≫ stranger things oneshots

cooking ≫ jancy

cooking

o o o

It was soon going to be Will's birthday, so Jonathan Byers was busy stirring up chocolate chip cookie dough. He knew that his brother hated lots of attention, so homemade cookies would be the best treat for him.

Jonathan was just about to pour the chocolate chips into the dough when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly set down the bowl and walked to the front door, wiping his sticky hands on a napkin as he did.

As he opened the door, Jonathan was surprised to see Nancy Wheeler standing on his front porch. She was holding an old worn up box in her arms, and her expression made it clear that she hadn't been planning on seeing him.

"Hey, Nance," he greeted, a friendly smile on his face. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, Jonathan, um, hey!" Nancy stuttered, her cheeks tinted pink. She had been expecting Joyce to answer, not her son. "I just came around to give this stuff to your mom. Is she home?"

Jonathan shook his head. "No, she's working," he said. He looked down at the box again and smirked. "What's that, your old monster-hunting kit?"

Nancy rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. "Uh, no," she said. "These are a couple of Mike's comics. Apparently your mom is collecting them so she can make something for Will's birthday...?"

"Yeah, I have no idea what she's planning," Jonathan admitted. "All I know is that it's a surprise."

"Huh," Nancy said. There was a quiet moment of awkward silence while she and Jonathan just stared down at the box, neither one saying anything.

Finally, Jonathan realized that he was being rude and looked up. He grinned sheepishly and opened the door wider. "Sorry, um, do you want to come inside?"

"Oh, yeah," Nancy laughed, taking a rushed step forward and bumping into Jonathan. She blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention and-" Her apology was cut short when her eyes met his. The last time she'd been this close to him was when she'd given him his Christmas present and kissed his cheek. She'd forgotten how much his closeness affected her heartbeat.

Finally, after a few long seconds of unrelenting eye contact, Jonathan blinked and cleared his throat, snapping Nancy out of her trance. They both blushed and ducked their heads as they maneuvered their ways around each other, neither one daring to look the other in the eye.

Once they were inside, Nancy suddenly spoke. "Your house looks a lot weirder without the Christmas lights," she said, staring up at the empty ceiling.

Jonathan snorted. "That's ironic," he said. "Most people thought it was weirder with them."

Nancy turned to look at her friend and grinned. "Well, I'm not most people."

No, you're just better, Jonathan thought, watching as she set down the box of comics and looked around his house more. He could feel his face heating up, grateful that Nancy couldn't hear his thoughts.

Suddenly, Jonathan had a thought. "Do you want to help me bake some cookies?"

Nancy looked at him, confused. "What?" she asked, squinting.

"Before you got here, I was making Will some chocolate chip cookies," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "You can help, if you want."

Nancy raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Does it look like I know how to make cookies?"

Jonathan shrugged, lifting his hands uncertainly. "I just... kind of assumed you did...?" Smooth, real smooth.

"Yeah, no," Nancy laughed, walking over to Jonathan and patting his shoulder. "I'm not like most people, remember?"

"Okay, I get it, you don't cook," Jonathan chuckled. "But I'm still making you help me." He turned and started walking towards the kitchen before she could protest.

As he started adding the chocolate chips to the dough, Jonathan sensed Nancy standing behind him. He turned and grinned. "Change your mind?"

"No," Nancy crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm here to taste test."

"Um, I don't think so," Jonathan said seriously. He grabbed the bag of chocolate chips and shoved it into Nancy's hands before she could protest. "You have now been promoted to chocolate pourer."

Nancy stood there, stunned into silence. Jonathan looked at her pointedly, trying hard not to smile. He knew that if he pressed hard enough, she'd eventually help him make the stupid cookies. She was just being stubborn.

Finally, Nancy shook her head and cracked a smile. "You are an idiot, Jonathan Byers," she huffed, stomping over to the bowl of dough and emptying the bag of chocolate chips into it.

"Woah, not all at once!" Jonathan panicked and reached forward instinctively, grabbing Nancy's wrist. She stared up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "Oops," she whispered.

Jonathan looked at Nancy, then down at the overflowing bowl, then back at Nancy. He shook his head and cracked a smile. "You're a mess," he breathed, unable to control the laughs about to spill out of his throat.

Nancy tried glaring at him, but just ended up laughing along. Soon they were laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt, and Jonathan fell on the floor, out of breath. Nancy joined him, tucking her hair behind her ears before wiping her moist eyes.

"What was that all about?" she asked, her voice finally returning. While they were laughing, neither of the teenagers had noticed how Jonathan's hand was still holding Nancy's tightly.

Nancy stared down at their entwined fingers, her eyes wide. She slowly lifted her eyes to Jonathan's, and bit her lip nervously. Was she supposed to keep holding it or let it go or ignore it or-

"Nancy," Jonathan breathed, returning her panicked gaze with an unusually calm one.

"Yes?" Nancy gulped. His eyes were mesmerizing, like deep pools of dark water. She could feel her heart beating faster inside her chest as he leaned forward, only inches away.

Jonathan had wanted to kiss Nancy for so long, and now he was closer to her than ever before. She was just so beautiful, with her short hair and bright eyes and adorable smile. He'd never felt this way for anyone, ever.

"I think I love you," Jonathan whispered, lifting his hand and cupping her cheek gently. "I just... thought you should know."

Nancy sucked in a quick breath and closed her eyes tightly. "Jonathan..." She opened her eyes, revealing the tears she'd tried to repress. "I'm dating Steve."

Jonathan looked down at the floor and shook his head in anger. Suddenly, he looked up and crashed his lips into Nancy's. She immediately responded, kissing him back with all the force she could muster.

When they finally pulled away for air, Jonathan leaned his forehead against Nancy's, his breathing heavy. "Steve can go die in a hole," he laughed, leaning forward to kiss her again.