A safer place

chapter thirteen

sorry i didn't post for a bit, i started school again and they're going at it in full speed already haha-
this is post season three, but Billy didn't die and he's being a very brave baby

Because of the most recent events in Hawkins, with Starcourt Mall being destroyed, the students of Hawkins schools were dismissed to work through everything.

Billy was still in the hospital, getting visited by Steve and Max every day, and he was slowly getting better.
Whenever Steve was coming around, he brought a different book for them to read, laying down next to the blond and reading to him until the boy had fallen asleep in his arms.

Sometimes, Max would come to visit when Billy was already asleep, and they would quietly chat until he woke up again, being big most times but on rare occasions he was little and the three of them would play card games for hours.

Sometimes the boy would color in his notebook too, but given the limited supplies he had in the hospital, he was as often bored out of his mind when neither Steve nor Max we're there with him, zapping through the TV program or staring at the ceiling for hours.

Neil Hargrove didn't even bother visiting, and honestly Billy was happy about it.

Deep in his thoughts, the blond didn't even notice Max and his step mother enter the room, and his head shot around when he felt the mattress sink down next to him as Max sat down.

„Hey there Bills" she smiled, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Susan Mayfield sit down on a chair in the corner of the room.
„Hey Max..." he whispered, looking between the two women nervously.

„Listen, Billy, theres something we need to talk about" Susan sighed, and the blonds eyes fixated on her as he felt his sister grab his hand and hold it firmly as Susan took a moment to continue talking.

„Neil has left me. And he does not want you to come back with him to California. So either you stay home with us, and we just move to another place in Hawkins, or you will have to find your own place. But please be sure that we would love for you to stay with us" she said, and Billy started shaking at some point, realising what she was saying.

„Dad is...gone..?" he whispered, looking at Max in shock.
When she nodded, the boy let out a relieved sob, basically throwing himself into Max's arms and started crying uncontrollably.
The girl just held him, a warm smile on her lips as she mouthed a „He's going to be okay" at her mom, who got up and went towards the door to give the siblings some privacy.

As the door closed, Max started playing with Billy's hair lightly, bowing down to the boy who clung to her as if his life depended on it.
„You're safe now sweetheart. He's never going to touch you ever again, I promise" she whispered, realising he had slipped, just as she had predicted.

„We will be like a real brother and sister, and I'll protect you, I promise sweetheart" Max continued, along with sweet nothings she whispered into the blond locks of her brother, who slowly was crying himself to sleep.

„Go to sleep babyboy, I'll be right here when you wake up" was the last thing Billy heard, before drifting off into dreamless sleep, arms tightly wrapped around Max's waist. The girl pulled the blanket over the both of them to the best of her abilities, and planted soft kisses on the top of his head every now and then.

Billy slept for a little bit over three hours, and as promised, Max did not leave his side for a single minute.
So when the little slowly opened his eyes, and was greeted by the warm smile of his sister, the fuzzy feeling of his littlespace completely took over the boys mind and he made babbling noises while clumsily trying to sit up.

„Good morning Bills" Max cooed, and he happily kicked his legs while squealing a little.
He tried climbing out of bed, but his legs were heavy and when the blond gave up with a pouty whine, the girl couldn't help but chuckle a little.