The bell jingles as the door hits it, revealing Robin's figure at its step. Carrying a small messenger bag across her shoulder, she runs a hand through her hair and smiles at the sight of Steve, filling up a jar of candy behind the counter.

"Hi Steve!"

"Hi Robin! Thank God you're here, five more minutes in this shithole and I would've lost my shit."

She chuckles and walks around the counter, dropping her bag onto one of the stools. While she pulls her uniform out of it, Steve sets down the jar between the others, aligning them as best he can. Once he's done, he rests his fist on his hip, turning to his friend with a smug look on his face.

"Soooo..?"

"Soooo what?"

"Tell me about your date with Vickie already!"

She sighs with a grin as she adjusts the green vest around herself, clasping her badge on her chest to make sure that it hasn't fallen off.

"Okay, first of all, it wasn't a date."

"Yeah, tell that to someone else."

"Shut up. Second of all…"

She stretches her spine, drawing in a deep breath as she cranes her neck towards the office in the back, making sure that they're alone. When she doesn't see Keith nibbling on a snack at his desk, she whips around towards Steve.

"I have a girlfriend."

His jaw drops while his hands raise in surprise and pride. Without replying, he high fives her and pulls her into a hug, jumping up and down.

"No way! No fucking way!" he repeats with a chuckle. "I told you so! I knew it, I called it!"

"Okay, I have to give credit where credit is due," Robin laughs in turn. "You did. You totally did."

"But how did it go? How..?"

Robin shoves her bag off the stool and pulls it towards herself to sit on it. Steve leans against the counter with his arms crossed and the widest grin he could ever display. She tucks her hair behind her ear, blushing at the recollection of her Friday night, her heart skipping beats.

"So I went to her place, right? We agreed to watch The Hunger. She was all sweet and maybe a bit shy, she couldn't stop blabbering, but that was just adorable. I mean, she got embarrassed about it, like at the shelter, but I couldn't tell her how cute I found it, you know, I wasn't sure that she liked girls yet, I didn't want to out myself and —"

"You're doing it right now."

"Sorry. So we grabbed snacks, went to her room and we started the film. We didn't pay much attention to it, to be honest, we were just joking and laughing at the stupidest things. And then came the kissing scene between Deneuve and Sarandon."

Pursing his lips, Steve shakes his shoulders and leans in, eager to hear the rest.

"What about it?"

"Well, when it was happening, I was just… blushing. And then I realized that Vickie wasn't watching the screen. She was staring at me. No smile, nothing. At first I was afraid that she understood what I am and that she was against it, that she wanted to call the cops on me, I don't know!"

"But?"

"But she was just blinking at me. She was blushing too. I looked back at her, all shy and stuff, and she licked her lips. I don't know why or how I understood it as a signal, but next thing I know, we were making out on her bed."

Cackling with joy, Steve high fives her again. The two of them do a little celebratory dance, until Keith walks into the store.

"Hey!" he calls out, interrupting them. "You're here to work, you're not at the club. Steve, what are you still doing here?"

"I'm about to go."

"Good."

With a grunt, their manager drags his feet to the office, while Robin and Steve suppress a laugh. Once he's out of sight, Steve rubs her arm.

"I'm so proud of you, though. I mean it."

"Thanks!"

"So you made it official?"

"Pretty much. It wasn't like a contract or anything, but we decided to be exclusive already."

"Nice!"

"How was it with Eddie, by the way?"

Steve's smile fades as he remembers his own night at his home.

The next morning, finding himself cuddling Eddie, breathing in his scent and admiring the way his long hair cascaded onto the pillow, he panicked. Letting go of him, he rushed to the toilet, trying to bring some sense into the situation. When he couldn't, still on the fence about his inexplicable attraction, he went downstairs to prepare breakfast, not knowing when Eddie would wake up. He wanted to let him sleep in and enjoy the stillness, but within minutes, his guest showed up at the door, wiping the sleep out of his tired eyes.

And what a sight he was. His disheveled hair went in all directions, frizzy and entangled, while the dark circles underlining his eyes dug deeper than usual. The hem of his own shirt, hanging against his chest, brushed past his hips, revealing the boxer shorts stopping mid-thigh. There was nothing Steve didn't like about it.

Greetings were exchanged, timid and unsure, and Steve proceeded to prepare breakfast for him, cooking some pancakes on the stove while pouring him a cup of coffee. With a yawn, Eddie walked over to the dining table, sitting down on one of the chairs, holding the steaming cup between his palms, blinking until his eyes opened fully.

They shared breakfast, hardly daring to talk about the previous night. Instead, they brushed it aside and chatted about their plans for the week-end, with Eddie stating that he would be giving his uncle a hand on the renovation of the city center of Hawkins, now that the gaps where the gate once spread had been filled in. As for Steve, he was planned for shifts at Family Video, spending the rest of his time with Dustin, which unfortunately, would not happen. Then, after changing and Steve lending Eddie another shirt, the two of them drove back to Hawkins High to drop the metalhead off, before Steve headed to work.

Steve decides not to tell Robin any of it. Not that she wouldn't understand, he's pretty sure that she would, more than anyone else. But he wants to figure himself out before opening up about it.

"Oh, it was fine," he comments with a shrug. "We used the pool, drank beer… Normal stuff."

"Boring!"

Steve chuckles and proceeds to explain to her all the tasks he did during his shift, so that she knows what she doesn't need to do. As soon as he lists the last one, he takes off his vest and shoves it under the counter, earning an eye roll from Robin. When she settles behind the counter, picking up her checklist, Steve walks around it and heads to the other side.

"Sorry, I can't hang around today. My parents called this morning to say that they're coming back from their trip tonight."

"An impromptu cameo of Mr. and Mrs. Harrington themselves, who knew?"

"Finally! But yeah, I have to do some cleaning. I kept the house tidy this time, but I forgot to put the tarp back on when Eddie came."

"I'm surprised you even dipped a toe in that pool," she smiles. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Robs."

He leans over to kiss her forehead and waves, walking out of Family Video while patting his pocket for his car key. He trots up to the BMW, humming Africa by Toto as he unlocks the door and slips inside.

Crouching behind another car, completely out of sight, Eddie watches the burgundy car pull out of the parking lot and drive away with a lump in his throat. He cranes his neck and lets his eyes follow it, making sure that Steve doesn't turn back around. He waits another minute until he stands up, wiping the dirt off his black jeans, and darts towards Family Video.

Inside, Robin is pushing a cart covered with piles of tapes, which she neatly puts away in the different aisles, bobbing her head in rhythm with the music on the radio. When the bell rings, she looks up and smiles at him.

"Oh hi, Eddie! You've missed Steve by like a minute! He headed back home, but he should be working tomorrow again. Wait, is that his shirt you're wearing?"

"Hi Robin, uh, yeah, I borrowed it on Friday. Actually I'm here to see you. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure!"

She drops a tape on its shelf and walks around the cart, swinging her arms on either side of her torso. Once near him, she leans onto the counter and crosses her ankles.

"What can I do for you?"

"I don't know where to start, but you're the only one I know who'll probably understand."

"Shit, that sounds serious. Come behind the counter, let's sit down."

He nods and follows her to the stools behind the counter, where they both sit with their legs slightly parted. Eddie's fingers scratch his jaw as he stammers, trying to find his words. Before he has the time to panic, Robin rubs his arm with a grin.

"Hey, it's okay. Take your time."

"Thanks," he whispers before drawing a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Something's wrong with me, I… I don't know what's going on. I thought I always knew who I was, I mean, I've lived with myself for twenty years. I should know about myself by now, right?"

"Okay, you're not making any sense to me right now. Can you maybe elaborate a bit more?"

Eddie clasps his hands together, firmly enough to turn his knuckles white. His knee bounces up and down, the chain attached at his belt clicking with every move. Tears begin to well up in his eyes as he finds himself at a loss for words.

"Has… Has Steve talked to you about Friday?"

"Vaguely. He told me that you two had fun, that you went into the pool, had beers and that's it. Did anything else happen?"

"Yeah," he whispers. He gently slaps his own cheeks for courage and looks Robin right in the eyes. "In the pool, we talked about how we were happy to have become friends, we hugged and he told me about why he didn't swim at home anymore. I mean, he said multiple times that he was happy that I was there, that we're friends and all."

"Steve's been pretty lonely overall, I can imagine that your hangout did him good."

Eddie nods and purses his lips, diverting his gaze towards Steve's uniform laying on the dirty floor under the counter.

"It was weird, though."

"How so?"

"I don't know. The entire time that I was with him I just felt… so… happy? Like nothing else mattered. Didn't give a shit about Wayne or the shelter, or even school. I was in the moment. But then he mentioned Wheeler and I became jealous. He obviously loves her, but something else happened that confuses me even more. He offered me to stay over and I accepted, I had my own room, but then I just couldn't help but cry. Because he mentioned Wheeler."

"Eddie…"

"But that's not it. Steve came to ask if I was okay and we ended up sleeping in his bed. He…"

Rubbing his index finger against his lower lip, he blushes at the recollection, feeling his stomach churning.

"He cuddled me. The entire night. Didn't let go."

"Wait, wait, wait, are we talking about Steve Harrington?" Robin asks with her jaw dropped. "I mean, he's the straightest guy I know."

"Of course, who else?"

"Just making sure. But how did that make you feel, the cuddling?"

He hesitates for a moment, picturing himself in Steve's arms again to retrieve even the slightest hint of what he felt that night. Without noticing, his lips curl into a grin, his eyes sparkling at the thought. Robin notices it and hides her mouth behind her hand, guessing what's at play.

"I felt excited. Happy. Comfortable. Like I never wanted to leave."

She squeals, biting on her bottom lip and parting her fingers, her palms up towards him. He cocks an eyebrow, watching her as though she became crazy.

"Holy shit, Eddie, you like guys! Not just guys, but you like Steve!"

"I don't know about that. Maybe I've just been lonely for too long."

"Nuh-uh, doesn't sound like it," she chuckles, leaning onto her elbows with her fists curled under her chin. "Since when do you like him?"

"I don't know. I've started feeling weird about him for a few weeks, but it really started when he came every day to the shelter."

"Typical," she comments with an eye roll. "But… Steve's in love with Nancy."

"I'm aware."

The irritation in his voice sounds more aggressive than he intends it to. He apologizes to her and buries his face in his hands with a groan, his fingertips stretching his traits in a grotesque grimace.

"How did you find out that you love girls?" he asks bluntly.

"It was a whole process, really," she laughs. "I think I really knew it in middle school. When I realized that I was obsessing over the actresses in the films I liked more than the plot itself. And of course, when I started feeling things when I saw certain girls at school."

"Did you have anyone around you who made you understand? I mean, how do you even know that this is who you are and not just a phase?"

"No, nobody. And it's definitely not a phase. At the time, when I started to see the signs, I started doing some research. I went to the library and searched for all types of things, but most books there had a more… scientific approach, I guess. Then I bought a book with my pocket money about other sexualities and questioning your own. It was like my bible back then."

He nods and hangs his head in defeat, worrying that he will always feel this confused. There's nobody else he can share that with. Only Robin understands what he's going through, even if her journey involved girls and not boys. She knows how difficult it is to find yourself out of the norm, fearing to even show a glimpse of who you really are.

He doesn't want to live in fear. If anything ever happens with Steve or another man, he doesn't want to hide how much he loves him. There's nothing wrong in loving and yet, there are many out there who would gladly punch him for having feelings. If not worse. Much worse.

Great.

Robin nudges him with the tip of her shoe and wraps her cold hands around his, bringing him a sense of comfort.

"I still have the book, Eddie. If you want, I can bring it to you tomorrow at school. Maybe it'll help?"

"Maybe. Thanks, Robin."

"Hey, don't thank me. I guess we're more or less on the same boat."

He nods and tries to smile, but doesn't find the strength to do it. Imagining his struggle and remembering how difficult it once was for her, Robin's heart sinks into her chest. She rubs the back of his hands with her thumbs, feeling the coldness of his silver rings against her skin.

"Have there been other boys that made you feel this way?" she asks in a whisper.

"No. Just him."

"I see. When did you realize that you like him?"

"I don't like him."

"Okay, fine, that you're attracted to him?"

Eddie's eyelids droop as she chuckles. He leans back against the countertop, burying his hands between his thighs.

"Yesterday. I had my doubts for a while, but it's yesterday that it hit me. When we were in the pool, I just couldn't take my eyes off him. And you know I'm a confident person in general, but um… When I tried on his swim shorts, I felt so ugly, out of place. Like I didn't deserve to have his eyes on me."

"Love makes us believe weird stuff sometimes."

"I'm not in love."

Robin nods and cups his face with her hands, her freckles giving her a cunning expression. She kisses him on the cheek and smiles. As he gazes into her eyes, all he can see is pure kindness, a form he has never been granted. Solidarity, to an extent he isn't used to.

"It's going to be okay, Eddie. We'll figure it out."