Stonathan ❤️

88

NOT MINE!!

all credits go to fivecenturiesverse on ao3

He's supposed to be picking Will up and dipping before he can be forced into awkward we just broke up but we're so totally friends still small talk with Nancy, but the kids are screaming and trying to drown each other in the deep end of Steve's pool and Will's done his whole I once went missing in monster gooey land and now I need to take every moment as precious spiel and it had worked (as per) so he's sitting in one of Steve's pool loungers listening to him and Robin argue about cocktails. He glares up at the empty sky and tries not to think about Nancy on the other side of the garden arguing with Mike about something he can't hear over Dustin's screeches, definitely does not let his gaze drop from the treeline to the sunlight golden in her curly flyaways, he doesn't even spare her a look (definitely not).

"Well I like when there's lots of fruit floating around," Steve is saying petulantly, "it's fun."

"If I wanted a salad I'd get a salad," Robin says and Jonathan glances over to see her sitting up and waving her bendy straw around, "I've got to like, filter this shit. Have you got a sieve?"

"For the last time you're not —" Steve starts to say but Robin is already up on her feet, hand on her waist. "Fine. Whatever. Bring that fruit back here though, I want it."

"Why the fuck do you —"

"It's got alcohol soaked in it."

Robin scoffs and walks away. "You're a freak, Harrington," she calls over her shoulder.

And then it's just Steve and Jonathan. Shit. Jonathan does not know how to talk to guys, Steve, guys in general, but especially Steve. "So uh, girlfriend trouble?" he hears himself say.

"Not as much as you," Steve says and then looks surprised at himself. "Uh I mean, me and Rob aren't together, or whatever."

He swallows. "Right. Uh, cool."

"Sorry man. I don't know why I —"

"Nah it's chill. Yeah we... we broke up. So free — free reign for you," he says, not meaning the words in the slightest, turning away from Steve to watch Nancy smack Mike around the back of the head, curls bouncing, barely suppressed smile quirk at the corner of her mouth.

Steve snorts. "Jesus, I know that look."

"What?"

"You're still in love with her."

"I'm not — it's a new — I'm just getting used to —"

"Man, it's been two months."

"We were together a long —"

Steve laughs a little. "I know what being in love with Nancy Wheeler looks like, Byers. Trust me."

He swallows tightly and closes his eyes. "It's not — I'm getting over it."

"You're not going to try and get back with her?"

"That's not what she wants." On the backs of his eyelids the world is bright red with black shadows that flounder laboriously over his vision, capillaries flashing like burgundy lightning. "That's not what I — it's just not going to happen."

"Oh, you definitely want it," says Steve, he sounds almost smug which Jonathan supposes he has a right to after everything that's happened.

"Do you still want it?"

The kids scream and splash. The sun is too hot, prickling under Jonathan's arms. "No," says Steve, "not any more." But there is a longing in his voice, unspoken and old and Jonathan opens his eyes and follows Steve's gaze.