Stranger Things - Imagines

Billy Hargrove X Reader - Anymore

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie Eilish. So, this one has a lot of references towards abusive family situations, both for Billy and Reader, and if that is likely to upset you, I strongly recommend you give this chapter a miss. I hope you all enjoy it.

Billy wasn't even all that certain about what had set him off that morning. Someone from the basketball team had made some dumb, throwaway comment about his mom in the middle of the hallway, without even knowing about his history, and he'd seen red. Usually, he could brush it off and pretend that it wasn't a big deal, but today, he'd overflowed. He'd had the guy pinned up against a locker without even a second of hesitation, rattling the entire metal contraption with the force he was using. And he was yelling so damn loud that it had even shocked him that so much noise could come out of him. And then, just as quickly as the red mist had set in, it had dispersed, and he was dropping the guy back to his feet and stepping back, hands raised to let him pass. 

The guy had gone scurrying off in the hopes that he could avoid a second outburst, leaving Billy standing at the lockers, his jaw tight and fists clenched. And then he'd heard the sharp breaths coming from a couple of lockers down, and he'd spotted you, your entire body practically shaking as you kept your head burrowed into your locker. And fuck, for the first time in a long time, Billy felt guilty. Shit, you looked absolutely terrified, trembling on the spot and incapable of moving enough to put distance between the two of you as the hallways cleared out, everyone else going into their next classes. 

"Hey," Billy breathed out, watching you flinch even at the softness of his voice. "Are you okay?" When you didn't answer he moved a little closer, peering around the edge of the locker door to get a better look at you. "I'm done yelling," he pressed on, shifting on the spot until you finally released a deep breath that he hadn't noticed you were holding, your shoulders depressing. "You good?"

You hesitated for a moment. "I'm fine."

"You sure-"

"I'm fine," you repeated, clearing your throat slightly and slowly starting to move again, your hands trembling as you reached for one of your books. 

"I didn't mean to scare you," Billy pressed on, and when you finally glanced in his direction, he looked so damn concerned that it made you freeze all over again. Billy Hargrove wasn't exactly known for being compassionate. Hell, he was a straight-up bully most of the time. But here he was, looking so soft that it startled you slightly. "I wasn't thinking," he added softly, lifting his hand to scratch at the back of his neck, only for you to take a sudden step back, away from him. 

This time, it was Billy who froze, his hand still settled behind his head, his expression flickering to something pained for just a second before returning to that softness you'd seen before. 

"Shit," he murmured, his tongue running over his teeth as he watched you. "You've been through some stuff, huh?" 

You swallowed down the lump in your throat, jaw clenching slightly. "I'm fine," you finally breathed again, your tongue darting out to wet your bottom lip. 

A soft snort of laughter slipped out of Billy at your words, and he bit down on his bottom lip in an attempt to stop it. "Sorry," he murmured. "It's just that's the only thing you have ever said to me."

"I should get to class," you uttered, clutching onto your book as if it was a comfort blanket. "I'm late."

He nodded slightly, offering you a soft smile. "I'll see you around," he hummed, watching as you backed away a few steps before turning and practically jogging down the hallway to your next class. 

*Time Skip*

You had always hoped that if you kept to yourself and didn't make a fuss, you would be able to fly totally under the radar. You wanted an easy pass through high school. You wanted to get good enough grades that you could go to a college out of state and get as far away from your house as you could. But, unfortunately for you, the world didn't always work that way. The boys tended to see your quietness as a weakness, a reason to push and poke in the hopes that one day, maybe, you would snap and the quiet, calm demeanour would slip.