Categories
Genre: Romance/EroticBanterGenre: Sci-Fi/Futuristic/CyberpunkGenre: Slice of Life/FluffGenre: Supernatural/Occult/ParanormalRated - MildWriting - MSL
Tags
Banter RepostStranger ThingsStranger Things 4.5Billy HargroveSteve Harrington
Co-authors
Fabulous Killjoy
| HAWKINS FAMILY VIDEO ARCHIVE // BEST VIEWED ON PC | TAPE 04 | ||||
| NOW PLAYING
Surprise Me STRANGER THINGS 4.5 // 1986 |
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What if Steve discovers that Billy’s middle name is "Kenneth", and what if, being Steve, he absolutely refuses to let it go? Because really, what is friendship — what is forgiveness — if not weaponizing a middle name for the sake of terrible, relentless serenades?
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| "You want me to kick your ass now or save it for later, Harrington?"
It's not a serious threat. Okay... maybe a little bit. But not really. |
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| “Depends. Can I at least have a drink first, or are you going to mess things up again without warning?” | |||||
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| Billy cocked his eyebrows at him as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Somehow, it tickled a laugh out of him. Well, maybe it was more a scoff than a laugh, but the genuine grin was there all the same.
"You've got some fire in you today, huh? Go get a drink then, extinguish it. Before I get there, I'd suggest." |
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| “Don't worry about my fire, Hargrove. Worry about what's gonna be left of yours once you actually step up.”
He paused briefly, long enough to see Billy's grin sharpen a little more. “And I'll still have that drink. Maybe I want to be clear-headed when you finally get serious...” |
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| They both knew he wasn't going to do any ass-kicking tonight, or anytime soon for that matter. He was still way too weak for that. There were days in which he couldn't even do a light jog around the block without fighting to catch his breath. Usually, Billy would have made up for that insecurity by raising his voice, but he couldn't help but feel... lighter, just for joking around with the guy. There was no need to puff up around Harrington. Not anymore.
Billy's grin widened and he averted his gaze, laughing slightly. It hurt in his throat, but that was fine. Worth it, even. "Damn... You really make me wanna think twice about it. Maybe I should mess you up in other ways, then." He'd wondered whether the flirting was a good idea because he didn't know where this, or they, were going... But it seemed to be his strongest vice. It made him feel too alive to stop. |
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| To be honest, Steve wasn't afraid or concerned. First, he could see that the former golden boy was still too weak to seriously attack him, and second, he probably wouldn't care... there were worse things than getting punched in the face, and there were other things to be afraid of. He had never been afraid of Billy... he just didn't like him and sometimes despised him... and at the very beginning, he might have been a little jealous.
"Just think about it three times... all good things come in threes, and that gives me enough time to drink my drink in peace. As long as you're thinking... you'll probably keep your mouth shut. And as for stirring things up other ways... cute, really... well, I don't think you can outdo me when it comes to drinking... not in this state, and verbally... hmm, to be fair, I'd say we're both pretty good at that. So, Hargrove... surprise me..." He raised his eyebrows in amusement and winked at him, until he realized how awkward that must look to a guy, so he put on an exaggeratedly serious expression and squared his shoulders. |
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| Billy still grinned, watched him puff up like a peacock with utter amusement. He started to wonder where the seriousness ended and the jokes started, but having Steve Harrington act like they could take it up to each other (or like they wanted to, actually) was stupidly liberating. A part of him started to feel more alive again. Some light returned to his eyes.
And that wink, along with Steve's desperate attempt at looking serious? Damn, that sight was marvelous and gave him life. Billy arched his eyebrows again and laughed softly. He didn't know how it even got to this point, but Billy was not talking about messing him up with alcohol. "... What kind of drink will you have? You strike me as a whiskey-lover. Just wait until I'm no longer such a lightweight. I'm gonna beat the shit out of you and then drink you under the table. Or we do it right now and it's the other way around. Deal?" He took a step forward and reached out his hand to seal the deal, observing his reaction. "Not really. I'm just shitting you, man. All in good fun." |
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| “Whiskey, ehhhh? No... whiskey is for the cool guys who think they've developed taste. I drink beer... preferably not stale and preferably strong.”
When Billy took a quick step toward him, he naturally raised his arms to protect himself in case the guy actually struck. It was a reflex, an impulse he couldn't resist. But then he growled and rolled his eyes, because his reaction was probably exactly what Billy wanted to provoke. “Wow... great. You really got me.” He lowered his arms again and snorted quietly. “Congratulations, man. Must feel really great to see people freak out like nervous hamsters. Is that your thing? Just jump in, stand two inches in front of their noses and wait for them to flinch?” He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean... hey, if that makes your evening better, go ahead. I'll be your personal... whatever. Stress ball? Horror clown? Take your pick.” The corner of his mouth twitched anyway, and as he turned away, shaking his head, he even grinned. |
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| He laughed at his remarks. "Alright, strong beer it is, then. I'll pay," he said and winked.
When Steve flinched as he came closer, Billy did the same because he hadn't really expected him to react like that. Taken aback, he lowered his hand and watched him ramble with a raised eyebrow, maybe even with a little sting in his chest. "Not really my thing, no. Not in the way you're thinking," he jested, deciding not to show that sting. Besides, what the guy did next made his smirk reappear and play about his lips with even more intensity than before. And he knew that Steve was grinning, too. "Y'know, Harrington, I see you open your mouth and bitchin' around like a peacock, but all I hear is you offering yourself for my entertainment," he mused in a sing-songy, almost oily voice. "I'm not gonna make you my personal... anything, unless you want me to." |
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| “Why do you want to pay? No, dude... you need to get back on your feet first. My parents constantly send me money... if anything, I’ll treat you... at their expense, because I don’t care about money... screw money... let’s party!”
He didn’t want to embarrass Billy, on the contrary... he was tired of being reduced to his money, even though that wasn’t saving anyone’s ass right now. His parents showered him with money... but there was no love. So why not blow it together with someone who was probably worth it? “I’ve learned to defend myself over the last few years... to fight. If I flinch... it’s because something triggers me. It has nothing to do with our past together, okay? It would happen to me with anyone else.” Since when was Billy so damn easy to read? That was strange... “Okay... I’ll figure out what I want to be. I mean, if this keeps up with the ladies, I’ll just imagine you have boobies... and then I’ll hit on you. Deal?” Damn... where did that come from? Steve widened his eyes, then finally laughed in confusion. “Easy... easy, just kidding. Beer? Beer!” |
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| He smiled, decided not to argue with him on that part. Hopefully, he could find a job somewhere in the quarantine area soon. Just something small and not too exhausting, so he could contribute at least a little bit, because he still hated asking for money all the time. Sure, Billy never directly asked him for it, but he knew he was increasing Steve's expenses just by staying in the same house and eating at the same dining table. Thankfully, Steve's enthusiasm about partying lifted his spirits and distracted him from the gnarly feeling.
When Steve talked about the flinching, Billy looked at him, regarding him with tense eyebrows for a moment. The expression looked somewhat similar to a frown, but the wrinkles never etched deep enough into his forehead, making it look like he was trying to hold it back. "Right... Yeah, I get that." That's all he said about it. There was so much more on his mind, but it still felt too difficult to let the words cross his lips. For now. Steve made him smile yet again, washing away the half-frown in the end. He even laughed; louder and more sincerely than he had in a long time, and Billy patted his shoulder before grinning at him with a toothy, shit-eating grin. "You know I don't need boobs or anything for you to hit on me, right? Just sayin'. Deal! Beer it is, then!" |
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| For Steve, money no longer had any meaning in this chaos... would it even be needed in the near future? Would they live long enough to spend it or enjoy it? What was the point of working... when everything they did at the moment was controlled by those who were partly responsible for all this shit? Steve didn't work to earn money, but to shed light on the situation... and he was happy to help Robin with that. But Steve could probably still understand Billy. Billy had to work hard his whole life to make ends meet and was still caught up in his father's affairs. It was clear that Billy wanted to stand on his own two feet and not be a burden.
Even though Steve was slowly, very slowly, gaining real trust in Billy, he was still cautious at times. Okay... cautious in the sense of what Steve Harrington understood by caution, because to outsiders he would probably seem like a completely open source of information. However, Steve was only protecting his heart, in a sense... the only thing that even Vecna couldn't take from him, the thing that was still broken and currently only beat for those he liked. When Billy laughed loudly, he stared at him in confusion for a moment, his big dark eyes widening, but then he let himself be infected by it and laughed too. “I like boobs, but... that's logical. Women have boobs... I'm a man... almost all of us like boobs, and you... well, you just don't have any.” [ Billy raised his eyebrow and looked at him with an amused smirk. "Right. Whatever you say, man." ] He thought his answer was pretty quick-witted and grinned contentedly as he went with Billy into a bar that tried to reflect a certain normality. He sat down at a table and stretched out his legs. Now it was time to get down to business, to find topics to talk about. [ ... ] |
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| END OF TAPE
NEXT CHAPTER: SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO → Steve and Billy set out for something simple — a drink, loud music, the illusion of an ordinary guys’ night. For a few fleeting moments, it almost feels normal. No monsters. No memories clawing at their heels. Just clinking glasses and flying darts. But normal was never meant for them. Before the night can settle into something easy, two soldiers step through the bar doors and make their way straight to Billy. Their message isn’t a request. It’s a summons. And whatever they want, it’s clear this isn’t just about a drink gone wrong. 
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