#billy hargrove x reader non con | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sammy-is-not-smiley · 2 years

Text

Replacement (Part 1/2)

Steve Harrington x fem!reader

S4 SPOILER FREE

Summary: After coming across Steve and Dustin on the railroad tracks, you ended up accidently going through hell with them fighting demodogs and helping the Byers at their house. Now, you were tasked with keeping the kids safe at the house with Steve. The only thing is you assumed you were keeping them safe from interdimensional monsters... not Billy Hargrove.

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings/tags: Fist fight, anxiety, gross non-con kiss, creepy Billy, hurt but not much comfort yet

A/N: This one starts a little boring but gets interesting towards the end lol. If I missed any possible trigger warnings please feel free to let me know! I’m still learning how to properly put them. I want to be able to give proper warning for those who need it. Part 2 will be available immediately :)

Read Part 2

Pondering over the night once again, you stared in the mirror, face dripping with cold water. Just the day before, the thing you were most worried about was your upcoming math final. Now, that final was a fading blip in the back of your mind. The night had consisted of fighting dog-like beasts with Steve Harrington, hiking in the woods with a nerdy group of middle schoolers, and meeting a little girl with superpowers who saved your life right before your eyes. To say nothing felt right was an understatement.

A majority of the group that had been at the Byers’s minutes before had just left to carry out a plan you barely could keep up with. They all seemed to know what they were talking about though, and that was enough for you. In the end, you and Steve were left to keep the kids at the house and keep them safe while everyone else went to their separate missions. Considering the exhaustion you felt from the events of the evening, you were more than happy to be a co-babysitter.

With a heavy sigh, you wiped your face with a clean towel and exited the Byers’ bathroom. As you did, a crashing erupted from the kitchen.

“All right,” You heard Dustin say. “It should fit now.”

You cautiously turned the corner to see the dead Demodog from the living room wrapped in a quilt in Steve’s arms. Dustin stood in front of a completely empty fridge, metal racks and bottles of condiments littering the floor next to him in a messy pile.

“Is this really necessary?” Steve asked in labored breaths. He noticed you as you entered the kitchen and looked at you with pleading eyes.

You rolled your eyes and fought a smile at Steve’s inability to say no to Dustin. “Dust, what are you putting him through now?”

“I’m preserving science,” Dustin replied sternly. “This is a groundbreaking scientific discovery! We can’t just bury this like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog,” He said to both you and Steve.

You and the taller boy glanced at each other, thinking the same thing. You looked back at Dustin, “Dude…. Demo-dog.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “I call it that because it sounds badass, not because it’s scientifically accurate! It looks like a dog but it probably isn’t part canine.”

Steve groaned loudly, patience fraying, and started approaching the empty fridge. “Whatever Dust, you’re explaining this to Mrs. Byers,” He stressed.

He attempted to stuff the creature into the fridge but very obviously struggled, making you smirk. Your eyes trailed over and you caught yourself having to pull your eyes away from his jawline and neck as it flexed.

Now? Really? You shook your head as you chastised yourself. This is where being exhausted gets you.

The fridge shook as the head of the Demodog smacked against it. “Agh, help me out,” Steve grunted at Dustin.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Get the door or something!” Steve’s head turned and he pleaded your name. “Help.”

You scoffed and put your hands up, shaking your head. “Not my circus, not my monkeys. I’m not touching that thing.”

Groaning in response, Steve continued his struggle until finally, the fridge door could be slammed shut. You could hear the clang of glass bottles inside and the two boys let out a huff as you turned and began walking into the living room to get a subtle head count of the other kids.

Lucas and Max swept up the shattered glass from the window Eleven had thrown the Demodog through. Mike paced back and forth nervously, not paying any mind to you or the other two.

“Mike!” Lucas snapped suddenly, making you jump as you walk in. “Would you just stop?”

“You weren’t in there, okay, Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs,” Mike snapped back with just as much bite. It was obvious he was worried sick for El.

“The chief will take care of her,” Lucas weakly tried to reassure, an air of annoyance in his tone. You admitted to yourself you were a bit annoyed with Mike too. He’d been nothing but pissy the whole night.

Max quietly scoffed. “Like she needs protection…”

Your shoulders sagged at the children's lame attempts to try and put Mike at ease. He might be irritable, but those kinds of responses wouldn’t pull him down from it. You took a step towards Mike. “Max is kind of right. I mean, you saw what she did to that…. Demodog,” You hesitated, the word still foreign on your tongue. “She threw it through the window with her mind. I think she might be able to handle a few more dogs.”

“You weren’t there either!” Mike practically barked your name. “This isn’t just ten or fifteen of those dogs, it’s hundreds. What’s this to you anyway? Why are you here?”

You felt a flame of anger burst into your chest. This was the first you had talked to him that night and you weren’t going to stand him shoving that attitude onto you. You thought Hopper had put this kid in his place before they left, but apparently not. “I don’t know, maybe because I want to help while it feels like the world is suddenly falling apart? News flash, Michael, I am as scared to death as you are. Don’t put us below you because you think none of us understand,” You fumed at him a little louder than intended. You really couldn’t regulate your own emotions while exhausted.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Steve interjected between you and Mike, a dish towel in one hand as he lifted both hands up. “Time out you two.”

You both rolled your eyes, turning in opposite directions. Mike really wasn’t worth the little energy you had left.

“Listen, dude,” Steve directed toward Mike. “Tone it down a bit. If the coach calls a play in the game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?”

Mike turned to Steve, a newfound rage in his eyes. “Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game, and second, we aren't even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

Steve nodded as he wiped his hands on the dish towel. “Right, so my point is… Yeah, we’re on the bench so uh… There’s nothing we can do.” He concluded and threw the dish towel back and over his shoulder.

“That’s not entirely true,” Dustin argued. “I mean, these Demodogs have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus they were called away.”

Lucas leaned against a broomstick. “So if we get their attention…”

“Maybe we can draw them away from the lab,” Max said.

“And clear a path to the gate,” Mike finished.

Steve folded his arms over his torso. “Yeah, and then we all die.”

“Or not,” You piped up. If you didn’t know any better you would think these kids had a hive mind too. Their plan was thought up quickly but it sounded about right as far as you could tell. And with Mike’s mood making yours go sour, going out and doing something useful didn’t sound half bad. Otherwise, you might end up beating a child whos name starts with an ‘M’.

“Really?” Steve's shoulders sagged at you. “You’re the one supposed to be on my side here!”

You shrugged and gave an insincere apologetic expression. “Steve, as much as it annoys me to say this at the moment, Mike is right. This isn’t a sports game, there are no rules. And I’m pretty sure the opponent plays dirty anyway.”

Steve put his hand up to his face to shield it from the kids and mouthed a dramatic ‘ fucking stop it’. All you did was innocently smile in response.

“I got it!” Mike exclaimed and ran past you into the kitchen. He squat down and pointed to a spot on a drawn vine put together by papers on the fridge. “This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So…” He stood and ran to another area. A larger one where all the pages of drawn vines led to. “Right here, this is like a hub. You got all the tunnels feeding in here. So, maybe if we set this on fire--”

“Oh yeah, that’s a no,” Steve shot down immediately.

“The Mind Flayer would call away its army,” Dustin followed Mike’s thought process, ignoring Steve.

Lucas grinned widely. “They’d all come to stop us!”

“Guys--” Steve tried to interrupt.

“Yeah, and then we circle back to the exit,” Mike continued. “By the time they realize we’re gone--”

“El would be at the gate!” Max followed as well.

“Wait, all this is a real map?... Are you sure we could make it out before they get there?” You asked, reminded that once again you were missing details of the situation.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Steve hollered as he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “This is not happening! I promised to keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing. Especially you,” He jabbed a finger at you, making your eyes widen and your heart jolt. “‘Cause with all due respect, you aren’t supposed to be in this mess in the first place.” He looked back to the children. “We’re staying here, on the bench, and we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?” Steve lectured as he put his hands on his hips.

“This isn’t some stupid sports game!” Mike reiterated himself.

“I said does everybody understand that?... I need a yes,” Steve finished in expectancy.

A moment of silence fell on the room.

“We would have to be quick,” You broke it, looking down at the hub all the vines led to. A hint of guilt directed at Steve sat in your stomach at ignoring him… But the more you thought about it the more you were on the kid's side. It wasn’t your fault Steve felt responsible for your wellbeing. Plus, you were pretty sure the kids would follow through on their plan whether you and Steve supported it anyway.

Steve yelled out your name. “What the hell?” He snapped. “We’re not doing this!” He gestured his hands out.

You sympathetically look back to meet his brown eyes, which once again were pleading with you to help him out here.

You ran a hand through your hair in exasperation. Walking up to him you sternly held eye contact with him. “The other team doesn’t play fair, so why should we?” You repeated yourself in nearly a whisper. “I think all hands on deck might be necessary for this one.”

Just as it looked like he was wavering and about to break, the roar of a car engine revved from the driveway. Headlights blared through the front living room window.

Max’s eyes went round in recognition and she ran to the window, looking out to confirm who had arrived.

“It’s my brother. He can’t know I’m here,” She looked at Lucas at her side, who had followed her suit. “He’ll kill me… he’ll kill us,” She said shakily.

“This is the WORST TIMING.” You mumbled, looking back at Steve for his reaction. He had turned toward the door, his face suddenly plastered with a newfound determination.

You knew Billy, or at least as well as you could being in the same grade as him. He was also someone who played dirty, you saw that clearly from watching him on the basketball court.

Steve suddenly slapped his dish towel to the ground and strode over to the door. He walked out and closed it behind him as you watched with wide eyes.

“What’s he doing!?” Max hissed, looking back toward you.

You put a hand to your face and drug it down your cheek as nerves made your stomach knot. “Keeping us shitheads safe?...”

The kids took up all the space around the window, leaving you to stand to the side and rely on them for info. “What’s happening?” You asked in a hushed tone. You sat and watched the beams of light, hoping to see them turn away and disappear. However, they remained.

“They’re just talking,” Lucas replied, staring intently out the window.

“I don’t think it’ll stay that way for long,” Max speculated, shaking her head slightly.

You shook your head. “I don’t think so either.”

Suddenly the three younger kids ducked down below the window and onto the couch.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Dustin swore.

“What!?”

“He saw us in the window! I didn’t think he would be able to see us, ah shit!”

“He knows I’m here,” Max professed, eyes wild and panicked.

“Oh my god, okay, off the couch!” You commanded, practically yanking them by the arms and pulling them back toward the hallway. “Do you think he’ll try to get inside?” You tried to ask Max, but before you could get an answer the door swung open and slammed back against the wall.

You whirled around to the doorway to see a shadow standing in the frame that definitely wasn’t Steve.

“Quite the party in here, huh?” Billy boasted and slammed the door behind him. On instinct, you put your arms out protectively in front of the kids. However, Billy looked right past you as if you weren’t even there.

Where the hell did Steve go?

“Lucas Sinclair, what a surprise,” Billy said, attempting to advance toward the boy.

You stepped forward and came between the two. “Billy, get out of here,” You warned in as stern and protective a voice you could muster. You were surprised, though, at how bold you managed to sound.

Billy scoffed dramatically. “You know (y/n), I’ve never known you to be the excitable type,” He said smugly, finally acknowledging your existence in the room.

“You don’t know me,” You seethed back at him, trying to maintain the painful eye contact. “Just leave. Leave us all alone.”

He rolled his eyes and took a puff of his cigarette, tossing it to the floor. He shifted his gaze to Max. “I thought I told you to stay away from that loser, Max,” He grumbled, glaring at Lucas.”And the rest of them while you’re at it.” He glared at you like you were chopped liver. Your eye contact faltered slightly under his gaze.

Max drilled a fiery stare at her stepbrother. “Billy, go away.”

“You disobeyed me,” He continued. “And you know what happens when you disobey me.”

Your hands tightened into fists at his tone.

WHERE IS STEVE?

“I break things.” Billy barely finished the sentence when he shoved you out of the way and lunged at Lucas.

The motion taking you by surprise, you stumbled over your own feet and smacked your head on the ground, landing hard on the floor. The house around you visually shifted and you tried to regain your senses as Billy picked Lucas up by his jacket over you. He swiftly carried him into the kitchen and slammed Lucas’s smaller body into a shelf with a crash. In a panic, you attempted to grope around you for something. You guessed you were looking for some sort of weapon.

If Steve wasn’t here, then it was up to you to protect these kids, even if it wasn’t from monsters from another dimension. Billy was enough of a beast as it was.

“Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will,” Billy growled at Lucas. “You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?”

Suddenly a new figure burst through the front door. Steve’s eyes fell to see you on the floor, disoriented, as Billy’s yells echoed from the kitchen. He stared at you, then at the frightened children trying to help you up, and his eyes blazed with anger.

“Get off me!” Lucas yelled and kicked Billy, causing him to groan and release his grip on the boy.

“You’re so dead Sinclair! You’re dead!”

Steve turned the corner into the kitchen with purpose and spun Billy around by the shoulder. “No, you are.” His fist collided with Billy’s face.

“No, no, no, no,” You muttered under your breath as you finally stood, Dustin and Max’s grip still on your arms. After the first punch, you knew exactly where this was headed. It couldn’t end well, not with Billy.

A lump formed in your throat when instead of groaning or responding in anger, Billy began maniacally giggling like a clown. “Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?” He digressed at Steve. “I’ve been waiting to meet this ‘King Steve’ everybody’s been telling me so much about.”

“Get out,” Steve replied sternly.

Billy stared at him a moment, meanwhile, you hoped whatever fire that had been lit beneath the two had diffused. You shook off the children’s grasp and just when you thought it was over, the fire raged again and Billy took a swing at Steve. He ducked, causing Billy to strike the air, giving Steve the opportunity to punch once more. Again and again, Steve pivoted successful blows as the kids began to yell and cheered him on.

All you could do was stand silent with a pounding heart and frozen body, not exactly sure what to do. You’ve never intervened in a fight before, let alone been in one. You fought dog monsters just hours earlier, why couldn’t you get your feet to move and help Steve now?

Just protect the kids.

You corralled Lucas back over to you, putting him behind you once again. Looking back at the fight, you began to feel hope rise in your chest when Steve looked to be handling the still laughing lunatic pretty well.

Until he wasn’t.

Billy took hold of a plate and bashed it against Steve’s head, shattering the plate to pieces. He then took Steve’s moment of weakness and progressed toward him, throwing punches equal to what he had received from the other teen.

You pushed the kids back as the two moved their conflict past you and into the living room. Billy clutched Steve’s jacket and the two locked eyes.

“No one tells me what to do,” He grossly sneered, then pushed Steve across the room with terrifying strength.

Billy then got down and pounded Steve’s face relentlessly into the floor with his fists, to the point where Steve’s face was an unrecognizable bloody mess. With each hit you found yourself flinching.

You stared at Billy in horror as tears began to sting your eyes. Then your eyes met Steve, who no longer looked conscious. Something snapped inside of you at that moment and a flood of pure rage ran through your being, exploding from your chest. Your hands were squeezing into fists again, your nails digging into your palms, and you strode over to Billy. Roughly, you gripped a clump of his hair and yanked him back from Steve’s limp body.

Billy landed on his back at your feet and stared up at you. The children’s yelling suddenly ceased. Your eyes widened at the realization of what you had done and you took a step back. Bringing your hand up from your side, you clearly saw a wad of Billy’s crusty, curly mullet woven in your fingers.

A smirk began growing on his face as Billy observed the fear washing over yours. He laughed wildly again. “Very unexpected,” He said with a grunt as he slowly stood up. “So, what, are you, Harrington’s pet now?”

You let the hair in your hand fall to the floor. “... Huh?”

Billy began walking toward you in deliberate menacing steps. “You know, a little bird told me you’re just a lonely pervert. A little perv who likes to watch us guys on the court.” He took another step closer.

While you couldn’t properly voice it in the moment, you didn’t go to basketball practice at school to site see. You always went to meet with your math tutor. But of course, Billy would twist it like that…

You could feel the tingling behind your nose of tears beginning to well. Desperately, you fought the feeling. “That’s…” Your mind went blank as you backed away from the taller boy. You fumbled around in your mind for a good comeback or even just a name to call Billy, but nothing came of it. Humiliation quickly took a firm hold on you.

He laughed again, a disgusting, prideful laugh. “Oh, come on, it’s all true isn’t it?” He bellowed. “And I bet the only reason Stevie’s with you is because no one else will give you the time of day. Am I right?” He smiled wickedly. “He’s gone mushy.”

“We’re not together,” You barely said audibly. Of all things, your tired brain chose that to say. The rage that had flooded your system only a minute before was long gone and you struggled to find it again.

You continued to step back away from him only hit a wall, halting you in your tracks. Billy took a step closer and slammed both hands up on the wall on either side of your head, trapping you. You aren’t much shorter than him, but at that moment he seemed to tower feet over you. Although you suddenly refused to make eye contact while he was that close, you could still smell cigarettes in each hot breath he exhaled. Hot and sweaty breaths that made you want to gag.

“What was that, babydoll?” He asked in a low brusque tone that masked his thunder. It made goosebumps erupt over your skin… And not in a good way.

You inhaled shakily and grimaced, trying not to choke on the foul stench of his breath. “Don’t call me that. I said… we’re not together. You need to leave.” Your chest felt tight and you squeezed your hands into fists again, not out of anger but in fear.

“Oh, really? You two aren’t an item? Well, I guess it’s okay if I do this, then.”

Your eyes widened as you felt his lips forcefully press onto yours. Immediately, you put your hands on his chest, trying to push away only to be met with the wall on your back. He brought his hands up and held your head with a painful grip on the sides, fingers pulling your hair at the roots. His grip was too strong and, in panic, you began hitting his chest with your closed fists.

The smell and taste of smoke was overwhelming as Billy forced his slimy tongue past your lips and into your mouth. Salty sweat and a hint of metallic blood made its way off his upper lip and into the kiss, causing you to finally gag. You started to dig your nails into his bare arms, desperately trying to make him pull away as you weren’t able to.

Abruptly, he pulled away and put his hand to his neck as something stuck out of it. You didn’t even try to see what happened, instead, you crumbled to the floor in defeat. Earnestly you wiped at your mouth with your hoodie sleeve, squeezing your eyes shut, trying to will away what had just happened. Your body jerked and convulsed in tremors and you could feel the hot tears finally flowing down your face.

Suddenly, a rough thud rattled the floor in front of you, causing you to jolt and look up. Your watery eyes were met with Billy laying there, barely conscious, yet still horrifically chuckling to himself.

“From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?” Max warned Billy as she held Steve’s spiked bat over him threateningly.

“Screw you,” He mumbled.

Max swung the bat down onto the wood floor between his legs, making your body jolt. “Say you understand! Say it… Say it!” She screamed.

“I understand.”

“What?” Max pressed.

“I understand,” Billy grunted, then quietly went limp and passed out.

Max let out a breath as she dropped the bat to her side, once again making you jump. She turned and looked at you, still sitting on the floor with shiny streaks of tears streaming steadily down your face. Your head was turned toward Billy, but you wouldn’t look at him.

“Oh god,” Max lamented your name. “I’m so sorry, so so sorry,” She knelt down next to you, wrapping her arms around your broken body.

You simply let your head fall back into her arms, closing your eyes. Shame flooded your chest as you realized the kids had been there and saw the whole thing. Your tears quickly soaked the girl’s green jacket, but you paid no mind. You heard footsteps next to you, then the soft embrace of more arms. As you sat in the fetal position on the floor, the children embraced you in a shield of themselves. Their body warmth radiated safety, a concept you were struggling to hold onto in the moment.

“I- It’s not you- your fault,” You finally managed to hiccup.

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fic #stranger things fic #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things

293 notes · View notes

sweeter-innocence-fics · 10 months

Text

She Has No Idea (That I’m Even Here) - Chapter Four

Pairings: Steve Harrington x reader, one-sided Billy Hargrove x reader, side Nancy Wheeler x Robin Buckley

Work Summary:

Steve Harrington x reader Summer Camp AU with a side order of Billy Hargrove being a dick.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4387

Read on AO3.

Masterlists.

Taglist: @mrs-kai-anderson @ang3l1te @missryerye @nix-rose @fandom-princess-forevermore

Taglist info

Previous Chapter

Notes:

Final Chapter!

warnings for slut shaming, bullying, slight ED themes, Jason Carver being a dick, Billy being slightly less of a dick, little bit of fighting/violence, ronance <3, jealousy, being kinda attracted to billy despite him being a dick, sex mentions, boner mentions, weed, (potentially underage?) drinking, hellcheer friendship, mentions of roofies (nothing dub- or non-con happens though), protective stevie, chrissy cunningham deserves to be happy, mentions of homophobia

---

The last couple of weeks of camp went by in a blur. Billy had avoided you since your awkward moment in the cafeteria, but you’d been so busy with activities and a surprisingly bustling social life that you hardly noticed.

Most evenings after dinner, some combination of Steve, Eddie, Jonathan and Argyle came to hang out in your cabin, which eventually got dubbed ‘the party cabin’. The staff turned a blind eye.

A few days before the camp closed at the end of summer, you and your cabinmates, plus Steve and Eddie, were playing a card game on the floor of the cabin. The windows were all open due to the sweltering heat.

Over the sounds of cicadas chirping and Steve shuffling the deck, there was a knock at the door.

“Probably Jonathan and Argyle,” you said, about to get to your feet, but Eddie was closer to the door so he made it there first.

It was not Jonathan and Argyle. On the doorstep was Jason Carver, flanked by his friends. He seemed taken aback to see Eddie.

“What the fuck are you doing in my girlfriend’s cabin, freak?” he snapped.

“I’m in my friends’ cabin, actually,” said Eddie. He didn’t back down, so Jason shoved past him to get in. Steve was on his feet immediately, blocking Jason’s path. You couldn’t help but notice that he’d positioned himself between Jason and all the girls in the room.

With considerably less grace, you got to your feet too.

“What’s your problem, man?” asked Steve, raising both hands placatingly.

Jason glared back at him. “Stay out of this, Harrington. I’ve been hearing whispers around camp that guys have been coming and going from this cabin a lot. I’m not okay with my girlfriend hanging out with other guys without telling me.”

“Without your permission, you mean?” you snarked back at him.

His gaze fixed on you then. You felt like he was trying a bore a hole right through you with his eyes. “I never said that.”

“Regardless. Chrissy isn’t only person in this cabin. We’ve all been hanging out with our friends in the evening. Chrissy hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Oh, so all of the guys are here to see you, are they?” He scoffed, looking you up and down. “Running a train on Y/N every night? I gotta tell you, it doesn’t surprise me that you turned out to be a massive sl-”

Jason didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Steve launched himself at him, pinning him to the wall.

“You keep your damn mouth shut, Carver,” he growled at him. Chance and Andy began to advance on Steve, but you stepped into the space between them. You could feel Eddie coming to stand at your other side.

“You need to get out of my cabin, right now,” you said.

Jason glared at you. “Or what?”

“Or I throw you out,” said Steve, redoubling his grip on Jason’s shirt. “You don’t get to just come into the girls’ cabins without asking, even if your girlfriend is staying there, asshole.”

Jason shoved back at Steve, who stumbled back, letting go of his shirt. Straightening up, Jason dusted himself off, a look of disgust on his face.

“I’m here because Chrissy has barely been talking to me, and now I know why. All you little satanic freaks have been poisoning her mind.”

“Jason.” Chrissy’s firm tone cut through the air. The room fell deadly silent. “They’re not freaks. They’re my friends. You need to leave now. I can’t date someone who acts like this.”

Jason’s face went white as a sheet. “Baby, wait-”

“Don’t ‘baby’ me. It’s over, Jason.”

His brow furrowed. He pushed Steve aside and made for Chrissy. “Baby, please, let’s talk about it.”

You stepped into his path. “She said it’s over, Carver. Move on.”

“This is none of your business, slut.” He barged past you, knocking you off balance. Steve caught your arm so you wouldn’t fall, and Eddie stepped in front of Jason. Steve was poised, ready to fight, but you put out a hand, trying to calm him.

“I’m not trying to steal Chrissy away from you, Carver,” said Eddie. “She doesn’t want you here anymore. So you should get lost.”

Jason looked over his shoulder at his friends for backup, but they looked uncertain. “We don’t want any trouble,” said Patrick. “Maybe we should leave?”

“I’m not going anywhere without Chrissy.”

“Jason… We should go.”

With his friends backing away, Jason didn’t seem so tough anymore. Both Steve and Eddie were taller than him, and it was clear that if it came down to a fight, Patrick, Andy and Chance weren’t going to get involved.

He glared at Chrissy, and then at Eddie, before turning on his heel and walking out the room. The door slammed behind him, making the whole cabin shake. You let out a shaky sigh of relief.

Behind you, you heard a strangled cry. You turned to see Chrissy with her hands over her face, shoulders shaking. Eddie knelt down beside her and put a tentative hand on her arm.

“It’s okay, he’s gone, you’re alright,” he said, and she shook her head, moving her hands. She was laughing. It was a strange, hysterical laughter, but it was better than her crying.

She wiped a stray tear away with the back of her hand and said, “I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks.”

Nancy put her arm around her and squeezed. “Proud of you.”

A moment later, there was another knock on the door. You tensed, but this time, it was only Argyle and Jonathan.

“I just ran into Carver and he told me to fuck off,” said Jonathan, sitting down next to Nancy. You watched Robin’s eyes dart between them.

“Thought you were gonna get schmacked,” said Argyle, grinning hazily.

“I just broke up with him,” said Chrissy, and then she giggled.

“I’ll cheers to that. Sounds like you’re in need of a celebration.” Argyle pulled out a little baggie of weed, some rolling papers and a grinder. Eddie not so subtly sat down next to him.

“You okay?” Steve murmured to you. “Thought Carver was about to start swinging.”

“I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“Wouldn’t be my first fight,” he said, smiling at you.

“I reckon you could actually take him.” Unlike Jonathan. Unlike Billy. You hadn’t been present for either of those beatdowns, but you’d seen the aftermath.

“Thanks for your faith in me.”

On the last evening of camp, after a day of activities, there was a party for the kids. The cafeteria tables had been rearranged to make space for a dance floor, and the whole place was decorated with streamers that you and Chrissy had spent hours meticulously putting up.

The tables were laid out with pizzas and soda, and a stereo had been brought in to play music. Nancy had been in charge of putting together a mixtape for the party; Eddie had also volunteered, but had been overruled.

Even though it was for the kids, it was fun. You ate pizza until your tummy hurt, sitting on the sidelines with Eddie and Chrissy, watching the kids doing their ridiculous dances in the middle of the open space.

Jason sat across the cafeteria from you with his friends, watching Chrissy instead of the kids that they were supposed to be chaperoning. It surprised you that Chrissy didn’t seem all that bothered by it. She just sipped on her soda and clapped along, encouraging the kids to dance.

You even managed to persuade Erica Sinclair to dance. Despite her confidence, she was pretty inhibited. She was afraid of seeming ‘uncool’ for even a second. So you stood up with Eddie and Chrissy and did a few ridiculous dance moves of your own, until you noticed her out of the corner of your eye, challenging her older brother to a dance off, the winner of which was highly contested. Mission accomplished.

Once the kids had all been sent back to their cabins – full of food and sugar and caffeine – the counsellors had a celebration of their own. Your ‘party cabin’ wasn’t big enough for everyone, so you gathered in a big clearing in the woods.

Argyle brought the weed, while Eddie had managed to source a crate of beer and a couple of bottles of vodka. Nancy had squirreled away the leftover soda from the kids’ party, which meant you could have mixed drinks. Steve and Robin had built a campfire, bickering about it the whole time. Even so, it turned out pretty well.

The staff had all turned in early for the night (though you suspected they may have been having their own party in Hopper’s office) and as such, you weren’t worried about getting caught. There was no music – no one wanted to risk drawing the attention of the campers – so the air was filled with the sounds of people talking and the campfire crackling.

You were glad to see that, while Jason’s three friends were here, Jason himself was not. You imagined that he was sulking in his cabin, pining over Chrissy. Good.

There was a big, smooth-looking rock at the edge of the clearing. You squatted down and dug your hands under it, trying to lift it. It was heavy, so you only managed to get it about a foot off the ground before one side tipped to the ground again.

“Need a hand?”

You looked up to see Billy standing over you. You straightened up immediately, letting the rock fall back into its original position.

“It’s fine.”

“Come on.” He gave you a half-smile. “Where were you trying to put it?”

“Near the fire.”

“Okay.” He bent down and heaved the rocked into your arms with considerably more grace than you had. His arms and abs clenched with the effort. “Show me where you want it.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, you led him back over to the fire and pointed to the spot you’d been eyeing up (close enough to feel its warmth, but not close enough to be bothered by the smoke). He lowered it into position and even straightened it up for you. You had a perfect little bench for one.

It was a warm night, so you slipped Steve’s hoody off your shoulders and lay it down on the rock for you to sit on.

Billy cleared his throat awkwardly. “What are you drinking?” he asked.

“Uhh… vodka lemonade?”

“Alright.” You watched him walk over to the tree that the drinks were being stored under and grab you a cup.

Normally, you weren’t sure you’d trust a drink prepared by Billy Hargrove, but you had just watched him make the whole thing, step by step. Besides, you knew that Nancy, Robin and Chrissy would never let you wander off with Billy even if he did slip something in your drink.

“What was the point of me bringing this all the way over here if you’re not even gonna sit?” he asked, gesturing at the rock good-humouredly. He had a beach chair under his arm and a can of beer squeezed in the crook of his elbow. “Or you could sit on this. It’s actually designed for sitting.”

“I prefer the rock. It’s more rugged.” You sat down and he passed you your cup. With a hand now free, he unfolded the beach chair, sat down and cracked open his beer. As he took a sip, you watched a bead of condensation roll down his chin.

His attractiveness was undeniable, but it was at times like this that you realised that he was beautiful. If he hadn’t treated you so badly for all these years, you probably would’ve thrown yourself at him that night at the cafeteria, in spite of your feelings for Steve. Unlike Steve, you were sure that Billy liked you.

But in the real world, Billy had spent years finding little ways to poke and prod at your insecurities, chipping away at your self-esteem. Had he liked you back then? Or did saving his life make him see you in a new light? Was his bullying all some kind of strategy to make you feel like you couldn’t do better than him, or had he been in denial, taking out his confusion at his own feelings on you?

It didn’t matter. He was an asshole. An apology, a drink, and moving a rock weren’t enough to make up for years of ill-treatment. Could you like him in the future? Maybe, but there was a lot more work to be done before that.

Steve had been an asshole once, and now you were head over heels for him. It stood to reason that, if people could change, your feelings about them could too.

“Are we gonna talk about what happened that night at the cafeteria?” you asked.

“I’m gonna need more beers before that.” He started to stand up, but you grabbed his forearm, and he froze.

“Sit down and start acting like an adult for once.”

He met your eyes and slowly lowered himself back into his chair. “What’s there to talk about? I got the message. You hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Billy.”

In spite of everything, you found it hard to hate him. You knew that he’d moved out of his dad’s house as soon as he turned eighteen, and at that point, he’d changed. He wasn’t nearly so violent and volatile as he had been.

Of course, you’d never witnessed it yourself, but there had been rumours about his dad. That he’d hit him. And sometimes Billy would come to school sporting a shiner, and he’d tell everyone that he’d got into a fight, but you hadn’t been quite sure.

Maybe people are all products of their environment. Steve was only ‘King Steve’ in high school, surrounded by adoring admirers who were too sycophantic and cruel to tell him when he was being an asshole. Without those admirers, he was kind and caring and sweet and protective.

Maybe Billy was Billy because of his dad. But that didn’t change anything. He’d still done everything he’d done. He’d still tormented you for years and beaten the crap out of Steve and threatened to hurt Lucas for dating Max, and probably a lot of other stuff you didn’t know about.

Maybe someday he would stop being the boy who did those sorts of things. But he would always be the boy who had done those things.

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t want to date you. You’ve spent years making me feel like shit. How could anyone build a relationship out of that?”

Billy sighed. “I know I’ve fucked up. I know I have. But I’m trying to make it better.”

“Well, keep trying.” You took a deep swig of your drink. You were pleasantly surprised to find that Billy had even put ice in it.

“Alright, you don’t want to date me. How about we just have some fun? I could show you a real good time.” He leered at you, but you now saw this for what it was. He was falling back on a defence mechanism, acting like a perv to try and push you away. Or maybe he just really wanted to fuck you. Either way you leant back in disgust.

“No thanks. I’m not interested in having a ‘good time’ with you.”

“Because you’re in love with Harrington.”

“This has nothing to do with Steve!” you snapped, far too loudly. There was a lull in conversation as people turned to look at you. Your face was hot, from the fire, the booze or the embarrassment, you weren’t sure.

“You should probably tell him that. He’s been staring at me like he wants to kill me for the last five minutes.” Billy took a sip of his beer and nodded towards the edge of the clearing. You followed his gaze and saw Steve leaning against a tree, crushed beer can in his hand. When he saw you looking, he quickly looked away.

“I’m man enough to know when I’m beat. I hope he makes you happy,” said Billy. And with that, he stood up and patted you on the shoulder.

You realised with horror that he was walking over to Steve. Steve visibly tensed, but Billy just said something to him, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at you. Steve looked up and your eyes met. While you were looking at Steve, Billy tossed his beer can on the ground and walked off into the trees.

You had told Billy that none of this had anything to do with Steve, but you wondered if you had been wrong. Steve had been a constant presence this camp season, always there to feed you that little bit of hope that maybe you had a chance with him.

If you had truly believed that nothing could ever happen with Steve, if he hadn’t showered you with compliments and carried your trays and lent you his hoody as well as a hundred other little kindnesses, would you have let Billy kiss you?

There was a time when you had felt desperate to be loved. Billy had fueled that, with all of his insults and teasing that made you believe no one desired you. Maybe in another world, you would’ve been desperate enough to let him kiss you, and fuck you, and take whatever else he wanted from you because that’s all you thought you were worth.

But in this world, there was Steve. Steve let you know that it was okay to hope for better. To want someone who made you feel like you were worth wanting.

A moment after Billy disappeared, Steve pushed himself away from his tree and walked towards you. Your heart was starting to speed up. You drained the rest of your cup nervously.

“You want another one of those?” he asked you.

“Sure. Vodka lemonade, please.”

“I know. I watched Billy make it for you.”

He took your cup and went over to the drinks. Your eyes scanned the rest of the party, looking for your friends. Chrissy was smoking a joint with Eddie, Argyle and Jonathan. Her hair, normally tied back in a tight ponytail, hung loosely around her shoulders. She looked happy.

You looked around for Robin and Nancy, but couldn’t see them anywhere.

As Steve slid into the seat next to you, you asked him, “Have you seen Robin?”

He looked around and then leant closer to you. “She snuck off with Nancy a few minutes ago, after I told her to stop being such a dumbass about it. She had to take a couple of shots, but she did it.”

“You know about Robin?” you asked in disbelief.

“I’m the first person she told.” He grinned at you, looking proud. That surprised you. You knew that her and Steve were close, but you couldn’t imagine her confiding something like that in him. You supposed you knew them both less well than you thought. “And a couple of weeks ago, she told me that she’d told you too. She’d been so nervous, but she said you took it well.”

“Robin is my friend, no matter what.”

“Good. ‘Cause she’s my best friend, and I can’t be spending time with anyone who’d hurt her.”

“I’ll cheers to that,” you said, mimicking Argyle as you clinked your cup against his beer can.

“So, I see you gave Billy the bum’s rush.”

“I was nice about it!” you protested.

“Nicer than he deserved, I’ll bet.” His fingers tapped against the arm of his chair. You wanted to put your hand on his, but you were nowhere near drunk enough.

“He, uh… He tried to kiss me a few weeks ago. I didn’t let him.”

Steve swallowed a sip of beer, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. After a moment, he said, “Good.”

“Why’s that good?” you asked, hoping that you knew the answer.

“Because he’s an asshole.” Your heart sank a little, but then he said, “And you deserve better. You deserve someone who makes you feel you could tell them anything. Someone who won’t turn around and use your insecurities to hurt you.”

“Uh-huh. You got someone in mind?” You had almost finished your second drink now, and you were starting to feel a little bold. As Steve opened his mouth, a wave of anxiety overcame you, and you got to your feet. “I’m gonna go get another drink. You want one?”

“Sure.”

You expected him to wait for you, but after a moment, you realised that he was following you. As you poured a more generous helping of vodka into your cup, he said, “Can we talk? Somewhere more private?”

Afraid of what might come out of your mouth if you spoke, you just nodded.

You followed him through the trees, wondering how the fuck he managed to navigate through the thick foliage, until the two of you emerged into a familiar clearing. The big wide stump was waiting for you, looking enticing under the moonlight.

Steve didn’t sit down though. He took a big swig of his beer, swallowed, and then said, “I’ve been kinda messed up over you all summer. It’s been a long time since I felt this way about anyone.”

Your heart stuttered. Under the moonlight, his eyes were big and dark and bright as they stared into yours.

“Robin said I was being an idiot. And a hypocrite, because I was always telling her to shoot her shot with Nancy. Every time I was alone with you, I’d get so close to telling you how I felt, and every time, I clammed up. I was scared to make a fool of myself, which is stupid because I’ve been making a fool of myself in front of girls for years. Just ask Robin. She used to keep a tally of all the times I struck out. I wasn’t scared to put myself out there. But with you, it’s different. I was just so terrified that you’d turn me down. So I chickened out, every time.”

“Steve…” you breathed, unable to believe what you were hearing. Steve Harrington had thought you would turn him down. The world was upside down.

“But then you rejected Billy and I thought that maybe… well, maybe you might like me too? Even though every time I got close to you, you’d end up backing away. You were always the one who left first.”

“Because I was scared,” you said. “Scared that it was all a joke. Or that you were just being nice. Scared that I’d get too close and become too clingy and you’d think I was a gross creep or something.”

“I’d never think that.”

“Steve…” His name came out as half a laugh and half a sigh of relief. “I’ve had a crush on you since, like, fifth grade.”

The invisible bar that had been holding you at arms’ length from him seemed to collapse, hitting you right in the stomach. Steve crossed the distance in one stride and cupped your face in his hands. He kissed you, and you felt like stars were bursting inside you.

It was a sweet, gentle, chaste kiss at first, but you were a little tipsy and a little horny from the way Steve was touching you, so you kissed him back sloppily, licking at the inside of his mouth.

He responded in kind, hands touching you everywhere, trailing kisses down the column of your throat as you gasped for breath. He manoeuvred you both until your butt was pressed against the tree stump, his hands sliding up the outside of your thighs until they reached the hem of your shorts.

You kissed until you ran out of breath, and then you leant your head back, letting Steve nibble and suck at your neck. The moon stared back down at you, almost full. You wondered if the moon was making you crazy, or if it was just Steve making you feel like this, desperately grinding on him in the woods.

You hooked one leg over his hip, tugging him closer.

“We need to stop,” he panted, fingertips sliding up under your t-shirt. “Or else I’m gonna have a problem.”

“Feels like you already have a problem.” And it was true that you could feel him through his shorts, half-hard and pressed up against your leg.

He stilled. “As tempting as the idea of fucking you in the woods is,” your stomach swooped at the suggestion, “I want to take my time with you. Somewhere where no one is going to interrupt us.”

You swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

A smile flitted across his face. “When camp is over, do you wanna go out with me?”

“Yeah, I really do.”

When you finally managed to drag yourselves away from each other, you helped each other straighten your clothes before heading back to the main party.

Nancy and Robin had re-emerged, sitting on a log by the fire, thigh to thigh and both looking very giggly. Nancy’s hair was messier than you’d ever seen it, and you thought that maybe you could see the trace of a hickey on Robin’s neck.

Your eyes met hers, and she stared at the way Steve’s arm was slung casually over your shoulder. She grinned at you, and you grinned back.

You passed by Eddie, who looked at you both with wide eyes and an excited smile. He was about to say something, but Steve raised a hand.

“Don’t you dare,” he warned, and Eddie raised both hands in surrender.

Steve’s hoody was still on the rock where you left it. You tried to offer it back to him, and he looked positively offended by the suggestion. He picked it up and draped it over your shoulders, and then sat down on the rock himself. You were about to sit in the chair beside it when he tugged you down to sit sideways across his lap.

“How are people gonna know you’re my girl if you’re not wearing my hoody?” My girl.

“Well, I think the fact I’m sitting in your lap right now might be a clue.”

“You’re so smart,” he said, grinning at you dopily. You couldn’t help but giggle. “My girl’s so smart.”

---

Notes:

Thank you for reading <3

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x yn

24 notes · View notes

b00inazkaban · 2 years

Text

I have no idea what to post but can people give me like ideas for fics for?

Master list: :)

IM NOT USING THIS MASTER-LIST ANYMORE! Head over to my second one on my navigation page and request from that one please and thank you my lovelies!

Who/What I'll write for:

Most kinks,

Fluff,

Angst (I’m not a fan of angst but I’ll still write) ,

Aged-Up characters,

Any/All genders

Poly relationship’s (3 -5 Character’s)

Harry Potter/ Marauders / Fantastic Beasts:

Ron Weasley Hermione Granger Neville longbottom Cedric Diggory Ginny Weasley Fred Weasley George Weasley Blaise Zabini Pansy Parkinson Theadore Nott Luna Lovegood Cho Chang (maybe depends on request) Bill Weasley Fleur Delacour Tom Riddle Mattheo Riddle Nymphadora Tonks Bellatrix Lestrange (Younger and Older) Lucius Malfoy (Younger and Older) Narcissa Malfoy (Younger and Older) Severus Snape (Younger and Older) Sirius Black (Younger and Older) Remus Lupin (Younger an Older) James Potter Peter Pettigrew (maybe and young and with the good fancast(s) Lily Evans Marlene McKinnon Mary McDonald Dorcus Meadowes Newt Scammander Thesus Scammander Jacob Kowalski Sweathearts; Queenie Goldstein Tina Goldstein !Young! Albus Dumbledore Gellert Grindelwald (Mads or Johnny)

Stranger Things:

Steve Harrington Johnathan Byers Billy Hargrove Argyle Eddie Munson Nancy Wheeler Chrissy Cunningham Robin (fem aligned only) Eleven Hopper (fluff only) Dustin Henderson (fluff only) Lucas Sinclair (fluff only) Max Mayfield (fluff only) Mike Wheeler (fluff only) Little!mike x Cg!reader; Will Byers (fluff only) Joyce Byers Jim(James) Hopper Enzo Antonov Karen Wheeler Murray Bauman Dr. Alexie Phil Callahan

Marvel/ DC/ Guardians of the Galaxy:

Tony Stark (Ironman) Steve Rogers (Captain America) Bruce Banner (Hulk) Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) Thor Odinson Clint Barton (Hawkeye) Loki Laufeyson (Odinson) Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) Peitro Maximoff Bucky(James) Barnes Pepper Potts Peter Parker Dr. Stephen Strange Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) Scott Lang (Ant-Man) Sam Wilson (Flacon) Eddie/Venom Peter Quill Gamora Drax Rocket Yondu Arthur Curry (Aquaman) Orm Marius Barry Allan (Flash)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Leonardo Raphael Donatello Michelangelo April O’Neil Casey Jones

Longmire:

Walt Longmire Victoria Moretti Ferguson Henry Standingbear Cady Longmire Branch Connolly Jacob Nighthorse Mathias

Twilight:

Carlise Cullen Esme Cullen Charlie Swan Jacob Black

Bella Swan

Edward Cullen

Jasper Cullen

Emmet Cullen

Rosile Cullen

Alice Cullen

Flash:

Barry Allen

Cisco Ramon

Harry Wells

Caitlin Snow

Iris West

Julian Albert

Oliver Queen

Captain Cold

Who/what I don’t write for:

Draco Malfoy (Only character I’m so sorry I just can’t write anything for him unless it’s fluff still don't like writing for him tbh)

I won’t write for Rape,

Smut for agere,

Smut for minor x adult

Non-con

Kidnapped (maybe tho depends on character and other things)

A/n: Ik minors are on here and still read stuff so I'm not putting a age warning on here, people don't really read age warnings usually but I'll put age warning on the one with smut or suggestive themes. Also, please make suggestions with enough detail for me to imagine and make something with, and this is a safe-space for any and all genders and agere, thanks have a good day!

#harry potter #marauders #fantastic beasts #marvel #dc universe #walt longmire #stranger things #tmnt bayverse #tmnt fandom #masterlist #fypage #fyp

164 notes · View notes

astragreenwoode · 6 months

Text

The Spitfire Curse - Chapter Six

Previous: Chapter Five • Next: Chapter Seven • Masterlist • AO3 Version

Rating: Explicit(18+ ONLY)

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x Fem!OC, Steve Harrington x Fem!OC, Eddie Munson x Fem!OC

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con, Canon-Typical Violence, Graphic Descriptions of Violence, Non-specified Mental Illness, Self-Harm, Drug Use, Hypersexuality, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Genre: Adventure, Thriller, Horror, Slow-Burn Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort. Smut, Fluff, Slight Canon-Divergence, Fix-it fic

And a special thanks to my beta-reader @take-everything-you-can! Thank you so much for all your feedback and ideas, love!

Chapter Six: Red Means "I Love You"

Word Count: 12,861

Chapter Warnings: Sexual Assault, Non-Consensual Somnophilia, Non-Consensual Drugging, Disembodied Voices, Self-Deprecating Talk, Hypersexual Behaviors and Thoughts, Language, Confusion, Hallucinations, General Angst

Chapter Summary: Billy had been Maeven's classmate since Middle School but only got to know her at a party at the end of their sophomore year. As treasured as that night was to them both, the current state of their relationship isn't as pretty.

THERE'S A HUGE SHIFT IN TONE IN THE STORY FROM HERE ON OUT. REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES. IF ANY OF THE WARNINGS CONTAIN TOPICS THAT ARE TRIGGERING FOR YOU, PROCEED WITH CAUTION OR FEEL FREE TO NOT READ PAST THIS SYMBOL: !*!*!

I feel super nervous publishing this, as it's one of the darkest things I've ever written. This fic is my main outlet for processing all my trauma, so I hope others can understand and appreciate that. Remember to be kind to yourself and do what you need for self-care.

*Originally posted on AO3 on December 20th, 2023

May 1983

The love Billy Hargrove felt for Maeven Mayfield bordered on obsessive.

Growing up, he didn’t exactly have the best example of what real love looks like. One could barely even list his parents as an example. He knew how much his dad loved his mom, even if the way he showed it confused him from time to time. He had pieced it together in his mind that his mom left because she couldn’t handle Dad’s beatings anymore. Neil drove her away from them. It wasn’t Billy’s fault, it was Neil’s.

He wasn’t sure if this made it better or worse, but he sometimes pretended that his mother never loved him at all. At least then, he would have a simple answer for why she left him behind. Knowing how much she cared for him meant she left her little boy with a despicable man, but just didn’t care enough to bring him with her. And he suddenly understood why his dad grabbed women and pulled them back to him; to make them stay.

Eventually, Billy learned to grieve and cope the same way his dad did. He had taken enough beatings from his old man in his short life that the anger and pain that grew inside him only went away when he was inflicting it upon others. He passed his father’s abuse through his heart and soul before forcing that pain upon someone else. And even though Neil refused to show it, Billy knew he missed her as much as he did. Over time, his demeanor grew more cocky and his sense of humor dimmed darker. But he never dared to bring up his mother, lest he get another black eye from his dad that he’d be forced to blame on a sports accident once he stepped inside the school.

Like most High School jocks, sports was a way for Billy to channel all his aggression in a way that no one questioned. Each game played is fueled by rage, aggression, and excitement from both players and spectators. It gave him an excuse; a way out of being seen as a bully. He was well aware that he was a bully, of course. If he could be a different person, he would. But these were the cards he was dealt with by whatever bullshit, narcissistic higher power was in charge. He couldn’t just trade them in for something new. Billy knew he was tainted; born broken. There was no cure for what he was.

And then, Maeven walked into his life, with her long, fiery hair and adorable gap-toothed smile. Billy had seen her around before, of course. She made an impression by being one of the most intelligent kids in their grade once she entered middle school. There were even whispers that she would go on to become Valedictorian once they all entered High School together. But she was also that weird girl who collected animal bones and drew patterns on her arms with sparkly gel pens in class. She was a smartass and a showoff, always the first to volunteer to help the teachers; a goody-two-shoes, someone Billy would never hang out with in a million years. Until she suddenly became a badass out of nowhere.

In June of 1982, before school was let out for the year, rumors spread that Maeven was arrested for beating the ever-loving shit out of her now ex-boyfriend, Jordan Bernard. Billy wasn’t surprised by this. Jordan always talked big in the locker room about how tight he had two girls wrapped around his fingers, and sometimes his cock. Of course, he stayed quiet about the whole thing, not wanting to admit to his teammates that his broken nose was from a 5’4 freshman girl. But he also seemed ashamed that the situation happened at all, and ended up convincing the police and his father to drop all the charges against her.

Neither he nor Maeven spoke a word about it, leaving Emily Bernard, his sister, to spill the beans. Not only did the peace-and-love preaching hippie freak punch someone, but she was arrested as a result.

So maybe Maeven wasn’t a complete nerd or loser like Billy initially thought. That didn’t mean he liked her now. She’d get a free pass from him, sure; maybe even a compliment or two if he happened to catch her in a fight. She ended up getting noticed for being the most aggressive player on the girl’s soccer team, but that was really it. He never thought he’d have to care about her until Susan somehow wandered her way into his dad’s heart.

The following October, after starting his Sophomore Year, Billy noticed his dad was acting differently. Normally, he wouldn’t give a shit about Neil or how he was doing as long as he left him alone and kept the beatings to a minimum. But he seemed suspiciously pleasant when he came home from his job as a security guard at a bank in downtown San Diego. Billy could’ve also sworn he saw him smile, something he had to sit down and process for a moment. He still didn’t dare to ask him what had him so damn happy all of a sudden, as he knew he would probably receive a “mind your own damn business, boy” as a result.

Billy’s only real option to get answers without fueling the fire of his father’s rage was to investigate himself. He drove by the bank, dressed in sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a jacket he otherwise wouldn’t be caught dead in. His dad wasn’t by the front doors like he was supposed to be, but instead chatting up an older redhead woman behind the counter. At first, Billy didn’t really care. His dad fucked around with a different woman every other week, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him sweetening up his next meal before he would eventually toss out the leftovers.

But this was different than all the other women. Neil seemed constantly fixed on her, acting too sweet and sappy for this to just be another booty call. A month after catching a glimpse of her, he came home late one Friday night to see another car parked in the driveway next to his dad’s station wagon. Billy had to park on the street that night as he crashed into his bed, trying his best to drown out the cringe-worthy sex noises coming from the other room.

The next morning, he found himself face-to-face with Susan Mayfield making his dad breakfast, as she awkwardly introduced herself to him. Billy paid her no mind except a quick nod before going back to eat the eggs and bacon he begrudgingly took from her. He didn’t have it in him to admit that her cooking was actually delicious.

For three months, Billy avoided his father and his new shtup like the plague. Neil didn’t ask much of his son, just to acknowledge Susan when she hung out there and not mention her outside of their house. Billy was okay with that. In fact, he could care less. Until he spotted her outside of the regular booty calls and secret date nights with his dad, that is. The worst part? It was at school. Three months after their first, awkward meeting in his kitchen, he finally knew why Susan seemed so familiar. He had seen that shade of red hair on a particular strange classmate of his.

It was only then that Billy took a sudden interest in Maeven. He took a moment to wrap his head around the mere idea that Susan the Buzzkill and Maeven the Freak were mother and daughter. But the more he thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. Both Mayfield women shared the same annoyingly bubbly personality and stubbornness.

He considered telling her about her mom’s little affair; how the seemingly perfect housewife with the perfect family was sneaking with his revolting carpet stain of a father. Before he got the chance, rumors circulated in school that Mr. and Mrs. Mayfield were getting divorced. Maeven was visibly sour for weeks that the entire grade now knew the details and circumstances of her family drama.

It pissed him off a little bit, sure. Billy would’ve liked to play a part in shattering Susan’s life after she had the nerve to crawl into his. It didn’t matter, though. Somehow, she managed to shatter her life and her marriage without any help. And he had to admit, it made Maeven more interesting. He tried all different flavors of girls; smart, dense, pretty, sporty, bad, good, sluts, and virgins. But nothing caught Billy Hargrove’s attention quite like a good girl gone bad.

She had always stood out among their peers, of course. Maeven was constantly fidgeting in her seat, drawing on whatever surface she could find, and using every chance she got to talk about animals. She was in waaayy too many after-school clubs, always raised her hand first in class, and was way too proud of herself. Maeven was always such a show-off, a try-hard, a good girl.

All these years, she was just a familiar stranger. Billy noticed her around and heard about her, but now that he’s seen her in a different light, a flattering light, it was like he was properly noticing her for the first time. He hadn’t expected someone so nerdy and dorky to suddenly be so naturally pretty, as well. The night he formally introduced himself to her ended up being one of the best nights of Billy’s life. And she didn’t know it yet, but it would end up being one of Maeven’s, too.

Melody Chandler always threw the best parties. Her parents were never home; sort of rich nomads, always on trips for both business and pleasure. They just never bothered to include their daughter in any of them. Every week, they’d have her aunt come in and check on her, but for the most part, Melody had free reign to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted to do it. It was a monthly ritual amongst the Newport Student Body to drown themselves in their drink or drug of choice at Melody’s place. It was the place to be.

In the months following her parents’ separation, Maeven had gained a reputation as quite the fox. Billy wasn’t that surprised that she grew up to be a horny little freak, something he discovered she and her mother had in common. He still remembers when she the hottest topic for weeks in seventh grade after their class trip to the aquarium. That night was still so vivid in his head. He wasn’t sure he could forget about it even if he wanted to.

The night of the field trip, Maeven went to sleep earlier than their other classmates, tired after a day of running around and telling everyone random facts about the fish and aquatic animals. He remembered that her favorite was the sea otter. When the rest of the grade returned to the auditorium to sleep, everyone was shell-shocked to find her humping the stuffed otter she had gotten that day at the gift shop while in her sleep. She was so mortified she ended up crying herself to sleep in front of the fish tanks with her gang of girlfriends who joined to comfort her. While Billy felt incredibly bad seeing her embarrassed like that, he couldn’t deny that the whole experience left him walking away with something new awakened in him. He still thought about it from time to time; remembering that he had never blushed so hard in his life than he did watching her accidentally humiliating herself. Maybe he liked Maeven for longer than he wanted to admit. He wondered f she still had that otter, and if she still used it the same way she had that night.

Melody’s parties eventually became her favorite place to hunt for people to play with. According to most of the jocks, she was a tease; she liked playing with her food and rarely ever took a bite. She enjoyed taking control, pleasing them with her hands and mouth, often leaving them desperate for her to touch them again. If they were really lucky, she’d grind her clothed sex on their laps until they begged her to stop. Only maybe two or three of them could claim that she let them inside her, including Jordan Bernard.

Apparently, she liked messing around with girls, too, but no girl in school was brave enough to admit that. So the rumor remained unconfirmed. That didn’t stop boys from trying to convince her into a threesome with her and their girlfriends. Most of these attempts were followed by a surprise groping of her ass and ended with her throwing them against the lockers and collapsing their urethras when she kicked them where it hurt most. Maeven the science nerd was now bolder, stronger, sluttier, but definitely not as easy as some of the boys she hooked up with claimed.

All this and more were the reasons that Billy now understood why she gained so many nicknames for herself; Iron Maeven, Metal Maeven, Spitfire. That last one was his personal favorite, as it was criminally underused. It was what her Dad called her, something Billy discovered while spying on Susan.

The second to last of Melody Chandler’s monthly parties for their sophomore year ended up being memorable, indeed. After humiliating yet another sleazeball who tried to grab her without her permission, Maeven retired to the poolside lounge chair where she lit up a freshly-rolled joint she got from Madison Gray. You could always tell when it was hers because of how lush and thick they were.

Most people partied inside towards the second half of the night, the wallflowers chilling outside in the quiet of the night by the now calm pool. Melody’s place wasn’t isolated, per se. It was, however, far away enough from town that the stars could be viewed in all their glory. Maeven even caught a glimpse of the Milky Way, naming the constellations the way her dad used to do with her and Max on clear summer nights just like this.

She missed all the tiny beautiful moments that made up the love she shared with her family. Living without it as a constant reminder every day left her feeling hollow. It may not have been the healthiest coping mechanism, but the only things that made her feel whole again were weed and random makeout sessions. Maeven couldn’t just bury herself in her clubs and projects the way she used to. Of course, she still went on regular hiking trips to sketch the flora and fauna of California and find more animal bones, but it just wasn’t doing the trick, anymore.

Occasionally, Maeven would get this feeling whenever she was sad, scared, or worried, that made her feel like gravity no longer applied to her body and that she was being pulled away from the safety of the planet and drifting off into the abyss. It worsened when her parents started fighting, and only grew and grew after their divorce. But the night she finally lit up one of Madison’s legendary blunts, she finally felt safe in her own head, her own body for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

As she inhaled another hit from the blunt, Maeven sunk back into the lounge chair. The warm bliss delightfully fogged up her senses and grounded her to the earth. Everything felt so warm and fluffy, and it still tasted like Heaven despite the grassy, sour flavor of the weed. She giggled to herself.

“Maybe space isn’t so big and scary, after all,” the voice said to her. Maeven silently agreed. It was nice when they found neutral ground even if those times were hard to come by. She furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity and found herself raising her hand.

“What if we could touch it? It’s worth a try.”

Her eyesight blurred the bright constellations and clusters in the sky, almost the same way a blob in a lava lamp would. She wanted to dip her fingers into the Milky Way and use it to paint. But alas, she could only do that once she inquired Madison for some psychedelics. So, Maeven settled for tracing the patterns amongst the stars. Some were the real kind her dad showed to her and Max one night last summer. The others popped into her head with no warning or prompt as her mind wondered if there was more hidden between all the lines that the ancient astronomers already charted.

“Hey there, Iron Maeve-”

Startled by Billy’s sudden appearance, Maeven’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she tumbled off the lounge chair.

“AAAH! What the fuck, man?!” she exclaimed, brushing her hair out of her face as she put her half-finished blunt in the ashtray. “You can’t just sneak up on somebody like that!”

“Awww. Are you scared of me, Mayfield?” Billy fake-pouted as he mocked her, leaning down to face her with his hands on his knees. Maeven gracelessly pulled herself back to her feet as she snarled back at him.

“I don’t know. Should I be?”

“. . .maybe,” Billy answered. He honestly had no clue. That all depended on her and how the rest of the night went. Maeven looked him up and down. She wasn’t sure if it was just her or the effects of the weed, but, Goddamnit, was he better looking up close.

“Eh, I think I can handle it.” she shrugged, taking her joint from the ashtray before walking over to the bar by the pool to raid the snacks, thinking the conversation had ended. Billy trailed behind her, observing and sizing her up like a predator as she foraged around the table for leftovers.

“You seem awfully confident for someone getting high at a party alone,” he noticed aloud. By then, Maeven had grabbed the last piece of large, double chocolate cake and ate it shamelessly. Whenever she had the munchies, chocolate was always her go-to snack. As she gulped down another bite, her eyes threateningly narrowed, gently pressing the sharp end of her silver fork right below Billy’s collarbone. Now, he was the one a little bit afraid.

“Do I come over to you while you’re having fun with your keg boys and shame you for the way you choose to party?” she blankly asked, playfully tapping it each time she emphasized her words.

“No?” he laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood while his breath hitched in his throat. God, this girl really was a fucking unreadable freak. But maybe Billy liked that. He wasn’t completely sure, yet.

“Yeah, well, I’d appreciate it if you did the same,” Maeven pulled her fork back, returning to her slice of cake as if what just happened didn’t at all.

Billy relaxed once he no longer felt the metal against his skin, letting the air back into his lungs. Although he knew he could’ve smacked her hand away at any time, he didn’t want to. He enjoyed the thrill in his body he got from her empty threats. It all felt so dangerous, so hot; maybe he had finally met his match.

“Now that that’s established, will you at least let me introduce myself?” Billy asked as if he was doing her a kindness by waiting for her permission.

“Alright, then, Pretty Boy. What’s your name?” Maeven laughed as she shrugged, taking a seat at the pool bar.

“It’s Billy. Billy Hargrove,” he answered, holding out his hand for her to shake as he sat on the bar stool next to hers.

She hesitated before cautiously reaching for his hand as she tilted her head to the side, her brain still foggy and warm from her buzz. A gasp caught in her throat as Billy tugged on her wrist to brush a soft kiss against the back of her hand, followed by his trademark smile and sly wink. His sudden forwardness sent an electric shock through Maeven’s bones and tickled her spine. Again, was this guy actually coming on to her, or was she too under the influence of Madison’s blunt that reality began to blend with her mind? She hadn’t been properly asked out on a date since Jordan broke up with her.

It took a moment for both her body and mind to catch up when Maeven realized she had been too silent and too still for too long. She still had a role to play. If she jumped in too fast and this guy turned out too good to be true, she’d regret it later. Re-masking herself, she playfully wiped the back of her hand on her dress, faking repulsion before she continued.

“Margaret. I mean Maeven. Mayfield,” she stumbled on her words, her hands moving in many different directions as she talked.. “Well, 'Margaret' is my first name, but I go by my middle name because I'm named after my aunt and two Maggies are confusing. So, I go by 'Maeven.' 'Mayfield' is my last name,”

“Yeah. I know who you are, Iron Maeven,” Billy chuckled.

“Oh. . .okay. . .” she awkwardly trailed off at the sound of her other nickname, going back to her slice of cake as her mind wandered. She didn’t hate the name. On the contrary, it was actually quite an improvement after years of being called a nerd or teacher’s pet. However, it originated from her breakup with Jordan. Every time it was used, she couldn’t help but be haunted by the awful memories that day left her with.

Billy noticed Maeven’s face drop when he used it, Maybe she didn’t like being called that? He didn’t understand why. It was good; it was badass. She always seemed to like it when people called her that when she got into a fight or scored a goal in soccer.

“How’d you get a name like ‘Maeven’ anyway?” he commented, just now realizing that he didn’t really know her; he just knew the version of herself she presented to the world. Billy wanted to know Maeven; her secrets, the parts of her no one else knew about. He had to know exactly why just the thought of her was driving him insane.

“‘Makes it sound like you’re some. . .mythical creature, or whatever the fuck. . .” he trailed off, catching her attention with just a few weird words.

The last hit she took was a while ago, but Maeven could’ve sworn the world had suddenly gone crazy. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine a jock like Billy using the term ‘mythical creature.’ But she rolled with it. Her mind could never really stay on topic for too long, anyway.

“My dad picked it, initially. It kinda. . .has multiple meanings for both him and my mom,” she told him, grabbing the blunt that rested on her plate. She felt she was going to need it if she was going to survive a long conversation with a jock that hopefully didn’t end in a fight. . .this time.

“Oh, really? Care to explain?”

Maeven inhaled, tilting her head up to the sky as she breathed out the cannabis through her nose and mouth. As she opened her eyes, the stars in the sky brightened up like a black light poster amidst her cannabis and chocolate-drunk vision. Her hand tilted to the side, offering the blunt to Billy, which he accepted gratefully.

“My dad was raised Celtic Pagan and my mom’s Scottish Catholic. In the bible, in Hebrew, it means ‘one who understands.’ But in Irish Gaelic, it means ‘sage.’ Which, of course, means the plant, but it also means someone who is a spiritual expert or just very smart in general. And. . .” she trailed off, taking a few seconds to get her train of thought back to its main rail. “. . .it comes from the Gaelic word ‘Meave,’ meaning ‘she who rules,’ or ‘intoxicating.’ In Irish Mythology, Mebh is the Goddess of Love and Desire.”

It took her a while until Maeven realized it was completely silent. Did he leave? She turned her head to the side where Billy was, still sitting as his face twisted to a half-confused, half-curious combo. By now, he had taken another hit. Maeven felt her cheeks light up once it dawned on her that this jock probably didn’t want to listen to her ramble, and the voice crept back in behind her.

“Oh, shit. Oh, shit. You talked too much. He even had to take another hit to process all your stupid and insane words. That’s it. This is the end of your social life, Maeven. Get ready, because this guy is about to ruin everything once another rumor starts. You should just kill yourself. Right here, right now. You can use the fork! Go on! Do it!”

Once her brain was no longer attacking itself, she broke the silence.

“Sorry. I’m a bit talkative when I get high. I’ll shut up now.” she fake-laughed, turning away to shove the last few bites of cake in her mouth as if it would finally keep her from talking.

Billy laughed, knowing too well that she was talkative even when she wasn’t high. It wasn’t exactly a secret amongst the other kids in their grade that she was the one who participated the most.

“Holy shit, Mayfield,” he coughed out. “I didn’t ask for a lecture.”

“Really? That’s your takeaway?” Maeven laughed.

“No offense, but that's. . .a lot of information to process in 30 seconds, dollface.” he joked, unsure if it would be a compliment or an insult in her eyes. She just smiled as she rolled her eyes, leaning over to give him a playful shove.

“You signed up for this, Billy. You asked me about my name and I delivered, didn’t I?” Maeven pointed out, swiping back her joint and taking another hit.

“That you did. It’s definitely a lot better than ‘Margaret,’ that’s for sure,” he observed, not bothering to hide the way he was looking her up and down, anymore. It was a good name; it suited her.

“So. . .I was right, then?” he asked.

Maeven rapidly blinked, bringing herself back from zoning out before taking a sip from her bottle of coke.

“About what?”

“About you being a mythical creature,” Billy clarified. “I feel like you just pitched me a fantasy movie or the back cover of that Tocain book or some shit.”

Maeven narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she almost choked on her soda. She definitely couldn’t recall seeing that name in the Dewey decimal system or any of her English classes.

“What the fuck’s a ‘tocain?’”

“Y’know, that. . .the guy that. . .wrote the books about magic rings and shit. . .”

It took a moment for the gears to turn in Maeven’s head before she finally connected the dots. She couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Oh, my God. . .are you trying to say ‘Tolkien?’”

“Don’t patronize me, Mayfield! I’m not the fucking nerd, here!”

Maeven started laughing harder, holding her head in her hands as she balanced herself with her elbows on the counter.

“Oh, please! If anyone’s a nerd, it’s the guy who doesn’t know how to pronounce the name of one of the most popular writers of our generation!”

Billy would’ve been offended if anyone else had said that to him. But for some reason, it was different with Maeven. Maybe it was because of how endearing and contagious her laugh was.

“I’m not a nerd, you little freak!” he audaciously chuckled as he jokingly shoved her shoulder, not caring who might be listening for once. “Everyone wants to fuck me ‘cause I know nothing about this Tolkein dude you’re so obsessed with!”

“And yet, I’m the one with the slutty reputation?” Maeven pointed at herself, finally getting a chance to catch her breath as she rubbed the tears of laughter from her eyes.

“There’s just no winning with you, is there, Maeven?” Billy rolled his eyes.

“Oh? I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we were playing,” she laughed, letting gravity take over her body as she melted off the chair and onto the ground. Her legs felt like jelly. At this point in her high, Maeven couldn’t find it in herself to care. Billy, however, practically jumped from his bar stool to grab her arm.

“Woah there, hey. You doing okay?” he asked, not noticing until now how fast his heartbeat was racing. The last time he saw a woman fall like that, it was his mother. Neil had gotten her way too drunk, resulting in her slipping out of her chair and leaving her with her head bleeding on the kitchen tile.

But Maeven wasn’t passed out and bleeding. She was fine, just drunk. Or high? At this point, Billy was certain it was both. She may have fallen to her knees on the stone flooring, but she didn’t seem too upset about it. She was giggling, and her skin was warm. She was fine; everything was fine. Billy needed to remind himself of that.

“You wanna go lie down or something?”

Maeven softly nodded, leaning against the pole of the pavilion covering the pool bar. She spread her legs apart to keep herself balanced in her black leather boots, drowsily grabbing onto the pole like she was hugging it, catching her breath.

Billy almost let his intrusive thoughts win but resisted the urge to grab her butt. Even if she looked a bit ridiculous right now, accidentally displaying herself like she was ready to be taken from behind, she was drunk. Billy was just glad he was here with her instead of some other dirtbag guy who would’ve probably taken what he wanted from her while she was drunk.

For what was probably the first time ever, Billy ignored the primal instincts to seek sex from this girl. She deserved better than that. He approached her slowly, putting a hand on her shoulder just to let her know he was there. Before he could lead her back to the lounge chair where he originally found her, Maeven stumbled back to the bar to grab her blunt from the edge of her now-empty plate.

Rolling his eyes at her vivacious nature, Billy made sure she had regained her balance before leading her by her wrist.

“Get that pretty ass back in that chair before you hurt yourself, you little animal,” he impishly asserted, prepared to have her lean on him in support if she needed. Surprisingly, Maeven didn’t waste a second flopping back down into the longue chair as if her body melted.

“No arguments here,” she groaned, unpromptedly stretching her body; she stretched her back by keeping her shoulder on the chair and shamelessly lifting her hips up as far as they could go. She also couldn’t deny the fluttering feeling in her stomach at the word ‘pretty.’

Did she seriously not notice how lewd she was being right now? Maybe the weed gave her the extra courage? Billy couldn’t tell anymore. All he could really do was lay down in the chair next to her, cross his legs, and try to conceal how aroused she was making him.

“Isn’t sage that weird plant that witches use in potions or some shit like that?” he asked, suddenly remembering one of the many meanings of her name. If only he could remember math equations this easily, maybe Neil would finally get off his ass about it.

It was quiet for a moment. Maeven had to silently process Billy’s question as she continued to zone out looking at the night sky.

“What? Oh. No. We burn it. For cleansing rituals and to clear the air,” she clarified.

“Like weed?” he questioned, tilting his head to the side. Maeven rolled her eyes as she scoffed.

“No, dipshit. Not like weed,” she laughed, thinking of the right way to explain this to him without sounding like a total freak. “ More just. . .like, to smell good. Like a candle. You can’t get high off it. . .or maybe you can? I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it,” Maeven wondered aloud. Maybe that was something she and Madison could try experimenting with. Would that even work? Either way, there was only one way to find out.

Billy, meanwhile, didn’t feel like he got a definitive answer. She already seemed pretty damn magical.“So. . .you are a witch?”

Maeven just shrugged, taking another hit of her blunt.

“That’s what people are saying,” she replied, offering her blunt to Billy, which he willingly accepted. This was her favorite aspect of these parties; playing with her food. But tonight, she didn’t want to stop. Maeven couldn’t remember the last time she had such a casual conversation with someone. Even if she was always on edge and suspicious of the guys she met at parties, Billy was the first one in a while that didn’t seem. . .malicious.

“They’re saying other things, y’know?” he breathed out, recalling the many rumors he heard through the Newport High Grapevine. He turned his head to Maeven, handing her blunt back to her as he eyed her up and down “That you go around seducing guys with your magic touch and mysterious powers.”

There it was. Maybe she had gotten her hopes up about this guy too quickly.

Maeven tilted her head to the side and playfully raised her eyebrows, still refusing to give him a definitive answer.“I can neither confirm nor deny any of these rumors, Billy.”

“They also say that you beat the shit out of Jordan Bernard last year. He still denies it to this day,” he mentioned, remembering the day everyone in the locker room teased Jordan for his black eye.

Maeven’s eyes widened as she fought herself from laughing. She knew that their breakup wasn’t exactly a secret, but to say she ‘beat the shit out of him’ was a little much. However, she was pleasantly surprised that Billy seemed to drop the subject once she refused to answer his questions about her. . .body count.

“Oh, no. That’s definitely true,” she laughed, not seeing the point in being in denying any more questions. “I have the burn to prove it.”

“Burn?” Billy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

Maeven tilted her arm and rolled her short sleeve up her arm to expose her shoulder, leaning in to give Billy a closer look. Even if it was coming close to a year of healing, it was still noticeable. The burn mark was about the size of a baseball, maybe even the size of his fist. It was way pinker than the rest of her skin, but it was recovering fairly well; freckles had even started to come back.

“Asshole thought it was a good idea to throw a log from his fire pit at me,” Maeven explained.

When he was younger, Neil often threatened to put out his cigars on his son’s skin. His mother always ended up taking it in his place. Billy had lost count of how many times his Dad left lash marks from his belt on his back, but he had yet to experience a burn. He was hoping it would stay that way. But he had never met someone else who also had evidence on their body like that until now.

“Shit,” he laughed in disbelief. “Bet you gave his ass the beating it deserved, right?”

Maeven looked back at Billy, noticing the supposed fascination his eyes held, before looking back at her scar. Billy Hargrove was the first boy she met who wasn’t repulsed by the mark when she let it show. He really was full of surprises. She pulled her sleeve back down before getting comfortable in the longue chair again, turning her attention back to the night sky as she continued the conversation.

“I don’t know about that,” Maeven sighed. “It was really just a. . .’heat-of-the-moment’ rash impulse I didn’t think through. I guess I was just. . .mad at him,” she shrugged, tracing the constellations with her fingers again.

“As you should be,” Billy agreed. He had yet to be cheated on. If he was anything like his father, he would be the first one to cheat. He prayed he wouldn’t end up like him, but the whole concept always lingered in his head.

“We both said and did some things that day we regret. But. . .he does seem really sorry, y’know? That he hurt me like that,” Maeven observed, turning to lay down her head toward Billy. She hadn’t had a real conversation with Jordan since their breakup; she didn’t know what to say to him. Every time she tried, nothing came out. All Jordan had to say was how sorry he was and she was sick of it. The memory haunted her every day when they crossed paths in the hallway at school

“You thinking about forgiving him?” he asked her, more curious than anything. Still, he crossed his fingers and hoped she wouldn’t. She was too good for Jordan Bernard, anyway.

“Kinda? Sorta? I dunno,” Maeven shrugged, moving around in the longue so that she was curled up on her side, now fully facing Billy before taking another hit. “Maybe he just feels guilty? Is that really the same thing as being sorry?”

“I don’t think so. Guilt isn’t the same as remorse,” he replied.

Billy Hargrove witnessed the difference between the two in his own parents. His Dad wasn’t sorry that he cheated; he was sorry that he was caught. If he was really sorry, he wouldn’t have cheated, punched, and driven his mother away in the first place.

“I’d forget about him if I were you. Cheaters are the worst. They don’t deserve to be forgiven. . .they don’t deserve love,” he said suddenly, taking Maeven by surprise. She wondered what happened to make Billy so passionate about this, handing out her blunt once more as her way of saying ‘Chill Out, Dude.’

“If I’m being honest?” she trailed off, her buzz making the stars brighter and more mesmerizing than they were before.“Even if I did forgive him, I wouldn’t wanna get back together with him. Not a chance.”

Billy took that as a good sign for himself. He swiped away her blunt from between her fingers for another hit. Maeven didn’t even flinch, too high and too talkative to notice; in her own little world.

“He’s a bit of a douche, anyway. Even if he has changed, you shouldn’t waste your time on him.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I had a good time with him and he, uhmm. . .he taught me a lot. But he’s just. . .not my person.”

All Maeven wanted was to not feel terrible every time she saw him again. Maybe they could even go back to being friends again. Was that really too much to ask?

“Well. . .you’re a pretty interesting person, Iron Maeven. I’m sure you’ll find someone good enough for you.”

“My aunt Maggie said being interesting is all you really need in life.”

Billy always wondered if she was just so self-centered that she liked to hear the sound of her own voice. But watching how she froze up in embarrassment once she realized she was rambling about her name gave Billy a new perspective. Maeven Mayfield had so much going on in her head. She had no choice but to talk until it was no longer crowded in there.

“She’s not wrong,” he laughed along with her as her high was clearly starting to grow to its peak. Billy had to admit that the way she giggled was downright adorable. Seeing the infamous Iron Maeven zone out from her joint was a sight he never thought he’d see, much less enjoy. In all honesty, all the things he found annoying about her suddenly turned adorable.

There was something about Maeven’s voice that suddenly made him want to keep on listening to her ramble. He suddenly realized that her voice sounded so much better when she was high. Melodic and Beautiful.

“When you do find the right person, make sure to hold them real tight and never let them go. You got that?” He was surprised he held her attention for this long with her being so easily distracted. It felt almost like he had hypnotized her or something. Or maybe she was the one who hypnotized him.

Billy became absolutely obsessed with the way she was looking at him, unsure if it was from the high or something else. He had completely forgotten all about the stars at that moment. Maybe she was some sort of mythical creature after all. He was almost mesmerized by it. He hadn’t ever been this distracted by someone before. “Okay. I promise.”

. . .

By the time the sisters had finished unpacking all of Maeven’s books, the sun was now setting over the western horizon. The girls stretched as they stepped out of her room and made their way to the bathroom to brush their teeth.

“Thanks for helping me unpack Squirt,” Maeven said after spitting out her toothpaste and rinsing her mouth. “We can start yours tomorrow,” she promised, patting Max on her head. As she yawned and rubbed her eyes walking out of the bathroom, her little sister pulled her arm to stop her.

“By the way, here’s your night light,” she said, handing her big sister a bundled-up bath towel. “It was in the trash in the bathroom.”

Maeven took the towel from Max, unwrapping it to find her beloved token from her childhood now shattered to bits. It was in the shape of the sun surrounded by a couple of clouds. Susan and Neil made it together when they first found out they were pregnant with Maeven.

“What?” she asked allowed. It didn’t make any sense. Even if she was sleepwalking, why would she throw it away?

“That’s where I found it,” Max clarified, just as confused as her sister. “Did you sleepwalk again last night?” she asked.

Maeven debated on lying, but that wouldn’t help anything. Max would eventually find out, anyway, if she did.

“Yeah. I blacked out,” she softly admitted, trying to hold back her tears.

Max said nothing back, only walking forward to wrap her sister in a hug. No words were needed to describe how either of them felt about the situation.

“G’Night, Sis.”

“Goodnight, Max.”

As she watched her little sister turn the corner of the hallway to her room, Maeven’s smile dropped before she walked back into her room and shut the door behind her. She collapsed backward onto her bed with a bounce and stared blankly up at the ceiling as her heartbeat quickened.

“Fuck,” she breathed out, shaky and laced with panic.

Maeven silently cursed herself for leaving Nutmeg behind so easily. Whenever she felt herself panicking at home, she would immediately come sprinting over from whatever room she was in to crawl into her lap. She’d often stand on her hind legs and lean herself into her person’s chest. The sense of deep pressure she applied usually calmed her down. She was their kitty, both to Maeven and Max. Every night as they went to bed, Nutmeg would curl up on top of the blankets with either of the sisters.

Max was insistent that she was safer with Dad in California. The incident where Billy nearly caused a fire after he burnt a stray cat’s corpse played a big factor in that decision. Maeven didn’t blame her in the least. She would be lying if she said witnessing Billy showing no remorse as he set the decaying dead body aflame didn’t put her on edge. Most importantly, Nutmeg would be safe from her.

“You can’t be trusted with another life, anyway. You should call that woman from the store and tell her you’re too insane to watch her son.”

Maeven abruptly sat up, her legs shaking as her toes curled in a rapid wave of spine-chilling, fear-fueled pain. She pressed the heel of her palms against her ears in an attempt to drown out how loud the world became all of a sudden. Her sharp nails sat atop her head and pulled at the roots of her hair, threatening to dig them into her scalp as they pulsed with a terrifying bloodlust to tear into her flesh; maybe if she could do it, she could finally stop overthinking.

“Please. . .don’t ruin this for me,” she begged the dark voice.

“I don’t need to. You’ll ruin it all by yourself,” it laughed at her.

Maeven slapped her own cheek to silence it, even if just for a minute. As she found her bearings and looked around her room, her eye caught the now-shattered night light atop her desk. She could faintly identify splatters of dried blood; an explanation for her bandaged palm.

“Billy was right. You did throw it away,” the voice said as it returned to her side.

“Yeah. . .I guess I did,” Maeven still hesitated, even if the evidence was right in front of her face. It was so hard to look at it. She thought she was getting better. Billy wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t do that. She really did black out and sleepwalk last night. And that only meant one thing; she was getting bad again.

“Too bad it’s broken. Just like you.”

“No, I’m not,” she shook her head, reaching for her water bottle on her table and gulping down half of the sugary strawberry-flavored water that Billy mixed for her. It had more to do with the act somehow calming her anxiety than it did with being thirsty.

“Yeah. . .you just keep telling yourself that.”

Maeven groaned in annoyance as she flopped down aggressively onto her bed. Underneath the soft glow of the Indiana sun, she curiously examined her own hands the way a newborn would. As she fiddled around, running her fingers over the calluses and scratches and weaving her digits together, she didn’t feel like a person at that moment. She sinks down into her mattress as she starts feeling numb. It was as if nothing else existed outside her room painted in the soft glow of the sun.

Maeven eyed her nails, growing just barely past her fingertips. She liked to file them down to make them pointed and sharp, like an animal’s claws. It was another one of those little things that helped her feel safer. She also made sure never to let them grow too long, lest she end up hurting herself when rubbing out an orgasm. The other downside was when she would clench her fists in frustration or anxiety, they would literally cut into the palms of her hands. Having people ask why she was wearing bandages on her palms was an incredibly awkward conversation.

She liked to imagine what it would be like to use claws. She often pictured herself using her sharp nails to cut into herself; to reach deep inside her body, turn herself inside out, and become something else. Something better. It didn’t matter what she would find in there. All that mattered to Maeven was that she was no longer herself, and life would suddenly be so much easier. She wouldn’t mind being a monster, even; anything to be relieved from the pain she endured from just existing, from being human.

This feeling wasn’t new. It started in childhood and only grew the more she ignored it. And this feeling only grew in the last nine months. She wouldn’t admit this to herself, but it made her feel good. The foreboding need to brutally destroy those who hurt her made the pain disappear, even if only for a moment. At the same time, she was scared; she was terrified of losing her mind even further than she already did, and what exactly that meant for her in the not-so-distant future.

As Maeven’s breath started to quicken, she could feel her body getting warmer; it began as a soft flame below her belly, slowly heating up her body so deliciously. It made her squeeze her thighs together for relief, as she curled up on her side and began rolling her hips. The warmth manifested from her womb and spread like wildfire blissfully throughout her torso and limbs.

On instinct, as if her body was being controlled, Maeven crawled underneath her covers in a blissful haze. Peaking her head out to feel the chilling breeze from the open window, she grabbed her extra pillow from the other side of the bed and shoved it in between her legs as she squeezed it with her plush thighs. The way the skin of her inner legs stuck and touched together always bothered her, but she couldn’t properly say why.

It was a weird occurrence, as she felt as relaxed and dazed whenever she smoked a joint before bed. But she hadn’t even gotten the chance to do it, yet. Maybe she was just tired. That was it. Between checking out her new school, meeting some of her new classmates, having to check in with the Chief of Police, and being berated by her mom at the store, Maeven had a busy day. Then again, if her body was winding down naturally without the extra assistance of drugs, recreational or otherwise, who was she to complain?

She closed her eyes and willed her brain to sleep, afraid her busy mind would blink it way if she didn’t. After a few moments of fidgeting as she curled up like an animal underneath the oasis of comfort and warmth of her blankets, Maeven’s mind finally allowed her body to lose all feeling and sink deeper into her mattress without a care in the world; slowly, and then all at once. Everything was warm and quiet for her first few minutes of rest, the dark nothingness cradling her in it’s embrace. More often than she’d like to admit, she found herself never wanting to wake up. It was just something to add to the list of things to tell the school counselor. Said list was locked away in her head, and seemed to get longer and longer each day.

“Go on. Do it. You deserve it,” the voice came up from behind her, now turning sultry and inviting. Maeven felt a familiar pulse of arousal between her legs as her cheeks tinted red.

“Mmm-hmm. . .” she whined, subconsciously burying her face into the sheets as she rolled her body to lay on her stomach with her hips elevated by the extra pillow between her legs. She preferred having Oscar the Otter, her favorite toy to “play” with, as opposed to a pillow. But Oscar was still in a box and Maeven's body was so comfortably numb. The pillow would have to do for the night.

“That’s right. Get into your favorite position, you little nympho,” it continued to encourage her.

The feeling of the blankets on Maeven’s bare, sensitive flesh imitated the feeling of a warm hug from behind her from what she could only describe as a monster. It was something she could never tell if it was really there or not; another frustrating side effect of her damaged psyche. But this was one of the only times she welcomed the voice with open arms.

It wasn’t scary during the intimate moments she shared with herself in the dark of her room. It became seductive and comforting; something that she never really understood, but always relied on at the end of a long, hard day. And when she was asleep, she found that having orgasms came to her easier. Her record was having five different orgasms throughout the night wash over her with little to no effort.

“So. . .that guy you and Billy met, today? Steve?” the voice reminded Maeven, who felt its looming, heavy presence press its weight against her back.

“Yes?” she suddenly gasped

“He was pretty cute, right?” it purred in her ear, “Tall. I bet he has soft hands. The guy looks like he takes care of himself.”

Steve reminded Maeven of Jordan Bernard before he turned on her; sassy and confident, while also somehow being awkward and shy depending on the day. She noticed the two boys even shared the same eye color. Her hips began slowly grinding against her pillow.

“He was asking you all kinds of questions. He’s totally into you,” the voice teased her, but Maeven wasn’t so easily persuaded tonight. Nancy was also very pretty. Too pretty not to notice. She didn’t have bags under her eyes or bite her lips to the point of bleeding. A girl like Nancy was perfect for a guy like Steve, unlike Maeven.

“It doesn’t matter. He has a girlfriend. And even if he didn’t, he still wouldn’t fuck me,” she said, verbally fighting off the beast’s words before it spoke again.

“You don’t know that,” it argued, not willing to drop it and determined to get Maeven warmer and wetter. “He probably would if you gave him the chance.”

Maeven would be lying if she said she hadn’t been thinking about Steve roughly taking her against the locker-lined halls of Hawkins High School. The beast on her back constantly reminded her for the rest of the tour.

“Billy would get too jealous,” she ventured a guess. He tended to be possessive, the reason behind all the bites and bruises she accumulated after they started dating.

“Don’t be so sure, Maeven. You two have fucked around with other people before. You like being passed around, don’t you?”

Maeven quivered at the mere idea of being used as a toy, rolling her hips faster against her pillow and adding fuel to the fire soaking beneath the thin cotton of her underwear. There must’ve been something seriously wrong with her to be into having her body used like that, especially after everything she went through. But that didn’t stop her from fantasizing about it.

“Aw. . .fuck. . .” Maeven gasped out as she rolled her hips, the blood rushing down and sending ever-building waves of pleasure to her clit.

“What about that other guy you saw today? The one coming out of detention?”

“The guy who sells drugs behind the school?” Her breathing was heavy now, whining in frustration as she attempted to visualize. It did have a point; that Munson guy, she thinks that’s right, was pretty fucking gorgeous. Anyone who would dare to say otherwise was dead wrong.

“Yeah. That guy’s definitely into some kinky shit. He had a pair of handcuffs for a belt.”

“He’s a metalhead. It’s part of the fashion.”

“Maybe. But did you see that black bandana in his pocket?”

“Either way, I think he’d definitely be into tying you up,” The beast laughed wickedly, seductively, bringing her deeper into her fantasy and sending her body on autopilot as her brain continued to drift. Again, this was something she absolutely shouldn’t get drenched from. She was disgusted with herself that her mind and body ached for the things she should be afraid of. Nevertheless, she leaned into it; she always did.

“Oh, God, fuck. That’s it. . .that’s it,” she whined out, finally able to paint the perfect picture in her head as she continued shamelessly grinding her clit against her pillow.

“I bet if you let him hit you raw, he’d give you free weed.”

. . .

!*!*!

It had been about an hour since Billy had refilled Maeven’s water bottle. And if he planned the timing and the dosage correctly, which he always did, she should be under her covers humping a pillow or a stuffed animal by now. He wouldn’t dare make the same mistake twice. To be fair, he didn’t think he’d still be doing this almost a year after he first thought of it. Now, it had just become a part of his normal routine.

Of course, it was no secret that Maeven Mayfield was a horny little spazz. Hell, Billy was living evidence of that; they both wore the bruises and love bites to prove it. But if he thought she was spastic without these drugs mixed into her drinks, he was in for the ride of his life. And this wasn’t just for his benefit. It was for Maeven’s, too.

Maeven didn’t always know what was best for her. As much as she loved making precise plans and carefully following lists of steps, she was equally impulsive and stubborn. In the months following what happened to her last New Year’s, it was like she was a completely different person; angry, self-loathing, irrational. And Billy knew he was partially to blame for that. He over-indulged and enabled her during those months.

It was fun at first. He thought taking her out to parties and encouraging her reckless behavior helped her grieve what she lost that night. He now knew that if he enabled her any further, it would most likely end in her death. Billy was just glad he was able to stop her and that she got the proper professional help she needed before it was too late.

Who knows? Maybe if he had measured the dose correctly that night, none of this would have happened. Billy wouldn’t have had to put her back together again. He wouldn’t have to slip drugs into her water multiple times a week just to keep her calm. She wouldn’t be a shell of her former self. They would still be in California. Maeven would still be on the honor roll and not expelled. She wouldn’t have to repeat her Junior Year.

Would his dad and her mom still have gotten married? Maybe if those guys hadn’t been so rough with her, Jordan would still be alive. Maeven wouldn’t have to live with the extreme guilt he knew haunted her every day. She wouldn’t be crippled by the pain of her injuries. But none of that mattered now, anyway. At least one silver lining came out of that horrible night; it brought Billy and Maeven together again, and closer than they had ever been.

As he approached her bedroom, he could already hear her hushed gasps for air and needy whines. Silently pushing the door open, Billy palmed himself through his sweatpants in anticipation. Just as he had planned, Maeven was already under her comforter, blissfully unaware of her surroundings as she ground her hips against her extra pillow. He loved it when he was right.

. . .

In her mind’s eye, Maeven was back in Hawkins High School, being carried like a freshly hunted animal. Steve was holding her wrists so tightly in his grasp that they hurt. Munson held her ankles together as they both carried her down the hallway. Maeven twisted and struggled her body in protest with all the strength she could gather from within, but their hold never loosened. Walking backward, Steve opened the lever handle on the door to the Janitor’s closet with his elbow. Once they were all inside, the boys let the door slam shut. They were planning on letting it stay that way for a while.

Steve was now holding Maeven’s wrists together with just one hand, sliding the other down her body to grope at her breasts through her sweater. She liked to imagine that Steve had strong hands like Billy’s, but possibly had softer palms than him. Nothing about Steve Harrington was threatening. He was definitely intimidating in terms of his size and muscle mass, but his eyes held a sense of vulnerability and tenderness. He’d never touch a girl in anger, unlike others. She could tell.

“What do you think she’s hiding underneath all those layers, Harrington?” Munson laughed, tugging at Maeven’s long skirt as he continued holding her ankles together.

“Only one way to find out,” Steve slyly replied, pointing to the set of handcuffs weaved through the metalhead’s belt loops. “Gimme those.”

Munson didn’t need to be told twice, immediately dropping Maeven’s ankles and hastily removing his makeshift belt. Seeing an opportunity to fight back, she started clumsily kicking into the air as she tried to catch her balance. Steve then forced her down on her knees onto the cold floor, sending a sharp pain through her legs. He firmly, yet gently, trapped her in his arms, pinning hers to the sides of her torso and not giving her a chance to struggle.

Once Munson successfully removed the cuffs, he playfully swung them around in a circular motion, signaling Steve to bring Maeven over. Her continuing struggle did nothing to draw the boys off course; they were on a mission and nothing could get in their way. Steve picked her up like she weighed nothing, forcing his arms underneath hers to raise them up high. Once they were able to cuff one wrist, Munson through the other end up, looping it over a large pipe above them before cuffing her other wrist.

The cold metal bit at Maeven’s skin, forcing her up so that the tips of her boots were just barely touching the floor. Her raised arms made her sweater ride up her stomach and left her freckle-kissed hips and navel bare to them; a sneak peek of what they were in for. Maeven grunted as she dangled from the ceiling, unable to regain her footing as her face flushed an even darker shade of red if that was even possible. The best she could do to fight this was clench her thighs together.

“There we go. All bound up the way you belong,” Billy’s sultry voice echoed throughout the closet as he emerged from the shadows, sending a shiver down her spine.

. . .

After over a year of knowing someone up close and personally, you tend to pick up on a few things. You start to notice the little things in their behavior that make them who they are. If you pay close enough attention, you notice the physical changes in their body when their mood changes. Whenever Maeven became anxious, her shoulders would tense up as she crossed her arms to hug herself. She would curl into herself and keep her head held low instead of tall and proud the way she used to; these mannerisms had become more common since she was released from that treatment center, to be fair.

Seeing these little changes in her demeanor throughout the day, Billy knew Maeven could benefit from an orgasm or two after a long hard, day; and he wouldn’t mind taking at least one for himself. She had practically been begging for him all day with the way she moved her body as she walked. And she also should’ve known by now that he couldn’t exactly control himself whenever a girl wore fishnets.

Time and time again, she kept proving him to be correct. The drugs Billy slipped into her water bottle may have. . .enhanced Maeven’s libido, but it simply revealed to him what he already knew she kept hidden inside. These days, she was anxious all the time; shaking like a leaf at the smallest things. He was helping her; that’s what he told himself. Eventually, he believed it without question.

Stepping inside Maeven’s bedroom, he shut the door slowly to not wake up Susan or Neil. Leaning his hand on the surface of her desk, he quickly pulled it back at the sharpness piercing his palm. Looking down, Billy recognized the remnants of what he threw away last night; Maeven’s nightlight. It didn’t stay that way, obviously. Damn Maxine. She was too old to still have something like that, anyway. Besides, she didn’t deserve it after defying him last night; those cuts he gave her weren’t enough. He’d deal with it later. This wasn’t what he came for.

Focusing his attention back to the task at hand, Billy tiptoed to Maeven’s bed, spreading his weight out to make sure it wouldn’t creak too loudly. Eyeing her figure under the covers up and down, he gently tugged the comforter to reveal her bare flesh, hot to the touch from her arousal and constant movement. She squeezed the pillow tightly between her legs as she continued to roll her hips, already soaking down the pillowcase and dripping onto the sheets.

Maeven was still in her lucid state, unaware of what was happening in the world outside her dreams. Billy always wondered what sort of dreams she had when she was on the aphrodisiacs. Then again, it didn’t matter. As long as he could take what he needed from her and she was lubed up and submissive enough, he didn’t care what went on in there. Still, Billy wanted to pick her brain; dissect her beautiful, crazed mind, and discover her deepest secrets like an archeologist unearthing a treasure. And each time he slipped another dosage into her water bottle, he came closer and closer to the whole truth.

Positioning himself behind her and pulling her waist into his lap, Billy picked up the pace and guided Maeven to rub her soaking heat away from her wrinkled pillow and against his clothed cock, tenderly massaging her ass. She let out a hushed gasp at the soft sensation of her pillow being replaced with something harder.

. . .

Back inside her head, Maeven shivered in suspense as the boys tore her long skirt off her waist. She stumbled in place as she squeezed her net-covered legs together. Steve came up behind her, one hand squeezing her ass while the other softly danced its fingers along her thigh, attempting to find her ticklish spot and coax her legs open.

“So, what kind of girl hides her legs all day, but wears fishnets?” he laughed in her ear, delivering a sharp slap to her butt, causing her to shriek and flinch away. But Steve held her in place, continuing his torment on the sensitive flesh below her waist.

Munson walked over, helping Steve try and pry her legs open. Maeven let out weak whimpers of protest, quickly turning into whines of desperation when the metalhead forcefully shoved his hand between her thighs. He laughed at the way she somehow got even more hot and bothered by the way he rubbed his ringed fingers against her heatsource covered by the soaked fabric of her panties.

“I knew I saw these, earlier,” he smirked, snapping the fishnet stocking against her thigh before fishing a pocket knife from behind his back.“She’s just a little freak, isn’t she?”

Maeven eyes widened in fear at the sight of the knife, her blood racing as she tried to wriggle from their grasp. Steve shoved his fingers inside her mouth before any more cries could escape.

“You have no idea, Munson,” Billy practically cackled, walking closer to help the boys keep her legs steady as he pulled at the waistband of her black panties before letting it snap.

“C’mon, let’s get these off her. You don’t need them, anyway. Do you, Maeven?” he asked, grabbing her by her cheeks and forcing her to look straight at him.

Swallowing her pride to keep herself safe, Maeven agreed, shaking her head. From the look at that knife, she had no choice. At least she put up a good fight until the end. It was only when she agreed did Steve take away his fingers, causing her to choke and gasp for air as she prepared herself for what was to come.

Munson’s one hand kept her legs steady as he dragged the cold metal across her skin, the mixture of fear and arousal growing as he brought it closer to her heat. He continued to leave her in anticipation, letting her guess when and where he would cut before carefully slicing the net atop her panties. Her heart was beating so fast she felt like it would burst out of her chest as the evidence of her lust dripped onto the blade. This was so wrong. So why did it feel so hot?

Tired of the teasing, Munson slid the knife beneath the drenched fabric, carefully pressing the metal against her wet lips which made her whine and shiver before cutting through the cloth of the crotch and accidentally knicking her thigh.

“Be a good girl and spread your legs, dollface,” Billy purred in her ear, tearing her stockings from her legs with no effort. “I told them what a cute little cunt you have. You don’t wanna disappoint them, do you? So. . .are you gonna be a good girl for us?”

. . .

“Ahhh, fuck, yeah. . .just like that,” Billy moaned out, grabbing Maeven’s hips tighter as she matched his pace on her own. He bit his lip to keep his volume down as his cock twitched beneath his thin sweatpants, reacting to her needy pussy already soaking through her panties.

Whatever was happening in Maeven’s dream must’ve been hot, because the way she was writhing against Billy made him wonder if he was the one dreaming. It didn’t matter how many times they had fucked beforehand; every new time was better than the last. Her body always left him crawling back and wanting her again and again.

There were many good things about this girl, but Billy still couldn’t figure out what it was. Maybe she really was a witch who lured guys to her bed, and he was just really lucky that she decided he was worth keeping. Even when she called it off, she didn’t mean it. He knew that she didn’t. Did she? His memory was fuzzy. Regardless, Billy got what he wanted, what he craved, needed; Maeven by his side. Maeven Mayfield was much more addictive than any cigarette, drink or drug Billy Hargrove could ever find and he never wanted to sober up.

Tired of teasing both her and himself, he roughly tugged her hips to meet his, always mesmerized how her needy little pussy swallowed his fingers. She now lay flat on her mattress, her back arched as she buried her face in the pillow she was previously writhing against, too powerless to stop his love-drunk-disguised assault.

. . .

Maeven said nothing as Billy held her face tightly in his hand, the adrenaline in her body and the intense anticipation causing her eyes to water. She silently nodded with a look in her eyes that told Billy, “I’ll be Good.”

Steve wasted no time using his now saliva-soaked fingers to test the waters, experimentally massaging the lips of her pussy perfectly framed by soft ginger fuzz. Maeven imagined that he’d take his time warming up a girl, passionate and gentle like he was; taking his time to learn about his partner’s body instead of just diving head-first into the deep end like other guys.

“Nancy’s one lucky girl. . .” Maeven’s inner voice echoing inside her head.

“Holy. . .shit. . .” Steve quietly exclaimed, pleasantly surprised that she did his job for him. She didn’t need any warming up

Munson roughly nudged Harrington to the sidelines like an excited kid cutting the line to get the first pick of the candy bowl on Halloween, aggressively spreading Maeven’s legs. He hooked her left one back to wrap around his hips. She was definitely more flexible than she appeared. Munson snaked his hand around her and cruelly trailed from her navel down to her pelvis, eager to finally discover her nooks and crannies.

“What the fuck? She’s already soaking wet!” he laughed in disbelief.

Maeven shrieked again at the contrast from the cold metal of his rings against her painfully desperate pussy. She could see Munson being a generous lover; something about his abundant amount of energy allowed her to picture him reducing a girl, or maybe another guy, to tears with his aggressive tongue and hands.

“Yeah, that’s the thing about little Maeven, here; she’s always turned on,” Billy growled in her ear, watching eagerly as the bound girl’s whines and moans became more frequent. He could watch her fall apart forever. Munson kept relentlessly thrusting his fingers in and out of Maeven’s aching heat-source as he teased her clit with his other hand.

“Always waiting for her pussy to be filled like the greedy little whore she is,” Billy finished.

. . .

Maeven could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy when her heart suddenly dropped into her stomach. The mystery presence she usually seeked comfort in had twisted into something sinister that aggressively trapped her body in it’s invisible grip, crushing her underneath it’s weight. It felt so familiar, but also so. . .foreign.

This wasn’t right.

What was this feeling? Why did Maeven recognize it? What was happening to her body? Why couldn’t she stop herself? Why couldn’t she move anymore?

The heavy breathing and moans against the back of her neck accompanied with the hot weight on top of her was enough to bring her somewhat out of her haze. If it were possible for her heart to drop any deeper, it would’ve, because she knew that musky scent.

“Billy?” she gasped out, her heart immediately starting to race so fast it hurt.

“Shhh, babydoll. ‘Gotta be quiet, remember?” He said it as if it was the most casual situation in the world. What the hell was happening?

“What’re you doing. . .aah!” Maeven choked on a silent scream as Billy wrapped his bicep around her neck to shut her up, cutting off both her voice and her air before he slipped his fingers inside her quivering cunt.

“Just be still and keep your mouth, Maeven. Be a good girl and let me take care of you,” he whispered, biting her earlobe following his last words as he removed his bicep from around her throat and kneeled straight up. Once Maeven briefly celebrated with a long inhale of air, she then involuntarily clenched her pussy around Billy’s thick fingers as he violently massaged her moist walls and prepared her for what would come next. Drawing them from her core, he delivered a sharp slap against her aching pussy before lining himself up.

Why couldn’t she move? Why was she so wet? Had it really come down to this; her own body betraying her?

Her mind became even more fuzzy from the lack of air, the veil between the fantasy inside her head and the world outside it where she was supposed to be sleeping had blended until she couldn’t tell which was which, anymore. And when something so passionately aggressive was shoved deep inside her without warning, Maeven couldn’t even comprehend the difference between unbearable pain and mind-numbing pleasure. She had cried from both before, but the tears falling from her now was something entirely new, and she didn’t like it.

“Fuuuuck, you feel so good. . .” Billy shamelessly moaned out, ramming all of himself into Maeven, from the tip to the base in one thrust. Pressing his chest against her back as her buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent like his life depended on it, Billy’s sharp thrusts continued. He never wanted to let her go. He couldn’t let her leave him like his Mother did. Maeven was the only ray of light he had left.

“Billy, please wait,” she sobbed out, finally regaining control of her limbs as she attempted to fight her way out from under him. “Let’s just-”

“Shh, we’re just having a little fun. That’s all. We’ll go nice and slow, okay?” he promised, his thrusts then turning harder and quicker as he succumbed to how heavenly Maeven felt around him.

“You don’t want me to reopen that cut, do you, dollface?” Billy took his bicep off from around her throat and trailed his fingers down beneath her to pinch her swollen clit. His other hand traced along the bandaged cuts along her arms and chest; his fresh handiwork from the night before.

The sudden harsh rubs on her clit forced Maeven’s back to arch, giving Billy the perfect opportunity to grab her hair. She stopped breathing and her world stood still as she realized how close he was bringing her to the edge. Maeven panicked. She didn’t want to cum. Not like this, at least. It was fine when it was only her and the vivid scenes she around played with in her head. But she didn’t ask for this. Billy’s pace picked up and Maeven could tell he was close by the way he was growling; desperately hungry for release.

Images of the night her life was ruined then intruded her mind; the party and the woods, and what they did to her. How betrayed she felt. How much the knife carving into her flesh hurt. The knife in her hands and how monstrous and free it made her feel. Her blood-drenched, naked body shining underneath the glow of the winter moon.

Maeven squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will all these bad feelings away, attempting to ground herself by focusing on how nice the cold autumn wind felt in contrast to how heated her cheeks were. She wanted to go back to that fantasy. She was safe in there, so that’s where she went.

Billy chuckled to himself as Maeven drifted away once again, knowing that by the next morning, she wouldn’t remember a thing.

. . .

Stay Wild and Safe, my dears!

A/N: ♫♫ I'm sorry I was gone, but look, I made you some content!♫♫

♫ Mommy made you your favorite! Open Wide!♫

♫♫ Here comes the content!♫♫

♫It's a beautiful day to stay inside!♫

Also, Happy Birthday to Me!! I turned 23 on the Solstice! Working my full-time retail job has left me burnt out without any time or energy to create, and my huge family is going through some hardships right now. I'm grateful that I was able to get family leave and it's going to last until February! Hopefully, that'll give me time to rest and put my life together while my family and I heal.

It felt really weird but somehow fitting that I finished this chapter on my last day being 22. Despite the Angst and Heartbreak this held, I really hope you enjoyed this one. I ran into a few roadblocks trying to get it just right. It's my longest one yet. A lot of you wanted some lore dumps and I hope I delivered well. As always, please let me know your thoughts and theories; they really help motivate me.

The Spitifre Curse Taglist:

@yaidothat

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

#stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #my writing #the spitfire curse #stranger things fanfic #stranger things oc #maeven mayfield #max mayfield #billy hargrove #st fandom #stranger things fandom #the party #scoops troop #hellfire club #steve harrington #eddie munson #2023

9 notes · View notes

bugsmunched · 6 months

Text

! Intro !

!! THIS IS AN 18+ BLOG, MINORS DNI !!

--------------

Hi! My name's BugMunch and I write smut. :)

I take requests!

Who I'll write about:

Steve Harrington

Billy Hargrove

Eddie Munson

Argyle

Jonathan Byers

Mike Schmidt

Derek Danforth

Peter Parker/ Spiderman (Andrew Garfield)

Loki

Bucky Barnes /Winter Soldier

Steve Rogers

Bruce Banner

Tony Stark

Young Magneto

Young Charles Xavier

Ghost

König

Spencer Reid

!!! I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN A FEW PEOPLE SO IF YOU HAVE REQUESTS FEEL FREE TO ASK!!!

What kind of things I'll write:

Character X Male Reader

Character X Female Reader

Character X FtM Reader

Character X MtF Reader

Character X Gender neutral! AFAB Reader

Character X Gender neutral! AMAB Reader

Character X Reader X Character

Character X Character

Sub! Character X Dom! Reader

Dom! Character X Sub! Reader

What I WON'T write : Non-con, watersports, age regression in a sexual manner, play with bodily fluids that aren't cum and blood, anyone underage.

Taken anon emojis:

None

------------

Here is a link to my Master list

9 notes · View notes

cha0ticspacebi · 1 year

Text

You're An Image Caught in Time: Chapter 7

You got your soulmark when you were very young. You knew who you hoped had left their mark but since they never said anything to you, you resigned yourself to a life of bitter unrequited love. As much as you wanted to meet your soulmate you knew after all these years they must not want to meet you. Though the mark never faded some days you wished it would. Especially after meeting Billy.

☆ You can find me over on A03 as Cha0ticBi ☆ Master list link!

Childhood Friends! Eddie Munson X Reader

Tags: 18+ NSFW (MDNI), slowish burn soulmate AU, reader is in an abusive relationship with Billy Hargrove, Dark! Billy, Eddie is a sweetheart but bad at feelings, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, eventual happy ending

Warnings: rape/non con elements, emotional and physical abuse, graphic depictions of violence, suicidal thoughts

Chapter 7/28 Previous chapter → Next chapter

Eddie walked slowly towards you. The closer he got the more mist formed in his eyes dousing the flames. He was almost right in front of you when you closed your eyes. You wanted them both to just go away and leave you there in that bathroom to deal with this on our own. This is no one’s fault but your own. If you could just listen and behave for once none of this would have happened. Billy’s voice, ever present in your mind. Your friends didn’t need to deal with this, you would figure this out on your own. Somehow.

Eddie’s throat was dry as you heard him whisper from beyond your eyelids, “Robin? Go get Ms. Kelly.” You felt her arms leave your sides and then the bathroom door quickly opened and closed again. You knew you were alone with Eddie and that fact made it even more difficult to open your eyes again. You felt his fingers ghost over the marks on your wrists as he lifted your hands.

“Hey pretty girl, can you open your eyes for me?” his voice and choice of words made you teary eyed again as your subconscious decides now is a great time to recall when he first used those words.

Your mom had bought you a new dress to wear for the first day of school. You were so excited to show everyone! It was fluffy and covered in flowers. You were so confused why they were yelling,

“She looks like a whore. Get that shit out of here,” your stepdad finished his drink.

You started crying. You couldn’t help it. They didn’t like that. Your stepdad grabbed your hair and threw you outside in the rain. He started laughing when the hem of your dress got dirty from splashing in the muddy water. Mom did nothing. They closed the door and left you out on the porch, your dress ruined. You trudged your way slowly across the muddy road and it got worse. You tried to stop crying by the time you made it up Eddie’s stoop and knocked on the door.

He opened the door and looked at you with a smile, “Hey pretty girl, you wanna play in the rain with me?” He ran outside and twirled around, getting soaked. Soon you were a matching pair of muddy messes.

You reluctantly lifted your eyelids and saw how close he was standing to you. Two wet lines glossed down his face. A faint discolored area on his right cheek. He looked so vulnerable. Even as a kid you never saw Eddie cry, or show any weakness for that matter. He was always your knight in shining armor ready with a book, a blanket, and laughs when you needed them. Until he wasn’t. He abandoned you, remember? The words in your head, though not your own, weren’t wrong.

The sound of your own voice startled you by how broken you sounded, “Eddie. Please just leave me alone. I can’t talk to you anymore. You were right,” you remembered how you felt that day so long ago when the roles were reversed, “It’s better if we aren’t friends.”

His grip on your hands tightened just a hint as he gave them a light squeeze, “If those are your words and not his sweetheart, you’ll never hear from me again. If you won’t do it for me you should talk to Ms. Kelly for Robin. She told me,” his face twisted in anguish, “She told me a lot this week. He hits you doesn’t he? More than just this time. How long has he been hurting you?” A dangerous cocktail of anger and sadness filled his voice as he kept holding your hands.

“Please just let it go Eddie,” you shook your head and looked at the floor. Gravity pulling all the liquid you had left in your dehydrated body out of your tear ducts. You felt yourself getting upset when he wouldn’t drop it. The years of being pushed away finally came into the forefront, “Why do you suddenly care so much? You ignored me for years Eddie! Do you know how much that hurt? To be turned away everytime I tried to talk to you only to finally have no choice but to give up. Now all of sudden you think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life? I can handle this on my own. I don’t need Ms. Kelly, Robin, or you!”

You grabbed your jacket from the floor and pulled it back on. You collected your things from the bathroom stall and left. You walked out of the school building and into the parking lot. You weren’t sure if Eddie was following you but you didn’t want to stick around and find out. You didn’t know where to go. Home sounded like a horrible option, mom would still be there and you didn’t want to even think about seeing her. Not that she would have noticed you’ve been gone for three days, you’d been disappearing like this for years and she’s never cared. Billy was working and… you stopped in your tracks as you headed farther and farther from the school. You didn’t have anywhere else to go. Billy had made sure that you broke ties with all your friends. The list of people you spoke to was so limited that now you had no one. A soulmate who didn’t want you, friends who you pushed away and alienated. You fell against a tree on the side of the road and felt your mind start to separate from your body as you highly considered making yourself lost in the woods. Billy wouldn’t hurt Eddie again and besides it’s not like anyone would miss you.

You don’t know how long you sat there by that tree until you heard a car pull up.

“What the hell are you doing sitting out here? I thought I told you I’d come pick you up. Did you get impatient and just start walking? Holy shit your hands are freezing, how long have you been sitting here! Did the freak say something to you again? Jesus, I'll kill him this time.” You felt a hand lift you from the ground and guide you into the warm car.

“Wake the fuck up, you’re acting like a zombie,” his hand stung your cold skin as he smacked your cheeks, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Wake up!” He screamed and slapped your face harder, knocking your brain back into place.

Billy was staring at you with something that some outsider might call concern in his eyes. You tested your facial muscles and tried to regain any sort of feeling. Your mouth hurt as you tried to speak, “I’m sorry Billy. Can we go home please?”

“Jesus yeah we can go home,” again he sounded relieved but you knew it wasn’t genuine. He shifted the car from park and pulled away.

The road curved and lifted with small hills as Billy drove back in the direction you’d walked hours ago. The sun was on its way down already, the winter season making it feel much later than it was. Over the horizon you noticed a figure walking in the same direction as you. Your heart sank. Eddie was in the street, probably looking for you, you saw as you got closer that his hands were cupped around his mouth and he was shouting. Billy stepped on the gas.

“Should I hit him? 10 points if I do!” His voice sounded manic. He gripped the steering wheel hard and flicked his head back and forth between you and the road, “Come on no one will miss him!”

Your body felt incredibly weak. You wanted so badly to reach out and stop Billy but you couldn’t, your muscles were still frozen.

“I heard a rumor, you know. I guess he’s been going around telling everyone he’s your true soulmate, not me. Can you imagine? That freak with a soulmate!” He revved the engine again, speeding up even more.

The air left your lungs. That wasn’t possible. He would have told you! Besides, his soulmate was Chrissy and he said he didn’t like to talk about it. Why would he be spreading rumors about that? Billy’s just lying to upset me. There’s no way. Why wouldn’t he have told me? Eddie was getting closer.

“Come on Billy this isn’t funny, if you kill him you’ll go to jail.” Eddie was just yards away from you. He turned around and saw the car. You screamed, “Stop Billy!” Finding your strength to grab the steering wheel from him and swerve out of the way just in time. The car jerked sharply to the left as you pushed the wheel away from Eddie’s direction. Your neck bending back between the front seats as you watched out the back window to make sure Eddie was ok.

Billy’s manic voice continued, his words morphed into crazed laughter, “I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. You actually care about him don’t you!”

“No Billy,” your chest ached as you lied, “I just didn’t want you to go to jail for running someone over!”

“Don’t bullshit me! I can tell when you're lying,” he continued yelling, “You want to prove to me you don’t have feelings for him?”

“Anything Billy!”

He got a look in his eyes. Your already cold face went white. There was one thing Billy always wanted to do and you somehow have avoided it this long. His perversions scaled far beyond just rough sex. A lifetime passes in that car before you finally reach your destination. Billy’s house. Max’s mom was at work and she wasn’t home from school yet. There was no one here to save you. This was it. Your muscles constricted with fear. You clawed at your skin, phantom pains pricking all over your body. He got out and pulled you by the arm into his room.

He pushed you onto the bed and pulled his shirt over his head. You cowered in fear as he pulled out his pocket knife. He wasted no time pinning you down. Laughing as you cried. He cut your shirt off and pulled the flat side of the knife across your skin, you felt the edge of the blade nick your skin as your stomach convulsed. Your breaths are erratic. Snot draining from your nose and running down your face as you desperately wanted to get away. Billy’s eyes were dark. His pupils dilated and a sadistic smirk lifted the side of his mouth.

“Careful sugar, ” he pulled the blade up. A small line of red grazing the edge, “Stop moving so much or I could do some serious damage.”

The thought of how your relationship with Billy might progress or eventually end had always been in the back of your mind. You’d always wondered if things with him would escalate too far and you’d finally say enough is enough. You cursed yourself for not seeing it sooner as you reached that threshold in this moment on his bed. There was no more doubt. You had to get away or one day Billy would kill you. Your eyes blinked and noticed that he left the door open. If you could get out of the house maybe you could make it to a neighbor. You tried to calm down but his evil stare filled you with fear.

He dragged the blade across your stomach again, purposely puncturing the skin. You felt warm liquid drip down your side from your hip where he cut you. You scream out in pain and beg for help.

“No one’s coming to save you slut,” Billy yanks your jeans off and undoes his zipper. He pushes your panties to the side. It hurts so badly when he thrusts his way inside your dry entrance. You scream out in pain as he fucks into you anyways. He presses the knife to your throat as he fucks you harder.

“You are mine! You’ll always be mine! You can’t escape me,” his hand pressed into an almost healed bruise in your collar bone, you spewed an endless stream of pleas and cries for mercy. Begging him to stop. He pulls out and for a moment you feel relief but it doesn't last. He flips you onto your stomach and cuts you again as he hoists your hips up with the knife still in his hand. He presses your face into his mattress. He pushes your hair back and begins toying with the knife against your skin, your chest hurts, hyperventilating as you come to the horrific realization of what he’s going to do.

“No Billy! Please, anything but that! Don’t please, I’m begging you stop!” the wide, flat metal glides across your soulmark. Panic fills every word that you somehow manage to speak, “I’ll go get it covered up! Right now, we can go right now! Please I’ll do anything,” every muscle in your face hurt as you cried, tears and snot leaving their mark on his sheet.

“It’s his isn’t it?” His cool, calculated words sent icy chills through your soul, “That freak’s the one who marked you,” he got louder, “Admit it! It’s his isn’t it!” You just cried harder, upsetting him more.

“Wonder what he’d say if he saw my name carved in your skin on top of his mark.”

The angle of the knife changed and you screamed at the top of your lungs hoping someone would hear you and take pity on you. The tip pressed in sharply as he dragged it down forming the first line in the letter B. Thrashing your limbs from beneath him you kicked his balls and he recoiled. This is my chance! You summoned all your strength and kicked him again! Giving yourself enough space to shoot up out of the bed and run! You didn’t make it far though as you tripped on the jeans still wrapped around your feet.

Billy hissed as he recovered from your blow, “Bad idea slut, you are so dead now!” He grabbed your ankle and you screamed again at the top of your lungs, continuing to thrash and whip around desperate to get free. His grip held firm and he pulled you back towards him. Your body was so tired and you started to feel like you’d never have the strength to break free again. He flipped you on your back and grabbed you up by the bra straps. You spit in his face before biting his hand as hard as you could, you even drew a little blood. You kicked him again! Your confined feet whipping up and down kicking him over and over again! The motion loosened the fabric from around you just enough to crawl out of the jeans and up towards the door. You made it to the living room and spotted his keys on the counter. Grand theft auto it is! You snatched them up and ran like hell out into the night air. Pulse racing as you heard him yell after you. You didn’t stop to look back as you shoved the key in the ignition and headed for Forest Hills Trailer Park.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fic #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #soulmate au #soulmate identifying marks #childhood friend eddie munson #high school sweethearts #stranger things fanfic #stranger things smut #18+ content

49 notes · View notes

dark666posting · 5 months

Text

Fed to You

Drunk!Reader x Dark!Billy Hargrove

(There's a bonus prize near the end.)

TW: NON CON!! NON CON!! MEAN BILLY!! CIGARETTE BURN!!!!********

It's a rager. A blowout, end-of-the-year party at some rich kid's place right outside of Hawkins. You arrive with friends, but they quickly leave your side on their pursuit of flesh. You, however, only really care about getting drunk. It's been a hell of a last semester and your professors are giving you a run for your money in the form of "highly suggested" extra credit assignments.

You wipe the thoughts of school from your mind and reach for a gleaming bottle of crystal-clear vodka. Is it your first choice? Maybe not, but it'll have to do. You pour yourself a shot and offer to fill a few extra tiny glasses for anyone around you who wants one. Several people join in and you all 'cheers' sloppily before downing the harsh liquid.

From across the room, you've caught someone's eye. The most beautiful man you've seen in a while, Billy Hargrove. You remember him from High School, though, that was years ago. It's nice to see he still participates seeing as you hadn't seen him at the last few parties you attended. Maybe tonight is special. You can feel his face on you, but you don't think much of it. You're gorgeous and the alcohol only amplifies your confidence. Let him stare.

The night progresses and your drunkenness does the same. Taking you from a healthy buzz straight into blackout territory. You know your limits, though. You know that if you stopped right now, it'd be minimal damage and you could start fresh the next day. That'd be the smart option.

"Leaving already?" A smooth voice halts your stumble toward the door. You turn and Billy's exposed chest under his unbuttoned shirt gazes back at you. "My eyes are up here." You snap your vision to his grinning face. He's so close. You take a step back, but he wraps an arm around your shoulder and seems to effortlessly guide you to the kitchen where the counter is lined with half-empty bottles.

"Dude I gotta get home," you slur, trying to deny his offer.

"You can't drive like this, are you stupid?" He laughs, mocking you. It pisses you off, but you're too drunk to unpack it. He's right, you can't drive like this. "Here, let's keep the party going." Billy hands you another shot. The house is still bursting with life so you assume it's not that late and agree to shoot the fiery liquor. You shake your head as the shot leaves a lingering burn in your throat.

"Okay, okay," you laugh, belligerent. "I really need to find my friends, my- my friends." You stumble over your words, barely making sense. Billy just tilts his head and smiles at you, looking you up and down in your sexy little outfit.

"Don't be a pussy, finish this bottle with me," he demands, barely making an effort to be persuasive at all.

"I'm not a fuckin' pussy. You're a pussy." You snatch the bottle from his grip and turn it up. You're quite the show-off when you're drunk. You finish the last bit of liquor and sway where you stand, placing the bottle back on the counter with a little more force than necessary.

"Wow. You're pretty drunk, aren't you?" Billy asks, sarcastically. Your reply is nearly incoherent. "Let me take you home. I don't see your friends." Billy guides you towards the door and it doesn't really cross your mind that he doesn't know your friends and likely didn't see who you arrived with. He just wants you outside.

It's a foggy, late night. It just stopped raining and the roads nearby glisten with moisture under the dim street lamps. You're trying to focus your doubling vision when you accidentally misstep. You would've easily corrected yourself, but Billy takes this moment of imbalance as an opportunity and shoves you to the ground. Your head is spinning, you don't even realize you've been pushed.

You roll over onto your back, propped up by your elbows. There's no way you'll be able to stand back up on your own. You're looking up at Billy with hazy, unfocused eyes. He looks around as if to make sure the two of you are alone and shielded from prying eyes. He places his lit cigarette between his lips and hastily sheds his leather jacket. As he kneels over you, all you can see in the faint moonlight is his toned chest and the necklace hanging across it.

"Hey, what are you-" you begin to question nervously as Billy straddles you, but he cuts you off with a rough kiss. Confused, weak, and intoxicated, you try to push him away, but he's a lot stronger and a lot more sober than you are.

"Shhh, just shut up," he whispers, swiftly freeing his erection and stroking himself as he hovers over you.

"Billy!" You scold, trying to wiggle free. You're pinned down with your arms by your sides, held in place by his knees. He climbs further up your body, closer to your face. Once his knees pass your shoulders, you attempt to duck out from under him and hopefully run, but he's far ahead of you. He wraps a fist tightly in your hair and forces your mouth around his shaft.

"Come on, be a good girl," he mumbles past his cigarette as he aggressively turns your head back and forth to work his cock down your throat. You're hitting and clawing at him the best you can, but you're dreadfully uncoordinated and frankly, passing out. He fucks your mouth until you black out from the alcohol. Soft moans erupt from his chest as your lips and tongue slide wetly over his throbbing cock.

He finally withdraws from your mouth and glances around again. Still clear. He flicks his cigarette butt and starts to undress you. Your slutty outfit isn't much of an obstacle for him. Billy lifts your tiny, leather skirt and aggressively tears a large hole in your fishnet tights. He pumps his shaft as he ogles your barely-there thong just ever so slightly censoring your awaiting pussy.

Billy hooks a finger around your thong and slides it to the side. He wastes no time plunging two fingers deep inside you, curling them at just the right moment. Your unconscious body can't help but react. You arch your back and even release a sultry moan as he builds up your arousal. The more you react, the more Billy laughs at you.

You're blacked out and taking anything he wants to put inside you. You're disgusting. He smirks as you approach your orgasm only to remove his fingers at the last moment. Your quick breathing begins to slow as arousal pools between your legs, aching for completion.

"Don't worry, doll. I'm right here," he chuckles into your ear as he slides his massive erection into your edged hole. The pain and pleasure of being stretched out by his thick cock is enough to send your fleeting climax over the edge. The pain shakes you from your slumber and your eyes shoot open, widening in shock and fear.

"Help me! Some-" Your screams are cut short by Billy's hand slapping over your mouth.

"You really are fucking stupid, aren't you?" He growls, his face is blank and his jaw is rigid with building rage. He begins to thrust into you harder as punishment. The pain overtakes the pleasure and you sob into his hand. Tears stream down your face, dragging your makeup with it. You try to fight, but he pins your wrists down with ease. It's a game to him.

Eventually, you pass out again, leaving Billy to finish his task. He hunches over you, fucking you senseless, alternating between breathy moans and laughing at you. Your clothes are soaked from the wet grass, the more he thrusts, the more your hair becomes tangled with dead leaves and small sticks. He reaches up your intentionally tattered shirt and roughly gropes at your breasts.

The power, the domination he has over you could get him off time and time again, but it's always been funner just to fill you up and leave you too embarrassed to admit you can't remember who you fucked. He carelessly retrieves a cigarette from his pack and lights it, still fucking you, hands-free. The entire stoge is smoked to the filter and all the while he's slamming into you, intentionally abusing your vulnerability as much as possible. Billy's thrusts begin to waver and he picks up his speed for just a moment before one final slam into your pelvis. His cock twitches inside you as he fills you to the brim. He takes his finished cigarette and torturously stamps it out into your thigh as his warmth spills out into your swollen pussy.

"Jesus Christ," Billy breathes heavily as he stands, fastening his belt and pulling his jacket back on. He stands over you, looking down at your filthy, sloppy drunk form sprawled wide open on the ground. "What'd you say your name was again?" He asks with a laugh, with no intention of getting an answer. He knows you never told him.

"Dude... What the fuck?" A surprised voice calls from the darkened side of the street. Billy looks over his shoulder, following the sound. He's pissed off and ready to beat anyone to a pulp if they try to out him.

"Who's there?" Billy asks, calmly at first. A man emerges from the shadows, it's Eddie. He looks shocked and... Curious. Billy rolls his eyes. Eddie steps closer, eyes glued to the exposed, abused woman on the ground in front of Billy. Billy readjusts his jacket and turns to face Eddie.

"What did you do, man?" Eddie's eyebrows furrow, but his lack of anger tells Billy all he needs to know.

"She's all yours if you keep your mouth shut, freak." And that's all Billy says before climbing in his Camaro and speeding off.

Eddie hesitantly steps closer to you. You're disheveled and out cold. One of your breasts is exposed and your panties are soaked with anything from rainwater to cum. He fumbles for a moment with his belt and finally unsheathes a throbbing erection. Like he hasn't fucked since high school. He's quick to plunge it deep inside you, exhaling shaky breaths of disbelief as it slowly settles in that he's taking an unconscious woman against her will.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Eddie moans, slamming harder and harder into you. You waver on the cusp of awake and out cold, only ever coming back to release a sob or slutty moans. Eddie's mind is blown. "You like it? You fucking love it, don't you?" He whispers mouth pressed to your ear in lust.

"Please... Stop..." You barely whimper.

"Shhh," Eddie places a hand over your mouth, quickening his pace and finally finishing inside you as well. He wanted to last longer, but it just wasn't an option when he felt your pussy flex around him. He quickly fastens his jeans and belt and takes off without another word.

You're left there. Two different men's cum dripping out of your pussy and you likely won't remember either one.

The next day, you're found by a group of students from your college. You're humiliated and the news travels fast. You wish you could be more upset about the rumors, but truthfully, you just keep attending more and more parties, hoping the same two men will find you again.

#tw: noncon #non con #dark!fanfiction #dark!fic #dark!stranger things #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy stranger things #billy hargrove smut #billy hargrove #billy hargrove non con #eddie munson #eddie munson smut #dark!eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson imagine #billy hargove imagine #billy hargove smut #billy hargove x reader

289 notes · View notes

brighteyedbushybrowed · 10 months

Text

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬

I've finally decided I'm gonna be doing headcanon requests! To request headcanons, just head over to my ask and drop in there what you'd like! But first, make sure to read the rules and the characters I will write headcanon requests for. If you're not sure if I've already done your request or not, head over to my navigation post where you'll find links to my masterlists!

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

Only send in requests when I'm open for them! I'll put at the top of my blog and in my ask whether I'm open for headcanon requests or not.

Only send in headcanon requests for characters on the list I will provide further down in this post! Just because a character is from a fandom I'm in doesn't mean I will automatically write for them, so make sure you read the list carefully.

Do NOT send in headcanon requests for trigger topics that I will list further down in this post. This is for my own mental health and wellbeing and I trust that you'll all be respectful of that.

Please don't send asks/messages asking when I'll get round to your request. This will only make me want to do requests even less.

As a rule, I don't write character x character ship headcanons as I like to save that sort of thing for when I'm writing fics about them. I will, however, do reader insert headcanons and headcanons for solo characters

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞

Rape/sexual assault/sexual abuse. This is something that is a big trigger for me

Incest

Pedophilia

Non-con or dubious consent, including consensual non-consent. This is something I have to be in a very good headspace to write on my own terms, and as such I don't feel comfortable doing requests relating to these topics

Extreme gore and violence

Excrement play (basically anything to do with piss and poop is a no go)

Child/domestic/partner abuse and violence

Ableism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, anything bigoted

Child/infant death. This is a particularly difficult one for me due to things my mum and my older brother went through, so I don't feel comfortable writing requests relating to this

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞

Slight gore and violence. If you're not sure, don't be afraid to ask and I will tell you if it's too extreme for me or not!

Mental health and mental illness (though I may reserve the right not to do a request relating to this if my own mental health isn't doing well)

Chronic illness/conditions (if it's a condition or illness I'm not familiar with, this may take a little longer as I will look it up to make sure I can write for this topic to the best of my ability)

Angst

Fluff

Smut (I trust that if you're on my page you're over 18, but if I catch wind of any minors interacting with my 18+ content or sending in spicy requests this option will be removed from requests completely)

Polygamy (no incest)

I am more than happy to write for any gender, sexuality, pronouns, race etc

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫

The Band Ghost: Mary Goore, Primo, Secondo, Terzo, Copia, Nihil, Sister Imperator, Mr Saltarian, Jim DeFroque

Devil May Cry: Dante, Vergil, V, Nero, Lady, Trish, Nico, Kyrie

Stranger Things: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Argyle, Jonathan Byers, Billy Hargrove

#headcanon requests #the band ghost #devil may cry #stranger things #pinned post

12 notes · View notes

sammyboyimagines · 2 years

Text

sammyboy's masterlist

If you ever want to request something, my inbox is always open and you could request anything and I'll give it a fair try!

Most of these are 18+, Minors DNI with my 18+ fics. There are some safe fics for you in this masterlist.

That being said, I will not write Non-Con, phone sex, or dub-con. Please do not request any of those topics as I will ignore them.

!!This will be updated with every new fic that I write!!

Stranger Things

Billy Hargrove

Fics:

Stay Gold

-Even the strongest people can feel weak sometimes. And Billy will do anything to convince his plus-size girlfriend that she is not what everyone tells her she is. If he has to teach someone a lesson, so be it.

Stay Gold pt. 2

-Billy knows exactly how to make you feel better about yourself. He wants to show you exactly what you deserve...

Try and Try Again

-Billy finally gathered to courage to propose after a couple failed attempts. After a great dinner, you celebrate with your new fiancé.

Burnin' For You

-Billy is a jealous guy, and you know exactly how to drive him crazy. But this time, he takes matters into his own hands.

Headcanons:

Smutty Headcanons Part 1

( tagged as plus size reader but could be read by anyone)

Married to Billy Headcanons

Winter W/ Billy

Eddie Munson

Fics:

Keeping Secrets

-Eddie's campaign ran a little longer than intended, and an unexpected visitor distracts him. Dustin may be overbearing and even overprotective, but Eddie's good at keeping secrets...

Keeping Secrets pt. 2

-After talking with Eddie in secret, you have your first date with him. After the date goes awry, a nervous Eddie decided to try and salvage it.

Terrible Liar

-You and Eddie managed to keep your relationship off the radar of everyone in Hawkins...until a certain someone catches you. Will they be able to keep a secret?

Sweet Dreams

-Eddie said no all those years ago, and you've grown apart, literally. You moved away with your father but eventually came back to Hawkins to live with your mother and finish your senior year. After Eddie saw you, he realized just how badly he messed up. And how badly he needed to make it up to you.

Headcanons:

Winter w/ Eddie

Steve Harrington

Fics:

A Familiar Face

-After school ended, you decided to take a trip to the mall with your friend, but what you didn't expect was to see an old friend. After a rocky ending, can you reignite your relationship?

Road Trip

-Steve came to you asking if you would help him with something. He would have asked anyone else, you were his last resort. You both have an interesting time on a road trip. Will your hatred for each other change as you figure out how to sink Hawkins Lab?

Road Trip pt. 2

-The long car ride with Steve ended when you stopped at a motel for the night. The tensions snap and feelings are released

Road Trip pt. 3

-You were finding it hard to deal with Steve, and it was only 3 hours into the road trip. How could you possibly last 2 days?

Road Trip pt. 4 (Drabble)

-The end of the Road Trip Series!

The Next Step

-Reader has powers but hides them from Steve. After a series of weird light flickers and random dropping objects, Steve finally understands his girlfriend's secret

A Friend From Work Series (5 parts, all complete)

-The reader had no idea that her dad had a hot work friend, and now she can't wait to get him alone.

Earn Me

-Steve is desperate for a distraction after breaking up with Nancy, and the reader refuses to be a rebound. Steve has to make a change before he can gain her favor.

Headcanons:

Coming soon!

Jonathan Byers

Fics:

Five's a Crowd

-Jonathan can't keep his eyes off you, and Argyle decides to step in. But after a stupid mistake, Jonathan finds out how you really feel about him

Headcanons:

Coming soon!

Robin Buckley

Fics:

Hate to Love You

-Robin and Steve are working together, and you are working there too. It seems like Robin hates you. But it's because she thinks you like Steve. She believes she hates you, but Steve sees right through it.

Trust Me (Robin x reader x Platonic!Steve)

-Robin is trying to hide her relationship with you from Steve. He is adamant about figuring out her secret.

Headcanons:

Coming soon!

Enola Holmes 1 and 2

Sherlock Holmes

Fics:

Friendly Competition

-The famous Sherlock Holmes never had any competition regarding solving a case. Until you came along, and he learned to appreciate some friendly competition, very friendly competition.

Headcanons:

Coming soon!

More characters and fandoms coming soon!!

#stranger things #stranger things netflix #steve harrington #robin buckley #jonathan byers #dustin henderson #will byers #eddie munson #billy hargrove #enola and sherlock

46 notes · View notes

wh0re4bill · 2 months

Text

About my blog♡

Hello! My name is Hannelore and I write smuts for different celebrities/characters!

-Who i write for-

Tom kaulitz

Bill kaulitz

Jake webber

Johnnie guilbert

Ghost

Billy hargrove

(I also write different people/characters but those are my main)

What i will write

Smut (afab only. I don't know what goes on in mxm sex.)

Fluff

Short fics

Age gap

Fem x fem

If specifically requested i will use your actual name in the fic. If not it will just be y/n.

What i will not write!

R@pe

Age play

Non con situations

Pedophilia

Piss kink or anything like that. (I'm sorry im just not comfortable if this upsets you I apologize but I do have boundaries. And im not gonna call it weird bc people like what they like and im not gonna shame ANYONE!)

Male x male reader

Pegging

Somnophilia (sleeping beauty kink)

Beastialiy (idk how to spell lol)

Feel free to request anything but if its anything on the wnw list I'll have to politely decline :)

#tom kaulitz #bill kaulitz smut #smut #bill kaulitz #johnnie guilbert #jake and johnnie #johnnie guilbert smut #billy hargrove #ghost

4 notes · View notes

cubicle-eyes · 2 years

Text

Hi! I'm Skylar, an apiring writer on this multifandom blog! I am genderfluid, but if you would like to use pronouns, he/him or it/its would be perfect, thank you.

Lets get into it!

--------------

I don't write fem!reader unless it is for a lesbian or a bi female. Otherwise everything else is Male. (i.e, robin buckley)

I write:

f character x f reader

f character x m reader (on occasion)

m character x m reader

and

gn/nonbinary character x gn/nonbinary reader

I suppose requests or chats are open! Feel free to request characters, or give me gentle constructive critisism. Im trying 🤧🤧

--------------

[ MASTERLIST PLACEHOLDER ]

-‐---------

Who I Write for:

Steve Harrington

Billy Hargrove

Eddie Munson

Dustin Henderson

Mike Wheeler

Nancy Wheeler

Will Byers

Jonathan Byers

Jane/Eleven Hopper

Max Mayfeild

Argyle

Robin Buckley (f.reader)

Fred Benson

Barb Holland

Chrissy Cunningham

Vicki

001/Peter Ballard/Henry/Vecna (Not monster form)

Helluva Boss

literally everyone ❤️

FNAF:SB

I think everyone but mostly the DCAs

(except like burntrap, vanny/vanessa)

THE OWL HOUSE:

Luz Noceda (platonic)

Camila Noceda (PLATONIC)

Eda Clawthorne

Lilith Clawthorne (Platonic)

Darius Deamonne

Raine Whispers

Adrian Gray

Emperor Belos (/srs)

Phillip Wittebane (i know theyre the same but he just looks twinky)

Amity Blight (platonic)

Edric Blight

Emira Blight

Willow Park

Gus Porter

Steve!!!

Hunter/Golden Guard (rip Flapjack)

Vee!!!

The Collector (only w/ god+child reader. YOUNG LOVE DO NIT SEXUALIZE THIS!)

Masha (we stan them)

Mattholomule

Viney

Jerbo

Skara

and probably others just ask lol

--------------

My little rules:

I don't write full-fleged smut, but will right suggestive and/or spicy content. It makes me a little uncomfy, heh.

Nothing TOO spicy with underage characters. Please. I beg of you. Some light making out is okay but no like,,, yeah.

More is to come as I figure out what I will and won't right!

--------------

DNI list pending, but the obvious is p^deos, anyone who supports non-con/r@pe/relationship abuse, and anyone who uses the " x male reader " tag in xfemreader content. Burn.

-------------

OTHER:

(The optional Bio)

Favorite Color: Black and Blues

Favorite Songs: Anything ACDC or Mindless Self Indulgence

Huge Thanks to the xmale readers of tumblr. Sometimes they just dont get enough content.

--------------

61 notes · View notes

astragreenwoode · 1 year

Text

The Spitfire Curse - Chapter One

Next: Chapter Two • Masterlist • AO3 Version

Rating: Explicit(18+ ONLY)

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Fem!OC(Endgame), Billy Hargrove x Fem!OC, Steve Harrington x Fem!OC, Robin Buckley x Fem!OC, Chrissy Cunningham x Fem!OC,

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con, Canon-Typical Violence, Graphic Descriptions of Violence, Non-specified Mental Illness, Self-Harm, Drug Use, Hypersexuality, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Genre: Adventure, Thriller, Horror, Slow-Burn Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort. Smut, Fluff, Slight Canon-Divergence, Fix-it fic

And a special thanks to my beta-reader @take-everything-you-can! Thank you so much for all your feedback and ideas, love!

Chapter One: Someone Who Loves You Wouldn't Do This.

Word Count: 7681

Chapter Warnings: Recreational Drug Use, Divorce, Implied Trauma, Language, Slight Smut, Domestic Arguments, Implied Mental Illness(not specified what kind)

Chapter Summary: Maeven looks back on the day her life took a turn, leading to her and her family down a painful path, and her life being relocated to the middle of nowhere, Indiana.

I used to make a joke that I was cursed. I was blissfully unaware as the clock stroke midnight and I welcomed 1983 with my friends and family the hard turn things would take. My life would go through a painful metamorphosis that wouldn’t stop for a while. Eventually, I learned that life was chaos and the best way to cope with existing was to be the calming breeze in the middle of the storm. Unfortunately, the best lessons are taught the hard way; through pain and suffering. It took becoming too acquainted with facing death and pushing through a secret dimension that is the closest thing to hell ever seen by human eyes.

For the longest time, it seemed that my life went in a loop. Too often, my livelihood would be torn apart, leaving me to struggle as I licked my wounds and tried to move on. And just when it seemed safe enough to get comfortable and happy, another knot in the chain of rot, ruin, and pain would be added. The cycle would start anew, leaving me to spiral down like blood in water circling the drain of the shower.

But despite all the bullshit I was put through, I wouldn’t trade my life in Hawkins, Indiana for the world.

. . .

February 1983

The year started off like any other. We spent those first few months in quiet anticipation of the new goals we had set for ourselves. My Dad made a vow to not work overtime at the University of San Diego as much so he could be home for dinner and kiss us goodnight. My Mom made a vow to work hard and earn a promotion in her job at the bank. Max made a vow to compete in a local skate contest and wanted me to join her. I made a vow with my friends that we’d collaborate for the Newport High Arts Festival.

None of those resolutions ended up being met. Max and I were too occupied by whatever pulled our parents apart to accomplish them.

That February, a week after I won a prize in the science fair and two weeks after Max’s twelfth birthday, we left the house for school with a deafening silence between us. My little sister and I fast walked toward the bus stop gripping each other’s sweaty hands like a vice. I clenched my knuckles tightly around the shoelaces of my skates slung over my shoulder as Max nervously tapped her nails on her skateboard clutched in her other hand. Normally, we’d have skate-offs to see who could reach the bus stop first. It wasn’t one of those days; Max needed her sister, and I needed mine.

Dad was supposed to drive us that morning. He even promised he’d get up early so he could make breakfast and watch the morning news with us and Mom. These things used to make up our regular morning routine, but Dad hadn’t been able to join us and be present the way he did before for at least the past six months. I couldn’t tell anymore, and I couldn’t remember exactly the last time I saw him awake before school. He would either be too tired after getting home from work or passed out from drinking too much.

I was looking forward to it so much that the excitement caused me to wake up before my alarm clock went off. But when Max and I came downstairs all packed for school and eager for breakfast, we found him passed out on the couch with the T.V. still on and a cluster of beer bottles on the table.

That morning, our Mom and Dad had their earliest and most intense argument that we’d yet seen. The last thing we heard as I pulled Max along with me out the door was my mother yelling “Sometimes, I wonder if you even care about us at all!”

Up until now, they had usually been in the next room or so over trying to muffle their yelling between the walls. This was the first time they knowingly fought in front of us. I was in such a hurry to get us out of there that I didn’t turn the doorknob three times before locking it like I always do.

We started walking slower as soon as we couldn’t hear the screams anymore and loosened our grip on our things and each other.

“Sooooo. . .what classes do you have today?”

I laughed at her timing and felt relief at the break in the tension that hung heavy in the air like a storm cloud. But as soon as I noticed Max’s lack of sarcasm in her tone and that she wasn’t laughing with me, the weight on my shoulders returned.

I didn't blame her for not wanting to talk about it. But we had to do it eventually. The elephant in the room was growing unruly and anxious. It threatened to tear the house apart.

“Are we seriously not gonna talk about what just happened?”

“You tell me," Max grumbled, staring at the ground as we continued walking. "You haven’t said shit this last month or so.”

I wasn't blameless in ignoring the situation. But up until this morning, I didn't think the tension between our parents would lead to this.

“It’s not like I don’t want to, Max. I’m still trying to process what Mom yelled back there.”

“Yeah. . ." she scoffed. "She’s sure one to talk, huh? It’s not like she’s never been passed out drunk on the couch instead of paying attention to her family, right?”

“You’re not wrong," I wheezed out at her.

Before getting her job as a bank teller, Mom had been working as a nurse at the busiest hospital in San Diego since before she married my Dad and had me. But the E.R. got busier and busier. The HIV crisis turned it grim. Mom and Dad ended up losing a few of their close friends from back in the 60s. It hit both of them hard, but Mom was the one who had to witness the disease rotting people from the inside out first-hand.

At first, her drinking wasn't anything serious; just one bottle every night at dinner to help take the edge off. But then, my uncle tested positive, and it was all suddenly so personal. He went so quickly before we even really got a grasp that it was happening. It tore Mom apart, losing her baby brother so brutally.

“Dad was there for her through her crap. Why can’t she do the same?” Max let go of my hand and wiped the sweat off her palms before gripping her skateboard in her arms. I wiped my palm, too.

“Hey. Be nice. She’s trying. It definitely wasn’t always easy for Dad to keep his shit together for her," I pointed out, lifting her chin gently to meet her ocean-blue eyes, a shade or two lighter than my own.

Mom was able to get sober with our and Dad's help, but she couldn't be a nurse anymore. The whole situation made the mention of the word "hospital" leave her sick with melancholy.

“Okay, fine. I guess you’re right. But it’s not just her, y’know? Ever since Dad came back, he’s been. . .different.”

As things were just getting back to normal, Dad was called back by the Army to help fight in the cold war. He was an engineer who helped fight in the Vietnam War and was absent for the first year and a half of Max’s life. After he played his part and came back home, he was different in the best way. Throughout our childhoods, he no longer took like for granted and spent his days making up for the time he wasn’t here with us.

He didn’t go back to fight in the Cold War for too long, but that short time made a big difference in his personality. I didn't know much about what happened to him during his time fighting overseas. All I knew was that he was awarded a lot of medals for his service. Too often, Max and I would look at them and ask him what they were for. Max didn’t understand what all of them exactly meant, which Dad was grateful for. He wanted us to stay kids for as long as we could. But he couldn’t stop me from theorizing what orders he had to follow for him to earn those medals. My favorite was his Purple Heart.

He was even able to bring back his partner home to us; a retired military dog named Bullet. He got along nicely with Lucy, our other dog, and Nutmeg, our cat. They were immediately the best of friends. I could tell Bullet's presence kept Dad calmer.

“Yeah. He’s quieter," I said. But Max wasn't satisfied with me boiling it all down to that word.

“Quiet? Try distant," she snapped, the vibes in the February air turning sour. "I’m pretty sure he forgot it was my birthday this month."

My stomach sank. I remember when Mom was once too drunk to remember my birthday. It broke my heart. But Dad wasn't like that. He was different, right?

“He did not. He got your new board, didn’t he?”

“I heard them talking a week before my party. Mom had to remind him.”

If it was possible, my broken heart then shattered for my baby sister. I was angry. I couldn't believe Dad would get so bad that he forgot the day he had to coach my mom through childbirth in his parent's house. But that didn't necessarily change anything. He still kisses the picture of our family in his wallet three times a day for good luck. That had to count for something.

“You don’t believe it right?”

“Believe what?”

“What Mom said before we left the house," I reminded her. I was still trying to process the fact that those words came out of my Mother's mouth. They were laced with hatred, and I was angry at her for letting us leave the house knowing they echoed in our heads.

“I don’t know what I believe anymore.” As soon as Max's broken voice said that, my shattered heart burned up and the ashes blew in the wind.

“Hey. Don’t talk like that." I pulled her arm and stopped us a block before her bus stop. I crouched down slightly to be at her level, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Dad didn’t stop loving us, okay? And he never will.”

“You don’t know that.” Max started choking up a little, fighting to hold back the tears.

“Yes I do,” I told her, reaching my hand up to cup her cheek. But before our skin could touch, she smacked my hand away.

“Why are you defending him?”

“I’m not defending him, Max. I just think there's something else going on," I said, pulling her along to reach her block. I felt her pull me back before I had the chance to look both ways before crossing the street.

“What, Maevey? What else could possibly be going on that he’d rather drink than come home on time to eat dinner with us?”

“We didn’t see him for months before he came back to us. I don’t know exactly all that happened when he was overseas, but I can’t imagine all of it was pleasant for him."

I was starting to lose my patience as I debated picking her up before crossing the street. But her friends were gathered at the bus stop. They didn't need to hear this.

“How are we supposed to know what happened if he won’t talk about it?”

“There's probably a reason he isn’t talking about it, Max. I don't think who he was forced to kill and the brutal war crimes he may have witnessed are ideal conversation topics."

Her face went from mad to concerned, and I could breathe easier knowing she understood a little more than before.

". . .I didn't think about that."

"It's okay, Squirt. C'mere." I pulled Max into a hug. Her embrace squeezed my ribs, but I didn't care. I wasn't too tall, but I was tall enough that her head was tucked comfortably under my chin.

"If they get divorced, do you think they'll split us up, too?" She mumbled into my coat. My heart was now completely gone from my chest. I looked both ways before eagerly pulling her along to cross the street and turned to face her again as soon as we were safe on the other side. She pulled me to the side behind the bushes, so the other kids at the bus stop couldn’t see or interrupt our conversation.

"They're not gonna get divorced, Max. Okay? And they sure as hell aren’t splitting us up. They've gone through rough patches before. This one isn't any different from the last ones," I explained, reaching out to hug her again. She pushed back a little too aggressively, but I couldn't bring myself to care. She needed to feel her feelings and I didn’t blame her for not wanting to be touched.

"Don't do that! Don't act like you know everything's gonna be fine!” Max yelled. “You don't know that, Maevey! You can't know that!"

Her breathing started to quicken as she began to hyperventilate. Like I had done a thousand times before, I put my hand on her shoulder and coached her

"Hey, don't yell. Just calm down, Max. Look at me, okay? Breathe. In. Out. Thats it.” As soon as her breathing was stable again, she pulled me back into the hug she denied herself before.

She was right. I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I couldn’t tell the future. I may read tarot cards all the time, but it wasn’t an exact science. I couldn’t guarantee what would happen to Mom and Dad. But I could guarantee that no matter where this whole fiasco would go, I’d have her back; we’d have each other.

"Everything's gonna be fine, okay? We'll get through this. We always do,” I murmured into the top of her head as her bus came into view.

"Promise?"

"Promise,” I said, pressing one last kiss on her head. I momentarily locked our pinkies together like we had done a million times before. She pulled back as we heard the high-pitched sound of the bus hitting its brakes.

“I'll see you this afternoon, okay? I have Farming Club today after classes,” I explained as I guided her toward the line of children. “. . .so I'll be home at 5 instead of 3. We'll do something fun after dinner."

I could tell she was still worked up over Mom and Dad and annoyed once again by my packed schedule. But she agreed anyway. She needed the distraction. We both did.

". . .okay."

I tussled her hair and gave her one last quick hug. "Alright, Squirt. Gotta go. Love you."

". . .I love you, too. . ."

As I moved on my way to where I usually catch my bus, I heard my sister call back to me one more time.

"And I'm not a squirt, Maevey!" I turned toward Max to see her head poking out of the school-bus window. I let out a laugh. Ever since she could talk, we’d hold our own little competitions to see who could have the last word. We had lost count by now, but we didn’t care about that anymore. We liked the rush in our blood we got from the heat of the race.

"Compared to me you are, Squirt!"

“You’re not even that tall!”

“Bye, Max!”

I wouldn’t know it until later in the day, but when I told my sister everything would be alright, that would be the very first time I ever lied to her.

. . .

Every time I left Farming Club, I left with a little more dirt under my nails and a few more animal scratches. I had many passions; from music to skating to books to art. But I knew I wanted to work with wildlife and the outdoors since I was five years old. That was the day I made friends with a gentle raccoon and brought it inside the house. I named him ‘Oscar,’ because he loved trash. Later that night, my Dad gifted me with a field journal and helped me make my first entry on raccoons.

Mom is the reason Max and I loved the beach so much. She was the reason we loved bright things like the sun and rainbows. I took on her love of arts and crafts. But neither Max nor I was as girly as she would’ve liked us to be. Dad passed his love of science and research onto me. Max adopted his love of comic books and handy skills. We both inherited his stubbornness and rebellious spirit.

But I never thought his rebellion from my Mom’s nagging would end up like this.

That afternoon, I tied my rainbow laces tightly on my light-teal skates on the bus taking me home from club. As the door opened, I held onto the handrails on the steps and jumped from the top step and outside the bus, sliding my hands down on the way to support my weight on my wheels. All the bus drivers I had nagged me to stop that lest I hurt myself. They all eventually gave up. When a Mayfield is determined, good luck trying to dissuade them.

Like I had done in my life routines a million times before, I skated down the road back home. I nailed turning on the hard curves of the neighborhood that Max and I had conquered growing up. Ever since I was little, I loved repeating myself. I thrived on routine and found comfort in everyday repetitions. It took me a while before I became comfortable with accepting changes big and small. I still counted in groups of two or three. The sequences brought me a sense of control and comfort.

No matter how far I had come in going with the flow and controlling only what I am able to, I never wanted my little sister sitting on the curb of our driveway to escape my parents’ screaming match to become a part of my routine. We had spent the last couple of nights eating dinner outside on the back porch, skating until the sun went down, and watching the sunset before the sky filled up with stars. This was the first time during our parents' fighting that I saw Max cry.

She was sitting on the curb next to our mailbox with her board in one hand and the other stroking the top of Lucy’s head as she lay down with her head in her lap. Bullet was standing guard with Nutmeg between his front legs, cleaning her face with her paws. As soon as our pets saw me, they perked up to welcome me back home.

“Hey, guys. Hey.” I gave them each a friendly pat on the head before I skidded my skates to a halt and stood on my toe stops before kneeling down to cup her face in my hands. Max didn’t even seem to notice for a moment until I wiped her tears off her cheek. Before I could say anything, she desperately wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my shoulder.

“Max, what’s going on? What’re you doing out here?”

“They’re fighting again.”

I could hear the muffled yelling coming from our childhood home. Whatever went down in there while I was at club, it wasn’t anything good.

Enough was enough. I wasn’t going to allow my sister or myself to be spectators in the middle of their shitstorm any longer. After I aggressively unlaced my skates and let my backpack carelessly drop on the lawn, I stood up.

“Stay here,” I told Max. Only Nutmeg followed after me. I marched toward the house with anger lit in my veins the same way gas would light when met with a match. The freshly watered grass soaked through my socks and chilled my feet. It helped me keep calm and grounded.

As I reached the front door, I focused my hearing on my parents’ conversation. Nutmeg rubbed on my legs and meowed at me to pick her up.

“You can’t keep doing this, Norman! You can’t keep making promises and breaking them when it’s convenient for you! You can’t keep fucking up and then come crawling back to me like that’s somehow going to fix everything! You need to do better! Be better! You need help!”

My breathing quickened and shallowed as I hugged Nutmeg closer to my chest. She nuzzled her face into my shoulder as she sensed my growing anxiety, but her actions did nothing to stop it from spreading in my lungs and head. I heard my Mom scream before; sometimes she would get frustrated parenting me and Max. But I’d never heard her like this before.

“Do you honestly think that's what I’m doing, Susan?! Do you think I’d rather drink until I black out instead of coming home to you and the girls?! I’m sorry that I’m hurting you, but I’m not going back! I’m not gonna be interrogated by a shrink just so they can punch my crazy card again and throw me in a padded cell!”

I knew very little about my Dad’s mental history. I figured it had something to do with what he saw during his time in the military.

“Maybe you should! Maybe you are crazy, Norm! I feel fucking crazy watching you rot for over a month! I’m not gonna watch you do this to yourself! I don’t deserve to see that, and neither do our girls!”

Maybe Mom was right. Maybe my Dad was crazy, but that didn’t mean it was okay to talk to him like his state of mind made him a bad person. I never saw either of them as bad people, but that was starting to change. Slowly, but surely, my sweaty palms wrapped around the doorknob and I turned it one, two, three times before I opened it.

“Do not bring them into this! Do you realize how hard it is keeping my shit together in front of them?! You should! You did the exact same thing to us! Don’t act like you haven’t! I am trying my best to be better for them! For both of them!”

“Well, your best isn’t enough, Norm!”

“STOP IT!”

They were so caught up in the heat of the moment that they didn’t even notice me open the door until my outburst. Nutmeg jumped out of my arms and pranced up the stairs. I had never seen either of my parents look so broken before, Not even after Mom lost her brother or when Dad had to bury his father. It was scary, to see this side of them.

“Mae-Mae. . .I. . .I didn’t know you were back, yet.”

Mom wiped the tears from her cheeks and stifled her breaking voice.

“Yeah, clearly,” I said, slamming the door and shaking the house around us. Somehow, it felt louder and more intense than when they were yelling.

Mom sat in the chair by the fireplace and turned away to pull herself together. Dad let out a heavy sigh, running his hands through his hair before adjusting his glasses.

“Maevey, I know how this looks. I know I haven’t been. . .present for a while-”

“Yeah, no shit, Dad! Neither of you have!”

“Excuse me?” Mom practically leaped from her chair. “I have been making you dinner, doing your laundry, and driving you to and from all your little clubs! You will not talk to me that way!”

Here we go again; right to the Martyr role.

“Yeah, but when was the last time you’ve actually been here, Mom? Huh? Do you even remember what clubs I’m in? Do you even remember what I won the science fair for last week?”

Both of their eyes widened like this was the first time they were hearing about this.

“Honey, you were in the science fair?”

“Seriously, guys?!”

They were there; both of them. But I was so caught up with everything else happening that night. I didn’t realize in the midst of everything that Dad was so antisocial that he just stayed on the sidelines and occasionally come to my booth. Mom only came up to my booth once, going around to congratulate the other kids on all of their hard work instead of my own.

They both took off after I won the blue ribbon, leaving me with a hollow ‘good job, Maeven’ before going back to fighting in the school parking lot. Why couldn’t they put their fighting on hold? Just for one night? They were so preoccupied with their sudden hatred for each other that caring for Max and I had become a chore, rather than a necessity. My parents might’ve been there, but they weren’t there . They weren’t present.

Mom rubbed her hands together, fiddling with her jewelry as she looked for the right words.

“Mae-Mae, we-”

“Don’t you ‘Mae-Mae’ me, Mom!” I pleaded with her, looking up at the ceiling and wondering what it would feel like to spontaneously combust just to escape this conversation.

“Max and I have been putting up with your shit, both of yours, for all our lives! But, this? This takes the cake.”

“Maeven, I know it's been hard seeing us fight, but I promise you, we’re working through it, okay? You and Max don’t have anything to worry about.”

It always came back to this point. We had this conversation many times in the last few months. I was tired of going around in circles. I was tired of them acting like we didn’t need to know what was happening to their marriage. I wasn’t a kid anymore, and neither was Max.

Before I knew it, I combusted. The brutal words mixed with the finger-pointing and dramatic gestures came out without warning. I probably looked like I was having a classic teenage girl tantrum; I didn’t recognize myself. It was as if I was floating outside my body, no longer in control and puppeteered by the past month of built-up frustration.

“Oh, bullshit! This is not ‘working through it, guys! This is chaos! Now will you just fucking fix your marriage or get a divorce all ready so Max and I don’t have to suffer anymore?! Jesus H. Fucking Christ!”

By the time I was given control of myself again, it took me a moment to realize what happened. It was the first time I had blacked out, and it would be far from the last time. I didn’t remember going back outside to sit next to Max. It was a scary sensation, but my body, heart and mind were hyper-focused on other things.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

At the sound of my sister's voice and the feeling of my hands absentmindedly running through Bullet’s fur, my thoughts suddenly weren’t so loud.

“You kinda spaced out there for a moment,” Max said, her hand joining mine to double Bullet’s reassuring pats. I wasn’t sure whether it was more soothing for us or for him.

“I’m fine,” I murmured, tilting my head back to look at the night sky and letting the soft breeze cool down my heated cheeks. I almost wished Dad would come out and sit with us to look at the stars as if it was just a normal night.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough.”

I mentally slapped myself. Earlier that day, we had preached to each other about how sickened we were to be in the middle of Mom and Dad’s fights. It felt so hypocritical of me; to blow up like that while knowing Max could most likely hear my yelling, too. Until I felt the sudden urge to start breathing again and sniff, I didn’t even feel like I was crying.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have exploded like that, God, . .I’m just like them. . .No, I’m worse.” My voice was broken up. I sounded so pathetic. Max scooched over and leaned her head on my shoulder. I moved my arm around her as she slipped hers along my hip.

“No, you’re not,” she said, still recovering from her own crying fit from before I came home. “They had it coming.”

I breathlessly let out a laugh as ‘Call Block Tango’ crawled its way into my head. Never before had I felt so relieved and yet so angry. It was as if I just finished a long hike in the mountains and finally let my shoulders rest and stretch without a backpack on. But as I packed up my camp the next morning, I was painfully reminded that I still had a long way to go.

“I’m sorry you had to hear that. I just. . .I didn’t know what else to do. . .”

“Do you really want them to get a divorce?”

At this point, I didn’t care what happened to them. I couldn’t picture what I wanted for us in the future. I just wanted all this bullshit to end.

“Yes? No? I don’t know, Max. I just. . .I just want the fighting to stop.”

“Yeah. . .me, too,” she sighed, letting her shoulders fall as she tilted her head up and her eyes met mine.

“Do you still believe her?” I asked.

“What?”

“Do you still believe Mom when she said Dad doesn’t love us?”

Max pondered for a moment, her eyes focusing on the way my evil-eye necklace sparkled in the sunset barely shining over the neighborhood. She had the same look in her eye she got when planning her next move in a family game of Monopoly.

“No. I don’t think I even did before.”

“Good. Mom still loves us, too. Y’know that right?”

“Yeah, I know. . .I mean, God knows she tells us all the damn time.”

As much of a hard-ass our Mom could be, a day never went by where she didn’t tell us how much she loved us. Dad made sure to remind us, too, but had fallen out of practice the more time he spent away from us. He didn’t see us enough to tell us.

“Why don’t they love each other anymore?”

I knew that wasn’t true to a degree. Mom and Dad were no longer fit to be partners, but that didn’t erase the life they built together. Max and I were living proof of that.

“I wish I knew, Squirt.”

People fell out of love all the time. It happened every day. It just wasn’t as preached as much as the ‘happily ever after’ narrative. The divorce rate was currently skyrocketing ever since ‘no-fault divorce’ was legalized in the mid-70s. Until then, domestic violence wasn’t considered a valid reason for divorce. It wasn’t a bad thing that it was finally able to those who really needed it and then some. I just never thought my family would need it, too.

“You know this isn’t your fault, right?”

“Whose fault is it, then?”

Max’s question wasn’t one that could be answered simply. She was just starting puberty, just starting to learn that the world wouldn’t be simple from here on out. People shouldn’t be so romanticized. People were. . .complicated, to say the least. I guess that was why I preferred to find comfort in the study of flora and fauna. Everything else in nature made sense but humans.

“No ones, Max. They didn’t want to hurt each other, it just. . .happened.”

I barely believed my own words. I knew their fighting had nothing to do with us. But I also knew how easy it was to feel like it was your fault when you were stuck in the middle of it all.

“They seem to want to hurt each other right now.”

“Because they’re scared. I don’t blame them. I’m scared, too.”

“Yeah. . .what’s gonna happen to us?”

I was so naive to think everything would always stay the same, to think that my family was untouchable to tragedy. The only thing I was certain of was that I wasn’t going to let the impending divorce break what my sister and I had with each other. All I could do was give her a hug and be as truthful with her as she could handle.

“I. . .I don’t know. I’m sorry. I wish I did.”

The divorce didn’t break us. Everything that followed afterward did.

. . .

19 Months Later

No matter how difficult it was hauling her entire life across the country, Maeven was probably the only one who saw the move to Indiana as a good thing. Of course, Susan and Neil were the ones who wanted it the most from the beginning. They had a chance to start a whole new life together, far away from the painful troubles and annoying inconveniences in California; far away from Norman Mayfield and the threat he posed to the newly blended family. Neil didn’t like the idea of being challenged that way. And he absolutely loathed the thought of his bride’s ex-husband still having a big influence on his new family

Susan wanted this for her daughters, too. The Mayfield sisters have always had trouble fitting in, of course. They both shared a tendency to not be properly labeled by others. Maeven had so many interests to keep up with, and Max practically danced on the spectrum of being a tomboy on one side and a ‘proper girl’ on the opposite. Susan hoped the move from the big city to small-town America would possibly. . .straighten them out, as she and Neil liked to put it. They all needed a fresh start. Maeven, especially.

The nineteen months that followed her parents’ divorce were a blur of unhealthy coping mechanisms, illegal activities, soul-crushing trauma, and a lot of therapy and pills. Her good clean reputation as an eccentric honors student had mutated into one carved with violence and pain. Repeating her Junior Year at Newport High after everyone witnessed her at her most vulnerable and angry felt like a death sentence. Maeven saw the move to Indiana as a clean slate, a blank canvas; a chance to find peace and start over where nobody had to know of her past sins.

Besides, she no longer felt like she belonged in California. There just wasn’t a place for her there, anymore. It was her home for such a long time, but it no longer felt that way. It now felt tainted and ruined, just like she had become. Maeven no longer felt like herself, and was convinced that she had to find herself again no matter where the road took her. All she knew was she wouldn’t find what she was looking for in California. Plus, the increase in population made her want to crawl into a hole like a wild animal and wait or all the chaos to die down.

Of course, Billy and Max objected to the move. Both of them had their own lives to live in California. It wasn’t fair to just uproot them without asking how they’d hypothetically feel first. It wasn’t fair to force them to uproot their lives so their parents could live a fantasy they never wanted a part in. The whole charade gave them another reason to hate each other; something they didn’t want but couldn’t help once Susan and Neil made up their minds. But Maeven? She had nothing that tied her there, apart from her friends, Dad, and pets; all the things Susan and Neil convinced her that she didn’t need in order to be happy.

The newly blended Hargrove/Mayfield family spent the second to last week of September moving east across eight states and directing a team of movers to move furniture and boxes into their new home. The house on Cherry Street was a few miles away from downtown Hawkins; a nice, upper-middle-class neighborhood tucked amidst the trees. Maeven was excited to explore the woods that lay across the street from them and discover the creatures who inhabited it. She could already picture herself finding a particularly interesting tree, plant, or creature to fill her sketchbook with. The cicadas were still chirping, so they’d probably be the easiest to sketch. If she was quiet and lucky enough, maybe she’d cross paths with an owl or fox.

In between helping with moving boxes and furniture, Maeven and Max skated on their new driveway and around the neighborhood despite their mother’s protests. Billy dropped the sisters off closer to town in his Camaro after Neil practically forced him to. As they explored downtown Hawkins, they managed to find an arcade connected to a video rental place. Seriously. How bad could this place really be if it had an arcade?

Max spent the next two hours working her magic, adding her name to the top of the scoreboards on each game she had already beaten back in California. Maeven snuck around to the alley behind the building to smoke a couple of hits of a joint before going back inside to lose herself amongst the 8-bit shooting noises. She shoved her face with strawberry Fanta and cool-ranch Doritos, buzzed on sugar, carbs, and weed as she hyper-focused on topping the Galaga scoreboard with IRNMVN.

The first week exploring their new home felt like heaven to Maeven. It was really the first time she truly felt at peace in over a year. Despite the abrupt adjustment from city living to small-town America, and the strange vibe she felt from Hawkins, she found her new home comforting and charming.

The last nineteen months of Maeven’s life had been a hazy blur of school scandals, bullying drugs, fighting, and police mixed with pills, mental institutions, isolation, and trauma, just to name a few. It all blended together to make up a cocktail of ups and downs, misery and pleasure. She was once on the honor roll at Newport High School, well on her way to becoming the Valedictorian of her class. Now, Maeven would have to repeat her Junior Year at Hawkins High. Indiana was a chance for her to start over; a place where no one knew of her or her past sins.

She was tired in every sense of the word; physically, mentally, emotionally. All she really wanted was not to be the center of attention like she was before. Maeven just wanted to be normal for a while, even if she wasn’t. At the very least, she wanted to be as normal as she could be. All she had to do was follow a very specific set of rules; put in place to build herself back up.

(1). Don’t be a slut

(2). Act like the smart, athletic girl she was inside

(3). Be herself, but also blend into the crowd. Don’t stand out too much,

(4). Don’t be Weird.

(5). Don’t let them find out what happened to you in California.

The last rule was easier said than done. But Billy would help her just like he always did. He was always there for her.

Maeven and Billy knew each other long before their parents started dating each other. They were classmates since sixth grade but didn’t really talk to each other until High School when Maeven started going through her rebellious phase after her parents got divorced. After all the fighting and verbally humiliating the bullies and jocks, and the snarky attitude she had with both teachers and students during class, Maeven caught Billy’s attention.

He approached her at a party, one of the last weekend ones before the end of sophomore year. She was relaxed in a lounge chair by the pool, smoking a joint and staring up at the stars. Billy unintentionally startled her before asking if he could share with her. She accepted. In between passing the joint to each other, they talked about anything and everything they could until the cops came to shut the party down. They didn’t really have any other choice but to scatter off together.

Amidst all the panic, Maeven climbed inside Billy’s Camaro and they sped off together. They probably should’ve gone home, but somehow ended up going on a long drive to a point on the mountains that looked out over the vastness of San Diego. Although they never told each other, both of them secretly wished the night would never end. The longer they talked, the tighter the tension grew before it turned into a warm tenderness they found in each other’s bodies, hearts, and minds. Billy and Maeven stayed awake together until the sun started peaking over the horizon that early Sunday morning. He made sure to savor the moment, brushing the sweat and weed from her lips to taste her one more time before she walked into her friend’s house.

Up until that night, Maeven had never seen Billy as anything more than an asshole; he was a showoff and a bully, and proud of it, too. But he could also be charming and soft when he wanted to. And for some reason, he felt safe enough to be so around her. The fact that he complimented her sudden new ability to ‘kick ass and take no shit and look super hot at the same time.’ And apparently, her ass looked really good when she skated. Maeven thought she had all the jocks properly pegged, but she noticed how Billy’s baby blue eyes had a dark sadness behind them. He was carrying a pain in his heart and soul all too similar to the one she had just taken on; his parents were divorced, too. Although, the circumstances of his situation were much worse than hers.

His mother abandoned him when he was eleven, not able to deal with her husband’s abuse toward her anymore. Before his dad started raising his fist at her, Billy’s mother was a gorgeous, loving mother to her son. In some odd way, Maeven reminded him of her. Despite the freckles and the wild red hair, she was bright, warm, and full of unconditional love, according to his fond, yet fading memory of her. He ended up being a pleasant surprise.

Of course, Billy wasn’t someone Maeven would’ve normally hung out with. She felt like he got her. They felt like they got each other. He looked at her like she was the only other person in the world. She loved his sun-yellow mullet that reminded her of a lion’s mane and could rarely ever stop herself from weaving her fingers through it. He didn’t mind in the least. Billy didn’t care about Maeven’s quirks and fidgets or cringed at the gap between her teeth as he kissed her. He made her feel safe; a special feeling of safe that she hadn’t felt since her dad moved to San Fransisco.

The fact that he knew the exact right way to make her scream his name as he fucked her hard into the cushions didn’t hurt, either. He was fast and hard-edged like his Camaro; he meant business. Maeven was Billy’s dirty little secret, and he was hers. And they liked it to stay that way. But once they officially became family, things got a whole lot harder.

Max was suspicious from the start of how close they were. Billy didn’t seem like the kind of person Maeven would be friends with. He could be a dick, and she was definitely frightened of him and what he could do. She was already forced to witness him burning a dead cat and berating her on a daily basis, among other things. Maeven had yet to find out that he was the one who broke the arm of one of Max’s best friends in San Diego. Then again, Max wasn’t really certain she wanted her big sister to know. And despite everything, Billy was really growing on her. She liked the idea of having a big brother, even if it might take longer for him to properly fill the role and all it entailed.

Maeven took every precaution to make sure Max didn’t know about her relationship with Billy. Her little sister was already dealing with her life being uprooted and relocated away from everything she knew and loved. Finding out her big sister, her idol was fucking their new step-brother would be heartbreaking. She didn’t need more chaos in her life. Once Maeven found out last November the Neil dating her mom was indeed Neil Hargrove, she immediately broke things off with Billy. Obviously, they didn’t stay that way. And after what happened to her last New Year’s Eve, she needed him more than ever.

By the time the movers finished unpacking, the sun had set far west enough so that the sky was both warm and cool at the same time. As Maeven sat next to the woods across the house to smoke, the cicadas’ chirps rang throughout the late summer hair. Susan and Neil were fast asleep by now after an exhausting day of the finishing steps of their moving process. They were way too braindead to throw a tantrum over Maeven smoking to help with her anxiety and sleep disorders. She knew neither Billy nor Max would tattle on her. Neither of them cared. In fact, Maeven made sure to put her blunt out whenever her sister came within six feet of her. They wouldn’t narc on her for a drug ten times less harmless than what she used to use.

Despite all the painful detoxing that she went through while in recovery, smoking pot had always remained Maeven’s best vice. The very act of it made her feel like she was drifting in a warm ocean, safely guarded by a pod of orcas and whale sharks. Weed was a hell of a lot better than snorting cocaine or popping pills like candy. How bad could it really be for her if it grew from the fucking ground? Besides, she knew better now than to even think about doing drugs that hardcore.

Before she left for Indiana, Maeven’s best friend and former dealer, Madison, gifted her an altoid tin filled with her legendary hand-rolled joints. They were famous around Newport High for how fat they were and how big of a buzz they gave the smoker. The matriarch of her family owned an off-the-grid farm in the heart of the Emerald Triangle. Norman Mayfield was a good friend of theirs and didn’t care if his daughter wanted to self-medicate at his house in California. After ashing her joint with the toe of her boot one, two, three times for good luck, Maeven went back inside. The voices finally managed to quiet down in her head enough for her to feel like she could get to sleep easily. Her stash wouldn’t last forever, though. Even if no one could replace Madison, she would have to investigate and find Hawkins’ resident dealer soon.

Maeven secretly envied everyone else in the house and their bodies' ability to rest without needing any extra help. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept without the assistance of 40mg of melatonin, some tea with honey, and a joint or two before bed. Thoughts of wanting nothing more than eternal sleep always lingered in her mind.

Her new room was barren of any personality save for the muted blueberry floral rug and her quilted bedspread with warm technicolored squares covering her full-sized bed. How soft the mattress was as she threw herself down face-first was all that Maeven had the energy for. She didn’t even bother trying to get under the covers properly. It was too warm that evening to curl up like that, but the breeze blowing softly through the open windows felt so nice on her bare skin.

Not feeling Nutmeg curl up on the bed by her feet or on her side was still strange. Maeven didn’t know if she’d ever get used to that, Nutmeg was with her Dad, along with Bullet and Lucy, back in San Francisco. Of course, Maeven and Max wanted to bring their beloved kitty with them when they moved. But Neil would never allow it. And after the incident with Billy setting fire to a dead cat’s corpse without hesitation, Max convinced her sister that she was safer in California. Maeven could understand the anxiety that moment must’ve given her, but Billy would never kill an animal in cold blood like that. Would he?

She didn’t even realize until the mattress dipped to her right and felt him curl his body to fill against hers that Billy managed to sneak in her room unnoticed. His sudden presence made Maeven flinch, but she melted back into his almost immediately as he ghosted his stubble-kissed lips against the nape of her neck to coax a giggle out of her.

“Hey, Dollface. . .” he whispered into her hair, sending a shiver down her back.

“Hey, yourself, Big Guy. . .” she mumbled, shifting in place to face him through her sleepy, probably bloodshot eyes. Billy pulled her tighter against him, gently gripping her knee to hook her leg around his hip.

“You feeling alright? Can smell the pot on you,” he asked, stroking Maeven’s bare thigh.

“I’m good, Billy, just needed to chill.”

“And you didn’t invite me?” he playfully accused, pressing his lips to hers as if to get a secondhand high off the taste of pot lingering on her mouth. Or maybe just because he trembled at the comforting taste of her body

“I thought you were sleeping. The house was so quiet,” she laughed, burying her hands in his golden-yellow locks. Billy’s hand traveled to her shoulders, tenderly kneading against the knots. Maeven let out a slight hiss.

“You’re so tense, Doll,” Billy whispered, nuzzling his face in the junction between her neck and shoulder, tickling her with his beard.

Maeven already knew where he was hoping this would lead. She knew him too long to not notice his telltale signs of arousal. She could already feel his erection growing as he rutted against the front of her underwear. He knew that smoking weed could make her libido rise quickly, always making sure to try and seize the open opportunity to relieve each others’ stress.

“Yeah, heavy lifting for a week will do that to you,” Maeven innocently answered, but Billy wasn’t one to easily pick up on hints.

“Think you can stay quiet for me, baby?” His hand on her thigh crept upward to squeeze one of her ass-cheeks

“Nuh-uh. Keep those hands to yourself. It’s too hot.”

“Mmm-hmm. . .and we can make things even hotter.”

As delicious as his offer was, she couldn’t. Maeven wanted nothing more than to lean into his sinful touches and let the overwhelming intrusive compulsions win. But she was tired. And even if an orgasm could help her with her insomnia, she had been doing so well compartmentalizing her dark thoughts and compulsions.

“Sorry, Big Guy. I’m too tired. . .too sore.”

His hands stopped just above the waistband of Maeven’s sleep shorts before profoundly sighing. Billy was the one out of both of them who actually liked to give in to their impulses, but he always stopped when she wanted him to.

Whenever Maeven blacked out, she had the tendency to obey every intrusive thought that poisoned her mind. She often entered a fight-or-flight state of mind, like a wild animal being hunted. In those moments, she wasn’t a person any longer. She was a monster; the one they always told her she was.

Billy sat up on Maeven’s bed and leaned over to the wooden side table, grabbing something she didn’t see him bring in before.

“Brought ya some water, thought you might be thirsty.”

He offered her now full water bottle that she didn’t even notice was missing from her room. Maeven sat up and took it, not realizing until just now how parched she was. She ended up drinking down half her bottle, just in case Cottonmouth got the better of her later in the night. Ever since she was hospitalized for dehydration, Maeven didn’t mess around when it came to water.

“Ever the gentleman,” she thanked him, closing her bottle before leaning over Billy to put it back on the table. She suddenly felt extraordinarily drowsy and dizzy, closing her eyes to escape it as she leaned on Billy’s torso for support.

“You sure you don’t need a massage, baby?” he asked, tenderly rubbing the small of her back.

She rolled her closed eyes at him, not wanting him to be right and also not fully trusting him to curb his lustful appetite. But Maeven would be able to sleep better without her body being so pent up.

“. . .okay, fine,” she murmured, rolling off of Billy and onto her stomach on the bed next to him so he could get better access to her back. Almost as soon as his hands started loosening the knots in her shoulders, Maeven moaned into her pillow as she felt her mind drifting away.

“That’s it, Dollface. Just let me take care of you,” were the last words she heard from Billy as his hands traveled down her body, sneaking their way across her hips.

When you look at someone you think the world of through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags are practically invisible. But Maeven wasn’t able to see them until it was almost too late for her.

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who showed love on the preview for this chapter! It's uplifting and refreshing knowing that people are actually interested in my work. Let me know what you think about the first chapter, what you like, and what you might wanna see.

Thumbs up to those who can name the songs where all my chapter titles come from. If you wanna be added to the tag list for this fic, let me know down below!

The Spitfire Curse Taglist:

@yaidothat

26 notes · View notes