#✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 In watching S2, I'm noticing how vastly different Mind Flayer's possession was over Will than it is over Billy. For Will, it takes some time to really come to fruition, whereas for Billy, he was instantly gone. The explanation for this could be that it got stronger between S2 and S3.

OR. We can go with a longer explanation and dive into the differences of the two victims in what I like to call 'A Tale of Two Williams'.

Poor little Will was not having an easy life by any means. He's growing up and learning that his dad is a jerk, his brother is a bit of a loser, and then of course he gets taken to the Upside Down and lost there for a week. It's not all rainbows and sunshine for him. But he definitely has something going for him in the beginning of S2: a loving support system. His friends are closer than ever, his older brother looks out for him, even calling him his best friend, and Joyce has won every mom of the year award ever. If they existed. He's surrounded by love. Even at times when it seems stifling and annoying, Will is aware that the people who surround him, really care about him. Even Bob takes the time for a heart to heart!

When the Mind Flayer begins to take hold of him, that support system is only stronger. Joyce is immediately investigating the strange shadow thing and promising him to protect him. His friends, especially Mike, are there for him, worried about him. There's a reason for Will to fight back, even if he doesn't know what he's fighting back against. He has that tether to the real world, holding him in place by means of friends and family waking him up every time they can. There was no way in the world that Will would want to go back. All he wanted was to stay with his mom, his brother, his friends, and in his home.

Then we meet Billy, who would probably say that he has no home. Forced to leave California and moved to a small town that he wants nothing to do with, he was a rebel without a cause. He might come off as popular, surrounded by people at parties or girls in the parking lot, but most of the time we see Billy, he's on his own or driving Max. His constant bullying of Max pushes her away from him, his mom abandoned him when he was young, and his dad beats him. We don't see much about him and his stepmom, but it's safe to assume there's not much a relationship there, either.

Once he's possessed, it doesn't look like people really notice. He's still at home but his dad and stepmom aren't worried about him. He's at the pool looking like he's sick as a dog, but no one is telling him to go home or asking if he needs anything. The first offer of help comes from his co-worker, but it didn't hold the same weight that it did when Joyce offered help to Will. Too little, too late.

Now here's where the headcanon part comes in. After surviving that and the Upside Down, Billy is still completely overcome with guilt. He knows that it wasn't him who killed all those people, but rather the Mind Flayer in his body. However, he also knows that he didn't fight back. As soon as the realization came over him that some otherworldly creature had possessed him, he saw it as his escape. His release from a life he loathed. He's not suicidal, but it provided the perfect excuse to just let go of everything. Sounds contradictory seeing as how I headcanon that his ultimate fear is losing control, but maybe he fears it because of what that loss could lead to: a complete surrender.

When he does find out about how Will had been able to fight off the Mind Flayer longer, he feels a deep shame, knowing that he didn't even try. He hasn't met the kid yet, but he has respect for him.

The point of this rambling is to point out that Billy, as strong and violent and unhinged as he is, was the perfect victim. He'd been conditioned from a young age to believe that he's alone in the world. To believe that he's worthless and not worth saving. There was really nothing in his life worth fighting for. When the Mind Flayer took him, he not only didn't fight back, he was actually relieved. 」

#[ it's sad boy JT thinking about Billy hours #[ there's a little bit of HC in this #[ but it's mostly me just rambling about my feral child #tw: suicide mention #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

🎥 single dad verse

Send 🎥 for a random scene of my muse’s life

➠ info on his single dad verse can be found here

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.  It was midmorning, the sun was shining bright. The sound of waves breaking on the sand intertwined with distant laughter, talking, and someone's boombox playing The Cure's, Friday, I'm in Love. Where was Def Leppard when you needed them, Billy wondered to himself. The lawn chair he sat in was old and creaky, but he didn't care. He was basking in the feel of the sun drying water from his body, leaving behind the salt that stuck to his skin and hair. The twenty-five year old was enjoying his day off. Surfing in the morning, now lazing about until he had to think about lunch.

That wasn't to say he had no responsibilities, though. The source of all of his focus lay in his lap, head resting against his chest, completely passed out. His four year old daughter was tuckered out, hidden under a damp towel that shielded her from the sun. Blonde curls still stuck out, though, blowing lightly in the breeze. Sandy was his whole world. Her mom had skipped town when she was barely a month old, leaving Billy to raise her on his own. Being a parent wasn't something he was necessarily, good at. It's not as though he even knew what a good parent looked like. But he knew one thing for certain: he'd never abandon or hurt his little girl the way his own parents had done to him.

That point was only driven home by the thoughts that burdened his mind at that very moment. Eyes gazed out at the ocean as he breathed in the nearly tangible peace it brought him. He'd had to give up his home once before when he was forced to move to Hawkins, Indiana. That was only the beginning of the nightmare, of course. He learned all about monsters and just how real they were. He'd barely made it out of there alive. Glancing down, he could see faint tendrils of the scar in the middle of his chest that was mostly obscured by Sandy's sleeping head. The thought of going back there scared the hell out of him, but as his eyes moved to the toddler shaped towel on his torso, he knew that it was the best option.

Max and Susan knew all about Sandy. Despite him not actually being related to the Mayfields, they considered him family. And both of them wanted to help him in raising his energetic bundle of chaotic joy. He tried doing it on his own, but as he she grew, it was getting harder. Maybe a dad wasn't enough. Maybe a girl needed her aunt and grandmother, too. He'd be giving up everything, though. The only place in the world that he felt peace. His home. Only to return to his biggest nightmare.

As the four year old began to stir, though, Billy knew it wasn't even a question if it meant her happiness and well being. San Diego was hardly his everything. His real home was curled up in his arms in that very moment. Small, bluish-green eyes blinked up at him from where they peeked out under the towel. "Hey Heathen," he said quietly with a little smile.

She perked up at the familiar nickname. "Hi Daddy."

"You want to go on an adventure?" he asked.

That instantly got her attention and she sat up a little, the towel falling to her shoulders. "To space?" she asked excitedly.

"No." He shook his head with an amused smirk.

"Cannland?"

He actually chuckled as she tried to say Candyland. "Nope. We're going to Hawkins."

Sandy blinked, looking utterly confused. "Hos- Hop- Hokt- -Tins?"

"You're gonna get to meet your Auntie Max. And if you're nice, she might even teach you how to skateboard like the big kids."

That did it. Sandy lit up and grinned, her tiny teeth shining in the sun.

"It means we have to say goodbye to the beach, though. But we'll get snow." He hated snow, but Sandy had never experienced it, so he knew it might sound exciting to her. "We'll get woods. We'll get..." There really wasn't much going for Hawkins, was there?

"Tanty Mass!"

"Auntie Max," Billy confirmed. "So what do you say, Heathen? You in?"

The toddler took a moment, looking to the ocean as though it were a friend she'd have to leave. She looked sad for a moment, and Billy could relate. But then she turned her attention back to him, the spitfire energy ablaze in her eyes that he knew all too well. "Yes!"

"Alright then. Hawkins, here we come."

#greenscrunchy #✘♚✘ here i go again on my own ✘ oneshot #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon #v ✘ sweet child o mine : single dad au

[hargrove]

How do you best like to be loved?

drive me to daring destinations

you want to be chosen and for it to be on purpose and to last a while. at least the length of a good long car ride. and then another one back to where you came from. it is the contained intimacy of sharing music and sharing food and sharing time while the world flies by. while the world isn't inside along with you. car rides exist outside of time, they are a pocket of memory we build ourselves into. they linger afterwards. you want that. you want the screaming music and the weird conversation by the beach at 3 am. you want to be wanted and for the world to stop for a while. you want to not be alone. i hope you cross the continent with a friend or lover that you can share silences with. i hope you end up in places you never thought to drive to. i hope you finish one trip and start planning out the next.

tagged by: @malka-lisitsa tagging: everyone

#[ jesus #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

Say Katherine turned Billy, what would that look like? What would he do first? How would he handle the perks and downfalls of being a vampire? How would it affect him mentally? Would he go after his father? Would he find some deep seeded security in knowing he will never be vulnerable like he was ever again?

「 I love this ask so much, I really had to think this through before answering. So ok, Billy as a vampire (and I'm going to use TVD vamp rules, even though he's more like Lost Boys in his vamp verse) will be a MESS. Honestly, the instant he learns he can turn off his humanity, he's doing it. As a human, that's honestly all he tries to do and pretends he's done.

So, without his humanity, he'd be on a warpath. The man can never be satiated as is, so I honestly think he'd be a ripper if he were a vamp.

The biggest issue he'd have is no more access to sunlight. Yes, the beach is what brings about his most human side, so without his humanity you'd think he wouldn't care, but he's always so drawn to the ocean. Not having the sun sink into his skin would attribute to him never feeling fully satiated. It would honestly drive him a little crazy.

He would absolutely go after Neil. Especially with no humanity, he'd toy his father in torturous way and enjoy it too much.

Now here's where things get weird. If his humanity were ever to switch back on, he'd freak the fuck out. In any verse, his biggest fear is not having any control over a given situation. His dad conditioned him to learn that he never has control in the home, then Mind Flayer literally possessed him and took away his control over his body. So if he snaps back into having his humanity, he would realize that not having it took away his control. It made him a ripper. He'd be terrified of it ever happening again, but he also knows that it's extra hard for him to fight against because he hates his emotions.

As a side note, I also think that if he gained his humanity back, he'd go look for his mom. Not sure what he'd want to do if he found her, but it would be something he'd be drawn to. 」

#malka lisitsa #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

Can you break it down for the class bc we want to know-

What is it like dating Billy? What's he look like when he's in love verses when he's just interested. The class not Katherine would totally like to hear all about it. Is he a hopeless romantic? Aloof? WE MUST KNOW.

「 This is tricky to answer because Billy isn't the sort of character that really dates. He prefers flings, but doesn't want to be tied down. The reasoning stems from different psychological issues at play. Being abandoned by his mom and abused by his dad instilled a belief that he's not worth love, so rather than be hurt again, he prefers to wall up his heart.

He also has a deep rooted fear of losing control. Again, this is a byproduct of his dad's treatment, but made exponentially worse when he was possessed by the Mind Flayer. As such, he clings to remaining dominant and as independent as he can. This can result in him come off as uncaring at times, or even aloof.

In the rare circumstances that he does actually fall for someone, his affection is shown through quiet, private moments. His toxic masculinity gets in the way of him being doting and sweet in public. Around other people, he keeps up the front of being the one completely in charge, and of not coming across as weak by having a vulnerability such a loving someone. Ways to know that he is in love when he's in public is through his teasing of someone and when he stands up for them.

In private, however, his love language is physical touch. Laying his head in someone's lap, playing with their belt loops or other parts of their clothing. Kissing, cuddling, and even teasingly pushing around are his ways of saying he loves someone. He'll never be good with words, unfortunately. He has a hard time articulating his feelings and emotions because he's been conditioned keep those things buried down.

He also goes into relationships with one foot on the ground, so to speak. It's like he wakes up every morning, half expecting his partner to leave him. Only through time will he start to relax into a relationship and allow himself to love fully. 」

#malka lisitsa #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

If Billy took Katherine up on turning him, what would he do about Max? Would he take her with them? (good luck convincing Katherine but theres a chance-) would he compel his father to take care of her? Would he leave her with her mom?

「 Billy wouldn't want Max to live the life of a killer. He believes she's truly good and someone who deserves all the happiness life can give. He'd leave her, not giving her the chance to ask him to stay or ask him to take her with him, wanting her to have a life without monsters for once.

He sure as shit wouldn't bring his dad into anything, and I don't think he'd compel Susan, either. He knows that his stepmom is doing her best. What he would do is use compulsion to rob a bank or something, so that when he leaves, there's a duffel bag full of cash left on the Mayfield's front door step. 」

#[ no I totally didn't forget that this was in my inbox... #malka lisitsa #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 favorite movie: Billy's mom skipped town in February, 1979. During the first week without her, he skips school and goes to the movies. There, he sees The Warriors for the first time. A movie about young men who live without parents or society's rules, all bound together by loyalty of a found family entranced him. He dreams of living in a world like, of being loved and respected for being the leader of a gang. It's one of the few movies he can actually quote. 」

#✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 coping with life after near death: Post S4 in my canon divergence, Billy has insane survivor's guilt. He's able to piece together some of what he missed since the Mind Flayer possessed him, then took him to the Upside Down. Anything he did while possessed, he had a front row seat to, so he knows all about the fifty-three people that "died in the mall fire". Eventually, though, he learns about other people who died while fighting against Vecna and his creatures.

Unfortunately for Billy, he never put much value on his life. That's not to say he doesn't want to live. He fought like hell for eight months in the Upside Down to survive. But he was conditioned by his parents to believe he's worthless and knows he did his best to make the residents of Hawkins hate him. As such, he truly believes it should be him dead and not the others.

While in the Hive Mind, he learned about Will and how Will had been able to fight back. He blames himself for not being that strong and not being able to resist sooner.

This intense guilt leads to very little sleep and the occasional panic attack. He does everything he can to hide his panic attacks, though, not wanting anyone to see that he's weak or struggles, because, again... he believes he should have died instead of all those people. 」

#[ I love when random HCs pop up in wire chats #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

How did your muse come to realize their romantic and sexual orientations? Was it difficult to accept? Are they proud of who they are?

☠ ― 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑆𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠.

The first time that Billy had the idea that he was also into dudes was when he was a Freshman in high school. He and a teammate from his basketball team had stayed late one night after practice because they were horsing around in the locker rooms. At some point their play fighting had turned more flirty than Billy ever would admit to, but he was willing to keep it going. Until the other boy kissed him. It shocked him so much and the only thing he could think of was how his dad would surely put him in the hospital for it. Unfortunately, he ended up kicking the other kid's ass and never spoke of that moment to anyone.

He's absolutely never accepted that he's bisexual and it's something he's deeply ashamed of. His dad was a homophobe, already calling him derogatory slurs. Much of that homophobia got passed down to him as internalized. One of his biggest fears is for anyone to figure out why he watches so many Rob Lowe movies.

#cw: homophobia #tw: homophobia #malka lisitsa #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 christmas : As a kid, Christmas was the one day that Billy looked forward to the most. Neil was an abusive asshole of a father, but to him, appearances were everything. No one knew what went on behind closed doors, because Neil went out of his way to present himself as the perfect husband/father with the perfect family. That meant that on Christmas, they had to play the part. It was the one day that Billy knew there’d be no yelling or hitting. That’s not to say the Hargrove household was full of love. He and his mom, Lori, still walked on eggshells, but for once, they could breathe a little in relief.

Lori was great at baking. She’d make every sort of Christmas treat one could think of. When he was little, Billy would help by licking the mixing spoons clean and keeping his mom entertained by singing and dancing to Christmas carols.

An unspoken tradition that was his favorite was every Christmas Eve, the family would sit down for a movie ( of Neil’s choosing, of course ). Like clockwork, Neil would pass out ten minutes in from drinking too much eggnog. That’s when Lori would change the movie to Billy’s favorite, Little Drummer Boy ( 1968 ), and they’d snuggle under a blanket together and watch it while eating too many cookies.

The Hargrove’s first Christmas after Lori left was completely joyless. Neil tried to keep up appearances that everything was ok, but Billy only did what he was told out of numbness, holding onto the hope that come Christmas morning, his Mom would be standing under the tree. Not only was she not there, but he didn’t get a gift or even a card from Lori. It was the day that Billy finally realized that he’d been abandoned and his mom was never coming back.

When the Mayfield’s entered his life, Billy had grown beyond hoping for happiness. He resented Susan and Max, thinking of them as only a reminder of the family he doesn’t have. Their first Christmas together, Billy had said something rude to Susan when she gave him a gift. In retaliation, Neil hit him hard, which caused Billy to fall into the Christmas tree and knock it over. The whole ordeal created the unspoken agreement that on Christmas, Billy would stay as far away from home as he could. He’d disappear to hang out with friends, drink, be with girls, or whatever else distraction he could find, and Neil never tried to stop him.

For Billy, Christmas has remained a day that brings him only pain. He does everything he can to pretend it’s nothing more than a regular day. If he doesn’t receive a card from his mom on a regular day, that’s no big deal. But if he allows himself to think it’s Christmas and he got no card, it hurts too much.

In my main verse where he survives and returns to Hawkins when Vecna opens the portals, Christmas takes on a new meaning for him. Learning about what happened to Max has knocked him down a few pegs. He wants to repair what he can of his relationship with his stepsister, and that means celebrating Christmas again. It’s not easy for him, and he definitely won’t do the full 180 that the Grinch did, but he at least wants to be with Max on that day. 」

#[ just because I'm not writing threads here for now #[ doesn't mean my muse is dead #[ I thought of this today #[ enjoy the pain #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 his full name is William James Hargrove

his mom used to call him Billy-James 」

#✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 sexual tendencies : ( this is obviously nsfw ) The one thing that Billy has always wanted in life is control. His father reminds him daily that he never had it, and then the Mind Flayer took it away completely. To really get him going, he wants complete control and domination. He’s very into the dominatrix lifestyle of giving out orders and talking down to his partner. When it comes to pain, though, it can be hit or miss. He’s violent by nature and therefore is all about rough sex, but when it comes to full on beating or torture, it reminds him too much of the beatings he endured at his father’s hand. Though Neil’s abuse was never sexual in nature, it still hits too close to home.

On the surface level, Billy wants to be in charge, but much deeper, all he’s ever wanted is for someone to take care of him. If he were to ever truly trust his partner, perhaps even love them, he’d be able to give up control and leave himself in his partner’s hands. Because of his physical abuse, though, he’d still freak out if his partner ever tried anything like choking or hitting him.

Billy is a bisexual, though extremely closeted. He’s been sleeping with girls since he was 14 and is open to all sorts of experimentation with them. He has no shame or a need for modesty when it comes to flaunting his heterosexual sex life. 

When it comes to men, he’s far more cautious, refusing to kiss or look his partner in the eye while they engage in anything. He can also be extremely defensive when men flirt with him. Admitting that he’s into guys makes him hear Neil’s voice in his head, calling him worthless and homophobic slurs.

Turn ons : ( I will probably add to these as time goes on )

For women : showing off their legs, high heels, stockings with the lines up the back, red lipstick, biting his ear

For men : crop tops, begging, long hair

For both : being called Daddy, hair pulling, being pushed/pushing around playfully, teasing ( especially when he’s driving )

 」

#[ I was gonna wait until Sinday to post this #[ but here we are #tw child abuse #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 Billy’s scars : here’s a list of his scars that I’ve headcanoned.

pre-Upside Down :

right eyebrow - when Billy was 15, he got into a fist fight at school. The kid punched him while wearing huge rings, one of which took a chunk of skin out just above Billy’s eye. There’s a line in his eyebrow ever since, but he thinks it looks cool.

right shoulder - full story here, but he covered up a small stab wound with his tattoo.

back of his neck at his hairline - there’s a raised burn mark from when Neil had held a lighter to his skin when he found out that Billy had given a cigarette to Max.

left forearm - a checkmark shaped scar from when Billy fell and suffered from a compound break when his bone went through the skin. He was repairing his roof from a bad storm and was said to have lost his balance, but he and Neil both know that he only lost his balance when his father angrily chucked a tool at him to put away.

post-Upside Down : ( all of his pre scars are still there )

left calf - a good chunk is missing from where a demodog bit him

right shoulder blade and right side of his abs - long scarring from demobat bites/scratches

long line down the left side of his back - running away from demobats, he had to jump through a window on a second story and ended up landing on a large fragment of glass 」

#tw child abuse #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 cooking & food : Though he never boasts it, Billy is actually a good cook. He worked a couple of summers at a little Mexican food shack on the beach he hung out at in San Diego to save up for his car, and got pretty good at grilling up different dishes.

However, he had one specialty that he’s perfected over the years, his burritos. He’s heavy handed with the spices when he cooks up the chicken or beef and has created a combination of rice, peppers, cheese, and other ingredients that never fails to satisfy. Even Max is happy when he makes those. His own recipe actually made it to the shack’s usual menu.

His favorite food to eat is spicy fish tacos. The owner of the little shack made the best ones he’d ever had, and no matter how hard he tried, he could never replicate them perfectly.

One of his biggest annoyances with Hawkins is the lack of real Mexican food and seafood. It’s just another thing he had to give up when he moved, but he can at least make a close interpretation of his burritos.   」

#[ have the most useless HC ever pfft #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

「 racism/homophobia : let’s take a minute to address the elephant in this room. These are two topics that I will never rp nor tolerate in any form. As such, here’s a little dive into my Billy’s mind regarding these things. 

Please note, these are my interpretations for MY version of this muse. I’m not here to debate what was meant to be portrayed in canon. I refuse to write that kind of bullshit and this is how I saw things and how it’ll satisfy my muse’s behavior.

I don’t actually know where the fandom got the idea that he’s homophobic. Never once in the show has he said anything to suggest it. His father called him a slur, but that was it. He’s from San Diego, so the LGBT community ( as much of a pariah as they were in the 80s ) isn’t anything new to him. He’s cool with it, no big deal.

What is a big deal is how he perceives himself. He does have very internalized homophobia. He’s bisexual, but because he’s been groomed and conditioned to need his father’s approval, every time he allows his mind to entertain thoughts of other men in that regard, he immediately hears Neil’s voice calling him those awful slurs and telling him that he’s not a real man and how it’s because of his short comings that his mom left. So yeah, he does have a steel wall put up for himself when it comes to romance with men for himself.

Racism. ok. This is a big one regarding this muse. I get why much of the fandom think he’s racist. I really do. The first time I saw that scene, that was my immediate thought, too. But the fact that it was never brought up again, or even hinted at gave me a different pov when I watched that scene again. Knowing what we know in S3 about his childhood, my interpretation of that scene has nothing to do with Lucas’s race, but the fact that he and Max were arguing. It triggered thoughts of his own mom constantly arguing with his dad, which would lead to physical altercations from Neil. It’s not to say he’s the most caring and protective brother in the world ( I can’t even type that with a straight face ), but he does have moments of looking out for her in his own fucked up way. He even said, “You may be a piece of crap, but we’re family.” To him, if she’s allowing herself to be attached to guys who yell at her this early in life, she’s setting herself up to be another victim of a “Neil”. He may not love Max, but that shit scared him and triggered him. “Those types” of people isn’t code for people of color, but rather men who think they can silence her. 」

#tw racism #tw homophobia #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon

[hargrove]

send ✘ + a word & i;ll write a headcanon i have for my muse about it !

@pcrfectstorms said : ✘ + billy and max before hawkins 

「 ➠ I wrote a little here, but the following is more in depth. Bonus anecdote about the first ( and only ) time Max gave him a birthday gift can be found here.

( cut for length )

Billy was 11 when his mother left. His pleas for her to come get him went unanswered, making him feel abandoned and unworthy. Taking a page out of his father’s book, he turned those feelings into anger and began to lash out violently.

Only a year later did Neil start dating Susan Mayfield. It was a short courtship which led to a marriage when Billy was 13. It happened so fast, that it felt like his mother was completely replaced and out of picture. The final nail in the coffin, so to speak. 9 Year old Max was his new stepsister, but to him, she represented the change he didn’t want. Looking at her reminded him that his old life was truly gone and he could never wake up from the nightmare.

He was pretty mouthy towards Susan, but for the most part, the two avoided each other. She did stand up for him once or twice, though, covering for him so that Neil wouldn’t punish him physically.

His relationship with Max was far more complicated. In the beginning, she did everything she could to earn his approval. He learned quickly that she’d do anything he said and would often talk her into doing really dumb shit that could get her into trouble. When she was only 11, he had convinced her to climb all the up to a billboard to tag it with spray paint. When their parents found out, Neil had beat him so badly that he had to call out sick the rest of the week from school. Yet sometimes when he’d pass by the realty billboard with the small, red, dick and balls painted on it, he’d think it was worth it.

His constant bullying and pushing around of Max made them antagonistic towards each other, but there were a few rare moments when they got along. When forced to let her tag along with him and his friends, Billy found that he loved it when Max would insult his friends. She was witty and knew how to cut deep, and he thought it was hilarious.

The first time Neil had yelled at Max and scared her off, Billy went to find her and sat with her in silence. He didn’t know what to say to comfort her, but his presence made it clear that they were on the same side when it came to Neil.

Only once did Billy actually let Max help patch him up after Neil had beat him. It was easily the worst beating he’d ever received and Susan was wanting to go to the hospital, but they couldn’t afford the questions as to how it happened. Max snuck into his room later that night with a bag of ice. He let her sleep there the night and it was the only time after his mom had left that Billy felt the comfort and love of a family member.

The the other truce they would find was when watching horror movies. He had tried to scare young Max the first night they were left alone, but she loved the gore and creature features, so it turned into a bonding ritual. Any time they were alone together,  Billy would get his hands on the most disgusting slasher he could find. Watching horror movies was the only time they could be in the same room and not fight. More on this here.

Knowing that they were on the same side when it came to Neil meant that they never tattled on each other. For Billy, he thought tattling was a pussy move, and Max feared the repercussions that Billy might garner. The only time Max did tell on him was in Billy’s senior year. Angry when he found out that he wouldn’t graduate, he and some friends got drunk and trashed the computer lab at school. With so much money’s worth of equipment destroyed, the offense became a police matter. Max had seen Billy sneaking back in during the night, so when the Hargroves were questioned, she actually said something. It was a moment of weakness, wanting payback for something Billy had done to her, but the result was his expulsion from the school.

Now expelled from every school in the area, the Hargroves were forced with the difficult decision on what to do. Neil put in a transfer at work and the family picked up and moved to Hawkins, ID. Leaving his friends and the beach ( the only place in the world that Billy felt peace ) left him more angry than ever. He decided it was Max’s fault for telling on him, breaking their one unspoken rule. Because of this, his anger and bullying towards his stepsister tripled since they arrived in Hawkins. 」

#[ I have so many feelings about these two #pcrfectstorms #tw child abuse #✘♚✘ i wanna be somebody – somebody soon ✘ headcanon