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The weather had turned atrocious during the card game, and Nancy's mom’s car was firmly stuck in the snow. She winced at the feel of the icy flakes hitting her bare cheeks as they stepped outside.
“You up for a little stroll?” Asked Jonathan with a grin, his mood markedly improved since she'd first found him outside hours ago.
“Sure. It’s only a couple of blocks, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Come on,” he said, taking her gloved hand in his.
“Are you in a hurry?” She teased. She’d been dying to see him for weeks now, and was at least just as anxious to spend time alone as he was.
Releasing her hand, he transferred his hands to her butt before lifting her off the ground to kiss her. His lips moved against hers, demanding a deeper connection. Sighing happily, she obliged, taking his face between her hands.
"I love you so much," he murmured. "But right now, I can't think about anything else but getting you under me," he admitted boldly. Chuckling, Nancy cocked an eyebrow. Her sweet Jonathan, talking dirty? She'd been trying to convince him to do that over the phone for months now, but it hadn't worked. He let loose so rarely, and she did get that there was a bigger chance of someone overhearing him than there was of anyone catching her doing it in the privacy of her own bedroom.
"Really? Does that mean you've been good boy like we talked about at New Year's?" She asked, already knowing the answer. If Jonathan made a promise, he stuck to it.
"It's been a challenge," he exhaled, smiling against her mouth, his eyes closed.
"It was supposed to be."
"Did you stick to it?"
Biting her lip, she considered teasing him a little more. "You'll have to find out when we get to the room," she quipped, wiggling out of his arms and taking off on a run in the direction of the inn, the howling wind nearly swallowing Jonathan's frustrated growl.
Well, trying to take off on a run would've been more exact, as she ended up tripping in her winter boots in the calf-deep snow and falling on her face.
Jonathan was by her side in an instant, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her up.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes scanning her for injuries.
For the first time in weeks, she let out an honest laugh. Embracing him, she nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine. Taking a tumble in the snow's nothing."
If it weren't for the need growling deep in her gut, she could've stayed there forever, in the snow, tightly held by Jonathan. That was what she'd been dreaming of for so many nights now.
"I can carry you the rest of the way if you're too exhausted," he suggested.
"I'm not tired, just don't want to let go of you."
Slowly, he rose from the ground, holding her against his chest. "You don't have to."
***
Daydream Inn
What a fitting name. It didn't look any worse than the place they'd stayed at during their trip to see Murray Bauman, but as Jonathan attempted to pull the front door open, it wouldn't budge.
"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned, joining Jonathan in scooping snow away from the door.
"I know," he chuckled. "It's almost as if even the forces of nature are working against us tonight," he continued, removing a glove to clean the bottom hinge.
"Let's try the door again," she coaxed.
"Look who's in a hurry now," he laughed, pulling on the door again. It budged this time, creating a crack that the two of them could easily fit through.
The lobby was empty aside from a bespectacled old man behind the counter, who was eyeing them suspiciously.
"Hi," she began, flashing a polite smile.
"Hello," greeted the man.
"We'd like a room. Single," emphasized Jonathan. Slipping an arm around his, she couldn't help but remember their last time dealing with motel staff, that time insisting on a double room.
"We don't have any rooms with double beds left," replied the man.
"Okay, how about a room with two beds then?"
"They're all occupied as well, Miss."
“You have nothing available?” She asked, unwilling to believe that her romantic night with Jonathan was being ruined.
The clerk eyed them. “Nothing to fit two people.”
When she turned to look at Jonathan, his arm around her waist tightened. “I don’t mind,” he said.
Good, they were on the same page then. At this point she’d spend the night with him in a closet if she had to.
“We’ll take a room meant for one person, in that case.”
“Suit yourselves," shrugged the old man.
"Thank you, we really appreciate this," she replied brightly, digging out her wallet. Jonathan had pulled out his as well, but she shook her head at him. "You're not paying for this," she said.
"Nancy-"
"It's okay. I've got it, and your mom gave me the rest."
As his eyes widened, she realized that had been the wrong thing to say. Pulling him aside by the sleeve of his coat, she slid a hand behind his neck, forcing him to look at her.
"Hey. Hey. Look at me, Jonathan. Your mom wanted you to have this. Let's not feel bad about it tonight, okay? I know you're thinking way too much right now," she told him gently, stroking his cheek to soothe him. She'd felt kind of bad taking money from Joyce Byers, but she was a grown woman who was allowed to make her own decisions, even if they made Jonathan feel guilty. And she'd only wanted to make Jonathan feel better, so how could she have refused the money? Nancy had no idea what Jonathan had said to his mom before leaving the apartment, apparently depressed and huffing in anger, but it had clearly struck both of them hard.
"I know. I just- I never take money from her."
"Yeah, which is why she demanded I take it," she answered.
He nodded, the wallet disappearing back into the pocket of his jeans. Pecking his lips quickly, she returned to the reception to hand over the money.
It turned out that the room really wasn’t much bigger than a closet, only a bed and a tiny bedside table fitting in comfortably with the bed placed against the back wall. If there was an upside to this, at least she’d get to keep him close to her that night.
She spun around to face Jonathan, but he caught her, pushing her against the door before finally finding her mouth with his. She did her best to burrow close to him, but there were too many layers of clothing between them, so she started by pushing his coat off his shoulders.
Jonathan picked her up, laying her on the narrow bed before settling on top of her. She moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Jesus," he sighed, his face buried against the crook of her neck.
"What?" She asked.
"Feels so good..."
"Hmmmm, already?"
"Yeah," he replied, shivering as her hands found their way underneath his sweater and t-shirt, running up and down his back.
"So, would you mind if I did this?" She voiced coyly, pushing him off of her only enough to open his jeans and shove her hand inside to stroke him.
"Nancy-"
"Do you want me to stop?"
"God, no, Nancy."
"Hold on."
With Jonathan's eyes following her every move, Nancy raised her hips and pushed her jeans, along with her panties, down. When she spied him lick his lips, she groaned. Six weeks was way too long, but this would be well worth the wait.
His fingers moved south from her hip, dipping between her legs. She knew she was soaking wet already, and the look on Jonathan’s face confirmed it.
“Can you tell that I kept my promise?” She smirked.
His response was mute, a simple nod and as he drew in gulp of air.
“But I still thought about you before I went to bed. Every night,” she gasped as his fingers delved deeper into her, caressing her agonizingly slowly and gently.
It was true she'd thought about him while lying in bed at night. Him filling her was only one of her fantasies. She also yearned to have his mouth between her legs, as well as his fingers inside of her, again. Deprived of Jonathan's touch, she'd almost gone insane.
”I thought about you too,” he whispered huskily.
”Mmmm, I believe you.”
”You’re so wet,” he said, as if surprised.
”I need you,” she panted.
Groaning, he pulled his fingers from her folds before settling between her legs. His hard cock nudged at her opening, teasing her.
”Jonathan... Come on,” she whined.
Grunting, he slid his hands underneath her buttocks and lifted her, burying himself in her.
That was the first time they felt one of the legs of the bed hit the wooden floor very loudly. Jonathan stopped in his tracks.
”Shit, the floor must be uneven,” he cursed with a strained voice.
”Who cares? We can look at it later if you insist,” she promised, bucking against him.
”The noise is gonna be awful,” he panted, pulling out of her only to plunge in again.
”Who cares?”
”Nobody.”
”That’s right. Now, but about you focus on me?"
"I love you," he moaned.
"I love you, too," she exhaled, wrapping her legs around him.
"God, I'm not going to last long," he murmured apologetically.
"We'll do this again," she panted.
"What are you planning on?"
"Enslaving you for the night," she explained, whimpering as he gently bit her earlobe. That spot was one of her weaknesses. Luckily she knew his weak spots as well.
"I look forward to it," he whispered into her ear, thrusting harder into her.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
One of the feet of the unbalanced bed smacked into the floor, over and over again.
Thwack. Thwack.
Nancy barely recognized that there was another noise emanating from the floor below them.
"Keep it down!" Someone yelled, seemingly smashing some object on the ceiling.
She squeezed his buttock, making him shudder in the way that told her he was close. Very close.
"Nancy," he groaned. "God, I-"
"It's okay," she told him, taking his face between her hands to force him to look at her in the eye as he came.
They laid side by side, both still breathing hard when it happened. It was Nancy who lost it first, bursting into hysterical giggles, and Jonathan wasn’t far behind.
”Come on, Nance, stop it!” He pleaded, tears springing out of his eyes. “This isn’t funny,” he continued.
Covering her mouth with her palm, Nancy shook her head. “We could get banned from this place,” she heaved.
"That's not funny!" He argued, still laughing as well.
"I know, it shouldn't be."
There was a knock at the door. Nancy's eyes widened. She didn't care if she got banned from this hellhole in the morning, but not now!
"I'll go," he said, kissing her cheek as he scampered off the bed to look for his pants, offering her an excellent view of his bare butt. She'd have to get her fill of it now, before having to drive back to Hawkins.
Jonathan cracked the door open.
"Listen, kids. Three clients have already complained about you, so I suggest you either go to sleep or... Do whatever it is that you want to do but quietly." Nancy recognized the voice. It was the guy from the reception.
"Uh, we'll try to keep it down, but... Are you considering throwing us out?"
"Well, I can't exactly do that, can I? Have you looked outside recently? None of us are going anywhere until the morning, at the very least."
They were snowed in? Nancy grinned. How convenient indeed.
"Right. In that case, I'll talk to you in the morning, sir," replied Jonathan, closing the door. He looked deep in thought as he jumped back on the bed, wrapping his arms around her.
"Do you think you need to call home?" She asked.
Nuzzling her neck, he nodded. "I think I probably should," he mumbled into her neck.
"I'm sure they're fine, though. You guys are prepared for losing power and such, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Can you let go of this unless you make that call?"
"Probably not."
"Well, I'm going to take a shower, and you can join me after you've talked to your mom."
"There's only one issue with that idea, Nancy."
"What would that be?"
"That I don't want to move," he answered.
"What if I promise to wash you very thoroughly when you get into the shower with me?" She suggested.
He was reaching for the phone before she could get another word out.
***
Later on, Jonathan was sound asleep on his stomach, and arm on her. She reached out to run a hand through his hair gingerly, careful not to rouse him. Granted she no longer knew exactly how he spent his days- a thought that made her heart ache- she could easily piece the truth together from his state of mind and the way he looked. He was running himself to the ground for his family.
For once in her life, she’d come across a problem she knew required more consideration that she usually had the patience for. With a wan smile, she wondered if this was what growing up was truly about. Understanding when and how to face hardships, and when to admit there was little she could do to make a difference.
Would he eventually move in with her? Would he be able to leave his family? These were selfish things to wonder, but how could she not? Maybe this was the part about growing up that Jonathan was hopefully coming to terms with. He looked calm as he slept, and she couldn’t resist the chance to drop a kiss on his shoulder blade. If she had her way, they’d spend every night like this.
She hated that the girls she hung out with weren't capable of understanding the way she felt. Straight off the bat, they'd assumed that Jonathan moving away meant that Nancy was now single. Of course she'd rectified that assumption with them, but either the gossip hadn't reached all her classmates or the guys just didn't care. David Ross had even asked her to the Valentine's Day Dance.
The telling-off she'd given him should ensure that no other unwanted invitations would be extended anytime soon. She couldn't wait to be out of that town, away from the stupid superficial friendships she was now maintaining. Doing something that would lead to big things.
College was a matter she hadn't made a final decision on. As of right now, she didn't feel like spending several years in the presence of her peers, who had little else to do but getting drunk and sleeping with as many people as possible. She, on the other hand, had little time or interest for those activities.
Back when Barb had been alive, she’d already had plans. In hindsight, they’d been the plans of an innocent child, who had no idea of what lay in hiding. Her ambitions had always existed, but becoming a reporter hadn’t been in the cards. Nor setting up a home with the boy whose brother spent most of his evenings in her family’s basement. Yet now it was a priority, something that kept her warm and sane when all and everyone else seemed to fail her.
“Why are you awake?” Jonathan asked all of a sudden, cocking his head, his voice raspy from sleep.
”Because I can finally look at you now, and I don’t want to waste the time we have.”
”In that case, I’m sorry for falling asleep on you. Nancy, I-“
She silenced him with a kiss.
”Don’t apologize. You were tired.”
”But I’m all awake now,” he reminded her, pulling her on top of him.
”Mmmm... Seems like it. Tell me something, though... What do you dream about?”
The slight shake of his head and the frown appearing between his eyes told her he was taken aback by the question.
“You mean literally or figuratively?”
“Figuratively.”
He sighed, his gaze settling on the roof before he drew her close anyway.
”I’m not sure if you’d want to hear it,” he replied quietly.
”Why? Because they have nothing to do with me?”
“I take one day at a time, Nancy. I dream that we can pay the bills on time, that I don’t have to tell Will or El that there isn’t enough grocery money for the next week. I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear...”
“No, no, it’s okay. You told me the truth, and that’s what I’ve always wanted to hear from you. But there’s something my mom told me last summer that I can’t help but think about when you say that.”
“What is it?”
“She pretty much said that when you've heard enough belittling and difficulties, you grow complacent, that you eventually stop trying.”
“You think that’s what's happening to me?”
“I think you’re way too young for it.”
“I’m a realist, Nance.”
“You didn’t use to be this way. Where have the pep talks gone?”
“Things have changed, as you know. I... I still do them for Will, and El, but I'm so tired of pretending it's all going to be okay. We came here with no jobs waiting for us, no family, no friends, no nothing. There was never a chance that this move would turn out great."
Biting her lip, Nancy realized how much Jonathan's thinking had changed. There had been no inkling of this negativity when they'd packed up his room. He'd never really wanted to go in the first place, but he hadn't voiced any of these doubts.
"Is that what you thought when you moved?"
"I didn't want to think about these things. All I knew was that my mom was adamant that we leave, and that you were the only reason I personally had to not want to move."
"I'm sorry," she replied quietly.
"No, don't be. I'm sorry I'm not with you, and for so many other things," he sighed.
"Don't ever blame yourself for this."
"It was never my idea to move, but... I have to wonder if maybe... I could've done more to make my mom feel safe, feel like we could stay. Maybe if I'd been more vocal about what I thought-about the risks-"
"Jonathan, it wouldn't have changed anything! You know what your mom's like when she decides something. She doesn't change her mind."
He nodded. "You're right. Still, I'd do some things differently if I could go back."
"I know a thing or two about regrets... One of them is that they're pointless. You can't change the past," she mused.
A kiss landed on top of her head.
“What does this mean for us? Do you think our relationship is pointless?” She asked, her voice quiet. As much as she tried to understand Jonathan, sometimes she wondered what he thought about their future, or the lack of it.
“God, no!” He exclaimed.
“But you don’t see us having a future.”
“I didn’t say that. Look, every week I think I should tell you that it’d be better if we didn’t see each other anymore, but I don’t go through with it.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re the dream I refuse to give up, unless you make that call for me," he answered.
“Jonathan-“
“I don’t know if or when it’ll work out for us, but I- I can’t give up. Not on you. I can’t always be hopeful... Hell, not really even half of the time, but as long as this is something you believe in, I promise to believe in it too," he concluded, rolling Nancy over to her back.
She'd pulled his shirt on, but now Jonathan was tugging it upward, exposing her belly and breasts. With a sigh, he closed his eyes as he lowered his cheek to her skin, rubbing it with his cheek. The stubble tickled her, making her fidget.
"Stop," she giggled.
His eyes shot open, a mischievous glint filling them.
"Really? Are you sure?" He inquired, lightly palming one of her breasts.
"You're trying to get out of a serious discussion, she tried to reply, but it came out as more of a moan. He was making it very hard for her to concentrate.
"Nope, I'm trying to enjoy my time with my girlfriend," he laughed back.
"I wish we had more of it.”
Jonathan closed his eyes. ”Me too.”
Picking up his hand, she brought it to her lips.
“One day?”
”One day.”
For now, all they had was this weekend.