Robin couldn’t stop pacing. Her face hurt; she knew after all this, if they survived, she’d need to see a dentist. She wondered what she’d tell them. Why her jaw hurt. Why she couldn’t stop clenching. Why her lip was picked raw. She wondered if she’d even be able to pay for it. If they could fix her loosening back tooth for free with whatever government hush money they got this time. Whatever, she thought. They had bigger fish to fry.
The radio station was cold as she paced, sunlight streaming in the window and dappling the dust settled on the counter where she and Steve often ate their lunch. Steve.
What was taking him so long to get here? She knew he and the others had been picked up from the Upside Down and were on their way but Jesus Christ, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. She imagined that even if he was okay that he’d be tired. She was tired too.
Robin stopped pacing, if only to give the squeaky floor a rest. She wiped her sweaty hands on her pants, went to wash them in the bathroom. She didn’t look at herself in the mirror. She’d stayed behind to “spruce the place up” for the landing party but she was beginning to regret it. The suspense was killing her.
They’d all taken too many hits these last few days. There had been too many close calls. Vickie was in on it, finally…which Robin didn’t know how to feel about. She’d sent Vickie back to work and to watch out for the Wheelers. Maybe that was a mistake too. She felt like these days she was making more mistakes than ever.
The ripped Velvet Underground poster she had to keep taping to the wall outside the Squawk bathroom slinked down the wall again when she opened the door. With a huff, she bent down to fetch it. She wanted to Run Run Run too. Run somewhere far away.
Crouching down was when she heard it - the tell-tale sound of the van pulling up the drive. The beat-up thing always sounded rusty and she knew it was packed with her friends and she could feel her heart speed up. By the time the tires were parked in the gravel she was outside. He’d better be there.
And…there he was. Steve waved at her, wiggling his fingers, a small smile on his face - which had noticeably more dirt and blood on it than before - after he helped Max out of the van. Thank god.
When Max was with Lucas, Steve side-stepped the others to make his way to her, and - was she crying? Oh, Robin was crying. Oh.
“Nice shiner,” Steve put one hand on her shoulder, rubbing his thumb across her collarbone, and put his other hand to her cheek. It stung under the salt of her tears.
“Could say the same thing to you, Dingus” Robin hiccuped, then pursed her lips together to stop from crying harder. Before she knew it, she was being hugged, being held, Steve rocking her back and forth. Harrington lives another day, she thought. Thank god.
“Come on, let’s go inside. Meeting place, yeah?” Steve said. He motioned something to Jonathan before he grabbed her by the hand to rush inside for privacy. His hand was huge and callused and as cold as ice, flecked with weird white specks. He limped as they walked to the kitchen.
Since they’d taken over the station, they’d decided to call the old pantry their “meeting place.” It’s where they kept Murray’s snack deliveries but also where they had their heart to hearts, a common occurrence since the lockdown. It’s where Steve had shared his first concerns about Dustin, where Robin had admitted she was scared to take Vickie out on a date. Where the two of them had plotted Erica’s lockdown birthday party, where Steve had cried to her when he learned his parents weren’t coming back to Hawkins from Ohio. Where the two of them went now, blocking the door behind them. They slid to the floor in unison.
“I know it’s rude to just jump right in but I was particularly worried this time…so if you don’t mind Harrington, what the hell happened to you?” Robin let out a shaky breath. She wiped her eyes.
Steve did too. Then he smiled. “Man, it’s good to hear your voice, Robby.” He closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall. She could see the bruise forming on his chin flicker in the light as he winced. “Um, let’s see…well, I think…I think Dustin and I are finally on the same page. And Wheeler and Byers, they uh…” he pinched the bridge of his nose. “They almost didn’t make it.”
“Oh my god. Steve, are you okay?” Robin knocked his knee with hers.
“Yeah, yeah. I mean, it could have been a lot worse, right? But…” he rubbed at his eyes again, pausing to clear his throat, “I’m so tired, Rob. And we saw Holly and we couldn’t save her. We failed. Again. And I’m so glad Dustin and I are on the same page but my god can that nerd throw a punch.”
“Wait what!? Dustin did this?” Robin pointed to his chin. She couldn’t believe it.
Steve actually let out a chuckle. He smiled, eyes twinkling. “Yeah, he learned from the best. Ha. Kid’s got a mean right hook. He…we’re okay though. Honestly I think we’re better than we’ve been since Eddie…anyway. Yeah it hurts, but I guess…” he trailed off.
“We match” Robin interjected. She didn’t know why she said those words specifically, but they felt right. They did match, in their own way. She took his hand again. They both exhaled.
“Yeah, Robby, I guess we do. And now, I mean I think it’s time for plan B, right?” Steve exhaled again. “And I think, we’re finally all on the same page. Me, and Dustin, but also me and Nancy, and Byers too. I mean, with what almost happened - I think we’re all ready for this” he gestured to the whole pantry “to be over. And it’s nice, you know, to finally feel like we’re a team again. Kinda felt like for a while there we were all just angry at each other.”
“So, so angry. Like, comically angry. Dustin was like a little rattlesnake, all coiled up.” Robin felt so good talking to Steve. Catching up.
“No way you just said that Rob!”
“Um, because did you know he put a snake in that dick jock’s locker at school and that’s why he was so beat up and missed the crawl?”
“DUSTIN put a snake in someone’s locker?” Robin couldn’t believe it.
“He finally told me. No way you said that! No way. It’s like you’re psychic!” Steve said it fast, the way he did when he was going to laugh. She felt right on the edge of insanity.
“Dustin Henderson, our friend who can who recite a whole Shakespearean sonnet from memory, put a snake in some dickbag’s locker? I mean, iconic!” Robin started to laugh, really laugh now. “He learned from the best.”
“Ahhhh, yeah, he did” Steve laughed. His eyes were crazy in the slanted light of the pantry. The tiny room smelled like dust and fake cheese and blood and sweat. Musty and dangerous.
“Steve, I’m so glad you made it out okay.” Robin couldn’t hold it in any longer. His pupils were blown and his eyes were puffy, like he had been crying. They were insane together. “I was so worried you weren’t going to make it this time. And I…I almost didn’t make it this time, and I was just so mad that I was maybe never going to see you again, and I can’t…I love you. You’re my best friend and I love you and I want you to know that whatever happens next, Jesus, I want us to get out of here.” She sat up, still holding his hand. She could say a million more things, but Steve cut her off.
“Robin I’m so tired of almost dying. We’re gonna get out of here, I promise. We’re gonna go for one last ride and get out. Okay?” Now he was sitting up, too. “This pain, this fear we feel…it won’t be forever. It won’t be our whole lives.” He ran his hand through his hair, greasy and also speckled in white. She’d bring that up later. Steve was doing his once-a-year hero speech. Just for her. “Believe it or not, even beat up, I think we have a pretty good chance of winning this thing. For real. I think I might have an idea on what to do. Honest to god, Rob. I think I have an idea for how to fix things. And I’m so exited to hear what you did when I was gone, and it’s so good to think that it’s never gonna be this bad again. Okay? Okay? Now let’s get some fresh air before the kids think we’re making out.”
“Ew!” Robin let go of his hand, her jaw aching with the joy of a true smile.
“Just kidding!” He winked. God, she was so happy he was alive to wink at her. “Yeah, I get it. With a capital P. Now come on, let’s go ask Dustin what kind of snake it was.” Steve stood up, dusted off his pants. He helped Robin up with a steady hand.
“You gonna be okay?” Robin asked. She was also asking herself.
Steve looked at her, really looked at her, for a full moment. She always beat him at staring contests but this seemed like a turning point for him. Steve had come back from the Upside Down more confident, it seemed. More self-assured. Like he had an inkling that he was maybe going to live this time. Maybe whatever plan he had would work. For some reason she felt like, in his presence just now, it would.
Watching his eyes scan her as he waited to reply felt like an eternity. Then he smiled again, somehow his bruises framing his face like a blush, and said “yeah. Yeah we’re all gonna be okay.”
They left the closet to join the others, a box of Cheez-Its in hand. Reunited.
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