#whispers: i only write harringrove im sorry

[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.

[strangerhuas-blog]

baby take my hand, tighten this romance.

indiana, Aug. 1985

"well, you said it'd take only thirty minutes, and i'm still sitting on this crappy seat! my ass is slowly losing its roundness!" billy sighs, stretching his back. "you act all grown up but, actually, you're such a gutless baby boy, aren't you? 'my ass is losing its roundness'...oh my god, that's SUCH a funny statement man, I can't" dustin smirks, showing his teeth. "uhh shut your mouth kid, or i'll make those teeth you're missing grow back personally;" "GUYS! guys. I can't focus on the road with you two arguing over... how much of a wimp billy is..."

steve starts laughing, letting his sunglasses slip off his sweaty nose. Billy stares at him fake angrily, while his heart melts by seeing his boy being happy. "do you all have a problem with me?" billy says, using his Im-Done-With-You look. "we don't, we don't! actually, you're the manliest man i've ever had the pleasure to meet" steve smiles at him, while dustin burst into laughter in the backseat. billy, unexpectedly, smiles back and squeezes his thigh. they just stare at each other for a while, while 'forever young' by Alphaville plays softly from steve's car radio. Dustin  coughs, breaking the stare game. "Steve, are we there yet? but, most importantly, where the heck are we going? i'm unbelievably tired" billy nods his head yes, agreeing with the kid. "as I said before, surprise kids! take a nap or just listen to this (actually pretty good) radio station" billy growls "screw you, harrington" and closes his eyes, falling asleep a bunch of minutes later with his arms crossed on his chest. the last traces of the shimmering kiss his pouty, reddish lips and turn his dark blonde hair into pure gold. steve looks at his sleepy face and almost cries. he still can't believe that an attentive and loyal and pure human being like billy had to deal with such a shitty life. in that exact moment, steve realizes what his purpose in billy's life his: showing him what being happy means.

"WE FINALLY ARRIVED! I COULDN'T STAND BEING IN THAT CAR WITH THAT BOAR AND HIS SNORING ANY LONGER!" Dustin gets off steve's car, kissing the ground and thanking jesus. "you're getting a little too comfortable, kiddo. You'll be punched in the face really soon, mind my words"  billy walks out, scratching his eye a little. "will you two EVER stop?" steve slams the car door, hands on his hips. "that fifth grade kid is putting me on blast, man! what am I supposed to do?" billy shouts. "I'M TWELVE, YOU TWAT" "I thought kindergarten students weren't able to talk yet?" steve shakes his head, obviously laughing.

The neon sign (wich was glowing) was a pair of green rollerblades going up and down on the top of this big building. the curly haired kid screamed like an 8-years-old schoolgirl, almost falling on his face because of his running.

"did we really had to take him?" billy rolls his eyes to steve.

"his mum was busy and mike is on vacation, if I had left him home alone i'd have felt guilty for the rest of my life, billy."

as they get closer to the building, something inside billy's chest intensifies.

then, the long haired boy remembers.

"you can do it, little boy! the whole world is at your feet, my baby!" a young, red-haired lady with a gorgeous smile was leading her arms to a five-year-old kid with blonde, curly hair.

"it's so simple! all of your cousins did it, so it'll be a piece of cake for you! just breathe in and go slow." the kid bites his bottom lip and starts skating, step by step. it only lasts ten seconds, but the woman almost cries of joy. "you did it, lil' man! you SWOOPED the scene!" they both start laughing, while hugging each other.

"karoline? is william with you? are you both in the yard?" neil hargrove was shouting at his wife from the dining room. Karoline's smile got off. "okay, you won. now let's take these off before dad finds out what you and me were doing, ok?"

"KAROLINE? WHY IS MY SON DRESSED UP LIKE SOME WEIRD FAGGOT !? TAKE THAT OFF! JESUS CHRIST!"

"neil, we were just playing." the lady stood up, as cold as ice.

" I don't care about what you were doing with those things, I don't want my firstborn to grow up thinking all of this.... pink, and ROLLERBLADES?, and this....oh man, this will surely turn him gay! you see what you're doing here? you're ruining him!" neil starts screaming. Billy can clearly hear the disappointment in his words, even though he doesn't get the meaning of what he's saying yet.

"jesus, neil, it's just a game," suddenly, the sound of a slap. silence. Neil's left hand starts shaking. Karoline grabs her flushed cheek. a silent tear flows down her nose. the man looks directly at the lady's blue eyes. "I did it because I love you, Karoline. I love you and I care about william's future" neil tried to reach her shoulder. "don't fucking touch me, neil." karoline said, while shaking from her head to toes. Billy sat in the corner of their yard, counting a ladybug's dots. he didn't know what love was, but he was pretty sure his dad didn't do that because of love.

later that night, he saw his mom crying under her bedsheets.

"mom? is you ok?"

"yes billy, mom's fine. it's bedtime now, go to sleep." she faked a smile and billy knew damn well it was fake because he could recognize his mom's true smile, with dimples and rosy cheeks.

was it his fault?

was he the cause of his dad's anger and his mom's sadness?

"steve."

the brown eyed boy turns back at him.

"what?"

"I don't want to get in."

"okay, now you're the biggest coward i've ever met. there's only a bunch of middle schoolers tonight, two old ladies, maybe. no one could hurt you even if they wanted to, billy."

" you don't fucking get it, don't you? I don't want to fucking get in and fucking wear rollerblades like some fag-"

"billy, you're shaking."

steve never saw him looking this fragile, maybe once a while ago.

billy needed him to get calmed but steve didn't know what to do at all.

so he just grabbed his right hand.

it fitted perfectly.

steve's calm, gentle grip somehow reminded billy of his mom's, they were almost identical.

"I am not your dad, billy. you can trust me as much as you can trust yourself." the grip intensified.

"i'm not here to deceive you and neither hurt you, I never was and i'll never be" and as much as it sounded fake, it truly was true.

"look at me Steve! I didn't know I was good at skating!" dustin shouted, flexing his arm while doing a spin.

"and I didn't know I had a champion as a son! you're amazing, you surely didn't get that from me!"

"i'm not even your son, stop that" dustin answered. (but he was smiling, so he wasn't that offended, after all.)

"this is so. fucking. sketchy." billy said, while holding steve's arm.

"I told you steve, I told you" dustin whispered.

"what did you tell me?" steve replied, playing his game.

"THAT BILLY WAS A FUCKING SCAREDY CAT!"

they both fell down, laughing like crazy.

"okay, jackasses. I can do it on my own, thank you very much." billy said, trying to skate on his own.

turned out he was pretty good at skating, but not at doing double flips.

"did your butt lose its roundness already?" dustin said (while cackling) after billy's umpteenth fall.

"I don't know really.... but steve could check for me" billy winked at steve, who got as red as a lobster, and Dustin, for the first time, high fived his "buddie" billy.

HELLO! soo, what do yall think? I apologize in advance for my quite bad english grammar, I'm aware of my skills and i'm really sorry if something just isn't fluid/is wrong. I tried to represent how billy/harringrove looks like in my pov in this scenario, that I also like quite a lot! (I love 80's skating dates ARGH) i'm sorry if the emotional/physical ab*se scene was offensive, it wasn't my main target! I just imagined that something like that was a daily habit in the hargroves'cali house (we all know how much of a rathole neil hargrove is) :(. I might write some of these bad bois again very soon if I get a positive response by the harringrove fandom, who knows👀 i'm also here for small prompts if you have any ideas! let me know what yalls thoughts were, luv ya <3