Chapter Text
It was 11 pm when Robin received the call. She’d been up in bed, not yet asleep but relaxed. With how long it took her to get to the phone in the kitchen, muscles still aching, her parents weren’t disturbed. Somehow, her parents woke from a person talking at a regular volume. But the phone? Slept right through it. Thank goodness they’d caved and bought an answering machine.
Though she hadn’t expected a call, she knew it was Steve before she answered. No one else would call her this late. “Hi, Stevie. You okay?”
His tone was even, calm. “Yeah, actually. I’m doing way better than I thought I’d be. I think I’m gonna sleep fine tonight. You?”
“Yeah, I’m shockingly doing about the same. I, uh, I feel like my body feels more sure, this time. That it’s actually over.”
“Mine, too. Hey, uh, open up your window, alright? I’m gonna be there in ten.”
“Oh. Yeah.”
She shouldn’t be shocked. Yes, they were fine. Yes, they all felt safe. Will nor El felt any signs anywhere. But she and Steve still had sleepovers just for fun all the time. There had been a point where they’d debated getting a one-bedroom with one bed once they moved out together. They quickly decided against that, though. One day, Robin would like to experience sex. And she really didn’t want it to be in a bed she legally shared with the guy. And she didn’t want to be kicked out of her own bed whenever Steve had anyone over.
They hung up not long later, Robin heading back upstairs. She unlocked and opened her window before lying back down on her bed. She decided to pass the time with another chapter of The Bell Jar.
She had just reached the point where Esther arrives at the banquet luncheon when she was startled by a way higher pitched voice than expected from her window “Steve was right, your window is really easy to get it through.”
Robin startled, barely stopping herself from falling off the bed. The second she righted herself, she rushed towards the window to help Chrissy the rest of the way in. “You climbed up here with a broken arm?” she whispered, shock not disappearing in the low volume.
“Sort of. Steve helped boost me.” Chrissy said, gesturing out the window
“Steve boosted-” she stumbled over to look outside. Steve stood right by her tree, waving up as soon as he spotted her. She shot him an incredulous look. He only whisper-shouted back that he loved her before scampering off.
Her smile was nervous, shoulders slouching. “He said it would be okay with you if I maybe stay here tonight. If it’s not I can-”
Robin rambled, “No, of course it’s okay. Great, actually. Perfect. Definitely stay here.” Taking a shaky breath once she ran out of air.
“Oh.” She smiled in her adorably charming way. “Good. Thank you.”
She took Chrissy in, seeing that she was dressed in a matching pajama set in a kind of satiny fabric. Pink with little white polka dots on cute little shorts and a shirt with white buttons. Robin blushed, scolding herself for staring. “Do you, uh, need anything? Before bed?” She asked, eyes darting around the room for anything particularly embarrassing. She was fine with Steve seeing everything, but some things should definitely be kept out of Chrissy’s eye.
“No, uh, I’m good there.” Robin took a step to the side and tucked the zine she’d managed to get ahold of under her chemistry textbook. “I just, uh.”
Robin hid her ancient bunny plushie behind a pillow, raising an eyebrow at Chrissy’s hesitation. Sure, she understood that Chrissy wasn’t as confident as she portrayed herself to be at school. But this seemed different than usual insecurity. “What’s up?”
“I, uh,” She licked her lips, hesitating. “I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to sleep tonight. It’s okay if you do, you deserve a good night's rest. So if it’s okay I’ll just, you know, hang out here.”
Robin scoffed. “Well, I’m not just gonna make you sit in the corner while I snore.”
“You snore?” Chrissy asks, raising an eyebrow with a smile
If Steve’s accounts were to be believed, she did. “No.” She answered, drawing out the world. She didn’t even manage to fully inflate her lungs again when out tumbled. “Okay, well, I do. I definitely do. Not like, that bad? Steve says that the first time I spend the night with a gir- guy that, I, I’ve gotta warn the-them before it scared ‘em off.”
Chrissy giggled. “It’s okay. I snore too. Jason always got so mad at it, but I never minded whenever he snored.”
“Oh. Cool. Well, um, if you do want to just stay up, I’ve got lots of books and magazines and shit. And my walkman is over there” she motioned to where it sat on her bookshelf.” She took a shaky breath. “Or, if you want to rest, even without sleeping, we can share the bed. If you want and are comfortable with that. Or I could just go down and take the couch and you can make yourself at home up here.”
She tilted her head, interrupting her uncontrollable spiel. “Robin, why would I want you on the couch? I came here because I wanted to be with you. Cause I feel safe with you.”
Robin straightened up. “Wait, really? How? I was scared out of my mind the entire time. I’m pretty sure Dustin was more of a hero than I was.”
Chrissy’s shoulders gave the faintest shrug. Gesturing for them to sit on the bed. “I know you were scared, I was too. It was scary.” Robin sat first, and despite there being space Chrissy sat so close their knees almost brushed. But you did it anyway. Of course, I feel safe with you. ”
“Oh. Well then. We’ll definitely stay in the same room.”
“And in the same bed?” Chrissy's eyebrow quirked up.
Robin’s cheeks reddened. “I-If you’re okay with that.”
Chrissy nodded. “When Steve and I talked about it, he told me that’s what would probably happen. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t okay with it. Come on, you’re tired. Let’s get cozy.”
As Robin flicked off the lamp, any latent exhaustion was washed away as she got ‘cozy’ with Chrissy. The quarters weren’t quite as tight as they were with Steve, but they were still barely a breath away from each other. Warmth radiated off of Chrissy, made more intense by the blanket they shared. They lay side by side, bare arms pressed together giving Robin goosebumps. She didn’t dare move an inch. “What’s up? You’re not getting very cozy.”
“N-nothing.”
“Robin, I don’t want to be rude,” Her tone was kind but also adamant. Robin imagined this side of her must come out most in cheer practices. “But I don’t really like lying very much right now. Something’s bothering you. Are you okay?”
She took a deep breath, weighing her options as she held it, a decision made by the time she huffed it up. “Chrissy I need to tell you something before you really commit to sharing this bed tonight. Something really weird. And maybe after I tell you, you will want me to sleep on the couch. Or I could call Steve and he’ll come right over to get you.”
“Robin, I’m sure it’s fine. You already know my deepest, darkest secrets. This can’t be so bad.”
“Well, uh, maybe.” She didn’t dare look over at Chrissy. “I’m a lesbian.” Chrissy’s small ‘oh’ was drowned as Robin picked up speed “And I’m not going to do anything weird. I’m not gonna, like hit on you or anything. But if you’re uncomfortable, I completely understand.”
The blanket rustled as Chrissy freed her hand, resting it on Robin’s cheek, making her breath hitch. “Do you see why I feel safe with you?”
“W-What?”
Chrissy stroked the sensitive skin with her thumb, up and down. “Not knowing wouldn’t hurt me. But even though it was scary and maybe even dangerous, you tell me. So I could have all the facts, to make my choice. For the record, I’m not uncomfortable. I want us both to stay right here. Okay?”
“O-Okay.”
“Good.” Despite the darkness, she could make out Chrissy’s shy smile. “It’s, you know, cool. I’m happy that you, like, know yourself like that.”
“I guess so.” Robin shrugged. “Mostly it’s just a stressful thing to deal with.”
“Well, this is one less thing to be stressed about, right? You can relax with me.”
And isn’t that just what she should be freaked out by? “I should also warn you, sometimes I’m a sleep cuddler. Sometimes I wake up fully on top of Steve. Or like an octopus, latched onto him.”
Chrissy giggled. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’m not worried about it. I trust you, Robin. The only thing I’m worried about happening if I close my eyes is seeing all those…awful things. But I’m not worried about you.”
She did relax, mostly. She was no longer entirely on edge, but she couldn’t quite settle. After all, she is actively at the moment sharing a bed with the most out-of-her-league girl in Hawkins. Chrissy is undeniably beautiful, stunning, hot hot hot, and completely delightful in every way. And she now knows the girl is comfortable with a machete. She was going to think about this for the rest of her (now seeming far more likely to really and truly be) long life.
Still, though not relaxed to sleep, she was relaxed enough to lay there with Chrissy, whispering and giggling. Chrissy didn’t particularly want to reflect on the horrors they’d experienced, neither did Robin. They talked about their teachers and their classmates, exchanging benign gossip. Bitched in that loving way about their parents.
Robin tells stories about Steve that make Chrissy shove her face into the pillow to muffle her belly laughs. But once she collects herself, she goes silent, staring at the ceiling for a moment. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Robin asks, soft so as not to startle her.
The blond sighs “I don’t think I have many happy stories from the last couple of years. I mean, some really good things happened. But I wasn’t happy. You had crazy supernatural stuff to deal with and you still wound up with happy stories.”
Robin hummed. “I’m lucky. What we went through is awful, yeah. But we lived. And it brought me to some really awesome people. People who care about me, exactly as I am. Makes it a lot easier to find happy moments. You’ve got those people too, now.”
Chrissy turned her head back to face her. “I was supposed to die. I almost died because I was living a life that made me miserable. But I didn’t die, and I don’t want to go back to how I was before. So I want to stop doing things that make me miserable. And do more things just because they make me happy.”
“That’s a good goal. Any ideas?”
Chrissy nodded. “Well, I’m taking them up on the free therapy, for starters. My parents don’t really even like that I see the guidance counsellor. They think therapy is for crazy people. And maybe I am a little crazy, but even if I’m not I’m still doing it.”
“That’s good. Me too. Kind of wish they had that offer my last go around.” For a second, she drifted back there. She blinked hard to snap herself back to Chrissy’s pretty blue eyes. “Okay. So what else?”
“Well, kind of gross but I don’t want to shave my legs as much. I still might for cheer performances and stuff. But I don’t want to shave every single time I shower anymore.”
“Bet that’ll free up a bunch of time, too.”
“Exactly!” Chrissy went quiet for a moment. “Jason didn’t like it when I didn’t shave. One time last winter I didn’t because it was winter and I was always wearing pants. But when he had me back at his place and took them off me, he was grossed out.”
Robin’s nose crinkled. “I know he was your boyfriend. I know you loved him. But god, he was such an ass. It’s literally just hair, who cares?” She did manage to cut herself off before pointing out that Chrissy would still be insanely hot if she was like a sasquatch.
“He was. I uh, I did love him. I used to. But then I didn’t anymore. I wasn’t brave enough to break up with him. I’m sad that he’s dead, but I’m not sad that he’s away from me.”
“God, that’s…that’s really complicated.”
Chrissy laughs. “Yeah, well. That’s what the therapy will be for. Anyway, I’m moving forward into a life I like, and he’s not a part of that.”
“What else will be a part of it?”
Chrissy thought for a moment, lips tilting up in a smile. “Ice cream. Strawberry ice cream.” Robin’s lips joined hers in the smile, wishing for a moment that their lips could join in a different way, but shoving that idea aside. “Definitely all my new friends. I love the girls on the team, but I don’t think they get me like you guys do. Especially now” Robin hummed in understanding. She had other friends, too. But no one made her feel as at home in her skin than these people. “And dance parties. To music I like, with no choreography.”
“Still gonna be dancing to Cyndi Lauper?” Robin asked.
“Absolutely. Girls will always just want to have fun. But I’ll switch it up, too. Once Eddie’s better, I’m gonna watch him and his band perform. He says headbanging would be good for me.”
Robin tittered, “Oh I’d pay to see that.”
“You should come with, then.”
Her mouth dried. For god sake, she’s in bed with the girl. She shouldn’t be shocked at the invite to hang out. She swallowed thickly. “I’d like that.”
“There’s, um, there’s something else I want. Or, you know, I think it would be really really nice.”
“What’s that?”
It was Chrissy’s turn to hesitate, gulping enough that Robin could hear it. “Well, I’m still trying to figure out what this means to me. I don’t have the words and it’s not something I ever even let myself think about, but it was always there. In the back of my mind. I know I definitely liked boys but-” Robin’s breath hitched, starting to catch on but not wanting to build up hope. “When Leslie, on the team, picked me up and span me around, it felt the same as it used to feel when Jason did it.”
Her unwanted traces of hope started to deflate, but before it got that far further down “And I wasn’t even into Leslie, specifically. Just, you know, she’s pretty. And I know it wouldn’t be easy, and it’s pretty scary. But maybe there is a girl who I am specifically interested in. A-and maybe Eddie got it in my head that she might like me too. And it’s fine if she doesn’t, I’d still want to be her friend. But mostly I’d like to be more than just her friend.”
“Chrissy.” Robin licks her lips. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Chrissy nods oh so faintly. “If that’s okay.”
Y-yeah. Definitely. Absolutely I just, um, I haven’t actually kissed anyone before.”
“That’s okay. I’ve never kissed a girl before, so it’s a first kiss for both of us. And I was also hoping you’d be my 2nd kiss, too. And more after that.”
She nodded a mile too fast. Chrissy stilled her with a gentle hand on the cheek. “Yeah. Yes. I can do that.”
Both girls leaned in, inch by inch. She tried to crush her worries about how chapped her lips were, or how her breath was an hour after brushing, and especially feared she wouldn’t know how to do this. Still, despite it all, Robin settled a trembling hand on the other girl’s shoulder. Her heart stuttered as she first felt the press of Chrissy’s strawberry lip balm-covered lips. It was chaste, barely any movement and so brief that Robin’s lungs didn’t even have the opportunity to miss air. But god. It was everything.
Her eyes fluttered open, finding Chrissy still so close. “That was…” For the first time maybe ever, she found herself at an entire loss for words.
And that was okay, because Chrissy had some for her “Even more amazing than I thought it would be.”
Robin couldn’t hold back her giggle, the other girl joining in without hesitation. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth to muffle the sound, but Chrissy cut her off with her lips instead. This one was longer, lips starting to slide together as best as they could despite the smiles neither could get rid of.
As they lay there minutes later, Robin’s arm around Chrissy with the girl’s broken arm propped up on a pillow. “I have no idea how to do this, how to date a girl. But I want to figure it out.”
Robin followed through on the fantasies she’d had back in grade ten math when she sat a row behind Chrissy and kissed her now rumpled hair. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
“Yeah, okay.” The blonde blinked heavily. “I’m really glad Steve told me I should come over here.”
Robin blinked rapidly a few times as she processed. “Oh my god. He was the one who suggested it?”
Chrissy nodded. “Yeah. I was talking to Eddie about how, you know, I thought you were pretty and cool and stuff.” She huffed air out of her nose, smiling lazily. “And Steve knew I wasn’t sleeping so well, so he said you’d probably be alright with me coming over.”
“Chrissy,” She looked at the girl who may or may not be her new girlfriend. “I think Steve wingmaned us.”
“Oh my god.” Chrissy blinked back at her. “I think Eddie helped.”
A half over later, Chrissy drifted off with Robin wishing her sweet dreams. To no one's surprise, her dreams were in no way sweet. She awoke with a scream. Loud enough that it woke Robin's parents. The benefits of being girls with largely clueless parents means they saw nothing wrong with ‘that girl who got kidnapped’ sleeping over. Thought it was nice of Robin to comfort her friend like this.
By no means did they sleep well, Robin’s body certainly craved another few hours of sleep, but she was more than happy with the sacrifice when Chrissy kissed her in the bathroom the next morning after they brushed their teeth.
After her parents left for work later that morning, she called the Harrington house. Steve was at the ready to apologize for blindsiding her. But he focused on that for all of six seconds before reminding her that if he’d told her, she’d have freaked out so bad before he even boosted a pretty girl through her window. She wasn’t even annoyed that she had to agree he was right, because that same pretty girl had her arms wrapped around her, listening in on the conversation.
Robin's parents liked Chrissy well enough, especially since they thought Chrissy was the kind of girl who could help Robin get a boyfriend. So every couple of weeks, Chrissy knocked on the front door. She’d have dinner with the family, then they’d watch movies, paint each other's nails, have dance parties, and eat strawberry ice cream. Having fun with the most vibrant sleepovers, sometimes inviting the other girls, and making it a party. But far more often, especially once her arm healed enough that she could get up without a boost, Chrissy would crawl through Robin’s window. And day by day, night by night, the dreams became sweeter.