Work Text:
It was shocking how quickly Nancy found herself with an escape route from Vecna.
One minute she’s right there, inside her worst nightmare, with Barb, real and solid and dead, decaying before her. The next, ABBA’s "S.O.S." is blaring from everywhere and nowhere, and there’s her escape, and Robin is waiting in front of her. Nancy thinks she can hear her muttering, "Please Nance, come on..."
Then she’s about to start running, but Barb is next to her now, grabbing Nancy’s wrists in a grip strong enough to hurt. She stumbles back a step, pulling her arms free. Then Barb starts speaking, but it’s not Barb.
"I’m not finished with you, Nancy. Don’t think this is over."
Nancy has barely turned back to her exit when she’s violently thrust back to herself, her breath coming in short gasps. The room is spinning, and she doesn’t even realize the way she’s fallen into Robin, who lowers them both so they’re kneeling on the ground, seeming to simply accept the way Nancy buries her face into her neck, not relenting her grip on the back of Robin’s jacket.
Robin is shaking almost as violently as Nancy herself, her voice trembling when she quietly speaks, "Oh, thank God. I- Jesus, Nance- Breathe, just- Just breathe." It’s muffled by the music that’s still playing, now through headphones that she doesn’t dare take off yet.
It’s not until Nancy does get her breathing under control that she seems to remember herself, pulling back from Robin, running her hands over her face, and shifting so there’s more space between them.
Nancy allows herself a moment to close her eyes and collect herself before she meets Robin’s eyes, "This song... How did you have this?" Then, quietly, "How did you know?"
Robin ducks her head sheepishly, eyes falling to her hands, where she’s playing with her rings. "Uh, don’t be mad, but I kind of nabbed it from your room-- for safety reasons. I was actually going to suggest we find something for everyone in Eddie’s trailer but- you know."
Nancy nods, "I’m glad you did. That was- smart, and... this song? I mean, you were spot on- how?"
Robin simply shrugs, "It just... seemed right, I guess." She’s looking into Nancy’s eyes again, and Nancy is almost overwhelmed with the way Robin seems to see right through her. She averts her gaze again, finally removing the headphones, leaving them to hang around her neck. It’s then that she finally realises how eerily quiet it actually is, and she could slap herself for being so out of it, for not realising that they were entirely alone.
She looks around, almost frantic, before finally looking up to the gate, except it’s not the gate that she sees. It has been completely engulfed by the vines that had surrounded it. Robin’s voice is high with nerves when she follows Nancy’s gaze, "um, yeah. That’s our next problem. It- It closed when I started playing the music, and- and everyone was screaming, but I was kind of- focused on you-"
"Robin." It was barely a whisper, still enough to quiet her. Nancy’s brow furrowed as she stared down in thought.
"We can- go to another gate maybe. We’ll find a way out..." Nancy shook her head as Robin went on, "What- Nance, we have to do something. You aren’t seriously planning to just sit here and wait, are you? Because-"
The way Nancy raises her eyebrows makes her backtrack, "Sorry- sorry… I know you’re smarter than that. I know. Go on."
Nancy releases a trembling breath. She moves forward enough to take Robin’s hand, an act of forgiveness, though in reality it was for herself more than anything, for the warmth that seemed to envelop Nancy at the contact, because Nancy felt freezing, and the upside-down had a constant chill, but somehow Robin was still warm and so alive. Nancy felt drawn to her more than she could understand, truly like a moth to a flame.
"I don’t think it’s as easy as going to another gate. He’s keeping us here for a reason. He wants something from us... from me. He’d probably close any gate we get close to until he gets it." She’s holding Robin’s hand with both of hers now, messing with her rings with a barely contained anxiety. "I think I have to let him in again."
"What? Nancy, that’s-" Robin had been staring at their hands, but at Nancy’s declaration, she was quick to pull her eyes back up to her face, searching.
Nancy keeps her eyes trained downward, though she loses the hushed tone she was speaking with before. "Think about it, Rob. What does he want from me? He needs four gates, and he’s already got his final target. I know it sounds insane, but I think- I think he just wants to talk. To- to send a message?"
Robin pulls back just slightly, and it’s enough to make Nancy look up and meet her eyes. "So- so what… you want to let him back in your head? What if he does just want another kill? He’s a crazy murderer wizard dude from another dimension, Nancy. It is definitely not that farfetched to consider that he might just want another kill for the list." She sounds appalled at the idea, genuinely angry that Nancy’s willing to put herself through this.
Nancy thinks she should find it patronizing. If it were anyone else, she’s sure she would be furious at them for underestimating her, it would be easier to feel that way, but she’s all too aware that Robin doesn’t mean it that way and she can’t help but soften.
"I don’t think he does, though. He’s been calculated so far; he’s going through with plans... You can’t talk me out of this Robin. We need to get back to the others. I need to try this."
"Shit, and what if you are wrong, Nance?" She’s speaking so quietly again, and Nancy isn’t sure when they got so close that she could count Robin’s freckles, though she feels no compulsion to create distance now.
"What if I’m not?" She (reluctantly) pulls back the smallest amount to remove the headphones, handing them to Robin. "Look, we have an out if things start looking dire, right? You can hang on to the Walkman, and if it goes on for too long, if I start floating, you can pull me out again." She hoped her eyes were conveying the words she couldn’t say. That she appreciated Robin’s concern, that she was scared too, that she would be okay.
Finally, Robin replies, with a wince, as though this truly pained her. "Okay, yeah, fine... I hope you’re right." Nancy huffs out a laugh, smiles morbidly, "me too."
After about five minutes of Nancy closing her eyes and trying to let Vecna in, it’s abundantly clear that isn’t going to be enough. "This is bullshit. He’s playing me." Robin, who had been standing a small distance away, back turned as she bites her thumbnail, turns at Nancy’s complaint, mercifully choosing to ignore the glossy sheen that’s settled over her eyes, smiling instead at the way she’s pouting.
Nancy can’t help but smile back for a moment before getting to her feet with a sigh so she can move back into Robin’s space as she’s so compelled. "I think he’s going to make me say it. I have to try that at least, so- It’s- Honestly, it’s going to sound bad, and I’d really rather be alone if I have to do this, but I also don’t want you to leave, so just- try not to interfere. This might be our only way out."
Nancy thinks she’s about to be forced to argue her point again, but Robin swallows and nods.
Truthfully, Nancy knew it would probably come to this. Her thoughts were too scattered to give Vecna easy access now. They kept drifting to Robin, who seemed to be full of surprises herself. Robin, who put faith in Nancy when her ideas were no more than a shot in the dark, who takes her seriously where most people underestimate her, who managed to guess Nancy’s favourite song just because it "seemed right."
In reality, she was sure to be blocking Vecna out with such thoughts. Because thinking about Robin made her happy in a way, she wished she could pretend she didn’t understand.
Nancy takes a breath in a failing attempt to steady herself for this. She’s feeling unsure now, her pretence of certainty in this plan falling away, and when Nancy’s unsure, she takes sure action. She’s always been that way, so what else is there to do? She takes action.
She shuffles into Robin’s space more still, a question in her eyes. Robin’s eyes seem to widen in surprise for a moment, then they fall to Nancy’s lips, and it’s all she needs to shift onto her tiptoes, resting her hands on Robin’s shoulders and closing the space between them entirely.
Despite herself, Robin seems surprised by the sudden softness of Nancy’s lips on hers, though she’s quick to recover, touch featherlight when she rests her hands on her hips and kisses back. They’re forced to end it when Robin can’t seem to help smiling into the kiss, making Nancy laugh as she pulls back.
"Talk about a romantic setting." Robin snorts, though there’s something akin to fear behind her eyes that only leaves when Nancy shakes her head, smiling, "Needs must." Then, more resigned, "I’ll make it up to you. When we get out of here."
Robin nods, the situation clearly coming back to her with the way her smile falls. Nancy relishes in the soft pink that’s still dusting her cheeks, in knowing she caused that.
With much reluctance, she pulls away entirely, moving to sit cross-legged on the ground once more. "So, let's get out of here."
Robin sits by her this time, and she gives her what she hopes is a reassuring nod before looking down with a sigh, "Okay, asshole, guess we’re doing it this way... You know, I wasn’t surprised to be chosen. I think part of me was kind of waiting for it before we found out you need four. Even then, I guess I wondered, why not me? It’s so selfish, isn’t it? That I could think nobody’s suffering more than me? It does prove my other reason though. Nobody deserves it as much as I do- but then, maybe that’s why. I mean, I curse people too, right? You probably like that. Everyone I touch, cursed to get hurt... to die. Because- Barb dying was my fault, wasn’t it? And that helped you…"
Nancy’s sniffling now. She’s not sure when her tears started falling, but she takes a moment to wipe them away, though the effort is futile. She spares a glance at Robin, frustrated that this still isn’t working.
Robin looks scared and… angry. Nancy blinks, confused, "Robin-" she starts before she can think better of it, but Robin is shaking her head, moving to stand as Nancy reaches out, "I don’t want to die, Nancy."
She doesn’t have time to respond in any way before Robin’s eyes are rolling back into her head, rendering her entirely motionless. In a blind panic, Nancy rushes to her, taking her face in her hands, "no- no, not you-"
She stumbles back, screaming, as she watches Robin being mutilated, and she knows it happened too fast to be real, she knows, but it’s no less terrifying to see. There’s no pretence of bravery or confidence here. She can’t change the horrors he forces her through, she can’t stop them, and she’s terrified.
As she’s trapped in that chair, she’s certain she was wrong, praying to hear the music again, though she isn’t sure she could even escape now. Then, he’s in front of her, and Nancy can’t breathe, but he’s laughing.
"Such a clever girl, Nancy. I almost want to kill you just so you can’t have that, either." He sighs, "But, perhaps it’s better this way. You don’t really deserve the mercy of death, do you?" He leans close as he says it, and Nancy can’t breathe, can’t scream, but she hates herself for the whimper that escapes somehow still.
With that, he raises his hand and throws her into the visions of the future he so desperately wanted her to see.
She’s still hyperventilating when she comes back to herself, ready to frantically search for Robin, but she’s right in front of her, and quick to pull her into a hug. Nancy distantly registers that Steve is here now as she holds tight to Robin and that she can hear the others cheering from the other side. "It worked- It worked." She manages between choked sobs.
"Yeah- yeah of course it did, you’re a genius." Robin lets out a watery laugh. She sounds relieved. Nancy pulls back, taking Robin’s face in her hands, her eyes searching because she knows Robin is fine, but she’s still panicking. "Hey, shouldn’t I be checking you for injuries?" She chuckles, reaching up to gently move a stray hair from Nancy’s face, and finally she breathes.
She looks to Steve. He looks confused at their sudden closeness, a little out of place with this dynamic, and Nancy isn’t sure where he stands. Robin looks like she’s going to kiss her again, but Nancy shakes her head with a smile, "Let’s save the world first, then maybe we can talk about romantic circumstances."