Chapter Text
Robin was laughing as she watched Eddie paint Steve's nails. They'd slept over at the Harrington house, because it was big, and Steve's parents were never in. She was in borrowed sweatpants, that she'd stolen from Steve two months ago but refused to claim as her own, and one of Eddie's band shirts. She was shaking her wrist absently, and each time it raised up again Eddie flinched slightly. He didn't smudge the nail polish, and he didn't date say anything, but his mind was filled with memories. DISGRACE. DEVIL. A younger Eddie cowered as his father punctuated each word with a slap. Steve laughed at something Robin had said, but he had missed it. She has a bandage on her wrist. He couldn't tell if it was because the wounds were fresh or if she didn't want to see the scars. He capped the polish and walked out as Robin told a story, loudly, with large gestures. He starts to cry quietly, in one of the many bathrooms. "Robin!" He heard Steve snap. "I told you, do not raise your voice around him!"
Robin went quiet and said something he couldn't hear. "Well, you could've just tried to read the room. He was clearly anxious and getting triggered by your hands."
" DON'T START WITH THAT, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS. I CAN'T READ THE ROOM, I NEVER COULD AND MISINTERPRETED ACTIONS CREATE THE THIN SILVERY SCARS ON MY WRIST. SO PLEASE, JUST DON'T DO THAT. "
"YOU UPSET HIM. THAT'S NOT OKAY!"
" IT WAS AN ACCIDENT "
All the yelling was making it worse and he was struggling for breath. "YOU ALWAYS DO SHIT LIKE THIS THOUGH."
Robin's crying. "I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry."
"HEY DICKEAD, LEAVE HER ALONE" Eddie hollers, head spinning. He can barely breathe, and his head throne and his ears ring and his palms are sweating. His father used to scream at his mother, and that's how she ended up in a hole. Robin's crying, Eddie is sobbing, and Steve has not helped either situation. So much for a mother hen who looked out for people.