The Test

April 1989

Written by Percy

Robin shouldn't have been shocked really. When she woke up sick for the fifth day in a row, waiting for Steve to bring her a glass of water. She leaned her head back against the wall in front of the toilet. Stomach turning. She shouldn't have felt as guilty as she did when Steve slid the pregnancy test through the crack in the door. Her gut shouldn't have dropped the way it did. Looking back, Robin couldn't have told you if it was the morning sickness or her nerves.
It goes blurry from there. Taking the test. Steve telling her off for setting it on the counter while they waited for results. Steve saying how he noticed the marks Nancy had been leaving on Robin's neck for weeks now. That they didn't have to hide from him. Robin fell into that honesty with zero hesitation the moment the test confirmed what was happening to her. She's pregnant. Against all odds. She was crying into Steve's shirt before he could register what was happening. Absently rubbing Robin's back as she cried, a far off look in his eyes as he did the math.
"Assuming the sex education we had is realistic," He starts, "You and Nancy were messing around before the molotovs."
"Around the same time as the molotovs...?" Was all Robin could offer in response.
Steve grabbed her shoulders and stared directly into her eyes, "Don't tell me..."
The underlying question was heavy. Embarassing. Robin flushed red and nodded. She was biting her tongue, trying to keep things to herself. Steve's sigh went straight for Robin's heart. With that, she couldn't hold back anymore.
"It happened when we were looking for the alternative path to the Creel's house in the Upside Down. By skull rock."
"No wonder you didn't have a condom."
He's joking. About Robin being pregnant when their world is in the state it's in. How she ended up like this. At her irresponsability. As if everything they had been through and are waiting on isn't world-ending. As if it didn't happen because her and Nancy were convinced they weren't going to make it out of there.
Steve's laughing at her and she's starting to laugh through her tears because it is funny. As morbid as the situation is. She's not even twenty. She's pregnant with her something's baby. There hasn't been a lot of time to discuss what her and Nancy were between fixing Hawkins and making out. They've been living with Steve since Nancy got kicked out of her house by Ted. Robin's parents signed emancipation papers when she refused to leave Hawkins after the "earthquake". Not that she hadn't already been living with Steve at that point.
Steve's parents were telling him to figure out where he's going to live. They're selling the house. No point in coming back to Hawkins when him and the house are the only things there. He wouldn't let that hurt the way it should. Every time his dad called to ask what his plan is, he avoided Robin for hours after. They needed to figure something out.
A baby couldn't help the scenerio. Robin wasn't sure what the three of them would do now. Parentless and saving the world. About to become a parent.
Something like warmth spread through her chest when she started convincing herself she was too young for this. A gentle comfort. Soothing. She bit back her new wave of tears as Steve pulled her into another hug. It was too much. Things were too nice right now for this to end well.
Like he was reading her mind, Steve mumbled, "We can figure it out, Rob." and kissed the top of her head.

*Article/Scene subject to change and edits as story progresses and develops