Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 1 - The Wish

“Billy?” Loraine asks, voice raspy and tired, drawing his attention from staring out the window at the blurring scenery. He ignores her, tucking his hands in against his ribs tightening them like a hug, bottom lip jutting out. “Don’t be like that sunshine,” she reaches a thin hand out and brushes his cheek, sighing when he pulls away from the touch. 

Things have been good. His mom was tired but they are together just the two of them. Billy thought, hoped this was going to be how it was from now on, just the two of them on the road traveling from town to town taking in the sites. A trunk full of knickknacks and t-shirts from all of the little tourist destinations they have stopped at along the way. 

It doesn’t last though. The good time is coming to an end just like Billy knew it would. Just because he knows it is coming doesn't mean he is happy about it. She is leaving him, sending him to live with his father as she loses the battle against her ailing body. She is not just leaving him for a little while this time. She might not be coming back and Billy will be stuck with Neil.

“Sunshine, talk to me,” Loraine tries again, the wind coming in from the open windows bringing the scent of wildflowers as it whips their hair around their faces. Billy’s throat is tight, eyes wet, bottom lip wobbling as he shakes his head. The scenery out the window is still blurry even as the car slows down, pulling off on a patch of worn down grass, paths worn from tire treads soft and brown. “Baby I’m sorry. If I could stay with you I would.”

Billy gives a big sniff, nose dripping as a fat tear rolls down his cheek. Lorain puts the car in park, turning the key to cut the engine but leaving the radio playing softly. “Billy. I’m sorry.” She wipes the tear from his cheek and unbuckles his seat belt, pulling him into a hug as best she can with the stick shift between them. “I wish I could be with you always.”

Billy cries, more tears and snot coming as he clenches his fists in the floral cotton of her blouse. She explained the odds to him last night. They are not good but they are even worse if she does not try the treatment program offered. Billy begged to go with her but there will be no one to take care of him there. Billy does not want to go back to Neil, does not want to be separated from her again. 

“I’m going to do my best to come back to you baby, I promise.” Loraine has her own tears dripping down her face, darkening Billy’s curls as she drops a kiss against his head. She tried to find other options for Billy but of course Neil cannot be civil for long, he let her take him on this trip but he will fight for custody if she tries to leave him with anyone who might be better suited to care for him. The man has friends in high places and she cannot afford to fight him and neither can anyone she would trust with Billy’s safety.

They both keep crying, one song ending and another playing, through to some jingle about tiers or auto care, too low to make out the specifics and then another song is playing. When their tears have dried, Loraine pulls back, smiling sadly at Billy as she wipes his tears away and pushes loose curls back from his face. “Would you go pick me some flowers? They’re so pretty I want to press some for the memories.”

Billy turns to look out the window where she is pointing. She parked them next to a big field full of wildflowers. There is a sea of yellow and purple breaking up the green, an occasional puff of white blowing in the wind. The fragrance of it tickles his nose, as big white clouds shift and ride across the sky. “I guess I could do that.” Billy sniffles and hiccups, whipping his nose on his arm and coming up shiny.

“Thanks sunshine,” Lorrain kisses his forehead, flattening a curl under her mouth and then wipes the snot from him with a tissue. “Find me all of the best ones, okay?” Lorrain asks with a tired smile.

Billy nods, as he opens the door with a creek, he knows what she is doing. This is not the first palace they have stopped where she has asked him to find stuff. Not because she really wanted the shiny rocks or the shells, even if she does proclaim to love them, but because she needs a rest. As their time together winds down there are more and more rests, more and more tasks given to Billy to occupy him for a spell.

Billy’s lip wobbles as he steps out trying to keep from crying again. “Thank you baby,” Lorrain calls as she pushes her seat back until it nearly lays down, sticking her feet out the open window as she squirms around looking for a good position to rest.

Billy doesn’t answer, just moves from the little stretch of grass and dirt to the tall grass and flowers, wiping his eyes on his wrists as he wades in. It is not long before he cannot hear the radio or the rush of passing cars, just a soft murmur can be heard. The flowers and grass are both tall here, skimming his knees and threatening to tickle his thighs as he keeps marching forward.

It is a warm day, the soft white clouds blocking the sun for a few cool minutes before rolling on and the sun comes shining down full blast again. He tries not to think about how his life is about to change instead focusing on the tasks asked of him.

Billy sees a bright purple flower with yellow insides and moves closer to inspect it; he decides against this one when he sees one of the petals has a curled wilting edge. He moves on inspecting another flower, this one tall and yellow with a vase like middle, he considers it for a long moment, fingers hovering to pluck it. He stops short when he sees the butt and hind legs of a soft fuzzy bee snoozing inside.

Billy keeps moving on, scoping out each flower with a critical eye. He does find a few acceptable ones to pluck, tucking them into the pocket of his shirt, freeing up his hands for more pulling when he finds another good one. The shades of the field shift, some well mixed others just a sea of yellow or purple depending on what flower is dominating the spot. 

He wanders closer to a thick patch of yellow, a mix of tall daffodils and hundreds of dandelions in bloom. Among them is a puff of white, a dandelion in its best form if you ask Billy, all fluffy white seeds surrounded by its yellow brethren. Billy lowers to his knees, a tall piece of grass tickling his ear as he looks at the long green stem, the white fluffy head of it standing just above the rest.

It is the biggest one he has ever seen, almost bigger than his fist.

Billy admires it, careful to keep his chest level lest he lose the flowers in his breast pocket. He remembers something his grandpa used to tell him. He had a garden and most things that invaded that space uninvited were pulled out with prejudice, crushed as they were torn up by the root. But he was always more careful with dandelions in this state, always making sure the bloom was intact. Would hold up the white poof and tell Billy to make a wish and blow.

Billy could use a wish right now. He shifts, folding his legs under himself, careful as he pulls on the stem. It is tough, no amount of pulling and twisting from his small hands is doing more than turning the stem a different shade of green. Billy shifts once more, one knee under him, the other bent, foot firmly planted to provide new leverage as he pulls on the weakened point of the stem.

Billy crows triumphantly, falling back on his butt as he succeeds in pulling it free still intact. He twirls it gently between his fingers marveling at all of the puffy white seeds still attached. The wind blows gently and he pulls it close not wanting any seed to escape before he can make his wish.

Billy thinks about what he wants to wish for. His first thought is wishing his mom healthy again but that is one of the rules right? Wishes can't cure illnesses or bring someone back. It is in a lot of the tales he has read and had read to him over the years. He glances back toward the road and can see Lorrain has put her feet completely out the window as she rests.

He wants someone, someone just for him. You cannot make someone love you who does not already love you, that is another one of the rules he thinks, but what about making a person to love you? Someone to love him forever. Someone who will not leave him like his mom is going to.

That is what he wants desperately. 

Billy nods to himself as he lifts the big dandelion, its fat fluffy bloom swaying in the wind. He lets his eyes fall closed and focuses on his wish, focuses on it with all of his might before finally saying the words "I wish for someone just for me. Someone who isn't going to leave, who will love me forever."

Billy takes a big deep breath filling his lunges and then starts blowing, breathing slow and even, as a strange pressure fills his ears. He doesn't stop blowing, doesn't dare crack his eye open to check the progress sure that will nullify the wish. The air is warm around him as he blows out the last of the air from his lungs and the pressure in his ears pops as he takes in a new breath.

Billy blinks his eyes open, squinting at the fading brightness, as his vision clears his eyes widen. It is not the sun causing that glow but the dandelion in his hand, the seeds all still intact and glowing brighter and warm. He watches mesmerized as one by one the seeds start pulling away floating off like they are dancing in the gentle breeze.

Billy blinks some more, not sure he is not seeing things when all that is left are a few fluffy seeds perched like a crown on the tiniest boy he has ever seen. So tiny he is comfortably curled up on the base of the stripped dandelion. Yawning as he uncurls, Billy is not sure what you might call his covering, certainly not clothes at least he does not think. You do not make clothes from flowers but this boy appears to be wearing a shirt and pants made out of bright yellow dandelion petals and the darker green leaves that make up their buds. 

The boy on the flower turns dark brown eyes up at Billy, almost the same shade as the hair sticking out from under the crown of dandelion seeds. He smiles big and bright up at Billy, apple cheeks spotted in dark moles, voice like a whispering laugh and wind chimes when he speaks, “Hello.”

 “Who are you?” Billy asks, feeling light when the tiny boy laughs, soft and beautiful.

His smile is gentle, fond, when he tips his head back down and looks up at Billy through his lashes. “I’m Steve, you wished for me.”

There is a hum of excitement under Billy’s skin as he realizes, “Dandelion magic.” Steve grins with another laugh as he nods his head. Billy can barely believe it, it worked. He got his wish! “You’ll be with me forever?” He is going to have someone, he is going to have Steve! 

“Of course I will and you’ll be mine.” Steve stands up on the dark base where all the seeds had been tucked in tight as they grew.

Steve holds out a little hand to shake and Billy takes one of his hands off of the stem, “I-”

“Billy!” Billy jerks and turns quickly, the stem and ultimately Steve falling. “It’s time to get back on the road!” Lorraine shouts from next to the car, the wind whipping her hair and the skirts she is wearing.

“Be there in a minute!” Billy shouts back.

When he turns his attention back to his hands they are empty, horror filling him as he looks around himself frantically. From what he can see there is no giant stem, no Steve, no nothing, just blooming flowers as far as the eye can see. Billy’s lip wobbles, crestfallen. He must have made it up? He didn’t think he was but adults are always talking about imaginary friends and stuff. Maybe that was Steve, but it was so short lived.

“Billy, we have to go!” Billy’s mom calls again and he turns on his heel to head back to her missing the broken dandelion stalk blending in with the flowers around it.

-TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes -Chapter 2 - Left Behind

Steve watches his boy whip toward the road, golden hair beautiful as it catches the sun. Steve thinks he is the prettiest thing he has ever seen, not that he has seen much given he was just wished into existence. The thought suddenly leaves him, as the stem he has been standing on is gone, pulled out from under him by Billy’s momentum. Both Steve and the stem go flying in separate directions as Billy whirls around.

Steve hits the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him. Gasping for breath for a long minute as he withers back and forth on the ground his little crown of dandelion seeds lost somewhere in the tall grass that comes up far over his head. Steve searches around, craning his neck, he can see Billy a distance away searching the grass. He waves his little arm and shouts, panic in his voice too low for Billy to hear him all the way down here.

The grass is too tall and Billy is too far away to hear him and he is getting farther, turning his back on Steve and walking away. Steve runs though the grass, narrowly avoiding a mouse that comes skittering his way, running away from Billy’s foot falls. It is hard work keeping up, but Steve does his best, sweat dampening his skin and grass whipping at his face, stinging as it cuts his skin in places.  He keeps running, keeping up as best he can, trying to get back to Billy. 

By the time he does catch up Billy is already inside of the big metal vehicle, shiny and blue, the door is still open but Steve does not know how to get up there. The music and engine make it impossible for him to be heard no matter how loud he shouts. He starts climbing a tall nearby weed; the tire treads breaking down its brethren but missing it. 

It is too far away from the door, but next to the shiny back bumper, it is hot, stings Steve’s skin, makes him hiss and recoil. The weed he is on bounces with the movement. Steve tries shouting for his boy again hoping to get his attention but his focus is on the woman in the car and soon enough the door is being slammed, putting another barrier between them. 

The tires start slowly rolling and Steve’s eyes wide as the car starts inching away. He can’t lose his boy!

Steve sways back and forth the weed dipping low away from the car before swaying closer with each rock. On the last sway before the car can get too far away, Steve jumps shouting in pain as he smacks against the hot bumper. He hisses and scrambles up it despite the searing, eyes stinging as he climbs higher. He wedges himself into the only bit of shade he can find, under the rubber lip of a novelty floral license plate cover. It is still hot but a little more bearable.

It is bumpy, Steve bouncing with it as the car moves from dirt to pavement and then it really starts moving. Steve clings as best he can to the rubber cover as fear wells up in his belly, the world moving by too fast. There are tears stinging his eyes as he thinks about falling off, about not getting to be there for his boy, spilling down his cheeks and turning to steam as they hit the bumper beneath him. 

-

Steve falls asleep, waking up with stiff limbs still curled tightly around the rubber license plate cover when the car rolls from the pavement of an unkept road onto the parking lot of a gas station. The car pulls to a stop, another pulling in behind it and Steve stays where he is for a long moment. Until he hears, “I’ll meet you inside Billy, go pick out some snacks,” as Lorraine comes around the car to fill the gas tank.

Billy, his boy! He needs to get to Billy!

Despite growing accustomed to the heat against his back, it still hurts and stings when he moves across the bumper in an attempt to find a way down with not such a drop. His hands do not take long to start hurting, bare against the metal as he picks his way around the edge. He sees Billy’s mother back leaned up against the car, humming some tune he has never heard as she waits for the tank to fill. He thinks about drawing her attention but she is not Billy, not his. No, he needs to find Billy!

The bumper comes to an end up against a curved piece hanging over the tire and Steve climbs it, using it to drop down the shorter distance to the tire. It is warm and full of dirt but not as hot as the bumper and the grooves make it easy to climb down. The dirt is dusty, getting all over him by the time he gets to the cement that makes up the lot.

Steve quivers as he looks around. Everything is so big, bigger than Billy and the flowers from the field. He is not sure which way Billy went, everything unfamiliar to him. He is struck still with indecision and fear in the shade of the car. When Lorrain starts moving away Steve follows, surely she is going toward Billy.

His little legs are no match for hers and he has to run to keep up, still lagging behind by a bit. Everything is so big and frightening, he does his best to keep the brown leather of her sandals in his eye line but it is hard once they get inside of the cool building, more feet coming to close for comfort.

Steve skitters to the left to avoid a new pair of feet and loses track of her. His heart pounds in his chest, sure he is going to end up squished at this rate.

There is a lip under a shelf nearby and Steve runs towards it, hiding below it, neck craned as he searches for Lorrain. He sees the tail end of her sundress as she moves around a corner. The lip does not extend that far; he shakes and hesitates, mustering his courage. He needs to move or he is going to lose Billy. He cannot lose his boy. Steve reminds himself, over and over until he manages to move his limbs again.

He makes a run for it when no giant feet are in sight, going around the same corner as Lorrain had moments earlier, ducking under the lip on the other side. He pants, hands resting against his knees for a long second as he catches his breath. He is not used to this. He is not used to anything. There is a sinking feeling in his stomach as he looks around and does not see Lorrain anymore and still no sight of Billy.

Steve grimaces, running toward the other edge, peering warily, left and then right looking for them. He curls his hands in the front of his yellow petal top, worries his lip between his teeth as he hypes himself up to make another run. He checks left and right before sprinting to the next row and once again finding no Lorain and no Billy, he runs for the next.

Finally he finds them. Standing in line before a big counter, piled high with all sorts of colorful treats stacked from the lip of the shelf to the overhanging top. Steve watches the folks milling about, starting his trek and doubling back when a man comes around the corner and his shoe nearly gets him. He tries again, makes it further, skittering back when a big brown back hits the ground, narrowly missing squashing him.

It is a big wide thing, with woven pieces and Steve decides climbing it will be faster than trying to get around it. He grabs at the long woven piece hanging off to one side and gives it a tug. Seems sturdy so he starts climbing using the groves where the pieces come together as foot holes. The bag jerks, Steve shouts and hangs on for dear life as it suddenly starts moving up, the ground getting further away.

It stops moving, a gentle sway as the person the bag is attached to moves up a space in line and Steve sighs in relief, using the vantage point to find Billy once more. Excitement bubbles up in Steve, using one arm to cling and another to wave trying to get his boy's attention. Billy does not notice him, too busy making big eyes up at his mother as he asks for some sweets and cheering when she gives in. 

Steve keeps hanging on, the purse swaying once more as the woman moves forward again and when Billy and Lorain walk by he reaches out for them. Billy is too far away, on the other side of his mother between them but Steve’s little hand manages to catch in the fabric of her dress. He moves to jump, ready to hang on to Lorrain’s dress for dear life.

Something stops him, his foot! His foot is caught in the braid of leather. Steve’s little body stretches as Lorraine keeps moving, and he holds her dress so tight it hurts as the fabric pulls. Steve tries kicking his foot to get it loose but it is really stuck in there and he cannot risk letting go of the dress to pull it free.

The choice is taken from him when the woman the bag is attached to moves forward again and Lorain thinking her dress is caught on something, brushes an arm down to smooth and pull the fabric close. Steve cries out as the dress rips from his fingers and he falls in an arch, sure he is going to hit the ground. His foot still caught in the braid leather saves him from the long hard fall. Steve hangs there for a long moment, pushing his shirt up from his face calling for Billy who is holding the door open for his mother. When Billy follows his mother out without a backwards glance Steve’s lip wobbles, eyes wetting for a long moment. 

After a second to mourn this latest attempt Steve works on freeing himself. It is exhausting, trying to get his foot loose without the risk of falling to the ground. Doing upside down crunches to try and reach the groove above the one he is stuck in so he might pull himself up and get away. It is starting to make his little tummy hurt.

When the purse starts moving, this time at a faster pace as the woman starts heading out of the store, the movement makes him sway too. Steve tries to look for Billy, hoping to finally get his attention but the Camaro is long gone, Billy with it. Steve tries to keep looking, as far as his little eyes can see, but with the world swaying at such a pace it makes him queasy, vision blurry.

By the time the world stops moving again he is inside of one of the vehicles, moving even farther away from his boy. He just hangs there wondering why Billy did not look for him harder, did not wait for him. They are supposed to stay together forever!

-

Steve is dozing again, foot still caught and too worn out to do anything about it when the vehicle comes to a stop. “Meredith, you look lovely, come on.” Steve blinks to awareness as the bag is grabbed up once more.

The world sways as the bag moves and Steve tries getting free again now that he is not trapped in that tin box. “I just want to look presentable for dinner, it’s not every day you get invited to dine with the Harrington’s.”

The short trip up to the door is making Steve queasy, he needs to get his foot free, he is quickly losing his energy once more in the struggle. “Well if tonight goes well and I get this job promotion I suspect we’ll be having more dinners with them.”

The woman holding the purse spins, purse knocking against the wall as she rounds on her spouse, “of course it’s going to go well. You’ve worked so hard you deserve that promotion!” The bag hits just right, knocking Steve’s foot loose and he falls into a topiary as the door opens. 

Steve shimmies down it, shying away from these giant adults. He needs to find Billy, but as he gets to the edge of the bush it occurs to him that he has no idea how to do that. The world outside of his field is so big and full of things he is just barely aware of. 

Steve ducks deeper into the shadows of the bush as a rabbit comes hopping past his hiding spot quickly followed by a cat. The world is big and scary and Steve is all alone.

He is not supposed to be alone out here. Billy is supposed to be with him. The sun is setting, an owl hooting in the distance and Steve does not know what else to do other than finding a nice spot to hunker down for the night.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 3 - Wanted

Annette Harrington has been gardening since she was old enough to play in the dirt. Her grandmother would take her out and plop her in the grass next to her and direct flailing curious hands at any weed in reach. She knew what did and did not belong in a flowerbed long before she could speak.

She keeps up gardening, taking clippings and seeds from her grandmother's garden back home where she spent every summer of her childhood freckling much to her own mother's displeasure. How will you ever find a husband like this, her mother would always ask when she came back home at the end of each summer. Then when she does meet an eligible man despite the moles that speckle her and marries him she brings the seeds and clippings with her. She uses them to create her own garden in the backyard of their home in the nicest suburb Hawkins has to 

offer, perfect for the family she hoped for someday.

When year after year finds her yet again with no child to fill the halls of their home she turns all that love and care to the garden. Her garden thrives, the plants adjusted seasonally to make sure there is something nice out there even when the snow is heavy. Franklin, her husband, spends his time working and the two of them enjoy hosting parties on the weekends and occasional holidays. Her to fill the silence and him out of the potential these shindigs have for raises and connections. 

Despite her disappointment at the lack of children Annette is content. Or well she would be if she did not come outside on a foggy end of summer morning when the cool air is trying to come in early to find a dandelion making itself at home under her beautiful cleome. 

This will not stand!

Annette stomps around to the pool shed where she keeps all of her gardening tools. The idea of a morning reading next to the fresh scent of her garden is now extinct. She grabs everything she needs for a thorough weeding while fussing to herself in Italian for where there is one weed surely there are more. 

Her fussing is so loud it draws the attention of Franklin as she is passing by his office window. He pulls the drapes back, glances out to see his angry wife stomping around to her garden and decides to head into the office early. Always best to let Annette cool off on her own lest he end up in trouble.

Annette carries on unaware of her husband's early departure barely registering the sound of the garage opening or the car leaving. All of her focus is on the large dandelion, the greenish yellow of a bud about to unfurl. She stomps up to the intricate stone edge, the beautifully carved pieces all imported from Italy to match the theme of the backyard. A little bit of her childhood home here in Hawkins with what plants the climate here allows.

"You don't belong here." Annette tells the dandelion, scolding it as she squats down. She sets her gardening bag down with a clank, pulling her gloves from the side. They look almost new except the wear at the fingertips where they are beginning to really show their age. They are brown and thick, supple and well worth the price she paid for them.

She pulls an equally well cared for pair of gardening shears from the bag. Really she should be working from the root but she is feeling a little vindictive over her ruined morning plans. She grabs the stem one handed, tilting it to make a satisfying cut. She jerks back with a shriek when something suddenly tumbles from the fluff of the dandelion scattering white seeds everywhere.

She looks through the seeds and sees a little lump of yellow and brown and then pale flesh colored little limbs start wiggling as it rights itself. She leans closer as she tries to figure out what sort of creature it is, expecting some sort of mouse or a tiny bird. She gasps as the little thing finally rights itself and she realizes it is the tiniest boy she has ever seen.

When Steve turns around to see what has woken him and finds a woman kneeling over him, one hand holding sharp looking scissors like things he panics. He scrambles back, looking for an exit, making a run for the closest bush. Something catches him, big leather clad hands closing in around him and blocking out the sun. 

Annette marvels as she brings her cupped hands up to her face and splits her thumbs to see the little boy struggling to escape. At the new light overhead Steve’s head whips up and panic fills him, “please don’t eat me!”

Annette’s mouth drops open, “why would I eat you?” Steve struggles, trying to climb the cage of her fingers to free himself. She just closes her thumbs around him, keeping him where she wants him.

Steve sags energy quickly running out against such a large threat. “You're so big. Big things eat little things.” Steve wails aware of how things work in nature after a night spent sleeping out here and he has no natural defense, no spike to protect him, no sharp teeth.

Annette has to stifle a laugh at the adorable dramatics, both funny and sad. She loosens her hold a little, opening the cup of her hands. “I’m not going to eat you.”

Steve slips down when the thumbs move away, laying in the curl of her palms as he stares up at her with big eyes, “really?”

Annette smiles down at him, “I promise,” shifting one thumb down to rub at his little cheek frowning at the cut there. “What brought you to my garden?” Did something chase him? Maybe the cat from a few houses down that the owner just lets run amuck.

Steve's eyes fill with tears, lip wobbling as he thinks about Billy, “I lost my boy.”

“Your boy?” Annette blinks wondering what that means.

“He wished for me and then left,” Steve is wailing again, fat tears rolling down his chubby little cheeks and little hands flailing about. “I tried to keep up, to stay with him, but I couldn't and I got lost and now I’m here and he’s not.”

“Oh don’t cry.” Annette brushes the tip of her thumb under his cheek again, whipping away a few of the tears.

“I don’t know what to do,” He says with a hiccupy breath, “If he’s not with me, where am I supposed to go?” Voice getting higher by the minute as more tears spill out of him, “we’re supposed to be together forever!”

Annette chews her lip as an idea pops into her head. It is crazy, this whole situation is bizarre, perhaps even some sort of fever dream but she has always wanted a child no matter the size and this one has nowhere else to go. “You can stay here. You could stay with me.”

It takes a few minutes for Steve’s crying to die down, red rimmed eyes staring up at her with a sniffly, “really?”

“I always wanted a child.” Annette admits softly her own eyes glossy as she thinks about all of the times she thought maybe only to have her hopes dashed again and again. “Why don’t we go inside, get you cleaned up? I’m sure I’ve got something somewhere you can wear. And look at those scratches, oh let me patch you up.”

Steve sniffles some more, still staring up at her. He can feel it, how much she wants him to stay, how much she has wished for a child. If he cannot get back to his boy, maybe it would be alright if he stayed with her at least until he can find Billy. “Okay,” the word comes out hiccupy, still sad about the loss of his boy but hopeful. The bright smile she gives him is warm and sunny as she moves them inside. 

-

A bath ends up being warm sudsy water in a gravy bowl from one of her many fancy china sets. It is delicate and floral themed and she was amused with herself too much not to grab it for the task. Steve does not seem to mind the odd tub, stripping down and sinking in without a single ounce of self-consciousness.

The water is warm and the sudsy white bubbles tickle as they brush over his skin as he sinks further. Oh he likes this, it makes Steve realize how sore he is after all of that exertion. He catches Annette watching him fond and happy and he cannot help but think he could be happy here. It will not be the same without his boy, his forever but it could be something good for both him and Annette.

Annette watches him for a few minutes, smiling as Steve scoops up some bubbles and blows on them experimentally, laughter like a soft bell as they break apart and float for a few moments before falling back to the rest of the bubbles. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, will you be alright?” Annette is not keen on leaving him all by himself but she wants to find something that can be fashioned into a covering for him.

Steve chews his lip for a long moment before nodding. 

“Back in a jiffy.” Annette hurries out of the bathroom to her big walk in closet. She has all sorts of clothing appropriate for someone her own size but nothing that will work for Steve off the bat. Perhaps if she had held onto her childhood dolls she might have had something to fit him. She will have to go shopping. The toy section may have some clothing to fit him. If not she can always have something custom made, lie to a seamstress and tell them they are for a custom doll. 

In the meantime she rifles through her scarves and neckerchiefs. She discards plenty for simply not being good enough until her fingers land on a burgundy pocket square. It is technically Franklins, should not be in among her things but it is perfect. Not too terribly big for wrapping around Steve’s little body and a shade she is sure will look lovely against his skin.

She bustles back to the bathroom and the gravy boat bath on the counter by the sink. Her heart pounds, worry swelling when she does not see Steve. He is not in the water or off to the side, she looks around making sure he has not fallen. “Steve! Steven, where are you!” She shouts, heading back toward the bedroom. Maybe he got out and wandered off looking for someplace warm to dry off? Or worse maybe he was never real, that thought makes her blood run cold and she hurries her steps.

There is a splash before she can fully leave the room and she turns around in a hurry seeing Steve throw his head back in an arch as he comes out from under the water. He giggles and dunks back down unaware of her moment of distress. She sighs in relief to find him only playing and not lost or a delusion. She settles on a vanity chair and watches him play until the water turns cold.

-

Annette watches Steve sleep on her bed; he is wrapped up in the pocket square and using one of her soft warm winter scarves as a blanket. She hears the front door open and close and hurries down stairs, excitement thrumming through her veins. 

Franklin is in the process of hanging up his coat as he toes off his shoe, mouth opening to greet her when she speaks first, “Oh Franklin, I found the most wonderful thing in my garden!”

His face glazes over with boredom; he has never been all that interested in her plants. Still he offers her a placating, “all of your flowers are beautiful dear.”

“Oh I’m not talking about those.” Annette rolls her eyes and shakes her head, waving at him to follow her upstairs. “Come, come look.” Franklin nods, still in the process of taking off his shoe, laughing at her impatience as she climbs three stairs and then comes back down with an expectant look. She repeats the process twice before he is ready.

When they finally make it to the room Franklin is not the only one surprised. Steve is not the tiny thing she found sleeping in a dandelion now, he is still small but small for an average sized child maybe eight or nine, or even ten. She has not spent time around enough children to give an accurate guess.

Franklin turns away from the mostly naked child sleeping on their bed with concern, “you found a child?”

“He was much smaller when I found him, but isn’t he perfect?” Annette coos, she will not need to buy him doll clothes or have any specially made. She can take him shopping for all the clothes he might need in the actual children's section and do all the things mothers do with their children. Oh she is even more excited than she was before.

Franklin’s concern only grows, perhaps not being able to have a child of her own has finally gotten to her. She has gone and stolen someone’s child! That is going to take a lot of money to make go away and therapy, he should call the therapist. But first, “you can’t keep a child just because they wandered into our garden. You have to return him to his parents.”

Annette glares at her husband, “but he doesn't have anyone.”

Franklin heaves a heavy sigh and rubs at his brow, “Annette, I know you were upset when we couldn't conceive but you can’t just take a child.” Perhaps they should look into adoption, perhaps that would help. He does not mind the idea of them raising a child, just as happy as her those times they thought they were going to be parents.

Annette’s face flushes, nose scrunching as she stomps her foot and shouts, “I didn’t take him!”

There is a scared little shout form behind them , “Steven!” Annette shouts in shock rushing past Franklin who slowly turns to see a plume of falling dandelion seeds adding to the pile of them now covering the carpet and bed. 

Annette digs through the seeds, plucking up the tiny snuffling boy, “What happened sweetie?”

“I got scared! There was a loud noise and then I fell!” Steve cries.

“I’m so sorry,” Annette grimaces, knowing that was her fault. Steve shivers and she grabs up the pocket square, draping it over him as she turns to show him off to Franklin. “See.”

“Oh my, apologies.” Franklin nods, taking off his glasses and cleaning them as a measure to make sure his eyes are not playing tricks on him. When they are back on his face Steve is still just as tiny as before. “He’s quite small.” The tiniest boy he has ever seen, he would be willing to bet the tiniest boy anyone has ever seen.

“Hi,” Steve shyly waves at him from the cradle of Annette’s hands.

“I found him in a dandelion!” Franklin nods again, what else is he to do with the little boy certainly small enough and their bedroom littered in dandelion seeds. He mentally catalogs what will be needed to keep the boy since he has no doubt his wife will not stand for anything less and he cannot say despite how strange this all is that he is opposed to the idea. 

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 4 - Time Keeps Crushing

Billy wakes face pressed against the window to his mother shaking his shoulder. He frowns trying to catch the dream, a boy in a dandelion trying to get to him. He shakes it off with a frown, eyes recognizing the familiar skyline of Neil's place.

“We’re here baby.” Lorain says and anger fills Billy, he can see that!

When Lorain finally left Neil Billy thought he might never have to see him again. He did but only on the occasional weekend and holiday, usually going long stretches without having to deal with the man. But now, now she is leaving and Billy will be stuck with him. “I don’t want to be here.”

Lorain sighs, stretching over to push a lock of golden hair behind his ear, “I know.”

Billy turns his face to the window as his eyes wet, “why can’t I just go with you?” Nose starting to run, making it hard to breathe.

“Baby you know if I could take you with me I would but I won’t be able to take care of you while I’m in the hospital.”

Billy whips his head back in her direction as he shouts, “I can take care of myself.”

Lorain sighs again, eyes sad, “Sunshine I know this is hard but you have to stay with Neil.” Her thumb brushes over his cheek, catching a tear that rolls down his cheek.

“I hate him.” Billy sniffles.

She hates him too but saying that will not make things any easier. “He’s got a new wife and she’s got a kid, you’ll have a sister. You’ve always wanted a sister.” She instead tries to focus on what Billy might like, hoping Neil has become a better person with them, she doubts it but she hopes.

He knows what she is trying to do and he ignores it, “I want to go with you.”

“Baby, please don’t make this harder than it already is.” Lorain has tears dripping down her cheeks now a match for Billy.

“When are you coming back?” They have talked about it and he knows it is not a for sure, knows she might not be coming back but he is desperate to ignore that.

“I don’t know but as soon as I’m able I’ll be back for you.” The if hangs heavy in the air despite their earnest attempt to ignore it.

Despite his disbelief Billy holds up his hand, all but his pinkie curled over, “Pinkie promise.” 

Lorain’s smile is sad as she holds her hand up in a mirror of Billy’s and curls her pinkie around his, “Promise.”

-

Max is a few years below Billy in age, a wee thing with fiery red hair that takes a liking to him immediately despite his scowling. Neil leaves her be, lets her get away with more than the rest of them and it annoys just as much as it loosens some of the tension that shoots through Billy the first time he sees her. He teaches her to skateboard in the front lot when he is forced to watch her and takes her down to the beach to collect seashells.

Susan is in the same boat as Billy, the same one his mother had been in when she was with Neil. The man has not changed and the both of them walk on eggshells around him. If Max is in the room he keeps his hands to a slap at most but that just makes it worse when she goes to bed and Neil decides it is time to dole out some punishment. 

The one thing that really brings him comfort is his mother’s phone calls. At first she calls every other day despite Neil’s annoyance but as time stretches on and months turn into a year they become less frequent. Now he is lucky if she calls once a week, always sounding so tired and worn despite her best attempts. 

The more time between calls the more the pit in his stomach grows; losing faith that she will come back. Angry and pushing more boundaries, making Neil focus his ill intentions on him more. Max does not understand when Billy snaps at her, making big sad eyes at him that just end up getting him in more trouble with Neil.

When the hospital calls to let them know Lorrain has died Billy locks himself in his room and cries. Neil thankfully leaves him be, Susan putting herself at risk to give him time to grieve. Of course Neil only lasts a few days before he is snapping at Billy, leaving a bruise high on his cheek when he understandably gets upset about not being allowed to attend the funeral. 

-

Billy’s grief eases with the passing of time, coming to terms with his mother's illness and inevitable passing from this world. Despite the years Neil has not become any easier to live with and everyday Billy has to deal with him leaves him a little angrier and a little more hostile to everyone else. 

The man has never been nice but as Billy grows so does Neil's anger at him. He can walk into a room and just breathe and Neil will deem it an act of hostility worthy of at least a few slaps. He is not the only one Neil has gotten worse toward, Susan like Billy can hardly do a thing right as far as the man is concerned. 

Tonight is a particularly bad bout. Susan and Max are absent, at a girl scout meeting despite her insistence that she does not enjoy it. It is an excuse to get her out of the house more often, a reprieve for whoever takes her from Neil.

Billy does not even remember what had started Neil in on him. But he does remember what made him bolt from the apartment. Neil being a drunk asshole bringing up Billy’s mother, a tender subject for him. 

Often rather than chase Billy down Neil will let him run off, save his fists for when he eventually comes slinking back in right before curfew to avoid more punishment. Not tonight though, tonight he follows Billy, catching him in the humid stairwell.

Neil has a hand fisted in the back of Billy’s shirt wrenching him up the two stairs he has made it down. “Let go!” Billy shouts through snot and tears, pulling back, foot against the edge of the stair as he twists looking for leverage to get away.

There is a cruel smile on Neil’s face when Billy feels the tug of gravity, his shirt released too unbalanced to catch himself. He tumbles, hand catching on the rail, before his back can hit the stairs, feet dragging as his hand wrenches and his back slams instead against the wall as his arm gives an echoing snap. 

Billy screams and Neil curses, rushing down the steps, muttering “Shut up, shut up, you're okay. You’ll be fine,” under his breath as people finally take notice.

Billy is pretty sure the only reason he gets to go to the hospital where they set his arm and give him something for the pain is that someone called an ambulance. Neil had to play the concerned father to sell his story that Billy tripped. When asked about it Billy backs up the story, he knows Neil will just make things worse if he tries to tell the truth. He is good at making Billy look like a bad seed who lies about what is really going on and needs a firm hand.

Neil berates him on the ride back home but Billy has the good pain meds and he is able to ignore him. When they get home Neil leaves him be, returning to his drinking and getting in a fight with Susan. There is nothing he can do, being laid up as he is. Susan will be taking the brunt of Neil’s anger for a while. If he does not let up soon she will be applying heavy concealer come morning.

Billy ignores them, as rain starts pouring down outside, beating on the window drowning them out along with his radio. His door cracks open a streak of yellow light sliding over him as their shouting gets louder. Just as quickly as it opens the door is closed again, blocking out both the light and the sounds of rising anger. 

“What do you want Max?” His words slur a little as he rolls his head to look at her, his cheek hurts where it presses against the pillow, a gift from Neil before the stairs.

“They’re fighting right by my room.” Billy grunts and Max takes it as an invitation, shuffling over before climbing up on the bed next to him.

“Careful,” he hisses when she curls to his side, hitting tender bits. Normally these days he would kick her out or at least to the floor but the drugs make him soft. He kind of misses this, the comfort of her coming to him when she is scared or upset the way she did during those first few years before Neil got worse and Billy got angrier. Not that he will say it out loud.

“Sorry,” she moves with a little more hesitation as she settles, shifting away from tender spots that make him jerk. When she is finally settled her head is resting on the shoulder of the arm that did not need setting, curls tickling the skin of his neck. “Tell me a story.”

Billy snorts, “what are you a baby?”

“Yes,” Max huffs and he laughs, “so tell me a story asshole.”

He is still laughing as he hums trying to think of something that will not lead to trouble if she squeals or that she has heard before. “You ever heard of a dandelion wish before?” Max shakes her head, Billy’s smile is sad as he remembers his momentary imaginary friend. “I once wished a boy into existence.”

-

Neil is in a mood, he is always in a mood, but today is a mood that means Billy is not the only one in danger. Usually it is just him and Susan who rank low enough to be at risk but tonight Max is the one in his line of sight. She is not even sure what she did, complaining about the meatloaf her mom burned. It is not as if it is the first time she has fussed about her mom’s cooking. Tonight Neil is to blame for the burnt supper, dragging Susan off to the bedroom while the timer was going off for a conversation. He came home in a sour mood that hangs over dinner. 

A complaint about how dry it is dies on her tongue as her plate is knocked to the ground, shattering, glass and food sprayed all over. She blinks up at Neil in shock as the man towers over her, fear shooting through her. She knows that look but she has never been on the receiving end.

A big meaty hand comes for her but there is a heavy weight pressed against her side, knocking her to the ground before it can make contact with her skin. Billy takes the hit instead, as glass scrapes the skin of her elbow. “Max run!” Billy shouts, right as Neil gets his bearings and the hand that hits him this time is balled up in a fist. 

Max stares, too startled to move. Neil has never done something like this in front of her before. A slap yes, maybe even two and words meant to tear someone apart but he has never full on punched Billy in front of her before even if she suspected and he does not stop with one.

It is her mother’s trembling hands on her arm that breaks her from watching on in horror, dragging her to the front door. “Make yourself scarce for a few hours.” Susan pushes her out the door and slams it in Max’s face. The click of the lock barely heard over Susan yelling at Neil to stop. Something that will just redirect his ire for a short time, he always takes out most of his fury on Billy.

Max's stands there for a long few minutes, listening to her mother try and fail to calm Neil down. It is Susan shouting in pain that has her running, blind through tears.

-

By the time Max stops she is in a field in the nearby park, the sun is just starting to set, turning the sky a menagerie of colors. There are people around, some mother pushing a child on the swing set, a few kids using up the last of the sun to get some energy out on the nearby play set, and an older couple having a leisurely stroll. 

She flops down shaking as she curls her knees up to her chest and rocks fingers rubbing over the tender flesh of her elbow. Neil has always been a little scary but he always seemed like he was not a threat not to her at least. She is not sure what she is going to find when she gets back, worries this time he will take it too far.

The field is full of dandelions, white and fluffy, ripe for spreading their seeds and Max cannot help but remember the story Billy told her a year ago… Or had it been two? It is hard to keep track of exactly when he told her the story but she remembers it like it was yesterday.

She knows it is just some silly thing he made up but sitting in a field full of them makes her think about the possibilities. If Billy could wish a boy into existence what else could it do? Could it make things better at home? 

Max plucks up the closest one, big and fluffy, not as big as the one Billy claims to have encountered but that was just make believe anyhow. Billy had been so happy when he told the story to her though; talked about that brief encounter with his dandelion prince like maybe it could be real. She twirls the flower, watching as the gentle breeze tries and fails to pull the seeds free. 

She holds the flower up to her mouth, ‘I wish Billy could see his dandelion boy again,’ she thinks as she blows as hard as she can, the seeds dancing as they part from their stem and float across the field. She plucks up another one, just as big and fluffy, ‘I wish things would get better,’ she blows this one out too and then plucks a third up.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 5 - The Move

She keeps wishing and hoping until the sun has fully set, the lamps lining the path the only thing keeping her from being in the dark. 

She gets up and makes the trek home, dread hanging cold in her belly when she sees flashing red and blue lights. Susan and Billy are nowhere to be seen when she first walks in just Neil making up bullshit about the noise to a few cops. “Got too excited about the game-” Static fills her ears as she ducks past the uniformed men and heads for Billy's closed door.

She knocks with two fingers and whispers “It’s me Max.” Hoping they are in there and can hear her.

The door opens quickly, her mother’s hand gentle as she pulls her in before shutting it tight again and turning the lock. Max quivers, eyes catching sight of Billy on the bed, unmoving except for the strained rise and fall of his chest. “Are you okay?” She wraps her hands around her mother’s waist, pressing her face against her for a long moment.

“I’ll be alright,” Susan murmurs, voice raw, pulling Max toward the bed.

Susan settles on the edge of the bed with a pained groan, Max’s eyes staring trying to get a good look at the both of them with the limited light coming in through the curtain. “Will Billy be?”

“He’s had worse,” that is not a comforting thought.

Max moves closer into her mother's side once more, eyes stinging as she snuffles out a bitter, “I hate it here.”

“Me to,” Billy croaks, not unconscious like she thought, simply resting.

“Given the amount of attention this fit brought on I don’t think we’ll be staying much longer.” Max can just barely make out Billy nodding his head in agreement.

“What?” She does not understand, everything out in the living room seems disgustingly chummy. 

“Some of those cops are joking with him, but there were a few who saw us and are likely on to him.” Max squints up at her mother trying to get a good look at her but her face is covered in shadows and she is not sure she can stomach what might be there. “He’s playing it off this time but if he tries it again there is a chance it won’t go as smoothly and he knows that.”

“We could just leave.” They could pack up the three of them and leave in the dead or night, she saw a movie where folks in a similar situation did it, surely they can too.

“I wish it was that easy.” Billy grunts like he is agreeing or perhaps that is just from the effort it takes to roll to his side making more space for Susan to lay down next to him.

“Mom-” 

Susan shushes her argument, pulling her down with them. “Leave it Max.” Max pouts, leaning against her mom as a hand strokes through her hair. She hopes at least one of her dandelion wishes comes true.

-

They all walk on eggshells around Neil, even Max now that she has firsthand experience with his more monstrous side. When he announces they are moving, claiming better prospects they don’t believe his reasons, still sore and wearing the bruises of his most recent outburst but wisely none of them put up a fuss in front of him.

“I don’t want to move to fucking Indiana.” Max complains, tossing silverware in a box. It is just her and Billy tasked with packing up at the moment. Susan is busy at work trying to get a last minute transfer so she has something when they get out there and Neil did not say where he was going but he already quit his job so chances are he is sitting in one of the local dive bars.

“You think I want to go back to fucking Indian?” Billy says the words coming out muffled from his position half inside the cabinet cleaning it to make sure Neil cannot blame them when they do not get the security deposit back. Neil is the one that put the holes in the wall, the one that messed up the door frames in his anger, he is the reason he will not be getting that money back. Not that it will stop him; Billy knows he will still get blamed. Neil will blame anyone but himself. 

“When were you in Indiana?” Max asks, moving on to the next drawer full of kitchen utensils. She is not sure why they have half of these, they always end up using the same slotted spoons and tongs but she dumps them in the box anyhow.

Billy sighs, sliding out from under the cabinet, it is not finished, he just needs a breather from the smell of the soap he is using to scrub a stubborn spot of some unknown substance from the corner. He is pretty sure it was there when he got here and who knows how long before that. “It’s one of the places I visited with my mom.” The words make his throat tight, his eyes sting a little and he tells himself it is the soap and not the memories trying to wash over him.

“Oh!” Max makes an excited noise, spinning around, “is that where you made your dandelion wish?”

Billy blinks, face screwing up, it has been some time since he told her about that he is surprised she remembers. “Fuck off Max, that was just a story,” he huffs, sure of it the older he gets, just an imaginary friend he made up in a weak moment. Oddly enough it was in Indiana he thinks, not a hundred percent sure when the days of traveling with his mom are distant and faded with time. It is an angry thing for him to try and think about, that few minutes of hope that he would have some after she passed, only for it to be his imagination.

"It was just a question, you don't have to be a dick." Max sulks slamming the drawer closed and heading out of the kitchen abandoning Billy to do the rest himself.

"You better be going to pack up your room!" He shouts after her finger, curling tight around the sponge. He goes back to scrubbing at the spot under the sink using his anger to make some real progress.

-

Billy gets lost in the driving, at times barely noticing when Max in the passenger seat switches the radio on him. The scenery passes by so quickly it is hard to get a good look in some places and in others, it stretches on so long that it is hard not to see the details. There are little pit stops at kitschy half remembered places, Neil and Susan in the moving van ahead of them always determining which ones they stop at.

Some of them look and feel familiar, making wisps of memories tease him. A glimpse of his mother's long blond hair, a key chain with Bily instead of Billy he lost at least four years ago that she held up to gleefully shown him. Strawberries on his tongue as she flipped a big straw hat from her head to his, making everything smell a little like her shampoo. He was already resentful about the move, it is made harder by all of the memories this trip cross country stirs up. 

Neil is not making it any easier, every stop is a tense affair watching them like a hawk as if there is anywhere for any of them to run off to in the nowhere places he has them stopping. So when the tire blows out on the Camaro and they have to make an emergency stop on the side of the road next to a big open field of wildflowers Billy assumes it is going to be bad. 

Neil does look pissed as he stomps out of his car, Billy trying to do his best to ignore him as he pulls the jack and the spare out of the back. They are not too far from their destination so he should not need to get a new one before they get to Hawkins. Susan comes sprinting around the moving van, hand catching Neil’s elbow as she hurriedly whispers to him. Max is at his side, peeking out worriedly and Billy catches her by the neck of her shirt when it looks like she might go over there. He knows intervening will just lead to her being the draw for that anger.

Billy has no clue what Susan says to Neil but he nods, still angry but accepting. Probably something about making good impressions when they get to town. They already have fading bruises, showing up with fresh ones will certainly draw the wrong sort of attention. Billy still tenses up when the man marches over, hand curling tighter in Max’s shirt before he pushes her back a little putting himself between Neil and her.

If Neil notices he doesn’t say anything, just a curt, “we’re going on, you can catch up.” Stomping back the way he came before either of them can say anything.

Billy glances at Susan and she simply gives a half hidden thumbs up as she turns around and climbs into the van. Dust plumes roll out from it as it takes off back onto the road a few minutes later. Billy watches it for a long few moments as it gets smaller and smaller, slowly relaxing as it gets further away.

Max squirms out of his hold on her shirt, moving away from him, past the rubble and dirt on the side of the road to the tall grass of the field. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?"

"It's not like I'll be any help." Max twirls, arms outstretched and angled slightly down, fingertips brushing the tops of the tallest flowers. "There's a whole field full of dandelions." Among other wildflowers, violet and yellow shades remind Billy of the day he imagined Steve. "I'm going to make some more wishes."

Billy almost asks, more? But he shakes his head, he doesn’t really want to know, “you're wasting your time."

Max shouts, "I don't care!" When he moves around to the side of the car to get the jack under it she is already a good distance away, flopping down into the tall grass out of sight. Billy shakes his head and starts to work on the tire trying his best to ignore the mutter of her wishes.

-

They are in Hawkins a week before Neil lets them go to school. He uses the excuse of unpacking and cleaning their new home to keep them all isolated while their wounds finish healing. Of course no new thing comes without a new warning from Neil and breakfast is a tense affair.

It puts a damper on Billy’s mood, on top of the one already there at having to leave what he already knew for this podunk town. He is not the only one; Max is a ball of animosity in the passenger seat next to him on the ride. They ignore each other both feeling snappish, the good mood from the long hours of driving just the two of them evaporating after a tense week.

Billy pulls into the school parking lot with speed, speakers blaring, all pageantry to draw attention. Max is already out of the car and halfway across the lot by the time he has finished checking his hair, a cigarette between his lips as he steps out. The roll of her skateboard scratching across the pavement fades out as his eyes scan the lot.

It looks like your average school lot, people milling about grouping together, eyes following the new stranger among them. Billy holds a hand around his cigarette and lights it with the other leaning back on his car door as he continues observing.

There is the sudden slamming of a door catching his attention drawing his eyes to a brown Beamer. Two brunettes are getting out, one talking the other staring right at Billy with wide eyes. Billy ignores the girl staring right back at the prettiest boy he has seen around here so far. There is something oddly familiar about him, Billy itching to chase when the guy turns away abruptly, stepping on a dandelion as he briskly walks inside, ignoring the girl he is with when she fusses over the sudden departure.

It is more than simple attraction. Though Billy certainly finds him appealing, this feels deeper, like there is a string tugging, making him desire to be closer. It is dangerous, a truly bad idea but Billy has never had much success with making good choices anyhow.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 6 - Reunited

Steve has never gotten over Billy leaving him right after wishing for him but he has made a life for himself here in Hawkins. He loves Annette and Franklin Harrington and though they travel more now than before he knows they love him too. They taught him to pass as human, got him caught up enough to go to school and make friends and make Hawkins his home.

This week has had him feeling off, like something is coming, a buzz under his skin that he can't identify the source of. It makes him worry the upside down is rearing its ugly head, he has heard rumors of strangeness and last time had certainly been strange.

"Are you alright my little dandelion?" Annette asks, hand stroking his bangs away from his forehead with a worried frown picking up on his mood at the breakfast table.

"I'm fine," Steve frowns, fork scratching lightly at the plate as he shifts his eggs from side to side. "I just feel like something is coming and I worry."

"If that upside down nastiness shows its ugly head again you call us immediately we'll come right home." Franklin says from the other side of the table, thin mustache twitching with less than fond feelings toward the government. Steve had not listened to the government's threats not to tell anyone, had come right home and told his parents. Given his less than human status they need to know these things to keep him safe, one of the first things they ingrained in him.

"We're here for you baby." The declaration makes Steve feel a little lighter despite the still lingering feeling.

"Thanks, when is your flight?" Steve stuffs a bite of egg into his mouth, eyeing the toast in the center of the table debating if he wants another piece having already finished one.

Annette fluffs his bangs back into place before moving away. "Shortly, after you leave to go pick up Nancy ." Annette has never quite liked anyone Steve has brought around but the longer he is with Nancy the pricklier she gets about her.

"Mom, don't start," Steve huffs.

"I’m not," she defends and then absolutely does. "I just don't think she's right for you sweetie. She's not who you were meant for."

Steve's hand curls tighter around his fork. Billy, it always comes back to Billy the boy who wished for him and then left him behind. "Yeah well he fucking left me and Nancy is nice."

"Oh Stevie," Annette flutters over to him again, hugging him like she thinks it is going to make everything better. It does make him feel marginal better, he did find his way to them after all.

"Language," Franklin tuts, "and even so you can do better. You're a Harrington after all you’re meant for someone amazing." Franklin makes a beckoning motion at Annette, "like I found with your mother," she dances right over grinning, leaning down for a less than chaste kiss.

"You guys are gross." Steve's face pinches up as he tosses his fork down and pushes his plate away. "I love you, I am going to school." They do not part, mouths still moving against one another getting more passionate with each passing second and it makes Steve bulk. "Please stop making out in the kitchen!" Steve shouts, getting out of there as quickly as possible.

-

Nancy is going over his essay for him, writing has never been what he excels at and watching her cringe as she reads over it just reaffirms that. Despite the best efforts of his tutors, Steve just never found enough interest in school to really excel beyond the minimum requirement anywhere outside of gym and he has always found essays to be a daunting task, the words jumbling the same way they do when he tries to read.

That feeling that has been sitting with him all week, the buzz under his skin is drawing closer making it hard to focus on Nancy's attempt at a positive critique. There is the rumble of an engine, the base from someone's stereo blaring as it passes close by drawing Steve’s eyes to a blue Camaro as it zips into a parking spot across the lot.

Steve watches as a young girl exit eyes following her fiery red hair sailing across the parking lot for half a second before his attention is drawn back to the car. His palms are sweaty, his heart beating as the world seems to slow. 

Steve gets out of the car in time with the blond exiting as if in slow motion, barely aware of Nancy asking him what is wrong. Steve's heart is hammering in his chest, pulse rushing in his ears. The door opens, and time feels like it has stopped completely. The world narrows down further, noises and everything else falling away. Breath leaving him as a boy, almost a man steps out of the blue Camaro. 

It’s his boy!

Steve can see his boy in the shadow of him, blonde hair just as golden as it catches the sun, like he is the sun, making his own light. Same button nose and even this far away Steve can see the telltale sign of a dusting of freckles. His blue eyes are piercing, boring into Steve as he is caught looking. 

He has to be seeing things! Right? After all this time Billy cannot be back, cannot have found him.

Steve cannot deal with this right now, he runs. 

-

This school is like every other one he has been to before. It has been a long time since he was the new kid but the fanfare is the same. Folks flock around trying to get a good look at him, wanting to decide if he is friends or foe. Instead of going to half of his classes he is dragged around the school, collecting books and gym clothes while being shown where everything is. Even things he does not need to know about.

He is pretty sure the girl assigned to tote him around has an interest but the thought of paying her any attention dims when he thinks about how that will keep him from finding that pretty boy from the parking lot. Feels like maybe he is being avoided but that is silly because they have never even met and it is a pretty big school for a small town, bigger than Billy would have thought, with plenty of students to get lost in.  

He doesn’t find that pretty boy but he does make out with his blonde tour guide in the janitor closet. Lays on the charm thick and has her backed up against the brooms in no time toward the end of the day. He plans it, has a hand under her skirt, tongue in her mouth as the bell rings. He gives her a few more moments of attention before he is pulling away, pushing out of the closet in an obvious show, the girl stumbling out after him with a bashful attitude, darting forward to drop a kiss against his mouth before scampering off to wolf whistles. 

Billy grins, licks his tongue over lips and teeth obscenely and it works like a charm as Tommy comes over and claps him on the back. “Hargrove, right?” Billy nods and accepts an orange flier slapped against his chest. “There’s a party tonight, you should come.”

-

Steve spends all day avoiding Billy, even skipping gym class when he finds out they are in the same one. He only finds out later that Billy is too busy getting shown around the school for a scheduled run in. He cannot believe he is here, his boy in Hawkins and Steve is hiding in the lavatory by the theater that no one uses because everyone knows the air vents broadcast everything into the theater.

Part of him wants to go track Billy down and reintroduce himself now that they are finally back together. He squashes that and the bubbling elation right back down. Billy did not look for him. Why should he care that he is here now?

Steve leans against a frosted window, foot tapping as he smokes a cigarette ash dusting to the floor. It has been a while since he smoked, Nancy is not a fan and he tries to do what she likes. He should be focusing on her instead of Billy. 

Steve nods to himself, mind made up. Nancy, he should go find Nancy. Steve puts the cigarette out on the windowsill smearing ash before jumping down. 

“Fuck!” He groans as he sees dandelions pushing up through the cracks in the tile. This has not happened in a long time, he usually has better control than this. It is all Billy’s fault!

Someone in the theater department yells “language!” through the air vent and Steve flips them off even though he cannot be seen through the wall.

Steve focuses on the dandelions and wills them away, it takes a few long moments of concentration and closing his eyes but when he opens them again just seeds remain. Steve bends down, grumbling as he scoops them up and stuffs them in his pocket. He will free them into the forest past his backyard later where they can flourish without his mother fussing about him littering her garden. She is mostly teasing but she does love her flowers so he tries to keep his separate. 

-

Getting out of the house is easy Neil and Susan have been invited to a party themselves leaving Billy to watch Max. “Don’t do anything stupid!” Billy calls as he heads to his car, Max already halfway down the street with her skateboard getting lost in throngs of costumed children. Dress up is not really his thing but the invite had said costume party so Billy uses things he already has in his closet and chooses one that does not require a shirt so he can show off even more. 

It is cold, makes him miss the warmth of home, sure the nights got cool but when the sun was up it was warm, unlike here. It is cold regardless of the sun's position and it stinks. No matter where you are in this town Billy swears you can smell the manure from the cow fields. 

The party is more active than he is expecting, cars filling up the big yard in front and around it, without a care for an exit strategy. Billy does not share in that, knows his time here is limited and he cannot afford to get trapped because someone else did not care. So he parks near the edge of the yard, a good distance away from the other cars before making his way inside. 

Billy flirts with every girl that looks his way, plays it up as Tommy circles him like a vulture, hungry to pick over anything he lands a kill on. Swooping in and trying to edge his way in when Billy after a few moments brushes off yet another girls advances. When Tommy is not sniffing around Billy’s leftovers he is talking about the former king of Hawkins Steve Harrington. Billy recognizes the ache in his voice, suspects there is more than just a friendship scorned burning the bridge between Tommy and Steve. He doubts Tommy is even aware of his own feelings.

Tommy drags him out back where there is cheering, folks huddled around a keg where people are being cheered on as they do keg stands. “Harrington is king of keg stands. No one can beat his record.”

Oh, Billy does like crushing records and it is the perfect way to insert himself as top dog. No one will look too closely or ask too many questions if he rules the school, he will be able direct the narrative of any new bruises that might come along.  “How long?” Chest puffed up sure he can beast whatever number comes out of Tommy’s mouth.

"Forty seconds." Awe and bitter mix in his tone and Billy has no doubt Tommy's own record is far below.

"I can do better." Maybe, Billy has more than enough bluster to go for it but it has been a while and the last time hardly counts with the way some asshole started tickling his belly. But he has done an even forty before, he can do it again and hold out a little longer. Got to show Hawkins who their new king is. Tommy howls as he announces Billy is going next. 

It doesn't take long; the guy currently doing one only lasts twenty seconds before tapping out. He barely makes it six feet before he is doubled over puking. "What a pussy." Billy crows, the little crowd falling in line and echoing agreement.

-

Steve hovers around the party following Nancy around pretending like he is not keeping an eye out for Billy. He knows Billy is around, can hear a crowd chanting his name and counting in the backyard. Steve has a good guess of what that rising number means and he is only a little annoyed as Billy beats his keg stand record to over the top cheering bolstered by Tommy. 

He focuses back on Nancy quickly and it kind of works, with Nancy’s erratic behavior, switching emotions at the drop of a hat and moving from one thing to another. He has his hands full worrying over her.

Of course it cannot last. The sliding door opens with a scratch and half the crowd from outside come spilling in with Billy and Tommy among them. Steve stops despite himself when Billy’s eyes lock on him. Frowning as he watches Billy lick toilet paper? Steve hates that he doesn’t hate it.

Don’t come over here! Don’t come over here! Steve thinks on repeat, trapped in Billy’s pull as he climbs over a couch approaching him. He cannot afford to let his guard down and start sprouting dandelions in a packed room. That will surely draw attention when they burst through the floorboards.

Billy stops a few feet away and Steve flicks his tongue out nervously as he pulls his sunglasses down. Unable to resist a closer look. His eyes are just as blue, hair an even brighter shade of gold and this close Steve could count the many freckles speckling Billy’s face if given the time.

“Got ourselves a new keg king now Harrington!” Tommy announces as he slaps a hand against Billy’s back. Steve watches annoyance flick over his face, mirrors it before his attention is drawn by Nancy’s arm nudging him as she turns and walks away. It is enough to break the spell and Steve chases after her, worrying over her to escape his Billy problem. 

Sure enough he finds Nancy drinking from the punch bowl and knows the alcohol content is far stronger than the nonexistent taste implies but she is not listening. He can still feel Billy’s eyes boring into him, like a phantom caress but he follows Nancy toward the dance floor when she moves on from the punch bowl. Dancing, he likes dancing.  It is easy to forget about both of his problems when he is following the beat of the music thumping from the speakers.  

Things are looking up as far as Steve is concerned until Nancy turns back to the punch bowl and things just get worse from there. By the end of the night Steve is fleeing the party nursing a broken heart, ignoring those blue eyes trailing after him as he makes his escape. 

- T B C

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 7 - Can’t Avoid Forever

Billy hates this town for the most part. It smells terrible here and everyone is up his ass. Being at the top of the food chain helps, he is the new king of Hawkins but it is still annoying. All the simpering and ass kissing, no one is real and Billy plasters on his own mask to handle them. It does not help that at home Neil is slipping back to his old ways, the facade of happy family still there but quickly reverting to their old ways.

There is one thing that perks him up, makes this place not so awful. Steve pretty boy Harrington. Except he seems to be annoyed with Billy merely existing making it near impossible to try and be his friend. Not that Billy is very good at making friends, better to keep people at a distance, underlings like Tommy more what he is used to. Usually by now he would give up trying but Steve is under his skin and Billy cannot squash down the part of him that wants to be close even as he squashes down the part that wants more than just that.

Billy leans against his Camaro agitated, eyes watching for Max when he feels it like a tether tugging him to look at the school where he sees an agitated Steve coming out. Billy smirks when Steve glances up suddenly, eyes finding him, he puffs his chest up, tongue sliding out over teeth and lips.  Billy is a little disappointed when Steve flushes angrily, mouth moving in a silent grumble as his eyes drop back to the asphalt and he stops over to his car.

Billy moodily sucks on his cigarette. He is going to wear him down. It is only a matter of time. 

Billy’s attention shifts as Max comes stomping across the field that splits the schools. There is a boy trailing after her trying to grab her attention. He narrows his eyes when the boy gets a hand on her, body tense ready to make his own way over there when Max whirls around and breaks the hold. The boy shrinks back looking apologetic hands up and does not try to reach for her again when Max storms away once more.

Billy stews as she gets closer, she should know better than to get close to someone like him. Neil has made his views on people who do not look like them very clear over the years. The only people Neil likes less are queers like he has always sensed Billy is. It is dangerous for Max to be friendly or even be seen talking to that boy both for him and their family because Neil's anger always comes back to them.

Billy drops his cigarette to the ground when Max finally makes it to the car, stomping it out with his foot. "Who was that?"

Max's nose scrunches up in a way she has picked up from Billy. He has seen it enough in the mirror to recognize it. "Nobody," She wrenches the car door open, tossing her skateboard in the back before flopping in just as carelessly before slamming the door.

Billy grits his teeth as he stomps around to his own door wrenching it open with just as much anger. "Don't slam my door," Billy says as he slams his door even harder before starting the engine. “You know better.”

Max knows he is not talking about the door, sinking down into her seat with a sulky, “he’s nobody.”

“Stay away from him.” Billy practically roars, feeling too much like his father, fingers tightening on the steering wheel. He needs her to listen, needs her to stay away from that boy and out of trouble for all of their sakes. 

-

Steve is not sure why he goes to try and apologize to Nancy, something to keep his mind off of Billy? He refuses to think about the man long enough to say. Has been doing his best to ignore Billy despite the draw he always feels. Easier said than down with the way Billy spends gym class rubbing up against Steve in a mockery of guarding and then tries to be friendly? A little too aggressive in the showers to quite call it that. Steve cannot help wondering if Billy feels as drawn as he does. It is the only thing that makes sense when he is obviously not remembered.

Steve shakes thoughts of Billy off as he parks in front of a familiar nondescript house. The bouquet feels like led in his hand as he gets out and grabs it, giving Dustin a weary look as the kid comes running down the little path leading up to the Wheeler’s house right for him. He is going to brush the kid off, get this over with and try to make Nancy happy with him again when the kid shouts, “Do you still have that nail bat?”

Ice runs through Steve’s veins, why would Dustin need that. “Yeah,” the word is slow to leave his mouth, stomach sinking, there is only one reason he can think of that they might need it. 

“Good,” Dustin pushes past him heading toward his car, he pauses to turn back toward Steve and give him his most impatient look when he realizes he is not being followed, “we have to go!”

Steve gestures back toward the house, “Nancy,” he came to apologize for… well he is not sure what he has to apologize for if he is being honest. Steve is pretty sure he is not in the wrong here. 

Dustin huffs and rolls his eyes, already pulling Steve’s door open, “she isn’t here, come one, we have to go, it’s an emergency!” He waves angrily at the driver’s side door until Steve gives in, jogging around the car. It is not like he has anything better to do today and if it is what he fears it is he can’t just leave Dustin to deal with it by himself.

-

Max is more than old enough to watch herself but Billy keeps an eye on her when they get home at least until he gets bored of it. He gives Max a warning to stay out of trouble and blares the stereo in the living room while lifting weights. He ignores her existence, occasionally seeing her move from her room to the bathroom and the kitchen but otherwise leaving him be.

They ignore each other both in a bad mood and knowing they will just feed off one another, until the doorbell rings disturbing Billy while he is in the middle of doing reps and thoughts of how to try and approach Steve next. 

He could get the door himself but he is still angry and petty enough to shout, "Max get the door" despite being closer.

Max makes a face at him as she stomps by, one Billy counters with a face of his own before he is turning his attention back to his reps, using a mirror he set up to watch the swell of his biceps. He hears the door open and close almost immediately, not realizing Max went outside until it opens again. He squints at her with suspicion, “who was at the door.”

Max doesn’t hesitate, “mormons,” but she was out there long enough that Billy does not believe her. 

He does not say anything as she stomps back to her room but as soon as her bedroom door slams he is dropping his weights and moving over to the front door. He throws the doors open and finds no one, leaning out the door, looking left and then right and still he finds no evidence of deceit. Billy glances at her door and thinks about probing for more, for proof that she is up to something but he still feels the burn of anger from the car earlier and decides to keep lifting weights instead to help work off some of his aggression.  

-

Steve was already having a bad day before the upside down got involved. It only gets worse when he lets himself be talked into getting meat for a demo dog trap. Not that it does them a lot of good, Steve and the kids are the ones on the menu until an other worldly roar shakes the ground calling the demodogs home.

Steve thinks nearly being demodog food is bad enough but of course with all things that involve the upside down they get worse. It’s not just because the rift between this world and the upside down are wide open but because Johnathan and Nancy are together or getting together. Just because he knew it was coming does not make it sting any less when she confirms it.

Still he brushes it off, for her sake and to avoid any drawn out conversation about his own feelings on the matter. They do not have time for that.  

Steve may volunteer to stay behind with the kids not directly linked to the upside down but he is still surprised when he takes up on it and he finds himself left in charge of them. Just because he claims he is a good babysitter does not mean he believes it. At least they are kind of listening to him, helping him clean up the mess from the demodog attack albeit with half assed effort. Most of their efforts are being used to try and convince Steve they should be doing more to help with the upside down. He denies their every suggestion, it is best they stay out of it. Leave it to El and her super powers.

He is hoping for smooth sailing just a boring night of turning the kids down and cleaning monotony, he should know better.

-

Billy is steaming as he makes his way down the darkened road toward the Byers’ house. Max knows better than to sneak out when he is supposed to be watching her, knows how bad Neil can be. The ache in his back is a testament that Neil has fully reverted to his old ways and things are only going to get worse for him if he does not find her soon. 

He is on high alert between that and his run in with Mrs. Wheeler. He knows what an older woman looking at him like that means and while he will certainly use it to his advantage it leaves him feeling nauseous. Almost as nauseous as the thought of Max out here doing God knows what in the middle of the night as he pulls to the end of the long drive.

This place is fucking creepy, no other house around for miles and even in the low light from the moon Billy can see a shattered window, curtains doing nothing to hide it from the outside. Billy parks, cutting the engine; he can see the glow of light from around the edge of the pulled curtains so someone is probably around. Max might not be here but hopefully it will get him another clue. He is getting real tired of running around town playing detective.

The house is really out here in the middle of nowhere, the forest that surrounds the place is eerie, not enough noise. Billy is used to noise in the city back in California and even in the little suburb they live in now the critters are making noise if not the neighbors. There is none of that here as if something has gone and scared off all of the critters.

A curtain moves, revealing a flash of brighter light that is quickly covered again from a window and Billy squares his shoulder as he steps out, annoyed and on edge.

-

“Shit!” Max curses, she hadn’t meant to be gone so long, did not realize when Lucas begged her to come that it would be real or this crazy or drag on until the night and now Billy is here. He cannot be here! He has enough shit to deal with at home she does not want him dragged into this.

“Why is Hargrove here?” Steve frowns, only pulling back from the curtain when Dustin pulls him away from it. He turns and glares at Dustin, he does not appreciate him pulling on his shirt, he is going to stretch it out if he keeps tugging.

“That’s my brother.” Max panics, mind whirling thinking of an excuse when she sees the look on Steve’s face. He barely opens his mouth before she shouts, “he can’t know I’m here!” Steve’s frown deepens, mouth pulled tight, she knows he is about to argue and insists so she presses on quickly, “he’ll kill me.” She pours as much earnestness and fear into her voice as she can, making her eyes wide and pleading. 

“Yeah he’s an asshole!” Lucas backs her up, Dustin and Mike nodding along.  “He almost ran us over with his car.”

“Because you idiots were taking up the whole street again,” it is not a question they have no respect for vehicles that could crush them and their bikes. They are always on the road even if sidewalks are available so they can ride next to each other and run their mouths. 

“Not the point Steven!” Dustin hisses hands flailing. 

“Please Steve! I just wish there was some way to get him to go home without me.” Steve does not particularly want to stand between Max and Billy but he is born of a dandelion wish and she is so earnest it is hard to resist.

He caves with a heavy sigh. “You all stay here.” He cannot fight the instinct to save her from a perceived threat even if that threat is his boy. 

-

The front door creaks as it opens, warm yellow light spilling out for a few moments, shadowing the person standing in front of it. The door falls closed cutting off the warm light, the porch squeaking as the figure moves away from it down the porch and into the moonlight.  “Is that you Harrington or am I dreaming?” Well Billy’s night is taking a better turn now, he pushes his jacket from his shoulder and drops it, suddenly warm and he wants Steve to see him all dolled up and ready for a date he didn’t even bother canceling.

Steve’s footstep heavy as he drops off the last step and onto the dirt, “yeah it’s me don’t cream your pants.” Steve huffs out as he stops a few feet in front of Billy, just out of reach. “What do you want?”

Billy is amused, smiling as he steps closer, watching Steve’s feet shift like he wants to put more distance between them. Billy shakes his head, Steve still has not learned to plant his feet. “I’m looking for my sister, little red headed bitch.” Billy spits out bitch, angry with her, she should know better than to disappear on him, she knows how Neil can be.

Billy’s eyes flick toward the house when he catches a shift, more light spilling from a window, just in time to see Max and some other kids. Their eyes widen, mouths moving before they all hurriedly duck down. Billy’s jaw clenches as he turns his attention back to Steve giving him a chance to be straight with him, “you seen her?”

Steve gives him a bored look, hands on his hips, “Nah, she doesn't sound familiar.” 

Billy feels the lie roll through him, muscles so tense with it he aches, forehead throbbing as he splits the distance. “Then who the fuck is that,” Billy points at the window and Max isn’t there this time, just one of the boys he is not familiar with but Steve barely glances cursing.

“Man what–” Billy cuts him off before he can start, hand tangling in Steve’s jacket, other arm rearing back. “No!” Steve is not looking at Billy when he shouts. Billy’s fist connects with Steve’s chin at the same time something pricks his skin and he feels the burn of something foreign sear as it slides into him.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 8 - Power Punch

Max sneaks out of the Byers’ house with a syringe of Will’s sleeping drug that got left behind. She feels a little bad for making Steve believe Billy means her honest harm but she does not want to go home. She wants to see this through and the last thing she wants is Billy getting involved. He deals with enough from Neil, the last thing he needs is the upside down making life harder. 

It is dark and Billy is distracted enough to sneak around behind him. She has the syringe ready before she creeps closer, Steve's eyes widening as he sees her. His shout goes ignored and at the same time Max plunges the syringe into the meat of Billy’s arm, his fist connects with Steve’s chin and he explodes in a shower of white fluff.

-

Billy doesn’t have time to focus on the burn, his hand suddenly empty of Steve’s shirt and the world suddenly a wash of white. For a moment Billy thinks it is whatever foreign substance entered him but as his eyes focus on the white he realizes that it is not his vision whiting out. No, he can see the different shades and the darkened house and the woods behind them. There are hundreds of dandelion seeds slowly falling all around him like an early snow, the bulk of them in a pile at his feet and Steve is nowhere to be seen.

Billy stares, eyes scanning the seeds as they float in the moonlight, almost seeming to glow as the light catches them, heart pounding heavy, spreading that burn faster. There is only one plausible explanation for this. It can only mean that brief imaginary friend was not so imaginary, right? His vision blurs, limbs starting to feel sluggish and it is only when kids start spilling out of the house, Max yelling from his side that he realizes what that prick of pain had been.

Billy turns to see the syringe hanging limply from Max’s hand, her own eyes shocked and staring at the pile paying him no mind even when he slurs out, “bitch,” feeling betrayed. His knees give out, hitting the dirt hard, seeds crushed under his jeans clad knees and it takes all of the strength he has left to crawl over to the pile where most of the seeds have fallen. He pushes his hands around the seeds searching for Steve needing to see him and not just all of these seeds but his vision is failing and it is getting harder and harder to stay up right. Billy topples over, limbs useless before he can find his dandelion boy sorrow welling up in him as he rolls to his back and the world fades out.

-

Steve feels the magic wash over him with the kiss of Billy’s fist. It has been so long since he lost control of himself that he is utterly unprepared to burst into a flurry of dandelion seeds from barely a tap.

Steve struggles through the dandelion seeds. He can barely remember the last time he burst like this, but he should have known that of anyone Hargrove would be the one to cause a reaction like this. 

His boy is such an asshole!

Not only did he take a swing at Steve, he also revealed his biggest secret to a group of children. There are hands searching the pile and Steve does his best to avoid them not wanting these kids to see him like this. They are going to be so annoying about this, especially Dustin.

-

“Holy shit! Holy shit!” Max stares as she connects the dots, hand closing around falling fluff, the dark seed on one end is hard, a long stem of white leading up to the fluffy plume that allows it to float. Dandelion seeds!

“What the hell happened!?” Dustin and Lucas yell at the same time. Mike stumbles out a few moments after them staring mouth wide open at the falling seeds.

"Find Steve!" She remembers the story Billy told her and all of the wishes she made and there is no doubt in her mind that Steve is Billy’s dandelion prince. She grimaces as Billy slumps over in the pile hoping he will be alright after a nap and won't be too angry.

Max drops to her knees near Billy where the pile is the deepest, fingers fanned out as she searches through the dandelion seeds by feel. Her fingers pass over hard seeds and the fluff sticking out of them but nothing that feels like a small body. The boys are still shouting, asking questions, the only one actually helping while panicking is Lucas who is down on his knees a few feet from her looking through the dandelion seeds.

Max glares at Mike and Dustin standing uselessly behind him bickering about what they think happened and being no help at all. She understands why they are freaking out about it but they do not have time for it. "I'll explain later, just find him!" She shouts, worried that they will not find him, that he is not just small like when Billy first wished him but gone entirely. 

"Please, please, please be okay!" Max begs through a murmur, eyes wetting as Mike and Dustin finally start helping. If she hadn’t wanted to stay and keep Billy out of this they could have avoided this altercation. She knew Billy would not take it well. How Neil will be when she does not come home with him, she should have just come out and told Billy the truth.

But then would he have recognized Steve for his dandelion prince? She hopes that will be enough for him not to be too mad after the drugs wear off.

"Holy shit!" Dustin shouts suddenly pulling a small wriggling figure up out of the dandelion seed pile drawing all of their attention. "Steve is that you?'" Dustin asks wide eyed as he stares.

"Put me down!" Steve shouts annoyed at being grabbed up by the collar. All his struggling gets him is a slow twisting back and forth making him nauseous.

"Oh shit Steve you're so tiny!" Dustin’s mouth hangs open after the exclamation just staring.

"We don't have time for this!" Max launches across the pile sending seeds scattering as she snatches Steve from Dustin’s hold. "We need to go help distract the demodogs and now is our chance." She points at Billy’s car, he is already going to be pissed might as well make it worth their while and it will be faster than walking.

“No! We are not-” Steve does not get the chance to finish his protest as Max stuffs him in her pocket muffling his words before bending down and checking Billy’s pockets for his keys. It is not a hard task, pants so tight they are easy to spot and she rolls him to his back so he does not accidentally suffocate in all of the dandelion seeds before shouting at the boys to get moving. 

-

Billy is vaguely aware of the happenings around him, the drugs only fully knock him out for a few minutes. Max’s jostling has him closer to the surface but unable to move. He can feel the bed of soft downy petals below him, a few ticking his neck and ears. He blinks his heavy eyelids and sees the sky above him is full of stars, more than dark enough out here to really see them. They spin over him as he hears the roar of the Camaro coming to life. There is a flicker of anger over the kids taking his car but it is gone as soon as it comes with the next spin.

His thoughts turn to his dandelion boy, to Steve. He is real and after all of this time Billy has found him. Of course it would be like this, with violence, Billy’s whole life is dipped in it. Billy's heavy eyes sting as he worries about him, he knows the kids found him, knows he is still intact but small again because of him? 

He contemplates finding his dandelion boy in such a way. Luck and misfortune twisted together to reunite them here like this and now he has already gone and left again, leaving Billy all alone just like before. Billy wants to chase him down but all he can do is stare up at the night sky and feel the rotation of the earth in his bones. 

-

“This is a terrible fucking idea!” Steve shouts for the umpteenth time, still going ignored much like the kids questions over his tiny state as they shimmy their way down into a tunnel. At least he is no longer in a pocket instead perched on top of Max’s shoulder with a loose piece of torn fabric wrapped around his mouth to help with the smell. Unfortunately there is nothing to be done for his eyes, stinging at whatever is making the air so gross down here. 

Steve has a bad feeling, has had a bad feeling since Dustin showed up about the upside down nonsense but down here in these dark dank tunnels it gets worse. It does not help that he is worrying over Billy too, left outside in the dark, drugged with no one to protect him. And angry, it took him so long to hone his skills and stay big through altercations and Billy managed to out him with one stupid punch.

Dustin trips and shouts one of the buds on a vine opening up and spraying at his face. He is still screaming as it pulls back until he pulls the bandana free and sheepishly admits he is fine. Steve shakes off his thoughts of Billy and focuses on these idiot kids.  He chews on a corner of the torn fabric over his mouth and wishes he was big enough to hold the nail bat strapped to Max’s back. He cannot get big again, no matter how much he tries to force it, it is simply too soon.

Drenching the place in combustibles is not hard nor does it take long but Steve feels rather useless, moving from one kid's shoulder to another when Max nearly sends him to the disgusting ground taking off her bag. Lucas is a much better perch, a little taller and more conscious of not tipping forward so that Steve has to find perches to hold onto. It is a good thing seeing as Lucas’ hair is far too short for him to reach and he does not want to risk tugging the bandana from his face. 

Everything is going well, even if the putrid scent of the tentacles burning makes his eyes water and the sound it makes as it screams makes his ears hurt. They get out of there quickly, none of them wanting to stick around to make sure the demodogs are successfully distracted. They take it as a positive sign when they hear the pounding of paws getting closer and hightail it out of there.

Correction: it was going well until they run into Dart, the demodog Dustin unknowingly raised. They all freeze, Steve nearly toppling at the sudden stop but Lucas raises a hand to make sure he stays seated. Steve does not like this, wants to reach out and drag Dustin back by the neck of his shirt when the kid moves closer to the monster. Dart ate his cat and he thinks a little nugget is going to get them anywhere? Steve does not buy it.

Steve has to wonder if Dustin has any actual self preservation skills as he talks to the thing like he is talking to a little kid or a regular dog, squatting down close to it putting himself in an even more vulnerable position. Somehow it works to all of their surprise, even Dustin admits he was not sure it would while they are running toward their exit.

The rope hangs from the hole above that they came down through and Max is the first one up closely followed by Mike. The rope breaks when Dustin tires going next, falling flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him. Steve ends up on the ground himself, tumbling over when Lucas leans down to check on Dustin. 

Steve gets to his feet first, Lucas standing over Dustin with a worried gaze as the boy wheezes. They do not have time for this, "up, up you have to get up!" Steve kicks his little foot against Dustin’s elbow.

"Hey, stop that!" Dustin hisses with one final wheeze as he rolls away from Steve’s kicks like they actually hurt. It is more like a poke given his small stature but he rubs at it as if it is causing him great pain. Steve rolls his eyes at the dramatic little shit but at least Dustin is pushing himself up off the ground.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Dustin asks as Lucas holds a hand out and pulls him the rest of the way up. Steve cranes his neck up and up, it is so high up for him that it hurts his neck. 

"I think one of us could make it with a boost." Lucas says, staring up at the hole above them where their friends are shouting as they scramble to find something to help them up.

Steve does his best not to laugh when Lucas looks at Dustin like he thinks his friend can pull himself up. Steve has no such delusions. "Dustin, give Lucas a boost."

"Me?" The surprise in Lucas' voice tells Steve he is right on what the boy was thinking.

"Roast beef," Steve ignores the indignant sound Dustin makes at the nickname, "isn't going to be able to make it all the way. You get up there and help the others get a rope or something. I'll stay with Dustin."

Dustin is still grumbling even as he nods his head in acceptance. Steve is right about his athleticism. He cannot do a pull up to save his life which is why he is currently struggling to pass gym. Dustin squats and steeples his fingers holding his linked hands palm up in offer to Lucas who still looks unsure. 

"Hurry up!" Steve insists, the beating of a great deal of demodogs sounding closer and closer with each passing second. Lucas nods and uses Dustin's hands to boost himself enough to reach the edge and pull himself up out of the hole.

"What now?" Dustin asks with a grimace as he wipes his hands on his pants before picking Steve up.

Steve has a few things to say about the way Dustin just scoops him up. Things that have gone ignored by everyone tonight especially Max. It is not the right time to complain about that though, surely if they live through this the kids will have a million questions and he can air his grievances on how and when he likes to be picked up.

Instead Steve does his best to reassure Dustin despite the pounding of paws getting closer and closer, echoing off of the tunnel walls nearly drowning out the frantic children above. Dustin is holding him up in front of his face, fingers around his lower half, making Steve the perfect height to smack both of his hands against his cheeks. "It's going to be okay," both of them grimacing as he gets more lip than cheek with his left hand. 

"Gross." Dustin makes a face as Steve wipes his hand on his jacket with great dramatics. Thankfully his clothes tend to shrink with him these days. It has been years since they disappeared with his dandelion shower when he was about twelve and fell off the roof during a dare. Thankfully Tommy who had been the cause of it horsing around despite the location had been so distraught thinking he killed Steve that he ran right home to his own mom and never noticed the shower of seeds or the tiny boy wriggling in the bush below trying to get down to go have a cry to his own mother.

Steve focuses on the earth around him for once willing a dandelion to sprout instead of being annoyed when they just crop up. When the flower grows and blooms at the base of Dustin's feet before curling back up only to bloom again with puffy white seed Steve could whoop for joy. Steve motions toward the flower with insistence. “Get it, be careful not to lose any seeds.” Dustin eyes him with uncertainty, “hurry.”

Once Dustin is standing up right with the dandelion in hand Steve directs him, "make a wish." Steve is not sure it will work. Sometimes wishes just come true around him but not all of them. Dustin frowns for a long second before looking like a light has gone on over his head. Steve just knows whatever is about to come out of his mouth is not going to be helpful and nips it in the bud specifying, "wish for us to be safe."

Dustin practically deflates looking like he is sucking on a lemon as whatever wish he had conjured in those few moments is dashed. Steve just rolls his eyes squirming as the beating of paws draws ever nearer. They do not have all day. "Dustin!"

"Yeah, yeah, I wish for us to be safe." Dustin says before blowing the seeds dispersing quickly as they float down around them.

Steve is not sure what he was hoping for, to be able to grow again or perhaps a rope to appear dangling in place of the broken one, maybe a ladder but nothing happens just him and Dustin waiting for approaching death.

"It's going to be okay," Steve lies unsure as Dustin gives him a frantic look. He wishes he was bigger, that he could actually protect the kid but he will be small for a while yet. Steve does what he can in this form, letting Dustin hold him too tight and too close as the demos come crashing down the tunnel.

Steve follows Dustin’s leads and slams his eyes closed tight at the last minute not wanting to see their last moments.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 9 - Sticking Point

The sound of Steve's own heart combined with the panting and pounding of demodogs fills his ears. What does not fill his ears is the shredding of flesh and pained screams.

After the second jostle Dustin wheezes as his fingers clench around Steve tight enough to make him mimic the sound for a second before he is brave enough to crack an eye open. It is not long before Steve is outright staring as the demodogs move past them, bumping into them but paying them no attention. Soon enough the beasts are out of sight down the tunnel; the sound of their beating paws fading as they leave them in the dust.

He slaps at Dustin’s hand until he gets a hissing "What!" Dustin’s eyes are still firmly sealed shut.

"They're gone!" Dustin cracks an eye open slowly like he does not believe him. 

When he finds nothing in front of them except an empty tunnel he whirls around making Steve’s stomach lurch with the motion as Dustin checks the rest of the tunnel. "Holly shit it worked!"

It takes Steve a moment to realize what Dustin means by that blinking owlishly as he realizes he means the wish. Steve is not so sure, they could have blown past them for any number of reasons but he still feels excitement bubbles up. "I guess it did."

The kids overhead tentatively peek their heads down expecting the worst celebrating when they find them intact and unharmed. Dustin does his own celebratory little dance once more spinning Steve in a nauseating way. "Put me down!" Steve has had quite enough of this evening. "Find us a way up," he wants to check on Billy and make sure the jerk is alright and go home.

-

Billy is not sure how long he lays there in the dirt and dandelion seeds. The drugs make time seem slow, blinking in and out of short naps. He swears he feels the ground shake beneath him at one point startled back to wakefulness. He does not have the strength to move for a long time just burrowing deeper into the soft pile of dandelion seeds bemoaning finding his dandelion boy only for him to disappear once more.

It eats at him as the drugs wear off. Anger welling up as he rolls over and searches through the pile once more. He realizes Max took Steve with her and curses as he looks up to see his car missing as well. That little bitch!

Billy's hands fist in seeds as he pushes up off the ground, looking around for signs of anyone. There is nothing out here, not even the ambient sounds that Billy found lives here in a small town. It creeps him out even more than it had earlier, the place somehow even creepier now that he is the only one left, not even a light on in the house.

The world is still swimming at the corners of his vision as he stands, knees wobbling as he shoves a fist full of seeds in his pocket. He trades them for his cigarettes, fishing one from the pack with his lips before shoving them back inside and grabbing his lighter from his other pocket. 

He is not looking forward to what awaits him at home but it is not like he has other options with the temperature of Hawkins dropping and the front door to the now empty house locked. He lights his cigarette and starts the shaky walk home hoping that given how long it is bound to take him Max gets there first. He will still be in trouble but it won't be as bad at least he hopes.

-

Steve is not exactly happy about Max driving again but it is not as if he has much of a choice in the matter. He sits on Lucas's shoulder on the passenger side instructing her on her driving as they make their way back to the Byers’ house.

Billy is gone by the time they get there, no carnage or anything in sight that might indicate anything got him but Steve still worries. "You kids should be getting home." They haven't heard from the sheriff or the Byers yet but Steve knows their parents must be starting to worry.

"What about..." Mike trails off hand waving to indicate he means Steve, still perched on Lucas' shoulder. 

 "Yeah Steve, you have some explaining to do." Dustin says with a nod wanting answers to his many questions Steve has refused to answer.

"I meant, what are we doing with him but yeah that too." Steve kind of wants to smack them both.

"I'm going home too." Steve crosses his arms he still has no intention of answering any of their questions just like on the car ride to the tunnel. He never wanted them to find out in the first place but he knows Dustin at the very least is going to be annoyingly persistent.

Lucas nods, him and Max the only two who seem content to let him keep his secrets for now at least. "What do we do about the seeds?" Lucas nods his head toward the dandelion seeds still scattered across the Byers’ front yard.

Steve shrugs, "the wind will take care of them," more than half have already floated away, dragged into the forest by the wind. His dandelion seeds are even more resilient than the ones that sprout up naturally and he has no doubt that by the weeks end they will be popping up all over the forest. "Max, I guess you're driving everyone home, when you get home yourself radio about Billy." Steve says with a sigh only slightly agitated when Max plucks him up from Lucas shoulder with a nod.

"Why do you care about that asshole, he’s the whole reason we know your secret now?" Dustin says the bitterness in his tone is heavier over Steve keeping secrets than Billy's hand in revealing them.

Steve scrubs at his face, eyeing the pile of dandelion seeds with desire; if he was home he would sink into them for a nap to hide away from everything. "He's an asshole... but he's mine."

The answer just stirs up more agitation in Dustin who sneers at him as he asks, "what does that even mean?"

Steve never intended to tell them more, never intended for them to find out about him ever but he offers up a little more information just to see what shade of red Dustin’s face will turn. "He wished me into existence. He's mine and I'm his."

"What does that mean?" Dustin shouts even more irate than before as his face turns a truly impressive shade of red and purple. Steve shrugs and pretends not to hear any further questions hiding a laugh behind his hand, he has said more than he intended already. Max stomps on Dustin's foot when he gets too close in an attempt to snatch Steve up and then he is too busy yelling at her to ask any more questions.

-

"So what now?" Max asks when she pulls the Camaro up outside of Steve’s house.  He is perched on Dustin’s shoulder now, the kid refused to go home before Max dropped off Steve but at least he has stopped pestering for answers, at least for the evening.

"There's a spare key under the mat." Which Steve is going to have to find a new hiding spot for because the sound Dustin makes has implications and he does not want him just barging in unannounced.

Max nods as she cuts the engine. Steve grabs onto one of Dustin's curls as he gets out of the car and tips forward enough to make him nearly lose his perch. 

"Be careful," Max hisses at him, all Dustin does is sneer and tip forward again. Thankfully Steve still has a firm hold of that curl. Max grabs Steve off of Dustin's shoulder and orders him, "go open the door doofus." 

Steve sighs, he needs to have another chat with them about how to properly handle him in this size but he is far too tired to do it right now. Besides Dustin will no doubt take it as a go ahead to ask more questions and that is the last thing he wants to deal with.

Dustin pushes the door open after a few failed attempts to unlock the door letting himself in without invitation and whistling as he starts flipping light switches on. "Nice place." He is already moving deeper, disappearing around the corner as Max steps inside with Steve.

"Go to the kitchen and call the number on the pad by the phone, tell my mom I'm small again." Steve shouts after Dustin with a heavy sigh. It has never been this hard to change back not even after he fell off the roof, it had only lasted a couple of hours.

"Do you need anything else?" Max asks, taking Steve into the living room as Dustin bangs around the kitchen procrastinating making the call in lieu of a snack.

Steve shakes his head, he has not needed them in years but the little doll furniture and other odds and ends of things he might need are still easily accessible just in case. He is pretty sure the maid who comes once a week to clean thinks his mother just has a doll collection hidden away but the dollhouse in her bedroom has always been for Steve. Between it and the custom cabinet in the kitchen Steve has everything he could need until he is big again or they come home.

Max sets him on the arm of the couch, eyeing him for a long moment before finally saying, "Billy told me about you once." 

Steve blinks up at her with questions bubbling up but before he can choose one to start  Dustin leans around the edge of the archway and practically shouts, “Your mom wants to talk to you,"phone cord stretched as far as it will do as he wiggles it for emphasis.

"Yeah," Steve gestures at Max raising his arms and he doesn't have to voice it before she reaches for him. She pauses at the last minute, fingers almost touching Steve before she thinks better of it and lays her hand down palm up. 

Steve’s lips quirk up, at least one of them is trying to do what he has asked. He is pretty sure Dustin had not actually been paying attention when he brought it up. Steve walks onto her palm and settles down cross legged as her fingers curl up just enough to hopefully prevent him from a long drop if she trips.

She walks him over to Dustin and holds him close enough to the phone that he can hear his mom worriedly whispering to his dad coming from one end and speak into the other with minimal effort. "Hi mom."

"Steve, are you alright?" She shouts loudly enough he flinches. He is pretty sure he would have heard her from back on the couch. It is not a long conversation, his mother has already made up her mind to return from their trip early and Steve cannot say he is upset about it.

-

Billy misses two days of school and takes the weekend to heal after he comes home alone and Neil tears into him. He spends the entire time giving Max the cold shoulder.

Billy expects to see Steve come the following Monday and goes over the confrontation they are going to have in his head over and over again. But Steve throws a wrench into his plans when he does not show up. He is not there on Tuesday or Wednesday and all that agitation and anger in Billy colors with worry.

Billy decides the following day he has spent enough time waiting, which is why that night he knocks on the Harrington’s front door. His hands are curled into fists as he waits, shoulders a tense line. He frowns when the door is thrown open, not ready to pull his normal charming smile to get what he wants when it is not Steve but an older sable haired woman returning his frown. 

She looks him up and down, an inch taller than him with the low heel of her casual flats, keeping her cream colored slacks from touching the floor. “Can I help you?” She raises a meticulously groomed eyebrow just like he has seen Steve do when he is annoyed, a picked up habit.

Billy may not have met her before but it is not hard to guess she is Steve’s mom. He scrunches his nose and unscrunches it, rubbing his thumb against the thigh seam of his jeans, “is Steve home?”

She purses her lips, nails drumming against the door frame, "he’s indisposed.” 

Billy should leave it at that and head home, wait for Steve to show up but he cannot bring himself to do that when he is still thrumming with anger. “Because he’s tiny or…” Billy trials off, as her light eyes widen.

The surprise only lasts a few moments before her eyes are narrowing and for a moment Billy thinks she is going to deny that is even a possibility. Then she drags her eyes over him once more, really taking in his features this time, “who are you?” 

Billy is pretty sure she has figured it out but he still offers, doing his best for that charming smile that usually has older women swooning at least a little, “Billy Hargrove.”

She gives him a bland look at the smile but perks up at his name, eyeing him more kindly as she pushes back and makes space for him to come inside. “Upstairs second door on the left.”

Billy nods and wastes no more time jabbering. It takes every ounce of restraint he has not to take the stairs two at a time feeling eyes on him as the door closes. When he reaches the top of the stairs he hears her shoes clicking followed by an almost excited "Billy is here!" Billy assumes she is speaking to Steve’s father.

Despite his curiosity Billy does not linger to hear more, too impatient for that, making quick steps to the room in question. He frowns when he opens the door to what must be the master bedroom, based on the size and the open door leading to what looks to be a large bathroom. He does not see anyone, perhaps Steve is in the bathroom freshening up or… 

Billy’s eyes pause on the doll house in the corner under a big window. It is no ordinary dollhouse, a huge well maintained Victorian looking house, in dark colors. As Billy moves closer, coming around to the open back of it instead of just the view he gets from the side he can see each compartment made up just like a real home almost.  He does not find a doll sitting in the kitchen or taking a bubble bath in what appears to be a gravy bath. No, instead he finds the unmistakable shrunken face of Steve sleeping curled up in a bed on the second floor, mouth hanging open and almost musical snores coming from him.

Billy stands there staring, taking him in, he is no less pretty now than when he is big. His dark hair is mussed, not perfectly quaffed or full of product for once and his lashes span across his cheeks brushing moles Billy has been wanting to count since he first saw Steve in the Hawkins’ high parking lot. Even before then because Billy had thought about his dandelion boy for years wondering if those little moles were like the vastness of the stars and he now knows for a fact they are scattered all over. 

Billy does not mean to get closer but the next thing he knows he is right in front of Steve leaning down to peer at him. The air from simply breathing ruffles Steve’s bangs, warm and humid. Steve mumbles in his sleep, rolling and throwing the blanket that Billy is pretty sure is a silk handkerchief back and off showing off a matching set of pajamas embroidered with bright yellow dandelions. 

Billy cannot help but snort, the noise startling Steve awake so fast he topples off the little bed. Billy rears back as Steve peeks up over the bed with an annoyed rumpled expression. When his eyes land on Billy they soften a little, blinking as he asks “Billy?” like maybe he thinks Billy is as imaginary as Billy thought he was all these years.

Billy balls his hands into fists, no matter how adorable he currently finds Steve’s small rumpled form he came here for a reason and it is not to ogle or count his moles no matter how tempting it is to just sit down and do that. Instead he reminds himself he is angry, that Steve not only disappeared all those years ago but stood between him and Max just a week ago. 

“You’re real! You’ve been real this whole time!” Billy hisses, nails biting into his palms. 

Steve pushes up off the floor of the doll house and sits cross legged on the bed, “yes.”

The casualness of his tone makes Billy scrunch his nose up. Did Steve think about him? Why did he leave him? Did he remember him, did Steve think about him the way Billy has thought of him over the years? Billy has so many questions but the one that comes out is, “Did you know it was me?” 

Steve sighs scrubbing at his face as he admits, "I've always known who you were Billy." As if he could forget his boy no matter how hard he tried. 

He has more to say, questions to ask but Billy shouts an angry "fuck you!" and storms out before Steve can say any more. It hurts, even now knowing that Billy did not mean to leave him because Max is persistent and came around a few days ago to tell him the story Billy had once told her. 

It still feels like he is being left behind again, he just hopes this time Billy does not get so far away that he cannot catch up because no matter how annoying the man can be he is still Steve’s. He curls up on the bed, pulling his dad’s old handkerchief up over him as he sniffles wishing his mom was with him. 

As if summoned a few moments Annette comes in cooing sweetly at him having seen Billy angrily storm out of the house. She talks sweetly to him, “don’t fret darling it will work out, he'll come around my little dandelion” until he rolls into her palm for more comfort.

-

Billy tries not to think about Steve but when another week passes rumors swirling around school of everything from mono to his parents sending him to rehab after going on a bender post break up. None of them come even close to reality and Billy sneers every time Tommy and Carol come along to gleefully share the new gossip. It was amusing at first but as the days drag on without a glimpse of his dandelion boy Billy grows worried.

“What’s wrong with him?” Billy asks one day after school when Max slides into the passenger seat with her skateboard propped between her knees.

Max does not respond at first, taking her time pulling her seatbelt on as Billy pulls out of the parking lot. She then proceeds to spend a few minutes adjusting in the seat, moving her board about, and pretending to look in her bag for something. Irritation grows in Billy as she draws things out, he knows she does not need to be clued into who he is asking after. When he has had enough and is seconds away from snapping at her she finally turns toward him with a puckered face as she exclaims, “Oh, now you’re talking to me?

“Maxine.” Billy practically growls in no mood for her dramatics, she deserved every moment of the cold shoulder he has been giving her for getting him in trouble. 

“Don’t call me that.” Max shouts her face still puckered but now in annoyance instead of mockery. 

Billy rolls his eyes but knows what to do if he wants a real answer anytime soon. “Max.”

Max grins pleased with the recognition before her mouth twists and she chews at her thumb in a habit she has picked up from him. “Dustin says Steve is still stuck small, he isn’t sure why.” Billy nods, thinking and taking the turn toward the arcade instead of the house.

The thought occurred to him as to why Steve was still absent. Billy cannot help but wonder if it is his fault, if somehow he is why Steve cannot get himself big again. A petty part of him thinks Steve deserves to stay small forever but the stronger part of him, the part that misses seeing his pretty boy around wants to fix it. There is only one way he can think that might work. The same way that brought Steve into this world, the same thing Max claims brought Billy back to him.

Billy pulls the car into the busy lot of a strip mall, Max perking up instantly as she recognizes her favorite haunt. “The arcade?”

She already has her seatbelt undone and the door half open by the time he rolls to a stop and Billy is quick to set some ground rules. “Don’t run off with your little friends, I'll be back in an hour to pick you up.”

Max is not about to look a gift horse in the mouth out of the car before he finishes the sentence, the door slamming behind her. “Don’t slam my door!” Billy shouts after her as if he is not just as hard on the vehicle. 

He is still grumbling as he pulls out of the parking lot, heading away from the center of town toward farmland and forest, eyes scanning the fields he passes looking for a lively spot. When he finally sees more green than brown grass, he stops and gets out, pulling his jacket around him as the November chill makes him want to climb back in the car and crank the heat. Billy resists that urge, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walks across the field, eyes scouring the ground looking for a dandelion.

He is not even sure they grow around this time of year, even less sure of when they might grow around these parts having spent most of his life in California. It doesn't keep him from trying even when the fields turn to tall trees and forest lays beyond him but still no flower in sight. He keeps walking, and walking well past the time he told Max he would be back. She will be there or there will be hell to pay for both of them, Billy may have taken the brunt last time but Neil's patience with her is wearing thin again.

The sun is starting to go down when Billy is ready to give up. It feels like there is never enough sun here even when it is out without a cloud in the sky. He gives the surrounding forest one final look over squinting against the setting sun. He is turning to head back the way he came when he spots something yellow, too bright to be a leaf.

Billy rushes toward it, dropping to a squat when he sees a partially nibbled on dandelion. He frowns at the flowers damaged state but it is not as if it is in the form he is looking for. It gives him hope.

A hope that grows as he spots another spot of yellow against another tree. As he looks around he sees more and more and he follows them through the forest searching for a familiar poof of white. He moves a little faster when he sees a green bulb with the telltale seeds poking out of it.

He is close. So close!

He stares at the ground, feet moving faster as he finds more and more dandelions almost ready to show their seeds. He barely even feels the cold now as he finally spots what he has been searching for.

He comes skidding to a stop over the white plume gently swaying from the gust he has created. His heart is pounding and Billy cannot say it is from the sprinting as excitement thrums in him. Sure he is still mad at Steve but he misses seeing his face around, his absence feels wrong.

Billy squats, his tight pants protesting as he hovers over the fluffy white flower. Billy rubs his hands together warming them up before carefully plucking the dandelion to make sure none of the seeds escape.

The fluffy white head bobs as he brings it up, stopping shortly after the movement ends. Billy just stares at it for a long moment trying to think of what wish to make. What is going to fix Steve’s tiny problem?

Billy closes his eyes as he settles on what to wish for. “I wish Steve could get big again,” Billy follows it with a big breath letting it out, slow and even. Eyes fluttering open to watch the seeds twirl away from him. Nothing happens and he is more than a little disappointed. He berates himself a little for thinking anything would right away, it is not as if Steve is here for Billy to watch transform. As the last seed leaves Billy lets the stem drop to the cold ground.

Billy finally gives more than the ground a good look as he stands and realizes he is all the way back at the Byers' former house.  Billy heard they moved right after that night, if the timing a coincidence or something deeper he does not know. He curses realizing the trek he has ahead of him to get back to his car. He curses more as he starts the trek back hoping he does not get lost, he does not have time for that shit.

-

When Steve finally returns to school Billy might be happy he is back, Max made a comment or two about his bright mood but he has taken to ignoring him. Steve hates it more than Billy's prior attention seeking behavior. Steve wants to turn small again and curl back into his mother's hands until her words become reality and Billy comes around.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 10 - Starting Over

Billy spends the rest of the school year avoiding Steve and pretending like he does not notice him at all. It makes Steve more than a little miserable and no amount of reassurance from Max or his mother that Billy will come around is a comfort. 

Summer sucks, no way to casually run into Billy without looking desperate and Steve gets a job at the ice cream shop in the mall because his father insists it will be good for him. He might have actually refused if the kids had not gotten wind of it and used his weakness for wishes to get him to cave.

After the first couple of days Steve does not actually mind working at Scoops Ahoy. Sure the customers can leave a lot to be desired and the uniform is stupid, don’t even get him started on the hat. But there is one bright spot, Robin. While she mostly belittles him between customers he is pretty sure he is growing on her and while her jokes are meant to be mean they land more amusing for him.

It is a usual early afternoon during the slow spot that always comes before the lunch rush hits. Steve is pretending to be defeated after using the worst pickup lines he can come up with on some girls and getting mocked by Robin. It is a good way to pass the time, break up the monotony of a slow spell. 

-

Billy didn’t realize how much he would miss just getting to see Steve having forgotten that week he was absent after a few months. Winter break had been another Steveless affair and yet it was not the same, Billy knew when he would see him again. But summer starts and there is no Steve in sight and Billy misses him. He is over being mad, mostly; there are still tender bitter spots that sneak up on him from time to time when he remembers Steve just disappearing on him all those years ago.

Billy gets a job at the local pool lifeguarding which has Neil off his ass, too much skin in the public eye for his usual antics and Max is spending as little time at home with the sun high in the sky. It is the closest thing Hawkins has to a beach and Billy is hoping to see Steve. Of course Steve does not have a reason to come around the pool when he has his own. Billy blows his whistle at a lot of people for barely any reason the day Max points that out with amusement.

Billy cannot help but be drawn to him, and now that he knows what it is, he gets it they are tethered. Now that they are in the same town pulling one another’s chain in every direction they go and he finally understands why he knows without asking that Steve is working at the mall. Even before he sees the stupid commercial on the television the constant draw could not be anything but Steve. Sure Hawkins is boring but Billy has never been much for the mall. 

Max is ridiculously easy to bribe into going with him after he figures out she will not just do it for ice creams because she already gets free ice cream. Billy reluctantly promises her arcade money to use her as an excuse. He doesn’t want Steve thinking he is coming around just to see him, even though he absolutely is. 

-

Steve turns away from Robin abruptly, excitement creeping in his veins. He feels him before the bell rings over the door and Billy walks into the ice cream shop. Steve is more than a little surprised to see him here, even if Max is on his heel. Steve was starting to worry Billy was going to continue avoiding him forever.

There are two customers that slipped through the door right before Billy and Max and Steve gives them the long spiel he is supposed to give everyone with far more enthusiasm than usual. Robin throws him side eyes left and right between getting the customers their ice cream confused by his sudden perkiness when ten minutes ago he was complaining of needing a nap and giving lackluster welcomes.

Steve cannot help the excitement, the hope pulsing in him. Billy marched in here, wasn’t dragged by Max and his eyes are boring into Steve. Max is with him but Steve can tell it is by choice. Billy came because he wanted to. Finally!

When it is finally Billy’s turn, Max is suddenly right next to him bouncing on her toes as she looks between them. Steve rips his hat off, crumpling it in his hands. “What are you having?” Max is not the only one watching them. Robin’s nose is scrunched up as her eyes ping pong between the two catching the change.

Billy raises an eyebrow, hip leaning against the counter as he moves as close as he can without leaning over it, “what I don’t get the whole spiel?”

Steve just barely parts his lips and blows out a long breath as he waves his hand forward in a swooping motion. “That’s only for paying customers.”

Steve is surprised to learn that eyebrow can go even high, almost disappearing under one of Billy’s loose curls that have escaped the loose pony he has pulled his hair up in to keep it off the back of his neck. “Who says I’m not a paying customer?” 

Steve just smiles and asks again, “what do you want, Billy?”

Steve’s gut flips as Billy licks over his teeth, “Chocolate cone.” Distance really does make the heart grow fonder because just a few months ago he found that annoying instead of attractive. 

Max pushes her way in front of Billy, slapping her hand down on the counter to get Steve’s attention as she shouts. “Strawberry for me!”

“How much, pretty boy?” Billy asks like he has not already guessed the answer, the nickname making Steve’s heart flutter, he has not heard that silly nickname since November.

Steve is pretty sure Billy is aware of the answer when he does not reach for his wallet like most when it comes time to pony up. Steve rolls his eyes, still smiling, “it’s on the house.”

"Seriously?" Robin's eyes are still ping ponging between them.

Steve doesn't look at her but he does move to the right and stomps on her toes. "Just get the ice cream," he hisses through his teeth smile strained and trying to ignore the way Max and Billy are both laughing at his antics.

Steve is too busy focusing on Billy’s nice laugh to listen to Robin fussing under her breath as she gets their cones ready. Before he can make more chit chat more customers are piling in and he is swamped taking orders. He doesn't miss the "thanks, see you around pretty boy." Billy throws his way disappointed when he looks up to find him already out the door with Max.

“What the fuck was that?” Robin is immediately on his ass about it when they have a short break between customers.

-

“That went well,” Max singsongs when they are a short distance from the ice cream shop, a drip of strawberry ice cream slips down her knuckles.

Billy’s nose scrunches, “shut up Max.” His cheeks are hot because it did go well. Better than he had hoped, he half expected Steve to be an ass to him like Billy was the last time he actually talked to him, too angry to ask him why. 

Max leans over her ice cream, head to the side of it as she licks a line from her knuckles up to where the drip started before curving around the scoop. She smacks her sticky lips and holds out a hand, "arcade money."

"I got you ice cream." Billy tries.

Predictably it does not work, Max just gives him a flat look, "Steve got me ice cream and you promised me arcade money if I went in with you so pay up."

Billy gives a long suffering sigh and forks over the money, “remember to be back home on time. I don’t want to have to come looking for you.” The again hangs in the air and Max remembers how bad Billy looked after the tunnels, when he came home without her. Just because summer means less of Neil shit doesn’t mean none of it. She nods solemnly, she does not want to see that again and she does not want Billy to have to stand between her and Neil. She has been on her best behavior since then. 

-

Billy keeps coming around the ice cream shop, sometimes with Max but less and less as the weeks stretch on and he feels more comfortable. Sometimes he is a little bit of an ass the same way Steve can be when he is particularly agitated with the customers, or Robin picking on him or the kids. But it is the highlight of Steve’s day when Billy comes around, a little pick me up even if it does lead to prodding from Robin he refuses to answer.

Today is Steve's day off though and he decides to turn the tables. He is not a big fan of swimming in his own pool by himself after the reveal that a portal opened up and took Barb to the upside down. He is still not sure how that stuff works? Is it going to stay closed? His parents are off on a trip at the moment and not around to drag outside and he does not like the idea of the kids in the pool, supervised or not, and Robin still has not taken his offer to hang outside of work. He is pretty sure he is wearing her down though. So with the growing summer heat it is a perfect time for a trip to the local swimming pool.

He gets to the pool around ten before the shift change and Billy is not here yet. Just Bret and some guy Steve vaguely remembers from his lifeguard days supervising the town's old timers and a few younger kids before the older ones wake and rush down to enjoy the pool. Steve finds himself a lounge on the side furthest from the parking lot and the building, where he will not have to move later to keep getting good sun. He lays out his towel and applies his sunscreen, he is looking to work on his tan a little not burn and settles down to wait for Billy to show.

-

Billy is doing his changing of the shift walk, making a show of it, chest puffed out drawing the admiration of many of the Hawkins moms. They are not the only ones, Heather and a few girls his own age are there watching too, Billy enjoys the attention, drinking it up. He goes by unnoticed to the kids in the pool, absorbed in their games of splashing and trying to dunk their friends beneath the lukewarm water. He might blow his whistle if his attention was not already being drawn.

There is one other person not paying him any mind, snoozing on a lounger a distance away. Billy feels the familiar draw, a tether pulling tight the closer he gets but it is not until he is close enough to see the mole speckled pinking skin that he believes it.  

Billy narrows his eyes and marches over. Dropping by the workplace is his thing! Billy stands over Steve blocking the sun and knocking his foot against the leg of the lounger until sleepy eyes blink open, “what are you doing here?”

Steve yawns and rolls onto his hip, showing off skin covered in stripes from the plastic digging in while he slept. “Currently laying out sunbathing,” he bats at Billy’s thigh lightly, trying to urge him to move out of his light, not that the hint is taken, “at least I was trying to.”

Billy rolls his eyes, pulling his sunglasses down to give Steve an unimpressed look, still refusing to move when he bats at his thighs again, “you have a pool at your house.”

Steve stops batting, rolling all the way onto his back, hand falling to his stomach as he squints up at Billy, “it gives me the heebie jeebies.”

“Whatever,” Billy scrunches his nose up, eyeing the way Steve’s skin is already pink on this side too, “you’re going to burn, put sunscreen on.” Tells himself he does not want Steve bitching the next time he is in the ice cream parlor when really he just does not want to see that pretty skin painfully red and peeling.

Steve hums and stretches one hand under the lounger, digging in a bag, making a triumphant noise when he finds what he is looking for. “Want to help me reapply?” Steve asks with a challenging grin as he holds up a bottle of sunscreen, rotating it back and forth in his hand. 

Billy should not, he knows it but he has never been good at denying what he wants or backing down from a challenge, “guess someone needs to get your back.”

-

Steve applies the sunscreen to all of the places he can easily reach without contorting and though he does not actually need help getting his back he hands the bottle over to Billy and flips onto his stomach. He folds his arms and rests his head in them, looking down through the slats in the lounge, biting his lip as sun lotion splashes over his back. He bites his lip harder when a few moments later hands are sliding through the lotion spreading it around.

Steve is pretty sure Billy has covered his whole back already but those hands are still lingering. They press over his shoulder, digging into tender spots that make it hard to keep quiet. Breathing heavily through his nose when they slide low again, thumbs skimming against the edge of his trunks before following along as the rest of Billy’s fingers curl over the edge of his hips and then back up again.

Steve is overheated, slowly losing it under those talented hands. His breath hitching, an almost sound escaping him, and Billy presses his fingers into that same spot again like he heard him over the ruckus the kids make in the pool. It is when he sees the dandelion sprouting between cracks in the cement below him that Steve abruptly puts a stop to it.

Steve jerks up, knows he nearly head butts Billy by the annoyed look and the brush of curls he feels against his back. “I think I'm covered!” He is flushed and the way Billy looks him over before smirking is not helping!

“Anytime Harrington,” there is a pleased laugh in Billy’s stomach, one that has the dandelion that cropped up under the lounger blooming as Steve’s stomach flips. He flops back down on the lounger trying to pretend like he cannot feel Billy’s eyes on him when he gets up on his throne to guard the pool. It is hard, harder still pretending like he does not enjoy being under those blue eyes.

-

It becomes part of their thing, Steve showing up at the pool and trading words and maybe a rub down with Billy. Still more often than not Billy finds himself coming into Scoops, his shifts often ending long before the mall closes and while the cool air and the cold ice cream does have some appeal it is still just an excuse to see Steve. 

Billy saunters in during the post dinner lull after closing the pool for the night. Steve is leaned against the counter back to him, Scoops hat crumpled in his hand as he moves his hand around while talking to his coworker. Robin says something that has the hat tossed at her face, the girl spluttering and laughing as Steve whirls around and smiles at Billy.

Billy raises an eyebrow as he closes the distance and leans his hip against the counter. “Chocolate cone?” Steve asks because it is what Billy always orders and Robin is already moving over to the ice box with a cone in hand before he nods. “I go on break in a few minutes. I can bring it over to you.” Steve offers pointing toward a booth near the exit, far from the counter.

“Sure,” Billy could sit anywhere, no one is actually in the parlor but him at the moment and just to be a little shit he takes the booth on the opposite side of the door, still just as far away for privacy.  Billy slides in facing the counter and smirks when he catches Steve rolling his eyes and shaking his head over his choice.

Billy watches Robin and Steve whispering for a few minutes, the girl making up two cones and handing them over just as the bell rings over the door and a family of four come in. Steve high tails it out from behind the counter, ignoring the threatening look Robin gives him. He presents a customer service smile to the family but as soon as he is past them he is pretending to gag.

Billy chuckles as Steve slides into the booth across from him and hands him a cone, a strawberry one in his own hand “What are you doing?”

Steve raises his eyebrows as he slurps his tongue across the sugary pink, “eating ice cream.”

Billy rolls his eyes at the ‘isn’t it obvious tone’, lips pursed, “why are you doing it over here?”

Steve hums, taking another long lick, forcing Billy to turn his eyes toward Robin at the counter, handing over what looks to be a sixth or maybe eighth sample of ice cream, the vein in her forehead twitching. “I thought maybe you would like some company,” Steve moves toward the edge of the booth like he might actually as he says, “if not I can-”

Billy is pretty sure it is a bluff but he still cuts him off, “no stay.” Steve grins and Billy huffs, “I’m still mad at you”

Steve’s mouth hangs open, a drip of pink ice cream caught on his lips slowly threatening to fall. Billy rubs his fingers together fighting the urge to reach over there and wipe it away. It is a losing battle but before he can give in Steve licks his lips, catching it before scoffing, “If anyone gets to be mad it’s me. You left me!”

Billy’s nose scrunches up as he hisses, “I was a kid.” He would be shouting if that family of four was not still here working their way through even more samples.

“I don’t care,” Steve turns his body away from Billy’s arms crossed, nose upturned.

“You’re a fucking brat,” Billy accuses pointing at Steve with his ice cream cone. Annoyed when Steve leans forward and licks his cone, pulling it back quickly before he can get another taste.

Steve grins and shrugs, changing the subject away from old wounds, "you got plans tomorrow night?"

Other than avoiding Neil after work Billy has nothing, probably coming back in here during the afternoon before his shift for more ice cream and another glimpse of Steve but he is not about to say either of those things even if one of them is obvious. "Not really."

"You want to come over after work?" Steve knows his schedule just like Billy knows his.

Billy pretends to be thinking, eyes going up just enough to seem like it while keeping Steve in view. He watches Steve huff and put an elbow on the table licking at his ice cream cone while the other one works off some of that agitation by pulling at a loose thread on his neckerchief. It is when he notices Robin shooting Steve impatient looks. Steve tries to pretend like he does not notice,  the ruse obvious as he sinks lower in the booth as his break comes to an end and the family of four leave without purchasing anything that Billy shrugs, "Sure, I get off work at four."

Steve grins at him, another tempting sticky smear of pink caught on his lips. Steve is already sliding out of the booth, holding out what is left of his ice cream for Billy to take, mostly cone his favorite part of getting ice cream. Billy takes it, their fingers brushing and he half expects sparks but it is just skin against skin that has his stomach flipping as he pulls his hands back and takes a bite out of the cone.

Steve’s grin gets even wider, “k seven thirty then, I'll order pizza." It dims considerably as he pulls the sailor hat out of his back pocket and puts it on his head. Billy finishes the cone before going back to his own ice cream, in a similar state to the one Steve had handed him. He crunches the cone, a little bit of melted chocolate ice cream dribbling down his chin as he listens to Steve and Robin banter until the next customer comes in.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 11 - Closer

The doorbell rings at half past seven and Steve rushes down stairs but not fast enough, his mom is the one who opens the door. “Oh hello Billy ,” he wants to face palm at the emphasis she puts on his name. She is not even supposed to be here, it is like they somehow knew he invited Billy over and came home early from their trip just to pester. “What brings you here?” she asks as if she is not aware, Steve cannot keep secrets from her.

Steve rushes down the last few steps and wedges himself between his mother and the door to see Billy in a red button down and tight jeans, hair washed and curled. “Hey Billy,” Steve wants to touch those curls but he settles for grabbing Billy’s hand and dragging him inside past his snickering mother. “Let's go upstairs.”

“I’ll let you know when the pizza is here. Nice to see you again Billy.”

“Likewise Mrs. Harrington,” Billy responds like they are old friends, laughing when Steve drags him all the way upstairs and to the right this time. “Just couldn’t wait to get me alone pretty boy?”

Steve pinks with a small smile at Billy’s teasing as he shuts the door behind them, “shut up,” he hides the stain of his cheeks by digging around under his bed for the shoe box he keeps his weed in. “You want to smoke?”

Billy eyes the box as Steve shakes it, “you got good stuff?”

Steve grins, “best Hawkins has to offer,” or at least the best Eddie and Rick have to offer.

“Pizza is even better when you're high. What kind of pizza is coming anyhow?” Billy flops down on the bed next to Steve watching him set up to roll a joint.

“Got a plain one, since my mom doesn't like anything but cheese on her pizza and meat lovers.” Steve says absently as he starts rolling.

“What if I don’t like those?” Billy asks with a raised eyebrow

“You look like you’re into meat.” Steve tells him with a grin.

Billy punches him in the shoulder but he is laughing as he says, “shut your fucking mouth and hurry up with that.”

-

They end up on the roof of the first story outside of Steve's window, the brown speckled roofing scratchy when Billy rests his palm down and leans back. He turns toward Steve watching him take a long drag before the joint is being passed to him. 

Their fingers brush as Steve blows the smoke out and asks, “why didn’t you look for me?” Max had told him but he wants to hear it from Billy.

Billy’s nose scrunches up, “I thought I made you up.” He sighs, shifting forward off his hand and scrubs it through his curls, “like an imaginary friend.” He takes a long drag himself, holding it in longer than Steve, until his lungs ache from the lack of air and he is forced to blow the smoke out and take in fresh air.  “Why didn’t you follow me?” Max has the answers, Billy knows that but he shuts her down every time she tries to explain. He does not want to hear it from her, he wants Steve to tell him.

Steve's bottom lip juts out as he leans over against his hiked up knees. “I tried, I got scratches and burns and caught in some lady's purse when I tried to find you at the gas station and then you were gone and I was stuck and I ended up at the Harrington house and my mom found me.” It is the short version but it sums it up well and he does not want to rehash all of the details.

“Found you?” Billy takes another drag from the joint, it is something he has been curious about. How Steve ended up a Harrington.

“That night I went to sleep in her garden, she did not appreciate finding a dandelion mixed in among her prized flowers." Steve smiles at the memory, he does not know what would have happened to him if she had not found him and taken him in. 

Billy is pretty sure he knows the answer but he asks to be sure, "they treat you right?" He holds the joint out, nudging it against Steve’s shoulder to get his attention.

Their fingers brush again, lingering as Steve rests his head on his knees and smiles at him, "yeah they're good to me."

"Good," Billy nods, turning away from that bright smile. He is kind of glad they lost each other when he thinks about it. What would have happened to Steve if he had come with Billy back to Neil? Nothing good that’s for sure.

"Will you tell me about California? I've never been." Steve asks, the words a little muffled with the joint between his lips. 

The joint glows as he takes a long drag under Billy's incredulous look, "you’ve got richie rich parents and they’ve never taken you out to Cali?" 

Steve hums and nods, before blowing out smoke, “they're more leave the country travelers than other states.” The only time he has been to another state is on school field trips and occasional sporting events but those have never taken him very far away from Indiana.

Billy blows out a huff of air that makes the curl hanging in his face flutter, “that’s a fucking shame pretty boy California is the best.” Billy takes the joint back as he starts telling Steve all about his favorite things back in California, from the beaches to his friends, to some of his favorite haunts.

Steve shares about some of his travels abroad and of course about Hawkins. Somehow his dating history comes up and his reputation because of course Billy has heard all about that from Tommy.

"I can't believe you fucked all these Hawkins cows." Billy gruffs as if he has any room to talk, Steve has heard the rumors about him and those same girls.

"I didn't fuck all of them,” Steve huffs, a lot of them sure but everyone was having fun so who cares, “besides it’s not like you were around.” Steve’s fingers twitch, wanting to grab the joint but there is nothing left but a roach too small to take a hit off in the little ashtray he brought out with them. His mom complains when he ashes on the roof or over the edge insisting that it always ends up in her flower beds. “What was I supposed to do just sit around twiddling my thumbs while you were off fucking whoever?"

Billy grins, “you sound jealous."

"You have no room to talk!”

The huffy outrage just makes Billy’s stomach flutter pleasantly. "Maybe I am jealous," he shrugs, playing at nonchalant.

Steve's cheeks darken in the low light as his shoulder bumps Billy's, the two of them moving closer the longer they sat on the little awning. “Maybe I am too."

"I fucking knew it!" Billy cackles, ignoring the way that fluttering in his belly gets worse, like a tickle of those soft dandelion seeds are dancing around.

"Oh shut up," Steve's face pinches up and he tries to move away.

Billy does not let him, arm curling over his neck challenging, “make me.”

Steve takes the challenge, pushing Billy back, pulled down by the hold around his neck. Steve ends up on top of Billy, the two of them pushing and shoving at one another. He is not on top for long though, Billy hooking a meaty thigh around his and rolling them until Steve finds himself underneath. They are still grappling, Steve shoving his hips up and both of them flushing as Billy presses his hips down to keep him in place.

There is heat between them, sweat, groans, and laughs as they keep playfully fighting. Hands shifting from pushing away to pulling closer, Billy’s curls coming free and fanning out around Steve’s face, close enough their breath mingles. Steve chews his bottom lip, a hand sliding up Billy’s arm toward his shoulder as a thumb rubs against his straining pulse. 

Billy is leaning closer, barely aware of it until their noses brush. He should pull away, sock Steve in the stomach and leave but that is not an option. Not really because they are connected and this was always coming, building. At least since Billy got old enough to realize he prefers men over women.

The glass door below them, leading out to the pool from the living room screeches as it opens. It is like a bucket of cold water splashing over them and Steve’s hand is still on Billy’s arm when he rolls off him but he doesn’t try to hold him there. “Steven, why is my garden filled with dandelions? What are you boys getting up to?” Steve groans and pushes up and to the edge of the roof and sure enough the flowerbeds are full of dandelions.

“We’re not doing anything,” Steve's voice is high at the end. Billy, curious, pushes up to look over too, amusement filling him when he sees all of the dandelions that were not there when they first came out here and he took a look below them.

“Sure you're not my little dandelion. You two can keep doing nothing later, the pizza is here, come in and eat.” With that Annette disappears back inside, muttering under her breath about all of the gardening she is going to have to do to get her flower beds back in order.

If it were any other boy, anyone else's parents Billy would be running for the hills right now. But there is something about Steve’s mother and her casual attitude about what they might have been up to that makes her feel safe. “You’re mom seems…” he trails off trying to find the word and settles on, “open.”

Steve frowns for half a second before understanding dawns on him and he rubs the back of his head with a bashful admittance, “yeah, she caught me and Tommy not so innocently practice kissing and never even batted an eye.”

“Seriously fucking Hagan? You’ve got shit taste.” Billy is not actually surprised to hear it, no wonder Tommy is so hung up on him, it makes so much more sense knowing they used to practice kissing.

 Steve shoves Billy’s shoulder, “oh shut up,” hand lingering sliding from red cotton down to the freckled flesh of elbow.

Billy is not jealous; he swears but he sounds it even to himself when he asks, “you make weeds bloom for him too?” Tone too harsh to be anything else.

“They aren’t weeds!” Steve’s nose scrunches up in his indignation, nails pinching at the sensitive flesh of Billy’s elbow before he more quietly adds, “and no, those are just for you.”

Billy barely even feels the stinging pain of the pinch, too busy puffing his chest out, stomach turning molten over knowing those are just for him. 

-

Billy is barely out the door before Annette is asking, “so, how are things going with Billy?” Steve does not care for her tone or the way she waggles his eyebrows at his dad like they are sharing a joke.

“We’re just friends,” Steve insists even though it feels like more. He has always been Billy’s and Billy has always been his. It feels natural, this thing blossoming between them.

“The state of my garden would suggest otherwise.” Annette teases, Franklin badly hiding his snuffling laughter behind a newspaper.

“Mom!” Steve feels heat in his cheeks.

“What,” She throws her hands up like she is not trying to make him combust of embarrassment and of course she keeps going. “When you first started experiencing wet dreams I could hardly keep up with all of the dandelions that kept cropping up.”

“MOM!” Steve does not need a reminder of that. He could not will them away very well then either so it is not as if he could hide their existence. Every morning was spent helping his mother pull them from her flower beds before he finally got some control. He is pretty sure she is going to wake him bright and early and he is not so sure willing them away is going to work on so many.

“Oh there's nothing wrong with it sweety. You must really like him to not be able to control it around him.” His mother coos, her face giving away how sweet she finds it as she reaches for him looking to pull him into a hug.

Steve dodges it feeling a little faint with all of the blood in his face. “I’m going to my room and I never want to speak about this again.” He points a finger at her as if that is going to do anything except make her awe.

“Oh honey, it's nothing to be ashamed of.” Steve shakes that finger at her and starts back stepping toward the stairs.

Franklin grabs Annette before she can try and make chase, pulling her down to sit on his lap, “leave him be dear,” for one blissful second Steve thinks his dad is on his side, he should know better, the man is always on his moms side, “he gets any reader and he might bust and you know what a mess that will be.”

“I hate you both!” Steve dramatizes, both of them cackling as he darts upstairs to yell his embarrassment into his pillow.

-

Billy is closing up the pool, something he has taken to doing a lot, a good excuse to stay out of the house and it means the showers are free and he can clean up before going to see Steve. He has been putting more effort in since they talked it out, since Steve explained he did try and stay and Billy admits he could have looked harder.

There is less denial about why he comes around now. Billy just looks forward to seeing Steve. Likes hanging out with him, like his parents even if their teasing can turn his cheeks pink. Though watching Steve choke when his mother announces that his lover boy is here meaning Billy is kind of funny after he gets over his own shock. Now puffing his chest out and leaning on the door in a way that stretches him out, muscles on display. Likes to try his hand at getting dandelions to sprout. 

He is thinking about paying Steve a surprise visit tonight. They have plans tomorrow but that seems too long a time to wait. Billy heads to the locker room in need of a shower to clean away the sweat and hopefully get rid of some of the chlorine smell that seems to stick to his skin from this job off.

Billy frowns when he walks in and feels off. He is not sure what has the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up. He grabs a mop kept by the door, the only thing within reach to even consider using as a weapon. No one is going to fear an ever damp towel or the faulty flotation device hanging on the wall that actually sinks if you try to use it. 

Billy shouts when a noise sounds further back, making him jump and whirl, mop at the ready, “Who the fuck is here!” 

Nothing answers as Billy squints his eyes against the dim light and takes careful steps forward. He looks left and right as he goes searching for any sign of someone messing with him but it is probably just raccoons again. Only things did not feel this ominous during the recurring raccoon break-ins that occupied his first week and the little gluttons mostly stick to the snack booth and its little stockroom.

Billy jumps as the handle of the mop knocks into one of the low hanging lights and sends it swinging with an unappealing screeching noise. He scrunches his nose as the shadows of the bench grow and shift with the light. He tucks the broom in a little closer to himself, feeling foolish. 

There is nothing here, just his own imagination, at least that is what he tries to tell himself but he still feels a sense of unease. Billy does his best to shake it off, he has better things to do than chase down imagined things or kids playing pranks and especially not those raccoons, they bite. 

Billy drops the broom down, setting it to lean against the lockers before peeling off his tank top, the sticky heat is worse in here, always wet and damp and it annoyingly sticks to him. He glances toward the back again, squinting against the dim light and still sees nothing so he moves toward the showers rolling his shoulders.

His sandals slap against the tile, louder as he gets to the space with the showers. There is no door separating it from the rest of the locker room, just an arch way. The drains are not quite doing their job lately and neither is the summer heat, the floor covered in a thin layer of water. He heads to the last stall near the back, the one with the best water pressure and—

There is a noise again, a bang closer this time, the broom falling and hitting the tile. Billy's shoulders go tense, rolling them as he grits his teeth. He is getting really tired of whatever this is. “Fuck off!” He shouts intent to just ignore it after that. But he cannot ignore the tap on his shoulder, turning around with anger bubbling over.

The fight drains back out of him as he turns and sees himself, blinking as it smiles, teeth lined with something inky and black. “What the fuck?” Billy mutters scrambling back until his back hits the shower knob and it starts raining on his look alike. The water does not touch it, it does not even seem to notice it and Billy relaxes, “just a stupid dream.”

Dream or not it is unnerving when it smiles at him again. Billy shouts head knocking against the tile when something comes through it, body going misty where a reddish black tentacle shoots through it. There is nowhere to go, it catches Billy around the neck, cutting off his scream as it tightens before slamming his body against the ground through his own doppelganger still smiling as the tentacle drags him into the dark.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 12 - Nightmare

Steve is tired, Dustin is back and of course sticking his nose where it does not belong. Russian codes, in Hawkins? It sounds laughable but he has proof and it is not as if it would be the most bizarre thing to come to Hawkins. His parents are out of town again and he desperately wishes they were back so he could loop them in but they are celebrating their anniversary so he does not want to bring it up even when he speaks to them on the phone.

Billy has not come around in the last few days despite them having plans and Steve’s schedule has not allowed for a drop by at the pool. Maybe tomorrow, he is off tomorrow and Dustin wanted help with more planning but it is not like Steve is very good at that anyhow. The kid is going to be doing the bulk of the work, Steve can be a little late, relax by the pool and see his favorite person. 

There is a thrum of excitement in him before the doorbell rings and Steve knows exactly who it will be. He jumps off the couch, practically running for the door.

-

Billy stands outside of Steve’s front door feeling sick with sweat as he waits in the heat for it to open. It is too hot but at least the sun has been down for an hour and the thing that has taken up residence under his skin is not making him actively burn. 

He should not be here. It does not feel right. Does not feel safe. 

Before he can actually get his limbs to move, to high tail it out of here and put as much distance between him and Steve as possible the door is thrown open, cool air and yellow light washing over him. Steve stands there smiling, a halo of light behind him, “Why didn’t you just come in, you know where the key is.”

It would be so easy to push him inside and snap his neck. Maybe let him get a little ahead and make a game out of it. So many ways they could make him bleed before they take him— A gentle hand brushes against his sweaty overheated forehead, Steve frowning as he asks, “Billy, are you okay?”

Billy flinches away from it as more images of Steve bloody and hurting flash in his mind, “I’m fine.”

Steve frowns. He does not believe that for a second but he knows better than to press when Billy is being cagey like this, “come on I got beer.”

“I’m not staying,” he cannot. If he does, it will make him do something terrible to Steve. It has been making him do all sorts of terrible things, things he cannot remember but the flashes, he knows from them that none of it is good.

“Okay…”

Billy needs Steve to keep his distance to stay as far away from him as possible and though it is a bold face lie he still forces the words out, “I don’t want to see you around anymore.”

Steve jerks at the words, caught off guard, “What?”

“Stop coming around the pool, stop hanging around all the time!” Billy raises his voice trying to drown out the one in his own head that wants to add Steve’s flesh to the body. Whatever the fuck that means. He is trying really hard not to think about it, it feels like he is going crazy. 

“Is this— did Neil do something?” Steve reaches out for Billy and he jerks back out of range before that hand can land on him.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Billy says the words with so much force they come with spit. He cannot let Steve touch him, cannot lose what little control he has in this moment, the moment he loses that it is going to be over, that thing will swallow him back down and he will wake up with Steve’s blood under his nails he just knows it. “It’s not Neil it’s you, you’re to fucking clingy. I need space.”

Steve is still trying, taking a step out the door to get closer to him with a worried, “Bill-”

Billy cuts him off, “I wish you’d give me some fucking space.” Billy feels it like an open wound when he hits his intended mark. 

Steve feels it like a slap to the face, red hot anger washing over him, “fuck you have all the space you want asshole!” Steve steps back inside slamming the door in Billy’s face. He slams his back against it and pulls the lock for once, hurt and angry that Billy would use wishing against him like that. He slides down the door curling against his knees. Suddenly hanging out with Dustin tomorrow is the only good thing he has going.

Billy stands there in the heat and dark of the night, wishing things were different. Wishing he did not have to push Steve away like that. It does not last long, the thing that has been under his skin since that night at the pool is angry and determined to find someone new to add to the flesh. Billy feels it swallowing him up, pushing him down into the box of his own mind and it is better to go than see what happens so he does not fight, just lets it drag him down. 

-

The next day Steve throws himself more fully into the investigation of the code. If his new found enthusiasm is noticed no one says anything. Besides they have to focus on recruiting Erica and getting into that elevator. There is little time for Steve to focus on his relationship drama between customers and the code.

-

Billy is losing more time, less aware of what he might have been up to but there is no benign explanation for the tape and rope in his trunk or the blood he keeps washing from under his nails. There is constantly a foul taste in his mouth and his sense of smell is off, a burn in his stomach that only ice and saltines can soothe. Even that is barely a balm for the nausea rolling in his stomach as he sits up in the lifeguard stand, feeling like he is burning alive.

No one is around to take over his duty but he cannot stand it anymore, climbing down off the tower, the burn worsening as he leaves the shade of the umbrella. There is luck for any would-be drowners as Heather comes shuffling out of the locker room and upon noticing his strange abrupt exit heads for the stand to take up the mantle of lifeguard on duty.

Billy hurries toward the privacy and shade of the supply shed. It is still too hot but it is not as if the locker room is actually any better with its lukewarm water and humid air. It is the best he can do on short notice.

Before he can make it inside his vision fuzzes out, spotting black and he is lost. He doesn’t know for how long but when he comes back to awareness there is a bottle of chlorine in his hand and Mrs. Wheeler is asking about private lessons . 

There is a scenario flashing through Billy’s mind of him suggesting a hotel at the edge of town that may or may not have a pool. It is not as if swimming lessons is what she is actually here for. There will be no lessons of any kind if she meets him. She will not make it home to her boring suburb with her children who deserves a mother after. No if she meets him she will be added to something he cannot quite name. 

It is the thought of little Holly Wheeler with her lopsided pigtails because Ted brought her to class this morning on a rare day off. Her toothy smile, with a lips from a missing tooth as she tells Billy excitedly about something she did the night before that helps him wrestle back a modicum of control from the thing controlling him. 

Billy turns sharply the jug of chlorine slipping past his finger and dropping to the cement under foot with a dull thunk before it tips over and spills. Billy barely looks at Karen as he pushes her aside hard enough she knock her into the shelves lining that wall making them give a precarious groan. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

Billy stomps out of the small room ignoring Karen's bewildered look. The heat burning across his skin from the sun high in the sky makes it harder for that creature to take hold again. For a short painful time Billy has a reprieve from it but he knows it will not last and soon enough it will muster enough to drag him under again.

-

Billy is vaguely aware of seeking safety in the locker room to balm the damage the sun has caused, still stinging after it has set. Sometimes he is closer to the surface, like with Mrs. Wheeler. He is sitting on the disgusting tile floor, he knows Bret was on the schedule to clean it this week and he knows that did not happen. The man barely watches the pool on his shift. He is not doing any extra tasks even if they are part of the job.

The water spraying down on him soaks him through clothes and all, curls hanging limp in his face, soft and sodden with the water. The water helps drag him closer to the surface. He is trying to figure out how long he was under this time. What horrors were committed with his hands?

He is crying, scared of himself and shaking under the lukewarm water. The creak of the door has him flinching, cowering away, and shaking harder as footsteps come closer. “Billy?” Heather calls as she comes close enough that the cement between stalls is not blocking her. 

No, no, no! She should not be here. Billy tries to tell her to leave, to run but he no longer has control of his mouth and she is moving closer. The tears come faster as the wet slap of her flip flops against the ever damp floor stops and she kneels in front of him.

Her dark eyes are sad and concerned as she looks at him, “I can tell something is wrong Billy, let me help?” Billy wants to shake his head and push her away as she squats down and leans closer hand out, gentle as she brushes his cheek. He can feel it swelling up, feel it pushing him down even further and he gladly lets it not wanting to see what happens to Heather. 

-

Max has a sinking worry growing in the pit of her stomach when Will tells them what he has been feeling. It is not hard to put the pieces together. To take what El has been insisting to heart. Billy had been strange at Heather’s house, strange enough he was there to begin with instead of at Steve’s. Stranger still was how nice he was even with an audience, it is not as if Heather’s parents are Neil, they do not need the full act and usually he is a little more sibling exasperated at the very least. 

She knows in her gut that thing has Billy but she denies it. She does not want to believe it. Hopes that he is just being weird and that nothing will come of the sauna test.

-

“What’s got your panties in a twist dingus?” Robin asks when he makes one too many snippy comments at them. Snippy comments are kind of his thing but he seems to be extra put off by everything the last few days.

“Nothing, this plan is just stupid,” Steve huffs trying to pretend like he is not taking his anger at Billy and his worry about Erica and the Russians out on them.

Robin doesn’t let it go, watching his shoulders tense up as he shifts up to watch the elevator over the side of the roof. “You’re not fooling anyone. You’ve been bitchier than usual.”

“Like you’re a ray of fucking sunshine all the time.” Steve grumbles, keeping an eye out for any possible Russians looking to make use of the elevator while Erica is infiltrating.

“Is this about Hargrove?” Dustin asks out of the blue with a disapproving tone, catching Robin’s attention.

Billy has not been in since the kid came back, has been shockingly absent despite his near daily visit when Steve is on the clock. Robin knows something is going on there, or well she suspects, they were not friendly enough for her to consider praying before but she wants to know. Billy has always had a vibe about him despite his reputation, Steve on the other hand has always seemed like he could not be any straighter. But if you cannot tell your coworker who helped you break a secret Russian code and is now an invested member of the Scoops Troop, name pending, who can you tell about your kind of maybe secret boyfriend. Or maybe it is ex-boyfriend on account of Billy’s absences and Steve’s shitty attitude.

Before she can ask any prying question, no intention of anything too obvious with Dustin right there in case his huffy attitude about Billy is unrelated they are hurrying off the roof to go check out the now open elevator. She will have to wait until later to pry.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 13 -

Billy is hot, heat threatening to boil him alive when he is pushed up to the surface once more. He squints around taking in the light wooden interior and the steam threatening to burn his lungs. He is on the floor of the pool sauna. It hurts, it hurts so much and confusion fills him as he recognizes Max standing at the door looking at him through the shattered window. 

“It's not my fault! It’s not my fault Max I promise you,” Billy folds his hands like he is praying as tears and sweat drip down his chin. 

“What’s not your fault Billy?” Max asks, voice sodden, bottom lip wobbling as she stares at him.

“I’ve done things Max, really bad things.” Billy rocks, he still cannot remember all of it but there are flashes, things that make his blood curdle and his stomach churn. “I didn’t mean to. He made me do it!”

“Who made you do it?”

“I don’t know, it’s like a shadow. Like a giant shadow.” The mind flayer is getting stronger again and Billy can feel it stirring, pulling him back under, sinking below the surface with one final desperate plea. “Please Max!”

-

Max’s worst fears are confirmed when the sauna test not only proves that Billy is possessed by the mind flayer but fails to get it out of him. 

She doesn't know what to do when the sauna fails and Billy breaks out, black veins making him scarier than even an angry Neil or the demodogs from the year before. They barely manage to escape, pure luck of Lucas' excellent aim and El keeping them safe this time but just barely. 

When they get to the cabin she wanders outside despite claims from Lucas that it is not safe. It is El, head cocked like she is looking deeper that has them letting Max go.

She does not go far, does not need to. Even in the dark there is enough moonlight to make out the white puffed heads of dandelions nearby. She rubs at her face as a tear tries to fall and flops onto the ground making a few of the closest dandelions’ seeds scatter to the wind. She picks up the closest one that is still fully intact and does the one thing she thinks might actually save Billy. She makes a wish. 

-

Going into a secret Russian elevator with his coworker and two kids was a terrible plan. One Steve deeply regrets. Especially as the four of them are currently running for their lives trying to escape a bunch of angry men in uniform. 

“I think we’ve lost them for the moment, we should catch our breath.” Even Steve, the one athlete out of the bunch, is feeling the burn in both his legs and lungs. He is not sure if it has been that much running or if too much ice cream is taking its toll. 

Robin is doing better than the kids, hand on Steve’s shoulder as she leans forward and takes in heaving breaths. Erica shoots them irritated looks between panting breaths clearly regretting the deal she struck with them that made her a party to this.

Dustin is a little wheezy as he asks, "Steve do you maybe want to you know-" circling his hand encompassing Steve making an annoyed face when he gets a confused look in return. "You know your little plant thing."

"How is that going to help us in this situation?" Steve sneers at Dustin, what does he want him to do? Litter the place in dandelion seeds? Or maybe just make a bunch sprout up. Steve is pretty sure they cannot reach him down here, he tried in the elevator hoping a wish might help them. There is too much concrete between him and any available seed that might come slithering to him, which is the only reason there is not a trail of them sprouting up and leading the Russians right toward them. He could really use one right about now.  

"What are you nerds talking about?” Erica asks, eyeing them with suspicion the way she always does her brother when he tries to keep secrets.

Robin misunderstands completely with a disapproving, "I don't think getting high with kids in an underground Russian base is a winning plan." You get high with your coworker once and they assume you get high with everyone. Steve takes offense to that, making an annoyed face at her and pulling his shoulder back. She can hold herself up! Robin just rolls her eyes at him.

"That is not what we're talking about," Dustin scoffs side-eyeing Steve again. "You know, like Antman."

"I don't know who that is."

"What!" Dustin starts gesturing like he is trying to mime who Antman is, as if that is going to make Steve understand.

Sometimes he gets really tired of the kids assuming he should know things just because they know them. He rubs at his temple with a sigh, "now is not the time for your dramatics."

"If you get us caught I am throwing all of you under the bus!" Erica says, doing nothing for their stealth as her voice echoes off the walls just as much as Dustin’s.

The sound of footsteps is getting too close for comfort again, "how about we get moving, you know before they do catch us." Steve starts herding them all in the opposite direction he thinks the soldiers are coming from.

-

Billy has flashes, knows his body is doing things without his consent again but even seeing Max and feeling her hair against his palm as he, it, whatever is controlling him almost catches her is not enough for him to break free from its hold.

He begs for his mom, for Max, but most of all for Steve. His boy, the one who is supposed to be by his side always. With his pretty laugh and his deep eyes and the spots Billy wants to count. He is angry with himself for pushing him away even though he knows Steve would have tried to help like Heather and just like her he would have ended up a part of that flesh pile, would have wound up like all of the others Billy’s body brought to be flayed. 

He is pushed down, time and time again, into the box that looks like his room while the mind flayer does what it wants with his body. He is alone until he is not. The mind flayer slithering in even to this small corner, a trap for the little girl who appears before him. He vaguely recognizes her in relation to Max, Billy thinks they are friends.

When she reaches for him, he is not the one who reaches out and grabs her. The mind flayer pushes her away, sending her falling back through flashes of memory, showing her flashes of what happened to him. Billy shies away from the memories, hiding back in the box of his mind after seeing that thing drag him into the deserted warehouse. He does not want the reminder and he does not want to see what happens to her either. 

-

This hurts, Steve somehow forgot how much getting punched in the face hurts. Billy had barely tapped him before he burst into a pile of dandelion seed and Johnathan had not hit nearly as hard as these Russians. Each sting brings new pain and he wants it to stop but his only escape would be to shrink and there is no way he wants the Russians to find out about that. 

At least the kids got away, but Robin had not, stuck in the same predicament as him. He does not know where she is, cannot hear her close by. All he can do is throw more sass and hope she is not being treated the same as him.  Honestly how many times does he have to tell them he works at Scoops Ahoy before they realize he is not some spy? He is barely eighteen, what sort of spy would he even make? 

The more pain he is in the more his mouth runs, offering ice cream in exchange for release as if they are as bribable as Erica. For one moment they seem favorable, or maybe it is the ache in his face making him a little lightheaded, reading the room wrong. 

The older Russian’s face shifts from laughing to deadly serious again and Steve knows what is coming. “Who do you work for?” He wants to cry. He does cry when the next fist connects, pain lacing up his stomach this time.

-

When Steve is dragged into another room to find Robin looking relatively unharmed, it is a relief. At least she is okay. Robin shouts at the Russians, warming Steve's heart as she worries about him. The elation of her relative safety is washed out by the new pain that comes as he is manhandled into the chair behind her and strapped to it. 

His head hurts and he knows he should say something to her, reassure he is going to be alright but his head feels heavy, tongue thick. The jab of a needle in the neck makes him a little more alert, hissing in pain as it burns. 

-

It is hard to take their rescue seriously when they are both drugged even though he is pretty sure Dustin killed that asshole doctor. Not as if the man didn’t have it coming. Steve can read the exasperation in both Erica and Dustin, he just cannot find it in himself to care. It is not that Robin and him aren’t taking things seriously. No, it is that the kids are being too serious for the situation!

Everything blurs, a golf cart ride, more time spent in one of Steve’s new least favorite places, the elevator. It all happens for him in flashes, muddled by the chemicals in his mind. Hiding from more Russians? How in the world did everyone in Hawkins miss them? A movie he is pretty sure he would not understand even without the drugs. The best water he has ever had in his life, like seriously that water fountain must be celebrated!

Puking. He hates puking! He lays there with his face against the cool tile, the mood turning light despite the location as he and Robin joke around and test if the drugs are still in their system. 

Robin sobers the mood drastically, “Have you ever been in love?” 

Steve thinks about Billy, his boy. If they make it out of this alive he is going to find him and figure out what is wrong because something must be wrong. Steve is made of his wish, they are meant to be together. 

Steve deflects, bringing up Nancy instead, everybody knows Nancy. Once upon a time he did think he loved her. Until Billy showed back up and Nancy called it all bullshit. It is hard to think of anyone else like that with Billy stealing his attention. 

“Are you still in love with Nancy”

Steve scoffs, “no,” that feels like a lifetime ago.

“Why not?”

“I think it’s because I found someone better for me.” He thinks of Billy chewing his thumb when he is nervous, grin wide and sunny when he gets under Steve’s skin, the flush that makes his freckles pop when Steve is the one getting under his skin. 

Robin ventures a guess, “Billy?” 

He is not ready for her to get it right on the nose but he answers it all the same. “Yeah, Billy.” Quiet follows the admittance and even with the drugs in his system worry takes root.  Steve slides under the partition separating the stalls, worried he has gone and alienated Robin right when they have just really bonded. 

Robin has her head on her knees staring down at her shoes but when he settles his back against the partition staring at her with big eyes she finally brings hers up to meet his. “Remember what I said about Clicks class, being jealous and obsessed?” Steve grimaces, stomach dropping out. Has Robin had a crush on him this entire time? She certainly hasn’t acted like it but perhaps he read her wrong.

Before Steve can get to in his head again she continues, “it wasn’t because I had a crush on you. It was because she wouldn’t stop staring at you.”

Steve frowns, nose scrunching up “Mrs. Click?” she had stared a lot but Steve is pretty sure that is nothing to be jealous of. Her rapt attention was just to keep him and Tommy in line. Certainly not the attention anyone should be jealous of.

Robin laughs softly, with a barely perceptible shake of her head as she corrects him, “Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me but she only had eyes for you and your stupid hair.”

“Oh…” how had he not seen that, he tries to figure out any clues he might have missed, a hard thing to do when he is so out of sorts. Of course Robin starts ragging on him, nothing too hard and all of it fair and true. It takes him a moment to realize she has gone silent, worry stricken despite knowing how Steve feels about Billy.

Steve will blame his next words on the truth serum but he totally would say them even if he were not still drugged.  “Tammy Thompson is cute and all but you know she’s a total dud.” Robin of course argues shocked and offended on her crush's behalf. Steve does not stop though, explains his reasoning. “She can’t even hold a tune.” He demonstrates and the two of them argue more about it. 

“She sounds like a Muppet!” Steve insists, doing what he believes to be a spot on imitation. It doesn't take long for Robin to join in, the both of them dissolving into laughter, only getting worse when Dustin and Erica barge in looking and sounding like two angry parents.

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 14 - Fight the Rot

Steve feels like his heart has stopped, frozen solid in his chest when the kids tell him Billy has been flayed. That is why Billy pushed him away. It wasn’t because he really meant it but because he was trying to protect him. It is the only thing that makes sense with the timing. Everything was going so well before then. 

Things just seem to be getting worse and worse but there is no time to sit around dwelling on it. They have to try and stop a monster from using Billy to create a body that will destroy the world as they know it. Steve tries to will his dandelions to form, a wish would be idea right about now but between the concussion and the drugs he is having no luck.

Leaving the mall and half his friends behind is hard. What is even harder is coming back and having to choose between not Billy and the other’s trying to stay alive. Steve reminds himself over and over that it is not Billy, just some monster wearing his face. His Billy might tease about hitting the kids with his car but he would not intentionally be angling to run the Camaro into Nancy and the car full of the kids she is protecting. 

When the Camaro starts moving, acceleration audible, Steve slams his foot on the gas. It takes the blink of an eye for the Todfather to intercept Billy in the Camaro. The impact has the right side of the vehicle crumpling over the wheel well as it spins away from its intended collision course. It does several more spins before coming to a stop, Billy’s prone figure slumped against the steering wheel. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asks Robin, barely waiting for her nod before he is getting out of the car. He takes shaky steps toward the Camaro, ignoring the other worldly monster currently hunched over the mall in search of El. He feels sick, blood rushing in his ears as the Camaro goes up in flames. Worry churning him up, resisting even when someone grabs him trying to get him to run.

Steve takes more steps toward the flaming vehicle, fighting the hold on him, a little harder as another person gabs at his arms trying to haul him back toward the mall where it is relatively safer than being out in the open. It is not until that thing in Billy’s skin pushes the door open, burns and a head injury already healing that Steve lets himself be pulled away.

Steve doesn’t know where Billy really is, if he is really in there or not, all he knows is right now that is not his boy. 

-

Billy cannot hide forever it seems. El finds him again, this time slipping in under the mind flayers radar. It is too busy offering her body to the tentacle monster, not paying enough attention as she slithers into his mind. He is dragged through the same memories she rifled through before but this time she has a hold of him, does not let him slink back to his little box. She touches all the brightest moments of his life and some of the worst. 

He sees his mom again, tears springing to his eyes. He almost forgot what she looked like, what her laugh sounded like, the way she always tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. He wants to curl up in a ball and stay in the memory of the beach forever. Watch the way the wind sweeps her hair away as she shouts encouragement at him from the edge of the waves, her bare feet dug in the sand enjoying life.

When it shifts to a memory of Neil he almost begs El to bring them back. Right after his mom left him with Neil, when he was still young enough to think he could stand up to that man, before he learned to take the beating without lip because it meant an easier life. It is pain and anguish, makes him feel small. As quickly as it came it changed again. 

Before he can sink to begging it shifts to Steve. First the memory of them when they were young and Billy made his wish and then to more recent memories. Sharing a smoke, dinner with the Harrington’s an oddly pleasant affair, an almost kiss. Even to himself he looks happy. Billy sucks in a sharp breath as he realizes he does not want to leave Steve, not again.

He is dragged to the surface, a gentle hand on his face as he stares down into El’s tear filled eyes, “you we're happy, you could be again." Her voice is croaky from the bruising on her neck but the words reach him all the same. 

The memories and the reminder give him the strength to fight off the mind flayers hold once more. It tries wrestling control from him, tries to push him back under but Billy focuses on what he has to protect. If this thing gets El, Steve will fall with her in the destruction it brings. Not just Steve but Max and Susan and the Harrington seniors too.

Billy does not let it pull him under again, pushes up and puts himself between the mind flayer and El ready to do what he has to, to make sure the people he cares about make it out of this alive. 

-

Steve sees the change in Billy, the moment it is him down there and not the mind flayer. Stance changing as he pushes up and stands between that monster and what it wants. He also sees the monster rearing up to go through Billy to get to El.

His heart beats against the cage of his ribs as adrenaline spikes. He cannot lose Billy, not after they spent so long apart.

Someone is shouting over the fireworks, maybe Robin, could be Dustin. Steve has too much blood rushing in his ears to say. He vaults down the frozen escalator as fast as he can. The only thing on his mind is saving Billy. 

Steve skids to a stop, throwing himself in front of El and Billy unprepared for the pain that laces through him as he takes the hit intended for them. Perhaps he should have realized that something otherworldly like himself could affect him. It catches him squarely in the chest, every nerve ending feeling like it is on fire as the tentacle tries to absorb him. Steve is not sure if he is screaming or if his mouth is just stuck open in the motion, is not sure he has the air needed to scream still in his lunges and then everything bursts. 

-

Billy is horror stricken as Steve steps between them and the monster taking the hit meant for them. Of all the outcomes of this night, this is the thing he feared the most. That monster getting its tentacles on Steve.

El is clutching his side watching, eyes just as wide as Billy’s. Steve screams, one loud pain filled shriek that makes Billy’s ears ring. Makes his heart shoot up to his throat, choking him and then Steve bursts into an explosion of seeds. There is a huge pile where he was standing, the creature confused, mashing its tentacle into the pile, throwing seeds around before its attention turns back to El and Billy.

Billy braces for the coming blow when the creature suddenly gives its own shrieks and roars before it starts disintegrating. Billy watches it for a long moment; hand on El, curling tight ready to grab her and run if this is some sort of trick.

After a long few minutes of the thing slowly losing form, turning into a disgusting sloppy pile of human and other dead creatures Billy loosens his grip. There is mild celebration from the kids overhead until Steve’s name is shouted sobering them back to reality.

Billy pulls away from El rushing to the biggest pile searching for Steve. He drops to his knees and starts rifling through them, the longer it takes the more anguish he feels.

 “Where the fuck are you!” Billy chokes out as tears spring to his eyes, hands still coming up empty save seeds. There is blood coating many of the seeds staining downy white tacky red and Billy doesn’t know if it is from the mind flayers body or Steve. It sets a desperate fear in him, “You were supposed to love me and be with me forever. That was my wish!"

He is not the only one searching now, even the confused older teens are on their knees hoping to find Steve after a hasty explanation. They aren’t having any more luck than Billy.

His chest feels tight as his hands come to a stop, fisting handfuls of seeds. If Steve were still here he would have shown himself. He would not make Billy or the kids freak out like this.

“You’re supposed to be with me.” Billy cries harder, snot clogging his nose, breathing becoming harder by the second. Someone is talking to him, hand on his shoulder saying his name. Billy cannot hear a thing, it sounds like there are waves crashing in his ears as his vision starts to fade. “You promised,” Billy’s cry is more a whisper as his body gives out and he collapses into a heap sending seeds flying into the air.

“Billy!” Max shouts, an attempt to get to him in time to catch him just leading to her slipping in the seeds and skidding on her knees until she knocks into his side. She shoves at him trying to get his dead weight to turn over, it is not going well, until another pair of hands join her. She gives Lucas a thankful smile as they get Billy on his back, and she rests her head over his chest, relief filling her as she feels the steady rise and fall of his chest.

“We have to find Steve,” She gives Lucas another smile when he says it, her own throat too tight from the shock of worry that went through her when she thought Billy had died. Lucas gives her a crooked smile in return, hand giving her shoulder a squeeze as he passes by to start digging through the pile once more. 

Nancy frowns, closer than before from her attempt to try and console Billy before he passed out, “I don’t think he made it.”

“A seed then,” Mike shouts, holding up fistfuls of dandelion seeds and shaking them, “there has to be something, right? Steve wouldn’t have just left Billy behind.” For once he does not say Billy or Steve’s name like a curse, just as upset as everyone else about Steve taking the hit and not being able to find him. He wipes at his eyes with his wrist before throwing the seeds from his hands and thrusting them back into the pile desperately searching. 

“I don’t think he had a choice in the matter.” Nancy reasons, fingers curling over the edge of her top and pulling at the hem. “You saw the same thing we did,” She shoots Johnathan a look hoping for backup but he has taken his cue from the kids and is searching the pile just as carefully as Will. “No one could have survived that attack,” she says weakly, pulling her bottom lip in and biting it as the sting of tears prick her eyes. 

Max finds her voice, “Steve isn’t human, he isn’t like us. He is here, somehow. We just have to find him!” She insists, El and the other kids nodding along as they scour the pile of fluff and encroaching gore matting them down. Nancy, still unsure, drops to her knees and starts looking, even as they hear their back up finally arriving. They do not have long.

Boots echo off the walls as men in camo holding guns come swarming in, shouting orders.  Half of them throw their hands up in surrender, not wanting to be mistaken for the enemy. The other’s keep searching, shouting back. 

El’s hand wraps around a strangely warm seed, bigger than the others, the big white end long and thick to match. She looks around at the men shouting, one of them pulling Max away from the pile as she kicks and screams and thinks better of drawing attention to it. She shoves it under her shirt, the extra fabric hiding the slight bulk it provides where it rests against her stomach and shifts back from the pile hands up in a show of supplication like the older teens. 

- TBC

Chapter Text

Dandelion Wishes - Chapter 15 - Grow

Billy is not aware he passed out at Starcourt until he wakes up in a hospital bed, the machines around him beeping like crazy as panic starts to fill him.

Where is Steve? Where is Max? What happened? The memories wash over him quickly, tears burning his eyes as he remembers how things ended for Steve.

“Billy! Billy you have to calm down!” Billy recognizes the concerned voice of Annette Harrington, her thin long fingers curling over his shoulders as she tries to keep him flat on the bed. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Franklin, go get someone.” 

Billy does not think he could hurt more, his boy, his Steve is gone! Took a hit meant for Billy. “It's my fault, all my fault-” Billy hisses as nails pinch his cheek drawing his attention back to Steve’s mother who frowns down at him with disapproval. He wants to flinch away from her, hide under the covers but her hands hold strong against his shoulders.

“None of that, you are not to blame.” Billy shakes his head as one hand moves from his shoulder to cup his cheek as the tears start falling. “From what I know, nothing that has happened to you this last week has been your fault and what happened to Steve certainly is not.” Billy wants to argue, protest his role in all of this, in Steve’s demise and everything that lead to Starcourt even murky as those memories are.  She cuts him off before he can start, “that boy makes his own decisions, nothing anyone could have done would have stopped him from saving you.” There are tears in her eyes too and it has Billy swallowing his argument back down.

Annette glances over her shoulder checking that they are still alone, voice lowered to a whisper, “I don’t think he’s gone, simply resting.” Billy sharks his head, he saw Steve take the hit, the dandelions scattering, no wee dandelion boy to be found. Annette digs in her pocket and pulls out the largest dandelion seed Billy has ever seen, the brown hard seed nearly takes up her whole palm while the long fluffy white stem of it trails all the way up to the crook of the elbow. “That strange little curly haired girl gave me this, said she found it in the seeds at Starcourt.”

Billy takes in a shuddering breath, the tears that come this time full of hope as his fingers brush over the rough shell of the seed. It is pulled away too soon, Annette stuffing it back in her pocket for safe keeping as nurses and a doctor come pouring into the room. There is poking and prodding and questions Billy stubbornly refuses to answer. A few government agents try to get him to talk but the Harrington’s are right there, using their wits and threats their money and connections can back up to get the agents to fold like cheap plastic chairs. 

-

When it is time to leave the hospital a week later, Neil is not around. Not that the man had been around more than once during his stay. Neil had not put on a good enough mask to sell concerned father and the Harrington’s were breathing down his neck almost as soon as he walked in the door. Billy is not sure if his swift exit was all them or an added nudge from the government upon their insistence. 

Susan and Max are there though, decidedly not mentioning Neil leaving without even an attempt to take any of them with him. They help him move into a guest room in the Harrington house. Billy would fight it, try and get a place of his own but Mrs. Harrington has Steve’s seed in a little pot by the bed. During the time he has been in the hospital the white plume wilted and dropped off and the seed has  since taken root in the pot, the tiniest of sprouts breaking through the dirt. It has hope swelling Billy’s heart. He wants to stay close.

Once Max and Susan are gone, with tearful goodbyes and promises to visit often he finds himself downstairs across the kitchen table eyeing the Harrington’s over a roast, the potted seed to his left, not wanting to let it out of his sight. “What did you say to him?” There is a raised eyebrow in question as Annette slices the roast, “Neil.”

Their heads bob in understanding, three long thin slices of roast making it onto Billy’s placate as she speaks, “not all of our connections are strictly legal dear.” Two potatoes and a small pile of carrots are added before the plate is slid towards him and Mr. Harrington’s plate replaces his next to the roast. “We just made it clear if he bothered any of you again we'd make use of them.”

Billy's chest tightens. His father is gone and is not coming back, it leaves a mix of feelings most of them good. He is glad to be out from under the man’s thumb, glad Max and Susan are too. He tugs the potted plant, the one he desperately hopes is Steve a little closer and waits for everyone else to have their food before digging in. 

It is one of the least tense dinners Billy has ever had. The Harrington's talk, sharing tidbits about Steve Billy never would have gotten from the man himself. Most of them make Billy laugh. The time Steve got chased by a squirrel while small, Tommy accidentally knocking him off of the roof, the scare enough to make him burst and save him from an injury.  Mostly it just makes him miss Steve more, and judging by the misty look in the Harrington’s eyes, he is not the only one.

-

Billy is not sure when it starts. Somehow carrying the little pot around with him just naturally morphs into talking to it like Steve is here and can hear him. He tells Steve about his day, things he has read, looking for a job, all of the mundane little things he can think of. 

On the rare occasions he does not have Steve right in his hands, Franklin will sometimes say something to the plant in private, begging for his son to return. Annette doesn't care if Billy is holding him, she will lean down face level with the slowly growing sprout and tell him things. There are a lot of “I love you” and “I miss you” and the occasional desperate plea of “please come back my little dandelion” that make Billy’s chest ache. 

Billy begs too, just at night when everyone else is asleep and the moon is the only thing letting him see the sprout. Tears rolling down his face as he kneels in front of the night stand, cheek pressed against it as he stares longingly. “Please come back to me. I’m sorry I pushed you away before. I just wanted you to be safe. I need you back, you’re supposed to stay with me forever, remember. You promised.” 

Billy has not missed anyone like this since his mother, and that thought just makes the tears come harder.

-

It is hard to tell how much the seed grows each day. It seems agonizingly slow when you watch it as closely as Billy does. Two weeks later and the little sprout has grown into a long thick stem, a puckered bud waiting to open. Billy notes with great joy the life cycle of this dandelion is faster than average and it feeds the hope that this is Steve.

By week three there is a bright yellow flower on the end. Billy sits outside with it on a sun lounger, hoping some direct sunlight will help it grow even faster. When Annette is not working or gardening she sits with him, a big floppy hat atop her head as she reads a book, occasionally leaning over to tell Billy and dandelion Steve about what she is reading. 

By week four the yellow flower has curled back up on itself, reenacting the bud it came from as best it can but yellow petals stick out from the top. Franklin, has taken to brushing a finger over them often throughout the day. Absently talking to Billy about sports, or his day in general as he does it.

“Billy?” He awakens with a start at the hand on his shoulder, rolling away, heart racing, trapped in an old memory for a long moment before his eyes focus in on an apologetic Annette. “Sorry dear,” her hands are up as he settles back toward the middle of the bed to keep from falling off, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Is something wrong?” Billy’s voice is sleep rough and his eyes immediately go to the dandelion checking that it is still alright. He only realizes his hands have been fisted in the comforter when he relaxes at the intact plant and his hold loosens. 

“Franklin and I have to go out of town. There’s been an emergency with one of our overseas offices and we have to take care of it.”

Billy bulks at the idea, eyes glancing back toward the dandelion, any day now he is sure it will show them its seeds, “right now?”

“Unfortunately.” Her brows is creased heavily, mouth a thin line.

She cannot go. What if something happens? What if Steve comes back, “But-”

Annette rests a hand on his shoulder, face softening as she gives it a squeeze. “He’ll be safe with you and you call me if he comes back before we get home alright? I’ll be on the first flight back.”

Billy bites his thumb, still unsure but nodding, “Yeah okay.”

Annett gives him a soft smile, long fingers twirling a curl of his golden hair. “Go back to sleep sweety, I’ll see you in a week.” She drops a kiss on his forehead, making him feel warm and cared for. 

He does not immediately lay back down; instead he watches her leave the room, listens to the soft click of the door before sitting up and grabbing the pot, pulling it into his lap. “Guess it’s just going to be me and you for a few days pretty boy.” He whispers, head bent close enough that his lips brush the tip of the curled wilting petals poking out of the bud as he speaks. 

-

When Annette calls the next night to let Billy know where they are staying and give a prediction for just how long damage control will take he has news. The dying petals have transformed leaving behind white fluff poking out of the top of the crinkle bud. There is a great deal of excited shouting from the other end of the phone, excitement that echoes in Billy’s own chest.

If Billy watches the dandelion even more closely than usual, that is his business and a nosy Max’s who stops by unannounced.

She inspects the dandelion with a critical eye, poking at it much to Billy’s chagrin, laughing when he snaps at her to be careful. “He’s doing better, he’ll be back soon.” She announces as if she is an authority on the matter.

“I fucking hope so,” Billy grumbles from the blanket he us under, hand creeping out to pull the potted dandelion to himself for safe keeping.

Max rolls her eyes when she reaches out to try and touch it again only for Billy to pull it away. She gives up, not wanting to accidentally cause any damage. Max folds her legs up under herself and turns toward the television, making sure to press her shoulder into Billy’s as she makes idle conversation. “There’s a new movie out and Lucas and El-” Billy tunes most of it out, content to just listen to the sound of her voice as he looks down at the dandelion, willing it to make its final bloom.

-

When Billy wakes on the fourth day of Annette and Franklin’s trip to find a big fluffy white dandelion head in place of the crumpled bud he is disappointed. He had hoped Steve would magically bloom with it, that the seeds sticking out were just a little crown of fluff like he had on the first time Billy wished him into existence.

Billy chews his thumb heart practically in his throat as he stares at the dandelion for a long moment. There is only one thing he can think to do.

Billy scrambles out of bed, hands cradling the pot, holding it close to his face. Billy looks at the ball of fluff for a long moment before letting his eyes fall closed, long lashes almost a tickle as they kiss his cheeks. "I wish for Steve back! Please! This time I won't let him go I promise!" Billy takes a deep breath, sucking in as much air as he can, holds it with one final silent plea for Steve to come back to him before letting it all out in one long blow. 

There is a familiar bright light against his closed eyelids and Billy feels dandelion seeds tickle his toes, heart rate kicking up as a sudden heft is added to the flower pot in his hands. Billy cracks his eyes open, elation filling him to find Steve in all of his tiny glory wrapped in a similar outfit to when they were children clinging to the stem in an attempt to not fall, a little crown of dandelions not so lucky as it rolls down his back before floating toward the ground.

“You’re back,” Billy breathes out as his fingers wrap around Steve catching him as he lets the pot drop. It hits the ground with a heavy thunk, spilling soil on the carpet. Not that Billy notices, he only has eyes for Steve.

Billy cups his hands giving Steve a place to stand. He takes it, chewing his bottom lip as he stares up at Billy. "Did you mean it? You're not going to leave me behind this time?"

Billy nods, so emphatically it hurts his neck a little, "didn't mean to leave you behind last time.”  There are tears filling his eyes, blurring his view of Steve, “Never going to make that mistake again." Billy promises, leaning forward and kissing Steve’s cheek, really his whole face.

There is a sudden soft brush of seeds and Billy straightens at the sudden change. There is a shower of seeds once more, far fewer than when Steve shrinks. There standing before him is full size Steve still wrapped up in flower parts smiling bright at Billy as those seeds softly float down around them. Steve’s arms snake around Billy’s neck, drawing them closer together, chests touching. “Good,” Steve breathes into Billy’s mouth as he catches his lips. 

Steve kisses like he fights for those he cares about, all in without his feet planted firmly on the ground. Billy does his best to anchor him in place lest he float away from him ever again. 

- End