#El and Max for the sibling bonds | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hargrove-mayfields · 1 year

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For my best friend, @eddie-munsons-guitar86!

Raven requested: Angela and her crew harassing el outside of highschool and billy stepping in

trigger warnings for: bullying, sexual harassment, ableism, and implied abuse.

In California, El is allowed to go to school.

In California, the people aren’t like the party. They aren’t her friends.

Max told her that when she and her brother moved into the duplex apartment next to the new house she shares with her family. It’s nice to have people so close who know their secret. Person.

Only Max ever visits for dinner. She’s not scared of Max’s big brother. Not even when she watches him burn their Christmas card from her window, or when she sees the big tears in his eyes that reflect in the first. He stopped burning them after she left a few dozen more in their mailbox.

If Will is her brother, and the party are her friends, then Max is more than all of that combined. But she isn’t here right now. She has classes in the other end of the building, for the program El isn’t allowed into. Joyce says it’s special, what Max learns, and it makes her jealous, but she’s happy.

They meet up at the end of every day outside, sometimes Max gives her a bracelet she made in class, or a sticker she found on her paper, and always a kiss on the cheek, and then they ride home in their cars.

But today…

“Hey snitch! Wait up.”

Angela. Her worst not-friend. Max says her voice sounds like chalkboard nails and vomit. Whatever that means, El agrees. It makes her feel a chill in her spine that makes her walk a little faster out of the front doors.

Her automatic response is to try to reject her, “School is over, Angela.”

There’s more of her friends than there is El though. Max is on the other side of the school, and El is closed in right outside the front door. Dread burns under her skin.

She’s reminded of the last time, when she tried to use her powers. Max wasn’t here in their new town yet, so nobody told her what to do. Nobody knew.

There’s three things. Walk away. Get help. Fight back, with fists. Until it’s that bad, she tries to just go fast.

But Angela catches her by the arm. “Hey, now. We just wanted to catch up.”

El sets her jaw, stays determined, “I'm going home.”

“Hm, you’re cute.” Angela sneers at her. El doesn’t understand what that has to do with anything. Will tried to teach her about ‘sarcasm.’ That must be what it is, but she doesn’t have time to work through it before Angela is laughing in her face.

The bully flicks the front of her shirt, where there's a patch by one of the buttons that ripped off. “Well, not really. I mean, just look at what you’re wearing. What is this, Cinderella?”

“Cinder-ella?” El can’t even tell if it’s mean. She’s just confused.

Until someone from Angela’s crowd shouts, clearing away any doubt, “It means you're ugly and poor.”

Her face turns red and warm. Embarrassed. They talk to her like a child. A stupid child. That’s what they call her. “That isn’t nice.”

It wasn’t the right thing to say. They say she’s slow. That she can’t keep up. It feels that way every time Angela speaks again. El doesn’t get any of it.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll help you. Just think of me like, your fairy godmother.”

It’s not hard to understand what happens next.

Angela grabs the sleeve of her patched-up shirt, and pulls. It knocks El off her balance and she falls. Her backpack is heavy, and it makes her tip over on her front. The sidewalk scrapes her hands and makes them burn.

Hunched over, there are people behind her. They look at her strangely. They say things.

“No wonder she hides under all those ugly clothes.”

”Looks like the freak grew up.”

El doesn’t know what’s wrong with her. Her body.

And then the touches start. One of the boys smacks her on the bottom. She falls forward again and they all laugh.

So they keep doing it.

Then their hands start to linger.

“Stop it!” El demands, with the most power she can manage in her voice.

But her powers are gone. And she’s scared.

“We just want to get to know you better, Jane.” Angela kneels down to address her to her face. While the boys who are her friends hurt El. She pouts. Fake. Like a snap, that face changes.

“So why don’t you open up!” She grabs the shirt El is wearing by the neck part, and pulls again. Laughs.

The shirt tears in half. It was broken when it got washed, before that it was Hoppers. Now there’s just one sleeve left on her. She’s just in a tank top and jeans and the scraps of her dad's shirt. Cold.

Cold tears on her face.

The bullies are laughing. Hurting her. Yelling.

“Everyone, come help poor Jane!”

“Tell her what you think of her new look!”

Across the parking lot, parked in the only blue painted space on campus, is the scariest person she’s not scared of.

For fifteen minutes every weekday, Billy smokes a cigarette while he waits to pick Max up. Just Max. He doesn’t have the time of day to chauffeur her little friends around. He spends enough time waiting around, like there’s shit else better he can do than waste his life away looking out for his shitty little sister.

Not that he believes that anymore.

But it keeps his mind busy from the ache in his chest and the faint taste of blood that accompanies every cigarette. Every day is the same damn thing. The most interesting thing that happens is a small crowd gathering right by the front entrance of the school.

Usually he just keeps an eye on the bus doors, since that’s where Max always leaves from, but he’s been extra high alert lately. Tipped off by the shitbird herself about some new bully chick that’d been bothering them all since they started up school this year.

Running with a gut feeling, he decides to check it out further for himself. The worst that could happen is it wasn’t Max or her friends, and he still helps some random kid out. Not ideal for the loner image he’s been going for since the accident, but better than standing by while some freshman gets the shit beat out of them or something. He’d done enough of that uncaring shit.

If there’s one thing Billy Hargrove is good at, it’s being intimidating. His name carries implications anymore, rumors and half-truths turning him into this figure shrouded in mystery and paranoia.

He can use that to his advantage.

He approaches the chaos, cigarette dangling from his lips, thumbs hooked through his belt loops. It’s not really intimidating, he looks like a fake cowboy from the westerns his dad used to watch with the volume turned up too loud to drown out the sound of some other violence, but to a bunch of freshmen, it will do.

“The hell’s going on over here?”

They clearly know who he is. Even here in their old home, the reputation of being Zombie boy number two followed him. Someone looked him up in the papers and found out some shit they weren’t supposed to know. It makes it too easy.

One of the brats, not the one that has her hands on the girl, rebuts, “We don’t have to answer to you, freak.”

How original.

Billy rolls his eyes. He’s too old for this.

Something those little shits aren’t expecting is for him to flick his cigarette away, and blow the last of the smoke in one of their nasty faces. It’s intimidation, it’s gross, it’s scandalous. The audacity!

The circle of them breaks into two halves, so he shoves past the stragglers to stand between them and El. She stands up behind him and turns the other way. Too embarrassed to even face the people who hurt her get put in their place. A little more fuel hits the rage fire burning in Billy’s brain.

They want a monster? A freak? He’ll give ‘em one.

First priority is giving the girl something to cover up with. He shrugs off his jacket and tosses it down beside her to take when she wants it. She grabs it immediately and wraps it around herself, looking the most like a scared kid he’s ever seen her. That’s saying a lot.

There’s scars all over him. His arms, his chest, his face. Doctors did a number on him trying to fix what the shadow did. He’s weak. He hurts.

But these shitty kids don’t need to know that. All they need to know is that he’s got a past, and the nasty red and white bumps to prove it.

They look set off just from him removing his jacket. This is going to be easy.

“You know, in my last town. Population went down by a couple digits ‘fore I left. Shouldn’t be too hard to catch up now. Just need a match and a bottle of something strong. I’ll make quick work of it.”

Almost word for word what the tabloid papers said. He laughs bitterly at his own words.

“That’s all just a bunch of rumors though.”

You’d think nobody ever stood up to them before. Staring at him like a bunch of damn fish gasping for a last breath. Sheltered little fucks never had to deal with consequences. It gives Billy an idea.

He’s still no saint. Might as well use up that bitter rage pooling in his chest just waiting for a lit match to hit and engulf him in it again.

So he takes it up one more notch. Billy haunches over, so they seem smaller and he seems more capable of doing anything other than posing in a certain unsettling way.

He’s right in the face of the ringleader, watching her cocky confidence drain away into concern. Fear.

He’ll entertain that, “Don’t you want to know how I got my scars?”

“It was from a fire.” The preppy blonde chick doesn’t seem so brave now, suggesting that answer skeptically.

Billy laughs at her, for dramatic effect. He’s still got too much shit to work through about Starcourt to actually feel anything though. “No, that’s what they said.”

Angela, or whatever her name is, seems to get what he means. She also seems about five seconds away from pissing her pants in fear. Good.

These kids can assault girls they barely know, but can’t stand a little ghost story. Serves them damn right.

“Just remember that. If I ever see you kids near Jane again, there might just be a new rumor in our very own Lenora hills.” Billy threatens, letting his voice drop as rough and mean as he can.

“They’ll say it was a fire, alright. An accident. Just. Like. Last time.”

Maybe he meant that a little too much.

Maybe he still blames himself.

Maybe he had to save the girl again. To prove something to himself.

Before it becomes too real, he tells them, “Go.”

Worse than Hawkins, they run. Scattered across the flat parking lot like pillars of an overarching shadow. Billy feels sick.

After the last of them are out of his sight, He finally turns his attention to the little girl. Call it a favor for saving his life. Not that he’d need a reason. The poor girl’s been through a lot, but nothing like this. She looks so scared it makes him want to tear all those shitty little bastards apart.

Eyes still fixed to the front, Billy asks her, carrying too much tension and hurt in his voice for his own good, “You alright back there?”

She picks up her bag, the few things that spilled from it, and declares, like she’s unfazed, “Yes.”

Billy knows what that’s like. Pretending to be strong. He knows she knows too. He can’t pretend he’s not worried about the kid, after everything.

“They didn’t hurt you or anythin’? ‘Cause I could chase ‘em down and show them a thing or two about karma.” He offers. She’s seen the things he can do in his head, so she’ll know he means it.

The kid must be better than he is though, because she just shakes her head, highlighting the fact that those assholes roughed up her hair into tangles.

“No. Just.. upset.”

Billy takes her word for it. He’s distanced himself since July. There’s no need to push it. “I hear you. Your brother drive you today?”

“He’s at home ill. Will and me are going to ride on the bus.” She explains it so carefully, like that’s the right answer. Those assholes will be on the bus though. He’s not leaving two kids to fend for themselves out there.

He shakes his keys, and acts casual about it. Whether it’s to act cool or just to make sure he doesn’t upset El more, he’s not sure yet, but he does know he’s going to do the right thing, “Come on. I’ll give you shits a ride then.”

Billy lets her go at her pace. He’s on guard already, she’ll be safe behind her while they walk back to his car.

Max already made it there, the Byers kid is with her too, probably looking for his sister. Billy almost feels bad to step out of the way and let them see the shape she’s in.

The second they see El, her face red with tears, her hair in knots and wearing Billy’s jacket, Max gasps, rushing to her side across the space that’s left between them. She touches her face, looking her over, “Oh my god, El! What happened?”

Billy remembers when Max was rushing to him like that, screaming his name as his whole world went black. He shivers, and leans against his Firebird, the replacement for his Camaro.

“I-“ El opens her mouth to explain, but she shakes her head. All the emotions hit her all over again and she’s overwhelmed.

She looks to Billy. Those watery brown puppy dog eyes tell him everything he needs to know. He gets it, but he doesn’t understand, “You want me to tell them?”

El nods, and hides her face in his sister's shoulder. Great.

That means it’s up to him now.

“Some bratty blond and her crew were harassing her. Just some asshole bullies. They won’t do it again though.”

Max’s face falls. To clarify, she hadn’t told him about the bullies necessarily. He overheard through conversations with Joyce and phone calls to Max’s mom. It’s none of his business.

He has legal custody though, so. He’ll listen as carefully as he can without invading her little world. It’s the best he can do when she barely talks to him anymore.

Her tone sounds almost panicked, as she holds Els' shoulders and scans her over, one, twice. Just to make sure she’s real. All these kids have been through too damn much. Makes Billy’s mouth taste more bitter than the cigarettes he burned through on the way here.

“What did they do to her?”

“Were assholes. But I took care of it, alright?” Billy answers shortly, not in the chatting mood, but Max presses on with her questions.

“Was it Angela?”

Billy gets it, her concern. She’s still a shitbird though, and he’s still an asshole. Or he’s just trying to protect El, “Hell if I know. She was a coward and a bitch, if that helps.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her..” Max rolls her eyes at Billy’s lack of helpfulness and turns back to her friend, “Are you okay El?”

Finally a question that isn’t for Billy, like he ever knew a damn thing about these kids and caring about people and shit. He’ll say that’s not why he did it. He doesn’t care. He’s just doing the right thing. To serve himself and earn his place somewhere other than in the dirt with the shadows in his head.

It wouldn’t be true, but he’d say it, if somebody cared to ask.

El stays quiet, but she nods again. That’s their cue to pile into the Firebird, the girls first so they can take up the backseat.

Nobody talks. They hadn’t pretended to like Billy since he was giving rides to the arcade. It’s a tense ride, but it’s also one which lasts twenty minutes; Max caves after three and a half.

“Thanks for helping her. I guess.”

Billy scoffs, annoyed that she’s still so weird around him more than anything, “What was I s’posed to do, leave her there? I’m an asshole, but I’m not evil.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Max grumbles under her breath.

Billy’s instinct is to snap at her, like a hurt animal, “Watch your mouth.”

“I’m just joking, god.” She doesn’t back down like she used to. She doesn’t let him bother her at all.

Max smiles, and she holds her friend's hand, rests it on her lap in a gesture that’s certainly more than friendly, “All that matters is that El is okay.”

Billy’s aware that his sister is bad at self-preservation and worse at social cues, but she’s got to know better than this. Schmoozing it up in front of just anybody. The Byers kid is right there. Just being in the same car as that is making his anxiety spike.

Because Billy can see it for what it is, and he glares at her in the rearview mirror, before looking at the kid in his passenger seat and back at the girls, “Didn’t even know you and the Hopper girl were that close, Maxine.”

How could the shitbird forget all he went through when he was caught the same way with his ‘friend?’ How could she, when she’s the one who told? He thought they were over that.

Max agrees, because she rolls her eyes hard. Apparently he’s out of the loop, “Will knows, Billy.“

“Oh.” Right. Fourteen years old is too old to come to him with dating shit anymore apparently. He’s not sure if that’s a relief or not.

“How come I didn’t know?”

“You don’t have to know all my business.”

“When you’re getting bullied, I kinda do.”

Max hesitates. He knows as well as she does how hard it is to admit that. Took him eighteen years to tell anybody about the bully that was Neil Hargrove. But she doesn’t let it get to her the same way he always had.

Good.

Max argues, “Well nobody else knows, so.. It’s fine.”

Despite himself, Billy decides to argue back. Just like old times, “Is it? After what just happened, don’t need to give the bullies more fuel.”

Shouldn’t have tried to keep up the tradition. Just like old times, Max knows exactly how to cut into his soul.

“I’m not going to change just because someone might be mean to me for something I am.”

She wants to play that way, he’ll give her a reality check. Joyce would kill him if he sped up the car with her kids in it, so he settles for raising his voice, “It’s not a fucking question Max! It’s a goddamn reality.

Before she can argue, El interrupts, in a voice that’s controlled and even, powerful but quiet. “Friends don’t lie.”

The anger melts away instantly. Reveals the frozen, unstable version of himself at his core. “Who’s lying?”

He can’t hide from the girl who’s been in his head, “You lie. You’re hiding a friend.”

Nobody says a word for the rest of the drive. Billy’s too busy turning shit over in his head. About Max having a girlfriend. About having an ex-boyfriend he left behind in Hawkins.

About wishing he was as confident as his sister to make a big move before it was too late and he’s already sacrificed their relationship.

Maybe that’s why he intervened today. To fill some part of himself that’s been empty since he had to leave his love behind. A different kind of love.

Nope. Not him. Not Billy Hargrove, covered in scars. He doesn’t get love.

“Alright you shits, outta my car.”

Billy pulled into their own driveway. He’s not risking getting caught up by Joyce again when their houses are so close. They can walk the distance between.

… As long as they’re close enough that Billy can keep an eye on them.

As they’re climbing out, he promises gruffly, “Next time, I’m charging you nerds a fee.”

“Fee?” El tilts her head, sometimes he forgets how little the poor girl knows.

She and him both. It always feels like he’s doing something wrong with these kids. With himself. His mind was split in two, along with his body, and now he can’t make it up.

Max glares daggers at him, at the same time tucking a messy strand of Els's hair away behind her ear. Too gentle for a little brat. Shitbird’s growing up.

They all are.

“Don’t worry about it. He’s just being a stupid boy.” In simply put terms, El understands. She laughs, and Billy maybe gets why he’s doing all this. Maybe, feels a little less like a monster, when he’s looking out for his two little sisters.

He stares at the ground, doesn’t see it when Max pulls her into a full hug and kisses her cheek, “I’ll see you guys later. Bye El.”

He’s not worried about them yet. They’ve missed out on being kids. They’ve seen the worst of what happens when you grow up when they saw him get basically torn in half. It’s harmless puppy love, just the kind of thing he never got to experience, and would never think to take away from Max.

One thing about Max, she still isn’t much better at realizing all the shit Billy does for her. It’s not the life she wanted. How can he be mad at her for that when he lashed out for a whole year about the same?

Maybe it’s not just intuition though that tells Billy he said something wrong.

Max avoids him for the rest of the day. It’s not until way after the sun goes down and they’re both waiting for the right time to take their pills and get the hell to sleep that he decides to bring it up.

She’s curled up in the corner of the couch, the opposite side of the rickety chair he sits in. She doesn’t look up at first when he speaks.

“Kinda distant there, shitbird.”

“Wow. I wonder why that could be.” Every word of Max’s drips with sarcasm.

Billy rolls his eyes at her. Maybe he should be a better example.

“What’d I even do? Thought you’d be grateful I helped your girlfriend.”

“I can be grateful and also be pissed that you’re mean to them. I’m multifaceted like that.” Okay, she definitely didn’t know that word before she started hanging out with her dorks. The influence isn’t all his.

He’ll fight back, but he’ll go easy about it. Let some of the thought process out into the open air, “Yeah, and I can make fun of my sister's friends and want to help someone getting bullied too.”

Finally, finally, that gets her to talk to him, “You’ve always been the bully. You never cared before. You only helped El because you thought it would make me like you more.”

Ironic that it’s all bullshit coming out of her mouth.

“Says who? I don’t give a shit what you think, this is between me and the universe.” Billy tries not to make this too deep, but it is. This is eight years of conversations they haven’t had yet forced into one scapegoat topic, “I’m making up for what I did, and you can hate me for all time, but my karma is evening out.”

“What’s that even mean?” She’s not sarcastic. She’s curious. Letting him in.

He’ll let her see the things her girlfriend saw last year. Forge the brother and sister bond they’d never quite mastered between them, but had come so easy with El.

Billy’s not a hero.

“Means I almost died. But I didn’t. And now I’m using my second chance for good.” He’s a human. He’s her brother. He’s crying, just a little, “I’m still not very good at this whole, being nice thing.”

Max shrugs, and she laughs. A wet sounding laugh. She’s crying too, “Yeah. Me neither.”

It sits, but there’s no tension. Just coexisting. Their thoughts fill the silence, but the few things they said provoke it. It’s not a quiet silence, and that’s alright. They’re alright. Everything’s alright now.

“Guess we got a long way to go, shitbird.”

“Not.. that long though. Right?”

Billy just shrugs, so Max takes that as her invitation to let go of the serious stuff.

She waggles her eyebrows, nosy little sister shit she hasn’t done since she was fresh out of elementary, “Soooo. El said you had somebody?”

“Don’t even start.” Billy complains, covering his face with his hands.

But he’s happy.

In California, Billy lives alone with Max and hides from the world.

In California, Billy learns how to smile again.

#billy hargrove #billy & max #billy & el #🛹 x 011 #gay sibling bonding shit #ej writer #my writing #please heed the warnings #raven I know I changed it up a bit but I just ran a little wild #sorry bestie I hope you like it!!#I’m scared to tag properly 😩

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l393ndjean · 1 year

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#willel wonder twins #they would kill you together #sibling bonding!#dustin henderson #mike wheeler #will byers #el hopper byers #max mayfield

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depravity-n-savagery · 2 years

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『 Kiss, Marry, Kill 』

Part 2

♡ Pairing: Billy Hargrove x (fem)Reader

♡ Summary: Billy shows up at your house, kicked out by Neil until he brings Max home. You invite him to join you, Max, and El's little sleepover so he can avoid Neil for as long as possible. Pure fluff ensues.

♡ CW: Neil, abuse, angst in the beginning, sibling bonding, lots of fluff, orgasmic cookie eating, sexual tension, kissing, damn near a marriage proposal, friends to possible future lovers

🛑 18+ MINORS DNI 🛑

♡ Word Count: 3.6k

♡ A/N: This is just cute as all fuck, tbh. I wanted to see some Billy/Max sibling bonding and fluff with Billy so here we are! Cuddle the fuck up ♡

No matter how many houses you live in, sometimes you still end up without a home. Four walls and a roof doesn't automatically qualify. There's security. Comfort. Belonging. Love. All things that were absent in every Hargrove household. From California, to Hawkins, or fucking Timbuktu. If Neil was there, it wasn't a home. It was a nightmare.

Billy stuffed handfuls of essential items into the pockets of his denim jacket. Car keys, condom, sunglasses, box of cigarettes- where was that damn lighter? He felt around his jeans and even flipped over the pillow on his bed. No lighter in sight. Shit. At this rate, he won't make it out before Neil gets home. When his father wasn't out with Max's mother, he kept a predictable schedule. One Billy grew accustomed to maneuvering around, for minimal contact.

Like clockwork, the lock on the front door clicked and Neil entered the house. Even from upstairs, Billy could hear him grumble and slam his coat and keys down. Mood already soured. Great. "Billy!" He called out, voice echoing throughout the house. Billy actually contemplated how quiet he could be sneaking out the window, but there was no time. After just five seconds of not replying, Neil stomped his way up the stairs. Making a beeline for Billy's room till he stood in the doorway. "So what, are you deaf or just dumb?"

Billy's whole body went stiff, turning to face his father. Although the man constantly demanded eye contact (purely for intimidation), Billy never looked at him so much as through him. He mumbled. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Bullshit, but whatever. Your sister-" Neil purposely emphasized, just itching to get a rise out of him. "-isn't home. It's past curfew."

Knowing Max, she was probably running around with those little nerd kids from her school. Or you, the only other girl his age that caught the redhead's interest. She followed you around like you were the coolest thing. He found it kind of cute, in a pathetic way. Yeah…that's what it was. Not that he'd ever mention it.

"You know the Jane kid she has sleepovers with. Call her dad. I was already on my way out." Finally spotting his lighter peeking out from underneath one of his folded shirts, he leans over and plucks it from its hiding spot. Maybe if he walked while he spoke, Neil wouldn't stop him. So he took one step toward the open bedroom door. Toward Neil. Bad move.

Neil rushed him, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and forcing him up against the wall. The force of Billy's back hitting the surface knocked over one of his posters. "What? You finally gonna make a move, pussy?!" He released Billy's jacket with a shove, straightening his posture to make himself bigger. To make Billy small in his presence. "Huh?! Come on, then! THROW A PUNCH!"

It was a nice thought. Finally having enough of the shit and smashing his fist right into Neil's face. Again, and again, and again, until his tormentor was unrecognizable. Until he could no longer see the traces of himself in that man's face. But it was a thought that stayed locked away. Instead, Billy wilted. Standing there frozen and waiting. Bracing.

Neil scoffed, standing back as if he were going to leave. That would've been too easy. In this house of horrors, Billy never got off easy.

○ ▪︎ – – 《 ◇ 》 – – ▪︎ ○

The atmosphere at your house brought back memories of warmth and nostalgia. Homemade cookies cooling in the kitchen, fresh squeezed lemonade in the fridge, and laughter so loud it drowned out the television. Truth be told, nobody was paying attention to it anyway. You, Max, and Eleven sat in a circle on your carpeted living room floor. Magazines and comics spread out, along with whatever makeup you could find in your limited collection. You didn't wear much normally, but sometimes you liked to play in it. Try different looks. Tonight the girls requested makeovers, so you flipped through your magazines for styles that might inspire something. At least you were, until you heard a firm knock at the door.

"I'll be back. Keep looking!" You said, standing up from your criss-cross-applesauce position. Your house was pretty spacious, so it took a bit for you to reach the door and open it. The last person you expected to see was Billy 'Fuck Me' Eyes Hargrove. You called him that because that's what he often gave you, whenever you met eyes with him during your time together at school. 'Fuck me' eyes. Those cold blues would undress you from across a crowded room like no one else was there. Like no one else was worth his attention. Nothing ever came of it. He never asked you out, or even just started a conversation. Perhaps you were just eye candy. You both graduated before either of you could figure it out.

"Hey, Y/n." The infamous blue eyes were now covered by an oddly large pair of sunglasses. More odd than that was the fact that it was dark outside. Why was he wearing sunglasses at night? He cleared his throat, momentarily covering his mouth with a clenched fist. The knuckles on his hand were red and raw, looking like they might bleed. Billy quickly realized his mistake and pulled his hand down to tuck them into his jacket pocket. The attention now drawn to his lips, and the trace of blood smeared from a fresh cut on the bottom one. "Your mother never told you it's impolite to stare?"

Caught red-handed, you immediately averted your gaze. "Sorry…" Yeah. Not how you expected your first conversation with him to go. "How uh- Did you need something?"

It wasn't the way he wanted to introduce himself either. Bitterness got the better of him before he could think of a better approach. "Yea, actually. Is Max here?" He winced a little, pulling the corners of his mouth up into a sultry smile. "If not, I could just take your number. Y'know.. just in case." Yikes. He was off his game tonight and he knew it. At this point he was better off shutting up and letting his physical charm handle the rest. Strong and silent. Heavy on the silent. His wounded pride had him questioning the 'strong'.

You looked over your shoulder and into the house, tilting till you could see the two girls chatting where you left them. "She's here. Me, her and El were havin' a girls day."

Billy had the audacity to snort. "Girls day?" He mocked, struggling not to actually chuckle. It already hurts to smile. "How cute." If television and movies held any accuracy, all he could picture was you three painting nails and braiding each other's hair. Laid out on your stomach, feet kicking while you talked about whatever stale Hawkins boy caught your attention.

"Yes. Girls day." Your eyes rolled, but you took no actual offense to his teasing. Concern still lingering over the cut on his lip, and the beginnings of a bruise on his cheek. Oh shit. "Is- Is she supposed to be home? She told me her mom said it was okay-"

"Well, nobody told my dad that. It's past her curfew. I gotta take the brat back home."

The sharp tone in his voice made it seem more urgent than he was letting on. Guess she must be in trouble. You opened the door wider, standing back so he could step inside. "Come in, I'll go get her." Without even waiting to see if he followed, you made your way back into the living room. Max met you halfway, probably hearing her brother's voice from down the hallway.

Usually Max would scowl at him, or force herself to appear neutral and aloof. The unexpected appearance must've really caught her off-guard. Her eyes widened looking up at him. Was it fear? Neil never laid a hand on her, but he still frightened her. Sometimes he was even a bit too nice. The implications of that thought made Billy want to puke and never take her back there.

"Max, you mind if I talk to Billy alone for a sec?"

The redhead shrugged. "Go ahead, take 'im." Practically throwing you in his direction.

His boots shuffled down the short hallway, past family photos and your framed high school diploma. The scent of chocolate chip made his mouth water the moment you both entered the kitchen. His eyes zeroed in on the tray of cookies, staring like he hadn't eaten in days. You caught him, picking the tray up and holding it out to him with a smile. "They should be cool by now."

Billy hesitated at first, then slowly reached out and took a cookie. They were still warm in the middle. The melted chocolate pulling apart as he bit into it. He almost came in his pants. The mmmh that vibrated through him was borderline pornographic. "Fuck, you made these?"

Your cheeks flushed. People enjoyed your baking, sure, but they never enjoyed it like that. It had you ready to bake him all the cookies he could ever want. "I do most of the cooking and baking here. My parents work a lot. Plus, it's just fun to me." He made a happy noise through his chewing, another cookie already pinched between his fingers. Your eyes drew back to his lips. Plump, moving as he chewed. His tongue occasionally sticking out to lick away a crumb. Even the way his adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed seemed to draw your attention. For some reason it made the back of your neck sweat. "Y'know… You and Max don't have to leave."

He finished swallowing the mouthful he had, licking over his teeth before he replied. "Sorry doll, but we do. I uh… I can't go back home unless I bring her."

You really really didn't want to pry, but the whole situation made you feel uneasy. Like the two of them going home right then and there just didn't seem safe. So you sat the tray down on the counter beside him and stood a little closer. You wanted to talk low enough so the girls wouldn't hear. "Max told me your dad isn't exactly a nice dude. She wouldn't go into detail, but I can tell that there's more." You raised your hand up toward his face, aiming to cup his cheek where the bruise was. Surprisingly, he let you. But he was statue stiff. Your thumb ghosted over the puffy discolored skin. It was hot to the touch. Very recent. "Did he…?"

Maybe it was the sweets. Or the concerned/comforting gesture. Due to all the people he slept with, Billy never really considered himself touch starved. Turns out, he was. He hadn't been touched like this since his mother was around. Soft, and caring. Tending to his wounds both inside and out. Initially he wanted to back away or rip your hand away from his face, but he was tired. Exhausted, and this simple gesture cooled the heat of his rage and anxiety. He didn't confirm nor deny what you asked. You didn't ask again.

He just lets you care for him. Stood there while you slid his sunglasses off and examined the bleeding scratch under his eye, and the swelling there too. Kept his eyes closed as you walked off and came back with a first aid kit. Cleaning and putting bandaids wherever they were needed. Even holding a bag of frozen peas, wrapped in paper towel, up to his face. Only then did he finally open his eyes again and look at you. Moisture still clinging to his eyelashes. They were such a beautiful sight, those eyes. This was the closest you had ever seen them.

"Look, if you're already kicked out of the house, then what's the harm in staying out longer? If you stay here with Max, then technically you are keeping an eye on her." You shifted the frozen peas, making sure the coldest area stayed against his skin. "Besides. We're a bunch of young ladies in this house all alone. My parents are staying out tonight. Maybe I'd feel safer with you here." You were half-joking. Your parents had a gun safe that you knew the combination to, and you weren't exactly a bad shot. Still, the idea of Billy being there to protect you made you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Not that he'd really give a damn. He barely knew you.

"Okay."

A sigh left his lips as he reached for yet another cookie. "You got a point. I'm just- I don't wanna deal with him tonight. Don't wanna deal with Max's attitude. And like you said…" He grinned as he took a bite. "...Can't leave you here defenseless, now can I?"

So he stayed. Max was absolutely floored, and El clung protectively close to her. Even when you reassured them everything was cool and Billy seated himself on the big recliner. His boots were officially removed and sat by the front door. He was here to stay.

The activities carried on as usual. Max and El settled on some makeup looks they wanted to try, so you opened everything up and started experimenting. Billy just silently observed. You were currently brushing blue eyeshadow across El's eyelids. It matched her blue shirt and black suspenders perfectly. Max sat and watched, shifting impatiently on her knees. That's when an idea popped into your head. "Hey Billy."

"Hm?" He was fully expecting to just be a part of the background. Out of the way until it was time to leave.

"Can you help Max out with this? I kinda got my hands full with El right now." You thrust an eyeliner pencil in his direction.

Billy gave you a look that said 'you have GOT to be kidding me', but you kept holding the eyeliner out toward him. He opened his mouth to protest, looking for some sarcastic remark. Until he looked at Max. The way the excitement in her eyes started to fade. That was his fault, and you weren't going to let it go. So he took the pencil and turned to his stepsister. "Sure."

She was hesitant to face him at first, let alone have him get up in her face. It took a little encouraging nudge from you before she settled herself in front of the recliner Billy sat on. He leaned forward, squinting as he started lining her eye. If there's one thing he took pride in, it was being exceptional at multiple things. A man of many talents. Even a bit (more than a bit) competitive. So he was dead set on making this come out right. "Stay still if you don't want me to poke your damn eye out." To his surprise, Max listened. Stilling and trying her best not to blink too much.

"Have you… done this before?" Max asked. Nervousness clear in her voice.

"No." He spoke softly, the gravel in his voice sounding more soothing than harsh. "I just- used to watch my mom do this a lot." He had her chin in his hand, moving it to keep her face where he wanted it. A little rougher than he meant to be, but Max wasn't phased. She had actually started to relax a bit. So he did the same.

You and him finished up around the same time and turned the girls around for a big reveal. Son of a bitch. His eyeliner work actually was better than yours. Even El seemed to agree as she nodded her head with a smirk. "Bitchin'." Max beamed, flipping her hair out like she was posing for photos. You looked up at Billy and noticed a little smile forming on his face as well.

The next activity you had planned was something you and the girls had thought up while you were all at the mall. It seemed like a fun game to play while the other boys weren't around. Fuck, Marry, Kill. Well, to be kid-appropriate you changed it to Kiss, Marry, Kill. Read about it in some teen-girl magazine. You didn't notice when Billy had joined you all in the carpet sitting circle, but there he was. Sporting an eyeliner makeover that Max insisted on giving him. Her technique definitely needed work.

"Alright, you first El. Kiss, Marry, Kill." A bowl of popcorn rested between your legs, and you picked out of it. Playfully tossing a kernel at Billy. He caught it in his mouth, giving you a wink as he chewed. You'd be lying if you said it didn't give you butterflies.

El furrowed her brows, tapping the side of her face with her index finger. "I would… Kiss Dustin, Marry Mike, Kill… Papa."

"Who is-" You held your hand up, cutting Billy's question short with a mouthed 'I'll tell you later'.

Max hummed, rocking back and forth. "Kiss Lucas, Marry Will, Kill Mike." She shot a mischievous look towards El, at the mention of killing her boyfriend. The two of them laughed and play-wrestled with each other.

"Marry Will?" You chuckled, since Max and him probably spoke the least out of the entire friend group. She shrugged. "Well, we had to choose from people we actually know. Or I'd be marrying Ralph Macchio."

Even Billy spared a chuckle for that. "We have got to work on your taste, kid."

Max's head turned in his direction, whipping her hair over her shoulder. "What's wrong with Ralph Macchio?!"

He held his hands up in mock defense. "Nothing, nothing. Honestly, I always thought you'd swing the other way."

You rained down popcorn kernels in his direction. Throwing them with as much force as the fluffy puffed substance could withstand. "Billy!" The girls joined in, throwing popcorn at him as he smirked and repeated. "I'm just sayin'."

10 minutes of cleaning later, it was now your turn. "Alright, Kiss Marry Kill. Uhhh… Kiss Billy, Marry Eddie, Kill Steve." Max's jaw dropped, which you assumed was over the choice to kill Steve. "What? Steve owes me twenty bucks."

"What about you, Billy?" El spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

Billy shifted, running his fingers through his blonde curls. "Uh.. Kiss Nancy, Marry Y/n, Kill Steve."

"What is it with you guys and Steve?" Max asked, not really expecting a response as she stood and made her way to the bathroom.

"You heard Y/n. He owes my wife twenty dollars. Gotta defend her honor." He pointed his response mostly toward you. Staring you down with those gorgeous eyes.

The next hour flew by like it was nothing. Possibly because you couldn't pull yourself out of your thoughts. You hadn't thought about Billy this much when you were going to school together. Tonight you just couldn't stop. Picturing those eyes. Those lips. His hands. The sinful amount of chest peeking out from his half-unbuttoned red shirt. The way his jeans hugged his ass. Get a hold of yourself, woman!

The two young girls were snoozing, huddled together under a blanket on the couch. A Nightmare on Elm Street playing on the television. Perfect time to get some cleaning in before going to sleep yourself, so you quietly made your escape into the kitchen. Trying not to disturb anyone and letting Billy watch the movie in peace. Instead he chose to follow you.

The two of you stood in a comfortable silence for a moment. He just leaned against the counter watching you wash the dishes. "So… you're gonna marry Eddie?" He teased, scooting closer to you. "Yeah, I guess I'm the kinda guy to get 'kissed' but not married."

You didn't look up from the dishes when you replied. "Well, it's against the rules to pick the same person for more than one answer. Otherwise I would've done that."

"Oh." Billy almost sounded offended. "So he gets the ring AND my kiss."

"Nooo, stupid. You… You'd get both."

No way in hell you just said that. So openly?! You quickly rinsed off the last dish, cheeks and ears burning. With a small pile of dried plates in your hands, you tried to rush past him. Something stops you in your tracks. He blocks your path, putting his arm out in front of you. "I think I want that kiss now."

Every scenario you used to dream up back in high school couldn't live up to this. Your imagination didn't add in the smell of cigarettes and cologne. The way the muscles in his arm flexed as he leaned against the cabinet. Lowering his face to meet yours. He let you meet him the rest of the way, careful not to irritate the cut on his lip. It was sugary sweet, like the cookie taste that lingered there. Uncharacteristically chaste for someone with Billy's reputation. The thought of having him ravish you was something you held onto for another time. You could tell he was holding back from the way he clenched his hand around the edge of the counter. Like he was fighting the urge to put his hands all over you.

For now, this was perfect. When the kiss finally ended, he gave you that sexy grin. "Now about that ring."

"How about you take me on a date first."

"Friday night." Billy plucked the pile of dishes out of your hands and walked away to put them where they belonged. Opening cabinets until he found the right one while you stood there. Mesmerized. Tonight was expected to be just a cute little distraction. A short reprieve before he had to go back to Neil. Now there were plans to meet up again. You couldn't help but smile to yourself.

If he plays his cards right, maybe somewhere way down the line… he could have that ring.

♡ A/N: Yeeaahh yeah, he might be a little ooc in some parts. I was just feeling very soft today. 🥺💞 Literally wrote this whole this as soon as I woke up. Hope you enjoyed it. ♡ Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated. ✨️

Ao3, Masterlist, more links coming soon...

#billy hargrove #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove fluff #billy hargove imagine #billy hargrove x fem!reader #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things fluff #max mayfield

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sadboyhrs · 2 years

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s5 wishlist (in no particular order)(also incomplete):

WillEl following Jonathan around like little ducklings

Nancy and Mike actually bond as siblings (never before seen)

Jopper telling ppl they have 3 wonderful children

Healthy Milkvan breakup

Steve, Jonathan, Mike + Will team up

Wheelers x Byers soulmatism

Robin-Mike affiliation

Nancy and Will bonding over guns, how annoying Mike is and how cool Jonathan is

Lumax reunion (has to be v.emotional)

Stonathan bromance

OG party actually having scenes together

Karen Wheeler learning abt the upside down and slipping into joyce byers mode

Cali gang reunion because Argyle, Jonathan, Mike and Will are the funniest thing ever

WillEl defeating vecna with THEIR powers

Mike and Will leave hawkins together xoxo

Argyle, Nancy, Steve, Robin and Jonathan team up

Will and Max scenes

Dustin and El scenes

Jonathan and literally anyone who isnt his family

Little woman parallel with Mike and Will

Jonathan and Will hiding Lonnies dead body (this is personal)

Central Byers family xoxo

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mikeslawyer · 10 months

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what is on your season 5 byler wishlist?

okay, you’re in for a long haul:

mike confessing to will. not the other way around. mike growing out some fucking balls and spilling his heart because wills long since given up on ever hearing it from him.

mileven break up !!!!!!! before the time skip preferably because i’ve had ENOUGH. if i wanted to see an unhappy straight relationship, i’d talk to my parents, thank u

will smoking. problematic? maybe. do i care?

jancy cute moments !!!!!! i need my emotional support straight couple

max waking up, obviously, plus lumax properly getting together. mushy as hell

addressing of mike jumping off a cliff, preferably will finding out about it and comforting him. if they just “forget it happened” they WILL see me in the writers room

will using a gun, standing in mikes defence in the UD

FLICKERGATE

willel siblings bonding

el being fucking SINGLE. let the poor girl discover who she is before she jumps into another relationship dear god

will has powers and defeats vecna along with el

mike gets vecnad. put him through emotional distress. i wanna see tears, screams, begging

hopper “adopts” will

ooh and byler kiss, obviously, but a messy, sloppy one. they’re in the upside down, they’re crying, mikes begging will not to leave him. mike kisses will, they’re stumbling around, bumping into objects because they can’t stop kissing.

addressing the “my life started” line. it physically hurt me, not even speaking about will

#byler #mike wheeler #byler endgame #stranger things #byler is canon #will byers #will x mike #mike x will #byler tumblr #byler s5

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booksandpaperss · 2 years

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Some smokin’ hot Stranger Things takes that some of y’all are not ready for:

- As of season 4, Will loves and understands El in a way Mike has simply never been able to

- as far as platonic ships go willel solos elmike easily

- Whether or not Mileven breaks up (they’re gonna lmao) isn’t even about the ship itself anymore; it’s about the duffers redeeming themselves after using Will’s sexuality to push forward a het ship, bc if Mike and El didn’t break up then that’s exactly what the duffers did and it would honestly be disgusting

- Stop with this “Will deserves/could do better than Mike” bs; Mike and Will *deserve each other* bc they’ve loved each other practically their whole lives and they deserve to be happy together, nothing more to it

-Vobin would be more popular than steddie if it was mlm and ESPECIALLY if it was a ship with *Steve* and a random side dude inserted just to be his love interest

-Nancy doesn’t deserve any of the hate that she gets and if she was a male character a lot of the traits she gets hated on for would be reasons she was a fan favorite 🙄

-The wheeler siblings have gone through just as much horrible shit as the rest of the cast and their trauma is majorly overlooked

-A lot of character traits that ppl hate on Mike for are actually just signs that he has adhd or autism 🤨🤨

-El may not be as coded as Mike or or Will but she *is* queer coded and the lesbian El headcanon makes a lot of sense

- Mike and El have a unique bond and they care abt each other a lot, but Mike and Will’s bond is still a lot stronger, plus Will sees and loves Mike for who he actually is and Mike never feels insecure about being himself around Will (unlike with El) which is why byler in any form > elmike

-I love Steve but he is wayyy overrated and he wouldn’t be nearly as popular if he wasn’t a conventionally attractive white man

-Ronance, jancy, and steddie solo stancy but Steve + Robin + Nancy as the ultimate platonic trio solos all four

-Eddie is a good character but he’s overrated as hell and any member of the party solos him easily

-Max is definitely sapphic but headcanoning her as lesbian is biphobic at this point bc her love for Lucas is clearly very genuine and can’t be called comphet

-Byler, Vobin, Ronance, and elmax are all better queer ships than steddie

-The only reason elmax isn’t getting hated on by cishet lumax shippers is bc it’s not a threat to lumax being canon like byler is to mileven

-Lumax, Byler, and Elmax easily solo every other ship on the show 😌

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findafight · 1 year

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I’m a sucker for Steve learning about the party’s interests, do you have any thoughts about the kinds of things he’d do for each party member? (E.g. he has the ability to recognize tony hawk, despite his inconspicuousness, because of max’s skateboarding)

Actually now I'm obsessed with the idea that Steve is one of the few people who are not personal friends with him who is able to identify Tony Hawk without a skateboard. Like. Steve is an athlete and respects athleticism, and gives credit where it is due. (He does NOT allow making fun of Olympic athletes, even the weird sports, just because some people don't appreciate how hard you work for it.) So he's like "wow that Tony guy sure is talented. He is so high in the air. Good for him." And never forgets his face. At some point someone shares one of those "didn't recognize actual skate legend Tony Hawk " stories except it ends with "and then the guy in pastels standing beside Eddie Munson slapped his (Eddie's) chest and went "hey!! That's Tony Hawk!! Let's see if we can get an autograph for Max!" And I realized I had been making awkward small talk about cocktail weenies with sports legend Tony Hawk while working up the courage to ask Eddie Munson for an autograph."

He also tries to learn how to Ollie but he's actually really nervous and wears all the protective gear possible and is only able to go forward. (This is from my personal experience being post concussive and not a good skater. It's scary! My brain meat is delicate!) But Max tells him it's okay and talks about the skatepark in California and some of her old friends from there, and he tries to teach her how to make fried rice.(one of the only actual meals that isn't breakfast food he can cook really well completely from scratch) She gets him to do her hair with El because Steve is the only other person who understands that for El hair is a means of control, and that taking care of it is something important to that feeling.

He and El do jigsaw puzzles together and listen to folk music I think. El would appreciate having the option to talk or not, and likes listening to Steve talk too. Also I like jock El so he gets her overly invested in the Cubs like tells her all the lore and she's obsessed with the goat and she joins a softball team. When she first yells at an umpire for a bad call Steve almost cries of pride. Like. Finally. He's not the only one who Gets It.

Lucas and him bond over basketball yes. But Lucas doesn't yell at refs, and Steve gets why but thinks it's very fun when people yell at officials. Also I think they watch clouds together after practicing. Just nice peaceful, laying on warm blacktop and staring at the sky. Maybe El joins them and Lucas and El can bond this way too. Steve and his little jock siblings. (Why does no one consider max a jock for skateboarding? I guess it wasn't really seen as a sport for a long time...hm..)

Steve also bought a flat of new coke before they stopped selling it and keeps it for Lucas on movie nights or whatever and everybody always yells and groans because where is getting that!! It was discontinued!! Also they watch anime together. Erica and Robin join.

I can see him getting into some video games with Dustin and Mike and Lucas. Only the two or more player ones though he doesn't like playing alone. Like. Okay this whole post has anachronisms but please imagine him playing Lego Star Wars (complete saga) with Dustin. The chaos. The yelling.

He's absolutely a pinball guy. They go to the arcade and everyone does their thing but then end up cheering Steve on as he goes for idk star trek pinball glory. Without even tilting it! Idk what to tell you but Steve def loves pinball.

Also before his dad cut him off or after he gets some kind of inheritance he does a very financially secure impulse buy: he purchases an arcade game. Full size. I am partial to Asteroids because that's what my dad impulse bought in the 80's and had it in our basement growing up but let's keep this going he has a themed pinball machine. Icon.

He 100% reaches Dustin to drive. Mrs. Henderson asked him because Steve just looked sad when she mentioned teaching him and she was like well...we could BOTH teach him :) (because she has mentally adopted him. She told him to call her Ma and he does and Robin is like Steve. That's your mum now. And Steve's like no... Everybody calls her that. And she saysnSteve. Only Dustin. Her actual literal son. Calls her that. Guess what that makes YOU.)

Steve and whole party Lego Building Buddies? Mayhaps?

I wish tamagotchis were out in the 80's because Steve would be so diligent a Tama babysitter Erica would sell his services to her friends if they needed it lmao. He'd get all squinty and concentrated you know he'd highscore jump rope but not get the shapes game (me too buddy). Alas. Not to be.

Instead he listens to her talk about her elementary and middle school drama while looking for four leaf clovers. He also has watched MLP with her and may have teared up a little. Also, of course, she is his one true Game Master. Sorry Eddie

Mike is harder...maybe they bond over making snarky comments about people in movies, and then talk about how actually is car racing a sport? And it'd be sort of awkward because Mike has Nancy as an older sibling (even if they don't get along) and he's holding on to animosity that's pointless now. Plus Dustin and Lucas both seem to see Steve as a big brother and friend figure, but like. It's a bit weird for Mike. But still, Mike knows if he bikes to Steve's at two am he'll be hauled in and forced to sit down and asked if he wants a hug and hot chocolate.

Same with will, except Will has Jonathan (El does to but it's different) so at first they're sorta🧍🧍 staring at each other. Steve has to be like sooooo wanna. Tell me about Wizards? Or something? Cool...rocks? And Will would realize that this guy's just, y'know. A guy. Probably similar to Mike except he's not begrudging about it.

I guess a lot of Steve and the party is him listening to them and letting them actually be silly and kids, making snarky comments about the highschool dramas happening, and encouraging them to try different things (he did!) And figure out what they like outside of what they think the rest of the party likes.

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ilovetwig · 9 months

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Steve and Dustin's relationship is so sweet and so important to their characters. They both found each other at a time when they were feeling lonely and didn't really have anyone else to turn to (Will was dealing with his trauma, Mike and El were nonstop making out, Max and Lucas were busy being girlfriend boyfriend. Steve didnt have his fake friends or Nancy in his life). Dustin became Steve's first real best friend before he met his platonic soulmate Robin, and Steve became Dustin's best friend when his other friends were off doing their own thing. They are both only children that haven't gotten to experience what it's like to have a sibling (not to mention that Dustin is the only member of the party who doesn't have a sibling). Despite their age difference, they both share advice and learn a lot from each other (Dustin talking about the clichés of high school and outgrowing that mentality. Steve helping him with girls and how to style himself). They both can recognize when the other is crushing on someone and try to be supportive (Steve when he notices Dustin crushing on Max, Dustin noticing Steve still has feelings for Nancy). Dustin helps Steve bring out his inner child, while also challenging him to be more responsible. Steve helps Dustin feel more confident and believes in him/tries to help him to the best of his ability. Steve is super protective of Dustin, and Dustin is always concerned about Steve's safety. Steve wants Dustin to still be able to experience being an innocent kid even with all the serious upside down stuff so he takes him to the movies and the arcade, gives him all the free ice cream, and doesn't mind being goofy with him (they even have a silly handshake!). Dustin even wants Steve to make more friends and tries to introduce him to Eddie. They argue and make fun of each other the way real siblings do, but they also look out for one another like brothers should. It's also cute how Steve not only takes on the role of a big brother for Dustin, but also can be considered a father figure for him since Dustin's dad isn't around. He basically looks up to Steve as an older male figure and this also makes Steve want to be a better version of himself (I know Nancy was responsible for getting him to start thinking this way, but I believe that Dustin most definitely made him want to continue on that path). My love for thier bond is endless and I hope they get a happy ending in season 5. Maybe Claudia can adopt Steve and they can officially be brothers.

#steve and dustin #steve harrington #stranger things #dustin henderson #nancy wheeler #stancy #platonic stobin #dustin and steve #Steve and Dustin are brothers #claudia henderson #steddie

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nothoughts-onlywomen · 28 days

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random duos wishlist for s5

obvs elmax, rovickie, stobin, and lumax go without saying. those are REQUIREMENTS for s5

madwheeler - truthfully it would be cool to see their friendship kind of come full circle. or at the very least mike should do/say something that signifies that he truly cares for her now.

madwise - honestly the most underutilized dynamic. both targeted by vecna, both the quieter ones of the group, both sensitive (though i think max refuses to admit this about herself).

el/lucas - by some of the leaks' accounts (taken with a grain of salt), el and lucas should have some good scenes together this season. and that would be a poetic full circle moment since he started off hating her and thinking she was a freak, to her then becoming one of the most important people in his life. and they bond over almost losing max, and fighting to get her back.

nancy/lucas - i think this has been underexplored. they could relate over having a loved one who's been attacked by vecna.

robin/will - i mean they're the only two gay characters. there has to be at least ONE scene between them (though if the leaks i've read are right it looks like that may happen).

steve/jonathan - by all accounts it looks like we might be getting some of this duo in s5. i'll be very interested to see how they handle it, especially since both of them love nancy.

ronance - OBVS. don't know if the duffers will go there but i'd love at least a spontaneous kiss in a death scene or something. if not that then there should be SOMETHING that signifies that their friendship has grown.

erica/lucas - now that erica is a bigger player in this game, i would love to see some sibling bonding. it would be cool if it was over max, especially. like erica says something snippy to comfort lucas over max being in her coma.

dustin/lucas - i know we're going to get scenes of the OG four boys but i think this would be a nice callback to s1/s2.

nancy/mike - another nice callback to s1. she mentioned that her vecna visions involved mike getting hurt and she was understandably distressed by this. it would be lovely to develop their sibling relationship to something more mature.

karen/literally any of the kids - i'm thrilled to hear karen wheeler is getting a bigger role this season. i've always really liked her, so i hope whatever they do with her gives her an opportunity to interact with some of our faves.

hopper/el - another obvious one, but i think their found father/daughter relationship is one of the sweetest things in the show and i don't want it to get lost amid all the chaos.

joyce/jonathan - another essential callback to s1. their dynamic's been shelved for a minute so it would be great to bring it back.

dustin/steve - we have ALWAYS got to have this duo in some capacity, it's too damn fun. bonus if we get a scoops troop callback.

also max/consciousness would be nice too

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cinnamoncitric · 1 year

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It all starts with Robin.

In truth, if one might get technical, it starts with Billy Hargrove. Then, in due time, it restarts with Russian spies and a fortress underneath a mall. But neither of the parties was there for the result, so: in all the ways that matter, which is to say, in all the ways that help, it starts with Robin.

In all things Steve Harrington, there are two authorities other than the man himself, and, though he has known him longer, she doesn't think Dustin has noticed. Steve himself doesn't like to talk about it, has only ever opened up to her on the subject under scrutiny and prodding. But avoidance doesn't change the fact: Steve's hearing has suffered.

He tells her this exactly once, both sitting side by side on the bed in his room. He says it looking down, ashamed, one hand tightly pulling at his hair, the other holding Robin's in a tight knuckled grip. His voice is small. He does his best to suffocate the anguish and the fear that flood it when he says, What if it gets worse?

There's no reason to believe it will, for now. At least, that's what the doctor tells them once she bullies Steve into a visit. As long as there are no other injuries, no other blows to the head, he isn't in danger.

But the thing is, there might be. That's just the life they lead – never knowing if the danger is truly over. So Robin sits her ass down and picks up a book on sign language because she knows he'd never do it on his own.

Come on, she tells him, months of secret classes in Indy later. I'll teach you. We can just use it to talk in secret in front of everyone whenever we want to.

Which is, of course, not how it goes down. They go maybe a month into sneaking awkward signs behind everyone's back until Dustin gets wind of it. And when child prodigy Dustin Henderson decides he wants in, there's not much they can do to stop him. And he gets all the other genius gremlins to do it, too. Imagine how useful it would be to communicate without alerting demogorgons, he tells them, when Steve explains he doesn't want to talk about the real reason for it. They all figure it out anyway.

Mike learns it like he'd much rather not. His only argument for doing it is that it might be good for his college application and that Nancy took an interest in it and is now forcing him to learn with her as "sibling bonding."

Will is shy, Lucas is earnest, El is curious. By some point, all of them pick it up. All the older kids, all of the adults – Hopper, Joyce, Murray, Claudia Henderson – and Steve feels like he could cry. They all took the time and effort to learn a whole different language, just for him.

He does cry, and it's all because of one Max Mayfield.

Hey, loser, she calls out one day when the two of them are waiting for the others, searching for him with her cane so she can stand in his direction. Are you looking at me?

Steve twists so that's she's perfectly in his line of view and then confirms.

Good, Max says in sign with a shit-eating grin, pose triumphant, Guess what I fucking learned how to do.

Just like that, there are tears streaming down his face. He tries his best to control his breathing while Max goes on.

Lucas showed me, she continues in sign. It was a pain in the ass because he had to keep moving my hands himself every time I got it wrong, but I wasn't about to let you guys have one over me.

When he doesn't answer, when he can't answer due to the huge lump stuck on his throat and the tears streaming silently down his face, she pauses. Then starts again, this time out loud, Hey, you know you have to speak to the blind girl, though, right? I can't see your hands.

Steve laughs wetly. Shut up. Language, Mayfield.

She laughs at the unintentional pun. Yeah, language. Oh, man. Are you crying?

Shut up, Steve says again. I'm gonna hug you now, okay?

She huffs. Sure, if it's to get it out of your system.

#platonic with a capital p #stranger things #steve harrington #hoh steve harrington #the party learns asl for steve #i can imagine they spend HOURS arguing about what sings they're going to make up for the upside down stuff #and for the signs they're gonna use for themselves #the party #robin buckley #platonic stobin #deaf steve harrington #deaf!steve harrington #steve harrington is hoh #steve harrington is deaf

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sunricecake · 2 years

Text

💭 stranger things girls + how they'd be with your little sibling

feat. max mayfield, eleven / jane hopper, chrissy cunningham, nancy wheeler, robin buckley

a/n : this is gonna be more personal cos the thought of them bonding with my baby sister has been consuming my headspace lately and i needed to get it out of my system

MAX

congratulations you just gave your sibling a partner in crime. these two will conspire against you and pull pranks on you all the time. them snickering mischievously together is never a good sign. when you turn down a request from your sibling, she'd team up with them and plead alongside them. “pretty please, we're asking so nicely 🥺🥺” she enables their devilish side so much tsk tsk

ELEVEN

she'd be kinda aloof at first but once she opens up !! they'd have the most fun together :'))) being with your sibling brings out her inner child sm. they'd make stuff like cards, clay figures, bracelets, etc. which they show to you proudly. on her lucky days, el even gets to convince your sibling to help her make little surprises for you cos she loves you that much. tho she'd probably tease you a lot by saying your sibling's more fun than u lol

CHRISSY

bro your sibling falls for her right away when they see her (can't blame them tbh). they'd brag about stealing her from you and using up all the quality time chrissy should've been spending with you 😭 they'd think she's so cool for being a cheerleader and becomes her biggest fan. chrissy would be so doting towards them and she'd love to teach them how to do their makeup, nails, dress up with them, etc.

NANCY

she'd be kinda strict at first cos it comes with being the eldest daughter but she still tries her best to win over your sibling's favor. she wouldn't get pushed around much like the others but after a few tries she'd usually cave in, making your sibling promise to not tell you lest they both get in trouble. she'd def love to read them stories to bed and would kiss them on the forehead when they're asleep i just know it

ROBIN

becomes their bestest friend. the best friend card that you earned from being their sibling is gonna be revoked sorry that's just how it is. they'd be sooo hyper together it makes you go are you babysitting or am i? once all their energy is spent you'd find them snuggled together on the couch sobs. also every time robin rambles about how much she loves you (which is often) your sibling would do a fake gag cos of how tired they are of hearing it

#shortcakes 🎀#stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things fluff #max mayfield x reader #eleven x reader #jane hopper x reader #chrissy cunningham x reader #nancy wheeler x reader #robin buckley x reader #stranger things scenarios

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lightwoodbanethings · 1 year

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Murrayed

AO3

Part two || part three || part four || part five

Oh hey, I wrote something based off of this post I made a while ago!

Keep reading for some Murray and Steddie shenanigans!

Things had calmed down since the final showdown with Vecna, at least calmed down in an ‘upside down’ sense. Hawkins had slowly been stitched back together and the community had rallied together in a way no one had expected, but had been pleasantly surprised by. The actual party was still as chaotic as ever, especially with the Hopper-Byers clan merging together and moving back to Hawkins. But things were normal, or as normal as they could be.

Everyone had now been introduced to each other during the months that had followed saving the world and they were like one big, happy and dysfunctional family. Some were closer than others and some formed unexpected friendships. If anyone had told Robin half a year ago she’d consider Miss Nancy ‘the priss’ Wheeler a close friend, she would have laughed in their face. But here the girls were, having sleepovers and talking about unsolved crimes and their love for solving mysteries. Then of course there was Steve and Eddie, The King and The Freak respectively. Dustin had been over the moon about his two favourite older friends bonding, though a little annoyed at times that it meant they had less time for him.

Once the chaos after the ‘almost end of the world’ had settled, Murray had been invited to the Hopper-Byers housewarming BBQ and was very impressed with Hopper and Joyce’s new place. Due to everything that had happened in Hawkins the past few years, housing prices had plummeted and so the merged family had managed to get a really good deal on a beautiful home that had plenty of space for the family and guests. The backyard in particular was stunning, Joyce had planted bright rows of flowers and there was a decently sized pool and lounging area.

As Murray arrived, almost everyone was already here and Hopper had already got the BBQ going and had made a start on the food. He was wearing a ridiculous apron that read ‘kiss the cook, but don’t touch the buns!’ and looked as though he was showing El how to cook using the grill. Murray couldn’t help but smile at the pair, Hopper seemed to be glowing with pride as El used a spatula to turn over one of the burger patties.

“‘scuse me”

Murray stepped to the side to let a slightly disheveled Joyce pass, carrying a bowl of salad in her arms whilst grasping some spoons in one of her hands. He watched her place the salad bowl on a nearby table and put the spoons into what he assumed to be various dips. Murray could tell Joyce had been rushing around to set everything up and make it perfect, she didn’t even acknowledge him when she hurried back inside the house, presumably to grab more food.

Jonathan and Argyle were sitting on the edge of the pool, Jonathan's trousers rolled up and Argyle in a pair of shorts as their feet dangled into the water. Will and Dustin were engaged in conversation whilst a confused looking Steve stood by them, arms folded across his chest and brows furrowed as though he was trying hard to follow the conversation. Max was laid on a sun lounger whilst Lucas sat at the bottom of it with her feet in his lap, resting on his hands that were stretched out behind him. Robin and Nancy were standing near a table of drinks chatting, though Robin mainly seemed to be the one doing the talking. Nancy didn’t seem to mind, smiling and nodding her head as she listened and watched Robin throw her arms around excitedly. Murray almost didn’t spot the youngest of the bunch floating on their back in the pool, Erica. The one who Murray, though he would never admit this to anyone, was low key terrified of but also made him rather proud at the same time. He was sure she was going to end up running the country at some point.

He couldn’t spot the younger Wheeler sibling anywhere, which quite frankly he preferred. He could see how it was tearing Will up watching his best friend playing boyfriend (albeit it badly) to his sister.

As Murray made his way over to the table of food, offering Hopper a curt nod on his way, his attention was suddenly brought back to the house as a boisterous figure entered the backyard through the patio doors.

“Don’t worry folks, your jester has arrived!” and with a dramatic bow, Eddie Munson had arrived at the BBQ.

Even in the middle of the scolding summer, the young man was still wearing his battle vest over his t-shirt (though his t-shirt did at least have short sleeves) and ridiculously tight black jeans.

Murray rolled his eyes and went to put his attention back on the food but as he glanced over he noticed something. Dustin was gesturing and calling for Eddie to come over with a big grin on his face and little Byers was smiling towards him too, but their reactions weren’t what stood out to Murray. Oh no. It was Steve Harrington’s reaction that caught his eye. As the charismatic metal head made his way over, Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He had relaxed his arms and let them fall to his sides and had the most genuine smile on his face. Murray recognised the sparkle in his eyes as Eddie ruffled both the younger boys' hair before moving in to hug Steve. The hug lasted on the side of a little bit too long and Steve continued to smile brightly and keep his focus on Eddie as his little proteges brought him into their conversation.

Murray let out a little sigh and shook his head as he smiled to himself, he reached into the pocket of his shorts and took out a small flask.

“Here we go again…” he muttered to himself before throwing his head back and taking a big glug from the liquid in the flask.

#stranger things #murray bauman #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve and eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #getting murrayed #sort of #the whole gang #post vecna #joyce x hopper #steddie hc #fanfic #steddie fic

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