steve harrington hadn't lived in hawkins his whole life, he had wanted to leave who he was and what he did behind him, long forgotten- everything was going fine until a few people of his past came knocking and steve was left to face the same devil t...
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Trigger warnings for this chapter -implied physical/verbal/emotional abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia, internalized homophobia, assumed sexual assault/pervert behavior, voices..
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"It's my brother. He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us" Max stated to Lucas as he joined her to look out the window as the blue Camaro approached the Byers house.
"Fuck" was the only thing that ran through Gator's mind as the Camaro could be heard putting it in park, even the loud rock music had stopped as Billy turned the car engine off and got out of it while Gator walked out the front door, shut it behind them with Dustin, Lucas, Ezrae and Max still inside and he stood on the doorstep, watching Billy pull the cigarette out of his mouth and put his hand on top of the Camaro.
"Am I dreaming, or it that you, Harrington?" Billy asked with a smirk that Gator wanted to knock clean off, even if he couldn't beat the guy in a fist fight..
He knew where this was going.
Billy and him weren't all that different, they liked the same music, had an ego the size of an elephant and their home lives weren't all that different either.
Except, Gator knew he was the only one out of them two who had managed to escape from the person that was using and manipulating him, whereas Gator knew Billy hadn't.
Just like Gator knew Billy had had the exact same upbringing he had because Gator knew all the signs, having lived it himself, or his version of it anyway.
Both their dads were high in the Grade A Asshole department because both Roy Tillman and Neil Hargrove were high on teaching their sons Respect and Responsibility through beatings and over abuse, both were high in the sexism, racism and homophobia department too.
So Gator knew how Billy would act before Billy even made the move because he'd lived it.
So he'd try his best for both their sakes to keep this civil and calm.
Their abuse didn't excuse their actions as Gator was finding that out on the path of being the kids designated babysitter but it made things around them, including each other, super complicated.
"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants" Gator shot back with his hands on his hips as he watched Billy take off his brown leather jacket and chuck it in the Camaro before he shut the door with a slam.
"What are you doing here, amigo?" Billy asked as they slowly approached each other making Gator sigh, "I could ask you the same thing. Amigo" Gator shot back as he crossed his arms and stood in place as Billy stood opposite him with his hand on his belt and the other putting the lit cigarette in his mouth.
"Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." Billy tells him quietly as Gator scoffs lightly, "Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch. I'm sure you remember her, Deputy" Billy added as Gator looked at the floor for a second.
"Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, Buddy" Gator stated softly as his eyes went back to Billy's face. "You know, I don't know, this.. This whole situation, Tillman, I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies" Billy says as his hand shakes as he talks which Gator notices.
Gator silently gulps because that's oneway to tell that Billy was starting to get pissed off, and the fact he used Gator's real surname was another.
"It's only a matter of time before the wolf attacks the rabbit. Even if the rabbit wants to self sacrifice" A voice says in Gators mind but he ignores it.
"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Gator asked quietly as he watched Billy let out a puff of his cigarette before the blonde spoke again, "My thirteen-year-old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you in a stranger's house. And you lie to me about it" Billy stated as his arms moved around to emphasize his point.
Gator knew how that sounded from Billy's side. It did look bad and he also knew that him and Billy had never been friends, the most they'd talked was back in the shower room with Tommy and the few times he had pulled Billy over for speeding back in North Dakota and that was it.
But he also felt the need to protect Max and the other kids because he knew how Billy would get and things were only escalating which Gator knew there was nothing he could say to calm Billy down now.
Once Billy was set on something, that was it.
Just like Gator.
"Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?" Gator asked, he'd rather Billy focus being pissed at him instead of the kids so that's what he intended to make happen but all Billy did was chuckle as his tongue came out and ran over his bottom lip in amusement, so Gator continued.
"I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said, Asshole" Gator said and his eyes momentarily went to Billy's lips as he watched Billy lick them before he added a quiet, "she's not here".
But Billy knew better because Gator saw him looking over at the window and pointed at it with the cigarette in his hand, "then who's that" Billy stated.
Gator turned to the window just in time to see Max, Lucas and Dustin quickly hide from the window and sighed because at least Ezrae had the decency to stay hidden.
"Oh, shit. Listen-" Gator started as he turned back to Billy but couldn't carry on because Billy pushed him hard, causing Gator to lose his balance and hit the floor hard with a groan as the right side side of his head hit the pavement but not hard enough because he landed on his right arm, just as a flashback of Munch breaking his wrist came flashing in his head.
"I told you to plant your feet" Billy said calmly as Gator tried to sit up but Billy instantly kicked him hard in the gut, before Billy walked over him- just like in basketball- and headed towards the front door before slamming it behind him.
Leaving Gator in pain on the floor as Gator groaned out an annoyed and pained, "son of a bitch!"
