𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬

SEVENTEEN: people like us.

     

     WHEN JAMES AND Eddie headed inside, they found their friends all together in the living room area, Jonathan is on Argyle's lap as Nancy and Robin were to their left and Steve to their right on the long couch as Rhys sat on a couch chair. "I didn't know you missed me that much you tricked me with an SOS, Robby." Eddie said and plopped down onto the girl's lap who's arms sling around his waist.

"Of course I did." She said and he turns to her, puckering his lips and she does the same, leaning in as Nancy looked at them with a bewildered look but then the group erupted into laughter. "I have so many boyfriends." Robin teasingly fans herself with her hand and Nancy chuckles, rolling her eyes.

"Jamie, Edster, Stevie, and even Argyle!" She reached over Nancy to grab the extended hand from the Hispanic who's smirking. "Yeah, guys, I got a girlfriend and a boyfriend!" He says and Nancy giggled. "You guys are so weird." Rhys chuckled, glancing around at them. "Better than being normal, right?" Jonathan quipped and Rhys just agrees, nodding. "Plus, you like my weirdness." Eddie says, a grin on his face and Rhys smirks, nodding even more as Robin scrunched up her face.

"Don't look at my boyfriend like that!" She said as she covered Eddie's face. James chuckled at them, glancing at Steve who's staring straight ahead with a blank stare. "Oh! This is where the real party is!" Three drunks stumbled in and Steve quickly glanced up at Tommy Hagan, Carol Perkins and Billy Hargrove, immediately wanting to disappear at the sight of them, looking away and letting out a small sigh. "Hey James." Billy's grinning.

"Hey Hargrove..." James sighed as the other plops down by him on the two seater couch, Tommy following suit by landing on his lap and Carol on the armrest. "Oh, my God. It's like memories." She said and Robin just made a face. "You hated people like us in high school..." She merely says and James sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can't we let bygones be bygones and get along guys?" Tommy said and Billy nods, patting his back. "Yeah, man. We're all adults now, right?" He asked as Eddie just slowly got up and went over to sit on the armrest of Rhys' seat. His arm goes around Eddie's waist, his hand resting on the Munson's hip.

Everyone was quiet, it felt a bit awkward and Carol clears her throat. "Guys, wanna play a game?" She says, smiling and James glanced at her, squinting his eyes. "Never Have I Ever!" She said as she realized they all had drinks. "I'm gonna go for a smoke." Steve murmured when he got up, leaving the room and Jonathan glanced over at James.

"Fuck it. Yeah, let's play Never Have I Ever."

Jonathan slowly got up as the game started, heading to where Steve had snuck off to, finding him smoking a cigarette on the front porch. He sets down his drink, clearing his throat making Steve quickly glance over. "Oh... it's just you." He said and Jonathan chuckles, slowly walking over to stand beside him.

"Yep. Just me." He says quietly and Steve just held out his cigarette. "No thanks..." He politely declines so the Harrington retracted his hand, murmuring something as Jonathan glanced at him. "How's Scoops treating you?" He asked and Steve shrugs. "It's just... a filler job for now." He mumbled quietly and Jonathan nods, glancing around the yard.

Someone's puking in a bush, a couple's making out by the white picket fence and someone's straight up smoking from a bong nearby. "Are you doing okay?" Jonathan finally asked and Steve quickly glanced at him. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He asked.

"You--you're drinking a lot tonight." He states the obvious and Steve says nothing, glancing away. "Okay..." He says quietly and Jonathan frowns, glancing away. "And you just saw your old friends. It'd be shitty to see you fall back into your old ways before--" "before what?" Steve looks at him right away.

"Before... you know, you and James." He says and Steve furrows his brows. "I'm not stupid, Steve... I--I knew you settled for me because James and Eddie seemed like they were dating before they even got together. And you were always... staring at him. Or talking about him. Or asking about him." He added on and Steve furrows his brows. "I--" "it's fine, okay? Just... keep in mind that James is soft, he--he loves love and you can't half-ass it and do what you did when we were together." Jonathan tells him and Steve turns towards him.

"I'm sorry... for everything I did." He tells him and Jonathan just fiddled with his hands, playing with his bracelet in one hand. "It's fine." He whispers and Steve just looks down. "James told me how much of a dick I was, ditching you for my friends, ditching you at parties and your birthday... I'm sorry, you deserved better and I'm glad you've clearly found someone better for you." He says, meaning Argyle making the Byers blush.

"He's--he's already talking about proposing. We've only been together for two years." He says, glancing away with a small smile and Steve chuckles. "Well, Argyle's smarter than me to ever let go of someone like you." He said and patted Jonathan's arm gently. "Yeah..." The Byers murmured, smiling softly and then giggling. "Sorry, I totally just agreed you're dumb. Sorry." He quickly says. "It's fine... can I have a hug?" He says and Jonathan looks up at him with raised brows.

"Oh, y--yeah, sure." He said quickly and Steve stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Jonathan's shoulders as the shorter's go around his waist. "This isn't weird, right?" Steve whispers and Jonathan hums in disagreement. "No. I mean, Eddie and James hug all the time." He whispers and Steve snorts. "That's becsuse they're still in love." He says and Jonathan just rolls his eyes, pulling back.

"They're not still in love. They love each other... but not like that anymore." He says and Steve just glanced away, tossing his cigarette. "It's whatever, right?" He sighs and Jonathan just shrugs. "I--I don't know." He whispers and Steve looks at him. "Wait, why are you talking about James and I as if it isn't completely one-sided?" He asked suddenly.

"It... really isn't." Jonathan chuckled and glanced around, turning his body away from Steve so he's facing the front. "Do you... have proof of it? Like does James like have wet dreams of me or something? Or like he told--" "No, stop, oh, my God." Jonathan said, laughing then he looks away. "It's just... obvious." He says, shrugging and Steve is more confused.

"What's obvious?"

"When he has a big crush on someone."

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

authors note
some cute little stonathan bonding so that jonathan can get his ex and his step-brother together 😍🫶🏼 #goals

i'm literally in love with Argyle. he is in my mind 24/7. HES A fictIONAL CHARACTER and yet i'm always like <Argyle3