Work Text:
"I'm sorry. The what is what?" Steve Harrington scratched his head, one eyebrow raised in confusion. He leaned back against the old couch they have in the WSQK radio station's lounge room, taking a sip from his lukewarm Pepsi—God awful. No soda should ever get this warm. It's sinful!
The young adults' morning was going as smoothly as the skin of a baby dolphin, until it wasn't. Robin Buckley was ready to start their daily transmission when the system went all haywire.
A quick review of the instruction manual and a call to Dustin identified their problem.
In front of the young man, Robin rolled her eyes, flicking through the pages of the radio's manual while Jonathan Byers, next to her, sorted through some of their records.
"The transmitter, Steve-o," She replied with a little smirk, showing Steve the page. "It's all crapped up. I called the maintenance folks, but the dude I talked to, Andrew... Or Aberforth, whatever, said they'll only be able to fix it later this day."
"Why?" Jonathan chimed in on the conversation, raising an eyebrow as he picked the next track—Bowie.
Robin shrugged, "Said they were 'busy'." She made air quotes, not believing what the guy said. "In the meantime... No squawks..."
"Hold up!" Steve removes his feet from the table, swiftly standing up. He frowns as Robin mentions interrupting the transmissions for the day because of this minor technical detail. "It's just the transmitter. We can fix it ourselves!" He suggests with a smirk, as if he just came up with a solution on how to take all the money from the world's billionaires and give it to the people. Steve stands proudly, putting his hand on his hips, waiting for congratulations on his idea.
Robin and Jonathan, however, share a look, snorting in unison and rolling their eyes, much to Steve's annoyance—his best friend and his boyfriend ganging up on him? Gee.
Jonathan sets the record aside and crosses his arms, leaning against the brick wall. "Steve, how do you propose we fix a radio transmitter?"
The older boy raises a finger and opens his mouth, but no sound comes out of it. He hadn't thought of that. But it can't be that hard! I mean, whenever Steve's microwave starts acting weird, he just unplugs it and plugs it back in a few times and voilà! A working microwave! Surely, a radio transmitter can't be that different from fixing a microwave.
Jonathan and Robin don't share Steve's naive optimism—or dumbassery, depending on the point of view. The duo shares another skeptical look, making Steve even more annoyed. He grumbles under his breath, slightly unhappy with his friend and boyfriend's lack of support.
"I'll just... Fix the damn thing. Can't be that hard," Steve shrugs and crosses his arms, puffing his chest arrogantly. "If Henderson can make a radio using his mom's kitchen utensils, I can fix the damn thing."
"Sure..." Robin and Jonathan mumbled in unison, rolling their eyes.
"I mean... How hard can it be, right?"
Robin and Jonathan exchange looks for a third time.
"Holy fuck..." Okay, this might be a bit hard. No one told him the transmitter would be all the way up there! Steve curses under his breath as the trio goes outside. "So, the, uh... The thing, it's there..."
"Yep," Robin confirms.
"H-How many feet off the ground?"
"50."
"Damn..." That's, like, 44 feet above the height at which Steve is comfortable—he's not quite a height enthusiast. Especially after that one date with Jonathan, where they went to a carnival, and the Ferris Wheel jammed when they were at the top. Steve was freaking out while Jonathan was having the time of his life. And that stupid metal wheel was just 33 feet tall. This accursed tower is 50.
"Welp, good luck, Hair," Robin pats his shoulder a bit roughly. Then, she smirks. "Unless you're scared."
Steve, being the 24/7 competitive former captain of the Hawkins High Basketball Team and the Hawkins High Swim Team, refuses to back down.
"Scared? Me? Of this tiny toothpick? Ha! As if," He takes off his jacket and tosses it at Robin, rolling up his sleeves. "Watch, Robs. It's a job for Steve Harrington!"
"Wait. Hold up, Steve." Jonathan steps forward, placing a hand on his boyfriend's chest, preventing Steve from taking another step closer to his doom. "This is dangerous. And it's a two-man job."
"Yeah, but Rob's afraid of heights..."
"Did you just imply I'm a man?" Robin was downright offended by it, but Steve ignored her and continued talking.
"Don't worry, I'll be down in 10..."
"I was actually talking about me, Steve," Jonathan says, stepping closer to his taller boyfriend, ready to take off his jacket. "Maybe I should go with you. Just in case."
"You?" Steve snorted, finding Jonathan's suggestion amusing and cute. It's so adorable when his sweet Jonathan Byers tries acting big and tough. What a lovely man! Steve smirked and ruffled Jonathan's light brown hair before pinching Jonathan's butt—much to his boyfriend's embarrassment and irritation at Steve doing that in front of Robin. "You're cute, babe. Just sit there and watch your strong man do his job..."
Jonathan scoffed and rolled his eyes. Honestly, sometimes, Steve can be so... Steve Harrington-y. It makes Jonathan want to shake him around like a rag doll—in an endearing kind of way, of course.
"Don't forget the voltage, Hercules!" Robin teases as she sets Steve's jacket on the hood of Steve's nearby car. She leaned against his burgundy-colored BMW, a smirk on her face as Steve shot an offended glare at her.
"Yeah, I know!" He shouts back. "I'm not an idiot."
"Debatabe," Robin mumbles as Steve turns down the tower's voltage. Oh, this is going to be quite the spectacle. She turns to Jonathan, wiggling her eyebrows. "Should I get the first aid kit? Call Vickie in case Steve needs medical assistance?"
"Very funny, Rob," Jonathan rolled his eyes. He knows Robin is just joking, but the thought of Steve falling down the tower and hurting himself makes Jonathan's stomach churn. It doesn't sit right with him.
Not one bit.
And as Steve returns from turning down the voltage, a smirk on his face as he's ready to show off his climbing skills, he notices something curious. Jonathan and Robin are... Jonathan-less...
"Where's Jon?" He asks with a furrowed eyebrow of confusion.
The response he gets comes in the form of Robin's index finger pointing towards the tower's left ladder, where Jonathan is climbing. Steve's eyes widen, and he instantly goes into panic mode. "JONATHAN!"
Jonathan stops climbing, his forehead glistening with sweat, and he pants slightly. Steve has to stop himself from staring a bit lovelorn as the sun rays illuminate his boyfriend's handsome face and make Jonathan's hair change colors, going from light brown to a beautiful dark gold. Steve shakes his head, pointing a finger at his boyfriend.
"Jonathan, get your ass down here right this damn instant!" He sounds more like a mother than Joyce Byers ever did. His boyfriend, however, merely blows him a kiss and resumes his climb, faster this time. "Jonathan! Jonathan— Son of a...!"
Steve hurries to the other ladder, on the opposite side of the tower, trying to intercept Jonathan halfway. But his boyfriend is some 20 steps ahead of him.
The other boy picks up the pace, earning an annoyed grunt from Steve, who also speeds up.
"You... Son... of a..." Steve pants, dividing his attention between climbing the steep ladder, cursing at Jonathan, and sending his boyfriend glares. "Get your... Ass... Down... Now!"
But Jonathan, having been dating Steve for three years, picked up some of the classic Harrington stubbornness and refused to back down.
"No!" He pants a reply, speeding up again and licking the droplets of sweat from his lips. And God, that shouldn't look that hot. Steve curses at himself for getting distracted by Jonathan's hotness and almost trips on his steps.
"Stupid Byers... And his stupid... Hot... Ass..." He curses, gritting his teeth.
The ladders close in as they approach the top level, where the transmitter is. Steve bites his lower lip, concentrating on reaching the top before his boyfriend and scolds that hot ass of his, while Jonathan struggles to keep his breath even.
The boys reach the top at the same time, slamming their hands on the metallic base simultaneously, the tips of their fingers touching. Their heads stick out at the same time, both panting, sweating, and out of breath.
"You... Ass..." Steve pants, struggling to climb the final steps.
"Bite... Me..." Jonathan retorts, and Steve had to resist the urge to actually bite him—and finally answer the million-dollar question: if Jonathan tastes like cinnamon. But he'll leave that for later.
The cold wind blows against their hot, sweaty faces. Jonathan combs his disheveled hair, brushing loose strands off his face and approaching the edge. He can see his house from there! Everything looks so tiny from up here. It's a beautiful view.
"Joanthan..." Steve calls. "Off... The Edge..."
His boyfriend merely rolls his eyes and goes to fix the transmitter, easily spotting the problem. One of the wires disconnected, an easy thing to fix. Jonathan crouches down under the voltage enclosure and reattaches the wire, screwing it tightly.
"There." He whispers before standing up.
There are two lights atop the tower, a green and a red one. The red light continues to beep, indicating the problem persists despite Jonathan reconnecting the loose wires.
"What the...?"
Now is the time for the classic Harrington way of fixing stuff—punch it.
Steve gives the metal box a hard punch, shaking it slightly and startling Jonathan, but it works. The red light stops blinking, and the green light turns on.
"Like fixing mom's microwave," He mutters with a proud smirk before turning to his boyfriend, and his grin wavers, replaced by an annoyed expression. "And you, you... tiny dumbass, you should have stayed down there!"
Jonathan scoffs, taking offense at being called tiny—Steve will never let him forget he's shorter than him—and rolls his eyes.
"Oh, quit it, Steve," He retorts, wiping some sweat off his face with the sleeve of his colorful cardigan. "I've been climbing trees since I was five."
"Oh, yeah, Tarzan? Well, news flash, this isn't a tree, Jonathan. It's a damn tower!"
"So?" Jonathan scoffs. "I still climbed it."
"Well, you shouldn't have."
"Why?" Jonathan uncrosses his arms and steps closer to Steve. "Because you told me? You're not the boss of me, Steve."
"I'm older."
Jonathan scoffs. "And dumber."
"Hey!" Steve's frown deepens, but he can't come up with a reply that doesn't sound jerk-ish or possessive-sounding. So he just crosses his arms and looks away from Jonathan, mumbling, "You won't be having any today, Jonathan."
That gets a reaction from Jonathan. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head slightly to the right. If Steve, Steve, is threatening no sex, then it means he really is angry. Why, though? That is a job for Jonathan Byers—read him.
Jonathan's always been good at reading people, deciphering hidden messages and feelings buried deep in one's mind. And in these three years, he had become quite a master when it comes to the Harrington boy. Without further ado, Jonathan starts gathering the evidence and sorts it in his mind.
Steve seemed quite smug when suggesting fixing the tower, looking at Jonathan first. Then, when he learned the transmitter was atop the tower, he again glanced at Jonathan rather arrogantly. But when Jonathan started climbing, Steve got all mad. He kept telling Jonathan to climb down, and before, he said Jonathan should watch "his man" do the job.
"Hold up..." He narrows his eyes. "Were you... Trying to impress me?"
"..." Steve shifts his whole body away from Jonathan, turning his back on him, but Jonathan can see the tips of Steve's ears getting red. "N-no..."
He was.
Puzzle solved.
Jonathan sighed, shaking his head. Honestly, his boyfriend is such a diva sometimes. But that's why Jonathan loves him so much—because Steve is always trying so hard to show Jonathan how much he loves him. Sometimes it's through showering of gifts, dozens of dates, and sometimes it's through silly and stupid show-offs. Like that one time where Steve tried to show Jonathan he could hold his breath for five minutes and almost drowned in his own pool—because this adorable dumbass is too prideful to admit defeat. Is it a bit annoying? Yes. But it's also kinda cute how Steve always wants to have Jonathan's attention. The younger boy knows it's because Steve fears being unloved, and he's not without proper reasons—Steve's parents are always a bit busy with work and stuff. They don't neglect him, certainly not in the same way Joyce sometimes does to Jonathan, but they're too engrossed with work and their high-class events. Then there's Tommy and Carol, who swiftly tossed Steve aside in favor of Billy Hargrove, the world's shittiest person on Earth after James Watt. Then there's... Well, her.
Jonathan sighs, approaching Steve from behind and wrapping his arms around his waist, resting his chin on Steve's shoulder. Because of their height difference, Jonathan has to stand on his tiptoes.
He placed a soft kiss on Steve's shoulder, whispering in his ear. "You know you don't have to do this kind of stuff, right? I love you."
Damn, those three words. Those accursed words uttered in that melodious, loving voice of Jonathan. It makes Steve melt like ice cream on a summer day. The taller boy instinctively leans closer to Jonathan, resting his cheek atop Jonathan's head, feeling the other boy's soft locks tickling his skin.
And just like that, Steve Harrington went from moody and annoyed to lovelorn and fuzzy.
He sighs, closing his eyes.
"I just... I dunno. I guess I wanted to impress you..." He admits, with a hint of embarrassment in his voice, due to his silly antics.
Jonathan smiles and rolls his eyes affectionately before gently turning Steve around so they can be face-to-face.
"Steve... You're so stupid." Jonathan chuckles softly, making Steve pout and blush.
He hmphs before finally—and rarely—admitting defeat in the form of a barely audible mumble. "I guess I... I was being a bit stupid."
Jonathan chuckles again, nodding his head. He could have teased his boyfriend, telling him to say it a bit louder, but he decides not to. Instead, he gently grabs Steve's hand and guides him to the edge of the platform.
Steve instinctively squeezes Jonathan's hand, his discomfort with heights evident. Jonathan smiles reassuringly at him and squeezes Steve's hand back, not letting go as they reach the edge.
"It's beautiful up here, isn't it?" The younger boy whispers, closing his eyes, feeling the cold wind blowing against his skin and hair.
Jonathan extends his arms, and Steve moves to hug him from behind, both because he's still uncomfortable by being so high off the ground, and because he wants to feel the warmth of Jonathan's body against him.
"I feel like I'm flying..." Jonathan says, sighing contentedly.
Steve smiles softly, pressing a kiss to Jonathan's cheek as he rests his chin on his boyfriend's shoulder. He nuzzles against the crook of Jonathan's neck, a teasing smirk beginning to form.
"You like feeling tall like the rest of us, huh, Byers?" He quips. "Like feeling tall like us giants?"
Jonathan scoffs in return, opening his eyes, glaring playfully at his boyfriend. Of course, Steve has to open his damn mouth.
"You and your big-ass mouth." He mutters, feigning annoyance.
Steve's smirk only widens, and he wiggles his eyebrows.
"You know what they say, right? People with big mouths also have big d—"
"Empty heads." Jonathan cuts him off, poking at Steve's ribcage, earning a surprised yelp from his boyfriend. "A big, gigantic, empty head, you giant ass."
Steve scoffs in mock offense and clings tighter to Jonathan, bringing him off the edge and peppering his face with kisses to shut him up—effectively doing so, as Jonathan starts giggling non-stop. Jonathan tries shoving Steve back, but can't, too out of breath to shove his big boyfriend away.
It's a tender, sweet moment.
"HEY! YOU TWO BETTER NOT BE FUCKING ATOP MY TOWER!"
One that is cut off by Robin yelling from down below.
"S-SHUT UP!" The boys retort in unison, blushing awkwardly and sending glares at her through the holes in the platform's floor. Damn, even from up here, they can feel her smirk.
Steve, in particular, grumbles under his breath. Stupid Robin, ruining his moment with Jonathan. He's gonna embarrass her in front of Vickie the next time the ginger-haired girl comes to the station. Maybe tell her Robin used to like Tammy "The Muppet" Thompson.
At 5:00 PM, Jonathan received a call from his mother, telling him to go pick up Will and Mike from school. The boys stayed before classes to watch Lucas' basketball practice. He sighed, but complied with her wishes.
He bid Steve and Robin farewell and hopped in his "new" car, which is not exactly new. His old Ford Galaxie 500 broke down a few months ago, and the mechanic told Jonathan that fixing it would be pointless. The man, however, was kind enough to offer to buy the car from Jonathan to sell its still good pieces.
Not wanting to rely on his mother or Steve giving him rides, nor using a bike, Jonathan searched for a new vehicle for himself, and one day, Steve knocked on his door excitedly, telling Jonathan one of his neighbors was selling a good car at a neat price—a cream-colored 1977 Ford Granada, the same color as Jonathan's old car. Indeed, Steve's neighbor, a kind old woman, was selling the car, as it belonged to her recently deceased husband. She seemed to have taken a liking to Jonathan, as she agreed to sell the vehicle to Jonathan at a good discount.
Steve even affectionately nicknamed the car "the Byersmobile", much to Jonathan's amusement and slight annoyance.
Jonathan drove through the streets of Hawkins, tuning the radio as he stopped at a red light, choosing the 94.5 FM station—the Squawk.
"Aaaaand we're back to WSQK, the Squak! I'm your host, Squawkin' Steve!" Jonathan rolled his eyes affectionately. What a dumb name. So Steve-like. "The weather forecast for tonight is clear skies with few clouds and a cool breeze, perfect for cuddling up with your loved one! And speaking of loved ones... This next song I dedicate to my love. So, babe, if you're hearing this, which I know you are, this one's for you."
A grin soon appears on Jonathan's face, one so big it makes the corners of his eyes wrinkle. He can't wait to see which music Steve chose for him.
Finally, the song starts playing.
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Movie stars
"Son of a bitch..." Jonathan curses under his breath, shaking his head. The bastard had to pick an ABBA song. "You ass..."
Despite everything, Jonathan can't help but chuckle.
This is the man he wants to marry.