#billy is actually hoppers son

[cavinginhisfvce]

'William Orchard Hopper"

Pairing: Harringrove.

Tw: child abuse, mentions of infidelity.

This started out as a headcanon of Jim being Billy biological dad and quickly spiraled into this??? Sorry. <3

Not many people know that Jim Hopper spent a considerable amount of time in California in his twenties.

Jim and Billy's mom, Bria Hargrove met and had an affair that led to Billy being born.

Neil knows Billy isn't his son, and becomes abusive towards Bria and Billy until she can no longer take it. 

When Billy is ten, she leaves and hides a note in Billy's room for him to find. 

The note tells him that Neil isn't his real father, it tells him his real father lives in Indiana. Hawkins, specifically but that he had once lived in California. She tells him that the man is named Jim Hopper. She doesn't give him any other details. Not that it truly matters, Neil is whose on his birth certificate. Neil is who is raising Billy into the man he's destined to be.

Confused, Billy tucks the note away. He can almost forget about it, but the knowledge that Neil isn't his dad stays with him. Even when Neil married Susan, and he gained a step-sister in her daughter, Max. 

It doesn't become a problem for Billy until Neil announces that their new, fragile thing of a family is moving to Hawkins, Indiana. 

He doesn't know if Neil knows he'll be dropping them in the town of the very man his mother cheated on him with.

A week after the move, Billy makes the mistake of getting high after Neil's latest lesson in Respect and Responsibility that ended with Billy nursing bruised ribs and what's definitely a mild concussion. 

The mistake isn't smoking weed, per say. No, Billy's mistake was forgetting just how loose lipped he gets when high. Because, now he's shown Max the letter his mom left all those years ago, he tells her that Neil isn't his biological father.

Max doesn't say anything, she just stands up and hugs her step-brother. 

The blond tenses briefly, before he's sinking into the hug; his own arms winding around her small frame. 

She's gotten taller, so with Billy sitting, his head is pressed into her stomach.

She doesn't comment on the warmth of his tears, she just hugs him tighter.

What does someone say to their step-brother who's father beats him on a regular basis? What do you say when that same boy knows the man who lords his parental status over him, isn't actually his dad? 

Max decides you say nothing. Billy doesn't seem put off by the lack of response. 

It isn't until after Halloween, after Max has plunged a syringe into Billy's neck to sedate him when a panic attack had led to a violent fit, that they're both forced to confront the very thing Billy has tried so hard to forget.

It wasn't the first time Billy lashed out like this, but it was one of the worst times. Her new friends had gotten permission from Neil and her mother to come over, but something set Billy off when she introduced him to Jane.

To his credit, Billy had fled the house when he noticed his breathing picking up. It hadn't helped much, because Max followed behind him, leading her friends to do the same.

When Jane met his gaze, her eyes were soft but unreadable, like she knew she held the last name of the man his mother confessed was actually his father.

It could've been a coincidence, but his mom had also told him the mystery man was training to become a police officer. 

That was too many coincidences, if you asked Billy.

He doesn't remember much after that, not that ever does. 

He knows her friends had been afraid, but for some weird fucking reason they tried to comfort him.

The curly-haired one even called Steve Harrington, declaring that the elder was good in situations like this. 

Billy seriously doubted that, but he'd never pass up a chance to see Steve. Their relationship was still new. New as in they'd only been official for the past week.

Once Steve had arrived, the kids all seemed to lose interest in everything, and retreated into the living room to play video games. Max took some convincing, but eventually, they were able to pry her away from the place she'd refused to leave at Billy's side.

The couple quickly toed off to Billy's room, and Steve wasted no time in pulling Billy into his arms.

Billy felt bone-tired, the sedative given to him never knocks him out, it mostly tires him out. Makes the world fuzzy, and like it's covered in a foggy film.

But, this felt different. This felt like a tiredness that wouldn't be quelled by resting for the remainder of the day. 

The younger boy hadn't told Steve about Jim, so when he asked what triggered this episode, Billy quickly spilled. He spoke until his throat felt raw, and his hands were shaking. 

He spoke until the room felt as if all the air was quickly evaporating. 

Steve waited until Billy's word vomit came to an end, before gently responding, "It's okay, B. If Hop is your dad, he's a good man. A little grumpy, but he's not like…" he trails off, but Billy can fill in the blanks just fine.

"H-how am I even supposed to broach this subject with him, Steve? What if...what if he doesn't want me just like her, and I'm stuck with Neil until I'm 18, or dead?" 

The brunet quickly reaches out to cup Billy's cheek, his thumb grazing the smooth skin. "That won't happen. Even if it did, you've got me. You're never gonna be stuck with him forever so long as I'm alive and breathing, baby."

There's more the boy wants to say, but he just feels so tired. The sounds of the kids all yelling in the other room serve as nothing more than background noise.

It's about an hour later, and Billy's only been fighting his sleep because Steve is showing him various tiktoks and clips of random gamers he enjoys.

Soon though, he's starting to doze on Steve's shoulder, when there's a knock at his door, then a head of brown curls are peaking into his room.

Jane.

His breath hitches, but Steve's hand finds his back and begins to soothingly rub his stress away. 

Metaphorically, of course. Because in reality, Billy is still freaking out.

"Jim is here to pick me up, but he wanted to meet you."

This causes him to bristle, "Me? Why?"

Jane merely shrugs, before turning away. 

Billy has an inkling she does know, but he swallows it down and climbs off his bed to make the short trek to the living room.

When he lays eyes on Hopper, the man is dressed in his uniform, a small grimace on his lips as he observes the sparsely decorated room.

His eyes eventually land on Billy and he offers something that could be considered a smile.

"So you're the owner of that Camaro out front, or is that your dad's?"

Billy wants to laugh out loud at the question, but instead he shakes his head. "No, sir. She's all mine, fixed her from the ground up myself." 

It was true, Billy spent months fixing her up, she'd been all but totaled when he found her body at the junkyard in California. 

He immediately fell in love with the car, despite the appearance and the rest was history.

The chief let out a long whistle, along with an approving nod.

"Damn kid. You lookin' for work? I know the mechanic in town could use someone like you on weekends."

Billy only nods, unsure of what to say. 

"Yeah, yeah that'd be great, actually! Thanks."

Jim nods, his eyes never leaving their place of observing the blond. 

"I'll set it up, just come by my office on Monday and we'll work out all the kinks."

Soon after, Jim leaves with Jane, who promises Max that they'll hang out soon.

Much to Billy's chargin, Steve leaves with the rest of the kids, sans Max, around forty-five minutes later.

Neil and Susan return after Billy has finished cleaning up the dishes from his and Max's dinner. 

His dad seems pissed by something, something Billy can't figure out.

Not that it matters. All that matters is that his bad mood means a repeat of last night. 

As it plays out, Billy doesn't have to wait until Monday, because the man in question all but busts the Hargrove's front door down, catching Neil in the act of wailing on the defenseless blond.

There's a whirlwind of activity that ends with his father in cuffs, and Hopper escorting Billy to the hospital with Max glued to his side while Susan tails the Chief's car.

On the drive there, Billy doesn't expect the chief to blurt out, "Jane heard what you told Steve." Billy wants to play dumb, he wants to pretend he has no clue what Hopper is referring to; but instead he just shrugs and glances back at Max, the red-head at least looks apologetic. 

"Does she always ear hustle that hard?" The large man huffs out a laugh, "you have no clue kid," he pauses, chewing at his lip before he carefully continues, "I knew the last name was familiar, just chalked up to a coincidence. But your ma...you look just like her…"

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" 

"I didn't want to assume, I was gonna do some digging. You know? I didn't know Bria was pregnant when we broke things off. All she said was Neil was getting suspicious. She didn't tell me, if she had…" he trails off, pulling up to the entrance of the hospital. 

"I'm gonna make this right, Billy. I promise."

Billy wants to scoff, but one glance at Max's hopeful face in the mirror has Billy nodding instead. 

"Yeah, okay." His words are soft, lacking any bite. 

It turns out that the police chief busting down your front door to find your "father" beating you bloody, is more than enough evidence to send said man to prison. 

It also turns out that one nicely worded threat is enough to have Neil Hargrove give up parental rights that never rightly belonged to him.

A DNA test for confirmation later Billy was getting a new birth certificate in the mail with the name William Orchard Hopper.

Below it read Bria Hargrove and James Hopper.

Billy was in the middle of decorating his new room in Hopper's place when Max barged in, Steve trailing behind her with a sweet grin on his lips.

"Billy, can you take me and Jane to the arcade?" Jane, who Billy hadn't noticed initially just smiled up at him.

The boy shook his head, turning to Steve, "aren't these your charges? Why am I the chaperone?"

Max rolls his eyes, "you're our brother, so you have to! You love us!"

Jane quickly nods her head, a sparkle in her eyes, "Yeah! You love us."

Steve hums his agreement, which has Billy shaking his head again, "okay, whatever shitbirds. Let me change, at least."

They seem to accept that, and slip out the room, leaving Billy and Steve alone.

The latter smiles at him, before crossing the room to plant a light kiss to his lips.

"Alright, now hurry up, Blondie! We can't let the boys get too cocky, Jonathan dropped them off already and I just know Dustin is trying to beat Max's highscores already. They're gonna fight all day."

Once Billy is dressed, he drags Steve out his bedroom, only to run into Hopper. Literally. 

Billy's head bounces against his chest and everything.

The man just grunts and steadies the smaller boy, his lips parting to speak before Billy is wrapping his arms around his midsection, "see you for dinner, Pops!" before he's grabbing Steve's hand and ushering Max and Jane out the door.

Jim doesn't miss the smile that graces his son's lips before he calls out, "be safe!"

He can almost see the way Jane and Billy roll their eyes before responding without missing a beat, 

"Us? Always!" Jim doesn't mention the time he had to put out a small fire from when Billy tried to teach Jane tricks with his zippo.

Yeah, always my ass, he thinks.

#billy hargrove #billy antis dni #billy hargrove deserved better #billy hargrove protection squad #harringrove #steve harrington #hargrove mayfield siblings #billy is actually hoppers son #hopper is billys real dad #ive decided #harringrove modern!au #harringrove fic #hopper is billy's dad #max and billy have a good relationship #max loves her brother #jane does too #this is a mess #it started as a headcanon #tw: child abuse #tw: infidelity #i wrote this in like two hours #it just came out #its not good #unedited bc who do u think i am #billy hargrove deserved love #William Orchard Hopper

[animangalover-writes]

Just listened to "A Part of me" in the Dear Evan Hansen bonus tracks, and OOF, imagining the song being about everyone finding what Billy hargrove went through but only AFTER he died. Everyone wondering if they could have helped him in some way. Max being Zoe with their similar parallels. Hopper thinking about seeing Billy with bruises and just thinking he was just a troublemaker only to realize afterwards that Neil was doing that to him. Joyce wondering how she didn't see the signs whenever he'd come in to by cigarettes with a busted lip or black eye. The two of them both wondering what they could have done differently to help him, because he was just a kid. Even Eddie Munson, who could have been Billy's only real friend, or Heather Holloway(if she lived), who genuinely mourn him and wish they could have done something. Steve being Evan, when he makes a speech about Billy, a kid he was just starting to be friends with, that gains he a lot of praise and popularity. Except unlike Evan, he doesn't want it, hates it even. Someone, a guy(Eddie or Steve or anyone else) who was secretly dating him. Who goes to Max because she is the only person in his family that really cared about him, and aims to tell her that Billy was gay, just so she holds that secret part of him close to her heart. And before they say it, she tells them, "You make me feel closer to him." And they realize it's not their secret to tell, and that that secret will follow him to the grave. That he will never be allowed to truly own that part of himself, even in death. And Billy's ghost, watching the interaction at the end, with a solemn look on his face, knowing that some people are using his death for pity points, and knowing that most people never really knew him, and now they never will.

#THIS ONE BIG RANT I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS FOR BILLY AND THIS SONG OK #joyce and hopper as connors mom and dad. except they're regrets are that they never actually tried to see if anything was wrong #and therefore never helped him #maybe one line of neil 'mourning' his son but its a twisted sort of grief #where he misses billy in a sense #but he misses the control more. and it gets all twisted up inside him #pauses between lyrics where its only the instrumental and we get scenes of hopper talking to and arresting neil and karen #because again #they only found out everything he went through AFTER HE DIED #only finding out because of max and heather and eddie #and maybe steve #them being the only person to truly mourn his loss #the empty hole left behind filled with regret and unspoken words #max not understanding her grief but feeling it so intensely anyways and missing him so much #ANYWAY #billy hargrove #billy hargrove deserved better #connor murphy #evan hansen #dear evan hansen #deh #stranger things #max mayfield #aml speaks #idk if this'll make sense to anybody other then me but if you get it then YOU GET IT #gay billy hargrove #harringrove #mungrove #any other billy ship(mostly gay ones) #all implied

[weird-an]

Hopper is actually scared to pick up the phone. In the few months Billy has stayed with him, he has never called him at work. Hopper had the number pinned to the fridge, but Billy just shrugged.

"Billy?“

"Hopper, I…" Billy sighs. "My car has a flat tire."

Jim waits for him to continue, but the end of the line is silent.

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Maybe after work?" Jim has to work for another three hours. Billy knows that.

There is some rustling on the other side.

"Jesus, Billy."

Hopper needs a moment to recognise the voice.

"It's fucking freezing. Can you come pick us up? Like now?" Steve says. He hears Billy muttering something.

"Since when are you guys hanging out?" Jim asks, completely baffled. Billy has never mentioned it.

Steve sucks in a sharp breath. "What? Billy, you said you were gonna tell him!"

"Tell me what?" What the fuck is going on?

It seems like Billy has grabbed the phone now. "You don't need to come."

"We're near the old gas station a few miles out of town," Steve shouts. "Come pick us up, please."

"We'll figure it out," Billy disagrees. "Sorry for both-"

"My boyfriend is an idiot and I'm freezing my ass off here!" Steve yells.

Hopper stares at the phone in disbelief. It's like a weird episode of Twilight Zone.

"I‘m coming," Hopper says and hangs up the phone before Billy can disagree. He grabs his jacket.

"Where you going, Chief?" Flo asks.

"Picking up two idiots," Hopper sighs.

At least being Sheriff has the advantage that no one dares to speak up when he leaves work three hours early to pick up his foster son and his boyfriend he didn't even know about.

The joys of unexpected parenthood.

#harringrove #billy x steve #harringrove ficlet #billy hargrove & jim hopper #poor hopper i always make him suffer a little

[jarviscockerssecrethusband]

“You’re telling me that the shit that snapped her out of it was Kate fucking Bush? God, that’s embarrassing.”

Steve wasn’t quite sure how they’d found Billy but they’d found him regardless. Sleeping in the trees, eating demobat meat for food. Hopper thought he’d just lost it, like his buddy had in Vietnam. Billy seemed fine though, perfectly lucid and no injuries that had the potential to be fatal.

So they took him in. He took a swing at several of the doctors who tried to have a look at him, until only Joyce was allowed to help. From what Steve understand, he’d spent most of the past week with his feet on the couch, being fed chicken soup.

Well, if anyone deserved the royal treatment it was Billy. God knows Steve had tried to give it to him. That is until he fucked up and Billy threw the promise ring into a bonfire.

Steve still replayed that night on a loop, alone in his bed. All the wrong things he’d said, bad decisions he’d made.

He was going to have many knarly scars draped across his back and spilling onto his chest. The Party, even though they would never officially admit to liking Billy, talked admiringly about them constantly. Steve had even heard Dustin call him a badass. Far, far cooler than Steve.

They were part of a small few who’d been allowed to know that Billy was alive, which led Steve to where he was now. Awkwardly perching on a chair in Joyce Byers sitting room, listening to Billy hold court to a raggedy pack of fifteen year olds and a fussing Joyce Byers.

She’d put some peonies in a jar for him. They’d always been Billy’s favourite flower. Steve still remembered Billy threading them into his hair, a proper crown for King Steve. It was what he’d brought to Billy’s grave too. After the funeral. A faggot like Steve wasn’t worthy of his son, Neil had said.

Max was loudly protesting, insisting that Kate Bush was cool. She’d cut her hair shorter so that it came just shy of tickling her shoulders. The doctors weren’t sure if she’d ever walk again. Steve didn’t think she seemed to care. Not now that she’d got her brother back.

Jonathan was fiddling with the radio, changing the station every other song because the past one had been too mainstream. Steve had been happy to tune it out as background noise until The Beatles came on and he winced.

From across the room, Billy winced too.

The months of Steve wearing out his record of Stawberry Fields Forever as he painted Billy. Just his face and chest, even though Billy had suggested post coitus and wiggled his eyebrows. Steve would pretend to be disgusted and push him away, only to pull him back and kiss him silly five seconds later.

They were high most of that spring of course, with the occasional dip into shrooms from Eddie’s stash. Of course being high was no excuse, but it was the only one Steve had.

The feeling of wailing into Neil with his bat had been goddamn euphoric until Billy pulled him off, face puce. He’d yelled for a good hour about how the police could have got involved (Billy hated cops), his income kept them from homelessness and maybe Steve, Billy didn’t fucking want to be saved. That, and the incident had ended up outing Billy completely.

They hadn’t talked since then. Billy wasn’t exactly quick to forgive and Steve hadn’t much felt like testing his luck. Until they were in the same room together, Steve with a chunk torn out of his side by a demobat and Billy with more scars than Steve could even count.

And Billy was looking at him. Not glaring, just considering. The Party had gone through what song they all thought could have saved them and then turned to pestering Steve who mumbled something about the new WHAM album.

Billy snorted from the corner. They both knew that wasn’t the real song Steve would have chosen.

To keep up appearances, Steve pivoted and said in a voice far more confident than he actually was:

“Oh and what metal crap would your song be Hargrove?”

Billy could have hit him. Maybe should have. But he didn’t. Instead he did something he hadn’t done in a long time.

He cocked his head knowingly and smiled at Steve, the way he’d used to before Steve had violated his trust and ruined what they had.

“Oh and for the record Harrington- the song that would have saved me is Strawberry Fields forever. Got a soft spot for The Beatles ya know.”

Only Steve knew what that really meant.

Steve, baby, everything is forgiven.

#billy hargrove #steve harrington #harringrove #harringrove ficlet #tw homophobic language #angst #angst with a hopeful ending

[deadghosy]

TBP BOYS DURING THANKSGIVING: MODERN AU (GN READER!)

(THEY ARE AGED UP TO 16!)

ROBIN ARELLANO

ROBIN: this mf came into your house for the food.(but to also see you) you would be mad that he was almost eating everything. You were hitting his arms while he moved away from you as he smirks at how you weren’t even hurting him. He will give you some of his food off his plate. This corny mf would wipe something off of the side of your face that had a crumb.

FINNEY BLAKE

FINNEY: he’s there to see you and make sure you were okay. You cooked some of his favorite food and he fell inlove with you again. Literally. He didn’t bring Gwen since she said she was going to her friend’s house for thanksgiving like Finn was. You fed Finn some food and he did the same for you while being flustered and shaking at how cute you looked.

VANCE HOPPER

VANCE: comes in your house yelling “HONEY IM HOMEE!!” 😒 THIS MF ONLY COMES IN YOUR HOUSE TO EAT YOUR FOOD AND SLEEP LIKE A GRANDPA- bro eats off your plate when you aren’t looking. Plus he can’t resist when you are such a house wife/husband/ partner material. After he is done eating, he lays his head on your lap and goes to sleep with you combing through his hair with your fingers.

BRUCE YAMADA

BRUCE: MALE WIFE NOW. This man is cooking for you. He’s literally making everything in one setting just for you. This man got up at like 9 AM just to make you the food. He just wants you to be happy and he is thankful for you and for you being in his life and coming into his life. Mans got a thankful card just to give to you when you are done eating. So when he gave it to you, he prepared himself for a big tackle hug, and it finally came to him when you finish reading the card.

BILLY SHOWALTER

BILLY: before you even know it, this mf had a PLAN 😭😭. He said he wanted to have a sleepover at your house but really he had a self alarm on his phone at 5 am so he can get everything perfect. This thanksgiving dinner was going to be amazing! he almost burnt down your kitchen….. BUT HE DID MAKE THE BEST MACARONI EVER! So when you figured out he almost burnt down your kitchen, you and him both were cooking the food and you both taste tested it to make sure it was good. At the end both of you ate good, and you both had an enjoyable moment where you were laughing at how billy almost burnt down your kitchen

GRIFFIN STAGG

GRIFFIN: he wants to cook for you just like Bruce. (Like father like son lol-) you were sleeping until 11 am since you started to smell the smell of food. And it actually smelled good. He made macaroni, ham, turkey, and corn bread. It was amazing and it made you full. Griffin was filled with pride and joy seeing you praise him unlike his mother did when he tried to cook for her when he was little. You and Griffin relaxed in silence until you both fell asleep.

*BOUNS* :

DONNA: is saying how she is thankful for you and her family. You and her watch random movies and cuddle together. You once made the cake this time and she fed it to you.

GWEN: immediately when you opened the door for her, she gave you a hug and a kiss to the cheek. She laughed at your flustered face. You both ate a lot and even took a nap after eating. Woke up at a random time at night and you both watched some nice comedy movies and even shows.

#black phone x reader #the black phone x reader #robin arellano x reader #finney x reader #bruce yamada #finney shaw #finney blake #miguel x reader #robin arellano #vance hopper x reader #short imagine #mason x reader #mason thames #brady #brady hepner #Jacob #miguel cazarez mora #tristan pravong #banks #thanksgiving #deadghosy #the black phone #vance the black phone #the black phone 2022 #short story #fluff #imainges #black writer #gn reader #bruce yamada x reader

[thorniest-rose]

inspired by you recently talking about how you're into steve-centric ships – which steve ships are you into (including any uncommon steve ships, if you have any)? and out of all of them, which would be your endgame ship for steve?

yes!! Steve is my favourite character and best boy, and I can only fixate on ships involving him. Like it never computes with me when I see Eddie with anyone else for example, though I think hellcheer is cute.

So my favourite Steve-centric ship will always be Steddie, they have my heart, but I also love the chemistry between Steve and Billy, and the heated dynamic they have in season two, like I love enemies to lovers and I think Steve and Billy do that so well.

Then I also love Steve and Tommy together because I love the pining and complicated feelings between two best friends who are trying to hide it. Like in my head, Eddie wasn't Steve's bi awakening. I think Steve had been attracted to other boys from a young age, and that he felt desire for both Tommy and Billy before Eddie came into the picture. And to a lesser extent, I love ships like Jason and Steve, too, because I think the jock on jock angle of it is hot. I just love the idea of Steve being an object of desire and obsession for all the men in his life!

Oh my god, and actually I love Steve and Hopper too, I love the idea of Hopper being attracted to this boy who's young enough to be his son and trying to repress it, but struggling whenever he's around him. And Steve has such Daddy issues, I can imagine him pursuing Hopper and trying his hardest to make him break.

So yes!! In my head all the boys want Steve and I think he deserves to be loved and fucked by all of them xo

#asks

[gracegrove]

Steve and Billy walking home drunk from a party when they cut through the park.

They start messing around on the playground and eventually end up trying to use the swings. Steve tries to sit down and leans out too far and falls on his ass laughing in a heap. Billy's dying.

"You're shit faced Harrington! Ain't gonna happen!" Billy whoops in between giggles.

Steve stumbles to his feet, "I can do it! Not like you can!" Billy snorts, grabbing the chains and taking a seat. "Wanna fuckin bet?"

He gets about two full swings in before the dizziness catches up with him, and he has to drag his heels to a sudden stop before the world spins completely off it's axis and flips his stomach beyond it's return.

Steve snickers. "Shuddup." Billy pouts kicking the wood chips. "Hey...." Steve elbows him, "I dare you to try that swing." Billy follows Steve's pointed finger to the toddler swing, with the leg holes.

Billy glowers back at Steve, "you're twisted." Steve smirks, giving Billy an unsettling shove on the swing. "Wassa matter? Fraid that fat ass won't fit???" Steve makes to walk away. Uncaring. Hips swaying and feet unsteady. Billy's nose wrinkled in but a seconds contemplation before he pushed out of his seat and grabbed the new perch.

"Wash n' learn P' boy." Billy slurred, slapping a fat palm against the boy's chest. He grabbed the toddler seat, hoisting in a leg through the seat. It was a tight squeeze, but he wasn't going to let Steve have this tonight. Oh no. This was gonna be his prize tonight even if it was the dumbest thing on his shelf of accomplishments. Hopping on one foot, he grabbed the chain, lifting and shimmying. Yes shimmying his other leg into the tiny bucket seat. Halfway in and it was beyond snug. Pinchingly tight. He might get bruises from this.

Leaning on the swing set pole, Steve watched, "how's it going tiger?" "Fuck you!" Billy snapped with a grunt as he shifted his hips side to side. He was close. So close. With one more good wiggle and then -! Whump! He was in. Fully seated. Steve threw his head back howling, grabbing his sides in stitches. Billy knew he'd get far on determination but didn't actually think this would happen. He was frozen like possum caught in baited trap. The mental processing was on a delay.

"Christ Billy, you should see yourself!" Steve cried, wiping his eyes. Billy shot him a look of sheer hatred, "son of a bitch." He gave the seat a hearty tug, straining and pushing. Groaning and whining pitifully as it clung to him. "The fuck am I supposed to do now Harrington!?!" Billy's voice cracked in desperation.

Steve was doubled over on himself, wheezing.

Just then, red and blue lights lit up the dark park.

"The hell are you two knuckle draggers doin!?" Hopper asked, flashlight pointed from his Chevy Blazer.

#billy x steve #harringrove #ficlet

[king-zacharyy]

Part 1 Part 2 (Here) Part 3

TW: Hospitals, Previous character death mention, injury mentions

——————————————

The next time Steve wakes up, it's to a cacophony of noise. His head is pounding, and the hospital lights and the sound in the room are only making it worse. He lets out a low groan, whimpering as the sound agrivates his head.

The room becomes almost entirely silent, save for the beeping of the EKG he's hooked up to. "Robbie." He whispers, and the next he knows, the overhead lights are off, and a bedside lamp is turned on. He slumps in relief and squint around the room, trying to see what was making all that noise.

It took a few seconds for his pounding head to process the blur everything had to it and sighed. Robin must've taken out his contacts at some point. "Robs?" His voice was still a bit rough, and his throat was definitely sore, but it didn't hurt as much to talk.

"Hey, Stevie. I'm here. Migrane?" Her voice was soft in the way it always was on bad head days. It brought a small smile to his face.

He made a noise of confirmation. "Wr're m' glasses?" He slurred, and in the next moment, everything became clear again as his best friend slipped the circular frames on his face.

He took in the faces around him, realizing that half the party was in the room. Dustin and Erica were passed out in a couple of chairs behind Robin, Nancy was sitting in a chair on the other side of his bed, Jonathan standing behind her, Will leaning into Jon's side, and at the foot of his bed...

"H– Hop?" There the Chief stood, not looking quite as dead as previously believed.

"Hey, kiddo." Hopper's soft-spoken words broke a dam, and tears flowed down his cheeks.

Steve tore off his glasses, scrubbing at his face and trying to stifle his sobs. He was pulled into a familiar chest. Gentle, but sturdy, fingers combed through his hair, thumbs massaging at his temples, and he melted into the familiar touch.

Jim Hopper. Who he thought was dead. Who took him in after Billy Hargrove rocked his shit. Who took care of him through migranes and bad days. Who took him to get glasses when he noticed Steve's vision getting worse. Who refused to let him go home to his big empty house whenever he was at the cabin. Who built him a room at said cabin when he could've just kept staying on the couch. Jim Hopper, who was more of a Dad to him in a single year than his actual father had been his whole life.

"D–Dad– Where were you? Why–" He was cut off by a tight squeeze and a face buried in his hair.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you and your sister. Trust me, son, I wanted to be. I'll explain more once you've calmed down and everyone can share their sides of the story. For now, I need you to breathe."

Steve took a shuddering breath, exhaling shakily. He spent a couple of minutes doing that until his breathing had evened out. The pounding in his head returned with a vengeance, and he let out a whimper at the pain.

"Here, dingus. Nance made me go home to shower and get some sleep, so I went by your place and got some of your stuff. I brought your meds just in case." Robin said, passing him a cup of water and his migrane medicine.

He took the pills and slumped against Hopper, his left hand clutched in Robin's like she never let go. This moment would be perfect if his Ellie and Maxie were here, but as it were, he was perfectly content to just sit here with his capital P soulmate and his– his Dad.

If you told him a year ago that he had called Hopper Dad, he probably would have laughed in your face and played it off. A year ago, Steve would have, likely, been embarrassed, but now? Now he's just glad to have him back. He didn't feel that churn of embarrassment in his gut. He just felt content. Because Hopper is his dad, simple as that.

Eventually, he had to pull away. He slipped on his glasses and glanced around the room again, noticing everyone else had left. Steve cleared his throat, the pain in his head receding as the meds kicked in, and leveled Hopper with a look as the man took a seat in Nancy's vacated chair.

"Explain."

"Kid, you're getting through a migrane. I think this can wait–"

"Dad." The title is a conscious decision this time, a means of getting his attention, but also showing him he meant it. Hopper's mouth snapped shut, and he heaved a loud sigh.

Hop got up from his chair and let everyone else back in. They spent the next 30 or so minutes explaining everything that happened on both sides. Steve gripped Robin's hand in a tight squeeze when they got to the Russian stuff, and she returned the grip with the same fervor.

"Where is everyone else?" Steve asked once the explanations petered out.

"El and Lucas are sitting with Max right now, and Mike is with Eddie." Dustin answered from his chair, which was now pulled up next to Robin.

"Joyce and Murray are dealing with government people, last I heard. Trying to get me declared not-dead and trying to clear the Munson boy's name. If i had to guess, they're also discussing this batch of NDAs."

Steve nodded and had a wordless argument with Robin, consisting of facial expressions and hand gestures.

I want to see Max

You need to rest. You just woke up with a migrane.

No. I've been resting! You said you would take me to her when I woke up.

That was before you woke up with a migrane!

Robbie.

Robin threw up her hands with a groan. "Fine! I'll go find a nurse." Steve gave a smug grin, and she shot him a glare before leaving the room.

"I hate when you guys do that! Care to fill in the rest of us?" Dustin complained.

"Well, Robs is getting a nurse to, presumably, get a wheelchair for me since I doubt Rob will let me walk, and they're gonna take me to Max's room." A grin was plastered on Steve's face, despite the way it made his temples twinge in pain.

"Steve–"

"No." Steve cut Nancy off before she could continue her argument, giving her a cold stare. "I just had this argument with Robin. None of you are going to stop me from seeing her or any of the others."

"I learned a long while ago to not argue when it comes to the kids, especially their safety. If we don't let him, he'll just sneak off or find a way to get to them." Hopper said with a resigned sigh and a fond smile.

Steve shot his Dad– his Dad– a cheeky grin that turned into a genuine smile when Robbin returned with a wheel chair that she deposited by his bed before leveling him with a hard stare.

"Now, I am only allowing this because I know you'll do it anyways no matter what I say, but I swear to God, Steve. If I catch wind of you going to Max's room or Eddie's out of the wheelchair before you're cleared to walk? I will kill you myself, then I'll bring you back to life, because let's be honest, we're both way too codependent to live without each other."

Steve huffed a small laugh but nodded in agreement nonetheless. "I think we're entitled to a bit of codependency after being tortured and drugged together." He joked with a shrug and let his Dad and Robin help him into the chair. He winced as his sides pulsed with pain at the movement but waved off the concerned looks.

"Let's go!" Steve quietly exclaimed, mindful of his still aching head and throat, and they were off to Max's room, Robin pushing him the whole way.

——————————————

Alright! I am going to cut it off there because this was getting long. I will be making a part 3, so let me know if you want to be on the tag list!

——————————————

Part 3

@thespaceantwhowrites @child-of-cthulhu @plantzzsandpencilzzs @thebadasshistorian

#tw: hospital #tw: injury #steve and robin #steve harrington #steve and hopper #steve and max #this will be steddie eventually i promise #jim hopper #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #will byers #dustin henderson #erica sinclair #max mayfield #lucas sinclair #mike wheeler #eddie munson #steddie #steve x eddie #fanfic #stranger things #st fic #platonic soulmates stobin #platonic stobin #joyce byers #murray bauman

[erikiara80]

Theory: the car crash in the winter of 1976 (Part II)

You can read Part I here

To sum up: my theory is that Joyce had a son with Lonnie, Jonathan, but then she left him because he's an a-hole. She always liked Hopper, so they finally got together and had two kids, Will and El. I think it's possible that the story of Agent Orange is true and maybe that's why Jopper's kids were targeted by Brenner ("Sarah" died in the lab, after all) But then, in 1976 something bad happened and Hopper and El were separated from their family (see Part I). Love this Father and daughter missing.

Not sure if Brenner was involved, but there are hints that Lonnie was. He's heavily paralleled to Billy's father, and in Billy's memory Neil believed that his wife was cheating on him. The first thing Lonnie asks Jon is if Hopper is still chief, and the moment he thinks that Will is dead, he "comes home", calls Joyce babe and tells her that she needs him. I think he didn't just want the money, he wanted his family back. And Will wasn't part of it.

A possible hint in The First Shadow that Lonnie did something to Joyce and her family is the mention of him stealing the baby from the nativity scene. Will has always been associated with Jesus...

It's also interesting, and could be evidence of different timelines, that Will is associated with fire but El is associated with cold water. Maybe Will died in the fire in one timeline, and in another one El drowned in a lake? Maybe they were both in danger but their parents could only save one of them. They both say many times that they can't breath, which is also a parallel with Sarah, so I think it's clear that something bad happened to both of them.

Did Will burn alive? I hope not but... In 3x08, when Joyce hugs him, he says that he can't breath, he's suffocating. In Fred's vision, he sees a coffin with the grandfather clock that has the name Williams engraved on it. And in 4x04 we see Billy/William's tombstone.

El sees Heather being dragged underwater, after Max opens "the floodgates" (Owens mentions them when he explains the anniversary of the event) If Billy is paralleled to Will, Heather is paralleled to El, so maybe this scene shows us what happened to El in the past.

The vanishing of Will Byers and The case of the missing lifeguard are connected.

And when she goes into Billy's memories, there's a transition from the car crash and El in the water. Car in a lake -> El separated from her family.

Hints that Lonnie might've been involved in the car crash

In Lonnie's very first scene, there's a little bike in his house, and Jon checks his trunk. Not a good sign.

After Joyce breaks the wall with the axe, the only thing she sees is her car. Possible hint that after the car crash one of the children was taken away from the family by powers. Time powers... Tears in the fabric of time and space...

That night, when Lonnie arrives, the first thing we see is his car headlights.

Then he closes "the door" that Will used to communicate with his mom, with a hammer. As he talks about the quarry and Joyce freezing to death.

In 2x06, after they bring Will to the lab, after he screams that he feels like he's burning (Hopper is screaming too, but they're using water! Always water and fire) there's a transition to Steve's car, and the song in this scene is Hammer to Fall. In 2x09 Jon mentions Lonnie and the hammer they used to build Castle Byers.

In S4 there's another connection between Lonnie, cars, time loops and the resentment between him and Joyce. When Jon says that the cycle never ends. We see part of the conversation through the broken window of a car.

Other hints

Billy and Max

They both have many parallels with Will, and most of their scenes together take place in the car. Billy's car is actually the first thing we see.

They always fight in that car.

Billy tries to run over the kids. This reminds me of the night Will vanishes

And the scene of Billy's possession IS a parallel to the 1x01 scene. He and Will both run off the road

In 3x07, Billy almost burns alive in his car

In S4, Max confesses that she had wished her brother to die in a car accident

In 2x05, Terry shows El a police car chase!

This scene is so important. I'm working on a new theory, but I'll just say that Terry (or whoever is communicating with El) isn't just randomly switching the channels. She's telling a story. Henry's story and how El got involved.

In fact, she shows El a blonde woman ("Virginia") then the Family Feud score: 91 and 64. Two tens. 10-> mirror of 01. A donut commercial with many identical donuts (ref to the lab kids), the commercial of a Computer Supercenter (the lab/Nina) and then a police chase and someone pouring coffe into a cup. I think this is a huge hint at a car crash that involved Hopper, and what happened after, the blood transfusion that made El a lab kid. I don't know why else Terry would show El a police car chase tbh. And then, in 2x07, Kali calls Hopper policeman, many times. A clear connection with the car chase, imo.

When El looks for the source in S3, the first thing she sees in the eye of the Mind Flayer storm is Billy's damaged car. Since Billy is paralleled to Will, this could mean that the source of everything that happened to their family started with a car crash and powers?

I'm also thinking about this shot in the Vecna game. It looks very similar to a shot in Benny's diner in S4. Jason in a white outfit, like Henry, Christmas lights, a police car, the W and E, and another car with something that looks a lot like the Mind Flayer, looming over it.

And don't forget Joyce and Hopper escaping from Grigori and the engine of the police car literally exploding. And where do they find another car? At a Seven Eleven convenience store, where they meet clerk Rich (like Richard Brenner?) Also, Alexei is with them. A guy in a white outfit, and with a name that is the russian variant of Alex, like Alex P. Keyton, one of the characters played by Michael J. Fox, mentioned by Steve when he and Robin talk about time travels in Back to the Future.

There are many other hints, but I think these ones are the most relevant.

#willel twins #tfs spoilers #will byers #el hopper #jopper #timeline theory #time loop theory #joyce byers #jim hopper #max mayfield #billy hargrove #st analysis #stranger things

[aemiron-main]

im so so so normal about victor “has seen the horrors of war & watched young men and civilians die as a result of other mens’ violence and aggression” creel who loves his “sensitive child” as a son not in spite of him being sensitive but BECAUSE of it. like when he’s talking about henry in pennhurst, he doesn’t say “sensitive child” in a cruel or mocking or disapproving way- he says it in a fond and kind way. victor, being happy that his son is sensitive and shy and artistic rather than aggressive and brash and stereotypically “manly”. like hell, i feel like a lot of people who do a surface level watch of ST really want to push victor into this gruff, hopper or lonnie esque manly man box when that’s not what we’re shown in the show. like sure, victor’s still a 50s family man, but he’s gentle and affectionate with his kids, like even in the few interactions we see, he’s reaching out to Alice when they get out of the car, and smiling when she runs upstairs, and at the dinner table, he makes sure to smile at both Henry and Alice, whereas Virginia pointedly only smiles at Alice. We also see Victor sitting by the fireplace reading, rather than doing stereotypically “manly” things like playing sports or going out for beers or whatever other “manly” hobby.

Like, victor and henry are so similar with both being sensitive, fairly quiet guys with “nerdy”/not traditionally masculine hobbies (reading vs drawing), and victor, canonically, loved his sensitive child of a son & speaks of him fondly.

(not that reading is feminine LMAO but based on dumb stereotypes)

We do get that “manly” scene of him on the porch with the shotgun, but even that is a.) framed as him protecting his family out of necessity and b.) it’s not framed as being a Epic Manly Man With A Shotgun- Victor looks scared during that scene, he’s not trying to show off, he actually looks a lot like he does during his fireplace PTSD scene, which makes sense because the gun & the being on guard/paranoid feeling when looking for the wildcat/whatever was killing the animals would likely trigger his PTSD.

I’m not saying Victor is super mega feminine whatsoever, but i AM saying that it’s inaccurate to characterize him as being annoyed/disdainful towards henry’s sensitivity when that’s simply not the case & when victor himself also seems quite “sensitive.” Hell, when we look at the dates in the dear billy script, he gouged his out on the exact day that he would’ve found out that henry “died” (since henry “died” a week after the murders, which is exactly when victor gouged his eyes out.) He loved Henry SO much, and he’s not some gruff hopper or lonnie 2.0 or even a ted 2.0- if anything, he’s most frequently paralleled to joyce. Joyce, who also loves her sensitive, artistic son.

#stranger things #victor creel #victorposting #victor and henry posting #henry creel

[every-dayiwakeup]

It's interesting that whenever this fandom goes "he would call you slurs" or just bringing up slurs in general they mention Billy, a character who not only never actually used any but got called one.

Really interesting.

They neglect to mention the characters who actually have used slurs, ya know, like Hopper or Steve.

They also seem to conveniently forgotten about Neil, who called his son a f*gg*t and slapped him.

Oh and how could I forget... they call Billy fans slurs.

The only real bullies here (remember Billy isn't real or a bully lmfao) are y'all.

The call is coming from inside the house 🤭

#tw fandom wank #billy hargrove #steve harrington #just the facts #tw: neil hargrove #jim hopper #acknowledging canon only to misunderstand 99 percent of it is a choice #performative activism #thats all it is #oh and cyberbullying #bc like... youre just making the world shittier than it already is #thats the only change youre making #another possibly unpopular opinion #steve was more of a bully than billy ever was imo #billy is the sorriest bully ive ever seen on tv #hes just... maybe its me but i do not see it #he couldve not called that kid a lard ass but like... his sole intention wasnt to bully the kid he just wanted him to stop running #and it seems convenient that the duffers put that scene in right before THAT karen scene #'remember hes a big mean bully youre supposed to hate him'

[biillys]

wayne knowing about eddie and billy and just accepting that billy's gonna more or less move into the trailer, into eddies room. not even bothering trying to fight it cos eddie's an adult, and billy's a few weeks shy of being one. becos they're both gonna be leaving soon, and he's honestly gonna fucking miss them. becos he doesn't know neil hargrove personally, but he doesn't trust that man one bit. becos he actually likes billy. likes the way he treats his nephew, like he matters, and that's all he's ever wanted for eddie.

hopper knowing about billy and eddie and being tired at most, amused at best. they're not sneaky, they're not subtle, they're typical stupid in-love teenagers. but small towns are dangerous, and these kids have been through enough, so hopper makes sure to make his presence known before knocking on the car window to tell them to take it somewhere more private, makes sure to be the one to attend and deal with the bar fight that broke out at the hideout. let's them off with barely a slap on the wrist and no permanent records whenever he has to drag them to the station, to help keep up appearances.

benny knowing about the hargrove boy and the munson boy, and after the 6th time he watches them play fucking footsie under the table, watches them let their hands wander over the table - so fucking close - only to snatch them away at last second, he's had enough. walks over and brings their regular order, even though they've already eaten, adds an extra piece of cake to the mix, and says 'happy 6 months. it's on the house.' becos they're not exactly quiet, then walks away. leaves them spluttering and coughing, clearing their throats, denials at the ready, but then he hears forks scraping across plates, and nervous laughter, and when he looks over next, they're hands aren't quite touching, but they're more relaxed than he's ever seen them, and they're the only one's in the dinner like they always are at this time of night, and he thinks if one of the only things he can give the people of this town is a safe space to be themselves, then that's something he can live with.

max knowing about her brother and dustin's new bff, not becos they've told her, but becos it's the only thing that makes sense. billy not flying off the handle as easily these days, eddie not being able to sneak out billy's window anywhere near as quietly as lucas can sneak out hers, the fucking mixtape that permanently lives in billy's car these days. honestly it's insane that the entire state of indiana doesn't know. but max knows for as loud and obnoxious and fucking annoying as billy is, that this is something personal, private, and that if anyone - if neil - found out, god knows what the consequences would be. so she plays oblivious and obtuse, even though the second they're alone, she's instantly bullying him for being dumb and in love, even if he does give it right back, rolling his eyes at how eddie's gleefully bragged about running into lucas in the bushes at the side of the hargrove-mayfield residence multiple times, offering him a ride home every time, says they're gonna start their own side club to hellfire, some stupid dumb long title that's something like it's 4am i'm your daddy's worst nightmare i'm in your bushes i'm climbing your windows i'm in your house i'm fucking your son club but then billy's giving her a considering look from the drivers seat of his car and saying 'or daughter, i guess.' and max is sinking down in her seat and smacking billy on the arm and 'shut the fuck up, billy.'

#does the upside down exist here? is it modern au? we just don't know! #idk what this is im watching shrek so like. obviously this is where my heads at #m #nqff #/ eddie munson #mungrove #ignores all the bits and pieces i have in my drafts and writes whatever the fuck this is 😇

[acowardinmordor]

Idle thoughts for the historical royalty au it turns out I want to read, but can’t be bothered to write.

This is a fairly young or small kingdom. Early Plantagenets but less established.

Steve’s mom is more in the category of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She’s off in her own lands trying to fix the mess that the King made. The King forbade her taking Steve with her and they both have other lovers. Steve’s mom had several failed pregnancies when he was young, and at least one or two siblings that died too young for him to really remember.

The King is fighting yet another push against Not-France. Has been gone for at least two years, will be gone at least one more. Left his advisors and council in place, and gave Steve very little authority. He’s basically Henry the first. Except he’s Richard

Most of the important Lords and families left the capital when the King did, either to go on campaign, or back to their own homes. The adults who remain are either greedy and manipulative or too low ranked to have another option. Lots of the children of families are left there as good faith

Nancy and Barb are the daughters of nobility, not known for their social standing. Carol and Tommy are trying very hard to get/stay in Steve’s favor so they can elevate their and their families’ status. Joyce got elevated to a role like a chatelaine because the prior died while the king was gone. Hopper is Captain of the Guard.

Magic exists if you ask the right person, but in any official sense or statement there is science, religion, and blasphemous rumors.

El is for sure somewhere in the changeling shade of things. But in the sense that she got stolen, lived with the Unseelie Court, and escaped. Because he is the reason I am in this fandom; El follows the sound of music and laughter and finds Eddie.

Eddie lives with his uncle, who was in the last war, took an arrow to the knee and can’t serve again. Does odd jobs and repairs things for people. Eddie is supposed to be apprenticing as a scribe, but hates writing down ledgers of how much the Lords spend and how much they tax. It’s doomed from the start. But, it means he’s the rare example of a poor kid in the city who can read and write. He makes spare money telling stories, writing down and using bits of histories and rumors he hears while apprenticing. And because he travels from the town up to the court, he’s also doing a bit of unofficial trade.

Lucas helps at the stables. Mike wants to be a knight, but was too young to go with the king to war. Younger kids went, but the Wheelers are just noblé enough that he didn’t. Only son privileges. Will was sick as a kid, so he’s seen as kind of a ‘what’s the point’ but he learned to read a little, then spent so long sick he taught himself more.

Dustin flits around the court and castle, bullying people into explaining things to him. He has learned many things, and is still a little genius, but his reading is kinda self taught so he can’t always say why he’s right beyond saying that he is. Claudia came with the Queens court but stayed after the Queen left again. She’s in a weird important-but-not-noble position. Steve adores her because she was around more than his mom.

Actually. Yeah. Dial up the magic a little. The King conquered the region and stomped out most of the hedge-witch type folks. Also pissed off some of the more powerful ones as they fled. But the big piece is that he broke A Thing™ that served to hold the worlds separate. That was a least 15 years ago. The leak is slow/irs been getting worse.

Lucas’s family isn’t nobility, but they’re wealthier than some of the nobles. He’s the personable son with a fondness for horses, racing, hunts, etc.

Max and family moved to Hawkins and something something, Max is now working at a smithy. It’s not what she should be doing, but she’s really good at it. Also: horseshoes gets us LuMax.

Maybe the Hargrove were noble, mayfields weren’t. Lord Hargrove went to war, Billy has been there too, and the second you look away from max she’s back to doing what she wants.

Murray is something like a hedgewitch.

The Russians become some of the conquered people, looking for an opportunity to reclaim and lacking that: a chance to fuck things up for Hawkins.

Creel is def a kid from wayyy long ago, who got conned by the fae, but spent so long there that he’s got magic of his own, and a love/hate with a humans.

#steddie royalty au #just random thoughts #world building #I guess

[ahoysteviex]

Homie I’m asking politely for headcanons about Billy, Steve, or Jonathan dating Hopper’s son (assuming he adopted the reader like he did Eleven) 👀

The Boys with an S/O Who's Been Adopted by Hopper

contents: mild/brief nsfw under steve's, billy being an ass, fluff, reader is a senior and 18, reader is GN, minors DNI

Ko-fi

DO NOT LIKE WITHOUT REBLOGGING

Billy

you already know that Billy is doing everything he can to piss Hop off

leave the door open three inches? that bitch stays closed. no going out after a certain hour? that's when Billy's picking you up.

he's sneaking in your window, dressing you in shit Hop would never approve of, getting you to drink and/or smoke... you name it

he gets a sort of satisfaction from pissing your dad off, as evidenced by the smirk on his face whenever you protest with "Billy I can't, my dad will kill me!"

if Hopper ever confronts him, Billy plays stupid. Hop sees right through it, but with you standing right there, he can't push Billy against the wall and threaten him like he wants to. and Billy knows it. that's why he's smiling like that.

you'd be lying if you said the whole bad boy act didn't turn you on, but you still feel bad for your old man. you owe him a Billy-free movie night or two

as much as El does not like Billy, she's sometimes grateful that he takes the spotlight off of herself and Mike

whenever Billy gets Hopper all worked up, Mike seems like an angel by comparison and your dad seems to take it easy on him for the time being

Steve

Steve is a lot more respectful of Hopper and the rules he puts in place. in fact, he's almost scared to piss him off

he's definitely not perfect, though. sometimes he'll notice the clock tick past 8, but your lips on his just feel so good... ten more minutes can't hurt, right?

if you notice and say something, he'll take you home without protest, but he will pout a bit. "8 is so early. can't you get him to extend curfew just by, like, an hour?"

since Steve has already proven himself trustworthy with the kids (protecting them, babysitting, being in on the whole Upside Down business, etc.) Hopper will be open to letting you stay out with him a little later

maybe, maybe you'll even be able to spend the night at his house? but absolutely not on a school night and definitely not two nights in a row! and if your homework isn't finished when you get home, you're grounded for the rest of the year. (totally not exaggerating)

it'll take awhile to get Steve to quit making out with you in order to actually get your homework done, but he'll settle down eventually. he wants to stay in Hoppers good graces. just promise to wrap those pretty lips around his cock once you're done with chemistry?

overall, Hopper doesn't give Steve too much grief

Jonathan

Hopper is pleased when he finds out you and Jonathan are dating! he knows Joyce's boy is a good kid. how could he not be? look who he has for a mom!

Jonathan is also very respectful of Hop. He's always the one the point out the time or get nervous if you shut your door all the way

he'll take you home 20 minutes early if he notices, so you better keep his attention or hide every clock in sight

sometimes it can even get a little annoying with how much your dad likes Jonathan. your boyfriend will pick you up for a date and end up having a 20 minute conversation with your father while you wait by the car

the worst part is that he doesn't even mean to! he's not kissing Hop's ass, he's just a good guy. and your dad can tell; it's why he likes him so much!

if you ask to go out with Jonathan, Hop will sometimes ask if Jonathan wants to come over to watch a movie instead, fully intending to hang out with him himself. you'll end up third wheeling as they become best friends, so be careful

going over his house instead is always nice, though. you get to see Joyce! she's always asking how your dad is doing or if he's busy. sometimes she'll send food home for him or even send it with Jonathan whenever he comes over

Hopper is forgetful, though, and you're always the one to bring the tupperware back to Joyce

#stranger things 4 #stranger things volume 2 #billy hargrove #billy hargove x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #jonathan byers #jonathan byers x reader #jim hopper #hopper byers family #my writing

[ellewritesandrants]

I was inspired to write some Billy and Max wingmanning for each other because of this post from @11willgrahamseyes11 because why not?

Imagine it’s post S3 where Billy survived and Max just found out that Neil had left Hawkins. She heads to the hospital to tell her brother, because that’s what he was, that his dad had just skipped town to avoid paying medical bills he wasn’t even going to be charged for.

“Neil left?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Billy.”

“Figures he got sick of having a queer disabled freak for a son.” Billy scoffed.

Max slapped his shoulder, confident enough to do so after months of proper communication, bonding and actually getting to be siblings and not each other’s burdens to bear.

“Hey! Don’t talk about my brother that way, asshole. And anyway, Neil would have eventually realized he had two queer kids and he’d probably have run even faster.”

Billy eyes snapped to hers.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

A peaceful moment of silence passed before Billy broke it.

“Is it that psychic chick, the one that’s dating Wheeler?”

Max immediately bristled.

“How’d you know?”

“Let’s just say I know what it feels like to pine after someone who’s in love with a Wheeler.”

Max took a good minute to think before it finally clicked.

“Steve? You like Steve?”

“Don’t be so loud, Maxie! But, yeah, I like Steve. Anything wrong with that?”

“A lot. Steve’s a dumbass, Billy.”

“Hey! I think it’s cute. Anyway, that El girl isn’t the most talkative girl in the world.”

“But I like that about her.”

“Well, I guess we’re both saps for people who’ll never like us back.”

“I don’t know. I think I might have a chance if I can convince her to break up with her boyfriend.”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Lucas? I broke up with him months ago after he didn’t even try to give you a chance to apologize. If he wanted to get me back, he knew what he should have done and if he doesn’t want to, then good riddance.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. After all, it’s me and you against the world, right, Kill Bill?”

“It’s me and you against the world, Mad Max.”

Since Billy wanted at least one of them to get their happy ending, he gets Max to ask El if she was willing to visit Billy so they could talk about the memories she’s seen and of course, El agrees.

Billy hasn't really had any visitors outside of Max ever since he was admitted into the hospital due to him being in the PICU for the first three months and only allowing a limited number of people inside to visit him. It's been another three months since he was moved to a regular room and the doctors had just cleared Billy to receive more visitors but to keep them to 2-4 people to avoid overcrowding.

None of his so-called friends actually visited but he had somewhat expected it. Tommy had promised to visit after sending a letter checking in but he and Carol were busy at the college their dads bought them into so it left the basketball team who stopped by after practice once to tell him how badly they were doing without him and how they couldn't wait to have him on the court again.

None of Max's friends have been by either but Billy heard from Max about a big fight they'd had regarding Billy and how the boys refused to think that Billy was anything but evil, forcing Max, El and Will to branch away because Will was hurt since he'd also been possessed and therefore, just as evil and El hated how they treated Billy as a monster when he was just as much a victim as she was.

Hopper doesn't really trust Billy but after he allows it on the condition that Max stays in the room which Billy doesn't fight. They have a nice chat about the memories, most of which Max wasn't aware of but it actually helps them since Billy's willing to trust Max enough to bare his soul to her willingly.

After they have an emotional talk about bad fathers who need to be kept out of their lives as well as absent mothers who tried, Billy shifts the conversation more to school because he's been helping Max keep on top of her classes so he offered the same to El.

Max quickly corrects Billy and tells him that El was homeschooled due to her not being allowed to study because of the lab. Billy has the bright idea of tutoring El during the day since he wasn't really doing anything and he was bored out of his mind and running out of books to read that Max would borrow from the library for him.

It would not only give him something to do but also a way to see if Max actually had a chance that didn't involve Max getting hurt. He could also help El who seemed like she really did need help, just like he did.

Of course, they ran it past Hopper who initially wanted nothing to do with Billy Hargrove until Max told him the truth about Neil. Hopper was eventually worn down by El who was tired of being stuck at the cabin with no one to talk to and he agreed under the condition that he'd be there during the first few sessions.

Once Hopper was there, he took the sessions as a chance to confirm what El said and when he really, truly looked at Billy, he saw a reflection of the kid he used to be, abused and alone and he realized why El had wanted to get to know Billy and to be his friend.

It also didn't hurt that Billy was an honors student who used to tutor in California during the weekdays for extra cash and he was used to being a tutor and helping students with their studies.

Hopper worked out a deal with Billy that El would come over three times a week when she was supposed to have school and he would help her for a daily rate.

She progressed in leaps and bounds under someone who was used to working around certain hang-ups and Billy was able to help El, whom he commonly called Jane or Janie to find a way of studying that worked for her that wasn't just reading books and answering worksheets.

Her progress astounded the newly together Joyce and Hopper, leading to her asking if Billy could do the same for Will since he wasn't really talking to the other boys.

Soon, Billy's hospital room became the trio's common hang-out spot after school, with Will and Max either biking, skating or walking together so that they could get help on their homework from Billy after he and El were done with their lessons for the day.

The entire time that Billy had been tutoring the kids, he'd been observing the interactions between El and Max and it really did seem like his little sister had a chance. Of course, there was still the tiny hang-up in the form of Mike Wheeler and Lucas Sinclair who apparently still didn't get the hint that their respective relationships were over.

Since El, Max and Will were all comfortable with Billy, once they were done with their homework and lessons, they usually talked about anything under the sun to help El be more familiar with popular culture and how the world worked so one day, Billy slyly got the conversation to head towards gender expression and sexuality.

He'd learned a lot in California that he couldn't really put into practice in Hawkins but he was reasonably sure that these three kids in particular would be able to accept him and would actually benefit from what he said.

Billy had ended up coming out of the closet to the kids who swore to keep it a secret and he answered any and all questions they had. El was surprised that women could be with other women and men could be with other men or with multiple people because all Hopper and Mike had ever told her was that boys went with girls and vice versa.

This led to Will and El to question their sexualities and to realize that maybe they weren't as straight as they assumed. Will was definitely getting a case of hero worship for the older teen and it showed when he got home, enough that Joyce was able to paint a clear picture of Billy's life which she didn't like.

She came to visit him once without El to confirm her assumptions and she made sure to tell him that he was always welcome at their house after everything he's done for them. Billy had teared up and he'd gotten his first hug from a mom in months since Susan had ended up falling into a pit of alcoholism again.

Joyce had reamed Hopper afterwards for not being able to help Billy beforehand and how Hopper would have to make things up to Billy after he was discharged. Joyce would keep visiting Billy, often bringing food to share and occasionally, bringing Hopper along with her to help the bigger man to see Billy as she saw him, a lonely kid in need of parental guidance.

Almost a whole school year passed with an increase in the tension between Max and El but no action on either side of the pair. Will was El's confidant and he was slowly going crazy about how El ranted and raved about how pretty and smart Max was without doing anything about it.

Billy, on the other hand, was tired about hearing all about how cute and adorable El was from his little sister and while he had partially caused this to happen, he also didn't want to keep hearing about it.

So, Billy made plans. He was getting discharged pretty soon and his physical therapy was going pretty well, enough that he was looking to be in shape and back to peak condition in a few months and that he was being allowed behind the wheel.

Truth be told, Billy had fully recovered by the time he started tutoring the kids but the doctors and scientists still couldn't understand why he was still alive and how he had survived. The past few months were heavily focused on physical and mental therapy to help him get over the ordeal and to be able to live a normal life.

Billy would be forced to take his senior year a year late but he didn't mind since it would allow him to be able to watch the kids for their first year in high school, enough to at least protect them from the worst of it after hearing how badly Will had been bullied before.

The first thing Billy did after getting out of the hospital was to get Hopper to take him to his fully repaired car so he could get over the mental block of being behind the wheel and actually being in control.

After going around town with Joyce in the front seat, cheering him on, he went to pick up the kids on their last day of middle school so they could celebrate.

The entirety of Hawkins was shocked to find Billy Hargrove driving his signature Camaro, thinner and more lithe than before but happier than they had ever seen him, picking up his little sister and spinning her in a hug and immediately pulling Will "the Fairy" Byers into an other hug after.

The rest of the party watched in awe and shock at the scene, not knowing that Will had even talked to Billy after everything. Steve was also equally in shock but it also felt like the first time he had ever seen Billy Hargrove.

After, Billy stopped by the new Byers-Hopper house to pick up El and he invited Jonathan to come with them for dinner at the diner where Joyce and Hopper would meet them. He and Jonathan had had a few conversations since he'd come to the hospital to pick up and drop off Will, El or both of the teens and they'd come to bond over shitty fathers and the small overlap of the musicians they liked.

Weirdly enough, it was the exact same diner that Steve had brought the other boys to celebrate their last day of school since it was beside the arcade. Billy had been half tempted to leave but having Max by his side made him brave enough to brave the stares that followed him.

He hadn't let their glares get in the way of his first real meal outside of the hospital and he enjoyed dinner for the first time in a long time surrounded by people who cared about him.

After he paid using some of the government’s compensation, Max managed to convince him to show El the ropes in the arcade because he had been the one who had taught her most of the tricks that she used to get the high score.

The boys and Steve couldn't help their curiosity once Billy and the rest of the kids entered the arcade and they watched from a distance as Billy blew all of the high scores on all of the machines out of the water without even breaking a sweat.

Max saw this as the perfect time to set her brother up with his crush so she tricked Steve into agreeing into a competition on the basketball shooting game with Billy. Having them play side-by-side ignited the adrenaline rush that Steve used to feel when he was playing against Billy but this time, he was happy and excited and not angry.

By the end of 5 rounds, Billy had trounced him completely but Steve took his defeat graciously, even offering a rematch in swimming in his heated pool.

While the boys were having their friendly competition, the rest of the party, namely Dustin, Lucas and Mike were apologizing to Will, Max and El about not believing them when it came to Billy. It was obvious to see that he had changed a lot from the person he used to be and they wanted their friends back.

Max and subsequently El refused to accept their apology until Billy accepted their apology but Will quickly forgave his childhood best friends. Will had missed playing D&D with his friends and being able to talk them and not just to his family, including his new sister and her crush.

As soon as the friendly competition between Billy and Steve was over, the boys apologized to Billy who decided to be the bigger person and accept it while also apologizing for how he used to be.

Billy's made leaps and bounds of progress in therapy as to why he was the way he was and he was well on his way to become the person he wanted to be which meant forgiveness and understanding on both sides of the party.

The next weekend, Billy got permission from Joyce and Hopper to take El and Max to the mall in the next town over so he could finally get them to go on a date. Of course, Max hijacked his plans by subtly inviting Will to get the boys to watch a movie and of course, have Steve drive them.

While the boys were watching a movie, Steve was wandering aimlessly just as Billy was and in a small mall in Indiana, they were bound to cross paths. Steve couldn't help but want to get to know this new Billy so they ate a snack together at the food court and they passed a few hours getting to know each other.

The mall trip was a success on both ends because Max was finally brave enough to ask El to be her girlfriend while Steve was brave enough to set a date on the swimming rematch they planned to have.

It took a few months of summer loving before Steve finally worked the courage to kiss Billy and ask him to be his boyfriend but he eventually got there even if he had needed the intervention of the party because they were tired of his pining.

The Mayfield-Hargrove siblings were good wingmen to each other and they had a 100% success rate in stealing partners from the Wheelers.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove au #billy and max #billy hargrove is good with kids #max mayfield & billy hargrove #max mayfield #billy deserved better #billy hargrove deserved better #harringrove #steve harrington #billy x steve #billy hargrove redemption #stranger things rewrite #ellewritesandrants #elmax #el hopper #billy and will #will byers #el and will #joyce x hopper #joyce byers #jim hopper

[writer-in-theory]

Piece By Piece

Summary: When Max calls for Hopper’s help one night, everything changes. Prompt: C1 - Jim Hopper as Billy’s Dad Pairing: Billy Hargrove & Jim Hopper, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Rating: Teen Word Count: 3.3k Content Warnings: Child Abuse (Neil Hargrove is a piece of shit) Read On AO3: here A/N: This is my fifth fill for @billyhargrovebingo !! As always, huge thanks to @serenity-lattes and @lcvingprentjss for beta-ing and for coming up with the title. 

Billy Hargrove Bingo Masterlist

It was the middle of the night when Jim Hopper got the call.

When he’d given his phone number to everyone involved in the Upside Down business, he’d never actually expected anyone to need it. After all, the kids seemed to want to handle trouble on their own (as irritatingly dangerous as that was) and the teens weren’t likely to want to lean on the chief of police for help after he’d busted half of them for underage drinking at parties at least once before. His phone number had always been intended to be a failsafe, a way for them to contact him when shit had already gone down and they’d gotten themselves into trouble trying to fix it. 

Yet, at 2:38 in the morning on February 7th, 1985, Max Mayfield called Jim Hopper. He’d only met the girl briefly back in November—back then mostly distracted by the exorcism they were performing on Will Byers and the sudden reappearance of his magical daughter—but even then Jim would’ve described her as a spitfire. She never let any of the guys bother her and was never one to be overspoken and ignored. She was fearless in a way that not many adults were, and Jim could say he was thankful she and his daughter became such good friends if only because he knew she would look out for El. 

On the phone that night, however, she sounded like an entirely different person. The girl’s voice shook and she sounded breathless with fear. The instant she said that she needed his help, that her brother needed his help, Jim took off out of the house. Jim drove down the country roads at speeds he would never have dared touch before, because if fucking monsters from another world couldn’t strike that kind of fear in her then what could?

There weren’t too many police calls that would stick in Jim’s head forever, but that one would.

I think Neil’s gonna really kill Billy this time, Hopper. 

Even from outside, he could hear the shouting, eerily reminiscent of his own father’s voice. As Jim stepped up to the house, one hand over the gun on his hip, he had to remind himself that the old bastard had been dead for years. Good fucking riddance. Neil Hargrove wasn’t dead though and was instead seemingly trying to give his son that very fate Jim had avoided by signing up for the military straight after school. Jim had seen some fathers give warning smacks to their kids when they spoke out and had even told himself once or twice that the kid had probably done something to warrant it, but never before had he seen this kind of anger directed against a kid before. 

Jim Hopper wanted to kill Neil Hargrove. If he thought there was a way to get away with it, he might have considered it due to the amount of suffering he’d put his own son through that night. Billy was on the ground of the living room, knees tucked up to his chest and arms bent over his head to protect the most vulnerable parts of his body, not trying to fight back or defend himself despite his clear ability to fight based on how the Harrington boy had looked after that night in November. Neil was over him, a belt abandoned beside his ankle as he rained fists down over the boy. 

Jim nearly saw red at the sight—the cruel merciless grin Neil wore as he watched Billy lay there, practically responseless to the violence. 

“This is the Chief of Police, get on your goddamn knees!” Jim shouted, actually pulling the gun into his grasp when the other man seemed to consider his next moves for a second. “On your knees, Neil!”

It was nearly impossible to remain strictly professional after. If Neil had a few extra bruises by the time Powell and Callahan got there, then neither mentioned it.  Sure, it happened in the takedown. How did it feel, Neil, to be as vulnerable and powerless as you made your son? They did offer (or require) that they handle Neil from then on whether for Jim’s sake or Neil’s, leaving Jim to deal with the aftermath at the house on Cherry Lane.

The wife, Susan, had grabbed Max and gone outside, sobbing about how terrifying the experience had been. Max was yelling at her for not trying to stop it, and while the whole thing made Jim sick to his stomach he could almost understand why she didn’t put herself in front of those fists. It was clear Neil had been in a blind rage and was capable of literal murder if he’d had enough time. It wasn’t right, leaving the poor kid to deal with that kind of rage alone, but survival instincts were strange in even the best of conditions. 

The kid, Billy, had picked himself up by then, pointedly staring at his socked feet instead of at Jim. The image of him now was a far cry from the delinquent teenager who already had a number of speeding warnings and noise complaints from the music in his car. He could see the words in Billy’s file flashing up at him now: attitude, trouble with authority, flight risk. It made horrible sense now, seeing what nightmare he had to deal with at home. The kid didn’t even look surprised, more so closed-off, like he’d purposefully numbed himself to what was happening. 

Jim had to shake his head to clear it from the pictures of his own high school days when he’d used rebellion as a way to cover up all of the goddamn hurt. Far too many people had failed this kid already, leaving him to deal with this mess alone, but Jim knew he wouldn’t—couldn’t—add his name to that list. 

“C’mon, kid, we gotta get you checked out at the hospital,” Jim said, trying to look anywhere but at the bruised boy if only to spare him some dignity. “I’ll drive you.”

“I’m not going to a hospital,” Billy spoke then, voice harsh but eyes still downcast, focused on a red stain in the carpet that Jim was trying hard to avoid. 

“You’re pretty banged up, it’s the safe thing to do.”

“Never needed it before,” Billy fought again, the words searing into Jim’s brain and pulling out a wince. It was clear that this kind of route was going to go nowhere then. 

And maybe it was crazy but—

“Alright, but you can’t stay here. We gotta secure the scene.” Did they? Either way, Susan was taking Max to stay with a friend of theirs, and there was no way Billy could recover from this alone. “Come back to mine. I got a first aid kit and a safe place to land.”

“I don’t need your help, Sir,” Billy pushed back, but the moment he tried to walk back down a long hallway of doors—bedrooms?—he stumbled, catching himself with a hand on the wall. 

“C’mon, kid. At least let me get you somewhere safe. You got somewhere else in mind, tell me and I’ll drive you,” Jim tried again, willing his voice softer than he thought he could ever make it. 

Under any other circumstances, it’s clear Billy would’ve fought harder. Now, though, he looked worn down to the bone and like he might collapse if he had to stay on his feet any longer. So he just shrugged and walked to the front door, pulling on his boots and moving to stand by the passenger side of Jim’s car. 

The ride was awkward, to say the least. It felt a little like a bomb was tied to the roof of the car, threatening to detonate if either of them dared break the silence. Billy sat on the edge of his seat, pressed as far against the window as possible, arms around his middle like he was holding himself in. Even as they pulled up to the cabin (which, admittedly may not look like the safest place out in the middle of the woods), Billy held onto himself. He didn’t get out of the car until Jim did, following him into the cabin and standing in the middle like he didn’t know what to do with himself. 

“The first aid kit is in the bathroom on the left. If you need help—”

“I’ve got it,” Billy snapped, not unlike an injured animal biting the person who helps them because they’re cornered. 

The kid found the bathroom okay, shutting and locking the door, leaving Jim to get the bedroom set up with fresh sheets, and leaving some sweatpants and a t-shirt that could pass for pajamas folded on the bed. Jim’s back already hurt at the thought of sleeping in his armchair for the night, but it was worth it to ensure the kid had a safe place to land after such a horrific night.

Billy didn’t come out for another two hours, and when he did he went right to the bedroom, eyes watching Jim the whole way. When Jim didn’t move or say anything—he remembered this feeling too well, knew the wrong thing could set the kid’s recovery back years—Billy closed the bedroom door, disappearing behind that too.

Jim sighed and settled into the armchair for the night, already knowing he wouldn’t be getting any sleep. Instead, he watched TV at low volume and listened out for any sign that either of the kids in his house was having a nightmare. 

In the morning, before the sun was even up, footsteps woke Jim up. They were quiet, feather-light, and if it weren’t for his years in the military Jim might have missed them. When he turned around, Billy was standing by the front door, a hand gripped around the handle.

“You don’t have to go,” Jim offered, already knowing how this would end. Someone like Billy wouldn’t trust him immediately, as frustrating as it was. “There’s plenty of space if you need somewhere to land.”

“I don’t,” Billy answered, eyes watching the front door. “I’m not a fucking charity case.”

In moments Billy yanked open the door and hurried out, slamming it behind him. 

Trouble with authority. Flight risk.

Maybe it was better to let him go, to let Billy reach out for help when he was ready for it. Jim didn’t really know how to do any of this and had never really been given an instruction manual on how to help out lost kids, but he did know that letting Billy leave in the middle of winter was a bad idea.

“Billy,” Jim called, jogging down the dirt driveway to catch up with the kid. “Hey, I know you’re not a charity case, alright? But where are you gonna go?”

“I have a car,” Billy told him like that solved everything.

“This isn’t like California, you’ll freeze to death tonight if you sleep in that thing.” Jim involuntarily shivered at the thought of the kid actually spending the night out here alone in this kind of weather, Jim already freezing after just a few minutes exposed to it. “I’m not saying you have to stay forever, but look, kid—”

“Stop calling me that, I’m not a kid.”

“Until you’re 18, you are,” Jim corrected, rolling his eyes at the kid’s attitude. It was obvious now what it was—a defense mechanism, the prickled pines of a porcupine meant to keep others at a distance—but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. “Billy, look. I don’t beg often, but please stay here until you have somewhere safe to land.”

Billy watched him for a moment, expression still guarded but at least not running away. Then, finally, he sighed. “You’re really not gonna give up, are you?”

“Not likely.”

Billy nodded then and followed Jim back into the house. It felt like a major victory, even though Jim knew there was still a long road ahead of them.

Billy stayed mostly distant for a week. 

Most of his time in the cabin was spent in his bedroom, door closed and not a sound emitting from the other side of it until it was time for dinner. El asked after him often, saying she could feel him hurting, but Jim couldn’t force him to socialize with them. He didn’t want to act even a little like Neil lest the kid never trusts him, so he trod lightly. He’d at least asked Jim if he could stay, stating that there wasn’t anywhere else in town he could go. He just needed until he graduated, Billy had said, as if Jim could ever kick him out so soon.

It was Steve Harrington who changed everything. 

Jim had never liked the Harrington boy, if only because he was the spitting image of Robert Harrington. He’d even acted just like him too—right down to the annual birthday party that nearly the entire Hawkins High population attended and usually resulted in several noise complaints from the other residents of Loch Nora. As far as Jim was concerned, the kid was arrogant, self-centered, and entitled in a way that no person should ever get to be.

The kids begged to differ, as they all liked to remind him whenever they saw El. Jim knew the kid had saved them on more than one occasion, but it was hard to reconcile that idea with who he knew the kid to be.

That self-centered, entitled teenager didn’t exist now, that much was clear just from the panic and determination on his face when he stood outside of Jim’s cabin.

“Where’s Billy?” Harrington demanded the second Jim opened the door.

Jim raised an eyebrow at the lack of greeting, wondering what could have the kid so panicked. Had Billy tried to pick another fight with him? Had Steve?

“Look, Harrington, he’s not h—”

“Bullshit!” Harrington shouted, then at least looked embarrassed as he added, “Uh, sir.”

When Jim didn’t say anything, the kid continued. “I know he’s here. I need to see him.”

“Nope, sorry, kid,” Jim answered, already starting to shut the door. Harrington was relentless though, throwing himself between the frame and the door to stop its movement. “You’re not starting a fight here.”

“I’m not—” Harrington started, cutting himself off and running a hand swiftly through his hair. “C’mon, Hop, I really need to see him.”

“Why?”

“Trust me, please.” Jim didn’t want to. He would never have trusted a Harrington with anything, much less the hurt boy he was sheltering. But Steve looked earnest now, brown eyes wide and pleading in a way that was quickly melting down whatever defenses Jim had constructed.

“He’s in his bedroom, first door on the left,” Jim relented, moving out of the way as Steve practically sprinted into the cabin. 

Steve knocked once, announcing it was him. Within seconds the door was opening, Billy flashing Jim a nervous look before Steve stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

And, well, Jim didn’t mean to listen in, he really didn’t. The thing was, the walls of the cabin were shoddily built and wildly thin, and it wasn’t like either boy was exactly trying to keep their voice low. Even so, Jim could only pick up bits and pieces of their conversation while he sat in his armchair, TV volume up in a lame attempt at giving them privacy.

“Are you okay? What happened? Did....”

“He found out, about this. Us. He....”

“Shit. What...”

“...here at this fuckin’ cabin in the woods.”

“...Could stay with me if...”

“Your parents, Stevie. I can’t...”

“...love...”

Oh, shit. 

Jim mashed the power button on the TV, mind racing with every thought that one word conjured in him. Love. Were Billy and the Harrington boy together? Was that why Neil had nearly killed his own son that night? Jim supposed it made sense, also explaining why Billy was still distrusting him. And yeah, it was a weird thought. Jim didn’t have any experience dealing with anything like this, but both boys were good kids and surely that meant all of this was okay too? It was just love, in the same way that he and Joyce were tip-toeing around each other. It was as simple as that. 

He walked over to the bedroom door, knocking against it twice with one knuckle on a finger. “Hey, kid?”

There was scrambling behind the door for a few seconds before Billy opened it, not making direct eye contact with Jim.

“I was gonna order pizza for dinner, what do you and Harrington like?” Jim asked, mentally wincing at the surprised look on Billy’s face. Did he really think Jim would respond badly to clearly overhearing all of this?

“Uh, whatever’s fine, sir,” Billy answered quickly, glancing back at where Steve was standing beside the bed, idly looking around the room like he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Jim asked Billy, nodding his head toward the front door. Billy looked back at Steve one more time before following Jim, sitting down on the front step of the cabin.

“I can be out of here tonight,” Billy stated the second they sat down, pulling a startled grunt from Jim. “I just need to make a bag and—”

“What? I’m not kicking you out, kid. I meant it when I said you have a place here,” Jim told him. “I just need to know. You and Harrington. Is that why...?”

“Dad beat the shit outta me? Yeah,” Billy scoffed, wrapping his arms around his knees. “He went digging in my stuff and found a picture we’d taken together. You’re really not freaked out?”

“I won’t lie and say I know what I’m doing, but as long as you’re both happy, I’m all for it,” Jim responded, pulling out a cigarette and holding the box out for Billy. 

“Wait, really?”

“I’m not gonna kick you out because you found someone to love,” Jim returned, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ll be a part of this ragtag little family as long as you like. I mean it, Billy.”

It was silent for a long time after that. Jim didn’t really mind, leaving Billy to sit with his thoughts while they both burned through their cigarettes. It was only when Jim was stomping his out that Billy spoke up again, voice quieter than he’d ever heard it before.

“Thanks. I...thanks.”

It wasn’t many words, but Jim could hear through it. He could hear how hard it was for Billy to say, could hear the slight strangle around the words from the emotions the kid had forced back. He heard how much the offer meant, even when Billy had never made it clear before. 

None of this would be easy. Jim was learning as he went, and he suspected there was still a lot to learn about being a guardian for someone as hurt as Billy. It would be a long road ahead, but Jim was ready to drive it so long as Billy had the chance to recover in ways Jim had never gotten. 

“C’mon, let’s go get dinner for El and Harrington,” Jim finally said, standing up and digging his keys out of his jeans pocket. “Oh, and Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“If Harrington really is something to you, I have one rule in the house. Keep the door three inches open when he’s over.”

Billy grinned for the first time since Jim got that phone call, and it felt like the best victory Jim would ever have. 

#stranger things #billy hargrove #harringrove #steve harrington #jim hopper #jim hopper as billy's dad