The broken pieces you left behind

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By: iris's rang on Ao3

Stonathan & Steve x Jonathan x Nancy

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Jonathan walked into Steve's bedroom and his heart stopped in his chest at the sight before him. Steve was sitting on the floor, his hand shaking as he held something to his wrist, a small trail of red running down his arm. Jonathan didn't think, didn't waste a second before he threw himself at Steve, grabbing his wrists. He knocked Steve onto his back and pressed his wrists against the floor knocking the blade from Steve's hand.

"Let me go!" Steve shouted as he bucked his hips and fought against Jonathan.

"No! I'm not losing you!"

"I don't deserve to live. I lost her. It's my fault. If it weren't for me she wouldn'—"

"Don't." Jonathan's voice is soft, desperate as he pleads with Steve. "Don't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault."

"She was there because of me. She died because I couldn't save her. Because I never cared enough to learn her favorite song." Steve cried out, choking on the last word as his throat closed up as all the struggle left him and he went limp underneath Jonathan. "I lost her."

"Shhh no, it's not your fault." Steve shook his head in denial but Jonathan stopped him with a hand on his cheek. "Look at me." Steve kept his eyes down but Jonathan wasn't going to give up on him.

Not ever.

"Steve, look at me." Tears streamed down Steve's face as he pressed his eyes tightly closed and Jonathan felt wetness on his own cheeks at seeing Steve hurting like this. "Please, just look at me," he begged, his voice cracking. Hearing Jonathan in pain made Steve's eyes open in concern but before Steve could apologize for making Jonathan sad Jonathan pressed on.

"Nancy chose to follow you because she loved you. Because she always has." Steve went pale and his mouth hung open as he started to shake his head in denial. "It's true. She told me. Confessed it to me late one night when she couldn't keep it inside anymore.

"You know Nancy better than anyone. She would do anything, anything to save someone she cared for. How much further would she go for someone she loved? So don't you dare take her sacrifice away from her. She chose to save you and I know—I know she would be happy to know you made it. That she didn't have to lose another person she cared for."

Jonathan swallowed hard, a sad smile on his face. It had hurt to hear she was still in love with Steve back then but time and time again Steve stood as the only thing between the kids and certain death. Time and time again Steve proved how much he has grown as a person. He hadn't deserved the title 'King Steve' back in school but he's more than earned it since then.

How could Jonathan get mad at Nancy for loving the person Steve became? Once he realized that Nancy had more than enough room in her heart for the both of them his jealousy dropped off. Nancy wasn't saying that she loved Steve so she couldn't love Jonathan, or that she would love him any less. She could love them both fully and unconditionally.

Nancy was always surprising Jonathan with how amazing she was, it's what Jonathan loved most about her. He loved her for having room in her heart for Steve, who frankly? Could really use it. He had become such a mess after Hargrove had put him in the hospital with 3 broken ribs and a severe concussion but aside from Dustin, there wasn't anyone there for him. And Dustin was just a kid, there wasn't much he could do.

That's when Jonathan and Nancy started talking about him. Starting watching him at lunch. They were going to approach him, ask him if they wanted to join them—both at lunch and in other ways—but then the shit show with the Russians happened and they had other things to worry about and they forgot about Steve. Had left him alone to watch over the kids, again.

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