Robin slams the car door and groans, crossing her arms on the roof and burying her face in it at the sight of Family Video. Steve steps out of the BMW, twirling the keys around his fingers before locking it.
"Come on, Rob, it won't be that bad."
"I'd rather face Vecna again than spend another minute in this soul-sucking job!"
"You don't mean that. Let's go."
She glares at him from over her sleeve then resigns herself to follow him, dragging her feet as they make their way to the shop. Steve unlocks the metal gate and slides it to the side before slipping the key into the door slot.
It's been weeks since the final confrontation with Vecna. After Eleven's return in Hawkins following the massive split in the border with the Upside Down, resulting in the destruction of most of the city, the group busied itself with volunteer work at the shelter, cleaning, making sandwiches, gathering donations and selecting them. In the meantime, Eleven, Joyce and Hopper cooked up a plan to overthrow the monster looming over the town, while Eddie was left hiding at Skull Rock and other locations, rotating under Dustin's advice.
Mutual aid was crucial in this tragic episode in Hawkins history. Many have lost their children or other relatives and friends in the earthquake, from the collapse of their homes or the splitting of the earth. Everyday the missing notices and confirmed deaths filled up the boards inside the shelter, bringing down morale. But it was the volunteers' hard and selfless work that made a difference.
For those who lost their homes and stayed, beds and blankets were provided. For those who could not afford to travel to nearby towns to gather supplies, the shelter prepared thousands of sandwiches and quick lunches, filling the stomachs of the less privileged. Most shops closed during the crisis, with some employees sent out to collect food and clothes at donation points throughout the county and deliver them to the shelter against free housing and boarding. A few richer families opened their houses to the homeless, but most fled, with the growing insecurity and their homes located right on the fractures.
Fighting off Vecna had been no piece of cake either. Max only narrowly escaped certain death, having lost her sight for a while and having several broken bones, saved by Eleven. When at last, the monster was defeated and no more Upside Down particles floated in the air, the government sent units to help repair the city and fill in the gaps in the ground. Eddie survived the bat attack with serious injuries, which most to everyone's relief, he rapidly recovered from. Although his state remains fragile, he could begin to lead a normal life again. Normal having a rather new definition after the suspicion of Chrissy's murder looming over him for most of it.
It took time before the community accepted that he wasn't a murderer. During their time in the shelter, Dustin fought tooth and nail against anyone who dared deface Eddie's uncle's missing notice for him. Jason Carver's group kept preaching against Hellfire Club, but all their sermons fell on deaf ears without their leader, reported missing. Only during the last battle, when Vecna regenerated using new victims, did they witness the oddity of his killings. One of the high schoolers of Hawkins High, Cheryl Burnes, was murdered in front of the shelter as she returned from the distressing quick funerals of her little brother, whose death she had not been able to prevent during the earthquake, not having pulled him out on time when a concrete slab was projected following a split.
Eleven went back to living under Hopper's roof under the guarantee that no more threats from Brenner or any other doctor would happen. The government promised to keep her safe after their discovery and the reveal of the NINA Project. It was Hopper's return that sent yet another shockwave throughout Hawkins after an official report claimed that he had been one of Brenner's victims to keep him silent. Few believed the story, but after Zombie Boy, nothing impressed them anymore.
At last, the city center of Hawkins was back to business. Supermarkets reopened as soon as the ground was stabilised, followed by the city hall and the police station and other first necessity locations until entertainment could resume. As soon as the announcement was made, Steve and Robin were called back by Family Video, demanding that they return to their positions despite having skipped several days of work without any explanation before the earthquake.
But business couldn't wait.
The lights blink as Steve flicks the switch, observing the shop and making sure that it was properly cleaned up before their first day back. The sight of the crumbled walls is depressing.
Robin opens the register and counts the money inside.
"It feels weird coming back here," she comments while counting five-dollar notes. "I guess I expected it to look worse."
"The shop took its beating, though. Have you seen those walls? I can't believe they didn't cover that up."
"I can't believe that they forced us back when most people lost their homes and have no VCRs to watch any of those films."
Steve shrugs and readjusts cardboard cutouts and posters on the walls. He runs his fingers on the top of the tapes, controlling the amount of dust that fell upon them. Once every preparation task is clear, he walks up to the door and flips the sign to indicate that they're open.
What a weird feeling.
It feels almost inappropriate to be in the shop with all those movies ready to be enjoyed when so many still relied on the shelter. Both of them sense this guilt in the pit of their stomach but keep it in. There's no use in holding forth on the topic.
Steve jumps over the counter and sits on one of the stools, spinning around on it. Robin leans against the counter and watches him with an eyebrow raised.
"Glad to see that you're still inhabited by a five-year-old, even after what we went through."
"I'm not. I'm trying to distract myself from the obvious."
"Which is?"
"That it's ridiculous that we're here. That everything around us is shattered and we're not even sure that at the end of the road, we'll get our old Hawkins back. I know it's nice to get new beginnings, but this is… too much."
"I see what you mean. I feel this way too."
She sits down on the other stool, kicking his foot playfully. They smile at each other, noticing that the sparkle that once shone in their eyes vanished. Guilt reigns instead; the guilt that they survived, the guilt that they could not save everyone.
And they tried.
Robin picks up the receiver and brings it to her ear, making sure that the electricity for the appliances was brought back, too. As she hears the ringtone, she hangs up again. She finds herself missing the time when she would make prank calls on her shifts without Steve, during off-peak hours. Now, she can't possibly imagine doing that again, not with the thousands of people whose homes were yet to be rebuilt.
Before her thoughts begin to spiral, Steve pokes her arm with his disarming mischievous grin. The one she probably would fall for if she loved boys.
"Wanna watch Fast Times and pause at 53 minutes, 5 seconds?" he asks.
Robin chuckles and shakes her head.
"I wish we could."
"C'mon, we don't have to sit around and mope the entire time. There's nothing else we can help with at the shelter for now. We're like… like a beacon of hope for Hawkins!"
"You really believe that? Or were you brainwashed in the Upside Down?"
"No, picture us! Family Video: one of the only places offering entertainment in the darkness. How 'bout that?"
She rolls her eyes with a scoff. Steve stares at her for a few seconds, maintaining eye contact before mouthing.
"Boobies."
Robin laughs and gives his calf a soft kick.
"I think that you should forget about that. Plus, I meant that we can't watch it because Vickie rented it."
"Again?!"
"Again."
Steve laughs and drums on the countertop with his fingers.
"If that's not confirming that she likes girls too, then I'm no King Steve."
"You were. Now you're an adult, you know?"
"Well, I still like to think that I'm King Steve, once in a while. Helps me forget."
"Nerd."
He pulls his tongue out at her as she stands and walks around the counter to browse the aisles. Pouting and scoffing, she reads the summaries at the back of the tapes, including the new ones that Keith checked in before the reopening.
"So many of those movies are dumb."
"Surprised you even forgot about that part," Steve teases. "Man, this job's boring. I'd rather put on Scoops' ridiculous uniform back on."
"It suited you, though."
"Rob, come on."
"It was like you were made for it."
The two of them share a laugh before Robin resumes checking the films they had in store. Steve stacks up the flyers and cards on the counter as neatly as possible, before turning to the computer, turning it on. He types Vickie's name into the program and examines the list of films she has rented. Fast Times makes its appearance several times, making him raise his eyebrows.
"Okay, Vickie's obsessed with that movie," he mutters to himself.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
He scrolls down the list, until he stops as he reads another title, a grin forming again on his lips.
"Robin?"
"Yeah?"
"Guess who rented The Hunger, too?"
Robin drops the tape she's holding back onto the shelf and drags her feet back towards the counter, eyeing the computer screen.
"I don't know?"
"Vickie."
She shrugs, her palm facing the ceiling.
"And?"
"And there are two women kissing in there! Susan Sarandon kissing that French actress!"
"Woah, really?"
Steve nods mischievously.
"Seriously, shoot your shot," he says. "You'll regret it if you don't."
"Steve, it's not as easy as when you flirt with every girl you meet. I wouldn't just be making a fool of myself. If I do and she's not attracted to girls, well… it could become a nightmare for me. Even worse."
"I know I'll never understand what that's like, and if anything shit happens, I'll be there to support you, you know that. But I truly believe that you have a shot with Vickie. Look at the time you spent together at the shelter!"
"As friends."
"I've seen those eyes on her. Not the way friends look at each other."
She sighs, slapping her hand on the counter as she rests her chin on her forearm. Steve looks at her and switches off the computer to sit in front of her. He rubs her shoulder, pained at the sight of her anguish.
"You know that whatever you choose to do, I'll support you, right?"
Her bubbly eyes meet his as the corner of her lips rises.
"I know. Thank you."
She leans over the countertop to hug him, finding comfort as she nestles her head in the crook of his neck. He squeezes her against his chest and pulls away to tousle her hair.
"So, The Hunger it is?"
"Let's watch the shit out of that."
Their hands meet in a high five as he lets out a cry of victory. Robin slithers back into the aisle to find the tape, before bringing it towards the VCR connected to the main screen. She rewinds it and presses play, trotting towards Steve to sit next to him, their eyes fixed on the screen.
In the middle of the movie, after Steve went to fetch snacks at the arcade next door, the first customer comes in. Or so they think.
Hubbub resonates behind the glass door. Both crane their necks to catch a glimpse of a horde of journalists gathered around one man, shoving microphones into his face. Visibly upset, the man hurries inside and closes the door behind him, forcing the journalists to keep out. When he turns around, the faces of Steve and Robin relax.
"Oh, hi Eddie."
"Hi. Sorry, first place I thought of."
"That's okay, come on in."
Eddie flips off a nosy reporter peeping in and joins them behind the counter. On the way, he glances at the TV screen and chortles.
"Fantasizing over Susan Sarandon kissing that other woman?"
"Am I the only one here who wasn't aware of that?" Robin groans, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Can't believe we know that better than you."
He chuckles and tousles her hair. Following the aftermath of Vecna's attack on Hawkins, Eddie was accepted as a member of the group, not only linked to Hellfire Club, which hasn't gathered since the evening of Chrissy's death. He spends most of his time juggling between Steve and Robin and Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Erica on the other hand. With them bonding over their shared trauma, Robin felt safe enough to let him in on her secret. Mostly to avoid any awkward situation after Eddie began flirting with her when they got drunk one evening.
Most to her relief, Eddie didn't care at all, as long as he had her as a friend.
Steve passed a bag of Skittles to him as he resumed the film.
"So, where did they find you this time?"
"The grocer. Just wanted to buy a can of Coke, but apparently, I can't go anywhere without being harassed anymore."
"Yeah, that's shit."
Eddie nudges him, shoving a handful of Skittles in his mouth, stretched into a wide grin.
"By the way, you'll never believe what happened."
"What?" Robin exclaims, her curiosity suddenly piqued.
"There seems to be trouble in paradise between Wheeler and Byers."
"Who? Nance and Jonathan or Mike and Will?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow. Eddie's smile vanishes as he raises his eyebrow in return. "Ooooooh… So Nance and Jonathan."
Steve keeps his eyes fixed on the screen, pretending not to care about the news. He plunges his hand inside a bag of chips, focusing his gaze on Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie without hearing their words. His thoughts wander towards Nancy. While a darker side of him clings to the hope that her relationship with Jonathan will crack, he cannot help but wonder if she's in pain and if he could do anything to help her. Even if that meant having to start a conversation with Jonathan, whose animosity towards him hasn't eased over the years.
And he gets it.
While he considers that Jonathan's behavior was out of bounds when it came to taking voyeuristic photographs of Nancy at his house the night Barb disappeared, he knows that he was a douche too. Shattering his camera under an impulse of anger didn't help and wasn't the right move. Turning on Nancy and blaming her for it wasn't it either.
But Steve wants to believe that he grew past all this. Past his need to be the center of attention and the need to constantly feed his own ego.
He tried to make things right. Multiple times. But he understands that they don't owe him forgiveness. After the awful things he said to Jonathan when Will was thought to be dead, he finds it only fair.
Eddie's fingertip poking his cheek drags him out of his train of thoughts.
"Earth to Big Boy, do you copy?"
Steve swats his hand away, amusing both of his friends. He rolls his eyes and munches on a handful of chips.
"I don't wanna hear about it. It's none of my business," he says with his mouth full.
"Uh, first of all, gross," Eddie comments, causing Robin to laugh, "and second of all, you might be interested in it."
"C'mon, Steve, don't tell me you're not burning to know," she insists.
He groans and tosses the empty bag into the trash under the counter. He smiles furtively, proud to see that his basketball skills haven't gone away after so long without playing or shooting hoops.
"Okay, lay it on me."
"Well," Eddie starts, stretching his arms and legs, "from what I understood, Wheeler expected Byers to sign up to Emerson so they could go to college together. Thing is, he's been lying to her for months and doesn't want to sign up and the deadline's passed."
"Lying to her?" Steve repeats incredulously. "I doubt that he lied to her. He wasn't accepted, that's all, what's the deal?"
"No, no, no, he kept telling her that he was waiting for the letter, but he never signed up in the first place."
"How do you know that?"
"They started yelling at each other when we got out of the shelter. Right in front of me. That's why I went to get a soda on my own, too much drama. I'm done with that."
If there is one thing Steve knows about Nancy, it's that she hates being lied to and led on. Something he admires about her is her honesty, however brutal it can be. Of course, she has her moments of dissimulating the truth, but nothing she wouldn't eventually tell.
Like how their relationship was bullshit.
Steve shakes the thought out of his head and glances at Eddie.
"Now what? What happened next?"
"Wheeler stormed out. She seemed pretty pissed," Eddie snorts. "It's your moment to shoot your shot and win her back if you ask me."
"No. No."
"Steve, you've been dying for that to happen for a long time!" Robin groans, slapping the countertop, feeling tingles along her fingers. "Shoot your shot or you might regret it. That's what you've been blabbering about me and Vickie. Follow your own advice, man!"
"She's with Jonathan. He already hates my guts and to be frank, I don't wanna make it worse."
Eddie tilts his head back and empties a bag of M&M's into his throat. He pulls out a can of soda from his pocket and cracks it open,
"Well, it's up to you. But you've been all over each other for months. And I swear to God, I don't want to hear you whine ever again if you decide not to go for it. She obviously loves you. So if neither of you goes for it, I don't want to hear any complaints. I might even smack one of you in the back of the head."
"It's not gonna happen. I won't complain. I messed up and I can't fix it anymore. It's out of my hands, okay?"
Robin sits back and sips from Eddie's can he hands her behind Steve. Her eyes divert back to the screen, upon which Susan Sarandon chokes on her drink and spills it on her tight white t-shirt, piquing her interest even further. Eddie taps Steve on the chest, pointing at the TV.
"It's getting good!"
Steve and Robin watch intently with wide grins on their lips. As the scene unfolds and she squeaks at the two actresses sharing a kiss, Eddie pokes Steve's leg, drawing his focus back to him. He leans to the side, lending him an ear. His cheek is welcomed by Eddie's warm breath, embracing it.
"Hey, for real, though," he whispers, "I really think you should go to her. She's still really into you."