[ 𝚂𝚞𝚗 & 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 ] ~ 𝙹𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

XXIII - True Art

"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down." Jonathan said, tripping out the front door of his house with a mattress in hand.

"Boo hoo! You're no fun." Justin muttered, holding up the other end of his mattress. 

"Whatever." He laughed. "You got it?" Jonathan asked, looking around the mattress at the shorter girl.

"You think I'm lame?" 

"I never said that-" 

"You basically did."

Jonathan rolled his eyes, stepping up into the U-Haul. "Up." 

"Don't tell me what to do." Justin shook her head. "Maybe I'll go down."

"J-" 

"What?"

"Up. . .please?" 

She sighed, "Fine, if you're gonna pull my arm like that." She pushed on the edge of the mattress, lifting it up and into the truck for him. "Weakling. Needing little ol' me's help."

"Nobody could ever match your strength." He mused. 

A BMW pulled into the driveway, and they could faintly hear a 'have fun' being called from inside the car. Justin peeked around the U-Haul and saw baby Steve running up to the house. She waved to Justin. Justin dropped the mattress with one hand and waved back, causing Jonathan to slip up his hold and almost drop it. 

Justin burst out laughing, still holding the mattress in one of her hands. "Oh my god- You just-" 

"Yeah, yeah- Laugh it up-" He sighed.

"Oh I will. You know what, one second." She dropped the mattress, causing Jonathan to slip again, and ran inside to find her camera. 

Justin ran back out, tripping over a rock and almost falling flat on her face. "I'm okay!" She cheered, snapping a picture of Jonathan struggling to get the mattress in on his own. 

"You got your picture?"

"Yeah." She laughed. Though her outburst was cut short as Jonathan lifted it the rest of the way in with ease. "What the fuck, Byers!"

He chuckled, "What? I can't give you some amusement?" 

"You could've at least played into my joy for a little longer."

Jonathan rolled his eyes, hopping down from the back of the truck just as Nancy came out of the house. The three walked in together, Justin all pouty that it was all just a ruse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw baby Steve tackle her brother and her pep sprung right back up into a snicker. 

"Is that. . ." Nancy started. "Everything?"

"No shit, Sherlock." Justin muttered, leaning against the wall. "We only spent all morning packing his fucking junk up in boxes."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "I guess so." He walked into his empty room, the carpet under his shoes. "Seventeen years of my life. . .packed up in one day."

Devil Wheeler walked in after him and Justin decided to leave, not wanting to third wheel on them. "Dusty~" Justin called, swinging around the doorframe into the Byers' living room. . .well old living room. It wasn't really theirs anymore. 

Dustin groaned, laying back against the wooden flooring with Lucy at his side. "Don't call me that!" 

"I'll call you whatever I want, Dusty." She countered, plopping down on the floor besides them. "You did all this?" She asked, motioning at the stacks and stacks of boxes. 

"I helped!" Lucy cheered, popping up to her feet. 

"Oh, I'm sure you did." Justin chuckled. "Where'd your weirdo brother go? Mr. Hairington himself."

"Home, probably? Or to the Hargrove's to pick up Rylie. He wouldn't go in, not since he and Ru broke up. He's an idiot. He should do better."

"It's alright, I've seen the stupid bruises. He got what he deserved. Besides, I'll swoop Russy off her feet and she'll forget about that dumby in no time!" 

Lucy giggled, sitting back down on the floor. The better looking Harrington gasped, her face lighting up. "We should do a sleepover before school starts! At Rylie's house! Just us girls. Max, Ru, Rylie, Robin, me and you! I wish El could come." Lucy frowned. 

"Who?" Justin raised a brow. 

"Eleven?"

"Doesn't ring a bell." Justin shook her head. "But yeah sure, I'm game." She shrugged. 

"No Nancy?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, well I just figured she wouldn't want to. She doesn't seem to like us all that much. . . But I mean, I guess she cou-"

"No!" Justin yelled. "No, she can not." 

"Come on, we're saying bye." Mike said, walking through the living room.

Lucy and Dustin both shot up, running outside. Justin followed slowly. She noticed Lucy crying, hugging both the Byers boys before she hugged Will on his own. Lucy muttered something about calling every day and sending a letter in the mail every week. Justin was shocked a bit when she was pulled into someone's chest. "Well hi there-" She muttered, pulling back enough to see Jonathan. 

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Well, how could I? There'll be nobody to drag me into death-defying situations." She quipped, wrapping her arms around him back. "Don't be a stranger. . .okay?" 

He nodded, his chin against the top of her head. "You either." 

"I wouldn't dare. I mean, you're taking all the strange, awkwardness with you. . .so."

Jonathan chuckled, nodding. "Keep taking those weird pictures."

She gasped. "Says you!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who took a picture of a butterfly on a frog's head the other day!"

"That wasn't weird, it was art." 

"If you say so." 

"Oh, I most definitely do."

"Bye, J."

"Bye, J." Justin mocked slightly, smiling. 

Jonathan ruffled her hair before getting yanked into another Lucy hug. 

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Word Count - 905

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Published - August 21, 2024

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{Author's Note}

Hello, hello! Thank you so much for reading Part 1 of my Jonathan Byers x Justin Henderson story. This is the end of Season 3 and that means the end of Part 1 as well!

If you want to see more of Lucy and Russell, check out their stories Twigs & Dirt ~ Dustin Henderson x OC and Petals & Thorns ~ Steve Harrington x OC!! There will also be the start of a new story for Season 4 called Paint & Glue ~ Will Byers x OC!! The first chapter of that is up along with a Part 1 Announcement Chapter! Chapters for all 4 stories will be posted in sync.

Thank you for all the support so far on my story, I really do appreciate each and every read. I hope you're enjoying my Stranger Things Fanfic universe so far and will keep doing so!

<3 - Ghosty