Fallout || Stranger Things [2]

nine || tears and togas

"I am an open book," Nancy replied, taking the mug from him without pause as the telephone began to ring. "Oo, is that Kate?"

Billy rolled his eyes as he crossed to the telephone. "I never gave her my number," he replied before picking up the landline. "Hello?"

"Hey, B."

"Hey, Max," he greeted happily, warmed by her voice. "How's it going?"

The dramatic groan that followed was more than telling.

"You sound like a joy tonight. Do you not like your costume or something?"

"I don't even know if I should put it on," Max whined, letting out a sharp huff. "We're not sure if we should go trick or treating tonight. We're over at the Wheelers place, but we don't really know what to do. It doesn't feel right without Will since we were all together on Halloween last year. And we're in high school, so is it lame to?"

Billy sighed softly, nodding. "I know the feeling. Look, you guys have been through a lot. We all have. You've had to grow up faster than most kids your age, with no help from me, so do what you think you need to. Do what a younger Max needs tonight."

A soft pause crossed the line, the distance humming between them. "That was incredibly inciteful, B. College really is doing you well."

He grinned wide, wishing for nothing but to wrap Max in a tight hug in that moment. "I'm trying my best."

"I am NOT putting leaves in my hair!"

Billy turned over his shoulder, Nancy no longer in the kitchen as Steve shouted from the bathroom. "Jesus," he mumbled, lowering the phone and covering the mouth piece. "Guys, we're not even at the party! Stop it with the pregaming!"

"Don't tell me they're both drunk before you've even gone out," Max mused, clearly having caught more of the commotion than Billy had intended.

Billy grumbled mildly, straining to hear Nancy fighting to stick gold leaves into Steve's mass of hair. "They seem pretty close at this point. Maybe they'll pass out now so we don't have to go."

"Yeah right!" Steve barked.

"Sounds like you've got to babysit." Max sighed. "Well, try to keep them from getting alcohol poisoning tonight."

"No promises on that one," he scoffed.

"Billy, it's your turn for leaves!" Nancy chimed, waving a crown of gold leaves as she emerged from the bathroom.

"I better go, zoomer. Be safe whatever you do tonight, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too."

Not even given a moment to reminisce on just how important his relationship with Max had become, he was assaulted by fumbling hands jamming a laurel over his head.

"Perfect!" Nancy exclaimed, a buzz already in her eyes as she snapped a few of Billy's curls around the gold leaf halo. She drew back, hands clasped together. "You guys both look great."

Emerging from the bathroom after yet another coat of Farrah Fawcett spray to secure his own laurel, Steve drained the rest of his mug. "Is this how you felt about the togas?"

Billy sighed. "This is exactly how I felt about the togas. Now we both suffer in dresses and glitter."

"You guys are so dramatic," whined Nancy as she rested her hip against the kitchen counter. "And it's Halloween. No one gives a shit."