𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xvii. owe you one.

JAMES CRAWLED through the rift first, looking all around and holding up the gun, clearing the area before helping Nancy up, who was also defensively holding the gun up. "No Demos..." The Hopper said quietly to her and she nods her hesd softly. "All clear!" She shouted to the others and she stood watch as James helped up Dustin into the Abyss.

"Good?" He asked him and the Henderson nodded. Nancy had walked away, looking into the distance as James kept helping everyone, Lucas, Mike, Will, Robin, Jonathan, Joyce and then finally his boyfriend. They all walk over to join Nancy, staring into the distance. They began moving just then, walking across the Abyss with their weapons at the ready, well, mostly Nancy and James anyway.

She walked ahead of everyone, and James was behind of the group with Steve. The Hopper kept glancing behind, making sure there wasn't anything behind them to surprise and attack them. "Hey, man." Steve said suddenly, now walking alongside Jonathan. "Hey." The Byers glanced at him. "Thought I was a goner back there." The Harrington began.

"Owe you one." He adds and Jonathan nods. "Yeah." He said quietly, looking away. "Look, just because I don't like you, doesn't mean I want you dead." He said as Steve glanced at the shorter. "And I've got a feeling we're gonna need you up here." Jonathan adds, looking away. "I don't blame you, by the way. For not liking me. You know, I can be a real prick sometimes." Steve sheepishly shrugged.

"Yeah." Jonathan agreed, then glanced away. "I mean, same." He said, looking away as Steve adjusted his shield and staff. "Look, Steve, when I was away in California, you and James were there for Nancy when I couldn't be. And I thought that, you know, that's why things were off with us. Because her and James, they're--" "annoyingly good together?" Steve says, looking at Jonathan who laughs, nodding.

"Yeah." He said, glancing at Steve. "But the truth is we just had to talk it out. I mean, our problems had nothing to do with either of you. Took me a long time to figure out my jealousy was stupid. Nancy loves me. I don't know what I was so jealous for." He said and Steve chuckles. "Yeah, she's pretty independent." He nods as he looks at the Byers who nodded.

"Yeah, she doesn't need my protection." He says and the Harrington snorts. "Yeah, cause she does all the protecting for you, I mean, look at her. She's a badass, man. All you had to do was focus on her and not care about others." Steve advised and Jonathan nodded. "I was dumb to not realize that. I guess... I saw how good you and James took care of each other, and I don't know, got jealous because Nancy and I haven't had that since before I moved away. I'm just glad her and I talked it out." He shrugs, looking ahead of them and Steve smiled.

"That's good, man. Talking it out always works." He nods as Jonathan glanced over at him again. "Even if I know you're good for James, I still don't like you." He said and Steve looks at him. "Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way." He said, smiling and Jonathan chuckles, looking away. "Hey, lovebirds and James!" Robin shouted, making the Hopper look over, confused. "You're gonna wanna check this out." She says.

The three run over to where the others were. "Jesus Christ." Steve said at the sight of the spider-looking thing with the limbs all facing upwards. "That's it. That's what I saw in my vision. The kids are in there." Will said. "Then what are we waiting for?" Nancy said before he began walking, ahead of everyone again as James was still behind them all.

As they got closer and closer, James was now ahead of everyone else, Robin and Steve not far behind him, Joyce behind them, Dustin and Jonathan behind her, and then Nancy and Mike, at the end, Will and Lucas. James was staring straight ahead at the structure, ready to shoot if anything came running at them. And then, "Hey! Will!" Caught his attention, everyone was running back over to him, "Will!"