#Billy big bang

[cuepickle]

Finally the day has arrived to share the art I created for the @billybigbang2024!

I was paired with the lovely @spaceofentropy, who wrote “As You Wish”, a Princess Bride AU. Billy is in Wesley’s role, with Chrissy as Princess Buttercup.

I loved how @spaceofentropy wrote them as besties, and how she wrote all of the other characters into the fic (especially the brown haired sailor who’s at Billy’s side along the way 👀

All chapters of the fic have now been posted on ao3, so if you haven’t had a read already, you can here:

[alduade-art]

Art for @house-of-chant 's awesome fanfiction for the @billybigbang2024 ! Please go check out the fic! :D

[dragonflylady77]

The Stolen MerPrince

Rating: T | harringrove | 16,419 words | mermaid!Billy x mermaid!Steve

Welcome to the labour of love that is this fic I wrote for @billybigbang2024!

I started with the idea for a couple of scenes then had to weave the rest of the plot around it. I created the banner (below the cut) really early on, before my fic had even been claimed.

Then @akichania made the banner above for promo week. I love both so you get both!

The talented @akichania also made a wonderful piece of the two mermaid boyfriends that you can find here. 🥰

I am currently in France visiting my family so there will be only one post with the link.

Read on Ao3

Summary:

Billy is pissed. There aren’t many places to stretch his tail in Hawkins, and he misses the ocean. One day, he overhears his father talking about Steve Harrington and uncovers some shocking truths about the mermaid prince his mother used to tell him stories about. Now Billy needs to convince Steve that mermaids are real and take him back to California.

Chapter 1 - a beautiful baby boy

“Mama?”

Billy flicked his tail and watched the bubbles come up to break the surface. They were floating on the bull kelp canopy, Billy’s head resting on Mama’s belly, the sun shining down on them.

“What is it, Billy Blue?” Mama asked, running her fingers through his curls. Spending time in the ocean with Mama was Billy’s favorite thing to do in the whole world. They’d found a small cove away from the tourist areas and it was their secret spot. There, they could let out their tails and forget about the human world for a bit. 

Sometimes—when they had more time because Billy's dad was away for work—they would swim down to the city under the sea, where they met merfolk like them and Mama would show him the history of their people, painted on large murals in the library.

Billy knew Mama used to work at the palace, but then something bad happened and Mama left her job. They didn't talk about it. The people they met in the deep of the ocean didn’t mention it either, but they were always happy to see Mama and Billy. 

They didn’t seem to like Billy’s dad very much, though. Billy wondered if it was because his dad was human, and sometimes not very nice. He felt bad thinking such things, but he’d heard tales about humans who did horrible things to merfolks. Mama said that was why they needed to hide the truth about their tails.

Billy flicked his tail a few more times. He liked how the sun reflected on his scales. Mama had told him the colors of his tail would change as he aged, going darker. He hoped his tail would look like hers, dark red and gold, with spots of black. Mama’s tail was so pretty.

“Can you tell me about the stolen prince?”

“Again?” Mama said with a laugh.

“Please, Mama.”

“Alright,” she said, dipping her fingers in the water and letting the drops fall on Billy’s cheek. “It was a bit over a year before you were born. After years of trying and hoping, Queen Titania finally had a child. A beautiful baby boy—”

“Like me!” Billy exclaimed with glee.

“Yes, my darling, like you.” Mama smiled and picked up Billy’s hand to give it a kiss. She kept it as she continued the story. “He had big brown eyes, and equally brown hair, and he was named Stephanos. The whole queendom rejoiced and merfolks came from all over the ocean to see the little prince. There was enchanting music and endless dinners with fancy foods, and a lot of dancing. It was such a happy time.”

“Then the bad men came…”

“That’s right. When Prince Stephanos was a few months old, two men sneaked into the palace and stole the baby. The palace guards looked everywhere but they couldn’t find the men or the little prince. The queen was so heartbroken that she refused to leave her chambers for a long time.”

“Poor lady.” Billy didn’t like that part. He had seen the queen a couple of times when Mama had taken him to the underwater city, and she had looked so sad. He hoped Mama and him were never separated like the queen and her baby had been.

“The high council sent the royal secret service to look for the prince everywhere, even on land. But it’s been over ten years, and they still haven’t found him. A few weeks after the prince was taken, I found out I was pregnant with you, so I left my job at the palace to be with your father, up here.”

Mama stopped talking then, and Billy looked up at her. She looked sad, a bit like the queen. He wondered why, since he was still there with her.

“I love you, Mama. I always want to be with you.”

Mama smiled down at him, but he could see the tears in her eyes, even if they didn’t fall. “I love you, too, Billy. No matter what happens, you will always be my precious boy.”

Shortly after, Mama decided it was time to go home. They swam to shore where she waited on the sand for him to focus enough to switch to two legs. He was still learning how to control the transformation, finding, like many other merchildren, that going from two legs to a tail was easier than the reverse. 

“It’s too hard, Mama. I can’t,” Billy said, frustrated and tired. Mama shushed him, her soft hand brushing his cheek as she kissed his forehead.

“It’s okay, baby, it takes time. It will come to you with more practice. Here,” she handed him the enchanted necklace that prevented merfolk transformations on land. Billy would need to use it when bathing and swimming around humans, until he could control his tail.

[...]

Read the rest on Ao3

[billybigbang2024]

The Billy Big Bang posting season starts on November 1st and Team #11 of the Billy Big Bang will be posting their collaboration through November 9th! The artwork and banner are by @cuepickle / Cuepickle and the fic is by @spaceofentropy / Zeros83! We're eager to see what they've come up with but here's a little info to whet your appetites too!

Fic Title: As You Wish

Rating:  Mature

Warnings:  No Archive Warnings Apply 

Relationships:  Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove & Chrissy Cunningham, Eddie & El

Characters:  Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, Jane "Eleven" Hopper, Murray Bauman, Henry Creel, Dr. Brenner, Jason Carver, Max Mayfield 

Additional Tags:  The Princess Bride AU, pirates, swordfights, blood and violence (but not too explicit), minor character deaths, temporary major character death, magic, torture, murder, animal death (canonical to The Princess Bride) 

Length: 29k

Summary:  

Everybody thinks they know what happened, that time that three unsavory people kidnapped the Princess Bride in order to start a war. Everybody is wrong.

Her name was Chrissy, not Buttercup, and the Dread Pirate Roberts was not in love with her, not in the romantic way everybody thinks, anyway. And he wasn't alone, but accompanied by his second, Mr. Harrington! And the swordman wasn't Spanish, nor was there a Turkish strongman.

But it was, indeed, a story about true love, adventure, treachery, duels, and revenge. Care to know the truth?

[lorifragolina]

Bite the Bullet, Billy - First part

Hello all! Finally, this is the first part of my @billybigbang2024 fiction! It will be the first 5 chapters, and you will have a new part daily! A huge, huge thanks to @dirtbagdefender who created the STUNNING poster and the gifs for various chapters that you will see in the next day!

And a big thanks (that's not enough!) to @talanashta for being an awesome beta and make this fiction readable! I work a lot in this fic, and this is the bigger I wrote so far, I love working at it despite all the difficulties and the problems, but it really changed me and the way I work! CW: Domestic violence, period-typical racism, racist terminology, suicidal thoughts Rating: E

Read it on AO3!

A snippet from Chapter 5 under the cut!

After every night of beating, she started to take him to some pretty place, and she said he was a good boy, her golden boy, her pretty little boy, her sunshine. She let him comb her hair and braid it; she bought him trinkets and bracelets and little shiny things that he hid from his father and wore only when he was alone with her; she bought him his first board and took him to the beach, to the ocean, where he felt happy and free for a few hours before going back home. 

She took him to the beach once more that day in June ‘76. He was nine, and he knew that the day before had been his parent’s anniversary; he knew because they argued as usual, over a cold dinner or whatever, and Dahlia screamed that he broke her balls even on their anniversary, and he said that he cursed that fucking useless day. 

It escalated quickly. She called him a coward and a deserter; he called her a whore and a bad wife, and he was tired of bearing it. Dahlia didn’t smash any plates that day, but sat on the patio biting her lips in silence. 

Billy climbed on her lap to hug her; she sang to him and rocked him and hugged him really, really strong, kissing his luscious blonde curls. 

She took him to the beach that day, and they had a picnic, she bought chocolate and ice cream for him and even a cone of fries at the big wheel. He surfed, and she clapped, sang, and laughed with him. He was so happy and excited that he barely noticed the bags in the trunk when they put his board there. 

At the end of the day, Dahlia stopped in front of the house, and Billy got out and took his board.

“Mom’s going to park the car,” said Dahlia, kissing him on his forehead. 

Billy waited, holding his board, for half an hour, then an hour. He had to lay it on the ground because his arm got tired.

He waited, until Neil parked his car in front of him. 

He waited, while his father dragged him in the house, screaming, and went out again looking for her around the block.

He waited, starving, while Neil made some phone calls, talked with the police and with curious neighbors, barely looking at him apart from when he went to shake him and asked more things he couldn’t say. 

He waited, without knowing that her closet was now empty. 

He waited, crying silently in his room, but she never came back.

[medusapelagia]

A Magnet For Trouble - Masterpost

Written for @billybigbang2024 Artist: @akichania Beta reader: @ghostdeb

[Link to the fic AO3], [Link to the art]

Being a policeman isn’t easy, but some days are extremely harsh. After a bad shift, Jason Carver finds himself wandering in a night club, trying to forget about his problems, and there he meets the most beautiful man he has ever seen.  Billy Hargrove is a tattoo artist, proud of his queerness, and even if he finds the young policeman attractive, he’s not going to fall for a closeted guy, but there’s nothing wrong with having some fun under the sheets. The important thing is to keep sex and love separated. Everything changes when an armed man tries to rob Billy’s tattoo shop, Jason gets hurt and the line between sex and love becomes blurred.

Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Jason Carver, implied Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham Rating:  Explicit Warnings:  Graphic Depictions of Violence Additional Tags:  Alternative Universe - no upside down, Modern Setting, Angst with Happy Ending, reference to domestic violence, Tattoo Artist Billy Hargrove, Policeman Jason Carver, Chrissy Cunnigham and Jason Carver are cousins, Attempted Armed Robbery, Blood and Injuries, Whump, Injuries Recovery, Smut,  Falling in love, from friends with benefit to lovers, Tattoos, Max’s father is Italian because I say so Length: 27k

Aki's art: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 4, Ch 5

[alicetallulaafterdark]

Billy Big Bang 2024 Banner - 04.08.2024

Here's a banner I did for the @billybigbang2024 :3

I was immediately hit with the image of this old porn meme but with Billy surrounded by different other characters of Stranger Things being down to show him a good time 😏💕

Banner - Billy Big Bang 2024 - For Kallisto and Grey - 04.08.2024

Done using watercolors, ink pens, gel pens, colored pencils, alcohol markers, graphite pencils, acrylic paint pens and Photoshop for the title

AO3 post / DeviantArt post / Instagram post / Pillowfort post / Twitter NSFW post

Banner as is - Billy Big Bang 2024 - 04.08.2024

Done using watercolors, ink pens, gel pens, colored pencils, alcohol markers, graphite pencils and acrylic paint pens

AO3 post / DeviantArt post / Instagram post / Pillowfort post / Twitter NSFW post

[harringroveera]

AU where Steve is totally jealous of Heather when she works with Billy at the pool

[thissortofsorcery]

This is the absolutely stunning piece that @decadentworld made for my fic Barbarian Youth for the @bigbangharringrove! This is inspired by a scene from chapter 2.

They managed to capture my vision for the scene brilliantly, and I'm going to be overjoyed for the rest of my life to have such a wonderful piece to accompany my fic. I can't stop looking at it!!

Please go give @decadentworld some love! Thank you for partnering with me for this project bb 💖

[safk-art]

Buttons

Written by @mymisfitsbabe for @strangerthingsbigbang

Art created by Me

Summary:

Steve Jones(Harrington) moves to a new state with his parents, who are engrossed in writing the newest book in their bestselling series. Steve is feeling homesick but his new neighbor Billy Wyborn Lovat(Hargrove) keeps life interesting with his wily antics and his cat name Eddie. But Steve’s dreams are filled with far more interesting albeit terrifying things. A man with button eyes promises Steve the world, if he’ll only promise to never leave and love him always.. Oh and sew buttons into his eyes.

read more on AO3!

[cuepickle]

Here’s my piece to go along with @discodeviant’s fic for this year’s @bigbangharringrove

The fic is beautiful and angsty and absolutely captured my heart. If you’d like to read the fic (which I implore you to do right now‼️) head over to ao3:

⭐️ Highway star ⭐️

[raven-cl]

Another quick flayed billy

[dragonflylady77]

FIC NOW COMPLETE!!

Click on this link to see the art by @akichania

❤️❤️❤️ @billybigbang2024 ❤️❤️❤️

The Stolen MerPrince

Rating: T | harringrove | 16,419 words | mermaid!Billy x mermaid!Steve

Welcome to the labour of love that is this fic I wrote for @billybigbang2024!

I started with the idea for a couple of scenes then had to weave the rest of the plot around it. I created the banner (below the cut) really early on, before my fic had even been claimed.

Then @akichania made the banner above for promo week. I love both so you get both!

The talented @akichania also made a wonderful piece of the two mermaid boyfriends that will be posted soon. 🥰

I am currently in France visiting my family so there will be only one post with the link.

Read on Ao3

Summary:

Billy is pissed. There aren’t many places to stretch his tail in Hawkins, and he misses the ocean. One day, he overhears his father talking about Steve Harrington and uncovers some shocking truths about the mermaid prince his mother used to tell him stories about. Now Billy needs to convince Steve that mermaids are real and take him back to California.

Chapter 1 - a beautiful baby boy

“Mama?”

Billy flicked his tail and watched the bubbles come up to break the surface. They were floating on the bull kelp canopy, Billy’s head resting on Mama’s belly, the sun shining down on them.

“What is it, Billy Blue?” Mama asked, running her fingers through his curls. Spending time in the ocean with Mama was Billy’s favorite thing to do in the whole world. They’d found a small cove away from the tourist areas and it was their secret spot. There, they could let out their tails and forget about the human world for a bit. 

Sometimes—when they had more time because Billy's dad was away for work—they would swim down to the city under the sea, where they met merfolk like them and Mama would show him the history of their people, painted on large murals in the library.

Billy knew Mama used to work at the palace, but then something bad happened and Mama left her job. They didn't talk about it. The people they met in the deep of the ocean didn’t mention it either, but they were always happy to see Mama and Billy. 

They didn’t seem to like Billy’s dad very much, though. Billy wondered if it was because his dad was human, and sometimes not very nice. He felt bad thinking such things, but he’d heard tales about humans who did horrible things to merfolks. Mama said that was why they needed to hide the truth about their tails.

Billy flicked his tail a few more times. He liked how the sun reflected on his scales. Mama had told him the colors of his tail would change as he aged, going darker. He hoped his tail would look like hers, dark red and gold, with spots of black. Mama’s tail was so pretty.

“Can you tell me about the stolen prince?”

“Again?” Mama said with a laugh.

“Please, Mama.”

“Alright,” she said, dipping her fingers in the water and letting the drops fall on Billy’s cheek. “It was a bit over a year before you were born. After years of trying and hoping, Queen Titania finally had a child. A beautiful baby boy—”

“Like me!” Billy exclaimed with glee.

“Yes, my darling, like you.” Mama smiled and picked up Billy’s hand to give it a kiss. She kept it as she continued the story. “He had big brown eyes, and equally brown hair, and he was named Stephanos. The whole queendom rejoiced and merfolks came from all over the ocean to see the little prince. There was enchanting music and endless dinners with fancy foods, and a lot of dancing. It was such a happy time.”

“Then the bad men came…”

“That’s right. When Prince Stephanos was a few months old, two men sneaked into the palace and stole the baby. The palace guards looked everywhere but they couldn’t find the men or the little prince. The queen was so heartbroken that she refused to leave her chambers for a long time.”

“Poor lady.” Billy didn’t like that part. He had seen the queen a couple of times when Mama had taken him to the underwater city, and she had looked so sad. He hoped Mama and him were never separated like the queen and her baby had been.

“The high council sent the royal secret service to look for the prince everywhere, even on land. But it’s been over ten years, and they still haven’t found him. A few weeks after the prince was taken, I found out I was pregnant with you, so I left my job at the palace to be with your father, up here.”

Mama stopped talking then, and Billy looked up at her. She looked sad, a bit like the queen. He wondered why, since he was still there with her.

“I love you, Mama. I always want to be with you.”

Mama smiled down at him, but he could see the tears in her eyes, even if they didn’t fall. “I love you, too, Billy. No matter what happens, you will always be my precious boy.”

Shortly after, Mama decided it was time to go home. They swam to shore where she waited on the sand for him to focus enough to switch to two legs. He was still learning how to control the transformation, finding, like many other merchildren, that going from two legs to a tail was easier than the reverse. 

“It’s too hard, Mama. I can’t,” Billy said, frustrated and tired. Mama shushed him, her soft hand brushing his cheek as she kissed his forehead.

“It’s okay, baby, it takes time. It will come to you with more practice. Here,” she handed him the enchanted necklace that prevented merfolk transformations on land. Billy would need to use it when bathing and swimming around humans, until he could control his tail.

[...]

Read the rest on Ao3

[billybigbang2024]

The Billy Big Bang posting season starts on November 1st and Team #15 will be posting through November 21st! The banner and artwork are by @Akichania / Akichania, the fic is by @dragonflylady77 / DragonflyLady77 and betaed by @spaceofentropy! Glance below to steal a little peek of what's ahead in their collaboration!

Fic Title: The Stolen MerPrince

Rating:  Mature

Warnings:  No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships:  Billy/Steve

Characters:   Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Neil Hargrove, Billy’s Mom, Max Mayfield

Additional Tags: mermaid billy, mermaid steve, neil is his own warning, getting together, billy and max have a good sibling relationship 

Length: 15k-20k

Summary:

Billy is pissed. There aren’t many places to stretch his tail in Hawkins, and he misses the ocean. One day, he overhears his father talking about Steve Harrington and uncovers some shocking truths about the mermaid prince his mother used to tell him stories about. Now Billy needs to convince Steve that mermaids are real and take him back to California.

[lorifragolina]

Bite the Bullet, Billy - Third Part

Let's go with the third part of my @billybigbang2024 fic!

Billy is alive and he wants to reconnect with his family... please check the @dirtbagdefender's beautiful gift below and embedded in the chapters! Thanks again to @talanashta for the kind words about those chapters that were really intense and emotional!

You can find 5 new chapters in this parts and discover if Billy will be happy or not, for now!

CW: Domestic violence, period-typical racism, racist terminology, suicidal thoughts, hospital, cops

Read it in AO3 - link to the whole fic - direct link to Chapter 11

Below the cut the beautiful and little spoiler gifs for this part!

[medusapelagia]

A Magnet For Trouble: CH 1 Are you looking for trouble?

CH 2

First of all.... Happy Stranger Things Day to everyone!

To celebrate I did one of those things that only I can do... which is... writing a prequel spin-off of my own fic Steddie BB fic XD Getting To Know You (Again)! Is it crazy? Definitely! Did I have fun? A LOT!

That's why I'm super happy to announce that the first chapter of A Magnet For Trouble is finally here!!!!

Thank you thank you thank you to my super talented artist @akichania who did such an amazing job and I can't wait for everyone to see! You can find the first art they did HERE!!!

And a big thank you to my beta @ghostdeb who is an incredible beta!

Another thank you to the @billybigbang2024 mods and the entire Billy BB server...

... and here we go!

TW: gun violence, teenager death Rating: E

Read here on AO3

The air is thick with steam when Jason finally steps out of  the shower. He’s alone, his coworkers long gone to drink themselves stupid after the particularly hard day they’ve all endured. They asked him if he wanted to join, but he is still trying to shake the lingering effects of his final call of the day. A code 10-13 with a fifteen-year-old threatening a seven-eleven owner, ending in the worst way possible. Blood was shed and the kid - because that’s what he was, after all - ended up in the morgue  with the coroner.

Fuck.

On  days like this, Jason regrets having decided to join the police force. Shooting kids wasn’t exactly what he signed up for. He was lucky enough today not to have been  the one doing the shooting, but still, the empty eyes of that kid will haunt him for days. If he breathes deep enough he can still smell the gunpowder in the air, even after having just showered.

He yanks  the door of his locker open and the sound of metal slamming against itself reverberates through  the empty room.

Fuck.

He can’t stop thinking about the kid. Just fifteen  years old, no father, a mother who works three jobs, two little siblings, and not enough money to feed them all. Just a number in the crime statistics among young individuals that will leave a big hole in his family's heart. Jason was the one who had to give the news to the boy’s mother, a lovely woman with a toddler in her arms and another kid behind her legs. She just saw Jason’s face and whispered “I knew it would happen,” even before Jason said anything.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

His damp hair drips onto the  shoulders of his  white tank top. His mobile phone starts to buzz while he’s tying his laces. It’s Chrissy, his cousin.

Jason holds the phone in his hand briefly before hitting the green button and answering the call.

“Hard shift?” A sweet female voice asks before he has the time to reply.

“Yeah.” Awful. But he doesn’t want to dump all his problems on her, so Jason takes a big breath before adding, “Sorry if I didn’t call. I don’t think I’ll make it.”

“Don’t worry about that. Robin and I were just leaving. Do you want to stay at ours?”

It would not be the first time that he slept  at his cousin’s place after a hard shift, but tonight the girls are celebrating Robin’s promotion and Jason really doesn’t want to ruin the mood, so he responds softly, “No, I’m very tired. I’m going to bed.”

“Jason…”

“I promise. I’m going to bed,” he  insists, grabbing his bag and closing his locker before leaving the station, phone propped between his  shoulder and ear while he fishes for his car key in the back pocket of his jeans.

“Call me if you need anything. Ok? Anything at all.”

Jason smiles, Chrissy is a few months younger than him, but she’s always looking out for him and that’s the sweetest thing ever, especially after their parents kicked  them out of their homes.

He shivers for a moment, remembering a cold voice calling him “ Church boy ” and the keys fall on the ground.

“Fuck.”

“Jason? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, just dropped my keys. I have to go, Chris, but I’m fine. I promise.”

Chrissy doesn’t seem convinced when she says her goodbyes and closes the call.

Jason kneels on the sidewalk and gets the keys from under the car, puts his bag in the trunk, and then drives toward his place, looking absent-mindedly at the colorful neon bar signs lining the street until one catches his attention: The HideOut. 

He stops the car, trying to remember the name of the previous bar that was there, until someone starts to blow the horn at him. Putting the car in drive he reminds himself that he should go home, that he already had an awful day, and that the last thing he needs is to get drunk in a seedy bar, but before he can finish these thoughts he’s already parking and getting out of the car. The policeman takes a good look at the people in line, all of whom  are young and loud, and he feels so out of place with his white polo and his washed jeans.  He gets in line nevertheless, ready to be removed by the bouncer, but the big man at the door gives him a good look and then tilts his head toward the door.

Inside, the music is low and the strobe lights make him nauseous, but that's exactly what Jason needs to escape from his thoughts. The crowd pushes him from every side while he tries to get to the bar so he can order a beer, nothing too fancy, just something to help him calm down a bit.

A huge pride flag on the wall tells him what he needs to know about the place, and he finally relaxes a bit looking at men and women kissing under the vibrant lights. The place smells of sweat and cheap perfume and the ground is sticky, and still, this is the best place he could hope to be right now.

He turns to look at the crowd, and a beautiful blond-haired man dancing in the middle of the dance floor catches his attention. He wears an open red shirt and his wide chest is covered in tattoos and glitter. He dances like he has fire inside him.

“That’s Billy,”  a voice behind him says, and when Jason turns the Mexican young man who took his order is smiling at him, “He’s trouble. Are you looking for trouble?” 

Jason shakes his head — he has had enough trouble for a lifetime. 

“Well in that case stay away from him, huh?” the man smiles at him, offering another beer Jason had not yet ordered, “It’s on the house. You look like you need it,” the man says with a wink, before moving to serve another customer.

Jason continues to drink his beer, his eyes pinned on the stunning man, and for a moment their eyes meet above the crowd. It’s just a moment, but Jason shivers, his grip on the bottle of beer tightening as he feels the cold of the glass and the drops of condensation dripping around his fingers.

He shakes his head, drains the remaining beer, and goes toward the bathroom so he can  wash his face and calm down. 

The bathroom is covered in colorful writing. There are a few Sharpies on a little table on the side for anyone who wants to leave a sign of their passage on the wall. There are doodles, names, and dates.

“What’s a preppy boy like you doing in a place like this?”

The voice is warm and thick, and Jason has to suppress a moment of disappointment when he sees that the man behind him isn’t the blond dancer but a tall man with a mustache.

“Going to the bathroom?” Jason replies, turning his back and starting to wash his hands.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” the man mocks him, pressing against Jason’s back.

“Listen, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you need to stop it right now.”

“Come on, doll, don’t tell me you’re not here for some fun. With those plump lips… I’m sure they would be perfect around my dick,” the man insists, pushing his erection against Jason’s ass.

He’s not the tallest cop ever, but he’s been well-trained to disarm people and he’s not going to let this dickhead grope him in a fucking bathroom. He  turns like a snake and pushes hard enough against his assailant’s chest that the man falls on his ass.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” Jason growls.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You’re just a fucking whore like all the others!” The man yells, getting ready to fight, and Jason is more than willing to fight back when another voice interrupts them.

“What the fuck is going on?” 

And this time Jason’s heart starts to beat faster while he stares at the sweat-slick face of the blonde dancer who caught his attention on the dance floor.

“Billy, this whore…”

“I’m not a whore!” Jason yells, “And I’m not going to suck your dick, so go find someone else!”

“Calm down, tiger.” Billy replies, laughing, “Robert here was just joking, weren’t you, Rob?”

Robert glares at Jason but after a long moment of silence, he nods, taking the hand that the blond tattooed man offers him, helping him get up.

“Good.” Billy replies with a smile before he turns toward Jason and his smile fades a little, “Come with me.” 

Something inside Jason hurts. He feels ashamed and hurt. Did he already fuck up? Yeah, that’s not surprising. After all, Jason was always a big disappointment.

“Hurry up.” The blond dancer insists, and Jason follows him like a loyal dog.

The crowd seems to part to let the blond man pass through, and after a few steps Jason finds himself back at the bar.

“Hey Argyle, can we have two bottles of water?” Billy asks with a smile. 

Jason frowns. He  doesn’t want any stupid water, he wants to drink away all the memories of his shitty night, but the blond man - Billy, he reminds himself - is holding his wrist and dragging him toward a quieter corner. He plops down onto a fake leather couch and drags Jason along with him.

“I’m Billy,” he says, offering him one of the plastic bottles, “what’s your name?”

“Jason.”

“The Lord is salvation. Are you religious?”

“My parents are.”

Billy nods, sipping some cold water and Jason stares, enchanted as he watches  Billy’s pink lips and the gentle bobbing of his Adam’s apple as he sips from his bottle of  water.

“You have a crucifix,” Billy observes, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Jason lowers his eyes to his own chest where a little golden cross is half hidden behind his polo.

“Yeah. Wearing it has become more of a habit at this point.” Jason replies, hiding the necklace under his polo.

“I’m sorry for Robert, he drank too much, but I can totally see why he approached you.” Billy snorts, drinking more water and gesturing to Jason to do the same.

“I’m fine.” 

“It’s important to keep hydrated.” Billy insists, his mesmerizing blue eyes pinned on Jason. To  avoid his scrutiny, Jason cracks the bottle open and sips some water.

“Good boy.” Billy smiles at him and Jason feels something warm blooming in his stomach. 

He turns his head toward the dance floor to avoid Billy’s stare.

“You don’t look like the kind of guy who likes  to dance,” Billy comments, “Are you here with someone?”

“No.”

“So what brings a pious boy like you to the HideOut?”

Jason could be offended, could reply with some snarky comment, could lie. But instead it’s  the truth that comes out of his mouth while the other man seems to read into his soul.

“I had a bad shift. A very bad one. And I just needed to forget about it.” He replies, gulping down the bottle of water, wishing it was vodka.

“Paramedic?”

“Policeman.”

Billy nods quietly. He doesn’t ask about Jason’s shift and he doesn’t make any obvious comments.

“My father was a policeman too,” He quietly states, “it’s the kind of job that can kill you. In more ways than what most  people think.”

Jason nods; it’s a dangerous job where you can find yourself on the wrong side of a gun, but Jason feels even worse when he’s the one pointing the gun.

“Let’s get some fresh air, huh?” Billy proposes, and without waiting for an answer he intertwines his fingers with Jason’s, guiding him through the maze of sweaty bodies. Someone waves at them, but Billy simply nods and keeps going until they are standing in the cold air of the night in the alley behind the bar, next to a dumpster.

“Better?”

For the first time since he saw that kid holding the gun, Jason can breathe. The smell is far from pleasant but the cold air wakes him like an electric shock.

He nods, looking at Billy’s long fingers as he fishes a lighter and a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

The warm glow of the lighter enlightens Billy’s face for a moment and the glitter on his chest shines while Jason stares at the big letters tattooed just under Billy’s clavicles. Even though  some of the letters are covered by his shirt and Jason can’t read the entire sentence, it looks like a statement, but before Jason can ask him any questions Billy quickly closes a couple of buttons.

“Shit. It’s cold out here.” He chuckles, and without even thinking about it the policeman takes off his jacket and puts it on Billy’s shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“Can’t have you freeze to death because of me. Too much paperwork.” Jason jokes, smiling for the first time.

“I knew it. You have a kind smile.”

Jason feels himself blush in the fresh air.

“Billy! Where the fuck are you?” A female voice asks and a brunette peeks from the door, staring at them, “Is there a  problem?” She asks, stepping closer to them.

“I was just grabbing a smoke with Jay,” Billy says, pointing at him with his burning cigarette.

“Jay, huh?” The woman asks before shaking Jason’s hand, “I’m Heather, Billy’s partner.”

Jason's smile dies on his lips while Billy chuckles, “She’s my business partner,” Billy explains, “but she’s really possessive of me, as you can see.”

“You still owe me half of this month's rent, shithead.” She growls, before turning toward Jason, “Isn’t he too pious for your tastes?” she asks, popping her gum.

Billy winks, “Maybe.” He replies with a smirk before turning toward Jason again, “My carriage awaits” he says, pointing at the brunette, “I have a long appointment tomorrow. Are you going to be ok? I can call you an Uber if you need it,” Billy says, scrutinizing Jason’s expression .

“I’m fine. I’ll be ok. Thanks,” Jason replies with a nod. 

Billy studies him for a moment and then nods, “Great.” he replies, stomping out his cigarette and giving Jason’s jacket back. 

For a moment their fingers brush and Jason shivers as he takes back the jacket, “I’ll see you around,” Billy says with a wink before disappearing back into the club, leaving Jason flustered and confused.

“See you around,” he says to no one, before walking back to his car, still feeling the warm sensation of Billy’s fingertips on his skin.

***

A one-to-one mandatory counseling session for the next two months and a couple of weeks of suspension, that’s what Jason earned for doing his fucking job. He was too slow, his partner complained, he hesitated and almost compromised his partner's safety. And now he’s suspended. Well not really suspended, because he didn’t do anything wrong, but he’s on a mandatory paid leave for a couple of weeks. To make matters worse, he  has a weekly mandatory session with the fucking therapist, a nice woman who wants him to talk about his feelings even though the woman has never held a gun in her manicured hands.

She told him that union rules dictate that he’s provided with time to relax and process what happened so he can  come back with a clearer mind, or so they pretended. Jason saw the way his partner glared at him when he got out of each weekly  session. He knew. Everyone at the fucking station knew. Fuck them all. Was he really supposed to shoot a teenager in the face without even trying to de-escalate the situation?

That’s not what he signed up for.

The point is that Jason hasn’t mentioned that he’s been suspended to Chrissy, so now he’s trying his best to pretend he’s still busy with work even when he definitely isn’t. But  there’s a limit to the number of silly romantic comedies he can watch on Netflix before he loses his mind.

It’s Saturday night, one of the nights Jason hates most when he’s on duty because they always mean trouble, but staying at home watching television isn’t helping. The policeman grabs his phone, wondering if he should just call Chrissy and head over to her place so they can  watch a movie and drink some of the expensive champagne Robin’s brother brought. 

The guy — Steve —   isn’t really Robin’s brother, but there’s no doubt they are attached at  the hip and that he’s very protective of her. Steve insisted on meeting Chrissy’s family, which basically means Jason, before letting Robin move in with Chrissy. It was sweet. Strange,  but sweet. Maybe he should call Steve — he seems like  the kind of guy who knows how to have fun. 

Scrolling his phone, he sees on the HideOut’s Instagram page that they are hosting a party to celebrate their first birthday. Argyle, the barman, has prepared two new cocktails to celebrate the night: the Upside Down and the Right Side Up. In the Instagram stories, Billy is smiling while sipping a blue and red cocktail that’s apparently called the Upside Down.

For a moment Jason wonders if he should go to the club. He had fun last time after all, and it definitely wasn’t just because he met a beautiful man who is conveniently still haunting his dreams. He shakes his head. There’s no point in going there —  he doesn’t know anyone, the club will be packed, Billy will have forgotten about him by now, and- 

Jason’s finger slips and sends a heart reaction to one of Billy’s pictures. 

He freezes, trying to delete the reaction before anyone sees it, but before he can make a coherent thought he gets a notification: 

Coming  to join the party?

Jason might not know the screen name  of the person who is writing to him, but he definitely knows the blond man in the picture, so after long deliberation, he types back:

It looks like a private party.

It’s not. Move your ass and come. You still owe me a drink. I offered you one last time.

Water. You offered me a bottle of water.

Still something to drink. I’ll wait for you, but not for long ;)

Jason stares at his phone, still unsure. He’s known he’s gay since he was a kid, and even though that’s the main  reason he and Chrissy were kicked out as soon as they graduated, he hasn’t really had a relationship since they moved and he feels unsure of himself. His flirting skills are rusty and no one at the police station knows about his sexual proclivities. He knows he would definitely prefer to keep it that way. For a moment he holds the crucifix he has around his neck, finding comfort in the warm metal that’s always on his chest.

It’s not true that he’s not religious, but his relationship with religion has changed a lot since the first time he kissed a boy in the high school locker room  after basketball practice. 

For a moment he thinks about his cousin and how happy she is now that she finally found a girl she loves. He takes one last look at the picture of the tattooed man with the cocktail in one hand and the other raised above his head.  He looks longingly at Billy’s face turned to one side, his mouth open, maybe singing, and makes his decision: he grabs his jacket and his car keys  and starts out  toward the club. 

*** 

As expected, the street in front of the club is crowded with  people, but  what he wasn’t expecting was that Heather, the brunette he met the other night, would be there  waving at him and getting him inside the club ahead of  the long line.

Once inside, the loud music and the lights overwhelm Jason for a moment, and he shields his eyes with one hand. That’s when he sees him: this time Billy is dancing on an elevated  stage. He’s wearing a mesh black shirt and a pair of very tight black jeans that hug him perfectly while he runs his fingers through his blond curls.

“Don’t drool on me, church boy.” Heather chuckles, pushing him toward the stage.

Jason glares at her, offended. This time he’s wearing a black designer t-shirt emblazoned with a skull that Steve bought him for his birthday, and a pair of blue jeans. Not a church boy, but still a far cry from Billy's style. The people around him move to the beat  of the music, but Jason’s eyes are locked on the beautiful man dancing on the stage. When Billy finally turns toward him, almost as if  he could feel Jason’s eyes on him, he smiles at him. A big bright smile that makes Jason smile back like a fucking idiot. With a graceful leap, Billy gets off the stage right  in front of Jason.

“Are you gonna offer me something to drink?” He almost screams in Jason’s ear to overcome the loud music, and Jason nods while, once again, Billy intertwines his fingers with Jason’s and drags him toward the bar where Argyle is busy pouring the cocktail he created to celebrate the event.  When  Argyle  sees Billy he gets a couple of glass bottles from the back. Jason frowns, confused, but pays what Argyle asks him and when he sips the cocktail he’s surprised to find out that there’s no alcohol in it.

"Alcohol-free?" He asks, confused.

“I have been sober for three years, not gonna fuck up now, you know?” Billy replies, studying Jason's reaction, but Jason simply nods in agreement.

“Three years is a long time. Congratulations.” He says in Billy’s ear, cupping his hand around his mouth and brushing his fingers against the shell of Billy’s ear.

“I knew I liked you.” Billy winks, before dragging Jason back out to the dance floor.

Jason doesn’t dance. He doesn’t go clubbing. He doesn't hook up with random men who just admitted being alcoholics. If Chrissy could see him, she would not believe her eyes.

They drink their cocktails, leave the glasses on the bar, and then jump right back out to the dance floor.

Jason’s far from being the best dancer, but he’s doing his best, and honestly having Billy so close to him —  sensually moving around him, rubbing his legs against Jason’s — is enough to  make him shiver from the friction and proximity. And then he moves away, but always stays close enough  that they can breathe the same air.

They both have blue eyes, but Jason’s are calm and quiet like the blue water of a swimming pool, while Billy’s are deep like the ocean and bode of storms and mermaid songs. Jason can’t resist either.

When the song changes to a slower tempo and all the couples hug each other and start to sway  gently, they stare at each other, embarrassed.

“May I have this dance?” Billy asks, offering Jason his hand, and when Jason nods he holds him tight. Billy’s body is a little damp and smells of a mix of sweat and cologne and his heart beats so fast that Jason can feel it pumping between them. Or maybe it's Jason's heart beating so loudly to fill the entire room. It doesn’t really matter. Billy’s lips are on Jason’s ear when he whispers, “Can I kiss you?”

Jason nods, it’s almost imperceptible, but it’s enough for Billy to gently tilt his face until they are facing one another and put a soft kiss on his pink lips. It’s just a peck, the same kind of kiss Jason gave to Lawrence in freshman year, but the effect is so much different. Billy keeps holding his chin, staring into his eyes like he was searching for something. And he might find it because the next thing Jason knows is that those hot lips are back on his, while a curious tongue is asking for permission to enter and he grants him immediately, opening his mouth and letting Billy explore and taste everywhere he likes.

The music changes again, another fast song, but they are still kissing as if  time had stopped at that very moment. Billy’s body is warm and soft around him, like a fluff blanket, and Jason lets himself be held for the first time in a long time. Held like that, he doesn’t feel shame or guilt, he feels seen and cherished like a precious possession.

When the kiss ends, for a tiny little moment their mouths remain connected by a little thread of spit that breaks when Billy’s tongue darts. “Strawberries and peaches.” he says, and Jason stares at him in confusion before understanding that Billy is referring to the alcohol-free cocktails they just drunk, “So much better than vodka or whisky.” He winks.

Jason doesn’t reply, he feels like all his words have been swallowed up by Billy’s mouth and all he has left is a fuzzy brain and a pleasant warmth spreading in his stomach.

“You ok? Did I go too far?” Billy asks, unsure for the first time, and Jason is quick to smash his lips against Billy’s. He might not have words or thoughts at this moment but his body knows what he wants. They bump into another dancing couple that loudly complains, but they don’t care. Pushing their way through the sweaty bodies they get to the opposite side of the room and Jason pins Billy to the wall, grabbing his wrists and holding them over his head while he keeps exploring and tasting until he feels they are one being.

“Should have known you’re stronger than you look.” Billy chuckles, breathing in some air.

“Policeman,” Jason replies, before starting to kiss him again.

“Do you want to move this party to somewhere quieter?” Billy asks once Jason releases his wrists.

The policeman nods eagerly and Billy smirks, tugging a lock of hair behind Jason’s ear, “Let’s get out of here, huh?” He suggests, and then he guides Jason out of the club, waving  at Heather as they leave. .

“My place is nearby.” He tells him, grabbing their jackets from the cloakroom, “Is that ok?”

Definitely better than some seedy motel, but-

“Are you sure?” Jason asks, “You don’t even know me.”

Billy pinches Jason’s chin, turning his face toward him, “I am. Are you?”

Jason gulps. He is. He wants Billy more than anything in the world. He wants his hands, his mouth, his dick.

Once outside, the fresh air helps clear Jason’s mind but it doesn’t affect his desire. He’s already hard and the lust in his eyes must be obvious because Billy grins and chuckles while they run into  the night like teenagers.