Bound By Shadows 3 | Will Byers x Reader (Fem)

~ 15 ~

Finally, we stumbled into our last stop of the day — my absolute favourite, the most humiliating, chaotic, and heart-warming ritual known to man. Scoops Ahoy.

"El... brace yourself," I whispered, trying not to burst into laughter as we walked inside.

Steve clocked us and his face collapsed into a full Harrington scowl. "No. What are you three doing here?"

El stared at the striped shirt, the kerchief, and—of course—the hat. She didn't speak, but her face screamed everything.

Steve followed her look, then zeroed back in on me. His voice dropped low, brother-mode snapping into place.
 "Your eyes are red. What did you do?"

Shit. I'd forgotten to tone them down. I blinked hard, forcing the color back until they looked normal. Then I plastered on my sweetest smile. "Nothing."

He gave me a long, flat look. "Right." Then louder, for the group: "What do you want?"

"Strawberry," Max said, tapping her nails against the counter.

"Vanilla... with sprinkles," El added softly, eyes still flicking back to the hat like it might jump off his head.

Steve scooped with all the enthusiasm of a man digging his own grave. Then he looked at me.
"And you?"

"Choc chip," I said sweetly. "Thanks, dingus." I leaned my elbows dramatically on the counter.

He rolled his eyes, but he didn't argue. Honestly, him working here all summer was the best thing to ever happen to me. Free ice cream was basically a human right.

He smirked without looking up. "So... where's Byers? Don't tell me you finally let him off the leash."

My smile snapped off. "At least my boyfriend actually wants to hang out with me. You practically had to bribe people with a pool and your car."

Max choked on her spit. El just blinked, confused but clearly entertained.

"I had options," Steve sniffed.

"Yeah. And every single one dumped you. Repeatedly."

Max folded onto the counter laughing.

"You've got a real mouth on you," he pointed the scoop.

"And you've got a stupid hat on you," I snapped, leaning my elbows on the counter. "Guess we all have our crosses to bear."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking like he'd actually swallowed a lemon.

Before he could recover, Robin popped through the back window. "We've got our first sentence!" She waved a paper.

Steve spun. "Seriously?!"

And then... we just stood there. Waiting. Watching him and Robin go back and forth like we were invisible customers. Max leaned into me, smirking.

"You two are like real siblings. It's weird," she whispered.

I snorted, rolling my eyes.

Finally, when the silence dragged another beat too long. "If I were a paying customer," I called sweetly over the counter, "I'd ask for a refund."

Steve finally turned back, handing out cones like a cafeteria lady. "Strawberry, vanilla with sprinkles... and choc chip."

"Thanks," we chorused, digging in like we hadn't eaten in days.

But Steve squinted at El. "Wait. Are you even allowed to be here?"

El froze mid-lick. We held it for half a beat—then broke into hysterics. Max almost dropped her cone.