The summer of 1986 was shaping up to be a good one. Hawkins was in the middle of a heatwave that had everyone flocking to the outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, and Steve was no exception. He had his Favorite sunglasses perched in his hair, the cut-off denim shorts that you had helped him make when his favorite jeans got ripped on his legs, and the new Queen album playing quietly through the car stereo.
And a car full of sugar-rushed teenagers.
"-listen to something else now? This song sucks," Mike was complaining.
Steve glared at him in the rear view mirror and opened his mouth to reply, but Max beat him to it.
"Shut the fuck up, Wheeler. You've got no taste."
"Says the one who listens to Kate Bush on repeat."
"Anyone slanders Kate Bush and they're walking to the lake," Steve warned without taking his eyes off of the road as he turned into your street.
A chorus of mocking "oooh"s came from the kids, and he barely resisted rolling his eyes. He still wasn't quite sure how his life had turned out this way, spending his summer chauffeuring for a bunch of nerds, but the sight of you coming out of your front door was the perfect distraction.
Your face lit up at the sight of him and he felt his stomach flip pleasantly at the delighted wave you sent him as you came down the path. Your eyes were obscured by your sunglasses, an oversized T-shirt almost slipping off of your shoulder under your dungarees and giving him a tantalising glimpse of the strap of your bikini.
He wasn't sure how he had gotten lucky enough to spend his summer as your boyfriend either, but he certainly wasn't complaining.
His smile only widened as you ducked your head bashfully as you came down the path, feeling the warmth of his adoring eyes on you. It never ceased to amaze him how surprised you always seemed by how much he loved you, how beautiful you were to him, how-
Dustin's face appearing from his periphery and blocking his view of you pulled him harshly from his reverie.
"You disgust me," the boy announced.
"Like you don't stare at Suzy," Steve shot back.
"I don't actually, because my love is too far away for my eyes to reach," Dustin replied loftily.
"Cry me a fucking river, Shakespeare."
You had reached the car by that point and, spotting Dustin in the passenger seat, went to open the back door. Steve's eyes widened.
"Nope, absolutely not. Henderson, move."
Dustin stared at him incredulously.
"What the hell, Steve? I was first to get picked up, ergo I get to ride shotgun."
"But now we're picking up my girlfriend, ergo you need to move."
"Do you even know what ergo means?"
"I know you can ergo sit in the back or you can ergo home, dipshit."
You were watching in amusement from outside the car. You wouldn't have minded sitting in the back but your boyfriend's antics were so cute.
As Dustin got out of the passenger seat and slipped under your arm to get to the back door, grumbling, you gave him an apologetic look before climbing into the front seat.
"Hi, baby," Steve greeted you sweetly as you fastened your seatbelt.
As soon as you were secure, he leaned over to give you a soft kiss that warmed you from the inside out. The moment was only slightly ruined by the kids' disgusted groans from the backseat.
"Gross, you guys."
"There are kids here!"
"In public? Seriously?"
Steve broke the kiss with an annoyed sigh and you bit your lip to stop yourself giggling at him.
"The next person who tells me what to do in my own car is getting kicked out. Clear?"
He was met with polite silence, and he grinned at you.
"That's what I thought."
