sap. She doesn’t mind, but she is curious as to who else El wants to invite given there are only a handful of people who even know El exists.

The guest list currently includes Nancy, Robin, and Erica. It will be a girls' night, El says. Max hasn’t spent too much time with any of them but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea – El should get to have more friends who are girls, but she can’t exactly meet new people at the moment, so it makes sense that she would want to get closer with the ones already part of their monster-hunting club.

Max comes over early to help El set things up. Hopper and Mrs Byers have been especially indulgent of El this evening, leaving the table laden with plenty of drinks and a mountain of snacks before heading off to Enzo’s. Will helps them gather all the pillows and cushions and blankets they need from around the house, and when he admits Eddie has cancelled D&D for tonight, both Max and El agree that he should stay. And so it becomes girls’ night plus Will – none of the girls even bat an eyelid at his inclusion when they arrive, it’s just smiles and laughter.

It goes really well, despite the spread of ages. Erica is really mature for eleven, and Robin and Nancy seem to enjoy getting to act silly and giggly again. They paint each other’s nails, braid each other’s hair, and make it through one and a half John Hughes movies before they have to press pause because suddenly everyone needs to pee, and then forget to resume because they’re too caught up in gossiping.

It’s Eleven who tentatively proposes the finding game. Max didn’t think she would want to play again given how badly things ended last time, but all that stuff is gone now – and gone for good this time. Eleven says that she can feel so in the Void and going there actually helps her to remember it’s over. She promises she doesn’t mind – she already has a sheet of poster paper and marker pens ready for writing names and everything.

They shuffle into a circle while Max explains how the game works, and they each add a name to the sheet of paper. Max puts Lucas, El puts Hopper, Will puts Mike, Robin puts Steve, Erica puts Suzie (because apparently, she needs to verify the hotter-than-Phoebe-Cates claim), and Nancy goes for Debbie Harry, after which everyone complains that they didn’t know celebrities were an option, so they fill the gaps with an eclectic mix of actors and pop stars, and then they’re ready to spin.

It stops on Steve first. Max reminds her to get out of there if he’s with a girl or doing something gross, and Eleven nods her understanding before putting on the blindfold and filling the air with TV static. It doesn’t take long for her to find Steve.

“I can see him. He is smiling and I think he is talking to someone but I can not see who it is,” says Eleven. “He is holding a black guitar,” she observes.

When Steve starts to play, she pushes the sound through the radio so everyone can hear the soft strumming. It isn’t until he starts singing that Max recognises the song – it’s on the mix-tape Lucas made for her the last time he was trying to win her back; it’s a love song. Steve plays it surprisingly well. If Max didn’t know any better, she might think Steve has fallen in love – real love, reciprocated love; the kind that Steve deserves. But if Steve were in love, they’d all know by now. He’s all grand gestures and public affection and boom-boxing outside bedroom windows, not secret late-night serenading.

The lyrics taper off, and Steve asks, “Why are you looking at me like that? Not metal enough for you? I know it’s no Master of Puppets, but I thought it wasn’t hal-mphh!”

Max hears something over the radio that could be mouth noises and moans at the same time Eleven says, “I think they are kissing.”

That’s their cue to dip, Max realises, and is about to say as much to Eleven just as the radio crackles for a damning and breathy, “Because I loved it, big boy.”

A/N: i have ideas for a part 2 soonish

[ladykailitha]

Boy with a Bat 2 please!!! <3

WIP Wednesday! Make me write! Please note that I am merely clearing out my inbox from last night.

Do not send in new asks. Thank you!

Other asks here, here.

Snippet

Dustin lit up and started talking about the camp and all the things he learned. “But the best part was Suzie. She’s from Utah. Dude, she is so hot.”

Steve blinked at the other boy in confusion. There were girls at this nerd camp? “Hot, huh?”

His answering grin was blinding. “Hell, yeah. Even hotter than Phoebe Cates, man.”

Steve knew what the answer to that should be. And before he met Eddie, he would have said instinctively. But now he wasn’t sure what he was going to tell him. So he just nodded, lips pursed tightly in a thin line.

[spicybylerpolls]

'Mike doesn't express sexual interest in the Phoebe Cates, the hot girl of the day, like his friends'

why am i the only person who doesn't see the mike/phoebe cates thing as disgust?

the conversation re: suzie goes:

will: girls go to science camp??

dustin: suzie does, she's a genius-

mike: is she cute?!

dustin: think phoebe cates, only hotter.

max: what's going on?

will: we're going to talk to dustin's girlfriend!

there's so much in this conversation, i especially love the walk-and-talk vibe of the scene taking its inspiration from shows like the west wing which pioneered that technique to keep characters moving and show larger objectives. the gang are not static, showing that meeting dustins's girlfriend and seeing his radio are top priority right now. however, the convo is about girls, and suzie, and not the radio, giving romance double importance and setting the tone for the season: nerdery vs puberty.

will's line shows his ongoing lack of knowledge of girls. ding ding ding! queercoding + great characterisation for will.

dustin's line then shows his respect of women overall, but with an emphasis on how amazing suzie is. supportive bf dustin!

notice how mike is the one to bring up physical attraction, and he even CUTS DUSTIN OFF TO SAY THIS. eager much? it's interesting that el is right behind him here, making this chat about hotness performative, as if he's asserting himself both in front of her and his friends. 'i'm a guy who can talk about girls.' this is a loaded characterisation for mike, and keeps the byler plot twist obscured, as it's meant to.

BUT mike is already making a face of incredulity when he asks if suzie is cute. dustin's response is more Supportive Bf Dustin (applause), but mike's response face, in the context of him being the one to ask if she's cute or not (a.k.a. turn the topic to the potential attractiveness of girls), does not, on the surface, mean he is disgusted with suzie or girls in general. it means he's incredulous that anyone could possibly be hotter than phoebe cates.

does this mean mike actually thinks phoebe cates is hot? NO. but he is currently PERFORMING masculinity and heteronormativity for el's sake and for his friends sake and for his own god damn sake. so that response face was not and COULD NOT be actual genuine disgust at phoebe cates and/or girls, because that would give his game away IN FULL VIEW of all his friends who is walking and talking towards and amongst. in the context of the scene, he's clearly performing the required 'bro' response to someone saying that it's possible to be hotter than phoebe cates: i.e. surely not, impossible, she's the hottest woman alive.

viewing this moment as disgust is totally misunderstanding mike and his performance of heteronormativity. it's still performance, but performed outrage/incredulity.

agree - disagree

if you don't agree, would love to hear why!

Please note that the purpose of this blog is not to be creepy or to make anyone uncomfortable. That's why I created the #spicy byler tag (I will tag all polls with this). If you don't want to see this blog or anything related to it on your feed, please block that tag. Not everyone is comfortable with this sorta stuff, and that's okay.

[strangerweirdo15]

The King will fall pt3 (King! Steve Harrington x Fem! Henderson reader)

Warnings- Bullying, angsttttt, one sided love, mutual pinning,eventual  smut (soft love), crying, bad home life(steve), best friends-enemies-friends-lovers <3. 

Summary: you remember the day you met him, the day you fell in love with him, and the day you fell out of love with him. Then the day that everything changed what happens when two strayed souls are pulled back together and forced to question what happened that day. The day Steve Harrington broke your heart. 

All conversations are in BOLD writing 

*Not spell checked*

Previous:  https://www.tumblr.com/strangerweirdo15/722996588813893632/the-king-will-fall-pt2-king-steve-harrington-x?source=share

Chapter 3: same old same old

WC:2.2k 

The thing is life moves on, no matter the feelings you have. A lot has happened since 7th grade. You went through your first heartbreak but life went on. There are times now and then where you miss what used to be but there was a more overpowering feeling of resentment and anger . I couldn't quite put my finger on it. 

I'm now a senior. Well technically I'll be one after this summer is over. I started High School. That's when King Steve already got crowned going into his sophomore year and already I didn't recognize the boy I Used to Know. I kept my head down. I never wanted to be singled out by him or any of his friends. I had a couple good friends. Robin was my best friend though she knew everything I went through with him. Our friendship grew stronger from 7th grade and now I'm here.

 Working a summer minimum wage job at Scoops Ahoy in the new Star Court Mall my brother is gone at camp and I thought there's no harm. Last year I had a few run-ins with he who shall not be named. Some crazy stuff happened that my brother didn't tell me but I'm glad I got to be there for him even though now I'll have nightmares about a demon creature that ate our cat. Do I know why the one person that was available to give him a ride for him had to be Steve Harrington no. I do know how I felt the minute I saw him though my brother was younger when everything happened he's still new I never wanted to be around him that's why I threw that whole night I did not speak one word or even look in his Direction and after it was over and he tried to talk to me I did not give in I would not let him hurt me like that again. 

When Robin brought up the idea for us both to get a job so we can spend our summer together and earn money I thought no harm no foul. I think she forgot to mention that Steve the hair Harrington was also starting a new job there this summer. There were certain scenarios I just couldn't avoid. And I had to look at him and talk to him and breathe the same air as him and every inch of my being wanted to scream in his face

I had just gotten back from the store with my mom picking up some new cleats. See if something happens to you that hurts a lot you tend to pick up certain things to distract you, mine was soccer and I loved it. I loved my teammates. I love the adrenaline. My brother got home yesterday from camp. I'm getting dressed in my stupid uniform to go work a shift with my best friend and my worst enemy. 

I walked out into the living room where my brother was Messing with his walkie-talkie

Hey dust mite if you want to catch a ride with me to the mall I'm leaving right now. I said. He  jumped in the passenger seat of my car as we drove to the mall. I missed you kid, how was camp meet any hot chicks. He looked over at me with that little goofy smile of his. No way did my little brother get a girlfriend?. I am shocked as I'm turning down the radio. Her name is Suzie. She's so smart and she's even hotter than Phoebe Cates. I shake my head laughing. I cannot believe my baby brother has a girlfriend. Where does the time go? 

So what's new with you sis have you..... um talked to Steve a lot? 

I look over at him and disbelieve he knows I hate when he talks about him. What do you think? I say I don't feel like I'm being irrational. My brother just got home and already he's asking about stupid Steve, the one person who he Couldn't stop talking about all year long. Okay...okay I mean It's been almost 4 years I understand he was an asshole but he's changed really you know he talks about yo-. I cut him off before he could continue. Dustin please stop. I honestly don't care what he has to say and I can deal with how I want to deal with what happened for how long I want to deal with it. Can we have one conversation where you don't bring him up okay I missed you and you're already talking about him i just-.. i..t ...it doesn't matter we're already here.  

(Flash Back) snowball dance end of 84' 

I'm volunteering for the Snowball Dance as a chaperone. I've gotten a lot closer with Nancy and Jonathan. Our Brothers had been friends for a long time so you know at some point we were going to have to become friends. Nancy asked me if I was available to volunteer and I just thought after everything that had gone on what's the harm.I like Nancy she was a good person protected my brother even though it did hurt when her and Steve got together everybody knew about them the golden couple I thought after all these years I would have been okay but seeing them it hurt. Don't get me wrong I know Steve was in his slut phase. There was gossip left and right about him. It just still kind of hurts. I think a part of me would always love him… 

I told Dustin I could take him to the dance. He told me he needed extra time to get ready and he had a ride. I didn't ask who it was but I assumed. I told him I would be waiting out front even though El saved the world again I still got a little scared something could happen to my brother. 

(Dustin and Steve in the car

All right all right kid stop worrying your hair looks good I'm sure Max will like it. Dustin looked over at Steve and sighed. Steve looked at the window and then he cleared his throat. So um.. how's yo- your sister. Steve had changed over the last couple months and after Nancy dumped him. The day you guys stopped being friends Steve didn't really know what to do with himself he missed you a lot actually missed your talks missed you whenever his dad would yell at him or when nobody remembered his birthday. He missed your laugh. When you started high school he thought it was best to keep his distance. He had just started becoming popular. Every girl wanted him and every guy wanted to be him. But he noticed you. He always noticed you. He even went and watched your championship soccer game he saw you make the winning goal even though he was hiding behind the bleachers he looked at you and wished he was out there cheering with you. you never tried to talk to him either and you had every right but back then all he wanted to do was keep his front on let nobody in really and have everybody love him. Even if it wasn't real. Now that he's older and he's grown he regrets what he did. He still remembers the day everything happened the way you looked at the sound of your muffled cry. How he saw you run out to your mom's minivan and he walked back into the dance and acted like nothing happened. He missed your friendship. She's okay. I think she hasn't really talked much since what happened but I think she's okay. Steve nodded his head. He had Home Alone after that night, times like this is when he missed you.)

Lo and behold pulls up Steve Harrington's BMW. I do have to say the hatred I felt for him had died down a little bit in the last week. Maybe it was because he helped save my brother and his friends and the world I don't really know. My brother stepped out of the car and so did Steve. I looked at his head and started laughing. What the hell did you do to my brother's hair Harrington?. I walked up to them. Do you like it? Dustin asks me to flashing his new pearls. I could see the real enjoyment in my brother's eyes so I smiled. You know what I think I just might. I went to try and ruffle his hair but he hit my hand away.Not the hair not the hair. He whined. Get on inside. I told him and giggled. He ran up the steps into the school. I looked over to see Steve staring at me with a look in his eyes I couldn't put my finger on. You alright Harrington? I turn around to fully look at him. He turned his head down slightly blushing that he had been caught. Um it's just I haven't heard your laugh in a long time is all. I look down for a minute trying to contemplate what he's saying and why he is saying it is this cruel joke there's no way it could be anything else. Steve started to think about what he just said in the look on your face he was mortified. i'm sorry all i meant- he starts to say. Steve we have barely talked in the past 5 years up until recently with everything that happened I have so much as looked at your direction I don't know what happened to you but I want you to stop trying to do whatever this is if you're guilty or something want to clear your conscience don't do it on my Accord it only makes you feel better. I turn on my heels and start walking back into the gym.

Y/N wait can we just talk for a second..  I can hear Steve running up behind me and as I was going to turn around and tell him to stop the gym door opens. Out walks Ally Parker, Head cheerleader at Hawkins High and part-time evil witch. She spots Steve and brushes past Me Knocking my shoulder. Watch out. She says in her snarky uptight tone she's just another one of those popular people who makes everybody feel little to boost their own confidence but I guess it's right where Steve belongs. I scoff and roll my eyes as she walks in front of me and bats her eyelashes at Steve. Hi Steve. She says Oh hey Ally I'm kind of busy right now. He says gazing up at me and trying to move past her. But she grabs his bicep with her perfectly manicured hand. She looks back at me and rolls her eyes. Why do you even need to talk to her? You should come out with us we're all going to the drive-in. Want to take me in your car? She lets out her evil witch giggle. I genuinely couldn't believe what was happening, same old same old. I scoffed loudly, turning the attention back to me. Yeah Steve, go have fun at the drive-in. Something about this Situation is bringing me back to the 7th grade snowball and that's why I don't know why I feel my cheeks going red and the tears forming behind my eyes. Steve must notice it too because he looks at me with those beautiful deep brown eyes full of pity. He reached out to grab my hand but I yanked it away Y/N please let me explain.

Thanks for making us relive history. I walked back into the gym down that same hallway where My heart was broken all those years ago. I can't believe he was doing it again, what I would do to not still be in love with Steve Harrington....( flash back over)

Dustin would never understand how I felt. He didn't know what happened at that Snowball Dance last year and I don't know why I feel like this. Maybe it's because I felt completely betrayed by somebody I called my best friend and yeah I know I was in seventh grade so why does it matter. I don't know I wish I could stop feeling what I feel. I wish I could just get over it and not feel resentment and anger but it's really hard when you're forced to be around the person that hurt you. And it sucks even more that he is always flirting. I don't want to feel what I feel but I can't help it so my heart hurts a little more each time. Because I see him in his little goofy sailor costume and I can't help but smile. Then I feel like that little girl, that little girl who just wanted Steve Harrington to like her, tell her, her dress was pretty to hold her hand to ask her to dance but I never got that and yeah I need to get over it but I can't..

End of pt 3 I'm not sure where to take this. but i hope you enjoy tho 

[strangerficsxx]

Chapter Two: The Mall Rats

story:Midnight Rain wc: 2.3k with a sudden power outage, jennifer begins to suspect something bad is coming, suspecting the gate has been opened, things turn upside down when she go through a bought of depression -- hiding her feelings from steve.

[a/n: all characters, plot, etc. are not mine. The only thing I own is my original character. credit to gif owner.]

{June 29, 1985}

The next morning, Jennifer woke up in a dire mood as she lays in her bed. She stares at the ceiling before sighing, getting up and starting her day. Jennifer drove to the mall and entered, opening Scoops Ahoy before Robin and Steve arrived as she turns the lights on above, throwing her keys on the table in the back. Once when the mall open completely, people of different ages storm through and by the time Jennifer knows it, the mall is packed.

Leaning against the counter in between rooms, she watches as Robin hands off two cones to a man and woman as they turn to leave. Suddenly, Dusting shows up.

"Hey, someone's back from camp. How'd it go?"

Dustin looks around the female, glancing at his sister. "Good."

He looks at Robin.

"Hi,"

"Hi. I'm Dustin."

"I'm Robin,"

"Pleasure to meet you. Uh, is -- is he here?"

"I who here?" Jennifer asks.

Steve bursts through the door as he greets the younger boy, cheering and explaining but acting as a little kid. It makes Jennifer furrowed her brows, rolling her eyes before turning away.

"How many children are you friends with?"

Steve sighs in annoyance as Jennifer can tell just from hearing it from afar, walking out and towards Dustin as he greets her. They quickly hug before pulling back.

At a table, the three get situated as Robin continues at the counter. Jennifer sits on the end of the seat as she's beside Steve. Dustin plunges the spoon in a banana split, talking about how hot is girlfriend is plus how she looks like Phoebe Cates.

"Hotter than Phoebe Cates? No."

"Mm-hmm."

Dustin's eyes widen a like a little kid in a candy store as he continues on about this girl he was with at summer camp. Jennifer shifts, glancing toward her younger brother.

"Brilliant, too. And she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth."

Steve nods, disgusted as he and Jennifer look at each other as she cringes. The silence is loud as the conversations around them are indistinct.

"Wow. That's great. Proud of you, man. That's ro-- That's kinda romantic."

Jennifer goes into her own world as she fumbles with Steve's sailor hat on the table, thinking as Dustin speaks. The sounds of a someone clearing their throat makes Jennifer come back to reality.

"Jennifer. you okay?" Steve asks as him and Dustin look at her with concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Did you say something, Dustin?"

"Yes, you working anywhere?"

"No, taking a break from stress."

He nods. "What about your relationship, Steve?"

"Good. We're still going strong."

"So do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?"

"Yeah. I mean, sure. It's not really a good idea for me, though. I gotta keep in shape for the lad-- For Jennifer."

"Yeah, and how's that working out for you?"

"Ignore her."

"She seems cool."

"She's not. Where are the other knuckleheads?"

"Steve," She nudges him with her elbow.

"They ditched me yesterday,"

"No," Jennifer says.

"My first day back. Can you believe that shit?"

"Whoa. Seriously?"

"I swear to God. Mm. They're gonna regret it, though, big time, when they don't get to share in my glory."

"Glory? What Glory?" Jennifer asks.

Dustin scoots closer to Steve. "So, last night, we're trying to get in contact with Suzie.."

"Oh. Mm." Steve hums, looking at Jennifer as she smiles softly at him.

Dustin looks around. "I intercepted a secret Russian communication."

"What?" Steve and Jennifer say in unison.

Dustin clicks his tongue, inhaling deeply before exhaling before speaking softly. "I intercepted a secret Russian communication." Whilst covering his face.

Jennifer furrows her brows.

"Just speak louder."

"I intercepted a secret Russian communication." He speaks, louder this time as everyone in Scoops Ahoy looks at the three of them.

"Jeez, shh. Yeah, okay, that's what I thought you said."

They look around as Jennifer feels slightly embarrassed to be next to her brother and boyfriend. Steve leans against the table.

"What-- What does that mean?"

"It means, Steve, we could be heroes. True American heroes."

"Huh."

"Mm-hmm?"

"American heroes?" Jennifer asks, pretending to be excited.

"American heroes. You could have all of Jennifer you want and more."

"More? No, I have-- I have Jennifer. She's all I need."

"Oh."

"Why did you stammer?" Jennifer asks.

"I did-- I didn't."

"Yes, you did. And you did it again."

"Yeah, you did." Dustin adds.

Steve and Dustin lean in further to one another as Jennifer leans in as well.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch, I just need your and Jennifer's help."

"With what?" Jennifer questions.

Dustin doesn't say anything as he turns to his bag and unzips it, pulling out a small booklet and showing the two adults. It reads 'Romanov's Russian - English, English - Russian Dictionary'.

"Translation." Dustin smiles.

"Seriously Dustin?"

"Yeah,"

"How the hell are we gonna do that? It's gonna take forever since none of us know how to speak Russian, even if we do read the book. It's takes awhile to learn a new language."

"We can try,"

"Jesus,"

Jennifer and Steve rise as Dustin grabs his bag and follows after them into the back room. Behind the counter, she overhears Robin and a little girl. The female calls out to Steve, who is in the back room with Jennifer and Dustin. He paces back and forth as he takes a bite out of his banana as the voice of a male speaks in Russian on the recording. The recorder sits beside a book as Dustin is seated in a chair as well as his sister. A familiar tune plays as well. The kid stops the recorder.

"So what do you think?"

"It sounded familiar."

"What?"

"The music. The music right there at the end." He says, mouth full.

"Why are you listening to the music, Steve?" Jennifer asks.

"Listen to the Russian. We're translating Russian!"

"I'm trying to listen to the Russian, but there's music--"

"All right, babysitting time is over. You need to get out there."

Dustin and Jennifer stay in their places as Steve steps back. Robin walks toward her dry erase board.

"Hey, my board. That was important data, shitbirds."

"I'm not the one who cleared the board. Don't look at me,"

"Not you. Those two."

"I guarantee you, what we're doing is way more important than your data."

Steve nods, tossing the peel on the table below.

"Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?"

Dustin cranes his neck, looking at Steve. Jennifer lowers her head, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance almost wanting to side with Robin. She sighs.

"How does she know about the Russians?"

"I don't know."

"You told her about--"

"It wasn't me."

"It wasn't me either, doofus."

"Hello, I can hear you. Actually, I can hear everything. You both are extremely loud."

"I agree with that. I kept trying to quiet them down."

"You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you're trying to translate, but haven't figured out a word because you didn't realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet. Sound about right?"

The room was silent. Robin leans into grab the recorder as Steve swoops in and yanks it away.

"Woah! What do you think you're doing?"

"I wanna hear it."

"Why?" Dustin and Steve ask at the same time.

"Cause maybe I can help. I'm fluent in four languages, you know."

"Russian?"

"Ou-yay are-yay umb-day."

The boys are immersed by Robin speaking another language as Jennifer sighs, lowering her head once again.

"Holy shit."

"Dustin,"

"Sorry."

"That was Pig Latin, dingus."

Steve smacks Dustin with his banana peel with one hand whilst holding the recorder in the other.

"Idiot."

"But I can speak Spanish and French and Italian and I've been in band for 12 years. My ears are little geniuses, trust me."

"Uh.."

"That's why you look familiar."

"Yeah." Robin says, glancing at Jennifer before the two boys. "Come on, it's your turn to sling ice cream, my turn to translate. I don't even want credit. I'm just bored."

She reaches toward Steve with the ice cream scoop. He sighs and the bell in front dings atop the counter. Steve exchanges the recorder for the scoop as she smiles.

~~

With listening and trying to comprehend the Russian language and the stance in the tape, Robin paces back and forth listening intently as Jennifer holds the recorder. The catchy and familiar tune plays once again. She stops, pointing at the recorder.

"Wait, that last part, just one more time."

Jennifer nods and rewinds the tape as the sentence repeats.

"Okay, that word. Um.. That word which is pronounced as Dlt-nna-ya.. which is spelled..."

Robin sighs, taking a seat beside Jennifer and grabbing a pen.

"D... D, D, D..." Dustin says, rising and walking toward the whiteboard. "The-- The chair. The chair-looking thingy."

"Yeah, okay." She says, writing the Russian letter down.

Jennifer stands and rushes toward the window, sliding it open and seeing Steve, who holds two cones in his hand.

"We got our first sentence,"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

Robin saunters over as Steve leans against the counter. She speaks in a russian accent. "The week is long."

"Weel, that's thrilling."

"I know. But, progress."

Robin turns and walks the other direction as Steve stands straight and brings over the two cones to Max and El. She closes the window shut, going back to the table.

~~

Late that night, Steve and Jennifer as well as Robin and Dustin stand in front of the whiteboard, staring at the newly formed sentence written on it.

"The week is long, the silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west."

"Okay that's a little odd."

They exit as Robin grabs her belongings as Jennifer holds her keys in her hands, waiting behind for Steve who locks up the shop for the night. They begin walking through the mall together.

"I mean, it just... it can't be right."

"It's right."

"Honestly, I think it's great news." Dustin says.

"How is this great news?" Jennifer questions. "I mean, so much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense."

"It's not nonsense. It's too specific. It's obviously a code."

"What do you mean a code?"

"Like a super secret spy code."

"That's a total stretch."

"I don't know, is it?"

"You're buying into this?" Jennifer asks Robin.

"Listen, just for kicks, let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What's you think they were gonna say, 'Fire the warhead at noon'?"

"Exactly."

"And my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so... 'The silver cat feeds.' Why would anyone talk like that unless they're trying to mask the true meaning of their message."

"Exactly," Dustin says once again.

Behind them, Steve and Jennifer follow as they stay silent. She laced her fingers with his, standing closer to him as they walk.

"Why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive?"

"Exactly."

Steve makes a face, silently mocking the two.

"So I guess that confirms your suspicion."

"Evil Russians."

"I can't believe I'm about to agree with this strange child, but, yeah, totally evil Russians."

"So how do we crack it?" Jennifer asks.

"Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges."

"A pattern. Right, like maybe 'silver cat' is a meeting place?"

"Or a person."

"Or a weapon."

"It's probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but... Where's Steve and Jennifer?"

She looks back at the two as they stand in front of the horse ride as Steve frantically searches his pockets for change. Coins clatter on the floor as Robin calls out his name.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, it's a quarter. I need-- Do you have a quarter?"

Robin and Dustin approach the couple, standing behind them.

"Sure you're tall enough for that ride?"

"Quarter!"

Jennifer grabs her wallet and opens it, pulling out a quarter as Steve grabs it. He slides it in the coin slot as the rise moves and the familiar tune plays out as she recognizes it. Steve knelt on the floor, brows furrowed.

"You need help getting up, little Stevie?"

Dustin chuckles as he shushes the two.

"Would you two just shut up and listen?"

Everyone stays quiet as the songs continues playing as Dustin's calm exspression turns into an estatic one.

"Holy shit," He says. "The music."

"Yeah, it sounds very familiar."

Dustin throws off his back before kneeling in front of it and unzips the bag, pulling the recorder out and playing the tape. A male speaks over the tape as the same song plays in the recording. Dustin cranes his neck, looking at Robin.

"I don't understand."

"It's the exact same song on the recording."

"Maybe they have horses like this in Russia.

" 'Indiana Flyer'? I don't... I don't think so. This code, it... didn't come from Russia. It came from here."

Jennifer, Robin and Dustin stare at the ride intently.

~~

Outside, Steve and Jennifer stand at her car as she leans against the vehicle. His hand rests gently against Jennifer's hip.

"Do you believe any of this shit?"

"No, but who knows. There could be evil russians under the mall, you never know."

"Jennifer,"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're okay? Ever since Wilhelmina's death, you've been sluggish lately. I know the anniversary of her death is nearing a year, but I wanna make sure you're not gonna hang yourself tonight when you get home."

"Ste- Yes, I've been sluggish. And no, I wouldn't hang myself over something so.. so.."

"Jen, please just talk to someone about this. I'm worried about you."

"I will do that."

"Please, do."

Jennifer unlocks the car and begins to slide in when Steve stops her, pressing a delicate kiss to her lips. They pull away after a few seconds before she enters the vehicle and closes the door behind her. She puts the keys in the ignition, pulling out of the lot and driving down the road.