melancholia. [ ALTERNATE SPIN-OFF ] [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xiv. CHAPTER TWELVE

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warning: none :)

     The next morning, Billy woke up earlier than usual. He was confused when he felt his arms wrapped around Mary, remembering the previous days events as he was still drowsy. He took a deep and shaky breath, pulling her closer to him. Mary could feel herself waking up, and she squinted her eyes to make sure she hadn't dreamed all of that either. She could feel his arms wrapped securely around her, and took his hand in hers. Billy kissed the back of her neck, Mary finally turning to face him. 

     "So it wasn't a dream," Billy whispered, one of his hands pushing hair out of Mary's face. She smiled at him, giving him a small nod. He studied her face for a few moments, noticing how she was skinnier than she used to be. Not a lot, but it was a good enough amount that he noticed. 

     "What are you thinking about?" Mary asked, eyebrows furrowing as she couldn't read the expression on his face. 

     "Nothing, it's just that..." Billy trailed off, looking down to avoid her eyes. "You seem different." He looked at her again, Mary looking at him confused. "You look scared." Mary took a deep breath, it being her turn to look down. "What's going on, Mary?" 

     "Remember those evil Russians I told you about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Billy just nodded, Mary taking a deep breath. "They are probably looking for me, and it's only a matter of time until they find me." Billy took a sharp breath in, shutting his eyes. He didn't want to think about losing her again, and it might be even sooner than he thought.

     "But you can protect yourself, right?" Billy asked, hope in his voice. "With that... thing you showed me?" 

     "Yeah," Mary said with a small smile. "Yeah, I can." Billy gave her a small smile, leaning forward and kissing her softly. The kiss got deeper, Billy pulling Mary on top of him. He couldn't remember the last time he had sex with someone, he didn't even know if he'd had sex since he thought she died. He barely knew what he was doing now. But a knock on his door saved him,  the two pulling away from each other immediately. Mary fell next to him in the bed, leaning her head against his shoulder in shame. 

     "Hey, Billy? You're going to be late for your session with Dr. Craig. Should I call and tell her it's cancelled or that you're going to show up a bit late?" Jackson asked through the door. "You know, I'm just going to come in." He opened the door, seeing the two laying in bed with the sheets pulled up to their necks. "Oh, wonderful, you shouldn't have told me to come in." 

     "It's fine, Jack. I'll call her," Billy told him. 

     "Uh, that's not what she really instructed us to do," Jackson said with a small frown. "But, I don't really know what to do in this type of situation." He cleared his throat, Mary looking to Billy as she let the conversation sink in. 

     "Therapy?" she questioned, eyes narrowing at him. "You didn't tell me about that." 

     "I kind of forgot," Billy mumbled. "Just give me ten minutes, Jackson. I'll be out then." The other boy nodded, leaving the room quickly and shutting the door behind him. Mary looked to Billy as she sat up, and he pushed the sheets off of himself. "Yeah, I'm in therapy." He took a second, opening his top drawer in his dresser. "Because of the... the thing that happened." 

     "Okay," Mary nodded. "I'm assuming Dr. Craig thinks I'm dead." 

     "Yeah, she does," Billy sighed out.

     "Well, legally, I'm not anymore. I got it all figured out when I was in Hawkins," Mary told him with a small smile. She pushed herself out of the bed, legs hanging over the side as she still had on her shirt from yesterday with no pants. "I also need a ride to my hotel to pick up my things." 

     "Okay," Billy nodded. He pulled on a new pair of pants, Mary standing and going to the record player on the bedside table. She picked up the Beastie Boys album, confused with seeing it. 

     "The Beastie Boys?" she questioned, looking up at him. Billy's eyes lit up, and he smiled before facing her. 

     "Put it on, I think you'll like it," he told her. Mary switched the albums out, playing side A first. "Put it on the last line." Mary glanced to him, then smiled and put it on the fourth line. It scratched at first, then one note on the guitar strung out. Then a loud, 'Kick it', was screamed. The guitar continued on, Mary smiling lightly as she stood up straight to listen to the song. Billy was bopping his head up and down, Mary smiling at his giddiness. He began to air guitar to the song, Mary laughing slightly at him. Billy turned, singing along with it, horribly off key. 

     "You wake up late for school, man you don't want to go!" he said with a wide smile, pulling a shirt out of his drawer, and whipping it over his head. "You ask you mom, please? but she still says, no!" Mary laughed at his dancing, Billy pulling his shirt over his head. He stopped singing off key, but danced on his way to the bathroom. When the chorus came up, he stuck his toothbrush in his mouth and fist pumped on each beat while Mary watched him. "You've gotta fight!" He fist pumped twice. "For your right!" Two more. "To party!" Mary laughed again, grabbing her pants from the floor and pulling them up. The song continued on as Billy walked out of the bathroom, grabbing the Impala keys from the top of the dresser. "Are you ready?" 

     "As I'll ever be," Mary told him. He pulled the needle from the record player, turning it off as they walked to the door. They walked out, Jackson looking to them from his spot at the kitchen counter. 

     "I'll see you later, Jack," Billy waved at him, Mary opening the door to his apartment. 

     "Bye," Jackson waved. The two walked out, rushing down to the car. They both stopped at the drivers side door, looking at each other. Billy held up a fist to indicate rock, paper, scissors, Mary rolling her eyes. They played two out of three, and Billy won both times. 

    "I just don't get why you changed your pattern," Mary argued, climbing into the passenger seat. "See, this just feels wrong." 

     "Oh, come on, I like it," Billy told her, head turning to look at Mary. "You'll get used to it."

     "I'm buying another car, I hope you know that," Mary told him. 

    "Sure, sure," Billy nodded. He began driving to the hotel that Mary told him she was staying at, new music blasting the whole time. He was catching her up on what she missed in the world, and even playing her his favorite music. He pulled up to the hotel in no less than fifteen minutes, looking to Mary with a wide smile on his face. "How am I going to explain to my therapist why I'm so happy?" 

     "The truth?" Mary suggested. Billy sighed, looking forward again as he had a bad feeling. 

     "Are you sure you don't want to come with me to break the news lightly?" he asked. Mary smiled lightly, placing her hand on his thigh. He could feel his breath catch in his throat, remembering the feeling all at once. He hadn't felt it since she left, and she probably didn't know how much of an impact it had on him now. 

     "Tell her what you think you should tell her, okay?" Mary said, nodding at him slowly. Billy just nodded, leaning to her and kissing her before she left. Once they both pulled back, Mary smiled at him. "I love you." 

     "I love you, too," Billy responded. Mary pushed herself out of the car, jogging to the hotel door. She looked back to the Impala, waving to Billy before she went inside. He smiled to himself and pulled out of the parking lot. Mary didn't wait long in the elevator before she reached her floor. She walked to her room, and when she unlocked it was met with a sight she never imagined seeing that day. 

     "Miss Henderson, so nice of you to finally return to your hotel room," Dmitri said, nervous about the gun that was trained to his back at the time being. "As you may have suspected, I was right. They found us and it's time to go back to Russia." He smiled nervously, Mary looking between the two Russian soldier. "Also, Mr. Hargrove is in grave danger." 

     "What?" Mary snapped. 

     "Yes. His therapist is one of them. Anyways, how was your night?" 

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fuck i realized i hadn't published
but hey,
it's a convenient time for all

i hope you all enjoyed
things are getting spicy
and part four isn't over just yet
BUCKLE UP KIDDOS
we're getting there