#honestly i don’t care about anything other than an au with billy & steve working at scoops

[wixterirox]

me one second: Do you ever think about how Billy spent his whole life alone & he sacrificed himself for someone he didn’t even know, but did it because she showed him compassion 😔😭

two seconds later: Billy in scoops ahoy outfit ☺️😋

[mourntheantagonist]

stupid headcanon #infinity from yours truly:

college au billy working at the electronics store on campus as a geek™ repairing and troubleshooting and selling products and the like.

steve spilled coffee on his laptop (because he would) and he takes it in to see if there is anything at all salvageable from it. steve is freaking out because all of his work is on there. the essay he’s spent months working on that’s due in just a week. all of his notes for his finals that he never thought to back up. he can’t lose it all.

so he sets up the appointment and billy is the one to help him out. steve figured whoever he saw would be mean to him about it. go on about how he should have been more careful. call him stupid for even thinking he could retrieve any data from the thing.

but billy isn’t like that. he’s calm and caring, recognizing how stressed out steve is about the whole thing. allowing steve to vent about how important it is that get gets back all his information. and billy only starts to joke with him about it when he tells him that he should be able to get the information off the drive. but he would need to purchase a new laptop.

billy uploads all the retrieved data onto an external hard drive while steve roams to aisles even though he ends up purchasing the exact same laptop he owned before.

“everything should be on there but you should check just to be sure.” billy turns his screen and lets steve sift through the files. letting out a deep breath when he clicks on his near finished biology paper and it’s all there.

steve thanks him as he pays for the new laptop and the external drive.

“word of advice. write your papers on google docs and then just save them as a word document when you have to turn them in, that way you don’t have to worry about losing everything should this happen again.”

billy hands him his bags and laughs.

“also, maybe avoid mixing coffee and electricity. wouldn’t wanna see that face charred from electrocution.” he winks. he fucking winks.

and steve is a literal mess when it comes to flirting with guys. girls? he’s got that down to a t, but with guys he loses all his mojo and turns into a babbling mess.

so he doesn’t respond. just nods his head and walks out of the store as quickly as he can.

but that boy was so pretty. the name billy feeling so good on his lips as he whispers it to himself at night. thinking about his hair and his deep voice and his smile just awakens him, keeps him up at night. and he wants to know more about this billy.

so he goes back to the store. this time to have a glass screen protector installed on his phone (because that night he ripped off the one he already had. but billy didn’t need to know that).

but steve is still unable to flirt. just accepting whatever advances billy makes on his own with a nod of the head and a quick sprint away from the vicinity. billy would surely think he wasn’t interested if he hadn’t kept coming back.

robin thinks he’s being completely ridiculous. heather thinks it’s romantic. steve is just incapable of talking to beautiful boys.

by the time billy finally brings it up to him, steve has purchased not one but three new phone chargers, and a new phone case. along with having antivirus installed on his MacBook... which are notorious for not getting viruses.

“so my coworker said you’ve been pacing around the store for like an hour. any reason for that?”

steve’s eyes go wide just a little. because he had. billy wasn’t at his post when he got there, so he walked in circles until he saw those familiar blond curls. he honestly thought he wasn’t suspicious at all.

“uhh well you see... I...”

“if you asked me, it seemed like maybe you were waiting to see me. considering you entered as soon as I got here.”

“no I was just... um... waiting for a friend.”

“oh? we’re you also waiting for a friend yesterday? what about tuesday when you bought your fourth charger?”

oh so he bought four. yeah that’s a bit excessive.

steve continues to stumble over his words, trying to come up with some explanation that doesn’t make him look like a total creep.

and then billy hits him with the:

“well. while I do enjoy seeing you in here all the time. I don’t want to bankrupt you. what do you say we see each other somewhere other than here. my dorm? six o’clock?”

steve is ready to jump his bones right then and there.

“uh yeah. six is great.” and steve goes to leave again. making it a habit to do so when ever that fluttering feeling comes in his chest.

“wait up pretty boy. you don’t even know where I live.”

oh right.

billy writes his address and phone number down on some receipt paper and slides it across the counter.

“see you tonight princess.”

[magniloquent-raven]

See What This is Worth

Harringrove Week of Love: Day 4

Teacher AU || School Dance

Rated: T

Read on Ao3

Billy is not, by nature, the kind of person who likes to be overly helpful. He doesn’t go out of his way for people he doesn’t know. He’s not especially charitable. 

And yet here he is, taking time out of his Friday night, setting up tables and supervising idiots with no upper body strength who think they can move a whole stack of chairs on their own. He has better things to do than hang out at work and chaperone a bunch of middle-schoolers trying to score their first kiss to some truly grating top 40 shit. 

He didn’t even like school dances when he was a student. As a middle-schooler he was too fucking terrified that some girl might ask him to dance, so he just never went. And in high school...well. He ended up more the type to get high in the parking lot and ditch with whatever chick was too drunk to notice he didn’t put out. 

There was never a boy he liked well enough to do this shit with. Get dressed up and pretend not to want to dance and get flustered when he so much as touches a hand. No one in school was worth suffering through this shit for. 

Until now, unfortunately.

He’s a grown-ass man and somehow feels like a dumb, lovestruck teen and it’s all Steve Harrington’s fault.

Him and his fucking face, and his ass, and his looking unfairly good in a suit. 

He looks good in his stupid dorky khakis and paint-splattered apron too, but holy shit Billy never really got the phrase cleans up nice until he saw Steve in formal wear. His hair all combed neatly for once, wearing a blazer and slacks that have clearly been tailored. 

Billy is seriously considering sending a thank you note to whatever tailor Steve visits, because they are very good at their job. 

Good enough that Billy’s spending half his goddamn time staring at Steve’s ass instead of setting up. He’s bossing some volunteers around, gesturing animatedly about crepe paper and streamers and it’s so distractingly endearing that Billy kind of forgets he’s supposed to be doing anything other than watch Steve work.

And he gets caught. Steve turns, spots Billy staring. Scowls. Which is kind of his default expression when looking at Billy. 

As much as Billy secretly wants to have Steve look at him like he can actually stand spending more than five minutes in the same room, the irritated frown kind of suits Steve. It’s cute. And when he gets pissed it’s hot. His eyes get all intense, mouth set in a firm line and Billy may or may not have had a fantasy or two about Steve making that exact face right before absolutely destroying his ass, so...Steve might not like him, but Billy’s dealing. 

By being annoying, but still. 

He wiggles his fingers in a sarcastic little wave, leaning a little more pointedly. He’s been lounging against the wall for way too long, his shoulder is going numb, but he’s not about to scramble to look like he’s doing something just because Steve spotted him.

Steve’s shoulders heave as he sighs, eyes rolling skyward. He hands his clipboard to the nearest volunteer, whispering something before turning on his heel and marching over. 

Billy’s inspecting his nails when Steve reaches him. Stops a few paces away and folds his arms. 

“Something I can do for you, Harrington?” He knows the bored tone gets to Steve, so he plays it up.

“Yeah. You were supposed to be helping Nancy put chairs out. You know, the thing you signed up for?” There’s still an edge to that statement, has been since Billy walked into the first committee meeting with a big, shit-eating grin and Steve glared at him looking like he was about to pop a blood vessel. He always says it all accusatory, like he’s not sure Billy even did sign up, and he’s just hanging around to be a nuisance.

Which, he is, but he’s doing it officially. 

Has his little chaperone badge and everything. It’s pinned to his jacket, which he isn’t actually wearing, but he has it. 

“Got tired,” Billy says with a dramatic weariness, head lolling to the side, rolling back against the wall. He looks up at Steve through his eyelashes. “I’m allowed to take a break aren’t I?”

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. “Hargrove, you’re telling me moving flimsy plastic chairs tired you out? You’re built like a brick wall.” He puts his hands on his hips and gets the same look he gets when his students start throwing clay around. 

“Are you objectifying me?” Billy puts a hand on his chest with mock-offence, the corners of his mouth turning upward with genuine delight. His grin brightens when Steve’s cheeks flush, gaze darting away, the annoyance flagging a little, replaced with something else for just a moment.

“I’m stating a fact. In a completely...imparted way.”

“Think you mean ‘impartial’.” 

The flush darkens, a splotchy red instead of the petal pink he was a moment ago, and his mouth twists. “Whatever,” he mutters. “You’ve been standing here for like ten minutes, man, get back to work.”

He stalks off in a huff, leaving Billy wondering how the hell Steve knew how long he’d been slacking off for.

Then again, he is in charge, so. He’s probably keeping tabs on everyone. At least that’s what Billy has to tell himself so the butterflies in his stomach don’t get any ideas. 

He wanders off, back to where he was supposed to be, but Wheeler doesn’t actually need his help. She got most of the chairs in place while he was checking out her ex. He gets an impatient brush-off when he half-heartedly asks her if there’s any more work to do. 

She never did like him much. 

Not that he’s bothered, he doesn’t care for her either. She’s too snooty. Up her own ass. Self-righteous. ...and Steve’s ex. 

Rumour has it Steve’s finally over her, but Billy will believe it when he sees it, the man hasn’t been on a date since Wheeler tore his heart to shreds three years ago. 

Heather gossips, okay. She’s nosy, and her family knows Wheeler’s family, who know Steve, and word gets around. These upper class assholes never have anything better to do than talk behind each other’s backs. Especially when the only son of a wealthy family is, at 28, single and teaching snot-nosed brats how to fingerpaint. 

And Billy has a vested interest, sue him. He asks some pointed questions here and there. 

God, he’s never gotten this fucking desperate over a guy before. Pining away. Putting up with Nancy Wheeler bossing him around at meetings because he doesn’t want to piss her off too much just in case that’s the final straw for Steve. The thing that tips their rapport from not-friendly to outright hostile. 

Because for some reason the guy still gives a shit about the ex who cheated on him. Fucking martyr. 

Billy’s not sure if he’s jealous that she gets forgiven and he gets angry glares for no goddamn reason, or if he’s just flabbergasted that anyone would be that self-sacrificing. Both, maybe. It’s a little impressive, honestly. How far out of his way Steve will go to forgive people. 

Except Billy.

Who still doesn’t know what he did wrong in the first place.

Not that it bothers him. No, not at all. He’s just constantly thinking about it, and trying to hold on to every detail of the early days of their interactions so he can analyze those moments for clues, and sometimes lying awake at night wondering if he’s just fundamentally unlovable and he’s never gonna figure out what he did wrong because he just is wrong. 

He’s fine. It’s fine.

Thank god Steve is occupied for the rest of set-up. Always finding someone who isn’t Billy to boss around when he isn’t physically doing something himself. Gives Billy some room to breathe. And watch, like a weirdo.

He gets a couple weird looks from other volunteers but that’s nothing new. Wheeler glaring at him. Heather smirking. That one parent chaperone who’s here early and was making eyes at him at first, but it’s devolved into side-eye. 

He thought maybe the dance actually starting would be a distraction, but it’s just loud. He’s still constantly stealing glances at Steve. While he’s making small talk. While he’s repinning some streamers that got knocked loose. He looks gorgeous, even under the harsh fluorescent lighting of a school gym, and Billy really wishes he had a flask on him right now.

Yelling at some rowdy kids doesn’t help either. Just earns him a dirty look from that one overprotective chaperone mom. No one asked you, lady, the kid was bouncing around like an over-caffeinated gerbil, someone was gonna get hurt. It’s Billy’s job to break that shit up.

He needs a smoke. This is unbearable.

Slipping out of the gym unnoticed is easier than he thought it would be. No one seems to give a shit that he’s sidling out, which is a little insulting, honestly. But useful.

The hallways are quiet. Empty. It’s always a little creepy being here at night. The squeak of his boots on the linoleum, the artificial white light keeping the nighttime gloom out, it always feels a little dream-like. Nightmarish maybe. Liminal. 

He props the door open on his way out, with a chair he lifted from a nearby classroom. The last thing he needs is to get locked out. Embarrassing. He’d probably just leave, but then he’d get chewed out for ditching.

He sighs, turning his face skyward for a moment to breathe before he lights up.

The cool air is a relief after being cooped up with so many rambunctious pre-teens. Billy’s still not a fan of Indiana weather, and he probably never will be, but anything is better than being in there another goddamn second. 

This was a terrible idea. It was barely an idea. An impulse decision that got his ass stuck babysitting on a Friday night just so he could spend more time staring at Steve. 

Pathetic. 

Maybe he should just ditch right now. 

He’s weighing the pros and cons when a familiar voice cuts into his contemplation.

“Hargrove, where the hell did you—” Steve’s face appears when he pokes his head out the cracked-open door. His pinchy annoyed face. He wrinkles his nose when he spots Billy, and the cigarette in his hand. “Seriously?”

Billy shrugs. Puts the cigarette between his lips and takes a pointed drag, cheeks hollowing.

Steve, who was trying to sidle out past the chair, trips. The chair clatters to the ground, Steve stumbling in the opposite direction, arms out and flailing. 

The door slams shut behind him.

Billy gapes, incredulous gaze flicking between Steve, frozen in place, and the closed door. “Seriously?”

“...Shit. I—” Steve grimaces. Runs a hand through his hair, tousling his neatly combed locks. “You have your key, right?”

The glare Billy levels at him is positively icy. “Yeah, no, of course I do, the chair was there for fun. I wasn’t worried about being locked out at all.” 

“Okay, okay, Jesus. You don’t have to be such a dick about it.”

“Don’t I?” It comes out far more bitterly than intended. Steve stares at him.

“No? What kind of—” he huffs, loud, frustrated, “What the fuck is your deal, Hargrove?”

Well. That’s a layered question. One he isn’t going to answer even a little bit. He scoffs instead, turning away and taking another angry pull off his cigarette. It warms him but does nothing for the pit in his stomach.

They stand there in silence for a beat. The muffled noise from inside is muted, distant. 

“Fine, whatever,” Steve mutters. “I just don’t get why you hate me so much.”

And he sounds hurt. He sounds sad, and it throws Billy for a loop. Knocks him down a little. But then his chest gets tight, his heart flip-flopping around in the clutches of something caustic and resentful.

He flicks ash in Steve’s direction with an emphatic gesture, a petty vindictiveness. “You’re kidding, right?” he snaps. Steve’s jaw drops, just for a second, surprise passing over his face, before his expression hardens, his mouth snaps shut, jaw clenching.

“Alright, fine, I get it, what’s not to hate.” He clutches his elbows, not quite folding his arms. It looks more like he’s hugging himself. “Good talk.” 

Billy squints at him. The tense line of his shoulders, the way he can’t quite meet Billy’s eye. He’s struck with the absurd urge to pull Steve into his arms. The impulse just pisses him off more. “You know what, princess, you get what you give, alright? You can’t treat someone like shit from the jump and then get mad when they don’t want to be your best fucking friend. Fuck you.” 

“What? I never—”

“Oh, you never? You never asked Heather why she ‘puts up with such an asshole’?” He tosses his hands in the air, air quoting around the phrase, and takes a step towards Steve. “The day after we met? And you never talked over me at my first staff meeting, right? You would never.” Another step. He doesn’t think about it, doesn’t do it on purpose, but he ends up standing inches from Steve. The cold air mists their breath, and it mingles in one seething cloud between them. “You’ve been treating me like the dirt under your shoe since I got here, Harrington, don’t you dare act like you haven’t.”

Steve sets his jaw, a stubborn tilt to his chin. “You were an asshole. I still don’t get why she puts up with you!”

Billy grinds his teeth. He’s asked Heather that himself. With varying degrees of seriousness. It stings hearing it from someone else. 

“Yeah, well, we can’t all be people pleasers,” he spits, hands clenching into fists at his side. To channel his anger, more than anything else. He isn’t seventeen anymore, he can’t just start throwing punches at a co-worker. 

His nails bite into the skin of his palm, sweat stinging the shallow scrapes, and his hands tremble, itch. 

“I’m not—you know what, I’m not doing this with you.” He steps back. Just like that. Like it’s that easy to walk away. Like none of this matters to him, and he’s just...venting frustrations that have nothing to do with Billy. Because Billy doesn’t matter to him. This is about getting locked out of his own stupid party. Or Wheeler saying something bitchy maybe. Or any number of things going on in his life that Billy doesn’t know about because he’s not a part of it. 

And the tumbling, tangling web of twisting thoughts wrap around each other ‘til none of them make sense, ‘til he doesn’t know what he’s upset about he’s just gutted, just standing there in the cold staring at Steve, his eyes stinging and his toes going numb because he didn’t wear his good socks today.

He shouldn’t give a shit about this either, but he does. 

Story of his fucking life, apparently.

Steve’s gaze wanders, looking for what, Billy doesn’t know, but his profile lit up by a dirty streetlamp has got to be the most beautiful fucking thing Billy’s ever seen. He wants to kiss Steve so badly it hurts. 

And he hates that he still does, even when he’s angry. Even bitter and hurting he still wants. 

He flicks his cigarette butt away and shoves his hands in his pockets. 

“The fuck are you looking for, Harrington,” he asks flatly, as Steve cranes his neck peering around the building. 

Steve shoots him a glare. “Trying to remember if any of the doors got left unlocked.” He shivers violently, and sticks his hands in his armpits. “It’s freezing out here, in case you didn’t notice, and I’m not really into the idea of frostbite, so.”

“What, Mr.Born-and-raised-in-Indiana can’t handle a little snow?” Billy sneers. It’s petty, he knows. It’s not fair. Because Steve is out here in a dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, dressed to be in a sweaty, crowded gymnasium. Billy at least grabbed his jacket before he came out here, knowing he was going to be a while, and he’s still clenching his jaw against the urge to let his teeth chatter. 

The look that earns him is withering, though it’s undercut slightly by the awkward way Steve shuffles his arms around, trying to unroll his sleeves without exposing his fingers to the cold. 

Billy rolls his eyes. “Forget it, pretty boy, Wheeler made her boytoy check all the doors before the dance started. Either wait ‘til someone notices you’re gone or break a window.” 

“Great,” Steve mutters, and shudders again. 

“Why do you still talk to her, anyways?” He tries for casual and misses by a mile. Steve’s eyebrows shoot upwards and Billy tries again. “Just making conversation. We could be out here a while.”

“And that was what you—whatever. She and I are friends. Why wouldn’t I talk to her.”

“C’mon,” Billy scoffs, “Plenty of reasons. You still hung up on her or something? Hangin’ around hoping for another shot?”

“Definitely not.”

It shouldn’t make Billy’s heart leap but it does. Just because he’s not still sniffing around after Wheeler’s granny panties anymore doesn’t mean he has any interest in Billy. “Really now.”

“Yes, really, Jesus Christ. Why do you care.” 

“I don’t.” Billy lies, and looks away, affecting disinterest. He sniffs. “It’s just weird, is all. I sure as shit wouldn’t hang around someone after they cheated on me.”

Steve is staring. Billy can feel his gaze boring into the side of his head. He glances out of the corner of his eye, watches Steve furrow his brow and frown. “It wasn’t—It was more complicated than that. I wasn’t...good. We weren’t good together.” He stops himself, biting his lip, and shakes his head. 

“Hm.” Billy chews his thumbnail. It almost feels like they’re getting somewhere, but it’s so fragile Billy’s afraid to open his mouth and ruin it. The silence stretches, filled only by Steve’s rustling shivers, and Billy’s own unsteady heartbeat. “My car keys are in my jacket pocket,” he ventures, after long enough that the silence has gotten awkward. 

“What! How long were you going to keep that to yourse—”

“Do you want to take advantage of my heater, or not.” 

“Jesus Christ, yes.”

“Alright.”

They don’t talk on the walk over. Snow crunches beneath Billy’s boots, and Steve slips a few times on patches of icy pavement. 

And Billy feels somehow nervous. Like he’s invited Steve to his goddamn bedroom or something. 

Or maybe he’s just worried this tentative peace will end with their conversation going where it always does, blowing up in his goddamn face. But they’ve never actually spent that much time alone, he has no idea how this is going to work. 

Best case scenario it ends with Steve half-dressed in the backseat of his car, but he’s not stupid enough to hope for that.

Fantasize about it, sure, but…

Steve actually being in his car is a surreal experience. Filling the small cab with his clean laundry scent, sweet and subtle, faint enough to be a tease, and he has to restrain himself from taking big embarrassing sniffs to satisfy his sudden craving for more. 

He wonders if the smell will linger. How long Steve will be a phantom presence in his space. 

Waste of time to think about it now, while he’s actually here. 

Billy distracts himself by keeping his hands busy. Fumbling with the keys in his stiff fingers. Poking the overhead button to flip on the interior light. Flicking the dials on his console. The heater’s fan drones almost as loudly as the engine. Somehow the white noise makes the silence less stressful.

Steve rubs his hands together in front of the nearest vent, hissing through his teeth. “Fuck, fuck, I can’t feel my goddamn fingers,” he mutters, the hair on his forehead flopping as he moves. 

“You weren’t out there that long,” Billy chuckles. Steve’s clumsy flailing is stupid endearing, Billy is shamelessly turned in his seat to watch him, the doorhandle digging into his spine, his knee pulled up and leaning on the seat’s backrest. 

“Oh come on, you grew up in California, how are you fine right now?” Steve groans, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. His gaze darts up and down Billy’s form before flicking away again.

It’s common knowledge where Billy is from. He doesn’t exactly hide it. There’s a goddamn Malibu postcard tacked up in his office, pictures of his old surfboard. But it still makes Billy a little giddy that Steve pays enough attention to know that. 

“I run hot,” Billy says casually, and grins, tongue between his teeth. Truth be told, he wasn’t fine, he was fucking freezing, he’s just good at hiding physical discomfort. 

Steve’s cheeks flush a little pinker, and his gaze gets suspiciously focused on the vent in front of him.

“So…” Steve licks his lips, pausing, “Uh. What was it like? California.”

Billy blinks at him. “Warmer than this shithole, for starters.” 

He feels off balance suddenly. First-date-jittery. Which is ridiculous because he’s never gotten first date jitters. And this isn’t a date. Not even close. But still, when Steve laughs quietly it gets the butterflies in Billy’s stomach far too excited. Like he’s ten and discovering the wonders of holding a boy’s hand all over again. 

“I uh. Can’t go back there.” Billy chews the inside of his cheek, watching Steve closely. 

“Why, you a wanted criminal or something?”

Billy snorts. “Glad to know you think so highly of me. No, I meant...lotta shit happened there that I’d rather not remember.”

There were good things too. More good memories in California than after they moved, but that doesn’t stop the awful shit from tainting the whole goddamn state for him. Just makes it harder that it does. 

Hard to want to go back to a place where you almost died, no matter how many times your mom took you to the beach there.

Steve meets his gaze, his eyes soft, and it punches the breath from Billy’s lungs for a second. “Yeah, I get that.” He hums, and tucks his hands between his thighs. The position makes him look oddly demure. “I, uh. Have some experience with avoiding bad memories, y’know. Doesn’t end well. Repressing that kinda shit.”

“Pff,” Billy leans his head back against the window. The cold seeps through his curls. “You sound like Kali.”

“...Who?”

“Biker boots. Side shave. ‘Bout yea tall.” Billy waves his hand around his shoulder. “You met her once. I brought her to that stupid Christmas party couple years back.”

“Oh.” Steve looks down at his lap. “Your girlfriend.”

Billy chokes on his own spit. “What?”

“...Your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, no, uh. No. Not even a little bit, man,” Billy laughs a little hysterically. 

“She was your date to that party though, right? Did it not work out, or…?”

“Jesus,” he mutters, and rubs the back of his neck. Steve’s staring, all wide-eyed and confused and fucking adorable. He weighs his options. Wonders how much he should divulge. The easiest way would be to just say no, and move on. The safest way. They’re stuck out here alone and he doesn’t know how well Steve would react to finding out he’s stuck alone with a queer. 

It’s something Billy tends not to take risks on. If guys can’t figure him out on their own, he isn’t going to tell them. But in this case...he’s just annoyed that Steve hasn’t noticed yet. 

And besides, Steve spends half his time hanging around Robin Buckley—who Billy has his suspicions about—so it’s not like there’s no chance Steve would be okay with Billy being gay…

He takes a breath. Exhales slow and stares at the roof of the car. There’s a burn mark next to the rearview mirror where he might’ve stubbed out a cigarette. He’s had this damn car so long he doesn’t remember doing it.

“She’s a friend, Steve. And I borrowed her from her girlfriend that night,” he says, testing the waters. Steve blinks a little, lips parting, but doesn’t react any more than that. Doesn’t seem angry, or judgemental, or disgusted. “I’m not really ready to be out at work. So.” 

“Wait, Robin was right?” Steve blurts, sitting a little straighter, eyebrows shooting up. 

“Of course she noticed,” Billy mutters, picking at a loose thread on the cuff of his jacket. He doesn’t ask why Buckley was talking to Steve about him in the first place, let alone about his sexual preferences. He’s not sure he wants to know.

“I mean, she kept going on about lesbian psychic sense, and I told her if anyone’s got a lesbian psychic sense, it’s El, not her, but—” he cuts himself off, flushing. “I, uh. Oh. Huh. Guess I shoulda listened to her when she told me my gaydar was busted.” 

Well. That’s...something. Not the reaction he was expecting. Not that he did know what to expect, but still. “Yeah, you usually need to be queer to spot one,” he shrugs. Like he hasn’t been hoping Steve would pick up on his not-so-subtle hints this whole time, while dreading the possibility with equal fervour.

But Steve freezes then. Shoulders going stiff, his hands stilling. And Billy’s heart leaps. 

“I...” Steve fidgets, his palms rubbing together as he shifts his thighs. “Um. Am. I am. I’m bi.”

“Huh...” Billy licks his lips. “Well, shit, Harrington.”

He wonders how well he pulled off cool and unbothered. It’s usually something he’s alright at, but he’s not usually reacting to the goddamn man of his dreams telling him he’s into guys. His whole chest feels like it’s gonna explode.

“Mhm…” Steve hums, staring at his own hands, his face frustratingly neutral. 

“So.” Suddenly their childish rivalry annoys Billy. When Steve was just a straight boy he was pining after it felt good to punish him for being unattainable. Be up in his space without being too obvious about why. Get him all flushed and bothered in the only way he could. But now… “Why did it take us this long to get here?” Billy asks quietly. He knows his side of the story. Knows his own stubborn asshole nature played its part. But Steve…

His anger from earlier resurfaces. Steve treating him like he wasn’t worth his time, running on a loop in his head. 

He draws his knee up, hugging it to his chest, but keeps the bitterness out of his expression. It’s too likely to end up looking like sadness on his face right now. 

Steve shrugs. “Haven’t we already been through this?” He turns to stare out the window. Billy glares at the back of his head.

“No, Steve, we haven’t. You called me an asshole and then said you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“What else is there to say?”

“How ‘bout an explanation? What exactly did I do to you, pretty boy? And don’t give me that, you were a dick, bullshit, because you hated me from the jump. Way before I did anything to deserve it.” 

And he did, eventually, deserve it. He knows that. Doesn’t make the immediate brush-off feel any better. 

Steve’s back is stiff, and he’s crossed his arms. And he still won’t look at Billy.

Feels like they’re right back where they started, and Billy wants to crawl out of his own skin. He grits his teeth, and hisses, “Listen, I know you come from a family of fuckin’ bigshot lawyers or what-the-fuck-ever, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat people like dirt if they don’t—”

That, at least, gets Steve’s attention. He whips his head around, stares at Billy with his mouth open. “Is that what you think—Billy I haven’t had a real conversation with my parents in nearly ten years, I don’t give a shit about all that.” 

“Then what—”

“You make me feel dumb! Alright? Happy?”

Billy blinks at him. “What?”

Steve groans, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You—you show up here all, all hot and—” he waves a hand, gesturing up and down Billy’s body, “like that, and it was annoying enough that you knew that, strutting around like you own the place, but then you go and open your mouth and—” Steve buries his face in his hands, sighing, rubbing his eyes. “The first time I heard you talk you were explaining some shit about—about—nemo devices or something—”

“Mnemonic.”

“That! That right there, that thing you always do. I get it. Okay? You’re smarter than me. I’m just a dumb art teacher who gets headaches when he tries to read.” Steve throws himself back against the headrest, all furrowed brow and expressive hands.

And Billy stares. Frozen in place. He is, for once, at a loss for words. His mouth works soundlessly as he searches for something to say. But what falls out of him is, “You think I’m hot?” and he mentally slaps himself. 

“Really. That’s your takeaway?”

“No—no, well, I mean. Kind of. Yeah.” He wets his bottom lip. Tongues his cheek. 

Steve groans, “Seriously?” He tugs at a stray lock of hair. “No one who wears pants that tight doesn't know they’re attractive, alright, why is this surprising. I have eyes.”

“Because it’s you.” Billy’s brain slams to a halt the second he says it, shock freezing him in place. Apparently his filter is just fucking broken today, Jesus Christ.

“...What. Y’know what, fuck you, I’m not that unobservant—”

Billy snorts a disbelieving laugh, “Are you sure about that.” 

“Alright, fine, I didn’t realize you were gay, for like, a really long time, but you didn’t notice that I’m queer too, so there!” Steve looks at him, triumphant, like he’s won the argument—if that’s what this even is. And Billy scoffs, stupid, irrational competitiveness tightening like anger in his chest, and—

“It’s not the same, Harrington,” Billy says flatly, heart pounding. 

“And why not?”

“Because you haven’t been after my dick this whole time! You didn’t care if I knew that you’re queer,” he’s almost shouting, frustrated and not even sure what he’s trying to prove, arms thrown wide to punctuate his dumb and nonexistent point, until exactly what he just let slip sinks in. He lowers his hands, clenches them into fists resting on his thighs. Steve hasn’t said a word, he’s just staring, jaw slack. 

“Wait...so—”

“Don’t.” 

“But—”

“Harrington,” Billy growls.  

“Jesus Christ, Billy would you let me—”

“No.”

“I have been though!” Steve yells over him, and it stuns Billy enough that he falls silent. “Dumbass, I have been into you this whole goddamn time, are you kidding me?”

“...What.”

Steve runs restless fingers through his hair, making even more of a mess of it. “Listen, do you have any idea how irritating it was that you’re as hot as you are? I wanted to badly to hate you because you were so fucking annoying, but you were all—” he gestures to Billy, waving his hand around wildly, “like, a fucking...walking wet dream, so.”

“Gee, thanks,” Billy responds, utterly bemused. 

“And then I find out you’re a great teacher, and really smart, and kind of funny when you aren’t being a douche, and suddenly I’m head-over-heels for a guy I’m pretty sure hates me, because I have no self-respect apparently, and—” He stops, chest heaving, eyebrows drawn, and curls in on himself, folding his arms. 

“I never hated you.” 

Steve scoffs, dipping his chin ‘til his face is shadowed by his bangs.

“Listen to me,” Billy scoots forward, wedging his knee over the cupholders between their seats. He hesitates, a hand hovering mid-air while he tries to swallow the lump in his throat. And then touches Steve’s elbow. He jolts, looks up at Billy from under the fall of brown hair hanging over his forehead, his eyes are wide and questioning. Billy presses his fingertips firmer to the warmth of Steve’s skin under his starched dress shirt. “You care about your friends a ridiculous amount, it’s mind-boggling. Honestly. I grew up around people who would’ve barely given a shit if I died, and here you are worrying about everyone in your life, like it’s your fuckin’ job. You’re a good goddamn person, and I wanted…” he pauses, and bites his lip. “I was pissed that I wasn’t one of the people you cared about, alright. Fuckin’ Wheeler gets to be, but I...” He trails off, gestures vaguely.  

Steve’s fingers are cold, sneaking up from under his folded arm to touch the back of Billy’s hand. “You were. You are.” He ducks his head again, the ghost of a smile just barely visible before he disappears into shadow again. “I came out here to check on you, didn’t I?”

“I mean…I was supposed to be helping out inside—”

“Billy, there’s, like, eight volunteers in there, they can handle a bunch of middle-schoolers.”

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” Steve lets out a quiet breath. “I, uh. I’m sorry. I never thought you gave a damn about my opinion, to be honest. I didn’t—I was just…”

“Insecure?”

Steve grimaces. “Yeah.” 

And that’s something Billy’s more familiar with than he’d like to be. He squeezes Steve’s forearm. “You’re not stupid, you know.”

“It’s fine, I know I am. Everybody in my life is some kinda damn genius, so. Someone had to draw the short straw.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Steve.” That gets his attention, surprised eye-contact, and Billy tilts his head to maintain it. “I don’t give a shit that your goddamn friends can speak five languages, or understand organic chem, or any of that crap, they aren’t better than you, alright, they’re just nerds.” Steve snorts, and rolls his eyes, but there’s a grin tugging at his lips and it makes Billy smile. “Look, you play guitar, right. And you taught that dweeby little friend of yours the chords to his weird song about physics. Wouldn’t have been able to pull that off without at least a couple brain cells floating around under all that hair.” 

“I mean, that was just—”

“That was just something you’re good at. You don’t gotta be able to read Shakespeare to have smarts, you’re just smart about other shit.” 

A blush colours Steve’s cheeks. “I—thanks,” he murmurs. 

Billy doesn’t get a chance to respond.

In the front seat of his beat-up old Camaro, with snow starting to fall outside, gathering silently on the dimly illuminated windshield, Steve Harrington kisses him for the first time. He’s still holding Billy’s hand. One second he’s glancing down shyly, smiling small and crooked, the next…

His lips are soft. Gentle. He kisses like he’s asking permission, barely touching Billy at all. 

Despite the light brush of a kiss, Billy feels it everywhere, lit up with a jolt of electricity right through his chest. He chases Steve when he pulls away, with a hasty press of his mouth, kisses him again. 

And again.

His free hand comes up to cup Steve’s cheek, holding that warmth in the palm of his hand, trying to keep him close for as long as possible. Steve makes a quiet noise against his lips, and his heart clenches, his breath catching in his throat. 

They part eventually, Billy still basking in the phantom sensation of Steve’s smile pressed to his, leaving him tingling and warm. Their foreheads touch, resting together, the point of contact is grounding, the only thing stopping him from feeling like he could float away at any moment. 

“So,” Billy says after a moment, “Fair warning, I’m gonna have to start complimenting you more if that’s how you react to it.”

Steve laughs quietly. His eyes are still closed, so Billy starts counting his eyelashes.

“This some kinda fairy tale, Hargrove? I kiss you and you turn into a polite human being?” 

“Hardly. But I’ll see what I can do about the happy ending part.” 

“The Disney kind, or the massage parlor kind?”

Billy kisses Steve again, grinning. “Both, if I’m lucky.”

And he was.

[harringrovetrashrat]

The discord (specifically @warheadache) got me thinking about a Grease AU and...well...

Steve gets broken up with at the end of the year.  Nancy is just not in love with him the way she thought.  So he goes with his parents for a full summer away, a full summer in California.  And he meets the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen.  And it’s summer.  It’s California.  And this boy is licking his lips at him, is flirting and he just--

He has the best summer he’s ever had.

And when they part ways Billy kisses Steve so fiercely it’s like he’s fallen in love, too.  But they have to part ways, even if it break their hearts to do it.

When Billy gets news that he’s moving to bumfuck nowhere, he’s pissed.  Because how can his Bambi come back and find him now?

The first person he meets is this greaser boy, Tommy.  Sees him smoking and asks to bum one.  Tommy immediately knows he’s never seen him before, clocks the leather jacket and tight pants, and introduces himself.  And he’s small town, but he’s fun, he pushes a nerd around and makes Billy laugh, so he’s good for now.  He does keep talking about a Stevie, probably his girlfriend, and a Carol, maybe his other girlfriend, but Billy won’t judge.  Can’t, yanno.

And Steve and Carol are busy most of the day, so they somehow don’t cross paths until after school, until the pep rally, when Carol runs over and plants one on Tommy.

“This must be Carol,” Billy says, giving her a wink.  She waggles her brows before turning and yelling,

“Stevie!  Over here!  Fresh meat!” Billy turns and… Fuck.  There’s his Bambi.

And Steve is so excited when he sees Billy, even if he’s fucking nervous because Billy understood him in a way none of his partners had before. But Billy...

The beautiful boy he thought he’d never see again, who had wanted more than a quick handy under the pier, who had broken down some of Billy’s walls in a single summer, is here?  In front of him?  And he panics.  Teases Steve, and he’s honestly kinda mean, and Steve just, doesn’t get it.  Tommy thinks it’s all in good fun, tells Steve that “Billy’s just like that” and Steve stares Billy down, hurt when he answers, “Never woulda guessed.”

Cue Steve spending more time with Carol and Heather, making Tommy jealous and a little sad, and Billy just kinda swallows his regret.  Let’s Steve keep his distance.  Keeps teasing and teasing because he’s never been good with feelings.

Steve is sitting by his pool after leaving a hang out, thinking about how different Billy is now that he’s here, and Billy arrives. Followed him because it’s almost December and he can’t take it.  He can’t be here, be near Steve, without getting to have him, even just a little bit.  So he’s standing on the opposite side and Steve ignores him because he’s tired of getting his heart broken, yanno?

But Billy sits, using a stick to make the water move and he says,

“I’m sorry.” Which doesn’t mean much but Steve shrugs in acceptance.

“Whatever.”

“No, I—“ Billy struggles with the words because this boy... “I’m sorry for... for everything.”

“Everything starting this summer or everything starting from the pep rally.”

“I could never be sorry for this summer.” And Steve looks up at that, a little shocked.

Billy isn’t looking, too vulnerable, but he keeps going.

“You— I’ve never—“ A frustrated groan.  He can’t find the words so he gets up, goes to leave, and as he walks away, he hears Steve say,

“I forgive you.” And Billy wants to stay, but he’s got a curfew and he’s still so scared.  Because there’s no way Steve could still love him the way he did.  Even if he does forgive him.

After the pool, Steve and Billy kinda call a truce.  They won’t bring up the summer, but they will act like it didn’t happen.  Like they just finally stopped butting heads.  Tommy loves it.  Because now Steve will hang out with them instead of the girls, right?  And Steve does, helps Tommy and Billy fix up Tommy’s car, even if it’s just controlling the radio while the other two work, rolling joints for their breaks.  But there’s a weird distance between Billy and Steve that Tommy just can’t seem to get rid of, and it irks him.  He keeps his feelings under wraps, but like, he doesn’t wanna lose Steve just for Billy.  No offense to Billy, he’s great in Tommy’s opinion, but Steve is his BFF.

And Billy and Steve, WHOOO BOY, these boys are staring at each other any time they can.  Billy watches as Steve laughs, chucking fries at Tommy while Tommy shoots spitballs at him from across the table.  Like, how can Steve be so beautiful while he’s got spitty paper stuck to the side of his face?  Billy doesn’t know but he’s weak for it.

And Steve is literally so grateful that Tommy spends most of his time under the car so he can’t see how Steve has to keep shifting as Billy bends over the front of the car, messing with the engine.  Like, Steve has had so many inopportune boners it’s getting ridiculous.  Cuz Billy wears his pants so tight and hates wearing sleeves, or keeps them rolled up so he can tuck his cig pack in the fold, and like, Steve is just supposed to look and not wanna jump him? Rude.

And things are decently chill, right?  And then prom.

It’s their last one and Steve decides to ask someone to go with him.  I’m wondering if maybe it’s Heather, who will agree because Robin maybe can’t go, or she needs a cover.  And like, they aren’t together, Billy has made that bed himself, but he doesn’t wanna fucking lay in it.  He doesn’t wanna watch Steve get all cuddly with a girl all night, cuz of course he’s gonna go stag.  And he thought maybe Steve would go stag too and they could ditch together and go to the park or drive in or something, and Billy could finally maybe make a move (he’d deny planning this shit out and daydreaming about it even tho he 100% did).  But no.  Steve wants the full experience and apparently he can’t get that with *illy.

And maybe Steve was trying to make Billy a little jealous.  See if he would be jealous.  And maybe Steve was thinking that since Heather and Robin are so obviously in love (somehow he’s the only one who notices (besides maybe Carol)) that he could get his dinner and photos for his folks before ditching to spend the night with Billy.  But since Billy decided that he’d rather spend the night talking with fucking Stacey Connors instead, Steve watches from across the room, sad and angry and wanting.

Heather takes him out to the back, because if she’s gonna sit with a moping Steve all night she’d prefer to have a little schnapps or some devil’s lettuce to get thru, yanno?  And Steve goes to lay down his jacket, but Heather just plops onto the dirty ground outside the back of the gym, because,

“This dress is ugly and I need weed more than I need to go back in there.” And Steve laughs, sits next to her, because Heather is actually really fun and nice and Steve wished he hung out with her more--

And the back door bursts open as Billy spills out, freezing in his tracks when he sees them sitting, passing a joint back and forth.  He gets a little embarrassed cuz he was definitely planning on breaking up a makeout sesh, not catching Steve laughing at Heather’s spot on impression of their principal.

“Hey Billy!” Because Heather cannot for the life of her read the tension between the boys.  She pats Steve’s knee, handing him the joint as she gets up.  Billy helps her on instinct and she pecks his cheek, giving it a pat.  “I’m gonna go see if they restocked the snack table.  You boys want anything?” Steve asks for some chips and Billy shakes his head.  Heather winks at Billy, all, “Take care of him while I’m gone.”

And then they’re alone.  So Billy sits next to Steve, who hands him the joint.  And things are a little tense, a little stiff, but finally Steve breaks the silence.

“Where’s Stacey?” Billy shrugs.

“Dunno.  Dancing, I think?”

“Really?” Steve snorts.  “You don’t know where your date is?” Cuz he’s bitter and not above giving some jabs because he thought maybe Billy was gonna be ready.  Would have understood.  Billy shrugs again.

“She wanted to dance with Kyle more.” And well, that wasn’t entirely true, but Kyle definitely wanted to dance with her more than Billy ever would.  So he’d slyly made sure that Stacey would have someone to cry to when he inevitably dropped her the moment he could get Steve alone.  “You and Heather having a good time?” And it comes out more petulant and annoyed than Billy meant for it to and Steve shakes his head, putting out the joint and pulling out his flask, handing it to Billy.

“She’d be having more fun with Robin, but yanno.  She’s nice.  Fun.” And Billy blinks, flask still pressed against his lips.

“Huh?”

“Robin,” Steve says, like it’s obvious.

“I mean, I guess, they are best friends--”

“They’re dating,” Steve says, realizing that Billy didn’t know.  And they lock eyes and something surges and--

“I got a bunch of different kinds of chips!” Heather showers them with small bags, making them laugh, and the three of them finish prom together before they take Heather to Robin’s.

Suddenly Steve and Billy are close again, and Tommy doesn’t know what’s happening when he’s not around, but these two keep going from hot to cold over and over and it’s infuriating.

And there’s a rival gang, led by Adam, who keep teasing Tommy, because Steve seems above it all (and Adam has a one-sided crush, is maybe pissed Tommy gets to be Steve’s bff instead of him), and Tommy finally bursts all,

“You’ve been so preoccupied with yourself you didn’t even notice these guys have been pulling shit all year!” And he and Steve get in a tiny fight, but it’s quickly resolved and Steve wants to tell Tommy what’s going on but he can’t, so he just admits he was distracted.  Hadn’t been giving as much as he got from Tommy.

And when it comes to the race, over turf is what it comes down to, because both of them want the Quarry as theirs, Tommy is ready to go.  But Steve is worried for him, so he does the thing of knocking Tommy out on accident, trying to just get him to let it go, but he won’t, keeps trying to get in the car even with a possible concussion--

So Billy does it.  Fucking wins.  No doubt.  And Steve can’t help himself.  Cuz it was hot and Billy is smiling and Tommy is happy and Steve has everyone he cares about close and there and--

And he kisses Billy.  Too wrapped up.

And everything stops.

The other gang had left, thank god, but Tommy is quiet.  Billy is stunned.  Carol thinks she shoulda seen this coming.  So Steve books it.  Fucking hides.  Avoids Tommy and Billy and everyone, sitting with Nancy and Jonathan to their surprise.

Billy is, well, he’s happy, but scared.  And Tommy suddenly realizes why Steve was so weird around Billy.  Realizes that Billy probably likes him back, too.  And he feels like shit because neither of them felt comfortable enough to tell him.  But Carol pumps him up and they make a plan.

And it’s the end of the year festival.  Everyone is there.  Tommy tells Billy to meet him by the ferris wheel and Robin tells Steve to meet her by the ferris wheel.  That she and Heather understood and wanted to talk to him.  And Tommy forces Steve and Billy into a ferris wheel cart with him, Robin along as help since Tommy doesn’t understand everything.  Tells a shaking Steve that they’re best friends and nothing would change that.  Tells Billy that he better take care of Steve, but that he’s got their backs because they always have his.

They all get off the ferris wheel, Heather and Carol waiting for them, and they are all together again, the D-Dogs and Pink Ladies.  They ditch the festival, choosing instead to go to the Quarry and celebrate there together.  And everyone in their pairs, Tommy and Carol cuddling on the hood of the car, Robin and Heather dancing to the radio as they watch and Billy and Steve?

They stand together at the ledge, holding hands, kissing, finally, to the sounds of their friends, happy behind them.  Ready for another beautiful summer.  One that won’t end.

[okaybutlikeimagine]

Since the quarantine started I've been trying to keep myself in shape, and I started to do exercises every day, feeling completely incapable. 😂😂😂 Imagine Billy trying to be some sort of personal trainer for Jonathan, mostly because he noticed that he doesn't move enaugh, but also because it's funny to watch him stuggle while Will and El laugh their asses off.

first of all: i FEEL it!! dude i keep trying to do things and then my mind is like: you’re real funny to think i’m ever doing anything physical ever again

I’M CACKLING i absolutely cannot!! Billy and Jonathan's relationship w/ each other makes me laugh and this??? has me rolling. you just know Jonathan would NOT want this. he'd push so hard against this. (also sorry i kind of gave this a plot WOOPS)

Okay, if this was a modern AU/if i ever could rip my absolute love for the 80’s away from myself enough to WRITE a modern AU, i think this would make the PERFECT ONE. like….. Imagine Billy filming shitty little videos on his camera/phone for social media (snapchat or instagram or like……. Vlogging for his fitness youtube channel or some shit, idk, i don’t use social media enough but you get the idea) and being like: “Alright guys… day one of turning local twig into more than just skin and bones.”

And he’s sauntering to Jonathan’s room as he talks and turns the camera around to find Jonathan’s door open and him laying on his bed like, reading or going through his camera or something looking at and deleting pictures he doesn’t like/need/whatever and Jonathan looks up, just barely perturbed bc it’s just Billy and his door is open so he kind of asked for this and the camera catches the exact moment that Jonathan’s face switches to -oh shit oh no Billy has his camera out- and he just goes: “What are you doing?”

And Billy turns the camera back around to him and you can see Jonathan’s little head and scared little face in the background behind Billy’s shoulder as Billy says: “Training day!” with the biggest, widest, most malicious grin on his face as he fucking trust falls back onto Jonathan’s stretched out form.

And Jonathan starts scrambling trying to get up but he’s really just flailing his limbs, eyes going wide as the camera gets blurry and there’s a thump and an-

“Ooof!”

And then Billy’s cackling.

And Jonathan’s voice is strained- sounds like someone’s practically choking him- as the camera focuses on Billy’s grinning face and skinny hands that are pushing at his broad shoulders and his cheek (which makes Billy grimace bc he doesn’t like his face being touched thank you) and Jonathan says: “Get off, you’re heavy.”

“First exercise! Push me off yourself.”

“What?” Jonathan squeaks. “No! I can’t! You’re like, a million pounds.”

“Million pounds of pure muscle, baby.” Billy says as he lets all that muscle go and becomes absolute dead weight onto Jonathan who is struggling.

“I hate you so much.” Jonathan wheezes, shoving at Billy, pinching him a few times until Billy smacks Jonathan’s hand hard enough to make him whine, laughing about how that’s cheating, jackass

You’re the one who won’t get up, asshole.

Yeah, well maybe after this we need to work on your reflexes, slow poke.

And it goes on like that. At first Billy does it randomly bc it’s kind of just a joke, like: “I think I wanna mess with Jonathan today. Let’s go.”

But then he gets kinda serious about it and it becomes an actual series of videos like: “Day 5, cardio day! If he can do it, then you can do it.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

Billy shrugs, grinning at the camera with an: “I think it’s pretty funny...”

Jonathan shoves at Billy, who in turn shoulders the boy back and makes him lose his balance.

The curly haired boy sends a knowing look to the camera.

“And this is why we’re doing this.”

“Whatever.” Jonathan mutters.

And it’s kind of fun for both of them, honestly!! Jonathan gets into it (even though Billy’s a little aggressive in his ways…) and absolutely does NOT look at any of the comments. Billy does though, and likes to tell Jonathan all of the ones that 1. Playfully make fun of him and 2. Are like…… really oddly and kind of grossly horny for him (bc Jonathan’s face gets red and he always tries to run away as quickly as possible bc our boy is a Shy Lil Bean who does NOT want to hear about how some random girl or guy on the internet thinks Jonathan is “just cute enough to eat the fuck up”) there are also some extremely rude people who shit on Jonathan constantly but they’re bullies and Billy always tells them off right before blocking them completely.

ANYWAY enough of that, let’s get back to the 80’s please!

No vlogging, no comments, just Billy walking out of basketball practice to his car to go hang out with Steve, heading around the back of the gym so he can avoid as many people as possible, when he hears a very familiar sound.

He looks over, out of instinct and curiosity bc yup, it’s a body being slammed into the chain link fence that surrounds the school. And his sauntering slows, curiosity fully taking over because hey, he must know the dudes that’re fighting, and gossip is one of the only interesting things in this town and-

Shit.... Shit, he knows that floppy hair.

It’s Jonathan. Billy doesn’t have a good view of the guy who’s pushing him but the two boys behind him are Jacob and Trevor so he figures the dude acting as the aggressor must be that jackass Zack Olson. The boy’s a punk. Billy keeps a careful watch of the scene in front of him, wondering what the occasion is.

And then the boy, with a hand still on Jonathan’s jacket, reaches his fist back for a punch. Billy does all he can to keep himself from going over there. Something about the need to “fight your own battles” or whatever filtering through his head when-

The boy punches Jonathan’s stomach. Billy’s mind is racing, blood starting to boil, shifting his weight.

C’mon, bud… fight back… I know you can-

He gets shoved back against the fence again, before his shin is getting kicked and-

Nope nope nope-

Billy’s kicked into gear. He’s stalking over there, getting faster with each aggressive move and the assholes are goddamn cackling and Billy’s blood is boiling and it seems like Jonathan’s had enough at this point bc he ducks out of the way quickly and then Billy’s veering for the hole in the fence and he’s stepping through it and he slams his hand against the fence, the rest of it shaking noisily as all 4 of the boys swing their heads over to him.

“Hargrove!” calls one of the boys.

“Get out of here.”

“C’mon… we’re just having some fun-”

“Get… out... unless you want your nose broken in multiple places.”

Fear fills their eyes, but they don’t leave without a scowl.

And then Jonathan is there, coughs a little bit, and Billy’s mad.

“Hey.” Jonathan mumbles, pushing off the fence to walk past Billy but Billy grabs his wrist before he can get away.

“What was that?” He asks, teeth clenched because he’s confused and is trying to make sense of this. “You just let those guys beat you up like that?”

Jonathan shrugs.

“I don’t understand you.” Billy continues, sitting in his hip, still keeping hold of the thin wrist. “Those guys are punks… You beat up my boyfriend, didn’t you? What are you doing letting those guys do that to you?”

“I don’t like to fight.” Jonathan mumbles and Billy thinks he needs to clean out his ears.

“Don’t like to fight?” Billy laughs disbelievingly. “From what I hear you beat Steve up to a fucking pulp and you don’t like to fight? Don’t give me that shit-”

“Yeah, because Steve was saying stuff about Will and… and my mom. So.” Jonathan looks Billy in the eyes but Billy’s too busy being shocked by the words.

He knew Jonathan beat Steve up in an alley. He knew Steve did some pretty shitty stuff leading up to it. He knew Steve incited it. He knew Steve was sorry sorry so sorry... but he didn’t know it got so personal. He didn’t know Steve said shit about the Byers. Steve never wants to talk about it and, frankly, Billy never wants to ask. But this seems important. Maybe he will. Because… well-

“.... He said shit about Joyce? And Will?” Billy’s grip loosens.

“Yeah…” Jonathan mumbles, hanging his head again, shaking his wrist out of Billy’s hand. “But he- he didn’t mean it. He was just mad. He apologized. A lot… it’s fine.”

Billy’s gonna have to ask about that. But for now he’s got a shaking boy in front of him that for some reason he like…. Actually cares about now and it’s weird but it’s not horrible and… and he doesn’t wanna see this boy get hurt when he knows the boy himself can prevent it.

“Huh…. well you’ve got reflexes obviously. Don’t tell me it’s some ‘monster’ side of you or something- you’ve got practice.”

“Yeah well…. I used to….” Jonathan’s voice gets far away. “I used to have to fight my dad off...”

“Oh…. huh.” Billy knew that too. Vaguely. Knows Jonathan’s dad was an absolute asshole and Jonathan used to have to keep him at bay so he wouldn’t hurt Joyce or Will. Still doesn’t make it any less shocking to know that their little family has roots in so much pain and fear. They’re such a good family now. They didn’t let it break them apart. Joyce fought for them and… and Billy can’t think about that too much. “So what, you’re one of those guys? Hero type, won’t fight unless you need to or whatever.”

“You do the same thing.”

“Do not-”

“Most of the time you do.” Jonathan says with an eyebrow raised. “C’mon Billy, you can cut the tough guy shit. I know you now.”

Billy’s not having it. “Yeah, whatever, this is about you. Maybe if you had some more meat on your bones they wouldn’t be able to push you around like that.”

“It’s not that, they’re just jerks-”

“Yeah, and you’re not exactly intimidating-”

“It’s fine, Billy, stop pretending like you care-”

“I do care, you asshole.”

“Then quit worrying. I’m fine, I’ll take care of myself, I can handle it… it’s fine. I just don’t like fighting.”

Billy’s irritated, but he’s too tired to fight because he already knows the two of them could go at it forever. He just watches Jonathan shrug his shoulders harshly as he backs up before he turns, slips through the hole in the fence, and stalks away.

Billy rolls his eyes.

But when he’s with Steve, he brings it up. The fact that he saw Jonathan after school (Steve asked how he’s doing), the fact that he saw Jonathan getting beat up (Steve sat up with concern and asked if he stopped them), the fact that Jonathan told him he doesn’t like to fight (Steve nodded with understanding, like he knew that already), the fact that-

“Jonathan said you said shit about Will and Joyce.”

“Hu-... oh…”

“That’s why he beat you up.”

“I… I didn’t mean it. He knows I didn’t. I swear I didn’t, I was just… it was a lot that was happening and-” Steve is stammering. Billy starts to feel bad about it. “-there’s no excuses. No no, there’s no excuses, I shouldn’t make excuses, I was an asshole and I shouldn’t have said that shit no matter how angry I was because they… they didn’t do anything and Will is such a good kid and Joyce is like… one of the only people that actually ever seems to care and-”

“Babe.”

“And I didn’t mean it, I swear-”

“Babe.”

“H-huh?”

“I know.” Billy says, grabbing hold of Steve’s face to get him to calm the hell down. Steve breathes.

But Billy still doesn’t know what to do about Jonathan. And Steve tries to reassure him that- “He knows what he’s doing. We know he can fight them off he just… doesn’t want to. Can’t make a horse eat the hay or…. Whatever it is. What is it? Can’t get an old dog to… drink from a river?”

Billy rolls his eyes, but his heart beats a little faster.

“You’re such a dumbass.”

Steve tries to be resentful but he’s being kissed so he doesn’t exactly have the opportunity.

But Billy isn’t okay with this!!! He truthfully doesn’t know how Jonathan even has the reflexes he does still bc Lonnie’s been gone for a while and all the boy does nowadays is lay around the house…. Literally that’s it. At any given moment of any given day he’s laying on the couch, laying in his bed, or running around with his camera- and by ‘running’, he really means ‘ambling’ bc the boy has absolutely no sense of urgency.

He likes to say that he had “enough urgency back when I thought my brother was dead. I’d like to take a break now.” but Billy likes to say: “That was two years ago, you lazy fucker.”

So.

And Billy can’t really be lead to believe that sex with Nancy is that much of a fuckng cardio work out. Billy doesn’t know hardly any details of the two and their sex life because he doesn’t want to know but Billy can bet the two of them are the most vanilla people on the planet. And Nancy is tiny, it’s not like lifting her would be that much of a physical strain. For anyone.

So...

He’s like…. upset about this. Jonathans carries himself very differently when he’s at home than when he’s at school but it still bothers Billy bc why. And he figures it must be bc the boy just isn’t physically capable of being confident in a place with so many people. Figures maybe Jonathan just wants to be invisible when he's at school and so he shrinks but Billy just doesn't understand. And now all I can think about is Billy being a really fucking aggressive version of Glinda from Wicked and Jonathan is Elphaba and Billy just stands in Jonathan’s doorway, large and intimidating presence that he is, and says: “Jonathan, I’ve decided to make you my new project.”

And Jonathan, who’s laying in bed eating popcorn and flipping through his photo album as he listens to R.E.M. just gives a very disinterested look in Billy’s direction and says: “You really don’t have to do that.”

And Billy sits in his hip and raises and eyebrow and rolls his eyes and says: “I know…” on a sigh, with a vaguely exhausted and yet somehow cocky “That’s what makes me so nice.” tagged onto the end.

“Think I’m gonna have to disagree-”

“No time. C’mon. We’re going for a run.”

And Billy tries not to give the boy much of a chance, but he makes it so difficult. For as thin and lazy as the boy seems to be, Jonathan has a lot of fucking endurance. He can fight Billy on this forever and Billy really just wants to pick him up and throw him in front of the weights and make him lift them but like… he knows he can’t so he gives up for the day.

But then one day he catches Jonathan asleep on the couch.

So he scares him awake.

“Shit!” Jonathan jerks, sitting up and looking into Billy’s face and sighing harshly. “Billy! Are you trying to kill me?”

“Did that get your heart rate up?”

“Yeah, you nearly scared me to death.”

“Great, we’re going for a run.”

“No.”

“Yes, we are. 5 laps around the house and then we’ll see where you’re at, c’mon.”

“Billy I said no.” And Jonathan pushes himself up and starts heading to the kitchen but Billy just isn’t having this because… because he knows Jonathan was getting smacked around again yesterday. Knows he got harassed after gym class. Billy saw it. He’s mad about it and he thinks he can do something about it so he’s gonna and…

Billy grabs hold of the back of Jonathan’s shirt and yanks him back.

“Billy!”

“You think you’re good? Fine then, fight me.”

“No.”

And Billy keeps hold of Jonathan’s shirt even as he struggles out of the way and Billy knows the boy used to be able to hit and take a punch in return but he just… he needs to really know. If Jonathan can get away from him then he’ll leave him alone but only then.

Jonathan struggles. “Let go of me.”

“You get away yourself.”

“Billy-”

And Billy pulls Jonathan back some more so he can pin him against the wall aggressively and Jonathan shrinks and Billy’s got him against the wall, hand to his chest, arm’s distance away from him, waiting for Jonathan to fight back and-

“Fight back.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Do it. Try and get away.”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m at home! I don’t… I don’t wanna fight in my house! Not in the house, just-stop. What if Will walks in?”

And the words strike Billy harshly. Like he’s the one that’s taken a blow, like Jonathan just punched him and-

And suddenly Billy feels like an absolute asshole. Because he’s being a bully. He’s bullying Jonathan in his own home, even when he’s being asked to stop. He’s an aggressor. He’s being their fucking father and maybe the intent isn’t malicious but that doesn’t change a whole fucking lot, now does it? He knows it doesn’t. He loosens his grip, unsure how he could have let himself get this far. He tries to convince himself that it’s not like that... but he knows that Will wouldn’t see it that way if he were to walk in.

He lets go of Jonathan. They stand there in silence.

But Billy’s still just not okay with this.

“I just… I don’t wanna see you get pushed around anymore.”

Jonathan rolls his eyes.

“Then look away.”

Billy growls.

“No, you idiot. Don’t you… you affect Will too, y’know!”

Jonathan eyes Billy darkly. “Yeah, what are you talking abou-”

“What do you think he would think if he saw you getting pushed around? He’s gonna think it’s okay to let people do that to him!” Billy’s getting riled up and really he feels kind of stupid being so affected by these people he gave absolutely zero shits about a little over a year ago but… but now.

Jonathan’s mouth screws up in thought and irritation. Billy’s trying to hit it home.

“He’s not gonna stand up for himself because you don’t.”

Jonathan slumps against the wall. Billy thinks he’s got him.

“I still don’t see why you care.” Jonathan mumbles, eyeing Billy with a curiosity that’s colored with disdain and Billy’s a little sick of that face.

“Because you guys are my family now, jackass.”

Jonathan scoffs disbelievingly. “I really never would have pegged you for being such a ‘family guy’, Billy.”

The words leave something bitter in Billy’s system. He licks his teeth . “Yeah, well, maybe I don’t wanna be like those assholes.”

Jonathan sizes Billy up for a second… and Billy knows he’s got him.

“Fine.”

Billy’s grin becomes shark-like. If that scared look on Jonathan’s face is regret… well it’s too late for that.

And so Joyce comes home from her shift at the store to find her son…. Running…. Around the outside of the house……

“Uhm… Hi honey.” Joyce climbs to the porch, turning around as Jonathan stops in front of her.

“H-uh… huh… huh… huh…h-uh-”

“Don’t stop! Who said you could stop?!” Comes a voice that makes Joyce jump.

Billy jogs up, looking up at Joyce and giving a polite smile.

“Hi!” He says, hands on his hips, slightly out of breath but looking rather unbothered compared to Jonathan who’s currently bent over wheezing.

“Uhhhhhm…. What’s going on?”

“Jonathan’s my new workout buddy!” Billy says triumphantly, patting a large hand harshly on Jonathan’s back and causing the boy to cough in response.

Joyce looks concerned. Billy’s not too worried about it.

“Uh huh. Alright then… well, I’m just gonna start on… dinner…. Then….”

“Sounds good.” Billy pats Jonathan’s back harshly, barking again once Joyce has her back turned. “Alright, 5 more!”

“B-but! We just did 5!”

“Yup, and we’re doing 5 more. C’mon, the longer you stay standing the harder it’s gonna be, now move!”

And Jonathan’s getting shoved and then the two are running, Jonathan flailing a bit more with every step he takes but hey…. All that stuff about Rome and taking time and whatever… Billy thinks that applies here.

And so the two of them work out and Jonathan kind of 100% wants to quit every time they start (esp bc Billy seems to know exactly when it’s inconvenient for Jonathan to start working out and picks that exact moment to bug him) but…. It kind of feels good... he guesses.

And Billy pushes hard at first. And he makes Jonathan eat more. Like… a lot more. So much more, in fact, that the boy vomits and Billy realizes he may need to pull back because: Hey…. maybe he can’t force too much too quickly. He’s just trying to get the boy to carbo-load so he gets some kind of muscle.

He wants to track it too (because maybe this is his calling or something), so he asks Jonathan for his camera and pulls him in front of a wall.

“Uhhh… please just… just be careful with it.” Jonathan insists, holding onto his camera until the last possible second but eventually having to concede to allowing the camera to lay in Billy’s large hands.

“It’s fine.”

“Put the strap on. It can’t fall if you-”

“I’m not putting on the stupid little strap, I’m not trying to look like a loser, I’m just trying to get a picture.” and then he’s twisting and flipping the camera around in his hands, mumbling: “Now how do I…?”

“Be careful.”

“I’ve got it!” Billy barks, eyebrows furrowing. “I’m just looking for the-shit!”

“Ah!” Jonathan cries, moving lightning fast towards his camera and catching it before it hits the ground. His breath is labored from his fear. “What the hell! Be careful, asshole!”

Billy’s heart is racing too, fear flashing in his eyes as he watched the camera start to fall to the ground. He takes a second to collect himself.

“Cool. Good. I was just testing your reflexes.”

“Yeah, it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re a clumsy piece of shit.”

“Hey.” Billy growls, reaching to grab for the camera again but Jonathan holds it away. “Keep that up and I break it for real.”

“Yeah yeah.” Jonathan says, completely unconvinced, flopping the camera strap around Billy’s neck and catching his head a bit.

“Hey, watch the hair!”

“Woops.” Jonathan mocks like a piece of shit and Billy’s gonna fight him just for being irritating. Jonathan steps back up against the wall once he’s satisfied that the strap is on properly.

“Alright, say cheese.”

“Cheese.” Jonathan mumbles and the flash goes off.

And the two of them work out every day!! And every week Billy pushes Jonathan to stand against the wall and takes some pictures, some with him flexing (I feel stupid, Yeah well you’ll feel less stupid once you’ve got something to flex, now shut up and stay still).

And Jonathan is sore. Like… all the time. El laughs about it when she tries to mess around with him and he winces in pain. Will is a little worried but it makes him giggle.

One day the two kids are sitting in the room, eating lunch and watching TV, when Billy decides it’s time to lift weights in the living room. And so they do. And Jonathan’s just lifting the bar and it’s difficult. And Billy likes to show off so he’s lifting a shitton and yelling at Jonathan to keep up and it’s hard and the kids start laughing.

Jonathan whines a bit, setting the bar down and asking Billy quietly if maybe they can do this later because…. Well… he’s embarrassed.

And that just won’t do. He’s not okay with that. Because he’s having Jonathan do this so that they can both be good examples for these kids and they’re laughing?

So Billy sets his weights down and walks in front of the kids and El glares him down bc he’s “in the way” and Will seems kind of nervous bc Billy has that glint in his eye and then-

“Ah! Wait! Billy!”

Billy scoops Will up and carries him over to Jonathan and shoves a squirming Will into Jonathan’s arms.

“Weight training.” Billy supplies by way of answer, and Jonathan is laughing bc Will is wriggling and he’s hard to hold like this but Billy’s too busy walking over to El who’s so busy cracking up over on the couch that she doesn’t notice Billy is currently headed towards her on a mission… until he picks her up and then she’s squealing and he turns to Jonathan with a: “Get to it!”

And Billy starts curling with El is his arms and she’s squealing and wriggling and all 4 of them are laughing and Hop is most definitely confused when he comes home in his break between shifts.

But progress is made! And one day Jonathan comes home from work to find Steve lazing around on the couch with Billy, the both of them in crop tops and short exercise shorts, and Jonathan knows this is nothing good. Because there’s a bag next to the couch and Jonathan thinks maybe he should just turn back around and try to hang out with Nancy or something because-

“Finally! We’ve been waiting around for you!” Billy calls out, rolling himself off the couch and picking up the bag and oh no.

“Hey Johnny!” Steve calls from the couch and Jonathan is supremely uncomfortable whenever Steve calls him that but he does it so often and he can’t think too much about it bc the bag is being shoved into his chest.

“Put these on.”

Jonathan peeks into the bag and closes it quickly.

“No.” Jonathan whines.

“Shut up just put them on.”

“Why?”

“Because you wear the same sweats every time we work out and they’re gross, now put them on.”

And now the kids are really laughing…. Like REALLY laughing…. Bc the the three boys are wearing crop tops and short exercise shorts as they work out in the living room and Billy took one of his hair ties and tied up Jonathan’s fringe so there’s a little tuft at the top of his head bc: “We’re doing burpees and your hair is gonna get in the way, dummy.”

And it’s just funny.

Jonathan can’t say he agrees. he also can't really laugh while he’s busy wheezing.

But he’s doing well! And he starts getting some muscle and he didn’t think it’d feel this good but like… gym doesn’t totally suck anymore. And he’s not as tired 24/7. And his body like… starts feeling good when he and Billy start to exercise. To the point that when they take a day off he feels bad... almost empty.

And Billy is so proud of him! And yeah, it’s not like Jonathan’s gonna try out for the basketball team or anything, but when guys try to push him around in the hallway now he’s surprisingly sturdy. He plants his feet and he’s practically a rock and guys are confused by it. When guys try to push him against fences they just can’t. People stop bothering him. They murmur about how “the freak got like… strong all of a sudden”

And Billy couldn’t be prouder. Really, he feels like he should do this professionally.

Although… Nancy is pretty confused when she walks into the dark room in search of her boyfriend (who is absolutely fed up with her nonsense of not listening to him when the light says to stay out) and she hugs him from behind and asks: “Uh… what’s that?”

Bc Jonathan is developing all the pictures they’ve taken and… well…

“Who took those?” She asks, grabbing for them no matter how much Jonathan protests that you’re gonna ruin them, be careful

“Uh… Billy took them.”

“Billy? Hargrove? Took pictures of you… shirtless? And flexing?”

Jonathan’s about to melt to the floor in embarrassment. Nancy is giggling.

“Did you guys take them for me, or what?”

Jonathan’s head is in his hands. He’s gonna die.

“Y’know how I told you we’ve been working out?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“He wanted pictures to... document the progress. He gets a power trip off of it or something.”

“Oh my god, Jonathan, are you wearing a crop top in this one?!”

Jonathan is absolutely going to die.

[catharrington]

15. "You know he's/she's/they're just as gone on you as you are on him/her/them, right? Like I've seen the two of you taking turns staring at each other while the other one isn't looking and let me tell you, that shit is not cute."  whichever pairing you want. (but please make it asexual?)

Thank you thank you for the prompt!! I love the list!!!💜

Okay I’m going to stay inside this Au I made for the last fill because I seriously love them. And I’ve seriously fallen in love with ace!steve. Like the boy just wants safety and cuddles okay. I hope this is accurate for the community and please let me know if not or if there is any problematic language or something could be better. I will be continuing this~~ I’ve got some ideas ;)

***

The food court of Starcourt mall is unusually quiet. Robin is picking at her milkshake with her straw violently almost, and Billy is doing his best to ignore her. They are sitting across from the huge windows of Scoops Ahoy looking in as Steve finishes up his shift so Billy can scoop him. Robin is just counting down the time before she has to take his place. For Billy it cannot come fast enough. Because the food court is unusually quiet, and Robin is acting like she has something to say.

Billy tries to focus on the way Steve smiles at a group of children, the way the light blue of his work place tshirt, swapped out from their gaudy uniforms for budgets sake, makes his hair a brighter shade of caramel.

Robin’s next to him in a matching blue shirt, and she’s leaned forward. She definitely wants to talk.

“Spill it, Buckley.” He groans.

“Touchy, touchy, Hargrove. Who says I want to spill anything?” She snarks back. Billy turns to glare at the smile growing on her face.

“You’ve been stabbing that milkshake so hard it’s going to turn to butter. Something on your mind? Wanna talk about feelings?” Billy puts on his best Austrian accent and adjusts an invisible pair of glasses on his nose.

Robin’s laugh in reply is short. “Firstly. Honestly surprised you know how to churn butter, jock fiend.” She nods at his lifeguard shorts and long sleeve white shirt reading Hawkins Community Pool. “And second, it’s not my feelings.”

That’s strange. “Then what’s up?” Billy’s not eager, but bored.

Robin bites her lip a little. She turns to look at Steve through the window once, then back to Billy. And that makes his stomach tighten. “You know he’s just as gone on you as you are on him, right?” Billy looks down from her, suddenly very interested in his fries. “Like, I've seen the two of you taking turns staring at each other while the other one isn't looking, and let me tell you... that shit is not cute." 

“It ain’t like that, Buckley.” He replies while jabbing a cold fry into his mouth.

“Pretty boy doesn’t look at me any sort of way. So get that out of your head.”

She isn’t deterred by him talking with food in his mouth. She just rolls her eyes, propping her chin on her hand. “So that’s it? Huh? You think Steve doesn’t like you back?”

“Didn’t say that-,”

“You don’t have to.” Her voice is softer but still scratchy with a little venom. It makes Billy ridged. “It’s obvious. And it’s also obvious he likes you. I’m telling you he stares and it’s gross.”

Billy wonders what she’s trying to prove. Why she’s trying to convince him of something she knows isn’t true. Billy’s even slightly growing annoyed at the implication of Steve wanting him that way, when she knows. She’s supposted to know.

“Steve doesn’t look at me anyway and I’ll tell you why, Buckley.” He gets serious. She notices and leans forward on her arms a little. Billy motions her closer with a wave of his hand, she follows. They are sitting inches apart now so he speaks quietly, right into her face. “My huge fat cock for one.”

She draws a sharp breath through her nose and jerks backwards. “Hargrove! I should kill you for that!” She fists her milkshake and actually stands up from the table. A righteous lesbian flurry of blond hair, she’s great to pick on.

“Leave it alone, okay?” Billy says hurried. Quiet under all her yelling. But she hears him and settles a little from it. Robin sinks back down into her chair. Hair still frazzled, milkshake straw moving in her fingers, but settled.

“You know,” she starts again, softer than last time, “that’s not always a defining factor. It’s different for different people. Have you actually talked with him about it? Asked him how he felt?”

Billy watches her. Has he asked Steve how he felt? Not in so many words. It’s always been easy with Steve. He’s got an animated face and talks with his whole body, his hair even gives away how he’s feeling like a cartoon character. Taller and brighter when he’s happy, dull and messy when he’s sad. Billy can read him, he’s good at reading him, but he’s never really talked to him.

Oh. Billy pokes another fry into his mouth. “Nah, don’t need to. I live with the guy, come on. You think I would know him.”

She’s furrowing her brows. Robin knows when Billy is full of shit. “Asexuality is a spectrum, dude. Maybe for once try and-,”

Then the glass doors of Scoops Ahoy are opening and Steve is walking towards them with caramel streaks in his hair and smile on his face. It was a good day at the ice cream prison, Billy doesn’t want to ruin that for him. He stands up shortly and moves to throw out his tray of food. Robin’s left sitting, churning because he cut her off, but Billy doesn’t care.

He only cares about how breathless Steve’s smile makes him when he walks close.

“Hey man,” and that smile turns away to Robin to fill her in on the shop. Slow day for customers, the freezer is messy, he forgot to mop the front again. Billy still watches and is still soaking in Steve’s happiness.

Robin sees him from the corner of her eye. Billy thinks she can get bent. Her snarky comments were unwelcome, but maybe Billy could take some advice. Maybe instead of just reading Steve he could actually ask him.

“Thanks for coming to pick me up,” Steve says towards Billy. He’s holding tight on the strap of his messenger bag and wearing one of Billy’s old denim jackets. Billy thinks about how Steve said it made him feel cozy one day, super warm; so after Mike or Mark or whoever broke Steve’s heart Billy casually lent it out to him. The look on Steve’s face gave him all that he needed. It still was.

“I came for a burger, didn’t even know you were getting off, Bambi.” He lies. But it makes Steve laugh.

“Yeah- okay, thanks. Let’s go home? I really want to take a shower. I’m all sticky and sweaty and just not a good look.” Steve runs one of his hands through his hair and smooths it back to a neat but tall quaff. He smiles lopsided.

Billy is already spinning his keys on his finger. “Lead the way,” he says.

[billy-the-hurricane]

I really love trans! Billy or trans! Steve. IDK if that’s your thing but if it is I just want some trans boi content 😅

Heya! Sorry for the delay darling 😅

So I'm not part of that community, and I don't want to appropriate it in fear of being accidentally disrespectful, but I defo have some headcanons ^u^ ((shout-out to my best friend, who is ftm and helped me come up with them))

It's a modern time au, simply because I'm absolutely not informed on how transitioning worked in the 80's 😅

So it's Steve. Even if Billy was, it's really sad to say, but he definitely wouldn't be able to transition until his twenties because of Neil and it makes me too sad to think about it >.<

But Steve, Steve is always home alone. His parents never stick around and never were there for him. They didn't see all of the struggles he's been through to find who he really was, and Steve honestly didn't even tell them for the longest time. He only did when he had to have his parents legal agreement to get on hormones that he said anything, and even then, he only told his mother. She's been quite confused about it, but supportive still and went with him to get testosterone for the first time, and helped bringing it up to his father. It was.. Harder to make him accept this for sure, and John even refused to call Steve by anything else than the name he was given at birth for the longest time. It obviously hurt, but his father has never supported him, he grew used to it.

Later, he had his top surgery done by an amazing surgeon, and once fully healed, it looked beautiful, better than he could have hoped for. He was now comfortable going into the collective showers with his teammates as long as he kept his underwear on (body dysphoria is a bitch), and although the others found it weird, they thankfully didn't end up questioning it.

When him and Nancy got together, he set the record straight early on and told her he was trans, which she was totally cool with much to Steve's relief.

When him and Billy got together, Steve was nervous to tell him. Much more than for Nancy. Because Billy said he was a 100% gay and all that. And Steve didn't know if it meant he would be okay with all of his body or not. He knew some people were not really open to it. He told him at the quarry. They'd made up a while ago, became friends before curiosity caught them both and a kiss followed another one night. And since they became more or less a thing, Steve had to tell them before things went any further. At first, he thought he broke Billy, because he completely paused, and for a moment Steve thought it meant Billy was indeed not into it. Harrington muttered an apology and tried to get up before Billy pulled him back down and kissed him. Whispered that "it doesn't change a thing" and Steve was happy. He felt loved and cared for.

[blueberrylemontea-fanfic]

Golden

Steve x Billy

I’ve got such a soft spot for guys in makeup, so here we are... Modern Day! AU in which Steve, Robin, Billy and Heather all end up at UCLA. Billy started wearing makeup and Steve is all for it. To try and impress Billy, he gets some makeup of his own. 

Steve quickly untied the strings of his apron, tossing it in the laundry basket in the back room and smoothing out his creased black shirt. He was so glad his shift was finally over, it had been busy as hell and he had an urgent question he needed to ask Robin.

Not that he didn't like the work, though. Working at the campus coffee shop was probably the best gig around, he got to know a large part of the student body this way and he got to work with Robin, which was always a blast. Plus, there was that cute blond that came in almost every day around 4:30.

Steve almost hadn't recognized him at first. 

Okay, that was a blatant lie, he could pick those electric blue eyes out of a line-up. And not just his eyes, if Steve was honest he could pick Billy out of a crowd even when he had his back turned to him. However, to say Billy had changed since high school was an understatement. 

By some miracle Steve had gotten into UCLA together with Robin, and it was no surprise that Billy would go there too. But seeing him there had still been a shock. 

Billy was glowing. 

He looked golden out here in the sun, his sun kissed skin even more tan than it had been in Hawkins, the golden chains he wore around his neck only highlighting his glorious complexion. His hair seemed more like liquid gold than Steve remembered too, but the most noticeable was the actual liquid gold that was adorning Billy's face. 

He was wearing a line of sparkling golden eyeliner arched high on his eyelids, making the blue of his eyes look just about unbearably bright. 

Steve thought he'd looked like a dream, sparkling so brightly it was almost unfair. He was laughing brighter than Steve had ever seen him do. He finally looked happy.

When he'd come into the coffee shop for the first time he'd looked flustered, Steve was the last person he had expected to see there. He was blushing slightly, having spent all summer trying to forget what an asshole he'd been to him had been a waste. He'd never been so ashamed of anything in his life. After staring at him for what felt like eternity, he'd given Steve a small nod. 

Steve had been just as fazed, nodding back slightly, drowning in Billy's eyes so completely that he couldn't think of a single thing to say. 

Billy had quietly ordered a large black coffee and tipped very generously, as if that might ease his mind slightly. 

This had quickly become a daily thing and Steve might have felt like Billy was just trying to buy off his guilt, hadn't he noticed that Billy was being so nice all the time. 

Like, sure, he was still a cocky son of a bitch, but the violence and the anger had all seemingly faded. 

Steve quickly found out that he was actually really funny and smart and charming as hell. 

Apparently, he and Robin had sort of been friends back in high school and she was delighted to see him again. He always stayed to talk to her when he came to get coffee, which is how he quickly bonded with Steve too.

It had been careful at first, the memories of their shaky history thick in the air between them, but it hadn't been long before they both realized they actually really liked hanging out with each other. 

So, soon Billy had been over there every day, sometimes even more than once on quiet days and Steve's once small crush on the guy had grown exponentially, so quickly it was frightening. 

Robin had teased him about it mercilessly, hardly able to contain her glee that Steve was crushing so hard, and on no one other than Billy fucking Hargrove of all people. She'd make fun of him every time Hargrove flirted with him and his cheeks got so pink it spread to the top of his ears, rolling her eyes at his horrible attempts at flirting back. 

He'd tried to deny it at first, but who was he kidding? And honestly, how could he not fall in love with him? He was the most gorgeous creature Steve had ever laid eyes on. And he was so unashamedly himself, Steve looked up to him for that so badly, he wished he was brave enough to be like that too. 

Every time Billy came in, Steve would admire the strings of golden necklaces around his neck, the dangling earrings he wore, he seemed to have an endless supply of those, as Steve had hardly ever seen him wear the same one twice. The way he often pulled his hair up in a scrunchie on top of his head... 

And then there were those fluid golden lines on his eyes that he was never without, they varied in shape and size from day to day, but Steve thought they were just as mesmerizing every single time. 

After a while, Steve noticed that the shine on Billy's cheekbones when the light hit them just right wasn't just his glowing, golden skin, but wonderful shimmering highlighter, and the handful of times Billy had worn lip-gloss Steve had actually ran and hid out in the back, it was just too damn much. 

He just couldn't believe someone could actually look that beautiful up close. He could feel his throat run dry every time Billy came close to him, so lost in that ethereal face that he temporarily lost the ability to speak. 

He wanted for once to have Billy notice him like that, to be daring and brave the way he was. So that day he'd gone into work with a plan. 

He'd waited his entire shift to bring it up with Robin, knowing full well that if he did so during their shift he wouldn't hear the end of it for hours. So now, finally, he joined Robin in the empty break room. 

He grabbed a soda and pulled up a chair, joining Robin who sat lazily leaned back in her chair, her converse resting on the table. "Hey, um, so I was wondering if maybe you could help me out with something?" 

She lent her head back, rolling her eyes ever so slightly "Well that all depends on what you need help with, huh, dingus" 

"Well, um, I was thinking that maybe you could, um, y'know..." Steve was stumbling over his words. He was kind of nervous about asking her this, scared she would think it was a really dumb idea. But, like usually, Robin had no patience for his shenanigans "Spit it out already, Harrington!"

"Iwaswonderingifmaybeyoucouldteachmeaboutmakeup?" 

He blurted it out so quickly Robin could barely pick up on it. 

"What?" 

"I was wondering if maybe you could teach me about makeup" Steve sighed, still rambling, but at least this time it sounded like words instead of a long, incoherent hiss. 

"Yeah, I heard you the first time" Robin quipped, whipping her feet off the table so she could face him properly. 

"You wanna start wearing makeup?" He shrugged, running a hand through his hair "I don't know, maybe, yeah" Robin's smirk made his stomach clench "To impress Hargrove?" 

"What? Pssh, no!" 

"Jesus, Harrington, you're even worse at lying than you are at flirting, that's almost impressive" 

Steve groaned and banged his head down on the table.

"Fiiiine! I've got a massive crush on the guy and he's so beautiful and I wanna sparkle like that too, sue me!" 

Robin was openly laughing now, wrapping an arm around his shoulder sympathetically "Oh dingus, you've got it good, don't ya? Now, I'm not really the makeup-y type, but I know someone who can help" Steve whipped his head up "Really, who? When?" He jumped up in excitement. 

"Relax, doofus! I've just texted her, we can go to her dorm now if you want" 

"Thanks, you're the best" he wrapped Robin in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground slightly as he spun her around. 

"I know! Now put me down, for the love of god" Robin giggled, slapping her hands against his chest softly. Secretly, she loved to be hugged, and even if she'd never admit it, she knew Steve knew that she did. 

"Let's go, dingus" she smiled once Steve put her down, ushering him out of the door and across campus, to Heather's dorm.

"Hi!" Heather was smiling brightly as she swung open her dorm room. 

Steve remembered her hanging out with Billy in the coffee shop. He also remembered her flirting with Robin every time she came by the counter. By the way Robin was blushing right now, Steve knew there was definitely something there. 

"So, Harrington here needs some makeup tips, and I figured who better to ask than you?" Robin was trying to be her usual chill self, but her voice came out a lot softer, lacking her normal sarcastic bite. 

Heather raised her hand to her chest "Well, aren't I touched?" She chuckled. "You've come to the right place though, have a seat Steve" 

Steve could see what Robin saw in her, she was never without a bright, open smile that showed nothing but sugary sweetness. Steve didn't think he'd ever heard a say anything even remotely mean, the girl was pure sunshine all the way down. And he had to admit, her makeup did always look immaculate. 

Steve took the seat at the little vanity she'd offered him with a small thanks.  He was nervous, feeling rather exposed as he was looking at his reflection in the mirror, flanked by the two girls who were staring at him intently. 

"Okay, so, do you know what type of look you're going for?" He shook his head, blushing slightly. He was absolutely clueless when it came to this. "Something to impress..." "Robin!" He hissed at Robin to shut her damn mouth but she just snorted. 

"Please, dingus, you're really not subtle enough to think Heather doesn't know you've got a major crush on her best friend, okay? She's noticed that on day one" "Duuude" Steve threw his hands up, exasperated. 

"No offense, Steve, but she's right. You're not very subtle" Heather sounded almost pitiful at having to burst Steve's bubble. "But don't worry, Billy's pretty oblivious to that stuff so he probably hasn't noticed a thing" she added quickly, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

Steve couldn't help but groan, this was so goddamn embarrassing. Here he was, getting told it was apparently extremely obvious to practically everyone that he had a crush on Billy while he was taking desperate measures for the guy to even notice him. Man, when had he gotten so lame. 

"Cheer up, buttercup" Robin rolled her eyes at him "Now let's make you pretty, 'kay?" 

Heather started rummaging through her makeup, tossing up a bunch of items that looked totally unfamiliar to Steve. "Good. So, since you don't really know what you like yet I'll just start with some things I think'll look good on you, okay?"

Steve nodded, fascinated by the huge amount of gorgeous colors Heather was splaying out on the table. 

She bent down so her face was next to his, studying his features so closely it made Steve feel rather self-conscious. "Yeah okay, I've got just the thing for you. Turn?" 

He swiveled around on the stool, coming face to face with Heather who was holding up a tiny compact case full of shimmering powder. "So this is tinted highlighter, it's kind of pinkish but not too much, so it'll blend nicely with your skin. Just give it a little bit of color and shine" 

She explained while she was dabbing some of the powder on the lower side of his cheekbones. Then she took out a brush and swiped it over his cheekbones with a few quick strokes. "You could blend this in just as easily with your fingers, don't necessarily need a brush for it but it's a little quicker" 

Then she picked up two different colored pencils and held them up to his eyes, one on each side of his face. 

"What do you think, Robs?" 

Robin leaned down too, inspecting the pencils closely. "Um, I'd say, maybe that one?" She pointed to his left eye. 

Heather nodded enthusiastically "Yeah, I thought so too" She uncapped the pencil "Look up" Steve did as she said and he felt Heather's finger under his eye, ever so slightly pulling down the skin. "Hold still, okay?" 

She started lightly tracing the pencil under his eye and Steve had to try very hard to resist the urge to pull his head back, as it felt like she was going to poke him in the eye at any second. 

After she traced the pencil under both of his eyes she grabbed another brush, a lot smaller than the previous one with a tiny soft-looking spongey blob on the end. She pulled on the outer corner of his eye a little bit and smoothed the brush under his eye, starting in the middle and swiping it away from his nose. She did that a couple of time before she did the other side. "Close your eyes" 

He recoiled slightly when she unexpectedly blew on his eyes once he'd closed them, making both girls giggle. 

"Does either of you have some non-tinted chapstick?" Heather asked and Robin nodded quickly fumbling in her pocket and handing Heather the small tube, which she expertly swiped over Steve's lips. 

"Go like this" she drew her lips in, swiping them over each other before drawing them back out, Steve followed her lead. "Tastes like coconut" 

"Y'know Billy loves coconut" Heather chuckled at the way Steve blushed brightly. "Cute. So, Robs, what do you think?" 

Robin stared at him in awe. "Well, I didn't think it could be done, but you've made him kind of... pretty" She practically gagged on the word 'pretty', like it made her feel physically ill to compliment Steve. 

"Really?" Steve swiveled over to the mirror quickly, almost falling off when he caught his reflection. 

Robin was right, he looked pretty. Like, really pretty. 

"Whoa" 

He could barely believe that that was him. His face was glowing, the soft pink shimmering on his cheeks made him look more... alive, somehow. The chapstick made his lips look softer, the word 'pillowy' popped into his head. But the real kicker were his eyes. 

Slowly, he reached up his hand to touch the dark, emerald green line under his eye. Heather had blurred it out a little along the edge of his eye, giving it a kind of smoldering effect. 

He leaned forward and let out a little gasp when the light caught his eye. The line shone brightly and it made his eyes look like gemstones, all light and sparkly. It brought out all the different shades in his eyes and made them look deeper somehow, if that was even possible? 

Steve was kind of mesmerized by the guy in the mirror. That guy looked so... special. Steve had never thought of himself as special before. 

It honestly felt amazing to feel like this, it was almost powerful. He never wanted to stop feeling this way. 

"Can you show me how to do that?" 

Heather smiled, handing him a makeup wipe. After he'd cleaned off the makeup, Heather walked him through the steps as he redid it. It wasn't as good as hers but it still looked pretty damn great. 

"You can borrow those if you like. Color looks better on you than it does on me anyway" 

"Impossible" Robin scoffed, actually making Heather blush a little. 

Steve watched as Heather recommended some lipstick shades to Robin and he couldn't help thinking how cute they looked together.

The next day was a quiet day at the coffee shop, hardly any people had come in and it was already 4 o'clock. Not that Steve minded, he had just been goofing off with Robin for a couple hours. 

They were messing around behind the counter, playing tag war with the dish towels. Robin snapped him on the thigh "10-8, suck it Harrington!" She cheered, waving her towel around in the air. 

"Still kicking his ass, Buckley?" 

They both spun around at the gravelly voice. Billy and Heather were leaning on the counter, laughing at Steve and Robin acting like kids. 

"Oh, hi" Steve smiled, blushing slightly. 

"Whoa" 

Billy's eyes went wide as they landed on Steve's face. Steve realized he'd never seen Billy blush before, until now, that was, because boy was Billy blushing now. Steve thought he looked so cute, all pink and flustered. 

Not that he was any better, he knew full well that having Billy so taken aback by him was making him blush like crazy. 

"Looking good, Steve!" Heather smiled her brighter-than-the-sun smile and gave Robin a little wink before turning to Billy, who was still standing there speechless. "Don't you think, B?" 

"Yeah. I mean, shit, yeah, that looks great on you. Makes your eyes look golden" Billy swallowed harshly and licked his lips. "Thanks" Steve thought his heart must be beating loud enough for everyone to hear as it was currently wrapping against his chest so hard he thought he might just burst. 

"C-can I get you two some coffee?" He was grateful when they both nodded so he could occupy his hands with something other than fidgeting with his apron.

Robin handed him two cups, leaning close enough so that no one else heard her when she said "Relax, dingus, that guy is into you. You're gonna be fine" She pat him on the back as he filled up the cups. "There you go" 

"Thanks, pretty boy" 

Steve nearly choked. 

Billy had called him that plenty of times before, but Steve had never really thought he'd sounded like he meant it. 

Billy took a sip of his coffee, his eyes locked on Steve's the entire time. 

Steve couldn't look away. 

He felt like he could drown in those ocean eyes, those things were like a goddamn spider's web and Steve was way too tangled up in there to ever make it out alive. Turns out Billy Hargrove was still really fucking dangerous. 

"Hey, Buckley?" 

Billy's eyes were still glued to Steve's 

"Yeah?" 

"Help me out here, was he always this cute back in high school?" 

Robin bit back a chuckle at the way Steve's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Well, I never saw it, but you sure seemed to think so" 

"Mhm, sure did. Always knew he was fucking gorgeous" 

Billy said as calmly as if Steve weren't right there, as if he couldn't hear the things Billy was saying about him, as if he wasn't still staring him straight in the eye! 

Billy was trying to rattle his cage and man was it working, because Steve was about as flustered as he'd ever been. 

But he wasn't just flustered, no, Steve was staring into that unfairly beautiful face, still trapped in those eyes and then Billy had the audacity to call him gorgeous? Like he wasn't the most perfect being on earth? Just to what? Watch him squirm? 

Yeah, no, not gonna happen. Steve may have been a fly caught in Billy's web, but there was no way he was going to let Hargrove's charm get the best of him again. 

No way was he gonna give in and just be a blushing, fumbling mess like Billy was expecting him to. Like he had been all the other times Billy had pulled stunts like this, too scared to actually do something about it, so he'd just folded like a lawn chair. 

But not this time. He was done squirming. 

"F' you really think I'm that gorgeous then why don't you come over here and kiss me" he said, sounding completely unimpressed with Billy, although he was sure he didn't look it. 

Both Heather and Robin gasped, never having thought that Steve could be so bold, but Billy just chuckled. 

"There's that fire" 

He smiled brilliantly and wrapped his hand around the strings of Steve's apron, pulling him forward over the counter and pressing his lips on Steve's.

The kiss was softer than Steve ever imagined kissing Billy would be. He felt like he'd been dipped into liquid sunshine. 

Billy pulled away after a moment and Steve had to restrain himself not to pull him right back. 

"When's your shift end?" He asked so low it made Steve shiver "Six." "Wanna go out with me?" Steve nodded, unable to contain the giant doofy smile on his face.

 "Go ahead lover boy, I'll close up" Steve threw Robin a grateful smile before he tugged off his apron and hopped over the counter. Billy cursed under his breath. 

"Shit, it looks even hotter up close" 

He traced his thumb over Steve's shimmering pink cheekbone, standing so close to him their bodies were almost touching. 

The tension between them was broken by Heather's pointed cough. "Would you two get a room already?" 

They were both blushing as they rushed off, excited and eager to continue what they started. 

Steve could still hear Robin mutter something about total abandonment, and right before Billy took a hold of his hand and Steve forgot other people even existed, he heard Heather whisper "Don't worry, cutie, I'll keep you company"

[prettyboyporter]

Comment tag game!

Share (excerpts from) 5 of your favorite comments you got on your fics (etc) this year and tag some friends!

I was tagged on this ages ago by @klayr-de-gall , @kingsandsaints , and @thelittlestgremlin and never got around to doing this, and it took me so long because I knew it would be VERY HARD for me to pick only 5 comments that mean a lot to me. As content creators know, comments are AMAZING GIFTS given by readers when they want to publicly state what they liked about a fic and seriously make creators feel validated and like what they do is worthwhile. It’s FUEL and I love every single comment I’ve received.  So, in no particular order, here are MORE THAN FIVE. I literally could not narrow it down to five:

From @missroserose on Slippery When Wet:

I'm sure a bunch of people have commented on this bit already, but I don't even care. It's amazing. It killed me. I'm dead and it's all because you're amazing. <3

Ambrosia was referring to a Billy’s first kiss with Steve, a moment I’d described using extended sound/musical metaphors, and I really appreciated that she’d copy/pasted that bit to outline as a favorite as it was a part I was particularly proud of writing. 

From @lynn76 on Slippery When Wet: 

This is so great- it reads like a dream come true, like I could see it happening like a movie. I wish I could be a director and make a movie of it. Love, love it! I'm gonna comment again with favorite lines AFTER I sleep! Thank you again, for all your hard work, Tracy.

To know that the person for whom I’d written the fic really enjoyed it means everything. 

From Manniface on ao3 on Boldly Go: 

I love all of this and want 4 seasons if a TV show.

I WANT FOUR SEASONS OF A TV SHOW OF MY OWN FIC TOO LMAO. A harringroe Trek AU was a goddamn BLAST to write. 

From @ihni on Rivers Til I Reach You: 

"You are a son to all of us now" - this is where I got tears in my eyes, although I didn't let them fall until Max and Lucas and Dustin decorated his apartment and hugged him, and he let himself be loved. Ugh, that broke me a little. Christmas, and people doing nice things for each other, and someone who didn't think he'd ever have these things, having these things... I am weak, so weak, for those things.

And his scars. Him reading them all wrong, and Steve infusing them with love and adoration with every kiss. Maaan, I love scars. Because they're proof that you lived through something horrible but survived; got through it. And Billy did that. He got through the horrible thing, and now he's being rewarded with all the things he could never have dreamt about: love, a town full of people who wants him to do well, and people to help and support him.

Ihni really hit the nail on the head with what I wanted readers to take away from this fic: a town full of people who wanted to help and support Billy as well as Steve, who wants to infuse all of his love into Billy, into his scars. 

From @uncle-keery on Take Me with U: 

GUESS WHOOOS BACCKKKK

LOL so that was uncle-keery’s .. 4th?? comment on the fic. She truly took the “leave a comment since you can’t leave another kudos” rule of thumb to heart haha. I love that. 

From Anon on ao3 on Take Me with U: 

So this has to be one of my favourite fics ever. This line "So for the first time, Billy allowed himself to be touched, in this secluded part of the beach with rustling grass and warm sun and Steve’s long fingers." TRULY got me like nothing else. Their tenderness here with each other and like the camaraderie and just EVERYTHING. ALL OF IT. <333

From @sarahstarkiller on Take Me with U: 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. SOFT BOYS BEING SOFT; CAN MY HEART HANDLE IT? BARELY. Honestly though, Tracy, WOW. Well done. So beautiful. I myself *felt* the sun and the sand on Billy’s shoulder and I could smell the smoke in Steve’s hair. GOD, the part about Steve calling Billy’s birthmark his?? I am deceased. That is so sweet and I’m so glad his birthmark is finally getting the recognition it deserves!! May I also note: “Steve kissed him.” So simple, so effective, and yet my heart flew out of my chest. I LOVE THIS AND I LOVE YOU. WOW.

I was so, SO happy to give a reader specific details to walk away with. That means a lot, and Sarah picking out those details meant I’d done a good job. 

From Panoraia on ao3 on Take Me with U: 

It made me feel things i havent felt in a looong fucking time. Like literal butterflies. I thought i was too old for that shit. But naah. My hands were shaking in a train on the way to work. Thanks for that. Also fuck you. But mostly thank you. For writing and sharing and all that. My day is much better now.

I love it when people say where they were when they read it and their reaction in that moment. Plus the “fuck you. But mostly thank you.” had me rolling laughing, lol. I adore this comment. 

From @flippyspoon on Boldly Go: 

I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T THINK TO MUCH ABOUT TNG AND BETAZOIDS TO REMEMBER 'IMZADI' (I read the book 'Imzadi' back in the day even lol). BECAUSE WHAT A GUT PUNCH. HE CALLED STEVE IMZADI I'M DEAD DEEEEEAAD. WHY CAN'T THIS BE A REAL SHOW THAT I CAN WATCH OR READ FOR LIKE 300K WORDS LOL.

To have another Trek fan comment about how much they loved the fic and want like MORE fic or even a show is a top compliment lol but like it was a SPECIAL moment for me to work the word imzadi into the fic, and I’m SO glad it was meaningful for flippy, too. 

From @granpappy-winchester -- an excerot of her comment on Boldly Go: 

I know literally nothing about any of the Star Trek things except they involve space and there are aliens and like, DUDE, I love how accessible your story is!! You made it very easy to follow along for someone who is super unfamiliar with any of this universe. AND I LOVE that Billy is an empath! It fits him so well and it adds this bit of mystery to him too because he can read Steve's emotions so well but there's always going to be a 'WHY does he feel this way??' question tacked on which has the possibility of being very conflicting for the two of them (and then you have Steve who doesn't have that ability to read Billy's emotions but at the same time it seems like he CAN, like he knows Billy so well it doesnt matter if he's an empath or not, he KNOWS Billy). AND OMG. Billy standing up for Steve to his dad. Like. Goddamn so sweet.

This is but a sample of the kind of comment that granpappy-winchester (LazyBaker on ao3) leaves on fics. Sara’s comments ALWAYS describe how the fic makes he feel, points out specific details and lines, and more than anything -- they make you feel VALUED as a writer. Getting a comment from Sara is one of the greatest things you could ask for as a writer. 

I’m gonna tag some writers and also artists, and if you’d like to recognize some of your fav comments, please feel free to do so! @wrecked-fuse @granpappy-winchester @sparkleeye @kyrosh @gothyringwald @dobetterbillyhargrove @wingedbears @cherry-toxic @sarahstarkiller @ihni

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Greatest Work

Fandom: Marvel (High School AU)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You and James “Bucky” Barnes are tied to be the valedictorian at your high school graduation. Throughout senior year, you and James compete with each other to see who will be the valedictorian and give that heartwarming, end of High School speech.

A/N: angst if you squint. also bucky and reader are super smart. unlike me irl.

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes was the golden boy at SHIELD High School. He was the star quarterback, good looking, kind, funny, and, most of all, smart. He was also your biggest academic rival. 

You two were always at each other’s throats.Trying to get the best grade in every class, on every test, for every project, etc. No matter how hard you tried, James was constantly at your level and you hated it.

You nervously sat in Principal Fury’s office. Beside you sat none other than Bucky Barnes himself. Fury, leaned against his chair, his one eye glancing back and forth to you and Bucky.

“So, since we’ve hit the middle of the year, I’d like to inform you that both of you are tied to be valedictorian for your graduating class. Unfortunately, only one of you can be it. The person with the highest grade point average will be anointed that position. I don’t expect you to see this as a competition, but I’d just like you to know what’s at stake here.”

Bucky cleared his throat, flashing a smile that always seemed to charm the teachers, staff, and, well, pretty much anyone, “I just like to say, sir, that I don’t see this as a competition at all,” he turns to you and smirks, “-because I’m clearly going to win.”

Your jaw and fists clenched together as you glared at Bucky, “Then may the best student win, Barnes.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I will.” he picked up his backpack and waltzed out of Fury’s office, head held high. 

You immediately stood up, grabbing your own back, and marching out the door, Fury mumbling out, “Good luck,” before you slammed it shut.

________________________________

“He is insufferable, Billy!” you exclaimed at your computer as you facetimed with your best friend, Billy Russo, “All he does is flash a smile, say something funny, and everyone falls at his feet! He thinks he’s the king of the school!”

“Y/N, he kind of is,” Billy notes.

“He isn’t! And I’ll prove it when I’m the one who gets a perfect score on Selvig’s final project! Barnes won’t know what’ll hit him and it’ll me who’ll be giving that valedictorian speech at graduation!” you say with an proud and somewhat evil smile.

Billy gives you a concerned look through your screen, “Do you even know what you’re going to make? He expects an impeccable invention that no one has thought of before.”

You nod, “Trust me, Bill, I got it in the bag.”

________________________________

“She’s so annoying, Steve! Such a stuck up, prissy chick! She doesn’t know how to have fun or take a joke or anything! And she honestly thinks that she’ll get to be valedictorian. Against me!” he snorts, “Can you believe that?!”

Steve shrugs as he watches his best friend hunch over his desk, tinkering away at his project for Dr. Selvig’s final project, “She is pretty smart, Buck,” he mumbles out.

Bucky scoffs, “Not as smart as me though. Has she been offered a scholarship to MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and Yale? I don’t think so!”

“Why’s it such a big deal to be valedictorian then if you have all these scholarships offered to you?”

“I don’t care about being valedictorian, Stevie, it’s just the principle of the thing.”

“Which is?”

Bucky glances over his shoulder with a smile, “That I’m better than Y/N L/N.”

_____________________________

For months now, you’ve been spending all of your time perfecting your project. You just knew you were getting that A+ from Dr. Selvig and you couldn’t wait to rub it in Bucky’s face.

You waltzed into the gym where the presentations were going to be held. All of Dr. Selvig’s students were given the same project: to create an invention made to help the misfortuned. You decided to make a prosthetic arm made out of a titanium-alloy. It could sync up to your brain which allowed it to move however the person wanted it to. 

You walked towards the table set ups, all of which were labelled for each student. Ironically enough, your table was next to Bucky’s. 

“Y/N,” he says with a smirk, looking incredibly proud.

You rolled your eyes as you set your project onto your table, “Barnes.”

“So? What did you end up making?”

“Well let me show you,” you opened your box which held your project. You set it on the table.

Bucky snorted, “Wow. An arm made out of aluminum foil. Gotta say, doll, not your best work.”

Your eyes glared when you picked up the synthetic skin chip and pressed it behind your ear, allowing it to stick to your skin. You clasped your hands together in front of you, eyes still narrowed at Bucky. 

“What’re you-”

“Shut up and watch, Barnes,” you sneered. He kept his eyes on the arm and watched as it twitched to life. The fingers wiggling around and oh so slowly did the middle finger raise up.

Bucky’s eyes widened, “Holy shit.”

You smirked, “You’re right on one thing, Barnes, it’s not my best work. It’s my greatest work.”

“Y/N!” you turn to see Billy at the gym’s entrance, waving at you.

“Hey!” you turn to Bucky with a glare, ”touch my project and you die, Barnes.” you then ran over to meet Billy, the glare that was once on your face was gone, now replaced with a smile.

Bucky’s heart dropped when he saw Billy encompass you with a hug. There was a funny feeling in his stomach and he couldn’t figure out why. 

His eyes glanced from you and Billy to your project. A darkness filled within him. He had a plan. A very terrible plan, but he didn’t know how to execute it. 

“Hey, Buck!” Steve exclaimed as he walked toward Bucky with a lunch tray. A cup of water balanced on top. Perfect.

Bucky rushed up to Steve, “Hey, Stevie, lemme get that for ya, pal.” grabbing the tray from him, “So, how’s it goin’?” Steve began to talk about his day so far, but Bucky wasn’t paying any attention. His head just nodding and saying, “Uh huh,” every second or so. When they got to his and yours table, Bucky “tripped”, the food and water on the tray flying forward and landing exactly on your project.

There was a crackling sizzle and a puff of smoke billowed from the metal arm. 

“NO!!” he heard you cry and you ran over to your table, “WHAT THE HELL!” your eyes took in the crime scene before you. Food and water completely covered your project.

“Oops,” you heard Bucky say and your head whipped towards him.

“YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE!” you screamed as you began to hit him.

“Ah! Jesus! What? No, it was an accident, I swear!”

“One minute my project is fine and as soon as I leave, it’s ruined and you happen to be right next to it! You trying to tell me that’s a coincidence, Barnes?!”

“Uh, yeah,” Bucky said it as if it was an obvious answer.

“What’s going on here?” Dr. Selvig asked.

You pointed a finger at Bucky immediately, “Barnes ruined my project!”

“Sir, I did not! I was just helping Steve carry his tray of food and I tripped!”

“Tripped on what?! Air?!” you yelled.

“It happens!” Bucky yelled back.

Dr. Selvig stepped in-between the both of you, “Hey! Enough with the yelling match! James, did you purposely ruin Y/N’s project.” 

Bucky shook his head, “Of course not, sir.”

“LIAR!” 

Dr. Selvig turned to you, “Y/N, please.”

“Doctor Selvig, please, I worked so hard and-”

“I’m sure you did. Unfortunately, there isn’t time for you to fix it, which means I can only grade you on your write-up and blueprints.” He gave you a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked away. 

That was when Bucky got a look at your face. It was red and your eyes were watery. You looked so...broken, “You won. Are you happy with yourself, Barnes? You won and now I’ll never get that scholarship to MIT!” you said with a cracked voice. You ran out of the gym as fast as you could. 

Billy caught eyes with Bucky. If looks could kill, Bucky was sure he’d dropped dead, “You better watch yourself, Barnes.” with that, he left to go after you.

Bucky should’ve felt proud and relieved. He’d definitely get to be valedictorian now, but why did he have a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Buck,” Steve mumbled.

“Yeah?”

“Tell me the truth, did you trip on purpose? Did you wanna ruin Y/N’s project?”

He wanted to tell the truth. He should’ve...but he just couldn’t, “Nah, Stevie. It was an accident. I swear.”

_______________________________

Bucky didn’t see you at school the next two days. For once, you’d miss school, which was a shock to him and your teachers. Again, he should feel relieved, but...he didn’t. Seeing your empty seat in every single class just made him feel guiltier and guiltier. He got a perfect score from Dr. Selvig and also his project was going to be proposed to some of the highest tech companies in the world

He was given the Valedictorian sash and was given a ‘Congratulations’ from Principal Fury...but he didn’t deserve it. You did.

So after school, he made his way to your place. With a knock on your door, he waited for someone to answer. He just didn’t expect it to be Billy Russo.

“What the hell do you want?” He sneered and Bucky gulped.

“Can I see Y/N?” 

“No. Now get outta here before I punch your teeth in.”

“Please, Billy, I just-I need to apologize to her!”

“No fucking-”

“It’s okay, Bill.” you come up to his side and pull him back, “It’ll be quick.”

Billy glared at Bucky again, “Fine. But just say the word and I’ll beat him to a pulp.”

You give him a small smile, “I know you will.” you pushed him inside and closed the door behind you. You crossed your arms over your chest, “What?”

“I-” Bucky cleared his throat, “I didn’t see you in school today.”

You shrugged, “Didn’t feel like going.”

He nodded, “Oh...um.” he opened his bag to pull out a sash with your school’s color on it. ‘Valedictorian’ was sewn onto it, “Here,” he offered it to you, “I told Doctor Selvig and Fury what I did. I was given an F for sabotage and, well, I couldn’t be valedictorian since I didn’t have the highest GPA.”

You took it, your thumb rubbing over the satin, “Why, Bucky? Why did you do it?”

He sighed, “I don’t know. I just...whenever it comes to you I just-I’m not myself! I get competitive, I say mean things, and do messed up shit. I just-I don’t know! You make me feel things that I’ve never felt before. You’re incredibly smart, funny, friendly, creative. You’re amazing, Y/N.”

“So what? You like me or something?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I think so?”

You scoffed, “If you like someone, Bucky, this isn’t how you’re supposed to treat them.”

His shoulders sagged and his head hung down, “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Well, um, thanks for this,” you gestured to the sash, “and for telling Selvig and Fury the truth.”

He nodded, “Yeah. You’re welcome.”

“So...I’ll see you at graduation then?”

“Yeah. See ya.” he watched as you slowly walked back to your door and go inside, softly shutting the door behind you. Bucky let out a breath of relief and went to his car to go home.

___________________________

10 Years

You’re at your high school reunion, catching up with old classmates. It was nice to see how everyone was doing, but you did wish that Billy was here. He couldn’t make it do to his tour in Iraq. Yeah. Billy was soldier, a Marine. You missed him like crazy, but you knew he was doing something that he dreamed of. 

“Y/N?” you turned around to meet a pair of blue eyes that you haven’t seen in a long time.

“James Barnes?”

He chuckled, “Yeah. Um, that’s me.” he waved, your eyes immediately catching a glint of silver. Bucky, noticing this, immediately smiled sheepishly, “Oh, um, I was in the army and got hit with a grenade.’ he shrugged off his jacket to reveal an all too familiar metal arm.

“Wait, is that-”

“The arm you designed for Selvig’s project? Yeah. Funny right?”

You immediately grabbed a hold of it, examining it on him, “I mean, I knew it was being produced and distributed to people all around the world, I just didn’t expect you to be one of ‘em.”

“Yeah. Neither did I. But when my doctor offered up the trials for it, I immediately said yes.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s your greatest work yet.”

You smiled at him, “Do you wanna get a drink after this?” you asked him.

Bucky smiled, “I love that.”

[hereticpriest]

Make Your Girlfriend Mad Type

Billy Hargrove Soulmate AU, part of the So You’re A Tough Guy series.

Warnings: NSFW, possessive behaviour

Enjoy!

“It’s showtime ladies!”

Daisy scowled from her spot on a pool lounger near the housewife groupies. She chose this seat because it had a good view of her boyfriend and was at a good angle for sunbathing without having the sun in her eyes, but she was regretting it purely because she had to listen to the gross old ladies mooning over HER man. At least she knew she looked better than them. She wore a white one-piece bathing suit that was backless and double lined over any private areas, but nearly see-through everywhere else. Steve had picked it for her, funnily enough, claiming he would grovel at his soulmate’s feet if they wore it for him. That sounded just right to her.

Billy started in about five minutes, so she stood from her spot where she’d already dried off from her earlier swim and dived back into the pool. She swam a couple of laps, then climbed out of the pool right on time to walk back towards her pool lounger as Billy was coming out of the employee area. Daisy squeezed her hair out as she walked, proud to see that her soul mark showed through her bathing suit. Billy’s gaze immediately snapped over to her, and he watched her walk back to her lounger like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He said hello to the housewife groupies, but he barely cast a glance their way, far too preoccupied with his soulmate bending over to fetch her towel and then crawling onto her lounger to dry off.

“I like the new swimsuit Mrs. Wheeler.” Billy complimented on his way by, bending to drag Daisy up into a kiss the moment he reached her. Daisy wasn’t usually impressed by PDA in front of children, but the housewives were watching, so she made the fact that she was fighting him for dominance and stealing his gum obvious. Daisy pulled away and smirked at her boyfriend, blowing a bubble that had him grinning and dragging his teeth over his bottom lip. He kissed her again, hands grasping her ass and squeezing hard enough she was sure she’d have bruises.

“I fucking love your ass, babygirl. For a skinny thing, you’ve got a perfect butt.” Billy growled against her lips, skimming his fingers under the seam of her bathing suit only to have his hand smacked away. Daisy gave him his gum back and took a moment to suck at his tongue and kiss-swollen lips, then broke away and sat on her lounger.

“Lemme know if you need help putting on sunscreen, babe. Love you.” Daisy cooed, blowing him a kiss just to make him smirk.

“I’ll need it in a couple hours. Probably around the same time as my break – imagine that?” Billy teased playfully, and Daisy snickered.

“I’m sure I’ll be around. Now go to your chair, I wanna watch your ass while you strut.”

Billy laughed, a full on belly laugh as he held his arms out to his sides as if to say ‘watch away’ and walking off to his lifeguard stand. Daisy smirked, stretching out with a book, her red lens aviator sunglasses perched precariously on her nose. Steve showed up soon enough, dressed in a pair of sailor-style swim shorts that Daisy had bullied him into getting to tease him for his summer job.

“Oh my god, you might as well be wearing a bikini! I think this might even be worse!” Steve crowed at the sight of her, snickering at her smug grin, “Hargrove must be dying.”

“Oh, he most certainly is. He’s been blowing his whistle every few seconds for dumb shit, and he keeps shifting. You just taking a dip before work?” Daisy asked, moving over so Steve could sit with her. He nodded.

“Yeah, I just need to beat the heat. I have to work in half an hour.” Steve pouted, and Daisy shrugged.

“Poor baby has to be a grown up. Go jump in, don’t waste your pre-work de-stress swim on chatting with me. I’ll see you… what, Tuesday for our movie night?”

“Yeah, Tuesday at seven.” Steve agreed, waggling his fingers at her and heading over to jump into the pool.

Steve left just in time to get to work on time, but Daisy guaranteed he’d be late due to his inability to do anything in a timely manner. She rolled onto her stomach partway through her wait to get some colour on her back, but when she got up to adjust the lounger chair, she noticed Billy talking to a cute girl and frowned. Before he could notice her looking, she finished adjusting her chair and sat down, trying to keep from pouting too much. Both Billy and her had quite strong jealousy issues, despite the fact that both of them were 100% certain their partner would never cheat. It was something they usually got through in healthy ways, for instance showing off how sexy they were for each other, teasing each other, and dragging each other away for rough sex. It was rare that they actually fought about it, and that was really only when one of them was already in a horrific mood.

That being said, it didn’t stop them both from pouting over their jealousy and having little hissy fits. Billy had one when Daisy got a text from a guy in their grade wanting to hook up shortly after they first together, even though Daisy told the guy to fuck off. She’d had to give him a blowjob in his car before their dinner date, and had finally broken his pouty phase when she joked that she wasn’t supposed to have dessert before dinner while wiping cum from her chin. Billy broke down into a fit of laughter, and they were fine again like it never happened.

Billy was staring at her and holding his soul mark, but she ignored him, putting her book aside and getting up. She slid her thumb under the fabric of her swimsuit to adjust it to cover more of her ass, swinging her hair over her shoulder and making a show of strutting past him and the girl to get to the part of the pool more reserved for laps once again. She stretched, arching her back to push her ass out the way Billy liked, then bent to plant herself at the side of the pool. Daisy dove into the pool and pushed herself hard, knowing she’d feel better if she got some of the negative energy out by exerting herself. She only stopped when she truly felt tired, climbing out of the pool without using the ladder. The other lifeguard, a girl that Daisy recognized from school, was in the chair watching the pool.

Before she could head back to her lounger, a large hand grasped her hip and she was guided towards the employee-only area. Billy shoved her into the employee locker room and bent her over the large desk, pulling her bathing suit aside so he could enter her without any prep. He placed a hand on the centre of her back to hold her down, the other grasped around her hip to pull her into his thrusts, enjoying the way she was stretched around him tighter than usual.

Daisy whimpered, relaxing on the desk and letting him use her body how he liked. She knew he’d get her off regardless of if he came first, and she loved when he fucked her like this – primal and possessive. Probably not healthy, but it worked for them. Billy grunted softly, fucking into her roughly, relishing in the loud slaps of skin on skin and the way she clenched around him when he thrust at the right angle.

“Who’s pussy is this, babygirl?” Billy asked, moving his hand from her back, trailing swirls over her skin until he reached her clit, tapping it gently.

“Oh fuck, Billy. It’s yours. I’m yours. I’d let you do anything you wanted to me, you know that? Anything.” Daisy moaned, digging her nails into the wood of the desk as he began to pound into her harder and faster. He trapped her clit between his index and middle fingers and worked her hard, groaning every time she thrust back against him. Billy dug his fingers into her hip, giving a final hard thrust that had her biting her lip to hold back her cries as they tipped over that edge together. Billy pressed kisses to her shoulder, pulling out of her slowly and putting the crotch of her swimsuit back into place.

“I’ll be home at 6, princess. Want me to bring home dinner?” He asked.

“No, it’s okay. I’m going to make shrimp tacos and pico da gallo for dinner. Make sure you’re home on time, or I’ll hold out on you and walk around in one of your shirts and nothing else.” Daisy teased, grinning as Billy growled against her skin.

They were both jealous grumps, but at least the make up sex was good.

Billy gave her ass a hard slap, enjoying the red mark left behind, and kissed her temple. He headed off towards his chair again and Daisy headed into the women’s change room to put her summer dress on over her bathing suit. She didn’t care that cum was dripping down her thighs. She’d be home soon and could shower there far more comfortably.

By the time Billy got home, she had showered, changed into Billy’s Sterling crop top and booty shorts, and she was just finishing up dinner. He kicked off his shoes, dropped his work bag, and snuck up behind Daisy to steal snuggles. She was used to it, and honestly, she loved it. Billy was touch-starved, and he was probably one of the most contact driven people she had ever met. It was rare that he didn’t have at least some part of him touching her, even if it was just a thigh against hers or his pinky locked around hers. Daisy sighed happily as Billy’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against his body and tucking his face into the crook of her neck.

“You smell like heaven, princess. Did you use that bodywash I got you? Fuck, you look so good in my clothes.” Billy murmured, nipping at her ear.

“I did. Glad you like it, sweetheart.” Daisy giggled, getting two plates ready with tacos and pico de gallo, and carrying it into the dining room. Billy followed her without letting her go, and Daisy laughed when he nearly knocked her over.

“Good thing I was hear to catch you, angel.” Billy joked, and Daisy snorted, setting out their plates. Billy dragged the two plates closer together and sat down, then guided Daisy down into his lap.

“Did the rest of your day go okay?” Daisy asked, settling against him without complaint. Billy shrugged.

“S’alright. Got asked out. Told her I had my girl at home, my soulmate, and she said she’d fuck me better like that was going to draw me in.” Billy rolled his eyes, taking a bite of one of the tacos and groaning softly, “Fuck that’s good, princess. You’re such a good cook. My little housewife.”

Daisy rolled her eyes at him, “I am not a housewife. I have three jobs and I own this house. You’re the housewife.”

“Househusband.” Billy corrected her, sliding his hand under her shirt to rest over her ribs, “You calling me a kept man?”

“I most certainly am. My very own boy toy.” Daisy giggled, kissing the point of his cheek and stealing a chunk of mango from his taco. She went back to her own, not even bothering to protest when Billy stole one of the pepper slices from her taco. Dinner continued like that, trading favoured bits and occasionally even kisses. When they were done, they did the dishes together and then collapsed onto the couch to watch a movie. Daisy ended up laying atop her boyfriend, drawing patterns like their soul marks on his tummy while he played with her hair.

“We still having movie night with Steve and the kids on Tuesday?” Billy asked partway through the movie, trailing his hand down from her hair to grip the hem of her (his) shirt and slowly begin pulling it up.

“Yeah, they are. Seven. I think everyone is sleeping over. Max will be over at six for dinner, though. She still wants to move in with us.” Daisy mused.

Billy sighed, throwing her shirt to the floor, removing his own shirt, and pulling her closer so her bare chest was smushed against his.

“I don’t think that’ll ever be able to happen. Remember how hard it was for me to get out?”

“Yeah, I know sweetheart. We’ll talk to her and check in. Make sure she’s safe.” Daisy rested her cheek against Billy’s collarbone and traced her fingers down his side to where he’d tattooed her name upon his hip, just above the waistband of his pants.

“Possessive today, huh, princess?” Billy teased.

“Can’t have anyone stealing my househusband. I’d miss his stupid, sexy smile and his perfect ass.”

“Ahh, he won’t leave you. He likes being a kept man.”

“So it’s okay that I got you a chain with my name on it?” Daisy asked playfully.

“Considering your name is tattooed on my body, I think a chain is perfectly fine, babygirl. I want to watch you bounce on my cock tonight, though.” Billy retorted, sliding his hand into her shorts and squeezing her ass.

“Any time, sweetness. Any time.”

It was a good thing they were both possessive little shits. They really had been paired perfectly, as most other people would never deal with their behaviour.

[prettyboiiharringrove]

Your alpha Stave and Omega Billy works are awesome. Totally living for it, reread everything more times than I will say but I wondering if your could go into the crime boss Steve with the dirty cop omega Billy or anything else?

( dsoh masterlist )

( alpha/beta/omega masterlist )

you are honestly so sweet i’m just delighted that you guys keep asking for more because i’m like i love this but it’s also garbage ?? but then people ask for more and i’m like i must give it to them !! serve up my subpar content lolol

okay so yes. now in that au it’s not abo as we know but i was ranting to my lady love @sightetsound the other day (as i do constantly) about all the what ifs with devious omega billy and his murderous alpha steve and let me tell you, it’s fucking beautiful (some of these were even her ideas, she’s an amazing genius). 

but like this is my time to shiiinnneee

( i think some headcanons mentioned in this could apply to just normal omega billy, especially the pregnant ones, and may even have been mentioned already but i tried ya’ll, i tried )

so let’s get this started

warnings: alpha/beta/omega dynamics, threats, assault, mentions of blood, mpreg, fear of miscarriage, heat cycles, some sexy shit my dudes, omega billy, alpha steve

People underestimate Billy his entire life. It’s fuckingsexist bullshit and he never accepts or gets over it. People constantly doubthim, talk over him, or patronize him whether it be in the town he grew up in,the police academy, at work, or just casually in public. He hates it, but thenhe meets Steve and Steve is different. Even when they were on opposing sides,Steve respected him, and now? Now Billy is mated to him, carries Steve’s markwith pride because his alpha loves him, sees Billy as his equal and not somewhore to be bred.

Ooh let’s talk about the first time they got together. Seebecause in my original dsoh storyline there’s always this sexual tension andcompetition with each other that fuels their rivalry, and then they end uphooking up because Billy’s pent up and Steve is always happy to help. He’dknown from the start that Billy was meant to be his.

What if the story is similar but instead of them randomlyfucking in a bar Billy goes into an unexpected heat. He just started a newbirth control and his doctor says it could mess with his hormone levels andapparently the combination of that and the stress from the trial, the one Stevejust walked away free from actually, triggers his heat early. So they see eachother at that bar but Billy starts to get hot and dizzy and nauseous and heknows he’s not that drunk, butthere’s not a chance in hell he can make it home on his own, it’s come on toofast.

Steve had walked in twenty minutes ago and he’d been allsensual touches and flirty smiles because he knew it both annoyed and thrilled Billy,but then he sees what’s happening, can smell the slick that must be soaking Billy’spants, gasps when Billy leans forward to rest his head on his shoulder becauseit’s not like Hargrove to just give in

Billy knows that the whole omegas losing their minds duringheat is bullshit, I mean he’d been going through them for fucking years and hehad never hopped in bed with the first alpha that offered themselves up, but hedoesn’t think he could deny Steve if he offered.

Weird thing tho, Steve helps Billy up and takes him out tohis car. He helps him walk out, carries most of his weight as Billy leans intohim, but he doesn’t actually try anything. Billy thinks Steve will finally takethe opportunity to get Billy out of the way, kill him and be done with it.

What he doesn’t expect is for Steve to give him a comfy bed,surround him with blankets and pillows to form a makeshift nest since Billydidn’t have time to do it himself and say “you don’t owe me anything for this,just stay as long as you like. I’m not going to force you to do anything, butI’ll tell you this much Hargrove, if you want my help, all you have to do isask.”

Billy doesn’t even have it in him to feel ashamed when amoan escapes him at the offer.

He doesn’t take Steve up on his offer until the next daywhen he brings him breakfast. He had thought about fucking Steve a lot, hadthought about calling him in for help, even if it was only for the sake ofalleviating those goddamn cramps, but he decided against it. He can’t rememberthe last time he spent his heat with an alpha.

Thing about the next morning though is Steve looks so damnbeautiful in the morning light, and as Steve brushes hair off of Billy’sforehead and he looks up at him with sleepy eyes, something in him clicks. Itfeels like an odd sense of worship, but it also feels so goddamn right. Billypulls Steve down onto the bed and Steve says “hey, none of that now. I told youI’d help, but you need to eat first sweetheart” and he doesn’t know why but itsomehow makes Steve even more desirable. It makes his inner omega purr withdelight.

After that first heat together, they have a sort ofarrangement, because no matter what Billy tells himself, his omega has decidedSteve is his alpha, and Steve has always known Billy was his in return. Billystarts to feel safe with Steve, likes that Steve holds him, takes care of him,kisses him, worships him.

Somehow they start having sex outside of his heats, andBilly starts staying over just to visit as opposed to just coming to ride outhis heat. Their relationship stops being an arrangement and becomes more of afriendship, and then Billy realizes he’s started protecting Steve instead oftrying to arrest him, he realizes that Steve has let him into a part of hislife a cop has no business knowing.

He realizes that Steve has just as much to lose as he does,because Steve has let himself trust. Worst of all, Billy realizes that he lovesSteve. That’s when things take a turn for the insane. Billy may not be mated,but he is Steve’s omega and there’s no denying that. Steve is his true love andhe will give himself without a second thought. They’re bonded, it’s just amatter of time before he has his bite.

The one thing that bothered Billy though is how fucking longhe waited to be Steve’s mate. Billy had to scrub off Steve’s scent everymorning and he hated it, but now Steve is his alpha and no one can take thataway from him.

Steve faking his death really fucks with their mating bond,hurts Billy so goddamn much he’s bedridden for at least three weeks, Tommy hasto come take care of him, because Billy can’t face any of Steve’s employeeswithout screaming or hyperventilating. So, that’s a whole thing to explore.

Y’all wanna talk some nsfw headcanons ?? I do !!

So to start this off if you haven’t heard already, we shouldjust get this out of the way, I picture male omegas having both a dick andvagina (click here to read about that)

All I’m saying is picture Steve fingering Billy so good hesquirts and Billy didn’t even know he could do that and he says as much like…noone’s ever been able to do that before and Steve’s just like “because nobodycan make you feel the way I do sweetheart” but it’s the PROUDEST MOMENT OFSTEVE’S LIFE

Billy being in Steve’s lap, legs wide open as Steve playswith his pussy, his cock twitching every time Steve teases his clit. He’s puton display but only Steve can touch. Everyone else can just admire the view anddesperately wish they had an omega that loving and eager.

“Damn boss, I’ve never seen anyone that wet outside of heat”“you hear that baby ?? you’re special. Tell him baby, what’s got you so wet ??”and billy whines and moans, but when he doesn’t answer Steve stops his playing.Billy’s hip stutter, an unconscious attempt to chase Steve’s fingers. “Come onbaby, tell him or you don’t get to play. Only good boys get to play.” “Alpha, my alpha makes me wet.” “That’s rightbaby, you’re just dripping, making a mess. So eager, just waiting for daddy’scock, aren’t you??” “Please !! Please daddy,I’m a good boy !!” “What do you think, he been good ??”

All the employees know that the only correct answer to thatquestion is yes, unless you intend to sign your own death warrant.

Billy sucking his slick off of Steve’s fingers as he fucksup into him and strokes Billy’s dick.  

Okay moving on.

Pregnant omega Billy and his murderous alpha that ispractically daring someone to look at Billy the wrong way. Pregnant Billy restingone hand protectively over his stomach and holding a gun in the other, coveredin blood and Steve finding him, terrified until he realizes it’s not Billy’sblood.

There was not a chance in hell Billy was letting anyone hurthis baby.

He’s calm, shut off, animalistic, that is until he’s inSteve’s arms, trembling as the adrenaline high starts to ware off and Billy canonly think about losing the baby, someone taking that little life away fromhim, of cradling his bloody stomach and praying that he fucking died so that hedidn’t have to live in a world without his baby, so that he didn’t have to faceSteve and tell him that he couldn’t keep their child safe.

He remembers the blade tracing his stomach, the slight cutto his flesh, a small message of what was going to happen; Billy couldn’t letthat happen but now, as he shivers in Steve’s hold, has a vice grip on hislover, and sobs into his shoulder, all he can think about is how close he wasto losing everything.

Billy finally stops trembling, he’s not sobbing anymore buta few stray tears fall as he finally looks up at Steve with a glazed over lookin his eyes. Steve grabs him by the face and kisses him gently before moving tokiss lightly at Billy’s neck and the nuzzle against his warm skin, inhaling thesweet scent and telling Billy that he did such a good job, that he’s such a goodboy, such a good dad.

Also straying away from the angsty stuff and dipping our toeback into nsfw for the pregnant edition, Steve may not look at Billy as abroodmare but he 1000% has a breeding kink. You know he does.

And Billy, Billy is such a submissive boii when it comes toSteve but it’s probably really prevalent when he’s pregnant because Billy’severy instinct screams ‘I’m tired and vulnerable please protect me. Protectus’. He knows he can take care of himself, has proven it time and time again,but he just needs Steve to coddle him and take care of him, to hold him closeand boss him around, to let his mind rest. Some days he simply needs to belongto Steve. He needs Steve to praise him, to tell him he’s doing a good job, thathe’s such a good boy. He needs it.

Here’s something else I think. We’ve already established Stevehas always loved people walking in on him and Billy, loves while Billy rideshis dick while he’s in the middle of a meeting, or gets down on his knees whilethe door is wide open. He loves putting on a show, that is until Billy getspregnant. The second Steve finds out Billy gets pregnant, every alpha instinctin him screams to hide Billy, to keep his omega and pup as far away from thesepeople as possible and he even starts backing off a bit, being less forward anddominant. It kills Billy, especially the submissive side of him that needs toplease and listen and be a good boy, because Steve won’t let him. They talkabout it (because the fuckers realize they have a communication problem) andthings fall back into place.

I’m actually working on a drabble about it to better explain how they get past the struggle of not wanting to touch or bother each other to being the typical clingy loving mess they are. I should have that out soon please be patient with me. 

Steve is so extremely in love with Billy, and daddy Steve isall about his pregnant omega, beams with pride every time he so much as thinksabout him.

Billy is a good boy, the best boy, and Steve is obsessedwith him.

No, I’m serious like he can’t fucking get enough of him. IfBilly is in the same room as him, Steve has to be touching him. It’s a fact.His hands are on Billy’s tummy all the goddamn time because he’s in love withthe bump, and Billy is curled up in his lap whenever possible.

Billy is always falling asleep in Steve’s lap and I promiseyou if someone woke him up there would be hell to pay. But picture Steve gentlystroking his stomach so the baby keeps calm and Billy waking up and whining ifhe stops, just a sleepy and breathless “daddy” and he’s burying his face inSteve’s neck like Steve can legitimately feel him pouting against his skin.

Another fun thing to picture is Steve coming home to Billyroaming around the house in his underwear, one of Steve’s suit jackets, andnothing else. The jacket is too long, it reaches his thighs and covers hishands and his belly is sticking out. Steve is in awe but all Billy notices isSteve staring and he’s like “Stop looking at me like that. Goddamn maid did allthe laundry and this is the only thing that still smelt like you. I’ll gochange but stop, Jesus.” Poor baby needed his alpha’s scent but all the sheetsand clothes, even the fucking pillow cases and Billy’s goddamn stuffed animalsgot washed and Billy was stressed. Steve obviously pulls him into bed andcuddles up to him before Billy has a chance to take the jacket off.

Billy probably feels tremendously guilty for gettingpregnant so soon after transferring to work with Hopper. He constantly fallsasleep at his desk because paperwork is the only thing he can do so he does alot of it. Hopper is calling Steve to come pick up his stubborn husband.

I imagine Hopper has to call Steve to come get Billy a lot.

Billy has been puking all goddamn morning but herefuses to go home because he’s not technically sick so he can still work.

Billy almost gets in a fist fight and it’s likeBITCH YOU’RE PREGNANT

Billy the baby is due in three weeks you saidyou were gonna go on leave two fucking months ago, stop coming to work

I think Kayla sums it up the best she literally just said“Hopper’s burden is profound.”

Hop is just like “Steve. Come get your husband I’ve neverbeen so annoyed for someone to actually do their job.” He feels like any secondhe’s about to step on a landmine because if he upsets Billy he feels like a jerk(don’t upset the poor bby) and all of his alpha and dad instincts are likedon’t upset him but also this boy is miserable why is he still here ?? Hop isliterally like if Steve can’t come get him I’m scooping him up and taking himhome.

Like Billy. Honey. It is not a crime to get some goddamnrest.

( Another great quote from my love “Apparently it is,according to Billiam.” )

Steve at one point lays down the law to protect Billy andthe baby because sure a lot of people work up until their due date but Billyhas been overworking, not getting any rest, he’s stressed which we know is notfucking good, and you can just look at him and know he feels miserable andtired.

Sadly, despite Billy’s need to be a good boy, he also feelsan obligation to help Hopper. Hopper gave him a job when no one else would justbecause he was Steve’s mate which meant he was family, and then he got pregnantso fucking fast that he’s like this is all I can do so I have to help, I haveto do everything I fucking can here.

And it’s like no honey, it’s okay, you need to take care ofyourself, please take care of yourself.

Steve would be so genuinely upset, you know he would, whenhe gets a call from Hopper saying “I thought the kid was finally taking hisleave ??” Steve is so confused, just like “…He is??” and Hopper just answersback with “Then why is he drooling on my paperwork instead of in a bed ??” AndSteve is not a happy boy like at all.

At this point it’s like troubling like do we have to stagean intervention ?? “I’m fine okay ?? I just like to help.” “You’re sleepingmore at the station than at home.”

Sleepy Billy when Steve comes to pick him up after that callfrom Hopper. “Hey don’t be mad.” “I’m pissed off Billy, you’re going to have toaccept that.” “Stevie, don’t be maaaddd.” “Stop it, you’re being a brat.”

Honestly though, Billy just wants to be helpful but this isnot the way honey.

Sleepy Billy is my favorite Billy, he’s such a bratty lilboy, especially that night.

“Steve, gimme your jacket.” “You have your ownjacket.” “Yeah, but I want yourjacket.” “Seriously?” “It’s softer, mine is all itchy.” “Then why did you wearit?” “Steve, the baby wants yourjacket.” Steve gives him the jacket.

“Cuddle me.” “I’m driving.” “Cuddle me plleeaaassee.” “I. Am. Driving.”

“Are you still mad??” “Yes.” “…What about now??”“Yeah Billy, I’m still mad.” “Okay.” “Okay…” “And now??” “Especially now!!”

“You know, I was fine, you didn’t have to comeget me.” “You know, I might believe that if I didn’t just watch youaccidentally staple your own hand.” “I was fiiinnnee.”

“Baby, you promised you were done.” “…okay Steve,not for nothing but I had my fingers crossed behind my back so it doesn’tcount.”

Billy he loves you but you’re driving him insane. Stevewants to scold him, tell him how ridiculous he’s being. Why’s he have to be sogoddamn stubborn ?? He needs to fucking rest Jesus fucking Christ. What thefuck is he going to do with this little brat ??

Steve stays home as much as possible and makes Billy come towork with him when he can’t so that he can keep an eye on him. Billy doesn’tknow if he should be pissed or delighted because on the one hand Steve isgiving him all of the attention but on the other hand he knows he’s in troubleand he’s pissed off about it.

Billy is such a handful, big time, and he goes betweenpouting and coming up with every way to get Steve to not be mad at him. He’llgrab Steve’s hand and make him feel the baby kicking because Steve can’t staymad when that happens. He’ll crawl in Steve’s lap and refuse to move. You knowdamn well he calls him ‘daddy’ to get his way. He borrows all of Steve’s comfyclothes and parades around in them because Steve absolutely loves when Billy iscovered in his scent.

The problem is that other times he’s a brat about it. He’lljust ignore Steve. He’ll refuse to sit with him. He’ll talk to anyone exceptSteve, even people he can’t stand. He’ll whine about every fucking thing. Itdoesn’t help that he’ll sit right in front of Steve and call Hopper to see howthings are going at the station.

I also picture Billy having to say “I’m pregnant you fuckingmoron” a lot. (this was mentioned in the other set of headcanons but I justlove it, it’s my favorite fucking headcanon)

Billy and Tommy don’t see each other as muchsince his transfer, so Billy calls him to tell him the good news. Tommysuggests going out for drinks to celebrate.

Some dumbass that does odd jobs for Steve everyonce and awhile sees Billy and comments “Damn Steve, your bitch really lethimself go”. Billy barely get’s the words out before Steve is grabbing the guy by hisneck.

There’s some serious shit going down and someonementions that Billy would be really good backup for when they go try to ambushone of Steve’s rivals.

It’s at this point Kayla and I started discussing how Billyfound out and what him and Steve’s reaction was. It’d be the same as in themain headcanons, except Billy is at work when he hears Flo and Hopper talkingand just drops his crappy breakroom coffee and hides in the bathroom. Oh andSteve freaks the fuck out when he realizes how involved Billy’s been in themore violent side of his work and how much he’s been hit and kicked and thrownaround that at his first doctor’s appointment he keeps asking “so you’re sureeverything’s okay ??” until the doctor has to take a few deep breaths so thatshe doesn’t snap at him and Billy orders him to sit down and shut his mouth orhe’s gonna kick him out.

[spacecaced]

i don’t know why i keep thinking about it but i’m honestly desperate for steve and billy looking tragically good in those SHIELD uniforms. mainly because steve is definitely black widow and billy is hawkeye hands down.

so here’s an mcu stranger things au: 

Some days everything runs smoothly and other days he finds himself speaking firmly and clearly into the comms; telling Billy to quit dicking around Hargrove we’re on a mission only to have his partner scoff on the other end of the line. 

Always followed by some small movement from in the distance, where Billy’s set up as a sniper, no doubt giving Steve a fake salute, sure thing cap’n, and Steve swears once they’re back to HQ he’s putting in for a transfer. 

But even he knows he won’t follow through with it. It’s something he uses as a threat, even though it never works and he’s never serious. Some days though, the thought of letting himself be reassigned, letting someone else deal with Billy’s shit, it’s real tempting. 

Over the course of the last four years, Steve’s had to write up more incident reports than he’d like and deal with Billy’s seemingly constantly fluctuating attitude. Some days are almost manageable but then Billy’s elsewhere and he’s got a fire in his eyes that’s just on the wrong side of playful, dripping into dangerous territory, and it makes Steve anxious in a way not much else does. 

Plus, the whole reason Steve’s in this situation is because he’s the only field operative with the kind of clearance that makes him just a notch above Billy -- read: responsible and qualified enough to be in charge of him -- and he’s the only guy within a fifty-mile radius that doesn’t believe Billy belongs back in prison. 

It’s where he belongs a junior level field agent had said one day, all snotty and sure of themselves, and even if being around Billy was anything but a cake walk they were still partners. And to Steve, that meant everything.

So maybe he’d made sure not to hold back in training that day, not until the junior level agent who’d made the shitty remark was swept off his feet, tossed around, and pinned to the training mats about ten times in a showy effortless way that left Steve barely perspiring but the hotshot kid in a sweaty mess; tapping out.

But he’s sure the kid understood the message afterwards: no one talks shit about Billy Hargrove unless they want Steve Harrington barking up their tree.

At times Steve couldn’t even deny that -- for all his talk and empty threats, and the uncontrollable essence of Billy that sometimes worried him -- he cared about Billy. They were good together, worked well on the field and even if they weren’t best pals off mission they were still better than some and honestly, Steve wouldn’t trust anyone else to have his back. 

Because as terrible as Billy was sometimes there was no better man behind a sniper lens. He had the kind of accuracy Steve envied, never missed a shot, and he never fucked up on a mission. He did come close though every now and then, earning himself a smack to the back of the head from Steve which only made him grin wider -- it was well established though that Billy genuinely lived to piss him off -- “Aw babe, you know I love it when you’re mean.”

And of course, there was that.

The flirting – or annoying little quips and borderline inappropriate remarks – was a constant between them, completely one sided of course, but every now and then they did happen to make Steve crack a smile.

“Oh shit, it’s learning to be human, check it out Robin he’s just like a real boy.” Billy would inevitably say, nudging their friend and fellow agent in the ribs.

Sometimes Robin was on Steve’s side, shoving Billy back and telling him to knock it off good naturedly, but seven out of ten times she was playing devil’s advocate; fixing Steve with a fond little look and reaching up to pinch at his cheek, “See Harrington, doesn’t kill you to lighten up a bit.”

“It might.”

The only time Billy wasn’t busy being a thorn in his side was either late at night – when most of the facility was locked down save for several open designated gym rooms, where Steve and Billy would wind up sparring for most the night until they were sweating through their workout clothes and their concentration was shaky – or very early in the morning – everyone always assumed it was Billy who hated mornings but they had it flipped, Steve was a grouch unless he got coffee and Billy was munching on a protein bar, talking a mile a minute, and spraying crumbs everywhere most mornings as Steve contemplated drowning himself in his large thermos filled with rich Colombian roast coffee, he also briefly entertained the idea of murdering Billy with said thermos but that nifty idea was only for really terrible mornings – aside from that they were at odds most of the time.

“We’re good on the field, good partners, we don’t need to be friends.” Steve says, sitting side by side with Agent Wheeler behind a desk stacked with ridiculous reports they had to sift through.

He’d rather be doing anything else on his free day but when you’re a part of a super-secret spy agency there really was no such thing as an ‘off day’, their motto might as well have been: “we’ll take a break when we’re dead”.

Nancy, wonderfully bright and fierce, bit at the end of her pen and sighed, “Steve, you’re both adults why do you have to act like little kids around each other. All the pulling pigtails between you two is driving me crazy.”

Steve went silent.

The words on the form in front of him didn’t even make sense for a good while -- not that they did anyways, because there was nothing normal about aliens attacking New York – but he wouldn’t let her words get the best of him. Billy was just Billy, he treated everyone in the same kind of carefree way that he treated Steve.

Besides, it’s not like he liked the attention he got from the other. He didn’t. Not at all.

“I think you’re just imaging stuff now, Nance.” Steve said, brilliantly using some of the tactics his training so long ago had taught him.

Not that they would have even worked, Nancy was arguably a better agent than he was but she preferred to take cases closer to home unlike Steve who liked getting out there and seeing the world, even if he did have to deal with Billy’s awful commentary and his insistence to try every type of street food known to man when they were shipped overseas.

Nancy was amazing at what she did, but a part of Steve was also a little relieved that she never wanted to be his competition, because he knew he’d be the one losing. She stayed close to home not only because she enjoyed following up on cases and gathering intel, but because she didn’t like being away from her girlfriend Barb for extended amounts of time.

“I am not, you know exactly what I’m talking about Steve Harrington.”

God, he hated it when she used her mom voice. She’d even turned in her seat to look at him and under normal circumstances it was usually nice to be met with Nancy’s soft gaze, but this one bore right into his soul.

“It’s just Billy, Nance, he’s like that with everyone. I’m pretty sure he’ll flirt with anything that has a pulse.”

Even still, Nancy was having none of it. “You’re an idiot you know that?”

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Robin told me on the last op you three did together Billy was flirting, she said you guys didn’t even have the decency to switch to a private channel.”

Steve’s face colored a horrible crimson shade and he groaned, resisting the urge to drop his head down on the desk and maybe keep repeating that, “It wasn’t flirting, for fucks sake, Billy’s just like that.”

“He’s never like that with me or Robin, he doesn’t even so much as talk to anyone else Steve. Except Jonathan but that’s only because he helps Billy with surveillance. You’re the only partner that’s lasted with him longer than three months. Steve, four years you guys have been doing this and he hasn’t slipped up in that entire time, you keep him in line for some reason, ever wonder why?”

“I don’t know why,” Steve breathed, scrubbed a hand over his face and dropped his gaze back to the papers at hand, his words having just enough edge to not allow for anymore questioning, “and I don’t really care, it doesn’t matter because we work well together and Billy can keep being a dick just as long as his trigger finger still works and his eyesight’s sharp. If you’re done with the third degree we’ve still got another stack to get through.”

As soon as the last word was out of his mouth a blanket of stiff silence fell over the pair of them. Steve felt bad for a little bit but mostly he just felt exhausted. Because this was about the last thing he wanted to happen, to get into an argument with Nancy who was probably his only real friend in this whole world.

But he wasn’t about to go back on what he had said either. He meant every word. There was nothing between him and Billy, there never would be, and if all they had was a working relationship then that was good enough. Sometimes it could almost feel like friendship between them, so there was also that, Steve could be doing a lot worse.

Four days later and “a lot worse” ended up being a fresh undercover assignment for him and Billy in Hawkins, Indiana. 

“Well, this is…something.” Steve said slowly, hands shoved in his pockets as they stood outside of Indianapolis airport, snow was blanketing the ground already. There was hardly anything major to see in the distance, a big difference from even the suburbs of New York.

Plus, Billy looked about ready to die.

After being stuck on an airplane full of people – because they were supposed to be here undercover and had to take public transport instead of their government funded plane – Billy was probably wound up so tight he was going to snap any moment.

Steve really wasn’t looking forward to that.

“Come on, we’ve still got a bit of a drive to Hawkins.” Steve said, corralling Billy like a bull towards a taxi.

Billy was blissfully quiet for the whole trip actually – it gave Steve time to read through the files on his phone about the small little town of Hawkins and the apparent hell dimension that had opened up, god their job could never just be other spies, no it had to be demons too – but of course that voluntary silence only worried him more.

He would glance up every now and then just to see Billy hopefully lost in peaceful thought while he stared out the window, blue eyes looking even more crystal in these cold temperatures.

When they finally arrived, the taxi dropped them off in the middle of what could only be the town square, with all their bags in tow and pointed them to a hotel, Billy heaved a long worn-down sigh – his breath spilling out into the chilly air like a wisp of wind – and Steve tensed.

“I fucking hate this town.”

Yeah, what could possibly go wrong. 

[miss-wanderlustwriter]

The Sky (Part 1)

Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things) x Reader

1600 words

Let me know what you think, this is my first Billy fanfic!

Summary: It’s Tina’s Halloween party and you catch the eye of the new keg King in town.

Feedback, suggestions & requests all welcome ♥

Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5

(Of course I don’t condone the actions of Billy at all in the show, but I’m intrigued by the character and let’s face it Dacre Montgomery is hot as hell, and such an amazing actor!)

Here I was, begrudgingly at the ‘party of the year’. Tina’s annual Halloween party. I promised Nancy I’d go for moral support as Steve was in turn forcing her to go. He’d apparently mentioned something about being stupid teenagers for once after all the crap we went through last year. I know Nancy was still torn up about Barb, I mean I was and I was nowhere near as good friends with her as Nancy was. It breaks my heart.

Anyways it was your typical high school party, not really my scene, I’d much rather be at home reading and listening to music. But I made the effort, for Nancy. I was in my black rah-rah skirt, leggings, vest top and a cropped gold jacket, with my unruly blond hair left au-natural and completed with a bow headband. My attempt at being Madonna.

I was numbing all the pain away with the spiked punch as I was people watching, leaning against the wall and I could see Nancy and Steve having a dance, and a seemingly good time. It’s a shame we couldn’t convince Jonathan to come, maybe I could have had another friend to keep me company.

All of a sudden there was huge cheering and shouting from the back yard that brought me out of my trance and drawing everyone’s attention. I rolled my eyes as the new guy, Billy Hargrove, strutted through the room like he owned it. To be fair he probably had owned at least half the girls at this party, even with only being here a couple of months.

He made a beeline straight to Steve; to start a fight? Just stare him down? Who knows. But I saw Nancy leave the situation and I went to her.

“Hey Nancy! Are you okay?”

“Y/N!!!” Clearly hammered. “Yes I am fabulous, have you tried this punch?? I’m going to get more!”

Steve then appeared and stormed straight passed me to the punch bowl and a swaying Nancy. I think I’ll just leave them to it, smiling to myself.

“Oh so she can smile?!” A voice appeared a lot closer than I was expecting.

I jumped out of my skin. Turning to the body attached to the voice I came face to face with the keg King himself.

“Excuse me?!” I replied, more out of shock that he had actually acknowledged my existence.

He was leaning against the wall next to me with that bloody smirk on his face, and that bloody gorgeous body on show. Yes okay, he’s a total dick, but even I can admit he looks gorgeous in that no shirt and leather jacket combo.

He looks up at me through his eyelashes, obviously amused by my expression. “You. Smiling. I don’t think I’ve seen that before. Looks good on you.”

“Oh thank you I shall keep that noted, especially for you.” I reply, dripping with sarcasm.

He breathed out a low chuckle. “Now now Princess.”

I rolled my eyes at the nickname. “Well good chat, see you.”

“Wait, I want to talk to you pretty girl.”

“Well I don’t want to talk to you or have to listen to your god awful chat up lines that for some reason work on every other girl at our school.” I stormed off totally confused to grab more punch as I heard him shout after me “I like a girl who’s fiesty!” This night just got weird.

Eventually I found a little sanctuary away from everyone at the top of the stairs (well one set of them anyways, this house was huge) in a window seat, and I was happy to stay there until Steve and Nancy were ready to bail.

It was pitch black outside but I had always loved the sky; beautiful sunrises bringing in the new day, gorgeous sunsets closing them out, and night time where in only a certain few places of the town you could see all the stars. I could see the moon from my seat, and it took me back to being a little girl; out in the back yard with my Mom and Dad, wrapped in blankets with flasks of hot chocolate. Just gazing at the wonders, Dad teaching us about the moon cycles and trying to convince me a man lived on it. I smiled a little to myself, but then I was brought back to the somber present and reality of the increasingly frequent arguments between the two of them. I needed to talk to them, I was old enough, I could help maybe.

Unfortunately, my thoughts were rudely interrupted; Billy obviously didn’t understand when he was being turned down.

He pushed my feet out of the way to sit down next to me as I barely gave him a glace. His signature cigarette perched between his lips as he leaned forward elbows on knees and turned his head towards me. I kept my eyes on the moon and stars, but feeling his eyes on me made me restless.

“What do you want Hargrove?” I turned to face him, I had to sooner or later.

“Just enjoying the view Y/N.” The corner of his mouth turning up. So he did know who I was, again, weird. He took a long drag as he sat up and leaned back against the window, so that his eyeline was directly in mine. I raised my eyebrows at him. “Seriously?”

“Let me take you out.” His cockiness was unbelievable.

“Think I’ll pass thanks. Now you can run along onto your next target.” Not making any attempt to hide the disgust in my voice.

“Aww come on, I’m not as bad as you’re thinking right now.” He paused and I saw the devilish look in his eyes. “But, if you ask nice enough I could be.”

I scoffed, blushed and stuttered. Goddamn how does he do this.

It wasn’t that I was a prude, I just hadn’t found the guy I liked enough to sleep with yet. Yet here he was, Mr Sleep-Around himself, assuming he can get me in the back of his car just like that. Think again.

“Seriously Billy? You think you can just come up to me at a party with that pretty face, throw me a smile, and I’d be putty in your hands? You really think that low of me? Oh well you must since you’ve never even spoken to me before tonight and therefore don’t know anything about me.”

I swung my legs off the window seat to stand and he stood with me. He took a step towards me so that we were inches apart and I had to look up at him. His bright blue eyes felt like they were cutting right into me but there was no way in hell I was backing down. My heart started racing and I felt the heat rising in my cheeks, I was internally cursing myself for being this affected by him.

“What if I actually want to get to know you Princess? I can tell you’re different and I know you feel that… heat between us.”

“I am not one of your backseat sluts you can fuck and kick to the curb the next day Billy.”

He leant in right next to my ear before whispering “I know.”

Neither of us were wavering but he was right, I felt the heat and I really don’t think I could just blame the alcohol. I couldn’t tell if it was a line or if he felt it too. But I wasn’t about to be made a fool of to find out.

I put my hand on his warm, sculpted chest to push him back and made my way down stairs, away from him, shaking my head. I needed some headspace and some air, and that was when I ran straight into Jonathan with an almost passed out Nancy under his arm. All exchanges with Billy were pushed aside for the time being.

We had no idea where Steve had gone. The only words we could get out of her were ‘party’ and 'bullshit’. So I assume they had an argument, that’s the only reason Steve would leave Nancy anywhere; he loved her. But after everything that happened last year I honestly thought she was going to end up with Jonathan, I don’t know why I just felt something between them, and I can tell he still has feelings for her. It was a messy love triangle that I was staying out of, good thing too seen as though I seem to have acquired some Billy trouble of my own.

Jonathan and I were supporting Nancy on each side, he had already said he searched the whole house for Steve, finding nothing, but I couldn’t help taking one last glance around the room as we got to the front door.

I didn’t see Steve. However, standing at the bottom of the stairs casually leaning against the wall, arms folded, watching me, was Billy. We locked eyes so fiercely my breath got caught in my throat as he flashed that infamous smile. I turned away focusing on getting Nancy to Jonathan’s car and then to her bed.

We got her through the house and to her room relatively quietly, I removed her boots and Jonathan tucked her in, which I couldn’t help but admire from the doorway. He cared for her so much.

As I was lying in my own bed shortly after, all I could think about were those piercing blue eyes, that bad boy smirk and how, I think, he knew he’d gotten under my skin.

[justsomewritingsandshit]

Missed Anniversary

Steve Rogers x Reader, Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes

Length: 1606 words

Warnings: cheating on established relationship, dickmove by steven, only a little of bucky, angsty asf, swearing, reader has gay dads, au af 

Masterlist for this series

Your relationship with Steve began not too long after his ‘un-freezing’. It started out with you being assigned by SHIELD, a company whom you had no idea existed at said time, to help him assimilate back into society, or more to the point; into the modern world. You, Y/N Y/L, an accomplished student of history, specifically early twentieth century, had been hired to help Steve’s transition.

It worked well, enough for Steve to be able to go about his life casually (read: until he didn’t freak out at the iPhone).

He asked you out on a date not too long after the first Avengers situation. Almost immediately after he’d successfully gotten in contact with you, founding out you were safe in Wyoming, with your father and step-father, and far away from the havoc unleashed in New York.

Today was your two-year anniversary, and you felt like you were at the point where you wanted to move further with your relationship. He was your boyfriend, and you both had said ‘I love you’, now you were going to ask him to move in together. Steve already spent quite a bit of time at your place, why not make it a bit more?

At this exact moment, you were preparing a beautiful dish, one that your mother made plenty of times before her passing – her famous spinach and ricotta lasagne, with stuffed mushrooms and herbed vegies. It was hard, an arduous task due to your lack of cooking skills, but you wanted to make the best. You laid out your small dinner table, then put on the playlist you’d made, which was filled with Steve’s favourites tracks from the thirties and forties. Smiling, you wondered if you should crack open a bottle of wine for the meal. Despite Steve’s ability to not get intoxicated, he did occasionally enjoy a nice Merlot.

You plopped onto your sofa, listening to the soft crooning of Billy Holiday (a favourite of yours that you’d included on the playlist), and began to wait. Flickering through your Instagram, you noticed that it was ten past seven, and Steve should’ve already been here. You began to frown as you waited. When the clock passed eight, you stood up, knowing that he wasn’t coming.

He’d done this before, though. Steve wouldn’t come to organised events, and while he didn’t mean anything by it (he was usually suddenly called away on a mission, or to the Avengers facility to help), the occasions it happened left you saddened. Sometimes he managed to text you that he’d be late, or at least get word back to you about what was going on. Checking your phone, you noticed no notifications, on any messaging app, so you called him.

“Hello, Steve Rogers, I cannot reach my telephone right now, but feel free to contact me via text messages, or leave a voice message now-” The tone rang, and you sighed, before hanging up. If he was on a mission, he’d call you as soon as he was done.

You just wished it hadn’t been your anniversary that he’d had to miss.

“Good morning, Y/N, what can I help you with this morning?” Two days later, and no word from Steve meant you’d gone to find him at the Avengers tower/facility. At the moment, you were conversing with JARVIS, the artificial butler of said building.

“Hi JARVIS, just here to see Steve. Could you take me to his floor?” Unless accompanied by a member of the team, you weren’t allowed to go wandering the tower, which makes sense as you didn’t have any SHIELD clearance anymore, and you’d never had Stark Industries clearance either.

“Of course, Y/N. Would you care for a beverage to be taken to Mr Roger’s room for you?”

“No, thanks.”

The elevator let out a whoosh as you were hurtled up several stories of the building, on your way to the floor which Steve resided on. He hadn’t contacted you in since your anniversary, so you had begun to worry, but then you’d contacted the tower and JARVIS had confirmed he was there – apparently, he hadn’t left in several days. More concerned than angry, especially as he hadn’t replied to your concerned messages, you wandered down to his bedroom door. Once or twice before, when the two of you had first started dating, Steve wouldn’t contact you for days as he was remembering his past, and was hurting because of said memories. Timidly, you knocked on the door, not wanting to startle him, just in case he was having one of these moments.

“Y/N!” Steve opened the door quickly, and let out a surprised gasp at seeing you standing there. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and he looked as if he’d just come back from a workout session – not unusual for him. After all, have you seen his abs?

Smiling, you moved to walk into the room, “Hey! I’ve missed you, I was worried that you weren’t doing okay…” Steve side-stepped, getting in your way and making you stumble, “Are you? Okay, I mean.” You squinted at him, noticing the way he seemed to be breathing quickly, like he’d just run a marathon. His pale cheeks were also red, making you wonder if you’d embarrassed him somehow. “Steve, babe, what’s going on? I’m getting worried.” You said it softly, placing you palm on his shoulder, genuinely beginning to freak out. Was he okay? Had something happened?

“Stevie, pal, what’s taking you so long? I found the other bottle of lube-” A very naked Bucky Barnes walked out of the adjoining bathroom, and your heart broke. He seemed to be startled seeing you in the doorway, and froze, but quickly ran back into the bathroom when he realised his own nakedness.

Tears began to gather in your eyes, and you felt heat in your face. Hurt, anger and despair began to take over your body, as you stepped back in shock.

“Y/N!” Steve reached out to steady you, but you slapped away his hands quickly, not wanting him to touch you. What you just witnessed was too obvious for you to brush it off. You were all too aware of what had occurred. “Please, let me explain!”

But you were deaf to his words, “You missed our anniversary, so here.” You choked out the words, before shoving the small bag, that you’d been happily clutching in your hand up till this point, at his chest. “Ignore the key to my apartment. It’s clear that you won’t be able to move in with me, now.” You walked away, wondering if it was possible for you to exit this building, sans your heart?

“Doll, please!” Steve stalked after you and tried to tug at your hand, desperately trying to get you to not walk away from him. You shook him off.

“Don’t… just don’t, Steve.”

Somehow, you’d made it to your apartment. You saw the cutesy pictures you had strung up, and the various items and knick-knacks that reminded you of Steve, and your relationship. Ten minutes later, you were stood at the base of your apartment building, a small bag in hand, now waiting for your taxi to pick you up.

“Y/N!” You heard Steve’s voice, his frightened voice entering your brain, but you forced yourself not to acknowledge it. “Please, wait!”

A yellow taxi pulled up at this exact moment, and you absentmindedly opened the door, right as Steve ran over to you.

“Doll… please listen.”

You shook yourself to life, “Listen to what, Steve? Honestly, I don’t think there’s a thing you could say to me right now, that I would want to hear.” Hurt tears welled up in your eyes, and deep down you took satisfaction in the fact he looked saddened by them. “I’m going to get in this taxi, go to my dads’, and when I return in two weeks, I want your stuff gone.” Whilst you hadn’t lived together, he kept a lot of things at yours, and honestly; you didn’t want the memorabilia that littered the place either. “After that, the only time I want to see you, is when you’re on TV.”

“Y/N, I- I didn’t mean for it to happen, please trust me-”

“Well I don’t. You lost my trust the minute you cheated on me, with Bucky of all people!” You were a bit loud, but the only person who was there to witness, was the taxi man who was already charging you, so you didn’t really care.

“Bucky, of all people?” The way he said it made you wish you were physically capable of hitting him, “Because he’s a man?”

“No, Steve,” You felt angry, even more than what you’d been feeling a moment ago, “Because you said that I didn’t have to worry about him, that I should accept that sometimes a man wants to ‘hang out’ with his best friend!” You placed quotation marks around the words, letting Steve know that you now suspected every instance he’d said them. “I guess I learnt my lesson, though, didn’t I?” You shoved your bag into the taxi, and you sat down in it. Opening the window, you shoved your face through it and shouted at him, “And if you ever suggest that I’m being homophobic (because I don’t like the fact you cheated on me) again, you can kiss my gay dad’s ass!”

The car drove off, and whilst you couldn’t mend your heart from the hurt, the look on his face as you drove away, was enough to get you to the airport and into the comforting arms of your gay dads’ back in Wyoming.