#callieb

[ihni]

Give Me Fuel, Give Me Fire by @callieb

Okay so, a long time ago I challenged Callie to write an action sequence, where the boys does NOT talk their feelings through (because I know she loves writing about the boys talking their feelings through - just look at her epic Second Thoughts-verse). In all fairness, it was a response to Callie challenging me to write something completely fluffy and angst-free, which. Well, let's just say we were both out of our comfort zones XD

BUT! Callie pulled it off, of course, which I never doubted, and this here is the result. It's short (definitely compared to the rest of her writings, lol) and you can easily fit it in between now and dinner (or your next meal of choice), so there's really no reason not to read it:

It's fun, it's fast, it's got reckless (older) boys flirting via speeding, and it's got a low-stakes car chase. It's a feelgood, happy kind of fic, and if you need that right now? Go read this fic! <3

[bisexualchrissycunningham]

❤️💛💚💙💜

I hope you have a gay Sunday as well!

[fundiepredictions]

This was posted on wednesday

[christinesficrecs]

Can you please help me find a fic? It was a soulmate au where the first words they say show up on you. Stiles works at a bakery and Derek goes off on him about Cora’s cake. The words are not nice so Stiles assumes that Derek doesn’t like him. Derek keeps showing up and hanging around him, but Stiles doesn’t talk to him for a couple of chapters. I never got to finish it and I can’t stop thinking about it! I would appreciate your help. <3

Umm. Is it this one? Thank you everyone for coming to my rescue. 😂

Cherry Pie by kaistrex (weishen) | 1.6K

Derek Hale is a dreaded customer at Beacon Hills Bakery, but perhaps he's not as terrifying as Stiles has been led to believe.

Deafening Silence by AndersonStorm | 61.1K

On everyone’s sixteenth birthday the first words their soulmate will ever speak to them appear on their body. These words, so it goes, were to bring you love, joy and hope for the future until the fateful day arrives where you will meet the person who would change your life. So what’s Stiles to do when his words are rude and hateful? Avoid love at all costs, or so he planned.

Second Chances by rootbeer | 2.6K

"A lot of times the ‘markings’ were common, simple things you said to strangers all the time. 'Excuse me'; 'thank you'; 'hello'. Some got extremely romantic things like 'it’s you isn’t it? I’ve been waiting for you' or 'Wow you’re really pretty'. And they were always the first words their soulmate would ever say to them.

Of course, having 'You are the fucking worst kind of person in the world' tattooed down your side, didn’t bode well. How fucked up was Stiles Stilinski that even his fucking Soulmate hated him? High School had been a special kind of hell when all the kids learned what his tattoo said—despite his best efforts to keep it a secret."

Yeah, Pass The Salt, Stiles by CallieB | 3.6K

Yeah, pass the salt, Stiles.

They’re not particularly inspiring words. Not like the long stream of goo spilling over Scotty’s arm. But somewhere, Stiles’ soulmate is out there, waiting to say them to him.

If only he could stop thinking about the mysterious hot stranger he met in the woods…

[camaro-hargrove]

a massive fic rec list

all of these are fics ive loved and all centre around billy. some are ships (harringrove, mungrove and some byergrove probably) and some aren't.

if your the fic author im sorry for not tagging your tumblrs, i dont know most of them unfortunately

dissecting frogs (and foes) by strangertobluewater

All the Things We Can’t Say by BlackSquardron (Billy x OMC)

Tales from the Endocrin Unit by Egg_Company (diabetic!billy)

Right at Home by deafpool (castielsass) (Harringrove)

in the darkest depths of mordor i met a girl so fair by fallforjoy (post billys death, mungrove)

Where I lay my head is home by Thei

Offbeat Harmony by Draconian_666 (mungrove)

Nobody Sits on the Camaro by boltedfruit (harringrove)

i don't mind, 'cause that's how my daddy raised me by OverlyCheerfulRat

Behind blue eyes by lucy_star02 (harringrove)

Tractor Tire Etiquette by Animal_Arithmetic (harringrove)

The Future Means Nothing (Without You) by yllwhornet (harringrove)

The Buddy System by flippyspoon (harringrove)

Inside Out by tahlss (part 1) (harringrove)

Growing Pains by tahlss (part 2 of above series) (harringrove)

Hyacinths for You by xWastedIntellectual_13 (harringrove)

Trapped and Forgotten by Thei (harringrove) (3rd story in a series)

Oh, when you love it by please_dont_let_the_username_be_taken (Billy x OMC and Harringrove)

Read to Me? by lemonlovely  (harringrove)

an apology offering by TrialsAndErrors (mungrove)

find out for yourself by bigdumbbambieyes (harringrove)

Steve Harrington's Glorious Chest by pr1nce_steve (harringrove)

a wild and an untamed thing by villainous_intentions (harringrove)

California Dream by aribakemono (harringrove)

not my type by bisexualfpjones (harringrove)

that's the way i like it, baby by KittyPhoenix12_xx (not complete but each chapter is a one shot) (mungrove)

Flesh for Fantasy by Zeros83  (harringrove)

Wanna stay for (a microwave) dinner? by Thei (harringrove)

Versions by Thei

Transfemme Billy Hargrove by ghostlynimbus (harringrove)

You Just Gotta Be Yourself by Deathinasmalltown (harringrove)

Fire (please don't) walk with me by Thei

Billy 'The Freak' Hargrove by Rindecision (mungrove)

And Guess What? He Asked Me! by Hargroveling to My Grave (glowing_blossoms) (harringrove)

Nancy Wheeler, Private Investigator by Aethria (harringrove)

A Town Called Malice by boneyaard (harringrove)

Under the Microscopes by cursed_ships (harringrove)

Tied Together With A Smile (But You’re Coming Undone) by mourntheantagonist (harringrove)

Highway Star by DiscoDeviant (harringrove)

Are you fa-fa-fa-fa-fallin' for me? by Gypsywoman13 (mungrove)

A Truth Universally Acknowledged by CallieB (harringrove)

do right to me, baby by whenyouwishuponastar (harringrove)

You Make it Hurt So Good by mourntheantagonist (harringrove)

ghosts of my hometown by lucdarling

All Along The Watchtower by lilies_in_a_vase

The Art of Victorian Flowers by lilies_in_a_vase

April - Nancy by lilies_in_a_vase

bam by handydandynotebook

Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Red by ShieldOfIron

It Started As A Joke by Tasseomancy (mungrove)

[fundiepredictions]

Callie through the years

2015

2016

2019

2024

[dragonflylady77]

twenty years and change

This is the fic I wrote for the Harringrove Corner Winter Event

🔥 Fire & Ice ❄️

Fire: campfire, lights, candles, matches

Ice: snow, blizzard, skating, ice cream

Rating: M | 3644 words | second chance, steve chest hair agenda, matchmaking max

This fic is a gift for @callieb, who is a sweetie and did sprints with me when I was on the last stretch and struggling, for @whenyouwishuponastar7 who created HGC and @shieldofiron who secretly loves fluff so I keep writing it for her.

Summary:

Billy loved his sister, so when Max had begged him to sort out Susan’s old house in Hawkins to get it ready to sell, he’d found it hard to refuse. Max was heavily pregnant with her third child and not allowed to fly, and Susan had finally made the move to California to be closer to her grandchildren. What he hadn’t anticipated was the announcement of a once-in-a-hundred-year blizzard making a direct beeline for their corner of the state, then bumping into his high school crush in the lobby of the hotel where he was staying.

Read on Ao3

The universe had to be taking the piss. There was no way around it. For some reason, the fates had decided that nothing good would ever happen to Billy in Indiana. 

The town of Hawkins had given him the heebie jeebies from the moment he’d been dragged here by his asshole of a father as a teenager. He’d put his head down and made it through high school, before working his ass off at the local pool the summer after graduation. He had escaped in a cloud of dust at the beginning of fall, a full ride scholarship at UC San Diego in his back pocket.

Now he was back, twenty years and change later, and the goosebumps weren’t only because of the sub-zero temperatures. There was something wrong with this town, Billy knew it in his gut, in no part because there was snow everywhere. Billy hated snow. He likes his water liquid, preferably salty and full of waves. 

However, Billy loved his sister, so when Max had begged him to sort out Susan’s old house in Hawkins to get it ready to sell, he’d found it hard to refuse. Max was heavily pregnant with her third child and not allowed to fly, and Susan had finally made the move to California to be closer to her grandchildren.

Billy’s classes had been moved online for the next three weeks, his assistant covering his office hours while his TA would handle the grading until he was back. He’d discussed the upcoming workload with Elaine and was satisfied she was more than capable to fill in for the duration.

What he hadn’t anticipated was the announcement of a once-in-a-hundred-year blizzard making a direct beeline for their corner of the state, then bumping into his high school crush in the lobby of the hotel where he was staying.

“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Billy felt his cheeks heat up and he was glad to still be wearing the massive scarf knitted by Max, as it hid most of his face. He dropped his bag at his feet and allowed himself one sweeping glance at the man who had visited his dreams more often than not when they were teenagers, while he pulled off his woolly hat to give his hands something to do.

Steve freaking Harrington, former King of Hawkins High. His brown hair had lost none of its volume, but gained some silver strands on the side, which suited him. The guy had no right looking this good this close to forty, especially wearing Hawkins Inn’s maroon blazer.

“Hargrove? Billy Hargrove? What…?” Harrington recovered quickly, his eyes going from Billy to his computer screen then back to Billy. “Do you, um, do you have a reservation? I can’t see your name on the list and we’re fully booked, what with that blizzard grounding all the planes up in Indy.”

“Oh, um, maybe look under Sinclair? Max made the booking,” Billy answered with a sigh as he shoved his hat into the pocket of his parka. 

“Right, okay, Sinclair. Yep. here you are.” Harrington put down the key card, smiling at Billy. “You’re in room 29, on the second floor. The lifts are over behind you. There’s a heated pool on the ground floor, next to the gym. They are open round the clock, should you need either at any point. Complimentary towels at reception. The restaurant is open for breakfast from seven in the morning until around ten thirty.”

“Thank you, Steve. Oh, what about dinner?”

“Di-dinner?”

Why did he have to make it sound like he was asking the guy out? Well done, Hargrove. Jesus.

“Yes, what time does the restaurant open? Or is there a bar I can get something to eat at? I’m famished.”

“Oh, right. Um, the main restaurant opens for dinner at five but the bar is open now. They will have a selection of snacks.”

“Okay, thanks, man. I’ll catch you later.”

Billy grabbed his bag and with one last glance at Harrington, he headed for the lift. He could have sworn that Harrington said ‘nice to see you’ but that had to be wishful thinking.

***

After a shower, a cold beer and decent meal at the quaint hotel restaurant, Billy was lounging on his bed when his phone pinged with a video call from Max.

“Hey.”

“Sooooo…”

“What?”

“You got anything to say for yourself?”

“About what?”

“Like that, is it? Okay. How’s Steve?”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh, come on. I wish I could have seen your face when you saw him.”

“You think you’re funny, Maxine, but you’re really not.”

“Don’t get stroppy with me, William. We stayed at the hotel with the kids when we were over last Christmas and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Steve at the desk.”

“Why? Cos you didn’t think he’d move on from working at that stupid ice cream shop or wherever he worked after the fire at the mall?”

“No, you big jerk, because last I’d heard, through Dustin—”

“Which one is that again? Curly hair, who works at NASA?”

“Yeah, him. Anyway, he said Steve had moved to Chicago with his best friend Robin.”

“Robin? Robin Buckley?”

“Um, yeah, I think so? Why? Do you know her?”

“Band geek. Told the sickest ghost story around the campfire when we went to the lake senior year. Had a massive crush on Hank that summer. Always wondered if anything happened between them.”

“Maybe that’s because you fucked off back to Cali without saying goodbye to anyone, not even your sister,” Max said, glaring at him. Her clipped tone made Billy groan.

“Oh my fucking God, shitbird, give it a rest. It was twenty years ago and I have apologized to you a million fucking times already.” 

They heard a door slam and footsteps coming closer quickly.

“Mama, we’re home! You’ll never guess what happened, oh hi Uncle Billy!” 

“Hey, Lennox.” Under Billy’s amused eye, Lennox snatched the phone from Max, who rolled her eyes. The nine year old then took Billy down the hallway to his room. Billy saw Max in the background, being handed her three-year-old daughter by her mother. He redirected his attention to Lennox. 

“What have you been up to? How’s my favorite nephew?”

Lennox cackled as he flopped on his bed. “Pfft, you’re silly, I’m your only nephew.” He peered into the screen, then his gaze found Billy again. “Where are you? This is not your house.”

“It isn’t?” Billy looked around, pretending to be surprised to see the bland walls and the non-descript painting in a gaudy frame.

“Extreme lack of books, my dear Watson.”

“You got me there, Mr. Holmes. I’m in Indiana. Your mom asked me to sort out your Gran’s house so she can sell it.”

“Oh, okay. Is it cold? It was freezing when we went last year.”

“Oh yeah. There’s snow everywhere, man. I hate it.”

“How long are you going to be there?”

“A couple of weeks.”

“Are you in a hotel? We stayed in a hotel. It had a pool.”

“You know, I am. Same one but I haven’t checked out the pool yet.”

Lennox grinned. “Oh, you have to go! There’s a water slide that’s a dragon and you come out of its mouth, and a pirate ship you can jump from, and Willa stayed in the baby pool but I went in the water slide.”

“Sounds fun.”

Max walked in the room and came to stand at the foot of the bed. Billy waved at her.

“Lennox, sweetie, I need my phone back and you need to go have your shower.”

“But, Mooooooom…”

“Lennox,” Billy said before Max could interrupt her son’s whining, “you be good for your Mom, and I’ll go see if that pool you were telling me about is really that awesome.”

Lennox let out the most put upon sigh. “Fine. Bye, Uncle Billy.”

“Bye, buddy. I’ll be home for Christmas, I promise.”

***

Billy stretched out in the water, staring at the foam sea creatures decorating the ceiling and absently noticing the lack of sharks. He needed to remember to text Max later, so she could tell Lennox he was right, and the pool really was that awesome.

Not that Billy had tried the waterslide or the pirate ship, instead, he’d made full use of the empty pool to swim lengths. He’d lost track of time, the familiar feeling of his body slicing the water as he went back and forth between the two ends of the pool helping him forget about the snow and the stress of being back in Indiana.

His arms and legs hurt in the good way that meant he’d pushed himself, more than he’d had the chance to recently. A noise by the pool chairs to his left caused him to straighten up. He put both feet on the bottom of the pool and turned to see who had interrupted his daydreaming.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize someone was still there this late… Billy?”

Steve’s surprise was evident in his tone and if Billy chose to take it in a positive way, that was between him and his dirty pornographic dreams featuring Steve Harrington that still plagued him to this day. More ‘the one you never had a chance with’ than ‘the one that got away’ but there wasn’t much Billy could do about the direction of his thoughts when he was asleep.

“Steve. Hi. Sorry, I’ll, um, I’ll get out of your way.” Billy didn’t let himself look for too long, didn’t want to be caught staring at how well Steve filled that white t-shirt or—nope, not looking at the swim shorts. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to leave. I just finished my shift and it’s been a long day. I was gonna soak in the hot tub for a bit before I head home.” Steve pointed towards an area next to the pirate ship that clearly signposted, an innocuous door hiding behind the fake palm trees.

“Huh. Lennox didn’t say anything about a hot tub.”

Steve smiled. “Your nephew, right?”

Billy nodded. 

“He probably doesn’t know it’s there, to be fair. Access is forbidden to anyone under the age of eighteen,” Steve continued, walking slowly towards the greenery, and Billy automatically followed in the water. 

“Do you, um, do you wanna join me?” Steve asked, his cheeks turning pinker under the harsh neon lighting.

Billy wondered if he had stepped through some portal to another dimension. One where Steve Harrington was not entirely straight and kinda totally into him. He didn’t remember hitting his head though.

“Sure.” The word was out of his mouth before he even realized he’d said it. It was his turn to blush and, to hide that fact, he hoisted himself out of the pool. He threw his goggles on the nearby chair with his clothes and did a couple of shoulder stretches. He could feel Steve’s eyes on him the entire time, almost like a caress, and forced himself not to react. 

Once he was done, Billy picked up his towel and dried his face before smiling at Steve. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Old swimming injury. Need to stretch or I won’t be able to move tomorrow.”

“Oh, wow, um, yeah, no problem. Can’t have that.” Steve glanced down then back at Billy. “I can carry your stuff, if you want, since I’m dry. It’s late, and there’s not really anyone around, but I wouldn’t want another staff member taking your things to lost property, thinking they’ve been left behind.”

“Right. Yes, good point. Thank you.” Billy stood there, holding his towel in front of him while Steve gathered his shirt, goggles and room key. The evening had unexpectedly taken a turn for the better and he’d hate himself for not making the most of this opportunity.

“Do you swim?” he asked Steve when they started walking and a flash of something foul tasting appeared on Steve’s face, only for a second, before Steve gathered himself.

“No, not anymore.” Steve opened the door and Billy followed him inside, wondering what could possibly have made Steve stop swimming. 

After closing the door, Steve placed Billy’s belongings on a bench that ran along two of the walls. He turned towards Billy. “I used to, I mean, I was swim captain back in high school, and a lifeguard over summer too. But I haven’t in years… not since that girl died in my parents’ pool in senior year.”

“Jesus.” Billy fought with the urge to wrap Steve in his arms and kiss the sadness away by putting his towel on the hook on the wall. Steve’s towel joined Billy’s a second later then Steve took off his t-shirt and Billy blue-screened.

“Holy fuck…”

“What?” Steve looked behind him then around the room before his eyes landed on Billy again. 

“You might want to warn a guy next time, pretty boy, before you unleash… that.” Billy waved his hand in the general direction of Steve’s chest.

“Oh, that.” Steve blushed and Billy followed the pinkish hue on Steve's cheeks with his eyes, down Steve’s neck, until it got lost in the wiry dark hair covering Steve’s chest. “I, uh, I waxed my chest in high school because of the swimming. Didn’t see the point anymore after.”

“Thank fuck for that.” Billy cleared his throat, his face heating up from the embarrassment of having said something that should most definitely have remained unsaid. “Sorry, I should not have said that.” He winced and stepped to the side, facing away from Steve. “I’ll just…”

“If the end of that sentence is anything other than ‘lock the door and join you in the hot tub’, I’m afraid I don’t want to hear it.”

“What?” What the fuck was even happening right now? Billy didn’t have a clue.

“Billy, get the fuck in the water.”

Doing what Steve said—because who was he to question an order given to him in such a confident way by the prettiest boy he had ever seen in his life?—Billy stepped into the hot tub. He lowered himself on the lounge seat, leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. 

He heard the click of the lock on the door then the water hit his chest in little waves when Steve got in, but Steve didn’t sit on the other side of the tub like Billy had expected him to. Instead, Steve waded across until his knees bumped into Billy’s.

“Can you please open your eyes?” Steve whispered over the whirr of the water pump and Billy complied, taking a moment to really look at Steve. 

The thick head of hair he wanted to bury his hands in. The big brown eyes that seemed to see through him. The little moles on Steve’s cheek Billy wanted to trace with the tip of his finger. The plump lips Billy had dreamed about kissing so many times…

Billy’s visual exploration was cut short when Steve suddenly straddled him, one knee on either side of Billy’s thighs, arms wrapping around Billy’s neck. Billy’s hands found Steve’s hips on instinct, holding him in place before he got too close to Billy’s crotch.  

His dick, however, decided that it was on board with this most recent development, and Billy mentally thanked his lucky stars for the extra buoyancy the bubbly water afforded him. 

“Pretty boy…” He was dreaming. That had to be it. He was fast asleep in bed in his hotel room right now, imagining Steve Harrington was sitting on his lap.

“Stop overthinking and kiss me already,” Steve murmured, his mouth so close now that Billy felt Steve’s breath on his lips.

So Billy did. 

He pressed his lips against Steve’s, enjoying the way Steve leaned into it. Kissing Steve was quickly rising to the top of Billy’s favorite things to do, especially when Steve reduced the distance between them to nothing.

Feeling Steve’s coarse chest hair brush against his nipples made Billy groan. 

Steve licking into his mouth made Billy tighten his fingers on Steve’s waist. 

Steve’s hard cock brushing against his made Billy see stars.

***

Deciding they were too old and too tired to deal with the mess and ensuing clean up that would be necessary if they stayed in the hot tub any longer, they relocated to Billy’s room. They made out in the shower, while they exchanged lazy handjobs because floor tiles were definitely too uncomfortable on the knees.

They dried themselves quickly with fluffy towels they left in a pile on the bathroom floor and got into bed, where Billy took Steve apart with his fingers and his mouth. They fell asleep wrapped around each other in the middle of the king size mattress. 

Steve called in sick and Billy ordered them room service for breakfast. They spent the day in bed, talking and kissing and fucking. Billy told Steve about Neil and growing up feeling like he was made wrong, until he got back to Cali and found his people. Steve told Billy all about the Upside Down, and how keeping such things a secret meant he had closed himself off to everyone. Billy felt vindicated for thinking there was something wrong with Hawkins all along. 

As they lay in bed spooning, watching the shadows grow longer as the sun disappeared behind the trees, one arm around Steve while he dozed, Billy came to a decision. He had to act on it, before he talked himself out of it. This thing with Steve felt too good, too real, to let go of once he was done with Susan’s house.

“Stevie?”

“Hmm?” came the sleepy reply.

“Come with me.”

“Where?” Steve turned around in Billy’s arms, eyes closed, and pressed a kiss on the side of his neck. “If I have to get dressed, I don’t wanna go.”

Billy let out a chuckle. “I don’t think they’ll let you on the plane if you’re naked, baby.”

“Plane? What plane?” Steve lifted his head and stared at Billy, eyes wide.

Billy rolled onto his back, pulling Steve on top of him. He cupped Steve’s face with one hand, and wrapped his other arm around Steve’s waist. “Pretty boy, I’ve wanted you for so long…” Billy stopped, unsure how to continue.

Steve pressed a hand over Billy’s heart. “Tell me.”

“I know I was a shit show in high school. I was so angry all the time, and I didn’t know how to deal with how I felt about anything, but especially about you. Not that I thought I’d ever have a chance to have you.”

“Hoo boy, you sure got that one wrong.” Steve grinned, giving Billy a quick kiss on the lips.

“Shut up. If I had put the moves on you twenty years ago, you would have shot me down so fast, and probably told the whole school I was a queer. Then my dad would have either killed me or sent me to military school, and neither of us would be in this bed right now.”

“Fair point.”

“Anyway, what I was trying to say was, I’ve wanted you for so long, and now I’ve had you, I don't think I can give you up.”

“Billy…” Steve looked away, moving his face out of Billy’s hand.

Billy felt his heart squeeze at the sad expression on Steve’s face. His resolve to get Steve out of Hawkins hardened. “No. Don’t give me that bullshit about the gate and the monsters. You said it yourself, that girl, Jane, Eleven, whatever, she closed the gate. She moved to California with the Chief and Mrs. Byers. All your kids are gone. Not that they’re kids anymore, Stevie. My sister is pregnant with her third child, for fuck’s sake. What’s keeping you here, really? Don’t you want to get away from the memories? Finally break the hold this shit town has on you?”

“I tried. I moved to Chicago with Robin. It… it didn’t work.”

“What happened in Chicago?”

Steve sighed and rolled off Billy. “Robin got a girlfriend, moved in with her. I couldn’t afford the rent by myself so I came home. Got this job. Stayed on.”

“Baby…” Billy picked up Steve’s hand but otherwise he stayed where he was, facing Steve. He kissed Steve’s knuckles, one after the other. “Going by the last twenty-something hours, I think we could have something great. But it’s not gonna happen here because this town sucks the hope and happiness out of everyone. I won’t tell you I love you because I don’t wanna scare you off but—”

“You… you love me?”

Hearing Steve repeat the words back to him made Billy realize what he had let slip. Might as well go for broke at this point.

“Yeah. I do. I love you. So if you don’t want this, don’t want me , you need to tell me now, before I make an even bigger ass out of myself than I already have, and we can forget this conversation ever happened.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Had Billy really been reading the situation so completely wrong? Was Steve saying he wanted to forget the whole thing? Billy was so confused he didn’t react when Steve pulled him over so he was lying on top. Only when he felt Steve’s hands on his thighs did he shake off the daze. He looked down at Steve. “Pretty boy?”

“I love you. I’ve been dreaming about being with you for the past twenty years and I’m sick of dreaming. I want to live instead.”

Billy felt like his grin was going to split his face in two. Like he could explode from the pure joy coursing through his body.

“And Billy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Get me the fuck out of Hawkins.”

[harringrove-summer-exchange]

Taking Notes by Thei

@ihni

Rating: Not Rated

93,722 words, 11/11 chapters

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Tags: Bodyswap, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, body switching, Post-Season/Series 02, Season 3 will be touched upon, Season 4 will be thoroughly ignored, Drinking, Basketball, fic switches between Billy's and Steve's POVs, Graduation, Concerts, lying, Billy Hargrove Finds Out About the Upside Down, demodogs, Enemies to Friends, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Sibling, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Possession, Crushes, Canon-Typical Violence, Boys Kissing

Summary:

Billy and Steve switch bodies.

"Ihni has a TON of awesome enemies to lovers fics but I'm going with Taking Notes because it's simply fabulous" - @callieb

This is a rec while we wait for our summer exchange postings.

The theme is: Enemies To Lovers

Want to join the exchange? Pinch Hitter signups are still open!

[rjbigbang]

ROY/JAMIE BIG BANG REVEALS: WEEK 2

Reveals Schedule | AO3 Collection | gif credit: @billy-crudup

Tuesday, September 3: Team #17

📝 Fic: The Almost Times by CallieB (ao3) 68k words | canon divergent AU, missed connections 🎨 Art: Embedded in fic (+ 1 on tumblr) by walnutmist (ao3) 5 gifs + 2 illustrations | canon-adjacent scenes from the fic

Thursday, September 5: Team #6

📝 Fic: could be your bullet and the proof by mixtapestar (ao3) 17k words | demisexual!roy, therapy, feelings realization, getting together 🎨 Art: tender royjamie kissing by combefetre (tumblr) 1 illustration | scene from the fic

Saturday, September 7: Team #5

📝 Fic: sweet like licorice by gr8_rach (ao3) 15k words | canon divergent AU, trans!jamie, leaked sex tape, revenge porn, hurt/comfort 🎨 Art: ART: Resolving Sexual Tension by shnuffleluv (ao3) 1 illustration | scene from the fic

Sunday, September 8: Team #13

📝 Fic: The Most Dangerous Thing by hopelessromances (ao3) 41k words | hunger games AU, heavy angst, canon-typical violence 🎨 Art: Embedded in fic by nashapixie (tumblr) 1 banner + 5 edits | key moments + tribute posters

[kittyphoenix12-xx]

Heya there! I haven't ever been in the ST fandom but I've recently taken interest into Billy. Are there any pics you'd recommend? Any good angst works? I don't necessarily need them to be shippy. I don't mind whether you post this or answer privately. Thanks for your time :>

hello and welcome 💓💓💓

here's some of my favs <3

master of puppets, i'm pulling your strings by orphan_account - a Robin & Billy friendship fic

The Great Escape by flippyspoon - a post s3 Billy/Steve + Billy & Hopper fic that i reread at least once a year

Something Like a Family by HashtagLEH - a 20 (!!!) part series starring Billy & El sibling bond

We Dance In The Moonlight With Stars As Our Spotlights by lilies_in_a_vase - ANOTHER Robin & Billy friendship fic

The Trees Have Eyes by RomanTheRamen - Billy has plant powers and i think that's neat

break (like waves) by residual - angsty s2 Steve/Billy

Baby steps by Thei - Billy's a single father and it's a wonderful fic

when stars come falling from the sky by whenyouwishuponastar - what's this? ANOTHER Robin & Billy friendship fic

if i stare too long by brawls (brawlite), ToAStranger - post s4 Billy/Eddie/Steve angst fest

Scoops Troop and a Cherry on Top by Deathinasmalltown - a Billy/Steve s3 canon-divergence

Abandon by Timetravelersunited - a fascinating Billy character study

The Firestarter Series by Ludovico_is_my_homeboy - Billy & Steve are lab experiments

Saint Anger by maikurosaki - Billy/Steve + devastating Billy character study

songbird by justaluckybug - an interesting take on way Billy & Max came to Hawkins

22 Acacia Ave by DontCallMeNans - a fun Billy/Eddie fic

Yeah, It's Me by CallieB - fascinating Billy/Steve dynamic

Don't Leave Me (Hanging on the Telephone) by Glitter_Bug - post s3 Billy/Steve where Billy is in the Upside Down

i hope this tides you over 😭😭😭😭

feel free to ask for more/ talk to me about them <3

[runraerun]

WIP Word Game

Rules: you will be given a word. share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that start with each letter of that word.

Thank you for the tag @stervrucht & @wheneverfeasible 💜💜 I got the words STIM & SPICE but I’m gonna go with SPICE solely because it’s a longer word and I’m greedy and I wanna share more.

S

Steve knows about Eddie’s scars, obviously. Hell, he’d helped change the bandages on them a couple of times before he got most of his mobility back. But even though they’re not weeping and bright red anymore, they’re still not exactly fun to look at.

P

“Pupils. Right.” He swallows, and Eddie’s eyes dart down to watch the way Steve’s adam’s apple bobs in his throat. He’s always liked that. Distinctly male. It makes Eddie’s mouth go a little dry.

I

Instead, he’s going to get to fight. And not just with anyone; he’s going to get to fight Steve Harrington. It’s leagues beyond just having some humdrum sex with a random chick. It doesn’t even fucking compare!

C

Christ, Steve is cute, especially in the soft, still sort of dark morning haze. Like every hour is Steve’s golden hour. Gods fucking favorite. Whenever the angels or whoever the fuck was cooking Steve up, they took a little extra time on things like symmetry and perfecting jawlines. And his lips—fuck, they looked soft. And like, lollipop red. They did a really good job on his lips.

E

Especially now, when he looks over at Max and her frail little bird bones, her feet hanging over the edge of the couch, too short to even reach the ground… Trusting him implicitly. Billy can’t imagine hitting her—can’t imagine himself ever being that small, and his dad looking over at him and reaching a different conclusion.

No pressure tags: @dame-zoom-a-lot @shieldofiron @dragonflylady77 @weird-an @callieb @suometar

Your word, should you choose to participate, is: KINGS 👑👑

[harringroveobsessed]

@robthegoodfellow @feedthefandomfest

Hurt/Comfort - city lights lay out before us by silvergalaxy. No upside down here but a very traumatised Steve. Billy is an actual sweetheart in this fic and he helps drag Steve out of the dark and into the light. Aka Steve’s battle with nightmares partially fixed by the smell of Billy Hargrove. 😂 Billy makes Steve a mix tape 🩷 SO.MUCH.PINING. So freaking good.

Billy lives - Apocalypse by CallieB @callieb I think about this fic a lot, possibly too much but it’s just so GOOD. Such a cool premise and idea, I felt like I was watching a movie reading this fic honestly. There’s a little twist kinda that I did not see coming and I was blown away by it. So freaking clever. These boys can fall in love anywhere, even in a bunker during the apocalypse.

Character has a crush on Billy Hargrove - Run for the Shadows by ShieldOfIron @shieldofiron I LOVE this one. Big fat misunderstandings are the name of the game here because our boys are dumb as rocks. Billy is an artist in this fic which I adore. Honestly this fic had me going from giggling and kicking my feet to breaking my heart and then fixing it all in 6 chapters. Absolute phenomenal work.

Alpha/Omega - To Keep Good Company by Jad3w1ngs @jad3w1ngs Tbh any alpha/omega by this writer is fantastic, read them all! This one is a super interesting story so far, I’m DEEPLY invested in it. Royal Harringrove dealing with a forced marriage situation but does Steve have a secret perhaps? In the last chapter Steve got to yell at Jason about how amazing Billy is which I much appreciated. I’m really enjoying following this one along and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[harringrovezine]

Contributor Preview: Callieb

@callieb

Link to pre-orders here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hgzine-kings/kings-of-nowhere-a-harringrove-zine

[ihni]

Rules: I make a poll of five things in my home and you decide which one you'd steal!

Tagged by @introvertia (whose sleeping griffin statuette I would definitely steal)

Tagging (if you want to do it): @dragonflylady77 @thatgirlwithasquid @callieb @mikajupiterjonesingtimcurryfeet @missroserose @cherrydreamer and anyone else who feels like it. Just consider yourselves tagged, if so.

Pictures, in case you want visuals before you decide:

[fundiepredictions]

[missroserose]

13 books meme

@introvertia tagged me in this (thank you, lovely, you're such a positive influence on my reading consistency <3) So let's talk books!

1) The Last book I read:

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Absolutely destroyed me—90's science fiction, examining the paradoxes of faith and the difficulties of cross-culture exploration, seasoned with a hefty dose of grief and frustrated desire. Might as well have been written for me.

2) A book I recommend:

The Wicked & The Divine, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. A sprawling examination of the celebrity-industrial complex, cultural and individual objectification, and the dark side of fandom culture. Well worth reading through in its entirety.

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

Starling House, by Alix E. Harrow. I'm a sucker for a fierce and driven heroine who makes things happen by sheer force of will, despite the odds being against her. Between that and the deliciously spooky atmosphere, I adored this book.

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

<i>Good Omens</i>, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Hardly an original answer on this website, but it's a classic for a reason <3

5) A book on my TBR:

Victor Lavalle's The Changeling, thanks to @introvertia's recommendation. I know nothing about it but I'm looking forward to reading it!

6) A book I’ve put down:

The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. I know that the accepted formula for self-help books is to present your one theory and explain why it solves every problem in the known universe, and I hate it, which is probably why I don't read a lot of self-help books. Needless to say, around the time this dude claimed that Hitler wouldn't have become a mass murderer if he'd followed the book's advice, I gave up in disgust.

7) A book on my wish list:

Honestly, I don't have many? I've been enjoying reading from the library, in part because my bedroom is already showing the strain of previous book-buying sprees.

8) A favorite book from childhood:

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, by Tamora Pierce. I read the entire Alanna series numerous times but I think this was my favorite—I really loved seeing her come into her own independence and learn a new culture (and one that accepted her unusual gender presentation).

9) A book you would give to a friend:

Again, depends strongly on the friend...but I can think of more than a few who'd enjoy the old-school gothic fairytale setting and viciously driven heroine of A. G. Slatter's All the Murmuring Bones.

10) A book of Poetry or Lyrics you own:

Hm...does the script to Hedwig and the Angry Inch count?

11) A nonfiction book you own:

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson—they practically issue you a copy when you move to Chicago. (In fairness, it's a cracking read.)

12) What are you currently reading:

Skin Folk, a collection of short stories by Nalo Hopkinson. I'm also rereading (or re-listening to) Mike Carey's The Devil You Know, and enjoying it rather better this time around—I think the first time I tried it, almost ten years ago, I was expecting something more along the lines of The Dresden Files and wasn't quite old enough to appreciate the more emotionally battered and worn-down middle-aged protagonist. Now, being a decade older and having lived through a global pandemic and seen rather more of just how terrible people can be to each other...I think it's more my speed. And possibly good research for if I ever get my angel noir story off the ground.

13) What are you planning on reading next?

Definitely The Changeling.

Bonus Round Shelfie?

I'm at a library right now but I might add one later!

Tagging: @klove0511, @sirsparklepants, @emiliosandozsequence, @skybound2, @ihni, @callieb, @lord-angelfish, @redmyeyes, @misschinablue, and @sea-salted-wolverine—no pressure, obviously, but I'd be interested in your answers!