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Steve hums along to the radio as he drives down the block where the Hopper-Byers moved in a few months ago. Jonathan is staying in Hawkins over the summer before he starts at Nyu in the fall, and ever since Steve and Jonathan worked together to defeat Vecha and the mindflayer last fall, they've against all odds started becoming friends.
Well actually a more fitting title would be frenemies with benefits.
Look, he didn't intend for it to escalate into this, it had just been one stupid drunken makeout session and somehow it has turned into Steve sneaking into Jonathan's room at night like some lovesick teen. Which he isn't! Lovesick that is. They're just friends (if even that) who happen to mess around sometimes.
Steve parks his car a few houses down the street and walks the rest of the way to Jonathan’s house. He sneaks his way around the back of the house and steals a glance up at the dim light of Jonathan’s bedroom window.
Right when Steve's about to climb up he hears shuffling around the corner of the house. Realistically he knows it's probably just an animal digging in the trash, but after having spent a majority of his late teenage and early adult years fighting interdimensional monsters the sound has him on edge, so he picks up a stick from the ground and holds it like a bat as he rounds the corner.
Instead of a racoon or a demogorgon Steve finds a familiar mop of curls climbing on top of the trashcans.
"Dustin?!" Steve exclaims, startling the younger boy who promptly falls onto the ground.
"Steve?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Dustin blinks hard as if his own eyes are betraying him.
"I could ask you the same thing!!" Steve replies.
"I was just.." Dustin starts while Steve's eyes drift up to the window above their heads lined with purple curtains.
"Youre here to see Jane!" Steve gasps.
Ever since the events of last fall the girl they’d once known as Eleven now instead went by Jane as she enrolled in high school and started integrating into society. They all also agreed it would be more respectful to stop calling her by the number she was given in Hawkins lab and rather treat her like the real human girl she is, especially seeing as the thought of being treated like a lab experiment for the rest of her life made her very publicly attempt to take her own life.
"What?! No! I mean, yeah but we’re just… studying.” Dustin looks away when he speaks.
"On a Saturday night?" Steve cocks an eyebrow,
"She's missed a lot of school." Dustin answers. They both know Steve's not buying that for a second. Sure she probably has missed a lot of school Steve knows damn well he himself has never once snuck into a girls bedroom just to study and even though Dustin is a lot nerdier than he is Steve doubts that's what's going on here.
"Well what's your excuse?” Dustin claps back.
"I was just in the neighbourhood." Steve says and scratches the back of his neck. "...I got lost."
Dustin deadpans. He stares at Steve long and hard. He's not buying Steve's excuse either but Dustin is smart and knows he can use this opportunity to his own advantage.
"Fine. I won't press.” Dustin finally says. “As long as you help me up." He adds.
"Alright, fine." Steve sighs. "You’ve gotta put your foot up here - no, here!" Steve gestures wildly.
"That's what I just did, asshole!" Dustin argues.
"No, you're doing it wrong!” Steve complains.
"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not professional at sneaking into windows like you, Mr. Prom king!" Dustin retorts.
"Jesus Christ, will you two shut up?!" Says a voice from above them. Both guys immediately snap up towards the sound. "Some of us are trying to sleep!” Complains none other than Mike Wheeler with his head sticking out of Will’s window.
Dustin and Steve both look at each other with guilty expressions.
Right when Steve thinks that Mike is going to question what the hell they're doing here he instead disappears back inside the house and shuts the window.
Mike makes his way back into Will's bed and wraps his arms around Will who stirs in his sleep in response to the movement.
"Hm?" Will hums, barely awake as he leans into Mike.
"Nothing, just Steve and Dustin." Mike mumbles.
"What?” Will asks in a whisper.
Mike hums something that sounds like I don't know into Will's shoulder, too tired to think any further about it, and it seems Will is too.
Meanwhile in the room next door Jane is opening her window for Dustin who smiles and leans on her window sill.
"Hi.” Dustin pants as he speaks quietly as to not wake anybody up.
“Hi.” Jane replies, feeling like a princess from a fairytale sneaking her knight in shining armour into her castle tower.
"My lady.” Dustin flirts
"You were supposed to be here half an hour ago.” Jane says.
"I was! l've spent the last thirty minutes trying to climb up here, okay I’m no master climber!” Dustin defends himself.
"That was you? I thought the racoons got into our trash again.” Jane replies. Dustin laughs and looks up at Jane.
"May I come in?" He asks eventually.
"Oh! Yes, of course!” Jane blushes and offers her hand to help him into her room as a thud is heard coming from Jonathan's room down the hall where Steve is stumbling in through Jonathan's respective window, knocking down a pencil holder from on top of Jonathan's desk in the process.
"What the hell are you doing here?! And pick those up.” Jonathan snaps up from his book and whisper-yells.
"I thought you'd like to see me." Steve shrugs with a smirk as he picks up the pencils he knocked over, not bothering to lower his voice to a whisper.
"So you climb through my window like you're sixteen years old?! You probably just woke up my entire family!” Jonathan argues.
"Relax, Jonny.” Steve says and plops himself down on Jonathan's bed.
"Don't call me that." Jonathan grimaces.
"Jon?" Steve tries with a smirk.
"Absolutely not." Jonathan opens his book back up.
"Nathan!" Steve snaps his fingers in Jonathan’s face.
Jonathan groans in response and there's a thud from Jonathan and Will's shared wall before a muffled "Shut up!” from what sounds like a tired Mike.
Downstairs in the master bedroom Hopper is pacing back and forth across the carpeted floor.
"Do they think we can't hear them?" He complains.
"Leave them be, honey." Joyce says from her spot in their bed.
"I just want to sleep but there are youths trespassing in my house. I could have them arrested.” Hopper says. “I can't believe Mike is the only one respectful enough to arrive through the front door at a sensible time.”
"You just got your job back, and you're not chief anymore, do you really want to risk that?” Joyce sighs. “Just come back to bed, Hop." She implores.
"I can't sleep with this ruckus!" Hopper groans and reluctantly climbs back into bed.
“So wear earplugs then.” Joyce responds and gets a pair out of her bedside table.
"We have those?" Hopper asks.
"You snore really loudly. "Joyce retorts.
Hopper gladly takes the earplugs and falls asleep not much later.
…
The following morning Joyce walks up the stairs and knocks on Jonathan's door to wake him for breakfast.
"Shit.” Jonathan curses under his breath as he hears his mom knock and Steve jolts awake next to him. "Don't come in, I’m naked! ...I'm getting dressed." Jonathan blurts out and turns to shoot daggers at Steve. “What are you still doing here, I thought you were gonna leave first thing in the morning!” Jonathan whispers angrily.
“I fell asleep!” Steve whispers back as Jonathan pushes him out of the bed.
"I just wanted to say there's breakfast!" Joyce says from the other side of the door.
"Got it!' Jonathan replies as Steve stumbles across the floor trying to get dressed.
Jonathan lets out a deep sigh of relief when he hears his mom walking away and he steals a glance at Steve who's running his hands through his hair in the mirror.
Then suddenly the footsteps stop and retreat back towards his room.
"Oh and tell Steve he's welcome to join!" Joyce says casually from the hallway.
Both Jonathan and Steve freeze in panic, turning to stare at each other with wide eyes.
Joyce continues down the hallway where she bumps into Dustin.
"Good morning, Dustin. Always nice to see you here!” Joyce smiles softly.
“Morning, Mrs. Byers.” Dustin nods and smiles.
“I just made breakfast. Grab your friends and come eat with us!” Joyce says.
"Of course, Mrs. Byers!” Dustin smiles back before going to knock on Will’s bedroom door, he doesn't wait for a reply before turning the handle and opening the door.
"Good morning, sleepyheads. Your mom said there's breakfast!" Dustin says.
"Mhm." Will responds as he opens one eye to glance at the door lazily. "Wait - Dustin?!" Will rubs his eyes in confusion wondering if maybe he's still dreaming. He feels Mike stir awake next to him and suddenly he's wide awake. Will clambors out of Mike's arms quickly and Mike does the same.
"What are you doing here!?" Will asks as he scoots away from Mike.
"I stopped by last night to, uh, help Jane study and it got really late so she let me crash!” Dustin says, avoiding eye contact. Usually Dustin would just think of Will and Mike as his best friends, however right in this moment he is intensely reminded that they are also Jane’s brother and ex-boyfriend which has him dying to get out of there.
"Yea, um, breakfast!” Dustin points his thumb in the general direction of the stairs as he excuses himself and shuts the door.
When he turns around he finds himself standing face to face with Jane.
"Hi.” Dustin says nervously.
"Good morning.” Jane blushes.
The memories of last night flood Dustin's memory. He had finally worked up the courage to kiss her after many months of awkwardly dancing around each other, and a couple of weeks of constant hangouts and flirty banter. Afterwards he'd ended up sleeping in her bed and this morning he woke up to the two of them laying in each other’s arms
"Breakfast." Jane mirrors Dustin.
"Right! Yeah!" Dustin agrees and they awkwardly make their way down the stairs, Will and Mike following shortly after, sitting down next to each other red faced after their interaction with Dustin.
Dustin hadn't been phased at all by the two sleeping in the same bed, they would always share a bed during their sleepovers as kids, but that didn't stop Will and Mike from feeling as though they were burning up from the inside out.
Despite Will and Mike having been together for the last half a year or so they haven't told anybody yet since Mike's still trying to figure out what this means for him and they're both trying to navigate this new relationship.
Will feels like everyone at the breakfast table is staring at them, which is exactly why he's incredibly thankful to see Steve Harrington coming down the stairs and attempting to sneak out the door unnoticed, because nothing in Will's life could possibly be as shocking as the thought of Steve having spent the night in Jonathan’s bedroom.
Jonathan ushers Steve past the kitchen and right as he's about to shove him out the door Joyce perks up.
"Steve! How nice it is to see you here! Come join us!" She exclaims.
The two young men stop dead in their tracks.
"Actually, mom, he was just about to lea-" Jonathan starts.
"Nonsense. Steve, you must be hungry!” Joyce beckons.
Steve looks back and forth between Jonathan and Mrs. Byers, not sure of what the hell he's supposed to do.
Everybody is staring, waiting for him to make up his mind.
Joyce gestures toward a plate of scrambled eggs and Steve finally caves in.
Steve feels Jonathan kick him under the table as they sit down at the table.
"So. Steve. What are you doing here? I didn't see you come in last night.” Joyce says.
"Oh, yeah I'm uh... very stealthy. " Steve replies as he digs in.
"I was helping him put together a resumé.” Jonathan chimes in.
'That's great. How hard working of you both!!” Joyce smiles.
"Yeah. Very hard." Steve comments, earning him an elbow in his side from Jonathan. Across the table Will seems to be choking on his orange juice. Steve clears his throat and changes the topic. "Wow, these eggs are great Mrs. Byers!”
"Thank you, Steve!” Joyce says.
From the head of the table Hopper is glaring suspiciously at Steve and Dustin between sips of coffee all throughout breakfast and once breakfast is over and Dustin goes to leave the kitchen he gets stopped by Hopper.
“Hey, kid…” Hopper says and Dustin is instantly reminded of the horror stories Mike has told him about Hopper from when he and Jane had been going out so he gulps and prepares himself for the worst. "Just use the front door next time, will you?" Is all Hopper says before patting his shoulder.
"Yes, sir. Will do.” Dustin salutes.
"Alright" Hopper hums and leaves the kitchen. Dustin resumes his walk to the entryway where Jane is waiting to walk him out.
Hey, I uh… I had a lot of fun last night.” Jane says shyly.
"Me too." Dustin smiles. "I think you’re pretty great. You're really smart and funny and pretty" Jane bites back a smile in reaction.
"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" She blurts out and Dustin's face lights up.
“Absolutely I do. I would love to be your boyfriend, Jane.” Dustin beams
Jane doesn't waste a second before grabbing Dustin’s face and kissing him. Dustin kisses her back and wraps his arms around her and lifts her up off the ground.
As Dustin sets Jane back down on the ground and breaks the kiss he catches a glimpse of two figures looking at them from inside the house.
Dustin realizes in horror that the figures happen to be Will and Mike but before Dustin has time to start panicking they both throw up double thumbs up at them.
Dustin smiles and waves his goodbyes and goes around to grab his bike where he finds Steve climbing up to Jonathan's window.
"Do l even ask?" Dustin sighs. Steve looks down at him.
"I'd prefer it if you don't." Steve says.
"I thought you just left." Dustin comments.
“I thought you weren't gonna ask any questions.” Steve says.
"It wasn't a question, it was an observation. " Dustin replies. “And we will talk about this sooner or later." Dustin adds.
"I can't hear you!" Steve says as he stumbles through Jonathan's window at the same time as Jonathan walks through the door.
"Again?!" Jonathan asks.
"Just forgot my keys!” Steve says as he picks them up from Jonathan's floor.
Jonathan just stares at him.
"Wanna see a movie tonight?" Steve asks.
"Get out.” Jonathan says.
"I'll pick you up at seven!" Steve grins before Jonathan shoves him out of the window and once he turns away from the window he finds Will standing in his doorway
"Steve? Really?" Will deadpans.