Dark Phoenix: Into The Stranger Verse (Stranger Things)

CHAPTER 9

Chapter 9: Ahoy, And You Look Like This

STEVE Harrington had a perfect view from behind the counter on Jean as she stood from the other side of the mall.

The way she smiled whenever watching over Erica Sinclair and her friends, or when she played with her long, red hair as she got somewhat bored over the kids bickering, those were all things he couldn't get enough of.

It came as no surprise to the brown haired nineteen year old when he'd started developing romantic feelings towards Jean.

With the kind of family life Steve came from, this girl was quiet and soothing, she listened in a way that other people haven't listened to him at any point in his life. Not even Nancy did.

From the beginning he found that she was warm, considerate, funny, smart and beautiful. She was perfect. Which was why he was afraid to confess his feelings to her, especially after being shot down from the very beginning.

He knew that he became incredibly awkward and unsuccessful with the girls he served at Scoops Ahoy. He knew that -always reminded by his coworker, Robin Buckley.

The only positive female relationship he seemed to have was with Jean Grey. But she wasn't ready for a relationship.

And he didn't want to lose her. So he settled with being her friend, and watching her from far away for now.

Steve didn't have enough time to gaze at her though, when a slap on his upper arm dragged him from his daydreaming, making him whirl around to see his coworker.

"What are you gawking at?" Robin curiously asked, leaning over the register, her eyed drooping from how bored she was.

"Uhh.. N-nothing."

Too smart to buy his half-baked reply, Robin's eyes immediately searched through the second floor of the mall, and landed on a familiar face. "Is that the girl who came with you on the first day?"

An involuntary smile came upon the brown haired male's face as he made himself busy by cleaning the counter. "Yeah, that's Jean."

"Huh, I don't remember seeing her at school." Robin mumbled, yet loud enough for Steve to hear. She was pretty. She was really pretty. If someone like her had went to their high school, she would've known.

"No, she's just here for the summer." He said, technically he wasn't lying, she'd appeared out of nowhere just right before the summer break had began.

Robin perked a brow, her eyes still on the smiling redhead. "She's cute."

"Yeah." Steve breathed out, looking at Jean, as well.

"You guys dating?"

His neck immediately snapped in her direction at the inquiry. "What, no, we're just...friends." Robin didn't miss how Steve uttered the last word so defeatedly, his disappointed look to match.

Lifting a curious brow, Robin looked between the two. "Uh-huh."

~~~

Jean, accompanying the little Sinclair girl, was browsing through the music records at the mall's Sam Goody.

She was getting the hang of this whole babysitting thing, Erica herself wasn't hard to take care of, in fact she was quite level-headed for her age. It was Erica's group of friends that were considered to be a handful, and since they were together all the time, it seemed to be a package deal.