28. Driving rules (Dustin and Steve)

A/N: You guys, I'm so sorry for the late update. I don't know what the problem was, but FF wouldn't let me upload the new Doc. I still don't know if I can do it from Chrome, but because I don't want to be disappointed if it doesn't load, and because I just wanted to post already for you, I'm posting from Explorer. This is for literally everyone who has asked me for a Dustin related one; Movie Riggs was the one who asked for this one in particular, tho. I'll probably write one where he gets a girlfriend so we get to see more of him alone, but for now please enjoy this.

PROMPT: Steve teaches Dustin how to drive.

"So are we doing this or not?" Dustin asked him once he was buckled in inside his car.

"Doing what?" Steve frowned.

Dustin had called him earlier to ask if he could pick him up from the arcade. Steve complained, tried to say no, but reluctantly (honestly, not even he believed this) he'd agreed.

"You're teaching me to how to drive." Dustin said as Steve began pulling out of The Palace.

"Am I?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I don't remember agreeing to this."

"Well, the doctor did say there would be repercussions for that concussion Billy gave you."

"Shut up," Steve rolled his eyes as Dustin began snickering at his own joke. "Why do you even want to learn, anyway? You don't even have a car."

"But maybe Claudia has one waiting for me for my birthday, and then BAM!" He clapped his hands, startling Steve a little. "I own a car. But that will be of no use to me if I don't know how to drive."

"And why can't your mom teach you?" Steve asked, even though he was already heading for the parking lot he had learned to drive in.

"Have you met my mother?" Dustin snorted.

"Yes. Yes, I have. She's lovely, I love your mom."

"I know you think you're my dad or something, but I hope you know you're not getting my mom." Dustin raised his eyebrows in an amused expression as Steve frowned.

"I wasn't thinking about it, you dumb shit!"

"Well, good! The only man she needs is me."

"That sounds so wrong in so many levels." Steve laughed and Dustin reached out to punch him in the shoulder.

"Hey!" Steve shoved him back single-handedly. "What have I told you about annoying the driver? That's rule number one, Mr. Bam-I-own-a-car."

"Should I start taking notes?" Dustin asked him half-jokingly as he sat up straight.

"Since you got in the car, dude. As I was saying, rule number one: always stay focused on the road. There might be times when there's a lot going on around you, or the passenger seat is occupied by an annoying little shit, and you want to see what's going on, but your focus should be solely on the front." Steve punctuated his words with a finger, pointing to the road as Dustin nodded eagerly.

"Obviously, as you get more experienced, you learn to split your focus and you get to do both. Like me," Steve grinned at him. "But learn this: eyes always on the front."

"Eyes always on the front," Dustin nodded. "Roger that."

"Rule number two: mirrors." He pointed to the side of the car, were Dustin could see the objects they were leaving behind as they drove on.

Steve continued explaining the 'rules of driving', straight out of Steve Harrington's Book of Doing it Right: Driving, as they drove on, Dustin nodding eagerly next to him as he drank in the older guy's words like holy water.

"Okay," Steve sighed as he turned his car off, turning to look at Dustin. "You ready?"

"Wait, you're actually letting me drive?" the curly haired teen asked him with wide eyes.

Steve scoffed. "Did you think I was just wasting gas by driving around because I wanted to? You're doing this."

"But, I'm not ready!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Didn't you just tell me that you wanted to learn to drive?" Steve asked him with furrowed eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"I just-", Dustin cut himself off with a sigh. The teen unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned in to rest his hands against the dashboard. "What if I crash or something?"

"I just wasted 15 minutes of my life explaining all the things you need to do in order to drive right, you dipshit, so you better don't."

"You'll tell me if I'm doing it wrong, right?" Dustin asked him anxiously while throwing the door open.

"No, Henderson," Steve rolled his eyes as he got out of the car. "I think I'll just let you fuck my car up for fun."

"I'm serious, you shithead!" Dustin snapped as they crossed paths in front of the car. Steve punched him lightly on the shoulder, regretting saying that curse in front of him so much now.

"Yeah, I'll tell you." He told him as they finally got inside the car again.

Dustin breathed deeply, shifting around in his seat to make himself more comfortable, while Steve stared at him impatiently. The curly haired teen gripped the wheel with one hand, squeezing the hard material, while holding the key with the other.

"First the clutch," Steve began, trying to cut the kid some slack by easing his nerves with instructions. "Then the key."

"First the clutch…" Dustin repeated, pushing said pedal with a foot. "… Then the key." He turned the key as he spoke, and his face split into a wide toothy grin when the car shuddered to life. "I did it!"

"Hell yeah, you did!" Steve laughed, Dustin's cheerful expression making his chest all warm and soft and he definitely got annoyed by the kid, but god damnit did he love him. "Okay, now shift into Reverse… don't let go of the clutch yet- and then turn the wheel to the left… more to the left," Steve hadn't even buckled his seatbelt yet, but he was more focused on nearly sitting on the dashboard so he could see Dustin's every move. "Yeah, now- slowly, Dustin, or I swear to God—let go of the clutch and press on the gas."

After a few minutes of more directions, a few raised voices, and some nervously excited laughs from the younger boy, Steve had to give Dustin enough credit. The kid was managing just right; he was pretty good when it came to working under pressure, and he was a good listener when it came to instructions ("It's like in school," Dustin had said. "And I like school.").

"You know, this isn't as hard as I thought it would be." Dustin commented casually as they drove around, sticking to lone roads and empty places to avoid running into other cars or (God forbid) people.

"Don't know what the hell you were so worried about," Steve shrugged as he munched on a bag of slightly stale chips he'd found in the globe box.

"It's just that you make it seem so easy and cool… I thought I wouldn't be able to do it." Dustin admitted in a quiet voice, shrugging a shoulder lightly as he continued focusing on the road.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, popping a chip in his mouth as he turned his head to stare at Dustin's profile. "Yeah?" The younger boy nodded. "Well, I think you're cool enough to pull anything off."

"Really?" Dustin turned to look at him quickly, keeping an eye out for the road.

"Yeah," Steve shrugged again. "I mean, you're pretty annoying when you want to be—"

"Gee, thanks, Steve." Dustin exclaimed sarcastically, interrupting him.

"—but you're one of the coolest kids I've ever met. You're smart as hell, funny—yeah, don't let it get to your head—and I think you can do anything you set your mind to."

A few seconds of silence lingered as both boys analyzed their impromptu feelings talk, and then it was broken by Dustin.

"Oh, God," He pretended to sob loudly, taking a hand off of the wheel to cover his mouth. "That was beautiful—"

"Oh, can it, you idiot." Steve huffed as he grabbed another chip and munched on it annoyed to keep his mouth busy while Dustin continued to fake-cry.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Harrington." The younger teen grinned, placing both hands on the wheel again and glancing at his moody companion.

"Yeah, well, it won't happen again." He nearly pouted, looking down at his chips as if they were the most interest thing in the world.

"Hey," Dustin reached out and took a chip from the bag, making Steve look at him with a glare. "Thanks, though. That's really nice of you. I think you're the coolest guy I've ever met."

He shot Steve a wide grin, his baby blue eyes crinkled by the push of his still-kind-of-chubby cheeks, and the older boy couldn't help but grin back with a chuckle. Jesus, he really was a goner when it came to his kids.

"Thanks, Dusty." He told him fondly, reaching out to tug a long curl teasingly.

"Hey!" Dustin exclaimed as he slapped his hand away. "Don't ever annoy the driver! That's rule number one." He mocked.

Steve laughed heartily, leaning his head back against the headrest. "Just drive, you little idiot."