~*****~

The next day, Juliet and Dustin spent some time checking out the delivery entrance to get a better look and try to figure out a way to get in there. "That keycard opens the door," Dustin explains.

"But the guard holding it, happens to have a massive gun," Juliet added. "Whatever's in that room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."

"But there's gotta be a way in," Robin hummed.

"Well, you know... I could just take him out." Steve mentioned in a serious tone.

Juliet leaned against the table, staring at him with a dull look in her eye. "Are you serious?" She asked blandly.

"Yeah?" Steve hummed as the others looked at him incredulously. "What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. Easy."

"Dude," Dustin sighed. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"And please tell me you heard the part about the massive gun," Juliet added.

"Yeah, I did," Steve retorted, brows drawn together in irritation. "And that's why I would be sneaking."

"Well, please, tell me this, and be honest," Dustin hummed. "Have you ever actually... won a fight?"

"Okay, that was one time--" Steve countered, cheeks flushing.

"Twice, dingus." Juliet retorted. "You got knocked on your ass by Jonathan Byers-- dude who weighs a buck fifty soaking wet. And Billy Hargrove, who, if I recall, wiped the floor with you."

"Listen, that doesn't count--" Steve retorted quickly.

"Steve, if you can't beat Jonathan Byers in a fist fight, what makes you think you can take down an armed guard?" Juliet retorted.

"Yeah, if we're taking an armed guard out, I'd send in Julie. She might make him cry--" Dustin added.

"We're not doing that--" Juliet and Steve shot back.

"Not to mention Julie is feared at the local boxing ring." Dustin added.

Juliet's brows furrowed in embarrassment before snapping her gaze onto Dustin. "Quiet." She snapped. "Anyway, I'm the one who heaved your ass out of Byers' house after you got wailed on by Hargrove. You've never won a fight that I've seen." Juliet states.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that lame--" Steve complained.

"That just might work," Robin suddenly said before charging out of the backroom and reaching into the tip jar, taking the cash.

"Robin, hey, what are you doing?" Steve called out as the group followed.

"I need cash!" Robin chirped.

"Well, half of that's mine," Steve retorted painfully. "Where are you going?"

"To find us a way into that room, a safe way!" Robin called back. "And in the meantime, sling some ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up. I'll be back in a jiff!"

Juliet and Dustin peered at each other for a moment before slowly sliding the icecream scoops up and licking them. "Oh gross--" Steve complained as he snatched the two scoops. "Not my scooper."

Dustin threw his hands up in annoyance. "Son of a bitch, I swear, you're not fun." Dustin complained as he trailed back into the backroom.

Juliet chuckled and hopped onto the back counter, legs kicking back and forth as Steve cleaned off the scoops. "Can I get an ice cream out of you, Captain of the S.S. Flavor?"

Steve's shoulders scrunched up in embarrassment. "You gonna keep calling me that?" He asked painfully, vaguely wondering if she enjoyed toying with him.

"Does it bother you that much?" Juliet asked.

Steve peered back at her and swore he'd never look at another girl again. Not when she looked so soft and apologetic. "No." Steve sighed as he leaned against the counter, his arms crossing over his chest. "The usual?" Juliet lit up and beamed. "But uh, you gotta work for it." Juliet's brows furrowed in confusion. "You gotta say; Please Steve, you're the hottest guy in all of Hawkins, I totally want you to help me out." Steve recited in a high-pitched tone. Juliet's lips pursed in amusement before she hopped off of the counter and grasped his hand. "Oh, Jesus--" Steve suddenly murmured as she pressed his palm over the skin of her exposed neck and shoulder.

"Can I have an ice cream cone, Stevie?" Juliet asked in a softer tone, eyes suddenly dewy and inviting.

Steve swallowed thickly. His knees were shaking, his palms were starting to sweat before he found himself unconsciously nodding at her request. "Y-Yeah--" He stammered. "Any-- anything--" He muttered, finding himself drawing in close as if to kiss her. Juliet just beamed and slipped away; hands clasped behind her back as she trailed into the backroom.

Steve stared after her, chewing on his lip to stave off the crazed reaction she'd pulled. It was uncommon to have Juliet initiate any sort of contact. And when it happened, it made Steve's head swim with how good it felt. His entire body jolted back to reality when the window snapped open. "Dude, you're seriously bordering on unhealthy with how obsessed you are." Dustin mentioned as he leaned out of the window.

"Shut it, Henderson." Steve retorted quickly, turning back to the ice cream to hide his flushed cheeks.

~*****~

"Look, all I'm saying is maybe you should give the guy a break, I mean, come on, I think you fried his brain." Dustin mentioned as he and Juliet peered at Steve from the opened window as he stared blankly at the ice cream.

"I only did what he told me to." Juliet shrugged, her lips suctioning around the ice cream cone in her hand. "He's the one who taught me how to use my, uh, what was it called again?" Juliet pondered.

"Feminine wiles." Dustin answered.

"Will you guys shut up?" Steve asked, irritation sweeping over his face. "I did not say feminine wiles, I said feminimity."

Dustin and Juliet peered at each other and shrugged. "Sure thing, Harrington," Juliet hummed.

Just as the two Henderson's retreated into the kitchen area, Robin returned with a smile on her face. "It is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's office," Robin mentioned as she flipped blue prints onto the table. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."

"Not bad," Dustin hummed.

"So, this is us, Scoops," Robin explains as she points at the diagram. "And this is where we want to get--" She points to the room full of boxes.

"I mean, I don't really see a way in," Steve mentioned.

Juliet plops the ice cream cone into his hand and flips the blueprints up. "There's air ducts leading into that room." Juliet murmurs.

"Exactly!" Robin chirped. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room." Robin explains as she snatches the marker from the whiteboard. "And these air ducts," She circles a small section of the blueprints. "Lead all the way... here."

Juliet perks up and glances up at the vent cover behind them. Steve grabs a screwdriver and pulls a ladder over to unscrew the grate. "Flashlight?" Steve asks, holding his hand out. Juliet hands it over, peering up curiously. "Thank you." Steve hums as Juliet takes hold of the screwdriver. He peers into the air duct, then back at Juliet, brows drawn in thought.

"No way." Juliet immediately snapped.

"Come on, you could totally fit!" Steve exclaimed.

"Okay, just because Dustin is growing like some freak weed doesn't mean I'm small. My hips aren't going to fit through that hole." Juliet argued. "Dustin can fit--"

"Yeah. No collar bones, remember?" Dustin chirped.

"Excuse me?" Robin asked, brows drawn in confusion.

"Oh, he's, uh... Yeah, he's got some disease." Steve suddenly said as he leapt from the ladder to let Dustin up.

Steve gave a harsh grunt as Juliet swatted her hand against his stomach. "It's Cleidocranial Dysplasia." Juliet added as she glared at Steve.

Steve points at her as he rubs his stomach. "Yeah that. He can bend like Gumbo."

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Gumby, stupid." Juliet commented.

"Pretty sure it's Gumbo." Steve retorted smugly.

"Steve just shut up and push me!" Dustin barked from in the vent.

"Okay!" Steve complained.

Steve got onto the ladder and began pushing Dustin up by his feet. "Not my feet, dumbass! My ass!" Dustin snapped.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Touch my butt, I don't care!" Dustin shouted.

"Okay!" Steve exclaimed.

"Come on! Harder! Push harder!" Dustin exclaimed.

"I'm pushing!" Steve shouted.

"Push harder!" Dustin screeched.

Juliet just held her face in embarrassment. "I have an idea," Robin mentioned to Juliet.

"Thank god it's something other than... whatever the hell this is." Juliet murmured as she followed after Robin as the two boys continue to argue, Dustin still loudly urging Steve to push his butt.

~*****~

It took some work to convince Erica to come in and see if she would fit in the air duct. And by convincing, she needed someone to grease her palm a little. Juliet stared down at the little gremlin with a loathing expression as she laid ten dollars into her hand. "Yeah, I don't know," Erica hummed as she peered into the air duct.

"You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, I can fit. I just don't know if I want to." Erica retorted.

"I gave you ten bucks," Juliet snapped. "Are you claustrophobic now?"

Erica smirked. "That was to come back here. And I don't have phobias."

"Okay, then what's the problem?" Steve asked.

"The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica." Erica retorted plainly.

Juliet palmed her face again. "Jesus Christ..." She sighed.

Juliet couldn't believe how fast Erica Sinclair managed to get a table full of ice cream with just her silence. "More fudge please," Erica hummed as she shoved the banana split back towards Steve. She waved her palm at him as he stared at Juliet with an exasperated expression. "Go on."

Steve took the boat back and sulked to the counter. "All right," Robin hummed as she held out the plans. "You see this? This is the route you're gonna take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight, then you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door."

"Then you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica asked.

"Exactly." Robin nods.

Erica hums. "And you say this guard is armed?"

"Yes, but he won't be there," Dustin reassures her.

"And booby traps?" Erica asked.

"Booby traps?" Juliet echoed in confusion.

"Lasers? Spikes in the wall?" Erica clarifies. Robin shared a confused look with Juliet. "You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment."

"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time--" Robin starts.

Erica cuts her off with a wag of her finger. "Child. Endangerment." She repeats.

"Erica? Hi, uh... We think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?" Dustin asked.

"You can't spell America without Erica." Erica retorted smugly. "But I still don't see what's in it for Erica."

"All right, listen here, you little shi---" Juliet recoiled as Dustin aggressively hissed at her to shut up and sit down. She blinked rapidly at the expression on Dustin's face, wondering how the hell he could pull off that angry look. The realization came to her as she stormed off to bother Steve as Dustin tried to convince Erica to help them.

"Whoa, hey-- watch it, you'll crush the waffle cones," Steve mentioned as Juliet threw herself onto the counter, arms crossed over her chest in irritation. "Then you'd get no more Cherries Jubilee--"

Steve stared at her for a long time as Juliet ignored him, her gaze completely stuck on her younger brother. He gave a startled grunt as Juliet whipped her gaze onto him. "Have you noticed the little shit bird looks like me when he gets mad or even mildly agitated?" Juliet suddenly asked.

Steve stared at her for a moment before peering at Dustin and shrugging. "He usually doesn't let his anger get the better of him, so no, not really." Steve shrugged.

Juliet dropped her arms and grimaced. "Now I'm worried he's gonna end up like me."

"Whoa, whoa, hey--" Steve cooed. "End up like you? Hell, that's a good thing." Steve admitted. Juliet's brows rose in an ironic gesture. "I-- I mean, no one would ever pick on him. He'd be the coolest person in all of Hawkins-- not to mention this girlfriend of his would probably worship the ground he walks on."

"Oh, kinda like you do mine?" Juliet retorts blandly before ambling back over to the others. Steve stared at her back, knees shaking. Sure, he wasn't subtle with his crush, but he didn't think he was that obvious. "Steve, quit standing there, get the ice cream!" Juliet hissed angrily. Or perhaps she knew that Steve would do anything for her-- even if it were all platonical in her head.