Hanahaki From Hell (Steddie + Ronance)

Heart felt

Steve woke up to a sad sight. Eddie leaning over a perfectly still, bruised up Robin. He sprung up from the futon and stood over them.
"Hey dingus." Robin uttered, her voice was dry and very hard to hear.
"Why- what- how?" Steve asked, Eddie turned to him.
"She's.. she doesn't have long."
"I can see that, why? I'm doing fine and shes..." He ran his hand through his hair in extreme stress. Robin shook her head,
"Doesn't matter." She whispered, despite her best efforts a few tears ran down her cheek.

Steve's meltdown was inturpted by a coughing fit. He dragged himself to the kitchen where he emptied his lungs in the sink. When he was done, Steve felt a strange form of longing. Everytime he had suffered a cough attack, Eddie was there. He pushed that aside knowing that it was stupid. How vain must I be, he thought, to even sad or empty about anything else other than Robin felt awful. He felt gross with himself. He ignored his thoughts and went back to what he was doing.

He got to the phone and dialed in the wheelers number.
"Hello?"
"Mike, I've got some shitty news." Steve sounded slightly frantic, his shaking voice didn't help the situation.
"Are you and Robin okay?" Steve felt knot forming in his throat,
"Robins doing way worse, can I talk to Nancy?" Steve asked.
"Nancy's not here, I heard her leave early this morning." Mike paused a moment, "I'll send everyone else over." Steve sighed,
"Shit, find Nancy asap." Steve hung up. He rested his head against the wall trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Robins joints had grown stiff and unmoving, looking around was a chore. Eddie sat with her the whole time.
"Eddie." She mumbled, "You'll get those letters out, yeah?" She asked.
"Of course." Steve came back to them. They shared a look,
"Don't look at me like that, Steve." She pleaded,
"What do you want me to do?" Steve asked,
"Just talk, it'll take my mind off the pain." Her words got quieter and quieter. Steve took a seat on the ground, back against the couch.
"Hey, Eds, have we told you about the time we fought off Russians?" He asked, he tried to hide his voice crack, a product of holding back cries. Robin managed a smile. Eddie turned to him,
"Russians?"

---

"Where the hell have you been?" Mike asked as Nancy entered their house.
"What?" She was shocked at his aggression.
"C'mon!" He said dragging her back out.
"Mike what the hell?!" She asked,
"Robins worse." He said getting in the passenger seat of her car. Nancy's eyes widened.
"What do you mean worse?" She asked, starting the car.
"I don't know but Steve sounded scared, like actually scared."
"Shit." She hissed and pulled out of the driveway. "How long ago was this?!" She started speeding and prayed all the cops were still asleep.
"Half an hour?" Mike shrugged.
"Half. An. Hour." Nancy was on the verge of a panic attack. She drove even faster.

Nancy turned a fifteen minute drive into a three minute one. Mike and her ran to the door. Dustin answered,
"About time." They rushed in. Nancy was frozen in place just behind the couch. Steve looked up at here, his face was lined with tears.
"Where the hell were you?" He asked, voice cracking.
"Am I too late?" She asked.
"I don't know, it sounds like she's still breathing." Eddie said. Nancy made her way around the couch, tears in her eyes. Robin always looked so alive, always hyper, and now she was basically a corpse. Nancy dropped to her knees in front of Robin. She placed her hand on her shoulders and shook her a bit.
"Robin, it's Nancy!" She shook a bit harder. Her eyes didn't open. Nancy's tears poured over and now she was really crying. "Robin, I don't know if you can hear this.." Nancy gathered her courage. "But I love you."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"Robin please, I love you back." She cried. She place her hand on Robins cold face. "Cmon, please." It felt like trying to talk to a corpse. "Don't leave." Nancy laid her head atop Robins chest. She didnt hear anything.
"Nance." Steve laid a hand on Nancy's shoulder only to have her jerk it away.
"Don't." She hissed.
"Let's give them some space." Eddie ushered everyone into his bedroom.

Nancy brushed dark hair out of Robins face. A face frozen and unmoving, no life, but still beautiful. Now looking closer Nancy just noticed how cute her freckles were, this sent her into another sob.
"I'm so sorry I was late." She choked, "You deserved better."

As if what Nancy said offered her, Robins body jerked. Nancy was almost sure her eyes were lying to her.
"Robin?" She asked. Robin suddenly jolted forward and unleashed a frenzy of harsh coughs. This brought everyone out of Eddie's bedroom. Gasps were heard as Robin hacked. Nancy gently patted her back.

Everything was silent when she was done. She turned to Nancy,

"You love me?"