Basic Instinct [stranger things]

70. Nicknames

CHAPTER SEVENTY
NICKNAMES

Aaron was once again sat alone in the big empty house, pretending to watch tv. Laying on the large couch in the living room with his arms folded over his chest as he looked blankly to the show playing.

Steve was out with Dustin and Robin - like usual. Aaron didn't know why he or Kimmy didn't get invited out when the trio would hang out, the two of them had been there when the three had grown close as well.

The blond didn't like to think about it too much, he learned a long time ago what to expect when it came down to Steve and his friendships, he was just taken aback that after all the two had gone through, it was still like that.

It was like there was a double standard. Steve was allowed to befriend Dustin - who was now his best friend when Dustin was one of Aaron's best friends first. Now of course the two weren't as close, but Aaron believed that Dustin's friendship with the blonds older brother played a large part in this. Dustin always jumping at the chance to hang out with Steve even if it meant not hanging out with Aaron to do so.

Aaron didn't blame Dustin, or even Steve for that matter, he couldn't tell Steve or Dustin who they could or couldn't be friends with.

However Steve clearly didn't think the same. It was one of the few things that the two brothers would actually argue about.

Aaron wasn't allowed to really even talk to Steve's friends without the older boy growing annoyed, it had always been like that. However now apparently that included Robin and sometimes even Dustin if it fit the situation and that pissed Aaron off.

It wasn't even just friends. When Steve was dating Nancy, Aaron wasn't even allowed to talk to her. But Steve could go up to Kimmy when she was over and talk to her about all kind of nonsense even after Aaron would tell him to leave? It wasn't fair. And it annoyed the life out of the younger boy.

He couldn't even bring it up because he felt like he would look like he was overreacting in the eyes of others, and he couldn't blame them. No one really knew how far the two brothers had come in their relationship, Aaron didn't like to talk about it.

With that said, he also never liked to bring it up to Steve in fear that they'd revert back to their old ways and he certainly didn't want that either. But because he never brought it up, it was just building up and building up and making him more and more frustrated.

It felt like the blond was always walking around on eggshells to protect other people's feelings, even if it meant his own ended up hurt. But no one really needed to do the same was prepared to do the same for him.

Maybe that's why he hung out with Lucas and Kimmy so much, it felt like sometimes they were the only two that really considered his feelings and took time to realise that just because he was good at not always showing how he felt, didn't mean he didn't get hurt the same as those who tended to show how they were always feeling did.

Just because he didn't rush to defend himself didn't mean he was lying or in the wrong, he wasn't good with confrontation when it came to himself - usually only when it came to others who he cared about. He wasn't the best at sticking up for himself unless it was between himself and his brother when they were bickering.

He didn't know what to expect when it came to Steve, he knew that they were brothers and that they weren't even the same age - he couldn't expect them to be best friends all the time.

He just hated being left in the house alone with nothing to do. It was summer, he should be doing something. Even if he just had someone to watch tv with would be better than him watching it himself.