Fandom: Stranger Things AU Pairing: Robin Buckley x Fem!Harrington! OC Prompt: "Is he really a friend?" Warnings: none just fluff Word Count: 1102
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ASHTON HARRINGTON looked like the perfect prom queen. Her brown was always carelessly perfect, her hazel eyes were always sparkling and her fashion was always, well, perfect. Although Ashton was practically the female double of her older brother, Steve, their personalities were vastly different.
While Steve was slightly arrogant, Ashton was more humble. While Steve was more up-to-date on fashion, Ashton preferred her mother and father's hand-me-downs. While Steve was popular, Ashton was more reserved. While Steve was openly straight, Ashton was secretly gay.
She hadn't told a soul about her newly developed attraction to the same sex. She wasn't ashamed in the slightest, she was just scared of what her parents or her brother would think - and she really wanted them to accept her.
So, until she was ready, she hid it from everyone. And although it wasn't the most ideal situation for Ashton, she was fine with it for now.
On the other hand, one of her closest friends, Robin Buckley was open about her sexuality and her parents had accepted her. Ashton wasn't jealous, she was happy that Robin was happy, but she wished she had the confidence to do the same and get a happy outcome too.
Ashton and Robin had met thanks to Steve, during the summer of 1985, when both Robin and Steve started working at Scoops Ahoy ice cream store. Ashton would only really go to the shop to annoy her older brother, but then she met Robin the two immediately hit it off and became close friends. Ashton would go the store every other day to bother Steve and talk with Robin and occasionally buy ice cream.
However, one day Ashton couldn't get to the mall on the day she usually did, and it causes both Steve and Roin to become irritated. They wouldn't openly admit it, but they knew that Ashton's presence was a nice distraction from work.
Robin was leaning on the counter as Steve wiped it down with a wet cloth. "So, Dingus, where's your sister on this fine day?" Robin asked Steve.
Steve rolled his eyes at the unfortunate nickname. "She said she had a study session with Nancy I think."
"Oh," Robin said, disappointedly. It wasn't that Robin didn't like Nancy - she'd never really spoken to her out of class. But from the stories that Steve had told her and the way that Ashton spent most of her study sessions with Nancy instead of herself made the blonde girl get a sour feeling whenever she saw her or heard her name. "Anyway, Dingus, speaking of past lovers," she teased playfully. "Do you have any flings nowadays?"
Steve snorted, throwing the cloth onto the counter and sitting on the counter beside Robin. "Nah, not had time with this job. What about you?"
Robin shook her head. "Me neither. But there is this one person that I really like. But we're just friends,"
Steve scoffed, raising a brow teasingly at his friend. "Really? Is he really just a friend?"
Robin laughed, her head thrown back from her fit of giggles. "I don't know. She's really cool and all."
Steve chocked. "Oh shit, yeah. Sorry, Tweedledee, my memory's not all that good these days," he chuckled.
Robin nudged his shoulder. "It's alright, don't sweat it, Dingus."
"Well, you gonna tell me about her or just leave me in suspense?"
A chuckle rumbled through Robin's throat. "Ok, ok. Well, she's really cute. Like really cute. She's super fashionable, even though she doesn't wear anything high-fashion, ya know? She's got the prettiest eyes I've ever seen too. But I think she sees me as a friend. God, I don't even know if she likes girls or not!"
Steve nodded along to every word that Robin said. "What's her name? Do I know her?"
A silence fell over Robin for a brief moment. She didn't want to admit to Steve who she had a crush on but Steve's persistent look made her crack. "Yeah, you know her... It's Ashton," she spoke quietly.
Steve stared at her for a few seconds, processing the name she uttered softly. "Ashton? As in Ashton Harrington? As in my little sister?" Robin nodded bashfully. "Ok, well, we need a plan?"
Robin's blue eyes widened in shook. "Excuse me? A plan? For what?"
"To get you two together, obviously," Steve spoke as if his answer was completely valid and not ground-breaking at all.
"No, no, no, no, no. No. I don't even know if she likes girls, Steve!" She whisper-shouted, whacking his shoulder.
Steve shrugged. "It won't hurt to try, right?" He grinned.
"Yes! It can hurt to try!"
Steve scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, ok, sure. What is she gonna do? Do you think she's the sort of person to outright break your heart?"
"Who'll break your heart?" A new voice declared across the counter. Steve and Robin jumped at the familiar soothing voice of Ashton Harrington.
"No one!" Robin suddenly exclaimed. Steve sending her an evil glare.
Ashton narrowed her eyes, sceptically. "Yeah, I totally believe you, Robbie. Come on, spill! Who's the lucky lady?" She wiggled her brows, leaning forward on the counter separating her from her brother and best friend.
Steve pushed Robin off the counter, towards Ashton. The brunet boy gave Robin a knowing look before walking into the back room, mouthing 'tell her'. "Um, Ash, I need to tell you something."
Ashton tilted her head with a smile. "Sure, of course,"
"I - I, gosh, I hate your brother,"
Ashton laughed. "As do I, Robbie. Was that what you wanted to tell me?"
"No, no," Robin chuckled. "I just wanted to say that I, uh, I really like you. More than friends," she trailed off, her eyes raking over Ashton's face, searching for any sort of reaction yet there was none. Ashton was always incredibly hard to read.
"Really?" Ashton quietly asked. Robin nodded her head, her eyes drifting down to the counter, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.
"I get if you don't wanna talk to me ever again, I just-"
Ashton cut Robin off by leaning over the counter, her hands delicately clasping on each side of her face. Ashton leaned further over the counter, bringing her face closer to Robin's until their lips met in a loving and quite awkward kiss.
Ashton was the first to break the kiss, her hands still holding Robin's face. "I like you too, Robbie."
Robin grinned. "Do you want to go on a date after my shift?"
Ashton nodded with a happy smile, happy to finally feel free. "I'd love that."
