Work Text:
“Happy birthday, Robin!”
Robin freezes in the doorway of Steve’s living room. Her eyes widen at the sight before her.
Bunches of balloons blossom from the corners of the room. A carefully constructed banner—clearly Nancy’s handiwork—hangs along the back wall. Various gifts in miscellaneous wrapping papers litter the coffee table. Beside them sits a cake sporting a frosting rainbow, the words “Happy Birthday Robin!” spelled out in sugary script beside it. A pile of Robin’s favorite horror movies has been placed next to the VCR.
Steve, with his face cracked into a wide smile, stands near Eddie. Nancy, who had been tending to some streamers taped across the TV stand, beamed up at her from the floor. Max yanks Lucas up off the couch to greet her while the rest of the party can be heard prepping movie snacks in the kitchen. Will emerges into the living room with a bowl of popcorn in arm, Mike trailing right behind him.
Their eyes are all on Robin.
So many eyes.
Steve is the first to notice the tension in Robin’s face as his smile falters.
“Wow, this is really…this is…,” Robin croaks out.
The eyes on her stare harder. If that’s possible. Nancy stands to meet her eyeline, the space between her eyebrows creasing.
Robin’s throat is too tight to speak. She blinks rapidly, her eyes beginning to burn.
“Wow,” she manages once more.
She blinks hard as tears stream rapidly down her face. Her cheeks burn with intense heat as the excitement in their faces turn to panic and worry.
“Rob, I, are you—” Steve starts. Robin hurriedly swipes the tears from her stinging eyes and forces a chuckle.
“Oh, I’m good! I’m so good, you guys just party without me for a minute, ok? I’ll just be…just start without me, ok?”
She barely finishes her sentence before Steve’s front door slams behind her.
Thick silence falls over the room as Nancy and Steve share the same worried look.
He knows the two of them have been getting closer over the past year. Once Vecna was vanquished and the party began to adjust to normalcy, the girls realized they had more in common than they thought. They had spent countless nights at Nancy’s house. Robin would ramble about her favorite films while Nancy would braid the other girl’s hair, learning early on that Robin did not enjoy makeup beyond the occasional eyeshadow. Nancy would keep Robin company through many of her Family Video shifts once the store was back up and running. Robin had confided in Steve that while she was in awe of Nancy’s ambition, she couldn’t help her excitement that she had chosen to defer Emerson until the events of spring break weren’t quite as raw.
The rest of the room looks to Steve. The two had been attached at the hip since their misadventures at Scoops two years ago. If anyone could get in her head and find out what they did wrong, they were sure it was him.
“I can go talk to her, you guys just keep setting up,” Steve announces quietly, trying to regain the confidence he had moments ago. “If anyone did something, it’s probably me, so don’t worry, I’ll—”
“Steve?” Nancy interrupts.
The pleading look in her eyes stops Steve in his tracks. Nancy had confided in Steve some time ago about her own feelings towards Robin. Steve swore he would keep them to himself, although it pained him to keep that promise while he watched Robin develop a burning crush on her. The two remained oblivious to each other while Steve sat silently on the sidelines. Even now, he can see the love and concern in Nancy’s eyes. He studies her for just a moment before giving a slight nod, turning to grab the remaining snacks from the kitchen.
Nancy lets out a deep breath and crosses the room, now the subject of every stare. She feels the pinpricks of their gaze on her skin as she creaks the front door open. Worried chatter resumes as she slips onto Steve’s front porch.
*************************
The rough bricks of the porch steps dig into Robin’s thighs. She can hear the murmur of hushed conversation through the door.
Shit.
Warmth stings her face as it floods with embarrassment.
Stupid. They were trying to do something nice, and of course you had to ruin it. Had to make a scene and ruin all their hard work. Work they did for you! Oh god, how am I going to go back in there? I guess I can say that I didn’t feel well, but that’s stupid, they won’t believe that. Or if they do, they’ll just pity me. More than they already are? Oh, shut up. I wish I could say I had an allergic reaction. Does Steve know I’m not allergic to anything? Shit, of course he would—
A loud creak shatters Robin’s spiral. Her breath slows—she didn’t realize how fast it had gotten—as Nancy Wheeler herself joins Robin on the steps. She throws her pale lavender skirt under her legs as she sinks to meet the taller girl. A foot of space is left between them: an acceptable distance between friends.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Robin chokes out.
“Are you cold?” The March air had only just started to lose its bite. Nancy could see goosebumps forming on Robin’s pale arms, a combination of chill and nerves.
“No, don’t worry, I’m fine.” Her voice softens as she turns to see the tightness in Nancy’s brow. “Really, I’m ok, I think it’s helping to calm me down or something.” The smaller girl relaxes a bit.
“I’m sorry if that was all too much. We thought it might be fun, but if there were too many people or you don’t like surprises I totally get it.” Nancy pushes the words out anxiously. “We can always plan something else, or if you had something else in mind we can do that too.”
Panic flashes through Robin’s eyes.
“Oh, no, this was so nice! Really, it was so nice, I’m sorry that I’m messing it up like I always do. I’ll be fine if you want to go back in, I really do appreciate it.” She cracks a smile. “I saw someone picked some really great movies.”
“We all pitched in a bit for that. Steve remembered a few you pointed out while stocking, and Eddie swore you loved Suspiria .” Nancy chuckles, crinkling the corners of her brown eyes. Robin always thought she had the best laugh. “I got Carrie for you too, I remembered you had a poster in your room and you always say you rewatch movies a thousand times. We weren’t sure if we should show them all to the kids, but with all the real things they’ve seen, Mike swore they could handle it. Steve, on the other hand—”
Nancy freezes, only now noticing the fresh tears welling in Robin’s eyes. The taller girl blinks quickly, forcing another smile as she notices Nancy’s voice trail off.
“Robin, if something’s wrong you can tell me. Or I can go get Steve, if you need, but…” She glances towards the doodles on the other girl’s sneakers. “All we want is for you to be happy. Especially today.”
Robin swallows a sob. She turns her head to the ground, knowing she’ll never be able to get this out while looking at anyone else. The air hangs thick between them.
“That’s just it, Nance.”
She hears her breath hitch at that last word. She continues.
“I mean, this time last year, I didn’t know any of you. Well, I knew you, but I wasn’t really like…in, you know? I mean, you all were so tight-knit and I was just this weirdo that you kept around to translate Russian. I know I was close with Steve already, but I never thought I would be part of the group. I never thought anyone would want me to be part of the group.”
Nancy looks up at her with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’m, I just…I’ve never had this before, you know? With the band nerds, or the regular nerds, or just…anyone, really.”
Robin fiddles with her ring, her throat tightening as she struggles to find the words.
“And I never thought I would.”
Nancy’s face melts into gentle concern. She can see the taller girl’s eyes begin to glisten once more.
“I’m sure that’s hard for you to imagine, I mean, you’re perfect. Always have been. You had Barb, you have Steve, Jonathan…no matter who, you’ve always had someone to fall back on.”
Her breath freezes in her chest. She stares daggers past her knees, willing her tears not to fall towards the pavement.
“But now? Now, when you guys say you have my back, and that I belong here, and that you care about me…I believe you. For the first time, I really do believe that this isn’t some weird transaction where I just do whatever you want to not be alone.”
Warmth floods her cheeks as Nancy’s delicate hand slips around her own. Robin feels the pressure in her chest dissipate as her fingers intertwine with hers, instantly soothed by the other girl’s softness. Dark tears have begun to spot her slacks.
“Robin, we…I…of course we care about you.”
Nancy’s words are slow and careful.
“I…we, had no idea you felt this way. If we had known we would have—”
“No, no, you guys didn’t need to do anything. I know that I overthink all these things, and that’s my own problem.” Robin straightens up, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand. “I don’t want anyone having to worry about whether I feel secure in my obviously great friendships! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“Robin, that’s not it at all.”
Robin falls silent. Nancy takes a forced breath, taking her turn to stare at her shoes.
“A few years ago, before…everything, you’re right. Barb and I were always there for each other. Until I wasn’t. I got so caught up in myself that I stopped making sure I knew what was going on in her head. I always thought there was more time, Barb would always be there, so I could go do whatever I wanted and she would still be there. Then—”
Her voice catches in her throat, her hand tightening around Robin’s..
“...she wasn’t. I never got the time to see how much she meant to me, or make sure she knew how much I cared. How much I appreciated her. How much I…”
Nancy looks up, a sad smile forming on her face as she catches Robin’s wide eyes.
“I want to make sure I never do that again. I care about you so much, Robin. We all do. We love you.”
Robin’s heart twists at the words.
“Nancy…”
“Really. We do.”
The sun is just beginning to set. Golden light dances on Robin’s face, giving her a divine glow. Nancy swallows hard.
“I do.”
Robin’s breath catches in her chest. Her gaze flits to her hand in Nancy’s, her chipped black nails mingling with Nancy’s delicate manicure. She absentmindedly skims Nancy’s hand with her thumb.
“Rob?”
Robin breaks out of her daze to see Nancy, face stricken with fear and anticipation. The golden light dances through her curls. Robin has never seen anyone more beautiful.
“Nance, do you mean…”
“I’m sorry, I thought you felt—I can go, if you want—”
“Nance.” Robin is beaming now, blush burning through her freckled cheeks.
Nancy gives her hand a gentle squeeze. She leans in, her own shaky breath dusting Robin’s face.
“Can I…?”
“Please.”
She closes the distance between them. Robin’s lips are softer than she ever imagined. Her chapstick tastes like cinnamon and honey, mixed with the salty tears flowing down both of their cheeks.
Robin pulls away first, Nancy’s strawberry gloss shimmering on her lips. They each wear bright smiles as Robin places her free hand on Nancy’s cheek. She leans in again, grinning into a second kiss as Nancy slides her fingers into the taller girl’s hair. They pull away, still staying closer than before.
“Oh…my…god. Oh my god.” Robin’s mouth rests open, her cheeks burning away the slight chill in the air.
Nancy laughs. That beautiful laugh. “Happy birthday, Rob.” She smiles warmly through streaming tears.
“Was that real? Please tell me I didn’t hallucinate all of that.”
“Nope,” giggles Nancy. “All real.”
Robin squeezes Nancy’s hand to steady her own trembling fingers.
“Are we…”
“I’d like to.” Nancy gazes into the other girl’s eyes with an urgent intensity. “As long as you’ll have me.”
Robin lets out a giggle of her own. “As long as I’ll have you ? Do you know how insane I’d have to be if I rejected Nancy Wheeler ?” Now it’s Nancy’s turn to blush.
“In that case, Robin Buckley , would you like to go on a date with me?” Robin can feel the nervous energy radiating from the girl before her.
“Nance, nothing would make me happier.”
She places her hand gently on the back of Nancy’s neck, pressing their lips together as Nancy wraps her other arm around her waist. They break apart slowly.
The sun beats on their skin as they sit for a moment more, basking in the golden glow.
“We should probably go back inside. I’m sure Steve’s freaking out, and that cake really did look delicious.” Robin stands, gently bringing Nancy with her. Their fingertips graze as they release. Robin instantly misses the warmth. She wipes her eyes one last time, the same smile still plastered across her face.
They hear the abrupt end of panicked conversations as the door’s loud creak startles the rest of the party. The eyes return to Robin and Nancy, waiting with bated breath to assess the damage and change plans accordingly. Instead, Robin runs to Steve and wraps him in a tight hug.
“Thanks, dingus,” she whispers.
“Any time.” A small smile returns to his face as he gives her a knowing squeeze.
The rest of the room stares at Nancy as they notice her flushed cheeks and now-permanent smile. Mike frowns slightly at her, brow crinkling as hers did. She doesn’t notice. Nancy stays enveloped in her own world of bliss as everyone around her begins to relax once more.
Robin turns to face the rest of the crowd, beaming now that the tension has lifted.
“Are you guys ready for a party or what?”