'Tis the damn season

He was doing it again—

Robin sighed, rolling her eyes. A smirk broke across her face like an inside joke. She was sorting recently returned VSH's onto the alphabetized shelfs. Even though she was completely across the video store she could clearly see it…the stance. The Steve Harrington stance… One arm flung crookedly against the nearest object, allowing him to lean forward slightly, as though he were about to tell the greatest secret, while the other hand rested on his hip. The language of this stance was half lazy kid and half self-interested parent. She knew all too well that the girls ate this up.

When she finished sorting the video's Robin sauntered at a slow pace back up to the front counter, the zonking and beeping sounds of the arcade had become a consistent soundtrack to her employment here. Sometimes, even in her dreams, she heard the fawning sigh of Lady Pacman. Above her, Christmas ornaments swayed in the breeze from the heating vent.

"So," Steve was saying to the girl. Robin recognized her as a face she had seen before from Hawkins High, but she couldn't recall the girl's name. "What is your favorite movie, Courtney?"

Robin smirked again, louder this time. It had become a running joke, between the two of them. When they were hired it was based on their favorite movie recommendations, and Steve had since picked it up as one of his favorite pickup lines.

Courtney took a moment to think, pursing her lips. "Breakfast Club… Yeah, Breakfast Club for sure."

"Really?" Steve said. There was delight in his voice, even though Breakfast Club was usually the response most girls said. It was Christmas, 1985, and nothing seemed more relevant than the John Hughes film.

"Well," Steve exclaimed, "What an in-depth and unexpected choice. Let me guess, it's Molly Ringwald, isn't it?"

Courtney curled her hair behind her ear, it was an unnaturally bright bottle blond. "Yeah," she confirmed, a bit nervously. "I can't wait until I have a baby. I want a girl just so I can name her Molly-Claire, with a hyphen between 'Molly' and 'Claire', I think it's so romantic and unusual, while also being modern and cool, you know?"

Steve halted, his posture changing immediately. It made Robin think of a terrified nutcracker, arms tightly at his side and neck straight. "Oh, kids, huh?"

Robin smirked again. Dingus was cock-blocked by imaginary mythical children. She laughed outright when she thought: Molly-Claire Harrington. What a flipping joke.

"Well," Steve went on, taking a step away from his previously-desired-now-could-be-mother-of-his-future-children. "Might I suggest, Room with a View?" He held up the VSH tape, wrapped protectively in its thick plastic casing. He held it out to Courtney at a distance, as though pre-marital pregnancy was somehow catching.

Robin looked up, startled. Room with a View was her movie, her recent favorite. The movie she had absconded with two days before it was released in the store so she and Amber Fitzhugh, a Lit major at Indiana State Community College, could watch it. A movie that she continued to check out, using her employee discount, so Amber could study it, religiously, because E.M Forster was her favorite author, and for some reason Edwardian literature turned her on. Robin was working on saving up enough money to buy the VSH tape herself, to give it to Amber for Christmas, and eventually, maybe, work up the courage to tell her how much she liked her, and maybe, go on a real date.

But who was she kidding…

Courtney was blathering on, absently reading the description of the movie on the back of the box. "Okay, so it's a period movie. Is it sad? I don't really like sad movies."

Steve held up his hands, reassuring her. "No, not sad at all, it's a romance. Isn't it, Robin?"

Robin gave him a look. The look. The look that said: Dingus, I will hit you, and it will hurt.

"Yes," she told Courtney, evoking a work appropriate sarcastic smile. "It's really good. Oh, and," She gave Steve a quick unapologetic look. "I really like the name Molly-Claire. It's really cute. It would go really good with 'M' last names, or maybe even 'H' last names."

Steve stammered. "What do you think, do you want to check it out?"

"The movie?" Courtney asked him. She appeared to have been hoping for something else.

"Yeah… Or are you looking for something else. We have a couple of new comedies in, and a couple of action movies."

"No," Courtney was dejected. "I guess this is fine. If you think it's really good…"

Robin felt sorry for her suddenly. She hadn't meant to tease Courtney, though she had been gunning for Steve all along. "It is really good. The cinematography is amazing. It's a Merchant Ivory production and the color pallet is moody and dreamy, and it's based on a famous novel by—"

Courtney interrupted her, handing Robin the video. "I'm ready to check out now."

"Oh, sure."

Robin completed the transaction, asking Courtney if she wanted the video in a bag, which she did not.

After handing over the VSH, Courtney turned back to Steve. "You should call me, sometime. We never got to connect in High School as much as we should have. You were always with Nancy Wheeler."

Steve couldn't hide the small blush that flushed across his cheeks. "Yeah, okay." He escorted her out of the swinging door, waving to her as she stepped through. "Let me know what you think of the movie, okay?"

Robin knew how sensitive he was about Nancy Wheeler, even now, more than a year after the breakup.

Steve hovered by the glass storefront, occasionally shelving returned titles, but usually watching the cars go by. There had been a heavy snow the night before and although the roads had been cleared, there were piles of snow on the sidewalks and in the parking lot. Robin was bored too, and the droll bands bellowing through the arcade speakers made her want to vomit. "You know," she told him. "Molly-Claire really is a cute name for a baby."

Steve didn't turn around to look at her. "Shut up." He let the words stretch into multiple syllables.

"There's lots of possible nicknames with that one. You could call her M.C. or Mikey or Clary."

Steve ran his hands down his face, trying to turn his frown upside down. "Shut up."

Robin smirked. She had busied herself with continuing to check returned video's in, but she couldn't help but continue. "You two would be cute together, I mean it."

"Why do girls always have to talk about babies?" He objected. The torment of the date he wanted to go on still hurt to think about it. "We're barely out of high school, what is that even about?"

Robin did know what he meant. Although she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about children and the future, she had at times, imagined herself as a mother. She had no idea if that would actually happen, but Amber had mentioned wanting kids a few times when they hung out.

"It's a 'girl thing,'" she told him truthfully. "Hormones."

He turned around to face her. "Do you think about it?"

"Sometimes."

Steve raised an eyebrow, suggestively. "Really?"

"Don't be like that," she objected. "I could become a mother."

"But don't you need…" he gestured with his hands, forming a union with index finger and plunging it primitively into his palm.

"I could adopt," she objected, face reddening slightly from his gesture.

Steve shrugged.

They were interrupted when the storefront door opened. Dustin walked in. His thermal coat zipped up to his chin and his boots damp with the snow that still coated the streets from last night's storm.

"Hey, Robin," he greeted her first. Robin nodded back, tilting her chin up in greeting.

"My man!" Steve exclaimed. They greeted each other with their traditional outlandish and over the top handshake-dance-thing. Robin didn't understand it when she first saw it and she had no hope of understanding it now.

"I like what you've done with the place," Dustin noted, pointing at the garlands that had been wrapped around the perimeter of the store and the shiny Christmas ornaments that Robin had painstakingly hung from clear fishing line from the ceiling. There must have been at least forty balls dangling in the breeze from the air vents.

Steve looked up, examining. This was the first time he had noticed that the decorations were even there.

"Thank you!" Robin replied, sassily.

Steve pointed upward. "When did we do this?"

"I did this last week, Dingus," she gestured extravagantly. "Remember, you were flirting with Desirae Wilson over by the classic film section."

"Oh, yeah." A slow smile crept across Steve's face.

"We're going to watch Casablanca next week at her place. She swears it's a holiday classic."

Robin's brow furrowed while she tried to recollect the events of Casablanca. She didn't remember it being a Christmas film.

Dustin interjected, "Desirae Wilson! Shit man, nice work." Desirae was a senior at Hawkins High. She was one of the prettiest and smartest girls. Dustin would have killed for a date with her. Before he was a taken man, that is.

"Hey man, how's Suzy Q?"

Dustin relaxed; his day dream of Desirae broken by the reality of his real girlfriend. "She's good, man."

"Oh, yeah," Steve continued. There was still doubt in the group about whether she was really real. Until she was seen in the flesh, she could be anything or anyone. "What about Mike? Is he still mopping?"

Dustin shook his head, "He won't be chill until Eleven comes back. Mrs. Byers said she would drive Will and Eleven over for New Years, she couldn't get time off at her new job, and Jonathan and Nancy are… well... Let's just say, he and Nancy are on a break."

Steve's posture changed. "Nancy and Jonathan broke up?"

Dustin held up his hand, halting Steve's run-away imagination. "I didn't say that. I said they were on a break."

Steve pandered. "A break implies distance. A break is breaking. Breaking equals break up. Right, Robin?"

Robin didn't want to aid him in his logic. "Don't know, Dingus." She said it softer than she normally would.

Steve was dejected, but only slightly. He knew Nancy and Jonathon would never work out; he was even more sure of that now.

"Anyway," Dustin interrupted. "My mom wants to rent a copy of The Wizard of Oz."

Robin pointed to the shelves in the middle of the store. "Children's section. Under 'W.'"

"Children's?" Dustin objected. "Why not classics?"

"It blurs the lines, honestly," Robin noted.

Dustin meandered through the shelves of the store. He was a regular here, and he knew the lay of the land pretty well, but it had been a few years since he wandered into the children's isles. Dustin found the VSH easily and walked with it back up to the front of the store.

"Is your mom a Judy Garland fan?" Robin asked him.

Dustin smiled with his silly toothless grin. "Yep. For her, Dorothy and Kansas equal Christmas."

Robin smiled. Remember how much she had liked the film when she was younger. Judy Garland was also so pretty, Amber looked a little bit like her. Reddish hair. Big eyes. Full apple kissed cheeks.

Robin tried to clear her head. She wasn't even sure if Amber was gay. She had never done anything to suggest that she liked Robin that way, although, within that same vein, she hadn't done anything to suggest that she wasn't.

"What about Eleven's powers?" Steve asked. "Have they come back yet?"

Robin handed Dustin his video, and he lowered his head, examining the plastic case around the cover art. "No," he told them dejectedly. Eleven had remained powerless since they defeated the Mind Flayer earlier in the summer at the Star Court Mall.

They fell into silence for a moment, each of them thinking about what had befallen them on that fateful summer night. It seemed so long ago, not just the handful of months that it had actually been. "Well, I gotta go," Dustin said, tucking the VSH inside the zipped up puff of his coat.

"Yeah," Steve ushered him out. "Hey, if you hear anything else about Nancy and Jonathon, will you let me know?"

Robin rolled her eyes. Steve knew she was doing it even though his back was turned to her. She gave her an exaggeratedly dismissive hand wave which made her cackle.

"Sure, Steve," Dustin reassured him, sympathetically. He wished both Steve and Robin a 'Merry Christmas' before leaving.

"She's never going to get back with you," Robin declared once Dustin had left.

Steve ignored her.

Robin went on, "She's not good for you."

"You don't know her," Steve protested.

Robin nodded, "that's right, I don't know her like you do, but I do know that she's not right for you."

Steve busied himself with re-shelving videos in the horror section.

Robin left her position at the counter and went to stand beside him. There were only a few videos on the cart. She didn't bother helping him. "I think you're still clinging to who you were in High School, Dingus." She said it as softly as she could, soft like when her mother tried to teach her about right vs. wrong when she was a kid. "Same thing as with that girl earlier."

"Courtney?"

"Yeah, Courtney. And Desirae, too, probably."

Steve objected. "I really like Desirae. She's funny. She has this long brown hair, big eyes."

"Well, if you're serious about her, you should go for it. But going through all of these girls, and secretly pinning over Nancy Wheeler isn't good for you."

Steve shelved the last returned VSH in the horror section. Oddly, a lot of people checked out horror movies during the holidays.

The buzzer clock in the arcade rang, declaring the hour, the sound was so loud that it startled them.

"Shit! Is it 4:00 o'clock?"

Robin craned her neck to get a good look at the clock at the other side of the store. "Yeah, why?"

"Keith said I could cut out at 4:00 today."

"Okay," Robin didn't mind closing by herself, the video store was closing in another hour tonight on account of the holiday, but she didn't like ending their conversation so abruptly. "What are you up to for the rest of the night?"

"I've got a date!"

Robin sighed loudly. "I thought your date with Desirae wasn't until next week."

Steve hustled to the back room to quickly put on his coat, he answered her from across the room. "I do. Tonight I'm meeting Beth Collins at Las Margarita's."

"But it's Christmas Eve." Robin objected.

Steve raised his eyebrows suggestivly. "I know."

"But what about Nancy? You were just so sad about Nancy. How did everything change so suddenly?"

Steve faced her. "Nancy and I are end game. You'll see."

Robin scoffed. "If you're end game how are you going out with another girl tonight?"

"It's a 'guy thing,'" he told her, mocking her earlier comment about girls and babies. "Hormones."

She didn't know what to say.

Steve turned up his collar, walking backwards, nearing the door. "You okay to close by yourself?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "I'm not afraid of the dark, Dingus."

Steve laughed. "You know, there's still another copy of Room with a View over there. Courtney didn't take the last one. In case, you know, you want it."

Robin softened. "Thanks, Steve."

Steve's smile was radiant. "Merry Christmas, Robin."

"Merry Christmas—" he was out the door before she had finished. His steps to his car were quick and he looked like his usual animated self.

The video store always seemed different when she was alone inside. There was a hollow quietness to the shelves, and the marquee lights seemed more magical. Over the next hour a few more customers stumbled in. One family rented The Care Bears Movie and a woman in her forties came in to rent Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue.

When the buzzer in the arcade chimed 5:00 o'clock she locked the front door. There were a few minor chores that she needed to do around the store, but first she went around and collected the trash from the main bin in the store, then the employee bathroom, then the tiny breakroom.

Next, Robin put on her cardigan, it was fuzzy yellow and reminded her of summertime. She layered that with a well-worn jeans jacket that was much shorter but acted as insolation against the cold.

Robin fisted the two bags of trash in her palm, keeping her other hand free to open the back door out onto the ally. They kept a large rock beside the door, which she and Steve used to keep it open so they didn't get locked out and have to walk all the way to the entryway of the arcade to get back in.

It was a quick walk to the dumpsters at the back of the parking lot. The sun was about to set and the twilight was purple and blue from the neon signs at the liquor store next to the arcade. The pavement was wet with melting now and Robin's converse were slick with it.

"Rob?" She heard a voice say as she hefted the garbage bags above her head to fling them into the dumpster.

Robin turned and couldn't stop her face changing from the smile when she saw Amber standing there. She drove an old Mercury that was parked farther down the ally and she wore a puffy blue coat. She wore a knitted hat, fitted to her forehead and face, and the exposed tips of her hair were Florissant in the backlit light.

"Hi," Robin was flustered. "What are you doing here?"

Amber shrugged. Robin noticed that her fingernails were painted a light lavender color. "I wanted to see you."

Robin smiled again. "Is everything okay? Are we still on for hanging out later?"

Amber tucked her hands inside her pockets.

"Are you cold?" Robin went on. We can go back inside.

"Is Steve here?"

"Steve?" Images of Desirae and Courtney and Beth flashed through her mind. Was Amber here to see Steve…? Robin couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "No, he just left."

Amber sighed. "Good. That's good. I wanted to talk to you."

Robin thought Amber seemed nervous. She gestured to the door. "Let's go inside. It's warmer."

"Oh, yeah," Amber said. "Snow."

Robin was a bit confused as she led Amber back inside. "Yeah, I think it's going to snow again tonight."

"Is your shift almost over?" Amber asked when they were back inside.

Robin laughed softly. There was just one overhead light on in the back room of the video store and it lit Amber up like an angel. "Yeah, I just had to take the garbage out and then lock up."

"Can I help?" Amber asked.

"Do you want to follow me while I close up?"

Amber nodded. Her hands were still buried in her pockets.

"You should have gloves." Robin noted as she started to move through the store, turning off the lighted displays showcasing the latest movie releases at the front of the store.

"Yeah," Amber shrugged. "I probably should. I just wanted to get over here as fast as I could."

"Why?" Robin asked. "Did you want to rent Room with a View, again? I think there's still have one copy in stock…" Robin started to move back toward the shelves.

"Wait." Amber grabbed her hand, stopping her. Her fingers were freezing. "I thought you were going to try and buy that for me for Christmas…?"

Robin's cheeks flushed. "How did you know that?"

Shrugging again, Amber said, "It's kind of obvious."

Amber was still holding her hand, fingers against palms, and slowly she transitioned to interlacing her fingertips with Robin's.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked. Her heartbeat beating against her chest like a drum. She could hear it in her ears.

"I just…" Amber stepped closer, keeping a firm grip on Robin's hand. "I just wanted to say, 'Merry Christmas.'"

Robin whispered. "Merry Christmas."

Amber leaned in; Robin could feel her warm breath against her neck; she had always been tall for a girl. Robin lowered her face to accommodate her and Amber released her hand only to wrap her arm around Robin's neck, pulling her down gently, until their lips could touch.

The kiss was soft. Just the lightest brush of Amber's lips against Robin's.

Robin melted against her, a tiny cry of excitement and acceleration escaping from her throat as she lowered her arms to the small of Amber's back, pulling her closer in until she could feel the entirely of Amber against her. Amber giggled, pulling Robin even closer as Robin pushed herself against her.

Robin was out of breath. "Do you still want to rent that video?" She couldn't stop staring at Amber—the constellation of freckles on her cheeks, or the dotting of moles against her neck, or the way her hair curled down her chest like trailing ivy in the autumn.

"No," Amber told her, extending her throat so Robin could easily have access to it. "I want to go back to my dorm." Robin pulled away slightly. "And I want you to come with me."

A/N: Title inspired by the Taylor Swift song, but honestly, I think Evermore would be a very Robin album.