Steve was fully, wholly and utterly screwed.
He had battled a demogorgon, survived a heartbreak, fought demo-dogs, brawled with Billy and dragged all the kids through it all, and nobody had lost any limbs. So why did this seem like the ultimate death sentence?
What was poor Steve going into with such a poor fate? Shopping. With two teenage girls.
While he was practically an adoptive mother to all the kids, Max and Eleven both had their own respective soft spots in his heart, like the others. Max, because of her hell of a step brother, and El because of her shadowy loneliness that tailed her and only struck when she was lacking a companion. They were still kids, young kids that didn't deserve the shit they were given. So Steve now matched the "Mother Goose" shirt the Party had jokingly given him for saving their asses.
He shook off the soft fuzzy feelings that came with the kids in mind and focused back on the road. No way in hell was Max ever driving his car again. He remembered being half conscious and confused to find two blocks taped to the pedals because her legs hadn't been long enough to reach. That, in his mind, definitely determined that she had been far from qualified in her little adventure.
El released a shriek from the back of the car, dragging Steve off memory lane and automatically scanned the back of the car in the review, looking for danger. No danger, only Max with a devilish grin and a cocked brow facing Eleven, who was flushed beyond recognition. Steve didn't want to know what Max could have said to sweet little El to gather such a reaction.
It was unfortunate that the mall was so far from Hawkins. Maybe he should have just thrown the keys at Max, along with the money the Chief had handed him ("If she sees something that she likes and it doesn't fit this, I'll pay you back") While Steve seriously doubted that Eleven had taste in dresses that exceeded $450, he had accepted the cash and left with both girls, glaring at Hopper who laughed at his misfortune. Hopper needed to be in the city for a few days and was taking Joyce, and had hosted Max for several days before dumping them with Steve to find the dresses for the upcoming Freshman prom sort of thing. Nancy was away with Mrs. Wheeler and wouldn't return until the day of the prom/dance whatever. Ted was useless and that left Jonathan and Billy, who were also useless, and Jonathan was taking the boys today instead of the girls. Steve would run through the town in whatever dress and shoes the girls selected before he would even think of letting them go with Billy.
He supposed either Dustin's mother or Lucas' could have taken them, but Lucas' was caring for Holly in Karen's absence and Dustin's, while she was a lovely women and adored Steve, had interesting choice in clothing.
Poor damned boy. He couldn't catch a fucking break.
Steve felt a pair of scrawny little arms wrap around his shoulders and over his chest, warm little breaths on the side of his face. He smiled, recognizing Eleven's impulsive affection. With her being forever grateful for the little things after her lab upbringing, he had grown accustomed to her random hugs and need to be around him.
"Seatbelt El," Steve said, also impulsive in the maternal instinct way.
She slouched back, sulking as she clicked her seatbelt across herself. Suddenly suspicious, Steve casually without looking, praying he didn't sound like an idiot grumbled,
"You too Max."
He heard a huff and the click of the buckle. Score one to mom.
Enforcing car safety had been practically futile as they had just pulled into the mall's parking lot. They spilled out of the vehicle and into the dress section of the department store.
Steve groaned at the glitter and bright colors that met him. El slipped one hand into his and the other into Max's, out of nerves and overwhelmed senses. Max just looked like Steve had handed her a live demo-dog.
A saleswomen practically pounced on them.
"Hi there! I'm Jen! How can I help you?"
Steve examined his "kids". They looked more scared of the saleswomen then they had of the store itself. He met the women's eye and gave his best puppy smile, which had the desired affect and he saw her eye him a little closer, well almost desired affect. He wasn't looking for a girl, just a pair of dresses.
"You know, I think we are ok, just gonna find some dresses, don't really need any help."
El out a little breath of relief and Steve knew he had made the right choice.
"Jen"s face faltered ever so slightly but she retained a smile and simply said "Alright then, just head over to that half of the floor, they should have the proper sizing for your girls."
So they crossed the floor and made it to even more dresses.
"Ok guys, lets narrow this down, divide and conquer and all that. What color do you want?"
Max spoke for El before El could open her mouth. "El should wear something bright, because she wore dark blue to everything else just because Mike liked it so much the first time."
Steve nodded, scanning the technicolor options, alongside some still bright but more wearable shades. "How bright?"
Max huffed and dragged her hands down her face. "Not neon."
Great. That knocked out a grand two racks out of a million.
"What about you Max, oh great color specifier?"
She glared, before shrugging. Wait did she look insecure?
El spoke boldly after being shut down. "Green is very pretty with her hair."
Max scrunched her nose. Ok, so no green for Max.
El frowned at Max's reaction but went on "How about blue-green?"
Steve knew something about colors. "Teal?" El nodded.
Max sighed. "Ok."
And thus the hunt began. And with the insanity this was, Steve regretted not bringing his bat.
Within five seconds he realized he didn't know the girl's sizes, and he doubted they knew them themselves.
"Eleven, Max!"
The pair left the rack they had been pawing through and came to where Steve stood. "Do either of you know your sizes?"
Two heads shook. Steve sighed and pulled dresses labeled 2, 4, 6, and 8 (Eleven eyed the number 8, rather then the dress attached to it), and dumped them on Max's head. She tore them off and plopped them into El's arms.
"Go to the dressing room, put all of these on, Eleven it's fine, you don't have to actually wear this one, it's just for size, and report back which number fits best."
Max and El walked into the hall of dressing rooms, with Steve awkwardly walking after them and finding a small stool to sit on outside their door.
Within five minutes the pair exited the room, El with a dress in hand. Steve pulled out the tag, noting a 4 for both of them. Well at least that was out of the way.
They returned to the racks, the girls pulling several dresses and stacking them over one arm. Steve moved to another row of racks and hunted for some "bright" colors the were not "neon" and would fit El. A lemon yellow, sky blue, a layered red and a aggressively shaded orange piled onto his right arm. He then skimmed the entire row for anything resembling teal. When both arms were weighted down equally, he wandered back to the girls. The both had a handful of options over their non dominant arms and gladly took what Steve had produced and took off for the dressing room. Steve though it was weird that they had to help each other but "I can't reach the zipper in the back and El isn't allowed to do it herself because she'll use her powers and bleed on the clothes"
Sorry I asked.
The door swung open and El stepped out in a strapless green dress. It was nice, but it didn't seem to please the girl.
She looked at him waiting for his judgement. Damn it. Damned Steve can't catch a break.
"It's nice, but I think you could do better." Eleven nodded, pleased with his answer and slammed the door behind her.
Max awkwardly shuffled out of the room in a fluffy, glittery dress that hugged and fluffed all over the place. Both mutually shook their heads and she retreated back.
Eleven wouldn't even come out in the yellow dress because "Holy shit El Mike will actually fall over dead if he sees that much skin."
She rejected several of her own choices, along with the orange dress Steve had selected. Max rejected most of the dresses in general, and wouldn't let El into the blue dress because it reminded her of every single other dress Eleven had worn recently.
Max slinked out of the room much to Steve's dismay. The dress cut lower then low in the front, had no back, was missing part of the sides and had silts running up every side of the skirt. El stood behind her, humming the theme song to a spicy soap she was so keen on watching. Steve rolled his eyes and kept them up at the ceiling.
"No Max."
She grinned, enjoying making him uncomfortable.
"But Steve, I look like Marcella from.."
"No Maxine."
She faked a huff and stormed back into the dressing room with El giggling in the background. Steve whined. Why couldn't have Hopper taken them? Max wouldn't have pulled such a stunt with the Chief around. Actually, she probably would.
Max let out a loud coo, which was very unlike her to make any noise resembling that but he had a feeling El had put on the dress they would be leaving with.
Eleven stepped out in the soft red dress that Steve had picked for her. It hit halfway down her shin in a waterfall of red tulle and the bodice glimmered, was form fitting and had soft sleeves that were made of the skirt's tulle and covered her shoulders, cutting off right 1/4 of the way down her upper arm. She had a splitting smile and turned slowly, her own red Cinderella. Steve smiled. She deserved to be a little Cinderella even if her prince charming happened to be the awkward Mike Wheeler.
He grinned a gave her a thumbs up, which made her smile even wider and she bounced back to where she came from. Moments later she returned, dressed back in her/Hopper's flannel and jeans, with her dress draped carefully over her arm. She set it gently next to Steve and hurried back to Max.
Max emerged from the room with a soft smile playing on her face. It was of course, teal and it hit just above the floor. The skirt was soft and silky but it still had a some volume like El's because of the long layered ruffles. The top of it wrapped around her body, and had little cutouts, none enough to earn a disapproving glare from "Mother". The neckline dipped but not terribly. Steve looked at Max's expression which was searching his for approval. He smiled.
"It's perfect Max."
She smiled, and then hurried to change.
They left the floor, finally, dresses in arm and payment made. As expected, El's dress was only $150 and no where near what Hopper had prepared for. But that left her with options for her shoes and necklace. Max had payed for her own dress, because she understood how money worked which still was a slightly challenging for El.
The trio dropped two floors and walked amongst the many shoe options. El was quick to choice some two inch black pumps which were short enough for her and had small gold stones shimmering along the sides. Max surprised them both by selecting some taller heels with silver glitter dusted over them.
Jewelry was a little dramatic.
El slammed her wrist up onto the counter, where the infamous Hopper blue bracelet was twisted over her wrist. It had some serious meaning to El because she refused to part with it for a matching set of necklace and bracelet. This frustrated the women behind the counter because most necklaces came in a shiny metal and clashed with the blue band. She dug through everything she had and found a simple gold bead on a thin chain that satisfied Eleven. Necklace #1 check.
Max chose a thicker silver band to wear around her neck, with a bracelet that matched.
Was that it? Were they really done?
They left the store with their purchases and loaded back into the car.
Steve began to pull out of the parking lot when a small idea flew into his mind.
"Seatbelts girls."
Two huffs and identical clicks responded.
(Comment if you want Steve to help get them ready)