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]

"Got it," Billy says as he manages the pancake making with ease. "You ever consider making silver dollar pancakes? A lot smaller, cook faster, but you're using the same batter. Might make her feel like she's eating lots of pancakes without eating any more than normal."

It's a strange thing to suggest, but Billy remembers his own mother doing the same for him as a little kid.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Huh, I hadn't." Shrugging Steve looked over his shoulder at the girl before chuckling quietly.

"Maybe next time I'll try that instead." He can imagine piling a bunch of tiny pancakes onto the girls plate and how her eyes would light up. Yeah, he'd definitely have to see about that.

[california_dreaming]

"Sounds like a plan," he says with a smile before finishing a last pancake. He flips this onto the stack and then moves immediately to start cleaning the pan.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Billy-you don't have to do that." Steve makes to stop Billy before he gives up. "You're a guest, I can wash a couple dishes."

Ignore that him washing it meant he could use it for eggs instead of dirtying a new pan. He's not completely thinking that far ahead.

[california_dreaming]

Really?

"Easier to clean up if you're doing it along the way," he dismisses. "And you paid for the privilege of that guest, so you've got yourself someone that's helping out, okay?"

That's what matters. He's helping, and Billy's going to have to deal with that. Once he finishes with the pan he dries it with a few wipes before passing it over.

"Eggs."

[crawlingbackwards]

Billy's not wrong at least. Still he huffs and takes the pan to start on the eggs. At least it's a simple enough to whip up a batch of scrambled eggs before changing to make Billy's medium.

It's nothing fancy but Steve still at least knows how to cook, better than some of their friends.

It doesn't take very long before he's shoveling eggs onto two plates. More on one than the other. Before turning the heat down a bit and setting about making Billy's food. "Go ahead and get the girls served up? Robin do you mind getting Lizzie's?"

fuck i forgot how cute he looks with glasses

[california_dreaming]

Robin just watches these two dancing around each other and rolls her eyes. What boys they're being about it.

"Yeah, I've got it," Robin promises as she gets back to the table and helps Lizzie clean up and get a plate made.

"You know I can take over for my own eggs so you can be with your cute kid, right?"

so fuckin cute

[crawlingbackwards]

"I'm already cooking, don't worry about it." Rolling his eyes Steve continued. "Besides I gotta make my own too."

Good thing eggs are easy enough to make. He has Billy's whipped up in no time and his own take even less.

"There," Setting his own plate down after switching off the stove, Steve sat with his food, reaching over to ruffle his daughters hair as she happily bounced in her seat between mouthfuls of pancake and coloring.

[california_dreaming]

Well if the guy is going to insist, who was Billy to argue. He settles himself down with his own plate when it's loaded. He seems to find being in the seat furthest from Lizzie no bother. But he is leaning in to try and get a look at her coloring.

"Good eye for colors there, kiddo," he notes. "Must get it from you, Steve."

[crawlingbackwards]

"Are you kidding, no way." Steve laughed.

Giggling in her seat Lizzie shook her head. "Will taught me! He likes to paint!"

"He sits and colors with her when he's around." Looking at the coloring page she has Steve just smiles fondly. He's been way too blessed to have such a big family, even if they aren't blood related.

[california_dreaming]

“Really,” Billy says, looking Steve up and down. Like he’s evaluating what the man’s wearing. Remembering what he has before. “Nah, Harrington. You’ve got an eye. Give yourself credit.”

Robin rolls her eyes because literally what the fuck is this? So much flirting already.

[crawlingbackwards]

"An eye for clothes doesn't exactly mean an eye for coloring." He's shaking his head, glancing at Robin with a 'what!?' sort of look. He's not flirting! Honestly.

Yet.

That much?

"Besides if I'm not mistaken, you're the artist here."

[california_dreaming]

“Fashion is about understanding color palettes, what goes and what doesn’t, and how to accent. And you were good at it last I checked. But that was years ago.”

So it could have changed. But Billy hadn’t been around in a while. He could be wrong. Though he does smile, turning his attention from Steve to Lizzie.

“Hey little Princess. If you could have a coloring page that had a picture of whatever you wanted on it, what would you want?”

[crawlingbackwards]

Steve....is just going to let it go, besides watching Billy talk to his daughter is way more interesting.

The girl in question just sort of stares off for a minute. "Ummmm," She shifts before looking down at her page, little brow furrowed dramatically before suddenly--

"Oh! I know! I would wanna big dragon with a Princess Knight on his back! And flowers!" She'd been listening to stories the nerds told her, of course she hooked on to fantasy and Disney movies really hard. But Steve didn't see anything wrong with it, it was good for her to have an imagination and the others all helped her know what was real and what wasn't.

[california_dreaming]

It's okay Steve, it's fine for Billy to be right.

"A big dragon with a princess knight on its back, and lots of flowers. You got it. I gotta eat breakfast, and then I'm going over to see my little sister's mom to make her surprise dinner. But when I'm not cooking, I'm going to draw you a big dragon with a Princess Knight with flowers. Promise. Might not be done until tomorrow morning. That okay?"

Because of course he's going to be nice to the girl.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Wha-Billy you don't have to-"

"REALLY!?" The little girl seems to bounce even more in her little booster seat and nodding. "Yeah!"

"You're going to spoil her while you're here aren't you?"

[california_dreaming]

She looks so happy at the idea and boy does that make Billy smile, soft and warm at the little kid. Only then does he turn his attention to Steve.

"I like kids. You got a problem with that?"

"No, he's patient zero on that particular quirk," Robin noted as she took Lizzie's cup and went to refill it.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Definitely not." Steve nods, sticking his tongue out at Robin as she passed before looking back at Billy. "If I had a problem with it, I wouldn't have a kid. Or have put up with the brats as long as I did."

Steve has always been a sucker for kids. He's always wanted to be a parent, a better one than his own had been. Even after he had his own kid he still wanted to help others, hence becoming a teacher.

[california_dreaming]

"Yeah, you always seemed like the sort."

Not that Billy had known a lot of people that were the sort actually. Just... Just Steve had a sort of vibe to him that night. Mama Bear, protecting her cubs. It had been impressive. The fire had been fucking hot.

[crawlingbackwards]

"Yeah, looking back it was pretty obvious." Nodding Steve continued to eat his own breakfast, checking on his daughter from time to time while snatching a newspaper that was on the table to glance through.

"Oh, I should give you the spare key before you leave. That way I can lock the door when it gets late and you don't have to worry about it."

[california_dreaming]

Spare key? Robin comes back with juice for Lizzie and her eyebrows are so far up they look like they're trying to escape her face.

"I figured if it's that late I can crash on Susan's couch. I don't want to bother you," Billy says, equally shocked.

[crawlingbackwards]

Looking up from the paper at Robin to see her expression and then a nearly matching one on Billy's face...Steve can't help but feel like he said something weird.

"What?" He looked between the two. "It's not like I'm giving you the key. I just mean to borrow while you're here. Like a hotel key." It's not that weird is it?

[california_dreaming]

"You trust me to come and go through your door at all hours?" Billy asks.

Robin just has this look because she can't say what she'd say in front of the kid. Like 'what if he brought someone home'. Which is something people can and will do with hotel keys.

[crawlingbackwards]

Again Steve is looking between the two before sighing.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't trust you?" Steve counters. "Because if there is then maybe I shouldn't have offered to let you stay at all."

Great, trying to have adult talk over a small child. Not like Steve hasn't had to do it before.

[california_dreaming]

"It's not that. It's just... all things considered in our history, I would just think you'd be more comfortable either knowing I'm here or knowing I'm not," Billy points out.

"He literally kidnapped you from your hotel," Robin points out.

"Just from graduation," Billy counters with a smile. "And then from the diner we went to. Really, charming guy. Super sweet. Gave me a ride and everything."