Chapter Text
Robin was first to the house, an oddity for anything else but it made sense since she knew the place and had to explain to her uncle what exactly was going to happen in his basement.
"So a film kid's horror movie about cannibalism, and you four are just catching up?" The man who slightly resembled her father asked.
"Yep! Thank you so so so so so so much for letting us crash."
"Of couse kid, tell you what, ill be out of your space and y'know I'm not even home most of the time so you lot'll get the place to yourself anyway."
Robin perked up at that and beamed. "That's incredible thank you so much!"
Her uncle looked serious for a second before saying "just make sure no one gets pregnant and I'll stay out of your hair."
“No baby making here sir.” sweet sweet unknowing uncle whats your face she thought as the man walked to his car and drove away, waving as he went. “Well then let’s see what’s in store for the whatever we’re gonna call ourselves” it was said to an empty house but she felt like the house should have some form of warning for what was to come.
The basement was huge, meant to be some mini apartment. It was fully decked out in a bedroom, futon couch in a living room type space, mini kitchen, bathroom, and even a creepy looking unfinished section with a water heater for Jonathan’s movie related hopes and desires. It was perfect.
Steve was second
He had somehow completed the babysitter transformation and wound up with a minivan of all things. One that could fit most of the kids on the baseball team if they ignored traffic laws and squeeze in enough. As he rolled up the gravel driveway he did his best to not gawk at what had to be one of the larger houses he’d seen. Sure, Hawkins had decent houses but this one looked like the result of smushing his house with the Creel’s old place. He stopped staring at the place long enough to drag his duffle bag out and swing it on his shoulder.
He didn’t make it to the door before it was violently swung out and a very excited Robin Buckley jumped at him. “You moron!” The Robin shaped impact against him nearly toppled him and he grinned. “Jesus Buckley, I already survived so much, please don’t sentence me to death by bear hug.” Despite all protests he welcomed her with open arms, bag forgotten on the gravel road.
Once Robin had stepped back allowing Steve to breathe, seriously he thought, how’d she get that strong, she led him down to what was to be his home for three days and two nights every month. “Ok, so I know it’s not ideal with own bed yada yada, but we’ve shared worse than this and it’s basically an apartment, and it’s perfect for film boy, and it has a kitchen a freaking kitchen. Also, my uncle may or may not have left a doomsday prepper’s worth of beer, whiskey, cheap wine, and vodka.”
Steve had long been used to Robin’s talking speed and as he surveyed the space he had to agree with the over all sentiment of being all in all pretty nice. “Ok, but the real question is sleeping, you said there weren’t enough for of all of us, what is the whole bed situation?” Steve had been assuming maybe a cot, probably just the floor for the four of them. “Well, there’s a pullout couch.” Robin nodded her head in the general direction of the couch. “And then there’s a bedroom with something a little bit bigger than a twin bed.” Robin nibbled at the inside of her cheek. “So who’s sharing?”
Nancy and Jonathan arrived together
It was unplanned. Nancy had been minding her business visiting home and then Mike was there before running off to college and wanted to swing by the Byers/Hoppers? And Jonathan needed a ride and then they ended up arguing over music tastes the entire ride over.
Nancy had a backpack and the pistol she never stopped carrying. Jonathan had his film equipment and forgot that he needed clothes.
When the issue of sleeping was brought up to the two of them Nancy made the group decision that since she had dated two out of the three she should share with Robin and the boys could figure out the pull out for themselves.”I mean it makes sense, and I know for a fact that robin refuses to share with Steve because he’s a blanket hoarder.”
Steve looked mildly offended but begrudgingly said “fine fine, Byers?” Jonathan looked away from the corner of concrete and off handedly said “yeah sure.”
And so it was settled, Nancy and Robin would share the bedroom and Jonathan and Steve would not kill eachother while on the pull out.
They didn’t have much time to celebrate this win because the next problem of food quickly arose. “As much of a kitchen as we have there is not food and I really really don’t want to go grocery shopping right now.” Robin’s pointing out of the whole lack-o-food was met with similar remarks at the horrors of late night grocery shopping. It was then universally decided that they should order pizza and break into the abnormally large amount of alcohol kept down there.
Nancy called the Domino’s number taped to a cork board and thirty minutes later they had three pizzas and solo cups full of beer.
They were all splayed out on the floor, Robin and Steve seemed to be doing their best to morph into one creature, legs wrapped around each other and eating pizza off of the others plate. Nancy was leaning against the Lay-z-boy and Jonathan was lying on his back staring at the ceiling.
Feeling the sudden urge to break the silence Robin said “It’s weird being normal, I mean I’ve been at this less then you guys but… still. I don’t know, I think about it all so much sometimes I swear I’m still in the middle of everything.” Nancy raised her cup in a cheers, “it never got any easier to handle, not after Will first vanished, not after Barb, not after every death, not after mom and Holly. Coping was the relationships we formed I guess.” At this she smiled sadly at Jonathan. “But sometimes it feels like all of the insanity was more normal than this.” Robin smiled softly at that, a warm slow growing smile that made Nancy’s heart skip a beat for no reason at all.
“Ok, so lets be normal. I was never a party person, besides hookups and calling things bullshit. What happened at thoes?” Robins question causes a groan from Steve and Nancy, but shock of all shocks it’s Jonathan that gives an answer. “Party games, drinking, but it was mostly what you said.” Steve grins, “I don’t know, I think the only one calling things and people bullshit was Nance.” “Yeah well, those people and things tended to deserve it.” Nancy stands up at that saying “I’m out of it, Robin you want to…” “yeah, hold up.” Robin detached herself before following Nance to the bedroom and closing the door.
Robin didn’t look while they were changing, she screwed her eyes tight and managed to fully dress in too tight pj’s with no sight at all. When she finally did open her eyes she found the questioning face of Nancy staring back at her. “why …” Robin interrupted the question with “I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable with the whole…” “The whole what?” Robin stared at her. “Nancy you know I dated Vickey right? We weren’t just like best buds.” “oh, yeah. Yeah I knew that, still why the eyes tight thing?” Robin stared blank face. “Because I don’t want you to feel like I uhh would make a move? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.” “Robin, I honest to god do not give a shit.” And with that Nancy went to brush her teeth leaving a mildly shocked and for once speechless Robin Buckley behind her.
As the two got into bed they were both smiling. Robin because well, Nancy was fine with her existence, not creeped out, not over bearing, just fine. And Nancy was smiling because of the warmth emanating from the body next to her under the covers.
As the girls got up Steve silently made the bed, piled on sheets and pillows until there was a decently real looking bed in front of him. “Ta da, well what’s the plan Byers?” Jonathan had still not moved from the floor and stared at Steve’s face for a second before saying “We share it” Steve had not expected the answer but was fine with the result.
They layed down back to back, both in their day cloths, neither with any room to move. “Hey Byers?” “Harrington?” “If we uh, lay front to back i think we’d have a smidge more room.” Without a word Jonathan flipped, and before Steve could question it he heard the soft snores next to his ear that slowly lulled him to sleep.