It's 2015. Spring is coming, but the nights are still chilly. The kids are asleep. Robin and Nancy Buckley slowdance to Chateau Lobby #4 as the vinyl of Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear softly warbles from Robin's old record player.
Nancy rests her head on Robin's sternum, occasionally looking up at her freshly buzzed head. Despite not even being 50 yet, the gray has already overtaken the dirty blonde of her youth. Nancy knows the gray is creeping into her hair too, but has finally made peace with it, choosing to take it as the final victory over the monsters that haunted them for so long.
Summary: Robin Buckley has finally escaped her homophobic small town, landing in Boston with her best friend Steve and a brand-new job hosting the morning slot at a local radio station. It’s supposed to be the fresh start she’s always wanted.
Nancy Wheeler is an ambitious rising journalist at the Boston Herald, laser-focused on her career and determined not to let messy things like relationships slow her down.
When the two match on a dating app, neither expects much beyond a quick conversation. Instead, they strike up an unlikely connection, and Nancy reluctantly agrees to show Robin the ropes of Boston’s lesbian dating scene. It’s meant to be strictly platonic—Nancy plays guide, Robin dates other women, and feelings stay out of it.
Things get complicated the moment they stop pretending there’s nothing between them.
A/N: Hello! it's been a minute lol i've been thinking of writing this modern AU for a little while, loosely based off my favorite sapphic romance novel, Those Who Wait, but you wouldn't need to have read he novel to understand the fic. It would likely be a long project, so I wanted to see how you guys liked the first chapter and the premise before I committed to writing it fully. so under the cut is the first chapter! If you guys like it, I'll post it on Ao3 and continue writing!
“Robin Buckley, you are a coward!” Steve accused as they stumbled through the front door to their new Boston apartment, “That girl was clearly coming onto you, and you dragged me out of there faster than a bat out of hell.” He cackled as they plopped down side by side on their thrifted couch.
Robin covered her face and leaned her head back with a groan in response.
“You drag me to this gay bar, have a hot girl all over you, and you bolt. What the hell is wrong with you?” Asked Steve, doubled over, still laughing.
“Okay, Steve, I get it,” She sighed, reluctantly uncovering her face to face her best friend, “Robin sucks at women. This is news to no one. Let’s move on.”
“Aw, Rob, come on! You know I’m teasing!”
“It’s true, though! I haven’t dated anyone since Vickie and I broke up like forever ago.” Robin averted Steve’s eyes in favor of staring at her hands as she twisted a ring around her finger.
“That makes sense, though. I’m pretty sure that you and Vickie were the only lesbians in Hawkins. Boston is so much different!” Steve reassured, nudging her playfully with his shoulder.
He was right, and that’s what was so terrifying. She expected being in a big city would be comforting, that she would feel free. Instead, she felt incapable of being a functioning lesbian.
“Boston lesbians are just so… open! I couldn’t dream of just going up to a woman and flirting like that in Hawkins. I’m not used to people being so forward, so I freeze up.” Robin flopped dramatically, leaning all of her weight on her best friend. “I’m hopeless!”
“You aren’t hopeless. You just need practice.” He shot up from his relaxed position, his spine straight and a smirk on his face that told Robin he had an idea that she most likely would not approve of. “Let’s make you a dating profile!”
“Absolutely not,” She replied immediately.
“Why not?” Steve whined, pulling at her arm, “You can practice talking to girls without actually being in front of them immediately, it’s genius!”
Robin was silent as she leaned her head back on the wall behind her and considered it. When Steve put it like that, it kind of made sense, but she had sworn she would never put herself on a dating app. Robin wanted to meet someone organically, sue her. She was a not-so-secret lover girl who dreamed of meeting the love of her life in a coffee shop or some niche queer event in the city, not through a phone screen.
“I don’t know Steve. You know that I hate dating apps.”
“It’s just practice, Rob. I’m not saying you have to marry the first girl you meet on there.” He paused for a moment, as Robin was lost in thought once again, “There. I just finished your profile.”
Robin sat up so fast that the world spun for a second, and she almost fell forward before she righted herself. “You what?!” She exclaimed as she yanked her phone out of Steve’s grasp, “You dingus! How did you even get my phone?”
“I grabbed it out of your pocket while you were busy spiraling. Just look at the profile. I did you justice, I swear.”
She sighed and tilted the screen up to see.
Robin, 22, Boston
Likes: languages, literature, rainy days, foreign films, and music
She scrolled further to look at the pictures that Steve selected. The first was a rare selfie; Robin’s blue eyes looked directly into the camera with a soft smile. The second was from this past Halloween, when Robin went as JD from Heathers. Vickie had been her Veronica, but Steve had chosen a picture of just her, red solo cup in hand and leaning against the wall. The final picture was a candid of Robin sitting in her usual coffee shop back home, reading a book with one leg tucked to her chest, her expression was focused, but soft. She had to admit, he picked good pictures.
“I did good, didn’t I? You look hot in all of those pictures, Robin. You are going to have women blowing up your phone with messages!” He boasted proudly.
“I have ot admit, I don’t look bad…” She conceded, looking through her profile again.
“Yes!” He pumped his fist in the air, victorious. “Now let’s find you someone to message!”
“I said the profile looks good, not that I wanted to actually use the dating app, Steve.” She rolled her eyes and set the phone down on the coffee table.
His face fell.
“Just try it. If you hate it, we can delete it and never speak of it again. Scouts honor.” He raised 3 fingers in a scout salute, and Robin had to bite back a smile at his antics.
“You know I think dating apps are shallow.”
Steve pouted in her direction.
“Ugh, fine. If I hate it, we never speak of this again.”
“Deal!” He was practically vibrating with excitement as he shoved the phone in her direction.
They filed through a few profiles, and Robin was about ready to give up when piercing blue eyes and a mop of perfectly tamed brown curls graced her screen. She stared for a minute before inspecting the profile.
Nancy, 22, Boston
Likes: Writing, baking, poetry, rom-coms, and gardening.
Robin thumbed through her pictures, each one more stunning than the last. Her first picture showcased her in a power suit and heels, standing in front of a large glass window; tall city buildings were visible in the background. She smirked at the camera, as if she knew she looked unfairly beautiful. The second was a candid picture of her at what looked like a fancy dinner. She was laughing and looking slightly away from the camera with a flute of champagne in one of her hands. The last was her beaming at the camera in a floral apron and holding up a tray of cookies as she stood by the oven.
“Woah, Rob that’s a babe if I’ve ever seen one! You have to message her!” Steve broke her from her thoughts when he nudged her shoulder and waggled his eyebrows with a smirk.
“No. There is no way she’d ever-” Before she could finish her sentence, Steve swiped her phone from her hand and stood up as he started furiously typing. Her heart dropped to her stomach.
“Steven Matthew Harrington, give me back my phone!” She stood up to reach for it, but she was too late.
“Sent!” He handed her back the phone with a faux innocent smile, and Robin shot him a glare before reading the message.
Robin: Hey! I saw your profile, and you caught my eye. I was wondering if you’d want to hook up -or meet up- sometime ;)
Robin plopped back down on the couch in disbelief.
“Steve, what the fuck did you do?!”
“I’m pushing you to live a little, Rob.”
She ignored him and clicked the text box to send a follow up message to clarify that she was not the person that sent that message and apologize profusely, when she got an alert.
For our users’ well-being, we do not allow multiple messages to be sent to a user unless they allow it upon approving your first message.
Usually, Robin would appreciate that safety feature; she’d even applaud it, but in that moment, it made her want to toss her phone into the ocean and never look back. There was no way Nancy was going to message her back now. Not that Robin thought that she would message her back, even with a normal opening text. She was so gorgeous, she probably had a ton of messages waiting in her inbox, and she wouldn’t even see Robin’s, but that thought didn’t make her any less furious with her best friend.
“You dingus! I am going to kill you!”
“Robin, come on. You’re young, single, and in a new city after working so hard on getting a degree so you could get out of our homophobic small town. You deserve to have a little fun.” He sighed and had the decency to look at least a little remorseful. “I’m sorry. I should have shown you the message before I sent it. I just didn’t want you to chicken out.”
She got up with a huff and stomped off to her room, closing the door behind her calmly, though she wanted to slam it like a petulant teenager. He was right that she would chicken out, but who could blame her? The woman was unfairly stunning and probably got an insane amount of messages daily. There’s no way she would even entertain Robin, so what was the point? Steve’s correctness didn’t make her any less angry with him, however, so she flung herself onto her bed, muffled a scream with a pillow, and prepared herself to sulk.
About 2 hours later, Robin was still shut in her room, reading a book to try and distract her from gorgeous Nancy and the dating app debacle. She had half a mind to delete the app and forget about it altogether, but she still held onto the tiniest bit of hope that Nancy would message her back, at least so she could set the record straight.
Her phone vibrated on the bedside table, and when she picked it up, she had a notification from the app.
Nancy has sent you a message!
She was unsure whether she should be relieved or anxious about the message that was waiting for her. Her body decided for her, as her heart rate quickened and her hands shook slightly as she clicked on the notification.
“Chill out, Buckley,” She muttered to herself, “You don’t even know the girl.”
She took a deep breath as the conversation loaded, then finally read the message.
Nancy: I have to say that is definitely one of the least subtle approaches I’ve received on this app.
Robin let out another breath, relieved this time. At least she didn’t seem angry. That didn’t mean she wasn’t still going to murder Steve.
Robin: I am so sorry. My best friend stole my phone, created this account, and sent that message. I’ve been waiting to send this message to you for hours.
Nancy: I never said lack of subtlety was a bad thing. At least not from pretty girls like you. ;) So, your friend set this up?
Nancy was flirting with her, even after that extremely suggestive message, even though she looked like that. Robin tried to bite back her smile, but failed miserably and allowed herself a second to squeal like a teenager with a crush before crafting a response.
Robin: Yes. We just moved to Boston from a small town, and he apparently thinks I need to branch out and hook up with someone.
It was an easy lie, maybe even a half-truth considering the suggestive message Steve sent. There was no way she was telling this beautiful, kind of intimidating woman about how she’d struck out at the gay bar and needed practice talking to women.
Nancy: And that’s not what you want?
Robin thought about it. In all of this chaos, she hadn’t really thought about what she wanted. Upon reflecting, she decided that she’d like a more meaningful connection with someone if she were to get anything out of this dating app nonsense. She didn’t have to think hard. Robin was a lover girl with a big heart who got attached easily. A casual arrangement would definitely break her.
Robin: No. I definitely want to meet someone, but I don’t really want a hook up at the moment.
Nancy wrote back immediately.
Nancy: That’s where you and I differ, unfortunately. Which is a shame, might I add.
For a minute, she let herself bask in the revelation that this insanely gorgeous woman was interested in hooking up with her. Nancy was the kind of woman that Robin wouldn’t ever dream would look twice at her. She was convinced that she wouldn’t even answer her initial message, but here she was saying it was a shame that Robin wasn’t looking for a hookup! She reread the message about ten times before deciding how to proceed.
Robin considered her options. She should just end the conversation here. She doubted that Nancy would want to waste her time messaging with someone who doesn’t share her dating intentions, but something pushed her to continue the conversation anyway.
Robin: So, you do this a lot, then?
Nancy: Excuse me?
Robin froze. Only after Nancy’s response did she realize that she was essentially insinuating that she was a slut. She was such an idiot.
Robin: No! Oh my god I just realized how that sounded. I just meant that you seem comfortable doing this. I come from a small town where there was only me and one other lesbian, and even then, I had to be extremely careful about flirting. You are just very smooth and straightforward, is all.
Nancy: Well, Boston is a bit more accepting than most American small towns. To answer your question, I do this a lot, yeah. I use this app strictly for casual connections, as you’ve probably gathered. So I’ve flirted with my fair share of women.
Robin: What usually happens after?
Robin: After the flirting.
Robin: You know what, forget I said anything.
She shoved her face into her pillow as soon as the last message went through. Nancy had to think she was insane. She deeply wished she were better with social cues and human interaction in general. She wouldn’t have been coerced into making an account on this stupid app if she were better at this. She’d probably still be at the bar, slightly tipsy and chatting up the woman who was coming onto her, but instead, she was making a fool of herself with a woman through a dating app. She was hopeless, even when she couldn’t see the woman she was talking to.
Nancy: After the flirting, we make a plan to meet, always somewhere public, to see if we’re compatible in person, then I see if they’d like to come back to my place.
Nancy: Not to boast, but they usually do.
Robin was genuinely surprised that Nancy had answered her question with little fanfare. She acted as if Robin wasn’t outing herself as a disaster lesbian and asking odd questions. She was a little giddy about it, to be honest.
Robin: Oh, I can imagine.
Robin blushed immediately upon reading what she wrote. Once again, her fingers worked faster than her brain.
Nancy: That was smoother than I would have anticipated. No offense intended.
Robin snorted.
Robin: Oh, none taken. I know I’m kind of a mess. I sent that without really thinking, if I’m being completely honest.
Nancy: You are an interesting woman.
Nancy: Unfortunately, however, it’s getting late, and I have to work early tomorrow.
At least Robin wasn’t a complete disaster. Nancy seemed to be amused by her, if nothing else. She may have even thought Robin’s lack of filter or inability to think before she sent messages was charming. Probably not, but she could definitely dream.
She should also be getting to bed, she realized as she checked the time. She had an early start at the radio station tomorrow and would not be able to entertain the masses without her required 8 hours of shut eye.
Robin: I doubt I’m as interesting as you think I am.
Robin: I should be going too. Thank you for indulging my questions and not making fun of me when you definitely could have.
Nancy: That isn’t really my style. This was more entertaining for me than I would have expected.
Nancy: Besides, I am always happy to talk to a pretty woman in need.
i started writing a ronance sickfic a few days ago and now i am sick with the fucking flu 🙃 i must've manifested this somehow lol but i have time to finish it now ig ??
-nancy as rachel, who just got married to jonathan, and meets robin
-jonathan as heck, who loves nancy, but (we'll eventually see) just wants the best for her, even if it's not with him
-robin as luce, and maybe instead of being a florist, she owns a record store and was the dj at the wedding (so instead of talking about flowers, they could talk about music. favorite songs, albums, artists, etc. the potentiallll).
-steve could either be in place of coop, flirting with robin at first and then being supportive (he won't try to "convert" her and then call her a slut like coop actually did tho idc) OR he could be her roommate or something in place of luce's mom (tbh i kinda like this option better. just get rid of coop idk)
-holly as h, idk just her being kind of nerdy and maybe getting into some shenanigans with mike
-karen being supportive of nancy like rachel's dad, and ted being slightly passive aggressive like rachel's mom
-and yk what. add a byler subplot somewhere in there i'm sure it's possible
summary: before the final battle, robin has no choice but to cancel your date at enzo's. she wants to tell you the truth about why she's been canceling dates, but your brother, steve, talks her out of it. (basically the vickie scene but with harrington!reader)
a/n: this is my first harrington!reader fic! i've had this idea for a while and finally got around to writing it. This was supposed to be a short little thing, but as usual i got carried away oops
words: 2.1k
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The plans for the final battle were set, and everyone proceeded with their preparations immediately after the briefing.
Robin excused herself from the group and covered her face, letting out a quiet groan once she was tucked away in the radio booth. The only one to notice was Steve, as usual, and he walked over to check on his friend.
“What's your problem now, Buckley?” He joked, hoping some lighthearted banter would brighten Robin’s mood.
The blonde peeked through her fingers before fully uncovering her frowning face to look at her best friend. Steve was glad to see that though she was frowning, Robin still had some semblance of her usual playfulness about her.
“I have to cancel on y/n again tonight.” Robin started pacing in one small spot as she fidgeted with her rings, “This is the third time in two weeks. She’s gonna hate me.”
Steve sighed, crossing his arms in front of him with a furrow in his brow. He had a feeling Robin was stressing about canceling on his sister. He had been hearing about your big Enzo’s date with Robin for 3 whole days now. You worried about what to wear and went on and on about how you’ve never had a date at a place so fancy before. He knew how excited you were and that you would probably be disappointed, but he also knew Robin would make it up to you as soon as she could.
“She’ll be okay,” Steve reassured, “She’s volunteering at the hospital right now. You could probably catch h-”
“I want to tell her.” Robin winced as soon as the words left her mouth, as if she hadn’t meant to say them out loud.
“What?!” Steve’s eyes widened, and the rest of the team turned to look at him and Robin in the corner at his outburst before turning back to their tasks. They were used to their antics and had long stopped asking what they were up to.
“It's just- I have to cancel on her again after promising her I wouldn’t.” Robin groaned and continued to pace, and Steve could tell that her stress levels were rising, “She at least deserves to know why, don’t you think?”
“I get that, Robin, I really do, but I've somehow managed to keep my baby sister out of this shitstorm for 4 years. I cannot have you bring her into this, even with good intentions.” Steve’s heart ached for Robin. He’d been in her shoes countless times when he had to cancel on you or leave you home alone so he could help save the world. He’d considered telling you to soften the blow before, too, but he knew that just knowing about the horrors he faced would put you in danger.
“Why not?” She asked, “I won’t bring her with me or anything! I’ll just very loosely explain what's going on and tell her that I’ll come see her after!”
Steve gave Robin an unimpressed look with a raised eyebrow, “You really think my sister’s gonna stay put when she hears that you and I are involved in this?”
Robin deflated with a heavy sigh, “No, I guess not. I just want her to understand why I have to cancel. I need her to know that I’m not just being an asshole for the sake of it, you know?”
Steve did.
“I love you for thinking of her feelings, but we can’t put her in danger.”
Robin knew Steve was right. As much as she wanted to explain herself, keeping you safe was the first priority.
After bribing Doris with a package of Twinkies, as she had time and time again when she came to visit you at the hospital, Robin started her search. She tried not to look completely lost as she peeked through windows and ducked around corners to look for you. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she finally found you cleaning out a hospital room, her nerves amping up to 11.
She slipped into the room with a nervous smile and a single rose tucked behind her back. Your back was to her as you smoothed out the brand new sheets on the hospital bed. If this were a normal visit, Robin would snake her arms around you from behind or cover your eyes and whisper in your ear to guess who, but this time, she didn’t quite know what to do.
“Hey,” Robin greeted, too loudly. She shut her eyes tight, bit her lip, and winced when you jumped. She was already not off to a great start.
You turned around, a hand over your heart, as you turned around to meet her eyes. A smile blossomed on your face when you saw that the intruder was your girlfriend. Robin’s heart ached knowing that your beautiful smile was about to be dimmed and that she would be the cause.
“God, Rob, you scared me!” You giggled as you wound your arms around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.
Robin’s hands easily settled into a spot on your waist, and she pulled you flush against her to deepen the kiss. One of your hands knotted in Robin’s short locks, and she nearly forgot about the reason for her visit until you separated from each other.
“What brings you here? Steve said that you were working til 4.” You stared into her eyes, lovesick, as you twirled the ends of her cropped hair around your fingers.
“Yeah, I uh… I got out a little early,” Robin lied. She brought the hand that held the rose into your line of sight and offered it to you with a shaking hand and a tight smile on her lips.
You took the flower into your hands and brought it to your nose, and a pretty blush rose to your cheeks.
“A rose before our fancy date? You spoil me, Robin Buckley.” You giggled, and Robin’s heart sank.
“About that, actually,” Robin watched as your smile dropped, “we have to reschedule again.”
“Robin…” You sighed, slightly pulling away, but Robin tightened her grip before you could get too far. You didn’t fight it, but your expression was less than impressed.
“I know, babe, I’m so, so sorry. I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can, okay?” Robin cupped your cheeks, pleadingly, “We’ll still get our fancy Enzo’s date, just another time.”
You nodded, staring down at the rose in your hands, as you twirled it between two fingers, “Do I at least get an explanation, or are you just going to tell me we need to reschedule and disappear for hours again?”
“I really can’t give you much more than that, y/n.” Robin stared at her Converse, focusing on the little hearts you drew all over the rubber toes. She was afraid that if she looked at you, her resolve would break and she’d tell you everything.
“I’ve really tried to be patient with you, Rob, but this is getting kind of old.” You pulled yourself away fully this time, and Robin let you go.
“I know, I-”
“I told you when we met that Steve bailed on me a lot with no explanation, and how that made me feel like shit.”
“Yes, but-”
“You told me that you’d be better than that, but you’ve been cancelling on me, and you and Steve always seem to disappear at the same time, so I can only assume that you’re together.”
“Well, that’s technically true, but-”
“If you’d rather hang out with my brother, then maybe-”
“Y/n!” Robin exclaimed, finally meeting your eyes, “Can I explain, please?”
You gestured for her to go right ahead, then crossed your arms in front of you, the murderous look never leaving your face.
Robin gulped before starting, “I can’t tell you what Steve and I are doing because it’s not safe for you to even know about it.”
You rolled your eyes. “Bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit,” Robin replied gently, and slowly stepped toward you, testing the waters, “But it is all I can tell you for now. You have to believe that if I could tell you more, I would.”
You sighed and plopped down on the hospital bed, crinkling the sheets you just smoothed out. You set the rose down beside you, crossed your arms, and avoided her eyes, staring instead at your knee as it bounced.
Robin took another step closer, waiting a beat before deciding to sit next to you, her knee knocking into yours almost immediately.
You looked up at her, unshed tears threatening to fall. She can see how hard you were trying to keep them at bay, and she hated that she was the cause. You laid your head on her shoulder and allowed her to put an arm around you.
Beneath your anger and frustration, Robin could tell you just missed her, and her heart broke a little more.
“How long this time?” You ask, your voice wobbling.
“What?”
“How long will you be off doing whatever dangerous thing that you and my brother have planned before you come crawling through my window?”
“It probably won’t be til after midnight, this time.” Robin winced as she thought of the intricate plans discussed only hours earlier, and how impossible they seemed.
You frowned, sighing once again, and snapped Robin out of her thoughts.
“You’ll come, though, right? Even if you don’t get done until early morning?”
Robin chuckled and dropped a kiss on your head. “Of course I'll come. I’ll take you to breakfast in the morning and spend the whole day with you after, if you want.”
“Of course, I want,” You looked up at her from where your head laid on her shoulder, “I just miss you, Rob.”
“I know, love. I miss you, too. Once this whole thing is over, you won’t be able to get rid of me, I promise.”
You giggled a little, and Robin felt a weight lift off her chest. She immediately wanted to hear it again.
“I mean it. When this is over, I’m going to be over all the time. You and Steve are going to be begging me to go home.”
You laughed again, fuller and louder this time, and pressed a kiss to Robin’s cheek.
“I don’t think that could ever happen.” You replied.
“We’ll see,” Robin said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear, “I should probably get going.”
She angled your face up so she could press a kiss to your lips. It was a chaste, quick kiss, but Robin held your face so gently and kissed you with all the fervor of a much longer kiss and your heart squeezed with the tenderness of it all.
“Stay safe, yeah?” You whispered as soon as you separated.
Robin nodded, stroking your cheek with her thumb. She didn’t want to leave you. She wanted to lock the door and stay in this room with you all day and into the night, but people were counting on her to save the literal world from collapsing, so she’d have to settle for climbing through your window in the early hours of the morning.
“I love you,” She said, unshed tears pooling in her eyes.
“I love you, Robin Buckley. I’ll be waiting for you.”
At 2 in the morning, Robin crawled through your open window with damp hair and a backpack slung over her shoulder.
She was surprised to find you awake, reading a book with your back against the headboard and your bedside table lamp on.
“Hi, beautiful," She greeted with a smile, as she pulled herself over the windowsill, "What the hell are you still doing awake?” Asked Robin as soon as her feet touched the plush carpet of your room. She set the backpack down at the foot of your bed with a toothy grin.
You beamed, marking your page and quickly setting the book aside. Relief flooded your chest at the sight of her.
“I said I’d be waiting for you,” You pointed out as you got out of bed and made your way over to her. Your eyes raked over the length of her as you assessed her for injuries. You ghosted your fingers over a bruise that blossomed over her cheekbone.
Before you could ask her about it, Robin ushered you back to bed, tucking you in before rounding the bed and sliding in beside you and pulling you into her chest.
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. It's late. Let’s get some rest.” She pressed a kiss to your forehead and reached over to turn your lamp off.
“Steve-” You started in a panic.
“Is in his room. Everyone is safe and sound, my love.” She assured you.
You only nodded against her chest in response, pushing up to kiss her jawline quickly before settling back in and giving in to the heaviness of your eyelids. Robin held you a little tighter as sleep finally claimed you, silently thankful that the world was still standing, and you were right where she needed you most.
I dont have a good specific prompt but an angsty, hurt/comfort with reader x robin? maybe reader and robin are on a really fluffy cute date at the mall or arcade or smth but all of a sudden reader gets really overwhelmed and they go home and reader is really anxious/worried robin is mad for having to cut their date short
past the arcade doors
a/n: i am finally getting to my requests! i wanted to warm up a little before i started working on them so they'd actually be good lol i am kind of in the zone lately though, bc i knocked this out in one night. thank you anon for the inspo! also, i do realize that in canon robin would probably be the one overstimulated by the arcade, but for the purposes of this fic, she's chill lol
words: 1.9k
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“The arcade?” You questioned, your voice wavering as you looked up from your homework that was spread out on the slightly sticky counter of Family Video, “On a Saturday night?”
It was Robin’s turn to pick date night this week, and though she usually picked activities that were a little more romantically cheesy, (on her last date to plan, she took you to Enzo’s, then for a stroll in the park, complete with ice cream cones for dessert), this time, her pick was heavily influenced by Dustin and the kids. He mentioned that the arcade next door finally got Duck Hunt and Space Harrier when the kids came to visit them, or annoy them, as Robin would put it.
“I know it isn’t super romantic, but it’s fun!” She slid a stack of returned tapes on the counter beside you and pulled the return cart over to fill before reshelving, “Don’t doubt my ability to make the arcade romantic, (y/n). I’ll win you a stuffed animal from the claw machine and share a cherry slushy with you. I’ll even let you destroy me in Pac Man as many times as you want.” She pressed a lingering kiss to your temple, “Please?”
It didn’t bother you that the arcade wasn’t the most romantic date spot. It wasn’t even that you disliked the arcade. You and Robin used to frequent it before you started dating, before you traded arcade outings and trips to the mall for candlelit dinners and drive-in movies, so you thought it’d be nice to go back to your roots, just not on a Saturday night.
The arcade was always packed on Saturday nights, and a packed arcade meant being pushed against random strangers and hearing the sounds of every arcade game at once, and loud teenagers cackling with their friends or yelling when they inevitably lost whatever game they were playing. The two new games almost guaranteed that the crowd would be even worse. You always avoided the arcade on weekends, even when you and Robin used to go together. She never noticed, but you somehow always managed to steer your Saturday nights in the direction of movie nights or milkshakes at the diner instead of the loud, crowded arcade.
This time, however, Robin looked so excited, and she’d always planned dates that revolved around what you liked or what you wanted to do, so you couldn’t deny her this.
You nodded your head, mustering up the biggest smile you could to convince her that you were just as excited, “Yeah, Rob. That sounds nice.”
“Yes!” She squealed and pressed one more kiss to the top of your head before pushing off the counter to reshelve the returns.
As soon as the clock struck 7:00, marking the end of Robin’s shift, she practically ripped her vest off and slung her tote bag over her shoulder before rushing out from behind the counter and grabbing your hand.
“Bye, dingus!” She yelled over her shoulder as she pulled you out of the tiny video store, giggling as you struggled to keep up with her long, lanky legs as they ran ahead of you.
“Slow down, Rob!” At this point, your cheeks hurt from smiling. You shook your head at her antics as you kept running down the sidewalk, and your hand tightened in hers to steady yourself.
“We have to get there before there’s a line for Duck Hunt!” She yelled, laughing, and she didn’t slow down one bit.
When you reached the neighboring arcade, your stomach dropped. You could hear the chaos before you even opened the door, and you bet that you’d also have been able to hear it down the sidewalk if you weren’t giggling the whole way over.
You were thankful that Robin’s hand remained in yours as she pulled the door and held it open for you. It made the mayhem in front of you seem easier to face, though you felt like covering your ears the minute you stepped inside. Robin’s presence always calmed you.
She was disappointed to see that there was a crowd surrounding both of the games that she wanted to try out. You watched her shoulders drop a little, but her excitement never wavered.
“Come on, let’s get you that slushy I promised,” She lifted your hand and pressed a kiss to your knuckles before you pushed through the crowd to reach the concession stand.
She bought a cherry slushy to share and two giant pizza slices, because she insisted that you didn’t eat enough lunch at the video store. Your heart swelled at the sentiment.
You found a table, and Robin talked animatedly, as usual, her hands flying around as she spoke, occasionally stopping for a sip of slushy or a bite of pizza. Her leg bounced under the table, and her eyes flicked over to where the new games sat. The crowd surrounding them didn’t seem to die down.
You ate in silence, trying to focus on the sound of your girlfriend’s voice instead of the loud beeping of arcade games and the voices of your classmates, but it became too much, and suddenly your appetite was gone.
Robin fussed at you for only eating half your slice, but you waved her off, mumbling something about being full.
She grabbed your hand again before weaving through the crowd until you were settled in front of Pac Man, your favorite.
“I promised I’d let you beat my ass in Pac Man,” She squeezed your hand before letting go so she could insert coins in the slot.
You smiled at her, pressed a kiss to her cheek, and you pressed start.
You were off your game from the start. Usually, you could win easily, Robin joked about letting you win, but really, you just beat her fair and square every time. Tonight, you couldn’t focus. The game beside you was loud, and the people playing it were even louder. Their cheers and yells grew ever more deafening every time they opened their mouths. There’s no way Dig Dug is that exciting, you thought.
Rowdy teenagers bumped into you constantly, as well. You didn’t go two minutes without feeling someone brush by or borderline run into you while you played. You started to feel suffocated, but you kept playing. You didn’t want to ruin it for Robin.
“I thought I was supposed to be letting you win, babe,” Robin chuckled, elbowing you slightly and flashing you a toothy grin before turning back to the screen.
Just as you opened your mouth to reply, the group next to you yelled exceptionally loud, and someone bumped you from behind, harder than anyone else had all night, pushing you into the machine in front of you.
You jumped back from the machine with panicked eyes, bumping into someone behind you. You winced when Robin reached for your arm, unable to take any more physical contact.
“Stop!” You shouted and slinked back even more. You hated how Robin’s face dropped, so you worked quickly to fix it. “I-I need air.” You choked out before you took off. You vaguely heard Robin calling for you, but you kept walking.
Your skin felt hot and sticky, and your ears rang. You wanted to run, desperate to escape the loud noises and close proximity of the other patrons, but you settled for speedwalking, as not to create more of a scene. Silent tears fell as you went, but you wiped them away with the back of your hand and pressed on.
You threw the door open and were met with almost instant relief when cool air blew over your face. You kept walking until you found the bench in front of Family Video and took a seat. Only then did you take a deep breath. It was cooler and much quieter; only the low hum of whatever movie Steve chose to play could be heard.
You drew your knees up to your chest and rested your forehead on top of them. Your body was wracked with sobs as you thought back to what had just unfolded. Robin was so excited to go to the arcade with you, and you hated that you couldn’t keep it together for her. You knew she’d come looking for you any minute now. She’d leave the arcade before getting to try either of the games she was so excited about.
As you expected, you felt the bench settle under the weight of someone you couldn’t see, but you knew it was Robin without looking. She sat with her shoulder pressed to yours before seemingly remembering the recent incident and scooting away ever so slightly to give you space.
“Hey,” She finally spoke up, her voice unsure.
You looked up at her, tears still streaming slowly.
“I’m sorry,” You whispered, afraid you’d start sobbing again if you allowed yourself to speak at full volume.
Robin’s brows furrowed, “For what, love?” She asked gently as she coaxed your knees away from your face and took your hand, “What happened in there?”
You took a deep breath and decided to tell her the truth, too exhausted to hide it anymore.
“I hate the arcade on Saturday nights, Rob,” You admitted, staring down at your joined hands and your knee as it bounced, a nervous habit you picked up from Robin. “It’s too crowded and loud and hot in there, and I guess I just got overwhelmed. I’m so sorry. I know you were excited, and I really tried to stick it out so you could have a nice date night, but-”
Tears started falling, once again, and you stopped talking as you willed yourself not to sob. Robin had to be furious with you. You wouldn’t blame her if she was. She always planned such nice date nights for you, and the one time she planned something she wanted to do, you fucked it up.
“Hey, no,” Robin angled your chin up so you could look at her. You weren’t met with a scowl as you expected. Instead, your girlfriend’s face was soft, maybe even sad. “Don’t apologize.” She swiped a thumb under each of your eyes to wipe your tears, then opened her arms for you.
You leaned in immediately, resting your head on her chest as she held you. Her hand ran up and down your arm in a soothing motion, and you felt your body relax into her touch. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked softly.
“You were excited,” You shrugged, “You’d been talking about Duck Hunt and Space Harrier all week. I didn’t want to let you down.”
“We could go to the arcade any time, (y/n). Duck Hunt and Space Harrier will still be there on a quieter night,” She kissed the top of your head. “I need you to tell me these things. I don’t ever want you to make yourself uncomfortable for my sake.”
You nodded wordlessly with a sniffle.
“I just- can we go home?” You asked after a long stretch of silence. You loved how Robin knew that you needed quiet when you were upset, even though she’s usually the biggest chatterbox you know.
“Yeah, baby, let’s go home,” She squeezed you tightly once before letting you go and pushing off the bench to stand up, “Stay over tonight. I just rented Blue Velvet from work, and my big marching band shirt that you like was just washed.”
“Can we stop for snacks on the way back?” You asked as you stood and took her hand.
“Of course we can, pretty girl.”
You pushed up on your tiptoes to plant a kiss on her cheek before you started the walk back to your car. For the first time since you entered the arcade, you could finally breathe.
thank you to the anon that requested the robin x anxious!reader fic. i cranked out like 1.5k words in an hour lol y'all will be seeing that v soon, maybe even tonight 👀
