Notes: I had no comment about it. I had to delete my first try and start over since I wasn't feeling it right.
But I like this version better. I really do. Thanks for reading so far.
Stu stays silent until he's sure Billy stops crying. He knows that they're alone on the road at midnight, and no one else will be around, but he stays alert, looking through the windows as he caresses Billy's back. The last thing they need is a cop coming right at this moment.
He thinks about where to go as soon as Billy's ready.
Stu sits and waits patiently for Billy to gather himself, and he holds Billy tightly as Billy continues to cry. As Billy's body calms down and he stops sobbing, Stu rubs Billy's back and he speaks in a soft and calming tone.
"Ok. Ok. It's ok… You don't have to say anything else about this. You don't owe me any explanations, okay?" Stu sighs and he talks in a quiet and kind tone. "Are you ready to move on? We can take as much time as you need."
There's a moment of silence, where Billy isn't shaking anymore, but he doesn't say anything at all. He doesn't seem to be crying either, but he doesn't pull away from Stu yet.
Eventually, he distances himself, his head still low, and he nods only once.
He sits straight in the seat, with his face looking down, his hair falling over his eyes.
Stu breathes a sigh of relief as Billy calms down and the two share the moment of silence. Eventually, Stu speaks in a quiet and calm tone.
"Okay" he squeezes Billy's shoulder, trying to provide some comfort. "Is there… is there anything else you'd like to say? I want you to know that there's no judgment here. We can take our time. Take as much time as you need. " He says sweetly and he rubs Billy's shoulder and his hand again. "Or we can move on from this topic. What would you like?"
"Okay" Billy whispers, barely audible. Then he bites his lip, reclining his head on the window and closing his eyes there.
Stu lets out yet another sigh and he rubs Billy's shoulder again.
" Whatever you feel most comfortable with is fine. Why don't you rest now… you deserve it. Why don't you just close your eyes and rest a while?" He says in a comforting and reassuring voice, and he smiles softly. "We'll talk more when you're ready. We have all the time in the world."
Billy doesn't reply at all.
Stu keeps driving, thinking about where to go. There's a small town where his father used to take him and his sister many years ago, on some of his work travels. He remembers it was the most boring place he had been in his childhood, but that now could be useful.
His eyes study's Billy occasionally, realizing how many things are starting to make sense to him now.
Stu pulls into a rest stop outside of town and he stops the van next to a few other vehicles. He turns the engine off and he pulls a map out of the glove compartment. He starts to study it intensely for a few minutes as he tries his best to find the town that he's looking for. He finds the town and after a moment he speaks in a kind and gentle voice.
"Okay, We're going here. It's around an hour away." He puts the map away and he rubs Billy's shoulder again. "Are you ready? I can rest too if you're still a bit tired."
"Are you?" Billy mutters, shaking Stu's hand from his shoulders. "Tired, I mean…"
Stu notices that Billy doesn't look at his eyes at all and it bothers because there's nothing to be ashamed of, but Billy doesn't realize it.
Stu looks down at his lap and breathes a deep and exhausted sigh.
"Yeah… I am a bit tired. I'm sorry, Billy." he sighs again, and he smiles warmly. "We've been having a lot of exhausting talk tonight, haven't we? " He pauses for a moment and then he says with a small smile. "You're right… you're absolutely right. We should rest a while. We should find ourselves a hotel right now and then we can talk tomorrow." he sighs again and he speaks kindly and caring. "Will that sound good?"
Billy shrugs his shoulders and looks away.
"Don't ask me. I don't have money for that." he mutters.
Stu pulls his wallet out of his pocket, he grabs some cash and he holds it out for Billy to see.
"Look, I got you. Okay? Money won't be a problem. I told you, we'll take care of everything. " He smiles and he sighs as he pulls some more cash out of his wallet. "You have so many things on your mind right now and we have to make sure you're not carrying any additional burdens right now. So... just… " he sighs calmly, "I'll make all the arrangements… Okay? You can just relax…"
Billy's jaw tightens as he looks at Stu's hand, a blank expression forming on his face.
"Right." he mutters, looking ahead.
Stu nods his head understandingly and he smiles warmly.
"It's ok. We'll get you through this." he pats Billy on the shoulder. "But look… let's get a nice, comfy hotel room and… you know? Let's just get you some good rest. Just… let your mind calm down and then we'll figure out everything in the morning." Stu sighs and he smiles softly. "How does that sound?"
"Fine." Billy says.
Stu smiles and he puts the keys in the ignition again and he drives forward out of the rest stop and into the night.
A few minutes later, Stu and Billy arrive at a small and regular hotel. Stu has already gotten himself a room for two and he's already paid for two nights. It's currently around 3 am and it's still pretty dark outside.
They walk up to the hotel front entrance and they enter without attracting any attention. They take the elevator up to their room and they enter without any trouble.
Stu holds the door for Billy and he's about to say something when Billy stops outside the room with a frown on his face.
"You don't need to open the doors for me. I'm not disabled or… a girl." he mutters.
Stu lets out a sigh of exhaustion and he looks at Billy with a kind and tired smile.
"You're right. You're absolutely right, Billy. I'm sorry." he steps aside and still holds the door open for Billy. Go ahead." he chuckles. "Why don't you take a hot shower and I'll go order you some food?" Stu smiles and he speaks. "I promise I'll be right back and… I promise you we'll figure… all of this out. Ok? You just…. you just take your time."
Billy goes into the room, a hint of a smirk in his face.
"I already showered…" he mutters. "But I guess I look like trash…" he sits on the bed and opens his backpack to take outside a roll of clean bandage and another of medical tape. "Yeah, you do that."
Stu watches from the door as Billy walks inside and he smiles warmly at the comment.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with how you look," he says kindly. "You just look like you had a really hard night. You know? But if… " Stu sighs and he speaks in a soft voice. "If you'd prefer to go in the shower again, you go right ahead... but let me order you some food still, okay?" Stu looks at what Billy's taken out of his backpack. "And… you know… do you need any help with that tape?"
"I'm not hungry. I'm tired. So are you… or a bit drunk, I'm still not sure" Billy says, looking furtively at him. He gets up and goes to the bathroom with a smirk on his face.
Stu lets out a laugh as he watches Billy disappear into the bathroom.
"Sure… whatever you say, Billy. "He smiles again and shakes his head again before he turns around and he shuts the door behind him.
A few minutes later, he comes back with a huge bag from the hotel restaurant. He walks towards the bed and he drops the bag down on it as he speaks in a soft voice. "Look, I… I'm going to be honest with you, Billy. It's almost 3am and I'm really exhausted. Okay?" he sighs. "But I wanted to make sure you're well-fed."
The only answer is the sound of the shower being used. Stu isn't sure Billy would hear him at all.
Stu stays silent and he watches the door. His exhaustion is starting to hit him, and there's a small wave of sleepiness starting to wash over him. The only sound is the shower being used for a few more minutes and then the shower is shut off. Stu sighs again and he starts to feel his eyelids grow heavy.
"Well, I'll let you rest," he says in a drowsy tone, "and I'll just go get some sleep for now." he yawns and speaks in an even yawnier tone. "If you need anything, well, you just let me know, okay?"
Billy goes out of the bathroom twenty minutes later. He looks at Stu, already asleep, in a semi sitting position, with a bag beside him.
He walks towards the bed, takes the bag and leaves it on the night light table.
Then he ponders if he should ask Stu to sleep in a comfortable position or not wake him up at all.
Stu doesn't wake up as Billy walks up towards him. He's fast asleep already as he lays down on the bed. It seems that whatever Billy does, Stu is deep asleep right now and not a single sound would wake him from his slumber. Billy could probably move Stu's whole body and he still wouldn't wake up. He's a very heavy sleeper, he's most likely exhausted at this point.
Billy looks outside the window, to the cars parked in the street, studying them carefully.
Then he walks around the bed and drops on the other side, bending his knees to embrace them. He looks sideways at the door knob, until his eyes weigh too much to stay open and he falls asleep.
Some time in the early morning hours, Stu wakes up from a deep sleep. He sighs and he stretches as he looks around. The sun's not up in the sky yet and it's still pretty dark outside. He sees Billy sleeping on the other end of the bed and he sits up straight. He stretches again before putting his arms around his knees and he speaks in a soft and tired voice.
"Oh man… I can't believe I slept so long. Did you manage to get any rest at least, Billy?" he yawns and stretches again a bit. How do you feel?"
He doesn't receive any reply, so he looks closer to confirm that Billy's still sleeping.
His eyes stop at the bandage on his neck, wondering how the wounds would be below it. He notices that Billy touches it subconsciously when he's talking uncomfortably.
"Ok... no reply. Must mean he's still asleep…" he yawns and he whispers in a soft and tired voice. "This is going to be a very awkward conversation, I'm not going to lie… but I think we have to talk about this, Billy… " he pauses for a moment. "We can give each other some time to wake up and… to rest… you know? What do you think?"
There's no sound from Billy, so Stu decides to take a short shower. He regrets not having made a stop at his house, to bring at least some clothes but he makes a note of getting some later in a local store or something.
This was a town where he could walk in the street with Billy and not be alert at the Police being looking for them. Billy Loomis was a great deal in Woodsboro, more so now with the movie and the recent murder spree. But outside of it, he's old news.
Stu gets up from the bed and he walks over to the bathroom and he starts the shower. He spends around 30 minutes there and when he's finished, he wraps himself up in an oversized towel and he walks back into the room. He sits gently down on the bed and he sighs again. He looks over at Billy and he speaks in an exhausted tone.
"You have any idea what time it is, Billy?" he sighs again, and he talks quietly. "You think we should start talking?"
Billy sits on the bed, resting the back of his head on the headboard. He takes the hair from his face and looks at Stu.
"About what?" he says, looking at Stu's lack of clothes and immediately looking away.
Stu looks down at himself, then back at Billy, and he smiles lightly.
"Oh right… I probably look like a mess right now." he laughs a little. "I forgot about… Oh, this is awkward… Okay…"he chuckles a little." You'll forgive me for my unprofessional manner… but how about this? Why don't I go change and then… then I'll lay out the whole situation for you? How about that? Sounds good?"
"Dress first. I was concentrating on something and you made me forget with your silliness" Billy says, amused.
Stu chuckles a little.
"Sure thing." He stands up and he takes the towel off himself and he pulls out some clothes for himself. He starts to dress himself and he speaks in a soft and gentle tone. "You got it!" He continues to get dressed. "Listen, this is going to be… kind of awkward…" he sighs and he rubs the back of his head. "But, I think we have to have a talk, Billy. Okay? Does that sound good?" He puts on his shirt and he pulls his socks on. "You just… you just need to know the truth... you know?"
"What truth?" Billy asks with a blank expression on his face.
Stu takes a deep breath and he talks in an honest and calm tone.
"This may be hard for you to hear, but... well, last night has taught me something pretty important…" he pauses for a moment, "And it's… it's something I need to tell you. "He sighs deeply and he rubs his shoulders. "I'm just going to say it like this… " he sighs again but he speaks with a calm and soft voice. "I care deeply for you, Billy… " the pause is long.
"I noticed," Billy says, a neutral tone in his voice. "You ditched your friends for me…"
Stu nods his head and he says with a kind and gentle tone.
"Yeah… you're right. I did drop everything for you, Billy. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment." he sighs deeply. "I know that it must seem strange to you right now" his voice grows serious. "but what I'm going to say to you now needs to stay between us, okay? You can't tell another soul. " He looks straight at Billy's eyes. "Can you do me that favor?"
Billy nods, lifting one eyebrow.
"I won't tell." he insists.
Stu sighs and he looks at Billy with a gentle and kind gaze.
"Then I'm just gonna… I'm going to have to trust you on this, Billy." he sighs and he crosses his arms. "Here it goes…" he pauses again for effect and the room is now completely silent. He decides to take one last breath to prepare himself for what he's about to say. " I... don't… want to scare you… but…" he pauses again and the room is completely silent. "I think I love you, Billy."
Billy lifts both of his eyebrows confused and then he starts laughing uncontrollably. This was a genuine and contagious laugh that reached his eyes. He tried to calm down, but then he started laughing again.
"You moron… You almost got me" he admits with a smile, finally. "I was scared you had called the police or something" he admits, putting his hair behind his ears. "Are you done joking?"
Stu can't help himself but bursts into laughter at Billy's laughter.
"Oh man… I got you bad, huh?" he laughs some more and he smiles. "I mean, that's the reaction of the century, here! Do you know how much it took me... to get the guts to say that to you?" He smiles a little more and he laughs some more. "Oh man…" He wipes a tear away from his face and he smiles warmly. "I got you good, I did…" he smiles even warmer. "You're a good sport, Billy."
Billy looks at him amused now, with a small smile on his face.
"Thanks," he whispers. "I really needed that laugh."
Stu smiles a broad, warm smile.
"Well, I'm glad you could take a joke. But you have to admit… I got you good." he chuckles and he leans back on the bed. "Now what are you smiling at? Is there something on my face ? Do I have lipstick on?" he pauses and he looks up at Billy's face. "You're staring at me kinda funny, Billy…" he chuckles again and his heart starts beating faster and his cheeks grow a little red. He looks down at the bed. "What is it? What's on your mind?"
Billy sighs and looks down, scratching his neck for a moment.
"Yet, you still ditched your friends for me." He states, pondering. "At first… I thought you were scared, you know. That I would prove to the police that you helped me five years ago… Then I thought that you were… bored. You're not… very normal" he chuckles, "so…maybe your hobby was to… help me?" He stays silent for a moment, letting his words sink. "Now, I wonder… if you help me because you feel guilty about the choices you made that night."
Billy looks at Stu's face.
Stu sits silently for a moment and he stares at the wall. He sighs and he speaks in an honest and sad tone.
"You got me, Billy. I don't deny that. I know what you just said is true… " He looks up at Billy. "But it goes further than that. I feel guilty, like, all the time. It's… it's been eating away at me, I won't lie. So yeah, I guess that's… that's definitely part of it, that's for sure… I feel guilty."
Billy studies his face for a moment, and then he nods.
"I thought so..." he says, in a soft voice. "Don't then. I don't blame you… I never did."
Stu smiles a little.
"That's good of you." he chuckles lightly and he smiles even more. " I really appreciate that. It takes a lot of pressure off." he turns to Billy and he says more softly. "But I do blame myself… like, all the time. And I'm trying to make up for it. " he sighs and his voice grows softer. "What I'm trying to tell you is that… that is just part of the picture, you know…" Stu admits even softer yet. "There's something more… if you don't mind…"
Billy sighs, lowering his head over his knees.
"I wasn't finished but yeah. Whatever… talk. Keep talking. You never shut up" he chuckles.
Stu smiles at Billy's sarcasm and he speaks with a soft and gentle tone.
"Well, so since we're being honest with each other, I'll just speak from the heart. What I felt for you, what I feel for you… it… it seems to go beyond normal feelings… and I don't know exactly what it means. I've never felt this way in my entire life… and… I'm not sure any words can really express how I feel…" he sighs again. " Does that make any sense?"
Billy stays silent for a moment, making sense of Stu's rumblings. He eventually nods slowly, without looking away.
"Yes, it does make sense… I suppose…" he says slowly, in the same soft and neutral tone that before. "It's not everyday you meet someone with whom you can plan a murder… or more than one…I guess there's not many people like us in Woodsboro..." he bites his lip, correcting himself. "Well, maybe there is. They just don't show it" he chuckles. "Are you going to interrupt me again or can I go on?" he asks , containing a smirk.
Stu smiles.
"I'll let you go on." he chuckles a little. "But you're right. We're kinda special, in that way. There aren't many people like us out there. But that makes you and me even more unique." he pauses for a moment, and he laughs. "So go on, what else is there to say? Come on, Billy, don't be shy with me." he stares into Billy's eyes. "You know me, I'd rather hear the ugly truth than a beautiful lie." he nods. "Let's have it from the heart…"
Billy nods; somehow knowing that Stu was ready for an ugly truth gives him the confidence to say what he intended to from the beginning.
"Okay, let's go back to what I was saying before you changed the subject… about that night, " he crosses his hands over his knees. "I said I didn't blame you, and it's true. I thought it was fair… Maybe you already knew it or not, but I intended to kill you back then… after we dealt with Sidney." he pauses for a moment, thinking carefully about his words. "I thought… There's no sole survivor if it's two" he admits, looking at his fingers.
Stu's breath stops. He's too shocked to talk. He just stares at Billy's face as he processes the words. He's speechless for at least a moment before he finally speaks.
"You meant to kill me?" He pauses for another moment. He feels his heart sink and it's like he's staring into an abyss of emptiness in his soul as he realizes what Billy had just said. But before he speaks, he takes a deep breath… and he gathers his composure. "You were gonna kill me in the end?"
Billy nods silently, his whole body tense.
"That was the plan." he whispers.
Stu suddenly feels like he's standing at the edge of a tall cliff. It feels like his entire world is collapsing and he feels this overwhelming sense of grief. He can't believe what he's hearing… Though he believes every word that Billy just says. But still… it hurts so much to hear the truth from Billy's own lips… his heart can't take the pain and he feels it in his whole body… Yet, he's determined to face the truth, no matter how hurtful it is for him. He takes another deep breath and he speaks.
"Tell me… why?"
"I already said… I wanted to be the only one standing. I thought you didn't matter…" he says in a shaky voice. "Then I thought you figured it out… That was the reason that you didn't stick to the plan at the end..." he admits, lowering his head. "And I thought it was fair…"
Stu sighs. He feels heartbroken. The sense of grief inside of him is overwhelming, but he's not gonna back down or look away. He looks Billy in the eyes and he speaks with a gentle and kind tone, despite all the pain and sorrow inside his soul.
"So that was the plan? No matter what, I was gonna end up dead? Was there ever any chance for me?"
Billy bites his lips and closes his eyes, breathing deeply.
"I suppose" he says, softly. "I don't know what would have happened… It's something I've been going back to now and then for the past five years… If I would have had..." he chuckles, "the guts to do it at the end." He looks at Stu, waiting for his reaction.
Stu nods sadly. He is clearly heartbroken, but as painful as the truth is, it's also enlightening. He realizes that he has been completely played, and it's a very painful feeling. But still, Stu speaks with a calm voice.
"So if your plan had worked out… If you had killed Sidney and if you had killed me… You would have become a legend in this town. And all alone, the world would be yours… Is that what you are saying?"
Billy laughs a bit, surprised by this conclusion, but he stops immediately.
"I guess I am a legend anyway, for better or worse, even if that night didn't turn out as I planned" he says, in a soft voice. He drops his hands to the sides, and turns a bit to look at Stu directly. "Now what?" he asks.
Stu looks straight into Billy's eyes. He speaks with the slightest hint of a frown, but also with honesty.
"So I guess what you are also saying is that I'm lucky to still be alive, right? 'he pauses for a moment and he gives Billy a small smile. "Well… I'm glad you didn't follow through with the plan, Billy. I'm much happier being lucky and alive."
Billy closes his eyes, breathing deeply. He opens them and says, in a soft and neutral tone, again.
"No. What I'm saying is that I never blamed you for how things turned out, even if… I have had a hard time ever since. I guess I deserved it." He stays silent for a moment and then he nods and adds: "I'll never know if I would have been able to kill you back then… But I'm glad I didn't."
Stu nods his head.
"You know what, Billy? That's actually a much nicer thing to hear than I thought you were gonna say. That makes me feel a little better about it. But what do you mean you 'deserved it'? What did you do to deserve any part of all this"
Billy's eyes open wide in shock, his expression seems scared for a moment, but it vanishes soon enough. He shakes his head and flinches at the blazing pain in his neck. He bites his lips in frustration, and sits straight in the bed.
"I don't know," he mutters. "I don't know why I said that… I thought you would be beating the crap out of me at this point." He chuckles, his eyes closed.
Stu can't help but chuckle at Billy's comment. He smiles a little and he shakes his head.
"Yeah, I suppose I'm handling this better than I thought I would be in the first place." he sighs and his face grows solemn. "But Billy, this might sound a little weird coming from me, given everything that we've just been speaking about, but I want to say something and I promise I'm being completely honest with you here. Okay? I'm not gonna try to hurt you, or scare you, or anything like that. I'm talking to you straight and honest."
"Okay… that's a relief, I suppose… I'm not in condition to fight you at all" he says, sighing.
Stu nods his head.
"So… This is gonna sound kinda strange coming straight from my mouth, given everything that we've just discussed, but here goes. I really… I really do care about you. I know that that might sound a little unusual to you, but I mean it. You mean something special to me. Do you believe me?"
It is clear from the tone of Stu's voice that these are true words that come from the heart.
"That you do care about me?" Billy asks, his eyes looking straight into Stu's eyes. "Yeah, I believe you… I don't understand why at all… but I've…seen it's true" he says in a neutral and soft voice, not blinking or looking away at all.
Stu smiles a little… he feels his heart warm at the sight of this soft and more gentle side of Billy and he continues to stare into Billy's eyes. It feels as if he has just made a breakthrough. He is so thankful that Billy has not rejected his words. And in the same gesture of love and compassion that Stu has just shown for Billy, he gives Billy an authentic and affectionate smile. "You have seen? How have you seen it's true, Billy?"
Billy looks for a moment at Stu's smile and then closes his eyes, breathing deeply. He opens them again and looks straight into Stu's blue eyes.
"Because… Because I told you what I've been through since I've been back… and you haven't judged me at all" he admits, in a lower tone now. "I thought… you would laugh at me… or despise me… or say I had it coming…"
Stu pauses for a moment… he smiles even more, more softly yet, to the point where his eyes are almost closed and there is a twinkle of kindness and compassion in them. He speaks with a sincere and even more gentle tone.
"You were really afraid of that? I haven't judged you, have I, Billy" He sighs and he speaks even quieter. "There's so much pain in you. I can see it. I… I'm here for you through it. I don't know exactly how… but whatever you need, I will do everything I can."
Billy closes his eyes and nods.
Stu speaks with a soft and understanding tone.
"Tell me… Would you be comfortable with me holding you close? Is that ok?" he speaks in a low voice, as if he's trying to comfort him and show him a safe and welcoming place to be. Despite the past, Stu wants Billy to feel safe and loved and he is going to do everything in his power to make that happen. Even if it means reaching out to Billy in a vulnerable moment like now… "Are you ok with that, Billy?" he looks into Billy's eyes.
Billy shuts his eyes, trying to avoid tears coming out. When he's sure there's no one to fall, he opens them, looking directly at Stu's eyes again.
He nods slowly, without looking away.
"Please " he whispers.
Stu slowly moves his right arm next to him. He then gently puts his right arm around Billy's shoulders and he pulls him into an embrace. He's not being forceful or strong about it. Not only that, but he's just trying to give Billy a sense of comfort and peace at that moment. Stu is being as gentle as he can with this gesture. He speaks with a very soft, understanding and kind tone. Even though he doesn't fully understand Billy yet, he knows there is a deep pain within Billy's heart. He's going to give Billy all the support he can.
"You can cry, Billy. You can cry."
Billy rests his forehead on the crook of Stu's neck as he says, "Shut up" in a broken voice, his tears falling down without rest.
Stu nods his head and he hugs Billy even tighter, to make him feel as safe and as loved as possible. He doesn't say anything as Billy cries. He's just allowing it, in a silent and comforting way. He's not going to try to stop or interfere in Billy's moment of deepest pain and suffering. He's just going to let Billy feel every emotion that he wants or needs to feel… without any interference or judgment. Stu is gonna do whatever he can do to help Billy at this moment of vulnerability… So if crying helps, then Stu is here for it.
Notes: I started the fic I mentioned the chapter before. And I'm publishing it by parts. Forget the one chapter thing... I'm too anxious for that