Chapter Text
The old, rusted car started to sputter and steam as Jonathan Byers made his way to the Hawkins Laboratory for his weekly appointments with Dr. Owens.
He cursed under his breath, of course the only thing his deadbeat dad ever gave him was this rusted piece of junk. This car was just as much of a piece of shit as his dad was.
He finally managed to pull over to the side of the road, the car giving its last breath of life as he parked it. He turned the key in the ignition, the tired rev of an old engine rang out. Still, nothing.
He finally stepped out of the car and opened the hood, and steam blasts out. He waved it away and peered into the engine. It overheated, again. Just like all the times before, he shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.
The repair shop is too far of a walk from here, he wouldn’t have time. Dr. Owens was always so strict on being on time, he wouldn’t be surprised if someone from Dr. Owens' team was already looking for him.
He looked across the street, and a small diner was in view. He scanned the parking lot, and a familiar blue box of salvation appeared, a payphone. He scrambled back into his car, digging into the cupholders for every dime he could find. Once he was certain he had every quarter in his car, he made his way across the street to the payphone.
He jogged towards the phone, picking up the phone and placing it to his ear. He inserts his dime, dials up his girlfriend's number, Nancy Wheeler. He hears the ring, and basically holds his breath…call not connected.
The payphone quickly returns his dime, and he inserts the dime one more time, dialing Nancy once again.
Ring, ring, and ring... call not connected.
The dime is ejected again. It's noon on a Sunday, Nancy was probably at the Hollands. Ever since their daughter went missing, she’s been making sure to go everyday to visit them. If she isn’t home, that's where she must be.
He went through a list in his mind of people he could call. Not many people know where he went missing too, how he wasn’t just lost in the woods, but rather a different dimension. How these appointments with Dr. Owens weren’t just normal check-ups.
His mom was at work, Will couldn’t drive…and neither could any of his friends. There was only one person left on his list he could call.
He sighed, preparing for absolute rejection as he inserted the dime and dialed the number.
The call connected.
***
Steve Harrington was able to find the diner without much trouble and pulled into the parking lot. There, he saw a very distressed Jonathan Byers standing outside a payphone. He rolled down his window and called out to the lanky guy.
“Hey there, Byers! You're the last person I expected a call from on a Sunday!” Steve said, trying to act normal as he waved Jonathan over.
Jonathan really was the last person he expected a call from. He wasn’t just the boy who went missing and the reason Steve even found out interdimensional monsters existed. More of the fact that this was Steve’s ex-girlfriends rebound.
It was also the guy he found out who took photos of him and said girlfriend, and ended up getting in a fight in an alley because of them.
He was never proud of his past, especially after Jonathan went missing. Jonathan beating him up really did change his perspective on life. He was trying to be better and better everyday.
When he answered that phone, he really did expect to come up with an excuse to not help. But, to state simply, it felt mean…and something within him didn’t want his past to take over again. So he swallowed any resentment and agreed.
Jonathan curtly nodded and walked to the passenger side door. Jonathan opened the door, he was timid as he sat in the passenger seat. He even hesitantly closed the door, like he was scared of it. Jonathan looked towards him, but his gaze never stayed long on him. It looked as if his eyes couldn’t stay in one place.
“Thanks again for doing this, Harrington.” Jonathan said sheepishly.
“No worries, Byers. Gives me something to do on a Sunday afternoon. Where are we going?” Steve tried to remain cool, like this wasn’t the most awkward situation.
“The um…the Hawkins Laboratory, I have an appointment with Dr. Owen.” Jonathan’s speech wavered, the mention of that lab…it even made him a bit nervous.
“Is this appointment because of…?” Steve starts to ask, but trails off. Literally everything that happened to you while you were missing? Was what he was wanting to say, but it felt too blunt for someone he barely knew outside of a fist fight.
Jonathan looked down at his lap and started to fidget with the cuff of his flannel.
“Yeah, it is. I’m sorry to drag you back into all this. Nancy told me how much you were there for everything, so I figured, you might…understand?” Jonathan said, still focusing on his lap, still fidgeting with the cuff of his flannel. He must be really nervous.
He felt a pang of sympathy right in his chest. Reeling about the fact that Jonathan even had to come to him and ask for a ride. He knew not a lot of people knew, but did he really have no one else to call?
Ever since he and Nancy broke up, he has never gotten to see much of Jonathan since he was found. He seemed different from what little Steve knew about him. The subtle glances he would take while Jonathan walked down the halls. Jonathan was always teased before, but ever since those rumors…it’s been a warzone for him.
“Yeah, of course, man. Happy to help.” Steve said as he tried to smile.
He drove out of the parking lot and started to head towards the Hawkins Laboratory. Neither of them spoke to the other. The car was silent as he drove Jonathan to his appointment.
Steve finally pulled up to the gate outside the Hawkins Laboratory, and an armed security guard walked up to his window. He cranked the window down, trying to put back on a smile, trying to hide his fear over the very big gun this man was holding.
“What business do you have here?” The guard said in a gruff voice. It was deep and booming, definitely someone you wouldn’t mess around with.
Before he could answer, Jonathan was leaning forward, a smile on his face as he gave a little wave to the guard. As if this is normal, like this man was a friend.
“It’s me, Officer Brad. I’m here for my appointment with Dr. Owens. I’m a little late, sorry about that.” Jonathan said, still sheepish but his tone was sweet and polite.
It made it slightly easier for Steve to smile towards the guard, the familiarity from Jonathan easing his nerves a bit. The militaristic nature of this lab still had him on his toes however...
“Name and identification?” The guard said blanky to Jonathan.
“Jonathan Byers…and…” Jonathan quickly glances at Steve and back at the guard nervously.
Steve was expecting Jonathan to pull out a wallet to get his ID, maybe a name badge. So when Jonathan rolled up the sleeve of his flannel and held out his wrist for the guard to see. It had his mind racing, wondering what he just signed himself up for answering that call.
He stared at the small tattoo across Jonathan’s wrist. In black ink the numbers 022 were etched into his skin. It was very small, no wonder he never noticed it at school. He also was just never looking at his wrists, so it made sense he only now noticed it.
He tried to hide his shock at the situation, but his expression definitely faltered looking at the tattoo. Whatever type of doctor this Dr. Owens was is not your usual family medicine practitioner.
“Go on through, your driver is going to need to sign some paperwork, 22.” The guard backed away, speaking into his radio.
The guard continued into the radio, “We have a guest. Steve Harrington and 22 are on their way in.”
Steve watched as the barrier lifted, only driving forward once the guard waved him through.
Another thing stuck out to him…how did the guard know his name?
“Ok… I was not expecting that for a doctor's appointment.” he laughed nervously, glancing at Jonathan.
Jonathan stayed silent, shame plastered across his face. He quickly pulled his sleeve down to hide the tattoo. Steve eventually found a parking spot close to the entrance and parked.
“Hey, so is there anything else that I should know about before we go in? Any more armed security I should worry about?” Steve asked, looking at Jonathan.
Jonathan’s eyes darted from the entrance to the lab and back to Steve. Jonathan then sighed, looking directly at him.
“You’ll have to stay the whole time…and probably sign a bunch of paperwork. They are just super careful about this whole…thing.” Jonathan says.
“It’s fine, it's fine.” Steve tried to hide his slight annoyance by his whole afternoon being stripped away.
He continued, “Jeez, Byers, didn’t realize how famous you were. Armed security for your appointments, you even have a code name. What did he call you? 22? That’s some superhero shit.” Steve chuckled to himself, almost trying to lighten the mood.
Jonathan let out a breathy laugh with a slight smile.
“If only you knew, Harrington.”
***
“Sign here, here, and here. Then, on this packet, sign here and here. Answer all questions as well.” The receptionist said to Steve blankly.
Jonathan was already escorted away by a short, fat man with a white coat and a few people who could’ve been nurses. It was quick; Steve didn’t even get to say anything to Jonathan before he got whisked away.
All he saw was Jonathan turn back and give him a nervous stare. The way his eyes widened and his hands seemed to slightly shake as he went down the hall. Something about seeing Jonathan like that, almost made him feel…alert. Like he should’ve been asking more questions about what the hell was happening.
The receptionist cleared her throat, snapping Steve back to reality, he didn’t even realize he was staring off towards the hall.
“Sorry. Uh, I’ve already signed a bunch of paperwork when Byers was found. What is this for?” Steve asked the receptionist, who stared at him with a mildly annoyed look on her face.
“It’s another non-disclosure agreement. Anything you see here or have already seen will not be discussed with the general public or reporters.
Especially the press. Also, this now authorizes you to bring 22 in for any future appointments.” The lady handed Steve the paperwork on a clipboard and a pen. She gestured towards the chairs in the lobby before turning away.
“Got it, thanks,” Steve said half-heartedly.
He walked over to a pair of chairs and sat down. He looked around the lobby, but no one else was there. He assumed they probably don’t have many patients at the Hawkins Lab. He watched as more men in white lab coats walked down the hallway, talking in hushed voices.
Steve remembered what Jonathan told him in the car before they walked in. “If only you knew Harrington”, maybe this was some superhero shit.
He huffed as he slipped through the paperwork, he glanced back down the hall Jonathan went down. Why me? Is there really no one else he could call about this?... If he was the next call after Nancy didn’t pick up, maybe Jonathan really did need another person in his court. Someone who does know where he was for that week when he vanished, who knows the truth.
He clicked the pen and started to sign the paperwork, signing for a guy who barely had anyone else.
***
Jonathan knew the routine by now; it always started as a normal doctor's visit. Jonathan sat on a hospital bed in what looked like a normal hospital room while nurses and assistants collected what they needed.
Vitals checked, X-rays, and blood tests. Jonathan’s usual ailments that have affected him since he came back from the Upside Down were discussed. An on-and-off headache, a horrible cough, random panic attacks, and, of course, the newfound ability to move objects with his mind.
When the nurse left the room after getting all the information she needed, Jonathan's thoughts drifted back to the night he discovered his strange ability. The way Jonathan discovered he could move objects was not normal…or very cool.
He was lying in bed one night, and he had just woken up from a nightmare. He doesn’t remember much of the nightmare, but it was scary enough that he was paralyzed in his bed. He was staring at the glass of water on his nightstand, trying to distract his mind.
He really focused on the glass. He imagined what type of lens would best capture the way it looked, if any photo could capture the way the light bounces off the glass. Something he did before for fun, wondering how to photograph certain objects, became a rather good coping mechanism for him when he needed to ground himself.
That’s when he noticed a strange feeling. The more he focused on the glass, the more pressure he would feel in his head. As if a magnet was trying to escape his head and connect with the glass in front of him.
He then thought about how thirsty he was, and if he wasn’t so scared, he would get up and grab the glass. It was as if the magnet in his head heard the thought; the glass shifted forward, causing a surge of pain in his head. It moved forward and fell to the ground.
Jonathan thought he was dreaming again, and that's when he felt the blood trickle down from his nose.
“You're a bit late today.” Dr. Owens entered the room, sitting down on a chair in front of the hospital bed, snapping him out of his memory. He had an amused smile on his face, Jonathan realized he was way too nervous about being late.
“Oh, yeah, I had some car troubles on the way here.” He mumbled.
“Don’t worry, we know. I already sent a team to get your car towed back to your house.” Dr. Owens said with a slight smile.
Jonathan should be more surprised at the constant surveillance, but at this point, it was so normal that all he did was nod and say a quiet thank you.
“We have our usual tests today. Plus a new test to try. Really, we are trying to get a scope on these abilities. So, let’s get started.” Dr. Owens said with a certain calmness that always surprised Jonathan. He wondered what Dr. Owens has seen if this is how he acted about Jonathan’s case.
Dr. Owens then stood up and walked to the doorway, gesturing for him to follow. Dr. Owens led the way down a white tiled hallway where there was an elevator at the very end. The Hawkins Laboratory always gave Jonathan the creeps.
The sound of the fluorescent lights, the coldness that always seemed to stay, and the smell of disinfectant lingering in the air. When they entered the elevator, the silence felt heavy. He never talked unless prompted to, that's how he was always.
Though, usually, Dr. Owens asks about school, his photography, or really anything. This time, he stayed silent.
He glanced at Dr. Owens. Jonathan saw that he had his lips pursed and he had a furrowed, worried look on his brow. Something was different today. He could already feel that pressure in his head grow stronger as they left the elevator entering the new floor.
Dr. Owens walked to the first room on the left and opened the door to the grey room. The room contained only a table with two chairs and an EEG machine. There was a cart to the side of the EEG, holding a box of tissues, 3 metal blocks, and a clipboard.
He sat down on one side of the table while Dr. Owens connected him to the EEG. He always tensed up when he did, the feeling of the sticky pads on his head drove him crazy. He also hated how it pulled at his hair, he always did have a sensitive head.
Dr. Owens then grabbed the metal blocks and the tissues from the cart, placing them in front of Jonathan. He then grabbed the clipboard, sitting down across from Jonathan as he clicked his pen and wrote something down.
“Just like always, one block at a time. Forward, backwards, then try to levitate it.” Dr. Owens said.
Jonathan just nodded, then did each step with the first block easily. The first block used to be a struggle. Now, it barely caused any pressure in his head. Jonathan was now able to spin the small block slowly while he levitated it in the air.
“Well, now you're just showing off! Next block now.” Dr. Owens said as he wrote something down on his clipboard, an amused smile on his face.
Hearing that made Jonathan feel a bit proud of himself, he even found himself smirking. He floated the small block down, and that magnetic feeling in his head disconnected from it. He grabbed a tissue to wipe the blood away from his nose and kept the tissue in his hand, knowing he would need it later.
Jonathan was also able to do the medium-sized block with similar ease. Pushing it forward and backward was the easy part; levitating it was slightly harder. He could feel the blood drip from his right nostril as it rose to eye height. The pressure in his head more intense than before. He lowered the block, then wiped his nose again.
“Much better than before. Now, last time you were only able to push the big block, let's do more this time, huh?” Dr. Owens said while jotting down more notes on his clipboard.
He nodded, weirdly wanting the approval of Dr. Owens.
Jonathan stared and focused on the large block. It felt as if his head was going to explode as he pushed the big block back and forth. You could hear it scraping across the table. Then he centered the block back to its original spot.
Something shifted within his head. The pressure was almost unbearable; he could feel the blood start to drip from both his nostrils. It was almost as if the room cleared, and it was just him and the block. The only thing he could see was the block, the only thing he could perceive was the block. That's when he felt the connection snap into place on his head; he started to slowly levitate the block.
“Whoa…” Dr. Owens said in a worried surprise.
Jonathan snapped out of whatever trance he was in, the block crashing down to the table. The loud crash rang throughout the room. Jonathan looked down at the table, saw the puddle of blood collect, he grabbed more tissues, wiped his nose, and then wiped the table.
A shame rang throughout his body, hearing that tone come from Dr. Owens. The loudness of the block also had his heart racing, did he do something wrong?
“Were you able to see when you did that?” Dr. Owens asked, a concerned look spread across his face as he stared at Jonathan.
“What do you mean? I was staring at the block the whole time…yeah, I could see.” Jonathan said, perplexed about why he was asking that.
Dr. Owens stared at Jonathan a bit. He couldn’t tell if Dr. Owens was worried or scared. Dr. Owens then nodded, jotting down something fast on his clipboard.
“I’ll be right back, Jonathan. Then, it's time to start our new test.” Dr. Owens seemed hesitant as he stood up with the clipboard and walked out of the room.
He threw a cautious glance towards Jonathan before closing the door behind him.
Jonathan looked around and then stared at the mirror on the wall that was at the side of the room. He always knew it was one of those mirrors that allowed the scientist to observe him and Dr. Owens. He eventually looked away and down at the table, just waiting till Dr. Owens came back.
It took a bit, almost 5 minutes, for Dr. Owens to come back into the room. When he returned he had two items in his hand. One looked like a radio, while the other was a blind fold. Dr. Owens then moved the blocks to the side and sat across from him. He placed the items in front of Jonathan, then pulled out his clipboard.
Jonathan was about to ask what was going on, if he did something wrong with the block test, but Dr. Owens spoke up before he could.
“I want you to focus on someone, Jonathan, it can be anyone, but make sure it's someone you know. I’m going to turn this radio on, it’s going to play static. Tell me when you have the person in mind.” Dr. Owens then pressed a button on the radio, static started to play from it.
Jonathan sat there, he paused. He wanted to ask why, but he was already thrown off by the sudden disappearance. Also…he just wanted this all to be over with. So, he closed his eyes, wondering who he should focus on.
At first, he was trying to think about Nancy, but his mind kept wandering, thinking about how Steve had been waiting for him this whole time. He eventually gave in to his mind and focused on Steve.
“I have a person,” Jonathan muttered.
“Good, do you know where this person is right now?”
“Yeah, he is in the waiting room…it’s uh, Harrington.”
“Ok, Jonathan, I want you to really focus on that. Visualize this as if you were there with him. Specifically, him, not the room he is in, just him. If you can’t focus just with your eyes closed, you can use the blindfold.” Dr. Owens said.
Jonathan sat there visualizing Steve. His hair, his face, the outfit he was wearing. Jonathan at first felt weird, but he was asked to do this. It was honestly easier than he expected, he chalked it up to the fact that Steve was just an easy guy to visualize.
As he focused more on Steve, a pressure in his head grew as if he were trying to control an object. The static melded, and all of a sudden, Jonathan was in the waiting room staring at Steve Harrington.
He was shocked at first, then heard Dr. Owens slightly in his head, asking.
“What’s going on, Jonathan?” Jonathan looked around and didn’t see Dr. Owens anywhere. He still decided to respond.
“I’m…I am in the waiting room…Did I teleport? Where are you?” Jonathan could hear Dr. Owens chuckle.
“No, you did not teleport. You are actually still in the same room, well, at least physically.” Jonathan stayed silent.
He was standing right in front of Steve Harrington, but Steve couldn’t see him or hear him. He got up closer to Steve, but his feet felt like lead. Heavy and hard to move, it also caused spikes of pain in his head.
“Tell me, Jonathan, what is Harrington doing right now?” Dr. Owens asked.
He watched as Steve was lazily flipping through a sports magazine.
“Reading…magazine.” Jonathan could barely get the words out now, the room around him became blurry, his head was starting to pound.
“He looks bored…” Jonathan muttered.
“Jonathan, can you tell me what else is happening around Steve?” Dr. Owens questioned.
Jonathan glanced around. He saw the receptionist writing something idly in a flipped open file. Two men in white coats suddenly appeared, he watched as Steve glanced up at them. However as soon as Steve focused back on the magazine, the two men disappeared. The rest of the place seemed blurry too, like it was out of focus.
“Receptionist typing, man white coat walking. Rest blurry.” That's all Jonathan could stutter out.
“Ok, Jonathan, I think that is enough for today.” Dr. Owens sternly said.
All of a sudden, he can feel the slight shake from Dr. Owens. He snapped out of the waiting room and is back in the cold, grey room. It felt like his head was on a spinner, an uneasiness settled in his chest. His limbs felt heavy. He could barely focus now, he stared at the table till his head stopped spinning.
“Jonathan, you alright?” Dr. Owens asked.
He looked up at the doctor. His head finally felt a bit better, well, it didn’t feel like he was spinning anymore. He opened his mouth to say something, but even his jaw felt too weak to move. So he just nodded.
Dr. Owens handed him another tissue, allowing him to wipe away another bloody nose. He felt drained and hunger took over his mind. He needed to eat, and take something for this headache.
“Let's get you back to the hospital room.” Dr. Owens said.
Jonathan slowly got up, refusing any help from Dr. Owens. He was barely present as Dr. Owens led him back to the hospital room.
They finally got back, and he sat on the hospital bed. A nurse brought him a juice box and a sandwich.
“Wait here, eat. I’ll be back to walk you out and schedule your next visit.” Dr. Owens said, a smile on his face as if nothing just happened.
He just nodded as Dr. Owens walked out of the room, not being able to do much else. He lazily bit into the sandwich, slowly chewing, the pain in his head starting to ease.
***
As Dr. Owens slowly walks to the waiting room, the only name entering his mind is Henry Kreel. Jonathan Byers is exhibiting the same types of powers and abilities as Henry Kreel, even in how they perform the abilities.
Given…the powers were not exact, it was still similar enough to have him worried. When Jonathan went into the trance to lift the block, and when he was projecting to watch Harrington, Jonathan’s eyes rolled back into the back of his head. Just like 001.
Dr. Owens cannot have another incident like Henry; it was already bad enough that Jonathan reminded him of Henry. How they act, talk, their mistreatment by peers. It felt like history was repeating itself right in front of his eyes.
Dr. Owens will not let Jonathan Byers become the new Henry Kreel. What on earth did Jonathan come in contact with in this different dimension, or who? That was an issue for later, right now, Dr. Owens needs to ensure that he will not go down the same dark path.
Part of that solution was in the waiting room.
***
“Steve Harrington.”
Steve looked up from the sports magazine at the stern voice that was now calling him.
He saw the man who whisked away Jonathan earlier standing in front of him, his face matched his stern voice. Though, he recognized a slight worry in the man's eye. Steve put the magazine down and stood up.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Owens. If you could follow me, we need to talk, Harrington.” Dr. Owens stated as he turned and started walking towards a hallway away from the waiting room.
Steve looked around the lobby once more before he followed Dr. Owens. Once they were far enough away from people, Dr. Owens turned and looked at him.
“How well do you know Jonathan?” Dr. Owens asked.
He was a bit confused by the question, thinking this was going to possibly be a different talk. A talk about who he was, and why he was here, Dr. Owens didn’t seem to care about that right now.
“Oh, um, Byers…Well, not much. I know him, but we aren’t close.” Steve sputtered out.
“I don’t think it would come as a surprise to you that we already know lots about you?” Dr. Owens said, an almost humorous look on his face.
Steve’s eyes widened, he glanced around, was he being threatened? He hesitated, but nodded.
Dr. Owens continued, “Look, Harrington, I need you to keep an eye on Jonathan. There is something much deeper going on with that boy. Trust me. We’ll know if you don’t listen to me.” Dr. Owens said as he grabbed a new stack of papers out of his white coat and handed it to Steve.
“Sign these and take them to the receptionist up front.” Dr. Owens commanded, he then walked away while grabbing a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.
He watched as Dr. Owens disappeared down the hall. He felt stunned, he always knew something was up with Jonathan, he just didn’t think he would get more involved. Why would he be assigned to watch Jonathan?
Steve looked down at the papers Dr. Owens handed him, groaning at the sight of more paperwork but signed it anyway. He walked back to the waiting room, handing the new stack of paperwork to the receptionist. The receptionist glanced at the paperwork, then set it in a file, she had next to her.
“22, he should be out soon.” The receptionist replied, seeming not to care.
He just walked away, she obviously did not care about polite goodbyes.
Before he could sit down again, Dr. Owens came walking into the waiting room with Jonathan.
Jonathan was hunched over, sipping on a juice box. He looked tired. His eyes were drooping, and he stumbled over his feet slightly. Dr. Owens placed a hand on Jonathan's back as they walked, speaking quietly to him.
It felt wrong seeing this side of Jonathan. Jonathan and he weren’t close, he wasn’t lying to Dr. Owens about that. Seeing Jonathan weak and stumbling over himself felt like a breach of privacy. Dr. Owens and Jonathan paused, just out of ear shot from him. Dr. Owens said some words to Jonathan, then looked up at Steve and slightly waved.
Dr. Owens then walked back into the Laboratory. Jonathan looked at him and seemed slightly embarrassed, as if realizing now how pathetic he looked with the juicebox in his hand. Jonathan walked slowly over to Steve while throwing a juice box away in a trash can.
“You ready? You look beat.” Steve said to Jonathan, trying to keep the tone light.
“Yeah, let's just get out of here,” Jonathan said quietly while slurring his words.
Whatever they did to Jonathan was intense, he couldn’t think of a doctor's appointment that had him stumbling like a drunk.
They both walked out of the Laboratory together, heading towards Steve's car. He was slightly behind Jonathan, watching him walk, giving him space. Jonathan was watching his feet as if making sure the ground was still there with every step. Then he watched as Jonathan started to sway slowly to the side…very much to the side…
Oh shit, he’s going to fall!
Instinctively, Steve quickly caught Jonathan. He wrapped an arm tightly around his waist as Jonathan’s hand quickly grabbed onto Steve’s shoulder. He thought Jonathan had fainted because he didn’t move at first; he was just staring down at the ground.
“Jona–Byers!? Hey man, are you ok?” Steve worried.
He could feel Jonathan's ribcage expand with a breath against his finger. He could feel Jonathan's finger tighten around his shoulder. The movements brought a heat to Steve’s face as he realized just how close they were. Jonathan's head snapped up, and he looked at Steve. Jonathan tried to step away from Steve’s grasp, but Steve held onto him tighter, pulling him even closer.
“I’m not having you crash on me, Byers. Let’s get you to the car.” Steve ignored the quiet protest that a weak Jonathan was starting to give him and dragged Jonathan to the car.
He felt something stir in his chest, he had no idea why; he was just trying to help him. He helped Jonathan into his car, softly closing the passenger door, then got into the car himself.
“Are you like this after every appointment?” Steve asked, truly concerned, now thinking about all the times Jonathan drove to these himself.
Jonathan looked down, not being able to maintain eye contact.
“No, today was different. I’m sorry about all this.” Jonathan murmured.
“Don’t apologize, really. I’m happy I was here to help you. Who knows if you would’ve even been ok to drive? They should really have warned you, y’know? I can’t believe they…” Steve stopped as he saw Jonathan look up and stare at him, with a slight smile on his lips.
“I didn’t realize how concerned you were about me,” Jonathan said again with a slight slur in his speech.
Jonathan chuckled to himself as Steve’s eyes got wide. He then shook his head and started the car. Reminding himself who was sitting in his passenger seat.
“Let’s get you home, Byers,” he said flatly, shutting down the feeling starting to arise within his chest.
***
They were stopped at a red light. Steve glanced at Jonathan, who seemed to be doing better. He kept glancing towards him, he told himself it was because he was worried. Though, he was actually wondering why he was so concerned…or why feeling Jonathan’s waist made his face feel like it was on fire.
That's when he heard the rev of a loud, crisp engine.
Steve looked beside him and saw a 79’ Chevy Camaro. In it, he saw the driver, a guy with a curly mullet, with a little red-headed girl as a passenger. He revved his engine one more time with a smirk when Steve saw him. Jonathan noticed too, sitting up to look.
“Who’s that?” Jonathan asked.
Steve stayed silent and revved his engine back, recognizing the secret language this guy was displaying. He watched as the red-headed girl turned to the boy, speaking frantically, she knew what was about to happen.
“Hey, Byers? Have you ever been in a streetrace before?” Steve said while still looking at the boy in the Camaro.
“Harrington, I don’t think that’s a good–” Before Jonathan could finish his sentence. The Camaro went speeding off with a screech of its tires.
Steve quickly shifted gears and zoomed forward as well, his heart pumping now. Steve’s eyes remained on the road while swiftly flicking to the Camaro. The Camaro was barely in front of Steve now. Pressing his gas pedal as hard as he could, he eventually got beside the Camaro again.
They were flying down the road, that familiar gravity defying feeling in his chest was sky high. He couldn’t help the smile starting to grow on his face as he got ahead and swerved into the Camaro's lane in front of him. The rev of the Camaro sounded like an angry bull behind them.
“Harrington! Are you trying to get us killed?!” Jonathan yelled, but Steve didn’t listen.
He ignored Jonathan and was focused on his review mirror, looking at the Camaro. What is this guy's problem? Steve thought to himself. Streetracers, while speeddemons and reckless, usually showed some sign of respect for an obviously finished race.
This guy though, he was aggressive.
Steve watched as the Camaro swerved to the left, into the lane of oncoming traffic. The road was empty, but at the speeds they were going, if a car appeared, the Camaro would barely have time to swerve back into the proper lane. The Camaro got leveled with Steve’s car again. Steve looked at them and saw the red-headed girl hiding her face in her hands. The driver smiled a sadistic grin at Steve as he tried to swerve his Camaro into Steve’s Beamer.
“Whoa!” was all Steve said as he swerved slightly to avoid the Camaro.
The Camaro surged ahead and merged back into Steve’s lane.
We wanna play like that? Oh we can play like that!
Steve decided to take a cue from the Camaro and entered the lane of oncoming traffic.
“We are going to die if you try to catch up with him!” Jonathan was frantic, his full body turned towards Steve.
“I got this! Watch the Hawkins King Streetracer protect his title!” Steve yelled with an adrenaline-filled excitement.
Steve shifted gears again, drifting slightly as they caught a curve. They were neck and neck again with the Camaro. This time, Jonathan looked at the driver. The driver smirked at him, smugly knowing what was about to happen. Jonathan saw the car the same time he did. Headlights were coming towards them.
“Harrington! There’s a car!” Jonathan yelped.
“I know!!”
Steve watched as the headlights got closer and closer. I can make it, Steve thought over and over to himself. The Camaro surged forward a tiny bit, getting slightly ahead.
“We are not going to make it!” Jonathan yelled, the approaching headlights got closer and closer.
Steve felt the panic; the Camaro wasn’t ahead enough to swerve back into the lane. They could see the car fully now; it was about to hit them. Before Steve could react, he saw from the corner of his eye Jonathan throw both his arms out.
It was as if time slowed down. Steve saw the car that was about to hit them leap into the air and be thrown above them. The Camaro quickly turned off the street and sped away. The car that was being thrown landed behind Steve’s beamer.
Steve slammed his breaks, halting to a stop. They skirted to the side and were stopped in the middle of the road. Steve’s eyes glued to the car that just flew above them.
“Harrington! Drive! We have to get out of here!” Jonathan yelled at him, and Steve finally turned to look at Jonathan.
Steve watched as the blood started to trickle from Jonathan's nose. That’s when he remembered the little girl with the 11 tattoo that helped them last year. The girl who, when she used her powers, would get a bloody nose. The dots finally connected in Steve’s head.
Jonathan Byers has powers.