#v ✘ nothing looks the same in the light : thebabysittertm

[hargrove]

➠ @thebabysittertm

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.  Romantic relationships were never something that Billy had been interested in pursuing. Casual hook-ups were all he needed to get by, not wanting to tether himself to another person. There were all sorts of deep rooted reasons behind it that stemmed from the abandonment of his mother and then the abuse of his father. A therapist could have a field day with the mind of Billy Hargrove. What no one could have expected, though, was Steve Harrington. The two had been secretly dating for a few months now and Billy couldn't imagine a life without the other. Though they were both stubborn as hell and alike in so many ways, Harrington had somehow found a way to calm the inner turmoil that had plagued Billy since he was eleven. Steve was the balm for his explosive anger, and in turn, Billy was the fierce protector that his boyfriend never had. Simply put, together, they flourished.

Though Billy could understand why it bothered Steve how absent his parents were in his life, he was selfishly grateful for it during the nights they had the Harrington house all to themselves. A select few of their friends knew about their relationship, but in the sanctuary of the large house, Billy felt like he could truly be himself. It was a place that held many happy memories for him. From cooking tacos in the kitchen, to cuddling on the couch and watching Terminator. Even fighting off the demogorgon in the backyard. Though that had been traumatic as hell for them both, the following events that night of Billy taking care of his beat up boyfriend was a memory that would stick with him. The house was also the site of the place where they first made love. It was the first time either of them had slept with another guy, which made for some awkward moments, but was easily one of the best nights of Billy's life. In short, if the walls of the Harrington household could talk.... Mr. and Mrs. Harrington would have definitely died from a heart attack by now.

All of this is to explain why Billy instantly recognized his surroundings when he came to. It was dark, not a single light on, but he knew the carpet under his bare feet and scent of expensive potpourri. It all told him that he was in the living room. It was night which meant he couldn't see much beyond the sliding glass door that was right in front of him. How he'd gotten there was the real mystery. Hazy fog kept his mind moving slowly as he realized he must have been asleep. Sleep walking wasn't something Billy had ever been known to do, though. He blinked his eyes into focus, seeing the faint outline of his reflection in the door. "What the hell?" he mumbled as he looked over his shoulder, seeing that he was completely alone in the room. It was then that he remembered falling asleep in Steve's bed, tangled up in the other's arms as happy as could be.

His stomach suddenly dropped and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something was watching him. He didn't know how he knew, but he was sure of it. His body froze as his heartbeat quickened pace. It was right in front of him and he was afraid to move his gaze back to the door to look at it. Slowly, he turned his head, straightening it to come face to face with his reflection --- a reflection that had never looked over its shoulder. Instead, it stared back at him, a wicked smirk twisting its lips and black veins perverting his usually handsome face.

Every muscle in his body was still, and Billy knew that it wasn't just fear that kept him frozen. He couldn't move at all. He was paralyzed completely as he continued to stare at the monstrous reflection in the sliding glass door. Surely this was still a dream. Nightmares plagued his mind unrelentingly since he'd escaped the Upside Down. This, however, felt different. There was a ringing in his ears that slowly became louder and louder, eventually drowning out the thudding of his rapid heartbeat. All the hair on his arms were standing up and he silently begged for the nightmare to end. 'Stop it, stop it, stop it', he thought in his mind, over and over, wishing that he could scream the words, though his mouth refused to open.

Suddenly, as though pulled by an unseen force, his hand reached up and hit the glass, fingers splayed out as his reflection matched the action. A very small crack formed in the glass under the pressure and his reflection laughed mockingly. 'Stop it, stop it, stop it-'

"STOP IT!"

Instantly, the ringing was gone and his reflection had vanished. Only the normal outline of his body could be seen in the glass. No more evil eyes, no more wicked smirk. No more anything except the fear that gripped his heart.

[hargrove]

@thebabysittertm asked: ‘  i would follow you to the ends of the earth with only mild complaining  ’

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.  Living in a trailer meant no room indoors for workout equipment, leaving only the space outside. A small radio played the local rock station as Billy did a rep of benchpresses. Steve had come to hang out, which suited the blond fine as he loved to show off for his boyfriend. Setting the barbell back in the rack, he sat up and shot Steve an amused look. "Is that you trying to be romantic?" he asked teasingly. There was no one around and anything they said would be drowned out by the radio anyway.