Chapter Text
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“What do you think so far?”
Steve smiled over at the pretty girl. Nancy Wheeler had been tasked with showing him around the school and he couldn’t say it had been a bad day so far. She was very friendly, answering all of his questions patiently and with as much information as she could give.
In lunch period now, she had introduced him to her best friend, Barbara “call me Barb” Holland, who was just as nice as Nancy. Actually, everyone he had come into contact with in the school was rather pleasant. The teachers immediately warmed up to him, his impressive grades despite constant moves across the state leaving them hopeful that he would be a great student, and the other students introducing themselves as the day went on.
“It’s nice,” Steve answered, adjusting his glasses and glancing around the cafeteria. “I’ve never been to a public high school,” it was his mother’s idea to not enroll him in a private school this time. To get him to socialize and be a regular teenager.
And Steve was glad. He was so tired of the automated system in private school. The strict teachers with rulers they used as weapons, the cold and blank faces on the students, and the mundane routine of only being able to go home on weekends. It was…boring. And sad. The only fun he ever had was when he played sports but even then, he had to hold back a lot of his talent due to not having any real competition.
It was structure.
Hawkins High would help him break away from the set routine and help him to become a regular teenager.
“But he’s not a regular teenager,” his father had said, frowning, “He was born better.”
“He needs to live his life,” his mother objected, “Not have you choose a life for him.”
“You picked a pretty bad place to start,” Barb told him, picking the olives out of her sub, “Hawkins is a boring place with boring people.”
“Not true,” Nancy protested, “it’s a little town, quiet, but there are some interesting aspects.”
“Like what?” Steve inquired, curious. From what he had seen, Hawkins was exactly as Barbara had described. A boring place with boring-
“Hello, ladies.”
He appeared out of nowhere, but he provoked attention easily.
Christ, he was beautiful.
The boy had dark blonde hair, with a messy fringe that teased over his eyes, which were a dark brown color so rich they reminded Steve of the coffee his parents drank every morning. He had lovely cheekbones, with deep dimples and a gorgeous pair of lips that he used as he smiled down at Nancy. He was wearing a sleek black turtleneck, the material hugging his lithe form in every perfect way. His jeans were also made of tight denim, the fabric clinging to his legs and hips so fucking nicely.
“Hi, Jonathan!” Nancy beamed and immediately stood. She threw her arms around his neck and he planted a gentle kiss at her forehead, his sleeved arms coming around her petite waist as he murmured his greeting into her hair.
“Hey, Jonathan,” Barb smiled and she tilted her head up as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She gestured to Steve, who remembered to blink and shut his gaping mouth, as Jonathan’s eyes met his own. “This is our new student, Steve Harrington.”
Jonathan kept one arm loosely around Nancy’s waist and he smiled slowly down at Steve, who could feel his heart hammering against his chest, “Hello, Steve Harrington,” he said, voice so soft and low.
Something glinted on his tongue and Steve blinked hard, his mind processing the information. A tongue ring. The beautiful boy had a tongue piercing.
“I-um,” Steve shook his head a bit, the action causing his glasses to slip down his nose. He stood, shyly offering a hand to Jonathan, “Hello, Jonathan. A pleasure to meet you.” He saw the way Jonathan’s lips quirked and he smiled nervously as the smaller man removed his arm from around Nancy and reached out, their palms sliding against one another.
Jonathan had warm, soft hands.
His long fingers closed over Steve’s, squeezing briefly, and Steve inhaled deeply at the way Jonathan’s eyes trailed over his face. He flinched when the fingers on Jonathan’s other hand came up, gently pushing his glasses up in their correct position.
Steve felt his toes curl in his sneakers.
“Nice to meet you,” Jonathan returned, his fingers falling away from Steve’s face. He let the hand joint with Steve’s fall also and he stared unflinchingly into Steve’s reddening face, “I like your glasses, they suit you.”
It was the first time he’d ever heard that and Steve gaped, not knowing at all what to say. His mind screamed at him to thank the blonde for the compliment but before he could force his mouth to work, he watched as another blonde, with eyes the color of bright blue marbles and a curled lip, came up and threw an arm around Jonathan’s torso.
There was a group of other students behind him, Steve noticed. A girl with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, popping gum as she stared at them with disinterest, a boy that stood beside her with brown colored hair cut short and styled upwards, and redhead girl with hazel eyes and a sneer that made Steve feel uncomfortable.
Jonathan turned his gaze to glance at this new boy and then ignored him with a negligent blink, that gorgeous mouth turning down into a frown as he stared pointedly away from the newcomer.
“Come on, seriously?” the boy murmured, his voice low. He grabbed Jonathan’s jaw, the rings he wore on his fingers glinting in the cafeteria lights, and turned that beautiful face back in his direction, “I’ve apologized.”
“I don’t care,” Jonathan answered, voice tight. He pressed his palm against the blue-eyed male’s white shirt, pushing him away. He looked to Nancy and Barb, smiling gently again, “I’ll talk to you two later,” he brought his gaze back to Steve’s and the older boy finally found enough control of his facial muscles to smile back, “I hope you like it here, Steve,” Jonathan said, his quiet voice resonating in Steve’s head.
“Thank you,” Steve whispered, awed as he watched Jonathan smile at him before the blonde turned, pushing his way through the group of students and walking towards the cafeteria doors. Once he was out of sight, Steve turned his head and stiffened as the boy with blue eyes stared him down.
“Who the hell are you?”
Steve frowned, not liking the boy’s tone. He chose not to answer and instead sat back down besides Nancy, feeling the girl’s hand gently reach out to pat his knee. He watched the way Billy’s nostrils flared.
“Go away, Billy,” Barb muttered, her arms crossing as she turned back in her seat, “You’re not wanted here.”
“You’re not wanted at all, oinker,” the girl with the ugly sneer said cruelly and Nancy shot her a fierce glare.
“It’s you who isn’t wanted, Nicole,” Nancy said, “or did you forget how many times Billy has told you that he’s not interested?”
The redhead’s eyes went dark and she snarled, “How dare you-”
“Enough,” the blue-eyed boy, Billy, grunted. He shot Steve another dark look and turned around, walking off and fully expecting his little posse to join him, which they did, and Steve exhaled hard, leaning his elbows on the table.
“That was Billy Hargrove,” Barb told him, her eyes rolling as she brought a piece of tomato up to her lips, “His little followers, Carol George, Tommy H. and notorious Nicole Regal.” She snorted, “Billy is the self-proclaimed King of Hawkins High and Jonathan Byer’s ex...” she looked to Nancy, eyebrows drawn as if unsure, “ex-boyfriend?”
“Has to be,” Nancy agreed, “After what Jonathan said he did, I doubt that Billy can charm himself back at his side.”
“What did he do?” Steve asked curiously. The two girls shared an uneasy look and Steve held up his hands, “You don’t have to-”
“Let me start off first by saying that you’re going to hear a lot about Jonathan Byers,” Nancy started quietly and Steve ducked his head to listen to her, “mostly from boys in the locker room. A majority of it isn’t true and I’m telling you this as someone who has known him since we were ten years old.”
“Okay,” Steve whispered back, eyes wide.
“Jonathan and Billy…they’ve been together for about two years now,” Nancy shook her head, “In that time, I’ve seen Jonathan come to school with black eyes, a busted lip, and even his right arm in a sling.”
Steve stared, stunned into silence.
“But he’s always forgiven Billy,” Barb jumped in, “Without question. No one knows why but the boys in the locker room like to say really mean things…like how Jonathan is used to getting slapped around and that he enjoys it.”
“It’s ludicrous,” Nancy said angrily, “but he never leaves Billy. Not completely. But after what happened last weekend,” she frowned, “I doubt he’s going back to that rotten low-life.”
Steve, still confused, looked to Barbara.
“There was a party, everyone was drinking and Billy tried to use him,” Barb murmured, “as some sort of prize for a drinking contest. Hargrove never loses a drinking game but the stakes were high after he offered that if anyone could beat him, the winner could have a night with Jonathan.”
“What?” Steve hissed, disgusted, “he used his own boyfriend as-” he bit his tongue, not even wanting to finish the sentence.
“Jonathan didn’t know about it, he doesn’t drink and he’s usually just the designated driver. Billy still won,” Barb said, her eyes on her lunch tray, “but another guy got really close and figured that he should at least get to touch Jonathan.” She shook her head; face tight, “The guy got Jonathan alone in a bathroom.”
Steve felt his stomach churn.
“Jonathan told me that he was really close to…” Nancy didn’t continue, her eyes lowering to her hands, folded on top of the table. Steve could see them shaking.
Barb continued, “Anyway, Billy beat the shit out of the guy for trying but Jonathan hasn’t forgiven him. He isn’t likely to either, especially since a lot of people are saying that Jonathan is a cockwhore that asks for it anyway.”
“How is he doing that?” Steve asked, eyes wide, “I don’t understand. He seems very nice.”
“People are just really crude,” Nancy murmured, “Billy, the asshole, is always talking about what Jonathan is like in bed. How he sounds, how he feels, other things like that. He’s just a disgusting person.”
“Jonathan is a great guy,” Barb murmured, her cheeks tinging red, “but he’s never denied anything Billy has said so people believe it.”
Steve nodded slowly and spent the rest of the lunch period listening to Nancy and Barb talk about classes but he really couldn’t stop thinking about Jonathan Byers.
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It was in his last class period of the day that Steve remembered that he hadn’t used the bathroom the whole time he’d been in the school and, of course, his bladder decided to let him know about his mistake in the form of suddenly having to piss.
“Yes, Mr. Harrington?” the English teacher asked, staring over at him from her desk.
Steve smiled slightly, lowering his hand as she addressed him, “May I use the restroom?” he asked quietly, not needing to speak up due to the hush of the other students working on their papers. He watched as she nodded and he stood, murmuring his thanks and she handed him a hall pass before he slipped out of the room.
He wandered down the hall, trying to remember where Nancy had pointed out the bathroom, when he turned a corner and nearly gasped. He ducked behind the same corner, his eyes wide as he stared ahead of him. After a few seconds of realizing he hadn’t been seen, he slowly poked his head around.
Billy had Jonathan pressed against the lockers. He was talking to him quietly; one of his hands had lifted the hem of Jonathan’s turtleneck and settled firmly on Jonathan’s hip where his thumb was playing with the exposed skin in slow circles.
Jonathan’s face was blank as he stared up into those blue eyes, his lips pressed together in a thin line and his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned back against the row of lockers. He clearly didn’t want to be in the position and he shook his head in frustration as Billy continued to talk before he opened his own mouth.
Steve struggled to listen, eyes narrowing.
“-fucking using me as collateral in your bullshit games,” Jonathan whispered harshly, his beautiful face pinched in anger, “who the fuck do you think you are? You don’t get to do that to me, I’m not your whore.”
“I said I was sorry,” Billy bit back, voice low and fed up, “It was supposed to be a fucking joke, and it’s not my fault that you let Maxwell catch you by yourself and shove you into the bathroom.”
“Are you serious?!”
Jonathan’s voice rose in pitch and Steve’s eyes widened, his fingers curling around wall-edge as the smaller blonde shoved Billy away hard. He watched the way Billy brushed the curls that had fallen into his face away, eyes stormy.
“It’s not my fault either, Billy! I’m not the one who-”
Steve barely contained his gasp as Billy moved, his hand wrapping around Jonathan’s pale throat. The smaller blonde choked, his hands immediately coming up to wrap around Billy’s wrist. Billy pulled Jonathan a few inches away from the lockers and then slammed him against the metal hard, Jonathan’s arms flailing helplessly against the bigger boy’s strength. He closed his eyes tightly as Billy leaned down.
Steve couldn’t hear what it was that Billy said, but he saw the way Jonathan’s eyes popped open, lit with fire, and he watched as Jonathan brought his knee up hard, catching Billy right in the balls. Billy cried out in pain, falling onto his knees and grabbing onto his dick and Jonathan slumped down, coughing hard as he stroked his abused throat.
“Little bitch,” Billy snarled after he’d recovered, wrapping his hand tight around Jonathan’s ankle. He pulled hard, dragging Jonathan across the floor and setting himself heavily over the younger boy. The pulling action caused the bottom of black turtleneck to rise, exposing beautiful pale skin but Steve forced his eyes away, instead focusing on Jonathan’s terrified expression as Billy loomed over him.
“Don’t,” Jonathan grunted, moving his hands up to grip Billy’s shoulders, “Get off of me!” he winced as Billy grabbed his chin hard, the ring encased fingers sinking into those sweet dimples and forcing Jonathan’s lips to pout.
Steve grit his teeth, feeling his chest tighten in anger. He wasn’t a fighter, he’d never thrown a punch in his life, but he wasn’t about to let his happen.
He turned the corner, his footsteps causing Billy to look his way.
“Mind your business, new kid,” Billy muttered, voice dangerous.
Jonathan looked over at him, breathing labored, “Steve,” he murmured, “I’ll be fine, go on.” And his eyes were resigned...so hopeless.
No.
Steve moved, walking right up to Billy and grabbing his shoulders, pulling him away hard. He shoved at him, watching the way Billy’s blue eyes began to spark with agitation. God, what the hell was he doing?
Billy could murder him but Steve found himself not caring at all, having eyes only for Jonathan who was still sprawled out on the floor.
“Are you serious?” Billy asked, bemused, as Steve turned and offered a hand to Jonathan.
“Come on,” Steve said gently, smiling as Jonathan hesitantly took the offered hand. He helped the smaller boy stand and he licked his lips, blushing, “Your uh…” he pointed at the ruffled turtleneck, “your shirt.”
Jonathan blinked at him and slowly looked down at his exposed stomach. He fixed the hem of the shirt, staring up at him through his fringe and Steve swallowed hard, staring back down at him. How was this boy so beaut-
He felt a hand fall hard on his shoulder and he gasped as he was turned around roughly. He stared down into angry blue eyes and he frowned, not letting himself be intimidated. Sure, he was probably about to get his ass kicked but at least Jonathan would be alright.
“Billy, no,” Jonathan said, stepping in front of Steve. His back pressed so tightly to Steve’s chest that the taller boy could smell the blonde’s silky hair. It had a very soft, almost sweet scent.
“So nice,” Steve whispered and he flushed deeply as Jonathan turned to glance back at him, extremely confused. “Y-your hair smells nice,” he offered weakly and the way Jonathan’s lips curved into a slow smile caused his heart to flutter and he turned eyes back to Billy when the curly blonde scoffed.
“You’ve gotta to be fucking joking,” Billy said dryly and he clenched his fists, “You’ve got no idea what you’ve just stepped into, nerd.” He moved to get around Jonathan and grunted in frustration when Jonathan stayed put. “Move, Jonathan.”
“Get out of here, Billy,” Jonathan said tiredly, “I’ve said what I had to say to you. We’re done.” His voice lowered, and Steve could see his shoulders droop, “and this time I fucking mean it. If you try and come through my window tonight, I’m bashing your head in with my lamp.”
Billy frowned, his eyes staring daggers down at Jonathan. He eased closer, his lips pulled back in a sneer, “Fine, fine. Good luck keeping the boys from the locker room off your ass,” he shot a look at Steve, smirking, “Watch yourself, geek. Byers won’t be around all the time.”
He stared down at Jonathan intensely once more and walked off, his footsteps echoing loudly around the empty hallway.
Steve watched as Jonathan turned to face him.
“Thank you,” Jonathan whispered sincerely, but his eyes were grave as he looked up at him, “but you shouldn’t have gotten involved. Billy has a terrible temper and,” he smiled wanly, “he could really hurt you.”
“I’ll be okay,” Steve shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, “back when I was in boarding school I got hazed my entire first semester so I think I can handle what Billy dishes out.”
Jonathan didn’t look convinced but he offered a short nod. They stood there, staring at one another. Steve’s eyes traced over that gorgeous face and he offered a smile, “Do you want me to walk you to class?”
Jonathan blinked up at him, confused. “Class?” he repeated, voice quiet.
“We’ve still got about forty-five minutes left,” Steve explained, looking down to his watch to confirm. His stupid glasses slipped down his nose and he looked back to Jonathan. “What class are you in right now, I can-”
Jonathan reached up, gently pushing the glasses back to their correct position.
Steve almost choked. He turned red, breathing hard as he stared down at Jonathan.
“I think I’m just going to duck out early,” Jonathan murmured, lips curling up into a slow smile. “It’s an elective and I don’t do much while I’m there so I don’t really care about it.”
“O-oh, what class is it?” Steve asked, cringing at his volume. Fuck, why did it sound like he was screaming?
“Theater,” Jonathan replied, “We’re reading scripts for a play but I’m just going to be taking pictures so it doesn’t matter much if I miss it.”
“Okay,” Steve whispered, watching Jonathan turn to leave.
“Thank you again, Steve Harrington,” Jonathan said loftily as he turned on his heel.
Oh, damn.
“Wait, Jonathan-” Steve watched with baited breath as that beautiful face turned back to look up at him quizzically. “Er…I…”
Jonathan waited, staring at him in amusement.
“W-would you like to study together sometime?” Steve finally forced out and then immediately wished he could take it back. There was no possible way that this insanely gorgeous, effortlessly beautiful, absolutely breath-taking boy would ever want to-
“Sure. That sounds nice.” Jonathan smiled, turning around again and heading down the hallway, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
Oh.
Oh shit.
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