"wouldn't you like to know her?" | ronance !

4.

(SUNDAY AFTERNOON)

steve knocked on the door, robin didn't answer. after 5 minutes of him calling her name, whilst pounding on her door, he let himself in.

"BIRDIE!" he shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls and echoing throughout the small flat.

robin was laying in her room. she was muttering something and fumbling around. "i was asleep. sorry."

steve analyzed her expression, her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her nose was a light reddish hue.

"jesus, robin. what happened?" he reached out his hand, she gripped it. her palms were unusually sweaty and she wasn't wearing any jewelry. she leaned forward, crumpling into his arms.

"robin? hellooo? earth to rob?" a touch of desperation was laced through his voice, "talk to me."

"it's nothing... just... bad memories," she whispered, digging her nails into the back of steves demin jacket.

"hey, where did you get this?" robin abruptly changed the topic, she pulled away, now circling steve and studying his new attire.

"borrowing it. from a friend."

"you and eddie are... friends?" there was a hitch in robins speech, she couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles after; her nose was slightly stuffy from crying so her laughter was filled with sniffles.

"yeah. he's actually not too shabby," steve was dismissive, he shuffled around, "i came here to talk about you, or, with you. nothing to do with munson. are you sure you're okay?"

robin nodded, "i'll be okay. please don't worry about me, it was sweet enough you came out to check on me. don't double down on your kindness by being concerned over something so trivial like my-"

"robin."

"yes?"

"whatever is upsetting you seems serious. i don't care how little it seems to you. i know i'm an airhead but i still love you, are you sure you're okay?"

she breathed in, her congested nose causing her inhale to sound more like a whimper, "yes. i'm okay. can we go do something, though? i want to get my mind off things. also, i don't disagree on the fact you are an airhead,"

steve playfully punched her shoulder, robin squealed in response.

"go brush your teeth and put on proper clothing, we can go for a walk."

robin complied, hurrying off to her bedroom. she slunk into the bathroom connected to her room and messily washed off her face taking a brief moment before to study the tearstained creases around her eyes and the eyeliner that had been smeared across her face. she then brushed her teeth, and put very small care into doing her makeup. the only part of her makeup routine that she actually focused on and was consistent with was her eyeliner, which was a mess just a heartbeat ago.
after, she returned to her room; rifling through the stacks of laundry by her closet. she landed on a pair of corduroys and a jacket.

steve was chilling on robins couch by the time she was ready. "took you long enough," he got to his feet, grinning wildly.

"i didn't even take long!" she responded sharply, dragging him out the door.

"whatever, sure."

before leaving, robin slung her backpack over her shoulder. the contents within her backpack were limited; just a notebook, her wallet and a handful of pens. "whats that for?" steve quirked a brow.

"i want to go get something to eat. ritzys?"

"MMMGH! ritzys sounds good right now." steve fist-pumped the air, following robin as she bounced down the concrete steps before her front door.

they casually strolled, talking about all sorts of things. dungeons and dragons, dustin, the boys, johnathan, prom, california, where they want to travel when they're older, and, unfortunately, the conversation landed on the topic of nancy and the movie night.

robin's mind felt foggy all the sudden.

"i feel like after you left something about her was off. do you know why? max mentioned she overheard you guys' talking."

her shoulders became rigid, "oh. yeah, we talked," she twiddled with her ring finger, which was void of an embellished ring with a copper band. she must've forgotten it.

"about?" he tapped his foot expectantly, coming to a halt. robin turned to face him, feeling sick.

robin hesitated, choosing her words as carefully as she could manage, "she thinks we are dating, i told her we aren't and that pissed her off."

steve chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, "thats out of character, i guess."

robin shrugged and continued on their journey to ritzys. steve decided that robin seemed rather uninterested in the topic.

oh, shit. was that why robin was crying?