Work Text:
"Did he touch you?" Billy held Max's arm so tightly she knew she'd get bruises, but she still couldn't reply to his question. If he ever got to see the bruises, it wasn't as if he would ever believe anything she said to him.
"No." she muttered and tried to pull her arms to her side again, but his grip only tigthened. Only when he realised he might hurt her did he let go, pushed her arm back to her body as if he didn't even want to remind himself that he had touched her. Max was sure that if she had a look at her upper arm right now, the freckles would be hidden behind red marks left from Billy's fingers.
"Then what is it?" Billy asked. They had been at this for the past two weeks now. Billy didn't believe Max when she told him that nothing was going on and she knew why. He had seen lies all his life, she had heard a lot from Neil when she was curled up with Susan on the couch, just about to fall asleep.
Max supposed the first lie he had ever been told was that his mother was alright. From what Max could make out, she had gotten sick when Billy was just old enough to say his first few words, but it would take years before she passed. The second lie and maybe the third, was that his father would stay the same and that Billy could trust him. Neil had never said anything about it, but the was Billy jerked away from his father most of the time was witness enough. He had probably taken blows since he was old enough to understand what it meant, maybe earlier than that, too. The fourth lie must have been that people would help him. He didn't even trust her with his secrets and they had gotten a lot closer since the fight. He was still a mean and awful guy, but when Max came home the frist time after the fight, Billy had been bad. He had been curled up in his bedroom, half his body underneath the bed and the other half under his cover. His record player was on, but the music was since long over and the only thing that could be heard in the room was Billy's pained breathing and the spinning of the record.
"It's not what you think." Max promised quietly. She rubbed her arm where he had gripped her and he quickly glanced away in shame. She didn't want to say anything about it.
"Don't tell me it's nothing. It's something. I've seen the way you move." Billy whispered now, his voice just loud enough for Max to hear. It took her a moment to realise what he meant, but as soon as she did, she felt awfully stupid. He had been bruised up all his life, of course he knew what it would look like if someone who was hurt tried to hide it.
"It's not Lucas." Max whispered back, as she glanced over her shoulder. She could no longer hear the lawn mower and doubted they'd have much more time alone.
"Meet me at Steve's in half an hour." she whispered, at last, when Billy didn't say anything. He stared out the window, but his shoulders and his head looked as if they were pushed down from a heavy weight.
"Don't be late."
Max took a step out of his room, just as the door opened. Billy slammed his bedroom door shut and Neil let out a groan.
"He can never quiet down, can he?"
Max shrugged, pulled on her shoes and hurried outside.
When Max knocked on his door, Steve was already busy with the other children. He had picked up Dustin ten minutes earlier and Jane and Mike had waited for them. Steve hadn't given any of them a key, except for Max, but supposed he might want to give the other kids keys, as well.
"Billy knows."
Steve met Max's eyes. He could tell she didn't tell the whole truth, but it didn't really matter. If Billy knew even half of the things Steve knew, Steve knew the other would never shut up about it. Steve had a look at the darkening fingerprints on Max's arms, but before he could see much, she stepped inside and left him by the door.
"How much does he know?" Steve turned around as he closed the door again and watched as Max sat next to Jane. They had formed a bond that was difficult to explain, but they seemed to understand each other in a way none of the boys seemed to do.
"He knows you're involved in something and that's the reason I'm hurt." Max replied honestly and just as Steve was about to reply, he heard a knock.
Max opened. Billy didn't look like he had last time they saw each other. Steve was sure the other was thinner, that Billy either ate a lot less or had forgotten just how much he used to work out when he just came to Hawkins. He had dark circles under his eyes that reminded Steve all too much of the sleepless nights whenever summer came to an end. Whenever it came closer to this time of the year.
"Hey."
Even his voice sounded different. It was as if someone had taken everything that had ever been Billy and put him behind a wall. You could see that it was still Billy, but much of what you once could have seen had been erasted or replaced by the brutality of the wall.
"Bill, you okay?" Steve asked and slowly walked closer. They had seen each other once or twice since the fight. What they had done didn't really matter, but it always left Billy in a small ball on the bathroom floor sobbing.
"'m fine." Billy muttered and for a breif second, the wall dissappeared. It was back as soon as it had shattered and for a second, the imagine of Neil flashed before Steve's eyes. If Neil ever found out about what they did behind closed doors, it wouldn't be a wall. It would be so much more than a wall and Steve wasn't sure if he would ever get to see Billy as he had been before.
"Come on inside. We'll... talk."
The talk was a one sided conversation. Billy looked lost most of the time and Steve wondered if he even listened to any of what was said. Max talked the most, was only interupted by one of the boys if she forgot something important. A few times, Steve saw Billy glance towards Jane, but then he always turned back to have a look outside the window.
A silence fell when Max didn't have anything else to say. She sat right in front of Billy and Steve wondered if she was prepared for what might come. But nothing came. Billy stared out the window. Minutes passed. Steve moved from one foot to the other and Lucas whispered something in Max's ear.
"Okay." Billy said finally. Lucas pulled back from Max almost as if he had burned himself on her and Steve stiffened. It wasn't the reaction any of them had waited.
"May I use the bathroom?" Billy asked, when the silence once again fell. Max replied with a nod and Steve was happy he didn't have to talk.
Whatever Billy did in the bathroom took too long. Steve walked from one side of the room to the other, as the kids sat in a small circle on the floor and talked. Will looked surprisingly well and he talked to Jane with a passion Steve had never seen in him.
"Steve."
Steve stopped. He hadn't hear a flush nor the door when Billy came out from the bathroom, but there he was. He was pale and this close to Billy, Steve could swear he knew not only what Billy felt but what he wanted to say.
"It's okay. I didn't believe it either. Are you sure you're okay?"
Billy nodded, but crashed against Steve with such force Steve knew the other had passed out.
Every minute, hour and day that passed thickened the wall. Every hit and kick darkrned the circles under his eyes and every harsh word made Billy crawl into himself just a little bit more. The only thing that helped these days was to punch something. Usually said something was the wall in his bedroom, but since Max had told him the truth, he had often found himself in the woods with the kids. Steve had gotten him an axe, but Billy wasn't sure if he'd ever use it. As if not to disappoint his... friend, Billy carried it with him.
The first time they ever ran into trouble with Billy with them, Billy was so shaken up by something he refused to talk about, that the pure sight of the monsters had him swing the axe. It was a nice fight, Billy felt as if he finally get to take his anger out on something for the first time in what must have been years.
"Bill!"
Steve's sudden outburst had him twisting and when Billy finally saw the other, he was too far gone to react. Steve's shirt was covered in blood, but Billy couldn't make out if it was his own of someone else's. A sharp pain made Billy fall forward. He landed on his side and teeth sank into his flesh like needles. It was surpsisingly easy to bite back the scream in his throat and only a pained laugh left his lips. At least he wouldn't die like he had always imagined. His father wasn't there and it didn't hurt nearly as badly as he had thought it would.
What hurt the most when Steve fought off the creature was when the teeth left their grip on him. Steve was pale and his lips shifted in a somewhat blue colour. It didn't look good. Not at all, to be honest.
"What's going on?"
It was Max. She had knelt by him and carefully pushed the clothing away from his right side. Steve gripped her wrist much like Billy once had.
"Stop. It's... His shirt, it's the only thing.."
Max let go off his shirt. She looked nearly as pale as Steve did now. Her face, on the other hand, shifted in green. She looked much like cartoon characters seconds before they threw up.
"Hey", Billy managed. He could feel a lump in his throat and to be honest, he was fairly sure it was blood. "Tell Lucas I'm sorry. I love both of you, you dipshits."
Dustin had shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and pressed a hoodie to Steve. Steve took it without a word and pressed it to the gaping wound. Billy jerked back in surprise and let out a groan in pain.
"You're such a pussy." Max sobbed. When Billy finally had time to look at her, he didn't see the child he had moved here with. He saw a beautiful young woman that had grown up far too quickly. It didn't really matter whatever Billy said, he'd always be part of why that change had happened, just like his father had been a part of why Billy turned out like he did. No excuses, just truths.
"Steve?" Billy asked. His voice was barely above a whisper and Steve leaned closer to hear proplerly. Billy wrapped an arm around Steve's neck, even though his body didn't fully listen to his orders. He tried to pull Steve closer, but even the tiniest of tugs made blood flow from the wound like a waterfall. Steve must have realised this and leaned closer. Billy tried to push up the last inch or so, but it was impossible.
"Kiss him." Max muttered quietly, as if Steve had actually needed an explanation.
Steve tasted of blood and mint. It was an awful mixture, but it was the best kiss Billy had ever shared with anyone. He knew for sure that it would be his last, but didn't know it would be Steve's last as well.
"You can't die." Steve whispered, when he broke back from the kiss. Billy wasn't sure if he could reply, wasn't even sure if he was strong enough to grin at the two people by his sides, but he didn't have to. Max face was as hard as stone, as she spoke.
"His guts are held in his body by your hands, there's no way he's going to make it."
The last thing Billy would ever feel, was Steve's tears as they splashed against his face. He slipped away as Steve sobbed, begged and screamed. Max was quiet and when another one of the monsters closed the distance between them, she picked up the axe. It was heavy in her hands, but nothing would ever compare to the weight of losing her own brother.