Harringrove Microfic & Art

A (hopefully) monthly challenge for Harringrove lovers. No bashing. 18 +

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Hello there!

It has been a long time! Did my personal life stop messing with me? I don't think so. Do I have more time to spend in writing or managing the blog? Also no. But I want so bad coming back and I have some low pressure (specially for me) ideas that I want to develop and write. I pinky promise that I'll try to check the blog at least weekly (on Wednesday), and maybe we can have some news/ideas/prompts for December?

Is someone's still up for it?

Let me know!

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Some news

Hello, all! Today should be the day for a new Harringrove Microfic and Art prompt, but I can't do it for the moment. I'll explain everything in a following post when I can, but for the moment I'll stop the blog for a while.

Please consider the last prompt active until I'll have the strenght to manage it again, I'll try to reblog your work asap and you'll make me very happy if you want to continue creating for the blog!

Thank you to all the blog friends and see you soon! Lori

[alicetallula]

Harringrove Micro Fic & Art - April 2025 - Enchanted - 06.04.2025

For the @harringrovemicroficandart ✨

January - Crisis / February - Valentines / March - Childhood

Enchanted - Female Harringrove - 06.04.2025

I decided to go with Disney's Sleeping Beauty, but make it lesbians 💕😊

Done using watercolors, ink pens, alcohol marker, metallic ink pens, gel pens, acrylic paint pens and Photoshop for the background and sparkles effect

AO3 post / Bluesky post / DeviantArt post / Instagram post / Pillowfort post / Twitter post

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Awww amazing!!

[lovebillyhargrove]

Steve's made the card himself 💖

[lovebillyhargrove]

"The card looks kinda weird, Harrington."

"And why is that?"

"It's like you're piercing me .. with heart needles. Some voodoo shit."

"Mhm. Tell you what. We're celebrating at mine tonight. Maybe I'll uh .. pierce you .. with uh .."

"I'll take that as a promise, pretty boy."

[harringrovemicroficandart]

April prompt!

Hello!! Happy spring! This is the new challenge for this month!

Echanted (705 WC)

Let the magic spread around! Is it an enchanted garden? A fairy tale? A spell?

I'm looking forward to see your creations! Remember that we are an art challenge too!!

Remember to tag the blog and the hasthag #hmaApril Please remember to use the hashtag because otherwise I may forget some post!!!

Please use this new 2025 AO3 collection that will run all the year!! Thanks again to @runraerun for the cute banner and the great suggestions!

[alicetallula]

Harringrove Micro Fic & Art - March 2025 - Childhood - 01.04.2025

For the @harringrovemicroficandart🍨

January - Crisis / February - Valentines

Childhood - 01.04.2025

I decided to go with something simple with kids Steve and Billy sharing a chocolate milkshake 😊

Done using ink pens, alcohol markers, gel pens, acrylic paint pens and Photoshop for the background

AO3 post / Bluesky post / DeviantArt post / Instagram post / Pillowfort post / Twitter post

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Awwww Thank you!! so sweet!!

[kipgradybutmuchmuchworse]

The idea of harringrove fucking during a shift in the back of a minimum wage job because they aren’t getting paid enough to not have sex on shift has never been topped actually

[lorifragolina]

Cabazon Dinosaurs

It's Billy's birthday!

This is my contribution for my challenge in @harringrovemicroficandart, prompt "childhood," WC 815. I only know Cabazon Dinosaurs from the movie "The Wizard", but in my homecountry there is also a dinosaur park and I LITERALLY LOVE IT. Since I discovered it was really near Billy's home in California, I thought he could dream to go there, so, here you are my fic! It was really difficult to stick to the wordcount so sorry if it seems a little weird!

I wanted to post it today because it's Billy's birthday and he deserves love as always! WC: 815 Warning: no warning Read in AO3

Read it below

It began on Billy's birthday the previous year, when he drove alone down the interstate and returned with a toy shop bag and a gift-wrapped box. 

They were simple toys, collected here and there, from a crappy gas station or from Melvald’s. A couple dolls from Max’s boxes she wanted to donate to the Salvation Army when she felt too old for Barbies. An old Slinky Spring that he pushed sometimes, humming the jingle when he was distracted. 

Max found the display in Billy’s room a little creepy, but El thought it was funny; it could be strange that a grown up nineteen old man collected childish toys, but it didn’t hurt anybody, and Billy was little by little trying to get along with the others with kindness, and nobody wanted to hurt his feelings.

He didn’t talk gladly about his childhood, but all of them suspected that he had gotten punches instead of toys when he was a child, and that little quirk was harmless. Billy was trying to make peace with his past, being neglected by both his parents, treating himself with things. When his worries were too heavy, he played with the little yellow pony from his shelf for a little while. The pony had a clump of chestnut hair on his head and made him think about Steve.

“What are Cabazon Dinosaurs?”

Billy hasn't talked a lot lately. He was able to be noisy, bothering, but not talkative about important things. Steve struggled to get the words out of his mouth sometimes, and when Billy opened up a little, Steve was over the moon for it; normally, Billy kept his things for himself, and that afternoon near the end of February wasn’t different, but Steve felt concerned anyway. 

Apparently there were no problems; Valentine’s day had just passed and they had a nice date, and they laughed and had fun lately, but now, Billy seemed a little nervous and absent. 

Steve asked Max, but at home it was all good, apparently; she noticed that Billy spent more time alone in his room, or stayed sitting on the sofa reading the same page for half an hour but she didn’t have any more clues.

One day, she, Billy and El were playing with Barbies, making accessories and decorations for them. They used an old toy car to carry the Barbies around and Max drew and cut food from a sheet.

El wanted to celebrate Barbie’s birthday, and they didn’t notice it, but Billy frowned and sighed faintly. El suddenly looked at him, saying nothing.

When Hopper called to collect her, she stopped Max on the door.

“What are Cabazon Dinosaurs?” She asked.

Max frowned. “Why are you asking?”

“It was what Billy was thinking.”

Max remembered when she and Susan had just moved in with Neil and Billy. 

Susan didn’t know better at the time, and she asked what Billy wanted for his birthday. As usual, he shrugged, and Max, who didn’t know better either, said that she wanted to go to Cabazon Dinosaurs park. It was a place near Palm Springs where a guy had built two giant dinosaurs, and the almost fifteen years old Billy lit up for a second, looking at his father with a glimpse in his eyes. 

“We’ll see. It costs money,” Neil brushed it off. 

They didn’t go, obviously. Billy talked about it one more time, stating he had saved the money and that it was only an hour and a half driving; Max didn’t remember what was the excuse that time, but Neil had easily found a way to deny it and beat Billy, adding up another miserable birthday to Billy’s list. Max didn’t think anymore about the park, but after El went away, she realized. Billy would turn twenty in less than a month and he never had a proper birthday, and he was still thinking about that little, stupid desire that any other parent would fill without thinking twice, but that Neil had turned it into yet another sad memory. 

She talked with Steve, and everyone answered gladly at the call to arms.On Billy’s birthday, Steve picked him up at work and drove to the woods without a word about the date. 

Billy said something salacious about having sex in the car, but Steve parked and took his hand leading him between the trees.

Lights were hanging from the branches, with colorful garlands and decorations. Little dinosaur toys, from the boys collections, were scattered around a table with food and a cream cake with candles. 

The kids, Max and El were there, clapping and cheering, and behind them two big sheets on which Will painted the Cabazon Dinosaurs were proudly displayed with more decorations. 

“Happy birthday, Billy!” They screamed all together, surrounding a speechless, emotional Billy.

Steve squeezed his hand.

“One day I’ll take you to the real place. Happy birthday, babe.”

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Hey it's Billy's birthday!!

[shieldofiron]

The Billy was too stunned to speak.

[wrydd]

today's devastating thought is that billy's last "i'm sorry" is for the future as much it is for the past because he's leaving max with neil like his mother did to him

[maybetorbie2]

Steve keeps this photo of him teaming up with a kid he didn't know for a snowman building competition back in the mid '70s. They won second place, but Steve never saw the kid again after splitting their winnings down the middle; two pair of gloves, one red, the other blue.

For my final fill for @harringrovewinterbingo "free space", and for @harringrovemicroficandart with the prompt "childhood"

[harringrovemicroficandart]

More works! Thank you!

[bubblegumflavor]

Is the heater broken or was it turned off on purpose? Anyway... damn Hawkins is cold in winter.. unless you have a Steve to call over♡

For the @harringrovewinterbingo C2 - Sharing a blanket ♡

(Adding my Bingo card this time because: YAY Bingo! =D)

[archibaldtuttle]

Throwback to when I took painkillers and woke up with Photoshop open on my computer to this image I had made

[archibaldtuttle]

Hi this currently has 37 thousand notes and I just want to ask - why?

[desperate-acts-of-capitalism]

Big Things Are Coming

[blackteachangeling]

💷🥄🥔 BIG THINGS ARE COMING🥔🥄💷

✨ Abundance Spell✨ 

Wealth, weal, and plentiful spoons are coming to me 👏

✨💰🪙🥄🥔💰🌟💰🥄🥔🪙 💰✨

Like to charge Reblog to cast

[maybetorbie2]

We Built This City

Summary: Billy and Steve met on a beach when they were seven. Steve ruined his sandcastle. Naturally, he needed to pay for it. | 922 words | no warnings

For @harringrovemicroficandart March prompt, childhood

A little blond kid is seen at the beach, making a sandcastle all by his lonesome. He seems preoccupied, not a single thing could disrupt his flow.

His sandcastle is almost perfect. All he needed to do is put a flag on top.

CRASH.

A pair of sneakers ran past it. The sandcastle is ruined.

The blond kid takes a good look at the guilty party responsible for this heinous crime.

"HEY!" he screams from the top of his lungs, as loud as his little body allows him. "GET BACK HERE!"

The sneaker owner stopped his sprint. A little brunette boy around his age, stops and turns around. "Me?" He asks, all very innocently.

"Yeah, you!" The blond kid stomps to his direction, face flushed in anger. "I worked hard on that!"

The brunette kid looks at the remnants of what once was, then he looks back at the blond, fuming in front of him. "Uh... Whoops..."

The blond scrunches his nose. "Fix it!" He starts to drag the brunette by the collar...

"Billy, what are you doing?" A voice called from one of the lounge chairs.

Blond kid stops dragging the other kid. "Uh, nothing, mom..."

"Billy, don't pick fights with the boy... Come here, invite him to sit with us!"

Billy looks at the brunette kid, face flushed in anger still. "But he ruined my sandcastle!"

Billy's mom laughs. "I'm sure he didn't mean it. Come here, both of you!"

The two kids do as they're told.

They sit on the edge of the lounge chair.

Billy's mom smiles at the two. "What seems to be the problem?"

Billy crosses his arms. "He ruined my sandcastle!"

She looks at the brunette. "What's your name?"

"Steve..." The brunette kid sniffles, looking more apologetic with each passing second.

"Okay, Steve... I'm sure you didn't mean it, right?"

"I didn't see it... I was running to my dad, I'm sorry..." He apologetically turns to Billy.

Billy softens a bit, his arms loosening the iron grip. "...well, fine... But I worked hard on that..."

Billy's mom can't help but laugh, even if just a little. "How about this? Steve, why don't you help Billy build a new one?"

"I gotta ask my dad..." Steve mumbles uncertainly. "We gotta go back to Hawkins tomorrow..."

"Oh, you're not from here?" Billy's mom asks.

Steve shakes his head. "We're on vacation! My dad's taking us here for the whole week,"

"Well, why don't you two go build a new sandcastle, while I go ask your dad if you can stay a bit longer at the beach, okay?" She asks Steve softly, while ushering both kids to where Billy's ruined sandcastle sits.

-

The sandcastle is halfway finished. And it doesn't look half bad, as far as two pair of seven year-old hands can.

They work in silence.

"So..." Steve breaks the silence after a quiet 20 minute. "You live here in Cali...?"

Billy hums in affirmation. "Yeah. I love it here. My mom is my favorite."

Steve nods. "You have a nice mom."

"I know. You can't have my mom."

"I don't want your mom!" Steve gets scandalized, shoving Billy to the side.

Billy gets up, shoving Steve back. "Shut up!"

"You shut up!" Steve holds the blond back from hitting him. "I don't have a nice mom, okay! I'm just saying your mom is nice!"

Billy takes his hand off Steve's shirt collar. "Oh."

They go back to building the sandcastle in silence.

"...you don't have nice parents?" Billy asks, being the one breaking the silence this time.

Steve sighs dramatically. "I don't know. I don't even know if they like me."

"Thats ridiculous." Billy snorts. "What parents don't like their kid?"

The brunette shrugs. "I know they love me... I think. But I don't know if they like me."

Billy looks at him, scrutinising. "That's weird."

"Yeah."

They both step back to admire their hard work. The sun sets over the horizon, giving a dramatically majestic background to Fort Harringrove.

CRASH.

a couple of adults run past their life's work, flattening their sandcastle into nothing.

Both of them watches with mouths agape.

Their eyes follow the guilty set of legs belonging to five grown ups doing their baywatch routine...

"We can't fight adults..." Billy pouts, despondent.

Steve mirrors his expression. "But it's not fair..."

They decided to sit by the loungers, hugging their sand encrusted knees watching the sun set.

Billy's mom kneels behind them. "Hi, boys... How did it go?"

Steve shrugs. "Some grown ups stomped all over it,"

Billy nods. "This sucks."

She nods, squeezing both kids on the shoulder. "It's okay. You made a new friend today, at least,"

They look at each other in a silent shrug of confirmation.

"Steve! Let's go!" A distant voice calls out.

Steve gets up, dusting off sand. "I guess this is it,"

Billy stands up. "Bye."

"Hope I can see you again," Steve purses his lips, hands stuffed inside his pants pocket.

Billy shrugs. "I don't think so, you're all the way in Hawkins."

Billy and his mom waves the brunette and his family goodbye, Steve doing the same as they disappear from the beach.

It's just Billy and his mom now.

She turns to him, holding her hand out. "We should be getting back, honey."

Billy takes her hand in his own. "Mmkay."

"Was Steve nice?" She asks, as they too leave the beach, heading home.

"I guess. But he has a stupid face." Billy shrugs.

His mom laughs. "Maybe you'll see him again someday."

"I doubt it..."

[harringrovemicroficandart]

I love it! Thank you!

[cvpidart]

you come around and the armor falls

pierce the room like a cannonball

now all we know is don’t let go.

[kipgradybutmuchmuchworse]

Picture with me

Oblivious Steve actually being less oblivious for once and asking Billy, his ultimate crush out, brimming with confidence.

Except he’s not quite not oblivious.

Because it’s April Fools.

Billy punches him in the face then disappears

Then they make up the next day with vigorous Camaro sex because I said so

[ihni]

Pictures, baby

For @harringrovemicroficandart's March prompt, "Childhood" (813 words)

(Also on AO3)

~~~

It was Joyce’s idea.

Everyone had been invited to a barbeque at the Byers’ house in two weeks’ time for a night of good food, even better company, and fun. The idea was that everyone attending would bring a picture of themselves when they were a baby, and then then they’d make a game out of trying to guess who was who.

So, Steve was currently in the couch, going through a childhood’s worth of photo albums to find the right one.

“What are you doing?”

He could feel Billy’s breath on his ear as he peered over his shoulder.

Turning so Billy could get a better view, Steve held up the album he was leafing through. “Trying to find a good baby photo.”

Billy huffed out a laugh and pointed at a picture of Steve, aged 6 months, naked and lying on his front on a sheepskin. “You were a fat baby.”

“All babies are fat.” He turned and looked pointedly at Billy’s profile. “Which reminds me, I need one of you, too.”

“One what?”

“A baby photo.”

Billy straightened up, so Steve had to turn around in the couch to be able to see him.

“Why?” There was a wrinkle between his eyes.

“It’s for the barbeque at the Byers’,” Steve said, smiling. “Everyone is to a picture of themselves from when they were a kid, and then we guess who’s who. It’s a game.”

“Sounds lame.”

Steve’s smile turned mischievous. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want anyone to know you were a fat baby, too.”

Billy frowned. “No thanks. I’m not into nerdy games.”

“Come on,” Steve said, cajoling, and reached out a hand. “It'll be fun. We’re all doing it.”

But Billy yanked his hand out of reach and took a step back. “I’m not.”

Steve sighed. Billy had come a long way since the events of last summer, but he was still Billy. Personally, Steve thought that joining in on a few games couldn’t hurt. It’d earn him some brownie points with the Party, that’s for sure.

So, “Please?” he said, batting his eyelashes. “For me?”

But instead of being charmed, Billy’s face closed down. He turned on his heel and walked out without another word. Steve heard the front door open and close before he even got out of the couch.

~

Things didn’t improve over the next few days. Steve tried to breach the topic a couple of times, but Billy shut him down every time. At one point Steve tried to apologize – even though he wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, exactly – but Billy just shook his head and walked off. Again.

It was kind of bewildering, really.

A couple of days later, Steve was sitting in his car outside the Arcade, contemplating just skipping out on the barbecue entirely, when the passenger door opened and Billy got in. Without so much as a hello, he threw a piece of paper into Steve’s lap.

Surprised at being approached first for the first time in a week, Steve picked up the paper.

“It’s a picture,” Billy mumbled, staring out through the windshield. “For your little game.”

And sure enough, it was a picture of Billy. Only, Steve recognized it immediately, because it was Billy’s portrait from the school yearbook – obviously cut out from the yearbook itself.

It was probably supposed to be some kind of peace offering, but as such it kind of sucked. Because, “It’s supposed to be a baby picture?” Steve pointed out.

Billy drew his shoulders up and bit his lip. He was still staring straight ahead as he spoke. “I don’t have any baby pictures.”

… oh.

While Steve was struggling to come up with something to say, Billy swallowed and continued, “I don’t know if there ever were. Maybe my mom took them with her when she left. Maybe Neil threw them out. Or maybe there never were any in the first place. I don’t know.” A one-shouldered shrug, too stiff to look casual. “Maybe they just didn’t want any pictures of me.” He cleared his throat, and Steve ached for him, suddenly. “I mean, I can’t blame them. After all, who would?”

Before Steve could speak, Billy nodded to the picture in Steve’s hands.

“Anyway, that’s the earliest photo I’ve got of me. Take it or leave it.”

The words were barely out before Steve turned and threw his arms around him, picture dropped and forgotten. He could feel Billy tense in his arms, but held on tight, wishing that he could squeeze the childhood trauma right out of him if he just held on long enough.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured in Billy’s ear, not really sure what he was sorry for but being sorry nonetheless. Billy said nothing, but hugged back eventually.

~

That weekend, Steve drove up to Indianapolis and bought himself a camera, and several rolls of film.

[harringrovemicroficandart]

Oooh, that's heartbreaking and sweet! Thank you!!