HOW TO STOP LIKING BOYS ━ Stranger Things ✓

TWELVE: COOL KIDS

TWELVE: COOL KIDS

MEANWHILE, Daniel was at home, laying in his bed with a comic book in his hands. Normally, he would be hanging out with Mike, but Will hadn't been at school today so the boy was going over to the Byers house to check up on him. He didn't mind being alone, but his mother had left to go grocery shopping so the house was weirdly empty. Every creak or squeak was sending chills down Daniel's spine. He hated being alone.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a knocking sound from somewhere in the house. Furrowing his brow, Daniel got up to investigate. He knew this was typically how people got killed in horror movies, but this was Hawkins. The town was a little sparse on serial killers this fall season. Following the noise, he pushed open the half-closed door of Heather's bedroom.

Knocking on the window was Steve Harrington. Now that was not someone Daniel expected to see. He opened the window, where Steve was clinging to the windowsill and a lattice for dear life.

"She's not here, Harrington," he sighed, leaning on the windowsill, dangerously close to where the teen was holding.

"Shit," Steve cursed, "Uh, I don't know how to get down without falling, can I come in?"

With an eye roll, Daniel nodded, backing up from the window, "I'd ask if you need help but I don't think I could do much. Why are you looking for my sister?"

"Uh, she wasn't at school today and I wanted to talk to her about something," the teen looked awkward standing in Heather's room, but Daniel didn't even act as though this was weird, just walking over to his room since his sister would hate that he was in hers. Steve followed, clearly not sure of what to do. "Hey, you know her well, right? Can I ask you something?"

Plopping down on his bed, next to his discarded comic book. Steve stood for a moment before Daniel nodded and Steve sat down next to him, their backs against the wall.

"I'd say I know here pretty well, shoot."

"Okay, so, last year, when we were fighting the Demogorgon, you remember that I'm sure, but it was when we were at the Byers's house and we were totally about to die because we were trapped in Jonathan's room and that thing was out there and stuff and Heather told me she was in love with me? I mean, it was a 'we're all about to die' thing so I wasn't sure if it was serious or not, but then the other day we all went to a Halloween party and stuff and Nancy and I pretty much broke up. That hurt, like a lot, and I was drunk, but like, don't drink until you're 21 kid, trust me. Anyway, I went outside to think and maybe cry just a little bit but don't tell anyone that, and Heather came out and sat beside me and just talked to me. She didn't talk to me like I was the king of the school, or like she was flirting with me like she talked to me as if I were just another human being. So, naturally, I'm thinking there's no way she's still in love with me, but I was drunk and holding out hope that maybe she did so I kissed her—"

"You did what now?" Daniel asked with wide eyes, not expecting Steve to casually drop that in his very long-winded question (if it was even a question anymore).

Steve sighed, "Yeah, and she kissed back and shit. I mean, you probably don't know what that's like."

Daniel cut him off sharply with a laugh, "I know what kissing is like, I'm almost fifteen, not ten."

"How the hell do you— nevermind, not important right now," the teenager sighed, laughing slightly as he looked down at his twiddling thumbs. "Anyway, so we kissed, and like, then she pulled away and told me I was drunk and "vulnerable," whatever that's supposed to mean. So she drove me back to my place, don't worry I don't think she was drinking. We just like, watched movies all night? We sat on separate couches, we laughed, we threw popcorn at each other all that cheesy shit, but she hasn't really talked to me since. I mean, if she's not into me like that anymore, I think I'm gonna try and make things right with Nancy because I did— do, I do love Nancy. I just, I don't know what to do. What do you think I should do, little man?"

"I think you're spiraling because you're asking a fifteen-year-old who has only had one relationship in his life and that's going great so I don't know how to deal with this complicated high school crap," Daniel shrugged, "but, here's the thing, Nancy's great, I think you two should stay friends, but I think you should let things stay dead. Go to her house, apologize to her, but don't get back with her. If it's meant to end, it's meant to end. Hell, this might be some sign from some stupid higher power trying to tell you to date my sister, who knows? What I do know is that she likes you, she always has. I think she always will. She's never gonna tell you that, though, she runs from every feeling besides anger and hate. She was so scared when she figured out she liked you, I could tell. You're going to need to be the one who makes the first move with her, because she's absolutely willing to suffer and ignore any feelings she has for you if she thinkgs it's good for you."

"But it's not good for me!" Steve argued, sounding exasperated, "Your sister is so great, dude, I don't even think you know. Like, this asshole at that party I mentioned was saying some super racist stuff and you know what she did? She threw her whole ass drink on him! Who does that?"

Daniel laughed, knowing that's exactly something his sister would do, without a doubt. "She's a riot."

"She's the type of girl I want."

"Then go get her," was all Daniel suggested, nudging Steve's arm with his shoulder, "I would say you make things right with Nancy first. She may have been the one that broke up with you, but you don't want her getting the wrong idea."

"You're wise for a kid, ya know," Steve sighed, "Both of you are so smart. We need to talk more than like, once a year, you're a cool kid."

"God, was the last time we talked really on the drive to the hospital last year?"

"Pretty sure," the boy nodded, "You're a cool little kid, Heather's lucky to have you."

"That's weird. Yeah, I'm lucky to have her, if it wasn't for her I don't even think I would be as happy as I am in my life right now," Daniel sighed, "She was the one who made me feel okay to be who I am. Well, the first one, at least."

"To be what?"

"Oh, right! You don't know!" Daniel exclaimed, just realizing that pretty much everyone in his and his sister's inner circle knew about Daniel and Mike except for the boy next to him. "That relationship I'm in? It's with a boy, like, a really, really cute boy. I used to like, not even be able to tell myself that I liked boys, but it was Heather that told me what I was feeling and helped me figure out how to be okay with that."

Steve looked surprised for a moment, before it faded, "That's... that's really cool. I'm glad she helped you with that."

"You know, you're pretty cool Steve Harrington."

"Same here, Daniel Jacobs."

( note! )

I originally was gonna have daniel go to Will's with Mike, but then I realized there was no way to fit him into that scene without it being hella awkward and then I realized that Steve existed and he and Daniel are defnitely gonna be future brother-in-laws so they need some bonding time also I wanted to show that steve is kind of falling for heather but I needed daniel to still convince him to go to nancy's so he and dustin could become brotp so,,, yeah there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter, sorry! but my boys needed their bonding! also can we fuckin uhhh get this to 70k reads thx