Stonathan ❤️

63

NOT MINE!!

all credits go to chocolatechip on ao3

"You look different."

Jonathan looked at him, face screwed up, as if asking is that really important right now?

It wasn't, not really. They couldn't get El, Nancy's been quiet and withdrawn since that... whole thing, Eddie was still a wanted murderer. It was a giant clusterfuck.

But he hadn't seen Jonathan in months. Almost a year. They were never friends, but they knew each other.

He wasn't entirely sure if he knew Jonathan anymore. His hair was overgrown, his eyebags got ten times bigger, and he smelled like weed. His eyes weren't red or anything, but the smell lingered on him. Steve wasn't really surprised, though. Jonathan's friend—Argyle?—was high when they arrived and still hopped up now.

"You do too," Jonathan said, and maybe he hadn't changed all that much because he was still as soft-spoken and gentle as he was the day the Byers left for California.

Steve looked down at the bandage lumping through his shirt. Well, Eddie's shirt. They raided the Munson trailer for clothes and camped out at Max's. The kids and Nancy went home to show their parents that they were actually alive (Lucas needed a bit of convincing to leave Max). But himself, Robin, Eddie... Well, his parents didn't care where he was. Robin was quiet about hers. And Max lived there, so. And Mike's parents thought he was still in California.

Jonathan, Will, Mike, and Argyle (that was his name, right?), they arrived a few hours ago. They said El was in Nevada, getting her powers back. He didn't really want to think about what that meant.

"Are things okay with you and Nance?" Steve asked. His throat was dry. "I mean, that reunion was pretty tough to watch."

Jonathan exhaled through his nose and brought his hands up to his face.

"Don't wanna talk about it? That's okay, I totally get it. I mean, I've been having relationship issues too. You'd think it would be easy for me to get a girlfriend, right? I mean, I'm Steve Harrington. But I guess all that wore off after I graduated," Every word was punctuated with an awkward-nervous chuckle. God, this was awkward. Eddie and Argyle had the right idea to get high and forget about this bullshit.

"Just," Jonathan's eyes peaked out from behind his hands, voice soft and quiet yet firm, "Stop talking."

"Right, yeah," Steve swallowed and let his head thunk against the wall.

Max, Will, Robin, and Mike were sitting in a circle on the floor muttering amongst themselves. Eddie and Argyle at least had the decency to smoke in Argyle's van.

Steve shifted and shooting pain erupted in his side.

"Shit," he gasped and bit his knuckles hard to contain any more gasps of pain.

Jonathan snapped his head to him. "That's from the bat thing, right?"

"Yup," Steve said through gritted teeth, "Doesn't hurt one bit."

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" Steve asked. He stumbled, grabbing his side. Jonathan looped his arm around his waist and Steve's arm around his neck and it wasn't really necessary because Steve was bitten almost two days ago but it was nice. It was nice.

He got his answer when Jonathan set him on the toilet of the Mayfield's bathroom. He bit his finger again to keep from making anymore embarrassing painful noises.