𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏, ronance ¹

𝟎𝟑. 𝗜 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧

The soft glow of Nancy's bedside lamp illuminated the room as she hesitated with her phone in her hand. She had tossed and turned all night, haunted by their argument.

Nancy scrolled through her contacts, her fingertips dancing across the screen as her thoughts went back and forth between shutting her phone off and giving Robin a call.

Determination welled up inside of her, and she pressed the call button with a deep breath. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before Robin's voice answered, a hint of sleepiness evident in her tone.

"Wheeler, it's late," she said, accompanied by what sounded like the rustling of a duvet, "What do you want?"

Nancy swallowed the lump in her throat, begging her voice to remain steady, "I— I need to talk to you," she said, biting the inside of her cheek anxiously, "Please?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then Robin sighed, "Fine. But make it quick."

They agreed on a meeting spot, a small park tucked away from the bustle of Hawkins.

Nancy arrived first, the soft glow of streetlights casting a gentle illumination on the empty benches. The air was cool, carrying the scent of dew-kissed grass.

As she waited, doubt started to gnaw at Nancy. What if this was a mistake? What if Robin didn't show up?

The sound of footsteps dispelled her concerns, and she turned to see Robin's figure emerging from the cover of nearby trees.

"Let's make this fast, Nancy Drew," Robin said, her posture guarded, "I've got a life to get back to."

"Jonathan would've wanted us to work together," Nancy said, getting right to the point.

Robin rolled her eyes, pulling her jacket around her shoulders as she suppressed a shiver, "I didn't come out here at four in the morning to listen to you talk about Jonathan, Wheeler," she said, "It's freezing. We could've done that over the phone. What do you really want?"

"I want us to find answers," Nancy admitted, "And we can't do that if we're constantly at each other's throats, so— truce?"

Robin raised her eyebrows, a sceptical expression on her face, "A truce?" she repeated, slightly amused.

Nancy studied Robin's face in the streetlight, the shadows playing across her features, "No more arguing, at least until we solve this," Nancy said, extending her hand.

A rare sincerity flashed in Robin's eyes, and an unfamiliar warmth settled in Nancy's chest as they shook hands.

As their hands lingered in the shake, Nancy couldn't ignore the subtle stirrings within her. It wasn't her usual feeling of annoyance, and it wasn't just gratitude that Robin agreed to a truce; it was an awareness of Robin that transcended the surface.

The realisation startled Nancy, and she quickly pulled her hand away, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Robin, seemingly unaffected, lit a cigarette, "We make a good team when we aren't trying to kill each other," she said, a small smile on her lips.

Nancy smirked, suppressing the inexplicable flutter in her chest, "We really do, don't we?"

Robin nodded, smoke leaving her mouth on a laugh that echoed in Nancy's head, "Where to first, then, Nancy Drew?"