Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12789999.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      Multi
  Fandom:
      Stranger_Things_(TV_2016)
  Relationship:
      Jonathan_Byers/Steve_Harrington/Nancy_Wheeler, Joyce_Byers/Jim_"Chief"
      Hopper, Eleven_&_Jim_"Chief"_Hopper
  Character:
      Jim_"Chief"_Hopper, Nancy_Wheeler, Jonathan_Byers, Steve_Harrington,
      Joyce_Byers, Eleven_(Stranger_Things), Will_Byers
  Additional Tags:
      Father-Daughter_Relationship, Father-Son_Relationship, Underage
      Prostitution, Underage_Drinking, Teen_Angst, Daddy_Kink, Light_Dom/sub,
      Dad_Jim_Hopper, Protective_Parent_Jim_"Chief"_Hopper, Joyce_Byers_and_Jim
      "Chief"_Hopper_Adopt_Eleven, Suicidal_Thoughts, Self-Harm, Polygamy,
      Protective_Steve
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-11-22 Completed: 2018-02-03 Chapters: 14/14 Words: 37610
****** Hold My Hand ******
by MrsSpencerReid
Summary
     Scared brown eyes met horrified blue as Jim Hopper stuttered out a
     shocked rendition of his name, 'Jonathan?'
     Or Hopper finds out about Jonathan's secret job and, with the help of
     a few other familiar faces, desperately tries to stop the younger man
     from drowning.
***** The Night Job *****
                                 Hold_My_Hand
Chapter One: The night job
Jonathan knew they needed the money. He knew that his mom couldn't afford to
feed all three of them, power the lights and electricity and pay for the water
and gas on her small salary alone. At first he'd worked a few hours at the
movie theatre in town, upping his shifts when the water had cut off in the
middle of Wills shower and the boy had come running into the kitchen in only a
towel, panicking about smelling bad on his first day of middle school. Jonathan
had worked practically every day after school, going home in his break to make
sure that Will was safe and then going back to work after. He'd be lucky if he
got an hour or so of sleep before waking up for school the next morning. His
grades were dropping but he was a smart kid and he worked non stop at school to
make sure that they kept up just high enough for his mom to leave him alone.
But it still hadn't been enough. He'd still come home to find the power out, or
wake up in the morning to find that the gas had been cut off when he went to
make breakfast for his family. He'd step into the shower and come out seconds
later, still bone dry. What more could he possibly do? He was already taking on
all of the extra hours available, and it was nearly killing him to do it. What
option was left?
That's when the man had approached him. He'd been mopping the aisles of screen
two when the man had wandered in. Jonathan had said nothing, assuming that the
man would leave when he saw that there wasn't a film playing, but the man
didn't leave. He wandered down to where Jonathan was standing and the boy could
feel his eyes roaming up and down his thin frame. And then he'd told him, told
him about the job offer, about how he'd seen Jonathan around and knew that he'd
be perfect. At first Jonathan had declined, told the man that he was doing
fine, but the man had told him the hourly rate and all of a sudden Jonathan
found a lump in his throat, keeping him from saying no.
That's how he found himself here, stood in the tiny room with short black heels
on his feet and a tight black cocktail dress enveloping his frame. His eyes
were sparkling, highlighted by a husky brown shadow and perfect wings that one
of the girls had drawn on for him. He was wearing a long wig of blonde curls
that stopped between his shoulder blades and his lips were painted a decadent
red. He tried hard to avoid all mirrors, his eyes skipping over the familiar
reflection as he prepared for his newest client. For two months this had been
his life, sneaking out of the house at night, whilst his mom and Will were
sleeping, to drive the thirty minute journey to the seedy club just outside of
town. A place where he stopped being Jonathan and started being 'Jessica', the
one girl employed to take care of some of their clients more unusual tastes.
He made the same as the other girls, who were all really girls, a quarter of
what the owners made, but places like the one he worked in were few and far
between and they charged hefty prices so Jonathan did much better there than at
his last place. He told his mom he'd been promoted and it had almost killed him
to see the pride in her eyes, but the joy on Wills face when he'd brought home
a bagful of his favourite candy for their movie night, and the steady power of
the lights and water was enough to quell his guilt. It was for them, he told
himself over and over, like a mantra, it's all for them.
Jonathan heard a knock at the door and he took a deep breath, plastering on the
best smile he could muster as his fourth client of the night sidled into the
room. Yes, his fourth, most of the men Jonathan were with would buckle up
quickly after their allotted hour and hurry home to their unsuspecting wives.
The man looked disheveled, his clothes stained and wrinkled, his hair a mess
and his eyes ever-so-slightly out of focus. The overwhelming stench of alcohol
filled Jonathan's nose and he sighed, another drunk. The man moved over to
Jonathan, running calloused hands over his soft teenage body. Jonathan fought
the urge not to squirm and did what he always did to survive these situations,
he pushed down the images of Will and his Mom and took on the persona he was
trying to play. He became Jessica, the beautiful blonde who was desperate for a
good time with an older man. It made it easier and he felt his body relax. The
man ran his hands around Jonathan's body to grip his ass and yank him closer to
his frame, leaning down to whisper in his ear with a slurred voice and a sour
breath. 'Well aren't I lucky, finding me a pretty little slut like you.'
Jonathan fought not to tense up. He was Jessica now. Jessica would like this.
So he smiled coyly, looking up at the taller man from beneath his eyelashes as
he whispered in a perfected husky voice 'I think I'm the lucky one sir.'
The man groaned, his hands sliding to grip Jonathan's waist with bruising force
as he pulled him close and bit harshly on his bottom lip. 'What's your name,
pretty girl?'
Jonathan gasped at the bite, perhaps a little over dramatically, but the man
seemed to buy it. 'I'm Jessica' he whispered, his voice practically a moan. The
man grinned, pushing lightly on Jonathan's head until he took the hint and
collapsed to his knees. He undid the man's belt for him, desperately trying to
push Jonathan's self-deprecating thoughts aside and become Jessica. Slowly, he
reached into the man's jeans and pulled out his hefty erection, his lips going
to the tip for a chaste kiss before he began to lick and suck in earnest,
focussing on the blowjob so that he didn't have to think about anything else.
He could feel the man's hands in his hair, tugging harshly and directing his
cock deeper into Jonathan's mouth. He was grateful for that, grateful for the
pain that he rightfully deserved.
Then the man was yanking him up by his arms, tugging him towards the bed with
ease as Jonathan was much smaller than his client. 'You were good at that' the
man drawled 'you know how to please a man.'
Jonathan bit his lip and nodded, moving in to whisper 'yes sir' seductively in
the man's ear. He wasn't expecting the growl that followed or for the man to
drop down onto the bed, yanking Jonathan over his knees as he went.
'You've been pleasing those boys at school, haven't you?' Jonathan didn't
respond, too shocked to fathom words until that big calloused hand dropped onto
his ass with a loud smack. He yelped and shot as far forwards as possible with
the man holding him in place. 'Answer me you little slut.' The man spoke again
and Jonathan was quick to answer this time.
'Y-yes, sir.' Jonathan could feel the man growing harder beneath him and he was
painfully aware of how soft his dick was. He knew he needed to get hard if he
wanted to get paid tonight, but he'd already cum twice, his last customer no
caring if he came or not, and it was proving impossible. Reluctantly he left
Jessica's mind and moved into Jonathan's, thinking back to Nancy, how good it
had felt when she'd kissed him at Murray Bauman's house, how perfect she had
felt inside and how wonderful his cum had looked on the smooth skin of her
stomach. It was working, he could feel his dick stirring, so he thought back to
that night with his camera, the night when Barb had gone missing but he'd been
too focussed on Nancy's topless body in the window to notice. The night she'd
been with Steve.
Steve. He didn't want to think about Steve, but his mind was there, thinking
about the other boy's soft lips and perfect hair. And then Jonathan was hard,
his erection digging into the man's knee through the soft fabric of his lace
panties and the silky dress.
'Does that get you off you little slut?' He could hear the man hissing in his
ear and he'd been so out of it that he only then realised that his ass was
stinging, burning from what must have been a considerable number of spanks. 'I
can feel your clit getting hard, does it make you all wet when daddy spanks
you?'
He gasped, pushing thoughts of Steve and Nancy from his brain as he scrambled
for something relevant to say. 'Yes daddy' he moaned finally 'all wet for you.'
And he was, he was always lubed up before his clients came in. The man flipped
him over then, pushing him into the mattress as he climbed on top. His hard
dick was pressed up against Jonathan's entrance when Jonathan stopped him with
a firm hand on his chest. 'Condom' he said quietly but firmly and the man
growled in irritation.
'I don't got anything' he snarled, trying to push forwards again but Jonathan
held him back, rummaging on the nightstand beside the bed until he finally
found the condom, pushing it into the man's hand; there was no way in hell he
was doing this unprotected. He just needed to convince the man that a condom
was a good idea.
'C'mon daddy' he whined in a blatant attempt to play on the man's obvious kink.
The man still didn't move to unwrap the condom and Jonathan knew that he was
gonna have to up his game. He took a deep breath, fighting down the bile and
self-hatred as he spoke. 'I'm not on the pill daddy' his voice was quiet in a
way that he hoped could be taken as innocence instead of humiliation 'don't
wanna put a baby in me, do you?'
'Fuck' the man growled, pulling his dick away from Jonathan's fluttering hole
and rolling on the condom with ease. Jonathan released a relieved breath of air
and the man leaned back over him, sliding into him with one smooth thrust that
made Jonathan tremble in barely concealed pain. 'Such a good girl' the man
growled as he fucked Jonathan slowly 'always looking out for her daddy.'
Jonathan said nothing, afraid that if he opened his mouth then he really would
be sick.
All of a sudden there was a knock at the door, the man didn't even stop
thrusting as he leaned over to yell at the intruder 'fuck off.' But the
intruder didn't stop, instead stepping into the room. Jonathan recognised her
as a girl who went by Penny, a beautiful red head with sparkling green eyes and
full dark lips. She looked scared, hurrying over so that both men could see her
in full view. 'Hey there pretty thing' the man drawled 'come to join us?'
Penny shook her head and Jonathan thought he saw real fear in her eyes. Real
panic. 'We gotta go.' She whispered hurriedly and Jonathan looked at her
quizzically 'the cops, they're here. They're arresting everyone.'
The man's eyes went wide and he pulled out of Jonathan in one swift movement,
making the boy cry out in pain as a warm liquor began to trickle down his leg.
He didn't need to look to know that it was blood. He looked up just in time to
see the man running from the room and then there were footsteps approaching the
room. Penny's eyes went wide as she scarpered through the window, running away
silently into the dark night, leaving Jonathan alone and in pain, desperately
trying to find something to hide his humiliation.
But it was too late and the door burst open just seconds after Penny had
slammed the window behind her. Jonathan didn't dare look up, but when his eyes
finally lifted to the police offer standing in the doorway his stomach dropped.
He cursed himself, why hadn't he thought about this being a possibility when he
took the job.
Scared brown eyes met horrified blue as Jim Hopper stuttered out a shocked
rendition of his name, 'Jonathan?'
***** Revelations *****
Chapter Two: Revelations
Jonathan sat in Hopper's office, away from the prying eyes of the other
officers and the angry whining of the other girls who had been arrested. The
chief had found him some baggy jeans and a plain blue t-shirt in the lost and
found and then waited outside of the precinct bathroom whilst Jonathan changed
and scrubbed the makeup off of his face. They were sat in silence now,
Jonathan's eyes downcast and his body tight as he fought the pain in his torn
and bleeding ass. Hopper sighed and ran a hand over his face 'what the hell
were you thinking, kid?' He asked and his voice wasn't angry, not yet, just
disappointed.
Jonathan stared at his feet, feeling tears prick in his eyes as he fought not
to lose his composure. 'We needed the money.' He mumbled weakly and Hopper
scoffed.
'Nobody's this poor kid.' He said darkly and Jonathan felt like he'd been
punched in the stomach, his tummy was churning with barely contained bile, he
was in pain and the judgement he could see in the police chief's eyes was
enough to make him want to crawl into a hole and never come back out.
'We are' he whispered, finally daring to glance up at Hopper's face 'since I
got this job we've had food, and water and gas and electricity. Nothing's been
an issue. We're barely afloat but at least we're not drowning.'
Hopper flinched at the raw emotion in the boy's voice and he knew that he
couldn't question the validity of the statement. He wondered absentmindedly why
Joyce wouldn't confide in him about how bad things were at home, but then again
why would she? Nobody likes to broadcast their problems. He rose from his seat
and came to stand awkwardly in front of Jonathan. For a moment he considered
just standing there, talking down to the boy in the harsh tone that he always
used with convicts, but one look at the boy's shaking form and wet eyes had
Hopper crouching down in front of Jonathan, his voice marginally softer, in a
tone that he usually only reserved for Elle. 'This is not a job, kid.' He told
him firmly 'you deserve better than this. I can help out your mom, I can fix
this, but you have to trust me.' Jonathan looked up then, biting his lip as the
tears rolled down his cheeks. He nodded softly and Hopper sighed in relief 'ok,
so tell me the truth, are you in pain? Do I need to take you to the hospital?'
Jonathan momentarily considered lying, saying he was fine like he'd done a
thousand times before, but the Chief had said to trust him and he was getting
sick of the lies. So, plucking up the courage to be brave one last time,
Jonathan nodded, a gesture that Hopper returned as he took the boy by the arm
and led him from the precinct.
-xxx-
Joyce practically barrelled into the hospital, her hair messy from sleep and
her eyes wet from crying in the car. Hopper met her in the waiting room,
pulling her into a bone-crushing hug before she could do anything. She
collapsed into him, the tears coming fresh and soaking his shirt. 'It's ok' he
whispered to her gently 'its all gonna be ok now.' She looked up at him and
shook her head, how could anything ever be ok again? But Jim took one of her
small hands in his own and stared deep into her eyes, already so full of pain
and sparkling with fear, as he told her again, firmer this time, 'I'm gonna
make everything ok.'
She nodded and he doubted that she actually believed him but he accepted it
because how could he not? How could he expect her to find out that her eldest
son, still a child in his junior year of high school, was prostituting himself
to put food on her table. Joyce was more resilient than most but this new
development was enough to break the strongest of people and, as he pushed her
away gently to look at her, he realised that she really did look well and truly
broken. All of a sudden his mind was back to cigarettes beneath the stairs and
long brown hair floating out behind her as they ran away from their angry
teacher. Back then it had been easy to run from their problems, but now they
were stuck. And it was they and not her, because it was Jim's problem now too.
He was going to make it his problem.
'I want to see him.' Joyce said finally and Jim nodded. He took her hand and
led her down the sterile hallway, stopping in front of a white door that read
'26' in the front in simple silver letters.
'He's not in trouble' Hopper said as they paused outside of the room and Joyce
turned questioning eyes on him. 'He's just a kid, Joyce. I'm not gonna lock
away a kid for tryna help his family.'
Joyce nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks again as she pulled Hopper into
another hug 'thank you Hop.' She said, her voice soft and croaky from the tears
and he smiled, rubbing her back gently as she pushed open the door and entered
the room.
Jonathan was laid out on the hospital bed looking pale and tired, beside him on
the floor was a small waste basket with sick in the bottom and Joyce fought the
urge to run from the room before anyone could say anything. 'Mom?' He asked and
she turned to face him. One look at his face was enough to quell whatever anger
she had inside of her and replace it with despair. He looked so broken, so lost
and hopeless and Joyce didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to help the
little boy in front of her. Because that's all he was in that moment, her
little boy. The same little boy who had been so excited to get a camera for his
10th birthday and who had begged her to let him stay up for just ten more
minutes every bedtime when he was 9. He was her little boy and it scared her to
see him looking so despondent, like a child who'd had to grow up too fast.
That, of course, was exactly what he was.
She was at his side before the words 'I'm sorry' even left his mouth, her hands
stroking his face and her arms pulling him closer. 'Don't you dare apologise to
me, Jonathan Byers.' She choked back a sob and heard him fail to do the same.
'I'm sorry' she was murmuring it into his hair before she even knew what she
was saying and she knew that it was right, she was sorry. Sorry for making him
feel like this was his responsibility. Sorry for making him grow up so fast.
Hopper stood in the doorway, watching them hold each other, two fractured parts
of a whole that needed glue to fix them back together. For a long time Will had
been that glue, the binding instrument that kept them from falling apart, but
now they needed something new. Something to fix all three of them. Something to
take this little shattered family and bind it back together again. And then a
thought shot through his mind that he greeted with warmth and despair in equal
measure; maybe he could be that glue.
-xxx-
'You're not in trouble kid' Hopper told him gently, sitting beside him on the
Byers' sofa. 'For all intents and purposes you were not there. But-' he paused
and Jonathan tensed, preparing for the harsh blow that was sure to come. It
made Hopper sad, to see that the kid expected things not to go well. Joyce was
a good woman, it was hard to believe that Jonathan was so accustomed to a hard
life. But that was just Jonathan Byers, he shouldered the pain so that his
family wouldn't have to. Hopper shook the thoughts from his head and continued.
'But I want you to see a school counsellor.'
Jonathan turned to face him, eyes big and innocent 'a counsellor?' He asked and
Hopper nodded, rising from the sofa and standing above both Joyce and her son.
'Yeah, a counsellor. You know, someone who can help sort through everything.'
It was Jonathan's turn to nod now and he did so fervently, desperate to show
the Chief how much it meant to him that some counselling was all he was asking
for. Hopper grunted in approval 'good.' He ran a hand over his face tiredly 'I
gotta take off, Joyce can I see you in the kitchen real quick?' Joyce nodded
and Jonathan watched them leave sadly; he didn't want to be alone with his
thoughts.
'Thank you for this' she told Jim softly when they were alone, her hand coming
up to squeeze his arm and he fought the urge to kiss her right there. She
wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. Her lips were quirked into an
indecipherable line, but her eyes seemed to glow with a mix of emotions. She
looked scared, and sad and relieved all at the same time and Hopper felt
himself wanting to hold her, to protect her from everything that had gone
wrong.
'Don't thank me' he said eventually 'he's a good kid, just a bit mixed up is
all.' Joyce nodded, glancing briefly behind her as if she could see her eldest
son from the room. Hopper sighed, not wanting to say what was on his mind but
knowing he had to. 'I'll lend you some money, get this all straightened out. As
much as you need until you're sorted.' And of course she looked up at him with
a fiercely defiant glare masking all of the emotion he had previously been lost
in.
'We don't need your charity, Hopper.' Her words were sharp and cold, like an
icicle being driven into his chest over and over. He fought the urge to leave,
to turn around and not call her again just like he'd done with countless other
women in this town. But Joyce was different, she was the one constant in his
life. The one brunette beauty who could transport him back to the glorious days
of rock music and cigarettes under the staircase whilst they were supposed to
be in class with just one small smile. She mattered to him and he'd be damned
if he was gonna leave her to struggle when there was something he could do to
help.
'It's not charity. It's a loan. You'll pay me back.' He paused and she looked
ready to tear him a new one, the familiar fire in her eyes that he had always
loved about her. He softly moved her hair behind her ear and smiled gently,
watching as some of the rage within her quelled. He absentmindedly wondered if
he had the same impact on her. Did his smile send her back to the days of
fleeing gleefully as their teacher rounded the corner to bust them? 'Let me
help. You're a good mom Joyce.' And he saw her shoulders relax a little at
this, knowing he'd hit the nail on the head. Of course she was a good mom, how
could she ever think she wasn't? 'But there's only so much you should do.
Lonnie should be here.' He felt himself wanting to spit when he said the
bastards name but he refrained 'I like Jonathan and after everything with Will
I feel like I'm too involved in his life not to help out.'
She sighed and he knew he was winning her over. She scrubbed at her face with
her hands, smearing her makeup ever so slightly, but it didn't make her any
less attractive. 'Hop...' she trailed off, not knowing what else to say and he
squeezed her shoulder, hoping to persuade her. 'Ok' she whispered it and
Hopper's smile grew 'ok, Hop. Thank you.' He nodded, brushing off her thanks
and reaching into his pocket for a cheque book. He scribbled something down and
handed it to her.
'This should get you started. You call me if you need more, understand?' She
nodded and avoided looking at the number until Hopper had kissed her cheek and
left. She stood there for a moment more, shaken by everything that had happened
but optimistically hopeful that it would get better.
-xxx-
Jonathan felt like all eyes were on him the next day at school. He shuffled
anxiously through the hallway. He'd never been one to care what other people
thought, but having the entire school know that he'd dressed up as a girl and
prostituted himself to feed his family? That was a different entity altogether.
Nobody said anything to him, called out horrible names or made fun of him in
public. Did that mean that they didn't know or that they were content just
talking behind his back? He didn't know and in all honesty he wasn't sure if he
wanted to know. His mind was racing, he needed to be alone. Where could he be
alone? The darkroom. It was obvious. He would just spend the entire day in
there. He snorted wordlessly at the thought, yeah like that wouldn't raise
suspicion? Sighing, Jonathan figured he could spend at least first period in
there without raising suspicion, so he headed that way, sighing once more, this
time in relief, when he was alone in the quiet dark of the room.
He worked there for the entirety of first period, developing photos and
listening to music on the new Walkman that Bob had given him before he'd passed
away. Passed away. Such a strange expression for someone who had been violently
mauled to death. But what else could he say? Maybe saying it made it easier to
think about. Jonathan nodded, that must be it. He was so absorbed in the music,
bobbing his head absentmindedly to 'Rock the Casbah' and hanging up new photos,
that he didn't hear when the door opened. Only being shocked from his activity
when he felt a hand tap on his shoulder. He barely stopped the shocked scream
from escaping his throat as he whipped around, blushing when he saw Nancy and
Steve standing behind him.
There were a lot of things about Nancy and Steve that Jonathan noticed. He
noticed Nancy's beautiful wavy hair, her pale skin and elegantly pointed nose.
He also noticed Steve's hair, a delicate puff of soft brown that Jonathan
desperately wanted to run his fingers through no matter how much he told
himself that he didn't. He noticed Steve's semi-muscular frame and soft brown
eyes. But the most important thing that Jonathan noticed about Nancy and Steve
when they stood before him in the darkroom, staring at him expectantly, was
that they, without a shadow of a doubt, knew exactly what had happened to him.
No, not what had happened to him. What he'd done. They knew what he'd done.
'How?' He croaked out, fighting back the tears that were burning inside him.
His chest was tight, painfully tight, and he wanted to scream. But instead he
waited, watched as they shared a glance, waited as they decided whether to
admit what they knew or simply pretend to be ignorant. And then Nancy was
pulling him into a hug and Steve was rubbing his back as the floodgates opened
and he sobbed into her delicate brown locks. 'I'm sorry' he gasped and Nancy
was shushing him.
'No, Jonathan' she whispered, still holding him against her as Steve continued
to rub soothing circles on his back. 'You've got nothing to be sorry for.' She
kept holding him even as the sobs died down, even as they stopped entirely. She
held him close, the warmth of her petite frame making him feel safe. It was a
steep contrast to the firm hand rubbing his back, a large hand, a protective
hand that made Jonathan feel cared for, made him feel protected.
'How?' He asked when he finally, if not reluctantly, pulled away from her
embrace. The hand on his back moving to rest on his arm gently whilst Nancy
held her hands in his. She was smiling softly and he didn't need to look to
know that Steve was too. It all felt so much more intimate in the quiet dark
warmth of the Darkroom, like they had their own private corner of the world.
'Will' Steve said before Nancy could answer, his voice taking on a gentle tone
that Jonathan had only ever heard him use when speaking to Nancy. He felt hot
at the thought, a warm fire spreading its way inside him. Not a sexual fire,
this was something different, something he'd never felt before and didn't
really understand. 'He called Mike when he heard your mom on the phone to
Hopper.' Jonathan blushed, looking at the ground in shame and Nancy tilted his
chin up to look at her. 'None of that' Steve said, his voice firmer now 'you
don't have to explain yourself to us, Jonathan. We get it and so does Will. He
doesn't blame you, he's just concerned.' It struck Jonathan then that he hadn't
spoken to his brother since the incident and the thought made him curl in on
himself, a fresh wave of shameful tears overcoming him as he collapsed back
into Nancy's soft embrace, resuming the comfortable silence as Steve continued
to rub circles on his back. 'We're here for you.' He whispered gently and
Jonathan knew he meant it.
 
***** Relationships *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Chapter 3: Relationships
It didn't take Jonathan long to decide that he didn't like counselling, he was
only midway through his first session when he felt a distinct disdain for the
entire activity settle deep within his bones. He hated the ominous ticking of
the obnoxiously loud clock, he hated the long silences where she'd stare at
him, expectantly, and he'd stare at the stupid mismatched pattern on her
carpet. He hated the calm tone of voice that she used, a tone that sounded
ever-so-slightly too sweet to Jonathan's ears. He felt judged and shamed and he
hated it. She pried when the silence dragged on for too long, asking intimate
questions about what had happened and how he'd felt and he didn't want to reply
because it would make it all real. He didn't want it to be real yet, still lost
in the dazed fog of shame that had settled the minute he'd seen Hopper at the
door of that dingy room. Nancy and Steve were waiting outside the little
counselling room when he stepped out and he wasn't surprised. Why should he be?
They'd been practically babysitting him as of late. Not that he minded, their
constant presence was a constant source of reinforcement that they didn't hate
him. That he still had friends. As long as Nancy and Steve were there then
Jonathan didn't care about anyone else.
'Well?' Nancy asked, pulling him into a hug and he shrugged, too tired to
answer. He'd been tired a lot the past few days, a soul-deep exhaustion that
felt heavy whenever he moved. Maybe it was because of the nightmares, twisted
visions of dirty men in dark rooms. But Jonathan had had those dreams ever
since he started the job and he'd never felt like this. Maybe it was the weight
of facing what he'd done, of having his family and friends know. Yeah. That
seemed logical. He hummed absentmindedly to himself, maybe he had paid some
attention in counselling after all. Nancy drew him from his reverie with a
gentle nudge to the ribs 'c'mon, we wanna know how your first session went.'
She sounded excited and Steve was looking at him eagerly. Jonathan wondered how
they could possibly be so interested in such a mundane thing. We're they faking
it? Or were they genuinely happy to see him taking care of himself? He chose to
believe the latter. 'It was fine' he mumbled 'I don't really like being asked
questions and stuff but I....I dunno I guess it could help?' It sounded like a
question even to his own ears but if his friends noticed then they didn't let
on.
Nancy was nodding and smiling and Steve clapped him on the back affectionately,
letting his hand linger there a second longer than normal and Jonathan took the
opportunity to revel in its momentary warmth. 'We're proud of you' he said and
this time Jonathan didn't need to guess, he could tell from the look on Steve
and Nancy's face that they meant it.
-xxx-
Joyce was curled up on the couch, an old blanket pulled up to her chest and a
bottle of cheap whisky between her knees. Her face was red and her skin felt
raw from the salty tears. She couldn't afford to take a day off of work but
she'd had to. How could she focus on stacking shelves and scanning produce when
all that she could think about was the sight of her little boy all pale and
shaky in that hospital bed. Jim had refused to tell her the state that he'd
found Jonathan in when he'd opened the door in that...place. She figured that
he thought it would help her somehow but in reality it only make everything
worse. Her brain was flicking from image to image, her son in various states of
undress, held down beneath men who seemed to grow older and more disheveled in
each of Joyce's dreams. The idea of her son in that state, the pain he must've
gone through and the things he must've done, was enough to bring bile into her
throat and have her hunched over the toilet night after night, silently sobbing
into the darkness. If Jonathan or Will heard her then they never let on.
She scrubbed at her face again, wiping the hot, salty tears from her cheeks and
raising the half-empty bottle of whisky to her chapped lips with shaking
fingers. She took a desperate gulp, wincing at the familiar burn in her throat.
That was how Jim found her, sitting in the dark, tears rolling down her cheeks
and the large glass bottle clutched tight in her hand, her knuckles white
against the glass. 'Joyce?' She looked up at him, his large frame barely
recognisable in the dark room.
'Hopper? Her voice was weak, a pathetic croak compared to her usual defiant
tone. It sounded foreign to her ears and she groaned slightly in pitiful
annoyance. Great, not only had she lost both of her sons but now she was losing
herself too. Absently she wondered if she'd come back, if she'd be changed like
her boys were. Hopper was at her side then, sliding the whisky out of her hand
and placing it in the kitchen just out of her reach. He tugged the blanket
tighter around her and scooped her tiny frame up into his strong arms, carrying
her down the narrow hallway to the tiny bedroom at the end. He glanced around
the walls, littered with photos of her and her boys, all traces of Lonnie
distinctly removed from what had once been his bedroom too. Jim was grateful
for this, even if he wasn't fully conscious of it. Joyce was curling up tighter
against his chest and she shuddered when he placed her gently onto the
mattress, pulling the duvet up to her chin. Her eyes were wide, with just the
barest hint of fatigue present in the very recesses of the warm brown. He knew
she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, but she didn't object as he nestled her
into the mattress, only objecting as he turned to leave. 'Jim' she used his
real name for a change and he turned with a questioning stare that he doubted
she could see in the shadows. 'Stay.' Her voice was quiet still, but had lost
the croaky quality of before.
He didn't object, moving towards the bed silently and laying down on top of the
warm blankets. She wriggled closer to his frame, nuzzling herself against his
chest and then turning her face upwards to meet his. Neither of them moved for
a moment, their warm breath caressing each other's faces. And then she kissed
him, and for a moment Hopper was shaken by how right it felt. Two pairs of dry,
chapped lips moving softly against each other. Like the perfect match, neither
was softer or wetter, neither was faster or deeper. They kissed like they'd
done it a thousand times, like they knew exactly how the other person worked.
Of course they hadn't, but that was how it felt and Hopper was gasping when he
pulled away. 'Joyce' his voice was a whisper that stroked her face gently
'you're drunk.' She shook her head and tilted up to kiss him again, her hands
moving from beneath the covers to unbutton his shirt.
'Not that drunk' she gasped quietly, so quietly that he could barely hear her.
And nobody had ever said Hopper was a good man so he felt no shame in quickly
ridding himself of his button-down, his calloused hands coming up to push away
her t-shirt, making quick work of the bar underneath. He grasped the small,
soft mounds of flesh in his palms, the roughness of his skin against her soft
nipples making her cry out and arch her back. And then he was on top of her.
His lips and teeth on her neck as one hand left her breast to unbuckle her
jeans, shoving them down hurriedly and then sliding a hand up beneath her
panties to rub at her heated core. He wasn't gentle and she didn't care,
gasping when she felt two of his thick fingers slide inside of her, barely wet
enough to facilitate the stretch but grateful for it all the same.
She was writhing quietly beneath him, her hips bucking as she moaned into his
ear. His erection was pressing against the front of his jeans, the rough denim
feeling painful even through the thin material of his boxers. 'Are you ready?'
He asked and she nodded, whining in annoyance as his hand slipped from inside
her to unbuckle his belt, pushing his boxers down just enough to pull out his
cock. He yanked her panties down roughly and if she had any complaints then she
didn't vocalise them, instead choosing to gasp as he slid inside of her. He
nearly lost it then and there, feeling the tight warmth of the woman he'd
admired for a long time clenching around his shaft. He knew he wouldn't last
long, so he focussed his attentions on her clit, pressing down hard and rubbing
roughly, toeing the fine line between pleasure and overstimulation. Again, if
Joyce had any protests then she didn't voice them, whining and writhing beneath
his fingers. 'Cum for me' he murmured breathlessly into her ear and it only
took a few more thrusts for her to do exactly that, turning her face into his
chest to muffle her screams as she came. He was quick to follow, his thrusts
becoming erratic as he drew closer until he eventually pulled out, finishing
himself with his hands onto the soft skin of her stomach.
It wasn't romantic, it was hot and heavy and desperate and exactly what they
needed. Joyce reached an arm off of the side of the bed, pulling her t-shirt up
and wiping the cum off of her stomach with it before dropping it back onto the
floor to wash later. They didn't cuddle, but their bodies wordlessly seemed to
entwine as they drifted into an exhausted sleep, forgetting for a moment that
Jonathan and Will would be home from school in just a few hours.
-xxx-
Will didn't speak on the journey home and Jonathan eventually got tired of
shooting him awkward glances, waiting for the boy to address the elephant in
the room. He sighed softly, he supposed it was only fitting that he should be
the one to initiate the conversation, considering that it was his fault in the
first place. 'I'm sorry' his voice seemed loud in the quiet car, the only
competition for its volume being the rumble of the engine.
Will turned to his older brother with big eyes that Jonathan thought looked
genuinely shocked. 'You don't have to be sorry' he said in the same soft voice
he always used. 'I'm not angry, I just wish you didn't have to do that.'
Jonathan sighed, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to rub at his face
tiredly 'I don't have to do it anymore' there was a pause 'and I'm sorry that
you ever had to know. I should've protected you from that.' He felt Will tense
beside him and waited for the boy to respond as a heavy silence enveloped the
car.
'You don't always have to protect me' Will spoke up eventually, his voice
holding a defensive edge that was so uncharacteristic of the boy that Jonathan
found himself snapping his eyes from the road to stare at his brother in shock,
holding the gaze for only a few seconds before facing forwards again. Neither
boy spoke, Will waiting for Jonathan to answer and Jonathan unsure as to what
he should say in response. Until, eventually, Will continued. 'You, mom,
mike...you all treat me like I'm a baby after what happened, like I need to be
protected from everything, but I don't Jonathan.'
And Jonathan felt a pang of guilt at this because he knew it was true. He had
been treating Will differently, everyone had. He didn't bike to school anymore
and it was harder for him to spend time with his friends because he wasn't
allowed to go anywhere without a ride. The poor kid must feel like he was on
house arrest sometimes and Jonathan sighed, shaking his head at the thought.
'I'm sorry bud.' His voice was gentle 'nobody wants you to feel like that. We
just don't want to lose you again, you matter too much.'
Will hummed from beside him, a small and barely noticeable sound, but Jonathan
heard it. The brothers were new to this, having been always comfortable around
each other, best friends in a way that nobody else could contest with. The
tension that hung in the air now was palpable and thick, its future existence
heavily predicated on Will's next few words and it appeared as if the boy knew
this, thinking carefully about what to say. 'You matter too' he whispered
eventually, just as they pulled up to the house. Jonathan turned off the engine
and turned to face his little brother, who looked suddenly smaller in his seat,
more vulnerable. 'I don't want to lose you either.'
And just like that the tension was gone, replaced with the easy familiarity and
sincerity that seemed to linger around the duo. Jonathan smiled a soft smile,
feeling the guilt and humiliation evaporate from his skin for just a moment as
he reached out to ruffle his brother's hair. 'You don't have to worry about me,
bud. I'm not going anywhere.'
There was nothing left to say, both boys wearing genuine smiles for the first
time in days as they stepped out of the car and made their way inside. The
lights were off and Jonathan switched them on as Will wandered into the sitting
room, switching on the TV and dropping down onto the floor in front of it, his
back propped up against the sofa.
Jonathan idly tossed his school bag onto the kitchen worktop, his eyebrows
furrowing in confusion as he noticed the almost-empty bottle of whisky beside
the fridge. 'Mom?' He called, wondering if she'd come back from work yet. She
didn't reply, but there was the distinctive sound of movement coming from her
bedroom, followed by footsteps making their way down the hallway. Only, it
didn't sound like just one set of feet.
Jonathan stared at Hopper with wide eyes and for a second the chief nearly
shorted in amusement, imagining that it was the same look he'd given Jonathan a
week before. Joyce appeared behind the man, her hair ruffled and a guilty blush
staining her cheeks. An awkward hush fell over them as Will peeked his head
curiously into the room, eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he saw Hopper
standing there. 'Chief? What're you doing here?'
And for a long second, nobody answered.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Hey everyone, thanks for all the kudos and please don't forget to
     comment if you like the story x
***** New Developments *****
Chapter 4: New Developments
Jonathan had never seen Chief Hopper look uncomfortable, it was the one
constant, the man was unshakable. But in that moment, stood in the dingy
kitchen of the Byers family home, his hair ruffled and his shirt messily
buttoned, Hopper looked like he wanted nothing more than to run out of the
front door and drive as far as could as quickly as possible. Will stood next to
his older brother, his eyes wide with a childish naivety that Jonathan wished
he still possessed. It wasn't difficult to piece together what had happened,
Jonathan had seen that ruffled look before one too many times. The guilty blush
burning high on his mother's cheeks was also a familiar sight, something he'd
seen multiple times in the mirror, after his client of the night had left him
and he was alone in the room, ashamed of what he'd done. Was his mother
ashamed? Or just embarrassed to be caught?
'Just visiting your mom, kid' the chief spoke and his voice sounded foreign
after such a long and heavy silence. Joyce was biting her lip and picking at
her nails absently and Will turned to look at her with a confused frown on his
face. Joyce did her best to smile at him, a tiny quirk of her lips that was
more of a grimace at being caught. Hopper turned to Joyce, his features
contorting into an awkward smile. 'I'd better be getting home, Joyce.' There
was a tense pause 'El, you know...' he trailed off and Joyce nodded, her wispy
brown hair falling into her face. 'Er...you call me if you need anything, ok?'
She nodded again, flashing him a small but genuine smile and he patted her
shoulder gently before walking from the house, without another glance.
Jonathan was staring at his mother, an intense look on his face as Will looked
from Joyce to Jonathan in confusion. 'I...I have homework' he mumbled lamely,
wandering off. Jonathan didn't speak until he heard the sound of Will's door
shutting with a loud thud. 'Really mom?' His voice was calm, but she knew that
there was judgement behind his words 'Hopper?'
She folded her arms, a familiar defiance settling into her features that he
hadn't seen in days. 'It's none of your business who I'm friends with,
Jonathan.' Jonathan went to argue, but he couldn't find the words. In all
honesty he didn't even knew why he was angry. How could he judge his mother for
finding comfort in someone? He at least had the grace to look sheepish and
Joyce sighed 'Jim's been good to us.' She told him firmly and Jonathan couldn't
argue because she was right. Hopper had stopped him from getting into real
trouble and he was thankful for that. But the idea of his mom sleeping with the
chief? Something about it just made him feel tense. Maybe it was the idea of
his mother sleeping with anyone. He suppressed a shudder at the thought and
nodded instead. Joyce stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around him and
pulling him down towards her small frame in a hug. 'I know things are hard
right now, Jonathan' she mumbled in his ear 'but it's going to get better. I
promise.' And she sounded so sure of herself that Jonathan didn't have any
reason to doubt her.
-xxx-
Nancy stared around Jonathan's bedroom with a smile on her face, her eyes
flicking from one band poster to the next. Steve was sprawled out on the floor,
his back pressed up against the wall and a lazy smile on his face. In all
honesty Steve didn't think he'd ever be comfortable back in this house, not
after that night when he'd rushed inside just in time to batter that...thing
with the bat. But Jonathan's room was safe, it was comforting, a little bubble
of familiarity in a place that was all too disturbing.
Jonathan stood in the centre of the room awkwardly not knowing what to do. Did
he sit on the floor too? Did he sit on the bed next to Nancy? It was all a
little odd. He'd never expected to have the two of them siting so casually in
his bedroom. Sure, he'd been over to Nancy's house once or twice to study but
mostly the trio had just hung out at school, the one place that they actually
had an excuse to chat.
Nancy patted the bed beside her, snapping Jonathan from his thoughts 'why don't
you come and sit next to me?' She asked in the same soft voice that she always
had. Jonathan glanced at the bed and brought his hand up to his face to chew
his nails nervously. He glanced at Steve in question and the other boy smiled,
nodding once as if it was obvious. So Jonathan perched anxiously on the bed
next to the girl he'd had a crush on for years. She smiled softly, moving
closer and leaning her head on his shoulder. Jonathan tensed, his eyes dancing
from the girl beside him to Her boyfriend, who was watching with calm
amusement.
'So....er....what are you doing here?' Jonathan asked after a moment, cringing
at the way it sounded; an accusation. Nancy pulled away from him, a questioning
look on her face that was mirrored on by Steve's features.
'We're friends Jonathan' she said by means of explanation and he stared at his
hands, a faint blush burning his cheeks. She leant back into him then,
snuggling closer and his frame tensed. She chuckled, reaching a hand up to his
face to move his hair from his eyes. 'Can I ask you something, Jonathan?' He
turned to face her, a concerned look on his face as he nodded wordlessly. Out
of the corner of his eye he absently noticed as Steve crawled over, sitting on
the floor next to the bed. 'Do you like me?' His frown deepened and he went to
speak but she brushed a finger gently across his lips and continued to speak
'not as a friend. Do you like me as more?' Jonathan flinched away from her as
if he'd been burned, jumping from the bed and moving to the other side of the
room, awkward stutters springing from his mouth.
He didn't know what to say, he felt like his skin was on fire. It was a joke,
it had to be. Why would she do this to him? After everything they'd been
through together how could they do this? And then there was a hand on his
shoulder and one on his waist, warm hands that were stroking firmly in
comforting circles as a soft voice whispered in his ear. It wasn't Nancy's
voice and Jonathan tried to breathe, tried to slow his heart rate enough to
hear what the person was saying. 'It's alright. It's ok Jonathan' Steve was
whispering gently into his ear, his hands still stroking Jonathan's skin
soothingly. 'It's ok. You're ok. We just want to talk. We're friends, Jonathan.
No matter what, ok?' He turned then to find both of his friends watching him
with concerned eyes. Steve placed gentle pressure on his back, guiding him
towards the bed and waiting until he eased himself down next to Nancy again.
She stroked his face softly and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.
'We like you Jonathan' her voice was a whisper but he could hear her clearly
'me and Steve. We'd like to be with you. Both of us. But it's ok if you don't
want that.' She kissed his jaw this time, her lips lingering for a second 'we
won't make you do anything you don't want.'
He turned to look up at Steve and the other boy was watching him with soft
eyes. He nodded and Jonathan blushed. 'Why?' He asked gently, his voice barely
above a whisper and Nancy felt her chest clench at the sadness and confusion in
his voice.
She didn't get a chance to reply, Steve was already crouching down to be at
Jonathan's height, a soft finger running its way down the side of his face as
he spoke 'because you are Jonathan Byers and you're perfect.' And then Steve
kissed him and it took all three of them by surprise.
His lips were warm and soft, but not as soft as Nancy's had been when they'd
kissed. It was gentle, bordering on chaste, but Jonathan found himself blushing
anyway. He stared at Steve in shock when the other boy finally pulled away and
both boys were smiling softly. Nancy was grinning beside them, her eyes
crinkling at the corners. 'So?' She asked 'what do you think Jonathan?'
He blushed, his head dropping down in thought for a moment before he turned to
look at them, blinking up at them from beneath his eyelashes shyly. 'Yes' he
whispered, his voice barely audible and the blush on his face darkening as the
smiles on Nancy and Steve's faces deepened.
***** Secrets *****
Chapter Notes
     If you're enjoying the story please let me know your thoughts or what
     you'd like to see in the comments :)
     *warnings for self-harm*
Chapter 5: Secrets
Jim ran a hand over his face in frustration, he checked his watch for what felt
like the twentieth time In the past five minutes and fought the building urge
to sit on the couch and wait. But he couldn't do that. Because getting comfy
now would be admitting defeat and Jim was damn determined not to be beaten.
'El!' He called for the umpteenth time 'haul ass! We gotta go!' There was a
mumbled groan from the other side of the door and then the sound of clattering.
Hopper rolled his eyes, waiting for her to answer, and then the door swung open
and she came wandering out in one of the pretty dresses that Nancy had given
her. It didn't seem to matter to El that the clothes were hand me downs, she
loved them all the same. She'd brushed her curly hair until it hung in wavy
bangs around her shoulders, the barest hint of pink lipgloss on her lips and
shimmery blue eyeshadow on her eyes. He could tell that she'd tried to puff
some powder onto her cheeks but in all honesty it didn't look like the whole
design should've taken as long as it had. It was kids make-up, a smattering of
glitter and power here and there but nothing fancy. Still, he smiled when he
saw her, happy that she was doing something that normal teenage girls did for
once. The thought lingered and he fought a grimace, he was sure he wouldn't be
thinking that for very long.
'Pretty?' She asked and Jim nodded, rolling his eyes as he stepped towards her,
pulling her into a hug.
'Yes. Pretty.' He replied gently and she pulled away with a smile. 'Now can we
go? Joyce is expecting us in five minutes and there's no way we're gonna make
the drive in that time.' She nodded and hurried from the cabin happily,
thankful that she was finally being allowed to go somewhere. Her living
arrangements hadn't been as strict as before, she could visit people
occasionally, but the outings were few and far between. In all honesty he
didn't know why she needed the make-up, but as soon as he'd told her that Nancy
and the Harrington kid were gonna be there she'd started to think of it as more
of a gathering and demanded that he give her time to dress up. Enjoying an easy
life where possible, Jim had agreed.
Joyce greeted El with a warm hug, pulling her into her motherly embrace and
kissing her on the head. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen, but Will was sitting
on the sofa, turning to smile at the guests when they walked into the room.
'Dinner's nearly ready' she said, gesturing for them to sit at the table 'I
have beer if you want? Or whisky?' El looked up at Hopper with confused eyes
and he shook his head at the girl, a gesture that seemed to suggest he'd
explain later. El nodded, seemingly accepting this.
'Yeah a beer would be great' he replied and she bustled off to fetch one as
Will moved to sit opposite them. 'Ok kid?' Jim asked and Will nodded
wordlessly, quiet as ever. He smiled at El though and she smiled back. Hopper
found himself rolling his eyes at the silence and wondering where Jonathan was,
at least the older boy would talk.
-xxx-
Jonathan sat on the cold bathroom floor, his back pressed against the bathtub
as he stared at the razor blade in his hand. It was cold, too cold, almost
menacing. His eyes focussed on the sharp edge as his heart began thundering
louder in his ears, his chest clenching tightly.
He'd been doing better lately, not thinking too much about what he'd done or
the people he'd done it with. He'd focussed on school and work and his friends.
He'd let himself get lost in the wonderful blossoming relationship between
himself, Nancy and Steve. Mostly he'd been distracted, working hard not to
think about everything or how it felt. He'd talked pointlessly in counselling,
telling her about his friends and his mom and never mentioning his old job or
how he felt.
It was different at night though, when he was laying awake in his dark bedroom,
his mind filled with images of dirty men and his heartbeat in his ears
competing with the inner monologue of self-hatred that he couldn't control. It
all became too much and more often than not he'd find himself clawing at his
skin, scratching until his arms were red raw and the pain in his body had
distracted his mind from the disturbing thoughts. It left him feeling purged
and the more he did it the more he craved the empty feeling. The cold clarity
the lingered whilst the pain stung his body.
That's how he found himself here, his heart thundering against his ribs at the
very idea of having dinner with everyone. With the chief. Like everything was
ok. Like the man hadn't seen him dressed like a slut in a shady part of town.
He'd never done it in the day, always at night, but he needed it now. He
quickly shimmied out of his jeans, staring for a second at the thin lines on
this thighs where he'd experimented the last time it had gotten bad, just a few
nights ago. They'd already healed, leaving behind thin pink scars that felt
good when he ran his finger tips over them. Taking a deep breath, Jonathan
pressed the cool metal of the razor against the soft skin of his thigh, slicing
upwards in one swift motion that left a thin cut in his skin, blood beading at
the corner of the wound and then dribbling down over the pale flesh. He felt
his head tilt back as a rush of calm swept through him and he instantly felt
the urge to do it again.
A knock at the door startled him from his reverie and Joyce's voice drifted
through the thin wooden door. 'Jonathan?' She called, a hint of irritation in
her voice that calmed Jonathan's shaking nerves; she wouldn't be annoyed if she
knew what he was doing. Angry, upset or emotional perhaps, but Jonathan tried
not to think about that. 'Steve and Nancy are here. So is Jim. Are you ever
coming out of that bathroom?'
Jonathan coughed, clearing his throat as he drifted back to reality 'y-yeah
mom.' He stuttered, wincing at the weak sound of his voice 'I'll be out in a
sec.' he heard his mother's footsteps drifting away and he cast a self-
deprecating eye down to the thin fresh cuts on his legs. He sighed, pulling up
his jeans with a slight shudder of pain as the abrasive material of the denim
scraping against the cuts, and washed his hands. He stared in the mirror,
desperately hoping that they couldn't tell what he'd been doing. He didn't want
them to know. Didn't want anyone to know, hence the cuts were on his thighs not
his arms. The last thing he needed were the people he cared about finding out
about his dirty little secret. Knowing how much of a freak he really was. He
sighed and scrubbed at his face with his hands, taking a deep breath and
mentally preparing himself to go and act like everything was ok.
-xxx-
Nancy and Steve looked up in concern when Jonathan entered the room. He froze
in the doorway for a second, taken back by how beautiful they both were. Nancy
in a soft blue dress, her long curly hair pinned to the side to fall over her
shoulder and her lips painted a delicate pink. Steve was different, he was
still beautiful, but in a rougher sort of way. His jawline sharp and his
muscles strong and barely concealed by the tight, form-fitting grey jumper that
he was wearing. For a moment Jonathan couldn't move, overwhelmed by the reality
that these two beautiful people actually liked him. That they actually wanted
him.
'You ok there, kid?' Hopper's voice was calm but loud enough to pull Jonathan
from his daydream. He nodded absently and moved to sit beside Nancy. She
reached out her hand beneath the table to run comforting fingers against his
wrist in a soothing motion. He sighed, of all the coping mechanisms in the
world being caressed by Nancy Wheeler definitely had to be one of the best.
Steve was eyeing him with concern so Jonathan sent him what he hoped to be a
comforting smile. The older boy turned his attention back to his food and
Jonathan hoped that meant it had worked.
They ate in a comfortable silence mostly, facilitated more by necessity than
choice. Joyce had worked hard and, whilst she would never be Karen Wheeler, she
could manage chicken casserole down to almost perfection. El had wide eyes as
she ate, her movements slow as she savoured every bite. 'Do you like it,
honey?' Joyce asked, concerned that she was eating out of obligation rather
than enjoyment.
But El nodded, her curly hair falling into her face. 'Tastes good' she said in
her usual soft tone. Hopper laughed beside her, drawing the confused attention
of the other dinner guests.
'We eat a lot of TV dinners' he offered by means of explanation 'I don't think
she's had real food in a while.' El was blushing, seemingly uncomfortable with
all of the attention and Jonathan couldn't help but feel like he knew how she
felt. Hopper was still smiling, a genuine warm smile that felt unfamiliar but
good on his face. 'It's great Joyce' he told her sincerely, enjoying the way
her features lit up at the praise.
Steve and Nancy hummed in agreement but didn't speak up. Both had been silent
for most of the meal, their attention focused on Jonathan, who had spent the
evening looking downcast when he thought nobody was watching. Steve nudged
Jonathan's foot with his own, snapping him from his thoughts, to smile
comfortingly at the other boy. Jonathan smiled back but it didn't quite reach
his eyes and Steve fought the urge to sigh. Nancy entwined her fingers with his
momentarily beneath the table, squeezing his hand reassuringly before turning
back to her meal so as to not rouse suspicion. They shared a look over the
table when Jonathan wasn't looking, a mutual glance that seemed to agree that
they were concerned and would talk about it later.
Jim got up to help Joyce with the dishes when they were done, ignoring her
protests and snatching up the empty plates. El looked lost for a minute without
Hopper there to guide her and Will smiled at her gently, seemingly noticing her
discomfort. 'Hey, my mom got me some new crayons the other day. You wanna
go...draw...or something?' His voice trailed off at the end with the
realisation that most kids his age didn't like crayons. But El smiled, nodding
her head eagerly and hurrying after Will. Nancy took the opportunity of an
empty room to place a soft kiss on Jonathan's jaw and took his hand in her own.
'Your room?' She asked quietly, but it wasn't suggestive or seductive, a simple
question. Jonathan nodded his head and they rose wordlessly, making their way
through the small house and into Jonathan's room. Nancy perched on the bed and
Jonathan dropped down next to her as Steve squeezed onto the end. 'Wanna
explain what's up?' She asked, breaking the fragile silence of the room.
Jonathan sighed, running a hand over his face and shifting uncomfortably where
he sat. 'It's just hard' he mumbled unhelpfully 'I keep trying to forget
everything that happened but I can't, the memories are there no matter how hard
I try not to think about them.' He dropped his head down in what the others
assumed to be shame. Nancy wrapped an arm around his back as Steve rubbed a
comforting yet firm hand between his shoulder blades.
'The memories won't just go away Jonathan' the older boy commented gently and
Jonathan turned to look at him with defeat in his eyes 'that doesn't make you
weak though, or give you a reason to feel guilty. It's just what it is and it's
not your fault.' Jonathan wanted to argue and tell Steve that he was wrong, but
the warm and comforting hands on his back and the firm tone to Steve's voice
gave no room for argument so he merely nodded, feeling the tension slowly begin
to ease away. Steve placed a firm finger beneath Jonathan's chin, tilting his
head upwards so that he could look into his eyes. 'You can talk to us, if you
need anything.' Jonathan nodded and Steve leant forwards to press their lips
together. It was a gentle kiss but the feel of Steve's warm breath against his
own and the older boys wet tongue ghosting against Jonathan's lower lip made
him moan.
Nancy chuckled, her soft hands on Jonathan's face turning his head to her. She
was kissing him before he could speak, her lips soft against his own but
insistent and hot. She bit down gently on his lower lip, tugging it between her
teeth and greedily swallowing his moans. 'You need to be quiet' she told him
with a chuckle, sliding her hands down his arms.
Steve laughed, leaning back on the bed and watching as a dark blush stained
Jonathan's cheeks. Nancy was grinning, her long wavy hair tucked behind her
ears and her delicate features alive with joy. A pressure slowly started to
settle into Steve's chest but it was a good pressure, an overwhelming sense of
affection for the two people in front of him. The people who he'd do anything
to protect.
***** Comfort *****
Chapter Notes
     Thanks for the comments :) keep them coming! I hope you guys like the
     chapter :)
Chapter 6: Comfort
Jonathan was trying to get better, he really was. He tried to force himself to
feel ok, to smile even though he didn't want to, to laugh even though he wanted
to cry. He fought the constant urge to pull his denim jacket tighter around his
frame and hunch into himself as he walked. He moved through the school
corridors with his head held high, higher than it had been in a long time. But
it was all an act, a one man production to distract everyone from the truth.
The truth that he wasn't coping, that he hadn't slept more than two hours a
night in weeks, that his dreams were filled with Hopper's shocked face and his
mother's red eyes. That his thighs were marred with a map of thin pink scars,
each one detailing another aspect of his pain.
Sometimes he felt bad, he didn't like lying to his mother about his long
'distracted' trips to the bathroom or his tired eyes that he blamed on late-
night study sessions. He hated the concerned look on her face whenever he
skipped a meal, feeling too nauseous to eat. But then he'd find Hopper's jacket
laying idly over the back of the sofa, or find his belt tossed thoughtlessly
amongst the pile of washing and then he'd start to feel better. If his mom
could keep secrets then why couldn't he?
Lying to Nancy and Steve, on the other hand, was much harder. They cared so
much and they didn't keep things from him. They waited for him after his
counselling sessions and then asked about how he felt over lunch. They took
turns stroking his hands and letting him know that they were there if he needed
to talk, that they'd do anything to help him. Lying to them hurt, it was like
someone had dropped a rock into his stomach, a heavy pain that settled in his
abdomen and made bile rise in his throat if he thought about it for too long.
But he couldn't tell them. He couldn't tell anyone. He was convinced that the
look of worry on their faces was nothing compared to the look of disgust that
would replace it if they learnt of his extracurricular activities and Jonathan
couldn't handle that. If lying to them hurt then losing them would surely kill
him.
'How was it today?' Nancy asked with a soft smile when he stepped out from the
counsellors office. He shrugged and she frowned, taking his hand in her own and
squeezing gently, letting go quickly before anyone could see. 'Talk to me
Jonathan' she whispered and there was the barest hint of pain in her voice. It
did something to him, made an icy chill run down his spine and spread out
through every vein in his body. He couldn't hurt Nancy.
'I don't like going' he didn't stop walking to talk 'she asks personal
questions that I don't want to answer.' They reached a bench just outside of
the school and Jonathan dropped down onto one side with Nancy and Steve facing
him on the other. Jonathan pulled out his meagre lunch and began to nibble at
the corner of his dry ham sandwich, thankful for the excuse to stop talking.
'I know you don't like talking about it but I think it would be good for you if
you did.' Steve said hesitantly, he and Nancy had pulled out their own meals,
sharing a fleeting glance of concern at the portion size of Jonathan's. 'Maybe
you could talk to us.'
All of a sudden the bread on Jonathan's mouth became cotton and he struggled to
swallow. 'I did bad things with bad people.' His voice was quiet 'what more is
there to say?'
Nancy reached across the table to squeeze his hand gently 'you've never gone
into specifics' she whispered 'maybe it would help if you talked through it in
detail.' The very thought made Jonathan feel sick but she was looking at him
with such hope in her eyes that he would open up to her that he didn't have the
heart to disagree. Instead he hummed around a mouthful of bread and finished
the rest of his food in silence. Steve and Nancy seemed to take the hint,
saying nothing more until the bell rang.
'Come over to my house tonight, ok?' Steve asked, his voice carrying the firm
tone that Jonathan was scared to admit he liked so much. 'My parents are in
Chicago so we can just hang.' Jonathan nodded, shoving his leftovers, which was
practically half of his sandwich, into the bin behind him and setting off for
class.
Nancy and Steve trailed behind, watching him hurry away with concern etched
into their features. 'He didn't eat much' Nancy spoke after a minute,
shattering the silence between them.
Steve sighed and draped his arm over her shoulder 'we'll talk to him tonight,
maybe he'll open up if it's just the three of us.' She nodded, turning her face
into his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. He tilted her head up to
face him and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. It was sweet and chaste but
perfect, like every kiss between them. 'I love you' he murmured against her and
she smiled, kissing him deeply in response.
-xxx-
Steve's room was large, a soft double bed in one corner, besides a window that
looked out over the steaming pool. It was neater than Jonathan's, without any
peeling wallpaper or scuff marks on the immaculate floor. It smelt like cologne
and leather, like Steve, and Jonathan inhaled deeply as he stepped through the
doorway. Nancy and Steve were already comfortable on the bed, a distinct gap
between them and Jonathan blushed when he realised that it was for him.
'C'mon' Steve beckoned warmly, patting the mattress 'come lay next to us.'
Jonathan shuffled forwards slowly, awkwardly setting himself down between his
two lovers. Steve wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close as
Nancy snuggled into his side. He began to relax into their hold, embracing the
warmth and comfort that they so willingly offered. 'There you go, just relax.'
Steve was rubbing gentle circles on his shoulder and Jonathan closed his eyes,
beginning to feel the effects of his exhaustion.
Nancy glanced over at Steve, running her hand slowly down to Jonathan's thigh
and squeezing. They saw his eyes twitch beneath the lids but they didn't open.
Emboldened by his unresponsiveness, Nancy ran her hand higher, up to his groin,
stroking the crease between his thigh and his crotch over his jeans. Jonathan's
eyes flew open at this and he looked from Steve to Nancy in alarm. Steve's
other hand moved up to stroke gentle circles on his chest, easing away his
tension. 'Is this ok?' Nancy asked and Jonathan paused for a moment before
nodding. She smiled, cupping him gently in her hand, a light and somewhat
teasing caress. 'If you want to stop then just tell us and we'll stop.' Steve
hummed in affirmation, his lips drifting down to place kisses on Jonathan's
neck.
She unbuttoned his jeans, sliding down the zipper and roughly shoving at the
denim until it rolled down enough for her to reach into his boxers. He was
already starting to get hard, the feel of her soft fingers wrapping around his
length only accelerating the process. Jonathan was blushing and Steve placed a
gentle kiss to his red cheek 'don't be embarrassed' he whispered and Jonathan
shivered at his voice 'she's good at this, I think it's about time we make you
feel good.' Jonathan moaned then, he couldn't help it, the combination of
Nancy's warm fingers slowly pumping his cock in her fist and Steve's soft voice
murmuring in his ear driving him ever-so-slightly insane. Steve chuckled 'good
boy, let her make you feel good.' The words had slipped out before Steve knew
what he was saying, but they felt right. Jonathan failed to conceal his gasp,
bucking up into Nancy's hand.
She shoved at his boxers, pushing them out of the way and freeing his member so
that she could lean over and place a soft kiss to the tip. Jonathan wriggled,
his jeans sliding further down his legs as she began to swirl her tongue around
the sensitive flesh. His fingers were twitching at his side, fighting the urge
to weave them into Nancy's hair. He wouldn't do that to her, wouldn't use her
like they'd used him. Steve's hand met Jonathan's, their fingers entwining as
Steve began to bite and suck at the sensitive skin on Jonathan's throat. It was
all so good, so warm and perfect, it was exactly what he'd dreamed off every
night when he'd been in that place. No. He wouldn't think about that now. He
shoved the thoughts down, moaning as Steve's other hand began stroking his leg.
Everything was warm and sensitive and he was engulfed in their combined scent;
the floral smell of Nancy's shampoo and the rich cologne that was so distinctly
Steve. Any secret reservations he'd had about this moment were whisked away
without a second thought. There was no putrid stench of alcohol or rough
calloused fingers probing at his most sensitive parts and yanking on his hair.
It was soft and gentle, almost comforting, and Jonathan didn't think he'd ever
felt so good. His night with Nancy had been incredible, but having Steve there
too, pressed up against Jonathan's back whilst Nancy explored between his legs,
well it just added something extra, something that Jonathan didn't know he
needed until now.
And then it was gone, Steve was pulling away from Jonathan's back, the absence
of his warm torso leaving a cold chill. His hands found Nancy's face, stroking
gently and yanking on her hair lightly to get her to pull off. 'Nancy, stop' he
told her, his voice a dark whisper that made Jonathan's stomach clench
anxiously. She pulled away, looking at Steve curiously as Jonathan fidgeted
nervously beneath them. What had he done wrong? And then he felt it, Steve's
soft fingers gently running over the thin scars on his thigh. His stomach
dropped and his body went cold as bile began to rise in his throat. They knew.
They knew and now they were going to leave him. He could feel the tears
pricking in the back of his eyes as he struggled to stand up, ready to run from
the house, but two firm hands on his chest stopped him from moving and he
looked up to find Steve staring down at him with firm eyes. 'No' he said and
Jonathan almost gasped at the authoritative tone 'we're going to talk about
this.'
Jonathan couldn't hold it back anymore, hot tears of humiliation began to roll
down his cheeks as he cast his eyes down. Nancy shared a quick glance with
Steve and then began to tug off Jonathan's jeans and shoes, pulling a blanket
over him so that he was at least comfortable and no longer on display. He was
grateful for it but he said nothing. 'Jonathan' Nancy whispered, the pain in
her voice making his heart clench 'we need you to talk to us. Why would you do
this to yourself?'
He didn't answer, how could he? What was he supposed to say to that? That he's
crazy? That he's stupid? That he needs the pain to distract him from all of the
self-deprecating thoughts? He wrapped his arm around his chest, curling in on
himself and letting his hair obscure his eyes. He didn't want to look at them.
Didn't want to see the disgust in their eyes.
Steve and Nancy shared an alarmed glance, she moved to the head of the bed and
slid behind him, wrapping her arms around him as Steve crouched in front of
Jonathan on the mattress. 'Jonathan' he whispered, pushing at his floppy hair
and stroking his arm comfortingly 'I need you to look at me.' Jonathan still
didn't move, his chest felt tight and he wanted his razor more than anything.
He wanted it to go away. 'Jonathan it's ok, it's just me and Nance, we're not
mad. I just need you to look at me.' His voice was so reassuring, the firm edge
still there but diluted. Jonathan slowly lifted his eyes to look at the other
boy and Steve smiled, wiping the tears from Jonathan's cheeks. 'There you are.'
Jonathan was blushing, everything felt too hot and it felt hard to breathe,
like someone was sitting on his chest. 'Hurts' he murmured, immediately
regretting it. Why would he say that?
Steve frowned. His hands continuing to stroke calming circles onto Jonathan's
arms as he spoke 'what hurts?' Jonathan shrugged, averting his eyes, and Nancy
squeezed his hands gently with her own. 'It's ok, you can tell us' Steve
assured him 'we want to help.'
'My chest.' It was quiet but just loud enough for the others to hear. Nancy
moved one hand to rub at his chest.
'Like a panic attack?' She asked and Jonathan didn't answer. He wasn't a child,
he wasn't supposed to get panic attacks. Nancy seemed to take this as
affirmation because she was gently moving him into a different position,
pushing his head down between his knees and rubbing his back gently. 'Just
breathe, Jonathan' she instructed 'it's ok, you're safe, just breathe.'
Steve was still crouched in front of him, his hands now resting on Jonathan's
knees. 'Is this why you hurt yourself?' He asked softly and Jonathan hesitated
for only a second before nodding. 'What triggers it?' He asked and Jonathan bit
his lip, scared to delve deeper into his head. 'It's ok' Steve assured him 'we
won't judge you. We want to help. Just let us help, Jonathan.'
Jonathan looked up at Steve then, his eyes red and puffy from the tears and his
voice hoarse and croaky when he spoke 'the guilt' Steve looked confused so
Jonathan continued 'I feel so guilty, all the time. I feel dirty and ruined and
I can't stop remembering.'
Steve looked up at Nancy, their eyes briefly locking in concern before he
turned his attention back to Jonathan. 'Remembering what?' He asked.
'Remembering them. The way they smelt and....' he trailed off, taking a deep
breath 'the way they felt.' Steve nodded and Nancy squeezed him tight against
her, fighting back tears of her own. 'I'm sorry' he whispered, his voice barely
audible, and Nancy broke.
'You've got nothing to be sorry for' she murmured, burying her face in his
neck, her hot tears burning into his skin. 'We're here now. It's over. You
never have to do that again.'
Steve hummed in agreement, tilting Jonathan's face up to meet his eyes 'she's
right, Jonathan. You have nothing to apologise for.' Jonathan felt like he was
lying when he nodded but he did it anyway. Steve smiled 'I have a few rules
though, ok?' His voice was firm and Nancy snorted.
'Control freak' she mumbled and Jonathan frowned in confusion. 'He likes all
that dominant crap' she whispered 'you'll get used to it, don't worry.'
Jonathan blushed 'I don't mind....' the pause only lasted a minute and then he
took a deep breath and admitted something he'd been trying so hard to deny 'I-
I like it too. You know, er, when he does it I mean.'
Steve grinned 'that's good to hear' his voice was kind, no hint of mocking
evident, and Jonathan almost sighed in relief. 'No more secrets. You tell your
counsellor about this and your mom.' Jonathan went to protest but Steve hurried
on 'no buts Jonathan, she needs to know.' Jonathan cast his eyes down again, he
wasn't looking forwards to that conversation but if it was a rule then he would
obey. 'You need to be honest with us from now on. If there's something that you
need then you tell us. And, lastly, you need to start eating properly again.'
Jonathan looked up at this with a frown and Steve chuckled 'you think we didn't
notice you skipping meals?' His cheeks flamed and the older boy smiled,
wrapping him up in his arms. 'You think you can follow those rules?' Jonathan
nodded and he meant it. He'd try at the very least. Anything for Nancy and
Steve. Steve pressed a kiss to his cheek 'good.'
They didn't resume their earlier activities, instead curling up on the bed and
laying in silence until they drifted into a gentle sleep.
-xxx-
Hopper ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he placed his whisky glass
down on the table. Joyce had swallowed hers in one swift gulp, a shaky
expression on her face. 'At least he told you.' The chief reasoned and Joyce
laughed humourlessly.
'My son is hurting himself, Jim!' She poured another glass of whisky,
swallowing it easily 'I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him.'
He reached over and took her hands in his, nudging the whisky away with his
elbow. 'He's not doing it anymore, Joyce.' She looked ready to argue so he kept
speaking in the same calm, firm tone 'I'm here now ok? You're not alone. We'll
get through this together.'
She nodded and the smile that formed on her lips didn't meet her eyes but he
accepted it all the same. 'I need you' she whispered and he nodded.
'I'm here, Joyce.' He leaned across the table, placing a gentle kiss on her
forehead 'I'm not going anywhere.'
***** Next Steps *****
Chapter Notes
     Yeah this is mostly smut with a little plot sprinkled in for drama.
Chapter 7: Next Steps
'Eat' Steve said sternly, pushing an egg sandwich at Jonathan and watching with
stern eyes as the younger boy nibbled at it absently. 'Jonathan you've eaten
nothing all evening. Eat the damn sandwich.' Jonathan sighed but obliged,
taking a larger bite out of the bread and swallowing obediently. Usually he
just made the excuse that his mom would have dinner for him at home, and then
tell his mom that he ate at Steve's, but tonight was their first sleepover and
so far Steve hadn't been very lenient. Jonathan had noticed the distinct lack
of anything remotely sharp in the bathroom when he went to pee, and he never
found himself in the kitchen without one of the others following him. He
supposed it could be a coincidence, but the more likely explanation was that
they still didn't trust him not to hurt himself. He blushed at the thought.
'Good boy' Steve praised once the sandwich was gone. The blush on Jonathan's
cheeks darkened and he found himself squirming happily at the comment. Nancy
was watching them from the foot of the bed, a soft smile on her face as she
lazily picked at Steve's expensive bedspread. Steve turned to face her with a
smile and she crawled over to them, snuggling up at his side.
Jonathan rolled his eyes and Nancy dashed forwards to kiss him, giggling when
she pulled away. 'Don't look so sour' she commented, pecking him on the lips
'it was just a sandwich.' He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist as she
deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding out easily to lick his lower lip. She
climbed onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as she wiggled about
teasingly. He moaned at the friction and she pulled away with a grin as her
hand slipped from around his neck, trailing down his torso to cup his crotch.
'Feel good?' She asked in a whisper against his ear. He nodded, eyes wide and
fogged slightly with arousal.
Then Steve was behind him, stroking his chest gently and running soft fingers
through his hair. 'We never got to finish last time' he commented gently and
Nancy nodded, climbing off of Jonathan to unbutton his jeans. He toed off his
shoes and lifted his hips for her to pull the denim away in one jerky movement.
Steve's hand was at his cock before Nancy, stroking up and down gently as
Jonathan squirmed in his hold. 'Ah ah' Steve admonished lightly 'stay still for
me.' And Jonathan bit his lip, trying his best to obey as Steve stroked him
almost lazily. 'Are you gonna be good and stay nice and still for Nancy or do I
have to hold you?'
It was a no-brainer and Steve knew it, but he still needed to ask, needed to
check that Jonathan was ok with everything that was happening. Jonathan groaned
at the mere thought, biting his lip. 'Hold me' he mumbled and Steve chuckled,
his hands pressing hard on Jonathan's hips to hold him in place.
Nancy leaned down, her tongue flicking over the head to taste his precum and
Jonathan nearly lost it at the sight. She took the head of his cock in her
mouth, sucking hard and using her tongue to stroke it. He moaned and fought
against Steve's hands, desperate to buck up into the wet heat surrounding him.
But Steve was an athlete and stronger than Jonathan, his hands keeping the
other boy still as he kissed his jaw 'stay still' he practically growled into
Jonathan's ear and Jonathan whined; a long, high-pitched noise that made him
blush.
Nancy pulled off of his cock then, licking her lips in a way that made both
boys groan. 'You like it?' She asked teasingly, biting her lip. Jonathan nodded
and she licked her lips, stroking his cock gently with the tips of her fingers.
'You taste good' her voice was a whisper as she leant in closer to Jonathan,
who was practically thrashing in Steve's hold at this point. 'And you make the
most amazing sounds.'
That was all it took for Steve to relinquish his hold on Jonathan and grab
Nancy by the hips in a display of dominance that Jonathan rarely saw directed
at her. He tossed her on the bed in front of him, her face mere inches from
Jonathan's cock, and slapped her hard on the ass twice. Jonathan's eyes went
wide as she shrieked, a smirk on her face. 'Don't be a tease' he said sternly,
but he was grinning, an amused look on his face that was so different to the
look he gave Jonathan when he was being dominant towards him. It was a joke
between him and Nancy, a little something that they occasionally enjoyed. But
it was more to Jonathan and they knew it, they knew that he needed affirmation
and a little control after what had happened, so they gave it to him. Jonathan
knew that Steve enjoyed it, that he liked having someone to seriously dominate,
and that made him feel less self-conscious about the whole thing.
Nancy looked up at Jonathan and licked her lips 'sorry' she whispered teasingly
'let me make it up to you?' His eyes went wide and he nodded as she crawled to
him and licked a long stripe up his shaft before taking the head in her mouth
again and sucking so hard that Jonathan's eyes rolled back into his head.
Steve groaned at the sight, moving a hand down to push her skirt out of the way
and strip her of her panties. Jonathan couldn't see what he was doing with his
hands but it must've been good because Nancy was writhing about on the bed and
moaning around his cock. And then Steve was unbuckling his pants, reaching
inside to take out his erection and stroking it a little as he fumbled in his
pockets for a condom. He tore open the little foil package and rolled it onto
his length with practiced ease before pressing himself up against Nancy.
Jonathan gasped a little, accidentally, this was really going to happen. Nancy
stopped what she was doing, letting his cock remain in her warm mouth as she
stared up at him questioningly. Steve's face went from amused to serious in
seconds 'if you don't want this then we'll stop, ok?' Jonathan blushed
'Jonathan I mean it. Do you want us to stop?' Jonathan had never shaken his
head so hard, his brain throbbed and Steve smiled 'ok, but if you need to stop
then you tell us and it all stops, ok?' Jonathan nodded this time and Steve
said nothing, instead pushing his way into Nancy. She moaned and Jonathan
whined at the vibrations.
She took him deeper as Steve started to move inside her. She wasn't experienced
by any stretch of the imagination, her only experiences being with Steve and
that one night with Jonathan, but she took about half of his length with ease
and that was more than enough. He could feel Steve's eyes burning into him and
a hot flush settled over his chest and neck. All he wanted to do was buck up
into Nancy's mouth, feel her soft lips wrapped around the rest of him. But
Steve had told him to stay still, so he tried his best not to move.
Steve was getting close and one look at Jonathan's lidded eyes told him that
the other boy wasn't far off either. He slipped a gentle hand beneath Nancy's
skirt and pressed his fingers firmly against her clit, rubbing forceful circles
against the nub with practiced ease. She pulled off of Jonathan, her fist
pumping his length as she buried her face in his thigh. She was moaning and
whining, bucking her hips back against Steve. 'Are you close?' He asked softly
and she nodded wordlessly as yet another groan slipped from between her lips.
'Cum for me then.' He punctuated his words with a snap of his hips, pressing
his cock deeper inside her. Nancy choked around her moan, bucking her hips and
gasping as she finally reached her edge. Her hands stilled on Jonathan's cock,
squeezing it in a grip that was almost too tight as Steve worked her through
her orgasm.
Nancy squeezed her legs together, Steve's cock slipping from within her and her
body slumping down into the mattress as she turned back to face him. 'I don't
think I can take anymore' she told him and he nodded, stroking her face
tenderly with his fingers.
'It's ok. Are you good?' She nodded and smiled and he pecked her gently on the
lips before turning to Jonathan and shuffling closer to him on the bed.
Jonathan's eyes went wide and he looked ready to spring away but Steve steadied
him with a gentle hand pressing into his hip. 'Don't worry' he told him softly
'I'm just gonna touch you. I don't expect anything like that right away.'
Jonathan blushed again, it felt like he was always doing that lately, and Steve
leaned down to press a soft kiss on the corner of Jonathan's mouth. One of his
hands wrapped around Jonathan's shaft, stroking up and down softly, as his
other hand pulled off the used condom and dropped it to the floor. He let his
head fall back with a small groan as he began to stroke himself. Jonathan found
himself wondering if he should return the favour and touch Steve himself, but
the thought didn't last long, vanquished by the building pleasure. His head
fell back against the pillow and he couldn't keep still anymore, his hips
bucking up into Steve's hand and his eyes falling shut as he neared the edge.
And then an image flashed through his brain, the image of Nancy sprawled out on
the bed as Steve spanked her from behind. That was all it took and he choked on
the air as he came, shooting thick ribbons of white cum all over Steve's fist.
Steve stroked him through his orgasm and then pulled away just as it started to
get too sensitive. Jonathan didn't open his eyes, he was too exhausted to move
and he distantly heard the sound of Steve groaning low and and deep as he came.
They curled up on the bed beside each other, sticky and gross in a way that
only teenagers can accept. Jonathan sighed contentedly, feeling safe and warm
within their caring embrace.
-xxx-
Hopper was laying naked in Joyce's bed, the thin comforter pulled up to his
waist. She was resting against him, her head on his chest and their right hands
entwined. His left hand was stroking her arm gently, a soft caress that made
her feel comforted in a way that only Hopper could. She bit her lip, preparing
mentally for what she needed to ask him. This thing that they had, the hushed
fumbling around when the kids were in bed or at their friends' houses, the
hushed whispers and exchanged glances when they were in public, it was
wonderful; but Joyce needed more. She needed him here with her, needed to wake
up in the morning and see him, not have him run off every time to get home to
El, leaving her cold and alone in the process. She needed his presence in the
house, needed to be able to kiss him whenever she felt like it. But everyone in
Hawkins knew the kind of man that Jim Hopper was, the womanising man-whore who
frequented seedy bars and took home random women to pop pills and fuck in his
trailer. He didn't settle down. But Joyce knew better, she'd seen how he was
with El, the little sense of normalcy that he had brought to her life. They
were a family and she so desperately wanted to be a part of that, for them to
be a part of hers. 'Thinking hard down there?' He asked gruffly and she took a
deep steadying breath.
'Yeah' she murmured 'about you actually' he hummed and she could feel his gaze
boring into her skin. 'I want you to stay.'
He pulled away from her then and she almost sobbed at the cold feeling rushing
up her spine 'you know I have to get back to El. I can't leave her alone all
night.' She turned to face him and he was staring at her in concern. She
sighed.
'I don't mean tonight, Jim.' He went to question her but she dashed forwards
and placed a gentle kiss against his lips before he could speak 'I mean
permanently. I-I need you here. I want you here.' Her voice dropped to a
whisper 'this is more than just a fling for me, Hop. I'm tired of keeping it-
keeping us a secret.'
And there it was, everything she was feeling, laid out on the line. She half
expected him to mumble some excuse and run from her house. Would he even talk
to her? Just pretend that nothing had happened and only talk to her when he had
to? She couldn't look at him, couldn't see the emotions playing on her face. He
sighed and her heart clenched. This was it.
'Jonathan won't like sharing a room with Will.' Her head snapped up at that,
her eyes wide in shock as she studied his small smile. 'But El can't exactly
sleep on the sofa, can she?' His smile was wider now, practically a grin as he
saw her features soften from anxious to relieved. He laughed, leaning down and
kissing her nose 'of course I'll stay.'
-xxx-
When Jonathan arrives home the next day he heads straight for his bedroom. He
doesn't see Hopper in the sitting room with El at his side but He does hear his
mom call his name 'just a second, let me put this in my room' he calls back,
pushing on the wooden door and practically gasping in horror at the sight in
front of him. His record player, his posters, his books, it's all gone.
Replaced with a soft pink comforter, throw pillows and stuffed animals. He
whirls around, eyes wide, to find his mom and Hopper standing in the hallway
behind him. 'What the hell-'
Joyce cuts him off 'Jonathan just listen' her voice is calm but Hopper can see
she's nervous and he places a calming hand on her shoulder. She takes a deep
breath and continues 'El and Jim are going to be staying with us for a while.'
She doesn't need to tell him why, doesn't need to explain when he can see the
way that she and Hopper are leaning into each other.
It occurs to Jonathan that they're waiting for a reply, waiting for him to say
something, anything. But he can't form words. He doesn't know what to say or
feel or think. And then, before he even knows what he's doing, he's striding
from the house. His mom calling his name and Hopper mumbling at her to 'let him
go' and 'give him space'. He gets into his car and starts the engine, turning
up the radio so that the music can drown the thoughts in his head as he slams
his foot on the gas pedal and speeds away.
 
***** Unable to Cope *****
Chapter Summary
     Warning!: this chapter contains details of a suicide attempt. Please
     do not read if this is something that will distress you.
Chapter 8: Unable to Cope
Steve quirked an eyebrow at the sound of a fist hammering against his front
door. Nancy frowned, snuggling closer to him on the sofa as they waited for the
person to leave. Except the person didn't leave. The sounds increased and Steve
rolled his eyes as he slid out from under the blanket to go and investigate.
Nancy's fingers shot up to curl around his wrist as her worried eyes met his
own. But he smirked and squeezed her hand in a placating gesture before
striding away. He was Steve Harrington, what was the worst that could happen?
Besides, after everything he'd seen it wasn't like there was anything left that
could shock him; right?
Wrong.
Of all the things that Steve had been expecting to see, Billy Hargrove coming
to beat the shit out of him or perhaps a pack of demodogs ready to attack, he
never would have anticipated the sight before him. Jonathan was slumped on the
doorstep, drenched from the heavy rain, his fist still pounding against the
lower half of the now-opened door. 'Jonathan?' His voice was loud enough to
draw Nancy's attention and she was at his side in an instant, a hand flying up
to cover her mouth.
'Oh god' she gasped, reaching down to grab Jonathan beneath his arms in a weak
attempt to haul him to his feet. 'C'mon, help me get him inside.'
Steve followed her direction, scooping the smaller boy up and carrying him to
the sofa. His head lolled back against the soft cushions and he said nothing,
his glazed eyes pointedly averted. 'Jesus man, you're freezing' Steve
exclaimed, starting to unbutton Jonathan's denim jacket and then sliding off
his sodden jumper. The other boy squirmed when Steve unbuckled his belt, making
a weak attempt at escape as his jeans were unzipped. 'Hey, hey.' Steve's voice
was calm and soft and Nancy felt a small smile quirk the corners of her lips
despite the present situation. 'I just need to get you out of these wet
clothes, ok?' Jonathan froze for a moment and then nodded and Steve stripped
him completely bare before wrapping him in a blanket and sitting next to him on
the sofa.
Nancy sat on his other side, stroking up and down his back softly 'do you want
to tell us what happened?' She whispered. It had only been a few hours since
he'd left them to go home and he'd been fine then. But she could smell the
alcohol on his breath and skin and the glazed look in his eye was confirmation
enough that Jonathan was trying to forget something. Trying to cope.
Jonathan sniffed, silent tears beginning to roll over his cheeks as he fought
the urge to sob like a child. All of a sudden there were a pair of strong arms
wrapped around him and he was being lifted into a muscular lap. 'Hey, shhh,
it's ok' Steve was murmuring gently, carding fingers through Jonathan's hair.
Nancy scooter closer, her fingers rubbing circles on Jonathan's back. 'I need
you to talk to us, Jonathan' Steve pressed 'tell us what's wrong.'
Jonathan hiccuped, placing his head against Steve's chest and slurring his
words as he spoke 'I feel guilty' he whispered 'and embarrassed. When I see
him.' Nancy and Steve shared a quick, questioning look but said nothing. 'And
now he's moving in. And I have to see him all the time. And I can't do it.'
Moving in? Oh. Oh!
'Hopper is living with your mom' Nancy commented and it wasn't a question,
Joyce hadn't exactly been good at keeping her relationship a secret. Jonathan
nodded against Steve's chest, hiccuping into the fabric of his shirt. Nancy
sighed 'Jonathan I know it's hard. But you want your mom to be happy don't
you?' He was still for a moment and then he nodded. She reached out to rub
calming circles on his back. 'It will all get easier' she assured him 'I
promise, plus you always have us. You can come talk to either of us when you
need to.' Jonathan turned his head so that he was looking at Nancy, his cheek
pressed against Steve's chest, as he nodded. She smiled and leant down to kiss
him gently on the lips. 'Good boy' she murmured.
Steve barked out a laugh that snapped them from their quiet moment. 'I thought
I was the one with dominance issues?' He questioned with a smirk and Nancy
blushed. He leant down to kiss her gently 'don't worry' he murmured against her
lips 'I think it's hot.' Jonathan squirmed on Steve's lap, pressing himself
closer to the other boy. Steve ran a hand over Jonathan's back and then tilted
his chin so that they were looking at each other. 'I think we need to talk' his
voice was stern and Jonathan nodded awkwardly. 'Did you drive your car here,
drunk?' There was a pause, a long pause, and then Jonathan nodded. Steve's jaw
clenched 'is there anything left in the car?' Again Jonathan nodded and Nancy
moved wordlessly from the sofa to go and deal with the remaining alcohol. 'You
could've hurt someone, Jonathan.' Steve's voice was harsh now 'you could've
been killed!' And Jonathan choked back a sob. Steve sighed 'what am I gonna do
with you, huh?'
It was a rhetorical question, it didn't need an answer. But Jonathan had one
and his brain was too clouded from the whisky he'd consumed on the side of the
road to care about being embarrassed as he spoke 'punish me.'
There was a pause and then 'what?'
Jonathan snuggled closer to the other boy, unable to look him in the eye
'punish me. Spank me like you spanked Nancy yesterday.' Steve paused for a
moment, completely frozen and unsure what to do. And then his brain clicked
into gear and he wrapped strong arms around Jonathan's waist, slowly
manoeuvring the smaller boy until he was laying over Steve's lap. He slowly
lifted the blanket, revealing the pale flesh of Jonathan's behind.
'Tell me if it gets too much' he whispered and then landed a firm slap across
Jonathan's ass. It reddened almost instantly and Jonathan jerked at the
feeling. Steve didn't wait more than a couple of seconds before landing another
smack, and then another, continuing as Jonathan began to jerk and squirm more
in his hold. Steve pressed a firm hand to the small of Jonathan's back, holding
him in place. 'Stay still for me now, there's a good boy.' His voice was quiet
but firm, dominant in a way that made Jonathan want to give up all control. It
took Steve a few moments to notice that Jonathan was crying, his hands gripping
Steve's jeans as he sobbed into the denim. With gentle hands Steve began to rub
soothing circles into Jonathan's ass and lower back. That's how Nancy found
them when she reentered the house, a bag of empty bottles in her hand. Her eyes
fell upon Jonathan's dark red behind and she smiled in understanding. Steve
pulled Jonathan into a sitting position, tucking the blanket back around him
and being careful of his butt. 'Shhh, it's over now. You did good. You did so
good for me. Good boy, Jonathan.'
Jonathan's head was buried in Steve's neck 'I'm s-sorry.' He gasped out around
a sob and Steve shushed him, rubbing his back. Nancy sat down on the sofa
beside them and Steve gently lowered Jonathan down next to her. He snuggled up
into her open arms and she rubbed comforting circles into his skin. 'I'm gonna
go get you some clothes. You stay here with Nance ok?' Jonathan nodded and
Steve padded away to find him something to wear.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her chest as a
comfortable silence stretched between them. 'I don't want to know where you got
the alcohol.' She told him after a minute, shattering the quiet 'but promise me
that you won't do this again?' He looked up at her questioningly and she sighed
'drinking isn't a good way to cope. With any of this.' She stroked his hair and
laced the fingers of her free hand with Jonathan's 'just promise me that you'll
talk to us first next time, ok?' He nodded and she smiled softly, leaning down
to press a gentle kiss to his hair 'everything's going to be ok, Jonathan. I
promise.'
He was starting to think she could be right.
-xxx-
Joyce was pacing anxiously on the faded carpet, furiously smoking a cigarette
like she hadn't had one in years. Jim Hopper was leant up against the
doorframe, one hand on his hip and the other running fingers through his hair
tiredly. Jonathan was sitting on the couch, staring intently at his feet as he
waited for someone to say something. Anything. The silence in the room had
grown into a dense pressure that felt heavy on Jonathan's chest. He could see
the worried lines digging into his mother's skin and the tired look that had
settled onto Hopper's face. He knew that he was the one to cause it. This was
his fault. He should do something, say something. 'I'm sorry mom'
She scoffed, not even looking at him as she took another drag of her cigarette
and continued to pace 'you're sorry? That's not good enough Jonathan.'
He looked up then, staring at his mother sheepishly from beneath his short
curtain of hair 'I kn-'
She cut him off 'you could've been killed! You could've hurt someone else! God,
did that not even register to you?!'
'I wasn't thinking' his voice was quiet 'I just wanted to get away.' She sighed
at this, dropping into the space beside him on the couch and putting out her
cigarette in an ashtray on the coffee table. Her hands took his own in a tight
grip and he was shaken by how cold her fingers were.
'I know that this is hard' she told him, her eyes boring into his own 'but this
is going to be good for us, Jonathan.' She looked so hopeful, so desperate,
that Jonathan could feel himself breaking apart even more than he already was.
'Nancy told me why you left, when they dropped you off.' She hesitated for just
a second 'you have nothing to feel guilty for, do you understand me? Nothing.'
He nodded, but he couldn't look at her anymore and a slight flush had begin to
creep up his neck. She placed gentle fingers beneath his chin and tilted his
head so that he had to look at her. 'Do you understand me?' She asked again,
her voice soft but firm and he nodded, tears pricking the back of his eyes. She
yanked him into her arms and he could feel his mother's tears shaking her tiny
frame.
Hopper was behind him then, arms folded across his chest as he cleared his
throat. 'We care about you kid' he said and Jonathan couldn't help but hear the
awkwardness in the man's voice before it hardened into something more
authoritative, something more familiar. 'You get away with the driving this
time, but next time I take the car. Ok?' Jonathan nodded and a strong hand
dropped down to squeeze his shoulder comfortably. 'We're glad you're home.'
-xxx-
Jonathan found the new living arrangements to be less problematic than he'd at
first assumed they'd be. He didn't like losing his bedroom, the sanctuary he'd
come to rely on, but sharing with Will wasn't too bad. They liked the same
music and Will was a pretty easy going kid. Plus, he idolised his big brother.
El took some getting used to, she'd move quietly and appear from seemingly
nowhere, like a ghost. By far the biggest change was Hopper. Jonathan wasn't
used to waking up in the morning and finding breakfast cooked, he wasn't used
to having another authoritative presence in the house and whilst Jonathan liked
having the older man around, it was still taking some getting used to. Hopper
would bang on his door to wake him up in a morning, make sure He and Will were
ready for school, help them with their homework when they got home and then
read El and Will a story when they went to bed. It was clear that El doted on
him and Jonathan could tell that Will was starting to admire him more the
longer he stayed.
'You going to bed soon, kid?' Hopper asked. It was almost one in the morning
and everyone else had been in bed for hours. But Jonathan was still sitting on
the sofa, wordlessly watching crap tv with Hopper. He turned to face the older
man in confusion, since when did the Chief care when he went to bed. Hopper
sighed 'do you ever sleep?'
Jonathan turned away then, staring at the TV as he spoke 'yeah, I'm just not
tired yet.' Hopper snorted and Jonathan turned to face him again 'what?' He
tried to keep the bite from his voice, but it still sounded harsh and
defensive.
'You know I'm not deaf right? I can hear you when you're rummaging around in
here at 5 in the morning.' Jonathan blushed 'when's the last time you got a
good night's sleep?' Jonathan didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at his
feet. Hopper reached out and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly 'get some sleep
kid.' He switched off the tv and headed towards the bedroom that he shared with
Joyce. Jonathan sat there for a moment in silence before he dragged himself to
his room and fell into bed, being careful not to disturb Will.
He hadn't been asleep for long when the memories returned, dark rooms with
scruffy men who slurred their words and smelt of vomit and liquor. Rough,
calloused hands running over his body, scratching at his insides and squeezing
his flesh. Their words rung in his ears, hot and nauseating.
He woke with a muffled yelp, his body slick with sweat and his heart racing in
his chest. He tried taking a deep breath, tried calming himself down like he'd
been told to do in counselling, but it wasn't working, nothing was working. He
jumped up from his bed, barely noticing the faint light of dawn that was
beginning to rise outside. He ran to the bathroom and slammed the door closed,
hastily locking it as he rummaged through the bathroom drawers for his razor.
The metal felt cold in his hand, grounding him as he raised it to his skin. He
sliced at the skin on his thighs, easily accessed around his boxer shorts. It
usually only took a couple of thin cuts for him to feel better, but it didn't
seem to be working this time. It was dark in the bathroom and he felt comforted
by it, by the fact that he didn't really have to face what he was doing. He
sliced deeper and harder, watching thin ribbons of blood run over his skin in
the dark. It still wasn't enough. He was on his feet then, raking through the
cabinets for something, anything to make the pain stop. That's when he found
it. The small white box filled with prescription sleeping pills that Hopper
sometimes used to drift off. Jonathan stared at them for just a minute, his
heart beating loud in his ears as he thought through his options. And then he
tore into the package, hurriedly swallowing a handful of the pills in one go.
He stared at the pills remaining in the packet and felt tears sting his eyes as
he tipped them into his hand. His blood was rushing so loudly in his ears that
he couldn't hear anything, humming through his veins. He needed to sleep. He
needed it all to be over. He needed to forget. With that final thought in mind
he tipped the remaining pills into his mouth and swallowed.
It didn't take long for his legs to sway precariously. And then he was on the
floor, his cheek pressed up against the cool tile as the edges of his vision
went fuzzy. And then, just as the first light of the day was beginning to
illuminate the bathroom, everything in Jonathan's vision went dark.
 
***** The truth is revealed *****
Chapter 9: The truth is revealed
 
Hopper awoke to the feeling of someone hitting his chest, he dragged his eyes
open, groaning as he tried to figure out what was going on. Beside him Joyce
shifted and grumbled as she was also pulled into consciousness. 'Dad!' The
sound of El's voice snapped Hopper out of his daze in an instant, he shot up in
bed and turned to look at her, immediately zoning in on her wide eyes and
shaking lips.
'El? What's wrong?' She was shaking and small tears began to roll over each
cheek. He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. Joyce was sitting
up beside him now, staring down at El in concern. 'C'mon El, talk to me.'
Hopper urged.
She whimpered, the sound making a knot form in his throat. 'J-Jonathan.' Her
voice was quiet, barely audible, but Joyce was out of bed in an instant,
running from the room. Hopper looked down at El in confusion for a second,
ready to ask her what she meant when he was abruptly stopped by a piercing
scream. He jumped out of bed and raced down the hall, stopping in the doorway
to the bathroom and taking in the sight before him with wide eyes.
'Shit.' Jonathan was sprawled out on the bathroom floor, his skin pale and his
eyes closed. There was a razor sitting on the floor beside his hand and thin
cuts slicing into the flesh of his thighs, thin trails of blood flowing down
his legs. Will was sitting on the floor beside his brother, tears in his eyes
as he shook the older boy. He turned to look at Hopper and the older man nearly
sobbed at the raw emotion that shone In the boy's eyes.
'He's not waking up.' Will cried, his voice choked 'I can't wake him up!' The
broken pleas snapped Hopper out of his shock and he dashed forwards to haul
Will off of the bathroom floor. The boy yelled and struggled in Hopper's arms
but he was tiny and Hopper easily dropped him down outside of the room.
'Call 911' he called over his shoulder, but Joyce didn't move. She was frozen.
'Joyce!' He yelled and she turned her glittering, terrified eyes on him.
'Joyce, it's going to be ok. I promise. But I need you to call an ambulance.'
She nodded stiffly and ran for the phone, leaving Hopper to look after her son.
He snatched Jonathan's wrist and felt desperately for a pulse, to no avail.
'Damn it. C'mon kid!' His hands flew up to Jonathan's neck, pressing down hard
until he found the faint pulse beneath the skin. Hopper could've cried with
relief. It was barely anything, but it was there. It was life. There was still
time.
'Is he dead?' Hopper looked up to find Will still standing in the doorway, his
pyjama bottoms stained with blood from Jonathan's cuts. There were tears
falling freely over his cheeks now and he was shaking. In that moment, Will
Byers looked smaller than he ever had in his entire life. Smaller than he had
done when Hopper had pulled that tentacle from his mouth in the Upside Down,
smaller than he had done walking into school on his first day back and smaller
than he had done when he'd laid out on that hospital bed in Hawkin's Lab.
Because up until now, Will had always had his big brother, his idol, his rock.
He'd always known that whatever happened he'd have that presence there to help
him. But now, staring down at his brother's pale face and cold skin, Will felt
like he was alone. El appeared behind him then, shaking and crying in her pink
pyjamas and Hopper didn't know what to do. He needed to be with his kids, with
his daughter, with Will. But Jonathan needed him, Jonathan who was laying half-
dead on the bathroom floor.
'He's fine. He's gonna be fine. It's gonna be ok.' He hoped his voice sounded
calm, hoped it sounded sure. Joyce came back into view, a hand over her mouth
as she saw Jonathan's body once again. She choked back a sob and Hopper almost
broke. 'He's gonna be fine, Joyce. He has a pulse. He'll be fine.' She was
nodding but he could tell that she didn't believe him. 'I need you to take the
kids out of here, ok? Take them into the living room or something.' She nodded
again, taking El's hand to lead her away. Will fought his mother's grip, still
sobbing, but she was stronger, hauling him into her arms and holding him
against her chest as she carried him away.
Taking a deep breath, Jim settled himself and set his mind to searching for
whatever it was that Jonathan took. He glanced around the floor until his eyes
fell upon the empty pack of sleeping pills. Well shit. Hopper cursed himself,
how could he have been so stupid as to leave prescription pills just lying
around? Especially considering Jonathan's fragile state. The sound of sirens
snapped him from his self-deprecating thoughts and he looked up just as two men
came bustling into the room. They were asking questions, so many questions, but
Hopper didn't know how to answer. He was fighting the urge to scream, to cry at
the memory of Will huddled over his brother's dying form, an image he was sure
that he'd never be able to forget. Wordlessly he thrust the pill package at
them and they nodded, lifting Jonathan onto a stretcher and hurriedly carrying
him out to the ambulance. Hopper ran into the living room, lifting Will from
Joyce's arms and cradling the sobbing child against his chest as he pointed at
the door. 'Go with them, Joyce.' He urged. 'I'll bring the kids in my car.' She
hesitated for only a moment, her eyes flicking from Will to the door, before
nodding and chasing after the men carrying Jonathan.
Hopper collapsed into the sofa, squeezing Will as tight as he could in an
effort to calm the boy down. El was stood in the middle of the room, tears
streaming down her face and loud sobs being yanked from her throat. She looked
so alone and afraid and Jim didn't know how to care for both her and Will. He
reached out an arm and she ran to him, falling into his embrace and sobbing
into his chest in no time. He fought back his own tears as he rubbed calming
circles onto their backs. He had to be strong. He needed to be strong.
They set off for the hospital an hour later, after the kids had calmed down
enough for Hopper to force feed them a sandwich each, only getting them to eat
by threatening to leave them at home. Joyce was pacing in the waiting room,
tears on her cheeks and a look of pure, unadulterated despair on her face. She
ran to him when she saw him, wrapping her arms around him and shaking in his
hold. And then she was on her knees, taking Will and El into her arms and
holding them as tight as she could, as if they'd disappear if she let them go.
Absently, Jim marvelled at the way in which Joyce mothered El, bestowing just
as much attention on the girl as she bestowed upon her own son. Because, before
everything else, Joyce Byers was a mother.
'Have you heard anything?' Jim asked and she looked up at him with wet eyes.
For a moment Hopper's heart clenched painfully in his chest. He was dead.
Jonathan was dead.
'They're stabilising him.' She whispered and Hopper could've cried in relief.
It wasn't good news, but it wasn't bad news either and that was a blessing in
itself. 'They said they'd let me know as soon as he's stable.' Jim nodded,
reaching down to squeeze El's shoulder reassuringly and then repeating the
gesture with Will.
They sat down on faded chairs to await a doctor, Will curled up on Joyce's lap
and El snuggled up with Hopper. Both adults had hoped that the kids would fall
asleep, but neither child seemed tired enough to drift off. They waited for
what seemed like forever, Will occasionally whimpering in Joyce's lap and her
shushing him as she fought back her own whimpers of pain. And then there was a
doctor striding out to meet them. They were on their feet in an instant, silent
prayers filling their heads as they each begged whatever deity would listen
that it wasn't bad news. 'He's stable' it was all they really heard, because
after that nothing seemed to matter. He was alive. He was going to be ok. Joyce
crumbled, sitting on the floor and holding her son against her as she sobbed
tears of joy.
The doctor lead them to Jonathan's room, he was still asleep when they stepped
inside. Joyce was at his bedside in an instant, stroking his hair away from his
face and crying as she held his limp body close. Will was at his mother's side,
staring up at his brother wordlessly. El moved to the other side of his bed,
tears rolling over her cheeks as she pressed a kiss to the older boy's cheek.
Hopper's heart constricted painfully in his chest. This was his family now. He
had a family again and he needed to protect them.
They were sitting beside his bed when Nancy and Steve arrived. Jonathan still
wasn't awake, but they were sat in chairs beside him, the kids curled up
together on the floor with a blanket draped over them, finally getting some
sleep. Nancy rushed into the room and straight to Jonathan's bed, without
sparing a glance or a word to anyone in the room.
Her hands were carding through his hair, stroking down his face and she was
crying, fat hot tears rolling over her cheeks as loud sobs shook her entire
form. They watched her with sad eyes and then she did something that made them
share a brief look of mutual shock. Nancy leant down and placed a smattering of
kisses against his jaw. Nobody spoke, because what could they say? They knew
about Nancy and Steve and yet here she was, kissing Jonathan as he lay
unconscious in a hospital bed.
The door flew open for a second time and Steve Harrington bustled through,
having only just parked the car. He, too, wasted no time in rushing to
Jonathan's bed, his hands tracing patterns over the other boy's skin in the
same way that Nancy's had. 'Damn it, Jonathan.' He muttered and the emotion in
his voice was clear. And then Steve did something that had Joyce gasping in
shock. Steve Harrington. King Steve. Womanising, keg-drinking, rich playboy
Steve, leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to Jonathan Byers' lips.
Hopper was on his feet in an instant, pulling down the blinds on the window and
shutting the door to obscure the group from view. Steve was holding Nancy's
hand, the fingers of his free hand entwining with Jonathan's. Joyce was on her
feet, staring at them with wide eyes that Hopper was mirroring from his
position by the door. Nancy was blushing and Steve squeezed her hand
reassuringly. 'Wanna tell us what's going on?' Hopper asked and they both
turned to face him.
Steve shrugged and shocked everyone not only with his words but with the
nonchalance that he uttered them with. 'I love him' There was a long pause 'I
love Nancy too. And she loves both of us and so does Jonathan.' Nancy nodded at
his side, her blush darkening even more.
Hopper's eyebrows were raised and he looked over at Joyce in shock. She
shrugged and Hopper nodded slowly. 'Okay.' He hummed 'yeah. Ok.' Steve raised
an eyebrow and Nancy looked at him in surprise. 'Look, it's up to you what you
guys do. I can't judge.' He paused again 'just, er, keep it to yourselves yeah?
Probably not a good idea for this to get out.' Nancy nodded and Steve smiled,
pulling her closer and planting a kiss on her head. 'And the door stays open
from now on. Whenever you two visit.' This part was quieter but firm and Steve
fought the urge to snort, instead nodding in understanding.
Jonathan didn't wake up for another hour and when he finally opened his eyes,
Nancy was the first person he saw. She leant down and kissed his cheek and he
felt tears rise in his eyes and roll over his face. 'I'm sorry' he croaked out
'I'm so so sorry.'
She was shushing him, running her hands over his face and making calming noises
in an effort to placate him. 'None of that' she whispered 'we love you. We love
you and you're ok and that's all that matters.' He nodded, tears flowing more
freely down his cheeks now.
Joyce was on the edge of her seat, ready to lunge at her son and hold him, but
Steve was there, pulling Jonathan into a comforting embrace and stroking soft
circles on his back as he whispered to him 'don't you ever do that to us again,
Jonathan Byers' his words were choked with raw emotion 'we thought we'd lost
you... I thought-' he cut himself off, too raw and choked to speak as he buried
his face in Jonathan's hair.
Joyce was there the second that they pulled apart, her hands reaching down to
cradle his face as she stared down at him with so much conflicting emotion in
her eyes that Jonathan could feel himself falling apart all over again.
'Jonathan-' but that was all she could say, she didn't have the voice to say
anything else. Instead she sunk down onto the bed beside him, pressing her face
into his neck and holding him as they both wept. Silently, Hopper joined them
on the bed, his arms wrapping around his new family in what he hoped was a
comforting embrace. Joyce leaned into his touch, seeking solace in his strong
arms and the warmth radiating from his chest. Jonathan didn't move, but he let
himself be held, and that was good enough.
-xxx-
Jonathan was standing on the porch, his hands deep in his jean pockets as he
shuffled anxiously from foot to foot. Joyce was standing in front of him, one
hand on her hip and another holding a cigarette to her mouth. Hopper was behind
her, a silent but looming presence. 'Mom, I'll be fine!' He pleaded for what
felt like the millionth time 'I'm gonna be late!'
She didn't move, her eyes just as firm as before, and Jonathan was convinced
that she was never going to let him leave. Hopper moved forwards, placing a
hand on Joyce's shoulder 'Nancy and Steve'll be there, Joyce.' He reminded her
'I'm sure he'll be fine.' She looked up at Hopper, giving him a calculating
glare before turning back to her son and nodding curtly once. Jonathan grinned
and pulled her into a quick hug before racing down the steps. 'Drive safe, Kid'
Hopper called after him. Pausing for a minute before adding, in a slightly
quieter and somewhat awkward voice 'and...er...you know...be safe.' Jonathan
blushed but didn't turn back, lifting an arm to wave over his shoulder as he
climbed into his car and pulled out of the drive.
Nancy and Steve were waiting eagerly when he pulled up, both racing out of the
door to engulf him in a hug the second that he stepped out of his car. Nancy
reached up to stroke his jaw but said nothing, there was nothing left to say.
Steve placed a comforting but firm hand on Jonathan's shoulder and squeezed.
'Go straight to my room, ok?' It sounded like a question, but Jonathan knew
that it wasn't. 'I'll be up in a minute.'
Jonathan nodded, doing as he was told and walking straight up the stairs and
into Steve's room. Nancy and Steve lingered in the doorway a moment, Steve
sighed 'be up in 5 minutes, yeah?' She nodded and he smiled, leaning down to
capture her lips in a gentle kiss. 'Bring some snacks too, I think he should
eat.' She smiled and walked into the kitchen to make food as Steve climbed the
stairs to his room.
Jonathan was waiting on the bed, staring at his hands sheepishly as he waited
for Steve to enter the room. He didn't look up when the older boy took a place
next to him on the bed, a strong hand resting on Jonathan's thigh and squeezing
gently. 'C'mon' he said gently 'let's get this over with.' And Jonathan nodded,
climbing over Steve's lap without looking up for a second. Steve pushed at the
waist of Jonathan's jeans, forcing them down to below his ass and then moving
his hands to the buckle of his belt. Jonathan heard the clinking of the metal
and the sound of the belt being pulled free from around Steve's waist and he
turned to look up at his boyfriend with wide eyes. Steve smiled reassuringly
and ran a gentle hand over Jonathan's back. 'Just a few with this' his voice
was soft, calming 'and then a few with my hand and you're done. Ok?' Jonathan
nodded and dropped his head down, his hands wrapping around Steve's legs as he
waited for the first blow.
Steve let the belt fall swiftly, it made a small swooshing noise as it sailed
through the air before landing against Jonathan's ass with a loud whack.
Jonathan jerked on Steve's lap, his hands tightening their grip on the other
boy's legs as he buried his face into the denim. Steve let the belt fall
against Jonathan's pale skin another 5 times, three hits on each cheek, before
placing the belt beside him on the mattress and swatting the reddening globes
with his hands in swift movements that betrayed his desire to have the affair
over with. Jonathan was sobbing by the time it was finished, huge ugly sobs
that shook his entire body as the guilt and shame engulfed him. Steve slowly
stripped the boy's jeans off the remainder of the way so that they weren't an
obstruction and then pulled Jonathan into his lap, holding him as he sobbed
into his chest. 'It's ok, Jonathan.' He murmured 'you're ok, I love you and
you're safe.'
Jonathan buried his face in Steve's chest, sobbing against the fabric of his
polo 'I'm sorry' he gasped out, clinging to the other boy like he was a
lifeline. Like he'd disappear if Jonathan let go. 'I'm so sorry.' His body was
shaking and Steve kept making the same gentle movements with his hands, calming
motions that he hoped would help Jonathan relax.
'It's ok' Steve whispered, just loud enough for Jonathan to hear 'it's ok,
Jonathan.' And then Nancy was at the door, she moved wordlessly to the bed and
Steve slowly slid Jonathan off of his lap and onto the bed beside her. She
wrapped him in her arms and pulled him into a hug, cradling him against her
chest as she stroked his hair.
'It's ok, Jonathan' she whispered softly 'we love you, it's all over, you're
safe.' He nodded into her neck, his sobs eventually turning into quiet whimpers
and then into silence.
They sat together on the bed, enjoying each other's company. It was the first
time they'd all been alone since Jonathan's incident and, whilst he'd been
terrified about seeing them again, he was sure now that it was the right
choice. 'I brought food' Nancy said eventually, gesturing to the snacks she'd
placed on Steve's desk. The boy's nodded but nobody moved and Nancy smiled
softly. She turned to Jonathan and took his chin between her fingers, turning
him to face her and planting a forceful kiss upon his lips. Jonathan gasped,
shocked at her roughness, and Nancy took the opportunity to slide her tongue
inside, licking his tongue and making him moan at the sensation. And then she
was in his lap and his hands were on her hips, she bucked against him gently
and he moaned at the feeling. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her shirt and
then she yanked it off in one swift motion. Jonathan stared unashamed at her
beautiful body, desperate to touch. He brought his hands up to caress her
breasts through her bra, only to find both of his wrists captured in one swift
movement. He turned an accusatory glare on Steve and the other boy chuckled.
'No touching' he said teasingly 'be a good boy and let her make you feel good.'
Jonathan shivered at the pet name and Steve grinned, leaning down to whisper in
Jonathan's ear. 'You want to be a good boy for us, don't you Jonathan? I don't
want to have to punish you again.' Jonathan was blushing, a hot red flush that
went all the way down to his chest. He nodded jerkily at Steve's words and the
other boy grinned, moving his free hand to rub and pinch Jonathan's nipples
through the fabric of his shirt. 'I think you've got too many clothes on, c'mon
let's get this off.' He pulled Jonathan's shirt over his head and tossed it
onto the floor, leaving Jonathan in just his boxers. Nancy smiled down at him,
her hands massaging his shoulders as she wriggled about on his lap. 'You too
Nance' Steve added with a chuckle 'take off those damn jeans.' She jumped from
Jonathan's lap, grinning as he whined at the lost, and stripped herself of her
clothes as quickly as possible.
Steve stood up and clutched her around the waist, pulling her into his embrace
and moving his lips against her own in a heated manner. Nancy gasped, pulling
her lips away from his to talk 'its Jonathan's turn.' She whispered and Steve's
eyes went wide as an excited smile warmed his features.
'My turn to what?' Jonathan asked quietly from behind them, his face red as he
watched their wordless exchange.
'Fuck her.' Nancy snorted at Steve's crude remark and Jonathan made a noise
like he was being strangled. Steve turned towards him, a smirk forming on his
lips 'what's the matter? Didn't you enjoy it last time?' Jonathan's face turned
a shade darker, his eyes diverting to stare intently at the floor. Steve
laughed 'what, you think I don't know about that?' Jonathan didn't move and
Steve went to sit next to him on the bed, leaning into the other boy's personal
space as much as possible to whisper in his ear. 'Nancy loved telling me about
how good you were. How good her hands looked tangled in your hair and how
pretty you looked when you came all over her stomach. Made me desperate to see
it for myself.' Jonathan turned to stare at Steve in shock and Nancy chuckled.
'C'mon Jonathan' she said gently, taking him by the hand and pulling him down
to lay next to her on the bed. They kissed gently, their lips barely moving as
Nancy's tongue lapped at his. He was moaning despite the tender nature of
everything and Nancy squirmed beside him, the arousal in her stomach becoming
uncomfortable. 'Get on top of me' she moaned 'please Jonathan.' He nodded
jerkily, rolling so that he was laying on top of her, his lips moving down her
neck as her hand moved to tug on his cock. She was squirming and he slipped an
inexperienced hand between her legs, rubbing his fingers over the soft flesh
before sliding them between her lips and feeling around for her clit. It took a
short while, and then her breath hitched and her hips bucked and Jonathan knew
he'd found it. He rubbed her gently, in slow circles as she gasped and moaned.
Steve groaned from behind them and Jonathan heard the sound of his belt being
unbuckled. In the back of his mind, Jonathan knew that Steve was touching
himself at the sight of his partners fooling around. But he couldn't let
himself be self-conscious, he needed this. 'Jonathan' Nancy gasped 'I'm ready,
Jonathan please!'
Jonathan didn't even have chance to worry about protection before Steve was
taking his hand and pressing the foil condom package into his palm. It didn't
take much more to convince Jonathan and he hastily tore into the package,
rolling the condom over his length clumsily before pushing himself inside her
slowly, gasping as he was engulfed in her warm heat. His face dropped into her
neck and he whined, a long pathetic sound that made him blush. But then Nancy
was kissing him again and wrapping her legs around his waist as he thrust into
her and he forgot all about his previous embarrassment in light of the new
feelings that were assaulting him. He knew he wouldn't last long, but he wasn't
expecting to finish as quickly as he did, ending their proceedings with a
strangled shout. Nancy whined when he pulled out and Jonathan blushed hot with
shame. 'I'm sorry' he whispered but she smiled and cupped his cheek.
'It's alright' she whispered. Why don't you go get cleaned up, ok?' Jonathan
nodded, sliding off the condom and tying it as he hurried to the bathroom. He
could hear Nancy and Steve's frantic coupling through the open door, the
culmination of their activities signalled with a mingling of ecstatic cries.
They were laying limply in bed when he returned, hastily cleaned with an old t-
shirt that was now laying crumpled on the floor. They were curled into each
other, wiggling apart wordlessly when they heard Jonathan enter. 'Come here'
Steve called without even looking up and Jonathan moved towards the bed,
slotting into the little gap between them that they shuffled apart to create.
'I love you Jonathan Byers' Nancy's voice was muffled and sleepy, but her words
made Jonathan's chest hurt and his eyes sting. He pulled her tighter against
his chest and she squeezed his hands.
Steve grunted from behind him, shuffling closer 'ditto man.'
And, well, nobody ever say that Steve Harrington doesn't have a way with words.
***** Sisters *****
Chapter Notes
     Hopefully a slightly lighter chapter for you all :) as always keep
     commenting and let me know what you'd like to see next.
Chapter 10: Sisters
'El!' Will called through the wooden door, his voice much louder than it's
usual quiet tone; raised in desperation. 'El! C'mon! I gotta pee!' He hammered
on the door again, his little fist not making much noise, but it was loud
enough for her to hear. He huffed in irritation, squirming around as he waited
for her to unlock the door. Nothing. With a groan of irritation, he resolved
himself to going outside, like a dog, and hurried away to get it over with.
Jonathan was curled up on the sofa watching tv, his outings had been severely
limited since the incident in the bathroom. His mom had made him leave his job
and whilst she never expressly forbid him from going out, Hopper was always
asking him to stay home and watch over the kids in exchange for an allowance.
So Jonathan did, because he needed the money to run his car and because, well
he knew that it made his mom happier to have him there and where else would he
go? Apart from Nancy or Steve's house, but they visited him often enough that
it didn't matter quite so much.
He sighed as the stupid soap opera came to an end, stretching out on the couch
and reaching for the remote. He surfed through the channels for a minute,
eventually landing on some lame nature documentary that would probably keep him
occupied for an hour. As much as Jonathan loved his family, he was starting to
get tired of the countless days spent in front of the TV watching crappy shows
that he didn't care about. It was mind numbing. Absently, he wished that Nancy
and Steve were there. He hadn't seen them In a couple of days and he knew that
just having them around would make his day much more interesting.
The sound of hurried footsteps drew him from his thoughts and he looked up just
as Will hurried past, muttering something about 'stupid sisters' as he scurried
through the front door. Jonathan's eyebrows furrowed and he briefly considered
going after his brother but decided against it. The last thing he needed was to
be drawn into whatever drama his siblings had going on. It wasn't really clear
when El had become their sister and not just Hopper's kid. Jonathan wouldn't
talk about it but he guessed it had something to do with his actions that
night. Joyce had berated him after, crying as she told him that Will and El had
been the ones to find him. It still made Jonathan feel sick, the thought of his
tiny baby brother and El, younger than her years, finding him sprawled out on
the bathroom floor. He shook the image from his head, he couldn't think about
that.
Will didn't say anything when he came back into the house. He'd just pissed in
a bush like a dog, his feet were wet from the grass and he was shaking from the
cold. The only person that he wanted to talk to was El, to demand that she come
out of the damn bathroom and explain why she'd been in there so long. His
little fists hammered against the door again and he waited, but she didn't
respond. 'El!' Still nothing 'Open the door!' He heard a muffled sniffle from
the other side and his voice softened slightly 'are you ok?' He asked.
'No! Hurts!' She cried back and Wills eyes went wide. The memories of Jonathan
lying on the cold tiles flashed through his brain and then the next thing he
knew he was running, barrelling into Jonathan and grabbing at his hands, trying
to drag the older boy off of the sofa. But Jonathan was tall and heavy and Will
hadn't said a word.
'Buddy, what's going on?' Jonathan asked as he sat up. His eyes were concerned
as they surveyed Will's pale skin and worried expression. 'Talk to me.'
'It's El! She's in the bathroom! She won't come out! She says she's hurt!' Well
shit.
Jonathan jumped up from the sofa and ran down the hall to the bathroom. Hopper
was going to kill him. 'El?' He knocked on the door but she didn't answer
'C'mon El, let me in.' Still nothing. He sighed. 'I can't help if you don't
open the door. Just let me in and we'll figure everything out ok?' He listened,
sighing in relief when he heard the faint click of the door. Will was right
behind him, sticking close to his brother as they slowly walked into the room.
El was sitting on the floor, curled into herself and wrapped in a thick towel.
Her pants were laying beside the toilet and she was crying into her arms
quietly. Jonathan took a step forwards, ready to crouch down and wrap her in a
hug, and then he saw it. The blood.
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. No. Jonathan could feel his face turning a dark shade
of red and he stood there, frozen, as he struggled to find words. Will looked
up at his brother in confusion and then peered around him into the bathroom,
his eyes going wide when he saw what had happened. He stood there for a moment,
stuttering and forming incoherent words, before he hurried from the bathroom
with a mumbled excuse that Jonathan was too occupied to pay attention to.
El looked up when Will scurried from the room, a painful sob yanking itself
from her throat. Jonathan swore under his breath, he was going to kill his
younger brother. And then he was going to kill his mom for leaving him to deal
with this. 'Hey, hey, it's ok.' He said awkwardly as he moved closer to her,
reaching down to pat her stiffly on the shoulder. 'It's ok.
This...it's...normal. You'll be fine. I just...' he trailed off. He was so
unprepared for this conversation. Then a thought struck him and he was on his
feet, hurrying for the door. 'I'll be right back, El.' He called over his
shoulder 'you're gonna be fine.'
The phone rang twice before Nancy picked up and Jonathan nearly sighed in
relief at the sound of her voice. 'Nancy! It's me!'
She chuckled 'Hey Jonathan, what's up?' He paused, his cheeks burning again as
he tried to think of a way to explain his situation, this wasn't exactly
something he wanted to talk about, even with his girlfriend. 'Jonathan?' Her
voice was concerned this time 'you there?'
'Y-yeah' he stuttered. Damn it, El was his sister, his family, and he hadn't
exactly been a fantastic big brother when he'd left her in the bathroom on her
own. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves before he spoke 'El got her
period and now she's in the bathroom crying and I don't know what to do and I
need your help so can you please come over and maybe bring some stuff because I
don't know what I'm doing.' It all came out in one long jumbled rush, but at
least he'd said it.
There was a pause and then she spoke again, an exasperated amusement in her
voice 'I'll be there in 15, just tell El to get in the bath and get washed up.'
He thanked her and hung up the phone, relieved that he finally had help.
He rushed back into the bathroom then, fighting back the embarrassment.
'Nancy's coming over to help.' He said and she looked up at him in shock,
nodding after a minute and wiping her hands over her face. 'Why don't you get
in the bath and wash up before she gets here?' El nodded and he left her alone
to clean up, waiting anxiously by the front door for Nancy to arrive.
She sent him a withering look when she got there, a grocery bag in her right
hand as she pushed past him and into the house. Steve stood in the doorway,
hesitant to come in and looking like he'd rather be anywhere but there.
Jonathan was half-tempted to join him. 'She's in the bathroom, right?' Nancy
asked and Jonathan nodded. She rolled her eyes and headed off down the hallway.
Steve stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. They stood
together awkwardly in the kitchen for a minute before Steve spoke 'so how're
you like having a sister?'
Jonathan snorted and Steve laughed, breaking the tension 'more than Will I
think. I bet he's still blushing now.' Steve grimaced and moved towards the
sofa.
'Best stay in here then, don't want to embarrass the poor boy further.'
Jonathan frowned in confusion, coming to sir next to the boy and quirking a
questioning eyebrow. Steve smiled and placed a hand on Jonathan's cheek as he
drew him in for a long, gentle kiss. Jonathan was blushing when he pulled away
and Steve grinned 'really Byers?' He asked 'still embarrassed to kiss me?'
Jonathan smiled 'there's kids around Steve.' He turned to glance towards the
hallway then, a glint in his eyes 'though, somehow, I don't think they'll be
coming out anytime soon.' And then he kissed Steve again, more forceful this
time, pushing him against the soft couch cushions and trapping him there with
his body. Steve moaned and wriggled against him, using his weight to flip them
over so that Jonathan was beneath him. He trailed his kisses from Jonathan's
lips to his neck, sucking bruises onto his throat as Jonathan moaned.
That's when they heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat.
Steve swore quietly under his breath and they turned to see Nancy and El stood
in the doorway. Nancy had her hands on her hips and El was staring at the floor
with a faint blush on her pale cheeks. 'Seriously?' She snapped and the boy's
at least had the decency to look sheepish 'you're both unbelievable.' They
could tell she didn't really mean it. She shook her head and dropped down onto
the sofa, sitting between them. El stood awkwardly in the middle of the room
and Jonathan coughed uncomfortably.
'Do you wanna sit with us?' He asked quietly and she nodded, hurrying over and
climbing into Jonathan's lap. He wrapped his arms around her liked he'd seen
Hopper do and like he did with Will. They watched TV in a comfortable silence
but Will never left his room.
-xxx-
It was late when Hopper and Joyce came home and Jonathan was the only one still
awake. He was lazing about on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the TV as the couple
bustled about in the kitchen.
Hopper's eyes fell upon the large pack of sanitary towels sitting on the
counter and he picked it up, holding it tentatively in his right hand as he
tapped Joyce's shoulder with his left. 'Hey...er....think you may have left
these out earlier.' He thrust them into her hands and she stared at the package
in confusion.
'They're not mine' she said with a shrug and Hopper frowned. They made their
way into the sitting room, Joyce holding up the package for her son to see.
'Hey, Jonathan. Where did these come from?'
Jonathan looked up then, proud of himself for not blushing as he spoke 'Nancy
brought them over for El.'
Hopper's eyebrows shot up into his hairline 'El?' He asked incredulously and
Jonathan nodded as he rose to his feet. He turned off the TV and made his way
towards the hall, stopping to pat Hopper on the arm as he went.
'I want a raise.'
***** Moving On *****
Chapter Notes
     Ok sorry it's so short but I'm really ill right now :( I hope you
     guys enjoy it anyway :) and please comment!
     *warnings for light bondage and a semi-consensual sex nightmare*
Chapter 11: Moving On
The spring sky was dark above the Harrington house, stars reflected in the
surface of the dark pool as a thin fog of steam hovered around from the heated
water. The house was dark inside, the lights switched off in every room as the
inhabitants slumbered peacefully. Or, at least some of them were.
Steve was sprawled out in his bed, one arm draped around Nancy, to his right,
as she wriggled close to his side. His other arm was making a feeble attempt at
cradling Jonathan, but the other boy was curled into a tight ball, facing away
from his lovers as an unconscious reaction to the images polluting his rest.
He was face down on the bed, his cheek pressed against the grubby sheets as he
fought the urge to gag at the smell of ash and sweat. There was a strong hand
fisted in the blonde hair of his wig, the humiliation alone drawing tears to
Jonathan's eyes. Behind him, another large hand was pressed against his back,
clawing up and down his skin with short grubby nails. The man growled and
Jonathan shuddered, fighting the urge to sob. He had to be brave. "Fuckin'
relax already" a deep voice snarled and Jonathan tensed more, cursing himself
silently. Why couldn't he do this? He had to do this. For his mother. For Will.
But no, he couldn't think about them. He was crying now, his tears mingling
with the stains on the pillow case. And then his body was flipped over and he
was staring up into the stubbly face, it was bruised and rough, a scar on his
lip. Jonathan tried to turn his head, to avert his eyes, but a hand was on his
chin, holding him still as a tongue invaded his mouth, gagging him with the
taste of ash and whisky. Another hand was at his ass and he fought the urge to
clench his legs together as two wet fingers pressed against his most intimate
spot. They were insistent, slipping inside despite the resistance, and Jonathan
couldn't hold back the sob that tore free from his chest. "That's it" the man
growled again, his tongue in Jonathan's ear "let me in. I've never had a virgin
before" and Jonathan couldn't breathe, his chest tight as tears rolled down his
cheeks. He closed his eyes and the man didn't seem to notice, because the next
thing Jonathan knew was that something big and blunt and hot was pressing
against his opening. His body shook with the force of his sobs, and a hand was
stroking his cheek in a poor imitation of tenderness "Don't worry, I won't last
long in there." Then there was pain. Intense pain. Terrible, awful, searing
pain. And Jonathan was screaming, but there was a hand over his mouth and he
was fighting but nothing was happening and he was trapped. He needed it to end.
'Jonathan!' His eyes snapped open and he barely had time to look up into
Steve's concerned face before he was leaning over the side of the bed, vomiting
onto the floor. He felt the bed shift and dip as someone climbed out and left
the room. Then there was a soothing hand on his back, rubbing gentle circles
into the skin. It was a small hand, and the body pressed against him was small
too. Nancy.
'It's ok' she murmured 'get it all out, it's ok.' She ran another hand up to
stroke his cheek lovingly, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. 'You're
safe, Jonathan. We love you and your safe.' And then he was crying, big fat
tears that rolled down his cheeks and mingled with the mess on the floor. He
rolled over and pressed his face into Nancy's chest, burying himself between
her breasts. If she cared at all about the possibility of getting vomit on her
nightdress then she didn't voice it. She held his head there with her hands,
murmuring to him gently that he was safe. That everything was ok. And then he
was kissing her, pressing his lips gently against her breasts through the thin
fabric of her dress. She didn't object, just stroked his hair and let him take
from her what he needed to feel better. In the back of his mind he could hear
someone moving around in the room. But he didn't care, he wanted Nancy, he
needed her. His lips found her nipple and she let out a quiet gasp of pleasure
at the sensation. Jonathan didn't smile, but he latched on to her nipple then,
drawing it in between his lips and sucking harshly. She groaned at the feeling,
pressing his head firmly against her chest.
And then the bed dipped again and there was a warm body pressed up against
Jonathan's back. Steve. He melted into the other boy's touch, his eyes closing
as he bit and sucked at the hard bud between his lips. Steve pushed at the
fabric of Nancy's nightdress, forcing Jonathan away from her for a second to
take the obstruction away before allowing him back. His lips moved to her other
nipple and she gasped and moaned, cradling his head in her hands as her back
arched. Steve's hand slipped between her legs and she whined, bucking her hips
as he stroked her most sensitive spots. Jonathan was sucking harshly, his teeth
grazing her nipple in the most pleasurable way, and she tossed her head back as
the sensations mingled, making her body hum with pleasure. 'Please' she gasped,
not knowing who she was talking to, but desperate for the release she needed.
Steve's fingers slid inside of her at the whispered plea, stroking her in all
the right places with expert fingers that knew how to pleasure a woman. His
thumb was pressed firmly against her clit, rubbing with a pressure that was
almost too hard to be pleasurable. Almost. Jonathan was making lewd, wet noises
at her chest, desperate to make her cum. He moved to her other breast, his hand
coming up to pleasure the abandoned nipple. Nancy's eyes fell closed and her
breathing turned into tiny gasps as she neared her peak. 'C'mon Nance' Steve's
voice was gentle and husky, exactly what she needed to hear. 'Cum for me. Be a
good girl and cum for us.' And then her body tightened, her legs quivering and
her hands gripping Jonathan's hair with bruising force as she came. Because,
damn, Steve always knew what to say.
Jonathan said nothing in the aftermath. Just let his head rest between Nancy's
breasts again as he closed his eyes and listened to her heartbeat as it slowly
calmed down. Steve wrapped himself around the other boy, holding him close as
they drifted back into silence. Nancy kept her fingers slowly carding through
Jonathan's hair as she slowly caught her breath. Steve's hands made steady
soothing motions against the other boy's back. Nobody said anything for a long
time.
And then Nancy felt a fresh wetness on her chest and Steve felt Jonathan's body
jerk against his own with the force of his sobs. Instinctively they drew closer
around him, as if trying to hold his broken pieces together. 'Jonathan' Nancy
whispered in a weak voice. 'Talk to us. What's wrong?' But they knew what was
wrong, they knew it was a nightmare. A bad one.
Jonathan didn't answer, just continued to sob into Nancy's chest. She shared a
panicked look with Steve and he could see tears welling in her own eyes. He
leant down and kissed Jonathan's shoulder, continuing to stroke patterns onto
his back gently. 'Jonathan, what can we do?' He asked 'c'mon man, talk to us.
How can we help?'
It seemed to work, to some extent, because Jonathan pulled away and looked at
them then. Nancy let out a tiny gasp at the raw emotion on his face, her arms
wrapping tighter around him. 'I don't-' but Jonathan cut himself off, a choked
sob slipping from between his lips. He turned to face Steve in a panic, his
eyes seemingly begging for something he couldn't voice 'I need...I
just...please!' Fresh tears were rolling over his cheeks and Steve reached up
to wipe them away with his thumbs.
'What Jonathan? What do you need?' But Jonathan couldn't answer, he couldn't
speak. His eyes were closed, his fists clenched as he took ragged breaths.
Nancy shot Steve another panicked look and he could tell that she was close to
breaking. 'C'mon Jonathan' he pushed, needing to know what they could do. 'What
do you need? A spanking? Would that help?'
But Jonathan shook his head 'it's not enough. I just want to forget' his voice
was quiet, broken. 'I just. I need it to go away.' Steve bit his lip, thinking
hard. He had an idea, a risky one and he had no idea if it would work, but it
was a start.
'Ok. Jonathan we're gonna help ok?' He pressed on Jonathan's shoulder blades,
pushing him towards Nancy 'just stay here, I'll be right back.' Nancy's glare
as he left the room was enough to kill had he been there long enough. As soon
as Steve stepped through the door she held Jonathan at her chest again,
ignoring her nakedness in favour of taking care of him as best she could. Her
hands were all over his body, tenderly stroking him in the hope that he'd calm
down. And then Steve was back, holding two of his dad's soft, and presumably
expensive, silk ties in his hand. He gently pried Jonathan away from Nancy,
forcing the other boy to look at him. 'I'm gonna try something' he murmured
'and if you want it to stop then you tell us and it stops. Ok?' Jonathan nodded
and Steve smiled reassuringly. He slowly brought one of the ties up to
Jonathan's face and pressed it over his eyes, tying it around the back of his
head. 'Can you see anything?' He asked and Jonathan shook his head. 'Ok, good.
Hang on for a sec, ok?' And Jonathan nodded again.
Steve took a pillow from the head of the bed and tossed it onto the floor, he
took Jonathan's hands in his own and guided him up, pulling until he was stood
on the floor. 'Ok, right here, just kneel for me.' And Jonathan went down
slowly, Steve's hands guiding him the whole way. 'That's good. Good boy,
Jonathan.' Because Jonathan liked to be told that he was doing good. 'Are you
comfy?' Jonathan nodded again and Steve smiled. 'Ok, one last thing. Give me
your hands.' And Jonathan obediently let Steve clasp his hands behind his back,
binding them together with the other tie. 'Does that hurt?' Jonathan shook his
head. 'I'm going to turn off the lights and get back into bed, but we're not
gonna sleep, ok? I'm gonna stay here with you and when you're ready to get up
just tell me.'
'Ok' it was quiet, but his voice didn't sound quite so broken anymore and for
that Steve was relieved. He flicked off the light switch and climbed back into
bed beside Nancy, his hand carding softly through Jonathan's hair. They lay in
silence for a while, Nancy curled up at Steve's side and Steve dragging fingers
though Jonathan's hair continually. And then Jonathan spoke, his voice as quiet
as ever but much more healthier now. 'Am I doing good?' It was embarrassed and
hopeful and desperate for approval and Steve couldn't help the smile that
spread over his face.
But Nancy answered, surprising the both 'you're doing so good, Jonathan' she
praised 'you're so good for us.' And it was a heavy sentence to say, because he
was. Before Jonathan their relationship had been strained, missing something
important. And now it was perfect and they had him to thank for that.
Steve hummed in agreement, tugging on his hair gently and making Jonathan whine
at the sensation 'so proud of you' he murmured. They didn't need to see
Jonathan in the dark room to know that he was blushing.
They drifted back into silence again, as dawn began to break and thin ribbons
of light began to illuminate the room. And then Jonathan spoke up again, an
embarrassed note to his voice 'Steve?' Steve hummed, letting him know that he'd
heard 'I-I'm ready to get up now.' So Steve climbed out of bed, switching on
the light and untying Jonathan's wrists before taking the blindfold from around
his eyes. He took Jonathan's hands in his own, massaging his wrists as he
silently helped him back into the bed, settling him between himself and Nancy
again.
She pulled him into an embrace, still naked from their earlier activities, and
held him close. Steve curled up behind them, silently rubbing circles into
Jonathan's skin. 'Better?' Nancy asked, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to
his lips and Jonathan nodded. She smiled 'I love you, Jonathan Byers.' And he
didn't reply, but he didn't need to. They were together and they were safe and
that's all that mattered.
-xxx-
'Will you tell us what it was about?' Steve asked as they were sitting around
the breakfast table. Jonathan looked up at him with big eyes and swallowed his
mouthful of bacon. He licked his lips nervously and Nancy reached out to take
one of his hands in her own.
'It was about my first time.' Jonathan whispered, averting his eyes 'with a
man...in that place.' And Steve nodded whilst Nancy looked on with empathic
eyes. Jonathan continued 'he was rough and he hurt me and it was before I'd
really become Jessica so I still didn't know how to cope.'
And Steve was looking at him in confusion now, Nancy too. Well shit. 'Who's
Jessica?' Steve's voice was quiet and soft and Jonathan shrugged with a sigh.
'I...' he groaned, he didn't want to talk about this 'they made me dress up,
when I was with the other men. At first I just pretended but then it became
easier to go to that headspace, become someone else you know?' And Steve didn't
know, of course he didn't, but he nodded anyway, reaching out to take
Jonathan's other hand.
'You don't need to be ashamed, ok?' Steve spoke up and Nancy was nodding in
agreement 'we don't judge you for anything you did. We just want you to feel
better now.' And Jonathan could've sobbed at that. Because he'd spent countless
nights under countless men, hating himself and wishing desperately that someone
would help him feel better. He'd spent a long time thinking that getting caught
was the worst thing to happen to him. But now, for the first time since Jim
Hopper had walked through that door and called his name, Jonathan was starting
to think that it might have been a good thing after all.
 
***** The Ghost *****
Chapter Notes
     Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate! I hope you enjoy the
     chapter! Please comment with your thoughts :)
Chapter 12: The Ghost
Joyce was making dinner when Jonathan made his way into the kitchen. He didn't
leave his room much anymore, only to eat and use the bathroom, and she grinned
when she saw him. 'Hey, dinner's nearly ready, you wanna help dish it up?' She
looked hopeful, clearly wanting to spend more time with her son, and Jonathan
hated himself for shaking his head.
'I can't mom, I'm going out.' She tried hard not to let her face fall and the
guilt that Jonathan felt pooled like ice-water in his stomach. She sighed,
turning her attention back to the sauce that she was stirring.
'Where are you going?' She asked, and there was a sharpness to her voice that
Joyce rarely used around her boys. She didn't want Jonathan going out alone and
it made him blush hot with shame and humiliation, it didn't look like they'd
ever be able to move on from what had happened.
'I'm going out with Nancy and Steve.' She turned to face him, the sauce left
forgotten as she folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to continue.
He frowned 'we're just going out for some food and then I'll come straight
home, I promise.'
She sighed and didn't look up as Hopper stepped into the room, her eyes trained
on Jonathan's face as if searching for any trace of deception. Jonathan rolled
his eyes, glancing up at Hopper's concerned face with a sigh. He could hear the
smooth rumble of Steve's BMW pulling up outside and a frustrated groan sipped
from between his lips. 'C'mon mom! I hang out with Nancy and Steve all the
time, nothing's gonna happen. We're just gonna go get some food, it's no big
deal.' He was pleading with his eyes but Joyce remained tense, it was clear
that she didn't want to let him go. Didn't want him out of her sight. But
Hopper placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his huge frame towering over
Joyce in an unconsciously protective stance.
'Home by 10' he said sternly and Jonathan wanted to argue because when the fuck
had Jim Hopper started acting like his dad? But it was his way out and he knew
that arguing wouldn't get him anywhere. So, grudgingly, he nodded, allowing the
irritation to seep into his face. If Hopper saw then he said nothing, gently
guiding Joyce towards the table. 'I'll dish up the food.' He said gently, his
eyes returning to Jonathan, who still hadn't moved. 'Back at 10.' It was a
stern reminder and Jonathan fought the urge to sigh, nodding silently before
hurrying out of the front door before they changed their minds.
Steve was leant back in the drivers seat, his concerned expression perfectly
matching the one that Nancy wore beside him. Jonathan rolled his eyes, when
would everyone stop being so worried about him? He slid into the backseat
'sorry, my mom didn't want me to go.' Steve nodded, turning on the engine, as
Nancy turned around to face him in the backseat.
'Is she ok with it now?' She asked and Jonathan nodded.
'Yeah, Hopper convinced her to let me go.' He sighed and grumbled the next part
'but I have to be back at 10.' It was already 7, Hopper wasn't giving him much
leeway, and Jonathan absently missed the days before the police chief had
entered their lives, back when there weren't any eyes constantly watching him.
Back before everyone knew his business.
Steve switched on the radio, the sound of The Romantics filling the car and
drawing Jonathan from his thoughts. 'Guess we'd better get going then, huh?' He
said and Nancy nodded. Jonathan could see their faces in the rear view mirror,
relaxed and comfortable, and he silently thanked whatever entity was listening
for giving him Nancy and Steve. For giving him two people that wouldn't judge
him, or comment on things he didn't want to talk about. For giving him an
escape from the concerned control of his house, giving him something that made
him infinitely happy.
They drove in a comfortable silence for most of the way, Steve's thumbs tapping
against the steering wheel in time to the music as he drove whilst Jonathan and
Nancy relaxed into the expensive interior of the car. They finally pulled up in
the parking lot of a restaurant that Jonathan had never heard of before. It
looked nice, with big windows and tablecloths on the tables. The kind of place
Jonathan couldn't afford. He sighed when they stepped out of the car, placing a
hand on Steve's arm to stop the other boy from walking into the building. Steve
turned to face him, a questioning expression on his face, and Jonathan blushed.
'I can't...this place looks...' he didn't want to say it, didn't know how to.
But Steve was smiling, he seemed to understand. 'It's my treat.' He said with a
smile and Jonathan frowned, he went to speak but Steve silenced him by pressing
a gentle kiss to his lips. He looked around anxiously afterwards, relieved to
see that the parking lot was practically empty. 'You're my boyfriend and I want
to buy you dinner.' Steve's voice was quiet but firm 'Nancy can pay but I'm
buying her dinner too.' And that seemed to be the end of the conversation
because Steve pulled away from Jonathan's grip and headed towards the entrance,
Nancy trailing behind him with a smile on her face. Jonathan watched them leave
for a moment before blushing and hurrying away after them.
It was a fancy restaurant. The menu was extensive, with plenty of options, but
Jonathan struggled to find anything that he'd be comfortable letting Steve pay
for. He was still scanning the choices when the waitress came over to take
their order. 'I'll have the steak, medium well.' Steve said, handing her his
menu, 'my girlfriend wants the lemon chicken.' The waitress nodded and turned
to face Jonathan. He blushed, now she probably thought that Jonathan was the
creepy third wheel. Fantastic. She waited silently for him to make his order
and he found himself desperately scanning the page for anything that he could
reimburse Steve for later. 'He'll have a steak too. Medium. And we'll have
three cokes.' Steve's voice was firm and he gave Jonathan a look that left no
room for argument. The waitress nodded and hurried away. Jonathan was blushing
and staring at his plate and Steve frowned. 'You like steak right?' He asked
and Jonathan nodded.
'Yeah, steak is...great.' There was a pause 'it's not exactly cheap.' He didn't
need to look at Steve to know that the other boy was frowning.
'Oh for fucks sake' he huffed out 'Jonathan would you just let me treat you for
once?' Jonathan said nothing and Steve's voice dropped to a quiet growl 'unless
you want to talk about this at home?' That caught Jonathan's attention and he
almost fainted at the heat in Steve's gaze.
Nancy slapped Steve's thigh 'we're in public' she hissed, glancing around at
the other tables. Steve smirked and leant back against his chair and Jonathan
fought hard to quell the blush rising on his cheeks. He supposed he could let
Steve treat him just this once. And then he'd pay him back later, the way a
girlfriend would.
The food was amazing, easily the best steak that Jonathan had ever eaten. They
chatted idly amongst themselves about school and Steve managed to convince them
both to attend Becky's party that weekend. It was shaping up to be a nice
night, the waitress took their desert order and Jonathan was starting to feel
normal for once, like everything from before was forgotten. Like it hadn't
happened and he was just a normal teenager on a date. Admittedly, most
teenagers didn't usually go on dates with two other people, but it was still
nice.
He supposed that he should've known it wouldn't last. After everything he'd
done how could he possibly expect to have something normal, something perfect,
even for only a night.
'I gotta take a leak' Steve announced, getting up from the table. Nancy
wrinkled her nose at him and took another sip of her Coke.
'Me too' Jonathan mumbled quietly, sliding out of his chair and shooting Nancy
an apologetic smile when she sighed. 'We'll back in a second, Nance.' He
reassured her and she rolled her eyes but nodded all the same.
If only he'd stayed at the fucking table.
'Jessica?' The gruff voice had a teasing lilt to it and Jonathan felt ice-water
trickle down his spine. He knew that voice. He fought the urge to look up, to
respond to the name. At the urinal beside him, Steve shot him a puzzled look.
Jonathan stared at the wall. He zipped up and went to move to the sink, but a
large hand on his shoulder stopped him and he looked up into dark brown eyes,
eyes that still stalked his dreams. 'Not gonna ignore me are you beautiful?' A
hand was tracing his chin, tilting Jonathan's head to look at him. Jonathan
couldn't breathe. 'Where have you been?' The man asked 'you still charge the
same?' He paused then, giving Jonathan a toothy grin 'of course I won't pay as
much if you don't have the wig and make-up.'
Steve's breath hitched from behind him and Jonathan fought the urge to cry, to
hit the man and run.
'Hey, why don't you back up, ok?' Steve said firmly and the man laughed.
'Oh don't tell me, you went away and found yourself a nice little rich boy your
own age to fuck.' Jonathan was not ttrembling, he was too terrified to look
back at Steve. 'He pay for your dinner, baby? You call him daddy too?' Jonathan
yanked himself away, his back bumping against Steve's chest as he pushed past
the other boy on his way to the door. The man laughed 'don't kid yourself. You
might not dress up anymore Jessica, but you're still a hooker.'
And then Jonathan was running, darting through the swarm of expensive tables as
he fought his way back to where Nancy was waiting. She jumped to her feet when
she saw him barrelling towards her, tears in his eyes as he snatched his jacket
up from his chair. 'What the hell happened?' Her voice was loud, people were
staring. Jonathan glanced over his shoulder just long enough to see Steve
hurrying towards them, before he raced for the door. He was desperate to get
away. 'Jonathan!' Nancy's voice was panicked and it made his chest clench to
hear it, but Steve knew the truth now and soon Nancy would too. He wouldn't
wait around for them to hate him, he couldn't.
They'd driven for a while to get there, but Jonathan didn't care, he took off
running towards the road, disappearing into the dark night. He ran until his
muscles screamed, until his lungs burned and he could hardly breathe. Then he
dropped down, curling up into a ball beneath the trees at the side of the road
and finally, finally, letting himself cry. Huge heaving sobs that tore through
his body and left him gasping for air.
It was over. Everything he'd built, everything he loved, was all over.
He spent a long time laying on that floor, his back pressed up against the
rough bark of a tree, his body aching from the rocks and twigs laying beneath
him. He eventually ran out of tears, the cold air drying them against his
cheeks. Then he was just empty, hollow, incapable of replacing the fire that
had been taken from his chest. He thought about Nancy, beautiful soft Nancy
with her glittering eyes and smouldering grin. He thought about Steve, about
how safe he felt in his arms, about how good he smelt when they were pressed
together. He thought about all three of them, laying naked together in Steve's
bed. Mostly he thought about what he'd do without them, how he'd cope without
Nancy to comfort him and Steve to keep him grounded. He spent a long time
thinking about it, but he never managed to find an answer.
Eventually, he hauled himself to his feet and started trudging in the direction
of his home. The world was dark and cold around him and Jonathan knew he'd be
late home, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His eyes glanced at the empty
road beside him and a terrifying thought settled in his head, a thought that
froze his blood within his veins.
If a car were to go racing past, then Jonathan knew he'd step in front of it.
-xxx-
It was 11:30 when Joyce heard the familiar rumble of Steve's car pull up
outside. She shook her head in irritation, her hand grabbing the remote and
switching off the TV. Jim shifted beside her with a sigh. 'At least he's home'
he reasoned, but Joyce was shaking her head. 'How about I talk to him, huh? Let
him know that it's not ok to come home late.' She nodded, but he could tell
that she was still upset. There were tears in her eyes and her whole body was
trembling.
There was a knock on the door and she glanced at him in shock. 'Why would he
knock?' She asked and he shrugged, following her into the kitchen. She tore
open the door, ready to yell and ask him where the hell he'd been. But Jonathan
wasn't standing behind the door.
Steve was the one who had knocked, his free hand running through his hair and a
distraught expression on his face. Nancy was beside him, her hands shoved deep
into her jacket pockets. Joyce didn't know what was going on, but her chest
clenched painfully and she knew that it wasn't a good sign. 'Please can we talk
to him?' Steve asked and Joyce frowned. Definitely not a good sign.
'Talk to who?' There was a pause, Nancy and Steve shared a concerned look. 'To
Jonathan?' Her voice was louder now 'why would you think Jonathan is here?!
He's supposed to be with you!'
Steve shifted awkwardly 'he didn't come home?' And Joyce thought she might
faint. She turned to stare at Hopper and he pulled her into his chest.
'What happened?' He growled and Steve sighed, turning to face Nancy who was
staring at Joyce with tearful eyes. 'Damn it' Hopper was not a patient man
'spit it out!'
'We saw someone in the restaurant.' Steve's voice was hesitant 'one of
Jonathan's...clients.' Joyce and Hopper were wearing matching wide-eyed
expressions that in any other situation would be amusing. Steve didn't find
them amusing at the time and neither did Nancy. 'He said some things and
Jonathan got upset. He ran before we could stop him.' He paused, scared to tell
them the rest 'we've been driving around the past couple hours looking for him,
we just figured he'd come home.'
Hours. They'd been looking for him for hours and he was nowhere to be found.
The thought nearly gave Joyce a heart attack and she stumbled backwards into
the house. Hopper followed her, his hands firm on her shoulders 'he'll be ok
Joyce' he assured her 'we'll find him. I promise.'
'Find who?' The small, sleepy voice drew everyone's attention and they turned
to see Will standing in the doorway, El standing just behind him. His eyes
darted from Nancy and Steve to the terrified look on his mother's face.
'Jonathan's missing?' And there was pure terror in his voice then, tears
rolling down his cheeks, and Nancy rushed into the house to scoop him up. He
pressed his head into her neck and she collapsed onto the couch with the small
boy still in her arms.
'It'll be ok' she promised him, her voice shaky 'he'll be ok.' She rubbed
circles onto his back and he slowly began to calm down, his breathing beginning
to slow as his tears drew to an end. Joyce dropped onto the couch beside Nancy,
she took Will from Nancy's arms and cradled him on her lap. The youngest Byers
boy looked so tiny curled up in his mother's embrace.
Steve dropped down on Nancy's other side, his fingers entwining with hers as he
pressed a comforting kiss to her temple. Hopper sighed and dropped down onto
the coffee table 'he's probably making his way home.' His voice was loud in the
quiet room 'I'll go out and look for him, you guys stay here in case he gets
home first.' Joyce nodded, burying her face in Will's neck.
El was still standing in the doorway, watching her family with worried eyes.
She moved forwards then, stopping in front of Nancy and taking the older girls
hand in her own. She brought it up to the light to reveal the broken and
bleeding knuckles and Nancy blushed. 'Hurt' El whispered and both Hopper and
Joyce stared at Nancy with confused eyes.
'She punched him' Steve offered by means of explanation 'the guy I mean. After
Jonathan ran off she went into the bathroom and messed up his face. I had to
drag her away before she broke anything.' He paused 'it was amazing.'
Hopper snorted 'don't make a habit of it, the less people who know about
Jonathan's past the better.' Nancy nodded and Joyce shifted Will onto the sofa,
taking Nancy's hand in her own and surveying the wound carefully.
'I've got a first aid kit in the bedroom, should patch it right up.' Nancy went
to protest but Joyce stopped her with a glare 'You did a number on yourself,
let me fix it.' And Nancy nodded, because Joyce's son was missing so if she
wanted to mother Nancy then who was she to object?
But they didn't get chance, because the next thing they heard was the sound of
footsteps on the stairs outside the house and then the front door swinging
open. Jonathan paused in the doorway as six pairs of eyes zoned in on him.
Joyce was on her feet in seconds, hurrying towards her eldest and placing her
hands on his shoulders 'where have you been?' She demanded, but he said nothing
'damn it, Jonathan!' She snapped, yanking him into her chest 'don't you ever do
that again. Never again, Jonathan. I mean it!' And he nodded, because what else
could he do. Hopper said nothing, letting them have their moment as he guided
El and Will to bed. Nancy and Steve stood aside, watching and eagerly waiting
for their turn to greet him. Joyce looked at them when she finally pulled away.
She stood there awkwardly for a moment, her eyes shifting from Jonathan to
Nancy and Steve before she finally took the hint that they wanted to be alone.
'I'm going to bed' she whispered, leaning over to give Jonathan another hug.
She turned to the others then 'you can take him to your house tonight, Will
need's to get some sleep.' It was a poor excuse, they all knew that she didn't
want Jonathan to be alone and there wasn't enough room for all three of them to
stay there, but nobody said anything. And then she was walking away, leaving
Jonathan alone with his boyfriend and their girlfriend. An awkward silence
hanging over them.
Steve grabbed Jonathan's hand and walked to the couch. He dropped down onto the
soft cushions and then yanked Jonathan down beside him. Nancy sat on Jonathan's
other side, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. 'Never again, Jonathan.'
She mumbled, running a hand over Jonathan's grubby fingers. He nodded.
'We mean it' Steve's voice was firm 'you scared the shit out of us tonight. You
don't do that again. Jonathan nodded again, his body stiff and Steve sighed
'Nothing's changed, Jonathan. We still love you, we still want you. I don't
care what you did before, I only care what you do now.' And Jonathan bit his
lip, staring down at his lap as he fought tears. Steve rubbed a hand over his
back gently 'we'll talk about it at home, when we've got some privacy. Ok?'
Jonathan nodded and his muscles relaxed slightly.
'What happened to your hand?' His voice was hoarse but his words were clear and
Nancy blushed as Steve chuckled.
'At home' he said again 'we'll talk about everything at home.'
Home. The word burned in Jonathan's ears. Because his home didn't just have to
be with his mom and Hopper in this house. No, Jonathan's home was wherever his
family was. And, apparently, Nancy and Steve were more determined to be part of
that family than he'd given them credit for.
 
***** 'Talking' *****
Chapter Notes
     Enjoy :)
Chapter 13: 'Talking'
Steve's house seemed so big and empty when Jonathan stepped through the front
door. Everything was the same pristine beige that it always was, but it had an
unfamiliar coldness now, something that Jonathan attributed to the conversation
he was about to have. The conversation he had worked so desperately to try and
avoid. He didn't even realise that he'd stopped walking until a strong hand
gripped his shoulder, pushing him forwards into the house gently. And then
Nancy's dainty hand was taking his, guiding him over to the couch and pulling
him down beside her. Steve dropped onto Jonathan's other side, his hand draped
over Jonathan's shoulder in what he supposed was meant to be a comforting
gesture. Jonathan didn't think anything would comfort him right then. They sat
in silence for a moment, each one of them wanting to speak but not knowing what
to say, and then Nancy sighed and leant up to press a kiss to Jonathan's cheek.
'Please talk to us.' She sounded vulnerable, not strong and confident like she
usually was, and it cracked through Jonathan's icy resolve.
'I'm sorry I ran.' His voice was quiet as ever, but it seemed to echo in the
huge house. 'I just...I was embarrassed.' He seemed to shrink in on himself,
fighting against the muscular arm around his shoulder and the dainty hand
resting on his forearm as he curled in on himself. Nancy was biting her lip,
unsure of how to proceed. She'd never been in Jonathan's situation, she didn't
know how to react, and she had to fight the rising urge to draw Jonathan into
her arms for fear that it would make anything worse.
Steve sighed, running his free hand through his hair. 'The guy was an ass,
man.' He says and Nancy can tell that Steve is struggling too. 'I bought you
dinner because you're my boyfriend, not because you put out.' A dark blush
stained Jonathan's cheek and Nancy fought the urge to tell Steve to stop; at
least one of them was talking. 'And I don't care about the other stuff...' a
hesitant pause 'if you wanna wear make up or call me daddy then I can get used
to that.'
'I don't!' Jonathan didn't miss a beat, his back going straight and his voice
gaining momentary volume before dipping back into its usual quiet tone 'I don't
want that.' Steve nods his head, running his hand through his hair again.
'Ok, man.' It's awkward, because Steve doesn't know what else to say. Jonathan
is staring at the front door, his eyes distant as if his mind is no longer
there. As if he's searching for a way out. Steve brings his arm around the
younger boy, pulling him tighter against his chest and rubbing firm circles
into his skin with his thumb. 'You still shouldn't have run off.' Jonathan
turns to look at him then, his eyes back in focus, and Steve fights the urge to
smile at his success. They both know where this is going.
On Jonathan's other side, Nancy nods 'we were really worried.' She runs a hand
through his hair gently, her other hand pressing gently on his back. 'I want
you to kneel now.' And Steve almost dies there and then because Nancy taking
charge is the hottest thing ever. But this isn't about him, this is about
Jonathan and making sure that he knows how much they care.
Jonathan does as Nancy asks, slipping onto the floor and turning to face them,
remaining on his knees. He keeps his eyes downcast, too embarrassed to look up,
but Nancy presses insistent fingers beneath his chin and tilts his head
upwards. His deep brown eyes are big and wet and she nibbles her lip, fighting
the urge to curl up on the floor with him. Jonathan needs this. Her hands
tangle in his hair, pulling his head back until his neck is bared. He looks
beautiful, spread out like a meal beneath her. 'Why are you kneeling,
Jonathan?' She asks. He doesn't answer, the blush on his cheeks growing darker;
he isn't used to submitting to Nancy.
Noticing this, Steve wriggles closer to her on the couch, his left hand coming
down to brush delicate fingers over Jonathan's neck threateningly. 'Answer her,
Jonathan.' He demands and Jonathan makes a choked sound.
'B-because I ran.' He murmurs and Nancy hums in approval. 'Because I made you
worry.' She nods and Jonathan desperately searches his brain for something,
anything else. Nancy's watching him expectantly, but Steve's long elegant
fingers tracing lines over his throat are incredibly distracting. 'What else?'
He sounds irritated, a voice that Nancy knows all too well, and she tugs
harshly at his hair.
'Attitude.' She scolds and he bites his lip.
'I'm sorry.'
She nods 'you're kneeling because you didn't trust us, Jonathan.' He looks
ready to argue, but something in her eyes tells him that he should let her
continue. 'You should've sat down and talked to us about what happens. We've
been through a lot together, you should be able to trust us.' There was a faint
quiver of emotion in her voice and Jonathan saw Steve reach his free hand down
to take Nancy's, he'd obviously heard it too.
'I'm sorry' he whispered, his voice much quieter than before. Because Nancy was
right, they had been through a lot together and they'd done so much for him, so
how could he possibly justify bailing on them like that? Leaving them high and
dry without an indication as to where he might be. And then he felt it, the
tell-tale prick of unshed tears in his eyes, and he fought the urge to pull
away and run. Because Jonathan didn't cry in front of people, not when Will had
gone missing, not even when they'd found his body. Jonathan waited until he was
alone, with his music, to let himself go. But here, trapped in Nancy's hold,
there was nothing he could do but bare himself. 'I do trust you. I'm sorry.'
The first of the tears broke through the surface and rolled hotly over his
cheeks. He closed his eyes, embarrassed at the blatant display of emotion, but
then gentle fingers were brushing away the tears and he opened his eyes to find
Nancy smiling down at him softly.
'I love you, Jonathan.' She told him, gently but earnestly, and Jonathan
desperately tried to hold himself together.
Luckily he didn't have to wait for long. Steve's hands were firm on his arms as
they guided him up from the floor, Nancy's hand dropping from his hair as he
was brought over Steve's lap. The other boy yanked his jeans and boxers down
with one hand, the other hand rubbing firm circles into Jonathan's back. 'Why
are you here, Jonathan?' He asked, his voice firm in an oddly soothing way.
Jonathan took a deep steadying breath 'for running, for worrying you, for not
trusting you.' Steve hummed his approval as Nancy carded a gentle hand through
his hair. He let his face rest on her thighs, relaxing into their hold as he
waited for the inevitable.
'So good for us.' She murmured and he closed his eyes, finally feeling calm
even knowing what was about to come.
Steve's hand came down surprisingly quickly, landing on Jonathan's right cheek
with a resounding *smack*. Jonathan jerked forwards, biting his lip so as not
to yell out in shock. Nancy shushed him gently, continuing to brush her fingers
through his hair soothingly as Steve landed another smack on his other cheek.
'Doing good.' Steve praised gently, his hand landing four more smacks in quick
succession. 'Just four more, ok?' There was a pause and nobody spoke, Nancy and
Steve both waiting for Jonathan's affirmation and Jonathan anticipating the
next hit.
'Is that ok, Jonathan?' Nancy asked softly, sharing a concerned look with
Steve. Jonathan looked up at her then and her heart skipped just a little when
she saw the tears shining in his eyes. He looked so small, so vulnerable, and
she almost dragged him away from Steve right then. But he nodded and she
nibbled her bottom lip again 'are you sure?'
He nodded again 'yeah.' And then he paused but he looked like he had more to
say, so she waited for him to continue. 'I need it, Nance....please.' He
sounded choked and Nancy gave him a little nod, turning to repeat the action at
Steve before resuming her gentle strokes through Jonathan's hair.
Steve's hand landed firmly once more and Jonathan jerked violently, a small sob
escaping his throat as he buried his face in Nancy's jeans. She stroked his
hair and shushed him softly as Steve landed the final three smacks. And then he
was being taken away from her, Steve's strong arms easily guiding the smaller
boy into a sitting position on his lap. He presses his lips to Jonathan's
firmly, moving them against the other boy's and lapping at the crease between
them to get Jonathan to open up. Nancy sits beside them, watching avidly as her
boy's sloppily kiss each other, their tongues engaging in a weak battle for
dominance until Jonathan quickly submits, allowing Steve to taste whatever he
wants. They break apart slowly, Jonathan whining a little at the loss of
contact, only to blush at the realisation that he made such an embarrassing
noise. Steve tangles a hand in Jonathan's hair and guides his face to Nancy's.
'Don't want Nance to feel left out, do we?' Jonathan shook his head as best he
could and leant forwards, his lips pressing hesitantly against Nancy's. She
brought her hands up to his head, her fingers taking Steve's place in
Jonathan's hair as she licked softly inside his mouth. Jonathan was soft
beneath her, slowly relaxing into her hold and losing the tension that he so
often carried in his frame.
Steve pushed at his legs until Jonathan stood, pressing on his shoulders gently
until he sank to his knees, his lips falling from Nancy's and leaving them both
breathless. He crouched between her knees now, staring up at her with his big
brown eyes as Steve pressed firmly on the back of his neck. 'Nancy was really
worried.' He said softly 'I think you should make it up to her.' Jonathan bit
his lip, staring at Nancy hesitantly as he nodded. Steve reached over to
unbutton her Jeans and he could see her face begin to stain a bright pink as
she pushed them down her legs. Nobody touched her panties and Jonathan didn't
wait for them to decide that they should.
He leaned in quickly, burying his head between her thighs and nuzzling his nose
into the front of her panties with a sigh, she smelt so good there. Nancy
moaned, her hands tangling in his hair as she fought to keep her hips still. He
nuzzled closer, pressing a soft kiss on the fabric before pulling it aside to
reveal herself to him. She was neatly trimmed underneath, not shaven, but tamed
and he liked it, not that he had much to compare it to. He took a deep breath,
unsure as to what he was supposed to do, and let his tongue lap out at her
folds, tasting her experimentally. She whined, a high pitched noise that
sounded beautiful to his ears and made him wish that he knew what he was doing.
He parted her lips like he'd done when he'd touched her for the first time, his
fingers feeling around until he pressed against the hard little button that
made her hips jerk and her lips gasp. 'Please Jonathan' she whined.
Steve tangled a hand in Jonathan's hair and tugged 'be a good boy and make her
feel good, Jonathan. Nancy deserves to feel good.' And Jonathan couldn't agree
more, so he pressed his tongue between her folds, letting it roam up and down
until he pressed against her clit once more. She whined and bucked her hips
against his face, her eyes falling closer. Steve's hands gripped her hips,
holding her still, and he spoke to her in a husky voice 'behave, Nance.' She
turned to face him with a slight glare and he laughed 'stay still, it's his
first time.' And that seemed to do the trick because she let him hold her
still, gasping and moaning as Jonathan explored her with his mouth. He let his
lips suck around her clit and he wasn't quite sure that he'd done it right, but
her moans were confirmation that he'd done enough.
She choked back a strangled noise, her hands gripping the couch cushions
'please Jonathan' she sounded so needy 'please, I need it.' And damn if that
wasn't all of the motivation he needed. He began lapping at her in earnest,
licking around her clit as best he could, until she was shaking above him. 'I'm
close, Jonathan.' She whined, her toes beginning to curl and her eyes drifting
shut as her head fell back. His jaw was beginning to ache but he didn't let it
stop him, continuing to lick firm and fast until she let out a loud cry,
wriggling and squirming on the couch as she came hard.
Steve stroked her arms, holding her close as she pushed Jonathan away. 'Good
girl, Nance.' He mumbled 'you did so good.' And then he reached over to
Jonathan, guiding him up from the floor to sit on Jonathan's lap 'see how good
you made her feel?' He asked and Jonathan blushed 'you were so good for her,
Jonathan.' And then Steve is unbuckling his jeans and yanking them down just a
little so that he can free his member from its denim confines. Jonathan's
biting his lip and Steve smirks 'you want me to take care of you too?' He asks
and Jonathan is hesitant when he nods. 'Gotta ask for it.' He says teasingly
and Nancy snorts from beside them.
'Please.' Jonathan whispers 'please. I need it.' Steve smiles, hastily
unbuckling Jonathan's jeans and gently pulling out his cock. He lines it up
with his own, groaning at the sensation of their most intimate parts being
pressed together. Steve's hand is quick and tight as he squeezes both of them
within his palm and strokes them hurriedly. Jonathan is groaning, squirming
about as much as he can in Steve's lap and Nancy chuckles.
'You like that?' She asks and Jonathan moans, nodding in answer.
It doesn't take long for Steve to make both of them cum, thick white warmth
covering his hand. Nancy reaches up to guide Jonathan onto the couch with her,
his head resting on her shoulder as Steve goes away to clean up. They've
drifted off when he gets back, semi-clothed and ruffled but looking more
beautiful than anybody that Steve has ever seen.
'I love you' he murmurs as he slumps down next to them, wrapping his arms
around his lovers. It doesn't matter that they can't hear him, they know it
anyway.
***** Moving on Together *****
Chapter Notes
     Ok guys, so I was planning another chapter but it just felt right to
     end things here. If enough of you want an epilogue then I will add
     another short chapter, possibly with a little bit of smut if that’s
     what you guys want, but yeah. Thanks so much for following the story
     and I hope you’ve enjoyed it! :) xx
Chapter 14: Moving on Together
 
‘Jonathan?’ Will’s voice is soft, even quieter than normal, and he’s staring at
his bedspread when Jonathan glances over at him. There’s a dark pink blush
staining his brother’s face and he looks more uncomfortable than Jonathan’s
ever seen. It leaves an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach; they’ve
always been close so why the sudden shyness?
‘Mmhm?’ Jonathan closes his biology text book, dropping it onto the floor
beside his bed and bringing his legs up to rest his elbows on his knees. Will
says nothing, still not looking up, and Jonathan frowns. ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’
‘Do you love Steve?’ And suddenly Jonathan is grateful for the lack of eye
contact, because he was not expecting that. He can feel his face growing hot
and his brain goes blank, how is he supposed to respond to that? Will squirms
on his bed and draws his bottom lip between his teeth ‘do you like him as much
as you like Nancy?’
A heavy pause settles between them and the awkward tension in the room is so
thick that you could cut it with a knife. Finally, Jonathan plucks up the
courage to reply. ‘Of course I do.’ Because he does, even though he’s never
admitted it, not even to himself, he knows that it’s true. ‘Why did you want to
know, bud?’ Will still isn’t looking at him and Jonathan notices the dark pink
blush staining his cheeks. ‘Hey, c’mon you know you can talk to me.’
He lets out a shaky breath and nods, Jonathan says nothing, waiting for his
brother to speak. ‘Sometimes I think that I...that I like Mike.’ It’s a quiet
admission but the words hang clearly in the silent room. Will looks about ready
to cry and it’s enough to force Jonathan off of his bed and over to his
brother.
He climbs onto the mattress next to Will, draping his arm around the younger
boy and pulling his small frame into his side. ‘There’s nothing wrong with
that, Will.’ Jonathan’s nothing if not an expert in unrequited love and self-
hatred and it hurts him to see Will following in his footsteps. There was
nobody around to tell him that it would be ok and he’d be damned if Will was
gonna go through that too. ‘It’s ok to like boys.’
‘I’m not queer!’ It’s the first time Will has looked at him and Jonathan
frowns, because the words were a reflex, something that had been embedded into
his personality from years of his father’s comments. Jonathan really hated
Lonnie. ‘I just....’ he shrugged ‘I danced with a girl at the snowball and I
liked it. I don’t understand.’ His bottom lip began to shake as fat tears
rolled slowly over his cheeks. Jonathan could feel his heart breaking in his
chest.
‘Everyone likes different people, Will. It’s ok to like girls and also like
Mike. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone except you.’ Will buried his face
in Jonathan’s chest, nodding against his big brother’s t-shirt. ‘I will always
love you and so will mom, if anyone else has a problem then screw them, they’re
not worth it.’ Will nods again, his body still shaking with barely concealed
sobs, but Jonathan thinks it’s from a mixture of emotions this time, probably
relief at finally having someone to tell, and that makes him feel a little
better.
Will is still sniffling when he pulls away, he wipes his eyes and nose on the
sleeve of his pyjama shirt, hiccuping slightly as he fights to regain control
of his breath. ‘People will think I’m a freak.’ The whispered words seem to
hang in the air and Jonathan doesn’t know what to say, because it’s true. If
people found out about Will’s feelings for his friend or about Jonathan’s
feelings for Steve then there’d be uproar. He shook his head, unconsciously
pulling Will closer to his chest.
‘Yes’ he whispers, unable to look into the teary brown eyes ‘yes, they would.
But who cares?’ Will sniffles, burying his face in Jonathan’s chest again and
Jonathan sighs. ‘Hey, c’mon. I know people are idiots, but you’ve got friends
and family who care about you. So what does it matter if a few people don’t
understand?’
Will was quiet for a minute, his face still buried in Jonathan’s shirt, and
then he was nodding and pulling away. He was chewing anxiously on his lip, his
cheeks stained pink from embarrassment ‘yeah.’ His voice was quiet and hesitant
but Jonathan knew that he was feeling better. ‘Sorry.’ Another mumbled reflex
and Jonathan chuckled.
‘Nothing to be sorry for.’ And then he was climbing out of Will’s bed and
collapsing into his own. He smiled over at his brother as he grabbed his
Walkman from the beside table, the music from his latest mixtape filling his
ears as he lay back against the mattress.
-xxx-

‘I don’t like it Joyce’ Hopper huffs from his side of the bed, his lips are
pulled down into a frown and he’s desperate for a cigarette. Joyce sighs and he
doesn’t need to look at her to know that she’s frustrated. ‘She’s 13 and so is
Wheeler. I remember what it was like to be 13.’
Joyce rolls her eyes and slaps him lightly on the shoulder ‘they’re kids, Hop.
Nothing’s gonna happen. Besides, Jonathan and Will and Nancy and Steve will be
here too. It’s not as if they’re gonna be alone.’
Jim scowls, still unconvinced ‘no. I don’t like it. We should just stay here.’
He snatches his jeans from the bedroom floor and fumbles around in the pocket
until he finds a cigarette. The first drag is like heaven and he sighs, leaning
back against the headboard.
‘I’ve told Karen that we’re going, so we’re going. She’s expecting us.’
‘Oh yeah and god forbid we piss of Karen Wheeler.’ He mumbles the words around
the cigarette, glancing at her briefly before rolling his eyes in irritation.
Joyce scowls and snatches the cigarette from between his lips, pressing it
against her own and taking a frustrated drag.
‘She’s my friend.’ He looks at her then with a sceptical expression contorting
his features. Joyce sighs ‘She’s Nancy and Mike’s mom and she cares about my
boys.’ Hopper sighs, because he knows he’s lost. Anybody in Hawkins could tell
you that Joyce would move the moon for her boys. He supposed he could suffer
through one dinner with Karen and Ted. He fought back a shudder at the thought,
his fingers twitching as he snatched his cigarette back from Joyce.
‘Fine. But I don’t wanna stay too late.’ He pauses thoughtfully for a moment,
then nods decisively ‘and Will stays in El’s room with her and Mike.’ Joyce
looks ready to argue, but seems to think better of it. She nods in acceptance
and Hopper hands her what’s left of the cigarette. She finishes it quickly.
‘She’s a good kid, Hop.’ Her words are gentle as she stubs the cigarette out
and drops it into an ashtray on her bedside table. ‘You don’t need to baby her
so much.’
He turns to face her, an amused grin toying with his lips ‘so I should be more
like you are with Will?’ And she says nothing, because he’s right. He laughs,
pulling her into his side. ‘Go to sleep, it’ll be hard enough to stay awake at
dinner tomorrow without you being tired.’ She slaps him again, but she’s
smiling. Because they’ll never be the Wheelers, with their big house at the end
of the cul-de-sac and their nuclear family. They’ll always be different, and
maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
-xxx-
Joyce was leant up against the front door, her arms folded and a frustrated
look on her face. ‘C’mon Hopper, lets go.’ They we’re already 10 minutes late
for their dinner with the Wheelers, and whilst she wasn’t exactly in a rush to
be entertained by Ted, she did want to make something of a good impression.
Hopper was in El’s room, setting up the sleeping bags whilst the kids sat on
the bed, watching him in amusement. ‘I can do it’ El huffed impatiently and
Hopper scowled. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, his hands on his hips as he
surveyed the three teenagers critically.
‘Okay. Some ground rules.’ El groaned and Will stifled a laugh, Mike looked
ready to vomit. ‘You boys sleep on the floor, that includes you Wheeler.’ Mike
nods, El glares. ‘This door stays open the whole time’ he pats the door ‘and
you listen to what Jonathan tells you. We clear?’ Both Mike and Will nod,
Will’s smile still firmly in place, he knows the rules aren’t for him. El jumps
off of the bed and strides over to Hopper, her hands meeting his stomach as she
pushes him from the room.
‘Yes. Clear. Now go.’ He shakes his head and drops a kiss into her curls,
relenting under her hands and moving towards the front door. Joyce rolls her
eyes and Hopper shrugs, as if to say that it wasn’t his fault.
‘Ok kids, we’ll be back around midnight.’ Hopper looked ready to argue but El
was still glaring and he seemed to think better of it. Joyce drops a kiss onto
Jonathan’s head, smiling fleetingly at Nancy and Steve as she heads for the
door ‘any problems, just call.’ And then she’s gone, dragging a reluctant
Hopper after her.
Jonathan doesn’t have chance to say anything before the kids are fleeing the
room, he hears them chattering excitedly and then the sound of the bedroom door
slamming, Hopper’s rules already forgotten. ‘They’re supposed to keep that
open.’ Jonathan informs his lovers with a sigh, making no move to follow them;
he doesn’t want to be that kind of brother.
Steve shrugs, his hand sliding down Jonathan’s arm to entwine their fingers ‘we
could go into your room and shut our own door.’ He waggles his eyebrows
suggestively, a grin toying with his lips, and Nancy rolls her eyes.
‘We’re supposed to be babysitting the kids, Steve.’ She marches off towards
El’s bedroom and Jonathan breathes a quiet sigh of relief, Mike already thinks
of Nancy as that kind of sister, why not let her fulfil her role? Steve is
pulling faces at her back and Jonathan stifles a chuckle. ‘Stop it Steve.’ The
boys share an incredulous look, she hadn’t even turned around.
‘Fucking superpowers’ Steve mumbles under his breath and Jonathan smiles,
caught up in how incredible it feels to joke and laugh without having to worry
about anything else.
‘Shut up you two!’ She’s looking at them this time, the fire in her eyes
betrayed only by the playful twitching of her lips as she fights back a grin.
Steve puts his hands up in mock surrender and Jonathan’s smile grows, he looks
beautiful and neither Steve nor Nancy can stop themselves from staring just for
a moment. ‘I didn’t say anything.’ His voice is it’s usual quiet tempo, but
there’s a warmth bleeding into the softness, a rare playfulness like when
they’d compared their scars in that crappy motel room. The memory makes Nancy
smile, all angry pretence forgotten.
‘You encourage him.’ She quips teasingly and Steve laughs.
‘Hear that Byers? You’re a bad influence.’ He drapes his muscular arm over
Jonathan’s shoulder and pulls him into a tight hug. To an outsider it would
just look like one friend hugging another, but Jonathan can feel the way that
Steve squeezes him and there aren’t words to describe how safe, how right, he
feels when he’s wrapped up in Steve’s arms.
They watch amusedly as Nancy raps her knuckles against El’s door, there’s a
flurry of movement before the door swings open and then El’s shouting ‘Mike!
Sister!’
And then Mike’s perfectly sculpted bitch face springs into view, meeting
Nancy’s matching look. ‘What?’ His voice is dripping with all the angst and
defiance of a newly-turned teen and Nancy’s frown deepens.
‘Hopper said to keep the door open.’
‘So?’ And as much as Jonathan loves Mike, he desperately hopes that Will never
starts acting like him. ‘It’s not fair, we’re not doing anything!’ Jonathan’s
sure that he sees Nancy twitch uncomfortably at the thought of her little
brother ‘doing stuff’.
‘Keep it open or I’m calling mom.’ And then she’s walking away, confident in
her threat.
‘You’re such a bitch!’ His voice is harsh but the door doesn’t slam and Nancy
considers that a win.
She curls her body around Jonathan’s free side, leaning up to press a gentle
kiss against his cheek, already stained pink from the attention. She’s smiling
when she pulls away and it makes Jonathan feel warm in ways that he never knew
were possible. ‘Movie time.’ Her voice is soft, calm like she’s talking to a
frightened animal. Because despite all their time together, Jonathan still
needs a little coaxing to help him relax. He pretends that he doesn’t notice,
letting her fingers entwine with his as she leads him towards the sofa; Steve
trailing lazily behind. They collapse onto the cushions in an indistinguishable
mass, their bodies drawn so close together that it was hard to tell where one
of them started and the other one finished.
Nancy drew a blanket over their laps whilst Steve reluctantly pried himself
from the warmth to slip a movie into the VHS player. ‘Jaws’ He tells them
simply as he slips into place besides them. Nancy groans and Steve grins,
wiggling closer to Jonathan. ‘Don’t worry Nance, we’ll protect you.’
She looks ready to answer, but for once Jonathan beats her to it. ‘I think
Nancy can protect herself.’ She laughs at that, high perfect peals of laughter
that make both Jonathan and Steve grin. Because she’s beautiful and neither boy
can believe how lucky they are.
‘You sure about that?’ Steve’s smile has morphed into a playful grin, the movie
already forgotten in favour of the new entertainment. Nancy frowns in confusion
and, before anyone has time to brace themselves, Steve has thrown the blanket
over his head and dropped his body heavily across Jonathan’s lap, drawing a
surprised huff from the shorter boy.
‘Steve what the hell are you-ow!’ Her hand slaps down over the bump that is his
head. If he feels it then he doesn’t let on, his deep chuckles drifting through
the thin material. ‘You’re such an idiot!’ She snaps, her smile still firmly in
place. Jonathan frowns and she shakes her head ‘he bit me.’ And Jonathan
doesn’t know whether to laugh or not so he settles for an amused smile. The
blanket isn’t thick enough to muffle the sound of Nancy’s jeans being unzipped
and Jonathan blushes when she jerks beside him, her hands pushing at Steve’s
head again. ‘My brother’s in the next room’ she hisses but Steve doesn’t reply.
And then Nancy’s squirming, her face flushed as her hands continue to batter
against his head, admittedly with lessening force.
She turns her face into Jonathan’s neck, her hands losing any forcefulness as
she whines long and high just beneath his ear. Her eyes are squeezed firmly
shut and Jonathan has never been more grateful that she can’t see the dark
shade of red blossoming on his cheeks. He can feel himself growing hard beneath
Steve and is desperately hoping that the other boy can’t feel it.
But then Steve’s rolling onto his side, pulling the blanket away and grinning
up at them. His cheeks are slick with Nancy’s juices and it makes everything
appear even more lewd than it already was. Nancy is breathing heavily, her eyes
lidded as she glares down at her boyfriend. Steve smirks back ‘what’s the
matter Nance? I thought you wanted me to stop.’ Her eyes are on fire and he
chuckles, deep and teasing. ‘Besides, you’re getting Jonathan all worked up.
You wanna just leave him? How selfish.’ Nancy looks ready to kill him and Steve
wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Right Jonathan?’ He doesn’t turn to look at
his boyfriend, but he elbows him in the thigh and Jonathan’s breath hitches in
his throat.
‘Very selfish’ he chokes out. They sit there in silence for a moment, the
tension between the three of them so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
And then Nancy’s moving, pushing Steve off of the couch before he has time to
brace himself.
She smirks down at him as she clambers up onto Jonathan’s lap, grinding herself
down against him. He’s biting his lip viciously, desperate not to make a sound.
‘I’m sorry Jonathan’ she whispers gently, the fingers on her right hand dancing
across his chest. ‘Let me make it up to you?’ She’s grinning and Jonathan knows
that he could die a happy man right there. She leans down to press her lips to
his forcefully, instantly taking control of the situation as she slides her
tongue between his lips. Steve’s watching from the floor, his face cleaned at
the expense of the blanket and his eyes wide as he takes in the sight of his
lovers.
‘Jonathan?’
And shit if that tiny little voice wasn’t a wake up call. Nancy jumped from
Jonathan’s lap, landing unceremoniously on the couch beside him as he yanked
the blanket over both of them, covering his clothed erection and Nancy’s
unbuttoned pants. ‘H-hey bud’ he winces at the sound of his own voice, he
sounds wrecked. ‘You ok?’
Will is blushing an even darker shade of red than his older brother, his eyes
staring intently at his feet. ‘Uhh, we...did mom leave money for pizza.’
Jonathan nods, moving to get up before Nancy’s hand presses on his chest,
forcing him back into the couch. His blush darkens, at least one of them is
thinking. Steve laughs from his place on the floor ‘c’mon mini Byers’ he says
with a grin, pushing himself up from the floor and striding off into the
kitchen ‘I’ll call the pizza guy.’ Will scurries after him hurriedly, pleased
to be away from the awkward situation that he had walked in on.
Jonathan waits until his brother is out of the room to let his head drop into
his hands. Nancy breaks out into small, amused giggles, and the sound of her
laughter is so contagious that Jonathan can’t help but chuckle from beside her.
-xxx-
The kids are all asleep when Hopper unlocks the door, their plan to pull an
all-nighter evilly foiled by Jonathan’s Home-made hot-chocolate. Nancy, Steve
and Jonathan are curled up on the couch, Jonathan in the middle as the final
scene of Alien plays on the tv.
Joyce falls through the threshold, Hopper snatching her around the waist before
she can hit the ground. ‘Shit’ she laughs drunkenly and Jonathan’s eyes go wide
when he sees her; his mom hardly ever gets herself into that sort of state.
Hopper sighs and half carries her into the room. ‘The door still open?’ He asks
gruffly and Jonathan nods. ‘Good job.’ Joyce is resting against his shoulder
sleepily and Hopper rolls his eyes. ‘Gotta get your mom to bed, kid. Don’t stay
up too late, ok?’ And Jonathan nods because he knows that Hopper wants an
answer, that he’ll wait for an answer, and that feels fantastic in a way that
Jonathan doesn’t know how to explain.
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