Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nancy hated airlines. Who didn’t, really? They were loud, covered in germs, and uncomfortable at best.

Still, she had promised her mother she would be home for Christmas, so Nancy had packed her bags and got to the airport far too early—a chronic over preparer —sat at the gate far too long, and was now, finally, settling into her seat. She gazed out the window as people walked by, Pat Benatar’s rasping voice loud in her ears as she tried to block out the noise of the other passengers.

She was ready to be home. This semester had been very long and very stressful, so she was ready for a break. She missed her family too. Phone calls were one thing, but, though she hated to admit it, she missed ruffling Mike’s hair and getting hugs from her mom.

Boarding the rest of the plane took ages, but Nancy kept herself busy listening to her music and making a game—counting every person in a Christmas shirt—in her head to ease any pre-flight anxiety. A couple passed in matching reindeer tees. A child in a snowman sweater. A grandfather with an inappropriate Santa joke printed across his chest.

She counted twenty seven by the time the line ended. The seat beside her was empty, and Nancy breathed a sigh of relief—

Too soon.

Twenty eight, a gangly girl with honey hair and the ugliest Christmas sweater Nancy had ever seen scrambled down the aisle. She was apologizing profusely for being late, all the way to her seat—right beside Nancy, of course.

“Hey, sorry, don’t mind if I just slip in here,” the stranger said, grinning, a lopsided, overly friendly expression. Nancy gave her a thin lipped smile in return, if only to be polite.

“Window seat, huh? I love watching the cities go by,” the girl continued, buckling in. The flight attendants had begun their safety spiel, but the stranger did not stop talking. “Of course, I’m not trying to get you to move! The aisle seat is cool too. Less crowded, easier to get up to pee mid flight!” she laughed, near breathless.

Nancy was beginning to wonder if this girl ever shut up.

“Oh! Where are my manners?” The girl held out a hand and smiled again, warm and admittedly charming. “I’m Robin!”

Nancy took her hand gingerly. “Nancy,” she returned, polite, but not friendly. Robin deflated slightly, but shook her hand. She opened her mouth, then seemed to think better of it, instead rifling through her carry on for something—a tape deck of some kind, Nancy realized after a moment. The girl placed the headphones over her ears and pressed play. Nancy could just barely make out what sounded like gibberish crackling through, which the girl began to repeat under her breath.

Nancy huffed and turned her attention back to the window, deciding to simply ignore Robin for the duration of the flight.

———

“We regret to inform you that the incoming storm has changed our flight’s trajectory. We are unable to get to our original destination at this time.”

Nancy’s heart sank as the captain’s voice rang out through the plane. She’d heard the warnings about the weather, but she had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.

“We will be landing in Ohio in approximately twenty minutes. The airline has already provided hotels for all passengers aboard and tickets will be refunded.”

A soft click indicated the call was over and Nancy winced as Robin groaned beside her.

“I told Steve I’d go to his Christmas party!” she wailed, distraught. Nancy rolled her eyes, though her interest was piqued. The name was all too familiar.

They were both flying to Indiana—home of Nancy’s ex boyfriend, one Steve Harrington. She couldn’t help but wonder—

“Harrington?” she asked hesitantly, almost inaudible, like she’d rather have kept her mouth shut, which really, she would have. Robin’s head whipped around to face her, jaw slack and eyes wide.

“You know him?” she asked, something almost like recognition in her stormy blue gaze.

“We… Have a history ,” Nancy said politely. “To put it mildly.”

“Oh! I remember now!” Robin said, snapping her fingers at the memory. Nancy grimaced, wondering exactly what Steve had said about her. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. Everyone at Hawkins high knew Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler.”

“We ran with different crowds,” Nancy explained, turning her attention back to the window and hoping the conversation would be dropped. Her past popularity was still an embarrassing sore spot.

Robin huffed softly, a frustrated little noise as she sat back in her seat and turned her tapes up. Nancy watched as the plane began its descent, though she couldn’t see much through the thick snowfall blowing by through the window. The outside world was dark gray and swirling white flakes. It became easier to focus on the soft engine rumble that filled the cabin, a constant roar, soothing to her worried mind.

But naturally, Robin didn’t believe in silence. Nancy shot her a look as Robin continued to mutter under her breath, eyes closed as she focused. It wasn’t English—German perhaps? Nancy was slightly intrigued. She tilted her head, listening quietly. Robin spoke the language like she was born to it, voice honeyed and warm and rasping pleasantly.

Yeah, okay, maybe this Robin character had a really attractive voice and Nancy was a simple lesbian—she had every right to appreciate it, even if the speaker it belonged to was a bit annoying. Or more than a bit. There was nothing more to it.

The rest of the flight passed easily with Nancy tuning out all but the engine and Robin’s muttered words until the plane landed.

———

Pine Grove. Nancy had memorized the name of the hotel by the time she arrived, driving carefully through the thick snow and avoiding black ice—thankfully she was used to it from living in Boston for a year and a half now.

She was surprised by the hotel—or rather, inn. It was small, only two stories at most, painted a dark evergreen with white trim and a chimney that poured billowing smoke into the winter air. The snow around the brick chimney had melted away from the heat. It looked cozy, to say the least, with all the warm atmosphere of one’s grandmother’s house. As she stepped out of the car, Nancy swore she could even smell some sort of cinnamon baked good on the breeze.

Her grumbling stomach reminded her how hungry she was. Given that the last time she’d eaten was before heading to the airport, she hadn’t eaten in hours.

Nancy made her way inside, finding that the inner part was just as comfortable as the outer part of the inn. She rang the bell on the counter, smiling primly as a grizzled pair of older women walked out of the office behind the desk.

“Good evening!” one of them said, a pleasant, welcoming smile on her wizened face. “My name is Ruth, and this is Rose. Welcome to Pine Grove! How can we help you?”

Ever polite, Nancy pulled a folded paper from her purse and handed it over, smiling all the while, despite her frustration at the situation.

“My flight was forced to land due to the blizzard. I was given a voucher for a stay here until the weather is safe,” she explained. Ruth nodded, sympathy warming her expression.

“Of course, dear. We have one room available, though it looks like it’s already half occupied. Is that okay?”

Nancy huffed, shaking her head in annoyance. At this point, she was too tired and too hungry to argue. She wanted nothing more than to just flop into a soft bed and go to sleep.

“That’s fine,” she said, hoping her grimace wasn’t too obvious. Ruth and Rose offered a pair of warm smiles, then went about filling the reservation. Rose took a set of keys from a safe behind her and handed them to Nancy. She took them gratefully, though she was a little put off by the mischievous look dancing in the woman’s eyes.

“You’re in room 17. Your roommate has already said she’s fine with an extra, so hopefully you’ll settle in fine,” she said brightly. Nancy nodded and grabbed her bag.

“Thank you, ma’am,” she replied before turning down the hall and making her way to the room.

“Oh! And there’s fresh cookies in the lobby!” Ruth called after her, earning a chuckle from her business partner.

The cinnamon smell grew stronger as Nancy passed the lobby, and she couldn’t help but stop and peek inside. Sure enough, a table on one side of the room, tucked under a window that showed the snowy landscape, held a massive pile of still steaming snickerdoodle cookies, among a number of other snacks.

Nancy could have cried.

She took a plate and made herself a meal of cookies and ham and cheese sliders and then turned back down the hall. She couldn’t help but smile, deciding to try to make the best of a rough situation. There was still a chance she’d be able to fly home tomorrow, and she still had four days until Christmas. Plus, the innkeepers really did seem so sweet, and the food smelled so good. She blamed her cheer on Christmas magic as she approached the door marked 17 and knocked.

The wind may as well have been knocked out of her as the door opened to none other than Nancy’s chatty plane companion—one grinning Robin Buckley.

“Well hey stranger!” the girl laughed, a mirthful sound that somehow still filled Nancy with dread. She bit back a groan.

“Oh. Hello, Robin,” she said quietly, keeping her expression carefully neutral. Robin’s face fell slightly and she couldn’t help but feel bad, but Nancy had been hoping for a quiet night and Robin… Well, Nancy had quickly learned that she wasn’t the quietest person in the world.

“Oh! Come on in,” Robin said, hastily stepping back and, to her credit, holding open the door. Nancy flashed a thankful smile and stepped inside.

The room was quaint, small and perhaps a tad over decorated. The walls were painted a softer shade of green, sage almost, with dark stained wood trim and, thankfully, not overwhelming floral wallpaper on the bottom half. It was carpeted, and the walls held a few basic paintings—landscapes and the like. One corner held a desk and desk chair, and another was home to a soft, dark green velvet armchair.

What struck Nancy, however, was the one solitary, lonely, singular Queen sized bed. Her heart dropped .

“Oh great ,” she muttered under her breath.

Unfortunately, Robin heard. The girl hung her head, rubbing the back of her neck, clearly uncomfortable. Guilt weighed heavy on her soft features, enough to make Nancy feel bad.

“I can take the floor,” Robin said, voice rising with obvious discomfort at the idea.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nancy sighed, gesturing to the chair. Nancy stared at the thing, deciding it looked comfortable enough. “I’ll take the chair. You can have the bed.”

“That’s… Yeah, that works,” Robin muttered, though she still looked uncomfortable about the whole ordeal.

Realistically, they both knew there was room to share, but the tension between them did not make that thought exactly what one might call appealing .

“Thank you,” Robin mumbled, placing her suitcase on the bed and rifling through it. Nancy nodded, flashing a tight lipped smile before unzipping her own bag. Everything was packed perfectly neat, prepared for any situation—

Or, maybe not, Nancy realized. She hadn’t packed pajamas—she wasn’t supposed to be staying the night anywhere but home, where she should have had pajamas.

“Shit,” she swore under her breath. Robin, who apparently had super hearing, popped up next to Nancy, startling her.

“Everything okay?” she asked, concern in those unfairly soft grey-blue eyes.

“I’m fine,” Nancy huffed, stepping back to put a little more space between herself and the awkward stranger. Robin’s face reddened, embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” Robin murmured, wringing her hands. They both stood there awkwardly before Robin turned and shuffled away to the small bathroom to change into her wonderfully comfortable looking flannel pajamas. Nancy wanted to cry.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d ever slept in jeans, but it certainly wasn’t ideal. C’est la vie , she decided.

———

Robin was a sleep talker.

This was a fact that Nancy was incredibly frustrated to find out when she couldn’t sleep later that night. She sat curled in the surprisingly comfortable armchair, watching Robin’s sleeping form, listening to barely audible words spill from the girl’s mouth.

Admittedly, it was kind of cute. She was splayed out in the funniest way, one arm draped over her own face while she mumbled something unintelligible. The moonlight through the window illuminated the girl’s freckles in a soft bath of silver light, highlighting the smallest quirk of her lip in a sleepy smile.

No, Nancy shouldn’t be amused. She should be annoyed. She was annoyed. She scowled and turned away, looking out the window instead.

The snow was falling thickly, nearly obscuring the view outside. Nancy could just make out the silhouette of the evergreens surrounding the inn, sparkling a myriad of colors—Christmas lights, she realized. She was beginning to be annoyed by the whole holiday.

“Mmm, shut up, dingus.”

Nancy raised an eyebrow, peering over her shoulder at Robin, the girl’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter at someone in her dream—Steve probably, she realized. Nancy shook her head and sighed, curling more tightly in the chair. It was chilly. She was shivering. She wished she was in the bed. Robin seemed like someone who radiated—

No.

Robin’s muttering quieted to a low rumbling snore and Nancy allowed the sound to lull her into slumber.

———

“Good morning.”

A soft hand on her shoulder woke Nancy. She opened her eyes slowly and groaned, finding that she was rather sore, for some reason.

Nancy blinked bleary eyes and looked around. She realized quickly that she was not at home, but rather still at Pine Grove, and her soreness was definitely from being scrunched up in the armchair all night. Which meant—

Sure enough, it was not Karen Wheeler’s hand on Nancy’s shoulder, but Robin Buckley’s. The girl was grinning, a bashful blush on her cheeks, holding a steaming hot plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs out to Nancy.

“Sorry to wake you!” the girl said brightly, apparently undeterred by Nancy’s early morning scowl. Nancy hesitantly took the plate, a question in her gaze.

“The owners made breakfast for everyone, and,” Robin hesitated, cheeks dusting a lovely shade of pink. “Well, I didn’t want you to miss out. They were about to clean up.”

Nancy was… Touched. She felt her own cheeks warm as she sat back in the chair, pulling her knees to her chest. She smiled, a genuine offering of peace—for now. Robin looked relieved.

“Thank you,” Nancy said, voice gruff in the early morning, breathing in the scent of the pancakes. It had to have been the nicest thing anyone had done for her since… Well, since before leaving Hawkins for sure.

“Of course!” Robin laughed, that wonderful sound that Nancy found she didn’t have the heart to pretend was irritating right now.

Robin flopped into the desk chair, humming along to a tune Nancy recognized, but couldn’t name. It was definitely a Christmas song, that much was certain.

“Oh!”

Nancy looked up from her breakfast, tilting her head. Robin’s eyes were alight with a playful energy, far too much for before—Nancy looked at the clock—well okay, maybe this much energy was warranted at ten in the morning.

Nancy wondered if the girl was ever not smiling. It was an amusing thought. She did have a nice smile.

“Yes?” she questioned.

“Ruth said they were going to have board games out tonight for everyone who’s stranded here,” the freckled girl explained. Nancy mulled this over.

“That’s… Nice of them,” she replied. Robin nodded, though she deflated softly. Nancy sighed, shaking her head. “I suppose we should check it out?”

She didn’t know when we happened, but it felt like kind of a dick move to not go together.

Robin’s energy immediately returned and Nancy was reminded quite vividly of an overexcited golden retriever.

“I thought so too! It’ll be fun!” the girl promised. Nancy couldn’t help a soft chuckle and a dubious look that had Robin smirking. “I’ll kick your ass at… Well, I don’t know what games they have, but I’ll kick your ass!”

Nancy put her empty plate on the table beside the chair and folded her arms, brow raising further. “You’re on, Buckley.”

———

The day passed slowly. Nancy spent most of it going through emails—articles from the Emerson newspaper sent to her to edit. She found Robin’s presence more calming than annoying, after a while. She made the room feel more full, more like Nancy was at home, and she had to admit it was comforting. And that stupid voice of hers had Nancy blushing still as she hummed and mumbled Christmas songs or spoke to herself when she thought Nancy wasn’t listening.

After a while, she glanced at the small wall clock, only now noticing itsit’s soft tick tock filling the silence. It was nearly one in the afternoon. She turned her head. Robin was reading something on the bed, still humming.

“Do you think they’ll have made lunch?” Nancy asked.

Robin, startled, looked up, eyes wide. She tilted her head, a gesture that Nancy was finding to be utterly adorable.

She really needed to stop thinking that. Robin was all but a stranger and an annoying one at that. Terribly, terribly annoying , and not at all adorable.

Get it together, Wheeler.

“Probably,” the girl said after a moment, smiling. “They seem the type.”

“Would you like me to bring you some?” Nancy asked, almost hesitant. Robin looked genuinely shocked and Nancy admittedly felt guilty at that realization. She may have been irritated, but she didn’t mean to come off as a total asshole.

“Sure,” Robin said slowly, her smile returning. There was an odd expression in her eyes, a warmth Nancy didn’t expect—a fond curiosity that made her heart stutter in her chest.

“Cool,” she said breathlessly, cringing internally at her apparent lack of smoothness. Not that she needed to be smooth with Robin. “I’ll be back in a few.”

She quickly turned around and half stormed out of the room, knowing her face must be an embarrassing shade of red.

The lounge was once again filled with the tantalizing scents of a home cooked meal as Nancy entered the room, gaze settling on the platters on the table under the window. Rose was setting one down as Nancy walked in, and she smiled at her.

“Good afternoon,” the innkeeper greeted. She waved and then wandered off, leaving Nancy to dish food for her and her roommate.

Nancy balanced the plates carefully as she headed back down the hall, cursing her heart for the way it was still doing somersaults in her chest.

When Nancy reached the room, Robin was still reading and still humming, a pleasant smile on her face. She looked up from her book, Strangers on a Train Nancy was able to catch, eyes lighting up at the sight of Nancy.

“Thank you!” Robin chuckled, taking her plate and sitting criss crossed on the bed. Nancy nodded awkwardly and then headed back to the armchair.

“Don’t mention it,” she grumbled, grabbing her own novel, The Mists of Avalon and trying to ignore Robin.

———

Nancy went to game night, but she didn’t play. She sat by the fire with reading glasses on, scribbling away notes as she went through article drafts for the school newspaper. She had taken a job as an editor, and there was work to be done.

It was also an excuse to ignore her slowly developing crush on Robin Buckley. God, the girl was a stranger . They’d never see each other again. Robin didn’t know how to shut up—it was annoying , not endearing.

That’s what she repeated in her head, a stubborn mantra that she dared not stray from. It wasn’t proper—okay, she cringed at that. She hadn’t cared about being ‘proper’ since high school.

Robin cast a few glances her way through the night, but Nancy pointedly ignored them. It was cruel, she knew, but she had to focus. They’d be going home tomorrow, most likely, anyway.

———

They did not go home tomorrow. In fact, the airline explained that the weather report made any attempt of flying home too dangerous for another few days.

Robin and Nancy avoided each other throughout the day. Every time they bumped into each other, Robin looked immensely guilty and made some excuse to leave. It shouldn’t have hurt Nancy’s feelings, given that she was pushing Robin away, but it did .

Nancy ended up giving Robin the room. She spent her day in the lobby, reading her novel. Around lunch, she used the hotel phone to call her family and tell them about the situation. Karen was understanding, but disappointed. Nancy was disappointed too. She was developing a very strong dislike for Ohio.

After a while, she made her way back to the room. When she opened the door, Robin slammed down the phone—apparently she had a call too—face burning a vibrant red.

“Hi,” she rasped, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

“Hello,” Nancy replied briskly. She walked past Robin, deciding it wasn’t worth asking about the call. She put her novel on the table by the armchair and pulled a second from her backpack. Nancy was acutely aware that Robin was watching, wringing her hands with discomfort.

“Do you need something?” Nancy huffed, standing up straight and meeting Robin’s eye, a severe look on her face. Robin flinched, looking away.

“No! I just,” she sighed. “I just wanted to know if I did something wrong?”

Robin’s voice broke as the words left her. She sniffled and Nancy all but froze. Shit. Maybe she had taken the whole ignoring her feelings thing a little too far—she never was good with emotions. She visibly deflated.

“No,” she muttered. “No,” louder, “you didn’t do anything.”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Robin said softly.

“I—“ Nancy sighed. “You being friends with my ex is a little weird,” she admitted. “And I didn’t sleep well. I’m a little cranky.”

She watched as Robin lifted her head, eyes shimmering with vulnerability.

“That’s no excuse for me to have treated you like that,” Nancy murmured. She shook her head, knowing she needed to make it up to the girl.

“It’s okay,” Robin mumbled. She rubbed her arm, clearly still uncomfortable with the tension in the room.

“Hey,” Nancy began hesitantly. “The owners are pulling the board games out again. If you, you know, wanted to go.”

Robin brightened. She positively beamed, actually. Nancy hoped she wasn’t going to regret agreeing to this.

“Oh wonderful! It’ll be fun!” she exclaimed. “And I won’t bring up Steve, I promise.”

“You just did,” Nancy pointed out with amusement.

“Well I won’t mention him again!” She tilted her head, glancing once at the bed, and then again at Nancy. She swore she could see the gears turning in the taller girl’s head.

“Hey, if you didn’t sleep well…” she began, face flushing, avoiding Nancy’s gaze. “We could always share the bed?”

“ Oh ,” Nancy hummed. She glanced at the bed, bones still aching from the chair. “Let’s… One step at a time, Buckley,” she said meekly.

———

Nancy didn’t participate in game night at first. Sure, she followed Robin down to the lobby, grumbling the whole way, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the playful way Robin turned on the puppy dog eyes and literally dragged her down the hall.

Wheeler sat now in a cozy maroon armchair, knees tucked into herself and a book splayed across her lap. She had been actually reading before, of course, but not a single word had been processed in the past several minutes. Instead, the girl kept sneaking glances at her roommate, now beating some poor group of fourteen year olds at Sorry. The girl was good natured about it and the kids weren’t upset, their merry, mirthful laughter mingling with the softer music that was crackling from the radio in a warm and welcoming way. If Nancy’s heart swelled at the sound, well, that was her business.

Ocean eyes met stormy blue and Robin positively beamed. Nancy blushed at being caught staring, but really, who wouldn’t? She was giving up on the whole ‘shutting out her feelings’ thing now anyway.

“Hey, Nance, come play with us!”

Nancy’s chest exploded with warmth at the nickname, a crackling hearth fire that she worried may well consume her. She glanced once at her book, then played up a long-suffering sigh.

“Alright, birdie,” she grumbled, closing the novel. She couldn’t help but laugh at the bright red blush that immediately colored Robin’s cheeks. Payback’s a bitch, she thought, but she knew the nickname was more than that. She felt positively giddy, like this was some silly little schoolgirl crush. Really, Wheeler, get it together, she huffed internally. She’d only known Robin for two days—

And four years of high school, kind of.

She stood and approached the table, waving politely at the teenagers. They all smiled and waved back. Robin scooted to the side, patting the carpet beside her. Nancy sat next to her, their knees just barely touching. She shivered slightly—the coffee table was farther from the fireplace.

Naturally, Robin, chivalrous as she was, pulled her sweater over her head and offered it to Nancy. She felt lightheaded at the warmth of the gesture, at the way the sweater pulled Robin’s t-shirt up just enough to show her freckle-spattered midriff. God, she really was hopeless.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, sure her cheeks were deep pink as she pulled the sweater on, acutely aware of the children’s eyes on her. The garment just about swallowed her, but it was warm and soft and smelled of something sweet and spiced, it smelled of Robin.

“You know how to play?” Robin asked, voice soft and sweet. She had one knee pulled up, an arm resting on it, her entire body turned toward Nancy, like she was the only person in the room that mattered. Nancy saw now that—under her sweater—the girl was wearing a gray band tee, the Eurythmics. She wasn’t surprised. It hugged her curves just enough to make Nancy blush.

“I do,” she chuckled. She leaned in a little, a competitive smirk dancing on her lips. “I just so happen to have a little brother whose ass I regularly kick at family game night,” she purred, perhaps a hint more flirty than she intended, but she didn’t much mind given the way Robin flushed handsomely at the words.

“Oh!” the girl stammered. The teens were looking annoyed now, and one of them even huffed impatiently, but Nancy didn’t much care. Robin recovered quickly, leaning back on her free hand and grinning.

“Didn’t take you for someone who swore, princess.”

And, oh, Nancy’s heart was fluttering. She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved Robin’s shoulder—the touch felt electric. “Well, that’s what you get when you make assumptions—“

“Can we play already?” one of the teens whined.

Nancy and Robin made eye contact, the strange tension between them melting away like ice in sunlight as they fell apart into giggles. Nancy was sorry for it, but that warm laugh was enough to make up for it.

The game lasted about an hour, and inevitably, Robin won. The children left after that, grumbling something about bedtimes, and Nancy was quick to challenge her to a new game. She was thoroughly surprised when Buckley handed her ass to her in chess.

“What’s my prize?” Robin asked, batting her eyelashes, eyes twinkling with mischief. Nancy tilted her head, feigning innocence.

“What would you like, Robin?” she purred. “Money? Dinner on me? Perhaps—“ she hesitated, and, okay, maybe they had split a bottle of wine while they played, and maybe Nancy was just a little tipsy, and maybe, just maybe, it made her just a little more forward than she would normally be. Her eyes dropped to Robin’s lips and she wet her own. “A kiss?”

Unfortunately, Robin wasn’t paying attention. The girl had gone statue still, head tilted, brows knit together in focus. She sat up with a grin, smiling with all the force of the sun—Nancy was shocked the blizzard didn’t melt away immediately for the warmth of it.

“I know,” the girl laughed, a soft, but mischievous sound ringing like jingle bells through the silent room. Nancy couldn’t help but chuckle along, despite the small squeeze of her heart when Robin didn’t seem to hear her.

The girl nodded along, grinning in recognition. She threw her head back and began to softly sing along, a perfect raspy croon. Nancy knew she wasn’t going to be able to get over that any time soon. Then Robin met her gaze, a questioning look.

“Wheeler? May I have this dance?” the girl asked, voice cracking, incredibly bashful. Nancy sighed with amusement and shook her head, taking Robin’s outstretched hand.

“This song is so romantic,” Nancy murmured. She stood and tilted her head, listening to the lyrics. She smiled, the age-warm, crackling melody of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ filling her ears.

“Really? I always found it creepy.”

“You’re the one that wanted to dance to it!” Nancy protested. Robin just shrugged.

Nancy guided Robin’s arms to rest on her shoulders, a comfortable weight that pulled a sleepy little sigh from her own lungs. She rested her hands on Robin’s waist, palms fitting perfectly in their slight dip, leading the dance despite Robin’s asking. It was nothing complicated, nothing fancy, just a simple sway in time to the music.

“Well,” Robin conceded, “it’s a danceable song.” Nancy rolled her eyes, but stepped a little closer, breathing in the honey and cinnamon spice scent that clung to the freckled girl, and to the sweater that Nancy was suddenly hyper aware she was still wearing.

“He doesn’t want her to go. He loves her,” she found herself saying, closing her eyes as they moved slowly through the warm room, very alone now that everyone else had gone to bed. The full roar and gentle pop of the fireplace was a welcome compliment to the song—it felt like a moment straight out of a cheesy Christmas movie.

“She’s protesting the whole time,” Robin argued back, though there was no bite to the words. A simple debate, more banter than anything, to fill the quiet.

“Listen,” Nancy murmured. She took a deep breath, then her own voice rang out, shaky as the words spilled from her unbidden.

Robin was watching with rapt attention, eyes wide with wonder, and something so painfully tender. Her singing grew stronger, and Robin joined, lips ticking upward in a smile as they went back and forth through the verses until the song came to a mournful end.

“See?” Nancy whispered, suddenly aware how much closer she and Robin were standing. She wet her lips, mouth suddenly desert dry. “She wants to stay too. It’s all in the tone.”

“You’re right,” Robin whispered back. “It’s romantic.”

“Very,” Nancy confirmed, nearly choking on the word.

The tension in the air was palpable. Another song began, but the pounding of Nancy’s heart, the roar of blood in her ears drowned it out. She met Robin’s gaze, both of them still now, unsure how to proceed.

“Rob,” Nancy breathed.

“Nance,” the girl replied, leaning in a little, almost imperceptibly.

No one was looking. It was just the two of them and the fire, a blooming warmth in Nancy’s chest that rivaled the flame.

“Can I kiss you?” she managed finally, voice breaking as she whispered the request. Robin gulped, and she nodded.

Nancy grabbed the front of Robin’s t-shirt in her fist and pulled the girl down, standing on tiptoes to close the distance.

It wasn’t electric. It wasn’t an explosion of color. It was slow, soft, a gentle meeting as two strangers fell from uncertainty to comfort together. Robin wove one hand in Nancy’s curls, and Nancy smiled against her lips. She tasted of hot chocolate, and that thought alone nearly made Nancy giggle.

They parted slowly, almost forlorn by the separation. Robin’s forehead rested against Nancy’s, and the girl began to sway them again. Nancy rested her head on Robin’s shoulder, eyes closed as they moved. She decided she wasn’t so upset about the storm anymore. She almost wished it would continue, if only to stay dancing in this inn lobby with Robin Buckley.

———

When the pair returned to their room, they walked with pinkies interlocked, sharing warm smiles all the way. Nancy couldn’t help but pause in the doorway, gaze settling on the velvet armchair.

“Birdie?”

The nickname slipped more easily from her tongue this time, almost natural, like she’d spoken it for years—and really, the easy comfort they had fallen into was almost too fond. Nancy felt more like they were old friends than she did like they were near strangers. She really needed to learn more about this girl.

“Yes?” Robin murmured, expression inquisitive and inviting. Nancy kissed her cheek and gestured to the bed.

“Are you still okay with sharing the bed tonight?”

Robin’s cheeks flushed, but she smiled and nodded. She returned Nancy’s kiss, a gentle peck on her forehead from which warmth spread.

“Of course, princess.”

Nancy let go of Robin’s hand and moved to lay down, but Robin grabbed her again. She shot the girl a questioning look.

“You’re not going to sleep in jeans again, are you?” Robin asked, incredulous.

“They’re all I have,” Nancy laughed, shrugging weakly.

“I have extra pajamas,” Robin offered, cheeks flushing even darker. She looked at her feet. “If you want.”

Nancy stepped closer and lifted Robin’s chin, offering a reassuring expression.

“That would be wonderful,” she admitted. Her acceptance definitely had everything to do with comfort, and nothing to do with the giddy feeling in her chest at the thought of wearing more of Robin’s clothes.

Robin grinned, taking Nancy’s hand from her chin and into her own. kissing the back of it.

“As you wish, m’lady,” she teased half-heartedly. Nancy watched as the girl rummaged through a hastily packed suitcase, then turned around to hand Nancy a pair of green and red flannel pants. She took them with a playful grin.

“Did you only pack Christmas themed clothing?” she asked. Robin reddened, rubbing the back of her neck and turning her eyes to the ceiling. Still, she was grinning crookedly, almost proudly.

“What can I say? I love Christmas,” she defended weakly. Nancy chuckled softly.

“It’s cute,” she admitted. Not giving Robin the chance to respond—she was spluttering anyway—she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She held the pants up, running the soft fabric through her fingers. These would certainly be more comfortable than denim jeans.

Nancy changed quickly. She found that the pants were too long, pooling around her feet, and too big in the waist—but the latter was fixed by pulling the strings into a cute bow and the former by rolling up the bottom of the legs. It was comical how long the excess was, but Nancy didn’t mind.

When she stepped back out, Robin was already flopped in the bed, looking at the ceiling with furrowed brows as if deep in thought. She was clad in a matching pair of flannel pants now, and a cropped black t-shirt that was snug around her upper body, highlighting the curve of her surprisingly muscled form and revealing her freckled stomach. The sight took Nancy’s breath away.

“Ready for bed?” she half squeaked, glad for the dim lighting of the room that would surely hide the furious blush in her cheeks.

“Mhm,” Robin mumbled, lips parting in a yawn that Nancy couldn’t help but echo—she’d always heard they were contagious anyway. Nancy turned off the light and approached the bed.

Robin smiled and scooted over, leaving far too much space between them. Nancy crept under the sheets and turned her body towards the girl, uncertain.

“You’re sure this is okay?” she asked, hesitant.

“Better than okay,” Robin promised, breathless. Nancy reached out, placing a warm hand on Robin’s face. The girl leaned into it, that adorable crooked smile dancing again on her face. It was perhaps the cutest smile Nancy had ever seen.

“Tell me more about yourself,” Nancy found her mouth saying of its own accord. “I… We ran with different crowds in high school. I want to get to know you.”

Robin’s expression softened, unsure. She rolled onto her back, crossing her arms over her stomach. Nancy couldn’t help but trace the spattering of freckles across the exposed skin with her eyes. She buried the urge to kiss them.

“I was in band?” the girl began, her sleepy lilted rasp more pronounced in the chill air. “I played trumpet.”

“I remember that,” Nancy murmured, slowly reaching out. She took Robin’s hand. Thankfully, the girl didn’t pull away. In fact, she smiled, interlocking their fingers, her palm warm against Nancy’s. Nancy wondered how close to that warmth she could get. It was terribly cold, after all.

“Right. You were a reporter. We never talked directly,” Robin recalled. “But you wrote about us.” Stormy grey eyes met ocean blue.

“Tell me something I didn’t know,” Nancy suggested, a breathy whisper, almost quiet enough to be blown away in the blizzard that raged outside their window. Robin hummed in response, nose crinkling as she thought. Nancy wanted to smooth the wrinkles away with a kiss—but she didn’t.

“I’m a huge movie buff?” she said finally, turning her body to face Nancy again, keeping ahold of the smaller girl’s hand between them. If her eyes weren’t fooling her, Nancy would have guessed the distance that separated them seemed already to have shrunk, if only a little.

“That makes sense,” she murmured, meeting Robin’s gaze. “Well, given the season, what’s your opinion on Christmas movies?”

Robin grinned, eyes alight at the question. Nancy wished she could ignite that passion over and over, pull that smile to Robin’s lips again and again. She pushed away the mental alarm bells that told her they’d be separated in just a few days.

“There are too many basic romance movies,” she began, chuckling at Nancy’s raised eyebrow in response.

“Then what are the good ones?” she whispered.

“The ones that don’t follow the same basic formulaic plot over and over. Think about, oh, What a Wonderful Life? Or A Christmas Story—“

“You’ll shoot your eye out!” Nancy recalled, earning a satisfied grin from the other girl. She rubbed her thumb across the back of Robin’s hand.

“You don’t get iconic lines like that from just any movie,” the girl continued, amusement glimmering in her soft grey eyes.

“Tell me more? Maybe some I haven’t seen?” Nancy asked.

“Oh, well,” Robin’s cheeks reddened. “National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation? Um,” she grinned. “Rudolph.”

“Rudolph?” Nancy asked incredulously. “That’s a kids movie!”

“And a cute one!” Robin argued, huffing defensively. Nancy couldn’t help but giggle.

“I can’t say much,” she admitted. “My family watches it every year after Christmas dinner.”

“See? It’s iconic!” Robin laughed. She tilted her head, something mischievous in the look she gave Nancy then. “Oh this next one will surprise you, I guarantee it.”

Nancy scooted in a little more, a questioning expression, breath held in anticipation. “Oh?” she questioned.

Robin scooted in too, their knees bumping together under the covers. Her lips twitched as if she was holding back laughter.

“Die Hard.”

Nancy stared for a long moment.

“You’re kidding, right?” she said slowly.

“Not at all, darling,” Robin chuckled, the stupidest grin breaking across her face. She looked smug—like she’d already won the argument.

“And just how is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” Nancy asked, disbelieving, though humor was clear in her voice. This explanation had to be good.

“Well,” Robin began, eyes dancing. “Think about it, Nance. If you remove Christmas from the equation, does the movie still work?”

Nancy mulled this over—the movie had just come out, so she recalled it with ease.

“No,” she admitted, scandalized by the revelation. “I suppose not.”

“See! Christmas is integral to the story,” Robin teased, a shit-eating victory grin on her face. “Ergo, Die Hard is a Christmas movie!”

“Robin Buckley,” Nancy laughed, “You are an idiot.”

“Hey—“

Nancy shut her up with a kiss. Robin squeaked in surprise, but quickly returned the gesture, the distance between them suddenly no more. It was just as tender as before, a blooming heat that spread through Nancy’s chest and warmed her to her extremities.

Robin pulled away with a sparkling, wide eyed look.

“Hi,” Nancy whispered playfully.

“Hi,” Robin returned. Nancy kissed the tip of her nose and cuddled close, sighing contently as Robin’s arms wrapped around her, bringing Nancy close to her chest. Nancy’s hand wandered to that exposed bit of midriff, resting against the warm skin, thumb slipping under the fabric and then settling.

She decided then that winter existed so that lovers could share body heat. She pressed closer, humming softly the tune of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside.’

“Goodnight, birdie,” she whispered. Robin kissed her forehead and tightened the embrace just slightly. Nancy nestled in and breathed a long, slow sigh.

“Goodnight, Nance,” Robin returned.

———

When Nancy awoke the next morning, she was alone. She opened her eyes slowly, finding the space next to her empty, nothing but a patch of wrinkled sheets and fading warmth was all that was left of Robin. She frowned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“Good morning!”

Oh, she wasn’t as alone as she thought. Nancy turned to face the entrance to the room, smiling at the sight of Robin leaning in the doorway, still in pajamas, messy bed head pulled into some semblance of a bun. The girl grinned, lifting her hands to bring attention to a pair of steaming mugs.

“I brought cocoa,” she said, something almost shy in the way she ducked her head. She held one out and Nancy got out of bed to take it, sighing as the warmth radiated through her hands. She breathed in the steam, eyes widening slightly.

“Peppermint? How did you know?” she asked, meeting Robin’s gaze. Robin ducked her head further, cheeks flushing crimson.

“It’s stupid,” she mumbled. Nancy let go of the cocoa with one hand to take Robin’s free hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb. She gave a gentle squeeze.

“I’m sure it’s not,” she reassured.

Robin sighed, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “I overheard you order peppermint cocoa a couple times at the coffee shop by school,” she admitted.

It was Nancy’s turn to blush.

“You remembered that?” she murmured, genuinely touched.

“I have a near eidetic memory,” Robin replied with a careless shrug. “And I may have had a stupid lingering crush on Hawkins High’s own princess.”

“You did not!” Nancy gasped, genuinely shocked. By the way Robin used to scowl at her in the halls, Nancy had assumed the girl hated her.

“I certainly did,” Robin laughed. “And I was so mad about it!” Ah, well that explained the dirty looks, she mused.

They dissolved into laughter, making their way over to the bed to sit, thigh to thigh, no longer caring to leave space between them. Nancy kissed Robin’s cheek and leaned her head on the girl’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. “It’s sweet.”

“Hey Nance?” Robin asked after a while.

“Yes, Robs?”

“Do you trust me?”

At this, Nancy sat up. She tilted her head, curiosity burning in her gaze as she stared at Robin.

“Yes,” she said slowly, though her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why?”

“I want to surprise you with something tonight,” Robin replied with a shit-eating grin that indicated she was absolutely not going to be taking questions at this time. “Please?”

Nancy mulled this over—despite already being sold—then sighed, a long suffering, fond little sound. “As you wish, Robbie.”

“Wonderful!” Robin kissed her forehead and then stood, stumbling with all the grace of a newborn foal. “I need to run into town—“

“In this weather?” Nancy interrupted, heart skipping a beat at the thought. “That doesn’t sound particularly safe—“

“I’ll be careful, Nance,” Robin promised, the tenderness of her voice surprising Nancy. Her heart ached for it.

“Please do,” she whispered.

“As you wish, princess,” Robin said, parroting Nancy’s own words and doing a playful little bow. Nancy rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but giggle in amusement at the girl’s antics.

Without another word, Robin saluted Nancy and walked out the door.

———

Nancy made her way to the lobby not much later, deciding to call the airline. She couldn’t help but smile as she dodged children running down the hall and arrived in a lobby full of conversation and warmth.

Despite the gloomy situation, everyone was truly making the best of their stay, and Christmas magic was thick in the air, a comforting weight, but not choking.

Ruth was sitting by the fire, simultaneously knitting while telling some kind of story to the gaggle of children at her feet. Nancy shook her head in amusement at the sight, before being distracted by a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head, finding herself face to face with the warm expression of Rose.

“Hello,” she said politely.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Wheeler,” Rose replied, an almost sickening sweetness to her voice, like grandmother’s cookies, enough to give a toothache. There was a playful, knowing glint in her dark eyes, something youthful despite her age.

“Are you enjoying your stay?”

Nancy pictured her roommate’s face, traced a map of freckles and imagined stormy grey eyes, heard the musical jingle bell laughter, felt the hot cocoa warmth the girl seemed to radiate. She hoped Robin was staying safe and warm as she ran her mysterious errand.

“Very much, thank you ma’am,” Nancy replied softly, lips turning upward in a smile. Rose nodded, a pleased hum rumbling in her chest.

“I’m glad to hear, dear,” she chuckled, voice weathered with age. She cast a glance at Ruth and Nancy finally registered the dynamic between the two.

“You and Ruth—“

“There’s more cookies in the oven, for you and Ms. Buckley, and everyone else of course,” the woman said brightly, before turning and walking over to her partner, placing a hand on Ruth’s shoulder. Nancy caught the glint of her ring, matched on Ruth’s own hands as she worked the yarn. Rose winked, and then turned to speak with Ruth.

Nancy huffed under her breath, not annoyance, but bemusement. Suddenly the roommate situation almost felt like a set up, though she knew that wasn’t possible. The music, however…

She made her way to an empty seat, right by the window with a view of the road. The snow had calmed, but thick flakes still fell from the sky and coated the world in silent white, glittering with the colored lights of the inn. The road was empty for the most part, a set of fresh tire tracks headed toward town—Robin’s, she knew.

It was a peaceful sight.

———-

It was around six in the evening when Robin returned. She met Nancy in the room, eyes shining with excitement.

“Are you ready?” she asked, holding out a festive coffee cup. Nancy took it and grinned—peppermint hot chocolate again.

“I am,” she replied.

Robin led the way outside, insisting on opening every door, like a gentleman, along the way. Nancy found it charming, though she teased the girl about it.

The last door was that of a small Ford, a sticker in the windshield giving away that it was a rental from the airport. Nancy slipped into the vehicle, and Robin hopped into the driver’s seat.

“Where are we going?” Nancy asked. Robin only grinned and shrugged, wiggling her eyebrows.

“You’ll have to wait and see, Wheeler,” she taunted. Nancy huffed and crossed her arms, but she wasn’t allowed to pretend to be grumpy for long. Robin stretched and grabbed something from the backseat—

A small bouquet of flowers. It wasn’t anything fancy, a few winter blooms—soft white winter pansies, a couple of red snapdragons, a few cinnamon sticks among pine wreath—all tied neatly in craft paper and a peppermint stick patterned bow. It was clear it was Christmas themed. It was adorable.

“Thank you,” Nancy murmured, a grateful smile spreading across her rosy cheeked face. Robin shrugged and turned the key in the ignition.

“Of course, babe,” she replied easily.

Thankfully, the car was still warm from Robin’s running around. The heater took only a moment to warm, but that didn’t stop Nancy from grabbing Robin’s hand ‘for warmth.’

Robin drove slowly, and they weren’t on the road for long. Pine Grove was only a few minutes from town. Nancy sat quietly through the drive, just listening to the radio and watching the thick snowfall. Neither girl said much, but the silence wasn’t tense and suffocating this time. It was pure comfort to just bask in each other’s presence.

“Close your eyes,” Robin whispered. Nancy was bewildered, but she obliged, even putting her hands over her eyes for good measure.

Robin drove a little longer, and then pulled Nancy’s hands away, holding the one closer to her. Nancy’s eyes fluttered open to the sweetest of smiles.

Robin’s face was illuminated in a myriad of colors, soft white mingling with rainbow dappling across her skin. Nancy followed the trajectory, finding herself staring at a street hung with hundreds— thousands of colorful Christmas lights, glowing overhead and painting the town. The colors were scattered by the glistening snow, making everything just a little more beautiful—though Nancy couldn’t help but think nothing compared to the sight beside her.

“Wow,” she breathed, squeezing Robin‘s hand. Robin stepped lightly on the gas, driving them forward. As they continued down the town’s Main Street, Nancy saw several magical displays, wire reindeer that seemed to watch as they passed, inflatable Santas and elves, gleaming metal characters. There were snowmen too, varying in appearance—she found the crooked ones, obviously made by young hands, guided by parents, to be the most charming.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Robin murmured. Nancy met her gaze, amazed by the way the blue shined in her stormy gray, popping wonderfully in the Christmas lighting.

“Yeah,” Nancy murmured, heart rate quickening. “Beautiful.” She found she wasn’t thinking about the lights—neither was Robin, by the look in her eyes.

Robin flushed and turned her attention back to the road, turning the music up slightly. Nancy smiled and hummed along, leaning ever so slightly closer to Robin as they continued down the street.

They ended their trip into town huddling for warmth in the shelter of a cozy diner. Robin bought Nancy dinner and they laughed and talked for a few hours, lost in each other just as they were lost in the blizzard.

———

When they returned to the inn, it was nearly ten. Nancy felt fuzzy and warm inside, and she couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Robin the whole drive home.

They arrived to see the children from the night before, and a few younger people from other rooms, having a vicious snowball fight. One of the kids hit Robin as soon as the door opened.

Robin shared a look with Nancy, then a devious smirk made its way onto her face. In one fluid movement, the freckled girl scooped up a clump of snow, shaped it, and launched it at the offending child. A squeal of laughter followed and Robin was dragged into battle.

Nancy watched with amusement, leaning against the hood of the Ford. Robin was laughing and whooping wildly, somehow ruthless and full of mercy all at once—careful never to accidentally tackle any of the younger kids, but taking no pity on the older.

“I’m going to head in!” she called after a moment, shivering in the cold. Robin shot her a thumbs up and then threw another snowball at a kid who had tried to sneak up on her. Nancy shook her head with a smile and walked up the stairs of the front porch.

Nancy felt something collide between her shoulders. There was a sudden dampness to her sweater, soaking through to her t-shirt, sending a shiver down her spine. Her eyes narrowed as she turned around.

The children had gone quiet. All of them were staring, and in the middle of the group, face quickly paling to match the snow—a stark contrast to those stupidly adorable freckles—and eyes wide was Robin Buckley. One of the children pointed at her.

“It was her!”

“Nance, I—“

Nancy’s eyes narrowed further, a dangerous look that had Robin shutting up and gulping.

“It’s fine,” Nancy said slowly. Cold. Calculating. Carefully hiding a giggle. Robin froze. Nancy knelt, scooping the snow into a perfect ball. She held it in one gloved hand, testing its weight and eyeballing Robin. The taller girl held her hands up in surrender.

“Hey, Nance, come on now,” Robin croaked, stepping back—

Too late. The snowball smacked her right in the chest, frozen crystals spattering across her jacket like icy shrapnel. Robin clutched at her chest, gasping dramatically and stumbling like she’d been shot.

“Karma’s a—“ Nancy paused, noting the children. “ Jerk ,” she finished carefully, pulling a howl of laughter from Robin. It earned the girl another snowball to the chest—Nancy wasn’t a sharpshooter for nothing.

“Alright, Wheeler!” Robin called, dipping down to grab a snowball and lobbing it toward her. “You’re on!”

The snowball fight escalated. The kids ended up joining forces with Robin against Nancy, building a small fort to hide behind. Robin was their fierce protector, taking snowball after snowball for them and thawing Nancy’s furiously stubborn frozen heart in the act. She huffed in annoyance, tossing her frozen projectile from hand to hand.

“Give up, Buckley!” she called, peeking out from behind her tree cover. Robin grinned at her, popping out from the poorly made snow fort to throw another snowball. It whizzed past Nancy’s ear, showering her shoulder in snow.

“Never!” was her rasping call, a taunt in the singular word.

Nancy decided it was time to switch tactics.

“Fine!” she returned, ignoring the snowball that was lobbed into her shoulder. “Truce!”

“Truce?” Robin questioned, peeking above the fort, just enough to show her eyes. Her expression revealed she clearly did not trust Nancy—wise, given Wheeler’s unfolding scheme.

“Truce!” Nancy confirmed, a snowy white lie. “You and me against these toddlers!”

“We’re fourteen?” one of the kids smarted. A snowball to his torso shut him up.

“Fine! Truce!” Robin agreed. She dipped below the fort and Nancy waited for several moments.

Robin reappeared and leapt with surprising grace over the crumbling snow wall, jogging over to Nancy. She nearly tripped, but Nancy caught her, grabbing the front of her coat at the last moment.

“Thanks, Nance!” Robin giggled, righting herself. Nancy flashed a devilish smirk that made Robin expression fall, betrayal evident in the quirk of her eyebrow.

“Nance?”

Nancy pulled Robin down to her level, revealing a hidden snowball and immediately crushing it into Robin’s hair. The girl yelped in surprise, pulling away and wiping snow from her strawberry blonde waves.

“Gotcha!” Nancy laughed, echoed by the children around them. Robin huffed and crossed her arms and pulled out her best pout—Nancy wanted to damn those puppy dog eyes to hell with how effective they were.

“That was cruel,” Robin whined, but there was no real anger in her voice. In fact, she tilted her head, one eyebrow raised, mischief glowing in her stormy eyes.

“What did you say?” she asked slowly, the cool spike of the question sending a shiver down Nancy’s spine. “Karma’s a jerk?”

Nancy turned around a moment too late, receiving not one, not two, but four snowballs to the torso from a group of the kids that had snuck behind her when she wasn’t looking—Buckley’s plan, she assumed.

“Oh now you’re going to get it!” she yelped.

Nancy grabbed snowball after snowball, pelting Robin as they both dodged projectiles from the kids, laughter ringing mirthful in the air, warm breath billowing from their lungs in clouds, a physical manifestation of their merriment.

Robin had been behind the, now collapsed snow, fort for a while now, biding her time. Nancy crept up to the wall, holding her breath. She stayed low so her head wouldn’t be seen above it, peeking slowly around the corner to surprise Robin—

Only she was the one surprised as a massive pile of snow was dumped on her from above, followed by a triumphant cry that could only be Robin Buckley herself. Nancy gasped and shook the snow off, playfully shoving Robin back over the wall—but the girl instinctively grabbed the nearest object, one Nancy Wheeler, to keep from falling, and only succeeded in dragging them both down into the snow.

Robin let out a soft oomf at the impact, twisting as they fell to put her body between Nancy’s and the ground. Nancy collapsed on top of her, both of them gasping as the wind was forced from their lungs, stinging with the cold.

Robin groaned and Nancy moved off her enough to let her breath, finding herself face to face with the other girl. They were both panting, mist billowing between them. Robin’s breath was warm on Nancy’s face, and the brunette caught herself staring at the rosy blush pulled to Robin’s cheeks by the cold—only the cold, she wondered? Her lips were red too, bright cherry in a suddenly utterly colorless winter world. Nothing could compare to this most beautiful shade of rouge.

Time seemed to come to a standstill as they both froze, realizing their proximity. Nancy forced her gaze upward, finding Robin’s pupils blown—she wondered if hers were too, knew they were. It would be so easy to lean in, to kiss the girl completely stupid—but the children were still around, parents were watching from the porch. It was dangerous.

It was almost worth it, that little tug in Nancy’s chest whined.

Nancy rolled off of Robin quickly, cursing under her breath. The other girl sat up, wincing.

“You alright?” she asked, voice hoarse with cold, with care, with her perfect natural rasp. Nancy smiled and nodded, struggling to her feet and offering a hand to Robin.

“I’m okay,” she promised, still breathless. “Are you?”

Robin nodded, taking Nancy’s hand and righting herself. They stood a moment too long and Nancy became hyper aware of the way her clothes hung completely drenched on her thin frame, still dripping fresh snow melt. Despite the cold, she felt almost unbearably warm. Robin was still staring at her with a strange expression.

“You winced,” Nancy said suddenly. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m okay,” Robin said, ducking her head and shrugging—evidently painful, as she winced again.

“No, you’re hurt. Let’s go in, and I’ll take a look?” Nancy offered, concern replacing whatever that feeling was that wanted to linger, coiled in her stomach. Realistically she knew. She didn’t dare admit it.

“Nance, I’m fine—“ Nancy shushed her.

“You kids have fun!” she called before taking Robin’s hand and leading the girl up the porch steps. She saw the innkeepers standing against the rail, a mischievous expression shared between them. Nancy rolled her eyes as they walked past.

They made it to the bedroom without fault and the door clicked shut behind them—finally, privacy. Nancy spun around far more quickly than necessary, fighting the urge to just pin Robin to the wall and kiss her filthy .

That urge was mirrored in Robin’s eyes, she realized. The thought made her chest burn .

“It’s your shoulder, isn’t it?” Nancy managed. She felt as if there was a thick wad of cotton in her mouth. “Did it twist, when you fell?”

Robin’s cheeks flushed, embarrassment. She avoided Nancy’s gaze, still catching her breath. “It landed funny when I rolled,” she admitted softly. “But I’ll be okay.”

Nancy stepped closer, fingers twitching. She grabbed Robin’s collar in one hand, rubbing the damp fabric of her winter coat in between her thumb and index finger.

“We should probably… Change,” she breathed, meeting Robin’s still blown gaze. The girl gulped, and she nodded. “Probably don’t want to get hypothermia.”

“Probably not,” Robin agreed, a soft whimper at the back of her throat that had Nancy’s heart fluttering .

“Let me help?” she croaked, internally flinching at her own request—but Robin didn’t mind. The girl just flashed a nervous, but eager crooked grin and nodded.

“Please.”

Nancy carefully unbuttoned the coat. She was ever gentle as she pulled it from Robin’s shoulders, careful not to jostle her injured arm. She tugged the hem of Robin’s sweater gently upwards. She was left in a t-shirt—regretfully, mostly dry. The girl was watching her through guarded, uncertain eyes. She was blushing furiously too.

“Let me help you too?”

Nancy had always been independent. She learned that as a woman, she was always going to have to fight to prove herself. Asking for help proved she was weak, that she couldn’t stand on her own, that she needed a man to hold her up. Had it been Jonathan or Steve standing across from her, or any man, really—hell, anyone other than Robin , this perfect stranger, Nancy would have said no.

She could let her guard down with this girl, she realized. She wanted to show that vulnerable side of her, and she knew Robin would treat her with understanding, not pity. It was nice to relinquish control for once.

“Yes, please,” she whispered.

Robin untied Nancy’s scarf with the utmost tenderness. She unzipped the smaller girl’s jacket and pulled it off. When her fingers hooked under the hem of Nancy’s snow-damp sweater, she met the girl’s gaze. A question—checking in. Nancy nodded, and with a gentleness almost reverent, Robin pulled the sweater over Nancy’s head.

They both hesitated for a long, tense moment, silence filling the air like crackling static, threatening the strike of lightning that would surely do them in.

“Nance,” Robin breathed, voice low, a rumble in her chest that reverberated in Nancy’s skull like a bassline.

“Birdie,” Nancy replied, hands dropping to Robin’s hips. She heard the girl’s breath catch deliciously in her throat.

The storm came to a head at the contact. The tension broke and Nancy pinned Robin to the door. They kissed like women starved, all tongues and teeth and gasps. This was nothing like their soft kiss the night before—this was hungry. This was burning desire that drove them both to madness. Nancy’s breath hitched as Robin’s lips dropped lower, trailing her jawline. Hands wandered, explored.

Robin backed Nancy up until the backs of her knees hit the bed. She flopped backward and Robin climbed over her, mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Robin,” Nancy choked out. “Robin, we’re still in wet jeans.”

Robin sat back, straddling Nancy’s hips. She was grinning—positively smirking . Rough laughter erupted from her chest. “We should fix that, hm?”

———

Nancy awoke wrapped safely in Robin’s arms. She wasn’t sure she could get closer if she tried, bare skin warm against bare skin, swapping body heat under the covers. She nestled into the girl’s chest, breathing a sleepy sigh. She could get used to this.

Robin was mumbling again, she realized after a moment. Again nonsense words—except, not, she realized. It was clear the girl was simply speaking another language, one a little harsher sounding than her own. Nancy listened quietly, trying to guess. German, perhaps? No, Russian?

Robin shifted, rolling over. Nancy scooted closer, her turn to snake her hands around Robin’s waist and pull her close. She nuzzled her chin into Robin’s shoulder, placing a soft kiss behind the girl’s ear. The gesture pulled a warm huff, a soft mumble from Robin.

“G’mornin’,” she heard Robin mutter, voice thick with sleep. Nancy smiled, burying her face in Robin’s neck.

“G’mornin’,” she returned, shocking even herself with the softness in her voice. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like the dead,” Robin laughed, the sound crackling in the early morning. Nancy’s hold on her tightened, and she decided she would be happy to stay right there forever.

“You talk in your sleep,” Nancy murmured, affection smoothing her voice like honey. Robin hummed in response, turning back over to face Nancy. Her eyes were soft, deep. Nancy could have drowned in their depths.

“Yeah? What was I saying?” Robin asked, amused. Nancy couldn’t help but blush as the girl kissed the tip of her nose, a small gesture, but enough to make her heart skip a beat.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, reaching out to brush strawberry blonde strands from Robin’s face. Robin’s gaze flickered from Nancy’s hand and back again, a rosy flush in her cheeks. “It sounded like another language.”

Robin pondered this, a smile breaking across her sleepy face. She was cut off by a yawn before she answered.

“It might have been,” she purred, the confidence in her voice sending a shiver down Nancy’s spine. “I speak six languages, you know.”

“I didn’t know,” Nancy said, truly shocked. Robin chuckled at her expression.

“Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Russian, alongside my native English,” she listed as though it were the most normal thing in the world. Nancy stared in awe.

“That’s impressive,” she admitted. Robin preened at the praise. Nancy pulled out the doe eyes, batted her eyelashes—a surefire way to get exactly what she wanted. “Say something in another language?” she asked. She kept her expression carefully innocent. “Perhaps in French?”

Robin nodded, brows furrowing as she thought. “ You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. No rose could ever compare. No jewel could match your shine. No star could match your light. My heart longs for every moment in your presence, for when I’m with you, I am in the presence of a goddess ,” the girl crooned. She slipped into the French accent almost naturally—Nancy could believe the girl grew up in Paris.

Her cheeks burned at the words. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that escaped was a flustered huff. Robin was watching her with curiosity. Finally, Nancy sighed and in a voice more timid than intended, she replied, “ Thank you .” Perfect French.

Robin’s jaw went slack.

“You—?”

“I was in French club, and I took two classes freshman year,” Nancy replied simply, giggling at Robin’s dumbstruck look. It was her turn to turn a dark shade of red, burying her face in Nancy’s shoulder and groaning in embarrassment.

“That’s not fair,” she whined.

“You’re quite the poet,” Nancy joked affectionately. She pressed a soft kiss to Robin’s forehead and the girl huffed in response.

“Tease.”

“Cheese,” Nancy shot back. Robin laughed, the sound bubbling from her chest and surrounding them both in warmth. Nancy felt more content than she had in years.

They quieted after a moment. Nancy closed her eyes, a heavy sigh pulled from her lungs. They couldn’t stay here forever. They’d be flying home soon. The realization was not a pleasant one, despite her previous impatience to return to Hawkins.

“Are you hungry?” Robin asked, pulling Nancy from her thoughts. She took Nancy’s hand in her own and squeezed it tightly. Nancy chuckled softly, forlorn. They could spend a little more time together, couldn’t they? What was the harm in that?

She knew. It was the breakage of her heart when the time came to say goodbye, made worse by every magical moment she was allowed to fall further for Robin Buckley. The cracks were already appearing in her rib cage.

“I am,” Nancy murmured.

“Breakfast?”

“Yes please.”

———

They spent another fifteen minutes cuddling before finally climbing out of bed. They got dressed in pleasant silence, sneaking glances and giggling when they caught each other. Nancy wanted to burn the pattern of Robin’s freckled skin into her mind, the map she had followed the night before—the constellations of home, she realized. She felt more at home with this girl, this near stranger she had to remind herself, than she had since leaving Hawkins.

Robin pulled her hair into a messy bun, and Nancy pulled hers into a neat ponytail before they headed out together, pinkies intertwined.

Ruth and Rose had truly outdone themselves. The table in the lobby was overflowing with cinnamon rolls and croissants and other sweets, platters of bacon and eggs, and steaming cups of hot chocolate. Other guests were already piling their plates high with the treats, talking and laughing amongst themselves. The fireplace was crackling with life.

The pair began to pile up their plates when Ruth and Rose themselves walked into the lobby. They wore bittersweet smiles, and Nancy’s heart sank .

This was goodbye.

“Hello everyone,” Rose began, easily gaining the attention of the room. Nancy kept her expression neutral as she waited for the inevitable.

“The airline called us this morning to inform us they will be able to fly everyone out today.”

And there it was. This wonderful layover, a perfect, frozen moment in time, was no more. The clock was again ticking, and their time was up. Robin seemed to understand this too, given the almost imperceivable drop of her shoulders, a downward twitch of her lips.

“We will have your flight information at the front desk. We ask that you come by one at a time to make this as smooth as possible.”

With that, the two innkeepers left the room. Conversation kicked back up, for the most part an excited buzz. Everyone was ready to get where they were trying to go.

Everyone except Nancy and Robin, it seemed. Nancy couldn’t even face the girl, turning her attention back to breakfast, though she wasn’t all that hungry anymore.

She should have known better. She knew she would only be here for a few days. She knew they’d inevitably be forced apart. Hell, she had found Robin annoying for the first several hours of knowing her. But it was too late now. In a few hours they’d board their flight. They’d go back to Indiana, back to Hawkins. After break, they’d return to their respective homes. Would she ever see Robin again?

Robin seemed to sense Nancy’s spiral. Of course she did. She somehow was perfectly attuned to Nancy’s emotions in a way even Nancy herself wasn’t. She placed a feather light hand on Nancy’s shoulder, rubbing a soothing circle.

“Want to go back to the room?” she asked, hushed, comforting. Nancy finally met her gaze, heart splitting in two at the tenderness and care she found there. Her eyes prickled, tears already threatening to spill.

“Yes please,” she managed, voice wavering.

Robin nodded. She grabbed a couple more things for her plate and they each took a cup of cocoa before they headed to their room.

Nancy sat on the armchair and Robin took the end of the bed. They were quiet for a moment. Nancy tried to gather herself, but her eyes fell on Robin’s open suitcase, soon to be packed, and the tears began to fall.

“Nance? Oh, Nance!” Robin panicked, setting her food on the bedside table and approaching. She knelt in front of Nancy, taking her hand and wiping the smaller girl’s eyes. She shushed quietly, and Nancy leaned into her touch.

“What’s wrong, Wheeler?” the freckled girl asked, voice ever soft for the girl in front of her. It was becoming harder and harder to remember why Nancy had disliked her at first.

“I don’t want to say goodbye,” Nancy admitted, a barely audible whisper, half strangled at the back of her throat. Robin’s grip on her hand tightened.

“Then don’t.”

Nancy blinked, brows furrowing.

“Don’t?”

“Don’t,” Robin repeated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked, bewildered.

“Don’t say goodbye. I mean, really, we’re both going back to Hawkins, right?” Robin began. Nancy nodded, though she was still confused.

“But we’ll still have to go back to school.”

“Yes. School in Boston. Your t-shirt said Emerson—I go to Northeastern. I’m just minutes away, Nance.”

Nancy stared in shock. How had she not known that? It should have clicked, given the fact they flew out on the same flight. Of course! Robin lived in Boston too.

But that didn’t mean—

“You’ll still want to see me?” Nancy asked hopefully. Robin grinned and rolled her eyes, head tilted and freckles catching in the light let in from the window.

“I’m not exactly the one night stand type, Wheeler,” she laughed. Nancy couldn’t help but join her, relief burning warm in her chest. She slumped forward, putting her arms over Robin’s shoulders and pulling her close. Robin slipped her arms around Nancy’s waist, holding her tight.

When Nancy finally pulled away—and it was her that pulled away first, given all the time she needed by Robin—Robin grinned at her.

“Come to Steve’s party with me?” she asked. “It’ll be fun!”

Nancy immediately blanched at the thought of seeing Steve, but the pleading look in Robin’s stupid puppy dog eyes was enough to persuade her. She let out a long, drawn out sigh, then nodded. “Fine.”

Robin brightened, moving to pull Nancy into a kiss—but Nancy stopped her, placing a finger on Robin’s lips and raising her eyebrows. She flashed a playful smirk.

“But you have to come to Christmas dinner with me and my family,” she stipulated. Robin’s eyes widened, nervous for a moment, before giving way to mischief.

“Damn, Wheeler,” she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Meeting the parents already?”

“What can I say?” Nancy murmured, leaning in, maddeningly close. She tapped Robin’s nose. “Lesbians move fast. You of all people should know.”

Robin burst out laughing, but Nancy shut her up with a heated kiss until they practically melted into each other.

———

After they finally ate their now cold breakfast, Nancy volunteered to go back down the hall to get their flight information.

Ruth was sitting at the desk, half moon glasses slipping down her nose as she read a novel, the cover so worn that Nancy couldn’t quite decipher its title. She looked up as Nancy approached, smiling that grandmotherly smile.

“Good morning dear,” she said, closing her book and setting it aside. “What can I help you with?”

Nancy got the flight information quickly. She wrote it down and pocketed it, thanking Ruth as she went. The woman nodded and waved as she left.

When Nancy returned, she found Robin standing over Nancy’s suitcase, freezing as the door opened. Nancy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms as Robin spun around, an apologetic look on her face.

“What are you doing?” she asked, half amused, half worried.

“Um.” Robin swallowed and shuffled away, gesturing to the baggage. Nancy stepped closer and saw that Robin’s Christmas sweater, the very same she had lent to Nancy, was neatly folded and packed on top of Nancy’s things.

“I just thought—Well I thought you might like it?” Robin stammered, flushing a shade of red comparable to the garment. Nancy shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“You’re an idiot, Robin Buckley,” she giggled, a sickly sweet fondness dripping from the words. She both loved and hated the mushy feeling this girl instilled in her chest. “And adorable.”

“Well, you did call me a cheese,” Robin mumbled, blushing even more darkly, if such a thing was possible. Nancy kissed her cheek and then pulled the flight information from her pocket and handed it over.

“We leave in six hours,” she said brightly. In truth, knowing that Robin would still be around, Nancy couldn’t wait to go home again. She did miss her mother, and Mike even, admittedly. Hell, she even missed Steve—just a little.

———

Packing didn’t take long. Nancy led the way down to the lobby, clad in a garish Christmas sweater that most definitely wasn’t her own. Ruth was still at the desk, and this time, Rose was on the other side, leaning against it as Ruth ranted and waved her book around with surprising agility for someone approaching eighty. Nancy could picture a younger version of her and Robin doing the same—Ruth’s excitement reminded her quite a bit of the girl next to her, actually. She made a mental note to ask her about Strangers On a Train later, perhaps on the plane.

“Welcome back, Ms. Wheeler, Ms. Buckley,” Rose said warmly. “Checking out?”

“Checking out,” Robin confirmed. She fished her key from her pocket and handed it over, and then Nancy did the same. Ruth was humming as she made the necessary notes in her ledger. The radio behind the desk played a soft Christmas song—the very same Robin and Nancy had danced to just two nights before, Nancy realized. The thought brought a pink flush to her cheeks, and judging by the way Robin was chewing her lip and avoiding Nancy’s gaze, she was remembering too. Rose caught Nancy’s eye and winked.

“You’re all checked out,” Ruth said after a moment, looking up from her book to smile. “We hope you enjoyed your stay, dears!”

“Oh I’m sure they did,” Rose giggled, earning a stern look from Ruth. Robin sputtered in response and Nancy couldn’t help but laugh.

“We did, thank you,” she managed. She waved as she turned to leave, rolling her eyes as Robin, still red faced, saluted the pair.

———

The airport was almost comfortable. Nancy suspected this had nothing to do with the airport itself, however, and everything to do with Robin. The taller girl spent much of the time at the gate sitting beside her, allowing her shoulder to be used as a pillow so Nancy could take a nap.

The plane was shockingly bearable too. Robin and Nancy were able to sit together, and this time, they were significantly kinder to each other. Nancy told Robin about her articles. Robin rambled on and on about her books. They shared dry airplane cookies and watched the city lights together—Nancy let Robin have the window seat this time. The flight was over before they knew it.

Steve picked them up at the airport, and the shock on his face was amusing enough to make up for the initial awkwardness. He and Robin had a strange relationship, Nancy found out. He showed up in a sweater to match Buckley’s and they did some sort of weird handshake that Nancy couldn’t even try to memorize. Frankly it was bewildering to see the way they interacted—Nancy never would have expected it from Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington, but it was pleasant all the same.

The party was surprisingly fun. It was far more laid back than any Nancy had attended in high school with Steve. Robin introduced Nancy to Vickie, who was her ex, and Chrissy, Vickie’s new girlfriend. She met Eddie too, Steve’s boyfriend apparently. Jonathan was there too—apparently he and Steve had become friends after their years of rivalry—with his new boyfriend, Argyle, and their friend Eden. They were all sickeningly sweet, clinging to their respective partners through the party—Nancy and Robin included—much to the children’s annoyance.

Nancy was not surprised to see the younger group at all. Steve had already been becoming something of a babysitter when she left for school, and evidently that bond had strengthened while she was away. Dustin spent much of the night making fun of Steve and Eddie, while Max, El, and Lucas sat in their own corner and spoke warmly. Mike and Will talked D&D through the night, and Mike barely acknowledged Nancy’s presence. “I’ll talk to you at family dinner,” he had complained, but only after greeting Nancy with a firm hug that told her he missed her too, as much as he denied it.

After the party, Steve drove Nancy, Mike, and Robin to the Wheeler’s house, and naturally, Mike was a little shit about the developing romance. Only, it wasn’t Nancy he was protective of.

“Really, Buckley? My sister?” he scoffed. Robin laughed and leaned forward to box him in the shoulder. He smacked her hand and stuck out his tongue. “You can do better!” he protested.

Robin hummed in response, curling more tightly in Nancy’s side. She kissed the girl’s cheek and grinned. “I disagree, little Wheeler. I think I hit the jackpot.”

“Cheese,” Nancy muttered before she pulled Robin into a searing kiss—if only for the retching sound Mike made in response.

Karen didn’t let Nancy through the door before squeezing the breath out of her with a hug. Ted didn’t bother to get up from his paper, but Nancy didn’t really mind. Karen was warm enough on her own, placing her hands on Nancy’s shoulders and smiling.

“And who is this?” she asked, ever polite, though by the look in her eyes, Nancy was sure she had already guessed the connection.

“This is my date,” Nancy said, taking Robin’s hand in her own. The girl looked nervous, her shoulders tense and eyes wide, but she relaxed when Nancy squeezed her hand and flashed an affectionate smile. “Mom, this is Robin Buckley.”

“Oh Robin!” Karen said, brightening. “Mike has mentioned you before! How did you two meet?”

Robin and Nancy shared a look, then Nancy shook her head, smiling in amusement.

“Long story, mom. I’ll tell you after dinner,” she promised.

Dinner went well. Karen asked Nancy and Robin both about a million questions about school. Mike caught Nancy up on recent happenings in Hawkins. Even Ted joined the conversation here and there, and he was surprisingly polite about Nancy dating a girl. Robin and Mike argued about movies for a while, and then Nancy teased Mike about his crush on Will.

Afterwards, Karen regaled Robin with tales from Nancy’s youth and showed the freckled girl Nancy’s childhood photos, much to Nancy’s chagrin. They retired to the living room and watched ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.’ Nobody batted an eye when Nancy curled neatly into Robin’s side, humming contently. Robin wrapped an arm around her, kissed her forehead, eyes never leaving the screen.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“You’re warm,” Nancy mumbled, drowsiness—jet lag perhaps—weighing heavy in her bones. She let her eyelids droop, let her breathing slow. She knew she wouldn’t make it through the movie, but that was more than okay with her.

“You’re just using me for my warmth, aren’t you, babe?” Robin whispered, playfully aghast. Nancy opened one eye to peer at the girl, smirking.

“Perhaps,” she replied, snuggling closer. Robin really was warm—she practically radiated heat. Nancy found it very fitting, given her sunshine personality.

“Shush!” Mike hissed, elbowing them. Nancy smacked his elbow and scowled.

“Since when have you cared about Rudolph? I thought you were too cool for a kids movie,” she scoffed, quoting his own words from the past few Christmases.

Mike only rolled his eyes and scowled right back, before turning his attention back to the movie. Sixteen as he was, even he watched the screen with rapt attention, expression betraying his fondness for the film—or maybe just for the family tradition.

Nancy returned her attention to Robin, finding the girl watching her with an expression of soft wonder, eyes dripping with warmth. It was adorable, really. It made Nancy’s chest ache. A quick glance around the room confirmed that no one was paying attention, so she fisted the front of Robin’s sweater and pulled her into a quick, chaste kiss.

Ted was snoring. Karen was distracted by a Sudoku puzzle in a magazine. Robin’s lips tasted of pumpkin pie and eggnog.

It was a perfect Christmas.

———

Nancy hated airlines. Who didn’t, really? They were gross, they were cramped, and turbulence made her stomach turn.

Except, well, Nancy could forgive them for all of that.

An airline was exactly the reason Nancy now had Robin Buckley in her life. And it was this airline they flew back to Boston on, sitting side by side, knowing they’d be seeing much more of each other in the future. And honestly, who wouldn’t be thankful for that?