Chapter Text
"Mr. Byers what the hell is happening?!" Will's head flew up in the direction the loud voice came from, his breathing was heavy and jagged as he laid on the cold tiles beneath his tormenter, Troy Walsh. He trembled as the principal stomped towards the pair and he already knew what the outcome was going to be.
"I do not tolerate fighting of any sort in my school, you boys are not getting away with this." Mr. Barker's loud booming voice called out once more as he pulled Troy off of him. Troy fixed his hair and brushed off his clothes in attempt to make himself look innocent in front of the principal.
"Sir, he came up on me while I was getting my books from my locker! I don't know why he just pushed me!" Troy claimed in a whiny voice while Will laid speechless on the ground, nose bleeding and his belongs thrown about everywhere. He wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded, there is no way in hell anyone could believe him, especially when there wasn't even a mark on him!
Mr. Barker cleared his throat and crossed his arms, staring down seemingly into Will's scared soul. He had a slight hope for just this once would work out but he knew from countless times before that luck was rarely on his side anymore. He has been picked on his whole life from this kid and the yet the staff never actually cared, it was like he was invisible to them, or maybe just a bother.
"Why are you always involved, Byers? I will not entertain this any longer, you are coming with me to detention and Walsh you head back to class." Will's mouth hung open in shock, he couldn't even form any words while Troy stood behind the principal and mocked him with silent laughter.
Will held in a groan of pain while he struggled to stand up, small drops of blood fell to the floor and he looked up at Mr. Barker with tearful eyes. The principal didn't give him a second glance, he helped gather Will's backpack and papers off the ground and pushed them into his arms. Troy sent him a wink and a provocative gesture before heading on his way to his class without a care.
His head swirled as he followed silently behind Mr. Barker to detention, he didn't know why he bothered to come to school anymore. This is just another reason why life just isn't worth it anymore, it was the same old shit everyday, boring classes with bullies standing behind every corner waiting to mess with him. This time he didn't even hear Troy sneak up on him until he heard a chuckle and felt a punch to the back of his head.
For how many times a teacher or staff member walked in on him getting beat, the bullies would always walk away free while he was apprehended. Surprisedly, this was the first time he was sent to detention and he wasn't exactly sure what to expect. He knows Jonathan's been sent there before but isn't that just a classroom filled with bullies?
He gulped and hurried up his pace to keep up with Mr. Barkers swift and powerful walk. It didn't take long before they reached a classroom at the very end of a hallway he's never been down before. There was a sign on the door that read 'detention' and Will had just a few seconds to prepare himself before the door swung open and he was ushered through.
"Ms. Bailey this is Will Byers, he has had some trouble getting in physical altercations and he has to serve 12 hours in detention." Will flushed pink from embarrassment as he looked around the room. The teacher was a younger blonde woman who looked very polite and didn't seem like someone who watches bad kids.
It was like any other normal classroom besides there was only two other students in there who sat at the back with their headphones on doing their work or had their nose stuck in a book. This didn't seem to bad at all, hopefully it will always be this quiet and he didn't have to deal with any bullshit.
"Hello, Will. Take a seat at any desk and get comfortable, this is a quiet and productive work environment so I don't expect any interruptions, am I clear?" Will nodded his head and went over to a desk by the open window in the front. He was glad he had some sort of entertainment in this plain room, there was a few posters on the walls but other than that it was barren.
"Oh and here, take this." Ms. Bailey handed him a few tissues for his bloody nose and hurried away back to her desk. Will held back a groan of pain as he wiped carefully at his nose, he was pretty sure it wasn't broken but damn it still hurts. He was always unlucky as it was still actively bleeding but he cleaned up the best he could, even though he could feel the bruises were forming already.
Will flinched when he heard the teacher clear her throat and stared him down. He quickly grabbed his bag and pulled out a notebook and pencil, he didn't have any extra work to do so he might as well draw while he's stuck in here. It was difficult to ignore the aching in his abdomen and head, but he even if he asked to use the bathroom he's sure she wouldn't allow it. A few drops of blood fell into his paper and he wiped his nose with his sleeve, he was too nervous to get up and get another tissue.
It was a long and boring 10 minutes in the silence as Will doodled a little picture of himself smoking a joint, he giggled softly as he wished he could currently doing that. He glanced back at the students in the very back of the classroom and the girl still had her headphones on, lightly bobbing her head and the boy had fallen asleep on his desk. Will rubbed at his eyes tiredly, he knew this was going to be the longest 12 hours of his life. It was almost the end of the school day so that means tomorrow he'd be stuck in here all day until his time was up.
It wasn't long after Mr. Barker left that Ms. Bailey got up herself and wrote a note on the blackboard in capitals 'NO TALKING' and with that she turned and walked out of the classroom without a word. Will looked around and expected the only other student who was awake to notice and start acting out but no one seemed to care.
Will sighed and looked out the window at the trees swaying softly in the breeze and wished he could be out there rather than stuck in this prison. He pulled out some colored pencils from his bag and started to color in his drawing and adding small roses around the edges of the paper. He let the pencil lead as he drew whatever came to mind, cute dogs, his Dungeon and Dragons character, even cute little monsters.
He smiled at the paper until he noticed the monster he was working on started looking a little too familiar, the long skinny limbs and gaping mouth made his heart skip. He pushed away the notebook and crossed his arms, swallowing harshly as he looked back out the window. It was still difficult sometimes and it was best he not think of the past or anything related to it. He cringed when he felt another drop of blood slide down to his lip and he cleaned it away once more with his sleeve.
Will laid his head on his arms and started dozing off until he heard loud and rapid footsteps approaching the door. Two muffled voices spoke on the other side until the door was pushed open with force and there came a senior who was red in his face and fuming. Will had recognized him as Max's step-brother, he's only seen him a few times and they've never interacted but damn was he hot.
He was tall and had a muscular build, he wore blue tight jeans with a letterman jacket with the name 'HARGROVE' on the back, his dirty blonde hair fell in curly waves around his face. Will gulped, he felt like it was getting hotter in the room and harder to breathe. His earring moved back and forth with the motion of his head as he yelled something back to the principal who stood in the doorway.
God, he was screwed. Will crossed his legs as he felt his shorts become a little tighter and he felt frozen in place, he just couldn't take his eyes off the guy. His eyes were grey with a flicker of anger in them, his brows were furrowed and he looked pissed.
"Fucking asshole got what he deserved! Fucker thought he could stand a chance against me, maybe this time he learned his lesson!" The older boy raised his voice even louder making Will want to cower in fear. The principal seemed even more angry than the guy as he raised a fat hand and stuck in his finger into his chest,
"I am done with your shit, Hargrove! You sit your ass down and pray I'm ever letting you out of here anytime soon!" With that the principal slammed the door shut and left the boy standing there alone. He chuckled darkly and shook his head before swearing beneath his breath and turning to take a seat.
A look of shock replaced the anger on his face when he laid his eyes on Will. He licked his lips hungrily and looked the the boy up and down with a flash of something in his eyes that Will just couldn't put his finger on. The older boy took another moment to admire the view in front of him before shooting him a grin and strolled towards him, picking the very desk right behind him.
Will tensed up and tried to make sure it wasn't obvious that he was nervous as hell, his hands shook lightly and he felt his stomach tighten with unease. He distracted himself by trying to focus on his drawings but he really wasn't doing anything besides listen to the noises behind him. It smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke and cologne as he walked passed him, and something more unusual... engine oil maybe?
He was stiff as he heard a bag being dropped to the floor, banging on the desk and shuffling noises. Will breathed in deeply, the scent was so overwhelming it made his already swirling head ache even more. Yet something about it so alluring, so different that it made him uncomfortable to think about. He sat in silence for a minute and his breath was caught in his throat as he could hear deep breathing behind him, he could even swear he felt eyes staring at him.
The light and refreshing breeze coming through the window snapped Will back into reality and he went back to attempting to work on his doodles. He was mainly coloring in and shading the areas on his art, it was hard when the hottest guy he could even imagine was sitting right behind him when he had the entire room to chose from. Will started to zone out a little until he felt a poke on his shoulder,
"Hey, whatcha in for?" A deep and smooth voice asked from behind. Will's heart start pounding and he was almost too afraid to turn around and come face to face with his new crush behind him. He quickly steaded himself before shifting his position and glancing back to the other boy who sat with his arms crossed, leaning back in his chair.
"O-oh, just for fighting." He cringed as his stutter and it was technically true, he didn't start the fight but he was involved. The guy's eyebrows shot up in surprise and a large smile appeared on his face,
"Same here, but that was definitely the last thing I expected to hear from you." The other boy laughed and took a second to really look him in his eyes. He sat up and laid his elbows on the desk and laid his head on his hands, looking intensely at Will.
"What's your name, kid?" He asked and Will's anxiety grew more. He wasn't sure why this guy suddenly took interest in him or if he was just another Bully in disguise. He took a few deep breaths in attempt to remain calm and not look and sound like a complete fool.
"Will." He replied shortly, there was no need to tell him his last name because who knows what his intentions were. The other boy smiled once more before turning and grabbing a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. There was a small spark as he lit the cigarette and took a deep puff from it,
"I'm Billy, Billy Hargrove but you can call me anytime." He winked at him and chuckled once more as a flush of deep red spread over Will's face. The boy tripped over his words, unsure of what to really say to that. Was this a joke? He's never had his crush actually flirt with him before!
"Who did that to you?" Billy asked pointing at his face, his tone seemed to be more serious. Will wasn't sure to what to tell him, it was obvious he got beat in a fight but damn it was still embarrassing.
"Just some kid, it wasn't anything crazy..." Will whispered and trailed off. Billy tilted his head in interest as he scooted closer in his seat and reached out a gentle hand, using his fingers to push up Will's chin to get a better look at him. He glanced down at the blood that stained his hoodie and his stare hardened.
"Whoever it was did a number on you, want me to take care of 'em?" Will's anxiety slowly began to slip away as he really wanted to take Billy up on that offer, but he wasn't sure if he was being genuine. He couldn't help his eyes flicker down to Billy's lips and startled when the other boy smiled.
"O-oh um, it's alright... I wouldn't want to bother you about it." Will said after Billy removed his hand from his face and sat back, taking a puff from his cigarette and blowing out a heavy cloud of smoke. Will was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be smoking in here but the teacher wasn't even here and who was he to tell him off.
"Well if you ever need someone taken care of, I'm your guy. I got sent here for beating that shit out of Jason Carver, fucker tried to take my spot on the football team... look at him now..." He trailed off while chuckling darkly and breathing in another hit from his half-burnt cigarette. Will smiled and nodded like he agreed but it was slightly intimidating being in the presence of someone so aggressive.
Will looked back to his paper and tried not to make it awkward but he was too nervous to say anything else. His heart was still pounding and he wasn't sure if the teacher was coming back anytime soon. He started getting lost in his thoughts until his notebook was snatched from in front of him and he whipped around to see Billy contemplating the art.
"Wow, you drew this yourself?" The other boy asked in awe while flipping through the pages. Will nodded and felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, it wasn't like he was good at it it anything, it was just one of his hobbies. He hoped there wasn't anything too private in that notebook that he forgot about, he mainly keeps that stuff at home.
"Yeah, it's nothing special... I just draw for fun, I'm not that good at it." Will had always had a love for drawing and art ever since he was big enough to hold onto crayons, but he was far from the best in his opinion. Billy didn't take his eyes off the pages as he smiled at what he saw,
"This is badass, maybe you could draw me sometime!" He spoke with honesty and excitement, while he stopped his flipping and had a hard time prying his gaze from something in the notebook. A look flashed across his face and his eyes widened but not before he shook it away and handed the book back to Will.
"Yeah, I could that!" Will took it back and squealed with excitement on the inside, he thought Billy looked like he was carved from marble, a living work of art in his own right. He quickly glanced down at what made Billy stop and saw his sketch from a few days ago, it was a sunset on the beach with light pink and purple shading. He had never really been to the beach before, he's never seen the ocean and even though he lived by Lake Michigan his family just never took the trip up there.
Billy pushed himself off the desk and stood above him , looking down at Will with a naughty look in his eyes. Just them did Will really notice the size difference between them, for sure Billy was big with his muscles but just his build was huge. He had to be at least 6' and compared to Will's 5' 5" he was large, Billy was filled out when he was skinny.
"Wanna go smoke a joint in the bathroom? The teacher's not coming back for a while, I've been through this too many times I know her schedule." Billy asked while grabbing his bag and walking towards the door. He stopped when he realized Will wasn't following him and he turned around,
"Well, are you coming or not, babe?" Will seemed to snap out a daze at the pet name and he gathered his things in a hurry and jogged over to where Billy stood. The older boy cracked open the door and peeked out, they both held their breath for a moment before Billy have him a thumbs up and held it open for him.
He slipped through the door and under the older boy's arm and followed as Billy lead the way to the boy's restroom just at the end of the long hallway. Will had to admit he was anxious he was going to get caught for leaving the room without asking but it was completely silent and this was a nearly abandoned part of the school. They made it to the bathroom and turned on the lights, they flickered oddly and Will got a pit in his stomach once more.
This whole day felt off, getting sent to detention, the hottest guy in all of Hawkins was talking to him and taking him to a private place. He hated to even think of it but it felt like he was almost in the upsidedown again, or some weird other dimension without monsters... at least he hopes.
Soon the strong stench of marijuana floated through the air and Will grinned, it's been a while since he last smoked, it always helped calm him down. Billy took a deep puff and tilted his head back, blowing out a large cloud of smoke before passing the joint over to Will who took it gracefully. He lifted it up to his lips, his heart flutters at the thought of Billy's lips touching this just a second before his.
He took a small hit from the joint and blew out the smoke, not wanting to overdue it. Billy cracked open the small window by the stalls and heads back over to Will, looking him up and down again. Will tried to act like he didn't notice but it was obvious by his red cheeks and flush that spread down to his chest.
"So, wanna tell me now who did that to you?" Billy asked in his rough voice while getting closer to Will. Will's eyes darted around nervously, trying to figure out what Billy was going to do to him. The older boy stopped within meer inches of Will and goes to put his hand on his arms only for the younger boy to flinch like he was attacking him. Billy quicky withdrew his hand and sighed,
"I'm not gonna hurt you, why don't we clean you up a bit." The older boy looked around the bathroom before settling on some toilet paper and water from the sink since that's all he had on hand. He wet the tissue and went back to Will who stood there shaking with the smoking joint in his trembling hand.
"I-I'm okay, it's not that bad... you don't have to worry about it." Will attempted to fight against Billy's caring hand but the blonde dabbed at his raw and hurting nose. It was swollen and turning dark purple, slowly spreading to under his eyes. There was dried blood underneath and he yelped a little from the pain making Billy slow his movements and he looked him deeply in his eyes,
"Babe, it's pretty bad. I've had my fair share of fight wounds and this definitely needs attention, look you've bleed all over your hoodie." Will glanced down to see dark red drops and streaks of blood all down his hoodie even hitting his shorts. His sleeves had wipes of blood on them and he for sure looked like he lost a fight.
A feeling of embarrassment settled into Will and he felt tears well up in his eyes but he tried his best to blink them away. Billy cleaned him up very gently and placed a clean tissue in his hand before throwing away the trash. Will whispered 'thanks' and wiped at his wet eyes, turning away so his crush wouldn't see. After wiping away the tears he looked over to see Billy taking off his jacket.
"Here, you can wear this for now, it's getting chilly outside." Billy shoved his letterman into Will's hands and the boy took it with nervous hands. He felt the soft fabric with his fingers and looked up at Billy almost as if he was looking for permission to put it on. Billy nodded his head and chuckled as Will slipped it on, it was too big for him but it was just about the most comfortable thing he's ever felt.
He snuggled into the warmth of the jacket and a intense feeling of security and love washed over him. It smelled just like Billy and he wished to be able to bask in the scent forever. Billy before him and grinned like he had accomplishment something and he took the joint back from Will, hitting it and soaking up the look of the small boy in his clothing.
They both jolted when the loud sound of the school bell rang out signaling it was the end of class and the school day. Billy snuffed out the joint on the porcelain sink and turned back to Will,
"Shit, I gotta go to football practice but I'll see you tomorrow in detention, alright?" Will felt immense disappointment at the thought of them having to leave the bathroom, he felt safe and like no one could get him here. But instead he pushed all those thoughts and feelings away and nodded his head, at least he'd see Billy tomorrow....
"Yeah, I'll be there." Will cringed at the tone of disappointment in his voice and he felt familiar anxiety fill his chest knowing he has to walk past everyone and ride his bike home. He wasn't sure if Troy was planning to pay him another visit and finish the job but it made his heart race to even think about. Billy didn't leave, he stood by the door looking lost in this thoughts,
"Hey, how do you get home? Do you walk or do you ride the bus?" Billy asked surprising Will who was on the verge of a panic attack. The older boy thought he'd seen the kid before and maybe he was walking home or hanging out with his shitty step-sisters, he couldn't remember.
"I ride my bike with my friends, but recently they haven't waited for me..." Will's face fell as he spoke and a stab of something hit Billy in his chest. It wasn't like him to ever feel bad or pity others, but for this kid something was way different. He went back to Will and pulled out his phone before handing it to the younger boy,
"Here, gimme your number and I'll call you after practice to make sure you made it home safe." Will wiped at his watery eyes and took the phone. He quickly entered his number and handed the device back to Billy. If it wasn't for his anxiety attack he would be ecstatic that his crush has his number and was going to call him later.
"Thanks, talk to you later, babe." With that Billy winked at him and left the bathroom but not before glancing back at Will one last time. Will stood there in complete silence for a moment recollecting this thoughts and trying to process what the hell just happened. He could barely wrap his head around the fact that Billy took the time out of his day to talk to him and wanted to make sure he was okay.
Will smiled and shook his head and looked at himself in the mirror, though his nose was bruised and he had bags beneath his eyes he still looked happy. After grabbing his bag, he made his way out of the bathroom and to the school doors.
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Will sat up abruptly from the table in his room, he was just in a daze as he lost track of time while he was drawing. His phone was started ringing from it's spot on the bed where he had tossed it earlier, he checked the screen, it was an unfamiliar number. He hit answer,
"Hello?" He answered cautiously, trying to be quiet because it was nearing 8pm and his Mom had to work early in the morning. He sat down on his bed and awaited the response,
"Hey babe, it's Billy. I just got done with practice and wanted to make sure you're home safe." Billy's smooth and dark voice came floating through his phone and Will felt a surge of happiness flow through him.
"O-oh, hi Billy, I'm home and I'm all good." Will rushed out, he was not prepared to answer the phone let alone talk to his crush. He glanced over to the jacket laying on his bed and he took a long breath yet he couldn't settle his pounding heart, damn he was fucked. A huff of amusement came from the phone,
"Good, good, I know it's a little late but I just wanted to check...whatcha doing now?" The older boy questioned and Will gulped, he didn't want to seem like a loser who draws shitty art all the time so he just came up with a boring lie.
"I"m just getting ready for bed, how was football practice?" Will walked trying to act causal but recoiled at his attempt at sounding normal or cool. There was shuffling on the other end and Billy seemed genuinely interested in what he was telling Will.
"It went about as good as it could, we practiced drills and whatnot but I'm about to drive home... hopefully I will see you tomorrow, goodnight babe." It seemed like Billy was rushed and Will smiled to himself before answering,
"Goodnight, Billy." The hope that he really would see him again tomorrow and hopefully this would be a regular thing between him. Even if he had to go to detention everyday he would do that just to get a chance at talking to Billy.
Will fell asleep peacefully that night for the first time in a long time,.he was snuggled into the soft jacket that smelled so comforting and he had a longing in his heart he's never felt before...and a small glimmer of hope for tomorrow.