#jonathan byers x nancy wheeler | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dwobbitfromtheshire · 4 months ago

Text

All I Know

A Stoncy fanfiction

Summary: What if the Byers had stayed behind in Hawkins? What if Jonathan had helped Nancy with the mysterious murders? When Jonathan's perception of Steve begins to change, so does his relationship with Nancy.

It had been a hard year, especially for Jonathan's mother, so when Joyce said she had a conference, he chose to believe her. Even though it had been hard for her when she lost Hopper, she knew it would be harder if she dragged her kids away from their friends. . .from the people they loved. So, they stayed in Hawkins. She clearly needed some time away, and Jonathan offered his services with the help of his new friend, Argyle, who had transferred over the summer from California. Argyle had given him a lot of perspective (as well as a lot of weed) on who he used to be, that he held onto a lot of anger, and that he judged people unfairly. Argyle definitely had a unique way of looking at things. When Argyle offered to look after the kids while he helped Nancy with her investigation, he didn't think it would lead to this.

"Steve!" Jonathan screamed with Nancy.

He watched as Steve was dragged underneath the waters of Lover's Lake. He didn't think it would go like this. He just wanted to help Eddie as well as Nancy. There was no way that he was a murderer. . .especially Chrissy. He knew from the few talks he had with Argyle and Eddie that Eddie had a crush on the girl. He wasn't like that. . .he wouldn't kill someone he liked. . .hell, he wouldn't kill someone he hated. He didn't expect to feel anything for Steve Harrington, let alone have his entire opinion of him changed as he watched him in action. . .as he watched him with the kids. He recalled sitting with him at Nancy's as they tried to sleep but they ended up being the only two awake.

"You're good with them," Jonathan muttered.

"With the kids?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Jonathan said.

"I don't know, I feel like I'm failing them sometimes," Steve said.

"That's what every sibling feels like. . .well, every good one, anyway," Jonathan said. "Besides, if you can handle Dustin at his worst, you're a better man than I am."

"I love that kid," Steve laughed. "But yeah, he's definitely a lot to handle. . .wouldn't trade him for the world though."

Jonathan remembered the way that Steve had looked at Dustin's sleeping form, and he knew that Steve would do anything in the world to keep him safe. He was the same way with Will. He realized then that it was who Steve had always been. . .the person who had hidden behind the persona of King Steve and the expectations that came with being a king. . . the popularity of it all. Jonathan had been too blinded to see it before. . .too blinded by a few rotten eggs like Tommy Hagan, though he supposed that Steve had been blinded too. With that, Jonathan didn't waste any time jumping in after Steve.

"Fuck," Jonathan muttered.

Steve was surrounded by bat like creatures, being choked and chewed on. He and Nancy picked up some oars to beat away the bats, Steve writhing on the ground in pain. He had saved himself, too. He got up and tore the bat in half with his feet, reminding Jonathan of the way that Steve had stormed into the house and picked up the bat to swing at the demogorgon. Just like Steve, he swung at the bats with all his might. More were coming, however, and the ones that arrived had surrounded the gate back to the other side. They had no choice but to dive for cover under Skull Rock. It was Nancy who had noticed that Steve had fallen behind, who had collapsed against the rock. Together, Jonathan and Nancy bandaged Steve's wounds.

"Hey," Jonathan said to a rambling Robin. "That's not very helpful."

She had been blathering on about rabies, and while Jonathan tried not to think about something possibly bursting out of Steve's stomach, he knew that Steve was even more scared.

"It's alright, I'm used to her freaking out. In fact, I would be worried if she wasn't," Steve said and smirked. "But thanks for coming to my defense."

Jonathan blushed and focused on Steve's very hairy chest. Was it always that hairy? He had been on the swim team, so he probably used to shave it. Jonathan was glad that he wasn't a part of that any longer, and he could feel face turn a brighter shade of red. Just as they were moving out of the rock, the ground began to shake. Nancy and Jonathan fell into Steve's arms. Even after it was over, Steve held onto them. It was nice.

"You can let go of us now," Nancy said.

"What if I don't want to?" he whispered, and then he realized what he said. "I mean, because I'm injured. I've lost blood, don't listen to me."

Jonathan laughed at him as they pulled away, getting up and dusting themselves off. They began to talk about what their next plan of attack was. Before moving forward, they needed things to protect themselves. They needed guns, which Nancy had some in her bedroom.

"Nancy Wheeler has guns in her bedroom?" Eddie asked. "Plural?"

"She's a surprise, isn't she?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, Nancy almost took my head off with one of them," Steve smirked.

"You almost deserved it," Nancy laughed.

Jonathan remembered when he had been so jealous back then, watching Nancy with Steve, and now there was this feeling in his chest, one of relief and affection. He liked seeing them flirt now. . .what was that about?

"He never deserved any of it," Jonathan said with a soft smile. "Well, except when I gave his ass a good beating."

"Hm, I remember you hitting me but I think I would have remembered you beating my ass," Steve grinned.

"Shut the fuck up," Jonathan laughed, blushing again.

Suddenly, Eddie threw his vest at Steve. . .right in his face.

"For your modesty," Eddie said.

Jonathan scowled, remembering the boat incident. . .when Steve ripped off his sweater. Jonathan couldn't help but stare, and when Steve threw it at Eddie, he couldn't help but notice that Eddie couldn't keep his eyes off of Steve either. Jonathan ripped the vest out of Steve's hands and tossed it back to Eddie. Jonathan shrugged out of his button-up, leaving him in a white shirt, and handed it to Steve. Everyone looked at him in amusement.

"What?" Jonathan asked as Steve slipped on the shirt with a grin.

As they headed towards Nancy's house, Robin, Nancy, and Eddie walked ahead. Steve hung back with Jonathan.

"Thanks for saving my life back there," Steve said.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"With the oar," Steve said. "And the bats. . .thanks, man."

"Oh, well, it wasn't just me," Jonathan said. "You saved yourself, too."

"Yeah," Steve said.

"Even after everything. . .I wouldn't let you die," Jonathan said. "I couldn't let you die. For the longest time, I was so fucking jealous of you. . .the big house, the friends . . . all of it, I just couldn't accept that someone like you was so good. My jealousy blinded me to a lot of things and some of those things I'm not very proud of. I judged you harshly, and I judged Nancy for sleeping with you. You're a good man, Steve, and you should be told that. . .you deserve to hear that every once in a while."

"You're a good man, too, Jonathan," Steve blushed.

"You know, Dustin. . .he looks up to you," Jonathan said. "He practically worships you and so does everyone else. I'm starting to see why now."

"Your brother looks up to you, too," Steve said. "You're all that he can talk about sometimes whenever I give them rides."

"That's nice to hear," Jonathan said, and with a sinking feeling, he realized that he hadn't talked to Will, El, Mike, or Argyle in a while.

"Hey, we're going to get back to them," Steve said. "With Nancy leading the charge, I don't doubt that we're going to make it. You're going to see your siblings again."

Jonathan studied him, the feeling in his chest overflowing with affection for this man right here in front of him.

"It was pretty cool, what you did with the bat," Jonathan said. "Kind of like Ozzy Osborne biting the head off that bat. As Eddie would probably say. . .totally metal."

"You know, I was jealous of him for a while. Dustin wouldn't stop talking about him, and I was worried that. . .I don't know, that Dustin wouldn't like me as much anymore, that he wouldn't think me nearly as cool anymore. . .which now, thanks to you, I know, is totally stupid," Steve said, and Jonathan laughed.

Jonathan stared at him again, closing his mouth, before looking back at Nancy. He thought about what had happened back then. . .what happened between him and Nancy. He thought about Steve having gotten hurt because of that, how he never bothered to apologize because he had convinced himself that Steve hadn't really loved her. God, what an asshole he had been.

"I'm sorry, Steve," Jonathan said.

He turned and looked at him questioningly, raising one of his perfect eyebrows.

"For what?" Steve asked.

"For everything that happened with Nancy. I never thought - I just assumed that her misery had something to do with you, and I never thought it was because of Barb. My jealousy and my stupidity drove a wedge between you two. She never even told me until later how often you were there for her after Barb's death," Jonathan said. "You weren't a shitty boyfriend, I assumed the worst about you. And Nancy, I don't think she ever stopped loving you."

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked.

"She didn't waste a single second. . .didn't hesitate to go in after you, and I've seen the way she looks at you, the way that you look at her," Jonathan said. "I wouldn't be too upset if you guys got back together, you both deserve a second chance."

"What about you?" Steve asked softly.

"We'll figure something out," Jonathan shrugged. "It's Nancy's choice, really, and if she wants us both, I'm not sure if I can argue with her on it."

"Yeah," Steve said with a grin.

"All I know is that I wish I could give my past self a swift kick in the ass," Jonathan said. "Steve Harrington is a good man, and he always has been. I judged you before I even got to know you. . ."

Steve reached over, and to Jonathan's surprise, he took his hand, interlacing their fingers together.

"So you don't get lost," Steve said. "My favorite color is blue, by the way. Most people assume I like stuff like Wham, which I do, I also like Bob Seger, Queen, even that one Clash song. . .what? I thought you wanted to know."

"Go on," Jonathan said, flashing his dimples.

"Deathly afraid of spiders. Thanks to Robin, I'm going to have nightmares about babies hatching from my hair for weeks," Steve said.

"She's sort of a menace, isn't she?" Jonathan asked in amusement.

"Yeah," Steve said fondly. "But she's my other half. . .well, platonically speaking. I also like to read as much as I like basketball. . .uh, mostly mystery novels. I love Nancy Drew. Of course, I can't read very well without my glasses. . ."

Glasses. Steve Harrington wears glasses. Something inside of Jonathan seemed to snap a little. He shook his head, focusing on the road ahead. They arrived at Nancy's house and moved into her bedroom to discover that the guns weren't there. Nancy grabbed her diary, realizing that it was stuck on the same day that Will went missing. Jonathan glanced at Eddie, who peered over Nancy's shoulder with Robin.

"You and Steve met reaching for the same romance novel?" Eddie asked.

"Oh yeah, I like romance novels," Steve said and Jonathan laughed.

Nancy gave him a questioningly look, and he realized he was still holding Steve’s hand. He shrugged. After that, they managed to get a hold of Dustin thanks to Steve and made their way on bikes to Eddie's trailer to see if Dustin's theory was right about there being a gate at each murder site. Then suddenly, they were at the trailer and going through the gate. It all happened so fast. Nancy was about to climb up the makeshift rope when she got cursed. She was standing there, her eyes a different shade of blue.

"NANCY?!" Steve and Jonathan screamed.

They both shook her, screaming her name. Jonathan looked at Steve, and both of them were unsure of what to do. They could hear the others yelling at them.

"Is her favorite song still. . .?" Steve asked Jonathan.

"Fire and Rain?" Jonathan asked. "Yeah, she listened to it a lot after you two broke up."

It had been an awkward time after Murray's. Their first time together. . .it happened so fast that they didn't have time to think. When the dust settled and they were hanging out in his room, he kissed Nancy again. It freaked him out so much when she burst into tears that he hadn't kissed her for a long time after that. He hadn't expected her to be so upset about her break up with Steve, and yet again, he assumed it was Steve’s fault. He gave her the space she needed, and when she was ready to kiss him, he let her. It took even longer for them after that to have sex and even after that, it always seemed like her thoughts lay elsewhere. He knew she regretted how they started out, and as he looked at Steve, Jonathan regretted it, too. Why shouldn't Nancy have been upset? Her and Steve had been together for a long time. He realized now that the only thing that had been holding them back was the cloud of Barb's death and Jonathan himself.

"Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone. Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you. I walked out this morning, and I wrote down this song. I just can't remember who to send it to. . ." Steve started to sing.

Jonathan stared at him for a second and realized what he was doing. He cleared his throat and joined in.

"I've seen fire, and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again," Jonathan sang with Steve.

Right in the middle of the song, Nancy collapsed in their arms sobbing. She clutched them both tightly.

"I heard you, I heard you," she cried.

And when they pulled her up, she threw herself into both of their arms, hugging them tightly. They helped her through the gate, and Dustin threw himself at her. Nancy chuckled weakly.

"You scared the shit out of us, Nance," Dustin said.

Max offered up her trailer since her mom wouldn't be there. Jonathan couldn't help but frown at that, and then he thought about his siblings. Shit, he really needed to get back home to them. They had to be out of their mind with worry. Nancy needed him here, too, though. The look on her face. . .she was pretty shaken up. She still couldn't say anything, and Jonathan knew they were all tired. He knew that Steve was right and they should get some sleep. It was an easy thing to say and a harder thing to do in this situation. However, Nancy had curled up between Steve and Jonathan, afraid to let either of them go, and managed to succumb to sleep. It was a restless night for all of them. The next morning came early, and everyone listened as Nancy told them of Vecna's plan.

"We have to go back. We have to stop him," Nancy said, her back to them and her arms crossed.

"Bullshit!" Jonathan and Steve yelled.

For once, they were on the same page. How were they supposed to take on someone as powerful as Vecna? Jonathan had been hesitant when Nancy had wanted to take on the lab but hadn't really voiced his concerns outloud then. Jonathan had opened his mouth, but Robin had beat him to the punch.

"Okay, how are we supposed to go up against Vecna/Henry/One when we don't have powers of our own? El doesn't have her powers anymore, in case you forgot. It's like a mouse trying to take on a lion. . .the odds are against us!" Robin rambled.

"Because we have to try and stop him before he gets to Max!" Nancy yelled. "Before he destroys this town. . .we have to at least try."

Dustin suggested that Vecna, like El, had a weakness. He was vulnerable when he remotely traveled. That's when Max suggested they use her as bait. . .it was the only chance they had at winning even if one in the room liked it.

"We need more firepower," Robin pointed out.

"Uh, I know a place," Eddie spoke up.

Jonathan stood next to Nancy as they watched Eddie throw down the phone book like it was a treasure map. They all crowded in around him to see what he was pointing to. The War Zone. Of course, they needed something bigger than their cars to carry the weapons. Eddie made another suggestion. It wasn't exactly his vehicle, though. Jonathan narrowed his eyes at Eddie, who was standing a little too close to Steve as he grinned at him. Jonathan had to remind himself that he liked Eddie. He was a decent friend. Jonathan managed to swallow his jealousy long enough to get his head in the game and help steal an RV.

"I'm not sure if I like you being behind the wheel, Eddie," Robin told him.

Eddie was hot wiring the vehicle with Robin and Steve standing behind him. Steve was leaning too close to Eddie, Jonathan noticed. If felt like his stomach was swarming with bees. . .buzzing with pure jealousy.

"Oh, I'm just starting this baby up," Eddie grinned, leaning in closer to Steve. "Harrington's got her, don't ya. . .big boy."

Okay, now the bees were on fire, and they were screaming with fury. Jonathan scowled and turned to Nancy to find her just as annoyed as he was. Jonathan was grateful when Steve was finally able to take his place, and Eddie had moved away from them. Although it was very rocky driving away from the people who they stole the RV from. Jonathan ended up falling into Nancy's lap when the RV slowed down. Nancy secured her arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly. Eddie had enjoyed the ride, plopping down into the spot behind Steve’s chair with a grin. Jonathan leaned forward to whisper to Eddie so Steve couldn't hear him.

"What are you doing?" Jonathan hissed at him.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"You're flirting with Steve," Nancy whispered.

"No, I'm not," Eddie frowned. "Or am I? Is that flirting?"

"Yes," Nancy and Jonathan hissed.

"Okay, either you two are homophobic," Eddie said with narrowed eyes until he grinned, his eyes popping open wide. "Or you're jealous."

"What?" Nancy asked, blushing.

"That's ridiculous," Jonathan said.

"Well, then I guess you won't mind me hitting on him again," Eddie said.

"Don't," they hissed.

"Don't worry, I won't try and steal someone else's man even if he did give me a goddamn bisexual crisis during the spring break from hell," Eddie sighed.

"Steve can date whoever he wants to," Jonathan said, blushing.

"Yeah, that's true," Eddie said. "But he clearly has eyes for you two. . .whatever happened between you guys, I would get him back before someone else snatched him up. . .all of it. . .unambiguous signs of true love. . .you were both pretty quick to jump in after him."

Nancy and Jonathan leaned back. Nancy looked at Jonathan with a questioning look on her face.

"Were you jealous?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah," Jonathan said.

"Do you have feelings for him?" She asked.

"I think I do," Jonathan said. "It's crazy but I still love you."

"I have feelings for him, too. Honestly, I don't think they ever went away," Nancy said. "I still love you, too."

"I kinda - I kinda like the idea of him being our man," Jonathan said, blushing.

"Me, too. Let's go find a better seat. It looks like Eddie's trying to take the passenger's seat," Nancy said.

Jonathan snickered with Eddie as Nancy flipped him off on the way up there. She sat down in the passenger's seat, grabbed Jonathan by his hips, and yanked him into her lap.

"You guys do that a lot?" Steve asked.

"Oh, yeah, I like seeing him sitting pretty on my lap," Nancy said.

"He does look pretty," Steve said, and Jonathan felt his heart flutter at his words.

Nancy grinned, touching her scrunched up nose to his cheek.

"Thank you," Jonathan said.

They kept driving for a few more minutes in peaceful silence before Steve started talking.

"It's silly. . .," Steve said and cleared his throat. "But I've actually always had this dream that I'd have this really big - it's really big - family. A full brood of Harringtons. I'm talking like five or six."

"Six?" Nancy and Jonathan asked quietly.

"Yeah, six little nuggets. Three girls, three boys. And I figured every summer all of us Harringtons we would pack into something like this and just see the country. You know, the Rockies, Grand Canyon, maybe Yellowstone. End up in a beachside town in California. Spend a week parked in the sand. Learn how to surf or something," Steve said.

"That sounds nice," Nancy said softly.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking at the both of them.

"Yeah," Jonathan agreed.

He could see it all unfolding before him in his mind. He could see Steve driving, Nancy writing an article sprawled out somewhere, and Jonathan teaches the kids about photography while showing them what they might look for.

"Well, except for the six kids part," Nancy said casually. "That sounds like a total nightmare."

"If only I had some practice," Steve said.

"Fair, that's very fair," Nancy said.

"We've definitely had practice ourselves," Jonathan said.

"Hey, I've had practice, too," Eddie spoke up gleefully.

Jonathan made sure Steve wasn't paying attention when he casually kicked Eddie.

"Ow!"

"You okay, man?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I, uh, accidentally bit my tongue," Eddie said. "Silly me."

"Hey, we're here," Steve said.

"We can-NOT be at the War Zone yet," Eddie said.

Jonathan looked out in front of him and blinked in surprise.

"We're at my house," Jonathan said.

"Well, you were worried about your brother and sister. I thought you'd want to check on them before we head to the War Zone," Steve said.

Jonathan looked at him, his heart pounding in his chest. Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind now. He was in love with this man. Jonathan squeezed his shoulder in thanks before leaving the RV. Nancy and Steve followed behind him, leaving Robin in the RV with the others. Jonathan froze when he stepped out of the vehicle. Argyle's van was gone, and the front door was wide open. Jonathan cursed and ran into the house. Oh god. The place was a mess. There were bullet holes in the walls, and there was blood. . .Oh god, Jonathan was going to be sick.

"Oh my god!" Nancy yelled.

"Jesus, what the hell?" Steve asked.

"They're gone. . .they're gone," Jonathan whispered. "Why does this keep happening?! I told mom - I told her they'd be okay with me."

"Mike was with them," Nancy said, her face pale.

Jonathan felt like he couldn't breathe. He should have stayed with them - instead, he was - he couldn't focus. Suddenly, he was being pulled into Steve’s arms, him and Nancy both.

"They're going to be okay. . .they're tough," Steve said. "Besides, Argyle's van is gone, which means they got out. Argyle is with them."

"Yeah, but they could be anywhere, and what if they caught up to them. . .," Nancy said.

"I know, it's not what you want to hear, but we can't think about that right now. Argyle's with them, and we trust Argyle, right?" Steve asked.

"Of course," Jonathan said.

"We've got a bigger problem right now that needs to be stopped. This is your plan, Nancy. Are we going to go through with it or abandon it?" Steve asked.

Jonathan sighed into his arms as he thought about it. Steve was right. They had to finish it and then they could find the others. This was bigger than them.

"Go through with it," Nancy whispered.

Jonathan buried his face into the crook of Steve’s neck and breathed him in. He gagged.

"You stink," Jonathan said.

"Well, you don't exactly smell like a rose either, sweetheart," Steve said.

"We all stink," Nancy giggled. "Let's go."

To Jonathan's dismay, they both pulled out of Steve’s arms. The three of them moved back to the RV with heavy hearts.

"Well?" Dustin asked Jonathan.

"I, uh, they weren't home. Probably out looking for us," Jonathan replied.

"I bet they're at my house right now," Nancy said. "We can't check and make sure. We have to get to the War Zone immediately. No more stops."

Steve got the RV started again while Nancy and Jonathan piled into the passenger's seat again.

"They'll be okay, Nancy," Jonathan whispered.

He didn't know who he was trying to convince more, himself or Nancy.

"I know," Nancy said softly.

Nancy and Jonathan quickly ushered Steve into the bathroom of the War Zone to properly bandage him as well as tend to his feet. He didn't think about Steve going barefoot all this time, and he winced at the sight of his feet. Once that was done, Steve slipped on a new pair of socks and shoes. He also got a new camouflage shirt and a brown leather jacket that looked really good on him.

"So, what do you think?" Steve asked.

"Uh, yeah, definitely," Nancy said, her cheeks red.

"It's a good look for you, Steve," Jonathan said, and he could definitely feel his own cheeks grow warm.

They moved out of the bathroom and continued shopping for supplies. They couldn't keep their eyes off of Steve, who was talking softly to Robin, whose eyes were locked on a redheaded girl. Nancy and Jonathan looked away, almost missing Jason Carver approach them. It was a rush to get out of there after that. As they were driving off, Jonathan wondered how much of the stuff they actually paid for.

The party settled down in a clearing to prepare for battle. Everyone had their jobs. Lucas and Eric would be making the spears. Eddie and Dustin were making the shields. Max and Nancy were preparing the guns. Meanwhile, Jonathan was more than happy to help Steve and Robin with the molotovs. It was hard to concentrate on what they were saying when Steve’s knee kept brushing up against his own. He wondered if Steve was doing it on purpose. Something about hope. . .and they had to try? Steve’s body being pressed up against his made his head all fuzzy.

"Jonathan," Steve called to him, and he looked at him, surprised. "You have something on your face. . .it's an eyelash. Here, let me. . ."

Jonathan sucked in a breath as Steve cupped his face and brushed his thumb under his eyes. Robin was smiling at both of them. Could she hear his heart beating loudly in his chest? Steve held out his thumb to him, and Jonathan leaned forward to blow on it. . .keeping eye contact with Steve. He swallowed, his cheeks turning pink as he stared at Jonathan.

"What did you wish for?" Steve asked, dropping his hand.

"You know I can't tell you that," Jonathan said, and then he smirked. "But you'll find out."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Fucking adorable," Robin muttered under her breath with a grin.

Eddie, Dustin, and Steve would be the decoys, the ones to distract the bats guarding the Creel House. Meanwhile, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan would be the ones going to do everything they could to take down Vecna. Jonathan didn't want to leave Steve behind, but he knew that he needed to stay to look after Eddie and Dustin. Looking at Nancy, he knew she hated to have to do this, too. They stood in the Upside Down, right outside of Eddie's trailer, looking at each other.

"Before you go," Steve said, making sure the others didn't overhear him. "I just wanted you to know that I meant every word in the RV, but I left out an important part, the most important part. You were there, you were always there. . .the both of you."

Jonathan stared at him, his heart filling with joy at his words, and yet he couldn't help but look at him in disbelief. Was this really happening? Steve’s wide, extremely expressive hazel eyes told him that it was, that Steve was telling the truth. Jonathan cupped the back of his neck and pulled Steve into a kiss. It was a good kiss, very sweet, even though they both desperately needed to brush their teeth. Jonathan couldn't help but giggle at the thought as Steve returned the kiss, placing his hands on hips to steady him.

"Oh my god!" Dustin exclaimed.

Suddenly, he heard a loud slapping sound, and Jonathan pulled away. He looked around Steve to find that Eddie had slapped a hand over Dustin's mouth.

"Bats, butthead," Eddie hissed at him.

When Jonathan looked back at Steve, he found that Nancy had quickly taken his place and was now kissing Steve. Nancy pulled back, a hand on his face as she gazed fondly at him.

"Stay safe," Nancy said.

"You, too," Steve said softly.

Steve pulled Jonathan and Nancy into his arms, holding them tightly for a moment before letting them go. They walked off in silence, looking back at Steve one last time. Jonathan and Nancy took each other's hand, clutching them tightly.

"So, what are your intentions with my platonic soulmate?" Robin asked.

"What?" Nancy asked. "Are you serious?"

"Well, he has been hurt by the both of you before," Robin said. "I'm just protecting my best friend's heart like he would mine."

"We just want to make him happy," Jonathan said. "Like we know he would make us happy. We know we have a lot to make up for, but we want to make it work."

"He's worth it," Nancy said softly.

"Good answers," Robin said, smiling and pausing. "By the way, I was totally fucking with you but if you hurt my friend. . .you hurt me. Honestly, I swear to God, have you seen him cry? It's like seeing a puppy cry. How the hell does he do that with his eyes?"

"I never want to make him cry again," Nancy said.

"Good. . .I honestly think you three are really great together," Robin said.

"And you don't think it's weird?" Jonathan asked.

"I would be the worst lesbian in the world if I judged you for being in a queer relationship," Robin said with a grin.

"I am in a queer relationship. . . Now that I think about it, I don't think gender has been the thing that drawn me to someone," Nancy said thoughtfully.

"So, if Jonathan was a girl, you'd still fall in love with him?" Robin asked.

"It's all about the story inside and not necessarily what's on the cover," Nancy said. "I fell for Jonathan because I saw how hard he was willing to fight for the people he loved. I thought it was noble."

"Hm, that's crazy. That's why Steve fell for you," Robin said.

"Really?" Nancy asked.

"You showed him what was truly important," Robin said. "You didn't just want him for his body. You wanted something meaningful, and he'd seen how much you cared about Barb. It made him realize that Tommy and Carol would never go looking for him if he went missing. They wouldn't be bothered to try."

"He told you that?" Nancy said.

"Yeah," Robin said. "And I guess it's also what made him fall for Jonathan. You know, underneath all that hair is a little boy who just wants someone to come home to him. . .unlike his shitty parents."

Jonathan couldn't help but smile and at the same time feel a little sad. Isn't that what they're all trying to do? Find someone to make any place a home, whether it's platonic or romantic. Although, he'd definitely prefer his home with Steve and Nancy to be very romantic.

"Jonathan would definitely make a pretty girl," Nancy said.

"Oh, for sure, and I still mean that platonically," Robin said.

"How did we get back on that?" Jonathan asked.

"Pay attention, baby," Nancy said.

"I was thinking about Steve," Jonathan said.

"Well, since you were thinking about our boyfriend, you're forgiven," Nancy said.

"Our boyfriend," Jonathan smiled, and she smiled back.

"Oh! The redheaded girl in the War Zone. . .was she someone you're interested in?" Nancy asked Robin, and Jonathan smiled encouragingly at her.

"Vickie," Robin sighed dreamily and then proceeded to launch into a rant about her.

Walking into the Creel House was a far less lighthearted affair. As soon as they walked up the stairs once they got the signal from the other side, they were grabbed by the vines and held against the wall as the vines tried to choke the life out of them. For a moment, Jonathan could hear his mother's voice, and he could feel her presence. The vines let them go, dropping them suddenly as though someone had stopped them. Jonathan had the strange feeling that his mother definitely had something to do with that. They continued to move further into the house, and then finally, they walked into the attic. Jonathan and Robin lit the molotovs. They threw them at the same time while Nancy aimed her shotgun at Vecna's head and began to fire. With a roar, Vecna awoke and freed himself from the vines, the flames licking at his body. He moved towards Nancy, who stood front and center. She kept firing until she ran out of ammo. Jonathan panicked and took the axe from his bag.

"Nancy!" Jonathan yelled.

Nancy dropped the gun, and he threw the axe at her. She managed to catch it and swung it into Vecna's neck just as he approached her. Henry looked at them with surprise. The axe was embedded into his neck. Nancy yanked it out with a yell and swung it again. The second swing did the trick, knocking Henry's head right off his body. It rolled away from them. Nancy pushed it back with the axe, and Robin immediately began pouring the last remaining alcohol onto Vecna. Jonathan flicked the lighter and tossed it onto the decapitated body. They watched it burn, waiting for Vecna to suddenly jump up and grab them.

"Dude," Robin said. "You threw an axe at your girlfriend. I'm so telling Steve."

Nancy burst into a fit of giggles, shaking her head at Robin.

"You're an idiot," Nancy said affectionately.

"Anyone got any marshmallows?" Robin asked casually.

"You're so strange," Jonathan laughed. "But I like that about you."

As they were exiting the house, the ground started to shake, but there were no chiming clocks, so they took that to mean that Max was safe. Yet, Jonathan couldn't help but feel like something was off. They needed to hurry, anyway. Who knows how long the gates would stay open for? When they got close to the trailer, they heard Dustin scream.

"STEVE!"

"GODDAMNIT! STEVE, MAN, STAY WITH US. . .JUST HOLD ON!" They heard Eddie scream. "FUCK. I'M SORRY!"

The trio didn't waste a single second. They took off as soon as they heard the screams. Eddie and Dustin were struggling to get a bloody Steve off the ground. They pulled his arms around, and then Steve screamed in pain. Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan raced over.

"What the fuck happened?!" Nancy snapped.

"Eddie tried to be a goddamn hero," Dustin said. "And Steve tried to stop him from being stupid."

"The bats were on their way back, I thought I needed to buy you more time to return," Eddie said.

"The plan was to get back through the gate when you were done," Jonathan said.

"This isn't very helpful," Steve muttered.

"Can you walk?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm going to need help getting through the gate," Steve winced.

Jonathan replaced Dustin and helped Eddie get Steve back to the trailer. He was trying not to cry or listen to the sound of Nancy's frightened sobs behind them. He also tried not to look at the wound on Steve’s cheek. This is the worst he'd ever seen him. They managed to get him through the gate, and Steve stood up on his own feet for a moment before collapsing.

"STEVE!"

TWO DAYS LATER. . .

" . . . She totally thought I was dating Steve," Robin laughed.

"Seriously?" Jonathan asked as he glanced at Nancy.

They were currently at Jonathan's house cleaning up the place for his siblings and mom's return home. They had called and left messages that they should be home by today. They were all working around the clock to clean up all the blood and bullet holes.

"I didn't know!" Nancy blushed and glared at Jonathan. "It's not like you knew."

"Actually. . ." Jonathan trailed.

"How?" Nancy and Robin asked.

"At Starcourt mall," Jonathan said. "Your shoes. . ."

"You never said anything," Robin said with wide eyes.

"It wasn't my place to say anything, and you didn't know me very well," Jonathan shrugged.

Robin laughed and hugged him tightly. Nancy's watched beeped, and Robin pulled away from the hug.

"Time for you guys to check on Steve?" She asked. "I'll keep eyes on the kiddos."

Jonathan peeled off his gloves and followed Nancy to his room. Eddie was leaning against the doorframe, his bandaged arms folded over the clothes he borrowed from Jonathan. There was a frown set on Eddie's face.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for this, Eddie," Nancy said softly. "He's going to be okay."

"I know, I just - he wouldn't have gotten hurt if it hadn't been for me," Eddie said.

"You made a choice, and so did he," Jonathan said. "Respect that."

"You should probably go back in there. Max and Lucas are ganging up on Dustin again with the Neverending Story song," Nancy said in amusement.

"And if you don't go in there, Dustin won't have any back up," Jonathan said.

"Fair point," Eddie said solemnly.

He moved out of the doorway and went into the living room. Jonathan and Nancy shared a laugh when they heard Eddie joining in instead of helping Dustin. They turned to Steve, who was sleeping in the middle of Jonathan's bed. He was heavily bandaged, pale, and sweaty. Nancy touched his forehead and then felt for his pulse.

"No fever, so that's good," Nancy whispered. "Heartrate is steady."

Nancy continued to feel his pulse point, letting herself know that he was alive. Jonathan brushed back his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead. Suddenly, there came a loud knock on the door and the sound of someone opening it.

"Oh my god!" Dustin exclaimed. "It's Will, Mike, and El! And Argyle."

Jonathan rushed out of the room with Nancy and found Will being hugged tightly by Dustin. He pulled himself away.

"Jonathan!" Will exclaimed.

Jonathan immediately rushed over to his brother and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," Jonathan said.

"Stop. We all did what we had to do, we always do," Will said.

While Nancy hugged Mike, Jonathan pulled away from Will and wrapped his arms around Argyle.

"Thanks for looking after them," Jonathan said.

"You're welcome, brocacho," Argyle said. "Anytime."

"Argy!" Eddie exclaimed and threw his arms around him.

Jonathan laughed. Argyle had a crush on Eddie since he stepped foot in Hawkins high. He hoped that Eddie would see what was right in front of him and let go of his crush on Steve. Jonathan frowned, suddenly realizing how much it must have killed Argyle to know that he couldn't help Eddie. Shit. Now, he felt guilty for convincing him to stay.

The newly reunited party (minus a few people) sat down to catch each other up on what happened. They knew most of what happened because of El's trips into the void. She had gotten her powers back with the help of Dr. Owens and, unfortunately, Dr. Brenner. Jonathan clenched his jaw, hating the fact that he wasn't there when his sister had to be retraumatized again. El reached over and took his hand as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I helped save our home. I was needed there, and you were needed here. You can not be there for us all the time," El said. "I know you would have if you could."

Jonathan blinked at her and smiled. It was easy to call her sister. He knew it the minute she was willing to do the difficult think back then and use her powers to help find Will. When Hopper and Joyce helped her into the homemade deprivation tank, he felt that familial tug like he did with Mom, Will, and even sometimes Hopper. Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew this girl was going to be their sister. Their family.

"Okay, we're all caught up. We're all alive. Let's get this finished before Joyce comes home," Dustin said, clapping his hands.

"Hold on, Robin's here. . .where's Steve?" Will asked.

"He's resting in my room," Jonathan said. "He got hurt pretty badly."

"How bad?" El asked.

Before Jonathan could answer, the front door opened, and Joyce popped her head in.

"Hey, guys," Joyce said.

"Mom!" Will, Jonathan and El yelled.

They rushed to hug her as she entered the house. Jonathan sighed in relief, feeling better now that their mother was here. As they were hugging, another person came in. His tall frame was familiar, and for a moment, he didn't recognize him until he took off his hat. Hopper. El let out a cry and threw herself into his arms.

"I kept the door open three inches," El cried, and Hopper laughed.

Jonathan and Will let them have their moment before El stepped aside. As El hugged Joyce, Jonathan and Will hugged Hopper. Jonathan blinked away his tears, beyond happy that the closest person he had to a father was back from the dead. As they were hugging, Jonathan's own watch started beeping. He pulled away from the hug.

"Time to change Steve’s bandages," Jonathan said.

"Did Steve get hurt?" Joyce asked.

"If you call him getting his flesh devoured by bats from another dimension hurt, then yes, yes he did," Robin said.

"Can you not phrase it like that?" Nancy asked.

"The fleshmeat did get eaten, though, and would have been digested by the creatures if Nancy hadn't killed Vecna," Robin said.

"Oh my god, I'm never eating meat again," Will said.

Nancy rolled her eyes at Robin and walked away. Jonathan followed her to his room. Steve was still fast asleep, heavily medicated by painkillers. Jonathan hated to wake him. He looked so peaceful for once. The others had followed and crowded around the doorway.

"Why isn't he in the hospital?" Hopper asked.

"Being there was stressing him out too much. Once they made sure he was properly set, they had no other choice but to have him leave," Nancy said.

"At one point, he thought he was back in Starcourt," Robin said. "A friend of mine is having her dad coming over here to check on him later. He's a doctor."

"The thing we have to look for is infection," Jonathan said, sitting on the edge of his bed and taking Steve's hand. "Make sure he keeps taking antibiotics."

He watched as Nancy took a thermometer and stuck it Steve’s mouth. She took it out.

"Temperatures normal," Nancy said. "So far, no sign of infection. We need to check his wounds now."

Moving him would cause him immediate pain. The best thing to do would be to wake him up first. Jonathan reached over and gently tapped him on his shoulder.

"Steve," Jonathan said.

He watched with a small smile as Steve’s hazel eyes fluttered open. He gave Jonathan a crooked sleepy smile.

"Hey, handsome," Steve gasped. "Is it time for my spongebath again?"

"Uh, Steve, we're not alone," Jonathan said with an amused grin.

Steve looked in the doorway. His eyes went wide at the sight of Joyce, Hopper, Will, and El.

"I'm on a lot of drugs," Steve blurted out. "Oh, yeah, I'm definitely high because I'm seeing Hop back from the dead."

"I'm alive, kid," Hopper said. "Just in a Russian prison for eight months."

"You called Jonathan handsome. Does that mean that he's your boyfriend?" El asked. "I thought Jonathan was Nancy's boyfriend."

Will hissed and elbowed their sister in the side.

"You can't just ask a guy if he has a boyfriend, El," Will said.

"I don't care if you don't," Jonathan said to Steve.

Steve shot him a goofy grin before looking at the others.

"We're a throuple," Steve said. "Three people, one pretty great relationship."

"Throuple?" Joyce asked.

"Your son now two people to snuggle the hell out of him," Steve said, and Joyce smiled.

"That's nice to know, but I was actually thinking that surely there's a better word for it," Joyce said.

"Threeple?" Will asked. "Tricycle?"

"Definitely not," Joyce scoffed, and Steve laughed.

Jonathan smiled, and he felt a weight off his shoulders that he didn't know he had. Everything happened so fast that he really didn't have time to think about his family thought about his new relationship or his feelings for Steve.

"Come on, time to change your bandages," Jonathan said to Steve.

With Nancy's help, he sat Steve up and threw the blankets off of his legs. Steve was only in a pair of boxers, a bandage wrapped around his thigh. Joyce moved further into the room, looking at Steve in concern.

"Do your parents know?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah, they don't care," Steve scoffed.

"I'm talking about Sue and Claudia," Joyce said.

"Getting that man to believe my mom loves him - " Dustin said, making his way through. " - Has been a challenge! He's declined every offer of moving in. . ."

"I didn't know that was a real offer!" Steve exclaimed.

"Your parents have fucked you up! You no longer have a choice. I'm calling our mothers!" Dustin yelled and moved past them. "LUCAS! IT'S TIME!"

"He's finally getting it?!" Lucas asked.

"No! It's taking too long! We're just going to have to shove our love down his throat!" Dustin yelled.

"I want you to think about what you just said, Dustin," they heard Max say.

"GROSS! HE'S OUR BROTHER, MAXINE!"

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SAID IT, DUSTINE!"

"DON'T CALL ME DUSTINE!"

"WELL, DON'T CALL ME MAXINE, DINGUS!"

"YOU'RE HANGING OUT WITH ROBIN TOO MUCH!"

"BLASPHEMY! SHE'S NOT HANGING OUT WITH ME ENOUGH!"

"Good luck with that," Hopper said with a laugh.

"A noisy house is better than an empty one," Steve said.

Joyce sat on the bed and started helping them with his bandages.

"Honey, you know that Sue, Charles, and Claudia are extremely proud of you, right?" Joyce asked. "It's all they talk about. . .how proud they are of their kids, and that includes you."

"I know," Steve said. "My parents used to say that all the time, but it always felt so empty. It's hard to believe that Sue, Charles, and Claudia actually mean it even though I know they do."

"OH MY GOD!" Dustin yelled. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRY."

"Those buttheads really love me," Steve said, grinning.

"It was a hard time convincing them to leave your side when we brought you here," Nancy said.

"They know how much you love them, too, Steve," Jonathan said. "And now I can admit how good you are with them."

"His ovaries exploded when he saw you with them over spring break," Nancy teased.

"I do not have ovaries," Jonathan scowled.

"Not anymore," Nancy laughed.

They all laughed at Jonathan and then fell into comfortable silence as they finished bandaging up all of Steve’s wounds. They settled Steve back down with Nancy and Jonathan tucking him in.

"I do have a big family," Steve muttered.

A few days later, after Steve’s true parents showed up to fuss over him, Jonathan and Nancy were finally able to curl up next to him, still giving him space so they wouldn't hurt him. Jonathan stared at Steve, who was on the verge of sleep. Nancy was already fast asleep.

"This is what I wished for," Jonathan whispered.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, the eyelash," Steve mumbled.

"This, right here, all of us together. I wished for this," Jonathan said.

"I'm glad you're wish came true," Steve smiled sleepily.

"Me too."

When you're a teenager, you think you have everything figured out. Jonathan certainly thought he did. He thought he hated everyone and that everyone hated him, especially people like Steve. He was glad that he had been wrong, and Jonathan was glad that he was no longer drowning in the blind hatred his father left behind. In some ways, he and Steve had the same childhood. Jonathan had been surrounded by only one pretender in his life. . .Steve had been surrounded by a sea. Somehow, Steve had come out of it with pure love and optimism, although a bit cynical, too. He believed in him and Nancy even when Jonathan didn't have faith in him. Jonathan had definitely been the one that needed to mature, grow, and open his eyes. Sometimes, change isn't always a bad thing, and sometimes all you need is a little light to grow.

#stranger things #jonathan byers #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers x steve harrington #stonathan #jonathan byers x nancy wheeler #jancy #nancy wheeler x steve harrington #stancy #nancy wheeler x steve harrington x jonathan byers #stoncy #monster hunting trio #the party #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things s4 au #polyamoruary #rueleigh writes #rueleigh's thoughts

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