Guy Pamplemousse (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
gloss) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
femslashficlets2019-10-13 12:33 pm
gloss) wrote in femslashficlets2019-10-13 12:33 pm
Entry tags:
[227 - fix/ 230 remainder ] Frost & Fire
Title: Frost & Fire
Fandom: Stranger Things
Pairing: Robin Buckley/Karen Wheeler
Rating: PG
Prompt: #227 - fix
Notes: title from Everything But the Girl
Word Count: 1150
Summary: Robin knows Mrs. Wheeler would never run up late fees.
"Robin," Keith says, "you're up. Lady's complaining about late fees."
"Lunch, dude." She lifts her sandwich and waves it. Little flakes of tuna and pickle shower down over the breakroom table.
"Trust me," he says, "you'll want to take this one."
Rolling her eyes, she pushes away from the table. "Fine."
"Thank me later."
"Can't make me." She pushes through the swinging saloon door to the front. As she drags the binder of membership info down the counter, she recites without looking up, "hi, welcome to Family Video. Where Hollywood's dreams come true. Right in your living room."
"Robin! I didn't know you were working today!"
Keith is such an asshole, pulling her off lunch for Mrs. Wheeler. As Robin's skin flashes hot and cold, she's suddenly convinced that her mouth reeks of tuna and Miracle Whip. She probably has pickles stuck in every tooth.
"Hi, Mrs. Wheeler. Keith said you had some late fees?"
"Robin," Mrs. Wheeler says severely. She frowns, but that just makes Robin all the more aware of her pretty coral lipstick and the cute wrinkle she gets over her nose. "What have I said?"
"Call you Karen," Robin replies. "Sorry."
When she smiles, Robin smiles back, but then it's too quiet for too long. Robin starts worrying all over again about tuna breath. Also body odor. Hers, that is; Mrs. Wheeler must roll out of bed smelling like lily of the valley.
"Late fee?" Robin asks. It sounds like a croak.
"Well, I just don't know. That horsey young man said we owed $18.50 but I'm sure I've never returned something late."
"You haven't, no." Robin knows that because she's a freak who pays a little too much attention.
"So then I thought, could it be Steve Harrington? Messing with our account? Petty revenge, I wonder, or he's trying to get Nancy's attention?"
"He wouldn't do that," Robin puts in. "Not to you, that is."
"Well, I just don't understand, Robin!"
"I'll get to the bottom of this," Robin says and heaves open the binder. "You and Holly go browse. I'll have it figured out by the time you're done."
Mrs. Wheeler reaches over and presses her palm (soft, very warm) over Robin's left hand. When she speaks, she holds Robin's gaze like it's the most important thing in the world. "Thank you."
"No problem," Robin says faintly, but Mrs. Wheeler is already hurrying after her daughter to corral her away from the horror section. "My pleasure."
Mrs. Wheeler always looks so pulled together. She favors pastels—even now, when it's dreary and cold, nearing Christmas—on her nails and lips, in her little cable sweaters and tight slacks. Her hair's always bouncy with honey highlights.
Robin has it so bad and she doesn't even know why. If Mrs. Wheeler were Robin's age, she'd probably be exactly like Nancy, whom Robin has yet to see the appeal of. Robin likes edgy women! Ellen Barkin and Nastassja Kinski, Isabelle Huppert and Karen Black, not Preppy Queen of the Country Club.
And yet. Mrs. Wheeler isn't just nice and remarkably pretty. She's sad around the eyes and sometimes hoarse, like she's been crying. She'll cup the back of Holly's skull and play with her hair while talking to adults. She's kind as well as softly curved.
The Wheeler account owes $18.50 in part because someone, no doubt a shrimpy little guy, kept Time Bandits out for four extra days. The majority of the late fees, however, are down to Apocalipsis Sexual and New Wave Hookers. Mike may be careening headfirst into puberty, but Robin's pretty sure these two are Mr. Wheeler's fault.
"Case closed," Robin tells Mrs. Wheeler when she returns. Holly pushes two boxes up. Glancing at them, Robin adds, "Nothing for you, uh. Karen?"
"I just can't decide."
"It can be pretty overwhelming in here." Robin retrieves the movies, a cartoon anthology of Betty Boop and The Muppets Take Manhattan, then holds them against her chest like a shield. "Sorry, but I can't let you have these until you get something for yourself."
Mrs. Wheeler's smile flickers, then catches and brightens. "You run a tough bargain."
Robin shrugs. "Get to browsing, Karen. I'll watch the muppet."
"I'm not a muppet!" Holly protests.
"Sorry, buddy, no, you're not. You're very much human."
Holly drifts to the candy display and starts poking each bag of M&M's like they've got a prize inside.
"What about this?" Mrs. Wheeler holds up the box to Daniel.
"Good, solid political drama, the kind Lumet's known for," Robin replies. "Lou Grant's in it, too. And Ellen Barkin's really—" Gorgeous. "Talented."
Mrs. Wheeler grins as she hands over the box. "You're so good at this."
"So are you!" Robin shakes her head immediately. "I mean—. Forget it. I'll get your tape."
She imagines lying down on the floor and rolling herself up in the shitty puke-green carpet down there and never, ever getting up.
"The late fee?"
Robin swallows hard. Sweat is crawling down her spine, even though it's 30 degrees out and the heat is only on sometimes. "Complete mistake, someone swapped the last two numbers of your account."
She has to straighten up and turn around, despite how fascinating this wall of black plastic tape boxes is. She can do this. She survived Soviet interrogation and an eldritch monster from another dimension! One incredibly pretty housewife with pink lips and soft skin and hoarse voice is survive-able. Probably.
"Here you go!" she says brightly, using the sing-song she thought she'd left behind in the ruins of Scoops Ahoy, as she turns around. "Three magical flicks for two lovely ladies."
"You're an angel," Mrs. Wheeler says after paying. She clicks shut her mint green wallet and stows it in her handbag. "What would I do without you?"
"I shudder to think, Mrs—. Karen."
Mrs. Wheeler nods approvingly. "You've made this old lady's day, Robin."
"Old lady?" Robin shades her eyes, looking around. "Where?"
Mrs. Wheeler slaps Robin's arm lightly. She has to reach across the counter to do it. Robin goes still, so Mrs. Wheeler ends up squeezing her arm a little as they look, startled and quiet, at each other.
"Angel," Mrs. Wheeler repeats. She releases Robin, smoothly lifts the bag of tapes, and takes Holly's hand. "See you soon."
When she's alone, Robin leans all her weight on the counter. She's a little dizzy and her stomach keeps jerking around like an old washing machine drum. She gives herself to a count of twenty to regain her composure, then whites-out the Wheelers' late fees in the account binder. The brush is clogged and she makes a mess of it. When it's dry, she opens a box of Sno-Caps and shakes a fistful into her mouth. Keith owes her dessert, anyway.
Fandom: Stranger Things
Pairing: Robin Buckley/Karen Wheeler
Rating: PG
Prompt: #227 - fix
Notes: title from Everything But the Girl
Word Count: 1150
Summary: Robin knows Mrs. Wheeler would never run up late fees.
"Robin," Keith says, "you're up. Lady's complaining about late fees."
"Lunch, dude." She lifts her sandwich and waves it. Little flakes of tuna and pickle shower down over the breakroom table.
"Trust me," he says, "you'll want to take this one."
Rolling her eyes, she pushes away from the table. "Fine."
"Thank me later."
"Can't make me." She pushes through the swinging saloon door to the front. As she drags the binder of membership info down the counter, she recites without looking up, "hi, welcome to Family Video. Where Hollywood's dreams come true. Right in your living room."
"Robin! I didn't know you were working today!"
Keith is such an asshole, pulling her off lunch for Mrs. Wheeler. As Robin's skin flashes hot and cold, she's suddenly convinced that her mouth reeks of tuna and Miracle Whip. She probably has pickles stuck in every tooth.
"Hi, Mrs. Wheeler. Keith said you had some late fees?"
"Robin," Mrs. Wheeler says severely. She frowns, but that just makes Robin all the more aware of her pretty coral lipstick and the cute wrinkle she gets over her nose. "What have I said?"
"Call you Karen," Robin replies. "Sorry."
When she smiles, Robin smiles back, but then it's too quiet for too long. Robin starts worrying all over again about tuna breath. Also body odor. Hers, that is; Mrs. Wheeler must roll out of bed smelling like lily of the valley.
"Late fee?" Robin asks. It sounds like a croak.
"Well, I just don't know. That horsey young man said we owed $18.50 but I'm sure I've never returned something late."
"You haven't, no." Robin knows that because she's a freak who pays a little too much attention.
"So then I thought, could it be Steve Harrington? Messing with our account? Petty revenge, I wonder, or he's trying to get Nancy's attention?"
"He wouldn't do that," Robin puts in. "Not to you, that is."
"Well, I just don't understand, Robin!"
"I'll get to the bottom of this," Robin says and heaves open the binder. "You and Holly go browse. I'll have it figured out by the time you're done."
Mrs. Wheeler reaches over and presses her palm (soft, very warm) over Robin's left hand. When she speaks, she holds Robin's gaze like it's the most important thing in the world. "Thank you."
"No problem," Robin says faintly, but Mrs. Wheeler is already hurrying after her daughter to corral her away from the horror section. "My pleasure."
Mrs. Wheeler always looks so pulled together. She favors pastels—even now, when it's dreary and cold, nearing Christmas—on her nails and lips, in her little cable sweaters and tight slacks. Her hair's always bouncy with honey highlights.
Robin has it so bad and she doesn't even know why. If Mrs. Wheeler were Robin's age, she'd probably be exactly like Nancy, whom Robin has yet to see the appeal of. Robin likes edgy women! Ellen Barkin and Nastassja Kinski, Isabelle Huppert and Karen Black, not Preppy Queen of the Country Club.
And yet. Mrs. Wheeler isn't just nice and remarkably pretty. She's sad around the eyes and sometimes hoarse, like she's been crying. She'll cup the back of Holly's skull and play with her hair while talking to adults. She's kind as well as softly curved.
The Wheeler account owes $18.50 in part because someone, no doubt a shrimpy little guy, kept Time Bandits out for four extra days. The majority of the late fees, however, are down to Apocalipsis Sexual and New Wave Hookers. Mike may be careening headfirst into puberty, but Robin's pretty sure these two are Mr. Wheeler's fault.
"Case closed," Robin tells Mrs. Wheeler when she returns. Holly pushes two boxes up. Glancing at them, Robin adds, "Nothing for you, uh. Karen?"
"I just can't decide."
"It can be pretty overwhelming in here." Robin retrieves the movies, a cartoon anthology of Betty Boop and The Muppets Take Manhattan, then holds them against her chest like a shield. "Sorry, but I can't let you have these until you get something for yourself."
Mrs. Wheeler's smile flickers, then catches and brightens. "You run a tough bargain."
Robin shrugs. "Get to browsing, Karen. I'll watch the muppet."
"I'm not a muppet!" Holly protests.
"Sorry, buddy, no, you're not. You're very much human."
Holly drifts to the candy display and starts poking each bag of M&M's like they've got a prize inside.
"What about this?" Mrs. Wheeler holds up the box to Daniel.
"Good, solid political drama, the kind Lumet's known for," Robin replies. "Lou Grant's in it, too. And Ellen Barkin's really—" Gorgeous. "Talented."
Mrs. Wheeler grins as she hands over the box. "You're so good at this."
"So are you!" Robin shakes her head immediately. "I mean—. Forget it. I'll get your tape."
She imagines lying down on the floor and rolling herself up in the shitty puke-green carpet down there and never, ever getting up.
"The late fee?"
Robin swallows hard. Sweat is crawling down her spine, even though it's 30 degrees out and the heat is only on sometimes. "Complete mistake, someone swapped the last two numbers of your account."
She has to straighten up and turn around, despite how fascinating this wall of black plastic tape boxes is. She can do this. She survived Soviet interrogation and an eldritch monster from another dimension! One incredibly pretty housewife with pink lips and soft skin and hoarse voice is survive-able. Probably.
"Here you go!" she says brightly, using the sing-song she thought she'd left behind in the ruins of Scoops Ahoy, as she turns around. "Three magical flicks for two lovely ladies."
"You're an angel," Mrs. Wheeler says after paying. She clicks shut her mint green wallet and stows it in her handbag. "What would I do without you?"
"I shudder to think, Mrs—. Karen."
Mrs. Wheeler nods approvingly. "You've made this old lady's day, Robin."
"Old lady?" Robin shades her eyes, looking around. "Where?"
Mrs. Wheeler slaps Robin's arm lightly. She has to reach across the counter to do it. Robin goes still, so Mrs. Wheeler ends up squeezing her arm a little as they look, startled and quiet, at each other.
"Angel," Mrs. Wheeler repeats. She releases Robin, smoothly lifts the bag of tapes, and takes Holly's hand. "See you soon."
When she's alone, Robin leans all her weight on the counter. She's a little dizzy and her stomach keeps jerking around like an old washing machine drum. She gives herself to a count of twenty to regain her composure, then whites-out the Wheelers' late fees in the account binder. The brush is clogged and she makes a mess of it. When it's dry, she opens a box of Sno-Caps and shakes a fistful into her mouth. Keith owes her dessert, anyway.
no subject
I love Robin's inner monologue and the way she doesn't embarrass Karen by telling her the truth about the late fees.
no subject
I don't think it even occurred to her to ever mention the late-fee truth. <3
no subject
Oh Robin.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Robin has it so bad and she doesn't even know why. If Mrs. Wheeler were Robin's age, she'd probably be exactly like Nancy, whom Robin has yet to see the appeal of. Robin likes edgy women! Ellen Barkin and Nastassja Kinski, Isabelle Huppert and Karen Black, not Preppy Queen of the Country Club.
Ohhhh, yes! I love that it's not logical, and she knows it's not logical, and it just gets her anyway. That's wonderful!
That's gorgeous! <3 <3 <3
no subject