Chapter Text
The sound of an engine revving in the nearby parking lot made Billy jump harder than he should have. If he wasn't regressed, that is.
His eyes darted around wildly, breath no less frantic as he sniffled hard, tears on his cheeks cool in the evening air.
Sitting with his legs curled up into his torso, Billy pressed himself tighter into the corner of the school, cold brick against his cheek feeling somewhat grounding. Maybe if he squeezed himself hard enough against the crevice, away from the world, he'd be able to disappear, that's all he wanted right now.
That and his Steve.
Fuck fuck fuck his throat tightened at the thought of his Daddy, whining hard he squeezed his eyes shut. Just a little longer, Steve would be here soon. He'd promised.
It could only have been ten or so minutes since he'd made the teary phone call from the payphone near Hawkins High. He'd been trying to make it home without dropping, honest, but everything got so loud and he just. Slipped.
Normally, Billy would ask Steve for help when regressing. Or alternatively, he'd find himself chewing on the collar of his shirt, already nestled into Steve's side after a long day of guarding the pool.
He didn't like slipping on accident, especially when he was trying to be a big boy, walking home from the closed pool on his own. It made him feel smaller, which most definitely did not help the current situation.
Rubbing the sleeve of the red hoodie against his nose, Billy rocked himself back and forth, an involuntary urge to soothe the tears still pooling in his eyes. Steve would be here soon.
He'd calmed his little as best he could over the phone, urging him to hide out near the electrical box at the back of the high school. It was late enough that no one should be there, and Steve promised he'd come find him.
Billy took in a shaky breath, holding it before letting it go as slowly as he could. Just like Steve had taught him back when his tantrums were loud, and dangerous.
He may have been a Little, but that didn't mean his muscular frame made him the easiest thing in the world.
Steve could handle him though, even when Billy couldn't handle himself.
That first time, when Steve had found him Little, Billy still didn't really know what was going on.
Sure his doctor back in California had given him the run-down on what being a Little meant, but back then with Neil breathing down his neck Billy just pushed that part of himself down as best he could. He shuddered.
Okay. Breathing. In, out. In, out. In-
"OH!" Billy shrieked at the voice, jumping hard enough to knock the back of his head against the brick wall.
The bump was barely anything, but it was enough to tip his tears over the edge.
Billy sobbed hard and squeezed his eyes shut, both hands flying up to the throbbing against his skull. A wet, broken cry ripped its way out of his chest, any attempt to remain big all but forgotten.
"'m sorry!!! 'm sorry!!" A shaky voice pushed through the cotton stuffed in his ears, whoever it was he didn't want them. He wanted Stevie, who should be here by now.
Billy's breath stuttered hard as he wiped his eyes. The sound of shoes scuffing against pavement had his eyes darting up as the stranger approached.
"Sorry," His shoulders dropped slightly, Eddie Munson stood just a few steps away, towering over his curled up form with the confidence of a kicked puppy.
The tall, gangly outcast was barely his acquaintance, much less someone he'd want to be Little around. Billy was only ever Little with Steve. That thought made him blink, Steve knew Eddie.
This Eddie, who was wringing his ring-covered hands incessantly, blinking down at Billy with wide eyes, chewing at his bottom lip with feverish worry, seemed pretty different from the one he'd described. "Didn't mean to make you bump on your head- Do- it okay?"
Still hiccuping, Billy wiped his sleeve along his face, rubbing snot from his nose as he tried to understand Eddies words.
His gaze narrowed analytically.
He wasn't quick to trust just anyone, let alone someone clad in ripped black jeans, heavy boots, and a t shirt with a scary looking dragon on it. Billy shivered involuntarily, but if Steve trusted him...
With a shuddering breath, Billy gave a shrug. Rubbing at the back of his head he squirmed under the others gaze, turning further inward on himself.
Eddie shifted nervously on his feet, glancing around the schoolyard.
He studied Billy for just a beat longer before dropping down heavily onto his hands and knees, adjusting the shoulder bag at his hip.
"Uhm... M'names Eddie.. You Billy yeah?" The taller boy stuck his hand out, but pulled it back awkwardly when Billy just stared at him.
Bringing his thin fingers up to his hair, Eddie played with one of his curls, still chewing at his lip. It looked like it hurt.
"...Do you hava.. Caregiver around? like a Mommy? or Daddy?" Those big brown eyes turned back to study Billy's face, like he was looking for a response rather than expecting a verbal one. Like he knew Billy was much smaller than normal.
Billy shook his head hesitantly, working up the courage to force the words from the back of his throat.
"..Daddy-... com'd get me." Mumbling, he looked back down to his shoes, staring at the gravel through unshed tears.
"Oh!.. Your Daddy comin to pick you up?" Billy nodded, glancing briefly towards Eddie. The older boy made him nervous, but didn't seem to pick up on this. Billy just wanted his Daddy, his Steve.
"Why you cryin? Are you lonely?"
With a shaky sob, Billy nodded, shoving his hands against his eyes trying to stop the flood of tears starting to cascade down his cheeks. His tummy ached from the sadness welling up in it, the kind that made his head hurt and throat ache.
"W-Wan- 'tevie!!" Hot tears soaked the fabric of his sleeves, still pressed to his eyes as he cried, hard.
"I-...uhm" Billy barely paid attention to Eddies awkward mumbling, still sobbing into his knees. His tears were interrupted when something was shoved against him, something soft.
"Here.... Dis Ozzy." Lifting his head, Billy stared at the stuffed black bat plushie being pressed against his arm.
Two black glass eyes stared back at him, slightly cloudy from age and wear, but the toy looked soft. Before he could really think about it, Billy uncurled his arms from his legs and reached out, tentatively closing his fingers around the slightly matted black fur.
"You can hug him, he help me calm down"
"O...zzy?" Eddie nodded at the teary murmur, a little grin blooming across his face.
"Uhuh! Hesa bat, but he won bite you." The bat's wing felt good on his cheek. Gently rubbing the material back and forth, Billy's breath finally stopped catching in his throat.
This seemed to make Eddie's grin double.
"Ozzy an I can wait wit you! Your Daddy be here soon, dey fast." He nodded with an air of certainty that had the tension between Billy's shoulder blades slowly relaxing.
The boy sat down fully now, crossing his legs with a bit of difficulty, long unruly limbs seeming to be a little hard to control. Eddie was definitely a Little as well, but he seemed much more self-sufficient than Billy.
"Y-you have, Daddy?" He cocked his head to the side, wiping Ozzy's wing against his eyes. Eddie shook his head, puffing his chest out.
"Nope!! I don needa Daddy, or Mommy," Digging into the shoulder bag he had produced the stuffed bat from, Eddie continued. "I'm a big boy, you're... not really. That okay though! I just big enoughta take careof myself"
He beamed with pride, pulling out a journal that seemed to be barely held together with duct tape and dreams.
"...No h-helps?" A frown pulled at his lips. That didn't sound very fun to Billy.
Eddie didn't seem bothered by his lack of a Caregiver, in reality he seemed quite pleased by the fact.
"I getta play what I want, and get my own foods, and I don gotta have a nap-" He rambled on, scribbling with enthusiasm into the book.
Billy was only half-listening to the benefits of not having a Daddy, the sun had dipped low enough in the sky that he felt a chill crawl up his spine.
An uncomfortable whimper interrupted whatever Eddie was saying, pausing he stared at Billy intensely for a moment.
"...Oh! You chilly" Giving a barely there nod, the blonde shifted trying to tuck his arms further into his torso, hugging Ozzy tightly."Don worry!! I got blankets in my van!!"
With a grin on his face, Eddie jumped up, patting Billy's curls with a heavy open palm.
"I be right back, you just wait!" He hummed something that hopefully sounded like acceptance as Eddie sprinted off, rounding the corner of the school he disappeared out of sight.
Yawning, Billy shivered again, he didn't like the cold.
Looking down at the stuffed bat in his arms, he decided on tucking Ozzy into the front of his hoodie, not wanting Ozzy to get cold too.
Fumbling with the zipper a few times before he got it up all the way, Billy curled in on himself. Arms wrapped around his torso, he hummed quietly under his breath, the rocking returning as the minutes dragged by.
He didn't like the cold, or being alone. Eddie was nice enough, even if his stuffed animal smelled kinda funny.
Pushing himself up from the ground with a stumble, a little whine broke past his teeth.
Billy's legs felt unsteady, weather it was from being curled up for so long or from regressing he didn't really know, or care all that much. With a bit of a wobble in his step, Billy shuffled along the side of the school, sleeve finding its way to his mouth.
Chewing tiredly on the red fabric, Billy stopped short as a familiar brown Beamer peeled into the lot, screeching to a halt haphazardly in the middle of it.
Thoughts of finding Eddie evaporated the second Steve jumped out of his car, wide worried eyes scanning the schoolyard.
Once Steve's gaze froze on him, the tears Billy had thought he'd cried out came surging forward.
Steve's arms were around him in an instant, warm and sturdy, wrapped tightly around his shoulders, giving a comforting squeeze.
Billy babbled a wordlessly trying to tell his Daddy how awful he felt, clinging tightly to the yellow cotton sweater he had on.
”Oh Billy, Billy I'm here, I've got you honey" Voice thick with pity, Steve kissed his forehead with firm comforting conviction.
Billy nuzzled his damp face against his caregivers neck, taking in a shaky breath of the expensive cologne and hair-products. His Daddy's smell.
"Calm down Bubs,, Cmon. Deeeep breaths. I know you can do it, just like we practised. In,,, out."
Whining, Billy scrunched up his face frowning upwards at Steve, wanting to tell him how he tried to!!
Steve's hand rubbed slowly up and down his back in time with his breaths, gently shushing his nonsensical sounds.
"I know, I know hun, but you need to calm down first baby" Brow still furrowed, Billy forced his attention to Steve's breath, taking in a deep shuddering breath,,, letting it go as his hand cascaded down his spine. In,, and out. Up,,, and down.
"See? There we go, such a good job bubs." A small grin broke through Billy's tearful sniffling as he was pulled against Steves side, protective arm guiding him towards the Beamer.
"T-trieda stay calm-" Steve glanced down towards him, giving a soft sympathetic face, lips down turned in understanding. Billy could hear the smallness in his words and it looked like his Daddy could as well
"B-bud I lon-lonely"
"I know you were bubs, it's no fun getting scared all alone-" He sighed gently, unlocking the passengers side door before turning back to the sniffling Little, reaching up to cup his face in his hands he continued. "But you did so good waiting for me!! I'm so proud of you Sunshine"
With a quick smooch pressed to his nose, Billy's smile returned. "Now lets head home and get you of these big boy clothes, hm?"
Nodding, Billy slipped wordlessly down into the Beamer, wiping haphazardly at his face. He let Steve pull the seat-belt across his tummy and click it in place without his usual fussing, Billy just wanted to cuddle with him on the couch.
Once his Daddy got in the car and turned over the engine, Billy shifted to bring his legs up into the seat. Hoodie sleeve back in his mouth he turned his eyes to look at Steve, who glanced at the dampened fabric and gave a snort, eyes back on the road.
"Just for the ride bubs, but once we're home lets go find you something better to chew on"