SUNSHINE ― billy butcher

one

I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THE BRIGHT SUNNY DAY.

Alright, maybe that's bold of me to say when it's ninety degrees outside and I was sweating like a pig, my coffee made everything a million times hotter, and wearing a full corporate suit isn't the best way to spend it altogether. Nevertheless, the sun is shining and everything feels... better. It was warm and windy, everything seemed full of energy at this time of morning there was almost an unmistaken smile etched on my damn face. It was weird, smiling to strangers like this—but let me have my fun, alright?

This is the only day not one asshole had managed to ruin my day.

I crossed the street after buying a sandwich from a stand, my eyes immediately glued at the glistening sign of VOUGHT at the very top of this one building that I almost swear could outshine and outstood around it. It was so high, full of people, full of paparazzi's it was annoying and amusing all at the same time. Heaven knows how long they actually dedicate their time for a few stolen photos that wouldn't even make it front page.

"Alice! I've been looking all over for you!" Please, dear Lord, not today. Not Ashley's voice. I was just imagining— "Alice! Where were you? Ms. Stillwell's all over me for that new recruit I'm honestly going to lose my mind!" The girl came strutting in front of me, her brown curls bouncing as she took the three flight of steps down and right in front of me by the grassy pavement taking my time away from the so-called assholes. "Alice—"

"No. She is not my problem, Ashley. I have my own shit to deal with, you have yours." I say before she could begin her whole litany about having her toes running around wherever half of the team goes while I took the slightly sane version of the rest. She wanted me to take over the new recruit but I wasn't having none of that. I can't take some rookie who'll probably burn my ass on her first week.

"Just her first week, just after this whole production over Homelander and Maeve. After that, I promise I won't ask you for any favors!" Her wide eyes and pleading mouth didn't even move me for a bit, for one thing, it looked batshit crazy, but I hated it. And it's been a whole month of her asking me that question. I thought she was going to quit after—but here she was. "Come on, Alice. Just this once. I know—I know we hate each other." Understatement of the year. "And I know we don't always see eye to eye... but I'll owe you."

What the hell. "Don't say I don't do shit for you—" The girl almost jumped in and hugged me but I took a step back and laid my hands. "No hugging or I'll change my mind!" Ashley was gleeful to say the least, first I've seen her without the smug face I felt the relief over it. "You owe me!"

"I know!" She crosses the same street as I do, giving me one last grin before turning her head towards the stand and falling in line. I shook my head about, finally having the alone time I've been craving for a while now, sitting down on the pavement near the trees where there were less people also having their breaks and finally enjoying the cold sandwich forgotten in my hand.

First bite, fucking ace. "You have a stupid smile on your face."

"Excuse me—" I held my tongue. It's as if it's been cut off, my throat went dry all of a sudden and I found myself unable to move. A mixture of emotion passing through my nerves miles per hour it was impossible to point out what I feel. I looked up, the figure covering the sun that it made it slightly darker for me when our eyes met.

Anger? Loathing? Oh, bewilderment and surprise. Fuming mad, maybe. "What? Cat got your tongue?" The audacity to talk to me in broad daylight right in front of the company I work in where there's probably a hundred guards ready and in aim had there been disturbance like this was palpable.

"You know? I could kill you using what I have in me right now. Yes, I'm talking about the sandwich. I could kill you with this and you don't even wanna know how." The man laugh, heartily at that it irritated my ear so much I wanted to make him stop, but I held myself. Even if my fingernails are burying on my palm for holding back so much. "Do have a reason why you're in front of me right now before I do that."

He sat beside me, casually so that it gathered not one attention from anyone around us. "Tha' how you welcome your friends, eh?" A smile crept up my lips it was definitely not from gladness.

"You have the nerve to call yourself a friend?" I took a bite out of the sandwich before I slam it on his face and probably kill him by repeatedly slamming it that will eventually lead into his untimely death. "Right after what you did to me?" I couldn't help but raise my voice, higher than what I imagine I'd be doing when I meet him again. I just couldn't stop myself from getting so... worked up. Not with a smug smirk he's displaying that makes me want to finish it off right then and there.

"You fell for your own trap, Alicia—"

"Ha, no, no, shut up." Calm down, Alice. Breathe. Not here. Not right now. "Leave now, Billy Butcher. Leave before I make you regret comin' here." The smile fell out of his face soon as he might have noticed how my voice fell grim. I was not even kidding anymore. Not only did I lost my appetite, I feel like—raging.

"It's a nice life." What? "Must be why you stayed with VOUGHT, innit? Gave you load of bucks to keep their shit even if you knew—you knew before all o' this, we were working together to take them down!" His hush whisper started getting higher that I knew we were still the same. We still couldn't stand each other. Not before, not now. Not on times like this.

"Yes, Butcher. We worked hard on this." I kept looking away from him for the hopes of keeping my nerves at bay but he was making it so hard. "I worked hard to infiltrate VOUGHT. I worked hard to get their secrets, to give us something that'll lead them to fucking prison. But—oh, what did you do? You left, Billy. You left me in the fucking field with nothing after the Feds burned me, you left me to conquer the shit all by myself and you expect me to welcome you with open arms? After being gone after two fucking years?" I almost threw the sandwich away if he hadn't caught it before it reached the ground and crumpled the paper to cover it. I wanted to hit him, so bad he'd lose a couple of teeth but I couldn't. Not here. "I lost my real job because of what we did." I finally spared him a glance, one short glance that I didn't even have it in me to hide what I was feeling.

Betrayed, mostly. Disappointed and—and sad. "Alice," He called but I stopped him with my hands, I don't wanna hear it. I don't wanna hear him use that voice to plead with me, and then leave me to shit after my use ran out.

"Don't shit me about, Butcher. I know why you're here. I know why you're back again. Don't think for a second I'm blind about your plans." We stared at each other, maybe a minute—or two, before I stood up on my heel and turned. I'm done.

"Alice—listen to me." I stopped, not daring to look for another second as I hear shuffling from behind me. "It's been two years. You have to stop pretending that—you want this." Who the hell does he think he is to tell me what I feel? "You used to despise them! You hated their fuckin' guts. Now what? You're covering for their fuckin' ass just 'cause I left?"

"Oh, don't make this about you, you asshole—"

"I—I didn't mean to leave you, Alicia." Stop, Butcher. "Work with me."

"Really?! You're asking me that? Right now?!"

"Work with me again. No secrets, no lies. None o' that shit. No leaving outta blue. I swear to my fuckin' life."

I'm not falling for it. I'm not falling for it. I'm not falling for it. "Tell me then, Butcher. Why do you need me?"

"I need my partner, sunshine."

"Piss off!"