#reminder that nancy was the one smiling softly and blushing at the thought of robin being her OFFICIAL FRIEND

[thelesbianluthor]

Robin is the mean lesbian that's legit canon. Don't let her big blue eyes and excitable mannerisms or rambling when she is anxious distract you from the fact that she can be vindictive and spiteful and she will hold a grudge. She has not spent years praying for Steve's downfall because the girl she liked had a crush on him and he was a douche for nothing. She was enjoying every single embarrassing moment of Steve she saw at that awful job and had a tally of it for her own personal entertainment.

Nancy tho? She is my lil sopping wet kitten. She is just too sad and traumatized to create new bonds and reach out in a significant way. She is no mean girl she has never been one. Getting drunk at a party while trying to deal with the loss of your best friend (which you blame yourself for) and breaking down in front of your boyfriend because he is trying to deal with it by throwing himself into a routine does not make you a mean girl.

Honestly they deserve to be mean and spiteful and angry. They deserve to lash out.

Nancy is always holding herself back she is always pushing all of it down and taking charge and protecting others with no room to delve into all the fears that keep festering inside her. She has been drowning all alone for so long. She deserves to break. She deserves to shatter and she deserves to be held.

[blueberrylemontea-fanfic]

Go out with us?

Jonathan x Steve x Nancy

I stumbled onto this ship yesterday and I am here for it, so here’s a little something about Jonathan and Nancy asking Steve out.

***

Steve lied.

Back in the bathroom of the starcourt mall when Robin had asked him if he was still in love with Nancy and he said no, he lied. 

He was hurt and he hated that she'd moved on and he really did have a giant crush on Robin, but he still loved Nancy, he thought he would probably always be in love with Nancy. 

He still got that fluttering feeling in his chest whenever he saw her, still only had eyes for her in a crowd, even if she was mostly with Jonathan then and that did still sting. 

Steve lied. 

Back when he noticed Jonathan in a crowd before Nancy and he told himself he didn't get that exact same feeling in his chest. 

Because Steve was straight. 

He knew he was straight. 

He was not into Jonathan Byers. 

Could not be falling for Jonathan Byers and his girlfriend. 

He knew he was lying to himself, but, well, 

sometimes Steve lied.

***

Nancy knew that Jonathan suspected she still had feelings for Steve. 

She knew he had caught her staring at Steve from time to time, but she couldn't help it, he still made her heart beat just that much faster. 

What Jonathan didn't suspect though, was that she had noticed the way Jonathan looked at him sometimes, oddly similar to the way he looked at her.

"Jonathan?" She'd asked him one night, trying to sound as casual as she could "Do you think Steve's cute?" 

Jonathan's cheeks had flushed crimson, his shoulders tensing. 

"Steve? Um, I mean, I guess he is... kind of cute, yeah" 

She turned on her side, facing him "Yeah?" 

"Why'd you wanna know?" 

"Because I've kinda seen you looking at him in the video store and I thought that maybe you might have a bit of a, um, crush? On him?" 

He averted his eyes, visibly nervous "Nancy, I just, I..." 

He didn't know what to say. What do you say when your girlfriend finds out you have a crush on her ex-boyfriend? 

"It's okay, Jon. I- I might have a little bit of a crush on him too" 

Jonathan's eyes shot up to meet hers. They were both blushing now. 

"So what do we do?" 

Nancy was biting down on her lip, looking at him through fluttering eyelashes "I mean..." 

Jonathan broke out into a big smile "You serious?" 

She shrugged. "I'm in if you are" 

"You are amazing. I'm in"

***

They'd talked about how they were going to do this. How they could possibly ask this of Steve without totally freaking him out. 

They'd gone round to Family Video more often, holding conversation with Steve just a little longer than necessary, touching his hand occasionally, just to gauge his reaction. 

He'd always get flustered, but not in a bad way, so eventually they asked if maybe he wanted to have a drink with them sometime. 

Steve looked bewildered, but he accepted without a moment's hesitation, surprising seemingly everyone, himself included.

***

When Steve had arrived at the Byers' house he was nervous, really nervous. He had to keep reminding himself to breath as a million thoughts were swirling through his head, constantly worried that they might notice how crazy he was about the two of them.

Nancy opened the door with a small greeting and invited him in. He remembered the last time he was there a little too vividly for his liking, but he shook of the feeling and followed her in. 

"Hey" Jonathan was standing a little gangly in the entryway, not sure what to do with his hands. 

"Hi" Steve could feel the soft pink blush creeping onto his cheeks already. Did that guy really have to be so adorable? 

"You, um, you want a drink? We've got some wine" 

"Yeah, sure, thanks" Steve never admitted it to any of his high school buddies because he was King Steve and he had a keg stand record to protect, or whatever, but he loved wine. He'd snuck some at one of his father's fancy dinner parties when he was like thirteen and he'd been so disappointed when beer turned out to taste nothing like it. 

He and Nancy had settled at the kitchen table while Jonathan cracked open a bottle of wine. 

It was less awkward than Steve had imagined. Like, sure, the whole sitting here with his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend thing was weird, but he really liked both of them, he got along with them. 

He was really glad they invited him over because now that he was here, just hanging out with them he realized he really wanted to be their friend. Okay, sure, he wanted a whole lot more than that but he'd settle for friend. 

"So Steve... Jonathan and I kinda asked you over for a reason and it's gonna sound like really crazy, probably" 

Steve was immediately on edge "Like, Upside Down crazy?" 

His mind was going a hundred miles an hour thinking of all the possible monsters that could have returned until Nancy put her hand on his arm and cut him off quickly "No! No, it's nothing like that, nothing dangerous, just... crazy"

Steve nodded apprehensively "Okay..." 

"I, I'm kind of still in love with you" Wow. 

Steve's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his heart was pounding way too quickly. He looked wordlessly between Nancy and Jonathan, praying to god that this wasn't some twisted prank. 

"And Jonathan may have a slight crush on you too..." 

That's it. That's the moment Steve's heart stopped beating and his soul left his body. At least, that's what it felt like. 

He was looking at Jonathan, who was about as red in the face as was humanly possible and he just couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that these two wonderful people were both into him. 

"So...? What, um, what exactly would that, y'know, I mean, fuck... What exactly is it that you two want, you know, with me?" 

Nancy was looking at him with hopeful eyes, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly "We were hoping that maybe you'd want to go out with us?" 

"Both of you?" They both nodded. 

"So, we'd be a couple, with like the three of us?" They nodded again. 

"And I would really get to date both of you? Like, for real? Like I could kiss you and hold you and stuff?" 

"If you want" Jonathan finally spoke up, and Steve's face split into a giant smile, blushing like crazy. 

"Yeah, of course I want to" he said as he got up to walk around the table to Jonathan. 

He bent down and cupped his cheek softly, trailing his thumb over the soft skin. Jonathan's warm smile made his heart melt and he closed the gap between their lips, kissing him tenderly and loving the way Jonathan leaned into his touch. 

They were both smiling shyly when they pulled back, only to see Nancy smiling at them so softly "I love you guys" And, as if on cue, they simultaneously answered "Love you too, Nance"

[curiositydooropened]

Movie Night

Steve skipped up the lawn to the Buckley’s front door, sneakers dampening in the wet grass. The nights turned darker quicker and the bustle of the beginning school year settled the streets of Hawkins. A chaotic summer full of new shopping centers and a town torn apart soon dipped to cool autumn nights, and the rumors seemed to fade with the falling of the leaves.

---

Read the rest on AO3 or keep reading.

Steve skipped up the lawn to the Buckley’s front door, sneakers dampening in the wet grass. The nights turned darker quicker and the bustle of the beginning school year settled the streets of Hawkins. A chaotic summer full of new shopping centers and a town torn apart soon dipped to cool autumn nights, and the rumors seemed to fade with the falling of the leaves.

Steve could still smell SS Butterscotch, still nursed the tear at his lip with a slick tongue, still heard Russian conversation ringing in his ears. With the new school year came study sessions for the nerds, who weren’t allowed to be out on school nights, and Steve found himself mostly alone in his room, haunted by plaid walls and the Flesh Monsters of his mind. He thought he’d be used to it by now. A nineteen year old guy shouldn’t be afraid of the dark.

And yet, he practically sprinted from his BMW to the Buckley’s front stoop. The wrap of his knuckles was answered by a stately woman in a power suit, clearly readying herself to be out the door as fast as he had entered. “Mr. Harrington,” the woman commented with a knowing smirk on red lips. She fastened a pearl stud to her earlobe. “I didn’t know we were expecting you.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Buckley,” Steve leaned awkwardly on the balls of his feet, unsure if he was permitted to enter or if he should just leave now. He never knew where he stood with the Robin’s parents.

Understandably, they believed Steve had pulled their daughter from a burning building. Robin was convinced her mom thought they were screwing, an uncomfortable tidbit that sent Steve’s cheek burning as he stared into the older woman’s eyes. Robin’s father was a military man, not around much, intimidating as hell.

“That’s quite alright, dear. What are you two up to tonight?” Again, the look.

Steve rocked back on his heels, running an awkward hand through his hair. “Oh I don’t know. I think watch a scary movie?”

“How exciting. I’m off to a book club night. I’ll be home late. Take of her, will you?” Mrs. Buckley shoved a book under her arm for emphasis, the cover was stained purple and atop it was a Fabio-haired man that reminded Steve a little too much of Billy Hargrove. He blanched.

“Mom, go!” Robin’s voice called from within the house.

Mrs. Buckley waved her off with a smile. “I’m going, I’m going! Lock up behind me. You kids have fun!” And she was off.

Robin stood atop the staircase, all legs under an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was a mess in a scrunchie atop her head, and she stood with one hand on her hip, the other gesturing for him to hurry his ass inside. It’s getting cold.

Steve did as instructed, slipping soggy sneakers onto the entry mat and shrugging off his red and white puffed jacket. Dustin had asked him where he’d gotten it. He didn’t share, figured he’d get it for the kid for his birthday coming up.

“I’m thinking Evil Dead,” Robin squawked her way around the corner and up the stairs, not bothering to make sure he had followed.

Steve groaned. “Again? It’s like I’ve befriended Jonathan Byers.”

“You have befriended Jonathan Byers.” Robin reminded him, stopping at the doorway to her bedroom to prove her point.

“Shared trauma does not make us friends.”

“Shared girlfriend might.”

“Fuck off.”

Robin grinned.

Robin’s bedroom was a hodge podge of nerdom and geekery. It wasn’t covered in Science crap like Dustin’s, but the Arts. There were hand painted Drama masks in one corner and a Saxophone stand in the other. She had a collection of video cassettes and vinyl records and everything was bright colors and black all at once. She’d carved sonnets into her headboard with a ball point pen. A small television stand stood opposite her bed, just beside a window. She climbed out that window one night, late August, and biked to his house. They stayed up for hours outside the pool, talking about Starcourt, talking about it all.

Unceremoniously, she plopped onto her bed, belly first, legs flopping behind her. She fluffed a pillow under her chest and patted the spot next to her for Steve to sit. At the foot of the bed, near her head, was a bowl of popcorn and a platter of assorted candies. The colorful gummies reminded Steve of topping sundaes and his head spun a little. Reluctantly, he slipped beside her, back to her headboard, socked feet near her shoulder.

“Keith said they’re hiring down at Family Video,” Robin offered, pulling a gummy worm between her teeth. She leaned forward for the remote and the bed shifted under her weight.

“Ugh, Keith?”

“A job’s a job, dingus. Do you want cash or not?”

Steve supposed she was right. Well, it was Robin, she was always right. But the idea of slinging video tapes next to Loud Mouth Buckley and Pizza Face didn’t seem ideal. Although, his dad had been on his ass again. The novelty of his traumatic incident had seemed to have worn off on the old man. Steve should suck it up.

“So how’s school?” Steve asked as Robin fast forwarded through the commercials.

She shrugged. “Weird. It’s almost like no one else fought a human flesh monster from another dimension.”

Steve snorted. “Yeah, that’s so bizarre.”

Robin rolled over to face him. “No really, though. It sucks. It’s like everyone just forgot.”

“Everyone that could,” Steve nodded. He picked at a pen mark on the lap of his jeans.

“Nancy’s doing well,” Robin prodded at him with a spindly finger.

“I didn’t ask.” Steve sighed.

“I know, but you loooooved her,” Robin cackled. He always forgot how juvenile she was.

“Yeah, well, I’m seeing that… Patsy girl, or whatever.” He’d taken a girl from high school on a couple of dates now. She was a senior too, a little geeky. They mostly made out in his car. She was a sloppy kisser and didn’t seem like she was going to put out, and she definitely wasn’t relationship material.

“Ugh,” Robin rolled her eyes. “I told you not to go there. She’s a lost cause.”

“Apparently that’s my type,” Steve sighed. “Are we going to watch this movie or what?”

Steve didn’t know how they did it, how they could through hours of prosthetic makeup and gore and horror, after what they’d been through. Maybe they were desensitized. Scary movies just weren’t scary anymore, they were almost comical. Bruce Campbell had no idea of the real horrors that were out there, that walked among us. The worst of it was, most of Steve’s nightmares weren’t even about the monsters he’d seen and killed, but about the humans, the ones that got away.

The film had ended and he wiped at tired eyes, propped up against his bent knee. Robin slurped the last few bubbles from her can of Coke and threw her head back against the headboard. “Dingus?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think we’re going to be fucked up forever?”

“Probably.” Steve sighed. The red thread had become to pull loose on the toe of his sock. “I used to think I could be normal if I just pretended. Like, if I just act like a normal teenager, I am a normal teenager, but I think that’s… bullshit.” He snorted.

“Yeah, it’s like, I want to do normal teenaged shit, like get stoned with my friends after band class, but I can’t because I’m terrified I’m going to let it all out, and then they’re going to just ditch me because I’ll be that freak girl who makes up monsters.”

Steve ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I guess I never really thought of that. I always had Nancy, and then when I didn’t, I just channeled it into sports, I guess.”

“Ugh, sports,” Robin scoffed.

A moment passed between them.

“Dingus?”

“Yeah, Rob,” he closed his eyes, leaning his chin on his knee. He wondered if he had patience for more of her questions tonight. The lure of his bed at home seemed ever present, and sometimes he wanted to shut out the horror, to turn off his brain and think of sports and video games and the girls in magazines in his closet and not Hawkins and all of this shit.

“When I go to college, are you coming with me?”

He hadn’t thought of that, and he didn’t want to. The prospect of college felt far off, unwelcome, felt like something he wasn’t built to endure. He worried too much about his kids, his family, he had to take care of them now that Hopper was gone, and Joyce. He had to fill that void, subconsciously of course. “I don’t know, Rob. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“That’s fine,” she agreed. He was glad she knew he needed to take things slow. “I’m forcing you to apply for Family Video with me though.”

He groaned, flopping dramatically to the pillow beside her. She laughed and splayed a hand across his chest. “Think of the babes, Harrington.” She said softly. “Chicks love movies.”

Steve managed to slip out the door just as Mrs. Buckley was arriving home. The woman giggled her way up the stoop, slipping in heels, breath wine soaked. She gave Steve a kiss on the cheek, smearing her lipstick as she went, and he blushed as she grappled his arms for stability when she removed her shoes from her heels.

“Have a goodnight, Mrs. Buckley,” he managed, getting ready to close the door behind himself, but the woman stopped him with a slammed hand.

Her face went suddenly sober, eyes brimming with emotion. “Thank you for saving my little girl.”

He smiled softly and nodded. “Anytime, Mrs. Buckley,” and he meant it.