ghosting

ACT II PART I

october 1984

His baby.

Xavier hummed softly as he stared at the car in his garage. After too many sugar tank incidents he decided to call it quits and decided to sell his car for parts. It was in good condition, he could have sold it to some preppy rich kid for a good amount but he really would have started crying if he saw his car being driven by someone other than him.

He could still remember Hopper scolding him for letting his gas tank get messed up three times before calling it quits. He understood that Hopper wasn't really mad at him, he was rather concerned over the fact that this could cost him a lot of money. He was right of course, having to call a pick up truck and then a mechanic to fix his car ended up getting pretty costly. He had even dipped into his savings for gods sake.

(The savings in question being the birthday money his mother had given him but still, it was the principle of things.)

Xavier sighed as he closed the garage door and started his walk back to the front door. He paused slightly, at the flowers at his door step. He recognized the flowers, the bouquet. He had been getting the same thing every day for the last couple weeks. He never picked them up. He walked inside his house and called the Byers' house.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Byers," Xavier said.

"Oh Xavier!" Mrs. Byers replied. "How are you honey?"

"I'm doing okay," he replied. "I was wondering if Dustin could hang out with Will today?"

"Of course!" she replied happily. "Will tells me that they have a project to work on anyways."

Xavier smiled into the phone. Dustin had been talking his ear off about the project and how he was happy to have been paired up with Will.

"I can have Jonathan pick you boys up," she continued. "And since your mom is working that double shift today you boys can stay the night as well."

That was another thing, Mrs. Byers had insisted that the two of them stay the night when necessary. Xavier understood of course, she was worried for the two of them, especially with their mom working doubles often to cover the house bills.

"Ah we really wouldn't want to bother you-"

"Nonsense!" she interrupted. "You boys are like family. So pack an overnight bag and Jonathan will be over to pick you boys up before dinner."

"Thank you," he whispered softly.

Xavier hung the phone up and walked slowly to the front door, pressing his lips together. He bent down and picked up the bouquet before closing the door and sighing softly.

-

"The same flowers?" Jonathan asked.

Xavier nodded. "The same flowers. He's apologizing and has been for the past three weeks."

Jonathan sighed. "I just- I don't understand."

Xavier shrugged. "The same flowers everytime Jon," he repeated. "hyacinth, bluebell, peony, and an olive branch."

The younger boy flopped himself down onto the bed and closed his eyes.

"I thought he would have stopped after seeing Harrington picking them up," Jonathan confessed.

"He did for like... three days," Xavier replied. "He re-started two days ago."

The older boy hummed softly before going to lay down in his bed next to his friend.

"How are your nightmares," he asked softly.

The younger boy opened his eyes, "They're... well nightmares."

"Xavi-"

"I don't know what you want me to say Jonathan," he replied snarky. "They come and go."

The boy sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean-"

"I know Xavi," Jonathan said softly. "I know."

They sat in silence before the younger boy got up and reached for a book on the bookshelf. "You know," he said softly "I'm always scared of going to sleep and waking up the day Will went missing." He turned to look at Jonathan. "Or that I dreamt all this up and I died on your kitchen floor."

"Xavi-"

"It's dumb. I know." he interrupted. "The nightmares, as shitty as they are, help me remember that this is real. That I'm somehow still alive."

Jonathan hummed softly, getting off his bed and leading the younger back to it. "You know," he said. "Will asked me once if you were my boyfriend."

Xavier giggled.

"I mean it!" he insisted. "He stared at me and looked me down and told me that if I hurt you that he would never forgive me. I had to remind him that I'm his brother and what if you hurt me." he continued as the pair of boys laid in bed side by side. "He then told me that he will have the same talk with you next time you came over-"

"Oh my god!" Xavier said. "Is that why he kept glancing between the two of us-"

"Yes!" Jonathan said as he chuckled. "I had to explain to him that we were only friends and that I wasn't your type to begin with-"

"No-"

"And then he was offended and asked why not-"

Xavier couldn't help but cackle and Jonathan couldn't hold his laughter in either. He remembers coming out to the younger boy after noticing how skittish he got around Mike. Xavier was scared, worried that Lonnie's remarks could have gotten to Will but the younger simply hugged him tight and smiled at him. Xavier was only out to the three closest people in his life for two years before the upside down opened.

The quite music played through Jon's room as their brothers worked on their project and Mrs. Byers was on a date with Bob. Xavier always found it slightly funny how the older boy would pretend to gag when it was brought up. The boys fell asleep and Xavier whined as Jonathan kicked him in his sleep, pushing the boy when he kicked.

AUTHORS NOTE: word count: 933

yippie!! first chapter is out. welcome to act two guys! this is smaller chapter (obv) but i hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. i love writing the byers' interacting with the hendersons <3 they're so silly i love them.

also !! in my fic dustin and will are closer than they are in canon due to their big brothers <3

i wanna try uploading weekly since it's summer and hopefully finish act two before school starts up again and college beats my ass.

love u all 😁🫶🏻