Work Text:
“I just don’t think you actually still love her, Steve,” Robin remarks as she just barely rolls her window down, letting the slightest breeze in through the passenger side of Steve’s car. She conveniently forgets to mention that she really hopes he doesn’t still love her, because that makes her predicament all the messier.
“Why do you care, anyway? Instead of worrying about my love life, you should be worrying about when you’re finally gonna talk to Vickie.”
Right. Vickie, who has a boyfriend. Vickie, who, despite having said boyfriend, likes pausing Fast Times at Ridgemont High during very… interesting scenes. Robin honestly couldn’t care less about her right now. Not since she’s recently realized that her daydreams went from consisting of band uniforms and ginger bobs to pink sweaters and perms.
But of course, she can’t say that to him. How would she even bring that up? Oh, by the way, Steve, I’m like, completely head-over-heels in love with your ex-girlfriend, and I actually don’t give as much of a shit about Vickie as I thought I did??? Absolutely not. As comfortable as Robin has gotten with talking to Steve about crushes, she may have to take this one to the grave. For now, she’d just stick to her plan of planting those seeds of doubt into his head. It’s not like she didn’t believe what she was telling him. Steve wasn’t known for his understanding of what love is. I mean, for fuck’s sake, he had just said he was over Nancy and in love with Robin like, two jobs ago. Honestly, it seemed like he liked competing with Jonathan more than he actually liked being with Nancy.
“I’m just saying, you’ve gone back on your word when it comes to her before! Plus, I don’t even know Vickie that well. I’m not even so sure I like her as much as I thought I did.”
“What? Robin, you made me analyze her movie preferences with you. Now you’re saying you don’t even like her anymore?”
“I mean, I just think we’re too similar. Seriously, how would our conversations ever get anywhere with both of us rambling on until the next day? I need someone more… grounded.”
Steve lets a breath of laughter out in agreement, and the song on the radio fills the comfortable silence left in the air. The two approach the parking lot of the radio station, where Jonathan and Nancy were waiting inside under the guise of “doing an article on the Squawk.” They all knew that no work would be done today. Every time those two stopped by, everyone immediately flopped down on the couch and started random conversations that were to be periodically interrupted by a sufficiently off-putting “would you rather” question created by Steve.
Robin walked through the front door, her nose immediately being bombarded with the distinct scent of vinyl and stale oxygen the Squawk never seemed to get rid of. Moving to the secret room with Steve following close behind, she began to feel nervous. Why am I so worried about Steve backing off when he has, like, zero chance with her anyway? She’s still with Jonathan, she thought. Speaking of the couple, they were already sitting on opposite when Robin opened the door, not wasting time sinking into the couch cushions.
“Hey, Nance!” Steve said with a newfound vigor. “Byers…” he lets out a few seconds later, clearly losing that energy almost as soon as he finds it. Nancy puts on the ghost of a polite smile that says you're amazing, but I've been really sick of your bullshit lately. Jonathan mirrors it, and Robin finds her way to Nancy’s side of the room before Steve gets any more bright ideas. She wonders for a second why Jonathan isn’t over here, but wills that thought away shortly after, deciding that that kind of wishful thinking isn’t good for her mental health.
“Yeah… Hi, Nance,” Robin repeats as she shoots Nancy an apologetic look on behalf of that dingus. Soon after, the awkward atmosphere dissolved, and they all fell into the usual rhythm of conversation. At some point, Steve and Jonathan both go looking for snacks, racing each other to the pantry in yet another display of stupidity.
“I swear, you’re the only one that doesn’t treat me like some prize to be won these days,” Nancy says after letting out an awkward laugh. Robin wonders to herself what it is about Nancy Wheeler that has that effect on people. Why she, too, feels so drawn to this girl who is almost her polar opposite.
“You know…” Robin begins nervously, not knowing how many of her thoughts she should reveal to the girl beside her. Nancy hums, curious, acknowledging, waiting.
“I hope you’ll eventually share your secret.”
“Secret?”
“To getting everyone to fall in love with you.”
“Wait – what is that supposed to mean? Robin?
…Robin?!”
Robin is silent for a moment, wondering how she’s going to bullshit her way out of this one. She begins, words jumbled, “I mean– because– you know, Steve is… being Steve, and you and Jonathan–”
“You do know that Jonathan and I have been broken up for months now, right?”
Holy shit. Of course she didn’t know that.
“Ugh, I told him to stop entertaining Steve’s antics like that,” Nancy started again. “I knew what it looked like, but I think at this point he just likes trying to be better than him at something.”
“Wait, so… you and Jonathan aren’t together anymore? Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Robin asks, still partially in shock.
“Well, it’s not like we ended things on bad terms. We’re just… too similar in the wrong ways, I guess.” Okay... That doesn’t really answer Robin’s question directly, but they are both the type of people to keep their life oddly private, so it adds up. Too similar, huh.
“So, is it presumptuous of me to assume that you might like someone… not-so-similar to you?” Robin muses, obvious as ever.
Nancy laughs. “Idiot. I’ve been trying to send you hints for such a long time.”
“But you know I don’t like to assume things! You would have to do something crazy for me to assume–” She’s suddenly interrupted by the feeling of Nancy’s lips on hers. A moment passes and Robin relaxes, kissing her back, when they both hear footsteps come to a halt by the door.
Shit. Steve.
“Oops, uh, sorry..”
Robin isn’t sure which one of the boys begins to speak, tuning it out and immediately standing up like a soldier at attention. “Steve! I’m so sorry, I–”
“Woah. Chill. It’s fine,” he says, looking concerned.
Why the fuck is he being so cool about this? Just 2 hours ago he was acting rabid at the very thought of Nancy with someone else, Robin thought to herself.
“You were right,” Steve continues. “Byers told me that they broke up and I felt… nothing. If anything, I was a little disappointed that I had no reason to continue our little rivalry.” He bumps Jonathan’s elbow, and they both chuckle. Weird.
“Also, looking back, it was kind of obvious that you liked Nance. I must have great taste right? First it was Tammy, now–” Robin throws a cushion at him, cutting him off. She looks back at Nancy, knowing that they have so much to talk about later. But for now, reveling in the fact that she stole Nancy Wheeler’s heart without contest would suffice.