Strange Things Are Happening. (Jonathan Byers x OC) Wattys 2017

15.

"So..." Nancy began as they trailed their way to the meeting spot, "Are you and Jonathan...?"

Samantha flushed red, looking away from Nancy's teasing stare.

"Oh my god," her cousin gushed, "What happened?"

"Nothing!" she said quickly, a little too quickly because Nancy let out a small squeak of excitement and wrapped her arm around her.

"Has he kissed you?"

"Nancy," she sighed, laughing when she saw her face, "Alright, fine. I...may have kissed him."

"You what?" she shrieked, pulling her to a stop, "You kissed him? And didn't tell me! So are you two like boyfriend, girlfriend now?"

"Nancy, really, we have bigger things to think about."

The two of them looked into the distance when they heard gunshots, where they could see Jonathan shooting at some cans, missing each and every single one of them.

Looking at him from afar, Samantha couldn't help but admire him. He looked good with a gun. Dangerous. Bad.

Nancy elbowed her cousin in the stomach, making her look at her innocently.

"You're supposed to hit the cans, right?" Nancy called, making him look at them, his gaze moving to Samantha and a smile pulled at his lips as he looked her up and down.

"No actually, you see the spaces in between the cans? I'm aiming for them."

"Ah," Samantha grinned, "Well, you're doing a spectacular job." She dropped her stick onto Nancy's bag and moved to stand beside him, her hand moving to rest on his arm.

"You ever shot a gun before?" he asked, looking from her to Nancy, who shook her head.

"Have you met my parents?"

Jonathan raised the gun again, "Yeah, I haven't shot one since I was ten. My dad took me hunting on my birthday. He made me kill a rabbit."

"A rabbit?" the two girls repeated, faces twisted in disgust.

"Yeah. I guess he thought it would make me into more of a man or something. I cried for a week," he admitted with a bitter smile.

"Wow," Samantha muttered.

"What?" he asked, a real grin on his face this time, "I'm a fan of thumper!"

She laughed and wiped some dirt from his shirt, "I meant your dad."

He nodded, "I guess he and my mom loved each other at some point but I wasn't around for that part."

Samantha's heart broke for him but she didn't say anything but Nancy held her hand out for the gun, which surprised her.

"Um, yeah. Careful," he mumbled, handing it over, "Just point and shoot."

He and Samantha moved back, watching as she lined up her shot and fired, hitting the can square on.

"Woah!" Samantha grinned, "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

Nancy shrugged and gave them a smug smile, "Must be a natural."

Soon, the two of them were sitting in the grass while Nancy was practicing her swing by hitting the cans on the tree stumps.

"You know," Jonathan began quietly, making her look at him, "What we're going to be doing, it's going to be dangerous and if you don't want to, I'd understand."

"Jonathan," she smiled, placing her hand on his, "You're not doing this without me."

He grinned, clearing his throat and watched Nancy, "So after all of this is over. And we get Will and Barbara back. I was wondering if maybe, you'd like to grab a bite to eat with me? Maybe go bowling?"