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billyhargrovereal · 2 years

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I humbly offer you some mid-2000s punk band Billy and captain of the basketball team Steve to get you through this Tuesday!

***

Fell In Love With A Boy

Billy’s head shoots up, his eyes scanning the parking lot as Céline Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ starts to blare from someone’s car, the sound polluting the crisp, early March air. He's about to go find who it was and tell them to turn that shit down before his ears bleed, when he notices that it's coming from Steve Harrington’s car, parked right at the front of the lot, giving Billy a perfect view of the brunette slumped down in his seat, head in his hands.

As if drawn in by a magnetic force, Billy stands and starts to walk away from his group of friends toward the car.

“Leave it, Billy,” Carol calls when she notices where he's headed. She knows all about his crush on the other boy, how it consumes his thoughts, even though they all know nothing will ever happen.

Steve's the most popular boy in Hawkins, ruling the school with his perfect princess girlfriend, Nancy Wheeler. He's the star of the basketball and swim teams, and a great artist, his work competing in in competitions at everything from a local to national level. He's also gorgeous, with his floppy brown hair, mile long legs, and preppy clothes.

It would be easier to deny his feelings if the guy was a jerk, but along with being the most popular guy in school, he volunteers at the old age home on the edge of town, and he works weekends in the children’s section of the town library. He's also unfailingly kind to teachers and students alike. He's basically everything Billy wants, a complete opposites attract situation, worlds away from Billy’s punk bands and skateboard, his tattoos and role as drummer for Corroded Coffin, a local pop-punk band.

Billy gives Carol the finger as he walks away, laughing as she tells him to go fuck himself.

As he approaches Harrington’s car, he notices that the other boy singing along, off-key, and that he was crying. Big, hiccoughing sobs wracking his body.

“Uhhhh, hey, Steve?” Billy shouts, trying to be heard over the music. Harrington doesn’t react at all, continuing to cry into his hands. “Steve?” Billy tries again, louder this time.

The brunette pulls his hands off his face, looking up at Billy with big, tear stained eyes. “What do you want?” Harrington shouts back, sounding uncharacteristically gruff. Billy recognizes that it's a little weird that he's there, considering he and Steve’s paths don’t cross a whole lot, but he can’t watch the other boy cry and not do something about it.

“Just wanted to check that you’re ok? You seem a little upset.” That's an understatement. Full on meltdown is a better way to describe it, but Billy isn’t going to be the one to say it.

Steve laughs, almost maniacally. “Upset. Yeah, I’m fucking upset. Nancy just broke up with me. Three years together and she dumps me out of nowhere, saying she’s fallen for the photographer for the school paper.”

Jonathan Byers. Shit, he’d always seemed like an alright guy too. He's Billy’s dealer, and he always gives him a fair price. He's a little quiet, and there was this whole weird thing where his brother had disappeared the year before, presumed dead, only to show up out of nowhere a month later, seemingly perfectly fine, but Billy never expected something like this. Not from Wheeler either, straight A student, editor of the school paper, captain of the field hockey team.

“Can I sit for a minute?” Billy asks, pointing to the passenger seat.

“I guess,” Harrington replies, eying him suspiciously.

He unlocks the door, and Billy walks around, climbing in, sliding his skateboard down at his feet and his backpack into his lap. He turns down the music to reasonable volume and turns to the other boy. “I know it seems like the world is ending, and I know it sucks to have feelings for someone who doesn’t want you, but there are plenty of other bitches in the sea, Harrington. You’ll find the right person for you. Someone who loves you and respects you. Just give it some time.”

Harrington looks at him with those beautiful Bambi eyes. “Uhhh, thanks, Billy, that’s nice of you to say, but it feels like my entire world is crashing down around me and I can’t breathe, and I can’t stop thinking about Nancy and all the good times we had together. I thought I was going to marry her someday.” He breaks into a fresh wave of sobs, turning the mopey music back up.

Billy can’t watch this any longer. He hits eject on the car’s stereo, taking the CD and flinging it into the back seat. “First step to getting over someone. Don’t wallow and think about the good shit. Get angry. Céline Dion’s not going to make you feel better, but I guarantee that I have something that will. Are you free tonight? 7pm?”

Steve eyes him skeptically, but agrees to have Billy come over that evening.

***

Billy spends the rest of the day plotting, creating the perfect playlist. As soon as school lets out, he jumps on his board and heads home, ignoring his friends as they call after him to have a smoke with them.

Thankful that his dad isn’t home until 5, Billy grabs a blank CD and loads up Limewire on the family computer. After an hour’s work, he's satisfied, burning a CD filled with Puddle of Mudd and Blink 182, Rancid and The Used. Music that Harrington can get angry to.

At 7pm, he's at Harrington’s door, handing him the CD labeled FUCK YOU NANCY WHEELER AND JONATHAN BYERS. The title is a little on the nose, but it gets a laugh out of Harrington, so that’s all that matters.

Harrington leads Billy up to his room and pops the CD in his state of the art stereo system. As “She Hates Me” starts blaring from the speakers, Steve bobs his head, looking adorable in his khakis and pink polo.

“Come on, Harrington, I know you’ve got more fire in you than that. You need to get into it.” Billy demonstrates, closing his eyes and thrashing around his room to the loud music. He stops, looking expectantly at Harrington, who's still just bobbing his head. Billy takes his hand, feeling a zip of electricity up his arm at the contact, and leads him around the room. By the time the closing notes of Dammit are playing, Steve is a ball of energy, moving all over the place, screaming along to the music.

They collapse on the bed as the last song fades out, trying to catch their breath. “Don’t you feel better?” Billy asks.

Steve grins. “You know, Billy? I think I do. Thanks.”

***

After that night, he and Steve start hanging out on a semi regular basis. They'll sometimes go to punk shows, or Steve will watch Billy’s band practice. Some nights, Billy will just lay on Steve’s bed, watching him paint, and Billy starts volunteering at the old age home. At first, the seniors don’t know what to make of his tattoos and piercings, but they’ve warmed to him, and now it’s one of the highlife of his week. He’s even burnt a few CDs for one resident, Margaret. She gives him feedback on what she did and didn’t like every time she sees him. She’s a big fan of Blink 182, but could give or take the Dropkick Murphys.

The whole time, Billy falls harder and harder for Harrington, but doesn’t know how to tell him. He knows Billy’s gay and doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, but Billy doesn’t know if he even likes guys, let alone reciprocates Billy’s feelings.

Months slide by, and before Billy knows it, it’s late May and Harrington’s a high school graduate. Billy attends the ceremony, ignoring the scowls of Steve’s parents as he cheers loudly for the other boy. They’re disappointed that Steve’s chosen to stick around Hawkins for another year to get his grades up before reapplying to universities, but Billy’s beyond excited to have Steve around for his senior year.

***

Billy’s friends encourage him to let Steve know how he feels, even as Billy denies that Steve likes him back. They tell him that he doesn’t see the way Steve looks at him as he walks away, like it hurts to see him go, how his eyes light up when Billy enters a room, or the look on his face when Billy chats up another guy at a party or a show.

There are a couple of times that something almost happens, when they’re laying out watching the stars in Steve’s yard, or when they’re getting high on Steve’s bed, but something always bursts the bubble and brings them back to reality, the moment ruined.

Unable to take it any longer, Billy’s bandmates help him hatch a plan. At their next show, Billy makes sure that Steve’s in the front row.

They come out on stage, and their singer, Eddie, walks up to the microphone, greeting the small crowd gathered in the local Elk’s Lodge. “Hey everyone, thanks for coming out tonight. We’re Corroded Coffin. Our regularly scheduled show will start soon, but first, we have a special treat. Billy, take it away.”

Billy’s sweating bullets at his drum set, his heart beating a hundred miles a minute. He looks at Carol, who gives him a nod and a small thumbs up from her place behind her bass.

He leans into his microphone, grabbing his drumsticks. “Steve Harrington, this one’s for you.” He takes a deep breath, and starts singing. “In the car, I just can’t wait, to pick you up on our very first date…”

The rest of the room falls away, his eyes only on Steve for the whole length of the song. He gets to see the range of emotions on the other boys face, going from confusion, to shock, to giddy happiness, a grin splitting his face as he bops along to the song, just like Billy taught him.

When he’s done his song, Eddie takes back over and the show goes on. Energy is high in the crowd and among the band members, and Billy’s practically vibrating by the time they’re done performing.

As soon as they walk off the stage, there’s Steve, waiting for him, bouncing on the balls of his feet, smiling wide. “You were great, Billy!” He says, placing his hand on Billy’s shoulder. Billy smiles back at him, the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Thank you, can I meet you outside in a minute? I just have to put my drums in Eddie’s van. Meet me at your car.”

Steve nods, heading out towards the parking lot.

Billy scrambles to get his equipment together, practically running out to the van to toss it in. The cool air feels nice on his flushed skin, and he takes a moment to just breath before running over to Steve’s car.

“So, what did you think of my song?” He asks as he gets in passenger seat.

Steve blushes, ducking his head. “I think it was great. You don’t exactly have Eddie’s voice, but you did pretty good!”

Billy elbows him for that, sticking out his tongue as he lights a cigarette. He’s been trying to quit, but he needs to calm his nerves.

“I also think I’m an idiot for not trying to scoop you up earlier, Billy. I was trying to give myself time to get over Nancy, but I don’t want to wait any longer. What do you say to that first date? Friday night? You, me, a bucket of popcorn and whatever trash they’re playing at the Hawk?”

Billy’s heart leaps. “I say yes. A million times yes, Steve.” He stubs out his cigarette in the little dashboard ashtray. “Can I kiss you?”

Steve grins, nodding. As their lips meet, Billy’s hand cupping Steve’s jaw, Steve’s fist grabbing Billy’s shirt, ‘All The Small Things’ plays softly on the radio, setting a perfect mood.

***

Seven years later, as Billy’s band plays Warped Tour, Steve stands just off stage, wearing a Corroded Coffin t-shirt of his own design, looking out into a crowd of concertgoers wearing matching shirts, cheering and screaming louder than anyone.

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