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They haven't looked away from each other since this whole thing started and as cheesy as it sounds, Nancy keeps getting lost in his eyes. Robin asking her the occasional question is the only thing that keeps bringing her back.
“...joy and sorrow as long as you both shall live?”
"Yeah," Nancy answers absentmindedly and Steve grins brightly.
“Kickass," Robin exclaims, and there's laughter from the crowd. "Let's exchange some rings!” Having Robin officiate was the best idea they ever had.
Steve takes her finger of her left hand and rests them in his palms, his thumb brushing against her knuckles. His hand is shaking, or maybe it's hers, she can’t be sure.
He narrows his eyes and his tongue pokes out of his mouth as he rummages through the inside pocket of his jacket, as if he has absolutely no idea where the ring is. She loves him and his antics so much.
“Aha!” He digs the ring out and holds it in front of her finger. It's nothing fancy, just a plain gold band, but it means more than Nancy ever thought it could: it's a lifetime of promises and a shoulder to cry on when things get tough; it's a way for her to carry his love whether he’s next to her or not; it's a reminder of everything that's led them here.
Steve's thumb shifts to her ring finger, almost like he's getting the spot ready. She feels nauseous but in a good way.
“Steve, please place the ring on Nancy’s finger and repeat after me.” Robin says.
When he repeats the words, he does so quietly, like it's reserved for her ears only, despite the audience in the room. “I, Steve Harrington, give you, Nancy Wheeler, this ring…,” he guides the ring slowly onto her finger, “...as a symbol of my enduring love.” She wants to kiss him so badly it hurts, but she can wait a little bit longer. Maybe.
She glances down to look at the ring on her finger — it looks like it was always supposed to be there.
“Nancy, please place the ring on Steve’s finger and repeat after me.”
She takes the ring that Robin gives her, but Steve isn’t letting go of her hand. Nancy raises an eyebrow, but he just mouths What? and bends down to kiss her hand once on her knuckle, and once on the ring. The combination of his warm lips and the cold metal on her skin and the way he looks at her, like she is a dream, is almost enough to make her cry. Almost. She’s not going to ruin her makeup just yet.
Robin clears her throat and Steve winks before letting Nancy take hold of his hand. Even after all these years she still feels butterflies whenever she holds them; she wonders if that will ever change.
She remembers the first time they held hands after getting back together - it felt like something was returned to her, something she didn't even realize was missing. Every time she takes hold of them, feels the pressure that only his hands can provide, she's reminded of the fact that no other hand can compare, no other hand can make her feel as safe as his.
“I, Nancy Wheeler, give you STEVEN…,” she adds a hitch to her voice because she has to tease him just a little bit, “Harrington this ring as a symbol of my enduring love. "
The ring slides down his finger and it looks good on his hand.
She knows his hands so intimately that she would know they were his if had to find it in a lineup: the faint blue of his veins, his long fingers, the tiny scars that riddle his palms, the way his index finger always feels a bit warmer than the rest. And they are always so impeccably soft, no matter the time of year. But i t's more than how they look its what they’ve done for her over the years: his thumb wiping away tears when she didn't get the job she wanted, massaging her shoulders while she was fighting a fever, a finger tracing her bottom lip while his other made her body come alive.
He looks down at their joined hands, at the twin rings that now adjourn both of their fingers, that mark them as each other's, and his smile disappears, replaced with a look of astonishment. It's like something has finally clicked. She knows what he's thinking without him even having to say the words: Holy shit Nance, we are actually….finally.
Robin is saying something about beginning a journey, but Nancy can’t focus. She needs her to hurry up, because if she doesn't Nancy is going to go off script and kiss him now. She tries to distract herself by running her thumb along the length of the ring once, and oh. She understands why he did it before — it's proof that he’s really hers .
“Steve, Nancy, please hold - oh you’re already holding hands, sweet!”
There’s another chuckle from the crowd.
“Whenever you hit a bump in the road, I want you both to hold hands - hold hands and never let go; as long as you never forget that, you will get through anything and everything that comes your way.”
She knows it's not going to be a smooth ride – when has it ever been smooth for them – but this? This is going to be the easiest thing she will ever have to do, because holding his hand is second nature to her now and she has no intention of ever letting go.