[ the thing is, despite marcus' wild, manic expression - billy believes him. he believes that marcus wouldn't fuck him over, wouldn't tell anyone about gene. about how billy couldn't kill him by himself, how marcus did it for him. marcus looks... scared, but billy reads it differently, less like marcus is afraid of billy seeing through him, and more like - like he's afraid billy doesn't trust him.
he breathes out, half a sigh of relief and half because he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, waiting to find out if their secret wasn't so much of a secret anymore. billy takes his weight off of one hand and reaches out, grasping at the spot between marcus' neck and shoulder and squeezing in a way he hopes is reassuring. billy trusts him, more than anyone.
but if marcus didn't tell anyone, then that leaves him back at square one again. what reason does marcus have to take this mystery guy out? if he's nice and friendly and non-judgmental, if he's done nothing wrong like marcus says, then why does lin want him dead? billy takes his hand off of marcus' shoulder, leans back on it again, and looks up at the weird sky or ceiling or whatever the underside of the up actually is. he squints, like it's bright, but he's just thinking at the same time he's listening to marcus.
it's a bad idea to tell a mark they're a mark. billy shakes his head at the idea immediately - he may not seem like he pays that close attention at king's, always goofing off and fucking around with everyone, but he pays attention. telling a mark they're a mark is only asking for trouble, either from the person who put out the contract, or from the mark themselves.
fuck. fuck. this isn't even billy's problem, but it might as well be. he's indebted to marcus, and even if he wasn't, he's not the kind of asshole to just - leave a friend to spiral. if he were in marcus' place - and he very may well be, soon - he'd want marcus to help talk him through shit, too. the difference, though - the difference, though, is billy's not a killer. he's just a kid who was dealt a bad hand, sold off to a fucked up school he doesn't really belong in, all to pay off a debt that isn't his responsibility. he couldn't kill his own father, not even with years and years of abuse and spite to motivate him, but marcus - marcus has a reputation.
he looks down at marcus just as marcus peeks up at him through the cage of his fingers. what does billy think? what does he think marcus should do?
billy has no fucking idea. he shakes his head, wishes he had a cigarette, maybe something a little harder. ]
I don't— [ fuck. ] You can't tell him. You tell him and he's either gonna run, or he's gonna freak out about whatever secrets he's been keeping, he's gonna think you know, and he's gonna try to kill you first so nothing gets out that he doesn't wanna get out.
[ billy goes silent again, staring at marcus for a few significant moments before he looks away, forward again. he squints one eye halfway shut, cocks his head to the side as he weighs marcus' options. none of them are good. eventually, he blows out a breath, his shoulders sagging with it. ]
... How's this gonna go? Say you don't do it, right? You give Lin a big ol' middle finger, fuck the money, and you let this guy go. You're definitely out of King's, which - no big loss there, really, except you go back to eating out of the garbage and running from the cops. Sleeping in the street. [ there's not judgment here about marcus' former life, he's just laying it all out for him. ] But you and I both know Lin. No mercy. Didn't he gas like half the student body the weekend I was - home? Because nobody did their Homicide Homework.
[ which is, essentially, what this is, only this time instead of letting his students pick their target, he's done that work for them. now it's just a matter of carrying it out, not knowing what the mark is guilty of. trusting someone above them. following orders.
billy presses his lips together and absently reaches for a cigarette behind his ear that isn't there. instead, he just drags his hand down the side of his face. ]
I don't know, Marcus. I think — I think you gotta do it. Kill this guy, or Lin kills you. It fucking - it fucking blows, man, but. Fuck, I don't know. If you like this guy that much, then just - make it quick. At least give him that.
no subject
he breathes out, half a sigh of relief and half because he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, waiting to find out if their secret wasn't so much of a secret anymore. billy takes his weight off of one hand and reaches out, grasping at the spot between marcus' neck and shoulder and squeezing in a way he hopes is reassuring. billy trusts him, more than anyone.
but if marcus didn't tell anyone, then that leaves him back at square one again. what reason does marcus have to take this mystery guy out? if he's nice and friendly and non-judgmental, if he's done nothing wrong like marcus says, then why does lin want him dead? billy takes his hand off of marcus' shoulder, leans back on it again, and looks up at the weird sky or ceiling or whatever the underside of the up actually is. he squints, like it's bright, but he's just thinking at the same time he's listening to marcus.
it's a bad idea to tell a mark they're a mark. billy shakes his head at the idea immediately - he may not seem like he pays that close attention at king's, always goofing off and fucking around with everyone, but he pays attention. telling a mark they're a mark is only asking for trouble, either from the person who put out the contract, or from the mark themselves.
fuck. fuck. this isn't even billy's problem, but it might as well be. he's indebted to marcus, and even if he wasn't, he's not the kind of asshole to just - leave a friend to spiral. if he were in marcus' place - and he very may well be, soon - he'd want marcus to help talk him through shit, too. the difference, though - the difference, though, is billy's not a killer. he's just a kid who was dealt a bad hand, sold off to a fucked up school he doesn't really belong in, all to pay off a debt that isn't his responsibility. he couldn't kill his own father, not even with years and years of abuse and spite to motivate him, but marcus - marcus has a reputation.
he looks down at marcus just as marcus peeks up at him through the cage of his fingers. what does billy think? what does he think marcus should do?
billy has no fucking idea. he shakes his head, wishes he had a cigarette, maybe something a little harder. ]
I don't— [ fuck. ] You can't tell him. You tell him and he's either gonna run, or he's gonna freak out about whatever secrets he's been keeping, he's gonna think you know, and he's gonna try to kill you first so nothing gets out that he doesn't wanna get out.
[ billy goes silent again, staring at marcus for a few significant moments before he looks away, forward again. he squints one eye halfway shut, cocks his head to the side as he weighs marcus' options. none of them are good. eventually, he blows out a breath, his shoulders sagging with it. ]
... How's this gonna go? Say you don't do it, right? You give Lin a big ol' middle finger, fuck the money, and you let this guy go. You're definitely out of King's, which - no big loss there, really, except you go back to eating out of the garbage and running from the cops. Sleeping in the street. [ there's not judgment here about marcus' former life, he's just laying it all out for him. ] But you and I both know Lin. No mercy. Didn't he gas like half the student body the weekend I was - home? Because nobody did their Homicide Homework.
[ which is, essentially, what this is, only this time instead of letting his students pick their target, he's done that work for them. now it's just a matter of carrying it out, not knowing what the mark is guilty of. trusting someone above them. following orders.
billy presses his lips together and absently reaches for a cigarette behind his ear that isn't there. instead, he just drags his hand down the side of his face. ]
I don't know, Marcus. I think — I think you gotta do it. Kill this guy, or Lin kills you. It fucking - it fucking blows, man, but. Fuck, I don't know. If you like this guy that much, then just - make it quick. At least give him that.