𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 [𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣]

[Surprise]

Cherry sat in Steve's car, the soft hum of the radio filling the silence between them. Steve kept stealing glances at Cherry, his stomach in knots as he pressed his foot against the gas. "So, uh, have you been to this part of town before?" he finally asked, trying to break the tension. Cherry shook her head, a smile playing at her glossy lips. "No, never," she replied honestly, her words almost sounding like gasps while she continued to look around interested.

As they pulled into a plaza, she noticed a large restaurant. Steve went on and found a spot right in front of the entrance. He nodded, "Told you I'd show you around town," Cherry smiled to herself, looking down at her shoes while Steve shifted the gear into park. He remembered. As they stepped out of the car, Cherry quickened her pace to follow the boy as he walked. She grinned at the sight before them, Enzo's, a charming Italian restaurant softly illuminated by twinkling lights.

Cherry's eyes trailed over the decor, not used to such class. "Enzo's, I've heard about this place," she remarked, "Apparently it's always super busy," Steve nodded confidently, a smirk growing on his lips as he led Cherry through the door,  "Yeah, but I don't think that'll be a problem tonight," Once seated at a table adorned with a small flickering candle, Cherry couldn't help but notice the empty restaurant around them. She glanced around curiously, suddenly turning back to Steve.

She gave him a look, "You didn't." Steve shrugged as he tried to hide his growing grin, "I did," Cherry's heart fluttered, "You reserved this whole restaurant just for me?" she asked in disbelief, her voice slightly shaking in surprise. Steve smiled, a hint of nervousness in his expression. "Yeah, I thought it would be nice to have some privacy," he admitted sheepishly. Cherry ran a hand through her hair, her eyes wide as she swallowed. "Wow," Steve's face turned red, unsure how to respond. "What?"

This hadn't exactly been the reaction he was expecting. However, maybe he was just to used to Hawkins girls. Cherry cleared her throat, her voice tinged with emotion, "No, no, Steve, I mean, I love it!" She spoke quickly, "It's just, I've never had someone put this much thought into something for me before," she confessed. Steve chuckled nervously, relieved as he began to rub the back of his neck. "Well, you deserve it," Cherry couldn't help but let out a small laugh, only imagining how much this must've cost him.

"You seriously planned all of this for me?" she asked incredulously, her eyes sparkling as she continued to look around. Steve shrugged, trying to downplay his efforts. "I just wanted tonight to be special," he explained, his voice soft and sincere. "And besides, I don't know why you sound so surprised?" Cherry's heart melted at his words, the girl in awe as she starred back at him, "Steve..." This was not the Steve Harrington Robin had described. "Seriously, no one did stuff like this for you back in California?" Steve asked, leaning in closer over the table.

Cherry shook her head, pursing her plump lips with embarrassment. "No," she admitted quietly, "Not once." Steve's expression fell, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a forced smile. "Oh... well, I thought..." he trailed off, the rest of his sentence left unsaid. "Nevermind, then." Cherry smiled, leaning over the same way he was. "You didn't have to do all this," she insisted, changing the subject while Steve shrugged yet again. "But I wanted to," he said earnestly, his eyes locking with hers.

Cherry couldn't help but look down, her cheeks growing warmer by the second. "You're sweet," she murmured softly. Steve chuckled, a self-assured grin spreading across his face. "I know," he replied, the tension between them dissipating into laughs. Steve's gaze softened as he looked at Cherry. "You look amazing," he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. Cherry's cheeks flushed even more at his compliment. "Thank you," she replied, her smile shy but sincere.

Only feeling warmth continuing to spread across her cheeks, Cherry couldn't even bare to imagine the colour of her face. Steve cleared his throat, his eyes lingering on her for an unusually long time. "I mean... I've always thought you were pretty, Cher,"  Cherry's cheeks flushed even deeper at Steve's use of her known nickname. God, she probably looked like a tomato. "Can I say that now?" He questioned, the look on Cherry's face unreadable. "Yeah, of course," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to conceal her growing smile.

Steve relaxed, "Good, because I've been wanting to tell you that for a while now," he admitted, his voice gentle as he reached across the table to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. Cherry's heart skipped a beat at his touch, her breath catching in her throat as she went to speak. She looked away, "I bet you say that to everyone you take out." Cherry's playful skepticism was met with a scoff from Steve. "No, I don't," he assured her, his eyes meeting hers as he sat up straight.

"You're different, Cherry. Special." Cherry's cheeks flushed at his words, a shy smile gracing her lips as she glanced back at him. "You really mean that?" she asked, her eyebrow's raised as she questioned him. Steve nodded, his gaze not moving. "Absolutely," he replied, his tone honest. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Cherry's heart fluttered at his words, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling a warmth wash over her. For some reason, the only time she'd ever felt at home in Hawkins, was with Steve.

"Now, why don't you go ahead and order yourself something good?" Steve suggested, his tone playful as he leaned back in his chair. "Enjoy yourself," Cherry's smile widened at Steve's suggestion, feeling more at ease in his company. She reached for her menu, content as her eyes scanned it's pages. "I never want this to end," she whispered, happiness practically beaming from her clear skin. Steve smirked as he glanced over his menu, "That's the goal,"