(Ep. 7: The Bite)

This is the worst Gwen's ever felt.

Coming down from an all-time high just to fall back into her senses had been much worse than she anticipated. From feeling like she was on top of the world and being overjoyed with a new level of confidence, she was disappointed to be back to her ordinary self.

No more joking around, no more ignoring the troubles coming after them because they're still being chased by Russians and only now that she's sober, she sees the severity of it.

It's been a few minutes since she came barging into the bathroom and it doesn't seem to get any better. Whatever those guards gave them must have been really strong if it's making her incredibly sick.

Her throat is running dry as she holds her hair back into a messy ponytail. The pit of her stomach is burning and her chest heaves with every struggle that feels like blades are cutting through her. She tries gasping for breath, but every time her chest constricts, more fluid comes out, allowing for a few tears to escape the corners of her eyes.

She's never been this sick. Not even after getting food poisoning when eating a piece of undercooked chicken her mother made. Hell, not even when she rode the same roller coaster three times because Dustin kept wanting to go on it. This felt different. Much worse and more painful.

Not sure how long it's been, exhaustion starts taking a toll on her that she ends up sprawling all over the floor. Her legs are stretched out against the door and her hair is laid flatly on the tiles. They feel quite refreshing on her back that she can't be bothered to care for how dirty the floor is. It's not like she's going to keep this outfit anyway or can even return it to The Gap because she just had to steal it. Of course, even if she had bought it, no store would take back this disgusting outfit covered in puke.

Gwen wishes to leave this mall and head home to take a nice long shower. To get under the covers of her plaid cotton sheets that she's taken for granted until now. She wants to leave and never have to set foot into this building, but with those Russians still looking for them, it's not safe to go home until who knows when.

"You guys alright?" Steve mumbles, his eyes focusing on the ceiling to see if it has stopped spinning. When noticing everything is back to normal, he sighs in relief at not having to worry of saying whatever first thing pops into his mind.

"I think I'm good," Robin softly says and lays on the floor with her legs pressed against the stall.

"Pretty sure I'm all emptied out," Gwen prods herself up, pushing her knees together as she buries her head in her arms. Having the drug in her system had surprisingly taken the pain in her face and limbs away, only now that it's gone, her aching has become magnified.

Steve doesn't say anything after that. She hears him make his way to her stall and sees his blue sneakers come closer to the door. He stands hesitantly for a while, almost as if waiting for her to say the words. She faintly smiles and holds the bottom of the door to pull it open.

"I didn't want to be alone over there," he admits through that charming smile of his.

Robin scoffs and kicks the stall, "Get used to it, dingus."

Steve rolls his eyes and lets out an annoyed huff, "Seems like you're back to being a pain in the ass." He feels a slap on the shoulder, bringing out a hint of laughter to escape his cut lip, "What's that for?"

Gwen and Steve stare at each other and he has to refrain from smiling like an idiot when she rolls her eyes at him. Even when she looks away, his gaze remains on her from having no intentions of losing sight of his girl.

"Are you two going at it again?" Robin groans, shutting her eyes to try and shake the image of them away from her mind. But not even through the darkness of her eyelids is she able to forget. Yeah, she's definitely traumatized.

Gwen's eyes widen as embarrassment runs through her because quite frankly, she's never liked public displays of affection, but ever since dating Steve, it's become harder to control herself because damn it, he's just too irresistible. "Please tell me you didn't see us."

"Oh, you'd like that won't you?"

Steve sarcastically laughs as he stretches out his foot to kick hers, "At least we're getting laid, Buckley. Can't say the same about you."

Robin's heartfelt laugh suddenly faded into a complete silence, bringing the others to stop their snickering when realizing that maybe his words offended her.

Steve stares at Gwen with a worried look. He can feel his heart sinking to the ground because damn it, he didn't intend to be mean. He just meant it as playful banter like they've been having all summer. Did I screw things up again? Did I go too far? His hands run through his messy locks nervously, his eyes narrow as they trace the outline of the tiles to try and get this terrible feeling in his stomach to disappear.

"You okay, Rob?" the Henderson girl asks, slightly getting closer to her stall as if to get a better listen. She waits for her friend to say something, but there's nothing but silence on her end. "Robin?"

"Are you alright in there?" he worriedly asks and shifts uncomfortably on his spot. "Did you choke on your own vomit?"

Robin moves her head back to lay against the tiled wall. She pushes her knees together and feels an undeniable sense of sadness overwhelm her because right now despite the circumstances, she's happier than ever. Yet all her mind is able to focus on is how her new friends would react to her secret. Would they still want to be her friend? Would they leave like everyone else did? Her voice is shaky as she replies, "Nope, I'm still very much alive."

Both of them didn't have to think twice. Immediately, they slide their backs on the floor to reach her stall. The cold tiles bring shivers down their spine as they position themselves in front of her with their knees pressed together.

"You idiots, the floor's disgusting," Robin points out, giving out a forced laugh as she looks down at her palms to avoid alerting them that she's far from fine.

Steve shrugs, his eyes falling onto his red tie that he holds along with his navy shirt. "Yeah well, we're already covered in puke and blood so..."

"And we're definitely not keeping this," Gwen softly says.

There's an uncomfortable silence filling the stall. It's like the tension has gotten heavier and could be cut with a knife. Almost like a barrier was placed between them and they've fallen back into square one of when they first started working together and exchanged awkward conversations.

"Can I ask you guys something?" Robin tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Her hands are shaking that she could only hope they haven't noticed. She feels her chest tighten as her eyes close to try and brave herself to become open with the two people that've become important. "What happens after this?"

Gwen is taken aback, not understanding if she's talking about the Russians or about them. "What do you mean?"

"You know, when this is all over," Robin explains as her heart starts racing uncontrollably. "When we're not translating codes or working together anymore, because you're leaving and he's probably going to end up hanging out with other people."

Steve shakes his head, confused on why she believes he'd want to hang out with anyone else when he's found an incredible friend in the least expected place of all – an ice cream shop. "I'm not doing that, Robin."

"And just because I'm leaving, it doesn't mean we can't still be friends," Gwen assures her since she doesn't intend on losing one of her best friends. "I can promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

"But... you are," she argues as her brows press together. "And it's not like you can make promises because they're just bound to break."

"Some do and some don't. I'm taking those odds because it's worth the risk," Steve interjects as the promise he and Gwen made of not letting anything change between them flows through his brain. He's got to admit that he's terrified Robin's words are true, but fuck it, he'll take that risk.

"Guys," Robin can't even begin to explain herself without being scared of how they'll react. They're making all these promises now, but what happens when they see her? The real her. "You don't even know me at all. And if you did, I'm not sure you'd want to be my friend."

Gwen shakes her head disapprovingly, "That's not true, Rob."

Steve leans forward, confused on why she believes they'd ever ditch someone as incredible as her. "That's far from the truth."

Robin stares at her two friends, her eyes drowning with sorrow and fear because this is the first time she's felt like she's belonged, and losing the feeling of being accepted is more terrifying than death itself. If she's being honest, it's shocking that out of all people, she likes Steve Harrington and Gwen Henderson. A pair she never envisioned considering her people.

"I just- I really like you guys," her voice has a small hint of irritation, mainly to try and cover up how nervous she is. "But I'm not like your other friends. I'm not like Nancy Wheeler, or Jonathan Byers, or even Daphne Sinclair."

Steve exhales sharply, not understanding why that's a problem because it's one of the reasons he likes her. She's not like them. She's her own person. An incredibly dorky, sarcastic, goofy person that's shown him the value of friendship. It's comforting knowing he's managed to find a true friend that doesn't expect anything from him. "That's why we like you."

"Do you guys remember what I said about Click's class on me being obsessed with you two?"

Gwen remembers how confused she was on not understanding why someone as amazing as Robin would've wanted to be like her. Gwen is nothing but ordinary. She's just a floater among the crowd trying to hide herself from the world, because once you trust someone, they're just bound to disappoint you.

"Don't think it was because I had a crush on you," Robin emphasizes the last word, her eyes focusing on Steve before she quickly glances at the girl beside him. "It's the fact that she wouldn't stop staring at you. She would come in with her burgundy backpack and purposefully hit your shoulder. She'd make fun of you, say her snarky comments that always got on your nerves." She pauses and takes a deep breath, "Even when she claimed to hate you, I'd always catch her staring at you from afar. You'd be speaking to your friends and she was just unable to pull her eyes away from you or your stupid hair."

Steve stays silent, trying to process what he's hearing because he's not actually sure what she means. Maybe that blue juice has made his brain process things slower. It'd explain why he's not understanding her.

On the contrary, Gwen is able to comprehend everything. Her heart is running incredibly fast as she's certain of what she means, but is afraid of misinterpreting it. She wants to say something, but the words die on her lips that all she can do is listen.

"Are you talking about Mrs. Click?" Steve blurts out, glancing at the wall like it'd have the answers he's searching for.

Robin softly chuckles and shakes her head. Her eyes meet Gwen's, who has started clutching her knees tighter. "No. I'm talking about her."

Gwen's heart takes a leap at her confession.

"I wanted her to look at me, but all she cared about was you and your stupid life. I tried convincing myself that maybe it's not so bad because she hates you." She smiles to herself and looks down, now even more terrified because she's certain Gwen has figured it out already. "But it doesn't take a genius to know she didn't actually hate you. She... liked you and tried hiding it with insults. And all I can remember was going home and screaming into my pillow, because even though I wanted to be like her, I also just wanted her."

Robin turns silent for a moment as she stares at Gwen. Her friend's eyes are filled with an unreadable emotion that only worsens this moment, but it's too late to back down as everything is coming out. "Then came Tammy Thompson. She was preppy and filled with dreams of being a singer, and she was... nice to me."

"But..." Steve briskly leans forward as he's filled with nothing but confusion, "Gwen and Tammy are girls."

"Steve," Robin softly says, her hands clenching as she waits for him to realize. To understand her words and take in everything... to take in her truth.

It's only after a few seconds that he perceives her words. He feels a wave of confusion and surprise, but even if he doesn't understand the idea, all his mind is able to think of is why in the world did she have a crush on Tammy Thompson?

"Oh," he tries to offer words of reassurance, but his mind is unable to form anything. "Holy shit."

"Yeah, holy shit," she repeats, rubbing her neck nervously that he's about to say something else. Maybe insult her or demand that she stays away from them, but he remains silent. Just staring at the emptiness with widened eyes.

Gwen takes a deep breath, surprised that she was crushed on by Robin because in what universe could she have imagined that anyone could like her? It doesn't make sense and the fact that she's here trusting her with something so important, brings an undeniable sense of relief that maybe she's not a terrible friend like she thought she was.

"Gwen, did you OD over there?" Robin braces herself for the worst. She digs her nails into her palms, ignoring the throbbing starting to form as all she can worry about is losing her friendship.

"You had a crush on me?" Gwen's cheeks turn a pinkish color as her heart is leaping excitedly and overfilling with intense love for her friend. She can't understand why Robin would believe this would compromise their friendship, because nothing has changed. She's still the girl that always made her laugh whenever she was down, the girl who offered advice when she needed it, and mostly importantly, she was the girl that gave her the most important gift of all – unconditional friendship.

"Of course I did," her voice comes out lower than intended. "Who wouldn't?"

Gwen's chest overflows with fondness. She playfully nudges her knee and smiles at her. Ultimately giving her friend a sense of relief that she's not being abandoned... she's been accepted.

Steve's mind still can't comprehend her taste in women. He smiles to himself as he leans closer to the two girls, "You crushed on Tammy? With Gwen, I get it, and Tammy might be cute and all, but she's a total dud."

Robin frowns at him, "She is not!"

"How is she a dud?" Gwen incredulously asks, confused on how someone with dreams can even be placed into that category.

He scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief they don't get it. "She wants to be a singer and move to Nashville and shit."

Gwen narrows her eyes, even more puzzled on why he considers it a flaw, "She has goals..."

"And dreams," Robin continues, exchanging a frustrated look with Gwen as they wait for him to continue his judging.

"She can't hold a tune and is practically tone deaf!"

Okay, that's actually true. Gwen doesn't know much about singing and she's not one to judge someone's dreams, but Tammy's singing sounds... peculiar. It's not terrible yet it's not great.

"That's not true!" Robin exclaims and shoves her foot harshly against him before turning to her. "Right, Gwen? Tell him she's a great singer!"

She presses her lips together to refrain from saying anything offensive, but her silence worsens everything when Steve starts pointing an accusing finger at her. "You see? Her silence says it all! The girl can't sing!"

Annoyed her friend isn't taking her side, Robin kicks her foot and gives her a disapproving nod. "Well, of course she's going to take your side! She's your girlfriend so she's technically forced to!"

"That's not true! Me dating Steve has nothing to do with this," Gwen rolls her eyes as she waves her finger all around in a sassy way.

"Uh huh," Robin teases, sending an accusatory glance at her before addressing Steve. "Either way, you're still wrong."

Steve boastfully tugs his collar and flips his hair back, "Don't believe me? Listen to this." He starts singing the lyrics of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," causing the girls to laugh at their embarrassment for his terrible singing.

"She does not sound like that!" Robin snaps.

"She actually does!" Gwen leans closer to Steve as they begin singing the lyrics and press their ears like they're holding an earpiece.

Robin groans and proceeds to cover her ears with her hands, "You guys sound like muppets!"

"Because she sounds like a muppet!"

"Like a muppet giving birth!"

There's no use in arguing with them because even though Robin wants to defend Tammy's singing skills, she's just unable to stop her laughter because they're right. She does sound animated, but would she let them know? Of course not.

The three of them start singing together. Their voices grow increasingly louder at the ecstasy filling the atmosphere. All the Russians and all those tortuous hours of being underground have been left behind as they can't even be bothered to care about anything except for this very moment.

A loud crash suddenly erupts from the bathroom door. The trio snap their heads in its direction to be received by the angered glares of Dustin, Erica, and Daphne. Their faces are a bright red and they're breathing uncontrollably, indicating how frustrated they are with them.

"Okay, what the hell?!" Dustin flings his arms in the air as all his patience is long gone, which makes Gwen start laughing. "So you think this is funny?!"

"What part of not going anywhere did you guys not understand?" Daphne stomps on the ground, rolling her eyes as she folds her arms across her chest.

Slowly, the trio turn to each other. They know better than to infuriate their friends even more, but another fit of laughter is exchanged between them, much to the others' dismay.