Chapter Text
“Hey, Mrs. Byers,” Steve said politely as he stepped through the door she held open for him.
“How many times do I need to tell you? You can call me Joyce,” she chuckled. “Are you here to see Jonathan?”
Before Steve could reply Will appeared from out of nowhere. “He’s here to see me!” The younger boy grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the living room. “I have to show you this new video game Jonathan got me! It’s got warlocks and goblins!”
Steve laughed good-naturedly. He really didn’t mind being kidnapped by the youngest Byers. Of course he was here to see Jonathan, he was his boyfriend after all, but both of the older boys indulged Will whenever it was possible.
Will started up the game and chattered on about the different characters and how to play. He tried to follow along, but he got lost somewhere around the caves of doom.
Then came Jonathan’s voice from behind him, “Will, stop boring Steve with your fantasy games.” He was only teasing and everyone knew it.
Still Will turned around and stuck his tongue out at his brother. “You bore him with music by old, dead guys.”
“Hey! Morrissey might be old, but he’s very much alive thank you very much.”
Steve loved to listen to their banter back and forth. The best thing about dating Jonathan, besides the obvious benefits that come with being in any romantic relationship, was being surrounded by people who cared about him. It was amazing to be surrounded by any people at all to be completely honest.
Of course Joyce knew that Steve didn’t come over to observe Will play a video game and she also knew that Steve was too nice to say so.
“Will!” she called out from the kitchen. “Come help me with dinner.”
“Be right there!” He paused his game and rushed over to her.
Jonathan seized this opportunity to slide next to the other boy on the couch.
“Hey, babe,” he whispered.
Steve still got chills whenever Jonathan called him any sort of pet name. He didn’t say anything, but scooted closer to him on the couch and laid his head on the other’s shoulder.
They sat in companionable silence for awhile and listened to Joyce and Will talking in the kitchen.
“You know,” Steve began. “I actually did come over to be bored by old guy’s music.”
Jonathan huffed a sigh and stood up abruptly. This caused Steve to fall over on the couch, which was sort of hilarious really.
“Alright, smart ass, come on,” he held out his hand to Steve who grabbed it and allowed him to be pulled up.
Steve knew the way to Jonathan’s room very well. They first started hanging out when they were kids, but grew apart when Steve got into sports and Jonathan into art and photography. Jonathan was the school loner and Steve the most popular boy in school, but when Will went missing last year he ended up helping the Byers’ out a lot. Even if almost got all of them killed.
They never talked about that time though. Mostly for Will’s sake because he suffered the most. But it was the thing that had bonded them all together and when Steve realized that he’d missed his childhood best friend.
Like a more recent song Jonathan enjoyed, “It started out with a kiss how did it end up like this?” Neither of them could pin-point the exact moment they started dating. It was as if everything fell into place like it was supposed to.
They stepped into Jonathan’s room and Steve flopped down on the bed. The other busied himself fiddling with his ancient record player.
“You’re more quiet that usual,” Jonathan observed.
“Am I? I guess I’m just tired.”
“Bad dreams again?”
Steve didn’t reply, but that was an answer to Jonathan.
Finally Jonathan decided on a record to play. He laid it gently on the turn table and placed the needle down where he knew the song he wanted to hear was.
Some way, baby, it’s part of me, apart from me…
Satisfied he lay down next to Steve, close, but not touching him.
And I could see for miles, miles, miles…
“What’s this? I’ve never heard it before.”
“Bon Iver,” Jonathan replied as if that explained everything.
Steve listened to the words and though they seemed sort of sad the music was soothing. He relaxed some and reached for Jonathan’s hand.
His boyfriend was searching for his too and when they met they squeezed each other’s tightly.
“I’m going to miss you this fall.”
“Steve, that’s months away. We have the whole summer ahead of us.”
“I know, but…” he paused. “Why didn’t you choose NYU? That was your dream school.”
“I didn’t want to be that far from you and Will and mom.”
“But we’d all be okay. I mean I would look after them.”
“I know you will during the week, but on the weekends… I’m not sure I trust you.”
Steve laughed softly and turned on his side so he could face Jonathan. “I know I get crazy on the weekends. I really can’t be trusted.”
Jonathan leaned forward in order to place a kiss on the other’s forehead. “The Art Institute in Chicago is just as good and it’s a lot closer.”
“I just don’t want to be in the way of your dream school.”
“It’s not all about you Steve Harrington. Have you ever considered that I don’t want to be that far away either?”
Steve looked skeptical, but didn’t contradict him. Jonathan had been so much help to him over the last school year. Steve’s grades had gotten good enough for him to be accepted in the community college the next town over. He planned on studying to become a P.E. teacher, which his dad had made fun of. Jonathan had been just the opposite. He’d said, “That’s a great idea, babe. You like sports and are good with kids.” Finally someone was proud of him.
“Well we still need to make this summer the best ever. Even if I will see you most weekends during the school year.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
Steve had to think for a moment. Parties were not his boyfriend’s thing, so that was out. “Umm…? A road trip?”
Jonathan looked thoughtful. That’s a good idea except you drive and I provide the music.”
“My car doesn’t have a tape player though,” Steve pointed out, which earned him a gentle shove from the other boy.
“I have music on my phone, Mr. I Drive A Fancy Car.”
Steve rolled over on top of Jonathan and straddled him. “You’re so damn cute you know that?” He leaned down and kissed Jonathan’s lips gently. The other reciprocated and soon they were making out.
An idea occurred to Steve, he did his best thinking while kissing Jonathan, so he pulled back.
“Hey…” Jonathan groaned.
“We should drive to Nashville!”
“Steve, that’s a long way… and besides what’s in Nashville?”
He gave Jonathan a startled look as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. “The Johnny Cash museum!”
Now it was Jonathan’s turn to look startled. He really only mentioned that he liked The Man in Black maybe once or twice. He’d gotten into him because that was his grandfather’s favorite singer of all time.
Steve got out his phone and started typing away. “It would only take around 5 hours. That’s not long at all! And we can break up the trip and stay in Louisville although I don’t know what’s there except horses…”
Jonathan let Steve babble on because he was pretty much stunned into silence. He could not believe someone could have remembered such a tiny detail about him.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Huh?” Steve stopped talking about the trip immediately. “What did you say?”
“I love you, you idiot.” But it was Jonathan who was grinning like one.
“I love you, too.” Steve returned his smile. “So can we stop in Louisville and have sex in a hotel? I’ve never had sex in a hotel before.”
Jonathan’s reply to that was to smack Steve with a pillow.