Stranger Love [Billy Hargrove]

Stranger Love - Chapter Twenty Five

Hey guys! This is it, the last chapter! I can't believe it's come to an end so swiftly. I've truly enjoyed writing this fiction and fleshing out Billy's infamous character a little bit more. I'm glad I waited for season 3 to air, as it gave us all a bit of an insight into Billy's home-life before Hawkins. It was always an idea of mine to create a slightly different backstory for his Mom, to give his Dad's anger more depth and to explain why Billy is so aggressive and angry all of the time.

My original character Anya is a favourite of mine to write. I couldn't just simply create a female character to fall in love with Billy – I wanted her to have her own backstory and go through her own adventure too. I believe her to be a really strong female character – I hope this came through in my work!

So, this chapter has a little bit of Anya/Billy fluff. Their romance so far has been pretty intense, so it's time they got a bit of happiness.

I would like to thank everyone who voted and commented on Stranger Love – you guys always inspire me to keep writing. I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed reading this. As El would say – you are all 'bitchin'.

Jess xxxxx

...

Stranger Love

Chapter Twenty Five – Time to Say Goodbye

One Month Later

"Billy stop it." Anya mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She was cocooned in his blankets and had no intention of moving for a long while. Billy, it seemed, was getting bored, for he had started poking at her nose like the big child that he was.

"It's nearly 10am, Anya, are you gonna wake up today or what?" He asked, words laced with amusement.

"No." She responded, opening one eye to glare at him. "Leave me alone, you jerk,"

"Hm, that's not what you were saying last night, or the night before that..."

Anya rolled her eyes at his smirk. She sighed, stretching out her limbs before sitting up to spy the mess that was his bedroom. Her clothes littered the floor, along with copious vinyl's they'd peeled through the night before. "Alright. I'm awake,"

"I didn't say you had to leave my bed," Billy chastised playfully, blue eyes watching her as she slid from the sheets. She was wearing one of his black Metallica T-shirts, one she doubted he was going to get back anytime soon.

"I need the bathroom now," Anya chimed, pacing through the empty hall. Susan, Neil and Maxine had been away in the city for three days. They were on a shopping spree to get a dress for Max, who had the middle school Snow Ball that very evening - though the redhead had been pretty disgruntled by the idea of it. Billy had accosted Anya the minute they left the driveway and she hadn't been out much since (apart from a shift at the diner), the pair completely wrapped up in each other in a rare moment of total peace.

Billy still got angry. Neil was still an ass, and Susan still very much a wet blanket, but life was rolling on. Things were, for the most part, getting better. Billy had taken up boxing at the local gym, which seemed to help curb his angry outbursts and meant he was only pounding leather, rather than someone's face. He was trying, Anya could see it and was grateful. Maxine seemed far easier around her older step-brother, and they even laughed and joked sometimes when he dropped her off to the arcade. He still got a bit annoyed with Lucas, and all the other boys Max hung around with, saying she should have friends 'who were girls'. Anya merely told him to stop worrying, they were good kids, after all.

Anya often visited El at the cabin. Her powers were growing, so the girls trekked far into the woods to practise at least once a week. Hopper was with them, most days, keeping their endeavours from prying eyes, and when he couldn't, Steve did. He had been the rock that Anya needed, someone she could talk to besides El openly and honestly about her powers. She loved Gemma, but her best friend, like Billy, was better off not knowing anything about it.