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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 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)

( Jonathan's eyes snap to Steve's when he hears him apologize. He looks shocked, not quite expecting Steve to own up to it, but he forces himself to pay attention to the road, fingers tightening on the steering wheel. He wishes they weren't about to pick up Nancy, because this feels like something they really should hash out longer.

But it won't take them much longer before they reach the Wheelers, so he has to make this quick. )

Yeah...it sucked, I won't lie. I wish -- ( Jonathan pauses, because he knows it's stupid. Steve was surrounded by his friends, goading him, of course he wasn't going to just let it go, talk it out. They're both still stupid kids and Jonathan did something screwed up. ) I don't know, I just wish it could be different.

(The apologly isn't easy for Steve to own up to. A part of him he wonders if he actually means it because so much anger still swirls around the thought that Jonathan took photos of his girlfriend basically in her underwear. Steve is still oblivious that Nancy wasn't the true inspiration. It was supposed to be a private moment between Nancy and himself but now?

Jonathan is right in the damn middle. Nancy is soft on him, Steve knows that for a fact and there is still that nagging suspicion that she really does like Jonathan more than a friend. Perhaps that's just Steve getting inside his own head again? He can still hear Tommy's voice hashing out hard and crude words about both Nancy and Jonathan. Shit, the graffiti had been all Tommy.

None of it matters now. Steve is certain he's lost Nancy for good. Jonathan's words leave Steve a bit puzzled. An eyebrow raised in slight confusion.)

Different?

( Jonathan shrugs, not really sure this is something that's even going to come across well, but he might as well say it. Does he really have all that much to lose at this point? )

I wish we could've been able to talk everything out. But I guess there wasn't much I could say at that point that could make it better.

( Even if he and Nancy hadn't actually done anything, and even if the pictures weren't just of Nancy, Steve had every right to be angry at him. Nancy was partially to blame, sure, but Jonathan could have maybe done more to nudge her back to Steve.

Even worse, after everything a part of him still wished it had been Steve that had been kind and comforted him, even thought he knew there was no part of Steve that would have done such a thing, at least not without Nancy's help. Steve saw what he wanted to see. )

(Talk it out? They would have to had done so privately for the conversation to be civilized. Tommy being around didn't allow that to be possible. He had a solid mission to antagonize Steve on and only fuel his anger towards Jonathan. Steve's anger had been valid at least. What Jonathan had done had crossed a line.

How was Steve supposed to react to the pictures? To seeing the two together in Nancy's bedroom.)

I don't think that would have solved anything.

(But there was a chance that an actual conversation could have cleared up a few things, right?)

And for whatever reason she forgave you anyways for what you did. Like the whole goddamn incident just pulled you two closer like every fucking thing else.

Edited 2023-05-13 15:54 (UTC)

( Jonathan just nods, because what could he do or say? He had been the catalyst, as much as he hates to admit it, for Steve's relationship troubles. Even if he can't take ownership over Steve's actions, he can admit to himself that there wouldn't have been any response had Jonathan not decided to take those pictures in the first place. )

I'm sorry. I wish I could go back in time...stop myself from taking those pictures of you both.

( He realizes what he's said, but it's too late to take it back, or to try and change it to sound like he'd just been taking pictures of Nancy. He goes quiet, his face draining of color. Surely Steve would see right through him, realize that he was everything he said he was in that alley. )

(Neither one of them could take back their actions. Steve couldn't take back breaking Jonathan's camera, he couldn't erase basically slut shaming Nancy and he couldn't unsay what he had yelled at Jonathan back in the alley. They could born apologize a thousand times over but that doesn't really change things. The actions and words were going to stick for awhile, linger.

Steve still holds form in believing that his anger was valid. That he didn't over react with his anger.

from taking those pictures of you both.

A dead silence falls between the two teens and it feels like the air has been completely drained out of the vehicle. It's a wonder Steve didn't break his neck with how suddenly his head snaps to look at Jonathan. )

What did you just say?

(Jonathan doesn't need to repeat himself. Stevw heard him the first time. The accidental confession has Steve's blood boiling all over again. His expression hard, cold. )

You fucking took pictures of both of us getting undressed?

Edited 2023-05-15 20:33 (UTC)

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