Archive of Our Own ^beta

The bar is busting out of its seams with people.

Some near and dear to Nancy's heart, some would laugh in your face if asked about her. Though it was mostly filled with the latter, the party of 6 stuck together for most of the night. They laughed and talked, collectively ignoring the lingering smell of hard alcohol and liquor.

Robin watched as Nancy slipped through the back door, sending in a cooling wave of air as the door opened and shut. Rain and wind whistled through the air, but it didn't stop Robin from navigating through the crowd of people to the very same door.

With nothing to shield them from the rain splattering down from the outside world, it ran down Robin's face and back almost immediately. It must've been going on longer than she'd thought because the potholes that quietly plagued the alleyways were almost overflowing with water. Though it was dimly lit by a streetlight on the cusp of the corner, Robin could see Nancy standing against the brick wall with her eyes trained on her shoes.

"You weren't gonna say goodbye?"

The question hangs in the air between them. Sighing, Robin finally steps fully into the alley. She moves her foot, and the door slams shut behind her. She tries to meet Nancy's eye, but they're glued to the ground, with no end in sight.

"I don't like goodbyes." It's barely audible, almost lost to the howling wind and the pounding raindrops. She sucks in a breath, watching as the fog disperses into the air.

Robin crosses her arms, letting the rain drench her hair. "Why did you go back to him?"

The thought plagued her mind since the news was broken to her.

Nancy had chosen Steve.

"I love him."

Robin laughs. God, she laughs. She must look crazy to Nancy, but she doesn't care. She's finally laughing. "You've told a lot of lies, Nancy Wheeler," She runs a hand through her hair, effectively slicking it back. "But this takes the cake." Narrowing her eyes, she wordlessly dares Nancy to challenge her - to defend herself. Defend Steve. 

When she doesn't, she takes a step closer.

"You don't love him, Nancy." She steps again. They're so close that Robin can see Nancy's breaths. "You don't know how to love." She spits. 

It comes out raspy. It sounds nothing like who Robin normally is. It's bloody and raw, laced with venom. It's her heart, ripped out of her chest and sitting at Nancy's feet. It's the feeling of Nancy discarding it, putting out her cigarette with the flesh of who she is.

With only a few inches between them, Nancy is blinking rapidly. She's searching Robin's eyes for any remnants of the girl she grew to care for. 

"Tell him about us. Tell him about what we did." She looks down at Nancy, rain pouring around her. She can't even feel it anymore. "Tell him you let me fuck you while his picture sat on your dresser."

When Nancy stays silent, she continues. "Tell him, or I will."

She doesn't know what's rain and what's tears, but it all stops when she disappears back into the bar. The line between hate and love is thin, and Nancy Wheeler is toeing between both like a tightrope walker.