Sugar pills

Part 6

Everyone was frozen. Not just because of Steve's crying and shaking but also because of the sigh in front of them. Nobody knew what to do. This had never happened to them before. They didn't know if this was the first time it happened or if maybe it constantly.... "El... do you know  anything about this?" Mike leans down and whispers to El. He didn't want Steve to hear and make his crying worse. El slowly looks up at Mike. It wasn't Hopper that didn't want anyone to know, it was Steve. But if she told him Steve would be angry... El hesitantly whispers a small "no" to Mike. If she were to tell anyone at all I'd be Hopper first. He already knew about these nightmares so Steve shouldn't be angry if Hop knew...

Billy was completely silent. Which everyone thought was strange. Especially Max. She knew Billy despised affectionate touching and such. Maybe because he grew up with none when he was with Neil. Maybe it brought back memories. But instead of cussing out to the trembling boy in his arms, he just stood there. God, Billy had never seen Steve act this way. He never thought a single moment something like this would happen. Or that he would find himself in this situation with Steve.

To everyone's surprise, literally some even let out a small gasp, Billy hesitantly wrapped his arms around Steve. Steve's sobs echoed through the small cabin. (Don't know if that's possible in wood but let's just go with it) Billy softly patted his back in an attempt to comfort him. He looked up at the crowd of the kids standing there and he glared at them, nodding over to the living room area. They all immediately ran back to the couch, and some sat down on the floor, others on the actually couch. Leaving Billy and Steve alone bin front of the closed door.

A long while had passed and they had shared no words. Billy didn't like it when anyone else asked what his nightmares were about, so he didn't want to make Steve uncomfortable. Especially with Steve showing such.... Trust to him. Steve's loud sobbing had faded into small whimpers and a few sniffles, though his body was still trembling against Billy. "Arms up" Billy suddenly says. Steve slightly backs away to look at Billy with a confused look behind his red sad eyes. "Arms up" Billy says again patting Steve's shoulder. Steve slowly raises his arms up when suddenly he feels Billy's hands on his side. All of a sudden, he found himself being picked up and carried by Billy. Steve didn't complain, of course not. He definitely wasn't feeling up to walk so this wasn't a bad thing at all. (I shall let you imagine how he is carrying him. It is your brain)

Billy walked around the small cabin in search of some kind of spare room to keep Steve in. Finally, he stumbled upon a small room that had a singular suitcase and a blanket scattered around the bed. Assuming this was where Steve was staying, he went inside and slowly placed Steve down on the bed. "You're staying here, Steve" he whispered quietly. Now Steve sat on the bed still slightly shaking, his eyes were glued to the bedsheets. "Don't think too much about it." Billy whispers again. Billy never really understood how to comfort someone. Especially if no one had ever comforted him in a situation like this. He didn't have anything to look back at. All he could think to do right now was stay quiet. "I'll be leaving now Steve. if that makes you feel better-" "Who-Who'll take care of the kids? I'm supposed to take care of them, Hop trusted me to take care of El and he trusts me to take care of all of them" Steve suddenly spilled out. No matter how bad he felt he knew that he, somehow, would end up being the one to take care of them like always. Not like he had anything against the kids, no. He loved them. But he felt adrenaline and a small bit of terror cling on inside him. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. "I'm fine... I'm fine I'll go with the kids-" "if it gets you to shut- I mean, be quiet, I'll take care of them for the day" Billy interrupts once more (Damn, nobody can say a single sentence without being interrupted) Steve immediately shuts his mouth and looks up at Billy. 

If Billy was being truthful, he had no idea what to do. He had never seen someone that way... except for himself. He had nightmares every week. Nightmares that'd keep him up all night. Nightmares that would freeze him up just like Steve did a second ago. Nightmares about Neil. About his mom and when she left him. (Or... nightmares about whatever you'd like to think) And all Billy really wanted whenever he got one of those nightmares was comfort. Comfort from someone who really loved him. Though he doubted such a person existed. He was too scared to come out of character to Max or... anyone. They'd make fun of him and call him out. But he ached for some type of comfort during those visions.

That's why he was trying his best not to say anything that would scare himself to Steve right after a nightmare.  Steve furrows his eyebrows "Wh-what? You're just gonna- gonna scare them away" Steve wipes his tears away with his sleeves. Billy sighs and goes out of the room towards the couch and takes away one of the blankets. The kids suddenly silent when Billy entered the room. He now carried the fluffy gray blanket on one of his arms while walking back towards Steve's room. "Just... rest" Billy mumbled, throwing the blanket towards Steve. I mean, obviously Billy had never practiced being gentle or nice to anyone. Much less Steve so he was trying his best to not act like the douchebag he usually was. Billy walked out to the living room and clapped once, loudly. All the kid's heads snapped towards Billy "Alright, so here's what we're gonna do. You're all going to leave Steve alone. No buts. He's.... Sick. And he needs to rest so you're all going to keep quiet and leave him alone, got that?" Billy says in a dangerously quiet voice. Eyeing every single one of the kids. Dustin slowly raised his hand like an obedient student Billy shakes his head and nods to Dustin "can I... go see him?" "What did we just talk about Henderson?" Billy cuts him off. Placing his hand on the couch. Now close to the kids who were all terrified. "W-well Steve usually feels better when he's with someone..." Dustin whispers, "and we all know his favorite one is Dustin so..." Mike adds. 

Billy thinks for a second... he didn't know Steve well enough to know this information but if the kids, who Steve was with 24/7 nowadays, said he liked such a thing then he surely did. finally, he sighs and points over to Dustin "You. Only you" he then points over to Steve's room and Dustin immediately gets up off the couch and runs off towards Steve. Billy sighs and looks down at the kids staring up at him. God, how did Steve handle this bundle of brats? "Okay um... You. Put on something. " He points over at... Eleven, was it? He couldn't keep up with all these names. "TV?" She asks quietly and Billy groans "Yes TV! What else? Put something on" he walks off towards the counter where they all had their bags placed when they first entered. He picked up a random bag filled with snacks and another with drinks and walks back to the living room. "You're all staying over because I refuse to take you brats back home. Too many" he throws the bags on the couch where Dustin sat a minute ago. He then sits down on the ground, his back against the couch and the bags full of stuff behind him. 

Everyone was silent. 

"...So? Put something on! I already told you to do it!" He hits the couch beside him. El could see Billy was quickly getting irritated with now having to take care of them. She would've been mad except for the fact that, in the end, he was doing it for Steve. So, he wouldn't have to worry about them. And that seemed... almost sweet. 

Without another second to waste she turned the TV on and started flipping through channels with her powers. (You know... we're going to pretend that Billy knows about... everything... but he didn't die... just go along with it) All the kids were hesitant. They knew something was wrong with Steve... but Billy was in charge of them now? Finally, the kids all settled for a movie that was starting on a random channel and all quieted down. Billy looking over his shoulder to peek up at the kids every once and a while.  

Billy... and the rest of the crew... could only hope that Steve soon felt better. 

(Hello :)