Freckles || A Ronance One-Shot

Freckles

| tysm for reading my amazing and awesome silly little gay ramblings about women like and comment if u agree

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Nancy Wheeler's favourite season was summer. She loved the sun and the birds and swimming with her friends, and she loved freckles.

They had a trauma bond, Steve had insisted. They were friends now, even though Eddie still scared Nancy, and Jonathan was a fucking liar who was just as bad as relationships as she was. Robin was fine, though. It was always a bit embarrassing to hang out with her, imperishable memories of when they first met plaguing Nancy. And she'd acted so rudely over a boy, and Steve Harrington, no less. She'd almost given up her dreams of feminist journalism, after that. Robin was lovely, though, and very pretty.

Robin was pretty in a way Nancy hadn't encountered before, and certainly wasn't accustomed to dealing with. She was rough around the edges in a way that made her charming and messy in a way that fascinated Nancy. If it turned out that Robin just woke up looking like that - a hot mess, with emphasis on hot - Nancy wouldn't be at all surprised. She made trousers look cutesy and dresses look handsome. Fascinating.

So Steve had suggested swimming, and Nancy had agreed. Jonathan had agreed too, but only because their little brothers were making his house unlivable. Nancy cheered them on. Eddie and Robin had taken convincing, something about the "Steve effect" that Nancy never felt. Something about the "Robin effect", which she was much more convinced was real.

Nancy took Mike's bike to lovers lake, and Jonathan took Will's. They exchanged a knowing glance when they arrived, before remembering their history and looking away. Nancy leant her brother's bike against a tree and headed over to where Steve had set up a picnic blanket.

"He's such a mum," Robin giggled into Nancy's ear as she joined them, and Nancy felt herself heat up. Today, there was no makeup to hide her blush - it would all come off when they were swimming anyway. She allowed herself to briefly mourn the loss of eyeliner-Robin, but found she didn't really mind all that much, because instead of with eyeliner, Robin's face was now decorated with a galaxy of freckles.

"Yeah," she said, "Totally."

"I have apple juice and cherry juice," Steve explained, pulling out a feast from a rainbow tote bag. The Steve effect left Eddie mesmerised by cheese sandwiches, all falling apart because King Steve of Hawkins High School had never learned how to take care of himself. "And I took suncream, because at least one of you has got to have forgotten it!"

Robin groaned and snatched the suncream off of Steve, to a bright grin from the boy on the floor. They weren't dating, Robin had assured her, but Nancy was left unconvinced. The thought was banished, though, when Robin tugged off her t-shirt in a fluid movement to reveal a black bikini and back full of freckles. Oh, thought Nancy, That's new.

Steve whistled and Robin kicked him, before applying the suncream to her stomach, cringing a little.

"It's cold," she whined.

"It's healthy," said Steve.

"Do my back," said Robin.

"No," said Steve, "Get Nancy to do it."

There was a short, non-verbal exchange between the two of them, before Robin groaned and turned to Nancy. She held out the suncream to Nancy, who didn't have a choice but to take it. Tentatively, she put her hands on Robin's back. She was warm and soft, and Nancy felt her eyes widen involuntarily. Robin squealed.

"Sorry," she giggled.

"No worries," said Nancy through gritted teeth, "No worries."

Steve had also pulled his shirt off, something that would've sent Nancy from a couple of months ago into shock, but today's Nancy was already long gone, painstakingly rubbing suncream over freckles that could have been artwork. The boys distracted each other so that Nancy and Robin had some semblance of privacy, and Nancy allowed herself to confess;

"I like your freckles."

"Yeah?" said Robin, voice cracking. It was the most attractive thing, Nancy thought, when women's voices cracked. That had never been something she'd read into before. She nodded, not trusting her own voice, although Robin couldn't see her. Instead, she began tracing the patterns on Robin's back.

"This kind of looks like a lion," she murmured, "Or maybe, like, a shark? It's round, at least."

"Maybe it's a demogorgon," said Robin, "They're like sharks and lions."

"Smart," said Nancy, lifting the straps a bit so that everything was covered. She'd had the same conversation with Jonathan, before they'd become them. Jonathan had needed it spelled out for him.

"Smart," said Robin.

For a moment, they just stood there, breathing. It would've been peaceful, and the moment felt like one that should've been, but instead Steve chased Jonathan rowdily into the lake and Eddie whistled from the shore. Robin turned to look at Nancy, expression deadpan. Nancy rolled her eyes in response, and got a golden smile out of it.

"Boys, honestly," said Robin.

"Who likes boys," grinned Nancy.

Robin looked at her, pursing her lips. She glanced at Steve and the ground and back into Nancy's eyes. And quickly away again. She lowered her voice like a secret, and whispered;

"I certainly don't."

She winked, and it could've been a joke, but Nancy didn't want it to be.

"Do you like girls, then?" she whispered back. Robin nodded, eyes fixed on the ground, but smiling.

"I sort of wish I never liked boys," said Nancy, "But I like a girl now, and she has very pretty freckles."

Robin bit her lip and nodded. She was squinting at the ground, now, as though it would tell her something Nancy hadn't already. Nancy didn't tell people much, not like this, so she thought that that was sort of unfair. Robin shifted and tried to meet Nancy's gaze again, to no avail.

"Sorry I'm so awkward," she supplied.

"Please don't leave me hanging to apologise to me."

"I'm sorry."

"Robin."

Robin covered her face with her hands and giggled. She shook her head like a dog and her hair framed her like it was staged. Like she was art, like her freckles were specially created as a fuck you to Nancy Wheeler, because they were breathtaking, and irresistible. And their owner was leaving her hanging in favour of apologising.

"I like a girl with freckles too," said Robin, "But they only come out in the Summer, and that sort of sucks."

She raised her hand to draw a wonky square on Nancy's hot cheek.

"Sorry," said Nancy, "I guess I'll go out more in the winter."

"It's okay," said Robin, "I don't hate the no-freckles look."

Steve was watching them from the water, and when he caught Robin's eye, he sent her a thumbs up and blinding smile.

"You guys are really just friends," said Nancy.

Robin snorted indignantly.