She wakes up in an unfamiliar room in well-familiar arms. There's an old Bob Dylan poster on one wall, a Beach Boys one and an Andy Warhol print on the other. There's some records stacked on the floor and boxes with more in the corner.
"Morning."
She glances up at Jonathan when he utters the soft words. His kind eyes look down at her.
"Hey."
"Sleep okay?"
"Yeah. Good. With you."
"Good. I'm glad."
She adjusts a little in his arms, settling herself better in the crook of his neck.
"So this is your old room?" She asks while continuing to look around at the surroundings.
"Yeah. Mom kept it as is when I moved out. I told Will he could have it but he said he liked his own room. And it came in handy to store my stuff in when I got rid of my apartment in Chicago, before I left," he explains and nods towards the boxes in the corner.
"Cool. We should bring it back to New York with us."
"Oh. Sure? I don't want to impose or-"
"What? No. No. I mean if you want… I mean I don't mind… I want you… ugh. I just meant, I mean if you want to stay, at my place I mean."
"Would you like me to? Stay, I mean."
"Yes."
"Awesome. Then I'll stay."
"You don't have to-"
"No I want to. I want to be with you. I want to be in New York. So why… be anywhere else? Doesn't make sense."
"Right. Exactly. So yeah. I mean I don't know really how… I mean I guess it's kind of messy, like, life, right now and I don't really know how to… with relationships, I mean, I haven't really… focused, on them. Before. Focused on work."
"Yeah, yeah I mean, same. I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Me neither. I just know I want to be with you. All the time."
"Same."
"So I guess we just… work off of that? I mean what else is there to it? I want to be with you… right now I want to stay here for a couple of days to relax… then I want to get back to work."
"Yeah, same. Let's stay here for a few more days then we'll go back."
"Yeah. And we'll bring your stuff. At least your clothes. And records and whatever else you need."
"I just need you," he says, which makes her chuckle slightly while she feels all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Hah. Sure. Okay then I need you AND your records and stuff," she counters.
"Fair."
She turns in his arms and presses a kiss to his lips. Then plants more on his jaw as she lays her head back down in the crook of his neck.
"So… should I sneak back out through the window?"
"What? Don't be ridiculous. It's not like we're teenagers sneaking around."
"No, I know, I just thought, since I snuck in during the night, your mom doesn't know I'm here it's uh… weird, and kind of rude?"
"She won't mind, we'll just explain it and she'll understand. She really likes you."
"Okay. I-"
They're interrupted by a knock, a voice and the door being opened before they can react.
"Jonathan sweetie are you up? Do you want- oh! Oh gosh, I'm sorry, so sorry! I didn't know-"
Mrs. Byers halts in the doorway and starts to profusely apologize when she sees her, why she's not sure.
"Mom it's okay," Jonathan says. They sit up in bed. At least they're dressed, she thinks.
"Hi, Mrs. Byers, I'm sorry I didn't um… sorry."
"Oh! No it's okay, good morning sweetheart, it's totally fine I just didn't know you were here, I thought you were staying with your parents tonight?"
"Yeah… yeah I was but uh… I kind of…"
"It's easier to sleep, together," Jonathan answers for her.
Mrs. Byers looks at them for a second and nods.
"Right. Yes of course, I understand and of course you're welcome here sweetie, I was just surprised that's all."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about sneaking in but uh, yeah. Didn't want to wake the whole house in the middle of the night so…"
"No of course! I understand, it's fine. How do you like your eggs?"
They get up and before sitting down in the kitchen she calls her parents home and manages to sell them on the lie that she got up early to have breakfast with Jonathan. They stay in Hawkins for a couple of days, they have dinner with her family too but stay in the Byers house. It's so welcoming. Joyce and Will are both incredibly sweet and makes her feel right at home. Jonathan and her spend the days with their families or going on walks through town and the woods on their own, talking about everything. Not so much the past but the future, even though she guessed being back in Hawkins would make them reminisce, but she's really not nostalgic about this place. He's not either, except with regards to his family. For him Hawkins was mostly balancing school and work to help out his family and to get out of the town. For her Hawkins was just studying, her parents silent home and a dead best friend. So there's really not much to be nostalgic about. But it does offers a reprieve, from Vietnam, from the bustling Big City. The quietness of the small town is welcomed in that sense. But soon they both feel the draw to get back to work, back to their lives.
And it's busy times. On June 2 Andy Warhol is shot. Three days later Bobby Kennedy is killed so work is crazy. Most days they're both exhausted when they see each other again back in the apartment in the evenings. But she finds she always perks up when she sees him. And waking up in his arms every morning is bliss. Nightmares intermittently continues to plague both of them, but not every night. When they do the other one is always there to comfort. And most nights are filled with sleep. And other pleasant things.
She finds it fun to discover more about him, about them, as they live together, fall into a routine together. Routine, not a rut. She finds him really easy to live with. Really good to live with. They're both very organized people, but in slightly different ways so they complement each other, she thinks. They both like a tidy house. He's better in the kitchen, she's better at laundry.
A tiny part of her was worried that their relationship would change, being out of the craziness they met in and into some kind of normalcy back home. But it hasn't… it has only deepened it. She's only getting more and more crazy about him. It's weird, in a way she has no idea what she's doing but at the same time she's doing exactly what she wants. She's never been too concerned about relationships really. There's been some brief ones, but never anything real serious. These feelings, they're on a whole new level. So she's not really sure how people handle it so she just does what comes naturally too her. Which apparently is falling for the sweetest guy in the world during a life and death situation and then moving in with him at the first opportunity because all she's sure about is she wants to be around this guy as much as possible. She's kind of 0 to 100 like that.
Important things she already knew about Jonathan: He's funny, kind, selfless, brave, talented, willing to put himself between her and danger, great in bed and real cuddly. Important things she's learnt since moving in with him: He's a great cook, he's good at Scrabble but not better than her, he loves Chinese food, he owns more Joan Baez records than Bob Dylan which pleases her and he calls his mom and brother several times a week. Which she finds endearing, and inspiring. Well she still doesn't call home that much but it does inspire her to call Mike more. Turns out he's actually pretty nice to talk to, when he's not being an ass. But he's grown up a lot.
Their sort-of-routine stays basically the same throughout the summer. If Jonathan gets off work first he gets home and starts on dinner, if she does she usually picks something up on the way instead. They eat, relax on the couch with each other. When they both have time off they explore the city together. Explore each other. One day in August she comes home to him staring into the pan on the stove with what she at first thinks is intense focus but quickly realizes really is because his mind is elsewhere.
"Hey."
"Oh! Hey," he jolts a little, so lost in thought he must've missed her coming in.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah sorry, was just thinking."
"About what?" She asks while embracing him from behind, stepping on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, a kiss he leans into. She then rests her head against his shoulder blades while waiting for his reply.
"Well uh, I got an interesting call. An offer," he starts. She pulls back and he turns around to look at her fully.
"Oh?"
"From the Times."
"Oh?" She perks up, intrigued.
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
"No. Why would I?"
"No, I didn't think so I just thought… like whatever, if you'd mentioned me to the people in charge there or something."
"No, I haven't. Did you want me to?"
"No! No I mean uh, that would've been weird."
"Yeah, I agree. So I didn't. I mean you're the best photographer ever and I want us to have the best staff possible but it would be weird for me to suggest you."
"Right."
"And I would've asked you about it first."
"Right, yeah no I know, of course. Just wanted to check."
"Yes so- wait they offered you a job?!"
"Yes."
"What did you say?"
"That I had to think about it. And I wanted to talk to you about it."
"What's the deal?"
"Well, the pay is better than at AP. I'd get more to do, like responsibility wise. Could get to decide a bit more what I'm working on myself, within limits."
"That's great! So what's stopping you?"
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to talk to you about it because… would it be weird for you? If we were working together? I mean not together like that, necessarily, I mean if you don't want, but like me working at NYT too would it be weird for you, I don't know if people would think that you got me-"
He's rambling so she cups his face with both hands to silence him.
"Do you want the job?" She asks him point blank.
"Yes," he answers after a beat.
"Then you should take it."
"It wouldn't bother-"
"I want you to take it. I want you have the job you want. And also… if you want… I want to work more with you. We make a good team, I think. Don't you?"
"Yes!" He hurriedly answers. "Yes. Yes I want to work with you too."
"Good. Then you should take it! No one will think it's got anything to do with me. I mean NYT ran your photos long before you and I met in Saigon anyway. Everyone knows you're a great photographer, Jonathan. No one will think it's weird. Everyone will be happy to have you."
"Right. Right yes I should take it. I want to take it," he says and sounds a bit giddy which she finds adorable. Then again it's exactly how she feels about the prospect of working together with Jonathan again. She stands on her tiptoes to kiss him again, this time on the lips, smiling into it.
"Can't wait to work with you."
"Me either."
So they become colleagues. And a team once again. And no one has any problems with it, since neither is above the other in the pecking order – she's a senior reporter, he's a senior photographer – and their bosses just care that they get the job done. Which they do, as a team. Given their background they're put primarily put on covering the anti-war movement and protests spreading throughout the country. Occasionally dipping into the campaign trail for the presidential election since it pertains to it. The campaign trail is a shit storm. What an election year. Starting out with the MLK assassination affecting it all of course. Continuing with the RFK assassination leaving the Democrats with Humphries as their best candidate but he seems powerless against the Republican, Nixon – who she personally wouldn't trust with anything, but her dad loves of course – and the lunatic racist Wallace running as an Independent and getting traction in the south. It's all chaos. And underlying everything is the war, which LBJ seems to do a good job of continuing to screw up in his last months in office.
They're on the road a lot, to cover the protests, bouncing between different college campuses up and down the East Coast to cover the growing movement. They get good stories, he gets great photos. She manages to establish connection so she eventually has sources directly within different organizations, including the Weathermen, and thereby often being the first one on a story.
A thought, a feeling, keeps running through her for days and weeks and months. It hits her as Jonathan smiles at her when she steps into the apartment after a long day at work in July. It returns as he leaves a trail of kisses down her neck late at night in bed. As he's talking to his mom on the phone a regular Thursday. As he holds her in his arms and whispers sweetnothings in her ear when she wakes up from a nightmare. As he's rubbing circles on her back while they ride the subway into work an August morning. As he's giving her a piggyback ride home from a bar on a Saturday night in September. As he's concentrating deeply while developing photos from a rally at Columbia in October. As he's quietly singing along to Sunday Morning by the Velvet Underground. Again and again it returns. So finally she voices it, one day when they're in his car driving to the city after covering a rally at Harvard.
"I love you."
He turns his head and looks at her. Looks at her in that way which makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Which makes her want to kiss him, hug him, cuddle him, straddle him, all at once. He pulls off to the side of the road and suddenly he's kissing her all over. Her lips, cheek, nose, chin, lips again over and over while repeating the sentiment back to her, over and over. She reciprocates as best she can through her giggles.
Five important things happens in November: LBJ calls a brief ceasefire in Vietnam. Nixon wins the election. Yale announces it's going co-ed. The US bombs Laos. And in time for Thanksgiving Lucas comes home.
They're in Jonathan's childhood home on the Tuesday, getting schooled at gin rummy by his mom, when the phone rings. Will answers and then hurriedly relays that her little brother said they had to get to Maple Street right away because "Oh my god Lucas is back!" so they leave right away.
The Sinclairs front lawn is filled with people when they get there. Mike, Dustin, Holly and her parents are all there along with Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, Erica and Lucas. And Max, who's got her arms around Lucas and looking like she won't ever want to let go. Will darts out of the car to hug Lucas, they follow suit.
"Welcome home! This is great! How did you get home, now?" She asks.
"Being injured twice bought me my ticket back," Lucas grins, pointing to his leg and shoulder. Max's beaming smile fades a little.
"Shit man, you okay?" Jonathan asks.
"Yeah it's alright, at least I'm here now instead of over there in that hellhole."
"Yeah, that's great," she smiles and tucks some loose strands of hair behind her ear as she naturally tucks herself into Jonathan's side. Lucas eyes them with a bemused expression.
"So, you guys are still just colleagues, I take it?" He jokes, causing both her and Jonathan to blush and grin.
The Sinclairs, and Max, have a lot of catching up to do of course so they soon leave them to it. Lucas, Max, Mike, Will and Dustin does make plans to meet up the next day though, and include them in it.
Which is how they find themselves at the Hideaway, the only bar in town, the day before Thanksgiving. It's sort of odd to be there since neither of them ever stepped foot there while still living here. And with their little brothers no less, she's shared the very occasional beer with Mike previously in her apartment when he's come to visit, but Mike looks weirdly grown up now when she sees him in a bar. But it's nice. They've all grown up. And she likes Mike and his friends. Will is so sweet, kind and interesting to talk to. Dustin is goofy but smart. Max is fun and she loves her attitude, taking no shit from anyone. Lucas is caring and thoughtful.
"- you should've seen them when we drove over a mine and the truck flipped, we all fell out but Jonathan barely hit the ground before he was up and freaking out over Nancy."
Lucas is telling the group his version of their encounters in Vietnam which differs slightly from theirs.
"Hey of course I was worried that-" Jonathan protests while she smiles up at him and nudges his side.
"Yeah yeah sure, of course," Lucas cuts him off. "And then later, after I saved you guys from that crazy NVA guy you guys just stood there staring at each other forever while I was like hello, can we get out of here please, we're in the middle of a jungle swarming with the enemy, stop making hearteyes at each other and let's go!"
"Hey now it wasn't like that it was just-" It's her turn to protest because it really wasn't… quite like that. Kind of.
"Right, sure. You guys are like nauseatingly close," Mike says and scrunches up his nose.
"Oh boo-hoo Mike. Let's talk about your love life instead, shall we?" She bites back.
Mike looks horrified and both Will and Dustin looks like they're about to comment on it when they're interrupted by a new voice.
"Look at this, Midnight is back in Hawkins!"
A guy who looks to be about the same age as Mike and his friends have strolled up to their table, looking smug.
"Go away, Troy," Mike says.
"Shut up Frogface. I just wanted to congratulate Sinclair on making it back, I thought the whole point of sending you people over there was to get rid of you."
A hush falls over the table for half a second.
"What the fuck is your problem?" She demands to know.
"Why don't you shut the hell up you asshole?" Max spits out.
"You should shut it, what you two are up to… damn unnatural," Troy continues.
Max flies up out of her seat, fuming. She gets up herself too right after. This guy has to be dealt with. She notices Lucas wincing a bit as he gets up after Max. She doesn't have to look to know Jonathan is behind her as always.
"Say that again you inbred prick," Max challenges.
"Gladly. Should be outlawed, as a matter of fact."
Max looks ready to fly off the handle but she notices Lucas subtly holding her back a little. Understandably wanting to avoid a physical confrontation. It's unnecessary. She steps forward instead, getting in Troy's face because damn this idiot needs to be told off.
"Hey Asshole, what the hell is your problem? Did you actually fucking swallow a Wallace leaflet?"
"Who are you? This doesn't concern you. Why don't you sit yourself down, little lady."
She registers that the whole place is suddenly quiet except for them.
"Why don't you shut the hell up and crawl back to your mother's basement? It does concern me when you spew your stupid, backwards, ignorant fucking hate speech and bother my friends," she throws back and jabs him in the chest with a finger to drive home her point.
"Bitch just shut it, you don't know a thing-"
"Little boy, the amount of stuff I know that you don't is staggering. Shut up and go away."
"Bitch, I'll go when this ni-"
For the first time in her life, she slaps someone. She can't think of anything else to do, she just want this idiot to shut up. And she achieves the goal, at least momentarily, as he instantly quiets when her palm connects with his cheek. Her only regret later is that she didn't just go for the straight up punch instead.
Troy is incensed, grabs onto her collar and shoves her. She stomps on his foot to get loose at the same time as Jonathan in a flurry comes forward and gets Troy off her. He shoves him away several feet. Troy, with a red hand imprint on his cheek and a frail male ego, is ready for a fight. Jonathan calmly stands his ground in front of her, Lucas and Max. Troy has just bawled his fists up when he's interrupted by someone coming up from behind and placing a large hand on his shoulder.
"You're coming with me."
Officer Powell, cool and confident in uniform, makes Troy completely flustered.
"H-hey y-you can't-" He tries, but is cut off.
"You're drunk, and disorderly. You're bothering other patrons. You're out. With me, come come," Officer Powell calmly explains before quickly and effortlessly cuffing Troy's hands behind his back and leads him out the door.
"You okay?" Jonathan quietly murmurs. She nods and squeezes his fingers to let him know.
"You guys okay?" She asks, looking at Lucas and Max.
"Yeah," Lucas shrugs and Max nods.
The night's kind of ruined so they leave and head home.
"What a fucking asshole," Dustin says what they're all thinking.
"It is what it is," Lucas sadly notes. Max clutches his arm tighter.
"I'm so tired of this. These idiots," Max sighs. Lucas nods.
"Can't wait to get out of here," Lucas says.
"What's your plan? I mean, what will you do now that you're home?" She asks.
"Not really sure. Mr. Hammond said he'd be happy to have me back at the diner if I want to. So might stay here, work a little. But I'd rather go west," Lucas says, looking at Max. "In any case for next fall. For college."
They all nod.
"Sounds good. Would be nice to have someone else here in the meantime. Hawkins is boring as hell without you guys," Will says. With the money Jonathan's brought in he's hoping to go to college next fall. Preferably at NYU, Tisch. Or RISD.
"True. We'll have our fun though. And you guys best come and visit," Lucas smiles and pats Will's back before shooting looks at the others.
"Definitely, I'm close-by," Mike notes.
They get to spend Thanksgiving together as her mother invites the Byers over. She's glad to spend it with Jonathan of course, and Mike is happy to have Will over. She has an inkling of worry that her mom bulldozed over whatever traditions the Byers have, maybe they wanted to spend it together just the three of them, but Jonathan assures her his mother was just happy and immediately onboard with the idea. And it's nice. She's sure her father grumbled a bit at first since he wants everything to be the same every year, but it's mom who runs the house and therefore decides. As long as he gets to talk a bit about Nixon, her dad is happy, so they let him do that for a bit, he's otherwise mostly quiet as the rest of them talk about life, work, college, New York and everything.
"I'm thankful for my wonderful family," her mother says, as she does every year, and then adds: "And especially that my eldest came home in one piece."
She finds it a bit cringey but smiles politely at her mother, and father who adds "here here" to that sentiment.
"Oh, same here, I'm so thankful that you came home, you two, together. And that you are happy together," Mrs. Byers, or Joyce as she insists on Nancy calling her, says and it's so genuine it makes her smile.
"Yeah, same I guess," Mike mumbles, embarrassed. He's always hated the giving thanks ritual. It almost makes her chuckle.
"Yeah I'm really thankful. Jonathan. For everything," Will says and shares a look with his brother who nods.
"I'm thankful I found you," she says quietly and looks at Jonathan while squeezing his hand under the table.
"Same," he says back just as quietly. They both prefer to keep this stuff more private. It's quiet for a second before Holly breaks the tension by piping up to announce that she's thankful for her Raggedy-Ann doll.
Christmas they split between their families though, they roll into town on the 23rd, then spend Christmas Eve with her family and Christmas Day with his. His family is so sweet, his childhood home so warm and cozy. Just like him. They go back to New York in time for New Year's Eve. They stand on top of the NYT building and toasts to the end of a tumultuous 1968 and the start of a new year which might be as chaotic but at least they'll have each other from the start. She kisses as fireworks go off all around them and thinks, not for the first time, that she wants him this close forever.
In early April they're back in Hawkins once again, to celebrate Joyce's birthday. They have some time off to claim so they stay over and spend the next day in Hawkins too, to unwind. After a nice, long, slow breakfast with Will and Joyce the two of them decide to go out for a walk. They go on a long trek through the woods. He points out where he and Will built Castle Byers years ago. They walk all the way through the woods to the Quarry, and stare down into the abyss, before turning and slowly walking back.
As soon as they step foot in his backyard again the backdoor flies open and his mother runs out.
"Finally, there you are! Hurry, come quick!" She almost shouts and motions for them. They hurry their steps.
"What happened? Is everything okay?" Jonathan asks while they quickly step into the house.
"Yes everything is okay, it's amazing!" Joyce excitedly says while ushering them into the living room where they find her parents, Holly and Will. The TV is on, as is the radio.
"What's going on?" She asks.
"You've won the Pulitzer Prize!" Will shouts, practically jumping up and down.
She can't quite comprehend the information.
"You won the Pulitzer?!" Jonathan turns to her, beyond excited.
"No, you won it!" Will exclaims.
"Jonathan won the Pulitzer?!" She can't believe it, she feels like her face might split in two she's grinning so wide. This is amazing, and so well-deserved and-
"NO. YOU TWO BOTH WON PULITZERS," everyone in the room, even Holly and her father, says in unison now.
"What?" They harmonize in turn. This is once again confusing. How-
"Look, they're talking about it again now," Will says, pointing to the TV.
It's tuned in to the local news. She tries to comprehend what the greying old man behind the desk is saying.
"The esteemed Pulitzer Prizes for excellence in journalism conducted during last year was awarded today – and it turned out to be a triumph for Hawkins-bred journalists! The prize for Investigative Reporting was awarded to Nancy Wheeler of the New York Times for her coverage of the Vietnam War, specifically her reporting on the March 14th Massacre when she uncovered to the world atrocities and war crimes committed by US soldiers in the Saigon region. Photographer Jonathan Byers, previously with AP and now with New York Times as well, was awarded the prize for Breaking News Photography for his reporting on Saigon bombing on March 13th. The jury also gave a nod to his photographs of the March 14th Massacre. Wheeler and Byers, who were both born in Hawkins, collaborated on reporting from both incidents that the Pulitzer committee deemed prizeworthy. We have tried to reach both but have so far been unable to get a hold of them. Until we do get a hold of them all us here at the station would like to extend our congratulations to Hawkins own, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers."
The phone starts ringing and Will hurries to answer it.
"They've been calling all day, the news, NYT, AP, Mike, everyone! Jesus, can't believe you missed this!"
She's at a loss for words. She looks to Jonathan who seems to be in the same position.
"Congratulations sweetheart!" Her mother exclaims and Joyce pulls them both into a hug before Will is shoving the receiver into her hand saying it's her editor calling for the eighth time.
They spend the whole afternoon on the phone. Sometimes her, sometimes he, sometimes both switching the receiver back and forth during the same call. While at the same time their families won't stop going on about how amazing this is. Her father even goes out and buys champagne, she's never seen him be this… proud, or excited before. It's not until early evening that it starts to calm down a bit with calls. It's been a whirlwind of an afternoon. She still can't really make heads or tails of this. Even after endless phone calls and phone interviews where she, they, have humbly expressed their gratitude and surprise. This is huge. Reputation wise. And just straight up financially. The prize money…
She loves her family. His family. But Jesus, she can't think when they're all talking at once like this, like they have been doing for a while now. She takes Jonathan's hand and pulls him with her outside, under the others protests (though Joyce quiets them), saying they need some air. They go out back again and sit down on the porch.
"You alright?" He asks, putting an arm around her.
"Yeah I just couldn't think, in there, with everyone."
"Right."
"This is huge."
"Yeah."
"What do we do now?"
"I don't know. I suppose just… keep doing what we're doing? Must be doing something right."
"Yeah… yes. But this must surely change… how people see us… more will… know us, now, I guess?" She's thinking out loud.
"I guess. But will it change how we are? What we do?"
"No… no not for me," she realizes.
"Not for me either."
"But just the money… is huge in itself."
"Yeah... I don't… oh," he cuts himself off as he realizes something.
"What?"
"I can pay for… Will… college. More than just the first year now."
"Oh! That's great! That's great, Jonathan."
"Yeah, it is."
"That's good, that's real good," she continues mulling over what the prize actually means in reality. "This is good. This is good," she reaches something of a conclusion.
"Yeah, it is."
"I suppose I'll save… and pay down debt."
He nods.
"Hey," he says quietly. She turns her head and looks him in the eye. He smiles softly at her. She finds herself mirroring it. "Congratulations," he says.
"Congratulations to you," she mirrors him again and captures his lips with her own.
They break apart. She rests her forehead against his temple.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
She stands up and offers her hand, helping him up. Hand in hand they'll head back inside to face the onslaught of their giddy family members again. Then they'll face the rest of the world. She's ready to face anything, with his hand clasped in hers.
