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yikesharringrove · 4 years

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You've given us DadHopper taking care of Billy and learning how to deal with his issues with the help of Steve, buy what about Hopper and maybe Joyce (because Steve's parents always seen like a double dose of bad that feeds off each other) accidentally triggering a panic attack in Steve? Maybe that being when they realize how important they are to Steve with a bit of Billy and/or some of the kids yelling at them to really drive it home?

Under the cut. There’s some mentions of Steve’s terrible parents and Steve having a panic attack. This is based on a lot of my own personal head canons for this tiny boy that I include in most of my works.

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Steve can take being made fun of.

Seriously, look at who is best friends are, his boyfriend. The kids poke at him, Robin is always cracking jokes, and Billy loves teasing him just to get him all riled up.

But they always know what to avoid, how certain deliveries can cut him.

He’s sitting at dinner with Hopper and Joyce and Billy. He was over, just watching a movie with Billy when Joyce arrived, toting a big lasagna and a few side dishes.

Hop had invited her over while El was having dinner with the Wheelers’. (He thought Billy and Steve were going out, but apparently Billy just couldn’t be fucked to leave the house tonight). So now he was kind of on a double date with his son.

Dinner was nice. Steve helped Joyce in the kitchen while Hop and Billy set the table, crashing onto the couch after. Billy grinned and winked at Steve, starting cracking jokes about look at our cute little wifies makin’ us dinner. Get yourself a GOOD woman. Steve threw a piece of garlic bread at him.

Everyone was having a good time, crowded around the small table Hopper had bought after realizing they all needed a lot more space than just he and El did. Joyce asked the boys about school, how Steve’s new job at the ice cream place in the mall was.

But then Hopper turned to Steve, asked him what his plans for after graduation were.

“I was thinking about taking some time off. Working for a little while so I can figure out what I want to do.” Steve was pushing a chunk of tomato around on his plate.

“So you’re big plans are working at the mall?” Steve’s ears were tinged red. He was staring at his plate, the piece of tomato.

“Why does he have to know right now? He doesn’t.” Billy was always quick to defend Steve, but he could tell where this was going, could smell it a mile away. He knew Hop didn’t mean anything by it, was just being the chiding dad wanting to look out for his son, but this was a touchy subject. Steve often got yelled at for not having future plans, for throwing his future away.

“I thought Jonathan told me you were going to work for your dad.” Steve starting taking practiced breaths, glancing up to smile at Joyce before looking back down.

“Uh, that was the, the plan but that’s, it’s not anymore.”

“What do you mean? That would be a better job to tide you over than the mall.” Billy kicked Hop under the table, shaking his head just a little, eyes wide.

“Uh, yes. Yes it would be, but um, since I don’t, won’t have a, a degree, the offer has been rescinded.” Billy closed his eyes. Figured rescinded was the exact word Mr. Piece-of-Shit Harrington had used after calling his son his idiot for an hour. Billy hadn’t gotten the whole story, Steve didn’t tend to speak clearly when he was sobbing into Billy’s neck.

“Wait, what do you mean you won’t have a degree?”

“Dad-”

“I didn’t get into college. Any college. Not even Tech,” He placed his fork down, blinking rapidly. “Thank you so much for dinner, but I really have to be going.” He gave a weak smile at Billy who stood up with him, following Steve out of the cabin, throwing a glare over his shoulder at Hop.

Joyce began picking up plates.

“I don’t feel good about that, Hop.” She put the plates on the kitchen counter, standing on her toes to look out the window. “Oh no.”

Hop joined her, got a clear view of Billy sitting on the porch steps, Steve draped over him, completely in his lap. He had his face buried in Billy’s shoulder, and they could see the way his back was heaving, shaking as Billy rubbed gently up and down it, one hand playing with Steve’s hair.

“That, uh, that doesn’t look good.” Joyce turned to Hopper.

“I didn’t think we were, were hard on him, I mean maybe you could’ve gone in on him less-”

“I just spent a lot of years dealing with that kid being a brat. I want to make sure he’s good enough for my son. Billy has all of his eggs in that kid’s basket and he’s working at a mall for the foreseeable future.”

“Yeah but Hop, that’s not your call to make. He’s a good kid, he’s good with the kids, and he’s good to Billy, good for him to. Billy can make his own decisions about who’s in his life.”

“But I’m just worried about Steve being dead weight. Billy’s smart I’ve seen his report cards. He could go anywhere, do anything, but he’s gonna end up sitting in Hawkins working minimum wage because he doesn't wanna leave Steve.”

The front door slammed shut.

Billy was standing in the threshold, shoulders drawn tight, fists clenched.

“Jesus Hop, tell me how you really fuckin’ feel.” Hopper sighed.

“Look, you know I like the kid, you’ve just got a brighter future than-”

“You know he told me he sees you guys as his parents. You know why? Because his parents fucking suck.” He came to stand on the other side of the L shaped counter, looking sternly at Hop and Joyce. “Do you remember when he came over because he wanted to tell me he got a B on the essay I helped him write, and you patted him on the back and said good job, kid.” He gave a gruff imitation of Hopper. “You probably don’t, because it was such a nothing moment, but he talked about that for weeks. If he had brought home a B to his own parents, his dad would’ve yelled that he can do better and his mom would’ve taken her Vicodin and went to bed. Because that’s what his house is like. A B is the best grade he’s ever gotten.”

“Well, not for nothing, but there is a grade higher than-” Billy cut Hopper off with what sounded like a fucking growl.

“When Steve was five his teacher wanted to test him for dyslexia and ADHD and all this other shit that, mind you, he obviously fucking has, but his dad wouldn’t let him get tested. He said Steve just needs to work harder and calls Steve a retard and all this shit like every day. School is really fucking hard for him because he can barely fucking read on a good day and no one has ever helped him. He got a B on that paper because I read the book out loud to him, and he could actually understand the meaning of everything because he wasn’t trying to decipher all these letters moving around. And when he didn’t get into college, his dad went off on him, and told him he’s a disappointment, and told him he has one year to work and re-apply and get into college or he’s cut off. And don’t even get me started on his mom.”

Joyce looked like she was about to cry. Hopper felt like shit, felt like there was cold water running down his spine.

“You know she tells Steve she doesn’t love him? Seriously, she did it in front of me one night, like got drunk and starting talking about how she feels literally no emotions towards him, and never has.

He took a deep breath, gripping the edge of the counter so tightly his knuckles were white.

“So then tonight, you start in on him, saying a lot of the same shit his dad has been saying to him, except this time, he actually really cares what you think, thinks of you as more a father than his own dad, and you just shattered his fucking world. He’s out on the front porch right now, probably calling himself stupid and trying to pull chunks of his fucking hair out, because that’s his panic attack M.O.” Billy snatched up his and Steve’s jackets, Steve’s keys. “I’m going to take him home and stay the night with him to make sure he doesn’t fucking hurt himself because of this.” He stomped towards the door, turning back one last time. “And I expect and apology.”

It was silent after he left. They could hear him gently coercing Steve into the car, lots of hushed it’s okay Baby and hey, quit pullin’ your hair. They could hear Steve’s car start and pull out of the drive.

“Joyce, I feel like shit.” Her eyes were sympathetic.

“Me too, Hop. I had no idea. Can you imagine having a child and being that cruel?” Hop sat down on the couch, burying his head in his hands.

“And I can’t even fucking adopt him because he’s eighteen.” Joyce was quiet.

“Is that how you solve problems now? Adopting kids?” He looked at her.

“Worked for the other two, didn’t it?” She gave him a Look.

“I’m so embarrassed.” She sat down next to him, tucking herself under his arm. “That poor boy. That actually explains so much.”

“It really does. God, he’s just been crying out for fucking attention this whole time. Why didn’t I see it?” He groaned. “And I called him fucking dead weight, Joyce I’m a terrible person. I fucking remember that essay, because his face fucking lit up, and I thought it was kinda, kinda weird, but I don’t know if he’s ever heard good job before.”

Over the next few weeks, every time Steve was over Hopper tried to be kinder, softer. He had apologized to Steve, told him he didn’t need to figure himself out right now, and told him about how it took Hop three years of wasting away at University to realize he wanted to joint the police force.

The next time he came in with B paper that Billy helped him with, Hopper put it on the fridge, next to El’s list of daily vocab words, a few pictures Jonathan has taken, three of Will’s drawings, and Billy’s quarterly report cards (straight A’s, 4.0 GPA because his son is fucking smart).

“So, I pulled a few strings, got you in here with pretty short notice.” Hop was standing with Steve outside of a plain building. He had taken him into the city, said he needed help with something for Billy.

“What, what do you mean?”

“You’re gonna be tested for dyslexia. The test takes about 6 hours, but afterwards they’re going to know exactly how to help you.”Steve was looking at him with big eyes. Hopper awkwardly handed him a brown paper sack. “Joyce packed you some snacks and a lunch. You’ll get breaks and stuff. And don’t stress yourself out. There’s no right answers, this is just to find the best ways to help.” Hopper led Steve into the building, checking him in at the front desk. Steve was quiet behind him, had been blinking a lot as he looked around the testing center.

“I’m going to stay in the city in case you finish early.” He gave Steve a small smile, squeezing his shoulder. “Good luck.” He went to turn around, but was tackled into a tight hug, Steve squeezing Hopper probably as much as he could. He squeezed the kid back, gently patting his back. When Steve pulled away, he looked Hop int he eye.

“Thank you.”

#harringrove #dad hopper #steve harrington #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove fic #harringrove ficlet #harringrove drabble #yikes writes #can you believe I almost gave her a sad ending

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