#puppetoffthehook

Steve rubbed his eyes, walking down the stairs, still a little groggy. He opened the door, and suddenly, he was wide awake and looking at his Boyfriend, a goofy smile spreading on his lips.

↯ .ᐟ the lot behind the high school is nearly empty by the time steve circles back around. ( 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. ) he'd already done one pass, checking the perimeter like he'd told robin he would. reasonable, responsible. 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 . . . the second pass isn't so much. it's impossible to miss that damn camaro. smug in the dying daylight. shadows cast in the windows behind it, sun reflecting off the blues and oranges. the second it catches in his sight steve tenses. his jaw locks back a tick. of course.

he cuts the engine of his own car and just sits for a second. there's a slight ringing in his right ear – a fun little souvenir from his little 'bonding' with the russians. sometimes it holds out in the background ; other times it inflates until it spikes sharp & sudden, like someone's flicked a light behind his eyes. he sits a moment longer, trying to wait it out. 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌. then, he gets out. each pace feels considered, restrained. control adds to the long list of things he's so good at faking here.

the other boy is leaning against the hood. still. blonde curls falling over his forehead. not smoking or at the usual pace. 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 . . . 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. it's unsettling, pulling steve to a stop a few steps away. he studies him, the shoulders pulled tight in a way that seems to be bracing for something rather than displaying his ego. steve's expression then pulls flat, eyelids dropping as his arms fold over his chest. he swings his keys once on his finger, wetting his lips before he gives @puppetoffthehook a whistle, pitching up at the end. similar to one of a dog owner trying to get its pet's attention. ❛ billy-boy! you leavin' soon, or are you gonna loiter and make everyone nervous a little bit longer? ❜

the corners of his mouth flinch, just enough to sharpen his words, like he's letting just a smidge of the annoyance slip into humor. 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦. more of a quirk of amusement in his eyebrows than a grin. with billy, acting cold is much safer. his eyes drag over him again despite himself -– as if cataloguing what he sees. pulse builds behind his eyes, a throb that syncs unpleasantly with the pounding in his chest. he's gotten terribly good at ignoring these kinda things. he doesn't trust him. 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. he can't tell what billy's next move is, what risk he's at being in his presence. doesn't trust what might happen to him–- this thought buckles in the gut. he shifts his weight to his other hip. ❛ you look like hell, ❜ he adds after a thought. he takes another step, squinting to see billy's face clearer as the daylight continues to fall.

Prompts for stages of a relationship. 

"A date. We won't need to trick or treat, we can shop your kid brother's haul. You deserve to get some sort of big brother tax, ya know?" He was mostly kidding but he was still considering grab some of the good stuff from one of the kids or just lifting it from work.

Send 🔁 to interact with the muse during a major event in their life that sender's character was NOT there for originally

the air was cold enough to bite as steve hauled himself back over the ledge. he moved with a practiced fluidity that usually felt like a victory, but tonight, every muscle felt heavy. the glass of nancy's window felt like a barrier he wasn't meant to cross anymore.

he reached the ground and didn't look back. his sneakers hit the pavement with a dull thud as he made his way to the car where the glow of a cigarette ember cut through the dark. steve yanked the door open and slid into the leather seat, the click of the latch sounding like a gunshot in the quiet suburban street.

billy didn't move. he was leaned back, one arm draped over the steering wheel, his eyes tracking steve's every frantic movement. he didn't ask what happened. he didn't make a joke. but in the sharp line of his brow and the way he tilted his head, the question was loud enough to fill the cabin.

"just go." steve breathed, his voice cracking on the last syllable. "just drive, billy."

the engine roared to life a second later. billy shifted into gear and pulled away from the curb without a single word. the streetlights of hawkins flickered over them in rhythmic intervals, casting long, distorted shadows across steve's face. he stared out the side window, his reflection ghostly against the passing trees.

minutes bled into a heavy, suffocating silence. steve's hands were buried in the pockets of his jacket, balled into tight fists to stop the trembling he knew was coming. he finally turned his head, his jaw tight as he looked toward the driver's side.

"she was in there." steve said, his voice coming out as a jagged whisper. "not alone. with-with byers. together on her bed. she had her arms around him."

he tried to scoff, tried to let a sneer curl his lip to channel the heat of "king steve" into the space between them. he wanted to sound pissed off, like he was ready to go back and break something. he wanted to look like the guy who didn't care, but as he met billy's gaze, the wet sheen in his eyes and the hollow ache behind his stare told the real story. he wasn't angry. he was just breaking.

"Me too." Fran's voice was low, her eyes cast downward as she wrapped her arms around herself. The first time she'd gotten a glimpse into the portal, she hadn't been able to sleep. Every time she'd close her eyes, she'd see one of the creatures, their mouth splayed open with hundreds of teeth waiting to sink into her flesh. Francine had pinched herself for hours to keep herself awake, so she knew all too well what it was like to be haunted by the supernatural creatures that the lab had let loose. "It sounds cheesy, but it does get better. And you're safe. For now. They won't come looking for you here."

Fire! Fire! It was like a whole new voice in his mind, a panicked voice that screamed. He had not heard such a panic from the beast for decades. And it took every ounce of will not to frenzy and tear everything and anyone to shreds trying to escape.

His beloved home, their beloved home, burning down around him. It made him fill with rage and grief along with the primal terror of the fire. A home was with whom he loved, not material places or foundations, but still his unbeaten heart near broke.

Someone had to have figured out what they were, or at least one of them. It could be some fucked up arsonist but he'd been alive long enough to be paranoid. The beam came down and blocked the exit with the flames added.

Manic eyes that reflected almost red looked at Billy, for a second not recognizing his dearest wolf. Before he shook his head, coming to his senses that were quite frankly screaming alarm bells. He was relieved Billy was safe, hating he almost forgot the most important person was here to. The beast and near frenzy makes one selfishly focus on self-preservation and the humanity side of the vampire suffered in the aftermath. Not tonight. "Right.. right.."