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On the perfect summer day, the kind that’s hot enough for swimming in the light but cools off just enough to warrant a fire in the night, Robin came out to the Party in Steve’s backyard. She was showered in sweet smiles and joyful hugs from everyone, Steve definitely didn’t tear up at all. And later that night, over a sneaky joint by the fire pit, Eddie had insisted they all go out that weekend. Smiling wide and devious, Eddie in a dramatic whisper declared, “We’ve all graduated, Wheeler’s on the rebound, I’m finally healed up enough to flail like a muppet and fuck till the cows came home, and Miss Buckley here deserves to get herself some-” Robin turned cherry red. “And I know just the place to celebrate good and proper.” Breezing past his own coming out with cheerful swagger, he tells them all of the Looking Glass, a charming teashop and coffeehouse by day with a secret entrance to a grimey, glittery dive of all persuasions by night.
***
After Eddie charmed the mousy door attendant with a frog on their lapel, they were inside. And it truly was another world. Robin, Nancy, and Steve stared in shock at the crush of bodies. Eddie led the way to the bar as they took in couples of all kinds. Men and women and those outside and between were dancing with each other, coupled in every imaginable combination. Some pressed up against each other lewdly while others merely swayed side by side.
Gripping Steve and Nancy’s shoulders tightly, Eddie grins wide. “Little somethin’ for everyone.” He pulls them in even closer to his warmth. Eddie croons, “Even my favorite heteros.” Nancy bit her lip and Steve laughed awkwardly. Cackling wildly, Eddie lets them go to hail the bartender.
Once they were more than a few shots deep, Eddie dragged all of them out onto the dance floor. They danced together, laughing and smiling so big their faces hurt, and sang along to every song they knew. Even Eddie lost himself to the pop music, scream-singing ABBA’s Money, Money, Money with the rest of them. All pointing goofily at Steve on every mention of the titular, elusive ‘rich man.’ Steve smirking through his embarrassment plays it up, singing even more animatedly.
Refusing to have a hangover, that would likely turn into a migraine the next day, Steve leaves the dance floor in search of some water. When he finally gets to the corner with the water cooler, he chugged several cups before grabbing two to safely carry back to his drunken comrades.
They weren’t where he’d left them. Scanning from the edge of the dance floor Steve searches for Eddie’s wild curls, as he was the tallest. He sees Robin first instead and she’s dancing with a beautiful brunette dressed like Cyndi Lauper in red lace and pearls. He meets Robin’s eyes, throwing her a salacious look in lieu of a thumbs up. Robin blushes and sticks her tongue out at him, pulling the shorter girl closer. She giggles in Robin’s arms, beaming up at her sweetly. Sporting his own bright smile, flush with renewed vigor, Steve looks for Eddie again.
Steve’s face falls when he eventually finds him. Eddie was kissing someone. Steve wanted to look away but he couldn’t stop staring. Equally enthralled and crushed as his heart and his groin had a standoff, unsure whether to be devastated or horny watching the enticing display. He was taller than Eddie, which meant he was taller than Steve. He was blonde and muscular in a t-shirt and jeans far too tight for him with his tongue down Eddie’s throat and his hands on Eddie’s hips, pulling him closer by his belt loops. And Eddie was kissing him back greedily, one hand in his hair and another on the guy’s stupidly perfect ass. The longer he watched, the hurt won out, especially once the guy detached from his lips and held Eddie while they danced, whispering in Eddie’s ear. His smile was bright and his laugh was enchanting, like always. And despite all his instincts, Steve couldn’t look away.
He feels a rough nudge on his arm. “Do you love him?”
Nervously he tears his eyes from Eddie. “Wh- what?” He turns to find Nance with two drinks in her hand, a small rocks glass and a fancy glass with a skewer of fruit.
“Trade you.” She holds out the rocks glass to him and gestures for a cup of water in return. She downs the water. Nancy looks up at him curiously, a knowing glint in her eyes. She doesn’t repeat her question because she must see the startled look in his eyes. “I just thought I'd ask the blunt question in case it was the right one and you needed someone to talk to about it and maybe Robin never asked you so you hadn’t been able to talk about it even though you might want to...”
“No, no is the answer. No, absolutely not.” He shakily traded her for the alcohol, taking a large swig. It was an Old Fashioned. “I don’t love him.”
“So, that’s a no then?” She smirks but her curious eyes watched him, sipping from her own drink.
His eyes drift back to Eddie. “I mean we barely know each other. And you heard Eddie when we got here, I’m…” He can’t bring himself to finish the sentence, to finish the lie.
“Well no offense to Eddie, but our beloved super senior isn’t exactly the sharpest crayon in the box.” Steve scoffs. Nancy continues, unphased save for a small smile, “As someone who’s been on the other end of them myself, I don’t know how Eddie hasn’t noticed those yearning puppy dog eyes so often directed at him.”
Steve tears his eyes away from Eddie again, ready to clap back but the retort dies on his tongue as he follows Nancy’s gaze. She’s not looking at Eddie, she’s watching Robin and the Cyndi Lauper wannabe. He sees the complicated mix of fascination and aching longing etched into her brow and it clicks. “Takes one to know one, I suppose,” Steve snarks without any real bite. She blushes but she doesn’t look back at him. Nancy continues to watch Robin over her glass as she takes another sip. Remembering countless soft looks and secret smiles he’s seen Nancy aim at his best friend, “Guess Robin’s not the brightest either.”
“Guess not,” she chuckles weakly. Her smile slips from her face as she watches Robin twirl the shorter girl back into her arms, planting a kiss on her lips. “I didn’t know we could but it’s nice to know you are too and it’s not just me, that it’s real.”
Looking back to Eddie, grinding against his partner, Steve sighs, “What? Our suffering?”
Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Nancy shut her eyes and shake her head, almost laughing, “No, well I guess yes but that’s not what I was gonna say.” Steve turns back to her. She meets his eyes, hers are warm and honest. “It has to be real if it’s both of us. Whatever this is, whatever it is that we feel? It must be real. I mean we used to be…” she trails off before rehashing old hurt. “But now? You like Eddie and I like Robin. It’s both for us or-” She looks around the room at all the different kinds of people. “-or more, maybe.”
Steve takes them in, watching so many beautiful smiling people, so carefree and happy, dancing around them, unapologetically being themselves under the colorful lights and mirror ball. Even through the let down stinging in his chest, Steve feels a much stronger blooming rightness settle over him and he sees it in Nancy too. “Yea, more I think.” She smiles next to him.
Nursing their drinks, they continue to gather their bearings and indulge in their heartache in amiable silence. She leans her head on his shoulder and he leans his head on hers. Both eying the objects of their desire as they revel in another person’s arms.
Throwing back his final swig, he smacks his lips in satisfaction. He elbows Nancy, pulling her attention off Robin spinning her partner. “Come on, let’s dance.” Nancy shoots him an annoyed glare. “Not like that.” He rolls his eyes. “As friends.”
She smirks up at him. “What about Eddie and Robin?”
With false cheer, “What about them?” Nancy quirks a brow up at him, seeing through his fib. “Those couple of dorks? They’re just kissing.” As he speaks his confidence grows, “Bet they haven’t even survived a hell dimension.” Nancy’s face breaks into a full grin. “I mean sure she’s cute but no way she’s ever shot a magic, manipulative creep in the head and saved the world. Bet she can’t even shoot a gun.”
She’s fully laughing now, “You’re an idiot Steve Harrington.”
And the memory doesn’t even hurt. “And that guy? Probably doesn’t even know who Ozzy is.”
“Neither do you,” Nancy jokes.
“Doesn’t matter, I bit a demobat’s head off, ‘very metal’ he said.” She’s rolling her eyes and chucking behind her glass. “Plus I’ve got way better hair than that guy. Call me a hopeless romantic—”
She chucks an ice cube at him. “You’re a hopeless romantic,” she teases.
He dodges the ice and shrugs. “I think we should shoot our shot back in Hawkins.”
“Yea?”
“We survived the aforementioned hell dimension, I think we can risk being a little gay.”
She purses her lips, trying not to let on how amused she is, she does not succeed, her true affection bleeding through, “And in the meantime?”
“Put our woes aside and dance until we can’t remember what they are anymore.” He holds out his hand to her and she takes it, yanking him back onto the dance floor.
They twist and groove together in more and more ridiculous ways, Nancy even dips Steve. By the time Robin and Eddie have rejoined them later, Nancy and Steve can barely breathe, jumping up and down, both singing in unison at the top of their lungs, “We are strong! No one can tell us we're wrong! Searchin’ our hearts for SO long, both of us knowing; love is a battlefield!”