Fortunate Son - Creedance Clearwater Revival

[playingtough]

WHO: Billy Hargrove; Open
WHERE: Fountain
WHAT: Showing up in this city beats being dead
WHEN: May 8th
WARNINGS: S3 finale spoilers for Stranger Things?


This doesn't feel anything like Starcourt's floor. The glossy and tiled smoothness of it against his back is missing. It's rough and jagged, like Billy's laying on a gravel road. Or maybe it feels like that as blood seeps out from his sides. It stains up into his white tank top, into the waistband of his jeans. There's faint lines lining his arms and temples where he had been controlled.

Then he feels the pull. Towards a glowing orb and it hurts - fuck does it hurt like hell - to move, but he manages to touch it. And immediately goes down with a yell, brain trying to process all of that and still reeling from being back in the driver's seat of his head again.

Onto his back he goes, blue eyes at the sky again. There's a lot of blood lost from the two wounds, and Billy realizes that's probably why he feels weak. He's not supposed to feel like this, he's Billy Hargrove. King of Hawkins, pretty boy and playboy.

God he's killed so many people in the span of a month, even though it wasn't his fault.

He coughs and finds the strength to wipe away the wetness. Saliva, good, it wasn't blood. He knew coughing up blood was a bad sign at least. He heard about it from-

No, don't think about her right now.

Billy lays there, turning his head to look around. Was there anyone around? He needs to call for help. And he does, a choked out "...help," that has an edge to it because he's not going to be heard as weak as long as he can help it.

Comments

[butterfly_kiss]

Ah, another man like that was it? Intriguing. Tae could do a study here. But yeah, it's boring to have more than passing curiosity.

For now she heads for the door.

"Stay here while I get the food. And hopefully I can get Billy to look over you and heal it up to stability. And no, porn won't be found here."

[playingtough]

Another that was probably hiding, and for good reason. Or at least reasons that weren't present here like they were in a house far away.

Once he's in a comfortable position, Billy relaxes. It's not the best, but better than being flat. The angle feels better, like he's not about to go to sleep immediately. "Yeah, sure, I'll get right on walking around like I'm not bogged down by all this God damn pain." When her back is turned, the blond throws up a middle finger before settling.

While waiting, sleep does take him, but it's not deep sleep. Light dreams that were fragments of memories from the mall. Careening his car through the lot and getting slammed into from the side. Going against the creature. Max screaming his name. All those bad things but he looks at peace as he sleeps, head tilted to one side with curls like a halo from a painting around his face.

[butterfly_kiss]

It takes her a few minutes but she does come back with a tray of food. Blessings on Radley for it being soup and a light salad. She can set aside the heavier things for herself.

“Here,” she says. “I asked Gladio to fetch some alcohol. It will help you sleep and with the pain.”

[playingtough]

He's still asleep when she returns, startling into consciousness when she does. Fists clench into the linens and he stares at her like she's the most offensive thing for a long moment. Then Billy relaxes and scrubs a dirty hand over his face.

"Thanks." Before accepting the tray, the Californian hisses as he pushes himself upright and sits up against his pillows. Pillow. Then the tray gets taken and set across his lap. "What's the menu? And I wasn't expecting alcohol in a rathole like this."

[butterfly_kiss]

Once she's placed the tray of food she goes to recover the lighter and return it to him.

"Yes, there are some locally made sources. But I suspect the replicator is used for it as well. And the rare off-planet trips I have heard about. The local that is in the greatest quantities I've heard of as red-fruit juice."

As for the menu, she gestures to the soup and a light salad.

[playingtough]

Salad. What does he look like, a rabbit? He supposes some of the stuff is good for him. And he is hungry. So Billy starts eating easily, just to have something filling his stomach.

"Whatever's the closest to a beer will do. I don't do colorful drinks - that shits for women." He stuff some of the salad into his mouth, munching politely with his mouth closed. Then tries the soup and makes an impressed sort of noise. Decently good. Nothing like Heather's mom's cooking, but better than starving.

Billy lays the cigarette and lighter in his lap, now focusing on his food instead of just the cigarettes. Apparently some needs come before others. And he doesn't want her to yell at him for smoking in here.

[butterfly_kiss]

He looks like someone who needs the greens to help him heal and make more blood. There was more bio-available iron in greens than in a lot of types and cuts of meat.

"Oh yes, how dare I bring you a drink that is not only more pleasant to taste, but has a higher ABV. Silly me. You want weak alcohol."

[playingtough]

"Yeah, how dare you bring me some girly ass shit. Weak alcohol or not, it at least tastes good to me. Fuck off before I decide to stop playing nice and light up a cigarette in here anyways." The salad is getting eaten quickly, which shows just how fucking hungry he is. Once it's done, he's moving onto the soup.

Billy wouldn't care if he blew himself up in the process with everyone else in here. He's already figured out he dies when he gets home. Might as well speed up the process instead of giving these alien fucks the satisfaction of watching him here.

[butterfly_kiss]

Tae rolls her eyes. The boy is just so frustrating.

"If I go get the alcohol, I need to put the lighter out of reach again. YOu get that, right?"

Don't be a fucking complainer. You're making her life difficult.

[playingtough]

"Go suck a dick," is his only response and Billy keeps eating. He's tempted to absolutely throw the lighter at her, see if he can make a mark on that cheek if he can aim it. But food was important and he's hungry, so he behave and keeps eating.

As much as 'behaving' as he could be considered doing after constantly insulting her. Maybe Billy will blame it on the pain later. "If you were just going to take it away again, why the fuck even give it back in the first place? Like wasting your time or something?"

[butterfly_kiss]

"Because I'm showing you that I will," she says, rolling her eyes and holding her hand out for the lighter. "And you'll find that dom femmes aren't the ones that are blowing anyone. WE're the ones being serviced."

Yeah, she's just not bothered by him.

[playingtough]

Billy doesn't hand it over. If anything, he shoves it into his pocket, wincing at the pain it causes by moving like that. "Whatever lets you sleep at night. I'm not giving you my lighter again. Now I'm going to finish my soup and you're going to fuck off or at least stop ordering me around like you own me or some shit."

He's fucking getting riled up now and can't do shit about it, knowing whatever physical activity he does will rip open the stitches. It's almost tempting, to do that so she'd have to waste her time doing it again.

[butterfly_kiss]

"Given I saved your life, I might well own you," she counters. And then she steps away. Time to get a solution to this man's problem.

"We'll just have to live with pain pills then."

Don't mind her as she gets out some of those and one of the sedative tabs she's been working on with Munson.

[playingtough]

"Fuck you, I don't consent to that shit." She called herself a femme Dom or whatever, right? So that meant consent and shit should be important. He wasn't going to submit so easily to her.

He watches her move around. "I'm almost done eating, can I at least do that before you drug me up?" There's almost a whine at that, because Billy doesn't like taking drugs on an empty stomach and this soup is actually pretty good. Tastes almost as what Mrs. Holloway made that one night. The night before Billy—

Stomach suddenly soured at those thoughts, Billy pushes the bowl away and lets his spoon clang into it. With a groan and hiss, he lays down and tries to roll onto his side so his back is facing her.

[butterfly_kiss]

Of course he doesn't. And she does respect consent. Which will make the sedative sort of shady. But at the same time, he needs rest to heal.

"You do want the pills or not? They will help with the pain."

[playingtough]

Honestly Billy just thinks this whole thing is a joke. Sure, there's a strong woman or two he's met in Hawkins (that Nancy bitch being one, maybe her mom), but a femme Dom? Unheard of. She has to be joking. But at least he's in too much pain to really try poking that bear.

From where he's somewhat laying, back still to her, he grunts. "Fine. I'll fucking take them." His tone is hard and...not relenting really. He's just mad and ready to be done with whatever the fuck she plans on doing.

[butterfly_kiss]

Poor boy sounds like he's looking for a reason to have to lick her boots. Granted she preferred men and not children.

But she does offer out the pills. And with a smile on her lips she holds back the words that are bubbling up in her. Wait until he gets them down.

[playingtough]

His breathing is a little ragged with pain as he finally settles, wrapping an arm around his midsection as though helping keep the work Tae did in place. Billy's so tired, from the ordeal in the mall, from fighting here.

He's just tired.

When Billy hears her approach, he rolls back onto his back with a pained grunt. A hand comes up, snatches the pills out of her hand, and the Californian works at sitting upright. It takes a few minutes, trying to be careful to not rip open any of her stitches. For as much huffing and puffing he's done, it's clear he doesn't want to actually ruin her work. Finally he's upright again. The pills get tossed back and swallowed dry, done without thinking too much about them.

[butterfly_kiss]

Wonderful. Tae offers a smile, sweet and approving. And when she speaks, her voice comes out in a low purr.

"Such a good boy for me."

[playingtough]

The pills hit his stomach and he thinks he can feel them working. Or maybe that was just the want for less pain making him think that. Her sweet smile is met with a disdainful sneer. Why can't she just leave him alone now?

Except she doesn't. No, she speaks to him. That sneer melted immediately off of his face into one of shock. But any retort, any other reaction he could have, melts away. Billy feels himself being put under, the sedative pulling him into a much more lethargic state of mind. Eyes go half-lidded, and his head tosses a little this way and that as his mind and body seem to go out of sync. Almost knocks over his bowl still containing some soup.

[butterfly_kiss]

Oh dear. Tae laughs as she reaches out to scoop up the food tray to save it from him.

"Rest well. I'll send my pup in to check on you later," she says as she strides out. And with pointedly loud clicks to her heels.