Woes of the Wingmen

№ 13:

Above are the photos referenced for Nicole Hargrove's photos. 
CW: mentions of violence, CSA, and rape. 

Sunday, January 7th, afternoon.

Billy waited for someone to open the door while trying to keep warm through his mitt-covered hands.

He was met with a younger man that could only be Vance's father. What with his blue eyes and short, curly hair that was light brown in color.

"Hi, I'm Billy Showalter. I'm Vance's friend." He smiled and held out his hand to be polite.

He looked him up and down, as if trying to analyze him.

"I didn't think my boy had good influences like you. Hey, I'm Jacob Hopper. Vance's dad." He let him in.

He smiled with his lips. Then taking off his mittens and shaking the snow off on his boots.

"Vance, your friend is here!"

He hurried down the stairs, wearing a green jacket over his tank top and green pajama pants.

"Hi, Billy, let's go up to my room." He cocked his head up the stairs. They both knew they weren't going into his bedroom but indeed the vanity in the master bedroom.

He nodded and followed him.

Jacob only shook his head and smirked to himself. A mix of pride and maybe even smugness.

Vance led him to a maple vanity that was very organized but dusted. Pictures of her were tapped to the side of the mirror. One in particular stood out to him.

It was the obituary picture. Turns out she really did die in 1972, when Vance would be around 9-10. She was really beautiful, much like Vance. It was too bad she died too young.

"You look a lot like her." He said, holding a copy of the picture, colored this time, to compare. He looked over. His eyes were full of some kind of distant sadness. The kind you feel for a relative you never really knew...

"You think?" His eyebrows scrunched up.

"Mhm, you're pretty just like she was. You just have curly hair."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I get that from my old man." He took the photo and grazed it with his finger.

V: Wait did he just call me 'pretty?' Please don't tell me he likes me. I know he said he likes Robin but I can't help but wonder...

"Billy, you didn't just call me 'pretty' because you like me or something?"

He was really shocked at the idea.

"No, of course not. I mean I do like feminine men but I think of you as more of a brother than anything. My heart's with Robin, you know this, Vance I told you. And yours' with Bruce."

He felt really dumb now for even bringing it up.

"Yeah, you're right, you're right. I'm sorry for even asking. I just got worried."

"It's fine, let's get to work."

He nodded his head. They opened all the cabinets, finding the items in the last one on the left.

"A-ha, here they are!"

He pulled and laid them out on the vanity counter. Billy picked up the autopsy report. His gut twisted upon seeing the details of her death.

"I know you already said she was raped while alive and dead. But just reading this makes me wanna hurl."

"Makes me and my dad wanna puke too. That's why we never read it and leave this place alone."