UNDEAD INNOCENCE

private heather holloway from stranger things.

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“ow, FUCK.”  the kick to the shin makes him flinch, dropping the fork, clanging against the glass and then rolling into the floor.  grinding his jaw at the left over stinging from her freakin’ foot kicking him, involuntarily kicking the table back, thudding underneath them before deciding or not if he should take this chance to really blow things all to pieces. it’s a perfect opportunity, a damn perfect one as he angrily bores through heather. glancing to the kid looking like he’s on the verge of freaking out, something by staring at him at last second tells him to withdraw from going that far.  on the tip of his tongue to say no, no it wasn’t a fucking joke. but he goes the opposite route, miraculously, considering he really wants to do better at pissing heather off and ruin her entire fucking week.  “it was a joke. just a joke.” but it doesn’t stop him from shoving the food out of his face, standing up and storming off through the kitchen, through the living room and shoving the front door open before letting the screen door slam back shut. fuck the food and fuck heather. plopping down on the front porch steps, digging into the front pockets of his jeans for the box of marlboros and a lighter crammed into them. he’ll stick not one but two cigarettes between his teeth, lighting them both.

　　　　Even when relief hit her the moment Billy seemed to let go of the joke, Heather’s stomach still sank to her stomach when the mood seemed to change once again around the table. Dark clouds kept spreading and spreading, no matter how many rays of sunshine she stubbornly tried to maintain, and that time even Nikki seemed to notice. Less scared about his mom finding out and more concerned and confused about why his newfound source of admiration was MAD all of a sudden, the kid nodded and remained quiet, eyes focused on the food as Billy disappeared out of the door. “Did... did I do something wrong, miss Heather?” Guilt making his eyes watery and his cheeks the wrong kind of red, Heather was fast to shake her head and explain that, no, it was just a bad day for Billy. She didn’t mention that, if anything, she should’ve been the one feeling bad for surprising him with a kid the worst day of the year. At least Nikki seemed to believe her, even saying something like “Would a cookie make him feel better?” as he moved on with dinner. It took him no longer than five more minutes to clean the plate and move to dessert, which Heather gave him permission to eat on the couch as she went check on her boyfriend. The smell of smoke immediately making her nostrils ITCH once she stepped out of the house, she sat down at some distance from him. Giving him space, but hugging her knees like she had no intention to stand up. This time, she didn’t say anything, just handed him the cookie she had indeed brought from the kitchen, and stole one of the two cigarettes for herself. She took a drag and held back a cough, then patiently waited for him to speak. Or sit in silence.

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“stop  calling  me  sir,  you  make  it  sound  like  this  is  boot  camp.”  although,  maybe  it  should  be.  maybe  he  should  have  SECOND  thoughts  about  it.  and  stop  sassing  him.  which  earns  the  kid  an  annoyed  expression  from  him,  staring  at  him  for  a  second  to  listen  to  what  else  he  can  say  to  annoy  him.   instead,  finds  himself  playing  into  what  he’s  doing,  naturally  leaning  in  to  HEAR  what  the  whispering  is  about.  then  a  dumb  idea  to  torment  him  pops  inside  his  head,  “oh,  really.”  billy  replies,  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  “maybe  i  should  TATTLE  right  now.”  voice  becoming  louder  on  purpose  to  hopefully  freak  him  out  that  he’s  gonna  ‘tattle  tale’,  stifling  a  giant  laugh.

　　　　Heather’s foot almost shot under the table to hit Billy’s ankle at his words, the boot camp joke looking more intimidating that it should’ve. But, to Heather’s surprise, Nikki didn’t seem bothered by that. He just shrugged, as if saying I call every guy sir, which had the brunette melt at how cute that was. Miss Heather and Sir Billy — although she’d been trying all day to make him understand that there was no need for such formalities, it did make them sound like high-class husband and wife instead of a couple that wasn’t even married YET. So she stood quiet instead, eating her food and pretending she wasn’t even there, just casually listening and watching at the small exchange. Then her foot did hit Billy’s shin at his threat. “Please don’t. Please.” Eyes wide, now Nikki did seem TERRIFIED at the idea of his mom finding out. His pale-white expression probably was enough to understand everything about the woman that had raised him — whether he knew that she wasn’t coming back or not. The kid’s small hand became extremely tensed around the fork, like he was one step away from running. Watery eyes screaming of a fight or flight response. That had Heather reach for his other hand, shaking her head. « No-one is gonna tell your mom, Nikki, Billy’s just joking—— right, Billy? » Chocolate eyes transfixing her boyfriend. “Please, si—— Billy. I don’t want her to lock me in the wardrobe again——”

[sarhoskedi-deactivated20241211]

[hollogrove]

@flayedprincss

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

ignoring  heather’s  claims  and  eyes  moving  on  the  weird  creature  inside  his  house,  brows  crease  at  the  kid.  why’s  he  so  obsessed  with  him?  looking  at  him  like  that?   doesn’t  know  what  to  do  about  it  or  feel  about  it.  then,  he’s  complimenting  him.  which  makes  expressions  deadpan,  trying  to  sort  what  the  hell  to  do  with  his  further  admiration.  brows  creased  in  irritation,  “i  mean…  i  guess  so.”  what’s  to  like  about  it?  he  has  to  wonder.  “sure,  heather.”  saying  it  flatly,  anything  to  distract  himself  from  this  weird  ordeal.  “you  like  rock  bands?  and  know  the  names  of  them?”  voice  blurting  in  disbelief,  eyes  falling  on  the  salad  he  stabs  a  fork  at  a  few  seconds  after  plate  is  sat  down  but  doesn’t  bring  a  piece  of  it  to  his  mouth.  just  chicken  pecks  at  the  mac  n  cheese,  stabbing  the  fork  in  a  singular  shell  and  bringing  it  to  his  tongue.  “i  didn’t  know  they  taught  anyone  anything  at  the  orphanage.”

　　　　Please be nice — that was basically what Heather was trying to telepathically scream at her boyfriend at the moment. Nikki was looking at him with such admiration that, for a second, Heather was pretty damn sure his heart would break at the first sign of rejection. And then she was gonna have to scold Billy all over again for making him cry, which she did not wanna do that day. For Billy’s standards, however, he was being nice, even going as far as showing disbelief at the kid’s words. Almost unable to breathe with hot tense she was and trying to hide it too, Heather looked between the two, as Nikki seemed to raise his chest in what she recognized as pride and stubbornness. Again, looking so much like Billy it was unbelievable, a CARBON COPY a painter had chosen to turn into a miniature size. “Of course I like rock bands, sir. Rock is the coolest music in the world.” He said like it was obvious knowledge. “I, uhm…” And then he glanced at Heather and lowered his voice in a whisper, like the following words were a secret he could share with Billy but not with her. “I stole Dancing Undercover by Ratt the other day at the record store, but don’t tell my mom please. She would… get really mad at me.”

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“don’t  lie.”  thinks  she’s  completely  doing  exactly  that,  lying.  “uh  huh.  now  you  choose  to  be  horny?  course  you  do,  heather.”  a  scoff,  begrudgingly  letting  her  take  his  hand  and  pull  him  where  she  wants.  “salad?  lame.”  blues  roll  to  the  sky,  forces  himself  to  crunch  lettuce  and  dressing  everyday  for  lunch.  he  hates  almost  every  bite  of  it,  but  knows  he  has  to  incorporate  it  in  his  diet  somewhere  otherwise  he’ll  go  to  flab.  but  no  way  is  he  eating  it  for  lunch  AND  dinner.   “fuck  salads.”  he  mumbles,  wishing  it  were  a  real  person  to  give  his  middle  finger  to  once  they  make  rounds  to  the  kitchen  and  sees  it  sitting  over  there  that  he  gives  a  glare  to  before  passing  it  up  and  sitting  down  at  the  table.  his  hand  slipping  out  of  hers  somewhere  along  the  way.  clearly  heather  has  two  kids  to  take  care  of  instead  of  one.  “WHERE  is  your  mom  to  save  us  all  from  starving.”  he  groans,  would  rummage  out  his  own  food  to  make  if  he  just  felt  like  it.  today  isn’t  one  of  those  days  though,  so  whatever.  

　　　　« Oh my god, I’m not lying! » As she followed him back to the living room, Heather didn’t quite know whether to feel offended or just confused that he STILL didn’t seem to believe her. Her own boyfriend not trusting her words on how hot he was and how much she appreciated his appearance — and every other side of him, but that she told him every day too. Apparently, he was good with accepting flirts with random ladies at the car shop but decided not to believe her. Pft. She was almost getting an headache from that. « Nikki? Dinner’s ready, honey! » Voice back to sweet and lovely when referring to the kid — still watching tv, the boy’s eyes were magnetized by Billy’s presence the second they walked towards the dinner table. Side by side, the two guys in the room really looked like they shared some DNA, Heather could see the resemblance now so clearly she almost got spooked by it. “Your haircut is very cool, sir.” Nikki’s small voice reached her from behind, causing a smile on Heather’s lips as she simultaneously held her breath waiting for Billy’s reaction to the compliment. Taking her time to fill the plates with a bit of everything — including the greens —, the brunette tried to ignore the awkward silence everywhere. « Here we go. » Putting dinner in front of the twos, she took her own and sat down praying that was going to turn out a lot better than the start. Nikki seemed mesmerized by all the food in front of him, with the strong exception of the salad he was glaring at like it could bit him. She wasn’t even surprised. « You guys wanna watch some MTV while we eat? Nikki was telling me something about this group he likes today... Guns N’ Roses, is it? You have their new album, Billy, don’t you? » ‘Course he had, she’d bought it for him as a gift.

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“that  doesn’t  count.  i’m  immune  to  you  by  now.”  he  claims,  thinking  it’s  actually  true.  it’s  not  every  person  he  has  the  ability  to  carry  conversations  with,  most  people  easily  get  on  his  nerves  and  sometimes  it’s  just  easier  to  blow  them  off  before  they  start.  can’t  imagine  how  sarcastically  thrilling  entertaining  a  pre  schooler  is.  or  however  old  the  guest  to  orphan  motel  is.  maybe  he  can  entertain  him  by  scaring  him  until  he  pees  himself–––  that’s  a  thought.   or  threaten  him  to  eat  raw  carrots  and  celery  from  the  fridge  or  he’ll  have  to  go  sleep  out  on  the  street.  also  a  thought.  heavily  SIGHING  through  his  nose,  blues  flickering  up  at  the  lights  in  impatience  as  heather  restricts  him  from  getting  away  until  she’s  finished.  well,  least  it  does  feel  better  as  his  gaze  lands  back  on  his  secured  hand  and  watches  her  kiss  it  then  eyes  move  on  her  face  that’s  coming  closer.  eventually  ending  up  staring  at  the  door  behind  her  while  it  tickles  his  ear  when  she  gets  so  close  to  talk  quietly  into  his  ear.   now  he  KNOWS  she’s  really  up  to  something,  getting  the  balls  to  talk  like  that?  yeah,  totally  up  to  something  else.  he  really  thought  she  only  meant  cookies.  still  itching  with  irritation  and  this  in  general  rain  cloud  hanging  over  his  head  souring  his  mood  levels,  it’s  like  he’s  on  the  fence  about  playing  back  with  tiniest  smile  trying  to  inch  it’s  way  across  his  visage  but  still  so  flat  toned  about  it.  “you  don’t  have  to  resort  to  being  a  pervert  to  butter  me  up,  heather.”  almost  snorting,  but  staying  still  as  he  sees  her  cheeks  turn  into  tomatoes.  he  means  it  but  god,  it  really  is  hilarious  though  even  if  he’s  not  showing  the  amusement  on  the  outside.  he’ll  make  sure  to  make  fun  of  her  for  it  later.  “that’s  it?”  concerned  it’s  just  mac  n  cheese.  even  though,  he  doesn’t  know  why  he  cares  because  he  doesn’t  feel  like  eating  despite  having  an  extremely  empty  stomach  and  loving  to  devour  a  plate  of  food  any  other  time. 

　　　　Heather wasn’t sure there was anything like getting immune to someone, but she didn’t bother arguing with him right now. She knew damn too well that Billy had his special kind of logic, one he was very ridiculous and very stubborn in following. If she hadn’t managed to convince him that he was a good guy in the long time they’d spent dating, Heather was pretty sure she wasn’t going to convince him he was going to get along with that young kid until it happened. And Heather was absolutely certain it was going to happen, at one point. E v e n t u a l l y. « I’m not trying to butter you up, B. » Or was she? Truth was she was probably doing both — expressing her genuine attraction for her man and trying to distract him from the fact that she’d brought home a young child. A child that was still in the other room, making their special moment something they definitely had to postpone, but still... « I’m just saying that just because there’s a kid in the house it doesn’t mean that I can’t take my time to appreciate the fact that I have the hottest boyfriend by my side. » A bit theatrical, but she wasn’t lying. In her own funny way, it was her way of saying that Billy came first no matter what. She took his good hand and started pulling him towards the door. « I also made cookies. And salad, too. I don’t want us to start eating junk food every day but I felt like since this is Nikki’s first evening here it was worth cooking something kids love. » And she’d still made everything in the healthiest way possible, using actual cheese instead of chemical powders and top ingredients. 

[disdaidal]

#they cared

[ragegrove]

@flayedprincss

[wixterirox]

I cannot imagine being a Billy anti while Stranger things is literally shoving how Billy is a hero and redeemed himself down your throat

[phishyie]

With and without text for your viewing pleasure! They did finally get to California 😭💖

———

My tag list for the Summer Fun AU! Comment if you’d like to join, reblog for anyone you think might like it!

@infinitelyforgotten @thescarlettvvitch @flayedprincss @heavyblackblackheart

[flayedprincss]

@turnedahero​

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“yeah, well…” rolling his eyes, he doesn’t have any excuse for why he didn’t. he just naturally chose the camaro over the other option, like he always does. it’s like a wife he has to tend to. “like i know what to say? i don’t know how to talk to normal people, let alone elves.” grumbling at hating the idea of having to have a conversation with the little weirdo, brows creasing and occasionally hissing at his hand being tended to. growing impatient and about to pull away, even if she’s almost done. just like him to interrupt now when they’re almost done. briefly eyes flicker on her eyes staring up at him, her hints flying right over his head and thinking there’s just innocence inside them. nothing dirty at all remotely crosses his mind staring into these chocolate hues. “i don’t want any cookies. that’s not gonna help.”

　　　　« Of course you know how to talk to normal people, you talk to me just fine. » Like it hadn’t taken her so long to crack under his surface and discover his good side. Truth was that, in Heather’s opinion, Billy looked at himself like a kitty seeing a lion in the mirror. He could be the grumpiest individual on planet Earth, but he was softer on the inside once you managed to navigate around the harshest edges. That was something Heather still tried to remind him, hanging on to his human side every day since they’d gotten together. She’d got herself burnt from time to time, but she’d never changed her mind. She wasn’t going to change her mind and start doubting him now, either. Sensing he was about to pull away, Heather clung to his hand and quickly started to wrap it in a white clean bandage. Lips brushing his palm once she’s done, she chuckles cause that was just unbelievable to see — her trying to flirt and him acting like the NAIVE ONE. Oh, how tables had turned since back in the days. « I’ve already made cookies, that’s not what I’m talking about. » She was definitely not referring to the batch she’d made for Nikki as dessert. Still determined to play that game, she got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. « I’m talking about something else I can eat. » Face blushing cause that was part of her nature, a kiss was placed on his cheek before she pulled away. « After dinner, though. Now let’s go, or Nikki will eat all the mac n’ cheese without us. »

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“i’m  not  raging.”  despite  the  way  her  hints  make  his  teeth  grit  the  words  and  face  lightens  brighter  with  anger.  that’s  exactly  why  it’s  NOT  a  good  idea  to  bring  broken  kids  in  their  space.  well,  to  him.  only  to  him  seems  like.  the  whole  thing  gives  him  the  creeps  and  then  it’s  putting  pressure  on  him  on  how  to  even  talk  to  a  four  year  old  or  whatever  age  the  midget  is.  what  does  one  even  say  to  someone  that  probably  still  drools  in  their  sleep?  (  who  is  he  to  talk–  HE  still  drools  in  his  sleep.  )  maybe  he’s  jealous  heather  knows  how  to  do  it  so  well.  “oh,  now  he’s  upgrading  from  the  back  yard  to  the  couch  to  his  own  room?”  again,  he  thought  he’s  a  stray.  heather’s  acting  like  this  is  the  ritz-carlton.  “sure,  heather.  i’ll  be  patient  with  your  dumb  babysitting  service.”  saying  it  ominously,  implying  he’s  got  tricks  up  his  sleeve  that  insinuate  the  opposite.  “like  it’s  such  an  uncommon  thing  to  do  pulling  parts  out  of  a  car  all  day?”  brows  creasing,  playing  it  off  like  that’s  the  whole  ordeal  to  the  cut.  “it’s  been  a  bad  day  with  all  the  pressure  i’ve  had  at  work  then  you  go  and  bring  weirdos  in  here  to  make  it  worse.”

　　　She didn’t even bother replying to his obvious state of denial, one brow arching and saying that, yes he was absolutely raging. Sometimes not going head to head with him was actually the best way of winning a fight, no-one knew him better than she did. Which was why she’d been nervous to bring that kid home but not remotely as skeptical as the people that worked with her. They knew only what Billy wanted them to see, the dangerous facade that still lingered around him even years after finishing high school. Hawkins knew him as the city bully and an irresponsible kid, but Heather had seen just how far he’d come — slip-ups aside. She trusted him to act well with Nikki even when he didn’t trust himself, even when he refused to even try. « Well, maybe, I would’ve let him sleep in the back yard if you’d fixed the bench instead of washing the Camaro last weekend. » Of course it was a joke, playing deaf to his attempts of making her doubt that he could actually act decent with the boy. She could bet there was a lot more barking there than it was real biting. Gentle but determined fingers trying once again to clean the cut so she could bandage it, she looked at him with that special way she had that was all big brown puppy eyes and the most loving smiles. « Help me get through dinner and I might know just the right way to make this day a lot better. » Which probably included a bath and a lot of alone time after putting Nikki to bed. « You know I’m really good at repaying favors, mh? »

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“i’m  not  an  insensitive  asshole,  i’m  a  logical  asshole.”  he  scoffs,  before  temper  blows  and  his  voice  starts  to  raise,  “it’s  not  a  stray  cat  you  can  just –   BRING  in  here.  who  do  you  plan  to  do?  take  care  of  it  like  you  would  a  stray  ANIMAL?  for  life?”  why’s  that  JUST  his  luck.  he  went  from  being  an  only  child  to  suddenly  having  a  sister,  something  he  barely  adapted  to  because  he  felt  like  he  had  to  look  after  her  but  didn’t  know  how  to.  now  he’s  went  from  being  off  on  his  own  to  having  to  take  care  of  another  child  yet  again–  it  sounds  like  a  NIGHTMARE.  “i  don’t  care.”  about  the  first  aid  kit,  about  his  hand,  about  anything.  he  just  stands,  arm  being  jerked  in  her  grasp,  small  drips  of  blood  splattering  into  the  running  sink,  ignoring  everything  about  being  ‘nice’  to  the  kid.  “staying  where?  in  the  BACK  yard?  sure.”

　　　« No, I’m gonna take care of him like I would with a kid that’s been abandoned by his own mom. » Like she needed to further stress that detail, that similarity that was — whether she realized it or not — the reason why she’d brought him home. She’d met Billy that they were both teens, yet for some reason seeing Nikki had still felt like dejavu, like he reminded her so much of a kid she’d only ever seen in pics. « I’m gonna make sure he’s safe until the day they find a good family for him. It’s not like we’re using our guestroom for anything other than your barbells. » Heather didn’t think she was being illogical, even when she knew that day after day she was going to grow more attached to that kid until it was going to break her heart to see him move away. Maybe that was something Billy was trying to protect her from — maybe, he was trying to protect himself from it too. A part of her knew that arguing was never the right way to win a discussion with him. So she stopped, stayed quiet for a second, and breathed in and out. Silence falling so thick and heavy in the bathroom for a few seconds, the air vibrating like violin strings that had been touched too harshly. Last thing she wanted was for them to scream at each other during a day that was already hard enough for him. « I know your rage has nothing to do with him, and I’m sorry I had to make today worse. » He’d been tense from the moment he’d walked through the back door, after all. « Let’s just take tonight to think about it, okay? It’s way too late to bring the kid anywhere, after all. » And maybe that would give Billy time to get to know him. Heather attempted a smile, even. « Can you please stay still and let me clean this? Be patient with Nikki and I won’t ask how you got it. »

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

“wow,  HEATHER.  even  worse.”  that  she’s  NOT  babysitting  him.  then,  what  the  hell  does  she  even  mean?  he’s  staying  here  the  night?  if  he  wasn’t  so  impatient  to  know,  he  could  learn  sooner  as  he  stares  back  at  her  like  he  just  heard  the  most  absurd  thing.  forced  to  the  tub  to  sit,  billy  huffs  and  the  next  words  just  make  his  eyes  roll.  “might?”  he  scoffs,  if  it’s  a  might  then  it’s  a  definite  no.  they  won’t  find  a  single  person  because  people  who  aren’t  shit,  wouldn’t  let  a  kid  out  of  their  sight  to  begin  with.  which  means,  heather’s  going  to  treat  him  like  a  stray  puppy  and  try  to  let  him  stay  here  for  who  knows  how  long.  “are  you  crazy?  he  can’t  stay  here.  this  isn’t  motel  orphans.  go  take  him  back  to  the  dog  pound  or  whatever.”  getting  up  in  a  haste  after  spewing  such  an  insensitive  thing,  he  moves  past  her  and  steps  forward  to  the  sink  to  roughly  turn  the  knob  on.  jerk  a  towel  down,  wet  it  real  fast  and  start  dabbing  at  the  bloody  scratch  on  his  arm  and  hand  with  the  soaked  material.  “i  can’t  stand  little  kids.  like  i  KNOW  what  do  with  him?!  especially  a  boy,  they’re  bigger  brats  than  girls.”  he  says  with  clear  aversion  in  his  voice,  like  he’s  got  some  agenda  against  his  same  gender.  it’s  one  thing  to  bring  a  little  kid  home,  but  especially  a  freakin’  boy.  

　　　It wasn’t like Heather expected Billy to take it well — especially when that dark cloud of bad mood was swarming right above his head, raining down anger and sadness all around them —, but those insensitive words she could accept. She’d been ready to discuss it, to talk and find common ground — as long as it didn’t mean that she had to take Nikki back to the station —, but the way Billy had reacted did nothing but spark protectiveness for the kid. And anger that he, of all people, couldn’t stop for a second and understand how that was the right thing to do. Heather had to force herself to take a deep breath, to let the shock settle in front of what was like an harsh no. « Stop talking like an insensitive asshole, Billy. » She was definitely drawing a stubborn line on the sand with those words, fire dancing in her hues for the way she hated his use of words. He could direct his anger at her all he wanted, but Nikki did not deserve one drop of insults. Grabbing the damp towel from his hands, Heather rolled her eyes cause that definitely wasn’t the right way to clean a wound. « And jeez, we have a first aid kid in this house, you know? » Like they hadn’t used it plenty of times already. She grabbed the box from the top shelf of the cabinet and poured alcohol on cotton pads, cheeks puffing as even in her annoyed state she couldn’t help but care for the guy she’d decided to spend the rest of her life with. Pulling his arm towards her so she could start cleaning the wounds she had no idea how he’d got, she was going to investigate about that for sure but first they had to talk about the kid in their living room. « I’m not asking you to do anything with him. Just be nice, say hi, and maybe let him listen to some of your vinyls, okay? He likes the same stuff you do. » It wasn’t like she expected him to play babysit, she knew he wasn’t that kind of guy — nor she wanted him to be. « He’s staying, and I’ll take care of him whether you wanna help or not. All I ask of you is to act like a decent human being and be polite. He’s not like other kids. » Even though Heather couldn’t quite pinpoint what made him different, Nikki just was.

[phishyie]

Traveling far on a journey

That's the longest I've taken yet

Now I'm asking if you will let me come with you

———

Summer Fun AU Tag!

@infinitelyforgotten @thescarlettvvitch @flayedprincss @heavyblackblackheart

[flayedprincss]

@turnedahero​

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

with  an  annoyed  exhale  through  his  nose,  he’s  not  trying  to  reveal  at  all  what  he’s  been  up  to  all  day.  he  doesn’t  need  the  mothering  side  of  heather  to  come  out  and  him  have  to  explain  he  was  into  old  antics  again.  of  course  he  is,  it’s  not  like  reckless  teenage  blood  has  just  ran  out  of  him  in  his  early  twenties.  it  doesn’t  just  magically  disappear  the  day  you  turn  20.  he  can  suppress  it  for  so  long  until  it  bleeds  out  of  him  at  the  right  moment  where  his  brain  sets  itself  off..  (  was  he  not  looking  for  trouble  anyway? )   it  was  just  the  cherry  on  top  some  asshole  decided  arguing  with  him  first.

again,  brows  draw  themselves  into  a  sharp  crease  at  why  she’s  putting  herself  in  front  of  him  as  he  comes  to  an  abrupt  stop.  chest  bumping  into  her  nose,  the  buttons  undone  like  always  and  the  typical  odor  of  garage  smells  and  cigarettes  rolling  off  the  blue  shirt.  billy  printed  in  cursive  that  heather  sewed  herself.  fingers  idly  twitch  in  impatience,  about  to  pick  her  up  and  move  her  out  of  his  way  until  the  words  catch  him  in  surprise.  like  he  has  to  do  a  second  take  the  way  the  pupils  surrounded  by  the  piercing  waves  of  ocean  blue  narrow  when  she  says  there’s  a  kid  here,  that’s…  why  she’s  being  so  weird.  

glancing  up,  eyes  finding  him  and  brain  computing.  he’s  like  any  kid.  already  annoys  him  being  nosy–  not  minding  his  business  and  just  the  overall  creeps  that  kids  give  him  in  general.  a  freakin’  staring  problem,  like  per  usual.  except  maybe  a  little  less  on  his  nerves  only  because  he  doesn’t  realize  it,  but  he  LOOKS  like  him.  maybe  that’s  the  actuality  of  what  gives  him  the  creeps.  always  something  there  to  remind  him.

quickly  pulling  his  hand  away  like  her  touch  burned  him,  god  he  could  just  explode  in  irritation  right  then  as  he  folds  his  arm  behind  his  back.  eyes  turn  away  and  so  does  his  body,  “whose  freakin’  kid  are  you  babysitting  now?”  saying  it  only  when  he  turns  around  and  hurriedly  goes  for  the  door  he’s  been trying  to  reach  for  what  feels  like  an  eternity.  “how  am  i  going  to  concentrate  on  taking  a  shit  if  you’re  trying  to  assemble  a  meeting  where  a  person  takes  said  shit  at.  it’s  not  the  shit  conference  room.”  words  are  grumbled,  teeth  gritted  the  whole  way  he’s  pulled  off  into  the  bedroom  with  her  where  the  main  bathroom  is.

　　　Talking to Billy when he was in bad mood was already a QUEST on a regular day, so Heather’s mind couldn’t help but spin and spin and spin as she wondered how exactly she was going to explain that extremely crazy situation to him. She’d been trying to come up with a speech since the moment she’d driven home with Nikki on the passenger’s seat. Needless to say, she was far from having the right words on the tip of her tongue, desperately hanging on to the hope that Billy would just understand. After all, he’d been in a very similar situation once… And she couldn’t help but think about how different his life would’ve been if he’d met someone capable of taking him away from Neil. They’d found some bruises also under Nikki’s torn t-shirt, enough to make her wonder if they came from his mom or whoever she was running away from, abandoning her kid in the process.

　　　All Nikki did was nod and be the calmest young boy she’d ever met as they disappeared in the bedroom. Piercing brown eyes met Billy’s, that same expression that made her look like she was almost as tall as him appearing on her visage. « We can talk about that blood on your hand after I’ve explained this situation to you, okay? » Her voice was so mature in moments like those that Heather almost had the impression that she was a mirror-like reflection of her mom. Like Billy thought she wouldn’t have noticed he was hurt, even when caring about him was the thing that came the most natural to her. They’d been together for so long she wondered whether there was anything they could truly hide from each other at that point.

　　　Hands on his shoulders, she gently pushed him to sit on the ledge of the bathtub, for some reason thinking that he needed to be seated for what she was going to say next. « I’m not babysitting, Nikki is from work. » And that was enough for her boyfriend to realize that kid was far from being one of those in the neighbourhood that had a perfect home and a posh lifestyle. Quite on the opposite side. « They found him today in front of the supermarket near the highway. His mom drove him there and left. Some old lady noticed him there sitting on the sidewalk and called the police. » And then the police called her supervisor, which was how she’d gotten involved in all that. Had in been any other day, it could’ve happened outside of her workshift. Another sign, one of many coincidences in that absurd checkboard. « I offered to host him here until they figure out if he has any other family that might want him… I wanted to ask you first, but I didn’t have time to. They were going to take him to the nearest orphanage and… I couldn’t let them. » It had been pure instinct. A very motherly side of her coming out of nowhere and taking charge.

[phishyie]

When your brother is weirdly “nice” to you because he has a crush on some girl he works with

[flayedprincss]

turnedahero​:

it's  just  a  stupid,  useless,  made  up  holiday–  what  he  tries  to  keep  reminding  himself  throughout  the  shitty  day  he’s  having.  but  does  the  fight  he  got  into  at  the  gas  station  really  mean  he  believes  that?  then  again,  that  could’ve  happened  on  a  regular  day  because  he  hasn’t  been  back  to  therapy  sessions  in  a  few  months  now.  when  some  prick  hurdling  himself  off  his  motorcycle  thought  he  could  smart  off  all  because  billy  beat  him  to  the  last  gas  pump,  he  immediately  started  yelling  back  just  as  louder.  telling  him:  come  DO  something  about  it  pussy.  thing  is,  he  was  obviously  as  crazy  as  billy  because  he  enlightened  him.  

they  erupted  into  a  scuffle  right  there,  right  then.  thing  is–  the  beardy  face  asshole  had  hefty  arms,  too.  which  made  for  debatable  fight  to  some  watching  and  even  for  billy  when  he  cut  his  hand  on  the  metal  piece  behind  him  he  got  shoved  into  before  fueling  off  anger  and  fighting  back  harder  that  time.  especially  when  the  older  man  started  mouthing  things  like  how  he’s  ‘tired  of  punks’,  ‘gonna  teach  him  a  lesson’..  sounded  too  much  like  his  old  man.  so,  it  set  him  off.  he  threw  gasoline  up  in  the  air  from  the  pump  he  jerked  out  of  the  camaro  and  in  the  midst  some  of  it  hit  him  in  the  eye–  after  the  opportunity,  billy  dusted  the  joint  before  the  cops  came.  

that’s  why  when  he  finally  comes  up  the  steps,  he’s  inaudibly  sighing  in  annoyance  when  heather’s  there  right  in  the  kitchen.  fuck,  he  should’ve  came  through  the  front  door.  but  he  THOUGHT  that  was  the  whole  purpose  of  the  damn  back  door.  eyes  move  from  her  face  the  second  he  meets  her  own  after  stepping  into  the  townhome  and  the  smell  of  whatever’s  on  the  stove  hits  him  in  the  face,  turning  to  step  out  of  his  shoes  as  an  excuse  to  turn  away  from  her.  leaving  his  work  boots  on  the  red  rug  before  turning  again,  brows  starting  out  knitting  in  irritation  but  end  up  deeply  confused.

 at  why  the  hell  she  LOOKS  like  that  and  she’s  starting  off  with  words  that  would  usually  send  him  in  a  frenzy,  but  right  now  he  just  doesn’t  want  her  finding  his  right  hand  he’s  keeping  discreetly  held  by  his  side.  “well,  in  a  minute.”  he  knows  that  won’t  do  with  prying  heather,  he’s  gotta  muster  a  damn  good  excuse.  walking  past  her,  he  has  to  give  his  best  shot,  “….i  gotta  shit.”  and  casually  keeps  walking,  going  left  down  the  hall  and  barely  missing  the  kid  in  the  living  room  because  the  bedroom  bathroom  is  in  the  opposite  direction. 

　　　Something was off, and she knew her boyfriend enough to sense it like she had some kind of spider superpower for it. Reading Billy’s tension and micro expressions had become almost second nature during the time they’d spent dating, enough for Heather to know that he was clearly trying to hide something — whether it was his mood or the reason why he’d come home a bit later than usual. The good days definitely exceeded the bad ones lately, but on that particular day Heather didn’t expect to see the same Billy walk through their door as she saw any other day of the week. It was understandable, and she knew it was because of thing he still had to work through, which was another thing that had made her doubt the decision to bring Nikki home right that evening. It seemed like a twisted game of fate that they’d found him right on Mother’s Day, and it wasn’t like she’d had the option to postpone it. So, yeah, she was taking things carefully but they had to talk about it ASAP. And when the word Shit came out of Billy’s lips for the boy in the living room to hear — if he hadn’t been so focused on the cartoons on tv —, Heather almost rushed to tape his mouth.

　　　« Billy. » Pan placed back on the stove — no fire, cause the food was ready —, she hurried after him. Voice an authoritative whisper, she stepped in front of him like the tiniest rock trying to stop that train headed for the bathroom. « Don’t cuss, there’s a kid in our living room. » Revealing the elephant in the room that had clearly went unseen, she’d phrased her reprimand so low that there was no way Nikki could’ve heard it. Yet, when she glanced over Billy’s shoulder, the blond child she saw the blond child staring at the new adult in the room with awe. Like he’d never seen someone so cool in his whole life. Heather reached forward to grab Billy’s hand, only to have her fingers met with slippery red. She had to try so hard to conceal her expression that she probably looked like a constipated fish in the hallway. « Nikki, honey, this is Billy. He… he’s my boyfriend, I’m gonna let you guys introduce soon but he really needs to wash his hands first. Don’t you, Billy? You know what? I’m actually going to help you—— you can watch some more Tom & Jerry before we eat, okay? » Flashing one of those huge smiles that once caused every kid at the pool to melt, she quickly grabbed Billy’s other wrist. « Bathroom assembly, Now. »