Harringrove Ao3 Favorites Part 2

the spies from scoops

Triggers/Warnings: The Russian doctor scene

Author: hoppnhorn

Author's Summary: What if Billy worked at Scoops instead of Robin?

Steve is really fucking tired of getting punched.

It seems like whenever things go downhill, it's his face that takes the beating. From Jonathan, then Billy, and now some Russians in a secret lair under the mall .

He's not sure how this always happens.

At least this time he's not alone. Billy's getting it just as good as he is, but seems to be more gleeful about the whole thing. For once, Billy's on his side and Steve had been hopeful it'd be enough to get them out of things.

Wrong.

They're bound now; it's not like Billy can hit back. But they'd put up a good fight before guns had been pressed to their heads. Then it'd been fists in his face. Over and over.

Who do you work for?

Punch.

He's seriously quitting Scoops if he lives through this.

All the while, Billy is laughing. Billy's always fucking laughing at the worst times, so it's really no surprise. It's a little sharper than normal though. A little deadly as Billy screeches my dad hits harder than you pussies . Until, well.

Steve's consciousness is flipped like a switch.

Out.

He's only ever been knocked out once, by Billy ironically , but coming back this time is different. No kids yammering around him. It's like he's underwater, clawing to come up for air; a slow burn, scrambling for the surface to breathe and—

"HARRINGTON."

Billy's voice is cracked and ground down like a rough stone, grating in the back of Steve's skull as he coughs. Takes in that lungful of precious consciousness.

"Dude." He grunts, his head throbbing with pain. His jaw . The assholes had really laid into his fucking mouth. "Do you ever shut up?" He mutters. There's no bite to his words, really. He can't muster the anger under all the pain.

Billy's head falls back against Steve's neck, a sigh slicing between them.

"Jesus, it's good to hear your voice, pretty boy." Billy whispers. Panting. Breathless. "I thought for sure you were..."

The silence says the rest.

"Can't get rid of me that easy." Steve mutters. "I'm a pro at being punched in the face. " Billy's laugh vibrates through his back, against Steve's spine.

For a moment, they just sit together, back to back, breathing steady. The room is so empty their reflections nearly gleam back at them on the walls. So lifeless.

"They think we're the government." Billy says eventually, shuffling his weight in the chair. "If we don't come up with a plan or something—"

"We're tied up in a Russian base miles underground." Steve mutters. "What plan is gonna get us out of this?"

"So we wait for them to kill us? Fuck that." Billy yanks on their shared bonds, pulling Steve backwards with a graceless grunt. "Fuck this. Fuck them ." Billy struggles harder and Steve drops his head to his chest.

The kids got away at least. That's what he tells himself over and over as crippling fear turns his insides to ice. The kids will make it.