[ 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚜 & 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚜 ] ~ 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

XIII - Scooper

Russell gave Steve a 'wtf' look as he spun his hat on his finger like a basketball. They were currently listening to the two of the young teens they hung out with explain how they couldn't get into the super-guarded store room that the Russians were guarding. 

"The keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun." Dustin told the three older teens. They were all in the Scoops Ahoy break room, Lucy was sitting on the table, criss-crossed, with a large bowl of ice cream in her lap that Steve had given her once he saw a small scrape on her chin. Nobody bothered to ask what happened, knowing how clumsy Lucy was and seeing that Dustin seemed to have it taken care of. Steve was sat on one side of Lucy, Robin on the other and Russell behind her while Dustin paced behind her. 

"Whatever's in this room, they really don't want anybody finding it. Why else would they guard it like that?" Lucy added before putting a spoon full of ice cream into her mouth. 

"But there's gotta be a way in." Robin shook her head. She seemed to be zoned out on a spot between Steve and Russell. 

Steve blew air into his hat, puffing the top back up before dropping it on top of Lucy's knee. "Well, you know. . .I could just take him out." 

"Take who out?" Robin raised one of her eyebrows, looking at him in disbelief. 

Lucy gave her brother a look as he said "The Russian spy." The young brunette paused for a minute before doubling over laughing. 

"What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." Steve returned defensively. 

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin crossed his arms to his chest. He must've stopped pacing at some point because now he was just stood there facing Steve. Lucy stopped laughing, housing a bright smile anyways.

"Yeah, Dustin, I did." Steve said almost mockingly. "And that's why I would be sneaking." He reasoned. 

"Steve, I love you, but you can not take out a full grown adult." Russell told him, not even realizing the slip of 'I love you' as it left her lips. 

Steve didn't seem to either as he simply went right back to defending himself. "Yes I can!"

"Ah. Well, tell me this, and be honest; have you ever actually. . .won a fight?" Dustin asked. 

"Okay, that was one time-"

"Two!" Lucy countered, still holding the brightest smile and now her mouth was full of ice cream. "Ry told me about a time that Jonathan beat your ass!" 

"Yeah, year prior." Russell smiled as she remembered the story, nodding. 

Steve gaped, looking between two of the few closest people in his life. "She told-" 

"Of course she did." Lucy cut him off with a sing-songy voice. 

"When did-"

Russell smirked, shrugging out the word. "Sleepover." She leaned back comfortably in her chair.

"You guys have sleepovers?" 

Russell hummed in the affirmative. "Sometimes." 

"What-" Steve shook his head as though he were trying to straighten everything out in his mind. He cleared his throat. "Back to the point, that doesn't count-" 

"Why doesn't it count? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Dustin's tone was somewhat accusatory. 

"Yeah- It was- It was a-"

"You got a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood-"

"A lot of things that added up-" 

The two continued to bicker back and forth for a minute. Russell turned as she watched Robin's eyes trail up the wall behind her. She looked at whatever Robin was staring at, seeing a vent up against the top of the wall. 

"That just might work." Robin mumbled with a smile before she stood up. She started to jog out of the back room. Steve immediately jumped up, scampering his way to the window divider so he could see what she was doing. Dustin also went to the window, leaving Lucy and Russell the only ones in their spots. 

"What are-" Lucy asked, watching Robin run out. 

Robin started digging into the tip jar, leaving nothing but coins. 

"Robin!" Steve called, hoping to grab her attention. When that didn't stop her and she continued running around the counter, Steve rushed from the break room. "Hey, Robin! H- Hey! What are- What are you doing?" 

Russell finally pushed out of her seat, replacing her boyfriend's spot against the window just as Lucy moved to stand next to Dustin. Russell was glad they weren't fighting anymore, she wasn't sure what had happened but they seemed to be back to the normal Dustin and Lucy after their scout mission on the roof. 

"I need cash." Robin answered Steve, turning around to face them as she continued to walk toward the exit of Scoops Ahoy.

"Well, the- half of that's mine." Steve grumbled. Dustin and Lucy followed Steve out of the back room, stopping on either side of him. "Where're you going?" 

"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 counted the three 'rules' off on her fingers. "Ru, Lucy, you're in charge! I'll be back in a jiff!" She finished, saluting them before she turned her back to them and kept running out of the ice cream shop. 

Steve turned, looking at Dustin with a look of pure disgust as the younger teen licked left over ice cream off of Steve's ice cream scoop. "Oh, dude- Come on, man, not my scooper." He snatched the scooper away, tossing it in his hand, effectively flipping it, and sliding it easily into the pocket for the scooper on his apron. 

"Hot." Russell whispered with a smile. The innocent expression turning into a small smirk as she noticed the way her boyfriend's face turned red. 

————————————————————————————————

Word Count - 994

————————————————————————————————

Published - October 19, 2023

————————————————————————————————