When the weather forecast predicted rain, I don't think anyone expected it to be this bad. At least I don't have to go anywhere. Since my parents are on some getaway outside of Hawkins for the next few days, I'm taking this opportunity to mess around on my guitar downstairs instead of my room for once. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Who's dumb enough to go outside right now?
"Robin? Come in, come in." I quickly usher her out of the rain. "What are you doing walking around in this weather?"
"Well, I was walking home from work. It wasn't that bad when I left, so I thought I'd be fine but it really picked up and a couple blocks back someone decided to drive into a big puddle and splash me. I thought the rain would die down but it didn't and my clothes are chaffing and my house isn't for like 5 more blocks. So, I was hoping I could crash here until it stops raining." She rambles at a million miles a minute.
"Why didn't Steve drive you home?"
"His shift ended an hour before mine and he had plans with Nance."
"You should've called me. I would've picked you up. Now, I say this with love, you look like a drowned rat. Pretty, but drenched." I try to make the rat statement a little better.
"Thank you?"
"Go upstairs. You can borrow some of my clothes whilst yours dry."
Robin follows me to my room and picks something to wear. I leave her for a minute to grab her a towel and a hair dryer. When I get back, she's staring at my Blondie shirt, black zip up hoodie and grey pyjama pants laid out on my bed.
"Are these alright? I-I can pick something else." She stammers as I walk through the door.
"Of course. Robin, you can wear any of my clothes whenever you want."
"Oh, okay. Thanks." She sighs with a smile as she takes the towel and hair dryer from me.
"You want some hot chocolate? I have whipped cream and mini marshmallows if you want them." I offer.
"Yeah, thanks."
"Cool, see you down there." I smile as I walk out of the room.
"She's perfect." Robin says under her breath.
"You say something?" I ask as I pop my head around the door.
"Hm? I said sounds perfect."
"Oh." Maybe I heard her wrong - I hope I didn't.
I head downstairs and prepare our hot chocolates with the extras as I wait. As I pour the boiling water, I hear Robin shout me from the top of the stairs.
"Hey, can I use your phone?"
"Yeah, go ahead!"
A couple of minutes later, Robin joins me on the couch. As we drink our hot chocolates and chat, I notice that she's shivering. I quickly run to my room and grab a blanket for us to sit under and warm us up. We continue talking for a while. I love talking to Robin. I always end up laughing and she constantly goes on tangents. Who doesn't like seeing people being invested in what they're saying? We've been close friends for a couple years, so I've come to enjoy and expect it. Steve and I are the only people who know her secret.
"Y/N, can I tell you something?" She asks as her hands shake slightly - maybe she's still cold.
"Of course, you can tell me anything." I reassure her before she takes a deep breath.
"I li-" She gets interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Hold that thought." I give her an apologetic look as I go to answer the door. "Eddie, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Henderson said we were meeting at your place." He shrugs as he let's himself in.
"And why would he say that?"
"I think Harrington called him or something. You have a hair dryer? This is gonna take hours to dry otherwise. It's crazy, I was out of the truck for like 5 seconds."
"Uh, yeah. It's in my room."
"Cool, thanks." He races upstairs.
"Do you have any idea what he was on about?" I ask Robin as I sit back down.
"I called Steve to say I was here - but I promise I didn't tell him to invite anyone else."
"I'm gonna kill him."
Over the next 30 minutes or so, everyone appears at my front door. The last to turn up is Steve with Dustin, Max and Lucas.
"Hey."
"Don't 'hey' me, Harrington." I don't know what's come over me.
"What?"
"Who said you could invite everyone to my house?"
"I'm sorry. I just thought it'd be nice for us to hang out. Keep you company on a shitty day."
"I had company. Robin. Plus I thought you had plans with Nancy."
"I did but she had to cancel because Joyce needed her for something."
"So you saw the rain and just decided to let Robin walk home in it knowing how far she'd have to walk?" I get the urge to defend her. "Some asshole purposely went speeding through a puddle and drenched her. She turned up at my door absolutely soaked. She could get sick!"
"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. Robin, I'm sorry I didn't pick you up."
"It's okay." It's not but I don't want another argument.
As Eddie plays around with my guitar, I make drinks for the remaining people. Everyone takes up space on the couch, armchair and floor - including the beanbag that Max dragged down from my room. The rain is relentless as we talk.
As the thunder and lightning starts, it's clear that there should've been a storm warning. We're all watching Fast Times when the power goes out at the best part - 53 minutes and 5 seconds. The sudden darkness paired with thunder, lightning and a few shrieks makes Robin and I jump and link our arms out of fear.
"Come on! It was just getting good!" Steve complains.
"We have a bunch of candles upstairs. Eddie, I'm assuming you have a lighter in your pocket."
"Of course."
I carefully make my way into the kitchen and rummage blindly through one of the drawers to grab a torch. After quickly trying to blind everyone, Max follows me upstairs. When I pull them all out of a storage cupboard, I pass a bunch of them to Max.
"Why do you have so many candles?"
"People always gives them to my mom for some reason. She rarely ever uses them."
"Clearly."
We carry the many candles back to the others. After distributing them out and setting them up, Eddie lights them. Some claps and cheers fill the room as we start seeing each other. We decide to play some board games as a new way to pass the time. Since he's salty that he keeps losing, Steve takes his anger out by blowing out the candles - he also does it to try and scare those who scare easily.
"Steve, if you blow out one more candle, I swear I will steal your car keys, throw you out and lock the door." I threaten him. He looks me dead in the eye and does it again. "Oh, that's it!"
I go to jump at him, but am held back by Robin and Lucas. Meanwhile, Steve smirks as Dustin jumps in front of him.
"Oh, man." I hear Eddie drag on.
"What?" Max asks.
"It's out of lighter fluid."
"Thanks a lot, Steve." I scold him for making us relight the candles so much. "There should be a lighter upstairs. Robin, can you help me find it?"
"Sure."
Robin grabs one of the lit candles - even though I have a torch - and follows me upstairs. I think the lighter is in my room, so that's where we go first. After placing the candle on my desk, Robin sits on my bed and shines the torch in my direction.
"Hey, what were you gonna tell me before Eddie got here?" I ask as I keep digging.
"Oh, nothing. It's not important."
"You sure? It's just us - you can tell me anything." She stays quiet for a minute as I keep looking.
"I like you." She blurts out.
"I like you too. Oh, found it." I face her and show off the lighter.
"No, I like you. Like, really, really like you. Like your smile makes shitty stormy days like today feel like the warmest summer day. Everything you do is perfect - you're perfect. You let me in made sure I was warm, dry and comfortable. And the way you stood up to Steve - I was speechless. Nobody has ever done that for me. I lay awake at night just picturing a life with you. When I'm miserable at work or just on the days I don't want to get out of bed, seeing you makes all the negativity go away. And I know, I'm only hurting myself because I know I could never have you but-" I interrupt her rambling with a quick and gentle kiss - making her eyes wide with shock.
"I really like you too." I smile, keeping my face just inches away from hers.
"Y-you do?" I smile and nod.
"I have for a while. I was scared to say anything. I've dated guys in the past but I couldn't help falling for you." She sits stunned and speechless for a moment before getting the courage to ask a long-awaited question.
"Can I kiss you?" I just nod and smile as she finally kisses me.
"Hey, the storm's getting worse, so we're gonna have to stay over tonight." Steve startles us, making us jump back. "Oh my god." He grins. "It's about time. I won't say anything."
Robin and I look at each other and laugh through the nerves as Steve walks away before quickly rejoining everyone with the new lighter. Who said good things can't happen in a storm?