Archive of Our Own

and as the years go by

Our friendship will never die

You're gonna see it's our destiny

- You've Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman

1. Scoops Ahoy

Robin was on her way to her new job at Scoops Ahoy, she was nervous. It had taken her awhile to even get a job, she either talked too much, or not enough in interviews. Scoops Ahoy was not her first choice, and she was not a fan of the uniforms, but at least she would be staying cool in the hot weather.

She parked her bike, and made her way to the store, as she walked in, she saw him, Steve "The Hair" Harrington. Part of her wanted to walk out, spending the summer working with him was not worth what she was getting paid. The thought of having to go through more interviews though, halted her plan. She took a deep breath, and walked to the back.

“Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, would you like a sample,” Steve asked.

Robin just looked at him dumbfounded, did he not see her uniform?

“I work here now,” Robin said.

Steve looked at her for a second, then noticed her uniform.

“Well, that explains the outfit,” he said with a laugh.

Then, the manager, came out. She smiled at Robin.

“Perfect, you’re right on time. Let me just show you a few things, and then we can get you started up front, “she said.  

Her first shift went pretty quickly, and she did find it a bit fun. The kids who came in were pretty cute too.

“Do you go to Hawkins High,” Steve asked as they were clocking out.

Robin sighed, of course he didn’t recognize her.

“Yeah, I graduate next year,” Robin replied.

Steve nodded his head.

“Cool, well see you later,” Steve said and waved.

Robin waved back and headed home herself.

Robin’s next few shifts went fine; it appeared that the manager had put Steve with Robin for all the shifts. As much as he annoyed her, she begrudgingly had to admit that he was okay to work with. He didn’t sneak out early, and did his fair share of cleaning up. He however did not seem to get the hint she did not want to be friends with him. Steve seemed determined to try and get her to laugh, he had not succeeded yet, but did get her to crack a smile a few times.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when a bunch of kids came running in, “can I help you,” Robin asked.

“Is Steve here,” the kid with the black hair asked while ringing the bell.

“Yeah, just a sec,” Robin said, and then called for Steve.

She saw Steve have an animated conversation with them, and then eventually leading them out the back.  

“Where did they go,” Robin asked.

“Wanted to go see a movie,” Steve said.

Robin looked at him, “and you let them sneak in,” Robin asked.

“I know I probably shouldn’t, but they are really good kids, and we have been through a lot together,” Steve told Robin.

Robin was surprised; she did not expect the douchebag Steve to care about a group of kids like that.

“Don’t worry, if I ever get caught, I won’t tell anyone you knew,” Steve said.

Robin was taken off-guard, here was Steve surprising her, in a good way in a span of a few minutes.

“Right, thanks,” Robin said, not sure what else to say.

 Something changed that day though, Robin wouldn’t say she liked Steve, but maybe he was not completely awful. Not that she would ever admit that though!

The weeks went by, and the kids kept on coming in, slowly she learned their names, and who they were. It was kinda endearing how much Steve cared about these kids.

Steve had a habit of trying to get dates, now that he was not the popular kid in high school, he was having a harder time. Eventually, Robin had enough and started to make a tally.

“What is that,” Steve asked.

“A tally counter,” Robin replied with a smirk.

“Of what,” Steve asked, although he had a feeling he already knew.

“You striking out on dates, I’m labeling them you rule, and you suck,” Robin said.

“Well you know how to kick a guy when he’s down, huh. It’s fine though, the right girl will come along, you’ll see,” Steve told her.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Robin said as she headed into the backroom for her break.

Robin started to enjoy being in his company, which was a bizarre thought. Maybe he really had changed?

As their shift was just finishing up, there was a loud boom of thunder, Robin groaned. She did not want to bike home in the rain!

“You going to call to get a ride,” Steve asked knowing she biked everyday.

“No, my parents are not home, they went to a wedding,” Robin told Steve.

“I can give you a ride,” Steve told her.

Robin looked at Steve, she never would have even thought about saying yes before, but now? She felt safe around him.

“Are you sure, I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Robin said.

“I’m sure, not a problem,” he said as they made their way to the bike rack to get her bike and put it in the car.

As Robin sat down in the front, she looked around. It was a nice car, but it was a bit messy.

“Sorry, about that, the kids never clean up even when I tell them to,” he said with a laugh that she could tell was fonder than anything else.

She waved off his apology, and then told Steve where to go.

It was a short ride, but it allowed them to talk in a way that they couldn’t at work. Steve even got her to laugh a little bit; he was very proud.

As he pulled up to her house, Steve helped Robin get her bike from the back, it was not raining as heavily, but still enough that Robin would have been soaked.

“Thanks, dingus. You saved my butt,” Robin said with a laugh.

Steve just smiled fondly, and drove away, thinking about how much fun he had today with Robin. She was so different from any of the other girls he knew. He felt so comfortable with her, he did not feel the need to impress, he could just be himself.

Steve had never felt so comfortable around a girl before, he wanted to hang out with her, but he was actually nervous to ask, something he was not used to.

Robin and Steve were looking at their schedule when Steve asked Robin if she wanted to hang out on their day off.

Robin was a little surprised, but she found herself saying yes.

Robin rode her bike to Steve’s, he offered to pick her up, but it was a nice day out. Plus, she did not want to deal with her parents making this into something it was not. She had not told them that she did not like boys. She had never heard them really mention gay people.

She knew he lived in a nice area, but she was amazed by his house, it was huge!

Steve saw her coming up the steps and let her in.

“Hey dingus,” Robin said.

“Never going to stop with that, are you,” Steve asked.

“Not anytime soon, at least,” Robin said.

They had swam in the pool, and now they had ordered some pizza.

“Looking forward to your last year of high school,” Steve asked.

“It feels a little weird to be honest,” Robin said. “I don’t feel anywhere close to being ready for college,” Robin had not told anyone that.

“Do you know what you want to take,” Steve asked.

“I’m not sure, it feels like such a big decision. I really like music, movies, but I am also interested in really helping people. Maybe like a counsellor or therapist,” Robin told Steve.

“I could see that, I think you would be really good at helping others,” Steve said with a smile.

“Thanks Steve,” Robin said.

“Hey you used my name,” Steve pointed out.

“Don’t get used to it,” Robin said with a laugh.

“What about you, you know what you want to study,” Robin asked.

Here was the moment, Steve thought. He could make up something that sounded cool, or he could be honest. If there was one thing he learned from his relationship with Nancy, was that honesty was very important.

“Can I tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone,” Steve asked nervously.

“Yeah, you can trust me,” Robin said.

“I didn’t get in anywhere, not even into Tech. My Dad was so pissed; he made me get this job to teach me a lesson. I have no idea what I’m going to do,” Steve told her.

Robin was surprised; she had not been expecting that.

 “You’ll figure it out, despite your nickname, I don’t actually think you’re a dingus,” Robin told him.

“Thanks,” he said with a playful bump. It meant a lot that she did believe in him.

It was another typical day at Scoop’s, Robin was at the counter when the kids came in, Steve escorted them to the back so they could sneak into a movie. Robin had started to worry a little bit that they would eventually get caught; she really did not want to work without Steve. He made her shifts fun, and she was never bored.

Her tally board had gotten some updates, unfortunately for Steve he had yet to get a tally in the “you rule” column.

Then, a kid named Dustin came in, and she had never seen Steve look so happy. They had the oddest reunion she had ever seen.

In the span of a few days, a lot had happened. Dustin. Evil Russians. Robin was now fixated on this. It felt like a real-life Scooby-Doo episode. She was manning the counter, and trying to translate while Steve and Dustin tried to figure out what the clues meant.

She had done it, she had cracked the code, she felt like she was on top of the world. It felt exhilarating.

As they were waiting for the delivery, Steve sat down next to Robin.

“Do you know who I saw today while I was spying,” Steve asked.

“Anything besides some evil Russians,” Robin replied.

“Anna Jacobi,” Steve told her.

Robin remembered her, she was beautiful, and had such a nice smile.

“And she was with Mark Lewinsky,” Steve said.

“Who,” she asked. She could not place him.

“He was on the basketball team; he did not play a single shift. She’s way too good for him,” Steve said.

“Well, I will take your word for it, Anna was really (pretty, beautiful, hot) cool,” Robin said.

 She could tell he was kinda bummed, “hey, if she’s into him then maybe you’re too good for her,” Robin told Steve.

“Doubt that, but thanks,” Steve told her fondly.

Robin could not believe she was sitting in the rain, spying on the delivery truck, this was like nothing she had ever done before.

After they had figured out the deliveries, Steve had dropped off Dustin, and was on the way to drop off Robin too.

Neither of them said much, but it was not an awkward silence, it was peaceful. Robin looked like she was about to fall asleep, Steve assumed he looked like that too.

“Bye, see you tomorrow,” Robin said as she got out of his car. Steve waved at her as she let herself into her house.  

Steve could not get what Dustin said out of his head. He liked Robin sure, but in that way? She was so different than what he was usually attracted to, but he could not deny that he had more fun with her than any other girl he had ever spent time with.    

The way he grabbed for her hand, the way it felt in his hand, he swore he could still feel it.

Robin and Steve had arrived at work; Dustin had came to tell them what he had observed. As Dustin and Steve were debating over whether Steve had ever won a fight, Robin looked at them, and felt such a fondness for this, she felt like she belonged, which is something she had struggled with.

They were also completely ridiculous, like when Steve was pushing Dustin into the air duct, she wasn’t even all that annoyed really, more fondly annoyed.

Robin wanted to take back everything she had thought earlier, this was not fun, this was terrifying.

They had been in the elevator for hours; Erica and Dustin had fallen asleep at some point.

“We’re never getting out of here, are we,” Robin asked Steve, who looked like she was about to freak out.

“No, we will,” Steve said.

“You don’t know that, we’re going to be known as “the Hawkins four,” or something, who just disappeared and were never heard from again,” Robin said.

Steve shuffled closer to her, “we can figure this out, we just gotta work together, okay,” Steve told her.

Robin nodded her head, wiping away a few tears.

“Sorry I’m such a disaster,” Robin said.

“Hey, you’re not, I think anyone would be,” Steve told her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they stayed like that for awhile, just taking in the comfort of each other’s presence.   

Shit was about to hit the fan, whatever was going on, Robin was sure it was not good. She was glad that Steve was here with her, but if something happened to the kids, she would never forgive herself.

There were no words to properly describe the terror that Robin was feeling. She could hear Steve from another room, and it sounded like he was in pain. Then, she was dragged to that room, and she saw Steve on the floor, it was clear that he was badly injured.

There was nothing she wanted more than to get her and Steve out of there. He needed a doctor. The way they laughed at him infuriated her, before she could even think it through, she spat at the officer.

The minute she heard Steve speak, was such a big sigh of relief, the fact that he was conscious had to be a good thing.  

She was laughing, it felt like she was in a dream, this couldn’t possibly be real, could it? It was like some bad action movie they play on Sundays after the football game.

She couldn’t help herself, if she was going to die with Steve here, she wanted to tell him. She told him how he always had the same breakfast, how she sat behind him. She needed to know if he really did not remember her. It did hurt when she realized he truly did not remember her, maybe that’s why she told him what an asshole he was. She had seen first hand how he had changed, but in that moment, she wanted to hear how he actually remembered her, the quirky band girl. But when he told her about how all that popular stuff did not matter, she believed him.

She imagined that other life, where she had become friends with him, and he was off to college, but it made her sad, and she was not sure why.  

Robin had never come out to anybody before, she lived in a small town, she had heard what some people said about gay people, she knew if she came out to the wrong person, it could be dangerous. But as she was sitting in that bathroom, it felt right to tell Steve.

She didn’t want to just say it randomly, so she brought up love. The minute Steve started talking about this new girl, she knew, she knew it was her. She didn’t want to break his heart; she knew what it felt like to have feelings for someone who does not reciprocate your feelings.

She couldn’t even say the words, just hoping that Steve would understand what she was trying to say.

He did not say much at first, and she was so scared. Did she just make a huge mistake, but then Steve started to joke about Tammy Thompson, and she had never felt more loved.

When Steve ran to save the others, she did not hesitate in following, she was not going to let him do it alone.

Once it was all over, the paramedics were looking her over, she saw her parents.

They ran over to her, and hugged her so tightly. After she reassured them she was okay, they asked her if there was anything they could do for her, she did not hesitate to answer.    

Steve felt a little strange around Robin’s parents, he knew they probably thought there was something going on between him and Robin, but he also saw that they wanted him to stay over when they found out his parents were out of town.

He had never felt so tired in his life, although he did feel a bit more human now that he had a shower and some food.

Both Steve and Robin were ready to sleep for a very long time, he was not sure if Robin wanted him in her bedroom, but just as he was about to ask, she rolled her eyes and dragged him to her room. He did not remember much after that, expect for the feeling of Robin sleeping next to him, and for the first time in a few days he felt safe, and he did not have to worry about anyone else either, they were all safe. They had survived.  

If there was one thing she learned, Steve was a pretty good guy to have around in a crisis.

2. Family Video

A few weeks had passed since “the battle at starcourt” as it had been named had happened. Steve and Robin had been spending all their time together. It felt comfortable, they didn’t have to pretend around each other, they could just be themselves, it felt freeing.

They had been having a great time in Steve’s pool on these hot July days, today however they were dropping off resumes. When they walked in and saw Keith, Steve cringed. He knew Keith did not like him.

Robin aced the “three favourite films” question, Steve however did not. The thought of not working with Steve broke Robin’s heart a little. She knew she had to try and convince Keith that Steve working at the video store would be good for business.  Turns out, that Robin could be a pretty good liar in certain situations.  She got Steve the job!

“You owe me big time,” Robin told Steve as they left.

“Oh please, just admit it; you did not want to work without me,” Steve told Robin with an endearing smile.

“Hardly. I just wanted a ride,” Robin said with a laugh.

“However, we do need to work on your movie tastes,” Robin told Steve.

“What’s wrong with them? Everyone likes Star Wars, and Back To The Future,” Steve said.

“Nothing wrong with them, but it wouldn’t hurt to expand your taste a little bit. In fact, that’s what we should do this weekend,” Robin said. 

“Sounds perfect to me,” Steve replied.

They had a marathon of movies, mostly what Robin deemed “underrated” although Steve wasn’t sure how she classified that.

They watched The Times of Harvey Milk ( nothing needed to be said, but Robin held Steve’s hand the entire time), Showgirls (“this might be the worst movie ever made, “that’s why it’s fun,”) The Lord of the Rings (“ it would be great if they did a live action one day, also why are none of the men wearing pants,” “that’s what you took out of this,”) , and Tuff Turf (“I don’t think this movie knows what it wants to be,” “that’s the charm”).

Summer passed, and Robin was headed to school for her final year. She wasn’t all that excited but she was happy it was her final year. She biked her way to Family Video where Steve was on shift.

“Hi Dingus,” Robin said to Steve.

“So how was your first day,” Steve asked.

“You really are like a mother hen,” Robin joked.

“Well excuse me for caring about my friend,” Steve said.

They both stared at each other for a second before laughing.

“Good, and I signed up for marching band, we have our first meeting in a few days,” Robin told Steve.

“You’re such a nerd,” Steve said fondly.

“Well, I wonder what that makes you then,” Robin said.

“I’m not a nerd, I didn’t even know what the different Star Wars were, at best I’m nerd-adjacent,” Steve argued.

“Sure, sure, whatever you say,” Robin said as she started to put movies back that had been rewound.

Robin had had the best day, the cute red-headed girl Vickie in marching band, had actually said “hi” to her, Robin, Robin is not sure what exactly she had said back, but still she was elated.

It was a Sunday afternoon and Steve and Robin were working. Sundays were usually a bit busy as people were returning movies and other people were hoping to rent the popular movies that the store had run out of on Friday night.

Vickie walked in and Robin froze; she was returning her rental.

 “Have you seen this movie,” Vickie asked as she handed it back to her.

Robin looked down at the movie, it was Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

“Oh yeah, it’s fun, Robin said hoping she was not making a fool out of herself.

“I stopped it at my favourite part, maybe you like that part too,” Vickie asked.

All Robin could do was nod, as Vickie left.

Steve, who had been watching the entire thing, stepped behind Robin.

“We have to see what scene it was,” Steve said.

“Yeah, okay,” Robin said as he put the movie into the vcr. They were both shocked when what appeared on the tv was Phoebe Cates taking her top off.

“She likes you,” Steve said.

“What, no,” Robin said.

“Why else would she pick that scene and then tell you to watch it,” Steve asked.

She had to admit, that Steve had a point. It scared her a little though. Steve was the only person she was out to, and she was terrified about someone reacting badly.

Steve saw the worry on her face, and gave her a hug, “hey you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do,” he said.

Robin did not say anything but from the way she relaxed in his arms he knew that she was okay.

There was a pep rally, and as part of the marching band, Robin had to go. She was very nervous. In the months following Vickie’s tape of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Robin had just gotten more and more flustered. She did not want to come off as too strange, as some people had told her she was. She knew she was not following her own advice, but it’s much harder than people realize! Her brain just did not work like that.

Robin knew Steve was trying to help her get confidence in talking to Vickie, but at this point she was not sure if Vickie did like her or if it’s just what she wanted to hear. 

At the pep rally, Robin couldn’t stop staring at Vickie, she did look back at Robin, but she was not sure if it was a good look or a why are you staring at me look.

It was the championship game; Steve had brought his date. When Tammy Thompson was announced Steve and Robin couldn’t help but look for each other and laugh. And as she started to sing, Robin heard her and her heart dropped, Steve was right, she did sound like a Muppet, a very cute one, but still a Muppet. Her heart soared though when Vickie agreed with her.

Of course, Robin had to mess it up by almost revealing she used to have a crush on Tammy and then clearly lying about it. However, Vickie kept smiling at Robin, maybe Vickie actually thought it was cute? Could Steve actually be right?   

After the thrilling game with Lucas scoring the winner (Steve was so proud), Robin caught up with Steve while his date was in the bathroom.

“It pains me to admit this, but you might have been right about Vickie, or at the very least she’s cool with it,” Robin told Steve.

“Really,” Steve said with a smile.

“I pretty much accidentally said I had a crush on Tammy, I covered it up, but it was pretty obvious what I meant, and she still kept smiling. That’s good right,” Robin asked.

“That’s so good, Rob,” Steve said and gave her a hug.

“So, how was the date,” Robin asked.

“It was ok,” Steve replied.

“Just okay,” Robin asked.

“She’s pretty and not bad to talk with, but I’m not sure I felt it,” Steve told Robin.

His date came out of the bathroom then, and they said their good-byes.

Mornings were Robin’s favourite shift at work, there was no one there, they got to just put movies away, watch some movies, and just talk.

Sometimes it was just mundane things like what movies they should watch at their next movie night, but other times they would talk about the kids, or what their plans were for the future. Neither of them had any idea what their future looked like, but they knew it would be something they could do together. When Robin’s Mom said don’t tie your future to a boy, she probably was picturing a boyfriend, not her best friend.

At Steve and Robin’s next movie night, they had watched The Farewell and Winter Kept Us Warm, and were now just laying in bed, but not quite ready to sleep yet. There was something about sharing a bed with Robin that Steve loved. It felt safe, there was no expectations to be Steve "The Hair" Harrington.

“I’m worried about Max,” Steve said.

“Why,” Robin asked.

“She’s really isolating herself, I know a lot happened to her, but it feels like there is more going on than that,” Steve told Robin.

“She might be missing El, they seemed really close, plus the rest of her friends are boys. There might be things that she doesn’t feel comfortable telling them,” Robin said.

Steve thought about that, it was true. He lay his head on the pillow and drifted off.

While Robin did like the kids, sometimes the chaos they created was annoying. It felt like they were the parents trying to keep them out of trouble.

And now, she was getting brought back into their shenanigans, she had promised herself that after the whole mall fiasco, she would never do anything like that again. Yet, here she was.

When Eddie had the knife to Steve’s throat, she was terrified. She doesn’t know what she would do without him. She needed him like she needed to breathe. Robin was right at Steve’s side the moment Eddie took the knife off. She inspected his neck, it looked like there was a mark, but otherwise physically okay.

She didn’t ask Steve if he was okay, if she wasn’t, she knew Steve would not be.

They brought the kids back to Steve’s place, Dustin and Max were both asleep now.

Steve wanted to say something, but he was not sure how to even put what happened into words. Robin sat down next to him on the edge of the bed and held his hand. Steve felt a wave of relief. Just her touch, calmed him. He had always been an affectionate person, to have it be someone where there was no sexual meaning behind the touch was nice. He had never really experienced that before. He put his head on her shoulders.

“Let’s go to bed,” Robin said running her hands through his hair, (only she was allowed to do that). Steve just nodded, but did get up to change, while Robin looked for something to change into, (she did have clothes there, but that only works if someone does the laundry).

Spending time with Nancy was a bit weird, Robin had never spent much time with her, and most of what she knew was from Steve. Robin was trying to be friendly, she really was, it was just, she was not good at this. She missed Steve. Things felt so natural with him.

She tried telling Nancy that Steve and her were not a thing, but she clearly didn’t believe her, and it also worried her. While Steve and Nancy were not a thing, what about future girlfriends? Would they act like this? Make Steve choose? Have to announce she was not into men to show she was not a threat?

Nancy’s bedroom looked what she assumed most girly girls bedrooms looked like, very pink, and a Tom Cruise poster.

Robin had never been much for dressing up, so having to wear all these frills and heels was extremely uncomfortable. Even just the feeling of it against her skin was horrible.

She hated this, not only was she uncomfortable, but she did not think she was going to be able to convince Hatch.

Robin sat there, just trying to copy what Nancy was doing. If she did that, maybe she wouldn’t look so out of place. As she sat there, she could see that they were not going to be able to see Victor unless they swung big, so Robin did exactly that.

The conversation with Victor Creel was the most disturbing thing Robin had ever heard. The way Victor cried chilled her to her bone.

Steve would admit he was not good at feelings, but something just did not feel right with Max. He wanted to give her space as she asked, but there was a feeling in his gut that just wouldn’t go away. 

Music was the key; it had been worth it. They had saved Max.

They went back to the Wheeler house, no one really said anything, but no one wanted to be alone either.

The Creel house was creepy; it was straight out of a horror movie.

Steve had been honoured when Robin had came out to him, but it was not until the conversation with Nancy, where he could not say why he was not with Robin that he realized how scary coming out must have been. How scary it must be to meet anyone new, and wonder if you told them the truth, that not only could they think you are disgusting, they could ruin your life if they told someone, or even harm you.

Things went from bad to worse when they had no good news to bring to Eddie, but then he got accused of murder, they all knew it was not true but it didn’t look good for Eddie.

They were on the lake in the boat when Steve was dragged down. It was terrifying, and Robin was not even sure what was happening. All she knew was that she couldn’t sit and wait, she needed to find him.   

Rabies scared Robin, she had seen it on a show once, and it terrified her, so she took out some books from the library about it. It scared her so much she had nightmares for weeks. Once she saw that Steve was okay, rabies was all she could think about.

The upside-down was literal hell, that was the only way to describe it. And now, Steve had a massive wound from the creepy bats. She was trying to remain calm, but her mind was going a million miles a minute, but she wanted so badly to try and help Steve out.

Seeing the lights from the other side was oddly magical in a way, it felt kinda peaceful.

Finally climbing out back into their world, was such a relief.

Going to the ‘war zone’ store was a bit unnerving. They stuck out; it was like walking into the lion’s den. But then she saw Vickie, she had a cute little sun hat on. She looked even more hot than when Robin last saw her. Of all the places she could have run into her, this was not the one Robin would have chosen.

Then she saw what must have been Vickie’s boyfriend, and her heart broke. And then, to make matters worse, Vickie saw her, and Robin had to get out of there.

As Robin and Steve helped prepare their supplies, Steve broached the topic about Vickie. Robin loved him for caring, but it all seemed hard to think about when the possibility of death was near. She had this horrible feeling that something was going to go wrong that she couldn’t shake. But if she was going to go out, she was glad to have Steve by her side.

No one said anything on the drive, what was there to say. Robin could feel the tension. She was scared; there were so many things she wanted to do in her life. But she also knew she did not want to just sit back while Vecna/Henry/One destroyed and killed the people she loved.

It seemed like every single thing she thought was the scariest thing, soon turned out that there was something to top it. This time it was the tentacles. They were suffocating, and the feel of them made Robin want to crawl out of her body.

And then she saw Steve and Nancy get attacked too. Then, out of nowhere, the tentacles released them.  Robin was not sure what had happened, but they would take whatever opportunity they had to defeat Vecna.

Throwing the bottle at Vecna felt so good, for all the pain he had caused, he deserved it. But then, the town split and all hell broke loose.

Everyone was shell-shocked to say the least. Dustin was inconsolable. Nancy wanted to check on her family, and Robin and Steve took Dustin home where his Mother was waiting for him with open arms. They then went to Robin’s.

Her parents were very relieved to see she was okay, along with Steve, who they had to admit had grown fond of.

Robin did what she could for Steve’s injuries, but they didn’t look like he needed a doctor right away, a shower was the more pressing issue. Robin didn’t think she had ever been more grateful to have running water.

They were both in bed now, both exhausted but also not wanting to sleep either.

“Do you think Dustin will be okay; he looked so broken” Steve asked. Robin could hear the worry In his voice.

“What he saw was something that he will never forget, all we can do is be there for him,” Robin said curling up next to him.

“Are we,” Steve asked.

“A little late for that, I think,” Robin said.

Steve laughed at that, maybe it was inappropriate, but he didn’t really care. It felt good to laugh after what they went through. Robin then started laughing too. They had created a space just for them in her bedroom. There would be time for grief and sadness, but she thought Eddie would appreciate their laughter. They laughed and were grateful to be alive when so many others were not.

People were starting to organize things for people in need, Robin and Steve called Dustin to see if he wanted to help, Dustin came over and helped them pack up some things from their homes. They then went over to Nancy’s.

Seeing Mike, Jonathan, El and Will reunite with their friends and family was heartwarming. She was very glad they were okay.

When they were dropping off the donations, Robin looked at the people there, people she knew. Some were looking for their loved ones; others were getting medical treatment. They had tried so hard to prevent this, and it was all for naught. Maybe she could still help though. And it was definitely needed.

Robin was helping make sandwiches, and then Vickie was there in front of her. Despite the situation, her heart still sped up. She still looked so hot, and beautiful, and the fact that she was helping out just made Robin like her even more.

Vickie started rambling and it was the cutest thig. Vickie told her about her (ex!) boyfriend, and then Robin smiled at her and they had an actual real moment and Robin felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Vickie told her all about how she would just chatter and her mouth working faster than her brain, and Robin couldn’t believe that the girl she liked understood her.

Steve, who was sorting clothes, saw Vickie and Robin talking and he was so happy to see that. He was glad that there were still happy moments in the midst of all this chaos.    

People were starting to whisper and gather at the window, Robin and Steve walked towards the window as well, it looked like it was snowing, but after everything that had happened, there was probably something sinister about it. Robin was right when a huge black cloud appeared and it looked like the gates that appeared were burning. 

Robin stood next to Steve, “that can’t be good,” he said.

“Nope, especially in this town,” she told him.   

“And I think we may need to look for a new job as well,” Steve replied.

Whatever happened they had each other.

3. WSQK

A lot had happened since “the incident”, the military had come in and quarantined everyone, and had said a lot of bull shit many people didn’t believe.

They were in the Wheeler’s basement, trying to figure out what they could do with the military now in Hawkins.

“I know it’s a small thing compared to the shit-storm going on, but I really miss the radio,” Robin said.

“The radio,” Nancy said with a shout.

Everyone looked at her, wondering where she was going with it.

“The radio station could be used as our base, it’s a huge building, and we could broadcast secretly and no one would be the wiser,” Nancy explained.

“Steve looked at Robin, “well we do need a new job.”

“Do you know anything about radio,” Robin asked because she certainly did not.

“No, but I’m guessing the kids in the a/v club do,” Steve looked at the kids. They nodded their heads.

Turns out, radio; a lot more complicated than either Steve or Robin guessed. They were fast learners though. Nancy was right as well, it was a great way to get information out without the military knowing.

  Even more than that, they had created a secret entrance to get around without being above ground. It was an effort on every single person involved. Murray brought in supplies, they did crawls to try and find Vecna, but so far, no luck.

Robin saw Vickie when she would volunteer to help around town. There were little signs and feelings that Robin felt pretty confident that Vickie liked her back, still, it was pretty scary to actually ask her.  

Robin was at home with Steve (who had all but officially moved in) who was cutting up some vegetables when his knife slipped and he cut his hand. Robin looked up when she heard him swear and saw blood running down his hand.

They had tried to stop the bleeding but the cut was deep and Robin ended up taking him to the hospital (Robin only freaked out a little bit which she felt very proud of).

They were waiting in the waiting room when Steve’s name was called, and that’s when Robin saw Vickie, when Vickie saw Robin, she had a big smile on her face. Vickie showed them to the exam room and told them a nurse would see Steve as soon as possible. Once Vickie had left, Steve and Robin looked at each other.

Robin did not want to make a big deal out of it, especially since Steve was injured, but then she saw the smile on Steve’s face too.

“Go talk to her,” Steve told Robin.

“Are you sure,” Robin asked, she didn’t want to abandon him after all.

“Yes! Go,” Steve said.

A few minutes later Robin came back into the room, smiling, “she couldn’t talk long, but she wanted to know if I wanted to go out tomorrow,” Robin said with a big smile on her face. Steve was glad something good had came out of his injury.

One date turned to two, and before Robin realized it, they were dating. Of course, Robin was limited to who she could tell but it was nice to talk to Steve about it, although she sometimes felt guilty, she couldn’t tell Vickie what was actually happening in their town.

Steve and Robin would sometimes get letters from the military on things the public needed to know, it helped them with insight at what the military might know or suspect.

Despite that, Robin was having fun at the radio station with Steve. They really worked together so well and they had lots of fun finding the right songs for the message they needed to get across.

Another thing that had changed was that Nancy and Jonathan had kinda become friends with Robin and Steve. Since they were all out of school now, they all worked together when they could to keep operations running smoothly.

It was strange how normal this all became; but what other choice did they have?

Robin went to the hospital to see Vickie, she felt like shit for having to cancel their date but they needed all hands-on deck. Besides, if Vecna won, there would be no more dates.

Robin was hopeful that the reservation she was able to get at Enzo’s would make up for it, and Vickie looked thrilled at going to Enzo’s.

Robin never grew tired of kissing Vickie, it was addicting, it felt like her heart was going to explode. And that smile Vickie gave her, Robin felt like she was on top of the world in those moments. It all came to a sudden stop when she heard a bang, Robin ran out, but all she could see is the back of someone running away, is that will Robin thought to herself.

Crawls had become second nature to everybody; they all had their part to play so when Dustin did not show it was troubling.

They had to go ahead without Dustin; they didn’t have a choice.  Jonathan was to take Dustin’s place. 

Robin was always a nervous wreck during a crawl; anything could go wrong and there wouldn’t be much they would be able to do to help. Robin hugged a pillow to her chest, which brought a little bit of comfort. That did not last long though, soon everything went to hell, Will collapsed, they lost Hopper’s signal, the power went out, and Will saw the Demogorgon’s.

Finding out that the power going out had never happened to Will before was anxiety inducing. Robin was no expert but that couldn’t be a good sign.

Robin didn’t mean to overhear (well, that’s what she would claim anyway) but when she heard Will talk about his visions, it seemed like he was the “receiver” for lack of a better word.

She could see that Joyce was not happy with her idea, but Will, he wanted to help so badly. He seemed like such a caring kid, and Robin knew Joyce was scared of losing Will, but she couldn’t help but think that Joyce was going too far.

Steve didn’t think hanging out with Jonathan alone could be more awkward, he wanted to be a good friend and see how Nancy was doing, in hindsight though, he saw that was a bit of a bad decision. Then, out of nowhere came Dustin who had clearly been in a fight. He hoped Robin was doing better than he was.

Steve was pissed, despite what some people thought, he was not an idiot. Dustin clearly was beaten up by Andy and his friends. He had told Dustin so many times to stop antagonizing them, that he would only end up hurt. And now Dustin is accusing him of not caring?

Robin was sitting there, listening to Joyce on the radio, Will sitting there looking dejected, and she knew she had to do something. She may have used a couple lines from Back To The Future, but thankfully Joyce did not notice.

Will looked elated to help out.

Steve wanted to laugh when he heard Joyce ask about the flux capacitor, he had no idea what Robin was up to, but he knew that when she had a hunch, it usually was a good idea to follow it.

The forest was looking incredibly creepy, Robin gave Will another out, but he didn’t take it.

Robin had not spent much time alone with Will, she was a little nervous about bringing up if he was the one she saw at the hospital, so she tried to play it off casually, just talking even though she knew she was not good at that.

He denied it, but Robin was confident that it was him. She tried explaining to him without completely outing herself and Vickie that it would be better if it was kept between them. Will seemed skittish about it, but Robin hoped it was just because it was a bit of an uncomfortable conversation. Besides, Steve wouldn’t say they were good kids if they were homophobic.

Robin and Will were biking back when of course they rode past Joyce. Trying to explain it all was not going great either. Yes, they should have left a note or something, but Joyce was never going to let Will help.

Steve, Dustin, and Jonathan had just arrived back at the radio station when Nancy arrived with Mike and Lucas.

Robin and Will explained everything they had found out, and eventually they all came up with a plan.

Robin and Steve separated from the group after everyone was on board with the plan.

“Do you really think this is a good idea Robin, we’re talking about kidnapping a child,” Steve asked.

“We have good intentions,” Robin said although Steve could hear in her voice, she was nervous too.

“Not sure a judge will buy that,” Steve said.

“You’re right, but what other choice do we have,” Robin asked.

Steve sighed, she was right. There were not many options.

“Just be careful,” Steve said. Robin could tell he was worried.

Robin patted his arm, “you too,” smiled, and headed out.

Robin and Will were hiding from Vickie when Will told Robin that she could just kiss Vickie again. For a second there was some fear, but then a little bit of relief. She then had to know if it looked like she knew what she was doing. When Will smiled and told her yes, she smiled back. It was nice to have someone else that knew.

Will then started asking all kinds of questions, how did she know that Vickie wanted to date, and Robin had a feeling that it wasn’t just polite conversation either. 

They managed to find quite the jackpot of pills in the room they were hiding in and then left quickly before Vickie saw Robin.

Steve was waiting for Robin when they got back.

“So, how did it go,” Steve asked.

Robin opened her backpack, and Steve couldn’t believe how much medicine there was.   

“Wow, looks like it went well” Steve said.

“It did, expect I almost ran into Vickie. How am I supposed to have a good relationship if I can’t even be honest,” Robin asked.

Steve saw it was weighing on her.

“Well hopefully we get this done and then you can tell her and take that trip to Enzo’s,” Steve said hoping what he said was true.

“What if she can’t get over my lies,” Robin asked.

Steve knew that was a possibility, so he didn’t want to lie, but he also knew Robin needed some positivity too.

“Let’s bring Vecna down, and then worry about that,” Steve told Robin.

Robin smiled at that, that was exactly what she needed to hear.

The plan went to hell, but they did have a new plan to try and save these kids.

As Robin was heading into the tunnel, she saw Will talking to Mike, she saw the look and she knew she had to talk to Will. So, she started telling him about Tammy Thompson, how Robin fell for her, ad how it was never really about Tammy.  Robin saw Will laugh and smile along with her story, and she knew he understood.

Xxx

Getting the kids out was going well, until it wasn’t. Robin got the kids onto Murray’s truck, but the demogorgon’s caught up to them and took the kids. They had failed, again; and just as the demogorgon was about to attack Robin, it stopped as if held back by some invisible force, and then its bones cracked, and it crumpled to the ground.

Will and Robin were putting together some things needed for the new plan, after Robin thanked him for saving his life, Will thanked her for helping him out. It felt wonderful that her words helped him.

When Will asked who she eventually told, she had thought it was obvious, but told him it was Steve. He even referred to him as “your Steve” and she liked the way that sounded, like they were a pair of kittens at a shelter who can’t be separated.

Starting a fight with Dustin was not something that Steve planned, or even wanted to do, but it just all came to blows. Steve was tired of how Dustin had been acting. And being told repeatably that he was stupid when he was trying to help, he felt done.  

Then, there was a huge explosion and Steve knew he had to find Dustin. He didn’t completely understand, but the upside down was a wormhole and that wasn’t a good thing.

Robin and Lucas ran to Max’s room once they got to the hospital, they needed to get to her before the demogorgons did, but just before the elevator doors closed, Vickie was there, dragging Robin out.

    Vickie was talking about benzos and stealing, this was exactly what she was trying to avoid. Robin didn’t have much of a choice, so she told Vickie everything, Vickie was now pacing back and forth and Robin had no idea what Vickie was thinking. Robin felt awful, hearing Vickie say that she knew Robin was lying was hard to hear, she never wanted to be that kind of person. Then Vickie started talking about Robin getting high with her friends, of all of the reactions, somehow this one never crossed her mind. Then, having to ditch Vickie felt even worse.

Steve felt like he was in one of those haunted houses at a fair with walls melting, he was trying so hard to get to Nancy and Jonathan, while still trying to avoid Dustin getting hurt. Just as Steve was trying to use the ladder he found, Dustin was crying sating he couldn’t go through that again if Steve died. All Steve could do was hug Dustin, and in that moment, all his anger melted away.

As Robin was being led away by the military police, the lights started to flicker, and Robin knew what that meant.  Suddenly, Vickie screamed, the demogorgon attacked the officers, and Robin grabbed Vickie’s hand and ran.

They were hiding in the basement, along with Lucas, and an unconscious Max. Robin could see that door was not going to hold. She told Vickie if they made it out, they would be going to Enzo’s, Robin held Vickie’s hands like her life depended on it.

The demogorgons finally got through the door, Robin did not want to do this, but it was the only way she could see that they would survive this, and she told Lucas they had to turn off the music. Lucas was insistent that Max was coming back, and Robin’s heart broke for both of them.

Robin was leaning into Vickie, Robin was terrified, she didn’t want her life to end this way. She wanted to talk to Steve, she wanted to travel, and get a job she loved.  Just as they were about to attack, a dryer went off, the demogorgons went towards it, and then there was an explosion. When they got up to see what had happened, they saw Mrs. Wheeler, in her hospital gown.    

Max woke up, and there were tears in Robin’s eyes. So much bad had happened, she was glad there was still some good. Robin looked at Vickie as she explained to Max how her muscles were weak, but she was going to be okay. Robin was so proud of her, she really did love her.

El, Mike, and the others were soon there. El was shocked to see Max, and gave her the best hug she could.

They made contact with Dustin, and it even sounded like they found Holly. He didn’t say anything about Steve, but she trusted that the whole party down there were together.

Robin saw Dustin, and she knew Steve couldn’t be far behind, but then she saw their faces, and her stomach dropped. What Nancy told them was absolutely horrifying, Robin could only hope that somehow, she was still alive.

 Steve came over to Robin, and she felt such relief.

Steve tenderly touched her bruise, “what happened to you,” he asked.

“Demogorgons took over our truck and then crashed,” Robin said.

“You’re okay though,” he asked with a worrying look on his face.

Robin nodded, “and what about you, you’re okay right,” she asked.

 “I will be,” Steve said as they joined the other in getting out of the upside-down.

Operation beanstalk was a go, and as Dustin gave Steve his weapon, Steve knew he had to say something to Dustin, he did miss him so much. Steve needed Dustin to know he cared about him, and he was sorry for what he said. When Dustin told Steve a Rubik’s cube was not even a good measure of intelligence, Steve knew they were okay.

Steve then went to go find Robin, “all ready,” he asked.

“Yeah,” Robin said.

A silence settled over them. Then Robin looked at Steve, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Never imagined that a summer job would lead to this huh,” Steve asked.

“No, but I consider myself lucky that I get to be Steve “the hair” Harrington’s friend. And you have to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to know what my life is like without you,” Robin said rambling.

Steve did not want to lie, so he promised what he could, “I’ll do my best but you would survive, you’re stronger than you know,” he said as he kissed her forehead.  It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was better than nothing.

Everyone was gathered in the radio station as Will said he needed to tell everyone something. Robin could tell Will was nervous, and as soon as he started talking, Robin was pretty sure she knew what was coming. She smiled at Will, hoping that it would give Will strength.

“I don’t like girls,” Will said and it felt like the air was sucked out off the room, you could hear a pin drop. Robin nodded at him, and then Will continued to talk. Then she felt Steve’s hand on her shoulder, his way of supporting her, and she was so grateful.  When Will mentioned Tammy, Robin was so proud that she was able to help him, and then seeing his family and friends support him, it gave Robin so much hope, and even more determination that they were going to beat Vecna.     

When the tower started crashing down, she barely saw Steve before he was hanging on, and before Robin could do anything, his fingers slipped, it was like it was in slow motion, but then Jonathan grabbed onto Steve just as he was falling.

Robin couldn’t move, she was crying from relief. Dustin was hugging Steve, but Robin couldn’t wait, she hugged both of them.

Of course, Vecna wasn’t dead, that would have been just too easy, and as Robin knew, they did not get easy wins. But, in the end, with help from everyone, they had done it, they had killed Vecna, and rescued the kids. The kids were pretty shaken up and scared, and Robin did what she could to comfort them. She also saw Steve give Derek a hug, he really had a great way of connecting with kids.

Robin and Steve were in the front of the truck, it was stifling.

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when we get home? I can’t decide between a shower or eating, then sleeping,” Robin said. 

“Can I eat in the shower, because that would save some time,” Steve said.

“I guess it would depend on what kind of food. Anything with bread would probably be a no-go, but something in a bowl you might be able to protect from the water,” Robin replied.

Those care-free thoughts soon vanished when they were ambushed by the military. They were looking for El, but they couldn’t find her, and then, she appeared. Almost like a ghost, before disappearing along with the upside-down.

Robin could hear others crying and yelling, but she couldn’t even really understand what had just happened, until she felt Steve’s touch. They leaned into each other, holding on, and not wanting to let go.

4. Camp Counsellor

It had been a few weeks since everything had happened, Robin looked the bedside clock, 11:00 am, Steve was beside her sleeping. Neither of them had been sleeping well.

The military had up and left quickly, and people who had left and come back. Still, there was something unsettled, like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop.  

Steve was drooling, and it brought a smile to Robin’s face. He looked very adorable, and would also kill her if she ever told anybody. He had some facial hair growing, she had to practically force him to shower. Steve falling and almost dying had really shook him. Just as she was getting up, Steve woke up.

“Morning,” Steve said.

“Good you’re up, let’s make breakfast,” Robin said pulling him out of bed.

Robin’s parents were helping with a cleaning up so it was just the two of them. They enjoyed cooking together though; it was calming and took their mind off other things.

“Vickie said she was going to come over later,” Robin said.

Things between them had been a bit strained since she had found out about everything, and then the whole clusterfuck with the military made it even worse. Robin knew it was unrealistic to expect her first girlfriend to be together forever, but she wanted to still be together.

“Cool, what’s the plan,” Steve asked.

“I’m not sure, maybe some games or we could watch a movie,” Robin replied.

“How do you think Hopper and Mike are doing? I never know in these situations what to do,” Steve said.

“Will said Hopper is throwing himself into projects, I can’t believe he lost both is his kids, it’s hard to fathom. Will also said Mike just wants to stay at home, so he just sits there with him,” Robin told Steve.

“That’s nice of him, sometimes that’s all you need,” Steve said with a smile, he doesn’t know how he would have gotten through these last few weeks without Robin.

Vickie came by later, things had been uneasy, and Robin was not sure how to fix it. Vickie had also been working a lot, and Robin was honestly not too keen to go back to the hospital anytime soon.

She told them that Max was doing really well, getting used to using her muscles again, which was great to hear.

Steve excused himself awhile later, and it was just the two of them. Normally, that would be great, but right now it felt a bit uncomfortable. Still, nothing would change if they did not talk.

“Are we okay, I know things have changed, but this all feels so different now,” Robin said.

Vickie sighed, “Because things are Robin, everything changed when I found out the truth, and knowing that you lied to me, even with good intentions really hurt.”

“I understand, I’m not sure what you want me to do,” Robin said.

“I think it’s just time,” Vickie said.

“Well, I can give that to you,” Robin said smiling at Vickie and holding her hand up to kiss it.

  “Thank you,” Vickie said with a blush on her face.

A few days later, Steve and Robin were having supper with her parents, Steve enjoyed it. He never really had that growing up, it was nice.

“Some folks from nearby towns have come together and are offering their camp for a couple of days for some of the kids who were affected by everything, and they need some camp councillors, here is the number. It might be a good idea,” Robin’s Mom said.

Robin and Steve looked at each other with a smile on their face.

Things moved quickly, and within a month they were on their way to the camp. The group of kids they were in charge of were Holly, Derek, Mary, and Debbie.

Robin and Steve had a few days to get settled before the kids arrived. They were given all sorts of equipment and supplies, from crafts to tubes for the lake.

They made a firepit and got some marshmallows, it was peaceful out, it felt soothing.

“You know this is the first camp I have ever been to,” Steve told Robin.

“Really? I went to band camp,” Robin said with a smile.  Steve laughed at that; it was good to see.

“Did you have fun,” he asked.

“Yeah, the best part was staying up late, and playing games,” Robin said.

 “Well, I’m looking forward to that,” Steve said.

“Me too, once we get back, I need to start thinking about college, have you thought more about what you would like to do,” she asked. The thought of being away from Steve made her sad, but she also knew that it would only be for a little while.

“I kinda feel like staying in Hawkins for a bit, maybe try and get a job with the school or something,” Steve said.

 “Well, you’re really good with them, so that would be perfect,” Robin said.

Steve smiled, her words meant so much to him.

It was an early morning when the kids arrived.  They all looked ready to have some fun. They all chose their bunks, Robin and Steve went over a few rules and then it was decided they were going to do some painting.

It was nice to see the kids, they had all been through a lot, and now they were close. Sometimes you get through something that just bonds you with other people who went through it with you.

Later, they went swimming which felt so nice with the hot weather.

The highlight of the day though, was the sleepover in the cabin.

“Do you get nightmares from what you saw,” Holly asked. Everyone nodded their heads.

“I keep on dreaming that I fall off, but Jonathan is not there to catch me,” Steve said.

“I see Vecna killing my family while I am made to watch,” Derek said.

“Well, we’re all here together, so if anyone has a nightmare, we won’t be alone,” Robin said. She knew from experience that having someone beside you when you had a nightmare did help.

 As the night wore on, lots of things were talked about, (“Robin is going to college without you?”), (“I’ll be back as soon as I can”).  

Everyone slept in that morning, but eventually they all got up and ate. There were lots of sparrows nearby, so they decided to make some feeders for the birds. The kids enjoyed that, and especially seeing the birds use it.

Later, as the kids were just hanging out, Steve got an idea that they should do a scavenger hunt. Robin and Steve spent the evening setting it up.

The following evening, they looked on as the kids played the hunt. It had been nice to get away for a few days.

“You look pensive, “Robin told Steve as she sat down next to him.

“I don’t know, just everything will be changing. I don’t know if I’m ready,” Steve admitted.

“I don’t think anyone ever really is, but we’ll figure it out. I know for a fact whatever we do, it’ll be together,” Robin said.

“Promise,” Steve asked, putting out his pinky finger.

Robin smiled, and pinky-promised Steve with her pinkie finger, “promise.”

5. School

Eighteen months had passed; Hawkins was still rebuilding. Today however, was a special day, Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Max were graduating high school. Robin was coming in from New York for the occasion, while Robin and Steve talked pretty much daily, seeing each other was not as often.

Steve was waiting at the airport for Robin’s flight; he was so excited to see her. Since he had his own place now, she would be staying with him but promised her parents she would spend some time with them too.

He was waiting by the gate, and then he saw her, Robin smiled when she saw Steve, they threw their arms around each other, so happy to see each other.

“How was the flight,” Steve asked.

“It was fine,” Robin said as they made their way to baggage claim.

“I talked to Jimmy “Fast Hands” and he agreed to let me guest host at the station,” Robin said.

“Oh, that’s great,” Steve said as they watched for Robin’s bag.

“It’s during a game though, so you won’t be able to come, but I didn’t want to be picky since Jimmy is being so kind in the first place,” Robin said.

“It’s ok, just make sure you bring a tape so I can listen after,” Steve told her.

Robin spotted her suitcase, and they got it off the carousel and headed for Steve’s car.

Steve told her all about the recent game, Robin could see how much he was enjoying coaching, and Robin was happy that he found something he loved to do so much.

Robin caught him up on what they had dubbed the “boyfriend situation,” Robin’s roommate Pamela, and her boyfriend Kevin, couldn’t go more than a day or two without breaking up, then getting back together.

“The reason for the breakup this time was because her laugh is strange, which makes for a total of fifteen breakups,” Robin said.

“Maybe over the summer they will realize that they’re not good together,” Steve said.

“One can only hope,” Robin replied.

It was graduation day, Robin never got a graduation ceremony, but she was happy that the kids did. They worked very hard to catch up on everything, especially Max.

Dustin was valedictorian, his speech was very touching and sweet, and when Dustin brought up “friends who were never supposed to be my friends,” Robin couldn’t help but look at Steve. She couldn’t imagine her life without him now, but the chances of them becoming friends was so unlikely.  

Dustin finished off his speech, in such a way that it would be talked about for years. Robin was glad to see so many kids who didn’t feel like they fit in to what was considered “normal”. 

They met up with the kids to say congrats, and Mike told them of their plans, they both laughed, but it was very sweet that that was what they wanted to do.

They also saw Holly who told them that her and her friends were going to start playing dragons and dungeons too.

After the ceremony, Robin and Steve met up with Jonathan, and Nancy on the roof of the squawk. Neither Robin or Steve had talked to Nancy or Jonathan in awhile. It was one of those things you always mean to do but always fall to the wayside.  It was nice to catch up though. Robin did miss them, but not in the way she missed Steve.

With Steve, she always felt a need to talk to him, tell him about the most random and important things that happened in her day. Steve never wanted to go to bed before he talked to Robin. When Robin and Vickie broke up, he spent the night on the phone with her, even though it was mutual, it was still hard, but Steve was there for her in every possible way.

Her new friends were great, but she could never be fully open with them, and she was not talking about being a lesbian; she saw what happened when she told Vickie, and she only believed because she actually saw the monsters. Her new friends would think she’s crazy.

All four of them decided to try and meet up more often, at Robin’s “weird Uncle’s place.”  

They ended up staying up on the roof all night, and got to watch the sunrise. It was a beautiful sight; there was something about seeing nature in all her glory that made Robin want to bundle up all the good emotions she was feeling and keep them forever.

Years passed. And Robin graduated to become a school counsellor, while Steve continued to be a coach and sex-ed teacher. Today, they were unpacking the last few boxes, they decided to move to New York City and were still able to find jobs at the same school.

It was small, but it was starting to feel like a home.

“Not to brag, but we have done a pretty good job, don’t you think,” Robin asked.

“Well, it’s good I have taste, because you don’t,” Steve said.

Robin laughed as she sat down on the couch.

“Do you feel like an adult yet,” Robin asked.

“God no, do you,” Steve asked.

“No, I thought there would be this moment where everything clicked, like graduating, or getting hired by the school, but I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing,” Robin replied.

“I’m starting to think no one ever does,” Steve said.

“Well, that’s a relief, I think anyway,” Robin said.

The next morning, they were eating breakfast, getting their families and friends help in moving was nice, but the quiet of just the two of them was even nicer.

“We still have over a month before we start work,” Robin said.

“Yeah, was there something you wanted to do,” Steve asked.

“How would you like to take that RV trip,” Robin asked.

“Yeah,” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” Robin said.

A week later, Steve was driving a RV, they had no real plans, but that didn’t matter. Just like in life, no matter where the road took them, they would always be at each other’s sides. 

alicetallula's amazing art of Robin and Steve cuddling after the battle at starcourt <3