Crush Culture -E. Munson

FOUR.

Nick Henderson strutted into Family Video as if he was the owner of the place, knowing perfectly well he was the favorite customer of the staff. A set of blue eyes perked up at the sound of the doorbell ringing, and a pair of lips turned into a smile. "Nicky!" Robin Buckley called out, her velvety voice ringing in pure delight. She was the girl Nick loved the most and just seeing her made him happy every single time.
„Hello, Birdie", he greeted her, lazily leaning over the counter to gently peck her cheek.
„I've missed you too," she smiled wildly and that endearment the two of them had openly displayed for each other was the main reason the entire town was highly convinced they were dating. But the truth was, Robin liked boys as much as Nick liked girls and there was a lot to talk about only they could understand.
They were meant to be and if Nick ever had to marry a woman, it would sure as hell be Robin. With her things never got old. But as much as Nick adored the girl, she was not the only one he came to visit.
„Dingus, Romeo is here!" she called to the back and just seconds later, the door to the back swung open to reveal the third wheel of their tricycle, Steve Harrington.
„Thank god you are here, Nick. You have to convince Robin to let go of Doctor Schiwago."

"It's a good movie." Nick pointed out while leaning against the counter lazily, eyes twinkling at his best friends in the world.
To be exact, Steve and Nick had been friends since '83, the year when Steve stopped being a prick and shit first broke loose in Hawkins.
It had been a weird time when nick was still figuring out his place in life with an awkward crush on Jonathan Byers while Steve was head over heels for Nancy Wheeler and one day, they found themselves in a weird little love rectangle while trying to survive their very first monster.
They had bonded rather quickly over that drama and heartbreak and it turned out their friendship was way stronger than any of their relationships had ever been.

Robin had joined their special bond last summer as she was helping them uncover a Russian attack; once again, monsters played a crucial role.
That had glued them together for life. So Nick regularly visited after school to chat and get his hands on the newest Hollywood arrivals with half-naked handsome men that Steve handpicked for him.
Nick's latest mouthwatering discovery was the nightmare on elm street with the fluffy-haired, brown-eyed young actor he always forgot the name of but couldn't stop rewatching the solo scenes off. His death was a shame every single time as he was just Nick's type and that one scene with the cropped football jersey had quickly become one of the boy's favorite fantasies.

"Whatever. I'm not watching it again."Steve put his foot down on the matter, crossing his arms over his beefy chest.
Robin looked at Nick, eyes slightly squinted as she sent him a non-verbal massage. So Nick leaned closer.
" Stevie... it's about love. Our Sunday movies are always about love," he batted his eyelashes.
But Steve was way more gifted in that department so he returned the puppy-dog eyes right back to him. "Hell, no." he drawled softly and Nick had to chuckle.
"Stevie Nicks has made his decision. What else do you get? Anything new?" he said as he straighter himself back out of his slouched position.
"Dingus going on a date tomorrow." Robin immediately snitches and to be fair, there were hardly any secrets between the three of them.
"Again?" Nick frowned, looking back at Steve, who rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sorry that I actually try to find someone."
"We're just worried, that's all." Robin sighed as he pushed a stack of VHS tapes into her coworker's hands to sort back in.
"You must have dated all the girls in Hawkins yet." Nick pointed out as he followed Steve around the store.
And a few boys too, but he would never say that out loud in public Steve's bisexuality was a thing he had highly participated to sort out last summer and he was making sure to protect it from the harsh narrow-mindedness of this town. Also, Steve didn't have any luck with them either and sometimes he told Nick that things would be so much easier if their kiss of curiosity would have sparked an actual attraction so they could just date each other. But that definitely didn't happen.
Steve was a huge part of Nick's life but kissing him had been just as erotic as kissing a doorknob and he hadn't been on the hunt for a relationship anyway. He still wasn't and sometimes he struggled to understand why Steve was longing to be with someone as he lacked that desire completely.

"People change, Nicky. Maybe one of them is cool now." Loud cackling was the answer to that statement as Robin behind the counter had burst out laughing.
"Keep telling yourself that." Steve pulled a face at her.
"Hey, maybe this one is the one," Nick shrugged.
"Exactly. Thank you, Nick. Nick believes in me, Robin!" Steve glared at the girl and then returned to sorting the tapes into their spots on the shelves.
"I got you the Victor/Victoria one by the way. It's in the back."
"Nice." Nick grinned in appreciation. "Got time to watch it this Friday?" "Naw, the date." Steve shook his head. "Birdie!" Nick hollered to the front. "Yeah?" the girl called back. "Sleepover at my place for Victor/Victoria this weekend?"
"Sure" Nick grinned at Steve.
"Looks like I just got me a date too." The other boy smiled at his friend as if he was mental.
" A movie night with Robin does not count as a date. Neither does your visits at Lover's Lake."
"But I got good dates at Lover's Lake," Nick grinned, mischief in his eyes. "Very good dates." Steve rolled his eyes again as he turned around, arching back to the counter.
"Getting you off doesn't make it a date. I mean, did any of them ever come back for more than sex?" "Nope," Nick shrugged.
"Exactly. Don't you want more? Companionship? Cuddling? Lovey-dovey nicknames?" Steve looked at Nick with that longing in his eyes and Nick huffed.

That boy had been in a relationship once and couldn't stop thinking about getting it right and so he dated a new girl every week,  getting frustrated and heart broken when it didn't work out but still asked them on a second date with the hope of a different outcome that never occurred. By now, Steve had gone out with all girls his age twice and was still just as single as Nick but way sadder.
"I got you two for companionship. Also, actively searching for love didn't get you any at all." Steve sighed.
"All right. But I'll be there to remind you I told you so."
"Whatever." Nick shrugged. "Regardless of what happens, you'll always be the mother of my children, Stevie."
"Stop calling me that." "But you are the mother of his children, Dingus. Dustin and Mike just dropped by yesterday to ask for your opinion and you did your little mom's stance with the hands to the hips and glared at them as my mom glares at me" Robin agreed with a malicious smirk.

Steve responded with the exact action she'd just described and her smirk grew wider at the sight and broke into a light laugh as Nick quickly leaned in and pecked the other boy on the cheek. "I could not raise them without you." His best friend just glared at him but to Nick, this discussion was over and he was already back on another topic.
"My mom keeps asking about you," he told Robin who perked up.
"Really?" she asked in disbelief. Robin had always been certain that parents just generally hated her and it didn't matter how much she tried that never changed. But the Hendersons were just a different, usually, kind-hearted family and they all adored Robin for her lovable personality.
"Oh yes." Nick nodded enthusiastically.
"She keeps asking when I'm going to bring that cute little girlfriend of mine with the adorable freckles and the pretty eyes. And I'm certain she's not talking about Stevie. She wants to bake you more of those cookies you liked."

Robin was indeed very flattered and Nick watched the pink blush creep onto her cheeks while her face lit up.
" Well, you could tell her about movie night "she suggested.
" I will,"the boy answered with a wink, then turned to Steve again.
"Don't worry, she likes you too. Such a dapper young man," he grinned teasingly."
But she would never expect her perfect boy to date another boy. Nick loved his mother dearly but neither he nor Dustin was sure if she could handle a coming out and it was unspoken consent between them to just not try it out. For her and Nick's heart's sake. And they let her live in the fantasy of her eldest dating a quirky young lady, not bothering to correct that assumption about their relationship.
Maybe because they loved each other.Just in a different kind of way. "Whatever. I get you the tape." Steve huffed and disappeared behind the door again where he first popped up. "He should really date more dudes," Nick leaned forward to whisper into Robin's ear.
" I still don't understand why anyone would want to date men,"she shrugged. "But if it helps his whining, I'm into the idea."