Work Text:
Mike
Robin is looking at the lanky kid in front of him who seems really anxious, he’s wringing his hands and looking at Robin unsure. They’re alone in parlor besides for Steve in the back.
“Um, Steve Harrington works here, right?” She could gag, this random little kid wants Steve now too? It’s bad enough they get more girls when he’s out front and she has no idea why this random kid wants Steve.
“Yeah.”
“Can, can I talk to him?”
“Why?” She really just wants to know.
“I just need too.” They both look at the window open from behind.
“Hey Robin! Hey Robin! I finally made a paper swan!” He has that dopey smile and he holds it up.
“Congratulations.” Robin glares, his smile dropping as he looks at her before looking at Mike. They watch him come out the door in seconds.
“What’s wrong?” Steve is opening the divider to walk over to the kid.
“Nothing like that.”
“Nothing like that?”
“No.”
“Oh then what’s wrong? Who pissed in your cheerios?” Steve asks, his hands still on his shoulders.
“Can you give me a ride home? My bike has a flat tire.” Steve laughs some.
“Is that seriously all?”
“No…” the kid admits.
“Is it an ice cream problem?”
“Every problem is better with ice cream.” The kid smiles at him.
“Of course, what do you want?” He’s walking back through the divider, he hasn’t acknowledged Robin and she can’t take her eyes off of him.
“Do they have rainbow?”
“Of course we have rainbow.” Steve smiles at him, scooping some for the kid.
“You remembered I like sugar cones?” The kid laughs some as Steve hands it over.
“I dated your sister for almost two years. Of course I remember, I used to try to prove I was worthy because I’d haul you guys around without protest, I’ve bought a lot of ice cream.” He’s laughing before exiting the ice cream area to go talk to the kid. Robin can’t hear their conversation, no matter how hard she tries. She just watched body language. The kid, Nancy’s brother apparently(?), is stressed arms waving. Steve reaching over and messes his hair up, his laughter is the only thing she can hear. He’s giving intense advice either way, and the kid is soaking it up. The kid leaves with a smile, still eating his ice cream.
“Who was that?”
“A friend.” Steve shrugs.
“A friend? Didn’t know you still had those.”
“Nancy’s little brother. Kind of just kept up with him after we broke up.”
“That’s weird.” She informs him and he laughs.
“Yeah, I know. Well aware.”
“What’s his name?”
“Him? Oh that’s Mike. When he’s pissing me off he’s Theodore though.” Robin laughs a little bit with him and just drops it. Steve Harrington is a weirdo.
Lucas
Steve is working the counter when a kid comes in, red eyed and he’s sniffling.
“Robin is on her fifteen.” Steve says and she can see from the booth she decided to take said fifteen in.
“Can you take your fifteen when she’s done?” Steve sighs.
“Course I can. What’s up? No one is here we can talk while we wait.” Steve is cleaning the counter.
“Max broke up with me.”
“No.” Steve sounds in disbelief, looking genuinely sad for the kid.
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“She did.”
“Why?”
“Said I was being an asshole.”
“Well… were you?”
“What!”
“Were you being a dick?”
“You’re taking her side without me even explaining!” The kid exclaims.
“No! I’m asking!” Steve defends.
“No.”
“That didn’t sound too sure.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I didn’t mean to be a dick!”
“There it is.”
“I came here to feel better, not worse.”
“Well, what can I get ya?” Steve asks him, looking at the cooler.
“Ice cream?”
“It fixes every problem. At least makes them better.” Steve has such a sincere look to him.
“Chocolate.”
“Sounds good.” Steve is scooping before he even questions it.
“Can we get dinner on the way home?”
“You want a reason to spend more time with Max?” Steve questioned, in a knowing tone.
“Yeah.” Kid says quietly.
“Lucas, was it a big mess up or a small one?" he's leaning on the counter how he always does.
“Medium?”
“Lucas.” The name is drawn out.
“I made fun of her comic books.”
“Lucas! That’s like the number ten rule on what not to make fun of!”
“I know!”
“What did she chose?”
“Wonder Woman.”
“Honestly, I would have dumped you too.”
“No, you don’t get to pretend you like a comic because Max does.”
“I do like that one actually, ask Henderson.”
“Ugh, you two are the worse together.”
“So is it a bad comic?”
“Now that you read it to I know she’ll never touch it again.” The boy, Lucas apparently, has a shit eating grin.
“I’m at work. I’m at work. I’m at work.” Steve repeats the mantra and Robin laughs, standing finally.
“I think you can take your fifteen now Steve.” She’s laughing some as Lucas looks at her horrified.
“Let’s talk come on.” Steve is rolling his eyes before mouthing “thank you” to her.
Max
No one is in the store when a red head comes running in.
“Steve!” She shouts, making Robin drop her mop.
“Yeah?” Steve pops up from behind the counter, Robin may have dropped a tub of ice cream and he offered to clean it up because she threatened to cry. Neither here nor there.
“Billy is going to kill me.”
“Why?” Steve was standing now, full attention.
“He saw me kiss Lucas.”
“I thought we were passed this!” Steve said in concern.
“He isn’t going to kill Lucas! He’s going to kill me!”
“Jesus H. Christ.” Steve muttered.
“Hide me please!” She looked desperate and Steve sighed and gave in.
“He’s gonna kill me. Come on. Hurry, hurry, hurry.” Steve motioned her to come to him and she scrambled under the divider.
“He’ll come back here.” The girl looks concerned.
“In the back, in the back come on.” The door opens and Robin can’t see her, but she guesses she’s back there.
“Get me when he’s gone?”
“Of course.” He promises her and he looks at Robin with some fear, “listen… just…”
“Got it.” Robin answers, going back to the mopping. Within five minutes Billy Hargrove is standing in the ice cream parlor.
“Is that you Harrington?” Steve had been focusing on the counter, waiting for him.
“Ahoy! What can I get you, Billy?” Steve has the fakest smile Robin has ever seen, and she’s in band.
“Looking for my step sister.” Robin can cut the tension with a knife, and she can hardly ever tell social cues.
“I don’t think we have that flavor actually.”
“Don’t kid around.”
“I’m not. She’s not here.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“And why is that?”
“I just caught her in the movies with her little boyfriend. You’re telling me she didn’t come running to you?”
“Did she skate here? Ever think she took off for home?”
“I drove.”
“Ever think she high tailed it out?” Hargrove is licking his upper lip.
“You sure have a lot of guesses as to where shitbird went.” Hargrove walks up to the counter and looks behind it. Steve looks a bit angry.
“I’ll say it again. Ahoy, Billy, what can I get you?”
“I don’t eat that shit.” Billy is eyeing him.
“Then I don’t recommend eating it. Have a nice day.”
“What would your boss say?”
“Well, he’s not here. You can file a complaint by phone.” Billy looks like he could kill Steve and if Robin remembers the rumor mill correctly he’s tried before.
“Fine.” Billy spats.
“Have a nice day.” Steve smiles again as Billy walks out. It’s about five minutes of tension before the door swings again.
“Is he gone?”
“Yeah he is.” Steve assures the girl who looks so relieved.
“Thank you.” She says to him.
“Anytime. Now what type of ice cream?”
“Strawberry. And can you drive me home later?” Steve is getting it for her and she’s hanging on his waist, he’s laughing which is a stark contrast to what he was ten minutes ago.
“Of course.”
“Great. The guys are going to be so jealous with my ice cream. See you after the movie!” She jumps the counter with no effort, Robin is only a lot jealous by that.
“See you after the movie!” Steve calls out as she’s gone.
“Well, I didn’t know I’d almost see you die at work.” Robin has a smirk.
“Hey every day is a new day.” Steve smirks back.
Will
The place is in a frenzy when a kid is looking up at her. She knows the kid, he went missing almost two years ago, Will Byers.
“Can I talk to Steve?”
“Listen kid, it’s a mad house. Can Steve give you life advice after we aren’t swamped?”
“What?”
“What type of ice cream do you eat and I’ll make you go sit in a booth until we’re done here.” She said to him, annoyed with the number of children she has had to see in the store today already.
“Um, what?”
“What type of ice cream?”
“Rainbow?”
“Perfect.” She hands in him a cone and points to the booth. She almost forgets about the kid until the rush is over. He’s back at the counter.
“Where did Steve go?” He asks, wide eyed.
“Shit. He’s getting another tub of butter scotch.”
“So he’ll be back?”
“Yes.” She promised.
“He’s going to be angry.”
“Why?” She has an amused voice.
“They’re in an r rated movie.” Robin pauses, before laughing.
“Who?”
“My friends?”
“Why would Steve care?”
“Because we aren’t allowed to see them. Well, we can, but Steve or our parents have to say yes.”
“And he didn’t?” She’s laughing.
“No!” Steve is pushing back into the area when the kid is exclaiming the word.
“What’s wrong?” He almost dropped the ice cream tubs when he sees the boy.
“Max, Mike, and Lucas are seeing an r rated film!”
“I’m sorry. They’re what?”
“They’re watching an r rated film.” Robin cackles as Steve looks so concerned.
“What Stevie, never snuck into a movie?”
“It’s not about me.” He throws at her.
“So you did!”
“It’s still not about me! Okay, let’s go collect them.” Steve looks at Robin, taking his apron off.
“No! We were just swamped!” Robin cries out in concern.
“I won’t be ten minutes! Have to go collect them!” He shouts as him and Will Byers leave the ice cream parlor. She times him, to be petty. True to his word eight minutes later he has not only Will Byers but the other three teens she’s seen throughout the summer. All shouting over one an other.
“This is so unfair!”
“What the hell Steve!”
“I know what your issue is you just like being a dick.”
“I bet if it was Dustin it would have been different.”
“Will, I can’t believe you tattled.”
“If it was Dustin you wouldn’t have even came and got us!” Steve is pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Enough!” He shouts and the kids all look a little scared and guilty looking at him.
“Trouble in paradise Steve?” Robin asks from the counter.
“No. No. Just, stop yelling.”
“We did.” Max says as he walks to the counter again.
“Well, thanks for that.”
“Can you jump it?”
“No.”
“Told you he couldn’t.” Max retorts to him. Robin knows he can’t, he tried last week and hit his stomach and fell on his face. She doesn’t open her mouth.
“That is unimportant. Now everyone, shut it! I’ll figure out what I’m going to tell your parents, don’t whine Wheeler don’t you dare whine, I need a couple minutes to figure out what I’m even going to say! Now,” each child looked somewhat scared of the next words out of his mouth as Steve pauses, “let’s eat some ice cream.” Robin can’t help but crack a smile.
“What can I get ya?” She jokingly says behind Steve.
“What?”
“All of you, you too Steve. I can count on one hand how many ice cream cones you’ve eaten this summer. It’s the end of June, eat one with your children Dingus.” He smiles a little bit.
“Well, I’ll have USS Butterscotch.” He smiles widely at her and she doesn’t get his friends… or him for that matter, but doesn’t care. The kids look grateful at Robin.
“I already had one.” Will admits.
“Kid, you can have more than one ice cream cone a day.” Steve tells him as he takes the cone from Robin.
“Yes.” Will whispers, walking up right behind Steve.
“Rainbow again?”
“Yes please.” She wants to know what Steve will say later, knows he will never tell her either. She thinks he’s just going to make him give a blood oath or something that no one will ever know about this.
Dustin.
“Who is your best friend?” Robin asks him, it’s a slow day or more so a slow moment.
“Henderson. No doubt.”
“Henderson?” She has never met him.
“He’s the best! You have to meet him!” Robin has never seen him more excited and she has so many questions, for one how doesn’t she know him?
“How old is he?”
“Not important,” ah so he’s a child too, “anyway, he’s the best! He’s a huge nerd, but we have so much fun together. He’s at camp now, which is cool! Don’t get me wrong I’m jealous of him, but he’s at a nerd camp and we write each other but it’s not the same as him home.”
“You write him?” She wants to clarify.
“Well, yeah.” Steve shrugs.
A week later when she gets to meet Dustin and see Steve with him, she can’t help but smile