the_freak | Dear Billy

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Dear Billy

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.

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If there's some redness filling into his cheeks, Billy will deny it later. Or ever. "Into the kitchen," he retorts easily, just as he crosses into said kitchen and sits on one of the clear sections of counter.

"What did you even plan on making anyways?" To Billy, Eddie didn't look like much of a cook. But he was hungry, so he'd eat almost anything right now. Sitting there on the counter he looks less hollow at least. Less of a shade of the young man that stomped about Hawkins High.

"Uhhh..." Good question. Eddie hadn't thought that far ahead when he offered. He looks through the supplies Billy picked out uncertainly. He snorts softly when he finds a familiar can and holds it up in question- "Spaghettios?" he offers. Least he knows he can cook that. "We're gonna need to rethink our next shopping list if we wanna pack that muscle back on you, huh?"

While Eddie figures out what’s going to be cooked, Billy winces and rubs his head. That nightmare must’ve been bad with the ache that was leftover. He looks a little pained even as he looks over.

"Spaghettios sound fine." He could eat the little pasta rings and a little of the sauce. Maybe some aspirin on the side. He leans over to the sink to grab a glass and fill it with water to take a drink.

His head thobs, but it lessens as he drains the liquid. "I’ve woken up with a headache before but this one hurts. Did you hit me or something?"

Getting out a pot, Eddie tracks Billy with a faint frown, shaking his head as he opens drawers looking for a can opener (he always forgets where it is). "No, but uh... I dunno. Maybe we should talk?" he ventures uncertainly. He can't be sure Hargrove is the reason Billy's head hurts, but it still seems like something he should tell him.

Good, at least Eddie was smart enough to not try a fight with him. Even if he hadn’t been… conscious? It’s confusing. Blue eyes glance to Eddie. The confusion just deepens on his face at the statement phrased like a question.

"About what? I already said Spaghettios were fine to eat." Another wince and this time he holds his head. Fuck. "No— don’t want to sleep right now—"

Apparently Hargrove was interested in this conversation Eddie wants to have.

"Yeah, something a little more serious than Spaghettios?" Eddie starts, but pauses at that second wince, and eyes Billy. Is Hargrove going to let him get this out?

"...do you need to lay down?"

"If it’s about my head, it happens before I fall asleep. I can’t explain it, Eddie," because he doesn’t know what’s going on at all. Somehow Hargrove has managed to keep himself a secret from the other. Easier to just let Billy believe he was having sleeping issues. Easier to protect him like this.

"...Maybe?" Billy slides off of the counter and goes to sit at the table despite what he said. "Don’t want to though. What do you need to tell me?" Better to try and hold onto his consciousness while he could and have the conversation.

"I uh...I might be able to..." Eddie admits, putting the pasta on and moving to join Billy at the table.

"When you uh-....when you lose time like that...you change-" he starts.

Billy didn't know a lot about Eddie. Just that he was the king freak of the high school, played some stupid board game, and had a band or some shit. Probably didn't do well enough in school. Except now the same Eddie Munson is saying he can explain why Billy's head hurts. All he can do is scowl at that thought. "When you'd get to being a scientist?"

But then Eddie's answering, saying that Billy changes. Billy stares at him, then laughs. "What're you talking about? I change? This isn't your stupid board game, I'm not something like a werewolf, Eddie."

Eddie sighs. "It's not- shut up, man- look, have you ever read that book- the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?" he tries. That's the closest allegory Eddie can think to borrow from. "It's like...you're split. Inside. And only half of you knows it..."

What on earth was Eddie talking about? Billy stares at him with evident shock on his face. It sounded like something out of a story - the one the metalhead refers to. A fantasy. It wasn't possible. But before he can protest anything, his eyes slip shut and he goes limp in the chair.

Before his head can hit the table, he's up, grabbing Munson out of his and throwing him down on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing?!" He heaves a little for breath, looking furiously down at the other.

"Jesus-" Eddie's moving to try and stop Billy from smacking his head when Hargrove emerges, and he only has a short moment for recognition to cross over his face before he's been tossed about again. He grits his teeth, but has the sense to stay down.

"He's knows something's going on, what the hell am I supposed to do?! Tell him it's totally normal to keep passing out and losing chunks of time??" he counters, scooting back and leveling a challenging look at the other.

Hargrove stands over him, the uneven curls framing his face as he glares down at Eddie. "It's not your information to give! I'm keeping him safe! We're dead and if this terrifies him that I can't keep in control and he goes around yelling that there's another him, what's going to happen?! Huh?"

It's tempting to swing his foot into Eddie's side, but he holds back. Eddie is trying to help after all. "They'll fucking lock us up in that mental hospital outside of town and it'll be like the God damn lab again!"

He leans down and grips Eddie by the collar and gives a little shake. He almost... looks desperate. "I have to keep him safe, Munson. We can't go back into the dark again."

"You're dead, I think that's going to spark some conversations regardless of how nuts you look," Eddie counters with a frustrated huff. He understands Hargrove's point, but he's not sure how the hell he's supposed to handle this. He all ready doesn't know what to do with himself, let alone a whole other vulnerable human.

"Nnn-" Eddie tries to grasp Hargrove's wrist to stop him from rattling his brains out. "Fine," he hisses, "I won't tell him. The hell do you think I'm trying to do, Hargrove? I don't want any of us getting snatched up."

"I don't want to be seen as nuts, that's your job. And you're good at it," and thankfully he does stop shaking Eddie. Hargrove doesn't let go of the shirt though.

When he speaks again, it's still got a hardness to it, but it's softer. "I don't want him to be scared. I think this'll scare him and he's been through so much already Munson. I have to keep protecting him," which probably explained why Hargrove seemed to take over when a threat was present.

Edited 2023-05-20 23:58 (UTC)

Eddie scoffs, rolling his eyes but not arguing. He's good at it whether he likes it or not.

"He's all ready scared," he argues, but sighs, and nods. "...how am I supposed to explain this?" he asks, motioning pointedly to the position they're in?

Hargrove doesn't want Billy to know. But Munson has his own good points to go against Hargrove's. And the other side deserves to know, right? The hold on the collar loosens until he's just got his hands against Munson. Finally, "I don't know." Because he doesn't. And maybe he should've just let the other tell the other side.

He looks away, brows furrowed. "I can feel it so much more when he's scared. When it gets too much..." Hargrove switches their places. Hands leave and he backs off to give Munson space. The Spaghettios bubble on the stove.

He goes to stir it. Ignores the headache that he's aware of now that this thing with Munson is nearly passed. "...I don't know what to do."

Sighing, Eddie's slow to pick himself back up, still sore from their previous scuffle, and the demobats, and generally all of life. And he gets it. As much as he can.

"I won't tell him right now. But if this is going to be a thing...eventually he's going to have to know. You'd want to know if you were the one who didn't know about him, right? Or if there was some third side- there's not, is there?"

"Only the two of us. Billy and Hargrove." The quiet voice again. And he knows that Munson is right. Billy should know because if the roles were reversed, he would want to know. The pot gets stirred again, to keep the food from burning to the bottom.

He's silent, only the stove knobs clacking into place as he turns the burner off. Hargrove flashes a smile over his shoulder at him. "Think you could even handle three of us, Munson? You're barely keeping it together with two."

"Good thing you don't have a middle name," he teases. He shouldn't make light, but it makes things easier.

He laughs, returning the smile, "Fuck no. And I'm flattered it looks like I'm even slightly keeping it together. I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing, Hargrove. I'm terrified."

"That you know of," but Munson is right - Billy doesn't have one. Maybe his nickname that just stuck as his regular name was enough of one. Finding a couple of bowls, the mixture is spooned into even portions and carried over to the table with utensils. He sits and stirs his own slowly.

"The fuck are you scared for, Munson? That I'll beat the shit out of you if you fuck up?"

Look at Hargrove just taking over. Not that Eddie minds. He finds his seat again and accepts his portion, taking a large spoonful while it's still too hot and cursing.

"Well..." Eddie shrugs and gestures vaguely, "Yeah. And uh...also I don't wanna hurt him. Or you. And the world might be ending. And I'm still wanted for murder. So...lots of things to be fucking scared of right now."

Something familiar. Having to set the table for Susan, with Neil's hard gaze watching him. Responsibilities or some bullshit like that. Susan was always glad for the help.

He blows on his spoonful, then eats it silently and takes the time to listen to the other teen. "Murder that you didn't do," he points out, almost looking skeptical "So now you're dealing with that, and us. A dead guy that's split into two personalities."

Another bite. "So what's the plan then, Munson?"

Eddie continues to shovel in spoonfuls until he's used to the burn, never quite learning his lesson.

"Yeaah, I miss when not flunking out for a third time was all I had to worry about," he agrees.

"I don't fucking know...call my friends? They know more about all this Upside Down shit than me, and they have connections. They should be able to help keep you guys safe."

Hargrove is slower at eating the food, letting it cool in the spoon before taking the bite. He frowns around the utensil before stirring again. "This isn't Upside Down bullshit. This is my brain. Our brain." It was just the aftermath of it all. No Vecna, no Mind Flayer this time.

"I don't think anyone can really help." More stirring. "I probably just gotta lay low for awhile. Long awhile. There's no telling how the fuck people are going to react to us. Especially if they find us together."

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