Savior complex Pt. 1 (Billy Loomis X Reader X Stu Macher)
You werenāt close friends. Not really, anyway.
Youād sat next to them in class once, back when youād been forced into a group project. Billy and Stu were the only ones without a group, and you quickly learned whyāyou ended up doing basically the entire thing on your own while they goofed off. To Billyās credit, he did just enough that you didnāt report him to the teacher. Stu made you laugh once, but you werenāt even sure if he meant to. The moment the project ended, it was back to strangers. You were vaguely aware of them, as you were of every other person youād been forced to work with.
They, on the other hand, were very aware of you. Whether you noticed or not, they lingered. Just in the periphery. It became a habit of Billyās to trail you through the hallways like a shadow. Stu, being much louder than his counterpart, would shout to you from time to time across the quad. It earned little more than a passive, mostly subconscious nod from you. He was like that with everyone, after all.
Like last night, and the night before that, you were home alone once again. You werenāt entirely sure your parents even lived at your house anymore, given how infrequently you saw them. Decked out in a massively oversized hoodie and fuzzy socks, you found yourself standing in front of the microwave, heating up whatever was quick and cheap from the gas station.
Halfway through, the microwave died with a sad chime. Everything else in the houseāthe appliances, the TV, the digital clocks, and then the lightsāfollowed in rapid procession. You froze in an instant, long enough to feel your stomach twist into uncertain knots. The power wasnāt prone to cutting out randomly. In fact, in all your time living here, it had only failed under the pressure of two particularly nasty storms. But tonight? It was clear, dark, and silent outside.
The air was still, like the house itself was holding its breath alongside you. The dead silence made your ears ringāso loud you nearly missed the creak of a floorboard not even twenty feet behind you. You spun around just fast enough to see him sprinting at you.
Just like on the news. Draped in black, bone-white mask, and a gleaming hunting knife that caught the moonlight like itĀ wantedĀ to be seen.
You ran on instinct, trying and failing to pry the front door open. You didnāt have even a second to questionĀ why. You were already halfway to the stairs, hammering one foot after the other upward. Your fuzzy socks betrayed youāyour foot slipped, flew out from under you.
In a blink, your head was on the ground. A distinctly copper taste coated your tongue. Ghostface was on top of you just as fast, knife raised.
And then, just as suddenly, he flew off of you.
A loud thud cracked through the suffocating silence as Ghostface slammed to the ground, another body wrestling on top of him. The fight was loud. Violent. There was yelling, and a scuffleāthe knife skittered across the floor, far out of reach.
You shut your eyes tight, trying to quiet the screaming in your ears, the spinning in your vision, the stabbing pain in your skull. In the moment your eyes were closed, the struggle ended.
And crouched in front of you was none other than Billy Loomis.
āAre you okay?? He didnāt hurt you, did he?ā Billy placed a hand under your jaw, tilting your head to inspect where it had smacked against the stair. His fingers brushed the side of your scalp, and you flinched. Not bleedingābut definitely bruised.
āBilly? Whatāwhereā?ā You had to take a breath, gather your thoughts before anything coherent came out. āWhy are you here? Where did he go? How did you know thatā?ā
āEasy, easy,ā Billy said softly, backing up just a little. āI was walking down the street when I saw your house go dark. I was just about to knock when I heard you at the front door, then saw you take off up the stairs. I saw him behind you, knew I had to get in. There was an open windowāthe same one Iām guessing he came and went through.ā
Everything after that was a blur. Cops. Questions. Your parents swearing theyād never leave you alone again. The officers grilled you on why Billy was there. You knew what he said, but you didnāt think theyād believe it. Everyone at Woodsboro High knew the cops already had eyes on him. So you lied.
āWe were studying,ā you said. āWe have the same chemistry class, andāā The cops cut you off with more questions. Less interested in class and more in the killer.
The important part isāthey bought it.
Billy drove you home after the cops cleared you and the paramedics ruled out a concussion. Shock was their final diagnosis. You were inclined to agree. Billy walked you inside, helped you onto the couch. He offered to stay. You didnāt say yes, but you didnāt say no either.
The house was quiet again. You stared at the wall, arms wrapped around yourself, eyes unfocused. Billy watched you like you were something fragile. He offered you water. You didnāt take it.
āItās gonna be okay,ā he murmured. āHeās gone. I wonāt let him come near you.ā
āYeah,ā was all you could manage. And even then, it was barely a whisper. You didnāt see itābut you couldĀ feelĀ him roll his eyes.
The silence returned, heavy and oppressive. You shifted slightly, uncomfortable on the couch. It was too stiff. Your skin too cold. Your hoodie did nothing to help. The humming alertness in your nerves hadnāt dulled, not even slightly. Your hands still trembled in your lap.
Three of them. Quick succession. Not loud. Not frantic. Measured. Too soft to be a cop following up. Too calm to be a reporter sniffing for a quote. Billy was already on his feet before your brain had caught up.
āIāll get it,ā he said easily, hopping over the back of the couch.
āYouāre not even supposed to be here, Billy, you canāt justāā But he had the door open before you could even finish. Stu stood on the porch like he belonged there. Slouched against the frame, grinning ear to ear.
āHey, cutie,ā he said, voice syrupy. āHeard you had a hell of a night.ā
āWhat are you doing here?ā Even in your rattled state, you managed to sound as exasperated as you felt. Stu just shrugged, waltzing in like heād been here a hundred times before.
āWhat, I canāt check up on a friend? Billy saidāā
Click. The front doorās lock.
āāyou got roughed up, and I wanted to see how you were doing.ā
Your mouth opened to argue, but no words came out.Ā Billy said? When would Billy have had time to talk to Stu? Youād been with him nonstop since the incident. Your eyes snapped to Billy, who had returned from the front door. He leaned on the couch behind you, draping one arm casually across your shoulder. Stu flopped down beside you, tossing his crossed legs into your lap like this was any other Tuesday.
āWeāre just worried about you, is all,ā Billy murmured into your ear, tone silk-soft. Almost a purr. āAfter everything⦠you really shouldnāt be alone right now.ā
āYou⦠should both go. I⦠I canāt. Not after everything.ā Your voice was barely above a murmur. Neither of them moved. Stu didnāt even bother to fake concern. He just laughedālow and soft.
āOh, come on now. You donāt want us to leave. What if he comes back, huh? I doubt heād let you live a second time.ā He said it with just a little too much certainty. Your eyes flicked to him, but before you could speak, Billy gently took your chin and guided your face back toward him.
āDonāt pretend like you want us gone, sweetheart. You donāt want to be alone again. Vulnerable. Afraid.ā Stu doesnāt take his eyes off you while Billy speaks. His legs are still sprawled lazily across your lap, like this is his couch, like youāre his armrest. His smile is too wide, but his eyes are sharp nowācutting through you. Watching. Billy hasnāt moved his hand from your jaw.
You can feel his thumb brush over the edge of your cheekbone in a slow, almost absentminded arc. It should be comforting. It isnāt. Not really. But your skin prickles under the contact anyway. The air between the three of you starts to shiftāless like static, more like something coiled and ready to snap. You swallow hard.
āWhy are you really here?ā you ask, your voice quieter now. Not accusing. Not exactly. Billy leans in just enough for his breath to skim your ear.
āMaybe we were worried about you,ā he says. āMaybe we didnāt like the idea of you being scared and alone.ā
Stu hums low in his throat. āOr maybe we just didnāt like the idea of anyone else getting to you first.ā That draws your eyes back to him.
His grin deepens. āYeah. You.ā Billy shifts behind you. His arm brushes yours as he sits down beside you this time, close enough for your knees to touch. His hand rests on your thighānot quite possessive, but grounding. You donāt move it.
āYouāve always been kind of interesting,ā Billy says, tone casual, like heās talking about the weather. āEven when you pretended not to notice us.ā
āI wasnāt pretending.ā
Stu snorts. āSure you werenāt.ā Thereās a pauseājust long enough for you to notice how warm the room feels, how close theyāve drawn in. You feel like prey, but you donāt run.
āWhy now?ā you ask. Billyās eyes meet yours. Cold, unreadable.
āBecause now youāre listening.ā Your pulse jumps.
Stu leans in next, grinning like he knows something you donāt. āAnd we figured you might be ready for the truth.ā You donāt ask what that truth is. You donāt think you want the answerānot yet. Billy brushes a strand of hair from your face, fingers lingering just a little too long.
āYouāre not afraid of us,ā he says. āNot really.ā
You hesitate. āShould I be?ā
āProbably,ā Stu answers.
āBut weād never hurt you,ā Billy murmurs, and it sounds almost honest. Almost. His hand curls against your jaw again, tilting your face toward him. āWe like you too much.ā Stu shifts, swinging his legs off of you, by your side in a swift motion. He leans into you with a grin. āBesides,ā he drawls, āhow could we ever hurt our alibi? WeĀ needĀ you.ā
āAlibi?ā You shoot Billy a look, your voice sharp with confusion. āWhat are you talking about?ā Billyās smile turns patient. Almost patronizing.
āYou know the cops have been hounding me for weeks now. And you, my darlingā¦ā He turns your face more firmly to meet his gazeādead-on, unblinking. āYou just cleared me of all suspicion. I wasnāt expecting you to lie for me.ā His smile deepens. āTruly, that was the cherry on top. Youāre a natural.ā
You feel your breath catch. āWhat are you saying?ā
āHow could I be Ghostface if you and I were in the same room when it happened, hmm?ā Your mouth opensāfor a moment, no sound comes out.
āWhy would youā¦ā You swallow hard. āBilly. Youāre notāā
āOh, but I am,ā he says, voice dipping into something low and wicked. āMeet Ghostface One and Two, sweetheart.āĀ
Your head snaps toward Stuāheās already holding up the mask, mockingly poised in front of his face. One gloved finger taps the chin of the skull-white visage. You jolt back, panic flaring, but Billyās hand doesnāt let you move. It stays firm, grounding, like an anchorāor a shackle. Stu laughs. Full-bodied, wild. He tosses the mask aside, like itās a party trick.Ā
āWe owe you a little appreciation, darling. You did us a big favor.ā Stu comments, still cackling. Your breath catches.
āNo,ā you whisper. āNo, youāre lying.ā Billyās expression doesnāt change.
āIf I were lying,ā he says calmly, āwould you still be sitting here?ā
You shake your head. āYou saved me. Youāhe had the knifeāā
āYou think itās that hard to stage a fight?ā Stu cuts in, grinning. āGod, youāre cute.ā You pull away from Billyās hand. This time, he lets you.
āYou used me,ā you say, voice breaking on the words. āYou planned this. The break-in. The timing. All of it.ā
āNot all of it,ā Billy says. āThe lying part? That was a surprise. But a welcome one.ā
Your hands start to tremble again. You push up from the couch on instinct, needing distance, needing air, but your knees buckle from the lingering adrenaline. You catch yourself on the edge of the coffee table.
Stuās beside you before you can move. āCareful, princess. That headās still ringing, huh? You hit it pretty hard.ā Another laugh.
āDonāt touch me,ā you snap, shoving him backāhe stumbles, but itās theatrical. Heās laughing before he even regains balance.
āI knew she had claws,ā Stu grins. Billy rises slower. Methodical. Controlled.
āYou can scream if you want to,ā he says, voice almost soft. āYour neighbors wonāt hear you. But I donāt think you will.ā
Your heart pounds like a drum against your ribs. āWhat do you want from me?ā
Billy doesnāt answer right away. Instead, he steps closer, eyes locked on yoursānot a threat, not a taunt. Just steady. Focused.
āWe want you to stop pretending you donāt already know.ā
āYes, you do,ā he cuts in. āYou noticed the glances. The way we lingered. You liked it. You just didnāt know what to do with it.ā You donāt deny it. Not fast enough.
Stu moves again, behind you this time. Not touchingābut close enough that you feel the pull. āYou ever wonder why we pickedĀ yourĀ house?ā he says, breath ghosting over your shoulder. āWhy we wantedĀ youĀ to be the one we saved?ā
āYou couldāve killed me.ā
āBut we didnāt,ā Billy says.
āWe wouldnāt,ā Stu adds.
Your throat tightens. āYou canāt expect me to be okay with this.ā
Billy reaches out slowly, brushes a thumb under your eye. āWe donāt want you to be okay. We want you to understand.ā
āUnderstand what?ā you breathe.
āThat youāre ours now.ā Thereās a long silence.
Something inside you coils, ready to snap. Your mind screams to run, to fight, toĀ do somethingābut your body stays frozen. And worse? Part of you wants to believe him. Wants to believeĀ them. Because the truth is, ever since the encounterāever since the lights went out and the door refused to openānothing has felt as real as this moment. Not the police, not your parentsā concerned stares, not the fluorescent interrogation lights.
Just this. Them. The space between you and the question youāre terrified to answer.
You should resist. You should scream.
Instead, you whisper, āThen show me. Show me that you wonāt hurt me.ā
Billyās smile curves slow and sharp, like a match catching fire.
Stu exhales a low, delighted laugh. āYeah?ā
āYeah.ā
Thatās all the confirmation they need.
Theyāre on you in an instant.
Stu grabs you by the neck, your breath hitching sharply as his lips crash against yoursāsoft, but greedy in their movements, like heās been starving for this. His grip is firm, bordering on possessive.
Billy is just as fast. His hands start at your hips, grounding you, then slip beneath your hoodieāfingers tracing up your sides with practiced ease, dragging goosebumps in their wake.
END OF PART ONE~ Comment/repost if you want more! :)
@aghostlywhisper @stanseventeen