Middle Fingers Up // Billy Hargrove x Reader

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑰𝑭𝑻𝒀-𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬

"Okay, bye sweetheart. Lovely to hear from you again," You hear your mother on the phone when you go back inside, but she's putting it down as you round the corner, quirking a brow in question of who it was. "Ooh, you just missed Eddie but he left a message to say your Christmas present should be arriving within the next few days."

"Oh. I thought we were doing that after the Holidays," You comment, brows furrowing in confusion. You'd agreed to meet when you were back in New Orleans, but figure he must have wanted you to have it sooner. No fair. "Thanks, mom."

You head back into the living room where Theo was playing with Jessica, watching with a grin a she showed her his new toys. "Bedtime, little fella. That's enough excitement for one day." You tell him, knowing full well he'd get cranky if he got too tired. You were not about to deal with a tantrum on Christmas Day. He grumbles but agrees eventually, asking if you'll carry him at least and who would you be to deny such a sweet request?

Pulling him up onto your hip, you carry him to bed after saying goodnight to the family and tuck him in, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose. "Happy with all your presents?" You ask considering he was still clutching to his new Batman toy. 

"Yes thank you, mommy. I love them all." He hugs his figurine closer and you elicit a soft, contented sigh. 

"That makes me happy." Leaning to press another kiss to his little puffy cheeks, you blow a raspberry against the skin that makes him giggle shortly before you pull to a stand, bumping the tip of his nose with your fingertip. "Goodnight, little prince."

"Night night, mommy. Love you." 

"Love you too, buddy."

-------------------------------------------------------

It took all of the next day to realise, and when you do it isn't from your own observance, but your mom letting you know in the evening that Billy had forgotten his jacket when he left the previous night. You rolled your eyes with a groan, taking it from her. "I'll call him. I might need to run it over to him, would you--"

"Watch Theo? You don't even need to ask, honey. I was going to bake some Christmas cookies, he can give me a hand." She cuts you off, bumping into you with her hip. She was such a natural at being a grandmother and you loved to see it. She definitely spoiled your kid though when you weren't there and you knew it no matter how much she pretended not to.

"Thanks, mom. I won't be back late." You assure her, heading over to the phone to call Billy. "I don't mind if you are. He's fine here, stay as long as you need." She says as you're dialing the number, waving a flippant hand to show how unbothered she was. She had some ulterior motive you hadn't quite figured out yet and it was making you suspicious of her.

You couldn't reach Billy on his home line so you try the number for his bar that he'd given you and it rings for a long time before a frantic voice came through the other line. He sounded exasperated and you were barely able to hear him from the background noise, but he grumbled something about being super busy at the bar that night and gave you the address to stop by.

The phone cuts off with a bad signal so you hang up. At least you knew where he was, so you grab your keys and make your way over. It was cold when you get there so you put his jacket on until you get inside, desperate to keep warm and knowing he wouldn't mind. You stuff your keys into the pocket, your hands following them in attempt to heat them up past their frozen state.

When you get inside the bar, it's relatively busy but not as bad as you were expecting. You figure he was just being a drama king until you get closer and see he's the only one working the bar. Voices shout over each other, demanding drinks and he was moving around frantically to meet their orders.