Chapter Text
~Robin's POV~
“How many cups do you need, Harrington?” Robin quipped. A sea of red solo cups lay on every table, counter, and work surface as she entered his living room. Steve appeared from the kitchen, stacks of more cups overflowing in his arms.
“More, Robin, I need more,” Steve sputtered with an intense urgency, “We have an hour and there are not enough cups!” He ran through the living room, hurling cup after cup onto every free surface. Robin could see the stress bubbling through him, a fearful look masking his usual calm and easygoing attitude.
The Harrington annual party is the most anticipated night of the summer. Everyone from Hawkins High will be here, a festering crowd of underage drinking consuming the Harrington House. Steve has been hosting since sophomore year and with each passing year, the pressure builds to improve from the previous party. Even after graduating Steve still hosts. Frankly, Robin believed it is a waste of over-exertion and a sure-fire way of destroying the house- the aftermath of which she would be on duty to clean. Oh, the benefits of being the best friend.
“STEVE,” Robin shouted, the only way of snapping him out of his stress-induced trance- a method which was proven efficient, “It will be okay. This is more than enough cups. In fact, anymore cups and we’d be drowning along with the rest of town. They would spill out of the windows and infiltrate the streets. We don’t need more cups.”
Steve looked at the blonde like a deer in headlights, shocked by her uncharacteristic assertiveness. Steve looked at the scene in front of him and started slowly nodding, “I think you’re right, Rob. Yeah, it will be okay.” With this acceptance, he drops the mass of plastic from his arms onto the living room floor and with a loud thump flopped onto the sofa. Instead of picking up his mess, they both left it there and Robin joined him on his black leather sofa; relief, party of two.
The Harringtons were by no means strapped for cash. Their house was a borderline mansion. With three expansive floors and a large pool, it was a partygoer's dream. The sheer size, coupled with Steve’s parents’ constant absences, made it the go-to pad for raggers. The long corridors allowed for rampant make-outs, while still being used to pass by - a quintessential element to every high school party.
“So, who are we expecting tonight?” Robin asked a soft echo bouncing through the high ceiling.
“Well,” Steve started, a sigh following, his hands running across his face to release his anxieties, “Everyone. All the seniors, most of the sophomores. Vickie- Oh, Nance and Johnathon said they would make an appearance-“. The mention of Nancy pulled Robin from the conversation, no longer hearing what Steve was saying.
Nancy Wheeler was no doubt a priss. A beautiful, smart, wonderful priss but a priss nonetheless. Lately though, at even a slight mention of her name Robin's hands seem to clam up, her breathing becomes heavy and her mind clouds with thoughts of Nancy. Her hair. Her bold blue eyes. Her soft blushed skin. The soft dip of her waist into the curve of her hips. Robin imagined her hands resting there while she kissed her supple lips. The sweet moans that-
“ROBIN,” Steve snapped, punching Robin's arm to grab my attention back to him, “Did you hear a word of what I just said?” In a more teasing tone rather than an aggravated one.
Instead of telling Steve that she was fantasising over his ex-girlfriend, Robin just shook her head and said, “Sorry, no I just zoned out,” a nervous chuckle unwarrantedly slipped from her mouth- again, a small characteristic which has developed along with her crush on Wheeler.
“Was it because I mentioned Vickie?” Steve laughed as if he had seen Robin's thoughts.
She nodded and with slight sarcasm, she said, “Am I that transparent?”
“I knew you had the hots for her. Maybe you can lay some moves on her tonight.” Steve said with an added wiggle of his eyebrows. If he knew the reality of who Robin was getting hot and bothered over, he would have well and truly killed her. Well, she thought he would. Every time they would hang out with Eddie in his trailer, he would never fail to bring her up. Which is killing Robin.
“Yeah, perhaps” She muttered, shovelling the conversation away, “Come on Harrington, let's clean this shit”
***
By 10:30, the party was in full swing. Music blared from the large speakers in the corner of the living room, making sound flood throughout the house. The walls almost shook with the bass of the music and the floor vibrated from the mass of dancing teenagers.
Steve was sitting on his sofa, sucking face with a random girl from school, while Robin and Eddie passed a joint between themselves in the kitchen. Luckily, Steve was too engrossed in his make-out session to smell their weed, else he would have ruined their buzz. The pair sat on the kitchen counter, surveying the scene. Masses of people stood around the kitchen island adorned with copious amounts of liquor and booze, all of which were stolen from the basement. On top of this, Steve’s famous raspberry vodka punch was also on the island, slowly being drunk by the minute.
From beside Robin, a small giggle peeped out of Eddie. She joined too, unaware of what he was laughing at. After a minute of the two manically laughing (a direct consequence of the weed), Robin asked “What are we laughing at Ed?”
“I think the punch is looking at us.” Eddie spluttered through a laugh. Robin then looked at the crystal bowl and saw two raspberry eyes and a wide raspberry smile. She turned to Eddie wide-eyed, astonished, and said “You’re right, man. It's smiling at us.” Their shocked faces turned to disappointment as a party goer ladled a glass of punch, dissipating its beautiful face.
Despite this, however, Eddie continued laughing. So did Robin, until Nancy Wheeler and Johnathon Byers walked into the kitchen. She jumped off the counter and nudged Eddie to shut him up. “What was that for- ahhh I see,” Eddie said, giving Robin a knowing look. “You have a crush on Wheeler '' He whispered. She poked her finger into a gap in his rib, causing him to double over in pain coupled with mocking amusement.
“Hi, Nance,” Robin had to shout for Nancy to hear her over Bon Jovi. Nerves bubbled in her stomach as a subtle blush blanketed Nancy’s face. Robin made her blush.
“Hey, Robbie” She half shouted back with an added wave. Every time she called Robin that, Robin’s knees would go weak. As Nancy went past the punch, she ladled four cups, one each for Eddie, Johnathon, and Robin and one for herself. Robin's nerves and butterflies grew more intense with every step closer Nancy took. When she reached Robin and Eddie, she handed them their drinks with delicacy and caution which Robin immediately swooned at. As Nancy handed Robin her drink, Robin's fingertips briefly grazed Nancy’s and it sent electricity through the blonde's body. Nancy's hand lingered for a second, but then recoiled to hand Eddie his drink.
“So, Nance how was your day?” Robin asked curiously, breaking the awkward tension.
“It’s been okay. I went to Family Video today to see you, but you weren’t there.” She said, with a hint of mischief in her voice. Robin felt the blush on my cheeks grow more intense. Does she know what she is doing to her?
“Oh-h, really? Well, I had to help Steve clean and stuff. And then I had to buy more cups, but then I bought the wrong ones so Steve sent me back to the store. But then he still didn't like them so returned them again and came back empty-handed. Busy day-” Robin rambled with a nervous laugh to finish off. She drank her whole glass in one glug, gaining wide-eyed expressions from the other adults.
After a second of a moronic silence, Nancy's words caught up with Robins's slow receptors, “Wait- you came to see me ? Why?” Robin was shocked by Nancy's interest. Sure they hung out sometimes, but only with the kids or Steve and Eddie- never alone. So why now did she want to see her? Not that Robin would ever complain, in fact, she craves alone time, but it blared warning signs. Although, it could be the drugs.
Nancy gave Robin a soft, slightly adoring laugh and replied, “Well, I didn't come to see you specifically . I needed to return a tape Mike had watched with Will. They had-”
For the second time tonight, Robin was pulled from a conversation. This time, however, she was on the brink of tears. Ridiculous, irrational tears but tears all the same. She thought Nancy was seeking her, wanting to enjoy her company, but no. She was simply returning her brother's movie. The hypothetical meeting would have been simply transactional. Robins's heart sank into her stomach with rejection.
“Hey, bud,” Robin heard Eddie say with an apprehensive hand on her shoulder, “are you okay?” Suddenly, she's back, but her cup has landed on the floor with stray raspberries flung around it. She looks at Nancy but her face was blank, completely void and impossibly unreadable.
Robins's only solution was to flee. She ran out of the kitchen, narrowly dodging drunk teenagers in her wake, with tears streaming down her cheeks. She sees Steve on the couch with random number 2 as she runs and Robin wishes she could confess right then and there for some support but she couldn't be sure he wouldn't get angry.
Robin bolts up to the third floor, which was littered with the odd couple but reasonably empty enough to not be interrupted. Another bonus to this, on this floor, was Robins's secret bedroom. Steve had given Robin a bedroom in his house when he became aware of her father's abuse and her mother's compliance with it. He allowed her a safe haven away from her personal hell whenever she felt like it and Robin was eternally grateful for it. Since their defeat of Veccna however, Robin accrued debilitating nightmares which haunted her every night. Her screaming would irk her father and the abuse became worse so Steve insisted she move in with him. So for the last few months, she was living in the Harrington House. Steve even moved his bedroom to the room next to hers in case she needed him in the night- and every night without fail she would.
Robin reached her room in record time, full of sadness and underlying anger. She closed the door and crumbled herself in front of it, not finding a shred of energy to move to her bed. Robin lay there and cried for what felt like hours. Why could she have been so stupid? Nancy could never like her. She was straight for one and two she was dating Johnathon. How could she have misread Nancy's signs so severely? Thoughts like this poisoned her mind, filling her with doubts and dread until a soft knock pattered on her door.
“Hey Robin, it's Ed. Can we come in?” Eddie must have followed her.
Robin peeled herself from the floor and stood to open to door. When she did she was greeted by Eddie along with Nancy.
“Nance..”