“Seriously, get some help..”
Billy Hargrove x Male Reader
cw: Homophobic Language/Slurs, Bullying, steve x nancy
“So then I tried explaining how, you know, I’m just going to be stuck working some dead end job anyway and she just gave this look Y/N- like I was stupid or something..” Steve relayed his conversation he’d had with Nancy on the drive to school that morning. Y/N had seen the aftermath of her quickly exiting his car and heading on inside as he dejectedly waited around until he’d joined him. Getting a cigarette in before class inevitably started.
“Well what do you expect Steve, girls dream of their high school loves going to college with them, beating the men off them for the rest of their lives.”
“Yeah, ‘beating the guys off her’ is the whole reason I need to wait..plus there’s no way I could get into a college on her level, I’d just be holding her back..” Steve leaned against the side of his car, running a hand back through his hair as Y/N puffed away a few feet out, always keeping his distance as to not receive a complaint about the smell from his friend.
“Just stop stressing Steve! You get stressed, she’ll get stressed. Clearly she already is..” Y/N’s ears pricked up at the sound of quickly approaching music mixed with the revving of a loud engine. Down the street appeared a blue Camaro that screeched to a stop just before it passed up the entrance to the student parking area and as soon as it turned in it sped back up. Y/N stood in place and squinted, trying to make out who the hell was driving this car he’d never seen. And before he knew it Steve had grabbed the collar of his shirt and roughly yanked him out of the way moments before the car would have possibly hit him.
“Y/N Jesus! Wake up!” Steve let go of him and looked his face over, which admittedly was always difficult to read. He looked at him and then back at the car as it pulled into the middle of two spaces, double parking. One could hear the sound of brief bickering as the car was shut off and Y/N could see the California license plate and then a small red headed girl with an even redder zip up jacket quickly gathered herself and a skateboard out of the passengers seat, slamming the door and then tossing the board down and making her way off in the direction of the middle school with her middle finger held up.
“Hey!” Steve walked past you in the direction of the car and you hardly had time to react as he hurried over, you rushed to follow behind him. “You had a kid in there with you, don’t you think you should..slow down…” Steve’s angry speech trailed off as the driver stepped out of the car. Dirty blonde curls spilled off the back of his head and bounced as he stood and shut the door, an unamused look on his face as he sized Steve up. Although he had stopped a solid five feet away the teen advanced on the two of you, giving you a quick look before responding.
“Maybe you should worry more about your mouth and your boyfriend getting you in trouble, stranger. ” He reached up, snatching the almost finished cigarette out of your mouth and holding it up to his, lighting it off the cherry before tossing it behind the two of you. You licked your bottom lip where the skin had been pulled off from him taking it out of your mouth and also from you holding it there for too long and watched as he made his way away from Steve and you towards the school.
“Fuck..who the hell was that guy?” Steve let the gay comment roll off him like water off a ducks back, he had a reputation that some new tanned up guy from California wasn’t going to make an effect on. But it still did get under his skin, their body language and tone, he seemed dangerous.
“I think we’re going to find out.” Y/N reached up to press his finger against the small bubble of blood coming from his lip before wiping it off on his shirt and heading off towards the school as well. Steve stood back for a moment, still taken a back from the entire morning really. ‘Can’t ever catch a break..’ he thought to himself as he went on to catch up.
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“So don’t forget, Barbs’ Parents, dinner, tonight. Got it?”
“Yes Nance, of course I’ve got it. I’m not going to forget okay?”
Jonathan closed his eyes just for a second, hoping to drown them out somehow as he retreated down the hall away from them, but as he did he found himself running into someone. “S-sorry—“ Y/N shook his head and managed a half smile at the oldest Byers before peering off to the side of him at the two love birds chatting away at Nancys’ locker.
“Don’t be. Trust me, I get fed up with it too.” Jonathan sighed and nodded as they moved out of the way slightly to make it easier for others to walk through the hallway freely. He looked down at the orange flier in his hand, flipping it over before thrusting it forward to you.
“Something I wouldn’t be caught dead at.”
Y/N raised an eyebrow as he briefly read the sheet of paper before laughing to himself on the inside, the humor coming across when he spoke. “And you think I would be? Maybe if we dared each other..”
“Good point.” Jonathan grinned at him, it did seem like something the both of them would do. They had been friends before Y/N got friendly with Steve and Nancy. As friendly as the teen could. He was often just a third wheel, a shadow, him and barb would sit around and entertain themselves while the couple went at it. But ever since barb ‘disappeared’ Y/N stopped smiling, he stopping putting in as much effort as he had to appear happy for the others sakes and even with Jonathan he wouldn’t open up or talk about anything so Jonathan did the same.
The long bell rang and it echoed through the halls signaling everyone to get to their next class. Y/N quickly departed off towards Steve who had athletics with him next and Jonathan waited for a moment before continuing down the way he had been, trying to not let the feeling of comfort in each other, what was once all too familiar for them, affect him too much.
“You ready to get schooled Y/N?”
“Not if we’re on the same team dipshit.” Steve slung an arm around the dispirited teen as they walked down the hall towards the gymnasium.
These uniforms were the bane of his existence. This whole class actually. The fabric of the shorts did nothing but hold sweat and when and if someone fell or was pushed while guarding you were sure to rub your skin open on impact with the waxed hard wood floors. The grey shirt was ill fitting and slightly baggy on you while it seemed to cling to Steve as the two of you walked out of the locker room together.
“Dude, you really need to even out that ‘farmers tan’. It’s just getting worse.”
Y/N rubbed his hand up his arm and looked at the stark line where the tan began and your normal skin tone began before staring back at Steve with an unamused expression. “Because Nancy loves those pasty chicken legs of yours so much right?”
“Pasty?! Chicken legs?! Oooh you’re so lucky we’re both shirts today..” Steve jumped up and down, hyping himself up for the game as he thought about what you said, debating staying late after school and using the weight room one of these days.
“Okay, ladies! Enough talking. Get in position.” The PE teacher and Basketball coach stood at the sidelines with a perfectly aired ball in his hand and a whistle in his other other. “Four on four game. I want it clean, or you’ll be doing laps until you throw up after school. All of you.”
Steve took the center and caught the ball as the coach tossed it out, Y/N taking his place next to him. He didn’t like athletics by any means but he wasn’t really given the option to choose his own electives so he decided to make the best of things and try to stay close to Harrington early on. “I’m watching you Harrington.” The coach pointed at him and they locked eyes.
“You need to keep your performance up before the season starts, you hear me?”
“Yes coach!” Steve replied. His face determined in spite of the shirtless blonde from this morning slyly grinning as he stood in as center for the opposing team. ‘He’s going to guard me, I just know it..’ He thought to himself as Y/N shook out his hands beside him, grabbing his attention. He tilted his head slightly and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Be my distraction okay? Ghost blondie when he comes for me..”
Y/N didn’t visibly react to what he’d said but on the inside he was groaning in annoyance. Steve might be the king of something, the king of starting shit. The blonde looked like his hobbies consisted of lifting weights and winning fist fights and he wanted him to go after him? Fuck.
When the whistle blew Steve immediately went into action and the building echoed with the sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor. Two shirts were held guarded in place as Steve faked out the teen and made a shot from the three point line, watching as it went in and one of the skins made a break for it.
“That won’t happen again.”
“Hargrove! Quit making eyes at him and get on the ball!” The coach yelled across the court as his team mate was at an impasse, standing at half court with one of Steve’s team mates behind him and Y/N steadfast in front of him. Eyes locked onto his. “Somebody get this freak off of me!”
“Pass!” As the teen went to make a pass to Tommy Y/N leapt and smacked the ball mid-air across the court, like a volleyball. The two skins quickly shove past him to help Billy obtain the ball before Steve can land another basket and Y/N makes his way behind the blonde. Steve and him make eye contact as he dribbles in place, billy aggressively bouncing himself against his back with full intentions on keeping this asshole from making his shot.
“So I heard they used to call you the king around here huh?” Steve tried to keep his eyes on the man’s hands as he was sure he would go to pick the ball away from him. “I saw that girl with you earlier, do you and the pretty boy share her? Or does she not know about you and him?”
“Why don’t you just shut the hell up and play!”
The moment that Steve let himself get distracted enough to respond Billy wedged his leg between his and swept his feet out to the side, out from under him. Y/N had closed in during their ‘intimidate moment’ and did just as Steve asked. While everyone was distracted by Billy’s foul play he’d secured the ball and had a decent shot lined up. The blonde was between him and the other players and that cheeky smirk he had when their eyes met did something to him. It made his skin itch. A crawling sensation.
“Why don’t you just give me that?” He asked, knees bent in preparation for Y/N to skitter away to somehow get Steve the ball.
“Come get it.” The side of Y/N’s lips curled slightly at the change in Billy’s expression. Eyebrows furrowed as he made a quick step forward just as Y/N jumped to make the shot from here. Either he’d make it or Steve could go in for the save and do a layup. Neither Billy or Y/N was able to watch because the muscular blonde had taken him to the floor. The coach blew his whistle just before the ball went in. He might have let him tripping Steve slide but that was a full contact tackle.
“Now what the hell did I say?! Clean. Game! Do you not know what ‘charging’ is Hargrove?” Billy glared down at the man underneath him who had his eyes clenched shut. He was scared. The pain in the back of his head from it hitting the wood floor coupled with the blow of the whistle had his ears ringing. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, coach. It won’t happen again.” He muttered as he raised up off the floor, reaching his arm down as Y/N opened his eyes. “Get the hell up then.” He took the hand and gathered himself off the floor with his help, rubbing the back of his sweaty head with his free hand before Billy pulled him in close, face inches from his.
“You. Are. Dead.” Something seemed to flash in those blue eyes. They were dilated and moving rapidly as if he was trying to read Y/N’s aloof expression before he shoved him away and retreated to wait for Y/N to get his free throw in. As pretty as they had been, they looked..predatory.
Y/N managed to weasel not just a nurse note for himself but after complaining that he was dizzy and lightheaded the coach wrote Steve one too. As they showered Y/N told Harrington what billy had said and explained that it was why he wanted to avoid the inevitable conflict for as long as possible.
“So what? You bruised the guy’s obviously huge ego. He isn’t going to actually kill you.” Steve commented as he shampooed his mass of sweaty hair.
“You didn’t see his eyes Steve..”
“Y/N. If I let every little death stare effect me do you think I would hang out with you? You look scary as hell all the time.” We don’t hang out..not anymore.
“Whatever. You got me into this so take some accountability.” Y/N rinsed the soap off of himself before cutting the faucet off and walking to the wall that the white towels hung lined up on hooks, drying himself off as quick as possible.
“I said ghost him! Not tussle with him on the floor!” Steve hollered, eyes closed to keep the soap from running into them being unaware of where Y/N was in the room. Either way it echoed loudly in the tile covered room and Y/N held his damp head, debating on actually going to the nurse to get a couple Tylenol or get the cigarette he was craving in while the majority of students and staff were busying themselves in the lunch room.
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Slinging his books into his locker next to Nancy’s as Steve filled her in on why he was limping slightly when she caught them in the hallway. Why he wasn’t at lunch, she chastised him for not forcing you to both the nurses and the front office.
“You’ve got to be kidding me Steve!” She lowered her voice a bit before continuing. “Death threats aren’t a joke..”
Steve held up his hands in a shrug. “You try to make him do something, it happened to him after all.”
“Yeah, because of you.” Y/N mumbled as they started to walk through the hall together towards their destination of the student parking lot, as soon as they cleared the doors Y/N dug his cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and lit one causing Steve to hold his nose and wave his hand through the billowing smoke.
“Say something Harrington. I dare you.”
Steve just sped up a head of you and Nancy and pointed at him, “See, scary!”
Y/N looked from Steve’s red car over towards the blue Camaro still parked where it had been and he felt his heart race quicken as Steve reached the car way before them, opening the passengers door in advance for Nancy as a gentlemanly gesture that made her smile sweetly. Steve was an idiot, maybe. But he was her idiot.
Just as Nancy reached the open door and readied herself to get in Y/N yelped, the cigarette in his mouth falling onto his collarbone and tumbling down after leaving its mark as Hargrove had a fist full of his hair, pulling his head back as he pressed against the back of him. “You two hiding from me? Where’d that energy from the game go?” He smiled as he peered down at Y/N and then at Steve and Nancy.
“Or what?” Billy replied to Nancy as she took a step forward. “So I was right huh? Y’all are all a ‘thing’?” Nancy scrunched up her face in confusion and went to take another step forward but Steve’s outstretched arm prevented her.
“Look man, I’m sorry for earlier. It wa—“
“H-ha..Steve just shut up and go, okay?” Y/N couldn’t look at them with Billy roughing yanking his back every time he tried to straighten back up but he could imagine the dumbfounded look Steve had on his face.
“Listen to your boy toy Harrington, the lady isn’t going to want to see this.” He rested his head against yours as he spoke and you could smell his cologne wafting off his denim jacket. A few students had stopped on their way to their cars to spectate and Steve looked around at them nervously. He couldn’t fight him, not in front of all these people. Not in front of Nancy. He couldn’t lose in front of her.
“My dad is a fucking cop and I’d you don’t think I’ll have him at your house so quick you’re dead wrong!” Nancy shouted at him, shoving Steve’s arm out of her way. Glaring him down as she threw her bluff his way.
Billy swayed slightly as if thinking what she said over before sliding his arm around the front of the man he was holding to loop his arm around his neck, planning to choke him out.
“I’m not..scared of you…”
Billy loosened his grip slightly and looked down at Y/N who had his eyes closed, he hadn’t even raised his hands up to try and get Billy off of him. “What’d you say?”
“I said—I’m not scared of you Billy..” Y/N tried to speak but occasionally the man would tense up around his throat and he’d have to croak the words out, that was until Billy scoffed and released him before using both hands to shove him as hard as he could into Steve’s car causing a tiny dent in the side of it.
Y/N stayed down on the ground after lifting himself up slightly, holding sore his neck. “Well I’m not!”
Billy turned to walk away, intent on leaving Maxine there if he didn’t show in the next minute or so. “I feel bad for you!” That stopped him. His breathing quickened as he spun back around and looked on enraged as Nancy helped Y/N off of the ground.
“I feel really, really bad for you Billy. Seriously, get help…” Before they gave Billy enough time to decide to charge back over Y/N climbed in the backseat and Nancy took her spot in the passengers side as Steve scrambled to get in the car and drive away, truly the most shaken up out of the three of them.
“That guy is fucking crazy..And you!” He looked over at Nancy as he pulled out of the parking lot before getting his eyes back on the road. “Your dad isn’t a cop!”
Nancy simply shrugged and looked out the window at the denim clad, blonde man still standing in the lot where they left him.
