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[ Will's disappearance has been slowly taking its toll on Jonathan. He can tell just how much it's tearing the family apart, with how detached his mother has been lately. He knows she partially blames him, for not being home. And with how absent she has been lately, that just leaves Jonathan to deal with the funeral arrangements.

He hates it. Part of him wants this all to be over with, to bury his brother and move on, but another part of him hopes that maybe his mother's right.

Maybe there is something more to this, maybe there's a chance Will could still be alive. But then that means he's in danger, and --

And the last thing he needs on top of everything else is to get in the middle of Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington's relationship. Those photos weren't meant to ever see the light of day, nor were Nancy and Steve ever supposed to even notice him. As much as he's been enjoying the sympathy from Nancy, he can tell by the way Steve sneers at him, that it's only a matter of time before the camera isn't the thing that gets destroyed.

He just doesn't expect that day to happen so soon. The next thing he knows, Jonathan's throwing a punch, defending Nancy's honor, despite the fact that Jonathan knows he's the last person who should be making any judgment calls after taking photos without their consent. But he's seeing red, and he just wants it to stop. ]

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[How in the hell can Steve even bring to trust Jonathan Byers after everything with Nancy? Why would Steve want to believe him in the first place? The younger boy is talking more crazy talk and Steve finds himself becoming even more annoyed the longer Byers keeps babbling on.

Whatever.

The question has Steve's head snapping up suddenly, eyes narrowing sharp. This boy is seriously bringing up more photos after the current incident? Steve's blood is boiling but there is this strange urgency in Jonathan's voice, a fear in his eyes that runs much deeper than people in this town going missing. No, this is more serious, more dangerous. Steve's stomach goes tight as he begins to shift along his feet once again. ]

The hell are you talking about, Byers? Your brother is gone....

[He glances over his shoulder to make sure no one is within earshot because again this conversation is not normal. He then turns back to face the other teen with a frustrated sigh. ]

Fine! Hurry up.

[ It's not like Jonathan can really blame Steve for any ill will he has towards Jonathan. Regardless of what actually happened between him and Nancy, he shouldn't have gotten between her and her relationship with Steve.

But there's not much he can do about it now. Now all he wants to do is try to make Steve understand that what he was doing with Nancy had nothing to do with Steve. Maybe he could try to help repair the relationship by showing him the truth.

It's fine, Jonathan's used to ending up alone. It's not like either Steve or Nancy are his to have. ]

Yeah, we thought so, too, but my mom... [ He frowns as he remembers Steve's words before. ] I know everyone thinks she's crazy, but she's been communicating with him somehow, through the lights. And she said she saw something. The same kind of thing that's in this photo. [ He pauses as he leads Steve into his house and into his room, where he's kept the photo, in case he needs to submit it as evidence after all of this is over.

Shit, he hopes this has a happy ending. ]

Look. That thing...that's not human. [ He points at the figure on the edge of the photo by Barb, by the pool. ]

[Nancy Wheeler was a good thing for Steve. At least he thought she was before Jonathan Byers came swooping into the picture. What was Steve supposed to assume or feel? Did Jonathan actually believe that everything was going to be alright? That's fucking ridiculous and Byers knows it.

But this is about supposed monsters now, right?

It's overwhelming keeping up with what Jonathan is spouting out about his "dead" brother, this creature in the night and woah! What the hell? Communicating lights? Steve's expression is that of Jonathan being insane. Seriously is this dude high or what? What the hell is Steve missing or not comprehending?]

Are you insane?

[It's a serious question asked as he slowly follows behind the other. Automatically there is something oddly off about the Byers' home. Something that doesn't sit right at all. He stands with his arms crossed while Jonathan fetches the photo and within seconds Steve is staring at something not from this world.

He squints his eyes as he takes the thing in, a hand reaching out to take the photo for himself. What is that? His brow furrows as he slowly sits on Jonathan's bed, eyes glued to the image before him. ]

What the hell is that?

[His voice is low, eyes wide as he gazes at the unknown that's lurking close to Barbara. ]

What the fuck is that?!

[ As much as he felt relief from having someone else in this fight with him in the shape of Nancy Wheeler, there is something about Steve immediately believing that thing is really there, and not just a trick of the light or whatever bullshit would inevitably be fed to them. Maybe because Nancy was of course desperate to believe that Barb didn't run away, but Steve had nothing attaching him to this beyond just Nancy fucking Wheeler. ]

I don't know, but we saw it. It ripped a deer to shreds, and it's still out there.

[ He moves a little bit closer to Steve, tentatively hovering an arm over Steve's shoulder before deciding to let it flop to his side at the last second. Their partnership in this is fragile, and he fears that if he crosses the line too quickly Steve will run off.

Which, maybe that's for the best, but right now Jonathan really needs someone to believe him, to really believe him, that his brother is still alive, is still out there somewhere. ]

You don't have to help us or anything. Just... [ He bites his lip as he considers his next words carefully. ] After all of this is over...maybe give Nance another chance? [ And if his heart breaks, not because of Nancy, but because of Steve, well...nobody needs to know. ]

[It's so much simpler to believe that Barb had just ran away for whatever reason. Deep down Steve knew that wasn't really what happened, that something completely horrifying occurred but his mind refused to allow himself to believe that. What happened to Barbara took place at Steve's house and there was this huge risk that Steve could get into some real trouble for it. This picture shed some light on what could have really happened to the innocent girl but who was really going to believe three teenagers that insisted a terrifying monster was lurking about Hawkins.

If this thing could rip a grown deer to shreds without an issue, Steve didn't want to imagine what it could do to an actual human. Especially one so tiny and fragile as Nancy. The thought of this creature tearing the girl he possibly loves apart limb by limb leaves Steve feeling nauseated. Nancy could get herself killed, so could Byers. ]

This is crazy. This is crazy!!!

[Steve can feel himself practically screaming as he turns to face Jonathan. There in such close proximity now that Steve nearly bumps into the shorter boy. Surely both Jonathan and Nancy weren't stupid enough to rush right into a full blown monster hunt. There needs to be some kind of plan, actual protection against this damn thing.]

We're you two just planning to hunt this thing down and try to kill it? You know thats stupid right? Really fucking stupid, Byers! Whatever the hell that thing is can kill you and Nancy too.

[Nope!

There was not a chance in hell that Steve was about to risk his own neck in any of this. He didn't want any kind of involvement and yet-

His whole body freezes at the mention of giving Nancy another chance. It would be the other way around wouldn't it? Steve wasn't about to admit to Jonathan that Nancy seemed distant, extremely bothered by what had happened to her dear friend and Steve had no idea how to deal with those kind of emotions. She was pulling away from him and her focus seemed dead set on Jonathan fucking Byers.

And that? That really fucking hurts but Steve isn't about to show it. He can't. Not here.]

Don't think that's going to happen.

[ The reaction that Jonathan gets from Steve takes him by surprise. He jumps back a bit when Steve almost bumps into him, and his eyes widen with shame as Steve points out the flaw in their plan. ]

I know, Steve, it's just -- [ He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. ] She was going to do it with or without me. I figured with me, she might actually stand a chance of getting out alive.

[ He's beginning to realize that Nancy is a stubborn girl, that she's going to do what she sets her eyes on, and maybe he also sees himself as a little bit expendable. Because who would really miss him? Especially if Will is never recovered. He knows his mother is hanging by a thread as it is, and really, if it came down to it, if -- ]

Just...one step at a time, then, yeah? [ He lets out a sigh and turns to avoid Steve's scrutiny. He could have left Steve alone rather than save his ass from being stuck at that police station. He could have done a lot of things differently, but he didn't. ]

[How is Steve supposed to act here? They've literally went from a huge fight in the alley to Jonathan asking Steve to help him hunt a supposed monster? A creature that isn't from this world with who knows what kind of abilities. It's crazy! It is crazy, right?

It has to be.

But it's what Jonathan says next that has Steve suddenly freezing in place and the color of his face goes completely white. Nancy standing a chance getting out of this alive? He knows Jonathan isn't wrong. Nancy may look small and mink but she's a girl who is as stubborn as they come. Even if the boys together couldn't stop her if she already made up her mind.

He can't have the girl he possibly loves marching off to her own grave followed by the guy trying to snag her away from him. Steve can't handle the possibility of the two being brutally killed on his conscience.

Shit.

Steve closes his eyes for a second as he tries to think of how they could possibly approve this monster and not get themselves killed. Something has to kill it, right? A weapon? Fire?]

I'm not going to let anything happen to her.

[His voice comes out a little tighter that usual as both fists clinch tightly by his sides. Even if Nancy currently hates him right now, he's still going to protect her. ]

Or you.

[Steve begins to look around in hopes that maybe an idea will come to mind.]

Something has to kill it, right?

[ Jonathan half expects Steve to take his place in this monster fighting, make Jonathan wait behind because how on earth are they going to work together after they've just fought? But now maybe Steve sees why Jonathan lashed out, what he's been going through.

He expects Steve to be protective of Nancy, to make sure she doesn't get into danger, but then Steve says or you, and Jonathan feels himself freeze up.

He's not sure how he feels about that. Mostly he feels relieved. Maybe with Steve's help they will have hope of actually coming up with a plan to kill this thing. ]

We were gonna set up a trap. Lure it out with blood and then use a bear trap. We've got my dad's old gun and a baseball bat, but if you have any other ideas...

[That's what Steve should do in this situation. He should make Jonathan stand on the sidelines while he marches off and plays hero. It is his once was girlfriend he's trying to keep safe here and Jonathan is convinced his little brother is linked to all of this some how. It's hard to comprehend and in all honesty Steve should just tell them all to piss off and wish them luck.

If they get themselves murdered so be it. Not his problem.

Unfortunately Steve Harrington isn't that heartless and there is a genuine concern for Nancy Wheeler rushing into danger head on and without question. They have no insight on this creature or what it's capable of. For all they know it enjoys feasting on the flesh of teenagers.

As for a better idea? Shit, nothing sounds all that great when you're battling a monster.]

A baseball bat? Seriously man?

( Jonathan just rolls his eyes at Steve's comment. Yeah, he knows their monster hunting gear is kind of lacking, but it's not like they can just walk into a store and stock up on weapons without it looking suspect. They're sixteen years old, after all. )

Yeah, well, I hammered some nails into it.

( As if that's supposed to make Steve feel any better about their chances. )

Why, do you have a better idea?

[The more Steve finds himself invested in this conversation, the more he's starting to realize that this whole idea Jonathan had conjured up is completely useless and they are basically setting themselves up for their own deaths. They can't exactly go around asking for weapons.

In other words they were screwed and had no solid plan of action. ]

Awesome.

[The sarcasm should be greatly noted in Steve's tone as he sets Jonathan with another hard look.]

Guess we're just hoping for the best here?

( The way Jonathan sees it, they don't have much choice. This is their best shot at finding out what happened to Barb and Will, and maybe along the way, if they're still alive, they can find them. And if they're not? Then at least they can avenge them, or die trying.

Besides, it's not like anyone else is looking for this thing. )

If we do nothing it's just going to attack again. We can't just sit around and hope someone else takes care of the problem for us.

( And it's not like anyone would believe them. They can't just call this into the police station. )

[They can always go for the option of doing nothing? Just move forward and accept that whatever happened to both Barb and Will can't be prevented from occurring. It's done, they are both gone and unfortunately most likely dead. Steve could just walk away, these people hardly have any significance to him but that's besides the point. Nancy Wheeler is willing to risk her own life to find some sort of answer.

Jonathan too.

Maybe Steve is an idiot like Nancy once said? Can he actually place his own life on the line for a girl he's pretty sure has feelings for Jonathan Byers? Regardless Nancy doesn't deserve to be torn apart by some unknown beast. Steve would never be able to forgive himself if he allowed that to happen.

Fuck. This is so stupid and crazy!]

I've got to be fucking insane.....

( Too bad that's not an option for Jonathan. With his mom practically catatonic, what else does he have to live for if his brother's gone? It is a little on the dramatic side, but his family has gone through so much shit, he's not sure he could come out the other side without his brother.

Plus, there's Nancy. He can't let her do this alone. )

You're not. If anyone's the crazy one, it's me.

[Now is the time for Steve to just walk away and let Jonathan fend for himself. Perhaps that would be easier if Nancy weren't already so involved. The thought of Nancy doing this with Jonathan instead of him makes Steve's blood boil and heart drop. He should just say fuck Nancy Wheeler and allow whatever happens to happen.

She and Jonathan could make it out alive, right? And if they didn't? Not Steve's fault or problem. If only Steve were actually that heartless because what he's about to do is going to change his life forever.]

I can't let anything happen to her....

[It's the desperation mixed with slight fear that waivers within his voice.]

( Jonathan can't really say he blames Steve for focusing in on Steve, but that doesn't make it hurt any less that he'd probably be perfectly fine with whatever fate is in store for him, even if this results in his death. He's already resolved himself to keep his distance once this is all over. He knows better than to think that he and Steve would be anything other than two people who tolerate each other because of their mutual friendship with Nancy. )

We won't. I promise.

( He avoids eye contact with Steve was he clears his throat and looks around his room, searching for anything to say to make this less weird. )

We should, uh. We should probably make sure she's okay.

[Steve just wants all of this to be over and for life to go back to normal. That's if he and Jonathan Byers weren't marching to their fate and the outcome wouldn't be so promising. Only Steve isn't exactly thinking that he may not come out of this alive, his focus is more on Nancy and keeping her safe.

As for Jonathan? He isn't exactly on Steve's mind but he knows he had best keep his distance from Nancy after all of this.]

Right.

[This was still so insane but Nancy's life could be in danger if the two boys didn't act soon.]

Lead the way, yeah?

( Well, there was nothing much left to do except press on forward. Sure Jonathan could call, but he didn't want to risk Mr. or Mrs. Wheeler picking up the phone and refusing to put Nancy on the phone.

No, they should go there, and -- )

You should be the one to check in on her.

( Good guy Jonathan, sacrificing what he wants for the sake of everyone else. Then again, he doesn't even know what he wants -- or who he wants, for that matter. Because the more time spend with Steve, the less he found he hated him, and the more that stupid little crush starts feeling, well, less stupid. )

We can take my car, though.

[Steve highly doubts Nancy would even want to speak to him if he did call. Not that he can say he blames her. What he did was extremely shitty, on the verge of unforgivable and Nancy had every right to hate him. She can tell him to take his apology and shove it but he isn't going to allow her to go off monster hunting on her own.

She can hate him after he makes sure both she and Jonathan don't get themselves killed.]

Pretty sure I'm the last person she wants to see right now.

[He at least has to make an attempt and hopefully she hasn't already taken off. Nancy already being gone leaves an unsettling feeling within Steve's stomach that shoots up within his chest. ]

Yeah. Yeah, alright.

( Jonathan shrugs at that. Maybe Nancy doesn't want to see Steve, but he knows that he wants to distance himself from Nancy, and doesn't want to put Nancy in an awkward position where she feels like she has to choose between the two of them. It's fine; Jonathan can make the choice for her.

But he's still going to help. Because if there's even the slightest chance this could help Will, it'll be worth it. )

Alright, let's get out of here, then. The more time we waste, the more likely she tries to do this without us.

( He leads Steve to his car, but before he can, his mom stops him. Mentions how the police found the monster hunting equipment in his car.

So much for doing this one their own. Jonathan looks at Steve and back to his mom and explains everything, avoiding the eye contact of both Steve and Joyce in the process. Joyce agrees that they should go find Nancy, but that they shouldn't be doing this on their own. He looks apologetically at Steve while Joyce calls up Hopper and the decision is made to all converge on the Wheelers, to make sure Nancy is safe. )

[Steve already knows who Nancy will choose as much as he doesn't want to expect it. She seems very fond of Jonathan and Steve is having a very difficult time trying to figure out why. It's frustrating as much as it is insulting. Jonathan isn't a better guy here, a better choice. Steve doesn't want to accept that either.

Steve stops dead in his tracks as Mrs. Byers approaches them both and goes into detail about the gear left in Jonathan's car. How in the hell could Jonathan be so careless? Jesus Christ this is a shit show and the longer Steve is stuck in place the more his anxiety spikes.

Nancy could already be in danger.

His head turns quickly to near glare at Jonathan as he starts spilling everything to his mom as if this were an every day conversation. His heart is literally going to burst out of his chest as Mrs. Byers scurried off to call the police. Shit. Do they really need adults involved?

Shit. ]

Seriously? She's calling the cops?

( Jonathan flashes a look at Steve to be nice, his mom was going above and beyond for them both right now, considering she could have very easily let Steve stay behind while the police threw the book at Steve to set some sort of example or something. He places a hand on Steve's shoulder. )

Not the cops, just Hopper. He's been helping find Will.

( He lets his hand drop and then motions for them to head back to his car again. )

We can trust him. ( He pauses. ) I would say trust me, but I can't really expect you to trust me after everything. I wanna make it up to you, though, after all of this. ( He looks down at the ground, suddenly feeling shy. After all of this, as if Steve is going to want to keep talking to him after they find Will and figure out what happened with Barb, keeping Nancy safe. )

[Hopper being called still leaves Steve feeling hesitate and uneasy. The thought of Hopper believing they are all insane has him anxious. Who in their right damn mind would believe a terrifying monster was lurking the streets of Hawkins? The hand upon his shoulder only causes Steve to tense his muscles. He doesn't have much of a choice in the matter and Nancy’s life could be on the line.

If Joyce trusts Hopper and he's willing to help, well....[

Can we?

[He moves to follow Jonathan towards his car but his feet stop moving once Jonathan explains that he wants to make things up to Steve, that they should trust each other. It leaves Steve a bit baffled and he shoots Jonathan a look.]

Make it up to me?

If there's anyone we can trust, it's him. He and my mom... ( He cringes, clearly not comfortable with admitting this next piece of knowledge. ) They kind of go way back.

( He shrugs, and glances up at Steve. ) Well, yeah. It's my fault you're roped into this. And the thing with the pictures...it was a real dick move. I'm sorry, man.

( He looks away, though maybe not quickly enough before being able to hide the blush that starts forming on his face. ) Anyway, we should, uh, probably get going before Nancy gets herself into trouble.

[Steve makes a face at the fact that Hopper and Joyce apparently had a history? Thats not an imagine or a bit of information he wanted painted within his mind but here we are. Steve still feels a bit uncomfortable with Hopper now being involved. It's the whole fear of being accused of being insane or worse what if Barb's disappearance was pinned on Steve?

That was was terrifying thought.

Steve didn't expect for Jonathan to take fault for him now being apart of this goddamn nightmare. To admit those photos he had taken of Nancy without her consent was wrong as much as it was disgusting.

Steve wasn't any better in his own actions and he turns his head in shame at Jonathan's apology. Steve should be the one doing so after what he had said back in the ally. Instead he just moves to yank open the passenger's door to get inside.

The drive is uncomfortable as both boys sit in silence. The quite has Steve a bit jittery, shifting back and forth in the seat.

Fuck it. Man up to your shit, Harrington. Accept your shitty behavior and just-]

Sorry about your camera.

[Finally.

The words are spoken fast and low. Steve keeps his eyes forward and watches as blurry images pass.]

That was a dick move. I just-

Edited 2023-05-06 02:23 (UTC)

for bigboyvibes

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