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It still takes Nancy by surprise just how happy Robin makes her. She's so used to the pain and fear that have made up her life these past few years that the warmth that sits at the base of her spine when she thinks of the other girl, the smile that feels permanently etched on her face when they spend time together, tends to catch her off guard. There's something sweet about the feeling, she thinks, about the way Robin has put such a significant dent in her belief that she was going to feel that way forever. Now, she can admire her girlfriend while the party has tucked themselves into her basement, no longer feeling the awkward ache she used to when they did this just post-the Byers' move, and the space beside her was no longer occupied by her boyfriend. She can giggle at Robin as she tucks her eyeliner pencil between her teeth mid-line to fiddle with Nancy's car's cassette player, switching the tapes as soon as one finishes. She can roll her eyes fondly as Robin and Steve prod at each other during late-night shifts at the video store, each pretending to be way too exhausted to possibly go stand up and fix that display, and faux swoon when Robin catches an empty tape case that Steve accidentally aims a little too close to Nancy's shin.
Maybe, though, the thing that manages to surprise Nancy more often than anything else is how much she just wants to always be touching Robin. How much she wants to run her fingers through Robin's messy hair and grab her by the chin while she's not expecting it, interrupting her work to plant a kiss on her lips. How secretly thrilled it makes Nancy that anytime she indulges any of those desires, her girlfriend gives her that huge, pleased grin, eyes crinkling from the weight of it. Even though they aren't making nearly as much of a spectacle of themselves as Nancy wishes they could, what with the excessive homophobia haunting them whenever they leave the safety of their little cocoon of houses, stores, and libraries to venture out further into town, the two girls still manage to be affectionate with one another constantly. Nancy is pretty sure she's never going to get enough of it.
Today, they've decided to spend some time downtown, over at the Hawk. It's not like there's much playing that either of them are especially thrilled about, and if Nancy is honest, she prefers waiting until movies hit tape, until she can sit on the counter of Family Video while Robin waxes poetic about the new releases and how she thinks Nancy might especially like this one and how they could curl up and watch it in one of their rooms, if she'd like. (She always would like.) They'd seen Heathers when it first came out, Robin practically begging Nancy to let them see it as soon as humanly possible, so she could admire her film crush (Winona Ryder). Nancy had teased her, asking if Robin was planning on packing up in search of the movie star and deserting her, and Robin had rushed to assure her that she would, in no universe, be dumping Nancy Wheeler. If she was honest, Nancy really didn't mind-- every boy she'd ever dated had had similarly starry eyes for some Hollywood actress, and she knew that it didn't really mean anything. But she does love teasing Robin. Regardless, today, Heathers is playing again down at the Hawk, one of those late showings of a movie released months ago that doesn't even make it on the marquee, and here the girls are, once more.
In a surprising twist of events, there are actually very few people in the theater after Nancy buys their tickets and Robin grabs them a soft drink to split and some candy Nancy knows she'll manage to steal a piece or two of before Robin consumes it all. Nancy starts toward the middle of the theater, like they usually do, reaching back behind her to lace her fingers into Robin's, and is stopped in her tracks by a little tug from her girlfriend. She turns, raising an eyebrow, and Robin nods her head toward the back of the theater, far from anyone else. There's a solid minute where Nancy just stands there, confused and trying to work through the puzzle of what her girlfriend wants, but Robin tugs on their hands again and she follows duitfully.
"And what're we doing all the way back here?" Nancy asks once they've settled into their seats. "You always like to sit in the same spot."
It's one of the many charming things about Robin that initially drove Nancy absolutely bonkers. The girl loves repetition-- she sits in the same movie theater seat every time they go, she always makes her coffee in the same mug, she buys the same drugstore mascara every time hers dries out. It's frankly adorable.
Robin turns, faux innocence written across her face, and runs her fingernail under the seal of the Junior Mints in her hands. "I've no idea what you mean, Wheeler."
Nancy raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Little Miss Row F, Seat 17."
A smile breaks through Robin's facade and she cracks a little, tilting her head at Nancy. "It's really freaking cute that you know that."
"I know everything about you, Buckley. That's how I know you're up to something today."
"Me?" Robin asks exaggeratedly. "Up to something? Never."
If there's one thing Nancy is always determined to do, it's solve a mystery. She hums distrustfully. "Sure. That's why we're back here, where all the couples neck instead of watching--" Her words die in her throat as the joke she's making actually runs through her brain. Nancy feels her cheeks warming at the realization. "Robin," she asks slowly, a small grin forming on her lips, "did you take me to the back of the Hawk so you could make out with me during Heathers?"
"In point of fact," Robin replies, "I brought you to the back of the Hawk so I could make out with you during our second viewing of Heathers."
Nancy swats at her. "Dork."
Robin's face splits into a grin and she reaches for Nancy's hand again, giving it a squeeze as she brings it up to her chest. "Absolutely."
The theater falls into darkness, but Nancy can't tear her attention away from her girlfriend to focus on the screen. Even if they do play it a little risky with public affection, they've never actively made out in public, and she can't deny the idea excites her, getting to kiss Robin and cuddle with her the way girls did with the boys who usually brought them. She'd never done anything of the sort with Jonathan, but she and Steve had certainly come to the back of the Hawk on more than one occasion, and her cheeks warmed at the thought of running through the same routine with Robin.
For the initial scenes, Robin is a perfect gentlewoman. In stark contrast to the way boys would start fondling their girlfriends as soon as the lights went down, Robin seemed content to sit in the back row and simply watch the film. Nancy couldn't forget her promise, though, even as Winona Ryder started talking about slushies on screen. There is something equally terrifying and exciting about knowing Robin's plans and not having her execute them, about sitting there imagining how she'll make it all happen. Then, simple as anything, the other girl places her palm on Nancy's thigh, the touch warm and knowing through her skirt. Some part of her is willing Robin's hand to slide further down, to reach under her skirt in the dim movie theater, silly teen angst offering only a little light, but she knows Robin won't push too far. Even now, just touching her gently, Robin is sending her a look out of the corner of her eye, raising an eyebrow to silently ask permission. Nancy gives her a minuscule nod in reply.
Robin leans over, her breath against the shell of Nancy's ear. "God, you look so pretty, Nance." Nancy can feel herself shivering at the words, even as she smirks a tiny bit, knowing and pleased.
"Mhm? This still your favorite shirt of mine?" She teases, and Robin lets out a surprised chuckle.
"Oh, very sneaky. Of course you knew exactly what you were doing. You always do."
Nancy is still soaking in the moment of catching Robin off-guard, of moving her chess piece forward in their little game, when her girlfriend's lips press against her neck, hot and thrilling. She lets out a quiet gasp, feels Robin grin against her as she moves further down toward her collar. Just above where her first buttons sit, Robin begins sucking, hard enough that Nancy is certain she's going to bruise. She opens her mouth to chastise her, but before Nancy can say a word, Robin has released the flesh, looking up at her from under her eyelashes like she knows exactly what Nancy is thinking. (She does.) Robin's hand comes up to her chest and reaches for the top button.
"I'm smarter than that, c'mon. Gimme some credit." Robin teases softly, and Nancy laughs. Robin deftly undoes the first few buttons of Nancy's blouse, leaning down immediately to kiss the skin she's revealed. Now that she's safely below the collar, Robin begins working on a new spot to bruise with renewed vigor, letting Nancy's skin slip from her mouth with a wet pop when she's satisfied. Nancy peers down to see some small amount of Robin's lipgloss beside the hickey, and she grins to herself. After repeating her process a few more times (repetition, Nancy thinks with a giggle), Robin leans up to capture Nancy's lips in a kiss, which Nancy enthusiastically returns. As Robin goes to pull away, likely interested in returning to her task, Nancy turns her body slightly and reaches forward, grabbing onto Robin's chin and keeping her where she is. Once Nancy is sure her girlfriend is completely distracted and entranced, she does the pulling away, smirking as Robin's lips chase after her. Robin reaches up to wipe at Nancy's chin, where some of her lipgloss has surely ended up, and grins at her, eyes glittering in the dark.
"Christ, Nance," she breathes, leaving her thumb on Nancy's face even after she's wiped the remnants of gloss, and then they're both just grinning at each other, foreheads pressed together.
"This is fun," Nancy replies, a little thrill going through her as she realizes the film has reached a quieter scene and that her words are no longer completely hidden by the sound.
"Definitely," Robin replies, closing the distance between them again. When they separate this time, Nancy considers something for a moment, then reaches up to squeeze Robin's arm, indicating that she should move it, which she immediately does. Robin always listens to Nancy, which is another thing she absolutely adores about her girlfriend. Nancy does the arithmetic in her brain, waits a half-second for the sound in the movie to swell, and then launches herself onto Robin's lap. It's a good thing she times it as well as she does, because Robin immediately lets out a tiny groan, seemingly unable to keep the noise inside. Nancy grins down at her. It's not often that she's looking down at Robin, what with their height difference, but like this, when she's perched on her girlfriend's lap, Nancy gets to make that little fantasy come true. Robin's eyes are dark but fond, and she's reaching for Nancy's waist now that she can reach to wrap her arms around it.
"Baaaabe," Robin says, but the effect is ruined by how broken the word comes out. "You are absolutely going to kill me."
Nancy grins, leans forward to kiss Robin quickly, and then pulls back. "Is that a complaint?" She asks, taking her turn trying on the faux innocence Robin had donned earlier. She pretends like she's beginning to climb off, starting to shift her leg backwards, but Robin's hand flies from her waist to catch her by the ankle.
"Absolutely not," she replies, leaning in to kiss Nancy again. Nancy can't help the happy giggle that escapes her, and she moves her own hands to cup Robin's face, smiling softly at her as they pull apart.
"Tell you what," Nancy says, leaning her forehead against her girlfriend's again as she hears the incessant beeping of JD's bomb that tells her the movie is nearing its close, "best movie night ever."