#CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' // billy hargrove | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dearhargrove · 2 years ago

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Hi! First I want to say that I love your stories and writing style! I was immersed in your Billy Hargrove x reader season 4 one-shot. It was just what I was looking for after finishing the season! Second I was wondering if I could make a request for a Billy Hargrove x female reader?

If not that’s okay but if you do then can I request that the reader is just like El and has the same powers but she also has Pyrokinesis. Billy and reader are together after meeting each other and they understand each other better than anyone else. Instead of Billy dying at star court mall she takes his place to keep him and El safe. So going into season 4, Billy has been feeling so much guilt over your death and feeling so broken that vecna has chosen him as his next target instead of max. Vecna uses you to torture billy and almost kills billy in the process. But what nobody knows is that you’ve been alive this whole time but stuck in the upside down. You’ve been able to survive so long because of your pyrokinesis ability. As billy is about to be killed by vecna(he’s so heartbroken he doesn’t know if he wants to continue without the reader) the reader shows up and saves billy and they start running to the opening to escape vecna. ( As this is happening Max and the others are looking for a song on maxs walkman that will help billy and she realizes that Billy’s favorite song is your favorite song California Dreamin by The Beach Boys). You can finish it however you want and change or add anything that will help you with the story line. You can definitely DM me if you want and I just want to thank you for taking the time to read my request! Hope you have a good day!

Stuck

→ summary: Losing you was probably, no, definitely Billy's biggest mistake - and he's made a lot of mistakes in his life. Whenever he sees Max and her friends, he thinks back to you saving all of them, in a 'mall fire' as it was known to the public. When the murdering starts again and he travels with the others he doesn't inform anyone when he starts hearing the clock too. After all, death meant being with you in the end, right?

→ request from the lovely @velyssaraptor

→ warnings: whole lot of wounds, sad billy :( , violence, swearing, Vecna, reader has powers (same as El & fire control/create)

→ spoilers season 4 !!

→ word count: more or less 5,8K

→ a/n: this idea… genius. Like this request is perfection, y'all. Anyway I'm hoping I'll be able to meet the expectations of… everyone that's reading this right now. have fun and enjoy <3 sadly, I don't think I've managed to write it that well and missed out on a few opportunities for good moments but firstly I didn't want it too long and second I'm stupid. Overall I deeply apologize if this didn't match your expectations at all :( still, please enjoy if you can!

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Billy likes to think back to the day he met you. You were sitting on one of the lounge chairs at the public pool, seemingly Babysitting your younger sibling and his friends.

You wore a swimsuit in a plain color that suited you well. Sunglasses were sitting on your nose and when you had caught him staring, you reciprocated the look - until breaking it with a small laugh.

He'd later on asked you for a date and you went out to watch a movie and eat afterwards. He still remembers thinking you'd be at least a little like everyone else; going to sleep with him after the date. Instead, you had kissed his cheek and told him to 'work for it'.

From that moment on, he's been totally whipped for you.

And he still is. Even after seeing you die, seeing the life leaving your body while you looked into his eyes, black goo flowing out of your body in worrying amounts.

You'd died a painful but heroic death. Yet, he couldn't just tell everyone of how important your death was. That you had saved the whole town was a secret and had to be kept one. It maddened him - he wanted everyone to know that his girl saved everyone. That she was the reason everyone continued living without worrying.

At first it was really hard for him. Hell, it still is. But the first few weeks were spent in denial, crying and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. He knew you would've scolded him if you saw him like that. But he couldn't help it, after all he was barely alive anymore when you left.

So, when the killing started again he knew from the beginning that it wasn't this random Eddie Munson everyone blamed. He couldn't say why, but there was a certain feeling he had when the Mind Flayer had him possessed. It was like the drop of a rollercoaster but worse.

Which brought him to where he was now. Walking through the woods of Hawkins with Dustin, Lucas, Max, Robin, Nancy and Steve. It was still weird seeing his 'rival' like this - being some kind of parental figure for the teenagers while also fighting a bunch of monsters from another dimension.

"Alright he should be here." Dustin declares when they arrive at Skull Rock. And, indeed, there sat a boy with curly brown hair, eyes big and scared. He wore a denim vest with little souvenirs stuck to it and his pants had chains and a bandana on it.

He put the walkie-talkie next to him, gulping down the water they had gotten for him. "Am I dreaming or is that Billy Hargrove?" He asks, suspicious. "Yes, it's me get over it." Billy grunts and leans against a tree, hands in his pockets. "Oh, someone's cranky…" Eddie says under his breath before focusing on the others.

Billy zoned out while they were discussing their plans, only listening when they started walking again.

"So if I'm right this should lead us to one of the gates." Dustin says and holds up his compass. There's no reaction from the group apart from Steve giving him a thumbs up.

They get going, quickly arriving at… Lover's Lake? Billy has only been here a handful of times and it was always with you. You had loved it here, the calming view and peace was amazing.

You spent the night stargazing while he admired you, thankful for being able to be with you.

He's ripped away from his memories when Max touches his arm, giving him a worried glance. He smiles a little. After the events at the mall their sister-brother relationship had gotten worlds better and by now there were only short moments of bickering instead of full-blown fights.

"I'm alright," he half smiles and she nods, still worried.

They keep walking through the trees before they're standing on the shore of Lover's Lake. Their hike had taken longer than expected and the moon was shining brightly above the calm lake. "So. What do we do now, Henderson?" Steve asks and Billy looks up. "Uh, I'm guessing the gate is somewhere… in the lake. We gotta get on there." He motions to the water and Billy smirks lazily, water was no problem for him - since he started surfing really young he knew basically everything about rip currents and the dangers of water.

"I can go." He volunteers and the group turns to him. "Yeah, we have a boat here. Wait," Dustin walks a few steps to the boat, paddles lying in it. It looked stable and could fit at least three people. "Who's going apart from Billy?" Max asks and Steve, Dustin, Robin and Nancy raise their hands.

"I think that'll fit. I'll give you the compass," he passes it over to Robin who looks a bit overwhelmed at first but takes it without complaint, "when the needle starts spinning like crazy you should be at the gate. Or above it." He explains and gives them all a stern look.

"Don't go in there. We know way too little about Vecna." The moment he says the name Billy is distracted by an unpleasant, distorted clock sound somewhere near. He furrows his eyebrows and turns to look for it.

"Do you hear that?" He asks but when he turns to the others, there's no one. "Guys?"

"They aren't here." He knows that voice. He's spent the past six months missing that voice. "(y/n)?" he's breathless, his heart racing. Was he having some kind of hallucination? "You left me. You left me to die." you say and he finally turns to see you. Your hair is a mess, smeared with a black substance and there's some blood on your shirt.

"No- baby, I didn't leave you, I didn't want you to die I wanted to save you!" He sobs and comes closer to you. His hands shake when he reaches a hand out to touch your cheek. Your eyes, once full of warmth and love for him, were cold.

"I hope you feel guilty for what you did to me. For killing me." you raise your voice and a pained cry comes from Billy. He falls to his knees and tries grasping your hands. "(y/n)..." his whimpering doesn't seem to faze you and you pull your hands away.

"You murdered me!" you yell and he flinches, wincing.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" he wails and curls in on himself. "I can't live without you, please, come back to me. I can't do this anymore.." he whispers the last statement, sadness and guilt burning at the back of his throat.

The tears run freely down his cheeks and when he looks up it's not you that's standing there. It's something with… tentacles all over it and it's nose seems burned off. Billy scrambles back, scared.

"What- what are you? What did you do to (y/n)?" The creature laughs and comes closer to Billy. "No. What did you do to her? You're at fault for what happened." The monster speaks and Billy swallows around the knot in his throat, averting his eyes.

"Don't ignore me. Come with me and I'll end this pain. I'll bring you to her." it smiles - or so it seems, it's hard to tell - and extracts a hand. He considers it for a while, but then he hears your voice shout 'no' from somewhere. Frantically he looks around, yelling your name in hopes to find you.

The monster isn't happy about that and he growls before turning to Billy. "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not." And then Billy's back to the others, Max shaking his shoulder and crying while Eddie has his eyes open wide, shocked.

"Billy!" His sister cries and hugs him. Billy is completely out of it, eyes slowly looking around before taking everything in. What the hell just happened?

The moment Vecna finds you is the moment your time is most definitely over. When you saw him torture Billy like that it was hard to get into the mind of your boyfriend along with Vecna (you'd heard your friends call him that and it stuck with you).

But when you did, it was to see him actually considering giving himself to Vecna. It had broken your heart when he curled in on himself on the floor - pained cries coming from him.

You slump against the house wall that you were hiding in and for the first time in the Upside Down, you cry. The tears come fast and you hold a hand to your mouth to keep the sobs in.

You missed him so much. His curly hair, perfectly styled, and his stupid smirk he wore whenever he flirted with you.

You even missed the stench of cigarettes most of his furniture carried and his stupidly expensive cologne.

When and would you ever be able to see him again?

Billy leaned against a tree, one arm thrown over Max's shoulder who was dozing off. The group decided to exclude him from the boat 'tour' so he was stuck babysitting the kids.

Dustin and Lucas were discussing some things regarding Vecna and the Upside Down while Lucas was watching Max.

Lastly, Billy took the small pendant on his neck between his index finger and thumb. Your first anniversary you'd gotten two necklaces - for you and him. It was a small round pendant about the size of his thumb with a music note engraved onto the front of the silver metal. On the inside was a small picture of you and him in his room.

Your head was laying on his chest and he was making a silly face while your face was scrunched up in a laugh. The picture was accidental because the camera slipped out of your grasp and captured the moment before it hit you on your forehead.

He smiles fondly at the memory of you having a bump on your forehead for the next two weeks.

It made sense to him now - what 'you' had said. It was Vecna, Max had explained that. And yet he couldn't help but believe it's words. He was responsible for what happened to you. How could he have put you into so much danger?

He sighs and lets his head fall on the tree behind him. God, he thought, when is this gonna be over?

After the first incident it happened nearly regularly. At first a bad headache and sometimes even nosebleeds and then - the clock.

It was always you coming to haunt him.

But the worst was yet to come.

No one exchanged a word when Steve drove to the graveyard where you were buried. Max had made it a weekly thing to come here and tell you about what happened or just listen to music on her walkman while staying silent.

Today, she'd wanted to come again. She urged Billy to tell her about what happened to him and he caved because Max was Max and he couldn't say no to her.

So there he was, sitting in front of your tombstone with his legs crossed.

He didn't know you were there too, flickering in and out of the Upside Down every once a while. Hearing his and Max's voice was like a dream come true and you sat down at the stone, leaning against it and closing your eyes.

"Uh… Max made me do this so I don't have anything… prepared." You heard him nervously admit and you smiled. He's so cute.

"I don't know, I feel like there's so much to tell you." You imagine sitting back in his bed with him, his head in your lap and his fingers fumbling with the necklace.

"There's a new thing from the Upside Down and we all got back together. I think you would've liked to see us all together. We got a new one, kinda. His name's Eddie. He's friends with Dustin and Mike, they play DND together."

Tears leave your eyes when he tells you about everything, especially when he gets to the part where he starts to blame himself for you being gone.

Before he could continue he stops and you, too, hear the clock sounds.

You jump up and hide a few feet away when Billy is pulled into the dimension with Vecna. You can't make out what they're saying, so after a while you get closer.

"...come with me." Ends Vecna and Billy stays silent. "Come with me and forget about her. Forget about your pain. She's here, too. You can see her then." The monster proposes. "Is she really here?" Billy asks and it's the moment you realize he wants to go with Vecna.

"No!" You run out of your hideout without a thought and scramble to stand in front of Billy. "I may not be able to win against you but I won't let you take him." Vecna laughs and raises a hand, vines wrapping around Billy.

He falls unconscious when a particularly vicious vine knocks him out and you nearly growl. You raise your hand and Vecna is being pushed back by an invisible force. "Oh, I can do that too, don't try me."

You scoff, "Show me." It's tiring, the way he can fight all of your advances.

You're barely awake anymore when he puts a hand around your throat, cutting off air.

"No one fights against me and gets out alive." Vecna says and just before strangling you completely you drag your eyes to Billy. His face is scrunched up in pain and you struggle against the creature's hand. You wouldn't let him die like this. Not when he doesn't know the truth.

It's in a few seconds in which you set Vecna's body on fire, take Billy with you and run somewhere to hide. It's another second when California Dreamin' starts playing and another portal opens. You can see Billy high in the air, headphones over his ears. Your friends are gathered around him and Max tries reaching for his legs to get him down again.

Billy's eyes are rolled back, only the white being visible. You shudder and realize you have to get him out or it's going to be too late. Taking his hand you lead him towards the portal, making sure the monster doesn't see you. Billy is more unresponsive than you'd like, limply following you.

When you reach a rock big enough to hide behind in front of the gate, you stop. "Billy?" He moves his head in your direction, seemingly only taking you in now. "(y/n)?" His voice is breathy and his eyes are starting to droop - the vines have really gotten to him. "Yeah, yeah it's me!" You could sob from relief, but the usual sounds from the Upside Down are still present and you need to save him.

"You gotta get back. Max and the others are waiting." You explain and lift a hand to his cheek, caressing his pale skin. He pulls his eyebrows together and takes your hand. "But- you. You have to come back with me." you look down and try to find the right words.

"I'll come back. But first I have to win against Vecna. He can't come back anymore." Billy looks shocked, "No, no come back. We can plan it- we can talk about this but don't leave me again!" He's clutching your arms, keeping you from leaving.

"Billy… there's nothing I'd rather do than go with you. Come home. But I can't. I can't keep letting him win." A lone tear rolls down his cheek and you wipe it away, "Promise. I'm coming home after." You hold out your pinky, waiting for him to do the same.

"I can't…" he sobs, and your heart breaks a little more. Leaning your forehead against his, you look him in his eyes. "Promise. I'll see you soon and we can- we can do whatever you want. But you have to get outta here now."

He tries protesting again but this time you stand up, slowly pushing him towards the gate. "I love you. Remember that." With that you guide him backwards until he's through the gate, the circle leading to your home closing again.

A sigh escapes you and you turn back, walking towards Vecna. "Let's kill this asshole." You think and straighten your shoulders.

While Billy falls back down and is immediately pulled into Max's arms he can't help but feel like it's worse than before. Yes, you're alive. But you're currently risking it all again and he can't save you. Again. "She's alive." He whispers and stares blankly ahead. Now he just has to trust you. He definitely does, but still. Leaving you alone when it's something so dangerous makes him feel like he just lost you all over again.

"Who?" Max inquires, briefly checking for any injuries he might've gotten. Billy mutters your name before his eyes roll back and he passes out, the exhaustion of the situation taking over.

The friends look at each other, baffled. It's Steve, who speaks up. "Do you think he's serious? I mean, couldn't it be that it was Vecna who he saw?" He pushes his hair back and leans against the tombstone, a shiver running down his spine at the thought that this was a burial for someone who was alive.

"He could be right. He got out of there before we played the song, or very quickly at least. If Vecna had gotten him he wouldn't have gotten out this easily. We should believe him." Her eyes are focused on her older brother, his blonde locks falling over his forehead and generally being messed up through all the chaos.

"Let's get him home and then ask him. There must be something he knows." The others agree and they heave up Billy's body and bring it to the car.

Walking around the corner you see the large, looming house. It's covered in the black vines and bats are flying around it. The always-there thunderstorm is raging and the sky switches to red every few minutes.

Stepping forward you open the front door, the inside cold and unwelcoming. Walking through the heavy tension gets more and suddenly a dark voice speaks up. "I've been waiting for you." It speaks and you stop walking, standing in the middle of the foyer.

"Where are you?"

The monster doesn't show itself seemingly preferring to stay in the shadows and, literally, leave you in the dark.

"You don't need to know." you scoff and the voice comes closer. "I'm impressed by how long you've survived. When you sacrificed yourself back then, I was… confused. Why would you do that, I thought. And then I realized. I had never had anything like those friends of yours. Them being able to fight against me like that was impressive to say the least.

You may know why I wanted to get Eleven." He waits for a reply from you, but you stay silent.

"She sent me here." Confusion clouds your brain - how? "Oh, it was easy for her. I wanted to help her. Wanted to free her from Brenner's experiments and imprisonment. He would've let her die and I wanted to help," his voice gets angry and you realize the reason it was your friend group that was always tormented by this dark power.

"Yeah. I've been after her since she escaped and I realized I could use this to my advantage. It wasn't my plan when you arrived, but seeing you're just as talented makes it easier to forget."

This time, you can feel his presence behind you.

"You know, it's senseless to bring her here. What will you do when you get her? Kill her? Wouldn't that be too easy?" it's provoking, but you need to know. It wouldn't make any sense to chase her for so long, just to simply kill her.

"You're right. I want her to have to suffer what I have. I'm alone here. I'm alone and I have to watch the pest that humans are invading nature even more. She will suffer just as I did. And that's where you come into play. Trust me, there was a reason I didn't kill that lover of yours. I know what you two planned and I know his weaknesses so don't try me."

Your mouth goes dry and you step away from him, clenching your hands into fists. "Well… he's not going to wake up. Unless… you bring me the girl. He'll live. But not for long." His voice is menacing and tears gather on your lash line.

"No… let him go!" You yell and spin around to try and find him. "You can't do this to me! Not him!"

Vecna laughs, amused at your pain. "As I've said. The girl. You'll know when the time is over."

And with that, he's gone. You're left alone with your anger, sadness and betrayal. How were you going to fix this? Soon, he would go after more innocent teens and you couldn't let that happen. Not when you could keep that from happening.

When you leave the house a plan starts to form in your mind. If Eleven was able to open another dimension and trap him here there shouldn't be a lot that keeps him living. In fact, the only thing that does is the killing. Closing all the portals would make him weak and in turn you'd be able to kill him.

You mentally pat yourself on the shoulder for the plan before you realize; closing the gates could mean you'll also be trapped here. Not just him. The destruction of Vecna won't mean the end of the Upside Down but the end of the crossing between the normal world and this one.

You search for the safe place you'd found and sit down, using one of your powers to find Billy.

You enter the small hut that once belonged to Hopper, bed still intact. On it lies Billy, sweat shimmering on his face.

Max, Lucas, Dustin, Steve and Eddie (as you'd learned) are gathered around the couch, discussing something. When you get closer, you start understanding their voices.

"No, I think this time we won't be able to help. If there's one person that can kill Vecna it's (y/n)." Dustin says and gestures with his hands. So they know about you. "You're right, but if she kills Vecna… won't that mean all the portals will close?" Max asks, bringing up your earlier concern.

You sit down in front of the couch, one hand holding Billy's. "Yes but no. Vecna may be connected to the portals, but are they connected to him? All the other things are, like the Demogorgon, Mind Flayer etc. They will die with him. But the portals are on their own. She'd have to close them herself, kill Vecna and open one again before closing it when she's here."

You smile at Dustin's incredible talent of quick understanding and his IQ. There's silence for a little before Eddie speaks up. "The lights," he points to the small lamps scattered around the room and how they've started flickering.

Your concern grows and you scoot a little closer to Billy. His sweat gets worse and his eyes move around wildly under his eyelids. You lay a hand on his cheek, knowing this is your time to leave. You mumble an 'i love you' before getting up and leaving, throwing a last look at the group of friends.

Coming back to your reality was like a breath of stale, dust filled air. The weird white particles invade your nose and you cough before getting up. If you had the chance now, you'd start now.

Closing portals required more strength than you expected but with the help of a memory of Billy or your friends it worked out. One by one you weaken Vecna, the last one being closed when you hear him.

"What did you do?" His voice is awfully quiet and you shake a little. "I'm going to kill you for what you did. And you're going to die slowly, painfully."

He throws his head back and comes closer, looking down at you. "Oh, really?" a nod from your side before both of you lift your hands at the same time.

The invisible force hits you immediately and you're pushed back a good two feet before regaining yourself.

You grunt, pushing all of your effort into tearing him apart. He copies you, the bats around your two bodies going wild.

When your legs start cramping you cry out of pain. This wouldn't be a waste. You'd make all of your sacrifices worth it.

A scream tears from your throat and you push yourself harder, a red glow coming from its chest. It starts growing, his powers lessening and you are able to move back forward.

"You can't… kill me." He grunts out before you use your other hand and overstep your limits. Your hands cramp and your feet leave the floor, Vecna slowly falling into dust. His warped face is the last thing you see of him. It's before you pass out that the sudden quiet and peace engulfs you.

The group is gathered at Eddie's place, watching with wonder as the gate heals itself and closes before vanishing. Crazy laughing and high fives are heard when the realization sets in: you did it. You killed Vecna and with that all the craziness that came with it. They celebrate, Dustin trying to contact Mike and Will.

When they come back to Hopper's old hut they see Billy - awake. He's confused, rubbing his forehead after wiping the sweat away.

"She did it." Is the only thing Dustin says before everyone cheerfully explains the situation.

Eddie throws himself on the couch next to Billy. "Quite the girl you've got there. She killed an interdimensional monster and rescued pretty much all of… the world!" He makes an exploding Motion with his hands and laughs.

"Yeah. Just hope she'll come back soon." Billy smiles sheepishly, folding his hands. "Dude. There's no way that if she did this she won't be able to come back here. Guessing she's asleep or something. That had to be exhausting, man!" Eddie stands back up and goes to converse with their friends, leaving Billy with his thoughts.

Yeah, it had to be exhausting for you. He was hoping you'd make it home soon, then he'd be able to finally care for you.

Waking up in the Upside Down is definitely the worst experience. You're glad no weird Upside Down bug crawled in your mouth and that there's none of the crazy bats anymore.

"Let's see…" your orientation has never been the best, so instead of finding Eddie's house you go the way you think is right - to Hopper's cabin.

Finding it was harder than ever and your stomach growls loudly a few times during your hike. You take in a deep breath, getting ready to come back home.

You lift your hand, some reminder blood from yesterday still on your skin. The air shifts and something more tense sets in. Dark particles start swiveling before the red, slimy skin builds itself back up. Your chest heaves with exhaustion and you're sure you're going to collapse the second you're through the portal.

When it's done, or when it's big enough for you to pass through you take everything in one last time. You mumble an ironic goodbye and step through, the gooey substance sticking to you like a second skin. When you're out, it's only seconds before the gate disappears, with that closing.

You fall to your knees and suddenly a bunch of shoes are in your view. Looking up, you see Dustin and the rest of the party (well except the ones in California). "Hi, guys." It's more of a joke and before you know it your arms are full of weeping teenagers.

Looking around you see Billy sitting on the couch, looking fond, yet still exhausted. His hair is matted to his forehead and a bruise is forming on his underarm.

You send him a small wave before focusing back on the teens. "I'm proud of you. I saw and heard how you solved this and- incredible." Especially Dustin looked flustered and the rest of them started talking all over each other.

Nancy, Steve and Robin stood to the side, content with having everyone back together. Eddie, who you so far hadn't talked to at all, looked a little lost but endeared nevertheless.

His hair was wild and unruly, brown curls falling past his shoulders. His eyes were big and his hands full of rings. Attractive, admittedly. From what you've seen, a great friend, too.

When they slowly let you go and stood back up Billy came to stand in front of you. A wave of his cologne invaded your senses and you took his stretched out hand, getting up with his help. His arms wound around you and you buried your face in his muscle shirt clad chest.

"Welcome back, doll."

After all the excitement died down a little Billy helped you to his car, his arm around your waist.

He was steadier by now because he rested mostly for the past days. You did too, but your body wasn't back to full health yet and it would probably take some time still.

He opened the car door for you and you chuckled. "A real gentleman, aren't you?" He exaggerated a nod and bow before moving to the driver's seat.

His music was more quiet during the drive, still heavy bass and loud guitars but you could hear yourself think for once.

"What… if we moved together? With Max, I mean." It's probably random for him, considering you had never spoken up about it before. Admittedly, you've been thinking about this for a while - especially after getting stuck in the Upside Down.

His eyes went wide and he averted his glance from the street for a second, "What do you mean?"

"Well. Neil is coming back tomorrow from his… I don't even know what, and it's just going to get worse, isn't it?" He nods hesitantly and stiffens at the mention of his father.

"I just… The Byer's house has been free since they moved and it's a nice place. Joyce called me a few days before I- you know, and asked whether I knew someone that'd be interested. But obviously no one wants a house where someone went missing, right?" He agrees with a hum and you continue.

"This would be a big- huge step for us but I can't keep seeing you and Max in danger because of him. I really can't. Joyce offered the house for an affordable price and if we both start working again it would easily be manageable. So. What do you say?"

After a few minutes of silence which made you a little jittery, he answered. "Honestly, it's a nice idea. Definitely not something we can just chicken out from but even if it doesn't work out a safe home would be great. And there are tons of jobs now that Starcourt isn't open anymore." He stops before smiling and taking your hand.

"We'll just have to tell Max and she'll be the one to decide, hm?"

Telling Max was filled with nerves and your rambling, but she agreed quickly. She had only been to the Byers house a few times, but it would do as a new home.

Your parents weren't happy with it at first, considering they still saw Billy as trouble. When you elaborated more they slowly accepted it and were relatively helpful with the move.

Neil and Susan on the other side freaked out. Of course Neil wouldn't want his son to leave - who would he let his anger out on?

Susan was unsure, not wanting to be left alone with Neil and his endless anger. In the end, it didn't matter what they said and everything was settled quickly.

Now, now you were happy. Sharing a home with two of your closest friends - or even family - was amazing. You did have trouble sleeping at night, the terrors of the Upside Down still haunting you, but with Billy it was alright.

Living alone was hard but after a while everything became a routine and slowly but surely it became a home.

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #billy hargrove x reader #dacre montgomery #max mayfield #eddie munson #steve harrington #dustin henderson #billy hargrove imagine

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ickypuppi3 · 2 years ago

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california dreamin’ - bobby womack ver. hits different if you’re crying about billy hargrove

#billy hargrove

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writer-in-theory · 2 years ago

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Billy Hargrove Bingo 2022

Prompts: "You can stay at my place." Reunion Flinching Pillow Fight Breakfast Club AU Jim Hopper as Billy's Dad Hidden Injuries Secretly Royal

Read on Ao3

A1 — Swiping Right (9.3k)

Prompt: "You can stay at my place" Summary: Steve helps his roommate, Robin, land a Tinder date and maybe finds some romance of his own along the way. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove // Robin Buckley x Heather Holloway Rating: M Type: Oneshot

A2 — California Dreamin' (10.7k) 18+ ONLY

Prompt: Reunion Summary: When Steve finally goes on his cross-country trip, he never imagined he'd find an old ghost from Hawkins. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: E Type: Oneshot

A3 — Planting a Memory Garden (1.9k)

Prompt: Flinching Summary: All couples eventually have their first argument. Steve never expected it to go like this. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: T Type: Oneshot

B1 — Everywhere You Look (There's A Heart) (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Pillow Fight Summary: Billy never thought he'd be a single father, but he knows he wouldn't give his daughters up for anything. Pairing: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove/Eddie Munson, Billy Hargrove & Daughter!OC Rating: T Type: Multichapter

B2 — The Best Thing (That's Ever Been Mine) (4k)

Prompt: Free Space Summary: When Steve and Billy run away from Hawkins together, they find out the story doesn't end at happily ever after. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: M Type: Oneshot

B3 — Don't You (Forget About Me) (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Breakfast Club AU Summary: Five people who’ve never had a reason to interact much before now have detention together. What could go wrong? Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler x Robin Buckley Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C1— Piece by Piece (3.3k)

Prompt: Jim Hopper as Billy's Dad Summary: When Max calls for Hopper’s help one night, everything changes. Pairing: Platonic Billy Hargrove & Jim Hopper, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C2 — All This and Heaven Too (6.2k)

Prompt: Hidden Injuries Summary: When Billy is forced into a contract with the devil after becoming a Victor of the Hunger Games, Steve is there, always. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: M Type: Oneshot

C3 — One and the Same (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Secretly Royal Summary: Eddie Munson's life is turned upside down when his Uncle Wayne brings Prince William Hargrove to their home in Hawkins, Indiana as part of the Prince Protection Program. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Billy Hargrove Rating: T Type: Oneshot

#billy hargrove #harringrove #steve harrington #dad jim hopper #billy & el #billy bingo #jay writes in theory

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snarkwrites · 4 years ago

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Okay, so.. My lovely friend @schizoauthoress issued me a challenge last night in a post they made. I was DYING to leap on this last night - listen, if I get ANY chance to ramble about writing/characters, best believe I’m taking it, but alas, I’d gone to bed. But, today’s a new day.

I present to you, my original character soundtracks. Three of these they specifically asked for [ stranger things fandom : charlotte granger , briar rose blue and lulu tyler ] but... I was feeling inspired, so I may have added one of these of my own as a little surprise. I thought I’d actually make the playlists and post them to my blog for everyone to see. Because yannow, lack of anything else to do / stupid writers block.

Enough rambling, I know ya’ll came for the music. Let’s get to it.

Since I did a few, I not only moved my response to a new post but... I’m also placing it under the cut.

If you’re curious things I’ve written with them are located as follows

charlotte x steve harrington [ blindsided \ wet mature ]

briar x jonathan byers [ should’ve been a better shot / surrender mature ]

lulu x billy hargrove [ let the days go by - kind of angsty character ‘death’... or was/is it? ]

alyssa x sweet pea [ i’ve only been pretending / selfish mature ]

[ STRANGER THINGS FANDOM OCS ]

01.👑 material girl // an original character playlist || Briar Rose Blue

01. material girl - madonna |02. how will I know - whitney houston | 03. somebody - bryan adams | 04. hey mickey - toni basil | 05. the look - roxette | 06. maniac - michael sembello {flashdance soundtrack} | 07.any way you want it - journey | 08. up where we belong - joe cocker & jennifer warnes { an officer and a gentleman soundtrack} | 09. pour some sugar on me - def leppard | 10. take my breath away - berlin | 11. simply irresistable - robert palmer |12. * angel eyes - the jeff healy band | 13.everybody have fun tonight - wang chung |14. venus - bananarama | 15.we got the beat - the gogos | 16.867 5309 - tommy tutone | 17.dirty diana - michael jackson | 18.like a virgin - madonna | 19.girls just wanna have fun - cyndi lauper | 20.the warrior - scandal | 21.I wanna dance with somebody - whitney houston | 22.hit me with your best shot - pat benetar | 23.cold hearted - paula abdul | 24. everything I do ( i do it for you) - bryan adams | 25. under pressure - queen ft david bowie | 26. kids in america - kim wilde

02.🌙 california girl // an original character playlist || Charlotte Marie Granger

03. 🔪 bad girl // an original character playlist || Luna Louise Tyler

[ RIVERDALE FANDOM OC ]

✨ little red // an original character soundtrack || Alyssa Andrews

#soundtrack #stranger things original characters #riverdale original character #ahhhhh. i hope you like this bb!#Sorry it took fuckin forever.#either way.. now it's done.#fyi pairings are as follows:#jonathan byers x briar blue #steve harrington x charlotte granger #billy hargrove x lulu tyler #sweet pea x alyssa andrews.

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kingkeerys · 7 years ago

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the art of chasing ♔ billy hargrove

concept: steve has a female best friend and billy has taken it upon himself to flirt with her just to piss steve off. that’s it. that’s the plot.

a/n: i don’t know where this came from. it just sort of happened. it’s not really an imagine bc i don’t like writing in second person or even first person, hence the reason the girl actually has a name. but i guess it can classify as one. i’ll be glad to write more if people enjoy it. also just a disclaimer, i don’t condone billy’s behavior in the show. i know he’s an asshole. but i do love dacre montgomery, so. this happened. also this has no timeframe, it’s just basically taking place randomly in season 2. each scenario is numbered separately that way i can write however many i want whenever i want. sound good?~~

just a young gun with a quick fuse,

i was uptight, wanna let loose.

i was dreamin’ of bigger things and

wanna leave my old life behind.

“’Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit…’” he reiterated in a high-pitched rendition of Nancy Wheeler’s voice.

Annie’s eyebrows rose as she replaced a few things in her locker.

“Ouch,” she said, frowning a bit. “Are you sure she knew what she was talking about? I mean, she was drunk. She might not have even heard what you said. Drunk people usually don’t.”

Steve Harrington gave her a dubious look as he leaned against the locker next to hers. He inclined his head, a strand of brown hair falling down over his forehead.

“She knew,” he said. “She heard me loud and clear. Good to know the last year has been nothing but bullshit to her.”

“I mean, she has been through a lot,” Annie reluctantly added, closing her locker with a sigh. “With her brother’s friend and then Barbara. You said it yourself, she’s been distant lately ever since her friend was declared… well, you know. It’s probably just stress.”

“I thought you hated Nancy,” Steve squinted over at her, as if betrayed that she was suddenly taking his girlfriend’s – ex-girlfriend’s? – side for once. “And now you’re defending her?”

“I don’t… hate her,” Annie disagreed carefully.

It was mostly the truth. Annie had a hard time hating anyone but if there was a person that came close to it, it was Nancy Wheeler.

She never understood the hype around the girl. Sure, she was pretty with a bright pair of blue doe eyes and she didn’t seem stupid considering her grades, but Annie never saw the appeal. She became exasperated when Steve started to chase after her the year prior and she tried to be the pliant, accepting best friend whenever Nancy was around for his sake, but that was as far as it went. Nancy seemed like a very two-dimensional person - almost artificial but not completely fake, like she tried to be a good person but it was for all the wrong reasons.

Not that Annie had any right to judge considering she’d only spoken about ten words to the girl. She couldn’t even pretend like she knew her personally so her judgement was all speculation at this point, and Nancy had never been directly rude to her whenever Steve had her around.

She did feel bad when her friend Barbara went missing though because, unlike Nancy, Barbara had been very approachable and kind. And it was clear that her disappearance really struck a chord in Nancy, causing her to go off the rails a bit and act slightly less goodie-two-shoes than usual. Again, not something Annie could judge since she was a bit of a goodie-two-shoes herself, but it was still a change worth noting.

Annie assumed Nancy’s situation with Barbara would be the equivalent to Steve going missing. If she lost him she didn’t know what she’d do. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

So no, she didn’t hate Nancy. But she didn’t like her either.

“And I’m not defending her,” Annie continued, pulling herself back into the present. “I’m just trying to see the story from both sides. But I’m sorry she said that to you,” Annie gave him a sympathetic look.

Steve heaved a deep sigh and turned to where his back was against the locker. He tilted his head back, his head hitting dully against the metal door.

“It’s just stupid. Things weren’t this complicated last year.”

“I know what you mean,” Annie nodded, reflecting on the past couple of months. “Ever since Will Byers went missing it’s like there’s been this chain reaction. Everything’s just been… weird.”

Steve snorted. “You have no idea.”

Annie glanced over at him. “What are you going to do?”

Steve mutely shook his head. Annie immediately understood what that mean. I have no idea.

She opened her mouth to say something else, maybe give him a confidence boost or talk negatively about Nancy to make him feel better, when loud laughter stopped her short.

She peered around Steve and spotted one of the banes of his existence prowling down the hallway with a bounce in their step. The boy’s snakelike grin stretched wide across his face the second his eyes found Steve’s miserable form and Annie felt dread pool in her gut at what might transpire.

“Why the long face, Harrington?” he mocked, the boys behind him muffling their laughter into closed fists. “Couldn’t get it up her skirt last night? Too much bullshit to satisfy the missus?”

Steve’s jaw clenched at the backhanded comment.

Annie placed a hand on his arm, quietly hoping he wouldn’t take the bait. Thankfully he kept his mouth shut, though his eyes were sharp as daggers.

The boy guffawed at Steve’s cold look before he turned his attention to Annie as he passed by them.

“Hey there, cutie,” he winked, flashing her a dazzling smile full of white teeth and Annie stiffened, her insides feeling hot. That was new. He’d never acknowledged her before on any of his other verbal attacks at Steve.

Steve must’ve noticed this too for his posture straightened and he kicked away from the locker, his shoulders squared as he stared the boy down, mentally debating with himself whether he wanted to instigate a fight or not. His glare didn’t go unnoticed and the boy laughed loudly again, covering his mouth with a bejeweled hand in callous mockery before him and his posse disappeared around the corner in all their denim-clad glory.

Annie released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and she glanced over at Steve who was still staring in the direction the boy had disappeared in. It was obvious his feathers had been rustled, no doubt the boy’s intentions from the get-go.

Annie patted his arm and his shoulders slowly lost their tension.

“He’s such an asshole,” said Steve sourly.

Billy Hargrove certainly was an asshole.

He tormented others for his own personal enjoyment and more often than not Steve was on the receiving end of it. Annie couldn’t think of two people that were more opposite than Steve and Billy. They were night and day personified and that was probably one of the reasons why Billy felt the need to make Steve’s life a living hell. That and the fact that he just could.

There were few things Billy didn’t get away with, which was irritating to Annie. If there was one thing she hated more than people breaking the rules, it was people who allowed those rules to be broken.

Billy was a boy of average height and stocky build with blonde hair that fell just below his neck in an unkempt sort of way that could only be described as deliberate. His trademark was his acid-washed denim jacket and sun-kissed skin that had spent years under the California rays.

That was probably one of the reasons most of the girls at Hawkins High were enamored by him. A west coast boy with above average looks and a devil-may-care attitude to boot? They couldn’t get enough of him. Another factor that seemed to piss Steve off to no end. A very small portion of that could be jealousy, Annie deduced. Being envious of the same sex’s appearance wasn’t limited to only girls. But mostly she knew he was just baffled by all the attention he got.

Because Billy was an asshole.

“I know,” Annie said calmly, shaking off her jitters. “He’s just trying to get under your skin. I wouldn’t worry about him.”

“Hard not to,” Steve countered. “He’s fucking everywhere.”

The bell rang and Annie tugged on the crook of Steve’s arm with an encouraging smile.

“C’mon, let’s go to class. We can get ice cream after.”

Steve let her lead him down the hall with a reluctant half-smile and for the moment Billy Hargrove and Nancy Wheeler were only distant worries.

* * *

not a yes sir, not a follower

fit the box, fit the mold

have a seat in the foyer

take a number

i was lightning before the thunder.

“Did you do the math homework?”

“Is that even a question, Steve?”

Steve grinned despite himself.

“Overachiever,” he said fondly. Annie laughed as she moved forward in the lunch line and grabbed a clean tray from the pile.

“’Overachiever’ doesn’t mean someone who does work that’s required of them,” she said humorously. “That’s just a basic achiever.”

“Whatever,” Steve brushed her comment off, though his eyes were sparkling. He grabbed a tray of his own and placed it on the counter, sliding down the line as he gazed down at the steaming food with a scrunched nose. “What is this?”

“Pork I think,” Annie surveyed the heaping pile of brown goo in front of them with trepidation. Did pork usually have that much gravy?

“Beef stew,” one of the lunch ladies glowered at Annie, insulted with her assumption. Annie flushed and she heard Steve snicker next to her. The woman held a spoonful of the liquid up in question and Annie tried to smile through her embarrassed cringe.

“I’m a vegetarian,” she lied, trying to sound polite.

The woman rolled her eyes and grunted before slapping the chunky serving onto Steve’s plate instead. He grimaced but quickly covered it up with an overzealous smile that made Annie want to laugh too.

They continued moving down the line, holding their plates out for various side dishes that were offered to them.

“So, about that math homework,” Steve prompted as they neared the register, flashing his brown eyes at her. Annie pursed her lips at her best friend but ultimately caved, shoulders slumping.

“Fine, you can copy it,” she relented, trying and failing to sound disapproving. She lifted a finger. “But just this once. Maybe you should look into finding a tutor.”

“I hear you’re free,” Steve suggested with a mischievous grin.

“Suddenly my schedule’s all booked up,” Annie retorted. Steve huffed a laugh through his nose. “Aw man,” Annie frowned, eyes scanning the refrigerated shelves in front of her. “They don’t have any more oranges.”

“Health freak,” Steve quipped.

“Says the athlete with the low carb diet,” she fired right back. Steve stuck his tongue out at her.

Annie grinned to herself. He was in much higher spirits lately despite the continued rockiness of his and Nancy’s relationship, or lack thereof. She was relieved to see his chipper side returning, stewing silently in his renowned energy. She wasn’t sure but she had a theory that him spending more time with the kids – Dustin, Caleb, and Nancy’s younger brother, Mike – were the root cause of his improved mood.

“Does this look low carb to you?” he motioned to the vile brown liquid seeping into his side of macaroni.

“That doesn’t look like anything edible,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I should’ve packed my lunch today. I really wish they had oranges. I wanted an orange.”

“I’ll buy you an orange later to make up for the homework,” Steve said, sounding both exasperated and amused. Annie smiled proudly.

She was getting ready to be next at the register and she got her money ready to hand to the lady waiting, only to feel someone saddle up next to her and ultimately cut her in line.

A scowl pulled at Annie’s brow and she opened her mouth to retaliate, only to have the objections die in her throat at the sight of who it was that cut her.

Billy Hargrove was smiling at the lunch lady, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he marched himself to the front of the line with no disregard for courtesy. Her eyes flitted downward and her scowl deepened. He had an orange in his hand.

Whilst Annie remained stubbornly quiet, Steve had no reserves and he glared venomously at the curly-haired boy.

“Hey,” he snapped, leaning around Annie to get a view of the boy. “Get to the back of the line, man.”

“I’m sorry, do you hear something?” Billy asked, apparently to the lunch lady as his gaze didn’t waver from hers, tapping his ear in false curiosity. “It’s like this weird buzzing sound.”

“Nice one, dipshit,” Steve retorted. “Real mature.”

“Language,” the woman admonished without much heat. Steve gave her a slack-jawed look.

“Sorry, ma’am, I just wanted to let you know that I can’t pay today,” Billy said, voice pleasant. The act was so convincing that Annie could almost believe he wasn’t a terror to be around. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, obviously displeased.

“This is the third time this week, Billy.”

“I know. I just need one more day. I’m only getting this,” he held the orange up. He smiled charmingly again. “Please?”

His blue eyes glittered like the ocean and apparently not even the older women could resist his rugged allure. She sighed in defeat.

“Alright, tomorrow then.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I sure do appreciate it,” he gave her one last winning smile before turning to face Steve. The once amiable, school b0y smile transformed into something more poisonous. Steve held his ground, accepting the stare-off and Annie glanced between the two of them warily, once again afraid of all the potential fights that could ensue, but Billy broke the gaze before any of them could play out. He looked down at her and smirked easily, outstretching the orange. “Here, sweetheart.”

Annie stared at the orange for a full five seconds before cautiously accepting it. Billy bestowed her with another wink and his eyes flashed sharply up at Steve whose glare could melt skin before he turned on his heel and waltzed off, ever the image of satisfaction and arrogance. The intense musk of his cologne hit Annie on the back end and for a second she couldn’t think straight, only able to shake herself out of her stupor when Steve sniffed next to her.

“He’s doing this on purpose,” Steve muttered, eyes dark and murderous. “He’s fucking with you to fuck with me. Asshole.”

“Language, Mister Harrington.”

Annie quickly handed the woman her money when the woman prompted her with an impatient look. She waited for Steve to pay for his food and then followed him to a nearby table that didn’t have any other students. They sat down across from one another and Annie realized Steve’s mood had turned sour from the encounter.

“Fucking Billy,” he glanced over his shoulder across the room and spotted Nancy sitting closely with Jonathan Byers, murmuring conspiratorially to him and sitting closer than necessary. He turned back around. “Fucking Nancy.”

“I’m sorry, Steve,” Annie said for lack of anything better. She stared down at the orange, turning it over in her hands.

Weird.

#billy hargrove #dacre montgomery #billy hargrove imagine #stranger things imagine #billy hargrove x reader

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writer-in-theory · 2 years ago

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Writer-In-Theory’s Harringroveson Bingo Masterlist

Prompts: Hunted "I am not a role model" Time Travel Tattoo Shop "That's how you do it, Hawkins, that's how you do it!" Secret Admirer Panic Attacks Star-Crossed Lovers

@harringroveson-bingo

Read on Ao3

A1 — Midnight Rendezvous (8.6k) Prompt: Hunted Summary: After Starcourt, Steve can’t sleep for fear of the Russians coming back for them. He finds help in the most unlikely of people. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson Rating: T Type: Oneshot

A2 — Aftershocks (3.6k) Prompt: "I am not a role model" Summary: After the Russian interrogation takes a greater toll on Steve than expected, he tries to hide his new seizures from Eddie. Everything is fine until the Upside Down comes back. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson Rating: T Type: Oneshot

A3 — Trust in the Time Warp (in progress) Prompt: Time Travel Summary: After Steve loses both of his boyfriends in the span of a year, he's not sure how to recover. Luckily, the Upside Down seems to have other plans for him because suddenly, he's waking up on November 4, 1984…for the second time. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson Rating: T Type: Mini-Series

B1 — California Dreamin' (10.7k) 18+ ONLY Prompt: Tattoo Shop Summary: When Steve finally goes on his cross-country trip, he never imagined he'd find an old ghost from Hawkins. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: Explicit Type: Oneshot

B2 — Seven Foot Wave, Six Feet Under (5.4k) Prompt: Free Space Summary: Dating Eddie and Steve had its perks—namely having access to Nancy Wheeler's investigating skills whenever Billy wants. When they uncover the truth about the dark past of the Hargrove family, it's clear to Steve, Eddie, and Billy that there's only one choice left: Neil Hargrove must die. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson Rating: M Type: Oneshot

B3 — Swiping Right (9.3k) Prompt: "That's how you do it, Hawkins, that's how you do it!" Summary: Steve helps his roommate, Robin, land a Tinder date and maybe finds some romance of his own along the way. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove, Robin Buckley x Heather Holloway Rating: M Type: Oneshot

C1 — Happy Birthday, Eddie Munson (5.4k) Prompt: Secret Admirer Summary: Steve meant to slip the birthday card into Nicole's locker, but the smile on Eddie Munson's face made it all worth it—even if he forgot to sign the card. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C2 — Private Swimming Lessons (3.6k) Prompt: Panic Attack Summary: When Billy threw Steve into his backyard pool, he was expecting a laugh. What he got instead, was a scream of pure terror and a story. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C3 — All This and Heaven Too (6.2k) Prompt: Star-Crossed Lovers Summary: When Billy is forced into a contract with the devil after becoming a Victor of the Hunger Games, Steve is there, always. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: M Type: Oneshot

#stranger things #harringroveson #harringrove #steddie #billy hargrove #steve harrington #eddie munson #harringroveson bingo #jay writes in theory #masterlist

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ao3feed-harringrove · 4 years ago

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Lucid

https://ift.tt/2YKCXOd

by birdcages7

The unofficial sequel to California Dreamin' that no one asked for but you all got anyway.

---

“You wanna tell me why this looks like you pretty boy?” The voice floated around Steve’s head, deep and sultry. Billy was in one of those moods. Steve pushed it back into place and kept his almost whisper tone.

“Because my boyfriend is a ghost and I’ve gone completely insane so staring in a porno was the next logical step, obviously.” Steve felt a warmth envelop his chest, leaving his arms free to rearrange tapes and put the final one from the box back in its place.

Words: 2877, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: M/M

Characters: Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Maxine "Max" Mayfield

Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington

Additional Tags: Ghosts, Spectrophilia, Steve might be crazy, I really don't know how else to tag this, billy is still dead, Ghost Fucking

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2YKCXOd

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy/steve #stranger things

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kingkeerys · 7 years ago

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the art of chasing ♔ billy hargrove [two]

concept: steve has a female best friend and billy has taken it upon himself to flirt with her just to piss steve off. that’s it. that’s the plot. [vol. 2]

a/n: holy moly, i did not expect so much feedback for this! i’m totally blown away by the response the first part got so soon and i’m so happy you guys are enjoying this so far, thank you for all the positivity! here is part two my lovelies xoxo

[part one]

kids were laughing in my classes

while i was scheming for the masses.

who do you think you are

dreamin’ ‘bout bein’ a big star?

Annie was starting to see a pattern.

Ever since Billy gave her the orange at lunch she’d been keeping an eye on him. It surprised her just how true Steve’s words had been – “He’s fucking everywhere,” – because, really, Billy Hargrove was everywhere.

She’d never taken much notice of him before because she had no reason to. Besides the occasional snide remark he directed at Steve, they weren’t even a blip on each other’s radar. But now that she was actually looking for him, she found that they shared a lot of the same classes. This one was easy to miss because more often than not he never showed up to them. She could only imagine what his report card looked like, but that was neither here nor there.

Every morning when she pulled into the Hawkins High campus, she spotted his dark blue Camaro parked haphazardly across two spaces in the back of the lot. It surprised her to know that he got to school so early yet rarely showed up to his morning classes, which they happened to share. What did he get up to at seven in the morning and how had he not gotten caught yet? And every afternoon when she left, his car was still there. It’s not like he engaged in extracurricular activities before and after school (how laughable would that be?) so what was the deal?

She also learned he never brought his lunch to school and rarely did he pay for cafeteria food, probably because he’d racked up quite the tab and the lunch ladies had lost their patience. Yet despite his lack of eating, he seemed to be really good at sports – a fact that also pissed Steve off. The three of them shared the same gym period and it was hard for Annie not to stare at Billy as he danced across the basketball court or aced a spike in volleyball. It was the California in him, she surmised. All the guys there were apparently really good at athletics.

Through all of this (creepy) staring, she realized that Billy only paid her attention whenever Steve was around. It was never anything dramatic, just small things like complimenting her hair or tossing a wink in her direction. And each time he did it she found that Steve was either within earshot or eye line of the two of them, and Billy would have this self-satisfied smirk on his face every time Steve noticed. It was like he was planting some sort of seed and he was waiting for it to grow and fester in Steve’s mind just to screw with him.

So basically Steve had been right. Billy was messing with her just to tick him off, and Annie found that she was incredibly annoyed by it.

A very small part of her thought about confronting him, but the bigger part of her – the smarter part – was too much of a wuss to go through with it. Steve almost did once but she talked him out of it and thankfully his life had become too consumed with schoolwork and the continuing saga of Nancy Wheeler drama for him to even think about trying again. The last thing he needed right now was to escalate the ever-growing tension between him and Billy all because she was getting a little extra attention.

So for the moment Billy was just the annoying bug on the windshield of their lives that was stuck somewhere in the upper corner mostly out of sight, only occasionally making itself known whenever it slid back down into view.

“’King Steve’,” Steve mocked a few days later after their gym period. “’Afraid the coach is gonna bench you now that I’m here?’”

“He said that?” Annie asked.

They’d just finished their own respective games split between boys and girls – the boys playing basketball in the gymnasium and the girls playing soccer out on the field.

Annie had done what she usually did in situations like this, which was avoid the ball at all costs until the game was over which usually got her through the day in one piece. She wasn’t nearly as gifted athletically as Steve was, not that it bothered her any. It’s not like the two of them would ever be in a situation where they’d have to run for their lives and she’d have to find a way to keep the pace with his unusually long legs.

As usual, Billy took pleasure in knocking Steve down a peg every chance he got during the game and Steve was recounting everything to her with a scowl marring his face, hand gestures and all.

He continued on, ignoring her question. “’You were moving your feet. Plant them next time. Draw a charge.’”

Annie licked her lips. “At least he gave you some advice?”

At Steve’s bemused look she quickly backtracked.

“But I mean, no, that was totally uncalled for. He should’ve at least helped you back up.”

Steve groaned. “Why can’t he just lay off?”

They slipped into the hallway where all the students were chattering outside the locker rooms.

“Probably because he knows it riles you up,” she pointed out.

“Yeah but he’s got this whole school to torment. Aren’t there more people for him to pick on besides me?”

“I’m sure he does in his own time,” Annie sighed. They paused between the boys and girls locker rooms and Annie glanced sympathetically up at him. Sweat marred his forehead, his cheeks flushed a light pink, and there were stains along the collar of his gray t-shirt from the cardio. “Look, why don’t you go in and take a shower? Clear your head and relax your muscles. Is your side still hurting?”

She motioned to his ribs were Billy had apparently jabbed him with his elbow. Steve gingerly touched the spot and winced.

“A little,” he said, clenching his jaw before looking away. “This is so stupid.”

“Just take a shower,” Annie nudged him towards the boy’s locker room, feeling a bit like a mother hen. “He’s probably already gone anyway.”

Steve took a reluctant step towards the door. “Meet out here after? I’m starving, we should get a bite to eat.”

“Sounds good,” she nodded with a smile. He fleetingly smiled back before disappearing into the locker room, the echoing hoots and hollers of the boys inside reverberating out into the hallway.

Annie exhaled slowly before making her way into the girl’s locker room to change and collect her things. She wasn’t a fan of showering at school so she usually did that once she got home. The girls inside were just beginning to change, giggling amongst themselves as they stood in front of the lit mirrors with their hairspray and makeup at the ready. While she was getting dressed she overheard some of them gossiping about Billy and others she heard whispering about what happened with Steve.

Vowing to stay out of it, she silently packed her dirty clothes in her bag before stopping at one of the free mirrors to check her hair. It was a bit frizzy from the activity and she stuck her hand under the faucet, running her wet fingers through her hair to tame it a bit before heading out the door.

She smiled at the select few girls she knew who had congregated in the hall before leaning against the wall opposite the locker rooms as she waited for Steve to come out. She knew it’d be a while since he took even longer showers than she did, so she occupied herself on one of the benches with her English homework in her lap.

She sat in silence on the bench, legs crossed Indian style as she wrote answers onto her paper for what must have been ten minutes before the door to the boy’s locker room opened. The hall was now empty save for the occasional janitor shifting around in one of the cupboards around the corner.

Knowing it was too early to be Steve, she kept her head down and continued with her assignment, only to hear footsteps coming towards her and then the sound of a grunt as a body plopped down beside her on the bench. She turned curiously, only to have her shoulders stiffen and cheeks flush at the sight before her.

Billy was sprawled out beside her, legs outstretched in front of him and torso bare and glistening as he leaned his head back against the wall. Droplets of water were falling from his damp hair, curlier and darker now that it was wet, and his cheeks were delicately pink from the heat of his shower. A pair of jeans rested low on his hips, unbuttoned and loose, and she quickly averted her gaze as her throat ran dry. He looked a little too comfortable to be out in the open where an adult could walk by at any moment and see him.

She stared down at her English paper without really seeing it, her mind only able to comprehend the way his toned chest seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights. She bit the inside of her cheek and readjusted the grip on her pencil but couldn’t bring herself to write anything.

“Isn’t the whole point of homework supposed to be that it’s done at home?”

She blinked at his slow drawl, sated from the lull of the shower, before glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. His head was still resting against the wall except this time it was facing her direction.

“Um,” she didn’t really know what to say. “I’m just getting a head start on it.”

She saw him raise a dark eyebrow lazily but he didn’t respond and she tried focusing on her paper again.

“You’re not writing anything,” he pointed out after a brief moment of silence. Annie licked her lips.

“That’s because you’re distracting me,” she said, attempting to sound stern but coming across as anything but. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him in waves as there was only about six inches of space between them. The bench had plenty of space on his other side.

“I’m not doing anything,” he told her, sounding amused. She readjusted the pencil in her hand again, casting him a quick look.

“You should put a shirt on,” she said instead.

“Is that what’s distracting you?”

She opened her mouth to say yes but upon realizing that’s probably what he wanted to hear, she closed it and chose not to respond.

“Did I hurt Harrington’s feelings today?” Billy then asked. He didn’t wait for her to reply. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I was just trying to help him out. He’s got so much tension, it’s making him sloppy. Shouldn’t you be helping him out with that?”

Annie wanted to ignore him, she really did, but found it impossible now that her curiosity was piqued.

“Sorry?”

“You know,” he grinned brazenly, lifting his hips suggestively. Her cheeks heated up again. “A little stress release. He’s got so much of it; you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Annie stuttered for a second. “I’m not dating Steve and we’re not… doing anything.”

“No?” Billy’s brows furrowed, lips twisting in confusion like he had genuinely thought so.

“He’s with Nancy,” Annie stated, though she wasn’t entirely sure that was true or not anymore.

“Right,” Billy laughed sharply. His abdominal muscles clenched from the laughter and Annie had a hard time not staring. “Nancy Wheeler. She’s a piece of work, huh? Boy, I really thought you two were bumpin’ uglies.”

“We’re not,” Annie said with finality, avoiding eye contact and hoping the conversation had reached its natural stopping point. Clearly Billy thought it hadn’t.

“His loss,” Billy shrugged, kicking his legs out a bit more. This caused his jeans to fall further down his hips, revealing the black band of his boxers. Annie’s jaw clenched and rather than focusing on his last comment and what it could’ve possibly meant (and whether she was offended by it or not), she went for a different approach.

“Why don’t you button your pants?” she asked in a clipped tone.

His blue eyes flickered up to hers and he ran his tongue over his white teeth in a callous smile. “Why don’t you do it for me?”

Annie felt hot somewhere in her chest and she didn’t know whether to snap at him or get up and leave, too flustered to really make up her mind. The lack of knowing left her face slack-jawed and frozen as she stared at him, and he raised his eyebrows with a wicked smile.

“No thank you,” she snipped after a pause, grateful that her voice didn’t shake.

“Why not?” he countered easily. “No one’s watching. I’d hate to be indecent in front of the studious and proper Annie Lane.”

Annie tried to think of a quick comeback but before she had the chance to connect her brain to her mouth, Billy was leaning forward.

“I’m much better at it underneath you.”

His warm breath fanned her cheeks and she blinked at the fresh scent of soap on his skin. Up close made him look like a completely different person – his eyelashes were long and thick and light freckles dusted the top of his cheekbones. She figured not many people got the chance to see him this close and upon realizing she was now one of them she flinched back and put an extra foot of space between them. Billy watched her go, eyes glittering like he’d achieved the exact response he’d been going for.

To her relief, Steve chose that moment to step out of the locker room, hair damp and lacking volume as he tugged his bag over his shoulder. He stopped short once the scene in front of him registered and his shoulders squared like a cat arching its back at its reflection.

“The hell’s going on?” his gaze flitted quickly between the two of them accusingly.

Billy chuckled, the sound gravely and low in the back of his throat and it sent chills up Annie’s spine. He rolled his head against the wall, breaking eye contact with her as a smile curved up the side of his tan face.

“Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, King Steve. Just havin’ a chat.”

“Well have a chat somewhere else,” Steve snapped.

Billy bit his lip and stretched out his arms before pushing himself up off the bench, eyes gleaming with mischief. He glanced back down at Annie who was balancing herself on the far edge of the bench and flashed her his usual wink.

“Raincheck then?”

It was curt and brisk, clearly a sign of open mockery that made Annie feel chagrinned and belittled.

He stepped past her and paused next to Steve and the two exchanged tense looks before Billy slinked past him and headed back into the locker room. Somehow his jeans never fell despite their sagginess, not that Annie had been looking.

“What did he say to you?” Steve demanded.

She carefully began packing her things into her bag, willing away the redness in her cheeks and framing her face with her hair in hopes that he wouldn’t notice.

“Nothing,” she denied casually.

“Bullshit.”

“Honestly,” she looked up at him when her face no longer felt warm. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and zipped up her bag before standing. “He was just talking about how he gave you a hard time. That’s all. Just his usual spiel,” she eyed him carefully and tried to shake off the last five minutes. “Did he mess with you in the locker room?”

“No,” Steve replied after a pause. “I didn’t see him.”

Annie had a feeling he was lying, which probably meant he could sense her lie too, but she chose not to comment on it.

“Okay, that’s good. You want to go get something to eat now?”

Steve’s eyes scanned her face, contemplating whether or not he wanted to press the issue further, but seemed to decide against it for now.

“Yeah, I’m ready. I’ll drive.”

The two of them headed down the hallway and out of the gymnasium, Annie’s stomach coiling as she remembered the way Billy had looked at her and the sight of his pink tongue flicking against his teeth.

Right when she thought she had him figured out he threw a curveball at her. Because unless he planned it just right to where Steve would come out and see them sitting together – which was entirely possible – then this was the first time he had deliberately messed with her without the intention of getting Steve involved. She dreaded the thought of being his new primary target, but what she dreaded even more were the implications behind it.

What was so special about her?

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #stranger things imagine #dacre montgomery

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