revivalproject | One Night in Bangkok ~ Murray Head

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One Night in Bangkok ~ Murray Head

WHO: Billy Hargrove, Tommy Shepherd, Max Mayfield, and YOU!!
WHERE: Agrii Ship
WHAT: Agrii New Tick
WHEN: New Tick things
WARNINGS: Billy’s got a ~~gun~~ weapon

The message gives Billy time. Time to pack up his axe, tape player, vase of shells, sleeping meds, and Tommy’s blanket he had been borrowing since coming out of the Warrens. In exchange, he had left one of his for his boyfriend in the diner. He hopes, while arranging all this stuff in his room on the ship, that they’re not going someplace with fireworks like last year.

Billy couldn’t be that lucky.

Under Pressure ~ David Bowie, Queen

This is almost worse than last year’s arrival.

The snow village was one thing, but this? With the aliens cheerfully greeting them, slinging a red and blue striped scarf around his neck? No. He doesn’t like it. One of the Agrii get too close to try and help with the accessory, and Billy pushes them. That gets him the space he wants and he moves at a quick pace further into the ship.

Even with his more… aggressive approach to the Agrii, some are still… bowing to him? As he walks. It’s enough to take some of speed out of his step. Why were they bowing to him? Fucking aliens. Was it something they had done down on Temba? The Warrens come to mind, the trip down into the depths of them with the rest of the group, but then he remembers the ordeal of the ship. Helping Soldier with his axe. Was it related to that? There was no telling.

But Billy walks slower, keeping quiet as he moves from the arrival party and bowing aliens.

Despite all of the decor glittering around all of them, Billy’s noticed something else. Even with all of the festive decorations and merry music, something doesn’t feel right. It feels… tense. Like the crest of tension right before a fight breaks out. That’s a feeling he’s familiar with and it puts him on edge a little himself as he tries to make his way towards the living quarters. There are different colors decorating Agrii, like they’re part of factions. It vaguely reminds Billy of politics back at home, how Neil had been a staunch supporter of red in the red versus blue Billy himself only half paid attention to on the television.

Video Killed the Radio Star ~ The Buggles

Now this he remembers from last year. The gifts. Everything was clearly labelled, but Billy couldn’t resist testing a couple not marked out for him. Which results in him getting a little zap from one of the robots roaming around on patrol. With a devious grin, he pushes one off of the table before retreating away from one of the robots starting for him. "Quit it, quit it, it was a joke!" he shouts at it when he’s got enough space between himself and it.

Finally he finds a large and flat one for him, a small box wrapped in orange, and one more pink one shaped with what he hopes isn’t a book.

Please don’t be a book.

He goes for the flat, large packaging first, ripping the paper until his mouth drops open enough to show his shock. In his hands is a brand new Hawkins High varsity jacket, with his name embroidered in fancy script on the right side. There’s a basketball patch stitched onto the right arm, and the ‘Class of’ in matching fancy script over the bold numbers of ’85’.

His own letterman jacket. Something Neil would’ve never paid for back home. Something he’d never get now. It doesn’t even cross his mind that they’re in Tommy’s colors, too. Happy coincidence.

Shrugging it on (perfect fit, holy shit), Billy moves onto the other packages. The orange wrapping gets pulled apart and a small box opened to find some brass knuckles. They fit his fingers great, and feel like a great weight. His axe was great, but what if he lost it? There were plenty of people in the city that were stronger than him - maybe this would even it out.

And then the last one, Billy pulls to him. More wrapping paper to litter the ground and he blinks at what are clearly DVD cases. Ten of them with various movie titles he recognizes. But what kind of shit was this? He cracks open Halloween and pulls out the disc to inspect it.

"Is this some weird fucking Frisbee?"

We Built This City ~ Starship [Closed to Tommy]

Message 1: mDe fort no boom in our room. thats where i’ll be if you need me tomothy

Message 2: < 3

And he has. Billy’s taken as many pillows and such as he could find to act as squishy walls. Over the top is a sheet, then a blanket, pulled down and tucked under the wall of pillows to help keep it in place. Inside, there’s a couple of pillows for them and a blanket, the tape player with its headphones ready to go, and the bottle of Billy’s sleep medications.

Oh, and something wrapped up in some green cloth under the tape player.

Fort No Boom is go. He repeats, Fort No Boom is a go.

Billy picks up a glass of water he brought with him, chugging half of its contents before pacing a little. They knew about the fireworks in advance, but would it be a different reaction knowing it ahead of time? Would it be easier now that he had someone with him from beginning to the end? Unlike last year, where Tae and Tommy stumbled upon him after the panic attack started.

Damn. He’s already feeling a little nauseous with dread. He continues to pace, with one hand going up to gently scratch at the scarring on his left arm.

Faith ~ George Michael [Closed to Max]

‘come to cockpit.,Shitbird’

It was a space for the two of them. Billy and Max have had a couple of sibling talks in here, and without their permission, or some dick with Engineering overriding it, they can sit here and talk with someone accidentally walking in on them.

It’s also quiet, if you ignored the hum of the ship’s workings around them. It’s just a hum, nothing compared to the Camaro when she’s fired up, but this is… nice. Soothing at least.

Billy’s got his feet up on the dash, the notebook on his communicator open as he practices the texting. Still slow, but there’s been improvements at least.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You know what I meant and what I meant wasn’t literal," with as much levity as he can put in his voice (which is not much right now). Billy works on matching his breath to Tommy’s, and lets his heart rate coast back down slowly as he finally starts calming down.

Billy picks his head up to press a kiss to Tommy’s cheek and gently draw back a little. "How would you make it up to me? I’d say I’m tough to please but not when it’s you."

The color is high in his face, eyes are wet, but his gaze is in the present and on Tommy.

"I'd pamper you," Tommy says. "I'd make sure you couldn't hear anything else. I don't know how I'd do it, but Billy, for you, I'd do a hell of a lot of shit. You're sorta special to me. And I'm tired of running away and hiding from special things in my life. Tired of being afraid they're going to be taken from me. That you're going to be taken from me."

Sooner or later he will. Tommy has just had the strength to come to terms with that little and painful truth.

"Babe, you already pamper me so fucking much," Billy points out in a soft voice. Tommy really does. He understands Billy‘s needs and wants, and how to help with them for the most part. His arms slide back around Tommy’s back to slot his hands between shoulder blades.

He sighs quietly. "You know if someone tries to take me from you I’m not going without some kind of fight, right?" He would never go quietly into the dark night, or however the quote went. "I’ll feucht with everything I have to stay with you."

His hand strokes up and down his boyfriends back, like the speedster is the one who needs the comfort, not Billy. And yes, he is finding the repetitive motion soothing. Also Tommy is soothing. He feels good. And smells nice.

"It's not that simple and you know it," Tommy points out softly. "But I'll let you fight for me. People don't tend to fight for me."

So he's rather flattered for the very offer of it. And all of the spirit behind it.

"And in the mean time, I'm going to love every day with you."

"Shut up, I know it's not that simple." The sentence comes out far more gruff than it needs to be. "And you're always too quick to fight for yourself, you gotta let us slow guys do it first sometimes."

He picks his head up to look back into Tommy's stunning green eyes. They match the green on his letterman jacket.

Right. There was something——

Billy pulls his arms away and moves in a manner to keep from dislodging his partner from his lap. There's some fumbling around by the tape player before he brings up another cloth wrapped present. This one is bigger than the birthday gift, but light. He holds it out in offering for Tommy. "I made this for you. I had to sneak into your room in that Avenger Place."

Inside are the shells he had put along the windowsill, now stung together with some simple, thin wire where they can dangle. There are loops at both ends. "You can hang them up now, so that way the air moves them and the light will glitter off of them. Kinda like a disco ball, but... special."

Yeah, well, who else was going to fight for him? In the past his experience said few people and those very far between.

But now he's just relaxing. Because Billy needs that relaxation. Except of course Billy wasn't going to stay still and chill with him. He's got to move. Move and...

"Oh, wow," he whispers, taking the package and opening it. And he's wordless with the creation. Maybe a bit tearful. Because, god, he hadn't even thought to get Billy anything. He's such a dick.

He’ll relax in a moment! With Tommy’s holding the gift, Billy carefully runs his hands over those lean arms and then his sides. Those pretty blues are watching for the reaction before he smiles. It’s not a smile filled with smug attitude or fiendish. It’s gentle. A smile that only Tommy gets to see.

"I broke a couple trying to figure out how to get a hole through the shells. Did it with Soldier‘s knife he gave me. Wanted to upgrade the nice shit you picked out in your room for you."

One of those hands is now reaching up and smoothing over Tommy cheek and jawline. "You’ve done so much shit for me, babe. Been through my tantrums; sat with me in the hospital; stayed with me through fireworks." There’s movement as he tries to scoot forward, forgetting that Tommy is in his lap because all of that focus is on him.

"You’re so fucking special to me, babe." Does Tommy know how special he is to Billy? He should. "And it’s not just because you stuck it out for me at the beginning. Not because you helped me figure out how to be better. You know things I need and want, you let me lay on you when we sleep, you look at me…"

He swallows hard. "You look at me like I’m the stars and I see the sunlight in your eyes when you do. You light my life back up like the Cali sun does." He pauses again, but he’s already come this far.

"To love is to be accommodated." He read something like that in a book a long time ago, probably with his mom. Billy pulls Tommy down to kiss his forehead. "Pretty sure I’m in love with you."

Oh.

Oh.

He didn't know time could move this slow when it was moving at a normal speed. It feels like each second is an eternity though. One of joy.

It should be of no surprise that he surges forward when Billy's done talking to kiss him. Because what else could he possibly do when someone talked so pretty for him?

There’s a moment, a beat of their hearts after the little monologue is finished. Then Tommy’s lips are on his, kissing away any accidental fears of talking too much or saying the wrong thing. He sinks into it, too, letting his eyes fall shut while he focuses on his partner.

Hell, Billy doesn’t even hear the very faint pop of fireworks.

When he finally pulls back for some air - a minute, an hour, maybe a year later, he doesn’t know - he just keeps that gaze on that handsome face. "I couldn’t say it earlier. Felt too real, too… like if I had to walk through town naked last winter." Vulnerable was the word he couldn’t think of now, knowing that’s what it would feel like walking with all scars bared.

"But I’m not taking back any of what I just said."

"Vulnerable," Tommy says, his voice soft. "I know. God, you make me like that. Make me want to risk being that. Please don't take the words back. You might break me, beautiful."

And his arms just loop around Billy to hold him close. To embrace him. A proper embrace.

"I could get used to being loved by you."

A nod and he parrots back the word just as soft. Vulnerable. He could be vulnerable with Tommy. With Max, too. He leans into the proper hug and sighs like it’s a comfort. It is. He loves this. He loves Tommy holding him like he matters. "I won’t break you. Or, I’ll try not to."

He doesn’t want to do that. Not to Tommy. It’s only a matter of time until he fucks up though.

"Yeah? Even if it’s a little bit like loving a cactus that still has some spines on it?"

Edited (Caught the autocorrect this time!) 2025-02-02 02:36 (UTC)

"You could. So easily. Shatter me like glass. But I thank you, for that word."

Because it makes him feel safer. Especially from a cactus.

"I have thick skin."

"For what? Vulnerable?" He doesn’t know why Tommy would thank him for that, but he’s warm and mentally starting to float because he’s happy, so he’s not willing to question it too much.

"I know you do. Superhero and all that shit. You gonna hang your shells up by the window when we get back home?"

"No. The... more metaphorical word. Not to break me," he says. Because man, that's a lot.

Still, he grins when Billy asks abotu the shells and leans in to kiss his cheek. "We are going to hang them up by the widnow."

"Oh." Now Billy gets it. That he just kinda promised he’d do his best. But he was already doing that, wasn’t he? Keeping his temper in check, trying to yell less to people who didn’t deserve his anger.

He smiles at the kiss and loops his arms a little tighter around his boyfriend to hold on. "Okay. We can do that when we get home. Find pushpins or something to hold them up. Or nails and a hammer." A hand smooths up Tommy’s back and he looks at the speedster. "I wanna do that. With you. Add it to your room to help it feel like yours."

"Oh, nails and a hammer I can get my hands on," Tommy promises. So that'll be what they go with.

"Anything that comes from you helps it feel mine," he says. Because he needs Billy to know that. That he cares.

He nods. Hammer and nails. Got it. A little project when they get back. "We have so many homes back in the city, I wonder if anyone considers us greedy? Banger place, beach, civic center, diner…"

Billy reaches to pull over Tommy’s new blanket and wrap it loosely around them. This time he hears the pop of fireworks outside, though still distant. His head nearly snaps looking to the door with eyes starting to look distant.

"Who cares if they do. We're both from poor families, right? Let us live hte good life for once," Tommy laughs. Because it feels indulgent. It feels good.

He's not going to point out how they could share a room on the ship too. That's probably too much like moving in together for real.

"Hey," Tommy coos, reaching out to touch Billy's face. To cup a cheek in his hand. To turn his gaze. "Just think of it like the pop of a shaken up beer bottle, okay?"

The good life. Something he could have here. All the good things he could have. Better relationships with the people he knew, and someone he could have all for himself.

Billy doesn't move to acknowledge the gentle coo to him, and his face is rigid with tension under that careful hand. But soft pressure is what he gives into, and he looks back to the speedster. "A beer bottle," the blond repeats quietly. "It's not out there?" It can't be. There's too many people and they're in space. And Tommy's here.

They could both have good things here that they didn't get back home. And that wasn't a bad thing to be happy with. Perhaps even, for once, content.

"Nope. It's not out there. Trust me. I remember what that fuck looks like," Tommy promises. That had been a horrible birthday. Actually, most birthdays here have been absolute shit. Tommy had not appreciated that one though, not with out much it upset Billy. But he had taken down one of the monster things. Or helped to.

"Only thing out there is a lot of partying Agrii who are probably giving a stupid amount of hugs right now.

Billy remembers what it looks like, too. Thankfully with the passing of the years, coming up on his second one on the alien planet, the monster from his nightmares was growing just a little more faint. It was still there, but not as prevalent as it once had been.

There's a grimace at the mention of the hugs out there. "Yeah, makes me glad we're in here and not out there." The only one he wants hugging him is Tommy.

He breathes in and out through his nose, taking in deep breaths to calm back down. "Whenever we lay down, you wanna be a barnacle?" Because Billy doesn't want him to go too far. "You can lay on me and put your new blanket over us."

"Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one that appreciates Agrii hugs," Tommy notes with a chuckle. But even he could get overloaded on them.

The offer, though, that makes him smile. Yes, he wants that, a lot.

"If you want it that way, it's cool babe. Or if you want to weigh me down, that's okay too."

"Hmph." Billy just got picky on who touched him. Obviously Tommy was allowed and he wanted to make good on that physical affection right now. "No, I want you to weigh me down. Like a shield."

Maybe it would help with the nightmares. Because those were going to be the strongest during holidays like this. He pulls the blanket up and over them, like a protective barrier. Which, it was as it muffles any other sounds of the fireworks that might manage their way in.

"I got a letterman jacket from the aliens. Got my name on it and everything. I want you to wear it sometime."

"Then I'll be your armor, Baby," Tommy promises with the warmest smile. He snuggles down with Billy under the blanket, happy to curl around him.

Then he pauses. Freezes. Blinks in shock and ducks his head to smile to himself.

"You asking me to go steady, handsome? God, I would totally wear it. Yeah. Fuck, is it weird that I sorta wanted something like that when I was in high school. You'd think it would be my brother's dream, but it was mine too."

"You're already my hero," but he doesn't really verbally push back. Having Tommy curl around him like he means something, the blanket and the room hiding them from the invisible horrors in Billy's mind, was enough right now. He tucks his face right against Tommy's neck and lets out a shuddering breath.

He was okay. They were okay. Tommy would be right here.

Oh. He can hear the smile in his boyfriend's voice. "I just told you I love you ten minutes ago and you're wondering if we're steady? You... you better wear it. It's even got a basketball patch on one arm so everyone else knows what I'm good at. Basketball and having a boyfriend. Get you a pair of shades and you'll look like the King of Hawkins, too."

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