summary: When your boyfriend Billy visits you during band practice to find you alone with Eddie he isn't thrilled, things only seem to go downhill from there
warnings: Swearing, unhealthy relationship
A/N: Ok so this isn't the last part cause I couldn't decide who to have the reader end up with so I'm gonna write two endings, one where you end up with billy and the other with Eddie. I definitely didn't expect this to wind up being so long but I'm not complaining lol
In case you stumbled across this part first you can find part 1 here
Billy had a problem with him since the day they met when he saw just how close the two of you were, Eddie had a problem with Billy since the day they met when he realized just how possessive he was over you. Their relationship had only worsened since, despite your best efforts to smooth things over between the two.Â
âWhere's the rest of your little club?â Billy was still not trying to hide the anger in his voice as he wrapped his arm around your waist pulling you close to him âIs it just you and Munson out here?â
âThe guys are inside, we just stepped out for some air and so I could keep an eye out for when youâd get hereâ You quickly answered looking up at Billy, but his attention was fully on Eddie. Billy was giving Eddie his classic death glare, tightening his grip around your waist as he watched Eddie try to match the intimidating look as best he could. âYou hungry honey? There might still be pizza left over if the guys havenât eaten it all alreadyâÂ
âI'm all good dollface, how âbout you show me some of your setup instead?â Billy finally turned his head to look at you, glare melting away almost entirely as he gave you a small smile that reassured you that everything just might run smoothly after all. You were excited to show Billy the songs you guys had worked on and hopefully help the group warm up to the idea of Billy being around more.Â
âOf course, we havenât really worked on a ton so far so there's not a lot I can really show off right nowâ You rambled starting to lead Billy towards the garageâs side door, passing a still silent and stock still Eddie. Youâd never seen Eddie so unnervingly still before, none of his usual energy to be found as you looked back at him over your shoulder. âEddie you coming?âÂ
âIâm taking a smoke break, tell the guys Iâll be in soonâ He didnât bother to turn and look at you when he spoke, just waving you off as he reached for the pack of cigarettes in his back pocket. You felt your heart sink a little as you knew it was your fault Eddie was acting this cold but it was too late to try and fix it as you led Billy back into the garage.Â
The guys immediate mood shift when they saw it was Billy with you and not Eddie only made you feel worse.
âWhere's Eddie?â Gareth asked, side eyeing BillyÂ
âHeâs taking a smoke breakâ You answered quickly âSaid heâd be in soonâ
âWhyâs he here?â Gareth asked, the rest of the group still silent, still avoiding looking at you.Â
âI just wanted to see my girl, you got a problem with that?â Billy's voice was still dripping with anger, all you wanted was to keep him from starting something with the guys and get through the break without anything awful happening.Â
âJust donât touch the instruments.â Gareth was glaring now, not just at Billy but at the both of you. It made you want to cry, nothing had really happened but somehow everything was going wrong. Thankfully Billy just scoffed at Gareth's comment instead of saying something volatile back.Â
âSo this is the song weâve really been focusing on today, we call it Witch's Curseâ You said, leading Billy over to your music stand to show him the lyric sheets. âWell Iâve been working on it, the guys can play it perfect but the latin in the chorus kept giving me troubleâ
âWitchâs curse?â Billy mused as he picked up the sheet, skimming over the lyrics quickly. âCourse Munson would name a song something cheesy like that, lemme guess you guys got one called Zombie Bite or somethingâ
âDonât be an assholeâ You playfully smacked his arm. You knew this was him trying to ease tension, making a joke to get you to relax but he still couldnât drop his shitty attitude towards Eddie. âI like it, itâs a sick song and I think itâs one of our best so farâ
âWhatever you say sweetheartâ Billy said, shrugging off your defense of the song. âWhatâs the latin mean anyway?â
Before you could answer the door opened and Eddie was back. You smiled at him as he shut the door but he just looked right past you as he made his way over to the guys. Just another reminder of how bad youâd fucked up by inviting Billy over.Â
âI said, whatâs the latin mean?â Billy reiterated his question, a familiar edge to his words letting you know he saw you smiling at Eddie and that he wasnât too far off from losing his shit.Â
âOh rightâ You glanced over at Eddie who was now watching your conversation intently with an expression you couldnât read despite knowing him better than you knew yourself. âI donât know what it means, I didnât take latinâ
âReally? Youâre singing the shit and you donât even know what it means?â Billy sounded like he didnât quite believe you but he wasnât going to outright say it. At least not yet
âI donât need the translation to sing it right, it sounds cool regardlessâ Eddie looked relieved that youâd kept his secret, finally turning back to the guys instead of staring you down. âWe were practicing a few other songs too, I think they might be a bit more your speedâ
Billy was still focused on the lyric sheet in hand as you went to grab the other sheets still resting on your music stand, the air was still laden with tension and you felt like youâd simply die on the spot if it didnât improve soon.Â
âHey Munsonâ You froze as soon as Billy said it, stuck in place watching as Eddie looked back over with an expression you could read plain as day. He was pissed and he wasnât hiding it.Â
âWhat do you want, Hargove?â Eddie shot back, crossing his arms as he continued to glare at Billy
âWhatâs the latin mean?â Yet again Billy's voice dipped into that gravelly anger and for the first time it was starting to scare youÂ
âWhat latin?â Eddie moved closer to youÂ
âThe latin in the fucking song dumbassâ Billy was tensing up, straighting his posture and returning Eddies glare with a look of pure aggression. âWhatâs it mean?â
âBullshitâ Billys hand started to grip the paper tighter, wrinkling it a fair amount âYou seriously expect me to believe you just donât remember what it means when you wrote the fucking thing?â
âDonât know what to tell you man, just donât rememberâ Eddie shrugged his shoulders, smirking as he saw how angry he was making BillyÂ
âI know youâre fucking stupid but even you couldnât be that dumbâ Billy had completely crumpled the lyric sheet by now.Â
âBilly quit it!â You finally spoke, snapping at your boyfriend.Â
âI just wanna know what this freaks got you singing, is that so wrong?â Billy's anger was directed at you now but you didnât back down.Â
âDonât call him that!â You snapped again, not caring that the guys were staring or that Billy was definitely gonna lose his shit now. âGimme the paper, you fucking messed it up!âÂ
âIâll call him whatever the fuck I wantâ Billy was shouting now, the sound amplified by the cement walls of the cramped garage âThe freaks obviously bullshitting meâ
âSo what? You donât give a shit about my music so why the fuck are you throwing a tantrum over one line?â you reached to take the paper out of his hand only for him to pull it out of your reach.Â
âI give a shit about your music, why the fuck else would I be spending my night in this shitty garage?â Billy's voice was still rough and loud but you could see his expression soften a bit, he did care about your music and you knew he was doing his best to show it. He just didnât know how to show he cared in the right way, but he wishes he did, he told you how he wishes he could be better for you during your few softer conversations late into the night where you got him to open up a bit more. It was wrong to throw that in his face but you were past giving a shit at this point. Â
âGive me the paperâ You said, your voice low and demanding. Billy relented and shoved the paper into your hand before storming out of the garage, slamming the door behind him. All the anger left you at once and despite your best efforts to hold it together you started to cry. Ignoring the stares of the guys and the sounds of Billy shouting off swears outside, you started to flatten out the crumpled paper.Â
âHeâs not invited backâ Gareth said, breaking the silence. You didnât know if it was him trying to crack a joke or him being genuinely upset with you but either way It only made you cry harder.Â
âNot fucking helpful!â Eddie snapped at Gareth, he was obviously still angry and you just broke as he made his way over to your side. You were still doing your best to flatten out the creases in the lyric sheet but it just wasnât working. âHey it's ok, I can just rewrite it for you if you canât read it like thatâ
âNo, itâs not, itâsâ You were struggling to form a proper sentence through tears, finally giving up on the lyric sheet. Eddie took over for you, his ringed fingers smoothing over the sheet repeatedly but it just wouldnât flatten out. âIâm sorry, I, I knew it was a bad idea inviting himâ
âNo it's not fine!â You snapped, not angry, just frustrated with how calm Eddie was able to sound. You expected him to blow up at you, to kick you out and avoid you for days. It was what you deserved, you ruined the entire practice and he was still being so understanding, you didnât deserve such an amazing friend after everything that just happened. âI fucked up Eddie, Iâm sorryâ
âSeriously Y/N it's fine, it's just a piece of paperâ He insisted as he abandoned the paper, turning to face you. When he saw just how hard you were crying he instantly pulled you into a hug, not knowing what else to do you hugged him back. As he slowly rubbed your back, muttering its ok into your ear, you felt yourself calm down enough to stop crying. You have no idea what you would do without Eddie in your life, he always knew exactly how to help you and always seemed more than happy to do so.Â
âDoes he always throw tantrums?â Gareth asked, this time it was clear he was trying to be funny
âAgain, not fucking helpfulâ Eddie said, his voice stern but no longer sounding angry. Despite it all you found yourself giggling at Gareth's comment, pulling away from the hug to find that none of the guys looked angry at you.Â
âHeâs got a pointâ You said, sniffling a bit as you started to smile again.Â
âLooks like Iâm pretty god damn helpfulâ Gareth laughed at his own comment, the guys laughing a bit too as you broke out into more giggles
âYouâve got your moments Iâll give you thatâ You said still laughing, feeling your mood lighten even further as you heard Eddie join in the laughter. âReally though, Iâm sorry I ruined practice guys. I shoulda known not to invite him, I promise I wonât be bringing him back next timeâ
âYou didnât ruin practiceâ Eddie brushed off your worries âHe messed up, not youâ
âOnly thing you ruined was your makeupâ Yet another Joke from Gareth that sent the group in a fit of laughterÂ
âNot helpful!â You mocked Eddie's earlier comment through giggles as Gareth raised his hands in mock defense.Â
âYou alright?â Eddie asked softly as the guys eased back into their previous conversations. He was looking at you with real concern now
âYea, yea Iâm fineâ You answered âYou alright?â
âMe? Iâm great, perfect actuallyâ Eddie said, chuckling a bitÂ
âIâm serious man, are you ok?â You insisted âHe said, he said really shitty stuffâ
âI get called way worse than that on a daily basis, heâs gonna have to dig a little deeper if he wants to fuck with meâ Eddie chuckled again, smiling warmly at you.Â
âDoesnât make it ok, rest assured Iâm gonna lecture his ass about manners laterâ As you watched Eddie laugh loudly at your joke you felt yourself starting to blush. You watched the way his curls bounced as he threw his head back, how the corners of his eyes creased when he shut them tight, how his cheeks dimpled as his smile grew. You quickly tore your eyes away, starting to feel more conflicted than happy. Glancing over at the door you knew you had to go talk to Billy, you couldnât just let him drive off without at least saying goodbye to him.Â
âIâll be right backâ You said quickly, making your way over to the door and outside before Eddie could stop you. You found Billy leaning up against the side of his camaro, smoking a cigarette and glaring at nothing in particular. It was dark now but the light above the garage illuminated the driveway just enough for you to see how tense he looked.Â
âYou come out here to yell at me some more?â Billy let out a long exhale of smoke before dropping the cigarette and stamping it out.Â
âI came to talk to you, not yellâ You said walking over, leaning against the car next to him.Â
âSurprised youâre even out here at all, thought youâd be all over Munson by nowâÂ
âCourse I came to you Billy, Iâm not just going to let you leave without apologizingâ You muttered, you didnât want to address his comment about Eddie quite yet. At least not while you were still standing in Gareth's driveway. âI shouldnât have yelled at you like that.âÂ
âGuess I shouldnât have yelled at you eitherâ Billy was muttering, he always spoke quietly when he was apologizing. He had no problem being loud when he was angry but when it came to apologies he struggled, though you didnât hold it against him. You knew it wasnât entirely his fault that he had a hard time being vulnerable and you knew he was trying. âJust got madâ
âMad about the latin?â You knew it wasnât about the latin.Â
âMad about you and Munson keeping secretsâ His voice was getting louder, anger sparking up again
âIâm not keeping secrets from you Billy, Eddie just didnât wanna tell you what it meantâ You kept your voice steady and calm âI canât force him to share stuff and you canât either, it's not that big a dealâ
âGuess soâ Billy's voice had dropped back into mumblesÂ
âI wish youâd give him a chance, it really sucks knowing that my best friend and my boyfriend hate each other and I canât hang out with my two favorite people without a fight breaking outâ You knew this comment ran the risk of getting him mad againÂ
Billy didnât get angry but he didnât say anything either. He just shut his eyes tightly, an expression you were familiar with. He was holding back from saying something heâd regret, a skill he had been working on but still didnât quite have a grasp on.Â
âHeâs too close to youâÂ
âHeâs my best friend Billyâ You were struggling to keep your voice calm now, this was a fight youâd had many times before and still hadnât gotten anywhere with.Â
âYou know what I meanâÂ
âAnd you know weâre just friends, I tell you this every time you start this fightâ You were starting to lose your patienceÂ
âNot trying to start a fight, just telling you how I feelâ His voice was getting louder âIsnât that what you want? For me to ~share my feelings~ like some kind of bitch? Well Iâm sharing my fucking feelings and I feel like heâs too god damn close too you!â
âSo what!â You were shouting again, you couldnât help itÂ
âSo What?â He was shouting now too âSo youâre my fucking girl not Munsons so
you oughtta fucking act like it!â
âBilly I swear to god weâve fucking talked about this!âÂ
âAnd yet you still act like this!â He was really angry now
âAct like what?â You were angry too
âAct like you love that fucking freak more than me!â he stood up straight, no longer leaning back on the car as he towered over you.Â
âDon't call him that!â you stood up yourself and despite being far shorter than him you still tried to mirror his defensive stance.Â
âYouâre not denying it!â Billy shouted in mock triumph like heâd caught you in some trapÂ
âBecause itâs such a stupid fucking suggestion itâs not worth ackowledging!â You were nearly screaming now, so lost in your own anger and Billy's glare that you didnât hear the garage door open
âHey uh, weâre starting up again!â Gareth shouted from the door.Â
âBe right there!â You tried to mask the anger in your voice as you called back, waiting for the door to close again before turning back to Billy. âLook this isnât getting us anywhere and this certainly isnât the place for this conversation. Just go home, Iâll get another ride back to my place later and weâll talk tomorrow.â
âYou gonna let Munson drive you home?â
âBilly pleaseâ you felt yourself start to deflate again âIâm sorry ok, Iâm sorry I make you feel like I donât love you and I do wanna talk this through but doing it tonights just gonna wind up with us screaming at each other and I canât handle thatâ
âFine.â Billy's answer was sharp but not loud. You watched as he got into his car and started the engine before you walked over to the driver's side window which he reluctantly lowered for you.Â
âIâll call you when I get homeâ You offered, leaning forward to rest your hand on the side of his face. While he didnât pull away his expression didnât soften. âIâm sorry today went so shitty, I really amâ
Billy still didnât speak but his expression was starting to soften.Â
âI love you Billyâ You continued, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips which he reciprocated but didnât try to deepen nor did he lean forward to continue it when you pulled away.Â
âLove you tooâ Billy mumbled, not looking at you as you stepped away from the car. You watched him pull out of the driveway and speed off, taking a moment to collect yourself in the silence before rejoining the others in the garage.Â
âEverything ok?â Eddie asked, looking up from tuning his guitar as you closed the door behind yourself
âYea, yeah everythings fineâ You answered, running a hand through your hair with a short sigh. You made your way back to the music stand and looked over the crumpled lyric sheet. It wasnât as bad as it looked before, sure it was wrinkled but you could still read each line clearly. You traced your finger over the latin line slowly, letting out a sad chuckle at how such a short lyric had caused such a big scene. Tragic Irony, it would be funnier if it hadnât just happened to you but you tried to look on the bright side. Maybe this would be the final time you and Billy had to talk about Eddie, maybe you could put this insecurity of his to rest and actually make some progress with him.Â
âHey Eddieâ You turned to face him again, breaking yourself out of your thoughts before you let yourself get upset again.Â
âWhat's up?â He asked, curls falling haphazardly over his face as he quickly looked back up from his guitar. You giggled a bit as he failed to blow them out of the way.Â
âCan you uh, can you give me a ride home?â You donât know why you felt so embarrassed asking him, hell before Billy Eddie had been the one to drive you almost everywhere but now it just felt awkward asking him.Â
âI thought, â Eddie stopped himself, suddenly understanding why you were asking. âYeah, of course I can drive you home. Iâll even let you pick the music if itâll help cheer you upâ
âYou got a copy of Ride The Lightning?â You knew he did, it was the album you always asked him to play when he used to drive you around and you were feeling nostalgic all of a sudden. Those car rides with Eddie were some of the most fun times youâd had together. As lame as it sounds, driving around Hawkins and obnoxiously singing along to each and every song together was amazing. You missed it. A lot.Â
âCourse I got Ride The Lightning, you really think I wouldnât have your favorite album ready to go?â He was smiling brightly now, he hadnât said anything when you started declining his offer to drive you around but he missed those drives too. He missed a lot about the friendship you guys had before Billy, but he knew saying something about it wouldnât help the already tense situation. So instead he kept his copy of Ride The Lightning on his dashboard, always ready and waiting for you. He wouldnât admit it, even to himself but He was always ready and waiting for when you would come back, when you would finally realize Billy was an ass and come back to him.Â
Despite the disruption, practice ran smoothly for the rest of the night, everyone easily slipping back into a lighthearted mood as you continued to make good improvement with all the songs that werenât quite perfected yet. But despite the improvements you werenât able to fully focus on what you were singing, you were caught up by your own racing thoughts. As practice drew closer to ending you felt more and more conflicted. You couldnât wait for the drive home but you were starting to dread the phone call youâd have to make when you got there.Â