Stonathan ❤️

114

NOT MINE!!

all credits go to chocolatechip on ao3

This is not how Jim wanted to end his day. Nothing happened at work all day. Cal and Miles even saved him the biggest donut. And he was going to have a movie night with El. He rented Aristocats and Star Wars and bought plenty of snacks.

But no, Flo had to call him in hours after his shift ended for noise complaints. Noise complaints.

"Just drive up to the Harrington house and see what's going on," Flo said, her voice tinny through the phone, "I'm sure the Harrington boy just threw a party or something."

So there he was. Driving up to Loch Nora with El at home by herself on what was supposed to be their movie night. He told her to pause the movie, but he had no doubt that she restarted it the second he left.

He was feeling especially mean, so he parked a little ways up the road so no stupid teenagers would scram the second they saw the cop car. All of them were getting busted for ruining movie night, not just Harrington.

That kid was responsible and capable in dangerous situations with the other kids, the younger ones, but he was still a teenager. He still did stupid things.

Autumn was ending and it was getting darker earlier; the sun had been setting when Flo called him. Now it was nearly pitch black. And cold. He grabbed his flashlight and coat and started walking.

Grumbling about teenaged parties that surely had underaged drinking, he stomped ahead, flashlight exposing grass, woods, and road. He heard a rock scitter a few feet ahead and snapped the flashlight to the source of the noise.

The light caught on a kid with his hands up, squinting and blinking in the light.

"Jesus," the kid muttered, shielding his eyes from the light with his hand.

None other than Steve Harrington.

Then Jim realized that there was no music coming from the Harrington house, no lights, no laughter or screaming. He could see it through the trees; the house was completely silent and dark, save for a single light coming through a downstairs window.

Steve was still standing there, one hand up and the other hiding his face. He wasn't wearing a coat, only a thin long-sleeved shirt. He was standing stiffly, like he didn't know what to do with himself. There was something red and purple trailing from the kid's cheekbone to his jaw, and if Jim squinted he could see it disappear under the collar of his shirt.

What the hell?

Noise complaints. Yeah, as if. Silent house, dark except for one window, kid walking away from the house in complete darkness. Noise complaints. A fresh bruise on the kid's face.

His blood ran cold.

He lowered the flashlight a bit, so it wasn't blinding Steve.

"You okay?" Jim said.

"Hopper?" Steve sounded confused. He lowered his hand to his side, the other still in front of his face.

"Yeah. What are you doing out here? It's late and cold," Jim said. He moved the flashlight away from Steve and off into the distance, creating more of an ambient light than a spotlight. He stepped closer to Steve and forced his body to appear casual.

"I got hungry?" Steve grinned, and it was clear that even he didn't believe what he was saying.

Jim looked from Steve and back to the house. A beat of silence passed as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening. "Your parents home?"