~ Lover boy. ~
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐨 × 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
Warnings: Fluff, kissing, siblings arguing, and young love.
Summary: You finally get to get out on your date with Robin.
ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ᴏɴᴇ sʜᴏᴛ. ↤
The summer heat still clung to the sidewalks long after the sun had disappeared.
You stood in front of your bedroom mirror, smoothing your hands over your skirt for the fifth time. A smile kept threatening to spread across your face no matter how hard you tried to stop it.
Your older cousin had braided your hair the night before, and the beads clicked softly whenever you turned your head. You had even borrowed her lip gloss after promising not to "waste it on some little middle school boy."
But Robin Arellano wasn't just some boy.
The moment you heard the squeal of bicycle tires outside your house, your stomach flipped.
"Girl," your cousin teased from the doorway, "if you don't stop grinning like that—"
"Shut up."
"You like him bad."
You rolled your eyes and hurried outside before she could embarrass you any further.
Robin stood by the curb with one hand shoved into his pocket and the other gripping the handlebars of his bike. He'd clearly tried to fix his hair before coming over, but the wind had already ruined his efforts. His bandana sat slightly crooked across his forehead.
And for once, he looked nervous.
Not fake-cool Robin.
Actually, I'm nervous. "You look pretty," he blurted immediately. Heat rushed to your cheeks.
"You say that like you're surprised."
"I am—" His eyes widened.
"Nah, wait. I didn't mean it like that."
You laughed so hard that he finally relaxed. That was the thing about Robin. Around everyone else, he acted tough. Around you, he acted differently.
His ears even turned pink. "You ready?" he asked.
You looked behind him.
"...Where's the car?"
Robin blinked. Then, he blinked again.
"You think I got a car?"
"I thought your uncle was driving us."
"He said no." Robin clicked his tongue. "Said I gotta learn responsibility or some old man crap."
You folded your arms,"So how are we getting there?"
A grin slowly spread across his face. "We sneak in."
---
The drive-in looked magical at night.
The massive movie screen glowed against the dark sky while rows of cars stretched across the lot. Children ran around with popcorn, couples sat together in truck beds wrapped in blankets, and music drifted through the warm evening air.
Robin spent more time watching your reaction than the movie previews.
"You like it?" he asked quietly.
You nodded immediately. "Yeah."
And you meant it. Not because it was fancy. Because you knew he had tried. Robin had spent months saving money for this date.
You knew because Finney had accidentally revealed the secret while you were talking in the hallway.
Skipping snacks at school.
Helping neighbors carry groceries.
Doing yard work for elderly people on his block.
All for tonight.
Your chest tightened at the thought. "So," you asked, glancing around the crowded lot, "how exactly are we sneaking in?"
Robin smirked. "That's the fun part."
---
The "fun part" turned out to be crouching behind parked cars while Robin dragged you through the lot by the hand.
You were laughing so hard you nearly got both of you caught.
"Shhh!" he hissed. "You shhh!"
"You wanna get kicked out?"
"You almost ran me into a Buick!"
Robin slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Eventually, the two of you slipped behind the snack building unnoticed.
Robin leaned dramatically against the wall and wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead.
"We are criminals now."
"Yeah, terrible criminals."
Inside, the snack stand smelled like buttered popcorn, hot dogs, and cherry syrup. Robin emptied a collection of crumpled bills and loose coins onto the counter.
The teenage cashier looked too exhausted to care.
"What can I get you?"
Robin looked at you first. "You pick."
You immediately pointed toward the slushie machine. "Cherry."
"Two cherries," Robin said. "And popcorn."
"And candy."
Robin looked horrified. "You trying to bankrupt me?"
"You said this was a date." With an exaggerated sigh, he bought the candy anyway.
When he handed you the slushie, your fingers brushed. Both of you suddenly became very interested in absolutely anything else.
Robin cleared his throat.
"C'mon. Movie's starting."
---
Since neither of you had a car, you settled onto an old blanket behind the last row of trucks. The movie flickered overhead while crickets sang in the darkness around you.
Neither of you paid much attention to the screen. Robin kept sneaking glances whenever he thought you weren't looking.
"You know," you eventually said, sipping your slushie, "this is kinda romantic."
Robin nearly choked on popcorn.
"You saying I got game?"
"I'm saying you got really lucky tonight."
"Ouch."
You giggled. The night softened after that. Cool air drifted through the lot. Colors from the movie washed across Robin's face in blues, reds, and whites. Somewhere nearby, people laughed from inside their cars.
Robin leaned back on his elbows.
"I wanted this to be good."
You turned toward him. "It is."
"No, like..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know I ain't got much. No car. No money. But I wanted to take you somewhere nice."
The honesty in his voice made your heart ache. You nudged his shoulder.
"Robin."
"Hm?"
"I would've been happy with corner-store chips and a sidewalk."
The smile he gave you then was small, a soft and real smile. Not the tough fighter everyone at school knew.
Just a boy.
Your boy.
The movie credits rolled quietly in the background as Robin stared at you for a second too long.
Then his eyes dropped to your lips.
"...Can I kiss you?"
Your stomach flipped. You nodded. Robin kissed you carefully at first, as though he was afraid of getting it wrong. Then you kissed him back. And neither of you paid attention to the movie after that.
---
After the drive-in closed, the two of you walked to a small diner downtown. Robin insisted on paying despite only having enough money left for fries and milkshakes.
You shared both.
At one point, an elderly couple smiled as Robin pushed the cherry from his milkshake toward you because "you like them more."
The waitress called you two sweet babies. Robin spent the next five minutes pretending to be offended. When he finally walked you home, the streets glowed gold beneath the streetlights.
Neither of you wanted the night to end. Robin stood awkwardly at the bottom of your porch steps.
"So..."
"So..."
"You got home safe," he said intelligently.
You laughed.
"Thanks for the date, Robin."
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Was it okay?"
Instead of answering, you stepped forward and kissed his cheek. Robin froze completely.
"It was perfect."
The stunned expression on his face told you he would remember that moment for the rest of his life. You didn't know then how little time either of you had left.
---
The first person who said it was Gwen.
Not the news. Not the posters. Not the whispers spreading through school hallways like smoke. Gwen Blake said it at lunch with trembling hands and frightened eyes.
"They took Robin."
Everything inside you went cold. At first, you laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it sounded impossible. Robin Arellano wasn't the kind of boy people just took.
Robin fought harder than grown men sometimes. Robin walked through life, daring the world to challenge him. Robin was supposed to be safe.
"...What?" you whispered.
Finney sat across from Gwen looking pale and exhausted. He hadn't touched his lunch.
"The Grabber," Gwen said quietly. "I think it was him."
The cafeteria sounds suddenly felt distant. Forks scraping trays.
Students talking.
Milk cartons dropping.
Everything faded beneath the roaring in your ears. "No," you said immediately.
"Robin would've beaten his ass."
Nobody answered. And somehow, that was worse. Because for the first time, you realized they were afraid.
And if they were afraid... Maybe you should have been, too.
A/n: This is my second remastered story, and I hope you like it. I am taking requests so it you have some, just send them out, and I'll do my best to answer them all.
