"She'll expose you, when she snows you,
Off your feet with the crumbs she throws you,
She's ferocious,
And she knows what it takes to make a pro blush,
All the boys think she's a spy,
She's got Bette Davis eyes."

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

/

The thrumming form of the dark blue Camaro pulled into a white lined bay in the deserted parking lot of Hawkins' open air community swimming pool. The engine cut off, leaving Joss and Billy's surroundings suddenly a little eerie in the stillness of the night. The only sound now was distant music from a nearby bar.

"So, you actually want to go for a swim?" Billy asked with a disbelieving quirk of his eyebrow, after they'd sat in the car in silence for a few seconds.

"Yeah, why? You chicken?" Joss sent a provoking smile his way.

"No," he said, with far too much bravado, offended by the mere insinuation. "Ladies first?" He gestured with his hand to her door and Joss took the challenge head on, getting out of the car without any hesitation. Billy followed a few seconds later, falling in step with her walk and eying the pool ahead with great suspicion. "You come here at night a lot?"

"Not really. I'm not like breaking in every night, but when I can't sleep after work and it's super hot, it's good to cool off. It's only been open a few weeks. During summer break I hear lots of kids sneak in and hang out."

"That fence looks high," he nodded cynically towards the chain link fence. "Sure you can climb that?"

Josh made a dismissive sound in her throat. "No, we don't go over, we go through." She gave him a conspiratorial look and then quickly crouched down into some nearby bushes before looking back at him. "The question is really going to be, if you're going to fit with all that bulk and muscle?"

Billy laughed and glanced away as if disbelieving her impudent words. "I'll fit," he said, meeting her eyes with a raise of both brows, the look very much a threat of war. "Lead the way."

Joss crouch-walked her way forwards to the edge and pulled back a bit of loose chain link fence. With great care, so the jagged ends didn't catch against the bare skin of her arms or legs, she squeezed through, and as smooth as a snake appeared on the other side, only to stumble inelegantly as she moved from the crouch to a standing position.

She recovered quickly and held her arms out in a silent mime of 'Voilà'. "See? Easy!" she said in a hissed whisper.

Billy gave her a look that hovered somewhere between mock disapproval and maybe being just a little impressed. He made his way over to the fence and, with a lot of grunts and sounds of effort, he pulled himself through. But he didn't come out the other side unscathed, the sharp metal of the fence had managed to leave a scratch of blood across one bicep.

"Ouch," Joss said, reaching out to skim his shoulder in sympathy.

Billy wiped at the blood with a dismissive hand. "I'm fine."

"Too cool to show pain?" Joss said with a grin, unconvinced of him constantly brushing off every little thing as if it was nothing. "You can show emotion you know? You're not an actual robot, or a Terminator," she nudged his side playfully and he nudged her back with a well placed elbow in a silent jeer at her words, "you can be whoever you want to be out here, there isn't anyone to see." Joss continued, gesturing to the deserted pool.

Billy glanced at her before letting out a low arrogant laugh, "I'm just me."

"That's cool too," Joss said.

"Do you want to be someone else out here?" Billy asked, with a tone of gentle taunting.

"Sometimes," Joss said lowly, and they fell into a semi-comfortable silence.

They stood a moment in the stillness of the night, the moonlight gently reflecting across the pool's surface, sending ripples of glimmering light across the nearby walls. The bar nearby was in full swing for a busy Friday night, distant chatter and laughter echoing down alleyways, along with music. Joss could make out the current song playing loudly through a jukebox, Kim Carne's 'Bette Davis Eyes'.

She stifled a laugh at the lyrics she could hear being sung, because it sounded so much like it could have been describing Billy. Maybe he didn't quite have Jean 'Harlow gold' hair, but when the sun caught it just right it did glint like it was threaded with sparks of metal. And his hands were never cold whenever she reached for them or he touched her, always warm, always certain. And his eyes, startling deep blue that seemed to pierce and see through any pretence, his gaze dancing to every movement and betrayal of body language as she spoke. He was hardly ever the first to break eye contact in those intimate moments, on that edge when playfulness became something more serious, the intensity making her feel both admired and scrutinized, teasing and uneasing her with every new interaction.

"What's funny?" Billy asked with a cock of eyebrow, seeming to sense it was something about him.

"Nothing, just this song, it's a weird one, right?"

"It's about some femme fatale," Billy said dismissively, with more knowledge than Joss had thought he'd have for such a popular song.

Joss did laugh then. "Yes," she said, wondering just what he'd think if she told him it made her think of him.

"So, do you just jump in or-?"

Joss scoffed out another laugh. "I'm not skinny dipping with you if that's what you're thinking. Besides if anyone comes by, I'd rather be in my underwear than butt naked. I'm not running through town in my birthday suit."

"Fair point," Billy said, and began to remove his top and then his jeans.

Joss echoed his actions, stripping out of her own clothes, doing her best to try and do so with a sensual air and not clumsily catch her top on her large silver earrings, until they both stood on the verge of full nakedness.

She could feel her heart beginning its usual tattoo at being this close, this alone with him. She looked over only to find he was already looking at her, his gaze lingering greedily over her body and curves, suddenly making her feel like covering herself. But instead she pushed back against that shy embarrassed first instinct, taking courage from his bold and self-assured presence. She copied his appraisal just as blatantly, taking in his frame, the curve of muscled chest and taut stomach, comparing her own body against his, noticing the differences so blatantly apparent between them. Joss felt that undeniable pull to reach out and touch him, to slide palm and fingers against each part of him in exploration, and the thought of him returning the favour sent a pleasant shot of molten anticipation shooting down into her abdomen. Their eyes met and she knew her own look mirrored his, full of heavy desire.

In that moment it would have been so easy to go to him, kiss him and find somewhere they could truly, finally be alone and allow all the tense atmosphere that lingered between them to explode as their bodies came together. But Joss felt that same flick of nervous energy nudge at her, that nagging thought that there would be no turning back once they took that last final step. Things could never go back to how they had been once they'd slept together, and a name kept swimming into her mind, unbidden... Jessica.

Joss suddenly grinned at him, dispelling all the pent up attraction, and turned, taking a run and jump at the pool without a second thought, in the naïve hope that she could outrun those primal feeling urges too. The water engulfed her, cold and delicious and refreshing, and she emerged with a gasp and a flick of her soaked hair, just in time to see Billy as a blur as he too jumped into the pool, full on cannonball style, sending a massive splash into the air that rained down around Joss' head.

In the aftermath of the chaos, the pool seemed ominously silent and the water remained unbroken as Billy didn't resurface. Joss brushed the droplets out of her eyes and pushed her legs to move her around awkwardly, the water slowing her movement. Her gaze scanned the dark blue water, unable to see anything but her own reflection.

Just as she was beginning to worry that he'd managed to crack his head on the bottom, she felt a sudden tug on her calf and only just managed to stifle a scream as she was jerked under. The grip loosened almost instantly as she pushed herself back up into a breath of air. When Joss had got her wits back enough to understand her surroundings, Billy was in front of her, laughing his usual immodest, self-assured laugh.

"Hilarious," she deadpanned, which only made him laugh more.

Billy began to do a lap of very smooth breast stroke, proving just how good a swimmer he was. He looked effortless, his body sailing through the water as if it was only air.

"So," Joss began, "you hear anything about the gossip going around school today?"

"No," Billy said with a shrug, continuing his lazy slow swim. "Not been anywhere near it today, or anyone else."

"Well, it seems we were noticed last night, at Starcourt," Joss said.

"Huh, so your disguise is busted?" Billy didn't seem the least bit concerned by this revelation, in fact he seemed almost gleeful at the prospect of her downfall.

"No," Joss said quickly, "no one recognized me, but they do think I... or this semi-imaginary girl you were with, slapped you."

"What?" Billy said, laughing, not taking any of this information as seriously as Joss had hoped.

"They think you got a black eye from some girl that you tried it on with." Joss hoped this would clarify the situation.

Billy just laughed.

"Aren't you worried at all, that people think that?" Joss said, surprised by how easily he was taking this.

"Nah." He did another lap, coming a little closer. "I don't really care what people think."

Joss now laughed. "I think you do care, usually, but why don't you care about this?"

"Because, I can just deny it or say it's bullshit. Whatever. Who cares."

"It's that easy for you?" Joss said, moving her arms to swirl the water into ripples around her.

"If you want to make it easy for me, you can just come out as that girl and save me the hassle."

Joss let out a burst of contemptuous laughter. "That is never going to happen."

"Stranger things have happened." He quirked an eyebrow at her, somehow his expression came across as patronizing.

"Not in this lifetime," Joss countered.

Now Billy was swimming close enough that the wake of his body made her own bob a little in the water and Joss moved away, determined not to be caught by him yet, swimming into a shallow area where she could place both her feet on the bottom, the water coming up to lap just above her waist.

"There are other rumours too," she continued.

"There always are," Billy said, dismissing her, but then caught sight of her expression and relented. "Well?"

"About Jessica."

"What about her?" Billy said, seeming still wholly unconcerned.

"Is any of it true?"

He gave Joss a reproachful look. "Is what true?" He laughed in a way Joss really disliked, that made her feel small.

"That you dated her, only wanting to get her into bed, and when you got it, you dumped her?" Joss tried to keep any judgment out of her tone even though that was exactly what she was currently doing.

Billy didn't stop his progress through the water but turned his body over with an elegant movement, now performing a leisurely backstroke.

"I dated her for a while. That is true."

"And the rest?" Joss pushed.

"What part exactly do you want me to confirm or deny?" He let out that shitty laugh again.

"All of it."

"That's kinda personal stuff, right?" he said, before dissolving into a fit of mocking laughter.

"Did you only want to get her into bed?" Joss asked bluntly.

"Well, it was part of it, sure. But isn't that what people our age are meant to do? Want to fuck each other?"

Joss made a sharp sound of distaste at that answer.

Billy let out a a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. "Jessica was fun until she wasn't. Sure, it was fun getting her to loosen up, but I never forced her, if that's what you're asking, in a shitty round about way. She wanted it as much as I did, she just needed a nudge. Her parents are super religious so she'd been taught anything physical was bad. So everything, a kiss, a touch, was a sin and a major thrill for her. She got off on it and I got off on seeing her get turned on. The challenge of winning someone over always makes things more fun."

"Did you tell her you loved her to ease that 'challenge' forward?" Joss asked casually.

"No." He let out a deep condescending chuckle. "I just told her how fucking hot she was and how much I wanted to touch her, she practically jumped me where I stood."

"So, what happened?"

His eyes flicked to Joss as if he was silently deciding something, then he shrugged. "She got clingy and I couldn't stand it."

"Clingy how?" Joss was curious now.

"She was all over me, every second of every day." He let out a sigh before adjusting the tone of his voice to something mockingly higher and girl-like. "Billy can we go here? Billy don't do that. Billy don't drink. Billy turn your music down, it's too loud. Billy don't smoke here my parents will smell it, maybe you should quit. Billy don't work out so much, I don't like it when you get all sweaty. Billy you should cut your hair shorter so my parents will like you." He sucked in a breath before returning to his usual deep tone. "Blah, blah, blah, fucking blah." He puffed out each word with complete contempt. "I felt suffocated. When I didn't want to hang out she'd call my house, constantly, and that pissed off my old man. He said I was messing around with some stupid chick while I should have been focusing on school. That I was a fuck up."

Joss felt rebuked but not fully at ease. "Jessica tells a different story."

"I bet she does. I dumped her ass right in front of everyone just so she'd fucking stop."

Joss felt a creeping discomfort crawling through her. She'd thought the worst of him when the answer seemed far more complex than a simple right and wrong.

"She was talking about long term shit and I wanted no part of that. Sometimes things are just what they are in the moment, like what we have right now." He came to a smooth effortless stop near Joss, finding his feet and standing up to his full height. "Why the twenty questions about my love life? I thought we agreed, no personal stuff?"

"Am I a challenge too?" Joss asked quietly.

Billy rolled his eyes again, but then seemed to come to the understanding that she was being serious, and his expression flickered with uncertainty before seeming to settle on something that sharpened his gaze, his look suddenly intense and antagonized by this line of questioning. "What little birdie has been singing in your ear about me?"

Joss glanced away from that look, feeling it attempting to rummage through all her most private thoughts. "It's just gossip that goes around," she said, trying to shrug off the tension.

"Just gossip?" He looked affronted. "Coming from someone I know doesn't like gossip, that sounds like you're being a damn hypocrite."

Joss knew he was right but she couldn't let this go, not until she had an answer, so she returned her eyes to his, and with a lot of effort held the direct contact, her expression telling him this was non-negotiable.

"Life is a challenge, right?" he tried, but saw this wasn't going to wash with her in this moment. "You and me, it's just easy." He finally relented. "You never want anything from me in return."

"I do want something," Joss said, sending a splash of water towards him.

"Oh? You do?" Billy splashed her playfully back, and while she was too busy turning away from the attack, he made his move, his palms sliding against her bare stomach and curving around her hips up to her waist, finally catching her. "What do you want then?"

"I want honesty. Just bare bones facts, no games."

"I thought I was already being honest? And no games sounds like no fun," he said, pulling her towards his body.

Joss let out a frustrated sigh and looked away, knowing she was making this harder to understand than it needed to be. "If we take things further," she said, pushing her palms flat against his chest, preventing him drawing her fully into his arms, "I need to know that you're not just going to drop me like I don't matter. I don't want to be your girlfriend or the love of your life," he let out a little snort of arrogant laughter at her words and Joss slapped a hand lightly against his chest in demand that he listen, "but I don't want to be just another notch in your bedpost. I don't want us to end like that. I want us to still be, you know, friends."

"Friends don't usually hang around in secret night meetings in pools wishing that they were skinny dipping." He smirked and Joss had to resist the urge to fully pull back because she knew he was being intentionally obstinate.

"Friends can do whatever they want, as long as they can still be friends after," Joss said, feeling a blush rise across her cheeks. He really was going to make her spell this out.

"Whatever they want, huh?" Billy hummed out the pondering question. He nodded as if finding this a very novel idea. "Well, I'm being honest when I say, right now, I want you."

Joss let out a hiss of laughter. "I guess that's the best I'm going to get, right?" She allowed the pressure to lift from her touch and slid her hands up his chest, past the curve of collar bone and shoulder, her palm coming to rest upon his cheek, eyes glancing over every feature, trying to capture each part of him in her memory. Because this all felt like a moment she'd want to keep safe and hidden, only available when she wanted to recall that one unbearably hot summer night in 1985 when she had, for once, allowed someone else to reach out and briefly find her.

Her fingertips brushed near the cut on his cheekbone, trying not to show the sympathy she felt on her face as she traced a path up to his hairline, thumb grazing brow bone, noticing the pale scar that cut across one of his eyebrows, her mind instantly wondering if he'd got it in a similar way to all the other small little injuries she'd seen upon him recently. Joss wanted to reach over and place her lips softly to each wound, new and old, the action telling him she did care, but instead she took what she told herself was her better judgment's advice, that he would rebuff the act of tenderness, seeing it only as weakness. Instead she clasped her hands at the back of his neck and her body naturally moved forward, pushing gently against his.

"I want you too." The pull towards him felt too strong to fight anymore and her whole body pulsed with the deep beat of her heart as his chest pressed against hers, the thrill of what was about to happen between them sending a tremor through her in heavy anticipation. "I just don't want things to get messy between us."

"You keep saying that, but I think you like all this secrecy. I think you like things messy."

He moved before she could protest, lips dipping against hers in a soft and lingering kiss that reminded Joss somehow of warm rain droplets on a sultry evening. He pulled back, sweeping a wet strand of hair off her cheek, his eyes looking into hers, dark blue as the water surrounding them and just as unreadable as to what lay beneath the surface. Then he moved again, mouth glancing against her throat, against the already bruised skin as he kissed and nibbled his way to her shoulder and then up her neck again in lingering pressure as his mouth worked upon creating a few more tender bruises. Joss closed her eyes at the sensation, intoxicated by everything he was doing, the way his hands held her with a firm strength, able to quiet any resistance should she try and pull away, but she didn't want to, she didn't want to stop him, she wanted more.

His lips came back to her mouth and they became lost in each other for a long moment, lips glancing softly, tongues exploring with a slow rhythm that told of barely held back restraint on both their parts.

When they finally came up for air, she was breathless, her lips slightly tingling from the pressure and their eyes connected again and Joss knew there would never be any going back for them now.

/

A/N

Welcome to anyone reading.

I remember having so much fun writing this chapter and finding it far too funny that Joss compared Billy to the song Bette Davis Eyes for some reason :))) I think originally at the start of writing this, I had based Joss' physical looks off Star in the movie 'The Lost Boys' quite a bit (maybe also because of Billy being a little based on Michael I guess) because of the big hair, big earrings and biker style jacket she has, but by this point in the story Joss had become very much her own character with her own unique look in my head which is always a fun reveal when your OC characters become their own people. As always, my thought process does not effect your own reading and you are free to picture Joss in whatever way you want.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying. Comments etc are always very much appreciated if you have the inclination and time. See you all next week where, well it looks like things have taken a serious turn for these two. Romance ahead or not? I'm a tease :)) See you next time.