someone who loves you wouldn't do this

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/42063804.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Relationship: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington &
Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson
Character: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington's
Parents, Jim "Chief" Hopper
Additional Tags: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Brotherly Steve
Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Angst with a Happy Ending,
Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mentions of Blood, Steve Harrington
Has Bad Parents, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Platonic Soulmates
Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart,
Protective Robin Buckley, feral robin buckley, Lesbian Robin Buckley,
Protective Steve Harrington, Hurt Steve Harrington, Emotionally Hurt
Steve Harrington, Dead Eddie Munson, Canon Compliant, referenced
eddie and dustin friendship, not explicitly said but heavily implied, Not
Beta Read
Language: English
Collections: !! all the faves
Stats: Published: 2022-10-01 Words: 14779

someone who loves you wouldn't do this

by bookwormthings1328

Summary

steve harrington's parents come home and he sends robin away.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Slowly, Robin’s eyes adjusted to the dark room as she shook back the strands of hair that had
whipped into her face when she’d scurried along the roof to reach Steve’s bedroom window.

Her foot caught on the tiles when she shifted, making her squeak in surprise when she slipped and
awkwardly clung to the window ledge for a minute. Her chest heaved and her breath came out in
quiet pants before she hauled herself over the edge and safely inside; the soft carpet broke Robin’s
fall and she internally groaned when she landed hard on her back. She grimaced while she worked
blindly to kick off her shoes before shimming off her coat too, revealing mismatched pyjamas.
The familiar lump in the middle of the bed and tuft of hair peeking out caught Robin’s attention.

A wave of calm rushed through her veins as she dropped down on the mattress, her arms and legs
contorted inwards as she just stared down at Steve, chewing on her thumbnail.

He looked peaceful even with the way he was half buried under the blanket with his cheek
squished into the pillow and his hair sticking out in all sorts of directions- Robin's lip quirked at the
sight before it quickly fell away again. Her hands shook the longer she watched him, briefly
debating whether to just get under the covers and go to sleep as the silence stretched in the small
space. For once, Robin wished desperately that Steve was a snorer or a sleep talker. She wanted
him to drown out the quiet that had followed her from her own house like a shadow, always
hovering. He blew out a soft breath and Robin sniffled, eyes dropping to watch his chest rise and
fall as her hands distractedly brushed back some of her hair that was as wild as Steve’s from the
cold wind.

The desperate need to just see Steve had eased only marginally but she didn’t dare reach out in case
he disappeared like mist the second she touched him. Her lips trembled when she breathed out.

Robin’s throat bobbed as she swallowed and scooted closer.

The silence was deafening and Robin felt it sinking into her skin the longer she sat in it; she prayed
to a god that she didn’t believe in that Steve wouldn’t fade as she pressed her hand to his cheek.

Instantly, his face screwed up at the drop in temperature and he jolted back from the offending
appendage, his eyes snapping open in alarm. They bounced around his room before the sound of
Robin cackling slightly hysterically in the space next to him finally registered, (Steve would deny
that the noise soothed his racing heart). He scowled reflexively at her reaction and rolled his eyes
when she flopped onto the bed beside him, rolling onto her back so she could draw in a lungful of
air to keep laughing at him. Steve groaned into his pillow and batted blindly in her direction.

“Your fingers are freezing, get the hell away from me-”

“Don’t be such an ass!” Robin hissed, hitting him back with one hand while the other wiped away
her tears; her cheeks already hurt from laughing. “Share your body heat!”

Robin promptly launched herself at Steve so she could shove her hand up his shirt and press her
fingers against the bumps of his spine, relentless even when he arched his back and contorted every
which way in an attempt to shake her off. Steve shrieked and tumbled off the bed when he rolled a
little too far to the edge, his arms grappled for something to grab and landed on Robin’s leg as he
went over the side. Robin screamed with laughter as she was half dragged off the bed, her hands
still twisted into the covers in a feeble attempt to save herself before she succumbed to gravity.

“One of these days I’m going to lock my window.” Steve grumbled from the floor.

Robin spared a look of disbelief over her shoulder and saw him glowering dramatically up at her,
his eyebrows pinched together in faux annoyance until she dropped beside him so they were both
laid flat out on their backs, their legs half under the bed. The ends of their hair mixed together when
Robin gently knocked their heads together as she grinned sleepily at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Her arm brushed against Steve’s, relishing in the warmth that she happily leeched from him, still
feeling minute shivers running down her spine from the lingering cold outside.

No matter how many times Steve complained about her cold fingers or that she was waking him
up at three in the morning when they both had work at nine and they had to be up by seven or even
when she hogged the entire bed and all of the blankets, Robin knew that Steve would never lock
her out. They both knew it was an empty threat that would never at any point seriously cross
Steve’s mind because somewhere along the way between slinging ice cream, being tortured and
drugged by Russians and having to fend off Vecna with the musical powers of Kate Bush, Robin
had wormed her way into his heart and he knew he couldn’t pry her out even if he wanted too.

She was an intrinsic part of his life and to him as a person.

Sometimes it felt like a vital organ was missing when Robin wasn’t around, and Steve didn’t know
how to function without it. How to even begin at attempting to fill the gaping hole it had left
behind when it had been carved out without him knowing until the pain had set in.

Robin always felt like she was missing a limb when Steve disappeared, but every time she checked
all of her fingers and toes would still be there in perfect working order. Still, the phantom pain
would linger and ache whenever she turned and found the space Steve usually occupied at her side
empty.

“Song or silence?” Steve asked between a yawn, snapping them both from their reveries.

He was already waking up, face losing its soft edge from sleep and the looseness in his limbs
settled back into their normal tension. Robin watched him age before her, watched as the youthful
glint in his eyes was snuffed out and replaced by a guarded weariness. Guilt welled in her throat
before he suddenly scrunched his nose up at her with his tongue poking out between his teeth.

It startled a laugh out of Robin, effectively dislodging the lump in her throat as she hauled herself
to her feet again, stretching when she stood to her full height.

Light flooded through the room, making both occupants squint as Robin jumped over the heap of
blankets and spun on her heel to wriggle her eyebrows at Steve. “I’m thinking, ‘Dancing Queen’.”
She mused, grinning when Steve nodded appraisingly at her choice of music and allowed his body
to fall back onto the mattress with a soft ‘thump’ that made the springs squeak. He laid there with
his limbs sprawled out and simply stared up at the ceiling like it held a thousand secrets or the
answer to the universe. His contemplative expression was tinged with something darker and Robin
didn’t like the way it sent shadows scattering across his face, creating an unknown distance
between them despite them both being in the same room, physically only a few feet apart.

Briefly, Robin wondered what he had been dreaming about before she’d stumbled in.

A pair of socks soared through the air and pelted him directly on the nose- Steve’s intense stare
down with the ceiling was abruptly broken. He stared at Robin in shock and offence while she
shrugged innocently and closed his top drawer with her hip before turning around.

Steve scowled at her back while she sifted through his records and set everything up.

Music immediately began filtering into the room and the remaining tension that had been clinging
stubbornly to Robin seeped out of her shoulders. She let out a breath of relief. Her shoulders
slumped forwards like a taut bow finally being released as the silence that had been haunting her
every step since she had woken up was drowned out by the sounds of ABBA set at an obscene
volume. For a moment, Robin debated turning it down considering the time of night it was, but as
if Steve had heard her thoughts- as if he sensed that tonight was one of those night where the
silence was just too loud- he leaned over her shoulder and cranked the volume up even more.

They both knew that they’d get a noise complaint but Robin didn’t have time to dwell on it when
Steve grabbed both of her hands, locking their fingers together before he spun her around the small
space like they were in a dance hall and not his bedroom.

Robin shrieked in delight when he twirled and twirled her around until the world spun on its axis.

Steve pulled her back into his chest so his chin rested on the top of her head and he held her there
impossibly tight, as if he was trying to squeeze out all of the horrors that had made their home in
her bones before he released her again. Robin felt like she could breathe a little easier.

She swung their arms around as she belted out a lyric right in his face before jumping onto the bed.

The sight of Steve’s eyes bright and brimming with happiness when he looked up at Robin made
her feel inexplicably accomplished, even as she danced around in her mismatched pyjamas and
sang off-key on purpose just to make him genuinely laugh- because it was a sound she didn’t hear
often after the whole ordeal with Vecna. “You’re absolutely terrible Buckley!” Steve called over
the music, only just able to be heard as his laughter bubbled in his throat and tumbled out, cutting
himself off. Robin pressed her hand dramatically to her chest and wiped away a fake tear before
flipping him off and doubling her screechy volume just because she could.

As Steve scrambled onto the mattress, just so he could be closer to the one person that he trusted
more than anything in the world, he allowed the amount of love he felt for Robin to settle.

It made him dizzy.

He almost fell into her when the mattress dipped under the added weight but Robin grasped his
arms and held him steady as he gained his footing, hair plastered to his forehead. They shimmied
back and forth to one another with matching flushes on their faces from the exertion before the
chorus kicked in and they both jumped in the air, mimicking microphones and air guitars and
horrible disco moves that would have had outsiders cringing, all the while the bed creaked at the
abuse beneath them.

By the time the record played itself out, Robin barely remembered why she had run to Steve’s in
the first place except for the overwhelming need to just see him.

It was an increasingly familiar feeling that often crept up on her when she woke up gasping from
nightmares and fighting with her blankets as the inexplicable urge to have Steve beside her filled
her lungs, because all she wanted was to curl around him and wear him as a blanket to block out
the world around her. To feel him breathe and have his heart beat against hers like she did now; he
was laid out next to her with his hands tucked beneath his face but his fingers had stretched to play
with a strand of her hair. Robin tilted forwards so their foreheads pressed together.

“Steve?” Her voice was low and slightly hoarse from their impromptu concert.
His eyes flicked to hers as he hummed in reply and his fingers paused from where they had idly
wrapped themselves around her hair. “The thought of losing you scares me.”

“You’re not going to lose me.” The certainty that rang in Steve’s voice made tears rise in Robin’s
eyes as she stared at him, her bottom lip quivering. He unfolded his hands and pulled until Robin’s
were safely encased in his and he could feel the callouses on her fingers press into his palm, an
unshakeable, solid pressure despite the tremble to her hands. “We’re going to be bickering in
matching armchairs and butchering ABBA even when we’re eighty. I promise.” He squeezed her
fingers for good measure.

Robin believed him. She knew that Steve would fight for it, for them, and Robin knew that she’d
help him because she wanted it too. She could almost picture them both, grey haired and wrinkled.

“I love you, dingus.” Robin breathed out. Her voice was watery and soft but steady.

Steve looked like he was going to cry too at her words even though it wasn’t even the first time that
they had said that they loved each other. Instead, he pulled her into his chest and Robin happily let
herself be manoeuvred and hooked her legs around Steve’s as if anchoring him to her as she
pressed her ear against his chest. The peaceful lull of his heart sounded and Robin went boneless
against him, her full body-weight rested on Steve as her eyes drooped closed and she rubbed her
cheek on his shirt to dry her tears; her hands fisted themselves into the sides of the fabric.

He grumbled at the action before dropping a hand to her hair, slowly working through some of the
knots there. “I love you too.” He said and Robin felt herself grow giddy at the admission before
she settled again, huddling further into his side like she was trying to burrow away.

“...Can’t believe we have to get up in three hours. And deal with Keith.”

Robin snorted and muffled her laughter into his chest, “Way to ruin the moment asshole.”

Steve scoffed and pulled on her hair. “You literally just rubbed snot into my shirt-”

“Oh my god!” Robin hissed, hitting Steve’s chest as he snickered above her. “I did not.”
-

Steve had been drifting in and out of consciousness, his fingers tracing random, mindless patterns
on Robin’s shoulder through her thin t-shirt; her hair tickled the end of his nose from where she
was tucked in close. He breathed in the usual smell of her orange shampoo, relaxing at the
familiarity of it when he heard the tell-tale click of the front door unlocking downstairs.

The sound echoed in the empty house, bouncing off its bare walls.

The movement of Steve’s fingers froze mid-circle and he swallowed thickly as his breath stuttered
out of his lungs like someone had thrown a sudden punch to his chest that he hadn’t seen coming.
He strained his ears for another sound while his eyes fixed themselves to the door in a wide-eyed
stare; there was a small gap because Robin liked the door to be left open a few inches (and it
always ended up ajar even if he had no memory of her doing it). Robin shifted against his chest,
forehead furrowing in her sleep as if she could hear the way his heart had sped up and now
hammered painfully against his ribcage, threatening to jump out into his hands and run off without
the rest of him.

A singular footstep. It rang in Steve’s ears in the same deafening way as if someone had just
sounded a bell right next to his head without warning. He felt sick as he sat, propped up by his
elbow.

Robin grumbled in annoyance when she was dislodged and slid off his chest, face planting the
mattress. “Asshole.” she grumbled, flailing an arm around without looking up for a pillow before
she hauled it over her head in protest to the world and Steve. “The alarm hasn’t even gone off.” She
added to her muttered complaint, kicking Steve in the leg pointedly for emphasis when he didn’t
respond.

He just continued to stare at the door like something horrible was going to launch it open at any
moment. “Steve?” Robin slurred, lifting one corner of the pillow so she could squint an eye at him.

Confusion bloomed across Robin’s face when he didn’t acknowledge her for a second time, not
even when she huffed out a breath and shifted around, twisting so that she could sit up and take
half the blanket with her in the process- then she froze too. The sound of the coffee machine being
turned on made it to her ears as if it was only in the room over and not down a flight of stairs. It
was joined by the noise of low voices that were too quiet for her to make out any words.
Still, her stomach plummeted what felt like a hundred feet and twisted itself into nervous knots.

Her fingers latched themselves onto Steve’s wrist instinctively when he swung a leg off the bed,
both of them cringing when the springs squeaked, announcing the movement.

“Steve.” Robin warned, her eyes trained on him as he focussed on the door. “Steve.”

The hissed plea went unheard and Robin clamped his fingers in hers in a bruising hold, refusing to
let him go more than two feet from the bed. She knew what would happen if she let him out of her
sight.

“Get your shoes on.” Steve ordered; his voice barely audible.

Then Steve turned to finally look back at Robin, giving her a full view of his face.

His skin had paled by several shades, making him look vaguely sick and his shoulders had hunched
themselves pre-emptively around his ears as if he was expecting an invisible blow any second.
Robin felt her mouth go dry at the clear fear that clung to Steve’s face, prominent in the way his
eyes had blown wide as if trying to take in every inch of his surroundings, searching for any nearby
signs of danger. The resigned look that flashed across his face when he pulled his hand out of her
grip made Robin’s stomach churn uncomfortably- Steve had never backed down from a fight. Not
from the Russians and not against Vecna and it made Robin shake to know that there was
something- someone- out there that terrified Steve so badly that he wouldn’t fight for himself.

“Steve.” Robin’s eyes hardened despite the way her voice cracked on his name.

Her hands grasped at thin air when he stepped away and she shifted onto her knees, watching him
as he crept to the door. They both winced at the click it made when Steve released the handle.

He slumped back against the wood, squeezing his eyes shut as his throat bobbed up and down.

Exhaustion lined his whole body and Robin felt anger bubble up in her chest, bright and burning.
They both knew who was downstairs, lurking behind the door that would only save Steve from
their attention for so long. Robin knew that when Steve had told her about his parents he hadn’t
wanted to, but it had just come spilling out of him like a dam that had finally been pushed over its
limits and shattered. He’d sobbed in her arms as she’d cradled his head and she’d cried with him
because no one deserved to be belittled and hurt by their parents like he described, especially Steve
Harrington who loved so hard and fast that it scared Robin sometimes because she knew she
couldn’t protect him. Couldn’t hide him away no matter how badly she wanted to from people who
would only hurt him.

Steve peeled open his eyes as he blew out a low, strained breath.

His eyes settled on Robin where she was crouched on the edge of his bed, expression dark and
sombre even as she picked anxiously at a loose thread on the bedspread. Steve knew if he asked,
Robin wouldn’t hesitate to march down and defend him; to protect him. But he couldn’t ask that of
her, didn’t want to put her in that position. Except he didn’t want to send Robin away either. Didn’t
want to be left alone in the house with his parents so close but he refused to let them dig their claws
into the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Robin Buckley was his better half and Steve would rather die than let his parents touch her.

“You’ve got work.” Steve said quietly, voice clogged and eyes clouding over.

Robin pressed her lips together into a straight, severe line as she stared him down. “Come with
me.” She said, clenching her jaw tightly before blowing out a breath and releasing a stilted, hollow
laugh at Steve when he shook his head. “Steve, what do you want me to do? You want me to
seriously go to work and leave you here? Are you kidding?” Robin blinked as if she didn’t fully
understand Steve’s reasoning even though she did- her heart ached in her chest as her eyes started
burning with tears. Because she remembered what Steve told her about his childhood and about
how he was down-right petrified of his parents in a way the Upside Down could never scare him.
She knew what it was like to be trapped by fear until it suffocated you, until you’d rather lay down
and take it than confront it.

Robin had never repeated a word of it to anyone, not even when their friends asked about Steve’s
absent parents or when Hopper stared at her long and hard when he thought she wasn’t looking,
because he knew that she knew but both of them refused to admit it lest they have to acknowledge
it.

“Robs.” Steve sighed, hand wiping harshly at the few tears that had slipped. “Just, please cover for
me.” He hated asking that of her. Asking her to lie for him. Robin hated that she’d do it.

That she’d lie and cover and bend over backwards to keep Steve’s home life a secret if that was
what he wanted even if it made her skin crawl because they’d be getting away with it.
“We can both go out of the window- they won’t even know we were here.” She tried anyway,
knowing it was a lost cause when Steve ran his hands through his hair and pulled a little too much.
Her hands flailed as she climbed off the bed and moved into Steve’s space, always disregarding
personal boundaries. “We can both go to work and then hide out at mine- or we can screw Keith
and just go home. Okay? They’ll never look for you there because why would you be hiding at a
band geek’s, right? And all we have to do is just wait them out and it’ll be fine- you'll be fine and
safe-”

Steve looked like he wanted to cry the more she talked.

No one had ever cared as much as Robin and Steve hated that he was causing her so much distress.

“Robin.” He cut her off, catching her flying hand and holding it to his chest like it was the only
thing tethering him to the world. Robin almost stepped on his toes to get closer. “I can’t hide from
them.”

He sounded so impossibly sad and small that Robin felt tears once again prick her eyes and she
tightened her grip as if she could physically keep him by her side and away from the people only a
floor below them. “We could try.” She whispered even when Steve dropped his head on the door
and let out a watery laugh of disbelief. Robin hated the empty look it left on his face.

“I’ll call tonight, I promise. But, please.” His eyes glossed over when Robin pressed her face into
the crook of his neck because she knew what he was going to ask of her before he said it and she
knew that she’d give to him, but it still hurt. “Just please go.”

“Steve.” Robin said one last time, unable to put her whirling thoughts into a cohesive sentence.

Unable to express how much she wanted to bundle him up and take him with her. Wanted to grab
his car keys and drive them both so far from Hawkins until it was a dot behind them on the road
and then keep going so no one- not monsters or people- could ever hurt either of them again
because Steve Harrington deserved better than the hand he’d been dealt. Robin felt Steve roughly
kiss the top of her head followed by the shaky exhale he let out against her hair before he took a
step back.

The space where his body had pressed against hers felt cold and Robin’s fingers twitched like she
wanted to reach for Steve but she didn’t. Instead, her hands curled into tight fists.
Wordlessly, Robin found her shoes and stuffed them onto her feet, not bothering with the laces as
she bundled herself back up and opened the window. Steve hovered behind her, taking in deep
breaths while he watched Robin drop onto the roof; she looked over at him and leaned half into the
room so she could glower at him despite the way her eyes were red-rimmed and filling with more
tears.

“Call, or so help me Harrington I will find you.” She warned and Steve let out a harsh chuckle.

“I’ll call Buckley. Swear it.” Robin nodded jerkily before she tore her eyes away and shuffled
along the roof, feeling the weight of Steve’s eyes on her back until she dropped onto the street.

He drew in a sharp breath when he faced away from the window and dared to open his bedroom
door.

The voices were louder and more recognisable than earlier without that piece of wood to help
block them out and Steve fought back the instinct to shrink away from them- to hide in his closet
like he was a child again and pretend the world didn't exist outside of its doors. Instead, he forced
one foot in front of the other until he had made it all the way down the stairs and reached the
kitchen doorway, all the way wishing Robin was next to him, her hand squeezing his for strength.

"Don’t you have to be annoying somewhere else?”

Robin leaned against the counter; eyes levelled at Dustin with the flattest expression she could
muster up in the moment as she internally suppressed the urge to roll her eyes when he walked
directly towards her, not even faltering at her question and less than welcoming expression. “Not
until six.” He sniped, narrowing his eyes in confusion for a second when he reached the till before
he folded over the counter, forcing Robin to step back to avoid being headbutted. He made a show
of craning his neck in an attempt to see into the backroom around the corner.

“Steve!” Dustin hollered and Robin winced before pushing him away.

“Dingus one, is not here, dingus two.” Robin explained. “He’s sick.” She added with a shrug.
Dustin’s face quickly dropped into one of concern. “He’s sick?”

“Have you suddenly become a parrot?” Robin snatched up a stack of videos and marched down an
aisle in the hopes that if she didn’t see him then he’d simply disappear. Her hopes were dashed
when footsteps stomped after her and she risked a glance back to see Dustin stubbornly following.

Robin loved the kids- she'd literally die for them- but she also had zero patience for anything and
anyone when it came to any situation involving Steve and his potential to be injured. Besides, she
couldn’t exactly blurt out how worried she actually was to alleviate some of her nerves because
then Dustin would inevitably demand to visit him- so, cool indifference it was. Not to mention that
Robin would rather come out to the entirety of Hawkins at Sunday church than let Dustin even set
foot in the general direction of the Harrington house when Steve’s parents were there, because
Steve would throw a fit and spiral into a spectacular panic attack and when Steve panicked Robin
had a habit of joining him out of solidarity or co-dependency, she wasn’t completely sure which-

“What if he needs something?” Dustin demanded, cutting off Robin’s inner tirade by stopping an
inch away from her elbow with a look of indignation on his face.

She huffed out a hard breath, blowing a strand of hair away from her forehead that fell irritatingly
back into place as she tried to scrounge up a sliver of patience from the depths of her soul. “This is
Steve we’re talking about.” Robin said, shelving a few Disney movies while Dustin continued to
hover now over her shoulder- and God, was this how Seve felt when she stood an inch behind him
rambling about Vickie? Now she felt another dose of guilt on top of her mounting nerves. “He’ll be
fine. I’m stopping by later anyway.” She tried to placate Dustin with the knowledge that Steve
wouldn’t technically be on his own, even if it was a blatant lie, but Dustin bounced on his feet and
latched onto her words like a dog with a bone.

“Then take me with you!” Robin screamed internally and wished she could take those words back,
cursing her big mouth and lack of ability to read Dustin as well as Steve did.

“No.” she shot him a fierce glare and rounded the aisle.

For once, Robin prayed for a customer to enter to put an end to her suffering when Dustin cut her
off mid-stride, arms posed on his hips in an imitation of Steve. She wanted to laugh in his face and
only barely restrained herself from doing so, knowing that it would only aggravate Dustin further
and she already felt exhausted from their interaction.
“Why not? Steve is my best friend!” He declared, not budging.

Robin clenched her jaw, allowing herself only a few seconds to glare at the kid before she took in a
long, deep breath and blew it out again. Her hands settled themselves on Dustin’s shoulders and
Robin prayed that Steve would find it within himself to forgive her for her next words as she
hunched over slightly to be on eye level with him. “It’s so gross Dustin.” Robin said flatly, lips
pressed together in sympathy, “Like, puke and bodily fluids, everywhere. It’s disgusting.”

Immediately, Dustin made a face and pushed off her hands. “Robin!”

“I’m just saying, he almost vommed in my hair Henderson.” Robin shrugged, sidestepping him.
“And don’t even get me started on the snot and, well...” she shivered theatrically, “It’s a lot.”

Dustin looked red in the face from embarrassment at the information as he stalked after her, albeit
slower than before and Robin had to turn around to stifle her laughter under the pretence of
grabbing some more videos to display. When she finally turned back around, Dustin had squared
his shoulders back and a determined look flashed dangerously in his eyes.

“Still.” He took a breath, “I should do something. He’d do it for me.”

The kid stared up at Robin with big round eyes that dared her to deny him and she softened, just a
little, because she knew that Dustin meant it when he said that he’d deal with Steve’s snotty tissues
and hold his sweaty hair back if that was what was needed of him. Because Steve would do it.
Even if he’d complain exaggeratedly about it afterwards just to prove a point- he'd still do it and
he’d be damn good at it too. Robin groaned in frustration when Dustin threw puppy dog eyes her
way for good measure and she collapsed onto the counter, head propped up in her hand while she
scowled.

“He would.” Robin agreed. “But we both know that Steve would rather shave off his hair than
have you see him like that.” Dustin frowned but didn’t argue her point. He just pouted.

“Well, he- he's just going to have suck it up!” He spluttered out.

Dustin failed spectacularly to reign in the whine to his voice and Robin took pity on him, just a bit.
“Why don’t you... make a card?” She suggested half-heartedly, fingers tapping rhythmically on the
counter as her eyes darted to the clock. Dustin lit up at the idea, excitement filling his chest with
the solution as he beamed at her in full force. “Drop it off before the end of my shift and I’ll take it
to him. You can even get all the gremlins to sign it if you’re quick.” He nodded vigorously,
reminding Robin momentarily of a bobble head before she made a shooing motion with her hands.

“Shop closes at nine, doofus.”

“I’ll be back!” Dustin shouted over his shoulder, not even pausing to object the name.

The words felt like more of a threat than a promise as he bolted out of the store, the door shaking as
Dustin wrenched it open with almost enough force to rip it off its hinges. Robin snorted at his
reaction and slumped onto the stool and started digging around for a magazine, she didn’t even
notice Dustin pause in the parking lot long enough to talk to someone before the door dinged again.

Robin’s head snapped up from where she had been contorted under the counter, magazine clutched
between her teeth and two others filling her hands. Hopper stood in the door.

Robin blinked when he nodded in acknowledgement before disappearing down an aisle that Robin
vaguely noted was the collection of Disney videos they kept and deduced that he must be buying
something for Eleven before she lost interest, and turned back to her magazines. She desperately
hoped to get lost in the world of pointless celebrity gossip in order to stop herself from glancing at
the clock every few seconds, counting down the minutes until the end of her shift and she could go
home and anxiously await by the phone for Steve to call.

“Dustin told me Steve was sick?” Hopper asked in lew of a greeting when he set some videos
down.

Surprise flickered across Robin’s face at his sudden, silent reappearance but she nodded anyway
and stuffed the magazine blindly off to the side. “Flu or something.” She explained, beginning to
scan a few of the cases- Hopper waited expectantly but Robin refused to say anything else.

“Is he okay?” Hopper pressed eventually, frowning at her silence.

Robin slid the videos across the counter, eyeing the sheriff warily. The way he asked the question
made Robin wonder if he was still talking about Steve’s ‘illness’ or if he knew that the Harringtons
had returned home and what that actually meant for Steve. “He has me.”

“You know,” He said seriously, his eyes trained on Robin like he was trying to study her reaction-
she resolved to just stare back, “no matter what, under any circumstance, you can call me or Joyce
for help.”

“Of course.” Robin smiled though her heart jumped in her chest.

Hopper looked like he wanted to say more but he eased up, eyes dropping as he collected his
videos and nodded. “Good. Remember that.” Robin gave him a mock salute before he walked back
down the length of the store, hesitating only for a second by the door before the bell announced his
departure.

Even after he got in his car and drove away, Robin stared at the door.

She decided that he had to know because that conversation had been too weird if he didn’t. Robin
blew out a breath and pushed back her hair with both hands, letting out a quiet, hysterical laugh as
she bit back a spike of anger, snuffing it out. If he knew then why hadn’t he done something? Why
didn’t he protect Steve? Why hadn’t he kept him safe-? Robin huffed a breath and reminded herself
that that wasn’t a fair thought. She knew how stubborn Steve could be and knew how deep the fear
of his father ran and that he could barely get the words out to her never mind to Hopper.

Robin sighed morosely and reached for the magazine, eyes shooting to the clock again.

Robin could only stare at the phone for so long before she felt like her sanity was slowly slipping
through her fingers. One of her hands had buried and twisted itself into her hair while the other had
had its nails chewed obsessively until there were none left, all the while Robin had glowered at the
offending electrical item as if she could blow it up with her mind if she only stared hard enough.

The hurried bike ride over to the Harringtons that followed was a blur.

It had been spurred on and fuelled by the anxiety that coursed through Robin’s entire body,
punctuated by a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach that persisted even when she sped down
road after road, the cold air biting at her skin. The feelings gnawing away at her insides only
renewed its intensity when she glanced down to see the handmade card Dustin had proudly
delivered clutched in her hand- because Steve wasn’t sick. He should have been capable to lift the
phone and dial Robin’s number that he would have denied having memorised almost immediately
when she had first given it to him. Steve had promised that he would call and he had the
unwavering habit of keeping all of his promises. He was dependable like that, even outside of
world ending events because he didn’t want any of the kids that had seemingly flocked to him to
grow up without someone consistently there for them to lean on, (even if it wasn’t strictly to help
with monsters but high-school drama).

But the phone had never rang.

And the urge to just dial the Harrington’s number, (which Robin had taped to her mirror until she
could recite the numbers in her sleep), made her fingers itch but she hadn't dared.

Robin slowed down slightly when she passed the dark house. Only Steve’s car was parked outside.

Not wanting to take any chances, Robin still walked around to the side of the house like normal
and placed the card between her teeth as she scaled the side of the building. She took actual care to
be quiet instead of crashing into the room as usual on the off chance that Steve wasn’t the only one
home. Her hands gripped onto the window ledge while she peered in through the glass, her worry
sky-rocketing when she saw Steve’s bed empty and the covers discarded across the floor.

Quickly, Robin scrambled inside and knocked off a slate in the process.

The noise was loud and piercing in the quiet when it shattered on impact on the ground below.
Robin’s whole body tensed as she landed on the carpet, hands splayed out on the wall as she posed
in a crouch, ready to bolt it back the way she had come. She held her breath and listened out.

No one made a sound and no one stormed up the stairs so she took it as a good sign.

Hesitantly, Robin released her breath and stood to her full height. She wiped her sweaty palms on
the sides of her pants before grabbing the card from her mouth. Her head swung from side to side
before she dared to step out of the room- the house was deadly silent and Robin glanced
continuously behind herself, half expecting something or someone to suddenly appear when she
wasn't looking. Her and Steve had both seen enough horror movies and lived through enough
horrific events to at least be wary of their surroundings the majority of the time. There wasn’t a
single light switched on as she moved further into the house, but when Robin reached the bottom of
the stairs with her eyes wide open and trying to compensate for the dark, she noticed the pool lights
were on.
A breeze stirred a few strands of her hair and Robin frowned.

The sliding door had been left ajar and there were broken pieces of crockery scattered across the
kitchen tiles. Steve never left that door open- it was always locked and the curtains drawn.

Ignoring the goosebumps that appeared on her arms from the cold, Robin stepped further into the
room and the shards of a plate crunched beneath her sneakers. She squinted through the glass,
slowly growing closer to the door when she noticed someone sat on the diving board, their
shoulders shook violently and their clothes were clearly wet, sticking to their skin. Robin felt sick.
It was Steve.

His knees were drawn up tight to his chest, like he was trying to curl in on himself.

Without looking, Robin dropped the card onto the island and finally opened the door the rest of the
way as she stepped outside. She suppressed a shiver at the cold air, her eyes not once leaving
Steve.

He stared down at the water that rippled almost soundlessly beneath him because of the slight
breeze that passed through the backyard. Steve firmly shook the thought of it being from
something else away to the recesses of his mind and pushed back the gruesome imagery of Barb
scrabbling for the surface, even if he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the water itself. He’d never
had the heart to cover it, could never bring himself to sever the connection to the Upside Down
completely because what if Barb tried to come back and he had killed her all over again because
he’d covered the pool?

A harsh breath sputtered its way out of his lungs and unshed tears balanced on the edge of his
eyelashes. Steve hunched in on himself further and Robin snapped back to reality at the movement.

He recognized the familiar footfalls as they approached and Robin’s soft breathing when she was
close enough. They were nothing like his mother’s harsh heels that would clack hauntingly on the
hardwood floors or his father’s unrelenting heavy footsteps that always followed him around.

Steve wanted to scream. Wanted to tell Robin to get away the pool in case it took her away too
because he knew that losing Robin would be something he would never come back from- but he
couldn’t move. His limbs had grown stiff from sitting for so long and left a lingering feeling of
paralysis behind. He hardly remembered how long he’d been outside or how he had managed to
drag himself out of the water, just the heavy weight of his clothes threatening to pull him back
under and that his skin had now mostly dried. Robin was only an arm's length away and Steve
tensed unconsciously, sending spikes of pain ricocheting through him as he felt her carefully work
her way down the diving board with her arms outstretched to keep her balance before she sat
behind him.

Her knees brushed the small of his back when she slightly shifted and shuffled into place.

Steve felt his mouth run dry, like it had been stuffed full of cotton balls because he couldn’t get any
words out. Not that he would have known what to say if he could in the first place.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around his chest and Steve felt the way Robin’s body heart
burned comfortingly into his back as she pressed their bodies so they were flush together, uncaring
of his damp clothing when her legs bracketed themselves against his own as if she were trying to
meld the both of them into one whole being. Her chin hooked onto his shoulder and Robin
squeezed until Steve’s breath stuttered; he could feel her own breath fan over his neck and her
hands grasped at the thin shirt directly above his heart, feeling the rhythmic beat beneath her
fingers.

Then it was like a switch flipped. Steve’s previously dried eyes suddenly grew wet again.

The unwavering pressure of Robin against his back, of her strong arms folded securely around his
body anchoring him to the world made Steve feel a little steadier and less like he was about to float
away from everything. Heaving sobs escaped Steve even when he pressed his lips hard together to
stay quiet; Robin wordlessly rocked them both back and forth, her chin now dug into his back as
she pressed her cheek to his freezing skin. Steve could feel her eyelashes when she blinked and he
focussed on that rather than the crushing pain unravelling in his chest.

He zeroed in on the way that she unquestioningly held all of his pieces together while he broke
apart in her arms and cried and cried until his head ached and his lungs burned from the lack of
oxygen.

Robin’s thumb ran lightly over his ribs where the demo-bat scarring was. She was the only one
who had seen its healed state and the only one who had been allowed to touch it since. “Rob-
Robin.” He pleaded breathlessly, voice hitching as words clogged up his throat, warbling his voice.
Robin grabbed his hand and held it tight until Steve’s knuckles threatened to pop from the force as
she pressed her nose harder against his shoulder blade to remind him that he wasn’t alone.

“I’m right here, Steve. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Steve nodded and sucked in a needed breath, forcing back anymore tears as he held her hands until
his fingernails left indents in her skin. “It hurts so fucking bad, Robbie.” He whimpered. Steve
didn’t know what exactly he was referencing or if it was just a general encompassment of
everything that he felt in that moment before he collapsed fully into her arms, almost like he was
trying to sink into her bones and stay there, wrapped around her insides to keep them safe from the
world.

“I know.” She whispered; eyes squeezed shut to fight off her own wave of tears.

Because it didn’t matter what he was thinking about. If it was about the Russians or Barb’s death
or Vecna or his parents or any other traumatic event because Robin knew. She understood Steve so
intrinsically, as if they had been best friends their whole lives and not just for the past two years.

“He’s going to kill me.” Steve whispered into the dark. His breath came out as a fog in front of
them.

Robin stiffened at the under-current of foreboding certainty in his words and subconsciously pulled
Steve even closer, shaking her head minutely against his back because she knew who ‘he’ was
even when neither of them said his name aloud. “I won’t let him.” Steve didn’t speak again, he just
tried to curl further into Robin to try and warm up his cold skin, (she took the hint and ran her
hands up and down his bare arms in a feeble attempt to generate some kind of warmth).

Then he said, voice barely audible, “Robin I’m scared.”

“We’re okay.” She assured him fiercely despite sniffling into his shoulder.

A few more minutes passed before Steve allowed himself to be pulled to his feet despite the
protests in his seized joints and the headache that blossomed in his temple. Both of them were
cautious not to tip over the edge and Steve kept an iron grip on Robin’s arms until she was safe on
the ground again. When they turned to the house, Robin silently tangled their fingers together and
didn’t release Steve until they were both inside with the sliding door securely locked behind them
and covered by the thick usual curtain, effectively blocking out the harsh fluorescent lighting.

The card discarded on the counter caught Steve’s attention.

“Dustin insisted and everyone signed it. I told them you were sick.” Robin explained, watching the
way Steve’s fingers ran reverently over the design and then over the ‘get well soon’ messages
written inside in different variations of scruffy writing. “Come on.” Steve made no objection when
Robin herded him into the living, doubting his ability to make it up a flight of stairs when he
swayed on his feet every few steps. She eyed the exhaustion that lined his shoulders when she
walked behind him.

He slumped gratefully into the couch and pulled a blanket over himself immediately. Robin turned
on a nearby lamp to chase away the shadows in the room.

When she turned back around all of the air left her lungs in an instant.

“Steve.” Was all she managed to get out as she blinked at him, eyes blown wide when they took in
his appearance fully for the first time that night. Steve’s face screwed up into obvious pain and
discomfort at her obvious scrutiny.

“It’s bad. I know.” He breathed out.

Dark, ugly bruises had already formed on his skin in perfect outlines of a fist and Robin knew
they’d be even worse by the time morning came around. His bottom lip had been split open, blood
smeared his chin and she could imagine it having gotten caught on a ring of some kind- the mental
image made her swallow back bile and anger. “Are there more?”

Steve winced as he shifted. “Probably. I just want to sleep.” He admitted.

Robin opened her mouth to argue the importance of cleaning wounds and to rattle off the
likelihood of him also having a concussion and how he should be taken to the nearest hospital- but
then he looked at her with his head rested on the back of the couch. He looked small and frail
swaddled in the fluffy blanket and far too pale when his skin contrasted the garish and glaring
purple bruise unfurling across his cheekbone. All Robin wanted to do in that moment was bundle
Steve up and never let him leave her sight again as he lifted his arm up invitingly, watching her
tiredly.

“Stop thinking and lay with me Buckley. Just for a few minutes.”

“You’re an asshole.” Robin muttered, her voice soft and fond as she crawled over.
Steve hummed in a half-hearted agreement, his other hand still holding Dustin’s card like it was
one of the most precious and priceless items to ever exist in the world. “I’m glad you’re here.” He
murmured into her hair once Robin finished tucking in all of her limbs, careful of where she made
contact with Steve, not wanting to cause him anymore pain. “You always make everything better.”

“I don’t think I’ve done anything to make this better Steve.” Robin croaked out, guilt choking her
off.

“You’re here.” He reiterated as if was as simple as that, as if all he needed was her. His head
shifted to rest on top of hers and Robin wiped her cheeks before reluctantly closing her eyes,
already feeling herself beginning to drift off when Steve's breaths evened out underneath her just as
quickly.

The sound of car doors slamming closed had initially woken Robin from her sleep, paired with the
persistent ache in her joints from having her knees pressed so close to her chest all night.

Lifting her head to rub some sleep out of her eyes, Robin didn’t fully understand the meaning of the
dull noise and her face screwed up in confusion at the sound. She blinked drowsily at the lack of
blue walls and open window before she belatedly noted that she wasn’t sprawled out as usual on
Steve’s double bed but that she was actually contorted onto the leather couch with the Harringtons
living room spread out before her instead.

Events from the previous night rushed dizzyingly back.

Muffled voices came from outside, growing closer and clearer by the second. Robin sucked in a
sudden breath and jolted upright, her heart thudding fast in her chest.

Robin’s brain stuttered to a halt in the face of her panic slamming into her as Steve mumbled
drowsily in complaint at the loss of weight on his chest. He reached out for her arm on instinct,
already whispering sleep-slurred assurances assuming that it had been a nightmare that had had
Robin moving so fast and abruptly beside him when he heard the front door’s lock unclick. His
eyes snapped wide open, his sleepy expression vanishing at the ominous sound when it echoed
deafeningly throughout the rest of the house. Both Robin and Steve shared a matching look of
alarm when he mentally processed the fact that Robin was next to him and that they weren’t holed
away in his bedroom.

Dread pooled in Steve’s stomach the longer he looked at Robin.

Wordlessly, he shifted in his seat so that his body was turned back to the door and blocking as
much of Robin as he could from its view. Robin’s fingers curled themselves into the hem of his
shirt when the door eventually opened and they both held their breath simultaneously.

Robin’s eyes fixed onto the two people who entered the room a few seconds later.

She had never encountered the Harringtons before. They rarely returned to Hawkins and the one
time a year that they did, they made it a point to never venture far into the town itself.

From her initial glimpse behind Steve’s head, Robin was surprised to see an almost eerie
resemblance between him and his father. Their shared heritage was clear in the similar noses and
the lines on their faces, even when his father’s hardened as he stared down at the two of them- he
distantly reminded Robin of how Steve had looked when he faced down creatures of the Upside
Down, with eyes that flickered and flared dangerously. Like something akin to a dark side, except
Steve kept his firmly locked away whereas Harrington Senior wore it as a second skin.

The only resemblance between Steve and his mother were their eyes.

Robin couldn’t help but look at her eyes and see Steve staring back at her, even when she looked at
them with a cold expression and glaring disinterest. Steve had never looked at Robin like that
before. His gaze was always filled with an ever-present warmth that only burned brighter when he
looked at the people that he considered to be family; Robin always felt seen when Steve looked at
her. Like every part of her was acknowledged and loved in its entirety.

His mother’s lips were downturned in disappointment when she regarded the both of them on the
couch while she paused in the doorway, handbag still clutched in her hands.

Steve’s tongue darted out nervously. He winced when it hit the split on his lip.

The small aborted show of pain snapped Robin from her musings and she tightened her hold on his
t-shirt when his father stopped in front of them, voice barely restrained from rising in volume.
“Steven. I thought we told you no visitors.”

Robin gulped and the noise was blaringly loud in Steve’s ear. He could feel the way her hands
fidgeted anxiously in his clothes and he was suddenly hit by a wave of determination that washed
over his fear of his father to get her out of the house as quickly as possible. No matter the cost. “I
take full responsibility.” Steve’s father’s eye twitched at the comment and his attention, for the
first time since his arrival, slid fully to Robin and settled heavily on her as if he was picking her
apart with his eyes alone. Robin fought the urge to shrink in on herself even when Steve glowered
on her behalf. He only briefly recognized that Steve had half covered her so that she was huddled
behind the bulk of his shoulder, as if hoping Robin would go unnoticed and disappear either into
his body or the couch.

Anywhere, as long as it was far away from the living room.

“We need to talk to Steve. You’ll have to leave.” His father spoke again, voice cold and harsh.

Before Robin could utter a response, words stuck in her throat, he reached forwards and tried to
grab a hold of her arm to pull her to feet- Steve lurched forwards.

He jumped to his feet between the two of them and his chest rose and fell in quick succession. His
mother’s eyes widened in surprise at the action but she still didn't move from her stationary
placement in the door. “What do you think you’re doing?” His father seethed, voice low and hard
as they stood chest to chest, spitting images of one another just years apart. Robin quickly got to
her feet, hand loosely circling Steve's wrist and giving it a small tug when she stepped out from
behind him.

Her eyes locked with his. “Steve. It’s okay.” She assured him quietly.

Steve’s fingers twitched by his sides when he looked at Robin, the urge to grab her almost
overwhelming in its intensity that he had to swallow it back. He’d never imagined his parents and
Robin stood in the same room, could never picture a scenario where they would have to interact
and it made his skin crawl. He felt sick to his stomach seeing Robin stood only a foot away from
his father whose face only barely hid his temper when she spoke; his jaw tightened imperceptibly.

“I’ll walk you out.” He insisted, not looking to his father which only served to anger him more.
He gritted his teeth and spat, “You will do no such thing-”

Robin’s cheeks reddened. “I’ll be fine Steve, seriously-”

“Robin, I’m walking you out.”

“Steven-”

“Come on. Let’s go.”

“Are you ignoring me? Listen-”

“Rob.” Steve insisted. He pulled on her arm, urging her to move and she nodded distractedly. Her
ears were bombarded by the multiple voices now layered over one another as she moved in his
direction-

A searing pain exploded in Robin’s wrist and she gasped, stumbling over her own feet when she
was roughly pushed and the sudden force pitched her backwards until her legs hit the coffee table.
She spun in the nick of time to precariously perch on the side of it instead of falling over
completely and onto the ground in a heap of her own limbs. Her heart pounded fast in her chest and
she blinked back memories of Russian guards and too tight handcuffs- her head moved so that she
could catch sight of Steve while shouting voices flew fast over her head. Robin’s brain muffled
them as if they were under water; her ears thrummed and she tried to force back her impending
panic attack.

Steve looked furious. Lips pulled back into a fierce snarl as he shouted something and his father
yelled back. His mother was stunned, mouth slightly agape and her bag now dropped to the floor.

Then Steve barrelled into his father and the both of them were sent sprawling to the ground.

Again, Robin was reminded of when Steve tackled the Russian guard so long ago to keep everyone
safe. Her heart sped up at the reminder and another round of panic descended around her and
Robin compelled herself to scramble around the room in search for some kind of makeshift
weapon. A sinking feeling in her bones told her that she would need it as Mrs Harrington was
forced out of the doorway and Steve and his father fell through it a second later, still grappling with
one another.
“- don’t fucking touch her!”

Steve’s voice was the first to come back to the surface in Robin’s brain.

He spat in his father’s face and blocked a sloppy punch. His father was still off-kilter from their
impromptu plummet to the floor even while they both clambered back to their feet.

All Steve could think about in that moment was to get his father out of the house and away from
Robin who he barely caught a glimpse of moving around in the living room as he backed out onto
the porch. His father had never looked more incensed than when he stared Steve down, practically
foaming at the mouth with unbridled rage at being so blatantly disobeyed; his tie was askew and
his shirt was creased and wrinkled from their momentary fight. Steve felt his hands shake
uncontrollably by his sides from the fear, and the adrenaline that had rushed through his veins
wavered because he had accomplished what he needed to do.

He got Robin out of the line of fire. Now he prayed that she would be smart enough to run out the
back door. To get out. He tripped on the steps and just managed to catch himself at the last second.

Mrs Harrington trailed a few feet behind them as her husband advanced on Steve, panting with a
slight trail of blood peeking out from his hairline that made Steve feel a curl of satisfaction in the
pit of his stomach before his ears rang and he dropped to the ground. Pain unfurled from his
temple. There was a distant shouting as another fist collided with his cheekbone and Steve swore
when he felt his head loll backwards from the sheer force of the blow.

His thoughts couldn’t register anything beyond the pain that pulsed and throbbed across his body.

Then a weight landed solidly on his chest.

Steve’s vision blurred and spun when he blinked his eyes open for a moment, struggling to see
through the swelling before air was knocked from his lungs and two hands clamped themselves
down around his throat- his mind involuntarily conjured a swarm of bats and he attempted to draw
in a single breath. He fought with the hands that squeezed too hard, leaving bruised marks and
drawing more precious air from him without letting any in to replace it.

Robin dashed through the doorway with a lamp held aloft in the air on her shoulder as she shoved
Mrs Harrington out of the way. The woman stared, stunned and horrified at the sight before her.
Steve caught a glimpse of Robin through his half-lidded eyes and he was hit by the delirious
thought of a knight in shining armour as she ran towards him, hair wild and eyes wide.

A scream forced its way out of Robin when she slammed the lamp down over Mr Harringtons’
head with all of her body weight behind it and refused to stop. She repeated the movement as if it
was the only thing that she had been programmed to do because it was all she had wanted to do
ever since Steve had first confided in her about how terrible of a man his father was behind closed
doors. Overwhelming panic and fear, (so much fear because Steve was being choked in front of
her, again, and she refused to lose him now after everything), coursed through her and drowned out
the way her arms burned and ached from the sudden exertion because Robin couldn’t bring herself
to stop even when she sobbed harder and harder as the man crawled away, arms raised in a feeble
defence.

Steve coughed painfully and heaved in a lungful of air when he rolled onto all fours, gasping.

He looked over at Robin stood off to the side, his mother’s favourite lamp held high in the air
while she threatened his father, voice hoarse and shrill and furious, “Stay away from him!” Her
body shook violently and the lamp dropped hard onto the grass in exhaustion; her hair was
plastered on her forehead and her cheeks were flushed as she sobbed openly, shoulders slumped
forwards.

Slowly, Steve dragged himself to his feet.

His voice was rough and painful when he mumbled quiet words and pulled Robin back into his
chest, wrapping his arms around her body as she glared between his parents. He tried to manoeuvre
them both but Robin stubbornly refused to budge and let her back face either of the Harringtons;
she kept herself as an immoveable wall between them and Steve as they backed out of the front
yard.

She would never let them hurt him again.

Neither of them turned to see the opened doors or the people that peeked through their curtains
with shocked expressions at the state of both Robin and Steve and at what had just transpired.

“We’re going.” Robin said quietly, but her words were firm and unnegotiable.
Steve’s mom blinked at them; her hand outstretched to help her husband even when she stared
directly at Steve with tears clinging onto the edge of her long eyelashes. They didn’t fall. Robin
shifted so that Steve was more hidden behind her despite him being taller than her by a few inches.
His father was moaning in pain and clutching his bloodied nose as they took a few more backwards
steps before Robin hastily grabbed her bike from where she had discarded it the night before. She
wasted no time in getting into place and was relieved when Steve settled close behind her, arms
clasped tight around her middle as she pushed off. Robin pedalled down the street as fast as she
could as her tears dried on her cheeks and Steve breathed into her shirt; she pretended not to hear
his quiet sobs or the way her shirt steadily grew damp where his face was tucked in.

Because for once she was leaving with him.

The adrenaline that had fuelled Robin and Steve had faded a few hours ago.

It had left Robin feeling exhausted as she laid underneath Skull Rock, absently noting the traces of
rubbish scattered around the area. Her bike was still discarded off to the side at the base of a tree.

Robin turned her head from where she was sprawled out on the ground to look at Steve’s profile,
unbothered by the leaves that tangled themselves in her hair from the movement. He hadn’t moved
since he dropped to the floor near a pile of sticks, all of his limbs loose and uncoordinated like a
puppet whose strings had been abruptly cut and had collapsed to the floor, lacking life. His eyes
were closed, (had been for a while), but his eyebrows furrowed together and his jaw flexed
continuously every few minutes giving away the fact that he wasn’t asleep.

They were red and puffy around the edges even though he’d stopped crying over an hour ago.

Robin traced over each of his injuries while the setting sun highlighted his features. Hesitantly, her
little finger stretched out and hooked itself onto his, closing the small space between them.

“Are you okay?”

The words were a little scratchy and hoarse but Robin persevered, swallowing thickly as she stared
at Steve with her eyebrows pinched together in worry. He opened his eyes and squinted at the sun.

He released a small breath, clenched and unclenched his jaw one final time before his head rolled
to look at Robin too- he looked worn out, expression tight as if he was thinking about something
unpleasant though Robin didn’t have to wonder what. She’d been there too. Steve’s eyes darted to
the small gap that had been left between them and he felt like it was a gaping canyon instead of
only a few inches. He tugged wordlessly on her hand until they were both on their sides, close
enough that their breathing stirred in each other’s hair. “You’ve been quiet.” Robin murmured as
she propped her head up onto her hand, the other moved to retake Steve’s little finger in her own
while he gathered his thoughts and leaned back onto his elbow. His hair fell forwards and obscured
some of his face.

“I don’t know.”

Robin’s head cocked to the side, her eyes studying Steve intently. “Don’t know what?”

Their voices were quiet with their heads turned inwards to one another so they were close enough
that the ends of their hair mingled together. It was a similar routine to all of the late-night talks that
they would share after a nightmare or a particularly hard day where they would both lay out on
Steve’s bed and whisper nothing and everything into the dark, comforted by the fact that no one
else was there to hear them bearing their hearts to the world, except each other.

Robin squeezed his hand, silently urging him to continue.

“If I’m okay.” Steve’s voice cracked on the last word and tears built up in his eyes, threatening to
teeter over the edge and fall when he finally looked Robin in the eye again; she couldn’t help but
see a flash of his mother now that she had something to compare him to. He offered a sardonic
smile that looked cold and out of place on his face before it slipped away again a beat later.
“Because, there’s no coming back from this.” His brain flashed images of his father’s sneering and
rageful face joined by the phantom feeling of hands holding on too tight and for too long around his
neck. Robin’s mouth opened and closed uselessly when Steve abruptly rolled away and sat up, his
arms coming to rest on his knees after he ran a trembling hand through his hair and struggled to
take in a breath.

He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the lump there but it was useless. Instead, he screwed his
eyes shut before blinking them back open when the tears stubbornly clung to his eyelashes in
retaliation.

“Steve.” Robin croaked, sitting up. Her eyes still hadn’t looked away from him.
“Why don’t they love me?”

The quiet question caught Robin off guard. Steve swung his head around to face her.

His eyes were bloodshot and he wore a pleading expression when he looked to Robin. She had
always known exactly what to say to make him feel better, especially when it felt like he was
cracking and everything was tearing apart at the seams and that nothing on earth would ever be
strong enough to hold him together. Except Robin. Because she had the uncanny ability to make
the world and all of its darkened corners that lurked in his memories and nightmares feel less all-
consuming.

Except she just looked at him and the silence that fell between them felt damning. Like
confirmation.

A scream crawled its way up his throat but he bit it back.

His stomach sunk into his toes and Steve choked back a sob, having to press the back of his hand
hard against his mouth to muffle the sound of his cry. He composed himself briefly to let out a
humourless laugh that tore harshly at his throat on its way out and he wiped at his cheeks with
trembling hands to get rid of the few tears that had escaped. “It’s all bullshit anyways. I’m just
bullshit-”

“Don’t say that.” Robin cut him off firmly even when her eyes burned.

Because she knew the meaning behind those words.

Steve shook his head in denial. “You know I am.” He mumbled despite the quiver to his bottom
lip. “I don’t know why you’ve bothered to stick around for so long.”

It felt like the air in her lungs suddenly disappeared and the floor vanished beneath her, leaving the
world off-kilter and spiralling out of control. They had never second guessed each other’s
friendship, never doubted what they meant to each other because they made a point to say it- so it
hurt when Steve looked at Robin with disbelief in his eyes. Like he couldn’t believe she’d chosen
him. Robin pressed her lips together into a severe line and breathed in through her nose before she
finally said, “You know why. Because you’re my best friend.” The words were said with an
unwavering conviction before Robin scrambled to her feet, kicking up dirt and leaves as she came
to stand in front of Steve who looked up at her in confusion when she blocked out some of the sun.

He looked pale in her shadow and his injuries looked even worse.

Robin didn’t let her eyes linger on the bruises before she spread her arms out wide and spun
around, head dropped back as she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Steve Harrington is my best
friend!” before she stopped mid-spin just as quick to stare down at him again. “He is the someone
who I would rather die with than live without. I’ve stuck around because there is nowhere else that
I would rather be, dingus.” She dropped back to the ground on her knees, half landing on Steve and
allowing the sun to hit him fully again. The corner of his lip quirked upwards despite the deep ache
in his chest; it hurt slightly less when Robin lightly punched his knee, not caring for his personal
space as usual when she leaned in even closer, threatening to overbalance and fall into him. “I’m
not leaving anytime soon.” She assured him, voice soft and earnest as she internally prayed for him
to believe her because she didn’t know how else to make him believe those words beyond either of
them actually dying.

When Steve finally smiled Robin did too. It felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Steve
moved his legs so he was sat cross legged before reaching out and intertwining their fingers.

Robin took in a breath and words tumbled uncontrollably out of her mouth before she caught them.

“There’s so much of you to love Steve and I don’t get how they don’t-” Steve winced slightly at
her wording and Robin mimicked the expression but pressed on regardless, knowing he needed to
hear what she had to say. “And they don’t deserve you. They don’t.” She insisted, hair flying as she
shook her head from side to side and squeezed his hand as if to further emphasize her point. Steve
leaned more into Robin when she cupped his cheeks instead, her palms slightly sweaty as usual,
and rested their foreheads together. Robin wanted nothing more than to be as close as possible to
Steve, to crawl inside of him and shield his heart from the rest of the world that laid beyond the
small safe haven that they’d found at Skull Rock. “You’re so much better than them and I’m sorry
for everything that you’ve been through.” A lone tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffed
slightly when Steve’s hands gently held onto her wrists, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs
against her skin out of instinct.

“Your parents suck and it sucks that they suck but, at least you’ve got me.” Robin laughed
nervously as she searched Steve’s face to find some of the pain that had been lingering had
dimmed slightly.

He nodded, not trusting his voice for a moment, and squeezed her wrists before he dragged her
down into a crushing hug. His arms wrapped around her whole body until her face was pressed into
his shoulder and all of her senses were filled with Steve, Steve, Steve.
“You’re my best friend too Buckley.”

Robin let out a watery laugh and wound her arms around his back instead of having them trapped
between them so that they could be pressed chest to chest and feel each other’s heartbeats.

“Steve! STEVE!”

Dustin’s voice echoed around him as he blew out a hard, frustrated huff of air and continued to
push his bike in front of him with increasingly aggressive foot stomps. His eyes scanned the
surrounding trees as his head swivelled from side to side to take in as much as possible, straining to
see any signs of Steve or Robin having recently passed through. The setting sun also didn’t help
with his eyesight and Dustin cursed under his breath at the growing dark- he'd been out for hours
now, searching non-stop for the two of them ever since Hopper had called everyone in on the
radio.

The chief hadn’t offered much information or context of any sort, (which Dustin complained
loudly about over the radio only to be met with silence), just that Steve and Robin had disappeared.

Everyone had all but climbed over one another to get to their bikes and organise a search party.

He scowled at the trees around him with an increasing hatred before he caught a glimpse of
something a little further away. Skull Rock. Dustin ignored the ache in his heart at the familiar
stop and sighed in relief as he trudged with a renewed pace; he decided he’d break there and then
radio everyone about his lack of progress on the hunt for Steve and Robin and hope someone else
had found them. His feet ached from pedalling all over Hawkins and his impromptu trek through
the woods.

All Dustin wanted to do was find Steve and Robin and then collapse into bed.

When he got closer, Dustin noticed a bike and two figures. He tensed and slowed down slightly.
One of the people were propped up against the rock itself, waving their hands around aimlessly in
the air while Dustin presumed that they explained something, despite the fact that he couldn’t
make out any distinct words. Though the voice sounded familiar. The other had their head in first
one’s lap, it was tilted upwards slightly so they were clearly watching the person above them
talking avidly.

“- Star Wars is awesome, how have you never-”

“Robin?” Dustin called out uncertainly despite the hope that sparked in his chest.

Silence descended in the small area and the hands that had been waving themselves around paused
mid grand-sweep. Her head snapped towards him, hair swaying by her ears as she zeroed in on the
new voice that was definitely not Steve that had called out her name. Dustin let his bike fall to the
side, discarded and forgotten beside another as he came closer, immediately recognizing Robin’s
signature haircut before her features came into focus too. Her surprised face stared directly at him
with her mouth hung slightly open as if she’d cut herself off mid-word to stare.

Dustin dropped his attention the man laid in her lap who now moved around so that he could sit
up- the familiar head of hair chased away the remnants of panic that had begun to build in Dustin’s
gut the longer that he went without seeing either Robin or Steve. He rushed forwards.

“Steve!” He exclaimed out of sheer relief.

Robin scrambled to her feet too, almost kneeing Steve in the back in her haste to be upright.

“Dustin?” Steve’s face scrunched up in confusion when he turned around on shaky legs,
straightening up to his full height again. “What’s wrong buddy?” He questioned, voice laced with
mounting worry when he reached out for Dustin, clasping his shoulders with two hands to steady
him from his frantic run. “What’s happened-”

“Woah.” Dustin reared back slightly; his eyes were fixed on the current state that was Steve’s face.

It was no longer hidden in the shadows of the trees around them but captured by a stream of
sunlight that hit him directly, giving Dustin the most perfect, highlighted view of his numerous
injuries and the dried blood that had clung stubbornly to Steve’s skin despite Robin’s brief attempt
to clean it a few hours ago. A new wave of dread washed through him.
Steve aborted a flinch at Dustin’s reaction and studying eyes- Dustin hardly noticed.

“Who did this to you?” He demanded, hands fisting themselves into the front of Steve’s polo shirt
as his expression turned hard and angry alarmingly fast.

Steve blinked. He hesitated, as if he couldn’t process the question before he finally shook his head.
“No one. It doesn’t matter.” He muttered, eyebrows drawn together, “Why are you here?”

Dustin glowered. “Doesn’t matter?” He echoed incredulously. Robin cringed behind him.

For a moment, Steve squeezed his eyes shut and took in an almost shaking breath, as if steeling
himself before he opened them again and took a step back. “Dustin-”

“I’ve been looking for you. Both of you.” Dustin explained, eyes briefly darting to Robin before
they bored back into Steve’s who looked anywhere but at the kid stood in front of him. “Hopper
said that you guys ran off but he didn’t say why- clearly you got into another fight, asshole, and
you’re telling me that it’s nothing?!” Dustin moved forwards and Steve instinctively stepped away,
eyes narrowed in annoyance as he shook off his hands.

His jaw locked and flexed. “You don’t get it.”

“Don’t get it?” Dustin mocked, “You got into a fight Steve. Why? Why would you do that?!”

Robin noticed the way Steve’s shoulder hunched into themselves, hiking up by his ears and her
stomach twisted uncomfortably. She marched forwards, going to stand between the pair of them
even though her instincts screamed that it was a bad idea to even try and get between Dustin and
Steve when Steve’s voice cut her off mid-step and she froze, hands balled by her sides.

“You don’t get it, man.” He sighed, suddenly weary. “Just, tell Hopper I’m alright.”

He walked a few paces away, hands resting on his hips but Dustin ploughed on relentlessly with
the way he followed, mindless of how Steve circled back around and kept putting distance between
them.
Robin watched them chase after each other, gnawing on her lip.

“We all promised we’d be careful after Vecna-” Steve’s face darkened at the reminder of their
previous battle with the Upside Down, “You promised me. Steve I can’t-” Dustin’s chest jittered as
he stole a breath of air and forced it back out through his teeth. “I won’t lose someone else. Not
you.” He admitted, his voice so quiet Robin had to strain to hear it as he shook his head from side-
to-side resolutely, refusing to even imagine a world where Steve Harrington did not live because to
imagine it would mean it could exist and Dustin refused to entertain the possibility.

Steve stared at Dustin.

His eyes were wide and tears steadily rose in them. His lower lip wobbled almost imperceptibly.

“I didn't do it on purpose.” Steve whispered, voice hitching enough to make Dustin snap out of his
guilt-grief-anger mind set. He blinked at Steve who suddenly looked pale and like a strong breeze
would send him tumbling to the ground into a heap of his own limbs. He watched Steve draw in a
long, deep breath and run his hands through his hair. He tugged on the strands harshly before he
released them, face contorted into an unreadable mix of emotions that were too complex for Dustin
to grasp as they flitted past at a dizzying speed. “I never did it on purpose but he always, always
blamed me.” He breathed out as Robin stepped beside Dustin whose eyes were glued to Steve like
he had never seen him before, like he was some foreign object he didn’t know how to work.

All of his earlier anger had dissipated, overtaken by confusion and concern. He had never seen
Steve appear so broken; had never seen him cry. Now tears slipped freely down his cheeks.

Dustin’s mind was stuck on the word ‘he’ as it echoed in his ears and he failed to come up with
who it could be. He watched Robin wrap her arms around Steve and keep him in an almost
bruising hold for a few seconds. Steve clung onto her like she was the only thing keeping him
upright- then Dustin noticed the darkening bruise on her wrist when she grasped Steve’s forearm to
steady him. “Oh.”

Robin’s eyes snapped to him as if she could hear his exact thoughts.

Dustin gulped when she turned to face him and Steve shifted, rubbing irritably at his bright pink
cheeks as he struggled to get his eyes to stop watering. “Did,” Dustin steeled himself to ask the
sickening question before it ate him alive even though Robin shot him a warning look that could
have rivalled even Eleven, “did your dad do this?” Dustin was almost certain that when he said the
words aloud Steve stopped breathing for a minute even though his back still faced him.

“Steve.” He whispered, eyes looking helplessly to Robin who just looked sad.

He could never remember seeing that expression on her face. Confused and scared and annoyed-
definitely. But never sad. Dustin moved to walk towards Steve but he flinched back, stumbling
over his own feet as he twisted away from the outstretched hand like it would burn him if it made
contact even for a single second. He had never wanted anyone to know- never Dustin. He didn’t
want the kids to feel like he couldn’t protect them because he couldn’t protect himself.

Steve felt sick at the idea of the kids no longer wanting to be around him.

His rapidly paling complexion made Robin catch onto his arm, freezing Steve in place when he
clutched the hand that gripped him. He took in a gulp of air and forced the thought away.

“Steve’s dad is a dick.” Robin announced bluntly.

Steve didn’t react to her outburst though he didn’t object either to her talking so she carried on, her
eyes flicking to Dustin who stood a few feet away; his attention bounced between Robin and Steve
anxiously like it always did when one of them was upset and he couldn’t fathom what to do to help.
“What happened today was his fault. We were sleeping when they came home and asked me to
leave. Steve wanted to walk me out but his dad refused and then he grabbed me wrist.” Her eyes
dropped to the faint purple ring on her right wrist. “Steve stepped in-”

“It’s usually not this bad.” Steve tried to reassure them, seemingly having found his voice again.

A frown quickly worked its way onto Robin’s face. “You can’t go back Steve. Not this time.”

Dustin was perceptive and caught the subtle, impulsive glance Robin made to Steve’s neck and he
sucked in a sharp breath when he finally noticed the myriad of bruising only just hidden beneath
the collar of Steve’s polo shirt. His heart lurched in his chest at the sight of it, violently reminded of
Steve coming back from the Upside Down with a ring of ugly colours around his neck like a
disgusting imitation of a necklace and chunks taken out of his torso, leaving a bloodied mess
behind-

He almost barrelled Steve over.

 Steve gasped from the impact and the way Dustin’s arms wound around him, squeezing hard.

“Buddy?” Steve asked, voice quiet and hesitant as he held Dustin back almost cautiously, like he
would object to the touch. He looked to Robin with a questioning look in his eyes but she didn’t
appear alarmed. She’d wanted to do the same thing when Steve had confided in her; all she had
wanted was to hold him as tight as possible and never let go.

“He’s okay.” she assured Dustin, watching the pair hold onto each other.

Everyone pretended not to hear Dustin’s sniffles before he pulled his face away, still holding onto
Steve as if he would suddenly pull away from the embrace. His cheeks reddened as he huffed out a
quick breath. “I meant what I said.

Steve jolted with the idea that Dustin thought it was all his fault-

“That I won’t lose you.”

Relief instantly washed through him even as he said, “I can’t go anywhere else.”

Dustin’s face screwed up in annoyance. “My mom loves you.” He said, as if Steve had abruptly
lost all of his brain function. He cleared his throat, looking suddenly shy and awkward as he added,
“And you’re family. You’re coming home with me.” Another round of tears threatened to spill out
of Steve at the resolute way that Dustin had said those words, as if the thought of Steve going
anywhere else and staying with somebody else had never once crossed his mind.

“We still have to go and see Hopper though. I think he’s about to lose what’s left of his hair.”

Robin snorted beside them and Steve chuckled as he reached out for her. He pulled her into his
side, (though with little resistance), until she was tucked under his arm and Dustin was secured
under the other. Both of them turned inwards slightly to Steve, happy to barricade him from both
sides even for a brief moment as they all set off from Skull Rock feeling lighter than they’d arrived
and that maybe, everything was going to work out.

End Notes
 the story is finished! woo! and by the way, they totally visited hopper and there was
enough evidence to put steve's dad away and dustin's mom totally took him in because lets
be honest they give sibling energy and she would never let steve stay anywhere else

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