Stand By Me One Shots/Imagines + Preferences (The Cobras x reader)

A Not So Secret Crush 3 (Charlie's sister/Billy)

Requested by bellah_brock_232

You still had almost an hour until your date with Billy, but you were already dressed and sat in front of your vanity mirror to tame your hair. Of course Charlie had to pick this exact moment to poke his head through your door. He broke off whatever he had meant to say, and instead burst out laughing.

"Uuuh, someone's excited for her date," he cackled, and the glare you threw him didn't bother him the slightest.

"Get out before I beat you to death with my hairbrush!"

Your brother just kept laughing. "What are you even getting all dolled up for? He's seen you in your goddamn pajamas before, remember?"

Yes, unfortunately you did remember.

It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of your life, barging into Charlie's room late in the evening to get back the pillow he'd stolen from your room to annoy you, only to find him playing poker with Billy and Vince. Your hair had been an absolute mess, looking more akin to a rat's nest than anything else, the nightgown you'd worn was the oldest and most childish one you still owned, and to top off the disaster you had only realized there'd been toothpaste on your chin after returning to your own room.

Looking back it was a miracle you managed to land a date with Billy after he'd seen you like that.

"Is there a reason you came in here or are you just trying to get on my nerves?"

Charlie snickered some more, before saying, "Mom wants to talk to you."

You froze. "Why?"

"Dunno."

"Charles," you started, keeping your voice deadly calm, "did you tell her I'm going on a date with Billy?"

"'course not. I know she'd lock you away for the rest of your life if she knew you're meeting with one of my oh so horrible friends."

"Damn right she would. So I hope you know that if I go talk to her now and find out she knows, your ass is fucking grass."

"I don't think she knows. She didn't look mad. But if she did find out then not from me."

You left your room, threw your brother one more sceptical look as you walked past him, but decided to believe him for now. If your mother knew that you would be meeting Billy Tessio for a date in less than an hour, she would have already come stomping into your room to tell you the date was cancelled and that both you and Charlie were grounded — him for introducing you to his hoodlum friends in the first place, you for having the audacity to want to date one of them.

Instead you found her in the kitchen, where she was cleaning, humming a cheery melody as she did. No, she didn't seem mad, Charlie had been right about that.

"Hey mom. Charlie says you want to talk to me?"

"Yes. I know you're going to the movies with your friend today, but would you do me the favor and pick up some things from the store on the way home?" You breathed a quiet sigh of relief that she completely believed your lie about who you'd be going to the movies with. "You know your grandmother is coming to visit us tomorrow, and I still have so much to do, I just don't have the time to go to the store myself."

Oh dear. In your excitement about your date, you had completely forgotten that your grandmother would be visiting. Running errands for your mother was just about the last thing you wanted to do today; it would mean less time with Billy, as you'd have to leave to do it right after the movie if you wanted to be home in time for supper. You had hoped to get to spend some more time with him...

"Can't Charlie do it?"

"Oh please, Y/N. You know how he is."

Yeah, you knew. A damn idiot that would forget half of the things on your mother's list.

You sighed. "Alright, I'll do it."

Your mother thanked you and handed you a grocery list and some money, then you went back to your room to finish getting ready.

Finally it was time, and you left the house, shopping list and money secure in your pocket, heading down the street and around the corner where Billy was waiting in the spot you had agreed on to avoid having your mother see him. A smile spread over his face when he saw you, and he put out the cigarette he'd been smoking.

"Hey."

"Hey. You look amazing, doll."

"Thanks."

You started walking, your hands occasionally brushing against each other, and after a few minutes you gathered all your courage, meaning to slip your hand into his, when Billy beat you to it.

Your hands stayed intertwined the whole time until you were sat in front of the big screen, then you let go in favor of being able to reach into the popcorn you shared.

The movie wasn't as scary as you had hoped, but to your surprise you felt Billy flinch beside you a few times, which only became more obvious after he put his arm around your shoulder — to 'make you feel safer', as he claimed — about halfway through.

You grinned to yourself. You hadn't taken him to be someone who got scared by horror movies, tough as he always acted. But now that you thought about it, it really shouldn't have been surprising that there was a softer side to him in private. Your own brother was the best example of how empty a tough guy reputation could be — you weren't sure why you had automatically assumed the same wasn't true for the other Cobras, but the more you thought about it, the more certain you became none of them were actually as tough and scary as they wanted people to think they were.

All too soon the movie ended, and you stepped back outside into the bright daylight. You wished you could stay out with Billy longer, but unfortunately you still had to run your mother's errands before heading home.

When you told Billy so, he offered to come with you, saying he couldn't in good conscience let you walk home alone. You accepted, of course, glad to get to spend more time with him, especially since his company would make buying groceries for your mom a lot less boring.

You spent the whole time talking, and it felt like barely any time had passed at all before you were back at the corner of your street and had to say goodbye.

Billy handed you the grocery bag he had insisted on carrying for you.

"Thank you. And thanks for coming with me, too. I never thought running errands for my mother could ever be fun, but it actually was."

"Of course. I'll gladly come with you again next time she sends you shopping."

You smiled at each other, neither of you knowing what more to say but not wanting to part yet, either.

Finally Billy leant in and placed a featherlight kiss on your lips, the touch so brief you barely felt it before it was gone again. "Bye, doll. I'll see you."