Summary: An imagine in which the reader is sulking after being dragged to yet another party by her best friend Nancy Wheeler. After hours of lounging on Tina’s couch, she is joined by the last person she’d expect to be sitting out of a party... One thing leads to another and he and the reader end up closer than they’d ever imagine they’d be. But can Billy allow himself to enjoy the reader’s company before he begins making excuses on why they shouldn’t be together?
Disclaimer: I DO NOT condone any of Billy’s behavior!! This imagine, like ALL imagines, is simply a work of fiction and is me thirsting after the GORGEOUS Dacre Montgomery!!
Warning(s): Soft! Billy, underage drinking, light smut (kissing and hand roaming), mentions of abuse and probably some cursing here and there.
A/N: This is a little something I wrote to break some writer’s block I’ve been having while writing part two of my previous imagine, History. Also, Steve and Nancy are still together and a few other details of the show have been tweaked to fit my imagine. Enjoy and don’t be afraid to leave any comments, complaints or feedback in general!! :-)
Control… It was more than a feeling of power--it was something you needed to have in order to be okay with your surroundings--and right now, you didn’t have the slightest bit of it. You had always hated parties. Drunken fights, spilled drinks and the possibility of the police showing up to bust you were just a few things about them that you couldn’t stand.
Your best friend Nancy, however, was drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Unlike you, she was naturally popular and people seemed to gravitate toward her. She had perfect grades, a perfect figure and a perfectly innocent smile that made her irresistible to the rest of the population of Hawkins High School.
Secretly, you envied her in a way. Things came to her so easily and at times you felt as if you were on two completely different wavelengths. You wished you could go back to the early days, when the two of you were perfectly content spending your Friday nights sprawled out on the couch talking about boys and stuffing yourselves with various flavors of ice cream.
But you were juniors now, and Nancy’s infatuation with Steve Harrington didn’t just tear the two of you apart...It also tore you from your comfort zone, Nancy dragging you to any and all events that Steve and his pack of goons would be attending. Nancy and Steve stood with the rest of the popular group by the keg as you watched them from your spot on Tina’s couch. They really did make the perfect pair.
“Is this seat taken?” a gruff voice asked, pulling you from your thoughts and forcing you to meet its source. To your surprise, your eyes were met with no other than those of the infamous Billy Hargrove. “No go ahead.” you offered, scooting over just enough to allow for him to squeeze in between you and some passed out senior who’d made a bed for himself on the other end of the couch.
You didn’t know him well, all the information you’d gathered about him was either second hand or little things you’d picked up on: The girls he’d slept with, told to you by Carol on the days you had English together and she thought you were listening, the way he always slipped out of school around lunchtime, something you’d noticed on the days you did the same, and last but not least, the bruises on his upper back you’d seen when he stripped down for a fight at the last party you’d been to.
“Thanks.” The corners of his mouth turned up to allow for a small smile which you quickly returned. A few minutes passed between the two of you before you decided to break the silence. “So what is Billy Hargrove doing sitting down at a party?” you asked. “Don’t tell me, the title of ‘Keg King’ boring you already?” you added playfully, earning another smile from Billy along with a roll of his eyes. “No, just don’t really feel like getting trashed tonight.” he said honestly.
“Me neither.” you agreed, flashing him a glance at the water that filled the plastic walls of the red solo cup in your hands. “I don’t even like coming to these things.” you admitted, surprising yourself at how easy it was to open up to him. Here, of all places and with Billy Hargrove, of all people. “Don’t tell me, you’re a third wheel to the Harrington power couple?” He asked as he pointed a finger in the direction of Nancy and Steve.
“Is it that obvious?” You were a bit taken back at how he could so easily read you. Did everyone at school think of you this way? Some uncool third wheel to your popular best friend? “Maybe not to everyone, but I’ve seen you around.” he said cooly, adjusting himself in the space you shared. “Seen me around? Really?” you questioned. You had a hard time believing that you’d caught the eye of anyone, let alone the biggest partier in school.
“Of course. You’re not like everyone else here. Neither am I, that’s why I took notice.” he explained. Another moment of silence went by and Billy passed the time by taking slow sips of whatever liquid he’d filled his own cup with. You couldn’t help but watch him as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes to finish his drink. You imagined what his lips would feel like if they just so happened to collide with yours and you wondered if his slight stubble would bother you in the process.
“Do you want to get out of here?” He tightened his grip around the plastic cup until it was completely compressed under the weight of his fist upon finishing his drink. “Haven’t you been drinking?” you asked. You wanted to leave the party, sure, but there was no way you were getting behind the wheel with someone you’d just watched bleed their cup dry. “Yeah actually. There’s this new drink called water.” Billy chuckled, tipping what was left of his cup to reveal a few clear drops of what was in it.
“Right.” You couldn’t help but blush at his comment but honestly, how could you have known that Billy hadn’t been drinking? Everything you’d seen of him tonight was completely out of character...He was talkative and sober and...nice. “Just let me find Nancy to tell her I’m leaving and then we can go.” you said, quickly throwing on your jean jacket over your the nice shirt Nancy had convinced you to wear.
“Right, wouldn’t want to leave without your parent’s permission.” Billy teased, his eyes raking you up and down as he took in your outfit. “Shut up.” you defended. Billy didn’t know you well enough to make comments like this, whether he thought he did or not. “No, no. If you need to check in then please, be my guest.” he added, pushing your buttons even more. “Actually,” you began, “Let’s just go before I change my mind.” You hurriedly made your way to the door, pushing past your drunk classmates as politely as possible to make room for both you and Billy.
“You can come in if you want,” you told him as he steered the Camaro into your driveway. The drive was awkward to say the least but even though Billy wasn’t the best of company, you still weren’t ready for tonight to end. It was odd, how comfortable you felt around someone who was practically a complete stranger. “Yeah, okay.” he mumbled, shoving his keys into his front pocket before following you to the door.
You were both speaking so casually but you could tell that Billy was just as nervous as you were. He watched you as you kicked off your shoes in the entryway and copied your actions. “Your parents aren’t home?” he asked curiously, stripping off his jean jacket just as you had done with yours. “No. They’re usually gone on the weekends for business.”
“What about yours?” Billy flashed you a look of confusion. “Your parents. Are they going to be worried if you’re not home soon?” you asked, clarifying what you meant while also trying to learn more about him. You hadn’t heard much about Billy’s family and other than a young redhead, you hadn’t seem much of them either. “No. They’re not the type to worry about me.” he said flatly.
“I’m sorry.” you offered, sitting down on the couch to face him. You knew exactly how he felt. “Business” was a word you told people to excuse the absence of your parents...The truth was that your parents would just randomly take off for weeks at a time, going on trips and mini vacations without you. It wasn’t like you had it bad though. What teenager could complain about having a huge house to themselves with a brand new car out front?
“I get it.” you said when he didn’t answer. “My parents have been gone for a week now and they won’t be home until Friday.” “I thought you said they were on a business trip?” Billy asked. How did he manage to be so concerned but yet so casual at the same time? “If business is code for going to Chicago to escape Hawkins and their only daughter, then yeah. Business.”
It was his turn to apologize for things that weren’t in any way his fault. “Right. Sorry.” Billy added this new information to an imaginary file in his head with your name on it. Like you, he was observant and also like you, he kept notes of things he had picked up on when watching others. He didn’t have much on you yet…
The way you rolled your eyes after a conversation with Carol in English class, how you and Nancy Wheeler were always attached at the hip and how every once in a while he would find himself following you out of the school parking lot when you ditched during lunch… These were the few details that made up your “file”. He had a feeling that after tonight, though, he’d know a lot more about you. And so far, he was right.
“You wanna know what I think?” Billy’s tone switched from apologetic to flirty and you were sure you knew where he was going with this. “I think I do.” Slowly you began to scoot closer to him, filling the space between you until the only thing that stood in the way of him was the arm of the couch. Billy reached down and rested his hand on your jaw, his thumb tracing your bottom lip lightly.
“I think that you and I have a lot in common.” he stated, his eyes never leaving yours. “You wanna know what I think?” It was your turn to confess. “What’s that?” he asked, his thumb continuing its soothing rhythm. “You’re not as bad as people say you are.” you hummed. By now you were closer to him than you’d ever been and you could feel his warm breath on your face.
Without thinking, you sat up and pressed your lips to his. At first there was hesitation, but once Billy settled into the kiss there was nothing but passion. Your lips began to move in perfect sync and your hands reached up to tangle themselves in his curls as his worked their way from your jaw to your chest to your hips.
“(Y/N).” Billy moaned, breaking the kiss to give you both a chance to catch your breath. Kissing him was nothing like you’d imagined. It was much, much better. He licked his lips before colliding them with yours once more and his scent filled your lungs. Billy was like a mix of mint, cheap cologne and cigarette smoke, a combination that was so intoxicating you couldn’t bring yourself to pull away from him.
But it didn’t stop him from pulling away from you. “What’s wrong?” Your voice was nothing more than a whispered pant and Billy’s sounded similar. “As much as I’d love to do...this right here, I just-” His staggered breaths made it easy for you to interrupt him. “Bed.” you suggested, pushing Billy by his chest to allow you to lead him upstairs. “Come on!” you exclaimed, Billy hot on your heels.
He’d eyed her for weeks now. (Y/N) (Y/L/N). He said her name so often that it rolled off his tongue easier than his own. It would slip through the space between his lips and a lit cigarette in his mouth and it would come out as less than a whisper while he was sleeping. He did everything in his power to be around her--to observe her--but it still wasn’t enough. Tommy ran out of information on her quickly but Billy had found a new source, (Y/N)’s best friend, Nancy Wheeler.
He knew it was wrong of him to take advantage of Nancy but he couldn’t help it. Every party that she and (Y/N) went to, Billy was just around the corner, handing Nancy enough drinks to get her giggling and gossiping. He had a specific routine: He would get into a fight or start a drinking contest, any distraction big enough to get Steve off of her back, and then he would swoop in and begin his interrogation. Tonight was no different…
“So where’s (Y/N) tonight?” Billy asked, hot on Nancy’s heels. Nancy returned his question with a small smirk before covering her mouth with the red solo cup in her hands. “Why are you always asking me about (Y/N)?” she whined before taking a few more swigs of her drink. “(Y/N) this, (Y/N) that.” She continued.
His eyes met hers and he racked his brain for some kind of story to spin her. “Well, I uh...We’re working on a project together in English. It’s not a big deal but it’s due on Monday so I just wanted to talk to her, that’s all.” he lied, his gaze circling the room for a moment before he faced her again. “Mhmm. English project. Every single weekend...How strange.” Nancy hummed, her voice just barely being caught by him above the loud music. “Look if you’re not going to tell me where she is then I-” Billy’s speech was cut short by Nancy pointing a finger in (Y/N)’s direction. With a huff and a quick thank you, he was off.
(Y/N) was awkwardly sandwiched between a passed out guy Billy couldn’t remember the name of and the arm of the couch but she stood out in the top she was wearing. If his thoughts were correct, Nancy forced her to wear it tonight. He made his way over to her slowly but confidently. “Is this seat taken?” he asked in the most nonchalant voice he could muster.
Shock was illuminating from her features as she answered him with a small smile. “No go ahead.” It was a tight squeeze but Billy allowed himself to soak up her scent and it seemed to ease his nerves a bit, a smile forming on his face as he thanked her. “So what is Billy Hargrove doing sitting down at a party?” she asked jokingly but before he could answer, she was busting his chops again. “Don’t tell me, the title of ‘Keg King’ boring you already?”
He thought of different ways he could answer her. He could have said something cheesy like “I just wanted to see you.” He could have went with a more subtle approach and said something like “Just waiting to see what happens.” He could have said something he thought would piss her off, something to hint his intentions, or something to get her home with him quicker. Instead, he just told the truth.
“No, just don’t really feel like getting trashed tonight.” he said. She let out a sigh and he assumed that she too was going with the truthful approach. “Me neither.” (Y/N) agreed. “I don’t even like coming to these things.” she added. But Billy already knew that. He already knew lots of things about her. But he wanted to know more...
As they exchanged more and more small talk, his eyes began to fall back onto her lips and his mind began to wonder. Billy paid special attention to the way (Y/N)’s mouth adjusted to each word she spoke and how she used her hands while she talked. He thought of kissing her and how her lips would feel on his. He thought of how her hands would feel on his body and how his nails would feel if they were raking down his back.
He thought until he wasn’t quite thinking at all, causing him to ask something he never thought he’d have the courage to ask. “Do you want to get out of here?” The second the words left his mouth he was wishing he had more to take them back...until (Y/N) agreed.
“And turn left here.” (Y/N) instructed softly. The radio was low and moonlight was dancing on her perfect skin. Billy couldn’t help but to glance over at her every once in a while. “What?” she asked when she caught him for the third time. “Nothing I was just...Nothing.” “Whatever you say Keg King.” she giggled, bringing a peach flush to his cheeks. Damn was she good at that.
The rest of the car ride went by quickly and as he pulled into her driveway, Billy silently scolded himself for not making more conversation. He was finally alone with her and here he was wasting time. He was about to muster up a goodbye before she surprised him again. “You can come in if you want.”
With a small smile, he followed her inside, watching her carefully as she stripped herself of her shoes and her jacket. Billy copied her actions and made himself comfortable on the couch. They exchanged small talk and he added a few more things about her to his collection. One thing led to another and soon she was draped around him, her hands going crazy in his curls.
Kissing her was just like he’d dreamed. Better even. (Y/N)’s lips started a rhythm that his soon followed and he followed instinct, adjusting himself so that he was on top of her. So that he was in control. He set a new pace and she followed his lead, drawing her name from his lips over and over again until he needed a moment to catch his breath.
“What’s wrong?” she asked after he’d broken the kiss again. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her. Hell, she was all he ever wanted...but it was happening too fast even for him. He didn’t just want her like this, he wanted all of her and one late night wasn’t good enough of a guarantee. Stalling, Billy easily made up an excuse. “As much as I’d love to do...this right here, I just-” “Bed.” (Y/N) interjected, pushing him from her chest and leading him upstairs.
As (Y/N) led him through the hallway, Billy was hit with a realization...He could never have her in the way that he wanted. They were just so different, he and (Y/N). His house didn’t have a restaurant sized kitchen, the hallways weren’t patterned with family portraits, and he didn’t have a brand new car parked out in the garage.
He was just Billy Hargrove. Someone who would never be anything or anyone and someone with enough baggage for a crowd of people. So he was going to do the only thing he knew how to do...The only thing he was good at...He was going to ruin this.
“This is your room?” Billy’s voice was laced with awe as he paced around, his hands wandering to various knick knacks of yours as he took everything in. “What’s wrong with it?” you giggled in response to his tone, peeling your shirt from your torso as you moved closer to his spot by your dresser. “Nothing’s wrong except for the fact that mine could fit in here like three times.” he muttered.
“Okay and? I thought you knew everything about me Hargrove.” you challenged before attacking the nape of his neck with sloppy kisses. “I guess I thought I did.” Billy surprised you with his words and your focus switched from his neck to his face, your eyes meeting his disappointed gaze. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” you asked sharply. By now you were starting to get annoyed with his words.
The night had been going so smoothly and just as quickly as things had gotten heated between the two of you, they were cooling down. Seconds ago Billy had you half naked and in his arms wanting more of him and now you were staring up at him in disbelief, your arms crossed over your chest tightly in an effort to cover your exposed bra.
“It means that you’re the last person who should be moping around at a party.” he said plainly. “And why’s that exactly? Living in a big house makes you exempt from having problems?” you fired back at him. “Problems? Your life seems pretty perfect to me. No parents around to give you shit, no siblings to share everything with, no--” “Feelings?” you asked, cutting him off and shutting him up with one little word.
“I knew this was a bad idea.” he huffed, leaning himself against the wall, trying not to look at you. “So what was the plan then? You were going to take me home and then push me away?” you asked. You weren’t sure why Billy had taken an interest in you to begin with but now his motives seemed to be clear and only left you with a couple more questions. Was he going to take you home to see how far he’d get with you? What was making it so impossible to follow through?
“I thought we were the same but I was wrong. We’re from two completely different worlds.” He admitted and something clicked. “You know what Billy? If you hate me and my house so much why don’t you just leave?” you asked. You had no more fight in you and nothing more to say so you gave him a choice. “What if I don’t want to leave?” His eyes were pleading for a second chance but you were already replacing the shirt on your back. “Then the couch is yours I guess.” you said at barely a whisper.
He wanted to speak in this moment. To apologize and confess to you that he’d been analyzing every move of yours since the first time he saw you. He wanted to tell you that he noticed the way you rolled your eyes at Carol, that he noticed when you were absent from school and that he had done his best to “accidentally” run into you during your skipped lunches.
He wanted to tell you that he already knew about your parents...It was just a fraction of the information he’d gotten out of your drunk best friend Nancy at various parties. Most importantly, however, he wanted to tell you that he purposely sat next to you on the couch tonight and how he didn’t drink because he knew you’d never get in the car with him if he did.
But instead, he just nodded and headed downstairs, leaving you to your own devices and thoughts. If Billy thought you were nothing more than a spoiled little brat why did he put himself through the trouble of taking you home tonight? Why did he follow you in and kiss you like no one ever had before? And why did he think he knew you better than you knew yourself?
“What an asshole.” you whispered to yourself, throwing yourself face first on your bed. You’d seen Billy act this way before but it was never directed at you. Billy was so sweet tonight. He said all the right things, did all the right things. How could he change so suddenly? And why did he change so suddenly? You were about to head to the kitchen before you remembered you’d let him take the couch.
You wanted to act like he wasn’t downstairs. You wanted to force yourself to sleep and hope that he would be gone by morning...but as you stared at the extra blankets folded at the foot of your bed, you knew what you had to do. “You’ve got this.” you whispered to your reflection in the mirror before heading downstairs, a pillow in one hand and a blanket in the other.
“What if I don’t want to leave?” This was his final plea to (Y/N). His eyes were tired and his voice was low. He didn’t have anymore fight in him and fighting was the last thing he wished they were doing right now.
He knew what he was doing when he started it, though, and it was too late now to take back anything that he’d said. “Then the couch is yours I guess.” she whispered in reply.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Billy groaned as he descended the stairs from her room and entered the living room. Why was he so bad with feelings? He wanted to march back up there and tell her how he really felt but instead, he obeyed her wishes and made himself comfortable. Or tried to, at least. The humming of the heater mixed with the voice of his conscious was making it impossible to fall asleep.
Standing up, he slipped his shirt over his head. “Much better.” he thought. But there was still something missing...he couldn’t let (Y/N) go to sleep angry with him. He had to apologize but he just didn’t know how. What was he going to say?
“I’m sorry for picking a fight with you. It’s just, I had this whole idea of how things were going to go down between us but I let myself get in the way?” Not happening. Billy Hargrove was many things but he wasn’t a sap.
Sighing, he began to pace back and forth in front of the couch, muttering half-assed but honest apologies. He figured he looked like a lovesick moron but he also figured that trying was better than not.
“I like you, (Y/N). I really, really like you okay?” he said aloud. “And I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” He was about to give up and throw himself back on the couch when a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
Silently but quickly, you made your way down the stairs to the living room. The last thing you wanted was for Billy to catch you off guard with nothing to offer except incoherent babbling. You still didn’t know what you were going to say to him but you were thinking and that’s all that mattered.
You were just about to turn the corner when you heard his voice. “I like you, (Y/N). I really, really like you okay?” he said and you could tell from his voice that he was moving around, pacing probably. You’d seen him do this in the school hallway when he was being interrogated by the principal and at parties when he was trying to egg someone into a fight.
Adjusting yourself so that you were facing in his direction, you stayed quiet as you watched him continue. “And I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” His hands moved to his forehead and he sighed. Billy, in his shirtless and distressed state, was thinking of a way to make it up to you. Little did he know, he already had.
“I forgive you.” you said just loud enough for your voice to reach him. He was only about twenty feet away from you but he still felt miles away. Billy whipped his head around to face you, shock practically engraved into his features.
“(Y/N)!” he jumped. You could tell he was embarrassed but you were too shy to say anything in return. “I, uh, I was just…How long were you standing there?” he asked, his right hand moving to rub the back of his neck. You recognized this action as well.
“I just came down to bring you these.” you said nervously as you held up the pillow and blanket out to him, forcing the corners of your mouth to turn up into a small smile.
“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you or anything.” you half-apologized. You did feel bad for walking in on him but it was nice to finally know what he was feeling. And it was nice to know that he felt the same way that you did.
Billy made his way over to you slowly. He was eager to find out what you knew but he also longed to be closer to you. He mumbled a quick “Thanks.” before taking the items from your hands and laying them down on the couch. Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled nervously before turning back to you.
He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t have to. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly for a moment before pressing his lips to yours. Your hands moved from their spot around his neck to his chest and then back to his hair.
After a few more minutes of making out, you broke the kiss along with the silence. “I like you too.” you told him softly, not looking away from him for a second.
“And you’re not sleeping on the couch tonight.” you said, earning a laugh from Billy before he followed you up to your bedroom for the second time in one night. You couldn’t help but think that even though this should have happened the first time, everything was perfect.
“Can I have a do-over?” he smiled, kissing you once more before laying you on the bed. “Of course you can.” Billy gazed around the room and looked at you with the biggest smile you’d ever seen on his perfect face. “This is your room?” he scoffed in a jokingly manner.
“What’s wrong with it?” you asked in the same tone as before, playing along with whatever game Billy had conjured up. “Nothing.” he smiled, laying you down on his back on the bed and motioning for you to come join him. “It’s perfect.” he added as you nuzzled into his chest.
Control… It was something both you and Billy had lost hold of tonight. It was also the first time neither of you worried about having it.
