Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Robin has been spending her summers at Camp Brookstone for four years and never before has she seen another kid from Hawkins. That is, until she wanders into the mess hall on the second day of camp to find Steve Harrington sitting at her usual table. He’s shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth with the anger of a kid who would rather be literally anywhere else and Robin recognizes the look because she was that kid her first year at camp. Her parents had just been counting down the days until she was old enough to be shipped off for the summer - Camp Brookstone’s youngest campers being rising 3rd graders - and Robin had been livid that she couldn’t spend the summer having sleepovers at Barb’s like she usually did. 

As she gets in line to get her food, she wonders why Steve is here if he doesn’t want to be. She doesn’t know Steve all that well. Not really. He’s a year older, and so this last year they hadn’t even gone to the same school, Steve at the middle school and Robin still in 5th grade, so she mostly just knows of him. Every kid in Hawkins does. And from what she knows, he doesn’t seem to be the type to be forced to do something he doesn’t want to do. 

For one, he lives in the biggest house in town. Loch Nora is where the rich kids live, with their fancy houses and their full sized candy bars on Halloween, but the Harringtons had deemed even that beneath them. Instead, his father had built their sprawling home on a plot of land on the edge of town, with a backyard big enough for a pool. As far as Robin knew, the Harringtons were the only people in town that had a pool, the only ones that could cool off without being forced to face the masses at the community pool. Well, the Harringtons, and the kids that were lucky enough to get invites to Steve’s regular pool parties. Robin had never gotten one, and while she figured that was mainly because she and Steve had only ever interacted once (they’d been placed on the same kickball team for field day two years ago - go green team!), she was pretty sure she wouldn’t get one even if he did know her. 

Steve is popular. Cool. Robin is definitely not. Last year, he’d been the school president at Hawkins Elementary, a nearly unanimous vote with the exception of Davy Rosenburg, who was sick on the election day, and Robin, who didn’t want to vote for someone who gets everything that he wants. She’d voted for Rachel Hopkins instead, who picked her nose, once ate a bug at recess, and arguably was a worse choice than Steve. But Robin knew she wasn't actually going to win, she just wanted to take a stand. Even if no one other than Mrs. Howard, who counted votes, knew she even took one. 

But apparently Robin was wrong, and Steve Harringotn doesn't get everything he wants. Otherwise he certainly wouldn’t be here sitting at her table.

Food finally in hand, Robin wavers. She always sits at that table. And she always sits alone. No one else likes it because it’s closest to the trash cans. But now she faces the choice of joining Steve Harrington or breaking tradition and sitting with someone else.

She figures if she chooses Steve one of two scenarios will play out. Either he recognizes her and tries to talk to her, will possibly even comment on what a total dweeb she is or tell he she can’t sit with him. Or he doesn’t recognize her at all and Robin has to sit there with the knowledge that she knows who Steve is, but she was forgettable to him. She’s honestly not sure which would be less embarrassing.

She glances out at the rest of the cafeteria and finds her bunkmates sitting a few tables over. She doesn’t know them super well, but Mary does come every summer just like Robin so she would kind of consider her a friend. Maybe she can branch out and sit with them? She even starts to take a step towards them when the boys from the 6th grade cabin appear and fill out the rest of the table. Well that's off the table.

She looks back at Steve who is still sullenly eating his breakfast, barely glancing up from his plate. Surely in this mood he won’t even talk to her, he might not even notice that she’s joined him. Mind made up, she walks over to the table and plops down a few spaces from Steve. Like she’d hoped, he doesn’t even look up from his plate as she does, so Robin breathes a sigh of relief and begins digging into her own food. She gets 10 minutes of peace and is nearly finished with her breakfast and ready to escape back to her cabin when Steve speaks next to her. 

“Sorry, but you look really familiar. Do I know you?” Robin glances up to unnecessarily confirm that he is indeed speaking to her. They’re the only ones at the table, who else would he be talking to? Though Robin wouldn't put ‘Steve speaking to a ghost’ that far from ‘Steve giving Robin the time of day’ on a list of improbable things. Sure enough, he’s squinting at her, brain clearly working over time as he tries to place her. She instantly feels uncomfortable under his gaze. 

Does she pretend she doesn’t know him either? That seems weird, but she also feels awkward acknowledging that she remembers him when he doesn’t remember her. Robin’s not the best at social cues but she feels like that’s embarrassing for her. But she’s also not the best liar, so after a moment of deliberation she goes for the truth.

“I think we might go to school together.” Sheanswers slowly, trying to sound nonchalant and like she’s working to place Steve herself. “You’re Steve, right?” 

“Yeah.” He nods. “You’re from Hawkins?” 

Robin holds her tongue from pointing out how stupid of a question that is, given that she literally just confirmed that they attend the same school. Her mother has been working on her not correcting people and would be proud that she just nods in confirmation instead. Steve frowns, looking guilty. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.” 

“Robin.” She supplies. She hopes her cheeks aren’t as red as they feel. “And it’s okay. You’re a year older than me, I only knew yours because you were the school president last year.” 

Steve really looks at her and Robin thinks she can actually see the cogs turning, before he says,“Were you on my kickball team? That year the game went into like 4 extra innings?” 

“Field Day Champions 1976 baby!” Robin gives a little cheer and immediately regrets it when Steve just stares at her in complete bewilderment. She winces and runs a hand over her face.“Sorry, I don’t know why I just did that.” 

To her surprise, Steve actually smiles - and not a teasing smile but a friendly one - and Robin feels a bit less embarrassed. 

“I remember you.” He supplies, further shocking Robin. “You had a killer foot. But you couldn’t run for shit.” 

And well, she should be upset that he’s insulting her but it’s the truth and his tone isn’t mean so Robin isn’t offended. 

“Took me longer to learn to walk than all the other babies so I’m just grateful I can run at all.” She shrugs unapologetically and Steve laughs. 

“Fair enough. I used to crawl backwards, so I really have no room to talk.” He adds and then they’re both giggling and Robin starts to consider that maybe she’s in a weird alternate dimension. Is Steve Harrington actually kind of nice? 

“First summer?” Robin asks when they’ve finished laughing, finding that she actually wants to keep their conversation going. Go figure.  

“Yeah. It’s bullshit.” Steve’s demeanor changes immediately and Robin tries not to flinch at his second use of the word ‘shit’. She doesn’t think she’s ever actually said a curse word before, but she’d die before she ever let Steve Harrington know that. Maybe Jack Coles was right when he called her a goody two shoes. “My parents are going to be gone all summer and they wouldn’t let me stay home by myself. As if they haven’t been leaving me alone all year. It’s only because they mentioned to their friends they were going out of town and they asked what I would be doing. They were too embarrassed to say they’d just planned to leave me by myself so they said I was going to camp and well then they had to keep up appearances. So here I am.” 

And Robin had heard the rumors that Steve’s parents were often out of town. Word got around because it was odd that a sixth grader was the go to party thrower of the middle school, but his empty house had further launched his existing popularity. Robin never thought it was cool like everybody else. She’d always wondered if Steve threw so many parties because he was lonely. That was something she could certainly understand. 

“That is bullshit.” Robin agrees, testing the word out. Is she trying too hard? Maybe. Does she kind of want the most popular boy in Hawkins to think she’s cool? Definitely. She’s only 11, she can’t be expected to stick it to the man all the time. “My parents leave all summer too.” Robin adds sympathetically. “I’ve been coming here since I was old enough. They just couldn’t wait to get rid of me.” 

Steve hums at this and Robin just gets the sense that he understands. That maybe he feels the same way. But all he says is, “So is camp as awful as I imagine it being?” 

“It’s okay.” She shrugs. “Some of the activities are fun, but the counselors treat us all like babies and most of the campers annoy the shit out of me. That’s why I usually sit at this table.” 

Robin hopes two uses of the word shit isn’t over doing it. Steve had used it twice but she thinks it just sounds weird coming out of her mouth.

“It’s closest to the trash cans.” Steve nods knowingly. “Sorry I crashed your spot.” 

“It’s okay. There’s enough to share.” 

And so they do. For the next few weeks they sit together every meal. Sometimes they don’t say a word to each other the whole time, needing some time to themselves but enjoying each other’s company. Other times the meal ends with them clutching their stomachs after they spent the whole time hysterically laughing about something dumb. 

Steve’s not really what Robin expected. He’s sort of goofy and a bit of a weirdo. But he’s also quiet, and shy. Robin never sees him talk to anyone but her. And he’s nice. They don’t really share activities but whenever she passes him around camp he always smiles and gives a dorky wave - sometimes with both hands. He knows that strawberries are Robin’s favorite, and so whenever they have them in the mess hall, he always gives his to her. And at Campfire every evening, he toasts Robin’s marshmallow for her, taking over after she burnt hers to hell two nights in a row. 

Robin is shocked when she realizes that Steve is not only her closest friend at camp but maybe her closest friend ever. So it doesn't surprise her that her bunkmates seem to pick up on the fact that she and Steve have gotten really close. 

“What’s up with you and Steve?” Jessica asks one evening three weeks into camp. It’s raining and so Campfire was canceled for the evening and everyone sequestered into their cabins. Robin is lying on her stomach on her bed reading her worn copy of Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase and looks up to find her five bunkmates looking at her with curiosity.  They’d previously been pouring over the most recent Tiger Beat that Missy’s mom had sent in a care package and talking about their crushes, so Robin is confused as to why she’s become the topic of conversation. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Is he your boyfriend?” Jessica asks excitedly and the other girls giggle. 

“You guys are so cute together!” Missy adds with a squeal. 

“We’re not together.” Robin states, eyebrows furrowing. Why would they think that? “We’re just friends.” 

“Oh.” Jessica seems a bit disappointed at this news which Robin finds even more confusing. “But you want to date him right? I mean he’s sooooo cute.”

That gives her pause. Is Steve cute? Robin had never really thought about it before. Sure, she knows some of the girls at school think he is, but Robin always just thought that was because he was popular. But Steve isn’t really popular here. Does she think Steve is cute? Does she want to date Steve? He’s a boy, and she’s a girl, and that’s what they’re supposed to do, right?

She tries to think about kissing Steve and feels a bit panicked. But she always hears people in movies talking about how a crush makes their heart race and so maybe it’s just that. Maybe everybody feels nervous and kind of like they want to throw up when they think about kissing a boy. 

The girls are still looking at her expectantly and so Robin finally says, “I’m not sure.” 

“You’re not sure?” Lisa repeats. 

“I’ve never really thought about it before.” Robin tells them honestly. The girls look at her like she’s insane for spending three weeks as Steve’s friend without thinking about dating him at all. Is that really that weird? 

Clearly it is, because then Jessica says,“What, are you a lesbian or something?” 

All the girls giggle and Robin’s face flames. Just because she doesn’t sit around thinking about how cute Steve is, doesn’t make her lesbian. 

“No!” Robin defends quickly, her mind racing for any other explanation. “It’s just that I know Steve from home and he's super popular and a whole year older. I just didn’t really think he was an option for me.” 

All the girls look at her with pity, something Robin also hates, but they seem satisfied with her explanation so she’ll take it as a win. 

“He’s definitely into you.” Missy assures her. 

“You should totally make a move.” Lisa agrees.

“The guys is supposed to make the first move.” Jessica argues with her. Lisa argues back and the girls dissolve into bickering that allows Robin to go back to her book. But she finds herself reading the same sentence over and over, unable to focus on anything but Jessica’s earlier comment. It’s not the first time someone has called her that and she doesn’t understand why so many people think that. Sure, she’s never dated anyone, but a lot of girls in her grade haven’t. She’s only 11, is it really that crazy that she’s not thinking about boys yet? 

Robin has never really thought she was a lesbian before but so many other people do, so what are they seeing that she’s missing? She dwells on it all night and doesn’t get much sleep. It must show because Steve immediately asks her what’s wrong the second she joins him at their usual table. 

“Nothing.” She lies, picking at her food. Steve doesn’t buy it. 

“Seriously, Rob, what’s up?” Rob is something new Steve started a few days ago and Robin’s heart soars every time he says it. Is that because she has a crush on him? She’d thought it was just because she was happy to have such a close friend, especially after Barb started ditching her more and more for Nancy Wheeler this past year. But maybe Robin has just been oblivious. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with her like those other girls suggested and she is actually into Steve. 

“My cabin asked if we were dating.” She finally admits, before she can really think through the ramifications of telling the truth to Steve. She doesn’t meet his eye, choosing instead to pick at the pancakes on her plate.

“Oh.” Steve’s voice is quiet when he finally speaks. “What did you say?” 

“That we’re just friends.” Robin answers, trying to sound casual. Still not looking at Steve, she hesitantly adds, “Because we are just friends, right?” 

“Right.” Steve confirms and Robin finally looks at him. His face looks just as red as Robin’s probably had the night before. His voice squeaks a little when he says, “Did you want to be dating?” 

Robin’s immediate thought is no, but what comes out is, “I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it. I’ve never dated anyone before.” 

“Me either.” Steve admits and this surprises Robin. 

“You haven’t?” Her brows furrow. “But I thought you played 7 minutes in heaven with Rebecca Freeman at your end of year pool party.” 

Steve looks mortified. “Who told you that?” 

“Rebecca.” Robin supplies. “She’s my neighbor.” 

“Jesus. Sometimes I forget that you’re from Hawkins.” Steve runs a frustrated hand through his hair and so Robin shrugs apologetically. “I mean I did play 7 minutes in heaven with Rebecca but we didn’t kiss. We were going to and I uh, chickened out. We just sat in the closet for the whole 7 minutes, but I could tell Rebecca was disappointed so I told her she could tell people we made out.” When he’s done with his explanation he scrubs a hand over his face and mutters, “And I can’t believe I just told you that.”

“Relax. I won’t tell anyone.” Robin assures him gently but it doesn’t do much to ease the embarrassment on Steve’s face. “So you’ve never kissed anyone?” 

He’s quiet for a long moment before he answers. “I mean Carol once in like 2nd grade, but not anyone for real. You?” 

Robin shakes her head. Steve was honest, so she can be too. “I never really wanted to.” 

“Me neither.” Steve agrees, surprising Robin once again. He must read the surprise on her face, must recognize that she knows he has a bit of a reputation as a flirt because he explains, “I pretend that I’m interested in girls so that Tommy doesn’t make fun of me.” 

“Tommy is a dick.” And this gets Steve to laugh. 

“Yeah I guess sometimes.” 

“Are you not, uh,” Robin swallows, dropping her voice even lower, “interested in girls?” 

“I’m not gay if that’s what you’re implying.” Steve hisses, looking immediately defensive. 

“I wasn’t!” Robin shakes her head, holding her hands up in defense. 

“Just because I don’t want a girlfriend doesn’t mean I’m gay.” And well, Robin understands that. She’s basically been repeating a similar statement to herself all night. 

“I know. I wasn’t implying that, I swear. I’m not super interested in boys either and I just feel like I’m broken or something.” Robin tells him. “I was excited because it sounded like you might feel the same and so maybe I’m not as weird as I thought I was.” 

“Oh.” Steve frowns for a moment, but it quickly turns into a soft smile. “Or maybe we’re both weird.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Robin smiles back. 

They don’t talk about it again until a week later when Steve drags Robin aside at Campfire looking upset. 

“I need you to be my girlfriend.” He announces, as soon as they’re far enough away from the other campers that they won’t be overheard. 

“What?” Robin asks dumbly, staring at him in surprise. 

“The guys in my cabin said it’s gay that my best friend is a girl and I panicked and told them that I only hang out with you so much because I have a crush on you.” 

“So you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?” 

“Yes.” Steve nods. “Or no, I mean you can actually be my girlfriend if you want. You’re cool I guess.” 

“Wow. So romantic.” Robin deadpans. 

“Shut up.” Steve’s shoves at her shoulder.

“You’re just a modern day Romeo.” Robin continues to tease. 

“So will you?” 

“Will I what?” 

“Be my girlfriend.” 

Robin is still not sure she’s into Steve, not in the way that the other girl’s talk about the boy’s they have crushes on. But Steve is funny and nice, and she guesses if there ever was a boy she was going to date, it would be him. “Okay.” 

“Cool.” Steve smiles. “Um, everyone is watching. Can I hold your hand or something?” 

Robin nods and Steve reaches forward, lacing their fingers together. It’s weird, Robin thinks, holding hands with someone. His palm is sort of sweaty and her hand feels really awkward by her side, but she keeps it in his as they walk back towards the fire. 

A few of the boys in Steve’s cabin wolf whistle as they get closer and some of Robin’s bunkmates break into a chorus of “Steve and Robin sitting in a tree”, getting progressively louder until the counselors tell them to settle down. 

When they reach the log they’d been on before, Steve lets go of her hand and goes to get some marshmallows to make them s’mores. They spend the rest of the night side by side, joking and singing like they usually do, except now Steve is Robin’s boyfriend. She thinks that should make her happy, but instead she just feels weird and anxious. She thinks about Steve possibly trying to kiss her later that night and panics. So maybe she is broken after all. 

Luckily Steve doesn’t kiss her that night, or any other night. He doesn’t even mention it, or try, and Robin would be embarrassed that Steve doesn’t want to kiss her, but she doesn’t want to kiss him either so that would be a bit hypocritical. The other campers definitely think they’re kissing and Steve doesn’t correct them. Neither does Robin. 

They just keep hanging out like usual, except now sometimes Steve holds her hand and the other kids make kissing faces when they sit apart from the group. Robin still has the best summer she’s ever had and for the first time in four summers Robin is sad on the last day of camp. Usually she can’t wait to go back to school, to see Barb, to sleep in her own bed in her own room. But she’s got a feeling when she goes back she probably won’t have Barb. Barb had already been pulling away before Robin left for camp and now she’s had a whole summer to hang out with Nancy Wheeler and without Robin. So she’s probably not going to have any friends when she heads to her first day at Hawkins Middle. 

Sure, Steve will be there. And she and Steve have just spent the last 8 weeks as best friends, and the last 4 as boyfriend and girlfriend, but she’s not hopeful that that will continue when they get back to Hawkins. Steve will be back with Tommy and Carol and his other popular friends and there’s no way he’s going to want to hang out with a sixth grader from band. 

She likes being here with Steve, where no one knows how different their lives really were back in Hawkins. Where no questions the fact that they’re friends or that they’re dating. Where Robin is the first person Steve seeks out whenever they’re in the same room together. 

Except, then Steve asks for her phone number on the last night of camp. She’s surprised but writes it out carefully for him anyway, not really expecting him to use it. He gives her his as well, but Robin knows she’d ever be brave enough to call the Harrington house, especially if he hadn’t called her first. 

“I’ve had a really good summer.” Steve tells her. It’s the last night of Campfire and they’ve snuck down away from the fire to the edge of the lake, ignoring the other campers' catcalls and whistles. 

“Me too.” 

“Maybe when school starts we’ll have some classes together since you’re super smart and I am at best like deeply average!” Steve says enthusiastically and Robin shrugs, picking up a rock and throwing it as far as she can out into the water. “Okay what’s wrong?” 

She shrugs again. “I guess I’m just nervous to start middle school.” 

“You don’t need to be nervous.” Steve waves her off. “I’ll be there. Even if we don’t have classes together, the whole school has the same lunch so I’ll definitely see you then.” 

“Yeah you’ll wave to me from across the cafeteria where you’ll be sitting with all your popular friends.” Robin grumbles, not really expecting the bite that comes with the statement. Steve clearly hadn’t been expecting it either because his eyes widen. 

“You don’t want to sit together?” He asks quietly, and Robin could swear he sounds hurt. 

“I figured you wouldn’t want to sit together. I mean why would you?” 

“Because you’re my friend.” Steve says, then as an afterthought adds, “And my girlfriend.” 

“Am I? Because you’ve never even kissed me!” Robin doesn’t know why she’s picking a fight but she’s started now and she can’t stop. 

Steve’s face crinkles in confusion, “Did you want me to?” 

“I’m your girlfriend, why wouldn’t I want you to?” She replies, even though in her mind she’s screaming ‘NO!’. 

Steve takes a steadying breath and Robin prepares herself for whatever he’s going to say but she does not prepare for him to lean forward and place his lips on hers. It only lasts a few seconds, but it’s long enough for Robin to know that there’s definitely something wrong with her. She doesn’t feel fireworks, or butterflies, instead she is just too aware of Steve’s rough lips against hers and the panic washing over her. 

After Steve pulls back, there’s a moment where he just looks at her, and then to Robin’s complete surprise starts to cry. Okay Robin hadn’t really enjoyed the kiss either but she really wasn’t that bad, right? I mean she’d hardly done anything so surely it was Steve’s fault if it was bad. But she ignores that, and focuses on her best friend.

“Steve, what’s wrong?” Her voice is gentle as she inches closer to him and places a tentative arm around his shoulders. He leans his head against hers, body shaking just slightly with his cries. 

“Robin?” He says, through the tears. “Can I tell you something?” 

“Anything.” 

“Promise you won't hate me.” 

“Promise.” 

“I think I’m gay.” His voice is so quiet that Robin almost doesn’t hear it. Before Robin can say anything, he barrels on. “I lied when I told you that I hadn’t had my first kiss. It was actually Tommy, right after the incident with Rebecca Freeman. He slept over that night and he said that I couldn’t freak out like that and that he could show me how to kiss, since he and Carol have been kissing all year. It wasn’t like romantic or anything, but we kissed and I really really liked it Robin. Tommy acted like it was disgusting, and he kept cracking jokes about it, and I just let them but I liked it Robin and I was so ashamed. But then I met you, and I really like you Robin, like a lot. You’re cool and funny and you’re nice and I thought if there was a girl I was going to date, it would be you. But I was scared to kiss you because I was so worried it wouldn’t feel like kissing Tommy and it didn’t Robin. And-” 

“Steve,” Robin finally gets it together to cut off his spiraling. And her mom says she rambles! “Steve, it's okay.” 

“It’s not okay Robin! I’m a freak! Boys aren’t supposed to like kissing other boys. I’m not supposed to like kissing other boys.”

“Gay people exist, Steve and they’re just like everybody else. There’s nothing wrong with you, don’t listen to anyone that says otherwise.” Robin tries to assure him. “I mean, David Bowie is gay or like bisexual or something, and he’s famous.” 

“Who’s David Bowie?” 

“Who’s David Bowie?” Robin repeats incredulously. “Are you serious? Space Oddity? Moonage Daydream? Life on Mars ?” 

“So he’s an astronaut?” Steve questions, eyebrows crinkling together in thought. Robin thinks for a second that he’s joking but it quickly becomes apparent to her that he’s dead serious. 

“No he’s not an astronaut!” She laughs in disbelief. “He’s a singer.” 

“Oh.” Steve frowns. “I don’t listen to much music.” 

“Clearly.” Robin laughs again. “ Is he an astronaut? Holy shit Steve.” 

“Well you were talking about space!” He splutters in defense. 

“Those are songs, Dingus.” She rolls her eyes fondly. “And when we get back to Hawkins you are coming over and we are listening to all of my Bowie tapes. Clearly you are in need of a musical education.” 

“You really want me to come over? Even if I’m,” he swallows thickly before finishing, “gay.” 

“Of course.” Robin says, taking his hand and squeezing it. “You’re my best friend and nothing is going to change that.” 

And there, that’s out there. Robin has just referred to Steve Harrington as her best friend. And all Steve does is squeeze her hand back and say, “You’re my best friend too, Rob.” 

They get back from camp on Sunday and Steve only waits until Monday to call. Unfortunately, Robin’s mom answers the phone and hands it off to her with a waggle of her eyebrows and “It’s a boy, sounds like a cute one.” 

Her excitement and teasing only grows when Robin asks if said boy can come over to their house later that week. Her mom agrees immediately and so plans are set for Steve to come over the next day. His house is close enough that he can bike there, even though Robin’s mom does offer to go pick him up.

When her dad gets home from work they’ve barely sat down for dinner when her mom blurts, “Robin has a boy coming over tomorrow!” 

“A boy?” Her dad’s incredulous eyebrows turn to Robin, who just shrugs. 

“A boy!” Her mom confirms happily. 

“A boy?” Her dad repeats and Robin wishes she could just disappear under the table and die. Maybe having Steve over is a terrible, horrible idea. 

“A boy!” Her mom echoes her earlier response and Robin can see her dad gearing to start the cycle all over again so she knows she needs to interrupt. 

“Yes, a boy! His name is Steve and he’s a friend from a camp and you are not going to embarrass me tomorrow when he comes over!” 

That goes right out the window when Steve shows up 15 minutes early and Robin isn’t prepared to beat her Mom to the door. 

“Robin! Your gentleman caller is here!” She yells down the hallway. Robin is at the door in seconds, grabbing an amused looking Steve by the hand and dragging him towards her room. They don’t quite make it before her mom calls after them, “Don’t get pregnant!”

“Your mom is-” Steve starts the moment her bedroom door is shut behind them. 

“Totally embarrassing.” Robin seethes, locking the door for good measure. 

“Certainly interesting. But it’s cool that she lets you have boys in your room.” 

“My mom is thrilled at the idea of me having a boyfriend. She was definitely getting a little worried that I might be a lesbian.” 

“Are you?” Steve asks, and Robin flops down on her back onto her bed. Steve flops beside her a moment later. 

“Maybe. I mean I’ve definitely considered it before.” 

“That would be cool, if you were.” Steve says. “We’d be like our own club.” 

Robin thinks being queer sounds less scary when it’s just something that brings her closer to Steve. 

“How did you know?” She asks, turning her head to the side to face him. “I mean, like besides the kiss. Because I’ve never kissed anyone but you and like I didn’t really like it but how do I know I’d like kissing a girl any better.” 

“Ever had a girl that you were obsessed with? Like you really wanted to be her friend and impress her?” Steve questions. “Because there was this eighth grader on my baseball team this year, Ollie, and like I thought he was so cool and I wanted to be just like him. I even made my mom buy me the same sneakers that he wore. And normally I don’t have problems talking to people when I would get so flustered whenever I talked to him. Tommy used to make fun of me for it, he’d tease and ask if I had a crush on him. Looking back, Tommy was totally right.” 

Robin’s immediate answer is no. But then she remembers last year when Barb started hanging out with Nancy Wheeler. How Robin so desperately wanted her to think she was cool and how hurt she was when Nancy only seemed to think she was weird. How she should be mad at Barb for hanging out with Nancy and not inviting her but really she’s just upset that Nancy doesn’t want to hang out with her. I mean, why wouldn’t Barb prefer Nancy over Robin? Nancy is so smart and funny and pretty and oh- 

“Yes.” Robin chokes out, finding her eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. “Steve, I think I’m a lesbian.”

“Welcome to the club.” 

Robin doesn’t sleep at all the last night of summer break. 

She’s filled with nerves for the first day of school and her brain will not turn off. She just can’t help but worry that tomorrow will be a bad day, that she will spend it alone and friendless. Even though she’s seen Steve 3 times in the week between the last day of camp and the first day of school. Even though one of those times had been earlier that day when they’d compared class schedules and found out they have math and Spanish together. Even though they’d made plans to meet at the bike rack before the first bell. Because what if Steve is late or he forgets? What if he’s sick? What if he changes his mind altogether and decides not to be seen around school with a sixth grade band nerd? 

On top of all of her worries about Steve, what if Barb really has totally ditched her for Nancy? Who is she going to sit with in the classes that she doesn’t share with Steve? Or what if her outfit is totally embarrassing and everyone makes fun of her? Or what if she just forgets to put on her brown corduroy pants at all and everyone sees her underwear? Robin is aware that the last one is a bit irrational, given that she’s never forgotten to put on pants before, but you just never know. A lot of things can go wrong on the first day of middle school.

She wasn’t even this nervous in kindergarten, when her parents had just dropped her outside the school, leaving Robin as the only kindergartner that didn’t get walked to class by a parent or an older sibling. At least then, everyone was new, it was expected that you didn’t know anyone or your way around. But now, if she walks into Hawkins Middle alone without anyone to greet excitedly after a summer apart, she’s going to look like a total loser. 

Therefore, her shoulders slump with relief when she pulls up to the bike rack the next morning and Steve is already waiting next to it, waving his dorky little wave. 

“Hey Robs!” He greets her excitedly. “You look great.” 

“You’re only saying that because you picked out my outfit.” Robin rolls her eyes, but it’s fond. She is so happy to see him here. 

He shrugs, “Well I did a good job.” He then gestures to her hair which Robin had haphazardly pulled up into a ponytail. She’d been a bit rushed, sleeping through her alarm and waking instead to her mom pounding on the door that she was going to be late. “Want me to braid it?”

That was something Steve had taught himself to do this summer - with a little help from Missy. Robin’s hair was longer this summer than she normally keeps it, and she was getting frustrated with the way it had kept falling in her face, even in a ponytail. Braids were Steve’s solution. 

Before Robin can even answer, Steve is plopping his backpack on the ground and whipping a comb out of the front pocket. 

“You bring a comb to school?” Robin asks incredulously. 

Steve looks back at her just and as confused. “You don’t?’

“Does it look like I do?” Robin gestures to the bird’s nest on the top of her head. 

“It looks like you barely even own a comb.” Steve teases and Robin shoves his shoulder. 

“You said I looked good!” 

“I said your outfit looked good.” 

“No, you definitely said ‘you look great’ which implies my entire being and not just my outfit.” 

“Tomato tomato.” Steve waves a hand, then puts on a charming grin and adds, “Want me to braid your already beautiful looking hair?” 

“Nice try.” Robin grumbles. But she relents and Steve makes quick work of pulling her hair into one french braid down her back. 

“Hey Harrington!” A boy saunters up to them just as Steve is wrapping the elastic around the bottom of the braid. “I didn’t know you had a little sister.” 

Robin wants to argue that that’s a ridiculous assumption to make, given that she and Steve are the same height and hardly look alike, but she supposes it is a bit weird for him to see Steve doing some random girl’s hair in the middle of the parking lot. She really hopes her face is maintaining its normal shade. 

“Hey Chris.” Steve nods at him. “I don’t. This is my girlfriend Robin, we met over the summer.” 

The lie rolls easily off Steve’s tongue, given that they’d referred to each other as such several times over the last 4 weeks of camp. It’s another thing they’d discussed yesterday when Robin had gone over to Steve’s. How it might be easier to beat back assumptions and for the general population of Hawkins Middle to accept their sudden friendship if they just continued to say they were dating. It also saved Steve from having to pretend he wanted to date anyone else, and vice versa. 

“Oh cool.” Chris nods approvingly at Steve before turning to Robin. “I don’t remember seeing you around last year.” 

“Robin’s in 6th grade.” Steve explains easily before the bell rings, saving them further conversation. Robin’s first class is English and Steve’s is Science, but he walks her to her classroom before making his way to Mr. Clark’s. 

“You sure you don’t want me to meet you here after?” 

“I’ll be fine.” Robin assures him because even though she is a little bit worried about finding her way, it would be ridiculous to ask Steve to walk here after science, only to turn around and walk her back to Mr. Clark’s, and then return to his own English class. “I’ll see you in Spanish third period.” 

“Yeah okay. Have a good day Robs!” And then he waves and takes off down the hallway towards the other end of the building so he won’t be late. Robin turns to enter her room, finding it pretty empty and is relieved she’s not out there wandering around trying to find the room like the rest of her class. She slides into a seat in the second row and is just pulling out her summer reading book when someone sits down next to her. Robin glances up to see Barb looking at her expectantly. 

“You’re dating Steve Harrington?” Is the first thing out of her mouth. 

“Hi Barb, it’s good to see you too. I had a great summer thanks, how was yours?” Robin asks with a bit of snark but Barb just rolls her eyes. 

“Hi Robin. How was your summer?” She asks with some sass of her own. “What exactly happened over it that you are now apparently dating Steve Harrington?” 

Robin just sighs, “Where did you hear that?” 

“Everyone is talking about it.” Barb explains. “So it’s not true?” 

“No, it’s true.” Robin corrects and Barb’s eyes widen. “I’m just surprised that the news got to you so fast. Steve only told Chris like 2 minutes ago.” 

“Are you serious Robin? Steve Harrington?” She looks almost annoyed, mouth pulled down in a frown. “What can you possibly see in him?” 

“He’s nice.” Robin defends weakly. She thought Barb would be surprised for sure, but not mad. “He was at camp this summer and we hung out a lot.” 

“He is such a douche.” 

“He is not!” Robin retorts angrily, both on Steve’s behalf and her own, given that it seems Barb thinks she would date someone who is a jerk. But she deflates quickly when she remembers that they’re in the middle of a classroom, surrounded by other students. She doesn’t want to fight with Barb and especially not in front of other people. So she calmly continues, “I mean, I used to think that so I get why you do but I promise he’s really nice. You’ll see at lunch.” 

Barb winces. “I was going to sit with Nancy at lunch.” 

Of course she was. Robin has to fight to put a smile on her face when she tells Barb that Nancy can join them too. 

Barb chews her lip. “I don’t know. Nancy probably won’t want to. She doesn’t really like Steve.” 

Her excuse is awkward and stilted and for a moment Robin wonders if Barb was going to say that Nancy doesn’t like her . But that would be ridiculous, right? Because Nancy hardly even knows Robin, really only hanging out with Barb. 

“Oh. Okay.” Robin says, hoping she doesn’t sound too disappointed. Barb looks guilty, so she thinks she’s probably failing. “Well if you change your mind, you’re both welcome to join us.” 

Before Barb can respond, Nancy appears at her shoulder. “Hey! I thought we were going to sit in the front row.” 

“Yeah, sorry.” Barb starts gathering her stuff, apologizing to Nancy and not to Robin, even though she’s the one that got interrupted. And Robin has to really try not to look disappointed now, because seriously? Barb isn’t even going to sit here? “I was just talking to Robin.” 

“Oh hey Robin!” Nancy looks at Robin and smiles brightly. Which that’s weird? She seems happy to see her. “How was your summer?”

“Hey Nancy. It was good.” Robin smiles back. Nancy’s friendliness gives her the courage to add, “I was just telling Barb that we all should sit together at lunch.” 

Nancy looks a little surprised but smiles at the offer and agrees immediately, “Sure that sounds fun!”

Robin cuts her eyes to Barb who looks caught out and even more guilty. Had she’d been weird before because it was Barb that didn’t want to sit with Robin and Steve? Well she supposes that Nancy might not know that sitting with Robin means sitting with Steve and figures she better clarify. 

“Steve Harrington is going to sit with us too.” Robin informs her, hurrying to get out her explanation before Nancy can say something about that, “I promise that he’s not what you think. He’s really nice.” 

It ends up being unnecessary because Nancy just shrugs and says,“I figured. I heard you two were going out.” And seriously? Do the kids of Hawkins Middle have nothing better to talk about? “I was definitely surprised when I heard, but if you say he’s nice, I believe it.” 

Okay so either Nancy is a really good actor or it was Barb who had the problem. It’s then that their teacher calls for them to find a seat and Nancy plops down in the seat in front of Robin. Barb shoots Robin one last guilty look and moves up a seat to sit beside Nancy. A blonde girl that Robin doesn’t recognize fills Barb’s now vacant seat. 

“Hi I’m Chrissy!” She says, brightly as she starts to pull out her materials. 

“Robin.” She tries to put on a friendly smile when really she feels like shit. 

She doesn’t really feel better when she meets up with Steve in Spanish. They get seats together in the back row and Robin can feel the eyes of most of their classmates on them. 

“How was your morning?” 

“Kind of crappy.” Robin answers honestly. “But can we talk about it later?” 

“Yeah of course.” Steve nods and nudges the toe of his sneaker against hers. “I missed you.” 

“You saw me like three hours ago, Dingus.” Robin rolls her eyes but she missed him too. They spend most of class playing tic-tac-toe together in Steve’s notebook and then after the bell rings they head to the cafeteria together. They run into Tommy and Carol when they enter, an interaction that Robin has been dreading. She hasn’t seen them yet since she and Steve got back from camp but she knew they're Steve friends and it was coming eventually. 

“Hey Harrington, is your new girlfriend joining us?” Tommy’s words are technically friendly, but the tone with which he says ‘new girlfriend’ indicates that he doesn’t think very highly of Robin and that the comment was meant to be a dig. 

“Actually I’m going to sit with Robin and her friends today.” 

“Seriously?” Tommy’s teasing look turns to one of anger almost instantly at Steve's reply. “I don’t see you all summer and now you’re ditching lunch on the first day back?” 

“You’re welcome to join us.” Steve offers. Robin really hopes the other boy turns that offer down. 

“And sit with a bunch of sixth grade nerds?” Tommy laughs, like the idea is completely unfathomable. “Look Steve, I know the pickings were probably slim at camp but now that you’re back you could do so much better than this loser.” 

Carol snickers beside him and Robin wishes that she could sink right into the floor. 

“Excuse me?” Steve has never sounded so angry, as he steps in front of her protectively. “What the fuck man? That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.” 

Tommy, looking surprised at the anger behind his friends’ words, holds his hands up in defense. “Lighten up dude, it was just a joke.” 

“Well it wasn’t funny.” Steve all but snarls back at him. 

“Sorry.” Tommy huffs out, not sounding very sorry at all. “I guess I should be grateful you have a girlfriend at all, I was starting to think you might be a queer and-”

Tommy stumbles back, the rest of his words going unspoken as he’s punched right in the nose. It takes Robin a second to realize that she’s the one who punched him, her hand throbbing at her side. 

“What the fuck?” Tommy hisses, holding his nose. “Harrington control your fucking girlfriend.” 

“Control your fucking mouth.” Robin spits back at him, feeling like she’s been taken over by somebody else. Carol snorts out a laugh at Tommy’s side, hiding a smile behind her hand, and Robin’s confidence swells. She’s gearing up to say something else, or maybe to just hit Tommy again because why the hell not, when Steve’s hand closes around her wrist and begins pulling her towards the other side of the cafeteria. 

“He’s not worth it.” Steve shakes his head when Robin protests. Robin wants nothing more than to go back and give Tommy a piece of her mind but one glance at Steve’s worried filled face, and she follows him willingly to sit at an empty table. “Besides, can’t have you getting suspended on your first day slugger. Seriously I can not believe you just did that.” 

Robin can’t really either. “I don’t know what came over me, he was just being so awful and I just snapped. Why are you friends with him again?” 

“He used to be nice.” Steve says, shoulders hunching. “And he’s not my friend anymore.” 

This gets Robin’s attention. She had been working to accept the fact that being Steve’s friend/'girlfriend' meant that she would have to deal with Tommy and Carol as well. “Seriously?” 

“Not unless he apologizes and has a complete personality transplant.” Steve adds. “You were right this summer when you called him a dick. It’s just he and Carol were my only friends and so even once they became jerks I thought hanging out with them was better than being alone. But now I have you and I don’t need them anymore.” 

“Hell yeah you don’t.” Robin grins at him but it sours when she catches sight of Tommy glaring at them from across the cafeteria. “Tommy looks pissed.” 

Steve follows her gaze and Tommy immediately looks away when he meets Steve’s eye. 

“Don’t worry about him.” Steve waves her off. “He’s probably just embarrassed, but he’ll leave you alone. Promise.”

“Did you really punch Tommy Hagan in the face?” Nancy suddenly appears at their table, lunch tray in hand and Barb by her side. 

“News travels so fast here.” Robin whistles, as Steve nods and says, “Yeah and it was totally badass.” 

“He was being a jerk.” Robin explains sheepishly. Barb is looking at her like she doesn’t even recognize her but Nancy looks mildly impressed as the two girls take the seats across from them. 

“Hey, I’m Steve.” Steve sticks out his hand. “Barb and Nancy, right?” 

“That’s us.” Nancy nods, shaking Steve’s proffered hand like they’re at a business meeting and not a middle school lunch table. Robin can't help but notice that Barb does not, doesn't even acknowledge Steve or Robin at all actually. 

For the next few minutes Barb continues to stay quiet as Steve, Robin, and Nancy talk about their summers. Steve and Robin answer a flurry of questions about how they met and got together before Nancy complains that she spent most of the summer babysitting her little brother and his friends. 

“And my mom is pregnant again.” Nancy laments. “I just hope it’s a girl this time. Do you guys have any siblings?”

Steve and Robin shake their heads simultaneously. 

“Well, consider yourselves lucky.” 

“Excuse me?” Robin tears her gaze away from Nancy to find the girl from her English class standing timidly by the side of the table. “Um you’re Robin, right? We sat next to each other in English.” 

Robin nods. “Hey! Chrissy, right?!” 

The other girl smiles and nods, clearly pleased that Robin remembered her name, and gestures to one of the empty chairs at their table. “Can I sit with you guys?” 

“Of course!” Chrissy's smile widens even further as she settles into the empty seat on Robin’s other side. “This is Steve,” Robin introduces first, and then she gestures across the table, “and Barb and Nancy. They’re also in our English class.” 

“It’s nice to meet you guys!” Chrissy beams at all of them. “Thanks for letting me join you, I just moved to Hawkins over the summer, so I don’t really know anyone yet.”

“Where’d you move from?” Nancy asks, leaning forward in her seat with interest. 

“Not far.” Chrissy explains. “Just a few towns over.” 

“We’re all from Hawkins.” Robin tells her, gesturing around the table. “Most everybody here is, so we get a bit curious when someone new moves to town.” 

“Oh well I’m not that interesting.” Chrissy assures them, cheeks turning a bit red, clearly flustered with all eyes turned on her. 

“Don’t worry, I’m like the least interesting person in Hawkins.” Robin laughs self deprecatingly. 

“Not anymore.” Barb finally speaks up from the other side of the table. “You’re all anyone at this school can talk about. First you're dating the most popular boy in school and then you’re punching Tommy Hagan in the face, and now you’re making all these friends. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.” 

Robin reels back as if she's been slapped. Barb hasn't said one word all lunch and now when she does, it's filled with anger and hate. Anger and hate that's directed at Robin. Which is bullshit, because Robin hasn't done anything but try to be Barb's friend. 

“You don’t know me anymore because you stopped wanting to be my friend!” Robin argues back after a moment, her rage from her earlier altercation with Tommy resurfacing quickly. “Nancy wanted to hang out with you and then suddenly I wasn't good enough anymore. You were always hanging out with her and you never invited me, always ready with some excuse about why I couldn't hang out with you guys. Just like earlier when I asked you to lunch and you said Nancy wouldn’t want to sit with me and Steve, but clearly she had no problem with it. So how many of those other excuses were lies too, Barb? If you didn’t want to be my friend anymore you could’ve just told me.” 

Nancy looks confused and turns to Barb. “You told me that Robin didn’t want to hang out with us. That she was shy and didn’t really like meeting new people.” 

“I mean that’s true!” Barb defends weakly. “Or at least it was before she met Steve.” 

“Did you ever even invite her?” Nancy is now looking at Barb like she doesn't recognize her. 

“Invite me to what?” Robin pipes up. 

“Like everything.” Nancy explains a bit helplessly. “I knew that you were friends with Barb so when we started hanging out I always told her that she should invite you. I figured she did and you just said no, so honestly I was a little surprised when you asked me to sit with you at lunch earlier. But she never even invited you, did she?” 

Barb doesn’t answer, but the guilt on her face is enough of an answer for Nancy who gathers up her lunch and scoots down the table to join Chrissy and Steve. Robin hadn’t even noticed them move away from the conversation, but they’re sitting a few seats away now, clearly trying to give them privacy. 

Robin’s anger dissipates as she turns back to Barb, and she feels tears welling in her eyes instead. “What did I do wrong?” 

“You didn’t do anything.” Barb assures her, her bitterness from earlier also gone. 

“Then why don’t you want to be my friend anymore?” 

“I do.” Barb sounds frustrated, running a hand through her short cropped hair. “I never meant to make you think I didn’t want to be friends.” 

“Then why-” 

“I just wanted Nancy to myself.” Barb says it so fast that Robin almost doesn’t hear her. She looks a little surprised to have admitted it out loud, and Robin gives her a look encouraging her to continue. Barb blows out a breath and then does just that, not meeting Robin’s eyes. “It’s just that you’re so much funnier and cooler than me and I thought that if we all hung out together Nancy would realize that she would much rather be your friend than mine. And you would realize that you would rather be Nancy’s friends and then, well, I wouldn’t have any friends. So I tried to keep you guys apart and now I would completely understand if both of you didn’t want to be my friends anymore.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Robin shakes her head. “I mean I can’t speak for Nancy, but of course we’re still friends.”

“Really?” 

“I just wish you’d said something sooner. I mean I understand if you want to hang out with Nancy alone sometimes, like I get it, but I thought you were pushing me out. I also totally thought Nancy hated me, which wasn't really fair to either of us.” 

“I’m sorry.” Barb sounds sincere, finally meeting Robin’s eyes. “I swear I never wanted to hurt you. I don’t know what came over me. I was just so excited that Nancy wanted to be my friend and I got weird and possessive and I am so sorry.” 

If Robin didn’t know any better, she would say it sounds like Barb has a crush on Nancy. Not really being interested in boys was something they had sort of always bonded over and Robin tries to imagine how she would have felt if Barb was the one to suddenly be dating the most popular boy in school. How that maybe could’ve made her lash out like Barb had earlier, losing that one person who understands how you feel. She resolves to talk to Barb about it, maybe even tell her the truth, the next time it’s just the two of them. 

“It’s okay.” Robin tells her. “We’re good, I promise.” 

“Are you sure? Because I was a jerk and-” 

“Just don’t do it again.” Robin smiles reassuringly at her and Barb gives a tentative smile back. 

“Deal.” 

“I’ll send Nancy over so you can apologize to her as well.” Robin stands and heads over to where the other three are sitting, looking like they were trying very hard not to eavesdrop. “Nancy? Barb wants to talk to you.” 

“I don’t have anything to say to her.” Nancy huffs, stubbornly picking at her food. 

“Can you just hear her out?” Robin pleads. “It was a misunderstanding and she feels really bad.” 

“She should feel bad.” And damn, Nancy is not giving in easily. 

“Well I’m the one she ignored for like a year, and I forgave her. So I think you can at least listen to what she has to say.” 

“Fine.” Nancy stomps back over to where they’d been sitting before and Robin plops down into her now vacated seat. She looks at Chrissy.

“I’m sorry you had to listen to that.” She says, hoping that she hasn’t just lost a new friend. “I bet you wish you chose to sit somewhere else.” 

Chrissy shakes her head. “It’s okay Robin. I just hope everything is okay with you and your friend.” 

“Yeah, we’re all good now.” Robin assures her. "And I promise we're not always this dramatic."

“Steve was telling me that you were thinking of trying out for the soccer team.” Chrissy says excitedly. Robin glances at Steve, confused but grateful for the complete topic change. 

“Yeah, I was.”

“She’s got a killer foot.” Steve adds grinning. 

“Well I was thinking of either going out for cheerleading or soccer, but if you’re going to play soccer I might do that! It would be nice to know someone else on the team.”

“You totally should!” Robin would also like to know someone else on the team.

“Yeah, maybe I will.” 

The rest of the day passes rather eventually compared to the first half. After lunch, Robin has history and is pleased to find out that Barb does as well. When class ends, the two of them get to head to band together and then she gets to see Steve again in math. Nancy is in their class too so the three of them all sit together. Her last class of the day is gym, and while she had spent most of the day dreading it, she ends up having a lot of fun because Chrissy is there too. Before they head into the locker room, they both put their names on the sign up sheet for soccer tryouts. 

When she meets Steve at the bike rack at the end of the day, she’s in pretty good spirits. They’re going to the arcade and then to get milkshakes. Chrissy and Nancy both have to go get their little brothers from the elementary school so they can’t join and Barb, despite Robin’s protests that she won’t be a third wheel, turns it down after she finds out Nancy and Chrissy can’t make it. Robin is disappointed at first, but then Barb invites Robin over for a sleepover on Friday and she feels a lot better. 

Besides, she’s kind of excited to just spend some time with Steve and not have to pretend to be his girlfriend or anything. 

“Loser has to pay for milkshakes!” Steve calls, swinging on to his bike and racing out into the parking lot. Robin scrambles to follow but he’s already a bit faster and with the head start he beats her easily to the arcade. 

“No fair dude, you’re like rich.” Robin grumbles as she parks her bike next to Steve’s. “Why am I buying your milkshake?” 

“One game of air hockey,” Steve offers. “You win and I’ll buy you a milkshake, but I win again and you have to pay for my fries too.” 

“You’re on Harrington.” 

Steve wins again but when they head to the counter to get food, he ends up paying for both their orders. Robin decides not to protest because two milkshakes and an order of fries would pretty much clear out her whole wallet. She really needs to start babysitting or something. They find an empty table to get to work on their snacks, filling each other in on the rest of their days. 

“Hey, that kid is in my gym class.” Steve says, pointing to a boy who has just walked in the doors. He’s got a buzz cut, practically shaved to his scalp, and his jeans are rolled at the bottom in an attempt to hide the fact that they’re definitely way too small for him. He’s got a head on Steve, but it seems like that’s a recent thing, his limbs all gangly and awkward like he’s still getting used to them. 

“I’ve never seen him around Hawkins before.” Robin comments. 

“Me neither.” Steve shrugs. “Maybe he’s new.” 

“Want to ask if he wants to hang out with us?” Robin questions. She shoots Steve a teasing grin. “He’s kind of cute.” 

“Shut up.” Steve hisses, turning his head to see if anyone heard. “You can’t just say that.” 

“Sorry.” Robin's not very sorry but she does make an attempt to suppress her giggle at how red Steve's face has turned. 

“I don’t even know his name. I can’t just ask him to-” 

“Hey!” Robin rises from her seat and jogs over to the new boy before Steve can even finish his sentence. The boy looks a bit alarmed as Robin approaches him and looks even more skeptical when he catches sight of Steve sitting behind her. “You go to Hawkins Middle, yeah?” 

He glances behind him, like he's make sure Robin's not talking to someone else, before turning back to her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Um yeah?” 

“Cool, me too!” She smiles in what she hopes is a reassuring way. “I’m Robin and that’s Steve, we go there too!” 

“We had gym together.” Steve tacks on, scrambling to stand beside Robin. 

“Right…” The boy trails off. “Well good to see you.”

“Hey wait!” Robin calls out before he can fully turn and leave the conversation. “Do you want to hang out with us?” 

“Um,” The boy’s eyes are wide as he looks between them and he finally settles on, “no thank you.” 

He turns and disappears into the arcade and Steve flops back down into his seat with a groan. 

“Thanks a lot Rob.” He sighs. “Not like that was completely humiliating or anything.” 

“He’s probably just shy.” Robin assures him, sitting back in her seat. “I mean, you said you guys had gym together, right? So he probably thinks you’re like some jock. He's like intimidated by your athletic prowess or something.” 

“I swear you just make up words sometimes.” Steve grumbles. “And I am a jock, what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, generally. But if you’re used to jocks like Tommy Hagan, it might make you wary.” 

“Tommy hardly even plays sports.” Steve scoffs.

“Well it’s not so much the sports that’s the issue, it’s like the jock persona.”

“Yeah whatever. Or he just thinks we’re total weirdos.” 

“Yeah.” Robin agrees solemnly. “Or that.”

Chapter Text

Fall 1980

Robin knew it was only a matter of time before her arrangement with Steve bit her in the ass. Having to go on double dates with Chrissy Cunningham and her new boyfriend, Mark, is possibly the most excruciating thing she’s ever experienced. 

Currently the four of them are spread out in the back row of the Hawk watching some horror film that Robin can’t even remember the name of. Probably because she’s spent the entire movie watching the way that Chrissy hides her face in Mark’s stupid fucking neck every time something even remotely scary happens on the screen. 

God Robin can’t do this anymore. She leans over to Steve, “I’m going to the bathroom.” 

“I’ll come with you.” He whispers back. Robin doesn’t know if it's because he wants to discuss the way she’s practically seething with jealousy or if it's because he’s a total wuss and looking for a way out of the movie. Probably both. 

Mark shoots them a questioning look as they both stand up but Chrissy doesn’t even notice, face still buried in Mark’s neck. 

“Bathroom.” Steve informs him, nodding towards the exit, and Mark gives him a look like he definitely thinks that’s code for ‘we’re going to go make out’ but Robin can’t even bring herself to care. She squeezes past the other patrons in the row and is down the stairs, Steve scrambling to follow. 

“Rob what the hell?” Steve asks, catching her arm before she leaves the Hawk altogether. 

“I can’t be in there anymore.” She shakes her head, willing herself not to cry.

“Chrissy?” Steve questions, voice much more gentle. Robin manages a nod and he sighs. 

“Listen, Mark’s a douche. They are not going to last.” 

“It doesn’t even matter.” Robin sniffles, finally losing her battle to her tears. “It’s not like she’d ever be with me anyway, she’s definitely straight.” 

Steve sighs. “You want to go home? I can go tell them you’re not feeling well?” 

Robin nods. She definitely can’t go back in there now, not when it’s clear she’s been crying. Steve slips back into the theater and when he returns he’s got their half finished popcorn bucket under one arm and their jackets slung over the other. 

“Thanks.” She says, taking her jacket from him and slipping it on. They step out into the cool October air and Robin starts to feel a little bit better as they head over to the bike rack. “Want to watch a movie at my house and finish that popcorn?” 

“If I get to pick the movie.” Steve counters. 

“No fair! I’m the one who’s sad, I should get to pick!” 

“Ugh fine.” Steve’s shoulders slump. “Just nothing scary, okay?” 

“Deal.” 

“Are you feeling better?” Chrissy asks when she slides into the desk beside Robin in science on Monday morning. Robin is momentarily confused before she remembers Steve’s excuse at the movie on Friday. 

“Right yeah. I think I just ate something.” Robin explains. “I’m feeling much better.”

“Good.” Chrissy smiles and nods, and god when did things get so awkward between them. “I broke up with Mark.” 

This gets Robin’s attention. “What? When? Why? You guys seemed pretty cozy during the movie.” 

Robin hopes she doesn’t sound as bitter as she feels when she says that. Chrissy doesn’t seem to notice, just blushes and averts her gaze. 

“Yeah. And I guess he took that as a sign that I’d want to hook up after.” Chrissy explains. “He was not happy when he tried to slip his hand under my shirt and I shoved him off.” 

“Oh.” Robin frowns. Well shit. She knew Mark was a jerk but like, she wouldn’t have left them alone if she thought he was dangerous. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have left you there.” 

“It’s not your fault.” Chrissy shakes her head. “I shouldn’t have been touching him so much if I didn’t want him touching me.” 

“Chrissy, that is not the same and you know it.” Robin protests. “He shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

Chrissy shrugs, looking a little surprised about how passionate Robin seems about this but doesn’t get to say much more before Mr. Clark starts class. This year, science is the only class Robin shares with Chrissy, so she doesn’t see her again until lunch. Chrissy informs the rest of their friends that she broke it off with Mark but makes it pretty clear she’s not up to elaborating. Robin finds her hand under the table and squeezes it, heart soaring at the small smile that Chrissy gives her in return. 

The soccer season ended the week prior and it feels weird not to see Chrissy right after school. Instead she meets Steve at the bike rack so they can head to the arcade. It’s not often they get to do that anymore and they want to take advantage of the next two weeks before basketball starts and they both have nothing to do after school. Robin’s gotten a little faster on her bike over the last year but Steve still beats her there easily. But it doesn’t matter, she knows he’s going to buy her a milkshake anyway. 

They’re taking turns at Pac-Man when Steve is suddenly jostled from behind. Robin looks over expected to see that some asshole like Tommy had shoved him, and instead finds that he’s developed by a small curly haired child in a baseball hat. 

“What the-?” Steve questions, turning to look at his attacker in confusion before recognition takes over his features and he beams. “Holy shit! Dustin! What are you doing here?” 

Robin thought the baseball hat, curly hair combo seemed familiar. Beaming up at Steve is little Dustin Henderson. They’d met him at camp this past summer. His mom had sent him, hoping to provide him with a distraction from the fact that his dad had passed last school year. Steve and Robin had stumbled upon him sitting at their usual table, much the same way Robin had found Steve, looking upset and defeated. He’d started scrambling up at the sight of two older kids approaching, but then motioned for him to sit back down and after that they couldn’t shake him. Steve would sometimes put on a show, like it annoyed him that he’d suddenly developed a 9 year old shadow, but Robin could tell he’d grown to see the kid like a little brother. Even Robin was rather fond of him. They’d both been a little teary eyed when they hugged him goodbye at the end of the summer. 

“I thought that was you!” Dustin beams, giving them a toothless smile. “My mom got a new job! We just moved to Hawkins over the weekend! Do you live here?” 

“Sure do!” Steve smiles, hitting playfully at the brim of Dustin’s hat. “Robin too!” 

“Robin!” Dustin screeches, seemingly just noticing her for the first time and then suddenly Robin’s got her arms full of 4th grader “This is so awesome! Now we can all hang out all the time, just like at camp!” 

“Friend of yours Harrington?” A voice questions and Robin turns to find Eddie, or ‘arcade boy’ as they had called him for several weeks before Steve learned his name. Steve had spent all of last year trying to be his friend, and hadn’t made any headway. In fact, once Eddie had graduated and started at Hawkins High, he went from being wary of Steve in each of their interactions to teasing him, like he was trying to pick a fight. At first Robin thought it was his way of trying to make friends with Steve, maybe even flirt with him but after a while she started to doubt that. He doesn’t really seem like a bully, but certainly acts like one whenever they cross paths. 

“His best friend!” Dustin says gleefully, oblivious to the way that Steve has gone bright red at the arrival of Eddie. “We went to summer camp together this summer!” 

“Oh that’s cute Harrington.” Eddie grins like the cat that got the canary. “Aren’t you a bit old for summer camp?” 

“No.” Steve’s face is, if possible, even redder. “The camp is open to eighth graders.” 

This just makes Eddie laugh harder and even Dustin’s smile dims as his eyes flick between the two boys. 

“Do your buddies know you spent the summer making friendship bracelets and singing round the campfire with a 5 year old?” Eddie asks, sounding just positively delighted. 

“Hey! I’m 9!” Dustin protests in outrage. Robin just shoots a confused look with Steve. Surely their friends don’t seem like the type to make fun of Steve for going to summer camp. Steve is too busy staring at Eddie to notice her attempts at silent conversation. 

“Seeing as his best friend was also there, I’d go with yes.” Robin says, linking her arm through Steve’s. Eddie’s mirth is momentarily replaced by confusion as his eyes flick to her, like he hadn’t noticed her until this exact moment. God is she just invisible today or something? His confusion only lasts a second before he turns to Robin, judgment clear on his face. 

“Still dating Harrington I see.” Eddie addresses her, taking note of their linked arms. “You know, I think you could do better.” 

And well, now Eddie is really acting like a bully and they don’t need to stand here and listen to this anymore. She tugs on Steve’s arms to get him to follow her elsewhere, and Robin rolls her eyes when the dork still raises his hand and waves goodbye to Eddie. Like the other boy hadn’t just been making fun of him for the last 5 minutes. Eddie waves back, but it's with a smirk and a waggle of his fingers. Robin wants to turn around and smack that sneer of his face but she forces herself to continue their march towards the exit. It's not until they get outside that Robin realizes that Dustin is still following them. 

“Ugh who was that jerk?” He asks, scrunching up his nose and jabbing a thumb back in the direction of the arcade. 

“Eddie’s not a jerk.” Steve protests weakly. “He’s just joking around. We’re friends.” 

Dustin levels him with a look that clearly says, ‘are you blind’. Robin can’t help but agree but he keeps her opinion to herself. She’s given up on trying to convince Steve to give up his crush on Eddie. 

“Yeah sure.” Dustin snorts. “I know how to recognize a bully, Steve. I mean, look at me.”

“He’s not a bully!” Steve hisses and Dustin flinches back, just slightly, but it’s enough for Steve’s shoulders to droop. He runs a frustrated hand over his face and sighs. “It’s complicated. Just let it go.” 

Dustin looks to Robin who tries to clearly communicate that, while she agrees with him, it is within his best interest to drop the subject. Thankfully, the twerp stays quiet. 

“Want to rent a movie?” Robin asks, trying to change the subject, but also because their plans at the arcade have been cut short and Family Video is like right there. 

Steve shakes his head and starts towards the bike rack. “I think I’m just going to head home.” 

“Seriously?” Robin questions glancing down at her watch. “It’s like 4 o’clock. You’re really just going to go home?” 

“I have homework.” 

Robin is about to point out how incredibly false that statement is but then she catches sort of the look on his face and closes her mouth. Maybe he’s a little more aware of how Eddie’s teasing is not just friendly banter than she thought. “Yeah okay. See you at school tomorrow?” 

“Yeah of course.” Steve nods. He turns to Dustin who looks incredibly disappointed at the turn of events, and hesitates just a moment before stepping forward and wrapping him in a hug. “Really good to see you buddy. We will hang out soon, I promise.” 

“Maybe you could come over for dinner?” Dustin asks hopefully. “My mom would love to see you.” 

“Sounds good.” Steve musters up a smile that seems genuine and then climbs onto his bike and heads off towards home. 

“What the hell just happened?” Dustin turns to Robin as soon as he is gone. “Why was Steve acting so weird?” He glances back at the arcade and then back at Robin and drops his voice to a whisper. “Does Steve get bullied?” Robin hesitates, trying to figure out how to explain Steve and Eddie’s relationship to a 9 year old, and Dustin must take that as a yes because his eyes widen. “But Steve is so cool!” 

“Steve is not cool.” Robin corrects with a snort. “But no, not really. Eddie’s just weird.” 

“Yeah, clearly.” Dustin frowns before he sets his shoulders. “I’m going to go talk to him.” 

Robin catches his arm just as he’s about to pull back open the arcade door. 

“Robin, what the hell?” He whirls around on her. “You’re just going to let him treat Steve like that?” 

“Listen, I want to give Munson a piece of my mind just as much as you do. But do you really think having a 4th grader and his girlfriend fight his battles is going to do him any favors?” 

Dustin deflates. “Yeah okay. You’re right.”

Robin feels bad for the kid, but isn’t really sure how to cheer him up. Then she remembers that she saw Nancy’s little brother and his friends in the arcade earlier. She’s pretty sure they’re all in 4th grade too. 

“C’mon.” Robin nudges Dustin’s shoulder with her own. “There’s some kids in there I want you to meet.” 

The next day at school, Steve is normal, like nothing even happened the day before. When the final bell rings, he even suggests they head to the arcade. He’s acting like he’s totally fine but Robin knows he’s not because for the first time ever she beats him there. 

“We can go somewhere else.” Robin offers, when he offers no more than an upturn of his lips when she attempts to razz him about losing their bike race.

“No it’s fine.” Steve shakes his head, forces an even bigger smile. “We didn’t really get to hang out yesterday, I want to make it up to you.” 

They make their way to the counter and order their usual milkshakes, strawberry for Robin and vanilla for Steve, when Eddie gets behind them in line. 

“Hey Harrington.” Eddie grins and Steve visibly deflates.

“Leave me alone Munson.” He says and Eddie's eyes widen a little. Robin gets it, she’s surprised herself. Steve has never talked to him like that. However, the other boy’s surprise is quickly replaced by another grin when Steve pulls out his wallet and dumps some quarters on the counter to cover their shakes. 

“Oh!” Eddie snaps his fingers like he’s had a light bulb moment. He points at Robin. “You’re with him for his money.”

Robin moves to tell him off by Steve lays a hand on her arm. 

“Let’s just go, Robin.” They head to their usual table and sit down but Eddie follows them, not taking the hint.

“I mean, I just couldn’t figure it out. But this makes sense, I respect it. Milk him for all he’s worth, Buckley.” 

Robin shoots Steve a look that she hopes conveys, ‘please can I punch Munson in his stupid face’, but Steve just shakes his head and Robin keeps her mouth shut. Eddie, unfortunately, does not. 

“Tell me Bucks, when you’re being forced to interact with a jock who has the personality of a brick wall and the brains of one too, what is it you picture to get you through it? His pool, his TV-” Eddie cuts off as Steve slams his milkshake on the table and pushes his way out of the booth. There’s a moment where Robin thinks he’s going to punch Eddie, who’s standing frozen at the end of their table like he thinks that’s going to be the outcome as well, but Steve just shoulders past him and out of the arcade. 

“God why are you such a bully?” Robin stands, trying to make herself as tall as possible when Eddie’s got almost a foot on her. “If you didn’t want to be his friend you could’ve just told him so one of the million times he asked you to hang out last year. You don’t have to be so mean.” 

“What?” Eddie just blinks at her, still looking a bit frozen. 

“I just don’t understand! He’s never been anything but nice to you, why are you so mean to him?” 

“Harrington wanted to be my friend?” 

“What? Of course he did, dipshit. Why do you think he was always asking you to eat with us at lunch and hang out at the arcade? He invited you to his birthday party! He spent weeks practicing your fucking audition song for talent show on his keyboard and you didn’t even let him tryout.” 

“Well yeah I wasn’t going to let him mess it up!” 

“How do you know he would’ve? You didn’t even let him try!” 

“I meant on purpose. Like to embarrass me or whatever.” 

“Why would he do that?” 

“Because Tommy said-” 

“Tommy?” Robin interrupts. “Tommy Hagan? Why the hell are you listening to what he has to say?” 

“Because he’s Harrington’s best friend?” 

“Um no.” Robin shakes her head confused. “I mean sure they still talk sometimes because their parents are friends but like they haven’t willingly hung out since he called Steve a queer on the first day of school last year and I punched him in the face. I’m sure you saw it, like the whole cafeteria did.” 

“I don’t really eat in the cafeteria.” 

“I mean you seriously haven’t noticed that he only hangs out with me, Chrissy, Nancy, and Barb?” Robin questions. “And well now Jonathan Byers but you wouldn’t know that because he only started joining us this year and you’re in high school now and-” She stops herself, realizing she’s starting up a ramble. “Anyway, doesn’t matter. Point is, Steve and Tommy are not friends.”

“Okay so, I was going to go to Steve’s birthday party last year. I was. I even went to the store to try to find a gift Steve would like and I ran into Tommy. I told him what I was doing because I figured they were friends and like I didn’t like the guy but maybe he could help me find something Steve would like, ya know? But then he told me not to bother because Steve only invited me so he could like pull a Carrie.” 

“Carrie?” 

“You know, the Steven King book that they made into a movie a few years ago. The popular boy invites the bullied girl to the prom and it turns out it's a prank so that some kids can dump a bunch of pigs’ blood on her.” 

“What the fuck? You thought Steve was going to dump pigs’ blood on you?” 

“Well not that specific scenario.” Eddie hisses. “Just like something mean. I was already a little confused on why he kept asking me to hang out and after Tommy said that I figured I had my answer, so I didn’t go.”

“Tommy wasn’t even invited to Steve’s birthday. He was probably just jealous that you were.” 

“Steve really just wanted to be my friend?” And that’s the first time Robin’s ever heard him call him Steve.

“Um duh.” 

“Should I go talk to him?” He chews his lip and looks towards the entrance of the arcade where anytime the door opens they can make out Steve sitting on the curb. If Robin had to guess, he was probably crying and he certainly wouldn’t want Eddie to see that. 

“How about you just leave him alone?” Robin spits. “If for some godforsaken reason he still wants to be your friend after what you just said, then you can apologize the next time he talks to you. But he better approach you! Until then, go bully someone else.” 

With that she spins on her heel and goes to join Steve in the parking lot. When she sits down he quickly swipes at his eyes, but she can tell that he was in fact crying. 

“You okay?” 

“You don’t think those things about me, right?” He asks, voice nearly at a whisper. “That I’m stupid and have no personality?”

“Never. You, Steve Harrington, are my favorite person in the whole world and you still would be even if you didn’t buy me milkshakes everytime we came here.” 

She rests her head on his shoulder and he rests his on top of hers. “Wait, why were you in there so long?” 

“Just having a few words with Eddie.”

“Oh god. You didn’t punch him did you?” 

“No.” Robin laughs, but god had she wanted to. “Just told him to stop being a jerk to my best friend.” 

“Thanks Robin.” 

“Anytime Stevie.” 

Friday is Halloween, and they all head to Nancy’s house after school to get ready. She lives in the neighborhood with the best candy, and they’ve also been tasked with keeping an eye on her brother and his friends so it makes sense. 

They wanted to go as a whole group costume and after a lot of debate settled on the Peanuts gang. Steve is being Charlie, which means everyone insisted that she had to be Peppermint Patty. She’s not complaining though, because it means she doesn’t have to wear a dress. Nancy goes on Lucy, Barb as Marcie, and Chrissy as Sally. They even convinced Jonathan to be Schroeder. 

Robin thinks they look pretty good, and Mrs. Wheeler must too because she takes about 100 pictures of them before they leave. While they are taking pictures, Mrs. Henderson pulls up and Dustin scrambles out of the car in a Jedi costume that matches the other boys. 

“Steve! I didn’t know you were going to be here!” Dustin exclaims, tackling him in a hug as soon as he sees him.

“Yeah, this is my friend Nancy’s house.” Steve says, gesturing to Nancy who is laughing at something Jonathan just said. Interesting. Robin files that away for later. “What are you doing here?”

“I introduced Dustin to the other twerps at the arcade the other day.” She explains, coming up to ruffle Dustin’s hair. It might be the first time she’s seen him without a baseball camp. 

“Oh cool.” Steve smiles. “What are you dressed as?” 

“What am I dressed as?” Dustin asks in outrage, gesturing down to his frankly obvious Star Wars costume. “Um a jedi, Steve?”

“A jedi?” 

“From Star Wars?” 

“Star Wars?” 

“Jesus Christ Steve. The movie. Have you never seen Star Wars?” Robin chuckles as Dustin proceeds to launch into an incredibly detailed description of the first two films and Robin slips away to join Chrissy and Barb. Barb barely notices, too busy watching Nancy and Jonathan who are still talking animatedly to each other. More information to file away for later. 

“I like your costume Chrissy. That’s a really pretty dress.” Robin says. That’s normal right? Girls tell their friends all the time that they like their clothes?

“Thanks Robin.” It’s already getting dark outside, but Robin swears the other girl is blushing. “I like yours too.” 

“Thanks.” Robin glances down at her polo and track pants and knows Chrissy is just saying that to be nice. “I uh borrowed it from Steve.” 

“Oh.” Chrissy smiles, but it seems maybe a little fake. “That makes sense, he does own a lot of polos.” 

“Like too many polos some might say.” At that Chrissy giggles. “We’re working on it.” 

They glance over to where the other boys have joined Dustin in berating Steve about his lack of Star Wars knowledge. He shoots Chrissy and Robin a pleading look and they both giggle again. 

“Should we go rescue him?” Chrissy asks. 

“Nah. He’s fine.” Robin waves her off. “Besides, I want to hang out with you.” 

“Yeah?” 

Chrissy looks surprised, but pleased, at Robin’s words, so she gets the confidence to smile and say, “Always, Cunningham.” 

Hours later, they return to the Wheelers, bags stuffed with candy. They’re all spending the night, even Steve and Jonathan, who had gotten permission with the strict instructions that they sleep separately in Mike’s room, who is spending the night down in the basement with his friends. 

It’s late, but Mrs. Wheeler lets the older kids stay up to watch a movie in the living room and sort through their candy. The boys are supposed to be sleeping in the basement but Robin can hear them laughing and messing around even as their movie plays. 

Robin ended up squashed into an armchair with Steve, even though she’d really wanted to sit with Chrissy.

“Dude.” Steve whispers halfway through the film. “Chrissy is totally jealous of me right now.” 

Robin quickly looks over at the girl in question and does find her watching them with a displeased expression on her face. When she catches Robin looking she turns her head quickly back towards the television. 

“Maybe she’s jealous of me.” Robin counters. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so Rob.” Steve snorts. Nancy shooshes them and they force their attention back to the movie. 

When it ends, Mrs. Wheeler comes to usher them off to bed and doesn’t seem pleased when she finds Robin and Steve sharing the armchair. She watches them extra carefully as they troop upstairs and the boys head into Mike’s room. 

Nancy’s bed is only big enough for two, so Chrissy and Robin roll their sleeping bags out on the floor. They take turns brushing their teeth in Nancy’s bathroom and when Robin returns from her turn, Barb and Nancy are already snoring softly in their bed. Chrissy is still awake, sitting up in her sleeping bag and braiding her hair. 

“They’re already asleep.” Robin whispers, pointing to the bed and Chrissy giggles. 

“Guess we should get to sleep then.” Chrissy says. Robin agrees but when she climbs into her bag she can’t fall asleep. She can’t stop thinking about the way Chrissy had blushed earlier when Robin had called her pretty. How she had seemed maybe kind of sort of disappointed when Robin had mentioned that she borrowed her costume from Steve and then how Steve thought she was upset about the seating arrangements during the movie. Could Chrissy be jealous of Steve, just like Robin was of Mark? Then thinking of that asshole just makes her angry and she twists on her side in frustration only to find Chrissy awake and staring back at her. 

“Hi.” Chrissy whispers when she sees Robin is awake as well. 

“Hi.” Robin whispers back. “Can’t sleep?” 

“No.” Chrissy shakes her head. “I feel like I can’t turn my brain off. Does that ever happen to you?” 

“Only all the time.” Robin gives her a sympathetic smile and Chrissy giggles. “What are you thinking about?” 

“Nothing important.”

“Nah that can’t be true. If you’re thinking about it, then it must be important.” 

“No.” Chrissy shakes her head again, and now, even in the darkness of Nancy’s room, Robin knows she’s blushing. “I’m not that interesting.” 

“Well whoever told you that is stupid. You, Chrissy Cunningham, are the most interesting person I know.” 

Chrissy’s gaze flicks down to her lips and holy shit. Maybe Robin was right earlier. She finds herself looking at Chrissy’s lips as well, they look soft, and she can tell Chrissy put on strawberry chapstick just before bed. When she looks back up at Chrissy, the other girl is staring at her intently, eyes wide. Robin wants to kiss her and she thinks maybe Chrissy feels the same? 

“Chrissy?” Robin whispers, surprised at how shaky and breathless she sounds. “Can I tell you a secret?” 

“Anything, Robin.” Chrissy wiggles her arm out of her sleeping back and her hand finds Robin’s, squeezing tight. 

“I’m not really dating Steve.” She admits. “We’re just friends. We just pretend because I like girls.” 

Robin closes her eyes as soon as she forces the words out, unwilling to see whatever look comes across Chrissy’s face at the confession. It’s quiet for a long time, well for what feels like a long time but is really only a couple of seconds. 

“Robin?” Chrissy’s nervous voice finally forces her to open her eyes. “Do you like me?” 

Robin nods, and Chrissy’s eyes widen but she doesn’t look upset. In fact, her eyes flick back down to Robin’s lips, giving her the courage to say, “Can I kiss you?” 

This time, it’s Chrissy who nods, and Robin kisses her.

Chapter Text

Winter 1981

Robin is grateful that this is her last Snow Ball. She never really liked them in the first place - mostly because her mother wrangled her into a dress and did things to her hair that were straight out of Robin’s nightmares - but they did used to be fun. The previous year, she’d gone publicly with Steve, but secretly with Chrissy, and it had been the best night of her life. They had shared their second kiss that night, following a month of hand holding and secret dates where both of them were too shy to initiate a repeat of Halloween. But the dance had been perfect, and Chrissy had been beautiful, and Robin hadn’t been able to resist. 

After that the dam had been broken and they had kissed nearly every opportunity they got, which sadly hadn’t been many. Given how strict Chrissy’s parents were, and the fact that Steve was their only friend who knew the truth, they didn’t actually get that much time alone. Even so, Robin had never been happier. It honestly had all felt too good to be true which is why she wasn’t surprised at all when Chrissy’s little brother, Danny, had caught them mid kiss on Valentine’s Day. 

Before they’d had time to bribe him with all their Valentine’s candy to keep his mouth shut, he’d gone running to Chrissy’s parents. Despite their best efforts to convince the Cunninghams that he had been mistaken,  Chrissy had been banned from hanging out with Robin. She thought maybe they could still get away with interacting at school, but the next day Chrissy had sat in a different desk, and then at a different table during lunch, and when Robin had approached her in the bathroom, Chrissy had teared up and said they couldn’t talk anymore and that Robin needed to leave her alone. 

Chrissy had stopped hanging out with their other friends, had joined cheerleader instead of soccer, and even requested a change when Mr. Clarke had assigned them to be science fair partners. It was like Robin didn’t exist. Like she had never existed. And now, she sat alone at the Snow Ball, and watched Chrissy dance with Jason Carver. 

Robin hadn’t even wanted to come, especially once she’d found out she couldn’t even bring Steve now that he was no longer a student. Barb wasn’t going either, and she’d tried to convince her mom to let her go over for a movie marathon, but she’d insisted that it was Robin’s last Snow Ball and she would one day regret missing it. Robin highly doubted that, but she reluctantly agreed, thinking she could at least hang out with Nancy and Jonathan. Instead, they’d been dancing and whispering with each other all night. They hadn’t even officially come here as a couple, but Robin is pretty sure that before the end of the night they will be. 

Robin is happy for them, really, but given that she is probably doomed to be single and pining after Chrissy for the rest of her life, watching them giggle puts a bitter taste in her mouth. 

Not as bitter as the one she gets from watching Jason slyly try to put his hand on Chrissy’s butt. God, it’s one thing for Chrissy to ignore her, but to choose Jason Carver of all people. He is the worst. She feels her eyes welling with tears and wipes at them furiously. She can not because seen crying by the entire school. She stands in a hurry, rushing across the dance floor and out into the hallway before the tears start to fall. Her mom isn’t picking her up for another hour, and maybe she’ll just hide in the bathroom until then. 

Thankfully, she pushes open the door to find the bathroom empty, and so Robin isn’t too embarrassed when she looks up in the mirror to find she’s obviously been crying. She splashes some water on her face, hoping that will disguise it, but if anything her face looks even blotchier after she’s finished dabbing it with a paper towel. 

“Robin?” The door opens and Robin whips around, horrified for a moment that Chrissy might have followed her but it’s just Nancy. 

“Oh hey Nance.” Robin says, forcing a smile even though Nancy is surely going to notice the redness of her eyes. 

“Is everything okay?” Nancy asks. “You ran out of the gym pretty fast.”

“Surprised you even saw that.” Robin bites back and regrets it immediately when Nancy visibly flinches back, eyebrows furrowing. 

“What does that mean?” 

“Nothing.” Robin shakes her head, hoping Nancy will drop it. But it’s Nancy, so the other girl simply raises an eyebrow. “You’ve just been spending all night with Jonathan. I kind of thought we’d hang out tonight.” 

“Oh.” Nancy blinks. “Is that why you’re upset?” 

And Robin should take the out, play up that she’s felt left out all night as Jonathan and Nancy got cozy on the dance floor, it’s not even entirely untrue. But before Robin can respond, Nancy must see something on her face because she steps forward and grabs Robin’s hand. 

“Is it about Chrissy?” Obviously their friends have had a lot of questions since she dropped them all like hot potatoes. Eventually, Robin had just told them that Chrissy’s mom hadn’t wanted them to hang out anymore, which was the truth. At the time, Nancy had been outraged on Robin’s behalf and she’d had to really talk her down from confronting the other girl.

“Yeah.” Robin admits, letting go of Nancy’s hand to slump down against the wall, gross bathroom floor be damned. She’s a bit surprised when Nancy slides right down next to her.

“There’s more than what you told us.” Nancy says after a moment, and it’s not a question. 

“Yeah.” Robin repeats, head thumping back against the wall. 

Nancy is quiet for another moment and then slowly she says, “You and Chrissy, you were together.” 

“What?” Robin nearly breaks her neck with how fast she turns to look at Nancy. “Why would you say that?” 

“I mean, you looked like you wanted to kill Jason Carver back in the gym?” Nancy says, and Robin has to admit that that’s probably true. 

“That doesn’t prove anything. Jason is awful, that’s how everyone looks at him.” Except Chrissy, Robin thinks bitterly, but refrains from saying that part out loud. 

“True.” Nancy nods. “But I also might have heard you and Chrissy on Halloween.” 

“What are you talking about?” Robin’s brow furrows, thinking back to earlier that fall. They’d decided to make the previous year a tradition, and followed up trick or treating with a sleepover at the Wheelers. Robin doesn’t remember running into Chrissy that night and tells Nancy as much. 

“No, last Halloween. In my room.” 

It takes Robin a second to register that Nancy is telling her that she overheard Robin’s confession to Chrissy, that Nancy knows that Robin is a lesbian.

“It’s okay!” Nancy rushes out, clearly reading the panic on Robin’s face. “Remember that I’ve known for a year and I haven’t told anyone or treated you any differently.” 

And holy shit. That’s true. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?” 

“I was hoping maybe you would tell me yourself.” Nancy shrugs. 

“Does Barb know? Jonathan?” 

“No. At least, not that I know of. After, it was sort of obvious to me that you were into each other but I think it was only obvious because I already knew.” 

“And you haven’t told anyone?” 

“No one. I promise.” Nancy takes her hand again. “Did Chrissy’s mom find out? Is that what happened?” 

“Sort of.” Robin admits, because she has no reason not to. Nancy knows and she finally has someone she can talk to about this that isn’t Steve. “Danny caught us kissing and told their parents. We tried to lie our way out of it, not sure if she believed us or not, but either way she did tell Chrissy we couldn’t hang out anymore. Now, Chrissy won’t talk to me at all.” 

And then Robin is crying again. Nancy pulls her close and is saying something, but Robin doesn’t really hear it. She doesn’t know how long they sit there before Jonathan is nervously poking his head into the bathroom. “Hey, I don’t know how much longer I can keep people out of the bathroom.” 

“You had Jonathan playing bodyguard out here this whole time?” Robin can’t help but laugh at the image of shy, quiet, Jonathan Byers having to turn away any girl that tries to go to the bathroom. She can’t even begin to think of what explanation he would have given. 

“I had a feeling this would be a private conversation!” Nancy defends, but she’s laughing too, and they fall against each other in a fit of giggles as a pair of girls shoves past Jonathan, looking at the scene on the floor with obvious confusion.

“Weirdos.” One of the girls says, eyeing them warily as she moves towards the stalls. 

“What does Steve Harrington see in her?” The other whispers, trailing after her friend. Nancy and Robin laugh even harder and she suddenly feels better than she has in awhile. They collect themselves off the floor, with tears in their eyes - the good kind this time - and join a stressed out looking Jonathan in the hallway. 

“Everything okay?” He asks, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck, like he isn’t really sure what to do with their maniacal laughter and Robin’s tear stained cheeks. 

“All good.” Robin answers, surprised that it’s the truth. Nancy knows about her and still wants to be her friend. It feels so good to have one less person to hide herself from. “Thanks Jonathan.” 

The three of them head back into the gym and they all dance together. More accurately, Robin and Nancy dance while Jonathan sort of bobs beside them. They’re both still laughing as they take one of his hands each, trying to get him to move a bit more, when Robin catches Chrissy looking at her across the gym. 

She looks concerned, like maybe she’d also noticed that Robin left the gym upset. Robin wants to just turn away, ignore her like Chrissy has been doing to her, but she’s in a good mood so she smiles and sends Chrissy a small wave. 

The other girl looks surprised, but she smiles and waves back. 

Over Winter break, Robin is the happiest she’s been since February. 

On the first night of break, she and Barb sleep over at the Wheelers. With Nancy’s support, she works up the courage to tell Barb a modified version of what happened with Chrissy, leaving out that they’d had full blown relationship to not out the other girl. Barb is surprised, but hugs Robin tight and tells her that she loves her. 

Steve’s parents are skiing in Vermont for the break, and so Steve is spending it in Dustin’s spare bedroom, meaning Robin spends a lot of time at the Hendersons. Mrs. Henderson is really nice and she makes the three of them hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy whenever Robin is over. They play a lot of board games, and when snow falls two days before Christmas, Nancy and Mike, and Jonathan and Will, come over and the 7 of them have a snowball fight on the Henderson’s front lawn. 

For Christmas, Steve gets an envelope full of cash from his parents, and on the 26th takes them all to see Cinderella, which has been rereleased at the Hawk. It’s Eddie Munson behind the counter, and he looks a little overwhelmed when all of the kids start shouting over each other about what snacks they want, but he doesn’t make fun of the fact that Steve has brought a horde of children to see Cinderella, so Robin almost feels bad for the guy . Lucas’ little sister Erica is holding tightly to Steve’s hand - her mom’s stipulation for her to be allowed to go - and Robin swears she catches Eddie smiling at the pair when Steve is too preoccupied with talking her into only one candy. He definitely smiles, when Erica puts three different candies on the counter and Steve just sighs and pulls out his wallet. 

After spending the first half the movie noisily slurping a soda and absolutely demolishing all three boxes of candy, Erica slumps against Steve in a sugar coma. He has to carry her out into the lobby, though Robin isn’t sure if she’s actually dead asleep or just doesn’t want to walk, or is maybe just the ultimate wingman because Eddie is absolutely watching. 

Steve hands her off to Mrs. Sinclair, and Barb, Nancy, Mike, and Lucas follow the pair out to the car. Then Jonathan and Will head across the street to meet their Mom at Melvad’s, leaving Steve, Robin, and Dustin to wait for Claudia to come and pick them up. She still has another 30 minutes until her shift ends, but it was too snowy for them to take their bikes.

As they’re waiting, Eddie’s own shift seems to end and he comes over to the trio. Robin isn’t really sure what is about to happen. He hasn’t been mean to Steve since that day in the arcade, over a year ago, but he and Steve aren’t exactly friends. 

“You guys need a ride?” He asks, hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets. 

“No. My mom is coming to get us.” Dustin answers for the group. “We’re going back to my house for a sleepover.” 

“All three of you?” Eddie asks, but not unkindly. 

“Steve is staying with us for the whole winter break!” Dustin tells Eddie excitedly. He’s either forgotten about their exchange at the arcade or simply doesn’t care. “Originally my mom said Robin couldn’t sleepover, but her parents went out of town for the night and when she found out Robin was going to be home alone she said she could come. But only if Steve sleeps in my room and Robin in the guest room.” 

Robin doesn't even need to look at Steve to know the other boy must be as red as a tomato. 

Eddie looks like he doesn’t really know what to do with all of that information and Robin thinks he just might leave the conversation at that but then he says, “Sounds like fun” before turning to Steve adding, “Hey Steve can I talk to you for a second?” 

“Oh um sure.” Steve looks confused but he follows Eddie out the door and onto the sidewalk. Eddie pulls out a cigarette - gross - and offers one to Steve who declines. He knows better after he’d met Robin after school one day smelling like smoke and she’d laid into him about the dangers of lung cancer. She can’t make out their conversation but it seems pretty serious and it's several minutes before Steve comes back inside without Eddie. 

“What was that about?” Robin asks. 

“Yeah, was he bullying you again?” Dustin adds. So the twerp did remember, and just spilled their whole life story anyways. Geez, this kid. 

“No, he apologized, actually.” 

“Took him long enough.” Dustin laments and Robin can’t help but agree. 

“That was part of the apology.” Steve smiles. Robin is sure there is more to the story, but he seems reluctant to disclose it around Dustin, and she’s sure she’ll get a full recap when they’re alone later. 

Claudia arrives shortly after that and surprises them by taking them out to pizza before they head home. The waitress gushes to Claudia about “what sweet children she has” and Robin is surprised when she just thanks her without correction. She shares a look with Steve and she knows they’re both thinking the same thing: how nice it would be if that were true. If Claudia was their mom, and Dustin their brother, and the four of them were actually a family. 

“That would be so cool if you were actually my siblings.” Dustin says with a gummy smile once she’s gone, so they weren’t even the only ones thinking it. 

Robin honestly forgets to pester Steve about Eddie, so wrapped up in her weekend at the Hendersons. She’s a little bummed when she has to head home, but she knows she’ll be back in a couple of days because Claudia is hosting a New Year’s party for all of their friends. They were originally going to have it at the Wheeler’s, but apparently Mr. Wheeler had complained that they couldn’t be the go to house for every holiday and Claudia had stepped in. 

She doesn’t even see Steve in between, so she really forgets about Eddie and can’t be blamed by the surprise on her face when Steve accosts her the second she walks in the door on the 31st and announces that Eddie is coming to the party. 

“What?” Robin asks in shock. 

“When he apologized, he told me we should hang out sometime so I gave him my number.” Steve says frantically. “Then he called me yesterday and said that his Uncle had to pick up a last minute shift on New Year’s and he didn’t want to spend it alone so he asked if i wanted to come over to like hang out and watch the ball drop-” 

“Holy shit, Steve. He totally likes you.” Robin interrupts, because he must, right? Hey Steve, why don’t you come over so the two of us can celebrate a moment where people usually kiss? 

Steve gives her a flat look, clearly not believing her but also clearly annoyed with her interruption so she apologizes and he continues. “I told him that I had plans and he sounded kind of disappointed, maybe? So I explained that we were all just hanging out at Dustin’s and he could come over if he wanted but like there would be a bunch of kids here and he said ‘sure, sounds like fun. And now Eddie Munson is coming over, here, to hang out, and that wasn’t knowledge that I had when I promised Dustin that we could wear the matching sweaters that his mom knitted us for Christmas this evening. So now I will be hanging out with Eddie for the first time ever, wearing homemade matching sweaters with a 5th grader. He’s going to think I'm a total loser!” 

“Yeah probably.” Robin nods, assessing the sweater which is lumpy and has snowmen all over it. 

“What? Robin! You were supposed to reassure me, not agree!” Steve exclaims looking absolutely frantic. 

“Oh please, it’s a good thing. No better way to prove you’re not a meathead jock.” Robin explains. “And also he’s going to think it’s adorable. He was practically swooning watching you with Erica at the movie the other day.” 

“He was?” 

“Definitely.” Robin confirms. “I swear she knew it too. Her needing to be carried out was totally a bit.” 

“So he likes that all my friends are children?” Steve looks totally perplexed. 

“He thinks it’s cute that you’re so good with kids. Trust me, it’s a thing. Chicks totally dig it, and like I guess Eddie too.” 

“Huh.” Steve seems to be mulling this over, and doesn’t get time to respond before the doorbell rings and Nancy and Mike stumble in from the snow. Mike dashes off immediately to find Dustin but Nancy looks Steve up and down. 

“Is he okay?” 

“He invited Eddie Munson and he’s freaking out.” Robin answers truthfully, because after Robin had told Steve he’d come out to her, Steve had done the same. 

“You like Eddie Munson?” Nancy looks absolutely shocked. “Didn’t he like, bully you last year?” 

“No!” Steve protests.

“No you don’t like him, or no he didn’t bully you?” 

“He didn’t bully me!” 

“So you do like him?” Nancy is grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Ugh. I hate you both.” Steve grumbles and leaves to follow Mike down to Dustin’s room. 

“You love us!” Robin calls after him, and Steve flips them both off over his shoulder. 

“Seriously, he likes Eddie Munson?” Nancy turns to her once he’s gone. 

“Unfortunately.” 

Except, it turns out that Eddie is actually kind of nice? The boys are smitten with him the second they learn that he also plays Dungeons and Dragons and is even part of a club for it at the high school. They pepper him with endless questions about his campaigns and he answers every single one with enthusiasm, also listening with rapt attention when they describe their own. Steve is watching him with much of the same look that Eddie had on his face at the movies and he turns to Robin. 

“Okay yeah, it’s a thing.” He admits when he meets her raised eyebrow. 

“Well try to focus, we’re totally losing here.” Robin frowns down at the board in front of them where they are solidly in last place. Nancy had received Trivial Pursuit for Christmas and bullied them all into playing it while the boys discussed DnD. Barb and Jonathan were playing as a team, and Robin with Steve, to try to give them a leg up against Nancy who seemed to know everything about everything. 

Their little pie only contained an orange piece, that Robin reluctantly had Steve to thank for, since he’d been the one to know that the Iowa State football team is called the Cyclones. Barb and Jonathan had three pieces, and Nancy had four. Robin wasn’t entirely convinced that she hadn’t spent the last 6 days memorizing the question cards. I mean Nancy had just correctly guessed “Honshu” as the largest Japanese island and Robin doesn’t even think she could name any Japanese islands. 

“It’s not my fault, you keep getting all the pink questions wrong! And you said you knew stuff about entertainment!” Steve proclaims. “Maybe we need to try for a different color.”

Robin reluctantly agrees, because really she had thought she’d be able to get movie and TV questions right but they are so much harder than expected. On their next roll, they make their way towards the green piece instead. Finally landing on it after getting ‘roll again’ three times in a row. 

“What’s the most widely eaten fruit in America?” Nancy asks. 

“Um apples?” Steve offers to Robin, scratching at the back of his neck.

“Maybe.” Robin agrees. I mean when she thinks of fruit, she does usually thinks of apples. And people make like pies and stuff with them and kids give them to their teachers? She’s about to lock it in as their final guess when she catches sight of Eddie behind Nancy waving frantically for her attention. She shifts her eyes subtly into a questioning gaze and Eddie mouths something that looks suspiciously like ‘bananas’. She takes a moment of contemplation and then says to Steve, “Or it could be bananas?” Her eyes flick back to Eddie who is nodding vigorously and giving her a thumbs up. 

“Sure. Whatever you want to guess, Rob.” 

“Let’s go with bananas.” 

“Final answer?” Nancy asks. And Robin nods, not really sure why she’s putting all of her trust into Eddie Munson. Nancy beams and fishes out a little green pie piece from the plastic bag. “That’s correct!”

“Nice job Robs!” Steve gives her a high five. “How’d you know that?” 

“Lucky guess.” Robin shrugs, and Eddie gives her a wink before turning back to the boys. 

Eddie seems to know a lot of shit, because he starts to give Robin answers to a lot of their questions. Eventually Steve catches on, but Nancy and the others remain oblivious to the fact that they’ve essentially added a third member to their team. They can’t always make out what he’s saying, or even acting at points, but the game starts to become a lot more fun. They even manage to end the game with more pie pieces than Barb and Jonathan, but Nancy still beats them. 

She tries to rope them into another game, but the kids suggest they all play charades instead. Dustin retrieves some paper and pens while they rest of them split up the two teams. 

“I want Munson.” Robin announces, surprising most of the group. But they’ve been basically playing impromptu charades for the last hour and Robin knows he’s pretty good at it. “How about me, Steve, Eddie, Dustin, and-” She surveys the remaining pipsqueaks, eyes landing on Mike. She knows he’ll throw a fit if he’s with Nancy so, “Mike.” 

“Okay.” Nancy nods. “Son Jonathan, Barb, Will and Lucas, you’re with me.”

“Three teens and two kiddos per team.” Eddie says, ignoring the outrage from the little ones at being referred to as kiddos. “Sounds fair to me.” 

Dustin returns and they take a few minutes ripping up the paper and writing down suggestions before dumping them into a bowl that previously held pretzels. 

A few rounds in and Robin feels pretty good about her team. Eddie is just as good as he thought he would be, both at acting and guessing, and it makes up for the fact that Steve is absolutely terrible at both. 

“Playing a harmonica!” Mike yells for the third time in the last minute. Steve drops his hands in frustration and shakes his head, just as he has the last three times. 

“Jesus Wheeler, I am not playing a harmonica!” He groans before returning to his gesture that to Robin, admittedly, looks a hell of a lot like he’s playing a harmonica.

“Blowing on a hot sandwich?” Eddie guesses. 

“That’s time.” Nancy announces and Steve shoulders slump in defeat. 

“What the hell were you doing dingus?” 

“Playing an accordion.” Steve exclaims, like it was supposed to be obvious. 

“Steve, what do you think an accordion is?” Nancy asks, clearly trying not to laugh. 

“It’s that instrument that you like blow into and it makes those whistling noises.”

“Steve!” Mike shouts in exasperation. “That’s a harmonica!” 

“Oh.” Steve’s face pinks. “What’s an accordion then?” 

Simultaneously, the whole group mimes playing an accordion. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t really know my musical instruments, I guess.” 

“Clearly.” Mike mutters, slumping back into his seat. 

“We should get a point, because we guessed what Steve thought he was acting out.” Dustin points out. 

“That is not how this game works.” Nancy shakes her head. 

“Sorry.” Steve says, as he takes his seat on the couch between Robin and Eddie. 

“All good Stevie.” Eddie assures, patting him on the shoulder. Robin shares a look with Nancy who mouths ‘Stevie’ and the two of them giggle. 

Jonathan is up next and Robin doesn’t know if he’s purposely being terrible to make Steve feel better or if he is just actually that awful at charades but his team is unable to guess anything close to ‘baking chocolate chip cookies’. The group starts ragging on Jonathan, taking the heat off Steve, and Robin starts to think that maybe he did do it on purpose. 

“Hey, wait a second, where’s Cunningham?” Eddie asks Robin while the other team is still giving Jonathan shit. “Wasn’t she part of your group?” 

Robin freezes. She knows Eddie doesn’t mean anything by it, after all when he was still at Hawkins Middle they were all super close with Chrissy. 

“Oh. Um, we’re not really friends anymore.” Steve answers when he realizes that Robin isn’t going to. 

“My bad.” Eddie says awkwardly. Surely he’s noticed that Robin took the question like a punch to the gut. “Forget I asked.” 

“Be right back.” Robin says, rising from the couch. 

“Wait, Robin!” Dustin yells. “Where are you going? It’s your turn!” 

“Um, just getting something from the kitchen. Be right back.” She manages, before scampering off down the hallway where she almost runs straight into Claudia, carrying a tray of fresh snacks. 

“Oh sorry Robin!” Claudia exclaims, thankfully not dropping the food. “Hey, are you okay?” 

“Yeah. Sorry. Just heading to the bathroom.” 

“Okay.” Claudia says, clearly not believing her but dropping it anyway. “Well I’m here if you need me.” 

“Thanks.” Robin continues past her and into the bathroom. Once in there, she realizes that she does actually have to go to the bathroom. So she takes care of that and is washing her hands when there’s a knock on the door. 

“Robin?” Oh, it’s Nancy. “Are you okay?” 

“One second.” Robin calls back, drying her hands on the towel adorned with Christmas trees that Claudia still has hanging in the bathroom. She unlocks the door to find both Nancy and Steve on the other side. “I’m good guys, I promise. Just wish Chrissy was here.” 

“Eddie feels really bad.” Steve says. “He had no idea.” 

“No, I know he wasn’t trying to be rude or anything.” Robin nods. “Eddie’s actually pretty cool Steve.” 

“Well I don’t know that cool is the word that I would use.” Nancy adds. “But he’s okay.” 

“Are you sure you’re good? Do you want to go home?” Steve asks. 

“No, I promise I’m okay.” Robin shakes her head. “We’ve got some charades to win. Plus, it’s almost midnight.” 

They do end up winning charades and then Claudia joins them in the living room, turning on the ball drop and passing out little flutes of sparkling apple cider and some noisemakers. 

The kids start screaming along with the countdown at 30 seconds, which is way too early in Robin’s opinion, and the rest of them join in when they reach 10. 

“Happy New Year!” They all shout, as the boys make as much obnoxious noise as possible. Robin pulls Steve into a hug and catches Eddie watching them over his shoulder.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Dustin starts chanting, Lucas and Will joining in. Steve rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to Robin’s cheek. 

“Boo! You call that a kiss?” Dustin yells and Robin is starting to wonder if they’re going to have to cave and kiss for real to keep up the charade when Nancy pulls Jonathan into a kiss, effectively pulling the attention from them. 

“Ew!” Mike groans in disgust. He turns and gives Will a playful shove. “Tell your brother to leave my sister alone!”  

“Oh shove it Mike. I can kiss whoever I want.” Nancy admonishes, pulling back from a stunned looking Jonathan. 

“Just maybe not in front of me next time, okay?” Mike grumbles. 

Robin was so busy paying attention to the commotion around them that she hadn’t noticed Eddie slip outside. 

“Be right back!” She says to Steve, who is now getting a hug from Claudia. 

“Alright Munson?” She asks, joining him on Dustin’s lawn where he’s in the process of lighting a cigarette. “Those will kill you, you know?” 

“Yeah yeah.” Eddie grumbles, but he takes a drag of the cigarette anyways. “Shouldn’t you be in there kissing Steve? Isn’t that like a tradition?” 

“Why do you care?” Robin asks smugly. “Are you jealous?” 

“What? No!” Eddie protests. “Sorry Buckley, but you are not my type.” 

“Eddie, do you like Steve?” 

“Of course I like Steve. He’s a nice guy.” Eddie is clearly trying to sound casual but Robin can tell that he’s feeling anything but. 

“Eddie.” 

“Robin, what do you want me to say?” Eddie asks, a little panicked, taking another drag. “That I’ve developed an embarrassing crush on your boyfriend? That i’ve liked him ever since you yelled at me in the arcade over a year ago, and probably even longer. But I thought he was messing with me so I was really mean to him and ruined my chances of even being his friend.” 

“Yeah pretty much.” Robin nods and Eddie stares at her with wide eyes. “Steve’s not my boyfriend. We just pretend so that no one figures out we’re gay.” 

“I’m sorry, are you telling me you’re both queer? Steve is queer?”

“Now, normally I wouldn’t out someone, but somehow I think you’ll both just pine forever if I don’t tell you that he very much likes dudes.” 

“Jesus christ Robin! Are you serious?” 

“Yup. Now if I send Steve out here, will give him a proper New Years kiss?” 

Eddie swallows. “Is this a trap?”

“Eddie, I swear. No trap. Steve is gay. He likes dudes, he likes you, and apparently you like him too. So I’m going to send him out here, and you are going to kiss him. I hear it’s tradition.” 

She turns around to head back inside and Eddie calls after her but she doesn’t stop until she reaches Steve. “Hey Eddie wants to see you outside.” 

“Oh. Okay. Be right back!” He disappears out the door and Robin motions Nancy and Barb over to the window. Thankfully, Jonathan has gone to the kitchen to call his mom, and the boys are busy throwing popcorn at each other, so no one else notices. 

“What are we doing?” Barb whispers, sensing the secrecy of the moment. 

“Spying on Steve and Eddie.” Robin whispers back. 

“Does Steve like Eddie?” Barb replies. 

“Um duh. Keep up.” Nancy informs her, like she hadn’t just learned that information herself earlier that night. 

“Geez okay sorry. You guys never tell me anything.” 

“Shh! Both of you!”

“It’s not like we can hear them.” Barb snarks. 

“Oh my god look!” Robin squeals, pointing to where Eddie is now pulling a surprised looking Steve into a kiss. “Baby’s first gay kiss. Well if we don’t count Tommy Hagan” 

“Wait Steve has kissed Tommy Hagan?” Barb exclaims, voice thankfully still at a whisper. “Seriously you guys never tell me anything!” 

“Not important right now. Look!” Robin points back out the window where the boys have parted and pulled each other into a hug. “Ugh they’re actually kind of cute together.” 

“What are you guys doing?” Jonathan's voice comes from behind them and they all whip around, Robin reaching behind her to hold the curtains closed. 

“Nothing!” Robin says at the same time Nancy says, “Looking for my mom’s car.” 

“Really? Because it looked like you were spying on Steve and Eddie kissing.” 

“What?” Robin chuckles nervously. “That’s ridiculous. Why would Steve and Eddie be kissing? Steve’s my boyfriend, not Eddie’s.” 

“Come on Robin. You don’t have to lie.” 

“Nancy I thought you said you hadn’t told him!” 

“I didn’t!” Nancy protests. 

“I’m just very observant.” Jonathan says with a smirk. “So did they kiss or not?” 

“They kissed.” 

“Huh. Good for them.” Jonathan nods and saunters off to tell Will that their mom is on her way to start gathering his stuff. 

“I swear I didn’t tell him!” Nancy puts her hands up in defense once he’s gone. Robin just giggles, because how the hell did Jonathan Byers figure out what was going on? The other girls join in and when Steve and Eddie return inside and ask what's so funny, they all just laugh even harder. It feels amazing to have so many friends who love support and them, that she finds she's not even missing Chrissy. Well, not as much. 

Maybe 1982 will be her year.