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There were so many things that Nancy thought she was good at. Her professors always praised her for her grades and impeccable sense of duty, she was the editor of the school newspaper and many of her professors already saw her in prestigious colleges, ready to conquer the world.
She had fought the creatures of the Upside Down on multiple occasions, more or less always winning.
She thought she was at least a decent daughter, she had never given her parents so many problems and she certainly hadn't done things like getting pregnant as a teenager like many of her girls her age or her own mother.
All qualities more than praiseworthy, no doubt about it.
In all of this, there was something in which Nancy literally excelled.
She knew Jonathan Byers better than anyone else.
Of course, in the last period of absence even this peculiar characteristic had failed her.
But she and Jonathan were like magnets. As soon as they returned to each other, they reconnected and were attracted like a strange force.
She had been having strange thoughts for Steve lately, but she locked it all up in a little corner of her brain as soon as she saw him again. Like a wipe, she washed it all away.
When she saw him get out of that absurd pizza van, her breath caught.
They had so much to talk about, perhaps too much, but for now it was enough to see him.
He pulled her up into the air with all the strength he was capable of, kissed her forehead and looked at her in the way that was only Jonathan's.
Nancy also came to the conclusion that she had gotten so close to Steve because she missed Jonathan. She missed feeling his warmth, his calloused hands and always bitten nails intertwining with hers. She missed his constant attention, she missed even just having him in her living space.
As they hugged, she inhaled his colony deeply. It was cheap, but smelled like Jonathan. It was a reassuring smell that took her back in time. She was so desperate one day that she bought a bottle for herself. Just to be able to open it when her heart hurt too much and and was about to take the first plane ticket to California that came in to her hands.
She was terrified that he, in California, had decided to change it. But when she took a deep breath, she was greeted by that good smell like a hug when you come home.
As we said, there is no person in the world who can read him better than her. You could have had the happy Jonathan, the one whose smile reached his eyes.
There was the sad Jonathan, the one who closed in on himself and didn't let anyone in, in a desperate attempt of self-defense. Sometimes he wouldn’t let her in as well
She had lost a few minutes away from him, listening to her mother yelling back at her brother Mike for not even deigning to call home and having caused her a heart attack, losing sight of him.
His funny long-haired friend of hers, Argyle, was sitting and rolling yet another joint when he saw her.
“Hey, I didn't show up. Argyle "he said, holding out his right hand " It's as if I've known you forever, believe me "
"Oh, did Jonathan told you about me?"
"Too much. I was stressed as if you were my girlfriend too "
"Look, I'd love to stay here and talk to you, but I'm looking for Jonathan"
"Down the hill" Argyle replied "Brothers stuff"
Nancy greeted him in confusion, heading in the direction indicated. He at least he was still lucid enough to point her in the right direction.
Jonathan stood there, apparently staring at Hawkins' blurry outlines in the distance, and hardly noticed her.
"Here you are, I thought you already left for California," Nancy said, hugging him from behind.
The signals that came to her, however, only indicated one thing. Sure, the joke she'd made was certainly not hilarious, but Jonathan barely smiled, which certainly didn't reach the corners of his eyes as it always did.
In addition, he was putting down his right hand after having violently battered it, including nails and cuticles. His shoulders were lowered to the point of making him seem almost shorter.
He was nervous. Maybe even a little sad.
"Hey what's going on?" Nancy then asked him.
"All good" Jonathan pretended "I was just getting some air"
“You know you have to tell me the truth,” Nancy admonished him. “Leave this hand alone then, if you're so happy. Aren't you glad you're back? I don't know how long you will stay here before leaving for California, but I'm happy to have at least a few days with you "
She hugged him better, completely immersing her face in the slightly crumpled cotton t-shirt he was wearing.
This was true. She was happy to have him for herself, at least for a couple of days, and she already knew that seeing him leave would be as painful as the first time.
Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist, doing one of his favorite things. He dipped his nose into her hair, then kissed her temple.
“Believe me, I would never leave. I even missed your smell. A little bit of all of us will gladly stay, even Argyle “
“Are things that bad over there?” Nancy would have lied if she said she hadn’t already guessed something.
“Mom works from home and sells encyclopedias. I manage as best I can, as always. El had a bad encounter with a bully that made her life literally impossible and Will … “
Looking ahead of her, Nancy finally understood what Argyle meant by “Brother Stuff”.
A little further on, Will was sitting in the grass. His shoulders lowered to mimic those of his older brother, and his gaze lost in space.
“Oh, has he had any other episode?” Nancy then asked
“No, not that I know . Let’s say it’s more love problems “
“Oh really?” Nancy said, smiling “Did little Will also find a girl?”
“I don’t think he will ever have one”
When Nancy looked at him confused, however, Jonathan added, “Okay, if he finds out I told you, he’ll kill me. But I think something happened with your brother “
“My brother. Why do you think Mike has something to do with this … “
But it was in that moment that Nancy understood.
“Oh. This is why he will never have a girlfriend “
“He didn’t want to tell me directly, but he at least tried,” Jonathan said
“And what did you answer?”
“What did you want me to say?” Jonathan said, shrugging “Nothing changes for me, he will always be my little brother”
“I had no doubts about your reply,” Nancy said, lightly kissing him on the lips.
She always seemed to help him, in these moments. He melted in that kiss like he was a snowman, kissing her forehead again as a little bonus.
“I know, but I’m worried” he added “I just wish something good would happen to him for once”
“It’s very sweet of you” said Nancy “But what did Mike do?”
In response, Jonathan pointed in the opposite direction. Not far away, Mike and El hugged each other tightly and talked intensely. Like her and Jonathan, like two lovers.
The more Will saw that scene, the more his shoulders became more and more curved.
“Oh no” was what Nancy said
“He was brave, you know?” Jonathan said. “I was also very proud of him. He opened up to Mike on our way back here, but nothing. Mike has seen fit to declare his eternal love to El, as soon as we have found her “
Typical of the Bayers brothers. They always put themselves in the background for the person they love.
Will was nothing more than the smaller version of Jonathan, and the more he grew, the more he resembled him.
“He’s the same as you,” Nancy said
“At least I’ve been reciprocated,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose
When she parted from his arms, however, Jonathan looked at her confused.
“I just want to talk to him”
She took the few steps that separated them and sat down beside him.
Over the years she had learned to love Will too. At first he had orbited close to her with caution, and being so attached to his brother she could only understand it, but then he too had opened up to her, just before they left Indiana.
She sometimes even envied them. The Wheelers were certainly a more prestigious family than the Bayers in Hawkins, but Nancy she certainly couldn’t say the she had the same relationship with Mike as they did.
Jonathan would have given his life to save his brother. Nancy was pretty sure Will would do the same for him too.
“Can I sit down?” she asked him.
Will just looked up at her, looking at her in surprise.
“Hi Nancy,” he told her, blushing.
“I’m sorry, i was busy with your brother and I haven’t greeted you properly yet”
“it’s ok” he said, just shrugging his shoulders “You haven’t seen each other in a long time”
“I haven’t seen you for a long time either,” Nancy replied. “So? How are things going? School? Any girls? “
At the last word, Will just looked down.
“Maybe it’s better to say boy, right?”
Will, in response, immediately looked up at his brother, who only replied with a shrug. He was as red as a tomato.
“Hey, don’t kill him ok?” Nancy said “You just brought him back to me”
That, at least, made Will laugh. He looked back at her, looking at her shyly.
“Seriously, it’s so gross Will”
He looked at her in surprise, before speaking, “I-I know Nancy. It is difficult to accept. But I’m still the same, it’s just that … “
“Oh, I couldn’t care less about that,” Nancy said. “You’re also a bit like my little brother now. So whatever Jonathan told you, multiply it by two. What I meant was that it sucked that, of all the handsome guys around, you fell in love with that asshole of my brother “
Will blushed again.
“You know, I don’t even know what El finds in him. I think mom made him fall out of the high chair as a child “
Will chuckled
“Look, who you love doesn’t count. You are always the same Will for me “added Nancy” But look around you, know other guys. Your time is wasted with him “
“If only it were that easy”
“It will be,” Nancy said. “Heart problems are one of the hardest things to deal with at your age. God, it doesn’t get easy at mine either. You know I stalked Steve for two weeks before he went out with me? And your brother? Photos of me topless are not exactly the best thing to break the ice “
“What did he do?” Will asked surprised.
“Look, the context was not what it seems to and he apologized. Twice “said Nancy” The point is that we do stupid things for love. Age does not matter. Your brother beated the help out of Steve for me for example “
“And he won?” Will asked surprised.
“Oh yes” said Nancy “he has a pretty good right”
The two laughed, noticing only at that moment some footsteps approaching
“You’re not going to kill me, aren’t you?” Jonathan said, laughing
“No, but just because Nancy doesn’t want to”
“Exactly” said Nancy “I asked him please. Anyway, if you want me to slap him for you, you just have to give me a whistle “
“Oh, I know you could,” Will said. “Did you really knock out Steve Harrington once?”
As Flo had told her, only love made you do damn stupid things. And Will would have all the time in the world to find out.