#jancy fluff

The final chapter of Puppy Love is live on Ao3, go check it out!

    “It’s been so long,” said Jonathan, bracing his collar against the cold winter air. Nancy blinked up at him, unsure of what to make of his statement.

    “Sorry - what was that?” she asked, cheeks flaming. “I just…wasn’t listening. I’m sorry.”

     Jonathan laughed, shaking his head. He pulled a hand out of his pocket, which he draped casually around Nancy’s waist, pulling her snugly against him as they walked. It was a cold afternoon in January of 1985, and the two were keen to spend as much time together as possible in the few months they had before Jonathan went off to NYU and she - 

    went elsewhere.

    But at least they had months instead of weeks. Thank God they’d gotten their act together back in November. Otherwise those next two months would have been spent lying to both herself and Steve Harrington, and her and Jonathan dancing round and round each other in circles. For eternity.

    She was so, so grateful for that trip to Murray Bauman’s house.

    Nancy snapped out of her reverie when she found Jonathan grinning down at her, and she shook her head. Stupid cold air must have been getting to her brain. 

    “It’s fine, Nance,” said Jonathan, his grin widening as she closed her eyes and pursed her lips, huffing. “Really. I do it all the time. Even more, my mom does it more than anyone. I’m used to it by now, believe me.”

    “Alright,” Nancy said, opening her eyes and smiling at him. “So what were you saying, anyways?”

    Jonathan wistfully looked out to the park they were steadily nearing. “It’s been so long - since we were kids, I mean. I kinda miss goofing off like an idiot with Will, and not having to care about social status, or easy elementary school homework. Stuff like that. Going into Will’s little castle and pretending to be knights, or jungle explorers. Stupid, plain old kid stuff. You know?” 

   He seemed, Nancy noticed, a little embarrassed. She was just surprised - Jonathan wasn’t the kind of guy to talk about stuff he did as a kid, or stuff he did at all. It warmed her heart considerably to know he trusted her enough to open up to her.

    “Yeah,” Nancy agreed, smiling down at her boot-clad feet and trying to dull the glowing warmth which had began to flood back into her pale, frosty cheeks. “I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

    They walked in silence for a few minutes, soaking in the calm of the afternoon and watching children run around the park, playing tag and romping around in the snow, building snowmen and tossing snowballs at each other. 

    “I can’t remember the last time I went down a slide, or played on the swings,” Nancy continued, eyeing the playground, which was practically vacant. “Barb - Barb and I used to come here every day after school, you know. We’d come here and talk about boys and school and just swing our days away. You know, before all the kids went to the arcade and spent all their time playing Pac-Man and Dig-Dug.” 

    Jonathan laughed, which sent a warm wave of heat from her head down to her toes. “There are swings right there,” he said, pointing at said swingset, the corner of his lips quirking up. “We can go over there for a little while. Mom doesn’t need me home until six - Hopper and El are coming for dinner again. That means - if you want to?” He stopped walking, turning to her with a shyly expectant smile. Nancy grinned at him.

    “I’d be happy to,” she said, grabbing his hand from her waist and dragging him off towards the swingset.

                                                       —

    Nancy swung her legs back, letting her momentum carry her backwards, and swung her legs out once again, propelling her forward. She laughed joyfully, screaming: “I can’t believe I stopped doing this!” to Jonathan, who was sitting on his swing, watching her with mirth in his eyes. 

    “I never really did,” he said in a loud voice - one that was loud for him, at least - so that she could hear him properly. The wind was really picking up now, so he zipped up his jacket more and shoved his shivering hands into his pockets. “Swings are more of a girly thing, you know. Not usually for boys. At least I that’s how I knew it.”

    “You’re being ridiculous, Jonathan,” Nancy chided, dragging her feet on the sloshy, muddy snow beneath the swing to stop her. “Swings aren’t just for girls. That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard in my life!”

    “No, it is not,” argued Jonathan, rolling his eyes. “Will doesn’t like to swing, and neither does Mike, I’m sure.”

    “That’s because they’re too busy playing with their Ataris to even know what a swing is,” Nancy joked, nudging his shoulder when she had come to a complete stop. She looked around the park with a sigh. 

    “I’m really gonna miss this,” she said, clasping her hand in his inside his pocket. Jonathan ran his fingers over her knuckles. 

    “Miss what?” Jonathan questioned, smiling at her cheekily. “Swinging? I thought you said you hadn’t done it in years before now.”

    “No, you goof,” said Nancy, meeting his eyes before they were downcast. A slow smile spread across her face. She gestured around. “This. Hawkins. You.”

    Jonathan, feeling more shy than ever before, looked down at their intertwined hands and squeezed. He was, too. Just the thought of not spending time with her made his heart ache and his chest feel tight. He didn’t want this winter to ever end - no matter how cold it was. Will was safe, and he was happily enjoying his newly found friend’s constant visits, and the company of Mike and Dustin and Lucas and that new red-haired girl, Max. His mom was happy - she and Hopper had noticeably been spending a lot of time together, and it was obviously doing her some good. She had been happier than he had ever seen her before, even happier than she had been with Bob. 

    And he was happy. 

    For once, Jonathan Byers was happy. 

    He had a beautiful, sweet, caring girlfriend who meant the world to him. He had a scholarship to go to NYU, and a promising future in photography. He had a little brother who brightened up his day considerably, and he even was now friends with Steve Harrington, who had gone from school jock to big brother to all the kids. Everything was finally working out, everything was finally fine. 

    “Alright,” he said, leaning over to kiss Nancy on the cheek. “Fine. Swinging isn’t just a girl thing.” 

    Maybe swings weren’t so bad after all. His life had taken a swing for the better, hadn’t it?

butchfemme jancy perhaps? or if thats too hard normal jancy works too

butchfemme jancy ft. the cure