#˖ ࣪⭑ lifeguarded — heather holloway. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

queers-gambit · 2 years

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Bobby Flay or Billy Flayed?

prompt: ( requested ) the Mind Flayer's claimed Billy - and his relationship with his 'perfect girl'. after seemingly being replaced by Heather Holloway, Billy's girl learns the harrowing truth the hard way.

pairing: Billy Hargrove x female!reader

fandom masterlist: Stranger Things

word count: 7.5k

warnings: slight AU ending, cursing, depictions of illness, mind control, violence. small angst, small comfort. Billy Boy lives. ❗️ season three spoilers

"Baby? Hey, Billy! What the hell?" I asked in confusion when Billy rushed past me; bare feet slapping over the pool's concrete as he didn't hear me and pushed on for his destination. The hot summer day had attracted the usual busy crowd, hollers and yelling echoing around us and possibly drowning my voice.

"Sissy?" My little sister worried, looking up at me with her can of Coke held in both hands and her sweet eyes blown wide in worry. "Where's B going?"

I sighed as I glanced down at her while gently caressing the back of her head, "He's working, bug, takes a lot to keep the pool all nice and clean for us. He's a very busy bee, you know?"

"Oh, okay," she nodded. "Can I have a snow-cone?"

"You've got a Coke, baby, drink that," I chuckled. "It's enough sugar."

"Sissy," she whined with a pout. "It's summer! No such thing as too much sugar!"

"Hey, okay," I sighed, glancing around and spying my friend, Jessica, a few feet away. "Hey, Jess?"

"Hey," she greeted with a smile, standing with her little brother. "Hi, Danielle."

"It's Danny," she insisted, Jessica shooting me a knowing smile.

I chuckled, "Yeah, we're goin' by Danny now," I winked. Jess nodded.

"How're you, Danny? I totally dig the suit, it's really colorful," Jess smiled, always so sweet with younger kids.

"Mommy said I looked like a rainbow," Danielle beamed with a nearly blinding smile. "Hi, Derek!"

"Hi, Danny!"

"Can you do me a favor?" I begged quietly to Jessica. "If I give you guys some money, can you take Danny to the snack bar for one of those ice-in-a-cup things?"

"Sure, no problem," Jess agreed, eyeing me with slight suspicion, "but are you okay?"

"Yeah, just gotta go talk to Billy really quick."

She nodded, "No problem. Tell pretty boy I say hi," she chuckled.

"You're a peach," I whispered, handing over a crispy $10. "Hey, Dan," I lowered to a squat in front of my sister and took the can of Coke from her hold, "if you can behave, Jessica's gonna take you and Derek over to the snack bar for a snow-cone, okay? And maybe if you're really good, she'll let you get blue raspberry? Hmm? How's that sound?"

Danielle pondered for a moment before nodding, "Deal."

"Thought so," I smirked, standing upright. "Thanks again," I nodded to my childhood friend.

"No worries," she smiled. "But can I get a cone on your dime, too?" she pouted lightly.

"I'd be offended if you didn't," I assured. "Hey, uh, do me a favor and grab me a cherry?"

"No problem," Jess agreed. "C'mon, munchkins, before the line gets too long."

"I'm gonna get the lemonade flavor!" Derek, Jess' little brother, proclaimed to Danny with a triumphant grin.

"I'm gonna get blue raspberry," My sister gloated.

"Well, I'm getting grape," Jess tacked on as she directed the little ones away.

I sighed and fiddled with my fingers nervously before glancing around for any other lifeguards and moving towards the chemical storage gate. It was left open, the hall leading down to the pool's maintenance facility empty and making me call, "Billy?"

I tiptoed through the gate, my flip-flops then clacking as I looked around the gated storage room with more confident steps. I gulped my fear and tugged at the hem of my semi-sheer swim cover-up, ducking my head around another open door.

Inside, I found Billy, but he faced away to another storage unit. "Billy? Baby, hey," I cautiously stepped into the room with him, noting the way sweat shot down his arms and hair clung to his neck. "Baby, look, I know you're angry at me, but let me explain, please. I'm sorry I didn't show up last night," I heard him sniffle sharply but didn't turn to me, "I should've called, I know that. But my Mom ended up with an emergency surgery coming in, and I didn't know, and I had to watch Danny and her Girl Scout troop, but I should've called."

I heard his breathing change and felt something in the air shift.

"Hey, B," I spoke gently, brows furrowing as I stepped closer to his damp body. "Baby, will you say something, please? Just talk to me." I felt my eyes widen when Billy finally turned, showing me his flushed skin and sweat-covered face, curls sticking to his cheeks and neck. "Oh, my God, Billy," I worried, hands raising to hover over his arms in fear of touching his sweat-riddled skin, "holy shit, do you have a fever? Are you feeling all right?"

His eyes darted between mine, opening his mouth and then pausing. "Y-You didn't call. You didn't show."

"I know," I breathed in confusion.

"No, it's good," he nodded, "because you have to stay away from me."

"Stay away from you?" I repeated unsurely. "Baby, what the hell, I know I missed date night, but please, don't push me away - "

"Understand that I'm only looking out for you," Billy seethed. "You need to stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you."

"Baby, what the hell are you talking about?" I shook my head.

"Just stay away, princess, it has to be this way," he spoke with a fierce determination. "Got it? Stay. Away from me."

"No, you're obviously not okay or making sense, wait, hey - Billy!" I called when he surged past me, his shoulder bullying into mine enough to turn me with the force of his body. But worry evolved from pea-size to cantelope-size when he stumbled enough to catch himself on the doorframe before exiting the storage room. Curiosity got the best of me and I reached for the bottle Billy had been examining, finding standard pool chemicals, and turning to follow my boyfriend outside.

He wasn't seen immediately due to the crowded pool yard, but once on my toes for a few moments, his stumbling form caught my sight and I darted towards him. "Excuse me, sorry," I muttered to a few patrons, reaching for Billy's elbow and almost jerking away when his skin damn-near burned me. "B, slow down," I worried, tightening my hold when he wobbled.

"Got a shift," he sniffled.

"No, you need to go in the air conditioning and cool off," I worried.

"J-Just gotta get to the chair," he muttered, letting me pull his arm around my shoulders.

"Billy," I shook my head.

"'T the chair, princess, the chair," he almost wheezed, eyes squinting in the sunlight as sweat was pouring off of him at an alarming rate. "I'm okay," he mumbled.

"You're not," I sighed. "Still stubborn as hell, though."

"You gotta stay away from me, sweet girl," Billy sounded almost wounded. "Just trust me."

"If you're sick, you need to get outta the sun," I pointed out. "Can you trust me on that one?"

"Got a shift," he repeated.

"Billy, fuck this job," I rolled my eyes.

"Get me in the chair, sweetheart," he pleaded. I sighed and helped him get closer to the lifeguard chair, watching as he shakily climbed it before collapsing to the seat.

"Will you please be smart about this?" I still tried, watching as confusion seemed to ink his mind. "Let's just go inside, B, please. I'm sure there's someone else to come out for your shift."

"Sissy!"

"'S that Danny?" Billy mumbled, a finger rubbing at his ear as if to relieve the ringing sensation.

I sighed and looked back at my sister waving me down from our chairs. "B, I'll be right back, okay?" I looked up at him. "Please just consider going inside."

He nodded mutely and I sighed again before patting his knee and pulling away from the chair. I walked back over to my sister, Jess, and Derek; taking the seat beside Danny and pulling a towel closer.

"Did you dip back in the pool when I wasn't looking?" I teased lightly.

"Uh-huh," she nodded, happily scooping the blue ice to her mouth.

"Here," Jessica sighed, handing over my cherry cup. "Is Billy okay? He looks pretty sick," she nodded towards my boyfriend in his lifeguard chair.

"I don't know," I admitted. "He's not feeling well, that's pretty clear."

"He looks like shit," she nodded, scooping some of her icy treat to her mouth. "Oh, before I forget, your change," she handed the few bills over. I nodded in thanks and set the money aside with my cup, wrapping Danny in her towel before enjoying a moment with my sister and our friends.

When the snow-cones were done and gone, I was reapplying Danny's sunscreen when Jess jerked her body around to slap my thigh. "Ow," I pinned her with a glare but she continued to tap my leg vigorously without looking at me. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"Billy," she pointed, my head snapping up to see Billy passed out and slumped back in the chair.

"God damn it," I cursed, wiping my hands on Danny's towel. "I'll be right back."

"Sissy!"

Jessica reached forward to trap Danny in her arms as I ignored protocol and ran for the guard chair. "Billy," I worried, shaking his knee. "Billy, hey, wake up," I lifted myself onto the lower rung and shook his shoulders, cupping his cheeks. "Billy, I swear to God, I'm calling 911 if you don't wake up in the next 30 seconds."

His eyes rolled behind his lids before suddenly, he jerked awake. With a gasp, Billy sat up and his panicked eyes met mine. "B-Baby," he stuttered, wobbling forward into my chest. I balanced on the rung to keep hold of him, his breath coming out in short grunts as I tried to ease him back while keeping my hands on both of his cheeks. "Baby, please," he mumbled in confusion, my heart aching due to the obvious pain and delirium he was suffering from.

"Okay, c'mon, we're going inside - right now," I shook my head, looking down to step off the chair when my sight caught his elbow. "Billy, holy shit! Your arm's burnt!" I pointed out to him, watching as he retracted the appendage under the shade of the guard umbrella to look at the injury.

"Shit," he muttered, sniffling hotly after.

"Get down, now," I snapped. "C'mon, right fucking now, get down," I helped him climb down, his knees wobbling and needing to catch himself on my shoulders. "Jesus Christ," I worried, wrapping my arm around his waist as his kept an iron grip around my shoulders, "you're burning up, B, why did you just bake in the sun?"

He mumbled something, stumbling along as his deadweight was overpowering to my strength but I made do. But when Billy's weight lurched, so did I; and his shoulder bullied into a kid's, causing their cooler to drop and overturn.

"Hey, man!"

"Sorry, sorry, so sorry," I apologized to the family, trying to keep hold of an off-balanced Billy. "He's sick, really sick, so sorry."

"Billy, are you okay?" Heather asked, having witnessed the collision.

"I got him, he's okay," I panted to our classmate, directing Billy towards the locker rooms. "You're okay, B, I got'cha," I muttered. "Excuse us, sorry, sorry, excuse us, coming through, my bad, move, sorry, excuse us," I directed to the people around us, Billy's arm coming up to slam into the locker room door and shove it open.

"S-Showers," he panted, me nodding in agreement as we moved towards the shower stalls. Billy's arm ripped the curtain open as I got him inside and turned the knob to freezing cold.

"All right," I panted, keeping him upright as the ice cold water sprayed over he and I, but mostly him. "You're okay," I assured, his arm slowly wrapping around my waist to pull me into his trembling chest. My arms wrapped around him tightly to help stabilize him, muttering reassuring nothings to him as I pet a hand through his drenched hair; unaware of his eyes staring down at the burn to his left arm.

Inky darkness spread through his veins, assuring him something darker - more sinister - was at work. I heard him sniffling before tightening his arms behind me; unable to see how he wasn't able to pull away and let his fingers press to the wound - but a bolt of pure pain seized his heart before shooting through his veins.

Billy rocketed back into the shower wall, screaming bloody murder over the sounds of the pouring water and my own worries. "Baby! Please! What's hurting?" I panicked. "Oh, my God," I gasped when his hands slapped over his ears, back sliding to the floor, mouth agape to release a gut-wrenching scream.

"Sissy!?"

"Stay out there, Danny!" I shouted over my shoulder, on my knees as I tried to pull Billy into my embrace. He turned into the walls, pain seeping into his every sound as he wailed from an unheard force.

"Sissy!"

I whined, tears springing to my eyes as Billy sobbed and leaned into my chest. I pressed my hands over his, still clamped over his ears, and called again, "Stay put, Danielle! I'm not kidding!"

"Is Billy okay!?"

I shook my head, "He's okay, bug, stay out there!"

It was quiet and I turned back to Billy, gently prying his head up as he looked vividly confused. "Y-You have to get outta here," he panted, slowly lowering our hands to turn them over and nearly break my fingers in his grasp. "You gotta go, baby, you can't be here."

"I'm not leaving you like this," I refused.

"I-I'm okay now," he sputtered through the stream of water. "I'm okay, I-I'm just gonna s-sit in the cold water."

"Billy," I shook my head.

"G-Go check on Danny," he nodded, sniffling. "But don't come back, okay? Y-You've gotta stay away from me. I-It's over between us, okay? You gotta stay away - don't come around me, please, just stay away. T-This isn't - this isn't working. You have to go."

"Billy, you're not making sense!"

"Just go," he begged. "Get outta here, sugar, please. I can't hurt you - not you. You've gotta go."

"You're not going to hurt me, B," I shook my head. "You need help - "

"No, you've gotta go," he insisted. "Get away from me, stay away from me, you get it? Go, just get away."

"Sissy!"

I sighed and called again, "Hang on, bug!" Looking back at Billy, I shook my head, "Baby, please. You're hurt and obviously sick - "

"I'm gonna sit in the cold water, baby, go. Just go, please, and stay away. I can't hurt you."

"Billy - "

"Sissy!"

"Christ!" I snapped, glaring back at Billy. "You stay right fucking here, I will be back."

His eyes rolled, "Stubborn ass."

"Could say the same about you, sweetheart," I sighed, letting my hand caress his cheek. "I don't know what's up with you, but you're not alone."

"I am," he panted, "'cause it's over, we're done. You've gotta go."

"Billy - "

"I'm not fucking fighting you about this!" He roared, making me flinch back. "Get out! Get gone! It's done - we're done - just get out and leave me alone!"

I couldn't stop the sting of unshed tears, sighing and standing. I couldn't utter another word as I quickly fixed my hair after the shower's stream ruined it and shed my soaking wet cover-up. Outside, Danny was waiting right at the door and gasped when I appeared.

"What's up, bug?" I muttered.

"Jess and Derek have to leave," she informed me. "And Daddy says I'm not allowed to be alone."

I sighed and nodded, catching sight of Heather approaching us. "Hang on, bug," I muttered, pulling her into my legs as Heather smiled.

"Hey, uh, is Billy okay?" she asked. "I saw him earlier, looked really rough."

"He's not feeling too great," I nodded. "He's in the showers, um... D-Do you mind checking on him?"

"Sure," she agreed easily, patting my shoulder lightly as she passed me by. I sighed and watched her enter the locker room before turning to my little sister.

"All right, bug, let's get you in some floaties, huh? One last swim before we'll head home, too?"

"Okay," she beamed. "But where's Billy?"

"Oh, he's in the showers," I shrugged. "He's feeling a little sick."

"That's not good, he should have ginger ale," my little sister frowned; hand tight in mine as we moved for the chairs again. Jessica was packed up with her brother; us all saying goodbyes in parting before she was ushering her brother along and I was fitting Danny into her floaties.

Once in the kiddie pool and under the gaze of another guard, I told her I'd be right back to check on Billy. She nodded in agreement and doggie-paddled away from me, letting me turn and tie a towel around my under arms and step back into the locker rooms.

Only when I got there, I came to a skidding halt as the stall I left Billy in was vacant and the water still running. Sighing, I pulled my towel off to toss on a ring, reaching in to shut off the freezing cold water and pull back. "Billy?" I called, looking around the entire locker room. "Heather? Hey, anyone? Billy, baby, where are you? Hey? Hello?"

After concluding they were gone, I shook my head with a sigh and turned to exit. I went back to where Danny was paddling around and 15 minutes later, adult swim was whistled in and my sister was climbing out. After drying her off and taking her into the locker room to change into her shorts and tee shirt, we were heading out.

"Where's Billy?" she wondered, looking around for his car in the parking lot.

"Probably went home, pup," I nodded. "He was sick, remember?"

I tried not to feel bitter over how it was possible Heather drove him home in his car but figured I'd see him later to work everything out.

So lead a conversation between the two young teenage girls, Max needing to explain to Eleven how when Billy was "alone with his girlfriend, they make, like, really crazy noises." And when El was asking if his girlfriend usually screamed, Max was quick to explain they were "happy screams".

After El still didn't understand, Max figured it was something Cosmo could better explain. Thing is, Eleven knew who Billy's girlfriend was after Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson found El in the woods and snuck into her basement for refuge.

She was nice, El remembered. But she had distinct features and the girl El saw with Billy last night, screaming, wasn't her old friend. When she told Max this, the redhead didn't want to believe Billy was with anyone else, making "happy screams".

However, after the girls found the bloodied belongings of a lifeguard under the bathroom sink, it became apparent maybe consulting the girl Billy was dating was important.

The moment Eleven found Heather in her mind and borderline had a panic attack, they knew they had to see her.

That brought them to a cute yellow house in the suburb with flowerbeds decorating the walkway to the front door. The girls were drenched from biking everywhere in the torrential downpour, knocking at the door Max had come to be familiar with.

"Oh, shit," I answered, finding Max and Eleven on my front porch, "what're you doing out here, it's pouring. Come in, come in," I ushered them inward, frowning when they trembled from the cold. "Hang tight, girls, I'll grab you some towels."

Max cleared her throat, "Is your, uh, Mom home?"

"No, she's at work tonight," I assured, pausing at the linen closet on the first floor bathroom to grab them their towels. "Here," I sighed, handing them over when I returned. "The hell were you two doing out there in this weather?"

"Looking for Billy," Max answered, shedding her yellow rain jacket.

"Well, you and me both," I scoffed, crossing my arms. "I went by your house last night but nobody was there."

"Billy wasn't?" Eleven asked.

"Nope," I sighed. "Where were you, little lady?" I smiled at Max.

"We had a sleep over," Max answered, gesturing between herself and El.

"Cute," I beamed. "But sadly, ladies, I can't help. I have no idea where Billy is, I saw him yesterday at the pool and he wasn't doing well."

"What do you mean?" El asked quietly.

"He was really sick," I shrugged. "Looked shaky, he was burning up, sweating profusely."

"'Profusely'?" Eleven questioned.

"Oh, um, like a lot," I explained to her. "Look, I left him in the showers and when I got back, he was gone. So, if you find that jackass before me, tell him I'm pissed."

"But did you leave him with anyone?" Max asked. "Did you see him with anyone else?"

"Um, well, I actually asked Heather to check on him. She was gone, too, when I went back." The girls shared an uneasy look, my brows crinkling in confusion. "What's up, what's with the look?"

"It's just," Max breathed unsteadily, "w-we're afraid Billy might've... Hurt Heather."

"'Hurt Heather'?" I repeated before chuckling. "Guys, I know Billy's a scary guy but he's not like he once was, okay? He's not going to just attack Heather."

"There was blood," El spoke. "And she-she asked me to help her."

"Heather asked you to help?" I asked, watching her nod. "When did you see her?"

"In her mind," Max waved off.

I nodded slowly, "So... What now? Should we go check on Heather?"

"She didn't show up for her shift," Max nodded. "We were thinking of going to check things out."

I nodded, "I get that, okay. Sure. Um, wanna put your bike in the garage and I can drive us?"

"No, we couldn't - "

I cut Eleven off, "I want to. 'Cause now I'm curious as to what the fuck's going on with my man."

"Might not like what you find," Max warned.

"Don't worry about that," I sighed, stuffing my feet into a pair of rain boots before tugging on a jacket as the girls followed suit. I hung the towels on a pair of coat hooks before snatching up my car keys and ushering them through the side garage door.

After bringing in Max' bike, I got them in my car and out into the rain to head for Heather's house. Eleven reminded me of the house number and when we pulled up out front, the lights on the pretty home were lit up.

"Is this it?" Max double checked, me looking in the rearview mirror to see El nodding.

"Let's go, girls," I sighed, turning the car off and opening my door. They followed suit, and before I could knock, El held her hand to me and shook her head. "Um, what?" I asked, watching as she braced herself and as a dribble of blood leaked from her nostril, the front door was opening without aid. "Girls, no," I worried when they moved into the house, "this is technically breaking and entering, I think!"

When I finally followed them, light dinner music played in the background. I heard Max confirm it was Heather's house as they stared at the family portrait, the sounds of a family heard from another room.

I sighed when the two girls moved for the sounds, feeling uneasy as I followed them from a few steps. However, bile rose in my throat when I heard Billy greet, "Max." When I stepped out from behind the wall and let my hands smooth across either girl's shoulder, Billy's smirk dropped as he rushed to say my name.

"Hi, uh, we didn't mean to barge in," I cleared my throat, smiling at the two adults. "We tried knocking but I'm sure the storm drowned us out."

My eyes caught Billy's as he chewed in contemplation. But it was Heather's father that spoke up, "I'm sorry, who is this dripping all over my living room right now?"

Billy chuckled, setting his utensils down, "I'm sorry." He set the cloth napkin down, "Janet, Tom, this... Is my sister, Maxine." I cleared my throat, offering him a glare. "And my ex-girlfriend, they're very close still."

"Oh!" Janet cooed as Billy stood from his seat.

"Did he say ex?" Max muttered to me as I glared at Billy.

But he took no notice, instead spoke in a sickly sweet voice, "What on Earth are you two doing here?" He approached us, my hand tightening around Max' shoulder as his eyes flickered between us, "Is something wrong?"

"We just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Max answered quickly.

"'Okay'?" Billy repeated, his eyes cutting up to mine. "Why wouldn't everything be okay?"

"Maybe 'cause you were sweating bullets yesterday, have been avoiding me, and now we find you playing house with the Holloways," I perked a brow at him. "The hell's really going on, Billy?"

"I'm having dinner, princess," he cocked his head at me.

Before I could retort, Eleven demanded, "Where is she?"

I hated the way Billy's eyes then shot over to the girl. I pulled her slightly closer as Billy leered, "I'm sorry. Where is who?"

"Billy," I warned, his eyes returning to mine.

"Well," a new, chipper voice chimed in, "they're a little burnt, I'm sorry - " Heather cut herself off when she noticed Billy not at the table and lifted her gaze, finding us. She breathed my name as if in shock, my stomach knotting in confusion.

"Heather!" Billy greeted, gesturing to the young woman that had just entered the dining room through the kitchen. "This is my sister, Maxine. And you know the princess here," he gestured Max and I, ignoring my unamused glare because his eyes turned back to Eleven. "And I'm sorry, I did not quite catch your name."

I shifted when the girl glared up at Billy, "El."

"El," Billy repeated with a slow point of his pointer finger. "Now, what is it you were saying, El? You were looking for someone?"

It was hard to ignore the ominous way the storm raged in the background.

"I-I saw," El stuttered in confusion, looking over at a perfectly healthy Heather. "I saw you - "

"Your manager," I covered, nodding along. "Mhm, isn't that right girls? Saw Heather's manager at the pool. Said you," I nodded at Heather, "and Billy," my eyes cut over to him, "didn't come into work today, so, the girls came to see me, to see if I knew where Billy was, and uh, so lead us here. We, uh, we got kinda worried."

"Heather wasn't feeling so hot today," Billy answered me, looking like he was taunting us, "so we thought we'd take the day off to nurse her back to health." He looked over to the girl, "But you're feeling just fine right now, aren't you, Heather?"

"I'm feeling so much better," Heather assured. But something was off. Something wasn't right.

"Let me talk to you really quick, doll, over here," Billy sniffled, nodding down the hall of the Holloway house.

"Hang tight, girls," I muttered, backing up a step as I kept my glare on Billy. He smiled to the others before stepping after me, the moment the wall blocked us, however, he was dropping the nice act.

"Do you girls want a cookie?" Heather was heard asking, Billy's hand gripping my upper arm and ushering me down the hall to the foyer.

"The hell are you doing here?" Billy growled. "I told you to stay away."

"Me?" I snapped in a hiss. "What the hell is my boyfriend doing here, playing all nice with Heather and her parents? Being domestic and shit! Who even are you? Harry Homemaker?"

"You need to leave - "

"And in the shirt I bought you," I scoffed. "You playin' some game, Billy, the honest fuck is up with you?"

"I broke up with you," he reminded. "You might not like it, but it happened. Get used to it. You need to go."

"Billy, what the fuck - "

"I can't hurt you, I won't risk hurting you, baby, you need to fucking listen to me and leave," he seethed. "You need to go, you're in danger around me."

I shook my head, "So, I should leave you with Heather?"

"I'm dating Heather now," he snapped, "so, yeah, leave me and my girl alone."

I felt tears slightly swell, keeping my voice steady as I asked, "You're dating her already?"

"Just because you can't get it in your head that we're over, doesn't mean I was gonna wait around all summer."

"Who even are you anymore?" I scoffed, pushing past him again to make for the hall. "C'mon, girls, Heather and Billy are feeling fine and we should go. C'mon," I waved them to me. "Sorry to interrupt your evening, Mr. and Mrs. Holloway, Heather."

"It's okay, dear," Janet smiled. "You were worried."

"Not anymore," I chuckled dryly, leading them out of the house and ignoring Billy.

"Baby?" He whispered in confusion, shaking his head as I shoved past him and out the front door.

"What happened?" Max asked as she kept up with me.

"Something's up," I rushed, glancing back to see Billy shut the front door and keep watch from the glass pane. I wrapped my arms around the girls again to keep them close, "Something's wrong."

"That's what I've been saying!" Eleven groaned as she dropped into the backseat of my car once I unlocked it.

Pulling away from the warmly-lit home, I had no honest idea the chaos that would follow.

"And you... You were happy," El wept, staring up at Billy as she desperately tried to connect with his soul to fight off the Mind Flayer's hold. She gingerly lifted her hand to press to his cheek, speaking softly, "A-And you didn't think you'd feel that again. Until her," she sniffled with a soft smile. "She loves you no matter what, an-and she makes you happy. T-The happiest you've been, since your mom..."

Billy let out a shuddering breath, eyes closed as his warped mind cleared slightly to replay the memory of him on the beach with his mother - before flashing to a new memory that El wanted him to remember. It was spring break '85 and Billy remembered his girlfriend bouncing up to him after school in the parking lot.

She wore a beaming smile and clutched an envelope in her hands. She was so excited that Billy had to catch her in his embrace and take a step or two back to regain his balance. His perfect girl was practically vibrating and Billy turned to set her on the trunk of his car, asking what had her so wound up.

Inside the envelope was cash. He was confused until she explained it was gas and motel money to get them from Hawkins to his hometown (and back) for the break. But the one "downside" was they had to leave right that second to get home, pack, and get on the road.

She had everything planned out for them.

Billy's mind then flashed in an instant to her on that same beach; laughing in the surf as she'd never seen it before. Eleven focused and brought forth the feeling in his chest; that feeling he had when he watched her in the water until the sun started to set; realizing how in-love he was and that he'd do anything for that girl.

He'd do anything to see that smile again.

Anything.

Including turning on the Mind Flayer in a final act of heroism.

Before he could pull back, El put the cherry on top by telling him, "Don't leave her alone in this. She needs you, like you need her."

As Billy stood to face off with the meaty monster, Max had hold of my hand as we rushed to the scene with Mike Wheeler after waking them up from being knocked out by Billy.

"Shit!" I cursed, pushing the kids back and dashing forward, hearing Max scream my name. "No, no, no, no, no, no," I muttered, "hey, hey, you okay?" I dropped beside Eleven, taking her under her arms and rocking to my feet to yank her back a few feet with me.

Billy heard Max screaming and glanced back to catch sight of me, his eyes blown in panic. When the Mind Flayer shot an arm out to grab Eleven, I used my body to twist to protect her as Billy physically grabbed the fleshy arm.

"NO!" He shouted.

"BILLY!" I screamed, fear suffocating me.

Monsters and mayhem, Billy being possessed, all of it didn't make sense but this wasn't the time for sense - this was the time for action. And Billy didn't waste a second of it.

He screamed in anguish as the monster stabbed through his torso but before it could deliver the fatal blow, something changed. With three clawed arms dug into his flesh, the monster started to scream. Panting, I pushed off the ground and away from Eleven in time for the Mind Flayer to yank his arms free of Billy's chest as it started to thrash around, sliding to my knees with a grunt as his limp body fell into mine.

"Oh, my God, oh fuck, oh fuck, okay," I panicked, maneuvering him to the floor and taking stock of his injuries. "Okay, okay, this is - this isn't good, shit, fuck, okay, okay, I really should've paid attention in those first aid classes."

Billy coughed, blood splattering down his chin as the Mind Flayer roared and thrashed around the floor of the mall, "B-Baby."

"Hey, hey," I panted, glancing up at the monster before back at Billy, "you're okay, baby, just hang on."

I flinched over his body when the Mind Flayer whipped to the side and crashed into the upper deck of the mall before slumping over dead. I peaked up to check the danger was gone before looking back down at Billy, who was struggling to breath clearly.

"Oh shit, oh, my God," I breathed, looking around for help but not finding anything. I huffed and pulled back slightly to whip my shirt off, leaving me in a sports bra, and instantly pressed it to the gaping, bleeding wounds on Billy's stomach. "You're okay, you're okay," I nodded.

"Baby," he wheezed, "I gotta tell you..."

"No, it's okay, save your strength," I begged, pressing harder and hearing blood squelching.

"I'm so sorry, doll," he muttered, me hearing footsteps thundering towards us.

"It's okay, it's okay," I nodded at him, tears falling uncontrollably. "You're gonna be okay - "

"Billy!" Max gasped, dropping to her knees beside me.

"It's okay," I repeated, looking around. "Okay, we uh... We gotta get him outta here."

I heard my name being spoken softly, looking up at El as she crawled over towards us - Mike hovering at her shoulder. "I can help," she nodded.

"You're hurt, sweetheart," I shook my head. "You rest, we just gotta get him out of here."

"Do you guys hear that?" Mike asked, kneeling to hold Eleven.

"Just hang on," I whispered to Billy, who coughed again.

"Helicopters," Max nodded to Mike, looking back at Billy. "You hear that, Billy? T-They're coming, they're gonna help. You're gonna be fine."

"Yeah, see?" I sniffled, nodding down at him. "You're gonna be fine, it's okay."

"I'm so sorry," he cried, blood splattering across his chin, neck, and cheeks. I lifted to use my knee to hold pressure to his abdomen, freeing my bloody hands to caress his cheek.

"It's okay," I assured. "Look at what you were battling against."

"Did I?" he sputtered.

"You did," I nodded again. "Y-You kept telling me to get away, you tried to protect me. That meant somewhere in your mind, you were fighting, baby. You did so well, saved all of us."

Max nodded in agreement as he struggled to breath. "T-Too tight," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, baby, but we have to staunch the bleeding," I shook my head as the doors of the mall burst open and military soldiers stormed inside, all shouting different orders. "HEY! HEY! OVER HERE! PLEASE!"

"It's okay, baby," Billy panted, grunting as he tried to smile but it twisted into a grimace. "Just let me go, huh? 'M too far gone."

"Not in this lifetime," I snapped, looking back up at the soldiers. "OVER HERE! PLEASE! WE NEED AN AMBULANCE!"

Max was left sobbing in Eleven's arms; Mike trying to stand strong above them both as I kept hold of Billy. "I love you," he muttered, eyes fluttering.

"Billy? Hey, hey, Billy! Wait, no, baby, please! Wait, wait, I love you, too! Okay? You hear me? Open your eyes! Open your eyes, Billy, please, baby, don't leave me - c'mon. Don't do this. Don't do this to me, you can't leave me, I just found you. Please, please. Baby, open your eyes, please, don't do this. I know you were fighting for so long but please, please, just fight a little longer for me. Just a little longer!"

"Ma'am! We need to evacuate you all!" a heavily uniformed man approached us, a few ushering the other kids out to the parking lot. "We have to move him out - "

"Not without EMTs and a gurney, I'm not letting pressure off his wounds, he's still alive," I snapped back. When he tried to reach for me, I threatened, "It takes the same force to bite through a finger as it does a carrot, so don't fucking try me!"

"Hey, hey," A new voice called, "leave her be! There's an ambulance here, they're bringing the stretcher!"

The man who gave the new order had grey salted hair, nodding at me as I looked tearfully back at Billy. When the EMTs arrived, they took stock of the injuries before agreeing I couldn't let off any pressure and quickly helping me maneuver in order to get a hardback board under an unconscious Billy.

He was also collared and an oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth.

After they shoved towels under my knee to let me stand, they got him on the stretcher before an army was surging past us into the mall and I was running, slathered in Billy's blood, after his gurney.

Someone was shouting my name, earning my attention as Max burst forth from the hold of other officers. "C'mon," I panted, waving her after us.

"Wait, wait," a paramedic halted us, "only one can ride with him."

"She's his girlfriend!" "She's his sister!" Max and I barked at the same time, pointing at the other.

"Only one," they repeated, the doors of the ambulance being ripped open and Billy prepared to board.

"I'll give you ladies a ride," a different officer nodded.

"Don't leave him alone," Max nodded, pushing me forward. "We'll meet you at the hospital."

I sighed and nodded, no time to argue before hopping inside the ambulance and trying not to gag over the amount of blood already present. There was a high-pitched whine in my ears as I watched the professionals work, my breathing stunted in shock as Billy didn't wake up or stir the entire ride.

Nor did he for 7 weeks after the mall fire.

The nursing staff eventually put a cot in his room for me, pushed up to the side so I could reach out and hold his hand when wanted. The constant beeping of his monitors became soothing simply because it meant he was still alive; a feeding tube placed, catheter, and he was intubated due to the coma.

I liked reading to him. Max would bring me a few books from the library, my parents would bring changes of clothes, and my Dad usually brought me a Thermos of 'good coffee' so I wasn't drinking 'that hospital crap'.

The doctors assured me it was a god sign if he survived past 48 hours, but now it'd been 7 fucking weeks of just waiting.

Sleep wasn't a real thing but I was sat on my cot at his bedside, his hand tight in mine, with my head bowed to his bed, it was easy to doze off. I groaned lightly when something squeezed my hand, reflexively tightening my hold on the fingers in mine as I sighed from slumber. However, when I realized the hand in my own was squeezing, I shot up with a small yelp.

Billy blinked at me with a slight crinkle of his brows, looking nervously around the room before back at me. "Oh, my God," I breathed, standing to push the cot away, "hi, hi, oh, wow, you're awake. I gotta get the doctors - " I paused when his hand tightened in mine, making me pause my departure. "Hey, hey," I soothed, lowering myself slightly to push a few unruly curls off his forehead, "I'm just stepping out the door, I'll just be 45 seconds, okay? I'll be right back, baby, but you need a doctor to check you out."

He nodded stiffly, blinking back tears when I kissed the back of his hand and begrudgingly let go to dash for his hospital door. I located personnel and insisted they needed to page the doctors on call before dipping back into Billy's room and sliding my hand into his by second 43.

A medical team piled into the room and I was allowed to hold his hand through the entire ordeal as they gave Billy the green light to have his breathing tube removed. Once cleaned up and the doctors out of the room, 5 mg of pain killers dispensed for his comfort, I drug an empty chair up to his side and just sat in peace.

"You waited?" he muttered, throat scratched to high-hell from the tube left in his throat.

I half-smiled back at him, sighing, "I wasn't going to leave you." He blinked a few times from the drugs in his system. "I'm really happy you're awake," I sighed. "Had us worried for a bit."

"'Us'?"

"Max came by everyday, hung out with me," I smiled. "She was pretty worried but she'll come by in the morning and will lose her shit to see you finally awake."

"Really?"

"Yeah, baby," I nodded, kissing the back of his hand again. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I got my ass and mind beat by some inter-dimensional monster," he chuckled.

"Yeah, about that..."

"Oh, no," he groaned, "what's wrong now?"

"No, no, nothing," I rushed. "Um, it's just, they're gonna have you sign a bunch of documents. We're not allowed to talk about this once those documents are signed. And we may or may not be collecting some checks for our pain and suffering."

"That's not an issue," he grit his teeth.

"What hurts?"

"My ribs," he wheezed, "wait," his hand jumped out to snag my wrist when I moved to stand. "It's okay, I just wanna sit with you for a bit."

I sighed, "You can have another dose if you're in pain, baby."

"I'm okay," he nodded. "Just sit with me, baby. C'mere."

"No," I laughed when he tried to pull my hand towards him, "you're hurt and I'm not getting in bed with you."

"Just want you closer."

"You get really clingy when you're sick," I chuckled.

He sighed, nodding, "I owe you an apology."

"For what?" I breathed. "Baby, you were literally under mind control and I'm not holding anything against you."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel bad for what I did," he sniffled. "And for what I said to you, how I treated you."

"It's okay," I nodded again. "We can talk about it later, you need to rest."

"Get in bed with me."

"No," I chuckled, pushing up to stand and rearrange the chair and cot so I was close to him again. "I'm gonna lay here with you, though."

He smirked some, "All right, I'll take it. 'M sorry if I scared you."

"We can chalk that up to the monster made up of townspeople," I reached forward to tuck hair behind his ear before letting my fingers slide across his cheek before pressing in a caress.

"Deal," his hand rose to gently trace over my jaw with his fingertips. "I love you, pretty girl... So fucking much, you know that?"

I smiled, "I do know that."

"We're going back to the beach when I get outta here," he huffed, slowly letting his eyes close. "Gettin' outta this town."

I kissed his hand again before laying our arms down, "Mhm, first chance we get, baby."

"Not leavin' Max," he mumbled.

"No, never," I assured, watching him rest comfortably as my heart shred itself and stitched itself back together out of relief. Praying his suffering was over, I kissed his hand again and laid my head down. "I love you, too."

Thinking he was asleep, I didn't expect him to whisper, "Good."

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove x female reader #billy hargove imagine #billy hargrove angst #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things s3 #requests open

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writer-in-theory · 2 years

Text

Hearing Steve mention he was a certified lifeguard in s4 made me think about him and Billy being coworkers.

Steve who had worked at the pool since he was 15, worried he'd never be able to step foot in the water ever again after what happened his junior year but finding odd comfort in protecting others from the water when he knew what had happened to Barb the one time he wasn’t watching his own pool.

Steve who got along great with the manager even if the guy was a little lazy, who teased and got teased by Heather Holloway every shift they’re together (but he knows she likes him because she once kicked Tommy out of the pool for legitimately making fun of him for getting beat by Jonathan Byers). He’s got a good gig here, and he’s excited for one more summer of it after graduation.

But then he walks into his first shift and who’s there? Billy Fucking Hargrove in those tiny red shorts Steve also stood in, smirking at him as Steve prepared to take his shift in the chair. "Fancy seeing you here, Harrington. You followin' me or something?"

"Fuck you, I worked here first."

And so began the more dramatic workplace rivalry to ever exist in Hawkins. Everyone knows about it, and some of their classmates even show up to the pool at shift change just for the chance to catch a fight. For some reason his manager always seems to schedule them together anymore, and Steve could lose it. No fists ever fly, but they do prank each other and throw the nastiest words they can without being fired. Billy swaps out Steve's shorts for a pair a size too small, leaving him terrified to even move in the chair without them riding up his thighs. Steve responds in kind by stealing Billy's clothes out of his locker and leaving them in the sauna all day so they're soaked by the time Billy needs back in them.

Steve is sure there's no one more abrasive and horrible as Billy Hargrove, but then the kids are dragging him to the pool on his one day off that week from the place. Billy was working that day, but it wasn't as the main lifeguard. No, that day Steve got to see Billy teaching a swim class of all fucking things. And there he is, gently guiding toddlers in the water, getting them comfortable and unafraid of being the shallows. Any abrasiveness is gone, all sharp edges filed down to dull, nonharmful little things as Billy smiles, laughs, and encourages these kids. And Steve is taken aback, he can't stop watching that radiant smile, this soft side of Billy that he'd never been allowed to see anymore.

And well, maybe Steve doesn't prank him on their next shift together.

#harringrove #harringrove headcanon #steve x billy #s3 au #stranger things #billy hargrove

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saikokirakira · 11 months

Text

Part 2 of 2: Pagtingin (Feelings) [Steve Harrington x Reader]

a/n: hello. it me. i definitely did not forget to post part two. if you would believe it, i was actually getting sick every week the past month because of the insane hours and workload of my new job. so, umm, probably not lasting long there... i wanna be pretty again and lose all the stress hives all over my body.

summary: based on this blurb on a hanahaki au/flayed!reader

word count: 12k words (big boi over here; i definitely bullied our girl throughout this entire chapter)

warning: barely proofread, only edited twice; no use of y/n; steve is an oblivious himbo (but i'll excuse it because he was the ultimate bbg in s3); ANGST TRAIN, hurt no comfort; moms of hawkins summer '85 (i have 911 on standby); billy "walking red flag" hargrove; unrequited feelings / pining; minor violence; body horror (it's hanahaki, what'd you expect?); writer's torture of a self-insert character; stranger things season 3 canon, but Alexei lives fyuck canon actually; metal goodboi cameo

You despised summer. You didn’t used to hate summer, but working in the summer heat when your recently recurring childhood asthma gets triggered by intense heat wasn’t the best option for you. While you couldn’t pass off as a lifeguard at the Hawkins Community Pool, your neighbour and acquaintance, Heather Holloway, pulled some strings to have you manning the snack bar.

It wasn’t ideal, but it certainly opened up the opportunity to listen in to a lot of gossip all around town. Not your favourite pastime, yet Heather enjoyed the very juicy ones, something you noticed she most likely inherited from her father, the chief editor for the town’s paper. Every time her shift ended, so did yours and either you share interesting stories of the day while you drive home or to the newly opened Starcourt Mall.

“Ew, those women are either married or divorced,” your nose wrinkled in disgust at Heather’s favourite gossip topic, Hawkins group of moms. Specifically, their scheduled visits to the pool whenever Billy Hargrove would be on duty as lifeguard.

“He likes the attention, I guess,” Heather shrugged, “and the moms get to ogle eye candy.”

“Still a minor, Heather.”

“Uh-uh, he turned 18 a few months back,” Heather argued, though the distaste was apparent on her face. “The term is barely legal.” Then she suddenly giggled. “I’m still calling the police when they make a direct move,” she half-joked. “I know they call me a bitch behind my back.”

“You’re a menace.”

“And you’re a sissy,” Heather shot back. “When are you going to ask Steve Harrington ou— JESUS!” She clung at the grab handle when your foot landed too much on the gas pedal. “No need to take me with you to hell just because you can’t get a date.” Then with a cheeky grin, she added, “I heard Steve can’t get a date either, and he talks up anyone at that ice cream place.”

You slammed the brakes. “That’s it!” you exclaimed. “You’re walking the rest of the way to Starcourt!” The only reply you had was Heather’s maniacal giggles at getting you so riled up.

You and Heather parted ways when you arrived at Starcourt after telling you that she’d be getting a ride home with her date. You waved her off and headed to Scoop’s Ahoy. A group of girls were giggling as they were leaving when you got there. You also noticed the whiteboard that Robin, Steve’s co-worker, held up, adding another tally on the “You suck” scoreboard.

“See what I have to deal with?” Steve immediately ranted, jerking a finger at Robin’s direction. “If you worked with me, I don’t have to be subjected with workplace abuse.”

You and Robin snorted in sync. “You poor baby,” you cooed teasingly while pinching Steve’s cheek. “How can I ever live without the longer shifts, ridiculous uniform, and being your wingman?” You earned another laugh from Robin while Steve scoffed before shooting you a pout.

“Well, you certainly miss me since you constantly visit as soon as your shift ends,” Steve shot back.

“Sure, I’m definitely not here as Heather’s chauffer to her movie date,” you said, “or just hanging out at the comic book store.”

“You want me to come wi—?”

“Bye, Robin!” you ignored his offer yet still blowing Steve a raspberry to which he rolled his eyes at. Exiting the ice cream shop, you made you way to the pharmacy first before the comic book store. It was mostly empty when you got there, so it was a breeze in getting your prescription inhaler.

It’s been forever since you had asthma, the last one during your elementary days. Your wheezing fits had only come back since that occurrence in those tunnels that you still see in your nightmares. However, after the countless tests and screening from military scientists, they cleared it to just “your body shifting from all the trauma.”

You’d think after opening gates to other dimensions with monsters, they’d be able to create a cure for asthma.

The thought was highly amusing to you that you almost missed the fiery redhead that just entered the pharmacy. Your eyes watched Max Mayfield carefully as she walked through the aisles with her head low, trying to be inconspicuous. Grabbing your bag of prescription, you slowly followed where Max wandered off, which happened to be a shelf of bandages.

You almost let it go, knowing that her skateboard hobby always led her to a number of scrapes and bruises. But when she reached for the bandage wrap on the high shelf, her shirt sleeve revealed a hand-shaped mark wrapped around her pale wrist. Trying to be nonchalant as possible, you approached her and grabbed the bandage for her, ignoring how Max quickly put her arm down and tugged at her sleeve.

“Skateboarding mishap again, red?”

Max’s signature cocky smirk covered the surprise on her face. “It’s one of my better falls,” she said. Then her eyes wandered to the prescription bag in my hand. “Still have those? They said you’d be better in a couple of weeks since the incident.”

“Well, I didn’t, so here I am,” you shrugged. “Hey, listen, I’m heading out to the comic book store if you want to tag along. My treat.”

Once you were at the community pool. Though you resorted to buying your carefully as she skimmed through the new arrival stack. You didn’t really have anything worth buying since most of the comics you read are from Dustin’s collection that he recommends and lends to you every other week. Sometimes you get the appeal, sometimes you didn’t. Still, it was a great way to pass the time when things are slow from working the snack bar at the comic book store if you want to tag along. My treat.”

Maybe you should’ve offered to buy Max a cone from Scoops Ahoy instead.

“You got any good recommendations?” you randomly asked the guy who just walked in. You seem to have caught him off-guard, the look of surprise that you were talking to him. “Munson, right?”

“Yeah, Eddie,” he said after a brief pause. “Didn’t think you’d be the type to read comics.”

You thought so too. But you also didn’t think that monsters that live in an alternate dimension exist.

You shrugged. “I read almost anything to pass the time,” you said. “Henderson lends me a lot of X-men.”

Eddie was about to reply when Max approached you with two Wonder Woman comics. “I can pay for the other one,” she offered.

You scoffed lightly and ruffled the top of her head. “Don’t be ridiculous,” you said. “Didn’t I say it was my treat?” Before she could argue, you snatched both copies from her hand and headed to the counter with her trailing behind you. “See you around, Munson.”

You and Max wandered aimlessly around the mall. You offered to go watch whatever movie was in the cinema, but Max turned you down, saying that she had plans with the party later that week once their campaign planning was through. After you ran out of things to do, you offered to drive her home, which she sheepishly accepted.

Before you could even pull out the parking area, Max said, “I know you saw the bruise. You didn’t have to do all that to make me feel better.”

A surprised smile tugged at your lips, impressed on how quickly she caught up on your intentions. “I don’t really have any sisters to dote on,” you said, “so it isn’t entirely on pity. I know you can stand up for yourself, red.” You continued, “But promise me one thing?”

Max nodded.

“You tell me when anything gets too much, okay?” You held her hand to show your support. “I’m always going to be here for you.” Trying to lighten up the mood, you added, “Billy is a prick anyway.” Then you pulled the car into drive.

“He has it worse than me.”

You tried to hold in your composure, but you couldn’t help your eyebrows rising up at the unexpected information. You always suspected something going on with Billy. No one suddenly becomes an asshole overnight. That you knew from being friends for a long time with Steve. Aside from the horrible friends he used to have, Steve grew up with his parents barely around, and even if they were, his father was always either hard on him or emotionally absent.

“Well, it doesn’t give him the right to take it out on you.”

“I know.”

Later that week, you were at your usual spot at the snack booth. The heat was especially brutal that day at it almost felt that your lungs were constricting every time you tried to breathe out. Not even ice water seemed to help, and when the thin clouds cleared, the blaring sunlight only made it worse, even though you were under the shade of the booth.

“Hey, watch the stand for me?” you said to your co-worker who mostly just tried to look busy by restacking cans of soda and rearranging the chips as a way to avoid kids yelling out their orders. He sighed but nodded, getting up to man the counter. On your way out of the booth, you pulled out your inhaler out of your backpack and staggered into the searing sunlight to make your way to Heather.

As you took a blip of your inhaler, you didn’t notice the person near you and collided into them, sending your inhaler flying. “Shit,” you muttered, picking up the plastic case. “Sorry about that.” You looked up and paled upon the realisation that you bumped into Billy Hargrove.

Billy didn’t seem to mind and just grunted before brushing past you. If anything, he looked as disoriented as you, dishevelled and profusely sweating. He had an obvious stumble to his step on his way to the locker room to what you assumed was to get ready for his shift.

You had half a mind to approach him when you heard “Hey! No dunking, Curtis!” from the pool area. You were suddenly reminded of your current task and shrugged off the Billy’s concerning state. For all you know, he was still probably drunk from whatever party he was at last night. It was summer break after all.

You carefully avoided being splashed near the poolside as you circled over to where Heather was stationed at the lifeguard post. Unfortunately, you almost tripped from another dizzy spell again and collided with another person. Just your luck.

“Oh, dear,” a woman this time voiced her concern. “Are you okay, hon? Maybe you should stay out of the heat.”

You steadied yourself and stared into the eyes of Karen Wheeler. “I’m okay, Mrs. Wheeler,” you wheezed. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Drink some water!” Mrs. Wheeler called out before walking off.

Finally, you were able to tell Heather that you were cutting your shift short and that you couldn’t drive her to her dad’s office as you agreed on earlier that day. She waved you off and told you to drive carefully, assuring you that she could always call her mom to pick her up later.

On your way out, you noticed Mrs. Wheeler coming out of the locker room looking distressed and teary-eyed. She didn’t seem to notice you staring at her as she made her way back to the pool area. A few moments later, Billy came out of the same room, still looking as physically uncomfortable as before.

For the past weeks of working at the pool, it was no secret that one of Billy’s favourite moms was Mrs. Wheeler. But was there really some illicit affair between them? You probably wouldn’t put it past Billy, but the woman had three kids, for goodness’ sakes. You made a mental note to ask Heather what she knew about it tomorrow.

After a gruelling half hour drive while cranking your A/C up to full blast, you finally got home. You barely got a mouthful of ice water when your door rang. You wondered who it could be when the neighbours knew that you and your parents were usually at work during the entire day.

“Hey, can you drive us to Starcourt?”

You stared into the wild grins of El and Max, standing excitedly on your doorstep. Fifteen minutes later, you were back in your car, playing chauffeur for the two girls giggling from the backseat of your car.

“I’m telling you, El, boyfriends lie,” Max insisted. She poked you. “Tell her.”

You chuckled dismissively at their tween antics. “I wouldn’t know.”

Both El and Max paused and focused their attention on you.

“You haven’t dated anyone?”

“I’ve been on dates,” you clarified, “but I never really dated anyone.”

“Why?” El asked. It was more inquisitive than mocking or accusatory. She was very curious, that one.

“Because she has the biggest crush on Steve.”

“Oh, my God!” you exclaimed. “Does everyone just know about that?”

“Well, anyone with eyes, yeah,” Max said, rolling her eyes for good measure. “The only reason why he hasn’t caught up is because boys are dumb.”

That made you laugh out loud despite the discomfort in your ribs.

When you arrived at the mall, you expected to have them run off to who knows where while you hung out at the waiting area, taking advantage of the air conditioning, but those two dragged you to every clothing outlet at the mall. You tried to not exert yourself, but it was hard not to match their energy when they were clearly having so much fun. It was even so endearing to see El emerging from her shell, trying out outfits that she genuinely liked and not those lumberjack fits that Chief Hopper had her on all the time.

By the third store, you insisted to sit that one out and merely watch them try on a bunch of different hats. You giggled at them posing at the mirror as if they were at a fashion show. However, you only had a moment of peace before Max approached you with a sundress that looked way too close to your size.

“No,” you stood your ground.

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Yes, then we’re going to Scoops Ahoy to get cones after this.”

“Ask Steve out on a date,” El urged, smiling encouragingly.

“What happened to ‘boys are dumb?’” you said, raising your brow.

“He’s not going to ask you out first, so you will do it for him!” Max said. She and El both grabbed each of your arm and pulled you to your feet and into the dressing room then tossing in the dress and pulling the curtain shut.

You stared at yourself in the mirror and the dress you held in front of you. You hated to admit it, but it was a pretty dress. Even if you couldn’t score a date with Steve, at least you had a great addition to your wardrobe. With that positive thought in mind, you pulled your shirt over your head and hung it on one of the clothing hooks.

You carefully pulled down the zipper on the dress when you noticed something odd on your reflection. Peering closer on the mirror, you stared at your ribs, noticing the almost black veins that almost seemed to be moving underneath the skin. What the…

“Are you done?!” Max called out from behind the curtain.

You snapped out of it and quickly pulled on the dress. All your initial worries faded once you saw yourself in the mirror. For good measure, you pulled your hair out of your scrunchie and let your tresses fall out in waves over your shoulder.

“Wow,” El and Max chorused.

You didn’t even notice them pulling the curtain open.

When you made your way to Scoops Ahoy, Max and El apparently had already made plans that you don’t come in with them. “Let it be a surprise,” Max had said. It was almost ridiculous that you were letting 14-year-olds dictate you on how to get a date from your crush.

“Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream.” Steve paused and looked at the two girls suspiciously, especially at El. “Wait a second,” he thought out loud, “are you even supposed to be here?”

The two girls giggled, and El said, “A pretty girl drove us here.”

The words ‘pretty’ and ‘girl’ caught Steve’s attention. Predictable. “Yeah?” he grinned, leaning forward as if asking for more details. “She still with you?”

“You know her, silly,” Max giggled before running off with El. On their way out, they both flashed you a thumbs up and mouthed, “good luck.”

You stepped inside Scoops Ahoy with a newfound confidence. It was definitely the dress, and you hope it paid off. When Steve caught sight of you, his eyes brightened up and flashed you his charming smile.

“Hey, stranger,” Steve greeted. “I see the girls made you their babysitter and chauffer.”

You tried not to let your smile falter when you didn’t get the reaction you hoped. You laughed, trying not to give off the fact that your confidence was quickly crumbling. “Yeah,” you said, “my shift ended early at the pool.”

“That’s great!” Steve cheered. “Listen, Dustin just caught Russians on his new radio thing, and we’re trying to translate it. Spy shit and all.”

You blinked. “Dustin’s back?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded animatedly, “he’s at back with Robin translating the tape. Well, mostly Robin. Didn’t even know she’s amazing at languages.” He continued, keeping his excited energy, “She already knocked down a couple phrases. Isn’t that cool?”

Then it clicked.

Steve liked Robin.

Too late again.

“Listen, we can use your help because there’s this music at the end that I couldn’t remember where it came from,” Steve said. “Robin and Dustin say it’s stupid, but you can back me—”

“Um,” you breathed out. You cleared your throat, wondering why you started to get out of breath again. “I still have to drive the girls home before dark,” you said, gently turning him down.

“Oh.”

“Um, call me if you find something cool?” You didn’t wait for him to reply and turned your back on him. As soon as you left Scoops Ahoy, you pulled your inhaler out your pocket and took a blip, but it seemed to only make your lungs angrier and cramp even more.

As agreed upon earlier, you found the girls at the main doors of the mall, but they were in a heated conversation with Mike and the rest of his party. You sighed and quickly approached them before it turned into a full argument.

“I dump your ass!” El declared, making you stop in your steps. Lucas and Max were flabbergasted at the outburst, except Max looked somewhat proud. Mike just looked lost and was clearly at a loss for words. Will just looked uncomfortable enough to be witnessing the entire thing.

“Okay, that’s enough,” you interfered. “We’re leaving, come on.” You looked at Will who seemed to be the most aware among the boys at the moment. “You guys need a ride?”

He shook his head.

“You take care, okay?”

Will nodded.

The walk to your car between you and the girls was quiet. Though Max decided to break the silence when you pulled out of the mall compound. “What happened?” she asked.

You simply shrugged, ignoring the burning in your ribs from the simple motion. “Boys are dumb.” Then the car ride was silent again.

Later that evening, you laid in your bathtub in cold water, finally relaxing when you can breathe easily again. The summer heat fatigue really got you today, you thought. Suddenly remembering what you saw in the fitting room, you looked at your ribs again and was relieved when all you saw was nothing but your usual skin.

You were pulled back to your thoughts and remembered the beautiful sundress that was now laid discarded on the bathroom floor. You groaned at the memory of what just occurred this afternoon. You sighed and slid down to submerge the rest of yourself in the almost freezing water, leaving all your worries for the few seconds you had underwater.

Don’t be afraid. It’ll be over soon. Just stay… very… still.

You were scared. You couldn’t open your eyes, and the water suddenly felt too thick. The searing pain that was becoming too familiar in your lungs felt like it was begin to crawl out of your chest and into your throat.

But it was all gone in a split second.

Panicked and scared out of your wits, you immediately crawled your way out of the bathtub, not caring if you were curled up naked on the bathroom floor. You reached for the first thing you could grab to cover yourself, until you realised that it was still the same damn sundress. Suddenly, all the air just left your body, and you were starting to wonder if it was still an asthma attack.

You hoisted yourself up on the sink, both coughing and wheezing, trying to do everything you can to get yourself some oxygen.

“Sweetie? What’s going on?” the familiar voice of your mom came muffled from the other side of the door. When you replied with nothing but aggressive and painful coughs, the knocking became incessant, and her calls turned to worried cries. “Open the door!”

The same sensation of something crawling out of your throat came back. This time, you were more aware than your paralyzed state a few minutes ago. You stuck your fingers in your throat, feeling for any obstruction.

And you did.

With one forced cough, you were able to pinch out something smooth but foreign. You yanked it out, clenched it in your fist, and spat whatever fluid it brought out. You were initially worried that it was blood, but as you looked at the white ceramic of the bathroom sink, it was black.

When the bathroom door burst open, you quickly opened the faucet, flushing down whatever it was. Your mom rushed over to you and covered your hunched figure with a bath towel before pulling open the medicine cabinet behind the mirror to fish out your emergency inhaler.

“Come on, sweetie,” she carefully urged the inhaler in my mouth, pressing down to dispense a dose, but you could barely bury it down. “Let’s go to your room. You’re freezing.” She led me step by step to my bed and laid me under the covers, but the warm blankets only made me feel worse. “Your dad is coming with the nebulizer. Don’t worry. Just careful breaths.”

You didn’t remember how long it took for you to fall asleep that night, but you woke up the next day to your mom entering your room, already dressed in her office attire. She must’ve seen the panic on your face when you realised that it was way past your alarm.

“I called you in sick at the community pool,” your mom said. “Your dad will be picking you up after work to bring you to the hospital. In the meantime, just rest, okay?” She pressed a kiss on your forehead before she left the room, and you were alone again.

Then you felt the soft thing that you had in your fist the entire night. You raised your hand and held the foreign object over your head.

A black petal.

Panic bubbled up at the base of your spine, and you wasted no time in getting out of bed and getting dressed. You needed to tell Chief Hopper or Mrs. Byers. Or even just any one in Mike’s party.

And Steve.

Suddenly, it hit you. Dustin would still be around Steve decoding whatever Russian code they were on. The kid can easily call a code red for your situation. You grabbed your keys with the intent of going to Starcourt.

Just as you locked the front door, Max and El came rushing in their bikes, looking as alarmed as you are. They rushed to you, especially El who gave you a pleading look.

“It’s Billy.”

“As much as I appreciate you calling a grown up to investigate, this seems highly unnecessary.”

You were clearly uncomfortable as you turned the corner to Cherry Lane. You already gave them an earful when they admitted that they were spying on random people during their sleepover last night. Personally, you didn’t think that Heather would suddenly go for Billy when she just went on a date with someone else the other week, but maybe Billy was just that convincing.

“But the screams,” El reasoned.

“When Billy is alone with a girl, they make, like, really crazy noises,” Max argued, making you laugh at her words. Case in point.

“That’s surprising,” you noted. “I assumed that because he’s such an asshole he doesn’t…” you trailed off when you caught El’s clueless look from your rear-view mirror. “Never mind.”

“They scream?” El voiced out her confusion.

“Yeah, but, like… happy screams.” Then Max turned to you. “Oh, just that house right there.”

Your laughter came out in breathless snorts at this point. You pulled the car in park around the curb. “Okay, that’s enough,” you interrupted. “You don’t need to know about that yet, El.” You watched the house and hummed in thought. “His car’s not there. This’ll be easy.”

The three of you went inside the house and headed to his room. You knew that their family was very far from a loving one, but you tried to wrack your head for a reason as to why Billy’s bedroom door had a hinge lock from the outside. You barely had any thoughts about that little detail before Max pushed the door open.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re gonna find all sorts of wrong here?” Max said.

“Well, his tastes in music aren’t half bad,” you commented, flicking through his stack of cassette tapes by his stereo. You pulled open his bedside drawer and laughed at its contents. “Jackpot.”

Max rushed over to peek, only to see his collection of ‘printed ladies.’ “Ugh!” she exclaimed. “Gag me with a spoon.”

Then we heard El calling us from the bathroom.

We followed her to see empty ice packets around his tub. The unsettling feeling crept in again as you remember that you were also trying to keep yourself cold last night. But you weren’t the only one who was unsettled.

El, who was breathing heavily, stared off into the corner, and when Max and you followed her line of sight, there it was. Blood. You carefully opened the trash bin and pulled out a utility bag from Hawkins’ Community Pool.

“Let’s go.” You didn’t waste any time leaving the house and getting into the car.

Despite the darkening skies and thunder rumbling, you got there in record time. You ran to see a co-worker of your closing the pool area. Protocol. But he definitely wasn’t pleased to see you.

“Didn’t you call in sick?” he said, sounding annoyed. “You’re the second person to bail today.”

“Heather didn’t come in?” Max asked.

“Obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing thi— Hey!”

The three of us ran back to the car to figure out what to do next.

“We can go back to my place,” you suggested. “Wait out until Heather comes home next door.” Then you remembered. “Shit,” you cursed, turning on your car before the girls agreed. “My dad is supposed to pick me up for a doctor’s appointment.”

Luckily, your dad wasn’t home yet when you got back. Probably due to the storm. However, the girls already had their own plans in mind when they walked over next door to the Holloway’s.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you hissed, jogging over to them. “Don’t go running off without me.” You looked at the now open front door. “Did you just unlock the door? This is trespassing!”

“She’s inside,” El whispered. She and Max entered the house, and you had no choice but to follow.

The three of you carefully treaded towards the voices in the dining room. There you found Billy with Mr. and Mrs. Holloway chatting away. The sight of your three by the hallway halted their conversation.

“Um, hey, Janet, Tom,” you greeted. “We tried to knock, but you probably didn’t hear us over the storm.”

“What on earth are you doing here?” Billy cut in, his eyes trained on Max and El.

“Where is she, Billy?” you asked firmly, staring straight into his eyes.

“Where is who?” Billy smiled innocently, but it didn’t give you any ease.

“Well, they’re a little burnt! I’m sorry.” Heather walked in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of cookies. “Oh, hey, girl! Is your shift over?”

“Heather!” Billy called. “This is my sister, Maxine.” He gestured to Max before his eyes landed on El. “I’m sorry. I did not quite catch your name.”

“El.” Eleven responded with her eyes pointedly trained on Billy.

“El,” Billy echoed, his polite smile turning into something menacing.

It definitely unnerved the three of us. Your hands held onto their shoulders and pulled them behind your back, leaving you to face Billy. “You guys weren’t at work, so we got worried,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Heather wasn't feeling so hot today, so we thought we'd take the day off to nurse her back to health.” Billy turned to Heather. “But you’re feeling just fine right now. Aren’t you, Heather?”

“I’m feeling so much better,” Heather smiled, but there was something about it that didn’t seem right to you.

Max and El tugged at your hand. You looked at them to see them silently pleading at you with their eyes. You gave a brief shake of your head before turning back to Billy. “I’m sorry to disturb you,” you said carefully. “I’ll take the girls home.”

“Thank you for looking out for my sister and her… friend.”

You made sure that the girls walked ahead of you, and right before you passed the front door, Billy pulled you to him. You barely could get a noise out as he pressed his hand over your ribs.

“You’re one of us,” Billy whispered before he shoved you out and shut the door.

It all happened in a split second that the girls didn’t even notice the exchange. The fear stabbed you deep in the gut that you basically dragged them back to your house, forcing them not to look back. Only when you got inside your house that the tension released from your body but only just.

“I’m taking you guys home, and tomorrow, we’re meeting up with the party, okay?”

“You’re not going anywhere, young lady.”

You winced and found your dad staring you down with his arms crossed.

Damn it.

“As soon as we’re done here, you’re grounded for a week.”

You groaned and held back the urge to roll your eyes. You were in the hospital waiting area for your family physician, but because there were a handful of minor accidents because of the storm, the wait was a bit long, especially when you were not priority. It was fine during the first ten minutes, but after half an hour, you were starting to get cranky.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

Your dad made a move to get up, but you stopped him. “There’s literally a storm out there, and you drove me here,” you pointed out. “Where else can I go?”

Your dad just scoffed but leaned back in his seat, waving you off. “Bring me back a coffee then,” he said.

You walked down the hallway but turned to the payphones instead of the restrooms. You dialled in the number you were so familiar with and hoped that he’d be home by this time.

“Hello?” Steve’s voice rang through the speaker, sending relief through your body.

“Pick me up at the hospital,” you said.

“Wait, what?”

“Oh, and do it in half an hour.”

“There’s literally a storm outsi—”

“I’m also staying at your place tonight.”

“Hey! What is going—”

“Thanks, Harrington.”

Steve arrived at the hospital in twenty, still dressed in his sailor uniform. With your dad still busy with his coffee and a random medical pamphlet, you cocked your head to the side and sent Steve a signal where to wait while you made your escape. For the second time, you got up to your feet.

“I think I want a coffee actually,” you said. “Be right back, daddy.”

Your dad hummed, not even lifting his eyes from the pamphlet.

For a split second, your heart seized at the sight of your clueless father. You wanted to tell him and mom about the monsters and how they were this close to taking you, but they were better off not knowing. It wasn’t worth risking their lives when it could be just you.

With a heavy heart, you kissed the top of his head and walked down the hallway, heading for the exit and into Steve Harrington’s getaway car.

“Okay, but what the hell is going on?” Steve asked, pulling the car in drive.

You didn’t answer and just hugged your knees to your chest while crying silently. You’re one of us. You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to level your breathing, which now felt like such a laborious task. Now that you knew the truth, it was almost like you could feel it all inside you. Taking every piece of you.

You were quickly pulled out of your thoughts by a warm hand clasping yours. You raised your head and looked at Steve, who kept his eyes on the road, but continued to squeeze your hand. You managed to stop crying and thread your fingers through his and bask in his warmth.

You knew it was just temporary. You knew who he really liked. And as if the universe was aware of your feelings, they decided to cut the moment short by sending your chest squeezing and blocking your airways again. You dropped Steve’s hand and clutched at your chest as you exploded into another coughing fit.

Steve panicked and quickly glanced between you and the road. “What’s happening?” he asked frantically. “Should I take you back to the hospital?”

You violently shook your head. “N-no,” you managed to wheeze out. “Dr-drive.”

“Where’s your inhaler?” Steve asked to which you left unanswered.

Finally, you managed to cough out a chunk of something, freeing your airways. You quickly shoved it in your pockets without checking before Steve noticed it. You exhaled in relief and leaned back in his seat.

“It didn’t use to be that bad,” Steve pointed out.

“Yeah.”

“Was that why you were at the hospital?”

“Mm.”

“We should go back.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re near your place anyway.”

By the time you got to Steve’s house, he rushed to his parents’ room to find you something to wear from his mom’s closet. “Go take a shower and warm up!” he called out from the second floor.

You dragged your feet into the downstairs bathroom and rinsed your mouth. As you spat out the water, swirls of blood and black goo circled around before disappearing down the drain. You pulled out the clump that you hid in your pocket and teared up at the sight of a fully formed flower.

It was cruel that something as hauntingly beautiful as this was killing you from the inside.

When you flipped the flower over, you noticed thin tendrils from where the stem should be. You were horrified that the tendrils were actually moving like tiny tentacles. It reminded you of that day when you were in the tunnels under the pumpkin farm.

Without any more thought, you dropped the flower in the sink. Remembering that they were susceptible to heat, you immediately turned on the faucet to its hottest setting. As the water hit the flower, your lungs were suddenly set on fire.

Out of instinct, you turned the faucet off, relieved that the flower immediately dried out and broke off into ashy flakes. The burning stopped as well but still lingered under your skin. Almost tripping over your own feet, you staggered over to the shower, stripping yourself of your drenched clothes and turning on the water to its coldest setting, and only then did you find relief.

You’re one of us.

It took over almost half an hour to compose yourself and figure out what to do from here on out. You put one of the fluffy robes in the bathroom and headed out to the living room where Steve was already lounging on one of the sofas, shirtless but with a towel hanging over his neck. He only seemed to notice your presence when the sofa dipped beside him under your weight.

“You okay?” Steve asked when you rested your head on his shoulder, not minding that his hair was still dripping wet. “Jesus, you’re freezing.” He moved to grab the throw blanket and pulled it over both of you then rubbed his hands on your arms to warm you up.

Meanwhile, you wrapped your hands around his waist and just closed your eyes at the sound of his heartbeat. You were mad that his was steady when you couldn’t even control the fast drumming of your own heart whenever you were near him. Still, you held Steve as if you were afraid to let go, as if he was your only reminder that you were still you. But why did it hurt, even physically, so much to hold on?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Steve whispered, stroking the back of your head. “I don’t think we held each other like this since middle school,” he chuckled to himself at the memory. “When Vicki Carmichael took stole your partner for the Snow Ball and kissed him in front of everyone? You slept over and cried in my bed, telling me you hated her for it and me for going with Tammy Thompson.”

You wracked your head trying to remember what Steve was talking about. Maybe because it was a long day, but you couldn’t remember him holding you like this in middle school. Still, it must have been a beautiful memory if even Steve remembered it.

Sometimes it felt like you were the only one holding on so tightly in this relationship with him.

“Don’t you remember?”

You just hummed and snuggled closer to Steve.

“Okay, how about when Lewenski and I got into a fight because his girlfriend tripped you up and you skinned your knee pretty bad?”

This one, you remembered. “Your dad grounded you for a month, and you got benched for two games,” you chuckled softly.

“And you still cheered for me in the sidelines,” Steve said, sounding relieved that you were finally talking. After while a long pause, he said, “What happened? You used to tell me everything.” He continued, “I know I joke about it a lot, but I was really worried when you didn’t sign up with me at the mall. And you being sick all the time now?”

“Steve, just drop it,” you said, almost in a plea. “We’re okay. You never have to worry about me.”

Steve scoffed playfully. “That’s never going to happen,” he argued. “I’m always gonna worry about you. You don’t even notice how much trouble you get yourself into without realising.”

You tried not to think about it, but for the rest of that night in Steve’s arms, you almost felt like the vines were moving inside you, growing and taking up what was left of you that you haven’t already given to Steve.

“So, basically you’re a fugitive now?”

You chuckled and tiredly patted Dustin’s back. “Man, I missed you, kid,” you said. “And to answer your question, technically yes. I’m facing a lifetime of being grounded if I’m caught.”

“Let me get this straight,” Dustin began, his eyes trained on your plain black shirt that obviously belonged to Steve, “Steve snuck you out of the hospital, and you stayed in his house the entire night?” He leaned close to you. “And nothing happened?”

“Jesus, Dustin,” you wrinkled your nose at him. “People serve food here.” You gestured at the small cup of ice cream you were eating as breakfast slash brunch. Though you were wallowing your sorrows in cold, cold sweets, it did make you feel like a kid again.

“Steve is so stupid sometimes it amazes me,” Dustin thought out loud.

“I’m surprised you caught on. Seems like everyone in the world knows except him.”

“That’s because I’m me,” Dustin grinned proudly. “I bet the rest of the party doesn’t even know.”

“Who doesn’t know?” Steve entered the backroom with Robin in tow.

“Probably that you’re a dingus,” Robin snickered. Then her eyes trailed over to you. “So, we have another addition to the team,” she pointed out. “Who’s bringing her up to speed?”

“Dustin,” Steve said the same time that Dustin also said, “Me.”

Of course, it was Dustin.

While Dustin explained to you that the Russian military was most likely running a secret base right in the Starcourt Mall, you worried about El and Max, especially with not-Billy on the loose. Though they probably were already with the rest of the party right now and alerted Chief Hopper and Mrs. Byers. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Right?

“Got it?” Dustin finally said before narrowing his eyes at me. “Were you just zoning out the entire time?”

You snorted. “What do you take me for?”

“Fine, what did I just say?”

“Okay, I probably zoned out halfway through,” you admitted. “But your problem is pretty simple.”

Steve, Dustin, and Robin waited for you to continue.

“You just need the blueprints for the mall.”

“Why haven’t you called her the moment we were cracking the code?” Robin said, rushing outside and grabbing the tip jar. Ignoring Steve’s calls for her, she was off leaving us three at Scoops Ahoy.

“Touch my butt! I don’t care!”

“Can we keep it PG in here?” you frowned at the ridiculous show Steve and Dustin were putting by trying to get into the air ducts. “Just pull the boy down before someone gets hurt.”

“He can’t get hurt. He’s missing bones like Gumbo.”

“Like what?” you tilted your head.

“He means Gumby,” Dustin corrected, grabbing hold of Steve’s shoulders as he got hoisted out of the vent, “and that’s not how cleidocranial dysplasia works, Steve. I’m missing collarbones, not nerves.”

“Whatever,” Steve said. “We just need some else who could fit in there.”

Just as Steve said those words, Robin burst in the backroom, looking like she had an epiphany for the second time today. You were beginning to think she was the reason how Steve and Dustin had gotten this far. Behind her stood Lucas’ younger sister, Erica. Ah, the epiphany.

It only took the rest of the day of convincing her. The kid knew how to play hard ball. You’d give her that. She wouldn’t take anything less than ice cream for life. Frankly, you’d do the same.

You waited until the mall closed, though Robin and Steve cleared up Scoops Ahoy a few minutes early. So far, your parents were a no show, though you assumed that they didn’t think you would be hiding in the backroom of a very crowded mall. Frankly, they probably wouldn’t even believe you that you were infected with a monster from an alternate dimension and would rather help your friends with a Russian invasion than go to the hospital.

“Free ice cream for life,” Erica smirked smugly as soon as the thick sliding doors – actually odd for a simple storage room – slid open for us.

It didn’t take much snooping to find vats of glowing neon green vats of unknown substances hidden in regular delivery boxes. Without much thought, you grabbed one and made your way to the door. “Let’s just go before someone catches us.”

Again, the universe… just hated us.

“Uhh, which one do I press, Erica?” Dustin asked, insistently pressing the “OPEN” button.

Panic began to rise among all of us as mechanical whirring buzzed between the walls. Between that and the fact that we were trapped, we definitely knew we were screwed. While all of them fussed over the buttons that were no longer working, you stepped back, feeling something prickle under your skin.

“Just open the door!” Robin cried out, echoing into someone… something different.

Open the door.

Open the door!

Open the goddamn door!

Suddenly, you were on fire. You barely noticed your screams rising over everyone else’s. You fell to the floor, convulsing in agony as flashes of different people appeared in your head as if you were them. An old lady in a hospital bed, Heather, her parents, so many people who barely even knew in Hawkins… then Billy.

It was quiet with him. You saw flashes of a beautiful blonde woman calling out to him, her face concealed in a sunhat, then the beach with sand in between your toes. There was a moment of peace and tranquillity, and like someone playing a sick joke, you were in a dark place, standing in Billy’s place in front of people who were lifelessly standing still right in front of something. Something that you didn’t recognize but was so familiar to you, inside you.

He made me do it. It’s like a shadow, like a giant shadow. Please believe me, Max.

“Billy, it’s gonna be okay,” Max’s voice echoed in his head as if it were yours.

“It’s gonna be okay,” a different voice filtered through from all the noise.

“She’s unconscious. How is her inhaler going to help?” “I’m pretty sure that’s a seizure, nerd.” “Check for a pulse, Steve.”

Your consciousness fell right back on you like a pile of bricks. Your eyes fluttered open to see Steve hovering over you with your inhaler tucked between your lips. Once your eyes locked with his caramel ones, a huge wave of relief washed over his face as he pulled you into his arms.

“Oh, my God,” Steve gasped, clutching on to you for dear life. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Get… out.”

Steve tensed and pulled away to look at you. “What?”

You weakly pulled up your – actually Steve’s shirt up to your ribs, revealing angry black veins that were now crawling over your torso. You cried out and clutched at you. “Get it out!”

“Holy sh– what the hell is that?!”

You rolled to the side and fell into a coughing fit, your back hunched over. Your nails clawed at your throat, feeling something trying to crawl itself out. Whatever happened somewhere in Hawkins pissed off the plants inside you, and you can feel them twisting and curling throughout your torso.

With much straining and the remaining oxygen in your lungs, you managed to pull out the parasite from your oesophagus. The action made Dustin and Robin gag in the corner, while Steve and Erica warily looked at the slithering vine with a fully bloomed flower you dropped on the floor, leaving a trail of blood and black goo.

“You guys, by any chance, have a lighter?” you panted, pressing your cheek against the cold metal floor for any cool relief you can take.

Silence told you no. You hoisted yourself up with much difficulty and leaned back into the crate then immediately had an idea. Albeit, a bad one. With shaky knees, you got on your feet and lifted the vat of green goo that rolled away when you dropped unconscious. You looked for the right twist to open the container when Dustin stopped you.

“What are you doing?”

“We have to kill it,” you said nonchalantly. “I mean, I could just drink this to get it over with, but I don’t want to die that quick.”

“Are you…?” Then Dustin’s eyes widened. “That day. You were… because you saved me.”

“Wait, wait, are any of you nerds explaining what’s going on?” Erica interrupted.

You sighed. “Monster,” you pointed at the vine. “Infected,” you pointed at yourself. “Must kill monster with something. Preferably fire.”

“You killed one of those before?” Robin asked.

“It was smaller last night,” you shrugged, finding the latch to open up the vat. “Hot water took care of that sucker easily.” Twisting the lid a certain way, it clicked and released. “Aha!” you exclaimed. “This is gonna hurt.” You eyed the goo apprehensively.

Then Steve snatched the lid and sealed back the vat. “There has got to be a way to do this without you in pain,” he said.

“We don’t have time, and we’re stuck here in a metal box with a monster crawling towards Erica’s sneaker!”

“Why are you yelling?!”

“I’m not yelling!” you shouted. Then you turned to Dustin with a much softer voice. “How did Will get rid of his the last time?”

“Space heaters, a lot of them,” Dustin answered. “Anything from the Upside Down hates the heat, including D’Art.”

“Well, we’re not waiting until you cough all the flowers out, so I say we dump you into a hot tub and crank the heat to full,” Steve suggested, keeping the vat out of reach. “Once we get out of here, of course.”

“Boiling her alive,” Dustin scoffed. “That’s genius, Steve.”

“Or,” Robin interrupted, “we just use the same space heaters. It worked before, so it might work again now.”

“Thank you,” you said, pointedly looking at Steve. “At least someone is trying not to kill m—” Suddenly, your lungs were set aflame as you dropped into a heap on the cold floor, convulsing in agony with your mouth open in an open scream. You briefly heard Erica speaking before ultimately passing out.

“What? You only kept one of that green acid away from us. At least the monster’s dead.”

After passing out for the second time that night, you seemed to be sleeping much longer, but when you woke up, it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear Dustin and Steve still bickering. You opened your eyes to see Steve’s legs hanging from the ceiling. Again, not a surprise.

Probably nothing else would surprise you at this point.

“Shh! Jesus Christ!” Steve hissed before disappearing entirely to the top of the elevator.

Now that spiked your curiosity.

Robin was preoccupied with Erica, and both of them didn’t even notice that you were awake. You sat up and climbed on the stacked boxes leading up to the opening on the elevator ceiling. The burning in your ribs and your shortness of your breath was easier to ignore now that you were too lightheaded to actually feel the discomfort. Still, you managed to poke your head out the opening, accidentally ending up eavesdropping.

“I heard you guys talking all night,” Dustin whispered to Steve before his eyes landed on you. He winced and shot you an apologetic look.

Steve turned and saw you by his feet, making him jump in surprise. “What are you doing up?!” he scolded. “You scared all of us last night. I thought Erica killed you.”

“Gee, your welcome!” Erica called out from inside.

“’Last night’? It’s morning?”

Dustin smiled emptily. “Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been trying to reach anyone on the radio since the mall is open. I think we’re too far down though.”

“Okay, take Dustin down with you please,” Steve said, facing the wall. “I’m gonna take a leak.”

“First of all, ew. Second, good morning,” you said, hopping back down with Dustin right behind you.

“This is one looong sleepover,” Steve called out before the sound of a stream hitting the ceiling echoed inside the elevator. “Two nights of being your personal pillow!”

“Two nights?” you muttered to yourself. “Was I with Steve the other night?” you turned to ask Dustin, who gave you a weird look.

“You stayed over his place, and he drove you to the mall, remember?”

“He did?”

“Hey!” Robin called out. “We have company.”

One fight with a Russian later, which Steve won – finally – you and the rest of the group snuck into the comms room of the secret Russian base and found out why your lungs had been reacting different once you walked further down that tunnel.

“The gate.”

You, Steve, and Dustin looked at each other in horror before turning back to the machine that was trying to pry open the gate that El had shut down last year. It was your first time seeing it, but the same dark familiarity was tugging from the deepest part of your mind. There was no reason to dwell on it, so you tugged Dustin and Steve, urging them to leave and quickly warn the others as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, leaving was harder than getting in. Guards were alerted, and all of us were sent into running. It ultimately sent us to the direction of the gate itself with Dustin almost running into the laser machine that was opening the gate if it wasn’t for you tugging the back of his shirt collar.

You didn’t like being that close to the gate. Between the soldiers yelling and Steve barking which way to run, a louder voice was whispering crystal clear voices inside your head. You surrendered to the voices for one second to try and understand what they were saying, which proved to be your mistake.

In that one second, you were teleported to an incredibly vivid memory of meeting Steve for the first time.

“Sweetie, say hi to Mrs. Harrington and Steve.”

Your hand curled into a fist on the hem of your mother’s dress. It wasn’t the first time you saw Steve Harrington. Your classmate pointed who Steve was when he passed you at the hallways of Hawkins’ Elementary. She boasted that her older sister was Steve’s “girl friend” after he kissed her during recess yesterday.

You didn’t know what any of that meant, but when you glanced at Steve Harrington, you thought he was the prettiest boy you ever seen. Steve Harrington was exactly what you imagined the princes looked like that your mother read to you at bedtime.

And now, you were at their front door because your mom worked with his mom, and Mrs. Harrington thought it would be nice to have her and you over for tea.

And Steve was still the prettiest boy you ever seen.

You were catatonic while staring up into the gate opening.

While the rest of the guards were chasing after Steve and the others, the scientists urged that the guards don’t touch you, seeing that your pupils had turned entirely black. Your exposed neck revealed raised veins that they could tell were black even under the dim, unsteady lighting in the lab.

Your blank state was finally broken when the Russians took you in a secluded room, further away from the gate. Your mind was wildly fuzzy as if you were in the middle of sinking badly in your own subconscious. You inner daze didn’t last long when the door opened again, and Steve and Robin were dragged in and also cuffed like you were.

“What happened to you there?” Steve said in a low tone. “You just froze.”

The soldier didn’t like the chit-chat and struck Steve across the face. The sound was loud enough to echo in the room that you winced upon impact. “No talking!” he spat in a thick accent. “Now, who do you work for?”

“I’m confused,” Steve said, trying to sound unphased from the hit. “Do I not talk or do I tell you who I work for?”

That earned him another hit.

“We have many stories of monsters from where I’m from.”

“So do we,” you groaned at the man pacing the room. “You’re not that special, dude.”

Robin and Steve were taken away over half an hour ago, mostly likely for their own interrogation. So far, on your end, this soldier has done nothing but talk your ear off about stories from where he grew up while you were strapped in an examination chair.

“I suppose you know about flowers that grow on lungs?” The surprised look on your face told him everything he needed to know. “No one knows where they come from,” he said, “… until now.” He leaned in close to you. “You are very important test subject.”

“Not for long,” you said spitefully. “I’m dying anyway.”

“Well, I suppose you will be buried in Russian soil by then,” he said, sending chills in your spine. “But now, I need to see the flowers itself.”

Your breathing quickened at the thought being sliced open.

But…

They wanted you alive enough to bring you to Russia. That meant…

“Steve!” Your eyes widened at the sight of him as they dragged him inside the room and dropped him in a heap on the floor. Your heart clenched at the blood streaked all over his mouth and his eye swollen shut. “What did you do to him?”

The soldier and the rest of the guards merely looked at you struggling from where you were restrained while Steve remained unresponsive on the floor. The soldier looked displeased at the results before him and barked out another order. Soon enough, Robin was also dragged inside the room, and similar to you, she was as distraught at the sight of him beaten up.

Then… they just left the three of you in the room alone.

“What do they want?” Robin asked. “We told them everything, and you’re the only one not strapped with us.”

You gulped. “They, uh, they know what’s wrong with me.”

That gained Steve’s attention. With much difficultly, he raised his head and slurred out, “They’re not taking you, and we’re getting out of here.”

“Right,” you snorted. “Unless you have a way of getting to those scissors and cutting yourselves free, I’m on the next flight to Russia by the end of the day.”

“Those morons. They left scissors here?” Steve scoffed.

“I think that if we move at the same time, we could get over there, and then maybe I could kick the table and knock them into your lap,” Robin said, her voice rising with desperation. “So, on the count of three, we’re gonna hop.”

You smiled as hope bubbled when they succeeded the first two swivels. But on the third, the chair legs slid, knocking them both on the floor. Robin, who had her back to you, began shaking. At first, you and Steve thought she was crying, until her quiet giggles turned into full-on laughter.

“I’m sorry,” Robin laughed, trying to contain herself, “but I just can’t believe I’m gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, while his girlfriend gets shipped off to another secret lab in Russia.”

“We’re not gonna die,” Steve huffed, “and she’s not my girlfriend, okay?”

“Gee, we’re tied up and have no hopes of escaping, and you choose to correct that?” you snarked at him.

There was a moment of quietness, mostly just to collect our wits, but Robin was the one to speak up again. She talked about Mrs. Click, our history teacher. Turns out she had been in the same class as Steve for the longest time, remembering every detail about him.

Just like you.

“Do you even remember me from that class?” Robin said, her voice lowering into a whisper. “It didn’t matter that you were an ass.”

And her next words just crushed you.

“I was still… obsessed with you.”

There was nothing else to do but watch as Steve’s eyes — well, eye — softened. In that moment, you felt like you were in someone else’s moment, just an audience. But wasn’t that what you always have been in Steve’s life?

“You know, I wish I’d known you in Click’s class,” Steve said, a fond smile growing on his lips. “Maybe instead of being here, I’d be on my way to college right now.”

Last semester, you wrote two of his history papers just so his grades would be high enough for him to play during the basketball playoffs.

“And I would have no idea that there were evil Russians beneath our feet,” Robin chuckled, “and I would be happily slinging ice cream with some other schmuck.”

“Gotta say, though, I liked being your schmuck.”

And there it was…

The burning in your lungs intensified, sending you in a painful fit of coughs. It was hard enough not to curl over because of the restraints on your chest. There was no way to claw at your throat or to grasp at your chest from the twisting pain.

You were too engrossed in trying not to choke from blood and black goo that you didn’t notice the door open. A different scientist came in, this time more sinister-looking, and leaned over you. “I knew it,” he smiled. “He feeds the flowers inside you.”

“W-wha…?” you managed to gasp out. “P-please… can’t… br-brea-eathe… In.... inhal-er.”

In the midst of the black spots tinting your vision, you barely made out a jet injector and something bright blue before you heard Steve yell out and everything went dark.

“… up. Wake up!”

You opened your eyes to see Dustin’s face. “Am I dreaming?”

“Come on! We have to go!”

You were so groggy that you followed Erica and Dustin to a hijacked mini-truck with Steve and Robin giggling along. Both their antics only heightened when we finally ascended back up to the mall. Steve couldn’t stop booping Dustin, while Robin was saying stuff about food and death.

“Did they give you something too?” Erica asked me.

“They probably took something instead,” you rasped out, feeling your throat. “They baited one out and pulled it out while I was trying not to choke to death.”

“Where is it now?” Dustin turned to me, smacking away Steve’s finger from booping his nose again.

“How the hell should I know? I was tied up!” you scowled at him.

“We just saved your asses!” Erica and Dustin chimed back at your tone.

The bickering didn’t end until you were all forced to be quiet as you hid in a cinema that was showing ‘Back to the Future.’ Once upon a time, it seemed to be a fun movie to watch with the kids, maybe even with El, but now, you could barely keep your knees from fidgeting as your eyes constantly watched between Michael J. Fox and the cinema doors for any evil Russians.

It wasn’t long when your lungs began burning again. You didn’t feel the need to cough this time, but it didn’t stop for a metallic taste bursting in your mouth. You grabbed an empty popcorn bag nearby and spat into the paper. Even under the dark theatre, you could see that it was mostly blood now.

You were out of time.

“Jesus, you look far worse than El.”

You shot Max a very unfriendly look. “The girl who just pulled a monster out of her leg using your mind powers?” You glanced at El who was cuddled up with Chief Hopper while Mrs. Byers attended to the open wound on her leg.

“Well, both you are bleeding out of your noses, and you are also growing monsters inside you.”

“ERICA!” you screeched while furiously wiping your nose.

“Just the facts!”

“What?!” Everyone else in the party, including the adults, chorused.

“You’re dying,” Will said as if he could still tell. He gave you a look of empathy and a little bit of familiarity. You knew he went through a similar thing last year, and it somehow made you less scared that he was here with you.

You nodded solemnly. “I don’t have much time,” you admitted. “It grows faster the closer I am to the gate… or when I feed it.”

“’Feed it’?” Max asked.

“We don’t have to talk about that,” you waved her off. At this point, you were just desperate to stay alive. All of you were so, so close. “If we close the gate, we can cut off all connections, right?”

“Theoretically,” Lucas added.

Since there was no other option but that, we all based our plan on that ‘theory.’ A man named Murray, who also got into a tiff with Erica, came in with a map of the underground Russian base from a guy named Alexei. With the goals in place, everyone began splitting off into groups.

“You’re coming with us, right?” Steve asked.

You bit your lip as you shook your head. “I’m staying with the girls,” you said. “You go with Dustin and Robin to Cerebro.” At the sight of his worried look, you added, “I’ll be okay.”

Steve shot you a scowl. “Don’t die without me.”

“Hard promise to keep,” you smirked, smacking his hand away from ruffling your already messy hair. Your fingers tangled with Steve’s, and he ended up holding your hand completely. “Don’t die first, Steven.”

Steve chuckled and was about to pull away when you tugged his hand back.

“Hey, Steve.”

“Yeah?”

“I know you and Robin…”

When you trailed off, Steve raised his brows at you, urging you to continue.

You shook your head, waving it off. “You guys just got drugged,” you reminded him. “Drive safely.”

“You say that as if I don’t have any experience from partying.”

“That isn’t comforting at the very least.” Then... you let go.

Turns out that it wasn’t just the gate that was triggering the growth.

When the Spider Monster burst through the glass ceiling for Starcourt Mall, the flowers in your lungs reacted the same way when Billy had grabbed you at the Holloway’s. It was one thing to lead the monster away from El, but it was another thing to be hunched in the trunk space of the Wheeler’s hatchback with said monster chasing you down the road.

“The answer to a never-ending story…”

You laughed at the song number from the radio in between coughs. “That definitely takes the sting out of dying,” you said. You can only imagine Erica’s face during this whole ordeal.

“Don’t say that.”

You looked at Steve in deadpan. You kept eye contact as you spat blood and body matter into an empty soda cup you found discarded in the car. It was a low-blow towards him, you knew that, and he didn’t deserve it.

But you were so tired, and you were so mad at yourself for always being late, for being cowardly.

So, when Jonathan turned the car to follow the Spider Monster that turned back to the mall, you immediately hopped off and went looking for El instead of going with them to set off the fireworks. Steve, as expected, put up a fight, insisting that you all stick together.

“I won’t go near it,” you reasoned. “I’m finding El and getting her out of here, while you keep it distracted.” When he looked unconvinced, you added, “The fireworks will also distract Billy. It’s going to be okay.”

“That isn’t comforting at the very least,” Steve said, making you laugh at your early words being thrown back at you.

“Hey!”

You turned to see Nancy Wheeler toss a bundle of fireworks at you. At your raised brow, she shrugged, “Just in case.”

Following a broken gate not too far from where Steve rammed Billy’s car, you found an employee’s corridor where Max and Mike passed out nearby with angry bruises on their faces. You rushed over for Max and shook her awake. Her eyes immediately shot open.

“Billy, it was Billy,” Max said, panicked. “He took El. You have to go. I’ll take care of Mike. Go!” She staggered to her feet, gripping the pipes for stability.

“I can’t go near him or that thing.” You hesitated leaving Max, but when she yelled at you again to go for El, you turned your feet and broke off into a run. Then the fireworks began…

“Fuck!” you screamed, falling to your knees. Every corner of your body was set ablaze. You cried out as the flowers inside you constricted with every blast.

Max and Mike quickly caught up to you, pulling you to your feet. Suddenly, it was quiet, and a wave of calm washed over you. You saw a beautiful woman in a sundress and a hat by the beach. It wasn’t your memory, but it was being returned to someone after being taken away. Billy.

“She was pretty,” you could hear El cry in your head. “She was really pretty.”

Taking advantage of the situation, you sped through the corridor and into the mall. You found Billy beginning to stand up to the Spider Monster. “When I make a run for it, you grab El and get her out of here, okay?”

“What? You just said you can’t face that thing!” Mike told you.

“Just do it!” You pushed your feet as fast as you could to face the monster.

“No!” Billy roared, grabbing the monster’s tentacle mouth to stop it from reaching El.

Seeing your opportunity, you quickly pulled the taped matchstick from the bundle and ignited the fireworks. Swinging your arm back, you flung it as hard as you could into the monster’s mouth. Right as soon as the explosive left your hand, you caught incoming smaller tentacles headed for Billy’s side, slinging two of them to your side from the crook of your elbow.

“I got you,” you said out of breath, seeing Billy’s surprised face. However, your fight had the monster targeting you, sending two other tendrils to your side instead. You barely felt it, even as its sharp tongue stabbed into your abdomen.

Touching the Spider Monster was as worse as looking straight into the Gate. You cried out as flashes of memories of you and Steve, growing up through the years, bombarded you, while the flowers inside you began crawling outside your ribs instead. You barely heard the last firework go off as you felt the vines throbbing under your skin.

An arm wrapped around your waist and pulled your unmoving feet, dragging you away. Your spotted, blurred vision could only see a head of dark blonde curls with a massive dark mass in the background screeching in agony.

“It’s over. It's supposed to be over!" you heard Max’s muffled voice say. “What’s wrong with her?!” You felt hands on your shoulder, shaking you to snap out of it.

“Steve,” you breathed out. You tried to focus on Max, but with a blink, you were trapped back in your memories. Steve telling you to go home every time as he led a different girl up the stairs to his room. Steve dropping you off while thanking you for picking out a gift for Nancy. Watching him smile ever so fondly at Robin. Seeing the smile that you so desperately desired every time.

All the memories of Steve breaking your heart, you felt all at once.

You continued to unconsciously call out Steve’s name. Even when the paramedics began wheeling you out in a stretcher. You vaguely saw them cutting your shirt open, exposing the gore that was concealed by the fabric.

The black vines had reached out on the surface of your skin. The outline of your ribs was exposed, threading black and purple angry bruises over your torso. The right side of your ribcage had completely sank, one rib twisting outwards and leaking a mix of blood and black goo. The damage was extensive, but the monster you grew and fed inside you seemed to be finally lying still, only remaining dormant once the gate was sealed once again.

“… -eral broken ribs and possible internal bleeding!” a paramedic called. “One of her lungs has collapsed. She's in shock!”

Then Steve was there. You couldn’t tell if it was a memory or if it was happening at that moment. He was struggling against two firemen, trying to get to you with one hand reaching out. With the last bit of energy left, you raised your hand, reaching out towards him too.

“Steve…”

#stranger things fanfic #steve harrington x reader #hanahaki au #flayed au #stranger things angst #steve harrington fanfic

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sourwolf-sterek32 · 1 year

Text

The Chief’s Daughter

Summary: It had been six years since your father left you behind in New York. However, now that your mother was gone, you had no choice but to drive to Hawkins to find him. That's where you meet Billy Hargrove, who turns your life upside down... literally.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: language, violence

Chapter 13-

You must have fallen asleep during the movie because the next thing you knew, you were waking up to a black television screen and a blanket draped over your body that you definitely didn't put there.

Hopper wasn't in his lounge chair anymore, but his bedroom door was closed so you figured he had gone to bed.

Sunlight was now shining in through the kitchen window and you kicked off the blanket, standing up from the couch with a stretch. You got changed into your work uniform before throwing on your leather jacket over the top and grabbing the keys to the Mustang.

Billy didn't work on Thursdays and your shift at the cinema wasn't for another hour. So, without further thought, you silently slipped out the house and made your way back to Cherry Line to confront him about standing you up.

This time the slick blue Camaro was parked in the driveway. Susan's car nowhere to be seen, so that meant it was just Billy home, but the Camaro's front windscreen seemed to be smashed.

What happened to the Camaro? Billy cherished his car more than anything. Did he hit an animal or something?

Frowning in confusion, you began walking over to the vehicle to inspect it before the front door of the house slammed opened and you turned around to find Billy walking out.

He was wearing baggy track pants and an oversized long-sleeved Hawkins Community Pool shirt which was weird because since when did he wear anything other than those red shorts whilst working?

He stopped halfway down the footpath when he saw you standing there and by the startled look on his face it was clear that he was not expecting you to randomly show up.

"Where were you the other night?" You asked, folding your arms across your chest. "Why did you stand me up?"

Billy stared at you for a few seconds, a million different emotions washing over him like a wave before he shook his head and marched straight past you towards the Camaro.

"Whoa, hey! Don't just walk away from me." You said, grabbing his arm to stop him.

His muscles tensed under your fingers, his entire body tensing as he stood there a few metres from the Camaro with his back facing you.

"Why are you being so weird? Just answer the question, why did you stand me up?"

Billy remained still, refusing to turn around as he stared at his car, "you need to get away from me."

"What?"

"Stay away from me, Y/N." He warned, his voice coming out harsh and low and all kinds of wrong before he continued walking to the Camaro.

You quickly grabbed his arm again and Billy growled under his breath, yanking his arm free with more strength than you were expecting.

"You need to leave."

"Tell me where you were and I will." You stated, re-crossing your arms over your chest not backing down. "Where were you? Why did you stand me up?"

"You want to know where I was?" He asked, turning around with a malicious smile. His usual bright blue eyes were dull as he glared down at you. His forehead laced with sweat. "I was with Heather."

Heather.

Heather Holloway? The other lifeguard? He was stood you up for Heather.

"Are you cheating on me?" You asked, your voice losing all its strength and composure.

Billy stared at you for a moment with an almost pained expression, "I am."

His words left you breathless, like you had just run a marathon, but you hadn't. You were standing still. There was burning in your lungs as you stared at him, trying and failing to draw in enough air to breath.

This wasn't happening. No, this couldn't be happening.

Billy wouldn't cheat on you. He couldn't. No. No. No.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice barely above a whisper before he climbed into the Camaro.

The Chevy came to life with a loud roar before he reversed out the driveway and sped off down the road, leaving you standing in front of his house watching the car disappear through watery eyes.

The drive to work felt like a blur and you sat in the Starcourt carpark for a good 20 minutes. You didn't want to go to work, but after showing up late yesterday you were on very thin ice with the manager.

Taking a deep breath, you yanked the keys out the ignition and spared a quick glance at your reflection through the revision mirror. There was no hiding the fact that you had been crying, your eyes still red brimmed, but there was nothing you could do about it.

You made your way across the carpark before walking through the front doors. The mall was packed with people. You weaved your way through the crowd of shoppers towards the escalators before someone suddenly collided into you.

The two of you fell to the mall floor. A surprised yelp escaping your lips and car keys flying out your hand while the other person cursed softly under his breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

You lifted your head at the familiar voice to find Steve Harrington frantically getting to his feet. He was in his Scoops Ahoy sailor outfit and picked up your car key from the floor before turning to face you, his eyes widening only just realising that it was you that he had bumped into.

"Y/N? Shit, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

You nodded, grabbing the car keys from him and tucking them into your pocket, but Steve was still staring at you, his brows furrowing a little.

"You sure? I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked a little worriedly.

"No. No, I'm fine." You insisted with a smile that you knew didn't quite reach your eyes.

"You're not. You've been crying, what happened?"

"Just having a shitty day, Harrington." You sighed, rubbing your face with your hands.

"Wanna talk about it?"

You shook your head, "I gotta get to work."

"You know where to find me if you change your mind and sorry for running into you." He apologised with a gentle smile.

"It's fine. See you later, Harrington."

You walked off and barely made it to work on time before you began serving customers and making popcorn. You threw yourself into the work, trying not to think about Billy or Heather and failing miserably at it. Billy was all you could think about.

He cheated on you.

How could he do that? Were you not enough? Your own father never wanted you and now your boyfriend didn't either... what was wrong with you?

The work phone ringing snapped you out of your thoughts and you sighed walking over to the counter and picking it up.

"Starcourt cinemas. How can I help you?"

"It's Max. You need to come to the pool."

You frowned, "what? Why?"

"Billy... something's wrong with him-"

"I know, I spoke with him this morning. He kinda... I don't even know, I think we broke up." You answered hesitantly because well, neither of you actually said it, but he admitted to cheating and then just drove off.

"What?!" Max shouted causing you to wince and pull the phone away from your ear. "It doesn't matter. I don't think it was really him."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Mind Flayer. It's back."

You opened your mouth to responded, but closed it again because you had no idea how to respond to that. The Mind Flayer was back? How?

"We think it might be possessing Billy. Just, please, my brother might be an idiot, but he loves you. I know he does and whatever happened between you guys this morning... I don't think it was him. We need you to come to the pool, right now."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Hurry."

Max hung up the phone before you could say anything else and you were out the mall within 60 seconds. In hindsight you should have told the boss you were going home sick or something because you were most definitely getting fired after just running off, but if the Mind Flayer was back and if it really was possessing Billy... shit.

The Mustang sped way too fast to be consider safe. Even Hopper wouldn't let you off the hook with the speed you were going, but frankly, you didn't care.

You met the kids out the front of the pool, Mike, Will, Lucas, Max and El. You noted that Dustin was missing from their party, but now was not the time to question it.

Will could apparently sense the Mind Flayer. How he could sense it was beyond you and apparently El had seen some weird things with Heather and Billy through her mind walking and you were honestly so confused, but it didn't matter. You needed to find out if the Mind Flayer was possessing Billy or not.

The plan was to lure Billy into the sauna and lock him inside with the heat cranked to the maximum. That's how Joyce and Jonathan had gotten the Mind Flayer out of Will months ago.

The group of you waited until dark when the pool closed before you made your move and before you knew it, El was slamming the sauna door shut with her powers, trapping Billy inside.

Mike quickly slid a metal rod through the door handle while Lucas locked it with a chain and padlock as you stood back with the others and watched a shirtless Billy slam against the door.

He continued hitting the door before realising that it was a lost cause and lifted his head to look at the group of you through the small glass window in the door. His furious expression wavered when he saw you standing in front of the kids protectively.

"Y/N."

It was more of a question than anything as he stared at you. A mix of emotions washing over his eyes, but it was gone before you could decipher it.

"Do it." Max instructed and Will turned the dial on the sauna's temperature gage to the maximum.

At first nothing seemed to happen. Billy's eyes glued to you before he began to pace the small room. Fury made his feet strike the ground in heavy stomps, his bare upper body starting to layer with sweat.

"Y/N. Max. Let me out of here!" He shouted, slamming his fist against the door causing you to flinch. "You kids... you think this is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?"

He spat on the glass aggressively before continuing to shout.

"You little shits think this is funny?! What is this? Open the door. Open the door!" He yelled barring his teeth with a heated glare. "Open the door! Open the goddamn door!"

You had never heard Billy shout like that. Never. Not even when he was yelling at Neil not to touch you that day in his front yard. Billy had never acted or sounded like this before.... it really was the Mind Flayer.

"It's not him." You whispered, glancing over at Max who met your worried gaze with her own that matched yours. "He can be a dick, but not like this."

Max nodded in agreement before Billy disappeared from the view of the small window and Will walked over to the temperature gauge and read it.

"We're at 220."

Billy's growls started to die down from inside the sauna before getting replaced with sobs as he mumbled the same words over and over again. "It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's not my fault, Y/N."

Cautiously, you took a few steps towards the door and your heart shattered when you saw Billy now on the floor hugging his knees to his chest.

"I promise you, it's not my fault."

"What's not your fault, Billy?" Max asked, appearing beside you.

"I've done things, Max. Really bad things." He whimpered, his palms together in a begging gesture as he looked up at the two of you through tear filled eyes. "I didn't mean to. He made me do it."

A sickening wave of terror grew in your stomach at his words. He made me do it. The Mind Flayer. The Mind Flayer was controlling him.

"Who made you do it?" You asked, your voice firm despite how badly you were freaking out.

"I don't know, it's like a shadow. Like a giant shadow." He whispered, his voice wavering. Lips trembling. "Please, Y/N."

"What did he make you do?"

"It's not my fault, okay? Y/N, please!" Billy cried out, leaning to the side against one of the benches in the sauna as he begged. "Please, believe me, Y/N. It's not my fault."

"I believe you. Billy, I believe you." You insisted, eyes burning with tears.

"I tried to stop him, okay? I did." He sniffed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please believe me, Y/N. Please believe me."

"It's going to be okay, Billy." Max tried to reassure.

"We're going to help you. I promise, we're going to help. You just have to talk to us, okay? Billy, please talk to me." You said, lifting your hand and resting it over the window. "We'll figure it out together. It's going to be okay-"

"Max, Y/N. Get away from the door." Mike suddenly said from behind you.

"What?" Max asked, turning to face her friend.

"Please, Y/N." Billy whimpered, lifting his head, his eyes still swimming with tears but there was this almost crazed look glistening in his once bright eyes before Mike's voice cut through the air.

"Get away from the door!"

You jumped backwards, grabbing Max by the back of her shirt and yanking her away just as Billy sprung to his feet and slammed his fist straight through the glass. Max yelped in shock as the glass shattered to the ground and Billy threw his arm out the hole and slammed against the door.

"Let me out, you bitch! Let me out!" He thundered, his voice rising an octave. "Let me out! I'll fucking gut you!"

You shoved Max behind you protectively and took a few steps back as Billy continued to shout and punch the door, his cold hard eyes never leaving yours.

Lucas suddenly drew his slingshot and hit Billy on the forehead with a rock, knocking him back to the floor. You and Max rushed back to the other kids, and you stood in front of them protectively, El stepping forward until she was shoulder to shoulder with you.

The lights in the room began flickering as Billy roared from in the sauna. The louder he got, the faster the lights flashed before he suddenly body slammed the door.

The chain wrapped around the handle budged but managed to hold. Although, you had a sinking feeling in your stomach that it wouldn't hold for much longer.

"He can't get out, can he?" Max asked in terror.

"No way. No way." Lucas insisted, but you could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

Then, as if on cue, the door suddenly busted open. Billy tumbled out of the room from the momentum of his push before slowly rising to his feet. His body was covered in small thin black veins, his chest expanded, shoulders pulled back making him look bigger and fierce as he glared at you behind his blonde curls.

El was quick to react and you saw something out the corner of your eye move, but you kept your focus on Billy just as a barbell flew through the air and pinned him up against the wall.

The weighted plates dug into the brick wall, the metal bar pushing down on Billy's neck squishing him as he gasped and grunted for air. El pushed the bar harder against him with her powers while you looked around trying to find something to use to help, but you had no idea what to do.

How were you meant to get him back in the sauna without the door? How was it meant to get hot enough in there with the doorway open for the Mind Flayer to leave his body?

You turned back to Billy just in time to find him slowly pushing the bar away from his neck while El screamed, using all her strength against him before he threw the bar at her, knocking her to the ground.

"No!" You screamed, watching in horror as he grabbed your sister by the throat and lifted her off the ground into the air.

"No! No!" El gasped, her face turning red as she kicked her legs uselessly in the air.

You rushed across the room and picked up the metal bar that was laying on the floor before you slammed it into the back of his head. Billy barely flinched at the hit as if the metal bar was a simple twig.

You swung at him again, but to your shock he raised his hand and caught the end of it with ease.

Your eyes widened as he turned his head towards you. Both of you holding the bar on either end before he dropped El to the ground, your sister falling onto her hands and knees as she coughed and fought to get air into her lungs.

She was okay. El was okay.

That small relief was short lived when Billy wrenched the bar from your hands and threw it across the room. You took a few cautious steps back as Billy began to advance on you with a predatory expression.

"Billy. Billy, please. I know you're in there. Don't do this." You pleaded, one hand outstretched in defence. "Please, I know you're in there. You have to fight it. Please, Billy, you have to-"

The back of his hand slapped you across the face. The force of the hit sent you the ground in an instant and you grabbed your stinging cheek, looking up at him in numbed horror.

He took another step towards you, his nostrils flared and fist clenched, ready for a fight before he was suddenly lifted from the ground. El was back on her feet, her hands out as she screamed, shifting Billy's body away from you.

Bright crimson blood was dripping from her nose as Billy started to scream too before she threw him through the brick wall outside.

You spared one quick glance at the kids as El fell into Mike's arms before deeming them safe and you sprinted out the building, but Billy was gone. All that was left was a pile of rubble and bricks on the grass.

"Shit." You hissed to yourself about to walk back inside when something hard slammed against the back of your head and everything faded into darkness.

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