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#platonic stonathan
People be saying "the party trying to figure the spicy six out" yeah, but what about Murray? Murray is suppose to be an expert on love, and he feels the tension in the room when the spicy six are together.
Robin is sitting in Steve's lap, Steve is looking at Nancy, she is questioning Argyle, who is cuddling Jonathan, who is grinning at Eddie, who is talking to Robin. And it's so confusing because then they switch. Nancy and Eddie are talking, Steve and Jonathan are laughing with their faces flushed, and Robin and Argyle are doing some weird ass handshake.
And Murray is just so lost. He's getting mixed signals. He's guessing Steve and Robin, it seems one sided. So then he's like, "Steve and Nancy?" One sided, again. So then he goes to, Steve and Jonathan. "They have chemistry..." So he decides they're dating. And he decides Nancy and Eddie are dating. "Two nerds," he tells Joyce, "perfect for each other!"
And that leaves Robin and Argyle. Murray is confident in his guesses. And when he tries to ship them together, they all just burst out laughing.
"Dude, I'm literally dating Nance," Robin said.
Steve held Eddie's hand up high. "And Eddie and I."
Argyle smiled. "Jonathan is my brochacho."
And Murray just looks at them.
"You did better than the kids," Jonathan offers.
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transvampireboyfriend · 8 months
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part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8
Steve and Jonathan go setup the cabin before they start unpacking.
Steve opens the windows, takes off the couch covers and dusts off the coffee tables while Jonathan takes care of toiletries and then they get the bed sets and start making the two bunks and the big bed in the main room.
Steve has mostly shaken off his freak out about Eddie saying all that stuff about him and Steve reacting by practically shoving his fingers in his mouth.
Robin helped. She always does.
She's been telling him to make a move on Eddie for months, but Steve keeps overthinking it.
He likes Eddie so much, it just feels impossible Eddie could like him that way too.
So, whenever Eddie says something like what he said in the car, Steve's head cannot compute it.
It doesn't make sense. Steve came out to them all ages ago. If Eddie thought of him like that, surely he'd have made a move by now, right?
He's the loudest, most unashamed person Steve has ever met, he's so unapologetically himself, he sticks by the stuff he likes no matter what, of course he would've made a move.
But he hasn't. And so he doesn't, Eddie doesn't like Steve like that. He's just nice.
He's so nice.
Of course he's not gonna make a big deal of what Steve did in the car. Steve's still a little embarrassed but he knows Eddie would never give him a hard time over something so silly.
Robin reminded him of that too, as soon as they got out of the car and Steve made mortified eyes at Eddie's back as he watched him go stand by the lake.
"You're kinda drowning in a glass of water there, man," Robin said, ruffling his hair.
Steve laughed, escaping her hand and glaring at her.
"I bet he didn't even think twice of it!" she offered, then when he didn't look convinced, she added "He said a bunch of stuff about you, did you think it was weird?"
Steve shook his head "Of course not. it doesn't have to mean anything"
"Exactly." Robin agreed then, rubbing his back. Steve sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder.
So, Steve is mostly over it now. Robin is right.
But, that doesn't stop Steve from stealing glances at the grill through the bedroom windows, where Eds and Nance are making hot dogs, as him and Jonathan make the beds.
Jon must notice, because when they switch to the second bunk, he comments "You know, you can let him down easy. it doesn't have to be a big deal"
Steve immediately drags his eyes away from Eddie and looks at Jonathan.
"What?" he asks,
"Eddie" Jonathan presses, Steve stammers,
"Wh-?"
"Oh come on, he obviously has a crush on you, man." Jon says, "And it's fine if you don't feel the same you know? you can talk to him as your friend, he's a cool dude- I don't think he'd be-"
Steve finally finds his words and interrupts Jonathan.
"Wait, no. Back up. Eddie doesn't have a crush on me." Steve states.
Jonathan scoffs but when he looks at Steve's face his half smile fades,
"Are you serious?" he asks,
Steve looks around them like his answer is written on the walls.
"Didn't you hear what he said in the car?" Jonathan demands "I thought that was the whole reason you were freaking out!"
"I'm not- I'm not freaking out." Steve excuses "And he doesn't have crush on me, if he did he would have made a move by now" he explains.
Jonathan gapes at him for a bit before he answers.
"Okay, one: you have not stopped looking at him since we got out of the car;" Jon notes, "And two: you flirt with all of us except him, you shut him down when he gives you a compliment and you always refuse to dance with him when we go out. Why would he make a move?"
Steve feels his eyes go wide and his stomach drop.
"Shit. Do I?" he asks "No, I don't flirt with you guys" he adds,
Jonathan snorts and gives him a non-plussed look.
Fuck. Okay maybe he does, it's a past-time of his, sue him.
"I-" Steve scrambles "How do I shut down his compliments? I don't do that" he tries,
"You cough and redirect or you laugh and deflect," Jonathan supplies, apparently had those at the ready, damn.
"I didn't do that in the car" Steve counters,
"Robin changed the topic. And you two share a brain" Jonathan states,
Steve covers his eyes with a hand. He hoped it hadn't been that obvious.
"Ohmygod. Fuck. And I do refuse to dance with him" Steve remembers, he's afraid Eddie will figure him out if that ever happens,
"Uh huh, but you dance with us," Jonathan reminds him,
So Eddie had made a move. Several, if Jon's to be believed.
"Fuck. Fuck. Eddie thinks I don't like him," Steve realizes, "Eddie might be attracted to me and he thinks I don't like him at all" Steve despairs,
"I mean," Jonathan placates, "you do spend a lot of time together, I'm sure he knows you like him"
With this realization, at the sight of the tiniest possibility, Steve feels his despair dissolve every excuse he's ever had to hide his feelings.
"No," Steve explains, dragging his hand down his face "No, he thinks I don't like him like that. He doesn't know I'm attracted to him!"
"Wait. You are?"
"Yeah!" Steve confirms, "It's the reason I freak out around him! I can't trust I won't throw myself at him if we dance and I'm always embarrassed of my reactions to him flirting or complimenting me cause I don't want him to find out. I don't wanna ruin our friendship" Steve explains
"Oh." is Jon's helpful reaction.
"Yeah, oh." Steve says,
"How are you so sure he has a crush on me?" he asks Jonathan after a bit,
"Well," Jonathan starts " First of all, who doesn't?"
Steve laughs despite himself "Shut. Up!" he says, balling up the sheet in his hands and throwing it at Jonathan's head, he dodges it easily and picks it back up.
"Second of all," Jon continues, like there was no interruption, "everything Eddie said in the car. And third, just how he generally acts with you." Jonathan shrugs, like it's so obvious, "He shares his songs with you first, he always lets you pick the movie, he cooks your favorite meals, he makes us buy your favorite dessert, I could go on, it's no very hard to tell,"
"And yet-" Steve interjects, laughing a tad bitterly.
"Give yourself a break, Steve." Jonathan tells him, "Nobody thinks straight when they have a crush,"
"Har har" Steve deadpans at the pun.
"That was completely unintended, I swear." Jonathan defends, "I meant it's not hard to tell from the outside. I bet if you really thought of it you could come up with signs you've missed too",
"I don't wanna assume-" Steve muses,
"Then don't." Jonathan tells him, "That was more or less what I was gonna tell you anyways, only now its the opposite"
Steve gives him a confused look.
"Just- You don't have to go ask him out this second," Jonathan explains, "you can just start letting him see that you find him attractive. You said your reactions embarrass you, you keep hiding them, I bet he'd love to see them if we're right about how he feels." Jonathan goes on,
Steve thinks about all the redirecting and hiding he does with Eddie, just so he doesn't find out Steve feels this way about him. If he has a chance to be with Eddie he knows exactly where to start.
"And if we're wrong he won't be an asshole about it." Jonathan says, "I'm 100% sure of that. You can have a big conversation if you want but I know that can be hard, so you can do easier stuff first"
"Like flirt with him" Steve supplies, maybe a little too excited by the prospect.
"Exactly." Jonathan smiles, "Helps that you're not bad at that",
"I'm not the only one" Steve shoots back with a wink.
Jonathan laughs, "There it is" he says, throwing the balled up sheet back at Steve.
Steve chuckles and catches it easily, "Okay. Alright, then. This- I can do this" he states.
"Yeah." Jonathan agrees, "Don't think of it like a huge change, just remember you're only letting him in a little bit, trying to figure out if he feels the same, and if he doesn't, that's cool," he reminds him.
"Yeah." Steve repeats, "Yeah you're right. That makes sense." he agrees,
"I mean it doesn't." Steve adds, "I can't believe he might be attracted to me but- thanks, man. I really appreciate it"
Jonathan smiles and reaches out to clap his shoulder "Anytime, dude. You're my friend, you can talk to me whenever, I'll be happy to listen." he says. Steve can't help thinking Will is so lucky to have him as a brother.
"You're really good at this." Steve tells him, "But, you know, I'm here for you too man, anytime." he offers.
"Thanks, Steve" Jonathan smiles,
Steve smiles back and untangles the bedsheet in his hands, and then they get back to work on the second bunk.
part 4
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will80sbyers · 2 months
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As soon as Jonathan sees how Steve really cares about Nancy and wants to protect her they are becoming friends... because Jonathan is never going to be possessive with Nancy, he makes her decide who she wants to be with in the first place and he really didn't like Steve because of how Steve acted before, not because he was jealous, as soon as he sees how Steve did change he will think:
"Ok, I don't like that he wants her, but I see he really does care about her so we're good as long as he respects her wishes."
Jonathan Byers will never be jealous in a way that actually pressures Nancy in any way, if she wants Steve he's leaving her alone immediately imo (but she doesn't want Steve)
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farfaras · 11 months
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I think I got an ex but I forgot him.
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3 (this is it.) AO3 link.
Their plan changed. Them planing to come out changed things, mostly the storyline they were going for. Jonathan realizing he was lonely and didn’t actually love Steve as a way to end the relationship seemed too gut wrenching for a baby gay to witness. So that was out.
The timing of them getting together would stay the same. But instead of those elaborate phases they planned, they would just take it one day at a time. Like normal couples would. When they decide to break up, they would just say they realized they work better as friends. Simple, easy.
Today was probably the hardest part of the plan. Coming out to everyone. Dustin actually convinced them, made them believe that the whole crew would be supportive. If anything went sideways Steve was definitely putting this on him.
They had get togethers almost weekly now. It was a comfort thing. Most of the time the brats used these gatherings to play their nerd game. The rest of them just hanging out. Steve only wished Mike took better care of his basement.
The party and Eddie were playing their game on the table. Steve made sure he sat down close to Jonathan, Robin on his other side. Eleven and Max were reading some comics in the corner, on a beanbag. They looked comfortable.
Steve was anxious. He didn’t know how Jonathan could take this level of anticipation and anxiousness. He was fidgeting almost violently, so Jonathan took his hand in his. Robin, who was in the middle of a rant, faltered for a second before going back to talking. Both Steve and Jon’s attention on her. Even though she was still talking, she looked Steve in the eyes and raised a single brow. He knew what she was asking. He hopefully telepathically sent the right message.
When the party announced that they finished their session for today, Mike rushed to get some drinks. Jonathan dropped his hand and resumed his previous position. Steve caught Will and Eddie curiously eyeing the movement, while Dustin was downright staring and not so subtlely hiding his grin.
Everyone was chatting amongst themselves, when Mike returned Jonathan cleared his throat. “Uh, guys?” His voice was slightly louder than it normally was. Also firm. “We have some news.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “Who’s we?”
Steve spoke up. “Me and Jonathan.”
“Unexpected but welcomed duo, huh.” Robin tried to lighten the mood. It was like every time someone heard the word news they assumed the worst. Steve gave her a grateful glance.
“It’s nothing bad, don’t worry.” Steve reassured them. They seemed to relax at that, nodding and giving them their full attention. Jesus, their faces were earnest and curious. Steve didn’t know if he was gonna survive this. He turned to Jonathan. “Should you tell them or do you want me to do it?”
Jon gave him a small and teasing smile. “I’ll tell them. You got the worst of it already.”
“Hey! What the fuck? I thought we were cool, Jonathan.” Dustin protested when he heard Jon. And that reaction just proved his point.
Jon just stared blankly at him. “Someone just spit it out already.” Mike said, rolling his eyes like the impatient little shit he was.
“You just don’t know how to wait, huh.” Lucas shot back.
“Shut up.”
“Grow up, Mike.”
“Oh, please…”
Eddie’s voice cut through the argument dryly. “Kids! Please, just stay quiet so they can say what they need to.”
Jonathan muttered a quiet thanks before taking a deep breath, probably mentally preparing himself. “I’m just gonna say it.” He looked around, then directly at Steve, before addressing the whole group again. “Steve and I are dating.”
It was like Steve was able to watch all their reactions in slow motion. He mostly just felt Robin’s, her gasp and the way her neck almost fell off from how fast she turned to them. Eleven just nodded and went back to reading, he supposed they haven’t taught her all about what the world thinks about homosexuality? Max’s was kinda scary, she just smirked as if she was going through all the new material she had to tease Steve in her mind. Mike and Lucas both raised their eyebrows, they were comically up. Will’s eyes sparkled and widened at the revelation, he was surprised too. And Eddie was almost unreadable. His mouth slightly opened and he looked shocked, frozen.
Mike broke the silence. “There’s no way.”
“It’s true!” Dustin looked ready to defend them if anyone had something even remotely weird to say.
“You knew?!” Lucas almost shrieked.
“I did.” Dustin looked so proud.
Steve didn’t want to look at Robin right now, he had absolutely no idea how she might react. Or if she was gonna be mad about not knowing first. He felt a hand in his that wasn’t Jon, so he looked up to find Robin softly looking at him. She squeezed his hand. “Thanks for telling us, both of you.” She directed this to Jonathan, too.
“It’s kinda weird that you both dated the same girl,” Max started. “But I guess you’re cute, or whatever.”
“Cute or whatever.” El repeated. Still not paying much attention to them.
Steve laughed. “Thanks?” “I guess.” Added Jon.
The only ones who haven’t said anything were Will and Eddie. The rest of the room put their eyes on them.
“Oh. Um. Even if it’s kinda unexpected, that’s great.” Will nervously said. He looked around. “Right?” A chorus of yeses and rights filled the room. Steve could breathe easier.
“Yeah, great.” Eddie muttered. “We’re all happy for you guys.” His smile was small, almost subdued.
“Okay, now that that’s over,” Jonathan tried to end this conversation, the kids wouldn’t have that though.
“Wait! I have questions!” Lucas of all people exclaimed. “When was this?”
“Uh– well. We got together a few weeks ago. If that’s what you were asking.” Steve answered.
“When?”
“Like 2 weeks after.” Jon replied. They didn’t need to say after what, it was implied.
They answered all their questions with their planned answers.
Who made the first move? Actually Jonathan because Steve wanted to go at his pace.
How did they get together? Jonathan asked him after they came out to each other.
Were they in love? (This was El) At that, they got caught off guard, they didn’t expect someone to ask that. “We haven’t been together for long, El.” She didn’t seem to understand but left it alone after Max said she’d explain it to her later.
Everyone, like Dustin said, was supportive. Which they were grateful for. And Steve was also super happy for Will and Robin to see that their friends would support them too when they decided to come out.
Steve just didn’t know why Eddie was so quiet all of the sudden. He wasn’t like that, which made Steve worry he was actually not all that okay with this. He didn’t want that to be the case, he didn’t think that was the case. But people could surprise you sometimes.
Steve and Jonathan were holding hands while they answered questions. Whenever Steve chanced a glance at Eddie, he looked like he was staring at their hands but quickly redirected his gaze to something else. Steve felt uneasy.
All too soon it was time to go. Everyone was climbing the stairs, Jon was pulling his hand to get out of the basement. Eddie was still packing some of his stuff. Steve stopped walking. “Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you outside.” He told Jon and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He just nodded and left the basement. Now it was just Steve and Eddie.
“Hey, Eddie.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s up with you?” Steve hadn’t known Eddie for long. But during these last months they had developed a friendship, so Steve thought he knew Eddie an appropriate amount to know something was off.
Eddie’s eyes were slightly more open than usual. “Nothing’s up. Why do you think that?”
“Well, you were awfully quiet at the end there. Not really like you, is it?” Steve went up to Eddie so now they were standing in front of the other.
“Yeah, I’m just kinda tired you know.” He was looking down at his feet.
“You’re not… uncomfortable, are you?” Steve was scared that he might regret asking that. But the way Eddie wasn’t even looking at him right now, made it hard.
Eddie’s eyes widened and worry splayed over his face. “No!” He loudly said. “Not at all, please don’t think that.” He sighed. “I really am just tired, Steve. I promise.”
Steve nodded, maybe he was being paranoid. “Okay, I just. Well, I was worried for a sec.”
“I’m sorry.” Eddie moved his hand, like he was gonna rest it on Steve’s shoulder but then he aborted. Okay, that didn’t really help his case, but Steve wanted to believe him. “I know how I could’ve come across. But I’m happy for you, Steve. Um, both of you. You deserve it.” He smiled and didn’t give Steve time to respond before he bolted.
When Steve stepped outside, Eddie’s van was already gone. Will, Jon and Robin were waiting for him by his car.
“Just ‘cause you’re the boyfriend now doesn’t mean I’ll give you shotgun privileges, Byers. I hope you know that.” Robin deadpanned.
Jon put his arms up, innocently enough. “I didn’t expect you to.”
“Good.” Robin narrowed her eyes at him. “We’ll have to schedule our shovel talk, by the way.”
Will cackled while they all climbed into the car.
The ride was short, or more like it felt short. Steve didn’t even feel like time was passing with his friends making him laugh and happy.
He dropped off Jon and Will first. Jonathan gave him a peck on his cheek as a goodbye before he and Will entered their home.
Robin was awfully quiet when it was just the two of them left. She was unbuckling her seatbelt to get out when she decided to say something. “I could’ve sworn it was gonna take you longer to figure out your sexuality.” She looked at him, fondly. Steve was expecting a lot of things, but not that. “Even if I wasn’t given an exclusive, I’m happy for you, Dingus. Hope he treats you well.” She got out of the car with a salute, the dork.
What did Robin mean by all that?
-
This was like a whole other level of fucked up. The universe really liked to just tell Eddie “fuck you!” whenever it wanted. And this moment felt like it was up there, in the top 5.
It was one thing to have a crush on a straight friend, who was so unattainable that he didn’t even need to worry about ever bringing it up, outside of his mind. Steve was a great friend. Which just made him crush harder. It was so easy to almost, not completely, ignore it. Eddie had it all mapped out, he was gonna pine from afar until Steve got a girlfriend. Then he’d make himself get over him. He knew it wasn’t gonna be easy, but he had to. For his sanity.
Leave it to Jonathan freaking Byers, to throw that down the drain.
Eddie was well aware how bad his reaction was to the whole thing. He didn’t want Steve thinking the worst of him. He tried his best at reassuring him that he was happy for them! Even if he wasn’t at all. But at the end of the day, Eddie figured he’s still a coward. Because he ran so fast at the first opportunity he had to get out of there.
He supposed that now that Steve was taken, he still would have to get over him.
But it was so much worse now.
Steve being straight kinda softened the punch of any unrequited feelings Eddie had. He had to accept the cruel reality of Steve never even being able to return them. And he was sure he could live with that.
What he wasn’t sure he could live with is Steve liking guys, but still not liking him.
He bitterly wondered what could Jonathan possibly have that he didn’t. Which wasn’t fair at all because it wasn’t his fault that Steve would choose to date him instead of Eddie. Eddie even liked Jonathan.
This was gonna be torture. But Eddie knows that he was still gonna suffer through it. There wasn’t anything really, that could keep him away from Steve.
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dwobbitfromtheshire · 7 months
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Closure
"We like Steve, but we don't love Steve," Murray said mockingly.
A wave of fury rose up in Nancy. What business is it of his? Steve has been there for her more than anyone. He didn't have to go to the dinners with her but he did, every single one of them. He walked back into the house and fought the demogorgon when he didn't have to. He could have run. He was there for her, and she was just going to let this asshole mock him? No.
"I don't think it's any of your business," Nancy snapped. "And I love Steve. Maybe not in the way that he loves me, but I love him."
"Okay, okay," Murray said, holding up his hands defensively. "Sensitive, very sensitive."
Later that night, she lay in bed thinking about Steve and Jonathan. She also thought about Barb. She should feel victorious, but there was a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She thought about the gate, how it was still open, and spreading into Hawkins. They weren't the same scientists, not the ones that killed Barb, and they were trying to stop the spread, but they were failing. . . They were only keeping it at bay momentarily. What if what she did puts them at risk because all she could see was getting justice for Barb? What if it swallows the entire town? What if it kills Holly? Or her mom and Dad? Or Mike? Oh, god, what did she do? What if the lab shuts down, and they can't stop it? Will was still getting treated by the doctors when no one else could possibly help, and she dragged his brother into this. Nancy rolled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Jonathan popped his head into the bathroom.
"Nancy?" He asked as he knelt next to her.
"We fucked up. We shouldn't have done this. It's still open, Jonathan," Nancy said. "I didn't think about it when I saw it, and why didn't I? Why wasn't that enough for me to wake up? I was so angry. I was just so angry."
"Nancy - " Jonathan started to say.
"It's too late. I don't think I could get that creep to turn over anything now," Nancy sniffled. "God, it was so weird that he was pushing us together like that."
"Well, I mean, the idea of us isn't totally crazy, is it?" Jonathan asked.
"Jonathan. . .I'm still with Steve. . .and while I do have feelings for you, I don't think it would be a good idea. I'm still dealing with Barbara, and I could really use a friend, and I know that's not what you want to hear. I need friends to talk to. . . like you. . .like Steve. I don't think I can handle a relationship right now, not with either of you," Nancy sighed. "And I think that if you pulled your head out of your ass, you and Steve could be great friends too."
"Nance, he said some awful things - " Jonathan started to stay.
"Yeah, he apologized for those," Nancy snapped. "And you nearly killed him for it, so I think you're even."
"He's a douchebag," Jonathan scoffed.
"And you aren't? Need I remind you that you took those photos of me," she said. "And I just put everyone at risk! None of us are perfect, but do I really have to remind you that Steve put his life on the line for both of us? I could really use both of you. . . I can't lose anyone else. Can't you at least try?"
"Nancy. . . "
"Come on, you both like to cook!" Nancy said.
"He cooks? He doesn't have people do that for him?" Jonathan asked with a scoff of disbelief.
"His parents leave him alone all the time. He kind of had to fend for himself, kind of like you did, except your mom actually gives a shit," Nancy said and then paused. "Don't tell him I told you that."
"Damn it," Jonathan muttered and sighed. "Fine. I'll give the guy a chance."
"Thank you," Nancy said softly.
"I never actually apologized for taking those photos. It doesn't matter why I took those photos, I still took them, and I shouldn't have," Jonathan said. "I'm sorry, and I'm not taking it back this time. I actually mean it. Not only did I invade your privacy, but I also abused my skills as a photographer."
"Thank you for saying that," Nancy said softly. "And thank you for meaning it. There's a part of me that's always going to be a little weirded out by it, which is another reason why we shouldn't be together, but I want you to know that I do forgive you."
Nancy and Jonathan stayed on the floor in silent contemplation.
"You know, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship either," Jonathan said.
"Yeah," Nancy said softly.
There was another long moment of silence between them.
"You know, you would make a better journalist than that guy," Jonathan said.
"Yeah?" Nancy asked.
"Yeah."
When they got back to Hawkins, things had gone to shit. Will was now possessed by what the kids are calling the Mind Flayer, Steve’s like their guardian now, and El was alive, getting ready to close the gate with Hopper. Meanwhile, Steve and Nancy were looking through the heaters out on the lawn to use to get the Mind Flayer out of Will.
"You should go with him," Steve said.
"What?" Nancy asked.
"With Jonathan," Steve said.
"No, I'm not just going to leave Mike," Nancy scoffed.
"No one's leaving anyone. I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend . . . But I'm a damn good babysitter," Steve said.
"Steve. . . "
"It's okay, Nance. It's okay," Steve said softly, and her eyes filled with tears.
"You were not a shitty boyfriend! You were the best first boyfriend I could have asked for, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you were. I was drowning and . . . You helped. You were there. After this we'll talk properly, okay?" Nancy sniffled and hugged Steve tightly. "Just want you to know that nothing happened with Jonathan. We're just friends. I don't want to lose either of you from my life, okay? Promise?"
"I promise," Steve said.
After freeing Will from the Mind Flayer, they met up with Hop in front of Jonathan's house. Hop was pulling El out of the car when they approached. Nancy opened the front door for him, following him into the house. When they walked in, they found the kids arguing with Steve over a knocked out Billy Hargrove. Steve’s face was bloody and beaten.
"I say we bury him outside with the other demodogs," Mike scowled.
"Mike! He is a person, and he's still alive!" Steve yelled. "He's also Max's brother."
"Stepbrother!" Max corrected.
"He slammed Lucas into a wall!" Mike screeched.
"He did what?!" Joyce asked, appalled.
"What the hell is going on here?" Hopper asked as he set El on the couch.
The kids started talking at once until Steve whistled, hollered, and clapped his hands.
"Hey, shitheads! Let me do the talking," Steve replied, putting his hands on his hips.
"You really are a good babysitter," Nancy grinned.
"More like a mom," Jonathan whispered loudly, and Nancy snickered.
"He's my stepbrother," Max spoke up. "He came looking for me. He didn't want me to hang out with Lucas, and so he attacked him. Steve stepped in to help, but Billy nearly killed him, so I used the ketamine to knock him out."
"I mean, I don't think he would have killed me," Steve frowned.
"You were unconscious, and he was still beating on you," Lucas said.
"You didn't see the look on his face!" Dustin exclaimed, his face pale. "He enjoyed it!"
"Okay. I need to deal with Hargrove, but first, I need to take you to the hospital," Hopper sighed.
"I'm fine," Steve said.
"Fine?! Fine?! He smashed a plate over your head, Steve!" Dustin exclaimed.
"What?!" Nancy, Jonathan, and Joyce exclaimed.
"Uh, I'll take Steve to the hospital, and you can deal with Hargrove if it makes it easier, Hop," Jonathan said, and Hopper nodded.
"I'll go with you," Nancy said.
"I'll go too!" Dustin and Lucas exclaimed.
"We're going to need to take Will to the hospital, anyway," Joyce said.
"I'm fine," Will said.
"Is there an echo in here?" Joyce scowled. "Max and Mike, you can ride with us."
"Yeah, we can go to the hospital," Will said.
Nancy practically pushed Steve into the passenger's seat before he could protest and climbed into the back seat with the two boys.
"Hey, Steve?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, man," Lucas said softly.
"Anytime," Steve said with a grin.
Lucas lunged forward and hugged Steve from behind before plopping back down into his seat.
"Aww," Nancy, Jonathan, and Dustin said in unison.
"Oh my God! Shut up and drive!" Lucas exclaimed.
After Steve was admitted into the hospital as the doctors wanted to keep him overnight for observation, Jonathan went to check in on Will. On the way out of Steve’s room, he pulled Dustin and Lucas out of the room, leaving Nancy alone with Steve.
"You know, I have a hard time putting into words how I feel about someone. Steve, you're an important part of my life, and I want you to continue to be a part of it. I do love you, Steve, but not in the way that you want me to. I'm sorry I couldn't say that before, and I'm sorry that I hurt you. Don't say that I didn't because I did, Steve. You were there for me when not a lot of people were and you went to every dinner when you didn't have to. You held me as I cried, and you listened to me talk about Barb. I think if Barb hadn't died that night, I think I would have fallen head over heels for you, but too much has happened, and I don't know how to forget," Nancy said, crying.
"I don't think you ever forget. I think you just put one foot in front of the other and I think you'll find that it is easier to walk even with all the weight that you carry. You just get stronger," Steve shrugged and paused. "I don't want to lose you either."
"You're pretty smart, you know that? Why don't you bring it out more often?" Nancy asked.
"Some people just like me for my pretty face," Steve tried to joke.
"You're beautiful inside and out, Steve Harrington," Nancy said.
"Back at you," Steve smiled, sniffling. "I love you."
"I love you too," Nancy smiled and hugged him tightly.
Jonathan tentatively knocked on the door and popped his head in. His shoulders were a little tense.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
"Yeah," Nancy said.
"I just want to say, Steve, that it was pretty cool what you did. Those guys mean a lot to Will, and he's very grateful to you. So am I," Jonathan said.
"Thanks, man," Steve said, and then he grinned. "I guess you heard that I'm single now. Do you want a piece of this action? I have to say I'm still very fragile."
"Fuck off, man," Jonathan laughed, his shoulders relaxing. "I don't do jocks."
Nancy giggled, looking gratefully at Jonathan. It was a good start for all of them. A very good start.
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audhd-nightwing · 2 years
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stranger things autism squad hcs
- the squad consists of jonathan, eddie, robin, steve (and will but i’ll talk abt him with the rest of the party’s hcs)
the rest of them are also neurodivergent, mainly adhd or anxiety and obviously they all have ptsd
- eddie robin and steve also have adhd (and steve has dyslexia)
- steve and jonathan tend to get overstimulated by the same things, same with eddie and robin
- eddie and jonathan have music playing 24/7 so their thoughts don’t get too loud
- steve is hyper-empathetic to the ppl around him and tends to mimic stims and tics from the others
a lot of times robin and steve end up mimicking the same stuff back at each other until one of them gets distracted (which is usually pretty fast)
- jonathan is touch averse, can only handle being touched by family/very close friends
- steve is touch starved and finds physical affection grounding (and eddie and robin are happy to oblige bc they do too)
- steve has a super high pain tolerance
- eddie does not understand the concept of personal space
- steve has excellent hand-eye coordination (basketball!) but that’s about it, he’s almost as clumsy as robin most days
- eddie has lived off of solely spaghettio’s and chicken nuggets for 19 years
- jonathan can’t drink any beverage other than water
- the only food steve knows how to make is his and robins comfort foods (his is mac and cheese, robin’s is pancakes)
- the four of them are completely clueless when people try to subtly hint or imply things to them. they will not get it unless it is explicitly stated
- steve and eddie have a good sense of direction but mess up left and right, jonathan and robin are the opposite, they get lost constantly but make fun of steve and eddie for having to do the L thing (iykyk) to figure out left/right
- eddie ends up chewing on paper a lot and has accidentally swallowed a bunch
- eddie and steve are incapable of doing homework and are terrible test-takers
- steve and robin are perfectionists but in different ways. steve will start organizing peoples rooms subconsciously and has a bunch of random little rules for himself (tie left shoe first, check locks three times, etc.) robin is a perfectionist about her grades/band/how she looks/etc.
- jonathan and steve hate making eye contact, eddie makes too much eye contact and robin doesn’t even look up from her book when people talk to her
- eddie and robin accidentally eavesdrop a lot but end up getting a bunch of town gossip and tell steve about it. they’re all really invested in mr. clarke’s love life
- eddie and jonathan have synesthesia
- jonathan has a lack of facial expressions while eddie and robin over-exaggerate theirs. steve masks the most so he has “normal” facial expressions
- steve has trouble expressing himself a lot of the time, he’ll usually ask robin for certain words to describe things and bc she loves big words and vocabulary she always has one
- robin is a terrible liar and steve finds it hilarious
- they all tend to recharge on their own after a lot of socializing, or they all go to steve’s and just like. exist together
- steve keeps a very strict schedule and gets really anxious/upset when it’s messed up
- robin and eddie tend to overshare
- jonathan and steve talk pretty monotone (jonathan more so) while robin and eddie talk in super energetic or dramatic tones (they’re both former theatre kids i can feel it in my bones)
- steve has auditory processing issues, often asks people to repeat what they said (overtime he also starts to lose his hearing so he ends up learning to read lips)
- when they’re anxious robin and eddie usually go hyperverbal, while steve and jonathan tend to go nonverbal
- steve and eddie have echolalia and both used to get super frustrated with themselves before they met and were like “oh im not the only one thank fuck”
- jonathan and robin have photographic memories, steve and eddie have trouble remembering what they had for breakfast
- robin is pretty blunt but steve appreciates it because she gets straight to the point and calls him out if he does something stupid (aka smth King Steve would do)
- steve’s main mask is, obviously, king steve. his parents didn’t like the way he acted when he was younger, they wanted a “normal” child. so they trained him to be one. he still falls back into old habits some days but robin or eddie snap him out of it and comfort him after
- steve and robin mask the most, but steve does wayyy more than all of them combined. robins parents are autistic so she only really masks around people in public
she does around steve until they get closer and she feels comfortable enough to unmask (though she doesn’t really know why,,) and steve notices and is like “…you can… take it off?” and robin realizes oh he’s like me
- joyce is an amazing mother and jonathan only ever felt the need to mask around lonnie. once he leaves (aka joyce kicks him out with hopper’s help) will and jonathan rarely mask at home unless they’re really anxious or upset
- eddie masked most of his childhood. when he grows up he masks around his dad, but not anyone else. he thought if anyone hated him they could go fuck themselves. wayne is also autistic so they never feel the need to mask around each other. he still doesn’t give a shit what other people think of him (and tries to help the others feel that way too)
their special interests:
- jonathan’s is photography
- eddie’s are dnd and metal music
- robins are cryptography and linguistics
- steve’s are hair care and marvel comics
steve infodumps to dustin and robin about them but doesn’t tell anyone else (besides will) because it’s “nerdy” lmao. and yes when eddie finds out he falls even harder for him
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kennahjune · 3 months
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So I made a post a while ago:
basically talking about my favorite dynamic between Jonathan and Steve.
No I’m going to inform you all of my 2nd favorite; one-sided stonathan.
I’m not really looking at this in a romantic sense, but you can if you want. I do ship stonathan romantically sometimes but I mostly stick with platonic/brotherly stonathan.
So to sum it up:
Steve: this is my friend Jonathan! :)
Jonathan: this is Steve. I know him.
And they’re both completely oblivious to how the other views them.
Steve doesn’t realize that Jonathan wants almost nothing to do with him and in turn Jonathan doesn’t realize that Steve genuinely thinks so highly of him.
Everyone else around them sees it tho, and they all try to tell them but neither want to listen.
It isn’t until Nancy corners Steve and Robin corners Jonathan that yeah, they both get it.
And then it’s a sense of hurt/comfort with Steve realizing/thinking “damn, Jonathan really wanted nothing to do with me. He must really fucking hate me cause of how I pushed his boundaries”.
And then Jonathan on the verge of going fucking insane because “holy shit Steve’s actually like one of my best friends and I’ve just been treating him like shit he must really fucking hate me”.
And it’s usually El and Will and Dustin who have to hear about all this shit because their Jonathan and Steve’s respective younger siblings.
And Steve goes out of his way to avoid Jonathan because he doesn’t wanna burden him anymore than he already has but Jonathan keeps hunting him tf down and is heartbroken every time Steve leaves him in the dust.
And they keep this up until the kids (read: Will/El and Dustin) are sick and fucking tired of it and lock them in a room together until they fucking talk to each other.
But when they do become official friends (with both parties aware) their dynamic doesn’t really change much. Jonathan is still kinda “cold” and is Steve is still the one initiating most of their physical contact but Jonathan visibly leans into hugs and stuff more often than not and Steve is visibly happier.
Idk i just like stonathan :)
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ronancebyler · 8 months
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this post is a jonathan byers appreciation post.
link all your favorite jonathan byers related stuff here!
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bylerspookie · 7 months
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GUYS DID YOU SEE THE STRANGER WRITERS TWEET??? FIRSTLY, I GIGGLED. SECONDLY, ARE STEVE AND JONATHAN FINALLY GONNA LIKE IDK WORK TOGETHER/LEAVE THEIR DRAMA BEHIND BC THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WHOLE ASS APOCALYPSE (CUS LIKE MAYBE AFTER NANCY AND JONATHANS TALK JONATHAN IS LIKE MAYBE SHE'S RIGHT MAYBE HE ISN'T THAT BAD)??? OR ARE THEY GONNA HAVE MORE BEEF?? (CUS JONATHAN COULD ALSO TAKE IT AS LIKE OH SO YOU STILL TRYNA GET WITH HER I SEE)
ALSO WTF ARE THEY DOING??? CONNECTING WIRES???? ELECTRICITY????? ARE FRIENDS ELECTRIC???? I CAN SMELL IT GUYS
NO SERIOUSLY IS THAT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHAT'S GOING ON
WHAT DOES STEVE LIKE HIT???
AND WHY IS HE JUST LIKE...STARING AT JONATHAN I'M DONE
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pinkeoni · 1 year
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We need platonic stonathan in season 5 so steve and jonathan can maximize their joint allyship
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Steve: What pronouns do you use?
Jonathan: What? Why?
Steve: I'm talking shit about you to Eddie and I'm just trying to be respectful
Jonathan: he/they/she :)
Jonathan: Tell Eddie I say hi
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strangeswift · 1 year
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Stonathan friendship that becomes close enough that Will subsequently becomes friends with Steve and also comes out to him. And Steve reacting similarly to Robin's coming out, and making fun of Mike and/or saying, "Wheelers, huh?" and they commiserate. Plus imagine Mike being confused and mildly pissed off that Will is giving dumbass Steve the time of day. "He's an idiot!" "He's really nice." "I know! But he's an idiot!"
And then when Byler finally get together Steve doesn't react really and Mike's like YOU TOLD HIM DIDN'T YOU? YOU CAME OUT TO S T E V E HARRINGTON BEFORE ME YOUR BEST FRIEND. And Will is like Michael there is a perfectly good reason for that.
Inspired by this post
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i am, in fact, in a steddie mood today. however, if you look at my account for more than 2 seconds then you're aware that i'm incapable of writing anything without stonathan in some way, shape, or form so today! we will be looking at platonicbff!stonathan. i love stonathan with my entire heart and its to the point where i like literally any dynamic you can put them in. like i think i'm into platonic!stonathan equally as much as platonic!stobin. which is saying something bc i am actively head over heels in love with robin.
what i want to look at today is protective jonathan when it comes to steve. in a perfect world (correction-in a somewhat plausible perfect world bc, let's be honest, in my perfect world we actively get footage of jonathan and steve fucking but that's neither here nor there) season 5 develops steve & jonathan's relationship, him and nancy break up amicably, and steve and jonathan become best friends.
but back to the steddie i promised earlier.
----
eddie doesn't know how it happened. one day he's accused of murder, alone, and stuck in a boathouse and less than a month later here he is. staring at steve fucking harrington sleeping less than five feet away from him.
the very same steve harrington that apparently is the sole reason he's even awake in the first place. when the trio had stumbled onto dustin and eddie, steve had gone into full action hero mode. using his lifeguard cpr training he had managed to get eddie breathing long enough to haul his ass back top side, breaking one of eddie's ribs in the process.
eddie doesn't remember any of it.
that isn't for lack of trying on his part. eddie is approximately two seconds away from breaking into the hospital's security footage because, if robin's story is true, he wants to keep the video for the rest of his life.
according to her, it was awesome, munson, you should have seen it! he had you in a bridal carry like a godamn rag doll. he burst in the front entrance and started yelling at them like i've never seen him yell before, ever! even that one time dustin fucked up the paint on his car. the nurses recognized you and for sure didn't want to help but apparently there's only so much you can do in the face of steve harrington throwing the mother of all shitfits. the second he started threatening to call his dad they all kicked into gear. it would have been funny if i didn't actively think you were dead at the time. sorry! but you really were super still and you weren't groping steve, like at all, so i assumed that we'd lost you forever.
(eddie pretends to be offended by that last bit, but he also concedes that if steve picked him up right now he can't promise he would keep his hands to himself)
after eddie was taken away on a stretcher, steve had nodded, mostly to himself, and promptly passed out. onto the cold, hard, tiled floor of the hospital entryway. they hauled him on a stretcher as well and he was put up in a room somewhere down the hallway.
that lasted for about four hours.
or, more accurately, that lasted until steve woke up again. after throwing what robin called less a shitfit, more a temper tantrum this time, he managed, even in a pain-induced haze, to convince the hospital staff to put him in eddie's room.
that fiasco was 3 days ago.
currently, steve wasn't unconscious anymore but his injuries were pretty badly infected. turns out nancy's shredded t-shirt wasn't exactly the most sterile thing on the planet. they had him on a steady stream of antibiotics and pain meds. eddie himself hadn't been awake for more than 15 minutes or so at a time (each of those times, robin had excitedly looked up from her vigil at steve's side and recounted new things she decided he had to know at that exact second).
until now.
as eddie blinks awake, he is aware of three things.
he's never been this thirsty in his entire life. it feels like he decided to dive mouth first into a container of sand.
if he didn't know any better, he would say that jim hopper is standing by a chair near steve's bed. but he does know better, jim hopper is dead. so. great. now he can add hallucinations to potential side effects of evil upside down bat bites.
directly next to the mirage of a police chief, sits jonathan byers.
that last thing wouldn't be as weird if said byers wasn't holding one of steve's hands and sitting far closer to the bed than the nonentity behind him.
(eddie isn't sure why the hand holding is more distracting at the moment than the fact that robin is actively laying in steve's bed with him, burrowing herself into his side like she's attempting to meld them into one person.)
he blearily watches as jonathan softly tucks a stray piece of steve's hair behind his ear on the side of his head that's not currently resting on the top of robin's.
eddie decides that he is on far too much pain medication to be thinking this hard.
groaning, he attempts to sit up enough to reach the water pitcher next to his bed.
"whoa, munson. take it easy," the ghost of legal trouble's past shuffles over to help eddie by pouring some water into a small paper cup. eddie watches him, wearily taking the cup from him. the water was cold to the point that it almost hurt, but it still beat the hell out of having a dry throat.
"ar'n't you 'posed t'be dead?" eddie slurs. his tongue feels like it weighs about ten pounds. the (poltergeist? revenant? wraith? eddie's mushy brain can't think of a better word for a dead person that can pour him water) figure before him scoffs.
"nice to see that you're still charming as ever. it's a long story, kid, i'm sure someone else will fill you in later. besides i'm guessing you have maybe 5 minutes of peace before one of those kids finds out you're awake and, inevitably, starts screaming about it loud enough to break glass," hopper sighs, hands coming to his hips in a remarkably similar echo of steve. eddie has absolutely zero thoughts about that, thank you. the chief moves towards the door, placing a hand on the handle.
"however, buckley hasn't left harrington's side for the last 4 days. if anyone scares her awake now, i don't think she'll ever go back to sleep. i'll hold them off for the night, but the second the sun comes up, you're on your own."
hopper looks from eddie to jonathan, who nods in acknowledgement without looking away from steve for more than a second or two. eddie watches as he closes the door behind him and disappears from view, leaving jonathan and eddie sitting in silence.
eddie coughs.
fidgets.
looks at byers.
coughs again.
okay, let it be said that eddie isn't great with awkward silence. but, in his defense, what the fuck is he supposed to say to jonathan byers? he didn't even know that him and steve were friends, much less holding-hands-in-a-hospital-bed-friends.
"so," eddie starts, regretting opening his mouth the second jonathan looks at him.
"so," jonathan repeats quietly, looking like he's holding back a smile as he does, "you're eddie munson."
eddie doesn't like the way jonathan is saying his name. it has an odd tilt to it, like he's mimicking what someone else has said to him. eddie admits that it's not the worst way his name has ever been said, but it makes him swallow uncomfortably.
"gu'lty 's charged, man." eddie's voice comes out considerably clearer than before, shifting from sounding completely shitfaced to minorly tipsy.
there is an extremely awkward moment where eddie has no idea where this conversation is going. jonathan is back to staring at steve, still practically cradling one of his hands between the two of his.
"he talks about you a lot, you know," eddie doesn't know, but he also doesn't interrupt, "it's always 'eddie said this', 'this is eddie's favorite song', 'eddie rented that movie'. he talks about you almost as much as he talks about robin."
jonathan takes a breath, drumming his fingers on the back of steve's hand. his gaze stays on steve as he talks, still quiet enough to not wake up either of the teenagers sleeping next to him.
"he's a good guy, you know. underneath the whole asshole jock façade. i don't know if you remember, but he almost killed himself trying to save you. i'm not sure how he was even able to stand when you guys came in, much less march in here like he did carrying you in his arms."
still idly toying with steve's hand, jonathan's gaze moves back to eddie. his fond expression dims into more serious territory as he visibly contemplates the second part of his impromptu speech.
"i'm not the greatest at talking about my own feelings, i'm more than aware of that, but i won't hesitate in saying that steve is important to me. no idea how, why, or when it happened, but he just is. somewhere along the line he decided that your opinion is important to him and i need you to understand the weight of that. steve has been independent his entire life, sometimes to the point where it's detrimental to his own health. i don't know if he realizes it completely, but he's basically imprinted on you like a baby duck."
eddie swallows nervously as jonathan maintains steady eye contact. the two men are quiet for a moment before jonathan seems to mentally switch tracks, "you seem like a good guy. steve obviously adores you and it sounds like the kids do as well. from what i've heard, you almost died to save dustin's life. i appreciate all of it, i really do. that being said, if you do anything to hurt steve then none of that matters anymore. i think i'm speaking on robin's behalf as well when i say that we really do like you as a person, but steve's wellbeing comes first."
as stated earlier, eddie is on far too much pain medication to be thinking this hard. if his head wasn't so foggy, eddie would think he's getting a shovel talk.
by jonathan byers.
about steve harrington.
who apparently "obviously adores him".
yeah, it's definitely the pain killers.
eddie clears his throat again as he heavily sinks back against his pillows. "i'm not entirely convinced that 'm not hallucinating this entire conversation, byers. but yeah, i understand. kinda owe him my life now, i guess, so it'd be pretty shitty of me to hurt the guy's feelings or whatever ya think i'mma do," his speech was improving the more he talked, but it was getting harder to keep his eyes open.
jonathan seems content with that statement for the time being, if his attention switching back to steve and off eddie is any indication.
eddie falls back asleep shortly thereafter, leaving jonathan as the only person awake in the small hospital room.
________
i think i'm going to add more from jonathan's pov but for now just be aware that jonathan and steve both know that steve is practically in love with eddie. jonathan is very protective of the people he loves and steve is in that circle. as far as this little snippet goes, i don't think stonathan was ever a romantic thing, and there was never any hard pining involved but they do care about each other deeply. i like to think they kept in contact when the byers moved to california. it started with jonathan and nancy getting into a fight and the only other adult person he could call to check on things was steve. he wasn't sure if steve would even respond, but he ended up not only answering all of jon's questions but seemed to genuinely want to know how the rest of the byers' clan was doing.
this turned into weekly phone calls, which turned to twice a week, which eventually turned to calls at all times of day all week. they're basically besties who gossip and talk shit on the phone all the time. when the byers get back to hawkins it shocks everyone but robin when jonathan parks his ass next to steve's bed and refuses to move.
i just love stonathan ok!!!! i will die on this hill. steve deserves people who love him and care about him!!
Edit: now on ao3!! <3
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queen-xf-hearts · 10 months
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Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
I WANT THEM TOGETHER IN A BAND SO BAD
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gayofthefae · 5 months
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The platonic relationships in Stranger Things >>>
Max and El, Steve and Robin, Steve and Dustin, Joyce and Murray, Will and El, Nancy and Robin, various combinations of party members of course
You can get romance anywhere but THIS SHIT? FED.
Hoping for Steve and Jonathan, Mike and El next season too
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catharusustulatus · 1 year
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I need Steve and Jonathan making sandwiches for the Party together. Them coughing, awkward and bumbling around each other until Robin is like “oh my god you guys just talk it out. Men!”
I need Jonathan to be so mad at Steve, and also mad that he isn’t really mad at Steve. And Steve just cries in his arms, he’s so so so sorry about who he used to be.
I need Steve to help Jonathan secure the Wheelers house as their second base of operations after the cabin is gone, prepping the sleeping bags and setting booby traps in the backyard.
Jon helps Steve dig a trench and they talk about their shitty dads, their love of Queen, how Steve would love to cut his hair for Jon if he let him. How they love the kids. How scared they are.
I need them to be friends.
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