Chapter Text
Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler knew they were about to die.
They knew that, unless Dustin and Steve, by some miracle, found them before they were buried by this godforsaken grey liquid now pooling around them, or hell, before the whole damn place collapsed and took them down with it, there was nothing they could do to save themselves.
And you know what? They probably would have accepted that, if it wasn't for the people they were leaving behind, and the world they were leaving them behind to survive in.
They had both just aired out all their dirty laundry to each other, bashing each other for their tastes in music, literature and hobbies. Jonathan had finally worked up the courage to not only tell Nancy that he lied about Emerson, but also to give her the ring he had got her, only to end up throwing it away and watching it sink into the gunk. Now, they felt there was nothing more to say to each other, so they sat there in a tense, mournful silence, their thoughts swimming.
Nancy silently cursed herself for shooting that shield generator. She thought she had learned by now to not be so reckless, but now she had inadvertently killed not only herself, but the man who was once the love of her life, and she couldn't be more disappointed in herself if she tried.
She thought about Holly, and how Vecna was still holding her captive somewhere. God, what she wouldn't give to pump a bullet straight into that psycho's head and snatch her baby sister from his clutches. She wondered if this was similar to how Joyce and Jonathan felt when Will went missing all those years ago.
She thought of her parents, still lying in hospital, barely able to move or talk. The image of her mother bleeding out on the kitchen floor of their family's home kept her awake at night. She wondered what they'll do when they find out that they've lost another daughter.
She thought of Mike, her little brother, who had always been dangerously close to the centre of all this. She had almost lost him several times, and she had been horrified each time. She remembered how horrible she had felt when she learned that, aged only twelve, he had almost thrown himself off a cliff just to save Dustin from being bullied. She shuddered to think about how that would have been the end of him if it weren't for El. Nancy knew that, despite her constant fighting and arguing with Mike, they still cared about each other, and ultimately, she was glad that it was her in this room instead of him, or Holly, or her parents.
Then, inexplicably, she thought about Barb. Her best friend. The one she had neglected. The one she had failed to save because she and Steve were too busy fawning over each other. She thought about how the guilt had consumed her every hour of every day since. Maybe this was karma finally coming to make her pay.
Before she knew it, she felt a tear slipping down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it off her face and turned away from Jonathan as, despite everything, she still hated the thought of exposing her vulnerable side.
Jonathan, meanwhile, couldn't stop thinking about his family. His poor, poor mother, who was almost torn apart by Will's disappearance. He knew that this would only make her worse. God, why the hell did he have to open that door? Why did he let his curiosity get the better of him?
He thought about his father, and how awful he had been to them all. He wondered if anyone would ever tell him that his eldest son was dead, and he wondered if he would even care.
He thought about Bob Newby, and his stomach twisted in guilt as he remembered how harshly he had judged him. He had thought that Bob was boring, and corny, and not good enough for their mother, but when he died, he realised that he was just a good, nice man who always tried his best. If only he had lived longer. Maybe they could have gotten to understand each other better, and maybe his mother would have finally found happiness.
He thought about his time in California, about how Argyle, the lucky son of a bitch that he is, had somehow managed to travel back to his family in California right before Hawkins went into full military mode. He wondered what Argyle was doing right now, and he couldn't help but grin slightly as he realised that he was probably having a much better time than they all were, but then he saddened after remembering how Argyle had told him that he was his only friend. Would he ever find out about any of this? Or would he just assume that Jonathan had stopped speaking to him?
He thought about El, who had basically become his and Will's adoptive sister during their time in California. God, that poor kid had been poked and prodded like a lab rat practically since the day she was born. When they had finally reunited with her in the vast deserts of Nevada, her hair had once again been buzzed and there was a shock collar around her neck. It made Jonathan feel sick just thinking about it. He hoped to God that his and Nancy's accidental opening of the shield generator hadn't jeopardised her one chance at a free, peaceful life.
But, most of all, he thought about his little brother, Will. How much his disappearance had ripped their family to shreds. How desperate Jonathan was to never let him out of his sight after he had come back, to the point where he never worked extra hours again, no matter how desperate he may have been for the cash. The thought of watching Will grow up and move on with his life had both excited and terrified him, but now he would never see it happen. But the thought that terrified him the most was the thought of Will never accepting himself.
He had known Will was gay for a while now. He had never forgotten that teary look in his eyes after that conversation with Mike in the back of Argyle's van. But he also knew that Will did not feel ready to come out yet, and he didn't blame him, what with all the Anti-AIDS propaganda constantly being shoved down people's throats these days. He had wanted Will to know that he would love and accept him no matter what, and he was beyond devastated to know that he would never be there to support him ever again.
Suddenly, he felt panic rise within him. He knew he had to say something, or else his thoughts would overtake him and he would break down, right there in front of Nancy, something that he was desperate not to do. He felt as though he was a little kid again: he could practically hear his father's voice in his head, telling him that this was his own fault, that he was completely incompetent, that it would be weak for him to cry about something that he himself caused.
He turned to face her, only to see that she had turned away from him. He noticed that she was trembling, and realised in that moment that she was panicking just as much as he was.
'Nancy...' he began, causing her to turn round and face him, and he noticed that her face was glistening with tears, and that her cheeks were glowing red, apparently ashamed of herself for letting her emotions come out like this.
'Are- Are you scared?' Jonathan cringed at himself. God, what a stupid question. Who wouldn't be scared in a situation like this?
But Nancy didn't seem to mind, as she gave him a sad smile and answered, 'I'd be lying out of my ass if I said I wasn't terrified right now.'
They both chuckled darkly at this, when suddenly, they registered that the liquid was now up to their waists. They also began hearing miscellaneous, desperate calls of 'Nancy!' And 'Jonathan!' From both Dustin and Steve. Nancy felt sorry for them. They didn't yet know that it was too late, that their efforts to save them were futile
Jonathan let out a sigh of acceptance. His mother had always told him that it was pointless to worry about things you have no control over, and Jonathan had always thought that was bullshit. But now, he somewhat understood what she meant. He can't just spend the last moments of his life fretting.
He once again looked at Nancy. 'Do you...' he hesitated. 'Do you think that if none of this had ever happened, we would've... I don't know... worked out?'
Nancy looked straight into his eyes, and Jonathan noticed the glint of acceptance in hers. They were now in the same boat, in that they had both accepted their fates.
'Honestly, Jonathan?' Nancy replied, 'if none of this had happened, I don't think we ever would have talked to each other. I know that this has all been just... so, incredibly awful but, for what it's worth, I'm glad I got to know you, Jonathan Byers.' And she meant every word of that. Because some deep, horrible part of her had always been a little bit glad that Will had gone missing, as it had set off a chain of events that eventually broke her out of a prison of her own making (that being the prison of getting in with the wrong crowd) and brought her closer to Jonathan.
'Yeah,' Jonathan smiled, unable to stop his own tears now, 'I'm glad I got to know you too, Nancy Wheeler. I just wish it had been under better circumstances.'
Just then, they felt the floor beneath them drop ever so slightly. It was going to give way in a matter of seconds. So, with nothing else to do, they threw their arms around each other, clinging to one another as though they were the only two people left in the world.
Just then, they heard the sound of wood breaking, and realised that Steve and Dustin were trying to break through the door, with Dustin's panicked voice repeating, 'God, please don't be dead! Please don't be dead!' Over and over again. They both turned around just in time to see their panicked faces just after they had broken a hole in the door.
And then they fell. Into oblivion. Into God knows where. And before they or anyone else knew it, they were gone.