#Harringrove teachers AU

[harringroveera]

Kindergarten teacher Steve (and his very concerned boyfriend) AU?

[stranger-rants]

Another reason why Steve is a high school teacher and not an elementary school teacher is because whenever he sees Billy’s first graders he gets ideasTM about them having their own, and Billy has to talk him down. The reason why Billy is an elementary school teacher and not a high school teacher is because whenever Billy interacts with a teenager, he gets cranky.

[imsodishy]

Steve x billy 47

Eternal Flame

Prom continues to be lame, year after year. If anything, the consistency is comforting.

Chaperoning may not be much cooler than kind-of-sort-of third wheeling your ex, but at least it's less awkward for everyone involved.

Steve does not miss being a teenager.

It's amazing how little the moves have changed in the past decade, Steve's already confiscated two flasks tonight, and it’s not even 10 o'clock. He has to believe (for his own pride if nothing else) that he was less obvious to his own teachers, back in his heyday of spiking punch bowls. But probably not.

Mr. Hargrove comes in from the hall ushering a group of grumpy looking girls with clumpy mascara in front of him. He shoos them on into the gym and then post himself up near the doors, arms crossed, looking about as grumpy as the girls.

Steve drifts that way, keeping one eye on the punch. "What was that about?" he asks once they're leaning shoulder to shoulder, Mr. Hargrove likewise keeping his eyes on the kids.

Mr. Hargrove, Billy, it's only been Billy for a minute, snorts like a bull when he’s annoyed. It's cute.

"Someone wore pink when they promised they were going to wear yellow." Billy says, with enough gravity for a world ending disaster, "The pictures are going to be a total disaster, apparently."

Steve chuckles, "Yeah, don't miss being a teenager at all." Billy laughs too.

The Bangles starts playing over the speakers, "Bit of a throwback," Steve says. Billy just mhmms. "Did you have fun at your prom?"

"Well," he starts, and his eyes scanning the gym get a little more pointed for a moment, before he leans slightly towards Steve and murmurs barely loud enough for just Steve to hear him over the plinky-plonky music, "I had to go with a girl, so not really, no."

"Mine sucked too. But, uh," Steve executes his own scan and lean, "Maybe we can make up for lost time." Then, super smooth and subtle, flashes the inside pocket of his jacket at Billy, where the confiscated flasks sit.

Billy tosses his head back to laugh, full and loud, and Steve can maybe imagine them both at eighteen for a second. "Oh great," he says, "What's in there? Peppermint schnapps?"

"No!" Steve crows, "Peach, I think."

[dragonflylady77]

OH I'M SO GLAD THERE IS A PART TWO BECAUSE THIS HAS ME GOING FERAL, MY FRIEND.

Teacher!Steve/Single Dad Billy AU

Billy doesn't really know what to expect when he opens the doors to Hawkins Elementary school for parent teacher conference night.

Becca's mom had always been the one doing all the school stuff. She'd been the one meeting teachers, sending in snacks, helping with homework. She'd been the one taking care of all the everyday things.

He'd just been the every other weekend dad.

So he didn't know how these things worked. He didn't know how a lot of things worked. But he had no choice now. He was going to have to learn quickly, because the world doesn't stop moving when someone dies. It just keeps going, dragging you along for the ride.

And the last two months have been a hell of a ride.

It's not that he doesn't know how to take care of his daughter, he's shared custody since she was a baby, but raising her full time? He's not sure how he's going to manage that. He'd already had to come back to Hawkins because his only support system is his sister, Max, and she'd never left.

So he just.. doesn't know how to do this.

But he knows he has to try.

Because Becca's grandparents have hated his guts from the moment they saw him, so they'll be waiting for him to fuck up. And if he does, they will probably swoop in and try to take her from him. Take her back to California.

He won't go down without a fight, of course, but he doesn't want to fight over Becca. There's no contest. She's his.

She's his and Leslie's. And Leslie isn't here anymore. So…

Becca is his.

He wouldn't be here, looking for room 202 at 6:30 on a Tuesday night, otherwise.

He wouldn't be wading through the halls so packed full of parents that it's hard to move. He wouldn't be trying to ignore them all, because some give him flirty smiles as he passes, some nod their heads, and some try to give him a wide berth, because that's Billy Hargrove and he was kinda notorious in his youth.

He wouldn't be doing any of this if he didn't want to do right by her. If he didn't love her.

So Leslie's parents can kiss his ass.

He sighs in relief when he finally finds the right room and opens the decorated door. But then he is caught completely off guard, nearly loses his breath when he steps inside his daughter's first grade classroom. Because the man sitting behind the teachers desk, the man looking down at a grade book, is Steve fucking Harrington.

Mr Harrington.

Becca's teacher.

Ok, yeah, maybe he should have put two and two together, but like… the last Billy'd heard, he'd taken over his daddy's business. It never crossed his mind that he'd end up teaching.

Teaching his daughter.

Why hadn't Max warned him? She had to have known.

Oh, they're having words when he gets home.

When the door closes behind Billy, Harrington starts speaking, eyes still downcast and hidden behind a pair of glasses. "Right on time. It's nice to meet you Mr-" He cuts himself off when he looks up from his papers and sees him.

Billy lets himself smirk, but inside he's kinda reeling. He'd had a total hard on for this guy in high school, and even though he looks ridiculously dorky right now, he still feels a spark of interest there.

Wonderful.

"It's been awhile, pretty boy." He says, coming to stand in front of the desk.

"Hargrove." He huffs after a second of looking like a deer in the headlights. "Rebecca Hargrove. I cant believe I didn't realize."

"If it makes you feel any better, I hadn't made the connection either," He shrugs.

"I'm just...surprised." He admits, "I never pictured you as a kid having kind of guy."

Eh, that's fair.

"I never pictured you as a teacher, either." He replies, "but I probably should have. You looked after the brats all the time back then."

He runs a hand through his hair, which Billy notes is shorter than it had been in school, but there's still enough of it that it sticks up all messy cute when he does it.

"Yeah, I mean, that's not why I chose this field, but they definitely brought out something in me."

He looks fond as shit, like he's remembering something nice. And Billy…that spark in his gut is slowly setting a fire inside him and he does not need this shit right now.

He doesn't need to be thinking about Harrington's stupid face, and pretty mouth. Or be wondering if his ass still looks good under that desk.

No.

His daughter is his top priority.

So if his dick could fuck off right now, that'd be great.

He coughs to mask how uncomfortable he suddenly is. "So, this conference thing?"

"Yes, right." Harrington clears his throat. "There's just a couple things, really. Despite transferring this late into the school year, Becca is actually doing well academically so far. She's very bright, ahead of some of the kids, even. But I do have a small concern. It's nothing serious, could be that she's still adjusting as a new student, but she gets a bit withdrawn and refuses to speak sometimes."

He doesn't know if it's annoying or endearing that he's been paying enough attention to her behavior that he's worried. She's been in his class all of a month.

"Yeah, that kinda happens when you lose your mom." He tells him. Not to get a reaction, but to be honest. He should know why she gets quiet and sad.

He can see a bit of red slowly appearing on Harrington's cheeks and he looks absolutely distraught. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't- It all makes sense now. I had no idea that you'd lost your wife."

"No, no. She was never my wife," he corrects. "but thank you. It's been harder on Becca than me. Her and her mom were close and then...well I never thought I'd be raising her alone. I needed Max's help, so I moved us back here. She pretty much lost everything familiar when she lost her mom."

"That's so awful, " He replies, and he sounds sad, like he truly feels upset by the revelation. "I'll be sure to respect her boundaries and not make her talk in class if she doesn't want to."

Billy can't help the little upturn of his lips. "I'd really appreciate that."

They kind of stare awkwardly at each other for a moment before Harrington startles a bit, which is weird because there was no sound or anything that should have spooked him.

"Um, anyway, your daughter is a sweet girl, and I'm sure she will continue doing well in class. Thank you for coming in to speak with me. It helps when parents actually show up."

"It wasn't a problem." He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets, trying hard not to just run away. Because he's getting a little hot under the collar. "Gotta get used to these things now."

"Yeah," He sighs. "And again, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just let me know if my kid ever needs me. I'll come get her."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, but I'll be sure to do that."

"Thanks," He turns to leave but stops for just a second. "See ya around, Teach."

And then he's out the door and in his car, heart racing a bit.

Because…

Not only is Steve Harrington still pretty as fuck, he also cares a lot about his students, about Becca.

And Billy…

Billy is so fucking screwed.

Part II

[magniloquent-raven]

Harringrove AU

Steve and Nancy got married right out of high school, because Steve was madly in love and it was the thing to do, and Nancy always liked him, she really did, and she thought. Y'know. He's a good guy. He's a catch, everyone says so.

They stay married for years, and they grow apart. And they argue. They get mean. It wasn't malicious at first, but the longer it goes on the more they resent each other.

Meanwhile Billy got his shit together enough to put himself through university. Get a degree. Get a cushy job helping rich people avoid messy divorce. It wasn't his first choice of career paths, it just sort of. Happened. Partly to spite his father, like a lot of the big choices he makes in life. Neil was always very down on the concept of therapy. When Billy was a child teachers would occasionally tell Neil he should think about getting Billy professional help. Which Billy was always punished for when they got home.

So maybe he wanted to see what all the fuss was about with this therapy stuff. Psychology turned out to be interesting. He ended up being good at it.

Until he isn't. When Steve Harrington walks into his office and fucks everything up by being everything Billy wants in a man and married to a woman who does not appreciate him. And Billy gets incredibly unprofessional.

Also I think it would be super funny if Jonathan was Billy's secretary, so Steve and Nancy are both like, yes, totally, I want to go to this couples counselling session for our relationship, not because I want to fuck the person trying to help us.

The mess. The chaos. Imagine it.

[dragonflylady77]

IT'S MY HARRINGROVERSARY!

today is 31 July (yes, i live in the future, if you didn't know already) and that means it's 2 years since i posted my first harringrove fic on ao3

and I was made for lovin' you was on the radio on my way home and my brain was like, oh, hang on, i can work with that, that song screams soulmates au and there's this soulmates crack!fic languishing in Docs...

Sadly I need to go out to watch my 14yo play hockey then we're going to the parent teacher interviews at her school.

So I might just post ch1 of Mutuals, my harringrove social media fic...

[makeadealwithdean]

read a fic one time years ago (from a different fandom) that was a teacher!au, and holy shit, i need to write this with harringrove.

go with me on this— billy needs someone to substitute teach for him while he’s out of town for a bit. (billy is a high/middle school teacher). so steve gets walked into the classroom by the principal to meet with billy before he leaves to get the basic rundown.

billy’s in the middle of a lesson, so steve just takes a seat near the back of the room to wait for him to be done. the principal leaves, steve can introduce himself, no problem.

billy finishes the lesson and hands out a practice worksheet, and the kids get into groups to work on it.

he sits down with steve and says, "so are you the sub?"

and steve flushes bright red for some reason, "uh, y-yeah, i guess so."

billy cocks his eyebrow, cause why is this guy acting like he just asked him something scandalous, "okay, so how long have you been subbing?"

steve averts eye-contact, "not long, but why...does that matter here?"

billy laughs, confused, "because you're subbing here?"

steve looks a mixture between horrified and confused.

oh.

billy clears his throat, "um, sub-stitute teaching," he clarifies.

steve inhales quickly and tries to mask the look on his face, but he still looks as if he's been splashed with cold water, "yeah," he laughs nervously, "of course. i know. what else would it be?" laughing it off obviously isn't going as well as he'd hoped.

billy just raises a single eyebrow and tries half-heartedly to dissolve the smirk creeping onto his face.

[dopeasspancake]

PLEASE if somebody doesn’t write a full version of this soon I’m going to pass away.

I go absolutely FERAL for future fics where they unexpectedly reunite, especially when it involves one of them as a teacher.

A combination of seeing all the Teacher!AUs floating around and looking at my own upcoming staff training got me thinking about a Harringrove AU where Steve becomes a nurse, but he's also very passionate about teaching First Aid (because, y'know, he knows the importance of patching people up!) and he's really good with people, so he often gets sent into workplaces to deliver their mandatory First Aid training.

And one of these workplaces just so happens to be an elementary school.

The elementary school where Billy just so happens to be working.

And Steve doesn't notice at first, cause he's busy setting up all his practical skills stations and making sure he's got his presentation ready, but then he hears a wolf-whistle and an all too familiar, "Well hello, Nurse! Fancy seeing you here, Harrington," and he turns around to see Billy clearly fresh from his classroom after a long day of teaching: his hair is mussed, frizzy strands of it escaping from a loosely tied bun; he's got a smear of bright green paint on his cheek; there's a macaroni necklace around his neck sprinkling glitter whenever he moves and, adorably, there's the head of a toy dinosaur peeking out from his top pocket.

And he's smiling. A tired smile, but one that's so bright and utterly content that, despite the teasing, Steve can't help but smile back at him.

(It all bites Steve on the ass a little later when he asks for a volunteer for some of the practical skills, and Billy's hand is the first and only one to shoot into the air, his soft smile from before now turned to an utterly filthy grin as he says, "Go on then, Nurse, I'll let you get your hands on me, bet you'll fix me up real nice," with a wink, and Steve realises that he's in for a very long evening of having to try and stay professional.)

[lovebillyhargrove]

Have you watched the "Faculty"? Do we have a harringrove au? 🤔

Anyways, Steve's the captain of the football team, Nancy is the head of the school paper, they're dating. One day Steve decides to quit football, focus on his studies, Nancy isn't supportive, they are on different wavelengths actually, and it lines up so nicely with them and the og characters "Faculty" dynamic.

Billy is Zeke (the car, the rock music, the attitude). Teachers' charmer, know-it-all, smart, repeating his senior year cause he has attitude problems and troubles at home

Jonathan is Casey, the photographer and the quiet kid (secretly in love with Nancy). Robin is Stokely.

One day a new girl comes to town, Billy flirts with her. Little does he know, it's the monster/mindflayer.

During the whole monster fighting etc. harringrove happens.

Haven't thought about the actual plot further than that but this au can kick ass. Also, Billy and Steve looking like that, please 🥺

Gifs by @rogerdeakinsdp

[fizzigigsimmer]

My fave ballet tube channel out here feeding me plot bunnies for Harringrove Ballet School Au. Just imagine, Billy arrives on campus. Spitting mad cause his dad made him take the bus. Cheapskate wouldn’t even spring for a plane ticket when it’s Billy’s financial aide filling his pockets. He decided halfway there he’s not going to stay. He’s going to hop on the first bus back to Cali as soon as he can raise the money and that’s what he tells Madame Harrington. She may have bought Neil but she can’t buy him. Nobody can force him to stay here - which is true. He’s hoping she won’t want to deal with a runaway and a bad attitude, that she’ll just revoke the scholarship and end this farce for him. Neil will beat his ass black and blue but what else is new. At lease he’ll still have home and the beach.

Madame Harrington doesn’t look happy but she doesn’t get angry either. She makes Billy promise to sleep on it. Sit in on a class, have a real think about what he’s about to throw away. Billy’s not stupid, he knows she’s hoping he’ll see other kids dancing and make some friends and suddenly want to change his mind. It’s not going down like that. And it doesn’t. The class she takes him to is tier one, the advanced class. It’s mostly juniors and seniors but Billy spots a few younger kids and a couple of absolute shrimps who look like they haven’t left the seventh grade. They’re good though is the thing, doesn’t take more than a few steps to see why they’re in here dancing with the big kids. A redhead catches him watching in the doorway and gives him the stink eye.

And then whatever combination they’re doing ends and everyone is clapping, and the instructor calls out that it’s time for their soloist. “Be the swan, Steven. No spaghetti arms!”

The energy in the room just changes, the chatter lifting in anticipation as the students drift back to the edge of the room as a solitary figure steps forward. He’s got good shape. Strong legs - so long - and lean arms. Those fucking tights love him - holy shit. Billy can be forgiven for missing the first few steps he takes while he blinks away the after image that bulge has burned into his fucking retinas. But when he’s capable of seeing beyond it again, he sees this kid - this Steven - floating across the floor in some of the prettiest lines he’s ever seen. He thinks the number from Swan Lake. Thinks Steve-o is gorgeous when he’s not fucking it up, playing to the crowd and losing focus. It’s only a wobble here or there, just minor imperfections.

It annoys the shit out of Billy.

“Who’s the diva?” he asks Madame H. under the sudden swell of clapping and cheering as the boy’s solo comes to an end.

She smiles, a twinkle entering her eye.

“That would be Steve. My son.”

Her son? Wait! That’s Steve Steve? The kid he used to penpal and trade basketball cards with. That’s Steve Harrington?

“Oh yeah?” Billy sneers, hoping to hide how dry his mouth has gone. Challenges with an arched brow, “Teachers son thinks he’s hot shit huh?”

But Madame H. seems unperturbed. She doesn’t tell him off about his language or take offense for her kid’s sake, just keeps smiling at Billy with that little glint in her eye that’s too fond for comfort.

“He’s been best in his age group since he was eight. Makes it hard to keep him challenged. I was hoping that would change with you here now, but if you’re set on leaving I guess I’ll have to come up with something else.”

It’s so stupid. Some reverse psychology bullshit, but damn it it’s working because Billy isn’t as keen on leaving as he was when they walked in.

“You sure that’s what you want?” He asks, barely waiting for the perplexed look to form on her face as he shrugs off his duffel bag. He strides into the room like he owns it, feels the heads turn towards him as his sneakers thud hollowly on the hard floor. The chatter dies as he calls out, “you call that a dance?”

His eyes lock with the boy in the center of the room.

Billy will show him a dance. He’ll show them all.

[harringroveera]

AU where the age gap between the older teens are way bigger and Steve’s a twenty something kindergarten teacher and he has to call little 5 years old Max’s parents because she keeps making the boys in class cry (The Party). Turns out Max’s only legal guardian is Billy, her hot older (also twenty something) brother, and Steve’s absolutely head over heels for him whenever Billy grins and flirt with him.

And from then on Billy would always come in the school to pick up Max and see Steve in his cute kindergarten teacher clothes with an apron full of handprints of little kids.

Somehow Max gets even into more troubles and Steve has to call Billy to school to talk to him over and over at least every week, to the point they end up fucking in Steve’s classroom one time.

In the end it’s revealed that Billy lets Max eat ice creams whenever she gets Billy to come talk to the “hot” teacher at her kindergarten.

[shprka]

Jdjdjhc WHAT IF!!! in his last year of school after Starcourt he was a volunteer firefighter on the weekends (bc they saved him from that burning mall even tho everyone gave up on him!!!) and slowly he becomes less reckless and more responsible and likes helping people (but hes still his snarky self) and after graduation he stays in Indiana as a firefighter 🥺🥺

Firefighter Billy is seriously underrated. A boy who doesn't care if he dies but will do whatever he can to make sure others don't

[stranger-rants]

Teacher Harringrove. Classroom door decorating contest. Go.

High School History Steve wins the holiday door decorating contest for his "Celebrations Around The World" door. Colleagues accuse him of cheating b/c they say his Elementary School Teacher husband Billy was the genius behind the design, used to decorating vibrant eye catching classrooms.

The Evidence?

The painted handprint art matches the size of very small humans who couldn't possibly be any of Steve's students. Steve is reminded that students must help in decorating the door for it to count. Steve notes that nowhere in the rules does it specify which students.

The controversy lasts for months.

Does Steve feel guilty? No, because his class won a pizza party and pizza is good.

[billyharringson]

WIP tag game

Thank you for the wonderful @weird-an for the tag. I like this one.

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I keep my WIP ideas in a spreadsheet (yes I am that person) so i'm going to go with the titles/descriptions i've put there. I'm literally just copy/pasting from the spreadsheet so there probably will be spelling mistakes.

My WIPS:

your son calls me daddy too - long shot sugar daddy fic

Eastside

Tiktok au

Mungrove college AU

achilies/petroclus reincarnation au - harringrove - but achillies (billy) dies first

electorstimulation shibari

overdramatic Eddie lamenting his crush on Billy

Soon you'll get better

Omegaverse free use Billy

Glory hole with trans Billy and established Jargilly

teacher/student follow up

It means to lie beneath follow up

playing nicely follow up

Argyle making trans Billy get off using a grinder strapped to his leg

Munvergrove where Eddie and Jason add Billy as a third but Billy doesn’t known their dating

Stargilly where Steve and Billy are both subs

Demon Jason taking Billy's soul after he kills Neil

Dog trainer Steve accidentally training Billy

Hopper not knowing who Billy is dating and trying to figure it out

cute harringrove where Steve kisses Billy on the forehead when he's sleeping

Possible Natural 20 continuation

No pressure tags for @shieldofiron @applewillowstone and anyone else who wants to have a go :)

[cavinginhisfvce]

'The Fated"

Pairing: Harringrove. Soulmate!AU.

Tw: implied child abuse. brief violence.

Soulmate!AU where the first time a pair of soulmates experience prolonged touch, they're given all the memories of their past lives with one another, if they have any. 

It's almost a myth for soulmates to meet repeatedly in different lives, but if two souls truly belong together, they will meet again. 

Destiny makes sure of it. They call them The Fated.

Billy, who meets Steve and has no idea the older boy is his soulmate until Steve's beneath him, bloody, and gasping, his frame thrashing with futile attempts of hoisting the blond off of him. 

Steve is the first one to experience the cold that overtakes you, his body going stiff as flashes of distorted images dance in his mind.

Billy has his arms wrapped tightly around Steve's waist, a wide smile on his lips as the brunet tries half-heartedly to shove him away, murmurs of dinner being almost done ringing like bells in his ears.

None of the kids seem to notice that the lack of movement on Steve's end isn't a result of Billy's fists, until Billy is also just as frozen, his eyes widening.

Everyone knows the signs of two Fated soulmates meeting for the first time, legend says both become almost like statutes, the only indication of life being their rising and falling chests. 

Teachers scold young students who gossip about it in the halls, all of them wondering if they'll be one of the lucky ones. Someone who has found their soulmate over, and over, no matter what life has thrown at them.

Steve has his arm held above his head, a piece of paper dangling between his fingertips as Billy reaches for it. She's on her tippy toes, pouting when the mystery sheet strays further from her grasp. "Asshole! Give me my damn essay back. I have to turn it in!"

Steve just laughs loudly, finally lowering his hand, as well as his head. "Gimme a kiss and I'll think about it, Dolly."

In the assortment of memories, neither of them look as they do currently, especially in the last memory, but it's obvious who they are. 

It's obvious even when Billy is almost a foot shorter than him, and in place of a flat chest is a set of impressive boobs.

They can tell who was who, they can feel the love each had for the other. It's somehow foreign and familiar. 

Billy, despite going under last, is first to break out of the trance, his hands shaking as he scrambles to move from his place on Steve's lap. His eyes are no less wide as he scans the boy for any serious injuries. He lets out a soft sigh when he finds nothing aside from the minor blossoming of bruises and blood trickling from his nose.

He's glad the plate he grabbed early on had slipped from his hand, and shattered at their feet instead of over his soulmate's head.

Once Steve has come to, he searches the room almost frantically with his eyes. Brown eyes find blues, and all Steve can do is stare. 

The room is silent, the air thick as all the kids wait with bated breaths for whatever was set to happen next.

Billy is wholly unprepared for Steve to stand up on shaky legs, and stalk over to him, a flash of determination on his features. His body wants to be afraid, wants to be on guard. But his heart? It has other plans, it stays rooted in its place, even when Steve is cupping his cheeks and leaning in.

He doesn't kiss Billy, much to the blond's displeasure, instead he whispers softly, "My Dolly…"

The younger just barely bites back the smile tugging on his lips, a soft scoff leaving him, "Asshole. That assignment was late because of you."

Steve for his part, laughs out loud. It's a warm, saccharine sound that has Billy's insides turning to goo. He wants to hear it everyday, every second.

Someone clears their throat and walks up to the pair. Without turning his head, Billy knows it's Max. Which serves to do nothing but remind him of why he was there in the first place. 

It's what has him stepping away from Steve, his eyes snapping to the redhead.

"We're leaving. Now, Maxine." 

The younger girl just glares up at her brother, her eyes alight with defiance. "I'm not leaving until I know my friends are safe!"

A laugh bubbles from Billy, but it isn't filled with humor, it's dark, chilling. 

"Max…" He says her name in a sing-song way, the same way he had the day he told Max he wouldn't hesitate to run her new friend group down.

She hadn't believed him, not even when he revved the engine. He didn't go further than that, as expected. 

She tenses up, her lips set in a frown. 

"Billy, please. I know I shouldn't have snuck out...but, I had to be here! They needed me…" 

The girl isn't sure if her brother is even listening to her, he isn't the most rational person on a good day. And if the bruising eye he sported on his way in early is any indication, today is not a good day.

She watches as he tears his gaze from her, his piercing blue eyes landing on Steve. 

"Harrington, I swear to God, if anyone touched Max, I'll kill you myself…" His words are punctuated with a growl, the meaning behind them unsaid, but they ring clear in Steve's ears. 

He immediately squares his shoulders, shaking his head. "It's not like that, Billy. It'll never be like that, I swear." He trails off, noting the way Billy deflates only slightly.

"Then what the fuck is going on?"

Steve can hear the rest of the kids yelling in the background, telling him to shut up, to not say a word. But, all Steve can hear is the treble in Billy's voice when he spoke, all he can see is the haunted look in the ocean blue eyes. A look Steve may not know firsthand, but has seen in enough jaded, hurt people to identify as fear. The fear of whatever happened to them, happening to the person they're supposed to protect and look out for. 

It's that look alone, that has Steve grabbing Billy's hand and tugging him to the Byers' freezer. He can see the look of confusion on his soulmate's face, but it quickly washes away when the taller boy tugs the door open; leaving the corpse of a monster only featured in a horror film's worst nightmare in full view.

There's a ringing in his ears, but it goes ignored when Steve starts recounting the events of the night. He tells him of their past dealing with creatures like this, he tells him about Will. 

By the end, Steve is winded and Billy is gripping his hand so tightly, the brunet could feel the blood rushing to his fingertips, but he didn't let go, because Billy didn't let go.

It takes some convincing, but Steve eventually gets the kids to give them privacy, even if it meant promising they'd go to the tunnels, despite his earlier refusals.

When the kitchen is cleared, Billy all but flings himself into Steve's arms, his breathing pinched as he curls his fingers into the fabric of the taller boy's jacket.

He's not hyperventilating, which is good. But he's also shaking in Steve's hold. Steve can feel the wet heat of tears seeping into his shirt, but he doesn't lessen his hold. If anything it gets tighter.

Steve gets the overwhelming urge to cry after finding out about the Upside Down, he knows what it feels like to choke on the debilitating fear that comes with so much as imaging one of those things alive and gunning for you.

Obviously, he's had the displeasure of experiencing said fear in real time, but he understood the blond's reaction. 

It took a few minutes, but Billy eventually calmed down enough to speak, his words were watery, but his eyes held a determination that Steve couldn't shake if he tried, "you said something about sentient tunnels?"

Again, Steve laughs, his body shaking against Billy's frame as the smaller boy smirks up at him. 

"Glad to have you back, Little Lion."

There's a faint blush that dusts tanned skin, but he's quickly shaking his head, a huff spilling from his lips.

"Shut it, Pretty Boy."

"Make me."

Their eyes meet, and Billy can't do anything more but lean in, and press his lips to Steve's. There's almost a current of electricity, followed by a blanket of content, and wholeness. The feeling of two soulmates reconnecting.

It's the reuniting of a pair that lost each other, only to find their way back. 

[dragonflylady77]

Oh hai. I really hope you get your groove back because I am absolutely dying to read more of this. Off to Ao3 to read it again (again) and leave some comments about how much I love it.

😘

Learning Curve: A teacher!Steve/SD!Billy AU

Part I Part II Part III or read on AO3

“Alright, what’s the next thing on the list?” Billy asks, leading his daughter down the aisle. He’d promised Max he’d do the shopping last night, so he’s here, doing the shopping while Becca practices her reading.

Go team.

“Ummm,” She frowns hard at the piece of paper in her hand. “cah-eh-ree-all? Carial?”

“Cereal.” He corrects.

She looks up at him, confused. “That’s not how it looks though.”

Yeah… “Sometimes words sound different than they look. We just have to memorize which ones they are.”

She wrinkles her nose. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“I know,” He agrees, “but that’s just how it is.”

She makes a face but reaches up to grab some Cheerios. “Can I get Berry Kix?”

He knows Leslie was a total health nut, but he’s never thought a little sugar would hurt her. They’d always got up early on his Saturdays and went to the local donut shop. It was their secret.

Now there’s no reason to have secrets.

“Yeah, put em in the basket.” He says, giving in.

If Leslie were to be believed, she hadn’t had sugar in two years. She still died.

A little sugar won’t kill her.

He’s lost in his thoughts, doesn’t see Becca staring at someone behind him, doesn’t realize they aren’t alone anymore.

Until…

“Billy?” Ice rushes through his veins as a familiar voice speaks behind him. “That you, son?”

Oh fuck.

His breath leaves him, hand tightening around the yellow basket handle. He doesn’t want to turn around. He just wants to drop this basket of shit, pick up his daughter, and run.

But he knows that would cause a scene, and he doesn’t want to do that. Doesn’t want to scare Becca. She’s already had enough fear in her life, she doesn’t need him freaking the fuck out. So he makes a decision and slowly turns around, forcing out a monotone, “Dad.”

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