It’s not that Jonathan doesn’t trust Nancy. God, he knows her better than that. He knows Nancy Wheeler would never look at another man that way. She’s loyal to her core, painfully honest, steady even when things fall apart. Jonathan trusts that. He trusts her.
But everything changes when it comes to Steve Harrington.
Oh—when it’s Steve, nothing is simple.
Ever since they came back from California to Hawkins, there’s been this unspoken tension between Jonathan and Steve. Thick. Constant. A rivalry that neither of them ever openly acknowledged, but both of them felt. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t obvious—but it was there, in every lingering glance, every unnecessary comment, every time Steve stepped in like he still had something to prove.
A competition Jonathan never asked for. One he was completely sick of.
So sick of it that more than once, the thought of punching Steve right in the face crossed his mind with alarming clarity.
And then came the Upside Down.
The heavy air. The impossible sky. The constant feeling that something was watching them, waiting. Everyone was on edge, exhausted, running on pure adrenaline. And that’s when it happened.
Nancy sided with Steve.
It wasn’t a big moment. Not dramatic. No lingering look, no hidden meaning. Just a simple comment—logical, quick—spoken aloud while they were arguing about the plan.
But for Jonathan… it was enough.
On the outside, he said nothing. On the outside, he kept walking, gripping his weapon, breathing like everything was fine. On the inside, something snapped.
And you—his best friend, the one who can read him even when he tries to hide it—noticed immediately.
While Steve, Nancy, and Dustin continued talking through the plan, pointing directions and tossing around ideas, Jonathan slowed down. Drifted away from them without realizing it. He ended up next to you, almost instinctively, like his body knew he needed somewhere safe to unload before he lost it.
Of course… he started complaining.
“She agreed with him,” Jonathan said suddenly, disbelief thick in his voice as he paced back and forth, dragging a hand roughly through his hair. “Did you hear that? With him. She agreed with Steve.”
Dark dust kicked up under his boots as he walked.
“It’s always the same,” he continued, frustration bleeding through every word. “He always has something to say. Always has to be there—like he still matters. Like he’s still… relevant.”
You opened your mouth to answer, but he didn’t give you the chance.
You didn’t expect him to suddenly step closer and grab your arm, shaking it lightly—not aggressive, just desperate—still caught up in his rant, needing to be heard.
“You know what the worst part is?” he said, lowering his voice, eyes burning with conflicted emotion. “I know it doesn’t mean anything. I know Nancy didn’t mean it like that. I know that.”
He finally stopped pacing, standing right in front of you now, shoulders tense, jaw clenched.
“But it still gets to me,” he admitted. “More than it should.”
For a moment, neither of you spoke. The distant, unsettling sounds of the Upside Down filled the silence.
Jonathan wasn’t jealous of Nancy. He was tired of being compared. Tired of Steve Harrington still feeling like a shadow he couldn’t escape.
And you were right there, carrying the weight of his words—before the world demanded, once again, that all of you move forward.