— ꫂ᭪ ݁⋆˙ you’re just like a dream .ᐟ
⌁ thinking about... steve harrington losing his absolute mind over you in a modified scoops uniform ꒱
— hihihi!!! or should i say.. ahoy? no tw's at all! steve x reader fluff inspired by a tweet from my twitter oomf! thank you so much mak! i tried my absolute best and i hope u all enjoy and love my vision of flustered steve as much as i do ! this trope made me go crazy at just the thought of it. steve's such a loser in this!!!! i love him ugh
steve was usually good with girls. at least, that’s what he liked telling himself.
but every ounce of confidence seemed to evaporate the second she walked into scoops ahoy wearing that modified uniform for the first time.
the skirt barely brushed the middle of her thighs, pleated neatly like something out of a magazine catalog, and the oversized sailor top had been tailored into something softer; fitted at the waist with no sleeves, showing off stacked bracelets the manager definitely wouldn’t approve of.
steve stared for exactly three seconds too long.
robin looked up from the register.
steve snapped his eyes away. “what? no, i’m not.”
“she’s pretty and you’re already acting weird.”
“you looked at her like a dying victorian man seeing heaven for the first time.”
steve rolled his eyes, reaching for a stack of cups before robin could see the way his face had gone warm, which was ridiculous for steve ‘the hair’ harrington.
because it wasn’t like he’d never seen a pretty girl before. it wasn’t even entirely about the outfit.
okay, maybe it was a little about the outfit. just a little bit, though.
it was mostly the way she carried herself like the entire mall belonged to her. like the sailor uniform wasn’t embarrassing at all. like she’d taken one look at it and decided she was too pretty to let a uniform win.
steve hated how much he noticed.
the bracelets clinking softly every time she reached for something. the perfume that lingered in the tiny back room after she walked out. the way she leaned over the counter while talking to customers, smiling easily like she’d been working there for years instead of three days.
and the worst part? she didn’t seem to realize what she was doing to him at all.
“do i seriously look okay?” she asked suddenly, smoothing down the skirt as she stopped in front of the counter.
steve was just staring at her. intensely staring.
robin looked between them once, already fighting a smile.
she frowned slightly. “because i know i’m probably going to get yelled at.”
steve opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and she noticed how his expression shifted into visible panic.
robin sighed dramatically. “he means yes.”
“you’re staring, stevie boy,” robin said mockingly, giving him that typical look. the one that told him he sucked.
steve harrington, former king of hawkins high, professional flirt, allegedly charming human being — suddenly felt like a complete idiot every time she looked at him.
she laughed softly, still looking confused as robin rounded the counter toward her.
“well,” robin said casually, leaning against the counter beside her, “personally, i think the skirt is a public service.”
she laughed again, brighter this time, ducking her head a little as she adjusted some bracelets.
robin continued smoothly, completely unbothered by the death glare steve was trying to burn into the side of her face.
“the bracelets? cute. the lipstick? cute. the little sailor thing? gorgeous.” she pointed vaguely at the tied front of the shirt. “for the record, i support the skirt. the original shorts make us look like patriotic toddlers.”
she grinned. “oh, god— i know, right? it’s just so… ugh.”
“oh, no, i get it,” robin continued. “if i looked like that in the uniform, i’d alter mine too.”
she blinked, caught off guard for a second before laughing again. “you’re insane.”
robin shrugged casually. “i’m also right.”
she laughed under her breath before answering, and steve hated how easily robin got her to smile.
because robin was relaxed. effortless. she could flirt with basically anyone without combusting into nervous sweat.
meanwhile steve couldn’t even compliment a skirt without sounding like he was confessing his last words.
robin reached over to fix the edge of her scarf dramatically. “see? gorgeous.”
“robin,” steve said flatly.
she smiled innocently. “i don’t feel harassed.”
“see?” robin pointed at her triumphantly. “she likes me more than you already.”
something ugly and stupid twisted in steve’s chest before he could stop it.
and robin noticed instantly.
“oh my god,” she whispered.
steve’s expression immediately hardened. “don’t.”
robin looked delighted. absolutely delighted.
steve grabbed her by the wrist before she could finish.
robin burst into laughter as he dragged her behind the swinging door, her sneakers squeaking against the tile.
the second they were alone, steve dropped her wrist and hissed, “what is wrong with you?”
robin leaned against a shelf, barely holding herself together. “you are jealous!”
“you looked two seconds away from climbing over the counter and fighting me.”
“oh my god,” she gasped. “you like her.”
steve scrubbed a hand over his face. “would you shut up?”
robin stared at him for a beat before dissolving into another fit of laughter.
“she’s new, okay? don’t make it weird.”
robin’s grin turned downright evil.
then, in the most offended voice imaginable, she crossed her arms and went, “excuse me? i saw her first.”
robin stared back innocently.
and steve suddenly became very aware of the fact that robin buckley was created specifically to ruin his life.
outside the back room, she ducked behind the counter to grab napkins, still smiling to herself, completely oblivious to the psychic warfare happening three feet away.
she straightened back up. “what are you guys whispering about?”
“nothing,” steve answered way too quickly.
robin’s grin widened and laughter got louder. “you absolute loser.”
“you sound twelve years old!”
the back room door swung open a second later.
robin walked out first looking entirely too pleased with herself, while steve followed behind her with the expression of a man being led to his execution.
she looked up from the napkins she was restocking. “you guys done fighting?”
“he’s sensitive,” robin answered for him.
“you dragged me into the back room because i called a girl pretty.”
steve pointed at her immediately. “see? you’re making it sound weird on purpose.”
she bit back another smile, clearly trying not to laugh at him again.
that somehow made it worse.
steve leaned over the counter, pretending to reorganize straws so he didn’t have to look directly at her while his dignity actively disintegrated.
robin watched him for a moment.
then her eyes lit up with the kind of evil that usually meant steve’s day was about to get significantly worse.
“hey,” robin said casually, nudging him with her elbow. “why don’t you compliment her outfit?”
steve nearly inhaled a paper straw. “what are you talking about?”
“compliment. her. outfit. use your words.”
“i know what compliment means.”
steve could feel his pulse in his throat. this was so ridiculous. he used to flirt with girls all the time!
somehow, under the lights of scoops ahoy, with robin staring at him like she was waiting for a live comedy show to begin, he suddenly forgot how speaking worked.
she looked between them again, confused but amused. “you really don’t have to—”
the words came out so fast they practically crashed into each other. robin turned away because she was trying not to laugh.
steve looked back up. she was smiling at him. not laughing or teasing like robin would've, she was just smiling, fingers absentmindedly playing with the bracelets on her wrist.
“i kinda ruined the original uniform,” she admitted. “so i’m glad at least one person here doesn’t hate it.”
steve’s choked on his own spit as he felt his ears go red. because suddenly she looked nervous too.
..which made absolutely no sense!
robin looked back and forth between them like she was watching a tennis match.
the silence lasted exactly three seconds before steve panicked and grabbed the nearest ice cream scoop.
“so, uh…” he cleared his throat. “you like fashion?”
steve swore that the sound of her laugh alone was enough to permanently damage his nervous system.
he tightened his grip on the ice cream scoop. why was he holding this thing so aggressively?
she tilted her head slightly, clearly trying not to smile at how painfully awkward he’d become.
“yeah. i just mean—” he rambled quickly, “you seem, y’know, into it. obviously. because of the whole…” he gestured vaguely at her outfit. “…everything.”
she looked down at herself for a second before glancing back up at him through her lashes.
“i didn’t mean it like that,” he said immediately.
“how did you mean it, then?”
because she was looking at him now. really looking at him. steve exhaled slowly before forcing himself to recover.
“i just meant,” he said, quieter this time, “you make the uniform look cool.”
there it was again. that smile. like she hadn’t expected him to say something genuine.
it was the way his ears had gone pink for the past five minutes straight and the way he physically could not maintain eye contact with her for longer than a few seconds.
but suddenly, things started making a little more sense. he was nervous because of her. the realization nearly made her laugh. instead, she leaned forward onto the counter slightly, resting her chin in her hand.
“you know,” she said sweetly, “you’re a lot quieter than i expected.”
“i mean, steve harrington?” she shrugged innocently. “i thought you’d be smoother.”
steve looked genuinely stunned.
“i— what does that mean?”
she smiled lazily. “nothing.”
it absolutely did not mean nothing.
steve couldn't figure out whether she was flirting with him or making fun of him.
“i can be smooth,” he defended weakly.
she raised an eyebrow. “really?”
steve straightened slightly, suddenly determined to prove himself.
she glanced down briefly before looking back up at him. “you’re holding the ice cream scoop hard enough to bend metal.”
he was, in fact, gripping the scoop like his life depended on it.
steve stared at her for a second, completely distracted. because now she was laughing at him. and somehow that was worse.
what the hell was happening to steve? it was humiliating. and even worse, she was definitely starting to notice.
he could tell by the look in her eyes. that amused little glint every time he stumbled over his words. the way her smile would twitch like she was holding back laughter whenever he got flustered.
she knew. and apparently, instead of letting him live peacefully, she’d decided to make it infinitely worse.
“your hat’s crooked,” she said casually.
steve looked up too fast. “what?”
she stepped closer before he could react, reaching up toward him.
her fingers brushed the edge of the sailor hat, fixing it gently against his hair, and steve completely forgot how breathing worked.
she was standing way too close, he could smell her perfume again. something sweet. his brain was melting out of his ears.
“thanks,” he managed weakly.
she looked entertained now. her fingers lingered for a second against the collar of his uniform before she tugged lightly on the fabric.
“you should customize yours too,” she said. “it’s kinda cute.”
his brain latched onto the word like it was life or death.
“cute?” he repeated stupidly.
“mhm.” she smoothed the front of his uniform absentmindedly. “the colors work for you.”
she was touching him so casually, like she had no idea what she was doing to him. except now he was beginning to suspect she absolutely did know.
she tilted her head slightly while looking at him, eyes flickering over his face for a moment before she smiled again.
“you’ve got pretty moles.”
“the ones on your cheek.” she pointed lightly near her own face. “they’re cute.”
nobody had ever complimented his moles before. nobody.
steve just stared at her like she’d started speaking another language. and she looked absolutely delighted about it.
“this is insane,” she muttered, watching steve visibly malfunction in real time. “i’ve never seen him this pathetic before.”
“i’m not pathetic,” steve shot back automatically, finally tearing his eyes away from her.
she laughed softly beside him, still leaning against the counter like she didn’t realize she was actively ruining his ability to function.
steve groaned under his breath before suddenly yanking the sailor hat off his head.
“screw this fucking hat,” he moped, throwing it somewhere behind the counter. “this is what ruins my charm. it’s— it’s the hair.”
“wow,” she said teasingly. “couldn’t have recognized you if i didn’t know it was you.”
steve looked at her suspiciously. “are you making fun of me right now?”
“wow. cool.” but he was already trying not to smile.
“there it is,” she said triumphantly, pointing at him. “you were pouting.”
“you threw your hat like a princess having a breakdown!”
“okay, first of all, that doesn’t even make sense—”
“second of all,” she continued smoothly, stepping closer again, “the hair’s kinda important.”
she reached up without warning, lightly fixing a strand that had fallen onto his forehead.
“definitely your best feature,” she said softly. “even though your eyes are incredibly pretty. and your nose, also.” her gaze flickered lower for a second, lips twitching slightly. “and you’ve got great lips too, steve.”
steve's eyes widened slightly as he stared at her, completely frozen, his hands locked up on the counter and he felt a chill run down his spine.
she blinked innocently. “what?”
steve’s face was burning. his ears were burning, and he was pretty sure his soul was burning. because she was looking at him so casually while saying things no girl had ever said to him before.
usually girls flirted with steve because he was charming, or popular. or just because they thought he looked good. but this felt way too specific.
he swallowed hard, trying desperately to recover some dignity.
“you—” he cleared his throat immediately. “you think my nose is pretty?”
“that’s the compliment you focused on?”
she smiled instantly, like she’d been waiting for him to latch onto the weirdest possible part of that sentence.
robin had fully given up pretending not to listen. “steve,” she breathed. “please stand up.”
then she tilted her head slightly.
“you get nervous really easily for a guy who was apparently the king of hawkins high.”
steve looked up at her and immediately regretted it. because she was standing too close again, smiling at him like she already knew the answer. his throat suddenly felt dry.
“yeah,” he said anyway, trying for confidence and failing miserably. “totally sure.”
she hummed thoughtfully, eyes flickering down his face again.
that stupid little response should not have affected him as much as it did. robin watched the entire thing unfold with the expression of somebody witnessing psychological warfare in real time.
“steve,” she said carefully, “buddy. she’s flirting with you.”
“i know that,” he snapped instantly. because wow. okay. maybe that came out a little too fast.
“oh,” she said softly. “so you noticed?”
“you’re enjoying this way too much,” steve accused weakly.
she leaned against the counter a little more, bracelets clinking softly as she rested her chin in her hand.
“you’re cute when you get all flustered.”
then back at her again like he was genuinely trying to figure out if this was some kind of elaborate prank designed specifically to kill him.
“okay,” he said slowly. “now you’re just messing with me.”
oh, absolutely. but the problem was she looked so sincere saying it that steve genuinely couldn’t tell anymore.
she looked genuinely curious asking it, which somehow made it infinitely worse. steve stared at her for a second before exhaling sharply through his nose.
if she wanted to flirt, he could flirt too.
he straightened slightly, trying to gather whatever remained of his dignity while robin watched with open fascination from the register.
“y’know,” steve started, attempting a smoother tone this time, “you’re pretty cocky for someone wearing a sailor costume.”
“i mean it,” he continued, leaning against the counter now. “you spend, like, ten minutes complimenting me and suddenly think you run the place.”
that smug little smile that made him feel simultaneously annoyed and completely obsessed with her.
he shook his head. “unbelievable.”
the words slipped out so casually that steve almost missed them. but he didn’t. so instead, he leaned a little closer over the counter. close enough to notice the way her expression shifted slightly.
“careful,” he said quietly. “you keep looking at me like that, people are gonna think you have a crush on me.”
steve noticed the way she looked away first this time. some of his confidence came rushing back.
oh, he could work with that.
“you think i’m cute?” he asked.
she smiled slowly. “i think you’re nervous.”
“that’s not what i asked.”
she tilted her head. “maybe i do.”
steve nodded once like that answer hadn’t just nearly killed him.
“cool?” she repeated, trying not to laugh.
“yeah.” he nodded again. “cool.”
robin covered her face with both hands.
“steve,” she groaned through her fingers. “you’re flirting like a substitute teacher. and before you say anything, that does make sense.”
“i, uh—” he pointed vaguely toward her bracelets. “those are nice.”
that finally made her break into full laughter, shoulders shaking as she leaned against the counter. and steve completely forgot to be embarrassed for a second because holy shit, she looked pretty laughing like that.
her laughter softened after a moment, and she looked back at him with a smile he was definitely going to think about later when he was trying to sleep.
steve stared at her for a full second. then immediately looked down at the counter because he could physically feel himself blushing again.
before steve could attempt another disastrous response, the clock above the counter clicked loudly toward closing.
“finally,” she sighed dramatically. “my shift’s over, i'm out early today,” she stepped around the counter, grabbing her bag from one of the hooks in the back. the bracelets on her wrist clinked softly while she adjusted the strap over her shoulder.
then she looked back at him.
“bye, steve. oh— bye rob!”
“bye,” he answered too quickly. “drive safe!”
“right! uh,” he winced immediately. “right. okay. uh.. don't trip..?”
she laughed quietly again before heading toward the employee exit, pushing the door open with her hip. right before disappearing, she glanced back over her shoulder.
“see you tomorrow, sailor boy.”
the door shut behind her, and steve stood there staring at the closed door for a solid five seconds.
“sailor boy?” robin repeated incredulously.
steve slowly leaned forward until his forehead hit the counter. “jesus fucking christ..”
