[ If he was only mildly taken aback before, he's completely caught off guard now, whatever retort he'd planned on saying dying off in his throat. Steve can't argue with that, and he finds he doesn't really want to argue with that either.
[ He'd told Nancy the same kind of thing, back before the Mindflayer had happened. He feels it, and he knows Nancy feels it, and it's not out of the picture to think that Steve's the same way. After all, he'd seen all of it for himself, too. ]
Sometimes it helps to talk about it.
[ You don't have to "be a man" about this, this shit is too real. ]
[ He's used to putting up a front, but the past year had been chipping away at that carefully crafted mask before Dustin Henderson rolled up and took a sledgehammer to it, for better or for worse. (for better, he knows.) "King Steve" knows what he's doing at all times; Steve Harrington has no goddamn clue. And Jonathan's right, he knows, but he can feel his stomach turning.
"Run away, like you always do—" ]
Yeah, well. I should.
[ Go. He should go, right? Because it's awkward as hell and why did he even try? Shit. ]
[ Feet shifting awkwardly in his shoes, Jonathan doesn't know what he's doing, either. Here. He's just... talking. He will never not hate talking. But yeah, Steve should. Talk about it. Get it off his chest with someone who understands. The kids aren't an option, and while Jonathan has his mom, he doesn't want to burden her with it, even if she knows when they look each other in the eyes. Jonathan has Nancy. Who does Steve have?
Before he knows it, he's... volunteering? Jesus, Jonathan. ]
I. I'm just saying. If you want to.
[ "You know where I am." What is he doing? God.
He tries to cut the awkwardness down by trying to shut down the conversation. Tried and true Jonathan Byers methods here. ]
[ No one, he has no one, but that's frankly better than what he had before, because his shithead friends ("friends") would have just laughed at him and told him to man up — if they didn't immediately question his sanity, anyway.
So it's like a lifeline being extended when Jonathan offers, and Steve . . . doesn't know what to do with it, exactly. His eyes flick between Jonathan, the car door, the seat, anywhere really, as conflicting thoughts race through his head. Had anyone ever really offered something like this before? Nancy had, once — that had managed to shake him out of his haze, pulling him out of the social pit he'd found himself in.
And just like that, he's moved on, and Steve exhales, lifting a hand to run it through his hair. They're cool. He's cool. He's fine. ]
Yeah, man. You know, any time. [ A beat. ] Seriously. Though next time? Pick somewhere better. In town? Populated? Come on.
[ It's funny that Steve is already offering to go again. But it's a good sign. They're friends. Friendly. Whatever. Doesn't matter. This isn't a bad thing. ]
Yeah, yeah.
[ His fingers drum the roof of Steve's car, idly. ]
See ya.
[ And he closes the door, taking a couple of steps backwards, toward his own car sitting further along the parking lot. ]
[ He leans back, watching Jonathan quietly to make sure he makes it to his car and no demodogs or other upside-down garbage rise out from the parking lot and attack him. Once he's satisfied — which doesn't take long, thanks to his nerves — he starts his car, letting out a shakey breath, and pulls out of the lot. It's fine. They're good. ]
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 12:57 am (UTC)Hell. ]
. . . christ, Byers.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 01:02 am (UTC)[ He'd told Nancy the same kind of thing, back before the Mindflayer had happened. He feels it, and he knows Nancy feels it, and it's not out of the picture to think that Steve's the same way. After all, he'd seen all of it for himself, too. ]
Sometimes it helps to talk about it.
[ You don't have to "be a man" about this, this shit is too real. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 01:10 am (UTC)"Run away, like you always do—" ]
Yeah, well. I should.
[ Go. He should go, right? Because it's awkward as hell and why did he even try? Shit. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 09:13 am (UTC)Before he knows it, he's... volunteering? Jesus, Jonathan. ]
I. I'm just saying. If you want to.
[ "You know where I am." What is he doing? God.
He tries to cut the awkwardness down by trying to shut down the conversation. Tried and true Jonathan Byers methods here. ]
... Anyway, thanks for the ride.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 01:23 pm (UTC)So it's like a lifeline being extended when Jonathan offers, and Steve . . . doesn't know what to do with it, exactly. His eyes flick between Jonathan, the car door, the seat, anywhere really, as conflicting thoughts race through his head. Had anyone ever really offered something like this before? Nancy had, once — that had managed to shake him out of his haze, pulling him out of the social pit he'd found himself in.
And just like that, he's moved on, and Steve exhales, lifting a hand to run it through his hair. They're cool. He's cool. He's fine. ]
Yeah, man. You know, any time. [ A beat. ] Seriously. Though next time? Pick somewhere better. In town? Populated? Come on.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 07:47 pm (UTC)Yeah, yeah.
[ His fingers drum the roof of Steve's car, idly. ]
See ya.
[ And he closes the door, taking a couple of steps backwards, toward his own car sitting further along the parking lot. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-26 07:51 pm (UTC)[ He leans back, watching Jonathan quietly to make sure he makes it to his car and no demodogs or other upside-down garbage rise out from the parking lot and attack him. Once he's satisfied — which doesn't take long, thanks to his nerves — he starts his car, letting out a shakey breath, and pulls out of the lot. It's fine. They're good. ]