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Twelve days. Twelve blissful, perfect days.
That’s how long Robin Buckley had been dating Nancy Wheeler. It felt odd, going from perfect strangers sharing a hotel room to being completely entangled in each other in so little time, but who was she to complain?
Really, Nancy wasn’t that much of a stranger anyway. Robin was reminded of this as she sat in Nancy’s passenger seat, the same beat-up old station wagon she drove in high school, watching her girlfriend drive. The music that played from the radio was some song that had been popular in their school days—in fact, Robin had vivid memories of singing it with the band on a trip. Nancy had been there too, reporting on the event, she remembered with a smile.
She had certainly changed, but these elements of high school Nancy Wheeler remained. Robin mulled this over as she observed the girl with wonder.
Tonight, Nancy looked stunning. Her makeup was done with the practice of a master, perfectly highlighting that sharp jawline that Robin wanted to worship . Her long lashes were made even more apparent by mascara—lashes she could bat and immediately have Robin wrapped around her finger—and she knew it too. She wore a tight dress, hugging her thin frame in all the right ways. She had complained before they left that it made her hip dips more apparent—but Robin reassured her she loved it. It was a deep navy blue, shimmering fabric that brought out the vibrant blue of her doe eyes. Sparkling silver covered the dress like stars, put starlight in Robin’s eyes.
In short, Nancy Wheeler was the most gorgeous creature Robin Buckley had ever laid eyes on, and she counted herself lucky to even breathe the same air.
“Baby, you’re staring,” Nancy murmured with amusement, glancing once over at Robin and then immediately back to the road. Robin’s cheeks flushed and she turned her gaze to her hands instead, clasped neatly in her lap.
“Sorry,” she said, perhaps a hint cheekily. Nancy chuckled and shook her head, reaching over to place her hand over both of Robin’s. She caressed the back of Robin’s hand with her thumb.
“It’s nothing to apologize for,” the girl hummed, her voice sweet as it filled the chilly car. Robin smiled as Nancy added, “It’s cute.”
———
Steve’s house may have been the designated party zone in Hawkins, but Nancy and Robin were in Boston now. Instead, they were attending a frat-sponsored New Year’s party—which meant a falsely advertised formal event at some fancy ballroom that would surely be full of horny, drunk college kids and inappropriate dancing to even more inappropriate music. The only formal thing about the event was sure to be their clothes.
And naturally, Steve Harrington had come to visit just in time for the party. He was staying in a hotel, but he met them at the door to the venue—already about three shades of drunk. (Nancy, of course, made sure the man had taken a cab, and not driven himself).
They spent a few minutes catching up with Steve. He was doing well—he was freelancing with a babysitting gig on the side, to absolutely no one’s surprise. He was in the midst of explaining his newest project, which he was calling Stranger Things, when Robin interrupted.
“So it’s about a bunch of kids? Who fight interdimensional monsters and government conspiracies?” Robin scoffed, playfully teasing. She raised a brow, grinning crookedly at the man, and crossed her arms. “It’s a little odd.”
“Strange, even,” Nancy giggled beside her, hanging on her arm. “But it sounds interesting!”
“No, I’m telling you, this one is going to be the next big American novel!” the man exclaimed, waving his arm to emphasize the words. He grinned. “I got Munson to help with it!”
“That explains the D&D references,” Robin groaned, wiping her hand down her face and shaking her head. She sighed. “Well, I’m demanding a signed copy, Mr. Next Great American Author,” she teased. “That way I can sell it for the whole two bucks it’ll be worth.”
“Sure, I’ll dedicate it to Sergeant Buzzkill,” Steve shot back. She punched him in the arm and he batted her off. They wrestled and bantered a few minutes longer before Nancy pulled Robin away.
As the night wore on, Nancy and Robin spent much of their time mingling. Nancy introduced Robin to her fellows from the newspaper, and in turn, Robin invited Nancy to meet the other students who had helped her form the GSA club at Northwestern. It was a night full of raucous laughter and close-knit camaraderie. Warmth filled Robin’s chest—and it wasn’t just from the alcohol.
Hawkins had never quite felt like home. In Hawkins, Robin was a fish out of water. She was the odd one out, the weirdo; the dyke, if people were brave enough to say it—and some were. She had always wanted an escape. Boston was new waters. It wasn’t across the pond like she had originally hoped, but Boston had been a pleasant surprise. She had finally found a group of people like her , and she had made a family for herself. She recalled hearing a literature professor explain that the blood of the covenant was thicker than the water of the womb. As she stood in the smoky ballroom, watching her peers, watching Steve Harrington unsuccessfully try to woo one of her classmates, watching Nancy watch her , Robin knew she had found her covenant. She would bleed for any one of her new family, the same as she would for those back in Hawkins.
Nancy smiled at her, and Robin smiled back, nodding her head, reassurance that she was enjoying herself. Nancy took her hand, holding it tightly as she slowly backed toward the dance floor. Robin only shook her head, chuckling softly as she allowed herself to be dragged into the thick of the crowd.
She found herself enraptured in the way Nancy swayed, arms raised above her head, eyes closed and head tilted back as she seemed to live in the music.
She was beautiful. Robin found herself frozen, momentarily, watching and admiring the way the soft, colorful lighting of the rented ballroom bathed Nancy in a dappled rainbow, highlighting every curve, every delicate muscle (muscles she still found surprising, and incredibly attractive), highlighting the sharpness of her perfect jaw.
“Aren’t you going to dance with me?” the girl laughed, out of breath as her eyes fluttered open and she grinned at Robin. Robin flushed, but took Nancy’s hand, allowing the girl to pull her closer. The music was rowdier than what Robin was used to dancing to, but she found she didn’t mind.
Robin had always thought herself too clumsy to be a dancer. She was always described as gangly, klutzy, never quite sure where her own limbs were.
“I have two left feet!” she complained, earning a peel of laughter from her girlfriend. Nancy led the dance, and the two of them were probably too close to be considered platonic—there was certainly not room for Jesus—but everyone else was too drunk or too busy with their own dance partners to notice.
“How do you do this so easily?” Robin whined, but there was laughter laced in the words.
“Don’t think. Just move,” Nancy replied simply, stepping back, a move which Robin mimicked, their clasped hands the only thing holding them together.
Dancing with Nancy made it easier. She knew that over the years she had simply gotten in her own head, overthought every little move, and only ended up tripping herself up.
Robin tried her best to force any thoughts from her mind, keeping herself focused solely on Nancy. The girl looked back at her, gaze steady and encouraging as Robin fell into a steady rhythm with her. She breathed deeply, stepping carefully in time with the music. Nancy twisted, and so Robin did too. Nancy stepped back, and so Robin followed, laughing it off when she nearly stumbled.
“You’re still thinking too hard!” Nancy called above the music, twirling closer. The bottom of her party dress flared with the movement and Robin couldn’t help but watch, utterly entranced by the way the silver flecks flickered in the party lights, and the way Nancy’s face flushed. She felt Nancy’s hand, warm against her cheek.
Her attention was drawn; her mind emptied. It wasn’t so bad after a moment. She kept herself focused on Nancy, on her own breathing, on the swirling lights and thrumming music. She could feel the bass through the floor, the beat in line with the steady thump of her own heart. It was surprisingly grounding.
Nancy flashed her a grin. She threw her head back, belting out the words to the song. Robin couldn’t help but join her, a warbling, husky melody pulled from deep in her chest. She loved the way Nancy’s voice complimented her own.
The song came to a close with Nancy pressed flush to Robin’s chest. They were both panting, faces flushed with exertion and perhaps something more as stormy grey met ocean blue, every desperate thought in Robin’s mind reflected back in Nancy’s heady gaze.
“I hate that I can’t kiss you,” Nancy rasped as her breath came back to her. Robin barked out a laugh.
“The feeling is mutual,” she returned in a wheeze, stepping back, but keeping her hold on Nancy’s hand. The girl looked around, then flashed a mischievous grin at Robin. She stepped closer, her lips brushing Robin’s ear, breath hot and sending a shiver down her spine as she whispered.
“I think I saw a closet just down the hall.”
Oh .
“Lead the way,” Robin breathed, half begging. Nancy giggled and did just that, weaving them through the crowd. Robin stepped on someone’s toes, but she barely had time to squeak a hurried “I’m sorry,” before Nancy was pulling her onward.
Sure enough, just out of sight of the main hall was a janitorial closet. Nancy knocked once, twice, paused, then pulled it open.
Robin slipped inside and Nancy followed behind her, both of them grinning as the door clicked shut.
Nancy didn’t even give her a chance to speak before her lips were pressed to Robin’s own, open-mouthed and searing. Her thin fingers gripped at Robin’s tie, pulling the girl down to her own level in a way she knew Robin loved.
And then Robin was being gently shoved. She allowed it to happen without resistance, stepping back until her calves banged into what must have been a mop bucket, sending it clattering across the floor. A pair of mops fell, and a broomstick knocked her in the back of the head, pulling a yelp from her lips. She fell backward, landing ungracefully in the mess. Nancy covered her mouth with her hand, clearly trying to hide her laughter. Her other hand was held out to help Robin up.
Robin gripped it and stood, nearly stumbling again, falling into Nancy. Thankfully, Nancy caught her, her hands steady against Robin’s hips.
“That was sexy,” Robin groaned, rubbing the back of her bruised head. She flashed a crooked, toothy grin.
“So sexy, baby,” Nancy giggled, rolling her eyes and kissing Robin’s cheek. Her touch was far too tender as she reached up to brush the hair from Robin’s face. Her eyes had gone unbearably soft, shining with heart-wrenchingly genuine concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Robin promised in a murmur, still smiling. She rested one hand against Nancy’s waist, the other over Nancy’s shoulder. “I promise.”
“Good,” Nancy breathed, relief shining through the heady want in her expression.
Robin had come to admire how deeply Nancy cared. She cared with her whole chest. She was more than willing to give every part of herself to those she cared about. She was so incredibly self-sacrificing and caring that it almost scared Robin—but in truth, she was much the same. She wanted to give her whole heart over to Nancy, hold it out for the girl to embrace—but fear of having the vital organ crushed under Nancy’s heel kept it close to her chest, trapped in the cage of her rib bones.
One day. Not today.
“Can I kiss you now?” Robin pleaded, pushing the thought to the back of her mind and ignoring the lump in her throat. Nancy laughed and answered with a kiss of her own.
“Absolutely,” she murmured against Robin’s lips when they parted. They kept it slow at first, a languid back and forth like the tide. Then Nancy opened her mouth and Robin took the invitation eagerly, deepening the kiss.
“Have I told you how fucking hot you look in that suit?” Nancy rasped, her voice deliciously ragged. Robin hummed in response, tangling her hand in Nancy’s curls, tugging ever so slightly.
“Only thrice,” she replied, voice just as hoarse as her girlfriend’s. Nancy let out a breathy laugh, then closed the distance again, letting her hands travel up Robin’s torso, pulling and pushing, grabbing at her suspenders, at her tie, at the nape of her neck, knowing just how to steal Robin’s breath away.
“No one actually says thrice,” the girl teased, shoving Robin onto her ass into a chair conveniently left in the closet. She plopped herself down in Robin’s lap, earning a groan from the freckled girl as Robin chased her lips and they reconnected.
There really wasn’t even an atom’s breadth of room left for Jesus now, Robin mused.
“Sure they do,” she argued back, half wheezing when they parted long enough to get a breath. “I do.” Her hands were itching to reach for the zipper at the back of Nancy’s dress, its location burned crystal fucking clear in her mind. Her nimble fingers slipped from Nancy’s hair, brushing the zipper once, and then moving back up when Nancy’s back arched at the movement. Her own hands grabbed at the collar of Robin’s shirt, unbuttoning the top button and opening the shirt to expose Robin’s freckled collarbone. Freckles she knew for damn sure Nancy was obsessed with.
Robin leaned back, panting as Nancy’s fingers trailed her collarbone, before her palm rested flat and warm against Robin’s chest, radiating heat just over her most vital organ. She wondered if Nancy could feel the way her heart was absolutely pounding. She wondered if her blush was visible down to her chest. It felt like it was.
“This is getting dangerous,” she murmured huskily, staring at Nancy’s hooded eyes, the hungry look that burned within them. Her pupils were completely blown, and both of them were in complete disarray.
“Maybe too dangerous,” Nancy agreed, smirking as she ran a hand through her sweaty, tangled hair. Still, she leaned in, placing both hands against Robin’s cheeks, kissing her sweetly. Robin gave in at first, before finally breaking the contact, gently holding Nancy’s chin so the girl was forced to make eye contact.
“Maybe we should just go home?” Robin wheezed, still out of breath to the point that her lungs burned—not that she minded much. Nancy laughed, rubbing her thumb against Robin’s flushed cheeks, her own face red enough to notice in the dim lighting. Robin was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her again, but she held onto her last shred of self-control.
“Yeah,” Nancy breathed, kissing Robin once, a quick peck. “Yeah, let’s do that,” she giggled.
Nancy climbed out of Robin’s lap and ran a hand through her messy curls, trying in vain to somewhat fix her hair. Robin grinned as she watched, taking far too much satisfaction in knowing that it was her own fault Nancy had to fix it in the first place. She couldn’t find it in herself to feel guilty.
Nancy left the closet first, and Robin found herself alone in the dark for a few moments. She hummed quietly to the music playing outside, just barely audible from her hiding place. When enough time had passed, she stepped out as well.
The party was still in full swing, despite the late hour. Robin’s eyes scanned the crowd and she spotted Nancy standing against a wall, nursing her drink. She made eye contact with Robin and winked, the gesture sending a sharp spark of heat to Robin’s stomach and forcing her heart to squeeze in her chest.
She was a lovesick puppy when it came to Nancy Wheeler.
Robin wove her way through the crowd to Steve, tapping the boy on the shoulder. He spun around in surprise, nearly spilling his cup on the both of them. Robin stepped nimbly back to avoid the splash.
“Oh hey!” Steve greeted way too loudly, a bright grin on his face, rosy-cheeked and full of warmth. He poked her chest with his free hand, a gentle, teasing gesture. “Nancy said you’re leaving,” he said, having the sense to quiet himself as his tone became teasing.
Robin flushed and nodded. “Just wanted to say goodbye,” she laughed breathily.
“Of course,” Steve chuckled. He slapped her back and winked. “Go get your girl,” he teased. Robin rolled her eyes and groaned, making her annoyance known—though they were both aware it was all but an act. She punched his arm in return.
“Have a good night!” she called, saluting Steve as she walked backwards into the crowd. “And good luck!”
“You too!” He saluted her back just before he disappeared behind the crowd.
Robin spun on her heel and squeezed way too quickly through the rest of the crowd. She grabbed her coat from the rack and walked out the door of the venue, finding Nancy waiting by her station wagon. She was leaning on the hood, watching a group of frat boys doing some sort of activity Robin could only assume was incredibly stupid and incredibly amusing. However, those two cold chips of sapphire made contact with Robin the second the venue door slammed shut.
“Took you long enough,” Nancy hummed playfully, jingling her keys. Robin stuck her tongue out and grinned.
“Had to say goodbye to the dingus,” she whined.
“You two are dangerously codependent,” Nancy groaned, but her amusement showed in the twinkling of her eyes in the starlight and the quirk of her lip in a playful smile. She gestured to the car behind her. “Let’s get out of here.”
Robin practically skipped to the car door, only to pause with her hand on the handle.
“Can’t wait to finally get you all to myself,” Robin purred, batting her eyelashes. “The things we could do…” Her voice was low, rumbling pleasantly in her chest. She tilted her head slightly, flashing a crooked smirk. Nancy’s cheeks darkened with rosy warmth and she gasped, feigning innocence.
“Robin!” she squeaked in exaggerated shock. Robin only shrugged and hopped into the car, buckling up and looking as completely and totally innocent as she could. Nancy got in after her, still flushed. Robin knew that if she commented on it, Nancy would only blame it on the chilly Boston air.
The drive back seemed to pass achingly slow. Robin hummed quietly to the song on the radio, her left hand resting on Nancy’s thigh as her girlfriend drove. She watched the city go by, smiled at the Christmas lights still up in storefront windows. It was peaceful in Boston. She was glad to be back—with Nancy by her side.
The two held hands as they scrambled into their apartment building and up the stairs. It was all they could do to keep their hands off of each other until they were in the privacy of their own home. The second the door closed, Robin found herself pinned to the back of it, Nancy’s hands tangling in her hair, cherry chapstick lips against her own. She returned the kiss with fervor, gasping into Nancy’s mouth.
Robin dropped her hands to Nancy’s hips, a soft but pleasantly bruising grip. She guided the smaller girl back toward their bedroom, laughing softly at Nancy’s sounds of protests when she was no longer in control. Every night was like this—a back-and-forth battle for who would lead and who would follow, when they both equally enjoyed whatever would happen.
She pushed Nancy—gently of course—onto the bed, slipping her suit jacket off in one fell swoop. Nancy bit her lip, grabbing Robin’s tie to pull her into another fierce, open-mouthed kiss. Robin grinned against Nancy’s lips, slipping one hand under Nancy to pull at the maddeningly still-zipped zipper of her dress.
In return, Nancy’s free hand trembled as she fought to undo the remaining buttons of Robin’s dress shirt. Robin laughed at her one-handed attempts and leaned back to do it herself, straddling Nancy’s waist. Nancy watched patiently, hungry blue eyes wide with adoration as the shirt was shed and tossed carelessly to the side.
“I never get tired of seeing your freckles,” Nancy breathed, reaching up to trace Robin’s jawline, down her throat, across her chest. Robin groaned at the feather-light touch, unfairly gentle.
“We’ve only been dating, like, a week,” she huffed, voice husky and low. “Give it some time.” She winced internally, shoving her sudden rising insecurity down and hoping she hadn’t ruined the mood with her half joke.
Nancy shook her head, pulling Robin back down to kiss her again, softer and more chaste than before. “No,” she whispered against Robin’s lips. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them. Of you.”
Robin’s heart burned at the words; words that carved into her very essence, scalding and fresh. She placed a hand on Nancy’s cheek, humming a soft sound of acknowledgment, unable to find the words she wanted to say in her constant, unending stream of thought in her brain.
“Hey,” Nancy murmured. “Stop thinking so hard. Focus on me,” she continued. Robin closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, listening to Nancy’s soft words. The pressure around her throat tightened deliciously as Nancy tugged again on her tie.
“I’m focusing, I’m focusing,” she rasped, eyes blinking open to stare at Nancy Wheeler, gaze softening the girl’s hair splayed out like a halo around her head and ocean eyes absolutely sparkling in the low light. Her very own angel, a piece of heaven lying beneath her, begging to be worshipped.
“You’re beautiful,” Nancy whispered, kissing Robin’s forehead. “And so, so handsome,” she continued, a peck to Robin’s nose. “You’re perfect,” whispered against her jaw. Hot breath trailed against her throat and Robin couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her.
“Let’s get you out of those slacks, hm?” Nancy murmured, hooking prim fingers in Robin’s waistband. Robin nodded and sat back to pull her pants off. She watched as Nancy did the same with her dress, making eye contact for the briefest moment before the garment was pulled over her head. Robin’s hand stalled over her tie and Nancy shook her head.
“Leave it,” her girlfriend rasped. “It’s hot.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Robin laughed, tossing the discarded pants with her shirt. Her eyes trailed Nancy’s now exposed form, her pale skin, supple muscle on a thin frame, bruises against her collarbone from the night before, another on her hip, and—
“Are you wearing my boxers?” Robin scoffed after a moment, unable to suppress a bubbling laugh that erupted from her chest. Nancy’s cheeks reddened but she only smirked and rolled them both over to straddle Robin’s hips.
“Maybe,” she rasped with a coy little shrug. Robin laughed again, but was shut up by a searing kiss. She let her hands wander, one tangling in Nancy’s curls and tugging gently until she gasped, the other resting in the subtle dip of her hip.
“They look better on you,” Robin growled, heart hammering in her chest.
———
“Robbie, baby, we need to shower,” Nancy whispered. Robin shook her head with a groan, burying her face in Nancy’s neck.
“Too warm. Too cozy,” she grumbled. Her body was still trembling and weak, but she didn’t truly mind. She curled more tightly around Nancy, pulling the girl into her chest and holding her tightly. Nancy giggled at her antics.
“And if I bribed you with waffles in the morning?” she tried. Robin grinned.
“I’d say, we both know you can’t cook,” she teased. Nancy smacked her shoulder with a scoff, playfully shoving her away. Robin finally opened her eyes, gazing at the very stubborn, but amused expression on Nancy’s face.
“We can go somewhere then,” she huffed, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.
“Or I can cook waffles for you ,” Robin replied, propping her head up on her elbow. Nancy grinned and batted those soft doe eyes she knew Robin couldn’t resist.
“Fine, you’ve convinced me, Wheeler. I’ll make you waffles in the morning.”
“And the shower?” Nancy prodded playfully.
“In the morning,” Robin whined jokingly. “Am I that smelly?”
“Baby, you stink ,” Nancy retorted with a giggle. Robin rolled her eyes. Playing into the bit, she turned and sniffed her own hastily donned t-shirt.
“Hm. Okay, fair,” she laughed. “I suppose we can shower,” she said through a contented yawn.
“Hey, stop that yawning nonsense,” Nancy murmured, kissing Robin’s cheek. “It’s not even midnight yet.” The girl wriggled free from Robin’s grasp, much to Robin’s chagrin, and began to root through the drawers of her dresser. Robin watched for a moment, then with a groan, she got up and followed. She leaned over Nancy, resting her chin on the girl’s shoulder and snaking her arms around Nancy’s waist. Nancy leaned into the touch, momentarily pausing her search for pajamas.
“You’re clingy,” Nancy teased softly, her eyes still closed as she swayed in Robin’s arms. Robin hummed in acknowledgement.
“You’re the one that shoved me into a broom closet to make out,” she whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to Nancy’s ear before letting her go to find her own pajamas.
“Only because you wanted to kiss me!” Nancy retorted.
———
Robin let Nancy set the temperature of the shower and then they got in together. She let the hot water run against her skin and loosen her muscles, leaning into the stream of water. Nancy took the shampoo bottle and Robin leaned down to let Nancy scrub her hair. The girl’s nimble fingers massaging against her scalp were heavenly and Robin couldn’t help the soft gasp that escaped her at the feeling. Nancy kissed between her shoulder blades, the softest touch, tingling warmth radiating from the small point of contact.
“You’re like a golden retriever,” Nancy chuckled. “Want me to scratch behind your ears too?” Robin scoffed indignantly, then cupped water in her hands to splash it at Nancy, both of them giggling and dopey-grinned, completely lovesick.
“Your turn,” Robin hummed cheekily, turning to fully face Nancy. She grabbed the shampoo—a different bottle, lavender scented and designed for curls—and carefully poured some into her hand. She lathered the shampoo through Nancy’s hair, carefully carding her fingers through the strands and watching with adoration as the girl leaned her head back, eyes closed. Her expression was purely content and purely adorable. Robin couldn’t help but lean in to press a soft kiss of her own to Nancy’s forehead.
“Who’s the golden retriever now?” she teased softly. Nancy batted at her, before pressing her hand to Robin’s chest and shoving her back. She stood on tiptoes, chasing Robin’s lips as the girl was pressed against the wall of the shower.
Robin, however, turned her head away and smirked at Nancy’s betrayed expression.
“It’s not midnight yet,” she teased. Nancy pouted, batting those long lashes she knew Robin couldn’t resist, but Robin turned away again, refusing to let Nancy’s doe eyes work their magic.
“You’re such a bully,” Nancy whined, but Robin only laughed.
———
The two girls dried off soon after, then retired to their living room in a matching set of flannel pajamas. Nancy sat on the couch while Robin made her way to the kitchen.
“Baby, do you want popcorn and cocoa?” she called. Nancy grinned over the back of the sofa.
“Yes, please. You know where they are,” she replied.
Robin switched on the radio while she put on the popcorn, humming along quietly to the soft music that crackled out and filled the kitchen with cozy warmth. Even warmer, perhaps, was her lover’s embrace as Nancy snuck up behind her, wrapping her arms around Robin’s waist and burying her face in Robin’s neck. Robin placed a hand over Nancy’s, leaning back into her girlfriend.
“Now you’re being clingy,” she murmured, swaying slightly in time to the music.
“I’m cold,” Nancy corrected, moving with her. Robin turned to face her, resting her own arms over Nancy’s shoulders and smiling at the brunette.
“I’m just a space heater to you, is that it?” she teased, leaning in to peck at Nancy’s nose. Nancy giggled and stepped closer, hugging her tight.
“Exactly,” she breathed, voice muffled as she nestled her face into the crook of Robin’s neck. She smelled of lavender and something sweet and uniquely Nancy, her hair still slightly damp from the shower. Robin closed her eyes, savoring this precious moment. The music seemed to swell around them, drowning out the rest of the world. Even the steady pop of popcorn was gone from her consciousness. There was only her and Nancy, swaying to the tune of some cheesy, synthy love song on a staticky radio.
“Dance with me?” Nancy asked for the second time that night, looking up at Robin, her soft eyes pleading. Robin couldn’t possibly say no. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally incapable of it, even.
“As you wish, buttercup,” she laughed. She stepped back and held out her hand. Nancy took it with a soft, warm grin. Robin pulled her hand to her lips, pressing soft lips against Nancy’s knuckles before bowing slightly, a display just to bring out Nancy’s radiant smile. Anything for her girl.
She pulled Nancy close, then they stepped away again. Back and forth, they moved in perfect sync. Robin spun Nancy, heart swelling as Nancy’s musical laughter filled the air. Around and around they went in Nancy’s tiny apartment kitchen, wholly and completely entranced in one another. Robin could scarcely believe how little time she had been dating Nancy. This moment was timeless—it existed far removed from the bounds of reality. They had just met. They had been married for years. There was a tug in her chest, an ache in her heart that cried a single, desperate word: soulmates. A person whose whole being, whose very soul was so intricately entwined in her own that no one but them could ever understand. She knew that in every timeline, in every reincarnation, Robin Buckley would find herself completely lost in the ocean of Nancy Wheeler’s eyes, in the sea of her love.
She knew at that moment that she was truly and irrevocably in love with Nancy Wheeler. A small part of her always had been, she supposed. That high school crush had never truly faded. She just hadn’t expected anything to come of it. Not back then. Not years later. Certainly not now.
Three words danced in her chest and threatened to spill from her lips—but she tried to keep them choked down, tried to hide the tears stinging her eyes as the feeling threatened to overwhelm her.
But of course, Nancy noticed.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” she whispered, resting a hand on Robin’s cheek. Robin swallowed the angry ‘I love you’ shaped lump in her throat, her body shuddering and she took a deep breath.
Not now. Not today.
“I’m okay,” she rasped. The words were hoarse. Nancy’s expression darkened, lips turning down in a soft, curious frown.
“Birdie, you know you can tell me anything, right?” she murmured, stroking Robin’s cheek. Robin grabbed her hand, held it against her skin and felt its soft, radiant warmth. Nancy had once called Robin the sun, but Robin knew that it was Nancy who must be the star—and she was satisfied to be but a planet in her orbit.
Three words . They were so simple, but Robin was afraid. She was used to losing people, truly. She was too much for most. She talked too much. She thought too much. She loved too much. Right now, the throbbing ache in her chest, strangling vines tightening around her lungs, she felt too much. She felt like this crashing wave–this goddamn tsunami of affection would drown her if she didn’t speak those three simple fucking words .
She felt as if she were on the edge of a cliff. To step forward, to speak those three words aloud would be to give herself over to free fall. All that was left was for Nancy to decide whether she would catch Robin—or let her fall into the crashing ocean waves below, lost to the undertow.
She let her eyes snap to the clock. It wasn’t midnight yet. Not in Boston.
But she couldn’t help but think that, really, it was midnight somewhere .
Now . Not yesterday. Today .
Maybe it was self-preservation, maybe it was a leap into danger, but finally, those three little words she kept so close to her chest fell freely from chapped and trembling lips. Her heart lurched as she heard the rasp of her own voice in the stillness of Nancy’s kitchen, just loud enough to be heard above the music.
“I love you.” And there it was. Three words, hanging in the air, frozen in time. That heart-stilling, terrifying moment just before the fall. Robin could hear the rush of wind as her heart plummeted.
Nancy paused. Her face was carefully neutral, eyes wide as she processed the momentous words Robin had spoken. For a dreadful moment, what was mere seconds but felt like eons , Robin feared she had irreparably fucked up the most perfect part of her life. But then Nancy’s face broke into a soft smile and she wrapped one hand around the back of Robin's head, resting warm against the nape of her neck. She stood on tiptoes, pressing the softest, sweetest kiss to Robin’s lips. When she leaned back, her eyes were shining.
“I love you too, birdie,” she whispered, her voice steady—clear of hesitation, clear of doubt, completely, one hundred percent certain. Robin felt all of the tension in her chest melt away in the warmth of Nancy’s expression, chased away by the simple act of Nancy beaming at her like that .
She wasn’t falling anymore. Nancy had not only caught her, but she had lifted Robin up, given her heart wings. Her chest no longer ached with fear, but with unbridled affection as her heart soared .
Robin rested her forehead against Nancy’s, sniffling as she fought to control her gasping lungs now that she could breathe again. Nancy’s hand traveled up and down Robin’s back, rubbing firm, soothing circles between her shoulder blades and providing an anchor for the freckled girl.
She inhaled and then breathed out a shaky sigh.
And then the fucking smoke alarm went off.
Robin startled, looking around wildly. On the stove, her abandoned pan was smoking, filling the air with the acrid smell of burnt popcorn. She winced as Nancy broke out wheezing.
“I think we forgot something,” she managed between gasping laughter. Robin groaned, reluctantly letting go to quickly remove the pan from the burner. She grabbed a kitchen towel and fanned it at the smoke alarm, trying to ignore the angry beeping that stabbed into her skull.
Finally, it quieted and Robin slumped in defeat. She tiptoed over her burnt popcorn and sighed, shaking her head. It was definitely not edible now. It was destined only for the trash can.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, stricken. Nancy chuckled and shook her head, taking Robin’s hand in her own. She turned Robin’s head, blue eyes shining with amusement and affection.
“It’s okay, baby,” she promised. Robin’s heart squeezed. “I’ll clean up and make more, okay? You work on the hot chocolate?”
Robin nodded and stepped back. She went to work once her racing heart calmed, paying much more attention to her cocoa-making than she did the popcorn. They took a moment here and there to twirl each other across the tile, but stayed much more alert to their respective activities, and they finished quickly.
Robin dropped a peppermint candy into Nancy’s hot chocolate and handed it over. The girl took the mug in both hands, holding it close to her chest. It was completely and utterly adorable.
“Eleven fifty-two,” Nancy hummed, looking over Robin’s shoulder at a clock on the wall.
“Eight minutes,” Robin mused. She took one of Nancy’s hands, shivering at the warmth that lingered from her hot cocoa. She led the way to the couch and sat down so that Nancy could rest against her, curling neatly into her side. Robin rested her arm over Nancy’s shoulder. They were two pieces of a puzzle, really. Robin knew she would never get over how perfectly Nancy fit into her like they were truly made for each other.
“Do you still want to watch the ball drop?” she asked. Nancy nodded, suppressing a yawn. Robin kissed her cheek and then turned on the television.
Six minutes. And then five. And then just two. Robin counted down to the seconds, holding her breath. It wasn’t as if she had never kissed Nancy before. Hell, this whole thing was silly. But Robin had always dreamed of having a new years midnight kiss—and here it was, with Nancy Wheeler of all people. She would be entering the new year with Nancy Wheeler by her side, hopefully for the entirety of it. The thought made her heart sing.
The seconds ticked by painfully slowly. Robin’s eyes remained glued to the televised countdown.
Three.
Two.
One.
Robin knew the ball dropped. She knew Times Square was celebrating riotously. She didn’t care though. She didn’t watch. She simply melted into Nancy Wheeler, their lips moving languidly. Nancy tasted of salt and chocolate and lingering peppermint, perfectly sweet but not overly so. Robin smiled against her lips, pulling the girl closer.
They parted and Nancy tilted her head ever so slightly, a sleepy smile dancing on her face. Her eyelids drooped.
“I love you,” she whispered, words that sounded divine on her cherry lips, a prayer heard and spoken aloud from Robin’s own heart. Robin couldn’t suppress a grin as she kissed Nancy again.
“I love you too,” she returned. “Now let’s get you to bed.”
“Mmm, not sleepy,” Nancy lied. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was most definitely slowing. Robin scoffed playfully.
“Not sleepy, sure, I believe you,” she mumbled, amused. Nancy slumped further into her side, muttering something unintelligible. Robin let her stay there for a moment, waiting for the girl to slip fully into sleep. Only then did Robin move, ever so carefully getting out from under Nancy to pull her into a bridal carry. Nancy shifted in her sleep, burying her face in Robin’s chest.
Robin was careful not to jostle Nancy as she carried her down the hall to the bedroom. She laid her down gently, then slowly pulled the covers over her. Nancy frowned, but the look disappeared as quickly as it appeared when Robin climbed into the bed next to her.
“M’ knight in shinin’ armor,” Nancy mumbled, cuddling closer.
“Happy new year, buttercup,” Robin murmured. She laid a hand on her shoulder, rubbing slow circles with her thumb. She watched Nancy’s sleeping face for a moment, admiring the unguarded smile there. She pressed one last kiss to Nancy’s forehead before allowing herself to be overtaken by the black wave of sleep.
———
In the morning, Robin got up extra early to fulfill her promise. She hummed to herself, basking in the early morning light that filtered into the kitchen as she made breakfast. And when Nancy emerged from her bedroom, hair mussed and red lines on her face, eyes bloodshot with lingering sleep, completely unraveled—though Robin thought she was beautiful anyway, fucking ethereal if you asked her—Robin decided she would wake up early every morning to make waffles for Nancy Wheeler, if only to see the adoring smile on her girlfriends face and to feel those tiny hands wrap around her waist as Nancy came up behind her. She’d never get tired of it.
Three words. Three simple words. Not a dreadful weight in her chest anymore, but a fond one, an anchor that kept Robin steady. Three simple words that spilled from her lips without fear in the early morning.
“Good morning, Nance,” she whispered, keeping her eyes on the bacon she was cooking—she had learned her lesson the evening before. “I love you.”