[ Y'ALL IM CRYING OMFG 😭😭
also, major fluff n stuff ]
"Ollie!" Lili shouted through her megaphone. "No pushing!"
The little kid, no more than seven, visibly deflated. Like every boy at the pool, he had a massive crush on Lili. Most of them started after she'd yell at them, but Ollie was a softie, he hated being yelled at.
Seeing his change in demeanor, Lili got down from her lifeguard chair and walked over to the kid.
"Hey, kid," she called over to him. His eyes lit up when she got right in front of him. "Try not to push him next time and I'll let you in the jacuzzi."
"But that's only for adults," Ollie said. Lili smirked.
"Exactly." Ollie grinned and scurried the other way to probably tell his friends what happened.
"If you keep on feeding them, they'll never go away." Lili turned to see Billy walk up to her in his red lifeguard swim trunks.
"I always feel so bad whenever I have to yell at one of them." Lili looked back at Ollie who was talking really fast with his friends.
"They deserve it, they can read." Billy referred to the big signs outside that said, 'No Running', 'No Dunking', and 'No Screaming'.
"You'd be a great dad," Lili rolled her eyes. She stopped immediately after those words left her lips. How could she be so stupid?
"Billy, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking-"
"It's okay, Lils, really," Billy just smiled.
"I'm an idiot," Lili laughed.
"I mean..." Billy raised his brows. Lili hit him on the chest.
"Shut up." Lili left to her chair after and Billy just watched her as she climbed up. Once she was on the chair, Lili looked back at Billy and gave him a small wave.
After Lili's shift, she left the chair for the pool house to check out.
"And let me tell you..." She heard Cory's voice trail from the staff room. "It's gonna be easy."
"What's gonna be easy?" Lili asked. Cory jumped upon hearing the girl's voice and turned in his chair to look at her. Another guy was in the room who was a new comer.
"Getting new pool toys," Cory blurted. He felt his face heating up at being caught by the one person he didn't want to he caught by.
"New pool toys?" Lili asked, walking to the other side of the room to grab her punch card. "Don't we have enough?"
"Well, that's what's so easy," Cory shrugged. Lili raised her brow. He made no sense, but she decided not to dwell on it.
"Okay, well, Billy and I are checking out," Lili said as she reached for Billy's card.
"Oh! Uh, Billy has to go that himself," Cory said quickly. Lili looked at him.
"Okay," she said. When she left the staff room, there was this gnawing feeling that something wasn't right with Cory. He changed after Billy started working here, like he had to prove something or that he always needed to be at the top. Cory had usually let Lili punch out for other people and vice versa, but now it seems that anything to do with Billy set him on edge.
Lili shook the thoughts in her head away and walked back over to the pool area. Billy was walking past the housewives that were lounging in the shade, and in makeup, which Lili thought was very tasteless due to the setting. All of the women seemed to physically control themselves as Billy walked by.
"Hi Billy," Mrs. Wheeler said in a sultry tone. This angered Lili as she stomped over to where Billy has stopped walking for a second.
"Hi," was all he said. He didn't even bother to look in Mrs. Wheeler's direction as he walked right past. Lili stopped. Maybe she didn't need to worry about middle aged women hitting on her boyfriend after all.
"Hi, Karen," Lili tried her best not to sound snappy, but instead came off as bitchy.
"Lili," Mrs. Wheeler nodded at the girl with surprise on her face.
Billy climbed up onto the lifeguard chair and looked out into the pool where basically all of Hawkins were splashing about.
Lili made her way to the chair as well, climbing up and balancing herself on a peg, holding onto the armrests for support. Her face was close to Billy's.
"What are you doing, Peaches?" Billy asked, grabbing Lili's bottom. For support, Billy thought.
"Peaches?" Lili raised her eyebrows at the name.
"Yeah," Billy squeezed her bottom. "Peaches."
Lili just laughed, something Billy longed to see everyday. The way her eyes crinkle in the corners or the way she shows off her pearly white teeth when she laughs. Oh god, her laugh. Billy couldn't get enough of it. Angels' bells to his ears.
"I came up here to say hello," Lili smiled. She placed her lips gently to his, causing Billy's heart to thump faster and louder. If it weren't for this public setting, he would have done a lot more.
"Well hello," Billy chuckled.
"I also came up here to tell you that you have to punch out yourself," Lili shrugged. "Cory's orders."
"Man, he must really hate me," Billy sighed.
"I'm sure he just wants to get you in check," Lili said. Truthfully, she knows that Cory dislikes Billy. For whatever reason, it was unclear. Billy said it was because of her and how she's with Billy, but Lili didn't want to jump the gun too quick.
"I'll see you at home," Lili said as she climbed down the lifeguard chair. 'Home' to the couple means Billy's bedroom and mainly the bed.
"Keep the bathing suit on!" Billy called after her. Lili turned around and shook her head at him, amused at how he could get turned on by the little things.
Billy watched Lili leave, never taking his eyes off of her until she disappeared inside of the pool house. He felt the need to protect her every step, as if any moment she would fall right through the ground. He knows she has powers and if he was being honest, that made him love her even more.
That didn't put his worries to ease. There are some things that she can't pulse away. He remembered that night at that stranger's house (which he learned that it was the Byers') and he remembered when Lili pulsed him. It was only at specific times. Like she needed to actually think and focus on her pulses and nothing else.
He wasn't completely sure, but he thinks that Lili doesn't have a complete grasp on her ability. She has never used it to it's full length and she never really ventured out of what she was used to. That's why she only pulsed at specific times.
But that was just Billy's theory.
Billy felt around his pocket and picked up what he was planning on giving Lili tonight. His mother's wedding ring hanging on a small golden chain. This was his most prized possession, besides the Saint Christopher necklace that Lili gave him.
[ this was the best i could find on the internet lmao just picture a gold band ]
He wanted Lili to have it. This is the most connected he has ever felt with anyone and he wanted to share the ring with her.
Billy glanced over at the big wall clock on the side of the pool house building. It was the end of his shift and another lifeguard was going to take his place.
"Bye, Billy," Mrs. Wheeler waved the boy goodbye.
Billy didn't say anything, just nodded. He wished he didn't flirt with her in the night of when Max and Lili went missing, but he was desperate. He would do anything for Lili, even flirt with a forty-something year-old woman. He hated the way Karen thought that she could get him. His heart belonged to Lili and Lili alone. Not Karen. Not Mrs. Davis. Not Mrs. Williams. Lili and only Lili.
Billy walked off the pool grounds and into the pool house. Entering the men's locker room, Billy only took a quick wash-off without soap to get the day's sweat off.
"Once I make her switch to a two-piece, it'll be easy..." Cory's voice traveled throughout the locker room. Billy's head shot up at that.
"Did you see what was going on when Hargrove was in the chair?" Another voice asked.
"Yeah, I'm gonna have a good talk with her about that," Cory said angrily.
"Yeah," the other voice snickered. "Really drill it in her."
"Once we make the two-piece switch, my dude," Cory laughed. Billy slammed his locker door st that statement. He wasn't stupid. He knew Cory wanted to fuck Lili. He just didn't think that he would make her wear little to no clothes to make it easier for himself.
"I hope you're not talking about Lili," Billy emerged from the corner. Cory's eyes widened when he saw who was standing before him. The newbie was standing next to Cory with fear in his eyes as well.
"No," the newbie said. "We're talking about Heather."
"I doubt it," Billy spat.
"Lay off," Cory whispered to his buddy.
"You're right, Hargrove," Cory stepped closer to Billy. "We are talking about Lili."
Billy was having a hard time breathing. He didn't think that Cory was really going to admit it. In a fit of rage, Billy grabbed Cory's collar and rammed the boy into the lockers behind him.
Cory hit them with an umph. He masked his discomfort with an evil smirk.
"You won't go near her ever," Billy pointed to Cory. It was scary how much Billy looked like his father in this moment. But he didn't care, this was Lili they were talking about.
"Tell me, Hargrove," Cory ignored everything Billy just said. "How is she? Y'know..."
Without thinking, Billy balled his fist and sent it flying into Cory's smug face. Cory's friend tried to pry Billy off of Cory, but Billy just turned around and elbowed him. Cory took this opportunity to grab Billy and punch him as well. Cory's friend tried pinning Billy on another wall of lockers, letting Cory getting in hit after hit.
Billy thrashed around, grabbing the newbie's long hair and throwing him away like trash. Then, Billy grabbed an oncoming fist from Cory. The look on Billy's face fold Cory that he should send a prayer right then and there.
With all of his strength left, Billy swung his fist down and onto the sick bastard's face.
Lili was pacing around Billy's room. Neil and Susan were out somewhere, she didn't want to know where. Max was home but she'd probably leave soon for Lucas' or Mike's.
But Billy wasn't home. This made Lili a bit antsy. Billy wasn't ever really late. She was used to people being on time, like Hopper and Eleven. She couldn't help this gnawing feeling that something happened to Billy. What if he got kidnapped like how she thought Will had? Or what if it's back? And it took Billy? Oh god, what if he's-
"Sorry I'm late," Billy's voice came from the doorway of his room. Lili jumped, not expecting him to come home right then and there. His voice sounded tired and annoyed.
She turned around to ask him what took him so long but those words left her mind once she saw his face. Busted lip, bruised eye and temple. He looked exhausted.
Lili doesn't like how he has a tendency to fight, but she understood that it wasn't her place to chide him. He knew it was wrong and he knew that it only hurt her more, but Lili understood why he does it. Now, he never truly fights unless it was a direct attack.
"Oh god..." Lili breathed as she took in his appearance. Billy swallowed and looked to the ground, as if he was expecting a yell or a lecture. But Lili did neither.
"Please tell me that the other guy looks worse," Lili said. Billy looked up and saw the small, warm smile on Lili's lips. He felt as if a huge weight was lifted off of him. She wasn't mad.
"Well, he got in the most hits," Billy sighed as he sat down on the bed. He noticed her one-piece on the floor and that she changed into some of his clothes instead.
Lili walked up to her boyfriend and placed her hands on either side of his face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she hugged his face to her body, sure to not hurt him.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Billy said. Cory does, he thought.
"Who was it?" Lili dared to ask.
Cory. That damn Cory Walichs, Billy wanted to say. He just sighed and looked into Lili's light blue eyes. "Some kid who wouldn't get out of the locker room."
"Punk," Lili snorted. There were some kids that liked to hang back in the locker room to smoke a blunt. It had better ventilation and the sweat and soap masked the smell better.
You have no idea, Billy thought. He couldn't tell her that it was her manager. First, she would get mad that Billy jeopardized his job and second, she'd be hurt that who she considered as a friend would say such things about her. He couldn't do that. He could bare to see and ounce of pain in her eyes.
Lili left for the bathroom to get Billy's first-aid kit. She returned and started to take out the proper items.
"Do you wanna do it yourself?" Lili asked. In that moment, Lili's stomach grumbled.
"Yeah, go get something to eat," Billy chuckled as he grabbed the things that Lili gave him. Lili left to get some food and Billy stopped the bleeding, cleaned, and bandaged.
Lili was in the kitchen, putting together a turkey sandwich. She thought back to what Billy said.
"Some kid who wouldn't get out of the locker room."
For some reason, she didn't believe him. Maybe it was all the tension at work ever since he started or maybe it was the way Billy spoke it short sentences. He usually would fill Lili in on what went down at rumbles. Good and bad.
She walked back into the room to find Billy finishing up with his wounds. He still had to put on some cream on his cuts do that they wouldn't get infected.
"Here, lemme help," Lili said as she sat her sandwich down. She took the tube of medicinal cream and dabbed it onto his scars.
Billy didn't look at her. He knew she was concentrating on helping him. He just didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes. The hurt that he caused by lying. He knew that she knew that he lied. She wasn't going to question it though, since if it was bad enough that he had to keep it from her, then so be it.
He just couldn't stand how the light in her eyes dimmed a bit whenever she got disappointed.
"Okay," she sighed. She returned to eating her sandwich as Billy touched his wounds so that the cream was rubbed in all the way.
Now or never, Billy thought as he grabbed the necklace from his jean pocket.
"Lili?" The girl turned with a piece of lettuce hanging off her lip.
"Hmm?" She asked with a full mouth.
"You don't know anything about me," Billy sighed.
"I don't think it should really matter," Lili said, knowing that he was talking about his past. "All that matters is who you are now."
"I know," Billy nodded. "But I want you know."
"To know about what?"
"My mom," Billy gulped. Lili froze. Her mind went back to that first time she met Billy in high school. They were in the parking lot.
"Where did you swipe this from?"
"Your mother."
Guilt flooded through her as she replayed their interaction over and over again. How Billy's eyes got dark at the mention of his mother.
"Billy, you don't have to-"
"But I want to. I want to, Lili," Billy sighed. "My mom was my sunshine on a rainy day. Much like you are. She protected me. She fought for me. She made sure I was happy. Like you."
Lili blushed. Being compared to Billy's mother was a huge responsibility that Lili didn't think she was up for.
"But she left. She left me because she was afraid. Not like you..." Billy swallowed. "I thought that my mother was the only sunshine in my life for the longest time. And she always will be. But I know now that you're first and foremost my ray of light, even when the sunshine is gone."
Lili sucked in a breath at his words. She felt like crying. She never heard Billy use words like this, ever.
Billy brought the necklace up so that it was dangling in front of both of them.
"My mother's wedding ring," Billy explained. "I know we're kids right now. You want to go to business college to open up your own music store and I have no idea what to do with my life, but, once we both are ready, I'm going to make you mine."
Lili didn't move as Billy clasped the necklace around her neck and brushed her hair over the delicate chain.
"It's a promise ring, of sorts," Billy shrugged. "Y'know I make no promises. I can't predict the future. I can't do real golden rings." Lili couldn't help it. Tears slid down her face as she looked into Billy's eyes. They were full of love. She loved him. Undoubtedly.
"I love you so so much," Lili whispered. "I don't care if you can't give me a real golden ring, just give it all to me tonight."
And so he did.
[UNEDITED]
GUYS TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT i can't predict what you guys want lmao.
sorry for the fluff lmao if you're not into that stuff. if you are, then yay!
i found this stranger things thingy