More Than a One Time Thing (Harringrove)

Normal

It was that following Monday when Steve finally ended it with Nancy. Him and Billy both woke up early for school as the weekend sadly ended. Things had been so playful that morning as they did their hair together in Steve's big bathroom. Billy wrapped his arms around him and kissed him, and then Steve did the same to him.

The mood changed though as they walked outside and to their cars. Billy's blue eyes filled with seriousness as he said his next words, and it let Steve know that it was now or never.

"It has to be today, Steve. I wanna keep having weekends and mornings with you, but in order to do that.. it has to be today. I'll see you at school." Steve took Billy's words to heart as he pulled up at Nancy's house. She got into the passenger side and she did not look well. In fact, she looked sad, which made it all so much harder. 

"Nancy, there's something we have to talk about." Steve sighed as he looked her. She tucked her curls behind her ear and nodded.

"Yes we do." Nancy said as she looked up at him. Steve took in a deep breath and thought about how he could say the words that he needed to say but his mind drew a blank. All he knew was something needed to be said or he wouldn't get what he truly wanted. So when he opened his mouth, nothing could stop what escaped from it.

"I cheated."

Silence filled the car as they both gave each other wide eyed glances. The words were spoken at the same exact time by both of them, and it almost didn't make any sense but then it made all the sense in the world. Strangely enough they both burst out into laughter, amused by the situation they both found themselves in.

"I cheated on you with our best friend, Jonathan." Nancy said through another laugh. Steve chortled at the thought of Jonathan and Nancy together but it made so much sense that it made him laugh harder.

"Yeah, well, I cheated on you with a guy." They were practically wheezing after that. When they finally calmed a tense silence filled the air around them. Where there was once wheezing from laughter, it was soon replaced with light sobbing.

"I love him, Steve. I've always loved him. And I love you but just.. not in the same way as Jonathan." Steve took her hand as she cried and nodded in understanding. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Anyway," She sighed as she wiped her tears away. "Tell me about your guy?" She asked with a smile, because before they started dating, they were best friends. It seemed she was trying to get back to that point, and Steve was all for it.

And so he told her all about his guy, how he pissed Steve off to no end but still made him feel a love he didn't know could exist. She smiled through it all and squeezed his hand as he spoke, giving him the support he never thought he'd get.

"So you're.. hm," Nancy pulled her hand away from Steve as she tried to find the word, but once she found it she looked back at him with a smile, "You're bisexual?" He blinked at the sound of the word, confusion laced in his features. Nancy explained that it's a term people use when they're attracted to both sexes.

"Didn't know there was a word for it." Steve admitted once he finally started the car. They were gonna be late but it was worth it.

"Not many people do. Especially here. It took Barb awhile before she found it out." She said the name with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "We were eleven when she told me she liked both. She found the word for it years later in the town library, called me as soon as she got home. She had been so happy to find that." Nancy stared out the window as they drove and Steve felt the bad feeling again.

He tended to forget that growing up Nancy had another life that didn't revolve around him and Jonathan. He and Byers didn't hang around Barb, but he wished they did, he wished he got to know her. But they didn't, he didn't, and so Barb was just the girl who got taken at his party, at his house. He knew he'd probably always feel guilty about that.

"Is it too soon to ask if we can go on a double date?" Nancy asked, probably to change the subject. Steve laughed and shook his head at her. He was glad they could still be friends and have it be normal.

It wouldn't be normal anymore though, Steve realized once he pulled into the parking lot and saw Billy leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette. He wanted to walk up to him and just kiss him just like he would had done with Nancy, but he couldn't. In a way they'd still have to be a secret, but Steve didn't care as long the people that actually mattered knew.

And frankly they didn't have to show off their love for it be real. It just would be nice is all.

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