𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 [𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗]

XV

┓

steve drive

┗

𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 3𝚛𝚍 1984
𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚜
𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗

"alright.. so let me get this straight, you kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who..." steve pauses, "who you just met?" he asks dustin. "alright that's grossly oversimplifying things" dustin replies, "i mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug anyway?" valentine asks.

"an interdimensional slug? because it's awesome" dustin replies, grinning, "well. even if she thought it was cool, which she didnt, i.. i just" steve stammers, "i don't know. i just feel like you're trying way too hard" steve says. valentine, on the otherhand, thought it was quite cute. dustin was developing a crush and he was trying to carefully express his feelings.

"yeah well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?" dustin says and valentine has to hide her laugh with a cough, "it's not about the hair man" steve says, "the key with girls is just.. just acting like you don't care" steve says, "what?" valentine laughs out of shock and irritation. "even if you do?" dustin asks, "yeah, exactly. it drives them nuts" steve says.

"i'll kick you in the fucking nuts" valentine says under her breath.  "then what?" dustin asks, "you just wait until you feel uh.. feel it" steve says, "feel what?" dustin asks, his interest peaking in the conversation; love advice from the steve 'the hair' harrington? count dustin in.

"it's like before it's gonna storm, you know? you can't see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh... electricity, you know?" steve says, "oh, like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere-" steve cuts him off, "no, no, no, no, no. like a... like a sexual electricity." steve says. "oh.." dustin says.

valentine rolls her eyes and walks ahead. chucking bits of raw meat on the floor. steve's 'advice' to dustin had irritated the girl and it's clear, for one, he's saying to basically fuck a bunch of girls then you're all good and she can't explain it but the way steve talks about how he pretends he doesn't care when he likes a girl almost.. hurt in a way. could she possibily like.. steve? no ridiculous that's her bestfriend.

"you feel that and then you make your move" steve says, "so that's when you kiss her?" dustin asks, "no, whoa, whoa. slow down, romeo" steve says, "sorry" dustin says, "sure, okay, some girls, yeah, they want you to be aggressive" he says.

"you know, strong, hot and heavy, like a... i don't know, like a lion" steve says and dustin nods, "but others, you gotta be slow.. you gotta be stealthy like a.. like a ninja" he says, making valentine think of the times the pair have joked about him being a ninja.

"what type is nancy?" dustin asks, "ouch" valentine thinks to herself. "uhh let's not talk about nancy" steve says, "what about... valentine?" dustin says and valentine feels her cheeks grow red.

"valentine.." steve begins, "she's different than the other girls... she's.. special" steve says, "yeah she seems pretty special, i guess" dustin agrees, "yeah. yeah she is" steve says. "she really is" he adds.

"but this girl's special, too, you know, it's just, like, something about her" dustin gushes, "whoa, whoa, whoa. hey, hey, hey" steve stops him, "what?" he asks, "you're not falling in love with this girl, are you?" he ask looking down at dustin, "uh no! no!!" dustin says, going red. "okay good. don't" steve says, "i won't" he replies.