* 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗. / @crawlingforwardx.
Is this what it's always like for Harrington, hanging out with Maxine's little friends? Empathy might not be one of Billy's strong suits, and he's not exactly one of Steve's friends either, but there's still something about the way the guy is casually branded dumb, an idiot, stupid and the like that rubs him the wrong way. This whole thing with the wormhole and another goddamn planet is screwing with Billy's head too, and the amount of showers he'd taken after learning he'd essentially been previously possessed by an alien were off the charts. Even then, he still never feels clean. He has come a long way since his near-death experience... soon followed by his not-sister's, which had affected him more than he could ever admit, but even now, there are some things about him that simply haven't changed. Being vocally opinionated is one of them.
He'd describe Steve in lots of ways, especially back when they first met. A douchebag, an asshole, a pretty boy, too damn pretty for his own good, a rich kid, a future yuppie, and the list goes on. But stupid? Nope. Billy is surprisingly observant too, and while the sarcasm in Steve's tone was thick during the exchange with the group, he picked up on something else too. It sounded a lot like... hurt. He doesn't know what leads him to actually reassure Steve, but it seems to surprise the guy; which doesn't surprise Billy in turn, given their history. He shrugs off the remark about the statement being 'nice', which is an improvement to his likely reaction in the past to shift into defensive mode. He adds: “I don't get all this shit, either.” Who the hell could... except for that Hawking guy, Mr. Clarke... and apparently Henderson?
The offer to smoke, especially Malboros, is one he's unlikely to ever pass up, and with a nod he follows Steve through the exit door of the WSQK station, cold air hitting once they're outside which he still isn't fully used to. If anything, it's worse than before, always taking him back to the days the Mind Flayer forced him to take cold showers and ice baths. Ignoring the biting chill that creeps up his sleeves and makes him shiver, the focus is switched to Steve and the soon lit cigarette. “...Lemme guess — you're their ride and their muscle, right? Maybe you even get to be bait when they need some kinda diversion?”
