Evie hummed. She didn’t believe him, not really. “You not risking your life for something and you not being a coward aren’t mutually exclusive, you know,” she said as she bumped her shoulder against his in response. It was warm where her shoulder had touched his, but only for a moment. The wind had just enough of a cool bite to it that it drew her attention to it, which was nice. It was safer to focus on being a little chilly than focusing on the tone of his voice, how it dipped and caused her stomach to twist pleasantly.
It was difficult to know how to respond. On one hand, it was flattering to hear those things. The last time a guy had hit on her had been at some party a few towns over during the summer. It had been hot out and the guy had been flattering enough, but he’d leaned in too close and something about the whole matter just made her stomach churn. This, though, was different. Billy, while he may not have come across as entirely genuine, had a way of saying this and fixing her with looks that made it difficult to remember why they were walking towards the junkyard.
On the other hand, though, it was Billy. The line between where she trusted him and where she didn’t was blurry. She knew that he wasn’t a monster, knew that he’d help them out with Dart. But as a person, as a guy who was interested in girls… she wasn’t as sure. How many other girls in Hawkins had he used similar lines on? She wanted to ask what made her different, what made her so special, but she refused to sound needy. So instead, she ducked her head when he said that he got to spend more time with her. Christ, what a line. “So how come you never talked to me at school before today?”
She hadn’t really thought about it before then, but once she did, the question got stuck in her head a little. What were the odds that the day he decided to approach her, they end up in the middle of this mess? If only he’d waited a few days, then this would have (most likely) already been dealt with. Or, had he waited a few days, it may have been too late because the lot of them could end up as Demogorgon food. She didn’t like that thought.
Her stomach swooped as he looked down at her mouth. Not for the first time, the image of him backing her up against a tree before kissing her senseless flashed through her mind as an unbidden fantasy. “Different, huh? Well, I –” Her words were interrupted as she heard Kate gasp. Her blood went cold and she immediately jumped closer to Billy, almost pressed up against him. She watched, realizing after a second or two that it was a false alarm. “Fuck,” she mumbled as she started forward, trying to somehow force her pulse to relax. It was fine, just some little animal. It was fine.
Kate was cute in the cold. Steve could admit that. That was an objective observation. He rolled his shoulders, in part to nudge the strap on his left shoulder over a little and in part to try to get some more warmth circulating. It was the kind of weather that reminded him that the weather would soon give way to snow. “You know, I don’t really appreciate that tone, Kate.” His smirk shifted into more of a grin to let her know that he was kidding.
Steve had to clamp a hand over his mouth as Dustin started tripping over his words at Kate’s indignation. “I didn’t mean like old, old. Just—”
“Oh, it sure sounded like old to me,” Steve chimed in. Dustin scowled and started to try to take back what he’d said before. Steve was laughing too hard to catch all of it, but it dealt with ”too old for him” and you’re putting words in my mouth” and even a ”Steve Harrington, I will end you if you keep laughing that hard.” Steve had just grinned and laughed harder. Until Kate jumped.
While Steve didn’t gasp, it felt as though his internal organs froze at once when Kate jumped. This was it, he’d thought to himself. Here we go. He’d swallowed, awaiting the same terror that had gripped the Byers house the year before to be unleashed. But no, just some small animal. Shit. He was jumpier than he’d realized. He glanced over to Dustin first, then Kate, concern etched across his features. “You good?” He asked, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t want to embarrass her or anything. Normally, he would have called back to the two stragglers to tell them that everything was fine, but he figured that they’d manage to get that. His primary concern at that moment was Kate.
He watched her, regret filling him. What had he been thinking, letting her come along? This was dangerous. At least Dustin and Evie knew what they were getting into. Kate – and as much as he hated to admit it, Billy too – didn’t deserve to get dragged along to the horror show when they didn’t even know what was going on. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when she asked Dustin to hang back a little. It only took him a moment to realize what she was doing. Anyone with half a brain would be able to figure out that she wanted more answers.
Steve sucked in a deep breath, holding it in for a beat before exhaling slowly through his mouth. “I don’t know if I can really understate how much danger we’re in.” He pressed his lips together, biting down on the inside of his lips as he thought over just how to answer. “Last year, when we… dealt with this, we almost died. It was luck that we survived.” The flashing lights in the Byers house, the way that thing just lumbered down the hall. The weight of the bat in his hands as he took a swing at it. Those memories stuck with him, whether or not he acknowledged them. “Kate, no one’s going to judge you if you turn around. I’d walk you back, but…” he trailed off as he glanced back in Dustin’s direction. “I can’t leave the kid to deal with this on his own.”
It was difficult to know how to respond. On one hand, it was flattering to hear those things. The last time a guy had hit on her had been at some party a few towns over during the summer. It had been hot out and the guy had been flattering enough, but he’d leaned in too close and something about the whole matter just made her stomach churn. This, though, was different. Billy, while he may not have come across as entirely genuine, had a way of saying this and fixing her with looks that made it difficult to remember why they were walking towards the junkyard.
On the other hand, though, it was Billy. The line between where she trusted him and where she didn’t was blurry. She knew that he wasn’t a monster, knew that he’d help them out with Dart. But as a person, as a guy who was interested in girls… she wasn’t as sure. How many other girls in Hawkins had he used similar lines on? She wanted to ask what made her different, what made her so special, but she refused to sound needy. So instead, she ducked her head when he said that he got to spend more time with her. Christ, what a line. “So how come you never talked to me at school before today?”
She hadn’t really thought about it before then, but once she did, the question got stuck in her head a little. What were the odds that the day he decided to approach her, they end up in the middle of this mess? If only he’d waited a few days, then this would have (most likely) already been dealt with. Or, had he waited a few days, it may have been too late because the lot of them could end up as Demogorgon food. She didn’t like that thought.
Her stomach swooped as he looked down at her mouth. Not for the first time, the image of him backing her up against a tree before kissing her senseless flashed through her mind as an unbidden fantasy. “Different, huh? Well, I –” Her words were interrupted as she heard Kate gasp. Her blood went cold and she immediately jumped closer to Billy, almost pressed up against him. She watched, realizing after a second or two that it was a false alarm. “Fuck,” she mumbled as she started forward, trying to somehow force her pulse to relax. It was fine, just some little animal. It was fine.
Kate was cute in the cold. Steve could admit that. That was an objective observation. He rolled his shoulders, in part to nudge the strap on his left shoulder over a little and in part to try to get some more warmth circulating. It was the kind of weather that reminded him that the weather would soon give way to snow. “You know, I don’t really appreciate that tone, Kate.” His smirk shifted into more of a grin to let her know that he was kidding.
Steve had to clamp a hand over his mouth as Dustin started tripping over his words at Kate’s indignation. “I didn’t mean like old, old. Just—”
“Oh, it sure sounded like old to me,” Steve chimed in. Dustin scowled and started to try to take back what he’d said before. Steve was laughing too hard to catch all of it, but it dealt with ”too old for him” and you’re putting words in my mouth” and even a ”Steve Harrington, I will end you if you keep laughing that hard.” Steve had just grinned and laughed harder. Until Kate jumped.
While Steve didn’t gasp, it felt as though his internal organs froze at once when Kate jumped. This was it, he’d thought to himself. Here we go. He’d swallowed, awaiting the same terror that had gripped the Byers house the year before to be unleashed. But no, just some small animal. Shit. He was jumpier than he’d realized. He glanced over to Dustin first, then Kate, concern etched across his features. “You good?” He asked, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t want to embarrass her or anything. Normally, he would have called back to the two stragglers to tell them that everything was fine, but he figured that they’d manage to get that. His primary concern at that moment was Kate.
He watched her, regret filling him. What had he been thinking, letting her come along? This was dangerous. At least Dustin and Evie knew what they were getting into. Kate – and as much as he hated to admit it, Billy too – didn’t deserve to get dragged along to the horror show when they didn’t even know what was going on. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when she asked Dustin to hang back a little. It only took him a moment to realize what she was doing. Anyone with half a brain would be able to figure out that she wanted more answers.
Steve sucked in a deep breath, holding it in for a beat before exhaling slowly through his mouth. “I don’t know if I can really understate how much danger we’re in.” He pressed his lips together, biting down on the inside of his lips as he thought over just how to answer. “Last year, when we… dealt with this, we almost died. It was luck that we survived.” The flashing lights in the Byers house, the way that thing just lumbered down the hall. The weight of the bat in his hands as he took a swing at it. Those memories stuck with him, whether or not he acknowledged them. “Kate, no one’s going to judge you if you turn around. I’d walk you back, but…” he trailed off as he glanced back in Dustin’s direction. “I can’t leave the kid to deal with this on his own.”
January 6th, 2021 at 07:11am