Love Is A Battlefield (A Stranger Things/Steve Harrington Fanfiction)

Chapter Forty-Six: You Suck

When I got to work the next morning, Steve looked exhausted. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"How was your night?" I asked, already suspecting the answer.

"Loud." He said. I nodded. 

"Mine might have been the same if my dad had noticed this before El did." I pushed my hair aside exposing the mark on my neck. He pressed his lips into a thin line, holding back a laugh. "Its not funny, you jerk. Do you know what my dad would do to you if he saw this?" His smile fell. "Exactly. Just be more careful next time."

~~~

"Ok, just one scoop of Chocolate, that's a  buck twenty-five." Steve said, handing one of the girls her ice cream. "Ooh, Purdue." My eyes travelled down to the college name on her shirt. "Fancy."

"Yeah, I'm excited." She said, earning an amused look from her friend.

"Yeah, you know, I considered it, Purdue, but then I was like, you know what? I really think I need some real life experience, you know, before I hit college, see what it feels like." The girls just sat there staring at him with judgmental amusement. "Kinda like-see what its like to earn a working-man's wage, you know? Uh..."The cash register beeped as he hit the wrong button. "Sorry, I just think that's like, really important."

"Yeah, totally." The girl said sarcastically. I walked up behind him, taking the change from his hand and slapping it down on the counter, shooting the girls a sarcastic smile.

"Enjoy your ice cream ladies. Next stop for you is a loveless marriage to a lawyer and two kids that you despise all while wondering where you went wrong because you went to college, your life was supposed to be perfect, right?" Their smiles fell. "Have a lovely day." They turned around, walking away and leaving the change on the counter. I grabbed it, opening the cash register and putting it in.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"They were laughing at you, Steve."

"And they weren't the first," Robin said sliding open the window in the break room, exposing a tally board with 'You Rule' written on one side and 'You Suck' written on the other, "And Another One Bites the Dust. You are 0 for 6, Popeye." She marked on the 'You Suck' side, which was the only one that had anything on it.

"Yeah, yeah, I can count." Steve told her.

"You know that means you suck."

"Yup, I can read too."

"Since when?"

"Its this stupid hat, I'm telling you, its totally blowing my best feature."

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag."

"I'm sorry, am I missing something?" I asked. I pointed over my shoulder in the direction that the girls went. "Doesn't that bother you? Condescending girls like that thinking they're better than you just because they're going to college?"

"Its a little game we play," Robin said, "He tries to charm the girls, make them realize what a stud he is, while lying about his life aspirations and I keep the tally of every time that he fails." I furrowed my eyebrows, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, let me see if I'm getting this right..." Steve furrowed his eyebrows at the tone in my voice, "So there have been five other times before this when you were flirting with customers?"

"Well not flirting, per say, and its not like I was gonna go out with them or anything-"

"So that makes it ok?" I asked. "You're flirting with other girls, but hey, at least I know you're not gonna cheat on me." Steve suddenly had a helpless look on his face, and turned to Robin to help him explain this.

"Hey, don't look at me. You dug this hole yourself, Dingus." She said.

"Riley-"

"Answer the question, Steve. Are you or are you not flirting with other people?" He sighed.

"Yeah...I guess so." I nodded.

"Great. Fantastic, that's awesome."

"But its not like that ok? It started out with Robin and I talking, and she wondered how the heck I got a self-respecting girl like you to date me and that led to me trying to prove to her that I was charming and-"

"No, you don't need to explain." I said. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I want in." He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, what?" I walked over to the back window, jumping up and sitting in it beside Robin.

"I want in. I want to see if the 'King of Hawkins High' can still get girls dressed like a sailor."

"Wait...are you actually giving me permission to flirt with other girls in front of you?" I nodded.

"I mean, you were doing it anyway. What's the difference?" He glanced between Robin and I.

"I can't tell if she's angry or not."

"Just shut up and put your money where your mouth is." I said.

"Can I do it without the hat?" He asked. "Because I think the hat is really affecting-"

"You know, its a crazy idea, but have you considered...telling the truth?" Robin asked.

"Oh, you mean that I couldn't even get into Tech, I make three bucks an hour, and I have no future? That truth?" He asked. My amused smile fell. "That might work on girls like Riley, who actually have substance but not these girls."

"You have a future." I said, all joking aside, causing him to look at me. "Just because it doesn't look like other people's doesn't mean you don't have one."

"Hey, twelve o'clock." He turned around and we all spotted a group of girls coming into the shop. He turned around, looking at me.

"Are you actually ok with this?" He asked.

"I repeat, you were doing it anyway, but as long as you're not cheating on me and its only for the purposes of this game...I'll allow it."

"And that is why you are the only girl for me." I smiled, rolling my eyes at him.

"I'm going in. And you know what?" He took his hat off, tossing it to me. I caught it, chuckling. "Screw company policy."

"Oh my gosh, you're a whole new man." He turned around and Robin leaned closer to me. "Why are you ok with letting your boyfriend flirt with other girls?"

"My methods might be questionable but...I think he needs all the confidence he can get right now." I whispered.

"You're a weirdo. I like that."

"Ahoy, ladies!" The customers gasped at the sudden volume of Steve's voice. "Didn't see you there. Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain. I'm Steve Harrington." One of the girls started laughing. "Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee?  No? Anybody? Banana Boat? Four people, four spoons? Share it in the booth? Anybody? Its hot out there." Robin raised her eyebrows at me and I sighed, nodding towards the board.

"Mark it."

She added another tally mark under 'You Suck'.

I put my hands down on the edge of the window, fully prepared to jump down when suddenly, the hair stood up on the back of my neck and the feeling was back again. That's twice.

Something is definitely wrong.

The girls walked away laughing, and Steve turned around, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion when he saw the look on my face.

"Everything ok?" He asked. I forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah...yeah, everything's fine. I'm just trying to figure out which tactic that was, if it was the Lion or the Ninja." He shot me a look and I laughed, for the time being forgetting the foreboding feeling that usually came with danger for everyone involved.

I just wish I had been aware of how much.