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]

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?"

[crawlingbackwards]

"Don't leave out the fact we were drugged by Russians!" Steve raises his voice only to drop it down to a quieter volume when he remembers his daughter is asleep upstairs.

Still, that definitely doesn't matter. Steve has never had good gaydar. The lights are on, but sometimes no one is home. Good thing he's pretty right? Among other things.

"Also see, told you. Muppet."

[california_dreaming]

Robin throws up her arms in seeming defeat. "We covered the muppet, like, a decade ago."

As for Billy, he's looked confused by Russians coming up.

"Sounds like there are going to be plenty of stories," Billy notes before turning toward Robin. "I promise I'll keep all impure thoughts about Stevie here to myself."

She nods and waves for the door. "Go and hurry back or whatever."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yeah but he wasn't there for that. That's him and Vickey on my side." Pointing at Robin as he walked back Steve couldn't help the grin.

"First off, I told you things were insane after you left, and second...hopefully not all of them?" He shouldn't, he knows he shouldn't. But he can't help it, he's on cloud nine tonight after what he thought was going to a miserable night. He had expected to be stuck at that stupid reunion and just come home to grade papers.

This was something completely different and new. It was nice.

Alright alright, he's going. Grabbing his keys and coat on the way out.

[california_dreaming]

Robin and Billy give each other one last look before Billy stuffs his hands in his pockets and follows Steve out.

"She thinks we're going to fuck," Billy informs Steve quite bluntly."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yeah probably, better than her thinking you're going to hurt me or Lizzie." Shrugging Steve locked the front door out of habit before heading to his own car.

"I told her you were only going to be a couple days and how you hated this place, apparently that read as 'he hates this place so he's gonna be even more of an asshole'." Getting in the car he tossed a stuffed animal out of the passenger seat and into the back.

[california_dreaming]

"Don't have the energy to be an asshole," Billy says. "I want to get some sleep, you know? And I gotta spend hours with Susan tomorrow to cook."

Because lasagna takes a lot of time.

[crawlingbackwards]

"You definitely need it then." Steve chuckles, starting up his car and for the third time that night he made his way out and into town. Only to then this time head in a different direction. One he hadn't had a reason to be in a while.

"Hey, pick a station would ya? Or I think one of Eddie's tapes is still in." Anything to help distract Billy from where they were going to pass.

[california_dreaming]

Tapes? Fuck yeah. Billy has no problem with getting some Corroded Coffin playing.

"So, Steve Harrington and a rock star. Who fucking would have thought."

In fact, he's grinning to himself at it.

"He as creative in bed as other rockstars?"

[crawlingbackwards]

Steve can't help but laugh.

"Creative is one way to put it." Tapping to the drum beat, Steve focused on the road. He remembered watching Gareth at practice and how he'd play the drums. "Let's just say, that black bandana he has in his pocket isn't just for style."

Steve hadn't been as into some of the stuff, but the good thing about Eddie was that he was understanding and a lot more respectful of Steve's boundaries than some he'd met at bars. He definitely could have done worse for the first guy he had been with. Much worse.

[california_dreaming]

"Damn man," Billy laughs. "Who woulda thought? ANd you hit that?"

Fuck, Billy is actually impressed there.

"Never would have thought you'd be into that sorta stuff."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yes and no. I mean don't get me wrong, some of it wasn't so bad but...I wasn't as into the scene as Eddie." Definitely some of it was actually pretty therapeutic in a way.

"But luckily, Eddie was really good at listening and making sure I was okay with things. He didn't push when I said no to something."

[california_dreaming]

"You never really struck me as a sub anyway," Billy says with a shrug. Yes, he'd absolutely understood just what Eddie was into. Of course he was fluent in the signs.

But still, imagining Steve like that... hard.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Heh yeah, he didn't think so either." Don't get him wrong, after so much time being the one to help and support everyone else Steve definitely was fine with the idea of being taken care of on some level but some of it...just wasn't his scene. Scene's in the bedroom was one thing, he could never do the full lifestyle that was for sure.

"You now know so much more about my sex life than is fair, your turn to share some sordid secret or something."

[california_dreaming]

"What, the walking in on my ex boyfriend slash roommate fucking another guy in our bed wasn't enough?" Billy laughs. Still, he has to think about it.

Closes his eyes and just lets himself process. What could he say?

"Found out I give great road head."

[crawlingbackwards]

"I mean I feel like that says way more about him than it does you," Steve starts, only interrupted but a laugh when Billy mentions 'road head'.

Dude. Saying that to the driver?

"You know, I can't be surprised you'd be into that. Riskier stuff I mean."

[california_dreaming]

"I'm not, most of the time," Billy admits. "Not these days. Everything's... I like to feel safe. I know what the car says, but I like my risk to be in the form of my art, not..."

Not things that can end him up in a hospital. That can remind him what they were like.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Okay yeah I get that, safe is definitely good." Steve nodded, catching sight of a familiar building coming up. "Speaking of, when you have the time I'd love to see more of your stuff. The guys have shown me some of the cards and they're amazing."

He was ready to talk through it, distract Billy however he could.

[california_dreaming]

"The cards are only some of it, but I do have some in progress sketches with me. Most of the really good stuff, the full on paintings, those are back home."

And if he doesn't have the canvases with him, well, then they weren't going to be available.

"I guess stop by Susan's some time. I left a gift with her. For thanks for caring."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yeah, makes sense. I'll definitely have to do that then." At least he went over there already from time to time to see Max and make sure Susan was doing alright.

"So are your paintings a different style than what you do for the cards or...?"

[california_dreaming]

BUt hopefully Steve didn't do it while Billy was there. He didn't like having people criticize his work in front of him. They were doing perfectly fine right now without that.

"I do a lot of styles, but when I'm doing it just for myself it's less... structured."

[crawlingbackwards]

To be fair, Steve would probably just tell Billy how much he liked it because he knows next to nothing about art. Other than it's important to the people who make it.

"Yeah? How so? Like...you just go for it instead of planning stuff out?" He's trying, he really is.

[california_dreaming]

"It's that, but it's also not just that. It's the technique. It's... It's emotion on canvas, or memories. The edges are fuzzy, if they are even concretely there."

How was he even supposed to explain it.

"Might have to ask some of your nerds about their cards. One of my earlier ones might help as a comparison."

[crawlingbackwards]

Steve watched out of the corner of his eye as the large familiar steel works building came and went, glad that for now at least Billy seemed distracted with talk of his art.

"Oh okay, yeah I'll have to see what the guys have." Chuckling Steve shook his head. "Sorry, I know basically nothing about art. It's fascinating and what I have seen is really good...I'm just really not a critic or anything. Will could go one for hours about color theory and paints and it just goes over my head. But it makes him happy, and it seems like it's really helped you."

[california_dreaming]

"They really spend that much time speculating over the artist's name on pieces of cardboard?" Billy asks with a chuckle. He hadn't thought they would ever think about him in a somewhat positive light. How strange.

"Art turned... into a sort of therapy for me. But I loved it as a kid too. I just wasn't allowed to have it.