Don't Panic - B. Hargrove

TWENTY-THREE

Max ran to the window, closely followed by David, who had a suspension for why he was upset. Billy.
"It's my brother. He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us." she whispered, terrified, and David fully believed her.
He knew Billy and his anger issues well enough to believe her fully. He watched in horror as Billy stepped out of the car, looking like a danger walking with an open shirt and glare on his face. Steve, who had peaked over his shoulder, sighed.
"You gotta be kidding me. Of course, that asshole had to turn up now." "He's looking for me," Max whispered, frightened.
"I climbed out the window."
"You can't go with him." David decided, his eyes glued to Billy's frame.
The boy had lit a cigarette and looked up and down the driveway.
"Well, you can't go out either." Steve pointed out.
"Why not? This is my house; wouldn't it be just logical? Also, he never hurt me." David begged to differ .
It would be just natural to go out, greet the boy and send him off.
"Yeah, but you can't lie." Steve huffed, a frown plastered on his face.
David had to agree with that. He was terrible at lying.

On the other hand, Billy didn't know that. Maybe it was working on him. Steve, on his behalf, wasn't going to let him try it. He fixed his posture and clothes, then marched out the front door to stand on the porch.
David and Max held their breaths, only able to make out bits and pieces of the conversation. Dustin and Lucas had joined them to observe.
"Is it working?" Dustin asked David, but David was too busy squinting at Billy.
He couldn't see Steve from this angle, but the reaction on the other boy's face told him that whatever he was doing wasn't working.
Billy looked furious. His gaze was burning, his lips scolding. He was just as mad as he was handsome.
And suddenly, he was staring right back at him, that storm in his eyes intensifying. There was no doubt that he could see him just fine through the window.
It was no use hiding now. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see that the kids had ducked, hopefully just in time.

Billy's gaze snapped back to where Steve was standing, and there was murder on his mind as Steve stepped into view, most likely desperately trying to save the situation.
But whatever he was saying, it made Billy just angry. And his fist flew through the air, hitting right in Steve's face and sending him to the floor.
"I told you to keep your hands off that boy. And now I'm finding you here, at night, with my sister." Billy snarled down at Harrington, his heart beating fast, seeing nothing but red.
"If you screwed him in front of my baby sister, I'll kill you." The green-eyed monster nesting in his stomach was roaring as he stepped over the other boy and darted towards the door.
He needed to get Maxine out of there. And he needed to see David. Maybe he should take him with them as well. To make sure he was away from Harrington.
Billy had seen the other kids and his sister. It was just more than weird that they were at the house while the boys had a date. It wasn't right. He pushed the door open with force, and in the hallway stood David, blocking the way further into the house. It was ridiculous; he was so tiny and skinny he would never stand a chance against Him.
Not that Billy planned on fighting him. He didn't want to hurt the boy in any way. Just the thought of doing anything to him felt icky and strangely painful. David was glowing with determination, and that was enough to hurt Billy.
"Please leave." the boy said firmly, his stand as wide as his short legs allowed without him falling over.
He was adorable. Billy allowed himself to let his gaze roam him for a moment, and that made the monster purr for a moment. He had no hickeys, his clothes were muddy but not disheveled, and his hair was as usual. So Steve Harrington had not roamed his fingers through it.
"Just go out the way, Byers." Billy drawled, the softness of his tone surprising himself.
"I just want to bring Max home."
"You can't. She's staying here for the night." David shook his head.

Billy made a step forward, flaunting the height difference and looking down at the pretty little boy he adored so much that the monster let out another reassuring purr.
"Look, Byers. It's not that I don't trust you with her. But this whole situation... You, Harrington... the kids. Just a day ago, Max had sworn they weren't her friends, and now I smell like she's lying about that. And what else is she lying about? One of them is her boyfriend. Maybe they had plans for the night, And I can't let that happen."
David looked up at him.
" Please, Billy, believe me. I keep her safe."
"Yeah, but that's not your job, David. "Billy purred, leaning even closer.
He didn't want to scare the boy; his gaze was even fond of him. But he needed to get his point across.
" You should move. "he pointed out. David looked up at him, and his gaze flickered between Billy's eyes.
The boy was so tempted to lean in, to bring his lips down to the other's level. That David didn't look intimidated fueled the urge even more. Billy grinned as the tiny boy stretched his neck, broadening his narrow shoulders.

"Make me." His voice was deadpan and serious, and that tone was so hot Billy wanted to throw the boy over his shoulder like a troglodyte.
"You're living dangerously, Byers." he purred, closing the gap between them. "I'm not moving," David announced.
And Billy growled at that, grabbing the boy's shoulders in an attempt to simply lift him out of the way himself .
"Hey! Don't touch him!" a voice called out, and the next thing Billy felt was a knobby knee to his balls as Lucas kicked him.
"You're so dead, Sinclair!" Billy pressed through his teeth, the pain and anger making him see stars.

Lucas fearfully stepped back, and David pushed him behind himself. Billy growled in frustration.
"Get out the fucking way, Byers!" And he grabbed the boy again.
But Steve Harrington wasn't okay with that:"No, you fuck off!"

With all his strength, he pushed Billy back and swung at him, his fist smacking into the other boy's face. Billy wavered but looked at him out of the corners of his eyes, Steve's stupid face and the hand that reached back for David.
The monster was screaming and scratching at his insides, ready to come out. It had waited for this for so long. And Billy laughed. He was a madman, a maniac. Steve had just taken the last straw of his sanity.
Was free.
"Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?" he hollered at Harrington, who was deeply and utterly puzzled.
"I've been waiting to meet this king, Steve; everybody's been telling me so much about." He preyed closer to the other boy, their eyes on one level as they glared at each other.
"Get out." Steve told him off calmly, two fingers to the chest pushing Billy out of his private space.
That was a mistake. That meant war. Blind by hatred, Billy swung at him. Steve managed to dodge the attack and countered.

"Yess! Kick his ass, Steve!" Dustin called out to cheer on his hero, and David watched in horror as his best friend landed a few good hits on Billy's face.
He hated violence. This reminded him of how his father used to beat him up for being different. He knew that this was different; Steve was defending them. But it didn't feel different. Billy's athletic Form bashed against the kitchen counter, making the whole house vibrate. His gaze briefly meets David's, having heard the boy wince at the impact.
"Billy..." David pleaded in a whisper, but that tender in tension was cut short as the other boy got his hand on one of Joyce's heavy ceramic plates and banged it over Steve's head.
From now on, Billy had the upper hand and went after Steve with the force of a hurricane.
Bleeding and wincing, but Billy wasn't going to let him go. But David couldn't watch anymore.
"Stop!" He called out, throwing himself between the two boys.
Billy's fist was in the air, but it wasn't coming down on David. Instead, Billy snapped at him.
"Move, Byers, now!" he barked, and the tiny boy twitched at the tone.
But he wasn't leaving. So Billy pushed him aside. But David was back in front of Steve just a mere second later. It was like a strange dance, Billy shoving the boy aside, David refusing to let him get to Steve.
"If you want him, you'll have to beat me first," David said, glaring at the taller boy without any fear.
He was fucking done. After all, that had happened and was at stake, with the pounding migraine and the anxiety in Max's face, the blood dropping out of Steve's nose, he had given enough.
He didn't care if he was going to live or die anymore. He just wanted everything to end. Now.
He was tired. It was enough.