#harringrove first meeting

[raven-cl]

I need a soulmate au where when the youngest one in the couple turns a certain age they switch bodies and in order to get back in their own they have to touch their soulmate with harringrove and when they realize its the other theyre like "?! Not this fucking guy man >:/" especially after the byers and theyve just been bickering with each other ever since but once they realize and start hanging out theyre like huh...this is actually quite nice and come around to the idea of being each other's soulmates

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

Giant whale mer Billy with his cute celestial pearl danio mer Steve who's itty bitty compared to him. Billy stuffs Steve in his mouth to keep him hidden when predators or just other whale mer come around. Steve’s annoyed the first time but Billy is so big inside so roomy. It's not long before he's built a home for himself inside of his boyfriend. Maybe somewhere in the space between his eye socket and his mouth.

The Whale and The Danio

[camaro-and-smokes]

Little Siren

I wrote this little fairy tale as a gift for @medusapelagia as part of @harringroveholidayexchange.

You can read it also on AO3 >>

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler (mentioned briefly) Tags: Fairy Tale Style, Mermen, Merman Billy Hargrove, AU Magical Realism, Light Angst, Happy Ending, First Meetings, Feelings Realization Words: 9,516

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Once upon a time, in a parallel plane, not quite like in fairy tales but not quite like ours either, was a vast city with skyscrapers climbing towards the sky, glass and metal glinting in the sunlight. The city rose along the shore of a vast sea that was wider than it was deep, but still deep enough to hide secrets under its surface of which stories were told, but no human had ever lived to tell the tale… 

Sunlight filtered through gentle waves and it flickered across Beacher's–Billy's–tanned skin and his red and golden tail. He glided through the water, his powerful tail propelling him forward as his goldfish-like fins rippled gracefully on his sides and the end of his tail. Through the shimmering beams of sunlight, he took in the beauty of the underwater world that surrounded him. 

Schools of silvery fish flashed by, their scales glinting in the light, and delicate strands of kelp swayed back and forth, tickling Billy's sides as he parted them. In the distance, the hulking shadow of a whale drifted past. 

Billy paused in front of a pearliest of pearly shells, floating in place as he brushed back his long blond hair. He gazed at his reflection in it, admiring his long eyelashes, his muscular torso and his strong tail, pursing his lips and winking at himself. He appreciated the beauty of his siren form and the powerful force of his deceitful voice that drew seamen to their demise every time. 

He drifted lazily through the sun-dappled water, webbed fingers trailing over swaying kelp fronds. In the distance above him, the shadowy silhouette of a ship appeared, and his eyes brightened. Swimming closer, he could make out the shape of a fishing boat. A perfect opportunity for some entertainment. 

Billy began to sing, his voice rising eerily through the water. "Come closer, my hearties...let me guide your way..."

His voice echoed like a haunting melody across the waves. On board the ship, the crew paused in their tasks, faces blank. As one, they turned towards the railing, following the irresistible song. 

With a victorious smile, Billy circled beneath the keel, still singing. The crew leaned over the sides, eyes glazed and vacant. “Come, come, just a little closer...”

The men were already climbing over the railings, ready to jump into the ocean, and Billy laughed victoriously, breaking the spell he'd cast. 

Shouting in alarm, the sailors stopped and climbed back onto the deck. 

Billy breached the surface and watched in amusement as the crew scurried about on the deck. Humans were fun to toy with.

But he had slowly grown tired of these games since they always ended up the same way. Also, he didn’t want to be forever trapped under the eye of his ever watchful and harsh father, the King of the Merfolk.

He’d tried to flee many times. The furthest he’d ever gone from his father’s realm was the border of the other seas that met theirs. He’d never crossed to the other side, for those seas were cold and their waters murky, and Billy had realised that he didn’t like that. His father had always been gleeful about his return, telling him how he’d known that his son wouldn’t be built for such harsh living conditions. 

Knowing there was no other place to go, Billy had swallowed his pride and tried to do his best to settle for life in this sea. 

But when a big, hardcover ship, the like Billy had never seen before, had sunk and laid to rest on a ledge in a deep trench where Billy often spent his time exploring the world that was so different from the waters he lived in, where sun still shone through the waves, his desire to experience something new had been sparked anew. 

He’d spend hours upon hours feasting on the decks with his fellow sirens, not believing that so many humans could travel on one ship. But when the feast ended, he’d explored the ship’s insides and the strange structures and materials that were on board. 

And there, in one cabin, he’d seen it. This strange thing, as if several leaves were put together, filled with scribbles and displays of the human world. He’d admired the different depictions of humans and their world in it, colourful and strange.

He’d kept it hidden and taken it out only when he was alone. He was sure no other siren would understand his interest over the life on land above, so he treasured it and kept it as his own secret. When it eventually dissolved, Billy remembered each depiction by heart. They filled his mind when he wasn’t exploring the sunken ship, and consumed by the miracles of the human world, he became more convinced day by day that he wanted to experience the world above the waves for himself.

Billy swam further from the ship and breached the surface, looking at the distance where a sparkling skyline of a vast city rose along the shore. The large structures climbed towards the sky, glinting, as tall as the deepest depth Billy had ever dared to dive to. The low rumble of strange sounds and voices echoed across the water. 

What a world that must be , Billy thought wistfully. So full of life, so busy and chaotic . And somewhere in those glittering towers were people living out their lives. That was where he yearned to be. He longed to be among the people, to get lost in the crowds. To laugh, to cry, to live as the humans did. 

“I'll find a way,” he whispered to himself. "Soon, I will." 

For now, he could only observe the alluring city from afar. But he was determined to uncover the secrets the shore hid behind it. He would forge a connection between these two worlds, no matter the cost.

Invigorated, Billy dove back down into the cool blue depths. The image of the vibrant city remained in his mind as he swam, fuelling his growing resolve. An opportunity to make his dreams a reality would arise. 

And when that moment came, he would seize it without hesitation.

Billy swam through the swaying kelp forests, lost in thought. How does one trade fins for feet? How to cross that unfathomable divide between the realms?

In the distance, at the bottom of the sea, he could see the looming silhouette of a sunken ship. He realised, with gathering excitement, that what the wreck hid inside would offer him the chance he so much yearned for. Forgetting all the warnings of never to approach the shipwreck, he dove towards it, sunlight rapidly fading around him.

The ancient wreck was home to the legendary sea witch Morgana. Few dared approach her lair, but the rumours said she possessed power beyond any siren's wildest dreams. Power over life and death itself. 

Billy hesitated, conflicted, but for a mere moment. The longing to walk on land, to truly live as the humans did, burned bright inside him. This was the way. Taking a deep breath, Billy swam inside the wreck, shivering as coldness enveloped him. 

Strange plants glowed inside the rotting hull, casting an eerie shimmer around him. At the heart of it laid a chamber shrouded in shadow. "Come in, come in, little siren," a smooth voice purred. "I've been expecting you."

Morgana melted out of the darkness, eyes glinting. She was at once mesmerizingly beautiful and utterly despicable, with bright green, piercing eyes. Magic crackled at her fingertips.

Billy steeled himself. "I wish to live among humans. Can your magic make it so?"

The witch smiled slowly, sensing an opportunity. "For a price, my dear. For a price." She circled around Billy like a shark, her long black hair billowing around her and her floating umbrella tail with its poisonous tentacles under her. "You have a beautiful voice, little siren. Humans do anything just to hear you sing. Perhaps you could use it to get something I desire."

Billy lifted his chin defiantly. "And what is it you want?"

"A trifle, really," Morgana purred. "I shall grant you legs to walk among humans. But in return, you must bring me the tears of a human in love, freely given. Do this, and you can remain on land for the rest of your existence. Fail, and you will belong to me, forever."

Billy scowled, his bravado unwavering. To enchant a human and to make them believe their tears were of true love with his voice would be simple enough. Without another thought, Billy declared, “I accept your bargain.”

Morgana's smile turned cruel. "I thought you might, little siren." She began chanting in a strange tongue. 

The water around Billy churned violently. 

"One fortnight," Morgana said. "Bring me the tears or lose your freedom forever."

Billy gritted his teeth against the pain. When it subsided, a pair of human legs had replaced his shining red and golden tail. Wide-eyed, he looked up at Morgana, who was smiling a toothy smile, bearing her pin sharp teeth. 

“Go, my little siren, go fill your desire,” the witch croaked. “Go, walk among the crowds and fill the pact.”

Billy kicked upwards, breaching the surface. The city gleamed before him, impossibly big and bright. A cocky grin spread across his face as he imagined luring a puny human under his spell. His siren powers had never failed him before. Why should this be any different? 

"Finding some fool to declare their true love will be child's play," he boasted to himself. "I'll have those humans eating out of my hand."

When he arrived in the shallows, a clock tower chimed in the distance as if heralding his arrival. Billy took a deep breath, savouring his first lungful of the human realm. Exhilaration flooded through him. No matter what trials lay ahead, he would let nothing stop him from experiencing life on land. The time to put Morgana's bargain to the test had come.

But in all his arrogance, Billy hadn’t spared a thought for the sea witch's reputation for cunning and trickery. 

***

Billy crawled out from the sea foam and to the shore. His steps were first a little unsteady, feet unsure on the sandy shore as he stumbled on land for the first time. His cocky grin returned as he looked at himself, standing on the sand, wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and boots, the human clothes Morgana had granted him - and a dash of little magic that dried it all in a blink of an eye.

He started towards the city and the closer to the street on the side of the beach he walked, the more natural his feet and this new way of moving felt. And with each step, he was more convinced that he was ready to embrace whatever fate had in store.

With head held high, he imagined the fun he would have in this new world.

As he got closer to the broad walk, the sounds of the city engulfed him. Strange machines honked incessantly as they sped by on the street. Piercing wails sounded in the distance. The chatter of a thousand sounds melded into a dizzying din. 

Billy smiled and his eyes widened as he took in the towering structures reaching towards the sky. Their surfaces reflected the vibrant, bright lights that adorned every street. He closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath through his nose. The scent of pinching fumes and food overwhelmed his senses. 

He walked in a daze down the bustling streets, bombarded by sensations foreign to him. The shoes and the hard stone felt strange and unyielding beneath his feet, so unlike the soft sand of his underwater home. He ran his hands along the colourful walls, mesmerised by the colours of the ornaments and garments on display. Humans were standing by tables holding foods that smelled heavenly. Billy didn’t know what the foods were, but the scent alone made his mouth water. He had smelled nothing so tantalising. Some lively rhythmic sounds poured out of a doorway, blending with different ones from another one. 

Billy's eyes darted around, still struggling to take it all in. He had seen depictions of the towering structures in the leafy thing, and the metal machines barreling down the roads, but it was all so unfamiliar to him, too. There were no seashells or coral here, just hard rock and the same shiny metals and glass he’d seen in the sunken ship.

It was marvellous. Overwhelming. He had dreamed of this world for so long and everything in it filled all those dreams and more.

He spotted a young woman walking by herself down the sidewalk. Perfect. He would fill the pact at once and lure her with his siren song to shed the tears of true love for him right there on the spot. He opened his mouth, ready to let the magical notes flow. 

But only silence emerged. He strained, pushing with all his might, but not a single sound came. Panic rose in his chest. He grabbed at his throat, clawing desperately, willing his vocal cords to vibrate. Still nothing. 

A realisation dawned on him: Morgana had tricked him and stolen his voice.

Overcome with shock and despair, realising the cunning plan of the ancient witch, he felt dread creeping up his spine. How could he fulfil his part of the pact without his voice? All of a sudden, the seemingly simple task was out of his reach.

He collapsed against a lamppost, hands shaking. He had been foolish to trust her, naïve to think he could outwit the witch.

Now here he was, on land at last, but trapped, surrounded by wonders he could not communicate in. No voice meant no song. And no song meant no way to lure humans in.

He slammed his fist against the pole in frustration. The pain barely registered through his despair. 

The dazzling city that had so enthralled him now seemed to mock his predicament.

A street musician was strumming his guitar on the street corner. Billy let the melody wash over him, beautiful and bittersweet all at once. A couple strolled by, laughing and chatting animatedly. He gazed after them, a profound yearning rising within. How he envied their easy intimacy. A little girl holding her mother's hand, licking something white and melting in a cone and grinning from ear to ear. 

Such simple human pleasures, yet they cut him to the core. He was surrounded by life, by joy, by togetherness. And yet utterly excluded, the possibilities of him being able to join it all very slim.

The weight of this reality sank upon him. He was a mere visitor here, an outsider peering into a world that was not his own. Without his voice he had no way to fulfil his pact.

His fate was sealed. Morgana had won even before his journey had started, and he would have to return to the sea as her servant.

All he could do now was to try to find solace in the thought that at least he had a fortnight to wander the streets and soak himself in the wonders of the human world. 

And maybe, just maybe –a desperate and probably useless maybe–he could find a human who would fall in love with him in such a short time despite him being mute and shed the tears of true love he needed.

***

The street corner was bathed in the golden hour glow, pedestrians hurrying home as the day wound down. Steve strummed his guitar, fingers dancing across the strings, drawing out a melancholy melody. He played with his eyes closed, lost in the music. 

When he opened them to thank the bypasser, who tossed a few coins to his open guitar case on the ground, a flash of blond hair caught his attention and he glanced up.

A young man was leaning heavily against a lamppost, face etched with despair. Steve studied the stranger, taking in his striking, yet haggard, appearance. Steve could let it be, not pay attention and continue playing, but something about the man called out to him. 

Setting his guitar to its case and taking it with him, he approached the man with a gentle smile. Up close, the man's features were almost otherworldly. Long, blond hair fell on his shoulders and the bluest of blue eyes returned Steve's gaze, swimming with pain and fear.

“Hey,” Steve asked, “You okay?”

Tears falling on his face, the young man opened his mouth, but no words came out. 

Understanding dawned on Steve. "You can't speak?" he asked kindly. 

The man looked at him, frowning a little and cocking his head, as if he didn’t understand what Steve had said.

“You don’t speak English?”

The man still just looked at him, seemingly confused.

Steve placed his free hand on his chest. “I’m Steve. Are you new in town?”

A nod, a hesitant one.

Steve's smile broadened. “So you do understand some English?”

Another nod, more confident this time.

“Do you need help? I mean, are you alright?”

A slight shook of head.

Steve frowned and pondered for a moment. “You know, let me take you to a café and see if we find some way to communicate.” He held out his hand. “Come.”

The mute stranger eyed Steve for a long moment before accepting his hand. His grip was icy cold, but Steve didn't flinch.

Billy was stunned when he realised he could understand the man who had introduced himself as Steve. At least Morgana had given him that as a tool to somehow make sense of this new world. Maybe the situation wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined. Though Morgana had probably let him have all this, only because she knew that he’d be hers in the end. That made his stomach twist. No, she’d done it only to make his pain worse.

After a short walk, Steve steered them to a cosy café. The fresh aroma of roasted coffee enveloped them as they stepped in, and Steve ordered them each a coffee. 

They got their drinks and sat at a table by the large front window overlooking the street. 

Steve watched the quiet stranger examine the dark liquid with intent and took a sip. When he grimaced immediately at the bitter taste, Steve realised he’d just assumed the man drank coffee. “I’m so sorry! I probably should’ve ordered you a tea. I’ll get you one now,” he said and got up from the table to get one.

When he returned with a green tea, he sighed with relief when the stranger seemed to be happier with his new drink. Steve dug his jacket pockets and found a note and a pen. He handed them to stranger and asked, “Can you write your name here?” .

Billy examined the things Steve gave to him, not quite understanding what they were for. The sheet of something was similar as in the leafy thing, but it was empty. He took the stick in his hand and jumped a little on his seat when he pressed the nub on the other end and a sharp-looking edge popped out from the other one.

Seeing the man’s reaction, Steve reached out his hand and asked, “Can you write?” He took the pen and wrote his own name on the paper. "Like this?"

Billy had played with the sand on the shore when he’d sometimes gone there in the night time. He’d drawn shapes into it with his finger, but they’d always vanished with the tide. The only way he’d ever communicated was through speech and singing. He’d only seen similar tiny shapes Steve had made on the sheet in the thing that had been dissolved into the sea.

He dropped the stick on the table, frustrated, and looked away, crossing his arms. Of course he couldn’t communicate that way either.

“Hey,” Steve said softly. “It’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”

While Steve wondered in his mind how he could communicate with the stranger, he talked to the man about things that were familiar to him: music and art, both his and others. It seemed to calm the stranger, to hear about things that didn’t remind him of his current situation. The stranger listened intently, eyes flickering between Steve and the world outside. Steve noticed the freckles that dusted the man’s cheekbones and the impossibly long lashes that surrounded the ocean blue eyes. Steve found himself getting lost in them. And even though the man couldn’t respond in words, his shy smiles and nods encouraged Steve to continue. 

As Billy sipped the strangely nice and warm liquid Steve had called tea, Steve kept up a steady stream of chatter about things unknown to Billy. The music was something Billy understood, of course, but he wasn’t sure what art specifically referred to, though. He was hoping Steve would show him what it was.

After they had finished their drinks, Steve still hadn’t yet come up with a way to communicate with the stranger. He was getting frustrated when it suddenly dawned on him and he smiled. “Hey, even if you can’t speak or write, I think there’s one way we can communicate, at least I hope so.” He stood up and reached out his hand again. “Come.” 

Exhilaration sparked in the stranger's blue eyes and he flashed a gorgeous smile at Steve.

Steve led the mute young man through the chaotic streets, gesturing excitedly at the vibrant city around them. He had decided to take the man to see a street that was well known for its stunning art pieces and graffiti. 

When they arrived, Steve looked at the man and saw him looking at the art curiously. "Check out that mural. Aren’t the colours incredible?" Steve exclaimed, pointing to a sprawling artwork on the side of one building. 

The stranger's eyes widened as he took in the blend of paints depicting fantastical creatures and landscapes. Especially interested he seemed to be about any creatures that were depicted to be living under the sea. Steve grinned at his new friend's awe. "The art here is something else. Each piece tells a story." 

Steve looked as the stranger seemed to find something specific further back in the wall, deeper in the alley, and he followed him to see what he’d found. When the stranger stopped, he pointed at the wall with a wide smile on his face for the first time. Then he pointed at himself.

There was a massive painting of the sea on the wall. All kinds of fishes, sharks, shellfish - and in the middle of it a gorgeous, blonde mermaid with a golden and red tail.

It felt as if Steve’s eyebrows had reached his hairline when they rose in surprise.“It’s yours, right? You painted it?” he asked.

The stranger shook his head and pointed at the mermaid again, then at himself.

Steve looked at the mermaid, then back at the stranger. He couldn’t deny there was something very similar in the two, but they didn’t exactly look alike. Steve had heard of mermaids, of course, everyone had. It was just that when someone had met them, they'd never been left alive to confirm if the stories were true. In those stories, mermaids weren’t beautiful innocent creatures, they were evil and hunted humans for sport. They were on top of their food chain.

But the stranger’s strangely captivating beauty hadn’t gone unnoticed by Steve, and it was as if he was already bewitched even though he had just met the man. 

A mermaid walking on the ground, though, with two feet instead of a fish's tail, that was a bit over the top. Magic like that didn’t exist.

And yet, for some reason, Steve wanted to believe that it was possible.

Instead of wondering out loud, he asked, “You modelled for it?”

Billy had hoped that Steve would’ve understood that it was him in the picture on the wall. He looked at it again and wondered if the artist had seen him swimming somwhere. They’d had to have. He looked at the painting wistfully, wishing so badly he had his voice back. Wishing he wasn’t locked in like this. Wishing he could fulfil his part of the pact soon.

When the stranger didn't answer - of course he didn't, he was mute - Steve asked, “Uh…you know, I was wondering…Would you be interested in seeing my art? My studio is here close by.” He blushed and looked down at the ground. “Uh, I don’t mean anything like…umm…I honestly mean art. If you’re interested.”

***

Steve unlocked the door to his studio apartment and led Billy inside. The space was small but bursting with colour and creativity. Pictures created on strange rectangular sheets leaned against every wall, covered in vivid paintings and sketches.

Billy's eyes widened as he took in Steve's expansive collection of work.

Steve set down his guitar and rushed to clear one chair that was hiding under a pile of clothes. “Uh, I’m sorry. It’s a bit crammed and messy. I wasn’t expecting any guests. Make yourself at home,” he said with a grin. He went to the counter and set the water to boil to make them some tea. 

Billy wandered the room, marvelling at the variety of Steve's art. There were street scenes that weren’t clear when looked at close, blurry like water when the sand from the seabed rose to muck it, yet reminding something Billy had just seen outside. And when he looked at them further away, the scene became clearer. There were paintings of incredible dreamscapes that made little sense at all and all kinds of abstract figures swirling in motion. He could see that rich colours, movement and energy connected all the pieces.

Steve walked to Billy and handed him a mug of the hot liquid he’d had earlier. “I hope you like this. I had only white tea.” Steve nodded towards a bigger piece Billy had been staring at, shining in all the shades of blue, turquoise, and gold. “So, what do you think?”

Billy looked at Steve, and his smile widened. He pointed at all the paintings on the wall and then tapped his hand on his chest, then repeated the gesture, hoping Steve would understand that he was in awe of all the beauty surrounding him.

“You like them?” Steve asked. 

Billy nodded.

A faint blush rose on Steve’s cheeks and he went to explain enthusiastically what had inspired him to paint the bigger piece.

Billy looked at Steve as he told about why he’d chosen the colours and what he’d wanted to express with it. It was clear to Billy that Steve was enthusiastic about his art. It made something warm and fuzzy fill Billy’s chest, to see such passion towards something. He hid his own smile and warming cheeks behind the mug and took a sip of the sweet tea. It was a new sensation to drink something this warm and sweet at the same time. But it tasted good and felt even better when it travelled through his insides, leaving a warm feeling behind. Just like he noticed the feeling about Steve doing. Steve wasn’t something Billy wanted to eat. With him, he wanted…companionship.

Steve turned to look at the stranger and met a gaze that was almost…adoring? He felt his cheeks heating. “I actually have one piece I’m working on right now. Would you like to watch me working on it?” he asked.

When the stranger nodded enthusiastically, Steve set down his mug, took off his jacket, and set up an easel by the window and set a canvas that had already been painted on it. After squeezing out paints in a rainbow of hues on a plate, he began painting, glancing periodically at the stranger.

Billy sat on a paint-speckled stool, observing intently as Steve's brush flew across the canvas. With broad strokes and fine details, an image slowly emerged - an interpretation of the street with all the murals and the mermaid. Steve had captured the soul of this place through his unique lens.

As Steve added a figure with blonde hair to the painting, he noticed the stranger engrossed in the process unfolding before him, his eyes shining with fascination and admiration. Steve painted on, feeling inspired by having such a captive audience.

After a long, comfortable silence, Steve set down his brush. "Well, what do you think so far?" he asked with a shy smile. The blond man broke into a broad smile. His expression said it all - the piece thoroughly impressed him. Steve's heart swelled with pride and – surprisingly – with affection for the stranger. He let out a small laugh at the hypnotic effect his painting seemed to have. "Want to try it?" he asked, handing the man his brush.

Billy took the brush hesitantly and examined it while Steve changed into a blank canvas on the easel. He dipped the bristles in paint, following Steve’s actions he’d witnessed a moment earlier, and brought them to the canvas, but hesitated, unsure of how to begin, acutely aware of Steve's gaze on him. 

Sensing his apprehension, Steve moved behind Billy and gently took his hand, guiding it in long, sweeping strokes across the canvas. "Don't think too much," Steve murmured in his ear. "Let the colours and shapes come from within."

Steve's touch was electric, sending shivers down Billy's spine. Emboldened, Billy closed his eyes and let his hand glide freely with Steve gently, just holding his hand, letting Billy make the strokes. Steve let him choose the colours and hues of turquoise, emerald, and gold took form beneath Billy’s brush, blending and swirling with vitality. Slowly, an abstract seascape formed on the canvas.

When Billy finally felt brave enough, he glanced at Steve. Steve was staring at the picture before them with an intensity that made his heart race. 

Steve turned to look at Billy. "You're a natural," he said softly.

Billy flushed and ducked his head shyly, but breaking into a radiant smile. 

“You should sign it,” Steve urged, pointing his signature on the piece he just painted himself. “It’s your art.”

Billy dipped his finger in the paint and drew outlines of a fish in the corner of the painting.

“Sea is close to you, isn’t it?” Steve asked quietly.

Billy felt a pang of sorrow in his chest as he nodded a little.

“Can I call you…Atlantis? Since I don’t know what your real name is.”

Somehow, Billy knew what Atlantis was, an ancient, mythical, sunken city. And somehow he could feel a deep connection with it – he was a mythical creature of ancient origin and for now sunken and stuck somewhere he didn’t know how to return from the way he used to be. His smile faltered a little when he nodded.

Steve smiled and reached out his hand to Billy. “Nice to meet you, Atlantis.”

Earlier, it had felt good to hold Steve’s hand, so Billy took it. The physical connection with Steve made the weight on his chest lift a little. Maybe his last two weeks of freedom wouldn’t be so bad, at least.

Later, after Steve had cleaned the brushes and set their paintings to dry, he made them some soup – another new experience for Billy – and while they ate, Steve talked more about his aspirations, his inspirations and hopes. Billy listened to each word intently, admiring the passion Steve seemed to apply to everything in his life. A warm feeling blossomed in Billy's chest. Steve was someone who saw life itself as a work of art to be embraced with an open heart. Maybe, just maybe… Billy thought to himself. Maybe Steve could be the one.

At some point, Steve looked at his watch and then out the window into the darkness that had fallen. “Oh, wow, the time has really flown. Where are you staying? I can walk you home.”

Billy turned to look away, ashamed. He didn’t even have anywhere to go for the night, and it was a pure chance that he’d met Steve in the first place and fed him. Only now he realised he was truly in a bad situation.

Steve looked at Atlantis’ pained expression and bit his cheek for a moment. “You know…you could stay here. For the night. Until we find you a place to stay.”

Atlantis cocked his head, looking miserable.

“I mean it. You can sleep in the bed. I’ll clean the mess from the couch and sleep there. You’ll be safe.”

Billy felt gratitude fill his chest. Steve was already amazing, and he just seemed to get better. It felt both good and so, so painful at the same time. Billy placed both his hands over his heart, hoping to sign his gratitude with it.

Steve smiled. After a while he spoke, “While you’re going to stay here…” he started hesitantly, “there’s a place I want to show you.”

Billy looked at him curiously and nodded.

Steve led Billy to the corridor and up a narrow stairwell at the end of it. They emerged to a rooftop overlook surrounded by a cool night breeze. 

The city lights twinkled like stars as the view opened before them, and Billy paused, taking in the scene before him. The skyline glittering against the inky sky, the streets below pulsed with life.

Steve guided Atlantis to the edge, and they sat, shoulders touching, as the world unfolded beneath them. Atlantis' eyes were wide, reflecting the dazzling lights. His lips parted in silent wonder and Steve couldn't help but smile, knowing he was seeing this view for the first time.

Billy was enthralled by the magical scene that spread beyond the horizon. Suddenly, he felt safe, out of Morgana’s reach. Here she couldn’t touch him, Steve wouldn’t let him. He leaned into Steve a little, almost accidentally. And Steve didn’t pull away.

Soon Steve slid an arm around Billy, pulling him close. 

Atlantis snuggling close to Steve was more than Steve had ever dared to hope for when he'd first noticed those gorgeous but haunted eyes across the street. He looked at the Atlantis and saw his face being serene as he gazed out at the city. Steve rubbed Atlantis’ arm as he snuggled closer. Up here in their private world, in that moment, something stirred within Steve. Something he’d been looking for for a long time.

Up there, above the city, the rest of the world fell away. No words were needed, just the soothing rhythm of their breaths mingling together. 

***

For the first few days Steve had been looking for a place for Atlantis to stay but the man had no money, no identification, nothing. As if he had appeared from thin air. Steve didn't of course mind hosting Atlantis at his home, he was happy for the company and each day feeling a little bit something else towards Atlantis, too.

Billy was grateful for Steve's help, even if it didn’t exactly sit right. As the days flew by, he knew his time on land was soon coming to an end, and he wouldn’t be Steve’s burden for a long time. So, he tried to enjoy whatever Steve wanted to show him and he immersed himself in everything so that he’d have memories he could cherish, something Morgana could never take away from him.

They spend their time painting, walking around the city, Steve occasionally taking his guitar and playing to Billy at home, and in the street corner where they had met. 

There were small things in Steve that Billy found himself being caught. Steve’s smile that lit up his entire face when he was happy, the way his brows knitted together when he concentrated on painting or composing a new song. Or the way his gaze lingered on Billy whenever he thought Billy wouldn’t notice. Billy found his feelings towards Steve grow day by day, which at the same time was the best and the worst.

When Billy’s time on land was coming to a close, Steve told him he had a concert in a bar close by and asked if he would like to join him. Of course he would. He wanted to experience everything he could while he still had time.

***

The smoky air of the crowded bar pulsated with energy as Steve played and sang on the stage. He was playing a similar guitar he’d played earlier, but it was now such that it could be heard over the crowd, as was his voice that came through the black boxes hanging from the ceiling.

Billy sat alone at the end of the bar, transfixed. Steve's fingers flew across the guitar strings, weaving melodies that seemed to cast a spell over the audience. His voice was husky and rich, dripping with soulful emotion. Billy studied Steve's face, taking in his closed eyes and the way his body swayed, lost in the music. That was Steve's gift – to transport people with his sound. Billy had seen nothing like it. Under the stage lights, Steve seemed to glow. His talent radiated from him in shimmering waves. Billy was captivated, drawn like a moth to Steve's flame. 

As Steve launched into a new song, the audience seemed to recognize it and roared their approval. But Billy hardly noticed them. His focus stayed locked on Steve, whose presence dominated the dingy room. The outside world faded away. In this moment, all that existed for Billy was Steve and his music. Billy leaned forward, mesmerised. He had felt nothing like this before. There was something about Steve that called to him profoundly he didn't understand. In Steve's music and his art, Billy finally saw true human passion, raw and real. For the first time, he felt he was seeing past the surface into Steve's soul. 

When the song ended, the audience exploded into rapturous applause. Steve opened his eyes, grinning and raising his hand in thanks. All Billy could see was the light in Steve's eyes. 

The applause died down as Steve stepped off stage. Billy sat motionless, still lost in the performance's spell, as Steve walked towards him. 

Billy was jarred back to reality by a commotion near the entrance. The crowd parted to make way for a petite, beautiful young woman. He watched with curiosity as she sauntered up to the bar, the crowd's eyes following her every move. She had short brown, slightly curly hair and she wore a skintight dress that flaunted her shape. Her looks weren’t nothing special to Billy, though, but she carried herself with overconfidence, as if she owned the place that commanded attention.

The woman ordered a drink and turned, surveying the room through hooded eyes. Her gaze settled on Steve, who was now halfway through the crowd towards Billy, stopped by people here and there to chat to him shortly. A sly smile spread across her painted lips. Drink in hand, she slinked through the dispersing crowd toward Steve. 

Steve's back was turned as he spoke with a person in the crowd when she tapped him on the shoulder. Steve turned around and looked at her, surprised."Nancy?" he asked, incredulous. "I thought you moved to Los Angeles."

Nancy gave a throaty laugh. "Oh, I'm back now," she purred, pressing closer to Steve. "Did you miss me?"

Steve took a step back. "It's been a long time, Nancy," he said carefully. "I wasn't expecting to see you." 

Nancy trailed a manicured nail down Steve's chest. "Well, I'm here now," she said suggestively. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

Steve removed her hand. "Uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea." He glanced around, trying to find Atlantis’ gaze.

Billy watched the exchange intently. He didn't know who the woman was, but he could sense the encounter being uncomfortable for Steve. A protective instinct flared within him. Steve deserved better than this woman's advances. Billy continued watching from the shadows as the woman persisted in her pursuit of Steve. Though he couldn't hear their words over the din of the crowded bar, her body language was unmistakable. She stood too close, frequently touching his arm or chest, leaning in to whisper in his ear. Steve seemed to maintain a polite facade, but something was clearly between the two, something Billy couldn’t quite place.

Billy felt an unexpected pang in his chest. He didn't understand where these feelings were coming from. After all, he barely knew Steve. And yet...witnessing this intimate interaction with the woman stirred something in him. Was it jealousy? Longing? A hollow sense of loss at something he never had?

Before Billy could examine the emotions further, the woman made her boldest move yet. With a coy smile, she grabbed Steve's face in both hands and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Steve's eyes went wide, his body rigid at first, then closing his eyes and relaxing into something that made Billy’s breath caught in his throat. 

The chatter and music of the bar faded away, narrowing Billy’s focus to the couple locked in their embrace. He thought of his own longing to experience Steve's lips, to be the recipient of such unrestrained passion. The ache of envy and despair constricted his heart.

But stronger than anything was the sadness of a dream deferred. Billy had allowed himself to hope, however briefly, that a true connection with Steve was possible. 

That hope now lay shattered at his feet, the pieces cutting deep into his soul.

Billy thought of the bargain he had made with Morgana - to collect the tears of true love or remain her prisoner. He felt Steve slipping through his fingers and he realised the impossibility of that task. He had been foolish to think someone like Steve could ever fall in love with him. Steve was an artist, a free spirit who followed his passions. And Billy? He was merely a siren, cursed to lure people with his voice and beauty alone. Without his voice he had nothing to offer.

With a heavy heart, he got up and walked towards the exit, his steps heavy with sorrow. He’d hoped the night air would clear his mind, but when he reached the street outside, his emotions only swirled within him – regret, anger and grief. If he returned to the sea now, he would spend the rest of his life as Morgana's captive, never again to experience freedom. But what choice did he have? Steve clearly didn’t love him.

There was no way he could complete his impossible task. And remaining here for the last few days would just remind him constantly of what he could never have – it might just break him completely. 

With a pained exhale, Billy turned his feet toward the shore. It was better to end this charade now. 

Steve had momentarily fallen to the familiar feeling of Nancy’s lips on his. It had first felt like a memory came back alive, then reminded him of the venom she carried in her embrace. He finally pulled away from the kiss, his expression morphing into one of shock and disbelief. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Atlantis’ hunched figure retreating outside the front door. Steve's heart dropped as he realised Atlantis had witnessed Nancy's sudden advance. “Atlantis, wait!" he called out, pushing Nancy aside. He had to explain, had to make sure Atlantis understood this wasn't what it looked like.

Nancy grasped his arm. "Steve," she said, "we need to talk about this."

Steve tried to shake her off, eyes fixed on the door where he’d last seen Atlantis. "There's nothing to talk about," he insisted. How could she have done this, jeopardising the one real connection he'd made since he they broke up?

Nancy persisted, her perfectly manicured nails digging into Steve's skin. "You belong with me, don't you see that?" she hissed.

Steve wrenched his arm away, temper rising. "All I see is you ruining the best thing that's happened to me in a long time," he bit back. 

Nancy recoiled as if struck. 

Steve didn't wait for her response. He pushed through the crowd, desperate to catch Atlantis before it was too late. He burst out of the bar doors, frantically scanning the dark street. "Atlantis!" he called out, his voice raw with desperation. He caught a glimpse of blond hair in the distance, a slender figure moving with purpose towards the shore. "Atlantis, wait!"

Steve broke into a run, his boots slapping against the pavement as he gave chase. He had to reach Atlantis. He had to explain somehow before it was too late. Nancy’s kiss had meant nothing. It was just a cruel trick played by his manipulative ex. He had to make this right somehow. He couldn't lose the one person who he was in love with.

***

Billy ran down the darkened street towards the shore, tears falling from his eyes and the night air cold against his damp cheeks. How could he have been so foolish, thinking someone like Steve could ever care for a creature like him? He was an aberration, an outsider – he would never truly belong in this world. 

The sound of waves crashing against the shore grew louder, and Billy pictured the vast ocean before him, the depths that were familiar to him unlike where he was now. He thought of Morgana's cunning smile as she had offered her bargain, the one that now felt like a trap snapping shut around him.

He had hoped this adventure on land would bring him purpose, something new and exciting, maybe become his life. But in the end, apparently all roads for him lead back to the sea. Just not exactly to the place he could call home. Instead, a cold, lightless place was waiting for him. There he would waste away in chains, with nothing but his shattered dreams of freedom to sustain him. 

The shoreline was just ahead now. Billy slowed, gazing out at the black water. He could now shed this false skin, reclaim his true siren form. Accept his fate and enter the gilded cage beneath the waves. 

Steve tried to run faster when he saw Atlantis vanish into the darkness of the shore. His lungs were burning, but he didn't slow. He couldn't lose Atlantis, not like this. "Please, stop!" he cried breathlessly. He was closing the distance, the hunched figure of Atlantis becoming clearer ahead of him. Steve poured every ounce of energy into his legs, desperate to catch up before Atlantis did something drastic.

He had to reach him and to tell him the truth: that he cared for him in a way he'd never cared for anyone before. That these last few days with him had awoken something in Steve's soul, a feeling so powerful it terrified him. "Atlantis, stop! You need to hear what I have to say!" Steve begged as he ran on.

The waves crashed gently against the sandy shore as Billy sat at the water's edge, his feet in the water. He looked at how his feet melted together, his legs following shortly, and a brilliant red and golden tail emerged before his eyes, each scale shimmering in the pale moonlight. 

He stared out at the horizon, his expression distant. This would be the last time he gazed upon the human world before returning to his underwater realm forever, bound eternally as Morgana's servant.

He could already feel her pull on his tail. Her tentacles may not yet be there for real, but him knowing he’d be wrapped into their eternal embrace made him feel them in his bones.

His hope for finding something else, something new and exciting, had come to the end his father had always told him. Nothing good could ever happen to him, so he might as well get it over with. He turned and pulled himself into the sea, enveloped into the cool sea water, ready to dive, when he heard someone shouting.

"Atlantis!" 

Footsteps thudded in the sand as Steve was running towards Billy along the beach, dark hair blowing in the breeze. Billy's heart clenched at the sight. Why couldn’t Steve just let him go? Yet, he remained in the shallows, waiting for a miracle to happen.

"Atlantis!" Steve cried as he stumbled to a halt, chest heaving. "I had to find you, to tell you..."

Billy regarded him solemnly, taking in Steve’s dishevelled appearance. 

Steve walked into the water to Billy and wrapped his arms around him, starting to pull him back to the shore. But Billy broke the embrace easily with one kick of his strong tail. 

Steve looked at Atlantis, surprised, and then at the water. It was dark, so he couldn’t see anything, but he could’ve sworn that a big fish had just passed him by. Then he slowly looked up and back at Atlantis, when a realisation hit him. The blond hair, striking beauty, inability to speak, no identification… “You’re a…merman, aren’t you?”

Billy turned his gaze away from Steve, ashamed. Then, after a moment, he raised the end of his tail out of the water.

Steve looked at Atlantis, his mouth agape. Emotions inside him were churning. He was in love with…a magical being. It couldn’t be right. How could he ever have anything with a being that was from a whole another realm? His heart was tearing into pieces when Atlantis swam back to him, taking his hand.

Billy pressed Steve’s hand on his chest, over his heart. Then he placed his other hand on Steve’s heart.

Steve let out a suffocated sob. “But how? How did you… You have a tail, not legs…”

Tears were prickling under Billy’s eyes. He wanted to tell Steve everything, but he was still bound by Morgana's spell, so he couldn't.

A smile spread across Steve’s face. “I know it’s impossible. Incredible.” He shook his head. “Unbelievable. And yet…” He cupped Billy’s chin in his hand, the touch urgent yet tender.

Steve leaned in, eyelashes fluttering shut as his lips met Billy’s in a kiss that spoke all the words Billy could not say - and the world fell away; there were only the two of them suspended in this perfect moment.

Steve's lips were warm and soft against Billy’s, igniting a spark of electricity that travelled through his entire body. At first, Billy froze for a moment, stunned by the sudden passionate display. But as Steve's hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, Billy felt himself melting into the embrace. His eyes drifted shut, and he kissed Steve back, all his loneliness, doubt, and fear seeming to wash away.

When they finally broke apart for air, Steve rested his forehead against Billy’s, both gasping softly.

Suddenly, every part of Billy started screaming. He felt Morgana’s pull for real, her tentacles grasping his tail tightly and yanking him away from Steve.

“You’re not getting away from me!” her voice bellowed all the way from the depths and penetrating the surface. “You’re mine!”

Billy couldn’t tell what he needed from Steve, and he felt his stomach drop. He had been so close, but of course this would be how it ended.

“No!” Steve yelped and dove after Atlantis, reaching him and wrapping his arms tightly around him. “I’m not letting you go!” he said, “You can’t go.” 

The tears that had been brimming on Billy’s eyes fell as he could feel the pull from the depths becoming harder to fight back. He shook his head, trying to get Steve to let go.

It was then, when a big, fat tear fell on Steve’s cheek, soon joined by another, and another. The tears travelled from his cheeks down to his neck and into the sea. But one, two, three of them fell onto Billy’s hand that Steve was holding, the tears glimmering in the moonlight like liquid crystal. 

“You can’t go, because I love you,” Steve whispered.

Billy watched in awe as Steve’s tears ran down on his skin. He could feel their purity, the selfless love from which they sprang, as they trickled down on his arm and into the sea.

As the droplets diffused into the seawater, Billy felt a shiver run through his body. Like chains crumbling away, Morgana’s hold over him weakened. He drew in a sharp breath as energy surged within him. The tears had broken the spell – he was free.

Deep beneath the waves, Morgana sensed the shift in power. A guttural scream tore from her throat as she realised the siren had succeeded. He’d gotten the tears of true love needed to break their pact. Her fury boiled up from the lightless depths. How could've this happened? Centuries of bargains and not once had she failed to collect. Her scream turned into an ominous rumble that echoed through the sea. The water roiled with her anger as she unleashed a fearsome roar. It reverberated through the currents until even Billy and Steve could hear its menacing tone from the surface.

Steve swam them both to the shore. He wasn’t quite sure how to proceed with this madness, but he would do his all to try.

Billy sat in the shallow water, staring at his tail. It was still there. Then he felt a tingling warmth spread through his body, and he closed his eyes. He could feel the magic unfurling inside him, released at last by the fulfilment of his pact with Morgana. 

The energy built until his whole being seemed to vibrate with power. Then, like a wave crashing over him, the transformation began, shining bright light all around.

His sleek fiery tail started to divide. The scales receded, revealing smooth, tanned skin underneath. Fins softened into feet and toes, his gils sealing the parted skin on his torso. The changes rippled upwards as the magic worked its way over his body, returning him into the form, with clothes and all he’d spent the last few weeks.

Steve watched in awe as Atlantis' siren form reshaped into human's before his eyes. It was strange yet beautiful to witness. Within moments, the man he loved fully emerged from the receding tide. Atlantis rose unsteadily, testing his newly restored legs, and Steve rushed to stand up and to support him in his first steps out of the sea. “You’re…you again,” he said softly, still in wonderment. 

Billy turned and embraced Steve, nodding into his shoulder. He was overcome with emotion. After a long moment, they parted. Billy lifted a hand to gently touch Steve's cheek and looked at him in the eyes that were full of tenderness and promise. Billy opened his mouth, hesitant. This was the moment he had been waiting for - to have his voice returned.

He tried to form words, but only a soft croak emerged. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Steve," he said, the name rough and low in his unfamiliar vocal chords. His eyes widened at the sound of his own voice. It was nothing like the hypnotic, melodic tones he'd possessed as a siren. This was deeper, grittier, thoroughly human. He swallowed and tried again, gaining confidence. "Steve… How have I longed for this moment."

Steve's eyes misted over with emotion. "Your voice," he breathed. "It's beautiful."

Joy surged through Billy. He threw his arms around Steve, embracing him fiercely. "I am finally free, whole, here with you." Drawing back, he cupped Steve's face in his hands. "I love you," he declared fervently. "I will spend every day proving it, if you let me."

Steve smiled through his tears. "There's nothing I want more," he replied, covering Billy's hands with his own. 

Billy smiled shyly. “My name is not Atlantis. It’s…Beacher. But you can call me Billy.”

“Billy…” Steve tried on the name. “It’s a lovely name. I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.” 

Steve took Billy’s hand, and they started to walk towards the city. They were halfway down when Billy stopped. He glanced back at the dark ocean shimmering in the moonlight. For a moment, he was flooded with bittersweet nostalgia. He would miss diving beneath the surf, his powerful tail propelling him effortlessly through the currents. He would miss the songs of his fellow sirens echoing hauntingly across the water.

But the human world was now where he belonged. A new life in front of him, full of love and possibilities he had never even imagined. With Steve by his side, he was ready to embrace that future. "Goodbye," he whispered, his voice carried away by the ocean breeze.

Hand in hand, they walked over the sand and onto the pavement, over the busy street and to the other side. The broadwalk was bustling with activity, people spilling onto patios and crowded sidewalks, the air ringing with laughter and lively conversations. They joined in and their laughter echoed through the streets as they disappeared into the heart of the city.

The End.

[fizzigigsimmer]

Imagine a modern AU where Billy is an actor and Steve is the frontliner in an indie band called the Demo Crew. They’re not superstars or anything but are pretty blessed to have a really committed fanbase. Demo Crew is contracted to do the soundtrack on Billy’s latest film which is another huge step for them because of the exposure. Steve tweets about how he is awed that any of those studio suits even knew their unusual music but is super grateful for the opportunity and having a blast, and his fans notice that Billy’s official account likes the tweet. But things really heat up during the press tour when their mutual fans start noticing that Billy talks about the films music whenever he can. He’s always bringing questions back around to how the music makes the film and the scenes what they are etc. “It would have been a totally different film without Steve, Eddie and those guys.”

People start to notice things, like the way Billy rarely just says the band’s name but instead singles out the band members or sometimes just Steve. Like he has a personal relationship with them or something, and the (until then) niche Harringrove Shippers come alive like Muchu. They smell a story and they’re on the case. Somebody digs up old photo and video of Billy’s metal head days before he was famous and a whole theory is making the rounds about how he’s behind a certain avatar on the official fan forum “flayed club” and his publicist is forcing him to hide it for the sake of his clean cut image. Somebody else recognizes a bunch of blurry pins that look like they might be ones from the bands merch store in a couple of more recent photos. Controversy starts heating up between the shippers and some of Billy’s more conservative fans because of the dark themes in the music.

“I loved the soundtrack for the film, but lets face it Demo Crews ordinary stuff is kinda twisted. I just don’t think Billy’s the kind of guy who would be into that.”

“Can someone open a window? I can smell the bullshit moral panic from here. Look it’s obvious that even if Billy isn’t behind “Master_Puppet that he is one of the flayed, and you know what? THAT’S OKAY. It’s insane that in this day and age he’s being told he has to hide his interests just to make himself palatable to a bunch of pearl clutching PTA moms.”

Billy speaks up for his poor management team at the next interview. No he’s never been told he has to hide any part of himself and he’s lucky to work with a really great team who look out for him and always encourage him to be true to himself even when that’s hard for him, but he appreciates how passionate the fans are. He only knows a little about it but Flayed Club is a great space and he loves the energy and creativity happening there. Oh of course Jimmy, he’s a huge fan of Demo Crew. Funny story, he’s known for forcing new people he meets to listen to his favorite album. He thought he was taking a shot in the dark when he suggested that their vibe would be perfect for the project, but it turned out Jan over at the studio was also a big fan. Steve likes and reblogs the interview clip and captions it with “best reference we ever got”.

The fandom is on fire. Master_Puppet confirmed! Also Billy is basically the reason the band got hired. Everyone is rabid to know if/how/when Billy met his favorite band, also if he and Steve are friends. I mean, people would ship them anyway because they’d look gorgeous together but really it’s the way Billy always says Steve’s name first and the way he says it. It’s the way that as Billy opens up more on instagram about his past struggles, and why he relates to certain lyrics, that it just seems so in sync with the things that Steve has said about why he wrote them and why the band chooses to explore such dark material. Mashups and compilations with #soulmates trickle from the flayed club out to twitter and tik-tok, until it feels like the whole world is shipping them. “I know they probably don’t even know each other but I just think they’d be perfect together.”

“But isn’t Steve dating @RockinRobin? 😂 I mean, they live together!!!” The hetero police come out in full force to defend Steve’s assumed hetero, offended at the very idea that someone could think two men might get on well together. Robin would never fan a fan war online, Steve, she’s far too busy and adult for that. But she does make a point to dig up the taco earrings Steve got her for Christmas once and wear them with her Lesbi-Honest T-shirt and take a bunch of selfies for the gram. #theothersoulmate

So it’s pure carnage online. Some people are still convinced that this confirmation that Steve and Robin are partners while others are sure she’s directly referencing the flayed and #soulmates. Robins not the only one who seems to like teasing the fans. They’re always hungry for new Harringrove proof and go crazy when Billy and Steve like each other’s posts or interact at all, and sometimes it feels like Steve’s band mates and Billy’s friends will post deliberate references to the soulmate theory. TikTok queen ElevenEmpirePenguins makes a viral video captioned “When all of your friends know you’re in love with them before you do” with a clip from some rom com Billy starred in, and Max puts it on her twitter. Steve’s band mate Eddie comments “Blue Jean Rhapsody” a popular track on their second album under a picture of Billy and his costar Heather. Which leads to fans lamenting that there’s no music video for that song already and theorizing that maybe the band is going to collab with him to create one because that song was like, made for Billy.

There’s fireworks the first time Billy and Steve publicly meet. It’s during awards season, when Billy and the band are both guests on a talk show. Body language experts are popping out of the woodwork to analyze every look and gesture, down to how close they sat together on the couch. Billy looks at Steve like he wants to lick him up and Steve’s got like no chill. He was either just struck by cupid’s bow or possessed by the spirit of a blushing love bug.

“Whoa. Did we just watch Harringrove become reality in real time?!!! 😍”

When the host asks if they’re aware of the soulmate theory, Steve stays on flustered and Billy gets coy. “Oh yeah, well it’s been a whirlwind and there’s not a lot of time to focus on much outside of work. But yeah it’s great. I think people just love to be in love and if it makes them happy to play matchmaker, well that’s fun. As long as it’s not hurting anyone do what makes you happy.”

[shieldofiron]

The Beast of Dunnottar

Also on AO3 | Harringrove | Medieval Omegaverse, Arranged Marriage | 792 words

Why? Why not?

At least the Scots was fair. He had blue eyes and tanned skin, a fine looking tunic dyed a deep red bringing out the gold in his curls.

He'd heard his father talk about how Hargrove was some kind of beast, rumored to have killed his father. Steve was expecting a large and fearsome alpha, covered in blood or something. Hargrove looked to be around Steve's age and size, though Steven was quite large for an omega, even a male.

Steven had stammered through the introductions, tripping over his traditional Omega's skirts. He was more used to wearing braes at home, when his father was often away and the servants let him have the run of the house. But it would be improper to appear in anything other than skirts for his new Lord. Or Laird. Actually, Steven wasn't entirely positive on Hargrove's title.

Hargrove just watched him, those cold blue eyes taking Steven in like he knew what he looked Steven looked like naked. He let his sister speak for him, negotiating with Steven's father and Hopper, the Steward. If Hargrove had any specifics he wanted in the marriage, he must have worked it out with his sister ahead of time.

Steven's father tried to phrase it delicately, bringing up the broken marriage with the Wheelers, and trying to assure Hargrove in the most animated language that Steven was a pure omega, and he needed to have no worries.

But Hargrove's sister just laughed, looking at her brother as if sharing a joke.

"I'll have the Pretty Boy," He growled, speaking for the first time. "Din'ae care if he's pure."

It was all done too soon for Steven to understand. It felt like he blinked and he was in front of the bishop, Hargrove's warm hand taking his and grounding him. It felt like he was floating above the world, unable to come back down.

At the wedding feast he must have talked. He was known to be gay and merry at feasts.

But his bridal joy was tempered with the knowledge that they would leave immediately for the boarder. Steven wasn't sure he was ready to leave Hawkins castle. It was said Hargrove's home was on the sea. Steve had never seen the sea. Perhaps his new husband intended to throw him in it.

At least there was Lady Max, who was currently charming all of Steven's omegas in waiting, especially Sir Lucas de Sinclair. She seemed kind enough. Lady Heather, Hargrove's steward, also seemed kind enough, though not much one for talking.

As the feast wound down in the early morning, Hopper's wife Joyce and daughter Eleanor Jane were pinching Steve's cheeks, making him promise to write, which just made him cry more, as he was awful at writing and he had no idea if Hargrove would let him send them. All Steve's boys were crying, and he had to tear himself away. At least there would be his maid and her son, Sir Henderson with him, so he would not be quite so alone but they would be traveling separately in a few days time, delayed by sickness.

He was surprised to see the Hargrove Clan had brought a carriage for his conveyance, though it was not in the best condition, and mainly stuffed with all of Steven's chests. He was surprised even more when Hargrove followed him in.

In the drafty space, Hargrove's wool dampened alpha scent seemed to fill the space, smelling of the early morning dew and fresh herbs.

"I'll ride along side." Hargrove said haltingly.

"Yes." Steven said, more confused than anything.

"I ought... I... I saw you."

"What?" Steven frowned.

"At the King's Hall. Seasons past. For your presentation. I saw you."

Steven didn't even know what to say to that.

"Prettiest Omega. Struck me silent at the feast, laughing wi' your alpha." Hargrove bowed his head.

Steven's throat felt tight.

"I'm glad tae meet you again," Hargrove reached for Steven's cold hand, kissing the knuckle just above the gold ring set with garnets that he had given as a wedding gift. "Lor' Steven."

Steve let out a breath. "Laird. H-Hargrove."

"William," He smiled, dropping Steven's hand, and Steven wondered if he was called the beast for quite a different reason. His alpha fangs flashed bright white in the dim light from the braziers outside. "Please."

"William."

"Best to get comfortable," Hargrove removed the checked fabric that hung about his neck, handing it over to Steven. "It's a long journey."

Steven wrapped the cloth, still alpha-warm, around himself and tried to settle on the stiffly padded bench. He was still scared but with the warmth laying over his lap and the scent of fresh heather in his nose, he was feeling less alone.

[strangerthingsbigbang]

Title: the pull in his chest

Author: @dragonflylady77 Artist: @bottombillyapologist Beta: @spaceofentropy Characters: Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Max Mayfield, Robin Buckley, The Party Relationship(s): Harringrove Warnings: Implied/Mentioned Major Character Death (as in, they think Billy is dead, but he is actually in the Upside Down) Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Getting Together, Soulmates, Billy Hargrove is Alive, Wordcount: 13,587 Summary:

Billy didn’t expect to meet his soulmate on his first day at Hawkins High. Not that it mattered, because his soulmate was Steve Harrington and there was no way Neil Hargrove would let Billy anywhere near him. And Steve didn’t expect to become best friends with the new kid in school, when he asked Billy to tutor him so he could pass English and graduate. He sure didn’t expect to miss Billy this much, after he died to save everyone at the battle of Starcourt. Or for demodogs to be back in Hawkins. Or for Max to tell him that Billy was his soulmate and that she was sure he was alive somewhere. Steve sure as hell didn’t expect to head to the Upside Down to rescue his soulmate.

the pull in his chest by dragonflylady77

[ihni]

Author spotlight: @robthegoodfellow

Thought I'd go ahead and rec some favorite fics of mine by the same author, because a) why not? and also b) they're awesome. So!

Sideways (Harringrove) Such a good read! This was the kind of fic that I couldn't even read just whenever, oh no, this one deserved focus, so I had to treat myself to a comfortable space and time to spare when I read this, because I didn't want to just speed through it. This fic deserves to be indulged in. They boys are written so very well and so are their growing relationship. (Not-really-spoiler: Chapter 4 is my favorite chapter <3)

Drummer Boy (Billy-centric, also Harringrove) This is such a lovely piece of writing, following Billy from his childhood and up until Hawkins, told in his memories of ... beats. Different kinds of beats, that he has always been able to hear. It's a darnright joy to read, and leaves you hopeful in a way that feels so much it's almost heavy.

Love and Hate and Love Her So (Billy-centric) Billy and Billy's mom. Heartbreakingly beautiful, and also just heartbreaking. Howcome it's always the people we love the most who can hurt us the most? This is such a good fic, and it leaves me aching.

Näcken in Loch Nora (Harringrove-ish) A different first meeting between Billy and Steve. A very different first meeting. This one is a mixture between outrageous and unexpected and just plain, uncomplicated fun. With a backstory! All wrapped up in a bite-sized fic that is as delicious as a three-course meal.

Billy Hargrove's Extensive Knife Collection (Harringrove) How can I not rec this? It was for me! And it's a short one and it doesn't really have a plot, but it focuses on one specific thing (I won't tell you what, you'll have to read for yourselves) and it does it well. It makes my face smile and my fingers itch to pick up a knife. (You'll understand when you read it, don't worry.)

¿Por qué no los dos? (Harringroveson) And finally, this one. Maaaan, this one. Listen listen listen. You think you can't write an aromantic character and have it be shippy? Think again! There are so many layers to being an aromantic, and there can still be so many wonderful and meaningful relationships with people, which this fic shows. This fic is SO dear to me, because a) representation and also b) it gives me hope. And it makes me yearn. And it makes me fucking HAPPY okay? It contains a lot of sex between three people but they work so WELL together even though one is not like the others, and they have their happy ending and I just. I just love this one. Please, if you're gonna read a fic today and don't know which one, go for this one.

[sadhours]

Harringrove x reader. ur left sharing a small tent sleeping. boyfriend billy on the right steve the left. your feeling some sexual tension w billy despite you both agreeing not to do anything with ur friends. but he wakes up noticing u staring at his pretty face. He can’t help it-moving even closer to u and kisses you. Eating you up. It’s so sloppy. So intimate and cosy. It’s so loud that Steve wakes up. Once he sees you and billy kissing he moves closer behind you and 😳 double p-

1st billy- then when Steve’s about to insert himself you feel slightly nervous- and you whisper Billy’s name. He brings your head onto his neck praising you to take steve. Once steves inside you and ur comfortable-that’s it. They’re using you for their release. Hard and fast. You hold onto Billy’s muscular form almost crying with how good it feels.

some Harringrove moments- maybe they feel their cocks rubbing against each other at one point ?

Sorry for such the detail I’m not too sure abt it- I’ll let you cook this up or change it - inspired from ur amazing Harringrove smut. I’ve never ever requested Harringrove x reader and some may say I have had my big amount of ideas 🤠

🤤🤤🤤

absolutely, being sandwiched between the two of them is my fckn dream

It’s almost like a cruel joke— the way Steve ended up in the same tent as you and Billy. You’re sure it’s been done on purpose because you’d off-handedly mentioned to Billy that Steve looked good in his Scoops Ahoy! uniform the other day. You and Billy were getting some ice cream after your shifts at the pool ended, Steve and him had become quick friends recently. You weren’t exactly sure how it had happened but they were hanging out suddenly and Steve gave you guys discounts whenever you stopped by to get ice cream. Anyways, you’d both witnessed Steve getting shot down by a group of girls and Billy had laughed, suggesting that it was the dumb uniform to which you shrugged and said he looked cute in it. Immediately afterwards, you looked at him with wide eyes, expecting Billy to be angry but he actually seemed amused— intrigued even.

When Billy invited Steve along to the little camping trip with your guys’ group you were shocked at first but figured, they’re friends now so it wasn’t weird. Until it was time for bed and Steve followed you and Billy into your tiny, two-man tent. But it was totally fine, it wouldn’t be weird because you and Billy discussed not having sex during the trip for the sake of your friends. You were loud, everyone would know and you didn’t want to subject them to that.

Billy’s keeping up his end of the deal, eyes closed and steady breathing. The moonlight peeking into the tent shines beautifully on his face and you’re most definitely staring. He’s so pretty it makes your stomach do flips, you could stare him all day and in fact, when you have the time, you do. You watch his eyes barely move behind his lids, you’re a little impressed by how quickly he can fall asleep. As your eyes rake over the curve of his nose you can’t help but reach your fingertips up to brush against it. Billy’s face squishes up in reaction, his eyes blinking open to meet yours and a lazy smirk spreads across his lips. He turns on his side, facing you completely and copies your earlier movement, brushing his fingertips from the bridge of your nose to its tip. You giggle softly and something shifts in the mood, Billy grabs onto your jaw and leans down to press his lips to yours. The kiss is hungry, Billy grunts softly into it before biting your lower lip and tugging on it. You gasp softly and he takes the opportunity to lick eagerly into your mouth, hand moving from your jaw to your breast and squeezing it through your thin tank top. It’s so sloppy and you try to focus on Billy and not Steve’s back pressed against your own but you panic a little bit, knowing he’s bound to wake up to your and Billy’s sounds.

Your boyfriend doesn’t seem to care, shoving his hand down the front of your pajama pants and underwear, cupping your pussy in his hand as he sucks on your tongue. There’s no possible way you can stop the little moans erupting from you, especially when Billy slides his fingers between your folds. Your whole body feels on fire and you can’t deny you’re turned on by the fact that Steve’s so close while Billy fingers you. However, you feel Steve turn over and you freeze, pressing your palm to Billy’s chest to push him back an inch.

“Shh,” your boyfriend smiles at you, “It’s okay, right Harrington?”

You feel Steve’s hand snake over your hip and you feel his breath against your ear, “I don’t mind at all.”

Suddenly, you’re sure they’ve planned this and while you think you should be upset, you’re not. You’re incredibly aroused by it, actually. Billy must feel as much as his fingers slip inside your aching hole with ease and he smirks at you.

“Is this okay?” Steve asks you softly, his hand moving up to cup your breast, “If I join?”

You knit your eyebrows together, wanting to say yes immediately but looking to Billy for reassurance.

“It’s up to you, darlin’,” Billy purrs, lowering his lips against yours.

You gasp as Steve squeezes your tit and Billy curls his fingers inside, “Yes, I want it!”

You feel Steve’s lips curl against your neck just as Billy lets out a soft chuckle before he’s licking back into your mouth. It’s already pretty overstimulating but your body tingles all over when you feel Steve licking and kissing your neck. You moan but it’s stifled by Billy’s tongue while he pumps his fingers in and out of you. Billy pulls away, saliva connecting between your lips and he makes a guttural noise as he looks over to where Steve’s sucking bruises into your skin.

He sits up, his fingers still inside you and it’s a team effort between the boys as they awkwardly pull your pajamas and underwear down. Steve grabs a hold of your thigh and pulls your leg over his waist, spreading your legs wide as your boyfriend fingers you relentlessly. Steve’s long fingers find your clit and he rubs circles against it, breathing heavy in your ear.

“Oh, fuck,” you whine, eyebrows raising as your chest heaves with your own labored breathing.

Billy bites his lip, watching as his fingers disappear inside your dripping pussy.

“You’re so wet,” Billy comments, voice low, “Thinking about Steve in his uniform?”

Your face flushes, eyes widening at Billy while Steve scoffs beside you, “Got a thing for sailors?”

Billy chuckles, “She’s got a thing for pretty boys. Don’t ya, sweetheart?”

You can’t even answer, you’re not sure any words would come out so instead you nod, hips writhing against the pair of hands on you. The sounds that do come out of you are euphorically induced, uncontrollable. You’ve always been loud, Billy had to keep his hand over your mouth most times. Out here in the forest, he doesn’t seem to care and you’re too blissed out to even think about it. Everything feels too wonderful. Steve’s kissing your jaw and cheek and Billy reaches his free hand up and turns your face to Steve, groaning when Steve licks into your mouth. It’s different kissing Steve but it’s not bad, he’s not as eager as Billy, he’s slower.

Billy sighs softly and you can’t help but open your eyes and look over at him. He’s got his left hand wrapped around his cock, stroking lazily as he watches you kiss Steve while still thrusting his fingers inside you, but his pace has slowed. It’s fucking hot, seeing Billy so worked up at the sight of you kissing his friend. Steve grinds his hips up and you can feel his erection against the back of your thighs. You feel like you’ve won the fucking lottery or something. Two of the hottest men you’ve ever seen, right here at the same time. You don’t feel so guilty about your crush on Steve anymore.

“Fuck,” Billy exhales, squeezing at the base of his cock. “So hot.”

Steve leans back from the kiss and easily maneuvers you on top of him, your back against his chest. When Billy pulls his fingers out, you stubbornly whine at the loss but Steve’s holding your legs open as Billy positions himself between them. He slaps the head of his cock against your pussy and you moan out, leaning your head back against Steve’s shoulder. Your boyfriend doesn’t tease anymore, prodding his tip against your entrance.

“Pull her legs up, Harrington,” he instructs and Steve obeys, hands smoothing over the backs of your thighs and he holds them up for Billy.

Billy sinks in, groaning lowly as he bottoms out. You cry out, eyes squeezing shut at the sensation of Billy stretching you out.

“Jesus,” Steve comments, “She’s loud.”

“Yeah,” Billy grunts, “Have to fucking gag her half the time.”

The way they’re talking about you and not to you is surprisingly hot, you kind of like feeling like an object to them. You’re totally happy to let them use you however they please.

“Your dick is thick as hell, though,” Steve muses, “Poor thing probably can’t help herself.”

Billy laughs lowly, rolling his hips which pulls another sound from you and Billy tsks, “Feels good, doll? Am I stretching that tight pussy out?”

“Uh-huh,” you whine and you can feel Steve groan, the sound from his chest vibrates against your back.

“Just you wait,” he says beneath you and your eyes widen up at Billy.

He smirks, licking his tongue against his bottom lip and nods, “Oh, yeah, we’re gonna stretch you out nice and good, baby.”

“Billy…” you whine out, reaching up to grab onto his shoulders while he thrusts his cock deeper.

“You ready?” Billy asks and you look up at him with uncertainty. He pouts, stroking your cheek with his thumb, “I think she needs to be warmed up a little more, Harrington.”

“I can help,” Steve props his knee up so he can keep your thigh held up for Billy while he moves his hand around to rub at your clit again.

“Ah, perfect,” Billy drawls, “She’ll be ready after she cums.”

He pistons his hips quicker as Steve works against your clit, it’s all so intoxicating and you already feel like your floating up to the clouds. You keep your eyes open, watching your boyfriends face intently as he fucks you open. Billy looks almost drunk, glassy eyes with his lips parted and his eyebrows knit together. He’s so beautiful it makes you feel dizzy. The head of his cock pounding against your g-spot helps, along with Steve’s firm fingers playing at your clit. The pressure building up in your stomach is working quicker than ever before, you’re not even sure how that’s possible. Billy’s gotten to know your body well, he can make you cum pretty quickly when he wants to but this is entirely new. You can’t even bring your orgasm along this fast by yourself.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” you blubber, “i’m… oh my fucking god!”

The pair of them double down, Billy thrusts even harder and Steve rubs your clit faster. You see white as your orgasm crashes into you, causing your body to seize and then thrash between the men. You’re screaming, you’re sure of it, your throat feels raw when you come to, panting against Billy’s mouth, you can’t even remember when he put his lips against yours. You blink repeatedly as he pulls away, this almost devious look in his eyes.

“Goddamn,” Steve grunts.

Billy pulls out of you and lays down on his back, grabbing you and pulling you on top of him. He kisses you deeply, smoothing his hands over your ass before he slips his cock back inside of you. You whine, feeling like you might actually cry. He wraps his arms around your middle and keeps kissing you through the whimpers you make. Then you feel Steve’s cock poking against you and your eyes widen again, looking to Billy with panic. He rubs his big hands against the small of your back.

“Billy…” you whisper, voice shaky.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he coos, “You can take him too.”

You bite your lip, nodding to your boyfriend as you wait for the stretch of your life. You’re nervous but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t fantasize about this. “Okay,” you breathe, smiling at Billy.

Steve slides in alongside Billy and they both make low, throaty groans and you’re preening at the sounds. It helps the burn, knowing they’re enjoying the feel of their cocks rubbing against each others. You think about the possibilities of this becomes a regular thing with them. You’d really like to kiss the both of them at the same time. You press your forehead against Billy’s shoulder, trying to get adjusted to the feeling of two thick cocks stretching you out.

“Such a good little cock slut,” Billy purrs and Steve’s hips jerk at his words, urging himself deeper inside you which pulls a cry from your chest.

“Fuck, sorry,” Steve apologizes, hands grabbing onto your hips while Billy’s wrap against the back of your neck.

“No… felt good,” you whimper, grabbing onto Billy’s bulging biceps.

They both seem to take that as the go ahead, rolling their hips and your mind goes fuzzy. Their fingers are bruising where each of them holds you, thrusting in sync brutally. The noises they make flood your ears and you might’ve died and gone to heaven. It’s excruciating, how stuffed and satisfying it feels.

“Fuuuuuck,” you moan out, turning your face to catch Billy’s lips in a dazed kiss. Steve’s hand smooths up your back and grabs a fistful of your hair while he thrusts up inside you. He pushes your face down against Billy’s, forcing the kiss deeper.

Billy’s hands move down to your ass and he pulls your cheeks apart, holding you open while the two of them drill into you. It feels almost unreal, but you chase the fact that this is reality, you’ve really got Steve and Billy’s cocks stretching you out.

“Such a good girl,” Billy purrs.

“Mm, doing so well,” Steve supplies just as Billy smacks your ass.

The praise sends you over the moon, your eyes flutter closed. This is beyond your expectations. This is wonderful. This is earth shattering. This is fucking everything and you’re absolutely drunk on it. They’re fucking you raw, so hard and fast and you’re feeling used in the best way possible. You’re hoping and praying this turns into a regular thing.

“Wish you could see her face, Stevie,” Billy growls, “She looks so fucked out.”

Steve kisses against your cheek before pulling your hair to turn your face so he can see it, “Still with us, sweetheart?”

“Unh…” if they thought you were capable of the English language at this point, they’re sorely mistaken. You’re an absolute puddle. Words barely have any meaning, all you know is you’ve never experienced ecstasy like this and you’re fucking loving every second.

They each give a pleased little laugh, both breathless as they try to feign control, like they’re not both so close on the edge. You feel special, so so so deeply special and on top of the fucking world. The sheer stretch of the two of them shoved inside you made your eyes cross, had your whole body shaking, was so irrevocably pleasurable that you weren’t sure you could recover. They’d fuck you dumb, that much was guaranteed. You realize tears are streaming down your face only when Billy’s wiping them away and kissing you softly.

“You’re taking us so well, baby,” he encourages, “you’re doing so good, you’re such a good girl for me.”

“Billy….” You whine out, grateful you remember any words, particularly your boyfriends name. “Billy, billy….” You chant it because it grounds you, keeps you tied to reality.

Their thrusts match in desperation, both making incredibly pretty sounds that make your ears hot. It’s matched by their strong, big hands moving over your body. There’s a pair grabbing onto your tits, they must be Steve’s judging by the angle which means Billy’s are the pair gripping and pulling at your ass. You’re elated, floating practically as they fuck into you relentlessly. It’s brutal, rough in the way you need. Steve pulls you up by your hair, your back flush against his chest and he kisses you deeply. Billy digs his fingers in your hips, eyes scanning up and down your body and then to where you and Steve are sloppily making out. Steve moves his hand down and presses his fingers to your clit.

“Fuck,” you choke out, all the sensations they’re serving you is becoming almost too much. You can’t tell if you want to push them away or pull them closer.

“Baby,” Billy coos, smoothing his hand up over your side, “Sweetheart, you gonna cum for us?”

“Uh-huh…” you whine, “M’so close… feels so good.”

Steve kisses against your ear before whispering, “Come on, babygirl. Give us what we want.”

You’re sent over the edge, your second orgasm ripping through you with a cry and everything goes fuzzy for a few seconds. Then Steve’s pushing you back down, pistons his hips faster while Billy’s rock up to meet his thrusts. Billy captures your lips in a kiss, there’s hands running all over along your body but you can’t tell who’s who. Then Steve makes a strangled groan and you feel his cum filling you up, at least you’re assuming it’s his by the noise he makes. Billy hums against your lips, moving his hips harder into you and then he’s making a similar sound to Steve and you feel more cum filling you up and you whimper, holding onto Billy’s muscular chest for dear life. The feeling of their cum mixing together inside you is unmatched and you make a small whine as they each pull out of you. Steve collapses beside you and you remain clinging to Billy. You fall asleep like that, Billy rubbing soothing circles against your back and whispering softly how good you did and how beautiful you are.

When you wake up, you feel sticky and honestly, dirty. A shower would be greatly appreciated but as you open your eyes you’re reminded that you’ll be in the forest for one more night so a dip in lake is gonna have to do instead. You hear Steve mumbling something incoherent sleepily and feel Billy’s breath against your face and then you realize you’re sandwiched between the two of them, they’re both holding you tightly. It’s a wonderful thing to wake up to. You feel so warm inside.

Billy kisses your cheek and then nudges his nose against yours, “Good morning, darling.”

You hum, “Morning.”

Steve mumbles something again from behind you and tightens his grip on you.

“Can we do that again?” you whisper to Billy, blushing.

He smirks down at you, “What do you think we’re doing tonight, doll?”

[chrisbitchtree]

Dear Younger Me

My piece for the @harringrove-relay-race!!!

I'm now passing the baton on to @oopsiedaisiesbaby! I can’t wait to see what you’ve written!

4k - M

***

When Billy’s therapist had first assigned him the project, to write letters to his younger self detailing the twists and turns his life would take, and how he’d somehow managed to navigate them and get to a place where he could truly call himself happy, he’d laughed, because frankly, it sounded like a waste of time.

He knew he was happy and successful, so what good would it do to tell the long gone, scared, angry seventeen year old version of himself about it? But the more he wrote, filling page after page with his messy scrawl, the more he felt that he could let go of all the hurt and pain of his youth. It felt good. So good, in fact, that he’d allowed himself to be talked into giving Steve the letters to read.

Now though, as he stands on Steve’s front porch, he feels a really strong urge to run. It’s too late though, he’s already rung the doorbell, and he can hear Steve’s approaching footsteps. There’s no way he’d get back into his car and out of sight before Steve opens the door. He takes a deep breath, holding the stack of letters in front of himself.

“Hey Billy,” Steve greeted him, a grin spreading over his face, looking unfairly sexy, shirtless on this hot summer night. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you at 10pm on a Tuesday?”

“Uhhhh,” Billy replies, almost chickening out and saying he was in the neighbourhood and in the mood for some company and a beer, knowing Steve won’t ask questions, good guy that he is, but he knows that its important for Steve to read the letters, for Billy to let him in, if he ever wants to be more than friends with the man. Steve’s made it clear that he wants Billy, so the ball is firmly in Billy’s court. So, he takes another deep breath and hands the envelopes to Steve. “I want you to read these. Or my therapist does. But I do too. Just read them, okay, pretty boy?” With that, he walks away before Steve can answer.

***

At first, Steve’s confused when his doorbell rings at 10pm, and then he’s excited when he finds Billy on his front porch. They usually hang out pretty steadily, grabbing beers after work, having BBQs with Max and Lucas, watching endless movies, and hiking in the woods on the edge of town, but lately, every time Steve asks Billy to do anything, he claims that he’s busy working on a project, but won’t tell Steve any details about it. He’s starting to worry that Billy’s trying to freeze him out.

His excitement turns back to confusion when Billy hands him a stack of envelopes, telling him to read what’s inside of them, but he does as he’s told, grabbing the beer that he’d cracked open just before the doorbell had rung and taking it out to the backyard, turning on the patio lights so he can read.

He pulls a small stack of papers from the first envelope, unfolding them to find a letter.

“Dear younger me,

I know you’re upset right now. It’s not easy leaving your friends, your school, the ocean, the only home you’ve ever known behind to move to the middle of butt fuck nowhere. I won’t lie, it’s going to suck at first. Neil’s been with Susan long enough that he isn’t putting a show on in front of her anymore. He’s going to yell and threaten you and get in your face.

Starting at a new school is going to be terrifying, and it’s good to put on a brave face, to not show fear, but try to remember that it’s ok to admit that everything isn’t ok sometimes. Even if it’s just to yourself, curled up in your bed late at night. Let the tears fall, I promise you’ll feel better afterwards.

It won’t be long until you meet Steve Harrington, the king of Hawkins High. You’re going to be such a dick to him, and he’s going to spend a long time hating you for it. You’re going to spend a long time hating yourself for it. You’ll eventually work your way to friendship, but you’ll save a lot of time if you don’t spend your entire senior year of high school treating him like he’s dirt on the bottom of your shoes.

Because you can’t manage to get your head out of your ass, Steve’s going to push, rightfully so, and you’re going to pull, until the tension’s going to come to a head at Harrington’s graduation party. The night’s going to start with the two of you throwing barbs back and forth and end with you on your knees in the Harrington’s pool house, Steve’s cock between your lips. You’re barely even going to stay long enough for him to finish cumming, to scared to see what’ll happen in the aftermath, but you really should. Tell him how you feel about him, tell him that the way you treated him all year was an act, a way to protect your heart, and his response just might surprise you. You never know.”

Steve has to stop reading for a minute, his face flushing as he thinks back to his graduation night, how good Billy had looked on his knees, looking up at Steve as his tongue swirled around the head of his cock. He remembers how strong the urge to run his hands through Billy’s hair had been, but it had seemed too intimate an action, so he’d resisted, as hard as it had been. He’d wanted to reciprocate, but Billy had fled the scene before Steve could even catch his breath, not to be seen again for three years, until Neil and Susan Hargrove had died. He picks the letter back up, curious to see how it will end, and what will be in the next one.

“You’re going to blame yourself for a lot of what comes after. You’re going to tell yourself that if you’d stayed, if you hadn’t hightailed it back to California while the ink on your diploma was still drying, if you’d stayed, even just for Max, and nothing else, or if you’d finally stood up to Neil for once, things would have turned out differently. Please try as hard as you can to be kind to yourself. I promise you didn’t cause this, that nothing you could have done would have stopped Neil from being an asshole.

Love,

Billy”

“Dear younger me,

You just found out that Dad and Susan died, and you’re going to have a lot of mixed emotions about that. Relief that Neil can’t hurt you, can’t hurt anyone anymore, grief, as you mourn the dad you never got to have, regret, that you weren’t there to take the keys out of Neil’s hands that night when he drank too much and decided that Susan was cheating on him instead of going out to a girl’s night at the bar, sadness, for Max, who, at only seventeen, has no parents left, only has you to take care of her, when you can barely take care of yourself on the best of days.

It's going to be tough, I’m not going to lie. You and Max are going to fight about anything and everything. She’s going to blame you for this, and it’s going to take a long time for her to apologize, and it’s going to hurt, even though you blame yourself too.

You have to stay strong, though. Strong for yourself, and for Max. You need to put down the bottle and find a good job so you can take care of Max and yourself. It’ll be hard to even make yourself get out of bed most days, but you have to grin and bear it. I promise it’ll eventually get easier, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now. It’ll all be worth it when you see her walk across the stage with her diploma.

Love,

Billy”

As soon as he’s one reading the second letter, Steve folds it up and slips it back into its envelope and takes out the third letter, eager to see where this is going, to find out why he’s being asked to read them. He takes a sip of his beer and settles in for the long haul.

“When Max is twenty one, she’s going to call you and tell you that she’s dropping out of college to work at the garage with you and help you work towards your goal of buying it from Mr. Dennis when he retires, and you’re going to feel like a failure, like all your hard work, all the hours you put in at the shop to help pay for her education are going to waste. You’re going to fight long and hard about whether she’s fucking up her life, and you’re going to say a lot of things that you regret, but you need to remember that she’s an adult now, and she’s smart, and she knows what’s right for herself.

You won’t want to admit it, even to yourself, but you know you’re going to be happy to have her back where you can keep an eye on her, instead of way out in Boston. There’ll be growing pains at first, as you both get used to living together again, but it’ll be nice to have someone else around the house again.

And be nice to Lucas when Max has him over. He’s a good guy when he’s not being a smartass, and trust me, you’re going to need him later. Show him a little respect, and you’ll save yourself a lot of embarrassment later.

Love,

Billy”

“Dear younger me,

Two years after you finally take over ownership of the shop, just as you’re really starting to feel like the place is yours, Max is going to beg you to let her renovate the attached luncheonette and run a small diner and bakeshop out of it.

You’re going to resist for so long, finding a million reasons why she shouldn’t do it. The kitchen requires too much work, there won’t be enough customers for it to be profitable, she should be doing something better with her life than planting her roots so firmly in Hawkins. You worked hard so she can get out, and you don’t want to enable her sticking around.

Trust me, it’s going to be easier if you just give in. She may be stubborn, but she’s right, the place is going to be a huge success, and you’re going to wonder why you didn’t let her have at it sooner. That is, until two weeks after the diner opens, on the night of the launch party, Max is going to get drunk and take your motorcycle out and crash it.

She’s going to survive, but just barely. It’s going to be a very long road to recovery, and that’s where the thing I mentioned earlier about being nice to Lucas will come in. He’s the only one that’s going to be there for you in the early days, when you’re trying to keep two business afloat and be at the hospital with Max. He’s going to take a year off from school to work in the diner and the garage when you need to be with Max and be with Max when you need to be at the diner and garage. You’re going to be each other’s rocks when it gets to be too much, and you’re going to be embarrassed about how you treated him before if you don’t stop treating him like shit right now. I know I’ve already said this a lot, but trust me.

Love,

Billy”

“Dear younger me,

I know that more than anything, you’ll want to make sure that Max’s diner stays open, that it’s there for her when she gets better, but you’re too stubborn to ask for help, and too busy to have it open enough hours in a day to turn a profit, so you’ll think about throwing in the towel and just focusing on the garage.

Tired and frustrated, you’ll head to Chicago one evening to blow off some steam at a bar. You’ll think to yourself that you’ll just go for a few drinks, and maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll find someone to take to whatever shitty hotel you can find a room in for the night, but instead, what you find in there, or rather who you find in there, is going to change everything for you.

Standing near the bar nursing a bottle of beer is Steve Harrington, looking every bit as pretty as he did back in high school. You’re going to try to turn around and run like the coward that you are, but Steve’s going to spot you before you can head out. Caught, you’re going to let him buy you a beer and sit and catch up.

He’s going to tell you how he feels lost after dropping out of law school, a failure in his father’s eyes, how scary it is to not feel that much more mature at twenty five than he did at eighteen. You’re going to tell him about your dad and Susan, and Max’s accident, how it feels like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, with no one there except Lucas to occasionally lighten the load.

He tells you that drinks are on him for the night, and he orders another round, and another and another, until you’re both shitfaced and stumbling towards his nearby apartment. On the way, you tell him that unless you get some money fast, you’re going to have to sell the diner, and then you forget you said anything as he asks if he can kiss you in the elevator.

You’re going to have a moment of panic, as Steve presses you up against the door of his apartment and runs his lips all over your throat, about whether this is the right thing to do or not. You think that it might be best to turn around and forget this ever happened.

Don’t. Stay, have fun with the hottest guy you could ever hope to be with, and create enough jerk off material to last you the rest of your life. Ever the gentleman, he’ll ask if he can take you to bed. You’ll both lose your breath laughing as he tries to carry you there and fails miserably, and you’ll smile to yourself every time you think about that moment.

Once you get to his room, you’re going to have to fight the urge to do all the work. You keep telling yourself that Steve deserves to be worshiped, but he’s going to insist that you sit back and enjoy it, and you should listen to someone else for once.

He’s going to do things you didn’t even know someone could do with their mouth, leaving your moaning, hands twisting in the bedsheets, and your eyes will roll back in your head as he fucks you six ways to Sunday. Afterwards, he’ll clean you both up and hold you in his arms while he snores softly in your ear, and you’ll think about how nice it is to be taken care of, that you could get used to it.

By morning, you’ll have talked yourself out of it. You don’t deserve this, you don’t have time for this, it’s too much, you’re not enough, and you’ll sneak out before Steve wakes, feeling like an idiot as you walk back to your car with your hair all stuck up in the back, knowing that everyone giving you side eye as they walk down the sidewalk with a coffee and a briefcase knows what you were up to last night.

You’ll be embarrassed, but relieved that you got out of Steve’s place without having to have an awkward morning after conversation. You’ll open up the shop for the day and put all your energy into working on the cars and running into the diner to check on Lucas and the lone waitress in between appointments, but no matter how hard you try, you’re not going to be able to take your mind off Steve, how he looked the night before, looking down at you with his big brown doe eyes as he asked you if it felt good. Part of you is going to wish you hadn’t left his place, but you know it’s for the best.

The days will keep marching on, until a couple weeks after you have your run-in with Steve, when you’ll get a call from the bank. You prepare yourself for the worst, sure that they’re calling you to tell you that it’s time to give up the diner, but no, they have a potential investor, and they want to meet with the two of you.

You show up at the bank feeling ridiculous in your one pair of khakis and your best button up, and of course, the first person you see when you enter the bank is Steve Fucking Harrington, grinning wide at you as he chats up a teller. You want to turn around, but you can’t, because this idiot is your only way to keep the diner alive.

When you ask him why, why he would do this for you, when you’ve just been an asshole to him. He says it’s not for you, it’s for Max, and for Steve himself, because his dad apparently has no problem writing a huge cheque to invest in the diner if it means that Steve won’t be sitting idle any longer.

You’re not going to be sure how involved Steve plans on actually being involved in the day to day running of the diner, but you definitely don’t expect him to show up two days later, apron and baseball cap on, ready to work his first shift. He’s going to suck, dropping plates, burning food, forgetting to dress burgers before they go out to hungry customers.”

Steve has to laugh at how right Billy is. He was just about the worst waiter and cook to have ever worked in a restaurant. He had no clue what he was doing, and there were many days where he was surprised that Billy didn’t kick him out, no matter how badly he needed the help, and there were a lot of other days where Steve was ready to throw in the towel, but he’d kept with it, determined not to give up on this like he had on law school, and he liked knowing he was lightening Billy’s load, even if it only got him groans of frustration and sighs of despair in return. Over time, he thankfully got better at both tasks, finding that he was actually a pretty good cook. He picks the letter back up, eager to get through the rest of the shortening stack.

“I promise the shitty times will end though. Soon, you won’t be able to imagine the place without Harrington there, telling bad jokes and bringing you coffee when your eyes start to droop in the evening, after you’ve had a long day at the shop and the diner, and then still need to go check in on Max.

Eventually, Max will be released from the hospital, and you’ll be happier than ever to have Steve around, to help Lucas moderate arguments between you and Max, while you get comfortable giving Max small freedoms, and she comes to understand why you’re so scared to let her out of your sight.

When Lucas finally has to go back to school, Mrs. Sinclair will try to step in and pick up shifts at the diner, and at first, you’re going to push back. You don’t want to take any more time and energy from that poor family, and you’re sure she has better things to do than do Max’s bidding as Max sits on a chair behind the counter telling her what to do.

Steve talks you into letting her stay, though. You need the help, and she’s willing to give it, and it’s another lesson in accepting that people care about you and Max and letting them help you. Between Mrs. Sinclair, Steve, you, and Max, as she starts to get stronger, along with Erica Sinclair waiting tables after school and on weekends, replacing your waitress who decided to go back to school, the diner actually starts to turn a profit, based on great food and fast, friendly service. When Lucas comes home for Christmas, he jokes that he can’t recognize the diner with more than a couple customers in it. For the first time, you’re going to feel like everything will be ok.

I promise you, things only keep getting better from here.

Love,

Billy”

“Dear younger me,

Now that you have your professional life somewhat under control, of course, you’re going to turn your attention to your personal life for the first time in a long time. I can tell you it won’t be easy to take that first step and finally accept that you need therapy. Nobody wants to admit that they need help, so it’s going to be a long battle of talking yourself in and out of it, but I can also tell you that once you commit to going regularly, and putting in the work to help yourself, things are going to be so much better.

You’re going to rush into things with Steve, but it’s important that you take time for yourself, to figure your shit out first. If Steve want this as bad as he’s been saying he does, then he’ll respect that you’re not ready yet, and wait until you are.”

Steve takes another sip of his drink, shaking his head at his own behaviour. To say he badly wants a relationship with Billy is the understatement of the century, and he’s far from quiet about it, confessing almost daily to Billy that he’s crazy about him, wants to date the heck out of him, hold his hand when they watch movies, make him dinner, tell anyone that’ll listen that Billy is his.

But for all of his enthusiastic rambling, he’s more than willing to wait until Billy’s ready. He doesn’t want to rush things, because he wants Billy to want it as much as he does, wants his heart to truly be in it. He doesn’t want Billy to date him just because it’s what Steve wants.

Over the past year, Steve’s come to learn that Billy’s not only literally the hottest guy Steve’s ever seen, he’s also selfless, caring, hilarious, hardworking, and secretly sweet, and Steve needs him like he needs air, so yeah, he’ll wait. He continues to read.

“My best advice for when thinking about Steve gets to be too much. Take a deep calming breath, a cold shower, or if that doesn’t work, think about seeing the ancient librarian at the public library naked. That should be more than enough to cool you down.

Love,

Billy”

Steve picks up the last letter, and slipping it out of its envelope, he unfolds it, noticing that it’s a lot shorter than the rest.

“Dear future me,

I know you’re panicking right now, sitting on your couch, biting your nails and nursing a beer, while you wait for Steve to read through the letters that you handed him tonight. You want him to know that you’re ready now, as ready as you’ll ever be to let him in, let yourself be loved and love him in return, and you can only hope that he feels the same way as he did this afternoon when he told you that he can’t wait to wife you up, whatever that means. Try to calm down. It’ll be ok.

So, hey Steve, if you’ve gotten this far, I’m ready. Bring your jammies, and we can have a sleepover. I promise not to run in the morning, and if you wake up early enough to make me cum a second time before breakfast, I’ll make you pancakes before we head into work.

Love,

Billy”

Steve slips on a pair of sandals and grabs his keys, running so fast for his car that he doesn’t realize until he’s halfway down the driveway that he’s not wearing a shirt. It doesn’t matter though. He’s gotta see about a boy.

[intothedysphoria]

How I imagine different Billy Hargrove ships getting together because he refuses to leave my head (I’m procrastinating research for my dissertation)

Harringrove: It’s a long process across many years of hooking up and breaking up and fighting. They seem to spilt up for good in their late twenties until they reconnect twenty years later, without any youthful headstrong feelings that kept them apart. They find each other again in a bar in California and just never leave.

Mungrove: Billy learns about Eddie because they run in similar circles in Hawkins. It’s such a small scene, meeting is inevitable and they both have such similar tastes, they hit it off immediately. Billy is eventually worn down and lets Eddie design them couples Hellfire Club shirts.

Calicheer: it’s after cheer practice and Chrissy finds Billy hanging out aimlessly outside the gymnasium, reluctant to go back home. After a long night of talking, he makes a slightly clunky offer of a date and Chrissy is so charmed by him, she accepts.

Hollogrove: Post Starcourt, Billy and Heather are in adjacent beds in hospital. They’d been friends for a couple of months with a reciprocated crush neither had known about. Nothing like almost dying to confess your true feelings for someone though. They escape Hawkins together.

Argilly: There genuinely had never been anyone else. A first kiss for both of them at fifteen, then two years later Neil had found out. Billy was taken from a medium sized town in California to a small town in Indiana. Writing to each other is exceptionally difficult until after the mindflayer. Then Billy finds him again.

Kingrove: It was a secret from literally everyone, both having homophobic and abusive fathers. Good thing both of them are very good at keeping secrets. They break up briefly due to an argument about where to move after high school but get back together within 48 hours. Steve and Heather called it the longest 48 hours of their life.

Byergrove: Jonathan really loves photography. Billy has a passion for short stop motion films. They get paired together for a film project in school and get gradually closer throughout the month before the project is due. Jonathan makes the first move. Billy has a *small* crisis and runs off, before eventually accepting.

Cargrove: Jason is very, very closeted. Billy, slightly less so. Jason decides he wants to *experiment* with same sex relationships and sets his sight on Billy. Billys initial reaction is fuck no, because he isn’t just an experiment but Jason manages to prove that he’s genuine. Eventually.

Harringroveson: Billy and Eddie are together very very fast and Steve can’t decide who he’s jealous of. Turns out, it’s both. But he manages to endear himself to Billy and Eddie with a genuinely earnest and sweet nature and they decide to become a polycule. It works very well.

[half-oz-eddie]

Thank you @shieldofiron for passing the baton my way ♡

here's my contribution for the @harringrove-relay-race!

There’s never a dull moment at 1566 Main Street, where Neil Hargrove is a slumlord. He owns a shitty building that’s hanging on by a thread and he’s too cheap to pay for the upgrades. But he wanted that ceiling rent, right? Cheap Bastard.

More often than Billy would like, his phone rings, because this or that is busted and fucked up, and Neil just leaves it all on Billy’s shoulders to get it done, and do it right or else.

He didn’t give a shit that he’d left Billy with such a mess. Their handyman quit months ago, and it was up to Billy as the superintendent to make sure this shit show of a building was running just enough to not end up with an investigative reporter exposing them on the channel 7 news.

Billy sat up, groaning in annoyance when his phone rang again. It was the new tenant down the hall, calling to tell him that his lock was broken.

Billy dragged himself to 3F, knocked on the door, and a preppy, bright-eyed pretty boy answered with a welcoming smile.

“Hey, thanks for coming so quickly. I was afraid I’d have to miss work.”

“Not a problem.” He assessed the lock. “This is a shit building anyway. My old man doesn’t do what he should for the tenants.”

“Well at least you care about the tenants, right?”

“Guess so.” He mumbled back, focusing his attention on the door.

The lock was a quick fix, only taking Billy roughly 10 minutes. Thankfully, he had all the right tools on hand. 

“Finished already?” The tenant asked.

“Yeah. Y’mind if I use your bathroom to wash my hands?”

“Go right ahead!” He said welcomingly. “It’s uh—“ He stopped himself with a laugh. “You probably already know where it is.”

Billy nodded, inviting himself down the hall. He caught a brief glimpse into the bedroom, spotting the curtain sheet and mattress on the floor as he passed by.

He washed his hands and headed back to the door, preparing to let himself out.

“I’m right down the hall in 3A, so, if you need anything, you can just knock on my door. Like I said, this place is a shit hole, so…I’ll expect to hear from you again.”

“I’ll probably uh, call first.” He nervously chuckled. 

“Whatever floats your boat, Mr. Harrington. See ya around.”

“Wa-wa-wait!”

Billy turned back. 

“I’d love to thank you. My friends say I make a mean cup of Joe.” He persuaded with a smile.

Billy shrugged. The neighbors weren’t usually so friendly, so this was a change of pace. “Why not?”

He was offered the only chair in Mr. Harrington’s apartment at a wobbly little table.

A few minutes later, Mr. Harrington joined him at the wobbly table, offering him his only good mug, keeping the mug with a broken handle for himself. He sat on a storage box, his chin meeting the tabletop.

“So, Mr. Hargrove—“

“Please call me Billy. My dad’s Mr. Hargrove.”

“Only if you call me Steve.” He grinned.

“Deal…Steve.” Billy charmingly enunciated his name.

“So, Billy,” he continued “have you always lived in Los Angeles?”

“No. Lived in San Diego most of my life. My gramps left this building to my dad about 4 years ago, and he made me the super.”

“Oh, I see. I kinda moved out here on a whim.” Steve shrugged. “I was staying in a shitty motel for a few days before I secured this place. My dad’s not too happy I’m here, so we’re not on speaking terms.”

“What’s he got against LA?” Billy curiously asked, eyebrows raising as he sipped the surprisingly delightful cup of coffee.

“Nothing, I don’t think. He’s just pissed I didn’t wanna join the family business. I wanted to give modeling a try.”

“Modeling?” Billy snorted.

“Y-you don’t think I can?”

“Pretty boy like you? You could definitely be a model.” Billy nodded.

Steve hung his head down, hiding a blush. “You’re uh…you’re a nice looking guy yourself. You’ve never considered modeling?”

“I did once, but the photographer said I’m…difficult to work with.” Billy smirked mischievously, causing Steve to laugh. “I just don’t like people telling me what to do. Stand like this, stand like that, poke your cock out a bit.” He joked. “Not my thing.”

“What is your thing?”

“Surfing, swimming, cars, I dunno. If I could do all 3 for the rest of my life, I would. But I’m stuck here, fixing shitty locks and making sure my old man doesn’t get sued.” Billy glanced at his vibrating phone and stood. “Gotta go. Thanks for that…mean cup of Joe.” Billy smiled. “See ya around.”

“Bye!” Steve waved, a wide smile on his face. He let out a happy sigh. Maybe living here wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

A week later, Billy received a call after hours. It was Steve Harrington again.

“Hey. You having some kind of emergency? I’m…sorta off the clock.”

“Yeah I—shit—sorry! Something happened with one of my pipes and now there’s—ah! God dammit! There’s water everywhere. Couldja help me?”

“Be right there.”

Billy sighed and put his shoes back on. “I’m so tired of this shitty fucking building.” He grumbled. “Something’s always fucking fucked up.”

He swung his door open in annoyance, locked it swiftly and headed down the hall. 

He gave Steve’s door a harsh knock, his eyes narrowing at the wet idiot standing before him.

“I uh…” He exhaled. “I tried to fix it myself, but I made it a whole lot worse.”

Billy rushed in, groaning. “Jesus, Harrington, What did you do?”

“I-I dunno!” He exclaimed worriedly. “I just—I didn’t wanna bother you after hours.”

Billy was so irritated, but he couldn't find it in his heart to shout at the pathetic, sopping wet dumbass. One look in those shameful, doe eyes behind those dripping bangs, and Billy simply had no fight in him. It was pretty sweet of Steve to think of him by trying to fix the pipe on his own. But jesus, what a mess!

“This place is hanging by a goddamn thread, Steve.”

Billy went to work fixing the pipe, water splashing all over him in the process. It took him twice as long as the lock, but he was able to fix the problem before the kitchen began to flood. 

“I’m really sorry.” Steve apologized, handing Billy a towel. "I'll clean everything up."

Billy took off his shirt and rung it out in the sink. “Just…promise you won’t try to fix anything else by yourself, okay?”

Steve slowly nodded, as he was too stunned to speak. His eyes were glued to Billy’s wet, chiseled body, following the water droplets that fell into his jeans. 

“Uh—I—yeah. Yeah I promise.”

“Is there anything else you need fixed before I go?” Billy asked.

“N-no. Nothing else. I’ll let you know. I promise.”

Billy gently patted Steve’s shoulder and let himself out.

Billy returned to his apartment and opened up a can of beer, aggressively chugging it as he fought back the tears in his eyes.

Crisis fucking averted. He couldn’t imagine the world of pain his father would bring upon him if Steve’s apartment flooded.

He didn’t blame Steve. It wasn’t his fault. It was all Neil. Neil and his shitty expectations. His shitty demands and his shitty fucking building. 

Billy wanted to get out of there more than anything, but his father controlled his life for so long, he didn’t have anything to his name. He barely paid him a decent wage for being the building super. What was the fucking point anymore? Billy was destined to be alone and miserable in this dreary building. 

He cried himself to sleep. 

Another week passed. There were only 2 repairs needed in the building, and things felt fairly calm these days. Billy and Steve would catch one another in the hallway. Steve would always wave, and Billy would make a joke about Steve swimming in his indoor pool. 

One afternoon, Billy was on his way down to check the mail and Steve was waiting for the elevator.

“What’s with the big boxes? Moving out already?” Billy smirked, causing Steve to laugh.

“No, no. I bought some new furniture.”

Billy got a closer look at the boxes. Those were some pretty high end brand names. Looks like Harrington came from money. He wouldn’t have moved to an awful building like this, if he were Steve.

“D’you need some help assembling the furniture?”

“Really?” His eyes widened in surprise. “You gonna charge, like, an assembly fee?”

“I won’t. Just being friendly to a tenant and neighbor.”

They exchanged soft gazes and sweet smiles.

Steve accepted the help. “That’d be great. I really wanna get this table together before my friend comes to town to visit me this weekend. She’s gonna bring her girlfriend and her girlfriend really doesn’t like me.” Steve confessed with a laugh.

“No? How come?”

“She thinks I’m stuck up or something, I dunno. I guess it’s because I was an asshole in high school.”

Billy shrugged. “Yeah me too.”

“I’m gonna bring these boxes down and then we can put together my furniture now, if you can.”

“I don’t have anything else on my schedule. I was gonna grab my mail and binge watch something.”

“Sorry for ruining your plans.” Steve teased as the elevator door opened.

“You’re not sorry.” Billy softly chuckled. 

They returned to Steve’s apartment together and assembled his table.

“Finally, it’s not a piece of shit little table like the last time you were here.”

“Yep. An actual decent table with some nice chairs.” Billy nodded satisfactorily. “Looks pretty good.”

“You wanna stay for dinner? A-as a thank you. I’ve got a lasagna prepped, if you’re hungry.”

Billy paused before accepting the invitation. “Sure. I could eat.”

Steve popped in his lasagna and toasted some breadsticks, then made 2 plates for himself and Billy.

“Looks damn good, Harrington. I didn’t know you could cook.”

“My mom was always cooking and baking for charity events and dinner parties so I helped out in the kitchen here and there.”

Billy took his first bite, a moan nearly slipping out of his mouth. “Jesus, this is the best food I’ve had in a long time.”

“Really? I-I’m sure you probably cook quite a bit yourself.”

“I don’t cook at all. No idea how.”

“Really? W—I could teach you, if you want. A-and we could eat a few meals together, if your schedule’s free.”

“I live where I work and I have all my meals alone. It’d be nice to eat with someone for a change.”

“You uh…want some wine? I dunno if you drink or—“

“I drink. I’ll take a glass.”

Steve poured a glass of wine for each of them, and they continued to chat into the late hours of the night. Steve fell asleep on his new couch and Billy washed the dishes before leaving Steve’s apartment and heading to bed.

His heart was racing practically the entire night and he couldn’t understand why. What was so great about the hot neighbor-slash-tenant with his soft, fluffy hair and his smooth voice and his stupid smile. Yeah, okay, maybe he looked sexy in an apron and knew his way around the kitchen and he was like a wife, who could also be a husband and he was every goddamn thing Billy wanted—but what’d that matter? He was damned to spend his life alone in that shitty building until Neil died and he was free to demolish it someday. 

Only then would he be free.

A month passed. Billy had dinner with Steve at least twice a week. Sometimes their dinners would turn into movie nights. Steve even invited him over for party games when his friends came into town to visit. 

And each moment they spent together, only caused Billy to fall deeper in love. 

Steve had to work, so there wouldn’t be any dinner that night. He made sure to give Billy some leftovers from the night before, so Billy heated them and ate them before going to bed early.

He groaned in annoyance when his sleep was disturbed by a late night phone call. 

“Another emergency?” He wondered, when he noticed Harrington’s name on the screen. It was 9:52 PM. Did his pipe burst again?

“Hey, Steve, what’s wrong? Is it the pipes?”

“No, but, I do need something repaired. Could you come by for a moment? If it’s not too much trouble.”

Steve was more of a treasure than trouble to Billy. He was the only sense of life in his dreadful world. He would come anytime Steve called, no matter how late.

“No problem, be right there.” He responded cooly, concealing his excitement to see Steve again.

He grabbed his tools and headed down the hall. Steve opened the door before he could knock.

“Alright, show me where the problem is.”

“It’s uh…not something you can use tools for.”

Billy raised a brow in confusion. “What’re you talkin’ about, Harrington?”

“Can—can you fix a broken heart?”

This is what he called me over for?

Billy laughed. “If I knew how, I’d fix my own.”

“Whenever I catch a glimpse of you around the building, you always look so sad and alone. I just…I hate seeing you like that.”

“I’m not like that when we hang out, if that makes you feel better.”

“It does. Because I feel better when I hang out with you too.” There was a long pause as they averted each other’s eyes. They could feel their hearts nearly beating out of their chests. "You like my coffee, you-you laugh at my jokes. You support my ambitions. Even my friends like you!"

"Yeah, your friend's girlfriend seems to like me more than she likes you."

They shared a laugh, and Steve's smile slowly faded as his gaze turned serious.

“W-what I’m saying is...” Steve clenched his sweaty fist “I think…I think I’m falling for you.”

Billy gasped upon hearing the confession. Was this a dream? Was he still in his bed, fast asleep? Maybe he should pinch himself to find out.

“You sure you’re not just trying to get a rent-free apartment?” Billy joked.

“Is uh…is it working?” Steve replied in jest.

Billy nodded. “Yeah. A little bit.”

When Steve gently pulled Billy into his arms, embracing him, Billy knew for sure this wasn’t a dream. He hadn’t been held like this in forever, maybe never. His mom used to hold him tight, but that was familial love. This was…a new and unexpected romantic gesture.

Billy did everything he could to hold back his tears. 

Steve gently pulled away, looking into Billy’s cloudy eyes with his own. 

“You really can fix anything, can’t you?” 

“I dunno if I would call this fixing, but I’m definitely building something new with you.”

Steve kissed him softly, and Billy melted into his arms. For a split second he imagined merging with Steve and never parting with him again. 

“One day, you and me, we’re gonna get the hell outta here. We’re gonna do everything we’ve ever dreamed of, and we’re gonna be happy.”

“Steve, this is the first bit of happiness I’ve felt in a long time. I’m almost satisfied with this.”

“You don’t have to settle, babe. We’re gonna have a beautiful life together, and you’ll never have to fix some shitty pipes ever again.”

“I’m holding you to that promise, pretty boy.”

They sealed the deal with another kiss.

And Steve did keep his promise. 

Thank you for reading! Please look forward to something incredible from @adelacreations ❤️

[lazybakerart]

a cute harringrove thing for you: billy being in the middle of trying to do something but he keeps shaking away bits of hair that get into his eyes and steve just comes up behind him, puts his hair into a bun, then casually goes back to where he was while billy's stunned and blushing before he returns to his task with a big grin on his face

The AC's out.

Billy's cracked the unit open with a flathead screwdriver he found under the sink and a few choice words. July hit hard. Sweat drips down his nose as he tries to fix and not kick a heavy metal box down three stories.

In the small kitchen just a few feet behind his hunched back, Steve's popping more ice out and yelling at the radio - a Dodgers game has gone to shit.

Billy swipes his sweat-stuck curls back just to have all of them tumble right back in the way again.

Summers always leave Billy regretting growing out his hair.

He hadn't meant to. A couple months without a haircut grew into a couple years where a couple of half-assed snicks with the scissors he uses for zip ties and toe nails were all he made do with. Every year he forgets how much of it there is when summer arrives to remind him.

Snapping back up, screwdriver in a vice-grip, Billy yanks his hair back with both hands and yells FUCK YOU at the stained popcorn ceiling and his own mane fried with West Hollywood humidity.

"What's wrong now? What happened?" Steve has the honest nerve to say after over an hour of this.

"I'm shaving my head."

A deep sigh and Steve's opening some cabinet that creaks and needs to be oiled - the deal when they first moved in was Billy dealt with the electric shit and Steve got everything that wouldn't have him sizzling when he got distracted.

Plumbing means rock, paper, scissors comes out and goddamnit if Billy doesn't lose every single round.

He and the plunger have built a relationship.

Billy blames dying and coming back with fried nerves and a second-rate case of stigmata making his every joint he's got stiff, his hands getting the worst of it. He'd be a lousy second coming anyways.

"That time of year again, huh?" Steve says.

He stands behind Billy, swatting away his frustrated steel-grip to comb through Billy's curls, pulling them back and away.

"There are these things - they're called hair-ties," Steve gently pulls Billy's hair through elastic, "And I know you like using rubber bands because you're a freak," Slowly he winds Billy's overgrown hair around, "But these are, like, at least twice as good. Now, we just twist," He twists, "And twist some more and - boom! Done. I'm awesome."

Steve spins Billy around by the shoulders twice, his sweaty feet squeaking on the scratched up oak floors. He holds Billy in place, sweaty hands on Billy's sweaty nape, sweaty thumbs running circles, and it doesn't seem to matter much to him that the AC is broken and they're reaching the peak 90s on the thermostat.

Steve's looking at him.

All tender.

All sweet.

A little tipsy from better beer than they chugged in high school. It's been seven years since they hit the highway and left Indiana for good. Three more months and five more days and they'll hit eight.

"Oh no." Steve croons at him. Smile turning cotton soft. Those sweaty hands move to cup Billy's face and those running thumbs rub just under Billy's eyes. "Why are we crying?"

"It's hot." Billy says.

Pinching his ears around his piercings, Steve tells him, "You're hot."

Billy sniffles. Snot drips, meets his upper lip and Steve wipes it off - eight years worth of tears and snot and blood and spunk and so much sweat.

And so much fucking good shit.

From an open window in their cramped apartment, a slice of warmed July breeze catches on the back of Billy's newly bared neck. He tosses the screwdriver somewhere.

"And," Steve pecks him on the lips, bites at his nose to make sure Billy gets heat-stroke, "You've got a great ass."

The AC can wait a little longer.

[harringrove-flip-reverse-it]

2024 Prompts

Here are the prompts for Harringrove Flip Reverse It 2024! Don't forget to come and find your people in the Heebie Jeebies discord server while you figure out which ones you're going to fill!

Don’t forget….. Fluff prompts should be angsty…. Angst prompts should be fluffy…. NSFW prompts should be SFW…. SFW prompts should be NSFW…. And Trope Subversion prompts can be anything EXCEPT the traditional way of interpreting the prompt!

Monday 1st July

Fluff:  Found family Angst:  Misunderstandings NSFW:  Dom/sub SFW:  Language of flowers Trope Subversion:  Love at first sight

Tuesday 2nd July

Fluff:  True love’s kiss Angst:  Touch starvation NSFW:  Sex pollen SFW:  Prank war Trope Subversion: Arranged marriage

Wednesday 3rd July

Fluff:  Spa day Angst:  Scars NSFW:  Coming untouched SFW:  Dancing Trope Subversion: Soulmarks

Thursday 4th July

Fluff:  Blanket fort Angst:  Self-sacrifice NSFW:  Collar and leash SFW:  Protectiveness Trope Subversion: Time loop

Friday 5th July

Fluff:  Candlelit dinner Angst:  Regrets NSFW:  Threesomes SFW:  Dog walks Trope Subversion: Enemies to lovers

Saturday 6th July

Fluff:  Valentine’s Day Angst:  Taken prisoner NSFW:  Overstimulation SFW:  Meeting the parents Trope Subversion: Regency AU

Sunday 7th July

Fluff:  Love letters Angst:  Trust issues NSFW:  Blindfolds SFW:  Beach day Trope Subversion: Bodyswap

[manwrre]

canon is billy (sweetest boy ever) being taught all about paganism and spirituality by his mom and actively participating in rituals with her as a kid. i am in love with the concept and the thought of him carrying out those traditions once him and steve have a home of their own, fr.

because i’ve said this a million times before and i’ll say it a billion times over but it’s all i can think about, honestly. even on the days of celebration that most pagan religions don’t abide by exactly— for example, new year’s eve!

like, can you imagine harringrove’s first nye in their own little apartment? christmas would be an absolute blast, yea but a day or two later and billy would be turning the place upside down trying to clean. i mean, vacuuming, dusting, bagging stuff up and forcing steve to help him with all of it (which he grumbles about but does anyway because he’s boy crazy about him).

he’d open every window and every door, only to be reminded that “hawkins is fucking freezing, babe— this isn’t california” so he’d have to relax a little. but once steve’s out at work? he’s back to his shenanigans and airing out all of the bad energy.

he’d teach steve about manifestation and meditation, too. or rather, he’d try to before hawkin’s hottest resident started fidgeting and sighing and fiddling with a million other things. and then naturally, billy would have to roll his eyes at him and finally give him some attention.

billy would also probably write a few letters to ring in the new year.

to max, of course; apologizing and wishing for her to be happy and live brightly and to be everything that his teenage self couldn’t be. he’d also write to susan and his dad; the latter of whom, he wished to never see again.

he’d wax absolute poetic about steve in his and hope for his happiness; imbue every bit of his love into the point where pencil and paper meet and wish for long, long lives together.

the last one would be penned to his mom, though; uncertain and full of questions. smudged. slightly damp. wrinkled and ripped in places where he erased too much or wrote too hard but the longest of them all.

and then he’d tuck them all into a little shoebox and leave it at the back of their closet. not in an attempt to hide them like he did— he wasn’t at cherry lane anymore — but to keep them safe.

he’d boil orange peels for purification, love and happiness in the day— the scent clinging to every inch of their home. and steve would moan about the smell but he’d be smiling and holding billy sososososo close that it wouldn’t even matter.

(it worked as well as he remembered it doing for his parents; before things took a turn for the worst, at least)

and at midnight, they’d light white candles and wrap around each other in bed while the rest of the world celebrated, too. billy would trace sigils into the flesh of steve’s palm and kiss the crown of his head in the soft, dim light of their room. he would quietly set his intentions for them and because he’s not a monster, the rest of steve’s little dork gang that he cared so much about. he’d ask the universe for endless years of this peace, their safety and the perfect thing that they had created in hawkins.

[fizzigigsimmer]

Oooh. ugh I have zero time to write this but the idea is SO GOOD. Asfj. Maybe I will put it up for adoption if folks want it. But Harringrove Reaper Au - one of the boys (Billy or Steve) is a reaper, meaning they go unseen by mortals until their time of death. They ferry the souls of the dead. You get the gist. But witchy humans can sometimes see them on special nights like hollows eve when the veil is thin. There is also a spell they can cast to bind a reaper for a short period of time. Legend has it that reapers have been known to make deals with humans either for the return of a soul or the taking of a specific one.

The catch being of course that someone else always has to die just to cast the spell. So super risky. Super taboo. Dark magic to be avoided AT ALL COSTS young witches, but for those desperate to kill someone “untouchable” maybe worth it.

Anyway, imagine Witch!Billy witnessing an accident one night when the veil is thin and encountering a mysterious boy in the woods. Steve curiously knows little about the town and is eager to hear about Billy’s life. Billy thinks Steve is another witch like him, and doesn’t even realize he’s not human until he literally disappears just before sunrise. Billy thinks Steve is just your run of the mill spirit, dead boy with unfinished business, but he can’t stop thinking about him. Somehow or another he meets Steve again and realizes the truth - maybe a desperate Billy learns about the spell to bind the reaper and decides to do away with Neil. Imagine Billy’s surprise when Steve shows up. Steve’s livid because Billy is playing with magic he doesn’t understand, it demands a death and unless Billy pays that price and speaks a name the death will be his.

He makes Billy promise never to do it again and they spend another night together. Steve promises to come to collect Billy personally when it’s his time to die and that first time, everything turns out better than it could have. No one is upset that Neil took a surprise early retirement to the afterlife, and Billy is finally safe at home. But he can’t deal with the fact that he’ll only see Steve again when he’s a dying old man, or if he’s just randomly lucky enough to be nearby on the right kind of night when Steve is collecting another soul.

But Steve is the love of his life and Billy’s not about to give up; so naturally his only course of action is to drive himself to near death. It works. But Steve does the voodoo whoodoo version of bitch slapping him and rejects his application to the afterlife. 😆 The crazy part is Billy’s more upset that he and Steve barely got to speak before Steve curb stomped him back into his mortal body.

Eventually he finally comes up with the perfect plan that allows him and Steve to be together - anytime the veil is week enough. Billy keeps calendars. Tracks the lunar cycles. Has it down to a science. He also tracks the news. Becomes a people watcher. Keeps lists of names of people he thinks the world could do without. People he knows his soft hearted reaper can forgive him for going back on their deal. Steve knows what he’s doing of course but Steve loves him too - too much. Another list Billy keeps is all the things Steve has said he wants to experience of the mortal life, because there are only so many hours in a night, only so many nights they’ll have in his lifetime, and Billy wants to give him each one.

If he lives suspiciously longer than he should as a mortal witch, neither he nor his lover comment on it.

[shieldofiron]

Soulmate au where you have your soulmates first words that you heard written on your body. But when Harringrove meet it’s at that loud as fuck party and Steve doesn’t hear so good out of one ear after Jonathan, so Steve’s arm just says, “Fucking pretty boy.”

And Billy knows, oh he knows. But that same pretty boy doesn’t seem to have actually heard him.

Meanwhile, Billy’s arm just says, “What?” Which could be anyone and Steve’s never been so jealous of anyone in his life.