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“Why aren’t you dating him?”
It’s been the question of the day and Robin’s on her last leg. The first time, she’d only had her eyes open for all of twenty seconds, before she had even been able to fully grasp where she was.
The answer was the Wheelers’ basement, a recurring hangout spot since before Robin had joined the group, though from what she’s gathered over time it used to only be the kids who spent their time down here before the Upside Down, or more specifically, before Starcourt. Now, basically any mixture of the group can be found in the basement at any time.
Robin lifted her head from the arm of the couch, where she’d accidently fallen asleep. The group they’d arrived in had dissipated to just the two of them apparently.
“Where’d everyone go?” She blinked, scanning around the room before reaching the only other occupant, looking back at Robin with a quirked brow and scrutiny etched across her face, spilling from her gaze in waves. The silence that follows pulls the question thrown at her foggy brain moments ago. Robin blinks at the recollection, reconnecting with Nancy’s a second later.
“What did you say?” Robin scratches her eyebrow absentmindedly as she shifts into a more comfortable sitting position, Nancy reclined on the palm of her hands, sat in the middle of the basement floor, facing Robin.
Nancy sits straighter, hands drawing into her lap, elbows grazing the tops of her thighs and legs crossed.
“Why aren’t you dating Steve.” And it’s a reflex to roll her eyes. Nancy’s asked her once before when they were in the Upside Down about the nature of her and Steve’s relationship. It’s a fair question. A man and a woman as close as them were bound to catch people’s eyes, drawing rumors about their relationship. Especially when that man is none other than Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, apparent womanizer of Hawkins High, who hasn’t managed a date in months. The thought nearly draws a snicker.
“Nance, we talked about this already. Platonic, capital ‘P’. Ring a bell?”
Robin sees the almost inscrutable narrowing of Nancy’s eyes before she stands, glancing at the staircase.
“Steve and Dustin went to Family Video. The rest are up in the living room. I didn’t want them to wake you.”
It’s happened twice since and they’re only halfway through the day.
Robin’s starting to get anxious. Paranoid that maybe Nancy’s prying for that one answer she’s not ready to give yet. Wasn’t actually ready to give the first time but pulled out of her because of truth serum.
Both times had Robin repeating herself because what more can she say? She clearly adores Steve, a feeling that’s reciprocated just as thoroughly that it makes Robin’s chest ache in a loving manner.
Now they’re seated on the same couch she’d dozed off on this morning, Nancy seated on one side of her, Steve on the other. The children are sprawled out on the floor aside from Dustin, who opted for the recliner next to Steve’s side of the couch, as one of the movies chosen plays on screen.
Robin’s in the middle of wondering if Dustin had chosen that spot because it was next to Steve, clearly his idol, or if he really just didn’t want to sit on the floor when next to her, Nancy crosses her legs, her left foot bumping into Robin’s shin. It isn’t until about ten seconds later when she realizes Nancy isn’t going to retract the contact that Robin tenses slightly, hyperaware of the girl next to her, the miniscule gap from shoulder to thigh already enough to put the girl on edge. She can feel the heat radiating from her and it fogs Robin’s mind enough to miss the way her own leg shifts using a mind of its own, putting more pressure against Nancy’s ankle, as if to solidify the contact.
It's the way Nancy’s shoulders finally sink into the back of the couch, causing her to press into Robin from shoulder to hip, just a brush of fabric but enough to send Robin spiraling.
Steve’s been whispering in her right ear about the movie for an hour now and Robin hasn’t heard a word in the past half hour at least because she’s too focused on the fingers tapping against the bicep of Nancy’s crossed arms in the corner of Robin’s vision, or the occasional shift of Nancy’s foot when she stretches it, rolling her ankle and nearly digging into Robin’s shin enough to make her flinch.
It's when the movie only has a few minutes left, when Steve leans into Robin, cupping his mouth and bringing it to Robin’s ear and whispering so quietly that even Robin needs to strain slightly to hear.
It was a simple joke, something about the plot that Robin barely followed but it still managed to pull a laugh out her, made Robin snicker enough to pull the kid’s attention for a moment, looks of annoyance and curiosity. She elbowed the man next to her in the ribcage.
It’s when the title appears on screen, signaling the movie’s end, that Nancy flies off the couch and all but marches up the stairs and out of the basement that has Steve and Robin looking at each other questioningly.
Steve shrugs, a question rather than dismissal. Robin pats his knee and stands, following the other girl up to the kitchen where she finds her in the kitchen, in the process of filling a glass with water from the kitchen sink.
Nancy gives no acknowledgement of Robin’s entrance other than a subtle tilt of her head.
“Hey, uh. So, what’d you think of the movie?” Robin starts, shifting from foot to foot. There’s tension. Even Robin can pick up on the heaviness weighing thick in the small room encompassing them.
“I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you, what with how engrossed you were with your whispering to Steve the whole time.”
Robin wants to –
God, she doesn’t even know. Groan? Scoff? Spill her guts? At this point, they’re all fair responses.
“Nancy, –“ The girl in question spins around, sink still running behind her, glass filled to the brim and sliding down the sides while she comes to stand in front of Robin. She deposits the glass on the counter beside them, Robin watching the beads of water transition from the glass onto Nancy’s fingers as she pulls her hand away, then the swift motion of wiping them against her jeans, causing her eyes to snap back up to Nancy’s, light blue meeting dark.
“Tell me again why you aren’t dating him.”
Robin ends up scoffing, tired of the same question, the start of every conversation between them for what feels like the umpteenth time today.
“Because I’d destroy him.” She tries to joke, to quell whatever it is between them.
“He’d be into that.” Nancy shrugs, not backing down. “Just look at me.” And yeah, okay, that throws Robin off.
“I, what? No, I didn’t mean anything by that. Was that supposed to mean something gross? Because I don’t want to do anything gross with Steve. And God, seriously. There is, hasn’t, nor ever will be anything more than a friendship between me and Steve, why won’t you just fucking accept that, Nancy? Why are you suddenly hounding me about this so hard? If you want him, he’s yours. It’s not going put a rift between any of us if you want to date him, or if you’re not comfortable with the idea of us dating. It’s not going to happen.” The huff that spills out of her sobers her from the outburst, eyes widening slightly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be an ass. You’ve just been on me about this all day and I don’t know how else to tell you that Steve and I could never be a thing.”
“Could never?”
Robin tilts her head, resembling a confused puppy as the echoing of her words fill her head. It doesn’t take a genius to understand the question behind them, but Robin was sure going to act like it.
“What?”
“You said could never. Could. Not would.” Nancy’s eyes narrow for a moment, before simple curiosity envelops her face.
“Okay? What’s the difference?”
“Plenty.”
And okay, yeah. If you want to get technical, those words aren’t entirely interchangeable. But Robin has already planted her feet and she’s nothing if not stubborn.
“Yeah, I couldn’t date Steve. Because he’s a dingus and that’s not going to change. Why would I want to date a dingus?” She tries. It’s a reach but it’s all she has. Nancy isn’t speaking, just watching as Robin begins to flood with nerves, can feel the beginnings of a tangent breaking the barrier between her brain and her mouth before the basement door flies open, Robin jumping at the sudden break in silence. Nancy doesn’t flinch, her gaze burning through Robin to her very core.
“I cannot believe you’re making me drive to my job on my day off not once, but twice, Mayfield. And I know Dustin put you up to – Oh, where’ve you guys been.”
Both girls look at Steve, Robin instinctively rolling her eyes. “Where does it look like dingus? It’s been five minutes.”
“Whoa, Buckley, what’s with the attitude? Movie that bad?” When Steve looks between the two women, both tense and awkward, he raises his hands up in a silent apology before quickly following Max out the front door.
Nancy sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and pouring the water out of the glass in the sink and setting it on the dishrack before making towards the staircase up to the second floor, pausing at the threshold separating the kitchen from the living room.
“You’re right, Robin. I’m being ridiculous. I shouldn’t have nagged.” She said, false nonchalance lacing her tone that has Robin’s lips pulling into a frown, brows furrowing.
“Nance, I just don’t understand.” Before she’d even gotten the girl’s name out, Nancy has already begun to head towards the stairs, the taller girl all but forced to follow her up the stairs and towards the brunette’s bedroom door before she whirls around to face Robin, who stops just short of colliding into her.
Nancy jabs a finger against Robin’s sternum. “You’re both so perfect for each other. Charming, funny, reluctant caretakers for the children, albeit Steve has far more experience. Gentle, kind, caring, and loving. Insufferable yet so fucking endearing. It just makes no sense for two incredibly attractive people to be so compatible and n – “
“You think I’m attractive?”
Nancy blinks, tangent screeching to a halt at the interruption. Her finger still presses against Robin’s chest poking sharply with each emphasized word. Though now, she’s aware of the rest of her arm flush against Robin’s torso from sternum to the middle of the taller girl’s stomach, feeling the subtle heartbeat coming from the right of her finger, to the deep, almost artificial rise and fall of her stomach, controlled breaths ghosting over the apple of her cheek, Robin’s head dipped down to look Nancy in the eyes. Trying to regain her bearings, Nancy scoffs.
“That’s entirely irrelevant to the point I’m trying to make.” But when Nancy’s hand flattens of its own volition, palm pressed flat against her chest and can finally feel just how fast Robin’s heart is pounding, Nancy can’t help the quiet gasp that slips out, her lips parting in awe.
“But you do.” Nancy can hear Robin swallow as she watches the muscles in her throat flex.
“What, Steve hasn’t told you?” It’s bitter, entirely too biting to just be Nancy’s insistence that Robin and Steve like each other. It sounds jealous and by the way Robin’s brow ticks up questioningly, she picked up on it.
“He has. When he’s being a wingman and encouraging me. Trying to build my confidence, you know?”
“Please, Robin. You might be a little weird, but you have the confidence for it tenfold.” Nancy’s head drops, a slight thud as her head rests against her door. She looks passed Robin’s shoulder, attempting to clear her senses of the girl, thumb rubbing soothingly against her chest before pulling it away, to her own chest.
“I don’t though. Just a loud mouth. I’m actually anxious most of the time. Nervous, scared, worried. All of the time, really.”
Nancy looks back at Robin, who’s eyes shine with vulnerability.
“What do you have to be anxious about? You already got the guy.” It’s like a trigger is pulled, because their gentle words get shattered by Robin’s loud huff, arms swinging roughly in the air and drawing back, pacing the length of the hallway as words spill out of her.
“Jesus, Wheeler. Can you just shut the fuck up about me and Steve? It’s starting to make everything awkward. It makes me second guess every move I make around my best friend. I shouldn’t have to overanalyze every move I make around him because of some stupid assumption that I would want to date him just because he’s some high school womanizer. Maybe if things were different we might’ve dated but things aren’t so we won’t. Ever. Never ever. Just give it a rest, for all that is holy. Leave it alone. I don’t understand why you need to know, why you’re this invested in the love life of your ex-boyfriend and his best friend.”
She’d ended back up in front of her, closer this time, noses just inches shy of brushing. Robin’s breathing is ragged due to the emotions bubbling within her, eyes shining with the need to get it, to understand why she’s being badgered about this so hard when Nancy should just accept that it’s not even an option, but Nancy’s investigative nature needs the evidence, the proof, can’t seem to be able to take her words at face value with how intimate Robin and Steve are together.
They stand there, tension filling every nook and cranny around, within them. It’s like a spring coiling, drawing Nancy closer. It’s not even a conscious thought when her hands slip onto Robin’s hips to anchor herself. She feels more than hears the shudder in the breath Robin lets out.
“And I’ve been asking you why. Not if you are, but why you wouldn’t.” There’s a pause. “Couldn’t.”
“Because, Nancy. Why isn’t that enough?”
“Because, it doesn’t answer my question.” She pulls at Robin’s hips, a foot forced to shuffle forward, bumping against the inside of one of Nancy’s own. Robin tucks her chin, forehead resting against Nancy’s brow.
“Nance, please stop asking me. Please.”
It’s a sticky situation. Muddled with uncertainty. Fear. It should be obvious, the way Nancy’s thumbs caress the clothed skin beneath her hands, firmly keeping the girl close to her. The way Robin’s nose nuzzles against the dimple in Nancy’s cheek.
One of Robin’s hands brazenly slides up Nancy’s arm, resting on the side of neck before trailing a finger against the sharp jut of the shorter girl’s jaw until it reaches her chin. She cups it between the tips of her thumb and forefinger, drawing her head back before reaching Nancy’s eyes, heavy lidded and clouded, stuck in her own thoughts.
“I can’t tell you.” Robin says, forlornly. She watches as Nancy blinks, looks at her for a few moments, though it felt like centuries. Her gaze drops to what Robin can only dream are her lips.
Nancy’s brow quirks, tongue darting out to wet her lips. She looks back into Robins eyes.
“Then show me.”
It was the last straw, without any further prompting Robin has Nancy pressed flush against her own bedroom door, lips pressing against her own. It’s soft, slow. A caress more than anything. It’s intoxicating. Nancy sucks her lower lip between her own, teeth grazing pink flesh, drawing a gentle groan from the taller girl.
It’s all Nancy needed for her to reach beside her, hand catching the doorknob, and turning, causing the door to fling open, the two girls staggering inside before Nancy has Robin pressed against the opposite side of the door, hands sliding up the length of Robin’s torso until she reaches her shoulders, pulling herself onto her tiptoes to pull herself closer, to pull Robin closer, to meld themselves into one.
When Nancy’s lips slip from Robin’s in favor of her jaw, to her neck, it’s Robin’s turn to drop her head against Nancy’s door.
“Jesus, Nance.”
“You know, for someone who claims to be agnostic, you sure do use the lord’s name in vain a lot.” Nancy smirks despite her lips still dragging a path down the column of Robin’s throat.
“Fuck, can you blame me? Nancy Wheeler is worshipping my neck. It’s hardly unfitting.” Robin says as she fists the sides of Nancy’s blouse when she feels teeth sink into the skin just above her pulse point before Nancy sucks it into her mouth, tongue soothing the sharp impressions she’d left in her wake.
Robin tilts her head to bring Nancy’s lips back to her own, hungry and ravenous as Nancy matches her with equal fervor. Robin’s hands slide down to Nancy’s waist, fingers slipping into the beltloops at the sides of her hips and pulls her roughly towards her, the fabric of Nancy’s jeans pressing firmly against her core, a sudden, deep moan falling from her lips.
The room stills at the noise, lightning shooting through every vein in Robin’s body when she pulls back and looks at Nancy, her jaw slack and eyes lustful, boring into Robin, who can’t help but to give another tug, slow and more intentional, earning another guttural moan as her hips roll against Robin’s own, eyes slamming shut in pleasure at the ministration, reveling in the pressure.
“Robin.” It’s breathy and pleading and all Robin can do is stare at the sight of a flushed Nancy Wheeler all but begging to crumble beneath her fingertips.
“Why aren’t you dating Steve?” It’s not Nancy to ask this time, but Robin, who’s gaze has sobered minutely.
“He’s not the dingus I’m interested in.” Nancy says, a hint of humor coating her otherwise heavy, affectionate gaze.
As if on cue, they can hear the front door fly open and closed as Steve and Max’s bickering filter up into the bedroom and Steve calling Robin’s name before hearing the subtle closing of the basement door.
“God, it’s like you two summon each other.” Nancy rolls her eyes. “I really wanted to finish this.” Her fingers flex on top of Robin’s shoulders in emphasis.
“Why can’t we?” Robin barely gets the sentence out before heavy footsteps can be heard coming up the steps. Nancy quirks a brow, the corner of her mouth ticking up as if to say ‘I told you so’
“Shut up, Wheeler.” Followed by a peck before she tugs Nancy’s door open to find Steve just short of knocking.
“Can’t spend a second without me, Harrington?”
Steve glances between Robin and Nancy for a moment before focusing on Robin again, a grin spreading across his face.
“Geez, Robin. Just because I said I was cool with it doesn’t mean you have to go parading your sex life around in front of me.” It’s comical, the way Robin’s eyes bulge out of her head. Her mouth opening and closing in rapid concession. For once, she’s speechless.
“You might want to cover that before you come back down, Nancy’s got some experience with it.” He says, gesturing to his neck before spinning on his heel and walking back down the hall.
“Maybe there’d have been a sex life if you hadn’t interrupted.” Robin throws back, too delayed to make any sort of impact, watching Steve cackle as he disappears down the stairs.
“Maybe?” Robin twirls on her heel, finding Nancy sitting on her bed, legs crossed as she reclines on her palms, mirroring her position on the floor from earlier. Only this time there’s a coy smile, mirth swirling in her gaze. Robin gulps, walking slowly towards Nancy.
“Definitely?” She tries. Nancy’s brow ticks up. “… Not?” Robin leans down to connect her lips with Nancy, falling just short as Nancy’s hand presses against her chest, stopping Robin’s advances, before trailing up to cup her chin in the dip between her index finger and thumb to cradle her jaw, before turning Robin’s head to the side. Nancy whistles slowly before smirking, looking back at Robin.
“Steve’s right. Let’s get that covered up before we rejoin the others.” Before slipping past Robin and towards her vanity and rifling through her make up.
“Rejoin the others? But what about…?” Robin gestures towards the door and bed despite Nancy’s back facing her. With defeat, Robin flops onto Nancy’s bed, pouting like a toddler.
“We’ll get back to this. Let’s enjoy family time while we can.” She quips, turning back to Robin with make up in her hand, making her way back towards her.
“Besides, I think I can make this makeover a little more fun than the last time.” Nancy says before wordlessly moving to straddle Robin’s lap, tilting her head back to kiss the bruise she’d left behind, one slow rock of her hips as her tongue trail up to the shell of Robin’s ear. Robin shudders.
“Keep your paws to yourself if you want to get back downstairs anytime soon, Wheeler.” Robin manages to get out, all but panting.
“Alright, alright, scout’s honor.” Nancy grins, already beginning to apply the makeup. Nancy begins to apply makeup to the ever-darkening mark her lips had left behind as the girls sit in comfortable silence until Nancy suddenly pulls back to look at Robin.
“What did Steve mean by him saying it was cool? What’s cool?” She resumes applying makeup to Robin’s neck, waiting for her to answer.
“Oh, cool is when – “ She gasps when Nancy pinches her side.
“Don’t be a smartass, smartass.”
Robin’s cheeks grow pink before clearing her throat. “Steve may have been aware of, uh, well, my… Crush? Crush. On you. For a while. Maybe not to its full extent but. Yeah.”
“You’ve… Had a crush on me for a while?” Nancy draws back to look at Robin fully. Before Robin could even curate a response, Nancy continues. “You’re telling me that we could have been doing this a while ago? How long is a while, Buckley?”
“I, well, What’s today’s date?”
“June 6th.”
“Yeah, okay, so like. Well,” Nancy rolls her eyes, looking at her pointedly.
“How long is 7th grade til now?” Robin winces preemptively, waiting for Nancy’s response. It comes slowly, achingly slow. Nancy slowly climbs off Robin’s lap and crosses her arms across her chest, staring down at Robin.
“You’ve had a crush on me for like five years?”
“Yeah.” And then lips press against her own, light and soft; tender. She’d barely even felt it when Nancy pulls back with a soft smile.
“I guess I can’t rival that, but I’ve had a crush on you for a while, too.”
All Robin can do is smile back when Nancy tugs her up from the bed and towards her bedroom door. They make their way through the house towards the basement, fingers loosely linked together and Robin isn’t sure which burns hotter, the touch of Nancy’s fingertips or the blood forming under the makeup on her skin.