Chapter Text
Nancy never ends up telling Jonathan that the camera she gifted to him was actually bought by Steve. It's not as if it was on purpose, like it was a secret that she was hiding from him, she just forgot. She forgot Steve bought it because it's Jonathan's camera it's one of his prized possessions, he takes it most places, taking pictures every chance he can he even made her an album of pictures of her for her birthday.
She forgets until Jonathan first says I love you.
They were in his room, Jonathan had been messing around with his camera whilst she was reading a book for a book report in English class, her legs settled in the boys lap sitting next to her. Nancy is slowly losing the motivation to finish the book when she doesn't hear her boyfriend moving anymore or the clicks of his camera, she looks up to see him watching her through the viewfinder of his camera.
"What are you doing?" she closed her book quirking an eyebrow.
"You're just so beautiful"
Nancy blushes dropping her book to the side leaning and grabbing the camera out of his hands, he fumbles trying to get it back but is caught of guard by Nancy copying his pose and looking at him through the viewfinder like he had been seconds ago.
"I think you're beautiful too"
Jonathan's face flushes and Nancy takes a picture with a giggle.
"I love you"
They both freeze. Nancy lowers the camera looking at Jonathan without the restriction or minimization of the camera, she smiles.
"I love you too"
"Really?"
"Absolutely"
It wasn't until later the two are cuddled up and laying on his bed, she asks him.
"So you love me?" she smiles her head resting on his chest.
"I do" he looks down at her a little confused, "hoping you do too" he jokes.
"When did you y'know, realize" she looks up at him from his chest, "that you loved me"
He blushes opening his mouth for a moment but closes it again.
"What?"
"It's embarrassing" he looks away from her for a moment and looks back at her. "It was when you got me the camera for Christmas"
Nancy blinks at him before sitting up.
"But we weren't-"
"Yeah I- I don't know" he shrugs before continuing, "we weren't even together yet and you were still with Steve but you got this camera and I just couldn't stop thinking about you. Even now that I'm with you I can't stop thinking it's a dream y'know" he smiles.
Nancy blinks again.
"The camera?"
"Yeah I told you it was embarrassing but I've always wanted that camera, even when I tried to save up I always ended giving some of it to my mom or bills or groceries or buying Will new gifts. So when you gave me it I knew I was in love with you because you got me something I actually really wanted"
Nancy doesn't know what to say, all she did was give him the present. She didn't even wrap it Steve did, if anything he should be thanking him and professing that he loved Steve not her.
"Nancy? You okay?"
She needs to tell him the truth.
"Yeah" she smiles fighting the feeling of sadness washing over her hoping she doesn't cry in front of him, "I just thinking about how cute you are"
He smiles back at her then bringing her into a kiss.
Nancy can't stop thinking about it, she feels so guilty not telling Jonathan the truth but if she did would he still love her? She couldn't tell him, she couldn't risk the possible fall out, him not loving or trusting her anymore. If he didn't know it wouldn't hurt him, Nancy can bear that burden for him because she loves him and doesn't want to hurt him, he's worth it.
It's been a week since then and today is Will's birthday. Nancy had tried not to think about Jonathan's reason for falling in love with her, but it hurt knowing the truth and she couldn't tell anyone not even Steve it would just be wrong, telling her ex about her current relationship especially after they became friends. Steve had come over to the Byers house early to help Joyce out with putting up decorations and put out the food. So it was a little strange when the couple came out of Jonathan's bedroom showered and dressed to see the jock in the Byer's living room hanging up the birthday banner.
"How long have you been here?" Jonathan looks at the room heavily decorated.
Steve wobbles a little on the chair he's standing on caught off guard by the voice, he catches himself and look over his shoulder to see the couple.
"Warn a guy Byers" Steve sighs getting down off the chair, "your mom let me in, I got here earlier, I thought the whole place was gonna be decorated but I believe somebody slept in"
"Shit I forgot to last night I was busy" Jonathan mutters the last part as his eyes glance to Nancy for a moment
"Yeah yeah just help me put up this banner knowing Will, he's probably already awake and giving us more time to surprise him"
Jonathan chuckles taking the other side of the banner, as Nancy watches the two her heart swells with pain, he can't find out.
It's later in the day everyone is over and the party had been in full swing they didn't do anything too massive just friends and family, Jonathan had been walking around weaving through the kids taking pictures of them through the celebration. Nancy had been hovering around as well and found herself in a seat next to Steve, Steve who had been checking his watch quite a lot.
"Do you need somewhere to be?"
Steve looks up from his watch making an noise of confusion as he raises an eyebrow at her.
"You keep checking your watch, just assuming you have somewhere to be" she continues.
"No well, yes and no I have to pick up something but I don't wanna miss out" Steve admits sighing.
"Just go, if you need to go just go I'm sure Will is going to understand"
"Nance I'm not leaving I'm coming back" he chuckles before getting up from his seat.
She watches as he goes over to Joyce and Hopper, whispering something before darting out the front door and making sure not to take attention off of Will. Jonathan comes over to her after confusion on his face.
"What was that about?"
"He said he had something to do" she shrugs.
"He couldn't just wait"
"He said he'd come back and I told him if he needed to go it's okay, he's done a lot already"
Jonathan looks like he wants to say something but he just nods.
When Steve returns it's through the back door, no one hears his enter but he comes through the kitchen as if he had never left joining the kids sat, they were just about to get to opening Will's gifts, when they finally get to Steve's gift he stands up and hands it to the boy ruffling his hair. Will unwraps the box confused on what the jock could of got him, he breaks out in a smile seeing what's inside and hugs Steve excited.
"I can't believe you got me the full set!" Will pulls back from the hug.
"Well you looked like you wanted it" Steve shrugs.
"This is an expensive art kit Steve! Look at the brushes and the pencils!"
Steve just laughs at the his reaction.
After presents they start to clean up to get ready for either dinner or the birthday cake, Jonathan is putting Will's presents in his younger brothers room, offering to do so because he needed to get a new film roll for his camera anyways. He is setting Steve's gift on the desk when the card falls out he sighs setting the art supply set down and picking up the card, it's open as he picks it up and stops to read it.
"Hey Jonathan-"
Nancy stops looking at the back of her boyfriends figure.
"Jonathan are you okay?"
She walks up to him peering over to look at what he's reading.
To Will
Hope you can draw something
really cool with these new supplies.
From Steve
Jonathan pushes past Nancy turning around and darting into his room, she follows behind him in haste worried by his silence. He enters his room going straight to his bed and reaching under to find a shoebox he opens it to pull out a card, he opens it putting it side by side with Will's birthday card.
"Jonathan-"
"Steve? It was Steve?"
"What-"
"The camera Nancy" he turns to her his face flushed with embarrassment and anger, "why you didn't tell me?"
"Jonathan listen-"
"How could I be so stupid your handwriting isn't even like this and I told you- I told you what this camera means to me and it was Steve I- Nancy why?"
"I didn't know how to tell you it's your camera I just forgot who bought it I didn't mean to hurt you- it doesn't change anything I love you"
"Nancy I told you- and Steve why would he even give me a camera? Is this a sick joke?"
"No he doesn't know about what the camera means he just- after he broke yours he felt guilty and he bought it, he told me to give it to you because at the time you hated him"
Jonathan nods leaving the cards on his bed before moving to leave the room.
"Jon-"
"Were about to cut the cake mom needs help with it, she told me Steve went to go get a custom one for Will"
"Jonathan we need to talk about this" she tries to reach his hand but he just moves away.
"It's my brothers birthday, later"
Jonathan doesn't talk to her for the rest of the night, he doesn't take any pictures either handing the camera to the kids and telling them to have fun. She watches him the rest of the night he refuses to look at her but glancing to Steve in moments when he thinks no one else is looking.
How is she going to tell Steve.