Mr.

Hauser
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38379997.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Relationship: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & The Party, Steve
Harrington & The Party
Character: Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max"
Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 03
Stats: Published: 2022-04-14 Words: 1637

Mr. Hauser
by Shruggy

Summary

I recently listened to the Rebel Robin episodes and I really liked Mr. Hauser, if you haven't
listened I highly recommend it!
It's the first day of Robin's senior year and after that summer she goes to see her favorite
teacher again.

First day of school was going well, all things considered. Aside from the usual smart mouths that
he had to deal with but after all his years teaching they didn’t really faze him anymore. His lunch
period had rolled around and he took the time to look over his roster for the freshmen class he had
last period. He was good at picking up names quickly and remembering them but every shipment
of new students he needed a week or two to get them all down. He had gotten about half way
through the list when he heard a knock on his open classroom door.

“Knock Knock.” He knew that voice well, it had kept him company for the past two years during
his lunch breaks or free periods.

“Robin! How was your break?” He asked the girl who was now in her senior year.

“Um… good. It was good.” She said not seeming too sure of her answer.

“Is everything okay? You know by now that you can tell me if something is wrong.” She was
normally very headstrong, seeing her look almost frightened was really concerning him.

“Yeah I’m fine… Um how was your break? Was Italy nice?” She asked.

“It was beautiful, I really do hope you’ll be able to go someday. I have some pictures if you want to
take a look.” He said as he pulled out the stack of pictures he had brought specifically because
Robin had asked if would show her some when he came back.

The two flipped through the stack, him telling her the little stories of what was happening while
they were taken. At one point something caught Robin’s attention away from the photos. “Hey…
are you guys good?” He looked over to the doorway where he saw two students he hadn’t met
before, Freshmen, standing right outside the room.

“Oh um… sorry we were just looking for our classrooms for later.” The tall dark haired boy said.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt.” The red head girl said and went to pull the boy away, she was
clearly embarrassed.

“It’s okay, is this one of your classrooms?” He was quick to ask before they could make their
getaway.

“Uh, yes we’re both in this class last period.” The boy said looking down at the schedule he had in
his hand.

“Well then it’s nice to meet you, I’m Mr. Hauser I’ll be your teacher, and you are?”

“Mike, Michael Wheeler.” The boy said.

“Nancy’s brother I assume?”

“Yes sir.” He said nodding.

“Nice to meet you Mike, and you?” He asked the girl.

“Max Mayfield.” She said quietly.

“I look forward to last period.” He said trying to be as comforting as possible. The fact that they
were looking for their classrooms ahead of time was telling of how nervous they were.

“Where are the other two?” Robin asked. He wasn’t really sure how she knew these two but he
was happy that there were people in this school other than him she was willing to talk to.

“They have a different lunch than us and we… didn’t really know where to sit.” Mike said, looking
ashamed.

Robin took a deep breath and seemed to be considering something. “Tomorrow I’ll be in the
cafeteria and you two can hang out with me okay?”

“Thank you Robin.” The girl said looking relieved. It must be nice having a senior looking out for
you.

“You’re welcome and remind Dustin to go right to the parking lot when the bell rings, Steve and I
have to go straight to work.” She told them. “Now go find your other classes. I'll see you two later.”

They resumed their walk down the hall and Robin took her seat once more looking through the
images like nothing happened.

“So… you know those two youngins’?” He asked.

“Take a guess.” She said with a dry chuckle.

“It was nice of you to take them under your wing.” He said.
“Yeah well it would have been nice if someone had done it for me so…” She said.

“Where are you working now? I remember you had been at the movie theater but that closed
down.”

“I spent most of the summer working at the mall, I’m at the family video now so I guess I’ve kind
of come full circle.” She said, still flipping through his vacation pictures.

“You weren’t there when the mall burned down were you?” He asked. Despite being a good kid
Robin has a proclivity for getting into bad situations.

Robin stopped and got a weird look in her eye. “I was there… it wasn’t pretty but I guess not
everything was horrible about it for me. Is that a bad thing to say?” She asked.

“Well… if the good thing that happened to you is someone that you aren’t fond of being caught in
that-” he started.

“No, No absolutely not. Do you remember how you said that I should give people a chance more?”
She asked.

“I do remember that, have you finally actually taken that advice?”

“Yes but it wasn’t really voluntary.”

“What happened Robin?”

“So when I was working in the mall I worked pretty much everyday with Steve “The Hair”
Harrington.” He laughed a little at the nickname she gave him. “I thought it would be the worst
summer ever and I was going to be stuck with that cocky asshole everyday, excuse my french, but
then he was just different.” She said.

“Different how? I know Steve wasn’t exactly an attentive student but I never thought he was a bad
person.” He told her.

“He’s not but I thought he was. But then I spent every day with him, those two kids and four more
of them follow him like lost puppies and he’s kind to them. He drives them everywhere, he would
give them free ice cream, he snuck them into the movies, one time that girl, Max came by almost in
tears and he was able to calm her down and had her eating ice cream and laughing within minutes.
Would you ever think he would be that type of person?” She asked him.

“Well like I said I never thought he was a bad person but I will say him being so… nurturing is a
bit… surprising.” He admitted. Steve Harrington definitely did not seem like the type of young
person that would be okay with being seen as a caring person.

“He’s just such a good person and that night that the mall… burned down, we saved each other’s
lives and he’s like the one person in the world that I feel… I don’t know, safe to be around I
guess.” She said.

“I’m very sorry for what the two of you went through and the things that you must have seen that
night, however you are right in that something good did come out of it because you’ve found your
person in Steve.” He said happily.

“Him and I aren’t-”

“Dating?” He finished for her and she nodded. “You don’t have to be, having one person that can
be a companion like Steve has become for you can be anyone, a significant other, a family
member, or in your case a friend. I know you struggled for a long time with relations to your peers
but doesn’t having even one person who accepts you make all the difference?”

“It does… it really does. But now thanks to him I’ll have his gang of children following me
around.” She said laughing a bit.

“It's not so bad, maybe it’ll be like you’re a teacher who a certain few students like to go and
confide in.” He said, trying to draw their parallels.

“I doubt I’ll do as good of a job as you do.” She said.

“Well you making the offer to them is already leaps and bounds ahead of all my other colleagues if
that makes you feel better.” He said trying to reassure her. The way the kids looked at her, and
probably Steve, was like she was a savior.

“A bit.” The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. “Well thanks for your services as always Mr.
Hauser.” She said as she grabbed her bag.

“Anytime Robin, I’ll make sure to keep an eye on your kids.” He said.

“God no, they’re Steve’s kids, I’m just their weird aunt if anything. “ They both laughed. “But if
you have Dustin Henderson or Lucas St.Clair in any classes can you keep an eye out for them too?”
She asked seriously.

“Of course I will Robin, have a good day.”

“You too!”

He had to run out to his car once the bell rang to grab a file he would need for the teacher’s after
school meeting. As he made his way out he could see the wave of students coming out of the
building, among them he could see Robin and following behind her was Max and was it Justin?
Two of the students in his last period class. They were walking towards a dark red car waiting in
the parking lot. He remembered what Robin had said about going to work with Steve immediately
after school.

He chuckled when he saw Robin pull the curly haired boy back by his shirt when he tried to take
the front seat. She took her spot and Max and the other boy who he was sure was named Justin got
in the back.

He was proud of Robin, she seemed more troubled from what she went through this summer, there
is no doubt but also she finally had friends. Never would he have thought that the former “King” of
the school would end up being her closest friend but life just worked out weird sometimes,
especially in a place like Hawkins.

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