#backround robin/partner

[chaosgremlinmunson]

For the event: @steddiesummerexchange written for thunderously_halo who I'm not sure I have the Tumblr username for?? If you see this I hope you enjoy it!

Preview: Dustin Henderson goes to Australia to visit Steve and Eddie, he's blindsided by meeting someone unexpected.

Dustin was frantic, he had to get to the airport within the next twenty minutes and he was having a hard time finding everything he was needing. It was his own fault for deciding to host hellfire at the last minute last night, and not pack anything until the day of his trip. Steve had told him to be prepared, he told him they couldn't get him a different ticket if he missed his flight, and he had to be sure to have everything if he was flying clear to Australia to visit with Steve, Eddie, Robin and her new girlfriend.

Now, where had he set his passport again? Shit! He was going to be late, and if he missed this flight he was going to lose his mind. He ran to his room again, dumping all the boxes and drawers and pulling off his blankets. Suddenly, he popped up fist held high. “AHA!” he yelled. He'd found it in his sock drawer, how it'd gotten there he wasn't sure, but at least now he could haul ass to the airport to make his flight.

Once he made it through security and sat in his seat on the plane his body fully relaxed and he drifted off to sleep.

“Sir? the plane has landed, it's time for everyone to exit the plane.” A short blond woman was touching his shoulder when he opened his eyes. For a moment he sat stunned, she reminded him of Suzie so much, yet he hadn't seen Suzie in months. She'd dumped him the moment she found out about him knowing and willingly being friends with queer people. She'd had questionable, and sometimes down right rude things to say about it all and so Dustin had easily let the relationship go. Now, he was faced with a girl who looked like Suzie had dyed her hair, and significantly changed her style.

Blinking up at her, he smiled, “thank you, do you know where I go to call a cab here? Well not here…once I'm out of the plane and terminal…I'm visiting my brother and his family.” Dustin felt his face lighting up in flames.

The girl giggled while talking with him, her nose scrunching up with a smile, Dustin was overwhelmed by how breathtaking she truly was and then his brain halted when she took his hand and scribbled some numbers on his arm.

“Call me sometime, I'd love to have a coffee with you.” She said softly before he sprinted off the plane.

When he left the airport he sighed, and he called Steve.

“Steve, I think I just made a jackass out of myself in front of the cutest girl I've ever seen.” Was the first thing he blurted when the phone was picked up, only Dustin heard Eddie cackling on the other end instead of his big brother.

“Well, I'm not Steve, but that's hilarious Dusty buns, Steve is at the airport waiting for you, look for the silver jeep. He's picking you and Freya up, his cousin who lives out here, she's getting off work so you'll be riding together.”

As Eddie finished his sentence he looked up to see the same girl from the flight at the window of Steve's jeep, smiling and talking with him and he felt like melting into the floor. Scratch that, he wished the upside down would open back up and make him disappear. There was no way she was going to be riding with him and he'd made a total fool of himself to her.

Dustin cringed and grabbed his luggage making his way to the jeep, he strained a smile and climbed into the back seat as Steve went through introductions and Dustin slid down in his seat for the entire ride back. When they pulled up he hurried to the front door rushing ahead of them and past Eddie into the house as Eddie cackled even more.

‘Great.’ he thought, ‘Eddie realized it was Freya I was talking about. This is going to be the longest month of my life.’ he plopped onto the guest room bed where Robin had shown him to go and groaned. How was he supposed to act normal now?

He flipped over onto his back and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours but was probably only a few moments before Steve came in and sat on the end of the bed.

“Hey man, is everything okay? Freya seems to think you don't like her too much, she was asking you about yourself in the car and you didn't respond to anyone.” He started softly with a hand on Dustin's ankle.

“Shit.” Dustin murmured, “no, Steve, I…fuck okay so I met this super cute girl on the plane when I landed right? And I fumbled so bad, and like sprinted away from her? Well, turns out that girl is Freya? Tada??” Dustin covered his face with his hands, “How do I face her and not make this weird now? Like, we're going to be staying at the same place for a month and my first impression I gave her is that I am in fact just a bumbling idiot!”

“Freya? My cousin..wait, you think Freya is attractive? Oh my God. No, no, no. You can't date my cousin man, you're like my brother. Plus she has a girlfriend.” Steve stood his hands on his hips.

“Dude, date her? I couldn't even speak to her! And bisexuality exists you troglodyte! If she wasn't with her girlfriend she could still be into men, also you can't tell me I can't date someone, we're not related and it would be up to them, not you.”

Steve stormed out of the room and Dustin was sure this visit was just getting worse and worse. Thirty more days in a foreign country and already he'd mortified himself and argued with Steve. Surely this trip couldn't get any worse right?

Eventually Dustin left the room, he couldn't avoid everyone forever, but when he came out to the kitchen he saw Steve and Eddie stop talking, glancing over at him before Steve turned and left the room. Dustin sighed and came to the counter sitting down after grabbing a bottle of water.

“I shouldn't have been rude to him. I know he's worried about Freya for sure but also about me. I just, he was talking to me like I'm a child, and honestly I was annoyed about it. It doesn't make it right, and I don't know how to apologize or explain how I feel without it seeming like I'm being ungrateful.” He started softly rolling the bottle between his hands.

Eddie leaned on the counter, his knee clicking as it had for years since everything in ‘86 had happened, he raised an eyebrow and sighed before speaking.

“Dustin, you are and always will be one of the most important people to Steve and I both, but you need to understand, Freya knows nothing about what we all endured back then. She's had a really rough past, and Steve knows you both are still so young, I mean come on man, you're only twenty one, she's nineteen. If this was to go south and he already sees you as a brother, think of the position that puts him into? He'd feel like he's in the middle and that's stressful to someone like Steve who loves everyone so selflessly he often forgets to even put himself first. He loves you man, he's not saying you're not good enough, just that he's worried.”

Dustin nodded, looking down into his lap, “I understand. I just don't know how to fix this. And Eddie, I don't want Freya to think I don't like her or that I have an issue with her, I just. Ok, she makes me so nervous, I've never met anyone as beautiful as her since Suzie, and honestly I'm just intimidated.”

Eddie laughed softly, “you sound like me when I first met Steve. He was beautiful and this badass protector of this nerdy group of sheep, and I was so out of my depth. But Dustin, start by just trying to be her friend. And please, please, try for Steve to not pursue this. Please.”

Dustin sat for a moment with that, being her friend might be a good thing, but still, he felt like maybe Steve felt he wouldn't be good enough to marry, wait, no, date, Jesus Christ, date his cousin.

A bit later Dustin made his way to the backyard and was sitting in the swing set up, he stared out at the night sky lit up with fireflies, and he thought of Hawkins and home, of younger years when he'd be outside capturing a jar full of them. He'd loved those little bugs, and wondered how they lit up like they did, it brought him back to thoughts of Suzie, of childhood and first loves. How absolutely shattered he'd been to learn the girl he thought he might marry one day wasn't who he'd thought she'd be.

As he was lost in his musings he felt the swing sink next to him, he turned his head to see Robin with a throw around her shoulders a cup of tea clasped in her hands.

“Hey Robin.” He started quietly, he knew if she'd come out silently she was probably also upset with him for the incident with Steve earlier.

She turned and looked at him, opening one side of the blanket and pulling him in close.

“I need you to do me a favor, Dusty.” She said her chin propped on his head.

“Yeah, anything.” He gulped, Robin wasn't a touchy person so he knew this was serious if she was the one to reach out first.

“First, I need you to talk with Steve. Really talk, explain how you feel, get honest with him without being defensive, okay?” She pulled back to look down at him, and he nodded looking up into her eyes, “Great. Then after that I need you to try for Freya, please. Just try talking to her normally, be her friend, get to know her. I know about the crush, and trust me, I get it. The girl is beautiful and sweet, but Dustin, Steve is terrified that he'd be forced to choose if you ever did date and it didn't work out. He's not worried that you'd hurt her, or her you, he's just worried that if anything happened and you both got your hearts broken he'd be torn. Between you and me though, her girlfriend Mel is not good. Be careful, she's tough and would absolutely try and hurt you if she knew you even looked at Freya wrong. The girl is nuts, but we are trying to be supportive so Freya has a support system in place and knows she can come to us all.” She took a deep breath, “You remember my first girlfriend you all met, Vickie? She seemed so nice and sweet in the beginning, and then she learned about me being friends with Nancy and she changed. She became jealous and controlling, and honestly I'm surprised Nancy didn't end up having to threaten her with her guns. All this is to say that this Mel girl? She's worse. I don't know what is going on, but I've seen Freya come back here with marks on her biceps, she swears nothing is happening, but I don't trust the girl. She needs a friend, just, please, try and be that for her while you're here. She likes you, she said you seem nice, and Steve talks about you and all that you're accomplishing.”

Dustin nodded, his own heart lurched in his chest for this girl. Robin was right, he did like Freya, she was beautiful, but what she needed right now was support, a friend. And Dustin knew the best thing to do was just be there, to respect Steve's wishes, and enjoy his time here. Besides, a month goes fast, what if they did begin dating and then he has to leave? Steve had a point, they'd both be heartbroken and he can't be the reason someone else is hurting.

After a few moments another girl Dustin had yet to meet came out to where they sat. She was gorgeous, bright red hair, kind blue eyes and a sweet tentative smile. She pushed her wired rim glasses up her nose and perched on Robin's lap placing a kiss on her forehead before extending her hand to Dustin in greeting.

“You must be Dustin,” She started, “my name is Abby, i'm so glad you were able to make it out to see us all.”

Dustin gave her a bright smile, “You're Abby? I'm so glad I get to meet you! Robin has told me so much about you in her letters!”

She giggled looking down at Robin whose face was bright red, and kissed her forehead again. They spent the next hour talking before Robin let out a huge yawn and they decided it was time to turn in. “Oh!” Robin said turning to him again before they made it all the way to the house, “I'm letting you in on the plan, in a week on Thursday we have plans to go to a restaurant, Eddie's planning to propose to Steve. I want you to know because we need to help him sneakily set everything up, but you can't say anything, swear?”

Dustine crossed his heart and mimed locking his lips and tossing the key with a huge gummy smile on his face, “I wont say a word, and anything you need me to do, distractions, planning, anything. Just let me know.”

The next morning when Dustin woke up he was greeted by Eddie pounding on his door. He rolled over and immediately fell off the bed groaning in pain. When he came to the door to open it he saw Eddie standing there with a grin on his face. He grumbled and walked out into the hallway to see Steve looking at him, a single brow raised before turning to walk into the den. Eddie motioned for Dustin to follow, and he did, his body tense as he sat across from Steve who had his arms crossed.

“Dustin we need to talk.” he started, he still was holding his body defensively looking at him, and Dustin had the sinking feeling that this conversation was about to be extremely difficult. He needed to have this talk, he knew, but he was apprehensive that it may lead to a fight yet again. Still, he took a breath in before opening his mouth.

“I know, but first I just want you to know that I'm sorry,you are one of the most important people to me too. I know you have your reservations about me and Freya potentially dating since I had said I thought she was attractive. I also know she has a girlfriend, and I know that that worry comes from how things might end if she and I were to date. Steve,I honestly don't even know if we would, first I have to actually talk to her, without, you know, freaking out and running away. But! I also want you to know that I care about you,about your opinions and thoughts, and I would never want to do anything that could make me lose my best friend. You mean the world to me Steve.”

Dustin looked up at Steve to see his eyes softer, his hands now sitting on the table, and a soft smile on his face. “Thank you, and I want you to know that you also mean the world to me. Freya does have a girlfriend, yes,but I don't know if anyone has told you yet or not, she's terrible.” he chuckled, “More than anything though, I just want you both safe. I need you both to be happy. So, if,and it's a huge if,Dustin, but if you both decided to date as much as it pains me,I will be supportive. Just know,I will wring your neck if you hurt her, loving you or not, she's like a daughter to me at this point.”

As if on cue who walked in but no other than Freya,Robin,and Abby. Robin and Abby made eye contact over Freya’s head both with eyes wide,while Freya looked from Steve to Dustin.

“Not trying to be rude, but a few points. One, I am an adult. I love youStevie, and I always will. You've been one of my biggest supporters lately, but you can’t decide for me about anything I do in mylife. Two, I’m not dating Mel. I actually came home this morning because when I went to her house to pick her up for our lunch date I found her in bed with Rosalie. Three, and this seems rather important. Why wouldDustin and I date if he can't even bear to be near me, let alone actually speak to me?” Her hands were on her hips, and in that moment Dustin saw the family resemblance. He also helped with nerves before deciding he should probably just speak to her already.

“I can,actually, I mean bear to look at you. And I want to speak to you, but full disclosure, You are so beyond beautiful, and kind, and interesting. I just, I got nervous around you. I’m sorry. I want to get to know you, I swearI do, but you smile at me and I forget how to breathe. It's like staring into the sun.” his face had lit up with a blush as he spoke,but hey all cards were on the table now. “I don’t know if you should date me or not, but ifI had even the smallest chance to, I would never do anything to you that could bring tears like that. Can we, maybe, start over and be friends? Anything you want Freya, the decisions are all yours. You Can tell me to fuck off if you want to,if that’s what you want I’ll do it.”

For a moment she just stared at him,and then stuck her hand out, “Ok, friends.”

A few weeks went by and Steve came out to the backyard to see Dustin and Freya with their heads together whispering and then to his abject horror saw Freya lean in and kiss Dustin, her hands tangling into his curls before climbing into his lap,Steve turned and rushed back into the house. Dustin had received a call from the Institute he’d been working with to ask him if he’d be interested in transferring out to Australia for their newest branch and Steve had been going to relay the message, Little did he know that a few years down the line he’d be front and center to another kiss after heartfelt vows between the pair.