𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏, ronance

𝟎𝟖. 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚

TRIGGER WARNING: this chapter contains intense themes of grief, loss, and emotional distress. reader discretion is advised. if you find these topics potentially triggering, please take care of yourself and consider whether you are comfortable with proceeding with this chapter.

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Nancy's apartment was bathed in the soft glow of muted lamplight, creating a tranquil haven after the tumultuous events with The Sentinel.

Nancy lay still, Robin's head on her chest, the closeness offering comfort in the aftermath of their shared bruises. Her thoughts were a cyclone, a storm of worry that refused to subside.

As she traced absent patterns on Robin's arm with her fingertips, her mind drifted to the events in her apartment— the confrontation, the fight, the gun.

The fragile line they walked between exposing the truth and facing the peril that accompanied it was etched into the furrow of Nancy's brow.

Robin shifted slightly, sensing the tension in Nancy's touch.

"Alright, up there?" she asked, dipping her head back to see Nancy right-side up.

Nancy hesitated, her gaze meeting Robin's. In the soft glow, her eyes were understanding, a reflection of the secrets they shared.

"I should've been more careful," she said, her fingers resuming their patterns on Robin's arm, "You could've gotten hurt the same way Jonathan did, and I—"

Robin's fingers gently intertwined with Nancy's in silent reassurance.

"I'm tougher than I look, Nance," she said, then smiled playfully, "I don't trip over camera straps."

Grateful for the well-placed joke, Nancy smiled, "I just— I can't lose you."

"You won't. You're stuck with me, remember?" Robin replied, "You and me, always."

Nancy raised her eyebrows, "Have I ever told you how absolutely corny you are?"

"Nope," she replied, "I'm only this way because I love you."

Nancy laughed softly, rolling her eyes, "Such a romantic."

Robin winked at her, "Only for you."

Once they'd taken showers and gotten everything they could remember from their notes into a file on Nancy's laptop, they settled into a state of alertness.

"We need to figure out our next move," Nancy said, the screen's brightness illuminating her highly concentrated face.

Robin nodded, her expression serious. The exposé might have literally disappeared into thin air, but their resolve to unravel Hawkins' secrets burned brighter than ever.

"So we dig deeper, find the threads connecting everything," Robin suggested.

"We need to be cautious, though," Nancy said, swivelling around in her chair to look up at Robin, "The Sentinel knows we're close."

Their eyes met, and an unspoken understanding passed between them. The stakes had risen, and Hawkins's shadows held secrets beyond their wildest imaginations.