#suffering stops when the dufferings listen to us

[shutuperce]

us when the duffer brothers

[ladyvesuvia]

heaven is a place on earth.

PAIRING: Robin Buckley x Fem!Reader

WORDS: 1.3k

SUMMARY: Hawkins is exhausting. It just so happens to be that a certain gal is your silver lining.

REMINDER(S): Set in Season 4. Subtle mention of a certain character not dying… because i’m mad at the duffers rn

stranger things masterlist.

Peace is oftentimes hard to find. Especially in Hawkins; the likelihood of having at least two nights without interruption from the bizarre happenings is incredibly low.

You thought this way for a long time. And it’s reasonable to feel that way when everyday, you’re dealing with — if not grotesque creatures — the consequences of every yesterday.

Oh, but with the girl working at Family Video? She might just be your antidote.

And you might just be hers.

Day by day, she awaits by her side of the counter, dealing with people she couldn’t care less about, only waiting for it to be lunch.

You’d often stop by around half past twelve, bringing with you two warm cups of coffee.

As usual, Steve would put his hands on his hips disapprovingly. “Seriously, [Y/N]? Note even an extra one for me? What’s a hot stuff gotta do around here to get a coffee?”

Robin would routinely roll her eyes just before jogging out of her station to press a kiss on your cheek when no one’s looking.

“Oh, I don’t know,” you’d tell Steve, sipping your coffee tauntingly at him. Robin would always do the same, even sipping it loudly. “Maybe you could start doing your job right?”

“I do do my job right,” he’d protest.

Of course, Robin would pick at him for anything he says and rightfully so. “Hah, do-do.”

“Do-do,” you’d say in playful agreement.

You know you could’ve gotten used to that. Heck, you have. But for now, this tiny break would do: folding donations with your beloved, making a peanut butter sandwich together while trying to make the situation as bearable as you could for each other.

“I thought I was gonna lose you,” you said, kind of mumbling between your words so bad you almost thought you only said it to yourself.

She wiped her sweat with her forearm, turning to you with the most reassuring smile you could ever possibly be greeted with.

“[Y/N], the only way you could lose me is if you ever made me wear Nancy’s old god forsaken clothes ever again.” Robin rolled her now loose sleeves up above her elbows, leaning on the table to get a better look at you. “They were so itchy and for what?”

“Well, what if it’s the only thing that could ever make me happy again?”

“Then suffer forever,” she said with a feigned grim look. She looked more adorable than threatening.

You playfully punched her elbow. “Aw, I’m kidding, I’d never do that to you.”

“Then will you ever give me a Best Girl badge like you promised?”

“Oh, right!” you exclaimed, recalling a comedic promise you made to your girlfriend:

“Thank you for getting me coffee everyday, I am SO happy to have you, a very gorgeous and smart lady in my life. Oh, no, I didn’t know you were listening, Steve,” she joked. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to have a very gorgeous and smart lady in your life, wouldn’t you?”

“Please never go to Hollywood,” said Steve. “I would rather have a walkman glued to my ears and listen to Tammy Thompson for fifteen hours than sell your movies.”

“Would you really?” Robin quipped, taking another sip from her coffee, louder this time.

Steve nodded. “Oh, I would really.”

You found yourself laughing, enjoying Robin and Steve’s company as usual.

Steve finished restocking one of the shelves, and when he returned, he announced, “Hold on, I gotta take a leak. Nature is calling!”

Robin set her coffee down, repulsed “Ew, we didn’t have to know that.”

“Just thought you two would love to know what else was going on from my life if not having a very gorgeous and smart lady. Alright, I’ll be right back.”

When Steve disappeared, you realized how empty Family Video was now that it was two hours from closing. To be fair, it was a Sunday morning.

Even though you were all used to your routine of visiting around lunch, you figured that morning that it wouldn’t hurt to try and visit your girl earlier than that.

Robin fidgeted with the badge on her vest. It had ‘ASK ME’ written on it. “Thanks for the — well, the — you know. The coffee. Like — I mean, sorry for not paying you back. I mean, yeah, I appreciate it a lot, but I kinda feel bad. Should I feel bad? No, right? I mean, maybe I should because — what am I even saying? I should shut up. I am so so—”

The best way to shut the mouth of a pretty girl?

Press yours onto hers until the tension in her shoulders dissolve and watch her bite her lip to try and keep herself from losing her mind even though she already has.

You rolled your eyes. She was indeed adorable, though. She still is. “Stop acting like that was your first time being kissed.”

“You’d be surprised at how much of an effect you have on me,” she confessed. “If you don’t know, it is HUMONGOUS. Huge. Very huge.”

“You deserve a ‘Pretty Girl’ badge just below your ‘Ask Me’ badge.”

“Then get me one,” she said, the smile still not leaving her sweet face.

“Alright, then.”

Robin blinked. “I was joking.”

“I wasn’t. You better wear it and never take it off once I give it to you.”

“No, you can’t do this to me.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Here you go, m’lady,” you say to her, holding out a neon green badge with ‘Prettiest Girl’ written on it. “I had it custom made. Cost me a fortune.”

She took it from your hand, inspecting it closely. “Lord, this is bright as hell. It hurts my eyes.”

“Like the way your beauty hurts me?” you jested.

“Okay, ew.”

“Here, let me put it on you,” you offered. She let you take the pin back to pin it on her blazer vest. You made sure to put it where the suspenders didn’t cover it. You pretended not to notice her melting. “See? It looks good.”

“Steve’s making fun of me.”

You followed her gaze to find Steve jokingly pointing at a spot on his chest, pointing at the spot where you pinned the badge on Robin.

Steve put his hands over his eyes, pretending to be blinded.

You leaned in close to Robin. “Who taught him how to fold clothes?”

“I did,” said Robin. “Any chance I wouldn’t get kicked out if I threw a sandwich at him?”

“Better if we save some for our freeloader.”

“Eddie will be fine,” Robin shrugged. “Plus, this food is for the people.”

“But it’s fine if you threw it at Steve?” you chuckled. “You know what? I want the badge back.”

“No, no, I love it! Eddie will be fine.” One of the staff glanced for a bit. “You know,” Robin added. “Your hamster Teddie. The — the, uh, the black and white one.”

When the woman left, you and Robin shared a knowing grin. “I’ll get him coffee later,” you decided.

“I thought only I got those perks?”

“Now you get an additional cookie.”

“I can settle for that,” she shrugged. Robin then kissed her two fingers, setting them on your hand. “You could settle with that for now, too.”

“You owe me more later,” you said with a brow raised.

She’d have felt bad, but she knew you deserved it. “I know I do.”

In Hawkins, there is only so little anyone could have for as long as they want in this damned town.

And for the both of you now, this is the best possible thing you could afford at the moment.

“Hawkins is hell,” headlines would say. And they’d be a hundred percent correct. But as you looked at Robin finish her task, it was a little less hell and a little more heaven.