#Walking Fruit Salad Billy Hargrove | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lorifragolina · 4 months

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Fortune Favours the Brave

Rating: T Relationship: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove WT: None Words: 2314 Harringrove droplets

This is the first Harringrove I posted... Harringrove is my bloved ship and this series is one of my favourite, I planned some domestic life of them in Cali... Hope you enjoy!

Billy Hargrove ran away the night after graduation.

He grabbed a bag of clothes, some tapes and his few precious things.

At 4 a.m, he woke up his sister and said goodbye just to her.

- Ehi, shitbird- he lightly shook up Max who opened her eyes with difficulty.

- Shitbird, I’m leaving - he whispered.

- Where? - muttered Max with a sleepy voice, confused.

- To Cali. I will call you sometimes, ok? Don’t be worried-.

He hugged Max, who frankly was having trouble understanding.

- Ok- Max weakly returned the hug, and then Billy closed the door behind him and disappeared. Max was almost convinced to have a strange dream until morning.

He stole his father’s hidden money, threw his bag in the trunk and closed the driver door. He took a deep breath and started the car.

Billy drove down the street until Hawkins exit with his heart in his mouth. It was more difficult getting to the highway, forcing himself not to stop in a particular place, than all the road in the following three days.

He called Max a couple of times from the road, talking only if she picked up in person, and she kept the secret with their family and friends. Billy was thinking of returning to San Diego, but at last he decided to go to Los Angeles, for a fresh start. He found a lifeguard job in a fancy resort near Venice Beach, surfing in spare time or simply sitting on the beach in the sun, feeling the heat in his face and enjoying a sort of inner peace. Sometimes he had to fight a particular biting thought from back in Hawkins, but after all he felt things going smooth for the first time in ages.

That day of July was torrid, but the ocean breeze refreshed the air in the evening. Billy ended his shift and walked to his car smoking, smelling the glow of the sunset and thinking of the little pleasures waiting at home, a beer and a fruit salad he made in the morning and the Valley view in the night from his terrace.

He had to stop suddenly and look two times to be sure, and the hand that was holding the cig stopped in middle air. He had to hold his breath, and the smoke got off his mouth alone, creating a halo between his eyes and the person in front of him.

- Harrington- he whispered. Am I dreaming…

Steve Harrington was standing against his BMW, shorts, a short sleeve floral shirt unbuttoned above his pecs, boat shoes and his green Wayfarer on his face, a cig burning lazily in his hand.

- Yes, it’s me, amigo - smiled Steve, taking off his sunglasses with a grin. His hair was a little longer, he looked tired and unkempt, but his eyes were sparkling.

Billy snickered and smiled in return, his throat getting dry for the surprise, and speechless for an instant.

- What are you doin’ here? -

Steve took a drag of his cig as it would be absolutely normal being there, two thousand miles away from his home.

- A little holiday- he let the smoke off and looked at Billy so intensely that he had to lower his eyes.

A little holiday from my misery thought Steve. I was heartbroken when you disappeared .

- Don’t you always live on holiday? - mocked Billy.

- Well, not always… - whispered Steve, very slightly. - The pool parties aren't the same without you- answered then, copying Billy's mocking tone.

- I’m sure you had a good time anyway-.

I threw that party just for you. Steve squinted.

—-

- Curious you have a pool at home but you’re so lame at swimming- mocked Billy, gasping hardly after their race at school’s pool. Billy won but had a hard time competing with him, winning just for a second. He was painting, and Steve appeared almost fresh and relaxed.

- Pool at home is not for training, it’s for showing…- Billy wasn’t sure, because he was drying himself with the towel, but Steve apparently blinked him an eye after staring at his body with a glance.

- Well, they say you don’t show it a lot…-

Steve stared at him, this time Billy was sure he was chewing his cheek.

- What if I throw a graduation party- said Steve at the end.

Billy blushed a little against his will. - No way I’m missing this-.

And indeed he missed it.

Nobody noticed Billy was gone until the party, two days after graduation day, nor Steve. He waited heartbroken all night and Billy didn’t show up. He was nowhere to be found and nobody knew anything.

——

I would wait for you at the pool in the starlight and I would come near you and I would touch you, thought Steve, knowing he did all that just to kiss Billy and tell him his feelings.

The light breeze caught the ash on Steve’s shirt. Billy came nearer, eyes chained to Steve’s, and gently dusted off the ash from the other. Steve hold his breath and moved forward just a little. Billy blushed slightly and smiled.

- Where do you stay?- whispered Billy.

- At the Plaza- chuckled Steve, looking at him with a grin. - I will look for a place later-.

Billy tilted his head to the Camaro - Come with me. Come on-.

Steve opened his car. - Let your car here. There’s security all night, nobody’ll touch it-

Steve appeared still hesitant. - You could never follow me on these streets- grinned Billy, and finally Steve took his bag and opened the passenger door of the Camaro.

Billy drove out of the city and up the hill. Steve looked at him furtively for a while, he was more tanned than in Indiana, his curls were a little longer and blonder, he looked glowing in the sunset light through the car window, really matching the heat and the atmosphere, Steve couldn’t help but think he was absolutely stunning.

At a crosslight, Billy suddenly turned to him and caught his stare. Steve turned his face away, blushing, and couldn’t see Billy blushing in turn.

- How do you find me? - asked Billy after a while. The boulevard was crowded and they were stucking in a traffic jam.

Steve sighted, without looking at him.

I don’t feel proud to rob to a little girl, but I’m happy I found how to track you.

——

Steve passed a few days in a horrible mood. He couldn’t stop thinking of Billy and how empty he felt now he had run away without any warning. He was hurt, because he and Billy had grown a little closer in the last months, but Billy did not consider him trustworthy. And he was angry and sad because he had no hope to know where he went. Nobody seemed to care about him, Billy had little to no friends and he couldn’t simply go around asking. He would ask Max, but he couldn’t explain to her why he wanted to know. Because I wanted to kiss him and I’m heartbroken wasn’t something he felt comfortable to say.

But one day the kids came for a pool afternoon at his home and Max sneaked to his father’s studio to make a phone call. He didn’t mean it, but he overheard her talking hidden there while passing in the hallway.

- .. he doesn’t let me pick up anymore! - she was saying. And then - … ok, I stay at El’s this weekend, call Hopper’s cabin…-

Lucas came from the living room calling Max, and Steve ran away to the kitchen. Max rapidly closed the call and came out of the studio, Steve could see she put a piece of paper in her pocket.

No, he didn’t feel proud when he searched her pockets when she undressed to go swimming, but when he dialed the number and a kind girl answered the phone from a country club in Los Angeles, near Santa Monica Boulevard, he knew it was worth the shame. It wasn’t difficult to ask the kind girl for directions and it was enough for him to jump in the car, and leave like Billy six weeks before.

——

- How do you find me? - asked Billy.

- I told you, I was around. I spotted your car and I try-.

Billy looked at him, but didn’t say anything.

They left the city center behind them and Billy started to drive faster up the hill, to the Valley. He had to admit that he probably couldn’t follow him on that road. He enjoyed the view of the valley and the big houses they passed by.

- Where are we going? You live here? - asked Steve.

- You’ll see- grinned Billy, grabbing the wheel stronger.

His heart was racing almost as fast as his car. Steve was the last person he expected to see, there or in another part of the world. But he was the only person he, deep inside and against his will, would see again with all his heart.

Billy opened a gate with a remote and stopped the car in front of a fancy condo with a view on the lights of the city.

Steve whistled. - You live here? How do you… -

Billy grinned and showed him the way, through the garden and the elevator, and then opened a door on a lavish apartment, with an elegant living room and an enormous glass wall to the balcony. Billy closed the door behind Steve and enjoyed his wide eyes.

- It’s my boss’. He and most of the other people are out for summer. He let me stay to keep an eye around- .

He showed Steve the guest room, lingering a little on the door, looking at him near the bed, but then he went away. Steve placed his bag and went to look around.

The place was tidy and cozy, he could feel Billy’s presence but it wasn’t the messy bachelor place he was expecting at first.

And there was a spectacular pool out in the garden.

- Look who has a pool to show now!- he laughed, and Billy smiled too.

- Yeah, basically all for myself now. You can have your party if you want- . Billy said it lightly, then he bit his lips, but the words were already out. The truth was, he was thinking about the pool party from the moment Steve said it.

- Just the two of us? - whispered Steve, his heart pounding wildly.

Billy nodded. His face was red and he tried to hide it from Steve.

He really wanted to go to the graduation party at Steve’s. He was daydreaming about him emerging from the pool, all glowing for the droplets and the starlight, and getting close to him, and looking him in the eyes, and maybe…

But the days before graduation had been a living hell at home. Billy really needed to go away, it was either kill or be killed, and he sneaked away in the night as the coward he was.

If, if only you let me get closer, if you let me touch you, if you let me… I won’t be brave enough to leave at last.

Billy grabbed the kitchen counter until his knuckles became white. Sometimes, back in Hawkins, he felt that Steve was testing the waters with him, so to speak, and now he was there, but… probably it was only for a simple holiday, as he told earlier.

Steve appeared in front of him in his trunks. Billy indulged a second too much on the shape of his body, and he tried to hide his blushing and shaking, collecting some beers from the fridge.

Steve sat on the edge of the pool, moving his feet in the water. He cracked a beer and looked at Billy taking off the shirt and cleanly diving. Steve already saw his grace and strength at the school swimming pool, and his heart exploded for pleasure.

Billy swam a little, then emerged at Steve’s side, putting a hand near his’ in the edge. Steve held his breath looking him in the eyes, waiting for a move of his hand and wishing for it. He moved towards him but Billy reached out for the beers and grabbed a can, lowering his eyes. He looked at the lights from the city and Steve looked at them too. They were alone, there were only the lights of the pool and the light rustle of the summer breeze between them.

Steve slipped into the pool. Billy stayed lazily leaning on the side, looking at Steve with the corner of his eyes and trying to stay cool, shaking internally. Steve got nearer and Billy was forced to turn in front of him and face him.

Steve looked to his eyes fiercely, and Billy’s eyelids flickered under his glare. Droplets dancing on his arms and chest hair, he was shining and Billy couldn’t simply think of anything else.

Steve took a long breath and reached out to his arm, tracing the shape of his biceps with a finger. He moved a wet curl from Billy’s neck and rubbed the hand on his nape. Billy closed his eyes while he drew near and they felt each other breath.

I wanted to kiss you at the pool party.

They lightly touched their lips, they were salty and chlorine and warm, and Billy hugged Steve hips with a soft moaning, and Steve smiled on his lips.

He caressed his cheek and looked him again into the eyes.

- I knew…- whispered Steve, resting his forehead on Billy’s forehead, in pure bliss.

- What…?- whispered Billy in return.

- I knew that if I kissed you I would never be able to return to Hawkins- smiled Steve.

Billy smiled suddenly, with wet and watery eyes. - Then you’re braver than me- mumbled with a broken voice, cupping Steve’s face and peppering a lot of sweet kiss on his lips.

That night they felt brave enough not to leave each other's arms.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #writing #harringrove #steve harrington #steve x billy #stranger things fanfic

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