Drabble Birthday Ask!

🥺🥺

Billy's cremated. So that his body can't be examined, can't be looked at. So that no one can question how he looks, or why he's got these black veins on his body.

Ashes of him, in a small jar. A whole life, in something quite... well, ordinary.

Max is older now. When Billy had first died, she had conflicting feelings. Thought about those nights where she'd wished for his death. It's been years now. She's older than he was then. The thought is a painful one. Everything is over in Hawkins, but so many had lost their lives. So many would never get to grow old. Just like Billy.

She's free now. Life, well it just moved on. But she never forgot about the ashes. Her mom didn't want them, and Neil hadn't been seen since. She had no idea where Billy's mom was, either. So they ended up with her when she moved out.

Sat up on a mantle, Max couldn't help but look at them everyday. They didn't feel right here. Billy wouldn't want to be some mantelpiece for the rest of his life.

So one day she picks up the vase, and goes out to her car. She's back in California now. She made the trip he always planned too. She made it here.

She'll make sure he does too.

She drives, with him in the passenger seat. Plays music he would've listened to. She hates that she likes it too. That hell, these are his old tapes she's playing on the radio.

She stops the car and gets out, taking him with her. She goes to the water, and carefully pops off the top. She shakes them out, right into the ocean.

He's free now. He's where he'd want to be. He's made it to Cali.

She can almost see him smiling beside her.

She pops the top back on, and now it's just a vase. Just an ordinary vase. The sea has him now, and the sea is anything but ordinary.

He's home.

Not that I don't love Joe Quinn and Eddie but I think Eduardo and Argyle deserve the same hype that they get.

Argyle and Eduardo were an amazing addition to the cast/show and I think they deserve more love and appreciation.

For a few weeks, Claudia thinks that she’s collecting her son from the hospital after he’s visited Max Mayfield.

Then she finds out that’s only partly the truth.

Usually Dustin’s already waiting in the parking lot for her, Steve by his side. They chat, Steve insisting that he could drive Dustin home, it’s no trouble, and Claudia thanks him for the offer, kindly refuses; the poor boy looks run ragged these days.

One day neither of them are there, so she heads inside. There’s still a long line at reception, the aftermath of the earthquake, so she finds a nurse in a corridor, describes Dustin—my boy, about this high, curly hair (smiles like the sun, she wants to add)—and the nurse smiles, says, “Follow me, ma’am.”

She has a passing thought that this isn’t the direction to Max’s room, but reasons that she must’ve been moved. The nurse leaves her at the door before being called away.

Claudia opens the door quietly.

It’s not Max who’s in the bed.

She recognises him from the posters—his eyes first, then his long hair. He’s holding a battered copy of The Hobbit, the spine broken, and he’s reading so softly that she can’t quite make out the words.

And there, lying so peacefully against Eddie Munson’s shoulder, is Dustin. He’s fast asleep.

Eddie’s got an arm around him, and he’s slowly running his fingers through Dustin’s hair the way she used to when he was little, to help him drift off.

He looks up from his book at the sound of her entering the room, and his face goes as white as the bedsheets.

She takes one step forward.

Eddie inhales, breath stuttering, and it’s a fragile, heartbreaking sound.

Dustin stirs. “Hmm? Wha’s wrong?” He lifts his head up from Eddie’s shoulder, and his eyes meet Claudia’s, and he’s suddenly wide awake, scrabbling upright. “Mom.”

Eddie’s mouth keeps moving, like he’s desperately searching for words. “I-I’m not—” His breathing catches again, eyes wide; Claudia realises, with a heavy heart, that he’s deeply afraid of her. “It’s just a stupid board game, I swear.”

“Mom,” Dustin says again. Pleading.

And of course, Claudia never once believed the frenzied cries about Satanic rituals. Still, throughout that awful Spring Break, knowing that her son was lying to her, all she could think was that she was once a teenager, too—remembered how easy it could be to get caught up in something scary, something beyond your control.

She looks into Eddie Munson’s eyes, and knows deep in her bones that she has nothing to fear from him.

She beckons Dustin over, hands him the car keys.

“There’s a pillow on your seat, hon,” she says softly, because there’s a sleepy haze returning to his eyes despite his obvious concern for Eddie.

Dustin blinks, so unsure.

She smiles reassuringly. It’s okay. I promise.

“Okay,” Dustin says slowly, and he looks back at Eddie, raising his eyebrows like he wants to convince him of something. “See you tomorrow, Eddie.”

Eddie nods, but doesn’t speak.

He lifts his hand in a weak wave as Dustin leaves. It’s shaking. Claudia sits down by the bed. Puts her hand in his.

Eddie stares at her.

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “I’m so sorry for what we did to you.”

Eddie shakes his head, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “You didn’t—” He clears his throat. “It wasn’t you.”

Claudia shakes her head, too, slowly—prays that he can really hear this. “No, no, please. Listen to me. I’m so sorry.”

It would be an easy thing to say, that the town of Hawkins wronged Eddie Munson. But that would make it sound so impersonal: like it was inevitable, just one of these tragic things that happened, nothing to be done about it. Like earthquakes.

But that wasn’t true. People were behind this, and Claudia knows that they are all the town, every single one of them. And what did it say about them, that the fear and mistrust and cruelty spread like wildfire? That not one adult in the town hall stood up, begged people to stop, to think again?

“Th-thank you,” Eddie says. It sounds so uncertain, almost like a question.

Claudia squeezes his hand. “You were with Dustin, weren’t you?” she asks. “When the earthquake…”

His hand is shaking again.

“Yes,” he whispers. “I-I’m sorry, I—” He swallows. “I didn’t want a-anything to happen to him.”

“Oh, honey.” She reaches out cautiously, and when he doesn’t freeze up, she cups his cheek; her heart breaks at the rough indent of a scar beneath her palm. “You’re not God.”

Eddie reaches up, pressing her hand further against his cheek. He’s crying.

Claudia wipes his tears away as much as she can. She keeps up a steady murmur: “Shh, shh. I know you kept him as safe as you could. I know, I know. Shh.”

When he starts to calm, she thanks him again, but for something lighter.

“Dusty… he was so nervous, starting high school. But his first day, when I picked him up, all he could talk about was getting invited to have lunch with… well, a club.” Claudia smiles. “Oh, he was talking a mile a minute, I could hardly keep up. But I… oh, Eddie, I understand now. That was you.”

Eddie grins back. His cheeks are still wet.

“I didn’t do much,” he says. “You’ve…” For a moment, his eyes fill up again, but they look like happy tears. “You’ve got some kid, Mrs Henderson. He’s—he’s a real gem.”

She laughs. “Oh, I know.”

It’s one of the many things she loves about Dustin: that he’s always been so unashamedly, so joyously himself.

And Eddie had clearly seen that in him, had taken him in and nurtured everything that made him so.

The door abruptly slams open.

Steve’s in the doorway; he must’ve been running, is still gasping for breath as he says, panicked, “Claudia, I can—”

“Steve,” Eddie says softly, and that’s all.

But it’s clearly enough, because Steve’s shoulders drop in relief, and then he’s shutting the door, coming to Eddie’s bedside like he belongs there, and Eddie’s smiling at him, so tenderly…

And oh, she was young, once. She knows what she’s looking at.

Of course, she doesn’t mention it, can still sense some residual anxiety radiating from them.

Instead she looks around the room, spots a pile of laundry in the corner. It’s been stuffed into a bag; she recognises that as belonging to Steve, but there’s some shirts in there that are definitely Eddie’s, entwined with Steve’s things.

She stands, but before she can even pick up the bag, it seems like Steve’s read her mind, because he’s stepping forward, stopping her with a touch to her forearm.

“Oh, you don’t have to—I’m taking care of it, Claudia.”

She pats his cheek, lingers there until he smiles. “I know, sweetheart. But… would you let me? It’s the least I can do.”

Eddie reaches up from the bed, squeezes Steve’s elbow. Steve sighs, briefly leaning into him.

“Okay,” he says. “That’s… thank you.”

“As long as you do one thing for me.”

“Of course,” Steve says immediately. “Anything.”

Claudia brings out a notepad and pen from her bag. “Write me a list? Anything you’d like, I’ll be shopping anyway.” She looks Steve in the eyes, adds firmly but with a smile, “It’s no trouble.”

Steve takes the notepad, twirls the pen hesitantly.

“Anything you’d like,” Claudia repeats. She glances at Eddie, says, “You know, if you want a different shampoo than what they have here, things like that, or—”

“Oh, uh, it’s okay,” Eddie says quickly. “Whatever’s on sale is—”

“I know, honey,” Claudia says patiently, “but what would you actually like?”

The last extended hospital stay she’d had was fifteen years ago; Dustin had been a preemie, and one of the few things that kept her calm was the familiar: scents, food, people…

Steve chuckles. “I’ve got it.” He writes on the notepad, and Eddie must be able to read it, because he suddenly turns a little pink.

“How did you know that?”

Steve shrugs, smiles. “I notice things.” He writes down just a couple more things, then hands the list back. “Thank you so much, Claudia.”

“Any time, sweetie, I mean it.” She hugs Steve goodbye, then reaches one last time for Eddie’s hand on the bedspread. “It was lovely to meet you, Eddie. Hope you can go home soon.”

“Yeah, me—me too. Thank you, Mrs Hend—” Steve squeezes Eddie’s shoulder, and Eddie stops. Smiles. “Thank you, Claudia.”

She looks back once to shut the door behind her. Steve’s pulling up a chair, as close as he can get, and as the door closes, she hears him tut softly, gently swiping at the remaining trail of tears on Eddie’s face: “Hey, what—?”

They look like they belong together. Dustin’s boys.

Dustin’s asleep in the car, pillow pressed against the window. Claudia puts the bag of laundry in the trunk before quietly slipping into her seat.

Dustin wakes anyway as they drive out of the parking lot. “Eddie… okay?”

“He is, honey. Steve’s with him.”

“Mm… good.” There’s a pause, and Claudia thinks he’s fallen asleep again, but then he says, tentative, “Mom?”

“Yes, Dusty?”

“If I tell you something… d’you promise to keep it private?”

“As long as it’s not hurting anyone.”

“It’s not,” Dustin says firmly. “Um. Steve and Eddie, I think… I think they’re…”

Claudia smiles, nods encouragingly. “Oh, that’s lovely.”

Dustin hums in agreement. “They’ve not told me. Did I… do something wrong?”

“No, baby. You just keep doing what you’re doing.” Claudia feels a lump in her throat. “You’re a good friend.”

Dustin makes an uncertain noise.

“You are, baby. They love you very much, you know that, right?”

“Yeah.” Dustin sighs. “I know.” His eyes are closing.

“Sorry, baby, just before you sleep—are there any candies Steve and Eddie like?”

Dustin nods. “Eddie likes anything sweet. An’ Steve…” He yawns. “Anything w’peanut butter.”

“Great. Thank you, honey.”

Dustin’s already asleep.

Claudia knows that even with what she’s learned today, she still only has half a story, if that. That there’s something more to Dustin’s exhaustion, to just how Eddie ended up in a hospital bed.

Today, she’ll do all she can. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. Laundry and shopping, reading the brand of shampoo Steve wrote with a careful eye. She’ll fill her cart up with treats, things that won’t solve anything; they might make staying in that hospital room just a little easier, though. Make it feel a little warmer, a little more like home.

But first, she’ll take her boy home; she’ll park the car as close to the front door as she can get, and when he doesn’t stir, she’ll run a hand through his hair, gently put him to bed.

all i want is a stranger things reboot where everything is exactly the same except david harbour plays eleven and hopper, joe keery wears his djo wig at all times, joe quinn switches his american & british accents between scenes and nobody acknowledges it and every time someone says something dumb gaten looks straight at the camera in complete silence like he's on the office. is this too much to ask for?

Highway to Hell

Just another fun little story based on a random sentence song title that came to mind. I hope you guys like it and please leave a comment below!

~*~*~*~

Steve was a really bad driver. He knew it, his high school friends knew it, and the police knew it. He didn’t mean it in a technical way, he was perfectly capable of driving a car and not crashing it. Admittedly, he was reckless and he found driving laws to be more of a suggestion than a rule. Steve had his reasons though. 

There was very little to do in Hawkins for any sort of entertainment. One could only go to the arcade or go swimming at the lake so many times before it became boring just like everything else in the town. When the excitement surrounding fun activities wore out, Steve turned to racing down empty country roads and skidding down the highway to feel a thrill. 

And he liked it. The feeling of the wind tearing through the open windows, the exhilaration at the threat of danger, and the delight that came with gaslighting the cops that pulled him over. There was nothing better. 

All of that changed when the kids started hanging around though. Steve couldn’t race down the 25 mph roads at 70. He had to slow down and protect his precious cargo. As such, the only people that didn’t realize he was a notoriously bad driver were the kids and Robin. They considered him the safest driver they’d ever been around. He followed the speed limit to a T, didn’t have road rage like their parents, and always stopped at stop signs. What more could they ask for?

It lasted for a while, his good driving habits, enough that Hopper, Powell, and Callahan all took a sigh of relief. Not having to worry about Steve Harrington doing his darndest to wrap himself around a tree allowed them to let their guard down. Granted, it coincided with strange happenings, disappearances, and murders, but still, it was one less thing on their plate.  

When he started hanging out with Eddie after the events of Spring Break, Steve relaxed a little bit. He didn’t have to be so stringent with his driving and could start letting loose again. So he did. Whenever he was alone or driving somewhere with Eddie, he’d speed like a bat out of hell, ignore the recommended stop signs, take turns too fast, everything he shouldn’t do. 

Hopper was the one who pulled him over first after he illegally passed the police cruiser going 60 mph in a 45. 

“Harrington, what the hell? I thought you were done with this shit,” Hopper grumbled. His face was exasperated which made sense since his pseudo-son was being a little shit again. 

Steve just sent him a chagrined smile, “I’m sorry Hop, I didn’t mean to speed. I’m rushing Eddie back to the trailer because he’s feeling sick and I don’t want him throwing up in my car. I love the guy but not enough to deal with vomit, you know?”

Hopper just shook his head at him and waved him off. “Next time I catch you speeding, you’re getting a ticket. Go the speed limit, Steve.”

“Of course you won’t catch me again, Hop! I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow. Bye!” He called as Hopper walked back to the cruiser. He looked at Eddie in the passenger seat to face a deranged glare. “What’s up with you?”

“Me?!” Eddie shrieked. “You’re the one speeding like you have a death wish then blaming it on me to my future father-in-law! You’re not winning me any points here, Steve!”

“Wow hey, Hop likes you just fine. Also, future father-in-law? Let’s go back to that, as far as I know, you haven’t even proposed!”

“Gay marriage is illegal! Otherwise I would’ve-”

~*~*~*~

The next time they got pulled over, Steve blew through a stop sign. That one, admittedly, was his fault. He’d been too distracted with Eddie’s hand rubbing his thigh that he’d driven right through it. Luckily though, it was late and no one was out and about. Besides the police cruiser that was parked out of sight in the dark. 

As soon as Powell saw it was him, he told him to keep his eyes on the road and walked back to his car. He’d dealt a lot with Steve Harrington and he wasn’t willing to put up with the headache at 2 AM on a Tuesday. He’d get him next time, he was sure. 

~*~*~*~

Steve had a tactic for dealing with Callahan. His big brother could be a bit of a dumbass and as long as you muddied the situation enough, he would drop the lecture and ticket out of confused rage alone. It had worked with him every single time thus far and it wouldn’t fail him now. 

So, when he and Eddie got pulled over for speeding down an empty country road, Steve mustered up his bitchiest face. As soon as Phil walked up to the window, he started his act. 

“Phil, what the hell? Why are you pulling me over? I’m just trying to get home after a long day.”

“You were going 30 mph over the speed limit which is considered reckless driving. I should write you a ticket right now,” Callahan spoke with an air of cocky arrogance that was sure to fade. 

“Who says I was speeding? You were the one that had to speed to catch up to me. Why were you driving so quickly? Some might say that’s reckless.” The smile dropped off of Phil’s face immediately and he became defensive. 

“I’m a police officer, I’m allowed to speed.”

“Ohhh, so you think you’re above the law because you have a badge?” Steve raised an eyebrow and could only watch in delight as Phil’s face became more and more red.

“That’s not what I sai-”

“That’s awful, Phil. What would mom say right now? Or worse, what would Hopper say about his deputy mistreating the badge?”

Phil just looked at him in shock before he blinked. “How the hell do you do this every time? Do you know how many times you’ve tried to trick me when I’ve pulled you over?”

“Phil, that doesn’t sound like me at all. Why are you really pulling me over today? Are you trying to pull the annoying big brother card? Is this a prank?”

“You know it's not a prank, you were speeding!” He yelled at him.

“You were speeding!” Steve screamed back, pointing a finger at him accusingly. 

“Jesus Christ, just go home and stop fucking speeding! Fuck Steve, every time!” Phil screamed in fury before stomping back to his cruiser. 

Steve merely rolled up the window and turned his head to look at Eddie. He was once again shocked with his mouth gaping open. 

“Oh yeah, did I tell you that Phil’s my brother? Small world, huh?”

~*~*~*~

Of course no one in the Party believed Eddie when he told them that Steve drove like a maniac on crack. Every single person he told just shrugged it off and it was driving him insane. He even tried to convince Hopper to talk to the kids but he refused to get in the middle or risk fighting with his kid. 

To this day, the Party still doesn’t believe Eddie when he says that Steve is a reckless driver (and it’s infuriating because Steve smirks arrogantly anytime it comes up).

Bonus: Eddie knows Steve before the Upside Down because he almost hit him with his car when Eddie was walking home one day (Steve gave him a ride after but the damage was done)

That’s how he knew he could handle driving the RV and why he decided to throw him the reins. 

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hii! i'd like to request a steve x fem!reader fix please :> so it's a soulmate au fic and i've seen an idea about the first sentence they're going to say to you is written on you. maybe it will turn into gold when it's said to you with a tingling feeling so you know he's your soulmate. and as steve works at family video, for reader, it's a spoiler of a movie line about a character dying maybe, but she doesn't know that, so she says that that's what the death or dying part in her line said. so like a meet cute maybe thank youu <33

This is such a cute concept! I hope you liked it! This is the second time attempting to post this so hopefully it works this time

Requests are open

Word count: 600

When a person turns ten years old, the first words their soulmate will ever say to them appears on their wrist. Once those words are said, they turn gold. Some people say they got a tingling feeling shoot up their arm, others say they feel a warm feeling settles deep in their chest. But everyone always says they feel a massive amount of relief when they find their person.

Though some people never find their person and are destined to be alone. And that’s what Y/N thought for herself. She never thought she would find her person. Until one hot day in Family Video

~*~

Y/N walked into Family Video, sighing in relief to be out of the blistering head. July in Hawkins was like walking on the face of the sun. In short, it was hell. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Y/N walked further into the fantasy section, hearing a girl yell out,

“Welcome to Family Video. Let us know if we can help in any way.” Y/N continued on her way, picking up movies every now and then to read the description, only to put them back down. She wanted to find the perfect movie she can watch over and over so she doesn’t have to leave the comfort of her A/C-cooled apartment until this heat wave passes Hawkins, which wouldn’t be for another week. So Y/N was on a mission to find the best movie this store had to offer.

Across the store, Steve and Robin stood behind the checkout counter, each fiddling with their own fan, Steve out of anxiety, Robin out of boredom.

“I’m telling you, Rob, I’m destined to be alone for all my miserable life!” Steve said to his platonic soulmate. Steve thunked his head down onto the counter, Robin wincing at the force of the smack, running her hand through Steve’s hair.

“And this is why you’re a dingus. You’re only twenty years old, Steve. You have plenty of time to find her.” Robin replies, sighing again when Steve grunts. “Well, I’m going on break, help this customer out please.” Robin says, walking to the back.

Y/N walks up to the counter, setting her movies down and smiling up at Steve. He gives her a smile back, looking at what movies she picked out.

“Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.” Steve says, smiling at the tapes in front of him.

“W-what?” Y/N asks, a tingle shooting up her arm. Steve’s smile falters, looking back up from the counter.

“It’s from the movie.” Is all Steve replies with. He gets a warm feeling settling in his chest, prompting him to look down at his soulmate words, seeing them glowing gold, a slight glow lighting up his face. “It’s you! You’re my soulmate!” Steve exclaimed happily. Y/N’s smile widened, flinging her arms around Steve, and pulling him into a hug.

“I never thought I would find you. I’m so happy I finally found you!” Y/N cried, burying her face in Steve’s neck. Steve let out a joyful laugh, pressing a kiss to the crown of Y/N’s head.

“Hang on, wait right here. I’m going to see if Robin will cover the rest of my shift so I can stay with you. Get to know each other.” Steve smiled, letting go of Y/N to go find Robin and tell her the news.

Y/N thought she would be leaving Family Video with only a few movies, not with her soulmate.

Funny how life works somehow…

Happy Birthday Chris

Fearless

steve harrington x fem!reader

inspired by "Fearless" by Taylor Swift

word count: [5.9k] proof-read (i tried!!!)

warnings: no use of y/n, mutual pining, a lot of fluff, basically this whole thing is FLUFF GALORE!!!!!, mentions of awkward first kisses.

summary: you and steve have known each other for a little while--both playing babysitting to the kids. steve makes the first move and asks you out on a date that takes a stormy turn. despite this you and steve make the most out of your date and it leads to sparks flying and a fearless first kiss.

God, you shouldn’t be feeling this nervous. After all, Steve was the one who asked you out on a date. He made the first move, and all you had to do was make sure to be there and not get distracted by his charm and good looks—Jesus, you were already beginning to drift off into Space Harrington.

“Honey, you look beautiful, as always.” Your mother leaned up against your doorframe, bringing you back to reality as you turned to her and gave her a sincere smile.

“You don’t think it’s too much?” you asked suspectedly, looking down at your little black dress and short platform heels. It had just rained a few hours ago, and it had only begun to clear up. You had been debating on this outfit or tossing on a sweater and some shorts—but this would be a pleasant change from your usual attire.

Your mom sang, letting herself into your room and looking through the blinds to see the pavement still drenched in rain water, but the sky clearing up in this early afternoon, “I think you’ll be fine sweetie, seems to be getting a bit sunny.”

You nodded, walking over to your vanity, put on a few accessories while your mother sat on the end of your bed. Giving you encouraging looks and sweet compliments that eased your nerves a bit. She knew of Steve, given the fact that he would drop off the kids at your place when he needed to take an extra shift at Scoops on late notice.

It became a recurring theme in your short friendship that began this summer—but with fall and a new school year on the way, you and Steve’s little drop offs lessened. You’d miss each other, even when your interactions and conversations were short, you both longed for more time to get to know one another, and surprisingly enough Steve had asked you out on a date last weekend when you stopped by Scoops to pick up a tub of ice cream for you and the kids.

You clasped on your little necklace before hearing a few knocks on your front door, “be back at a decent time, please.” your mom smiled at you through the reflection of the mirror.

Nodding your head, you gave her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek as she watched you pick up a small purse and rush your way down the stairs. You took a deep breath, internally preparing yourself before you slowly opened it up.

There he stood.

Striped polo, blue jeans with his signature brown belt, his red Nike Cortez’s, and a bouquet of red roses in his hands.

“H-hey,” he sputtered, letting out an awkward greeting, too enraptured by your getup, only snapping out of his stupor when you finally spoke.

“Hey yourself, Steve. You look nice!”

He shook his head, finally pressing the flowers towards you, “Got these for you…you look beautiful by the way, I mean you always do, but wow…I just—sorry, if I’m being weird.”

You giggled with your teeth trapping your bottom lip, taking the flowers from his hands and giving them a whiff, “I’ll put these in a vase when I get back home.”

He nodded, watching as you placed them on the small counter at your front door before you stepped out with him.

“Weather has been all over the place today huh?” He came up with, resting a warm hand on the small of your back as he guiding your to his car.

You wanted to snort at how silly it was that he was talking to you about the weather, of all things, when there was so much that you two wanted to say to each other. Maybe he was nervous, and you were just doing a better job at concealing your own inner anxiety.

“Yeah, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to wear this since it might come down again…hopefully it doesn’t.” You smiled up at him, his fingers wrapping around the door handle, letting you in as he nodded politely.

The quiet buzz of his car engine that was still running and music coming from the stereo system filled your ears for the quick seconds of silence before your favorite voice echoed.

“I’ve got a jacket somewhere back there if it ends up storming again,” he assured you, hands resting on the top of the door until you buckled yourself in.

“Thanks, Steve.”

You turned your head towards the backseat, as you waited for Steve to get into the drivers’. Your eyes catching a small picnic basket, along with other junk that cluttered his backseat before—

“Hey! No peeking missus,”

Your eyes were back to the front, trying to keep a guilty look on your face, but you couldn’t help but let out a laugh especially when Steve had his arms across his chest like a father.

Your chest never stopped churning with laughter, body bending over to clutch your tummy, “I’m sorry, you just look like a father when you do that.”

He chortled, shaking his head as he started up the car and began the drive to your surprise date that he had planned all by himself…ok maybe he received a little advice from Dustin and Lucas about the fall hotspots that girls love.

“The kids really miss you, y’know?” Steve looked over at you as you smiled, resting a hand over your heart.

“Haven’t seen them in over a week. I’ve just been so busy and they’re growing up and don’t want me meddling in their business anymore,” you half joked.

Steve scrunched his brow is disagreement, shaking his head, “Don’t be ridiculous, the kids love you…they’re just, you know…exploring the boundaries of—”

Your hand shot up, holding it in front of him to stop, “Ew! Please, let’s not discuss the sex lives of the children we’ve been babysitting for the last year.”

“I’m just being honest…jesus I hope they got the talk because I am way too young to—”

“Steven!”

“I’m kidding! I’m joking!”

The laughter that filled the car slowly died, but never did the feeling of warmth and affection. The two of you rarely had anytime to spend together alone, so this was definitely a little different and nerve-racking, but he never failed to make you feel comfortable and today was no different.

Your body shifted towards your left, feeling inclined to want to be close to him, despite sitting beside each other already, “So where are we headed?”

“It’s a surprise dingus,” He experimented a bit, taking his right hand off the wheel to gently probe at your side, insuring a giggle that meant you didn’t mind and he liked that.

He brought both hands back to the wheel and glanced back over at you, “I’ll give you a hint. It’s some place really pretty.”

You scoffed jokingly before responding, “Geez, guess that leaves our options limited in this small town.”

“Hey! Are you doubting my picking a date skills?”

You shook your head, smiling a bit, “Of course not, you’re Steve Harrington for godsake. I bet you know allllll the hot spots around here.”

He rolled his eyes playfully, “Yea, alright, whatever you say.”

Then he did that goddamn thing.

Running his fingers through his hair. It was such a simple action, but it always made you weak in the knees. How the strands of his dark brown hair seemed to flow perfectly through his digits and fall back into place with ease. Jesus, you just wanted to pounce on him and coat him with kisses, but instead you had to play it cool.

“Stop staring at me to distract me!”

Your eyes blinked wildly, and your bottom lip that mindlessly got caught between your teeth was released as you shook your head, pretending to not be affected by him.

“I am not staring!”

“Oh yes, you were!” He argued with an amused look on his face that let you know you had to be caught.

“You must be hallucinating, Steven.” You waved him off as he laughed lightly, making an incoherent comment about how it was more than ok, how he liked it when you stared, anyway.

The rest of the drive was filled with small talk and laughter. It felt easy. Just the way you liked it.

Soon you felt the car stop and watched Steve place his car in park.

“We—we’re at a hill?” You asked questionably, lifting your brows as you peered between Steve and the surrounding setting.

Steve turned his head towards you, smiling as he nodded his head confidently, “Yup…just trust me, ok?”

“I do.”

You didn’t hesitate to trust him at all, and when he heard those two sweet words slip from your mouth, he could feel his heart swarm warmly.

He held one of his palms out, gesturing for you to wait in your seat. And so you did. He got out of the driver’s seat, quickly opening the back door to grab some stuff, then jogging over to the passenger. Opening your door and holding his hand out graciously as you took it with ease.

The wet rain drops sprinkled over your ankles and feet slightly as you two walked through the dewy grass and up the hill until you reached the small flat area that was decorated with a red and white picnic blanket and more flowers that were picked and scatters on the fabric.

You gasped, dropping his hand as yours covered your mouth in surprise. Stepping closer to get a better view of the setup. He had gone all out of the way to plan this, and you knew that the kids must have helped somehow.

“Do you like it?” Steve’s voice was a bit nervous, and you could sense it in his worrying tone.

You turned your head back to him and nodded obviously, “Steve, are you kidding me? This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Yes!” is what Steve wanted to say, but instead, kept the celebration in his head while he smiled, taking a few steps to get closer to you. Wrapping his free hand around your shoulders to give you a warm hug.

“Here sit.” He said, pulling away and gesturing you to sit. The material beneath you, thick enough to not feel the wetness of the rain from an hour ago, but the air still lingering with a breeze that was nice.

Steve set down the picnic basket, pulling out a variety of finger foods and drinks, explaining each of them.

“I packed us some sandwiches; one has turkey, the other ham. I also picked up one of those small veggie platters from the grocery store, along with some chips. I think Dustin said that you liked Doritos and Lays, so I just got both. Oh! And then yesterday when I dropped off Lucas, his mom gave me a bag of fruits, so last night I just chopped them up and put them in tupperwares so that we could enjoy them today. If you don’t like any of these, then we can totally go to the store or somewhere else to get some—”

“Steve, it’s perfect. Everything is perfect.”

Thank god you cut his rambling off short because it seemed that he was running out of breath from talking so fast just like Robin did when she was nervous. Nevertheless, it was cute. He had put a ton of thought and consideration in this date, making sure he got you everything you liked.

“Y-yeah?” His voice cracked a bit as you giggled and nodded, reaching over to run your thumb over his fingers that rested on his knee.

“A hundred percent certain.” You guaranteed him, leaning over to peck his cheek, ignoring the worries in your head and becoming completely courageous with him.

He eased feeling the touch of your lips on his skin, even if it was only for a few seconds. He would savor that feeling and never forget it. Wrapping that moment in time up and storing it in his mind to reply over and over again.

“Let’s dig in, shall we?”

You opted for the turkey sandwich, but occasionally stealing bites of Steve’s, which he found was adorable. He didn’t mind sharing. In fact, anything that was his, he would share with you, no questions asked.

“You’re a child!” Steve snickered out with a full mouth as he watched you remove the small bits of crust that were left on your sandwich that you were almost done with.

You took the piece and chucked it at him, hitting his nose before it plopped down onto his lap, “The crust is like the worst part of a sandwich!”

“That’s something a child would say.” Steve rebutted as you rolled your eyes with no real malice behind them.

He dusted his fingers off, watching as you enjoyed your last bits of crust-free-turkey-and-swiss. He felt a sense of pride knowing you had been indulging in a lunch he made all by himself. He would have to make it for you again if you liked it this much.

Steve reached over back into the picnic basket, “I actually have another surprise.”

You began giddily clasping your hands together as he pulled out the stocky piece of the latest tech, “Holy shit! This brand new?”

He smiled as you looked at him, silently asking if you could hold it, and so he handed it to you, watching you inspect the device before checking the film slot.

“I just put a new pack in. We can take some pictures if you want?”

You nodded eagerly, peeping through the viewfinder as Steve adjusted his posture and ran a rough hand through his hair that made your heart burn and cheeks blush. You hoped that Steve couldn’t see you ogling like a school girl behind the thing or else you’d never hear the end of it.

“Cheese!” you exclaimed as he flashed you his pearly whites and the flash went off, his eyes squinting for a second before adjusting back to the normal light.

Your fingers deliberately pulled the photo out from the slot, walking on your knees towards him, leaning over as you shook the film and watched it slowly develop.

“This is so fascinating.” You murmured, eyes trained on the photo while his were stuck on your face, compelled at the way you scrunched your forehead together so that it creased as a small bit of your tongue snuck out of your mouth while you waited with anticipation.

Finally, after a few more seconds, your face lit up with an amazed grin, glancing over at Steve, who did his best to act like he too was watching the photo develop, “HA! How cool is that!”

“It’s neat, isn’t it?” Steve replied, taking the photo from you as he looked at all the details that this photo was able to capture.

You leaned against him, hovering to keep looking at the photo, “I always wanted one of these things, might need to get one this weekend.”

He turned to you, letting the photo fall carelessly onto the picnic blanket, as he placed a warm hand on your hip, “I could drive you if you want?”

“You’d do that?” You asked comically, as if Steve wouldn’t drop everything and do whatever it was that you wanted on a Saturday, even if he had made plans beforehand.

Steve nodded, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb, “course I would…now we gotta take some photos of you!”

You smirked, watching him take the camera from your hands before he stood up, walking a bit backwards as you stayed in place, standing on your knees.

“Do I look ok?” you somewhat raised your brow while you combed your fingers through your hair, attempting to get it nicely messy.

He peeped watching you through the camera lense, bopping his head, “The prettiest girl in Hawkins.”

“Steveeeee stoppppp.” You dragged out the words, an evident rose tint peeking through your blushed cheeks as he purred.

“It’s true! Now smile!”

You closed your eyes on habit, but still your smile splayed across your face as you heard the click, “You closed your eyes!”

“I know! I know! I’m sorry!” You threw your head back as he laughed, shaking his head freely.

“S’ok we can take more…c’mon give me another smile,” You nodded, changing your pose a bit before he spoke again, “Eyes open this time.”

You giggled at his certain tone, keeping your eyes open just like he asked as he counted down from three, fingers pressing the button and the flash left as quickly as it came.

“Wow, sooooo pretty.” Steve said, while he walked back over to you, showing you the picture that was still developing as you scoffed, pushing his hands away.

“You can’t even see how it turned out yet.” You crossed your arms across your chest, watching as he shrugged his shoulder.

“I don’t need to see how the picture turned out to say you’re pretty…you’re right here next to me, the prettiest girl in Hawkins.”

The warm feeling burned in your stomach, as did your cheeks. He knew how to make you feel smitten and usually you’d be embarrassed by the compliments, but it was nice, especially coming from him.

“How lucky am I that I get to be in the presence of the prettiest boy in Hawkins?”

What overcame you to give you such confidence to compliment him back? You don’t know what it was. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was just genuine courage. Whatever it was, you wanted more of it.

Steve just smiled, as wide as the one placed on your face as he lifted the camera, not bothering to look through the lense as he snapped another photo of you.

“Steve!” You giggled, reaching over to try to wrestle the camera out of his hands to take your own candid of him.

It only ended up becoming a tickle match as he poked your sides, with the camera long forgotten on the picnic blanket below you two. His fingertips chased your sides and the crease of your neck, while you wiggled beneath him in a poor attempt to get away from his tickles that never stopped. The uncontrollable laughter and shrieks in the crisp air, until you felt a wet splat on your nose.

“uh oh,” you and Steve both whispered, as he stopped his movements. The droplets becoming bigger and hitting the two of you now as the rain danced on Steve’s shirt covered back and against your bare thighs.

Yet the laughter only seemed to get boisterous with you wiggling your way out from underneath Steve as he took your hand and pulled you up with him. His freehand practically bound the blanket around everything, creating a sack that would be easier to carry.

“Let’s make a run for it!” He screeched, giving your hand a squeeze as he led the way down.

The rain came down quicker with each step that almost became a tumble down the hill a few times. He quickly opened the doors to his car, throwing in the blanket full of stuff into the backseat and reaching in for the spare jacket he had in there.

“Here, take this.” Steve flared open the material, draping it over your head and shoulders as he opened the passenger door for you, quickly getting you settled.

He shut the door and raced over to his side of the car. His arm barricading his head from the big droplets of rain that splashed against his skin before he was able to get into cover.

Your skin was dewy from the water. Thankfully, his jacket was thick enough to salvage your hair and makeup. You smiled up at him once he got into his seat. Pulling the jacket away from your head and patting it against your arms and legs where dewdrops spread.

He was chuckling to himself, flipping his visor down to get a look at his rain-soaked face. A few teeny drops floating on his eyelashes and eyebrows, and his hair was now soaked. Yet somehow it still looked perfect, falling into place with a strand curling into his forehead, laying there flawlessly.

You giggled, sitting up on your knees as you leaned forward, “Steve, let me help,” the jacket sleeve now brushed against his cheeks and eyes as the cotton collected the water.

Steve looked up at you, surprised by the touch. He watched you, lip caught between your teeth as you moved the fabric towards his hair, attempting to ring out the excess water as gently as possible without tugging on his roots.

“Better?” You proposed, finally releasing your lip from between your teeth as you looked down at him.

He smiled widely, nodding his head as he felt you fall away back into your seat where you wrapped his jacket around you tighter, creating warmth to your skin.

“Shit, here,” He hurriedly lurched forward, messing with the knobs and buttons on dash until the heater light came on, and warm air erupted from the vents, immediately making you feel a lot less cold.

You closed your eyes, appreciating the kindness of the boy beside you, before you peeked one eye open and looked at him, “Thank you, Steve.”

“No problem,” He replied, reaching over to rub your arm back and forth, gently producing more warmth under his jacket and beneath your skin.

Honestly, you were hoping that Steve couldn’t feel you shaking right now. Not because of the damn weather, but with how close he was to you. It was no different from earlier when you two were practically tickling the lives out of one another, but this was so sweet—too sweet, almost.

It was as if Steve was ticking off all the boxes for your first date expectations. First the flowers. Then the opening of the car door. Next, the whole surprise date setup. On top of that was his tooth rotting compliments. Then giving you his jacket and now doing everything he can to make you feel comfortable.

This doofus was your dream man.

You finally had it in yourself to open your eyes, watching the water slide down the windowpane with the gloom of the town settling in darker, “I don’t want today to end, just yet.”

He hummed, nodding his head in agreement, running his hand up your arm then over your jaw where it rested and gently turned your face to his, “Me neither.”

His eyes were boring into yours, and it was taking every ounce of your control not to squeal like a madwoman with the way he was delicately looking into you and how his voice was so soft.

Steve continued, brushing his thumb over your cheek slowly, “We can just drive around and talk? Does that sound ok?”

“It sounds perfect.” You smiled back, feeling grateful for Steve’s spontaneity.

The drive was hushed at first, but not the troublesome kind. Just not bothering to fill the space with words until you both were ready to. And when the both of you did begin talking about the most randomest things, you found yourself laughing more than you had in a while—your heart swelling with joy.

His camera had found its way back into your hands, and now as the conversation went on, you couldn’t help but to snap photos of Steve mid-laugh or when he’d glace over at you from the road. You just wished that the damn thing had a video record option so that you could capture the moment and replay it over and over again.

Steve continued driving, the rain tapping softly on the windshield as he shared stories about his high school days.

“I remember one time, Tommy and I snuck into the school after hours and rearranged all the desks in the classrooms,” Steve said, grinning at the memory.

You laughed, shaking your head at his antics that were probably still somewhere in him, “You were quite the troublemaker, huh?”

Steve shrugged. “I had my moments. What about you? Did you ever get into any trouble?”

You shook your head. “No, I was always a bit of a goody two-shoes. The worst thing I ever did was get caught kissing a boy by my mom.”

Steve’s eyes widened, reaching a red light and turning to you. “Your mom was mad? How old were you?”

“Like fifteen. I was a freshman, and I had a major crush on the guy! I was getting picked up after school and my mom just had to pull up at that moment.”

You and Steve both shared a good laugh. Him trying to picture what freshman year you looked like and how horrified your mother must have looked like in the car. You knew exactly what she looked like, mouth wide open with her eyes just as big, before she rolled down the window and yelled at you to get in.

You never spoke to that boy ever again, and it was now a memory that you and your mom looked back on and laughed it today.

By now, the laughing slowly died, and the light turned green, ushering Steve to continue on the streets taking random turns until he ran out of road.

“So, what was your first kiss like?” Steve suggested, glancing over at you.

You laughed nervously, cringing at the memory of the actual kiss itself.

“It was...boring, to be honest. I was nervous and excited, but when it finally happened, there was no spark. It was just...bleh.”

Steve chuckled, tapping his fingers on the wheel, thinking about his first kiss back in eighth grade, “Yeah, I get that. My first kiss was okay, but it was kind of gross at first. The girl added tongue, and I wasn’t expecting it.”

You cringed, thankful your first kiss didn’t add tongue, but it was wet and awkward, “That does sound gross.”

“It wasn’t great,” Steve admitted. “But it got better after a few seconds.”

You cackled, throwing your head back against the leather rest. “Well, at least it got better.”

They drove in silence for a few moments; the rain continuing to tap on the windshield.

“You know, I’ve always been waiting for that spark,” you said, voice thoughtful. “Like in the movies, you know? That electric moment when you kiss someone and it’s like fireworks go off. But I’ve never had that.”

Steve nodded, thinking back to all his kisses and never really feeling that feeling with any girl he had ever been with. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve had some good kisses, but I’ve never felt that spark either.”

You shook it out of your thoughts, not wanting to even get your hopes up about kissing Steve on your first date. It probably wouldn’t happen and even if it did, you were so incredibly nervous that you wouldn’t be good at it. Sure, you had boyfriends and kisses here and there, but they weren’t the best.

Kissing was intimate, and you wanted to do good, especially if it was going to be with Steve Harrington.

Your mind was racing.

What if Steve wanted you to kiss him? What if Steve wanted to kiss you? Was he going to initiate it? Which way were you going to need to tilt your head? Should you add tongue? What if you get lipstick on his lips? Was your lips too dry?

God, your fears were echoing in your head.

“Have you ever danced in the rain?”

The question blurted out of your mouth before you could even think if it was a question worth asking. You just wanted to get those stupid thoughts out of your mind and before you knew it, here you were spurting out if Steve Harrington ever danced in a goddamn storm.

Steve thought for a moment. “Probably when I was a kid,” he said, shrugging, looking over at you, “Why do you ask?”

“I—I never have,” you admitted. “In the movies they always do it…I’ve never had the chance.”

Steve grinned, changing lanes before speaking, “Why don’t we change that?”

You watched as he turned off the main street and into an empty parking lot. All stalls were empty, and he freely parked in the middle of the lot not caring if he was in the lines or not.

You looked at him, surprised, leaning forward. “What are you doing?”

“Come on,” Steve smiled, twisting the key out of the ignition and opening his door.

You looked out the window at the pouring rain, feeling a little nervous about suggesting this, but as Steve appeared at your side to lead you out of the car, you felt a surge of excitement flowing through your veins, “Dance with me?”

Feeling the cold raindrops hit your skin. You twirled around, feeling giddy with excitement, while Steve watched with a soft smile on his lips. The rain drenching both of you from head to toe didn’t matter as you both laughed, hopping around the pavement with your arms wide open.

And then, without warning, he took your hand and pulled you close to him. Steve's hands on twisting around your waist, and instinctively your arms around his neck. You both started to sway back and forth to the rhythm of the rain, feet splashing on the ground, giggling at the absurdity of it all.

As you and Steve danced, the rain wasn’t the only that washed over you, but also a sense of joy and freedom. It was like nothing else in the world mattered except for this moment, this dance in the rain with the person you felt everything for.

As the minutes passed with your relentless dancing, the rain began to ease up little by little—dissipating into a light drizzle.

Your movements got slower and steadier, just moving back and forth in each other arms before you rested your cheek on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

“Thanks for this,” you whispered, feeling a little shy, but it quickly passing his arms squeezed your tighter, his chin resting on your head.

“Anytime,” Steve replied, his voice soft. “I had a great time dancing in the storm with you.”

Your breath hitched, hearing his words flow out of his mouth, knowing he was content here with you even if you both were soaked through your clothing and probably would end up with a cold by the night.

Slowly, your face left his chest, and his chin retracted from your head.

You swallowed thickly, closing your eyes, just about ready to go for it. Even Steve had closed his eyes, slotting his head to the side leaning forward, only a few more milliliters separating your lips.

You could feel his breath fanning over your skin as you moved closer. Your heart was beating out of chest, the thoughts in your mind slowly echoing again. You tried to ignore it—just go for it.

And you were so close, but the sudden crack in the sky, rumbled loudly out of nowhere causing you to move back, started.

Steve immediately grabbed your hand, leading you back to the car. “Let’s get out of here,” he declared, opening the door for you.

You felt a more than embarrassed, stuffing your face in your hands when he shut your door and jogged over to his side. You could hear him open the door and shut it, moving around in his seat to get comfy before letting out a grunt seeing your state.

He placed a warm hand on your shoulder, causing you to peek at him through your fingers before pulling them away from your face entirely.

“I’m sorry,” you said, looking down at your feet. “I—I got carried away.”

Steve repeated the action that had you melting earlier in the day. His hand coddling your jaw making you look up at him. “Don’t be sorry,” he said, smiling reassuringly. “I wanted to kiss you, too. But safety first.”

A rush of affection filled you.

He wanted to kiss you.

Steve Harrington wanted to fucking kiss you.

His hand dropped from your cheek and instead intertwined with your hands as he clicked on his seatbelt and kissed the back of your hand before he began driving. The rain was still echoing in your ears, but only lightly as the clouds ironed out and a twinge of golden hour peeked through the gloom.

Steve turned into your neighborhood after a short while, the two of you laughing as he got lost down random back roads after taking a bunch of random turns, but nevertheless he found his way.

He parked the car, sadly loosening your hands as he got out to get you. He led you to the back of his trunk, grabbing a few spare pieces of clothing to dry off with. He passed you a graphic tee, allowing you to ring out the water from your hair, and he did the same with a pair of shorts.

You finished first, leaning up against his car, and watching him with a smile on your face as he wipe the fabric up and down his arms, “Thanks again for today.”

He looked up, tossing the pieces back into the trunk and shutting it closed, “It was my pleasure, doll.”

Again, he reached for your hand, clasping it together as he walked you to your front door, a glow of the sun shimmering off your skin, glittering your eyes in the rays as he stared at you in awe.

He couldn’t even fantom the fact that he was able to score a date with the prettiest girl in Hawkins, let alone had the chance to get this close to you. For once he was thankful that through those little twerps he babysat that he was able to meet you.

“I had a great today with you…” He took your other hand, in his, squeezing both of them as he continued, “I uh—do you wanna do it again sometime? In a few days or whenever you’re free?”

Your heart skipped a beat knowing you and Steve would be seeing each other soon, “I’d love that.”

Today was a fairytale even if the weather may have changed your plans, but every raindrop was worth it if it meant you being here with Steve and another date already set for the upcoming days.

You couldn’t let this day end without showing him how you felt. Feeling a sense of boldness and knowing Steve felt the same, you undid your hands from his, wrapping it around his neck.

Before he could say anything, you leaned in and pressed your lips against his, feeling a rush of electricity shoot through your body.

Steve was taken aback for a moment, but then he melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him.

The spark of electricity flowed between the both of you the second your lips touched. The kiss was full of passion and emotion—like you could just lose yourself in Steve and he felt a sense of joy and wonder, as if a whole new world had just opened up to him.

You both stayed like that for a few moments, lips locked in a tender embrace, before pulling away slowly.

Steve smiled at you, his eyes sparkling with affection a contrast to his low and husky voice, “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

Today had been everything you both had ever wanted, and more.

“Then let’s not let it go.” You spoke serenely, orbs flickering up at him as he nodded with a smile, his hands splayed on your back now, pulling you closer.

Both of your eyes fluttered closed as you leaned in for another kiss, then another, and then one more for good luck—feeling fearless than ever.

A/N: all credits to taylor swift for writing this beautiful song!!!! i think fearless tv as a whole is such a steve coded album and i just had to write this!!! let me know what you think and please reblog!! any interaction is greatly appreciated!!!

taglist (if you would like to be added just leave a comment!): @translatemunson @kennedy-brooke @manda-panda-monium @tvserie-s-world

....but her - Billy Hargrove one-shot

billy hargrove x fem!reader

warnings: 18+ (minors dni), swearing, fluff, soft!billy, allusions to smut, mentions of violence.

summary: based on this request sent to me: okay but listen...I sudden thought hit me. Billy has this reputation of being mean and scary to basically...Everyone. But what if the gang meets the one person he's utterly doting and loving. Hugs and kisses with tight snuggles that possibly break her spine. Maybe he's about to get into it with Steve/whoever and she just says his name and he calms down and trots right back to her with a stupid smile on his face.

Billy didn't necessarily introduce you to the group on purpose. It was a pool party at Harrington's house, and you went along with him. All their eyes widened when they saw you walk in with Billy. He never bought any of his girls around, keeping that life separate from the group, plus they were never around long enough for them to be introduced.

Their eyes all widened when you walked in behind Billy. There was still some contention within the group. Most still getting used to Billy being a part of their party- particularly Steve, there was still the underlying competition between the two boys.

They thought nothing of you, figuring you were simply meant to go on a date somewhere, but Billy had decided to come along to the pool party instead. The only one not being shocked to see you was Max, she'd gotten somewhat used to being around the house now.

Max offering you a small wave when you walked in and you returning it, clearing your throat awkwardly as Billy introduced you to everyone.

They were even more shocked by his behaviour towards you during the party. The way he would place a gentle kiss on your forehead as you handed him a drink or the way his arms wrapped tightly around your mid-waist and squeezed you tightly, you giggling and pushing him away and shaking your head at him.

"I think Hargrove's on drugs," Steve muttered as Dustin nodded in agreement, watching with wide eyes as you splashed Billy playfully in the shallow end of the pool. The way he picked you up and threw you carefully over his shoulder as you squealed and attempted to break free from his strong grip.

They were used to Billy being all jagged edges, harsh words and surly looks, but he seemed carefree with you, like an actual teenager. Someone who wasn't fighting a constant battle with himself, haunted by the memories of Starcourt or what his father was like.

It's only towards the end when Billy overheard Steve making a comment about how he was acting.

"Got something to say, Harrington. Say it to me." He growls out as Steve rolls his eyes.

"It's a good thing, Hargrove." He snaps back.

"Don't appreciate you bitching about me behind my back," Billy taking a step towards him, his fists clenching at his side as the rest of the group get quiet, watching the event with wide eyes.

They'd seen Billy like this numerous times and knew there was no taming the savage beast. Steve already preparing himself for the fight that was inevitably coming.

"William!" Everyone turning and staring at you as walked out from the kitchen, holding the two drinks and seeing the fight starting.

Everyone turned back to Billy, watching as his body relaxed slightly, his fists unclenching.

"Come and help me bring these chips." You say softly.

Everyone still watching the back-and-forth. No one ever told Billy what to do without reaping the nasty consequences.

They were ready for verbal sparring between the two of you instead, they watch with wide eyes as Billy relaxes completely, smiling and following you into the kitchen.

Turning to face everyone before disappearing. "I just want to be clear. I still hate you shitbirds, all of you.. but her." He snaps coolly before following you into the kitchen completely.

"What the fuck just happened?" Steve asked in disbelief, his own fists unclenched as everyone looked at Max, waiting for an explanation.

"It may seem cute but you haven't heard the gross sounds they make in his room." She mutters, shuddering at the unfortunate memories.

"Happy screams?" El asks softly as Max nods.

"Happy screams."