AS THE PAIR PULLED UP TO HOPPER'S CABIN THEY SPOTTED EL AND HOPPER HEADING OUT OF THE HOUSE. It was only then that it had dawned on Steve. "Oh my god May, you didn't think to give me a heads up?"
"Sorry! I just had to make sure he was actually letting her go. It's fine I don't even think he knows," she said trying to reassure him, "just act natural."
She got out of the car and could hear Steve getting out as well.
When Hopper and El spotted her, she waved her arms. "Oh my god El! You look so good!" she gushed as she realized El was dressed up for the dance.
"Thank you," El said simply with a smile.
"What are you doing here kid?" Hopper asked. "Well, a little birdie told me someone was going to the dance, and I just had to see for myself," she said back.
"Uh huh," he mused.
His eyes shifted from her to behind her, "what's that punk doing here," he said as he pointed to Steve, who was now leaning against his car a few feet behind her. Steve offered a non-reciprocated wave to Hopper.
"We just dropped off Max and Dustin," she said.
"We can drop her off for you," Steve called out. He had been trying to find an olive branch for weeks, no years at this point. To him, he thought this might be it.
Mavis jumped up, "oh my god, yes! Let us take her!"
"Yes, I want to go with them," El said simply, turning to Hopper.
Hopper began to shake his head and open his mouth when Mavis talked over him.
"Come on Hop, let her be normal for one night. No one wants their dad dropping them off at a party," she huffed.
"Dance," Steve corrected. "Yeah a dance," she awkwardly corrected.
Hopper sat in silence for a few moments thinking it over. "Okay, fine. But I'm picking her up," he said sternly.
"Yay!" she said with joy. So much joy she even gave Hopper a hug. Of course he huffed with a faux annoyance.
She ran back to the car for a few moments, grabbing her camera. She motioned to both of them to stand close. Hopper threw his arm up, "Come on kid no pictures."
"I don't care, now pose," she said quickly as she looked through the lens. She took a few steps back, almost knocking into Steve, him sneakily putting a hand on her back so she'd stop moving any further.
"She's not gonna stop until she gets the picture," Steve sighed.
Hopper rolled his eyes and reluctantly posed, pulling El into a side hug so she was in the frame as well.
"Smileeeeeee," she said, her own smile beaming behind the camera. They both gave her a smile and a few moments later the camera clicked. She brought the camera down, "see that wasn't too bad was it?"
He sent her a sarcastic smile.
Mavis noticed El's confusion at the camera, so she moved over to her, showing her how the camera worked. Once El was ready to try using it, Mavis scooted back to where Steve was. "Here try it out, take one of Steve and I," she said posing with Steve in a side hug.
The camera clicked and a smile fell on El's face from amazement. Of course she had seen cameras before but to operate one was mind-blowing.
Mavis made her way back to El, "pretty cool, right?" To which El nodded.
Steve walked over, grabbing the camera from her. "Okay now you two," he said as he attempted to use the camera.
Mavis rolled her eyes before posing with El, pulling Hopper into the frame with them. After a few moments of Steve struggling with the camera it clicked, taking the picture.
As Mavis began walking back toward Steve, Hopper's eyes shifted back and forth between Steve and her. Now finally taking stock of their outfits. He furrowed his brow in confusion and suspicion.
"Why are you two so dressed up?" he asked.
Mavis tried to think of an answer.
"It's like method act-" she began to say before Hopper cut her off.
"No, I wanna hear from you," Hopper said pointing to Steve as he made his way closer to him. He knew he intimidated the kid and figured he could get a straight answer out of him. If he didn't tell the truth at least he knew he'd scare the crap out of him.
Steve felt his nerves growing. He pushed them down deciding to finally face the music. "We're dressed for a date," Steve said trying to be casual.
Mavis only saw this going bad, so she began to usher El to the car and shut the door once she was in. "Okay, I think it's time to go!"
She walked over to the front of the car where Steve and Hopper stood. "Hey, we really gotta take off, can't be late you know?" Mavis said trying to act casual, only to be ignored.
"A date?" Hopper questioned. Absolutely not.
"Yeah, we've actually kinda been together since the whole thing a month ago," Steve said trying to be casual and crossing his arms. Mavis's eyes grew wide.
He glanced at Mavis. "Mind if Steve and I talk to each other alone for a moment," he asked calmly but sternly. Steve sent her a look of fear.
"I don't know we really gotta g-" Mavis began.
"Get in the car Montgomery, I'm not gonna kill him," Hopper said, turning to her for a moment before turning his attention back onto Steve.
She sighed, giving Steve a look of reassurance before getting in the car. Leaving him in the lions den.
Mavis and El watched. Their confusion growing as the two shifted from Hopper speaking calmly, to him yelling, to him holding Steve by his collar, to him being calm again, and lastly to him shaking Steve's hand.
After another few moments, Steve made his way back to the car and got in. Mavis looked at him, trying to figure out what happened out there.
He turned to her, a cheesy smile on his face. An attempt to hide the lingering fear in his eyes.
"I think he likes me."
┌─────────∘°❉°∘ ─────────┐
❝ I am I am I am. ❞
—Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
└───────── °∘❉∘° ─────────┘
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𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐡
Fanfiction𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙗𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚. "𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨...
