I Know The End ✸ Steve Harrington

i. ice cream and gossip

"I'm sorry." Josie muttered into his skin, feeling guilty that her lack of sleep was causing Steve to also lose sleep in the process from worrying about her. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Stop saying sorry." He dismissed her unneeded apology, his fingers brushing through Josie's curls, knowing how to relax her.

The girl leaned into his touch with a sigh, "S'nice." Josie's voice was now soft and slower as she felt sleep settle over her. The two now fell into a deep slumber, tangled in each other's arms with the teenage girl's mind finally blank and free from her nightmares for the night.

The Hawkins Community Pool was, no surprise, overwhelmingly busy with everyone in town wanting to cool down from the scorching sun beaming down on them. After getting fired from Family Video after Dustin dragged her out in the middle of her shift last year, Josie had to find another way of employment so she could keep earning her own money and pay off her college fund.

Steve and Josie had reluctantly departed from each other to get to their own separate jobs that morning, which they were still trying to tolerate. They both wished to go back to the days where they got to have three whole months of freedom and just waiting for the next semester of high school but they now both had to be responsible adults for life after school.

The girl currently sweltered in the high lifeguard chair in her red bathing suit (which was considered a uniform), observing the public around her while she practically tried not to melt in her seat. Catching the staff changing room door open, the girl saw Billy Hargrove emerge from the room with a cigarette in hand as he flaunted his way out. When getting the job, Josie felt slightly cautious when finding out Billy Hargrove was also working in the same place and Steve most certainly didn't like the idea either. So she avoided him as much as possible.

Just as Billy had walked by the pool, Karen Wheeler had pulled herself up from the water, grabbing the towel that the younger man had given her. Josie thanked the universe she wasn't able to hear their conversation. It didn't take a genius to figure out the two were clearly flirting as a flush overtook the woman's face at the blonde stood in front of her.

As the conversation ended, Josie watched as Mrs Wheeler walked away bashfully, still feeling flustered under the boy's stare. But, as soon as she saw Billy walking her way, she didn't hesitate to make her way off the lifeguard chair to clock out for the end of her shift. "You're leaving." He stated just before she could walk away. "You can't be pissed at me forever, princess. We work together now."

Josie rolled her eyes, strolling past him without a word, leaving the blonde haired boy watching her figure walk away with a smirk upon his face.

He wasn't giving up that easily.

When Steve got a job after graduation at Scoops Ahoy, Josie never failed to make her way to Starcourt Mall to meet him during his shifts to hang out which meant free ice cream, catching late showings at the movie theatre after his shift and seeing her boyfriend in that uniform. It was purely bliss.

Josie felt her mood lift simply by just seeing the ice cream parlor sign come into view, knowing exactly who was waiting for her. Approaching the shop, the surprising sound of laughter caught her ears. Turning the corner just at the entrance,  Dustin Henderson and Steve Harrington were finally reuniting after a long month of being apart.

The Harrington boy caught sight of his girlfriend, the smile not leaving his face as he watched her approach them. "Look, he's back!"