CHAPTER 020. STILL DIZZY
LAURIE HAD NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED TO BE BACK AT THE LOADING DOCK BEHIND THE MALL.
A pleased sigh escaped past Laurie's lips as the feeling of the crisp July air washed over her face. Although the breeze wasn't as cool as it would have been during the fall and winter months, the drop in temperature after being stuck in an underground base for however long was significant enough for her to appreciate it regardless. She missed it, plain and simple.
Steve grabbed her hand and held it above her head and she twirled, excitement radiating between the two of them because they were finally out of that hellhole. It was riveting, to say the least. She could hear the distant voices of her friends nagging for them to stop messing around and asking for the whereabouts of Steve's car - Dustin had decided they could just hide out in there until the next bus arrived - but Laurie wasn't really listening, and neither was Steve.
They were like kids at Disneyland, pure wholesome joy pouring out of one of them and fuelling the other tenfold. Their grins were wide and their laughter was unapologetically loud and for a split second, Laurie forgot about the Russians altogether.
At some point, Laurie became incredibly dizzy whilst spinning and she tripped over her own feet. She yelped in anticipation, but ultimately did nothing to prevent the impending fall because she decided it'd be easier that way. Steve, although momentarily distracted by something Erica had said, noticed almost immediately and caught her before she fell to the concrete. He stumbled too and the pair grasped at one another for stability. Their laughter all consumed them the second their eyes met.
It felt like she was in heaven because of the way he looked at her.
Well, that was until a group of Russian guards came bounding over from the gate between the loading dock and the parking lot. Laurie barely had the chance to register what they were shouting at them, their accents thick much like the guards down in the underground base and her eyes only seemed to be able to focus on the guns holstered to their hips - the guns they were actively reaching for. Dustin, Robin and Erica were quick to yank Laurie and Steve apart and pulled them towards a side door that lead to the back hallways of the mall.
After weaving through the passageways Dustin knew surprisingly well for whatever reason, they ended up in a place Laurie could only describe as unfamiliar, the Starcourt Cinema.
She'd much rather go to Hawk Theatre if she was being entirely honest. It's a place where she has a lot of fond memories with, most of which include Robin specifically because used to have a job there back in '84. It's a place she'd like to make memories with Steve if he wants to. She'd ask him now if she could, having that her usual timidity dissolved into unearned confidence, but something about them being on the run tells her she should wait for a more appropriate time.
"The movies?" Robin groans, running a stray hand through her dirty blonde locks, exasperated. "Dustin, seriously?"
"I'm sorry, did you have a better idea?" Dustin barks at Robin, pushing himself up on his toes to scan the rows of seats for any empty ones. The older girl scowls. "Yeah, I didn't think so,"
"Why the hell are we even here?" The Sinclair girl asks, patience wearing thinner by the second before Steve and Laurie has started giggling again for no apparent reason.
"We're laying low, cooling off, going incognito He tells the group simply as he sneaks out of the passageway door and quickly gestures the rest of them to follow. If the bright flashes of light and yelling coming from the film screen are telling Laurie anything, it's that this is anything but incognito.
Before Laurie can interject, she feels something nudge against her shoulder. She turns her head and smiles when she realises it was Steve, but it's not long before her eyes widen slightly after noticing him holding a half-empty, crinkled popcorn bucket.
Her mouth waters at the sights when he tilts it toward her, a silent offer Laurie is grateful for because she's starving. She eagerly takes a handful and not so prettily shoves it into her mouth - not that Steve minds by any accord - and she hums in satisfaction at the taste. This might be the best thing she's ever eaten.
"Y'know what would make this taste even better? Skittles," Steve mutters and Laurie's ears perk up in interest. It seems like Steve was about to go on a tangent about the mix between salty and sweet, but he's suddenly being dragged along and into the theatre by Dustin before he can utter another word. It's not long before Erica grabs Laurie's hand and follows suit.
As they descend past the rows of seats towards the front of the theatre, Laurie quickly glances at Robin, who's looking nervously at the people staring at them from their seats. She's always hated being the centre of attention, especially in large crowds like this one. So, without even giving it a second thought, Laurie laces her free hand with Robin's and gives it a reassuring squeeze before she sends her a lazy smile.
"Alright, you two, sit," Dustin says to Laurie and Steve as they reach the front row, pointing his finger at two seats like they're a pair of dogs he's training.
Steve groans and plops himself down into the spot Dustin designated him. "These seats blow, man!"
"I've already seen this, Dustin!" Laurie complains simultaneously, a little too loud but thankfully the frantic shouting from the old man on the screen conceals her voice. "Why can't we watch something else?"
"What are you talking about?" Robin's eyes snap over to her best friend and her eyebrows knit together. "You've never seen this movie!"
Laurie narrows her eyes. "How do you know?"
Robin gapes at her best friend for a moment before scoffing, "Because I asked you to go see it with me two weeks ago and you said no so I had to watch it with my mother!"
Sinking further into her seat, Laurie's hand reaches over to the popcorn bucket Steve has situated in his lap and grabs another handful. She raises a sly brow at her friend before popping a few pieces into her mouth. "Sounds like a you problem, Buckley,"
"Look, if you don't wanna watch the movie, then don't watch it," Huffs Dustin, hand moving to adjust the cap situated over his untameable curls.
"Maybe we wanna watch it, Henderson. Ever thought about that?" Steve asks, words slurring together slightly and Laurie starts silently giggling because Dustin's face flushes bright red like a tomato. "Maybe we wanna watch it and-"
"Then watch it!" Dustin grits, voice raising and the man sitting a row behind the group shushes them agitatedly. Steve twists in his seat and shushes back the man with the same aggression, and Laurie throws the leftover popcorn pieces from her palm at him. The curly-haired boy snaps his fingers and the two look back at him. "Whatever you do, don't go anywhere,"
"Fine, dad," Steve replies through a cackle, voice laced with cheek and trouble and he lazily rolls his eyes. Laurie's head momentarily falls against Steve's shoulder as she snickers.
Dustin fights the urge to reprimand them, but the two are too busy laughing for him to bother. Quickly, he, Robin and Erica sneak away, muttering apologies as they go to search for empty seats to sit in. Once the trio are out of sight, Laurie leans forward slightly to reach for more popcorn.
Laurie repositions herself to sit upright in her seat, which she'll reluctantly admit is much comfier than the ones at Hawk Theatre. She swears under her breath when some pieces fall out of her hand and through the cracks between the seats. Steve releases a breathy laugh and Laurie smiles before whispering, "Dustin is such a square, y'know,"
Steve almost chokes on the mouthful of popcorn he's yet to swallow and giggles as she places the pieces left in her palm into her mouth. Steve wipes his mouth with the back of his hand as he mumbles, "Tell me about it,"
Despite her eyes being glued to the screen for the most part, Laurie has never been so confused in her life. She tried to concentrate as best she could, but it was almost impossible to understand why Marty McFly was chasing after a guy his age and calling him Dad when Steve had nonchalantly stretched his arm over the back of her seat. It got even harder to focus when his fingers started playing with the rolled-up sleeves of her blouse.
"Do you know what's happening?" Laurie asks before her eyes peel away from the scene in front of her. To her surprise, Steve isn't even looking at the screen anymore but rather at her.
Steve's eyes flicker across her face, pausing at her lips longer than he intended to and Laurie's stomach does a somersault. "This movie blows. Let's ditch,"
Laurie furrows her brows. "Dustin said to stay put,"
"Dustin is boring, this movie is boring," Steve is quick to say, waving his hand dramatically in the air. He points to his chest with his finger before continuing, "And I'm not boring, okay? This isn't part of the Harrington agenda!"
An aggressive shushing sounds from the row behind them again and Laurie flinches. She frowns when she momentarily makes eye contact with the man sitting behind them, eyes glaring and mouth scowling, an expression she's become all too familiar with in the past few days.
"What if we get caught? Won't the Russians, like.. arrest us?" She queries her concerns after turning back to face Steve, trying her best to keep her voice low enough not to disturb anyone, but loud enough that Steve can hear. "I am not made for prison, Steve. I won't even last a day,"
"They won't arrest you, you're way too pretty to go to jail," Steve reassures her, biting at the inside of his cheek and Laurie feels her chest flutter at his words. "Besides, I beat up that guard before, right? Can't be too hard to do it again,"
Part of Laurie wants to voice her hesitancy because although Steve did win a fight against a Russian way back when, she doubts he could replicate it. Not in the state he's currently in, anyhow. He's high, for one thing, and his body is definitely exhausted from enduring beating after beating during his interrogation. She admires his courage, but it's just unrealistic.
Steve leans forward in his seat, eyes moving from Laurie to peer across the theatre and he smiles. Laurie's quick to follow his gaze, looking over at the opposite end of the row of seats to see that Robin and Erica are bickering about God knows what and that Dustin is nowhere to be found.
"C'mon," Steve pulls his arm from Laurie's shoulder and instead grabs her hand. He doesn't seem to care how their popcorn bucket falls to the floor, their savoury treats scattering across the navy carpet like stars in a constellation. "Let's go,"
STARCOURT IS DEPRESSING AT NIGHT.
Although it isn't as eerie as it is when it's past closing, it just feels odd to see a place usually populated with bright neon colors to be embarked in an unfamiliar darkness. Granted, a lot of the display lights are still on and they're more obvious at this time of night, but it doesn't have the same appeal it does during the day. It's less friendly, and more intimidating compared to the other cozy stores in town and it's no wonder why it rocked the community of Hawkins as much as it did.
Laurie peers down at the food court as she leans against the railing of the second floor, eyes slowly scanning across the array of food places because even after having handfuls of stale popcorn, she's still starving. Most of the places are closed, but it doesn't hurt to dream, right?
"Holy shit, Laurie," Steve's voice causes Laurie to come out of her trance-like state, although she doesn't have the effort to turn around entirely to face him. "You gotta try this, it's amazing,"
She does turn her head though, looking over her shoulder to see Steve slumped beside a water foundation, mouth evidently wet from drinking out of it. Laurie pulls a face. "No way. I hate the water here,"
"What? Why?" Steve asks, genuine curiosity hidden by his abrupt surprise. "This is literally the best water I've had in my entire life, Laur. Seriously,"
"The tap water here tastes like chlorine," Laurie tells him, shaking her head before turning away again. "I heard Larry Kline doused it with some addictive chemical to keep people coming back here,"
"So? That's what makes it good," He argues and she can hear the faint sounds of water running again as she laughs under her breath.
She can't be bothered to meaninglessly argue with him, not when her body is buzzing because she can feel his eyes on her. Laurie lets her gaze wander across the expanse of the roof of the mall, hoping that focusing her attention on how the lights glisten in tandem with the stars peaking through the skylight rather than the electric current fizzing under her muscles.
"Hey," Steve says and Laurie turns around to face him in an embarrassingly quick fashion.
Even if Steve feels sleepless and wrecked from being interrogated by the Russians, he doesn't show it. His sun-kissed freckles are much more faded than they were before, a silent reminder that they hadn't been out in the July sun for quite some time and it makes Laurie frown. But even with his busted lip, black eye and dried blood scattered on his face, Steve is undeniably handsome when he smiles at her.
Laurie grins weakly, "Hi,"
"So.. about earlier," Steve starts, thumb wiping off the corner of his mouth before he runs his hand through his messy hair. He huffs out a breath, "That crazy Russian dude totally ruined the moment,"
"Moment?" Laurie repeats, partially knowing, but there's an authenticity that comes with her question because she can't quite pinpoint what in particular he's referring to.
"Y'know.. back in the Russian base when you told me you had a crush on me," He says, smugness evident in his voice as he slowly saunters over to her. "Have a crush on me," He quickly corrects himself.
Laurie curls her fingers around the railing behind her as she leans back, tilting her chin up slightly as if she can conceal the flushing of her cheeks. She feels strangely playful, maybe even a little bit confident, and it fuels the sense of power coursing within her - and for whatever reason, she likes it. "Did I say that?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you told me you liked me," Steve replies, arms crossing over his chest and a boyish grin laces his lips like he's won the unspoken competition bubbling between them. It's bait and Laurie's falling for it.
"Is that right?" She asks despite knowing the answer already, unwilling to lose. "You're pretty sure?"
"Well, I'm really, really sure, actually," He says quietly, stopping just as the ends of his Adidas sneakers meet the rubber ends of her Converses. He hums as he looks down at their feet and Laurie's suddenly embarrassed at Robin's cryptic drawings being so abundantly on display.
"What're you doing, Steve?" Laurie's words are quiet but Steve hears them anyways.'What do you want to do, Steve?' is what she means, but the words get caught on her tongue. Her blue eyes dance across his face when he looks at her again and she can feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins.
"Lookin' at you," He half shrugs after a few seconds and uncrosses his arms before leaning forward. He holds his weight up by pressing his hands into the railing behind Laurie, somewhat caging her in as his fingers brush against her own and it sends chills up her spine. "Can I ask you something?"
Sure, she's seen Steve flirt before, but it wasn't like this - it's never been like this. The two of them are in such close proximity, chests almost pressed against one another, faces mere inches apart, closer than ever before and something feels different. It's almost promising in a way Laurie can't explain, but she's unsure if that's actually the case or if it's just the drugs convincing her it is.
"Yeah," Laurie nods and she can't help but notice his eyes flickering down at her lips again. "Unless it's to ask me for a quarter again. Then no, you can't ask me,"
Steve looks away for a beat, laughing sheepishly when she does and Laurie smiles at the ridiculousness of it all. It's odd to think about how so much has changed in such a short amount of time, how fate works in mysterious ways and that she can't imagine what she'd be doing right now if she hadn't barged into Scoops the day Steve was there.
"What would you say if I told you that I wanted to kiss you right now?"
His eyes meet hers again and she can feel it then, the electricity. That sparking feeling spreading from her chest and it cascades down her limbs to the tips of her fingers and toes. She's a nervous person by nature, a not-so-casual over-thinker, but Laurie can't seem to stop herself from wanting him to kiss her with such passion that she forgets her own name.
But she doesn't admit that, not yet. Laurie's not willing to give in, selfishly loving the sense of power she feels after pining after him for so long, after always being the girl to fall for someone and not have them fall back, after silently praying for a romance of her own but always being too afraid to just go for it.
"I'd tell you to pop a mint otherwise you'll taste like chlorine," Laurie mutters, barely glancing down at his lips and Steve can't seem to hide his smirk. "And that we should probably get back before Dustin starts a manhunt to come and find us,"
She lightly pushes at his arm after holding his stare for a second or two, breaking out of his hold and the corner of her lips turns upward. As she slowly walks backwards, her eyes never stray from the boy in front of her. Her fingers lace together behind her back, a faux attempt at innocence, and she feels a rush of excitement ricochet throughout her body.
They're playing a game of cat and mouse, meaningless taunting and flirtatious teasing that Laurie would never have the confidence for if she were sober. She's stalling. She's stalling because she has no intention of returning to that theatre and she knows Steve doesn't either.
"Hey- Henderson can wait," Steve breaks into a fast-paced walk and grabs her arm. He shakes his head lightly, brown locks bouncing against his forehead and it takes all of Laurie's willpower to not card her hand through his hair. "Just.. shit. Do you know how goddamn pretty you are?"
His words make the last of the liquid courage she had to evaporate. The world around them seems to disappear and the undeniable tension only grows. His grip on her is nothing but delicate, a calloused hand barely squeezing the soft skin of her forearm and Laurie could easily weasel her way out of his grasp if she wanted to.
But she doesn't, so she won't.
Laurie doesn't know what to say, her words seemingly trapped in her throat and her heart beats a million miles a second. She's never felt like this before, so vulnerable and on display in front of him. He compliments her so casually and she barely has the bravery to dispute him because she knows well enough that'd he'd keep flattering her regardless.
Her voice is barely above a whisper. "You're high,"
"So are you," Steve counters just as fast, his voice just as quiet. His eyes dart across her face, momentarily flicking down at the expanse of her body and she feels the heat rush to her cheeks. "Doesn't mean what I'm saying isn't true,"
Laurie's breath shutters but she conceals it with a hum. Her tongue licks her lips subconsciously after she catches a glance at Steve's chapped ones. "You really want to kiss me?"
"Shit, yeah, 'course I do," Steve says through a breathy laugh, almost like it's the most obvious thing in the world and Laurie feels weak at the admission. Slowly, hesitantly, his fingers move to lace themselves between the belt loops of her pants and he ever so slightly pulls her closer. "Do you.. do you want me to?"
The headache-inducing neon lights dim and the loud sounds of the film echoing from the cinema turns into a quiet hum. The uneasy feeling bubbling in her stomach fades and all Laurie can focus on is Steve. His perfectly chiseled jaw with his barely there stubble, the way his hands always find purchase on her waist like it's second nature to him, how her skin sets aflame just from his touch, how when he holds her it sets her heart in motion.
"Yes," Laurie's meek voice cuts through the silence like a sharp knife and Steve looks at her, almost relieved, eyes wide and a barely-there blush spreads across his cheeks and down his neck. He suddenly looks nervous when Laurie reaches forward and grabs his ridiculously dorky red tie. "Yes, I want you to,"
"Yeah?" Steve exhales, voice hoarse and rough. Even with her admission, he doesn't push, almost like he's waiting for any ounce of hesitancy to surface before he does tries anything. His eyes are soft and inviting, a warm chocolate brown concealing his admiration for her and she could get lost in his gaze for hours if he'd let her.
Laurie's eyes flicker down to Steve's lips again and her heartbeat rings loudly in her ears. Don't be reckless, Laurie, her sober thoughts try to tell her, although she's not much listening, don't give yourself away because what if you just get given back?
What if she makes his injuries worse and it hurts him? What if he's only doing this because he's still operating under the influence of whatever the Russians gave them? What if she kisses him and he doesn't like it? What if this messes everything up between them? What if-
Oh, fuck it.
Like a magnetic pull, Laurie allows herself to be all consumed by the electricity pumping through her veins and she surges forward, simultaneously yanking Steve towards her by his tie. He meets her in the middle and closes the space between them, crashing his lips onto hers and it's heaven.
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authors note!
...you're welcome!
(thank you for 90k, seriously. 🫶)
WHEN HE SEES ME © austrxlians, 2022.