Jonathan!

Nancy?!

Jonathan! I'm right here!

Follow my voice!

Gnarled trees that looked like rotting flesh loomed over her as she dashed in and out of them. The Demogorgon snarled, close behind her. It could extend a long, crooked arm and snare the fabric of her jacket with its knife-like fingernails. Black and grey specks of the creature's essence stifled the air. Toxic particles attached themselves to Nancy's lungs as she shakily gasped for breath, unable to control her distress. The death that plagued the Upside Down slowly killed every living cell in her body; she could feel it dying all around her. Sliding behind a disformed oak, Nancy waited for the predator on baited breath.

Nancy! Follow my voice!

Her neck snapped to the side. The gaping portal at the bottom of the tree beside her was closing gradually. She could run. He was there. It was a simple solution that seemed impossible. It was the only one that promised a slim chance of survival.

Frantic feet crunched long dead leaves as she darted out from her shelter. Screams ripped through her throat. She dove for the tree roots, but fell short. The Demogorgon reared up behind her like a nightmarish stallion, poised to strike her dead.

One last try.

Jonathan!

Solid arms encircled her tense figure, gently lifting her into an upright position. She pushed away violently, unable to accept her inevitable demise. She couldn't feel the quilts that cushioned her body, couldn't see the concerned expression of the young man holding her. His arms tightened as she continued to thrash, bringing her a fraction of an inch nearer, "Nancy…"

Nancy's heart paused as her brain finally registered her surroundings. Someone was with her, and she was ok. The stench of the deceased was gone, replaced by another musk, one that calmed her raw nerves. No movement this person made was threatening. She relaxed slightly, feeling stupid for trying to escape so aggressively, or at all for that matter. Warmth was slowly radiating off the figure of her protector, and she needed to be closer. She suddenly latched onto the person she was desperately trying to get away from only moments ago. Daring to open her eyes, she was surprised when she saw with the fabric of Jonathan's shirt. Her face was buried in his shoulder, his hand cradling the back of her neck. His other arm was firmly wrapped around her waist. It was Jonathan that came to the rescue. Nancy quickly brought her own arms around his shoulders, wanting to stay in his embrace for as long as possible.

The memory of making the trek to the Byer's house in the middle of the night flooded her mind's eye. Duh. Why did those nightmares have to be so disorienting…

Stop shaking. She scolded herself as she felt herself shudder uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry." Jonathan whispered against her ear.

"W-Why?" Her trembling made her stumble over her words, effectively making her stutter.

"Because…I left you for a few minutes to get you some breakfast…"

She gingerly lifted her head and sat back onto the bed when he trailed off. Looking over at the bedside table, she spotted a little tray with a bowl of corn flakes, a bran muffin and an orange delicately arranged on it. It was impossibly adorable, and made her shaking decrease significantly. There was a clock beside the little breakfast tray that had the same angry red numbers as hers. It glared at her. 9:03am.

"I should've waited until you were up…" Jonathan sighed, biting back a bit of emotion that welled up in his throat, "You just looked so peaceful…I thought-"

"You're ok. Thank you…for saving me from the nightmare…" Her hand brushed his, reassuring him that everything was fine now. He kept his promise. He was there when she woke up.

She looked back at the breakfast foods and chuckled, "Did your mom or Will ask why you were taking breakfast to your room?"

"Well…Mom and Will were on their way to the space museum when I got up. I think she was planning on taking all of the little groupies along with them," He scratched the back of his neck with a shy smile.

Nancy sighed, thankful for Mrs. Byers. Mike wouldn't need his bike today. Or at least not right now.

Jonathan read her mind, "Did you use Mike's bike to get here?"

She nodded, feeling a flush of embarrassment rise on her cheeks. He just smiled and said, "Good."

"Good?" She returned his soft smile and tilted her head to the side.

This time it was Jonathan's cheeks that sported a light red tint, "I'd be…worried if you walked here by yourself…in the dark."

Brown irises met each other. Her heart beat frantically out of rhythm as his eyes held her gaze. The connection was fleeting, lastingly only a fraction of a second, but it left Nancy breathless. Struggling to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks, she questioned every interaction she had with Jonathan. Why did she agree to monster hunt with him? What kept her by his side?

What are you to me?

She had refused to ask this question for such a long time, to both herself and Jonathan. Now, she desperately wanted to know the answer. Maybe now was the time.

Her lips formed a question, but it wasn't the right one, "Where's your breakfast?"

"Oh! I um…didn't think of that," His fingers scratched at his neck again, leaving streaks of irritated skin behind. The red scratches reminded her of the marks the Demogorgon could've made with its grotesque claws. The image of them digging into Jonathan's flesh forced her to speak.

"Don't do that…" She sighed as she tenderly pulled his hand away from his neck.

Jonathan didn't reply; he didn't trust himself to speak. It had been easy to touch her, even hold her, in times of distress. When she needed him, it was second nature to pull her close. But, to feel her gently take his hand, to hear the hint of concern in her voice was different. He didn't have a clue as to why.

"Sorry…I do that when I'm nervous," He sighed.

Nancy squeezed his hand and smiled, "I think we're past the point of being nervous around each other."

A scarlet blush graced his cheeks and spread to the tips of his ears, "Maybe."

Nancy giggled quietly to herself as she noticed his change of color. An awkward silence filled the room until Jonathan spoke again, "I have an idea."

Jonathan quickly scooped up the tray with Nancy's breakfast and balanced it on one hand as he led her out of the room.

They ate breakfast at the kitchen table together. It felt like déjà vu, like they had done this before. They both secretly hoped that this would not be the last time they shared this.

Nancy secretly wished for another nightmare.

Mike was waiting for her on the front porch when she arrived home. He was just dropped off by Mrs. Byers after their excursion to the space museum, but the day was still young. His buddies wanted to grab their bikes and reconvene somewhere so they could continue their adventure. Mike had suggested his house. Now, all he had to do was wait. He checked his watch. 12:30pm.

He couldn't hide the shit-eating grin that was plastered onto his face as Nancy dismounted his bike and walked it towards him.

Her voice was meek as she spoke with her eyes down, "Thanks for the favor."

The bike was handed back to him gingerly. He pretended to inspect it for damage as his sister hopped from foot to foot, waiting for his decision. The shit-eating grin was back, and Nancy sighed in relief.

"The bike is in one piece, but you still owe me," He chuckled.

"What do you want?"

His eyes sparkled, "A love confession by the end of the week."

Nancy blanched, "What?!"

"Not to me! To Jonathan!" Mike screeched.

She rolled her eyes halfheartedly, still looking a bit shaken, "Very funny. Let me know when you think of something."

Mike watched her as she bounded up the stairs to the house and passed through the threshold. He knew where she went last night. Will said he could see her outside Jonathan's window. Mike told the boys about the note she had written to him, and they slowly but surely pieced the story together as they walked the familiar halls of the space museum. Mike knew that she didn't totally reject the idea of loving Jonathan, but was somehow still denying it.

The walkie-talkie beside him beeped to life. The voice on the other end was accented by a lisp, clearly indicating it was Dustin.

"Lucas, Will and I are on the way. Did Nancy bring your bike back?"

Mike clicked the button and replied, "Yup."

Another voice was emitted through the device. Will spoke, "Is operation Jancy still on?"

"Hell yeah."

Mike had already lost his love; he wasn't about to let his sister lose hers.