Chapter Text
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Nancy is not oblivious to the fact that her feelings about Steve are not in fact completely platonic with a capitol P.
Not because she was trying to cross that line of friendship. Not that Steve had ever tried to cross that line either, no matter what Jonathan had said on the subject. And while Nancy is aware that the physical affection they have shared during their movie nights undoubtedly goes beyond what Jonathan (and probably her mother) would deem appropriate, given that Steve is in fact her ex boyfriend with whom she has a complicated history, it doesn’t change the fact that it has never strayed past the bounds of propriety.
Even though Nancy had thought about it. And occasionally hoped that it would.
More than once.
But Nancy had always known that crossing that rubicon would have led to a whole slew of complications that she was not ready to face.
Even now that Vecna was out of the picture and she was no longer trapped in the mutually assured self destruction that was her relationship with Jonathan Byers there was still several years worth of unprocessed trauma and regret that normally help keep her baser instincts in check.
It’s better that their friendship stays exactly that. She knows first hand how jumping from one relationship to another is a mistake that hurts everyone involved. She has no intention of doing it again no matter how tempting. Not when her friendship with Robin and Steve is the only thing keeping her sane and the thought of ruining it just because she can’t compartmentalize her feelings is too much to bear.
Now if only her traitorous body would fall in line with what her mind has already decided.
It isn’t even a question of not having enough room on the couch because Robin and Vickie are so wrapped up together that they are barely taking up any space that wouldn’t normally be taken over by Robin’s excessive pile of blankets.
No, it's that Vickie is Robin’s date and is getting cuddles and kisses and flirtatious looks that lead to giggles and flushed cheeks and Nancy is so jealous that it makes her want to scream.
Because she knows she could have all of those things too. That she could be as happy and breathless and distracted as her friend with someone that she is equally as enamoured with. That the obvious solution to her current feelings of sexual frustration is sitting literally two inches away from her separated only by the thick comforter she has surrounded herself with like armor.
And worse, she isn’t even getting her usual mostly platonic movie night attention because she has been keeping Steve at arms length since they all clambered onto the couch.
This isn't the first time she has ever shied away from physical touches during one of their hang outs so she doubts that Steve realizes that she is petrified that she will give in to the temptation to make this a double date. The cruel voice in her head that seems to alternate between sounding like Barb or Jonathan depending on the situation points out that Steve probably just assumes that she doesn’t want to risk Vickie thinking that they are an actual couple by being too friendly with him, seeing how she has spent the better part of the last 3 years disavowing her relationship to him to pretty much everyone.
Fortunately, the movie Vickie had brought over has been pretty entertaining, with the sort of wacky feel good comedy hijinks that keeps Steve’s attention fixed to the screen and away from her overly stiff posture. The film is also witty and clever enough that she is able to engage even in her distracted state and hopefully keep anyone from noticing her discomfort.
She is glad for that because she doesn’t want anyone thinking that her issues have anything to do with Vickie's addition to the party or Robin’s earlier confession.
Watching the two of them together is sweet. They fit well together, both of them naturally chatty and with a similarly rye sense of humor. Vickie is a bit more grounded of the two, but is also a bit coy in a way that brings out a more confident playful side of Robin. It's a good look for them both. And they seem to genuinely make each other happy. Nancy doesn’t want anything she does to give the impression that she isn’t fully supportive of this new development. She can make do with a little suffering.
“I am just feeling sorry for this girl.” Steve says as they watch Marilyn Monroe's heroine flirting with the male leads second false persona of the story. “I mean she's dumb as a post but you kind of want to just wrap her in a blanket and give her a hug.”
“Sugar is strangely endearing,” Robin agrees, “Of course It helps that she is insanely hot.”
“I don’t feel like hot is a strong enough word for Marilyn,” Vickie adds.
“I don’t know. I mean yeah she’s attractive obviously but I always preferred brunettes,” Steve says.
“Oh Really?” Robin retorts “Because your dating record would seem to imply otherwise. Or did I just hallucinate the last 5 years of tracking your dating habits.”
“Should I be concerned that you were tracking Steve’s dating habits?” Vickie asks, her eyebrows raised but with a playful smirk that belied any real concern.
“Oh it was purely for science.”
“Vickie you have nothing to worry about other than the fact that she is insane,” Steve says. “And as for you,” he turns his attention to Robin, “just because I prefer brunettes doesn’t mean that blonds don’t prefer me and I am generous enough not to discriminate.”
This earns him a thwap in the head with a pillow from Nancy.
“And furthermore,” he continues, and Nancy watched as Steve's eyes light with an unholy gleam like a child unwrapping a BBgun at Christmas. “I refuse to accept critiques about my love life from someone who spent the better part of a year crushing on Tammy Thompson.”
Robin’s eyes widened in horror, her cheeks flushing a dark pink as two sets of eyes rounded on her. Vickie’s face lit up with a grin as if this was the funniest thing she had heard all day.
“Seriously? Tammy?”
“Wait,” Nancy asked simultaneously, “Tonedeaf Tammy?”
“The very same,” Steve says, his expression one of impish delight. Clearly having been waiting for this opportunity for a while.
“But Tammy is insufferable!” Nancy can’t help but complain, “Remember how she kept trying to serenade you at Nicole’s party back in Sophomore year?”
“Oh I remember every agonizing moment. Why do you think I kept hiding outside?” Steve clears his throat dramatically.
“Steve, I swear to god-” Robin warns.
But Steve barely even spares her a glance before bursting out into an offkey impression “Got nowhere to go, all my time is free, So come on baby make a move on me tonight.”
Both Vickie and Nancy burst into hysterical laughter at Steve's horrendous vocals while Robin grabs handfuls of popcorn and throws them at him.
“Hey knock it off!” Steve pouts, shaking several pieces of popcorn out of his hair where they had landed. “Just because you thought she sounded like Whitney Huston-”
“Ok that’s it, I’m going to kill you.” Robin says attempting to unearth herself from under a cackling Vickie so she can lunge at Steve.
“Nope! You can’t kill me, I have protection!” he shouts grabbing Nancy, comforter and all, and dragging her onto his lap cowering behind her. “Nancy save me from the muppet fanclub!”
“Muppet fanclub?” She asks, trying and failing to twist around in his grasp to see his face.
“Because Tammy sounds like a muppet,” Vickie supplies helpfully while wrestling Robin back and peppering her with conciliatory kisses for her embarrassment.
“A muppet giving birth,” Steve corrects although his voice is slightly muffled as he has covered himself with part of the comforter to avoid another handful of flying popcorn.
After a few more tosses (and some assurances from Vickie that they all had their own stupid crushes in the past and there was nothing to feel silly about) Robin backs down and they all settled in to watch the rest of the movie.
Steve doesn’t let her go and she doesn’t make any effort to move back towards the center of the couch. Instead she curls into him letting her head settle against his chest tucked under his chin. Somehow their playful exchange has chased away her fear of what could happen and instead she decides to allow her to just enjoy being in the moment.
She laughs at the absurd movie, at hidden identities and mobster chases and a romance you can only root for because its a movie and no one would actually act this way in real life. She smiles warmly at her blissfully happy best friend, caught up in the thrill of a newly blooming romance. And most of all she enjoys the security of being held by someone she loves and who adores her in return.
“You know,” Nancy says quietly a few minutes later, “I seem to recall that night at Nicole’s you saying that you were hanging outside because the company was better.” She wonders if he remembers that night as well as she does. They hadn’t kissed, not that night. But it has been the first time they had a conversation together and she can still remember going home with butterflies in her stomach, anxious to see what the future had in store.
“I stand by that,” he whispers back, his breath tickling her ear in a way that makes her toes curl and her skin burn.
Yes, maybe her feelings aren’t platonic with a capitol P, but they are also more than just being turned on by a pretty boy. And she realizes for the first time in a long time she has the time to figure it all out. In the meantime, she can deal with a little heat.