Through the Looking Glass ⇒ Alice the Amazing Short Stories

[XVII] AU Week #5: Can't Fight This Feeling

A/N from 2020: This is an AU of Alice the Amazing Part 3, "The Jabberwocky." It explores what it would be like if Samuel and Alice came back from drama camp a little too close for Steve's liking.

Here's what you need to know:

1. It takes place pre-season 3.

2. In this draft, Samuel and Tammy never dated (bc I wrote it before I knew Tammy existed haha).

3. This is also before I decided to make Robin one of Alice's friends from Season 1. She vaguely knows Samuel and Alice, but isn't close with them.

CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING

🎭 🎭 🎭

Robin inspected Steve's profile, watching as he angrily scooped ice cream into a U.S.S. Butterscotch bowl.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Why do you care," Steve grumbled.

He glanced up, and Robin followed his eyeline.

Sitting outside at the Starcourt fountain was a girl in a Star Wars t-shirt. She was sitting with a tall brunette boy, laughing at something he just said.

"Who's the girl?" Robin asked, "and why are you looking at her tall friend like you want him dead?"

"Nobody," Steve said, handing the sundae to their customer. "Drop it, okay?"

As if she sensed his gaze, Alice turned and noticed Steve behind the counter. She grinned and waved aggressively, hopping off the fountain's ledge and racing through the crowd to duck into Scoops Ahoy. Samuel followed reluctantly.

When they got closer, Robin recognized the two of them from Hawkins High. Both of them were in the drama department like she was.

Steve immediately dropped the scowl and beamed, but Robin could tell he was still tense.

"Hey, sailor boy," Alice said. "Can I get one scoop of your dignity?"

Steve snorted.

"Haha, very funny," he said. "Get all your jokes out now."

Al pretended to be offended.

"Wow, do you think so little of me, that you think I came all the way in here to make fun of you?" she asked and clutched her chest. "If you thought that—you'd be exactly right."

"How was theater camp?" Steve asked.

"It was—"

"It was amazing," Samuel interrupted. "You should've seen Alice as Viola in Twelfth Night. Truly riveting."

"It really wasn't," Alice said, blushing. "I forgot half of my lines. I kept calling Sebastian the wrong name."

"Don't sell yourself short!" Samuel said, putting his arm around Alice's shoulders. "You were great."

Steve glared at Samuel's hand. Alice tensed at the touch. She inadvertently started to heat up, but didn't realize it until Samuel yelped and pulled his hand away.

"Shit, Alice! Are you made of lava?" he muttered.

"So anyway!" Alice said, ignoring the itch in her nose that hinted at a nosebleed incoming. "How are you, Robin?"

"Slinging ice cream and keeping this dingus in line," she said, elbowing Steve. Steve let out a forced laugh, still eyeing Samuel and trying not to be thrilled that he—quite literally—got burned.