62- A Day at Family Video
Summary: While Max and the boys are at school, El spends time at Family Video with Steve and Robin.
Requested by: hopelessly_devoted_to_stranger_things
"Okay, so what do we have to do today?" Robin asked, shrugging on her green vest.
"We got to rewind tapes, stock tapes, sell tapes, and-" Steve listed off.
"Let me guess," Robin interrupted. "Do something with tapes?"
Steve grinned at her. "You got it."
The bell rang and Robin turned, greeting. "Welcome to Family Video. If there's anything we can help with- oh hey El."
El gave the older girl a small smile. "Hi."
Steve came over to the counter and wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. "Hi El. Does Hopper know you're here?"
El nodded. "He said that I could either be at the cabin, the Byers, or here while everyone was at school."
"No offense to us, but why aren't you at the Byers?" Robin asked, moving a pile of tapes.
"Mom is at work." El stated.
"Well alright, we don't have much to do, but we can probably do some stuff." Steve told her.
"Yeah besides, hardly anyone comes in before 3 on a Tuesday." Robin recalled.
Hearing this information, El placed two hands on the counter, then pushed herself up onto the counter, flipping around in the process now facing the doors. She looked over her shoulder to see Steve with an unimpressed expression on his face.
"And where'd you learn that trick?" he asked.
"Max." El answered.
"Figures." Steve mumbled.
El just grinned.
"Steve! Come do your job!" Robin called from an aisle.
El giggled.
"Hey! I do my job!" Steve protested, grabbing another stack of tapes.
"If you count babysitting." Robin shot back. "Now get over here and stock the tapes. Unless you want to do the rewinds?"
Steve's eyes widened. "No!" he hurried over to put the tapes away.
"What's the rewinds?" El asked, making them both jump, they forgot that she was there.
"Rewinds are where the customers forget to rewind the tapes, so we have to do and then charge their account." Robin explained. "But it's pretty boring, so Steve and I switch on and off."
"Can I try?"
Robin and Steve shot a glance at each other. Then proceeded to have a whole silent conversation. El looked back and forth between the two. It looked like Steve was hesitant to about the idea while Robin was pushing for it.
"Sure." Steve finally said. "Have Robin show you how do it."
El smiled happily and hopped off the counter. She followed Robin around the counter and sat next to her.
"Okay, so here's what you're going to do." Robin started.
El listened carefully the entire time Robin was explaining. When it was time for her to try, Robin helped guide her and she eventually did it.
"Good job!" Robin congratulated.
"Can I do some more?" El asked.
Robin gave her a nod.
El did five more.
"Can I do some more?" El asked again.
"Do want to do the whole pile?" Robin asked, unable to hide her excitement of not having to do the task.
El nodded.
Robin left her to go help Steve.
El got situated. She had a lot of tapes to rewind.
El finally got through all the tapes. It only took about 2 hours.
Steve was shocked when Robin told him that El asked if she could rewind the tapes. He made sure that she was willing to do multiple times.
El shuffled over to the two after she was done.
"You tired?" Robin asked with a small smile of sympathy.
El just nodded.
"Want to watch a movie?" Steve asked. "We have a semi comfortable couch in the back with a TV."
El's eyes brightened. "Do you have Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?"
Steve sighed. "Max again, huh?"
El just smirked at him.
"Let me go check." Robin told the pair.
Steve led El to the back room where she flopped on the couch as soon as she saw it. She got into a comfortable position and let out a sigh.
Steve chuckled. "Rewinding tapes sure put it out of you."
Robin returned with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in her hand. She put it in and flopped on couch next to El.
Steve raised his eyebrows at her.
"What?" she asked defensively. "Nobody's coming in and I'm tired too!"
Steve thought for a moment then realized that he was tired as well.
"Fine. Scooch over."
Steve ended up in the middle and was Robin and El's human pillow.
"So, what's this movie about?" he asked. "Girls wanting to have fun?"
"No! It's about a new girl with a passion of dance!" Robin explained enthusiastically, even adding jazz hands at the end.
Steve was unamused.
But he still watched it.
"Hello?" Dustin called, pushing the Family Video door.
"Steve?" Lucas asked.
"Robin?" Will called out.
"Where are they?" Max asked.
"Maybe they're in the back." Mike suggested, heading that direction.
When he opened the door leading to the back room, he smirked.
"Guys," he whispered. "Anyone have a camera?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Max asked sarcastically, walking over. When she saw what Mike was talking about, she gasped, then giggled.
By that time, everyone came over to see what was so funny.
On the couch Steve was sprawled out, with Robin and El tucked underneath either arm, all were fast asleep.
"We probably should wake them up, right?" Lucas asked. "It's about to get busy."
"Yeah, I guess." Mike said. "We sure we don't have a camera?"
They all ignored him while Max went over and woke them up.
"Come one guys, you don't want get fired, do you?" she asked.
"Noooo." Robin moaned in Steve's shoulder.
Nobody was sure if that was the answer or if Robin just didn't want to get up. Probably the latter.
Max turned toward the TV, recognizing the end credits.
"You watched Girls Just Wanna Have Fun without me?!"
AN: Hope you liked it, hopelessly_devoted_to_stranger_things! Requests are open everybody!