Alone, No More (Harringrove)

Chapter 19//No One to Live For

A/N: Sorry this one is a little shorter, but I hope you'll forgive me after this one <3

"Hey, uh, thanks"

"Hm?" Billy mumbled, glancing up from observing his knuckles. Some of the wounds on his hands had turned silvery and raised.

Steve gulped, not really wanting to say it again, and began to squirm where he leaned beside the blonde on the hood of his car. "Thanks," he spoke a little louder.

After dropping the kids (including Max) off, the two had returned to the school's parking lot where they'd left Billy's car after the game. Billy had found it in him to ask about The Upside Down, but after seeing the way Steve had reacted, he decided to backpedal. He wasn't in the mood to see Steve curl in on himself because of what they talked about. 

Billy was in a state of perpetual bewilderment, however, with what had been happening behind the scenes; and after a while, he too liked not talking about it. It was all so surreal and he didn't want to think it true, but he had to take a moment to try an wrap his head around what Steve and his group had been through. What he had imposed on and, in the end, hurt Steve for what he didn't understand.

He began to understand why Steve had changed within a couple months, or how he moved as if someone was always watching him; because, there probably was. He wouldn't doubt it. And it had him scanning the trees that lined the football field with a sharp eye.

"'Fer what?" Billy asked, chewing on a stale piece of gum. He had smoked a whole pack that day and the grit left on his tongue made him want to wretch. And he was sure, after seeing Steve glare at him every time he lit up, that he was grateful too.

"For trying to understand all this," Steve responded, still looking at everything but Billy. "I never wanted to bring anyone else into this mess". Which was true. Steve was the kind of guy who wanted to take everything on his back so no one else had to. His nerves heightened every time another person was added to the mix, much less Billy of all people.

Piercing blue eyes watched the brunette as he began to fiddle with the hem of his bomber jacket, "'S'okay man. Added a little excitement to this hell hole of a town".

Steve laughed humorlessly, Hawkins really had become a literal hell hole, and he couldn't wait to get this all over with so he could just disappear, "Yeah, guess so".

Silence enveloped them again, apart from the soft hum of the school's electricity, but neither felt bored or awkward. It was as if the two boys needed a bit of silence in their life, and didn't really mind it being with someone they could relate to.

But Billy was nosy when it came to Harrington, so after a while he broke the comfortable silence, something in him wanted to know everything about the other boy. He had never felt like this before, he never wanted to connect to someone. And he could still picture his sister expressing her concern for Steve. How he was sleepless and too busy with protecting others that he forgot about himself. 

Billy could empathize, which was foreign in itself for him, as he too had spent many nights wide awake, praying his father would leave him alone. He had lived in fear his whole life, albeit not supernatural fear, but he knew how tiring it was to be scared.

"Where're your parents again?" his voice remained nothing louder than a whisper so as to not make Steve jump like he usually did when Billy broke his thoughts.

Steve sighed, evidently unfazed by the question, "'Dunno, haven't heard from them in a week or so. Never usually do".

"They work away 'er somthin'?" Billy pushed, getting Steve to side eye him.