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It starts one night after the Starcourt mall incident.
They’re watching a stupid rom com at Steve’s that Robin loudly protested against, saying that Steve had no tastes, and that she never wanted him choosing again. They ended up watching it anyway, even if neither of them is paying attention; Steve is still high on alert, the events of the 4th of July leaving him tense and restless, and Robin is half-asleep against his shoulder, drifting on and off sleep with the determination to stay awake with him.
It's the kind of sleepless nights they’ve gotten used to spend together. Shared trauma will do that to a relationship, they joke about it even when the feeling of knuckles against his face is still stinging Steve’s mind and Robin’s face is haunted and scared. They don’t want to bother the kids, they have secrets and friendship, being together doesn’t feel like a formality anymore.
The two main characters kiss on screen, and Robin sighs loudly. The kiss deepens, she sighs louder and Steve turns, dislodging her from his shoulder.
“Okay, what’s happening?” she doesn’t even look his way, opting for throwing her head back into the cushion, “You’ve been clearly upset since you came here, you wanna talk about it or just brood in a corner?”
Her eyes finally meet his and she smiles apologetically, he does the same, not wanting her to feel like she can’t talk to him. Steve would listen to Robin and her complaints over every rom com that exist, even his favorites.
“It’s stupid, really.”
“If it’s bothering you then clearly not.”
“It’s just…” she lets out a huff “my parents, you know?” he nods because yes, he does know, “they’re always saying stuff like “oh Robin when will you get a boyfriend?” or “you know that boy? He’s charming you should try and talk to him” and they’re implying that- that people might get the “wrong idea” and that I should start to date a boy so that their reputation’s safe, and it’s scary as hell because what if they figure it out? What if they understand that I like girls? I’m not ready for that- I don’t want that- and what if-…”
She’s full-on rambling now, her hands moving frantically, voice cracking and eyes filled with panic. And Steve is so sad for her; she shouldn’t have to feel like that. Robin, who’s strong, and funny, who managed to laugh when they were captured by Russians and who came out to him in a bathroom stall with a bravery that he could never have. The Robin that Steve likes a lot, all sarcasm and playful jabs, shouldn’t look this scared, this cornered.
“Hey, first of all, calm down, breathe, you’re okay and they’re not gonna find out anything you don’t want them to, okay? You still have time to tell them, if you want to.”
“But that’s the problem, Steve! I don’t have time. I’m nearly eighteen and I’ve never had a boyfriend, never talked about crushes with them… What are they gonna think, if it continues like this?”
He stays silent a moment trying to respond to that, but he knows she’s right. Robin doesn’t wait for him before she carries on, quieter this time:
“You know… I’ve talked about you a few times to them. And… They already think we’re something so…”
She’s hopeful, and it takes a moment for Steve to understand why. But when it does:
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. So, are you okay with me lying about us to my parents, or does that bother you? It would, like, totally save me but I understand if you’re not comfortable with that. With you searching for true love and all that.”
“No! Don’t worry it doesn’t bother me. I’m just… Are you sure this is a good idea? Are they really going to believe that you and me…”?
Robin gives him a pointed look, and he notices that her feet are on his lap. Their arms are linked, and three minutes ago, she had her head against him. Hell, she’s wearing one of his t-shirts and it’s so big it’s swallowing her whole.
That makes him think about them. He thinks about their sleepovers and movie nights at his house, where they always fall asleep on the other and finish the night with entangled limbs and aching backs. He thinks about searching together for a job, not really wanting to let the other go just yet using moral support as an excuse. He thinks about late night calls and reassuring words, he thinks about his love for her, growing so fast it’s scaring him, he thinks about their hands intertwined and the heated arguments about the hottest actresses of all time, he thinks about having that forever: a best friend like her, and he doesn’t hesitate.
“Okay, let’s do that. I’ll be a shitty friend if I don’t make you my fake girlfriend, huh?”
Robin smiles, big and blinding, and Steve is sure he made the right choice.
“I hope you’ll be a good fake boyfriend dingus”, she claps her hand, all trace of sleep forgotten as she hauls herself from the couch, “Now! Let’s establish our backstory!”
And so, it begins.
_______
Robin’s house looks so huge now that Steve stands in front of the door.
He’s never been inside (except that one time he helped Robin sneak out, but that was only her room, so it doesn’t count), and the prospect of it, of meeting Robin’s parents as her fake boyfriend feels kind of frightening. He hasn’t felt this scared since his first time meeting the Wheeler’s, and even then, he had a little more confidence. Now? His reputation held very little against parents (they’ve all learned about his luck with college), and he was nervously passing his hand through his hair, waiting for someone to open the door.
After their mutual agreement, they’ve had a long conversation about how to make their story believable to Robin’s parents. They’d argued a lot about the timeline, what to say and what not to say and how much time they would be fake dating (they’ve agreed on three months or so for that, but Steve was certain that it would last longer because of Robin’s parents). Robin’s made sheets with all the information they’re supposed to memorize. It’d felt too much like homework for Steve.
He hears footstep approaching, and barely has time to register it that the door open, revealing a frenzied looking Robin. She smiles, looks him up and down, and snickers.
“Wow, you really went all the way to impress them. They’re gonna look at your outfit once and think you’re the one.”
“Hello to you too, Robin. And listen, I wear that to every “meet the parents” occasion and they never went wrong so I don’t want to hear your complaints.”
“Yeah, yeah I believe you”, she gestures at the inside, “come on then, Casanova. My parents are waiting and they’re definitely going to kill me if I don’t let you in”
The inside doesn’t look like an American home at all. Books in different languages are clattered everywhere, on or outside the multitude of bookshelves, in an artsy sort of way that Steve can’t fully understand. There’s a lot of paintings on the walls that just scream expensive, and music is coming faintly from the leaving room. He winces, his parents may be snobs, but they’re not art snobs like Robin’s. He knows the kind; they’re going to be difficult.
As he takes a look at his surroundings, the kitchen door opens, letting out an unknown but delicious smell, followed by a woman with Robin’s hair. She notices them and go to them with a polite smile, her eyes only flickering briefly to his face. Robin had warned them about it, saying that he protected her and the kids during the 4th of July, and that was why he was looking like this, but Steve was still scared about that leaving a bad impression.
“I was sure I heard the doorbell,” she chuckles, “you must me Steve, Robin told us very little about you, but it’s a pleasure.”
Steve smiles politely, he knows how to deal with parents, it’s easier than fighting demo-creatures, and he just has to imagine that he’s not meeting his new best friend’s parents but his new girlfriend’s. He steps into his good jock boyfriend role so easily it’s scary.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. Thank you for having me tonight.”
“Oh please, call me Deborah.”
They exchange pleasantries for a moment, before Deborah must go back to her cooking. When she’s gone, Robin looks at Steve wide-eyed.
“Wow. Didn’t know you had it in you to be so polite.”
He scoffs “What? You really didn’t believe in the Harrington charm? Come on Robs, I thought you had more faith in me.”
“I’ll believe in the Harrington charm once you’ve won over my dad dingus.”
And, true to these words, Robert Buckley is tougher than his wife. He doesn’t ask for Steve to call him by his first name, doesn’t smile at him, doesn’t even try to know more about him. But Steve has had his fair share of meeting adults that he’s supposed to please, parents or not. And in contrary to their house, the Buckley’s are a very stereotypical American family, it’s nothing he has never done, and soon, he gets Robin’s father to crack a smile at him. He smiles in return and hope that dinner will not be a disaster.
______
Once dinner is finished, Robin and Steve return to her room (with the strict order of leaving the door open that make them quietly laugh). He stands awkwardly in the middle, while she plops on her bed and lets a delighted giggle fall from her mouth.
“I don’t know how you did it, but I’m certain that they believe us! My mom was looking so happy that I finally had someone over, it was kinda funny.”
And it’s true, during dinner, questions had fused, and Steve and Robin answered them with a flourish that surprised him. Robin playing perfectly well the girl enamored with her first boyfriend, and him talking politely every time something was directed at him, never overstepping. The Buckley seemed to believe all of it, Deborah having a blinding smile all night and Robert nodding with approval whenever they said something he deemed right about their relationship or Steve himself. He’d have felt bad about lying to them, was it not for Robin.
“You did most of the job, you theater kid. I nearly believed you sometimes, it was scary.”
“Steve, you seduced both my parents in less than an hour, I could have told them we weren’t together and I’m not sure they would have listened. “
“Yeah, because that was the plan all along: seducing your mom and your dad to trick them into giving me all of your paintings and fancy books.”
She swats his leg with her foot, having to stretch to reach him, “Don’t make any comments about my house if you don’t wanna talk about yours,” he laughs, and she pats the unoccupied side of the bed, “Come here you idiot.”
Steve sits, carefully looking at her. He moves a strand of hair, spread all over the blanket and she tugs on his arm for him to lay down. He does and meets her face. They lock eyes, and she’s looking at him like he’s the only boy in the world.
Something in his chest ache for it, it’s no longer the naïve want he had while working at Scoops Ahoy, it’s a stronger hope, that, maybe, she is also the only girl in the world for him.
“I’m glad it’s you, you know”, she murmurs, like a confession, her eyes not leaving his. God, he loves her so much.
“I’m glad too,” he whispers back, and they both know it’s the truth.
______
Of course, everything had to go to shit after that.
It’s weeks after the dinner, and Steve’s babysitting, again. He’s apparently the only adult with a clear schedule.
They’re at the Byler’s house, all the kids together, talking quietly in the living room while Steve is trying to not pay attention to them in the kitchen. Since Hopper’s disappearance (and Billy’s too, for Max), the atmosphere is tense and filled with sadness more often than not. It’s understandable, and Steve is trying to distract them as best as he can. But sometime, they just need to talk, to mourn, and he lets them (how they can have better copying mechanism than him when they’re just babies, he wonders).
Today seems to not be one of those days, as Dustin approach him with stubbornness clear in his eyes, the others not far behind.
“Steve”, he says, and Steve knows that he’s already lost any battle he wanted to have, “we want to make waffles.”
“What, like, right now?”
“No Steve, tomorrow. Yes! Right now,” they look at each other, unimpressed. Usually, Steve would have made a comment about how much of a brat Dustin was being and that he had to apologize before they start anything. But one look at a shy and, frankly devastated looking El: her hair in disarray, cheeks blotchy with the crying and her eyes red rimmed and tired, and Steve just sighs. He may be protesting too much, but he loves these kids, and seeing them like this is heartbreaking for him. Call him a pushover, but he could never say no to any of them.
“Do you have the ingredients?”, he says, turning to Will, who ducks his head, cheeks reddening before muttering a negative answer, “That’s what I thought. Well, I’m gonna get us everything we need for it, but once I return, I want everyone to help me with it. You shitheads exploit me enough as it is.”
“But you’re the only one who can decently cook, Steve!”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Sinclair. Alright, who wants to come?”
And that’s how they find themselves in the grocery store, six kids looking for everything but what they need and one nineteen years old desperately trying to keep them together and looking apologetically at every customer frowning his way. He never should have brought them.
Steve is regretting all his life choices that led him to this moment, when he hears a too familiar voice:
“Steve! I didn’t think I’d see you there!”
He turns to see Deborah Buckley near the aisle, smiling at him with so much warm it is surprising.
“Deborah,” he smiles in return, hoping that it doesn’t end up looking like a wince, she really picked a wrong time, “I didn’t think I’d see you there either. How are you?”
Sue him and his manners, they end up making small talk in front of the cereal aisle. Steve, while talking, can see that all his kids are gathered in a circle around them, looking curiously and without hiding it (seriously who teaches them manners?). Deborah doesn’t notice, or care, until El take his hand, gentle but clearly annoyed.
“Steve. We have the ingredients. Let’s make waffles.”
Mrs. Buckley looks at him with barely concealed curiosity, and Steve should have known she was a gossip.
“Right, uhm, Deborah, these are the kids I’m babysitting. Kids, this is Robin’s mother”, a chorus of nice to meet you starts, “Deborah, I’m really sorry but I have to go, I promised these monsters that we would make waffles.” He smiles apologetically at her.
He can hear Mike muttering that they’re not kids and he shouldn’t treat them like they are, but he doesn’t pay attention. Mike is a little shit. Deborah has a smug look that worries Steve a lot. She simply nods and he feels his soul leaving his body when she says:
“You really are a perfect boy Steve, no wonder why Robin loves you,” she turns and wave at them, “Come back for dinner anytime!”
Steve can barely hear her over Dustin’s shriek.
Well. Shit.
“You and Robin?! Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He’s almost screaming now. So is everyone else. Questions after questions are asked over the voices of the others, the kids have all their faces in a different state of indignation, it’s a chaos that Steve really wants to avoid.
“Quiet down! We’re still at a grocery store and I still very much have a concussion,” they all stop speaking, looking guilty, “we’ll talk about it when we’re at Will’s house, okay?”
They all nod, and Steve can finally pay for their groceries, ignoring the jittery feeling that emanates from them. He isn’t paid enough for this. Hell, he isn’t paid at all.
When they arrive, he takes his time, ignoring the panic building up in his chest. He doesn’t know what to do. Telling the kids that their relationship is a lie could put Robin at risk, and he certainly doesn’t want to out her, even to people who mean well. Lying and telling them that they’re together makes Steve feel really bad. He doesn’t want to do that, feels like that’s crossing a line (El and her “friends don’t lie” thing is an important factor in his guiltiness). But at the same time… Half of the kids were already persuaded that Steve had a crush on Robin, and vice versa. It wouldn’t hurt them so bad, and it wouldn’t do any harm to Robin (he wished she were here with him, dealing with this problem together was much better than panicking alone, her presence would make him think calmly).
The kids are watching him as he sits down, ready to attack him with questions. He takes a deep breath and:
“Yeah, Robin and I are together.”
They all scream, even El seems amused by what’s happening. Steve tries to answer everything he can, remembering the sheet Robin had made for them. He smiles where it’s convenient and tries to make everyone believe their lies. Only Will has doubt in his eyes, Steve doesn’t know why, but it makes him squirm in his chair, he tries to ignore his suspicious gaze.
They forget they wanted to make waffles, too interested in the new attraction that was Robin and Steve Finally Together, as Dustin dubbed it. They’re so happy for him, his heart is burning with affection (and shame, but he buries it for later). When Max asks him why he met her parents so soon in the relationship when they’re not even sure they’ll still be together in two months, he grins dopily, not having to fake anything this time.
“Even if we’re together or not, she’ll always be the girl, you know?”
Strangely, only Will seems to understand what he’s saying.
______
When Steve goes home, he unburies every feeling that plagued him since seeing Deborah Buckley this morning, hyperventilates a moment, and decides to call Robin.
She answers before the second ring.
“Robs, I- your mom, she-…”
“I know, Steve”, she says softly, “she told me. Said that you seemed like a good babysitter, too.”
“I told them. That we- that we were together. I lied to them Robin, I- I was so uncomfortable the whole time but- I wasn’t gonna out you. God, I’m so sorry I just shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Steve… You couldn’t have done that even if you wanted. Your kids would have tortured you until you caved in. Or they would just have waited for El to make you cry with her “friends don’t lie” Dustin told us about. That would’ve taken like… five minutes before you’d have said everything”, they laugh, and Steve doesn’t remember why he was worried of her reaction in the first place, “Plus, I’m not mad at you, what my mom said is not your fault, and I’m sure you’ve handled it well. Thank you. For doing that I mean.”
“Honestly, the little shits were more civilized about it than I thought they would. No one told me I wasn’t good enough for you so I’m taking that as a win.”
“Well, they would be right. I’m too good for you Steve, that’s why I don’t really date you.”
They fall into easy banter, and Steve forgets to mention Will’s reaction.
______
After that, all the Hawkins residents seem to know about the Robin and Steve situation.
The Byers have invited everyone to spend dinner with them and El a last time before they move to California. To his surprise, Steve was included in the everyone. He had been a little reluctant at first (spending an evening with his ex, his ex’s boyfriend that beaten him up once and his mother didn’t sound like such a good thing), but when Will had simply said that it would be cool of him to come, he had to agree. To the condition that Robin would be there too.
“Uh, yeah dude, she’s a part of it now, she’s invited too. And she’s your girlfriend, so…” ; "She's better company than you anyway."
Robin had called him a pushover when he complained one too many times to her about the dinner, and he decided to stop talking about it until the last moment, too tired to argue with her when he knew she was right.
They’re standing in front of the porch, arms bumping together. They brought things to eat (Joyce not being famous for her cooking skills), and it felt just like the time where Steve stood in front of Robin’s door.
“I feel like I’m meeting the parents, oh my god, I’m so nervous.”
“You and me both,” he mutters, “but you’re gonna be fine! They’ll like you! Besides, you’re not the one that fought with Jonathan.”
“Still can’t believe you lost that fight.”
It’s Joyce who opens the door. She has the same face as El, minus the red eyes. She’s hiding her grief better, Steve thinks, but it’s there. He doesn’t exactly know what Hopper was for Joyce, he’s not sure anybody knew, even them. It’s unfair, her expression betrays the feeling clearly, and Steve understands. Judging by Robin’s face, she does too. Joyce’s looking at them with kind eyes that flicker from Steve to Robin before opening with understanding.
“Steve! And… Robin, was it? I’m glad you could make it. Come in, they’re all in the living room.”
After being swarmed by the kids, all enthusiastic to greet them and having made awkward salutations with Jonathan who didn’t seem to know what to do without Nancy, they’re all but left to themselves, listening to the talks around them and giving their opinions when they knew what the subject was about. They stay like that for a moment, Steve absent-mindedly playing with Robin’s hand while she argues with Max on comic books or some other subject that he can’t focus on. Her foot knock against his before she intertwines their leg. Dustin and Lucas are loudly whispering while looking at them, he doesn’t even want to know about what.
Steve proposes to get them drinks, his hand releasing hers.
“I’ll go with you,” Robin doesn’t even wait for approval as she goes directly to the kitchen. Steve joins her, she’s already poured herself a glass of water. She hands him one too, her back against the counter.
“And I thought I talked a lot… I feel like they do it on purpose to exhaust us. No one can be that involved in a debate on Star Wars.”
“Welcome to my life”, he says dramatically, “Who knows? Maybe you’ll be giving me competition for the title of babysitter.”
She rolls her eyes and Steve bumps her side playfully. That’s the moment Joyce decides to enter the kitchen, giving them a look that he can’t quite grasp the meaning of. She busies herself with the food an instant before saying:
“So… Steve, Robin. How long have you two been together?”
“Oh,” Steve answers with a frown, “we’re not-”
“It hasn’t been long, really”, Robin cuts him off smoothly, glaring at him from the corner of her eyes, “a week or so after the Starcourt incident.”
“I’m happy for you two. This must have been hard for you Robin, after all that happened, it’s good to have someone to love and talk about it with.”
She’s right, it’s better to have someone. The first and second times it happened, Steve was alone with his fear. Not wanting to talk about it with Nancy, and then not having anyone to talk with. He was glad that Robin had someone, that she wasn’t alone dealing with trauma and nightmares. He was also glad that he wasn’t alone. Robin proved herself to be an anchor to him as much as he was one for her.
So, Joyce Byers was right, he was glad Robin had him, and he was glad to have Robin. But Joyce Byers was wrong, they didn’t need to be in love to fill that role for the other.
Robin gets him out of his thoughts when she takes his hand and lead him out of the kitchen with one last pleasant smile to Joyce. Once out of sight, she turns to him:
“Did you seriously forgot we’re supposed to be dating?”
He looks at her blankly.
“I- Fuck, yeah sorry, I forgot.”
Her laugh is quick and startled, “Dude. How?”
“I don’t know! We never talk about it and the kids don’t mention it much, so I forgot it was even a thing!”
“How are we going to keep that a secret for three whole months if you’re like this?”
“Hey, if you’re here to save our asses when I forget, I’m sure we can manage.”
“We better, because I think a shit ton of people know,” she sighs, “I saw a group of girls, from band, yesterday. They talked to me about you for an hour and asked me a bunch of questions about us… That was the weirdest experience of my life.”
“Your mom is that much of a gossip?”
“Guess she is, now that her daughter’s dating King Steve.”
It’s Steve’s turn to sigh.
“If it bothers you…”
“Robin, we talked about this, don’t worry. I don’t care how much time we’ll have to do this whole dating thing. It saves you from rumors and save me from embarrassing question about my love life, we’re even. Plus,” he winks, “I could’ve done a lot worse than dating you.”
She gags as he cackles, “You’re so gross Harrington, stop hitting on me like that when you know I like girls!”
______
The Byers and El go to California, the kids start high school, Robin turns eighteen, and they don’t talk about the fake dating anymore.
They remember, when it’s convenient: a hand on the waist when Robin finds herself uncomfortable with a customer, a “hey babe” when Steve has the same problem… They manage, and nobody doubts their relationship (even when they forget about it themselves).
They remember it when it’s less convenient too: Robin likes to complain about “how the hell am I gonna convince Vickie that I’m not dating you without confessing to her?” and Steve, sometimes, wants to go and talk to a girl, only to remember that he’s technically taken and retreats with his head down. These downsides are very little though, compared to all the advantages (the most important being peace and quiet about their love lives).
But then, Eddie Munson is accused of murdering a cheerleader, there’s a new monster in Hawkins, and they completely forget about dating.
The only thing making them think about it is Nancy. Nancy looking a little too venomously at Robin every time they interact (which isn’t that often). Nancy observing them with half-lidded eyes, like she’s reading a particularly weird article, Nancy talking slowly with Steve and her, choosing each of her words carefully as if to not scare them.
Robin suggests that they go to the library together, reassuring Steve that no, she wasn’t gonna say anything bad to her, and she leaves with one reluctant but determined Nancy.
When they return, Robin looks like she wants to laugh. And she does, once alone with Steve:
“Nancy doesn’t hate me, I hope. No, no she’s just jealous that we’re "together".”
Steve looks conflicted, “She has a boyfriend though?”
“A boyfriend in California that ditched her for vacations and that won’t answer? That sounds about right,” she snarks while he looks at her, confused, “I think that you’re just safe for her, you were her first relationship, from what you’ve told me, it makes sense that she’s searching for comfort when a monster is menacing us and her boyfriend’s absent.”
He nods. Nancy’s familiar, it’s true. And being close to her again makes him remember, and long a little for what they had. It’s hurting him, too, and it’s probably hurting her, thinking of what would have happened if they’d took the time to talk, to understand each other’s trauma, or if the trauma wasn’t here in the first place.
But Robin, even if they knew each other for less time, Robin is more familiar. To Steve, she feels like home, like sleepless nights and ice cream parlors. She feels like smiles, lingering touches, quick hugs and secrets. She’s the only girl, and they both know that.
“Do you want to tell her about us? If she’ll make you happy, you know I’m down for it.”
He shakes his head, “We’ve had our time, I love her, and she was my first love, but now, I want her to be my friend. She moved on, so did I.”
She takes his hand; he can see the pride in her eyes.
“Yeah, okay.”
And when Eddie makes a comment about how Nancy and him should get back together, he finds himself being more preoccupied by Eddie’s lips than the comment itself.
______
They won.
It’s a refreshing thought. They’re all here: the kids (El sporting a buzzcut again, exhausted but smiling like she can’t stop it), Nancy and Jonathan that’re quietly talking in the corner of the booth, a guy stoned out of his mind near them, Murray, Joyce and Hopper (seeing him alive made all of them dizzy), Eddie, Robin and him. All cramped up in the booth of a diner, not wanting to let go of anyone yet. The newcomers don’t feel like it after the battle.
They won. Vecna’s dead and nobody died on their side. The hospital can wait a little for all of them, now, they’re just trying to enjoy breakfast (or dinner? Steve doesn’t know what time it is) and wait for the adrenaline to wear off.
He’s gotten a milkshake that Robin ends up drinking. He retaliates by stealing half of her fries. She sticks her tongue out and he chuckles, giving her arm a gentle pat.
“They make a cute couple, huh? I forgot that you’ve never seen them act all coupley and shit, Eddie.”
“Uh, yes, they are, but… You know they’re not actually together, right Dustin?”
There’s a silence as Steve and Robin look at Eddie, eyes wide. Steve has is hand still on Robin’s arm, and she’s still drinking his milkshake. She stops drinking, looks a Steve and mutters something along the line of “still better than three months”.
“What- what made you think that we were not?” he says, carefully. Eddie suddenly looks guilty.
“Shit man, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that-”
“Well, I mean, you’re right. That’s kinda rude to doubt their relationship like that…”
“It’s just… birds of a feather, if you get what I mean”, Eddie continues, ignoring the comment.
Will’s eyes suddenly shine with understanding, when Steve looks at Robin, hers do too.
“I’m… confused.” Robin turns to him with a blinding smile, Will laughs silently. Everyone else must look like Steve.
“This is not what I imagined for our return in Hawkins, oh my god.”
“Oh, Steve”, she talks quietly, like she doesn’t want anyone but him to hear, “Eddie, he’s… he’s like me. Like us. “
Understanding dawns on him.
“Oh! Fuck man, that’s so cool! You’re really observant though.” He has an enormous smile, and he can feel his cheeks reddening, he hopes no one else notices.
“Yeah, everyone here thinks we’re dating, and they’ve known us longer than you.”
“I wasn’t sure before we were in the Upside Down. Stevie here convinced me pretty easily after.”
Robin looks like a cat finding a prey, she crosses her arms in front of her, lips stretched into a devilish smile, “Pray tell, what did he do?”
“Nope! We’re not going to-”
“Wait, wait wait wait wait!” Dustin’s offended cry cut their conversation short, “Can we rewind a bit for the part where, you know, you casually say that you’re not dating?!”
The table looks either offended, shocked, amused or a bit of three. Robin and Steve winces, they have a lot of explaining to do.