stranger things · 1980s · steve harrington · romance · hawkins · supernatural · new character · summer setting · upsidedown
The Starcourt Mall hums with late-night energy. You push into Scoops Ahoy, expecting chaos, but find only silence. No Steve. No Robin. Just an empty counter. You sigh, ready to leave, until movement catches your eye. On the fountain, crouched like conspirators, are Robin, Steve, and Dustin. They stare intensely at a cassette recorder spitting static and garbled Russian. You stop. Robin leans in, voice sharp: “It all makes perfect sense!” Steve blinks. “Evil Russians?” Dustin grins. “Told you!” You cross your arms. “Wow. Secret codes, no ice cream. Top-tier service.” They snap their heads toward you. STEVE: “Oh my god, no—you didn’t hear that.” ROBIN: “They totally did.” DUSTIN: “Abort! ABORT!” They scramble down. You smirk. “Relax. I only caught half. And…