Blush and Bruises *Billy Hargrove X Reader*

Eleven

You wait up all night at the motel, but Billy never shows. Maybe he forgot, or got caught up at work. Maybe he wasn't sure how to get ahold of you to let you know he wasn't coming. You spend the night there, just in case he shows up late, but morning crashes down upon you and Billy still hasn't shown.

Steve drops you off at the pool before heading to work. You wait around until you spot Billy slip into a side door. You follow him in, catching him in the pool's storage room.

"Billy, why didn't you come last night?"

He sets the bottle he was holding back on the shelf, but doesn't turn around.

"I was really looking forward to having you to myself." Billy still doesn't reply. "Are you even listening to me?"

He finally turns around. He's covered in sweat and his eyes are red. "Stay away from me, (Y/N)," he says and pushes past you.

You stand, dumbfounded, and watch him walk away. Something is definitely bothering him, but you don't want to make a spectacle while he's at work. You try to catch him after his shift, but he disappears. Eventually, someone informs you he drove off fifteen minutes ago.

You go back to the pool the next day, but Billy isn't there. He doesn't answer your calls and there's nobody home when you go to his house. He's starting to scare you. Maybe he's panicking again.

At last, you catch him the next day after his shift. He's the last one there. You give him time to shower before slipping into the locker room.

"Pool's closed," you hear him call.

You hesitate. You can hear irritation in his voice. A minute passes and you're about to leave when a loud noise sounds outside the door. You try to open it but it's locked.

"Hey!" he yells. "Did you hear me?" You can hear his bare feet slapping the floor as he swiftly makes his way toward you. You barely see him in the dim light when he rounds the corner. Billy grabs your shirt and pushes you against the door. "Pool's fucking closed!"

You swat at his hand. "Billy, it's me! It's (Y/N)!" After a few tense seconds, he loosens his grip.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" he asks.

"Trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with you."

"I thought I told you to stay away from me." His face is stoney, but his eyes are wild and glossy. Wet chunks of hair cling to his face and he brushes them away. Turning on his heel, he makes his way back toward his locker. But another voice catches his attention.

Someone is calling his name and laughing. Billy calls after them, asking who it is. They tell him to come find them. He yells back a threat and charges after the voice. You follow behind him but he's through another door before you even round the corner. You can hear him whoop and hollar.

You open the door just in time to see Billy thrown backward into the sauna. He collides with the wall and crumples on the floor. His name tears through your throat and you start making your way toward him, but bodies are rushing to the door and securing it shut.

"(Y/N)?" Max asks in a trembling voice.

You stop and look toward her. You realize who the other people there are. Lucas, El, Mike, and Will. What are they doing here? What are they doing to Billy? You ask them this in a small, hurt voice.

"We think he's flayed," Mike says, raising his voice as Billy begins to pound on the door and scream at them. He begins explaining their plan as Will rushes to crank up the heat in the sauna.

"(Y/N) why are you doing this?" Billy asks. His voice is calmer now and there's pain behind it. "Babe, please let me out."

You step forward, trying to tell him you had nothing to do with it, but Max grabs your hand. "We have to know," she says.

Billy starts yelling again to let him out, slamming against the door. He stops eventually and disappears from the small window. Then he starts crying and pleading, telling you and Max that he didn't mean to do all the things he'd done, that the shadow made him do it. Max tells him it'll be okay, but you're choking on tears and can't get any words of reassurance out.

Suddenly Billy charges forward, breaking through the glass window. "(Y/N) you fucking bitch! I'll fucking kill you!" he screams.

Someone pulls you backward, away from the door, just as Billy pulls the metal rod from the door handle. Lucas shoots him in the head with his wrist rocket and Billy collapses once more. The lights begin to flicker and you can hear Billy groaning and stumbling around on the other side of the door.

An inhuman scream emanates from the sauna before Billy starts throwing his body against the door. After a few tries, he busts out, tumbling on the floor. He stands up slowly, staring Eleven down. Before you can step between them, she uses her powers to fling a barbell at Billy. It catches him in the throat and pins him against the wall.

You can see it's hurting him, crushing his windpipe. You rush to him, but just as you reach for the barbell, he pushes it off and throws it to the side. His hand wraps around your neck. He spins you around and pins you against the wall.

"I'll kill all of you for this," he spits. "Starting with you."

"The baby," you choke out.

Billy freezes and looks down. His hand falls from your throat and he takes a step back, but Mike is already bringing a pipe down on his head. Billy falls, but when Mike swings again, Billy catches the pipe in one hand. Before he can fight Mike, Eleven flings Billy through the brick wall.

You rush to the gaping hole in the wall, calling Billy's name. He stands shakily and looks at you. There's desperation and terror in his eyes. He turns and disappears into the night.