BY THE TIME Eddie reached Nancy's place, the girl was already passed out in the backseat, breathing softly while her head rested on Steve's shoulder.

Robin smiled softly at the sight. Nancy looked so peaceful; she always did when she was sleeping. She didn't want to wake her, so she juggled the options she had in her mind.

She could either wake her up from her slumber or carry her inside herself. With mustered courage, she decided on the latter.

She hopped out of Eddie's car and opened the back door, sliding one hand beneath Nancy's thighs to hoist her out of the car, her other hand resting on her back. She waved Eddie off and watched as he drove away before taking Nancy inside, lucky enough to find the door unlocked.

The house was silent and all the lights were off, and Robin assumed Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler weren't home. She flicked on a light and carefully climbed upstairs with Nancy in her arms, the girl still sleeping soundly. She was out cold.

Robin eventually reached Nancy's bedroom and turned on the light before laying her down on her bed and pulling off her shoes. Afterwards she covered her up with a blanket, making sure she was comfortable. She stepped back and smiled, turning towards the door, but as soon as she tried to leave Nancy's soft voice pulled her back.

"Stay."

Robin turned back around to find Nancy half-awake, her eyelashes brushing her pale cheeks. "You want me to stay?"

Nancy nodded, scooting over to make room for Robin in her bed. Robin hesitated for a moment. She didn't have a way to get back home unless she walked there herself and she really didn't want to walk the streets past midnight, so she didn't have much of a choice but to stay the night with Nancy.

Finally, Robin kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed with Nancy, pulling the blanket over herself. Their bodies were close but not touching, and Robin acknowledged the tiny smile playing on Nancy's lips.

"What?" Robin murmured.

"Nothing," Nancy shook her head. "Goodnight, Robin."

She reached across the bed to switch off the lamp, the room turning pitch black. Nancy snuggled back into the covers while Robin smiled in the darkness.

"Goodnight, Nancy."

—

WHEN MORNING CAME, Robin woke up beside a still-sleeping Nancy, whose arm was thrown around her waist as if to claim her.

Robin rubbed her eyes and sat up, careful not to wake the girl next to her. Her eyes searched for the clock and saw it to be only eight a.m., way too early to be awake on a Saturday, but she was awake now and there was no falling back asleep. So, she slid out of bed and tugged on her shoes, deciding it was best for her to sneak out before anyone noticed she was there.

Before she left the house, she quietly prepared Nancy a glass of water and went to the bathroom to search for medicine to help with the headache she was going to have when she woke up. After setting the water and medicine on her bedside table, Robin crept downstairs and quietly tiptoed out the front door without much sound.

She sighed in relief and ran a hand through her hair. She decided to walk home and wait for Steve to pick her up for work, that is if he was able to. His hangover wouldn't be too good, but things like hangovers never kept Steve from getting a job done. If he had work, he would most likely be there no matter what.

It was a fifteen minute walk from Nancy's place to her own, and once she finally reached home she pushed the door open, hearing it creak from the pressure. Her mother wasn't on the couch in the living room or in the kitchen so she must've been sleeping. That or she was out somewhere doing who knows what. Robin made no effort to find out where her mother went anymore. It wasn't her business.

She went to her room and changed out of her clothes, exchanging them for a new t-shirt and jeans with dirty sneakers. She disappeared into the bathroom to fix her hair and brush her teeth and just as she rinsed her toothbrush Steve honked from outside.

She quickly rushed out of the house, jogging across the lawn to get to Steve's truck. She climbed into the passengers seat and just as she figured, he didn't look too good.

"You look like shit," Robin commented, nodding to the bags beneath his eyes and his messy hair. He never left the house with his hair askew, so this must've been a terrible hangover.

"Thanks," he deadpanned as he started driving. "I appreciate your loving commentary."

"It's not my fault you drank until you forgot your own name," Robin said, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't drink that much." Robin shot him a look and he sighed. "Okay so I had a few beers, but usually I can handle my alcohol. Last night was just not my night."

"Tell me about it," Robin mumbled, slouching down in her seat with her arms crossed. "I should've never went to that party."

"Was it that bad? My memory's a little foggy."

Robin groaned. "It was awful. I was hanging out with Vickie and then Nancy appeared; she was drunk as hell. Vickie left and me and Nancy had a heart-to-heart conversation. She told me she liked me, more than a friend."

Steve glanced at her. "Well that's great right?"

Robin sighed. "Yeah, it is, but she was drunk and I doubt she'll remember any of what she said last night. She'll probably go back to hating me and I'll have to pretend to forget everything that happened. And if that wasn't enough, Vickie's ex boyfriend started picking a fight with us. That's when you swept in and beat him up. Eddie had to pull you off of him before you killed him."

Steve hummed in satisfaction. "Now I remember that part. Munson should've let me at him, I would've done more damage."

"I have no doubt you would've." Robin snorted. "The point is, I'm never going to a party ever again. They suck."

"Yeah, I might have to agree with you on that one."

Ten minutes later Steve pulled into the Hawkins Mall parking lot and parked in an open spot. The two hopped out of the truck and made their way into the mall, ready to sell ice creams until they smelled like it.