The One || Steve Harrington

The Mall Rats

"Why do you always get the opening shifts?" Georgia groaned. And she tightened her arms around Steve's waist, reveling in his warmth. "An ice cream shop doesn't need to open at ten am."

She could still smell the traces of his cologne and the faint scent of his hair products.

Steve's chest moved as he laughed. The hand massaging her back moved to her hair, tugging gently until she was looking at him. He dropped the sweetest of kisses against her forehead.

"You're so cute when you're clingy," Steve grinned with a lopsided smirk. "I already let you distract me to an extra ten minutes of laying in bed."

He dropped another quick kiss on her head and climbed out of bed, grabbing the clothes he left in her drawers.

Her head fell back against the pillow, watching shamelessly as he got dressed. He never went to Scoops Ahoy in his uniform, always opting to change there and avoid embarrassment.

"I'm not clingy; I just like cuddling with my boyfriend," Georgia whined.

He turned to her with his hands on his hips. His hair was a mess and askew, but he was still completely relaxed, having slept soundly through the night.

Steve loved Georgia like this. Georgia, sleepy and needy and vulnerable, only half awake with shaky legs, wanting more.

"I'll visit during my break," Steve said, and he grabbed her hand, tugging her out of bed. "And you can visit during your break."

He passed clothes to her, refusing to linger and allow her to distract him further before disappearing into the hallway.

She could hear him talking to Eleven and the sound of water watering echoing in the small cabin.

It was a surprise Mike wasn't here yet. He always knocked at nine-thirty on the dot. He was situated on the couch by nine-thirty-two each morning without fail.

Her hands fiddled with the elastic as she rounded the corner into the kitchen where Hopper stood, staring at the girl, half with an expression of glee and half dad-like. He looked so happy with himself.

He was already dressed in his sheriff's uniform and ready to walk out the door.

"What are the rules, Georgie?" he asked, pouring milk into Eleven's cereal.

She rolled her eyes, scarfing down the yogurt he left out for her. "He was already asleep, Dad," Georgia muttered. "Did you want me to push him off the bed?"

"Yes!" he sputtered, his eyes ablaze. "That is exactly what you should do."

And if she wouldn't do it, he would.

"I'm glad she didn't!" Steve called from the bathroom, poking his head out mid-brushing his teeth.

He was definitely going to be late to work. He hadn't started on his twenty-minute hair routine.

She turned her attention to a pacing Eleven, who was really testing how far the cord to the landline could go. The coiling cord was completely straight.

Never had Eleven been this frazzled in the morning.

"Why are you upset?" she asked quietly.

"Mike is late," Eleven said, her fingers making quick work of dialing his number before she disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her so Hopper couldn't eavesdrop.

"Isn't it great?" Hopper grinned. His spoon clattered against the bowl of sugary cereal he promised not to eat anymore.

"What did you do?" she asked pointedly. Her eyes narrowed at her dad.