Car Lights Pt 3 [Final]
Billy Hargrove x Male Reader
Fem Aligned DNI
Content Warnings: Hurt/No Comfort, Angst, Canon Adjacent, Shorter than the other parts
Does not end in comfort, sorry fam
Recovery is a process. It's a long, grueling process. Sometimes you need to break something for it to heal properly. Sometimes it's already broken and you need to break it further.
Sometimes someone else breaks it for you.
You had woken up in the hospital, alone and confused. Through the span of a few days you'd learn that someone told Steve about your unconscious body in the parking lot, that he brought you to the hospital and made sure you got treated, that Billy had attempted to visit you.
An unfamiliar feeling flooded through you while you recovered. You drowned in it, though you made no attempt to emerge, to fill your lungs with peace. You just drowned. It felt numbing, but cathartic in a way.
You'd soon learn it was heartbreak.
You spent weeks recovering, piece by piece you were put back together. Some pieces seemed to be missing, a puzzle not yet completed, or maybe couldn't be completed and so it was left to gather dust.
The return to Hawkins High was unceremonious. No one noticed besides Steve and his new friends. And maybe- maybe he noticed too. He must've, right? He put you there in the first place, how could he have not?
He couldn't even look you in the eye.
The day flew by so fast, and before you knew it you were back in the parking lot. A really dumb person once said that getting deja vu meant you were right where you needed to be, but as you started to feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you opened your car door, you couldn't help but think of that.
He grabbed your arm again.
Were you in hell? Meant to play this over and over again?
A gentle push stopped you from getting into your car, and you came face to face with him. His blue eyes were filled with grief, and maybe a bit of regret, though in the moment you couldn't tell.
"I didn't mean for you to end up in the hospital.."
He still couldn't meet your eyes.
"Where was I supposed to end up then? Heaven?" He flinched, letting out a shuddered breath before speaking again.
"I didn't want to hurt you, I swear I didn't, but-"
"But you had to keep up appearances, right? I get it Billy, I do." His eyes flicked up to yours, and upon seeing the dead look in your eyes, the way they sunk in a bit too far, the way you held your head up as though you were preparing yourself against an upcoming blow- He let out a sob.
A string of muddied apologies came from his mouth, mixed with sobs and hiccups, a sight you never thought you'd see.
"I'm so sorry, I love you, I'm sorry", was all you could hear between sobs. A sad smile adorned your face.
"I loved you, Billy. I wished so badly that we could love each other like dumb characters in a stupid Shakespeare play-"
"We still can, we can, I swear we-" You push him away as he starts to ramble, running a hand through your hair in softly concealed anger.
"No, Billy, we can't! I wanted that stupid Shakespeare love but Shakespeare is dead and we're gay in the 80's! We can't have that!... We can't have that."
You both stood there in silence for a good few moments. Staring at each other, attempting to gauge a reaction from the other. Suddenly, the silence was too much for either of you to handle. With a shuddery exhale, you smile at him.
"Goodbye Hargrove, I hope life treats you well."
As you step into your car and turn on the engine, he stands there dumbfounded, face stained with tears.
You drive off.
Recovery is a process, and you've got a long road ahead of you.
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