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For day one at a new job, Robin and Steve’s first shift at the Family Video was dreadfully boring.
It was from two to ten p.m. on a Monday, and assigned to them last minute because Keith apparently got the worst case of food poisoning this side of the Mississippi. They hadn’t even been trained yet. Just had a sheet of paper with scribbled notes on what to do.
Robin had been staring at the battered old watch on her wrist watching the pointers move. “I’m bored!” She groaned, her forehead falling on the counter. They had attended to a total of zero clients so far and six p.m. was rolling around. “Let’s do something!”
“Like what?” Steve sprawled his legs out of the wheelie chair and over the side of the counter. His crossed feet rested comfortably over it. He casually flipped through a magazine they found in a drawer earlier. Robin was sure that by now he had read everything on those pages at least twice.
“I don’t know. Want to look for cards again?” Robin turned to her friend, shoulder slumped, hands tucked between her thighs.
“I don’t know how to play any games, either way.” Steve mentioned, licking the tips of his finger to ease the swiping.
Robin rolled her eyes. She left her seat and forcefully yanked the mag off Steve’s hands. “You’re being boring.”
“Unfair.” Steve smiled pulling back the magazine and opening it again.
Robin groaned frustratedly. She scratched her forehead in thought before jumping up to sit on the counter. “We could prank call people.”
“I always feel guilty afterwards. Takes the fun out of things.” He shrugged. The constant flipping of pages was getting on Robin’s nerves.
“Let’s play truth or dare.” She proposed.
“How are we going to do dares here?” He swiped another page.
“Steve, if you don’t put that thing down I’m going to rip it to shreds.” Robin knocked her fists over her legs.
He looked up through half lidded eyes and pursed his lips. “Fine.” Finally he closed it. “How’s the growing crush on that girl from band?” He asked.
Robin’s cheeks burned instantaneously. “She told me John Travolta was hot the other day. So I’d say… not great.”
“Ah, she’s not wrong.” He replied, his head relaxed back into the cushion of the chair. Robin raised a quizzical eyebrow, surprised at Steve’s response. “I mean- you know-…”
“No, I don’t. I’m more of a ‘stare-at-Sandy’ kind of girl.” Robin casually joked.
Silence fell.
Steve was staring into the beyond. Robin snapped her fingers in front of his unblinking eyes. “Earth to Steve.”
“Robin-…” He got up from his chair. “Can I tell you something?” And started to pace around.
“Course.” Robin smiled understandingly. Steve looked a bit not-like-himself.
Then Steve sat on the floor, criss-cross applesauce and rested his head on his hands. Robin thought that was odd. So she joined him on the cold floor.
“How did you know?” He asked inconspicuously, head ducked to stare at Robin’s shoes.
Oh, boy. “How did I know what?”
“Well… the girls thing.” Steve gestured his hands around.
“That I like women?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “How did you know?”
“I… “ She felt like there was a right answer to this question. She just didn’t know what it was. “I guess I always did.”
Steve hummed. Then fell silent.
Robin tapped her foot against his. “Steve, did you OD over there?” The inner joke brought light back into his eyes. He smiled.
“You never… like… Did you ever- like- Ahh-“ He covered his face with his big hands.
“Are you okay?” She squeezed his knee reassuringly.
“I don’t know what you are going to think about this next line of questioning. But- if I promise- do you- do you trust me?” He asked.
Robin felt like making a joke. The mood got way too tense. But she could hear the seriousness in Steve’s tone, the pain in his demeanor. She cleared her throat. “With my life, Dingus. I trust you with my life.” No shadow of a doubt.
“Ahh-…” Steve started combing his hands through his hair, nervously. “It’s going to sound… bad.”
“I’m prepared.”
“It’s not what you think-“
“I’m not thinking-“
“But it’s not-“
“You haven’t said anything yet-“
“I know how it sounds.”
“It doesn’t sound like anything because you-“
“Did you even have crushes on men?” Steve blurted out.
He didn’t give her time to answer. He got up and paced back and forth. Robin tried to keep an open mind. “Never.”
“So you can’t like both, right?” He gestured about.
“Nope. I only like women.” Robin said.
“Oh.” Steve sounded really disappointed. “Okay.” He plopped back down on the chair.
The afternoon didn’t fly by.
Not even a month later Steve showed up at Robin’s place with wet hair, wet clothes and shaky hands.
It was raining outside.
Robin welcomed him into her room and wrapped a towel around his shoulders, sitting down next to him on the edge of her bed.
“I kissed a guy.” He admitted without any prompting.
“What?” Robin blinked, thinking she didn’t hear him right.
“There’s this guy my age, he works for my dad.” Steve explained. “When I was with Nancy, it was so real, right? I mean… I thought I loved her. Even my crush on you. Clearly I was wrong. And then the other day when I slept with Heidi, I mean… that was… but now…”
“Steve, breathe.” Robin rubbed his shoulder. “Do you want some water?”
“You’re not listening to me.” He spat.
“I am.”
“No, you’re not. Robin I’m gay.” He said, eyes panicked.
Oh.
Oh.
Robin’s mind flashed back to their conversation a month ago. So you can’t like both, right?
Steve laid back on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. Robin joined him.
“You like this guy?” She smiled, trying to get him out of his head.
“Well, kind of. I think he’s really hot.”
“So you guys kissed. That’s great!”
“No. He has a girlfriend back in Chicago.”
“Oh. Shit.”
“I’m so fucking confused.” Steve admitted. He laid his cheek on the bed, met Robin’s eyes.
“You like both?” She asked him, feeling his hand reach for hers in reassurance.
“But you can’t like both, right?” Steve’s eyes were a little misty.
“Says who?” She nudged his side.
“Right.” His eyebrows knit together.
“Bisexual. It’s called bisexual.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize that was what you were asking me.”
“Not your fault. I didn’t make much sense. Was worried you’d think I was trying to pressure you into going out with me or something.” He admitted.
Robin laughed.
“So, Steve Harrington likes men, ah?” Robin wasn’t hiding the teasing tone. She smirked and delighted in all the ways their friendship made more sense now than ever.
“I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?” Steve smiled.
“If you are ready for that. Then yeah.”
“I think so….” He didn’t sound sure.
Robin found another one. She actually found someone like her, without trying. “I’m so happy you’re my best friend, dingus.”
“Love you, Robin.”
“Love you, Steve.”
They stayed in silence for a little while. Tears in their eyes.
“So think you’re gonna suck him off in your car?” Robin asked cheekily.
A pillow hit her face.