Ash had begun to fall from the sky, and Robin found Steve standing outside of the hospital, staring out into the street. There was a park bench behind him, yet he made no move to sit in it. All he did was look out at Hawkins, and the destroyed buildings, at the smoke, and the clouds that were rolling across the horizon.

It had been three days since they had gotten Eddie to the hospital, and each of the days had been spent in an attempt to help heal Hawkins of what happened. To Robin it felt like a lifetime ago that One had shown her Steve's death, and even longer since Brenner had them. But it wasn't. It wasn't long at all.

She knew that Steve had been spending most of his time at the hospital, healing whoever he could, even healing Eddie, who was currently awake and well. His wounds were scarred, but sewn back together with Steve's powers. He was still in pain, but he was alive, and would be okay. Robin felt the relief the moment everyone knew, she couldn't express how happy she was that they wouldn't lose him.

The police, after a stern word from Hopper, were convinced that Eddie and Steve were innocent, so Steve was free to exist in the world again. Eddie could do the same when he was discharged from the hospital. Thankfully. Robin couldn't imagine having to lose Steve again, to be apart from him at a time like this, and she didn't want to have Eddie be taken away when, already, he had become a core part of their group, a friend that Robin knew that she could count on.

Steve couldn't heal Max, at least not yet. As Robin studied him from afar, she could see how he swayed in the breeze, as if one gust could topple him over, and she knew that he had spent all of the energy that he had healing the others. It was a miracle that he hadn't collapsed again. He had managed to heal Will, Mike, Lucas, and Eddie, all in three days. She didn't know how he found that strength. All the strength Robin had she found in Steve and the people around her. She wouldn't be surprised if Steve found his strength the same way.

"You know, you can come closer. I promise I'm not crazy yet."

Robin blinked, and saw Steve looking at her, a small smile on his face. His hair moved in the breeze, getting small white ashes caught in the strands, and she walked closer.

"Are you planning on going crazy?" She asked, matching his smile with her own, and he chuckled.

"Not planning on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if I lose my mind soon."

Robin finally reached him, and she sat down on the bench behind him. Steve joined her not a second later, his legs shaking as he did so. He sat down with a sigh, running his hand through his hair, frowning at the ash that fell into his palm.

"It's not over."

Robin shook her head at his words. "It's not."

Steve took a deep breath, letting the ashes fall onto the ground. "How are you doing? I know I just saw you yesterday but…it's felt like a lifetime."

Robin nodded, knowing the exact feeling. Every second she was away from him felt like a day, worries of if he was okay flooding her mind at every moment, wondering if One had killed him, if his body had finally reached the breaking point. If she wasn't there when he needed her the most.

"Everyone's scared. No one knows what's happening. And I'm…I'm feeling all of it, you know?" Robin admitted, conscious of the feelings that were always preying on her, washing over her like waves. "I don't think I've ever felt this much fear before. It's like…it's like it's choking me. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe."

Robin hadn't told anyone this. She didn't know why. Maybe it didn't feel real if she didn't say it? Maybe she didn't want to show how much she was struggling? But Steve knew. He would help. He was her soulmate, platonic with a capital "P", and she never struggled to tell him anything. With everything that they had been through together, their bond was stronger than ever. She wanted to tell him what she was struggling with. That she was hurting. She knew that, deep down, Steve would help. Even his listening gave her more help, more strength, than seemed possible.

She was glad to have that connection with someone. She could tell Steve anything. And not for the first time, she wondered how she had lived so long without him.

"I get it. I…I don't feel how scared everyone is, but…" Steve looked up before looking back at her. "It's heavy. All of this is. I just…I think about what might be coming, what more we might have to do. It feels like too much for me to handle."

"Yeah. All of this is too much for any of us to handle. How are we all still here? Alive? Standing?"

Steve's eyes took on a knowing look, and he shrugged. "This isn't our first time. I hate to say it, but maybe we're getting used to it?"

"Or maybe we also know that we have to keep going. Who else can stop One? Who else can save the world?" Robin sighed, leaning back into the bench. "So, why are you out here?"

Steve sheepishly smiled, as if he was ashamed. "Nancy kicked me out of Max's room. I was going to try and heal her, but Nancy thinks that I should rest."

"And she's right. You've worked yourself to the bone, Dingus."

"We all have, I think. Just…in different ways."

Robin nodded, thinking about the others, Hopper, Joyce, all of the kids, Nancy and Jonathan. Even in Eddie, who was still in so much pain; she could feel it. None of them have gotten rest. Their lives for the past three days, the past week or two, have been only work, only survival, an attempt to help whoever they could. It's been tiring. Yet, Robin couldn't see it getting any better. Not with the gates open, and not with the sudden change of weather. They were not going to get the rest they so desperately needed any time soon.

Suddenly, she had a thought. One that she hadn't thought of for a while.

"Steve, should we contact Tom? Tell him that we might need Claire's help?"

Steve's eyebrows furrowed, no doubt trying to remember the name. It was a long time ago. She couldn't believe that it hadn't even been a year since she and Steve were taken by Russians, by Brenner, and then saved by Tom. Tom, who had saved another girl with powers. A girl who might be able, and willing, to help them.

Robin hated bringing the idea up, but she was grasping at straws, desperate. They needed to win. They needed help.

"Eighteen?" Steve asked, and Robin nodded.

"She might be able to help."

"But, shouldn't we leave her to live her own life? I don't want to drag anyone else into this."

Robin sighed, knowing that Steve was clearly thinking more than she was. "You're right. I just feel so hopeless, you know?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. But…why don't I mention it to Hopper? See what he thinks?"

"That…" Robin bit her lip, thinking. It wouldn't hurt, right? "Sure. Let's do that."

Yet none of them made a move to get up, as if they knew that they both needed to stay.

The two sat in silence for a long time, Robin didn't know for how long, but it was nice. All they did was sit, drinking in whatever peace they could off of each other. Robin found herself allowing the fear she felt, the words of anxiety she heard, the pain that encompassed everything around her, she allowed it all to fall on the backburner of her mind, still there, but not as prominent as before. She began to feel comfort, hope, and she felt lighter. She didn't have to guess to know that it was Steve who was feeling it. She smiled.

"You ate something today, right?"

"Yes, I did." Steve looked at her confusedly. "Why?"

Her smile grew. "I can hear you."

He smiled back. "I've been working on controlling my powers. I…I guess I succeeded in something."

"You want me to hear you?"

Steve scoffed. "You already know me well enough, you can already read my mind without your powers. And, it's…" He swallowed, taking a deep breath, his voice breaking. "It's really great to have a best friend, Robin, someone who doesn't judge me or would ever leave me. You're always there, you always understand me, and I…I can't thank you enough. I couldn't have survived any of this without you."

Tears had formed in Steve's eyes now, and Robin could feel some in hers, too.

"Me, too. You've…you've changed my life, Dingus. I'd be dead ten times over if you weren't around, from boredom and bullet wounds alike."

Steve laughed, and he reached over, giving her a tight hug. Robin held him just as tightly back, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. And that's where they stayed, holding each other as the world continued to fall apart around them.

She could still feel his apprehension, his fear of the future, but the hope he felt was so much stronger than it. She knew that his hope only existed because he knew that he wasn't alone, that they could beat this together, like everything else they've gone through. They're bond was as strong as ever. They would never be apart, or alone, no matter what happened.

And they had a family, an amazing family that would fight just as hard as they did, that would never leave them alone, a family that had loved them deeper than Robin ever felt possible. The hope they felt was strong, thriving, beating with every pump of their hearts, making her heart feel lighter than it had in a long, long time.

Robin held onto that hope, promising herself that she would never, ever let it die, no matter what. And she would make sure that Steve never forgot it, too. After everything he had done for them, for her, it was the least that she could do.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope that you enjoyed this story!