Send ๐ to interact with the muse during a major event in their life that sender's character was NOT there for originally
the air was cold enough to bite as steve hauled himself back over the ledge. he moved with a practiced fluidity that usually felt like a victory, but tonight, every muscle felt heavy. the glass of nancy's window felt like a barrier he wasn't meant to cross anymore.
he reached the ground and didn't look back. his sneakers hit the pavement with a dull thud as he made his way to the car where the glow of a cigarette ember cut through the dark. steve yanked the door open and slid into the leather seat, the click of the latch sounding like a gunshot in the quiet suburban street.
billy didn't move. he was leaned back, one arm draped over the steering wheel, his eyes tracking steve's every frantic movement. he didn't ask what happened. he didn't make a joke. but in the sharp line of his brow and the way he tilted his head, the question was loud enough to fill the cabin.
"just go." steve breathed, his voice cracking on the last syllable. "just drive, billy."
the engine roared to life a second later. billy shifted into gear and pulled away from the curb without a single word. the streetlights of hawkins flickered over them in rhythmic intervals, casting long, distorted shadows across steve's face. he stared out the side window, his reflection ghostly against the passing trees.
minutes bled into a heavy, suffocating silence. steve's hands were buried in the pockets of his jacket, balled into tight fists to stop the trembling he knew was coming. he finally turned his head, his jaw tight as he looked toward the driver's side.
"she was in there." steve said, his voice coming out as a jagged whisper. "not alone. with-with byers. together on her bed. she had her arms around him."
he tried to scoff, tried to let a sneer curl his lip to channel the heat of "king steve" into the space between them. he wanted to sound pissed off, like he was ready to go back and break something. he wanted to look like the guy who didn't care, but as he met billy's gaze, the wet sheen in his eyes and the hollow ache behind his stare told the real story. he wasn't angry. he was just breaking.
Another Time, Another place from @puppetoffthehook