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]

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."

[crawlingbackwards]

Just as Steve was about to counter there was a loud gasp from the small girl.

"Daddy kidnapped you!?" Lizzie's eyes were wide as she look at her dad. "But daddy! That's bad!"

"Wha-no, honey it's a joke....Robin." Steve ran a hand over his face. "Daddy didn't kidnap Billy."

"Aunty Robin doesn't lie!" The little girls cheeks are puffed up, crossing her arms as she stares at Steve like he did something wrong.

Oh yes she does, but that isn't the point here. Damn it.

[california_dreaming]

Oh no. Robin looks apologetic and Billy just... Stares. Wide eyed. What the hell does he do?

"I didn't... Lizzie they were playing pretend. Like we do when I dress up like a dragon."

She doesn't say 'like when you dress up as a princess knight' because Lizzie IS a princess.

Yep. Nope. Billy can't do it anymore. Can't hold back the burst of laughter. God, this was all so-

"Precious," he says through the laugh. It's fucking precious.

[crawlingbackwards]

"You sir," Steve huffs, "Are no help." The look he gives Billy isn't as sour as it might seem, in fact it's still got that soft edge to it.

He has to explain to Lizzie that it was a joke and auntie Robin wasn't lying but she was playing. The girl still seems suspect but Robin mentioning dress up definitely helps.

[california_dreaming]

Oh he's not helping, no. Not at all. Billy's trying his hardest not to laugh his ass off. So instead he decides to busy his hands. Takes down his messy bun and lets his fingers play behind his head as he deftly braids his own hair out of the way for the day.

"Didn't think it was my job to help."

[crawlingbackwards]

Damn Steve and his thing for guys with long hair, and damn Robin for knowing about it. He can practically feel her staring him down as he looks up to watch Billy take out the bun and start braiding his hair.

"I mean it wasn't, but it's not you job to hinder either as far as I know."

[california_dreaming]

Yeah, Robin's got money on that hookup happening before Billy rolls back out of town. A lot of it. She's got to find someone to take money from. Soon.

"I didn't think I was hindering," Billy adds, smiling warmly as he ties off the braid. Dude was competent with his fingers to achieve all of that so fast.

"Anyway," Robin says loudly to Lizzie. It was a game of pretend. Billy was being the prince in distress and daddy was playing the brave knight," Robin says, trying to get back to the important matter here.

[crawlingbackwards]

This time Lizzie does seem to giggle and laugh, apparently the idea of her dad playing pretend with the stranger he brought home was perfectly understandable in her child brain. But then again, of course it was. That's just how kids made friends after all.

"Yup." Steve nodded, giving Robin the silent 'thank you' look that was pretty common in the house these days.

"Daddy go to be a knight this time!"

"Well yeah, I didn't have the brave Princess Knight to help me save the day." Reaching over, he ruffled her hair a little before running his fingers through it.

wow i blew that last paragraph there in my haste to tuck in husboose

[california_dreaming]

Robin shoots back the standard 'anything for my angel' look that is also a 'you're welcome'.

And Billy? God he's just caught up watching this charming family interaction with warmest smile imaginable on his face. A look that is half affection, half longing. He'd love a family like that.

"Yep. But now I gotta go play with my own family and your dad says he wants to let me borrow keys to the castle. What do you think, Lizzie. Is that a good idea or a bad idea?"