"It's finger-lickin' good" - Steve Harrington

As I watched Billy make a hasty retreat to his blue Camaro I couldn't keep the smirk from my face. No matter how small it may seem, this definitely felt like a victory. I was one step closer to learning more about who Billy really is and it was time to initiate plan: infiltrate the deepest, darkest corners of Billy Hargrove's mind.

"Andie- uh! Earth to Andie!" Steve Harrington's lighthearted voice snapped me out of my Billy induced trance as he repeatedly claps his hands in front of my face. 

"Uh- what? Sorry Steve, what did you say?" I blinked, surprised to see him standing before me. I'd almost forgotten that we were on speaking terms again. He must have snuck up on me while I was lost in my thoughts. 

Steve gives me a pointed look and narrows his eyes slightly, "I know that look Andie, although I haven't seen it since you came up with that stupid plan to dye Mrs Henderson's cat blue, after she gave you a shitty tip at the diner. Nothing good ever comes from that look, what are you up to?"

I grin, -mostly to myself- as I remember the day that Steve is talking about. It was a great plan, I didn't execute it quite as well as I'd hoped to though. Dustin's mother caught me just as I was about to dump her stupid cat in the bucket full of hair dye.

I may have been a model student and a perfect, pretty cheerleader on the outside, but I still knew how to have fun. I'll never forget the look on that nasty woman's face as I held her precious 'Mews' over the bucket.

"What? Nothing, Steve! And hey, that was a good plan. It may not have gone the exact way that I'd pictured it, but that lady deserved it." I laugh, missing the way my life used to feel not so long ago. Before Steve and Nancy, and before Jim. 

Steve didn't say anything at first, he only stared at me with a glimmer in his eyes that I couldn't place. 

"What? Have I got something on my face?" I half joke, scrubbing some imaginary dirt off of my cheeks. Steve smiles lightly and grabs my hands pulling them away from my face gently. "No Cassie, I'm just happy. I missed you- being like this, like yourself. I don't know what's happened to make you this way but whatever it is, I'm glad. You deserve to be happy again."

I don't know what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't that.

It was extremely rare for me to be caught speechless but this was one of those moments. All I could do was stare back as I slowly digested his words. My first instinct was to shut him down and say that I'm not happy and I'm definitely not becoming my old self again but he wasn't entirely wrong.

It was nothing significant yet but something had surely changed within me, I didn't feel as hopeless today as I had this same time last week. I could only pray nothing would happen to change that.

I realise at this point that Steve is still standing there watching me with a half smile while I stand motionless with my mouth slightly ajar. I quickly pull myself together and slap on my best unbothered smile. 

"Right, yeah. Was there a reason you walked over here or was it just to stare at my gorgeous face?" I ask, my words dripping in sarcasm. 

Steve gives me a knowing look as if to say, 'Yep, I got you.' but thankfully he drops the subject at my obvious show of discomfort. "Yeah I wanted to see what you were doing tonight, today has been surprisingly shitty and we haven't hung out in- well ages."

I study his expression, taking note of his shoulders hanging low and the crease in his forehead that he only gets when- "What's up, Steve? Is everything okay?" I ask suddenly, how could I have not picked up on his sour mood before? Oh, right. Because I was too absorbed in my Billy thoughts to take any notice.

He shrugs, obviously feeling awkward. "Yeah, it will be. I think. Trust me, you don't wanna know."

"It's about Nancy isn't it?" I guess right away, and from the way he shifts to his other foot and can't meet my eyes I know I'm right. 

"Look, Steve I know this isn't exactly the easiest situation for us to be in right now but I want to be there for you. And if that means listening to your Nancy shit, so be it." I finish with an overly dramatic sigh and lightly punch his arm. 

Steve finally looks up at me with a hesitant smile, "Okay but let's do it later yeah? What are you doing now?"

"I can't, I'm sorry. I have work in an hour so I need to go home and change." I say, praying that he won't ask to see me after my shift. 

"How about I pick you up after your shift?" I can't control the cringe that takes over my face but I recover as quickly as humanly possible. 

"Ah- that's not a great idea, I mean I'm driving there so I'd just have to leave my car." I'm hoping that he won't pick up on the lie, surely he won't remember that my mother usually drives the two of us to the diner on the night shifts.

"Doesn't your mum usually drive you? Cause she's working as well, right?" 

I sigh deeply and press my right palm against my eye as I respond, "Okay look, the truth is you can't pick me up after work because I already have plans."

Please don't ask what the plans are, please don't ask what th-

"What? What plans?"

"Billy is picking me up," I mumble under my breath. Steve raises an eyebrow and takes a step closer to me, "What was that?" 

I sigh again and this time I say loud and clear, "Billy is picking me up."

"Billy?"

"Yes."

"Billy... Hargrove?"

"Yes." 

"Billy, the asshole?"

"Yes, Steve! Billy fucking Hargrove!" I'm thankful that the parking lot is mostly empty by now, so there's only a few stragglers left behind to watch the scene unfurling before them.

Steve can't meet my eyes all of a sudden and the look on his face makes my stomach drop in the worst possible way. He looks like I've physically struck him and he staggers a step back before finally meeting my eyes again. I really wish he hadn't because all I see is the betrayal he so obviously feels in them.

"Steve, I-" I reach for his arm but he takes two more steps back and opens his mouth like he's going to get angry at me but he stops himself before he speaks, sighs, and then turns around and walks away.

I want to go after him but I know him well enough to realise that he needs some time alone to think everything through and then I'll approach him. I can only hope that I haven't shattered the new and delicate strings we'd just managed to rebuild in our friendship. 

* * *

The rest of my night is relatively drama free. To my relief, Jim is still at work when I get home and my shift at the diner passes pretty quickly. My mother doesn't speak to me unless absolutely necessary, as per usual. 

I do spend a lot of my time between serving speaking to the new boy, Jesse. I learn that he's been away at some college in the city and made the crazy decision to move back to his home town to live with his family. 

I also learn that he is the older brother of Dustin Henderson, who I know vaguely as one of Mike Wheeler's friends. Jesse has one of those genuine smiles that everyone loves and the kind of personality that can light up an entire room. I find myself smiling much more frequently than I'm used to at work. 

Some of the regular customers give me sideways glances when I walk by them, still grinning at something Jesse had said. But all too soon the clock is approaching midnight and it's time for cinderella to.. meet her prince rather than run away from him.

How ironic.

Although Billy Hargrove is no prince charming, I have been looking forward to hearing what he has to say to me. As my mother finishes wiping the tables I give Jesse a wave goodbye and hang my apron up in the kitchen, replacing it with my leather jacket. As I approach my mother I say, "Don't wait up for me." 

"Jim will worry," she says lightly, stopping me in my tracks. Tonight of all nights I'm so not up for dealing with this. So I snap.

"Yeah? Well how about you tell him to fuck off for once, and stop 'worrying' about people who aren't his to worry about." I retort, brushing past her. I try not to notice her face fall as I walk by. How dare she be the one who's upset here, she was the one who invited that dick into our home in the first place. Does she really not see who he truly is?

Billy has his arms crossed while leaning casually against his blue Camaro when I come storming out of the darkened diner. He stands up straight when he sees my expression and meets me halfway between the door and his car. 

"Is everything okay?" He sounds so sincere that I almost laugh out loud. Maybe he does have a heart after all. I realise that he's waiting for an answer, so after a considerable pause and a great many sighs I look up at him intensely. 

"No. It really isn't, I'm used to it by now." I say with an attempted smile but probably looked more like a grimace. Billy says nothing for a few moments and I almost think he didn't hear me when he finally replies, an understanding look on his face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I consider his offer but quickly determine that talking will be no help whatsoever and I'd rather hear whatever it is he has to say to me this late on a school night. 

"No. But thank you for offering. Let's just talk about whatever it is you're here for. Obviously there's something you wanted to say?"

"Yeah- but not here. Come on."

* * *

I've noticed that Billy always seems to drive with the windows closed- at least when I'm around, so in a sudden strike of confidence I wind my window down and eye him to carefully gauge his reaction. 

Thankfully he doesn't comment, he seems to be completely lost in his own thoughts so I put my elbows on the windowsill and lean my head on them, so that it's half hanging out. The night air is refreshingly cool on my face and I breathe in deeply, savouring the night air. 

Billy drives for what feels like ages, climbing higher and higher into the mountains. At this point, the main road is far behind us and we're driving on some sort of dirt, side road. I don't mind, however I can't say the same for Billy, who winces every time a stone bounces off the bottom of his car.

Finally, the dirt road ends and Billy slowly pulls the car to a halt. I look around but all I can see is a dark, grassy field and a scary looking forest in front of us. "You didn't bring me here to kill me did you?" I ask suddenly and without thinking.

Billy snorts and turns to me with a grin, "What the hell makes you think that?" 
I made a sweeping motion with my hands, gesturing to our surroundings and he only smiles back at me. "Wait there and don't turn around."

I bite my tongue and do as I'm told, wondering where he's going with all this. Billy climbs out of the car and goes round the back, out of my peripheral vision. I can't see where he's gone unless I turn my head- 

"Don't turn around Coleman." Billy reiterates from somewhere behind me, as if reading my thoughts. "You aren't getting a shovel out of the back are you?" I retort only half jokingly. I hear a loud groan of annoyance and, "Just shut up and be patient." 

I cross my arms and smirk to myself as I stare out in front of me, doing my best to remain patient. I jump as the door beside me opens and Billy is staring at me with a smug grin on his face. 

"Okay, close your eyes and take my hand." He holds out a hand and gives me a meaningful look when I don't immediately comply. I narrow my eyes at him but take his outstretched hand anyway, "Okay, but no funny business Hargrove. I mean it."

He rolls his eyes, "Stop talking and close your damn eyes." 

I do as he says and let him lead me carefully out of the car and then to what feels like the back of the car. He positions me gently and once he seems satisfied he guides my hands to his shoulders, "Hold on." 

Before I can protest he's grabbing my waist and lifting me upwards. A surprised squeal escapes my lips and I grip onto his shoulders for all of three seconds before my backside lands safely on what I assume is the back of the Camaro. 

Although what I had expected to feel like cold metal, actually felt soft and warm. Had he put a blanket down? "Okay keep them closed for a bit longer." The car shifts slightly as Billy climbs on beside me and finally he says, "Okay.. open them."

My mouth falls open in awe as I stare out the beautiful site before me. The lights of Hawkins shine brightly like our own personal cluster of stars. The view of our small town from this height is incredible, so much so that I'm lost for words for the second time today. 

I can't help but think back to what Steve had said in the school parking lot earlier today, about me seeming happier. As I turn from the lights to watch the alluring boy beside me, I realise that it's because of him.

"How did you find this place?" I ask, wondering why I'm whispering all of a sudden. Billy continues to stare straight ahead, "I found it by accident one of the first days since we'd moved here. I- I was angry and I just kept driving until the road ended here."

I turn away from him, staring back at the view. "Why were you angry?" He doesn't respond right away and he appears to be collecting his thoughts, figuring out what exactly to say. "The other day, you didn't say it but I know that you were feeling ashamed of the secret you keep from everyone else. About your mothers boyfriend."

I flinch and shift uncomfortably beside him. He turns to face me all of a sudden and I meet his eyes, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. "I wanted to tell you then but you ran off before I could, I wanted to tell you that you don't have to feel ashamed of that when you're with me. I get it, okay? I understand."

I open my mouth, about to argue. How could he possibly understand? But he stops me, by holding a hand gently against my mouth. "Andie- what I'm trying to say is that.. my father- he and I don't always.. get along." 

I scrunch my face up as I consider his words, is he saying what I think he is? 

"You don't have to say anything and I don't want you to feel sorry for me.. I just- I wanted you to know that you aren't alone. I get it, I get you." With his hand still against my mouth, I mumble "Take your hand off my face asshole." But it sounds more like a muffled jumble of words. 

Billy removes his hand quickly and frowns, "What did you sa-" but I cut him off as I lean forward and crash my lips against his, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck to bring him closer...

* * *

i'd just like to address some of the angry comments about andie kissing billy at the end of this chapter & i'm going to take a direct quote from one of the nicer comments that i really loved, and i think it really captures exactly what i was going for!

"she kissed him because he opened up to her, because he understood her pain which was probably a relief to her to finally have someone understand what she is going through. This isn't a kink. It's an abused girl finally feeling like someone understands her and her response was to kiss him, very human reaction" 

anyways, i hope you enjoyed this update, let me know what you think c:

a/n; unedited