𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄  - stevie

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 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 to the conclusion rather swiftly that Steve Harrington wanted to kill her.

 Okay, so maybe that was a little melodramatic; but straggling through the woods with a boy she'd only met a few weeks ago whilst getting absolutely molly whopped by branches and leaves that trailed through the air like gross and boney fingers — as if she didn't already have enough bruises on her poor body, to begin with — was a little weird.

 Steve was a couple of paces ahead, vaulting over a rock, hand dating out to catch a stray branch as though it was second nature to him — muscle memory... all while Scarlet huffed and puffed as her shoes became muddier and muddier with each heavy step through sloshing mud.

 She tightened her arms around her, tucking Hopper's old flannel around her middle, "Seriously, Steve, where are you taking me?"

 He didn't even turn to face her, "You'll see."

 "Yeah, if one of these branches —" Her arm snapped out, snatching up a twig that would have struck her right in the eyeball. She glared at it, as though that would make it retreat... it didn't, "— Doesn't poke my eyes out first."

 Steve chuckled to himself, knowing that behind him, Scarlet had likely narrowed her eyes at the sound. They'd been at it for twenty-five minutes already; trudging through wilted grass, shoes fracturing branches beneath their feet, rocks making them stumble and mud making them slip and slide as they wandered.

 Scarlet had gotten used to the outdoors; living with Kali and having no home to turn to for so very long had made the girls survivors... but perhaps living those few weeks inside a warm and safe cabin with her new family had made her soft. Maybe she had never really been built for the outdoors.

 She swatted a bug, "I'll only enjoy this trip if we get to see a cow."

 "A —" Steve Harrington snorted, ultimately turning to face her. His hands had been crammed into his pockets as he stood even taller upon a rock, craning his head and watching with a slight grin as Scarlet took a careful step over a puddle of sloppy mud, "— A cow?"

 Dimples appeared on her cheeks, "Yeah, they're cute."

 "Oh, I see. I'm not enough to make this trip enjoyable... But a cow is."

 "You catch on so quickly."

 This always happened between the two of them; the light bickering. There was never any real harm involved, no words with harshness were really truthful. Steve could call her a drama queen and she could call him an idiot; it was never real.

 Scarlet chalked it down to the way they'd met, and the way they'd been forced to work together as a pair of strangers only hoping to protect a bunch of children. They had butted heads and squabbled relentlessly whilst the kids snorted and watched on as though they were back in their living rooms with their parents.

 It had been a swift ice breaker — saving an entire town and almost getting mauled by a bunch of Demo-dogs, that is.

 Ever since, it had been as though they'd grown up together, constantly side by side. Steve had no problems with towering over Scarlet and flicking her forehead... and, in turn, Scarlet had no quarrels with rolling her eyes and teasing him until his cheeks burned like the beams of the summer sun.

 He watched her struggle some more, knowing her hands were practically itching to explode with crimson and push each and every obstacle in her path away, but they'd made a deal. Steve would show her everything there was to Hawkins, get her reacquainted with the town that had harmed her so badly — he thought it might make her more... comfortable, less afraid — if her powers stayed tucked away. 

 They were being... normal. No monsters, no powers, no mind tricks. Just them.

 Scarlet scowled at the rock in front of her; Steve had left behind a big, muddy footprint and she knew damn well that if she even attempted to climb it, she'd slip and tumble like a cartoon character. That was not going to ensue.

 Her arms folded and she peered up at him, shoulders shrugging, "Okay, I'm done."

 "No, no, no, no you're not." Steve scurried to get the words out, each one jumbling together in a symphony of cluttered noise. He leapt with those annoyingly long legs of his and landed just in front of the rock he'd been perched upon like some forgotten hero of legend. He pushed his way to her side and held out a hand, "Come on."

 Her eyes flicked to his hands, his fingers twitching just ever so slightly. They were pink, bitten from the cold whilst Scarlet kept hers wrapped around her body. A coy smile flared, "You just want to hold my hand, I see you, Harrington."

 There it was again. Steve felt his face heat up and wanted to throw himself into the lake that was somewhere nearby. He didn't know how she did it. He'd once been King Steve, a ladies man... He'd never flushed and stuttered around Nancy, so how the hell had he been reduced to a little boy growing pink in the face.

 But then her hand dropped into his own and warmed his frigid fingers like a bunch of little embers crackling upon a log. Surprisingly, Scarlet tightened her hold and made forth before he could even emit a rebuttal. She managed to stand atop the slippery rock, hardly wavering as Steve tautened his grasp.

 "See, wasn't so hard." He grinned, earning a flick on the cheek.

 "Were you a boy scout or something?"

 His face fell, "Do I look like a boy scout?"

 Scarlet didn't answer, she merely uncoiled their hands and slogged ahead.

 "Hey! Hey! Do I look like a boy scout?"

 She could only laugh at him; the way his voice sounded so very concerned, as though the prospect of appearing like a little scout in a uniform with a bunch of cute little badges was utterly terrifying to him. His footsteps were hurried, and he was back by her side within a beat.

 Before them, within an old clearing littered with crisp leaves that had turned a deep shade of brown amidst the winter was... a rock. A very large rock, Scarlet would give it that... but it was just a rock.

 "Please don't tell me that I suffered through mud, getting beaten by branches and almost getting devoured by bugs..." her head swivelled Steve's way. He was grinning, staring at the rock with his hands planted on his hips, bunching up the navy jumper he'd slung over his shirt, "... for a rock."

 "It's Skull Rock." Steve amended quickly, his face crumbling as though she'd said something blasphemous. His hands darted toward the towering cluster of boulders, "Look! A skull!"

 She really did try to find the same joy that Steve was basking within. His face had erupted with a wide smile, making his youth flood back to him, even despite the motherly position he held while his hands clutched his hips. His face tightened when he smiled; his nose would scrunch, his lips would curl and his eyes would narrow in mirth...

 But for a rock?

 Scarlet sighed and found the closest boulder that she could plant herself upon. It sent a wave of chills through her thighs, spreading to her already freezing toes. As she stared forth, watching Steve flick his gaze from the rock to her, and back again, she truly couldn't thwart the slim curl of her lips.

 "Ha!" He hollered, "See! I knew you'd love it!"

 "It's..." His wide brown eyes halted her words for a moment, "Yeah, it's — it's great, Steve but what — I mean, why is this place a big deal?"

 He waved a hand, "It's a popular makeout spot."

 He immediately realised his error, his tongue seemed to knot itself into something akin to a bundle of tangled wires whilst his eyes widened into saucers. He floundered, mouth opening and closing like a fish as Scarlet slowly let a smile spread further and further across her face.

 He was unable to form any coherent words, let alone string together a sentence to defend himself from the coy smirk that tugged crookedly at her plump lips.

 "Stevie," She drawled out, and she absolutely delighted in the way his face dropped at the new name she'd sprouted. He was red, "You brought me to your makeout spot? How presumptuous of you."

 "No, I — I didn't bring you here for — I wouldn't — no — Scarlet stop —" He really couldn't speak whilst she was smiling like that. She'd brought her legs higher atop the rock, folding them over one another while her elbows planted themselves on her knees. Her chin had been squished into the palms of her cupped hands, dimples digging deeper... she didn't say a thing, only watch as he stumbled over himself.

 "I don't want to make out with you —"

 "— you don't?"

 "— I mean —" He paused and a sigh that could rival hoppers slid from his pouted lips. He was trying very hard not to dig a hole for himself here, "— You're horrible."

 "So you've told me."

 "No really, you're mean."

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EXTRA CHAPTER - date: 06-07-2022

okay so, what do we think of this first little oneshot? i mentioned that steve had taken her to skull rock in the last chap, so i thought i'd expand on that as a little look into how they've developed already;

i'm probably going to have a little oneshot for dinner with joyce and will, as well as a snippet of a day out with scar and max <3

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!)