smoking isn't for everyone.
a.n. :: au where billy and max never moved to hawkins, reader is billy's bio brother.
Three months, twenty-seven days, and ten hours since he had arrived in Lenora Hills, California after fighting a giant monster from the Upside Down made out of rat and human gunk with fireworks. Will had once again become a freak and an outcast, but instead of a group of friends, he had Jane. Jane was awesome, sure, a great friend and an even better sister, but Will still felt lonely.
There's a lot of weirdness that Will had went through in his life, but he wouldn't have ever thought he and Jane would hit a social climb. (Name) Hargrove and his stepsister, Max Mayfield. (Name) was at the top of the pyramid, hot, witty, smart, popular. His stepsister, Max, wasn't all that far off, either, but she was more stand-offish. He could still hear (Name)'s voice in his head from two weeks ago.
"Hey, Byers. You're new, right? I'm (Name), this is my sister, Max. It's nice to meet you." Out of the kindness of his heart, too. Who wouldn't like that? It wasn't a stretch to say Will was infatuated with the boy, after all, almost everyone was. There was a problem, Will wasn't a girl. Will knew he was gay; he came to terms with it numerous times, but it hurt to know he could like someone that could never like him back.
Three days until Mike came to visit, three days to finish his painting, three days until the voice coming from Jane's lips stopped going off 24/7. Will was happy for her, seriously, but; seriously! The doors near the back of the school swung open, Will walking out with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He knew there was seating out here, the bell hadn't rung yet, and he had homework due the next period. He needed somewhere quiet, and for whatever reason, the library wasn't open. His feet move across the grass, looking up to see a singular picnic table.
Will sat down in the middle of one of the benches, backpack being placed next to him. He unzips his backpack and starts to pull out his folder when he hears a voice.
"Hey, Byers." A smooth, silky voice flooded his ears. Will's head snapped up. (Name) Hargrove. He was leaning against the wall, the toe of his shoe digging into the ground. There was a cigarette pinched between his fingers, smoke rising from it. Will's eyes widened slightly. It wasn't a secret that (Name) smoked, but to see him doing it right outside school?
Will forgot he was supposed to answer. "H- hey. Hey." Will responds, a small awkward smile on his face. (Name) kicks off the wall and sits down on the bench opposite Will. His head tilts slightly, he takes another drag, and stubs the cigarette out right on the table.
"Hey." (Name) responds, a smile on his face. He turns his head to blow the smoke out, turning back to Will. "What're you doing?"
"Um, well, nothing. The library's closed, decided to come out here." Will's eyes fix on the burn mark on the table, fingers tapping along the wood.
"Not gonna snitch, are you?" (Name) asks, leaning the slightest bit forward. Will's eyes latch onto (Name)'s gaze and he can't help but blush a little under it.
"Uh, n- no. I don't really care about that kind of stuff," he mumbles, thumbs twiddling under the table. (Name) barks out a laugh and leans back to his original spot, looking away.
"Yeah, I figured. Your brother's a pothead, yeah? Johnathan? My brother gets sick of his shit, they share, like, two classes together." (Name) says. Will's eyebrows furrow. He's seen (Name)'s brother, heard stories about him from Max. If he wasn't as nice as (Name), could Johnathan be getting picked on? He was probably overthinking it, considering both were adults, but it was still a worrying thought.
"Yeah, uh... I don't like it, either. He isn't himself, you know?" Will responds, his face once again heating up. It was weird being so vulnerable like this.
"Drugs make you do crazy things, Byers. That's why I smoke nic' and not pot." (Name) jokes, but before Will can respond again, the bell rings. Will curses at himself, realizing the unfinished homework was still sitting out on the bench. He quickly puts the folder away.
"Let's go. I'll walk you." (Name) says, already stood up and at the end of the bench. Will pauses but nods, and the two walk back into the building.
"Hey, Angela!" Will hears the voice before he sees it, looking through a crowd of kids. It was the final day, Mike coming tomorrow, and he and Jane couldn't be more excited. So why did he hear her scream? Racing down the steps he saw her with her hand stuck out, and his hand flew to his mouth.
If Will happened to be any other bystander he would've seen the scene as funny, but all he can do is cringe. Would Jane really have killed her? He looks to see Max on the ground next to Jane's broken diorama, picking up the pieces. He goes to help.
"Hey." Max greets, giving Will the pieces she had picked up. Will's confused for a moment and goes to ask Max why she was getting up, but when Max runs up to Angela and decks her in the face, Will just keeps his head down and continues to pick up the diorama.
Because of that whole ordeal, Max, Angela, and Jane had to stay after school to talk to the principal, and by extension, Will and (Name).
"Shit, I bet Billy's giving them all hell right now." (Name) starts, blowing out the smoke from his cigarette. Much to Will's surprise, he moved away before smoking.
"Yeah. My mom's probably doing that too." Will responds, running his hands along his legs. The two were sitting on the steps outside the school, waiting for their families to be done. Will off handedly wonders why Max's mom or his dad aren't here, but he finds himself remembering what was said about them and keeps the thought to himself.
"In front of that crowd, I don't know what she was thinking would happen. Jane has an IEP, right? Something like that? Fucked up." (Name) scoffs.
Will skips over the IEP thing. He didn't know what that was. "Yeah, it's... I still don't know why Jane chooses to be nice to her. She got an invite to her birthday party." Will sighs.
"She did, huh? I guess I'll have to see her there, then, I got one too." (Name) says. Will pauses. He was going? Why was he going? To protect Jane, maybe? Will already told her that he and Mike would be coming, but now...
"You'll, uh... see me too." Will decides.
"Yeah. I'm, uh... Jane's plus one, yeah."
The two are quiet for a second. (Name) blows out the last of the smoke and stubs his cigarette out on the steps, scooting back over to Will.
The day of the party, Will is all sorts of pissed. Jane's been lying for all of the, what, three days Mike has been here? He hasn't gotten a chance to talk to him alone at all, but it isn't like Mike is trying to make an effort either.
"Jane, hey!" The familiar voice of Max rings through his ears, and he's looking up to see Max in bright colored clothes. Jane lights up immediately and the two start talking, eventually bringing Mike into the conversation. Max says hi and what's up to Will, but then the three go back.
And then (Name) comes up in front of Will, wearing a shirt that's just so unbuttoned it's teasing at his chest and leather pants. Will is undoubtedly breathless, and his eyes fix shamefully on the exposed skin before quickly looking up to meet (Name)'s eyes.
"You wanna get out of here? I can't skate." (Name) points to a back exit with his thumb.
"Not in those pants, you're not." Will jokes. "But, uh..." Will wavers his options. Get left out or hang out with the hottest man in the universe his age? Will's ditching his skates and following (Name) with a smile.
Once the two get outside (Name) is lighting a cigarette, moving away from Will. He's been grateful all this time, but he can't help but be pulled toward (Name) like he's a magnet. Will steps closer.
"Have I ever told you that you're cute, Byers? Like a little puppy." (Name) starts, putting his arm around Will's shoulders. And, holy shit, he must be dreaming.
"Wh-... ah, huh?" Will stutters, face turning red. He can hear (Name)'s laugh. His head turns and he's blowing smoke away from Will, but turning his head back right after.
"You're cute. I've been meaning to dig my claws into you for a while, but it's just been too public. You're around Jane or other people or the tone isn't right and I've been getting impatient." (Name) goes on. Claws? Will can't even begin to fathom what brought this on, but, jesus. Mike is here, the boy he's had a crush on since childhood, and now (Name) is confessing to him.
"Shit, I... I don't know. You're hot and you're amazing personality wise, but..." Will wants to say yes so badly. But to drag someone like this into his world? No. He can't. "I'm- I'm just not ready. For a relationship. For anything, I guess."
Will braces himself to get pushed away, laughed at, anything. But (Name)'s arm is still warm around his shoulders and he's still smoking with no care in the world. "Didn't expect that one. I get it, though. Thanks for being honest with me."
"Thanks for not freaking out on me."
"You kidding? I'm the one confessing my love for another man, you should be freaking out on me." (Name) scoffs.
"I'm gay, too." Will confesses.
"Oh. Ugh, don't tell me. Jane's boyfriend?" (Name)'s head turns to Will lazily, and Will freaks out.
The night ends with an ambulance and Will racing home with Jane, Argyle, Johnathan, and Max. Through all of this, (Name) never crosses his mind once, and the next time he thinks about him is when he's crying in the back seat of Argyle's car.
