Chapter Text
Steve stood frozen, eyes widened in shock as he stared down from the second floor of the building at the limp bloodied body of Billy Hargrove. There was blood, so, so much blood. It wasn't even the normal red colour, no it was fricking black. Black and gooey looking and coming out of way too many parts of Billy's body all at once.
Forcing back a gag, the urge to throw up anything in his stomach grew rapidly as he heard her scream. A scream of pure agony and distraught. Her small frame ran over to the limp unmoving figure on the floor, her choked breaths could be heard as clear as day despite the distance between them.
Broken sobs of "Billy, please" and "You're going to be ok, just hold on" played his mind, sending a wave of nausea straight to his stomach. He gripped tighter onto the pillar he was leaning up against, trying not to double over.
Max's broken pleas fell on deaf ears and Steve knew that. They all knew that, yet no one seemed to have it in them to stop her, no one tried to. El was the first to move, grabbing Max and pulling her away from Billy, the girl struggled and cried out trying to get back to the broken body but to no avail. Eventually, she fell limp too. Her legs gave in as a sob wracked through her body while she clung desperately to her friend.
~∆∆∆~
Hands clasped the steering wheel in a show of calm so thin it was practically transparent, Steve clenched his jaw, ignoring the wondering thoughts that brought back vivid images of the events in the mall. Someone sang out from the radio, a soft male voice singing loudly which Steve has drowned out and dealt with. He couldn't care less for the music, just more willing to have it on to block out the silence that surrounded him. Couldn't risk the chance of allowing brains to scatter now could he, he knew of the types of thought that sprung present around silence. He wouldn't allow it to happen, not this close to the day.
With a flash of quick red and a slam of a door, Max threw open the door to the station wagon and collapsed into the seat. Steve would have normally winced at the mishandling of his car but as of right now, he had his lips sealed tight. With another slam, the car door was closed and Steve shifted into drive.
As the male voice finished his song, news reporter Becca Annette started spewing randomness about the weather, her voice all calm and cheery as she spoke. There was a scoff from beside him before a hand reached out and turned off the radio. Steve sighed to himself, eyes shifting to look at the girl sitting beside him. Her body hunched and practically pulled in on itself. Steve felt a pang of guilt as he looked at Max, knowing normally he wouldn't have seen such a show of vulnerability.
Except it wasn't. That was made blatantly clear by the scowl that drew across Max's face when she caught wind of him starting. She was closed off, guarded, protecting herself.
Steve turned away.
Silence enveloped the car as he took the next corner. Sensing the redhead's burning gaze on him, he stared straight ahead; he wasn't about to start something unless Max was to start first.
"Are you really not going to say anything?" Max finally broke, her voice more emotional than Steve was prepared for. Forcing a shrug Steve turned to her.
"What do you want me to say?" He asked. A stupid question he knew, but it was the best he could come up with. He didn't want to say something and accidentally make this car ride any more uncomfortable.
"Something? Anything!" She replied. And Steve could see from his peripheral that she was glaring down at her lap. "We both know what it is in a few days, you were there Steve! How can I just go to school as if nothing happened? As if he-!" Her voice broke off towards the end of her sentence going quiet. She let out a shaky breath.
It was almost cinematic the way Max slumped back into the seat. Any previous fight she had slipped away into nothingness as she sagged on the chair. Steve felt his lip twitch downwards into a frown, he wanted so desperately to say something to the girl, anything that would make today better. But he wasn't stupid, he knew nothing would make it better, eventually, the words people tell you will just become fuel to fill the anger and sadness. Sometimes it was better when everyone treated it like it wasn't a big deal. Though whether or not Max actually appreciated it, he was still mostly being determined.
"I don't want- I don't want to go in today." Max said quietly, almost quiet enough to the point Steve just barely heard it.
"Max Hopper said-"
"No! Hopper said a lot of things, but that still doesn't make it any better!" She snapped, her voice raw with emotion "I can't just- I- I don't-!" Her voice broke again and it felt like a knife was stabbed straight through Steve's chest. He started to shush her, telling her it was ok, that she was ok.
Eventually she calmed down. Her cries turned into small sniffles and hiccups.
It was definitely a sight to see, seeing someone as strong as Max break down like this did something to Steve. Made him want to wrap her up and never let her go, he wanted to hug her while she cried until her pain numbed up to something more...manageable.
"Steve, can you take me to him, please...I want to see him." She whispered, her voice barely audible.
Steve couldn't say no, how could he? Peeling away from the turning of the high school with a screech, Steve drives fast, not caring for the other people on the road. He just wanted to get Max to where she wanted as quickly as possible.
Only when he reached the sign of the graveyard did he slow down, realization hitting him straight in the gut as they pulled in. Being here now made it seem like it was only yesterday they were all gathered around for Billy's funeral. In a few days it will be the day of Billy's death, a full year has passed.
Letting the station wagon come to a crawl, Steve took the turning that led them down to Billy's grave area. The gravel under the car tiers rubbed together and created a crunching noise that flowed through the open windows of the car. Closing to a stop Steve stopped the car and turned to Max giving her a small smile. She nodded before bounding out of the car and jogging her way over to the grave. Steve stayed back and watched, not knowing if he should get out of the car or not.
Though he felt a sought of relief wash over him at the sight of Max kneeling down in front of the headstone, her lips were moving as she talked. There was just something about the knowledge that despite the given circus stance, the brother and sister were reunited.
Steve was so deep in his thoughts that he nearly missed the small wave Max gave, signalling for him to come over. Steve froze. He felt his heart pounding in his chest at the mere idea of it, he knew he shouldn't; shouldn't break the time between the two by adding himself into the mix. And that's why it was a shock when his legs moved into hyperdrive and he was moving before he even thought about it.
Then he found himself sitting beside Max in front of the headstone, starting at the name.
BILLY HARGROVE
March 29 1967
July 04 1985
Gone but not forgotten.
"What do you think he would say?" Max asked. Steve turned to her puzzled before giving a small smile and turning back to the grave.
"He'd probably say-" Steve cleared his throat before doing his best Billy impression "Hey shitbird, what a pleasant surprise for you and pretty boy to come visit." He says, making sure to add the perfect level of sass and sarcasm into his voice. Max chuckled and nodded her head.
"Yeah- yeah, he probably would say that." She agreed. "Or maybe, Even in death I can't get some silence." Max impersonated. Steve laughed. She had the sass and the mood behind it, but her voice was too high-pitched to reach Billy's level of voice. Though he will admit, it was a good go.
The two of them continued making light-hearted jokes back and forth between each other.
Basking in the memory of Billy Hargrove.