#jtktwab

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Just To Keep The World at Bay - Chapter 5

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Relationship: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, First Time, Closeted Character, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Enemies to Lovers, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Neil Hargrove is His Own Warning Summary:

"You shouldn’t speed when it’s this dark out,” He warns, then pauses, scowling at Billy. “You especially, shouldn’t speed, ever.”

“I’m a very good driver, sir.”

“Uh huh, pull the other one,” Hopper frowns. “Don't think I don’t got an eye on you.”

Billy blinks, confused, and that’s the first crack the Chief spots on his mask.

“Yeah, kid. You’ve been on my radar for a while now,” Hopper says. “I'm the one that drove Steve Harrington to the hospital that night.”

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Just to Keep the World at Bay - Chapter 4 (read on ao3)

The silence of the parking lot is less stifling, but the cold hits Billy like a slap in the face. He zones in on the Camaro immediately, and sees that Max isn’t there waiting for him like he told her to. He pulls out his phone to text her (where the hell are you), and feels a hand touch his elbow.

“Hey, uh,” Steve says, stepping in close. His face does this awkward thing, trying to decide between casual and a goofy smile. Steve’s hand slides up Billy’s tricep, and he tries to hide a shiver. “Do you— Are you busy after this?"

Billy takes a quick look around. There’s no one in the parking lot besides them, and no one through the doors that just closed behind them. He steps a little closer to Steve, lets his breath fan over his neck as he speaks.

“Well, Harrington, that depends…”

Steve’s eyes flutter, and Billy hears him breathe in sharply, making satisfaction pool deep in his gut.  

“On what?”

“If any pretty boys have any good suggestions,” Billy grins, tonguing his lips. Steve rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. 

“Have you been to the quarry? No one ever goes over there.”

It feels like being handed over a huge cake on a platter, or a suitcase full of cash. This is Harrington asking him out, of all things. Not on a date, obviously, but to meet him somewhere where they’re gonna be alone. Billy wasn’t expecting much out of detention today, but it certainly seems to be dishing out its rewards.

“Hm, I don’t know, pretty boy…” Billy pretends to think it over. “What’s in it for me?”

Steve hums, like he’s thinking it over. When he speaks, it’s like he’s telling Billy a secret, and his low voice does things to Billy’s body.

“Uh, the view… Nature… We could hang out in my car, you know, it has heated seats.”

“I might go for the view,” Billy says, and Steve shoves at his shoulder.

In the distance, he spots a redheaded blur stomp away from the middle school, making a straight line to the Camaro. He takes a hasty step away from Steve, and curses at Maxine for showing up quick for the first time since he met her. Damn it. 

“Gotta go, princess,” Billy says, already walking away. “See ya.”

(Continue on ao3)

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Just to Keep the World at Bay - Chapter 3 (read on AO3)

(image of the puzzle is at the end of the post)

“We’re supposed to do what?”

Billy can’t have heard right. But Coach Nelson is, in fact, holding a puzzle box in his hands and staring them down, unwavering. 

“Solve a puzzle, Hargrove. Together. Or did you think I’d put the two of you running circles around the court for an hour?” He asks, the sardonic tone of his voice accentuated by a thick, raised eyebrow.

This is not how Billy thought doing detention with Harrington for a week would go. Coach Nelson had tracked Billy down at lunch to let him know he was supposed to meet him and Harrington in his office after school let out, and at three thirty Billy marched himself to the gym hallway, ready to be bored out of his mind for the next hour.

Now Coach's frowning at him like he’s offended Billy thought so low of his creativity for detention activities, but, to be fair, all Billy’s ever done in detention is sit at a desk and do homework. 

Billy glances at Harrington, and finds the same confusion he’s feeling staring back at him. 

“A puzzle?” Harrington asks, brows pulled together. 

Coach sighs. "A puzzle." He shakes the box at them. It has the picture of a bunch of dogs and kittens laying on a blanket and playing with yarn in a wintery background. "The two of you are going to assemble a 500 piece puzzle for an hour over the next four days, working together. I'll keep the unfinished puzzle safe here in between detentions. At the end of the week, you're going to have a nice picture that symbolizes friendship and teamwork that you're going to cherish forever. Understand?"

Well, at least they're not doing trust falls. This sounds exactly like any proactive, millennial team building bullshit Billy's ever heard of, but the fact that they're doing it indoors and don't have to try to walk with their legs tied together makes it a little better. 

"What happens if we don't finish it?" Harrington asks.

Coach gives him a look, "Then you do more detention until you're done. Until you learn to work together," He says, looking down on them like he's imagining they'll break out into a fistfight over puzzle pieces. And given that the last Coach seen of them was Billy punching Harrington, he must think it's within the realm of possibility.

Coach looks from Harrington to Billy slowly, like he’s measuring them. He’s been on the receiving end of these looks during practice often enough, and Coach Nelson has a way of looking at you like he’s staring into the depths of your soul. He’s a good coach, from what Billy’s seen, and an alright guy. He’s a tall, Black man, standing over both Billy and Harrington at six-foot-three, and a solid wall of muscle, dressed in his usual combo of a polo shirt and a dad hoodie. Today, his polo’s beige.

The long suffering look that Coach gives both boys makes him look old.

Anyway, Billy’s not gonna be the one to tell Coach Nelson that he and Steve settled their differences by having sex in the locker room the day before, and Harrington doesn't seem inclined to say anything, either. 

It’s better for them both that everyone in school keeps thinking that they don’t get along that well. Better for Billy to keep Harrington at arm’s length. If it ever gets out that he and Harrington had sex, Billy’s gotta make sure it doesn’t sound like anything more than a joke. 

The less people notice, the less they talk about, the less they wonder why he’s hanging out with Harrington all of the sudden. He’s not sure Harrington can come up with a reason why he’s hanging out with Billy fast enough other than he’s getting his dick sucked.

It’s just smarter to be careful.

(Continue reading on AO3)

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This is the puzzle they're solving! I just picked it out of google images, but I think it's available on amazon. I wanted it to be something silly and cute lol

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I hate to do this (again) but there's no World at Bay chapter this week (again). I'm still sick! This flu has taken me out and it's not going away.

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Sorry I didn’t post last week, BUT Just To Keep The World At Bay will be updated on Tuesday!