Work Text:
Robin did not like the feeling of being alone. Which wasn’t the best considering she typically had to be home alone since her parents had to work all the time to afford life. She spent most nights alone bored out of her mind making some frozen food they had in the freezer. That was until she met and became friends with the one and only Steve Harrington. The guy she hated who stole the attention of Tammy Thompson and was an absolute asshole to everyone but his popular friend group. Surprisingly he wasn’t horrible and even though he did get a crush on her they still became best friends with the shared trauma and love of boobs. Robin soon told Steve about her hatred for being home alone and that was another thing they had in common so it became a regular thing that Robin hung out whenever Steve didn’t have a date over and Robin wanted to be near someone.
“God why is it freezing Keith is an ass for not letting us change the temperature” Robin shuddered which was responded to by a chuckle from Steve as he reshelved some VHSs
“You’re always cold, I’m sure you’re a reptile or something” Steve responded which caused an eye roll from Robin even if he couldn’t see it she grabbed the sweater she had stolen from Steve that morning putting on.
“You have such long arms, how do you even function?” She said as her hands were covered by the sleeves of the sweater. Steve turned to her to see her in his sweater. He scoffed at the other flailing her arms around so the long sleeves would go wild.
“You are a toddler, did you know that?” Steve asked and walked over and took Robin’s arm before rolling the sleeve up for her.
“Last I checked I was eighteen but I could be wrong.” Robin snarked to him with a chuckle. Steve made a sarcastic laugh and made his way back to restocking the VHSs. Robin stood at the cash register bored due to the lack of customers. Usually, Steve and her would toss balls of paper at each other when the store was empty but they got in trouble when Steve almost knocked down an entire shelf when trying to catch the paper ball Robin chucked at him.
Just when Robin was about to loudly complain about the lack of things to do a ring of the bells came from the door as one Nancy Wheeler came in with a grin as her eyes laid on Robin. The bored girl practically sprung back to life at the sight of her totally platonic girl pal for whom she totally had nooo feelings for (Robin thought about Nancy constantly). Nancy walked up to the counter and opened her mouth to speak before her beautiful blue eyes landed on the sweater Robin was wearing. Her face dropped a bit and her eyebrows knit together.
“I recognize that sweater,” Nancy muttered and Steve turned to the two girls and hummed in acknowledgment.
“Yeah because this thief stole my sweater this morning,” Steve said, receiving a middle finger from Robin.
“I did not steal it, I borrowed it for a while without asking for an extended period of time” She snickered then looked back at an upset-looking Nancy. She wanted to ask what was wrong before Nancy spoke up.
“So did you guys hang out this morning before work or…” Nancy asked, looking between the two of them. It was almost like she was looking for something, maybe evidence she wasn’t sure exactly.
“I slept over like most nights, Steve is trapped with me for good” Robin said and smiled awkwardly at Nancy. Steve, not wanting to deal with the awkwardness of whatever Robin was, had slipped away into the break room. Nancy didn’t know what answer she wanted from Robin but that was not it.
“Oh okay... I came here for a movie actually so I’m going to do that.” Nancy said her tone seemed sort of bitter. Robin looked at her and nodded slightly going back to her position she did when bored at the counter as she watched Nancy browse the movies she occasionally looked up to look at Robin and to which the taller looked at her hands to not deal with the eye contact.
Robin was bolted out of her some-what trance by Nancy placing a movie on the counter. Robin looked at her and grabbed the movie wondering if she was going to say anything but there was nothing so Robin said nothing and took the money and gave Nancy the movie. She looked at Nancy’s upset expression trying to figure out what she missed in their interaction. Nancy took the movie and began leaving.
“Bye” Robin blurted out as she was just about to leave and Nancy turned and gave her a small smile before leaving.
***
Robin flopped onto Steve’s bed. It was unsurprisingly unmade, but god was it comfortable. She covered her face with her hands and groaned loudly. She felt the weight being joined on the bed beside her and she turned to face Steve.
“Why does Nancy Wheeler hate me once again?” Robin asked Steve and he rolled his eyes at her with a chuckle.
“She does not hate you and she never did. Rob, you told her you slept over while wearing my clothes do you not see how people who don’t know you’re a lesbian can misread that?” Steve explained watching as Robin’s expression became more understanding of how she fucked that up.
“But I’ve told her it’s platonic with a capital p!” Robin complained. Steve nudged her shoulder with his softly making her look at him.
“You know you could just tell her… Obviously, you don’t have to tell anyone else ever but Nancy is super understanding she won’t do anything bad” Steve suggested. Robin looked at the ceiling considering that option.
“What if she thinks I’m a creepy pervert who wants to watch her change?” Robin mumbles. Steve laughed loudly at that statement which caused Robin to stare at him with furrowed brows.
“I’m sorry but Nancy gave Jonathan a chance and he took pictures of her changing I highly doubt she’d think,” Steve said, smiling at Robin.
“You know what I will,” Robin said and stood up.
“Wait now?” Steve asked, sitting up and looking at her confused.
“Yeah or I’ll chicken out, can you drive me to the Wheeler’s?” Steve groaned but reluctantly got up and grabbed his keys and made his way to his car Robin following behind him.
***
Robin stood at the Wheeler’s household door nervously about to knock. Steve sat in the car watching her impatiently. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She could hear people shouting behind the door and walking. The door opened to Nancy with hair curlers in somehow still looking beautiful.
“Oh Robin, I didn't know you were coming over? Come in?” Nancy said confused but still smiling at her than seeing Steve in the car and her smiling dropping the tiniest bit.
“I’m sorry it won’t be too long,” Robin said and Nancy led them to her room. Robin got a bit nervous, yes she’d been in Nancy’s room before but never alone and never under the circumstances that were happening now.
Nancy sat on her bed and looked at Robin who sat beside her fidgeting nervously with her hands.
“Is everything okay?” Nancy asked, placing a reassuring hand on Robin’s back and the touch managed to calm the taller’s nerves.
“I want to tell you something but before I do, promise not to hate me or tell anyone,” Robin said, looking at Nancy, tears already filling her eyes. Nancy gave a small nod rubbing the other girl's back softly.
“Robin, I’m okay if you’re dating Steve you know,” Nancy said softly and Robin cracked a smile and shook her head.
“No, it's like the complete opposite.” She took a deep breath. This was so hard to do sober to the girl you’ve been pining over for months Robin realized
“I’m… Well, I” She said and kept restarting her statement, cursing a bit after each restart. “I don’t like boys, I like girls... A lot.” Robin ended up blurting out avoiding eye contact. To her surprise, Nancy’s hand didn’t leave her back and connected with her face with a harsh slap. Instead, she was pulled into a tight hug.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Nancy said softly as she hugged Robin who was now sobbing into Nancy’s shoulder.
“Thank you for not hating me,” Robin said with a laugh concealed by her crying.
“I could never hate you. I was scared you and Steve were dating... I don’t know, I was sort of… Jealous?” Nancy said and Robin pulled away a bit, wiping her tears as she did.
“Wow Nancy Wheeler is still in love with Steve Harrington who would have guessed,” Robin said, teasing her friend even if it did kind of sting. Nancy rolled her eyes with a small smile.
“No I wasn’t jealous because I love Steve, I think I was jealous because... I wanted to be Steve.” Nancy said. Robin looked at her in confusion so Nancy continued. “I want you to wear my sweaters when you’re cold and I want you to stay over all the time. I want to know everything about you and I want to be the one you always joke with that no one else gets.” Nancy held Robin’s hands in her own and they looked into each other’s eyes.
“Nance…” Robin said, her heart pounding. She didn’t know what to say. It all felt too good to be true. Was Nancy confessing her feelings to her?
“And it’s stupid of me to think that just because you like girls mean that I have a chance but-” Before she could finish Robin grew the courage to kiss Nancy. It was Robin’s first kiss and it was terrible but she wouldn’t change a thing about it. She was so happy at the moment with Nancy knowing the girl she liked, liked her back.