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

9.

nancy ducked back inside, glancing at the clock. it was 2AM now.

steve was seated at her counter, his arms crossed over his chest.

"where have you been?" he whispered. nancy's family was home, asleep. unaware of the disarray her life was in.

"robin asked me to drive her home. do you just want to crash here tonight?" a glitter of hope sparkled in her chest.

"can i sleep downstairs?" he motioned to the basement, nancy nodded with approval.

they both made their way to the basement, steve abruptly paused, spinning to face nancy.

"we need to talk,"

"sure. what is it?" her heartbeat quickened.

"i don't know what you think is going on between robin and i. but, i hope you're aware yelling at her didn't exactly land well. max filled me in, and i caught robin sobbing the day afterwards. i put two and two together. her mom yells at her enough. i know you see things on the surface level, nance, but things are a lot deeper for her. just try to be nice, okay?" steve spoke in a soft, collected tone. it was very rare for him to discuss emotions so maturely. so openly. or maybe nancy had just missed the chapter where he developed as a person.

nance's breath hindered in her throat for what felt like an eternity.

"what do you mean i see things on the surface level?"

steve's face twisted with discomfiture, he muttered something. before taking a small stride closer to nancy.

nancy looked up at him, opening her lips to speak before steve pulled her into a quick kiss.

"go to sleep, it's late," he whispered. nancy felt like the breath had been sucked right out her body. she nodded, returning to her room.

nancy flopped down on her bed, facing the wall. she gripped her pillow, clenching it rather harshly.

when she kissed steve, her stomach flipped uncomfortably. like it was wrong. maybe she was confused. maybe she missed johnathan.

right. she just needed to clear her mind.

stop circling back around to all her interactions with robin, and johnathan. stop thinking about the time he slapped her. stop regretting the fact she didn't watch her brother when he needed her most.

-

robin laid on her bed, her mind was running wild. there was no empty space in her mind. nowhere to fall.

which meant no sleep tonight.

she flipped onto her back, holding-- no, latching onto a pillow.
she held the pillow to her chest so firmly it felt like her knuckles were going to bleed.
eventually she coughed, letting out a low, dry exhale whilst loosening her grip.

her body felt sore. she was frankly exhausted, but she couldn't get her mind off of nancy. off of their long talk.

it felt so nice, she hadn't spoken to someone (aside from steve) like that since the 7th grade.

but something nagged at her, nancy continously brought up steve. robin was silently cognizant of the fact steve didn't exactly like nancy back, or so she thought, but they were both single. it would make sense for them to get back together.

i mean, they only spent so much time apart because of their mission. maybe if steve started spending more time around nancy he would recognize all of her amazing qualities.