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#neil hargrove can fuck off
hippielittlemetalhead · 8 months
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So season 3. Let's do this!
This took so so so long and is not quite where/what I wanted it to be soooo... I am so sorry 😅🥲 this will most likely be 2 parts cause... Yeah, just life man.
Actually some dialogue in this one? Sure, a line or two, as a treat.
(Part1) (part2)
Steve had been working at Scoops Ahoy for a few weeks now and he feels like he's built a decent rapport with his coworker Robin. She's witty and snarky and opinionated and when Steve wears a more tinted lipgloss than he intended resulting in a customer clocking it and saying something rude that he can't help but smile his dead-eyed customer service smile at, she clocks out for her lunch early (and takes an extra 15 minutes) and comes back with a full face of makeup and shoos him into the back with the mascara she bought from the shop a couple stores over. They both start coming to work with at least mascara, eyeliner and lipstick and Steve loves it. He compliments the hand-drawn designs on her shoes and she asks where he got his rainbow heart pin. They mostly disagree on music they listen to -she still lets him drag her to a couple live music nights at The Hideout with him and Billy every now and then anyway- but their politics and basic life philosophies line up pretty well.
He could do without the 'You Rule / You Suck' board, especially when Billy gets in on it and adds tallies from a little notebook he starts keeping when he and Steve hang out outside of kids and work. And the jokes about his kids (and occasionally Billy) when they come through for free passage to the movies. And the jabs about his parents' money like he still has access to that or their house.
He doesn't tell her that he was cut off and disowned and kicked out. He doesn't tell her that he had to get a job to help pay for his community college courses because he was a disappointment that couldn't get into a pre-approved 4-year university and that meant no college fund and he was still a few years away from being 21 and having access to the trust fund his grandparents set up for him when he was still just a lump of forming cells. And even then anything in that will probably be blown on buying himself his own permanent place instead of just a hand-me-down trailer in the middle of the woods so he needs to save for things like bills and a mortgage.
He doesn't tell her that the reason he lets the kids get away with so much is because they're *his* and they've already seen more fucked up shit than the cops in this town (save Hop) and he'll be damned if they don't get to just be kids. He'll be damned if they decide he's someone they need to hide from and sneak around like they hide and sneak from Joyce and Hop cause that's how they didn't know about half the shit the kids got up to while the adults were doing their best to take care of things themselves. He doesn't tell her that he's paying "rent" to the chief of police (it's way less than he should be but it's all Hop would take).
He doesn't tell Robin a lot of things.
Then sometime after Robin finally warmed up to him but before Dustin comes back from camp, Eddie Munson walks into Scoops Ahoy, his metalhead nerdy entourage in tow. He orders a plain scoop of vanilla with sprinkles in a cup and one of the others also orders something small and simple (while longingly eyeing their diabetes-inducing, horribly artificial tasting, bubblegum flavor when Munson turns away) before all of them are squeezing into one of the largest booths, emptying out messenger bags and backpacks of overstuffed binders and scuffed up versions of very familiar looking textbooks. It's like looking at an older -slightly grungier- version of his kids.
"Gentlemen, now that 🎶school's out for summer🎶-" There's a musical lilt as he says it that sounds vaguely familiar to Steve, "-and it has been confirmed that I will in fact be held captive for yet another stint in the hell they call Hawkins High School it is time we confer and conspire for the next year of Hellfire and the little sheep that will be joining our flock." He kinda loses track of it after that because then his kids are rushing in demanding tasters of everything and edging towards the lifting part of the counter with a look in their eyes that speaks of mischief. He puts up the initial fuss about them only visiting him for his backrooms access and that they promised to only come over when there were no customers around. He lets them through anyway.
He notices Munson eyeing him as he puts the partition back in place shaking his head and Robin laughing at him as she washed their ice cream scoops. The one that's vaguely more familiar looking than the rest and reminds him of a taller, angrier, Dustin with a better hair regimen isn't quite glaring at him but is definitely paying more attention than the rest of Munson's posse and seems more suspicious than Eddie's curious.
The metalheads are still there when Billy shows up stinking of chlorine in clothes that are damp where they cling to his frame. The group loosens up a little when he shoots Steve his signature smug smirk as he shrugs on his denim jacket that -like Steve's own jacket hanging out of sight in the staffroom- had begun accumulating patches and pins since Neil's incarceration. Unlike Steve's, Billy's has homages to bands like Mötley Crue, Deff Leppard, Twisted Sister and Guns N' Roses with little trails of shakily embroidered flowers and constellations on the collar and hems and filling the spaces between the patches and pins. Billy also has a small pink triangle on the lapel where Steve has a rainbow. Steve pretends not to notice the way the group goes a little quiet as Billy starts his usual routine of sunnily demanding tasters of all the available flavors and then again with sprinkles to "-really get an idea of their ✨nuance✨, prettyboy" before deciding on a scoop of double chocolate with a scoop of raspberry vanilla in a cup with sprinkles and one of their fresh waffle cones on top. Like always.
"Really branching out there aren't ya, tough guy?" Steve keeps his face as stoney as possible but he can't help the humored edge to his voice.
Billy just winks at him running his tongue over his teeth as he gives Steve an exaggerated leer, "Gotta keep you on your toes, handsome." Robin fake gags and Steve laughs and Eddie Munson turns red as he stares at the two joking jocks. Billy goes quiet as he stares at his ice cream and Steve recognizes the look on his face, tells the blonde to go sit down in their usual booth and he'd be taking his break soon and they can talk about whatever's bothering him.
What's bothering him is Neill getting parole for 'good behavior', Jim only telling the Mayfield-Hargroves almost a week after he was let out because that was actually the same day he himself found out. Billy found out just before a summer basketball practice session and thinks he snapped at an underclassmen he's been trying to get to open up about what Billy is 90% certain is going on in the kid's home, but he knows that cops can't do much if the victim(s) refuse to trust in those trying to help them. He's worried about the kid he snapped at. Worried about Susan and Max. Worried that even with the restraining order Neill will try something. Billy tells Steve he had thought he saw Neill around the outskirts of town during errands or during his turn to haul the kids around a couple of times before Hop told them and now he's sure it wasn't just paranoia. Steve tells him they'll figure it out, reminds him he's not alone in this
That makes Billy smile, small and tired but real and grateful. His shoulders are still tense and there's still a wariness in the smallest crease between his eyebrows that makes Steve ask if there's anything else. They talk about some of the weird dreams Billy's been having that makes Steve encourage him to talk to El. Just to make sure Billy isn't going through what happened to Will the last alternate-dimension-go-around.
They make plans to head out to see the two Hoppers after Steve's shift. Come up with a basic timeline of when and where Billy thinks he saw Neil so they have something to start with for Hop. Put together an idea of how involved Billy wants to be in whatever plan Hop comes up with. They're interrupted by a group of girls swanning into the shop and Steve being yelled at by Robin to get himself back to work. As he gets up from the table Steve levels Billy with a look that makes the blond think about the way Max and the kids described Steve when they talked about how he fought off the pack of demodogs in the junkyard, planting himself between them and snarling snapping danger like Galahad himself.
Steve looks him in the eyes and says "I swear Billy, we're going to get through this, we'll take care of it and keep you and the girls safe. Hop knows what's going on and even Callahan can't get away with letting that piece of shit fall through the cracks after what he pulled." He leans in close and bites out probably louder than he should for the amount of people in the shop, "And if that fucker gets near any of you I've got Darling in Baby's trunk and I am not afraid to use her on a human shaped monster instead."
Author's (rambler's) Notes:
So, that's all I have for season 3 rn I am so sorry. 😭 I'm working on the next bit but I am so burnt out recently and now I'm unemployed cause of the ceiling at my job caving in which does not help the stress. So I unfortunately do not have a timeframe for you. 🥲 A couple of folks asked to be tagged so... Here you are? To be fair I'm not making any promises in regards to the taglist in the future, I will do my damnedest and y'all will have to bear with me.
I'm glad people are liking this and tbh this has gotten more attention than I expected so thanks? I appreciate the appreciation of my ramblings. Feel free to scream at/with me about this au in my asks box and I'll respond when/as I can. I'm just glad people are enjoying this. 🙃
@heartsong18
@knightofthieves
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phantombeesting · 2 years
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I can't stop thinking about Max threatening Neil the way she threatens Billy in season 2.
She hits him over the head with her skateboard after she walked in on him laying into Billy.
Neil's lay there on the floor shock written all over his face. He's about to scramble back up the shock quickly turning to rage, when the red headed embodiment of seething fury towering over him places her foot on his chest and presses him back down. It’s the shock more than the force that moves him.
Leaning forward putting nearly all of her weight on him, she reminds him that Hopper the chief of police is her best friends Dad and if he even thinks of laying another finger on Billy, Susan or her then he would be hearing about every little thing that goes on behind closed doors at 4819 Cherry Lane.
After what feels like an eternity Max takes her foot off Neil leaving a faint outline of her shoe on his shirt. With one last look over his now shrunken form she steps over him and holds her hand out to Billy to help him up.
Billy looks up at her with bewildered tears in his eyes. His gaze drifts down to her outstretched hand and he's hit with an overwhelming surge of admiration for the little shit bird in front of him.
He must have been staring at her hand longer than he thought because Max is now waving it in front of his face.
"Fuck how hard did he hit you? How many fingers am I holding up?"
Billy huffs a half laugh at that and reaches for the offered hand. When he’s off the ground she takes his arm wrapping it around her shoulder, placing her hand gingerly around his waist starting to lead him towards their rooms.
Neil’s still just laying there, his face running through a host of emotions. Anger, confusion, hurt and Billy thinks a hint of fear. It looks so out of place plastered on his face. But Billy gets it, he’s been on the receiving end of Max’s wrath, Neil should thank his lucky stars she’s only armed with a skateboard this time.
When they get to his room Max slowly helps lower him to his bed, lightly rubbing a sympathetic hand in soothing motions down his arm when a hiss passes his lips. It’s not the worst beating Neil’s ever given him but he’ll still be feeling it for days.
“Do you need anything ?”
Billy just shakes his head, something he instantly regretted.
“Yeah don’t make any sudden movement dumbass, with all the head injuries you’ve had I thought you’d have learnt that by now” Her judgey tone is undercut by the fact she’s fluffing up his pillows up for him as she speaks.
An honest to god smile pulls at the corner of his mouth at that.
Once Max is happy with the fluffiness of his bedding, and that he’s not in immediate danger of causing more harm to himself she turns to leave. She’s almost out of the door when she hears a quiet.
"Thanks, Sis"
It was barely above a whisper, so quiet it could be easily denied it was ever said.
Maxs looks back at Billy trying to hide the grin spreading across her face and affectionately mutters "Fuck off"
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ickypuppi3 · 1 year
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“but steve wasn’t being weird with the kids why would billy even think he was”
cut to karen being all over a seventeen year old billy literally a few scenes before
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ariesbilly · 1 month
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Neil being in some sort of business where he’s gotta schmooze with the Harringtons, trying to get mr Harrington on as a client. Knows he’s got a kid around billys age who’s apparently been unlucky in love as of recent and Mr Harrington just hopes their spirit lifts soon
So Neil gets the bright idea to set up a dinner meeting/first date of sorts. Neil and Mr Harrington can talk business while the kids hopefully make a love connection (and if all goes well Neil will close the deal and be seeing lots of money in his future)
So Neil tells Billy what he’s gotta do And it’s not like billy has a choice so… fine. At least he’s getting a free fancy meal out of it
Little do the hargroves know Mr Harrington has a son, not a daughter. Comes as a big shock when they get to the restaurant and are seated
Neil’s pissed but can’t show it meanwhile billy is in hog heaven cuz like, is his dad wildly homophobic? Yes. But he also knows Neil will be even more pissed if billy fucks this up and acts rude SO…naturally billy has to do his part as the loving devoted son he is and flirt with this guy. His life is so hard 😔
So anyway billy and Steve hit it off, Mr Harrington is thrilled to see Steve smiling again. Gives Neil a bunch of money. Steve and Billy plan a second date to which Neil, once alone with Billy, says in no uncertain terms tells him he’s forbidden from seeing that boy again if he knows what’s good for him but Billy’s like “oh and upset Steve this upsetting his daddy enough to back out on the deal? If you say so…”
And Neil knows he cornered. Billy knows Neil knows he’s cornered. For once in his life Billy has a sense of power over his dad and it feels so so good. Feels extra good when he’s getting railed by pretty boy cock but that’s just a bonus
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weird-an · 10 months
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Jim is pretty sure that he's not qualified for whatever this.
He is a father though, once again - rather unexpectedly. Maybe it's that what makes him drag Billy Hargrove's ass from behind the Camaro's wheel when he's obviously wasted as fuck or it's too cold to sleep at the quarry. Because while the Hargrove kid doesn't admit it, Hopper has seen the ratty blanket and the fucking school books on the backseat.
"Hargrove," he grunts and can almost hear Joyce telling him that using his last name probably isn't helping.
"Billy," he corrects himself. "Do you need a place to stay?"
"I live at Cherry Lane. You know that." Billy chips a bit of black nail polish off his fingernails. "I'm not some hobo."
"Chief," he adds after a heartbeat, shooting Jim a calculating glance like he's trying to make a run for it. It wouldn't be the first time that happened.
"That's not what I'm asking," Jim grunts. He knows his tone is too rough, so he shoves a cup of watery hot chocolate towards Billy.
He wishes he had more patience, but he's just so angry. At himself, mostly and at Billy's dad. Because at first, he bought the whole "Billy needs a firm hand" act. He fucking fell for it. He drove Billy home several times and Neil Hargrove promised to take care of it. He gave a disapproving head shake towards Billy and gave Jim a long speech about America's youth and their queer antics and lack of manners. He has no prove, because Billy doesn't talk, it's just a hunch, but that kid needs help.
"I can stay at Harrington's," Billy mumbles. "When it gets too bad."
He takes the cup and gulps the chocolate down. Jim wonders if he's hungry, nervous or thirsty. Or all of it.
"Then why did I have to pick you up at the quarry again?"
"You don't have to do shit," Billy sneers. He sits up, hand crushing the paper cup. "I didn't fucking ask you to."
"Of course I have to," Jim barks. Billy has the talent to rile him up with ease. It's like he wants Jim to explode. "Every goddamn night I wonder if you're the next dead kid they'll find at the lake and I don't want to let this happen."
"I don't get you," Billy shouts back. "I don't get you ... or Steve .. What do you want? Why are you being so fucking nice? Why does he even like me?"
Jim blinks. Why should he know anything about Steve Harrington?
"Are you sleeping outside..." he asks slowly. "...because Harrington likes you and you don't know how to deal with that?"
Billy rubs the bridge of his nose. His voice grows smaller with each word. "He always... wants to talk and to cuddle and shit."
"Cuddle? That's sounds fucking qu-"
Billy flinches, eyes wide, like a rabbit about to bolt.
Hopper's mouth snaps shut. In his mind Joyce is already berating him softly to choose his words wisely.
"Do you want to cuddle with Harrington?" he asks. God, police school didn't brace him for whatever the fuck is happening right now.
"What?" Billy croaks. He looks as confused as Jim feels.
"Jesus," Jim sighs. "Let's go."
"What?" Billy repeats like a broken record.
"I'll drive you to Harrington's." Jim clears his throat. "So that you can... cuddle." He finishes lamely.
"What?" Billy seems to have forgotten any other words.
Hopper gets up. "Let's go."
He has no idea what he's doing. Maybe Steve and him can work together to make sure Billy is kinda safe.
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billlydear · 1 year
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Touch starved Billy Hargrove ✨a concept✨
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HC - TOUCH STARVED BILLY HARGROVE
W.C 1680 - INBOX (please request !) - CREDIT TO GIF OWNER
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mmm not touch starved billy, love starved billy. he gets plenty of skin-on-skin. a backhand or a shove from his dad, a quick fuck in the backseat of his car, hell, why do you think he takes his shirt off to play basketball, a contact sport? he wants to feel touch, he's just never been given a kind one.
and that's where you come in :) from the very first date you're already shyly reaching for his hand, slipping your fingers between his over the vinyl table of the small diner you're eating at
you watch carefully for his reaction, and he's not really able to hide his shock, he kind of goes stiff. so you're worried you've overstepped, and you start to draw back with an awkward apology, but just before you can pull your hand away completely, he tightens his grip, and squeezes your hand, holding it in place.
“Don’t apologize.” Normally that would be said in a teasing, lighthearted tone. But instead his face is strangely intense, eyes shining under the low lights of the diner.
then it escalates from hand holding to a hug. He drops you off at your front step, and instead of just staying in the car, he walks you up. It’s a pretty cliched first kiss scene, you tell him you had a good time and he agrees with a dazzling smile. There’s a slow, heart-racing lean-in, hitched breath and an eager shine in your eyes, and then he kisses you so soft, you’re not even sure he’s there. He’s not really about special first kisses, preferring to tongue a girl behind the gym. But when your hand comes up to press gently, softly against his cheek, he knows he’s addicted to kindness, soaking it up like a sponge and letting the excess compel him to hold your waist.
he’s not handsy like he normally would be, he keeps his hands firmly planted there while you kiss. It’s soft, slow, sweet, and it feels like waking from a daydream as his pretty blue eyes flutter open to stare into yours.
“Goodnight, Billy.” You whisper, and he’s a goner.
there’s tenderness in your voice, your touch, your gaze, and he lays awake that night thinking about it. It warms him up, knowing that you’d treated him like you care. Maybe you do, maybe you dont, but the feeling is intoxicating, and he doesn’t feel as perpetually angry at the world that night
max notices a change after that. Neil shouts at him, tells him he’s good for nothing, weak, disappointing, and instead of slamming his door and blasting music, probably kicking the bed frame, he offers her a ride to the arcade.
"What?" / "A ride, dipshit, I'm going out and I'll drop you on the way."
and the most insane part, he doesn't even bitch at her in the car. she sits silently and so does he, and when she gets out, he says he'll get her at 8. no threats, no name-calling, just 'i'll pick you up at 8'.
when she gets in the car at 8:10, she's absolutely certain she'll be griped at for being late. but he backs out of the spot, and even asks her about the slap bracelet she'd won inside.
"You get that in there?'"/ "Yeah. I had enough tickets so..." / "What?"
She squints hard at his face while they're stopped at a light, and his own face scrunches in displeasure, "What is it?"
"Are you wearing chapstick?"
The light turns green, and he punches it hard, only remembering to slow down as he pulls his lips between his teeth to lick them. she doesn't ask again, but she spots a tube of it on the ground, strawberry flavored, and definitely not hers.
billy had taken you to the drive-in, and apparently it had fallen out of your pocket when you'd leaned over the center to kiss him. he brought it back to you the next day, knocking at your door and greeting your mother who surprisingly loved him. he wasn't really sure how to react to that, because no girl's mother has ever liked him before, but he's welcomed in and finds you in your room, folding laundry.
he spends the entire day with you, a saturday, just being with you. you teach him how to fold laundry your way, and he definitely teases you about the bras and underwear he finds. in retaliation you whack him with a pillow, and he pretends to be greatly injured after the attack, sprawled out over your bed with his tongue out in a cartoonish display of death
you straddle his waist, peering down at his minutely-fluttering eyelashes. you take his face in your hands, gently, sweetly, and turn it to face you, watching as his pretty blue eyes make a reappearance. he's staring at you, and he looks almost nervous, but he could easily push you off it he wanted to, and he doesn't, so you take that as a good sign.
you trace his features, fingers grazing over the tip of his nose and down through the crease of his chin, just below his lips. then beneath his eyes, along his cheekbones, and smoothing over his forehead. he watches you breathlessly the entire time, a thin layer of tears glossing over his eyes.
when you notice them you stop, nervous that you'd upset him. you ask him what's wrong, hovering over his face only inches away
"I love you." He murmurs, reaching up to cup your cheek.
it's breathless, it's passionate, and it's.. a little early. but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel it. he's just quicker to figure out when he loves someone 'cause he doesn't very often, so it's a new feeling that sticks out to him.
now that he's said it for the first time, watch out.
he's gonna say it 24/7, any opportunity. you hand him a chip? he leans over to bite it out of your hand and goes 'I love you'. he hands you a chip? when you reach for it he'll hold it out of your reach, wait 'till you look at him like wtf? and then say 'love you' with that shit-eating grin of his
he clings to you. his hand is always somewhere on your body, whether it be prying at your own and pulling it into his lap or laying around your shoulders, pressing your sides together
play. with. his. hair. seriously, scratch your nails through his hair, he'll purr like a kitten. brush it out right before his shower, give him a little head massage, that way you can mess up the curls and he'll just reform 'em. comb through it, braid it, put serums and products in it, anything as long as you're touching his scalp
i think he'd really appreciate forehead/cheek/nose kisses, of course he appreciates them on the lips too but it's different, casually intimate and sweet. he's addicted to kissing your cheek, he'll be walking beside you in the mall and yank you closer by where his arm is laid around your hip just to press his lips to your cheek
he kisses your forehead in bed, tugs you into his chest and leans down to press a kiss to your forehead. he might not even lean back up, he might just fall asleep with his face pressed to yours
he's.. obsessed with kissing. like, your lips are constantly swollen. of course he's game for a good steamy makeout session but mostly it's just lazy, slow, soft, sweet kisses, just laying together and swapping spit and touching each other, your leg thrown over his, your foreheads bumping together, his hand on your stomach
speaking of, he'll sleep with his hand under your shirt most nights, either flat and warm against your back or your stomach. and if you ever sneak your hand up his shirt to scratch up his back, he shivers. fully body shivers.
he loves loves loves it when you hold him in your sleep, sometimes he stays awake while you drift off just to watch you get comfy and unconsciously snuggle into his warmth. The first time you do it is while you’re watching a movie on your couch and he misses the last half of the film because he’s just watching you sleep peacefully all snuggled into him
he’s not only grateful that you’re his safe space, but he’s amazed that he seems to be your own. he’s never had a safe space before, even when his mama was around Neil was too. so being with someone he loves without any fear or anxiety is very meaningful to him. It means that when you pass out on his shoulder at the drive-in or let him cart you around to parties just as long as he keeps his arm around you the entire time, he recognizes that you feel safe with him, and that means more to him than he’ll ever be able to express
it’s why he takes such good care of you, he doesn’t ever want to let you down or be someone who fails you. the movie’s too loud and you’re starting to wake? he doesn’t need to see the end of it, the two mcs probably get together. he’ll just drive quietly and slowly back home and let you snooze in the parking lot. party getting too wild? he’ll take you out into the backyard and sit on the porch swing with you, smoke a cig and blow it away from you, let your head fall onto his shoulder with his arm around your waist.
your touch grounds him. he feels safe, secure, loved, supported, happy, and content all at once when he’s touching you, even if he’s just knocking his foot into yours from under the lunch table.
Billy may get touched a lot, but not loved, so when you come into his life, a beacon of all things sweet, he’s going to bask in it, soaking up your love like a big sappy sponge and letting it heal his wounds
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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 ♡
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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.
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♡ 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...
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dragonflylady77 · 1 month
Text
The Birthday Wish
I decided on Wednesday afternoon to write a fic for Billy's birthday (on the Friday). Just pretend it's still 29 March, okay?
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Gift for @spaceofentropy
You can find it on ao3
TW Neil Hargrove, child abuse
Steve drove up to the quarry, slowing right down when he noticed there was already a car there. A very familiar blue car.
“Fuck!” His evening was shit enough, having had to endure three hours of the Party as well as Jonathan and Nancy being all cozy on the couch at the Byers’ house for Will’s birthday, he didn’t fancy a confrontation with Billy Hargrove on top of that.
It was too late though, Hargrove would have noticed his car by now, for sure, and Steve knew he’d never hear the end of it if he turned tail now.
He parked alongside the Camaro and turned his engine off. He glanced to his left and did a double take when he noticed Hargrove was sitting on the hood of his car, a thin looking blanket on his lap. The guy was holding something but it was too dark, even with the nearly full moon, for Steve to see what it was.
Steve grabbed his parka from the backseat and put it on once he got out of his car.
“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?” Hargrove asked as Steve did his zipper up.
It was cold as balls, barely above freezing. “Yeah, it’s me, don’t cream your pants,” he muttered under his breath, not expecting Hargrove to hear him but then he started laughing and Steve stared.
He couldn’t remember ever hearing Billy Hargrove laugh before. It was surprisingly heartwarming and Steve wished he could see his face properly. He stepped closer to the Camaro and peered at Billy. He had a can of beer between his thighs and was holding a cupcake.
Huh.
“You’re just in time, pretty boy,” Billy said, pulling his pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of his denim jacket, followed by his Zippo and a… birthday candle.
“In time for what?” Steve asked, confused as fuck. He didn’t even react to the pet name, he was kinda used to it. Truth be told, he hadn’t heard it for a while, since he wasn’t at school anymore, and he kinda missed it, not that he’d ever admit that to anyone.
“‘m turning eighteen in a few minutes,” Billy said around the cigarette between his lips. The flame of his lighter illuminated his face for a couple of seconds, long enough for Steve to see the black eye and the dried blood on his cheek.
“The fuck happened to you, Hargrove?”
Billy shrugged. “Neil didn’t take too kindly to Maxine reminding him it was my birthday. He expressed his displeasure before I dropped her off for her sleepover at the Byers’.”
“Excuse me, but what the fuck?”
“Don’t worry about it, princess. I’m just glad he gave me time to pack a bag before he kicked me out.”
“Kicked you out? On your birthday? Again, what the fuck?” Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Well, yanno, I’m eighteen now, legally an adult, so I have to fend for myself or some such,” Billy said, checking the time on his watch and pressing the sad looking candle into the frosting of his blue cupcake.
Steve watched him light the candle, his heart in his throat as he connected some dots. What kind of parent kicked their kid out the day they turned eighteen? What kind of monster beat up their kid because it was their birthday? Holy shit .
Billy made eye contact with Steve before he closed his eyes for a moment and blew out his birthday candle.
“What d’you wish for?”
Billy grinned before he removed the candle and put it back in his pocket. “Can’t tell you, Stevie, or it won’t come true.”
“Happy birthday, Billy.”
“Thanks.” Billy ripped the cupcake in two and offered one of the halves to Steve, who took it with a nod. 
Steve looked at it then back at Billy.
“It’s not poisoned, in case you’re wondering,” Billy said before he moved off the center of the hood and patted the space beside him. “Come sit with me, I promise I won’t bite.”
Holding his half cupcake, Steve sat on the edge of the Camaro’s hood before sliding closer to Billy. The metal was still a bit warm and it made Steve feel something he didn’t care to analyze.
“What are you gonna do?” Steve asked as he took a bite. The frosting was really sweet, and the cupcake vanilla flavored.
Billy shrugged again. “Sleep in my car, I guess, shower at school, or something, I dunno. Neil didn’t find the money I’ve been saving but it’s not enough for a motel, not to last until graduation, anyway.”
“Billy, it’s way too cold to be sleeping in your car. You’ll freeze to death!”
“Cute that you think anyone will care, Harrington.” Billy laughed and this time, it made Steve shiver. Unlike before, there was no happiness in that laugh. “Not sure you’ve noticed but literally no one gives a fuck about me. No one at school. Certainly no one at the house on Cherry Lane.”
“Max cares,” Steve countered. You care , a voice in his mind added but he shushed it.
“She only cares because I’m her ride to places and it saves her having to walk everywhere. I have zero illusions about where I stand.” Billy balled up the paper case of his cupcake and threw it into the bushes.
“Surely—” Steve was sure Billy was wrong about Max.
“Nah, pretty boy. It’s fine. Don’t worry your pretty head about it. Just promise me, when they find me dead in a ditch, make up some good stories about me at my funeral, okay?” His empty beer can went the way of the cupcake case.
“That’s not funny.”
“Like I said, not your problem,” Billy said, an edge in his voice that Steve was wary of. “You should head home before your parents wonder what happened to you.”
Steve snorted. “My parents are somewhere in Europe, and they don’t give a fuck.”
“Aww Stevie, I’m sure that’s not true.”
“They showed up on Christmas Day and told me I had six months to sort myself out because they were putting the house on the market on July 1. I’m lucky my mom talked my dad out of cutting me off when I didn’t get into college.”
“Ouch.” Billy winced. “What are you gonna do?”
Steve shrugged. Working at Family Video was all well and good but it wasn’t really a long term plan. “Saving most of my shitty wages until I have to leave, then, I don’t know. Indy, maybe. Or Chicago, I guess.”
“You need to think bigger, princess. There’s a whole world out there. Where’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to go? What’s on your list?”
Steve took a moment to really think about it, watching his breath make little clouds of steam every time he exhaled. His ass was getting cold as well, sitting on the cooling metal. Billy’s blanket looked even thinner up close than it had earlier. It was time to move this party somewhere else.
“Hey, don’t feel like you have to say yes, or anything, but you wanna come back to my house? It’ll be warmer than here. I’ll even make us some food if you want.”
Billy didn’t punch his lights out or say no outright, so Steve counted that as a win. Billy gave him a confused look.
“Didn’t you have dinner at that weird kid’s birthday party? I saw your car there.”
“Yeah, well, sitting across from my ex and her new boyfriend kinda killed my appetite. I’m starving.”
“I didn’t realize you could cook, Stevie,” Billy said, taking one last drag of his cigarette before pressing the butt of it to the underside of his boot and dropping it in the dirt.
“My parents have been taking progressively longer trips ever since I was twelve, so I had to learn. There’s only so many frozen pizzas and boxed mac and cheese a guy can eat before he craves real food.”
***
Billy followed Steve to Loch Nora and parked his Camaro next to the bimmer in the Harringtons’ vast garage. He wasn’t too sure what was happening, but the promise of warmth, food and company definitely beat sleeping in his car at the quarry with the shitty blanket he’d sneaked out of Cherry Lane. 
He left his boots by the door in the foyer and spent a moment taking in what he could see of his former teammate’s house. The Harringtons lived on the other end of the spectrum when it came to income bracket, no doubt about it. For starters, they had an upstairs and what looked like a formal lounge and, oh yeah, was that a freaking pool ?
“Billy?” Steve called out and Billy startled.
“Yeah?” he replied, wandering towards the voice and the light. The kitchen was bigger than his bedroom at Neil’s house, with a double oven and too many cupboards to count.
“Hey, there you are,” Steve looked up at him from the freezer. “You okay with gnocchi?”
“Um, I guess. Never had them.”
Steve smiled at him and Billy felt something warm unfurl in his chest. He was having trouble remembering why this crush he’d been harboring on Steve was a bad idea, what with the way Steve was finally giving the attention he’d been craving since the first day.
He sat on the bar stool by the breakfast bench and watched as Steve put a big pot of water on the stove. Steve kept telling Billy what he was doing as he was doing it, explaining it was a recipe he’d found in a cookbook his parents had brought back from one of their trips.
The butter and sage smelled delicious and Billy couldn’t wait to try this dish. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken the time to cook for him. Susan’s cooking skills were not the best and she cooked whatever Neil demanded anyway. One of the upsides of being kicked out was that Billy would never have to pretend to enjoy Susan’s bland, dry meatloaf.
Billy realized Steve was calling his name and he looked over at him. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“Dinner is ready. You wanna watch a movie while we eat?”
Billy nodded, at a loss to explain why Steve was being so nice to him. It wasn’t like they were friends. Yeah, sure, Billy had apologized after the fight that night back in November, but the few times he’d taken Max to the video store, he’d stayed in the car to avoid any awkwardness.
Now he’d shared his birthday cupcake with the guy and they were sitting down on his expensive looking couch to watch a movie, with a beer and delicious smelling food Steve had made for them. Almost made Billy forget about Neil whaling on him and kicking him out of the house.
He expected Steve to sit on the other end of the couch but he sat right next to Billy instead, his thigh warm against Billy’s. They ate in silence, and Billy did his best to pay attention to the plot of the movie Steve had picked but he was too distracted to care much. He hadn’t been this close to Steve since basketball practice and it was making his heart race.
Billy was trying not to read too much into the prolonged physical contact. He’d already been punched once tonight, he wasn’t looking for a repeat. Resisting the urge to put his hand on Steve’s thigh was getting harder and Billy wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to control his body’s reaction. That was an embarrassing situation he could do without, not to mention extremely awkward. 
He put his empty plate on the coffee table and stood up, asking Steve for directions to the bathroom before telling him he didn’t need to pause the movie. Billy then rushed out of the living room and locked the bathroom door behind him, resting against it for a minute. Fuck. Maybe he should leave, head over to the Motel 6 for the night and work out what to do tomorrow. 
Once he was done in the bathroom, he headed for the kitchen and got a glass of water to give himself some time. 
“You okay?” Steve asked from the doorway and Billy startled.
“Y-yeah, just, um, needed a drink.” He drained the last of his water and put the glass in the sink. “Look, Steve, it’s really late. I’ll… um, I’ll get out of your hair. Thanks for dinner but I better be going.”
“What? No.” Steve walked into the kitchen and stopped in front of Billy. “Why?”
Because if I stay I’ll probably get a boner and try to kiss you…
Billy ran a tired hand through his hair. “It’s just… it’s better this way.”
“Better for who?” Steve asked, not budging when Billy tried to move past him.
“Steve…”
“Listen, Billy, I’m sorry.” 
“What?”
Steve’s hand made it halfway to Billy before he dropped it at his side and wasn’t that a mindfuck? “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable by sitting so close to you on the couch. I just…”
“You just…?” Billy’s fingers twitched with the need to reach out to the boy in front of him. He could feel Steve’s eyes on him, a phantom touch that heated up his skin, so for once, he let himself look. Steve’s hair looked like he’d been raking his fingers through it, his brown eyes fixated on Billy, the moles dotting his cheek and his neck, the yellow jumper that looked so soft. 
Billy didn’t let his gaze move below the belt, instead trailing back up to Steve’s mouth, his lips looking so fucking kissable. And so close. Huh? Before Billy could fully process that Steve had closed the gap between them, Steve leaned forward, cupping Billy’s face with both hands, and pressed their mouths together.
The contact was brief. Too soon, Steve pulled away, dropping his hands and taking a step back, eyes wide, like he suddenly realized the enormity of what he’d done. Billy grabbed him by the waist with both hands and pulled him close, capturing Steve’s lips and unleashing a year and a half of pent up yearning and pining. 
Billy found himself pressed against the side of the fridge, Steve’s tongue in his mouth and Steve’s arms around his neck. The kiss went from soft and exploratory to frantic and thrilling. Billy couldn’t get enough. He could feel Steve getting hard against his belly and it was intoxicating.
They broke the kiss when breathing became an issue but didn’t move away from each other.
“Stay,” Steve whispered against his lips and Billy nodded.
Later, tangled with Steve in his bed, naked and sated, Billy told Steve in hushed whispers how he’d wanted to kiss him since the Halloween party at Tina’s. Steve told Billy of all the times he���d stamped down on the attraction he was feeling because he believed it would never go anywhere. Billy laughed when Steve said he’d thought Billy was straight, then told him about Neil.
Over breakfast the next morning, Billy told Steve he’d secretly applied to colleges in California, and Steve told him he’d never seen the ocean. They started making plans.
***
Billy stepped off the stage on Graduation Day and walked past his classmates and the rest of the crowd until he reached the parking lot. Steve and Max were leaning against the Camaro, chatting animatedly. Max ran to him when she spotted him and they hugged.
“I’m gonna miss you so much, Billy!” she cried when he let go of her.
“You can come visit, shithead,” he replied with a grin. Being with Steve had helped repair their relationship and Billy had had to admit that Steve was right and Max did care. 
“You better write me when you get there.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I promised, didn’t I?”
They hugged one last time then Steve said his goodbyes and they got into the car.
Billy told Steve he could picked a tape and a lone birthday candle fell out of the glove box when Steve opened it.
“You never did tell me about your birthday wish, Billy,” Steve said, holding the candle up with two fingers.
Billy smiled as he pulled away from the lot. “I guess I can tell you now, since it came true.”
“Oh?”
“You were my wish, pretty boy.”
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sadhours · 1 year
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God I neeeed this written. It's been in my head after I re-watched season 2 🥹🙏🏼 Angsty and ends maybe smutty? Idk
Imagine:
Billy is a bully because of his dad. The abused becomes the abuser, right?
He hates how he lashes out but he can't handle everyone else's perfect little lives.
He meets you and everything changes. You're not stuck up. You get it, you get him.
One night the beautiful family facade fails. You witness it, you see his dad throw a punch in Billy's direction.
You don't think, you just lash out. Teach HIM a lesson. If Neil gives it, he can take it, right?
When you aren't fed love with silver spoons, you learn to lick it off knives.
I have been sitting on this too long, I apologize. I hope this is kinda what you were looking for!
warnings: Neil, obviously, violence, loss of virginity, p in v, unprotected (billys the pull out king)
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He’s rough around the edges, but he’s dastardly handsome. You see him getting in peoples faces in hallways, chest puffed up and a look in his eyes like he can't believe he has to share air with such scum. He talks back in class, rolls his eyes when they send him to the principals office and you witness the cycle repeat day after day. When you notice a busted lip and bruised eye, you chalk it up to another fight at first.
You’re quiet, keeping to yourself everyday. At lunch, you shove headphones over your ears and turn the Walkman up so loud, you can’t hear your own thoughts. Walking through the hall, your tape skips and you pull it up to inspect if it split. Not watching where you’re going, you walk right into Billy Hargrove’s chest and stumble back onto your ass, the hard linoleum stinging as it makes contact. At first he looks furious, boring down at you with fire in his eyes and you stutter out an apology, rambling on about how your tape skipped and you weren’t looking ahead of you. Surprisingly, he softens, almost immediately and reaches out to grab your hand.
You take it graciously, allowing his strength to lift you up and he grabs your Walkman, popping it open and inspecting the cassette. As he pulls it out, the tape unravels and you curse.
“Hold on,” he soothes, “Not a lost cause yet.”
He walks over to a club table, ignoring the glares he gets from the Chess club. You follow curiously, watching as he swipes a pencil from the sign up sheets and ravels the tape back into the cassette with it. He hands it back with a smile.
“See? Easy fix.”
He makes you feel all dreamy with his attention focused on you. You might actually float away if you don’t rush off immediately. “Thanks!” you yell back, hurrying off and sliding the headphones over your ears again.
Slowly, Billy keeps popping up wherever you go. He even shows up at the record store you work at, weekly. You’re not even sure how it exactly happens, no words are spoken about it but you’re pretty sure you’re Billy Hargrove’s girlfriend. He’s taking you out on dates that end in heavy petting and eager kisses in the backseat of his Camaro.
He’s so incredibly sweet to you but not to anyone else he crosses paths with. You’ve even witnessed heated arguments with his friends. You don’t understand why until one night you’re hanging out in his bedroom and Neil comes barreling into his room and screaming about how he wasn’t supposed to park in the driveway.
It funnels into an argument about everything. Billy doesn’t do anything right, apparently. You’re sitting there, stunned all the while fuming at this asshole. His complaints of his son are laughable at best, none of them really a problem.
Then, it happens and you jump up off the bed. A hard sucker punch to Billy’s cheek, a thundering sound clapping through the room.
Before you realize what’s happening, you’re throwing punches left and right at Neil. As your lifted off the ground, Billy’s arms wrapped tightly around your waist, you see the absolutely dumbfounded look on his fathers face.
“Get the fuck out of my house,” he says behind clenched teeth, his eyes dark and terrifying.
Billy grabs onto your wrist, pulling you out of the house and to his car. He’s peeling out of there, the house getting tinier and tinier in the rearview mirror and you look down at your bloodied knuckles. You don’t know how it happened, you saw red in the moment. You’re silent. You feel as if you should apologize but you don’t regret what you’ve done, even if your punches didn’t hurt him like his hurt Billy.
“I…” you open your mouth and close it.
“I know.”
Billy drives out to a field, at least an hour from town. He turns the car off and sits there for a moment, staring out the windshield. Then he’s grabbing his hand and intertwining your fingers.
“Thank you,” he mumbles and you know it’s difficult for him to say those words.
And everything makes sense, now. Why he’s so broken, why he’s such a tough guy at school. But what doesn’t make sense is why he’s so nice to you. Maybe because you’re the only person who reacted to Neil that way. He brings your hand up to his lips and kisses your bloody knuckles.
“I’m ready,” you tell him, not sure why now is the time you want to lose your virginity.
Billy laughs and you fear it’s out of cruelty. Your panic subsides when you see the sparkles in his eyes. He leans his head back against the seat and peers over to you, “You try to beat my dad up and now you want to have sex for the first time. What has gotten into you?”
“That makes it sound weird,” you point out, “I guess I just realized I love you.”
“Took ya long enough,” he snorts and you glare up at him. “C’mere,” he scoots his seat back and pulls you into his lap.
You straddle him, though it’s a tight space. He kisses you tenderly, fingertips barely holding your jaw, “I love you too.”
Your stomach does a flip, deepening the kiss once he mumbled the words against your lips. Billy reaches his hands up into your top, pushing your bra up so he can get a handful of your breast. He licks into your mouth as he squeezes you in his palm, making you squirm in his lap. You can feel as he smiles into the kiss before he pulls back.
“I can’t take your virginity in my car,” he admits and you whine, looking down at him with disappointment etching your features. He’s got you all worked up just to shut it down so quickly and he looks amused as he stares back up at you.
“Yeah, you can,” you retort, matter-of-factly.
He laughs, moving your hair behind your shoulders, “I want it to be special. It’ll be a hell of a struggle in this small space.”
“It is special,” you argue, “I want it.”
Billy bites his lip and looks at you under his thick lashes, “Would it be too seedy to take you to a motel?”
You shake your head, smiling at him hopefully, “I’d do it anywhere with you.”
“Get your ass over,” he smirks, “Let’s go.”
You scramble over the center console, squealing when Billy plants a hefty smack to your ass as you do so. You swear he’s never driven faster.
The motel room is seedy but you don’t blame Billy, he pulled into the first one he’d seen and you were more eager than ever. You stand awkwardly beside him as he purchases the room, trying not to look the clerk in the eyes but you can feel the older woman looking you up and down. Billy doesn’t seem to notice or care, grabbing your hand and leading you to the room. Once he unlocks the door and gets you inside, he’s pushing you against it and presses sloppy kisses all along your neck and collarbone. You feel electric, your body tingles all over but especially between your legs. Billy’s hands are firm on your hips where he’s pinning you against the door and his lips and teeth brand you with bruises descending from your jaw to your collarbone.
You guys have messed around a lot, almost any chance you got you would touch each other eagerly but it never got very far. Billy knew he was the first guy you’d done anything with so he never pressured you to do anything more than hand stuff. You’d always been sure you wanted him to be your first, though. It was just a matter of when, neither of you imagined it would be after you’d punched his dad. Perhaps Billy feared this would be his only chance, since there was no way in hell Neil would let you around again. He usually didn’t go against Neil’s word too drastically.
“Bed?” you pant out, pushing on Billy’s chest slightly. You felt like you were going to melt into a puddle on the floor, light headed from the way he mouthed at your sensitive skin.
“Yeah,” Billy nods and lifts you up, hands on your ass. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you let out a little squeal. He squeezes your bum before walking you towards the bed and laying you down before hovering above you.
“You’re sure?” he asks, grabbing a hold of your hand and his breath smells uniquely him, you’ve got no other way to describe it. It’s pleasant, almost sweet but unlike anything else. You want to taste it so your hand grabs onto the back of his neck to pull his plump lips to your own, slipping your tongue in between them. Billy moans into it, hands snaking up into your blouse and pushing your bra up like before so he can squeeze your tits. His hands are warm and a bit rough, contrasted to the soft, supple skin they’re flush with. His thumbs and forefingers pinch your nipples hard, pulling on them while he licks sloppily into your mouth. It sends electricity straight to your clit causing your hips to roll up at him uncontrollably. You’ve never felt so starved for something in your whole life, so instinctually needy for him to ravish you.
“Billy,” you plead, squirming under his touch, “Need you so bad.”
“I’m right here,” he mouths against your jaw still kneading at your breasts.
You lower your hands to the hem of his t-shirt and lift it up and over his head, tossing it aside before grabbing his torso every way you can. He laughs softly, pulling back so he can rip your top and bra off but his hands quickly return to your tits.
“I really, really need you,” you repeat, scratching at his tanned skin.
He stares down at you in awe, never in his life has he seen a woman so desperate under him. They usually played it cool, if they’d felt this horny for him they would usually try to hide it. You can’t though, it’s so evident on your face how turned on you are. Your wide-eyed, pupils dilated and your cheeks are flushed pink. It’s captivating. He grabs a hold of your cheeks, squeezing them together and slaps your tit with his other hand. You cry out, arching your back to feel some kind of relief.
“You want my cock so bad,” he pouts down at you, “poor baby.”
“Need it,” you whimper, voice distorted by the way he’s gripping your face.
“Aw,” he teases, “are you begging for me to fuck you?”
You nod frantically, his words only making you wetter, “Please!”
He lets go of your face and starts unbuckling his belt, pulling it through the loops before he kicks his boots off. He inches to the edge of the bed, unlacing your shoes as quick as he can. You prop yourself up on your elbows to watch him, the firm grip he has on your ankle makes you whimper. Once he’s got your shoes off, he roughly pulls your jeans off. He positions himself closer and presses his palm hard against your pussy, the barrier of your soaking panties frustrating you.
“Fuck me, Billy,” you mewl, “Pretty please.”
His eyes go dark, mouth opening slightly as he exhales hard. You switched something in him, he’s pushing his jeans and briefs off quickly, freeing his hard cock. The sight of it makes you drool, the tip angry red and leaking which lets you know he’s in the same boat you are. He tugs your underwear down your legs, spreading your legs and scooting himself up between them.
“You wanna feel my cock, baby?” he pants, fingers circling around his length.
You nod eagerly, “Please, Billy.”
He strokes himself, biting his lower lip as he brings his free hand down to feel through your glistening folds. Billy’s touched you there hundreds of times, seen your pussy plenty but never with the promise of being able to stick his dick inside. He presses his tip your entrance and then slides it up through your folds, rubbing your clit with it.
“Oh God,” you moan out, toes curling as you anticipate what’s next.
“Fuck,” he grunts out, “I’m not gonna last long. You’re too fucking perfect.”
The compliments sends you spinning.
“Just want to feel you,” you whisper, “have been since I first saw you.”
Billy leans down to kiss you, hard. He brings his tip back down to your hole, pushes inside slowly. You feel no pain like you’ve been told. It’s electric, actually, makes you feel all kinds of warm and wonderful. Until he pushes in deeper, then you tense, hands grabbing into his waist. Billy kisses your jaw tenderly, tells you to breathe with him. His voice soothes you. It’s the most decadent sound you’ve ever heard.
“Keep going,” you choke out through clenched teeth, “I can handle it.”
You know the more he moves, the easier it will be. You’ve been told. But Billy moves slowly, holds you like he’s scared to break you. You’d happily let him. He sinks in deeper and it’s like he’s pushed passed a barrier, the pain subsiding completely and instead you’re flooded with a rush of pleasure.
“Oh, god,” you pant out, face etched in shock.
“Too much?” he asks, panicked as he looks down at you.
You shake your head from side to side, “Feels so… nice. And warm.”
He chuckles at that bending lower to pepper your face in kisses and he starts to pick up a steady rhythm with his hips. Your legs shake slightly as you try to spread them wider, wrapping your arms around his middle. It’s tender in a way you’ve never seen Billy, he’s delicate and reserved. Then he exhales sharply, his cheeks turning red.
“I’m gonna fucking cum, already,” he mumbles, pressing his forehead against your shoulder.
“Is that bad?” you wonder aloud, wiggling your hips slightly and he’s pulling out of you and spilling onto your stomach with a hiss.
He collapses onto the bed next to you and covers his face with his hands. You look down at the mess he’s made on you, feeling as it starts to cool. You’re tempted to touch it, smooth it over your skin but you fear that would be weird. After heaving a sigh, he sits up and looks down at you.
“Not bad, you were so tight it just felt too good. Give me a break and we can try again,” he whispers, standing from the bed and disappearing into the bathroom. He returns with a towel and cleans you up, pulling you into his lap when he’s done. You’re already eager at the promise of doing it again so soon.
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trashmouth-richie · 6 months
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pt 1: flicker
summary: Hawkins Annual Halloween Festival is in town, and this year you and your friends were lucky enough to work the event. But when some of your co-workers are missing, and a trail of blood leads to the woods behind the festival. Your friends work together to find out what’s going on. A killer is on the loose but who could it be? Or is it the town’s spooky secret of what really happened at Hawkins Lab?
[tickets] [flyer] [clipboard]
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pt 2: A SCREAM AND A SLICE
summary: the day is finally here and our joyful crew arrives to get their assignments for the work day.
tw: 18+ only goodbye minors, billy hargrove smut, billy hargrove being a disgusting human being, mentions of drinking and drugs, character death x 3, hallucinations, drunk behavior, etc childhood background stories.
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The air is cool and crisp, fluttering an ombré of red and orange leaves all over the carnival. Staff was to arrive no later than 8 o’clock, sporting burnt orange Hawkins Haunted Carnival shirts with red hems on the neck and arms. “STAFF” printed on the back in black bold letters. 
Robin's hair and makeup looked exactly like it did last night, a little smudgy and unkept, the style suiting her personality and image to a T. She was holding onto Steve’s arm while picking gum from the bottom of her dirty converse. 
“Fuck I hate kids,” she grumbled, wiping the last bit of the pink wad of bubble gum on the grass. 
Argyle, Nancy, and Jonathan stood and watched. Nancy with her hair in a perfect pulled back ponytail showcasing her bone structure and light makeup, was wide eyed and bushy tailed, making up for the lack of enthusiasm everyone else brought with them this morning. 
Argyle’s long pin straight hair is braided down his back, and he looks almost half asleep, or maybe he was just high, but more than likely that was just him in general. 
You yawned loud behind your hand for the second time since racing into the parking lot, Eddie poked you in the ribs and shook his head, he had wanted to stop at the gas station for some badly brewed coffee this morning upon finding out that your apartment was lacking any sort of caffeine, but you were already going to be late and Mr. Creel’s speech last weekend about not being on time, would scare anyone straight. 
That is unless you were Billy Hargrove. 
Billy rolled in a full thirty minutes past the time all staff were expected to be dressed and ready to go. A cigarette hung lazily from his mouth and the hickies on his neck were splotchy and fading yellow on the edges. He was clutching a can of beer upon walking over to the group, finishing the contents and tossing it behind his shoulder. 
His chin nodded to Eddie in that douchey dude type of greeting. One he reciprocated with flared nostrils and tense shoulders. 
Billy and Eddie used to be as thick as thieves, running like hellions through the trailer park, with you trailing behind them, trying to keep Eddie out of trouble. They had disturbed any little sort of peace that the tenants ever found there. They tormented the occupants of Forest Hills by egging their houses or lighting bags of dog shit ablaze on their steps.
But the boys were left to their vices much like their parents were. Neil and Al knew each other from high school, oftentimes spending nights at the Hargroves kitchen table laughing after many beers about the cars they’d stolen and the broads they shared. Hands around their chests like parentheses to emphasize the breast size of one in particular. 
Billy’s apple didn’t fall far from Neil’s tree, a ladies man but rotten to the core.  However when it came to Eddie and Al, it was almost as if Eddie’s apple was from a different tree entirely, rough on the edges and a little banged up, but the inside was sugary sweet, much tastier than the sour bite Billy’s had to offer. 
You never forgave the blue eyed boy for pushing you off your bike, a scar still etched into your knees, or for chasing you around with a snake he caught by Coolwater Creek. 
Eddie wiped your tears when you cried to him about how mean Billy was. His own brown eyes welling seeing you so upset. He convinced him to leave you alone. And since that day, you were the driving wedge between them at 8 years old and you stayed there up until last year, when the tie that bound them together was ripped apart.
“You’re late Billy-boy,” Mr. Creel sneered, the pierce of his blue eyes shining like heated crystals, “do you not own a watch?”
“Just got in,” Billy said with a yawn, his muscular arms stretching over his head and showcasing his abs when his shirt rode up. 
“I guess I wasn’t aware you had another job.” 
“Oh I’m not paid for this type of manual labor, I do it for free.” He glances over at you and shoots you a wink. And the shiver that shook through you was anything but pleasant. 
Steve rolls his eyes, pulling Nancy into his front and resting his chin on the top of her head. 
Eddie shifts to the side of you that billy is closest too and blocks his view. He made your skin crawl like it was infested with bugs. 
You didn’t like him anymore than he liked you, Heather Holloway was one of the sweetest girls you’d ever met, and to this day you couldn’t figure out why she fell in his traps. He didn’t care about her, only used her to keep his bed warm when he was out doing God knows what with God knows who. His dick was dirtier than a pile of laundry, and he was out of detergent. 
“Let’s not make this a habit, we have a festival to run, and you,” Mr. Creel says, thumbing through a clipboard, “… are on Corn Maze Duty until sun down, then you’re driving the Haunted Hayride like we discussed last week.” 
“Munson, you and Pebbles? Is that a real name?,”
“no,” you say with a laugh, nudging Eddie in the ribs, he was the only one called who still called you that after your moms had decided to dress you both as Pebbles & Bam Bam for Halloween one year, for Eddie, the name stuck, “it's a nickname from when we were— 
“Don’t care.” 
 “You two are on rides, Hairyten—
“It’s Harrington,” Steve interjects but Mr. Creel doesn’t stop.
“.. will take over for you at sundown and then your ‘band’ takes the stage.” 
Billy scoffs around a lit cigarette and Eddie puts a hand on your shoulder to stop you from reaching around him to slap the mustache off his face. 
“Girl Wheeler and R-guy-el are on games… Buckley, you and Hairytoes will be working the ice cream stand, Byers you’re in charge of taking promotional photos. Please make sure the children are smiling. I don’t need any snot nosed little brats blubbering while getting their face painted like a clown, it will drive down sales.” 
Jonathan nods with wide eyes, checking his bag with fumbling fingers making sure he had extra lenses and plenty of film. 
Nancy stands at attention, flipping through her binder full of the game rules, she had been studying it all week, not wanting to give Mr. Creel any sort of assumption that she wasn’t taking her position seriously. 
“Relax Nance,” Steve purred, a little louder than a whisper, “you’re gonna kick ass at this.” 
You didn’t know Steve Harrington was capable of being supportive of another person until Nancy came along. When they first started going out Eddie and you took bets on whether or not it would last. Nancy wasn’t anything like the other trashy girls at your school throwing themselves at King Steve any and every chance they got. 
She was reserved and shy. Pretty in a classy way, minimal makeup needed on her cherub features. And Steve fell hook line and simp er for her. He lost friends, lost his title at school but he didn’t care. He felt unstoppable with Nancy on his arm. 
It made you wish you had a love like theirs, minus the breaking up part, you had dated before but nothing that would last. 
You remember spending a very drunk night with Eddie once on the roof of his trailer, begging him to tell you who he thought was the hottest girl in school. Going through every grade, every single girl from the mathletes to the athletes, the teased hair of Tina down to the short bob of Barb, but he wouldn’t budge. 
“Come on, Eddie .. that was every girl in the school besides Shit teeth O’Donnell.” you laughed and rolled into his chest, spilling beer onto his shirt, your chin sitting on his sternum as he looked at you with a serious stare.
“Not every girl.” 
“Yeah huh,” you poked at his ribs and his armpits only for him to overpower you completely and pin you down, the ends of his hair tickling your cheeks had you squealing. 
“Say uncle or I’m gonna make you piss yourself.” 
“You wouldn’t dare!” 
The dark glint of mischief in his eye wasn’t lost on you,
“D’ you know me at all?” 
The night ended with your jeans and underwear in Eddie’s washing machine, his boxers on your waist after you took a shower and used all of his conditioner. A $3.00 payback for him actually tickling you until you peed yourself, you were just happy Wayne wasn’t home when you waddled through the Munson trailer with wet pants and a hyena laughing Eddie behind you. 
Diversion was his best game, because he never answer your question. 
“Remember.” Mr Creel said pointing to you and Eddie, “two minute rides if there isn’t a line, one minute rides sounds perfectly fine, three minutes and they’ll puke on the floor, 4 minutes and you’re at Satan’s door.” 
He recited the creepy poem without blinking, simply looking from your face and back to Eddie’s, a grim smile on his Curt lips. When he was through he turned on his heel and walked away, snapping at Heather and Chrissy to get to the face painting station. 
“Well that wasn’t weird at all.” Eddie said, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised into his frizzy bangs, clearing his throat. 
“Yeah no shit,” Steve grimaced, “such a weird mother fucker.”
Nancy shut her binder and spoke to you, “sorry about last night— I think I’m just a little stressed.” 
“No worries, Nance, Eddie ended up staying at my place and we smoked a bit and went to sleep.”
“Don’t forget about that weird shit with the streetlights,” Eddie chimed in. 
“Streetlights?” Jonathan asked you, “what about ‘em?” 
“Nah man it’s cool,” Eddie chirped in, lighting a cigarette and offering it to Jonathan, “Pebs and I smoked a little too much, thought we saw some weird shit, that’s all.” 
“Well, my lights went out last night, went outside to check it out and the whole street was dark.” 
Maybe you weren’t high as fuck lastnight on Rick’s Redrum. What if there was actually something strange going on. 
“Did they turn red and explode?” you ask him, trying not to seem too alarmed that someone else who wasn’t high and on the complete opposite side of town experienced the weird lights. 
He picks a scab on his arm between blunt fingernails, uninterested in the conversation, “no idea, just noticed they were burnt out..didn’t see anything else, but hey, I’ll see you guys later okay, I forgot my wallet.” 
With that he turns and leaves, holding his satchel close to his body so the expensive camera attachments don’t break. 
Steve and Nancy kiss each other goodbye and Argyle steps forward to Steve batting his eyelashes, “what about me handsome?” He laughs before Steve can smile awkwardly and walks beside Nancy, asking about her new Reeboks. 
“Six months since we played truth or dare at Munson’s and that guy won’t let it go,” Steve says, shaking his head, “see ya later, don’t have too much fun,” with that he grabs Robin’s elbow and directs her towards the Scoops Ahoy stand. 
Eddie laughs at the memory of a peachy cheeked Steve leaning in to press his lips to Argyle’s. A dare that had Nancy in tears, and had you comforting her for an entire week. 
It was the same night that you had drunk almost an entire handle of vodka and woke up naked in Eddie’s bed, next to Jonathan. 
To this day you don’t remember what happened. 
You left in a hurry when you woke and realized the sleeping body next to you was not only naked but belonged to Jonathan Byers, and you didn’t have any panties on. 
Grabbing your clothes and shoving your feet into your shoes, you stepped over Argyle’s cocooned form in the hallway— using the bathroom rug as a blanket. 
Tiptoeing over the squeaky parts of the linoleum floor you made a glance to the living room and saw that Eddie was sawing logs in Wayne’s recliner. 
You felt dirty, full of shame and guilt as you looked at him forlornly, not able to nail down why you had felt that way. Eddie and you were friends, nothing more than that. 
The door shut behind you in a quiet creak and you sped home as fast as you could, bleary eyed and confused. 
Thankfully, Jonathan wasn’t upset when you told him the next day that you didn’t remember what had happened, and he was relieved, chuckling with a hand on the back of his neck, because he hadn’t remembered that night either. 
You vowed to never tell a soul about that night, and you waited for Eddie to ask you about it, to make some crack about him finding your panties in his room, but he never spoke a word of it. 
You stifle a nervous laugh, “yeah that night was crazy.” 
“yeah no shit, Wayne’s still mad that I ruined his cowboy boots.” 
You smack his chest with the keys, laughing at the memory of his white ass and wild hair running down the dirt road, wearing only Wayne’s boots and his cowboy hat to cover his dignity, the first dare of the night, “c’mon, Munson, I’ll race ya.” 
-
The day flew by, people came from all around to shove their asses into the metal seats of the rides you and Eddie were in charge of. 
Kids of all ages ate melty ice cream and got their faces painted into princesses, witches, pumpkins and spooky ghouls and goblins. 
Eddie’s little gaggle of DnD buddies from high school ran through the carnival like they owned the place. Hootin’ and hollerin’ making themselves look like a bunch of assholes, and you wondered if he sometimes missed that part of being in school. 
Steve and Robin were fending off Erica Sinclair and her many attempts at getting free samples, but realizing if they did give her what she wanted, they’d run out of ice cream and have to close up earlier than expected. Erica Sinclair would later leave the carnival with a sugar high and a stomach ache. 
Argyle gave away the giant stuffed bear on the first ring toss game, earning him a psychotic look from Creel and whiny kids all day not having anything to look forward to when they won, but nothing a few coupons to Surfer Boy Pizza wouldn’t fix when the parents got involved. Nancy was almost in tears at the way Argyle didn’t follow the rules and his dude-like approach to the day's events. 
Robin was in a mood, her normal chaotic rambling mouth self was eerily quiet today. An abnormality for the freckled face girl. And Steve was doing what any normal best friend would; hounding her on what the hell was going on. 
“Drop it pretty boy, I mean it I am fine!” She tossed the ice cream scoop back into the carton container and slammed the freezer door, huffing and lighting a cigarette. 
He saw the way her demeanor changed when Vickie showed up to the carnival with her boyfriend. The same boyfriend who Vickie had promised Robin that she had dumped months beforehand. 
Steve watched as Robin’s eyes flashed with hurt and anger as Vickie sauntered up to the Scoops Ahoy booth, no look of guilt or shame anywhere on her porcelain features, she acted completely oblivious to Robin’s behavior, like she had never even met her before. 
“She’s a bitch Robin,” Steve jabbed, hooking a thumb over his shoulder and wiggling his keys,  "I'll go run her over with my car right now if that’d make you feel better.” 
She had to admit, watching the light leave Vickie’s eyes might make her feel better. The crushing of her bones would play like a symphony in her head. She wanted her to hurt just as much as she was right now. 
“Nah,” Robin says shaking her head, “not worth it, let’s just get day drunk instead, or better yet,” she pushed her ass onto the counter, and swung her hips out to the opening, her long legs hitting the dirt and crunching beneath her converse, “is Argyle still working games with Nance?” 
“That’s what I’m sayin’ man, fuckin’ aliens and shit,” Argyle says with blood shot eyes, “this town, it’s crawlin with em, you’re not one of them are you, Byers?” 
Argyle was on one of his many pot induced tangents about aliens and monsters. It was hard to tell if he was just high or if he truly believed in multi dimensional beings that walked the same paths we did but were hidden from us by the government. 
“I think,” Jonathan says, adjusting his camera around his neck and holding it to eye level, “that you spend too much time with Munson,” he angled the camera just right and snapped the shutter button. Capturing candids of kids throwing softballs at steel milk jugs set into a triangle.  
Argyle wipes his upper lip and throws a braided lengthy lock behind his shoulder, “and how do you know Eddie is wrong? M-Maybe Dungeons & Dragons is real. And the dice is like, the days we have left,” his eyes widen further as he licks at his lips absentmindedly, rambling on, “Eddie’s putting us all into little situations, so he’s like a- a god or a master! Like figurines and shit…”
Jonathan tries his best to drown out Argyle’s stoned ‘epiphanies’ knowing all too well the rabbit hole he’d fall down and wouldn't be able to see the light of day until the lasting effects of purple palm tree delight subsided. 
Argyle’s eyes go wide, “…yeah I hope I got a long sword or something, I’ll definitely need it.” 
“DnD isn’t real,” Jonathan huffs in annoyance, “it’s a fantasy game, one designed to make you think outside of normal everyday life, at least that’s what Will says.” 
“Will the Wise,” Robin calls from behind them, her long fingers tangled in her hair, trying to put her short cut into two little ponytails, “isn’t that what they call him?” 
Jonathan nods, “yeah, yeah it is.” A smile of appreciation on his face, “how’s ice cream going? I saw Vickie… sorry.”
“Love that kid, and yeah that’s why I’m here, need to forget,” she says leaning against the softball toss, the toe of sneaker catching the knee of Argyle’s colorful pants, her forefinger and thumb up to her lips, “you carrying today or do I actually have to pay Munson?” 
“Nah little birdy, I’m all out,” Argyle says with eyelids half closed, “but I heard Rick’s runnin’ some new shit, kinda psychedelic like.” 
By six in the afternoon, Eddie was crabby and ready for Steve to take over. His hair was sweaty and a bandana was tied around his head. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, showing off his muscles and the tattoos on his arms. 
“Take it easy with this shit, ‘m serious,” Eddie says passing Robin the joint and pocketing the cash, “we saw some weird shit last night after smoking, just go to the woods or somethin where no one will see you.” 
Robins fingers clasp the paper of the joint and hold it into a loose fist, she bows and salutes Eddie, “Aye aye cap’n, I promise, I’ll be good.” 
He watched her leave and shook his head. He didn’t know the entire ins and outs of Robin’s relationship with Vickie, but he knew enough that Robin was hurt more than she was happy, and he felt bad for her. 
At least Robin was brave enough to be her true self. Eddie couldn’t even tell the girl he had a crush on for years that he liked her. 
“These kids are fucking assholes,” he said to you when you brought him a lemonade and bummed him a smoke, “yeah I’m talking to you Mayfield, shouldn’t even be on this ride with two broken arms but what the hell do I know?” 
The redhead flipped him a double bird and yelled out, fucker! as her basket on the Zipper spun faster and faster. 
“Were we like this sophomore year?” Eddie asks you around a puff of smoke. 
“Oh absolutely not,” you said matter of factly, “we were worse.” A smile breaks from your lips and Eddie returns it, only his crinkled out your favorite dimple. 
“Fuck man,” he exhaled, hitting a random button on the ride, and raising his eyebrows when it beeped back at him and shook the baskets loudly, “this whole town still thinks I did that shit to Higgin’s dog.” 
It wasn’t a secret what had happened. And as much as everyone swore it was Eddie who did that heinous crime, he was with you that night, stealing cartons of cigarettes from the gas station while the attendant was busy trying to get your number and look down your shirt. 
You knew Eddie was innocent but the town wasn’t convinced, even Wayne questioned him for a while about it. But Eddie wouldn’t squeal on you, knowing that you were just as guilty as he was, and he wouldn’t tarnish your squeaky clean reputation. Not even to save himself. 
“We know the truth, and that’s what matters,” you breathe, stealing the cigarette from his hands and placing it into your mouth. 
Eddie shakes his head, “yeah I know, just wish we knew who did do it.” 
“Ri runno Raggy,” you said using your best Scooby Doo impression, “rits a rystery.” 
Eddie chuckles and shows you his dimples again, a pretty blush painted on his cheeks, “you can always get me to laugh, even when I’m pissed the fuck off at some little shits.” 
He plucks the rest of the cigarette from your lips and takes the last drag between his thumb and forefinger before flicking it off into the dirt. 
He brushes an eyelash from your cheek with his knuckle, and he holds it there for a bit, unconsciously licks at his lips,  “That’s why you’re my favorite,” he admits for the one hundredth time, but it still felt good to hear. Still made your stomach somersault and the glittery butterflies flutter. 
Before you can say anything the kids on Eddie’s ride start screaming to get off, having been spinning upside down for over the time limit. Satan’s door according to Creel. 
“Shit,” he mutters before turning the ride down, the heat on your cheeks and the burn from his finger still there. 
“c’mon I know you wanna,” the clink of his flask unscrewing followed by the chugging slurp from his throat burned her ears, but not more than the red pock marks on her forearm from his cigarette ashes.
She didn’t want to lose him, she knew how lucky she was that he tolerated her and kept her around. After all he only fucked the other girls to piss off their boyfriends. But she meant something to him. Right? 
“Are you sure no one will see us?” She was used to the thrill of being with Billy, mistaking the fight or flight feeling for adoration, the crazed look in his eye for lust. 
He was everything all the other guys in Hawkins were not. A legendary bad boy. All leather jackets and tight jeans, the prettiest eyes she’d ever seen, a fast car that smelled of musky cologne, cigarettes and sex on Friday nights. 
He had shown her things only seen in movies, hickied her up in spots that only he would see, and fucked her in places that would make Satan himself jealous. 
Heather Holloway was completely wrapped up in everything Billy Hargrove brought to the table, only to be leaving starved for more. 
“Who fuckin’ cares,” he grunts, lighting a cigarette and blowing it towards the orange painted sky, “ain’t nothin’ they haven’t seen before.” 
She obeyed like she always did, a simple okay Billy and she was on her knees in the soft upturned soil, nothing but a single row of pale yellowing corn stalks behind her, rustling against the breeze and knocking against one another in a broken violin screech. 
She adjusts her dark curls away from her face, and waits with an eager mouth for what he has to offer. The teeth of his zipper purr as he undoes his pants, holding a thick meaty cock up to her pretty lipgloss smile. 
He’s putty in her hands, rocking his hips up to shove himself further into her mouth, and he groans when he falls into her wet throat. 
Fuck Heather, that’s it. 
He doesn’t hear the scraping of the corn leaves on a quiet shoulder, or the way the dirt crumbles underneath footsteps. He’s high above it, drunk on the feel of his dick in Heather's mouth, and the slight graze of her teeth against his shaft. 
The blade is dull, taking much effort to slice through the muscles of Billy’s back and angling upwards beneath his ribs into his lungs.
Billy gags and gurgles on his own blood, noises that could be easily mistaken for pleasure. The knife is unsheathed and slid across Billy’s throat in a fluid motion spilling claret colored blood down the front of his shirt, he’s dead before he hits the ground. 
Heather is frozen with fear, she lets out a scream that’s stopped cold by the blade puncturing her temple, her lifeless body falling to the soft ground with a thud. 
The blade is wiped clean. Any blood splatters are left on the mask and hidden in the tree line, their lifeless bodies are stuffed further into the corn maze, vacant expressions on their cold faces. 
“… Jesus Christ.” 
“Beautiful isn’t it?” 
Standing 10 feet tall and brandishing slick, gray translucent skin, the flower head shaped monster screeched at the sight and smell of blood pumping, racing.
“Exactly how he described, I can't believe the tunnel leads here.” 
“The tunnels are all over Hawkins, he designed it, just like they said he would. Now c’mon, sun is about to set and I need help figuring out this code, son-of-a-bitch wrote it like a damn puzzle.”
Eddie wasn’t kidding, the strain was powerful. Robin was walking in a dream land of brownie covered ground and licorice grass. She was seeing things;  beautiful, ominous, things she wouldn’t be able to describe. 
And she knew she was high when she heard a high pitch scream from the corn field on her right— damn this shit was good. 
Her face was sticky and so were her hands, the sky spun above her as she laid flat on the cake bed ground, watching the tangerine soda sky as it shifted above her like a kaleidoscope. 
But no matter how many times she blinked her eyes, one piece of the dream never blurred away. A figure standing straight in the air below a tree branch. 
Upon further eye squinting, Robin realized she recognized it to be someone she knew very well. 
She had seen those eyes before. She had felt those hands on her skin. And the gold ring on the delicate middle finger looked way too familiar to just be a coincidence. 
But there wasn’t any way that this could be real, just a prop for a good gag right, or the everlasting effect of the funny smelling joint from Eddie. 
Because why was Vickie standing stone still..? With a large knotted necklace around her pretty neck, covered in red paint, and why wasn’t she moving? 
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♡ thank you for reading, please consider a rb, or dropping a comment below, I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on this chapter.
♡ currently receiving messages in my askbox on who you think the killer is
part 3: THE ROCKSTAR AND THE REDLIGHTS
♡tag list: @dashingdeb16 @emxxblog @mopeymopeymouse @pretendthisnameisclever @mommybaby-witch @eddies-acousticguitar @tlclick73 @figmentofquinn @eddies-stinky-battle-jacket @whenshelanded @micheledawn1975 @3rd-conchord * @leelei1980 @mopeymopeymouse @browneyes8288 @emilyslutface @mmunson86 @josephquinnsfreckles @eddiesxangel @elegantkoalapaper * @str4ngergirlw0rld * @corrodedcoffincumslut @nailbatanddungeon @katethetank @munsons-mayhem28 * @mandyjo8719 @joannamuns9n @littlebookworm86 @hunnybuns-world @littlegingerbat
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billys-pretty-babe · 7 months
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How Could You?
Pairing : Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader
Summary : Sometimes, Billy needs reassurance that you love him especially after Neil gets into his head, using your name against Billy, knowing that hurts worse than when his father puts his hands on him.
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Warnings : child abuse, Neil Hargrove, swearing, Billy makes a sex joke 😐
Word count : 835
A/N : My mental health has been so bad recently so this might be my last fic for a while that I actually take time to write. I have stuff in my drafts ready to post in case I need them.
It hurts you deeply, seeing him like this, so vulnerable, so hurt by his own father. Neil left with Susan, leaving Max and Billy at the house. Max was the one to call you, she heard everything that happened, and heard every word that Neil spewed at your boyfriend. You're pretty sure you broke almost every law in town to get to him, needing to be with him.
She let you into the house, hugging you quickly. "I left water and Tylenol outside of his room, I don't know if he took it." You nodded and thanked her and she went to her room as you went to Billy's, the water and medicine nowhere in sight. You knocked and walked inside, seeing him in his bed, shirtless and in shorts.
He looked at his ceiling, holding his necklace tightly and you knew the chain was digging into the skin, making it raw. "Baby," you said quietly. He didn't take his eyes off of the ceiling as he hummed to you, acknowledging you. You shut his door behind you and moved to the edge of his bed, his ankle against the bottom of your back.
Your heart sank when you saw what exactly Neil did to him, "Oh baby." He shook his head, "Don't do that, not for me. I'm not deserving of that." Still, his eyes never left the ceiling. "Yes you are." He shook his head, "I'm not, trust me." Slowly and with calculated movements, you reached for his knee, gently rubbing it, doing your best to not get knots in the brunette hair that dusted the skin.
"Why aren't you?" He sighed, "Because I'm not." You hummed, "That's not an actual answer, B." He stayed quiet. "Do you want me to leave," you asked after a few minutes of silence. "No," he deadpanned. You nodded, "Okay," you said as you got comfortable, sitting beside him, gently yanking a pillow out from underneath him.
The room was silent besides Billy's ragged breathing, his adrenaline through the roof as he tried to calm down. "Do you love me?" You looked at him, "Of course I do." He hummed, "Okay." You sighed before speaking again, "It was after our second date, when you brought me back here and you were working on that junk bike. You were so open with me, I was able to ask you anything and you immediately answered. I got to know William, not Billy or the keg king, but William Hargrove. So yeah, I can positively say that I do indeed love you, a lot more than I could ever express."
He nodded, hand reaching for yours and you held it, seeing little cuts on his knuckles. "Did you hit him back?" He shook his head, "I think I'd be dead if I did. Punched the bathroom wall, there's a hole now so I moved the picture over it." You nodded and rubbed his knuckles gently. "Did you break anything?" He shook his head, "Already checked myself like you taught me to." You nodded.
"Is it hard to love me?" You shook your head, "It's second nature for me, like breathing." He nodded and looked at you quickly, "You forget how to breathe sometimes." You grumbled and he laughed. "Shut up, Billy." His laugh made you smile, usually it was something just for you. "Imagine forgetting how to breathe that you have to watch your boyfriend do it." You rolled your eyes, "Imagine eating fucking bubbles in the shower." He thumped your thigh, "That was one time because you blew bubbles at me."
He leaned down and kissed the top of your head, murmuring, "I love you." You smiled, "I love you too now give me a kiss." He laughed and tipped your head back before kissing you. You smiled when he pulled away, "Man, is this what Disney is like?" He laughed, "I mean, you do get to ride your favorite ride." You gasped and he laughed, placing his hand on his stomach as his shoulders shook, head thrown back and you laughed with him.
"Billy, that's inappropriate." He snickered, "Look at who you're talking to. Of course it was." You laughed and shook your head, looking at the bottle of Tylenol on his bedside table. "Go tell her thank you." He groaned as he got up, trudging next door before coming back a few minutes later and he laid back down. "Need me to mend anything?" He shook his head, “I'm good, maybe my dick." You sighed, "Billy, shut up." He laughed before Max piped up through the wall.
"Yeah Billy, shut up!" You both laughed and he knocked on the wall, "Shut it, Maxine!" You laughed, shaking your head and got comfortable, kicking your shoes off. You curled up against his side, trying to be aware of his bruises and sore spots. "Love you." You smiled, "I love you too." He talked to you until you fell asleep, holding you tightly to protect you from anything and everything.
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Typing this up on my breaks at work so don't come at me for any errors. Not Harringrove unless you mean in like a Capital P Platonic sense reminiscent of his bond with Robin but also Billy antis need not interact?
Season 2 booiiii!!
(part 1)
Steve coasts through Senior year but the small changes in his appearance and occasionally yelling out his two-bits when Munson goes on one of his lunch table rants only settle him so much and Nancy hasn't said but he knows she's not a big fan and he tries to be a steadying presence. Tries to be someone she can forget it all with and let it go because they're kids who signed NDAs and maybe if he can help her the nightmares will stop and the ringing in his ears won't keep coming and going and he will stop spacing out in class. She gets on him about his grades and college. He figures he'll get a job with his dad, learn the company and have enough of an income that he can support Nancy as she pursues her passions and college and fights to change the world and when he inherits the company he'll be in a position to make real lasting change in small towns like Hawkins.
But then the Hargroves come to town and Billy makes a play for the crown that still sits so heavy on his head. Pushes and antagonizes and tries to get a rise from him. There's something about the way he holds himself, the way he preens and struts and takes up so much space while keeping himself so contained that pricks at the back of Steve's head. He's seeing the dots but they're just not connecting. So he lets Hargrove make the big show of biting at his heels but doesn't rise to any of the challenges. And it seems that with someone like Billy to hide behind Tommy has forgotten what happened when he made a play for the crown himself. Though Steve smiles to himself when he realizes that it's obvious Billy wasn't told that little piece of information when he makes comments about Steve being soft and not willing to fight for his reputation. Billy pushes and taunts and Steve is so tired of him and the metalheads heckling him for being punk one minute then calling him a poser the next and trying to keep up appearances for Nancy and the people in town who would report him to his parents before he's ready if he really dressed and behaved the way he wanted to and the government goons he knows have been keeping an eye on Hawkins since that night.
Steve stumbles but he doesn't fall.
Then Tina's Halloween party happens and the girl he loves and is building his future around is calling him and everything they've said and done and promised bullshit. Tommy and Co are still hyping up Hargrove beating Steve's official record as he makes his way out of the house instead of showing off his refined skills from that summer in [insert major big city] that started him on this path to becoming the person he wants to be. He saw Byers around, he knows he'll get her home safe.
Nancy confronts him about not picking her up for school. He won't break up with her behind the school gymnasium of all places but he tells her about everything being bullshit by her own statement, gives her a chance to say she loves him and hopefully mean it, and when she doesn't take it he walks away. He plans to talk to her that weekend. Plans to punk up a little even if she doesn't like it cause it makes him feel safer and more centered, take her flowers and apologize for the way he handled it but call them off. Instead he gets Dustin -one of the kids he's given a ride or two to the arcade with Mike when he and Nancy were headed to the movies or the diner- and monsters and another kid he gives rides to and some random spitfire of a girl. He's angry and sad and scared and he makes sure his heavy leather jacket is zipped up before heading out of the bus to draw out the dog shaped monsters. He needs to keep them safe and if he can hit something bloody in the process that's a win-win.
They end up back at the Byers' place. There's a plan and his part is keeping the kids safe as his now officially ex-girlfriend follows and comforts the boy she is willing to bear her claws for. The plan does not include Billy Hargrove showing up for the random spitfire girl who is apparently his little sister. The plan does not include Billy holding one of his kids (yes it's only been a couple hours but they're HIS to protect godsdammit) up by the front of his shirt and threaten him. The plan does not include a fight that starts with Billy laughing something about finally meeting King Steve and ending with the refrigerator being knocked open and the dead demodog falling out between two scared bloody teenagers who know too much about monsters. The plan does not include Billy Hargrove almost sounding scared as he snaps something about Max going with him because he was not letting her just sneak out to fight monsters with dumbasses trying to get themselves killed and someone named Neil already knowing she was gone and she was lucky Billy hadn't mentioned the Sinclair boy when saying she was probably out with her new friends. It definitely doesn't include Max looking like she finally figured out a particularly hard puzzle and telling Billy if he helped them and helped Steve keep them safe in the tunnels then the chief of police would not only know he was trustworthy and useful but maybe even be indebted for helping make sure the chief's daughter survived her part of the plan.
It makes the dots line up and connect when that makes Billy pause and tentatively ask vague half-questions that he only seemed to trust Max to be able to answer.
Steve decides he hates Neil Hargrove after they've made it through the tunnels easy as anything with Billy taking point so Steve can take up the rear and keep the kids between them. After Billy pulls Dustin away from the weird flower thing that almost got the kid in the face and pulls Mike up and away once Steve got the vine to let go of his leg. After Hopper comes back to see them covered in dirt and soot but grinning victoriously and he had them walk him through what happened so they're all on the same page when the suits decide to show up. After Max pulls Hopper and Billy aside and Steve is able to catch snippets about an asshole and bruises on his face but his knuckles unharmed so she knows he wasn't getting into fights. Steve decides he hates Neil Hargrove and maybe he and Billy have more in common than he thought.
It's not easy after that. The nightmares are still bad but now he and Billy have an understanding and a codeword and a system for whose turn it is to drive when neither of them can sleep. The ringing is a little worse and a little more consistent and his left(? I can't remember if it's his left or right eye that keeps getting messed up) eye gets a little fuzzy when he's tired or stressed. His grades suffer but with Billy's help he's at least able to make it into the local community college once he graduates even if the fancy university his parents wanted him to attend rejected him. El seems intrigued by Steve's look, calls him 'bitching' like she calls Nancy 'pretty' and says he reminds her of her sister and Hopper doesn't seem as big a fan of that but acknowledges that Steve is good babysitter material which will be needed if El is going to be joining society again sooner than he wanted. Max and Billy work with Hopper and Joyce in wearing down Susan to leave Neil or at least make it known that the chief is well aware of what type of man he is and will not stand for it in his town.
That comes to a head when Max and Lucas are unofficially each other's date to the Snowball dance and Neil finds out that Billy knew and even encouraged it (because his sister deserves nice things dammit and this boy was close enough for now... But he's watching and will do his big brother duty if necessary), taking Max there and being seen talking sternly to the Sinclair boy before shaking his hand. Hopper ends up having to lead Neil Hargrove away in handcuffs and Max stays with him and El while Susan files for divorce and custody of Billy through a swollen eye and Steve makes a point of getting Billy his schoolwork and chauffeuring the kids to keep him company during his brief stay in the hospital. Life isn't all good, but it's getting better.
Then Steve's parents come home.
It was thankfully a day The Party and Co weren't over and a recovered Billy was busy applying for summer jobs and he'd deep cleaned the common rooms because that one dusty shelf just rubbed him the wrong way now that the kids weren't around to distract him and the sides of his hair had grown out some so it looked more like the type of haircut he used to have freshman year if a little longer up top. It was unfortunately the day after his father had actually listened to the latest messages and read the end of the year report cards concerning his son's graduation. It was unfortunately a day when Steve was in a shirt that had the sleeves and parts of the sides cut off and showcased his ribs showing the palm sized petal faced Demogorgon head he got the spring break after the first round of interdimensional horror. It was unfortunately a day when [insert pretentious name] Harrington decided that since Steve was 18, couldn't make it into any 'acceptable school' and was obviously not planning on being a proper Harrington man then he was cut off, he knew about the trips to Indianapolis (not all of them but enough) he knew about the music and the parties (even if Steve hadn't thrown one in years), knew Steve was involved in something that had the government coming around and making them look bad in front of the neighbors. He knew about the subtle pins and patches on the jacket hanging by the front door and he wouldn't have that in his house.
So Steve is out by the end of the week. Everything he wants from his room and the house fits into the trunk of the car his dad had signed over as a birthday/graduation gift before the infodump that led them here. He has some money saved from the allowance his parents used to send and a job lined up at the mall opening at the edge of town and the trust fund that his grandparents set up that his father can't touch but neither can Steve before he's 21. He winds up at the door of Hopper's cabin, blurts out that he likes men as much as women, isn't quite an anarchist but it's close some days and his parents found out and it didn't end well before the man can ask what was going on as he opens the door. Hopper lets Steve sleep on their couch while he and Joyce sort out fixing up the old trailer. Billy and El and Nancy and Jonathan help but Steve doesn't want the rest of the kids to know yet. Not with Max still settling after the legal battle with Neil, Lucas at her side trying to help her as best he can, Will recovering from being possessed, Dustin getting ready to go to summer camp and Mike getting over whatever he's being petty about this time (don't want to give the kid more fuel for that fire).
So Steve is mostly moved in to the old trailer by the time he starts at Scoops Ahoy and meets his coworker Robin Buckley. His kids are safe and getting to be kids, his people are all taken care of (Nancy and Jonathan with summer internships and Billy taking Steve's old lifeguard position), the gate is closed, he is set to start some Gen Ed courses at the local community college the next semester and he's heard tell of a decent band that's started playing at The Hideout some weeknights so that will be fun to have something like that closer than Indianapolis.
Life isn't perfect, but it's good. It's getting better.
(part3.1)
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bogwitchlesbian · 8 months
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Max calls Steve first. Asks him to pick her up from the hospital.
He floors it there, and when he arrives, max is angrier than he’s ever seen her and her mother is sobbing into her hands. Billy is in surgery. Neil stayed home.
Steve has a moment of sudden and immediate understanding that almost knocks him off his feet, and all concern, anger, and fear, are locked behind a wall. He just feels calm. He reassures Susan that he’ll take max home, and they leave hand in hand for the first time.
He takes her home. Not back to cherry lane, of course. He drops her in his driveway, gives her his house key and 20 bucks and tells her to order a pizza. He rips out of the drive before she can ask where he’s going. His bat is in the trunk.
He slams to a stop outside the house on cherry lane with a squeal of brakes that would have made him nauseous any other time. He is still too calm to care. He kicks the front door in, startling Neil Hargrove off the couch.
Neil is shouting, Steve thinks, but he doesn’t even register it. He starts swinging. Doesn’t stop until Neil can no longer find breath to beg for mercy. He isn’t dead. That would be too easy. He won’t forget Steve for a very long time, however. He made sure of that.
He still hasn’t spoken a word. Steve rummages in the kitchen until he finds two rolls of black bin bags, and takes them upstairs, trying doors till he finds Billy’s room. His eye twitches at the lock on the outside of the door.
He packs bags full of Billy’s things, careful not to look too hard at anything that might be private. He takes them down to his car, ignoring Neil wheezing on the floor. He pulls the landline out of his hand with ease and puts it in the still full sink.
White ceramic crunches under his feet. A broken plate. That’s all it was. Billy broke a plate, and now he might not wake up.
Steve rifles through the files in the cabinet next to Neil and Susan’s bed. Birth certificate, social security card, previous medical records and school reports. He takes everything with Billy’s name on it.
The only time he speaks is once everything is loaded into his car. He kneels next to Neil’s head and slaps him out of his groggy state, ignoring his groans of pain.
“Don’t bother calling the police. I called my lawyer before I even got here and if you make trouble for me, he. Will. Bury. You. Understand?”
Neil nods weakly.
“Great. Pull yourself together and get the fuck out of Hawkins. Don’t even think about screwing Susan over, either. I’m gonna make sure she gets all the alimony she possibly can outta you.”
He smiles, ugly and vindictive, and leaves. Drives home with his backseat piled high with billy’s life.
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passivenovember · 2 months
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Someone says Billy might be in there, and that's all it takes to snap Steve's resolve in two like a pathetic, gnawed-on piece of red vine.
Billy might be in there, Nancy says.
It's strange when it claws out of her, choked and desperate because they're running out of time, some. Huge, old, fuckin', annoying clock ticking away someplace, deaf to be heard. But felt. Like five knuckles to the stomach.
Nancy's got mud on her cheeks. Blood crusting brown at the corner of her nose and fear glittering like shards of mirrorball in both eyes. Blue. Steve used to obsess over that shade, until.
Billy. Who burned the rest of the world to the ground. Who changed water and sky and moonlight and lake fronts forever. For Steve. Billy--
Who might be down there.
Steve peers at the soft current of the lake, rippling with tabs of stardust. Billy's dead, Steve remembers suddenly. They told him he was dead because he couldn't see through the cloud of black-cat gun powder that night the bottom fell the fuck out. They told Steve everyone was better off, they buried what was left of his body and they moved on. Everyone.
Steve didn't cry at the funeral. Couldn't. He promised Billy that he never would, not. In front of Neil Hargrove, not in front of anyone, so.
Billy might be in there.
Steve can't blame them as the boat rocks, gentle as the tick-tick of time pressing on, when no one moves.
Steve, Nancy says.
He looks at her, taken aback by the shock on her face. What are you doing, she says. But Steve isn't listening. His shirt dangles from her fingertips, a white flag. A death shroud.
Steve doesn't remember taking it off. He opens his mouth. Shuts it.
Eddie Munson looks at him with the kind of sharp, resigned knowing that makes Steve shrug. Clear his throat. Say, If I'm not back in two minutes, jump in after me.
Steve, Nancy says. Small and afraid, You can't go in. You're--
--Billy's in there, Steve snaps. No might. Leaving no room for argument. He can feel it, like that big clock in the sky, ticking.
Billy's in there, so Steve jumps.
--
Somewhere, in sudden, churning darkness
his skin starts to burn.
--
Something hits him, right under his temple. On his cheek bone. It sticks too the tacky landing of his skin and then falls.
Not. To the ground, Steve doesn't think. To the lakebed.
Into some great, terrible void that waits to swallow him whole because it has no teeth. No edge. No suffering.
"You're starting to burn," Someone tells him.
Steve jerks awake, eyes slamming into a bright blue sky. "Sorry," He says. "I fell asleep. I thought--"
"--You're gonna catch on fire."
Trees, nodding in the warm exhale of some far-away afternoon spring from the centerfold of himself. He's getting a sunburn but there's a tube of banana boat sunscreen on the beach towel next to him, hot to the touch.
"Did you throw that at me?" He demands. Steve's naked from the waist down. Flat on the earth, suddenly. Flat on a beach towel, gritting black sand into Miss Universe, '84's shiny blue one piece. He's seen this towel, before.
"You've gotta put it on," The voice says, "You don't have much longer."
Steve sits, blinking into the sunlight.
He's at the quarry. He's been here before.
"Who are you?" He asks.
The earth seems to exhale. Far below, laughter climbs the rocky face of memory. Steve hears children, playing. His children. Dustin's voice tugs at him. His heart. His mind.
Billy's in there--
"I'm looking for someone," Steve says, but he doesn't turn from the treeline. Doesn't peer below, either. Doesn't move. "I. I think I lost him. I haven't seen him in a long time but I--"
"Don't worry about that."
"I worry," Steve reports, but it feels like a lie. He considers the banana boat sunscreen but can't reach for it, afraid of what might happen if he sinks into its release.
The children keep laughing, far below, and Steve thinks he's seen this blue before. This shade. This sky.
"I don't want you to get sunburned," The voice tells him. Closer. Near enough that the breath from its lungs stirs the hair on Steve's head. Just out of eyesight. "You always look like shit when you're burned up."
"I was wondering if you could help me."
"You're gonna turn red, pretty boy. A fuckin' lobster."
Steve gasps. His heart shudders. Stops.
Stops beating.
Steve swallows. "I'm looking for someone," He says. Not particularly inclined to tear his eyes away from the peaks and valleys of the hill that grinds, pestle, all around him. He's safe. Nestled into the end. "Please, I. I think I lost him. I've been trying to find him for a long time but he's--"
"Hiding," The voice says.
Someone sits next to him in the sand. Naked from the waist down, golden.
Sunlight. Flame. The dawn.
Steve looks at him. "Billy," He says. Or maybe he doesn't. The word comes from everywhere, like springtime rolling over the earth. Flowers blooming and withering all at once.
"You don't have much longer," Billy stretches out along the beach towel, red trunks coated in dark black sand. "You're burning up. Why don't you go back?"
Steve remembers this.
Asking if there was an extra towel, if Billy wanted this one, why Billy gave it to him in the first place--
"Because I want to be with you," Steve says. Like Billy had said, then. That day at the quarry before. This and them and everything. It had opened a whole universe for them. It had changed everything and now Steve holds his breath, wondering if it will again.
Below, the children keep laughing.
"Billy," Steve says, because it tastes good. Like lemonade and iced tea. And cotton candy at the county fair. And cigarettes at midnight. And pancakes, burned by the man he--
"Look at me," Steve says.
Billy's hair billows, golden in the breeze. "I can't."
"Why?"
"You stare at me with those fuckin' eyes and," Billy shakes all over, "I'll get selfish. Ask you to stay."
"Don't have to ask," Steve tells him, rooted to Miss Universe '84. "I'm not going back."
"Yes you are."
"I can't live without--"
"Jesus Christ, would you listen to this bullshit? We sound like a play about star crossed losers, and not a good one, either." Billy sits up straight, tucking his hair behind his ears. "It's cliche. Don't say shit like that."
Steve swallows. "It's true."
"I know, pretty boy."
"So then why can't I stay with you?"
"Because it's not your time yet," Billy says, finally, finally looking at him. Eyes blue like the sky.
Steve exhales, watching as the earth moves with him. "Now who's cliche?"
Billy laughs, and.
Steve must crumble. Must catch on fire. Must make up his mind because he breaks.
"Don't cry," Billy tells him, weakly, "Harrington--"
"--I'm not going back unless you come with me."
"It doesn't work like that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm dead," Billy tells him, turning in the sand until their knees press together. Solid and warm.
Alive.
"I'm not in the lake, sweetheart. I know you want me to be, but I'm not." Steve sobs. He can't help it, can't stamp it down, it slithers out of him with its fangs bared, full of fear and poison. It must get Billy in the heart. Must kill him a second time because Billy grabs at Steve, clutching Steve's face between his hands. "Hey, none of that, now--"
"--I'm sorry, Billy. So fucking sorry--"
Billy scrubs the tears away. "It's not your fault. Sometimes," Billy says, tugging fingers through Steve's hair, "Sometimes shit just happens, and people die, and it's a normal part--"
"--Nothing's normal anymore," Steve snaps, "I don't even know what normal looks like. And. Even before everything, before that night, I just. Something happened to me," Steve commit's the feeling of Billy's thumbs, rubbing circles into his sadness, to memory. "You happened to me, Billy."
The children aren't laughing, anymore. The sun dips low in the sky.
Billy turns from him, eyes scanning the treeline, "You don't have much longer, sweetheart."
"I'm not going back."
"You have to. I'm not arguing with you. This isn't a discussion." Billy says. Horrible and empty.
Steve snaps. "What, are you going to force me back into my body? Possess me like some fucking, ghost asshole and make me swim back to the surface?"
Billy blinks at him, shocked.
"That's where I am, right? Drowning at the bottom of the goddamn lake?"
Billy's face cracks open. "I can't watch you die."
"I watched you die."
"Bullshit," Billy says, "You couldn't see through the smoke--"
"--I love you," Steve says. Because it's simple. True. "And you love me."
Billy holds him tighter. Closer. "I know, baby."
"So let me stay here," Steve says. Holding on just as tight. Just as hard. "Let me come with you, and we can--"
"You have so much life stretching out in front of you, baby. So much love just. Fuckin' waiting for you."
"I don't care."
"You're going to have a family," Billy says, voice shaking, "You're going to meet someone. They're so good to you, I can. I feel it. Like sunlight," Billy blinks, lashes clumped with tears, "No. You already know him. Just met him."
"I don't want anyone else," Steve snaps, desperate. Wishing he could peel Billy's skin from the bone and sew himself up inside. Live there forever and ever and--
"I can't love anyone else, Billy."
"Yes you can," Billy says. "You will."
"What about," Steve asks, clutching Billy closer, "What about you?"
Billy smiles sadly. "I'm not going anywhere. Your whole life, I'll be here. I'll be waiting for you."
The sun dips below the horizon. The world burns.
Steve runs out of time.
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weird-an · 4 months
Text
"So, Hargrove," Harrington says, stretching his long limbs out on the deckchair, water drops glistening on his chest hair, skin turned golden from the sun. "Isn't it a good idea to spend the summer here?"
Billy isn't really sure about that. He isn't exactly friends with Harrington. Spending a summer at the Harrington's summer residence near Sweetwater - because of course they have a whole ass mansion with a giant pool and marble everywhere - was at least better than staying home.
With Neil. Neil who is already calling him useless and a failure before he has even started college.
Harrington asked him, drunk on champagne and the last day of school. Billy can't remember agreeing himself, but Tommy did, loud and obnoxious as usual.
But here? Soaked in sunlight, sipping Campari and swimming in the pool? Having dinner every day, not just scraps from the kitchen or greasy fast food?
Yeah, that's not too bad. Especially when Harrington looks at him like that, with his big brown eyes and crooked smile.
"It's alright," he says, sucking on his cigarette. "Everywhere is better than Hawkins."
"You got no idea how right you are." Harrington throws his head back and laughs. Billy watches his Adam's apple bob. He can, today, because Tommy has pissed off today, too hungover and bitchy for a reason Billy doesn't know or care about.
"C'mon," Harrington gets up and grins at Billy. There's something dark lurking behind pearly white teeth, sending a shiver down Billy's spine. "It's no summer without skinny dipping, right?"
Billy freezes, feels almost caught, like they are back in the locker at school and someone saw him staring.
"It's noon," Billy says with a frown.
"Who gives a fuck." Harrington takes a gulp from his glass, a red drop of Campari stays on his lips.
Billy can't look away. Harrington licks it off. His tongue is pink. Billy wonders what it tastes like.
"C'mon, Billy." Harrington pulls down his swim shorts. "Don't be boring."
"Fuck off." Billy Hargrove is everything but boring. He slips out of his shorts and presses his cigarette out in the crystalline ashtray.
Harrington smiles at him, eyes wandering across his skin, lingering on Billy's cock. Or at least, Billy thinks so. He tries not stare at Harrington's. He can't be that. Not here. Not now.
"Let's get you wet," Harrington says with a wink, taking the bottle of Campari and jumping into the water.
Billy only sees a blur of red and blue - and the pale of Harrington's ass. Suddenly he finds himself in the water too and realizes he has underestimated the depth of it.
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emzular · 2 years
Text
all of this billy attacked lucas billy attacked a kid he hit a kid-
no. watch it again.
billy came in, held lucas against a wall, told lucas to "stay away from her".
and then lucas kicked him in the nuts. lucas fought back, kicked billy, and billy staggered back. and then what did he do? did billy punch lucas? grab him again?
no.
"you are so dead sinclair," billy yells.
also side note; "he has a name now" billy says to max earlier in the series, yet here billy is using the kid's name. so billy clearly never had a problem with max knowing lucas' name, never thought of lucas as a second class citizen; he was just saying shit his dad woulda said, to try and get max to back off for both their sakes.
"so dead," says billy. but billy doesn't do shit. doesn't set up for a punch, doesn't get ready for a fight. he does fuck all.
because billy hargrove is the king of empty threats. "you know what happens when you lie," billy tells max in the car, when she says lucas is just a guy from school. he makes it seem like if she lies, there will be consequences. but in their next scene together, max is lying to billy about "mormons" being at the door, and billy knows she's lying, it's so obvious. and he doesn't do shit.
'you know what happens when you lie' - nothing. nothing happens when max lies.
because billy's threats are always empty.
because he's not his father. he's not abusive.
it's neil's threats that carry weight. neil threatens billy, and then hits him.
so when billy goes after max, and lucas, and holds lucas against a wall, threatens him; it's a warning. not to lucas, but to max. it's a warning that the next time it might not be him who comes after them. it might be neil. and if neil finds max with lucas, it'll be much worse. cos neil will start throwing punches. hell, if neil hargrove can hit his own son just for not knowing where his sister is, think about what neil would do to the black kid who's been helping max sneak out of the house.
billy's threats are empty. neil's aren't.
and when billy goes into that house and holds lucas against a wall, he wasn't there to beat up lucas, didn't want to go off on some kids. he just threw his weight around, grabbed lucas, to warn max that next time? next time it might be neil who comes looking for her.
and neil will start throwing punches at kids.
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