MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

61

I couldn't deny how exhausted I was. Neither could Billy.. or Max.. or Nancy.. or anyone else.

Once Eddie hotwired the RV and Steve drove us away, we all seemed to collapse in one of the many seats in the vehicle suitable for living in.

"Hell of a family vacation," Billy notes, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

I lean back and rest my head on his chest, watching Max and Lucas whisper to each other in the furthest seat. The comfort of Billy's touch only relaxed me more and I found myself sinking in his arms- our limbs entangled as we cuddle to one another on the couch.

"Family," I note with a scoff. "You don't know anyone outside of Max, me, and Steve."

"What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine, no?"

"Those are wedding vows, B."

Billy's mouth rests on my head. "Yeah.. Guess they are."

A grin creeps onto my lips and I raise my head to look him in the eyes. "You sound cocky."

"I mean.. If I ask, you'd say 'yes'."

"Says who?" I tease with a smile.

"Says you and me," he says, running his fingers through my hair.

Marriage was already a touchy subject. 

We talked shit about couples, fiances, and divorcees our entire lives. Then, when we were getting out shit straight.. the thought of marriage wasn't even on the table because neither of us thought we were spouse material.

I needed him to know I still believed a lot of that.

"I don't need a ring or a piece of paper to know that we'll be by each other's side forever," I urge.

"Yeah?" Billy smiles.

"You fought through two dimensions and a demonic giant spider that possessed you just to protect me. I fought through two dimensions and a demon wizard that cursed me just to find you," I remind.

"Those are pretty big," he notes.

I laugh under my breath as Billy leans down to touch our foreheads together.

"Even if it wasn't here and now.. I'd still find you in our next life. And the one after.. and after that," I promise. "We don't just last for this lifetime. It's all of them."

"And I'd fight heaven, hell, and everything in between to stay beside you," Billy swears. "This lifetime and the next.. this world and every other one out there."

"You told me to say it when we left. But.. things didn't work out like that and I-"

"I love you, Roc," Billy cuts me off. "There's no point in waiting when we've already been dodging this for our entire lives."

My hand slides up his chest and cups his cheek. "I love you, B."

Billy grins a little, eyes looking down at the space between us. I take the cue and raise up slightly to press my lips to his.

The past year would never truly go away. I'd always live knowing the pain and remembering it.

But.. this moment almost made a fraction of it worth it.

I lay back down on Billy's chest and his arms tighten around me- my arm snaking around his waist. For the first time in a while, I feel myself breathing normally, without pain.

--

A few of us went into the store to find weapons. Billy and Eddie stayed in the RV. To the rest of Hawkins, Billy was still dead and Eddie was still wanted for murder. Dustin and Lucas stayd back too in case people recognized them from being friends with Eddie. We figured it was safe for them to stay back.

"Pinche güeros," I mutter under my breath. "They're everywhere. A goddamn plague of pasty ass rednecks."

The place Eddie remembered for weapons was.. a spectacle.

"I know I already asked but.. how is this legal?" Robin asks.

There were aisles of weapons everywhere. Guns, knives, bombs, and everything the mind could imagine. It was here. I couldn't help but take note that I was the lone Latina person. Erica stuck out just as much. And between the two of us, Nancy, Max, and Robin.. we were the few women occupying the space.

"Let's make it fast," Nancy breathes, just as nervous as a burly man pushes past her.

"Max, if a man touches you-"

"Kick him in the balls," Max finishes.

I trained her so well.

I grab Erica's sleeve before she could walk away. "You stay by me."

"Seriously?" she sighs.

"This isn't room to argue. You stick your little ass right by me."

"I can kick a white man in the balls, too."

"Yeah, well I'm not gonna give a white man the chance to touch you to begin with."

Erica grabs a cart and starts to push it down an aisle.

"It's bullshit," Erica comments.

I pick up a box of bullets and toss them into the basket, then another four boxes or so. "I know."

"At least we're not being followed," Erica mumbles. "My dad deals with that shit."

"Yeah, mine did, too," I relate before spotting someone. "Oh.. shit."

"Are we being followed?" Erica asks, turning around.

"Not quite.. kind of, though," I mumble. 

I lower behind the shelf. Erica peers around the side to where Jason, Chrissy's boyfriend, was talking to Nancy.

"We've gotta split," Erica huffs. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

I usher Erica and the cart in another direction. There were two other guys wearing the Hawkins High basketball jackets.

They were here, at a weapons store.. Still hunting Eddie.. Lucas and Dustin, too.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

sweet moments before all hell breaks loose lets goo