#Neil Hargroves a+ parenting

[fantasticallyfruity4]

What if Neil Hargrove worked at the same plant as Wayne Munson?

Sure, Neil was higher up on the ladder, and a day shift manager man, but they knew eachother- At least of eachother in passing.

And wayne knew that that man was just dirt garbage, the day he met him. Fucker reminded him of his good for nothing brother, kinda guy who thought pushing around his wife and kid made him a man. Wayne found it pathetic, really. As he’d ranted shamelessly to Eddie about.

“Yeah, I go to school with that guys son. Billy, he’s in the class of ‘86.”

Wayne raised an eyebrow at that.

“He alright?”.

Eddie shrugged. “He’s a dick, but if you know his family- his dad, it makes a lot more sence. If you don’t, I guess you just think he’s a dick. He’s bought some pot from me a few times-“

“Edward! That shit-”

“What! I’m just saying, he’s bought from me and I feel bad for the guy, every time we’ve talked he’s kinda skittish the whole time, and paranoid about his dad finding out he’s- never mind”

“What? What’s he scared of his dad finding out?”

Eddies jaw tightened. “Nothin, don’t worry about it. It’s nothin-“

“He’s like you, isn’t he?”

It was simple enough, didn’t make Eddie say anything out loud. He knew what his uncle meant. And he knew this uncle would love him no matter what. He’d still be his boy, his son, no matter what. He’d told him before, many times, without expecting Eddie to say the words. So all Eddie had to do was nod.

“Shit. That’s a recipe for a dead kid, I’ll tell you. That man ain’t right in the head.”

One night Wayne goes into Eddie’s bedroom to ask him if he has any laundry he needs done when he goes to the Laundromat the next day. As he’s walking in, Billy’s climbing in the window.

Billy’s face is a panic when they make eye contact.

“Eddie, laundry?” Wayne repeats to the stunned, deer in headlights-esq teen.

Maybe a bit surprised at the casualty of his uncle, at the fact that he’s sneaking a boy in, Eddie just nodds handing his uncle his hamper.

“Use the damn front door next time, boy, or else one of my redneck neighbors will probably shoot you in the ass on account of thinkin your a theif” he calls calmly as he walks back out.

After that he notices Billy’s around more. Keeps his conversations with Wayne to a minimum, but he’s polite. Respectful. Clean. Seems to make his boy happy. Seems to be happy too. He looks relaxed here, like he feels safe. Good. He’s probably uncomfortable about fathers- or father figures, Wayne supposes. He doesn’t need to make some big show of ego, it’s alright with him.

He doesn’t exactly see anything between the boys, but he knows. How couldn’t he. When he walks in the room Billy always scoots away from Eddie on the couch, stops standing behind him in the kitchen, jumps across the bed. And Wayne wants to laugh, clap the boy on the back and tell him he’s about as subtle as an elephant but that wouldn’t do any good. He knows. He sees the marks on his nephews neck that he put in no effort trying to conceal. Sees the look in their eyes. Hears the sound of a car staring late at night and early in the morning.

Sometimes Billy shows up before Eddie’s home from hellfire or a gig. Those nights he has a black eye, usually. Or red marks on his neck. Or he’s got a limp. Or he’s clutching his torso. Usually more than one.

Wayne let’s him in without a word to wait for Eddie, makes him a cup of tea, something small to eat. If Billy’s afraid of parents, if he doesn’t want to talk, he’s not gonna make him. Not in this state.

One Sumer night eddie looks panicked, face white as he drops the phone in the kitchen. The sound of the receiver bouncing off the kitchen wall.

Suddenly they were distant for a while, Eddie and Billy, Wayne noticed. Billy wasn’t around too much anymore that summer.

It was maybe a month.

Eddie said Billy was acting strange- angrier than usual, more easily upset. Panic attacks. Acting Distant. He said something was up, he thought maybe Billy was doing drugs- bad shit, worse than he sold. His guess was heroin. But then eddie got that call.

“Eddie? ‘The hells going on in there?”

“Billy’s in the hospital-“

“Did that bastard father of his-“

“No, no. There was a fire, uh, at the mall or something? I have no idea his sister called me she was crying a lot I’ve gotta get to the hospital-“

“Edward you are not in any state to be driving god forbid you his something or god forbid someone let’s go I’ll take you”

“What they say?” Wayne asks, eyebrows knitted tight in concern, waiting in the hospital waiting room.

They’d let Eddie see Billy- the little sister had come or get him, convinced the nurse he was their cousin, that he lived with them too. And they’d let Eddie come into Billy’s room and see him, told him the story.

“He’s got a concussion, like a bad one. He says he’s having trouble hearing, but the doctors say it’s gonna pass, he just- he just held onto my tight and didn’t let go. Didn’t stop apologizing for like 20 minutes. Crying that it wasn’t his fault, that he didn’t have control” Eddie rambled, face knit in confusion.

“The hell does that mean?” Wayne wondered.

“I don’t know max said she’d explain it later. Just gotta worry about Billy now.”

The two munsons had barely finished their talk before Wayne watched Neil Hargrove walk in, yelling, flailing his arms, making a god damn scene.

“Don’t let him in there! Don’t fucking let him in there he’ll kill him!” Wayne watches the little red head sister scream at the sherif standing outside the boys hospital room.

It’s not just one of the deputy’s either, that’s the chief. Wayne knows the guys face. And he seems very invested in this all, assuring the girl he won’t let anything happen to her brother now, no matter what.

and Neil’s making a god damn scene, threatening hopper (which isn’t the brightest idea now, is it?)

And Wayne thinks fuck it, in for a penny in for a pound.

“Why don’t you shut the hell up and take a walk before the chief here shoots your sorry ass?” He calls across the room, everything falling silent.

“Uncle Wayne what the fuck?” Eddie whispers in a hiss.

“You talkin to me trailer trash?” Neil yells across the room, storming over to Wayne.

“The fuck are you gonna do about it, wife beater? Gonna hit me like you do your son? I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’m not some scared little boy, Hargrove, I hit back” Wayne promises.

“Neil take a step back before I have to put you in cuffs” hopper warns one last time.

But the thing about cowards like Neil, like Wayne’s brother, is they’re big men when it comes to putting their hands on women and children. But when it comes to being put in their place, they’re big cowards. Wayne knows the type all too well.

“Whatever, you and your faggot nephew aren’t worth my fucking time. I’m out of here”.

And she doesn’t know that Neil’s leaving for good, that he’s gonna get in that car leave hawkins, go to god knows where.

And max hates watching her mother chase after that piece of shit who beats her big brother, who terrorized her the last two years, it’s embarrassing. Her mom could do so much better. But At least Neil’s getting further away from Billy’s room with every heavy footstep.

And tonight when Susan and max are still stranded at the hospital both Wayne and hopper will offer them a ride home, and Susan will take Wayne up on the offer. Eddies going to stay the night in the hospital, not that Wayne doubted he would for a second.

And when they park outside the mayfield/Hargrove house susans going to ask Wayne quietly if he would keep an eye out for a vacant lot, or a trailer for sale. Because she can’t keep this place afloat on her own. Wayne knows just the spot, writes the supers number down on a napkin and hands it to her.

[suspiciouslackofclowns]

Maybe instead of getting better after Starcourt, instead of healing and mending that which has been broken, Billy just gets worse.

There’s no more playful grins behind cigarettes or keg stands held in good fun. No more speeding down empty backroads or engines revving in parking lots. He gets quiet, and that’s the scary part.

Because as soon as someone presses him to talk, he gets mean.

He outright says no when he’s asked to keep an eye on Max, because there are no repercussions anymore — his wounds from the “fire” haven’t healed just yet, and if he shows up in the hospital with new bruises over freshly cracked ribs, the doctors will suspect something.

So the most he gets is a glare from Neil and a stern do it or else.

And Billy, a believer of malicious compliance, picks himself up a walkie-talkie. Does whatever the fuck he wants while the thing sits on his dresser.

If any voices come through, he shuts it off, or at the very least tunes it to a channel that only he and Max use.

She knows better than to use it.

Things between them aren’t any less tense than before, but it’s different now. Now he knows.

So the playing field is even.

He doesn’t meddle in Max’s business, who she hangs around, and Max doesn’t burden him with asking for rides and things alike. Not that he could really do much with his car sitting in the junkyard — Harrington has taken over the task of chauffeur anyway.

Harrington, who apparently also picked himself up a walkie-talkie.

And who somehow managed to learn about Billy and Max’s private channel.

“Hargrove? You there?”

The voice is staticky over the radio, but not out of range. After the brief moment of shock passes, Billy rolls his eyes at the thought of Harrington parked down the block, sitting behind the wheel of his Beamer listening intently for a response.

Rather than reach over to his nightstand, Billy rolls over to face the wall.

His sheets have become more of a nest as of late. Gathered around him in piles because he prefers the chill on his skin to sweating beneath scratchy blankets.

He hasn’t changed the bedding in weeks. Hasn’t opened the blinds or really even left his room at all this summer — the pool has likely already filled his position. Not that he’d be going back any sooner than a year or two from now.

If he ever feels comfortable taking his shirt off again.

“Billy? Look, I know you’re there, man. Max said that this was the channel to reach you on, and—“

Billy snatches the walkie-talkie and holds the button down.

“Go fuck yourself. Over.”

There’s a beat of silence. Then static pours through. Likely the air conditioning in Harrington’s car.

“Touchy,” he tuts. Exhales a heavy sigh and blows a raspberry. “Don’t always have to be such a dick, y’know.”

“Being a dick isn’t something all of us have to try at, rich boy, so put your shit in gear and get off my block.”

There’s another brief pause.

“How’d you know I was in your neighborhood?”

“Walkies don’t work out-of-range, fuckhead.”

“Damn, okay,” Harrington huffs. “Sue me for wondering how you were doing.”

Wondering how I’m doing?

“Wondering how I’m doing?” Billy repeats.

He stares up at the ceiling, brows pinched together.

“Yeah? Y’know, like checking up on you?”

“Why?”

For months, Billy has done nothing but rot in his bed. Too sore to move, too short-fused to bother talking about it.

Too guilty to open any of the get-well-soon cards that he’s received.

Among the poorly-addressed ones with crayon scribbles from his former swimming students, he recalls one almost equally as poorly-addressed dawning the signature Steve Harrington at the bottom.

It was the only envelope he’d bothered to open. Practically had to rip it up with his teeth because of the lack of dexterity in his fingers, though, he never worked up the nerve to dial the number scrawled at the bottom.

Harrington scoffs over the channel.

“It’s like you’ve died or something, man. It’s worrying.”

Disregarding the flush spreading across his cheeks, Billy rolls his eyes and spreads out more atop his comforter.

“If you’re so worried, why didn’t you just ask Max?”

“If she answered my questions, do you think I’d be on this channel right now?”

Billy presses his lips into a line.

He knows he hasn’t been the best brother. Quite the opposite, actually.

But it still aches to learn that Max apparently refuses to so much as talk about him. Makes his limbs sink deeper into the mattress like gravity has doubled down on him.

Makes him want to shut his walkie off and never turn it back on.

“Well, you’re a few months too late on your check-up, Harrington,” Billy rasps. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head at the sound of his own voice coming out so wet and pathetic. “Walking corpse at this point.”

A beat of silence persists. Then the static comes through again.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I have a therapist that already doesn’t help, thank you.”

“Well, if you change your mind…” Harrington trails off. He holds the talk button down for a long beat, absently tapping his fingers against the door panel in his car. Then, he sighs. “Is it okay if I use this channel again?”

Billy’s vision blurs and he sniffles. Thankful that it can’t be heard by anyone but himself.

“Yeah,” he says, and his voice shakes with it.

And that’s how Billy’s radio goes from being dead silent to constantly filling his room with chatter.

It helps and it hinders all at once.

Billy smiles for what feels like the first time in over a year, and laughs, even. But each time Harrington tells a little joke or giggles over the channel, Billy’s heart starts to ache more deeply.

It opens up old wounds.

He feels like Neil knows, somehow, when they’re both in the kitchen together. Accompanied by nothing but silence.

Neil asks if he can babysit for the weekend, and Billy drops the mug that was in his hand with a shaky wrist, fearing an entirely different question that doesn’t even get asked.

When Neil would normally berate him, he simply watches the way that Billy flexes his fingers. The way that he makes a weak fist, unable to straighten his fingers completely once he relaxes them, and his brows pinch in mild worry.

“Still havin’ trouble?” Neil asks.

His voice is gentle enough that Billy’s eyes well with tears as he nods. Bites his lip to keep it from wobbling.

Neil pulls him into a hug and Billy sobs into his shoulder. Not because of the pain or disability, but because he thinks he’s let a hint of love creep back into his life after all this time.

Which should be a good thing.

For once, Billy agrees to watching Max, if only because he doesn’t have the energy to snark back right now. Neil pats his shoulder and gives it a squeeze. Asks if he’s sure, like it’d be no issue at all for him and Susan to cancel their weekend plans.

Billy can’t help that he huffs a laugh. Can’t help that it comes out sounding closer to a scoff.

Why be accommodating now, after a lifetime of neglect and maltreatment? He shakes his head to himself, and his expression must give his thoughts away.

Neil digs his thumb hard into his shoulder, earning a stifled whimper and another influx of tears.

Billy cleans up the broken mug and wipes the liquid away from the floor by himself, knelt on his achy knees while he’s watched like a hawk from the doorway. Like he might shove the glass under the counter if he’s left unsupervised for even a second.

Over the weekend while their folks are away, Billy takes Max out to pick up a couple of movies and get a few snacks with Susan’s car.

Since he so scarcely leaves the house, he turns a few heads when people recognize him.

None so much as Harrington, who gawks at him from behind the fucking desk at Family Video. Billy glares hard at Max when she smirks at him before disappearing to the horror section.

The brunet is a bit more rugged than Billy recalls. Has a stronger jawline and more hair. Lots more hair.

It makes Billy feel especially pathetic, draped in a t-shirt that used to fit his figure well, but now swallows him more than anything.

That heavy feeling droops his shoulders down. He shoves his hands into his pockets and looks away nonchalantly when Harrington abandons his station, leaving Buckley behind the counter floundering at the register.

“Look who’s out ‘n about,” Harrington chuckles. He has no issue reaching out and setting his hands on Billy’s biceps, moving close as if to inspect him. “Have I always been this much taller than you?”

Billy flushes red and straightens his posture. Brings himself back up to eye-level, which spurs a dull pain in his spine. He must not do well in terms of hiding it, because the brunet’s brows furrow.

“Do you wanna sit down?”

Rather than respond right away, Billy huffs and waves Harrington off of him. Shoots Max another glare when he spies her watching the exchange from behind a shelf.

“All I fuckin’ do is sit,” Billy grumbles. “If I knew I was gonna get a pity parade I would’a just sent the shitbird in.”

Harrington nods to himself. Takes half a step back and smiles.

“Alright with standing, then. Got it.” He tilts his head to the side. Eyes never leaving Billy for even a second. “Your hair’s grown out a lot.”

His gaze is a fond one. Like they aren’t in public right now. Like Billy is his damn girlfriend on prom night, and he’s seeing the gown for the first time.

Billy shrugs. Absently toys with one of the curls that dangles over his collar bone.

That weird pit is back in his stomach. The one that leaves him crying in the dark when Harrington signs off after hours of chatting about everything and nothing at once.

Billy wonders where he parks his car when they talk for that long. If he’s right outside or in the deep quiet of the woods, where the stars can really be seen and the train shakes the ground.

He’d rather Steve just climb through his window.

“I like it,” Steve adds. Nudges Billy’s elbow with his own. “It’s a soft look. Fits you really well.”

“Are you this nice to all the girls that come in here, or just the ones you wanna pork?” Billy teases.

Steve laughs, and it sounds so much better in person. Billy wants nothing more than to bottle it up and keep it forever.

Before the brunet can come back with a snide little joke of his own, Max meanders up to them. Holds up a few tapes for Billy to approve. Without really looking them over, he hands her the cash, and they all move back to the register together.

Steve rings them up. Max pays. Everything is so much slower than it should be going, like he’s trying to prolong the encounter as much as he can.

Billy understands the feeling.

When Steve slides Max the receipt, he’s less smiley. Billy turns to face the door, but doesn’t miss the way that Max nabs a pen and scrawls something on the slip of paper before sliding it back towards Steve.

Billy decides not to pry. Fears that if he asks, he’ll find that it’s some secret nerd shit that he can’t be privy to.

Fears that the heavy feeling will bear down on him again.

He doesn’t have to ask, turns out. The phone rings later that night, and Billy’s blood pressure spikes when Steve’s voice pours over the line.

“You should come out more often,” he says easily. “Really need some sun.”

Billy just tsks. They wind up sitting on the line for a little under half an hour. Billy wishes it lasted longer.

But he’d rather not explain the minutes away when his father shows him the phone bill.

Just before they hang up, after giggling at each other nearly the entire time, Billy barks out, “Don’t call here again.”

Then he hangs up.

Steve, naturally, gets on the radio not a few seconds later. Giggles and says, “Okay, dick. You can call me from now on.”

They stay up for practically the rest of the night talking.

Billy stares up at the ceiling and wonders how long this little thing between them will last.

He starts to question it more when Steve actually, by some miracle, convinces him to come out a handful of times.

The brunet is really touchy. Always has an arm around Billy’s shoulders or a hand on his back, and constantly bumps their knees together when they’re sitting down. Billy feels stupid for wanting more.

Why, he doesn’t know, because he’s fairly certain that he could ask for anything at this point.

Steve never calls again and that’s okay.

Billy prefers hearing whispers over the radio anyway.

It’s one evening in particular that Max is out of the house for the night, away at the Chief’s place for a sleepover, that the pit in Billy’s stomach turns into a black hole.

Steve has been ranting about his manager for the last half hour, only stopping to mention how a movie cover reminded him of Billy. How he couldn’t even wait to get home before he turned his radio on and pressed to talk to him.

The black hole consumes Billy before he can catch the words leaving his mouth.

“Do you like me?” he hears himself ask.

His voice gets choked up, and the second he lifts his finger off of the button, he rolls over and screams into his pillow. Quiet enough that Neil and Susan won’t hear, but hard enough to let a fraction of the tension out.

“Obviously,” Steve says. “Why else would I be friends with you?”

Billy presses his face harder into the pillow.

He can feel the pressure building behind his eyes. Feel the blistering heat of fresh tears and the throb in his temples as he huffs a strangled sigh into the pillow. Before he can even decide between turning the walkie off or fabricating a response, static pours through.

“Jesus Christ, Steve, he means do you have feelings for him,” Max groans.

There’s a beat of silence.

“What? Rea—“

“What the fuck are you doing on this channel?” Billy interrupts.

He can feel the veins in his neck straining from how hard he’s clenching his jaw. Can practically see red when giggles pour through the radio.

A red hot flush of shame paints Billy’s face when he realizes that Eleven is listening in too.

“What are you still doing on this channel? If you didn’t want us to eavesdrop, you should’ve switched forever ago.”

“How long have you been listening to us talk?” There’s a beat of silence. Billy huffs. “Max. How long?”

“How long have you and Steve been talking?” Max asks.

Her rhetorical question is accompanied by giggles that are cut off when she lifts her finger from the button.

There’s nothing but silence for a moment. Then two.

Billy’s vision blurs as he sets his walkie down on his nightstand. The cold fingers of embarrassment wrap around him and drag him down, lower than he’s ever been drug before.

He’s ruined everything.

His sister not only hates him, but she knows about him now, and the only guy he’s ever let himself truly like is going to want nothing more to do with him after this.

Not for the first time since Starcourt, he wishes that monster had killed him.

“Billy?” Steve asks gently. When there’s no response, he sighs. “Look, we can figure out the channel thing some other time, but… was she right? Is that what you were trying to ask me?”

Silence. Then, giggles.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m right,” Max teases.

“Radio silence,” Steve snaps. “Now.”

His tone is stern. Brotherly in a way that should be surprising, but isn’t, really.

“Signing off…” Max says dejectedly.

Astonishingly, the channel falls silent. Billy sniffles as he reaches over to paw at his nightstand, curling his fingers weakly around the radio.

He doesn’t press the button. Tries to swallow his silent sobs in a failed attempt to compose himself first.

“Billy?” Steve coos, voice much softer now. “If you don’t wanna talk over the radio, that’s fine, but—“

“Yes,” Billy rasps.

A beat of silence.

“Yes?”

“She was right.”

Billy winces at how broken his voice sounds. A whistle pours through the radio.

“Oh, man,” Steve chuckles, and Billy’s heart sinks. “The boy of my dreams wants to know if I have feelings for him? Are you dense?”

There’s a crisp millisecond of confusion before Billy presses the button.

“What?”

“Of course I like you, dude.”

Billy inhales like he just resurfaced for air for the first time in years.

“Why?” he breathes.

“You’re funny, smart, surprisingly sweet, and pretty easy on the eyes. Just for starters.”

If his heart was thumping fast before, it’s going light-speed now. All he can do for a few beats is focus on controlling his breathing.

“You don’t like me,” he murmurs. “Trust me, Steve, I’m fucked up.”

“You aren’t the only one who’s a little fucked up.” Steve hums a laugh to himself. “And I do like you. You’re not gonna be changing my mind about it anytime soon.”

“What if I told you to go fuck yourself?”

“I’d tell you that you don’t always have to be such a dick.”

A tiny hint of a smile creeps its way onto Billy’s face when he hears Steve chuckle.

His eyes are dry. The pool of dread in his belly has begun to drain, and he feels the slightest bit hopeful.

“If you’re so sure, then I guess picking me up for dinner and a movie sometime won’t be difficult for you, will it?”

Steve sighs fondly at the notion.

“Are you asking me out?”

“Are you accepting?”

There’s a brief pause. Billy’s unable to keep from smiling giddily to himself.

“Depends,” Steve lilts. “Gonna open your window?”

There’s a light tap on the glass. Billy pushes himself up and draws the blinds, revealing a grinning brunet standing about a foot below, holding his walkie-talkie.

Billy tosses his on the bed before he opens the window and leans his elbows against the ledge.

“Is this the part where you ask me to let down my hair?” he teases.

Steve chuckles, but furrows his brows as he steps closer to the house.

“Were you crying?”

Taken aback by the question, Billy wipes his eyes with the heel of his palm. Shrugs nonchalantly, which doesn’t seem to be the answer that Steve was looking for.

“I was expecting things to go a bit differently,” Billy admits.

Steve frowns, and the expression doesn’t look right on him. He reaches up. Settles his hand on Billy’s forearm, smoothing his thumb back and forth against his skin until Billy shifts to dangle his arm out the window.

The pads of Steve’s fingers are soft where he holds Billy’s hand, clasped and suspended in the air together.

Billy really does feel like Rapunzel for a moment.

“I can be a little thick-skulled sometimes,” Steve says softly. “You’re always talking about yourself like you’re some unsalvageable disaster, so when you asked me if I liked you, my mind instantly went there. I wanted to make you sure you knew for certain that I do.”

He gives a little half smile. Billy squeezes his hand gently. Hopes that Steve doesn’t notice how weak his grip is.

“It’s not like I really gave you any context clues.”

“True. You didn’t.”

“I am a bit of a disaster, though. Feels like I’m only good at messing things up sometimes,” Billy sighs. “Max already hates me, and when I thought for a second that you might too, everything felt so lost.”

Steve makes a face.

“I would never, and I’d like to point out that Max doesn’t either.”

Billy blinks. Huffs amusedly, and as always, it comes out sounding closer to a scoff.

“Pretty sure she does. You’ve said yourself that she wouldn’t even talk when you asked about me.”

After thinking on it for a brief moment, Steve laughs.

“Yeah, man, ‘cause she bites the head off of anyone who asks about you. Definitely told me to mind my fucking business more than once.”

Again, Billy just blinks.

He never considered that maybe it was a protective thing and not a shame thing. The revelation has a surprising amount of weight lifting off of his shoulders.

“Definitely sounds like her,” he says.

They share a chuckle. Billy flattens his other forearm against the windowsill and rests his chin against it.

“Thanks for trying to lift me up earlier?” he muses. “Didn’t really work in the moment, but still.”

Steve softly swings their hands from side to side and sighs.

“I can tell. Your eyes are all puffy.”

“Should’a seen me the other night.”

The brunet cocks his head to the side in mild confusion.

“What happened the other night?” he asks. “Didn’t mention anything while we were talking.”

“It was, ah… after we signed off for the night. It’s no big deal, really. I cry after most of our talks.”

Billy looks away. Steve squeezes his hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“‘S okay,” Billy rasps.

His eyes prick with tears again and Steve steps closer. Drops his walkie-talkie in the grass and reaches up with his free hand to cup Billy’s cheek.

“Oh, you’re just a big crybaby, huh?” he coos. Billy chuckles sadly and leans into his touch. “If I’d known, I would’ve snuck over here sooner.”

“My old man checks in on me sometimes, so it’s probably better that you stay in your car.”

“Well, do you have a curfew? I’d love to steal you away every now and again and kiss your cute, stuffy nose.”

Billy sniffles, and chuckles again. Wipes his eyes with his free hand and shrugs.

“Haven’t really had anywhere to go ‘till now,” he says.

Steve nods.

“You eaten yet?”

A smile cracks across Billy’s face. Steve mirrors the expression.

“You buying?”

“I’ll spend my entire paycheck on burgers and fries if it gets you outta this fuckin’ room. I swear sometimes it’s like pulling teeth.”

They share a chuckle, and Billy sits up. Flushes red when Steve presses a kiss to his knuckles.

“Gimme a sec.”

Again, Steve nods. He’s slow to release the blond when he pulls away, and Billy can’t help that he’s grinning like an idiot as he opens the door and pads out of his room.

He finds Neil and Susan in the living room watching tv. Makes up some lie about a few friends having a kickback. Even goes as far as to apologize for the short notice.

His folks share a look. Susan spreads a big smile and sets her hand on Billy’s bicep.

“No worries, sweetheart. Go ahead,” she says. “Have fun, alright?”

“Will you be coming back tonight?” Neil asks.

Billy stays quiet for a moment. Then two, just processing, and eventually shakes his head.

“It’ll probably be too late,” he says, and clears his throat. “I have somewhere else lined up, though.”

He winces at his own words, regret beading on his skin like a cold sheen of sweat.

Neil nods. Turns his attention back to the tv.

“Just stay outta trouble.”

And that’s it.

Nothing more is said, but Billy still stands there like he’s waiting for something else to happen.

When nothing does, he nods curtly and pads back down the hallway to his room, deciding not to press his luck by letting them think too hard on it. Once he has the door shut behind him, he’s immediately leaning out the window again.

Steve has his walkie back in his hands, rocking back and forth patiently on the balls of his feet while he waits. He smiles when he notices that the blond has reappeared.

“What’d they say?”

“Go get your car, I’ll be ready by the time you pull up.”

Billy leans back. Grabs the window and shuts it just as Steve nods enthusiastically. Turns on his heel and jogs off of the lawn and back towards the street.

Giddy, warm feelings pool and buzz in Billy’s stomach as he digs through his drawers for jeans that he hasn’t worn in forever. Already has a date-worthy outfit in mind as he unfolds a pair.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when static pours through the radio still sitting idly on his bed.

“Update?” Max asks.

Billy rolls his eyes. Moves to grab it when another voice comes through.

“We’re goin’ steady,” Steve informs, out of breath.

“Yes!” Max shouts.

Then, a third voice comes through.

“Finally! Jesus,” Dustin huffs.

There’s a beat of silence, followed by Steve panting when he presses the talk button.

“How many of you dickheads are on this channel?”

“Just two?” Mike says. “Technically, since we’re only using two walkie’s.”

There’s laughter over the radio, and Billy rolls his eyes. Can’t really find it in himself to be mad right now with all of the butterflies swirling in his tummy.

“You’re all banned from the front seat of my car,” Steve huffs. “And the wedding, when it happens.”

“No! I wanted to be the flower girl!” Eleven whines.

“I was gonna walk you down the aisle,” Dustin adds.

“Good luck finding another officiant, then, I guess,” Lucas says with a scoff.

More laughter is had. Max and Mike chime in with various jokes about ring-bearers and bridesmaids, but they’re cut off when Steve presses to talk again.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I highly recommend switching channels.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Max muses.

Billy can practically hear the smirk in Steve’s voice when he speaks next.

“‘Cause I’m gonna start using this one for sex stuff, and it’s gonna get real weird real fast, so be warned.”

Multiple groans and sounds of disgust pour through the radio.

“Yuck,” Max says. “Switching channels.”

“Ditto,” Dustin adds.

Then silence. True silence.

Billy grabs his walkie.

“We really gonna have phone sex over the radio?” he muses.

Steve laughs. The subtle rumble of the engine is audible from the street as his car pulls up to the curb.

“Not if you hurry up and get your ass out here already.”

The blond bites his lip. Can’t believe for the life of him how light he feels. How, for once, he feels better for having survived car wrecks and slimy monsters in the dark.

Feels like letting someone new into his life won’t cause him grief this time around.

“On my way, pretty boy.”

[reineydraws]

i have a soft spot for fics where billy sort of ends up adopting el and will alongside max. like, these are the kids that get dibs for rides in the camaro haha.

also im unfortunately not participating bc prev commitments but #harringrove for turkey is happening right now if yall want to donate to the earthquake relief funds for turkey & syria and get some art/fic back from harringrove fans! :) check out the tag if you're interested!!

[ickypuppi3]

Lucas On The Line // “For instance, the clothes she's been wearing lately have been... unusual. Old and oversize, and not in a good way. They remind me of Will's clothes, how he was always wearing something of Jonathan's, or even Mrs. Byers's.”

[cavinginhisfvce]

'IT'LL ALL WORK OUT'

Disclaimer: I'm honestly not a fan of Susan, but I thought this fic idea was cute!

Paring: Harringrove.

When Neil married Susan, he was against Susan adopting Billy, claiming the boy's real mother couldn't bother to be tasked with raising him, so no one should ever burden themselves with such a thing.

Susan, surprisingly, was firm in wanting to pick up the slack Billy's mother left in her wake, eventually Neil relented, and the adoption process was underway.

It's been four years, and a move to Hawkins, Indiana since Billy legally became Susan's child, something Max was displeased with initially, quickly became a comfort to her when she discovered what Neil did to his son. It had shaken her to her core, and when she relayed the information to her mother, the woman simply pulled her into a hug and murmured, "I know, baby. It'll all work out."

Max didn't know what that meant, or if she should trust her mom. But, she silently nodded, she had no real options here. She had to wait for the future. 

The future as it turns out, was just three months later; Neil had laid into Billy with more fervor than usual, and when Susan made to step in, her husband struck her. 

It hadn't detoured the red-haired woman, she continued her self-appointed task of checking on Billy, who was staring up at her with a look she's never seen on his face, a look no seventeen should ever wear. 

She gave him a small, comforting smile, just as Neil got a fist full of otherwise pristine hair; his freehand raising to strike once more.

The action worked quickly in pulling Billy from his Susan induced trance with a start, his body moving faster than his brain as he lunged at his father, swiftly knocking the man to the ground.

For years, Neil's abuse had only ever been turned towards his son, and in truth he was grateful; because Billy doesn't know what he would do if it was ever Max on the receiving end. She was a child, she was his shitty little sister. Max, who brought him the stupidest (best) hoodies he owns, the fabric softer than any he had previously. Max, who despite hating Billy in the beginning, now comes to his room when she has a nightmare or generally needs comforting from someone other than her mother. She's the only person to hug him since the day his mom took off. 

His sister who despite everything, tries so hard to show Billy someone loves him. She loves him.

Susan had tried to comfort him, but Billy always brushed her off. She never seemed to take it personally for some reason. Maybe because she knew he was afraid of what would happen if Neil even suspected Billy felt safe in their home.

The knowledge that Neil could hurt Susan was always present in Billy's mind, but he often wrote off his concern with a scoff. She knew what she married, she knew what he was like. It was her problem, not his.

However, seeing Neil actually hit Susan had set something off in Billy, because while she may have never defended or stood up for him as she had today; she still made sure he was properly tended to after encounters with his father.

If Neil sent him to bed sans dinner, locking him in his bedroom for however long, she would have Max sneak him a sandwich, Max was always more than happy to take said food. 

The times when Neil kicked Billy out intent on making the boy sleep in his car, Susan always snuck a bag of snacks, blankets, and whatever else, into the bushes by their house for him to grab. Despite always going to Steve's and sleeping in the boy's guestroom on those nights, it still showed she was trying.

If Billy was bed ridden after his father caved his chest in, a few too many times, she would come into his room, soothe his pain with hushed words and gentle touches. Billy was usually too tired and in too much pain to reject her warm hands and kind fingers working through his curls after she'd patched him up.

Seeing Susan cradle her cheek, seeing Max sob at the display, finally gave Billy the nerve to stand up to Neil.

He doesn't really remember much after straddling his father, his fists flying rapidly, their intended destination Neil's face, but he does remember Susan scrambling to call 911. Remembers her soft words of assurance that Neil was down.

He remembers Max's look of relief as their eyes met.

He still feels the phantom hold as Susan tugs him from his place over his dad's limp frame. Can vaguely recall the frightening seconds he thought he killed his father before the man was gasping awake, his eyes widened with fear as they landed on Billy. He was actually afraid of Billy. 

Everything beyond that was a blur, Billy doesn't really know what was said, or done. He just knows Neil was in police custody, something that would've left Billy parentless, if not for Susan having adopted him all those years ago.

Especially since his own mother had taken off when he was barely five, and relinquished her rights as a parent in the same breath she'd divorced his father. 

He always wondered why he wasn't enough. For his mother or Neil.

When Hopper came by to ask if they wanted to press charges, both Billy and Susan agreed easily. It was the most gratifying decision Billy has ever made in regards to his father and the abuse he's endured at his hands for years.

Billy and Steve started officially seeing each other a few weeks after Neil's trial ended. Hopper saw to it that his father was hit with the max sentence for child abuse, and domestic violence. Both Max and Billy would be well into adulthood when Neil gets released, something that made the decision to be with Steve all that sweeter.

He hadn't wanted to come out to Susan, the lingering fear that she would object to her newly seventeen year old son being with a guy was too prevalent. 

Though, technically, he didn't come out to her, she came to him one morning with her hand on her hip and a warm smile on her lips demanding he "bring his 'Pretty Boy' to dinner."

Billy wanted to be upset that she'd found out, but he was far too humiliated that it was his own fault she'd figured it out. Apparently calling Steve 'Pretty Boy' like it was going out of style, was a dead giveaway for the woman.

Much to Billy and Max's (dis)pleasure, Susan and Steve got along easily.

On Billy's eighteenth birthday, Max had barged into his bedroom, shrieking in horror when she was met with an eyeful of her brother and Steve in a slight state of undress, Billy had thrown a pillow in her direction, his voice rough with embarrassment as he shouted, 

"Mom, tell Maxine to fucking knock!" 

Both siblings froze at that, Max had a wide smile on her face, while Billy looked slightly mortified, his words echoing in his ears.

The look morphed into one of pain when Susan slipped into his room, her smile rivaling Max's with how big it was, "That's the first time you've ever called me mom…"

Billy swallowed thickly and nodded his head, though he refused to make eye contact with the woman, even when she was throwing her arms around his bare shoulders in an iron grip hug, "okay, okay, I get it! Can we maybe talk about this shit later, you know, when I'm not trying to get laid on my birthday?" 

Billy wasn't actually going to have sex with Steve with both Max and Susan home, but their presence in the house definitely wasn't going to prevent Steve from watching Billy fall apart beneath him, especially not if the brunet had any say in the matter.

This had Susan reaching out to lightly slap his shoulder, a faux look of exasperation on her features,"maybe next time you or Pretty Boy over there will remember to lock the door, hm?"

With one last smile at Billy, accompanied by a wink, she then ushered Max out the room, Steve almost immediately leaping up to lock the door behind them; his face beet red when their eyes finally met.

"I'm fuckin' moving out." His tone was embarrassed, but there was no heat behind, no real threat to his words. 

He wouldn't leave his sister and his mother for any reason short of them wanting him gone.

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So season 3. Let's do this!

This took so so so long and is not quite where/what I wanted it to be soooo... I am so sorry 😅🥲 this will most likely be 2 parts cause... Yeah, just life man.

Actually some dialogue in this one? Sure, a line or two, as a treat.

(Part1) (part2)

Steve had been working at Scoops Ahoy for a few weeks now and he feels like he's built a decent rapport with his coworker Robin. She's witty and snarky and opinionated and when Steve wears a more tinted lipgloss than he intended resulting in a customer clocking it and saying something rude that he can't help but smile his dead-eyed customer service smile at, she clocks out for her lunch early (and takes an extra 15 minutes) and comes back with a full face of makeup and shoos him into the back with the mascara she bought from the shop a couple stores over. They both start coming to work with at least mascara, eyeliner and lipstick and Steve loves it. He compliments the hand-drawn designs on her shoes and she asks where he got his rainbow heart pin. They mostly disagree on music they listen to -she still lets him drag her to a couple live music nights at The Hideout with him and Billy every now and then anyway- but their politics and basic life philosophies line up pretty well.

He could do without the 'You Rule / You Suck' board, especially when Billy gets in on it and adds tallies from a little notebook he starts keeping when he and Steve hang out outside of kids and work. And the jokes about his kids (and occasionally Billy) when they come through for free passage to the movies. And the jabs about his parents' money like he still has access to that or their house.

He doesn't tell her that he was cut off and disowned and kicked out. He doesn't tell her that he had to get a job to help pay for his community college courses because he was a disappointment that couldn't get into a pre-approved 4-year university and that meant no college fund and he was still a few years away from being 21 and having access to the trust fund his grandparents set up for him when he was still just a lump of forming cells. And even then anything in that will probably be blown on buying himself his own permanent place instead of just a hand-me-down trailer in the middle of the woods so he needs to save for things like bills and a mortgage.

He doesn't tell her that the reason he lets the kids get away with so much is because they're *his* and they've already seen more fucked up shit than the cops in this town (save Hop) and he'll be damned if they don't get to just be kids. He'll be damned if they decide he's someone they need to hide from and sneak around like they hide and sneak from Joyce and Hop cause that's how they didn't know about half the shit the kids got up to while the adults were doing their best to take care of things themselves. He doesn't tell her that he's paying "rent" to the chief of police (it's way less than he should be but it's all Hop would take).

He doesn't tell Robin a lot of things.

Then sometime after Robin finally warmed up to him but before Dustin comes back from camp, Eddie Munson walks into Scoops Ahoy, his metalhead nerdy entourage in tow. He orders a plain scoop of vanilla with sprinkles in a cup and one of the others also orders something small and simple (while longingly eyeing their diabetes-inducing, horribly artificial tasting, bubblegum flavor when Munson turns away) before all of them are squeezing into one of the largest booths, emptying out messenger bags and backpacks of overstuffed binders and scuffed up versions of very familiar looking textbooks. It's like looking at an older -slightly grungier- version of his kids.

"Gentlemen, now that 🎶school's out for summer🎶-" There's a musical lilt as he says it that sounds vaguely familiar to Steve, "-and it has been confirmed that I will in fact be held captive for yet another stint in the hell they call Hawkins High School it is time we confer and conspire for the next year of Hellfire and the little sheep that will be joining our flock." He kinda loses track of it after that because then his kids are rushing in demanding tasters of everything and edging towards the lifting part of the counter with a look in their eyes that speaks of mischief. He puts up the initial fuss about them only visiting him for his backrooms access and that they promised to only come over when there were no customers around. He lets them through anyway.

He notices Munson eyeing him as he puts the partition back in place shaking his head and Robin laughing at him as she washed their ice cream scoops. The one that's vaguely more familiar looking than the rest and reminds him of a taller, angrier, Dustin with a better hair regimen isn't quite glaring at him but is definitely paying more attention than the rest of Munson's posse and seems more suspicious than Eddie's curious.

The metalheads are still there when Billy shows up stinking of chlorine in clothes that are damp where they cling to his frame. The group loosens up a little when he shoots Steve his signature smug smirk as he shrugs on his denim jacket that -like Steve's own jacket hanging out of sight in the staffroom- had begun accumulating patches and pins since Neil's incarceration. Unlike Steve's, Billy's has homages to bands like Mötley Crue, Deff Leppard, Twisted Sister and Guns N' Roses with little trails of shakily embroidered flowers and constellations on the collar and hems and filling the spaces between the patches and pins. Billy also has a small pink triangle on the lapel where Steve has a rainbow. Steve pretends not to notice the way the group goes a little quiet as Billy starts his usual routine of sunnily demanding tasters of all the available flavors and then again with sprinkles to "-really get an idea of their ✨nuance✨, prettyboy" before deciding on a scoop of double chocolate with a scoop of raspberry vanilla in a cup with sprinkles and one of their fresh waffle cones on top. Like always.

"Really branching out there aren't ya, tough guy?" Steve keeps his face as stoney as possible but he can't help the humored edge to his voice.

Billy just winks at him running his tongue over his teeth as he gives Steve an exaggerated leer, "Gotta keep you on your toes, handsome." Robin fake gags and Steve laughs and Eddie Munson turns red as he stares at the two joking jocks. Billy goes quiet as he stares at his ice cream and Steve recognizes the look on his face, tells the blonde to go sit down in their usual booth and he'd be taking his break soon and they can talk about whatever's bothering him.

What's bothering him is Neill getting parole for 'good behavior', Jim only telling the Mayfield-Hargroves almost a week after he was let out because that was actually the same day he himself found out. Billy found out just before a summer basketball practice session and thinks he snapped at an underclassmen he's been trying to get to open up about what Billy is 90% certain is going on in the kid's home, but he knows that cops can't do much if the victim(s) refuse to trust in those trying to help them. He's worried about the kid he snapped at. Worried about Susan and Max. Worried that even with the restraining order Neill will try something. Billy tells Steve he had thought he saw Neill around the outskirts of town during errands or during his turn to haul the kids around a couple of times before Hop told them and now he's sure it wasn't just paranoia. Steve tells him they'll figure it out, reminds him he's not alone in this

That makes Billy smile, small and tired but real and grateful. His shoulders are still tense and there's still a wariness in the smallest crease between his eyebrows that makes Steve ask if there's anything else. They talk about some of the weird dreams Billy's been having that makes Steve encourage him to talk to El. Just to make sure Billy isn't going through what happened to Will the last alternate-dimension-go-around.

They make plans to head out to see the two Hoppers after Steve's shift. Come up with a basic timeline of when and where Billy thinks he saw Neil so they have something to start with for Hop. Put together an idea of how involved Billy wants to be in whatever plan Hop comes up with. They're interrupted by a group of girls swanning into the shop and Steve being yelled at by Robin to get himself back to work. As he gets up from the table Steve levels Billy with a look that makes the blond think about the way Max and the kids described Steve when they talked about how he fought off the pack of demodogs in the junkyard, planting himself between them and snarling snapping danger like Galahad himself.

Steve looks him in the eyes and says "I swear Billy, we're going to get through this, we'll take care of it and keep you and the girls safe. Hop knows what's going on and even Callahan can't get away with letting that piece of shit fall through the cracks after what he pulled." He leans in close and bites out probably louder than he should for the amount of people in the shop, "And if that fucker gets near any of you I've got Darling in Baby's trunk and I am not afraid to use her on a human shaped monster instead."

Author's (rambler's) Notes:

So, that's all I have for season 3 rn I am so sorry. 😭 I'm working on the next bit but I am so burnt out recently and now I'm unemployed cause of the ceiling at my job caving in which does not help the stress. So I unfortunately do not have a timeframe for you. 🥲 A couple of folks asked to be tagged so... Here you are? To be fair I'm not making any promises in regards to the taglist in the future, I will do my damnedest and y'all will have to bear with me.

I'm glad people are liking this and tbh this has gotten more attention than I expected so thanks? I appreciate the appreciation of my ramblings. Feel free to scream at/with me about this au in my asks box and I'll respond when/as I can. I'm just glad people are enjoying this. 🙃

@heartsong18

@knightofthieves

[dopeasspancake]

This idea got very out of hand but:

I just really love the idea of Steve going toe-to-toe against Neil Hargrove with his S1 attitude. Like Neil wouldn’t know how to handle this cocky little All-American hometown golden boy who is used to daddy’s money always saving the day.

Maybe Neil goes after Billy because he finds out about him and Steve, but Steve steps in and is like “yeah I don’t think so.” But we all know Steve isn’t the best fighter, so Neil clocks him.

But instead of getting mad, Steve thinks it’s hilarious because he’s totally about to pull a “my father will hear about this” and tells Neil how bad he’s fucked up and to expect a call from the family lawyer.

And maybe Neil thinks when he tells Mr. Harrington about what Steve and Billy have been up to, then he’ll understand. But he grossly underestimates the toxic impact wealth can have on people so instead Mr. Harrington is just like “I don’t care if my son was sucking cock on Main Street in the middle of the day, a Harrington does what he wants when he wants.”

And Neil is absolutely floored that Mr. Harrington could not care less about his son’s sexuality. Meanwhile Steve’s dad is still just like “My son can sleep with whoever he wants and I can’t believe you would be stupid enough to punch a Harrington. I’m going to ruin you.”

And maybe Mr. Harrington isn’t going to win a Father or Husband of the Year award anytime soon, but he’ll be god damned if anyone is going to lay hands on a Harrington without suffering the consequences.

Following this Billy moves in with the Harringtons and Steve’s parents just jokingly refer to Billy as “Steven’s little boy toy” for a while not taking the relationship seriously, thinking his infatuation is cute but will eventually die off. But then after a while they start noticing Steve doing better in school, becoming more goal-oriented, and realizing the positive impact his relationship with Billy has on him.

So now Billy is basically their son too.

[every-dayiwakeup]

ST has a kidnapper, literal aliens, two child abusers, a groomer, Russian and American agents who tortured and most likely killed people, the two bullies who tried to kill Mike and threatened to cut out Dustin's teeth (held a knife to his neck), an infant Republican with a gun and a cultlike influence, and the lovechild of Freddy Krueger + Pennywise... and yet a teenage abuse victim is the worst character to come out of the show?

And another thing: Dr. Brenner gets attacked by a Demogorgon and survives, but Bob Newby doesn't?

[waspinyourdrink]

Would anyone be interested in a Stranger things fix it fic from Billy's pov with Billy becoming one of Hoppers adopted children and Steve and Billy endgame????

[hargrove-mayfields]

1967. A couple in Hawkins, Indiana adopt a one year old little boy; they name their bubbly son Steve. 2,000 miles away, a little baby named William turns six months old, and sees the beach for the first time. For a moment, their dysfunctional families appear happy.

28 years later, those babies have a little one of their own, Christie-Ann Elizabeth Lee Harrington-Hargrove.

[local-redhead-bookworm]

We don’t talk enough about Neil “Respect and Responsibility” Hargrove being three hours late getting home. He didn’t care that Billy might have made other plans, he was just putting himself before looking after his children.

[hrrgrve]

hopper becoming billys adopted dad is what we deserved

i just want to see billy finally being comfortable enough around an adult to talk about his problems and finally getting the bear hug he deserves

[milf-harrington]

im in a "steve has a good mum" mood so here are some random but positive-ish headcanons i have about her

ive got one where she's australian literally just because

she comes from a big family who didnt approve of her choice in husband so she hasnt spoken to them in years (a regret on her part, but she's stubborn and proud)

she had steve out of wedlock so her parents dont speak to her but she visits her sister a lot

she's an only child who married into the harrington family for the name

she's an extravagant socialite, maybe a model or a small-time actress

she's respected in town bc she's super involved in the community

she loves steve but resents what his father turned him into so she avoids him through his teen years (a regret)

she loves steve but doesnt know how to be a mother, she genuinely thinks she does enough by giving him freedom and money

she loves steve, he was her best friend when he was a kid bc her husband was always working and even if she lost him for a bit during the king steve years shes proud of who he grows into

she follows her husband around to stop him from cheating bc she doesnt want him to tear their family apart

she kind of a mix of joyce byers and karen wheeler

she's a mean girl at heart which is where steve gets it from and they gossip in the kitchen

she acts dumb on purpose so that people let their guard down around her (she does this to her husband as well)

she's the actual brains in the family

if she found out steve was bi she'd be scared for him and would run interference so his dad wouldnt find out if he had a boy over

she comes back to hawkins as soon as she hears about starcourt

she heads back when she hears about the murders in hawkins bc steve isnt answering the fucking phone and she gets there right after the earthquakes

she's french

she's italian

she has a nickname for steve that has nothing to do with his name and he either finds it sweet or deeply embarrassing

[reineyday]

imagining a billy & max role reversal au where billy is max's feral little brother who only loves one (1) person and it is his older sister who stepped in when no one else would

[ickypuppi3]

billy

[cavinginhisfvce]

This is what I wanted, right?

TW: Major character death.

Link to alt ending in comments.

If you asked anyone, they'd tell you just how much Max dislikes her asshole of a step brother, Billy. They'd tell you how she curses him to filth almost daily. 

Dislike was too weak a word, because she downright hated him, wished one day he would leave and never come back. 

God, she can't recall the number of times she laid in bed and prayed for him to just vanish. He was by far the worst person Max had ever met in her fourteen years of life. He made her life hell.

He blamed her for their move, he blamed her for the way Neil treated her. 

It wasn't like it was Max's fault that she was well behaved, and Billy was always getting into trouble. It wasn't her fault Neil was an asshole to Billy.

None of this was her fault, right?

Right?

The call came at almost four in the morning, Max remembers being annoyed with the shrill of the household phone as it pierced the silence that envelops the surrounding area. 

She could hear Neil's gruff voice as he spoke to whomever had interrupted their rest. 

He was about to lay into them, Max could tell, before he stopped short and the sound of the phone slapping against the wall echoed in the young girl's ears.

Her stomach began to twist itself into a knot as she slipped out of her bed and padded into the kitchen where she found both Neil and her mother with tears spilling from their eyes.

She didn't dare speak. She was too afraid to, because in the years she's known her step father, he's never been one to cry. Yet here he was, silently bawling his eyes out into her mother's nightgown while she visibly bit back sobs.

It was painfully obvious no one was going to speak, so Max softly cleared her throat and spoke, her fingers twisting into the loose fabric of her pajama shirt.

"What's going on…?"

Max was wholly unprepared for the way Neil's steel blue eyes fell on her, she could feel herself freeze up from the intensity, but even after looking directly at her, nobody spoke. 

The young girl wracked her mind for any inkling of what might've happened. It had to be serious for Neil to be freely crying. But, why wouldn't anyone just tell her? They both knew, but Max was in the dark. As always, she was on the outside of whatever everyone else knew. 

It was like the reason for leaving Cali all over again. No one had told her exactly why they had moved, all she got when she asked was a "ask your brother," when she questioned Neil about it.

With a frustrated huff, the red-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, lips twisting into a frown. "What did Billy do this time?"

That question seemed to have done it, because a second later Neil was dropping to his knees and letting out an anguished cry. Her mom was by his side immediately, but her gaze found Max's and her eyes softened in a way Max had only seen when her mom was telling her one of her random pets had died.

But Max didn't have any pets...and why would a pet dying be connected to Billy—A gasp ripped through her as she furiously shook her head, the reality finally settling in as she connected the dots.

"M-Mom...is Billy okay?" There was no verbal response, only a tearful shake of her mom's head as she let out another round of tears.

Max could feel her heart plummet to her stomach as she yet again began to shake her head, this time in disbelief. 

It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. She was clearly misunderstanding. 

Billy was just hurt, right? Probably laid up in a hospital bed, giving the nurses a hard time while they fretted over him.

But one glance at the heap that was her mother and step father, she knew.

"Ma...Please, is Billy d—" she stopped herself from finishing, a startled sob sans any tears bubbling from her own lips. 

She felt so confused. Isn't this what she dreamed of? A world where Billy was gone. A world where he was no longer around to bother her and her friends?

She fucking prayed for someone, or something to take him away.

She had never shied away from telling her shithead of a step brother that she wished he would just die. He always cackled at that, and flipped her the bird like it was some kind of joke between them. It wasn't. She wanted Billy gone.

But, now he was. He was gone. She should be happy. She doesn't even know how he died. No one had said. Or maybe they didn't know just yet. 

There was no happiness, no relief. Just pure pain and guilt. 

She hadn't even cried over him dying, it felt unreal. Like at any moment he would come flying down the street in the Camaro as loud ass music blared from the tinny speakers. 

Neither thing happened. No tears and no Billy.

The days following Billy's death had gone by in a blur, Neil had jumped ship the morning after that God awful call, leaving her and her mother to grieve alone, to remain alone. He wasn't coming back, that much was obvious from the things he took with him, from the way he'd just seemed to vanish without even saying goodbye.

Billy left without saying goodbye too.

Max felt numb almost, like that night in the kitchen had drained her of any and all fight. When the news broke to The Party, they dragged her to Mrs. Byers house and ordered pizza. She wasn't hungry, but she picked at her two slices until just the crust remained.

She couldn't figure out why the pizza hadn't at least tasted good.

It tasted like ash on her tongue, and it wasn't until just the crust remained that it dawned on her.

It was a month after Neil and Susan's wedding when Neil had shoved some money into Billy's hand and demanded he take his sister out to get something to eat. 

Max hadn't seen the fear in her step brother's eyes because Billy had covered it with a scowl and dragged her to the nearby pizza shop. It was just off the beach, and they had the best garlic knots according to him.

Max was skeptical to try one, but once she did, she all but scarfed down almost half the order, Billy had simply laughed and dug into one of his slices of Pizza. 

(He made sure to order some more.)

However, instead of biting into it like everyone else would, the older boy simply ripped the crusts off and popped them into his mouth; leaving the slices otherwise untouched as he happily munched on them. Only now beginning to rip into a few garlic knots.

Max scrunched her nose up at that. She couldn't believe anyone actually liked the crust. It was the worst part of the pizza. She said as much and Billy had gasped in surprise at her.

"Maxine, are you telling me you actually enjoy the nasty ass tomato paste and gooey ass cheese?" It was Max's turn to gasp at the boy sitting across from her, "that's literally the point of the pizza, asshole!"

Billy for his part, just shook his head and snatched up her abandoned crusts before sliding his own plate in front of her. The girl just squinted at him, which prompted an eye roll from the elder, "If you're not gonna eat the crust and I'm not gonna eat the pizza, we can just trade off, Shitbird."

Max was satisfied by that and happily nodded her head as she tore into the now lukewarm slice.

From then on, Max and Billy shared pizza just that way. He ate the crust, she ate the slice. Even after moving to Hawkins, and the strain it'd put on their already weak relationship, they continued with the weird habit. Their parents didn't understand, but neither cared when the food was at least not getting wasted.

Max's stomach churned at the memory, she didn't have much of a chance to dwell on it before she was racing to the trash can, the barely settled contents of her stomach splattering the inside of it.

Her body was tense as she heaved, her grip on the bin was turning her knuckles white but she didn't right herself or let go until the last wave of nausea freed her entirely. 

When it had, she dropped her head between her legs and finally let out a loud cry.

It was as if once she started, she couldn't stop. The floodgates had finally opened and all Max could do now was cry. All she wanted to do was cry, cry, cry.

Mrs. Byers, at some point, emptied out the garbage can, but Max stayed perched beside it, her eyes unfocused and watery as her group of friends settled alongside her silently. 

 

It only startles everyone a little, when Max croaks out,

"he only liked the crusts, like a fuckin' w-weirdo…" No one had to question who she was talking about, it was rather obvious to all the teens; but still, they all seemed shocked at the confession. "Said the rest of the pizza was just a soggy triangle of bread."

She breathes out a humorless laugh, shaking her head at nothing in particular, "I think he just refused to admit he was lactose intolerant or something. He never ate cereal or used milk in his coffee. If mom made mac and cheese, he left it on his plate."

Neil would get upset with him, but there were only a few occasions Max could recall where he actually made Billy eat the pasta.

It was Steve who spoke up, his brows furrowed in confusion, his tone was hollow, but his face held a twinge of realization. "No fucking wonder he'd come into Scoops to just buy ice cream and throw it away..." 

Nancy turned to face her friend, her mouth opening and closing unsurely, but it was Will who beat her to speaking, shyly saying, "uh, Steve. I think he did that just to see you."

Max couldn't help but agree to that. She knew her brother was absolutely infatuated with Steve Harrington, though he would sooner die than admit that.

Which, bitterly Max notes, was exactly what happened.

Max tuned out the rest of the conversation, it wasn't intentional, she just couldn't keep up with the chatter. It felt pointless to pretend she was interested in anything at the moment.

Eventually, Jonathan offered to drive her home, even though nobody else was leaving, she agreed.

 Despite the dread that filled her stomach at the thought of returning to a Billy-less Cherry Lane, she let herself be guided outside. 

The feeling was persistent in a way it hasn't been since that night, but she let the eldest Byers boy take her anyway, she didn't really have a choice.

When she was getting out of the car, she noticed Neil's truck was missing, that wasn't surprising, but what did surprise her was that in its place was Billy's Camaro, but it wasn't there when she left earlier in the day.

Hopper must've brought it back for them. He was absent from the meet up today, which usually only happened because of work. El hadn't been there either, which was unusual, but Max hadn't dwelled on it.

He parked it as neatly as Billy always does...did.