It's the final chapter, guys! Thank you so much to everyone who read, commented, reblogged, etc. It's been a fun one!
Also on Ao3
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The two months and three days that follow are both uniquely excruciating and extremely banal.
His days are the same. He works, he thinks of Steve's hands, he comes home, he thinks about the curve of Steve’s ass, he eats, he thinks of the fruity cocktail Steve had that made him scrunch up his face a little.
It’s been his routine since Chrissy roped him into her class. Steve had clogged up most of his spare thoughts since the moment he laid eyes on him, and it only got worse the more they talked. The more material he acquired for his vivid daydreams.
He comes home and thinks of Steve’s laugh, and his love for Robin, and his job at the diner. Wonders if he cooks at home too or is so tired after work that he settles for box mac and cheese out of the bowl. Wonders if they’ll ever be close enough for Steve to tell him more of what happened that bonded him with Robin.
They haven’t hung out since that night. They didn’t ignore each other, but there was an unspoken distance between them. Steve would wave when he came in, say hi and ask how his week was. It was polite, distant, and they both abided by the silent rules. Never too much detail, never too long.
It was more than he’d had when he was just looking. Not that he ever stopped looking. He was more than willing to wait for Steve, but he wasn’t going to starve himself of the feast for the eyes that was Steve in elastic shorts.
He was so hairy, it was actually kind of wild. Eddie dreamt of petting through the sweaty hair on his chest and thighs and finding all the little crevices of his body to just look at the damp. And, ok, maybe his daydreams included a little bit less looking and a little more, well, touching and tasting, but he’s trying to keep it PG-13 here.
But he digresses.
Chrissy and Robin made their relationship official two weeks after their totally-not-a-date date. He and Steve had shared commiserating looks in class after the announcement, hi-fiving when Chrissy’s back was turned.
Robin came in a time or two with Steve, always ending up on the floor sprawled out in some impossible position. Eddie feels a real solidarity with her.
He and Chrissy haven’t lived together for about a year now, but they swapped keys as soon as Eddie’s lease was signed, so Eddie sees a lot of Robin. She’s cool, and anxious, and really sweet on Chrissy. Basically, they get on like a house on fire. And it helps that she feeds him little tidbits of Steve centric information that he laps up like a dog with the peanut butter jar.
Time goes on, and before he knows it, Chrissy’s beginner yoga class is coming to an end. The three month cycle is complete, but there’s still three weeks and five days left on the countdown to the rest of Eddie’s life.
He makes sure to savor that last day. Steve’s shorts are particularly tight that day, and Eddie has the delusional thought that he did it for him. A little something to keep Eddie on the hook, like he needs any encouragement. Steve could be dressed like his oldest sweatpants and his baggiest sweater and Eddie would still want to eat him up. And, well, actually…isn’t that a nice mental image?
He finds himself thinking he'll even miss the yoga itself. He'll never in a million years admit it, especially not to Chrissy, but the exercise has been good for him. Hopefully, when Eddie’s wildest dreams come true and he becomes Steve’s boyfriend/future husband, Steve will drag him along to whatever class he’s in and he can say he was coerced into taking care of himself again.
They do their cool downs, roll their mats, and ignore the energy building between them. Eddie wants to say something like ‘see you in three weeks’ or ‘want to get some totally platonic coffee sometime’ to keep Steve in his orbit. But he wants to be respectful of Steve’s wishes, which means no trying to tempt him into more not-a-date dates until the clock runs out.
He lingers at the edges of the room the same way he did the first time he saw Steve. Watches from a distance as he talks to Chrissy, probably thanking her and maybe even getting details on the intermediate class she teaches on Wednesdays. The bolt of his jaw is so pleasantly shaped, and there’s a prominent freckle in the center of his cheek.
Steve wraps up, and turns back to catch his eye. He gives him that little finger wave, the same way he did that day, hesitates, and then turns to leave.
He watches him head out the door, blinking as the door clicks in place behind him.
“Oh, babe.” He hears Chrissy next to him, reaching up to rub at his shoulder. They’re the only two left in the room now. “Don’t worry. In three weeks, he’ll reach out. You’ll see.” Three weeks and five days, he thinks, but doesn’t say.
—---
Three weeks and five days.
They pass him by like molasses.
There are no texts, no messages, no postcards in the mail. That’s been the status quo since that night in the parking lot, but without Thursday yoga to tide him over, the silence rings. Makes him doubt.
Five days.
Should he text him?
A week and a day.
Maybe Steve changed his mind.
Two weeks and six days.
Was it all a vivid hallucination?
Three weeks and three days.
So close.
Three weeks and five days
Nothing.
Eddie waits all day. He turns the volume on his phone all the way up, even though he hates the sound. He jumps at every noise it makes and rushes to open it.
It’s never Steve.
He waits up until two in the morning, hoping. Nothing. Just email notifications for things he needs to unsubscribe from and apps telling him to check out the new update.
He crawls into bed that night and turns off his phone. He only cries a little. It was stupid to expect anything.
Three weeks and six days.
Eddie doesn’t want to go to work, but he knows wallowing in his house will do him no good. Instead, he wallows on the clock. His days at the mechanic start early, and they end by 3:00 PM. He treats himself to a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy’s as his weird late lunch early/dinner that he always regrets come 7 o’clock and eats it in his car. He deserves it.
He lets himself in the door and kicks off his nasty shoes into the hall closet without looking and settles into the armchair Wayne bought him second hand when he moved out. Makes him feel closer to the old man.
Knock, knock.
His heart jumps into his throat. He doesn’t even think about playing it cool, just rushes to the door because what if he got the math wrong? What if he got the wrong date? What if it’s-
Steve.
There in the threshold in a navy blue sweatshirt over a white button down and light grey chinos. A J. Crew add come to life. Eddie would buy whatever they were selling.
“Hey,” he says, too shocked to say anything else.
“Hey.” Steve replies, digging the toe of his shoe into his illegible metal font doormat, “Sorry for just showing up. Chrissy gave me the address, said you wouldn’t mind,” he says, looking up at him through his eyelashes.
“No, yeah, yes. I mean, I don’t mind. It’s good to see you.” Awkward, awkward, awkward.
“You mind if I come in?” Steve asks after a beat as Eddie just stands there staring at him.
“Shit, yeah. Welcome to Casa Munson. Home of the world famous fried bologna sandwich.” Why did he say that? Who says that to someone who may or may not be there to ask you out?
“What?” Steve asks, a startled little laugh coming out of him. That’s fair, he would have done the same thing. “Did you say bologna? I think I’ll pass.”
“Don’t knock it till you try it, man. It’s a Munson classic,” he says. This, he knows. How to make a joke, run a bit into the ground. “Fried bologna on Wonder Bread is a national delicacy, I’ll have you know. The Munson secret is the Tostitos cheese sauce. Little trade secret for you.” He leads Steve into his apartment, showing him where to put his shoes.
“I don’t know, what even in bologna? I don’t know if I want a mystery meat sandwich.” He puts his hands on his hips, cocking them to one side like there needs to be any more attention drawn there.
“Oh-ho, is that a challenge I hear?” He goads, stepping toward the kitchen. He’s stalling, he knows he is. He doesn’t want to entertain the possibility that Steve is here because he changed his mind. It’s always a possibility, no matter how friendly he’s being now. “Follow me, I’ll show yo-” He’s cut off by a hand in his own pulling him sharply in the opposite direction.
He lets out a startled yelp, but Steve doesn’t seem to notice. “Eddie,” he says. Insistent, “It’s been a year and a day since my last breakup,” he says.
“Yeah, yeah I know,” Eddie says. He can’t think of anything else to say. He won’t ask, he couldn’t stand to ask and be denied, fully this time. Not if there’s the slightest chance this doesn’t go the way he hopes and he’s left with his heart on the carpet.
Steve steps closer, gives a little squeeze to his fingers.
“So, did you mean it? When you said you could wait forever?” He clears his throat. “Would you let me take you on a date sometime?” He asks, a little shy, but not unsure. He wants this, the same as Eddie.
Eddie feels like he swallowed the sun.
“Yeah, yup, absolutely. Honestly, if I ever say no to that question shoot me because that’s not me. That’s a clone, or an alien, or something. Not me for sure,” he rambles. He can feel how wide his eyes are. Kids at school used to call him buggy, but he can’t help it. He wants to take absolutely everything in about this moment. He hopes Steve likes his men with big wet eyes because he has a feeling he’s never going to want to miss a moment of them.
Jesus Dio Christ on a cracker, they’re pretty much a them.
All those kids at school can suck it, because Eddie gets to watch every movement Steve makes closer to him. Gets to see him reach out slowly and cup Eddie’s cheek in slightly calloused hands.
“Oh yeah?” Steve murmurs, gazing at him with another new look for him to categorize. Suave, hungry, considering “What about this question?”
“What question?” Eddie whispers, keeping the moment close.
“Can I kiss you?”
What can Eddie do but nod?
It’s chaste, but it lingers. Warm, and soft, and perfect. Eddie relishes in the slightly sticky parting of their lips. Steve is wearing chapstick or lip gloss of some sort, and it takes everything in him not to lick just at his mouth for a taste.
He shudders out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as they part, Steve huffing out a little laugh that brushes across his lips as he leans back. Eddie can’t resist the temptation to lick at the trace of Steve left behind on his mouth. Strawberry.
Steve laughs harder, using the hand still cradling his face to thumb at where Eddie has his tongue. “God, you’re such a freak. I like it.” He says. Fond. Real, Eddie thinks.
Eddie smiles and darts out his tongue to lap at the digit like a lizard, making Steve really lose it. He collapses into Eddie, tucking his head into the other man’s neck, a light layer of condensation forming on the skin there as he giggles. Eddie curls his hands into the fabric at the back of his sweater, joining Steve in his joy.
The laughter dies down, but neither of them lets go, holding each other while they sway back and forth outside Eddie’s kitchen on a Monday afternoon.
“You got no idea how freaky I can be about you, Steve. You better get ready,” Eddie says, into his cheek, pressing a loud, sloppy kiss on the prominent freckle there.
Hi darling how are you? I hope that you are doing good .Can i request for a romantic and platonic matchup for Supernatural , stranger things and The Witcher/ The Hobbit you can pick the last One because i can't 😌
Looks :I am a 22 year old She/her lesbian mixed portuguese, Cape Verdean/Marrocan girl , my hair is a very dark brown and very curly , shoulder length but i Also do box braids Often on My hair and they always red , blue , purple ect .. , i wear black glasses , i am 1.78cm , My nails are always done and they are always kinda long but not that big and always black ( sometimes black with purple ,blue or with silver glitter . My nails are natural but but with gel on top ) also i have tattoos
Style: i am goth and most of the Times i am more in to the romantic,vampire and whimsigoth , i wear lord of silver rings , and i always wear cristal braceletes , i loveee corsets .
Personallty/hobbies
I am an Infp , My friends describe me as sarcástic loyal, intellegent , suportive unique ,wichy ( i am a hellenic pagan)caring but with a black cat energy , Also My friends Often compere me to Mortícia Adams , Lydia ( from beetlejuice) and Emily from the corpse Bride even tho that they are very differente . I love to read , to dance Belly dance, going to museams, i loveee history to listen to music specially on vinyl ( some of My favorites artist are Michael Jackson, Queen , ABBA , Shakira , Metallica and Muse ) And i love to watch movies some of favs are ( crimson peak, sleppy hollow , corpse bride, beetlejuice, the Adams family) i love to learn new languages and to travel ( i speak portuguese and English but i am learnig Italian and korean ) My Dream job it's to became an actress or prof of history or to work on a museams or a library. ✨
Hi!
I am great, I hope you are, too!
<333
I would love to do some matches for you!
I hope you like them!
Enjoy!
Romantic and Platonic Matchups; Supernatural, Stranger Things, and The Witcher
~~~
Romantic;
~~~
Supernatural;
Charlie Bradbury -
You met Charlie through Sam and Dean
She was showing up to help the Winchesters on a tech-related hunt, and instantly, she noticed your sharp, sarcastic wit and gothic style
She teased you about your dark aesthetic, calling you “officially terrifying, but in the best way,” and you rolled your eyes but secretly loved the attention
You bonded over tech and trivia, but also over the love of dark, whimsical movies
She was surprised you were a fan of Corpse Bride and Beetlejuice
At first, it was playful banter and sharing little nerdy obsessions
She’d show you new tech hacks, and you’d sneak in book recommendations or obscure gothic movies for her to watch
You’d spend late nights at the bunker, sipping coffee or hot chocolate, discussing everything from mythology to favorite bands
Charlie always notices your little quirks
Your black cat energy
Your intricate rings and bracelets
How your nails were perfectly done
And she adored them all
Charlie slowly started feeling more protective of you, especially seeing how loyal and caring you were to Sam and Dean
She loved your intelligence and the way you’d roll your eyes at sarcasm but still laugh
Little touches started lingering
A hand brushing against yours while reaching for the same book
Playful nudges while teasing each other
Or stealing glances while you talked
Charlie awkwardly admitted her feelings after a tense hunt when she realized she couldn’t stop worrying about you
She stumbled through it, blushing, muttering, “I’m terrible with my own feelings. I like you. A lot. Can we…?”
You laughed softly but nodded, leaning into her, and it was sweet, messy, and perfect
Once together, it’s a mix of cozy nights in and adventurous hunts
You’d curl up in blankets with vinyl records playing, reading to each other, while she softly hums along to Queen or Muse
She’s the type to surprise you with small techy gifts
While you surprise her with darkly whimsical gifts or obscure vampire novels
Baking cookies together and somehow ending up with flour on both of your noses
Lazy Sundays in pajamas, reading or watching old gothic movies
Morning coffees together
Exploring abandoned houses for fun
Graveyard visits
Vinyl record hunting and curating playlists for each other
Going to museums or history exhibits and debating facts passionately
Belly dancing or impromptu dancing in the living room to Michael Jackson or Shakira
You steal her hoodies and she teases you relentlessly but loves seeing them on you
She’ll write you cute little notes with nerdy puns, hiding them in your jacket or book
~~~
Stranger Things;
Robin Buckley -
You were visiting Hawkins as Steve’s cousin, and first saw Robin working at Scoops Ahoy
You immediately bonded over mutual sarcasm, intelligence, and offbeat humor
After a shared obsession with vinyl records and weird movies, she invited you to hang out after her shift
Your friendship started with playful teasing and intellectual debates
She’d challenge your opinions on history, music, and movies while you tried to stump her with your quirky knowledge
You’d go on little adventures around Hawkins
Record hunting, late-night diner runs, or exploring quiet parks
Robin loved how fiercely loyal you were and how your black cat energy kept everyone on their toes
Robin’s feelings grew quietly, often when she caught herself watching you twirl your hair, adjust your rings, or laugh at something sarcastic
She adored your quirks, your gothic elegance, and the little ways you expressed yourself
She started finding excuses to be close
Brushing against your shoulder while reaching for something, leaning into your space when sharing headphones
She confessed on a quiet night, “I… Really like you,” She said, fumbling slightly
“Like, a lot. And I don’t want this to ruin our friendship, but… Yeah. I like you.”
You smiled, brushing her hand with yours, letting her know it was mutual
The moment was quiet, perfect, and intimate
Your relationship is playful, sarcastic, and deeply supportive
You binge gothic movies together, swapping commentary and teasing each other
Robin brings out your adventurous side
You try weird ice cream flavors, late-night adventures, and occasional pranks
You love teaching her subtle witchy rituals and crystal meanings, and she loves teaching you about the small, strange things in Hawkins she’s passionate about
Pillow forts and impromptu movie marathons
Morning coffees together while debating which vinyl record to play
Robin reading your favorite books aloud, making dramatic voices
You gifting her small crystals or charms to keep her safe, and she keeps them in her backpack
~~~
The Witcher;
Yennefer -
You met Yennefer while traveling with Geralt and Jaskier
Your first impression
A strikingly powerful, commanding presence, softened by subtle curiosity toward you
Yennefer respects your intelligence and independence immediately
You bond over deep conversations, sarcastic humor, and shared appreciation for the macabre and mystical
She’s intrigued by your magical curiosities, often asking about your crystals or rituals
You admire her strength, wit, and sharp tongue, enjoying watching her subtly melt when you compliment her or engage her in intellectual banter
Yennefer is patient but intense in her feelings
She notices little details
How your eyes light up discussing history, your soft reactions to certain music, your subtle dark humor
She finds herself seeking your attention, lingering near you during travels, and protecting you silently in dangerous moments
You feel her gaze often and secretly thrill at it
Yennefer’s confession is elegant, a quiet night under the stars after a battle
She simply takes your hand, looks deeply into your eyes, and says, “I do not yield my heart easily, yet here it is. I… Want you. Only you.”
Her voice is both commanding and tender
You respond in kind, entwining your fingers with hers, a soft, lingering kiss sealing the moment
Passionate, intense, and deeply affectionate
Yennefer adores showing you off subtly
Linking arms, touching your back in crowded places, whispering sarcastic compliments that make you flush
You spend time exploring mystical libraries, sharing music and dance (you teach her a few belly dance moves), and quietly enjoying domestic life when traveling between battles
Reading together by candlelight, her hand brushing yours every so often
Teaching her how to use crystals and herbs in daily rituals
Quiet mornings with tea, her hair cascading as she leans against you
~~~
Plantonic;
~~~
Supernatural;
Sam Winchester;
You met Sam and Dean when they came to your city for a hunt
Sam was immediately intrigued by your intellect, your gothic style, and your quiet, observant nature
Dean was more skeptical at first, but Sam vouched for you
You impressed them both with your knowledge of lore, history, and your ability to help with supernatural research
Sam loves your loyalty and your quiet intensity
He sees you as a calming presence but also someone who doesn’t take his own fears lightly
He often confides in you about the burden of hunting, knowing you won’t judge
You, in turn, respect his wisdom and the depth of his empathy
Researching at libraries or museums for ancient lore
Watching classic horror or gothic films while discussing every artistic detail
Going on late-night drives after hunts, where you talk about philosophy, history, and music
Dancing around the bunker kitchen to vinyl records, especially Michael Jackson or Queen
~~~
Stranger Things;
Steve Harrington -
Steve is your cousin, so you’ve known each other since childhood
Your relationship has evolved from playful teasing to deep, trust-filled camaraderie
Steve still calls you out when you’re sarcastic, and you mock him for his dramatic tendencies
Steve loves your protective black cat energy
You both balance each other
Your sarcasm lightens his intensity, and his humor softens your seriousness
He’s always there when you need a shoulder or a shield, and you secretly love seeing that tender side of him
Going to the mall or retro arcades
Watching horror or vampire films at his house late at night
Learning to dance together, or just teasing each other while attempting belly dance moves
Sometimes just lying outside, staring at the stars, sharing music on vinyl
~~~
The Witcher;
Jaskier -
You were traveling with Geralt, and Jaskier immediately took a liking to your gothic, whimsical energy
He adored your passion for music, your love of history, and the way you could match his flair for dramatics in a playful way
You and Jaskier share a theatrical bond
Lots of banter, teasing, and playful insults
You love how he turns everything into a story or a song, while he adores how grounded and observant you are
You both have an unspoken agreement that Geralt is off-limits for your jokes, but you sneak them anyway
Performing music together, him on lute and you on vocals or simply dancing along
Wandering medieval towns or markets and critiquing architecture and art
Reading gothic poetry together by candlelight in taverns or inns
Collecting quirky souvenirs or trinkets during travels
Practicing swordplay or other whimsical, playful duels for fun
Traveling to festivals and performing little improvisational pieces
Late-night walks in moonlit streets, sharing stories and dreams
Robin paused, mouth full of soda while she processed what Nancy was trying to say.
“What…uh…Steve?” Robin stuttered, trying to catch up.
“Why I didn’t like you, at the beginning,” explained Nancy, short curls bouncing around her face while she spoke. “It was never about him. And I wanted you to know that,”
Robin carefully set her glass down on the table. The diner was quiet, tuesday nights were never busy in any part of Hawkins. Nancy toyed with the edge of a napkin, throwing a quick glance around to see if their waitress was coming back with their food any time soon.
“Ok…thank you?” ventured Robin.
“I just…” Nancy cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, still looking down at the table between them. “Since we’re…doing this now, this, us… I need to get it out there,”
Robin’s stomach leapt at the mention of them being an us despite only a handful of unofficial dates as she leaned slightly over the table, raising her eyebrows to encourage Nancy to keep talking.
“Barb Holland was my best friend,” said Nancy quickly. “She meant a lot to me,”
Robin practically felt the floor fall out from under her.
“When she went missing you…” Nancy steeled herself again. “I heard you saying things about her that were cruel and mean and… You said a lot of things,”
Robin was frozen. She got the impression this had been rehearsed in the mirror.
“So I need to know why you did that,” finished Nancy with a sharp nod. “Why you said all that,”
Nancy’s gaze finally lifted from the table and locked onto Robin’s. Robin opened her mouth but nothing came out. She thought about Barb every day, but there were some things that not even Steve knew. There were some things that were too painful to remember.
“Well?” asked Nancy, her face like stone.
Robin took in a trembling breath and leaned back into her seat.
She didn’t know what do to, what to say. Barely knew how to say it. Never mind after being put so firmly on the spot like that. Robin’s mind raced. How would Nancy react if she knew the truth? Had Barb told her anything? Obviously not, if this was the conversation they were having.
The longer Robin stayed uncharacteristically silent, contemplating her next move, the harder Nancy’s face got.
Hell, Robin didn’t even know what that next move was going to be.
Robin thought of us. Whatever came next, it had to be to protect us.
“Truth is, Nance…” Robin started, folding her arms on the table. “I thought she stood me up, and I wanted to get back at her,”
Robin hated herself for finally admitting it. Hated admitting that the reason she spent two days backbiting and badmouthing Barb, her Barb, was for something so shallow. She’d heard the cheerleaders talk before a game. She’d picked up a few things on how to make someone feel guilty. All the little one-liners to make someone stomach clench and their mood plummet. Those girls were masters of ruining someone’s day and Robin used every piece of overheard ammo she could. Robin wanted to hurt Barb like she’d hurt her. Or at least, the way Robin had thought she’d been hurt.
“You and…” Nancy’s eyes grew wide. “Oh,”
“Yeah, oh” said Robin with a sarcastic laugh. “We were supposed to go out the day after Steve’s party. Right after school we were going to catch a bus to Jackson and spent the whole night just… walking around somewhere new, I guess? We had tickets to a movie and everything, my dad drove me out the day before so I could buy them,”
“Oh… Oh Robin,” sighed Nancy, putting a hand on Robin’s arm.
“She wasn’t in school that day, and I thought well maybe she skipped?” said Robin, her voice wobbling. “She never skipped but I didn’t want to think she was sick because then that would mean cancelling, you know?”
Robin quickly swiped a tear from under her eye with the edge of her sleeve.
“But then she wasn’t at the bus station either,” said Robin softly. “I didn’t even think about going by her house, her parents didn’t know about…me… I just went home instead. I think… I think if I had have gone there, that maybe I would have found out something was wrong sooner and not said the things I did,”
Nancy’s face had softened entirely. She was looking at Robin with wet eyes, trying to keep her bottom lip from pouting out.
“You didn’t know,” whispered Nancy. “It’s ok,”
“I swear, I swear I didn’t know,” said Robin.
“I know,” promised Nancy, squeezing Robin’s arm.
Their waitress appeared and dropped their plates between them. Nancy shuffled out of her side of the booth and pushed in beside Robin, grabbing her hand under the table to subtly lace their fingers together.
“I didn’t know about the two of you,” said Nancy quietly. “She never told me,”
“We never told anyone,” answered Robin. “I wish we did. If someone knew then I wouldn’t have been able to get away with trying to… bully her when she was already…”
“Gone,” said Nancy, finishing where Robin trailed off.
“I hate myself for it every day,” said Robin, clinging to Nancy’s hand. “Every single day I think I’d do anything if it meant I could take it back, and tell people how amazing she was instead,”
“She really was pretty amazing,” agreed Nancy.
Robin took a shaky breath.
“I… I don’t know if I can say this, you know, considering this, and all,” Robin squeezed Nancy’s hand for emphasis. “But… I really miss her, Nance. I think about her a lot,”
Nancy nodded.
“I do too,” she said. “And that’s ok,”
“It is?” asked Robin tentatively. “Some days it feels like I’m under water with how bad it feels,”
“It is,” said Nancy. “I get that way too sometimes. Thinking about how I could have stopped it,”
“You couldn’t-“
“You don’t need to do that,” said Nancy gently. “Thank you, but, you don’t,”
Robin nodded solemnly.
“We have each other now,” said Nancy. “We can be there for each other when it gets too much. I’ll keep your head above water if you do the same for me,”
“That sounds like a plan,” said Robin, feeling a small sense of relief.
“Good,” said Nancy. “Come on, don’t let your food go cold,”
Robin ate one-handed, the other still hanging on to Nancy’s. Thinking about Barb still made her world turn on it’s axis, but at least now Nancy Wheeler was there to keep her steady. She suddenly wasn’t alone with it anymore. They would face it together whenever they needed to.
Excerpt from a Time Travel Fic I Probably Won't Finish
(This is completely unrelated to my time travel fic You Me Her. In this version, Steve and Robin go back to summer 1983 together from 1986 after the death of most of the other characters. Robin ends up fake-dating Steve to hide her sexuality and give her a reason to be around him.)
Robin was sitting out at the picnic bench in the woods, waiting for Steve’s afternoon practice to finish. She probably should have been sitting in the bleachers, watching them practice and playing the role of the good girlfriend. But she hated spending time around the other jocks. Tommy H never said anything disparaging in front of Steve – not after Steve had made it clear who he would pick if forced to choose between Tommy and Robin – but he said anything he could get away with when Steve’s back was turned. Jason Carver looked disgusted with her presence. And several of the other boys were nice enough, decided that they found Robin funny when she wasn’t rambling. But now that she was the girl on King Steve’s arm, she was noticeable and a lot of the boys looked at her in ways they hadn’t when she’d been an invisible band geek.
Most of them didn’t say anything lecherous to her face. They didn’t dare touch her or flirt with her, not when they saw her as belonging to Steve.
But the attention made Robin uncomfortable anyway.
Part of her wondered if she should stage a breakup with Steve so she could go back to getting bullied the way she was used to instead of this new, confusing way. But now that she’d “dated” Steve, she didn’t think she’d go back to being invisible, even if they broke up. And the only thing worse than putting up with a bunch of horny, cruel jocks was still having their attention but without Steve’s protection.
Robin hated that she needed Steve’s protection. She’d faced off against monsters from another dimension. She’d spat in a Russian soldier’s face. She’d done things that would make those jocks piss their pants in fear, and none of it mattered here. To them, she was just a girl, powerless and vulnerable except for the protection of her future prom king boyfriend.
It sucked.
The sound of metal jangling made Robin look up.
“Eddie Munson,” she said, surprised.
He looked younger than when she’d known him. His hair was shorter, just above his shoulders, and the battle jacket he’d thrown at Steve had a lot fewer patches. The chains on his jeans were probably what had gotten her attention. He looked shocked to see her.
“Robin Buckley.”
She frowned. “You know who I am?”
In 1983 Eddie must be a senior, the first time around. Robin was a sophomore and they didn’t exactly run in the same circles. They both ran with music crowds, but Robin liked the band kids and Eddie ran with the crowd who thought they were too cool and alternative for the band kids. He had no reason to know who she was.
Eddie laughed. “Do I know the girl dating King Steve? You’re hard to miss, Buckley. You sent the whole school into a tizzy, wondering how you distracted The Hair from pursuing cheerleaders. Word on the street was he had his eye on Nancy Wheeler, who’s at least vaguely on the popularity radar, and then BAM! King Steve shows up with a band kid girlfriend and settles down for the first time ever. How did you do it?”
Robin fluttered, unsure of what to do with her hands. “Oh God. Everyone is gossiping about me, aren’t they?”
“Should’ve thought of that before dating King Steve,” Eddie said. “So how did you do it? Did you seduce him?”
Robin snorted. “No.”
“Trick him?”
“No.”
“Is this some kind of Prom King rebellion on his part? Is dating a band geek the jock equivalent of a teenage girl dating a bad boy?”
Robin scowled. “Maybe we just like each other.”
Yeah, she and Steve ran in radically different circles on different rungs of the social ladder. But Steve was her best fucking friend. She liked his unfailing love for shitty music and shitty mainstream movies. The snappy, annoyed persona that she and the kids were good at drawing out of him. The way he cared, always, about everyone, and showed it by giving them food, or his jacket when it was cold, or his ear if they needed someone to listen.
She’d laughed with Steve until her abs hurt. She’d cried on his shoulder for more hours than she could count. She’d come out to him in a shitty mall bathroom and his support for her hadn’t wavered, not once, not even for a second.
He’d let her make the unilateral decision to be his fake girlfriend and never complained, even though it was keeping him away from Nancy Wheeler. He’d trusted her with his fears about his brain and told her it wasn’t scary to be honest with her because she was Robin.
Robin knew it was 1983 and Steve was only a few weeks separated from the height of his King Steve persona. But she hated that she was the only person who saw him as more than that.
“Right,” Eddie said, sounding tentative. “Well, listen, as fun as it’s been to talk to the Queen Consort, could you take your homework somewhere else?”
Robin stared at him. “I was here first.”
“And usually, I’m all for finders-keepers and solemnly respect the rule of dibs,” Eddie said. “But I need this table to do business, and you’re going to scare off the customers.”
Robin’s eyes dropped to the little metal lunchbox Eddie was holding. “Oh. Right. Sure.”
She slid her books — and Steve’s books, because she working on his math homework tonight — into her backpack.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Eddie said, dropping his things onto the table.
Robin made a face at the nickname. “I’m just Robin.”
Eddie looked up at her with big, distrustful eyes. Like just her association with King Steve made her someone dangerous, someone who he couldn’t trust. “Not to the people at this school, you aren’t. Not anymore.”
Robin didn’t know what to say to that. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to say that nothing about dating Steve (or pretending to date Steve) had changed her as a person and that she hated all the popular kids as much as Eddie did. That she was still a girl who talked too much, who missed too many social cues, who played trumpet in a polyester costume, and who liked to kiss other girls. That she understood what it was like to be an outsider in a small-minded town like Hawkins, Indiana.
But she couldn’t say any of that.
Instead Robin spun on her heels and walked away, anger and frustration and a strange sadness in her chest, like she was mourning the girl she’d been in the other timeline. The girl who had never met Steve until her first day working at Scoops Ahoy.
Maybe she was beginning to understand how Steve felt when, for years after his downfall, everyone had still referred to him as King.
