HEART FLAYER | b. hargrove

CHAPTER 027.

3 WEEKS LATER
June 29th, 1985

The next few weeks had resulted in forming somewhat of a relationship between Billy and Arwen. They were taking things very slowly, which neither had any complaints about. They definitely spent more time together between movie nights at the cabin and Billy teaching Arwen how to swim in the Hawkins Pool after hours. She'd actually gotten to a point where she could visit him at work with El and Max without worrying about drowning. Which, coincidentally, was what they were doing today.

Arwen climbed out of the shallow end of the pool so she could start getting ready to leave with the girls. She walked over to the lounge chair she'd claimed and began drying herself off when she felt familiar, strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. 

"If I catch one more guy looking at you today, I might have to lose my job to drown someone." Billy whispered in her ear.

Arwen laughed at his comment as she turned around in his arms to face him and playfully tugged at one of his curls hanging by his shoulder. 

"As if all the moms going through mid-life crisis aren't gawking at you every time you start your shift." She pointed out, giving a side-glance over to the women who were staring daggers at her.

"I can't help that I'm hot." Billy said with a cocky smirk before leaning down to kiss her.

They'd kissed plenty of times in the last few weeks, but every single time it still felt as if her heart was going to explode and all of her muscles turned into mush. She sighed into his lips, feeling herself melt like always. She was so incredibly whipped and if you'd told her this a year ago, she would've vehemently denied it. 

"I'm taking you out tonight," he said quietly when he'd pulled away, staring into her eyes with an intensity that almost made her flustered. "We haven't had an official first date yet." 

"Oh really?" Arwen quirked one brow at him and draped her arms around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"That's none of your business." He replied with a little smirk. "I'll pick you up at eight."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes. "Now go back to work, pretty boy."

Billy kissed her once more quickly before pulling away and starting to walk off. Arwen took the opportunity to snap her towel at his ass, causing him to laugh and flip her off as he went. 

"You guys make me sick." Max said as she walked up with El at her side. 

"Yeah, like you guys and your boyfriends are any better." Arwen scrunched her nose at the girls before tossing towels over to them so they could get dried off. "Now let's go get some food."


She took the girls to get some quick food to eat before dropping them off at Dustin's house. Apparently, the kids had a whole plan to surprise the boy when he came home from science camp today. Arwen made a note to herself to welcome him back another time as she headed back home to start to get ready for her date. 

She had quite some time until eight, so she took her time. She showered and even put in the extra effort to blow dry and style her hair, even digging out the one dress that she owned to wear tonight. At about half past seven, she decided to go sit on the front porch to wait. 

At some point, Hopper had come out of the cabin with Mike in tow and they appeared to be having some kind of argument as they got into the truck to leave. It was probably about the two kids making out all the time, but something about a 'grandma' too? Arwen decided it'd be best to just leave the whole thing alone and not involve herself. 

Eight o'clock came and went. Then nine. Then ten. 

Hopper had even gotten back home within that time and questioned what the hell she was doing, to which she didn't have a real answer at that point. 

It was very unlike Billy to be this late. A few minutes to be 'fashionably late,' sure. But hours? This wasn't right. 

Feeling extremely confused and even a little bit hurt, Arwen finally decided to just go to bed when it was almost midnight. She went inside and took off her makeup and changed into pajamas. It felt as if her brow was permanently molded into a furrowed expression as she did so. She absolutely planned on either calling him or showing up to the pool tomorrow to confront him about what the hell happened.

Arwen crawled into bed with a sunken feeling in her chest. Sleep took over her after about an hour or so of tossing and turning.

Everything is black. 

No ceiling, no walls, no floor. Just pure, empty blackness. 

Arwen was completely alone and she looked around, her heartrate picking up as a voice filled her head. 

"I've tried so very hard to reach you, Two."

That voice. Oh, fuck... not that voice. A spike of anger rose in her chest as she despised when anyone called her 'Two' and she knew that only one person ever did.

But it got worse as the owner of the voice appeared in front of her. One. 

He looked kind of like he did the last time she saw him back when he was fifteen and she was fourteen. On the day that she and Eleven banished him. But he somehow looked... older? How? He was supposed to be gone, maybe even dead. And this wasn't a memory like her usual nightmares. This was very new.

"Henry...?" Arwen stammered out, her eyes searching his face which was hardened and cold.

"I tried so hard to ensure that you don't forget about me," One continued. "But you've ignored me. He's going to pay for that."

"What? I don't..." she blinked her wide eyes at him and attempted to take a step back. "I don't understand, Henry."

One suddenly stepped forward and took her face into his hands, staring down at her with eyes that were wild and unhinged. 

"You will join me. And no one will stand in the way of that. You are too powerful - too special - for such a simple life, Two."

(The pain of season 3 has begun :D And time for me to put my favorite Flayed Billy edits at the top of chapters hehe)