Dear Billy

[the_freak]

It was risky, hanging around the hospital like this when pretty much all of Hawkins was still convinced he was to blame for all of this, but Eddie felt like he owed it to Max to visit. It was rough seeing her like that. And he couldn't help the gnawing guilt that if any of them should have lost to this thing it was him. Each of them meant so much to so many people, and here he was, bruised and bandaged, but alive. And the only person who might have cared to know it had to think he was dead. It didn't seem fair.

He ducked outside for a smoke, keeping his head down, but people were too preoccupied with the mess that had opened up under them to be worried about hunting the Freak. As far as they were concerned the Munson boy was dead, and good riddance.

Trying to get the damn smoke to light, Eddie grew still, eyes suddenly catching a familiar set of piercing blue ones, and seeing that moment of recognition in them he paled. He abruptly turned tail, walking aimlessly around the side of the building and praying silently he'd only imagined that look of recognition.

Comments

[the_freak]

"Give your stomach a break and then we'll start slow," Eddie advises, as though this is a team effort.

He frowns faintly, unsure he can provide in this instance. He glance at Rick's toothbrush with a dismissive hum and pushes away from the wall.

"Hang on-" he says, poking around in the cupboard under the sink to see if he can find something. "Got this?" he offers, blindly handing back an old bottle of mouthwash.

[playingtough]

That was a good idea. In his haste for eating something that weren't old as fuck rations, Billy hadn't even thought about acclimating his stomach back to regular food. All he can think about in this moment is the warmth of Eddie's shoulder under his cheek, and how dizzy he is from throwing up. When the other stands, Billy puts his support back on the wall to watch.

He takes the bottle and cracks it open. Its... got a refreshing taste, so the blond takes enough to swish and around recaps the bottle to push back into Eddie's hands. It doesn't work entirely, but it passes enough to get the sour taste from his mouth. Once he's finished, it spits it into the toilet bowl and flushes it.

"...if I wasn't hungry before, 'm fucking starving now." And shit does he sound tired.

[the_freak]

Eddie offers a hand up, trying not to look too 'pittying'. He hates when that look is focused on himself.

"Come on, we'll try again." He offers his support if Billy needs it. "I'll get you soe water too."

[playingtough]

Billy eyes that hand for a long moment. Was Eddie giving him a pitiful look? Or was that just his memory filling in Neil for Eddie? One hand goes to rub his eyes against the headache forming, then takes the offered hand with his other. Once he's upright, he braces against the wall before his balance equals out.

"Yeah. I should've started small or some shit." Now he sounds closer to Hargrove, all frustrated and grumpy. A quick glance to show the toilet bowl is clean of the contents given, and he follows back down to the first story, albeit slower than earlier. "I should've grabbed aspirin."

[the_freak]

"S'fine," Eddie reassures. It's not like Billy made himself sick on purpose. They'll just try again.

"Oh, I can find some probably," And Eddie's all ready racing back up, waving for Billy to go on ahead. "Just take it slow. There's tv, or the radio or whatever, maybe throw something on to distract yourself," he encourages.

He disappears back upstairs, small curses erupting now an again as he searches.

[playingtough]

When was the last time someone showed him kindness? Kindness without stipulations? There had been that strange girl in the mall, remarking how his mother was pretty.

While Eddie goes to hunt down some pills, Billy gets up to turn the television on, then goes to the kitchen. When he returns, the vase of shells in back in his arms. The news is on, going through the weather for the rest of the week. Going through missing persons.

Billy stops as Eddie's face pops up. The reporter gives few details about looking for Eddie Munson, how he was still wanted for murder, and how there seem to be no new leads. The news presses on to national sports. The young man stares at the set before glancing up at the ceiling where he can hear cursing in Eddie's hunt.

Was that guy really a murderer? He didn't interact with him in school at all, but he had heard the whispers. How Eddie was a satan worshipper, a freak, all sorts of things. And he had been so adamant in hiding in the hospital room. Max's hospital room. The vase gets set down quickly, in time for Billy to collapse against the floor. When he awakens with a start, it's not the soft Billy anymore.

"MUNSON!" he shouts, wincing at his own headache. Fucking... ate that shit way too fast. Too heavy. Feet pound the stairs as he heads back up them, a man on a mission.

[the_freak]

"Ah-" Eddie grins to himself, finally finding what he's searching for, and he gives the container a little rattle. There's not a ton of pills in there, but it's something.

He straightens at the unexpected shout, naively thinking Billy's just being impatient. "I got it, I got it," he mutters, coming out to display the pill bottle with a triumphant grin. That smile's quick to fade as his mind recalculates. Nope. Shit. This is far too familiar a scene. Eddie scrambles put distance between them without waiting to see what the issue was, bolting like a god damn rabbit.

He nearly falls over himself into Rick's room, throwing his shoulder against the door to try and keep Hargrove out.

"I didn't do anything-" he's quick to defend, all of which probably paints him as more guilty than he realizes.

[playingtough]

Munson comes out to him and there's no hiding the look on Hargrove's face. He's clearly angry at what he presumes is this dick trying to kill his stepsister. Did he like Max? Not a family level. But he didn't want her dead either. The door gets slammed between them and Hargrove body checks it.

If this had been back in June of last year, it might've yielded under him. But with no muscle now by comparison, it simply creaks and he tries again. "Why the fuck are you wanted for murder, Munson?!" Another body check. "You going in to finish the job on Max?" And Eddie couldn't have done it, not with Billy there. Now he had Hargrove somewhere unfamiliar, with no way for the police to really look for them here.

[the_freak]

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Eddie presses his weight against the door and shakes his head, winces as the door shudders with Hargrove's attempts to get in.

"I didn't do it," he pleads, echoing his words from out on the lake. "Just stay away from me, Man." Desperate eyes scope out the room, and he bolts for the opposing window, trying to pry it open before Hargrove can get inside.

[playingtough]

Even like this, apparently Hargrove could still be terrifying. He feels the weight of something against the door. Maybe a chair or a dresser. It's not budging like he wants and it's pissing him off more. He wants in, so he can shake down Eddie for answers. "Then why are you on the God damn news, Munson?!"

He hears steps moving from the door and Billy kicks at it this time. It doesn't budge until a well aimed kick at the handle breaks it and knocks it open. "Why the fuck do people want you for murder if you didn't do it?!" He's storming over, picking up the pace despite each step feeling like a whip cracking over his head. It still hurts, and now he's dehydrated and hungry.

[the_freak]

"Come on you piece of shit-" Eddie strains with the window, which refuses to budge, and he starts back with wide eyes, corned now, and with out anything he can use as a makeshift weapon.

"Look- just-...just trust me, Man, I swear-" he stammers, holding up his palms to try and keep Hargrove at a distance. "I didn't hurt her. I didn't hurt any of them-"

[playingtough]

Palms up or now, Hargrove gets into Eddie's space and slams his arm up against the other's throat to pin him against the window he had been trying to pry open. "How the fuck can I trust you to not lie? You kept us away from all the cops and hospital people, you were going to her room when you shouldn't be hanging out around her at all. Then you hijack someone's car, and have a wanted poster in the shop. You're on the fucking news, Munson," and it's all hissed out like a snake.

"A lot of this shit is making you seem really fucking suspicious, Munson."

[the_freak]

Flinch, Eddie opts for a submissive nod, lifting his chin to try and earn himself some more breathing space, fingers catching at Hargrove's arm. His all ready wide eyes are even wider, and shinning with unshed tears he's trying to blink away.

"It was-...nnn- it's was him," he offers with a desperate emphasis on 'him' that wouldn't mean much to most of the residence of Hawkins, but might mean something more to Hargrove. Though Eddie still doesn't know much about the Mind Flayer.

[playingtough]

Hargrove isn't pressing to harm. Just threaten. It's working, if those unshed tears are anything to go by. And he holds that position, just waiting for Eddie to slip up with the wrong phrase or words. Almost like he wants the other to do so.

It's just that one word that changes his facial expression. The angry and hard gaze softens with realization. Him. Hargrove knew a him. A him that Hawkins wouldn't understand. A him that he protected Billy from after the mall incident. He recalls how the Mind Flayer answered to a him, though that man didn't have a name. The arm stays up, but it's not pressing as hard now.

"...Who do you mean him." It's supposed to be a question, but it comes as a soft statement.

[the_freak]

He hates that fear is still his go to reaction after all this. Sure, he can muster up moments of bravery, but at his heart, he's still a god damn coward.

"...W-we called him Vecna," he returns hesitantly, expression one that worries he won't be believed. But if anyone's going to understand this crazy shit you can't begin to explain without sounding crazy, Billy Hargrove is one of them. "But he's...all of it. The whole fucking hivemind- I didn't touch any of them."

[playingtough]

Fear is Eddie's, and aggression is Billy's. It shouldn't make sense, but it does. He watches Eddie as the teen stammers out his explanation. A hivemind. It makes sense. God it makes so much sense. He hates that he understands, but it's nice that someone else seems to get it.

"...Vecna." A whisper as he tries to take it all in. Being split and locked away, treated like an animal. That must've been what the scientists wanted from him before he was abandoned. The arm eases up more until it drops. "...Mind Flayer."

[the_freak]

Eddie nods, swallowing thickly. He's heard that one before. He rubs at his throat, movements small despite Hargrove having backed off a little, not wanting to provoke further reaction. "From Starcourt," he confirms, "And Byers. And all the other fucked up shit that's been happening the last few years. He killed them. Tried to kill Max." Did. For a minute. But now's not the time to let that one slip. "I lied but I didn't hurt anyone."

[playingtough]

Hargrove is watching every movement from Eddie like a hawk, like he's going to lash back out at Billy for the aggression. But the words spoken are all true. There's no way Eddie would know about any of that Upside Down shit unless he had experienced it in some way.

He lets go fully, taking a few steps back and looking like he's been stupefied for a moment. What did he know of Eddie anyways? The school called him a freak, but what he did know of him? Nothing comes up aside from his board game and weird club. This was the guy that kept them safe from hospital staff, stole a car for him, and was going to bring him a bottle of pain killers.

What did he know about Eddie Munson?

"You're too scrawny to hurt someone," he finally breathes out. An insult, to be sure, but spoken without the venom it would usually be laced with. Blue eyes glance to the broken door, then away. Almost... like he's shamed.

[the_freak]

Eddie scoffs reflexively, but it's more amused than hurt in this instance. "Yeah," he allows, rolling his eyes, and after a few more breaths he seems to finally be relaxing, "I guess." He scared the shit out of Steve, but he was riding high on paranoia and trauma. Even if the kids hadn't been there to talk him down, Eddie's not sure he could have followed through.

"You're not though, Jesus," he pants, trying to put on a teasing tone, "Shit, where'd they-" he stoops and collects the bottle he lost in the struggle, tossing it towards Hargrove. "I don't blame you, Man. Basically all of Hawkin's thinks I did it apart from Harrington and the kids."

[playingtough]

It's amazing he has any strength left after being starved and trapped for so long. The bottle bounces off of his chest and he manages to juggle it for a couple of seconds before finally nabbing it. The pills rattle about inside, then out as the cap gets unscrewed and he dumps a couple into his hand. Billy downs them with a hard swallow, recaps it, then tosses it back.

"I didn't even put that much fucking pressure on you, pussy," he snaps, missing the teasing tone. God his head hurts and he's still hungry. "I thought that Mind Flayer shit was gone!" He's not... angry, but definitely irritated, as he heads back downstairs. The blond lays out on the couch, pressing his face into the worn out cushions.

It wasn't the best material to put his face against, but after being without any sort of comforts for months, this could be silk for all he knew.

[the_freak]

Eddie's head tilts, expression twisting into something of a 'duh' look at being called a pussy, and despite the snapping tone he's met with he laughs softly. "Uh...yeah. Where have you been?"

He gives Hargrove a bit of space though, fiddling with that door for a moment before abandoning it to follow after him.

He fetches a glass of water, setting it on the table for him, and after an uncertain moment he drapes one of the blankets he fished out over the other man. "...Pretty sure Rick's done some pretty unspeakable things where your face is," he adds, just so he can't be accused of letting the moment get too wholesome or anything.

[playingtough]

There's a slight motion - the sudden blanket startled him because he hadn't been expecting it. But he rolls over to show his face to Eddie again, groaning. "I've had an inter-dimensional son-of-a-bitch in my head, my brain split in two, and you think I give a fuck about cum stains right now?"

Though despite the edge of bite his words have, even Billy smirks at that. "And I'm sharing a house with a wanted murderer." But he gets the hint and rolls so his face doesn't press back into the cushions.

"Fuck I am hungry. Even worse now. I'd eat that soup again if I didn't think I'd see it again."

[the_freak]

"Oh, nastier than that," Eddie pivots with an easy grin, though he's clearly just playing.

"Corpse and a wanted murderer walk into a bar...I've heard that one..." he muses, teasing smile fading some as he considers Hargrove's next words. "...I'll uh...I'll poke around, see if I can't figure out something easier to stomach. You sip on the water. Maybe catch a nap, I dunno."

[playingtough]

The smirk cracks into a grin, even as he tries to make himself comfortable. "I'd walk into a bar if I didn't already feel hungover." Which was true. But he makes himself comfortable at last and watches Eddie leave for the kitchen. His head throbs and he just shuts his eyes.

He doesn't want to nap. There's not really a need for it. God, he slept so much while down in the lab, and it wasn't just sleep when Billy was awake. At least it's safe here. And warm. The blanket is a little scratchy but... it helps. With what, Hargrove doesn't know.

Whatever.

Everything goes dark like he's taking a nap before the eyes flutter open again. Tired. Hungry. He sits up and Billy notes the toast still on the table. That was his right? He's not sure how he got onto the couch, but he sits there and takes the toast to munch on. Crunchy, dry, and plain, but it was something.

[the_freak]

"You settle that stomach in time and we can toast your birthday," he promises. Eddie doubts Hargrove/Billy are going to be feeling 100% any time soon, but guy deserves a drink for his nineteenth.

He's busy in the kitchen for the switch over, though it's not long before there's a loud clattering and a string of curses, a frazzled Eddie peering back in to check on Hargrove and pausing when he sees him munching away on that toast.

Oh. Right. The toast. His cheeks colour, and he holds up a finger without explanation, ducking back into the kitchen to abort whatever he's been working on. "You're going slow, right Hargrove? You start ralphing again and I'm not holding your hair back."