DONTMAKEMEFALLINLOVE || Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things

Season 4 Bonus Chapter VII.

It was a grass field with no trace of human life for miles. This was Steve's take on gearing up for tonight. Max held Nancy's new shotgun in place as she sawed through it for better accuracy. Farther ahead in the grass, Eddie and Dustin were supposedly creating new weapons and shields. If anything, they were having fun. Eddie stood tall and proud as he marveled at his new makeshift shield made from a metal garbage can lid with hammered nails. "How does she feel," Dustin gazed at his friend.

"Light. But durable," Eddie dramatically swung the shield in the air, "deadly. But reliable." Eddie then rested his left leg on a carton box he had been sitting on. He felt as though he was on top of the word. He imagined himself ready for battle in his D&D world. "Hear me now," Eddie changed his voice to a deeper tone to mimic the voice of a war general, "there will be no more retreating...from Eddie the Banished."

Dustin followed suit and pridefully stood from his seat. "Hey, you're really ready for bat-tle," the boy giggled at his own joke. Eddie didn't return the same laugh, he only stared at the Henderson boy. "Get it?" Dustin explained, "Bat-tle? B-A-T! No?"

Dustin set his shield down on the grass. He for sure thought Eddie would understand the joke. Was it too soon to make jokes about the flesh-eating bats? Dustin watched as Eddie set his shield down. For a second Eddie was expressionless, until he lunged at Dustin. Eddie attempted to tackle Dustin to the ground, but the boy playfully fought back and held his ground. "What are you doing," Dustin yelled at his friend as he laughed, "you son of a bitch!"

Eddie tried to reach over Dustin's back and pull his underwear up. Dustin pushed back Eddie as the man tried to give him a wedgie. "NO WEDGIES," Dustin yelled as he held onto him.

They tried to tackle some more. Truth was, Dustin was stronger than he appeared. Eddie stopped fighting back. Instead, his hands reached up to Dustin and held the boy's neck in his hands. "Never change," Eddie gazed at the boy for moment, "Dustin Henderson. Promise me."

Dustin was at loss for words. Eddie had never been affectionate with him–or anyone for that matter. Dustin didn't know how to feel about it. But his heart warmed as they stared into each other's eyes. Dustin hesitated, "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good," Eddie finalized as he took one last look at Dustin, "good."

Diana stopped filling up the bottles with fuel without realizing. She also lost track of the conversation Steve and Robin were having beside her as they drained out the liquor bottles on the grass. Earlier she had heard shouts from Dustin and Eddie. As she gazed away from the bottle to the front of her, she found the two play-fighting in the grass. Her mouth twitched up a bit; Dustin was happy. Without the events of the past week hanging above their heads, Dustin was doing okay in Hawkins. He didn't turn into a total asshole after he entered Hawkins High. It was hard to change Dustin, Diana knew that, but he was relatively the same boy she left in January. Guilt coursed through her as she watched her brother with Eddie. She was gone long before January. She hadn't been there for him during his first semester of high school; Diana lived vicariously with drugs, and she hated the times Dustin saw her at her worst. Dustin never really talked about his school life and friends during that time–it was her fault, she pushed him away. When she wasn't there for her brother, Eddie was. Steve always was, she knew that. But Eddie was there for Dustin at school. Diana knew she had to thank Eddie for being there for Dustin. A smile etched on her face as she returned to the fuel and the bottle.

"I just..." Robin stumbled over her words, "I have this terrible gnawing feeling that it might not work out for us this time."

Diana watched the two put a halt to the task at hand. "Do you think we shouldn't be doing this?" Steve asked. We shouldn't.