𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟

vii. AIR DUCTS

THAT NIGHT at Icarus', Steve and Icarus sat facing each other on the bed. "I thought.. you not telling me was just you not trusting me.." He says and Steve sighs. "I.. I trust you, a lot, more than I've trusted anyone in years, Icarus.." He says.

"And I love you," he says as he reached out to grab Icarus' hand, frowning slightly. "But.. not getting into even Tech was the most embarrassing shit ever, Rus.." He sighed and looked down.

"I just feel like.. I-I'm not right for college.." He says and Icarus frowns. "Any college would be so lucky to have such a great guy like you attending.." He says as he moves closer. "But that's it, not great guys.. It's the smart guys. Even you can admit, I'm dumb." He says and Icarus shakes his head.

"You're not.. You're smart, so smart.." He smiled and then reached out to Steve's face. "Just.. not worthy of college.." Steve sighs and Icarus pulls his hand back. "I forgive you. For not telling me. I don't blame you.. I have so much shit I want to keep from you, because it's that embarrassing.." Icarus explains and Steve nodded with a small smile.

"Like the time you didn't know what to do when your grandma's dog pissed on the floor so you just left.." He laughs and Icarus nods, sighing. "Truth is, I thought we were a couple and.. that we don't keep things from each other." He frowns and Steve looks away with a small frown.

"I'm sorry.." He whispers. "I'm sorry too." Icarus sighs and Steve looks up at him. "Besides, I haven't been able to since you've been around Chris too much." He says then sighs, rolling his eyes.

"God, Chris.. You should be with him instead.. He's so much smarter, the dude fucking knows Russian and.. I bet he's going to some big college when you guys graduate.. together.." He says and Icarus glares at him. "Steve.." He whispers.

Steve looks up at him, "What?" He sighs and Icarus leans in, closing his eyes and kissing him gently. He leans back slowly, "I don't want Chris.. I've told you before.." He whispers and Steve just keeps his eyes closed. "Not Nancy, not Jonathan, not Chris.. you. Just you and always you, Steve." He whispers and Steve opens his eyes to look into Icarus' own. "Okay.." He nods his head a bit.

Icarus giggles a bit, "Morgan.." He whispers and Steve rolls his eyes but leans in to kiss him again, his way of telling Icarus to shut the hell up.

The next day at Scoops Ahoy, Robin sits across from Chris as Steve and Icarus sit across from each other and Dustin tells them about what he's found out. "That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it," Dustin says as he paced back and forth.

"But there's gotta be a way in.." Robin says. "Well, you know, we could just—" "I could just take him out." Steve said, his arms on the table, leaning over and looking at Icarus who he just cut off. "Take who out?" He asked him and Steve nods.

"The Russian guard.." He says and Icarus gives him a look, Robin and Chris doing the same. "What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." He explains.

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin asked who he looks at. "Yes, Dustin, I did. And that's why I would be sneaking." He nodded and Icarus laughs, making Steve look at him. "What?" He asked with annoyance.

"You lost a fight to not only Billy Hargrove but Jonathan Byers, but go on, please enlighten me.. Morgan.." He says as he smiled and Steve just gives him the stink eye for the Morgan comment. "That doesn't count." Steve shakes his head. "Why wouldn't it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Dustin says and Icarus chuckled lightly.

Robin looks at him then looks away, up at the air vent. Icarus looks up as well, as Dustin and Steve continue to bicker back and forth. "That might just work.." She says getting up and they're quick to watch her through the window as she grabs all of the money from the tip jar. "Robin." Steve says.

"Hey, Robin!" He says and they all run to exit the back room. "Hey, what are you doing?" Steve asked as Icarus, Chris and Dustin stand behind him. "I need cash." She says, walking backwards. "Well, half of that's mine." Steve says.

"Where are you even going?" Icarus asked. "To find us a way into that room, a safe way, and in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave and don't get beat up." She says and Icarus chuckles.

"I'll be back in a jiff."

Icarus looks at Steve and Dustin, Dustin was licking ice cream of an ice cream scooper. "Oh, dude!" Steve grabs it from him. "Not my scooper." He says and Icarus looks at Chris, amused.

"It is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." Robin asked before she sets down a blueprint. "Starcourt Mall." She says and Icarus smiled, impressed. "The complete blueprints." She says and Dustin looks at her.

"Not bad," he says with amazement. "So, this is us, Scoops, and this is where we want to get." She says as she points to two different areas. "I mean, I don't really see a way in." Steve says.

"There's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors." She says as she takes the other paper off to reveal another underneath. "Air ducts." Dustin said to her and Icarus grins widely.

"Exactly." Robin said with a smile and Icarus looks at her. "You're smart," he points to her. "Turns ot, this secret room needs air just like any old room." She says as she walks over to grab the marker off the whiteboard still on the wall.

"And these air ducts," she says and then circles the room they were talking about. "Lead all the way.." She says and trails the marker down to where Scoops Ahoy is. "Here." She circles it.

  

   

  

   

   

    

     

  

authors note "push my ass" "what?" "touch my butt! i don't care!" i love this duo so much