Shadows of the Night •a Stranger Things story•

Oh, Captain, My Captain

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In the Starcourt Mall, there are many things. Clothing stores, arcades, entertainment, spaces, dance studios, and most excitingly more than a dozen places to tea. The restaurants and food stands are spread throughout the mall. Just about every other store is a place to buy and eat food. One of the most popular places since it's open in the summer is Scoops Ahoy. No one can have enough of the ice cream. Summer is an incredible time to be working at an ice cream parlor—for some. For Steve Harrington, it's torturous. He hates seeing old classmates from behind the register, enjoying their summer before they go off to college.

Steve worries he'd never get to experience that excitement of an acceptance letter. He also worries that Chris will want to go somewhere far away from Hawkins when she starts applying to schools, and he'll be stuck behind the register, scooping ice cream for the next graduating class and even younger kids.

"Alrighty, one scoop of chocolate," he says in a slightly bored tone. "That's a buck-twenty-five. Anything else?"

The girl, someone he hardly recognized from his class, shakes her head. Her bangs are teased and she's wearing bright hooped earrings and a Purdue shirt. Steve seems a little flustered at this. He doesn't have a college t-shirt to show off. Certainly nothing as fancy as Purdue. The register starts beeping. "Oh, sorry about that."

Steve drops some of the girl's change. He bends down to retrieve it, then comes back up, accidentally dropping some on the counter instead of her hand. "Sorry. This is my first day here," he lies

The girl leaves, laughing with her friends as they makes their way back to the mall to do some more shopping. The sliding glass pane behind the counter glides open to reveal Robin Buckley. She's wearing a Scoops Ahoy uniform just like Steve, although no hat. She grins widely at Steve's expense. "And another one bites the dust. You are oh-for-six, Popeye."

Steve huffs at her. "Yeah, yeah, I can count."

"You know that means you suck at your job."

Steve rolls his eyes at his coworker. "Yep, I can read, too."

Robin gapes at Steve mockingly. "Since when?"

Yanking off the uniform's hat, Steve waves it at her. He slams it on the back counter. "It's this stupid hat. I am telling you, it is totally blowing my best feature."

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag." Robin props her arms on the counter, leaning against the window. "You know, it's a crazy idea, but have you considered just not sucking?"

Rolling his eyes, Steve shakes his head at Robin. "Oh, you mean, quit this job? Where I make three bucks an hour and I have no future because I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dad's trying to teach me a lesson?" he rants.

Robin nods her head behind Steve, where another group of girls their age has come up to the counter to order some ice cream. "Hey, twelve o'clock."

"Okay, uh, I'm going in. Okay? And you know what? Screw company policy." Steve refuses to wear the hat, throwing it back on the counter.

Widening her eyes, Robin stares at Steve. "Oh, my God, you're a whole new man."

Steve smirks. "Right?" Steve spins around suddenly, calling out loudly, "Ahoy, ladies! Didn't see you there."

The girls startle a little at Steve's bravado. They look increasingly uncomfortable as Steve continues talking. "Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain. I'm Steve Harrington." He gestures as if it's obvious.

Behind him, Robin mutters out, "Oh, God." She picks up her marker and tallies the board under the column titled: "YOU SUCK".

"Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee?" Steve continues. The girls stare at him with bored expressions. "No? Anybody? Banana Boat? Four people, four spoons? Share it in the booth? Anybody? It's hot out there."

Robin moves from behind the back room to help Steve and take over scooping ice cream for the group of teenagers. Steve huffs, folding his arms across his stomach. He leans against the wall off to the side, watching Robin serve ice cream with ease. She uses just the right amount of customer service, and also gives off the appeal of a teenager that likes their job just enough not to get fired. She's motivated to work, but only because she knows this is a part-time job: a means to an end. Robin lets it all roll off her shoulders at the end of the day. Steve doesn't know if he can do that. For him, this isn't a means to an end. He's stuck and he doesn't know for how long he'll be stuck. It's eating away at him more than he'd care to admit.

His gaze shifts upward again as Robin finishes with the money and the till. Steve stands up straighter, his face pulling upward in a tiny smile. He pushes his heels off the ground away from the wall. He makes his way closer to the person that has entered the shop.

"Hi," he greets as he exits from behind the counter. Robin doesn't say anything about him leaving his post. She knows there's no use. Steve throws a glance back at her. "I'm taking a five."

"Unpaid," she mutters out half-heartedly.

"Oh, captain, my captain," teases Christine softly as she slips into a booth, holding out her arm in hopes Steve will sit next to her and press his body close.

Steve frowns, tucking some hair behind his ears as he sits down next to her. Chris snuggles into his side, sighing heavily. Steve places a hand on her knee underneath the table, drawing circles on her skin. "You never cease to find new nicknames for me to hate, huh, Hopper?"

"You like Stevie," she mumbles, staring up at him with gentle green eyes. Steve nods his head. "When do you get off? At close again?"

Steve bobs his head. "Derek is sick again."

Chris rolls her eyes. "Sick from mixing vodka with grape juice, maybe." Chris sighs heavily, sitting up a little straighter. "I wanted to talk to you before my shift, actually."

"What is it?" he wonders, peering down at her.

"My Dad, he uh..." Chris sighs heavily. "He thinks that Mike and El are spending too much time together. He wants that to stop, and he thinks that you and I aren't setting a good example."

A frown appears on Steve's face. He stares ahead for a moment, listening to Chris speak. He doesn't say anything for a moment. "So he wants us to stop spending so much time together? We see each other like three days of the week."

"I—I know, but in order to avoid further anger and punishment," she continues, giving him a gentle look. "I think we should just listen to what he's saying and give it some time for him to figure out his issue with Mike and El."

"So, what—what does this mean? I won't see you until Thursday?" Steve doesn't like the idea of that. It's Saturday today. Which means he wouldn't see her for five days.

Chris smiles a little, giving him a mischievous look. "You know, I could tell Ronnie to cover for me. Have her call him and tell him I'm spending the night with her."

Steve shares in her smile, squeezing her tight in his arms. "I like that idea. I'll pick you up from the theater when I get off."

"We can go for a drive," she states.

"Unpaid seven, Harrington!" shouts Robin, scooping up a tiny cup of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and about half a dozen cherries on it. She finishes scooping the bowl, sliding it on the counter. She gives Chris a soft look. Chris and Steve shuffle a little ungracefully out of the booth's leather seats. Chris moves to the counter, grabbing a blue spoon and the ice cream Robin dishes for her.

"Thank you, Robin."

Robin gives Chris a tiny smile. "Anyone that can put up with him deserves free ice cream every once in a while," she jokes, nodding her head to Steve as he makes his way back to the register.

Chris laughs a little, leaning over the counter. Steve tilts his head to kiss Chris, but instead, he plucks a cherry from her bowl, leaving her without affection. Chris frowns at this. Steve grins at her and leans over again. He gives her a soft kiss, feeling a million times better about working now that he's seen her again. Chris works wonders at lifting his mood, even if it's having a conversation about seeing each other less and having to sneak around. He doesn't have much of an issue slinging ice cream for the rest of his shift.