Chapter Text
October 17, 1986
There’s an ache deep in her gut that wakes her up. It startles her, actually. A terrifying sort of feeling that reminds her of being pinned to the wall across from Nancy and Steve, watching the life be sucked out of them. It scares her because they’re her two favorite people, the two most important people. It also terrifies her how easily Nancy became one of the most important people to her.
Glancing at the clock, she realizes that it’s just after 2 in the morning. The darkness of her childhood bedroom surrounds her, reminding her that she won’t be here much longer. Over the last few days, her and Steve have talked about getting an apartment together. Now, with the secret of her budding romance out into the open, everything feels much easier.
Still, she lays there for half an hour trying to fall back to sleep to no avail. Every time she closes her eyes, she’s haunted by the image of Nancy and Steve against that wall. She’s overwhelmed with the fear that it isn’t all over now, that something will come back to haunt them. Was it Henry/Vecna/001 all along? Could they be missing something?
It occurs to her then that Nancy is all alone in a world of people who have never experienced anything like her. There’s a weight on her chest, pinning her down and making her feel like she can’t breathe. She’s always sort of been a fixer when she does get involved in anything. Since the moment she found out about some other worldly thing she’s been a problem solved, getting them all through to the other side as best as she can.
She has to go to Boston. She has to be there right now just in case Nancy needs her. She knows, deep down, that Nancy can take care of herself, but when she cares about someone she cares really hard.
Finally, she gives in. She reaches over to the phone she brings into her room from the kitchen every night and squints at the numbers. Her vision clears up enough for her to dial the number that will bring Nancy to her. It rings and rings, the clock blaring that ugly early morning time. It’s 2:45 for her and 3:45 for Nancy.
Before she can hang up, the ringing stop. She can hear the clearing of a throat on the other end. Her heart stops in her chest.
“Robbie?” Nancy says, voice hoarse, “That you?”
“Who else would call you at four in the morning?” She says with a snort.
“What?” Nancy asks, groggy, “Robs, are you ok?”
“Just had a nightmare,” she says with a shrug the woman can’t see, “Started freaking myself out. Thinking, like, what if you need me or whatever? Not that you need me, especially since you were sleeping.”
“I like sleeping next to you,” Nancy says through a yawn.
“But I woke you up,” she says, an annoyed sigh slipping out between her lips.
“That’s ok. I’m glad you called,” Nancy says, sounding like she’s waking up a little bit now, “I like the sound of your sleepy voice.”
“Do you still want me to come?” She asks, feeling hot all over suddenly.
“You know I do,” Nancy says, voice dropping lower into that register, “We don’t even have to go to that party if you don’t want to.”
“I think I want to,” she replies, twisting the cord in her fingers, “It would be fun. You want to.”
“I want to see you,” Nancy says, “I think about you all of the time.”
“You’re tired,” she counters, “Probably all of the time.”
“Very funny, Buckley,” Nancy murmurs, “I wish we were together, is all I’m saying.”
“Together,” she repeats, her brain swirling like a tornado hitting all of the stops. The word holds so much meaning. Together - on the same team. Together - in the same place. Together - like a couple. It could be all of the things. At least that’s what she lets herself believe. “That would probably help me sleep better.”
“Me too,” Nancy says, “I can’t wait to have your arms around me.”
“Can I ask you a question?” She says, curiosity sneaking in.
“You can ask me anything,” Nancy replies through the line.
“Are you ever scared?” She asks.
“Sure, I’m scared,” Nancy says in a tired sort of voice, “But the sound of your voice helps. Your letters. Thinking of the way it felt to sleep next to you.”
“We should do that more often,” she says, a decided tone slipping out, “The sleeping part.”
“I think,” Nancy hums, a little less tired sounding all of a sudden, “We should do more kissing.”
“Well, yeah,” she snorts, “That too.”
“What happened in your nightmare?” Nancy asks after a minor lull.
“Just the normal,” she says, “You know, my favorite people dying in front of my eyes.”
“Steve and Max?” Nancy asks, a teasing lilt to her voice.
“Not this time,” she says with a sigh.
She glances at the opposite side of the bed, thinks about that weekend she surrendered her usual side so Nancy could take over. She’s slept on this side ever since, 12 days of her life turning upside down all over again. It’s no longer the same hypothetical ideas and an actuality just within reach. She thinks about Nancy’s lips on hers and gasoline, the way the fire inside of her chest burns and spread when she simply thinks about the brunette.
“I wish I was there to make you feel better,” Nancy says, “Did it help when I was there? Did you sleep better?”
“I guess,” she says, chuckling lightly, “I was distracted, honestly. It seemed sort of unreal. Like, I couldn’t believe it was happening. The whole weekend, actually.”
“Just imagine I’m there with you,” Nancy says softly, “Whatever would bring you comfort.”
“I could read to you,” she says.
“I love it when you read to me,” Nancy replies.
She smiles and turns the lamp on her nightstand on, immediately searching for a book stacked beside it. She has too many that she’s in the middle of reading, too many that she bookmarked and promised herself she would come back to. She feels like she hasn’t been reading as much - there’s one in French, one in Russian, and one in English. She just grabs one.
She cradles the phone between her ear and shoulder so she can open the book to where she left off. She sucks in a deep breath and starts reading aloud. She can hear the woman breathing down the line, even as she listens to Nancy fall back to sleep. It makes her feel warm and fuzzy.
She doesn’t hang up until the other woman’s alarm goes off so she can tell Nancy Good Morning .