Take Me Back (Deja Vu) -- For @crawlingbackwards

[california_dreaming]

Hawkins, Indiana. Friday, June 30th, 1995.

Ten years ago to the day a young lifeguard was kidnapped by her coworker from the pool, an act that ultimately led to hear death. Ten years and one day ago, the life of a particular asshole from California had been changed forever. Later on he'd blown out of town, not looking back, unable to face the horrors that the now infamously cursed town had in store.

A bit under a year later he read newspapers about a state of emergency that almost made him get back in his beat Ford Escort and drive back. But no. Nothing could ever get him to go back to that hellhole. That's what he told himself.

Hilarious that ten years to the day that his life had been ruined he had done just that, holing up in a hotel for some sleep to recover before what would be yet another life changing weekend in the cursed town. His ten year high school reunion. Hell, Billy didn't even know for sure just how the invitation had gotten to him. Someone must have found his contact information, because it had come and for a laugh he'd agreed.

Mostly because it was long past due when he should check in on Max, and he'd heard she might be in town checking on Susan. The drive was nice too. Good for inspiration. He'd taken it slower than the trip back to California, stopping at points with great views, hauling out a sketchbook, and getting ideas down on paper when he needed it. Never knew when some small detail would create something beautiful. Or terrible. Worked either way. Still gets into town, crashes on the couch in Susan's place after a meal (she'd actually gotten a bit better at cocking, who could have expected it), and then prepares for what comes next.


Billy Hargrove knows how to make an entrance. Has already made one in this small town before, but he does it now for old time's sake. Waits until he'll be half an hour late, so he can ensure all eyes are on him. If he's going to be back in this place of nightmares and memories, he wanted to live out some of the good ones. Which means tearing into the school parking lot in his blue and white Chevy Chevelle, engine roaring, music blaring. Barely anyone is outside of the school building, already headed into the gym, but the few who are...

Oh the looks he gets. They know this entrance. They know what it means. And before he even gets out of the car he knows there are whispers. But he does get out, smooths his fitted and well worn jeans over his legs as he does so. Back then he'd be in some shirt he hadn't bothered to do up all the way. These days he's still too mindful of old scars, choosing instead to have one where he can have the sleeves up and the buttons all done, like self respect. After a moment to psych himself up he gets out and makes for the gym.

"Well damn, Carol, you sure aged like fine wine," he says as he comes to a stop at the check in desk, smiling down at her. She looks so shocked. Like she can't believe he's here. Neither can Billy. But he keeps smiling and she reaches for a badge that is really deep in the box, like no one expected it to be needed.

"You too," she says as she hands it up. "Like what you did with your hair."

Billy reaches up, considers the curls. They're bleached more blonde than ever from all the sun back home, just as changed by California as he had been. But when he touches it he almost laughs. Apparently he'd forgotten to pull his hair out of the sloppy bun he'd put it in earlier while helping tidy a bit around Susan's place. Even reaches for the tie when Carol shakes her head.

"Oh no. Leave it like that," she grins. "You look tasty."

And Billy laughs as he accepts the passed over name tag so he can affix it to his shirt.

"When have I not been a snack?" he asks before nodding to Carol. "See you inside later."

Then he heads past her into the gym and feels the eyes turning on him.

Billy Hargrove had come back to Hawkins High School. Now he just needed to make it through the night. Maybe it would be easier this time, because so much of the old arrogance and steel had been worked off of him, just leaving a softer, happier man in its place.

Comments

[california_dreaming]

"You think I didn't pick up on where Castle Harrington was back in school?" Billy asks, rolling his eyes. Getting from A to B in that sense wouldn't be hard at all. But for now he does take the instructions.

"If I'm not at your place in an hour, call the cops. If I think I might be late, I'll call from Susan's."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Maybe. But you've never been there, unless Tommy drove you by like a creep, and it's been ten years." Steve shrugged. Listening to the rest of what Billy had to say he just nods.

"I've got Hop on speed dial and he always picks up." It wasn't a lie, ever since everything had happened the guy was even more paranoid than ever and always made sure they all could reach him. "I'll see you soon."

[california_dreaming]

Now there's a point. But Billy isn't going to address why he's so confident about being able to find Steve's house.

"Okay then. I've been threatened or what- wait."

Correct him on something here.

"Didn't he die in the Starcourt thing?"

YEah, he's that out of the loop.

[crawlingbackwards]

It's probably for the better that Steve didn't know.

"Ah...yeah...." Steve stops, scratching his neck. "That's something I can tell you about later. There's...a bit more than I could really tell you here?"

Better not to talk about the international crisis that they also averted in the middle of a diner. For all they probably shouldn't have been talking about what they were in the first place.

[california_dreaming]

Listen. If you're going to be the Juliet of town, you gotta not be shocked when Romeo maybe spends some time in a car in your neighborhood watching your house and wishing he had courage and strength.

"Alright then," Billy said before finally getting out of the booth himself and stretching a bit. "I'm going to get going."

[crawlingbackwards]

Old him would argue that he was totally the Romeo of the town thank you very much, but that version of him is long since gone.

But that isn't brought up so it's fine, instead he just gives Billy a wave when they both get to their cars and heads home. The house is mostly dark save for a few lights and the porch light. Good, he didn't have to turn that on. As soon as he got in he was greeted by his best friend and a barrage of questions. Questions he answered while picking up a few toys and making sure the guest room didn't have any wayward toys hiding out that Lizzie might want. Or that Billy might accidently trip over.

"Look, Billy's gonna be over for the weekend. He's in town and he originally had a hotel out by the steel factory-"

"Seriously?"

"Right? So I invited him over to stay in the guest room." Taking one last glance around and figuring it was good enough, ie infinitely better than some shitty hotel, and heading to put the toys he had found in a tub in the living room.

The house was warmer than it had been in his younger years. Robin being there so often she might as well live there, not to mention everyone else who would use his large space as something of a hub or place to hang out. Papers and folders strewn on the dining room table to be graded, the den converted into a place where the Party could play D&D from time to time. It was more a home than it had ever felt to Steve before.

"It's fine, it's just like...a couple nights? He probably won't even be here much. He's here to visit Max and Susan."

[california_dreaming]

Robin rolls her eyes at 'just a couple nights' and 'won't be here much'. She stands there with her arms crossed over her chest in that way that says 'I've already figured out something you haven't.'

It wasn't a new pose.

"So you find the missing Billy Hargrove, at your ten year reunion no less. You walk out of said reunion early so you can go grab coffee with him. And now he's staying here. By all means, him not staying in a shitty motel is a win, Max will worry once she realizes what is going on. But here?"

It wasn't even a 'he beat you up once' thing. It was an 'after all you learned about yourself are you really going to put the forbidden fruit in arm's reach'?

[crawlingbackwards]

"Where else?" Steve says, finishing straightening the papers on the table...absently frowning at one test that he could tell was completely wrong. "It's not like Hawkins has fantastic hotels or something. And Susan hardly has room for herself and Max let alone Billy too. Meanwhile I have more than enough space."

Don't give him that look, Robin, he knows it's a problem. He's not even going to mention the fact that he was already thinking about planning a vacation to California, or that a big portion of that was because he wanted to see what had changed Billy for the better. What had helped him heal.

"It's fine, and if it isn't you can say 'I told you so' after he leaves."

[california_dreaming]

She's so going to say 'I told you so'.

"I'm going to be over a lot then. Because someone has to call the police if he decides he want to go off and beat you up again."

Why would Robin ever trust a clearly racist and probably homophobic guy in the home of her bisexual best friend and his kid.

[crawlingbackwards]

"First off," Steve finally turns to face her, hands on his hips. "That is very sweet of you but I don't need you to protect me. I can protect Lizzie and myself, fine. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Secondly..."

He sort of trails off and his face takes on a small grin.

"He's...different. I mean, seriously Robin. He's happy and...I don't know. I'd never use 'soft' as a way to describe Billy Hargrove but...kinda?" He couldn't out Billy to her, just like he couldn't out her to other people. It was why he had been vague when mentioning Eddie's 'preferences' for all the guy was probably more open even being out on the road. It helped add to his image or something. "Besides, it's not like we're hooking up. He's just staying a couple nights here. He hates Hawkins."

[california_dreaming]

"Of course you're not hooking up. This is Billy Hargrove the biggest womanizer this town ever saw," Robin points out. "And if he hates Hawkins, then he's really going to be in a bad mood. Which will make this whole thing worse, won't it?"

Because she doesn't think that's okay. It being worse. Because it will be worse on Steve.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Robin, just...please? Trust me?" Steve sighed, walking up to Robin and taking her hands. "He really is different from before, ten years changes people. Look at me."

Still, he knew she'd worry. She always did when it came to Steve, hell she came back here after all.

"Look, you can stay and keep an eye on him if you really want. The guest room is called but know you basically have pick of the house. Hell you can take my bed. Just, keep an open mind? He's supposed to be here in like...an hour. And then I'm driving him to take care of canceling his hotel."

[california_dreaming]

She's going to trust Steve the best she can. That doesn't mean she can trust Billy Hargrove.

"I'll call my roommate and tell her I'm not coming back tonight. And you get to explain to Lizzie why there's a stranger at breakfast."

Which of course he was going to have to do that. Who else would? What a silly thing to say.

[crawlingbackwards]

"I was already working on what to say." He reassures her, squeezing her hands before letting them go. "Go call her, I'm gonna peak in on Lizzie."

Patting Robin's shoulder Steve went up stairs towards his old room. Peaking in to see the pail walls lit by a small night light. The room had been painted and new curtains put up. No more matching wallpaper and curtains for Robin to tease him over. Instead it's light and very much a child's room again.

Making sure she was snug in bed, Steve tiptoed back down the hall and back down stairs to wait for Billy.

[california_dreaming]

There's one last concerned look before Robin heads into the kitchen to make the call. She was still at it by the time Steve came downstairs and there was the purring rumble of an engine as a car pulled into the driveway.

"Steeeeeeve," Robin sings out from the kitchen. "Prince Harming is here."

[crawlingbackwards]

Ducking his head into the kitchen he points a finger at her, brows raised in his usual 'don't you do it' look. "Be nice." He hisses before jogging around to the entry hall to catch the door before Billy got a chance to knock.

Did it look weird and maybe a little over excited? Maybe? Shit...should he have waited for the blonde to knock? Probably. Too late now, the damage was done.

[california_dreaming]

Yes, he looks way too excited, and if Robin saw it, she'd only worry even more.

The good news was that Steve did beat Billy to knocking, but partially because he was busy getting things out of his trunk. And because he was, maybe, just a bit unsure if he should knock. There's a little kid in the house. Would be rude to wake her. But then the door is opening and that solves that. Billy slams his trunk closed (oops) and heads for Steve with a duffel bag over one shoulder and a far more carefully carried canvas bag that was large and thin and carried his largest sketchbooks and art supplies.

"Casa Harrington, huh?"

[crawlingbackwards]

"Welcome," Steve threw his arms out before stepping back and letting Billy in. The stair case ever present has photos lining the wall instead of abstract art that his mother had, pictures of Steve and the Party, Robin and Steve in their scoops uniforms, more of them in awful green vests with name tags from Family Video. Himself, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie just before Eddie had left for his first tour. It's a whole line of memories. The house is warm and definitely more cozy than the outside would lead someone to think.

"Robin's in the kitchen on the phone." He motions for Billy to follow him up the stairs. "Bathroom is second door on your right, guest room is the first door on the left here." He stands against the railing of the loft. He talks softer, not wanting to wake the child that Robin had managed to get to sleep.

[california_dreaming]

That was a showy welcome, beautiful. But Billy does step in.

"Robin, the chick that was babysitting?" Billy asks. Of course he doesn't know who the hell she is. But with the door to the room indicated he was happy to put his things inside. The bag is tossed, but the art supplies is handled with far more care.

"Nice place. Better than I ever imagined."

[crawlingbackwards]

It's Steve, of course it's showy on some level. Granted it's more as a joke than anything else but still. Watching Billy, Steve can't help but be curious. He'd seen the portrait that Billy drew of the knight that looked so much like him and he'd seen the art on the cards that Dustin and Will all but shoved in his face. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see more of what Billy could do.

"Oh yeah, she uh...she was there in the mall. We used to work together. Kinda bonded after everything." They were best friends, family. "She's...protective. Don't take it personally."

For all it sort of was personal. Robin had heard about what happened, surely she had seen things at school.

"Oh, yeah. It's actually pretty different than when I was growing up. Always hated the magazine cover that mom tried to make it look like."

[california_dreaming]

"One of the last times we interacted for an extended period of time outside of basketball, I brained you with a plate. Another time was while you were wrecking the Camaro to keep me from running Wheeler down. Makes sense to be protective."

So yeah, he's not going to judge her. For now, though, he nods as he looks around the room. This was much better than anything he'd expected.

"Shall we go get this shit done?"

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yeah, not the best look for you. Even if one of the last things we all saw of you was protecting Jane." Sometimes it was still weird calling her that, El...Eleven...Jane. They were all the same girl but it was easier to call her Jane when that's what everyone outside of the group called her.

"Yeah let's, I just need to let Robin know we'll be back." Holding up a finger in he made his way into the kitchen, peeking around the door frame.

"Hey, gonna take Billy to the hotel. I'll call if anything goes wrong. We shouldn't be too long."

[california_dreaming]

So this Robin chick was there, huh? That's interesting.

Regardless of Steve's indicating that Billy should stay behind, he does follow Steve, quietly, and peeks beyond him to see who this Robin is. She's about to respond to Steve when she see's Billy's face peeking past Steve just a little.

"You hurt him-" Robin starts to say, ignoring Steve.

And Billy laughs, stepping fully into view and looking Robin up and down. Smirks while he's at it.

"I was going to say 'relax, I'll bring your boy toy back in one piece' but that's not what's up with this at all, is it?"

That gets a raised eyebrow from Robin. She too is looking Billy over. If they were dogs there would be rear end sniffing. Instead it's eyes and knowing looks as they evaluate each other.

"Real starving artist look there, Manbun. You really are the William Hargrove the shits talk about, aren't you?"

"In the flesh," Billy agrees.

Robin nods, just a little bit. Like something makes sense that hadn't before.

"Alright then. Don't distract Steve on the road."

"Scout's honor."

"You were never a scout."

"Guilty."

And just like that, the two seem to have a peace going on.

[crawlingbackwards]

Looking over his shoulder Steve suddenly felt like he was watching some cross between a dog fight and a tennis match. And then after a few exchanges everything is fine.

"Wait...Robin is this that...the radar thing you and Eddie are always talking about? Is that what this is?" Look, sure he might have figured himself out more as he got older, but he was still Steve Harrington, the guy who couldn't quote stuff that had just been quoted back him and who crawled backwards for the first year or so of his life.

At least he tries.

[california_dreaming]

Robin and Billy both look to Steve briefly. Then Billy's grinning and looking to Robin.

"No gaydar?"

"None," Robin confirms with a sigh. "I came out to him because he was busy confessing to me. Told him I wanted Tammy Thompson and not him."

"Miss Muppet voice?"