#Moving in Stereo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shieldofiron · 6 months

Text

Moving In Stereo

Many moons ago I applied to the Harringrove Zine with a concept: what if Steve was a lifeguard with Billy at the pool. I ended up writing a completely different concept for the zine after way too many talks with @adelacreations but Lifeguard Steve has been waiting in the wings, ready to promote the Zine Preorder that opened today! The zine is made to support charity and there’s many ways that you can back it and read the crazy thing I had to write after finishing this, and all the incredible stuff the other contributors have come up with. We’re so excited to share it with you. And now without further ado: lifeguard Steve

Billy Hargrove had a new title: King of the Poolside. The whole town fawned over him, all the suburban moms who asked Steve about Billy’s schedule and blatantly stared at his body, all the teen girls who made eyes at him. Even the little kids liked him. Whenever Steve would sub in the aquatots class there would be a chorus of questions about, “Mr. Biwwy.”

It was starting to piss Steve off.

Steve didn’t mind not being King anymore. Billy could have the crown, shove it up his ass for all Steve cared. But they didn’t know the real Billy Hargrove. Despite a teary, drugged apology that night when Steve drove him home after the Byers, and the occasional conversation in the break room, Billy Hargrove remained as he always was: an asshole.

“Stick to your stand, ” Steve grumbled when Billy leaned against Steve’s leg, one golden shoulder pressing into Steve’s calf. Billy was hot all the time. Steve swore he could see steam rising off Billy’s shoulders when he rose out of the pool. Somehow he managed to do it in slow motion. The asshole.

“You can see all of the pool from your stand, though,” Billy smiled and snapped his gum, his eyes hidden by mirrored aviators.

“Then we’ll switch.”

He had to remind himself that Billy was an asshole, because for one millisecond Billy frowned and he almost looked hurt.

“Can’t be near me for even a second, huh?” Billy looked up, but his face was impossible to read behind his sunglasses. They only reflected Steve back to himself. His pink cheeks from Billy standing too close. His slightly wilted hair, curling at the ends from the heat. Billy was so shiny, chest gleaming, golden hair glassy and lustrous. Steve could see himself reflected in all the weirdest ways.

Steve shrugged. “Not my job to tell you what to do.”

Billy snorted, “You act like it enough.”

“Whatever,” Steve rolled his eyes. “One of your fan club is coming over.”

It could be splashing, but it nearly sounds like Billy muttered, “Showtime.”

It’s Karen Wheeler, tottering in a new swimsuit and heels that seem frankly dangerous close to the water’s edge. Steve twitched, the heat from where Billy’s shoulder was pressed to his leg almost throbbing with awareness.

“Hello, Steve,” She smiled too warmly. “Billy.”

“Dig the new suit, Mrs. Wheeler,” Billy pressed his sunglasses up his nose and gave her a toothy smile.

“Thank you, Billy,” She preened, and stretched out on a towel next to Steve’s stand. “The sun’s moved over here, so…”

Billy nodded, leaning into Steve’s leg, “Oh, yeah. Gotta chase those rays.”

She laughed like it’s the funniest thing she’d ever heard, and for some reason Billy did too, his white teeth gleaming.

Steve shuffled in his seat.

“Thanks for your help, Harrington,” Billy punched his leg softly, and Steve glared at him. “See you later Mrs. Wheeler.”

“Bye, Billy,” She called out hopefully. She has a bag slung over the back of her chair that reminded Steve of when Steve and Nancy used to date.

She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, and asked him what he’s doing now that he’s graduated while her eyes lingered on his chest hair. Steve gritted his teeth before draping a towel over himself.

Billy Hargrove was an asshole. But Mrs. Wheeler was starting to wig Steve out pretty bad too.

That afternoon, he was still in a sour mood. The stalls at the community pool have these wimpy curtains. They barely gave the illusion of security but King Billy always acted like he couldn't see that this stall was occupied.

“Whoops, sorry, Harrington,” His voice echoed off the tiles and Steve slipped, hand waving out in the middle of nowhere to help him catch his balance.

Billy’s arm shot out and caught him by the elbow

“For fuck’s sake Billy,” Steve’s voice was higher than he wanted, and kind of breathy. Billy was stark naked except for red flip flops. “This is the third time this week.”

“Sorry, compadre, I have a lot on my mind,” Billy nodded and turned, throwing the curtain closed behind him. “Really didn’t mean it.”

“Like what? It better be good, because if my… fucking dick is going to be exposed it better be for a damn good reason,” Steve groused.

“Nothing I didn’t see in school, chill out, baby,” Steve can practically hear that toothy grin.

“What’s on your mind?”

Billy doesn’t answer right away. But the shower next door turns on, and Steve can hear the slap of Billy’s flip flops.

“How do you know if you’re in love, Harrington?”

Steve’s mouth fell open and he got a mouthful of the nasty pipe water.

“What?”He asked.

“Like… I never been in love before,” This was followed by the patter of flip flops. “So I’m trying to get some perspective.”

“I… you think you’re in love?”

“Probably,” Billy doesn’t sound happy about it. Water splashes on the tiles around Steve and he imagines the water splattering across Billy’s chest, heat rising like steam. Slow motion.

“What makes you think so?”

“I’ve been saving money,” Billy said. “I’m very close to getting back to California. I could go. But there’s this person…”

“So… tell her how you feel?” Steve expected that he would be fucking elated to find out that Billy was leaving, but instead it feels kind of empty and blank.

Billy laughed, a short firecracker burst of a sound, hitting the tiles all around Steve like a whip’s crack. It was very different from the way he laughed earlier.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just trying to figure myself out, you know.”

“When would you leave?”

Billy sighed, “Sooner is better. They’re never gonna feel the same way. I’m kidding myself, you know?”

Steve scrubbed a hand through his hair, waiting too long before responding. “I’m sorry, man.”

“Don’t worry about it,” This laugh sounds more like the Mrs. Wheeler laugh, loud and, Steve’s starting to suspect, fake.

“You could still give it a try,” Steve offered weakly, “You’ve got nothing to lose, right?”

The laugh got louder, “You’re a riot, Harrington. Really, you are.”

Steve drove home with his head weirdly muddled with this news. He should be psyched about Billy's leaving. And if Billy got with his crush, he would have less time to piss Steve off or flirt with everyone in town. It was a win win.

It’s only when Steve was in bed later that night, the smell of chlorine still hanging in his nose slightly, that he wondered. Why Steve said she, but Billy said they. Like it could be anyone.

Like it could be a guy.

He watched the next day, the way Billy hung back from the crowd of girls, always holding himself apart. He slid away from a girl who was practically falling out of her swimsuit, smile frozen on his shiny face. Mrs Wheeler is staring at him, and Steve is uncomfortable to think how he’s not much better.

Come to think of it, he’s never seen Billy really hang around a girl that long. Oh he talks to them, goes on dates. He sleeps with them, or so Steve has heard. He’s never attached to any of them, he never seems to linger around one more than any other. Steve used to be part of SteveAndNancy and SteveAndMichelle and SteveAndChrissy. Billy wasn’t Billy and anybody.

It’s pretty easy to keep an eye on him because the only place Billy seems to linger is around Steve’s stand. He hangs by Chet at the gate sometimes too, giving him sunny smiles that make Steve’s chest hurt. Eddie Munson rolls by sometimes at closing, sitting with Billy in the back of his van.

Steve started to stare so hard he swore he was getting blinded by the glare off of Billy’s necklace, the gleam of his fake smile.

He showered and started to lock up in a fog, when he heard a splash in the water. The pool is closed… Steve’s blood runs cold. He promised himself if he took this job that nothing like what happened to Barb would ever happen again.

He groped under the check-in desk, coming up with the plank that they use to prop open the window when the weather is stifling, and crept out into the pool area.

“Jesus, Harrington,” Billy bobbed in the water, “What the fuck are you doing?”

Steve exhaled a shaky breath, “Fuck, Billy. I thought you were like a wild animal or something.”

“Who says I’m not?”

Steve dropped the plank to his side, “What are you doing out here?”

Billy leaned back in the water, his hair floating out in a dirty blonde halo, “Taking a dip. It was hot as hell today. You wanna come in?”

“I just showered.”

Billy shook his head, “Haven’t seen you in the pool all summer. Can you even swim?”

“How do you think I got the job, asshole?” Steve frowned.

“So prove it, asshole,” Billy grinned.

Steve grumbled, hating Billy for baiting him and hating himself for rising to it.

“There’s that King Steve spirit,” Billy smiled smugly. “Feels good, right?”

Steve floated along, annoyed that it did actually feel good. He tried not to think of the mass of swimming kids he’d seen opening their mouths underwater in the pool all day, and just enjoy.

“Did you talk to your crush?”

“Talk to them every day,” Billy replied with a laugh.

That ruled out Eddie Munson.

Steve frowned, bobbing closer, “You talk to them every day and you don’t know if they like you?”

Billy smiled ruefully, “I know they don’t.”

Steve rolled his head back into the water, “You could tell them. What’s the harm, if you might leave soon? No regrets, right?”

Billy doesn’t respond, but Steve was content enough to wait, his face turned up towards the late afternoon sunset, eyes closed. He hadn’t gotten into a pool for pleasure in so long.

It almost felt like the water lapping up, brushing Steve’s face. A warm press, something soft brushing his lips. If it hadn’t been for the stifled moan, Steve might have thought it was the pool.

He opened his eyes, and Billy was covering his mouth with his hand, swimming backwards. Steve could see his own shock reflected back in Billy’s bare blue eyes.

“Sorry,” Billy said, “Fuck, I’m… I’m sorry.”

Steve blinked at him, his brain still catching on to what happened.

“I’m so-” Billy swam swiftly to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out, shaking his head.

He kissed him. Billy kissed him?

It didn’t make sense. Steve’s game has been shot. He hadn’t gotten a single date this summer, nor a single kiss. He’d been a dick to Billy, snapping at him with the slightest provocation. He wasn’t King Steve anymore and Billy could have anyone he wanted.

He was slammed out of his reverie when the gate slams shut, leaving Steve alone, bobbing like a cork.

Billy didn’t come to work the next day. Or the next. Steve felt like he was going through his days under water, in slow motion.

“He quit,” Heather raised one perfect brow, “Will you mop up in the boys bathroom? Some kid threw up a hot dog.”

Steve didn’t exactly want to clean up hot dog but it wasn’t like there was Billy around to hang out with. Billy to jostle and scowl at, Billy to float on the water with. Billy to kiss…

Later, Billy asked Steve when he realized, when he decided he needed to rush over to Cherry Lane right away and bang on the window until Billy opened up. Billy asked when Steve decided to kiss Billy then and there, in front of God and everybody.

Steve didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was when he was mopping up chunks of hot dog, chlorine clogging his nostrils, nothing to do but think. Billy had said he loved someone. Someone he talked to every day, who didn’t like him much. Someone who could be a boy. Someone like Steve.

“You’re an asshole,” Steve laughed as he flopped through Billy’s window and wrapped his arms around him. Billy didn’t gleam like he did at the pool, all shiny surfaces. But he kissed Steve like he meant it, reflected back all the mixed up feelings swirling in Steve’s chest. All of this and in slow motion too.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy x steve #steve x billy #harringrove zine #kings of nowhere zine #my writing #moving in stereo #tw Karen wheeler #harringrove fluff

113 notes · View notes