#i want the others to die a horrible death tyvm :)))))

[harrowscore]

i love the magic flute's music more than any other opera's i've watched/listened to so far, it's absolutely beautiful. but oh god, the values dissonance + mysoginy/racism combo are something else

[malecftw]

The flayed try to get to you but Billy saves you.

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 AHEAD! DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FINALE

A/N: So I’m putting a spin on the scene in the last ep. Just imagine that the flayed didn’t all turn into jelly monsters and are still humans tyvm

this is the first fic I actually choked up on whilst writing oh my Billy Hargrove really did me dirty

Word count: 1803

Warnings: angst, cursing, mentions of injury and blood, major character death, spoilers for season 3

Masterlist.

Requests are open!

Taglist: @editsbyjenny

His whole stance was different. Your boyfriend always was rather arrogant and unafraid to show it, but this was different. He looked... Evil. The glass cracked beneath your shoes as you stood on the first floor of the mall, looking down at Billy and the flayed as he took in his surroundings looking for El. He walked confidently between the people he’d been able to turn into the mind flayer’s minions. It was clear he was their leader, they all stood inhumanely still and waited for his signal.

Your lungs started to burn as you subconsciously held your breath, careful not to make a sound since you were in plain sight if anyone decided to look up. You knew it was a bad idea, coming out of your previous hiding place behind one of the benches yet you felt compelled to stand up. You’d heard how Billy was acting and what was happening but you hadn’t seen it yet for yourself. A part of you hoped it was all a stupid lie made up by some bored teenagers, but that hope was quickly shattered when your eyes found him.

All of a sudden a piercing scream filled the mall and a big dark shadow was visible on the glass ceiling. As you looked up, however, you forgot that you were out for the entire mall to see. In response to the echoing scream of their creator, the flayed and Billy looked up as well and in turn noticed you.

‘Y/n get down!’ Steve whispered urgently, noticing what had happened before you did, your mind consumed by the thing above you. You looked at him questioningly and he shot you a terrified look but it was too late. You followed his gaze down and looked straight into the eyes of Billy. His face showed no sign of happiness or any other emotion. It’s like he wasn’t even there, disconnected from it all. He nodded and the flayed sprung into motion. There were at least 50 of them and they were all coming for you. You turned your body towards Steve, Dustin, and Robin who were the ones who previously shared your hiding spot. They all noticed your shift in behavior which could only mean one thing. You’d been found out. ‘Run.’ You say, oddly calm. Calm enough for everyone to freak out and make a beeline to the exit. As they took off, you started running in the other direction. If you knew Billy as well as you thought you did, you knew even his possessed side would prefer to get to you rather than anyone else. 

You knew that Billy was a fighter. If you were gone, he had no reason to put up a fight anymore against the mind flayer. He’d just give in and let it wash over his entire being. Erasing any trace of his former human self. If you were going to die, you sure as hell would do anything in your power to help your friends in any way, shape or form which is why you opted to distract the flayed from them and focus solely on you. However, you drew the short straw with the direction you were going in as you were soon stranded between two escalators. Both of which had people running on, trying to deliver you to the mind flayer. 

Everything seemed to slow down as you locked eyes with Billy again. He watched as the crow was nearing you, no intention of stopping them whatsoever and you felt broken. You swore to yourself you would die for him but you’d never thought he’d deliver you to death himself.

‘Billy please.’ You shouted, your soul in agony as you were being grabbed by several people. Their nails pressed down on your skin so hard they broke the surface, drawing blood to which they smiled evilly. Billy blinked and ignored your please before turning his back to you, acknowledging the monster behind him that had fallen down from the broken ceiling. 

Your knees were being scratched as you were dragged down on the escalator, the flayed not budging as you put up a fight, struggling to break free. It probably took them all of 2 minutes to get you down but to you, it seemed to go by in a matter of seconds. Billy put up his hand, signaling for them to halt so he could take you from them but they continued marching towards the monster, completely ignoring his command. This startled him, he created them, how were they not following his orders? What he didn’t realize, was that they only took his orders when the ugly, slimy mess that took over their bodies wasn’t around. The creature was superior to his commands and it was their one true master, this, Billy found out soon enough as he watched them take the love of his life to get flayed as well.

‘Billy!’ You shouted once again, this time louder and more pained than before as the mind flayer hooked its claws into your sides, breaking through the barrier of your skin.

Your cries for help soften when you hear the heavy steps of his boots crunching the glass beneath his feet as he walks over to you. He grimaces when he hears you yell out in pain as the mind flayer draws back its claws from your body, leaving you bleeding on the floor with several gaping wounds. An eerie silence takes over the mall and for a second you’re back in your bedroom with Billy. 

You’re trying to study for a calculus test but he can’t stop messing with you. Jokingly pulling your ponytail, leaving kisses all over your exposed shoulders, completely achieving his goal of getting your attention. You roll your eyes and briskly turn around, pushing him onto his back and his eyes widen in surprise not having seen your action coming. ‘For the love of god, Billy Hargrove let me study.’ He laughs and cups your cheek, pulling you closer towards him until your foreheads touch. ‘You’re so smart already if you get any smarter I’m going to be marrying Einstein 2.0 one day.’ At that you gasp and pull back, slapping his chest. ‘Are you proposing Hargrove?’ You say jokingly, knowing he would not propose to you on your bed on a random Tuesday evening with no preparation whatsoever. He smirks as he eyes you up and down before sitting up, wrapping his arms around your waist, allowing you to fall into him. He supports your body and pinches your waist as he kisses you deeply, passion seeping into every fiber of his soul. ‘All in good time firecracker. All in good time.’

In a split second, you’re back on the cold floor of the Starcourt Mall. Billy has crouched down in front of you, observing you carefully as the monster behind him is stood still like a statue. ‘You’re okay little firecracker. You’ll always be okay.’ He says oddly comforting, not using the same cold tone as he had been the last couple of days. His hand reaches out and touches the corner of your bottom lip tenderly, wiping away some blood. You lean into his touch but the connection abruptly gets broken when Billy pulls away and turns around, now facing the monster again. He walks up to the mind flayer, no hesitation or fear evident in his steps before you hear him say loud and clearly: ‘Not her.’  After that, it felt like you were watching a dream.

The mind flayer acted immediately, not giving Billy a chance. Two tentacles pierced his sides, just like they did with you previously only with Billy they seemed to go deeper. The mind flayer wasn’t planning on turning Billy like he did with you. It only had one goal. To kill. You screamed, trying to get up but your severely injured body prevented you from doing so. You saw all life drain from Billy as another tentacle pierced his chest, completely ending all chances of survival.

You don’t know if you screamed, you don’t know if your voice gave out, your eyes and mind were on Billy and Billy only. You didn’t care that you were left defenseless as Billy’s body hit the glass-covered ground, back towards you as he fell on his side. You didn’t care that the mind flare could take you then and there if it wanted to. But it didn’t. The only reason it was even interested in you in the first place was to be able to take over Billy completely. But that was no longer an issue. The mind flayer had grown powerful enough to go after El without another addition to his army so it did.

The flayed ignored you as they walked passed you, following the mind flayer out of the mall in search of El. You knew you had to warn them, you knew it was the right thing to do, but your eyes were glued to his body. You cried loudly as you dragged your body over to him, glass cutting your arms yet you didn’t feel a single thing. All pain was overshadowed by the gaping hole in your chest, resembling the one that Billy had, only yours was internally.

You turned him over, and he groaned, his breathing pained as he tried to focus on you. ‘Billy look at me you’re gonna be fine okay.’ You took in the sight before you. He was drenched in his own blood and a puddle was starting to form. It was clear he wasn’t going to be fine and you were lying to his face. You let out a cry of despair when you saw his smile. Not a happy smile, just a it’s-gonna-be-okay-smile. He wasn’t okay physically, but he was finally free from that monster. He’d done horrible things. He knew he didn’t deserve the ending he was given. He deserved far worse. But here he was, he was going to die in the arms of the only person that mattered. And that was far more than he could have ever asked for. He struggled but managed to bring a hand up to the back of your neck, gingerly pulling you closer. He pressed a long kiss to your forehead, the feeling of your tears falling onto his neck paining him. His eyes filled with tears, knowing it was time for the goodbye he was never going to be ready for. As he broke the kiss, you lifted your head, looking at his face as you hovered over him. ‘Thank you for loving me firecracker.’ He whispered. The light in his eyes started to dull only seconds after he finished his last sentence.

Billy Hargrove didn’t die a villain. He also didn’t die a hero.

Billy Hargrove died loved.