Pretty, Ugly
This is for Harringrove. Apologies this took so long, I recently was hired at a hospital so I've been swamped with getting settled in. And of course, to boot, I got a nasty case of writer's block and had absolutely no motivation whatsoever. But I recently found this really awesome prompt that I wanted to try my hand at.
30. "We could...you know, go together if you wanted?"
Steve is actually Seven, a "failed" experiment from the lab that Brenner deemed unworthy of his cause. Steve is taken in by one of Brenner's fellow scientists to keep an eye on him in case of any changes in his ability status.
The lab believes Steve has no powers, but in actuality, Steve's ability is being able to physically see others internal pain as if it was an external one.
For Steve, the pain could be seen as a few scratches, other times it looks as if they've been in a car accident (it varies).
But the first time he saw someone who he couldn't compare an injury to, was a day Steve couldn't forget. Billy was something Steve couldn't forget.
When the blue camaro with California license plates pulled into Hawkins high school, interrupting the early morning rush of students mingling before classes, Steve got this sudden feeling. It quietly and steadily crept up his spine as he and Nancy watched the passenger door open, a young girl with penny copper hair angrily slamming her way free.
The sensation of his nerves tingling on either side of his spinal column was like the feeling of stepping up to the edge of a cliff. Steve's stomach ached as the Camaro's driver side door slowly opened, as a leg clad in tight apple bottom jeans appeared. As more and more of the mystery student was revealed to the curious eyes of onlookers, the pain in Steve's stomach turned to something he could only compare to the time he once caught a moth with his bare hands. He had held the little bug, feeling its wings pumping frantically in search of an escape route until his mother scolded him for playing with bugs.
As Steve finally got his first glimpse of him, the imaginary moth in his belly fluttered its wings even harder. Steve felt that just looking at the god that lay before his eyes was akin to getting only a glimpse of the sun. Blinding, breathtaking and hot.
But as the young girl, who could only be his sister, skateboarded away, Steve watched as cracks started to form. Blue eyes turned dark, a long fissure faded into view from his curly hairline down over his cheek. Obscuring beautifully sad eyes and sun kissed skin.
And even when Steve met him- met Billy, officially, he didn't hate him. He wasn't jealous of his sudden rise to fame and his own usurp, he was just- sad.
Steve could barely look at Billy without his gaze immediately being dragged to the scars and bruises. They seemed to be a dark cloud that grew the longer he partied, the longer Max flinched at his very presence, the longer he stayed in that house with him.
Steve knew. Everyone knew. But no one saw.
He did though, Steve saw things that he didn’t understand, things he had long come to accept as the new norm. So, it wasn’t really surprising when Steve finally met Eleven or El, as everyone called her, and she came with a surge of anguish and power that Steve just knew Brenner and his lab of merry men had fueled.
He wasn’t even surprised when she fixed her gaze to him, a furrowed brow and a tilted head the only acknowledgement she gave him before the chief ushered her out into his idling jeep.
Steve trembled and gripped his wrist and continued to even long after she and Hopper vanished into the night and it only grew worse as Nancy and the Byers fled their home to an undisclosed location, leaving Steve to watch Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Max. Max, who was Billy’s step-sister and someone Steve knew would only bring trouble.
They were only left alone for an hour, tops, before Steve heard a rumble and a squeal of tires. He knew who it was before he even side-eyed Max. She sat beside Lucas, pale and shaking as the car grew louder, the music blaring a familiar tune that reminded Steve of sun-kissed skin and apple bottom jeans.
The sound of trouble.
“Stay here and don’t get caught dip shits,” Steve didn’t spare them a second glance as he headed out the door to meet Billy. He should’ve, at least then he could’ve hidden in the house and hoped Billy wasn’t into breaking and entering, before he got the shit beat out of him.
-&-
The next time Steve saw Billy, he was naked from the waist up and sauntering in front of all the mothers at the local pool. Steve himself was far too pale to be out and had decided on a sensible white button-up that used to be his dad’s and was far too big on Steve. He only had a few buttons done and yet it still billowed around him and slipped from one every time he went to flip the page of his magazine.
He should’ve looked up, it would’ve saved him the embarrassment of ignoring the shadow that fell over him. “Dustin, I’m not rubbing anymore sunblock on your back. Go ask one of the others to do it. Or better yet, ask your goddamn mom before we leave your house next time!”
In his defense, Steve had been bribed to take all the kids to the pool as a sort of coming home present to Dustin for getting back from science camp. So, it came as a surprise when he heard no whiny retort or Chewie noise and instead heard a scoff that sounded vaguely like a laugh. When he peered over his sunglasses, Steve squinted against the blinding sun and nearly ducked back down against the sight before him.
“I didn’t know you made it a habit to visit the pool, pretty boy.” Billy wasn’t glaring, and Steve was taken aback at the sight of a near glistening Billy Hargrove. “I knew Max was being less of a little shit than usual. Now it explains a lot.”
Steve flushed and prayed he wasn’t implying anything like he had back at the Byers house so many months ago. “I’m just letting their parents catch a break from the brats,” Steve hid a wince behind the guise of flipping another page. He had hoped that brat would’ve come out less fond, but at the knowing look in Billy’s eyes, he knew he would’ve failed if he had even tried.
"You coming to the party tonight? At Heather's?" Steve startled at the sudden question. He hadn't expected Billy to keep talking to him and honestly expected him to move on to making eyes at Mrs. Wheeler.
"Oh- I'm," Steve was glad the heat of the sun concealed his sudden blush. He'd never stuttered before the fight with Billy or struggled as much for words as he did now. It had nothing to do with the questions or conversation, not completely. The unseen scars from past wounds- verbal and physical- lay before Steve's eyes, a constant reminder to him that Billy was just a human and not a monster. "I wasn't planning on it. I was actually gonna take the kids to the faire."
The fourth of July wasn't until next week, but Steve remembered when he was their age and going a week ahead to watch the rides get set up and see the firefighters test run the fireworks. It wouldn't be anything big, but Steve thought it'd be good way to show El something new and different.
Steve winced as a fissure appeared right above Billy's nipple, cresting up and over his shoulder. "You- we could...you know, go together if you wanted?"
Billy looked surprised, his eyebrows disappearing into his curls, and for a moment, Steve could see the indecision, could practically hear the no on his lips. "I'll see you there pretty boy."
Steve gaped as Billy winked and sauntered away, his sunglasses flicked over his eyes. Steve expected the no since he had seen Billy flirting away with Mrs. Wheeler only moments before. And yet, he felt a pleasant tingle in his belly at the thought of Billy skipping out on a bad decision to hang out with him.
It didn't escape his notice the way the cracks faded away at his offer or the way Billy seemed to brighten at the prospect of being with them. And if he had a strange feeling that he just stopped something, well, Steve was only happy Max had a way to get to the faire grounds.