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heartbreak-sandwich · 7 months

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💌Red Letters to Nowhere💌

A/N: This is the first chapter of my Stepbrother! Billy Hargrove x Mayfield! Reader fic! There will be many, MANY more flashbacks and encounters with other characters (Steve Harrington x Reader, Nancy Wheeler x Reader, and Eddie Munson x Reader to name a few) and some other relationship mentions throughout (like Harringrove and Hellcheer!). I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have writing. 💕

Read on Ao3 ❤️‍🔥 Chapter 2 📖 Master List 🌈

💌CHAPTER ONE: Move-In Day💌

Hawkins, Indiana. You’d never heard of it. To make matters more nerve wracking, you, your mom, and your little sister, Max, were moving to the middle of nowhere to shack up with her new husband and his son. You had met Neil Hargrove a few times when he came to visit from California, and he seemed nice enough. That’s the keyword – seemed. There was something intense about him that made you uneasy, and Max agreed that even though your mom seemed to be head over heels for the mustached, steam pressed, ordinary tryhard of a man, the two of you would keep a calculated distance from him pending further review.

The car ride was excruciatingly long, and you and Max each had your own walkman to keep you company, trading tapes every so often and sharing whatever snacks you could snag at the last gas station you happened upon. Your mom didn’t seem to realize the two of you were immersed in your high-volume music as you watched her lips move, undoubtedly chattering away about all of the fun features of the new town you were doomed to spend the impending school year in. Max rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat, her gaze drifting out the window and eventually coming to a close for yet another nap after receiving the report from your mom of “Only two more hours until we’re there!”

Deciding the only thing more painful than dreading the uncertainty of where you were headed was actually hearing confirmations of the bleak outlook to be endured, you decided to follow Max’s lead, eyes closing, letting the sounds of Alice Cooper lull you into the last nap you would take on your way to your new home in Hawkins.

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“And these are your new sisters,” Neil explained with no trace of enthusiasm to his son in the driveway of your new home. “Billy, don’t be rude. Shake hands,” he instructed sternly.

Billy held out his right hand for you to take, his jaw clenched, expression unchanging as he let out a flat, “Welcome home.” His handshake was firm, and he didn’t make eye contact with you or Max as he stood before you.

“Thanks,” you replied, testing a small smile. Again, his expression didn’t soften.

“Why don’t you go help Susan with some of the boxes,” Neil muttered to Billy, the stern coldness in his eyes revealing that this was more of a command than a suggestion.

“Yes, sir,” Billy responded, already stepping down the driveway toward your mom’s car.

Once Billy was out of earshot, Neil turned to you and your sister and put on his best impression of a smile. “I hope the drive wasn’t too long for you girls,” he offered.

“It was okay,” you answered him, attempting to mirror the almost smile. The three of you basked in the awkwardness before Max piped up with a question.

“Will we be sharing a room?” She already knew the answer because your mom wouldn’t shut up about how excited the two of you should be to get your own bedrooms for the first time in your lives.

“Not at all,” Neil answered almost cheerfully. “Why don’t I show you two around, and you can get settled while we bring in your things?” Neil held out an arm, gesturing toward the front door of your new home, and you and Max trudged forward with your backpacks and snacks in tow.

The house wasn’t large, but it was more than you were used to, coming from the two bedroom, one bathroom townhome you had shared with your mother and sister for the last six years. Four bedrooms, – one for you, Max, Billy, and your mom and Neil – two bathrooms, a fireplace, and a separate kitchen, living room, and dining area. You even had your own yard complete with a tire swing, and you knew that would be a big bonus for Max.

“I hope you won’t mind sharing a bathroom with Billy,” Neil sighed almost apologetically. “He keeps things clean, so you won’t have to worry about that. But if you have any trouble at all with him, you just let me know.” Neil’s eyes were icy and cold as he spoke, his teeth gritting together at the end of his sentence. You were a bit taken aback at how he talked about his own son.

“What…kind of trouble?” His expression softened immediately, and he tried again at his smile.

“Well, you know, boys will be boys. He’s a good kid, but sometimes his attitude needs some…adjusting,” he explained. “I’ll be outside helping your mother. If you need anything, don’t be shy.” Neil rapped a couple of times on the doorframe and exited your new room. You felt all tension dissipate the moment he was gone, and you took the time to glance around your new space. You had enough room for all of your posters. A queen size bed rested in one corner with shelves above it, a full size closet at the end of the bed, and a window with a desk underneath it on the wall opposite the sleeping corner - perfect for studying after school. You could get used to this.

You were pulled from your thoughts with the muffled clatter of a box being set on the wooden floor beside your bed. Turning around, your eyes met his for the first time. You couldn’t help but notice he looked almost…scared?

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful with the next one.” Billy’s hands turned to fists at his sides, thumbs fidgeting over his knuckles, his jaw clenching at the close of his words. His appearance was unlike any guy you’d ever seen in person before.

He looked like something out of the cover art of one of your mom’s romance novels she always had tucked away in a spot she thought you and your sister wouldn’t think to look. His blonde, shoulder length curls were carefully coiffed into one of those trendy mullet styles, plush pink lips outlined a perfectly white smile, his skin still golden from the California sun, and his eyes sparkled cerulean like the surface of the ocean with a depth you couldn’t quite reach. You could tell he was stacked and muscular through his clothes, and his jawline was sharp enough to cut glass. Still, there was something about him that seemed on edge.

“Don’t worry about it,” you reassured. “I don’t think there’s anything breakable in there.” He nodded in acknowledgement and turned to exit your room. “So,” you called after him, “what’s the high school like?” You just wanted him to know you were approachable and that you had no intention of making his life Hell, especially since you were all forced to exist in the same house from now on.

“Probably worse than you’re imagining,” Billy scoffed, turning slightly back towards you. When he noticed your nerves amping up at his comment, he sighed. “It’s not that bad. Small, easy to find your way around, and everyone is…nice enough, I guess.”

“Oh, that’s good. I’ve never gone to a new school before, so I’m probably just overthinking it,” you admitted, finally slipping your backpack off and letting it plop down on the bed. Billy turned to fully face you again, his hands in his pockets, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine. Plus, you’ll know at least one person. And if anyone tries to give you shit, tell them they can answer to me.” You weren’t sure what that meant, but it did make you feel a bit more confident about your upcoming first day at Hawkins High.

“Uh, okay. Well, thanks for that.” You breathed out a small laugh, and Billy’s smirk bloomed into a smile.

“Don’t mention it,” he drawled before giving you a wink and disappearing back into the hallway to fetch another load of boxes. You didn’t have time to process the fact that you’re pretty sure your new step brother just winked at you before Max poked her head around the corner of your doorframe.

“Hey,” she whispered, catching your attention. “What did he want?” She looked back toward the hallway where Billy had just retreated, and you motioned for her to come in.

“He was just bringing some stuff in, so I asked him about the school.” Max was invested now, also having expressed her worry of starting in a new class already a month into the school year.

“What did he say?”

“Mixed review, really,” you answered, both of your expressions changing to that of confusion.

“Okay…well, do you know what to expect at all?”

“Not really. But he did say if anyone messed with me to tell them they could answer to him.” Max’s eyes widened.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She sat down on your bed, shuffling the toes of her shoes on the floor below.

“No idea,” you answered, meeting her gaze.

“Great.” Max sighed and stood up once more. “I guess I’ll start unpacking my new room.” She fluttered her eyelashes, hands waving in mock excitement. You laughed, knowing she was doing her best sarcastic impression of your mom gushing about your new home. You both rolled your eyes before she giggled and made her way back down the hallway to her own space.

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Your first dinner was awkward, to say the least. Neil had ordered a pizza for everyone since your bandwagon arrived close to mid afternoon, and your mom didn’t have time to cook a full meal even though she insisted she didn’t mind. You rushed to the door to help Billy bring in the boxes from the delivery boy who he happened to know from school.

“Troy, this is my …” he hesitated, breaking eye contact with the boy on the doorstep and looking down at the ground with a sigh, “new sister, Y/N.” You smiled tentatively, and offered a half wave, taking a couple of boxes off the top of the stack from Troy.

“Troy Holstad. Nice to meet you,” he obliged before giving Billy a perplexed look. Billy nodded once curtly and took the remainder of the boxes from Troy before waving him off with a “see you at school,” and closing the door. He nudged your arm to get your attention and spoke softly.

“There you go. Now you know two people,” he reasoned, beaming at you before shuffling back toward the dining room and adjusting his expression back to that of a sullen teenager. Billy carefully set the boxes down in the middle of the dining table, and you did the same. Everyone thumbed through the different boxtops to find the flavors they wanted, your mom and Neil opting for supreme while Max grabbed two slices of pepperoni, and you and Billy each took a slice of Hawaiian.

“So, Y/N, your mother tells me this is the start of your senior year,” Neil declared, his voice resonating in the silence of the dining room.

“Yeah, it is,” you replied around a mouthful of melted cheese and pineapple topping. You felt uneasy in your stomach when Neil glared daggers at you, looking up from his plate where he was using a knife and fork to cut his pizza. He sighed audibly as his nostrils flared and started again.

“Y/N, I know this is new for you, and we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about rules and expectations. In my house, we operate on a system that upholds the home and the image of the people in it appropriately. What is that system, Billy?” Billy sat up straighter in his chair, not looking up from his plate as his father addressed him..

“Respect and responsibility,” he recited, his voice almost shaking as his jaw tightened once more.

“That’s right,” Neil agreed. “Now that you’re a part of our family, you’ll learn to respect your elders and develop a keen sense of responsibility, just like the good, caring, all-American kids I know you can be.” Neil’s hard smile appeared below his mustache as he continued. “First of all, we address our elders with courtesy. When I ask you a question, you respond accordingly. Isn’t that right, Billy?”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered, his eyes still glued to his plate.

“I’m sorry,” Neil hissed. “I couldn’t hear you.” He leaned closer to the table, eyes searing into Billy as he awaited his response. Billy straightened up even more, his eyes snapping up to meet his father’s.

“Yes, sir,” his voice ricocheted in the dining room this time, his face flushing as everyone soaked in the awkward silence. You caught Max’s eye and noticed she looked afraid and perplexed as your mother kept her gaze on Neil, trying to seem like she was listening intently to him.

“See, girls, Billy knows the drill. If you have any questions, I’m sure he can straighten them out for you. I know you’re not used to this whole thing, having a man of the house, but you’ll adjust.” Neil gestured to the pizza on the table, his smile still active as he announced, “Let’s eat!” Max looked up at you from the corner of her eye, and you shook your head slightly, signaling for her not to say anything as you took another bite of your pizza. You side eyed Billy whose gaze seemed far away as he quickly finished his dinner.

“May I be excused,” Billy asked with perfect posture, taking the napkin from his lap and piling his used utensils on his plate.

“Yes you may.” Neil waved Billy off as he stood up, pushed in his chair, and took his plate to the kitchen to be washed.

You felt anxious as you saw Neil eyeing Max while she ate, and you held your breath as he spoke again.

“Tomorrow, we’ll practice using a fork, young lady,” he said sternly as Max’s cheeks burned, embarrassed to be holding her pizza at that exact moment. Neil paused and tilted an ear in her direction, hinting that he was expecting a reply.

“Y – yes, sir,” she choked out quickly, setting her pizza back down on her plate. Your mother cleared her throat and started asking Neil more about the school, the town, and how his new job was going. You let the two of them chat away as you gave Max a worried look, seeing her pick up her knife and fork to cut out a bite of her pizza. You stood up and grabbed your plate and jumped, the sound of a fist pounding on the dining table startling you off your feet. Your mom and Max gasped simultaneously as you met Neil’s eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going, Y/N?” You caught your breath and stuttered in response.

“I – I’m sorry. May I be excused?” You looked at your mom in panic, but she averted her eyes, looking at anything but the situation before her.

“That’s better.” Neil smiled again. “Of course. Don’t forget to clean your plate.”

“Thank you…sir.” You glanced at Max once more, hoping she would follow suit so she wouldn’t be yelled at. You hurried to the kitchen, rinsing your plate in the sink and setting it out on the dish rack to dry. You steadied your breathing as the tension melted away now that you weren’t in a close proximity to Neil.

After the awkward and almost frightening dinner, all you wanted to do was talk to your sister. You knew she would be looking for an escape after enduring Neil’s intensity, so you put on your coat and grabbed your paperback copy of The Outsiders, leaving the house through the front door.

You shuffled through the dried leaves across the lawn to the only tree in the yard and perched yourself on the tire swing, propping your feet up and opening your book to your marked page. A few lines in, you heard a clanging sound followed by a sigh, and your eyes followed the noise over to a blue Camaro with the hood up. Billy was standing over the engine, using the back of his hand to swipe stray curls out of his eyes, a dirty rag draped over his shoulder.

He didn’t seem to notice you were there as he worked, tinkering with a wrench, grunting and sighing every so often. You pretended to carry on reading while you watched him work. After all, looking wasn’t a crime, and he was quite the sight to see. After a few more minutes, he set his wrench on the edge of the Camaro’s hood and grasped the hem of his sweat-speckled t-shirt with both hands, lifting it up and over his head, tossing it on the roof of his car. Your cheeks turned scarlet at the sight of his toned chest and chiseled abs sparkling with a sheen of sweat in the crisp October air.

Your gaze snapped to your book quickly, and you glued your eyes to the words on the page, determined not to look up again. Your heart hammered in your chest, and you swore you could hear the blood flowing in your ears when a voice startled you.

“Hey, are you okay?” You jolted upright at Max’s question.

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,” you breathed.

“Sorry. Are you okay?” She repeated her question, concern behind her bright blue eyes. “You look really flushed.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” you answered, forcing yourself to keep your eyes far away from where Billy was working on his car. “What about you?” Max used the ropes of the swing to lift herself up, and you moved aside to make room for her on the tire.

“I’m fine. What the hell is up with him?” Max looked almost afraid while the two of you recounted Neil’s strange behavior at dinner, coming to the conclusion that this move might not have been for the best like your mom kept insisting.

“All we can do is follow the rules and stay out of his way, I guess,” you sigh, feeling defeated. “I don’t know how far he’ll go, but Billy seems to be pretty scared of him,” you almost whisper, leaning in closer to Max. She glanced over at Billy who was still fixated on his car.

“A guy that big scared of his dad? I don’t even want to think about why,” she shuddered, her eyes dropping to the ground.

“Hey.” You touched her shoulder, and she looked up at you. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Got it?” She gave you a small smile, nodding her understanding, but you could see the anxiety behind her eyes. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I know,” she assured you. You smiled at her and grabbed the ropes of the swing to climb out of the tire. Tossing your book onto a pile of leaves next to the tree, you stood behind Max and gripped the ropes as you walked the tire backwards before giving it a hard push. Max giggled as she swung back and forth, spinning slow circles and crying out, “You’re going to make me dizzy!”

The two of you laughed together as the sun started to set on the town of Hawkins, Indiana, and even though you weren’t sure what the coming days would hold, you knew you had each other to ease the burdensome future in your new home with your new family.

#Billy Hargrove fanfic #Billy Hargrove x Reader #Stepbrother!Billy Hargrove x Mayfield!Reader #Mayfield!Reader #Red Letters to Nowhere #Stranger things fanfic #Max Mayfield #Neil Hargrove #Susan Hargrove #hawkins #OC #Billy Hargrove oc #angst #neil hargrove is a total prick tbh #moving to hawkins #sando writes

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actuallylorelaigilmore · 2 years

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[insp]

#max mayfield #stranger things #susan hargrove #billy hargrove #eleven #spoilers #max mayfield edit #stranger things edit #susan hargrove edit #eleven edit #billy hargrove edit #my edit

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strangerthingfanfic · 1 year

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#Reblog

This scene makes me cringe. Not only does she nonchalantly tell Max it's ok to be in pain for a good ending but does it in front of Billy.

Susan in my opinion was just as destructive as Neil when it came to Max and Billy. She never was there for Billy and then when Max needed her she checked out of reality. My guess was cause she didn't have her sugar daddy anymore

#StrangerThings #billyhargrove #BillyDeservedBetter

#stranger things #billy hargrove #billy deserved better #max mayfield #reblog please #opinion #susan hargrove

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opalinedaydreams · 2 years

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the rebirth of a king, by @sadeskies

#poetry #sade sky #max mayfield #stranger things #stranger things spoilers #remi.edits #eleven #jane hopper #lucas sinclair #lumax #billy hargrove #susan hargrove

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writerwhowritesao3 · 10 months

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Disclaimer: I am not Catholic. Everything I know about Catholicism is from friends and internet searches. Let me know if I got anything egregiously wrong!

Every few weeks or so, Neil would decide that the family would be going to church on Sunday.

Billy hates it. It isn’t even just the fact that mass is boring as shit and Billy doesn’t even believe in god. It’s the fact that his dad makes the decision for all of them—him, Susan, and Max—that they would be going.

Susan was raised Catholic, but she doesn’t personally identify that way anymore. She hadn’t in a long time. And Billy knows, from snippets of conversations between Susan and her sister Deirdre that he overheard, that Susan fucking hates the Catholic Church. Even so, Susan had taken Max to church a few times before marrying Neil. Pretty much just for holidays though, and only for the community aspect of it all. To her credit, Susan always made sure that Max knew that the Bible was not to be taken literally and that most of the religion was bullshit.

Neil was raised Catholic. His father had been Catholic. His mother, on the other hand, had been part of the Eastern Orthodox minority in Hungary. Neil’s father had forced her to convert to Catholicism when they got married even though he wasn’t a particularly religious man. He had also all but forced her to speak only English in their home. So. Neil had been raised in the Catholic faith and only learning bits and scraps of Hungarian.

Anyway.

The Hargrove-Mayfield family rolls into St. Vitus one Sunday. The night before, Billy had missed curfew and Neil hadn’t believed him when he said that he had been studying with Nancy and lost track of time. To be fair, that story had been a total, blatant lie. The truth was that Billy had been at Steve’s house getting railed on top of his pool table, but obviously Billy couldn’t tell his dad that.

The logical thing to do when you know your teenage son is lying to your face is to make your family go to church and make your son go to confession. At least according to the Neil Hargrove Guide to Parenthood.

Neil walks Billy to the little alcove where the confessional is to make sure he gets in line.

“We’re sitting three rows from the back,” Neil says. “If you and Max behave yourselves, we can go to Waffle House after.”

The night before, Neil slammed Billy against a wall while he was demanding to know why he had missed his curfew. He probably would have beaten him, but he got distracted enough to snap out of his rage when Susan “accidentally” knocked a glass off of the counter.

Billy knows that sometimes, rarely but still sometimes, his dad feels guilty about getting physical with him. Guilty enough that his dad tries to make up for it with things like buying a pint of Billy’s favorite flavor of ice cream at the supermarket or taking the family out to get breakfast after church.

(Sometimes when his dad hurts him badly enough, he “makes up for it” by doing things like helping Billy pay for his car or taking the family to the animal shelter to adopt a dog)

Before Billy walks into the confessional, he watches Neil walk over to where Susan and Max are sitting. There have been times where his dad would stay in line with him, waiting for his own turn or just making sure that Billy actually went in.

He walks in the booth. It’s one of those that’s divided by a screen. When Billy had his first Communion, the confessions were done face-to-face. It had been awful having to tell a grown-up man—that he had to call “Father”—how he had pushed Lance Shepherd off the jungle gym at recess because he had put a wad of gum in his friend Amy’s hair.

Billy kneels and makes the sign of the cross.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” Billy says rolling his eyes. “It’s been, like, three months since my last confession. I think.”

“Unburden yourself.”

Billy blinks—he’s never heard a priest say “unburden yourself.” He’s only ever heard the standard “tell me your sins.” Billy recognizes the voice from the other side of the screen as Father Peter. There are two priests who preside over St. Vitus: Father Thomas, who’s old as fuck and rarely cracks a smile, and Father Peter, who is in his 40s and always greets people by their names.

“I let my friend cheat off my quiz in History class,” Billy begins. in his defense, it was a pop quiz and Jonathan’s grade in that class needed all the help it could get.

“I picked a fight with my sister,” he continues. That little spat with Max had been so fucking stupid; it was over whose turn it was to clean the bathroom. The fight had only lasted about seven minutes and they had both gotten over it quickly.

“I talked back to my parents...um...a fair amount,” he says. He stops speaking for a moment, wondering if he should just end his confession there to save everyone a whole bunch of time.

“Anything else?” Father Peter asks.

This was stupid. Church was stupid. Confession was fucking stupid. Catholicism was a nasty, fucking system invented to make people feel bad about shit like having sex and being gay.

“Yeah actually,” Billy snarks. “I missed curfew last night and lied to my dad about where I was. I told him I was studying with my friend, but I was really having sex with my boyfriend. Pre-marital, gay sex. ‘Cause I’m gay.��

Billy has no idea what Father Peter’s response to that is going to be. In a million years, he never would have predicted that Father Peter would say:

“Do you think that’s a sin?”

“I mean, isn’t it?” he asks, thrown off. “Like from a Catholic perspective?”

“Some people interpret Scripture that way,” Father Peter says. “But when you read the Bible, it’s important to consider the historical context. And important to remember that it’s been translated and revised many times over the centuries.”

“Do you think it’s a sin?” Billy asks. Even though he really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what a priest thinks.

“No, I do not,” Father Peter says. “As long as it’s done with love and respect and not with malice, I don’t believe that any expression of sexuality is a sin.”

“Oh,” Billy says. “Um, cool.”

“God does not hate gay people, Billy,” Father Peter says softly.

Billy digs his fingernails into his palm. He didn’t think that Father Peter would recognize his voice.

“For your penance—”

“Wait, you just said it wasn’t a sin.”

“The sex is not a sin,” Father Peter clarifies. “But helping your friend cheat on their test is. And so is disrespecting your family.”

“I guess.”

Billy swears he hears Father Peter chuckle at that.

“For your penance, say three Hail Marys,” Father Peter continues. “Help your parents out around the house. Do an activity with your sister that she chooses. And help your friend study so that they’re prepared for the next test.”

“Okay,” Billy nods.

He listens as Father Peter intones a prayer of absolution and leaves the confessional to join his family in the pews.

Nothing’s really changed. Billy still doesn’t believe in any sort of god. He still thinks religion is bogus. He’s only going to say those Hail Marys because his dad is there and the promised trade-off of Waffle House for good behavior is too good to pass up.

But he does make a mental note to share his class notes with Jonathan and study with him. And also to take Max to the arcade and maybe let her win a game or two.

#billy hargrove #max mayfield #susan hargrove #neil hargrove #harringrove #(like in the background)#catholic billy hargrove

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princessofshazabah · 9 months

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ah yes more

#stranger things #these are so fun to make #yippee!#lumax #mileven #max mayfield #dustin henderson #nancy wheeler #lucas sinclair #mike wheeler #eleven #this is not susan hate btw #susan hargrove

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groovinrightalong · 8 months

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Do u have any trans masc Max Mayfield headcanons?

I haven’t thought much about it but now I have so MANY thoughts!

-Max hasn’t had a lot of positive relationships with the men in his life, so it takes a long while for the “hm I don’t feel quite right” to click. He doesn’t feel super comfortable as a girl, but he looks at his step-dad and Billy and is like “well I don’t want to be anything like that, so this has to be okay.”

-He definitely knows more about gender/sexuality stuff than the others because of growing up in California. So he’s thought a lot about it over the years, but just kept coming to the conclusion that he’s a tomboy (again, no positive relationships with men.)

-It’s actually because of Lucas (and the rest of the Party, by extension) that he really starts to get more comfortable with the idea. Because Lucas is sweet, and he’s gentle, and so unlike any of the other men he’s been around. Lucas is the first person that kind of cracks his view on gender roles and what exactly defines a man.

-He butts heads with Mike a lot at first just because of how insistent Mike is about him being a girl, how he’s different and unwelcome because of it, but (if this is also transmasc Mike) they realize they’re actually really similar and grow closer because of it, or (if this isn’t transmasc Mike) Max realizes that it isn’t the “girl” thing that bothers him, it’s the fear of replacing El.

-If it’s both transmasc Max and transmasc Mike, Mike comes out WAY earlier than he would’ve on his own.

-The boys are all really supportive when he comes out (which would probably be around the season 3 era). They don’t really get it at first, but he’s their friend, and they’ve always been very vocal about how they’d kill for a friend if needed. And really, seeing Max as a boy isn’t all that different from what they were doing already, so it’s an easy adjustment.

-In a similar fashion to Max teaching El about being a girl in the show, the guys take him out on a “boys only” night. It isn’t really any different than their usual hangouts- they go to the movies, play video games, eat way too much junk food, but the boys only title makes Max feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

-He comes out to Billy while he’s dying. He didn’t ever really plan on doing it at all, but his step-brother is dying in his arms and he needs to get it off his chest before it’s too late. Billy is a lot of the reason it took so long for him to feel comfortable as himself, and he thinks Billy knows that once it’s out in the air. Unfortunately, Billy’s dead before he can really give much of a reaction, just a weak little “I’m sorry.” And that’s nowhere near enough to make up for everything.

-He comes out to his family that night in a screaming match with his step-dad. Neil is an asshole about it, but it doesn’t really matter because the whole argument starts because he’s gonna leave them. Susan is incredibly supportive, and she turns around and kicks Neil out even though she’d been begging him to stay moments before. Gives Max one of those big, therapeutic hugs where Max just sobs into her shirt.

-Max cuts his hair off after Billy’s death. He’s never had a problem with his hair, he actually likes it long, but he’s messed up over everything that happened. He leans a lot more into the stereotypes he hated as a kid, acts rougher and more stand-offish. He breaks up with Lucas, stops hanging out with the rest of his friends. He feels awful, because this is the first time in his life that he’s only surrounded by people that support and love him, but he feels like he doesn’t deserve it.

-(Vecna has a field day with all that)

-Post canon, he does grow his hair back out again. Lucas dramatically informs him that men with long hair are hot (bi king), to which Max shoots back that that would mean Mike was hot. Lucas gives Mike a quick once over and is like I mean, yeah.

-Lucas likes to greet people and go hi, yes, this is my boyfriend Max. He’s so cool. He pretty much single-handedly saved Hawkins that one time. And Max stands there with his face bright red in his hands like oh my god shut up

-Lumax and Byler double dates with an obnoxious amount of homo, striking fear into the hearts of conservative smalltown Indiana

YES I love this sorry for making it angst near the end but yes yes transmasc Max I love him💞

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